Verità Camminatore

by Mr Foster

Casa

I looked over the four Assassins before me with genuine approval. All of them were full Assassins, covered in armor, their white robes bright in the sunlight.

It had been a month, and they were already nearly at Cloudsdale. Air travel was always faster. They had done their research on cloudsdale, and it was possibly the easiest to clean out. There were 2 low nobles part of the Tempest order. Even though they were low, they completely controlled all of the money. One was a banker, and the other was the client of the latter pony.

“We’re here, Verità.” Said Artiglio, who hadn’t moved an inch since we got onto the chariot. He had developed a calm and cool sensibility, making it look like he doesn’t care.

“Alright, I suggest you guys use that cloud walker spell.” I said, pointing towards the three unicorns. Their horns glowed, and a weird aura surrounded them.

“Alright, let’s go.” I said. I tossed five pieces to the driver, and he saluted to us, as we jumped out of the carriage, into the cloud city.

We landed softly on a cushy looking cloud. It seemed that no one was out at the dead of night. The moon was the only thing illuminating our path, and it did well enough.

“Were is the sanctuary?” Asked Dawn, and I sighed.

“Did I not already explain to you that there is no sanctuary?” I asked, and he lowered his head.

“Were are we going then?” Asked Coco, and I smiled.

“Home.” I said, walking carefully across the clouds.

We walked for about half an hour, until we came across a massive mansion, where my cottage had previously been. Perhaps somepony tore it down, and built over it?

“I’m going to go and check it out. You stay here, watch out for any cloudsdale guards. They have a knack for picking on cloud-walkers.” I said, then immediately took off towards the house.

I looked around, not daring to flap my wings, for fear of making noise. I found an easy path up the side of the building, and immediately climbed it, spreading my wings like stabilizers. I made it up to the top, where there was thankfully a glass dome to look down upon the house. I looked in, my eyes scanning the area, when I saw them.

My step-mother and my father.

They were in their mid-50’s by now, their mane and tail grey, their faces wrinkled. They were eating dinner, and obviously had set out a place for myself and my brother. I shook my head, and ran back over the edge, diving into the clouds.

“It’s them. Though I’m not sure of the welcome we will get.” I said, and the Assassins nodded, their faces hidden by their hoods.

“Then let’s go.” Said Artiglio, smiling a bit.

We walked over to the massive mansion door, and I quickly knocked on it.

“Coming!” I heard my mother say, and I took in a deep breathe.

The door opened, and my mother looked at us, her face growing with happiness.

“My dear Angel!” shouted my mother, who put her forelegs around me. I heard my father get up quickly, and rush over to the door.

“Angel!” He shouted, as he hugged me as well.

I heard sobbing noises from them, and I looked back at the group of assassins, who were just smiling mischievously.

“Father, it is good to see you again.” I said quietly, and their faces lit up.

“We thought you were dead! What has happened to you, and who are these ponies?” asked my father, and I sighed.

“Well, we better prepare a larger dinner, because it seems like it’s going to be a long story.” Said my mother, smiling.

“So, you’re saying that you have joined an group of Assassins that are over a thousand years old, that you’ve been killing corrupt nobles for most of your life, that you’ve been trotting around the world for 8 years now, and all this because a foal killed your big brother?” Asked my father. I nodded silently, and my parents looked at each other.

“You would have never thought that your little girl would have grown up to be a trained killer.” Said my mother.

“A good one at that.” Said Artiglio, who was doing his silent-but-deadly demeanor.

“Are you her colt friend or something?” Asked my father.

Artiglio chuckled silently, raising his head just enough so that you could see his eyes.

“Apprentice.” He said, and my mother and father just nodded.

“Well, we’ll have the servants lay out beds for you. Amazing how wealthy you can come off of striking cloud oil these days.” Said my father, who then whistled. Servants popped out of seemingly now where, and ran into the rooms, makings beds and such.

“I’m going to bed, my parents. We have a big day tomorrow.” I said, and the other assassins nodded.

“We’ll see you in the morning, darling.” Said my mother, as I walked off to the bedroom.

------

I perched on the top of a tower, looking down upon all of the Pegasi below me. It had been 2 months since I had come to Cloudsdale, and it was apparent that I wasn’t going to be staying long. The banker and his client made no attempt at trying to hide themselves. We had been watching them for the whole time, and it wasn’t getting any harder. It was almost like they wanted us to find them.

Then I saw them. Two nobles, covered in red and white clothing, pranced through the town, surrounded by Cloudsdale guards. The citizens of cloudsdale kneeled, and I just smiled. I stood on my hind legs, and made a move forward signal with my hoof. I then jumped down, onto the soft cloud padding, into a group of playing foals.

They looked about eight or nine, and they all had their cutie marks. It seemed that the age to get them moved back around 7 or 6 years now to get their cutie marks. They all stared at me in awe, and I just walked through them. I heard a couple other assassins join me, all of us walking in different patterns. The banker and his client walked slowly into the large, domed building, and their guards waited outside. I raised each of my hooves, signaling to either side, and then slowly moved forwards toward the guards.

“Oh Merda.” I heard one of the younger guards say as I walked up. The others lowered their spears, and I just sighed.

“Move aside.” I saw, making my voice silky and smooth. The guards looked at eachother, and they nodded, moving out of the way.

“I’d rather not die today, for somepony who isn’t even paying me.” Said one of the heavily armed guards, and the others nodded.

I walked in, and immediately I heard the clacking of guns, as the Templar guards who were waiting there lowered their weapons, aiming at me. Obviously these were no ordinary guards. They had weird grip magic on their hooves, covered in metallic armor that not even a well place gunshot could pierce through. Their eyeholes glowed red and the barrels of their weapons were covered in elaborate carvings.

“Ah, Verità! I knew that you would be coming. It was only a matter of time!” Said the Banker, his Manehatten accent showing.

“Hello, Samuel. Got your goons to come and try to kill me?” I asked, and he laughed silently.

“No Verità. We’re going to make cloud oil out of you.” Said The Banker, and I sighed.

“You’re going to take me to the Weather Factory, and throw me into a vat of Rainbows? How delightful.” I said.

“Well, you might as well enjoy it.” Said the Banker. I noticed that his client had not said anything yet. I looked around the room, and saw that there was a body hanging from one of the pegs.

“You killed him?” I asked, and he nodded.

“Such a burden. He wasn’t even a Tempest. Just a poor soul who got caught in my plans.” Said the Banker.

I felt the barrel of the gun pushed up to my head, and I was then forced out of the domed building. I looked around, and saw my four Assassins. I just shook my head, and they disappeared into the crowd.

It was nightfall by the time I had reached the Weather Factory, and I was exhausted. I knew that my Assassins had trailed us, but by Celestia, was it a long walk.

“Assassino!” Shouted one of the guards. I opened my eyes, looking around wildly.

I must have dozed off while were walking through the factory. I couldn’t help it, the aroma or the Rainbows had always put my to sleep.

“Well now. Here ends your little chapter of life, Verità. You will be shot multiple times, and then falls backwards into the vat of hot Rainbow mix. You will then disentagrate, and the Assassin order will perish, losing its final assassin.” Said the Banker. I looked around, seeing 3 of my Assassins hanging from different areas on the ceiling.

3?

I looked again, this time my eyes passing over the guards. I saw that one of them had a slight mischievous smile on his face, and I immediately knew who it was.

Dawn, you crazy bastardo.

“Well? Go to the edge.” Said the banker, who waved his hoof forward at the same time. I backed up towards the edge, and sighed.

“Alright. Guards! Ready your weapons!” Shouted the banker, and all the guards immediately lowered their weapons at me.
I gritted my teeth, and watched as the actions of the guns slammed downwards. The explosion of fire hit me in the chest, tearing me apart. I fell backwards, my wings spreading. It wouldn’t have matter. I was already dead.

But was I?

I fell into the hot vat of Rainbows, expecting my life to be over.

It wasn’t until about a couple minutes until I had realized that I was still alive.

Merda.

I swam to the surface. But something felt wrong. The wounds in my chest had healed up, and I was now at full strength. I breached the surface, greeted by a blood bath. The Banker was holding his own against my four Assassins, but he wasn’t going to last long. I sighed, rolling my eyes, and quickly aimed my hidden gun at the Bankers back legs. I fired it quickly, and his leg tore off. He screamed in pain, and fell down, putting his hoofs around his stump.

“Well, I see the healing mix actually worked.” Said Dawn, smiling.

“Yeah, it did. I think you over enchanted it too much.” I said, looking around.

“Why do you say that?” Asked Artiglio, who was standing over the banker, his Axe poised in a position so that at the slightest movement he could kill him.

“I don’t know. It just doesn’t feel right. We’re going to have to visit a doctor afterwards.” I said. The banker groaned in pain, and I sighed.

“Someone just kill him, for Celestia’s sake!” I shouted, and Artiglio slammed the axe down on his head."

“Alright. Let’s get off this damn cloud.” I said, and the others nodded in agreement.

Author's Note:

It actually kinda hurts to reread all of this. Someone halp