> A Cloak In the Moonlight > by Nova_Flare > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > (Rewritten)Prologue: Blood on the Docks > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sky was filled with gray clouds and thick mist caused by the chilling air of the evening night. The moon shone brightly, banishing the darkness in the equestrian docks, it was a simple dock, made near the border of equestria, in order to deliver cargo and resources to other neighboring nations. At the edge of the dock was a massive cargo ship with several ponies by it, most of them mares and foals, they all had bruises and cuts on them, and their eyes were filled with terror and showed no signs of hope, as they were being pushed and forced onto the cargo ship by a gang of burly and nasty looking stallions. They consisted of all 3 tribes, Unicorns, Pegasus, and Earth ponies. Most of them carried weapons like knives, machetes and clubs. A small group of them watched as one of them was dragging a mare to them against her will. "No! Let me Go!!" She screamed as she was tossed onto the ground, she was a unicorn mare with an inhibitor ring on her horn to block off her magic. Her mane had a lemon color, She had cuts and bruises all over her pink colored body as the group of stallions laughed woth cruel sadistic glee. The prisoners watched in terror, as the cruel Stallions abused and had their way with her. As she looked up with her eyes filled with tears, A tall beefy stallion, an earth pony with tan coat with a brown mohawk and goatee walked up to her, he peered his head down to look at her with a cruel smile "You might wanna save that fight when you're shipped into Mexicolt, and bought into slavery, you're quite the beauty so no doubt you'll be sold fast, you're gonna need all the fight you can get. '' Fearing for her life and his words of what will happen to her, she bucked his face with her hind hooves knocking him on the ground as he let out a painful groan, seeing her chance she attempted to run, but in that instant she was pinned to the ground by a Pegasus stallion who held her in place. The earth pony got up holding his face where she bucked him with his eyes showing off a furious glare. "You little bitch!!" He yells as he started to trot over to them "You've got more fight than I thought, and it's pissing me off!". He yells as he pulls out a curved knife from his strap on his hind leg, "Maybe I should carve it out of you and save my clients the trouble!". She panicked and struggled to get out the pegasus stallion's grip, as he slowly poked the end of his knife on the spot where her mark rests. "How about I start with your mark, after all you won't be needing it anymore." He said with sadistic glee "No Please!!" she begs and screamed as the stallions around them laughed and encouraged him to do it. She closed her eyes and embraced herself for the pain that's about to come but after a few moments she felt his knife stop touching her flank, confused she opened her eyes and saw him place his knife back in his strap. "As much as I want to flay you, you're no good to me with any scars on you, it will drop your value down." As The Pegasus let her go, he forces her up and shoves her over with the other slaves. "I'll let your buyer handle the flaying." As He orders his men to escort the prisoners onto the boat, a young colt prisoner helps the mare up as she starts to sob heavily. As they loaded the prisoners onto the boat the leader rubs the spot on his cheek where the mare bucked him "Damn whorse. I'll make sure she's the first be sold." "Uh boss" He looked to see his right hoof next to him. "We're all ready to set sail but we've got a bit of a problem." "What kind of problem?" He says in an irritated tone. "Well the fuel tank to the ship is empty and without it we can get out of the harbor." The leader sighed and rubbed his temples, obviously annoyed with the situation "Do we have extra fuel?" "Uuh we think so, it might still be out in the harbor." "Then if you're not too busy, GO GET IT!!!" He screams at his henchmen who instantly runs away in panic, to gather stallions to head back out to the harbor. Several Stallion henchmen, a good mix of 3 unicorns, 3 Pegasus, and 4 earth ponies were back on the harbor looking for the gallons of fuel. "Who was the idiot who didn't fill the boat in the first place?" one of the pegasi said, obviously mad that he had to go back into the harbor. "I'd blame the engineers, isn't it their job to make sure the boat is ready?!" One of the earth ponies said also irritated at the situation. The leading Unicorn said. "We'll split into 2 teams, go with whoever you want, I don't care. The faster we find that fuel, the faster we can get the hay out of here." Agreeing with that statement they all split up and went to search for the fuel. The first group, which consisted of 2 Pegasi and 1 earth pony, trotted through the many giant wooden crates filling the harbor, seeing no sight of the sail yet one of the pegasi sighs with annoyance that they haven't found it yet. "I need to take a leak" He says as he finds a private place to pee, the other ponies are annoyed but decide to wait. He walked a few feet away from his group and found a spot between two crates where it was dark, making sure they couldn't see him walked into the dark crevice of the crates and proved up pn his hind legs to pee. In that instant He was pulled into the shadows without a trace a short but loud yelp being all that was heard. The other 2 thugs immediately turned their heads in the direction that they heard the yelp, coming from where their partner was a moment ago, except he wasn't there, he was gone. Looking concerned, the last pegasus slowly and cautiously walked to the spot, "Swiftwing?" He called out hoping this was some stupid prank he was trying to pull. As he looked through the dark spot between the 2 crates not finding any signs that swiftwing was there he started to feel afraid and uneasy, he felt like something was wrong. "Bronco I think we need to leav-" He starts to say but he notices that Bronco is slowly backing away from him, his head looking up with a face of pure terror, he felt his blood turn ice cold as he looks up in his partner's direction. He saw that there was a figure hanging on the crane directly above him, it looked like a pony, a pegasus to be precise, noticing the wings coming out of the dark cloak it was wearing, covering his face and most of his body. These were the only features he could make out before the cloaked figure dropped from the crane directly onto him as he let out a terrified scream, darkness being the last thing he saw. Bronco immediately was running as fast as his hooves could carry him as heard his partners scream of terror, his eyes wide with fear, the sound of his heart beating rapidly in his ears. He was too terrified to process who or what that was, he couldn't tell if that was real or if he was going crazy. All he new was that he needed find the others and alert the boss. As he turned to the right between the labyrinth of giant crates he stopped dead in his hooves, as he saw a sight that made his skin go pale and his stomach lurch. In front of him was the other group, their bodies were sprawled all-over the place, blood splattered all over the floor and he saw slashes and impalement wounds all over the bodies of his dead comrades, their lifeless eyes were widened, terror being all they felt in their final moments. At the end of the carnage he saw the cloaked figure again, standing on their hind legs, with their back turned against him. Then he realized, This wasnt the same one, he looked different, he had wings sure but Bronco also noticed the lion tail sprouting out his flank, he also took note that he had talons instead of hoofs, and he realized, it was a griffin. He saw that the figure had one his unicorn colleagues, held up it the air by his neck, struggling and gasping for air. The unicorn saw him and spoke to him with a half-choked voice "b-bronco r-ru-" *CRACK* With that loud crack sound, he stopped struggling and went completely limp and the life faded from his eyes. The cloaked griffin dropped the lifeless body and slowly turned his head to see the terrified earth pony behind them. As he turned and started to approach him, Bronco started to back away. "No!! Stay Away from me you monster!!" He screamed as the griffin continued to walk towards him slowly, he took notice of his talons that were dripping with blood, he noticed that they were longer sharper but what horrified him, is that they were metal, like sharp blades coming out his hands, Bronco fell backwards and started crawl away keeping his face forwards as the griffin continued to walk towards him, in a that moment the griffin stopped his advance and just stood there not moving a muscle, Bronco was confused by this action and slowly got up, he started to feel pure dread when he realized why the griffin stopped, as he felt forearms grapple around his barrel from behind. He didn't have a moment to turn his head before whatever had him had launched into the air taking him with them, his screams fading away as he disappeared into the night sky. The leader paced across the deck of the boat impatiently waiting for those idiots to get back with that fuel. At that moment he heard several screams echo from out into the harbor, he turned his head in the direction where he heard the screams, noticed his men had heard it as well, who shared his look of concern. 'Boss, what was that?" His second asked in slightly scared tone The leader took a minute to think before he looked at his second in command. "Have the men we sent out there come back with the fuel yet?" He asked In a concerned tone. "No, in fact they should've returned 20 minutes ago, I've been trying to reach to them with a telepathy spell and haven't got nothing" That was all the leader needed to hear in order to tell his second to investigate the source of those screams. He watched as his second and a few ponies left the boat, disappearing out into the docks. He had a sudden chill in his spine that he couldnt shake off. He felt like he and his men were being watched, like everywhere he looked, there were eyes on them lurking in the darkness, he didn't know what it was, but he knew this "something is hunting us" He thought to himself. At that moment he heard a squelching and choking sound from behind him. He and his other men turned around to find one the pegasi holding his neck as blood spurted out of it like a hose, many of his men backed away all showing fear and some of them screaming as he slowly trotted toward them his left hoof on his neck giving them what looked like a plead for help, then he fell on the floor. As he laid on the floor bleeding out, the leader took notice of the figure standing behind him. He was a pony draped in a dark cloak, wearing a hood that covered his head, making him unable see his face but he saw a horn sticking out his hood, glowing a sapphire aura, he noticed that this supposed unicorn had two cutlass swords orbiting around him covered In the same sapphire aura as his horn. Enraged over having an intruder on his boat the leader pointed at the mysterious attacker, "UNICORNS BLAST HIM!!!" Having been snapped out of their shock every unicorn on boat charged a blast from their horns, several multi-colored lasers fired at the cloaked unicorn, causing an explosion that created a large amount of smoke. The leader and his men waited for the smoke to clear showing no signs of the figure only a charred crater in where the explosion hit. "Hah that'll tea-ACHHK" in that split moment the unicorn henchmen that was bragging was impaled through his neck from behind, the leader and his men looked to see the cloaked unicorn was behind him. As he pulled the sword out his neck, the unicorn henchman started to choke on his own blood as he dropped on the ground. The leader and his men prepared themselves as the cloaked unicorn slowly walked towards them, the 2 swords that floated around him started to spin, their speed increased until it looked like 2 giant circular saws were floating on either side of him. As he continued to walk towards them he put his spinning swords onto the metal flooring creating a shower of sparks that left a trail of slashes behind him. 2 of the ponies screamed out a war cry as they charged at the cloaked unicorn, in that split second the swords instantly stopped spinning, pointed at the oncoming ponies, he hurled the swords at them like spears, driving the blades through the henchmen's heads killing them in an instant. The figure yanked his blades out of the heads with his telekinetic hold, causing blood to splatter in multiple directions. The figure quickly tilted his head to the side when a laser shot passed it, he swiftly turned his head back seeing another unicorn henchman behind him preparing for another shot, in that moment the figure vanished into thin air and reappeared right in front of the henchman. He slashes his swords in a horizontal cut, slicing the henchman's head off his body, blood spurting out of his neck. The leader watched in horror seeing him disappear and reappear in an instant like that, that was when he realized what he was doing. "Dont Be Fooled!! He's just Teleporting!! Attack Him all at Once, Don't give him chance to cast It!!!!" With that order the men felt a burst of confidence in the fact that they found his weakness, they all screamed and charged at him in an attempt to overwhelm him. As they closed in on him the cloaked figure prepped his swords into an offensive stance like he was about to charge. His horn started to shine brightly before he started to teleport across the boat, slashing and impaling at blinding speed. The henchmen had no time to think as he appeared and reappeared in several different places, killing several of them at a time, blocking and dodging every swing, stab, and magic blast that they threw at him with ease. As he watched the carnage continue, The leader was shocked and horrified at what he was witnessing, it didn't look like he was teleporting, it looked like he was moving at the speed of sound. He couldn't believe what he was witnessing. He knew that a unicorn needs a moment or two before they can cast a teleportation spell more than once. But this guy is casting it again and again at a rapid pace showing no sign of exhaustion or fatigue. At that he moment he knew they weren't a sealing with regular opponent, they were dealing with a powerful unicorn who had mastered his magic. That was when he noticed that the numbers of his men had dwindled into the single digits and were decreasing fast, realizing the inevitable death he would face if he stayed, he immediately dashed off the boat and ran with everything he had. Down to the last 3 henchmen, the cloaked unicorn sweeped the legs of one of them and plunged his sword down into their back, he then blocked a the swing of a machete that came from the earth pony next to him. He bucked them a few feet away from him, and stabbed him in the abdomen, he immediately teleported away from the thrust of a knife that was behind him, reappeared behind the attempted attacker, and drove both his swords through his chest and hurled his body from his blades. Seeing the field of bodies around him, he sliced his swords through the air flinging off any blood on his blades. That was when he noticed that the leader had disappeared. "Merda!(Shit)" He silently cursed to himself. The leader ran across the harbour a fast as he could. He was filled with terror at what he just saw, he didn't know who or what that was, all he knew was he needed to get out of there right now. He started to feel exhaustion that he ignored, his terror and adrenaline keeping him going, he saw the exit and headed straight for it. He skidded to a halt as he saw a horrible sight between him and the exit. His second in command and the other ponies he sent were all laying on the ground dead, some them had slashes across their necks and barrels, some stabs wounds, others had blades sticking into their bodies that looked like what he could only describe as metal feathers, standing in the center of them all was another cloaked figure. Getting a good look at him he saw it wasn't the same one from earlier, he saw it was a pegasus on the account of those wings sprouting from his cloak. With his wings unfurled he got a decent look of his body revealed from the cloak. He was a male, he could tell because of the well toned body he had, and his coat was a scarlet red color. With his wings unfurled he saw a row of blades sticking out across their span, each blade looked like a row of metal feathers, like the ones in their bodies. Knowing he'd have to get past him he pulled out his curved knife from his hind leg and screamed at the figure in a frightened but challenging tone "This Isn't Over you hear me!!! When I Tell my superiors what's happened tonight, you're dead, you hear me!!! Deeaa-" He didn't finish his sentence as the figure dashed past him at a speed that would make the wonderbolts look like foals. He turned around and saw the cloaked pegasus looking at him as he saw fresh blood on the blades in his wings. He started to feel a liquid pouring down his neck and chest, he looked down and saw a bright red liquid dripping on the floor below him. That moment he realized it was his blood, pouring from a long slice across his neck. He started feeling dizzy, weak and disoriented as he fell to his side, the color of his eyes fading as he bled out. The imprisoned ponies were trapped in a dark cellar below the deck, the pink mare holding the young colt in her arms trying to comfort him as they heard the screaming, squelching, splattering sounds from above. She felt the colt grip her tighter, she looked and saw he was looking up at her, his eyes filled with tears and fright. "Miss, I'm scared" He said In a whimpered tone. She felt the same way she didn't know what was going on up there, she didn't even know if they would die on this boat tonight. She tried not to think those thoughts as held him tighter making shushing sounds trying to comfort him assuring him they'd be fine when she didnt even know if they would actually be, when the screams and carnage stopped. Her and many others looked confused as they listened to the sudden silence coming from above, a few minutes went by, the pink mare becoming filled with fright as she heard a trotting sound from directly above them. She pulled the colt into a tight embrace as the trapdoor above them was suddenly slashed into three long pieces, ponies screaming at the sudden moment that just happened, the now broken pieces of the door fell off its hinges onto the floor, she had her eyes closed tight waiting for her final and agonizing moments to come. Moment passed, she felt nothing, she started to hear sounds of confusion amongst her fellow ponies. Wondering what was happening she opened her eyes, and saw a bright beam of light, shining into the dark cellar. She saw many ponies looking up where the door with confused looks on thier faces, the colt was looking as well his eyes no longer frightened infact she saw curiosity and and awe. As she looked up to the door frame she felt just as confused as the others. Standing outside of the frame was a tall and burly looking figure wrapped in a dark looking cloak. The moon was up above behind him giving her a bright view and a good detailed look at him. His cloak was a midnight blue color, small 4-point star patterns covered it making it look like the night sky. It was a griffin, she could tell by the lion tail, and hawk-like beak sticking out of the shadow of his hood. The thing she took note of was the gloves he was wearing, they had sharp metal talons at the end, making them look like dagger tipped claws. The cloaked griffin stood there not moving or making a sound, making her and many others feel uneasy. Finally he brought the ladder to the door down allowing then to able to climb up. "Cmon you're safe now." He spoke in a deep but somewhat young voice. He sounded sincere, but she didn't know if she could trust him. What did he mean they were safe? Where were the traffickers that locked them up? Why did she hear screaming up there? What did he do to them? Several questions were flooding her head. She then noticed that while a lot felt cautious like she did, others immediately started to trot to the latter and start climbing up, as they climbed up the cloaked griffin moved to side of the door allowing then to pass. Seeing that he wasn't going to kill them, she managed to gain enough courage to trot to the latter. She went before the colt due to still having suspicion on the griffins intentions. She climbed out of the door with the griffin standing right next to her, with how close she was to him she got a glimpse of his eyes in the shadow of his hood. They were a dark blue color like sapphire gems, and they had a blood red shade of feathers surrounding them. They showed no malicious intent, nor did he himself show any sign of doing so. Knowing he wouldn't harm her, she stuck her hoof back into the door so the colt could reach for it. When she pulled him out of the cellar, she saw several ponies out on the deck, many were crying tears of joy, some of them hugging each other. She didn't see any of the traffickers, they had completely vanished, that same question she was thinking was lingering in her head again, where wer- . She didn't get to finish that thought as she felt something hug her hoof she looked down and saw the little colt giving her a tight hug, he had a joyful look on his face one full hope. She could only think of one thing a that moment, they were free, they could go home back to thier lives, In that moment all the emotions she had started to pour out, as she returned the hug to the colt, tears streaming out her eyes. When she finished her joyful hug she wiped her tears and let the colt go play with the other foals. She looked were the griffin was, and saw he had completely vanished, as she looked around for him, she saw noticed a stray cloth blowing from behind the bridge of the boat. "Did you dispose of the bodies?" The cloaked pegasus asked. "No one will ever see or hear from those figli di puttana(sons of bitches) again unless they dive into the bottom of the ocean." The cloaked unicorn responded in a bit of a proud tone. They stood in front of the bridge of the boat, hidden from view of the civilians on the other side. The cloaked griffin appeared into the bridge and walked to the other 2. "Civilians are all safe and accounted for, some a little beaten but are able to get out of their own." He stated to them as the pegasus nodded in response. "Then we should get outta here, we've done our part ", "We'll let the authorities handle the re-" "You killed them did you?" All 3 cloaked figures turned their head to see a pink unicorn mare with a yellow mane and tail, that stood a few hooves away from them she had a look of fear and sadness on her face. "Those ponies who had kidnapped us, their all dead, aren't they?" She asked in a bit of a terrified but sad tone, because the screaming and splattering sounds she heard earlier were all she needed to already know the answer, and while she was happy to be free, she wished that it wouldn't have had to come to that. The pegasus slowly trotted over to her not saying a single word, she backed away feeling afraid, not knowing what he was gonna do to her, he unfurled his wing out of his cloak. It had small blades, like a row of metal feathers sticking out of it, the real feathers however were a bright red color like scarlet. She backed away feeling terrified, when she saw him raise his wing over about strike her down, She closed her eyes in terror, believing he was about to kill her, then she felt something drop from her head. She looked down and saw the inhibiter ring that was on her horn blocking her magic, was now on the floor sliced in 2. She looked up and saw the pegasus right in front of her, his eyes in full view, they were a blue color like the griffins but a much brighter sky blue. They looked at her with sincerity, and she felt comfort from them. He put his hoof on her shoulder and spoke to her in a soft and young male voice. "Look, how ever we dealt with them doesn't matter, just know that they will never harm you or anyone else ever again.", she couldn't help but feel comfort by the kindness in his voice, it was like he was a mother putting their foal to sleep. "Listen we've informed what's happening here to the equestrian royal guard, their on their way right now. When that happens you can return home and go on with your life. Forget this night ever happened. Ok?" How could he say that, despite how hard she'll try, she'll remember this night for as long she lives, but despite that fact she nodded yes in answer to his question. He turned away from her and walked to the other 2. "Phantom, prep up the spell, we gotta go." He said to the unicorn. "Yessir" He responded in a sarcastic tone. He spoke in an accent that she couldn't make out, she saw his horn start to glow a dark blue color, they both touched him as he prepped for what she realized was a teleportation spell. Feeling the need to say something she called out to them. "Wait! I never got to say thank you!" The pegasus looked at her and she saw a small grin appear from the shadow of his hood. "And you'll never need to." Was the last thing she heard him say before they teleported away vanishing, as Celestia's sun began to shine the horizon. > The Special Mission Part 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canterlot, the royal capital of Equestria, served not just as the home of Princess Celestia herself but as a shining reflection of the nation's beauty. Its houses and stores were painted in bright shades of white, yellow and purple. Three cloaked figures had no time to enjoy its grace as they jumped from roof to roof, trying their best to avoid curious eyes. Once they made it to the castle, they lowered themselves to one of the large windows. This one was made to let them in, though the guards didn't know, leaving it unlocked for them to enter. They climbed under the ceiling of the hall as quiet as a mouse, careful not to alert the guards of their presence. Two lefts and a right later, they made it to an open doorway, leading to the royal garden. The reason they didn't just go straight to the garden was complicated. Despite who they took orders from, their business isn't exactly legal, so the guards would arrest them for trespassing. As for the garden, there are pegasi guards flying above it and unicorn guards around the outer perimeter, so a straight path is not an option. Regardless, they had done this countless times, so it didn't worry them. Though the gardeners do their job well, crunchy grass was not an easy thing to sneak on. As they snuck their way through the garden, making sure to avoid any guards patrolling the area, they made their way near the forest areas of the garden, passing several of the exotic animals and critters who roamed it. Many of them eyed the three curiously as they trotted into the darkest section of the forest. These dark and shallow parts of the royal garden were abandoned and forgotten for many years, as seen by the dozen weeds that spread throughout the long and unattended fields of grass, and from here they made it to their destination. Standing before them was a large statue that stood a few feet above them, its age was well noticed by the many cracks and chips across it and the vines and thorns wrapped around the base of it. Displayed was Princess Luna standing tall with her wings spread, showing her adorned in her tiara and regalia and giving a posture of somepony who stood strong and courageous. An image Celestia herself had remembered her younger sister, who commissioned this statue to be made as a memorial to her, many centuries ago. The three of them are well aware of what had happened between them a millenia ago, how she became corrupted and turned into Nightmare Moon and how Celestia had banished her to the moon itself. It was one of the first lessons the brotherhood had taught them. Because it was in Luna's name that they vowed to protect the innocents of equestria in her place. They were amazed when they found out that not only had she returned, but she had been restored to her true self by some motley crew of ponies from a small town out in the countryside, led by the princesses' protégé, Twilight Sparkle. Even after that, she and these friends of hers fought off other terrifying forces of nature, becoming these “Elements of Harmony" things. Celestia herself used such a power in the past, granting her victory against Nightmare Moon. The cloaked pegasus personally, found it impressive that these simple mares from some nowhere town, had done feats that even the mightiest members of the brotherhood couldn't have achieved. Hell, a couple of months ago, the protégé Twilight, ascended to alicorn hood and became a princess herself. But, despite all the crazy events that had happened this past year, and the changes that have happened because of them, the brotherhood's mission has been the same, as it has for a thousand years since its founding. Punish those who would spill innocent blood, and keep corruption and tyranny from ever rising. Finishing that thought, the pegasus looked up at the statue, taking note of the giant hollow circle at the center of the regalia, where a jewel should be. He looked to his griffon colleague, who was keeping an eye out for anypony who could be wandering by. While it wasn't very likely anypony was brave enough to delve this deep into the garden, they all agreed it was better to be safe than sorry. After a good few seconds, the griffon gave him the clear sign. “Like usual” the pegasus thought to himself, He then turned to his unicorn colleague, who nodded to him as he pulled out a small amulet from his cloak using magic. The necklace was a simple chain with a pendant that was made of pure silver. The pendant's design was a circle, inside of the circle was a waning crescent moon, with a 4 point star at its right side. Using his magic, he floated it over to the regalia of the statue and placed it into the hollow circle at the center. After a few moments they heard a magical hum, followed by clicking sounds coming from the amulet. It started to rattle and shake within the hollow circle. The eyes and horn of Luna's statue began to glow and radiate with a midnight blue aura, as well as the ground in front of them. The base of the statue began to crack open, making various chunks of it fly out of the ground. As they saw the chunks of earth covered in the same aura as the eyes and horn float around them, they looked to the ground where grass once stood, and instead revealed a large passageway of stone stairs leading to their destination. As they proceeded to walk down the stairs, the hooded unicorn went in last, using his magic to take his amulet out of the statue. Just like that, the glow on the statues eyes and horns dissipated, and the chucks of earth floating around the statue were magically placed back to their original place on the ground, repatching the hole and hiding the entrance from view. And just like that, silence had returned to the garden. As they made their way down the stairway in the large tunnel, filled with dimly lit torches lined up and lighting their way as they trotted, the cloaked unicorn let out a deep sigh. “Dolce Luna, sono stanco, (Sweet Luna I'm tired)” He groaned, “I need a blood moon, and a mare to lay beside.” His enthusiastic statement earned a scoff from the griffon. “Should've seen that coming, Phantom," he said in an annoyed remark, “We make it back to HQ and the first thing on your mind is drinking and getting your dick wet.” Their unicorn was a very skilled swords pony, and very strong with magic. His specialty were teleportation spells, which made him able to vanish and reappear in an instant, earning him his codename, “Phantom”. Although, the pegasus had to agree with their griffon colleague, codenamed “Valr”. Despite his skill and dedication to the brotherhood, he was young and rash. When he wasn't fulfilling missions, only two things were on his mind: booze and mares. The Hooded Pegasus can't count how many times he's had to save this colt from breaking his neck. But he kept a promise to somepony who was close to him that he would look after him, and teach him all he needed to know. A promise he'll admit has been very tempting to break, considering how many times he's wanted to break his neck himself. “Not all of us have to act like we have a stick up our asses, Valr,” he muttered with a smirk on his face, “Maybe that's why you still haven't gotten laid.” The pegasus swore he could hear the vein bulge from Valr’s head, as he jerked his head at Phantom with anger on his face. “I'm sorry, what?” "I'm saying if you lightened up a little and didn't act like such a buzzkill, you probably wouldn't scare away every lady that looks at you.” “At least I actually take things seriously, and don't act like a careless colt!” Valr’s shouting, mixed with the echoes of the tunnel, did wonders for their third teammate’s ears. “I take things seriously. If I didn't, all those slave traders would still be breathing right now.” “If Silver Wings hadn't stopped him, the leader would've gotten away because you let him go!’ Phantom's mood changed from smug to angry the instant Valr mentioned that. “Shut up, I was distracted!” “By what, daydreaming about your next whore?!” “You…!” “Alright, knock it off!” Silver wings shouted before things could escalate further. Despite listening to him, they turned away from each other with an annoyed expression under their hoods. “Phantom, you know the rule. We make our report first, and then we can rest.” “Yea, I know,” He said with slight irritation in his voice. As soon as that was done, they entered a large hall filled with tables seated by dozens of other ponies wearing cloaks like theirs. Many had their hoods down, and others preferred to keep them on, unwilling to partake in conversation. Getting a good look, Silver Wings saw several of the members were from many different places in equestria. There were many different ponies from all three tribes, plenty of griffons that rallied under their cause, and even recruited a dragon or two into the brotherhood. Many of them were sitting at tables getting drunk, while others were in the training areas practicing. “Ha! You owe me a Blood Moon,” Silver wings heard from a couple of young pony members at the target area. There, three targets had near direct hits with a handful of throwing knives. Silver wings, personally, would've hit bullseye on all three of those easily. He shouldn't be boasting too much though, for they looked like they were still apprentices. By the training room were a few members standing at a large desk, where a cloaked griffin was giving out parchments and scrolls. They made their way to the desk to see the griffin, who they referred to as “Scribe”. Scribe was a pudgy tan griffon who acted as the placeholder for the brotherhood, in charge of handing out assassinations or infiltrations to any members willing to take them. As they trotted up to him, He looked in their direction and bowed to them. Silver wings and the two bowed back. “If you're back here, I assume that slave trader and his men are dealt with?” He said to them in a deep gruff voice. In response, Silver wings pulled out one of his feathers from his cloak. It was stained with the leader's blood, proof that the deed was done. “Close to escaping, but he was dealt with” As he said that, he heard a light sigh coming from Phantom's direction. He turned to look at him, only for Phantom to turn his head away as if he was ashamed. Scribe nodded to him as he took the Feather and started writing his report. “How long do you plan to stay before you leave again?” He asked as he rolled up the feather into the report. “We’ll probably rest and restock, then tomorrow we'll get a new mission from you and leave. Why do you ask?” “A couple reasons really. One, I feel like you three have been overexerting yourselves; you only come to HQ to report, rest, and eat. Then you take any missions I have available, and then leave again. I know you three are dedicated to the cause, but there are plenty of others here who are as well. Let them take some of these missions while you three get some proper rest.” “We can't just rest when ponies out there are suffering with nopony to help. Besides, we'd rather be out there, taking steel and magic to the face, than sit here all day doing nothing. Thank you for looking out for us Scribe, but we're fine.” Scribe gave a defeated sigh, “Well, it was worth a shot.” “Anyway, the second reason is the main focus. While you were away, the council notified me that they wanted to see you three after you returned.” This shocked and concerned Silver Wings. They would only do this kinda thing if something important was going on. Phantom felt the same way as he asked in a confused tone, “Why do they want to talk to us, is something wrong? And why us specifically?” “I know as much as you, young master. Nevertheless they are waiting for you to return. It's best if you go to them and find out why they asked for you.” “Thank you Scribe,” Silver Wings said as he and the others bowed to him, with Scribe returning the courtesy. They stayed like that for a few moments, as Scribe recites these words. “In the darkest night…” “...We shine brightest,” the three finished in unison. With those words recited between them, they stopped bowing to each other and left Scribe to go speak With the council They trotted to another set of stairs leading down to a tunnel, leading them to the council room. Valr trotted past Silver wings and made his way down the stairs, Silver Wings close behind. “Scarlet.” Silver Wings stopped when he heard his real name, turning around to face Phantom. It wasn't taboo to refer to members by their actual names, but it wasn't the best idea to do it either. Codenames existed as a safety precaution in order to keep the brotherhood members uncompromised. If Phantom referred to him by his real name, something must be troubling him. “Listen, about what happened back at the dock. Valr was right, I got too cocky. I should've finished his crew faster, but I didn't, and it almost cost us the target. I apologize for that, and I understand if you want to take me off the next mission.” He bowed his head to Silver Wings in apology. Silver wings was shocked, this is what he seemed down about? Sure he got cocky, but it still wasn't much of a deal. Silver wings let out a big sigh as he tried to think of what to say. “Look,” Silver Wings said after a couple seconds, “You made a mistake, but everypony has. Besides, another thing Valr was right about was that I took care of it. So in the end, the target didn't get away and the mission didn't fail. Instead of feeling bad about it, learn from it, so you don't do it again. Can you do that for me?” “I… I'll… try.” “Good,” Silver Wings put his hoof on Phantom's shoulder, reassuring him with a slight grin. “Hey, I'm growing a beard down here!” Valr yelled out to them in an impatient tone. “C'mon, let's not keep them waiting.” Mentally preparing for what will come next, Silver Wings and Phantom followed Valr down the stairway. They made their way to the end of the stairs, leading to a massive cavern. Its ceiling was filled with massive stalactites, like giant icicles of stone. At the center of the caverns stood a massive hole, revealing the beautiful night sky and Luna's moon displayed for all to see. Its moonlight radiance brought luminosity to the dark caverns. At the center of the moonlight beam sat five hooded figures, sitting behind large columns of stones forming the appearance of a council chamber. At center of it, was a large engraving of the sigil of the brotherhood, a waning crescent moon with a four point star on the right side. Silver Wings, Phantom, and Valr walked to the center of the council room, and bowed to the five hooded figures. “Mentors,” all three said in unison. “Rise,” the middle figure said in a thick voice. The trio did as they were told and put their heads up. “We have just received the report from Scribe,” the council member on the far right said. “After weeks of tracking them, we are glad to hear the slave traders were finally disposed of.” “With all due respect, mentors, I don't believe we're rid of them entirely,” Silver Wings said with concern. “Explain,” the middle right one demanded with curiosity. “Before I killed the Leader, He said something about having superiors, which leads me to believe that he may not have been the one giving out the orders. He may have been following them from somepony else.” “You believe there's somepony of higher status behind this?” The middle member asked. “I do,” “That can't be true!” the middle left argued. “I sent my best to infiltrate them and acquire any information they could gather, and they had no evidence of these superiors. How do we know that scumbag wasn't just lying to try and save himself?” “I don't know if he was or not, but he didn't look or sound like he was lying.” The middle council member put his hoof under his chin as he processed the information. “Hmm… I'll Have scouts look into what the slave traders used as hideouts, see if we can't find evidence of someone higher.” “Wha… Don't tell me you actually believe this?!” The middle left questioned, standing up from his stone column. “He carried out an assassination based on evidence found by my scouts! They have never failed me, and I refuse to let them be insulted over some naive hunch!” “That's enough Shadow!” the middle shouted. “Silver Wings has been in the brotherhood for many years! He has proven his dedication to the cause time and time again, and if he believes there is something we missed, I will trust his word!” his tone made it quite clear his decision was final. The Council Member known as “Shadow”, scoffed and sat back down, not saying another word. “Anyway,” the middle right said to break the silence, “That's not why we called you three here.” “Yea, why have you called for us?” Phantom asked with curious concern. “Is something the matter?” “A more curious matter than a horrific one, young master,” the far right answered. “You three are being assigned to a very important mission, one that may last you for a while.” “What, why?” Valr questioned. “Why is this mission so important that it's not being handed out by Scribe? And why us specifically?” “Because Valr, first: The Grandmaster, personally, picked you three for this. Because he believes you are the most capable and skilled for this mission.” Silver Wings, Phantom, and Valr immediately started to listen. An assignment from the Grandmaster is not something you sleep on. “Second: This mission was requested to him by Princess Celestia herself.” > The Special Mission Part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a beautiful morning in Ponyville. Celestia's sun shined bright, casting its warm light across the streets. This morning, Twilight Sparkle, element of magic and the newest princess of Equestria, trotted across the streets on her way to sugarcube corner for some donuts and coffee. While Spike normally made breakfast in the morning, he was exhausted after having to spend last night cleaning a massive mess Twilight made involving tomatoes and a growth spell. It was working at first, but in her defense, she didn't know the spell was going to implode and make the tomato explode all over her lab. Nevertheless, Spike spent almost the whole night cleaning and didn't get much sleep. As an apology, she let him take the day off, so he was still asleep at the castle. Twilight still found it hard to believe it had only been a few months since her ascension to alicornhood and crowned a princess, felt like it had been only a few weeks. Nothing really happened since then, for the past couple of months she's been doing the same thing she always has. Other than the new wings on her back and the unnecessary royal treatment she had been getting from the locals of ponyville, nothing had really changed, something she was happy for. She still had her friends at her side, and despite her new status, they don't see her any different.  Rainbow Dash had spent these past couple of months trying to teach Twilight how to fly with her new wings, something she'll admit has been tremendously difficult for her. Despite how long they've been practicing, she hasn't made much improvement. In fact, she can still barely keep herself airborne. Rainbow Dash hasn't been helping much either, her only advice being “Flap em harder!” which Twilight is ninety-five percent sure is the reason she hasn't made much progress. She hoped she could improve on her flying practice soon, for the summer celebration was only three days away and her part involved her flying.  Twilight was still excited about it this year. She had always loved watching Celestia do the summer sun celebration, but now she actually got to be a part of it at her mentor's side. With that exciting thought in her head, she trotted faster to the sugarcube corner bakery, eager to enjoy her breakfast and get started on her practice. When she entered, she found her friend Pinkie Pie at the front counter giving out orders to customers. Pinkie pie was an earth pony mare with a bright pink coat, paired with a messy poofed up mane and tail of a much darker shade of pink, making it look a lot like Cotton candy. On her flank was a cutie mark of three balloons. When Pinkie saw Twilight with her bright blue eyes, she Gasped with joy. “Good morning Twilight!” Pinkie shouted with joy at the sight of her friend.  “Morning Pinkie Pie, I just came to have some breakfast and coffee, so I'll take a box of donuts to go please.” “Breakfast? I thought Spike always made you breakfast.” “It's a long story that I don't really want to get into.” “Okey Dokey, one box of donuts coming right up.”  Pinkie left the desk to make her order. As Twilight waited, she took notice of Mr. Cake sitting on a round table reading the morning paper. At the front page she saw a story that looked very Interesting, but before she could ask Mr. Cake about it, she heard a ding and the door behind her opened. “Howdy sugarcube,” said a very recognizable voice. Twilight turned around and saw her friends Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash entering the bakery. Applejack had a light orange coat and blonde mane and tail, wearing her usual stenson hat. Rainbow Dash’s coat had a bright sky blue and a mane and tail adorned in the colors of the rainbow. And Rarity was a bright white mare with a beautiful purple mane and tail, which she kept well trimmed and cleaned.  “Good morning girls, how's your day going so far?” “Pretty good, but I'm curious about what you're doing here so early,” Rainbow questioned with a smug look. “Did Spike finally burn what he made you?” “Rainbow Dash!” Rarity shouted at her. “How dare you insult my Spikey wikey’s cooking ability! I'll have you know, he can cook the finest pasta I've ever consumed!”  “Okay, jeez, I was just joking.” “I gave him the day off today,” Twilight answered, “So I decided to come here for breakfast.” Pinkie zoomed between everypony to interrupt the current conversation, holding two boxes of donuts. “Hey girls, you're just in time. I made enough for everypony.” Instead of questioning why Pinkie had made them donuts before they had even arrived, they took the boxes. They found a large table to sit and started to dig into the donuts. they sat there for a while as they talked and laughed about the current things going on in their lives, Rarity talked about an edgy new dress she had commissioned for a customer, Applejack talked about how the old tools at her family's farm were cracking apart and that she wanted to replace them with sturdy new ones, Rainbow Dash talked to Twilight about the new moves she wanted to teach her that she believed might help her with her flying practice, which would only make her training more difficult. Twilight wasn't listening though, as she saw Mr. Cake get up from his table with the newspaper in his hooves. As he trotted past her, she called out to him, “Excuse me, Mr Cake?” Mr. Cake stopped and turned his head to her. “I was wondering if you were done with that newspaper, the headline on it looked interesting?”  “Oh sure,” he replied, handing her the roll. “Knock yourself out, your highness.” “Please, just Twilight.” “Oh, I'm sorry, that's something I'm still getting used to. Anyway, my break's over so I'm heading back to the kitchen. Enjoy the story, I'm gonna warn you though, that headline is a little concerning.” With that, he trotted to the kitchen to get back to work. The rest of the girls were now curious due to Mr. Cake's comment, and decided to listen as she read the headline aloud.        Slave Trading Operation Busted  Innocent ponies rescued from slavery, fate of slave traders unknown One week ago, the royal guard had received a distress call from an unknown voice about a trafficking operation happening on the equestrian docks near canterlot. The royal guard had hurried to the docks only to find that the civilians were already freed and none of the traffickers were to be found. Witnesses say that they had heard screaming from above the cellar they were locked in, most thinking it would be the end for them, only to find a hooded figure freeing them. As they came out, their kidnappers had vanished, as did the hooded figure who freed them. Many believe that the hooded figure killed them, one mare even claiming that she saw three cloaked figures, and believe that they had saved their lives. Could these figures be vigilantes or something else entirely? -Mane Focus News “Mr. Cake was right, this is disturbing.” Rainbow Dash said as Twilight finished reading. “It's absolutely wretched!” Rarity spoke with disgust in her voice. “Whatever happened to those brutes, I hope it was as cruel as the situation they put those poor ponies under!”  “Ah personally think it's just some propaganda,” Applejack replied. “Ain't no way this could be true.” “Oh, on the contrary Applejack, this was articled by Mane Focus News. They've been confirmed for always being one hundred percent true in their stories.” Twilight was still holding the newspaper, looking at it with interest. “Personally, I find it hard to believe as well. But if this is real, these ponies should be found and tried.” Her friends looked at her in confusion, the moment of silence broken by Rainbow Dash. “What are you talking about, Twilight? They saved those ponies; and if they did send those scumbags straight to the void, good riddance. They probably deserved whatever happened to them.” “Rainbow, putting the law into your own hooves like that was bad enough, killing is out of the question. Those slave traders should've been arrested and put away where they can't harm anypony else, killing them makes you no better. For all we know, they could've been removing competition.” “I've got ta agree with Twilight, Rainbow,” Applejack chimed in, “There are better ways to have dealt with em.”  Rainbow defended her opinion. “Why would they have let the ponies live if they weren't trying to help them? And remember when you all made Mare Do Well? She was a disguised pony who helped people.” “We made her because you were getting over your head, these three are actively killing ponies because they think they're above the law.” “Well, if villains like Chrysalis and Sombra have taught me anything, it's that some people can't be redeemed, and they knew that.” Rainbow Dash looked to Rarity who had been silent the whole argument. “What do you think, Rarity?” “Personally, I hate the idea of shedding blood at all and would never wish that fate upon anyone. I don't know if they are an ally or not, nor do I really care. Justice has been served on the traffickers and those mysterious ponies might never appear again. The innocent ponies that were saved are back to their normal lives and that's where we should end it.” “Yea, I suppose you're right Rarity,” Twilight said as she put the paper down on the table. “I think we're getting too sucked into this. Well, gotta head to the market. Fluttershy said she'd be going there this morning and she needed my help carrying some stuff.” “Okay, I'm heading out for a mas- a nap. See you guys later!” Rainbow Dash declared as she zoomed out the door before anyone could ask questions. Rarity ignored her suspicious sentence to give her reason to leave. “Okay… Well, Applejack and I are going to the spa for some relaxation, I've felt some wrinkles on my face and a mud bath would do wonders.” “Okay then, I'll see you girls later,” Twilight said as she trotted out the door as well. Twilight walked to the desk where Pinkie still was and dropped some bits on the counter. “Thanks for the donuts, Pinkie, they were delicious.” “You're welcome Twilight. Oooh, I almost forgot!” Pinkie then pulled out a cup holder with two paper cups of coffee on them. “The second one is for Fluttershy, Caramel Macchiato, just how she likes it.” She gave a large grin stretched across her face.  “Uuh, thanks Pinkie.” Twilight took the cup holder with her telekinetic hold, And trotted out the door. Pinkie, now alone, continued to stand behind the counter as she waited for her next customer. Rainbow Dash flew through the streets where several ponies were working, selling or just passing by. Many stopped to give a “Hey,” or “Hello,” upon seeing a familiar face, but she flew past them in a hurry. Whew, that was so close, Rainbow thought to herself, I almost let it slip. Hope Rarity and the others don't get the same idea; I've had some tension in my wings that's been killing me. Rainbow Dash flew to the spa to have one of her “secret spa treatments” that she'd never tell her friends about, worried of how embarrassing it'd be if they saw her soft side. Maybe I'll have my wings preened, then I'll do a hooficure, followed by a soothing sauna bath. Such thoughts filled her with enthusiastic glee. *BAM* Lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice her sudden collision into a large figure who had their back to her, causing her to fall on her flank. “Oow,'' She groaned, rubbing her sore behind. Angry at having her nice thoughts interrupted, she instantly got up and shouted at the large figure before her, "Are you blind, you large oaf?! Why don't you watch where you're going you-” Every ounce of anger she felt dissipated the instant they turned their face towards her, giving her a piercing glare that tore into her soul. “You got a death wish, mare?” He growled with a low, masculine voice. In all her life, Rainbow Dash had never felt as intimidated as she was at that moment.  He was a griffin, one who looked taller than Big Mac and twice as strong. His lion body was dark gray like ash, his feathers coal black with highlights of ruby red on the tips of his wings, a hawk like beak looking sharp as spears, and the same color of red accents around his sapphire blue eyes that gave her a terrifying glare, reminding her of a predator who had cornered his prey. Rainbow Dash’s knees shaked and beads of sweat dripped off her forehead, she knew he could easily snap her in half if she said the wrong thing. She tried to calm herself, thinking she shouldn't try to judge a book by its cover. Just because he was a griffin, didn't mean he was like Gilda, he could be cool and is just having a bad day. To try and ease the situation, she let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of her head. “Heeeeeey, sorry about that, my bad,” She said nervously, while putting her hoof on his shoulder. “I gotta ask, you're really large for a griffin, what's your diet?”  Rainbow Dash felt what little bit of calm she had left shattered, as she felt him grab hold of her head faster than she could act. “Looks like I was right about that death wish,” He growled as he lifted her off the ground. Rainbow Dash was wrong; this book definitely had the right kind of cover. Her face was covered by his talons, making her unable to see past his claws. She let out muffled screams, she kicked and wiggled to get out of his grip, only for his grip to get tighter.  Suddenly, she heard a new voice, “Valr, what in Luna's name are you doing?!” She couldn't see who it was, but it sounded like a much younger stallion. “Do you mind, I'm a bit busy here.” “Are you crazy?! Put her down!” “She started it.” “I don't care who started it, I'll finish it! Put! Her! Down! You're making a scene!” The griffin let out a scoff before releasing Rainbow’s head, dropping her hard on her flank again. Her vision was blurred from having her eyes held shut and could only see a blur of the griffin and her supposed rescuer. As her vision cleared, she saw the two of them arguing.  Her savior was a pony, his coat a much darker blue than her own and a blue mane that was so dark it almost looked black. Rainbow could see he was a unicorn, but he had other features she couldn't fully make out yet. As they argued, the unicorn spoke in an accent that she didn't recognize, almost sounding Hisponic. “Signore aiutami, I can't leave you alone for two minutes! We haven't been here two hours, and you're already assaulting the locals!”  “She rammed into me and called me fat!” “Well, maybe she's got a point, you could use a few more salads!” “What did you say?!” “Rainbow Dash, wha’ in the hay is happening over here!?” The blurriness in her vision instantly disappeared when she heard that country voice. She turned her head behind her to see Applejack and Rarity running to where she was. She dashed over to them faster than she had ever done and hid behind Applejack. “Applejack, you gotta save me! That crazy griffon just tried to kill me!” Rainbow Dash screamed as she pointed her shaking hoof over to the griffin. While confused, Applejack looked to where she was pointing and saw two figures looking at them. The griffin Dash was afraid of was huge, easily taller than her brother, and just as burly. The unicorn next to him however, while much smaller, was a complete shock in appearance. He had an average, but fit build for a unicorn. His coat was blue with a much darker shade for his mane and tail, which were not very long, but were shaggy. He wore what looked like a medallion on his neck, a simple chain with a beautiful silver pendant shaped like a circle with a waning crescent moon and a four point star engraved on it. His cutie mark was a sword and shield with a four-point star at the center of the shield. But the thing that caught her attention most were his tufts of fur sticking out the top of his ears and slit eyes that shined like bright gold. His eyes looked more predator than pony, and the two fangs poking out of his upper lip further implied he wasn't normal. With a heavy sigh, he trotted past the griffin to the three confused mares. “I am so sorry about this,” he apologized. “My griffin friend, Valr here, is not what you call a ‘people person’. And he still needs a few lessons in manners!” Valr responded to his friend's complaint by giving an intense stare and flipping him the bird. “Anyway, where are my manners? Caio, my name is Night Stalker.” He brought his hoof up to exchange greetings. “I believe I didn't get your names, miss…?” “Rarity!” Rarity shouted before Applejack could speak, trotting past her to eagerly shake his hoof. “My name is Rarity. These are my friends, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. It is quite nice to meet your acquaintance.” Night Stalker took Rarity’s hoof and gave it a soft kiss. “A pleasure, Mia Signora.” His voice charmed Rarity into a flustered giggle through reddened cheeks, her legs feeling like jelly before the charmer.  “Oh brother, every time,” Valr whispered with obvious disgust.  Applejack continued to look at the unicorn stallion, confused about what was with his fangs and eyes. He looked just like those terrifying night guards that Luna brought with her on Nightmare Night; was he a part of her guard? Surely he's related to them in some way? He must have noticed her staring as he turned his attention to her. “I imagine you are confused about my appearance. I apologize if I frighten you.”  Once again, Applejack was interrupted before she could say anything as Rainbow Dash blurted out, “Yea, are you some kind of vampire or something?!” Night Stalker seemed unamused at her question. “No, I am not a vampire; I am a vesper.” He said in a deadpan tone. “A what?”  Stalker let out a deep sigh and put his hoof on his face. “‘Vesper’. We're a species of pony from an island north of the Lunar Ocean. we're what you equestrians refer to as, ‘Bat-ponies’.” Applejack finally got her turn to speak and questioned them, “Alrighty, what brings a… vesper and Griffin like yourselves to a small town like Ponyville? I ain't ever seen either of y’all here before.” “Actually, You can call us its newest residents. I had been wanting to open a blacksmith shop for a long time, so after leaving my home and coming to equestria, Princess Celestia herself gave me a deed for property here in Ponyville. A shop that'll be run by me, Valr, and another colleague of ours who's currently at the city hall getting us the deed.” “your new residents?” Rarity spoke excitedly, “Well, it is an absolute pleasure to have you here. If you ever have any questions, be sure to tell us. And if you are ever in need of a new suit or a patch job, I own the carousel boutique down the street.” “Thank you Miss Rarity, I'll be sure to stop by. But right now, I'm afraid we must depart. We planned on going to the local cafe here for breakfast and later meet up with our colleague. It was a pleasure meeting you three, and I hope we meet again soon.” He then turned away from the three mares and walked off, waving at Valr to follow, who promptly did. “Yea, you better run!” Rainbow Dash shouted at Valr. The goliath griffin stopped and turned his head towards them, giving another terrifying glare. Rainbow Dash yelped and ducked behind Applejack again, much to her annoyance. “That's what I thought,” Valr grumbled. With that said, he walked behind Night Stalker, making their way to the diner.  “Farewell!” Rarity shouted to them before turning to her friends. “Well, let’s find Twilight and Fluttershy, shall we?” She trotted past them with an extra gallop in her step, a wide smile on her face. Applejack and Rainbow each gave a raised eyebrow at each other, fully aware she had it hard for that stallion. Twilight and Fluttershy were walking out of the pet store carrying several bags. Fluttershy was a butterscotch colored Pegasus with a long pink mane and tail, the lock of her mane draped over one of her teal blue eyes. Her cutie mark was a trio of blue and pink butterflies. “Thank you Twilight,” She said in a small voice, “I always try to keep myself stocked on food for the little creatures, but sometimes I get a little carried away.” Twilight held ten twelve pound bags in her telekinetic hold, which felt hard to carry even with her magic. A little carried away, huh?  “So how are your flight lessons with Dash going, any improvement?” “No,” Twilight sighed, “I'm still at hover level right now, not to mention Rainbow Dash's ‘lessons’ have basically been her saying the same thing again and again.” “Well, Dash is a hard mare to understand, but there's no pegasus I trust more to teach you. She'll have you flying in no time, you'll see.”  “I'm sure she will Fluttershy, but at the moment, I don't have the time. The Summer Sun Celebration is only three days away, and I still can't do the part Celestia gave me. This is the first time she's able to celebrate with her sister, I need to be able to do this, or I might let her down.” “I'm sure you'll do just fine. Me and the girls have seen your part, it looks simple enough that even I could do it. You won't let the princess down, I promise.” She gave Twilight a warm smile that could brighten anypony’s mood; she couldn't help but smile back. “Thanks Fluttershy. Who knows, maybe things will be just fiiii…!” Before Twilight could finish her sentence, she was startled by a lone quesadilla left on the ground, sending her stumbling backwards a few feet away from Fluttershy and landing on her back. The moment she hit the ground, Twilight lost concentration of her spell, sending the bags a few feet above Fluttershy to fall. Fluttershy shrieked and covered her head, curling into a ball to brace herself. But before Twilight could redo her spell, a red blur swooped past her, snatching Fluttershy before the bags landed with a loud thud. She had never seen anything move that fast, In fact, she didn't know if Rainbow Dash could move like that. She quickly got back to her hooves and saw Fluttershy next to a stallion she didn't recognize. Fluttershy expected to be crushed by her own groceries, instead feeling only a harsh breeze and hearing a loud thud. As she confusedly opened her eyes, she noticed she was in the forearms of a stallion, one she had never met before. He was a bright red pegasus with a lean but strong build. His mane and tail were shaggy, a yellow and orange color that looked like bright flames. His cutie mark was a roaring comet soaring across his flank. He looked at her with blue eyes as bright as the sky. “That was close, are you okay?” he asked calmly. Fluttershy instantly regained her thoughts when he spoke. As soon as she realized she was still in his arms, her face turned redder than his coat and instantly pulled herself out of his embrace. “Ye-yes, I'm okay. T-thank you,” she answered quietly. “Fluttershy! Thank Faust you're okay, I'm so sorry!” Twilight yelled as she put Fluttershy in her embrace next. “I-It's okay Twilight, you didn't see it.” Fluttershy tried her best to look away from the stallion while keeping her face hidden in her mane.  “I should've though. If I wasn't so put off by them, I wouldn't have lost focus.” Twilight turned to the stallion, “Thank you dearly, if you hadn't swooped in, she would've been hurt.” “No problem, just glad I could help,” he replied politely, giving a kind grin to ease the tension. “Wait, I don't think I've ever seen you here before. Are you new in town, mister…?” “Ah, where are my manners?” He brought his hoof out to Twilight and Fluttershy. “My name is Scarlet, Scarlet Blaze.”