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Description
"Oh good! You're back!" Opal said as Swift Wing and Sea Foam walked into the Assassins' hideout. "How did it go?" she asked.

"We got rid of the Templars in that area," said Swift. "But unfortunately they've already gotten the Staff and sent it away. Cadance is preparing it for transport." Swift noticed that Opal seemed a bit distressed, more than necessary. Swift wondered if she was hiding some bad memory or feeling. She decided that now wasn't a good time to think about it. There were more urgent matters to be dealt with.

"I suppose you two will be going after it, then?" asked Opal. Swift and Sea Foam nodded. "Well then," said Opal, her expression lightening. "You'll be happy to know that we've got something that'll surely help you out."

"And that is?" asked Sea Foam.

"We've finally managed to craft that little trinket of yours. It just needs to be tested."

"You finished the gun?" asked Swift. Opal nodded. "Come on," she said. "We've set up a training area outside. You can be the first to test it out." Swift nodded. Opal motioned for her friends to follow, and they left the hideout.

They made their way to the center of the island. Eventually, they came to a large, open area with stone walls and buildings fencing it in. Four manikins were positioned at different areas. Two of them were on a nearby balcony. The other two were standing on the ground. "We normally use this place to train new recruits," said Opal as they entered the area. "But we've modified it a bit to test out this hidden gun of yours."

She trotted over to a nearby desk, and grabbed something with her magic. She passed it to Swift, who gazed down to observe it. It was her gun. It looked exactly as it did in the blueprint. It was a thin metal tube with some mechanism in the back. There were straps and locks on the bottom to attach the weapon to her bracer. Swift still couldn't get over how small it was. She was used to massive things like cannons. A firearm this small still seemed impossible.

Nonetheless, she strapped it on. The gun fit nicely over her hidden blade. "So, how's it work?" she asked Opal.

"In a similar way to the hidden blade," explained Opal. "It's activated by a button on the back of the mechanism. You flick back your hoof to hit it. Don't worry, there's a safety switch that you have to press first, so you won't accidentally set it off." Swift nodded and looked down at her gun. Opal led her over to her targeting position. "Aim at one of the manikins," she said. "You only have one shot at a time before you need to reload, so shoot wisely." Swift nodded. Opal and Sea Foam stepped back, and watched.

Swift found the safety switch and pressed it. The little button in the back popped out with a click. Swift took a deep breath, and raised her hoof. She picked out a manikin, and carefully aimed her gun at it. She kicked her hoof back and quickly repositioned. She heard the gears and mechanisms of the gun click and clank. Then, there was silence. For a moment it seemed like nothing had happened, like something had gone wrong. But suddenly, something in the gun made a sound similar to a pin dropping. And then...

BANG!

The sound echoed through the air. Nearby birds scattered. Swift stumbled backwards a little as the bullet shot out of her still smoking gun, and slammed directly into the manikin's face. A tiny hole appeared where the bullet punctured it. The three mares stood silent and wide-eyed for a moment. Sea Foam smiled and broke the silence. She laughed joyously. "That was incredible!" she said.

"I didn't think it would actually work," said Opal, who joined the celebration. Swift clicked back the safety switch and trotted over to them. "That was... a rush!" she said, still a bit shaken up. Sea Foam laughed and put a hoof on Swift's shoulder. "That thing will definitely come in handy," she said. "Especially now that we need to break into the castle."

"I take it you'll be leaving right away, then?" asked Opal. Swift and Sea Foam nodded. "We can't let that staff get into Celestia's hooves," said Sea Foam.

"Then I wish both of you the best of luck," said Opal. She gave Swift a bag of bullets. The three nodded and said their goodbyes. Then, Swift and Sea Foam set off towards the crystal castle.

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

Swift rammed her hidden blade into the first guard that they saw. She searched the body and found a key. She and Sea Foam galloped to the nearest door, making a good guess that the key would fit, unlocked it, and entered the castle. "You should try to get some practice with that new gun," said Sea Foam.

"I will," said Swift. "But later. Now isn't a good time. You heard how loud it was. It's not exactly the stealthiest of weapons."

"Eh. Fair point." The two rounded a corner. They took out two guards that had their backs turned. "Do you know where we're going?" asked Swift.

"We need to find Cadance," said Sea Foam. "If she's supervising the whole mission, then she'll know where the Staff is." Swift nodded. The two kept trotting through the castle halls. Eventually, they found a large set of double doors. They heard voices coming from the room beyond. Swift cracked it open ever so slightly and listened.

"The Assassins? Here?" Swift smiled as she recognized the voice of Princess Cadance. "Indeed, your highness," said a voice that Swift assumed belonged to a guard. "They've already taken out a good number of the castle guard."

"Dang it!" said Cadance. "Alert anypony who's still left standing. We can't let the Assassins ruin the peace that we're building!"

"Yes, your highness." Swift heard the guard galloping towards the door. She readied her hidden blade. Once the guard threw the door open, Swift ended his life. She and Sea Foam entered the room. It was a large storage area filled with crates. A scaffolding was hanging above them near the ceiling. The hooded mares exchanged looks with the princess. "You have a lot of nerve coming in my castle and ruining my plans," said Cadance.

"Just tell us where the Staff is, and we'll be on our way," said Swift. Cadance gave a grin. "Guards!" she yelled. Suddenly, about two dozen guards came rushing out of their hiding places. Within moments, they surrounded the three mares. Swift and Sea Foam drew their swords. "You didn't really expect me not to be protected, did you?" asked Cadance. She motioned to a guard, who tossed her a sword. She waved it around with her magic, and then pointed it at the hooded mares. "Kill them," she said.

The battle was on. Swift and Sea Foam managed to take out four guards before they themselves took a few blows. They kept fighting, though. Their blades clashed with those of their enemies. Two more fell. Sea Foam managed to fight her way towards Cadance, and the two dueled. "Where's the Staff?" she demanded to know. Swift brought down another three guards. Her foreleg was covered in specks of blood, both hers and theirs.

"You're never going to get your hooves on it!" said Cadance. "The grand master will take hold of it and bring us a new world!"

"Not if we can help it." Sea Foam clashed blades with Cadance as Swift killed more guards. Eventually, the tides turned in favor of the hooded mares. Only three guards remained, and Swift was still fighting. A few yards behind her, Cadance swung her sword hard at Sea Foam, and knocked her sword away. Sea Foam quickly ducked below the next blow. "Swift!" she yelled just as Swift finished off the last guard. Swift turned and saw that Cadance was about to land the finishing blow.

By some new instinct, Swift flicked the safety trigger on her gun, kicked back her hoof, and aimed. Just as Cadance was about to swing, there was the sound of a pin dropping, and then...

BANG!

Cadance's sword dropped to the ground as she stared wide-eyed at the bleeding hole that appeared in her chest. She began to fall to the floor. Swift rushed over to the body as time around her froze and the white void consumed her reality. She stood over the fallen princess, who gazed up at her.

"I don't know what dark magic you used to bring me down," said Cadance through the blood in her mouth. "But my death won't be enough to stop the Templars."

"Where is the Staff?" Swift demanded to know.

"You're too late. It's already on its way. Its probably halfway to Canterlot by now." Swift's heart sank. "You can't stop us," continued Cadance. "Celestia will take the artifacts, and she'll bring us a new world with them. Equestria will have peace once again."

"And that peace would be fake. You'd rob everypony of their will. You would control them like puppets instead of allowing them to truly solve their problems. Life would be good for you, but you don't give a single thought to those you harm"

"Everything we do is for the greater good of the citizens! We would bring them peace in a world of chaos! We would bring them harmony!"

"Your harmony and your means of getting it is what's going to send this world into chaos."

"Everything I did, I did with the best intentions..." She died. Blood poured from the bullet wound in her chest. Swift closed the princess’s eyes. "Sometimes, the most evil deeds are done with the best intentions," she said. "Rest in peace." Reality returned to Swift as she turned to Sea Foam. "We've got to get back to Canterlot ASAP," she said.

"Why? What's wrong?" asked Sea Foam.

"I had another vision. And in it, Cadance told me that the Staff is already well on its way to Canterlot, so we have to get going!"

Sea Foam's eyes widened. "Oh no," she said. Swift ran over to a guard's body and retrieved her sword. "You'll have to go," said Sea Foam. "I'll stay a bit longer and let Opal know about the situation. Your faster than I am and you'll be able to reach Celestia easier. I'll catch up soon." Swift nodded. She turned to dash out the door, but Sea Foam stopped her.

"Good luck, Swift," she said. Swift smiled. "Good luck to you, too," she said. Swift turned and dashed away. She hopped out a nearby window, and flew as fast as she could to the nearest train station. Then she hopped on the next train to Canterlot. She checked her blades and her gun. It had finally come down to this. It was time to face her mightiest foe. The final battle was about to begin.

Description
"Oh good! You're back!" Opal said as Swift Wing and Sea Foam walked into the Assassins' hideout. "How did it go?" she asked.

"We got rid of the Templars in that area," said Swift. "But unfortunately they've already gotten the Staff and sent it away. Cadance is preparing it for transport." Swift noticed that Opal seemed a bit distressed, more than necessary. Swift wondered if she was hiding some bad memory or feeling. She decided that now wasn't a good time to think about it. There were more urgent matters to be dealt with.

"I suppose you two will be going after it, then?" asked Opal. Swift and Sea Foam nodded. "Well then," said Opal, her expression lightening. "You'll be happy to know that we've got something that'll surely help you out."

"And that is?" asked Sea Foam.

"We've finally managed to craft that little trinket of yours. It just needs to be tested."

"You finished the gun?" asked Swift. Opal nodded. "Come on," she said. "We've set up a training area outside. You can be the first to test it out." Swift nodded. Opal motioned for her friends to follow, and they left the hideout.

They made their way to the center of the island. Eventually, they came to a large, open area with stone walls and buildings fencing it in. Four manikins were positioned at different areas. Two of them were on a nearby balcony. The other two were standing on the ground. "We normally use this place to train new recruits," said Opal as they entered the area. "But we've modified it a bit to test out this hidden gun of yours."

She trotted over to a nearby desk, and grabbed something with her magic. She passed it to Swift, who gazed down to observe it. It was her gun. It looked exactly as it did in the blueprint. It was a thin metal tube with some mechanism in the back. There were straps and locks on the bottom to attach the weapon to her bracer. Swift still couldn't get over how small it was. She was used to massive things like cannons. A firearm this small still seemed impossible.

Nonetheless, she strapped it on. The gun fit nicely over her hidden blade. "So, how's it work?" she asked Opal.

"In a similar way to the hidden blade," explained Opal. "It's activated by a button on the back of the mechanism. You flick back your hoof to hit it. Don't worry, there's a safety switch that you have to press first, so you won't accidentally set it off." Swift nodded and looked down at her gun. Opal led her over to her targeting position. "Aim at one of the manikins," she said. "You only have one shot at a time before you need to reload, so shoot wisely." Swift nodded. Opal and Sea Foam stepped back, and watched.

Swift found the safety switch and pressed it. The little button in the back popped out with a click. Swift took a deep breath, and raised her hoof. She picked out a manikin, and carefully aimed her gun at it. She kicked her hoof back and quickly repositioned. She heard the gears and mechanisms of the gun click and clank. Then, there was silence. For a moment it seemed like nothing had happened, like something had gone wrong. But suddenly, something in the gun made a sound similar to a pin dropping. And then...

BANG!

The sound echoed through the air. Nearby birds scattered. Swift stumbled backwards a little as the bullet shot out of her still smoking gun, and slammed directly into the manikin's face. A tiny hole appeared where the bullet punctured it. The three mares stood silent and wide-eyed for a moment. Sea Foam smiled and broke the silence. She laughed joyously. "That was incredible!" she said.

"I didn't think it would actually work," said Opal, who joined the celebration. Swift clicked back the safety switch and trotted over to them. "That was... a rush!" she said, still a bit shaken up. Sea Foam laughed and put a hoof on Swift's shoulder. "That thing will definitely come in handy," she said. "Especially now that we need to break into the castle."

"I take it you'll be leaving right away, then?" asked Opal. Swift and Sea Foam nodded. "We can't let that staff get into Celestia's hooves," said Sea Foam.

"Then I wish both of you the best of luck," said Opal. She gave Swift a bag of bullets. The three nodded and said their goodbyes. Then, Swift and Sea Foam set off towards the crystal castle.

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

Swift rammed her hidden blade into the first guard that they saw. She searched the body and found a key. She and Sea Foam galloped to the nearest door, making a good guess that the key would fit, unlocked it, and entered the castle. "You should try to get some practice with that new gun," said Sea Foam.

"I will," said Swift. "But later. Now isn't a good time. You heard how loud it was. It's not exactly the stealthiest of weapons."

"Eh. Fair point." The two rounded a corner. They took out two guards that had their backs turned. "Do you know where we're going?" asked Swift.

"We need to find Cadance," said Sea Foam. "If she's supervising the whole mission, then she'll know where the Staff is." Swift nodded. The two kept trotting through the castle halls. Eventually, they found a large set of double doors. They heard voices coming from the room beyond. Swift cracked it open ever so slightly and listened.

"The Assassins? Here?" Swift smiled as she recognized the voice of Princess Cadance. "Indeed, your highness," said a voice that Swift assumed belonged to a guard. "They've already taken out a good number of the castle guard."

"Dang it!" said Cadance. "Alert anypony who's still left standing. We can't let the Assassins ruin the peace that we're building!"

"Yes, your highness." Swift heard the guard galloping towards the door. She readied her hidden blade. Once the guard threw the door open, Swift ended his life. She and Sea Foam entered the room. It was a large storage area filled with crates. A scaffolding was hanging above them near the ceiling. The hooded mares exchanged looks with the princess. "You have a lot of nerve coming in my castle and ruining my plans," said Cadance.

"Just tell us where the Staff is, and we'll be on our way," said Swift. Cadance gave a grin. "Guards!" she yelled. Suddenly, about two dozen guards came rushing out of their hiding places. Within moments, they surrounded the three mares. Swift and Sea Foam drew their swords. "You didn't really expect me not to be protected, did you?" asked Cadance. She motioned to a guard, who tossed her a sword. She waved it around with her magic, and then pointed it at the hooded mares. "Kill them," she said.

The battle was on. Swift and Sea Foam managed to take out four guards before they themselves took a few blows. They kept fighting, though. Their blades clashed with those of their enemies. Two more fell. Sea Foam managed to fight her way towards Cadance, and the two dueled. "Where's the Staff?" she demanded to know. Swift brought down another three guards. Her foreleg was covered in specks of blood, both hers and theirs.

"You're never going to get your hooves on it!" said Cadance. "The grand master will take hold of it and bring us a new world!"

"Not if we can help it." Sea Foam clashed blades with Cadance as Swift killed more guards. Eventually, the tides turned in favor of the hooded mares. Only three guards remained, and Swift was still fighting. A few yards behind her, Cadance swung her sword hard at Sea Foam, and knocked her sword away. Sea Foam quickly ducked below the next blow. "Swift!" she yelled just as Swift finished off the last guard. Swift turned and saw that Cadance was about to land the finishing blow.

By some new instinct, Swift flicked the safety trigger on her gun, kicked back her hoof, and aimed. Just as Cadance was about to swing, there was the sound of a pin dropping, and then...

BANG!

Cadance's sword dropped to the ground as she stared wide-eyed at the bleeding hole that appeared in her chest. She began to fall to the floor. Swift rushed over to the body as time around her froze and the white void consumed her reality. She stood over the fallen princess, who gazed up at her.

"I don't know what dark magic you used to bring me down," said Cadance through the blood in her mouth. "But my death won't be enough to stop the Templars."

"Where is the Staff?" Swift demanded to know.

"You're too late. It's already on its way. Its probably halfway to Canterlot by now." Swift's heart sank. "You can't stop us," continued Cadance. "Celestia will take the artifacts, and she'll bring us a new world with them. Equestria will have peace once again."

"And that peace would be fake. You'd rob everypony of their will. You would control them like puppets instead of allowing them to truly solve their problems. Life would be good for you, but you don't give a single thought to those you harm"

"Everything we do is for the greater good of the citizens! We would bring them peace in a world of chaos! We would bring them harmony!"

"Your harmony and your means of getting it is what's going to send this world into chaos."

"Everything I did, I did with the best intentions..." She died. Blood poured from the bullet wound in her chest. Swift closed the princess’s eyes. "Sometimes, the most evil deeds are done with the best intentions," she said. "Rest in peace." Reality returned to Swift as she turned to Sea Foam. "We've got to get back to Canterlot ASAP," she said.

"Why? What's wrong?" asked Sea Foam.

"I had another vision. And in it, Cadance told me that the Staff is already well on its way to Canterlot, so we have to get going!"

Sea Foam's eyes widened. "Oh no," she said. Swift ran over to a guard's body and retrieved her sword. "You'll have to go," said Sea Foam. "I'll stay a bit longer and let Opal know about the situation. Your faster than I am and you'll be able to reach Celestia easier. I'll catch up soon." Swift nodded. She turned to dash out the door, but Sea Foam stopped her.

"Good luck, Swift," she said. Swift smiled. "Good luck to you, too," she said. Swift turned and dashed away. She hopped out a nearby window, and flew as fast as she could to the nearest train station. Then she hopped on the next train to Canterlot. She checked her blades and her gun. It had finally come down to this. It was time to face her mightiest foe. The final battle was about to begin.