Dusk to Dawn

by Izzy G

Part Three: Dawn

The passing pony would have barely noticed the darkly cloaked mare leading a small group of three others into the thickest part of the city that night. There was the muffled clinking of hooves on the tiled roofs, the creaking of wood boards that barely hung onto windows by rusted nails as a breeze blew over the city, but otherwise there was silence.

Ink Flash slowly crept through the city, staying to the lower buildings and clinging to the shadows. Moonshine was following from a slightly higher level. Moonstruck, the unicorn, followed from the ground along with Star Strike. Ink tried to keep herself calm. It was an honor to lead this expedition and she felt the weight of the responsibility bearing down on her. She was in charge of three other lives, ones that she did not wish to get involved in the first place.

Sighing, she paused at the edge of a wide alley. For a moment, she couldn't help but smile. As she watched, a ghost-like version of her younger self tried to jump the gap, but slipped as her back hooves didn't reach the next ledge. She let out of a muffled gasp, but Silent rushed forward grabbed her and pulled her up with a patient smile on his face.

Moonshine came to stand beside her. “Something wrong?” she spoke in a low voice, almost inaudible.

Ink shook her head. “Just lost in memories.”

Smiling softly, she unfurled her wings and took several steps back before running forward and jumping over the large gap. Grabbing the ledge of the other roof tightly, she pulled herself up with no problem. Her smile grew slightly proud as she folded her wings in. If only you could see me now, love... she thought as she looked back at the other ledge at Moonshine.

The mare hesitated, judging the distance. Ink sighed and flapped her wings hintingly while looking around to make sure no pony else was watching. Fear widened Moonshine's eyes as she took a couple steps back then ran to the ledge and jumped. Knowing she wasn't going to make it from the beginning, she unfurled her wings as soon as she took to the air and glided over the ledge to land next to Ink.

“Sorry,” she smiled nervously, folding in her wings, “I haven't quite gotten the hang of jumping gaps yet.”

Ink shook her head, turning back in the direction they were headed. “Good thing you're a pegasus. I had the same problem at your age. I was so small that my master just started allowing me to rely on my wings for large gaps during training. Now c'mon. Keep close to the shadows and stay within earshot of me.”

Moonshine nodded as Ink hurried up the side of a taller building, hoping for a better vantage point. What she got was a view into what she thought Hell must look like. The main square was crowded with tents of all sizes and colors. A few fires still burned from dinner earlier in the evening. Ink withdrew as soon as she as she had appeared, ducking behind a corner and grabbing Moonshine as she did so. She held a hoof to her lips and and motioned around the corner, letting Moonshine steal a glance at the square. She stifled a gasp and looked back at Ink.

“What do we do?” she mouthed, emerald eyes wide and tearing slightly from fear. She was shaking.

Ink motioned down to the smaller courtyard where Moonstruck and Star Strike were waiting. Nodding, Moonshine followed Ink as she jumped down and used her wings to slow her fall, catching Moonshine when she landed clumsily. She smiled as she set the mare down, folding her wings in and turning to the others.

“Alright,” Ink kept her voice low. “There are at least ten tents in the square, and Celestia knows how many in each tent, or whom we are even dealing with. I could find no colors or crest that would show who these invaders are but-”

There was a slight whistling sound as a throwing knife whizzed past Ink's nose and impaled itself in the wall beside her. Ink, out of reflex, pushed Moonshine behind her and her eyes flew to the roofs and her father positioned himself in front of Moonstruck. Dark chuckling sounded off the walls around them, but Ink found it nearly impossible to pinpoint where it was coming from due to the echo. After what seemed like forever, a light blue mare stepped out of the shadows of a surrounding building and stood just on the edge of the roof.

“Ah, Ink Flash, the notorious student of that crazed Silent Shadow,” the mare let a grin twist her face as Ink bristled, muscles tensing. “It's so nice to meet you after hearing about you for so long. It seems you have met my group already, so I'll keep the introductions short.”

“What do you want, Dawn?” Ink growled in a low voice, pressing the back of her front, right hoof into the ground. As the blade obediently slid out, she slowly wiggled her hoof until the blade was hidden in the dust.

Dawn smiled, “Need we be so testy with each other? We are old friends after all,” she tossed her head to get her long, lavender mane out of her eyes. “Shouldn't we catch up on old times?” Ink only braced herself in answer. Dawn sighed in a bored fashion and rolled her eyes, “Pity I have to kill you.”

“Try it,” Ink growled, wanting nothing more than to rip out Dawn's windpipe and watch with pleasure as she stared at Ink in surprise and bled out for only a few painful last seconds.

Dawn shook her head, “You never learn, do you? I guess Silent didn't teach you as well as they say he did.”

Ink tensed even more, but tried to keep calm. Her eyes scanned the rooftops of the nearby buildings anxiously, struggling to listen for the clinking of hooves on the tiles or weapons over the howling of the wind. She nodded just slightly, hoping her father still remembered that signal from her training. To her relief, she heard the slight creak of metal then a click. Ink couldn't help but smile. If he had enough bolts, her father could easily take out the guards on the surrounding buildings and get the other two to safety, leaving Ink to take care of Dawn.

“Injure, but try not to kill. Leave them handicapped,” she whispered in an extremely quiet voice, barely moving her lips.

Dawn sighed. “This has been most fun, my dear Ink Flash, but I must bid you adieu. Your dear princesses are in need of my attention.”

Ink didn't flinch. “Now,” she whispered and pushed Moonshine out of the way, then grabbed a low window on a nearby building and used the motion to get her high enough off the ground to give a solid down-stroke and land on the roof. Acting on muscle memory from her training, she dove into a crack between two buildings and clung to the shadows as one of Dawn's minions hurried by. For several moments, Ink pressed herself against the wall and held her breath, listening as ten clicks of a small crossbow were followed each by ten muffled thuds. She could hear Dawn cry out angrily.

“Cheap tricks, Ink Flash! Cheap tricks!” She laughed as she thought about it, “A trick fitting for one under the banner of the red moon.”

Ink kept her breathing even, pressing her hoof-blade back into place and instead drawing several throwing knives. Carefully, she crept to the edge of the alley and threw one in Dawn's direction, the flame-like blade carving a deep line in her neck before embedding itself in a wall. Dawn stifled a scream of pain and pressed a hoof against the wound.

“You continue to prove me right, Ink Flash! You are nothing but a coward! Face me fairly, you sorry excuse for an assassin!”

Keep to the shadows, use them to your advantage.

Never let your emotions rule you in a fight.

Use whatever tactics necessary to survive.

Just as Ink was about to reach for her kodachi, a scream of pain echoed from the courtyard.

No...father... Ink cursed to herself, thinking over the situation carefully but quickly.

Dawn chuckled, and there was the hiss of metal against stone. “Pity your daughter is such a coward, Star Strike. It would have been fun to kill both of you at once.”

Ink peered around the corner to find Dawn standing over her father, gripping a crystal hilted dagger. A sadistic grin snaked its way across her face as she watched the dark stallion writhe in pain, blood leaking from the deep wound in his chest and staining the ground of the small courtyard a deep red. Ink bit her lip and pulled out another knife, pulling back her leg to throw it, when she was forced to the ground from behind.

As soon as she hit the ground, she rolled on her back, forcing her attacker off. In front of her stood a white unicorn with a pale brown mane, pale red eyes glowing hatefully. Ink hurried to her hooves and drew her kodachi, bracing herself. The unicorn drew a kukri, a large curved knife, with inscriptions along the blade. Ink almost laughed. It looked like the blade she gave Silent those many months ago.

He stepped forward, then seemingly disappeared. Ink didn't even flinch as she listened closely and followed the slight clink of metal. The unicorn was trying to use a technique originally designed for a blade along the lines of her own kodachi, not the oddly shaped blade of a kukri. After-shadows of the unicorn surrounded her and for a moment, Ink almost lost track of the actual unicorn.

But not quite.

He stepped forward to attack, but hesitated for too long and ruined the effect caused by his after-shadows. Ink immediately struck, hitting the unicorn's hoof with the pommel of her blade and making him drop his own. She quickly kicked it out of reach and swung the sword around to carve a large gash up the unicorn's chest. Blood sprayed out of the wound and he only had a few moments to stare at Ink in disbelief before he collapsed.

Ink sighed and put her kodachi back in its scabbard and kneeling to close the unicorn's eyes. Old habits die hard... “Rest in peace,” she whispered and stood, going to look at the scene playing out in the courtyard.

Her father had managed to get back on his hooves, although Ink could tell he wouldn't last much longer. Taking a deep breath, she pulled out one of her throwing knives and ran to the edge of the building overlooking the courtyard. Without pausing, she threw it and smiled when it hit Dawn square in her left flank.

Dawn screamed out in agony, ripping the knife out, and turned to face Ink with murder in her eyes. “So you finally face me.”

“Moonshine,” Ink called, ignoring Dawn's taunts, “get my father out of here. Moonstruck, go with them.”

Moonshine appeared like a wraith from a nearby alley and helped Star Strike out of the courtyard, then disappearing just as quickly. Her brother quickly followed, casting an uneasy glance at Ink. Dawn didn't even make a move to stop them. Her eyes were all for the prize, for the silver pegasus now perched on the rooftop. She loved the anger in Ink's eyes, loved that she knew she had genuinely angered the assassin that was notoriously cold in battle. There were joking rumors that the heart in her cutie mark was not crystal, but ice.

The two only glared at each other for the longest time, neither pony making a move. Both knew that the second either did, it would be over. The space between them crackled with energy, and Ink itched to draw a throwing knife and see how many sparks would fly when she threw it. She watched as Dawn reached over and picked up a dagger with a crystal handle, her eyes watching Ink with interest.

“I hear you've lost something, Ink Flash.”

“It's a blade. Everything I own can be replaced,” she intoned in a hollow voice, forcing herself to be numb.

“Pity, though, that you did not use it the way it was supposed to be used. I wonder how well your fool of a father will be with poison coursing through him.”

Ink tensed.

Stay calm, Ink. Never show your emotions. You never know what's a bluff and what's true. Worry about now.

Ink only took a slow, deep breath and spoke up in the same hollow voice from before. “Half a year ago, you and your little troop attacked me in the woods. While I was able to defeat your minions, I was pretty sure I would be dead were it not for the fact that -unknown to me- my now husband had tailed me. I have no idea what he did to you after I passed out, but I'm guessing it wasn't pleasant.”

Anger set Dawn's eyes ablaze. “You will never know the pain I suffered because of him. Not only did he break my horn, I was shamed by my family for failing to kill you.”

Ink snorted with a chuckle. “No wonder you can't do anything yourself anymore. You always did rely on your magic.”

“And you rely on your stupid tricks! We are no better than one another!”

Ink glared at Dawn, pouring every ounce of hate in her small form into her turquoise eyes. “I do not use tricks,” she growled. “I only use skill.” She felt some sense of gratification that Dawn actually shrunk away slightly as a gust blew through the courtyard, making Ink's cloak flare as if to punctuate her words. She calmed down, taking a deep breath. “Now, die here or run and never utter my name, or those of my father or master, ever again.”

Dawn only laughed. “What are you going to do if I-?”

“Die.” Ink whispered coldly and swiftly jumped down, pulling her kodachi out in the same motion and running it across Dawn's throat the second she touched ground. Ink smiled for the shortest moment when blood poured out of the wound before Dawn fell to the ground. Sighing, Ink sheathed her blade and turned to the mare to catch her last words.

“I-I nev-ver p-poisoned h-him, I-i-ink,” she gasped, eyes fluttering shut, “And I-i t-take it b-back you a-a-re ver-ry g-” she never got to finish that last word as her eyes grew glassy and she turned limp.

Ink let a relieved smile cross her lips as she knelt and closed Dawn's eyes. “May you find the peace your restless soul was searching for. Rest well, my old friend.”

With a sigh, Ink picked up the dagger and wiped it off on her cloak before slipping it in its proper holster on her bandoleer. Smiling, Ink turned to face the rising Sun before disappearing into the shadows.