A young stallion grows in an order and life he did not choose, but may he be the turning point in equestrias history?
Shadow flare grew up within the order of assassins. He knew little of his families history and of his own future. Will this unlikley hero be the turning point in equestrias history? Or will he succumb to the temptations of the templars?
Nothing is true.Everything is permitted. These were the words Shadow Flare grew up with. Which guided his life. This is the story of him and the creed he lived by.
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Canterlot,
1432
1:32 AM
Valence trotted through the silent streets of canterlot and inhaled the crisp winter air. She stopped and stared at the band on her left forehoof which bore the red cross of her order. She stared through the mist and kept on, she had a job to do. She was going to kill Princess Dusklight, the assassin queen they called her in hushed taverns and dim bars.
"Ignorant" Valence muttered to herself. Her mind drifted to her child, Shadow Flare, she hoped he was safe and hidden; for she may not return by morning. She had left him in the care of a good freind, Famoir Tavir.
A sudden sound snapped her back to her senses. She looked around but saw nothing, and so she continued her march to the castle. Her breath hovered in front of her, crystalizing in the frigid air. A passerby gave her but a seldom glance. Little did they know she was going to change the fate of Equestria tonight.
Her husband Antonio would be pround. He had been struck down years ago by an accursed assassin and she was filled with rage when the memory sufaced. "Tonight" She whispered "The tides will turn". The plan was simple, kill the princess and her brother, a templar of course, would be next to take the throne. King Felix. "The future is bright" she whispered to herself.
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Canterlot
1432
2:46 AM
Valence entered the ballroom and was hit with a surge of music and sound. Ponies talked and drank and had a good time. The ballroom was large and the ceiling stretched up and came to a point. The room was made of marble and was decorated with the finest gemstones. It smelled of wine and food. She immediatley spotted her, sitting atop a balcony overlooking the ballroom was the assassin queen, her coat a deep crimson, her mane a billowing white. Valence hated her with everything she had. She slowly made her way around to the back of the ballroom. At the very back of the ballroom was a narrow hall which led to the stairway the the balcony. She trotted down the hall until she came to a pair of burly stallions dressed in the royal guard armor. "Youd better head on back the the ballroom missy" said the one to the right.
"No guests beyond this point" said the other.
She smiled and stated "Oh im sorry i mustve gotten lost". Her hoves moved like lightning, she drew her dagger and killed the one on the right before his partner even comprehended what was going on. She turned and brought the knife to the base of his throught, silencing his cry for backup and ending his life.
She trotted forward and came to the base of the stairway leading to the balcony. Another guard stood here, "hey-!". He was dead before he could finish. She trotted up the stairs, the walls on each side of her decorated in red banners bearing the golden dove cutie mark of the Princess. She reached to top of the stairs and there she was, right there. The reason for valences existance.
A sound behind her startled her, and she spun around just in time to see the white hooded pony galloping down the hallway. "No!" she muttered. She turned around to face the Princess, if Valence was going to die then she was taking the princess with her.
Everything moved in slow motion as valence gallopped towards the Princess and plunged the knife into her neck, a spray of blood washing over her. There was an uproar from the crowd, ponies screamed and ran every direction. She turned around just as the blade was plunged into her chest. It was then that she saw the face of her killer. It was Famor. The one person she thought she could trust. She fell and hit the ground, blood pooling around her. A thought stuck her. "My son.." she managed to cough up.
" Will be raised as a guardian of truth and justice" responded the tan pony in front of her.
"No,no,no,NO!" she screeched.
"Silence, rest now" responded Famor.
"No, no, no....." Valence whimpered with her final breath.
Shadow flare stood on the top of one of the four towers of Yasil castle. The cool morning air blew his black and blue mane against his face, his dark gray coat hidden by long white robes, his wings tucked aginst his sides. He stared at the mountains that he had been staring at for most of his life, the yasil mountains, the home of the assassin order. His deep blue eyes scanning the horizon searching for the sun. As it rose aginst the light blue sky he let out a deep breath and jumped. He fell fast and was gaining speed as the ground came up to meet him. He spread his wings mere inches from the ground and soared up into the sky.
The wind rushed past him bathing him in its cool breeze. He stared at the castle he had know his whole life. Its large grey walls surrounding a haven for his order. The land was ruled by templars after all, and his order was forced into hiding since he could remember.
He flew close to the shadows of the mountain and bent the shadows around him, nothing more than a shadow now. His talent, to bend shadows, was envied at first by his peers but soon they took pride that one of their own possesed such power. His cutie mark a ball of black fire was proof of his ability.
He landed softly on the roof of his home, or more correctly his bunk. It wasnt much more than a bedroom and a bathroom. But it was more than enough for him. Shadow Flare let the shadows fade from him and walked towards the main hall. Today was his big day, the day he was initiated as a true assasin
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Shadow Flare stood tall and proud as his mentor and step father spoke to the hall of gathered assassins. Famor spoke in his commanding tone "The wisdom of our creed is revealed through these words." Shadow flare stepped forward as the symbol of the order was branded onto his forehoof. "We work in the dark to serve the light" Famor continued."We are assassins!"
Everypony joined in the final verse "Nothing is true. Everything is permitted" Shadow flare stepped towards his mentor. Famor turned to him and held out a pair of shining blades, the weapon of the assassins. Shadow Flare took them and secured them to his forehooves, covering the brand. He turned towards his step father,"Thank you father, I will serve the order well"
Famor wraped his arms around Shadow flare,"I couldnt be more pround of you my son" he said to Shadow Flare. Shadow flare repeated the words in his head. Nothing is true, everything is permitted ***********************************
The fire spread through Yasil as the onsluaght continued. The templars had found them. Shadow Flare stumbled over the corpse of a fellow assassin their head hacked in two, brain and blood poured from the gaping hole. He gagged at the sight and kept galloping forward. An arrow whizzed past his head so close he could feel the brush of the feathers on its end. He spotted his assaliant and then his years of training kicked in. He spread his wings and leaped forward over the stallions head. Shadow Flare spun around and slid his hidden blades out of their sheathes. He jabbed his right blade into the ponies neck and brought the other one down on his head realeasing a gush of blood. He turned just in time to see a large stallion bringing and axe down upon him. Shadow Flare hopped out of reach and stabbed the stallion in his side. The pony wasnt brought down so easily and swung his axe around barley missing Shadow flares head. Shadow Flare shot his left hoof up to the ponies jaw impaling his skull and soaking Shadow Flare in a drought of blood.
He turned and ran towards the great hall praying that Famor was alive and well. He threw open the doors of the hall to come face to face with a scarlet unicorn mare. He jumped to the side as she used her magic to fire a spectral blade towards him. He dove forward and brought the blade to her neck killing her as she screamed "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!". The other ponies were alerted to his precense thanks to the mares screaming. A large stallion brought a club to his side and threw him across the hall. He heard ribs crack and felt an agonizing pain crawl up his side. The stallion kept coming and Shadow Flare barley rolled out of the way of another blow. He jumped up and stabed the stallion in the chest, grimacing at the pain in his side.
He spun around and saw the rifle a second too late. CRACK! The bullet hit Shadow Flare in his shoulder. He fell to the ground as his vison started to swim the last thin he saw was several hooded ponies rushing into the hall.
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3 days later
Shadow Flare awoke in a strange room. He had never seen this place before. "Oh your awake" he heard a familiar voice mutter. "Father?" Shadow asked. "Yes, now relax, your ribs are nearly done healing, as for the bullet wound, it has healed over f'or the most part" Famor said
Then it hit him " The caslte?! Did it survive? Did we win then?" Shadow exclaimed. Famor looked onto him with solemn eyes, " No"
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It was a secret base, a place for emergencies. Hidden with the mountians overlooking canterlot. 5 ponies. That was all that remained of the order. 5. Peltov, Jevi, Fiora, Famor and Shadow Flare." The assassin order has been driven into a corner" Famor said to them. "We have to cleanse Canterlot of templars or die trying." The plan was to take out major templar generals, gain a foothold and establish an order in the city and then finnaly, kill King Felix himself. An assassin supporter, Princess Celestia and her sister Luna are to take to throne after his death. "Its very unlikley we will succed" Famor stated dryly,"But its our only chance for the survival of this order." Everypony nodded in return. "This is it everypony, this will decide histoy" Famor stated. Shadow Flare was doubtful but was ready to give his live for the order. "Its a plan then" said Shadow Flare. ***************************************
Recruits, they needed recruits if they were going to set this plan in motion. Shadow Flare was in charge of finding this fresh meat for the order. Peltov was taking up small contracts in the city, Fiora was in charge of finding a suitable hq in the city and Jevi was in charge of weapons and boy did they need them.
Peltov was a tall stocky stallion that was about the size of the average royal guard, he didnt much care for stealth, but he was the kind of pony youd want to have next to you in a fight. He was a deep crimson color and his mane was long and silver. His cutie mark was an axe, simple an to the point Fiora was a smaller pony, a sweet mare whos beautiful face hid the mind of an experienced killer. She was a pale blue color and had a short, black umptkept mane. Her cutiemark was a rose. A beutiful flower covered in thorns. Jevi was a lanky stallion who alyways slinked around like he had someone to kill, which he ussualy did. His level of stealth was almost parallel to Shadow Flares. He was a dark hue of purple and had a long black mane. His cutie mark was a ghostly figure.
Shadow flare slung his saddlebags over his robes and headed off towards the bustling city of canterlot. The sky was turning a deep orange as the sun settled over the horizon, casting a golden glow over the towering city. He was supposed to look for outcasts, anyone who were targets of the templars. His first thoughts were of the griffon populace, but they had left almost as soon as the templars rose to power. "This is going to be a long night" he muttered to himself. He was nearing the city edge now and was strolling through the poorer outskirts when a cry sounded around a back alley. Shadow Flare immedietley turned around and galloped off into the direction of the sound. He came to the opening of a dark alley that stretched back to a dead end. An unmoving figure lay at the end of the alleyway. Shadow Flare wrapped the shaddows from either side of him around himself and slowly aproched. It was a mare, in her twenties by the looks of it, two puncture wounds in her neck..but not a single drop of blood to be found. A sound from behind startled him. He whipped around to come face to face with two..pegasai wouldnt quite describe them, they had wings but they were more like bat wings than pegasus wings. Both were dark grey and had peircing red irises that seemed to glow in the dark. It hit him. "Vamponies?!?!" he wondered aloud "but i thought they were extinct!" A scraping gravelly voice came from one of the figures, "Oh were very much alive, the same wont be able to be said for you...". With that they lunged at him. Shadow extended his hidden blades and plunged them into their necks. Both of the vamponies looked down and smiled at him and started hissing with luaghter. "An assassin!! Shouldnt YOU be extinct?! Hahaha!" Shadow immediatley retreated and stood at the ready for another attack. The holes in the vamponies necks sealed up and made a sickening 'shlick!' as they closed. A thought struck Shadow. "How can you even see me??" he exclaimed. Both of the vamponies exchanged confused glances. "Why wouldnt we be able to see you? Your radiating heat!" No way, no fucking way Shadow flare thought to himself. No way they have infared vison. His thought were cuaght by the sound of one of the vamponies heads being torn off. "Aarg! What the fu-" the other one suffered a similar fate. Shadow Flare searched for the culprit and finally his gaze rested on a figure crouched on the rooftops. It was another vampony, but a mare. And something wasnt right. "Hey!" Shadow called up. The pony turned tail and started to run. Shadow leaped onto the roof and gave chase. "Hey wait a minuite!!" he yelled. He leaped onto another roof and glided to a higher one. He was directly above the vampony, and then she was gone. Shadow stopped moving and looked around just as the gray mass slammed into him. The vampomy was on top of him in an instant.
"Who are you!?!" she nearly screamed into shadows face.
"I would ask the same of you!" Shadow retorted.
"Fair enough" she said as she sat up. ***************** Valkien was a vampony mare who had been born into the cult of Sxric and was shunned becuase of her blue eyes, a bad omen in the vampony society. She was eventually banished from the cult at age 5 and lived on the streets of canterlot, drinking blood from small animals. She grew to hate vamponies and started hunting them down, which was what she was doing tonight. "-and thats how we got to this point" she said in her velvet voice. "And now your turn" she added "Best get comfortable" said shadow, "your going to be here for a while" ***************** "And thats our story" Shadow finished. "Thats amazing" Valkien said with awestruck eyes. "So the assassins are protectors of freedom?" Shadow nodded,"In fact I was hoping youd be interested in becoming one."
"YES!!" shouted Valkein. "We need to work on stealth it seems" said Shadow. "Oh sorry" whispered Valkein "Its fine" chuckled Shadow "after all your my apprentice now." *********************
Valkien and Shadow Flare were strolling through the outskirts of Canterlot. The poverty and depressed expressions of the ponies living there was living proof of the Templar control.
"Why dont they fight back?" questioned Valkien.
"They dont have a flag to rally behind, or even the strength to." said Shadow. "The assassins and templars both seek peace, but while the assassins try to preserve freedom and justice, the templars belive order and complete control will bring the peace they seek."
"But look at these ponies, they are suffering, how can this be peace?"inquiured Valkien.
"Somewhere within the twisted minds of the templars this is peace, and they wont stop until all of equestria is like this." Stated shadow Flare.
Valkien simply nodded in response and Shadow caught a glimpse of her peircing blue eyes from under her hood. The other assassins were reluctant at first but after a while they welcomed Valkien into the brotherhood. Her robes were slightly longer to cover up her bat wings, assassin or not the public still wasnt very welcoming to vamponies. Her pale grey coat and long umpkept black mane were intidating enough already. But her cutimark was what would send ponies reeling. It was a knife, stabbed through the skull of a vampony. Shadow recounted how she had said she got it.
"It appeared after i began salying vamponies, I just couldnt stand by and allow them to feed on innocent ponies"
It turned out that she fed on smaller animals and other creatures.
"I couldnt bare to take an innocent ponies life just so i could eat."
She was selfless, honest and most importantly, had a good heart. She already had the ideals of the assassins and would make a wonderful one.
Shadow flares thoughts were interuppted by a short, brown pony holding a basket of fruits.
"Fresh apple sir?" the salespony asked.
Shadow gave him a few bits and took a ripe red apple.
"Thank you so sir" the pony replied before trotting off into the crowd to try and make more bits. The market was crowded this time of day and they had a difficult time manuvering the crowd. The eventually came out in the stone quarter. It was called the stone corner becuase most of the miner ponies lived and worked in that area. Shadow immediatly notied the templar guards strolling around the streets. "What are they doing?" whispered Valkien "Guarding the mines most likley" Shadow Flare replied, "Cant make swords and weapons without metal"
They contined trotting through the street and tried to remain inconspicous.
"Hey you two!" a deep voice boomed from behind them
They both turned around and found the source of the voice, a large stallion, taller than Peltov and was covered in heavy plate armor that concealed his entire face and body.
"Come 'ere!" he boomed.
Shadow Flare and Valkien slowly trotted up to the large templar pony.
"Whats a couple of street rats doin around the stone quarter?"
Shadows blood boiled at the insult but he remained calm. He couldnt help but notice some of the other templars watching the little scene.
"Were just passing through" stated Shadow
"All hooded up and carring 'dem swords?" he questioned "I dont belive it."
"Were telling you the truth" said Valkien, "Were merchant bodyguards and were headed off to meet our merchant so we can head out of town"
The templar seemed to consider this for a moment.
"Alright then, but if i catch you two doing anything out of order i wont hesitate to cut your throats myself" he boomed.
Shadow Flare and Valkien turned and trotted off.
"That was close" whispered Valkien.
"I know" Shadow replied
"Why are we here anyways" asked Valkien
"Six ponies arent going to overthrough the templar order" stated Shadow,"We need more recruits"
They were both inturuppted by a sound coming from a nearby hut.
"Im not giving you shit!" a voice yelled
"Then well just have to take it from you!" a familiar voice sounded
Shadow Flare and Valkien busted into the hut and were shocked by the scene before them. The templar captin from before and two others who were dressed in simple armor had destroyed the home inside. The captind was smashing his hooves into a pony laying on the ground. It was a miner by the looks of it. Averyone stopped and turned around.
"You two!" yelled the captin, "Im going to tear you apart!
The two smaller ponies lunged forward. One of them was hit right between the eyes with a black throwing knife from Valkien and the others throat was slit by Shadow Flares hidden blade. Both were dead before they hit the ground. "Wha???" the captin yelled. He then took his massive two headed axe from his back and muttered,"If you want something done right..."
Shadow jumped out of the path of a blow and drew his sword, hidden blades werent going to peirce the armor. Valkien brought her sword up to block an attack and leaped back out of range as he swung another. Shadow took the oppoutunity to thrust his sword through the stallions side. Blood gushed from the wound. But the captin didnt go down easy, and swung his axe around, just missing shadows head. Valkien swung her blade but it bounced of his chestplate where the stronger steel was. Shadow saw and opening, a small crease in the armor where the ponies neck was.
Shadow extended his hidden blade, and with expert prescison, stabbed the pony in the neck, killing him. The captin fell and didnt rise again.
Shadow and Valkien aproched the battered miner pony and helped him up.
"What happened?" asked Shadow Flare
"They had been taking 60% of the money we make in the mines for 'security funds' and i was done and sick 'o their bull, i refused to give them my money and thats about the time you two walked in" he said, "Thank you two by the way" he said,"i dont know what couldve happened if you two hadnt shown up"
"Dont mention it" said shadow Flare.
"The only thing is now I cant return to my job" he said "I just wish i could fight back he said"
"You could join us" Valkien said
"We could definitley use a blacksmith" added Shadow
"If I can help ponies like you two have helped me, its a deal" he said, "by the way, my names Ember." He shook their hands and smiled. **********
