An Unexpected Alliance
“What’s the deal with the mare?”
Moonset groggily raised her head, the voice of a young guard grating on her ears. She screwed her face up, groaning.
“Ho boy. You’re the new guard, aren’t you? Just got back from your pilgrimage, right?”
The gruff voice of a veteran drifted through the air, causing Moonset’s headache to return in force. Covering her head, she squeezed her eyes shut, praying for them to shut up and just let her sleep.
“Yeah. So?”
“So? You missed Moonset’s rise to power. She assassinated one of the councilors, stealing the job from Overcast. It was supposed to be an impossible task, one reserved for the best of the best.” The guard shifted his spear to lean on it. “Later, when Overcast confronted her, she killed him in fair combat. The council backed her actions and soon after, everypony wanted to hire her.”
The younger guard started pacing, his spear dragging across the ground. “The Void Clan has other assassins. She can’t just be the best. If she were, she wouldn’t be in this situation.”
The older guard chuckled. "Time for some history. Back when the void clan was first started, it really was a clan of assassins. They trained their offspring to be assassins. It was all about killers for hire. But then, they discovered that not all foals that were brought up in the clan developed a talent for the job. At first, they threw them out. But eventually, it meant the clan would die out. So, the first council convened and they agreed to change the clan. Instead of raising just assassins, the focused on honing the talent any given pony found themselves with.
"The clan leaders saw the perfect opportunity in this. The assassination branch sort of died out as they focused on the more practical talents and hired those ponies out to bring revenue in for the clan. As a result, no, we do not have many other assassins. Thus, she gets most of the hype.
“Hype? The only thing I’ve heard since coming back is her name dropped a few times.”
“Aye. She’s been hired for tons of jobs that could have been handled by a pony of lesser standing. It's driving the other assassins out of business.” The butt of his spear poked through the bars, jabbing her. When she didn’t respond, the guard continued. “You see, she has two things in her favor that make ponies want to hire her: Those shades of her’s and a not half bad flank.”
The other guard shuffled uncomfortably. “I don’t know about the flank, but that’s opinion, I suppose. But what about her sunglasses?”
Laughing, the older guard poked her again. “They add an aura of mystery about her. You see, no pony has ever seen her take them off. Rumor has it that they allow her to do things other ponies can’t. That rumor seems to make them want to hire her rather than the assassins that have something to show for their skill.”
The guards fell silent. For a few minutes, Moonset thought she could finally go back to sleep. Curling up, she tried to empty her mind. But the comment about her shades kept her up. Her mind kept going over scenarios where the guards forced her to remove her sunglasses.
“How many hours until we’re replaced?” The older guard’s voice sliced through the darkness, causing Moonset to grimace.
“About three candle hours.”
The older guard snorted. “Good. I’ve got an idea. She’s so injured, she’s practically helpless, right?”
The younger guard grunted, “I would imagine so.”
The cell door squeaked open, clanging into the bars. Moonset immediately tried to stand, but collapsed as her bruised hindhoof failed to support her. Growling, she tried to warn the veteran guard off. Tensing, she prepared to attack him if he tried anything.
“Cover me and stab her if she so much as moves. I’m going to get a look under those glasses of hers, and then maybe...” He ran his hoof along her side, ending at her flank, laughing.
The other guard raised his spear, pointing it directly at Moonset. “Are you sure we should be doing this?” The hesitation was clear in his voice.
“Does it matter? She’s going to be dead in a few hours and it’s been ages since I’ve been allowed a mare.” He reached for her shades.
Just as his hoof made contact, Moonset slapped him away, headbutting him. The headache spiked and she groaned. A second later, she cried out in pain as the guard viciously punched her in the muzzle.
Falling back, she cradled her head, blood freely pouring from her nose. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her breathing became heavy and laboured.
“Try that again and you’ll be killed!” The guard slapped her, leaving a stinging feeling in her cheek. “Maybe I should teach you a lesson in dominance now!’ He walked behind her and placed his forehooves on her flank, pushing himself up, causing her to squeal in pain, her bruised hoof crushed under the weight.
At that moment, a foreign energy built up in Moonset’s chest, spreading outwards. All pain vanished in an instant.
“No!”
The voice rang in her head, sounding as if somepony had shouted in her ear. At the same time, Moonset swung around, her hoof already in motion. It struck the guard in the throat, and she could feel his trachea collapse. With a gurgle, he fell back, the life already fading from his eyes.
Spinning around, she deftly ducked under the younger guard’s clumsy spear thrust. She wrapped her hoof around the shaft and ripped it out of the guard’s grip. Twirling it around, the sharpened tip buried itself in his head. Without a word, he collapsed, blood pooling on the ground at her hooves.
Shocked, Moonset stood there, looking at the two bodies. She stumbled back, looking down at her hooves. To her, it felt like she hadn’t ever been injured. Amazed, she began to hyperventilate.
“Run!”
The voice came back, ringing in her ears. “Prince—”
“Run!”
The voice returned, louder, seeming to echo around the small room. It snapped her out of the stupor. Leaping over the bodies, she darted towards the staircase. The second her hooves hit the ground outside the cell, alarms went off. High up, she could hear heavy slabs of stone sliding into place to seal the prison off. Behind her, more stone rose up from the ground to lock in anypony inside.
Beating at the spikes that blocked her path, she cried out in frustration. “This is stupid! How am I supposed to get out?”
“Worry not, young one. We will ensure your safe passage.”
As if an answer to her plea, the lever that controlled the spikes on the other side fell down. With a metallic hiss, the bars receded into the ground.
Crying out thankfully, Moonset darted up the stairs. Taking them two at a time, she managed to reach the third level just as the stone slab fell into place, blocking her. Below her, another slab prevented backtracking.
Looking around desperately, she sought another escape route. At the far end of the level, Moonset could see three guards slowly approaching her, walking past row after row of cells. Panicking, she pushed against the stone obstacle to no avail.
“The ventilation shaft. You might be able to force yourself through.”
Moonset nodded, her fear replaced by determination. Turning around, she charged at the guards, sliding under their outstretched spears. Jumping up behind them, she shoved the furthest back, causing them to tumble to the ground with their group. She turned to face the next set of ponies. Just as she set off at a gallop, a voice stopped her.
“Kill them. Show them their sins.”
What? No! I don’t kill anypony except the target and those that stand in the way. They aren’t the target, nor are they in the way!
“Need we remind you that it was a guard that was going to take advantage of you?
A great force exerted itself over Moonset’s body and she turned. With a vicious kick, she crushed the head of a guard against the ground. As he fell, she pulled his blade out and thrust it into the chest of the other guard, an older mare. With a scream she collapsed, blood spurting out in great bouts.
The last guard cowered back, scrambling to get his spear into position. Jabbing at Moonset, he screamed bloody murder.
Rolling her eyes, she wrapped a hoof around the shaft and jabbed back hard. With a gurgled cry, he fell back, a large indent appearing in his skull.
Turning her attention back to the other guards, she found them almost on top of her. Jumping into the air, she flew over their heads. As she landed, the urge to kill them all came again in force. Gritting her teeth, she did her best to ignore it.
No one controls me, but me!
Darting around a corner, she ran down another hall. The cells, blocked off by huge chunks of stone, seemed to taunt her. Behind them, she was sure there were prisoners wondering what was happening, banging against the wall, panicking, but she didn’t dwell on it.
Behind her the cries of the guards giving chase grew louder as groups banded together. From other halls, she could see them closing in on her.
Sliding to a halt, panting, she realized she was at a crossroads. From every direction, groups of guards approached, too many for her to take on or even dodge around. Spinning in a circle, she tried to sense any opening to escape through.
“Above you!”
Turning her attention to the ceiling, Moonset realized the ventilation shaft was just about two yards over her. Without hesitation, she jumped up, hovering at the bars. Just out of reach, there was a lever, probably for venting the entire cell bock quickly. As before, it fell down and the bars drew back into the stonework.
With a cry of triumph, she flew straight into the shaft. But to her dismay, it was too small. At about her hips, she became stuck. Struggling wildly, she tried to worm her way in.
Below her, some of the guards flew up to pull at her waist while others used their magic. The weight was too much and she slid back a few inches.
Driving her knees into the wall, she braced herself, trying to drag herself forward at the same time. She could feel their grip on her slipping, the sweat dripping down her entire body making it hard to hold on.
There was a sharp tug and her body slipped back, nearly popping out. Grunting she pulled forward to regain lost ground. As she lifted a hoof, a shadowy strand of something shot out of the darkness, wrapping around her chest. With a sharp tug, Moonset felt herself suddenly rushing through the vent shaft.
Screaming, she could sense a wall rushing to meet her, the strands of shadow pulling her at frightening speeds. Twists and bends seemed to be no issue as she breezed through them. Bracing for impact and imminent death, Moonset put her hooves up and turned her head away.
Then everything disappeared and she knew no more.
---
“Oh... urgh! Shoot! Shoot, shoot, shoot!”
Moonset groaned and propped herself up. Wait... propped myself up? No pain? No mysterious energy either. She sat still, taking in her surroundings. As far as she could tell, she was in a small room, a simple dresser on one wall, a small bed under the window.
“Hello?” she called out.
The mumbling of the other pony immediately stopped and Moonset felt some pony practically dive into her, giving her a big hug.
“Oh thank the void that you’re not injured! I was afraid that I had put you into a coma!”
Moonset blinked in surprise, awkwardly returning the hug. The other pony was a mare, pegasi, perhaps just having reached maturity.
“Um... still alive and kicking, I guess. Could we make introductions before getting all huggy huggy?” Moonset pulled away, retreating to the corner of the bed.
The other mare shuffled her hooves awkwardly. “Sorry, I’m just real... um... cuddly by nature. My name is Nightwisp Void.” She reached out a hoof, waiting for Moonset.
“Moonset Vo... N’essallc.” Moonset extended her hoof and shook Nightwisp’s. “Where am I?”
“My room.” Nightwisp looked down and kicked at the bed. “In the servant's quarters.”
Moonset slid over to the edge of the bed and sat down beside Nightwisp. “Really? How’d I end up here? These buildings are a good distance away from the central hub and the prisons.”
“I... I was delivering food to the guards on the second level when the security lockdown was enacted. They told me to stay in the office while they went to apprehend the escapee.” Nightwisp sighed. “Soon after that, I just had this incredible urge to go to a certain section of the cellblock. I felt like I couldn’t control myself. Next thing I know, I’m running away from the hub with you in tow.”
Moonset tapped her hoof to her chin, looking up ponderously. “But how? Those cell blocks are completely inescapable after lockdown. If it weren’t for that... thing that dragged me through the ventilation ducts, I would be dead.”
The blush on Nightwisp’s cheeks could almost be felt as she looked away. “I... I think I know how, but I’m not comfortable sharing with anypony. Not yet.”
“Fair enough.” Moonset got up and listened at the window. The noise of everyday life drifted through, indicating it must have been about noon. “Now, as much as I appreciate your help, I really should get going as soon as it’s night time.”
Nightwisp nodded. “Yeah... yeah, that’d be best. I’m technically under house arrest because of my suspected involvement, but the council shouldn’t reach a conclusion until tomorrow. You’ll be safe until then.”
“Wait, you’re under arrest? Meaning, they came and told you to stay put or be thrown in jail?” Moonset raised an eyebrow. “How did they miss me?”
“I have... ways of hiding you. Just stay under the bed until nighttime and no pony will ever find you.” Nightwisp went over to the door and peeked out before motioning Moonset to hide herself.
Moonset nodded and crawled under inbetween the legs, curling up in the far corner. “I’m gonna regret this, aren’t I? Not that I have much choice.”
---
“You can come out now.” Nightwisp gently reached over and patted Moonset on the shoulder.
Moonset rubbed her eyes and yawned. “Night time already? And I was just getting comfortable.” She crawled out from under the bed and listened at the window. Aside from the distant marching of patrols and the average night noise, there wasn’t much to go on. “Yeah, and that’s my cue to get going.”
She turned and daintily hugged Nightwisp. “Thanks for everything. I’m sure you’ll get off with little to no charges. There’s nothing to connect us together.”
But as Moonset climbed up onto the window, Nightwisp clung to her legs. “No! You have to take me with you! I must have run past a dozen security orbs with you. There’s no way I’ll get away without being charged with treason! Please!” Moonset could feel her tears sliding onto her hind legs. “Please, take me with you.”
Moonset sighed and gently nudged Nightwisp away. “I guess I can’t leave any friend of mine to die. Ho boy. This’ll be difficult.” She thought for a second before mounting the window sill again. “Okay, I’ve got a plan. Stay here until I come back for you. I won’t be anymore than five minutes.
With that, she jumped out, not waiting for a response. On the ground, she quickly darted over to the wall of a house. Edging her way over to the corner, she peeked around it. Straight ahead, about fifteen houses away was the market square, currently empty.
Suddenly, a patrol rounded the corner and Moonset ducked back. She held her breath as they marched past, looking straight ahead. As they passed her by, she rolled into the shadows of another house behind them.
Silently, she darted between the houses, a perfect grid which made it easy to lose oneself in shadows. Three blocks running parallel the market square found Moonset in front of the fire station. In front of the large storage shed alongside it, there were two guards.
Moonset grinned, slinking through the shadows until she was nearly on top of the guards. With a swift, practiced motion, she punched one, darting over to the other in an instant to stifle his cry of alarm. Another well aimed hoofstrike silenced him.
Turning her attention to the shed, she dragged the door open and stepped inside. Her hoof brushed against a container, and she smiled. Perfect.
She ran from house to house until she reached the street that ran through to the market. Staying just inside the shadows, she dragged a container of fire fuel, stopping occasionally to avoid the periodic patrols.
A few minutes later, she reached the edge of the market. Taking care that the last of the patrols had passed by, she huffed, pushing the fuel ahead of her. Her target was a stall in the middle. Heaving, she dumped most of the container all over the stand. As it drained, she dragged it back, leaving a thin line behind her. As she reached the stonework of a nearby house, she ditched the container.
Pulling out some matches she had also nicked, she lit one and casually dropped it. Immediately, a thin flame raced down the line. As she rushed away through the shadows, the stall behind her exploded in a bright fireball.
Mere seconds later, cries of panic and alarm sounded through the small town. Guards raced from every corner, buckets of water already making their way down a firefighting line.
Meanwhile, Moonset jumped back into Nightwisp’s room. Nightwisp gasped, jumping back.
“What’d you do?”
“Created a distraction. Don’t worry. No pony will be hurt tonight.” Moonset gestured, offering a hoof to help Nightwisp out the window. “Now come on, we’re leaving.”
Nightwisp jumped up onto the bed and through the window. “What now?”
Moonset chuckled. “We walk out.”
“Where will we go?” Nightwisp asked as she followed Moonset into the shadows.
Guiding the young mare, Nightwisp kept an ear open, listening for any wayward guards as they neared the gates and freedom. “I don’t know.”
Together, they disappeared into the blackness surrounding the town. Behind them, the fire light slowly died, ushering in an inky blackness.