I hung by my wrists in the dark and dank dungeon in Canterlot. My chest was bare and my hair disheveled and out of my ponytail. I watched as the door opened and two guards with a whip came in.

"Well," one of them said, "this again."

They walked behind me and I felt the whip lash my back again and again. I gripped the chains until my knuckles were white. I gritted my teeth in pain.

"Are you ready to talk yet human?" One of the guards asked.

"I'll never talk!" I shouted through the pain. Another lash. And another. And another. I sunk as they stopped. I closed my eyes and felt the warm blood run down my back. It's hopeless to struggle at this point. It's been two weeks since I was locked in this dungeon no one was coming for me. I was abandoned by my brethren.

The door opened again and the white unicorn from before emerged. What was her name? Rarity?

My hair seemed to shroud my hair like a curtain when I looked at her.

"You." I croaked.

"Yes," she said, "I am Rarity lest you have forgotten."

I glowered at her as she walked toward me. I noticed that she was making a bucket of water and rags float with her unicorn magic. She tried to touch my face but I recoiled.

"Those guards have been far too rough with you." She said.

I regarded her with a softer expression. She began to use her magic to wipe my face with a wet rag. I had forgotten the feeling of water on my face.

"You are," I said, "more compassionate than the others. Why?"

"You have done nothing to me personally darling." She said. "I have no problem with you like others may have."

I looked at her again. What was the harm really?

"My name," I said, "is Leo."

"Leo," she said, "it's an unusual name."

"And Rarity isn't?" I said. My comment made her smile. I smirked slightly.

"You know," she said, "you aren't such a bad human."

"I appreciate the complement." I said. "However, the guards outside I'm afraid don't share your kindness. I just want to know why most ponies hate humans."

"Ponies hate humans?" She asked. "From what the princess told me, humans came into the world and began persecuting the ponies."

I was taken aback by that statement.

"What?" I said. "That's not right. Ponies hated humans from the beginning. That's what we were taught at the academy."

"Really?" She said. "The Doctor even took us back in time in the TARDIS to when humans first arrived. They butchered many ponies."

What was she talking about? There was no way that Blaze lied to me all these years. Blaze was like a father to me. He wouldn't lie.

"There's no way." I said aloud.

"Well," she said, "I should be getting back to the others."

"I understand." I said.

She left and closed the door so that it was dark once again.

And again I was alone there was no one. I stared at the high window that was barred. I longed for freedom. As I stared at the window. I saw a shadow move across it.

"Who's there?" I demanded.

"Leo," I heard the soft spoken voice of Blaze say.

"Blaze!" I exclaimed as the bars were knocked off and a hooded figure swoop into the cell. "Am I glad to see you!" I said. "You've got to help me out of here!"

"Leo," he said removing his hood to reveal his scar on his cheek and his dark eyes and graying hair, "I'm not here to save you."

I looked at him quizzically.

"Then why are you here?" I asked.

"You failed your assignment Leo," he said, "there's only one thing I can do."

I looked at him in surprise.

"You're not going to kill me, are you?" I said.

"What would you have me do Leo?" He asked. "You failed. We were almost exposed because of you. I'm sorry."

My legs were free thankfully and I swung and kicked my mentor through the door.

"Hey!" The guards shouted. "Stop him!"

Blaze looked at me glowering then put up his hood and bolted.

"Hey!" I shouted. "Let me out of here! Guards! I'm ready to talk now!"

********* **********

"Doctor," I said finally back in my old armor and hood after being healed, "I need to know the truth."

"I thought you might say that." He said. The Earth Pony regarded me with an apologetic look.

"Well?" I said. "What really happened? You know! I know you do!" I was angry and frustrated and betrayed. Blaze wouldn't kill me just because I failed. And even though I did, why would Blaze himself come to kill me? Why not send someone else?

"Step into the TARDIS." He said. I followed him into the TARDIS an he guided me to a screen. "I took the liberty in recording all of this. Be prepared friend."

"You call me friend even tough I tried to kill you, why?" I said.

"I knew you'd come 'round." The Doctor said winking at me.

I turned my attention back to the screen and watched as everything I had known fell apart in an instant. Humans running through towns shooting every pony in sight. It was a slaughter. Not even unicorn magic stopped them.

"No." I said. "There's no way."

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said. "But everything you see here happened. I was apart of it even. I was a driving force in the Resistance with the princess. We pushed the humans back, we thought, for good. However..." He drifted off.

"He lied to me." I said. "Blaze lied to me all my life."

"Leo," the Doctor said, "you must have strength. You can expose the Black Hand."

"I would be betraying my brethren." I said looking at him accusingly. "I could never betray them! Betray Jack! Or Song!"

"Your friends can help you," the Doctor said, "if you expose the truth to them, they may join your cause."

"And if they don't?" I asked.

"Then you still have others that are willing to join you." The Doctor said. "As I recall, Rarity attempted to make friends with you earlier. Her and her friends are the wielders are the Elements of Harmony."

It hit me like a thunderbolt. Rarity. Generosity. Good Lord I didn't even think about that!

"I need to see the princess," I said, "right away."

"I would imagine so," he said. "I'll take you too her now."

"Can I have this in a tape?" I asked.

"Of course," he said. The Doctor pressed a few buttons and a video tape ejected from a video input slot next to the screen. I grabbed it.

We both walked out of the TARDIS together. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be going to have an audience with Princess Celestia instead of killing her. Or let an Element befriend me in prison. Or get betrayed by my mentor.

"How did you know that I would side with you?" I asked.

"I'm a Time Lord Leo," he said, "I knew from the beginning."

"What will happen then?" I asked. "To the Black Hand I mean."

"I'm afraid that I can't reveal too much." He said smiling slyly.

I sighed as he led me to the great hall of the castle. Princess Celestia stood there looking at me with a discerning eye. She was unlike any other pony I'd ever seen. Her multicolored mane flowed as if it had a mind of its own. I'd seen many photos of her many times before, but the real thing was more...intimidating.

"So this is the Assassin." She said. I mentally recoiled at the way she said Assassin. As if she spat it out like something that tasted terrible.

"Yes princess." The Doctor said. "This is he."

"Step forward." She commanded. I stepped closer. "What is your name Assassin?" She asked.

"I am called Leo." I said formally trying to hide the fear that threatened to creep out into my voice. I was truly afraid of the princess. Ever since the civil war ended, she had become thicker skinned especially after banishing her sister Luna for the second time.

"I assume that you were sent to kill the Doctor by your superiors." She said coldly.

"That's correct." I confirmed swallowing my pride. No use in trying to get out of this situation. I needed to know the truth and I needed others to know the truth. Unfortunately, to do that I had to get in the princess' good graces. "I am under the Head of the Assassin Order, a man known as Blaze."

The princess raised an eyebrow at me.

"Why are you revealing this?" She asked. "What is your motive?"

"I want to know the truth behind the Black Hand." I said. "The Doctor has proven to me that I've been lied to all of my life. We have been lied to all of our lives. The Black Hand needs to be exposed for their crimes." The princess smiled.

"I may not be familiar with the Black Hand," she said, "but I understand why you would want to go against them. Be warned Leo," she added, "you will make many enemies on your journey."

"Forgive me princess," I said, "but I have a feeling that I've made quite a few enemies just by making one." My remark made her chuckle.

"But I know that you have made some new friends." She said. I began to relax as she looked at me with softness in her eyes.

"You are welcome to stay in Ponyville with my student and her friends. I will arrange for you to get a house of your own."

"Thank you princess." I said and bowed respectfully. I remembered my foreign language class that I took for four years and said, "Avete la mia eterna gratitudine." I looked up at her and smiled at her confused expression. "It's a human language." I explained. "I said that I'm eternally grateful to you."

"Not at all." She said. "Good luck Leo. And be safe." I nodded, bowed and left with Doctor Whooves.

********* **********

I sat on the train looking out the window. I had a leather bag at my feet with some supplies in it. I was going back to Ponyville to live amongst those whom I had believed for so long to be my mortal enemies. Now, I don't know what or who to believe. I should be against Blaze and the Black Hand, but it somehow just felt wrong.
Six ponies were with me on the train. The six Elements of Harmony. Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter. Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty. Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness. Applejack, the Element of Honesty. Rarity, the Element of Generosity. And Twilight Sparkle, wielder of the most powerful of the Elements, Magic.

Even in their company, I still felt alone. I wondered if Jack and Song knew that I had betrayed all that I know. No doubt Blaze will send Assassins after me. But I was prepared.

"So," a soft spoken voice said beside me, "Leo, was it?" I turned to look at Fluttershy who was staring at me with large and expressive green eyes in curiosity.

"Yeah," I said.

"So," she continued, "if you don't mind my asking, why do you always wear that hood?" I thought for a moment and smiled weakly.

"It's tradition to wear the hood. We Assassins are accustomed to the shadows and we are thus defined by the shadows." I paused. "At least, that's what I was told by my mentor when I was first training to become an Assassin."

"Do you think your parents would've wanted you to become an Assassin?" Twilight chimed in. To a normal person who knew their parents, that would've struck a chord with them. To me, however, I just shrugged.

"I didn't know my parents." I said simply. "I was born in Manehattan at the underground base there. My mother was one of the Breeders there and my father was an Assassin. They both died when I was sixteen. I was transferred to the Canterlot Outpost at age six. For the first six years of my life, I was learning basic subjects like arithmetic, English, Italian, and Geography. But to answer your question Twilight," I added, "I don't think they would've cared either way."

"Don't you ever wonder who your parents were though?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I don't need to know." I said. "I was raised by my mentor not my parents."

"You mentioned these people called Breeders." Applejack said. "What are they exactly?"

"Breeders are just women who's sole purpose is to populate the bases." I said. "It's not the ideal position but it's the price we pay for being in the society we are in."

"So," Rarity said, "your mother was essentially..." She trailed off.

"A sex slave?" I finished. "Yes."

"That sounds awful." Fluttershy said.

"It's not so bad." I said. "From what I was told in my history classes, I have advanced education. More so than the humans on Earth at the time that the accident happened anyway."

"What accident?" Twilight asked.

I was about to explain when I heard Pinkie shout.

"Guys! I think there's somepony on the roof of the train!" I perked up and listened. Footsteps on the roof. Slow and deliberate. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

"I'm going to check it out." I said.

"Leo," Rarity said, "please be careful."

I didn't say anything back. I just stood up, opened the window, and jumped out, grabbing onto the roof of the train.

I pulled my self up and immediately found myself face to face with a man from my division by the look of his white hood. I recognized him as Dirge.

"Leo," he said.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Did Blaze send you?"

"Not just Blaze, Leo." He said. "You've managed to piss off everyone in the Black Hand. You have a huge bounty on your head. Blaze, Rocky, Juto, Cat. They all want you dead."

"You would do the same if you knew what I know!" I shouted. "Blaze lied to us all of our lives! He doesn't want peace between humans and ponies. He wants Equestria to himself. All of the councilmen most likely know about this. Dirge," I said stepping toward him in an effort to make peace, "join me. I will show you the truth."

"Leo," he said drawing his sword, "I will not become a traitor as you have. Blaze is still my mentor as he is yours and you turned your back on his teachings."

I sighed and drew my sword.

"Mi dispiace amico mio, ma devo fare ciò che è giusto." I said. I'm sorry my friend, but I must do what is right.

"Traitors nicht wissen, was richtig ist." He said speaking German. Traitors don't know what is right. Dirge lunged at me and I parried his blade. He lunged again, leaving an opening. I parried again, punched him in the face making him lose his balance. I brought my blade down on his collar bone.

Dirge's arms went limp and he dropped his sword. His hood fell back revealing his light green eyes and short cropped brown hair.

"I'm still loyal to my mentor." He said. "Can you say the same?"

"Calm down," I said, "you will not die here."

"Don't be so foolish," he said, "it's over Leo. This is the end for the both of us."

"No," I said, "this is the beginning." I drew my sword out of him. He grimaced in pain.

"Leave me," he said, "kill me now!"

"No brother." I said. "I will not allow you to die here!"

I sheathed my sword and picked him up and flung him over my shoulder. I climbed down the train again and slipped into the car with the other ponies.

"Leo!" Rarity gasped as I laid Dirge on the floor.

"Can you help him?" I asked.

"I know a healing spell." Twilight said. Her horn began to glow and the wound was sealing itself up.

As he was being healed, Dirge looked at me and grabbed my throat. I felt the air being cut of as I grabbed his wrist.

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "Don't even try!" She kicked him in the head hard and he lost consciousness. His hand fell from my neck as he blacked out.

Twilight's healing spell barely left a mark on Dirge. I relaxed and sat back down breathing hard.

"Darling," Rarity said, "are you all right?"

"I'm fine." I said. "Thanks Rainbow Dash." I said looking at the cyan colored pony.

"Anytime." She said.

"Who is he?" Applejack asked.

"An old friend." I said. "His name is Dirge." I set to removing his weapons.

"Some friend," Rainbow Dash said, "he tried to kill you."

"He doesn't know the truth yet." I said. I removed his other hidden blade and set the weapons in a seat. "We need to tie him down somewhere." I said.

"I got a rope on me." Applejack said. She handed me a rope that was in her saddlebag and I set to work tying Dirge to a train bench. Once he was secured, I relaxed.

"Leo," Twilight said, "what's going on?"

"Yeah," Pinkie said, "why was this weird guy walking around on the roof of the train? That's just so crazy!"

I sighed.

"I have a huge bounty on my head commissioned by the Council. Dirge tracked me down and planned to assassinate me. He and I were good friends back in the academy. He, Jack, and I were inseparable. I can understand why he would want to kill me though. I hold nothing against him."

"Who's this Jack person?" Rarity asked.

"He's my best friend," I said, "even when he went into the Mercenary School while Dirge and I went into the Assassin's Academy. I don't know where he stands on this whole thing."

"Loyal to his best friend as he always was." Dirge said. I turned to him.

"What?" I said.

"You heard me Leo." He said. His head was hanging in shame. "There was a big announcement by Blaze and the other councilmen. They said that you were now on the Hit-list along with Princess Celestia, Luna, and the Elements. You were top priority. Jack said that it was strange how you fail one mission and you were automatically public enemy number one."

"Where is he now?" I asked.

"No one knows." Dirge said. "He disappeared a few days after the announcement was made a week ago."

The news gave me a bit of hope. Jack believed in me.

"What about Song?" I asked. "Is she all right?"

"She is fine. She's still in Canterlot in the base doing her duties as a Mercenary." Dirge said. "From what I understand, she's still loyal to Rocky."

That news didn't give me hope. I sighed.

"All right," I said. "Dirge, I have some things to show you when we arrive."

"And if I resist?" He asked.

"Then I kill you." I said simply drawing one of my hidden blades to cement my point. "Dirge, I know that you want to kill me for Blaze. However, I ask that you stay your hand until I show you what I need to show you."

Dirge thought for a moment then nodded.

"Very well," he said. "I assume that I will still be tied down until we arrive."

"No point in that." Pinkie said. "We're here!"

I looked out the window and saw that the train was halting to a stop. I picked up my leather bag with the tape, Dirge's small weapons, and some supplies. I took up his sword and cut his bonds. As he stood up, he put his hood back up and I pointed his sword at him.

"Walk." I commanded. Dirge walked in front of me. I held the sword at his back and followed him with the six ponies behind me.