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// Death to the Night 
// Story: Outsider: The Vengeful Changeling 
// by Sillyponyme 
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	Twilight had been taken to Canterlot for safety, she wasn't given a choice considering her circumstance. Twilight didn't like it one bit but she knew that she wouldn't be able to fight and Flash wouldn't allow her to. Sometimes she wished that the guards were a little less protective but she knew that if they were, the Princesses would probably end up seriously injured or dead. Twilight took her trip and grounding in strides but that didn't mean that she wasn't a little irate. “Was it really necessary to lock me up in a tower? I mean come on, if Bloodlust wanted to get to me it wouldn't be that hard for him.” She made circles on the carpet with her hoof, bored out of her mind or perhaps it was her nerves. She had a hard time not worrying about her friends or anypony else for that matter. “Flash, could you come in so we can talk?”

Flash had been her guard until morning when he would go out and search for Bloodlust. “Sorry your highness but unless your in trouble, I can’t enter the room while you are alone.” As much as Flash liked Twilight, he knew he had a job to protect her.

“Oh please Flash, I just need somepony to talk to. I would read but it just isn't doing it for me.” Flash still refused to enter the room. “Come on, talking through the door is just stupid, I will come out if I need to.” Twilight stood up when the door opened. “That’s better, now come in and talk with me, please.” Twilight begged.

“Sorry but you either talk to me through the door or not at all your highness. Better yet, not at all would be better. I don’t need to be distracted.” Flash shut the door.

“Oh come on, it’s not like I would have ended up pregnant or anything.” Twilight realized what she had just said and blushed madly. How could she have just said that, Flash was probably embarrassed too or angry, possibly both? Why did she like him anyway, he was being such a guard and a bit of a jerk. She was bored and wanted somepony to talk to but he wouldn't budge. “Could you at least find Princess Celestia or princess Luna and ask one of them to come talk to me?”

“Sorry Princess, I can’t leave my post.” Flash refused to budge.

This is why having a guard be a guard sucked, he wouldn't move unless she was in danger. When didn't they act like a guard? The only possible time was when they had time off or got married and only one of those things happened more then the other. Maybe she should threaten to jump out the window. “Oh right, I have wings, that wouldn't frighten him and besides, the windows are barred up.” Twilight mumbled irritably as she continued to twirl her hoof on the ground. All she wanted was something to do, was that really too much to ask? She understood that Bloodlust was dangerous but would taking a few moments to act like a normal pony be so bad. “I guess it doesn't matter what I say, he is going to continue being a guard and guard me.” Twilight reached up and touched her neck to feel the stitches. Despite being able to speak clearer, she was scared to move her neck too fast in fear of the stitches tearing.


Just outside Canterlot, on top of the wall, hidden away, Bloodlust was preparing himself for the attack without the use of his powers. He had to wait until he was close to use them. What could he honestly do with them other than alert the princesses and blow his cover. The only viable option was to use Blink to get from building to building without being seen. Unfortunately there were guards on every street corner and rooftop as well. One little mistake and there would be no going back. He was determined and nothing and nopony would stop him. He looked up at the barred windows of one of the rooms and smiled. “Prepare yourself Princesses, at least one of you die tonight, of that you can be sure.” 

Back inside the castle, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia had been talking. “Luna, what do you think we should do?” Luna nor Celestia had been able to come up with any plan to capture Bloodlust more or less kill him. 

“I can’t say sister, this Bloodlust sounds like an assassin of which we have never dealt with before. Suppose he came after us, would we be able to do anything? He almost killed Princess Twilight without so much as breaking a sweat. That in itself is reason to worry and have a viable plan that I’m afraid we have no way of having. If it is true that he can freeze time, what can we do?” Luna took a sip of her tea she had been drinking. Both Luna and her sister were scared and they weren't afraid to admit it to each other.

“Surely you do not mean to tell me Luna, that we should just give up? There are many ponies looking to us for help. We can’t just give up on them.” Celestia paced around the room nervously. 

“Of course not my dear sister but perhaps there is somepony who knows how to deal with an assassin like Bloodlust and I feel that Flash is just that pony. Suppose we ask him?” Luna asked as a chill ran down the princesses spines.

“Luna, to Twilight!” Celestia had already begun to teleport out of the room. When she reappeared, she had startled Twilight. 

“Princess Celestia, where is Princess Luna and just as important I think, are you all right?” Twilight got up and caught her former mentor before Celestia hit the ground. Celestia hadn’t teleported fast enough to escape and she feared for her sister. Celestia had been cut up from head to hoof. On her side written in her cuts was the word, ‘Prepare’. 

“Don’t fuss over me, it’s my sister that you should worry about.” Just outside the room the sounds of swords clashing was heard echoing through the building. “She is gone now, isn't she?” Celestia put her head in her hooves and began to cry. When Twilight tried to comfort her, she was pushed away. Celestia looked at her with sad eyes. “Don’t touch me Twilight.” Celestia’s words were not filled with hate but filled with pain and sorrow. “I’m a terrible sister Twilight. First I have to banish Luna and now I left her for dead. I should have teleported her out with me.” A sharp pain shot through cheek.  

Twilight stood above her former mentor with a hard glare. “You are a wonderful sister Celestia. You know as well as I do that teleporting more then just yourself takes longer and more energy. You both would have died if you tried to save your sister and you know that.” Twilight raised her voice a bit too much. She held onto her throat to feel the stitches, they were still intact. “Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes but I should have teleported my sister out instead of me at the very least.” Twilight had no chance to respond when Flash came into the room. 

“I have chased him off for now but I suspect that he will return.” Flash looked out the window and watched as Bloodlust fled from the castle. “Your highness's, what shall we do now?” Neither of the princesses had any idea what to do. Celestia teleported out of the room and back to the room with her sister. 

Laying on the ground was Luna, her throat slit and her blood covered the floor. Celestia’s coat was now soaked with her own blood. She grabbed her sister and then called for the medics before she fainted from lack of blood.