The Sentinel of Crows

by Doctor Blizzard

The Reckoning

Twilight glanced back at Eileen with her boots starting and stopping against the floor. It was strange for her to hear the patter of footsteps in her normal world where every pace, trot, or gallop seemed to have an undeniable and rhythmic ring. But Eileen's way consisted of many diminuendos and crescendos, not to mention a faulty pace.

"So, why did you come inside if they said it's against the rules?" Twilight stopped just at the lip of the intersecting hallway next to the staircase of deception.

"I heard a strange noise and I thought you were being attacked. I probably let myself get carried away on that one. Then I guess I took a wrong turn and... well."

"A strange noise? I didn't hear anything extraordinary."

"Are you, sure? I could have sworn-"

"It-It's ok, don't worry about it. No one is hurt or anything like that." Twilight was quick to dismiss the case. Secretly, she had a sneaking suspicion that Eileen was probably trying to hear what her subconscious wanted her to.

"Ah, I see. Probably a tree snapping in the woods or, something like that." Eileen put her hand on her forehead, "am I freaking losing it or what?... Those damn bells!"

"I'm sure you're just under a lot of stress... is this what you do every Hearth's Warming?" Twilight raised a questionable eyebrow, "also, bells?"

"When the guards go home to their families, I'm their only protection... but to be honest, I—I do this almost always. Or, at least, when I can." Eileen followed Twilight through another hallway that she completely missed when entering. She began to trail off but she reminded herself of Twilight's question. "The bells? Oh... it's nothing to fret over."

"Why do you do that to yourself? You need to take a break! No wonder you-"

"Death doesn't take breaks, Twilight. A carefully placed blade is all it takes. It's my job to protect them when I can, ok?!... I will not let them get hurt, not while I'm around."

"But I'm sure they want you to take breaks. It's just—It isn't healthy. They can handle themselves." Hearing Eileen say those words, almost as if she swore an unwavering oath of flesh. Twilight's body shivered ever so subtly, creeping even closer to the truth.

"Twilight, you don't understand." Eileen found herself beginning to stumble over her words.

"What do I not understand, then?"

"Just wait until we talk to them. There's a lot you don't know, be patient."

Twilight squinted and gave Eileen a faint glower to her look, "I've been patient, Eileen."

"Patience is the greatest tool in anyone's arsenal, Twilight. But too little makes you impulsive. Too much makes you indecisive. Your trouble-making friend Rainbow Dash or even most of your friends lack this tool. Don't muck it up like they do."

"What did they ever do to you? Do you, not l-like them?"

"No, they act like children who are too ignorant to see the full scale of things. I've never met them personally, but when I see you all work, all I see are headless chickens. And perhaps my judgment is clouded, but not everything has a happy ending." Eileen watched Twilight's mouth stay agape and frozen in place.

"Excuse me, we've saved Equestria numerous times. We have a bond that's more powerful than every alicorn combined."

"And I'm not questioning that. But don't forget the work I've done that you'll never hear about in the press." Eileen sealed her lips, as did Twilight. They had established an agreement previously and did not want to abolish it. Twilight only bide her tongue for as long as she could before finally giving up.

"I just really think you should give my friends—A chance."

"Perhaps I should, who knows..."

"U-Uh, may I ask another question, E-Eileen?"

"Who's stopping you?" Eileen looked down to Twilight who bobbed her head around mindlessly, trying to find the right way to say what she wanted to say. "What is it?"

"Oh-I, I just wanted to ask, were you telling the truth about that... thing? The thing made of metal and wood? Could it really have, you know-"

"Killed you? Yes. It would have-"

"Please! Don't talk about things like, like—Like that."

Eileen peered through her mask and could see how elevated Twilight was. The experience of near death was seldom seen, especially in Twilight's society. Eileen knew what Twilight was starting to uncover at the surface.

"Ah... I forget that you fear death, sort of. Mortality."

"What? Are you immortal or something?" Enthused by a newfound passion, Twilight leaned in and eyed Eileen to no end.

"It's complicated, but I used to dream. And maybe I still do, I don't know."

"What does dreaming mean? Please tell me. You promised."

"Not yet."

"You better tell me everything, then." Twilight went as far as to sulk about being left out of a cache of valuable information.

"I can tell you a lot. But you may not be able to comprehend what you hear... Heh, even I can't understand some of it still."

"O-Ok, I think you underestimate my abilities. But thanks for the heads up." Twilight haughtily giggled under her breath. "I can handle my-hey! What the-"

Twilight quickly glared up at Eileen who easily wrapped her arms around Twilight's torso. Her hind legs skidded across the floor while Eileen stayed as silent as the night. Twilight suddenly noticed the door that was right on her face was completely open.

'Oh no, Cadance! What will she think of all of this?!' Twilight glanced up at Eileen and tapped her hand now tightly wrapped around her lavender body.

"Eileen, let me-"

"H-Hey! What are you doing?!"

"No-no! It's ok, Cadance!" Twilight flailed her free foreleg, "hold on a second!"

"What in Celestia's righteous mane are you?! Let go of her now!"

"Cadance, stop yelling, please!..." Twilight wanted to shout back but obviously knew better. But Cadance continued to charge her magic.

"Cadance, hun? What's going on?" Both Twilight and Eileen immediately fixated their gazes on Shining Armor, who flipped the switch in a matter of seconds.

"Shit, shit!... This went pear-shaped fast." Eileen's breathing started up fast and her pulse throbbed violently in her bloodshot eyes.

"Hey! Let go of my sister, asshole!" Shining Armor charged forward with his own horn in mind. Instinctively, Eileen began to pull her gun but Twilight quickly caught her in the act.

'I'm just going to have to take this one. I can't hurt them.' Eileen watched as Shining Armor closed the distance.

"Eileen, no!" Twilight reached over her hand and pushed down. The inside voice rule was officially ousted. "Just let him tackle you and let me go! I'll handle this!"

"Stop, stop-stop! Twilight! Your priming it!" Eileen pushed her hoof away as the hammer cocked back. Twilight fell out of Eileen's grasp, but it was too late. Shining Armor rammed into Eileen, but Twilight went down with her.

"Guh!" The air in Eileen's lungs was pressed out with extreme force, hitting her head and scattering some of her medical tools around. "T-Twilight, let go of my gun this instant!"

"No, don't use it!"

"I'm not going to!" Her other arm was pinned behind her back. And at some point, the trigger on her gun was effectively pulled. Her finger was able to hold the hammer back just enough, but with the incessant jerking and pulling from Twilight, it was slipping fast. Twilight tried pushing Shining Armor off of Eileen but he stood on top of her prone body. Her thumb was on a constant downward slope now fast fading.

"I know you're too stupid to get this, but let my finger go!"

"Don't yell at my sister you freak!" Shining Armor pushed harder and called out for others as Eileen desperately tried jerking her pinned hand free of the weight.

'Shit! She's not getting the message!... Eh-uh, p-plan b!' Eileen quickly looked around for a safe spot. She knew her gun was about to discharge. As her conscious took over, Eileen noticed a large window towering over her. 'It'll work. Do it, now!'

There was no room for mistakes when every millisecond counted. She brought her foot to Shining Armor's stomach, catching his horn when he instinctively leaned down. Years of studying the new anatomy of ponies revealed to Eileen many exploits she used almost always to her advantage. And she knew that unicorns had a very sensitive nerve at the base of their horns. With a generous tap, he toppled over next to Eileen. Twilight could not understand what happened to him, and she too fell victim to Eileen's attack.

But the struggle could not be any less frightening than the silence soon after. She felt her thumb slip as Twilight tightened her magic reflexively before blacking out. Eileen covered her closet ear.

Alas, nothing happened.

Her head throbbed with a leg pointed at the window, waiting for a plume of smoke and the roar of her firearm, preparing for the bullet to rip through her leg.

"Huh?!" Eileen stared down and noticed another's magic slowly unholstering her pistol and letting the hammer down gently. It became apparent once her eyes drifted up to Luna's inquisitive and somewhat conceited flare. 'Well then...'

"Cadance! Cadance, it's ok. Stand back. Celestia trotted up to her and carefully peeled her away from the scene. She handed over Flurry Heart to Cadance to deal with the situation.

"W-What do you mean "it's ok"?! Do you know this thing?!"

"Y—" Celestia glared down at Eileen. There was no signal and everything between them stayed silent. "Y—Yes... But it's not easy to explain!"

"Eileen?! What are you doing here?!" Luna trotted past Celestia and rushed to Eileen's side. She quickly got to her feet and set Twilight and Shining Armor upright. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?!"

"I heard another bell, I... I'm afraid I'm hearing things again..." Eileen looked at Celestia who continued to glare wildly as payment.

"Eileen... Are you having flashbacks again?" Luna reared her head all the way back just to talk to the masked face.

She only nodded, picking her gun up and firmly putting the wretched thing away. Her hands slid the various tools that scattered about back into a pouch."I'll be fine, Luna."

"No, Eileen! You've been getting worse recently... I'm worried about you and you-you—" Luna trailed off, waiting for Eileen to make up another excuse. Luna shook her head and dug her muzzle deep into Eileen's stomach, which caused her to stumble just slightly. She did not know what else to do, neither of the two did.

"Oh, Luna..."

"You're worried about her, Luna? Do you realize that everyone will know our secret?!" Celestia breached the line separating the two.

"Sister!" Luna turned around and finally faced Celestia.

"Luna! Take this seriously for once!"

"With all due respect, Celestia. She is taking this-"

"Shut the hell up, Eileen!" Celestia did not, she could not even give Eileen a shred of dignity and disgraced her without even looking into the mask. But Eileen subserviently closed her mouth. She continued to bite her lip until she tasted metal.

'As you wish.' Eileen got down on her knees and pulled out a small white pill. It cracked open, releasing an obnoxious scent of ammonia as it wafted into their nostrils.

"Wait..." Cadance forced herself to stay stationary. She carefully eyed the feathery body and heard everything she was saying. 'Maybe I was wrong to judge so quickly...'

"Aye, eyes on me now." Eileen patted Twilight and Shining Armor on their muzzles with a soft coo. Their eyes flittered and soon were actually held open by the inhalent's potency. "There you go."

"E—Eileen? What happened?" Twilight breathed even deeper, feeling supercharged.

"I had to knock you two out because you weren't listening. Y-You'll be completely fine, though."

"Oh... What did I do?"

"Heheh, you were trying to pull my fingers away from a firing gun. If Luna hadn't stopped it, my gun would've discharged... I hope I didn't hit you both too hard."

"O-Oh, oh I'm sorry. I... I wasn't thinking. I'm so sorry!" Twilight immediately turned and hugged her brother tight.

"You're just looking out for him. No worries." She loomed over their bodies and stared at Cadance clutching onto her child more defensively. No matter how many times she saw that face, Eileen could not help but lightly chuckle at their expense.

"Eileen." Celestia's demeanor absolutely demanded Eileen's utmost attention. Her voice carried weight, especially when it leaked with vexation. Eileen could tell just how much Celestia was trying to keep calm under so much pressure in such a short time. "I think you... You need to leave."

"No."

Celestia looked at Eileen but quickly realized it did not come from her, it came from Twilight. Celestia was struck directly to her heart, never thinking that Twilight would stand up and openly defy her so righteously.

"Have you two—Have you two been, talking?"

"Yes, we have... And I'm shocked, Celestia. She will not be going anywhere." Twilight tramped directly in front of Eileen and stared at Celestia. Cadance trotted over to Shining Armor and looked him over. She glanced up at Eileen, feeling a strange and basic mutuality deep in her gut. Eileen nodded her head and Cadance nodded back.

"Twilight, this is none of your concern."

"But it is. Just what else are you hiding from me? Do you think I'm too young and innocent to know these kinds of things?"

"I—Twilight, it's more complicated than-"

"No! From what I've learned, you've been hiding her from the public and treating her terribly!" Twilight felt a hand on her neck and glanced up. Eileen held a finger up to her beak and hushed Twilight a second time.

"Celestia, I think it's time we have that talk we've put off for so long now..."

———

*Click... Clunk...* Eileen remained completely still, leaning against the crystal walls with a brewing aura. The clock heavily notched the seconds as an ornate pendulum swayed back and forth. She could hear Celestia freaking out without any reason, speculating with no end in sight just beyond the closed door. Everyone else tried to get her to calm down and to think rationally. Everything she said only came up grim and utterly hopeless. No matter how much everyone else assured her, she was not having any of it.

Eileen forced herself to stay quiet as the room did the same. The door opened, revealing to her a welcoming sight.

"Eileen? Please, will you come in?" Luna craned her head up to Eileen. She did not respond. Only, she stepped by Luna and entered a newly tensed room. Her boots effectively filled their anxiety-riddled ears. Luna did not take it to heart. In fact, if Eileen would have said anything, Luna knew something was wrong. Eileen watched Shining Armor grow in his defense, shielding his child and his lover. She was used to the silence, it was inviting to her no matter how much everyone else gave it to her. But even she could not deny that her body was vibrating with apprehension.

"Please, sit down." Twilight patted the cushion right next to her. Twilight seemed completely fine with it but Shining Armor was about to put a stop to it.

"I'd rather stand, thank you."

"Come on, Eileen. It's ok. There's nothing to hide now." Luna stepped to Eileen's side and softly touched her lower back. She shook her head at Luna.

"Look at them, Luna. Sitting down isn't a good idea..." Eileen looked down into Luna's eyes. Luna nodded her head, feeling Eileen's hand delicately message her long neck as she sat with Celestia. And once again, the deafening ring of silencing tension rushed her back against the wall, crossing her arms and bowing her head. A moment that Eileen, Celestia, and Luna feared but knew it was only a matter of time. Eileen stared at each pair of eyes brimming with muddled emotions.

"I understand you're all angry or completely confused, perhaps both."

"Like you wouldn't believe!"

"Sister! We promised to hold our tongues!" Luna raised her head high, "continue, Eileen."

"Ei—leen? What kind of a name is that?"

"What kind of a name is Cadance? Especially when it's spelled wrong, hmm?... Obviously, my name is strange to your race." Eileen secretly rolled her eyes.

"Please, back on topic." Twilight cleared her throat.

"You can be angry all you want, Celestia. Mulling it in your head over and over again like a sulking child doesn't do much." Eileen peered into Celestia's contracting irises, baring her teeth with no ounce of sophistication.

"How dare you, you insolent cur! Everything that we've done for you and you have the audacity to mock us?!" Celestia's horn released a frightening snap as she immediately stood eye-to-eye with Eileen. Her sewn feathered shawl waved with the artificial swirling air. Eileen did not move a muscle.

"Celestia!" An array of voices followed her trail, followed by the hasty shuffling of ponies rushing to Celestia. She was quickly pulled back towards the furniture enclosing Eileen from afar, her trial.

"Celestia, no! You need to keep a clear mind about this! You need to think rationally!" Luna yanked Celestia back to the sofa nearby. "Eileen, stop trying to get under her skin!"

"Why did you come inside and ruin what we had, Eileen?" In an almost cry of desperation, Celestia tried to redeem what she had lost.

"I thought you were in trouble... I heard a bell. A killer's bell."

"Of course, it had to be about those damned bells."

"Eileen, what are you talking about when you keep mentioning bells?" Twilight questionably raised an eyebrow and felt Luna touch her shoulder.

"Twilight, the sound of these types of bells to her is like a dog whistle to a dog. Only, it signals the presence of others like her for cooperation or to, um, kill... It deals with her past life and can sometimes send her into a violent panic, that's how scarring it is to her."

"Y-Yes, and like a dog whistle, only certain things can hear it. Luna is the only one besides me that can hear these bells." Eileen pulled her bell out, as did Luna. Both held it out and rang it profoundly, hearing its familiar ring. Only did Luna's pair of ears pinpoint the noise, everyone else's remained stagnant.

"You're right... I can't hear anything. But it's just a bell, why can't we hear it? What exactly makes it scarring?"

"Because of what comes after a bell is struck, it's knowing how I can't... I-I really can't explain how it works, but it works. I told you that there are some things you won't be able to understand, Twilight."

"Why can Luna only hear it?"

"I don't know, but we believe it is because she holds power over the dream realm and the night... Something you have no knowledge of. A-And I know that this sounds confusing but it's because of my previous life."

"S-So, what the hell are you then?"

"Shining, be polite." Twilight nudged Shining Armor. "She is a human that came from the mirror in Canterlot. Remember that thing?"

"Yes... I do."

"So you've traveled across the mirror?" Eileen raised her head.

"No... No, I haven't. But my sister has." Shining Armor did not smile or accept Eileen, but he knew that trying to fight would not lead anywhere.

"No, she's been to a different version of the human world. She didn't land in mine, thankfully."

"Well, how did you even get through the mirror?" Cadance was still on uneasy grounds, much like Shining Armor. Not only that, she was on uneasy grounds with Celestia and Luna for keeping such a huge secret. Eileen clenched her eyes closed and put a hand on her cloaked head.

"Ragh!..." She muttered various notes of pain under her shaking breath.

"Eileen, are you-" Luna let Eileen raise her hand and shake her head.

"I don't—I don't want to talk about that, ok? I just-" Her breath rattled out of her tired lungs, afraid of what she would find so loosely buried. "I remember now."

"Do what you feel is comfortable to you. Don't force it." Luna sternly spoke.

"Can't you just go back?" Shining Armor continued his long-lasting frown. "What's even stopping you from going back to your own kind?"

"N-No, I can't."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I've tried you fool! I've tried so many times to go back, but nothing works. But why the fuck would I want to go back to that rotten cesspool of a life anyway?!" Eileen denoted a semblance of actual insanity. "Sorry, I-I didn't mean to..."

"How... H-How long have you been around?" Cadance managed to open her mouth and covered Flurry Heart's ears.

"Twenty-three years..."

"Oh, my—Celestia? Is she being serious? Have you really kept her a secret for twenty-three years?!" Twilight gawked up to Celestia's pain-stricken face.

"Yes." She did not hesitate to answer. Both she and Luna went deathly quiet.

"I can't believe this... I—" Cadance wracked her mind in strange disgust. "Wha?"

"What do you do, Eileen? Y-You told me you protect them, but why? And, and how?" Twilight leaned forward with such daring.

There was nothing left to hide, and Eileen knew it. "I'm their royal assassin."

"Did you just say what I think you said? W-Who gives you orders?!" Shining Armor felt a second wind get pumped directly into his bloodstream.

"Oh, don't knock a damned screw loose, idiot. I do it myself, no one gives me orders!" Eileen raised her voice right back at him. No matter what, she was not going to throw Celestia and Luna under a bus. "I give them a chance to cooperate, and if they don't, they-"

"Stop—Just, stop!" Twilight demanded.

"You freaking murderer! How many innocent civilians have you killed, huh?!"

"I kill whoever poses a serious threat to your princesses and this country. Do you really think I enjoy doing this, Shining Armor? I do this of my own accord because peace can't be created without someone doing the dirty work." Eileen could not afford to gauge their reactions. "It's—Just what I've done long before some of you were born... even longer than that. Hell, if you didn't do anything about Starlight Glimmer, Twilight. She was my next mark."

Twilight had to restrain Shining Armor from Eileen.

"What?! You were going to kill her?!" She did not restain her own voice, however.

"I had no choice! If she would've succeeded in keeping your powers, imagine what kind of message that would send. An alicorn letting her powers go willingly to some lowly unicorn? She would've tried going global, and I wasn't going to let that happen! If she threatened the peace of this world, she would taste my blade." Eileen flashed her warped blades for a moment before retreating back into silence. Twilight closed her eyes, needing a moment to think things over seriously.

"Now... can I ask how you got here? What happened, t-that forced you into our world? Why are you an assassin?!" Twilight braced herself for even more terrible things as she secretly began choking up over the things that could have happened.

"Twilight, I'm warning you right now. You're treading on very thin ice... I promised to tell you, but it's not what you want to hear." Eileen managed to calm her voice down but could feel her body shaking. Seeing the shake in her hands.

"Say it." Twilight remained absolute in her pursuit and cause, ready to hear what Eileen had to offer.

"E-Eileen, please." Luna crawled off of the sofa towards her.

"No, Luna... I need to tell you how I ended up here... It's about time. Enough festering." Eileen stepped forward and caught Luna before she latched on. She leaned down with Luna's muzzle in her hand and sniggered acceptingly to her choice. "Ah, don't waste your tears on me... I chose this life, Luna. Someone has to do it."

"I know..."

"Go sit with your big sis, ok?"

"O-k, sorry."

"You've nothing to apologize for. It's all on me." Eileen's hand left Luna's muzzle as she trotted back to her seat. With her watchful eye captivating her audience, she stood back up on two feet. A heavy mind that could not be so easily soothed and mended by simply talking. Once the mind was corrupted with all purity ripped away, it's permanence became rooted with no hope of redemption.