The air couldn’t have been more saturated with death as it was at the moment. Long blades of grass rustled violently in a frantic manner, unaided by the soft wind that passed through the small farmland. Screams of pain echoed throughout the night, though nopony would be able to hear such cries. In the middle of nowhere, situated outside the confines of civilization rested the solitary domain of a particular Pegasus. Tonight the cries of pain would come from not only him, but from the ponies who dared to cross his path and trigger his euphoric bloodlust.

“Kaze, Keniji, Halt!” a steel blue Pegasus shouted at the flying colt. Completely disregarding the pony’s order, Keniji took advantage of the exposed spot in the pegasai’s armor, stabbing him through the torso. The injured pony yelled in pain before Keniji’s katana flashed across his neck. A spray of crimson flew through the air and littered the ground with red spots before its limp host fell to the floor and bled out.

“Damn you Keniji, you demon!” another pegasai cried out, beating his wings to gain a thrusting momentum. The rogue pegasai Keniji lifted higher into the air just before the stab and bucked the attacking warrior in the back. The pegasai warrior smashed into the ground, shattering his teeth against his face mask. His cries of agony ceased with the help of a swift stab. Keniji Kaze removed his blade from the corpse and readied his posture for another assault.

“Six ponies, that’s six colts he’s killed now,” a surviving pegasai voiced in terror.

The rainbow manned Keniji eyed his opponents carefully. Only three Celestial pegasai remained, and these were only armor-less foals. A single strand of red hair glided across the sweating brow of Keniji’s face, tickling his sky blue coat, yet the pegasai did not move. Blood dripped from his blade, running down the glistening weapon and cascading off of his hilt guard. His clothes were stained with the very same liquid, though none of it originated from his body. To refer to Keniji as a demon, it held an accurate depiction of sorts.

“How dare you,” one of the remaining Pegasus said suddenly. Keniji’s eyes darted in his direction. The colt was hovering in the air, but his constant motion could not hide the tremors exuding from all around his frame. “How dare you defy the Empress?” the same colt said again. His katana shifted into attack position, prompting the other two pegasai to ready their weapons as well.

Keniji narrowed his eyes and began circling towards the group. They too began, in the opposite direction, to circle around, waiting for Keniji to strike. The rainbowed rogue spat on the floor and snarled at his enemies.

“Celestia will taste my blade, I promise this. She will pay for her atrocities,” Keniji threatened, juking a slash. The startled warriors charged, oblivious to the apparent trap they had stumbled into. The Pegasus in the lead swiped at Keniji, but the rainbow pegasai parried, cutting the colt across his chest. The other two were now given a chance to strike, but Keniji submitted his hooves to the earth and rolled under the bulleting assault. Once clear of the threat, he sprung back into the air and clipped the wings of one of his attackers. Keniji then rushed the last pegasai, catching the foal in surprise by entering his blade into the warriors gut.

“Ken-IJI!!! Sonofa-” Keniji’s katana exited the colt’s stomach in a clean horizontal fashion, spilling the pegasai’s innards. He too fell to the ground and joined the body count of the night. Keniji retreated to the ground and placed his blade between his teeth.

He trotted over the sprawled corpses of his assailers and bucked the still breathing, yet wingless pegasai onto his back.

“GAH! Damn it Keniji! That hurts!” the colt yelled out in boiling anger. Keniji merely frowned upon his pathetic victim and lowered his blade to the pony’s neck. He was just hairs away from this messy colt.

“It hurt when you took my family,” Keniji responded coldly. The wounded Pegasus half laughed half sobbed.

“Empress Celestia will kill you. If not her, then the hordes of pegasai at her command. You’ve sealed your fate, Keniji. You’ve broken the code,” the Pegasus breathed out defiantly.

“If loyalty to one’s master precedes loyalty to one’s family, then I want no part in Poshido,” Keniji replied placing the edge of his blade against the colt’s throat.

“That was what you swore upon! That was your life, your job, your-” Keniji’s head abruptly jolted to the right, drowning anymore speech that would’ve exited the pegasai’s lips. A final gurgle from his opponent signaled the end of this battle, and much to Keniji’s relief, the end of the night.  

The bloodied colt cleaned off his katana with the robes of his enemies and trotted over wearily towards a distanced cottage. Almost as if it were waiting for his finale, the wind picked up, blowing coldly against the earth, applauding his triumph while carrying the rank stench of blood and death further across the land. His strained limbs were beginning to wobble, and his vision twisted in and out of focus. Keniji entered his home, unmoved by the wreckage the earlier pegasai had caused when they were searching for him. He stepped a whole three feet and then collapsed in complete exhaustion.

The weary warrior stared at the miserable face that lay next to him, contorted in pain and distress. Her copper mane sprawled messily over her tear stained face as she clutched within her arms the tiny figure of a silent and solemn filly. Keniji’s eyes watered from the sight. The pain surrounding his body could not compare to the pain that wrought about in his chest at the moment. He reached out to his wife, but his body would not allow him that solace. He cursed it. He cursed the world and he cursed the very pony responsible for this outrage.

Sleep beckoned the sky blue rainbow manned pegasai, calling to him warmly and somewhat familiarly. Darkness began to envelop Keniji, and he grudgingly welcomed sleep’s invitation, nestling awkwardly within her bosom. The world seemed to vanish all around him as everything held dear and all that he valued shattered into a million pieces. Rest would not come easily, but it eventually did, and soon the battle weary Keniji Kaze drifted into slumber, troubled by nothing anymore Next Chapter: Vengeance Estimated time remaining: 17 Minutes