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Description
One word popped into Swift's head when she first laid eyes on the Crystal Empire: Gorgeous. The city was absolutely gorgeous. Every square inch of the city was coated in a glossy, crystalline shine. The buildings pierced the skies as the crystal ponies below trotted about. The castle sat in the middle of the entire area, and it could even be seen from where Swift and Sea Foam stood. It was a sight to behold.

"So," said Swift to Sea Foam. "You've been here before?" Sea Foam nodded. "Yeah," she said. "I was stationed here for a short while. I wasn't here for long, but I still felt right at home. The Assassins have a lot of history here, you know. Before the Empire disappeared, this place was one of the crown jewels of the brotherhood."

"Please tell me that pun was intended." Sea Foam just smiled at her friend. "Come on, let's head on over to the Assassins' hideout here." The two pulled their hoods over their heads, and set off through the streets of the city. They stuck close to the crowds, blending with the citizens. Suddenly, they stopped. "Wait. Look!" said Swift. Sea Foam looked in the direction that Swift was pointing. A short distance away, they saw Princess Cadance, the ruler if the Crystal Empire and a master Templar.

She was trotting down the street towards a small diner that had a few outside tables. A couple was sitting at one of them, and they were in a raging argument. The princess trotted close to them, but kept her distance. Her horn began to glow softly. Swift and Sea Foam kept in the crowds and watched. The arguing couple was covered in the glow of Cadance's magic for a split second before it faded away. The couple was wide-eyed for a moment, and then they stared at each other. They smiled and began chatting in a seemingly friendly manner.

Satisfied, Cadance trotted away, out of Swift's and Sea Foam's field of view. The hooded mares looked at each other. "What was that?" asked Swift. "What did she just do to them?"

"Well," said Sea Foam. "To put it short, she brainwashed them. She's the princess of love. Anything that threatens that love, she'll be sure to eliminate."

"How does brainwashing them into thinking that everything's fine make it any better?"

"It doesn't. The right thing to do would be to let them sort out their problems on their own. But, as you've seen, Templars aren't much for doing the right thing." Swift frowned. "Come on," continued Sea Foam. "We're almost there." They walked on. Swift put assassinating the princess on her growing list of top priorities.

Eventually, the two came to a bridge that took them to a small island in a river that went through the city. They went to a small building that looked like all of the surrounding buildings. It seemed like nothing special. Perfect cover for a secret brotherhood. Sea Foam went up to one of its doors and knocked. A little slit in the door opened up. An eye glared through it and at the mares. "Who's there?" said the pony's voice. Sea Foam glared back. "We work in the dark to serve the light," she said. Within moments, the door swung open and the two mares walked in.

They found themselves walking down a fleet of stares that led into a large chamber. The rooms of the hideout were well decorated. Banners bearing the Assassin insignia hung from the walls and columns. Paintings and statues decorated the walls. Hooded crystal ponies turned their heads at Swift and Sea Foam, silently welcoming their brothers-in-arms. The two walked into a large room with a long table. At one end of the table, staring at a few papers, was a white crystal unicorn with a sparkling blue mane. She looked up at the two with her purple eyes, and smiled.

She stood from the table, walked over to Sea Foam, and the two hugged each other. "It's good to see you again," said the mare. "It's been a while." Sea Foam smiled. "It's good to see you too, Opal," she said. She turned to address Swift. "Swift, this is Opal Florin," she said. "She's the Assassins' mentor here."

"Nice to meet you," said Swift as she shook Opal's hoof. "I'm Swift Wing. I'm an ally to your brotherhood."

"But you're not one of us?" asked Opal. Swift shook her head. Opal shrugged. "Oh well. At least you're on our side," she said. "So what brings you both this far from Canterlot?"

"A few things," said Sea Foam. "We've gotten word that the Templars have found an artifact in a temple somewhere in the Empire. They plan to ship it out to their grand master once they get it out of the temple. If they manage to do that, it could be disastrous for us." Opal seemed to think about this. "I see," she said. "I've actually gotten reports of Templar activity near some old ruins. I've been told that they've been discussing some sort of artifact. You might want to check there."

Sea Foam and Swift nodded to each other. "What else did you come for?" asked Opal. Swift reached into her saddlebag and pulled out the blueprint for the hidden gun. She passed it to Opal. "I took this off of a Templar," she said. "It's a design for some impossible firearm that we think only blacksmiths in the Empire can craft." Opal looked over the blueprint. She whistled, clearly impressed with the intricate design. "I know somepony that should be able to make this," she said. "He owes me a favor, so getting him to make it shouldn't be a problem."

Swift and Sea Foam nodded. Opal put the blueprint with the rest of her papers and pulled another paper out of the pile. She passed it to Sea Foam. "Here's a map of this district," she said. She pointed to a point on the map. "Here is where the ruins are. We don't know of any hidden temple there, but it should be in that area." Sea Foam nodded and put the map in her saddlebag. "We'd better get going," said Swift. "Something tells me it won't take them long to recover this staff of theirs."

Sea Foam nodded in agreement. The three said their goodbyes. Swift and Sea Foam pulled up their hoods, and set out.

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

"Do you see anything?" asked Sea Foam. Both she and Swift had their eagle vision activated. They scanned the old ruins, looking for any signs of an entrance. Night had fallen by then, and even with their sixth sense, it was still a bit difficult to see. "No. Not yet," said Swift. The two kept walking through the ruins. Crumbling stones surrounded them. They were the last traces of an ancient world. "Wait. Hold up," said Swift. She saw something small on a wall. Her eagle vision covered it in a golden glow.

The two ran over to look. It was a loose brick, slightly smaller than the others, and slightly indented in the wall. The two switched off their eagle vision and Swift placed a hoof on the brick. She pushed.

For a moment, nothing happened. But soon, a section of a nearby wall creaked and turned to reveal a staircase leading down. Swift and Sea Foam nodded to each other and entered the torch-lit passage.

They reached a hallway and were about to round a corner, but they ducked back when they saw a crystal guard standing with his back turned. Swift turned to Sea Foam and signed for her to stay quiet. Swift cautiously approached the guard, and once she came close enough, she flicked out her hidden blade and stabbed the guard in the neck. Sea Foam walked up to her as she lowered the body. The two carried on through the corridors, and they were now on high alert.

Eventually, they reached the end of a hall. It led into a large chamber. The whole room was filled with guards, at least a dozen of them. Swift and Sea Foam hid in the shadows. A tall white stallion in purple and gold armor walked up to one of the guards. He used his magic to take off his helmet, revealing his long, blue mane. Swift recognized his face. She saw him during the events of the Changeling invasion of Canterlot. He was Shining Armor, Twilight's brother and Cadance's husband. He was also, it seemed a member of the Templar order.

"We're going in to get the artifact," he said to the guard. 'I need you to be on your guard and to make sure nopony crosses through here."

"Yes sir!" said the guard with a salute. Shining nodded and exited the room through a rusty gate on the other side of the area. "You heard him," said the guard to his troops. "Stay alert." The other guards saluted and began to patrol around the room. Swift and Sea Foam observed their activity from their hiding spot. Each of them were pondering about what they would do next. After a few minutes, Sea Foam let out a quiet sigh. "How are we going to get around them? There's too many of them," she said.

"Well then maybe we shouldn't try to go around them," said Swift.

"What?"

"If we can't stealth our way around, maybe we should try and fight them. They don't look like they're extremely well-trained. We could take them."

"That's a horrible plan, but I guess it's all we got. Alright. Let's go." The two stepped out into the open. Just as the guards turned their heads towards them, Swift and Sea Foam took two guards out with their hidden blades. The remaining ten guards pulled out their swords and daggers. "Now might be a good time to use that sword I gave you," said Sea Foam as she drew her own sword. Swift nodded and did the same. Within moments, the battle was on.

A guard swung his dagger at Swift, but she countered the blow and killed the guard with her sword. Sea Foam got nicked by a throwing knife, but the wound wasn't too bad. She ran at the guard who threw it and sliced him down. Two guards came at Swift at once. Swift dodged both blows and pushed one guard into the other. His sword accidentally pierced his companion's chest, killing him. As the guard lost his balance, Swift drove her sword into his neck.

Sea Foam finished another guard and turned to notice another guard running through the gate that Shining went through. "Swift!" she called as another attacker came. "Go after that guard! Don't let him warn his boss! I'll hold these guys off!" Swift nodded and galloped out of the room. She chased the guard through the crumbling hallways. "Stay back, Assassin!" he called to her. Suddenly, he kicked a lever in a doorway and an iron gate slammed shut. He kept running.

Swift didn't have time to think. She ran up a nearby staircase and luckily she found herself on a balcony above the fleeing guard. She jumped down and continued to gallop after him. The guard tried activating a few more traps, but Swift made it through them all. The guard starting calling for help, but it was too late. As they entered a large room, Swift caught up and drove her hidden blade into his neck.

Her victory was short lived, however, as she heard a voice call to her from the other end of the room. "So, the Assassins finally worked up the nerve to come after me, huh?" Swift looked up see Shining Armor, who stood in front of a large stone door with three other guards. Each one of them had their swords drawn. "Stand down," said Swift, who drew her own sword. Shining chuckled. "You're outnumbered," he said. We'll take you out in seconds. You alone can't stop us from opening up this vault."

"What's in there isn't for you."

"We'll see." Shining turned to his guards. "Kill her!" he ordered. The three guards charged at her. Swift cut down one, but another guard cut a small gash in her foreleg. Swift winced but kept fighting. She clashed blades with the guard for a moment, and then she managed to cut him down. One left. The guard came at her, his sword raised. Swift quickly brought up her sword and countered the guard's attack. As he lost his balance, Swift took the opportunity and finished him off.

Swift jumped backwards as another blade came down towards her. She got back into an attack position and turned to face Shining Armor, who held his sword high. He swung his sword again, and Swift clashed her blade with his. The two moved around the room as they fought. Swift noticed that they were near a stack of barrels, and she got an idea. Shining swung his sword again, and Swift dodged the blow. She quickly maneuvered around him and pushed him as hard as she could into the barrels.

The wood splintered as Shining crashed into the barrels. He struggled to stand back up, but Swift didn't give him the chance. She dropped her sword, flicked out her hidden blade, and rammed it into his throat. Reality was replaced by the white void as her target fell to the ground. She looked down at him as he bled out.

"That prize is still out of your reach, Assassin," Shining painfully said. "We've been trying for weeks to open that door. There's no way you'll be able to."

"That won't stop me from trying," said Swift. "I won't let that staff fall into your hooves." Shining gave a confused look. "The Staff?" he said. "We've already recovered the staff. Cadance is already having it prepared to be transported to Canterlot." Swift's eyes widened. "What? Then what's behind this door?" she asked.

"We don't know. We've had multiple teams searching various temples in the Empire for artifacts, but we never know what specifically is in them. But whatever it is, you'll never have it. The Templars need them to create our new world. You won't keep them from us for long." The stallion died. Swift closed his eyes. "Order and peace take time," she said. "It can't be forced or bought. Rest in peace."

Once again, reality returned. Swift stood from her target, and stared at the stone door. "Swift!" called a voice from behind her. She turned around to see Sea Foam rushing in. She had a few wounds, but none of them seemed to bad. She looked around at Swift's work. "You beat them. Nice job!" she said. "Did you find the Staff?" Swift shook her head. "Unfortunately, it seems we were too late for that. It's already been found and now Cadance is preparing it for transport."

Sea Foam angrily said something under her breath. "So this whole mission was pointless?" she asked. Swift shook her head again. "Not entirely," she said. "There's something behind this door that the Templars wanted out of our hooves, and I think I know how to open it."

"How?" Swift walked over to the door and pointed at what seemed like a stone decoration. It matched the design of the locks in the Assassin hideouts. Sea Foam smiled. "Well then. What're you waiting for?" she said. Swift smiled back and jammed her hidden blade into the mechanism on the lock. She heard gears turning behind it and soon, the stone door slid open. The hooded mares walked into the chamber beyond. At the other end of the large room, they saw a statue in an archway on the wall.

It was a statue of a hooded stallion in old-fashioned robes. A large belt and sash wrapped around its waist. A small scar streaked across the right side of his lip. Below the statue, on its pedestal, was a sword. It was clearly very old, but it was in an amazing condition. The blade still shone and the hilt was still in tact. The end of the hilt was shaped like an eagle's head, and the guard looked like wings. Swift carefully lifted it off the pedestal. She whistled. "This thing is impressive," she said.

She swung it around in the air to test it. "It's definitely a worthy blade," said Sea Foam.

"I'm keeping it."

"Of course you are." Swift smiled and replaced her original sword with the new one. Sea Foam picked up Swift's old sword and sheathed it next to her own. No point in leaving a good weapon behind.

The two turned to leave. Swift glanced at Shining's body as they passed it. "I hope Twilight doesn't find out that we killed her brother," she said. "We wouldn't want her to quit her alliance with the Assassins."

"Don't worry," said Sea Foam. "We didn't leave a single trace that points to us. Once this mess is found, nopony will point a finger at the Assassins." Swift nodded in agreement. "Come on," continued Sea Foam. "Let's head back to the hideout. If we're lucky, your gun will be ready by now." Swift nodded, and the two left the temple.

Description
One word popped into Swift's head when she first laid eyes on the Crystal Empire: Gorgeous. The city was absolutely gorgeous. Every square inch of the city was coated in a glossy, crystalline shine. The buildings pierced the skies as the crystal ponies below trotted about. The castle sat in the middle of the entire area, and it could even be seen from where Swift and Sea Foam stood. It was a sight to behold.

"So," said Swift to Sea Foam. "You've been here before?" Sea Foam nodded. "Yeah," she said. "I was stationed here for a short while. I wasn't here for long, but I still felt right at home. The Assassins have a lot of history here, you know. Before the Empire disappeared, this place was one of the crown jewels of the brotherhood."

"Please tell me that pun was intended." Sea Foam just smiled at her friend. "Come on, let's head on over to the Assassins' hideout here." The two pulled their hoods over their heads, and set off through the streets of the city. They stuck close to the crowds, blending with the citizens. Suddenly, they stopped. "Wait. Look!" said Swift. Sea Foam looked in the direction that Swift was pointing. A short distance away, they saw Princess Cadance, the ruler if the Crystal Empire and a master Templar.

She was trotting down the street towards a small diner that had a few outside tables. A couple was sitting at one of them, and they were in a raging argument. The princess trotted close to them, but kept her distance. Her horn began to glow softly. Swift and Sea Foam kept in the crowds and watched. The arguing couple was covered in the glow of Cadance's magic for a split second before it faded away. The couple was wide-eyed for a moment, and then they stared at each other. They smiled and began chatting in a seemingly friendly manner.

Satisfied, Cadance trotted away, out of Swift's and Sea Foam's field of view. The hooded mares looked at each other. "What was that?" asked Swift. "What did she just do to them?"

"Well," said Sea Foam. "To put it short, she brainwashed them. She's the princess of love. Anything that threatens that love, she'll be sure to eliminate."

"How does brainwashing them into thinking that everything's fine make it any better?"

"It doesn't. The right thing to do would be to let them sort out their problems on their own. But, as you've seen, Templars aren't much for doing the right thing." Swift frowned. "Come on," continued Sea Foam. "We're almost there." They walked on. Swift put assassinating the princess on her growing list of top priorities.

Eventually, the two came to a bridge that took them to a small island in a river that went through the city. They went to a small building that looked like all of the surrounding buildings. It seemed like nothing special. Perfect cover for a secret brotherhood. Sea Foam went up to one of its doors and knocked. A little slit in the door opened up. An eye glared through it and at the mares. "Who's there?" said the pony's voice. Sea Foam glared back. "We work in the dark to serve the light," she said. Within moments, the door swung open and the two mares walked in.

They found themselves walking down a fleet of stares that led into a large chamber. The rooms of the hideout were well decorated. Banners bearing the Assassin insignia hung from the walls and columns. Paintings and statues decorated the walls. Hooded crystal ponies turned their heads at Swift and Sea Foam, silently welcoming their brothers-in-arms. The two walked into a large room with a long table. At one end of the table, staring at a few papers, was a white crystal unicorn with a sparkling blue mane. She looked up at the two with her purple eyes, and smiled.

She stood from the table, walked over to Sea Foam, and the two hugged each other. "It's good to see you again," said the mare. "It's been a while." Sea Foam smiled. "It's good to see you too, Opal," she said. She turned to address Swift. "Swift, this is Opal Florin," she said. "She's the Assassins' mentor here."

"Nice to meet you," said Swift as she shook Opal's hoof. "I'm Swift Wing. I'm an ally to your brotherhood."

"But you're not one of us?" asked Opal. Swift shook her head. Opal shrugged. "Oh well. At least you're on our side," she said. "So what brings you both this far from Canterlot?"

"A few things," said Sea Foam. "We've gotten word that the Templars have found an artifact in a temple somewhere in the Empire. They plan to ship it out to their grand master once they get it out of the temple. If they manage to do that, it could be disastrous for us." Opal seemed to think about this. "I see," she said. "I've actually gotten reports of Templar activity near some old ruins. I've been told that they've been discussing some sort of artifact. You might want to check there."

Sea Foam and Swift nodded to each other. "What else did you come for?" asked Opal. Swift reached into her saddlebag and pulled out the blueprint for the hidden gun. She passed it to Opal. "I took this off of a Templar," she said. "It's a design for some impossible firearm that we think only blacksmiths in the Empire can craft." Opal looked over the blueprint. She whistled, clearly impressed with the intricate design. "I know somepony that should be able to make this," she said. "He owes me a favor, so getting him to make it shouldn't be a problem."

Swift and Sea Foam nodded. Opal put the blueprint with the rest of her papers and pulled another paper out of the pile. She passed it to Sea Foam. "Here's a map of this district," she said. She pointed to a point on the map. "Here is where the ruins are. We don't know of any hidden temple there, but it should be in that area." Sea Foam nodded and put the map in her saddlebag. "We'd better get going," said Swift. "Something tells me it won't take them long to recover this staff of theirs."

Sea Foam nodded in agreement. The three said their goodbyes. Swift and Sea Foam pulled up their hoods, and set out.

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

"Do you see anything?" asked Sea Foam. Both she and Swift had their eagle vision activated. They scanned the old ruins, looking for any signs of an entrance. Night had fallen by then, and even with their sixth sense, it was still a bit difficult to see. "No. Not yet," said Swift. The two kept walking through the ruins. Crumbling stones surrounded them. They were the last traces of an ancient world. "Wait. Hold up," said Swift. She saw something small on a wall. Her eagle vision covered it in a golden glow.

The two ran over to look. It was a loose brick, slightly smaller than the others, and slightly indented in the wall. The two switched off their eagle vision and Swift placed a hoof on the brick. She pushed.

For a moment, nothing happened. But soon, a section of a nearby wall creaked and turned to reveal a staircase leading down. Swift and Sea Foam nodded to each other and entered the torch-lit passage.

They reached a hallway and were about to round a corner, but they ducked back when they saw a crystal guard standing with his back turned. Swift turned to Sea Foam and signed for her to stay quiet. Swift cautiously approached the guard, and once she came close enough, she flicked out her hidden blade and stabbed the guard in the neck. Sea Foam walked up to her as she lowered the body. The two carried on through the corridors, and they were now on high alert.

Eventually, they reached the end of a hall. It led into a large chamber. The whole room was filled with guards, at least a dozen of them. Swift and Sea Foam hid in the shadows. A tall white stallion in purple and gold armor walked up to one of the guards. He used his magic to take off his helmet, revealing his long, blue mane. Swift recognized his face. She saw him during the events of the Changeling invasion of Canterlot. He was Shining Armor, Twilight's brother and Cadance's husband. He was also, it seemed a member of the Templar order.

"We're going in to get the artifact," he said to the guard. 'I need you to be on your guard and to make sure nopony crosses through here."

"Yes sir!" said the guard with a salute. Shining nodded and exited the room through a rusty gate on the other side of the area. "You heard him," said the guard to his troops. "Stay alert." The other guards saluted and began to patrol around the room. Swift and Sea Foam observed their activity from their hiding spot. Each of them were pondering about what they would do next. After a few minutes, Sea Foam let out a quiet sigh. "How are we going to get around them? There's too many of them," she said.

"Well then maybe we shouldn't try to go around them," said Swift.

"What?"

"If we can't stealth our way around, maybe we should try and fight them. They don't look like they're extremely well-trained. We could take them."

"That's a horrible plan, but I guess it's all we got. Alright. Let's go." The two stepped out into the open. Just as the guards turned their heads towards them, Swift and Sea Foam took two guards out with their hidden blades. The remaining ten guards pulled out their swords and daggers. "Now might be a good time to use that sword I gave you," said Sea Foam as she drew her own sword. Swift nodded and did the same. Within moments, the battle was on.

A guard swung his dagger at Swift, but she countered the blow and killed the guard with her sword. Sea Foam got nicked by a throwing knife, but the wound wasn't too bad. She ran at the guard who threw it and sliced him down. Two guards came at Swift at once. Swift dodged both blows and pushed one guard into the other. His sword accidentally pierced his companion's chest, killing him. As the guard lost his balance, Swift drove her sword into his neck.

Sea Foam finished another guard and turned to notice another guard running through the gate that Shining went through. "Swift!" she called as another attacker came. "Go after that guard! Don't let him warn his boss! I'll hold these guys off!" Swift nodded and galloped out of the room. She chased the guard through the crumbling hallways. "Stay back, Assassin!" he called to her. Suddenly, he kicked a lever in a doorway and an iron gate slammed shut. He kept running.

Swift didn't have time to think. She ran up a nearby staircase and luckily she found herself on a balcony above the fleeing guard. She jumped down and continued to gallop after him. The guard tried activating a few more traps, but Swift made it through them all. The guard starting calling for help, but it was too late. As they entered a large room, Swift caught up and drove her hidden blade into his neck.

Her victory was short lived, however, as she heard a voice call to her from the other end of the room. "So, the Assassins finally worked up the nerve to come after me, huh?" Swift looked up see Shining Armor, who stood in front of a large stone door with three other guards. Each one of them had their swords drawn. "Stand down," said Swift, who drew her own sword. Shining chuckled. "You're outnumbered," he said. We'll take you out in seconds. You alone can't stop us from opening up this vault."

"What's in there isn't for you."

"We'll see." Shining turned to his guards. "Kill her!" he ordered. The three guards charged at her. Swift cut down one, but another guard cut a small gash in her foreleg. Swift winced but kept fighting. She clashed blades with the guard for a moment, and then she managed to cut him down. One left. The guard came at her, his sword raised. Swift quickly brought up her sword and countered the guard's attack. As he lost his balance, Swift took the opportunity and finished him off.

Swift jumped backwards as another blade came down towards her. She got back into an attack position and turned to face Shining Armor, who held his sword high. He swung his sword again, and Swift clashed her blade with his. The two moved around the room as they fought. Swift noticed that they were near a stack of barrels, and she got an idea. Shining swung his sword again, and Swift dodged the blow. She quickly maneuvered around him and pushed him as hard as she could into the barrels.

The wood splintered as Shining crashed into the barrels. He struggled to stand back up, but Swift didn't give him the chance. She dropped her sword, flicked out her hidden blade, and rammed it into his throat. Reality was replaced by the white void as her target fell to the ground. She looked down at him as he bled out.

"That prize is still out of your reach, Assassin," Shining painfully said. "We've been trying for weeks to open that door. There's no way you'll be able to."

"That won't stop me from trying," said Swift. "I won't let that staff fall into your hooves." Shining gave a confused look. "The Staff?" he said. "We've already recovered the staff. Cadance is already having it prepared to be transported to Canterlot." Swift's eyes widened. "What? Then what's behind this door?" she asked.

"We don't know. We've had multiple teams searching various temples in the Empire for artifacts, but we never know what specifically is in them. But whatever it is, you'll never have it. The Templars need them to create our new world. You won't keep them from us for long." The stallion died. Swift closed his eyes. "Order and peace take time," she said. "It can't be forced or bought. Rest in peace."

Once again, reality returned. Swift stood from her target, and stared at the stone door. "Swift!" called a voice from behind her. She turned around to see Sea Foam rushing in. She had a few wounds, but none of them seemed to bad. She looked around at Swift's work. "You beat them. Nice job!" she said. "Did you find the Staff?" Swift shook her head. "Unfortunately, it seems we were too late for that. It's already been found and now Cadance is preparing it for transport."

Sea Foam angrily said something under her breath. "So this whole mission was pointless?" she asked. Swift shook her head again. "Not entirely," she said. "There's something behind this door that the Templars wanted out of our hooves, and I think I know how to open it."

"How?" Swift walked over to the door and pointed at what seemed like a stone decoration. It matched the design of the locks in the Assassin hideouts. Sea Foam smiled. "Well then. What're you waiting for?" she said. Swift smiled back and jammed her hidden blade into the mechanism on the lock. She heard gears turning behind it and soon, the stone door slid open. The hooded mares walked into the chamber beyond. At the other end of the large room, they saw a statue in an archway on the wall.

It was a statue of a hooded stallion in old-fashioned robes. A large belt and sash wrapped around its waist. A small scar streaked across the right side of his lip. Below the statue, on its pedestal, was a sword. It was clearly very old, but it was in an amazing condition. The blade still shone and the hilt was still in tact. The end of the hilt was shaped like an eagle's head, and the guard looked like wings. Swift carefully lifted it off the pedestal. She whistled. "This thing is impressive," she said.

She swung it around in the air to test it. "It's definitely a worthy blade," said Sea Foam.

"I'm keeping it."

"Of course you are." Swift smiled and replaced her original sword with the new one. Sea Foam picked up Swift's old sword and sheathed it next to her own. No point in leaving a good weapon behind.

The two turned to leave. Swift glanced at Shining's body as they passed it. "I hope Twilight doesn't find out that we killed her brother," she said. "We wouldn't want her to quit her alliance with the Assassins."

"Don't worry," said Sea Foam. "We didn't leave a single trace that points to us. Once this mess is found, nopony will point a finger at the Assassins." Swift nodded in agreement. "Come on," continued Sea Foam. "Let's head back to the hideout. If we're lucky, your gun will be ready by now." Swift nodded, and the two left the temple.