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?

34. A fight for the ages

Chapter thirty four: A fight for the ages

"I still can't believe what you did" Twilight muttered sourly. The stallion rubbing soap suds up and down her back tenderly only chuckled.

"That only goes to show that we should be spending a lot more time developing our knowledge of each other" Blood Moon replied, his smirk on his wet face. A light hissing accompanied the two unicorns as they sat inside Luna's pilfered shower room. Designed for a Princess, the two regular sized ponies had no trouble sitting together within it, one washing the other while said other pouted at the tiled wall, trying desperately hard not to succumb to the stallion's masterful hooves; he massaged her stiff back up and down, working the kinks and knots raveled within her muscles, none of which had definitely not been brought on by the stress of this morning, no sirree.

Their manes and fur matted their bodies, clinging to them closely, the assassin's mane hanging over his forehead while the purple mare's bangs hung down her face, the hot water pooling around their flanks and hooves, steam filling the room, the thick air being blasted around by Twilight's sigh.

"Y'know, I know that you're joking, but you have a point" Twilight muttered. She felt Blood Moon's hooves pause on her back.

"What do you mean" he replied, a frown creasing his face as he leaned to the side slightly. Twilight looked back at him for a second watching his face contort in confusion.

"I mean...well, we've known each other for" another pause as she took count of the days in her head, her eyes widening slightly when she got her number "for a little over three weeks now" she said quietly, taking a small, shocked breath, a gentle laugh escaping her. "Not even a month" she mused under her breath. The assassin was still watching her, humming in thought.

"Agreed" he muttered "although, that said, we've been through an awful lot together" he noted as a laugh built in his chest "some of it more than a little character building" he recounted with a grin on his face. Twilight turned to him, no laughter in her tone or on her face.

"Maybe but...well, what do we really know about each other? I'm willing to bet we've only really scratched the surface on each other" she exclaimed, her face close to his. They were almost mirror opposites of each other; she was panicking and worried about them, her eyes wide in sorrow and regret of the wasted time they could have spent together, while he as was relaxed and laid back as ever, his eyes half-lidded and that grin still on his face. Blood Moon wrapped his fore-legs around Twilight's shoulders loosely, bringing his grinning face to her's as he spoke softly.

"Twilight, as far as I'm concerned, we'll have all the time we need when all of this is done...all the time we want, and need, to get to know each other properly, if that is what you desire. We'll have all the time in the world to go on dates and talk about our favorite colors, our friends, our families, our least favorite cheeses and maybe even what we do when we're not changing the course of Equestria's history." Twilight giggled gently, resting her head on his heard chest, listening to his heart beat rhythmically.

"Yeah...after all this is done" she repeated, straightening up and looking him in the eye again "after, you fight the whole world" she reminded him, her expression taking on a raised eyebrow and unamused grin. Blood Moon couldn't decide if she was emulating his visage to mock him or if she were doing it unintentionally.

"Well, if you gotta bring it up again" he muttered, looking away and huffing, his smirk still on his face. Twilight barked a laugh in amazement.

"Yes I am bringing it up again, and no amount of sweet talk, back massages or laid back charm is gonna stop me from reminding you that I'm not done lecturing you about this" she told him, her tone taking on that of a scolding teaching, her hoof poking his chest slightly. Blood Moon flashed his teeth as he smiled, wolfishly at that, and advanced on is marefriend steadily.

"Well, if none of that'll work" he said in a low tone, Twilight backing away from him gently, her own smile finding her lips as her purple orbs were half hidden by her dark magenta lids, her flank squishing against the shower room wall as she stopped, allowing her stallion to come within a hair's breadth of her "maybe this will." His kiss was soft, loving, slow and intimate, something Twilight found herself enjoying more and more about him, how he was never willing to shy away from touching her, from loving her, or from making her feel so special.

He pulled back, his daring tongue leaving her mouth and returning to that stupid smirk of his. She wasn't sure how she felt about the way that look on his face always seemed to remind her why she loved him, the daring, the bravado, the confidence, the way he managed to work his way into her mind and, despite his far too rugged looks, still managed to linger in her mind's eye so unabashedly.

Twilight drew herself from her thoughts when she felt herself purring gently, caressing her neck up and down his.

"Hmm, maybe a little" she relented. She felt her stallion wrap his fore-legs around her neck, pulling her close and tight; a slight warm breath was followed by a slight tensing on her ear as the assassin bit down on her, the steam in the air far from the hottest aspect of their shared showed. A hoof stroking down the back of her neck, through her slick mane and down along her back, still twisting oh-so delicately into her muscles and sending sweet, numbing sensations through her system.

The mare felt herself groan into his ear, the touch of their slick coats and skin only adding to the feelings he was sending coursing through her; she knew it was a dirty trick, what he was doing, she was no foolish filly, whisked away on his charm and perfect touch, but she also knew that he was really good at what he was doing. It was electrifying, the way he held her, made her squirm while he satisfying her, keeping her begging and fulfilled all at once.

"Blood Moon" she murmured, brushing up against him. She felt the pressure on her ear release, but he didn't break away from her, his hoof still dancing around her back muscles.

"Hmm" he answered quietly; clearly, he wasn't going to be distracted, or dissuaded, easily.

"I know you love me an' all" she murmured just as quietly, really growing to appreciate his touch "but are you just doing this to get me to...forgive you" she asked, her tone barely above that of the hissing shower head "or...what, approve of what you're doing?" There was a pause, a quiet, before he took a slight step back, looking her in the eye.

"Maybe" he answered, his head cocked slightly. Twilight just took a long breath through her muzzle, looking down at the water at their hooves. "Why" he asked suddenly, prompting Twilight to look up; he was wearing his grin again, his confident grin. Not arrogant, never arrogant, never giving her justification for wanting to pull it from his lips and jump up-and-down on it, but...she still really wanted to do that to it. "Are you about to tell me it won't work" he grinned, defiantly.

Twilight knew what she was dealing with here; she knew, she'd learned about her coltfriend during their time together. He was good at getting his way, she'd watched him, heard of him, had him do it to her. She knew very well just how good a talker he was. And she knew that knowing this was very little defense against it, that he had been trained very well, and that he had millennia of experience at plying his trade, at exercising his skills. He would poke and prod until he discovered some weakness to prompt her to let him get his way. And she knew he was very likely to succeed.

Still, she couldn't just let him do as he please without some resistance.

"Yes" she answered eventually "because I don't like what you're doing, and I never will" she told him sternly, standing up straight. The assassin only shrugged.

"I understand that, but this is my path now." He said it so nonchalantly, so calmly. As though he didn't care, scratch that, he probably didn't care. Twilight could only shake her head, hating the fact that she agreeing with him, that she was letting him win, but she just couldn't think of an argument that would dissuade him.

"I am not dropping this" she grumbled, turning away from him.

Her purple glow turned off the tap to the shower, and the hissing of water was reduced to a small dribble. The stallion followed her out, admiring her plot as they left Luna's bathroom and exited her empty bedroom; upon hearing of the assassin's choice of actions within court, she'd reacted just how Blood Moon had predicted.

"Oh, who'd have seen that coming?"

That girl knew the assassin better than he knew himself sometimes.

Having washed the assassin's appallingly moronic decision off of her, while same said assassin obligingly washed himself once more to keep both Celestia and Twilight happy (he insisted that one shower a month was more than enough), the two insistent that the foreign rulers and dignitaries would find it 'uncouth' for the princess's body guard to be accompanied by a hoard of flies, the two stepped into the assassin's chambers, towels wiping the moisture of off themselves as they went.

Twilight sipped at the tea which had been left out for them, sitting on a small seat, while the assassin meandered over to what he'd apparently decided was his dressing corner. The mare still wasn't sure how to react to the fact that the stallion had a much larger selection of clothing than her. His vest and coat slipped onto him without hassle, both sliding free from the mannequin they shared, while the bracer floated from its small case and the red ribbon pulled itself from a small rainbow coalition of ribbons available on top of a nearby stack of draws. A belt unwrapped itself from its coiled state and looped around him, buckling as a hole appeared in the universe and a sheathed sword slipped out and attached itself to his belt before a bandanna knotted itself around his neck.

He stood still for a long moment, Twilight watching with her cup to her lips, before he frowned and glanced around. Opening the wardrobe and peering in, she heard his muffled voice call:

"Hey Twilight, you seen my hood?" A slight laugh broke her quiet observation.

"No, why? Is your ensemble incomplete without it" she asked with a voice that mocked him with a class Rarity would be proud of. She hopped off her seat and trotted up to him. "I thought that coat had one fitted on already" she commented, coming to his side. He was scratching his head now, looking at the chest nearby before shaking his head and looking around with confusion on his face.

"Well, yeah" he murmured, brow furrowed " but...I'm kinda feelin' the black today" he mumbled, scratching the back of his neck in confusion. Twilight could only laugh at him.

"I don't think I'll ever get you and your fashion choices" she giggled. The assassin's no doubt biting retort was cut off when Pinkie Pie exploded out of the chest next to them in a shower of confetti and party blowers.

"HI GUYS" was her heart-attack inducing greeting. Blood Moon had already leapt in front of his marefriend, sword drawn and aimed at the pink party pony with lethal promise. Meanwhile, Twilight was preparing a spell to summon a piano to drop on top of her friend, who was still smiling widely. There was a short stand off, Blood Moon and Twilight standing stock-still before they realized what was happening, both taking long breaths which seemed to deflate their tensed muscles.

"Geez Pinkie, don't you ever knock" Blood Moon exclaimed, sliding his sword into its sheath. Pinkie shook her head rapidly.

"Nope. Oo, oo, oo, you guys wouldn't believe all the cool stuff I found in here" she ducked back into the chest and came out wearing the assassin's hood. "Hi, I'm Mooney! Killy, killy, killy" she growled out in a weak parody of the assassin's signature dark tones. She got naught from her audience but a pair of unamused stares and Blood Moon's dry tones.

"Aha, ahaaa-gimme that" he snapped, swiping his hood from Pinkie's smiling, pink head. He placed it on its rightful mane with a sigh, looking up at the obliviously smiling mare and shook his head. "How'd you get in there anyway" he asked, lifting Pinkie out with his magic. She put a hoof to her chin, a look of truly intense concentration crossing her face.

"I dunno, just sorta woke up in there I guess." Both Blood Moon and Twilight face-hoofed, but figured it better for their mental health to not question the party thrower.

"Alright, that's as good an explanation as any I suppose" Twilight relented, trotting off to try and spare her frazzled mind. Blood Moon remained with Pinkie, chuckling in his chest at his marefriend's reaction, watching her go, before he look back at Pinkie.

"Well, it's good I...stumbled across you anyway" he said in a quiet voice, as to not draw Twilight's attention. Pinkie's head flopped to the side, her eyebrow raised.

"Why?" The assassin scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I..." he sighed, looking away from Pinkie in search for proper wording "well, I've had little heart to hearts with Twi, Fluttershy and Rainbow by now, and I'm pretty sure I'm on the level with them all, but-" He was cut off by a pink hoof softly touching his chest. He looked up to find Pinkie giving him a small, sad smile.

"It's alright Mooney, you don't have to apologize to me" she told him. The stallion frowned.

"But I-" A small, oddly sad giggle interrupted him.

"It's not nice when friends don't wanna be friends" she explained "and Scootaloo had just said that she didn't want to be your daughter anymore" she reminded him. The assassin deflated slightly when the memories hit him, looking off to the side slightly. "Don't worry" she repeated "I get it, you went sad, like when Pinkamena came out...and...I get it" she promised him. Looking at her small, understanding smile and the eyes that simply didn't belong in such an upset position simultaneously warmed, and broke something in the assassin's chest. Feeling something scratching the corners of his eyes, he sighed gently and pulled her into a hug.

"I really don't know what I did to deserve you, but...thanks" he whispered in a, low, relieved tone "thank you so much" he breathed, squeezing her gently. Pinkie squished him back, just as gentle.

"It's okay... You understood" she told him "you understood when I needed somepony to understand most." Blood Moon just felt his smile stretch further along his face. She had a knack for that, it seemed. "And besides, that's what friends do" she finished, electing another small squeezed from the stallion embracing her. He sighed, breathing in the scent of candyfloss in her mane.

"You're a pony far too good for this world" he murmured. Pinkie only giggled.

They released each other and trotted towards Twilight, the mare having watched their quiet exchange; it warmed her heart, to see Pinkie's caring and true affection for her coltfriend, how they understood each other.

"Anything I'd be interested in" the sorceress asked, nodding back at where they'd spoke, already having a good idea of what they'd said. The stallion smiled slightly.

"Nothin' really, just a little..." he glanced at Pinkie, who was smiling contently, her eyes closed cutely "heart to heart" he finished.

A rough knocking against the assassin's door cut off any progress to their conversation, the three pony's heads turning for the entrance before they trotted over to it; the door gained a gray glow as the stallion opened it to reveal a low-ranking guard. A slight frown and closer examination revealed this to be the same, low-ranking guard from the other day, whom had quickly took to cowering before the assassin.

He looked Blood Moon up and down hesitantly before he spoke.

"Uh, C-Clestia requests your presence down in the training grounds" he told Blood Moon, who nodded quietly to himself.

"Seems they're ready to throw down" the assassin commented with a smirk, rolling his right fore-leg eagerly.

"I-I've been asked to escort you down there" the guard said, his tone still quaking. Raising his eyebrow at the guard, Blood Moon shrugged and tensed one side of his maw.

"Very well" he replied, before looking at Twilight and Pinkie. "Ladies, shall we?" Twilight nodded, stepping past the assassin as Pinkie hopped after her, still smiling broadly.

They were quite the quartet, the gold-plated guard, purple librarian, silver-gray assassin and hopping, pink party thrower. The guard took point, Pinkie hopping next to him, Twilight and Blood Moon bringing up the rear.

"So, what's your name" Pinkie asked happily, her mane and tail bouncing up and down. The guard looked over at her, his head bobbing up and down in time to the mare's bouncing.

"I...my name is Bastion...Last Bastion" 'Last Bastion' replied, his neck tilting up and down to follow Pinkie Pie's movements. Pinkie's smile went even wider, a feat which shouldn't have impressed the assassin anymore, but still never ceased to amaze him.

"Hi Bastion, my name's Pinkie Pie! Are you a guard! Well duuh, of course you're a guard" she snorted in laughter "I throw parties for ponies! Maybe I could throw a party for you! Oo, oo, when's your birthday?MaybeIcanthrowyouasuperawesomebirthdayparty,It'llbesuperawesome,andhavecakeandallyou'reguardfriendsOHyouhaveguardfriendsright-"

Blood Moon felt a hoof on his shoulder, breaking his concentration and severing his cord to Pinkie's odd definition of sanity. He looked to his right to behold his savior and found an purple hoof, attached to which was a leg, and attached to that a pretty, purple pony. Twilight shook her head silently, the stallion repeating the motion dumbly, to which Twilight nodded in approval.

Casting his gaze to the ground and attempting to not take every detail of his environment in for the first time in a few centuries, Blood Moon cast his thoughts inward.

He wondered how Rarity and Applejack were doing; beyond his interactions with the Elements of Harmony in the throne room the other day, and his brief appearance for them to show off his bodyguard regalia, he hadn't seen much of them lately. No doubt Rarity was taking the opportunity to take in every inch of Celestia's famous palace, more than likely taking inspiration for new outfits and fashion lines from the most odd of places around the palace. Applejack was harder to predict, maybe she was following one of the others around, keeping the ever nervous Fluttershy content in the new environment, or acting as a sounding board for Rarity. Or perhaps she'd gone down to the kitchens to exchange baking tips.

He didn't know and didn't exactly care, just as long as they weren't in danger from any lingering assassins or spies prowling the palace, taking advantage of the skeleton crew running the place. The assassin had noticed more than a couple during his time in the palace, not counting the assassins after him and the one he'd spotted during court. He had to wonder; Shadow Weavers, or freelancers?

He hadn't noticed any out of place griffons or Changelings, Diamond Dogs or anything else of the sort; just ponies, ponies and more ponies. Just the first wave? The race with the head start? Both, neither? The questions plagued him, and the dark stallion didn't like it. He was only just beginning to realize how comparatively relaxed he'd been when it was just his own security, in his own small vicinity that he'd been concerned about for these past ten thousand or so years. He foresaw headaches in the future.

"Oo, maybe we could get Iron Mareden to come along! I love that band" Bastion exclaimed happily; the assassin hadn't noticed when he'd started happily conversing with Pinkie Pie, but he'd apparently forgotten all about his training in keeping stoic and un-moving in the face of civilians, and wore a big smile on his face, professionalism and unease around the pink party thrower all but nonexistent. Blood Moon could only grin. The day he met a pony who didn't at least eventually warm up to Pinkie was the day he'd finally make use of the headstone he'd carved out for himself.

The assassin's eyes were drawn to Last Bastion as he analyzed him and took in every detail about him. His fur was naturally yellow, dyed the standard white of the Solar Guard, and his beige mane and tail had been dyed blond. Blood Moon couldn't help but smirk at the ironic inverse of colors.

The guard seemed new, likely taken out of training early to bolster the palace guard's numbers, and had found himself in the position of Celestia's semi-official personal aid. The Hunter had to wonder if she'd end up using this one for badly-restrained amounts of sex too.

Shaking his head free of his adopted daughter's carnal habits, Blood Moon took stock of their position in the palace: close to the rear of the palace, near the guard barracks and training rounds, their eventual destination. Light streamed in from a doorway ahead of them, signifying the exit to the outside world.

Pinkie and Bastion stepped out first, into the blazing sun. The assassin went to follow them before he felt a hoof on his shoulder.

"You...you don't have to do this, you know" Twilight tried. Neither of them took their eyes off of the portal to the training grounds turned arena. Neither of them had to.

"Twilight, you know as well as I that I do" Blood Moon replied with an eager grin on his face. The purple mare sighed, her head hanging, as they turned to face each other.

"You know, I think it's that I can tell that you want to do this that worries me the most" she admitted. The assassin's grin held as he took her face in his hoof, holding her gently.

"Well, if doing this means I can get those regal asshats off my back sooner rather than later, I'm more than willing to go through with this. That I get to punch ponies is just a bonus" he told her, ego and more than a little pride edging into his tones. The purple unicorn smiled without mirth, her eyes closing as she huffed.

"What exactly do you want to get out of this Blood Moon? I mean, I know you want to tell them all not to get in your way but..." she looked up, up into his eyes, and her tone went serious, melancholy tinting her words "I don't get it; there's a hundred different way you could do this without all this trouble, all this spectacle. I of all know you could talk them down, or just let Celestia handle it diplomatically, or just go quiet or something other than this. So why fight? Why put yourself into such danger? Why put so many others in danger" she asked weakly. They held each other's gazes for a long moment, the light of the outside world casting half their faces in shade, and the other half in bright light, before Blood Moon took a step back from his marefriend.

"Because, what I'm about to say, has to be said loudly" he told her, his face and voice going serious, his posture straight and controlled, his brow furrowed slightly "because all of Equestria, all of Equss, has to hear...I won't be controlled, that I am going to stand by Celestia. To tell the Shadow Weavers that I'm no longer one of them. That they can't stop me" he finished.

A cold wind blew through the passage they stood in, their manes and tails flowing with it. Twilight looked up at him with eyes of sadness, of frustration and hatred, of understanding and a deep wish for him to reconsider his actions. He was stoic. Still as a rock, quiet as the moon. In that moment, Twilight saw that calm, cold, driven, unstoppable assassin up close, looking her right in the eye. She knew there was nothing she could say, nothing she could do, that would persuade him to not go out there now.

She sighed, leaning her head against his chest; she wasn't scared of him, not in her heart. She knew that her adventures with her friends had taught her much, and that bravery was not least among those lessons, but she knew that there was something to fear in this assassin, beyond the obvious. It was his tenacity, his stubbornness, his Tartarus-bent nature. She felt his fore-leg wrap around the back of her neck, hugging her tight. He loved her, she knew, he'd do anything for her.

But he loved his freedom more.

Sighing gently through her muzzle, Twilight could only look up at her stallion from her vantage point against his chest with a deep-rooted sadness in her gaze.

"Just...be careful out there, okay?" In a moment, the Blood Moon she knew was back, his cocky smirk stretching across his lips, reaching into his eyes in its sincerity.

"Naturally" he said with a wink, turning back to the bright glow coming from the exit to their shared passage and trotting down it.

Outside, the sun blazed down in glorious golden rays. Raised away from the view of Canterlot, the massive expanse of flat cobble stone, each rock the size of a small foal, were the Royal Training Grounds; beholding a marvelous view over the rest of the capital of Equestria, stone battlements at chest-height protecting anypony from stumbling off the edge and tumbling an incredible distance down. Each and every guard to train and practice here considered it no less than a privilege and a burden, to see exactly what they were responsible for.

Around the perimeter of the training area, the archery targets and fighting dummies had all been removed to make room for the massive set of bleachers, the likes of which normally found at highschools or hoofball fields, while the small sparring pits had been dismantled in favor of turning most of the rest of the grounds into one massive arena.

More than a few ponies, zebras, Diamond Dogs, Griffons and even dragons were loitering around. Twilight could spot other races as well, but none held her attention long before she noticed Celestia stood with Luna in what looked like a more 'high class' seating area, a cloth tent roof attached to the wooden supports, in the traditional Canterlot purple, white and gold swirls protecting them from the sun blazing overhead, at the very top of the wooden seating.

The two unicorns trotted over without drawing too much attention, finding the raisers of the sun and moon, Twilight's friends, brother and sister in law, as well as some other foreign dignitaries scattered around. Celestia turned from her sister when she noticed her looking past her, a warm smile finding the solar mare's face.

"Good morning" was her simple greeting. Twilight was a little uncomfortable hugging the princess in public, but the solar mare wrapped a fore-leg around her either way, pulling her in.

"Good morning, princess" the purple mare replied, slowly returning her tutor's hug in turn before she was released, taking a few steps back. All of the Elements were stood amongst the rulers of Equesrtia now, most having taken their seats as Pinkie bought a tub of popcorn from a brave vendor (much to Rarity and Applejack's disapproval) before she hopped into her seat. Cadence and Shining smiled, the former nodding her head slightly while the latter turned to glare in either suspicion or disapproval at her coltfriend.

Celestia turned her eyes to Blood Moon, who was watching the crowds carefully, no doubt sizing up his opponents. His attention went to her suddenly when he felt her eyes on him, grinning slightly and inclining his head.

"Morning Tia, Luna" he greeted. The rulers of night and day returned his greetings quietly, the former much more amused by the day's proceeding's than the latter. "So...is this everyone" Blood Moon asked as he looked over the area he'd be fighting in. The large, flat stones that made up the training grounds had a wooden decagon constructed around it, maybe a meter or two away from the edge of the seating area, likely to provide standing room and separate civilians away from the inevitable violence. Celestia nodded slightly, following the dark stallion's gaze.

"Hopefully, we're already rather crowded. But yes, ponies from all over Equestria, Glendrin's personal honour guard, Zebrack's Hidden Tails, Diamond Dog Hounds of War, Dragon raiders, Minotaur warriors, even some Changeling assassins have shown up..." Celestia trailed off, one side of her maw tensing slightly "put simply, everyone you've ever managed to annoy has turned up for a swing a you" the ruler of the day explained. The assassin only grunted.

"I'm insulted there's so few" he commented, eyes scanning the crowds; it was quite remarkable, he had to admit, the mass of beings who had shown up. Not just fighters, but spectators. Pretty much the entire town of Canterlot had shown up to find out what the fuss was about, while others had turned up from out of town, word apparently traveling with impossible speed across the length of Equestria. No doubt if the assassin had waited longer, beings from all over Equss would show up too. The crowds far exceeded the seating area available, and already a rainbow of bodies were crowded around the wooden walls of the impromptu arena. "How long until we begin" the Hunter asked, his gaze returning to Celestia. She only shrugged.

"No more than fifteen minuets, I'd wager" she answered as she sat her royal flank on her wooden throne, between Cadence and Luna, Twilight sitting with her friends in front of them. Leaning to the side slightly, he noticed the other rulers sat along the same platform his daughters were, Glendrin, Krazin, Rel, Stone Spine...he frowned, noticing an empty seat, insultingly far away from Celestia. Such a statement could only be being made against one mare.

"Excuse me" he said quietly, slipping away before anypony had realized what he'd said. He trotted away quickly, hooves silent along the stony ground, red eyes flowing over each and every hide and hair she could be hiding amongst before he noticed her black chitin observing the proceedings from afar.

The wall surrounding the training area flattened back to form a walk way, shaded by a wooden gazebo above it, accessed via stone steps. She was at the corner, looking over either Canterlot as a whole or the rabble below, but otherwise unocuppied.

The assassin trotted up behind her silently, standing behind her until she noticed him. Her mane and tail flapped gracefully in the wind, adding to her warped beauty.

"It was almost all mine, you know" she said quietly, not looking back at the Hunter. Blood Moon remained silent, spotting a closed, wooden door to their left. Likely a storage shed. "But...but your marefriend got in my way...I haven't forgiven her, you know...she's a respectable foe...but she's still my foe, have no doubt." Still she got no answer. A grin split the assassin's face as he listened to her words, her implied threat. A particularly strong gust of wind shifted her tail gently, gathering his attention. Turning her head back slightly, Chrysalis only huffed slightly. "What's the matter, Cloak and Dagger? Cat got your ton-" The Queen of the Changelings was cut off when a muzzles shoved its way between her smooth, black lips and into her emerald green treasure, a particularly dexterous tongue raging around in there for a second before he pulled back, a devilish smirk in his tone.

"You could say that" he chuckled before he swept right back into her pussy, tongue leading his ministrations as he teased her marehood with wild abandon. Chrysalis moaned quietly, pushing her hind-quarters back into his face as she let him eat her out, wrapping her fore-legs around the wooden beam in front of her like a stripper pole, arching her back elegantly, letting her glorious ass smother him. Buck she'd forgotten how good he was at this, his skilled tongue slipping through her pussy lips and into her depths, his hooves, resting on her flank cheeks, spreading them, spanking them, pinching them like he owned her. She smirked as she remembered their little, never ending game; who owned who in the sheets?

It was sudden, it came from out of nowhere, it was perfect. He lapped and lashed at her opening with altering motions, sometimes delicate and gentle, letting her rest her flank on his face, other times he was aggressive and forceful, pushing the air from her lungs as he worked away at her pussy with an unmatched skill, lips wrapped around her cunny as his hooves stroked up and down her smooth, curvy legs, an eternal weakness of his.

Her eyes went over to the crowd below them, their view of them obscured by the bleachers. Oh, how she wished somepony would look over at them, at the princess's personal guard eating her pussy like a five course meal; a random peasant, pawing at himself as she licked her lips at him, as her lips were licked in turn, hoof dancing along his cock as she silently begged for more, maw hanging open seductively for her anonymous onlooker as she let the stallion take her, saliva stretching between her perfect, succulent lips.

Luna, shocked, appalled, maybe interested in the expression of their carnal desires, glad that sex, that pure, sinful fucking had left the shroud of nighttime and had found life outside of the confines of the bedroom, out from under the darkness. She had the same inhibitions as Blood Moon when left unchecked, if she could be caught quickly, not given time to get nervous. Chrysalis was good at reading ponies, and she knew there was jealousy in the younger sister. Would this satisfy it, sate her envy? Would she want a turn, riding her adoptive father's dick, feeling his tongue's skill against her pussy?

A gasping breath escaped her lips, her tongue licking them sensually.

'So scandalous...'

Would she trot up, take his stallionhood into her throat? She'd eat her out eagerly. Oh, what a threesome that would make.

Twilight, oh the heart break, the heart break she'd eagerly take over any amount of love, any day; she'd catch her purple eyes, she'd smirk that beautiful, evil smirk of hers, make her watch. He'd make her cum as she watched, and she'd moan oh-so wantonly, noiselessly, to make sure her misery was private. She'd push him to the ground, jump onto his cock and ride him with a wild abandon of her restraint. She'd throw her mane, make sure she could see the blush on her face, see every detail of her pleasure. He'd cum inside her, the perfect creampie, and she'd get off of him, turn around just for her. She'd spread her pretty little pussy lips wide open, look back at her as she watched the thick, white cum drip from her pussy.

Celestia. Oh, the horror, the betrayal...the curiosity. She'd lick her lips, beckon her over...would she agree? She'd excuse herself, approach, join Blood Moon inside her pussy, their tongues bumping and kissing. Maybe one would take her ass, kissing her and loving her in a way only they could. They'd rub their pussies together, sharing his member between them, giving in to their base desires, sucking him, kissing him. She wondered who'd get which end. Maybe she'd make him watch, summon a drone for him to fuck, to suck him off, as they ground their pussies together, kissed and felt each other's bodies...

'Just like old times...'

A gasp escaped her throat as he pushed in deeper, a hoof reaching under her a twisting the nipples on her teats, though the other hoof was missing, and she could guess where it was. A steamy smile found her lips, rubbing her chest up and down the smooth wood she supported herself upon, grinding her cunt into him with an evil, almost spiteful glee. He still lusted after her. It was all she needed.

He was still hers.

He worked away at her pussy with a skill and passion she relished, but she wanted, needed, more; her horn glowed its toxic green and gripped his hind-hooves as she leaned back. She pulled him off his hooves and sat on his face, his stallionhood bobbing obediently before her, one of his hooves working up and down it; with a smirk, she batted it away and let her own hoof replace it, rubbing him up and down, his hoof going back to her royal ass, spreading her apart to get at her pussy better. She bit her spare hoof as the other one serviced him relentlessly; she clenched on his tongue as she came all over his face, his cock throbbing and spewing cum all over her belly, his gooey, dirty, beautiful white mess painting her the best shade of white, leaving her reeking of that glorious odor. She hummed contently as she felt him lift her plushy flank of his face.

"Shall we find somewhere more...private" he asked, shaking his hips to make his length wave around for her. She could hear his grin, and she couldn't suppress her own.

"My thoughts, exactly" she groaned, lifting herself from him, leaving sticky evidence of her pussy's last resting place on his muzzle, and looked around. Perfectly, there was a little shed just behind them, the perfect den of debauchery. She leaned down to his soaking face, whispering into his ear. "Let's give her a sibling, eh lover" she teased, moaning out her words, nibbling on his ear. His grin only grew.

"My thoughts, exactly" he replied. Chrysalis felt her pussy drip.

She cantered for the door and slipped inside, the stallion following after her. She lit her horn, a sickly green light illuminating the room as she threw herself upon a sack of padded training gear kept in here, her hind-legs spread right open for him. He grinned, crawling on top of her; she closed her eyes in bliss, in victory, in lust as she felt his tip poke against her opening, his gooey mess, slavering against her slit. She hummed, feeling him kiss her neck sensually, thrusting his hips against her.

'I win, Sparkle.'

Her thoughts came to an end when she felt something poking her again. Poking her neck this time. The Changeling Queen opened her eyes-

"What in Tartarus" she breathed, eyes wide open as she stared up at the blade he aimed at the throat.

"Finally, a moment alone" the assassin mused, his faint grin still on his face, but holding entirely different implications. Chrysalis tried laughing, chuckling nervously as she tried to lean away from the tip of his weapon.

"That's a p-pretty intense fetish you got there, slut" she told him uneasily, a faltering smile on her face, eyes snapping between his face and the sword; she could still feel the heat coursing through her body, their sexipades just now not lost to her. Blood Moon, however, simply wiped himself off with his bandanna, seemingly oblivious to their fore-play just now.

"Yeah" he breathed, snapping his bandanna to the side to get rid of any lingering moisture clinging to it "let's make the safe word 'harder', eh?" The grin on his face was cruel now, his stance relaxed and his tone casual. Chrysalis could feel herself panicking, and forced herself to calm down, which was unsurprisingly difficult, given the blade aimed at her jugular.

"W-what are you doing Blood Moon, why're you doing this" she demanded, a glare finding her face "did Celestia ask you to kill me? Is this your first assassination for her? Should I be honoured" she demanded spitefully. The Hunter merely shook his head.

"Holding you hostage, I'm looking for information, no, no and probably" he replied, the blade of his sword now resting against her neck. Chrysalis blinked a few times.

"In-infomation? What do you mean?" He leapt upon her, putting his weight on her gut and lungs; he put his face into hers, the threat clear on his all-too-calm face.

"Week or so ago, a large platoon of Changelings attacked Ponyville. Large enough for a small hive" blood trickled from a shallow wound against her neck "and I want to know why" he informed politely. Chrysalis looked down at her blood, swallowing slightly upon sight of it, feeling herself quaking.

"I-I-I-" she swallowed again "I don't know" she told him. In response, he took the Messorem and pointed it between her legs.

"Don't make me lose my temper today Chrysalis" he growled, the mare, turning her head away from him as she felt cool metal tap against her private area "trust me when I say, this is not a good day to annoy me." Tears leaked from the Queen's eyes.

"I-I didn't order any Changeling attacks on anything, I swear" she begged, voice shaky. The Hunter growled.

"Then tell me something interesting, or I'll really fuck you" he snarled. She was crying now, hooves over her eyes.

"I-I-I" she seemed to remember something "I-I lost control over a bunch of hives when I lost Canterlot" she whispered desperately "some of them are hiring themselves out as mercenary bands" she explained, hoping to whoever was listening that he would deem her information as worth more than killing her. He was still, silent for a second as he considered her answer.

'That means a mysterious benefactor behind the scenes...again. First Hardhoof and now this? I hope Leaf can come up with something to help me tie this together.'

The assassin stepped off of Chrysalis and sheathed his blade, the queen looking between his weapon and face rapidly in confusion.

"Right, sorry" he murmured, backing off. Chrysalis blinked loudly.

"You're sorry"she demanded "you're bucking sorry" she very nearly screamed in rage "you hold a sword to my marehood and you say you're-"

"I'd thought it was you who'd ordered the attack" he argued, raising a hoof to placate her "I had to be sure" he reaffirmed. She narrowed her eyes at him, glaring at Blood Moon for one long minuet before she turned her head away.

"It's because of stuff like this you and me needed relationship counseling" Chrysalis murmured, rubbing her left fore-leg up and down with her right. She met the assassin's gaze for a second, watching his calm expression.

There was silence for a long minute as she considered his words and actions, how rapidly he'd flipped back and forth. She glared at him gently.

"Was it all a trick" she asked suddenly. Blood Moon raised an eyebrow.

"Was what a trick?" She grunted and pointed down at herself, her cum-splattered stomach, motioning outside of the door.

"The sex" she answered, staring him down. She was taken off guard when he moved in too quickly for her to react, locking his lips against her's, pushing his tongue in and wrestling with her own. The Changeling Queen closed her eyes, losing a moan into his maw.

"I'll admit" he breathed as he pulled back, saliva connecting their lips seductively "I missed the way you taste" he told her. She smiled, purring seductively.

"Ahh...so you can't resist me" she mused, licking her lips as ideas formed in her head.

"Not so" the dark stallion said suddenly, causing Chrysalis to whip her head back and forth, looking for him, only to see him at the door to their shed. "My heart belongs to Twilight" he told her. As his words proceeded to break Chrysalis's ego and heart, light streamed into their little den as he swung the door open. Turning his head back slightly, he watched as she blinked a few times, her horn going out. "I'll be sure to send Celestia your regards" he said plainly, stepping out. Chrysalis glared and stood, cantering after him.

"Does that mean you'll eat her out too" she snapped bitterly as she barged past the assassin. He smirked as he watched her go.

"Depends what mood I'm in" he muttered to himself.

"Bullshit."

'What?'

"What you said to Chrysalis just now, about missing her...ugh, 'taste'? Bullshit."

'Well, she doesn't know that, does she?'

…

"You're a real bastard, you know that?"

'Notice how I'm not arguing against that claim.'

"Well then, why'd you do it?"

'Because I've grown quite fond of her, and I'd rather we stay on each other's good...ish, sides.'

...

"You know what, she was right, you're a real slut too."

'Notice how I'm not arguing against that either.'

With a small smirk, the assassin trotted off, making his way back to the bleachers and then to Celestia and Twilight; they'd been talking about something while he'd been gone, turning his way as he approached and smiling gently.

"What I miss" he asked as he meandered up to them, nuzzling Twilight.

"Nothing spectacular. What were you doing" the solar princess asked in return, slightly pointedly. Blood Moon shrugged.

"Saw a cat. Wanted to say hi" he replied. Nearby, Fluttershy lit up and flew off to find said imaginary feline. Twilight merely shook her head in amusement, while Celestia clearly didn't buy his story but dropped the point anyway. "Anyway...we ready to start the party?" They all looked over to the group of potential combatants, finding them all stretching, jabbing at the air, sparring with each other and otherwise preparing for the upcoming fight.

"Shouldn't...you be doing something like that" Twilight asked before anypony could answer his question, nodding at them sharpening and polishing their weapons, and limbering up their muscles. Blood Moon snorted.

"If I needed to do that, I'd be insulting the sadistic buggers who trained me" he replied "after all, I'm always ready to fight." Twilight rolled her eyes at his bravado, but couldn't hold down her slight smirk.

"Well, I'm sure they're glad for that fact" Luna commented, nodding at the assassin's awaiting battle "and I'm pretty sure they're awaiting your appearance" she informed. Tensing one side of his maw, the dark stallion took a long breath.

"Guess I'd better get down there then" he murmured, turning to his extended family. "Well...enjoy the show" he said with a grin as he hopped down the stairs to the ground level. Biting her lip as she watched him go, Twilight turned to her old mentor.

"Will...will he be okay" she asked quietly, the corners of her eyes angled down. Without taking her eyes from her bodyguard, the princess of the sun took a long breath.

"I'm...not sure, my faithful student" she returned gravely "when he declared he was willing to fight the combined forces of Equss...I wasn't sure what he was thinking" she explained as she watched him approach the wooden boundaries of the arena, the crowds of ponies standing aside for him to pass. "He says he wants to let them work their grievances out against him, but..." She trailed off, unsure, frowning gently as she watched him step into the arena, looking around himself; he had a cocky look on his face, his grin wide and unconcerned.

"But that would suggest he intended to let them use him as a punching bag" a new voice finished. They all blinked and looked around, snapped out of the gravity of the situation to find the owner of the voice. Celestia looked down the steps which lead up to their shared seating area.

"Skulduggery" the peerless mare said with a smile, almost rising from her seat to greet her coltfriend. The detective tipped his hat, smiling ever-so-slightly. Everypony, minus Cadence and Luna, all frowned at his sudden appearance. "Good to see you" she finished. Shining Armour was glaring at him less-than-subtlety, not forgetting his past efforts to distract him, allowing Twilight to escape him the other day.

Twilight smiled tightly at him, and he nodded back, before he turned back to the Celestia.

"I take it things are proceeding as predicted" he mused, the princess nodding her head.

"Unfortunately so" she replied, turning to him for a second "won't you sit with us" she posed, to most of her company's confusion.

Meanwhile, the assassin was making himself comfortable within his home for the next few hours of his life; his eyes swept over the crowd, watching them and taking them in as they all stared at him. He couldn't hold down his smirk as he took in their fear, letting it embolden him. The were stock still in fear or quaking, their never-closing eyes stared at him or they didn't dare look, but each and every one of them was sat in sheer, absolute, deafening silence.

"Blood Moon? Blood Moon?! Black Hood!"

Except one.

The assassin frowned, his eyes snapping around the arena, until they fell upon the one who'd called his name, and a nickname only one pony knew him by. He saw the electric blue mane, and his smirk turned to a genuine smile as he rushed over to her.

"Vinyl" exclaimed, as he went over, catching the DJ in a hug as she leaned over the fencing to embrace him quickly before they leaned back, the stallion resting his hooves atop the wooden beam separating them. "What're you doing here" he asked in amazement.

"I could ask you the exact same this" the alabaster mare replied, her tone a little breathless and confused "what in the hay is going on?" The assassin laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head; the assassin had know Vinyl for a while, the pair fast friends as they had been, but he'd never really gone into the details of his past with her, as such, his mind quickly went over the events of the past few days.

"I was Princess Celestia's foalsitter, then I abandoned her, then I came back to kill her, killed her, revived her, died, came back and now I'm gonna beat up the world."

He chuckled as the insanity of the situation hit him all at once.

"That's...quite a long story" he admitted, looking around himself; unsurprisingly, everypony was watching him in disbelief, his casual tone (no doubt his ability to get a verbal response out of the famously mute DJ PON-3 as well) and interactions with one of the upcoming battle's spectators more than enough to amaze them. Eyes were wide, jaws were dropped and no few muttered comments were being exchanged between spectators. Vinyl caught his glances around the silent arena and followed them, tensing one side of her maw.

"I don't doubt it" she admitted. As they spoke, a gray pony came up beside Vinyl as they spoke, bumping the DJ slightly to get her attention.

"Don't you think we should...let him get on his way Vinyl" Octavia said slightly hesitantly. As the assassin's eyes met the musician's, he saw the fear, the confusion, the more than slight distaste. It seemed that she had done some digging around town, and had figured out what Blood Moon was, and had been, doing. As their eyes maintained their contact, the pretty mare swallowed gently and turned her head away, looking at her marefriend. "D-don't you agree" she insisted after a moment. The assassin sighed inwardly, as he watched their friendship dissolve with her fear.

Inevitably, Vinyl Scratch was a little confused, but nodded either way.

"Y-yeah...you go do your thing Black Hood" she said, unsure, looking between her friend and lover. Still watching the cellist, the dark stallion grinned gently as he turned away.

"Of course, better not keep everyone waiting."

Trotting out into the center of the arena, Blood Moon turned on the spot, breathing deeply. They all watched him tensely, none of the combatants making a move. Dust and sand swirled in the wind, manes and tails flapping with it. He dug his hooves into the sandy arena floor, setting his stance and relaxing his muscles.

"Well then" he called out into the crowds, pausing dramatically for a second "shall we?"

Again, there was a tense silence, an eerie stillness, only the howls of the wind singing through the air. Blood Moon's grin only grew into a smirk; he could smell their fear, and it only grew his power over them. Two ways, this all could have gone down; the fight, or this. He'd strike fear into their-

"WHAAAA!" A howling voice shrieked into the air, putting a banshee's scream to blushing shame as it cut through the tense, still air . Confused, on guard and tensing up in paranoia, the stallion swept his eyes around himself, searching for his foe, and was more than a little stunned to find a mare galloping at him, a scarf wrapped around her head and a big kitchen knife in her hoof.

No few ponies were utterly bewildered, the assassin amongst them, and the dark stallion could only squint as she galloped at him at full speed. Still screaming, she swung her knife at him clumsily, the assassin stepping back to avoid her swipe, his face creased in confusion. Another swing at him sent the blade across his neck, Blood Moon swaying his neck back slightly, his frown still on his face. When she went to stab him, he dodged to the side and grabbed her attacking leg in a lock, twisting it down, making the knife clatter to the ground as she struggled and screamed to get free, swinging at him and trying to claw at him, highly unsuccessfully.

Holding there in hopes of her calming down went nowhere after half a minute, the assassin looking off to the side at no one in particular in aspiration before he looked back down at her, taking a deep breath through his muzzle.

"So" he began casually "what atrocity did I commit against you" he asked. She redoubled her efforts to scream and spit at him viciously before the assassin let her wrench herself free from him as she stood wobbly, her scarf having shifted around her head.

"You...you killed my baby" she screamed again, grunting and growling out her breaths, a vein on her head pulsing beneath her scarf. A hushed gasp swept through the crowd, yet more mutters going between them all. For a long while, the assassin stared at her blankly before he blinked.

"You're...gonna have to be more specific than that" he admitted. She screamed and lunged at him again, the assassin stepping past and tripping her hoof as she stumbled past him.

"How dare you! How dare you forget that you killed my son! How DARE YOU! You slaughtered him in cold blood, you monster!" The dark stallion's eye went a little hollow as he realised what he'd gotten himself into, suddenly wishing he had a shot of whiskey to hoof, gaze lingering on the sand before he looked up at her again.

"Can I get a name" he asked at last, an eyebrow raised. More growling and spluttering before she replied.

"His name...was Touchdown" she hissed. More silence and blank expressions. Another oblivious blink. "He was a beautiful Pegasus colt, a lovely brown coat and snow white mane, that you KILLED" she roared, more shocked gasps ran through the crowd. Off to the side, Vinyl's hooves went to her maw, Celestia rose an eyebrow, Luna looked away in sorrow and pain at the gray mare's dreams she still recalled while Twilight's face twisted into slight pain, memories of her first interactions with her coltfriend rushing back to her unpleasantly.

"Ahh...the rapist" the assassin clarified for himself, voice still easy and laid back, as though remembering the name of the milk mare. Touchdown's mother screamed and hollered again, lunging for him; he stepped past her, grabbing her tail and pulling her off her hooves. Blood Moon put a hoof on the small of her back to keep her from standing as she writhed and wrestled to a standing position, failing miserably.

"THAT'S NOT TRUE" she roared at him, laying on her belly, kicking and flailing. Calmly, the stallion raised his other fore-leg and placed it on her hind-leg, over the knee.

"Yes it is" he told her simply before he pushed down, breaking the joint with a horrible 'SNAP' .

The noise echoed across the silent arena infinitely, the mare's screams and sobs of agony soon following it, the crowds standing up in anger, shouting abuse at the assassin, as the grieving mother continued to roll around on the ground, holding her injury gently in her fore-hooves as she continued to scream.

Another Pegasus, a stallion, big, wearing a flat cap and bushy mustache came galloping up to him, pushing a hoof into the Hunter's chest.

"Who in the hay d'you think you are" he roared, the crowds crying their agreements for afar "comin' here an-" He didn't get any further before the dark stallion's fore-knee slammed into his jaw and sent him sprawling.

That may as well have been the starting whistle, as not warriors, but the civilians all clambered over the wooden arena boundaries and charged at him, stallion and mare alike. The assassin glanced around himself before he sighed.

The were slow. Clumsy. Uncoordinated. The first fell to a hoof in the face, the second a kick to the neck, the third a snapped leg, the forth her face being slammed into the dirt, the fifth his jaw ripped from its ligaments, the sixth her hind-legs dislocated, the seventh his stallionhood a striking that left him without hope for children in the next few years, the eighth was choked out, the ninth was suplexed into the tenth and the eleventh used as a bludgeon against the twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth.

Fifteen was jumped over to deliver a kick to sixteen in the head before he was used as a battering-ram against seventeen through twenty. Twenty-one had her knife pulled from her jaw and plunged through both cheeks while twenty-two was lifted over-head and used as a hammer again twenty-three, four and five Whack-a-ponies. Twenty-six through twenty-nine came at once, the assassin meeting their advance. The first threw a strike Blood Moon dodged and threaded his own hoof under, taking his foe by the back of the head and flipping him to the ground, curb-stomping him, as the next threw her own strike at his head. It was grabbed from the air as the next came from the other side, the assassin hitting him in the face with his fore-knee and her in the face with his hoof, ricocheting back and forth a few times until he pushed past them to address the last, grabbing his chin and horn in either hoof and slamming him to the ground before stepping away.

Thirty was felled by a flying kick to the head and thirty-one blinded by sand cast into her eyes before her incisors were punched from her maw, thirty-two being bucked in the face while thirty-three was blocked and her neck chopped left and right before being thrown away in a spin.

Thirty-four's strike was batted to the side and his neck taken by the standing assassin, who leaned back and slammed his head to the ground, before the assassin rolled backwards, onto his hooves, and immediately bucked thirty-five behind him and rolling to his left, slapping their hooves from beneath them and firing an upper-cut into their chin to propel them back into the next as Blood Moon flipped over the next's back, his fore-hoof following the motion through to slam into his lungs, forcing the air out before addressing the next three, one suffering a hind-leg to the chin, the next two having their skull slammed together with a sickening 'crack'.

Blood Moon threw two hoof-fulls of sand and dust to one side, blinding who-know-how-many before turning to face number...

'Damn, I lost count' the assassin thought, swiftly sweeping the first and sending the same spinning leg around to strike the two either-side the first.

"Somewhere around forty I think" the voice replied as Blood Moon back-flipped away from one, landing on another and throwing their weights to the side, the combined pressure coming down on her skull as the assassin rolled away.

'Really? I woulda said fifty' the Hunter replied as he blocked, parried, dodged and then counted a pony with a little more combat experience, maybe some training, dislocating his foe's fore-leg before throwing him into another crowd.

"Probably because you're egotistical" came the voice's retort as Blood Moon deflected a strike into somepony-else's face and punching the attempted attacker.

'Hey, it's pride, not ego' the assassin mentally snapped as he physically snapped a screaming mare's hind-leg.

"Whatever you say..." was the voice's reply, the assassin catching two strikes from either-side and throwing the attackers into each other.

It went like this for a while, this horrible grace and ease of battle. The assassin moved and fought like something between a dancer and a juggler, never leaving one pony unattended for too long before he went onto another, dispatching each and every one of them with a sickening grace and ease. Not one civilian managed to land a strike in their entire time on the battlefield, with anypony not fighting watching with fear, apprehension or cool detachment.

"He's just..." Twilight began, her eyes wide as she watched her coltfriend work his way through the rapidly thinning crowd.

"Tearing them apart" Rainbow finished for her, looking much the same as the Element of Magic as she watched the assassin. Every now and then, one of the Elements would tense, look away or 'ooo' as they felt the pain of one of the blows delivered by the assassin. Fluttershy in particular had her eyes hidden behind her hooves, having retreated behind her mane when Touchdown's mother had had her leg snapped.

"They're all fools" Luna murmured cooly, a little louder than she'd intended. Everypony soon looked at her in shock, Celestia in particular surprised with her sister's bluntness. She held out hope it was a momentary lapse in decorum and not their father rubbing off on her.

Looking between the surrounding ponies' expressions, Luna felt herself blush a little.

"Well it's true" she defended, sitting a little straighter "I doubt more than maybe three ponies in that mob have any kind of formal training" she explained, looking back to the fight to catch Blood Moon launch into an impressive flying kick that landed in an unfortunate somepony's face "they're not coordinated, they can barely take a hit and they certainly can't hit him" the princess of the night said, growing a touch more forceful towards the end. The most caught off guard by her prior comment, the Elements found themselves heading her words as they looked back out to the pandemonium, Luna sighing slightly as she thought. "I mean, if anything, they're…" she trailed off, searching for the proper wording.

"Warming him up" came a voice far too smug to be that smooth.

"Hello Discord" Celestia said planely, not taking her eyes off the fight. Lounging on a floating deckchair with the golden rays of the sun reflecting off a tri-planed mirror onto his sunglasses-clad face, the aspect of disharmony twiddled his fingers in greeting.

"Morning Tia" he practically sung, stepping from his chair and into a seat far more regal than the princesses', lounging like a bored king. "Goodness it's been too long. Doesn't a few days feel like few years sometimes" he asked, sounding like they were all in a bookclub that had missed their last meeting.

He frowned in annoyance when he noticed nopony paying attention to him, resting his chin on his claw.

"Ol' Mooney up to his old tricks again" he observed as somepony's hind-legs were dislocated simultaneously.

"Indeed" came Twilight's quiet reply. She looked back at Tia solemnly. "Shouldn't...shouldn't we stop them" she asked of her teacher. Celestia could only shrug.

"He extended the invite to all of Equss, and that includes my little ponies who are...well, without means of defeating him. Besides, they all have reasons to hate him I'm guessing" she mused, watching a few ponies looking at him with more cautious expressions, waiting for an opening. "Maybe they need it either way" she posed. Twilight's head snapped back to her mentor in shock.

"Need what" she demanded, before cowing a little under Celestia's lowered gaze. "I mean, they're getting destroyed down there. How can that be in any way good" she asked after remembering herself.

Meanwhile, Celestia felt her hard gaze upon Twilight, and immediately felt the guilt of being stern with her beloved student; she could feel her nerves fraying with everything going on around her, wondering if Luna or Cadence was picking up on it. She knew she hid it well, but- She caught him looking at her from the corner of his eye. Skulduggery, unnoticed by everypony else, watched her with a concern he couldn't quite keep off his face. The slight warmth growing in the pit of her chest helped Celestia focus and calm, closing her eyes and breathing deeply, softening her expression. She hated and deeply needed the way her read her so easily, and felt it was high on the list of reasons she felt such affection for the detective.

Newly composed, Celestia, looked back to her student, her matronly calm having returned to her.

"Granted, it is unorthodox, not to mention unfortunate, but engaging in" she was about to say 'combat', but looking at the mosh pit below stemmed her words "to meet him on the battlefield" she rebegan, Twilight looking confused at her pause "is the best way to explain what exactly he can do" she explained, hoping Twilight would soon forget the 'strict headmistress' expression she'd held just now.

"And what will happen if they get in your way, no?" This time, Celestia did look at him. Discord was watching her intently (she wondered how long he'd been doing so) with a wide smirk on his face, as smug as any noble and just as punchable. The peerless mare glared at him, feeling herself snarl subconsciously. In the back of her mind, the solar mare heard the crunches and thuds of the battle, but it was all so much hubbub to her now; she took small solace in imagining Discord's screams mixed in there. "I mean, is it just me, or have you been making a few more...rash, decisions lately." The way he poked and prodded at her was masterful, Celestia had to admit; it was a talent she deeply wished he did not possess, but his ability to get under her skin was undeniable.

"I don't think my political movements are of any concern of yours, Discord" she replied curtly. Almost immediately, the draconequus's claw was on his chest in hurt, seemingly utterly appalled by the, once more, glaring Celestia's insinuation.

"Tia, how could you" he bemoaned, sounding every bit as entitled and privileged as any noble, "I'm not talking about me, I'm talking about my friends" he explained, gesturing wildly at the now confused and attentive Elements of Harmony "I mean, what if they were to be somehow swept up in all this, the poor dears" he all but wailed, like a poor actor in a worse soap opera, swooning backwards with his paw draped over his forehead. Below, the Elements were chuckling in confusion at the aspect of disharmony's shenanigans. Tia, however, was far from amused and instead let her horn ignite and pull Discord towards her with a ring of golden light around his neck.

"Cease in your jests Discord, or I'll throw you down there with him and let him finish what he started so long ago" the Princess of the day hissed. Laughter was cut short, and stunned silence returned to the royal viewing stands, with the girls looking at their ruler in jaw-slackened shock, Luna clearly taken off guard by the sudden change in mood while Skulduggery finally turned his head back to look at his marefriend; concern filled his mind, but he kept his mouth shut, in fear of bringing Discord's attention towards him. Cadence and Shining were just as wide eyed as the Elements, but the Princess of Love found herself leaning back to her husband.

Of course, it was rare to see Celestia so angry, but seeing her aunty so easy to snap had Cadence worried for her, if not somewhat scared of her. The raiser of the sun, angry, was not a pretty sight, in her experience. Luna glanced back at her niece and their gazes locked for a moment; motions and body language passed between them, asking what was wrong with her and the hay do I know going back and forth. That only worried Cadence further; Luna didn't know what was up?

The pink Alicorn glanced back at Shining, finding his repressed fear looking at his ruler as he held Cadence. Obviously, he was just as in the dark as she was, passing her gaze over the Elements yielded the same results, but Skulduggery watched her with a slightly narrowed eye, in a frown indusing contrast to the wide eyes amongst the rest of them.

'He has an idea…'

Cadence couldn't help but smile slightly at the wannabe secret lovers.

Down in the ring, the assassin was in the midst of choking a mare out, laying on his back with her neck locked in his fore-legs, restrained by his hinds around her barrel. As one of the last civilian fighters to face him spluttered and slobbered in his grip, the assassin watched his adopted daughter take Discord by the throat for some unheard fopar. Curious, he cocked his head, watching; Celestia had a lip snarled and her quarry was held close, uncomfortably close, intimidatingly close. She was trying to scare him, but given Discord's smirk, she wasn't succeeding. He wondered what he'd said.

The lull in movement must have caught Celestia's attention however, as her head whipped towards him suddenly, then around herself at her family. Their eyes met again. She held his gaze, he held hers, and the assassin wondered what was going through her head. All of a sudden, she threw Discord away from herself and got back to watching the assassin fight.

With the mare going limp in his hooves, unconscious, the assassin let her topple from atop him and rolled to his neck, bouncing back to all-fours and turning to his last few opponents. They quaked, suddenly regretting their decision to attack him, exchanging glances as they each contemplated fighting or fleeing.

In the end, they chose the latter, trotting hesitantly back and hopping the fence, their only barrier away from him. The assassin felt his mind tug back in the direction of Celestia's current mood; he'd seen her angry before, and he never-

A sharp pain in his temple threw the assassin across the sand, skidding to a halt in the small bunker of sand that built up as his side tasted the ground. Blinking and swaying back to his hooves, the dark stallion shook his head free of the cobwebs and looked up to find a stallion clad in golden plate. And another at his side. And another besides him. In fact, looking all around revealed what seemed to be a whole platoon of Solar Guard surrounding him. The assassin spun on the spot as they tempted and teased their advance, stepping in and out of the ring they'd formed around him.

Lips were snarled, muscles were tensed, wings splayed and horns alight, every one of them aimed at the silver-grey assassin stood between them.

'Oh yeah, the fight.'

Training and experience told the assassin not to wait for their attack, but to throw their expectations by doing it for them, stuck in a dilemma however, he realised that they'd already seen that version of him, on the attack. He held his ground, no longer turning, but attuning all of his senses to their movements, listening to them snort and scrape the ground, crack their necks, smelling their sweat in the hot sun, seeing the glint of their armour.

He could feel the dull pressure on his horn forcing his magic down; looking around, he made note of the unicorns gathered around him. It was an old trick used by the Solar guard unicorns when they went against other unicorns, using their own collective power to remove the advantage from their foes. Their couldn't use much themselves, but that was why they fought as a unit, a team.

The crowds were regaining their confidence, booing and heckling him, throwing insults and taunts at him from the safety of their bleachers and benches, from behind the fenced off arena.

"Not so tough now!"

"Now it's your turn!"

"Mess 'im up guys!"

"Buck him up!"

The guards all looked between each other, some of them smirking as the crowds bolstered them, riled them up, mouthed plans and grinned knowingly. One of them, an older one, more experienced, scarred and hardened, stepped from the ring. He was directly in front of the assassin, his horn sparking as he slipped his helmet from his head.

"You're not fighting noncombatants anymore" he declared. The air was quiet and still as the crowds watched him stand up to the assassin, their eyes never breaking contact "you've got one chance to surrender." The small stadium watched with bated breath, most undecided what they'd prefer the assassin's answer to be. Blood Moon simply chuckled.

"Really, 'noncombatants'? You actually used that in a sentence? May as well say 'hey, please don't notice the guy I'm trying to distract you from."

He felt more than heard the big guard, no doubt an earth pony, come up from behind and grab him. Or, he would have grabbed him if the assassin hadn't suddenly quick-stepped backwards, between his legs, and leapt, planting his hind-legs on the guard's flank and kicking him forwards, backflipping to his all-fours and watching the guard stumble into the unicorn who had addressed him.

And just like that, the game started all over again.

Strikes and grapples, spells and weapons all hurled past the assassin, as he ducked and weaved between them, all the time with a slight grin on his face.

Every hoof thrown his way, he did not bat aside or grab, he didn't block the bucks from the larger guards, he didn't deflect the spells nor break the wings of the Pegasi. Every attack thrown at the assassin wiffed as he stepped and spun, ducked and weaved amidst the guards like he was sewing a pattern between them.

The guards were a step above the civilians, of course, coordinated and smart, but their strategies were predictable, and Blood Moon used this to his advantage as he slipped past them and watched as they all continuously failed to strike him. He never missed his timing or his step, as he danced between them, spinning and pirouetting, ducking and diving in a rhythm the guards couldn't figure out the pattern to.

There was no mistaking it this time, whereas before his movements had held an odd mix of grace and barbarity, here he never struck the guards himself, as he dodged and snaked between them without pause or mistake. His grin turned to a full smile, full of bemused laughter, as the guards around him grew more frustrated.

He didn't fight, he danced; in the most literal of senses. The spectators could only watch as attack after attack, strike after strike, whistled past the assassin, brushing along his fur and flesh as he smiled that smile.

He raised to a single hoof, on the very tip, spinning as two guards rushed past him either way. He leapt forward over a guard, twisting in the air, and landed behind him as he stumbled into the buffer of his comrades, whilst another guard made his move, the assassin raising to his hind-legs and twirling deftly past him, fore-legs crossed against his chest like a ballerina. He slid beneath a heavy roundhouse kick delivered by a unicorn on his hind-legs, like a guitarist working the crowd, threw his weight forward and bounced off his fore-legs and over a burst of magic fired at him.

The guards dispersed suddenly, revealing a firing-line of Unicorns, all with spells charged in their horns; in perfect synchronization, they launched their bolts of magical energy at the assassin, who once more leapt, flying horizontally through the air and spinning like a top as he went. He touched down, and another volley of spells rocketed his way; with a single fore-hoof stable on the ground, Blood Moon once more kicked off, just barely clearing the the heat of the bolts fired at him by his Unicorn foes, singing the fur on his back as they went. Yet another volley was fired, and the assassin didn't bother dodging, instead he rolled along the ground, passing harmlessly under the spells as he went.

He came up before the centre guard, the speaker from before, and settled to his hooves again with practiced ease, barely an inch between the two. The guard tensed when he realised how close to the dark stallion was, and could barely move before the assassin struck him down.

"Boop" was all the assassin said as he poked the flinching guard's snout.

Laughing at the stunned, then growling guard as he back-flipped away again, the assassin settled back into his motions of dodging and avoiding the seemingly never-ending array of attacks sent his way, growing more and more bemused at the guard's constant attempts. Their frustration exploded as his giggles and chuckles rang throughout the arena, growls and roars of effort following, and even preceding their efforts to attack the assassin.

It didn't happen at once, of course, disciplined as the guards were, but that same discipline came at a cost; military life and training lead, almost inevitably, to something of an ego in most guards, but their inability to land even a second strike on the fluid-like assassin slowly chipped away at their patience, slowly lead to them becoming sloppy and uncoordinated.

The older warriors had more patience, could wait for the right time to strike, but as their efforts went wasted with their younger comrades, they too succumbed to the same downfall, all of them missing their marks and whiffing their blows and growling in a slowly bubbling rage they all shared. All were still unmarked by their battle, however the assassin was just as unscathed, something that stabbed at their honour, an insult none of them were willing to tolerate as long as that smirking, prancing stallion was still standing.

The first landed blow was delivered by a young guard, orange fur and green mane dyed the standard white and blond; his hoof flew dead for the assassin's jaw as he slipped past another attack, straight into the path of this one. The novice guard felt himself grin as he watched the dark stallion he aimed for turn his eyes towards him, watching in slow motion as the blow careered towards him.

The young stallion was rewarded with a satisfying 'thwack' as hoof met jaw, the blow's momentum carrying him forward and stumbling into his quarry, who stumbled under his weight as they both fell to the ground.

"I got him" he roared triumphantly from atop the assassin.

"Yeah, got him good, idiot" said his opponent. Looking down the guard found- "GET OFFA ME" the veteran guard snapped, hurling the youngster off of him.

Already, the assassin was moving away from the scene, as confusion washed over the novice's face while realisation washed through his brain. He looked up to find the assassin spinning away from another strike with the grace of a ballet dancer, only for the attack to hit the guard behind him. The bewildered Solar Guard could only look on as his fellows continually attacked the assassin with a relentless onslaught of kicks, knees, spells and even a few headbutts, all of which failed to connect even once against a stallion who seemed there and not there all at once, and once the blows were dodged proceeded to land in the faces of other guards.

In the bleachers, Celestia could only hang her head, gripping her muzzle as she could only watch as her personal guards were made a mockery of before her very annoyed eyes. Time and time again, guards failed to land blows against their opponent, but as he spun and bent away from their blows, their momentum carried them into the faces, bodies and unmentionables of their fellow guardsponies, as the assassin effortlessly slipped away.

A blow was struck from the side, and the assassin turned past it, letting his foe stumble past him and into his friend. A kick from behind, and the assassin leapt and flipped as the guard charging him galloped head-first into the buck. A spell flew past Blood Moon's neck and into the face of another guard, now singed and blown back into his fellows as the dark stallion parried a blow away from him and into another golden garbed pony. A flying kick was carried away with the assassin merely putting his hoof against it and carrying it's momentum into another fighter.

The Elements and royalty watching had varied mix of expressions, Celestia's hung head and Luna's laugh-stifling bit lip the most prevalent. The girls, meanwhile, were a mix of confusion and slight relief that Blood Moon had stopped actively attacking the guards (not to mention that he was no longer hitting Canterlot's citizenry).

"What...what in Equestria is he doing" came Rairity's confused voice, frowning in bemusement as she watched the dark stallion step almost casually around the Solar Guards.

"I dunno, looks like fun though" replied a smiling Pinkie, hoof tossing popcorn vacantly into her maw. Unbeknownst to the pink party planner, Celestia glared at her from behind, looking over at the pummeling her loyal protectors were giving themselves.

"He's making my army look like floundering idiots" the princess of the day grumbled. She caught the sound of quiet snickering and looked over to her sister, finding her biting her lip in a fierce, failing, attempt to not laugh at the battle. A disgruntled elder sister nudger the younger with her fore-knee, gathering Luna's attention. She looked at Celestia's glaring face for maybe three seconds before she burst into sputtering laughter, unable to control herself.

The ruler of the day, raiser of the sun, Princess Celestia herself, resorted to simply slouching into her seat, fore-legs crossed and pouted like a spoiled filly not getting her way.

Sat below Equesrtia's royalty, watching from afar despite being so close, Skullduggery found himself observing Celestia's reactions to the battle; of course, ever the humourless and cold stallion, the detective found himself forced to turn his head away to hide his twitching maw, dare he burst into laughter at his marefriend's expression.

Celestia's regal pouting was interrupted by a quiet 'oh dear' from Fluttershy, who, unlike her friends and rulers, wasn't watching the fight. Tia assumed it understandable, given her disposition, but soon followed her gaze to find a group of medics surrounded by Canterlot citizens and felt her maw open of its own accord, the corners of her eyes going down.

Some were unconscious, most could barely stand but all of them were injured in some capacity, groaning in pain and holding wounds while the medics worked tirelessly to heal them, but there were just too many. Blood Moon had fought them all off effortlessly, and dispatched them with an effective ease, but it had been far from merciful; none of them had sustained wounds that would disable them later in life, but that didn't mean that they weren't going to regret their actions for the next few months or so.

"If I may, Princess Celestia" came Skullduggery's voice suddenly, snapping aforementioned Alicorn from her stupor. She turned her gaze to the detective, along with most everypony else, and found him looking up at her from his vantage. "It may be...prudent, for you to visit the wounded" he mused, looking back at the medical cluster-buck going on down there, only growing worse as the guards began to file in as well.

"Indeed, I think you're right" Celestia replied, standing up immediately, perhaps a touch too immediately, as everypony looked at her, Luna in specific with a raised eyebrow, while Cadence simply smirked. The alabaster Alicorn cleared her throat gently, already turning to trot down the bleachers. "I shall assist the paramedics in their efforts as well" she added, if only to alleviate any suspicion. "You'll be accompanying me as well, detective" she suddenly chimed, pausing in her strides, glancing back "after all, it was your idea." Skullduggery's maw hung open, about to say something, before he closed it, swallowing down whatever he was about to say, and shrugged a shoulder in resignation to his order before standing and doing as bid.

Everypony else looked a little taken off-guard, minus the remaining Alicorns, and frowned gently at the developments.

"Mingling with the common folk are we Tia? Tut, tut" Discord mused as he watched the investigator move, somewhat cautiously, past him. In response, Celestia simply shot back a death glare from the corner of her eye.

"What ch'all thinks going on there" Applejack asked, looking the way the two ponies had gone. Her friends mimicked her curiosity, with Twilight the most confused with her teachers actions; as brash as Discord's comment had been, Celestia really wasn't known for working alongside the ponies she ruled, outside of extenuating circumstances of course, nevermind having them accompany her like that.

"Perhaps the princess doesn't like being told what to do, even if only a suggestion" came Rarity's reply, piercing Twilight's thoughts. The purple unicorn shook her head free of the idea, deciding to agree with her fashionista friend for the time being, and assumed it something between Celestia and the grizzled detective, returning her attention to watching her coltfriend in worry.

At the base of the steps, the noir stallion caught up with Princess Celestia as she took the scenic route around the arena, technically away from the medical tent. The pair could still hear the sounds of the fight going on from beyond the wooden stands, grunts and thwacks drifting over to them like waves at the beach.

"Don't tell me you didn't really intend to follow me down here" Celestia suddenly chimed after a short trot, a small grin on her face as she looked down at her coltfirend. The detective breathed a small laugh, a small, slightly sheepish grin on his face.

"Yeah, well, the plan was to talk my way down, but to be honest...I didn't really have anything in mind just yet" he admitted, looking up at Celestia "so thanks for that." The two had paused behind the bleachers, stood in the shade, away from prying eyes. Celestia gazed down at him fondly, her grin stretching into a genuine smile as she watched him try desperately not to appear sheepish.

"I'm going to assume there was a reason you...prompted me down here" she mused, cocking her head at Skullduggery. He grunted, looking away for a second before he spoke.

"Yeah, well...it's clear you're uncomfortable with all this" he told her, motioning towards the bleachers they stood next to, and the battle beyond. Celestia held his gaze for a second before she sighed.

"I guess I should be used to this by now" she murmured, gaining a raised eyebrow from Skullduggery "you, reading me like a book" she clarified, a good natured, if somewhat tired, smile on her face before she sighed and sat with her back against the wood of the seats. Frowning, concerned, the detective spoke hurriedly.

"I don't mean to trouble you Celestia" he assured, Celestia raising a hoof to stop his worrying.

"It's not that, it's just...I'm used to being alone in my thoughts, my emotions, and I'm not used to having anypony else...involved, I suppose, in them. I mean, hay, I only just got my sister back, and my foalsitter." The Princess of Equestria suddenly looked very distant. "Buck me..." she said quietly, realisation washing over her face. Cocking his head and joining Celestia on the ground, Skull did his best to reassure her...or something. All's he could really think to do was put a hoof on her hind-leg, looking up at her.

The ruler of the day looked down at him with a slight smile, grateful for his efforts to calm her, and felt something well in her eyes.

"Are you alright" the sharp-eyed detective asked. Celestia huffed a laugh, wiping her eyes dry.

"I'm fine, it's just...for the past thousand years, I've…" she paused again, looking off into infinity "I've had nopony...not really… I've been alone Skullduggery" she told him, looking down again. She found him watching her with this...awe, a respect and a reverence Celestia had grown accustomed to. But, it went a touch further, with a layer of...understanding, almost, his awe and admiration tempered with the knowledge that there was a pony under there, and a desire to somehow help this pony. She swallowed down her thoughts, feeling a smile grow on her face again, a full, true smile. "And now" she continued, looking into the sky "now, I've got so many ponies" she mused, resting her head against their wooden shelter "I have my student, my sister is back, my foalsitter...but, I think having you is…" She searched for words, looking down at him again.

"You don't need to go on Celestia" he assured, a phantom of a smile on his own face.

"I think I do" Celestia replied quickly, her hoof finding its way to his, squeezing it gently "because, having you...it's a sensation I've never really felt before. Having somepony I know is on my side, having somepony to just...let my guard down around" she told him, their muzzles growing steadily closer, forgetting where they were. "It's made me realized how lonely I was before" she told him "and how grateful I am that you're all here now" she whispered as their lips-

A wooden, splintering crash cut them off, the supporting, criss-crossing planks bending outwards and colliding with the two ponies' heads and throwing them off-course, Celestia's horn sparking to life and pulling Skullduggery close as she swept away from the bleachers, coltfriend stood beneath her frame, something he was only now beginning to realise towered over him greatly. Mare ready to kill and stallion ready to fight (as best he could from beneath Celestia, that is), the two realised what had happened.

The bleachers they'd been sat behind had exploded out, from a spot, to Celestia's horror, they realised was facing the arena.

"We'll have to finish this later it seems" Skulduggery mused, stepping from his spot beneath his princess. As he trotted to survey the goings on, he felt a hoof tap his flank non-too-gently.

"Only if you promise" Tia told him playfully, shooting him a wink. She flapped her wings and flew off, but not before she heard the detective splutter, watching a deep red cover his smokey grey fur.

Taking to the sky, the solar mare found the commotion to be centered around a gold-plated guard that had been launched into one of the several set of bleachers. Furious and demanding an explanation, she turned her gaze to Blood Moon, more than likely to imply that there would be loud words about this later, but she paused when she saw the annoyed stallion pulling a sword from his side nonchalantly.

He wore a glare and a slightly pained grimace as he yanked the broadsword from between his ribs, the assassin having twisted in a way that meant it had missed anything too vital. Nevertheless, he looked as though he could tear somepony's heart out for an incorrect coffee order.

"See, I was under the impression we had some kind of unspoken agreement that, well, I'm not drawing my sword, so maybe you could be all sporting and return the favour" he growled out, the sword clattering to the ground as his horn ignited. "But if you're gonna start using your weapons" he called out, turning to the remaining guards as his wound wrenched itself back together, smoking and hissing as it did "I may as well return the favour!"

The guards all looked between each other, some aprehenive, a couple grinning and very few wishing their comrade hadn't stabbed the Hunter. Blood Moon took a long, hard breath through his muzzle as he unsheathed the Messorem, slowly, intenly.

"Blood Moon" a voice suddenly called out. The crowds all looked around, finding Princess Celestia hovering above the guard whom had destroyed the bleachers. The assassin didn't even glance back at her.

"What" he barked, clearly annoyed. When she landed in front of him, the dark stallion couldn't hold back his glare. Celestia looked down at him, tall and regal, powerful and almighty, and felt her legs tremble a touch. He took yet another deep breath, this one calming. "What" he asked, quieter this time.

"You will remember your promise not to kill or seriously harm my citizens" she told him, a tone of absolution in her commanding voice, something that did not leave room for argument. The assassin very nearly laughed in her face as he stepped around her.

"I don't need to kill to use a sword" he replied, watching Celestia from the corner of his eye. Unmoving, she watched him in turn. "But I'll certainly make them wish they were dead" he growled. Without pause, Blood Moon stopped defending himself. He no longer blocked or countered or allowed his foes to go on the offencive. As the solar mare spread her wings and flew back to her family, the assassin went on the offencive.

Blade singing, he lunged for the mass of guardsponies with an unmatched aggression; they had their weapons lowered, having taken advantage of the dark stallion's short talk with their ruler, but it was no help. He flew between their weapons and landed in the midst of them, or more accurately, amidst most of them, and on top of another.

In a flurry of movement, the assassin pressed his assault, clubbing his landing pad across their head with a hoof and using the momentum to carry himself in a pirouette his fore-hoof, hind-legs smacking the ponies around him as he spun, sword, slicing in a circle and prompting the other guards to scatter.

Once again, there was no repreve; the assassin was a dark blur, moving from one prey to another with roofless efficiency, shallow cuts leading his movements and sending blood spraying across the arena. He lunged for one small cluster of guards, slamming the first to the ground, deflecting one blow and twisting under the strike, his weapon leading the way for him. The other guards were held off with a flash from his horn, dust cast forward like a barrier thrown forward and knocking them back as the one he was concerned with had his for-leg grabbed and twisted out of socket.

Again, he flew, landing in on the chest of one of the other guards and dragging him to the ground, toppling them as he threw his balance to the side and the guard down with him. The assassin rolled to his hooves and slapped aside the sword stroke with the flat of his own, barging his foe with his shoulder and upper-cutting him from his hooves.

He turned on his hooves, his undiluted rage betrayed by his eyes. The sinister cruelty of what he was about to do, however, was given away by the smirk.

With his flesh pierced by the errant blade of the lowly private, Blood Moon felt his pride's wounds more than his body's. He felt cheated, as he horrified the crowds with his wanton use of his blade, that he'd been struck by the golden-clad novice. Frustrated, that he'd been taken off guard by somepony who'd gotten the better of him. As though he'd been out-maneuvered. Out-thought. He snarled as he fought, twisting away from the tip of a pole-axe, landing on three hooves and pouncing forth, stepping up the shaft of the weapon and leaving a deep scar on the face of its wielder as he launched himself away from the crowd of glinting metal that tried to swarm him.

He landed once more on a guard, leading with his hind-leg in the mare's face and twisting it with malice. He stepped from her and parried away another strike; they gathered in a semicircle before him, growling and grunting, weapons held aloft. Swords, shields, axes, spears, maces, batons and daggers, he even saw a morning-star in there.

Stood with his sword in his magical grip, left fore-hoof lifted from the ground, the assassin's smirk turned to a grin.

"Let's dance" he said.

Before they could react, the assassin disappeared in a blast of dust, only to reappear right in front of them. The melee resumed.

The grip of the Messorem battered across the face of the first guard, Blood Moon using his sword like a club, highly tempted to transition into using the tip of the blade. A hoof flew at him, the assassin batting it aside and launching his own attack, his hoof leaving a black eye where it had landed before the Hunter lifted his quarry above his head and threw him into the crowd, turning to another and slashing his sword across her face, leaving a gash across her muzzle.

They returned his attack, Blood Moon advancing on their charge. One lifted his battleaxe up high, the assassin sweeping his blade across his exposed stomach, cutting through the leather with ease as he rolled past; a stab he deflected past his face with the flat of his blade, spinning past and letting his fore-knee meet his foe's jaw. His sword came around and slashed up, cutting through the shaft of a spear and into the guard's chin, the assassin letting it slash into his chin before wrenching it out of the bone.

A wide swing fended a group off as the assassin's hidden blade punctured the shoulder of another, the duel-blades swinging through the air in a graceful twirl as Blood Moon stepped between the crowds of white and gold-plated, both weapons shedding blood and flesh. One lunged for Blood Moon, his weapon clashing with the Messorem the assassin sticking him in the ribs with the hidden blade and throwing him off, the jab of a spear sent off-course and into a guard to the assassin's right as he moved in and launched a flying hoof into the pole-mare's jowl, taking the spear in hoof and setting his weight on his left hind-hoof, stepping his right in a circle, the spear swinging wide, wild, the guardsponies all leaping back to avoid the blade.

The assassin set his stance again, the tip of the spear behind him, his front facing a large earth pony; with a mad glint in his eye, Blood Moon swung the weapon and let his foe's helmet and skull take the full weight of the blow. Transferring the momentum as the flat of the blade slid down the guard's head, he set the tip on the upper-back of the guard's armor and leaping up, pole-vaulting over him.

Landing, once more, on an unsuspecting guard's back, his hooves next to one another in a point. His right fore-leg disappeared into his coat and, once more stepping in a pirouette, he flung an arc of throwing knives all around him, thunking and clacking into flesh and armor. In the next instance, a cloud of black smoke exploded around him, obscuring both the assassin and a good chunk of the guardsponies.

The crowds were all watching with hurt-stricken faces, knowing just how badly their valiant protectors were being beaten by this single pony. More than a few were confused with what was going on, simply having heard that there was a fight going on today, and that it had something to do with the attack the other day.

When they'd seen the assassin, all dark colors and menace, many had though this was some kind of elaborate punishment, trial by combat or some such, but then the mare had attacked him out of the blue and everything else had happened so quickly. Some of the more eagle-eyed ponies had noticed that he'd been talking with their ruler before the fight, which had added to the confusion, more so given Celestia's short intervention when he'd drawn his weapon.

Vinyl watched the proceedings with slight tear in her eyes; she'd known that Blood Moon had been into some pretty serious stuff before, that he'd normally carried a sword not lost on her, but she'd never thought he'd killed anypony. He was just too...upbeat for something so horrible and dark. She swallowed back something, hurt or confusion, she wasn't sure, as she watched him work his way though the guards.

Octavia had refused to watch. She'd done some asking around when they'd first heard, but she'd never told her alabaster marefriend what she'd learned. The DJ could only guess she'd been too hurt, or something, to bring it up.

"Who is that guy" a stallion to Vinyl's right asked. She hadn't noticed him before, but he was looking at her, definitely asking her. "He talked to you right? Who is he" he asked again. The DJ looked all around her, finding a lot of eyes on her. All her practice in standing in front of massive crowds did nothing to prepare her for being in the midst of a potential mob if she said the wrong thing.

"I-I-I" was all she could stammer, looking around for a way out, but finding none. "I..." she couldn't think of anything to say. And then, like her blood-covered guardian-Alicorn, the assassin was slammed against the fencing she had been leaning against, sending the crowd back in a shock wave-like flinch, the golden-clad guards piling against him, putting their full weight against him and their weapons braced against his own sword.

"Nopony" he growled as he held his adversaries back, the wood bending behind him as he took their weight. "You should" he managed to continue, his growls turning to a roar as he hauled the collective weight of too many guardsponies to count off of him. Before he got back into the fray, the assassin took a moment to look back at the spectators. "Worry about" he finished pleasantly, that snarl tearing across his face as he looked back at the assembled warriors and charged.

He roared as he galloped the short distance between them, leaping and diving into the ground, disappearing into the cobble stone. The guards stood, stock-still, waiting with baited breath for him to emerge. After a tense, silent second passed, one guard's eyes snapped wide open.

"Spread out, qui-" she was cut off when the ground exploded beneath them, sending rubble into and guards flying into the air, a crater exploding around the subterranean assassin. Debris came raining down, dust, stone and large pieces of rubble smashing to the ground and the screaming crowds surged. Trying to escape the danger zone, they all stampeded towards away from the arena, only for a golden barrier to appear above them.

Princess Celestia, looking annoyed with an unmoved, unshaken, calm-before-the-storm glare on her face had her horn alight, the rock and debris all crashing into her shield and sliding to the ground down its curve, slamming into the ground.

Meanwhile, the pegasus and earth pony guards had managed to recover, the mid-air recovery and sturdy frame getting them out of the pandemonium fairly unscathed, relative to the unicorn cohorts, all of which were wounded in some form of another, most holding their heads and horns, the sensitive alicorn having been damaged by impacts from the stone the assassin had thrown around.

The assassin huffed and grunted, his lungs empty, his spirit weary. He looked around himself, finding the guards looking at their injured companions and back to the assassin. They were all less than happy with their fellow guards being injured, apparently, and stalked closer. There was a short pause, however, when they noticed his panting.

Lifting a meter or three of so much stone tended to take its tole on one's muscles after all. The assassin had hoped to cow them all with the show of strength but, having over exerted himself, it had backfired.

"You done, tough guy" one of the guards asked him. The exhausted assassin looked over at him, glaring slightly. The dark stallion's horn sparked to life, and a grey mist flowed over him, the weakness leaving his muscles and spirit.

Standing straight once more, he turned to the guard to approach him.

"Not by a long shot" he replied.

A length of dark magic erupted from the assassin's horn, catching the guard by one of his hind legs, lifting him to solely his other hind. Rocketing forward like a bolt a crossbow, the assassin's hoof found the guard's crotch. The white stallion's loins bulged beneath the Hunter's hoof, and not in a good way. Lifted from his remaining hoof, he was thrown into the flinching guards, the crowds having all, including the mares, simultaneously found their fore-legs snapping to their own crotches to protect themselves from the pain they felt radiating form the poor guard.

The assassin smirked as the guard crashed into his gold-plated fellows before the assassin raised himself to his hind legs.

In the crater, the assassin felt the rocks all around him shift and tremble, the rubble shifting on the surface and the dust swirled all around him. With a smirk, he crossed his fore-legs across his chest before splaying them to the sides. All-too-quickly, the guards found themselves battered and pulverized by flying rocks and boulders, all careering towards them from the assassin, dust thrown away from him with the air displaced by the suddenly lethal Terra-firma.

Once more, Celestia's barrier came in useful, rocks smashing against her golden glow, to the ducking and flinches of Canterlot's citizenry.

More earth erupted from the ground, casting shadows along the ground, the assassin's shadow reaching over to the deep darkness. The surviving guards all advanced, disorganized and enraged, and were set upon by a quartet of serpents, roaring from the ground and sending screams and primal terror up the spine of near everypony in attendence.

The serpents of shadow roared as one, their grizzly maws crashing into the ground in search of prey, the guards taken off-guard and unable to respond to the threat. Some tried to fight back, only to be easily swept aside by the serpents, and earth struggling to hold open one's jaws that were trying to clamp down on him, a few having being coiled around and in the process of being crushed.

A single lone guard, a young mare, saw her life flash before her eyes as she caught the last's eyes, the beady, snake-like eye never leaving her before it swooped down, teeth bared and a roar ripping from its maw as she screamed like a filly.

"ENOUGH!"

A white goddess crashed down before the mare with a mighty 'BOOM', the serpent faltering before her. A glorious, golden sunlight erupted from her, four blade of dazzling, holy light cutting through the snakes of the purest, most evil blackness, screeching as they were reduced to dust, their heads severed.

The madness came to an end with Celestia's stand, her golden aura radiating around her, wings flared and horn aglow. The assassin stood lower in the crater, the base, and was forced to look up at her, his eyes glaring and his stance ready to fight. Celestia knew he was willing to face her again, but she also knew it wasn't her fight. She looked behind her, finding the mare who had almost been killed by the Hunter's magic, the mare looking ashamed and unable to meet Celestia's gaze.

The solar mare's gaze went around her, her noble guards all beaten and bruised. She didn't recognize many, very few in fact. They were all new, fresh-faced. Pulled from training early to bolster the Palace's ranks. She sighed, looking back to the assassin.

"Have you proved your point yet" she demanded, standing between him and more destruction, despite how much she was making her forces look like cowards right now. The assassin looked around himself. His eyes settled on a cluster of guards, those who had been almost crushed by his serpent, and made to advance. They all nearly jumped from their hides. With a smirk, he looked back at Tia.

"Yeah, I'd say so" he replied, far too happy wit himself for Celestia's ears. She took a long breath to push down her temper, and biting comment.

'Is your pride safe and snug then, you foal.'

She felt herself trembling in rage; that's what this was. He'd been stabbed. Better make sure they know it was luck. Make sure they know he's the best there is. No room for doubt. No room for second guessing who the superior fighter was.

No room for mercy now that it hadn't gone completely his way, that he'd been defied.

Celestia felt herself suddenly very grateful the Blood Moon had no interest in being a ruler of any kind; they moment anypony defied him, disobeyed him, he'd become a tyrant.

"Good" she said at last, after a long stand-off "in that case, Canterlot guardsponies" she said looking around at them "I order you to pull back" she announced. She expected some kind of resistance, maybe a raised voice, but she got nothing. They pulled back, no questions asked. It almost disappointed her. They were truly terrified of him.

One-by-one, they clambered out of the crater, helping their fallen comrades to their hooves and carrying them out. The assassin watched with a smugness only Celestia could see. His face was neutral, but his eyes betrayed him. At that moment, more than anything else, Celestia wanted nothing more than to rip her father limb from limb.

Her guards safely retired to the medical tent, Celestia's horn glowed once again, her wings spreading as she took off, the rock and stone Blood Moon had blown away to create his dent in the world all returned to the crater, the assassin hopping up piece by piece until his hooves settled upon flat ground again. The Princess of the day settled to her hooves, her wings tucked by her sides as she trotted up to her bodyguard.

Her eyes betrayed all to the assassin.

'I could kill you so easily right now.'

His own expression was all the reply she needed.

'Try me Tia.'

"Are you done" she asked him again. The assassin's smirk was not growing on the raiser of the sun.

"I'd say so" he replied. Celestia opened her maw to speak, her lungs inflating to speak to the crowds, before she was cut off.

"I must object" came the voice of Glendrin, prompting a glare from Celestia that only the assassin saw. "Princess Celestia, I must object to your attempts to halt this..." he searched for words, and nothing applicable came to mind. Frankly, noone could blame him. "I reserve the right, granted by...this assassin I remind you, to face him in battle. I simply cannot allow him into court without opposition after that display" he boomed, more of the crowd than Celestia was comfortable with agreeing with him. Before she could disarm the situation, Blood Moon spoke up.

"Very well then, come down here and face me, peacock" he shouted up, daring bravado in his voice. The Griffon king bristled, and Celestia was half sure he would meet the Hunter's challenge. Before he could be seen to back down by ordering his guards forward, or make things inconceivably worse for himself by actually getting into the ring with the dark stallion, his honor guard stepped into the arena without order, readying their weapons.

The assassin smirked, settling into stance again.

"If you'll excuse me Tia, I've work to do" Blood Moon muttered.

"Behind you" was all Celestia said before she took off. The assassin frowned at her words before he glanced into the reflection of his sword. The Minotaurs. He stepped in a circle, finding the Diamond Dog there as well, Hounds of War. Behind him again were Changeling assassins.

Sat in her wooden thrown again, Celestia watched the assassin broached with the same problem her guards had faced a few days ago; under attack by several different races, and with nowhere to flee.

"This is getting out of hoof" Twilight said, her worrisome tone far from having diminished during the course of the fight. Looking down at her student, who looked back at her, Celestia could only agree with her.

"Indeed it is my faithful student. And it's only just beginning."