//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5~The First Contract 
// Story: Hellfire Dash 
// by Centurion Pike-Wall 
//------------------------------//

Umbra awoke, groaning and hissing in minor pain as she sat up in bed. Like her assessment last night, the beds in Twilights castle were certainly more comfortable than the hotel, and her body begged her not to leave it. However, she managed to pull herself free of the sheets, and reached down to the duffle bag next to the seat. She pulled out a new tank top and pair of red cargo pants, then stood up to go for the shower. 

After a quick check, she realized that the bathroom next to her room only had a toilet. She trudged back to her room, and into a side room in there, finding the shower. She practically face-palmed at her own stupidity; like a CASTLE of all places would have communal showers was kinda stupid. She chocked it up to her lack of coffee, and just went inside that shower room to take a nice, warm shower. 

After drying herself off afterward, she changed into the clothes she pulled out, slipped on her jacket and hat, and made her way out. Still feeling like a zombie, she headed for the main staircase, wanting to find the kitchen. Kitchen meant coffee machine; coffee machine meant coffee. 

As she did so, she bumped into somepony. Stepping back, she saw an orchid maroon colored unicorn. She wore heavy steel armor, quite unlike the golden colored armor of the Royal Guard. Her magenta colored mane was done up in a mohawk, while her tail was short and well kept. Her most notable features, however, were a large scar over her left eye and a broken, almost stubby horn. 

The other mare said, "Oh. Hey. You must be the pony who saved Spike that Twilight told me about, yeah?"

Umbra overcame her surprise, before nodding. "Yeah, that's me. And, you are?", she asked, preparing for the worst. 

"Name's Tempe- Fizzlepop. Gods, this is harder than it looks. My name is Fizzlepop. What's yours?"

"Umbra. So, you know where the kitchen is? I need my daily fix of a certain dark brown liquid."

Fizzlepop nodded sympathetically. "Just where I was going", she said. "Follow me."

Umbra did as Fizzlepop said, following behind the armor-clad mare as she lead her down the stairs and around one of the corners of this very confusing palace. As she did so, she began to worry a bit. She was here, and Umbra was a bit weary. Twilight had said she was over it, and here this Fizzlepop was. Had, had Twilight actually moved on? Deciding to find out, she said, "If you don't mind me asking, but what is your relation to Twilight?"

"You want the long story, or the short one", she replied. Not a good sign. 

"Short."

"Well, I was the lieutenant of this maniacal conqueror named the Storm King. Heard of him?" When Umbra nodded, she continued. "He said he would fix my horn if I got him all of the alicorn magic in Equestria. I did, but he betrayed me. Twilight and her friends saved me, and defeated him. Now, I'm Twilights student, of sorts; learning about friendship, while at the same time acting as a bodyguard of sorts. That's 'bout the gist of it."

"Cool", Umbra said, releasing an internal sigh of relief. She wasn't a marefriend or anything. She lightly cursed herself after that; she shouldn't be happy that Twilight was still alone. She deserved somepony. 

The two of them arrived in a rather large kitchen, which was filled with the smell of cooking prench toast. Spike stood on a stool, laboring over the aroma filled food. Several plates sat off to the side, two already stacked high with the prench toast, haybacon, and smothered in maple syrup. He turned around, and said, "Morning Fizzlepop. I got breakfast read-Oh, you. Good morning."

"Morning to you too", she said, still heading for the coffee machine. "Where do you keep your mugs?" 

"In the cupboard right above the coffee machine", Spike said, watching her. He quickly turned back to the prench toast, finishing off the last piece and sliding it onto the plate. He then resumed looking at her; in particular, the top of his head, where her hat rested. From what Twilight told her last night, she knew what he was looking for. 

"No", she said. "I don't have any horns. You're either crazy, or mis-saw something. All it is."

Still looking at her suspiciously, he said, "Ok then."

Fizzlepop, who had just dug into her Prench toast, asked, "Did, I miss something between you two?"

Spike hopped down from his stool and headed over with his own plate. He sat down next to her and said, "Nothing. She just helped me yesterday during the showdown between Thorax and Ember yesterday."

"Huh", Fizzlepop said. She went back to her prench toast. Umbra merely ignored them, taking a sip of her coffee. 

Twilight entered a short time later, getting a greeting from each of them. Umbra lifted up her pocket watch, taking a look at the time. 10:27. She glugged down the last of the coffee, put it in the sink with other dirty dishes, and said, "I'm going to go for a walk. Be back in a few hours."

"Where are you going?", Spike asked suspiciously. 

Twilight said in reply, "Spike!"

Umbra turned back, subconsciously adjusting her hat. "If you must know, I haven't been to this town. I'm just going for a walk. See the town. As I said, I'll be back in a few hours." She left the room, heading for the door and towards her first contract. 


++++


Sweet Apple acres was a short fly away. As she flew over it, she saw not much had changed in the old farm. The same neat rows of ripe, blood-red apples rolled and pitched over the hills over half of the property. The other half was split between about twenty different types of smaller fruits and vegetables. Carrots, iceberg lettuce, some potatoes, bell peppers, and still more types. 

The main property was the same as well. A large, red and white barn dominated most of the cleared area of the property, with two protrusions for a chicken enclosure and a pig pen. The main house had received a fresh coat of pain, but otherwise it looked the same. She could swear it was even the same potted plants on the windowsill. A calm, almost sweet air filled the air, betraying what Umbra was hear to do. 

Since she had gotten to stay at Twilights castle, she decided to deal with this now. Use the death of Granny Smith as a means to draw the attention away from her. She didn't exactly like using the sweet old mare as a means to an end, but it had to be done. Orders are orders, and a job's a job. 

She landed on the roof of the barn, on the slope facing away from the building, hiding her from anyone inside. She said, "Nocentibus revelare et occultis tuis."* Her eyes began glowing, allowing her to see through the walls and anything else inside the house. It was only for a few seconds, but it was long enough to spot the old mare. She was alone, sitting on a chair in the living room, and appeared to be asleep. Nopony else was in the house. 

She slid down from the roof, spreading her wings to slow her decent on the way down. She made her way around, pulling out her neck gaiter from her jackets pocket. She took off her hat for a quick bit, putting the cloth ring on the right way so the skull décor was facing the right way. She put her hat back on, pulled out and affixed her sunglasses, and pulled up the gaiter to cover most of her face. By the time she had done all of this, she had arrived at the front door, which she gave a swift and polite knock on. 

"It's unlocked! Ya can come in!", the old mare called out. Umbra did so, walking past the foyer and into the living room. The old mare, obviously, wasn't asleep. She was sitting in the chair, hands crossed in her lap in her typical red and white plaid dress. She looked almost like she was expecting her. "Well, so you're here."

"Indeed, mortal", she said, before gripping her throat and letting out a hacking, gagging noise. "Jeez, I hate this part of the job. Well, yeah. Times up."

Granny Smith stood up shakily, eyes never leaving Umbras. "Well, ok then. Go ahead", she said, spreading her arms. 

Umbra cocked an eyebrow, and said, "You're not gonna try anything? Running away? Fighting?"

Granny smith sighed, before shaking her head. "What's the point?", she said. "You'd find me and hunt me down eventually. Ah'm old. I couldn't get too far. 'Sides, I only made the deal so I could care for mah grandfoals. Now, they're all grown up. Big Mac is married, Applejacks got someone ah think'll do the same soon, and Blooms got her cutie mark. I've done all ah can do for 'um. It's time ah move on. Ah want ta see mah son again."

Umbra said, "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Most try begging or running." 

"Like ah said, what's the point?"

"Fair enough. Now, part of the job says I have to give you a last request. What do you want?"

"Nothin'. I'm content." 

"Ok then", Umbra said, stepping forward. She didn't pull out her knife, wanting to keep it as bloodless as possible, as well as keeping it from being obvious as an intentional death. So, she gripped the sides of her head and, in one swift motion, twisted. A sickening crack and her body going limp revealed she was successful, and Umbra laid the body against the couch as she headed for the banister to the upstairs. 

She kicked a part by the part, sending it flying to the floor below, just in front of the kitchen. She trotted back down to the body, and carried it over to the broken bit of the railing. She carefully laid the body on the rail, making it look like it broke while she was coming down, and she had broken her neck from the fall. 

However, she still needed blood. So, pulling out her knife, she made a small incision on her hand. Once a small amount of blood came out, she said, "Et redde creditori tuo tu maxima culpa. Nunc, redde tu cum sanguine." Like before, the blood swirled around her hand, coalescing into the similar small crystal until it turned blood red. She sheathed her knife, tore off a small splinter, and slid it into the hole she had made. Hopefully make it look like it was a part of the 'accident'. 

She slid the crystal into the pocket, before lowering her neck gaiter and stepping outside. She shut the door behind her, and took off. She looked for a spot she could take a quick nap; she still liked doing that when not on a mission or one slightly longer ones. Near the edge of the Sweet Apple acres, she spotted a suitable spot. A small section of a stone wall, covered by the shade of several large trees. 

Umbra set down, and pulled out her knife. She studied the blade, bouncing the sunlight off of it. She finally stopped amusing herself like that, and pulled out a tuft of grass and used it to wipe the blade clean. When it was done, she tossed the blood stained grass to the wind, letting it blow away to hide the evidence. She slid the blade back into its holster under her jacket, and leaned back against the wall. She pulled her hat over her eyes, still enough of it on to hide her horns, and fell into the realm of sleep.