Fear, something I hadn't felt for a long time, but I was experiencing it right now as Luna pinned me down with her strength aided by magic. Twilight, Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity, and even Pinky who was brought by Luna's guards, all of them, dead, their scarlet blood staining the marble floors, their bodies torn and ripped apart. Soon I would be joining them, I lay there against her hoof, broken, tired, and begging for death. Luna suddenly sliced half of my left foreleg off, and I screamed in agony as the blood started rushing from the wound.

She laughed maniacally and said, "See what happens Adomia! See what happens when you try and resist!" She sliced the other half, and I wondered when my scream faded, why am I not dead?

She kept slicing away until my wings, and my legs were completely gone, blood was gushing out of all the wounds, and mixing with my fallen comrades. My voice was completely gone, as I had used it to much for screaming. She then tossed me away like a toy, and watched in joy as my blood riddled the ground as I flew. I landed, face first, against the wall and heard a loud Crunch! I didn't need to feel my face with non-existent hooves; I knew it was broken, just like my spirit.

Luna then walked over to me and said in a disgusted, and sarcastic tone, "Look, you and your 'friends' got blood all over the floor! Do you know how long it's going to take to clean this up! Ah well, I've had my fun with you Adomia, but your time to die is now."
With that final statement she whipped up one final slash spell and the last thing I felt was my head being cut off my neck.
---
*Gasp!* I bolted upright in my cloud bed, wings flared, but alive, not injured in the slightest. After a few fear stricken seconds I realized what had happened, just the same dream again, I sighed then continued thinking, hard look on my face, that dream is still just as scary as it was just a few days ago. I went over to my new little refrigerator and pulled out some bottled up Apple Cider, courtesy of Applejack. I trotted outside and saw the sun, just creeping its way over the horizon. I felt my nerves calm down a little as I watched the gigantic ball of Celestia's light rise into the air, and took a little swig of the cider.

seems like Luna has been getting Celestia to raise the sun everyday for her, or maybe she's doing it herself. *sigh* I hope she's alright, because even if Luna is killed, but Celestia dead, then there would be no pony, or at least to my knowledge, would be heir to the throne.

I sat there watching night turn to day for who knows low long. I just wanted the peace to last, but it was disturbed by a friendly call, "Adomia! Wake u- Oh! You're already awake, well then get down here!"

I recognized the voice of Twilight, and groaned a little bit. looks like a break will have to wait for another time I thought. I put the jug away; put my leather armor and cloak on, along with the other hidden blade which was working perfectly, thanks to Twilight's magical talents, and jumped down from my cloud home. I landed a little sloppily due to still being a bit tired and turned to face Twilight and asked her, "Morning Twilight, you up for some final sparring?"

She looked at me with a concerned look in her eyes and replied, "Yes I am, but you don't seem ready."

I didn't want Twilight to worry about me; Celestia knows I don't need a pony concerned for the likes of an assassin. So I stretched a little bit and feigned a happier tone, "I don't know what you're talking about, I'm ready, and fresh as a daisy."

Her look didn't change; she saw right through me and asked, "Is something bothering you?"

I was surprised at her concern, but I didn't want to be seen vulnerable, so I just turned away and said, "No, nothing is, why would anything bother me? I'm an assassin, not a weak child."

She looked at me for a few more seconds, and then shrugged and said, "Well then assassin, let's see if you can handle… THIS!"

In a fraction of a second she materialized a fireball the size of herself, and hurled it at me. I didn't even need to turn around, I listened for the ball of flame to get closer, and started to feel its heat, then at the last possible second I jumped over it with ease, and it faded out of existence. Landing on the ground I and quickly used the momentum to surge me forward toward her. She expected this, and right as I was about to jump on her she put up a lavender shield, and I bounced right off it. Landing about thirty yards away, I started to gallop towards her again, this time bolts of lightning shot out of her horn, and I easily dodged to the right and was about five yards away, when I saw her putting up the shield again. This time I was ready, and slid under her as the shield went up, I got a nice bounce off it and landed hooves first on top of her, I pinned her down and raised my hoof as if the blade was out.

I smirked and said cockily, "Looks like I can handle it, but you can't"

I got off her and she stood up, and said sadly, "Looks like I can't," *sigh*, "I don't know Adomia; I feel like I am ready, but when I spar with you, I feel like I don't. I just don't know if I can help when the time comes."

She faced the ground, and I could feel her sadness. I also felt guilty for what I said, I removed my armor and set it down on the ground, and slowly trotted next to her and said reassuringly, "Hey, calm down, you'll be fine. You've got the skill, and the power, now quit worrying. You'll be great!"

She heard this and I saw a little bit of blush rise on her face, she tried to hide it by turning away from me, but I already saw it. She looked up and tried to take her mind off what I said with, "w-w-well, you sound really calm for somepony who is about to dive into Hell."

Oh, you don't know the half of it

I lay down on the grass and said, "Nah, I was just trying to keep you from turning tail and running."

Twilight shot around to face me, blush now up to her face, and exclaimed, "You'd think I would actually run away!?"

"Well no, think you would last with me to the end, but the thought that's on my mind is why?" I replied

She was taken aback by my question and thought of an answer, "I really don't know Adomia, maybe it's because I have had this feeling that I've known you ever since you pinned me down that morning." She paused for about seven seconds, let out a deep breath and continued, "Maybe it's because… I…" Her voice trailed off.

I was puzzled by this and asked, "What is it? Why are you so nervous, and why is your face REALLY red?"

She turned away from me and said, "Look, just forget it."

I was unsatisfied and said, "No say what you were goin-"

"Forget it!"

I was surprised with her sudden hostility, for the first time in a while I felt guilt, something that I've learned to purge from my systems, but now it was back, full force.
"Sorry if I was being a bit nosey," I said with concern mixed in my voice, "I'm sorry that I made you think that I doubted your courage, I wasn't trying to imply that."

She turned back to face me, and said, "It's alright; you're just not too good with words."

Now my face was starting to blush a little out of embarrassment Come on Adomia really? Blushing? Way to show a sign of weakness I realized that Twilight was waiting for me to say something. "Alright l-let's just drop the subject, OK?" Ugh, why am I feeling so nervous!

She was about to say something when my stomach decided to come to the rescue and interrupt what she was about to say. Thank Celestia. I thought

She giggled a little bit and said, "I think we should go get something to eat."

"Twilight don't you remember? I'm still a wanted criminal, I can't go into town." I replied

"Oh yeah, sorry, it's just that I've been around you for so long. I've forgotten about your public status." She said.

"I'll just go make myself a Daisy Sandwich and call it a day; we're going to need all of our strength for tomorrow." I wanted to have some time alone, to think about the coming battle tomorrow, and maybe some way to cure my nightmares.

I didn't notice my head looking down at the ground, and I heard Twilight say, "Something is bothering you Adomia, I can feel it."

She went over and lay down next to me; again I felt nervous, but not as much as before. *sigh* you're not going to drop it, are you? I decided to let it out, and let myself feel a little bit vulnerable. "Mind's well tell you seeing as how you're not going to drop it." I looked to the sky and continued, "I've been having nightmares Twilight, nightmares about the coming battle. I… I'm in the throne room, underneath Luna's hoof, and all five of you are dead. She says to me "See what happens Adomia! See what happens when you try and resist!" Then she proceeds to slice my legs and wings off, slowly and one half at a time so she can relish in my pain."

I felt tears gathering in my eyes "First blushing now this!" Luna would say to me if she saw me, "You're pathetic!"

"its horrible Twilight, I just have to sit there, broken, and begging for death. She draws it out though, taking in every moment and every scent. But the worst part is," I paused a bit trying to bring myself to say it, "is that she reminds me of myself." The tears were coming out freely now, streaming out of my bright red eyes like a raging river. I felt Twilights hoof on my face, and I turned to her. Then she wrapped me in a hug, a long drawn out hug, and instead of backing away. I returned it, it went against everything I had learn when Luna trained me, how I was trained not to love, not to show weakness, not to care. But now, it didn't matter to me, I needed this hug more than ever.

She let me go and said with concern in her voice, "gosh, I don't think I would ever see you like this Adomia, I never knew you had something like that going on in your brain. But you're not like her Adomia, you don't torture your victims, you don't relish in their screams of agony, you may kill, but you don't do it with bad intention. You do it because you believe that you are making the world a better place, and while Fluttershy's death was completely innocent, I forgive you completely, because you didn't know any better."
We just sat there, for a long time, not saying a word, but enjoying each other's company.

It was noon when Twilight's stomach growled, she giggled a bit and said, "I forgot about that! I'm going to go get something to eat and take your advice and rest up." She got up and started to trot away from the lake. I watched her, moving away until she was only a lavender blur. I got up, picked up my armor, and flew back to my home and walked in the door. I took out the same jar of Apple Cider I had that morning, and sat on my couch made out of clouds. I took a swig and let the sweet, creamy taste roll down my throat. Man that's good I thought, I sat there for a while just letting my mind wonder when I decided to get down to business. The moon had risen and the time to make some final preparations was now.

I went into my room and looked at my little grinding stone which had a spell cast on it to let it stay on clouds. I pulled off my Hidden Blade's and took the actual blade out of it. I proceeded to start sharpening the sides and tip, sparks flying out from the friction, some occasionally burning my hoof, but after three burns and an hour later. I had two blades that looked brand new; I felt pride build up as I admired the little harbingers of death. I turned to my beloved charcoal colored cloak, it was ripped in several places, dirt and blood stained the outside.

how could I have let it come to this state? I questioned myself

I started work on cleaning it and repairing the tears, and by the time I was done I had my good ol' cloak repaired to brand new. Well all except for some crumbs from the Daisy Sandwich I made for myself when I was halfway done.
Look's like everything is taken care for, now to just go to bed and get some sleep.

When I was in bed, all my thoughts were focused on Twilight, since I no longer had anything to think about other than the events of the day. I felt weak for showing vulnerability, but there was just too much grief for me to handle. Then my mind drifted to the hug we shared, for some odd reason I couldn't get my mind off it. It was just a hug, right? But it felt… good, too good, I just wanted to hold onto her forever, never letting go, sharing a warm embrace until time ended around us. Now when I think of Twilight, I don't think of her as just somepony I need to work with, I look at her as… something different, but I can't put my hoof on it.

Eventually I fell asleep letting a soothing rest fill my body as I slept soundly through the night.
---
I was woken up by a cyan hoof jammed in my face by an unfriendly Rainbow Dash, "Come on Assassin, everypony is waiting outside."

I woke up slowly and saw Rainbow Dash standing over me, serious look on her face as always, wearing her amethyst armor, she actually looked quite intimidating. I woke up and put my armor along with my cloak, and took an apple as I trotted out the door; I wolfed it down before I hovered down to the ground. Everypony was lined up horizontally, and Rainbow went back and joined Applejack, who also was in her armor. Her head held high and the fire in her strong. Twilight and Rarity were standing there, perfectly in line both with determined look on their faces. Even Pinky Pie was there, who wasn't even coming with us.

"Alright listen up!" I shouted, "Today is the day we end this farce that Luna has brought upon us. Today we take her life."

Everyone nodded and I heard Pinky pipe up, "I've been hearing a bunch of things down at Sugarcube Corner. Everypony has caught on that Luna has taken the throne, and everypony is now afraid of what she might do, with Celestia gone and all, many of them have given up hope."

"Looks like we have another reason to fight now, not just for Fluttershy, but for everypony in Equestria! Now, there's only two outcomes to this, either we kill Luna and come out alive, or we kill Luna and come out dead. Either way we are taking her down, no matter what it takes. Is everypony with me?"

I got satisfactory nods from all of them, along with a bounce from Pinky, but that's her being herself.

"Well if that's the case" I turned in the direction of Canterlot, "CHARGE!"
---
Me, Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow, and Applejack, all arrived thirty minutes later, in the deep brush near the city wall. I let my assassin instincts take over, and scanned the area for all the threats.

Ok let's see, we have two basic guards at the main gate, earth pony, some pegasi ponies with crossbows on the top wall, pacing back and forth, taking twenty seconds to reach each side.

I whispered to the mare's, "OK, everpony stay here, I'll be right back."

I let myself silently glide towards the front gate and managed get above the two guards at the gate. Both making the same mistake the guard at the library made. They aren't looking up; I unsheathed my two hidden blades and let myself drop. It took about five seconds before I made contact, killing both of them instantly without a peep.

All too easy I thought

The adrenaline was really starting to pump into me, giving me speed and strength; I silently flew against the stone wall and went up until I hit the top. I looked over and saw one of the guards slowly trotting back and forth between two destinations. In the course of three seconds I hopped over behind him and galloped toward him, when I was about five yards away I jumped, extended my blade, and pierced a little kink in his armor exposing his pony flesh. A little bit of sound was made when I killed him, and my instincts told me the other guard would look over. I quickly jumped back over the wall and waited until his friend came by. When he did I jumped back over and landed right on top of him, I extended my blade and said, "Good bye" and plunged it right into his neck. He died quietly and I tossed both the bodies over the wall. I was about to jump back over when I saw a flash come from about sixty yards away. A pony had seen me!

Damn, looks like we're about to lose the element of surprise. I thought grimly
I went back to the girls who were all waiting patient for me, I didn't even need to say anything, my look alone told them what needed to happen and the next thing I knew, was Applejack busting open the doors with her strong legs and screaming as she charged right into the guards. Rainbow Dash also joined in the fun, she charged with Applejack and tackled one guard to the ground and used her magical strength to crush his skull with one blow! She looked at her hoof for a second and a smirk grew across her face, and she charged back in. While this was happening Twilight was laying waste to the area, using fireballs, lightning strikes and other magic's to rip the guards to shreds. Rarity was looking frightened, but was using some basic slash spells to slice away at the guards who attacked her. I was busy holding my own against three guards all earth ponies, all of them wielding a sword in their right or left hoof. One decided to take the first move and stab at me, I easily moved slightly to the right and in a fraction of a second jabbed both of my hidden blades into his face. Before the other two could react I stabbed them with complete accuracy, and they fell over dead, and I saw more guards starting to stream in from other areas. All of them were wielding a weapon of some sort and were doing the best they could to take down us, but we were to powerful for them to handle.
I took a small three second break as I killed another guard seeing the sight made the adrenaline in me pump harder. Everypony was holding their own easily, however Rainbow Dash got jumped on by five guards at the same time and was doing her best to hold them back, but they overran her.

I yelled to Twilight, "Twilight! Rainbow needs he-!" I was cut off by a guard taking a downward stab from the air; I just barely dodged it and felt a rip in my leather armor. When he landed I reared up and kicked him as hard as I could with my back legs, and watched him fly and get knocked into a bunch of guards. They all turned their sights onto me and I felt arrows and bolts of magic fly me. I took to the air and tried to fly away to Rarity so she could get a shield spell going. But one of the arrows pierced my wing and I spiraled down and crashed onto the ground, the taste of blood was in my mouth, and I looked at my damaged wing to see it was still working. But not usable,

"Rarity!" I yelled, "Put up a shield now!"

She listened and soon I was surrounded by a white translucent shield.

She said to me with fear in her voice, "What now!?"

"Now," I said, "Wait for them to swarm around the shield and then release the energy to knock them away."

The guards took the bait and they swarmed around the shield, trying everything they could to break it.

Rarity didn't need my command to know when to release, and when she did, all the guards in about a forty yard radius all flew with tremendous speed and slammed into the wall, houses, whatever was in their way was destroyed, them along with it. When the dust cleared I took into account everypony's status, Rainbow Dash looked severely injured. I galloped over to her and Applejack who was putting pressure on her wounds. She was moaning in pain, and I saw that she had taken some major cuts to her entire body from the swarm of guards. It was hard to find five inches without seeing a bloody wound there, we all huddled around her, and Rarity said, "Everypony stand back! I'm going to see if I can heal some of the wounds."

I was surprised when I saw her weaving magical tendrils in and out of Rainbow's wounds, when she finished she was breathing heavily, and Rainbow looked better, but still hurt. Rarity had a satisfied look on her face, and Twilight asked her, "Rarity, how did you do that? Even I didn't know what type of spell to use on her wounds."

She replied with, "I couldn't just let you two have all the fun now could I?" She laughed a bit at our shocked faces, "While you two were working on offensive spells, I worked on some defensive spells, and found out I have a knack for healing."

We started trotting to the castle, and when we arrived we expected some more guards. But all of them apparently were sent out in the initial rush, so none were left.

We stopped outside the main hall and I asked Twilight, "Twilight, are there any dungeons in this castle?"

She nodded and replied, "Yes, me and Applejack will head down there to see if we can find the princess."

Rarity chimed in and said, "I'll stay here and tend to Rainbow's wounds."

I had to slip away from them there, this was my debt and I had to repay it myself. I had to lie to them, I said "I'll go on ahead and keep guard, make sure no pony is alive."
The nodded and I moved on ahead of them, I was out of sight of them, and I knew what I had to do. I rushed up to the Throne Room to finally kill the pony that betrayed me.
---
When I entered the doors slammed behind me and I saw a little hue of black cover the lock. Looks like only one of us is getting out I thought.

I moved a little bit farther into the room, until I saw her. Princess Luna sitting there looking very bored, she didn't even notice me coming in.
She tossed her hellish azure mane and said, "And so the 'hero' finally arrives, what took you so long Adomia? I would've expected you to come in the cold, dark, night, but here you are in the exposing light of day."

"I'm here to repay my debt, and that's by destroying you." I let the message sink in and continued, "How could you Luna? How could you just betray me like that? You brought me up as if I was your son, I had wished so many times that you actually were my mother! Now you just eat it and spit it back up like it was nothing. How could you even live with yourself?"

She laughed at this and cooed, "Does the poor wittle assassin not get it?" she changed to more serious tone and continued, "You were just a tool in the grand scheme of things, a pawn in the big game of chess. I could've used any other pony, but you just happened to look so abandon and void of hope. So I used that opportunity to train you, and make you into a killing machine, and then get rid of you when the time is right. Take in this sight Adomia, for this will be the last one you will see!"

With that she spawned six black, long, dripping, tentacles all spiked at the very end, and her eyes were glowing black, along with a black haze appearing around her horn. I didn't hesitate, and charged right at her and jumped blades extended, when I thought I was about to strike her one of the tentacles whipped me in the face, and its brief touch felt like fire on my skin. I flew backwards and crashed onto the ground, I stood up dazed a little bit as I saw Luna, summoning black glowing balls from the ground. She waved her head and they split into many different fragments, and flew right toward me! I dodged to the right and felt one graze my shoulder and pierce my armor, I was about to charge when I heard them coming again. I jumped up to see them fly underneath me, they were homing in! I had to use all my agility to dodge them, and Luna just stood there, amused by my frantic efforts to not get stabbed to death.

Ok Luna if that's how you want to do it! I thought angrily

I landed on the ground after dodging them from the air, and used the momentum to surge me forward, and as I slid under Luna, the shards followed. I thought it would kill her, but the tentacles retaliated and knocked every single one out of the air.

I was still behind her and proceeded to jump onto her back and attempted to stab, only to be caught by the tentacles, and slapped repeatedly and eventually slammed into the ground, and knocked away. I got up and saw blood trickling from many wounds on my face, and staining the floors. Before I could regain my thoughts I was grabbed again by Luna's tentacles and slammed into the floor, I saw scarlet blood come out of my mouth as I hit the floor. She tried to hit me again, but I anticipated it and blocked it with my Hidden Blade, and tried to slice the tentacle off, but it faded a little bit at my touch, and I was knocked away again. I just kept throwing myself at Luna, just trying to get a scratch on her. I could feel life ebbing away at my body, my blood spreading on the floor. My armor was torn and shattered; only a little bit of the chest remained. I was panting hard, and felt my heart beating ten times a second. Luna was locked in concentration, trying to keep the tentacles on her and sending homing spikes at me. I threw myself at her again, only to have her yell, "Enough dancing around!"

She used her tentacles to grab hold of my wings, and with brute force started to pull them back, farther, and farther, until I heard them snap, and I screamed in agony, but she kept going until I couldn't feel them anymore, and she tossed me away. It took nearly all the rest of my strength to get up and I saw that I couldn't move my wings anymore; they just hung uselessly at my sides.

I was wondering what was keeping me alive for so long? Only after another one of Luna's spikes hit me in the chest did I realize, her magic is feeding into me! that's it! That's how I can beat her! I concluded.

I charged one more time, and Luna had enough, she took five of the tentacles and stabbed them right through the chest piece into my heart. I slid off as I felt bits of life fading from my body, but with one final effort I let all of Luna's magic that I gathered course through my veins. I felt my vision return along with my strength, my eyes started to glow a bright red, and Twilights words echoed in my mind, "How would that pony get that magic?" I found a way, and slowly trotted my way up to Luna, who released everything she had, her spikes just bounced off me, and her tentacles did nothing to help her.

I got right up to her face, and jammed my hoof into it, causing her to fall to the ground, I put my hoof on her body, extended my blade and said, "You're right Luna, this is the last sight you will ever see. May my blade give you hell, on this bright and shiny day." With one final motion I punched the blade into her excuse for a heart, and her emerald eyes looked at me one final time and slumped. I removed my hoof to see her scarlet blood on it, and I staggered backwards. I fell to the ground with a hard slam, and started panting again.
---
I heard the door open and turned my head to see Twilight, and the rest of the three, along with Princess Celestia, who looked almost as bad as Rainbow Dash, starved and beaten. They all rushed over to me and I felt them huddling around me.
Twilight saw what state I was in and I saw tears starting to well up in her eyes, she didn't even hold them back as they fell down and dripped onto my bloodstained coat.

I wheezed, "Hey Twilight… looks like you… *cough* found the princess…"

She replied, fear and sadness in her voice, "Why did you run Adomia? Why did you leave us?"

I started having trouble breathing, and each word was painful to speak, but I managed. "I… didn't want you… to be… involved in this… since this… was… my… debt."

She turned to the princess, "Celestia! Is there anything we can do to save him!?"

She shook her head and said, "I'm sorry Twilight, my sister had even more powerful magic then me, these wounds are beyond repair."

The tears were pouring out of her eyes, and I attempted to grab her head with actual success, I said to her, "Twilight… I need you… to be strong… don't let yourself fall… to grief and despair…" I recaptured my final breaths and said, "Listen to me… I knew that you… would disapprove… of this… but I had to… otherwise… I would never… rest in peace." She nodded and I felt happiness as she acknowledged this, I gave a weak chuckle and said, "I kind of wish… the situation would've been… different… maybe we could've become good… friends… had this not happen."

I felt the final bits of life ebb away from my body, and I was ready to die. But something caught my eye, and I turned to see a ghostly presence of a pony I had killed, with a long pink mane, and a yellow coat, I said with my final breath, "F-l-ut-te-r-s-h-y?"

I felt my eyes close, and death wrap me in its cold embrace.

To be Continued…

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