//------------------------------// // Canterlot trouble // Story: Test of Loyalty // by FriendlyFire //------------------------------// Two We landed our balloon in Canterlot. Pinkie Pie was excited, like usual. AppleJack, Rarity, and Fluttershy were all talking to each other. They left me to tie down the balloon. Once I was done I flew over them and started following from above. I was about to join in there conversation, but somepony caught my eye. It was another assassin. I flew away from the group to talk to the assassin; they wouldn't notice I was gone. I flew and landed beside the assassin. "Rainbio Dashitore from PonyVille." I told the assassin as I held up my hoof, showing the assassin the mark (When we join the creed, we are branded with a symbol of the assassins on our front right hoof.). The assassin looked at the mark, and held up his hoof. "Headshot from Canterlot. What's your business?" Headshot asked me. I've heard about him. Both his parents were killed by Templars when he was a little colt. Poor bastard. "I've got a contract on Macchia di Sangue." I told Headshot. Little did I know, Aj and Fluttershy were watching me talk to the pony in white. Good thing they couldn't hear our conversation. "Where's your gear?" Headshot asked, noticing that I was not wearing my cloak or that I had any of my weapons. "Ditched them. Had to keep an extra low profile, I'm here with friends. Besides... Its not the gear or the robes that make you a good assassin. Its the pony under the hood." I said. Then I glanced over Headshot's shoulder, that's when I notice Aj and Fluttershy watching me. I had to wrap this up. "Where's Sangue?" I asked Headshot. "I don't know. But he shows up quite a bit around town. Didn't know he was a Templar. Good luck sister, if you need help... just whistle. This town is full of allies." Headshot said as he walked past me into an alleyway. I watched him disappear around a corner. When I looked forward, Aj, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy were all watching me. I walked forward to meet them. "Who was that, darling?" Rarity asked. But as soon as I opened my mouth, Pinkie jumped in. "Oooo! Was it a fan of your rainbooms?! Or was it a salespony?! Or or was it a traveler asking for directions?!" Pinkie asked in her excited tone as she hopped up and down in front of me. I was always quick with lies, but who needs to think of a lie when you got Pinkie. "A salespony." I answered as we walked to the castle. Twilight was shocked, but thrilled to see us. She hosted a feast in our honor. It was good to see Twilight again. Things went normal for once. Nothing interrupted our dinner. Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Shinning Armor were all there to teach Twilight about their individual roles as princesses. Except for Shinning Armor, I guess he wanted to see Twilight. Twilight told us about her duties of being a princess. Pinkie laughed when Twilight said "Duties", then we all laughed. It was a nice dinner and afterwards we all went to bed. Well, almost all of us. Twilight let us stay in our own rooms in the castle. While everypony slept, I snuck out the window to do the job I was assigned. I flew swift, and quietly into the night sky. The moon was full, the lights were out. The air was cool, and the night was young. I glided to the rooftop of a cafe. Once I landed, I had a good view of the night town of Canterlot. I watched the streets patiently for hours. Waiting for a pony with a drop of blood for a cutie mark. The letter told me about the cutie mark. It also told me how he got away with it by telling everypony it was a drop of ketchup. Ponies can be so gullible. I waited for the pony to walk out of a house, but alas, he did not. The only ponies I saw were guard ponies, fellow assassins, and I thought I saw a white pony in a suit standing behind some trees. But my mind was playing tricks on me, for it had no face. Once I circled the town for the hundredth time, I snuck back through my window. I would get Sangue in the morning. My eyelids lit up and I opened my eyes. The sunshine was stretching from my open window to my eyes. I smiled at the sun and sat up in my bed. Stretching my legs and wings, popping my neck in between. I dropped to the floor and walked to a mirror that stood across from my bed. Damn I'm sexy. I winked at myself and walked out of my room. Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie had prepared us all breakfast. Pancakes and hay beacon strips. The best breakfast royalty can provide. I don't really know what the best they can provide is, but hey. HAY BEACON STRIPS! Anyways, we all ate at the royal table chatting away. "You know what we should do? We should make Twilight a crown made out of pancakes!" Pinkie said in her happy voice to Rarity who had just finished a bite of her pancake. With the glow of her horn, she wiped her muzzle with a purple napkin. Pinkie and Rarity sat to the left of me. "That, being a marvelous idea, would not be acceptable. Twilight's crown needs to be made from royal gold and silver with a green emerald on top. I of course would be able to perform such a feat..." Rarity told Pinkie. But my attention wandered towards Fluttershy. Twilight and Fluttershy sat across from me. "You have power over ponies, but what about animals?" Fluttershy asked in her almost whisper voice to Twilight. "I don't know. I haven't tried it yet. But it would be fun to try, I can..." Twilight answered Fluttershy. But my eavesdrop was interrupted by Applejack. "Boy, it sure was kind of everypony ta make breakfast an all." Applejack said looking at me. "Yea it was. I would've helped too if I gotten up earlier." I answered. Aj started talking but I didn't pay attention, for something caught my eye. Outside the window behind Twilight, was a pony. A pony with the cutie mark of "ketchup". It was Sangue, talking to another pony beside a bush. "Uh-huh. Yea, sure is. Excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom." I said as I scooted back in my chair and stood up, walking down the hallway to the bathroom. In the hallway, I stopped by a window. I opened the window and turned around and looked at everypony. They were all laughing and talking, non were looking at me. I didn't notice it, but just as I jumped out the window, Aj glanced at me. She saw me jump through the window. I crouched behind a bush. Ever so slowly making my way to Sangue. I peaked over the hedge that I hid behind and saw Sangue a few feet in front of me. He then quickly looked back towards me and I quickly ducked down. Normally I would have shot a poison dart at him. But I don't have weapons this time. I'm just going to have to wring his neck. I took a deep breath and vaulted over the hedge. I ran about a step before I realized I was ambushed. Sangue was staring at me with a bunch of Templars in silver armor standing beside him. I looked at the ground as the Templars circled me. I was just glad we were away from the window Twilight was sitting in front of. "I've been tracking you, Rainbio. Once I saw you got off the train, I knew this would be my time to strike." Sangue said in a raspy voice. But I just kept my head down. "You were quite a legend." Sangue said as he started circling me. "But every legend ends. Now..." He said standing in front of me. "You'll become myth." He said as he stepped backwards and nodded at the Templars. I whistled as they all unsheathed their swords and walked towards me. Then, *Few!* *Ping!*. A sound that the Templars last heard before they all fell over dead around me. "What?!" Sangue said in complete shock as I cracked a smile and slowly raised my head. Giving him a happy, creepy glare. His eyes were wide and his jaw was dropped. Then he turned around and ran. He didn't make it seven steps before his head was snapped backwards, looking me into the eyes as I said: "Rainbio Dashitore is no myth." His corpse fell to the ground. Lucky for me, I ran into a fellow assassin last night. I told her to keep a watch over me. Looks like she did. I stood before the elder ponies in the sanctuary of the assassin's creed. Young recruits, some skillful assassins, and well known legends all stood before me. I had no idea why they were all here to watch me. Maybe because I am so awesome and they wanted to see they legend in person. "Rainbio Dashitore. You successfully assassinated a high powered Templar and for that, we thank you. But now we ask you for the most difficult task." The elder assassin said to me. "I am ready for everything for anything you can throw at me!" I responded. "Your next target is a mare." "Who is she?" "She is a princess, by the name of Twilight Sparkle." The elder assassin said as I stood before my fellow assassins. My eyes were wide and my mouth was dropped. I looked around at everypony as if they were playing a joke on me. But they all stared at me with respect. They were serious. I stared at the floor for a moment, trying to think of a way out of this. "Since you are already near her, this should be an easy task. Will you do this for your creed?" The elder assassin asked. With my mind made up, and with a tear running down my cheek, I said: "It will be done."