//------------------------------// // Fluttershys past // Story: Rebuilding the Dark BrotherHood // by mineturtal247 //------------------------------// To start lets go all the way back to the beginning on the day i was born. My parents where like most in Cloudsdale my father was a tailor a 3rd generation of tailor's who made such wonder full suits he had so many design so many wonderful suits that noble pony's from canterlot place orders on them by the hundreds, my mother she was the nicest pony you ever met kind well spoken and all ways friendly to every one she met. But they where different then from the other family's in cloudsdale, they belong to a group of assassins know as the Dark BrotherHood just like there parents before them they where members of the BrotherHood high ranking in the order and well respected by many in the cloudsdale sanctuary the last known sanctuary of the BrotherHood. The sanctuary at the time was in a old run down cloud building with boarded up windows but in the basement of the building there was one of those Black doors that lead into the coludsdale sanctuary the design of it was eerie but felt like a home away from home welcoming,but also threatening at the same time. I was young about 6 years old when i first entered the sanctuary it was creepy with its stone pillars special wooden planks made for clouds to be a decorative look for buildings, they where place on the floor other parts of the floor where cobblestone or cloud, a few torches and candles mounted to the walls they where made from the same special wood, the ceiling was just made from cobblestone. there where many Pegasus and griffins in the sanctuary they all greeted me with love and affection in there own way of course they greeted me with smiles and nods some even saying that you are a wonderful filly or the best one i remember was from a griffin i did not know his name probability was killed doing a contract any way he said i bet your going to have many contracts under your name little filly, he had no idea. Training took place in the sanctuary or at home i trained for hours doing push, ups wing up, running or going through obstacle course's that where set up in the training room, sparring with wooden weapons was another that all recruits where train on to know how to wild a dagger or sword like it was part of your own hoof took time and practice with a lot of concentration. I still had a normal life i went to flight school with some the other recruits but we never really had the same classes together or talk probably was for the best that we where not together in a public place other then the sanctuary. I was shy to every one teacher students i did not speak to any one other then Rainbow Dash who stood up for me many times against bully's, did you know i got my cutie because of her. No well then ill tell you it stared out on a regular day at flight school i was trying to fly but having weak wings for a Pegasus i was having trouble so a idea came to me if i jump to the nearest cloud and land on it and jump from that one to another it would help my wings get stronger so i started hoping to cloud to cloud flying higher with each hop till i landed on one cloud and slip off falling down onto another cloud it sent me sliding down on it till it sent me flaying off into a red flag, when i got the flag off me i was laying down on my stomach, two colts came up to me and stared to insult me about my flying skills calling me "Klutzershy." I was going to start crying till i seen a blue blur shoot by, landing next to me was Rainbow Dash telling the bully's that they should leave me alone or they will feel her wreath, it was nice for some pony to stick up for me i knew we where going to be good friends, she challenged them to a race, i was to wave the checker flag to single the start and the finish of the race but when i waved the flag the racers flew right past me spinning me around, i lost my balance and fell of the cloud sending me straight down. I have never been so afraid in my entire life falling down and gaining speed at every second i thought i was done for till a large colony of butterfly's stop me from falling to my death i was vary grateful that they have saved me, but they where also vary beautiful, i stared to look around the area i was in was also beautiful seeing the tree's and grass,flowers for the first time really open my eyes. The butterfly's set me on the ground for the first time it was vary strange at first but i grew to like it, then i notice the animals the bunny's the squirrel,frogs and birds they where just amazing to look at,till a sound of a loud explosion off in the distance scared them away i look up to see what look like a rainbow flying over me heading in all directions it was truly amazing. When it was over i went around gathering all the animals letting them know it was safe to come out i was surprise when they started to come out of there hiding place's, from that moment foreword i knew what i was meant to do i was meant to do for the for the rest of my life taking care of animals. When i got back home thanks to some teachers who saw me fall and where glade i was all right i showed my mom and dad that i got my cutie mark there reactions was something i was not expecting i thought they would be happy glad that i finally found my special talent i was wrong, my mother was happy for me that i found what i would be doing but my father he was upset he could not believe that my special talent was taking care of animals, he was disappointed he wanted me to be like him a tailor. He was so upset so infuriated with me at this he grab me by my mane dragged me to the nearest closet and lock me up in it for hours, i could her my mother yelling at him for what he did he was yelling at back at her saying "no daughters of mine is going to be a care taker of animals!" that's the reason why i im afraid of the dark and in close spaces in fact the reason im scared of most things now is because of my father, he all ways tortured me because of my cutie mark was nothing like his a needle and yarn, doing anything to make my life horrible always yelling telling me that a monster will come to eat me in the middle of the night monster's live the shadows every thing wants to make you suffer. He also made me start doing more training then the other recruits with push up running more obstacle course's every thing he could do to make me feel bad he did telling me i was nothing useless going to get killed on my first contract he was just...A monster because i failed to have been something like him. When i was 16 i was given my first contract the contract was place on a griffin in cloudsdale he went by the name of Swift Wing he was a merchant who payed guards to close up competition's in the city making him the top merchant in cloudsdale. He was a easy target locking him self in his room a open window next to his desk it was in perfect crossbow distance but i had a better idea then that i would wait till he left his room, i then flew into his room hiding in one of the corners that where vary dark behind his desk and waited for him to come back in. When he did i waited for him to take a seat in his chair before i snuck up behind him, unsheathing my dagger i slowly edged it closer to his throat till the cold steel touch his neck and with one quick solid motion i sliced his throat. Blood poring down on his desk and paper work like a fountain he try to scream but nothing came out other then a gurgle and more blood, he fell on his desk eyes wide with fear mouth open from trying to scream, the deed was done. I stood there for a while processing what i have done i took a life for the first time i felt sad and sick but that was not the worst of it, i turn around to go back out the window that i came from when i heard a sound of glass be broken beneath my right-front hoof, looking down to see a broken picture frame of a family of griffins a mom the contract and a daughter. I knelt down to pick up the picture frame looking at it closely the daughter was a griffin her eyes where golden the top part of her fathered hair was to one side of her head she seem happy to be with her family, i felt even more sad then i did before i just took a father away from his only hatch-ling, i was beginning to tear when i heard voice's out side his office door. Quickly making my way out the window i flew off to the nearest building no saw me because they where too busy trying to get to places in a rush that they did not bother to look up too see a armored Pegasus fly over there heads, i landed on the roof of the nearest build getting ready to take off when i heard a scream from the building i was just in, i turn around to see a teenage griffin with another older griffin standing around the corps of my contract the younger one was stunned just looking at the corps of her father unable to do any thing the older one called for the guard that's the last time i seen those griffins i took off flying back to the sanctuary to report my success. About 2 years pass bey after my first contract, i have done so many contracts with in the last 2 years i took out guard captains and officers,business owners,chefs, common pony's that had a regular life's and family's. I've done so many that i was given the 3rd best assassins in the sanctuary next to Cloud-Strike are sanctuary leader she offered me a special contract, a captain of the royal guard was to be taken out and she personally gave me this contract, how could i refuse are leader was giving me a contract personally so i accept. The contract was here in Cloudsdale he was staying at a fancy hotel on the 4th floor of the building the V.I.P. area where all special governors mayors or even lords stayed at when they visited Cloudsdale. It was a simple job i went under the cover of night making my way to the 4th floor of the hotel where the Target would be staying at. Instead of just lock-picking the hotel door that was guarded by an army of guards i flew up to his balcony window witch was just so happen to be open, i crept into his room he was sleeping in the bed. I unsheathe my dagger from its holster slowly making my way to his bed when i was right next ho him i lifted my hoof up and brought that dagger down. I was expecting the dagger to go into his soft skin but in stead the dagger stop at the tip when it hit him like it hit something made from hard wood, i pulled the covers off the bed to review a mannequin in his bed. "Well did you think it was going to be that easy to kill me assassin?" "Oh don't look so surprise my dear did you really think i would put my own life at risk even tho i ordered the hit on myself." "But i want to thank you for showing us where you and your little friends hide out is at." "We've been watching you guys for a long time about 2 months of planing went into this now i shell have my revenge, you bastards killed my son now im going to butcher your little cult, GET HER!" With that two guards burst into the room weapons ready to kill. Fluttershy wasted no time she ran to the window where she came from and dived out flying away with the two guards behind her giving chasing. She quickly dove into a alleyway trying to give the guards the slip but they where right behind her closing in on her every second, she look strait ahead see another alleyway to her left she quickly made a sharp turn she look up to see a open window she quickly flew up to it and went inside the building watching the guards fly bye she let out a sigh of relief. "um can i help you?" Fluttershy turn to see a family of griffins having dinner at the table. shaking her head in response, she made her way out the window heading back to the sanctuary as fast as her wings could go she had to get home to help her family. When she was getting close to her home she saw smoke in the sky fearing for the worse she made started going faster but she was loosing speed from exhaustion but she was not going to stop she had to get home even if it killed her she had to help save her family. Getting closer she could see the flames now, two guards where heading her way she quickly duct behind a trash bin she waited till the guards ran bye. When they ran pass her she came out of hiding and ran the rest of the way to the sanctuary, when she finally arrived she let out a gasp of horror as she watch her secant home burn seeing that there where just too may guards she hide in a alleyway waiting for them to leave,she stared crying watching her home burn her friends and family where stuck in that place with no way out she watch the house burn to the ground. It was night time by the time the fire was stop the house was a smoldering ruins. Making her way down the stairs to the sanctuary the door was block with wood and furniture to barricade every one inside. Fluttershy removed the the barricade piece by piece till she was able to open the door, she walk inside to see burnt corps of pony's and griffins that she once knew, book shelf's chairs tables where all burnt the wooden floor carpets and banners of the BrotherHood where all destroyed it was the most awful sight Fluttershy had ever laid eyes on. But that was not the worst she was looking around when she spotted two corps laying next to each other too badly burn to recognize but only one thing stood out to let her know that this was her parents corps's. A necklace she made for both of them when she was about 8 years old, the necklace's was made from gold that her father gave her for a birthday gift. The gold was all ready a necklace but it did not have two small blue and green Gems on them, Fluttershy added those two Gems because blue was her fathers favorite color and green was her mothers she work hard to get the bits for those two Gems helping pony's in there gardens, delivering news papers, and taking care of animals for there owners when they where away, it took her 8months to save up the bits so she could buy them, but the smile on her family's faces when she showed it to them was priceless. Crying now she grab the two necklace's from the corps's she look at them for a while before she stared crying harder. "Who's...there?" a weak voice came from some collapse ceiling rumble. Fluttershy quickly dash to the sound of the voice removing the rumble from where the voice came from when she could see who it was she merely fainted from what she saw. Fluttershy found what was once use to be Cloud-Strike, her body body burn that you could see muscle tissue she was black as coal her blood was leaking from her eyes her mane was gone every thing was burnt. "Fluttershy?, i...i knew you survived." "Please don't talk save your strength" tears where pouring down Fluttershy face now. "It is...to late for me child." "No its not i can...i can find some one who know healing magic i can.." Fluttershy was cut off. "Therese nothing you can do...or any pony can do... i am gone but you live." "Please don't go" tears where running gown Fluttershy's cheeks. "Fluttershy as long as...you live the Brotherhood...lives in my room...there's a bag with a key...take it...it goes to the ponyville sanctuary." "we have a sanctuary in ponyville?" tears still poring down she ask between gasps of breath. "Yes it is by the everfree... forest take it as your new... home live so that the... BrotherHood may live rebuild us." those where Cloud-Strike last words before she let go of her last breath. I must have stayed there for a long lime crying over my friend and leader i made my way to her room pushing any debris out off he way i entered her room to see the bag she was talking about it was not badly burn like most of the things in the sanctuary but it still had scorch marks on it, i found the key and walk out of the sanctuary. When i arrived in ponyville it was in the middle of the night it took me a while to find the cottage but when i found it i was amazed at how wonderful it look but that all went away when i remember why im here. I started to head towards the front door when two little black rabbits ran by me hiding be hind me, fear was in there eyes something was hunting them i look where they came from there stood a fox mouth open saliva dripping from its mouth eying the two little bunny's. Making its way closer i told it to stop but it gave me the look of what are you going to do about it so i gave him the stare and he ran off with his tail between his legs. The two bunny's look at me before giving me a small bunny hug to thank me for saving there life's i told them it was nothing but that fox is probably hanging around some where so i took the little bunny's in the cottage where i help give them a safe place to live in return they will help me find contracts, i taught them how to write it was not easy but with in a few months of moving into ponyville i taught them and now they write me contracts when they find one. "Now you know Spike" said Fluttershy with a smile. "I feel so sorry for you Fluttershy" Spike side wiping a tear away from his eye's "Did you ever get that guard Captain?" he ask with a bit of anger in his voice. "Yes i did." Fluttershy said still smiling. He was in Baltimare shipping yard doing what ever he was doing when i confronted him, he took one look at me and stared screaming in rage taking out his sword he charged. I dogged the first swing,i brought one of my dagger's to his side he let out a cry of pain before i took the secant one to his throat stabbing it into his jugular the look on his face was... rewording fear more fear was in his eyes then a fillys around a camp fire hearing ghost story's, it was the also the only time i swore at some one. "what did you tell him?" Spike said really wanting to know what bad word Fluttershy said. "go to Tartarus you Bastard." she said with a wicked grin growing on her face. "That's what i told him." "WOW" that was all Spike could say. "So now you know my past Spike but enough about that." said the yellow mare. "Now it's about you Spike your future as a member of the Dark BrotherHood." Fluttershy said handing Spike a brotherhood uniform. "It is also time for your first real contract" "But i did not train or anything, you just cant send me on the field not knowing how do things with out training." Spike said with concern. "Ha Boris would laugh his beak right off if he heard that, he had a saying there is no better way of training then on the filed where your life is on the line, you learn quicker that way." Fluttershy smiled a little remembering an old friend. "Seance this is your first contract i so happen have three more you choose the one that seems the easy for you to start out on." Fluttershy side pulling out three contract letters with a name, location and favorite place to go to. Spike took the three contracts and read them. Contract #1 Name: Dr.whooves Location: ponyville Favorit place: none Race:pony Contract #2 Name: Flash Location:Ponyville Favorite place: Ponyville race track Race:Pony Contract #3 Name: Mr.conductor Location:Ponyville train station Favorite place:Train station Race: pony "Now spike witch one seems easy to you? i'll help but it has to be you who fulfills the contract" Spike look at the contracts one last time before giving a answer.