“Interesting… so the mountain is actually the Assassin’s headquarters?” I asked Le Duck as we were walking through the dimly lit passageway.

“Yes, it was originally built about a few hundred years after Equestria was formed and run by a legal/democratic system. Our ancestors wanted to keep Equestria safe and help its ponies to prosper and grow. Unfortunately, back then as well many ponies wanted to claim global dominance and rule pony kind with an iron fist.”

“Wait? What about Princess Celestia?” I asked.

We all worship her, she can banish anyone with the snap of her tail, and she controls the very foundation we live on!

“Unlike those other ponies, the Princess gives us the freedom of choice, and also if you’re no doubt aware… SHE CAN CONTROL THE SUN!”

“Ok, geez sorry Le Duck. Man, how long is this passageway anyway?” I apologetically asked.

“You should give this place more respect Shadow. For every 10 steps you take, that equals one year to shovel by hoof. Of course, with the invention of the jackhammer the process took less time to make.”

Up ahead I noticed a white light glowing brightly at the end of the hall.

FINALLY!

I started to run towards it, but as soon as I did Le Duck held me back with his arm. He smiles at me and pushes a stone in the wall marking with a strange symbol. The wall suddenly opens up showing a second passageway.

Le Duck pointed to the light and said to me, “This is a trap for anyone who isn’t or wasn’t contacted by the assassins.”

He took a rock from the ground and threw it towards the light. Instantly flames shot out from holes in the wall and burned everything to a crisp.

Shockingly I shouted, “WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!? COULD YOU TELL ME THE NEXT TIME I’LL BE ROASTED ALIVE!?”

“Motion sensor.” He said pointing to the light.

“Now let’s get going, can’t be too far now,” chuckled Le Duck leading the way into the second corridor.

Seriously… what the hell man? No one would do that… well except maybe 5 people, but Batmare doesn’t count!

I followed Le Duck through the corridor and sure enough we appeared in a large open courtyard.
I looked up and saw the sun was rising.

Wow, all-nighter, first the deliveries, then my family, then the way to the door of the corridor, then the actual corridor itself, then a second corridor hidden in the first corridor… Wow I need some sleep.

Le Duck noticed how tired I looked and ushered me inside a glass-glazed door, “Come Shadow, let’s get you some sleep and we’ll pick up where we were once you feel refreshed.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bed, Bed. Warm snuggly wuggly bed. I can’t wait to begin my training and become an assassin like my father: saving the world, breaking heads, free running, Balthazar… Balthazar…..

*SNAP*

BALTHAZAR! HE WILL PAY FOR THIS! FOR EVERYTHING! I WILL HAVE MY VENGENCE!

Then again, revenge can wait. This bed is too snuggly, and I’ve been walking for about 15 hours today. “I deserve some rest” I thought closing my eyes.

------12 hours later-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I opened my eyes to find Le Duck sitting next to me on a chair reading a romance novel.

“Dude, haven’t you dated?” I asked him.

Startled he fell off the chair and dropped the book. Picking himself up he looked at me and said, “Glad to see your awake now. An assassin’s life can be a lonely one too.”

“Huh, well how long did I sleep for?” I asked.

“12 hours.” He simply replied.

“That’s nice… wait? 12 HOURS!?”

“Yep, now let’s hurry, can’t keep the Observer waiting!” He said pulling me up from bed.

“The Observer?”

Walking out the door and across the hallway Le Duck told me, “He’s the leader of the Assassins; he’s greatly trained and very wise. He also takes pride in keeping our tenants sacred and places them beyond everything we do.”

“Well that’s nice for him.”

“He’s also the one who will finally initiate you as an Assassin. He will give you contracts offered by that guy over there.” Le Duck said pointing to a strangely familiar pony with a mustache wearing a white coat hauling a bunch of mushrooms behind him.

“Oh no.” I said blankly, as the pony walked over to us knowing Le Duck pointed at him.

“ALLO! DUCK! IT’SA ME! MAREIO!” ecstatically said the doctor while hugging Le Duck.

“AND HELLO TO YOU TOO SHADOW! SMALL GALAXY, HUH?” said Mareio shaking my hoof.

“Shadow, I trust you already know who this guy is. Mareio here supplies the guild with contracts, contacts, commodities and mushrooms from all over Equestria. He’s not an assassin per ‘say but he is nonetheless the perfect guild member.” Smiled Le Duck.

Noticing his carts and especially the purple mushroom sitting in a glass safe I asked Mareio, “Hey? Why’s this mushroom locked in a cage?”

“DON”T TOUCH THAT!” he said quickly pushing me away from his stand.

“This mushroom, this MONSTROOM can be the END OF ALL of Equestria if it were EVER released!” shouted Mareio.

“It’s just a mushroom. Why don’t you destroy it if you hate it so much?” I asked.

“MAMA MIA! THAT’S JUST WHAT IT WANTS YOU TO THINK!”

“Umm… Shadow, he’s not joking. I’ve heard the legends of how most of Equestria was nearly destroyed.” Told Le Duck.

“And Mareio, it was good seeing you again. But my protégée here is about to join our ranks.”
Le Duck said dragging me off to a big circular door.

“OKEY-DOKEY! SEE YOU NEXT TIME!” waved Mareio.

-----------At the Great Door-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Le Duck opened the door and the room came into view.

Books lined the walls, the floor made of shining marble and a stone staircase leading to a mahogany desk filled the atmosphere with a sense of knowledge and responsibility.

At the desk sat an old grey stallion with a white beard wearing black robes and a hood covering up to his forehead. We approached him and Le Duck started to say, “Observer, here is-“

“CAN’T AN OLD MAN GET SOME QUIET? AS YOU CAN SEE… IM “OBSERVING” SOME DOCUMENTS RIGHT NOW- oh it’s you Le Duck and this must be your protégée. How enjoyed I was to hear of your arrival!”

What… I don’t even…So loud and angry then so calm and jolly. I need to sit down.

I walked to a bench on the side of the Observer’s Desk and sat, hands in my face trying to comprehend what just happened.

“Observer I’m sorry we had to distract you from your duties-“ said Le Duck before he was cut off from a signal of the Observer’s hand.

“Please Le Duck it’s no trouble at all, I only wish that these, DOCUMENTS DO AS THEY WERE TOLD TO DO!" shouted the Observer.

*SLAM*

The Observer hit his arm on the sheets of paper scattering them everywhere. With rage in his eyes he hollers, “GOD DAMN TAX PAPERS! ARRRGGG!”

Shocked. I’m shocked. This was the Observer? THIS was the head of the Assassins? TAXES!? When do we pay taxes if we live in a FRIGGAN MOUNTAIN!

Le Duck walked over to me with the Observer raging around in a circle and quietly whispered to me, “I know the Observer can seem a bit… strange, but he has been here longer than you and seen things most ponies can’t comprehend. Really he’s a nice guy, so come on and let’s get you initiated.”

I stood up and followed Le Duck back to the Observer who seemed to have quieted down a bit. Only by a bit.

“GRRRrrr…. Hello Shadow! So you want to join the Assassins, eh?”

“Umm… yes sir.”

“PLEASE! Call me Observer.”

“Ok then… Observer.”

“THAT’S THE SPIRIT! Now before I let you join our cause there are some things we need to clear up.” Said the Observer grabbing a list from the table.

*AHEM*

After clearing his throat he opened the list and page after page unfolded until the paper reached the end of the room.

“Now the 150 tenants of our guild starting from the least important to the most important rules to follow, and make sure you listen to every single one with the utmost care.” Said the Observer taking a deep breath in.

“Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep.” Le Duck whispered in my ear.

“TENANT 150: PLACE GARBAGE IN THE GARBAGE BIN THE HEADQUARTERS IS NOT A TRASH CAN.”

“TENANT 149: DON’T……………….”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“TENANT 81: DON’T ROB PEDESTRIANS WHEN THERE IS A PERFECTLY RICH GUARD OVER THERE”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“TENANT 69: WE DO NOT TALK ABOUT TENANT 69.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“TENANT 13: AGAIN I CAN"T STRESS THIS ENOUGH. DO NOT, ABSOLUTELY DO NOT TOUCH THE PURPLE MUSHROOM. DAMN IT IF I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“TENANT 4: WHEN TROLLING OTHERS GIVE SOME THOUGHT ABOUT IT INSTEAD OF QUOTING IT FROM A PONYTUBE VIDEO, MMMMMMMMMMM?”

“FINALLY TENANTS 3, 2, AND 1, DON’T COMPROMISE THE GUILD OR INNOCIENTS, STRIKE DISCREETLY, AND OUR MOTTO.”

Everypony in the room said it at once, “NOTHING IS TRUE, EVERYTHING IS PERMITED.”

“AND WE’RE…. done!” ending the Observer.

Oh Thank Celestia that’s over, I don’t think I can remember another-

“Now recite tenants 130, 68, 13, and 1.” Cheerfully said the Observer.

WHAT! CRAP OH CRAP OH CRAP! I FELL ASLEEP THROUGH 130-15! ARRRRGGGHHH!

Just then my savior appeared. No it wasn’t Le Duck he was snoozing on the bench after saying his line. No it was… an eagle?

The eagle flew in from an open window behind the Observer and landed on his shoulder. The eagle then flew towards me and landed on my shoulder.

Aw how cu- ARGH!

The eagle’s claws were burrowing into my skin.

“AW I THINK HE LIKES YOU!” very cheerfully said the Observer.

“HAHAHA… NOW GET ON THE DESK ACE. I got some documents for you to get "rid" of.” He said waving the papers at the eagle.

The eagle swooped onto his desk and gave a very loud screech. *SCREE*

“Look, I know you hate documents as much as me… wait… no one hates documents as much as me… well anyways I need you to send these to the Princess.”

*SCREE*

“Come ON! Now you’re just being unreasonable! Ok… When she finishes reading the letters then you can… SHREAD THE DAMN BASTERDS!” he shouted throwing the documents on the table.

Ace gave a slight nod and grabbed the letters and flew out the window.

“So nice to see him again… anyways where were we?” the Observer asked me.

“Um… we finished the tenants.” I replied, not telling him I had to do my parts.

“Great! Would you like to listen to them again?” he said unrolling the tenant paper.

“NO!” shouted everyone in the room, causing Le Duck to fall off the bench who quickly scrambled up back to my side.

“Well, you don’t need to shout.” He said grabbing some stuff from a closet.

“Here you go Shadow your robes and I see you have your father’s hidden blade. Greg was a good pony.” He said handing me my robes.

“GREG!? THAT’S MY FATHER’S NAME!?” I burst out.

“Sure Greg was one of our best. He didn’t say his name a lot so I reminded him whenever I saw him.” Smiled the Observer.

Well, no wonder he seemed so pissed off when I asked what his name was.

“Now back then, the Assassin’s Guild used to cut off the left pony’s hoof when becoming an assassin. We don’t do that anymore, we like having 4 legs. Instead we put our symbol on the robes. HUZZAH!” he said pointing to the insignia on the robe.

“Thank you very much Observer.” I asked, pride now filling my eyes.

“Now like tradition whenever someone becomes an Assassin they need to take a leap of faith.”
He said while bringing me to the window.

“I realise that just like your father and your brother you have a passion for... falling off high buildings.” He said while opening the giant window.

“So I have one thing to say to you… BYE!” He cheerfully said.

He pushed me and I fell.

“ARGHHHHHHH! YOU DICK!” I shouted to him as I was falling down.

“HAHAHAHAHAHahahaha….” Laughed the maniacal Observer getting further away as I fell.

I looked behind me and sure enough a hay bale below me. I thought what the hell, might as well.

*LEAP OF FAITH*

The last thing I remembered before landing was…

Greg… lol.