Ello guys and welcome to chapter 1 of my redo of Creed. I thank you all for understanding my reasons for redoing this story, you all truly are great.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter 1. As a warning I will be keeping Shooting Star, as I believe it's a great character for the story. Also go onto my account and check out a poll I'm doing.

To see if you want an actual human version of this story, or something relating to Equestria Girls.

So anyway I don't own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or the Assassin Creed series.

If I did I would probably die from hapiness. Still enjoy review and see you all later.

Random Key: Bolded Italics: Author's Notes

Italics: Emphasis and thoughts

Underlined Italics: Flashback

---

-Sequence 0: The Prologue-

"Is this all the Assassin Brotherhood has to offer, pathetic," a voice gloated, his words accented by his heavy Germanic accent. I could feel my already present anger welling up inside me.

'Confident bastard,' I thought bitterly, watching my target strut around in a circle confidently from afar. Looking at my position, it gave him full right to. There was a large gash going down my right side, blood still oozing from the wound mixing with the pouring rain that hit the open cliff side where we dueled.

"Come out and face me assassin, I'll show you what I showed the other assassin who tried to kill me!" the griffin continued to boast. That was what sent me over the edge, knowing all to well who he was speaking off. I moved out of my hiding spot, panting as I stood on wobbly hooves.

"So the coward finally shows his face," he stated confidently, priming his talons for an attack. "Where is he?" I asked, trembling in my rage.

"Oh did I strike a nerve there assassin? Fortunately for you, you'll be speaking to him quite soon," the griffin replied. I snorted loudly, showing my disdain of the Germanic griffin. "WHERE IS HE?" I repeated, losing my composure for the briefest of seconds.

He didn't answer, instead he spread his wings and darted towards me. I rolled to my right, feeling a new surge of adrenaline flowing through out my veins. I unsheathed my cutlass, and got into ready position just as quick. I watched the griffin turn around in mid-flight gracefully, and charged towards me with his talons spread.

I didn't move as the griffin approached, my eyes watching his talons as if they were moving in slow motion. When he was finally in range for an attack, he slashed at me with a right. I took advantage of my smaller stature and rolled under the griffin side-first.

I unsheathed my hidden blade, and raked it along his under belly. I shifted my body weight to stop rolling and turned back to my opponent in one smooth motion. I could see the long gash going under the griffin's under belly, blood oozing out similarly to mine.

"Lucky shot assassin, that is the final shot you will get," he spat, not losing an ounce of confidence through his anger. Instead of flying towards me, he bounded towards me on his long lion's legs, closing the distance quickly. He swiped his right claw upwards, missing as I jumped back right on time.

Seeing an opening, I slashed my cutlass at his exposed throat. Then it was the griffin's turn to jump back, slightly out of my blade's reach. He didn't make any retort this time, only continuing to glare at me harshly.

"Tell me where Shooting Star is before I slit your damn throat," I spat venomously, another wave of anger of flowing over me. The Germanic griffin sneered, suddenly bursting into hysterical laughter. "If you're looking for your friend, you assassins may want to check six hooves (feet) under the ground," Granger retorted, voice filled with twisted amusement.

"He's not dead, you're lying!" I spat, my confidence in the statement dwindling down with every passing second. "Your friend wasn't even a challenge, simply walking into my ambush like it was nothing. Now your friend is dead, simply thrown into the river like it a pile of trash that you assassins are," he continued, my rage becoming harder and harder to control.

I remained silent as I took deep breaths trying to quell my anger, my black bangs falling over my face, hiding it from the griffin's view. 'He's not dead, he's not dead, he's not dead!' I repeated over in my mind, trying to convince myself it was all just a lie, a rouse to get me off my game.

Then I sensed the griffin shooting towards me, relying mostly on pure instinct. I dodged to my right, not far enough letting the griffin to simply tilt into my direction and toss me into the air like a rag doll. I slammed into the ground with a loud thud, rolling a few feet before coming to a stop, hearing my cutlass clang onto the ground loudly.

As I pushed myself to my hooves, I didn't feel any pain. I guessed it was either due to adrenaline masking the pain or my strentgh was so little that my whole body was going numb. I hoped for the first one as I faced the Templar in front of me.

I was disoriented, body was shaking from lack of strength. It was clear to win, I needed to end this quickly.

"Getting up? Well you assassins never did know when to lay down and die," Granger stated, reveling in the fact he would be able to finish me off, "Two assassins in one week, looks like my luck is changing for the better."

I didn't respond as I waited for the griffin to make his move, one that I needed to be his last. Waiting made the world around me slow, seconds feeling like hours, with each one I felt worse. Finally the griffin used his wings to dart forward, time was still slowed.

The large griffin's usual speedy charge turned into an agonizingly slow movement. I waited as the griffin closed, unsheathing my hidden blade, and waited.

Once I felt like he was close enough, I directed all of my strength to my back hooves and pounced at him. The griffin wasn't prepared for such a direct approach that I was able to dodge his initial slash and slam my right-front hoof into his beak.

Like I had planned, the impact from my punch sent his head recoiling to the side. The punch sent his head flying sideways, his body zooming past me as he crashed onto the ground behind me to due his body already moving in that direction.

I could hear him tumble several feet towards the edge of the cliff. I turned towards the downed griffin, the pain making the would be simple action tremendously painful. A grimace was the only indication that the pain had affected me at all. My adversary was equally as slow to face me, making it clear that he had taken the same amount of punishment that I had.

Seeing the sight of the downed bird had sent a wave of new found amusement in me causing me to stifle a chuckle. Granger heard it clearly, but didn't make any indication that he did. He was just trying to keep the situation serious, or he was beginning to fade. I let a grin form on my face, my strategy coming crystal clear to me.

I had to do something I've never done before, but it couldn't hurt to try.

"Something the matter bird brain? You don't look too good," I stated jokingly, making the griffin snort loudly. Before he could retort I pressed harder, "What happened to that high and mighty Templar crap you were talking about earlier? I thought with all of your bark you would have some bite, but guess I was wrong." I forced a nonchalant tone into my ragged breathing, just barely masking it.

"Shut your mouth assassin, you can't trick me with your foolish attempts to lure me in," he retorted angrily, not sounding all to convinced with his own words. A confident smirk had worked itself onto my face before replying, "Sorry, but looks like you're wrong. Why would I need to trick someone so tremendously weak that he needed a whole ambush to defeat a single assassin?"

My words were affecting him, the simple action of turning his own words against him was enough to send him to the edge of a rage. The griffin dug his talons into the softened ground beneath us, in another feeble attempt to keep his calm.

"Well it doesn't surprise me that you would need one to defeat Shooting Star, from the way you fight a chicken with it's head cut off would have a better chance at beating me now," I followed up, mentally preparing myself for his upcoming charge as I uttered those words. Just as planned, the griffin let out a loud enough screech to startle princess Celestia out of bed.

He spread his wings and shot towards me, the speed of the attack not taking me by surprise. He stopped directly in front of me, sending down a claw in a vertical slash. I rolled to my right with a new found energy inside of me, feeling the ground shake from the impact of the attack.

I got to my hooves as Granger slashed with his other claw, I jumped, the slash just missing me. The griffin proceeded to launch a flurry of slashes at me. I weaved around them gracefully, slowly growing closer to the enraged griffin without him even noticing.

I caught the sign of fatigue from his swings, slowing down with every swing. Finally seeing the opening I wanted after ducking under another slash, rolling forward onto my back so that I was laying directly under him and bucked out his hind legs with all of my remaining strength.

The buck had been successful in its mission and sent the griffin's whole body weight coming down upon me. I rolled out of the body's path just in time, causing the griffin land of his stomach with a tremendously loud thud.

I got to my hooves and pounced onto his back before he could get back up, grabbing one of his wings with my mouth and slashing the spot known as the humerus with my hidden blade. The griffin let out a screech of pain, I repeated the process with his other wing. I dropped the now limp wing with a sigh, the blood from the action spilling itself around the griffin.

I got down from his back and placed myself in front of him, looking into the dulling eyes of my enemy. I bent down so that our eyes were at the same level and hissed raggedly, "You got one more chance to clear your conscience before you meet your maker. Now tell me, where is Shooting Star."

The griffin's eyes dulled a bit more, but he was still very much alive. "Your friend assassin is dead or he might as well be. He rolled down a nearby hill in the location where we battled and heard a splash come from a nearby river, didn't seem him again. I doubt your friend could survive a fall like that wounded, but then again you assassins always seemed to surprise me," He croaked out dully, "We did leave victorious, we still have the apple your friend seeks and is on its way to our Grand Master. You've lost assassin."

I could see that he wasn't going to tell me more, that death's door was already upon him. Before he had faded away, I asked him a question, "Where is the apple that Shooting Star came for?" A smirk broke the fleeting face of Granger. "You will never get your hooves on it assassin; it should be far away in the island region you call Hismaneola. Our best captain is in possession of it, and he would rather cast it in the sea, and then see it squandered by the likes of you."

A raspy chuckle escaped my mouth as I said, "Don't worry I'll find it, and when I do. I'll make sure to tell the captain that you send your regards."

I raised my left fore hoof, the steel blade inside the bracer snapping out in less than a second. I brought down my hoof, the blade running through the throat of the Griffin. His body writhed under my hoof, blood sputtering out of the wound wildly. I kept my hoof there until the writhing stopped, sheathing my hidden blade as I pulled my blood-soaked hoof away.

"Requescat in pace," I told the lifeless corpse, lifting a hoof to slide his eye lids closed. A cruel smile crept on to my face, a sense of fulfillment filled me as I realized what I had done.

The sight of the dead being in right in front of me didn't faze me, it never fazed me. I was told that there must be something wrong with me to be so used to the killing, ponies who knew nothing of my reasons would call me cold and deponyized.

I at one time questioned why I had zero reaction to the violence I committed, and eventually I found the answer. Death has been in every part of my life, and it had now came full circle.

The first death I had ever saw was that of my own parents, and considering my current condition, the last may be the one of the being who killed them.

I shook the thoughts out of my head, I knew I shouldn't be enjoying this. I backed away from the corpse of my parents' murderer, a disgust pointed towards himself took over the gratification of the kill.

'No, I can't sit on my ass and dwell on this. I need to notify Faith Breed about the information he gave me, and it's safe to say that he didn't get the apple Shooting Star had in his possession.,' I summed up before adding quickly, 'and tell Shooting Star's parents that he may still be alive.'

I began the task of scavenging up my things from the area that surrounded me, the sharp tang of freshly spilled blood slowly purmuating the air as I did so.

---

After finishing the tedious task, I simply limped back down from the cliff side. The gash running down my side still feeding the dark crimson stain which greatly contrasted the pale white fabric which my robes were made out of.

I thanked Celestia that I wouldn't need to go into the city to make it back to the brotherhood headquarters about a mile out from the cliff. Unfortunately limping a mile takes a very long time, the sun setting long before I felt that I was even halfway there, it hadn't helped that the rain was still pouring heavily.

Navigating my way through the what seemed like unending darkness was a daunting challenge, especially with the constant threat of an animal attacking me.

That was actually the least of my worries; the darkness in front of me was becoming increasingly blurry as I progressed. My hooves began weaker and weaker with every step, getting to the point where they began to shake in exhaustion.

I strayed from the middle of the path to the very edge, stray branches from the trees brushing me as I passed. I eventually couldn't keep moving forward anymore, my tired hooves beginning to give way under me. I leaned onto a nearby tree for support, finding none as I slid down the smooth tree bark. I landed on the ground with a thud.

A quick burst of violent, painful coughing fit rose to the surface with a small amount of blood, I spat it out as the pain in my side had intensified from the new found pressure of my weight on the wound.

'Celestia damn it, I'm in bad shape,' I cursed mentally, unable to do anything but stating the obvious. I positioned my hooves under myself, and tried in a vain effort to push myself back up. I found nothing, but the cold, damp dirt as I fell back onto the ground immediately.

I knew I was in no position to move, I wasn't in position to do anything. I could simply lie there and hope somepony, anypony would come by and spot me. If not, then I was bound to die from blood loss or by any ravenous creature that could come by.

I could feel my eyelids become ten times heavier on the realization, not having the energy to keep them up, I let them close. Hoping that this darkness around me wasn't the last thing I will ever see, but as I slowly drifted away; I could hear something.

It sounded like hoof steps, but it could always be my head playing tricks on me...

---

When I faded back into consciousness, I was fairly surprised to still be breathing. 'I'm not dead, no this isn't the afterlife,' I stated mentally, trying to mentally reassure myself.

Truth be told, I was actually quite sure I wasn't dead. I was lying on something, soft yet lumpy. Celestia knows in the afterlife, I would want to wake up on something more comfortable.

I noted that the sound of rain falling had disappeared, along with its scent, replaced by the strong stench of rubbing alcohol. I could feel something warm cast onto my face, possibly the sun.

My eyes were still heavy as I tried to open them, but I was able to open them after a little effort. On the very instant I had opened them, my eyes were barraged with bright sunlight, blinding me momentarily.

Then a noise caught my attention, it was a loud crash, coming from not too far from myself. I craned my neck towards the noise, seeing that I was in a room of some kind, lying on a bed with a thick wool blanket covering me.

The room was entirely made of unpainted stone brick, surprising me, seeing that most ponies wouldn't like the dull color and opt for something more cheerful. Casting that aside for the moment, I saw that there were shelves upon shelves of medical equipment. Prompting me to think I was in some kind of hospital or infirmary.

Either way, I desired to find out what had created the loud crash. I rolled out of the bed, landing on my chest once again. Though a dull pain exploded throughout my body, it wasn't the sharp kind I had expected.

It originated from the area that I had received the gash from the battle against Granger. I reached for the spot subconsciously, instead of finding my assassin's robes or bare coat, I found what felt medical bandages. Taking a better look, I found that I had been covered from the mid-section up with medical bandages.

I could feel the small bumps of stitching from under the bandages. I sighed and placed my hooves under me and pushed, lifting myself up with a good deal of effort. My legs were still shaky and I didn't feel very sure-hoofed, but I was able to stand at least.

I limped my way towards the wooden door in front of the bed, careful to not disturb the stitching in any way or fall face first into the stone floor. Once I reached the door, I went for the door handle.

Intending to use my mouth to open it, instead the door handle turned before I ever came close. I backed away from the door, letting the pony behind the door open it. The door opened to a light brown mare, the rest of her face covered by the beaked hood she donned. Her light green eyes stared back at me with a look of mild surprise.

It didn't take much to recognize her and discern my location, she was an assassin and the only other friend I had after Shooting Star. It took less than a second afterwards to realize that I was in the assassin infirmary in the headquarters, although my memory of the place being foggy due to not being here for several years.

Her name was Disciple, Faith Breed's daughter. Everypony knew that she was a skilled assassin, but she would never reach the level of her mother or her twin brother, Apostle, so she was forced to be contempt with being any other assassin.

I knew that was probably the only reason why we had connected in the first place, she was always longed to step out of her mother and brother's collective shadow, to be something more than her mother and brother, but that was simply not to be.

The same could be said about my relationship with Shooting Star, the one pony I strove to be better than in every fashion, so in terms we both had a friendly rivalry with someone we cared for deeply. The only difference was that I had an actual chance to match my rival's skill, where Disciple would never reach that level she wanted.

It seems harsh, even to me, but the truth was that when she had a physical object standing in her path. She had slashed her right foreleg pretty bad when she was ranked as mercenary. The arm was able to be saved, but it would never be in the same shape as before.

Even with all chips stacked against her she found a way to get around the handicap, but we all knew with the use of that injured leg she would have propelled herself to that level she wanted.

She was bitter. I was bitter. So we spent a good amount of time together together.

Truth be told, that was all we had similarity wise. Though we enjoyed each others' company, and that's enough to start a friendship as I learned.

"Ah, Creed my boy, back from dead I see?" Disciple stated cheerfully, the unnatural cheeriness telling that me that she was trying to prepare me for some bad news.

"What's wrong Disciple?" I asked doubtful that she had anything to be cheerful of, making her sigh tiredly. "Can't fool you, huh?" she asked, her tired voice being more like her. The shaking of my head being the only answer to the mare, she produced another sigh.

"Well, you see Blazing Star and Stardust would like to know if you have any news for them about Shooting Star's location," Disciple explained. "I have the answers they want, but first where is Faith Breed. I must speak with her?" I asked hurriedly, to emphasize the importance of the action.

"Mother is with Shooting Star's parents down in the library," Disciple answered, sounding slightly confused on what was so important, but didn't say anything further. "Good, I must speak with them," I replied, making the confusion on her face disappear. It turned into a stern glare with a hint of concern.

"You aren't in best of shape, you don't want to reopen those wounds," she told me, the tone being irritated at having to state the obvious. "You can come with me if you like, but we must hurry!" I replied, feeling a bit of offense from the fact that she would think that I would do something that stupid. Disciple let out her third sigh of the conversation, and shook her head in disbelief.

"Fine, but no running. The stitching is only a day old," Disciple conceded reluctantly, but conceded nonetheless. I nodded, and began limping down to the library with Disciple. The library was several levels in the very bowels of the structure, the infirmary being at the very top.

The library's position had been like this since the construction of Altair's library. Ezio, the founder of said library, had preached the importance of knowledge to the earlier assassins. Prompting us to build any modern libraries with the ability to take tremendous damage and not fall.

The reason being that if the headquarters itself had ever been destroyed, the knowledge in the library would be saved and still could be passed down to future generations.

I noticed the several looks from the other assassins as I passed by them on my course to the library, all of them showing forms of respect, taking my return from the mission as a sign of success. I ignored them as I followed Disciple down the winding steps to the library.

The two of us finally arrived at the library, the enraged and panicked voices of Blazing Star and Stardust bouncing off the thick stone walls. The echoes which they gave off made it hard to discern what they were actually saying.

Before entering, I gave a single nod at Disciple to leave. She returned a curt nod and turned back to the first floor. I limped towards the nearing sound of Shooting Star's parents bickering. I glanced at the rows of towering shelves, all lined with tomes of invaluable knowledge. No other pony was present in the library, probably because the presence of the mentor and two master assassins commanded for complete privacy.

Eventually I found the origin of the voices, the trio of assassins were right in front of the center shelf. It held the most valuable texts the assassins were in possession of.

Faith Breed, who was looking in my general direction, was the first to notice me.

"Ah Creed, you're up," she stated the obvious, a tone of relief in her voice. The heads of Shooting Star's parents immediately snapped in my direction, both with wide eyes in their surprise. They spared no time in bounding up to me and barraging me with questions concerning the whereabouts of their son, all of them mostly incoherent because they spoke over each other with every sentence.

"You two quiet down, asking him so many questions is pointless if he can't understand you!" the voice of Faith Breed reigning over both of their voices, her voice being one a mother scolding her children when they're arguing. Them both probably recognizing the tone from their scolding of my constant arguing with Shooting Star as a child, had immediately shut them up.

"Now Creed tell us, do you know something of Shooting Star's whereabouts?" Faith Breed asked calmly. I nodded, giving the worried parents in front of me a sense of hope. Faith Breed's horn shone with a dark blue, a scroll floating off the storage rack and landing gently on the wooden table a few hooves to the right.

"Good tell us where you suspect his whereabouts to be," Faith Breed explained gesturing towards it. I nodded, all of us making our way to the table. I looked at the map and found that it was a map of Equestria as a whole.

"Alright enough chit-chat, once you tell us where to start looking we'll start," Blazing Star said impatiently, I'm pretty sure that anypony would be in the same position. I pointed at the capital of Equestria, Canterlot, and moved my hoof a few inches to the east where close to the location where Shooting Star had planned to assassinate Granger.

"Here was the last known location of Shooting Star," I began, looking up to make sure everypony was following, "From what Granger had told me, he was ambushed by him and a large group of Templar forces in a nearby clearing." A snort came from Stardust, "I knew that going in directly would have lead to this, and look where his recklessness has gotten him."

Blazing Star looked at his spouse with a bit of irritation, and back to me acknowledging me to resume.

"Granger was able to throw Shooting Star down the hill near the clearing, and then got knocked around by the trees that covered it and lost sight of him through the treeline," I continued bluntly, both parents looking a bit angry at my phrasing. I shrugged slightly and continued, "Granger told me of hearing a multiple crashes come from the treeline accompanied by a loud splash. Seeing as the hill was too steep, Granger hadn't sent anypony to go investigate.

So my theory is that he had fell into a nearby tributary of Everfree River and with the known fact that the current of said tributary moves southward towards the larger Everfree River; it lowers the search area to just the few villages which lie on it and all of Fillydelphia," I concluded, taking a deep breath after saying so many words.

"Are you sure that he is still alive? From what you said, it would have been very lucky to survive the collisions with the trees and not drown in the river afterwards," Faith Breed stated, now dampening the missing assassin's parents ray of hope.

"Yes, knowing that wings are incredibly light and that they do indeed float, it wouldn't be hard to say that his wings permitted him to float high enough to keep his head above water after losing consciousness. Knowing that it is at least worth it to go check the towns on the tributary," I countered, the logic in my rebuttal silencing any questions from the mentor.

Although the explantaion had made sense to me, it was a possibility to not beach on one of the nearby towns' shores and float down Everfree River which eventually dumped out in Ponyville Lake, but seeing that it was a very small chance so he decided to keep it to himself for now.

I took a glance at the parents of the missing assassin, both had looks of hopeful determination.

"Alright we'll begin searching those towns, but it no doubt take time to search all of Fillydelphia," Faith Breed stated, once again stating the obvious. "It doesn't matter as long as I know that my son could be in one of those towns is enough. I'll begin the search immediately if you'll permit me," Blazing Star replied, his voice filled with the determination he had given to his son.

"I as well," Stardust chimed in, sharing that determination. "Very well, you will begin the search immediately. We will not leave any of our brothers to the birds," Faith Breed answered before moving her gaze to me, "Would you like to join the search party Creed?" I shook my head causing all of their eyes to widen.

"Even though Shooting Star is a close friend of mine, I believe that the search parties of Burning Star and Stardust is enough to locate Shooting Star," I began, once again taking a look at the faces of my fellow assassins. All of them seemed to accept the fact and decided to let me continue, "I would like to search for a Templar Granger spoke to me of. From what he tells me, that captain holds the apple Shooting Star had went after and is currently in Hismaneola."

Faith Breed nodded gesturing that she knew of my intentions.

"I grant you permission to search for the captain, and you no doubt will find him or her. For now you should let your wounds heal, and when you feel up to it, you shall begin," Faith Breed explained, but she and I both knew that it would take to long for my wound to heal.

"I can not take that chance, I will set off now, and not let him get the chance to hear of our intentions," I replied, adding a tone that made it known that I would not take no for an answer. "So be it, now go forth all of you. You have work to do," Faith Breed commanded, gesturing for all of them to leave as she did so.

We bowed in consent and made our way to do the task we had been given. None of us spoke a word, but we all knew that we needed to succeed because if we didn't, more than just the life of Shooting Star hung in the balance in our success.

-END-

That's all folks. Hope you enjoyed, and as you see. Ponies will have the ability to cuss and other such things. So tell me how you feel and I'll be sure to be faster with the next update then before. So see you guys next time.

Ello guys and welcome to chapter 2 of Creed: The Redo. So news for everyone who has been living under a rock for the past couple of weeks, AC IV has come out. Got it, loved it, and still enjoying it even when I finished the main campaign. I highly encourage that you go buy it for whatever system you have, but be prepared for glitches as there are many in every game of the series. Also not going to spoil too much for you, but there will be spoilers for newer people to the series.

I once again thank thee for taking a look at my story, if I had not thanked you earlier.

-Disclaimer-

I don't own the Assassin's Creed series or the My Little Pony cartoon series.

-Sequence 1: A Year Later-

Memory 1: A Friend Indeed

"So Captain Creed what are you going to do now?" asked the orange stallion in front of me, sneering in self-satisfaction.

A deep chuckle began forming in my throat, soon growing into full blown laughter. Something which confused the colt.

"Stop your laughing you good for nothing foal!" he spat venomously, "You find your inevitable death amusing?"

The other colts around me took a step closer, cutlasses drawn, all aimed at my throat. I counted four in front of me, including the colt currently taunting me, and four behind me.

"Death?" I repeated, beginning to recover from my outburst of laughter, "That's the farthest thing that is going to happen to me Admiral Torrent."

"Stow your tongue nave! Before I have these fine men cut it off," he warned with very little effect.

When my laughter had finally concluded, the only thing that remained was a smirk of pure confidence.

"Does death not faze you assassin!" he cursed loudly, "Do you not want to live?" I tilted my head and raised an eyebrow, to gesture my confusion.

"SIR, A BRIG IS-" came a voice from all the way up in the crow's nest, which suddenly cut off.

"What in th-" Admiral Torrent asked, looking up towards the crow's nest.

The other colts were also distracted, their head turning upwards. Momentarily bringing their cutlasses away from my throat. That was the moment I sprung the plan, I cracked my neck, and counted to three.

1...

2...

3...

Not a second later, I bucked out the front legs of the two colts behind me, aiming the strikes at a certain point. The result was the colts next to them were brought down with them.

Every head shifted back down to me, just as several cannonballs slammed right into the hull of the HMS Stormfront. Already braced for it, the cannon shots only caused my adversaries to stumble forward.

I unsheathed the cutlass that hung at my side and slashed out outwards the closest guard to my right. In one strong slash to the guard's exposed throat, the colt fell limply to the deck with a splatter of blood following him. The rest of the guards soon regained their focus on me, then suddenly a crimson stallion to my immediate left stepped forward and slashed at me.

I spun on a hoof, blocking the sword at the last moment. Next to me, a dark blue stallion had foolishly decided to take a swing at me with his cutlass while I was preoccupied. I shifted my body weight sideways and tilted my cutlass. Side-stepping the crimson stallion's cutlass forward, making the stallion stumble forward, right into the path of the dark blue stallion's sword.

The dark blue stallion's blade was slashed deep into the back of the crimson colt's neck, freezing the colt in place long enough for me to climb over the crimson stallion's limp body. Unsheathing my hidden blade, I plunged it into the dark blue colt's throat, covering my left fore-hoof with his blood.

Immediately afterward, I turned my attention back onto the Admiral, but before I could take any action, a gray stallion stepped into my path, slashing at me wildly. I ducked under the slash and tilted my head so that the tip of my cutlass was pointed at the exposed skin of his throat, without hesitation I sent the cutlass straight through his neck. In result, blood splattered out of the exit wound, covering the Admiral in blood.

The dead body gray stallion fell onto the deck, at this point the Admiral had already began galloping away in fear, going underneath the deck and into the cargo hold. I narrowed my eyes at his actions, muttering venomously, "Coward."

Feeling a new presence coming up from behind me quickly, I bucked behind me instinctively, my back hooves catching his attacker on the chin, effectively knocking out whoever was behind me.

Turning back to see who I had kicked, sheathing my cutlass as I did so, it turned out to be just another member of the HMS Stormfront's crew. Not wasting another moment on the unconscious stallion, I gallop towards the hatch leading to Admiral Torrent had entered.

I lifted the hatch and jumped into the hold, landing on the wooden floor on my hooves with a loud thump. Most of the Stormfront's crew already being up on the deck, combating the members of my own crew, it made giving chase to the Admiral even easier.

I galloped through the rooms of the hold, rolling underneath the slash of an awaiting guard and continued galloping after the admiral, leaving the guard in the dust. Finally I reached the final room of the hold, where I found Admiral Torrent frantically looking around for an exit.

"What's wrong Torrent, seems like you have nowhere left to run, do you?" I mocked snidely, a wryly smirk creeping on my face.

"You bastard!" he spat furiously, "How dare you talk down upon me as if better, when you're nothing more than a dirty pirate rat, whose hasn't accomplished a single thing in life! I am an Admiral, a colt who has accomplished more than you could imagine doing in your lifetime!"

"Is that so Admiral Torrent?" I asked with mock insult, "but even then, I did accomplish one thing with my life, killing a snake like you."

I immediately unsheathed my cutlass after saying this, prompting the Admiral to draw his own weapon.

The Admiral was the first to attack, lunging at me with a stab. I easily side-step the stab and send my right fore-hoof into his face, knocking the cutlass right out of his clutches. He let out a loud 'AGH!' as he spat a bloodied tooth from his mouth. The Admiral then began searching the floor for his weapon, only to find it underneath my back hooves, watching helplessly as I kick it away and out of sight.

Knowing that he had no chance whatsoever, the admiral readied himself for an attack, so attack I did. I charged at him and slashed, aiming for the throat. The orange stallion ducked underneath the attack and attempted to land a blow on me. Though with my superior reaction time, I backed out of his reach with plenty of time to regain my stance.

The swing had left an opening for me to exploit, allowing me to close the distance once again and stab at the Admiral with my cutlass once again. This time the attack had sailed true, my cutlass being lodged deep into his left fore-leg, causing him to fall onto the ground, writhing in pain.

Leaving him more vulnerable than a new born foal. Quickly pulling the cutlass out of his leg, Torrent letting out a loud groan in response.

Sheathing my sword, I look down upon the fallen Admiral.

"What does this gain you, eh?" he asks bitterly, grabbing me by the collar and pulled me closer with his one able fore-hoof, "You are a privateer aren't you? Did you this for money, status, or do you do this for the fun? Tell me, do you spill so much blood over such petty reasons?"

"I spill blood for answers and I want some, now," I reply venomously, ripping the admiral's hoof off my color.

"I'm not going anywhere lad, so ask away," he stated while rolling onto his back, showing signs that he was becoming hysterical.

"Where is the Apple!" I demanded, grabbing the downed stallion by his collar. Doing this, he broke out in a hysterical fit of laughter, confusing me, but not enough to lose focus on the task at hand.

"I should of known you were out to get it," he began still in the middle of his laughing, warning signs going off in my head when I see him reaching into his coat.

Unsheathing my hidden blade, I place it at his throat, giving him a silent warning.

"Calm yourself lad, I'm not trying anything," the Admiral reassured while pulling his hoof from his coat.

There in said hoof was the object I sought, an Apple of Eden, but it seems that it was never activated.

"Seems like I don't quite have the genes to use it, but maybe you do, eh?" Torrent stated, chuckling lightly.

Sheathing my blade, I took the apple from him and on contact the apple began shining brightly, streams of bright yellow light flowing from the apple. I examined the circular object for a moment before placing it inside of an empty pouch on my holster belt. I unsheathed my hidden blade once again and approached the Admiral.

"Thank you Admiral Torrent," I state before sending my blade into his throat, "and goodbye."

Pulling the blade from his throat, blood spurted out of the wound like a geyser, before dialing down into a smooth flow. Torrent wasn't going to last long afterward, the blood loss from his wound in his fore-leg only adding onto that fact.

The orange stallion seemed to attempt speaking one last word to me, but before being able to do so his head fell backwards and landed on the wooden floor underneath him, eyes still locked in their original position.

Closing the dead eyes of the Admiral, I murmur to the corpse quietly, "Requescat in pace (Italian: Rest in Peace)."

I then hurry my way back up to the top deck, not wanting to waste any more time. Once there, I found the crew of the Stormfront still clashing with the crew of my own ship, the sounds of cutlasses clashing rang through the air everywhere around him.

"THE ADMIRAL IS DEAD!" I exclaim loud enough for everypony to hear, placing all of their attention onto him, "Now lay down your weapons or perish!"

Upon saying this, my crew began letting out cheers of victory, the opposing crew doing as told and began laying their weapons down onto the deck.

"Captain!" called my first mate, Mary Read. Looking towards the direction the voice originated from, I found her racing towards me.

"You did good Mary, got me out of quite the predicament there," I stated in a rare span of gratefulness.

"Thank you Captain, now we need to decide what to do with the Stormfront," Mary replied, sounding pleased at my praise.

"I believe we should keep her," I stated, looking around the galleon, "She's still in relatively good condition and a ship of this caliber is a rare find."

"Alright who's going to captain her than?" Mary asked curiously, "I could give you my opinion if you'd like."

"No it is fine, I know exactly who will captain her," I replied, before continuing, "Mary I here by name you captain of the HMS Stormfront."

Her eyes widening in surprise, clearly not expecting the sudden promotion.

Mary opened her mouth, probably to object such an action, but I quickly cut her off, "You've proven yourself more than worthy and I need someone to watch the Fillies while I'm back in Equestria."

She promptly closed her mouth and nodded before going back to the Frantellanza, most likely to gather a portion of the crew to help her sail the stallion-o-war back to the port.

-Five Months Later-

Dear Stonewall,

For the better part of the year we have been searching for Shooting Star and due to the overwhelming pressure of the Templar Order's recent activity concerning the Pieces of Eden, I have decided to call off the search for him until further notice.

Please understand that we need every able body in our ranks to help fight back the ever increasing numbers of the Templars, that coupled with the lack of success in the areas you have pointed out.

Only leaving two options, either Shooting Star is dead or he is alive, but doesn't want to be found. As I know, both will be bitter words to swallow, but you must understand that my hooves are tied at the moment.

Knowing you, I do not humor myself by believing you will just give up the search for your friend, so I am allowing you to continue the search for Shooting Star.

Unfortunately you will not have any assassin assistance in this endeavor, you must do this alone. For now, I wish you luck with your search.

Safety and peace,

Faith Breed.

"What does it say?" a soft, feminine voice asked curiously.

My eyes darted back at the carrier of the letter, Rosemary Flagg, the new quarter master of the Frantellanza. A particularly young mare, she was actually a year younger than myself.

Truth be told she wasn't my first option to be my new quartermaster. She was actually put into my services by her father, Royal Flagg, First Admiral of the Equestrian Navy.

I had went to him, wanting suggestions of ponies who could fill the empty position on my ship. As the former was currently patrolling the seas of the West Fillies.

Royal Flagg, than asked me to let his daughter be my new quartermaster, wanting her to sail just like every other pony in her family.

Calling in a favor I had owed his brother, Black Flagg, a notorious pirate who I had befriended during my first trip to the West Fillies. I was obviously forced to agree to, something that Rosemary didn't agree to herself.

"Nothing," I answer bitterly, crumpling it up and throwing the paper ball off the dock and into the water.

"Right nothing," she stated statistically.

"Rosemary!" a male voice called out from across the dock.

Looking over to the voice, I saw a red stallion with a blue white mane standing at the entrance to the port, being held back by some of the crew. As I approached his position, he began to look familiar, but I just couldn't place his face.

"Patria!" Rosemary called back, galloping over to the colt in question.

Hearing his name, I remembered where I had seen him before.

He was Rosemary's boyfriend, whom I had met before setting sail with the mare for the last eleven months. He had begged me to bring her back safe-and-sound, something to which he had promised after a few minutes of his unrelenting pleading.

Once the crew holding back Patria had heard Rosemary respond to him, they let him through, the two galloping straight into a hug. I had intended to walk past them unnoticed, but unfortunately Patria had already noticed me.

"Captain Creed!" he called, releasing Rosemary from his embrace and galloped over to me, "Thank you for bringing back my beloved unscathed!"

I blinked at the colt's very genuine appreciation, something I was not prepared for.

"Your welcome," I stated bluntly, not wanting to have any conversation with the highly talkative colt.

I tried to make my way past the white-maned colt, but he had unfortunately decided to keeping singing his praises.

When we had reached Rosemary's position, she knew to stop her the white-maned colt before he frustrated him any further.

"I think you've thanked him enough Patria," she stated tactfully.

"I can not thank him enough, he brought you back without a single scratch on you. I should show him the full extent of my gratitude," He countered, much to my chagrin.

I myself, not wanting to berate the colt in front of his girlfriend and my quartermaster, I decided to not explode on him.

"No you don't," I began simply, before explaining how it really happened, "Rosemary coming back unwounded was not of my doing. Truthfully, it was thanks to her own skills and actions that she was able to do so."

I left with that, not wanting to give him enough time to counter. As I passed her, I saw a surprised expression on Rosemary's face, the reason was unknown to me.

I hurried past the couple, wanting to finish the rest of his business here in Manehatten, where a few months prior, I had bought a port to dock without paying a rent. "Good night Cap'n," the crew standing next to the entrance stated. "Too you as well lads," I replied, not sharing the genuine feeling, but was able to feign into enough so that it was believable.

Entering the streets of Manehatten, the glow of candle-lit street lights illuminated the otherwise pitch black streets of the city. Unlike many of the other major cities around the world, Equestrian cities were for the most part extremely safe places to live. Except for the occasionally evil entity attacking, which were usually stopped before it could reach the other cities in Equestria. Still I had my fair share of enemies from the occasional pub fight, so keeping a low profile was key. I reached back and pulled my hood up over my head, the action was still relatively new to me.

These set of robes were still relatively new, the elven months were tiny when compared to the three years I was in possession of my prior pair. Which were unfortunately destroyed in the showdown with Granger. Unlike many other assassins who used hoods to keep their face unseen, I used a tri-horned hat that was hoof-made by Faith Breed, that was also destroyed in the battle.

My destination was Central Park, one of the many landmarks in the gigantic city. My benefactor was going to contact me there about my payment and next assignment, meaning that she would probably won't long.

Seeing a construction lift out of the corner of my eye holding up stacks of bricks, I galloped to it, hopped up on the wooden platform and bucked the switch keeping the stack of bricks up. I gripped the rope with my teeth just as it shot upwards by the momentum of the bricks falling downwards. When I reached the rooftop, I let go of the rope, landing onto the cement floor of the roof. I heard a loud thump come from back on ground level, probably from the brick hitting the ground. I shrugged and began galloping towards Central Park.

Not wanting to waste any time getting there, I had decided to free-gallop, which was also called parkour by the rest of society. The set of buildings on this street were squished together closely, making the transition from building to building easy. There was the occasional half wall that separated the rooftops, which I had jump over completely, making the whole endeavor simple at best.

I eventually reached a building which directly looked over Central Park, the streetlights dimly lighting the location.

"Hello Creed, glad you could make it tonight," a familiar female voice greeted from behind me.

I turned to see the shadowy figure of Princess Luna, her starlight mane flowing even with no evident wind.

"I'm sure you want to talk about the status of the mission to find Steel Cross?" I asked, wanting to get down to business.

"Yes I do, but I'd rather start this conversation with something more personal, we are friends after all," she answered, "So how have you been these last five months?"

I let out an audible sigh, showing my distaste at having such relationship with my employer.

"I'd rather not say," I replied tiredly, gaining a raised eyebrow in response.

"Is something the matter Creed?" Luna asked worriedly, something I wasn't expecting.

I battled with the idea of telling her the plight that was nagging at me for the past year, I was about to not tell her, but finally I caved in under my own pent up emotions.

"About thirteen months ago, a close friend of mine had went missing," I began, sitting on my flank, "For the past year, me and his family have been searching for any trace of him. From what I had gathered, he had fallen into one of the Canterlot River tributaries, and should of drifted to a set of locations.

Due to my need to go look for Rapid Torrent, I could not stay and search, but my friends and family could, so I sent them to go look. Now they searched all of the places I've pointed out with no success and have given up, leaving me to be the only one looking.

How am I in Celesita's name supposed to believe that he is still alive when even his own family has given up on it?"

Luna blinked at my rant, probably surprised about the amount of emotion I had shown, which probably the most I've ever shown ever.

"Maybe I can help you with your problem, you may be surprised about how much information I know," Luna offered still a little dumbfounded at the emotion I just showed.

"I would appreciate it," I answered, the frustration from earlier still present.

"So what is your friend's name?" Luna asked, seemingly regaining her composure.

"Shooting Star," I answered bluntly, getting back up on my hooves. Immediately when she heard the name, her eyes widened, telling me that she recognized the name.

"Is this Shooting Star an alicorn, has a yellow coat, white mane, and blue eyes?" Luna asked, nailing the general description most people would give of the colt.

"Aye, you know of him?" I asked, my curiosity peaking.

She nodded in affirmation and explained further, "Do you remember the unicorn that Celestia made into her apprentice a year and a half ago?"

"Aye, Twilight Sparkle if I remember correctly," I answered, remembering overhearing a brief conversation about her when I was tailing a wealthy plantation owner and his wife.

"I believe this photo would do more to explain their situation," Luna stated, her horn glowing dimly in the night sky.

A bright flash blinded me momentarily, stumbling backwards a few hooves in reaction. When my eyes had readjusted to the night once again, there a magical image hovered directly in front of me.

In the image were two alicorns: one light violet mare the other light yellow stallion, celebrating an occasion of some kind, lips locked in a kiss. Another thing I found interesting was the bump that graced the mare's stomach. One of the two caught my attention immediately, his yellow coat, white main, and overall features all pointed to one pony, Shooting Star.

"Do you know where Shooting Star is, if I dare ask?" I asked, treading lightly.

Being the privateer for the Equestrian Navy gave you clearance to get most information, asking the position of a princess was another thing.

"Ponyville, you can take the train there and get there in the matter of hours. One more thing, when I spoke to Twilight about him, she told me that he had amnesia due to an accident of some sort," Luna explained, before we continued the conversation back to business, "So have you found Steel Cross?"

"Yes, I was able to capture him alive," I answered formally, "Coward gave up as soon as we boarded."

"Good," Luna replied, before using her magic to make a pouch of bits to appear, "Here's you reward."

The bag floated over to me, prompting me to grab it out of the air with my teeth and placed it with the rest of the money on me.

"Grazie (Italian: thank you) Princess," I began, "I for now must make my way to Ponyville to find my friend, goodbye for now."

She nodded in reply before fazing back into the night around her.

'Okay time to see if the train station is open,' I thought turning towards the general direction of the train station, 'Ponyville here I come.'

-Skip-

As it turns out, the train station wasn't sending trains out to Ponyville for a week. Which actually turned out to be a good thing, allowing me to alert my crew of indefinite absence.

Still the days that lead to that certain day felt like months as I had no fashion of distraction.

At last the day came, which put me in my current position, sitting in the cabin in which I had rented out for myself. The isolation allowing me to think about my next course of action.

I knew that I couldn't just trot up to the stallion and tell him that he was his best friend from a brotherhood of trained killers, to whom which he belonged to. Shooting Star probably wouldn't believe me and would probably laugh in my face. He would have to befriend his former partner and feed him former experiences and hope he would remember.

Still he was still about an hour away from Ponyville and he needed some rest. I looked out of the window of my cabin, spotting a nearby river. 'We should be getting close to Ponyville,' I thought.

I suddenly felt a jolt, the momentum sending me forward and slamming into the seats in front of me.

"What in the name of Celestia..." I cursed, picking myself of the floor. I heard the door of the train compartment slide open, hearing a loud shriek coming from the cabin opposite from mine.

I moved towards the piece of fabric which separated my cabin from the outside hallway. As I grew closer to the piece of fabric, I prepared myself for whoever was outside the cabin, the sound of hooves coming from just outside of my cabin.

I positioned myself at the side of the passage way and waited. When the hoofsteps were just outside of the cabin, I peered through a small gap in the fabric. There was a stallion in a ski-mask outside, holding a dagger in his mouth.

'A train robbery, you've got to be kidding me,' I thought, 'The conductors had to confiscate most my weapons, thankfully they didn't notice my hidden blade, but even then I'd rather not kill these thugs.'

I watched as the dagger wielding stallion turned towards my cabin, calling out to his accomplices, "I'll check out this cabin!"

I pressed my side onto the wall of my cabin, watching as the masked stallion approaching the cloth that separated the two of us. Once I felt the stallion to be an appropriate distance from me, I pounced, bursting through the thin cloth, slamming a fore-hoof into the face of the approaching stallion. The single blow was enough to completely knock out the stallion, his unconscious body sagging onto the floor.

Before any pony could see me, I flew into the cabin next to me, making sure to drag the unconscious body with me to not alert the others. Inside the cabin I found a captured white mare who had been tied up with rope. On first glance she would be labeled as a rather unique looking pony, her hair color alternating between dark and light blues. The real thing that caught his attention was her unusual eye color, which was a crimson red.

I rushed to her before she could say anything and covered her mouth with my hoof, placing a hoof in front of my mouth, gesturing for her to keep quiet. I unsheathed my hidden blade and cut her loose of her binds.

"Thanks," the wild-maned mare stated gratefully as she got back up to her hooves.

"No problem," I replied before sneaking back to the curtain and listened intently, looking for any signs of another pony being on this boxcar.

Upon my search, I found that I could hear footsteps coming down the hall towards him, accompanied by a gravelly voice calling out, "Hey Thinner, where you at?"

I did the same as when I knocked out the robber earlier and hid next to the cloth until the gravelly voiced robber to stood in front of the doorway before shooting out of the cabin. I wrapped my forelegs around the throat of the robber and dragged him back inside the cover of the cabin.

I continued to apply pressure onto the throat of the robber until he finally stopped wriggling in my hooves. I laid him down onto the seats of the cabin and left his unconscious body there.

"Is he dead?" the wild-haired mare asks nervously.

Not bothering to turn around as I do so, I answer, "No, just unconscious."

"Did you happen to see a brown mare about my height and age, looks all sophisticated?" the mare asks while attempting to speak calmly, but I can hear her worry as clear as day.

"No, but I'll keep my eye out for her," I tell the mare before adding, "For now don't leave this cabin, I'm going to save the other ponies on this train."

"You can't take them all on your own, there has to be a good amount if they were able to take this whole train," the mare protests as I make my way out the cabin, making me stop in my hooves immediately.

Looking back at her, I state confidently before exiting the cabin, "Non è un problema (Italian: not a problem)."

-Several Train Carts Afterward-

'This is the only car I haven't swept except for the engine, the bulk of their force must be in here,' I think as I stand outside the door of the last train car, fore-hoof on the handle of the sliding door, but I stop myself from entering, 'If past experience tells me anything, there's going to be some pony waiting for me on the other side, going to have to find another way to get in.'

My eyes immediately fall onto the metal rungs that were sticking out of the wall next to the door, and almost immediately a plan came to mind. Climbing up the ladder, I found myself standing on top of the train cart. Up on top of the passenger car, I'm surprised to see that it was the was the last car until the luggage cars. I make a note to myself to get my weapons after clearing this train car.

I move along the top of the cart slowly, not wanting to give his position away, therefore losing the element of surprise that this plan was going to need to work. After a few moments of gauging the volume of my own hoofsteps, I reached my target, a hatch that would lead inside the cabin.

Carefully sliding open the hatch, I smirk as I'm greeted with a perfect view of a pair of conversing thugs. Listening in carefully, I am able to catch the tail-end of a rather useful conversation.

"Why exactly are robbing this train again, if we aren't going to take a cent from any of these hostages?" Thug A asks curiously, the frustration clear in his voice.

"I don't know ask Shadow Tag, he's the leader, not me," says Thug B.

'Shadow Tag, so that bastard is behind all of this,' I mentally curse as I hear the name, recognizing the name at the same moment. Shadow Tag was the leader of a notorious burglary ring called the Zebroids, their iconic striped uniforms making them look like a mix of zebras and ponies, hence the name.

I knew this information because the Templars saw it fit to employ them from time to time, mostly to do jobs that were too risky to send any of their own goons instead. Which could mean that they were on a Templar funded mission, which could also mean that they were tasked with finding him.

'I better not keep them waiting then,' I think, a small amused smirk creeping onto my lips as I thought this. Not wasting another precious second, I push myself off the roof the cart and into the hatch, aiming for the two thugs directly under it.

I land on the thugs with a soft thud, the force of the impact knocking the two unconscious immediately. I quickly look around me, searching for any signs of being detected, before dragging the two unconscious bodies into a nearby cabin, expecting it to be empty.

In reality, I found the exact opposite of an empty cabin. The cabin was packed tight with hostages and with the ones he had rescued prior, that should make up all the passengers of the train.

At the front of the group of hostages is a brown mare that fit the description of the wild-haired mare and I go to her immediately. As I approached, the sophisticated looking pony she began to tremble, which immediately ceased when I cut her free from her restraints.

"I'm going to go and put an end to this, so I'm going to need you to untie the rest of the hostages, can you manage that?" I ask hastily, I get the sense that she found that to be rude, but she nods anyway, "When you're done go to the caboose, the other hostages I freed are there. When you hear the horn go off, you can assume that it's over."

"What exactly do you mean by assume?" the sophisticated looking mare asks with a hesitant curiosity.

"It means exactly what you think it means," I reply simply before adding, "Make sure you use those restraints to tie up the unconscious guard along the way, you don't want these guys roaming around when they wake up."

Before she could respond, a voice from outside the cabin caught my attention, "Hey Tree Bark, Martyr, you guys there? I thought I heard something, I'm going to go check it out!"

"Shit," I curse under my breath before positioning myself next to the cabin's doorway, silently berating myself for making too much noise.

I look back to the hostages and put my hoof to my lips, gesturing for them to keep quiet.

I keep still and listen to the approaching hoofsteps, estimating that the Thug would be in the target position in less than two seconds, I once again ready myself for another stealth take down. As I am about to burst through the curtain, the voice of Thug B suddenly rings out from behind me, "Some pony stop him, he's freeing the hostages!"

Upon hearing this, I push myself through the curtain and into Thug C behind it, thus sending him into the cabin next to him. Glancing around, I see that I have the attention of every thug in the train car and not wanting to stick around, I make a dash towards an exit. Reacting faster than expected, the thugs near the door immediately blocked off his exit and I just knew that the thugs behind me had done the same.

Not knowing what else to do in the situation, making sure to look completely unfazed, I go into a defensive stance. I counted five thugs in total, all equipped with low-grade daggers and I remain unarmed, with all the odds clearly against my favor one thought goes through my mind, 'Easy pickings.'

-Insert Line Here-

I exit the train car and close the door behind me as I step out, as I do this, I catch a glimpse of my handiwork. There in the middle of the hallway lies a pile of unconscious bodies, the sight of this causing a triumphant smirk to spread across my face.

"I win," I scoff victoriously before returning my attention to the task at hand, which was stopping Shadow Tag and getting this train moving towards Ponyville once again, "Alright Shadow Tag, time to play."

Upon taking a step towards the luggage cart in front of me, the floor underneath me suddenly shifted backwards, causing me to stumble in the same direction. Pushing myself off the cold steel floor, shocked to see that the ground underneath the train had begun to move.

"Who in the name of Celesita decided it was a good idea to start the train again in the middle of a freaking robbery?" I demand angrily as I climb up the side of the luggage cart.

"That would be I, my dear assassin," a remarkably cultured voice replies as I reach the top of the cart, the sheer surprise of hearing the voice almost made me lose my balance completely, coupled with the fact that the owner of the voice was the exact pony I was looking for had almost made me fall over face first, "One needs every advantage they can get when facing off one of your kind."

"Assassin?" I repeat, expertly feigning confusion, "You must have me confused with somepony else, I'm just a pony trying to meet my daily good-deed quota."

"You're telling me that your 'daily good-deed quota' involves you liberating hostages from a train filled with armed thugs?" Shadow Tag asked disbelievingly, "What you do yesterday?"

"Saved a litter of kittens from a burning building," I answer casually before adding in a similar manner, "Considering you're the pony who started this train back up again, I'm going to guess you're the leader of these thugs, I think one of those thugs I knocked out called you Shadow Tag."

"You're assumptions are correct, my dear assassin," Shadow Tag replied over-dramatically, "Now what are you going to do about it?"

"Easy, I'm going to hoof in your face," I stated with a small smirk, "Then I'm going to kick your rear end of this train."

Shadow Tag let out a short chuckle before countering, "I'm afraid to say that you're gravely mistaken, you my good stallion, are getting kicked off this train."

Having just about enough of the smug bastard in front of me, I charged towards the jet-black stallion and swung a fore-hoof at him. Shadow Tag had not been fazed by the sudden attack and simply ducked underneath the punch, leaving my mid-section completely exposed.

Being the thief he is, Shadow Tag immediately took advantage of my vulnerability and bucked me clear in the ribs. The force had been enough to send me stumbling backwards, but thankfully it didn't do too much damage.

'He's better than I thought, but that doesn't excuse my recklessness,' I thought, berating myself mentally, 'I need to be a bit more cautious.'

"Complimenti (Italian: Congratulations), but that's the last time you're ever going to hit me," I tell him, my being tone much more serious than it had been before.

"We'll see about that assassin," Shadow Tag replied, his tone growing more serious as well.

Saying that, the jet-black stallion shot towards me with speed one would expect from an infamous thief, but unfortunately for him I was faster.

Side-stepping the charge completely, the jet-black stallion flew past me and at the speed he was going at, Shadow Tag had barely managed to come to stop before he had fallen off the cart completely.

Seeing a perfect opportunity to strike, I galloped towards him at full-speed and hit him with a perfect shoulder-block, attempting to push him off the train and into the tree-covered mountainside the train was currently moving through. All the while screaming at the top of my lungs, "Rimborso è una cagna! (Italian: Payback is a bitch!)"

But before Shadow Tag had flew off the top of the cart, he grabbed the collar of my robes with his teeth tightly, causing me to come with him off into the trees with him.

I slammed into the ground hard, instantly causing sharp pain to spread through my side. But since the mountainside I was currently tumbling down was sloped at a steep downward angle, it meant that my descent wouldn't end just there.

On the way down, I slammed into everything one would expect to be on the side of a mountain; rocks, trees, and the occasional pile of animal scat. Then suddenly, I felt a sharp blow hit the back of my head, immediately making everything go black.

-Insert Line Here-

'Shouldn't I be feeling pain?' I ask myself.

It felt like all my whole body suddenly went numb, but I still managed to remain conscious some how.

Truth be told, the feeling scared me. At this moment, I was completely vulnerable to the world around me and I couldn't do a damn thing to stop it from happening. So not knowing what else I could do, I waited.

After a few moments of torturous waiting, my body slowly began to come back to life. Once my body completely returned itself to my control, I pried my heavy eyes open, wanting to figure out where I had was.

Upon opening, my eyes were suddenly bombarded with powerful, white light. Forcing me to close them so they could adjust to the sudden change in brightness.

"You're already awake?" an unknown voice asked, immediately making warning signs go off inside my head, "With all the injuries you've sustained, I thought you would be out for a couple days at least."

My eyes darted over towards the voice immediately and found a pale-white mare going through a pile of supplies in the corner of the room. I didn't respond to her comment at first, I just stared at her in complete silence.

"You know it's rude to stare at a lady," the pale-white mare added, sounding slightly annoyed.

"My apologies," I stated apologetically, not wanting to anger her in my current condition, whatever it actually was.

"It's quite alright," the pink-haired mare replied before turning to me, allowing me to see the nurse's cap on top of her head, "The injuries you've sustained would of made anypony loopy."

"That's what happens when you take a tumble down a mountain, I suppose," I stated with a small amount of amusement in my voice.

"Tumble down a mountain?" the nurse repeated in disbelief, "Well, I guess that explains all of the bones you've broken, it's really a miracle that you aren't dead."

"Don't worry about me," I stated casually, making it sound like it was no big deal, "It happens all the time."

"Now I'm really wondering how you're not dead," the nurse replied, followed by a soft chuckle, "I'll leave you alone now, I'm sure you're going to want some rest after what you've been through."

As I watch her head for the door of my room, a thought came to mind suddenly, "Hey, out of curiosity, how exactly did I end up in this hospital?"

"One of our messenger ponies found you in the Ponyville river while she was on duty, Derpy if my memory serves me right," The nurse began, "She was able to drag you out of the river, but you were too heavy for her to bring here so she went looking for help.

That's when she found a mare named Fluttershy, having a picnic with her animal friends, and luckily one of those animals was a bear. I think you can piece the rest together."

"Um, yeah," I respond, filing the names away under his 'need to thank' list, and one more question, "Before you leave, do you happen to know anything about an alicorn named Shooting Star? I'm kind of here to look for him."

"You know Shooting Star?" the nurse asked, sounding as if she wasn't too sure I was telling truth.

"Yeah, I'm an old friend of his," I explained, seeming to ease her suspicion a little bit, "Do you know where he is? I haven't seen the stallion in a long time."

The nurse opened her mouth to respond, but something had made her stop, much to my chagrin.

"Can you excuse me? I have something I need to attend to," the pink-haired mare explained before rushing out the door in a full gallop.

'Something must be going on, but she said Shooting Star's name as if she knew him personally. That must mean he came through Ponyville, but where is he now?' I ask myself mentally, 'Maybe-'

Then suddenly the door to my room was slammed open, revealing a purple alicorn on a gurney, who seemed to be having some sort of seizure. The purple-mare was wheeled into the room and placed onto the empty bed next to me by a stallion dressed in a pair of scrubs, which probably meant he was a part of the hospital's staff.

'What happened to her?' I ask myself mentally, wondering what could of caused such a thing to happen, but then I realized who the pony was.

It was the mare from the Luna's photo, which meant that Shooting Star couldn't be too far away.

"Sir, you can't enter while the doctors are operating," a stern voice coming from the hallway outside the room, sounding as if the pony had said this several times already.

Then, an all too familiar voice responded to the stern voice, "For the last time I don't care! Just let me see Twilight!"

-Out in the Hallway-

"For the last time I don't care!" exclaimed a yellow stallion as he struggled against the combined strength of four mares trying to hold him back, "Just let me see Twilight!"

"Shooting Star, calm down!" an orange earth pony yelled back, her voice having an extremely strong southern accent, "You ain't going to do here any good in there!"

"Yeah Applejack's right," added a pegasus, this one having a light-blue coat and rainbow colored mane, "She'll be fine, just let the doctors do their jobs."

During the chaos, the five ponies had failed to notice the pale-yellow pegasus come over to them and ask in a soft whisper, "Um, what's going on?"

Seeing that they hadn't heard her, the pale-yellow mare repeated herself in a louder voice, but they still hadn't noticed her.

So the pale-yellow mare took in a deep breath and shouted on the top of her lungs, "WHAT IN THE NAME OF CELESTIA IS GOING ON HERE!"

The five immediately stopped what they were doing and looked over to the pale-yellow mare, eyes wide in shock.

"Fluttershy, what are you doing here?" asked an extremely pink mare, her voice being extremely high pitched, "Did one of your animals have an accident, if they did, it totally wasn't my fault."

"No, I-" Fluttershy began to respond before being cut off by the same pink pony.

"Okay, I did it! I'm sorry, I didn't know real chickens couldn't stretch as far a rubber one!" the pink mare wailed as she began to cry literal gallons of tears.

"No, I'm just here to visit somepony," Fluttershy explained to her pink friend in her usual soft voice, "So why are you guys here?"

"There's something wrong with Twilight," explained Shooting Star, sounding extremely frustrated, "I think it may have something to do with the animus spell we used on her."

"Oh my, I hope she's going to be okay," Fluttershy replied, the worry she was feeling thick in her voice.

"There's no need to worry, Twilight's been through worse and pulled through, I'm sure she'll be just fine," said a pony with a coat as white as snow, her voice being much more cultured than the her friends.

"Yeah Rarity's right, she'll pull through, she has to!" the rainbow colored mare exclaimed confidently, the statement alone being able raise their spirits.

"For one time in your life Rainbow Dash, you're right," said Shooting Star, who received a painless punch in the fore-leg for the rather obvious insult, "We're not going to do her any good by being worrywarts."

"No, duh dummy head!" exclaimed the extremely pink mare, "We should all try to take our minds of it by asking Fluttershy who she's visiting."

"Yeah, now that you mention it, who are you visiting here?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously, suddenly shifting the group's attention onto the pink-maned mare.

"Oh, I really don't even know his name, Derpy found him in the Ponyville river unconscious and came to me for help, so I helped bring her bring him here," Fluttershy explained timidly, "I came here to check up on him."

"Really, now doesn't that sound awful familiar," Applejack replied, referring to the time Twilight had found Shooting Star in the same exact situation.

Shooting Star opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the door to Twilight's room opening suddenly, revealing a pale-white stallion.

The stallion's body had been heavily bandaged and it was clear he was having trouble standing up. Even then, he still had a wide smirk spread across his face as he looked straight at Shooting Star.

"You're Shooting Star, right?" he asked the yellow-alicorn, who nodded instinctively, "You and I have some business to attend to."

-End-

Well that's all folks, sorry to end on a cliff hanger, but it just seemed like the right time to end the chapter. You know, need to have you guys wanting more.

Still, tell me if you like the chapter and if there's anything you want me to improve. Until next time guys, see ya!