After reaching to their destination both Cheerilee and Vinyl were kicked in the face upon opening the door to the temple. They both got up and Vinyl then looked to Ra’s Al Hooves and said.
“What the hay was that for?”
“Because this is when your training begins.” Ra’s said then stands aside for the mares to enter. “Now welcome your new home.”
In side the two mares saw that the temple was really a giant training ground, large enough to train an entire army. Then they saw a small throne in the middle of the temple, and there sat Ra’s Al Hooves. The two mares were in ah till Cheerilee finally asked.
“Who are you ponies?”
Ra’s smile and said. “We are the League of Shadows.” He then got up and gave them a signal to follow and when they did he spoke again. “The League is a secret society that has existed for centuries, even before Hearts Warming Eve happened.”
Cheerilee stopped and saw ponies in bamboo cages asked. “What are they and why are they in those cages?” She then turned her head to Ra’s and asked. “For that matter what do you ponies do exactly?”
Ra’s also stopped but he didn’t turn his to face her and said. “We were created to serve justice to all and punish the criminals and the corrupt.” He said then looking at the cages below. “And for the ponies down there are criminals; thieves, rapist, murderers.”
After that he showed them the rest of the temple when Vinyl asked. “I gotta ask. What’s with your name, Ra’s Al Hooves? No offence, but it doesn’t real sound right.”
“It because it isn’t, I gave up my true name when I became the leader of the League.” Ra’s said while trotting. “When a member becomes the leader he or she will need to give up their name and takes, ‘s Al Hooves.”
Cheerilee then had a question. “But wait what about your first name?” She trotted faster to be next to him. “I mean not the Ra’s isn’t a bad name but.” She was cut off when Ra’s answered.
“You put the first two letters of your name in ‘s Al Hooves.” He then looked at Cheerilee and said. “My old name had Ra at the beginning. And when I became leader my name is now Ra’s Al Hooves.”
After he showed them the entire temple he took them to their quarters. “This is where you’ll be sleeping. Training begins tomorrow morning.” Ra’s said while leaving them in their new quarters. Both Cheerilee and Vinyle prepared to go to sleep until Vinyl asked. “Hey Cheer. Do you think we made a good chose coming here?”
Cheerilee lay on her bed and said. “Of course Vinyl, we had no where else to go and I want to put real criminals to justice.” Vinyl grew a small grin and nodded and soon both of them fell to sleep.
The next morning Ra’s woke them up. “Ladies your training will begin shortly. Come with me.” Cheerilee and Vinyl got up and trotted with him to the weapon area. “First you two will need to learn how to use explosives.” He said whiling picking up a teaspoon of powder from a barrel, then he through it to the floor were it immediately ignited in a puff of smoke.
“What is it using for?” Cheerilee asked looking to the floor where the powder ignited.
“Any number of reasons: Cover, distraction, and weapon.” Ra’s answered. Then Vinyl came and did the same thing.
*******************
Three weeks later.
Ra’s was now teaching them how to use the shadows as an advantage during combat and noncombat. He brought them to the darkest area of the temple to train them.
Cheerilee and Vinyl were having difficulty adjusting her eyes, and every time they thought they saw Ra’s is when he hits them where they were not looking. “To use the shadows to you’re advantage you need to become the shadows.” He whispered to them and said. “Do not use your believe your ears to navigate. Feel the shadows be with them and then you will find me.”
Cheerilee and Vinyl stood still doing nothing, not seeing, hearing, and not even breathing. Then they felt like they were in someplace else not, somewhere dark but visible. When they were in this trance they then drew the training swords and pointed them at Ra’s. Ra’s smiled and looked at the two mares wielding their swords at them. “Nicely done ladies.” Then he pulled a carpet under them and they both fell. “But we still have much practice.”
*******************
Six weeks later.
Ra’s brought them to a glacier to train them in combat. Both mares were fighting him trying to get an advantage but with no avail. Each time they thought they had him he counters it. Then Ra’s looked at both Cheerilee and Vinyl and said.
“You can’t defeat me because of your guilt. You won’t win unless you confess.” He then went after Vinyl and they locked swords with each other. “Who do you blame?”
Vinyl pushed back Ra’s and spoke. “It was my fault. I should have never got hooked on my own stuff.” Vinyl then became more furious in her attacks against Ra’s. “I should have never even got into that business in the first place. And because of me I lost my fillyfriend.” She then nearly had Ra’s till he kicked a piece of ice and it hit her in the head, nocking her over.
Ra’s was now looking at Cheerilee and said. “Your turn.” He went at her and they also locked swords. “Who do you blame?” Cheerilee was still locked to his sword and answered.
“It was Diamond T-“
Cheerilee didn’t finish because Ra’s hit her in the stomach taking the breath out of her. “No. It wasn’t her fault nor was it her father.” He then walked up to the down mare, Cheerilee quickly got up in a protective stance. “Now tell me. Whose fault was it?”
Cheerilee thought for a second then attacked Ra’s and locked swords again. “It was my fault. I should have notice she would do something like that.” Cheerilee broke the lock and was now furiously attacking Ra’s. “I should have been stricter with her. I should have been more able to do… ANYTHING.” She then flung Ra’s sword away and nock him down pointing hers at him.
Ra’s smiled again then said. “Good but you again need to now your surroundings.” He then kicked the ice under Cheerilee and broke it making the purple mare slide into the icy water.
*******************
Six weeks later.
All their training has come to this day, the day they become members of the league of shadows. The three mares wore black leather armor and mask for their initiation. Cheerilee and Vinyl sat next to each other facing Ra’s Al Hooves.
“This is your final lesson. This lesson will be conquering your worst fear.” Ra’s said while mixing the two flowers they had brought here into a powder substance. He then lit it into smoke and placed it to the two mares for them to breath. “Now breath. Face your fears.” Then a group of members in black armor came and Ra’s hid in them. “Find and defeat me and you will pass.”
The two mares did as he told them, and when they did everything felt weird that they were here but it looked like everything was moving, making it harder to concentrate. The two mares went into the group trying to find Ra’s, but every time they try to see if one of the members was him he attacks then realign him with the group. Then the two mares saw a small box in the middle of the room. They both trotted to the box and opened it to reveal their worst fear.
For Vinyl her fear was being deaf, not hearing anything in the world not even her own voice. What she was looking at are ponies she knew that were talking to her but she couldn’t hear what they were saying. Vinyl froze there in shock unable to move.
Cheerilee’s worst fear was different from her friends. Her fear was a mask mare that wore a black and purple suit that showed no emotion in her eyes. When she first appeared everypony in Ponyville liked her and looked up to her, but for Cheerilee she thought the mare was a mysterious demon that wouldn’t hesitate to take you down without a thought. The mare she was looking at was...
“Mare Do Well.”
Cheerilee also froze in fear before Ra’s attacked the two mares again. They tried to push their fear out of their way but couldn’t, till Ra’s manage to cut both of them on their arms. They recovered quickly but then saw their worst fear coming right at them but this time they did not froze they instead face their fear. They pulled their swords out and held it to the throat of their fear or specifically Ra’s throat. With the drug beginning to fade they put away their swords and bowed. Ra’s smile and clapped and said.
“Your training is complete.” The two mares got up and looked at each other with exited faces and then looked back at Ra’s. “Now for your initiation, bring them!” Four members of the league brought two prisoners in front of the two mares. Cheerilee and Vinyl were confused till Ra’s gave them two swords. “For the final initiation you will need to kill these criminals. After that you will be considered a member and both of you will lead these ponies to purge the criminals and the corrupt.” Vinyl picked up the sword but Cheerilee didn’t and just looked at till she looked back at Ra’s and said.
“No. I’m not an executioner.”
Ra’s grin faded and said. “These are criminals they need to have justice thrust down upon them.”
“I will bring criminals to justice but not in this way.” Cheerilee said plainly then looked at all the league members in the temple and asked. “Where are we going to lead these ponies?”
Ra’s Al Hooves began to walk back and forth. “For centuries the league has purge groups, cities, even entire nation of criminals and the corrupt. The last nation we purge was the old kingdom when their new leaders became selfish. And Canterlot now has underground criminalizations and corrupt officials as well.” Ra’s paused for a moment and then spoke again. “Canterlot most be purge. It must be destroyed.” After hearing what will happen to Canterlot, Cheerilee was going to object till she heard a slice sound and found the head of the prisoner of her friends lay on the ground, and she realized what had just happened. Vinyl Scratch just killed that prisoner. All Cheerilee manage to say was.
“Vinyl… but why?”
Vinyl looked at Cheerilee with a serious expression. “He’s right Cheer. Equestria won’t be at peace till Canterlot and the criminals their burn to the ground.” Vinyl then dropped her sword and picked up Cheerilee’s and hoofed it to her. “Your with us or not?” Cheerilee pause for a second then picked up her sword and aimed it at the prisoner. Both Ra’s and Vinyl put up grins till Cheerilee suddenly sliced a torch in haft and kicked it into a barrel of explosive powder. Before it exploded Vinyl manage to say one thing. “What?” The barrel explodes and a piece of wood hit Vinyl in the head nocking her out.
After the first explosion others began to detonate as well causing the entire temple to crumble. It began to fall apart with members being caught in it. After witnessing of what Cheerilee had done Ra’s pulled out his sword intent to kill the purple mare. She quickly drew her sword and blocked his attack. Ra’s and Cheerilee began to fight in the blazing inferno, while Ra’s tries to kill Cheerilee she is trying to find a way out. Then she was pushed back and her sword flung down into fire she then found her self under Ra’s but before he could make the finishing move Cheerilee saw a barrel behind him and she quickly shrugged. Ra’s looked behind him and saw an explosion and a sharpened wood board went right through his heart killing him instantly.
After getting up Cheerilee trotted back to the training ground, to get her friend out of the burning temple. She put Vinyl on her back and ran to the nearest window and jumped out just before the entire temple exploded. Cheerilee landed on the snow and saw that her friend was sliding down the cliff. She ran and began sliding on the snow to get her friend. At the last moment before her friend fell, the purple mare grabbed Vinyl and then Cheerilee plunge her left hoof on the cliff side (That had a row of spikes attached to it.) The Purple mare cried out in pain when she nearly dislocating her left hoof. After a moment she manage to bring her self and Vinyl up, she then place her friend on her back and trotted to the village.
******************
When she got to the village she gave Vinyl to the village doctor. After awhile the doctor came back and said. “I’ll tell her that you saved her life.” Cheerilee grinned learning that her friend will be ok. She then left the village and went back to the south again. With no where else to stay she decided to visit her old home back in Ponyville. She jumped on to a train going to her destination.
******************
When it finally arrived it was night time and most ponies would be asleep. She jumped of and saw that there were patrols out. ‘Of course they would be out. This was my home once.’ The purple mare thought to her self. With her training the patrols didn’t notice her entering her old house.
Cheerilee stood still for a moment looking at everything in her old house. She looks to see that nothing really changed when she got dragged out. ‘Guess nopony didn’t want to live in a house where a foal molester used to lived in.’ She thought to her self then she slowly left the house and noticed that her mail box flag was up. ‘Who would put mail in my box?’ She then went to the mail box and opened it and she found a latter in it, she pulled it out and read it.
******************
Dear Mistress Cheerilee
I’ve heard about what happened to you and I am so sorry for it. I also learned that you escaped, and I don’t now how long it would take you to come back to your town and read this but If you do… You are welcome to stay at Maine Manor.
Love
Hoofred.