Silent Jade

by Wanderer D


Prologue: What is Lost

Silent Jade

Prologue: What is Lost

By Wanderer D

Nine Years Ago

Canterlot's lights flickered far below him, the city sleeping, unaware of what was going to happen—of how their beloved Princess would fall tonight.

Silent Stride stayed inside the cloud, watchful eyes constantly aware of patrols flying around him. When the latest patrol had just left the area, he dropped through.

The wind whistled around him, his dark uniform a perfect camouflage against the casual observer. He waited until the last moment to open his wings and glide onto the spire that housed his objective, clinging onto the structure with powerful claws.

A quick glance inside revealed the room was currently empty, so he dropped to the balcony. Quickly, he worked the lock, his magical bracers deflecting and stretching the spells laid on the double doors and warping them back onto them. When he stepped inside and closed the doors behind him, he willed the bracers to gently reform the spells on the door.

Nopony would be able to tell it had been opened at all. Now, he needed to blend with the room, preferably close to the doors. As much as he trusted his skills, others had failed spectacularly at this.

It was his turn now, as much as he hated it.

He mentally snorted, unwilling to risk making a sound as obvious. Flame Glow's underlings had been decimated just two months ago, and thanks to the previous Phantom Note's actions, they would be naming a new pony with that title in the coming months. He didn't care how well trained you were, you did not take on Eldritch Chant in a magical battle.

Not unless you were Celestia... or Starswirl himself. And you had prepared for it. And brought the guard to keep him distracted. Regardless of how you looked at it, Archmage Eldritch and Captain Lance were on a different level than any of their peers.

And even if she had succeeded, Phantom Note would then have had to fight Celestia herself. What kind of assassin walked in in broad daylight to fight up front like that, anyway?

He shook his head. Folly. At least Phantom Note had had the presence of mind to blow herself up when she had fallen. Of course Eldritch Chant had shaken that off without worry. But that was neither here nor there.

Killing Celestia was not a job for the Dragons or the Sirens. It was a job for the Order of the Wraiths, and since he had another mission in the area, he'd uphold the honor of his Order by doing the job none of the others had managed and also restore the honor of the Order of Assassins as a whole.

With the remainder of his original mission, he glanced into the valley below. There, past several miles worth of pastures, hills and the beginnings of the Everfree, he could see his destination. Ponyville shone like a little beacon of light, awaiting his wrath, and there, thinking herself safe, Silent Balm waited as well.

He felt the pang of betrayal again. The anger of finding out that she had ran away from the Order. That he, as her mentor and patron, would be the one required to finish her off.

A crooked smile. Gentle eyes. That blue mane, swirling around her as she jumped.

Silent Stride closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She wasn't his first apprentice. She wouldn't be the last. It just somehow hurt more than before. Maybe it was just that he'd known her the longest.

She had made him proud. Made all of the Order proud. She would have been the next Silent Stride, no doubt. But then she had walked away.

She had shamed him. It would be his responsibility now to restore his honor, and that of the Order of the Wraith. Killing Celestia when others couldn't would simply be icing on the cake.

Speaking of which...

A flash of light dropped Captain Lance on the floor of Celestia's room, and Silent Stride cursed silently. He'd have to take Lance down too? He prepared to pounce, but paused.

The captain looked weak, unable to even stand or lift his head much. He hadn't noticed Silent Stride at all and looked more confused than anything. Had somepony attacked him? Had he finally insulted Eldritch to the point of the Archmage playing such a trick on the captain?

Something was off. Something big.

Celestia hadn't been seen outside of her room for several months, visible by the public in the mornings when she raised the sun, but keeping to herself and even deferring court duties to Lance, Eldritch and some minor officials. She had been seen as weakened, thus prompting the Guild to attack but—

Energy gathered in the room above the bed, a silent, whirling sphere of blue lightning twirled there for a moment before it dissipated, revealing the form of Princess Celestia, which dropped heavily onto the bed.

She looked exhausted, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. She weakly raised a hoof struggling to draw something small and red from under her pillow.

She was trembling. 'It must have been quite the battle,' he thought.

Her horn sputtered some magic but she couldn't even turn on the lights.

She was completely vulnerable.

Silent Stride gulped. Something big, very big had happened. But it was his chance, and he would never have such an opportunity again.

Silent Stride emerged from the shadows ignoring Lance's gasp and widened eyes, and his attempts to even groan something out before passing out. The captain was indisposed and he would be forever so once Silent Stride was done with Celestia.

He approached the bed where the trembling mare held the little red thing in her hooves and raised his dagger.

And then he saw what it was that she was holding.

It was a plush toy shaped like a phoenix. It was brand new, it had a little purple pacifier with buttons that fit into the wings and made it look as if it were holding them. Its neck was wrapped in a golden ribbon. A perfect gift for a foal.

Silent Stride stopped and stared.

Celestia was crying. She was looking at the plush toy without understanding and her eyes reflected a staggering sense of loss and horror. Her breathing was fast, and her eyes darted to him from the plush toy, and back to it.

"What have I done?" she whispered, looking up at Silent Stride as if he had the answer. "What have I done? W-what is this? Why is it breaking my heart? Why don't I remember? Why can't I remember and why shouldn't you find out? Why?!"

Silent Stride stayed rooted in place, watching Princess Celestia's heart being shattered. He looked down at the little plush toy, his foreleg wavering, his clutch on the dagger shaking. Slowly he lowered his arm down and stared at Celestia in the eye.

It was then that he realized why Balm's betrayal hurt him so much.

He sheathed his dagger and approached the bed, Celestia's eyes were wild. She glanced at the toy and him unable to focus on either.

Slowly and gently, Silent Stride wrapped his claw around the toy and took it off of Celestia's hooves. He slid it into his bag.

Gulping, he took a deep breath. "Noone will find out," he promised.

Celestia's eyes widened in thanks for a second, before she frowned tiredly. "Find... find out what? Who..." she blinked, struggling to stay awake.

"A dream," Silent Stride whispered as she slumped down and took a deep, shuddering breath.

He made his way to the double doors and stared out, trying to figure where the patrols were right now. He still had things to do tonight and he had already forfeited a unique chance. He shook his head, having spotted the patrol flying overhead.

When they were gone, he once again worked on the doors. Stepping out, he looked over his shoulder at the sleeping princess and passed-out Captain of the Guard.

He snorted. "We never had any business murdering the Princess anyway."

Stealthily making his way out of the room and closing the doors behind him, he glided over the oblivious heads of the guards below and headed towards Ponyville.


End Prologue