Ch.6
It was the day before yours and Dashes engagement party. Pinky apparently had invited everypony in Ponyville, and some from Canterlot and Cloudsdale. You cant believe your wedding is next week. You look over at Twilight and Midnight sitting on the couch talking to each other. They look so happy together. You look over at Dash, who passed out almost as soon as she got there. Shes been working around the clock bringing rain to Sweet Apple Acres and smashing the clouds over the park. She was also in charge of clearing the sky's over Sweet Apple Acres before Twilight and Midnights wedding, and making a rainbow over everypony afterwards. She was exhausted. You lay a blanket over her and sit next to Twilight. The three of you talk long into the night. The next morning you and Dash wake up in Twilights guest bed, being to tired to walk home after the wedding yesterday. You go downstairs and make some breakfast and coffee for both of you. After breakfast, you head to Suger Cube Corner to help Pinky setup for the party. Shes a blur around the room, putting streamers and balloons on everything, while Mr. and Ms. cake are in the back baking the cake and snacks for the party. You go into the kitchen while Dash starts setting up the tables and dance floor. When everything's done, you and Dash head over to Fluttershys cottage. She has been training you in the ways of the assassin, and today is the day you officially become one. The ceremony only takes a few minutes, since they don't have a cliff or tower to jump off of, that part of the ceremony will have to wait until you could all travel to Luna's tower in Canterlot. Dash gives you a hug "Welcome to the Brotherhoof, all your equipment is in my secret room at my cloud house. although i dought you'll ever need it." Fluttershy walks out of her closet "Here, this is a communicator, you put this in your mane and if you ever need to be contacted it will ding quietly. To receive the message you just touch the communicator, then a spell cast on it allows you to hear the message. lets say you wanted to send a message to Dash, you touch the communicator and say 'send message, Rainbow Dash' then you just say the message. She will get the message as soon as she touches her communicator. If you get a message in a public place, do not activate it until your in a safe place, the message will stay in the communicator until you activate it." She hands it over to you and you put it into your mane, amazed as it turns a dark blue and blends with your mane. "Thank you both for all your help. I feel so much better knowing i can defend myself and others." You and Dash turn to leave. "Remember Blue, we haven't been active in a while now but if we ever do become active, and you are given a target, its not something you can say no to." You tell Fluttershy that you knew that since you started training, and that you are prepared to do whatever you have to to protect your home, country, and way of life. She says goodbye and you and dash fly off to Applejacks. When you arrive you see Sunshine walking into Applejacks house. "What is she doing here?" Dash shrugs and follows you into the house. You hold up a hoof, motioning Dash to stay quiet, and you creep around the corner. What you see shocks you at first, but then you cant help but feel happy. What you see is Sunshine and Applejack sitting on the couch, snuggling with each other watching a movie. You turn around and, motioning for Dash to follow. Once back outside, You and dash share a look. You reach up and tap your communicator, "Send message, Applejack, Hello Applejack. Its Blue, i am now an official member or the Brotherhoof. I just wanted to let you know that me and Dash know about you and Sun, but dont worry we wont tell anyone until your ready. Send message." You and Dash start walking down the road towards home. All of a sudden you hear a ding, at first you look around wondering what made it. You realize its your communicator. You tap it. "Hey Blue, congrats on the ceremony. If yal havent gotten to far down the road me n Sun would like to talk to yal." Dash looks at your expression and breaks out laughing. You both head back to Applejacks. Your met at the door by Applejack and Sunshine. They welcome you in and you all go into the living room and sit. Sun and Applejack take the couch and you and dash take the love seat. Sun nuzzles Applejack causing her to blush. "Sence yal know bout us already, we wanted to tell you that we arnt trying to hide that were together, we just havent told anypony yet." Sun nuzzles Applejack again. "Yea, were not ashamed or embarrassed bout us, we just didn't think that us announcing that we were together right before your party would be nice to you guys." You and Dash start laughing at that. Dash is the first to recover. "Nonsense, do you think that we could ever let our party get in the way of your happiness together." You finally stop laughing. "Yea, don't worry about that, in fact maybe i could make a toast to you guys tonight. Yea i think ill do that, if its ok with you." They both nod in aggrement. "That sounds nice." You all talk for a little while longer until it starts getting dark. You and Dash say goodbye and head home to bed. The next morning, you and dash get up and start getting ready for the party. Pinkys partys start early and usualy go on all day. When your ready you and Dash meet at the door. She gives you a look and smiles. You recognize the smile and the look, sighing. "You want to race, don't you." She nods, still with the smile on her face. You get ready to lose once again as she says GO. You power up into the air, waiting for a rainbow colored streek to go flashing by. It never did. You look behind you and realizing the dress shes wearing isnt exactly aerodynamic. Shes keeping up with you but there's no way shes going to go speeding past. You realize that you might actually have a chance this time. As you approach Suger Cube Corner your neck and neck with Dash. At the last minute she folds her wings and lets gravity do the rest, literally winning by a nose. As you land panting she looks at you. "Ha you thought you had a chance didn't you." You laugh and lead the way into the party. You and Dash arnt the first to arrive, but there arnt many that got there before you. You mingle with the other ponys for most of the day. When lunch time rolls around you and Dash take a seat at the main table. You look over at Applejack and Sunshine and motion for them to sit next to you. Twilight and Midnight sit down with you as well. After lunch you stand up and tap your glass with your hoof. "Ahem, i would like to make a toast. To all my friends who welcomed me when i moved here. To Twilight and Midnight, who encouraged me to take the next step in mine and Dashes relationship. And last but not least, to Applejack and Sunshine, the newest couple in our group of friends." Sunshine and Applejack blush as Twilight, Rarity, and Pinky drop there jaws and start clapping. Just then you hear a ding, you look around and see that Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy frozen in place. You all excuse yourselves and go into the kitchen. You all tap your communicators and hear the same message from Luna. "Attention all assassins, There is an emergency, you are all needed in the castle. The Crystal Empire has returned." You all look at each other, stunned by the last sentence. Just then Twilight walks in with a note from Princess Celestia saying almost the exact same thing. "I received a note asking me to come to castle immediately, something about the Crystal Empire.'' "We know" You say turning to her. "We received a message from Princess Luna just now saying the same thing." The others gave you a look that could kill. "O please, shes the personal student of Princess Celestia. Don't you think shes going to find out eventually. Better she finds out now from us then later from some stranger." Twilight looks confused. "Ok Twilight, im not going to tell you everything right now, that story is for another time. But us four have these 'communicators' "You say, pulling yours out of your mane. "They allow us to communicate with any other pony who has one instantly, as long as we know there name. Luna has one as well, she has called our 'group' back to the castle for an emergency. Its important we all get there now." With that you walk out into the party once again. "Attention, im afraid the party is over. Im sorry everypony but there is an emergency in Equestria. The princesses have need of the Elements of Harmony and there most trusted friends. Midnight, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinky Pie, and Sunshine, please meet me in the kitchen. Everypony else please return to your homes and have a good day, thank you." You walk back into the kitchen. you wait for everyone else to walk in. "So heres the deal. Were required in the castle immediately. The princesses need us. The Crystal Empire has returned after vanishing a thousand years ago. For those of you that dont know the story, which should be everyone except us." You say pointing to Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy. "The Crystal Empire was once the center of all of Equestrias happiness and love, until one day a great evil pony took over the crown and enslaved the entire empire. Celestia and Luna rose up and defeated him, but not before he hid the empires center of power and putting a curse on the empire, causing it to vanish into thin air. The evil emperor was trapped in the ice in the arctic north and Celestia and Luna returned to their castle, crestfallen they couldn't save the empire. Now that its back, it needs to be explored to make sure that it wont disappear once again." Although most of them are confused, they all agree that this requires the utmost speed. You all split up to get your party dress off and prepair to depart for the castle. You and dash fly to her cloud house instead of your house. You both pack your entire assassin outfit and all your weapons. You and Dash put your hidden blades in your luggage but put a small dagger in your manes. When your both packed you bring your luggage down to the train and store it. When everypony got there, you Dash and Fluttershy decide to fly ahead to the castle and meet the rest there. When you arrive your met by two royal guards, and a somewhat small pegasis pony. Dash and Fluttershy bow to her while you just stare at her. Dash glares at you but the pegasis just laughs. "Its ok Dash, he doesn't know who i am yet and i never liked that whole bowing thing." Dash stands up. "Blue, meet the grand master. Shes the one in charge of the Brotherhood." You look confused. "I thought Fluttershy was." Fluttershy giggles. "No, im the leader of the Ponyville, Cloudsdale, Canterlot branch of the Brotherhoof. The Grand Master is the highest rank you can reach, unless your princess Luna. Shes the one that gives orders to me, and i decide who gets what job." You look at the tiny Grand Master. "Grand Master, if its not to forward, how does somepony reach your status?" She smiles at you. "You dont have to call me Grand Master all the time. My name is Wind Storm, you can call me Wind. As to how i got into this position. I got here from hard work, and having the best kill/escape ratio." You look at her and wonder how somepony so small and fragile could kill anything. Then you catch the glint of throwing knives in her main and wing blades hidden just under her feathers. She smiles at you and you realize she LET you see those, just to make her point. "So what is your ratio?" you ask, already guessing the answer. "30 kills to 0 escapes." Dash looks at her like shes crazy. "What about that earth pony in Manehatten. You only cut her before she got away." Storm counters. "Yes but she led me to three other templairs. I killed all four." Dash stops talking at that. Fluttershy turns to you. "Storm reached her rank because 29 of her 30 kills were unasigned Templairs, most of them in groups of four or more at a time." You look at the tiny pegasis pony, amazed she could handle one templair, nevermind four at a time. Wind Storm gets all serious. "Before your friends get here, i have to explain to you what is so dangerous. When the crystal empire vanished, everypony in it at the time vanished as well. When it returned, about 5 percent of the ponys didn't return with it. We sent princess Cadence and Shining Armor to protect the Empire if needed. You see, the evil emperor wasnt just evil, he was the leader of the templairs at the time. We believe the ponys that didn't return with the Empire returned instead to there masters side and freed him. We believe he plans an attack on the empire soon. While Cadence is there she can protect it with a shield made from her love magic. We believe that is the only thing keeping the emperor out. Thats why we need you." Thats when twilight and the rest showed up. Storm says hello to Applejack then departs for the headquarters to start handing out assignments to the rest of the assassins, all of who had returned to the castle. Twilight excuses herself and leaves to find the princess. You three take Applejack to the side and explain everything to her. The rest of the group talk among themselves, except Midnight who walks over to your group to listen to the real story. Her and Fluttershy say there customary 'i dont really like you but your my friends friend so i don't really dislike you ether' hello. Once Twilight comes back, she explains whats going to happen. "Princess Celestia has ordered me and the elements and co. to the empire to try to restore peace and prosperity and to make sure it doesn't vanish once again." Rarity looks worried. "What if we get there and we cant find a way to stop it vanishing again, what will happen to us?" "I don't know. we will probably vanish along with it for another thousand years until it reappears again." With that we all head for the train. Its a long ride and when you get there there is a blizzard outside. Your met at the train station by none other then Twilights brother, Shining Armor, Captain of the royal guard, married to Princess Cadence. Princess Cadence was the only other alicorn, besides Princesses Luna and Celestia, in all of Equestria. "Twily" You almost laugh at his nickname for her. Shining Armor walks up and hugs Twilight. "We must hurry, The Emperor is loose and we shouldn't be out in the open for too long." You all huddle together to try to ward off the cold wind. You stand up wind of the others and spread your wings, parting the wind around the group. You all follow Shinging Armor for what seems like miles, but you've only been walking for 20 minutes, when you hear a noise behind you. You whip around to see a Knife flying towards Pinky. You jump behind her and kick the knife into the ground. Shining Armor jumps next to you and yells at the others to run. You look at each other and you both take a stand. Three more knifes come flying out of the blizzard. This time Shining casts a shield spell around the two of you. As the knifes deflect into the ground, you grab the one you kicked and throw it in the direction the knifes came from. Your rewarded with a scream as your knife finds a target. Three pegasis ponys dressed in all white come flying towards you. You grab the dagger out of your mane and sliped your wing blades you had hidden in your winter cloak onto your wings. Shining has time to give you a curious look before firing a spell at the incoming ponys, he manages to hit one but they seem to be protected by some spell. They dive at you and before you have a chance to move they land and start swinging blades at you. You swing your wing blades together above your head blocking a swing from a short sword, slicing at your opponets neck at the same time. You miss and, jumping to the side, swing your left wing at your opponets legs, cutting them just under the knee, slicing through a tendon causing them to stumble giving you a chance to reach around and slice there throte. You spin around in time to parry a blow from the second pony. You point your wingtips together ahead of you and jump forwards, piercing the other ponys chest causing them to scream. You pull back, spread your wings wide and spin on the spot, cleanly taking there head off mid scream. You look over to see Shining tackling the last pony to the ground and start pounding on their chest. You run over and plant your dagger between the ponys eyes, ending their life. Shining Armor stands up and surveys the gore. "You killed them. Why did they need to die.'' You wipe all your blades clean and put them away before you answer. "They wouldnt have stopped until we were both dead, then they would have gone after the others and tried to kill them, although i doute they would have gotten past Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack." He looks at you in surprise. "Their like me, they have skills. Thats as much as i can tell you. You cant tell anyone about what you saw here, not even the princesses. Deffenatly not your sister." He nods at you, and motions for you to follow him. Eventualy you come to a grey wall. Shining walks up to it, looks back at you, and walks through it like its smoke. You follow suite and find yourself in a huge city. You have finally arrived at the Crystal Empire.