//------------------------------// // where it started // Story: Corruption is inevitable // by lunaisthebest //------------------------------// When Nightshard opened his eyes, he thought this day was going to be a normal day in his life. He was mistaken, whether happily mistaken or sadly is debatable. Nightshard went on with his normal day; clean-up, brush teeth, get shower, eat breakfast, the normal things. Nightshard had been doing the same thing everyday for the past 2 years. Celestia had banished Nightmare Moon to the moon, but she was getting corrupted by the power she had. The entire Equestrian government, from Lashu-monte to Celestia herself, was completely corrupted and were abusing their rights as the rulers. And with no other Alicorn in Equestria, the ponies of Equestria had nopony else to vote for besides herself. When Nightshard walked outside of his house, he was instantly grabbed by something from above and pulled into a dark alley with a bunch of ponies in white outfits that had a point at the tip of their hoods, that way it would shield their muzzles. "Hello Nightshard... we have been watching you.." one of the ponies spoke first, he looked like the leader of the group. "What do you want from me?" He replied. "It's not what we want... it's what you want," "What?" Nightshard said in response, looking confused and tilted his head. "We know you have seen the corruption that Celestia has become," "And?" "We want to stop her," What? Nightshard looked not only confused, but surprised. He had just been grabbed and pulled into a dark alley beside his house and now he was being told that there were ponies that wanted to stop Celestia too. "Why are you telling me this?" Nightshard replied. "Because we know you are a skilled acrobat... and you need to be one in order to be an assassin, we are asking you to join our ranks," Jaw drop, time to wake up, but he didn't wake up. No, this was real. Nightshard shook his head and grinned. "Where do i sign?" "There is nowhere to sign... only a creed" "Then tell me the creed, i'll do what it takes" "repeat after me" "alright" "I am an assassin, therefore i will stay my blade," "I am an assassin, therefore i will stay my blade," "From that of an innocent's life," "From that of an innocent's life": "I promise to kill evil-doers and bring light to the world," "I promise to kill evil-doers and bring light to the world," "I will never break these rules and follow them in my life," "I will never break these rules and follow them in my life," "For this is our creed, our law, we are free, anything is allowed," "For this is our creed, our law, we are free, anything is allowed," "You are one of us now... therefore, i grant you with these robes... wear them with honor and pride" The pony said, handing him a pair of white robes that had a tip of the hood pulled down to shield the face. "When you are ready, come to town hall and wait behind the statue of Celestia on the left side of the door," The pony then walked off, the others following him. "That... was weird," Nightshard said to himself. He slowly walked off, putting the robes on as he left. He was about to put on the sleeve when something sharp poked his arm. "Ow! what was that?" He looked down to see that there was a blade attached to the inside of the sleeve. He noticed that there was a mechanism inside the sleeve that activated when he shook his arm down fast enough. Then it retracted when he pulled his arm up again. "That'll be... useful..." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nightshard was at the statue by town hall, waiting for the people he met to show up. “what is taking them so long to get here?” He asked himself. He then let out a sigh and leaned up against the back of the statue’s pedestal and fell down into a tunnel that just kept to keep going on and on. The tunnel finally stopped and Nightshard landed face first onto a stone cold floor. “OW” Nightshard said, rubbing his nose. He got up and looked around for a clue to find out where he was. He found nothing as he scanned the room, nothing except for a mysterious pillar that was slightly out of place. He proceeded to the pillar and examined it. Suddenly he heard the walls moving and saw four doorways open up, each one containing a pony in a guard outfit going after him. The first guard lunged at him with a sword, Nightshard dodged it and whacked his arm down then popped the hidden blade out and stabbed the guard repeatedly in the neck, blood constantly spilling onto the floor. Another guard tried to attack Nightshard from behind, to no avail, Nightshard blocked the sword with his blade and sweep kicked the pony’s legs out from underneath him, making the pony fall on his back, then jumped on his head and sliced his stomach. The guard laid there bleeding out, but not dead. The last two guard then both attack Nightshard at the same time from different sides. Nightshard promptly reared and got our of the way of the attack making the two guards miss and both stabbing through the other’s chest. The guard that laid bleeding out then picked up his sword and threw it at Nightshard and missed. “You lay there, bound to die.... yet you fight hopelessly,” Nightshard said, turning around to the guard. “Because if i don’t.... then there isn’t hope for justice,” The guard pony said between breaths and pants. “Justice?!?! I’ll tell you what is justice, killing the government!” Nightshard said, raging out at the word of ‘Justice’. “How is that justice?” The guard asked. “Celestia banished Nightmare moon to the moon, saving us from eternal night!” “Eternal night is better than a corrupt leader,” Nightshard replied. “Goodbye,” Nightshard then turned around and walked away. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- end