//------------------------------// // The Battle for the Bureau // Story: Leap of Faith // by A bag of plums //------------------------------// Frigid Night ducked low as another volley of bullets bore into the concrete wall just where he was standing a second earlier. He whipped out two throwing knives and peeked out from around the corner, activating his eagle sense. From what he could tell, the Templars had stormed the main lobby, instantly filling in and spreading out, likely looking for the Shimmer girl. Wreckhouse and Tangent, who were guarding the front doors, were probably dead, but at least they had gotten out a warning in time. Frigid frowned as he saw two red shapes walking over, their rifles pointed in his direction. The Templar guards in front wore their standard white covers, which consisted of a white ensemble of a trench coat, pants, shirt, and white gloves, along with that silly cap that Frigid didn’t particularly like, just because of its squarish shape. Their black rifles were a stark contrast against their chests. The Templars had never dared attack the bureau straight up like this. Something must’ve changed, and Frigid reckoned it was because Sunset Shimmer was here. The Master Assassin dashed out from behind the wall, diving for the ground as he loosed both knives, catching both Templars in the chest. They grabbed for the bladed weapon before slumping down, dead. Frigid got up and passed them, looking out for anymore signs of life. He had been in his room when the alert rang out, still contemplating the Mentor’s decision. Now for sure he knew it had been a bad idea. By now, the other Assassins must’ve already engaged the enemy, but he had no idea who was still alive. The Templars had moved swiftly, already investigating the first floor, but there was no way Frigid was going to let them get any further. Further down the hall, Frigid heard the sound of steel clashing, before a series of gunshots pierced the air. Then it was all quiet. Frigid Night picked up his speed and unsheathed both hidden blades. Rounding the corner, he kept low, instantly spotting three Templar guards, their rifles pointing at a body on the ground. The rest of the area was littered with fallen Assassins and Templars, dead from an earlier fight. No… With welled up anger, Frigid closed in, stabbing two of them in the back before jumping up and activating a shoe blade, kicking the third man across the face, cutting deep. He released the two in his arms, letting their lifeless bodies fall to the floor as he checked on the wounded Assassin at his feet. “F-Frigid Night…” the Assassin choked, blood dripping from his mouth. “D-Didn’t think y-you’d be the one… to rescue me…” “Just hang in there, Red Card,” Frigid pressed a hand into the elder Assassin’s wounded side, trying to stop the blood as he reached for a pack of bandages in his white coat. Red Card was a senior Assassin, in charge of handing out the contracts. He’d been alive longer than Mentor Steel Shine, but his age had caught up to him, forcing him to stay in the bureau. “No… Too late…” he mumbled. He reached for Frigid’s coat and grabbed it with a weak hand. “Don’t let the Assassins d-down… You hear m-me…?” Red Card let go of Frigid’s coat and closed his eyes. Frigid sighed and got up, listening out for sounds of combat. “You got it, old man.” He had no idea how many Templars had arrived at the bureau, but he was sure of one thing. He was going to make sure none of them were standing by morning. “Come on, Morning,” High Noon called with one hand, while his other held on to his revolver. Running out from one of the spare rooms, he unsheathed his hidden blade and jammed it through an unsuspecting Templar’s neck from behind while Morning Blade ran a second one through with her steel katana, clearing the immediate hallway. “We’re good here, go, go!” Morning Blade whispered back to their group. Behind them, Dr. Patch leapt out, bringing with her five other Assassins, her hidden blade also at the ready, alongside a sleek black pistol. “How’d they even get so close?” Patch wondered out loud. “There’s no way they could’ve slipped through our eagle vision.” “We’ll worry about that later,” High Noon pointed his gun forward, just in case any Templars were to round the end of the hallway. “Let’s just focus on finding the others.” Gunfire erupted ahead, likely another group of Assassins fighting against their attackers. “We need to help the others!” Morning Blade rushed her group as she pulled out her own compact pistol. “Forget about stealth! They need our help!” The others nodded and readied their weapons. Morning Blade led the run, quickly turning out into the main lobby, where at least a dozen Templar guards were positioned, their rifles at the ready. Two other Assassins were kept busy behind one of the pillars as some of the guards fired their weapons at them, tearing plaster and concrete off the pillar. As soon as Morning heard the sound of guns being reloaded, she popped out from behind her cover and squeezed the trigger of her pistol, two shots felling two Templars with bullets to the chest, their crimson blood bright against their white coats. She soon caught the rest of the Templars’ attention, all their guns training on her. High Noon rolled in, quickly fanning his revolver’s hammer, taking down four more Templars with six bullets, while Patch and the other Assassins with guns joined in, firing back at their enemies, taking down five more before the last four retreated behind cover. “That’s right,” High Noon yelled to the other Assassins. “Keep it up! We’ll push them back!” High Noon hadn’t done something like this in a long time. He couldn’t even remember the last time he left on an assassination mission. Fortunately, he didn’t lose touch with his aim. Two Templars had positioned themselves behind a fallen bench, but High Noon could see someone they couldn’t. Just above them, Frigid Night stood on a balcony, tridents blades at the ready. High Noon watched as his old friend leapt down, hands unseen behind the bench, but he could imagine what the lieutenant was up to before he stood, blood spatters covering his white coat. “Lieutenant!” Morning Blade called as she ran in, sliding under gunfire before jamming her hidden blade up, crippling the gunman before shooting the last Templar in the head, through his jaw. She recovered and finished off the downed man with her poison blade, catching him under the arm. If the blade hadn’t already killed him, the poison surely would. “Glad to see you alright. Have you seen any of the others? Mentor? The kids?” “I called the Mentor as soon as the attack began,” Frigid said, wiping off his hidden blades. “I’m not sure where the children are. They shouldn’t have come here, Morning. I hope they have the sense to go hide somewhere while we deal with the Templars.” “I think we’ve finished them all…” High Noon pointed as he began reloading his revolver. “Unless there’re more of them inside, we’re clear. Doctor, any survivors?” The Assassin medic quickly rushed over to the fallen Assassin bodies and checked them. High Noon noticed Wreckhouse and Tangent lay close to the entrance. He sadly shook his head, remembering his time with them. If anything, at least they died together. “None,” Patch got up and returned, disappointment scrawled on her face. “They’re all gone… As if we didn’t already lose enough Assassins.” “Well, at least we got them all,” Morning wiped her katana clean on a fallen Templar’s coat. “What I want to know is why they’d suddenly dare to strike at us here of all places. Don’t they know that with the Mentor here, that’s tantamount to suicide?” “Plus, Mentor didn’t even need to show up,” High Noon pointed out as he spun his revolver back into its holster. “Yeah, we handled this just fine,” one of the other Assassins cheered and gave another a high five. “Perhaps they thought we were really weak after Saddle Arabia. Ha! How wrong they were tonight.” “They did terminate some of our brothers and sisters this night,” Patch reminded with a downed look. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save any of them. They were all heroes tonight. Especially Wreckhouse and Tangent. If not for them, we wouldn’t have even known the Templars were here.” “I’m just surprised that they didn’t send any of their heavy-hitters,” Keila had joined them, both her knives out of their sheaths, stained with blood. “I mean, they just sent a bunch of grunts with rifles. We faced scores of those in Masyaf. Where are their Dragon Unit soldiers or the Witch of Manehattan?” “They were probably overconfident,” Frigid suggested. “They probably didn’t think we’d be able to put up a fight.” “Hey, has anyone checked on Velvet or the other girls?” Keila looked to their numbers to see if they were already among them. They weren’t. High Noon scratched his head. “I think they’re still up in the dormitory area. I hope they’re alright. It’s probably for the best they aren’t here; I’d hate for any of them to be traumatized by us.” Just then, the Mentor’s office door slammed open, followed by the Assassin leader swiftly rushing down the steps with Sunset Shimmer right behind her. “Uh, I spoke too soon…” High Noon walked over to where Frigid, Morning and Keila were standing and quietly inserted himself behind them. “What’s the situation?” the Mentor asked, her golden sword already in her hand. She surveyed the area before turning to Frigid. “Lieutenant, have they all been dispatched?” “Looks like it, Mentor…” Then he honed his vision in on Sunset, narrowing his eyes. “Mentor, they’re here for the girl. We shouldn’t have brought her here. We need to get her out or her presence will only bring more of them here in time.” “Frigid’s right, Mentor,” Patch scratched at her untidy pink hair. “The Templars already know she’s here. We need to get her to another location. One the Templars know nothing about.” “Yeah, we gotta go. Now.” Frigid grabbed for Sunset’s arm, but she quickly shook out of his grip. “Not without my friends,” Sunset said sternly. “I’m not leaving them behind.” Frigid’s frown grew deeper. “Look, kid. The Templars are after you. Not your friends. If you want to protect them, you go. Now.” “But my friends-” “Can wait. Come on, let’s go.” Frigid tugged at Sunset’s arm again. “You can leave them here with us.” Sunset struggled in the man’s iron grip. “No! Mentor, please! Make him stop!” “Let her go, lieutenant.” Reluctantly, Frigid relinquished Sunset’s arm. “The threat is over, and the Templars dealt with. Now is not the time for rash decisions. Morning Blade. You will accompany Sunset Shimmer up to the dormitory and check on the rest of our guests. The rest of you, I want you to check the bodies for any clues. I refuse to believe this was a random attack, and one of them must have been carrying orders. I want them found, ASAP.” “Yes, Mentor!” the Assassins shouted in unison. Morning Blade nudged Sunset. “Come on, let’s go check on your friends.” Carefully, so as to avoid stepping in the spreading pools of blood, Morning led Sunset in a delicate dance to the stairs, with Sunset averting her gaze from the corpses, lest she regurgitate the dinner she’d eaten. She had never seen this much death in person, and she could scarce understand how these Assassins could deal with it so easily. “Are you okay?” Morning Blade asked as they proceeded to the dormitories. Sunset dry-swallowed and nodded shakily. “Yeah. Just fine.” They mounted the stairs and followed its spiralling path upwards, then to the left where the sleeping quarters were situated. The Templars didn’t seem to have made it up here yet, and it was just as quiet and clean as before. “Coast is clear,” Morning Blade said after using her eagle vision. “Come on. Your friends should still be fine. Doesn’t look like the Templars made it this far.” Morning pushed open the first door, pistol in hand just in case. This was the room where Sunset and Rarity had been assigned to. It was empty. They approached the room where Rainbow and Applejack had been sleeping in next. It too was empty. “Hmm.” They reached the last door, the one where Pinkie and Fluttershy had been staying. Morning rattled the doorknob. It was locked. The Assassin knocked on the door. “Hello? Girls, are you in there?” There was a scraping noise, followed by the sound of a latch being drawn back. The door swung open a crack, revealing an orange eye. “Morning?” Velvet said, pulling the door open fully once she was sure it was safe. “We heard gunfire outside. What’s going on?” “Templars,” Morning said simply. “They attacked the bureau. It’s over now; you can come out. Are the other girls with you in there?” Velvet nodded. “They’re all safe in here.” Then she turned her head and called, “It’s okay, everyone. Battle’s over.” Rainbow Dash and Applejack were by the bed, each having a chair in their hands, while Rarity and Pinkie Pie stood at the back, holding on to a frightened Fluttershy. “Sunset!” Rarity walked over to give the fiery haired girl a hug. She still had the sleeping mask over her head. “Thank goodness you’re alright, dear. I panicked when you weren’t there when I was woken up. We’re glad you’re okay.” “I checked the bathrooms and hallways, but I couldn’t find you,” Velvet told her. “I’m glad Morning found you and not the Templars.” “Well, I was with the Mentor,” Sunset explained. “Couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk. Ended up talking with her.” “At least you were safe.” Rainbow placed the chair down and leaned a hand against it. “Maybe being an Assassin isn’t as fun as I imagined.” “There were all these scary noises outside,” Fluttershy trembled as she spoke. “But thankfully, no one tried the doors…” “It’s not safe here. Not anymore,” Velvet told them. “Morning, I think we need to move them. Somehow, the Templars know they’re here.” “That’s what Frigid and Patch said,” Morning pulled at her braid. “I think you’re all right. We may have won today’s battle, but we can’t hold out forever. We lost Assassins today, Velvet... Red Card was one of them.” The young Assassin stepped back and leaned against the doorframe, clearly shocked. “No… He’s old and can’t fight like the rest of us. It’s not fair. He shouldn’t have…” “There’ll be time to mourn later,” Morning said quickly. “Right now, the Templars know that we brought Sunset and your friends here. I’m not sure how, but you can’t stay here. We barely managed to repel the troops they sent here. If there’s a second attack, we might not be able to hold.” “Well, why don’t we all head back to that van o’ yours and get outta here?” Applejack grabbed her coat and a few others, handing them out to her friends. “High Noon’s a pretty good driver. Ah’m sure he can outrun them Templars.” “We should find the Mentor,” Velvet shrugged and accepted her scarf from Applejack. “She’ll know what’s best.” “Right,” Sunset nodded. She noticed the girls had grabbed all their winter gear and hers before meeting in this room. At least they had the idea to get them, just in case they had to escape out into the cold winter night. The girls followed Morning Blade as she led them back to the staircase that lead down to the bureau’s lobby. The first thing Sunset noticed was the group of Assassins, still searching the bodies, looking for orders from their Templar leader or something. Sunset guessed they had yet to find it. The other girls’ pace began to slow as the saw the bodies on the ground, especially Fluttershy, who covered her face and hid behind Rarity. “Mentor,” Morning Blade alerted her superior. “I’ve got them. What would you have us do now?” “Mentor, I say get them out of here,” Frigid joined in, walking over from one of the bodies. “While the Templars have been defeated, we should move them.” Mentor Steel Shine seemed to be in deep thought before finally nodding her head, much to the Assassin lieutenant’s relief. “Very well. It is a wise plan, at least for the time being, we need to move you to a secure location, Sunset Shimmer. The Trottingham bureau is no longer safe for you.” “I can drive them, Mentor,” High Noon volunteered, giving the girls a reassuring smile. “Girls, High Noon’ll get you to one of our safehouses,” the Assassin Mentor nodded her approval. “He’s the best driver we’ve got.” “Let’s just hope we don’t meet any Templars on the road,” High Noon pulled his hood down and put his hat on his head. “Don’t want them to know where we’re headed.” “We should leave now,” Velvet directed the girls to the exit. “The faster the better.” “I’ll come with you,” Morning Blade grinned. “Three Assassins are better than two. I mean, if I may?” Mentor Steel Shine nodded again. “Go. Protect them.” “I will, Mentor.” “Sunset Shimmer.” The Mentor walked alongside the group. “Whatever happens, remember that you are our only hope to end this war. We need you.” “I’ll keep that in mind, Mentor Steel Shine,” Sunset replied. “Thank you for what you’ve done for us today.” Just as they were about to set foot out of the bureau’s front doors, the Mentor’s hand shot out, blocking Sunset from leaving. “Wait. Something doesn’t feel right…” At that moment, the Mentor’s naked sword began to glow, pulsing with a dim golden light like a heartbeat. Both Sunset and the Mentor looked at the sword, their eyes meeting midway. “Uh, what does that mean?” Sunset pointed at the pulsating light. The Mentor’s mouth was set in a grim slash. “It means, Sunset Shimmer, that we are about to have company.” At that moment, a flicker of movement caught Sunset’s eye. Out there on the snowy ground, a plume of dark vapor rose like smoke from a campfire, eerily serpentine and writhing in the dim electric lighting. The plume of dark vapor grew in size until it was twice Sunset’s height, hissing and melting the snow beneath it. Then, abruptly, the smoke solidified and formed a rough black rectangle, the edges of the shape still smoldering; it looked almost like a door or portal of some kind. The Mentor tensed her grip on her sword. “Assassins,” she called. “To me. Velvet Breeze, you and the rest of your friends stay behind me.” The Assassins dutifully obeyed, spreading out in a rough semicircle, with Frigid Night taking his place next to the Mentor. Velvet pouted, but did as she was told, ushering Sunset and the Rainbooms back into the lobby. Rainbow craned her neck, trying to see what was going on.   Meanwhile, the Assassins watched the black rectangle like hawks, weapons at the ready.   Patch swallowed hard and reloaded her pistol. “Mentor, is that-” “Yes. Be ready.” Morning Blade looked back at the girls with a reassuring nod before readying her compact pistol in both hands. “What’s going on out there?” Rainbow Dash stood on her toes. “I wanna see!” In the meantime, the Assassins slowly tightened the noose around the black portal, blades and pistols raised. A moment passed. Then a wave of shadow blasted out from the portal’s surface, sending the closest Assassins flying backward. High Noon and Morning Blade both landed at the Mentor’s feet, rolling in the snow. At the same time, a shadowy foot stepped out of the portal, landing in the snow with a hiss. The rest of the body soon followed, a figure of darkest black, save for the eyes, which shone bright green with red pupils and purple smoke trailing out of them. One hand was closed around the hilt of a sword that looked like it was made of black crystal, while the other was clasped around a glowing golden ball. “Your king has arrived, Assassins… And so has your death.” The shadow seemed to vibrate as the face spoke. The shadows quivered for a second, then dissipated in a whirlwind of darkness, revealing a muscular body clad in burnished dark silver armor with a flowing red cape. His entire person radiated power, and the Assassins wavered at his presence. “You will never be king, Sombra…” Mentor Steel Shine lifted her blade and pointed it at the grey-skinned man ahead. “The Assassins will never submit to someone like you.” “We’re with you, Mentor.” Patch stepped closer. “You won’t succeed, Sombra.” “I see that you must learn discipline,” Sombra growled. “So be it.” Sombra raised the hand with the orb in it, the artifact flashing gold as light began to gather around it, the smell of ozone filling the air. Mentor Steel Shine’s eyes went wide. “Get behind me!” She rushed forward, trying to put as many Assassins behind her as possible before stabbing the tip of her sword into the ground. Sunset gasped as the familiar feeling of magic came back to her, the sensation of sorcery making her head twinge. Then all the light gathered around Sombra’s Apple released all at once with an echoing chime, thin beams of light lancing out like javelins and striking toward each Assassin. However, when the beams of light struck the Mentor, they bent and shot off into the night sky, like a flashlight off a mirror. Behind the Mentor, Frigid Night, High Noon, Keila, and Morning Blade stood unharmed, as were Sunset and her friends. Each Assassin that the light had struck remained standing, some of them shuddering or grasping at their chests with their hands, then Sombra lowered the Apple and they all slumped to the ground, a clean sizzling hole burned through their bodies where the beams of light had struck. Fluttershy immediately began sobbing, covering her eyes at the instant execution. The other girls tried to shield her, but none of them were prepared for that, nor were any of them ready to see so much death in one day. This was too much for any normal person to see. Even Pinkie Pie had gone dead silent, eyes wide and averted from the dead bodies of the Assassins. “Dr. Patch!” Morning Blade attempted to run forward to the fallen Assassin medic, but Frigid grasped her arm and held her back. “It’s too late, Morning…” he said softly. “There’s nothing we can do for her. For any of them. They’re gone.” “But sir…” a tear streaked down Morning’s green face. She didn’t know what else to say. The darkness shifted as Sombra approached them, a white smile on his dark face. “The king will not be questioned or opposed.” “You’ll pay for that, Sombra,” the Mentor spat. She drew her sword from the ground and pointed it at Sombra, a bolt of gold lightning crackling out of its tip and striking the dark figure head on. Energy exploded from the point of contact, sending Sombra sliding back a step. The Mentor fired another bolt, but this one was intercepted as Sombra raised his Apple and absorbed the shot, his artifact glowing brighter as energy hummed within in. “A scratch,” the Templar Grandmaster stepped forward, drawing the Apple to his chest level. “That is all you are capable of, weakling. Save me the trouble and hand me that sword. Perhaps I might let you serve as my pet if you surrender.” Mentor Steel Shine glared at Sombra. “The Assassins will never surrender to you.” She followed this statement with a third blast of lightning, this one twice as large as the last. The bolt slammed into Sombra’s chest and lit up the front of the bureau with light. The shadows wavered at the sudden illumination, and Sombra growled, shrinking back away from the light. Sunset watched as the Mentor grasped her sword in both hands, the glow from her weapon spreading to engulf her entire body. A pair of pony ears sprouted atop her head, and her glittering hair grew into a long ponytail. Two golden-feathered wings erupted from the Mentor’s back, shining in the night like twin spotlights. It’s just like when we play our music, Sunset realized. Sombra grunted, stepping back away from the luminous form of the Mentor. He began to gather his darkness around him once more, but Mentor Steel Shine blasted them away with another bolt of lightning before levitating herself a few feet off the ground, settling into a fighting stance. “So you do know how to put up a fight,” Sombra boomed. “Very well then; have at you!” Sombra raised his sword and launched a ball of shadows at Steel Shine, who slashed her own sword in a horizontal arc, effortlessly deflecting the attack. Sombra gathered the shadows around himself and surged forward like a surfer on a wave, smashing into the front of the bureau. Loose debris fell down and the rest of the Assassins quickly fell back further into the building, ushering the girls as they went. This was not a fight that they wanted to get caught in the crossfire of. The Mentor stabbed forward at Sombra, who leaned to the side to dodge it, then retaliated with a rising slash of his own, the Templar Grandmaster’s blow skating off Steel Shine’s armor, scoring a long scratch in the polished metal. The Mentor kicked Sombra away, blasting him with a beam of light before taking to the skies, her wings shedding ethereal feathers as she went.   Sombra growled, gathering the shadows around him and launching himself into the night sky like a rocket, his Apple gathering fractals of gold around it as he went. The tendrils curled around Steel Shine’s body, constricting her before she managed to cut herself loose. Flapping further to gain height, the Mentor pulled in both wings to dive, but Sombra was too quick. Slowing his ascent, the Templar leader swatted the Mentor with a pillar of shadows, sending her crashing into the bureau’s rooftop, smashing a hole in the building with a shower of tiles and bricks. Sombra roared in triumph, an inhuman, beastly sound, before descending on the hole in the roof, only for Steel Shine to fly out of the hole, giving the Templar leader a long, concentrated burst of energy from her sword. Sombra deflected the attack with his own sword, channeling the Apple’s power into his blade and redirecting it into the bureau, where the energy blast set the roof alight with an earth shattering boom. Inside, Sunset and the others winced as dust and loose plaster rained down from the hole above, flames licking at the edges. “Oh my...” Fluttershy breathed quietly. “We need to move,” Frigid decided. “Come on, kids.” “Hey, who are you calling a kid-” Rainbow started, but another beam of light slicing through the roof cut her off. “Move, kids,” Frigid said again, but with more force. “Now. Unless you want to end up a pancake under all that.” “We need to get out of the line of fire,” Morning Blade muttered. There was an explosion from outside, shaking the entire building. Some of the lights flickered out. “That sounded like one of the generators,” Keila said. “They’re really tearing the place apart.” Outside, one of the towers exploded into bricks and mortar as Sombra and the Mentor locked weapons, the former pushing the latter at least fifty feet midair. Steel Shine’s wings flapped furiously to maintain lift. She held out one hand and an energy bolt shot from her palm, splitting into dozens of smaller bolts that pummelled Sombra’s form, leaving a cloud of smoke in the air. The girls and Assassins continued to watch the fight from under a remaining staircase, looking out through the now ceilingless building. “Get him, Mentor!” Rainbow cheered and swung her fists like she was in a boxing match. “She can take out that mean ol’ baddie, right?” Pinkie dusted plaster off her poofy hair. “She’s so cool, all glowy and flying and all!” “You bet’cha, kid,” High Noon made sure they were all safely under the steps before looking back up. “She can do things no normal person can. I know she can win this.” Through the thinning smog, Sombra held out his own sword, the black crystal glittering in his grip. He swung it, shooting a crescent shaped wave of dark energy at the Mentor, who did a barrel roll to avoid it. Speeding through the air, Steel Shine thrust her sword at Sombra’s neck. The Templar Grandmaster narrowed his eyes and dissolved into smoke, re-forming behind the Mentor and smashing her with the back of his Apple-clenched fist. Steel Shine recovered quickly, flipping herself upside down, blasting Sombra with another bolt of lightning, lighting up the sky for a second before sending him flying higher into the air. As Sombra rocketed up, he became smoke again, spinning in the air before zooming back down, spiralling around another of the Mentor’s bolts. He collided with the Mentor and they both went down, entangled with one another, one trailing light and feathers and the other trailing smoke and shadow. The two of them crashed down into the bureau’s main lobby, leaving a sizeable crater in the tiled floor. Frigid Night and the others stepped further back, the Assassins drawing their weapons, just in case. Morning Blade and High Noon stood by the girls, keeping them behind their backs to make sure they were safe. “Give me that blade!” Sombra reformed from the smoke, reaching a hand towards her weapon. Mentor Steel Shine pushed at his face with her free hand while she stuck both legs under him and kicked him off her, lifting her golden sword to fire another bolt at the Grandmaster. It hit Sombra in the shoulder, but otherwise didn’t seem to injure him as much as the previous ones. Before she could get properly airborne again, Sombra reached out with a tendril of shadow and wrapped it around the Mentor’s leg, pulling her back down. Sombra waved his sword and the tendril whipped down, smacking her into one of the pillars so hard that it broke, showering the atrium with concrete dust. Steel Shine recovered and wiped a dribble of blood from her mouth, panting a little. Locking her angry eyes with Sombra, she dashed towards him in a blink of an eye, her sword tip lancing for  his chest so fast that Sunset couldn’t even follow the weapon. Sombra leaned to the side, barely avoiding the sword‘s tip as it screeched across his armored chest, carving a furrow in his breastplate. He retaliated with a point-blank shot from the Apple, its energy splashing into the Mentor’s form and engulfing her in angry golden light and flinging her back into a wall, burning debris showering down around her. “Your death shall soon be upon you, Assassin…” Sombra levitated forward, light and shadow snaking around his feet. “Why do you still fight? It is a pointless effort. I can spare your life. All you have to do is give me that weapon.” Mentor Steel Shine disentangled herself from the wall and glared at Sombra. “If you want it, you’ll have to take it from my cold, dead hands.” “So I shall.” Sombra flew for her again, smashing her into the ground and then throwing the Mentor into the wall, explosions of heat and light cascading down in fire. Sunset grabbed Frigid Night’s coat to get his attention. “You have to help her. She explained her powers to me. She can’t keep it up much longer. You’ve got to help!” “What do you expect us to do?” Frigid pointed to the ruined lobby. “We’d be vaporized in an instant! Mentor has to do this on her own. Besides, she wouldn’t want us to unnecessarily throw our lives away.” “But you can’t just let her die!” Sunset looked to the four other Assassins for support. Morning Blade shook her head sadly. “We wouldn’t stand a chance, Sunset. You know that to be true.” Sunset balled her fists. “I refuse to just leave it like that…” Without warning, the fiery haired girl dashed from her cover, running for the new hole in the wall. “Sunset!” her friends called before running after her. Frigid Night grumbled, but followed his fellow Assassins as they chased after the kids. Sunset arrived at the ruined wall, carefully avoiding the fire and debris, just in time to see Sombra grab the Mentor by the throat and tossing her into one of the lampposts out in the courtyard. Steel Shine groaned and fought to stand up, her ethereal wings flickering. By now she was breathing heavily, the sword already taking a toll on her strength. “Your power fades and still you challenge me. Don’t be a fool. Stand down.” “Hey!” Sunset yelled to the Templar Grandmaster, instantly getting his attention. “Leave her alone!” “That’s King Sombra to you, human.” He lifted the Apple to swipe her down, but just like the sword earlier, it began to vibrate and spark, casting shock and surprise over his ruthless face. “What is the meaning of this?” Then he seemed to understand, looking back to the girl. “It’s you. You are the one. You’re like me, are you not? Equestrian.” Sombra turned to face her, facing his back to the Mentor. Sunset resisted the urge to run, standing her ground. “Yeah, that’s right,” Sunset shouted, sounding a lot braver than she felt. “You’ve been looking for me; well, here I am.” “Sunset, no!” Velvet shouted, almost to Sunset’s side. Sunset ignored her friend and continued. “It’s me you want. Not her.” “You wish to relinquish yourself to me?” The Apple had stopped vibrating, returning to its original state. “For her?” Sunset gulped. This wasn’t the way she had wanted things to go at all. By now, the others had caught up, with Keila and High Noon pushing her back, their weapons raised for combat. “No! Let me go!” Sunset struggled as Frigid held her back. “I can’t let her die!” “You can’t Sunset. Sombra is not to be trusted.” Morning Blade stepped ahead and pointed her pistol at the Templar Grandmaster. “Ah, yes. The last of the Assassins, here just in time to watch me kill your beloved Ment-” Sombra paused mid sentence. He looked down at the tip of the sword that was protruding through his chest. He looked back at the surprised face of Steel Shine, who had put all her weight behind the two handed thrust. “Ah, thank you for your weapon, Mentor,” Sombra bent his head back and laughed. He reached a hand up and grasped the blade, still protruding from the mass of shadow that his chest had become. The Mentor’s face was set in grim determination. “Laugh this off, Sombra,” she said. At that moment, the sword suddenly began to glow white hot, splintering cracks spreading from where the Mentor’s hands held it all the way up to the tip of the blade. Sombra’s eyes widened in shock. “No. What have you done?” Frigid saw it and pushed the girls to the ground. “Get down!” The Assassin lieutenant flung himself to the floor, dragging High Noon and Keila with him. The was an immense burst of blindingly white light and a roar of heat, light that shone through Sunset’s closed eyelids, and then there was a cry of pain from Morning Blade. The light seemed to grow brighter and brighter, then abruptly it stopped, plunging them back into the dark of the night. Then there was silence.