Right Behind You

by BleepBloop2

Bits and Burning

[Present]

[Celestia]

Celestia’s ears flattened against her skull as the Changeling Queen stormed into her study, a bottle of the Apple Family’s Hard Cider floating in her telekinetic grip. As the Queen took a swig, Celestia made a note that Changelings can apparently consume liquid, as well as become intoxicated.

Setting down her quill, Celestia said, “What is the matter, Chrysalis?”

Placing the bottle, now empty, onto Celestia’s desk, Chrysalis stumbled over to the window. The view of Canterlot outside was impressive indeed, tall towers and arching bridges among the many sights to be seen in the grandest city in Equestria. Not the most populous, for that was Manehatten, nor the richest, which was Las Pegasus, but few could deny the splendour of Canterlot.

“Eighteen Changelings died today,” Chrysalis snarled. “Not that you care.” The bottle flew over to the Queen, who sighed when she found it empty.

“On the contrary, every death within my borders pains me deeply. What was the cause?” None of the guards had reported anything beyond ill feelings towards changelings. Surely she would have heard if there was outright violence.

“You know the cause,” Chrysalis replied, the anger in her voice giving way to sadness. “It was him.”

Ah. ‘Him’ could only be the ever elusive Spy. “He killed eighteen of your changelings? In one day?”

Chrysalis nodded jerkily. “He kills a half a dozen of the castle staff per day, and it seems he’s decided to taunt the guards today. Bodies are piling up. It’s only natural he’ll get some changelings. But eighteen in one day is…” the Changeling Queen trailed off into a shudder. “Changelings sense emotions much better than ponies, we know when one of our own dies. The castle stinks of it.”

“Perhaps we should have everyone in the castle move in pairs,” Celestia mused. “It might put some strain on the guards to have every patrol needing double the ponies, but I’m sure they can manage.”

“And what of my changelings?” Chrysalis asked.

“They can either be paired with another changeling, or we can put one of each in a pair.”

Chrysalis nodded. “You know all that will do will give him more to kill. I don’t know how you have gained his ire so, but perhaps you can tell me so I can make sure to never do it.”

[Present]

[Spy]

A quick visit to the library, with only one murder along the way, gave me all the information to be had on the odd bug-pony I backstabbed. Changelings were a race of shapeshifters that fed on ‘love’. While not the oddest thing I’ve ever heard, it was certainly the most girly. Then again, it was a land full of talking ponies. Best to just roll with it.

The thing was that changelings and ponies had been enemies, until recently. A few weeks ago, Celestia invited the Queen here and they worked out a treaty. Changelings get food, and in return Celestia gets help finding me. I’m actually flattered. I’m dangerous enough she actually went to her most hated enemy for help. Not that it was really helping her.

Now, what to do about this Queen bug? Can’t be having people helping Celestia, no, she has to be alone. With how scared the staff in the castle are, it shouldn’t take many more deaths to scare them all out of the castle, though I’m unsure if that is a good thing or not. It gives me less disguises, and guards tend to know each other, making impersonating one almost a challenge. On the other hand, it’ll demoralise the guards, make Celestia guilty she couldn’t protect them, and possibly incite a panic when the public learns why they all quit. What to do, what to do.

Where was I? Yes, bug royalty. Well, she has to go. But it might be an idea to get her away from the Princesses. Or perhaps the other way around?

Oh, I can see it now. Some town burning down, just like during the war. I wonder if I can spell my name in the flames? Only one way to find out. Now, to pick a town. It has to be close, but not too close. Small, but not too small. It’s a good thing libraries have maps, the land has changed too much for my memories to be of any use.

Ponyville looks perfect for this.

[One thousand and two years ago]

[Spy]

I hate the smell of burning pony. It smells too good to be something that can talk. It’s been days since I managed to keep any food down, the smell was just too thick in the air, and I think the hunger was starting to get too me.

Luna had us on the assault. We were a small seven man team. Well, one man and six ponies, but who gives a fuck, right? Let me tell you, ponies don’t know shit about war. They say this one is already a year and a half old, which is the longest one they’ve ever had. I was never much of a history student, but I remember something about a Hundred Year war, which had the ponies almost flabbergasted. One was actually sick when I told them the death tolls for the First and Second World Wars. Seems their country only had a population of a couple hundred thousand before the war.

Anyway, yeah, ponies suck at war. They leave ponies alive behind him, not that those ponies do anything. Until I suggested going against it, they actually used the age old tactic of ‘lets everyone line up facing each other and charge until we can’t’, for crying out loud!

Which led to this seven being team. It was a test run, of sorts. I was nominally in charge, this being my idea. It was getting harder to get to Celestia each time now, so Luna decided to give her sister time to be paranoid and sent me away for a while, making sure her sister found out about it, but not about where I was going.

Still, the line of fire we were leaving behind us was probably a good indicator.

We were pretty deep into Celestia’s territory, supposedly, but we hadn’t seen one of her soldiers in days. As for what we were doing, burning and slaughtering made up the majority of it, though I made sure to look for anything interesting in any fancy houses we found, and the ponies did their share of pillaging as well. Got the rights to three companies, membership in two guilds and a marriage contract to some mid-ranking noble that was apparently good looking for a pony. I wonder if I could sell that?

I’m getting distracted too easily. It’s the hunger. I need to eat, and soon. I keep looking at the ponies and remembering that time I ate horse, god was it amazing. Best meal I’ve ever had, hands down. Perfectly cooked steak is hard to come by, more so when it’s something as looked down on to eat as horse. I had dreams about that steak even before coming here. Not had any since I got here though. Not had to sleep, now that I think about it. I was tired at first, but it’s gone now. I feel like I could sprint a marathon, or at least jog one.

I put the finishing touches to the village we were working on, then started looking for the rest of the team. Hopefully, if you looked at all the fire on a map, it would look like a smiley face. It’s the little things that keep me sane. And I’m definitely sane, the voice in my head says so.

The rest of the team was around an honest to god chest of gold coins. It was full to spilling over. Jackpot for them, I guess, though I was looking to get my hands on some currency - I refuse to call it bits, just straight up refuse - incase the whole assassin thing went sour.

“Split it seven ways,” I suggested, and all the ponies nodded. One of the unicorns, his name was Sparkle or Twinkle, something ridiculous like that, started dividing them into piles.

While he did that, I looked around the town. It was done for, the fields burned and salted, homes destroyed, the well full of bodies. Nothing would live here for a good while.

“This is the last one, ladies and gents. We’re heading back once the coins are divided up.” I got a round of ‘ayes’ and ‘yessirs’, though nothing enthusiastic. Ponies don’t like war, aren’t fans of conflict. They found the way it made me smile… disconcerting. Me, I just wonder how they can't smile with the adrenaline thundering through their veins. You’d have to be crazy not enjoy that.

It was twelve days of walking back to Luna’s camp, though given we had been away for almost a month it was almost more than the unicorns could handle. Pegasi could swap between flying and walking, giving the other muscles a rest, and normal ponies are basically machines.

Luna was surprised to see us back so soon. Before we set out, I’d told her it’d probably take us a while to get back past whatever soldiers Celestia put in our way, but there was nothing. We destroyed some prime farmland, and Celestia did nothing about it. It made me nervous. I said as much to Luna.

“My sister is planning something,” she said. I’m so glad I got her to drop the archaic speech, at least around me. Made her much easier to understand. “She would not leave her lands so unprotected if she were not. But I can think of nothing that would take her attention from this conflict except him.” Her voice was a little hoarse towards the end. She had mentioned a mysterious, dangerous him a couple times already now, but refused to talk about him. Said that speaking his name gave him power.

“Could she be seeking his help?” I asked, stretching out on a row of cushions. We were in Luna’s tent, a giant thing of dark blue and silver. I’m pretty sure there was a lot of gossip about the stranger spending a lot of time alone with the Princess. Truth is, she had the nicest digs and it’s not like she used them. She didn’t sleep as much as she should.

Luna shook her head. “No. She would not dare. She hates him, with a burning passion I could not hope to match. The stars in the sky will die before she releases him voluntarily. She would no more seek his help than I would.”

I opened my mouth to agree with her, but something came over me, and a voice that belonged in nightmares spilled from my lips. “But what if she would?”

Luna froze, eyes widening to ludicrous proportions. “She would not dare,” she whispered. “She would not.” She sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than me. She stood there for about ten minutes, just staring at nothing. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. Without warning, she spun around to face me, screaming “BE SILENT!”

I held my hands up, open and palms out. “Luna, I haven't spoken in about ten minutes.”

She looked at me like she was seeing me for the first time. “Yes, of course. I merely meant the noises from beyond the tent.”

We both paused, listening to the near silence outside. I think I could hear a bird chirping, but it may have been the slight breeze.

I started moving towards the tent flap. “I think you should take a break, Luna. Relax, take a lazy day. I’ll get out of your mane.” Not waiting for a reply, I slipped out of the tent and got away from the superpowered crazy horse.

I was honestly considering deserting at this point. Fuck, when did I get in deep enough for it to be deserting? I’m not a soldier. At best, I’d just be quitting a job. I didn’t even sign a contract. Either way, I had enough cash and stamina to get me to whatever passed for civilisation in this technology forsaken place, but something kept me here. I’m no history buff, but I’m pretty sure civil wars rarely end well. Having the two leaders be basically immortal can’t help. Right now, I was Luna’s ace in the hole. I could take her sister off the board, letting Luna take the field without worry. I doubt Celestia would be happy with me sitting on a beach somewhere, sunning myself, if she won, especially after the number of times I killed her. Luna wouldn’t be happy with me just up and leaving. Besides, Luna needed me.

Goddammit, I just convinced myself to stay, didn’t I? Fucking Celestia. I’m gonna kill her extra hard next time.

Author's Note:

New chapter. Any ideas for better chapter names, let me know.

Also, going to try and move updates to once a week instead of once a fortnight. No promises. Anyone interested in helping me proofread/come up with chapter titles send me a PM.

Comments

[The Zealot]

Is it wrong that this story always makes me smile? No? Good. So anyway, dear author, this is fantastic, I do wish I could help with you naming delima, but alas it is beyond me, so I leave you simply with my best of wishes.

[BronyGeek]

So what's happened to Luna now? In the second chapter, it says Spy has maybe eighteen hours before Luna reforms, but here it says it's a few weeks since the Changelings came. I've looked through the story again and find no explanation. Am I missing something?

[Zaralann]

Awesome chapter!

[The Shade]

Slaughters and Smiles?
Poison and Parties?
Raiding the Raiders?
Honestly, just ask me, it took me roughly thirty seconds to think those up.

[Okhlahoma Beat-Down]

I bet 'he' is the Pyro. Or, Spy's mate that dressed up as Soldier. Either way he's probably a Spy-checker. Or Sniper. Sniper should appear. Or some other guy from the Convention.

[BleepBloop2]

4293649

They do, which is why I'm wanting help thinking up better ones. I'm just really bad at aliteration

[BleepBloop2]

4293589

That is a good question, one Spy doesn't know the answer to. Luna is mentioned in the latest chapter, but before that Spy doesn't know where she was or what she was doing.

[The Shade]

4293677 PM me some of what the next chapter'll have and i'll try to come up with some alliterations for it.
Stabbing The Soldier/Sniper? xD

[SuperWeegeeWorld]

It should be obvious who the dangerous 'him' is. I won't give it to you, but his name ends with a D.

[Lag Incarnate]

4293946
But I thought Blueblood wasn't born yet.

[Another_Dead_Account1109]

4293580

I do the same, do not worry about it.

[SuperWeegeeWorld]

4294104

...good guess, but no.

[Jess887cp]

I must say, this is probably my favorite LoHAV story. He is just so much more...scary...than all the other villains. It may have something to do with the amount of times I've been backstabbed though.

[The Spy of the Tiger]

I think a good name for a chapter could be Death and Discord, and I am certain that 'Him' is either Sombra or Discord, but if it goes against your plans don't accept the name.

[DerpedRainbow]

Me, I just wonder how they can smile with the adrenaline thundering through their veins. You’d have to be crazy not enjoy that.

So they hate how he smiles, and he hates how they smile?

Is one Pinkie smiling?

[BleepBloop2]

4302326

Ah, that's a typo. Will fix tonight after work.

[BleepBloop2]

4302326

Fixed. Thanks for pointing that out.

[Jerrrry]

Until I suggested going against it, they actually used the age old tactic of ‘lets everyone line up facing each other and charge until we can’t’
sharge wood be proud

[Yubella]

Goddammit, I just convinced myself to stay, didn’t I? Fucking Celestia. I’m gonna kill her extra hard next time.

Do it for me