//------------------------------// // Pulizie di Primavera // Story: Verità Camminatore // by Mr Foster //------------------------------// I woke up, my eyes slowly adjusting to the morning light. I pushed myself upwards, stretching both my forhooves and my wings at the same time. I looked at the clock on the wall. 9:18? Have I really been asleep that long? I walked into the basement, and pumped some water into the bath, which was still surprisingly clean. I just scrubbed the sides and then got in. The hot water soaked into my fur, making my almost pass out, due to sheer pleasure. I took a 15 minute bath, and then got out. It had been a while since I had a warm bath like that, so I tried to make it last as long as I could. Afterwards, I brushed my teeth, and then my mane. The brotherhood takes care of its members. The words of Veglia echoed in my head, as I finished brushing my tail. It had been so long since I had the luxuries of the brotherhood at my demand. It was a good break from being a bar maid. After I had finished grooming myself, I went back upstairs, and donned my robes once more. I fully armed myself, and looked in the mirror. Same robes, different reason. I walked out of the sanctuary, letting the sunlight bathe me. I had traded my once black robes the night I had left the sanctuary for the white robes, before I went to the circle meeting. It made me a whole lot harder to notice, but it wouldn’t make much of a difference with a bunch of naked ponies. I walked through the streets, devising a plan that would allow me to cut off the head of the Tempest Nemesis in this town. “Ponies of PonyVille! Please gather around in the town square for an important meeting!” I heard the guards shout. “Perfect. Now I can pick out friend and foe.” I said quietly, looking around. All the ponies were heading towards the town square, and I decided to blend in. I nudged my way into a small group of ponies, were they made no notice. They all had fillies with them. “Momma, this mare is walking behind us.” Said one of the fillies. I smiled at the filly, which was a sea-foam green unicorn, with golden eyes. Her mother didn’t hear her, so I raised my hoof to my mouth, and made the shush sign. The filly nodded, and kept on walking behind her mother. I reached the town square within minutes. There, on the pedestal, stood an elderly colt, with a green coat, and brown hair. He had a tempest cross for his cutie mark, so I knew who was at the head. Among him were three nobles. Four quick, clean jobs. Shouldn’t take me more than 2 years. “Welcome all! As you may know, the summer sun festival is being held here once more, in two years! Celestia and all her nobles will be attending, so we need to start preparing as soon as winter wrap up is over!” Said the mayor (at least that’s what I thought he was.) Everyone cheered, and somepony started squealing. “But that is not the reason I have gathered you all here. Princess Celestia just sent me a letter about an “Assassin,” heading this way. She said that she had escaped yesterday, so she is here by now. Report any type of suspicious activity to any of the guards. We do not know what she looks like, so keep a eye out for new mares.” Said the mayor, and then he stepped back. A hunky looking noble took his place, as the others withdrew to the mayor’s manor. “As for the rest of you, your taxes are due! Those who have not paid them will be executed.” He shouted out. I looked beside me, and saw that the mother of the young filly who I had talked to earlier was shaking. Merda. I guess today will be my first Assassination. “These ponies come up to the stand. Harpy heartstrings! Soil top! Spiked Punch!” I heard him yell. The mare next to me kissed her filly on the head, and her father held her back. The small filly started crying, and then I heard other fillies starting to cry. The 3 ponies went up to the stands, and put their heads in the guillotine. The cries were joined by the husbands and wives of the executee’s, and then the families. I started to push my way through the crowd, slowly at first, but then more intensely as I got closer to the stage. I unsheathed my hidden blade, as I made it to the front of the crowd. “Hey, stop right there!” Shouted one of the Tempest guards. I jumped, and planted my hoof on his chest, using him as a spring. I jumped once more, and I was soaring above the noble. He just stared at me, as I tackled him. I then jammed my blade into his throat, and pulled one of the feathers off my wing. I laid it across his throat, and let him die. I jumped up, grabbing my rapier in my mouth, and circling around. “Assassino!” “Assassin! Sound the Alarm!” “RUN! IT’S THE ASSASSIN!” The guards reactions were everything to calm and collected, to down right hysterical. “Do you guys really want to die today? You all know I’m more skilled than you.” I said, and a couple of them backed off. “Don’t falter boys! We have th-.” The Tempest was cut off by the blade of my rapier piercing his eyehole. He dropped, and all the tempests backed off. I sheathed my rapier, and threw a throwing knife at the actions on the Guillotines, jamming them. The ponies then ran into the crowd, re-joining their families. I jumped away into the crowd, a smile of grim satisfaction on my face. It had been two years. The summer sun celebration was coming up, and one of the four tempest nobles remained. The assassinations of the other two were hard. They were in the same place, at the same time, and were always covering eachothers backs. I took me just a year to devise even a simple plan to kill them, which was a failure. I had made several attempts on their lives, only for them to slip through my grasp. Finally, I just stopped playing fair and gave a full on assault one of their house’s when they were together. In the end, the house was a massive bloodbath, littered with bodies in every room. Now, only the highest of the Tempests remained. The mayor. I had become a friend of the public, and uncovered most of the heresy behind their actions. The Tempests who owned public businesses resigned from their order, leaving their old, anti-assassin life behind. There was only the guards, and the Mayor left. I had even taken a young colt as my apprentice. “Maestro, posso venire alla celebrazione sole estivo?” asked Artiglio dell'aquila. I made him speak my native tongue around me, until he finally earned his blade. He was a 14 year old unicorn colt, the color of the ocean. I had learned that he was the brother of the filly I had met the second day I was in Ponyville. His real name was Ocean, but his assassin name meant Eagles’s claw. “No, ho degli affari oggi.” I said, and he lowered his head. “Il permesso di parlare in inglese?” He asked quietly, and I nodded. “Master, why can’t I go?” asked Artiglio, silently sagging his head. “I must assassinate somepony today. To make a point to the princess. If anything goes wrong, I do not want you to be there.” I said, and Artiglio nodded his head. “Now, I must get ready.” I said. I stood up from my dusty chair inside the vastly expanded sanctuary. It was the same except that I had made Artiglio have his own training room I walked down the stairs, and stripped off my casual robes. I stepped into the shower, and turned on the hot water. I looked at myself in the mirror. You’ve changed, Angel. You’ve changed a lot. My wings had finally healed fully; skin and feathers had grown around the metal frame. My eyes had turned dark like Ombra’s, filled with the hate of Tempests, filled with the pain of 24 years all held up. I washed up, and stepped out of the shower. I then brushed my mane and my tail. Even though I was going to be covered in robes today, my girly side still wanted me to look my best. I pulled on my newly washed robes, and pulled the hood over my face. “Time to finally finish spring cleaning.” I said, my eyes narrowed. Here I was, standing in front of the great Princess Celestia, again. Yet this time, she didn’t have any idea that I was here. I was tempted to lunge at her right there. End her wretched life. But now was not the time. I stood on top of the mayor’s manor, watching Celestia rise the sun into the sky. I smiled as the sunlight touched my coat. The mayor was right below me, walking out of his house, about to give his massive speech. I pulled a feather off of my now fully healed wings, and held it in my mouth. I watched as he walked out to the pedestal. Princess Celestia finished raising the sun, and now joined her nobles, watching the mayor. The stage was set. Nopony had a clue about what was going to happen next. “Citizens of equestria, near and far! Welcome to PonyVille! I hope you enjoy the summer sun celebration as much as we enjoy hosting it!” Started the mayor. I smiled, and dropped the feather, the gentle breeze carrying it over to the mayors face. “We shall start the feast in a few moments, but fir- Oh, no….” He said silently, the feather falling onto his pedestal. As he uttered those words, I had jumped off the top of the mayors manor, my blade poised downwards. A series of gasps confirmed the mayor’s fears. He turned around, screaming, as I planted my blade into his chest. He gargled for a moment, and I pulled the blade out. I looked up, staring at the nobles from Manehatten. “You’re next.” I said, just loud enough so they could hear me. I then jumped off the dead body of the mayor, and ran to the sanctuary. “Artiglio, Dobbiamo lasciare, in fretta.” I said as soon as I made it home. “Ho avuto la sensazione che sarebbe il caso.” Said Artiglio, who had his suitcase right next to him. “Se sei già imballato, poi lascia andare!” I shouted at him, and he quickly picked up his suitcase. I kicked open the front door and we ran off into the woods. Spring cleaning? Check. A/N: Translations Pulizie di Primavera: Spring Cleaning Merda: Shit Maestro, posso venire alla celebrazione sole estivo: Teacher, may I come to the celebration of the summer sun? No, ho degli affari oggi: No, I have business today. Il permesso di parlare in inglese: Permission to speak english? Artiglio Della'Morte: The Eagles claw Artiglio, Dobbiamo lasciare, in fretta: Claw, we must leave in a hurry Ho avuto la sensazione che sarebbe il caso: I felt that would be the case. Se sei già imballato, poi lascia andare: If you are packed already, then lets go. Lotsa Italian in this one, guys. Make sure to read the translations.