//------------------------------//
// Un Nemico Degno di Battaglia. 
// Story: Verità Camminatore 
// by Mr Foster 
//------------------------------//

Nothing is true, everything is permitted. 

I nodded my head silently, staring at the floor. The sanctuary was a mess. It would need some cleaning up. 

And so would this town. 

I remember how many Tempest’s there were in this place. While they were always too stupid to find the sanctuaries, they must have seen us fly in. I had even seen two on the way to the safe-house. There was no way in Luna’s name that they hadn’t seen us. 

“What will you do now?” asked Ombra, and I walked over to a window. 

“I guess I’ll put on the robes once again. Clean out the Tempest’s from every major settlement, starting with Ponyville,” I said. 

“Such is the work of a lifetime. The Tempests will repopulate as you kill them,” said Ombra, and I nodded. 

“Abbiate fede, Ombra. I’m no child, I can understand they will re-populate, but they will lose morale when they see their highest ranks killed before their eyes. They will slowly dwindle away, just like they did eight hundred years ago,” I said as I watched the townsfolk go about their business. 

“This is true, if you have the patience” he replied, and I smiled a bit. 

I saw a couple Tempest guards, dressed in massive chain mail armor, and a full head helmet, walk slowly over to a couple of the towns people. They asked them something, and the townspeople pointed towards the sanctuary. 

“Merda. They are coming for us,” I said, and Ombra stood up. 

Immediately, we heard a knocking on the door. 

“Open up! By order of the law!” shouted one of the guards angrily. 

“What shall we do, Verità? These are your enemies,” said Ombra, and I just turned towards him, giving him a sly smile. 

I cracked open the door and the Tempests busted through it, stumbling over each other. They made quick recoveries, grabbing their spears and axes with their mouths, protruding out of their helmets



I kicked one in the face, smashing his faceplate into his mouth. He made a muffled scream, and fell on the floor. I then swung around the second Tempest, and bucked him at the wall. The Tempest smashed into the drywall, and made a gurgling sound. He had landed on a wall spike, and it had pierced through his armor. I looked back over to the Tempest whose faceplate I had kicked in, still writhing in pain, and walked over to him. 

“Bruciare all'inferno, Tempesta,” I said quietly, plunging my hidden blade into his throat. 
He stopped writhing and laid still. 

“Impressive,” said Ombra with a measure of sarcasm. 

“I’m not an apprentice, you know.” I said with an edge in my voice. 

“I realize that, but you act like one,” he said, and I looked at him sternly. 

“An apprentice would not have faced death in the palace so bravely, mind you,” I said, and he didn’t look impressed. 

“You boast like a novice would as well,” he said, and I rolled my eyes. 

“I’m going to get this place in tip-top shape. I’ll be here for a while. Not sure about you, if you have your own agenda,” I said, and Ombra shook his head. 

“There is nothing for me to accomplish,” he said, and I just turned to the bodies. 

They hadn't started to bleed everywhere yet, so now was the best time to burn them. 

“If you could light the fire?” I asked, and Ombra went over to the fireplace. 

He took one of the matches from the small box on the top of the fireplace, and lit it. He then dropped the match into the pile of wood, and it immediately lit up in flames. He stared at it, the fire reflecting off his eyes. 

I pulled the body into the fiery pit, and it was immediately engulfed in flames. I quickly pulled the other body into the fire, and closed the metal door, making sure all the smoke went into the air. 

“Alright, now that we’ve got that over with, I’m hungry.” I said, and Ombra actually cracked a smile for once. 

“As am I. How many Tempests are in this area?” he asked, and I shook my head. 

“Ponyville is sick with them. They’re everywhere. Which is why I’m going to start cleaning house here,” I said. 

Ombra gave me a suspicious look, and I just sighed. 

“The Tempest’s won’t try anything in public. They are always afraid of more of our kind popping out of Luna-knows-where and taking them out. They are afraid of us, so they are very cautious. Besides, they are enemies of the royal guard and if the make a scene, they’re off to the moon,” I said, and Ombra nodded. 

“Then let us go eat,” He said. 


“The apples here are quite good,” said Ombra, who was sitting across from me. 

We had visited one of the most accomplished restaurants in Ponyville, which was run by Tempest’s. It was called “The Good Eats Factory.” 

Sweet Celestia, this place has no formal ponies! Most of them don’t even wear clothes! 

“Is that all y’all need today?” asked our waitress. 

“May I ask where these apples are from?” asked Ombra, and the waitress tapped her chin in thought. 

“I think from the Apple family farm up in the northern part of town,” answered the waitress, and Ombra nodded. 

“Grazie. Check please,” I said, and the waitress rushed over to the kitchen. 

“Do you think the Apple family is part of the Tempest Order?” Ombra asked me, and I shook my head. 

“I met them the first time I was here, for a Summer Sun Celebration. They are far from Tempest like. They run their own farm, using the profits they get to keep it going. A couple members of the family were Tempests in the past, but after they left Appleoosa that tradition died out,” I answered, and Ombra nodded. 

Ombra simply nodded as the Waitress brought over our check. 

“I’ll pay,” I said, and Ombra just shrugged. 

I opened the check, and dropped some coins in there, leaving a small tip. We both stood up from the table, and walked out of the restaurant. We slowly walked back to the sanctuary, when I realized we were being trailed. 

“Don’t look now, but we have somepony trailing us,” I said, and Ombra nodded. 

“She has been behind us since we left the restaurant,” said Ombra, and I turned my head slightly. 

It was just a small foal, barely able to keep her balance. 

“I think she’s harmless,” I said, and Ombra sighed. 

“One must always consider their enemies to be equals or superiors. There are magical means of disguise, she could be a Tempest. More realistically, she could have been sent by a Tempest to track us,” he said, and I sighed. 

“What made you this cautious?” I asked. 

“None of your concern,” he said, and I was taken back at the harshness in his words. 

“Excuse me!” I heard the pony shout at us from behind. 
It was definitely a filly. 

She was small, smaller than I was at her age, from the looks. She had big, blue eyes, and a beautiful, purple mane. Her coat was sparkling white, which made me cautious. 

One must always consider their enemies to be equals or superiors. 

“Hi! There was a strange colt who told me to give this to you,” said the little filly. 
She had a small envelope in her teeth, and I grabbed it. 

“Thank you,” I said, and the small filly ran off. 

“No problem! Bye!” she shouted back, prancing off. 

I smiled slightly, and dropped the envelope into my hoof, so I could see it better. 

“It’s for you,” I said, and Ombra took it from my hoof. 

He used his hidden blade to cut it open, and I noticed something on it. It was engraved with words, but words I had seen before, on the walls of my old guild. 

Niente è vero, tutto è permesso, Nothing is true, everything is permitted. 

I did all that I could not to get goose bumps when I saw the words. I watched as he opened the envelope, and dropped the letter onto his hoof. His eyes widened every line he saw, and then finished. He carefully put the letter in his saddle bag, and sighed. 

“Dovere chiamate, Signora Verità. I must leave to the north. Perhaps one day we will meet once again,” said Ombra, who had spread his wings. 

“Addio, Ombra,” I said, and Ombra took to the sky. 
I watched as he disappeared into the horizon, and then continued back to the sanctuary. 

It was night by the time I made it back to the sanctuary. I opened the door, pulled off my robes, and fell onto a comfortable couch. I sighed, staring out the sunroof, the bright white moon lighting up the sanctuary. 

“Spring cleaning starts tomorrow.” I said quietly, closing my eyes

A/N

Translation:
Un Nemico Degno di Battalgia: A enemy worthy of battle.
Abbiate fede: Have Faith
Merda: Shit
Grazie: Thank you.
Dovere chiamate: Duty Calls

You guys have been very patient (Once again) So here comes 3 chapters. Another three will be posted next week.