My mind was filled with emotions of wrath and remorse. I had to get outside, I didn't care that my wounds were still not healed. It has only been a night, my bandages felt continuingly soggy as I made my walk around Ponyville.
I wanted to think, think over what went wrong and what I could do to rectify it, but I can't.
All I'm seeing is rage, all I can see are the ponies I know I can't save, all I can think about are my failures. Each one had left somepony hurt, this time it was me.

Everything I've done since I got here.... since I fell from the sky...
I trained 6 ponies, all loyal to this cause... but my responsibility should they get harmed, they might have volunteered but if I wasn't here would they still? If I stayed in Canterlot for the rest of my days, would everything have been over?

I turned a corner and bowed my head down to conceal my face to a passing couple. They passed but I continued looking at the ground as my hooves trotted against the grass and began to relay the recent missions I’ve been on.

Je Suis... Purifier Industries has a new CEO now...
Minus a facility and their headquarters, they have enough money to rebuild. I don't know how, but there is obviously some way they have enough funds to make weapons and vehicles, those cost a fortune to engineer. Luckily most of Balthazar's army are low-tech just like the rest of any military.
Still, I knew taking him down wouldn't have done anything permanent. I just didn't realize how insignificant it was.

Suddenly I heard a gasp and snapped back to reality, I looked forward to see Ditzy the mailmare had recognized me. She hastily dropped newspaper she was carrying in her mouth and flew off in fear.

I go over to the paper and pick it up with one hoof and read the top story involving me and Captain Thunderhoof, only that the picture taken did not show me in full view, Luna's magic pretty much distorted any fabric designs on my robes, my hood covered my head and the only thing you could get out of it is that the clothes the killer wore were white.

Asides from that, Ponyville had experienced a high profile murder and that everypony's fearing for their own safety according to this.

Hm, news travels fast..

I guess only Ditzy would know it was me considering no pony else in Ponyville could.

But what was strange were the conversations I overheard from the ponies I past on my walk of shame. They were all.... normal... as if they've completely forgotten about the incident. The shock must've worn off, or maybe it's simply because they don't care.

Why should they? It's not like anypony cares about what we Assassins are fighting against the Templars for! None of them realize just how much is changing, why we fight and die, that they don't care either way!
Maybe this is how Balthazar got so much power to begin with...
Not even Celestia herself can intervene because of such a force and foothold in Equestria he gained, that's why she's more lenient with us and why our contracts are slightly more easier to handle. But then again, it’s that more difficult for us not to fail. And I did.

I tossed the paper and shoved past my way a group of ponies, my breathing has become rasped and I could feel the blood pumping through my chest. Each throb sent a pain through my body; I clutched my chest with one hoof and slowly trotted even further into town, ignoring the murmurs and whispers from the ponies I passed by.

Gerpony... at least we managed to stop Volcanous from wreaking havoc with his army. But what Le Duck and Dave had said... Balthazar sieged the city just like Ponitaly, the civilians might've escaped but he still won. He once again wiped a city off the map. If he did it once before it means he’s going to again.

My vision shook as my chest gripped with pain, I was forced to my knees yet my forehoofs broke my fall. I bit my lip as the rush of pain intensified making me groan and curse under my breath. My breaths were a whispering gasp as I felt the pain inside me ripping apart.

"DAMN IT!"

A few moments later and the pain subsided; carefully I lifted myself weakly to my original standing position and took a few minutes to catch my breath.
I look at my bandaged area and instantly my thoughts returned to the one who stabbed me.

Dave.
He… he was always there…
In Maris when Je Suis was escaping, in Gerpony when he was walking across the battlefield, in Manehatten when he snapped WingBlade’s neck.

He knows where we live, we faced him and we lost.
He tricked me once more… and once again my duty to rid Balthazar is postponed…

He knows.

But he doesn’t act.

Why?

My hoof made contact with a tree as my thoughts raced across my head.

WHY!? Why go through all of that just to stab me?
Did he know Le Duck would come? If he wanted to kill me, he could.
But he doesn’t.

He’s been leading me around in loops!
It was my second attempt to end Balthazar’s life, would the third one be any different!?

Damn it Dave! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN PLANNING ALL THIS TIME!?

My teeth gritted with frustration and rage, despite the pain, I pushed through and made my walking stance more aggressive. I turned a corner and heard a cry for help. My instincts told me to run but I couldn’t in this state, as much as I wanted to.

Trying the best that I could, I arrive at where the noise originated. It was three young stallions harassing a light blue mare.

“No, stop! I don’t have any bits, all of them were used to pay for my mother’s medicine, please just leave me alone!” the light blue mare pleaded. This only made them laugh. The middle stallion, colored dark brown and having the feeling he was on a drug went over to her and shoved her to the ground.

“Listen lady, we know you’re lying and it doesn’t take an idiot to find out that we mean serious business. So give us the money and we’ll leave you alone. Simple as that,” he gave a sinister smile as he looked into her terrified eyes. She tried to get up only for another stallion to push her back down.

He knows she doesn’t have anything!

The stallion that talked to her in the beginning brought a hoof down on her face.

I couldn’t stand here any longer, my rage coming from these assaulters and my pervious one from my thinking mixed together and turned into a feeling that I haven’t felt in a long time. It was the same feeling I felt when I hunted those ponies down after Ponitaly was eradicated. The one I was planning to kill Balthazar and every Templar I could find with.

They heard my approaching footsteps and turned to see an angry grey pony covered in robes but visible bandages across the chest. “Hahaha! Get a load of this guy, wearing all those robes to look ‘scary’ but look at him! He’s hurt! Move along bandage boy, this bitch here doesn’t concern yo- *GACK*”
My hoof grabbed his neck startling everyone; before anyone had time to react I hoofed him across the face as I drop my hoof that was gripping him back down.

My hoof shoots back up with a hidden blade drawn giving him a non-lethal blow in the chest.

“HOLY SHIT DUDE YOU’RE BLEEDING!” one of the other stallions shout as the one I stabbed fell to the ground clutching his side as blood poured out. I mouthed the words ‘go’ to the mare as she silently got back up with a look of terror in her face as she galloped away.

It was a non-lethal stab… at least for the next ten minutes.

With my hoof still raised to my face I retracted my blade and placed my hoof back on the ground. I slowly walked past them, making them jump but then quickly return attention back to their friend as I left the scene.

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I dipped my sleeve and blade into the town square fountain removing any traces of blood, Assassin robes were meant to be easily washable.

The rage from before had subsided and I began to feel the pains from my wounds once more but I continued to proceed onwards. This time to the café… I needed to see the two ponies I know have a connection line with Princess Celestia.

I don’t know if I’ll be coming out of this alive. But it’s better to get it out of the way when it's expected.

I arrive at the café and see the familiar faces of Commander Beard and Garrus. They were drinking coffee but immediately stopped when they saw me. Garrus put his cup down, “Well well well… if it isn’t Shadow Mark. I’m surprised you managed to be here, I guess you know what that means…”

Garrus pulled out his rifle and held it with a slant towards me, I readied my hidden blades.

“Come on Garrus, don’t you think the kid has been through enough?” Beard said through his coffee drink.

“Yeah you’re right, you should have seen your face Shadow,” Garrus gave a quiet chuckle before clearing his throat. “Thankfully we know what really happened and now Celestia does to. Maybe even Luna. Otherwise you would have been shot already when you hoofed that tree a little earlier,” Garrus said pointing to his scope visor on his eye. “Not only does this place have the best coffee but it’s open enough to provide as many viewpoints as we can see.”

“Well I’m glad that’s taken care off, now if you two would both excuse me. I have more better things to do than think about how my failure to kill Balthazar would cost the lives of thousands,” I said with a passive aggressive tone as I went past them, promptly flipping a table and breaking 5 chairs on my way through.

“What’s got into him?” Garrus whispered to Beard.

“I don’t know, what I do know is that everything in life is difficult…. Especially when trying to get a discount on this place.” Commander Beard raised his hoof, “WAITRESS! WOULD YOU PERHAPS CONSIDER-”

“NO!”

“Damn.”

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

My hoofs were still filled with rage, it didn’t help that Garrus did that sarcastic trick. AND THIS STAB WOUND JUST WON’T STOP HURTING! Obviously because it’s a stab wound, that’s what they do. You bleed profusely and then wake up in the morning feeling like crap.

Another throb and this time it hurt enough to make my arm numb for a few seconds.

Merda… why am I even doing this in the first place?
Oh that’s right, because I messed up and being the stubborn self I am, I needed to get out and think.

As much as I would like to be in my bed now, I need to breath this cold outside air.
The cold… it makes me think better.

I turned my head up because of how much colder it was now than when I left. Luckily it wasn’t my case of dying but rather it was the change of the sky. Pegasi from the weather team were putting up light grey clouds and blocking out most of Celestia’s sun. As a Pegasus I knew the mechanics of how to control temperature, what I lacked was my ability to get up there in the first place.

I sighed and looked down to see Ms. Cheerilee and a short purple dragon pulling a cart full of books as they chatted. The dragon, Spike noticed me and waved his arm.

“HELLO SHADOW!”

“HELLO!” Cheerilee waved a hoof too.

I was about to raise my voice and greet them back but my lungs compressed to fast and I fell down once more in a coughing fit. Both of them rushed towards me they’ve seen me fall shouting words of concern.

“It’s alright… *cough*… I can get up,” I said strongly but bodily weak as I placed myself back up as I’ve done numerous times today.

Note to self: next time when Fluttershy tells me to stay in the bed, stay in the bed.

“Ah Miss Cheerilee, Spike! It is so good to see both of you once more!”

“Are you sure?” Cheereliee asked noticing that I definitely did not look well.

“Ya Shadow! Just look at those bandages! How did you even escape from Can-” Before Spike could finish his sentence I put a hoof over his mouth and smiled to Cheerilee real quick.

“Sorry, I need to talk to Spike for a quick moment,” I gave her my smile yet she still looked unsure. I pulled Spike away from her and quickly whispered, “Spike, not now. If you want the full story speak to Twilight later.”

“Really? But you look like you got hurt.”

“Hush Spike! I’m not in the mood and I barely escaped with my life, so please talk to Twilight before Mareio needs a reason to give you another one of ‘those’ mushrooms,” my eyes glared and Spike started to sweat from the terrifying thought. He quickly nodded his head and we broke off rejoining Cheerilee.

“So Ms. Cheerilee, what are you and Spike doing for today?” I asked regarding the books Spike was trudging around in a cart, and currently hyperventilating from.

“Oh, those? They were a request order from Twilight, Spike here has been such a dear helping me move these,” she gave a soft pat on his head, giving him a brief sense of comfort…. Until he looked back at my cold eyes again and cringed.

“What about you Shadow? I haven’t heard or seen you ever since the first day of the Lunar Festival… oh the poor Captain. I know a friend who knew him quite well.”

“Yes, it is. A tragedy,” I said with true sincere.

This is when Cheerilee noticed the bandages around my chest and gasped, “Shadow! What happened to you!?”

“Oh… this was a… a foolish accident. From my trip I took a few days ago during the Festival. I had no choice in staying; I needed to go for a… meeting. This meeting from my trip was very important, but whenever it happens I just seem to go back where I started. Cheerilee, have you ever been… very dedicated in doing something but the moment you know you will succeed you instead fail?”

“I… I don’t know, maybe. Shadow how did you get hurt? We need to get you to a doctor!”

“Don’t be worried about me Madonna Cheerilee. Dr. Mareio said I could get some fresh air before heading back indoors. I’m sorry if I am being an enigma at the moment, but the pain in my chest is making me hard to breathe and think.” I coughed slightly before doing a slight bow.

“Sorry our conversation might have seemed a bit mixed, but one day I hope to tell you everything. It was nice meeting you once again, say hello to the students for me, I enjoy coming back to teach them about the world when I can,” I said with a smile as I turned around leaving Cheerilee and Spike but immediately stopped and turned my neck slightly back.

“Oh and how I got these bandages? An accountant’s hoof movement with a pen is faster than you think it is”

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I walked some distance before looking around me and leaving an angry sigh and vomiting into a nearby bush.
My friendliness was only a façade of my usual nature. Inside I was brimming with frustration and rage.
My walk continued as I made it to my last stop, The Apple Family Orchard. My eyes scanned the area around me until I found a familiar hill and went there. On the top was still a slight mound of unsettled dirt.

This… this was where I first fell to Ponyville.

By Equestria, it feels like an age but it’s only been a few months.

A few months and Balthazar still isn’t dead.
Would it take me again, another set of months? A year? A decade?
Will he kill me by then? Would Dave finish me off? Now would be the perfect time in my opinion.

How long?

It took Balthazar only a short moment to destroy everything that meant something to me. Is that not what he is doing now? Could Dave have told him where we are by now? It would only be a matter of time if he did.

But I doubt it.
Still…

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? With Dave around screwing up everything for us, I know we will never get to Balthazar.
He will continue to hurt us as if is was some sort of 'Game' to him.

DAMN YOU PEZZO DE MERDA, I WILL KILL YOU!

I slammed my hoof against a nearby tree causing apples to fall from the violent shake. My anger only intensified.

We are fighting over an ancient artifact called The Apple, as far as I can tell it can just shoot a lot of energy and corrupt those who over wield it’s power. But… is that it? Can it do more? It’s tied into Project Purify but I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS!

We’re in the dark, there are barely any of us left and we’re losing this battle. All my targets as Dave said were MEANINGLESS.
The moment I tried to kill Balthazar AND AGAIN HE STILL LIVES BECAUSE I HAVE FAILED!

It’s my fault that he is, I should have been better and I should have been able to end his life.

But I didn’t! I was so close! Equestria would have been rid of this monster and the Templars would be in disarray enough for the Assassins to recover. Somehow I can tell even that idea wouldn’t work!

As long as Dave is alive he will continue to mess up our plans. Meaning Balthazar is virtually untouchable and MANY MORE INNOCIENT PONIES WILL DIE!

Because of me……..

I guarantee this, one of us will die. I will make sure it is him.

I breathed in as much as I could from the aching pains within my chest, holding the force of air inside. Starting with a small *RAAH* it escalated higher and higher as I released all my anger out in one long yell, I aimed my head upwards, piercing the heavens until the shouts and frustration dispersed leaving an empty void of silence.