Buzz, buzz, buzz. Shut up. Buzz, buzz, and buzz! Shut the buck up. Buzz? In my half unconscious state I swung my hoof at the root of the annoying noise and a loud crash smashing sound out through my room. I threw off my blanket and hopped out of bed. A quick glance at my bedside table revealed a crushed alarm clock. The thing was completely pulverized with pieces of plastic and glass decorating my floor. Whatever, I'll clean it up later.

I made my way to the bathroom and took a long look at myself in the mirror. My face was a reflection of the restless night I just woke up from. Every hour it seemed I would awake in a cold sweat to the replaying visions of the mare Pinkie Pie. Each dream would end in her death by my hooves. My ears flickered to the sound of my phone ringing, but I ignored it, letting the answering machine pick up.

"Congratulations, Ms. Dash. Your registration for the seventh UEAA rank is now complete. As always, we have faxed you some information about the rankings in case you wish to continue your ascent. Please trasfer the money into the designated account as soon as possible. Thank you and have a nice day."

Always so polite, always so happy. Pretty ironic for an association built around the death of other ponies. I pushed myself away from the mirror and trotted back to my room. Another match? Why not. I could go for some killing right now. I threw on my red jacket and stormed out of the apartment.

Once outside I trotted heavily to the atm and practically shoved my bits down it's throat. Just give my somepony to kill. Give me somepony to work out my anger. Give me somepony who will put up a real challenge.

Back at my apartment I found Tank up on my bedside table right before he pressed down on the answering machine with his leg.

"Rainbow? Hello? I'm at the beach, are you coming? You don't have to if you want too or anything..." Fluttershy meekly sounded. The beach? Screw that. Relax is the last thing I needed right now.

I bent down to retrieve Tsubaki from under my bed when my hoof bumped against a silver bowl. Tank's food bowl. I glanced back up to my bed and Tank gave me a slow smile. That's right, of course he would be hungry. The only thing I could remember from last night was storming into my room with a bottle of half drunken Jimmy Buck and collapsing on my bed. I never took the time to feed my pet, my closest friend in Equestria.

"I'm sorry bud. Let's get you something to eat," I sighed and mentally kicked myself. In the kitchen I pulled out a bag of store bought tortoise feed when a better thought came to mind. I moved back to the living room and opened my mini fridge. I took a few pieces of green leaf lettuce, sliced a small tomato, and threw some grapes in his bowl.

"Here you go pal, you deserved it," I said and placed the bowl on the floor. Tank perked up at my voice and carefully hopped off of the futon. I petted his shell as he ate and leaned back against the futon. I waited patiently until he finished eating and pulled myself up from the floor.

"I guess I should go see Fluttershy at the beach, huh?" I asked aloud. Tank gave a soft groan and slowly nodded up and down. I retrieved Tsubaki from my room and locked my motel. I then eagerly trotted down the steps and threw my leg over Schpeltiger. I pulled hard on the throttle and burned out in the parking lot before speeding out into town.

* * *

"Rub some oil on me, will you?" Fluttershy spoke as I approached. On the way here I had planned to give her a piece of my mind, but now... Damn. The buttercup mare was reclined in a beach chair, wearing a thing blue bikini and bottom. The set seemed a little too tight as it wrapped around her curves.

"M-me? You serious?" my voice cracked as Fluttershy folded her fore legs behind her head.

"What?" she asked, "Is there a problem?"

"No... Thought you'd never ask," I replied and knelt beside her. I picked up a small bottle of coat oil beside her and squeezed a generous amount on my hoof. I then began to work the oil into her pale yellow coat.

"Your next opponent is here on this beach. That's why I asked you to join me," Fluttershy explained as I continued my work. My hooves traveled all over her lower leg, rubbing and massaging the slick oil into her smooth coat.

"Just up ahead, huh? So I'm supposed to fight on the beach?" I asked and worked my way down her leg. I stole a glance of her face, just curious to see her expression. Her lips quivered in pleasure and I heard a faint purring emit from her throat.

"That's right. Nnnn, feels good. What other hidden talents do you have, Dash?" she purred. Oh damn, oh damn. With new found confidence I moved further up her leg and almost reached her bikini bottom before she quickly recoiled.

"Go any higher and I will kill you myself! Number one first, remember? Now to get 'em!" she scolded.

"Yes, your highness," I shot up and gave a salute.

* * *

I walked up the beach in the direction Fluttershy pointed out to me. The clear ocean waves crashed gently against the shore and the gentle sound of the ocean's breath filled my ears. It was... Relaxing. My senses flickered to life as the sound of rushing sand took over. My eyes shot open and before me stood three unicorn stallions. They were dressed in a strange cameo like fabric and held small guns with their magic. I causally upholstered Tsubaki from my jacket and strapped it to my hoof. I held Tsubaki out in front of me and the blade illumined with a blue light.

"Let's get this dyke bitch!" one of the nameless stallions shouted. The other two followed the first one's lead and pointed their guns in my direction. Yeah, right. I rolled my eyes as three shots rang out and took off in a mad dash towards my opponents. My blade became a blue blur of crimson death and I cleaved through the first stallion, spilling his guts on the tan sand. My back hoof instantly struck out and slammed into the second stallion's jaw, knocking him to the ground. The third one unleashed a barrage of hot lead in my direction, but I had already vanished. The sand loosened up the usual traction I had to deal with when on solid ground, making it easy for me to slide around. I used this to my advantage and swung my body around the third stallion and cut him in two horizontal pieces.

I then slowly trotted back to the second stallion as he began to regain consciousness. He stumbled over his hooves trying to run and strung together an incoherent slur of apologies and started to beg for his life. I stepped on his throat with my left foreleg and plunged Tsubaki into his stomach. Similar to the way I killed her. Pinkie Pie. The rage I had previously sealed away returned in and instant.

Five more stallions emerged from the sand and I kicked off into a mad dash. I made quick work of the first two, striking before they could raise their weapons. I flipped over the third's back, using his head as a spring board and cleaved him into with the momentum of my flip. Gunfire rang out through the air as the remaining two stallions fired at me. I became a rainbow colored blue, zigzagging through the sand and closing the distance between myself and my opponents. The two tried to run and make up the distance I had closed. Bad choice. I cut the stallion to my left in three pieces and charged at the one on the right. I flung Tsubaki into the air and jumped at the colt. I wrapped my hind legs around his neck and tightened my grip. My body swung around his and I flipped his body over mine, driving him face first in the sand. Tsubaki came back from orbit and slipped seamlessly back on my hoof.

"Buck you!" I roared and tore through the stallion with Tsubaki. A frying electrical sound caught my ear and I notice a barbwire fence lose its electrical charge. I made my way to the fence and cut through it after a few strikes. I decided to enter the next area when I heard and electronic beep as I took my first step. A loud explosion filled my ears and my body sailed through the air before gravity decided to slam me back to Earth. Nice trick. I pulled myself up from the ground and caught a glance of two pegasi stallions with beam katanas of their own laughing their flanks off at my little incident.

I let out a yell as I charged at the two and readied Tsubaki. I cut through the air, but these stallions were fast and experienced. The first rolled to the right and the second clashed blades with me. As I was locked with the second, the first recovered and went to the offensive. I was forced to back off and parry the first while the second pressed forward. The three of us started a dance of death. Striking, blocking, and dodging, the first screw up of any of us with result in instant death.

The first suddenly bursts into flight while I locked blades with the second again. The first then began to dive towards me, leaving me mere seconds to react. I dropped the pressure on my blade and slid under the second's legs. The first changed course as I planned, but since it was a last second change, he couldn't turn quick enough to fly past me and slash. Instead he was going to run into me. As he came dangerously close, I hopped a short distance in the air and came down on the pegasus's back, crushing his wings with my hind legs. The second whipped around to face me, but was too late. As the sound of crunching bone sounded through the air, I swung Tsubaki low to the ground as the second stallion reared up to attack and severed his hind legs from his body. The first stallion screamed in pain as I gave his back an extra stomp and I quickly ended the suffering of the second stallion. I then returned my attention to the first stallion and gripped his two wings in my hooves. The sickening sound of ripping flesh filled the air as I tore his wings from his body. I could feel a wide smirk stretch across my face and a familiar darkness wrapped itself around my chest.

I then heard another frying electrical sound and locked my eyes on another barbwire fence. I slowly approached the fence and tore though it with Tsubaki. Concentrating on the darkness in my chest, I stepped forward without thinking and was launched into the air again by the fiery explosion of another land mine. I pulled myself up with a curse and held a hoof to my head until my blurred vision returned to normal.

A helicopter overhead dropped three unicorn stallions to the ground, but this time they were holding submachine guns in their magical grasp. I took off in a dash to the left, but quickly found out that a sub machine gun was much faster than a standard handgun. Bullets tore at the sand and I was forced to play the defensive and block the oncoming barrage with Tsubaki. As I readied myself to sprint off again, another clip of bullets fired at me. The three stallions were timing their shots to hold me in place. As soon as one's clip ran dry, another could take his place. I was trapped under gunfire. After a few moments of blocking the tell-tale beeping of Tsubaki told me I was low on energy.

I gritted my teeth and raised Tsubaki again to block, but as the stallion's clip ran out, so did Tsubaki's energy. The three unicorn stallions took notice and fired all at once. I tore at the sand with my hooved, running as fast as I could. The sound of bullets whizzing past my head filled my ears and I could feel the pain of lead tearing through my skin. The three stallions ran out of bullets at the same time, but I was still breathing. Once they reloaded, I was done. Finished.

This cannot end here. I will not let that happen. The familiar darkness plunged itself into my heart. And this time, I let it in.

"Blueberry cheese brownie," I mouthed and opened my eyes. My entire body surged with energy and Tsubaki was back at full power. The three stallions raised their fully loaded submachine guns and I swung Tsubaki. A condensed orb of green energy shot out from Tsubaki and slammed into on of the three stallions, killing him before he hit the ground. The other two began firing in fear and I sent wave after wave of green orbs after them as they ran. The other two stallions fell quickly and I sent an orb crashing into the barbwire fence and getting rid of it in one swing. My senses returned to me as I approached the fence and I stopped in mid step, remembering about the land mines this time. I glanced down at my hoof and realized that I was just about to be blown sky high again. I sighed in relief and stepped over the mine. Beep!

"You have got to be fu-," I started before I was blown sky bucking high... Again. Then my Bluetooth decided it was the perfect time to start ringing in my ear. I finished my curse face down in the sand and pushed the button on my Bluetooth.

"Rainbow Dash, hello? The secret beach is up ahead... Then it's ranking match time. Win, and you'll be number six. Lose, and your new motel with be in the flaming tombs of hell. You know, you've been acting weird lately. Well, more than your usual dose of stupidness. You think being ranked seventh is tough? Yeah, right. Watching your meteoric rise of stupidity is truly painful to observe. That careless attitude of yo-"

I turned my Bluetooth off. Buck her, I don't have to listen to that. I tore the Bluetooth off my head and slung it as hard as I could at the ocean. Yeah, buck you Fluttershy. I made my way up some stairs and then down some more stairs to a secluded beach. The area was smaller, tall cliffs formed a half circle around the beach and the other half was cut off by ocean. Something was different about this side of the beach. The waves seems more gentle, the breeze was softer. It was... Tranquil.

As I trotted across the sand, another figure with a shovel made its way towards me from the other side of the beach. The mare had a rich magenta coat and two toned pink hair. Her eyes were a striking green color, but was even more striking was her body. Not only was she a bombshell, but her left hind leg was metal. She wore a cameo green bikini, damn. Can't say I recognized her though, good.

"Do you like fighting?" The mare asked.

"Yup."

"Do you like killing?"

"Live for it."

"Do you like fear?"

"Can't say... Never felt it."

"Do you accept death?"

"Death? Never crossed my mind."

"Death is the only truth. You are still a mere student."

"That's not a good thing, you know...," I rolled my eyes, “Seeking meaning in everything. Especially killing. That's a bad habit among hot mares these days."

"Come closer and you will understand everything."

"I'm ready. Anywhere, anytime!" I exclaimed and activated Tsubaki.

"Just your ordinary assassin... Such a disappointment," the mare sighed. What was with this mare? She's stranger than that Colgate chick.

"Are you in the mood yet? Normal assassins don't shoot the hay like this. They see their target... And kill them!" I shouted and charged forward. I could feel my own blood lust coursing through me as I closed the distance between us. I lifted my blade to rend flesh from bone when the ground gave way. I gave a small gasp as I fell strait down. I lifted myself up and found myself in a dug out hole. That explains the shovel.

"Let's see you get out of this little predicament," the mare's voice sounded from above
.

"No prob. You'll see," I retorted.

"Uh-huh," she rolled her eyes. Click. What was that? A round green grenade bounced off my chest and... Grenad- Boom! My ears wouldn't stop ringing and I had to hold my hooves to my head to get the world to stop spinning. Click, click, click. You have got to be fu-

"Oh crap!" I exclaimed. Three grenades. I leapt to my feet and spread my wings. C'mon, fly. Fly. Fly! Ka-boom! I was launched into the air in a fiery explosion. A second and third explosion was soon to follow, throwing me higher into the air. Now or never. I spread my wing to their full span and attempted to glide to the ground. My approach was a little fast and I landed with an audible thud. Sexy attire, hidden trap pits, and grenades. I'll admit, I was impressed.

"Nice trap. Maybe I can steal a kiss before I steal your life," I complement.

"We'll see about that," she smirks. I charge towards the magenta mare, but she keeps the calm and uninterested look on her face. She drops a land mine by her feet. So she's the one who set those up, now it's personal. I continue my charge and get into striking distance when she swiftly slams her shovel into the mine and rides it's explosion into the air. I recoil from the explosion and notice the glint of metal through the sand cloud. I lifted Tsubaki and blocked a ninja looking throwing knife from embedding itself in my throat.

After the sand cloud cleared, I found the mare standing quite a distance away from me. She gave a wink and turned her back to me. I began my charge when a number of missiles erupted from the ground. I spat a quick curse and threw myself to the right. A few missiles hit the ground where I had just dove from, but one managed to stray from the path. I held my hooves in a defensive position when the missile hit and sent me spiraling into the sand.

"Aww... poor little student," I heard the mare coo. Click. A grenade landed mere inches from my face. I scrambled to my hooves with a yelp and jumped back. The magenta mare cackled to herself as the grenade just sat idle in the sand. A dud? No, another trick.

"Seriously?" I growled and charged again. I jumped at the bomb crazed mare and let out a surprised gasp when I failed to land on solid ground. I landed in the pit with an audible thud and let out an annoyed groan. Click. Just how many of those does she have? Really. I frantically climbed out of the pit moments before the explosion went off and engulfed the pit with searing flames.

I found the mare standing on an over sized rock and holding on to even more, you guessed it, grenades. She gave a wave before tossing a hoof full of grenades in my direction and launching more missiles at me. I quickly took to the defensive and started weaving through explosion after explosion. I could feel the scorching heat of each explosion on my face as I ran. I kept my eyes locked on the magenta mare as she hopped off the rock and closed in for an attack.

She wore the same smug expression as I quickly approached, but this time I flared my wing, bringing my body to a dead stop and swiped at the ground with Tsubaki. As I expected, the thin layer of sand covering another pit fall vanished. The mare's smile suddenly dropped when I found out her secret and I swung Tsubaki at her.

I quickly found that close quarters combat was not this mare's strong point and pushed my attack. I drove her to the middle of the beach when she attempted to strike me with her shovel. I easily dodged her attack and cleaved through her metal hind leg. The mare gave a frightened yelp and collapsed to the ground.

I held out Tsubaki, ready to end the fight. My mind urged me to strike the mare down, but my body would not budge. Kill her. Just kill her. I'm not sure what possessed me, but I lowered Tsubaki.

"What's wrong? You can't kill a mare? Pathetic. If you can't kill a mare, you are less than one of my students," she said as she forced herself to her remaining hooves.

"It's ok. I have a thing for pathetic mares like you. I can accept defeat if it comes from your hand," she whispered into my ear as I just sat and listened.

"I will let you in on a secret... Assassins must die when they lose. Open your eyes and never look back. Promise... Never forget me," she stated. Forget her?

"Huh?" I questioned.

"Thank you. The moment you hesitated...," the mare started as she lifted a grenade to her mouth, “I felt your embrace."

"Hold on!" I exclaimed as she pulled the pin out. She couldn't be serious.

"Teachers like to fantasize too, you know," she giggled and bit down on the grenade.

"Wait! Number Six! Don't!" My voice cracked as I screamed. I tried to smack the explosive out of her mouth, but I was too late. The explosion shook me to the bones, but the aftermath left me horrified to the core. Before me stood the headless body of assassin number six. Blood erupted in a shower from her neck, staining the sand a crimson red.

It made sense now. As an assassin, you follow a code. Just like in the old Neighponese animes, it was a code of honor. Letting a defeated assassin live was the greatest way to bring shame. How could I have been so blind, so naive?

"Forgive me... Number six. I never meant to shame you," I spoke and put a fore hoof around her lifeless body.

"Not a very smooth victory there, Dash. But a win is a win. That's all that matters now. I hate to award you this, but you are now sixth in rank," a familiar voice sounded behind me. If was Fluttershy, again. I couldn't tell if she was actually sincere or if she was just faking it, but I didn't care.

"What was her name?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"You're right. But I owe her at least that."

"Miss Cheerilee. Teacher or-"

"No... Just her name."

I carried the body of Miss Cheerilee over to one of her pits, the first one I had fallen into.

"I'm sorry, Cheerilee. I was late in saying this... But I love your soul. Rest in peace," I spoke and let her body drop into the pit.