//------------------------------// // Things to Protect // Story: Assassin's Tears IV: Loyalty by Corruption // by MisterGTFO //------------------------------// Chapter Four: Things to Protect Twilight shook at his growling and somewhat, threatening request. She didn't know anything about any princes of Chrysalis or their rather twisted abilities. The only thing she knew was that she was in deep trouble and was about to fight to escape from the situation. Twilight looked at Ignis' appearance and had already seen him as a hostile Changeling by his holed hooves, his pitch-black coat, and his green hair. Despite of encountering a dangerous and very mysterious Changeling even though she had seen various Changelings, she kept her calmness and questioned the Changeling without a glimpse of stuttering. "Why.. must I come with you?" Twilight asked. At that point, she wondered why she had even said that since afterall, she had no intention of willingly coming along with a Changeling. Ignis was now beginning to feel slightly annoyed, seeing how the lavender mare was in a way, testing his patience. "I am under no obligation to tell you, now come with me or I will bring you to the brink of death and haul you off." Ignis said flatly, with a slight feeling of an intent tone. Twilight knew now that she would have to resort to battling, she was quite well in battle by herself but then, without the elements, she felt odd being by herself but wouldn't get that to her head. Twilight closed her eyes for a moment as she took off her saddlebag and opened her purple eyes again. "Then I have to stop you.." Twilight said intently. Those words made Ignis laugh out loud, he found Twilight's words very humorous and outrageous. "You speak of defeating me but.." Ignis began, conjuring a green-fired phoenix in his left hoof. It screeched as it flew on Ignis' shoulder. "You speak a words of a imbecile, and it shall be the other way..!" Ignis hissed, his left eye glowing even more redder. Twilight prepared for what she was about to go through as she felt pittering raindrops on her lavender coat. But the shivering rain was the least of her worries. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Back at Twilight's library, five of the Mane Six sat around the built-in shelves as they sat around each other, waiting for Twilight to come back and hopefully, in one piece. Silent Wind was also among the group, being a bit impatient as he waited for Twilight with barely any sound at all, Pinkie Pie didn't even utter a word, Silent Wind finding that oddly weird. Despite of Silent Wind being impatient, Rainbow Dash was even more impatient, floating in the air with several impatient grunts. Spike was upstairs, taking his typical long naps. "Ugh! What is taking Twilight so long!?" Rainbow Dash yelled. Everypony turned their heads at Rainbow Dash, wondering why she was hollering so loudly. Applejack who was sitting against the side of the stairs stood up, attempting to calm Rainbow Dash down. "Now calm it, Rainbow, Twi' might be comin' back as we move our mouths. So just stay where ya are and wait for 'er." Applejack ordered. But, for Rainbow Dash, she usually didn't listen to anypony if she was being ordered to do something against her own will, she quickly refused, making Applejack grumble in disappointment. "Now, why must it rain?! My beautiful crinière will be become ruined!" Rarity exclaimed, looking outside with the door opened. Silent Wind was about to ask what 'crinière' meant but decided that finding out what was taking Twilight so long was much more important. He stood up from his sitting position and cleared his throat, grabbing everypony's attention as he saw Rarity close the library door. "Okay, if you all can't wait, then I'll go out to look for her. You can all wait here." Silent Wind said, moving towards the door and opening it. Before he was about to leave, Applejack stopped him. "Now, hold it Sugarcube! Ya can't think y'can just go in the forest and find 'er! Don't ya know what lies out there?" Applejack asked. Silent Wind still held a blank face, not caring about what lurked within the Everfree Forest. Pinkie soon agreed as she hopped over to Applejack. "Yeah! There are a bunchy of big-scary monsters, don't go!!" Pinkie Pie screamed, breathing heavily. Applejack looked at her for a moment and shook her head as she turned her head towards Silent Wind. "As ah was sayin' to ya, y'can't go in there, it's pretty rough over there and ya might end up losin' yer life." Applejack explained. Silent Wind wasn't surprised, he knew it'd be quite dangerous but nothing was too dangerous for him, he learned how to fight against anything that was really big or really dangerous. He sighed and shook his head. "Don't worry too much, I'll be back with Twilight in one piece, I promise." Silent Wind promised. Applejack and the others were quite surprised by Silent Wind's bravery and all of them lowered their heads, giving a quick nod. "Alrighty then, on y'go now." Applejack shooed. Silent Wind smiled back and nodded. He made a quick hop outside and closed the door behind him. As he felt raindrops touch his mane and his snout, he quickly putted his cloak hood and sighed, at first he didn't know where Twilight would be but then, he remembered how he had the ability of instant clairvoyance since it was one Shade's abilities. He slowly closed his eyes, allowing his senses to become more tense. Within seconds, he felt Twilight presence and quickly turned his head towards the Everfree Forest, now knowing where Twilight was now. "Twilight's over there! She's in trouble, I felt it!" Silent Wind talked to himself, quickly flying towards the Everfree Forest in a quick hurry to help Twilight before something fatal happened. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Despite all of Twilight's efforts, the Changeling was too powerful with his powerful fire control. Twilight propelled into a tree near her and a small trick of blood began to drip down from her mouth and down to her chin. Ignis saw that enough was enough and dashed up to her, holding her neck and restraining her with his left forearm. He began to touch her forearms with his free right foreleg, making her twitch and yelp in pain, she had forgot that she had burns around her hindlegs and her forelegs. "Heh.. It appears that you no longer can defend yourself. This would have never happened if you just came along with me." Ignis said. Twilight closed her eyes in a forgiving thought to her friends. "I'm so sorry, everyone!" Twilight thought. She felt herself being tangled in green, sticky ropes and saw that she was being taken but then, she opened her eyes and saw Ignis' face being pushed by a silver-colored hoof from the left, she quickly became curious who could've it been and of course, it was nopony else but the Silentblade she had just met, having a face of rage with black and purple eyes that she couldn't put her hoof on. Ignis flew against a nearby tree and became surprised by the hit he had taken to his right side of his face as his eyes glowed in a fit of rage at the interruption he was given. He looked up and immediately recognized not the silver-coated pony in front him, but his eyes. Eyes of a Silentblade. He was quite surprised how there was still a live one. Silent Wind stood by Twilight, seeing her glasses on the wet grass only several feet by her. He quickly checked on Twilight to see she was fine, he immediately saw that her forelegs had taken burns and her face took a beating as he saw blood trickle down her mouth. "Twilight, are you okay?" Silent Wind asked, looking into Twilight's eyes with his purple-black Silentblade eyes that once were azure blue eyes. Twilight couldn't utter a word, she was too hurt but at the same time, very surprised how Silent Wind simply brushed the Changeling away from her. Silent Wind looked at the green, slimy ropes around her, about to cut it. But, he decided that taking out the Changeling was much more important. "Twilight, stay here. I'll handle this, okay?" Silent Wind ordered. "O-Okay.." Twilight muttered under the sound of falling rain. Silent Wind turned his head with determination at the Changeling who was now rising up and quickly closed his eyes to concentrate. Twilight became surprised as she saw Silent Wind, covered in a black-purple armor that looked as smooth and exquisite as Celestia's sparkling crown. His coat was white, his eyes now black-red in a color change, his cloak in a somewhat-negative color as his insignia was black, the rest of his cloak was white and the same thing for his long coat though it covered the back and the forelegs where usually the rest of the armor was. His now bat-like wings stood out of the armor and of course, the long coat too that was able to be kept on Silent Wind with a small white string that connected the collar together. The biggest thing that stuck out was the white, glowing aura surrounding him. Silent Wind smirked as the Changeling stood up, angered at the interruption. "You interfere!? You fool!!" Ignis roared, shooting a large green bird out of fire. Silent Wind sighed as he hovered up in the air, clapped his hooves together as a mask covered his mouth, leaving his glowing red eyes only visible. The fire eagle missed, hitting the tree behind Silent Wind. The changeling re-focused, seeing the Silentblade no longer in front of him. Instead, he heard a piercing noise on top of him, becoming more louder and closer. His black ears twitched at the noise. All the sudden, a large bang pierced the pittering noise of rain. The Changeling spatted out dark-green blood as he felt his back become smashed by Silent Wind's falling elbow attack. Silent Wind, with a blank raised up his free hoof, about to give the Changeling a fatal blow. Before he could, at the corner of his eye, he saw a large flame encircling Ignis' left hoof. In an instant, an explosion of green fire clouded the two, blinding the Silentblade. As he regained his sight, Silent Wind looked down, no longer seeing his enemy downed on the ground. Several yards away, Ignis' was hiding behind a tree, breathing heavily and horrified that in just mere seconds, he was beaten down by a Silentblade. At that point, he realized that it was no ordinary Silentblade and had identified Silent Wind's conjured armor as the power of Shade, a power that Chrysalis always had large envy on it since it always belonged to the Silentblades. He quickly knew that he had to fall back and inform Chrysalis of a new threat against the Changelings. "I must tell Queen Chrysalis of the new threat.. I must go-" Before Ignis' could sync his thoughts in, he heard a cracking noise, followed by a sharp pain in his chest. He coughed out even more dark-green blood than ever. He shakingly looked down, in shock, he saw his chest, penetrated by a wind-conjured blade, his blood dripping down the blade, it appeared to be as long as a spear in fact, it was longer than a spear to him. Behind the tree, Silent Wind had found him, manipulating his own wind to form into a longsword with enough force to even penetrate a stone wall. "How..How..?!" Ignis chocked. "I can also track you too. Before I kill you off and send you back down to the depths of Tartarus, I'm going to ask you a few questions." Silent Wind said, Ignis could hear him clearly. "Why.. should I.. answer you?!" Ignis asked, in anger as he saw himself at the brink of death. "You should, otherwise the pain in your chest will be much sharper." Silent Wind explained, laying his left side on the tree as he had his right hoof with the longsword penetrating the bark. Twilight stood up, wobbling slightly but had enough strength to stand by herself. She began to walk over to Silent Wind, wanting to hear what Ignis had to say also. Despite of the longing rain.