HOME | DD

Description
Swift Wing and Sea Foam entered the mentor's room. Feather Duster stood near a bookshelf, talking with Cannon Fire. The two mares approached, and the mentor turned to greet them. "You two sure caused a riot out there," she said. "What in Equestria were you doing?" Swift Wing opened her mouth to speak, but Sea Foam interrupted her. "Swift is still getting used to how we do our job, Feather," she said. "Trust me. It won't happen again."

"I should hope not." Feather paused. "Oh well. What's done is done. We need to focus on the present. Did the Templar fall?"

"By my own hoof," said Swift. Feather noticed the discomfort on Swift's face. "Is everything alright?" she asked. Swift mind went to what happened after he kill. "When I brought down Fancy Pants, something... weird happened."

"What do you mean?"

"When he died, the world looked like it turned into some freaky void. All that was there was me and the dying Fancy Pants. He tried justifying his actions before he died. After that, the void disappeared. When I came back to reality, it seemed like nothing had moved at all, like the world was on pause. Even the body looked like it had been dead for a lot longer than it was."

Feather Duster placed a hoof on her chin. "That is peculiar. Perhaps it was a vision. I've heard of some ponies with bizarre side effects with their eagle vision. Plus, you did touch the Apple. I'm sure that messed with your senses a bit."

Swift considered this, then nodded. "Good. Glad that's settled," said Feather Duster. "Because now we have something very important to discuss." She looked at Cannon Fire, and nodded. He spoke. "While investigating a conspiracy for Luna, I uncovered this." He used his magic to pull a scroll from his saddlebag. He passed it to Swift. She and Sea Foam read what was written on it.

Fleur,

The grand master has made it clear. The princess has had her last chance. She will not support our cause, and her actions are more supportive to that of the enemy. The decision is made. The princess is to fall. We must meet in order to further discuss our plans. We will regroup at the normal rendezvous point. May the Father of Understanding guide us.

"No name for the sender?" asked Sea Foam. Cannon Fire shook his head. "Unfortunately, this was all I could find."

"They're talking about killing the princess," said Swift. "You don't think..."

"I'm almost certain that they're out for Luna," said Cannon Fire. "And if we don't do anything, they'll succeed."

"So what do we do?" asked Sea Foam. Swift Wing looked at her. "Easy," she said. "We bash their skulls before they bash her's." Feather Duster looked at her. "Are you willing to take up the mission?" she asked. Swift Wing nodded. "Well, I imagine just one mission isn't going to make things even between me and you guys," she said. "And besides, I actually kinda like Luna as a ruler." Feather Duster looked at Sea Foam and Cannon Fire for objection. She found none.

"Very well," she said. "Swift Wing, you are assigned to go with Cannon Fire and eliminate the Templars behind this assassination attempt. Luna is a valuable ally, and we cannot afford to lose her." Swift nodded. Cannon Fire trotted to her side. Feather nodded to the three, and they left her room.

As they walked down a hall, Sea Foam began to separate from the group. "I'd better go see if anypony needs me for anything," she said. "Best of luck to both of you." The three said their goodbyes, and then Sea Foam was off. Cannon Fire turned to Swift. "So," he said with a smile. "Ready to bash some skulls?"

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

The moon had risen once again. The darkness of the night hid the silhouettes of the white-cloaked ponies on the rooftops. "Do you have a plan?" Cannon Fire asked Swift Wing. She nodded and looked at the Assassin. "The letter said that Fleur is going to meet with the other Templars at their normal meeting place," she said. "So, if we can locate her, we should be able to get her to tell us where that is." Cannon Fire gave a slight chuckle. "She shouldn't be hard to find," he said. "That mare likes to prance about in the loudest outfits possible. A peacock is easier to miss."

"Well, that just makes our job easier, then."

The two sat together on the roof, scanning the streets below, looking for any sign of their target. Swift Wing tried turning her eagle vision on every couple of minutes to aid in her search. "Was he your first?" asked Cannon Fire, breaking the silence. Swift gave a look. "Was who my first what?" she asked. "Fancy Pants," said Cannon Fire. "Was he your first kill?"

Swift shifted in her spot. "No," she said, with a hint of something in her voice that Cannon Fire couldn't place. "No. I've killed before. It's never been this organized and precise as this is, though. It's always been street ponies trying to gain what little status they could. It was always a case of kill or be killed." Cannon Fire nodded. The two returned to scanning the streets.

Suddenly, Swift saw something when activating her eagle vision. A glint of a golden glow. Swift focused her vision on the glow, and her eyes widened. "I found her!" she said, turning off her sixth sense. Cannon Fire looked at his friend. "You found Fleur?"

"Yeah! She's right down there!" She pointed a hoof at the white-coated mare. Cannon Fire spotted her and nodded. "I see her," he said. "What now?" Swift's first instinct was to gallop after her target. But Sea Foam's words echoed in her head.

"Hide in plain sight. We don't just run around and put on a show. We have to be subtle."

Swift stayed where she was, a new plan forming in her head. "Let's tail her," she said. We'll wait until she's off by herself, and then we'll attack from the shadows." Cannon Fire nodded. "Sounds like a plan," he said. The two pulled their hoods over their heads, and galloped across the rooftops. Once they had gotten relatively close to Fleur, they slowed to a trot. They ducked behind chimneys and corners whenever the Templar turned her head. She seemed to begin to realize that she was being followed, as she quickened her pace.

In her nervousness, she turned into an alleyway. She gave a slight gasp as she realized that she had walked into a dead end. She quickly turned to leave, but she froze as she looked up. Above her, Swift Wing stood on the edge of a rooftop. Her beaked hood hid her golden eyes. She stepped off the edge and landed catlike in front of Fleur, who was clearly afraid. "Assassin!" she said. "Stay back! I'll call the guards!" Swift rolled her eyes, though Fleur couldn't see it. Swift took a step forward.

"Stay back!" the Templar repeated. Soon, Cannon Fire copied Swift, landing behind Fleur. Fleur muttered something under her speedy breath. Suddenly, in one fast, fluid movement, Swift flicked out her hidden blade and galloped at Fleur. Before Fleur could even turn to face her attacker, Swift's blade met the Templar's throat. Swift lowered the dying unicorn to the ground. As she did so, she felt a tingling behind her skull. She stood from her target to find herself once again entering the white void she had seen before. She looked down at Fleur who, like Fancy Pants, was impossibly still kicking.

"I can't die like this," she said. "I have so much to see. So much to do!"

"So much to take?" said Swift.

"You don't understand our actions. The minds of Equestria are rightfully ours. They need to be organized. The Templars are the ones who will lead them from chaos."

"You don't believe that they're capable of organizing themselves? They're full grown mares and stallions!"

"Yes. But they keep making mistakes in their lives. So many mistakes." The light was leaving Fleur's eyes. Blood poured from her wound. Swift knew she had to act fast. "Where's your rendezvous point?" she asked. Fleur seemed to consider whether or not to answer. "In the castle basement," she said. "There's an isolated room, just for us to meet." Swift nodded. "Thank you," she said with respect for her fallen foe.

Soon, Fleur was gone entirely. Swift stared at her enemy's body. She couldn't help but feel a little bad. "We learn from the mistakes we make in life. We learn to make our lives better." She closed the mare’s eyes. "Rest in peace," she said.

Once again, her head stopped tingling, and the white void vanished. Swift looked over at Cannon Fire, who hadn't seemed to be affected by the passage of time as Swift saw it. He trotted over to her. "Please tell me you had another vision," he said. Swift nodded. "I did. And I got the information we need," she said.

"Where are they meeting?"

"At the castle. In the basement." Cannon Fire's face became worried. "Oh... That's not good at all," he said. Swift raised an eyebrow. "Why?" she asked.

"Luna's potential murderers are in her own living space!" He turned toward the castle. He waved for Swift to follow. "Come on!" he said. "We have to warn her!"

Description
Swift Wing and Sea Foam entered the mentor's room. Feather Duster stood near a bookshelf, talking with Cannon Fire. The two mares approached, and the mentor turned to greet them. "You two sure caused a riot out there," she said. "What in Equestria were you doing?" Swift Wing opened her mouth to speak, but Sea Foam interrupted her. "Swift is still getting used to how we do our job, Feather," she said. "Trust me. It won't happen again."

"I should hope not." Feather paused. "Oh well. What's done is done. We need to focus on the present. Did the Templar fall?"

"By my own hoof," said Swift. Feather noticed the discomfort on Swift's face. "Is everything alright?" she asked. Swift mind went to what happened after he kill. "When I brought down Fancy Pants, something... weird happened."

"What do you mean?"

"When he died, the world looked like it turned into some freaky void. All that was there was me and the dying Fancy Pants. He tried justifying his actions before he died. After that, the void disappeared. When I came back to reality, it seemed like nothing had moved at all, like the world was on pause. Even the body looked like it had been dead for a lot longer than it was."

Feather Duster placed a hoof on her chin. "That is peculiar. Perhaps it was a vision. I've heard of some ponies with bizarre side effects with their eagle vision. Plus, you did touch the Apple. I'm sure that messed with your senses a bit."

Swift considered this, then nodded. "Good. Glad that's settled," said Feather Duster. "Because now we have something very important to discuss." She looked at Cannon Fire, and nodded. He spoke. "While investigating a conspiracy for Luna, I uncovered this." He used his magic to pull a scroll from his saddlebag. He passed it to Swift. She and Sea Foam read what was written on it.

Fleur,

The grand master has made it clear. The princess has had her last chance. She will not support our cause, and her actions are more supportive to that of the enemy. The decision is made. The princess is to fall. We must meet in order to further discuss our plans. We will regroup at the normal rendezvous point. May the Father of Understanding guide us.

"No name for the sender?" asked Sea Foam. Cannon Fire shook his head. "Unfortunately, this was all I could find."

"They're talking about killing the princess," said Swift. "You don't think..."

"I'm almost certain that they're out for Luna," said Cannon Fire. "And if we don't do anything, they'll succeed."

"So what do we do?" asked Sea Foam. Swift Wing looked at her. "Easy," she said. "We bash their skulls before they bash her's." Feather Duster looked at her. "Are you willing to take up the mission?" she asked. Swift Wing nodded. "Well, I imagine just one mission isn't going to make things even between me and you guys," she said. "And besides, I actually kinda like Luna as a ruler." Feather Duster looked at Sea Foam and Cannon Fire for objection. She found none.

"Very well," she said. "Swift Wing, you are assigned to go with Cannon Fire and eliminate the Templars behind this assassination attempt. Luna is a valuable ally, and we cannot afford to lose her." Swift nodded. Cannon Fire trotted to her side. Feather nodded to the three, and they left her room.

As they walked down a hall, Sea Foam began to separate from the group. "I'd better go see if anypony needs me for anything," she said. "Best of luck to both of you." The three said their goodbyes, and then Sea Foam was off. Cannon Fire turned to Swift. "So," he said with a smile. "Ready to bash some skulls?"

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

The moon had risen once again. The darkness of the night hid the silhouettes of the white-cloaked ponies on the rooftops. "Do you have a plan?" Cannon Fire asked Swift Wing. She nodded and looked at the Assassin. "The letter said that Fleur is going to meet with the other Templars at their normal meeting place," she said. "So, if we can locate her, we should be able to get her to tell us where that is." Cannon Fire gave a slight chuckle. "She shouldn't be hard to find," he said. "That mare likes to prance about in the loudest outfits possible. A peacock is easier to miss."

"Well, that just makes our job easier, then."

The two sat together on the roof, scanning the streets below, looking for any sign of their target. Swift Wing tried turning her eagle vision on every couple of minutes to aid in her search. "Was he your first?" asked Cannon Fire, breaking the silence. Swift gave a look. "Was who my first what?" she asked. "Fancy Pants," said Cannon Fire. "Was he your first kill?"

Swift shifted in her spot. "No," she said, with a hint of something in her voice that Cannon Fire couldn't place. "No. I've killed before. It's never been this organized and precise as this is, though. It's always been street ponies trying to gain what little status they could. It was always a case of kill or be killed." Cannon Fire nodded. The two returned to scanning the streets.

Suddenly, Swift saw something when activating her eagle vision. A glint of a golden glow. Swift focused her vision on the glow, and her eyes widened. "I found her!" she said, turning off her sixth sense. Cannon Fire looked at his friend. "You found Fleur?"

"Yeah! She's right down there!" She pointed a hoof at the white-coated mare. Cannon Fire spotted her and nodded. "I see her," he said. "What now?" Swift's first instinct was to gallop after her target. But Sea Foam's words echoed in her head.

"Hide in plain sight. We don't just run around and put on a show. We have to be subtle."

Swift stayed where she was, a new plan forming in her head. "Let's tail her," she said. We'll wait until she's off by herself, and then we'll attack from the shadows." Cannon Fire nodded. "Sounds like a plan," he said. The two pulled their hoods over their heads, and galloped across the rooftops. Once they had gotten relatively close to Fleur, they slowed to a trot. They ducked behind chimneys and corners whenever the Templar turned her head. She seemed to begin to realize that she was being followed, as she quickened her pace.

In her nervousness, she turned into an alleyway. She gave a slight gasp as she realized that she had walked into a dead end. She quickly turned to leave, but she froze as she looked up. Above her, Swift Wing stood on the edge of a rooftop. Her beaked hood hid her golden eyes. She stepped off the edge and landed catlike in front of Fleur, who was clearly afraid. "Assassin!" she said. "Stay back! I'll call the guards!" Swift rolled her eyes, though Fleur couldn't see it. Swift took a step forward.

"Stay back!" the Templar repeated. Soon, Cannon Fire copied Swift, landing behind Fleur. Fleur muttered something under her speedy breath. Suddenly, in one fast, fluid movement, Swift flicked out her hidden blade and galloped at Fleur. Before Fleur could even turn to face her attacker, Swift's blade met the Templar's throat. Swift lowered the dying unicorn to the ground. As she did so, she felt a tingling behind her skull. She stood from her target to find herself once again entering the white void she had seen before. She looked down at Fleur who, like Fancy Pants, was impossibly still kicking.

"I can't die like this," she said. "I have so much to see. So much to do!"

"So much to take?" said Swift.

"You don't understand our actions. The minds of Equestria are rightfully ours. They need to be organized. The Templars are the ones who will lead them from chaos."

"You don't believe that they're capable of organizing themselves? They're full grown mares and stallions!"

"Yes. But they keep making mistakes in their lives. So many mistakes." The light was leaving Fleur's eyes. Blood poured from her wound. Swift knew she had to act fast. "Where's your rendezvous point?" she asked. Fleur seemed to consider whether or not to answer. "In the castle basement," she said. "There's an isolated room, just for us to meet." Swift nodded. "Thank you," she said with respect for her fallen foe.

Soon, Fleur was gone entirely. Swift stared at her enemy's body. She couldn't help but feel a little bad. "We learn from the mistakes we make in life. We learn to make our lives better." She closed the mare’s eyes. "Rest in peace," she said.

Once again, her head stopped tingling, and the white void vanished. Swift looked over at Cannon Fire, who hadn't seemed to be affected by the passage of time as Swift saw it. He trotted over to her. "Please tell me you had another vision," he said. Swift nodded. "I did. And I got the information we need," she said.

"Where are they meeting?"

"At the castle. In the basement." Cannon Fire's face became worried. "Oh... That's not good at all," he said. Swift raised an eyebrow. "Why?" she asked.

"Luna's potential murderers are in her own living space!" He turned toward the castle. He waved for Swift to follow. "Come on!" he said. "We have to warn her!"