Chapter 23: World's Capital
By Octavia Melody
"We did it, Tavi! Haha! The pistol is done!"
The engineer and the inventor jumped up in joy. The other Assassins in the lounge clapped at their achievement. The pistol device they held was much different than the earlier model. It was sleeker and more compact. The barrel was thin and long with a small trigger right underneath. There was also a bolt that jutted out at the back of the gun. It also had carvings that swirled through the metal, giving it an elaborate decoration. Vinyl walked up and handed it to me.
"Don't worry, it works. Lye and I never fail twice."
I stood silent as she strapped the device right under my left hidden blade. I assumed she chose the left since my right possessed the steel hook. It was much lighter than what I had expected. Vinyl then tied a thin string around my left ring finger. I followed the string to the trigger. Upon realizing that this fired the mechanism, I took great care to keep my finger relaxed. The other Assassins observed all of this.
"C'mon, Tavi. Let's go in the back and I'll show you how it works."
Vinyl grabbed my hand and dragged me through the crowd until we reached the back door. The inventor opened it and we went down the stairs to the testing room of the Den. The testing room was actually a large basement underneath the Den. For some reason, the Assassins referred to it as "the back." I rarely visited this room before. Mainly due to my love for sunlight and not a dark cellar. However, the candles in there illuminated the room enough for me and Vinyl to see.
"You can stand here. I'll go get a dummy." Vinyl told me.
She then excitedly grabbed one of the hay stuffed sacks and propped it upright at the other end of the room. She ran back to my side and pointed at the device.
"Now, that's the trigger there and that's the barrel there. There are two ways to fire the pistol, first is just pulling the trigger with your other hand, or by pulling the string. Flick your hand back and it should pull the trigger."
"Wouldn't that throw my aim off?" I asked as I eyed the pistol.
Vinyl paused for a moment. "Well, that's why you can use the other hand if you want. It was my idea to add that feature so that you can fire it off quickly if you need to."
"Is it loaded?"
"No, I'll load it for ya."
Vinyl grabbed the bolt and twisted it forward and then back again to its original spot. "There ya go."
"That's it?"
"Yup! Lye put that feature in. There are balls in the small box at the end. The bolt grabs one and sticks it in the barrel. There are caps in there also for the black powder. Neat huh?"
I lifted my left arm up. I was right eyed dominant, so it felt odd using my left eye to aim. I pointed the pistol at the target. When I was ready, I flicked my wrist back and the device fired. My arm flew back from the power and I almost spun around.
"Yeah, it's got kick to it. Reload and try it again."
I grabbed the bolt like she did and twisted back and forth. I aimed and fired again, this time bracing for the kick. My arm went back, but not as far as before.
"This is incredible, Vinyl!
"I know right? Let's see how you did with the targets."
We walked up to the dummy sack. The sack was untouched in every way. There were two holes next to it on either side. Vinyl chuckled at this.
"Well, ya missed 'em twice."
"I don't really care. This device is going to be fun. The Bearer of Magic will be jealous."
"Well, we are going to copy the schematics and send them to other Assassins so that they can make them. Twilight may have one herself soon."
"Thank you for this, Vinyl. You know, I do not have any assignments today. Could we go for a walk through the capital? You and I have been too busy to appreciate the city since our return."
Vinyl smiled at me. "Lead the way."
It was a perfect day. The cloudless sky only held the bright sun. The air was warm, but far from hot. The joyous residents laughed and gossiped as they wandered from place to place. There seemed to be more people out than usual, but that was probably due to it being a Sunday. Vinyl and I casually walked on the rooftops. Thoroughly enjoying the day.
"It feels like forever since we last did this." Vinyl said through her mask.
"Indeed. All the trouble lately has taken much of our time."
We continued our walk, occasionally jumping from one rooftop to another. Our gaze was mostly on the people below. Canterlotians shopped and sold. Acrobats performed in city plazas, entertaining their crowds. A bard sang the sad story of prince and princess who fell in love with a love potion. Vinyl giggled at the bard's over dramatic singing. An old adventurer told children about the mysterious lands of Zebran and their strange inhabitants. Some Royal Guards were discussing the news of a dead Lord Toity and the dead soldiers around his corpse. They apparently did not know who the soldiers worked for. Which was good news for the Brotherhood. The Empire was not working with the Templar entirely.
Vinyl and I came upon a covered rooftop porch soon after. The house that supported it obviously belonged to a rich merchant or even a noble. We sat down on the furniture that decorated the porch. Vinyl had not said much after we listened to the Guards. I heard her mutter something before speaking to me.
"Ya haven't told me how the contracts went yesterday."
"Hmph. Not so well. One of them was a former Assassin."
"What? Which one?"
"Lady Shores. She still could climb and run well for her age."
"Never heard of her. I guess she left the Brotherhood?"
"I assume so. She said something about desertion while she bled on my boots."
"Did you tell the Bearers?"
"Of course not. I am not on the best terms with them right now."
"Really? You're like Twilight's little assistant. What did you do to piss her off?"
"What did I do? I asked her about the Elements."
"That's it?"
I started to raise my voice. "Of course! Every single question I throw at them is either avoided, or they threaten me."
"Well, what did you ask about?"
"I asked how the Elements were made. Before you say anything about Starswirl the Damned, think, how did he do it?"
I waited for her answer. I could not see her expression because it was behind her mask. However, the tapping of her fingers indicated that she was deep in thought. Finally, she shrugged.
"Does it matter?"
"Yes. I do not want to be a part of something that is lying to me. What if these Elements are not for Harmony? What if they are made by monsters or demons?"
"So what? They have helped the Brotherhood since the beginning. If these things were made for Chaos, they have done a poor job of it."
"Have they? We Assassins seem to make plenty of Chaos."
"No we don't. We end Chaos by creating peace."
"You sound like a Templar." I muttered.
"Hmph. Then what are you going to do about this?"
"I'm going to find out the truth." I paused. "And....I think I know where to start."
"I'd love to hear it." Vinyl mocked me.
"There is Lady Shimmer. She and I have mutual interest in the Elements. She has access to the Royal Archives. I'll start with her."
"Lady Shimmer? Rarity told me about her. She's a Templar. You.....You want to help her?"
"Well, no. I mean.....I won't be helping her rather than myself."
"I could take ya back to Twilight with how you're talking."
"Go ahead. I know you won't."
"Why do you want to go to the Grand Royal Palace? What if ya caught?"
"I will not be caught."
"Heh. Well, if you are caught. I'll come after you."
"I would be killed most likely. Maybe they will show mercy and place me in the Old Dungeon."
"It's too much of a risk, Tavi."
"You telling me it's too much? Our roles are reversed at the moment."
"That's because it's never been the Royal Palace. And I won't be going with you."
"You can if you want."
She shook her head. "It wouldn't feel right. I think I'll be betraying the Brotherhood."
"You must know, I am not betraying the Brotherhood. I simply want answers. Answers that no one will give me. Except for Pinkie, but she is all the way in Ponyville."
"If you say so."
I grunted in frustration. I was truly hoping that Vinyl would accompany me on this infiltration. The idea of talking with Sunset Shimmer had not occurred to me until only a few moments ago. So I was still planning how I could enter the Grand Royal Palace. As we sat in silence, the door to the home opened and a man stepped out. His face was red with anger as he stared at us.
"Filthy trespassers. Get off my porch!"
We didn't need to be told twice. Vinyl and I jumped from our seats and swung ourselves over the railing. The man threw a pot at us as we ran away. Once we were far enough away from the angry man, we slowed down. Our conversation did not take as long as I thought. I noticed Vinyl climbing down the building.
"Vinyl?"
She did not answer. I sighed and followed down to the street. She patiently waited for me at the bottom. When I touched ground, she began to walk away. I had no choice but to follow her through the crowds of people.
"Isn't Canterlot great?" She asked when I caught up to her.
"Yes it is. I've always admired the amount of people here." I said as I watched a man carve out a wooden doll.
"Yeah, they're nice after being in a place like Appleloosa."
"Certainly. Also, Appleloosa didn't have towers like these." I pointed to a nearby spire.
"Just another reason why this is the World's Capital."
"I've never believed that. I hear the Crystal Republic is much bigger and more beautiful. Though I would not be surprised if Canterlot was the best city in the world."
"Guess we have to see them all to judge."
We entered a large plaza. Stands were here and there with various products. One of particular note was an Arabian stand selling gems and fragrances. Another was a Crystal Republican merchant selling crystal vases. These merchants reminded me of the immense trade the city possessed. Canterlot was landlocked and still was a trade center. It made me wonder how Baltimare and Manehatten were. With those two being large ports, I expected something similar to this.
Vinyl walked over to the fountain that rested in the middle of the plaza. She then sat down on the short wall that surrounded the fountain. I joined her. The fountain was about three meters tall. The stone statue depicted Empress Celestia and Empress Luna standing back to back. Their right arms were stretched outward with a small flow of water sliding out of their open palms. Celestia was in a long dress while her sister was in elaborately decorated armor with a short cape. The base of the fountain had the phrase "Authority of the Equestrian Heavens" carved into it. This was a slightly intimidating depiction of the Sisters, but one that was the most common.
"They also raise questions." I said as I pointed at the statue.
"Huh. It seems like you won't have any allies after all this." Vinyl chuckled.
"Guess that's what I get for being nosy."
"Is that a new sword?" Vinyl asked as she inspected my sheath.
I drew the blade. "Oh yes. I bought it yesterday right before I killed Lady Shores."
"Shush!" Vinyl warned me.
"Oh right." I looked around to see if anyone was listening. Thankfully it seemed we were completely ignored.
"What did ya name it?"
"Name it? It's just a sword."
"That's exactly why. All the great heroes had named swords. Like Commander Hurricane and his sword, Neptune."
"Those swords are legendary. This is a simple falchion." I noted.
"You can still name it. What name would fit the sword of Octavia Melody?"
"Ha, that makes my mind only go to musical terms."
"Adagio, uh....symphony..hm...overture...uhh.....tarantella?" Vinyl suggested.
"Symphony..." I repeated thoughtfully.
"There ya go. The falchion is Symphony." The inventor sounded proud.
I looked at the curved blade. The polished metal showed a reflection of my face. What better name for a weapon of a musician than Symphony? I silently nodded and then sheathed the sword. I looked up to see Vinyl walking off again. Her constant movement was beginning to annoy me. I got up and followed, taking one last look at the fountain before moving on.
The sound of lively music was approaching as we walked down the street. Vinyl was stepping to the beat. She seemed to be the only one noticing the music as the common folk simply moved on without a care. The band that played the melody came into view. She turned around to face me and walked backwards.
"C'mon Tavi! You were always one to enjoy music."
"Yes, but that was a while ago."
"When did you become so solemn?"
"When I found out how gloomy this world really is."
"That's no excuse."
"It is to me."
Vinyl then stopped right in front of me. I halted right before I walked into her. She crossed her arms and stared at me with her soulless mask. She then outstretched a hand to me.
"We shall enjoy the music." She commanded.
I was confused. "Are you offering me a dance?"
She simply nodded her head. I stood there without moving. My mouth parted and then closed. What was my friend doing?
"We can't dance in public like thi...."
Vinyl grabbed my hand and swung me around. I was taken aback by the force. She then grabbed my other hand and we swung around again. She then let go and began circling around me in the traditional Canterlot fashion.
"Where did you learn how to dance?" I questioned as she tapped her feet around me.
"I was born and raised in this city. I can pick up a thing or two. Even from an old forge."
"Vinyl, we shouldn't be drawing such attention to ourselves..."
"Naw. It's fine Tavi."
I shrugged. The music was all around me now. People gazed at us as they passed. Some even stopped to watch. I wanted to leave. However, my friend kept me in it. Vinyl grabbed my hand and began circling. I hesitated before circling with her. Might as well, I thought. We switched hands and went the other way. We let go and stood facing each other. We performed a small bow and continued. We stared at each other as we mirrored each other's moves. If Vinyl was trying to cheer me up, it was working. I tried to stop a smile from forming but failed.
"There we go." Vinyl said in satisfaction.
"Oh shut up!" I yelled in jest.
The music continued and we continued dancing. Vinyl was much better at dancing than I had expected. Mainly because I never saw her dance like this before. Maybe we were both stepping out of our comfort zones? Folks started to clap at our performance. Vinyl and I clasped hands and held them at eye level. We then circled around slowly to the beat and guitar. The two of us were dancing at our best with the melody. However, it did not last forever. The drummer made his final hits on the leather drum and the music came to an end. I panted slightly as we stopped. Some people cheered at us.
"So gloomy now?" Vinyl asked me.
"Hmph. Way to embarrass me." I told her with a smile.
"I did not. Ya jus' not used to being loose for once."
"I'll take your word for it."
We walked away from the musicians. The sun was just at its peak in the sky. That meant that no shadows of the towers covered the city. The day was marvelous so far. My calm and solemn demeanor was absent due to my friend's help. At the moment, I was not Den Master, but simply Octavia. The Octavia that was before I was appointed my title. Vinyl put her hand on my shoulder. I was about to tell her something when my stomach growled. I realized that I had not eaten breakfast and it was already noon.
"Let's find something to eat." I suggested.
We didn't have any bitpieces on us. So we had to pickpocket a few off some poor Canterlotians. One actually caught me trying to get her purse. She then screamed and called the Guards. Luckily, Vinyl and I were quick and we ran away before halberds and spears were thrown at us. Shortly afterwards, the Guards were after us again when I accidentally discharged my pistol with my wrist. People screamed and ran away and the Guards were very unhappy about it. Fortunately I shot the pistol into the air, so no one was hurt. After that, I kept the gun unloaded until I needed it. Finally we reached a suitable tavern and went inside to get a meal.
Upon entry, Vinyl took her mask off and I removed my hood. This was due to simple etiquette of not having anything unnecessary on one's head while indoors. There were very few taverns that served food to its customers. It was something new in Canterlot and many were still adjusting to such places. We then sat down an empty table and waited for someone to take notice of us.
The tavern was mostly empty as expected. Taverns did not become crowded until late at night when everyone was done working and wanted to drink the night away. The corners of the tavern had burning incense, much like the lounge in the Den. Soon, a woman approached us.
"What can I do for ya?" She asked us.
"Some bread and wine will do." I said as I handed her our stolen bits.
She took the bits and walked away. Vinyl was gazing out the window next to us. I followed her eyes to a young boy hammering a sword on an anvil. Sparks flew every time he made connect with the red hot steel-to-be. I glanced back at Vinyl.
"Reminds you of when you were an apprentice?" I asked her.
"Yeah. Good times. The old man taught me a lot about makin' stuff. I was good at it too."
"You still are. Must have been hard for him to see you go off."
"Naw. The old man knew about me going into the Brotherhood. I even got his permission. He only wanted me to be there when he needed me."
The woman returned with a plate of fresh bread and two glasses of wine. It was anything but fancy, but I didn't mind. Vinyl wolfed down her bread before I had even touched mine. I scowled at the ill manners at first, but then shrugged and took a bite out of my own bread.
We talked most of the afternoon away. We sat at the table far longer than what the owner wanted. Our topics varied from the past to the future. Vinyl told me humorous tales of how she almost burned down her master's forge. I in return told her of the time I was arrested because I punched a nobleman who disliked my music. I certainly have always had a temper. Our conversation then turned serious again as I told Vinyl of the Elements.
"They are embedded in their chests?" She said in disgust.
"Yes. Pinkie told me it was painful. She did not say how they embedded themselves into their Bearers though."
"This is why you got curious?"
"Well....Not really. It was when Lady Shimmer told me what she knew. When she brought up the whole Starswirl thing. I have not been able to put my curiosity down since."
"Well that's...." Vinyl was interrupted.
We began to hear a commotion from the outside. The few people in the tavern got up and looked out the windows. I saw a group of crimson clad soldiers pummeling some men. Vinyl and I shot up and ran out the door.
The Templar thugs continued to beat the four men. The soldiers yelled "that's what you get" and "obey next time." Pedestrians watched the mugging in horror. I extended my blades and was about to engage when Vinyl grabbed my shoulder.
"No. There are Guards."
I looked up the street. Like Vinyl said, there were Guards marching up towards the Templar soldiers. The Royal Guards were armed with halberds. They were headed by a woman who wore intricate Imperial Captain Armor. She wore no helmet and I could see that her hair was silver. Behind was a tall Enforcer in white armor. He carried a Gryphonian zweihander on his armored shoulder. The Templar took notice of them and stopped their mugging. Two soldiers aimed their muskets at the Royal Guards. The captain pulled out a pistol and aimed it at the soldiers.
"Stop right there thugs!" She ordered.
A large Templar with Minotaur tribal tattoos stood in front of the rest. "Iron Will is not intimidated."
The captain chuckled loudly. "Trixie can also speak in third person. Now, I shall give you ten seconds to drop your weapons and flee." She had a slight twirl in her r's.
Iron Will crossed his arms. "We were only doing business."
Captain Trixie laughed. "You call this business? Please, I wasn't born yesterday. I shall not warn you again."
"Oi! Ya think you're so tough eh?" A soldier mocked.
Trixie scowled at the soldier. "Yes, we do. You are in my city, disrupting it! If you do not flee now, we shall throw you off the mountain!"
The Templar returned this threat with musket fire. A Royal Guard fell on his knees and clutched his arm. Trixie fired her pistol and a soldier fell. The two sides then charged each other. The Enforcer cleaved several soldiers in half with his massive sword. The common folk covered their eyes or ran away. The Royal Guard were clearly the better fighters as they quickly dispatched the soldiers. Captain Trixie fought Iron Will one on one. Her Equestrian schiavonia went up against the Templar's ax. She artfully dodged the brute's swings. Finally she cut his torso. Then she sliced into his shoulder. The man grunted in pain. He fell to his knees. She left the blade in him for some time before she nonchalantly tapped the bleeding Templar on the forehead, making him fall over dead. The captain pulled her blade out and wiped the blood off on the brute's clothes before sheathing it. She paused as she inspected the dead man. Trixie bent over and pulled off a necklace that bore a Templar cross. She stared at it intently before placing it in one of her pouches. She turned and faced the crowds.
"No worries dear people. The city is safe again. Carry on with your lives." The people still stood and stared. I saw her clinch her fists. "NOW!"
At the furious shout, common folk scrambled away. Some of them pushing Vinyl and I out of their way. We started walking away from the skirmish as well. The Royal Guards were picking up the corpses and dragging them away. One Guard supported the wounded Guard and they slowly walked to the north. The Enforcer was talking with the captain. I saw him point at us with his armored finger. The captain turned around. I felt her eyes on me. She however, did not do anything. I gulped and glanced at Vinyl who had put on the mask again.
"I do not like this, Vinyl."
"How? The Empire jus' whooped the Templar. We didn't need to do anything."
"Yes...but....It's that captain. There is just something off about her."
"Ha! Maybe it's because she is a woman in the Royal Guard?" Vinyl chuckled.
"No...I didn't mean that. It's something else."
"I guess we'll talk about it at the Den."
"No. I'm not going back to the Den. I shall be off to the Royal Palace."
"Tonight? Really?" The inventor was annoyed.
"Yes Vinyl. You can go back. Do not tell the Bearers of my doing."
"My lips are sealed." She told me reluctantly.
"Thank you, Vinyl."
"What if you are caught?" Vinyl clearly showed her disapproval with her body language.
"I won't be. Fine, if I am not back by dawn tomorrow, that means something has gone wrong. You have my permission to come after me then."
"I will." She sounded dead serious.
The inventor bowed to me and then climbed up a building and left. I turned to the north. The Grand Royal Palace seemed to beckon me onward. I could clearly see it even with it being a long ways off. I looked at the sun. I only had a few hours left of sunlight. Good, I shall need the cover of darkness for this. I began my trek. Hopefully I shall find answers about the Elements in the Archives. But first, I must speak with a Templar leader.
~