//------------------------------// // R0und Three: Gener0sity // Story: Zer0 H0ur // by Vorizmordu //------------------------------// Zero, now anxious to get to Canterlot, wasted no time in his morning routine. He quickly made his way out of his home with his personal effects and began walking to...well he didn't quite know. Yet again, his companion for the day had forgotten to tell him where to find her. He decided he would roam town in hopes of a chance encounter with the mare. He considered just visiting Twilight and asking her where Rarity lived, but found he wouldn't need to as he stumbled across a particularly flashy building. He approached the building adorned with various light shades of blue, pink, and yellow, hoping he had found his destination. Before he could even knock on the door, it swung upon to reveal Rarity. "Zero, darling! You're late!", she informed. Late? How early had she wanted him to be here? He gave her a simple shrug as he stepped into her home. Though it wasn't so much a home as it was a shop. There were various fabrics strewn about random spots around the room he was in. He also noticed several pony shaped mannequins in the corner. He managed to find an uncluttered seat and made himself comfortable, his host seemingly busy with preparations. "Just sit tight, dear. I'm just finishing up your outfit for our day in Canterlot.", she informed him. "Outfit? I did not agree to this.", he replied. He was not about to wear some silly looking suit. "Oh don't you worry. I'm not going to force you to dress up. Well originally I planned to but I figured I was lucky enough to get you to come along. This little design is just a "Thank You" gift for accompanying me to Canterlot", she explained with a smile. Zero still didn't get the concept of clothing as a horse. It just seemed strange to him. Rarity went on to explain the design,"Now I designed this with your quiet personality and your err...skills in mind. It should be perfect if you should ever encounter ruffians like those diamond dogs.," as she said this she brought out one of those pony mannequins with a covering over it. With a flourish of a hoof, she unveiled her work. Zero was actually quite surprised. He had expected something ridiculous looking. Instead, before him was a ponyequin with an ebony hood and cape, the color matching that of pitch darkness. Zero was quite familiar with that. All in all, the design was quite stylish. There were many pockets on the inside for him to store a variety of tools. He approached it, feeling the fabric it was made of. It was extremely light and wouldn't restrict movement, yet covered enough so he could keep things concealed underneath it. Only one word could do the cloak justice. Badass. Rarity noticed Zero's approving gaze, "I knew you would love it! It perfectly complements your "mysterious stallion" attitude!", she exclaimed. Zero removed his new cloak, which he would from this point on dub "Phant0m", from the ponyequin and slowly pulled it onto himself, feeling the cloth against his fur. It was cold around him and he enjoyed this greatly. He flipped the hood over his eyes, giving him the image of the assassin he truly was. His savoring of the moment was interrupted by Rarity. "It looks smashing on you! Now, my turn.", and with that she backed away into another room. Zero payed her no mind, still admiring his new clothing. Moments later Rarity returned in an outfit of her own. It was a simple dress, obviously meant to highlight natural beauty. Zero took no notice of that. He nodded at her, "Looks nice" "Just nice?", she said with a bat of her eyelashes. Zero narrowed his gaze on her, "You're not getting anymore out of me", he allowed his eyes to slide under the cover of his hood. "So that's how you want to play it, hmm? I accept your challenge.", she stated. Zero gave her a quizzical look. "I know nothing of/ This challenge you speak about/ Did I miss something?" "I will get you to acknowledge my beauty by the end of this day", she said with a flip of her mane. Zero grew serious, "You will lose this duel/ Challenges are known to me/ You have zero hope." "You are not alone/ For I also know hayku/ You have been warned, friend.", she replied in a teasing tone. Did she really just counter him with a haiku? This was going to be a worthy challenge indeed. The duo made there way to the station that would transport them to Canterlot, but were stopped when they came across Rainbow Dash, whom had been looking for Zero. He just realized he had forgotten to tell her about his plans for the day and that he would not be able to train with her. "Hey Z. Whoah, sweet threads.", Dash said with a hint of awe. Before he could reply, Rarity spoke first, "Well you of all people should know my designs are always magnificent, Rainbow." The cyan mare rolled her eyes, "Yea, yea whatever. Anyways, I was wondering if we could start our session a bit earlier Z. I've been trying to walk around on two legs and I think I'm starting to get a handle on it." Rarity once again answered for Zero, "Oh did he not tell you? He will be accompanying me this evening to a fashion show in Canterlot and will be much too busy to attend your...lesson." Dash was furious at hearing this, "What!? You're blowing me off for a fashion show! Are you serious!?" "Well obviously he thought spending the day with me in Canterlot would be a much better use of his time than spending it with you.", Rarity retorted. Zero finally spoke up with a forceful tone, "Enough. Both of you. My reasons for going to Canterlot extend far beyond attending Rarity's show, Dash. It was a sudden occurence and I had no time to inform you. I apologize.", he turned towards Rarity, "As for you. I already told you I most likely will not stay for the full duration of your show. I have other things that I wish to accomplish." The two mares stared at him, not sure what to say. Finally Dash spoke up. "It's alright Z. I'm being selfish. I'm sure whatever you need to do in Canterlot is much more important than my lesson. I'll leave you two to your trip, but you better be ready for tommorow.", she added as she flew off. Zero looked back towards Rarity, who was still silent. "Let's go", he told her. The train ride to Canterlot was uneventful. Once they arrived, Zero noticed that it was around noon. "When is your show?", he asked. "Oh, well it isn't for about another three hours. In the meantime, I thought I might show you around-- where are you going?", she asked as Zero began walking away from her. "I'll meet you here in two hours. There is someone I must see.", he answered. "Well can I come with you?", she asked, "The whole point of this trip is to spend time with you afterall." "No", he replied. Before she could say anything else, he disappeared into a nearby mass of ponies. "I really shouldn't have given him that cloak", she said to herself while pouting. Zero quickly made his way to the palace, deciding to visit Luna now since he had a few hours before the show. He approached the palace's doors, let himself in, and was dissapointed by what he saw. Instead of seeing Luna like he had expected, he instead was greeted by her sister, Celestia. "Zero? What are you doing here?", she asked with genuine curiosity. It was clear she did not know of his upcoming meeting with Luna. He decided telling her would not be a good idea. He began to conjure up a lie about why he was standing before her. "It's nice to see you again as well, Celestia. Is your sister Luna here by any chance?", he asked innocently. "Why?", she replied, raising her eyebrow. "I wish to ask her a question regarding...", Zero had to pause slightly in order to thinking of a suitable topic for his fake question. He then remembered Luna's cutie mark,"the Moon.", he finished. "I'm sure I can answer any question regarding the topic. I've once had full control over it for 1000 years before Luna.", she said with a smile. Zero wasn't sure how he was going to get around this stubborn alicorn. He found it very convenient that Luna had walked in at that moment. "Sister, thou has ate thee last banana again!", she shouted before noticing the stallion before Celestia, "Oh Zero! I was--", she cut herself short. She, like Zero noted earlier, hadn't told her sister about inviting him to Canterlot in order to speak with her. She rephrased her statement, "... wondering what you are doing here." Zero easily picked up on her ruse. It wasn't the first time he had visited a client at an inconvient time. He spoke to Luna in hopes of being able to get her to somewhere they could talk. "I was just looking for you, Luna. I had hopes of asking you a few questions, as Celestia knows. Would you mind taking a walk with me?" Celestia misinterpreted Zero's statement entirely. She gave Luna a sly wink, thinking the stallion was trying to get some alone time with her sister, which was true in a sense. Luna blushed slightly at her sister's look. "Why of course.", the princess of the night answered quickly. Zero and Luna quickly made their way out of the throne room, leaving behind a smiling Celestia. They soon found a relatively quiet spot to begin their meeting. "I apologize/ If Celestia mistook/ My bringing you here.", he stated. "No worries, noble stallion! We have much bigger things to discuss.", she began, "I have called you here to deal with a potential threat to Canterlot itself!" "Explain.", Zero commanded as he took on his "strictly business" tone he normally used when dealing with a client. Luna began explaining the situation,"Recently, a group of griffon's claiming to be here on political business arrived in Canterlot. Though there seems to be nothing wrong with them on the surface, I've noticed them acting rather suspicious during the night hours. I had brought my concerns to Celestia but she had dismissed them and forbidden me from taking any actions. This is why I called you in, I truly believe them to have malicious intent. Ponies and griffons have never been on the best of terms and wish for you to investigate in case these particular griffons are planning something." "And what do you wish me to do about it?", he simply questioned. "From my observations, I believe the griffons have something planned for a public gathering at an old theatre in the Noble District. I want you to attend this gathering and watch for anything suspicious. If anything does catch your attention, I wish for you to investigate.", she finished. "Dead or alive?", he again questioned. Luna was slighty taken aback. "I... would prefer if you kept them alive if it came to that. Questioning would be neccessary." "Understood. Tell me of this social event.", he continued, wanting to get any detail that may aid him. "I believe it is a fashion show hosted...", Zero stopped listening to the princess. She undoubtedly meant the same show he was to attend, for it was unlikely that there would be two different fashion shows in a single day. One part of him found it convenient, for he wouldn't have to find a way into the gathering since he already had a ticket due to Rarity. Another part was worried, for if these "griffons" truly did have impure intentions, then it would most likely be in the form of some kind of harm towards the gathered mass. And one of his friends was going to be part of the mass. He gave the princess a nod. "I shall be your eyes/ To investigate your fears/ You need not worry", he said, his way of accepting the contract. "Wonderful! Do this for me and you will have earned my eternal graititude.", Luna bowed before Zero and returned to the palace. Zero sat there, thinking in silence. He was not going to accept at first. Alot of Luna's worries were based on speculation, but when she mentioned the show, something clicked inside him. Even if Luna's claims turned out to be false, he couldn't risk the safety of Rarity. With a face of grim determination, he turned his gaze towards the Noble District. "Challenge Accepted", he said as he broke into a sprint towards his destination. Zero's first order of business would be to somehow convince Rarity to not attend the show. It would greatly ease his nerves knowing that, if anything did occur, she would be safe. It didn't take him long to sort her out from the crowd of ponies who had arrived extra early for the show, thanks to how much she stood out in terms of looks. She was easily prettier than any of the other mares in the crowd. He wasted no time running up besides her, reassuming his calm demeanor. "Miss Rarity", he acknowledged her with a nod. "Oh hello Zero", she returned, "You're early you know. The show isn't for another hour and a half." She was obviously saddened by something. Probably had to do with him ditching her earlier. Whoops. Zero brought up the reason he was here,"Is there, by any chance, something we could do besides the show?" She frowned lightly at his questions, "I'd rather not. This show means alot to me. I'm going to be able to converse with some of the greatest fashion masterminds of the century and witness some of their masterpieces. I certaintly couldn't pass up an opportunity like this." Zero sighed. It was hopeless to convince her otherwise and he didn't want to outright tell her about what might occur during the show. If he wasn't going to be able to keep her from the show, then he settled with just keeping her close while he kept his vigil. Time dragged on as it finally became time for the show. The crowd that made up the audience was massive. This would be the perfect place for an attack against Canterlot. He and Rarity found their way to their seats as the show began. He paid no mind to it, his eyes scanning the crowd, making note of anything or anyone that seemed the least bit suspicious. He remained like this for well over an hour and was finally about to let himself relax until something caught the corner of his eye. He noticed someone rise from their seat and exit through one of the staff corridors. Normally this wouldn't cause too much concern, but this person was not a pony. Zero couldn't see much for the stranger wore a brown hood that covered most of his face, but he did notice the talons. A griffon. Zero rose from his seat, getting the attention of Rarity. "Where are you going?", she simply asked. "Bathroom.", he quickly responded. After Rarity gave him a nod and returned her gaze to the show, he set off after his target. Before he followed his prey into the corridor, he quickly checked one of the exit doors. They were locked, most likely to prevent anyone disturbing the show as they entered/exited. Zero could only wonder what moron thought that was a good idea. With the knowledge that this place was practically set up for a potential tragedy, he made his way into the corridor. Zero traversed the staff only section of the theatre, noting the lack of staff. The hallways were literally empty. He also noticed there was a strange liquid tracing the floor. Upon furth examination, he realized the liquid was oil. He assumed the griffons were planning on starting a fire. A very big fire. He quickened his pace, only slowing down after finding the staff. Or should he say what was left of them. It was quite the gruesome sight, several bodies piled upon each other, each looking as if they had been on the receiving end of an animal's primal fury. The corpses had several lacerations, most likely caused by talons considering he was dealing with griffons. He crept along, deeper into the theatre, coming to a complete stop when he heard talking. He only heard one voice and it seemed to be giving commands. "Patrol the halls again to make sure that all the staff are dealt with", shouted a gruff voice. It was a voice you would imagine a war veteran to have. "And you, make sure the oil trail wraps aroun--" the voice stopped suddenly. Zero could hear audible...sniffing? Did birds even sniff? Zero's thought train was interrupted by the voice. "I know you're there. Show yourself.", the voice commanded. At this point Zero would have stealthed in and killed the source of the voice, but considering the voice could sense him and Luna has specifically requested to keep casualities low. He stepped into the large room on his hind hooves, prepared for the worst. Only a single light shone in the middle, revealing the owner of the voice. His hood was down, revealing his eagle-like face. He had a large build, though Zero assumed that was natural for his kind. The imposing figure looked over Zero before speaking. "You should not have come here, moon heretic.", the griffon growled. "Moon heretic?", Zero replied. He's never been called that before. "You are here on behalf of the alicorn, Luna, are you not? She and her sister claim ownership over all of Equestria when griffons should be the rightful rulers.", explained the griffon, "and we plan to make that a reality. This is only the beginning." Zero raised an eyebrow,"You're very open with your intentions. It seems foolish." The griffon gave what Zero thought was a smile, "It won't matter. You'll be dead soon enough." Zero was about to give a clever reply until he saw something lunge towards him from the shadows with incredible speed. Zero, however, was faster. It seemed another griffon was attempting to strike him with the talons of it's right hand. Zero managed to get a grip on his attacker's arm, stopping the attack from reaching him at all. The griffon could have brought its other talon in for an attack, but was momentarily stunned by the speed of the stallion. Zero wasted no time, however, as he pressed the hilt of his blade against his foe's chest. His blade began to digistruct through the griffon's chest, effectively piercing it as it reached its full length. After a forceful twist of the blade, he ripped it out of his foe, allowing the griffon to crumple to the floor lifeless. Zero then realized he disobeyed Luna's orders to not kill. "Oops", was all he said as he flicked the gore from the griffon off his blade. The leader snarled, "Kill him", he commanded, more griffons stepping from the shadows. As Zero assumed a defensive stance, he noticed the leader griffon step out. He refocused on his new adversaries. There were four of them, all pacing around him as they waited for their moment to strike. Though he was able to deal with the first one quite easily, these others wouldn't make such a foolish mistake. Suddenly, they all lunged at him at once. He was barely able to hold off their assault and put space between him and his adversaries due to the amazing speed they possessed. He wouldn't be able to fight them with just his blade and he had just the trick to help him. "All you see is lies/ The truth is not known to you," he vanished before them with his Gh0st, "I will bring you truth", he finished from the shadows. He wasted no time, knowing they would eventually sense him like their leader had. And closed his eyes and began to concentrate. The griffons were surprised when the stallion they had been fighting simply vanished. They recovered quickly, as one of the griffons shouted. "Find him!", the griffon hissed. Before they could begin to try to sniff him out, they were utterly confused as, one by one, stallions appeared before them. But not just stallions. The same stallion they had just been fighting, but there were now four of him. They had no idea which one was the real one. Before they could pick their target, the clones charged them. Zero noticed his clones, while capable of causing damage, did not fully possess all of his skills. Regardless, they did their job, which was to distract the griffons so he could single them out. As the griffons fought against the clones, they were helpless against the real Zero. He traversed the chaos of the battle, cutting down the griffons one by one. The first was fully decapitated by a cut precise enough to almost be considered instant surgery. The rest followed suit, having no chance to stop the invisible reaper that was Zero, their attention held by the decoys. As the last of his enemies fell, he began to search over their bodies. It was a bad habit he had picked up on Pandora. He would always loot the bodies of the bandits he had slain, occasionally finding things of great value. He noticed each griffon possessed a small, lightweight curved knife, probably used for cleaner kills when talons would make to much of a mess. He took each of them, seeing as they could have potential use in the future. Eventually, it occured to him that he was wasting time. After quickly cursing himself for being a "loot whore", he ran out the door he saw the griffon leader step through. He ran a good distance before he caught up to the leader in an area directly behind the stage of the theatre. There was a large pool of oil in the center of the room, trailing off through the hall Zero had just come from. The griffon leader stood there, a lit match in hand. If that match were to make contact with the oil, the whole theatre would go up in flames in seconds. The griffon smiled at Zero, "Burn in Tartarus.", he flicked the match and sprinted through a path which had no oil trail, obviously prepared especially for an escape. Zero was extremely calm considering he's was about to be burned to cinders. Zero sighed as he simply caught the match with his magic before it hit the ground. His hood had hidden the fact he was a unicorn from the griffons. Zero simply shook his head as he blew out the match, "What a fool.", he said before resuming his chase. The griffon had planned to escape through a skylight in the main room of the theatre. Zero followed him out onto the stage, confusing much of the audience. Before the griffon could take off, Zero shut the skylight windows tightly with his magic, locking the griffon in. Realizing he had no obvious route of escape, he turned to face the stallion that has been causing him so much trouble. "You are unnervingly persistent.", the griffon said as he slowly backed his way towards the audience. He had an idea. "So I've been told", Zero replied coldly. He had his prey cornered and he was savoring it. "However", the griffon began, "I will not allow you to have me so easily." With a lightning fast movement, he grabbed one of the ponies that made up the audience. Zero stared in horror as his foe took a hostage. But it was no ordinary hostage. No, the hostage he took was none other than Rarity. He stopped making his way towards the griffon as he brought his curved knife up to the mare's neck. "Let. Her. Go", Zero hissed, fury lining his words. "My fate is sealed", replied the griffon, "I know I cannot defeat you one on one. I just wish to claim one more of these pathetic ponies' lives.", He slid the flat side of the blade across Rarity's cheek. "My, you are quite the pretty one", he cooed. Zero's mind was running in overdrive. This griffon did not seek to use Rarity as an escape ticket. He simply wanted to claim one more life before his own was taken. Zero couldn't find a logical solution to the problem. Then, he said something he thought he would never say. "Take mine", was all he said. The griffon raised an eyebrow as Zero continued, "The guards will be here soon to finish you, so I am no longer needed. I offer my life over hers." The griffon smiled devilishly, "You offer the life of the one who claimed some of my best fighters in exchange for the life of this simple mare?" "Yes", Zero replied, dropping the hilt of his blade and his Gh0st on the the ground. He approached the griffon, kneeling once he got close enough. "I assume you follow some sort of warrior code?" "I do. The griffons are a very warlike people.", replied the griffon. "Then you would find it only fair if you took my life and none others?", Zero continued. The fact this stallion was willing to bring in codes of honor into their deal established his credibility. He truly was prepared to give his life for this mare. The griffon would have considered it an act of supreme generosity and selflessness if it weren't so foolish. He released his grip on Rarity, whom was completely speechless. She had listened to Zero's words, but could not believe he was sacrificing himself for her. She could only watch in horror as the griffon approached her, for the second time now, savior. The griffon stood in front of Zero, savoring the moment of the execution. "I agree to your terms." He turned to face the crowd, "This is what awaits all of you", he said, referring to the execution he was about to perform. With saying that, he attempted to turn around, but found he couldn't. In fact, he couldn't even feel his legs or arms. He could only stand there as a voice whispered into his ear. "A fatal error/ You have just foolishly made/ Never turn your back", Zero spoke softly. While the griffon leader turned around to face the audience, he had pulled out one of the daggers he procured from the griffons earlier and stabbed him in the back, right below the neck, effectively damaging the griffon leader's spine beyond repair. The griffon could only fall to his knees, unable to move anything besides his head. "You would break a code of honor?!", he shouted. No one dared dishonored the code. "Code? Only fools who cannot handle the chaos that is bloodshed use codes.", Zero said with a chuckle as he looked down at his helpless opponent. "I am a master/ Of combat; an assassin/ Win at any cost", he stated simply, beginning to walk out of the theatre. The griffin shouted after him, "Are you going to just leave me here!? Finish me!" Zero stopped, turned to face the griffon and smiled. "I told Luna I would keep one alive for questioning. Lucky you.", and with that he walked out into the night, followed by a rather confused Rarity.