An Assassin's Price
Chapter 6: An Assassin’s Price
Willow reached under her right wing to draw her weapon, producing a short, bladed weapon that bent at an angle partway down its length. There was a curved edge that ran along the inside of the angle, running up and around the pointed tip of the weapon. A smile graced the assassin’s face. Her kukri had never failed to end a victim’s life. One slash was all it would take.
Whenever she could, she went for the throat, not just because it was an easy target, but by going for the same target every time, it drew ponies’ attention to that spot whenever they might face her. It gave the illusion that she had a signature attack, a method of killing that she prized above all else. As with everything she did, it was only an illusion to make her victims all the more vulnerable.
To Willow’s eyes, the equine body was a patchwork creation, replete with countless seams she could target to take the whole thing apart. Faced with this colt, she had endless options as to how to kill him. She could go across his throat as she usually did. She could target the arteries that lay near the surface along his fetlocks. Or she could simply slip the broad tip of her weapon between his ribs and into his heart. A single simple weapon, but so many ways to put it to use.
Even if this colt, Dawn Lightwing didn’t know anything about her or her reputation, it was obvious that he was a wary colt, experienced in the ways of battle. Willow knew that Dawn could perceive his own vulnerability in this situation. She naturally expected him to make some effort at defense, to try and guard something.
And yet, there he stood, his body motionless, his wings actually hanging down slightly, his posture completely relaxed. Willow could see as clear as day, her own fog no impediment for her. Dawn Lightwing was blind, the mist distorted sound so that one could never tell its point of origin. As thick as it was, there was no way he could even sense her through the air itself. And yet, he looked completely at ease, his eyes closed, his ears pulled in tight against his skull. Willow could tell that he had completely withdrawn into himself. He was completely vulnerable, utterly unguarded, and yet...And yet he leaves nothing open.
Her focus narrowed down. Right now, the assassin didn't spare a single thought for whomever might be waiting outside her barrier. Dawn Lightwing, her target, her mark, was the only thing in the world to her. This was the moment Willow had been building towards over the past year, all the searching, all the research, all the work of this day, had been building towards this moment. Dawn was before her, he was as vulnerable and helpless as he would ever be.
Now was the time to strike.
And so she did.
Dawn had completely closed off his senses. There should have been nothing that told him when the assassin would strike, where her blow would land. But when she moved, Dawn knew that his moment had come. His body moved its own volition, the movements no longer guided by conscious action. The better part of a lifetime spent practicing and honing his techniques had been building towards this moment.
Dawn's wing swept forward, the magic traveling along the feathers to stir the air amongst them. While the mist weighed him down and made it impossible to move enough air for his regular attacks, by agitating the air closest to and amongst his feathers, he was able to generate an electric charge. Acting on the instinct that had been pounded into his very bones, Dawn allowed the energy to flow towards the very tip of his furthest primary. Rather than letting it flow across the whole of his body, or even the whole of his wing, he instead contained the flow to the smallest area possible.
The lightning was doing something strange. By keeping it circulating within that tiny area at the tip of his feather, Dawn could feel it building power. Furthermore, that power was affecting the fog, pushing it back away from that point, allowing access to more air. That air was drawn into the circulating vortex of electrical energy, becoming charged, energized, and giving rise to something else, congealing into a spinning orb that was almost pure energy.
Willow's attack came with unrelenting speed, the edge of her blade cutting through her own fog, going straight for Dawn's throat. Not even thinking, Dawn slid to the side, just avoiding her strike by the barrest of margins. Instead, the tip of the blade barely nicked the side of his neck. At that same moment, Dawn's wing jabbed forward, thrusting the orb at the mare.
It impacted with a loud crack of discharge. Crackling energy surged over Willow's body, causing her muscles to spasm. It swept over her wings, causing her feathers to burst into flames and burn away, much like Dawn's had when he had tried using lightning for the first time. The jolting propelled Willow's body through the air, causing her to tumble to the ground a fair distance behind the ebony colt. With her feathers gone, Willow's hold on the fog, and her magic that infused it, evaporated.
"Dawn!" The colt's ears twitched as he heard Scootaloo's voice. Already, his wind sense was coming back. Even though the fog was still obstructing his vision, he could sense her barreling through it towards him, her own motions guided by her own application of the sense.
Even though it was still there, the fog was rapidly dissipating. The area around him was gradually coming back into view. By the time Scootaloo had skidded to a stop in front of him, Dawn could easily see past her to the still form of Willow. However, she was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment.
Dawn felt as though he had come out of a daze and his hold on the real world hadn't completely solidified. Everything around him, even Scootaloo's face right before him, felt rather far away and muddled...Which may have explained Dawn's complete lack of reaction when Scootaloo brought her hoof down towards the top of his head.
Taken completely off-guard, the black colt yelped sharply as Scootaloo's hoof smacked the top of his head. Before he could react, even to so much as reach up and rub the sore spot forming between his ears, the bright-orange filly threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
"You jerk!" she sobbed pressing her face against his neck, "I told you not to do that to me again!"
Dawn pulled away from her slightly, using his own forelegs to push her back a little. He then pressed his forehead against hers, ignoring the slight ache from where her hoof had impacted. Dawn spread his wings and gently stretched them out wrapping them behind Scootaloo's head, surrounding both of them in a feathery cocoon. It wasn't enough to completely enshroud them the way Fluttershy's wings did when she embraced Dawn, but it helped close off any distractions from the outside world.
"It's alright," he whispered gently as Scootaloo continued to sniff and sob, "Everything's alright."
Scootaloo pulled back again and looked at Dawn's eyes questioningly. He nodded and she released her hold on him. Dawn retracted his wings, letting in the light of day, helping the two foals to realize that the fog had been completely dispersed. More importantly, they had an audience.
Off to one side stood Red River, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie. Red River was staring at Dawn, his expression torn between shock and amazement. Applejack was almost on the verge of crying herself upon the realization that everypony was safe.
Up above hovered Storm Front, Rainbow Dash, and Soarin', along with the rest of the Weather Team. Dawn's sharp ears picked up faint titters from the mares among the group as they watched the scene play out below them.
And on the other side, standing at the entrance to the Schoolhouse, were Cheerilee and the other foals. The teacher looked as though she was ready to faint from relief, tears having made damp tracks down her face as she worried over the fate of her student. The foals showed a variety of reactions. None of them had seen what had taken place, but it was clear that they were surprised to see Dawn alive and unhurt, save for a tiny scratch on his neck. However, two fillies stood out in particular. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were looking at Scootaloo and grinning like Pinkie Pie had just hooved them the keys to her sweets cellar.
Scootaloo's cheeks turned a brilliant shade of crimson as she realized what everypony had seen her doing. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to curl up on the ground and pretend it had never happened. As it was, she was frozen in place in horror at having so many ponies witness her sentimental side.
So it was almost a relief when Dawn strode past her almost like she wasn't even there. Her embarrassment momentarily forgotten, Scootaloo whirled around to see what he was doing. Her eyes widened when she saw that he was heading towards the unmoving form of the mare that had just tried to kill him.
"I know you're still alive," he said.
Willow coughed and hacked for a moment before she finally managed to get her lungs working properly. "It wasn't like I was playing dead," she protested, "I know better than to think that would work against someone like you."
The mare had definitely seen better days. Her pale-gray coat was now covered in large splotches in an angry red and black, Dawn's attack having seared away her coat and burned the vulnerable skin underneath. The blistering burns stretched across her entire body, but were centered on her chest, where his attack had made its initial contact. Her mane and tail had been reduced to a few scraggly strings of hair. Her wings looked worst of all, her feathers having been burned away all the way down to the coverts. Only a few tiny clumps clung to life here and there along their length. Her right fetlock was still clamped tightly around the handle of her kukri. But she hardly even had the strength to stand, much less wield the deadly weapon. The assassin was a shadow of her former self.
"Now what?" she asked.
When Dawn dropped his head and spread his wings in an extremely formal pegasus bow, Willow's jaw dropped, indicating that had not been what she was expecting.
"Thank you," said Dawn. Behind him, most of their audience looked on in utter befuddlement. Only Storm Front and Red River, being fellow martial artists, appeared to have some grasp of what was going on.
Once Willow got her jaw back in working order, she opened her mouth like she wanted to say something. Then she closed it again. Finally, a smile blossomed across her face and she laughed uproariously, laughter that quickly dissolved into watery coughs, indicating that the damage had affected her throat as well.
"Unbelievable," she said, reaching up weakly with her free hoof to carefully wipe tears away from her eyes, doing her best to keep away from the burns on her foreleg and her face as she did so, "I'd always wondered what it would be like; the day someone got the better of me. I've imagined a lot of things, gloating, taunting, insults...but nothing like this." She favored Dawn with a smile that could only be described as fond. "I guess I was lucky to lose to you then."
The sound of hoofsteps came up behind Dawn. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Storm and Red approaching.
"You sure surprised me kid," said the azure stallion, a happy smile on his face, "That was incredible."
Storm paused and looked at his friend. "You know what happened then?"
"I had an idea of it yeah," replied Red, a knowing smirk on his face as he turned to Dawn, "You willingly entered into that zone of death, put yourself completely at her mercy, then struck when she did to take advantage of her own focus. The last time I checked, right before I was gonna break in, I thought there was something off about my impression of you, like you weren't really even there."
Storm's eyes widened and he turned to regard Dawn, new respect making its way into his eyes. "So then he..."
"Yeah," agreed Red River, "It was brief, only lasted an instant. But he did it."
Scootaloo looked back and forth between the two stallions unsuccessfully trying to follow the cryptic conversation taking place. "What?" she demanded, "What did Dawn do?"
Her voice appeared to call the two stallions' attention back to the situation at hoof as they turned their gaze to Scootaloo, before turning their attention back to Willow, who hadn't moved. "We can explain later," said Storm, "But right now, we have a more important matter to attend to."
Red River turned to regard the crowd that was arrayed behind them. "Okay everypony, everything's good, so break it up!" He turned a pointed gaze to Cheerilee and nodded to her, instructing her without words, but also in no uncertain terms, that she should take the foals back into the schoolhouse. The other ponies reluctantly began to leave, although several worried parents also hurried into the cheery, red building to check on their children. Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow, and Soarin’ all remained behind, gathering around the group. Flitter hovered uncertainly above for a moment, but a nod from Storm convinced her to go find out how her sister was doing.
"Now then," said Storm, turning his full attention to Willow, "There is the matter of learning your client."
"Wait a second!" snapped Scootaloo, "What are you doing?"
"We're going to have to interrogate her to find out who hired her," replied Storm Front nonchalantly, "After all, when whoever hired her finds out that she failed, they are likely to try again."
Willow’s eyes narrowed fractionally. However, they widened when Scootaloo jumped in front of her, planting herself between the two stallions and the assassin. “You can’t!” she shouted, “Not when she’s like this!” Her mind flashed back to many of the interrogation scenes she had seen in some of the movies she had gotten to watch with her friends.
Red opened his mouth, but stopped as Dawn stepped in as well, positioning himself next to Scootaloo. “It seems a little harsh,” he said, “Could you wait until her wounds have been treated?”
Red and Storm exchanged uncertain looks, abruptly reminded that Dawn, for all that he had been through and all that he was capable of, was still very much a colt in some ways.
Red let out a sigh. “Kid, this is something we need to do as soon as possible. If we give her any chance, she’ll give us the slip and it may only be a matter of time before she comes after you again.”
Storm nodded his agreement. “An assassin is quite skilled at getting into places where they shouldn’t be and out of places where they should,” he said, “If we allow her any opening to recover, somepony as skilled as her could escape from us.”
“Besides,” said Red, putting on a disarming smile, “It’s not as though we’re gonna torture her. Torture’s a pretty useless way of getting accurate information.”
“Huh? Why’s that?” asked Scootaloo, momentarily forgetting the reason they were having this conversation in the first place.
“Pain addles the mind,” replied Red casually, “A pony will say whatever she thinks her tormentors will want to hear, anything to make the pain stop. That’s all well and good if you’re trying to force a confession out of somepony, regardless of their guilt, but not so good if you want accurate information.”
Unfortunately, the four ponies had gotten a little too drawn into their conversation. Willow, helpless on the ground behind Dawn and Scootaloo, was momentarily forgotten as they debated her fate. As a result, they missed the slight twitching in her limbs as she forced her muscles to tense.
When Willow launched herself up, Dawn, Storm Front, and Red River all reacted quickly, but not quickly enough, their response delayed by the distraction of their conversation. Red and Storm’s hooves immediately went to their weapons, drawing them nearly instantly. Dawn’s wings snapped out. However, his proximity to Scootaloo caused him to pause at the critical second, affording Willow the opening she needed.
The mare wrapped her free foreleg around Scootaloo and pulled the filly in tight to her chest, not even wincing as the squirming filly’s back ground into the massive burn there. Dawn whirled about, but again hesitated, not sure of his accuracy with Scootaloo in front of his intended target. Both Storm Front and Red River could have struck without hesitation. However, they too paused when they realized that the only attacks open to them were lethal ones, that would end Willow’s life before they could get the critical information she contained. They would not strike unless it became clear that Scootaloo was going to be harmed...
...Which is exactly what Willow had hoped for.
“Let me go!” yelled Scootaloo, her voice possessed of equal elements fear and anger.
“Scoots!” Rainbow surged forward, but came to a halt as Soarin’ quickly grabbed her and pulled her back.
“You’ll make things worse if you jump in without thinking,” he said sharply.
Both Applejack and Pinkie stared in shock, the orange farmer uncertain about what to do. Pinkie’s expression of shock faded when she felt her lower eyelids begin to twitch, her Pinkie Sense warning her what was about to happen. The pink mare’s heart turned to lead in her chest and her expression became one of sadness as she recognized the twitch...the very first twitch she had ever gotten from her Pinkie Sense, the one that had come just before Granny Pie had passed away.
“What are you doing?” demanded Scootaloo again.
Surprisingly, Willow merely favored the filly with a sad smile, albeit one Scootaloo couldn’t see. She turned her gaze and smile on Dawn next, the colt’s body limp with confusion at what he felt when he saw her expression.
“Sorry kid,” said Willow, “I just needed to borrow a little time.”
“For what?” asked Scootaloo, still struggling.
“For this.” Willow swung her kukri in a tight arc, the blade becoming a silver flash. It was too swift and unexpected for any of the martial artists in front of her to respond. They couldn’t stop her blade from finding its target.
A spray of blood arced through the air.
Fluttershy stared uneasily towards Ponyville. She had been tending her animals when, out of the corner of her eye, she’d noticed the mysterious fog envelop the town. At first, she dismissed it as some weather-related accident, one that would be cleared up quickly. However, a few minutes later, she noticed weather ponies trying to clear the fog and failing to affect any change. More worryingly, she saw a few of the ponies from the team go down into the fog...only to fail to come back up out of it. At that point, she began to worry. Setting aside her chores for a moment, she walked a short ways down the road to get a better view. Sadly, the cloud of fog obscured everything within its borders.
Fluttershy was uncertain of what to do. Dawn was within that fog. He had been in school, of course. She wondered if he was alright. But she wasn’t sure if the fog posed any immediate danger. In a situation like this, she knew better than to go rushing in. She’d already seen (or rather, not seen) what had happened to the pegasi that went down in the fog. She didn’t want to add to the confusion of the situation by being an extra body hovering around when there wasn’t anything she could realistically contribute to help.
So she waited, hoping that it would be cleared up and she could happily go about her day. Her decision seemed to be borne out as the fog began to draw back. However, she then noticed that it was actually drawing towards a single location...a troublingly familiar location. The mist congealed into a nearly solid orb right next to the schoolhouse.
Fluttershy felt sick to her stomach, her every maternal instinct warning her that something was wrong, that her son was in some sort of trouble. She was not foolish enough to believe that Dawn would be perfectly safe in Ponyville. That was why Storm Front and Red River had been brought in in the first place. After everything that had happened, it wasn’t hard to believe that somepony could be threatening Dawn. There was the Cult Solar that Twilight and Celestia had warned her about. Or it could be somepony retaliating for what Dawn had done in Cloudsdale. However unlikely, it could even be connected to Flash Spark or Cirrus Stratus, both ponies Dawn had done grievous harm to.
So again, Fluttershy waited patiently, putting all her hope and faith on her son’s skill and ability, the same things that had allowed him to save her twice, that had helped him survive the battle in Cloudsdale. Fluttershy waited, believing with all her strength that she would see Dawn again, alive and well.
Her patience seemed to be rewarded when the silvery orb burst back into an enshrouding mist, but one that was quickly driven away. However, some instinct deep in Fluttershy’s heart still told her that something was seriously wrong.
Dawn stared. It was all he could do. He'd always been aware that, one day, he would be faced with this. Ever since he'd agreed to learn the Gale King from his Master, to follow the Way, that he would someday come to this point. Even so, there was very little that could truly prepare him for what was before his eyes...Death.
Certainly, Dawn was no stranger to death in some ways. After all, his own life had been threatened countless times. He'd been chased and attacked by hateful bigots, stalked by monsters in the Everfree, lain at the very tip of Red River's spear, helpless to do anything as it came down. But this was the first time he was truly experiencing the death of another, a death that he had a direct connection with...a death that he was responsible for. Not even the death of his Master really counted in Dawn's mind as far as this was concerned.
Scootaloo flinched as something wet splattered across her head, droplets splashing against her muzzle and running down her neck. However, what got her attention was the fact that Willow's hold on her had slackened. In an instant, she was away, bounding towards the safety of Dawn and the others, not even pausing the look back. As she looked forward, she noticed that none of the ponies in front of her were even looking at her, their eyes fixated on something behind her. Those jerks! I thought they were worried about me! However, looking past them, Scootaloo saw the face of Rainbow Dash, who was also looking at the space behind the filly. It was the look on Rainbow's face that actually gave Scootaloo pause. It was a look of undisguised horror. The orange filly came to a stop and turned to see what everypony was gawking at. That was enough to catch Rainbow's attention.
"Scoot stop! Don't-!"
But the cerulean mare's warning came too late. Scootaloo turned and her eyes widened when she saw Willow, her body slumping, the artery on one side of her neck neatly slit, pumping a spurt of blood out in short pulses. A tiny glance was all she got before Rainbow Dash rushed to her and pulled her away, shielding Scootaloo's eyes with her wings. Her mind connecting the dots, Scootaloo reached up with a hoof and rubbed it against one of the wet spots that had splashed over her head and face. The hoof came away with a red smear. Scootaloo began to shake in Rainbow's grip.
Though her body was weakening and her life was ebbing away, Willow met Dawn's stunned stare with a serene smile. "You look surprised kid. This your first time seeing somepony die?"
Dawn blinked. "I've seen another die before...but not like this."
Willow's smile faltered. "I see...Sorry to ruin your day after you'd accomplished something so big. But this is part of my job too."
"Why?" asked Dawn.
Behind him, Red River and Storm Front stood, their faces stony and composed. Given the nature of her wound, it would still be possible to save Willow and stop her from bleeding out. However, the assassin would simply find ways to accelerate the process. They'd lost their chance.
Willow laughed softly, her voice getting weaker and her laughs more like coughs. "You've got your Way kid and I've got mine. If an assassin like me is on the verge of getting caught, then it's my job to ensure that my clients aren't betrayed. This is what happens to a real assassin when she fails."
Dawn stepped forward, closer to Willow as she slumped all the way to the ground. To her stunned shock, the colt reached out with his forelegs and wrapped them around the fetlock of her left foreleg, his eyes not leaving hers.
"You really don't have to hang around for this, you know," said Willow, "Nopony's going to hold you responsible for what happens to me. You did what you had to."
"Even so..." said Dawn, his voice breaking slightly as his eyes glimmered with unshed tears, "...Even so..."
Again, Willow chuckled, her voice dropping to nearly a whisper. "You're a good kid. I heard about the mare that took you in. Seems she's rubbed off on you."
She could feel the faint tremors in Dawn's forelegs as he clutched her own tightly. However, he kept his eyes opened and refused to look away from her as her strength continued to fade. With a weak sigh, she decided he deserved something a bit more than this.
"I won't give my clients away." Her voice was barely audible now. "But I can give you something, at least. I'll tell you how I found out you were in Ponyville."
Dawn nodded and leaned in as Willow whispered some words into his ear. When she finished, he pulled back and continued to watch as her eyes slowly drifted closed.
"Thank you," he whispered, the first tears beginning to fall. Willow's foreleg went limp in his grip and her chest's rise and fall stopped as the life slipped from her body completely.
"Stand aside." Storm Front came up behind Dawn, his hoof already working to undo the ties that held his silk shirt closed. Dawn did as he was bid while Storm slipped the garment off and draped it over Willow's body, exposing the meteor hammer coiled about his right foreleg, the formidable weapon normally concealed by the shirtsleeve. The simple shirt wasn't large enough to serve as a full shroud, but Storm was able to cover Willow's head and upper body with it. His expression didn't change as a dark spot seeped into the fabric from where Willow's neck was.
"I'll see to things here," said Storm Front, stooping to scoop up Willow's body in his forelegs as he beat his wings to get off the ground. In a few seconds, he was airborne and carrying the deceased assassin in the direction of the hospital, leaving the others behind.
For a moment, they simply stood silently. Finally, it was Applejack who spoke as she went up and rested a gentle hoof on Dawn's back. The colt didn't even flinch at the unexpected contact. "Come on sugarcube," said Applejack softly, "Let's get ya back home."
Slowly, she began to lead the colt in the direction of Fluttershy's house while Red River fell into step with them. Behind them, Rainbow Dash looked over at Soarin'.
"We should take Scoots back to her place," she said softly. Soarin' nodded in agreement and the two of them set off. Rainbow carried a mostly unresponsive Scootaloo in her arms as they flew. The two of them made a beeline for the house the little orange filly shared with her mother.
Fluttershy watched as the mist dispersed. Her mind wandered, conjuring every-more horrible fates that might have befallen Dawn. If somepony was behind that fog, were they truly trying to hurt him? A shiver went down the gentle mare's spine. She noticed the flitting figures of pegasi helping to disperse the mist, indicating that whatever had been making it untouchable to pegasus magic before was gone. After a few moments, she saw them drift off apparently having finished what work they were doing.
She was on the verge of heading to Ponyville to check on things herself when her ears picked up the sound of hooves on the road. Looking towards the source, her eyes widened as she saw Red River and Applejack escorting Dawn between them. Fluttershy's body sagged with relief. He's alright. However, her elation was short-lived when she saw the expression on her son's face. It reminded her of the face he had worn when Red and Storm had presented him with the decision to "execute" him, an expression of unbearable sadness. And yet, there was something different. Fluttershy felt a chill when she wondered what new trauma had befallen the ebony colt.
"Dawn?" Her voice caused the colt to look up. When he did, Fluttershy saw something she hadn't seen since the day Applejack had apologized to Dawn for her misdeeds. All of a sudden, Dawn's eyes overflowed with tears. Before Fluttershy could react, he'd thrown himself against her. On reflex, Fluttershy wrapped her arms and wings around her son and held him close, gently rocking him as he cried into her chest. Dawn made no sound, but Fluttershy could feel his tears dampening her fur and soaking into her skin.
Horrified at this change, she looked up at Red River and Applejack, both of them watching the interplay between mother and son with their own expressions of sadness. Applejack especially looked like she was going to start crying as well. She had the look of a mare who'd just seen something unbearably horrific.
"What happened?" asked Fluttershy.
"Let's go inside and I'll explain," said Red River softly.
Sliding the ladder away, Spike paused to crack his back as he took one last look around the library to see if everything was in order. It was. The little dragon eyed the clock and realized he still had plenty of time for dinner. A groan escaped him. He was bored stiff. There hadn't been a whole lot else to do though. He'd been going through his usual chores when the fog had descended on the town. Spike had been on the verge of going out to investigate, but the weird feeling he'd gotten from the silvery mist had made him think better of it and he closed the door and returned to his work.
As he went through checking over the shelving and dusting for the third time that day, Spike briefly wondered if it was worth risking getting lost in that eerie miasma outside to try and visit his friends. At around that time, the mist began to stream away, letting daylight shine through the windows once more. Figuring that it was a weather mishap, Spike shrugged and continued going about his chores.
It was like this every time Twilight had to go somewhere, whether it was on a mission for Celestia, an adventure to a strange place, no matter where Twilight's diverse experiences took her and her friends, no matter how different each trip was, for the one who was left behind, it was always the same...It was dull. Ironically, it wasn't the laundry list of chores that Twilight left him with that grated on Spike's nerves. After all, they were the same chores he ended up doing whether Twilight was there or not. But rather, it was the lack of things to do that made the dragon groan.
When Twilight was around, Spike often had his claws full being her assistant. And while that had been its own source of frustration at times (frustrations the two of them were beginning to work out), it at least left him with no shortage of things to do. It also helped him keep his mind off his growing wings, which continued to itch and ache furiously, a sensation Twilight had put down to the experience of growing a whole new set of limbs…along with a whole set of nerves and nerve endings to go with them. At least, this time, the rest of their little circle of friends was still hanging around in town. He'd planned on spending some time with them, maybe help Rarity with her latest fashion project, or hanging out with Rainbow Dash while she practiced her latest stunts (although that was probably unlikely to happen as she'd been spending a lot of time enjoying the company of her new coltfriend lately), maybe help Pinkie Pie in the kitchen of Sugarcube Corner (and possibly earn a few free cupcakes in the process), or maybe help Applejack and her with some of their farm work (Spike would vigorously deny any allusions to ulterior motives for working on the farmstead that was home to a certain filly).(1)
The fog had put an end to those plans. However, now that it was dispersed, Spike had the option of going out again. Maybe he could find out what had caused the strange weather phenomenon. However, as he considered it, the door to the library swung open. Looking over, Spike froze as the familiar yellow filly with a red mane and bow came walking into the library.
"Apple Bloom?" The filly looked up at the sound of Spike's voice. To the little dragon's surprise, she rushed at him and tackled him to the floor, knocking the wind out of him in the process.
"Bloom? What's wrong?" asked Spike once he found his voice again, also having the presence of the mind to return her hug. His body stiffened (2) in surprise when he realized that Apple Bloom was shivering like she'd been outside in the freezing cold of winter, rather than having run through the town on a late summer afternoon.
"Ah-Ah'm sorry Spike," said Bloom as she continued to nuzzle up against Spike's shoulder, "Ah just needed someone..."
"What happened?" asked the dragon.
Bloom pulled back and looked into his eyes. Spike saw the fear in them and realized whatever happened had scared her badly. He briefly wondered where the other Crusaders were and if they were having similar trouble.
A second later, the story spilled forth out of Apple Bloom's lips. She told Spike about the fog, about what Dawn had found out, about the mysterious noises that had menaced them from outside the schoolhouse, about how Dawn had defied Cheerilee and gone outside to confront a pony who had explicitly stated that she was there to kill him, about how they'd waited in tense silence for several minutes before they'd heard the sound of Dawn's strike and gone outside to find that he'd won...but the story didn't end there.
"After we went back inside, Ms. Cheerilee couldn't start class up again...Ah don't think she even wanted to." Bloom shuddered as she recalled the look of utter despair on her teacher's face, as though Cheerilee was holding herself responsible for what her class had gone through. Instead, she'd simply settled for staring out the window at the space where Dawn, Scootaloo, and a few others were confronting the prone assassin.
"Then Ms. Cheerilee got this look on her face, like she'd seen somethin' horrible. She closed the windows right up after that and didn't let anypony out fer a while. All the parents that came in with us wanted to know what was happenin'. She just told 'em it was somethin' the foals shouldn't know about. She kept checkin' through the windows. Then, after a little bit, she let us all out." Apple Bloom paused. "Dawn and Scootaloo were gone, so were the others. Even Applejack was gone. Ah guess she had somethin' important to do, 'cause she didn't even come in to check on me. But when Ah looked where that crazy mare was, all Ah could see was this red spot on the ground.”
Spike gulped nervously. Given what he’d just heard about the situation, he didn’t like the possible outcomes that could have led to what Apple Bloom had described. Worse, with each word she spoke, the filly was shaking harder as her anxieties continued to build.
“Ah don’t know if Scootaloo and Dawn are alright or anythin’. Ah don’t know where everypony went and it scares me.”
Spike gave Apple Bloom his most encouraging smile and pulled her tight against him. With the fingers of one hand, he combed his claws through her mane, gently scratching the back of her neck as he did so. “It’s gonna be okay,” he said, “I’m sure everypony’s fine.”
“Maybe we should look fer ‘em,” suggested Bloom weakly.
Spike pulled back a little and shook his head. “We wouldn’t know where to start,” he pointed out, “There are too many possible places for them to be. Why don’t I walk you home? We know your sister’s gonna head back there at some point.”
Apple Bloom mulled over the dragon’s suggestion before nodding weakly. She gave Spike a wavering smile. “Ah guess that’s as good an idea as any.”
“I’ll stick around ‘til AJ gets back,” added Spike as he got to his feet and helped Bloom to hers.
For a moment, the yellow filly hesitated. Then she quickly leaned in and planted a quick kiss on Spike’s cheek. “Thanks Spike,” she said softly, turning away to hide the rosy hue of her cheeks as an equally red color burst across Spike’s.
“Y-yeah sure,” stammered Spike as he stood, poleaxed for a moment. Taking a few seconds to get his thoughts back in order, he shook his head vigorously to clear the daze brought on by the kiss. “Let’s head out. We don’t want your family to get worried about you.”
“Yeah,” agreed Bloom, “Ah guess there’s a lot ‘o worryin’ goin’ ‘round.”
As they turned to the door, the two of them jumped at a series of soft knocks. Almost out of reflex, Apple Bloom dived behind Spike, trembling again, her mind going back to those tense moments at the schoolhouse. The experience was probably going to put her off the sound of somepony knocking on a door for a while.
“Who’s there?” asked Spike, normally not so cautious (he did live in a public library after all), but Apple Bloom’s behavior and her story of what had happened at school made him slightly more cautious.
“It’s Storm Front,” said the stallion from the other side of the door, “May I come in?”
Spike glanced behind him at Bloom, who had apparently relaxed now that she knew who it was on the other side of the door. “Sure.”
The door opened to admit the purplish-gray stallion. The first thing Spike noticed was that Storm was no longer wearing his usual silk shirt. He stepped into the library, looking around. He paused when he realized Apple Bloom was there. Seeing that she was still behind Spike and looking more than a little troubled, he softened his expression and relaxed his stance to help put her more at ease.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
Bloom nodded slowly. “Do ya know where mah sister is?” she asked nervously.
“Not for certain,” replied the pegasus, settling onto a cushion at the large table in the center of the library and motioning to the other two to do the same, “But I believe she and Red may be escorting Dawn back to his mother.”
“Why?” asked Apple Bloom, feeling a little hurt that Applejack was more worried about Dawn, even though he’d won the fight, than she was about her own little sister.
“Things did not go so well after you went inside,” replied Storm cryptically, his eyes shying away from Apple Bloom’s, “Dawn is still coping with what happened.”
“What do ya mean?” asked Apple Bloom, her eyes widening, her frustration beginning to be replaced with concern.
Storm turned his head to look at her and opened his mouth to answer...and hesitated. “I’m not sure it’s my place to tell you,” he said, once again averting his gaze again, “You’re bound to find out soon, but...I’m not sure who you should hear it from.”
“Might as well be you,” said Spike with a shrug, “What happened is what happened right? It’s not as though this is an argument where you’re trying to get her to see your side of the story before somepony else can convince her of something different.”
Storm Front blinked in surprise at Spike’s unexpected words of wisdom. “You make a good point,” he admitted. He sighed. “I might as well take care of two things at once then. You see, I came here to find you.” He gazed pointedly at Spike.
“Why?” asked the dragon.
“I need you to take a letter,” replied Storm, “I need it to be sent to Twilight Sparkle, with a copy being sent to Shining Armor.”
“Okay,” said the little dragon, getting up to retrieve parchment and his writing supplies. When he returned, he set out his quill and inkwell. Dipping the tip in the ink, Spike held up the quill and stood poised to begin writing.
Storm Front closed his eyes and took a moment to compose his thoughts before he began dictating. “To Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor;
“I am dictating this letter to Spike so that you might learn of the incident that took place in Ponyville this afternoon. At approximately one in the afternoon, an assassin by the name of Willow trapped the town in a magical fog bank for an extended period of time in order to isolate her intended target, Dawn Lightwing. Dawn confronted and successfully subdued her. However, in order to avoid giving up specific information about her clients, Willow ended her own life-”
Storm Front’s voice cut off as he saw the quill tumble from Spike’s claws. Apple Bloom’s face became even paler than her usual shade of yellow as the news hit home.
“Ya mean that mare went and...?” Apple Bloom now looked like she was going to be sick.
Storm nodded. “Yes. And Dawn watched her do it. She dealt herself a fatal blow before any of us could react. Dawn took it especially hard.”
Bloom began to sniff, tears running down her face as she thought how that must have felt for Dawn, to see somepony end her life because she had lost to him. Spike set down the parchment on the table and wrapped a comforting arm around Bloom’s shoulders. Storm Front, seeing that Spike was a bit busy to keep writing it, used his wings to pick up the parchment and quill, going to work finishing the letter himself.
“Aside from Willow, there were no other casualties. A few ponies have suffered minor injuries due to collision with various objects under the cover of Willow’s fog. However, there is no indication that they have suffered anything severe.
“Sincerely; Storm Front.”
Signing the letter, Storm Front also took the opportunity to quickly draft out a second copy before rolling them up and presenting them to Spike. “If you wouldn’t mind sending these along,” he said.
Spike nodded and let go of Apple Bloom. He reached for the first scroll and fixed an image of Shining Armor in his head before breathing his flame over it. The glimmering green fires washed over the scroll, turning it into a cloud of green ash that drifted out the window and away towards Canterlot. Next, he did the same with the second scroll, thinking Twilight as he did so.
Both letters being sent, Spike thought for a moment and something occurred to him. “Shouldn’t we send a letter to Princess Celestia?” he asked, giving Storm Front a questioning look.
The stallion shook his head. “Red and I are here at the behest of Shining Armor, so our duty is to report the situation to him. From there, it is up to him whether or not it needs to be brought to Princess Celestia’s attention. I sent a copy to Twilight as well because we would normally meet with her in this situation.”
“Okay...” Spike looked back at Apple Bloom, who continued to stare pensively at the table.
“I have to go and report to the Mayor about the situation,” said Storm, getting up and making his way to the door, “Thank you for your help.”
Spike turned his attention back to Bloom. “Are you feeling better?” he asked.
Bloom nodded slowly. Spike smiled and rubbed her back. “Come on,” he said softly, “Let’s get you back home. I’ll stick around until Applejack gets back.”
Apple Bloom looked up and met the drake’s eyes, a wavering smile on her face. “Okay.”
The first thing Fluttershy had done was bandage the small cut on Dawn’s neck, the only injury he’d received from the confrontation. That finished, she rested on the couch, holding her son close and listening silently as Red River retold the day’s events. When he finished, she looked down at Dawn. He had stopped crying for the time being, his tears having apparently run out. At the moment, he simply stared dumbly off into space, as though he couldn’t quite comprehend what had just happened. “Oh Dawn,” whispered Fluttershy before she buried her muzzle in his mane, holding him tighter.
Silence descended on the room. Nopony had anything else to say, but Applejack and Red River weren’t ready to leave Dawn and Fluttershy alone just yet. At the very least, they intended to remain as long as they could to provide whatever support they could.
Finally, Dawn looked up, his eyes fixing on Red River. “Was it like this the first time you killed somepony?”
“Now hold on there,” interjected Applejack before the azure stallion could respond, “Yah didn’t kill that mare. What happened there ain’t yer fault.”
Red held up a hoof to stop Applejack from talking. “In a sense, Dawn was responsible for placing Willow in a position where she felt that she had to take her life to keep from betraying her clients. However, the semantics of responsibility are irrelevant.” He met Dawn’s gaze square on. “The point of the matter is that he feels responsible for her death. So long as he holds that feeling in his heart, it makes no difference how she died."
Applejack closed her mouth, unable to come up with anything to say.
“That said, I can say that my experience was not the same as yours,” said Red, his voice becoming soft, “I was older than you are now the first time I killed an opponent.”
He sighed and looked away. “That isn’t to say that I found it pleasant. In fact, standing over a corpse that I created made me sick to my stomach. I know that it was similar for Storm as well. At that point, we were both prepared for the possibility, so there was that to consider.”
Dawn looked down, thinking back to his fight with Perlin. At that time, he had given up on trying spare Perlin’s life because there was no way he could hold his own against the other colt otherwise. He wondered if, had the battle ended with Perlin’s death, he would have handled it the same way he had now. Or would he have been better able to accept it, having resolved that killing his opponent was necessary from the start.
“But that feeling wasn’t the worst part,” continued Red, oblivious to Dawn’s thoughts, “The worst part was eventually losing that feeling, getting used to killing, no longer feeling anything for the lives we took. We stopped seeing our enemies as people. We eventually got used to it, killing. We became...detached.”
Everypony looked up at the stallion. Applejack stared aghast at him, her expression horrified. Fluttershy blinked in surprise as she realized something. She remembered Red River talking to her about Dawn’s emotional issues shortly after she’d adopted him, how his detachment could make him a danger to other ponies. Now she realized that he was speaking from experience. It hit her that they were at another juncture in Dawn's life where her ability to help him limited, that helping him once again fell to the hooves of those who walked the same path he did. At least it won't involve nearly killing him this time, she thought with a slightly bitter note.
Red River continued. "When we were at our worst, we were working as caravan guards in Saddle Arabia. It was there that we encountered a pony who imparted to us the same lesson that we did to you." He shivered. "He challenged our way of doing things and, in our arrogance, we sought to defeat him to put him in his place. In an instant, I felt as though I had been sliced to pieces. I had been 'killed' before I had even gotten a chance to level my spear at him. When I recovered, I realized that I had dropped my weapon, been left completely helpless and at his mercy. He crushed us with pure killing intent so powerful that we had experienced death as vividly as though he had truly carried out the deed.
"He impressed upon us the magnitude of our crimes and completely crushed our spirits. I..." Red River's voice broke, his eyes beginning to tear up. "I never felt so ashamed in all my life. I'd ended so many lives, spilled so much blood, always ignoring the possibility that it wasn't necessary. I'd become a monster."
Applejack scooted closer to Red River and leaned up against him. Her touch seemed to comfort the stallion somewhat and he took a deep breath to steady himself. When he opened his eyes again, he looked resolutely at Dawn. "That is part of the reason we were so desperate to teach that lesson to you. If it was within our power to prevent it, there was no way we could allow you to take the same path we did.
"It's imperative that you not dismiss the equinity of your enemies. They are ponies with lives of their own, with hopes, dreams, aspirations. To kill them is to end everything for them, to snuff out their futures so that nothing remains. There's no telling what lay within Willow's heart. But with her death, all that she aspired to is gone now."
Dawn shuddered, but nodded in agreement.
A sigh escaped the stallion. "I wish things had turned out differently," he said, "To experience death like that after what you accomplished..."
"What do ya mean?" asked Applejack, pulling away to give Red a questioning look.
"It was only for an instant," said Red, still not taking his eyes off Dawn, "But in that instant, you surpassed everything Storm and I ever accomplished. You set hoof in a place that we have sought for most of our lives." He smiled. "Willow's death cannot diminish that. It may well be that, if you continue to progress down this path, you may yet reach the point that we all seek, where force and violence cease to be a necessity and you no longer need to truly 'defeat' your enemies."
Red's words jolted Dawn's memory and he recalled what Spitfire had said to him the other day. "The true winners are those who seek not to defeat their enemies, but save them."
For the moment, he decided to shelve speculation on his own development. That could always come later. However, the events of the present still needed to be addressed. "What now?"
"Storm has likely taken care of all the minutiae of the incident," said Red, "So there is nothing you need to worry about for the time being. Set these dark matters aside." He smiled at Dawn. "Rest, stay with your mother. Right now, you two need each other more than anything else. All your other worries can come later."
It was Fluttershy who answered now. "Alright." She tightened her hold on Dawn, as though she were afraid he would vanish the instant she relaxed her arms. The colt nodded silently at Red's instructions and leaned into his mother's embrace.
Red and Applejack smiled at the sight before turning to look at each other. They said their farewells and left Fluttershy's quaint little cottage to make their way back in the direction of town.
Dawn sat in silence. He wanted nothing more at that moment, then to let everything go and simply bask in the warmth of Fluttershy's affection. However, he remembered that there was still one important detail that had not been addressed during their conversation. Willow had imparted to him a critical piece of information; namely, how she had found him in Ponyville.
It was only a matter of time before those who had commissioned Willow's skills learned of her failure and death and began to take other measures to seek his life. However, Dawn was already fairly certain that even this piece of information would not do anything to rectify that. It could wait for now.
But the fact remained that the actions of a certain pony needed to be redressed. Dawn settled himself for now, but resolved to contact Spitfire, one way or another.
"What now?" asked Applejack, looking at Red River. As she did, she found her body tensing. Her mind flashed back to what she had just learned in the cottage earlier. Unconsciously, she put some distance between herself and the stallion.
If Red noticed the increased distance between them, his expression did not indicate it. "We should head back home ourselves," he said, "I think your sister could use some comfort as well."
His words drove everything else completely from her mind and Applejack froze in place. "Oh ponyfeathers!" she exclaimed, "Apple Bloom!" Tears of shame rushed from her eyes as she realized that she'd completely forgotten that her little sister had been there. Bloom might not have seen Willow's death, but she had weathered the ordeal in the schoolhouse, probably frightened out of her mind. And Applejack, who should have been there to comfort her, had been nowhere to be found, even afterward.
Before Red River could say anything else, Applejack broke into a gallop, rushing as fast as she could towards Sweet Apple Acres. Red River let out a sigh that lay somewhere between exasperation and relief before setting into a gallop after her.
Even though the sun's light was fading and night was beginning to fall over Ponyville, the schoolhouse was still occupied, its lights still lit, even though it was well past time for anypony to be there now. Inside, the still air was rent by the sound of quiet sobs. Cheerilee remained at her desk, where she had been since she had seen the last of the students and their parents out. No matter how much she wanted to stop, she couldn't keep the tears from flowing.
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Yay it's here :)
Think you meant 'right' there.
The 't' is not italicised.
Dawn wants to contact Spitfire? That... does not sound good. Not good at all. And Scoots... hugs coming your way!
ANGST ANGST AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANGST!
In all seriousness, great chapter! Can't wait to see what happens next!
I have a confession. When I first started reading your saga, I was tempted to dismiss it as yet another author with a Gary Stu oc. I was wrong, and I humbly ask that you forgive my first impression. You have managed to craft a tale that continues to hold my interest. As for the cliff hangers that people seem to hate? What can I say, haters gonna hate. Pay them no mind, you are doing an excellent job holding this reader's attention.
Great chapter, keep up the good work
Oooooooooooooooooohhh jooooooooooooyyyyy let us all sing the letters out loud!!!!!
Oh poor Scootaloo. I hope this doesn't get in the way of her training. And Dawn clearly just developed a new technique all his own. Plz just don't call it Electro Ball. Lamest Pokemon move ever.
Are there really still people whining about you writing suspense? The Cliffhangers are one of the reasons this is such a great series.
Awww Dawn... Fluttershy and Caramel, tend to your boy please.
As for Twilight taking a nap.... dreamscape anyone?
Oh dear is twilight getting a roofie?
And the number 2 thing I didn't even notice until I read the author note.
Can't wait for the next chapter
You know I was just being silly with my last comment right? If I have anything to complain about it is that the cliffhangers (and the story/series as a whole) are so good that I drop everything else I may be doing at the time to read the next chapter/installment. There is only one other story I am following at the moment that catches attention like that and the common denominator is drama.
Anyone who is complaining for real needs a wake up call, that is how real stories are structured. The two part MLP episodes do it, the MLP comics do it within a given story arc, that is just how writing works.
fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/296/f/7/deal_with_it____flutter_style_by_j_brony-d4doxfk.png
Anyway...poor Dawn. Looking someone in the eyes while they take their own life is something that you never really get over. Even though he is not the one who dealt the killing blow and Willow is the one who put the two of them in a situation where it was either him or her the fact remains that he is alive and Willow is not. Rather, by living Dawn forced Willow to die to maintain her professionalism. Perhaps Dawn now has a better understanding of what it means to walk down the path he has chosen. If he wants to continue walking it then he will become much more acquainted with death before this story is over. It is unfortunately one of those things that becomes easier to deal with the more you do it.
Super Saian Dawn, always getting stronger when someone nearly kills him.
But seriously, i liked that chapter. Willow ending herself was intense.
Thanks for another excellent chapter, please keep up the great work!
Good chapter, but what I am most curious about is that last paragraph: none of the other were affected like she was, at least to that extent, I wonder why?
To be fair, you've jerked the audience around with "dramatic tension" several times. I'll freely admit that it IS a tool in for authors, but I do believe you go a tad heavy on it. I haven't read the comments, so I don't know what exactly people were complaining about, but this has been a running problem I've had with the story. Well, "problem" is a bit harsh-- I guess more of a peeve? Honestly, it's not that big a deal, just something that distracts from immersion in the story sometimes ("Oh, look, another cliffhanger! I wonder if Dawn's gonna nearly-die-but-not-really again! Yaaay angst fuel!").
nice writing bro this story is great. kinda wish dawn wouldive been the one to deal the killing blow but i kinda like how you did it and it didn't really take away from the warrior path he walks now. how is scoots gonna react to this all and what about cherrile?
find out in the next installment of shadow of the sun
Is it just me, or is the rate of the uploads increasing?
God damn
3624083 First off, if you think I tend to do it a lot, you need to read a lot more, because I don't do it nearly as often as some of the other authors on this site, including some of the biggest names out there. If you're getting upset or frustrated at a cliffhanger, GOOD! That's the entire point of an intra-narrative cliffhanger. Its entire point is to instill a sense of climax that demands resolution. Not a whole lot I can do if you have such a cynical view of these things that it actually throws you out of the story.
3624949
I think we'll just need to agree to disagree. I don't know which big names you're thinking of precisely, and honestly, I don't really want to take this there, because that's just begging to turn this into a massive internet argument. I stand by my opinion, but I respect that you disagree. It's not that big of a deal to me. *shrug*
3624977 Fair enough.
Wow! That was insane! Keep up the good work!
3624017 As a teacher she supposed to protect her students from getting hurt while at school. She is probably having serious doubt's about her abilities as a teacher because she couldn't protect her students from harm. Sure, no one is trained how to deal with an assassin, but someone who's in a fragile emotional state isn't going to think logically.
i.imgur.com/LEeJjyl.gif
I wonder how this will affect Scootaloo more than anyone else. Her reaction was skipped in this chapter which makes me even more curious. Mainly, does she feel responsible for Willow's death and how will it affect her training. Also, can Dawn use that electric move outside of the fog, or does it need the denser magic fog?
I don't mind cliffhangers, I think they give the reader something to look forward to, namely, the next chapter. One of my favorite stories, Past Sins, has a wonderful amount of cliffhangers. Not every chapter needs them, but personally, I rather enjoy them.
You bastard
, you made me think Willow had slit Scootaloos throat and then you switch to another character. You evil GENIUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I give you 20 out of 5 mustaches
them
_________________________
I'm sad that Willow died. She was a cool pony for an assassin, but so far this is pretty cool.
no pony for Cheerilee
I have devoured...devoured through the books and chapters to this point. This has been a fun treat to read. My previous remarks are to be taken with a smile, as opinions and observations are just that.
Love it! Love it! Love it!
Still weeping tears for Chrysalis...
Brilliant, another chapter where the characters pointless bickering has cost them a valuable asset. This story is beginning to remind me of Dragon Ball, where you wait an entire episode and nothing of interest happens then when the good guys have the bad guy on the ropes they stand around chatting letting the bad guy either get an advantage or escape. Honestly for master matial artists with years of experience they are idiots when it comes to handling their opponents. Its like having three underpowered Gokus with three times the naivety. They finaly had a lead on the cult solar and let it get away before anything productive can be done with it. Fucking typical, back to the filler episodes until they meet again DBZ style.
It would have frightening implications of willow did show up considering either necromancy would be a thing, a miracle
manpony exists, or Willow somehow managed to make a very, very convincing suicide.It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away everything he's got and everything he's ever gonna have. - William Munny
That would have been interesting to say the least. What you could have done instead, was have Willow keep her role as an antagonist but make her a Knight as well. Since the Knights have the authority to do their own thing without informing Celestia, she could have deemed Dawn to be too great a threat to Equestria (and by extension, the rest of the world) due to the power he holds at such a young age. Either way, I liked Willow's character and am sad we won't be seeing more of her.
And now all interest in the events are gone, together with any respect I had for you. Not only are you too jaded to care about the bullshit you pulled, but you're blamind the reader for pointing it out, rather aggressively I might argue. And what's your excuse? "Dramatic payoff"? That's a crock of shit and you know it. Your excuse for buildup would work if the previous chapter wasn't so painfully ham-fisted and unnecesary, or if it didn't completely kill the tension in the first place! Others are willing to overlook your bullshit, but that doesn't excuse any of it. You didn't build anything up, you fucking abandoned the climax, you conceited cunt!
Poor Cherilee. HUGS FOR HER!
It took me about 3 re-reads of this series, but I believe the pony that cut Red and Storm down to be Arkenstone, because earlier in the series, when Arkenstone met up with Red and Storm, they seemed to be good acquaintances, and would explain how he met them, since he traveled constantly, and how he thought they would be proper guards for the town, knowing some of their history. Also with how Red describes to be cut into pieces, because that was how Arkenstone deals with Earl Flint later on.
8187433
Yep. It was Arkenstone.
I like Willow
So a rasegean