Assassin’s Creed:
Friendship is Sacred
Chapter 3: “Of Templars, Assassins, and Eden”
“You’ll be safe here, my friends. You won’t have to worry about the guards any longer.”
After spending the next half-hour traversing the streets, Benoit had led the girls to a building on the east side of Paris. It wasn’t much; in fact, the windows had been broken and there was no longer a roof on top. The entire building looked like it had been abandoned and rundown for years.
“What is this place?” asked Twilight.
Benoit glanced at her. “This is the Bureau I told you about.”
She tilted her head. “It doesn’t look like much.”
The Assassin chuckled. “We try to keep the place as discreet as possible to keep the Templars from discovering it. Life for Assassins in Paris has been… difficult, as of late. But we try to manage. Now, we really should be getting inside.”
Before he stepped through the door, Rainbow Dash grabbed his arm. “Hold on, there. You promised us some answers.”
Benoit nodded. “Oui, I did. And I know someone who would provide them better than I could.” Continuing through the door, he and the former ponies made their way through the interior of the building before going downstairs into the basement. A massive cavern had been built underneath. Red flags donned with strange black symbols were draped on the walls leading to an area where several more Assassins were resting.
“One more thing,” said Benoit, turning to the girls, “I never got to ask, but your accents show that you are not from here. Where are you really from?”
The girls weren’t ready for that question. They hadn’t thought of a decent story to tell in case a human were to ask. After all, they needed to keep their cover since they weren’t native to this world. Twilight almost came up with something when Pinkie Pie answered, absent mindedly, “We’re from Equestria!”
Everypony face palmed.
Benoit eyed the hyperactive human. “Equestria? I’m sorry, Madame, but I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of this country before. Where is it?”
“It’s, uh…” Applejack tried to develop a good excuse, anything to keep suspicion low, “Over there… in the east.”
“Near Belgium?”
She nodded. “Sure…”
“Interesting…” Benoit made sure to memorise what Applejack said. “I’ll have to visit sometime. I’m sure if six lovely ladies like yourselves are from there, it must be a wonderful place.”
Rarity giggled. “Oh, do go on.”
They walked over to a man sitting at a desk against a wall. Papers and documents had been scattered in front of him as he thoroughly checked each and every one of them, focused as he tried to search for something. Benoit casually walked up and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. “How is the hunt going, Volodya?”
“Benoit! I see you’ve returned.” The man called Volodya stood up and hugged his fellow Assassin. “How did your reconnaissance go?”
Reaching into his pouch, Benoit took out a document, heading it to his colleague. “I have learned that the Templars have a very special property in their possession, near the Montmartre. They could be ready to move it.”
Volodya checked over the document, eagerly skimming and picking up important details written. “Do you think they’re carrying The Ring?”
“They have to be. Templars never have this much security unless there is a Piece of Eden with them. I suggest sending some of the others to retrieve it before they are able to get away.”
Volodya nodded. “Got it. I’ll make sure they get on it right away.”
In the brief silence, Rainbow let out a fake cough to catch Benoit’s attention.
“Oh, my friend, I would like to introduce you to my guests.” Benoit motioned the friends in front of the Russian. “They say they are from a place called ‘Equestria’, and were being attacked by Gabriel Rousseau’s guards when I found them.”
A smile showed Volodya’s acknowledgment. “Then let me be the first to officially welcome you to Paris. I’m sure you six are—” He stopped mid-sentence when he noticed the crown-like object in Twilight’s hand. Immediately, his expression changed. “Where did you get that?”
“You mean this?” Twilight held up the Element. “We’ve always had this. The Element of Magic’s been in my country’s possession for thousands of years.”
Volodya raised an eyebrow. “Element of Magic? Is that what you call it? You need to hand it over for your own safety.” He reached for it, only to Twilight to hold it out his reach.
“What do you mean?” asked Fluttershy.
Robert replied, the seriousness all too present in his tone, “Your friend is holding a Piece of Eden. It’s why the Templars attacked you in the first place.”
“You’re sure?” asked Benoit. All of this seemed a bit sudden for him, but it did make sense as to why they were targeted in the first place.
Nevertheless, Volodya nodded. “Yes. With five others, they are collectively known as the Elements of Eden, and are said to possess powers beyond even that of the other artifacts. But neither side—Templar nor Assassin—knew where they had ended up. It was widely believed that the Elements simply disappeared. But seeing as you are carrying one, you must know where the other five are, right?”
“I do,” replied Twilight. “But I can’t let you have them. They belong to Equestria.”
Volodya chuckled. “Believe me when I say the Templars will stop at nothing until they have that …” he pointed to the Element,” in their possession. Puppet regimes, conspiracies, invasions; no country is untouchable. Not even yours.” Without another word, he walked into another room, closing the door behind him and leaving everypony with an air of uncertainty.
Rainbow Dash glared in his direction, crossing her arms. “That guy really bugs me.”
“He means well,” said Benoit, turning to his guests, “but he does have a point. As long as the Templars know that an Element of Eden is in the city, it won’t be safe to keep it out in the open anymore. I’ll agree with Volodya. It’d be better to keep it under watch here in the Bureau until all essence of Templar influence has been expelled from the city.”
Twilight looked down at the Element in her hand, unsure of what to do. “I don’t know.”
“I think he’s right, Twi,” said Applejack.
Rainbow looked over at her. “Are you crazy, Applejack? We have no idea for sure this guy’s serious. It could all be a trap.”
“I don’t like leaving it here anymore than ya’ll; but I say it’s better to leave it with these foalk than let’n those Templars fellas get at it.”
Fluttershy, who’d managed stayed silent the entire time, agreed, “I think we should keep it here, also.”
“It could be the right option for us to take, Rainbow Dash,” said Rarity. “If these Templar are how Mister Benoit describes them, then I don’t think any of us or the Element will be safe, especially if we’re being watched everywhere we go.”
Twilight mused over what possible choice to take. She couldn’t trust anypony—or any human—with it. But with the situation she and her friends were faced with, what choice did she have? “Alright.” She was very uncertain as she hesitantly gave the Element over to Benoit. “We’ll leave it here, but just make sure that nothing happens to it.”
Benoit nodded. “You have my word. Francois!” One of the Assassins in the room stood up and hurried over. “Here…” He handed him the Element. “This is very important. Make sure you put this in a safe place.”
“Yes, sir,” the Assassin nodded and did as he was told.
Benoit turned back to the girls. “In the meantime, you six are welcome to stay here for as long as you like. Most likely there are guards and soldiers roaming streets looking for you, so I would not recommend leaving here without a proper escort. At least until your notoriety goes down.”
“Thank ya kindly,” said Applejack.
Their strange day had continued on uneventful, though that was expected since they were confined to an underground cavern (something Rainbow Dash had complained about more than enough times). Like a small child hopped up on caffeine, Pinkie Pie had taken the time to try and make friends with the Assassins, as did Rarity, while the other four alienated themselves with trying to find out their next course of action.
So far, they hadn’t come upon anything they could agree on.
“We got no money for food or shelter,” said Applejack.
“Or a ride out of the city,” Rainbow Dash added.
Twilight’s mind drifted back to the Element of Magic and the otherworldly energy that it let out before bringing them here. She swore that it wasn’t the same magic she had been used to in her lifetime. Something about it just seemed… off; and at times while she was here in the Bureau she would constantly think back to it, questioning if it were even magic at all. “If only we knew what happened to the Element when it started acting weird, maybe we could find ourselves a way back home.”
“I doubt it,” said Applejack. “Like you said, yours and Rarity’s magic powers don’t work in this world. Even if we did found out what was wrong with it, how do you suppose we go about use’n it?”
In the silence, a light bulb went off inside Rainbow Dash’s head. “Hey, remember that other guy with Benoit…”
“Volodya,” Flutershy corrected.
“Yeah him… When he mentioned the Element of Magic being this ‘Piece of Eden’ thing, Benoit seemed to know what it was.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Where’re you get’n at, RD?”
“Just think about it for a minute, you guys. If he knows what the Element is, then he has to know what it can do in this world. He can help us back home.”
Twilight replied, “Newsflash, Rainbow Dash: We can’t just go and tell him we’re from another world. I’m pretty sure stuff like that would be unbelievable here. And besides, even if we believed us, you really think he’d just hoof over the Element? It seemed too important to him to leave to anyone, including six strangers he found off the streets.”
“He knows we’ve had the Element since we came here,” Rainbow rebutted.
“And I doubt he’d be will’n to jus’ give it back to us, especially when we’re talk’n about that Volodya guy,” said Applejack. “Remember, whatever value it has in this world, the Templars and Assassins have proven good and well they’re gonna kill each other over it.”
As if on cue, Benoit walked back into the cavern, his weapons donned around his armour and clothing, and headed for the stairs, and at that moment, Twilight had an idea. She stood up and made her way over to the Assassin.
“Where are you going, Twilight?” asked Fluttershy.
“I’m gonna see if I can get more answers out of him,” she replied.
Rainbow crossed her arms. “Good luck with that.”
The sun was beginning to lower behind the horizon. Twilight and Benoit ventured the streets. Not much talking had been done between the two, despite Twilight’s desire to know about more about these Pieces of Eden that was so important in this world. The most she had learned was that there were more of them—a lot more—scattered around the known reaches of the globe.
“You did not have to accompany me, Miss Sparkle. I’m gathering supplies for the coming winter,” said Benoit.
“I just wanted some fresh air, is all,” replied Twilight. She was too nervous about asking about the Element. Would he really tell her what she wanted to know that easily? She doubted it every second she spent with him.
Benoit nodded, seemingly acknowledging her answer. Hopefully he believed her.
They soon returned to the marketplace. Large crowds of Parisian civilians were buying food and supplies from the various stands scattered around the area, though some merchants were just beginning to pack up and call it a day.
“Bonjour, good sir! I have everything you and your wife could possibly need. What can I offer you?” The merchant directed their attention over to his inventory, which consisted entirely of exotic rugs imported from a variety of places around the known world.
The Assassin blushed (under his mask) at the comment, as did Twilight. “Uh, she is not my wife, Monsieur. We are just friends.”
The merchant bowed apologetically. “Oh, I must be mistaken, then. So, is there anything here that catches your eye?”
Twilight stepped forward, examining the merchandise in front of her, before pointing to one of them. “I kind of like this one, Benoit.”
“An excellent choice, Madam,” said the merchant. “This one was made by a wonderful weaver from India.”
Benoit glanced at the rug and back at the merchant. “How much is it?”
The merchant smiled. “Fifty-Six Hundred francs,” he answered.
Reluctantly Benoit reached into his pouch and pulled out the amount of money, handing it over to the merchant who in turn gave them the rug. Their transactions done, Twilight and her escort continued through the market, purchasing pillows, quilts, and other furnishings. They soon arrived at a merchant selling food.
Twilight was completely speechless at what they sold. She nearly vomited upon seeing a dead pig hanging from the banister by a hook. Fluttershy… wouldn’t like this. She held her hands to her mouth, trying to keep the horrible bile down.
“Is there anything wrong?” asked Benoit. He figured it out when she pointed out the dead animal hanging like a prize. “You are a vegetarian, then? Don’t worry; this place sells more than just meat.”
“Benoit, it’s nice to see you. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” said the food merchant, shaking hands with the Assassins.
“And you, as well, Andre. Too long, in my opinion.”
“What can I do you for?”
The order was prepared, made, and brought out for them; 70 pounds of meat, as well as lettuce, tomatoes, and other vegetables for Twilight and her friends. They left the market with all they had ordered, heading back to the Assassin Bureau. By now, it was practically night with the evening sun hiding behind the horizon and the sky beginning to darken.
As they made their way through once again crowded streets of the city, Twilight decided not to waste any more time. She might not have another chance if she kept her mouth shut. “Uh, Benoit?”
“Yes?”
“There’s something I’d like to ask you.” She breathed slowly, not wanting to make a fool of herself. “About the Element…”
“You want to know its power, don’t you? And how the other Pieces work?”
“How did you know?”
Benoit chuckled. “You’re not very good at being discreet. To tell you the truth, I have no idea how the Elements of Eden work No one has seen them for centuries, after all. But I’ve heard rumors of the powers they hold, especially when together. Powers that surpass that of the Apples, the Staff, the Sword, and even the Ring! What they wield could very well end this miserable war once and for all.”
Twilight looked at Benoit. “Is that why the Templars want it? Because of its power?”
Benoit sighed. “People love power. But power corrupts. No one holds exception; there have been some of our own brothers and sisters who were tainted, and have tried to spread that evil influence throughout the Brotherhood. The Templars wish to use the artifacts to control humanity, but we Assassins seek to the preserve the freedom of man, and so we contain the artifacts to keep them from falling into the wrong hands.”
“What about the Ring? Don’t the Templars have it?”
“Our men should be preparing to retrieve it. Hopefully everything goes without incident. The Templars have large influence within the Monarchy. In the recent years, Assassins had been hunted across France and her territories and publically executed, but with the Ring, we might be able to turn the tide in our favour. And hopefully, sometime soon, France will be liberated.”
Twilight stared regretfully at the Assassin. The Element of Magic meant a lot to her and Equestria, but she never expected it would have this much importance, especially containing the power to decide the outcome of an entire war, one that probably lasted thousands of years.
Eventually they returned to the Assassin Bureau. The moon had taken its place in the now darkened sky, shining over Paris. “Thanks for escorting me, Benoit,” said a half-hearted Twilight, stopping just short of entering the Bureau.
“You sound disheartened,” said the Assassin. “Care to tell what is troubling you?”
“It’s the Element. How am I supposed to decide what to do with it now? After what you told me about it, how can I possibly take it back? This war of yours has probably been going on since before my country was founded, so—”
She stopped when Benoit held his hand up to silence her. “Relax, yourself, Miss Sparkle. The Element is yours, after all. Only you and your friends can decide what to do with it.”
The Assassins “words of wisdom” didn’t help her in deciding. She sighed. “I’m just glad we weren’t spotted by Templars. I don’t think we would’ve survived if we ran into them.”
Benoit chuckled. “You greatly underestimate the skill of an Assassin.”
Suddenly, the Assassin felt an arm wrap around his neck. Against the side of his neck, he felt the cold steel of a knife. “Give me your money and I’ll let you live,” the person behind him said in a low, snake-like voice.
Benoit responded, “Not a chance.” Before the thief could strike the killing blow, Benoit elbowed him in the stomach, pushing him off. He then pushed the thief’s hand upward, thrusting the deadly steel blade into his throat, effectively ending the man’s life. “Peace be upon your soul,” he muttered to the body.
A sharp sting made itself only on the Assassin’s arm. He looked down to see that a newly created tear in his sleeve and a cut on his arm. “Are you alright?” asked Twilight.
Benoit glanced at the scratch on his arm and back at the dead body of the thief. “Yeah, I’m fine. Nothing serious.” He looked back at Twilight and sighed. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled his knife from its sheath and placed it into her hand.
Twilight stared down at the weapon—the same weapon this human used to kill—in utter disbelief. “No! No! No way! I can’t use it! I can’t…” she hesitated, “…kill someone.” The very word sounded absolutely foreign to her, “Especially not a Templar.”
“The Templars shouldn’t be the only ones you should worry about. This city is full of dangers to be on the lookout for. That knife in your hand should be used only in self-defense of your well-being; nothing more.”
Without another word, Benoit stepped into the Bureau, leaving Twilight to her thoughts.
“He said what?” Applejack stared at Twilight in shock from what she’d been told. Aside from Benoit giving her a knife, which the Assassin intended for them to kill with, the Element of Magic was a key to ending a long, bloody war for control of the world. It should’ve been hard to believe a single word of it, but she still found herself believing them. Being the representative of the Element of Honesty, she could spot a lie from miles away.
“That’s what he said.” Twilight was still on edge on deciding.
“So, what should we do?” asked Fluttershy.
Twilight shrugged. “That’s what I keep asking myself.”
“Well we can’t just take the Element and leave,” said Rainbow Dash. Being the Element of Loyalty, her morality was always positive in these situations, despite her earlier arguments to leave the city as quickly as possible. Besides, she figured that if Benoit knew what the Element could do, maybe he could be useful for getting them back to Equestria.
Pinkie Pie, for the first time, couldn’t find anything to say. Normally a reliable friend and hopeful denizen, she was undecided, torn between whether to help the Assassins against the evil Templars or her friends and take the Element back.
Rarity rubbed her eye. “Maybe we should find out tomorrow, darlings. I’m quite tired.”
“Yeah, Rarity’s right,” said Applejack. “I’m beat, too. Hopefully we can find ourselves an answer in the mornin’.”
Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement. “Hopefully.”
They lay back in their spots, and one by one, drifted to sleep. “Hey, Twilight?” Pinkie Pie whispered to her friend.
“Yeah?”
“Do you think we’ll ever get home?”
Twilight opened her mouth, but found nothing to say. She was too uncertain. Would they get home? She wasn’t sure. All she could do was close her eyes and go to sleep.