//------------------------------//
// Chapter 24: Mistakes 
// Story: Harmony's Creed 
// by Gapeagle 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 24: Mistakes


By Octavia Melody

"I am regretting my choice of entry." I told myself.

The moon gazed at me as I climbed the Royal Palace. It was arduous to say the least. The nearest land was miles below me. If I fell, it would have taken me a year to hit the base of the mountain. The Grand Royal Palace hung outward like a tree hanging over a stream. Most of my climb thus far had been at an unfavorable angle. However, at the moment, I was climbing vertically. I stopped to catch my breath.

"Oh, Octavia, what have you gotten yourself into?" I muttered.

My eyes gazed upwards. I was currently climbing one of the Palace's spires. I could see a balcony that stretched out at the top. I wanted to reach this balcony because all of the Palace spires were connected by bridges at the top. It was almost like another city up there. Once I reached one spire, I could easily reach them all. 

After some time, I finally reached the balcony and pulled myself over the railing. I observed my surroundings. There were two bridges leading to different spires. The tower I was on had a large door that went inside. These towers were much wider than the ones to the south, so I suspected a whole bedroom could fit inside. I walked across one bridge to spire. The wind was chilly and strong. I was higher than most of the Canterlot towers, though I still wasn't on the highest point. As I walked from spire to spire, a faint noise was heard.

I saw a lamp illuminating one of the balconies. On the balcony was Lady Shimmer playing a violin. I began to cross the bridge to her, but stopped. She was a Templar. If she saw me, she could raise the alarm. I swung myself over the bridge's railing and began to climb sideways. Her spire was far away from the Palace's base, so there was nothing under me. Her violin playing was moderately skilled. I have heard better, but have also heard much worse. As I approached her balcony from below, the music stopped.

"Lady Shimmer, it is a lovely night." I heard a deep voice call to her.

"Nice of you to join me. I have some tea ready." The Templar tell the man.

I finally reached the balcony. Since there were two of them, I couldn't simply pull myself over the railing. I must wait for my opportunity to reveal myself. So I hung there with my hands on the top of the railing, listening to the two.

"I am sorry, but I am here on business." The man said.

"Oh. Well then, what is the matter?" Sunset Shimmer sounded disappointed.

"It's about Iron Will. The Royal Guard have killed him and his men."

"Damno!" Lady Shimmer spat.

"Indeed. The Empire seems to be catching on to us."

"No, not quite. We still have many assets in the Empire. Just one dead Minotaur native won't change anything."

"I hope so."

The man walked over to the railing. I moved my hands slightly as he rested his on the railing. He gazed out into the distance until his eyes shifted down to my hands. He gasped as he took full notice of me and jumped back. My instincts took hold and I reached at him with my hook, digging it deep into his torso. I then pulled back, making him sail over my shoulder and off the balcony. His screams became faint as he fell down the mountain. I pulled myself over the railing and stared at Sunset Shimmer who was in a red nightgown.

The Templar woman stood with her back against the wall, holding what looked like a bread knife. She pointed the knife at me in a desperate attempt to intimidate me. Her face showed utter fear and her body shook with adrenaline. I slowly walked over to her and grabbed the knife out of hand and tossed it aside. She tried to run away, but I caught her arm and threw her into the wall.

"Let go of me Assassin!" She yelled with new found courage.

"Shush! Be quiet or I'll kill you!" I told her.

"I know that." She said quickly. "Wait...You're the Assassin I met at Fancy Pants' banquet. What was it? Octavius? Something like that?"

"Octavia. Now enough small talk. I need you to get me into the Royal Archives."

"What for? Oh, I see it now. Audaces fortuna iuvat. You are trying to find out about the Elements. Going against your Bearers aren't you?"

"The Bearers are none of your concern. Now get me into the Archives."

"And when I do, what will you do with me? How do I know if you will kill me or not?"

"You don't."

"Fine. Well, we have to be stealthy. I know you do not want to be caught. I don't want to be caught either. If they find out that I am helping a wanted criminal, I'll be in the same boat as you."

The Templar then opened the balcony's door and entered. I followed her with my hidden blade extended. Her room was spacious and well furnished. In the corner was a large bed with bright red-orange covers. A large desk was across from it. From the wood, I could tell it was mahogany. The room also possessed a bookshelf. I saw that most of the books were of ancient Cloudsdalian scholars, which explained Shimmer's constant Cloudsdalian latin usage. 

"Who was that man you were talking to? I asked as I inspected her bedroom.

"Oh him? He's just a courier. One I am....or was very fond of. Until you threw him off the balcony."

I chuckled. The Templar took notice and scowled. I was about to ask her why we had not departed when I realized she was putting shoes on her feet. She then put a shawl over her shoulders. 

"The Archives are a bit cold since they are far below. I rather be comfortable while I have a blade at my back." She told me casually.

Suddenly a knock is heard on the door. A sweet voice emitted from the other side.

"Sunset, can I please come in?" The voice asked.

Sunset Shimmer's eyes widened. She then hastily gestured for me to hide. I quickly hid behind the bed while lying on the floor. I heard the Templar open the door.

"Your Highness. It is a pleasure to see you. But I must ask, why at this late hour?" 

"Oh, Sunset, don't you remember? It's Sunday night. We have tea at this hour." 

"Oh yeah....Well, I have my studies. I cannot do so tonight."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Empress Celestia. Can we do it tomorrow?" Sunset suggested.

"Certainly. I....I shall leave you to your studies then." The Empress did not seem convinced.

The door shut again and I heard the Templar sigh in relief. She then stomped over to where I was hiding and pointed a threatening finger at me.

"You....You'll be the death of me."

"Please. I do not think Celestia would be like that." I stood up.

"It's not Celestia.....It's her sister Luna. She'll see right through both of us and we'll end up hanging!"

"Are we going now?"

"Yeah, yeah."

She started to walk out the door. I followed close behind her, making sure my blade was ready in case she made a wrong move. The door led to a wide flight of stairs that spiraled down the spire. I crouched and we moved silently down the steps.

"Why didn't we take the outside bridges?" I asked.

"And go through Blueblood's room? No. You'll have to trust me Assassin. I know this Palace like a book."

I blinked at the odd simile. We continued down the steps until we finally reached the bottom. The bottom led to a large hallway with two guards clad in dark blue armor. Their helmets had what looked like a fin streaking down the middle. Sunset and I crouched behind a table to avoid their eyesight.

"Are those...."

"The Night Watch? Yes. We must get by them. It's the quickest way to the Archives."

I watched as one of the Night Watch walked away. The other simply stood there with his arms crossed. I fell back behind the cover of the table, thinking of what to do, finally I thought of a plan. I placed my fingers to my mouth and whistled, making sure it was not too loud.

"Huh?" The Night Watcher began to come over to investigate.

"What are you doing?" Sunset whispered.

When the Watcher was next to us, I jumped out and stabbed him in the neck. I then quickly hid his body under the table we were behind. Sunset cringed at the gruesome display. She soon recovered and took the lead.

The Palace was just as large as it appeared from the outside. The ceiling itself was as high as most structures in the city. The floor was covered in soft red carpet. The stained glass windows depicted scenes from Equestrian history. Most had The Sisters conquering some country or saving some city. Gold and blue banners hung from the ceiling. The gold banners had Celestia's Sun while the blue had Luna's Moon. Stairs went this way and that, crisscrossing and spiraling over each other. I could tell it was easy to get lost in such a place. 

"Down these stairs." The Templar told me.

We went down another flight of steps. We entered a long thin hallway. Flanking either side of the hallway were statues of rearing alicorns. Their wings were spread and their horns touched each other at the top making some sort of archway. It was much different than the rest of the Palace.

"You can tell when you've entered an old part of the Palace. Early Equestria loved their horses." The Templar informed me. 

We silently traveled the hallway to the very end where a large door was closed in front of us. The metal door had a carving of a hooded woman reading a scroll. I had seen this woman before in a library. She was Clover the Clever of the Frozen Lands. The first known woman to be literate and the one who proposed the Archives' creation. Her clothes were rags and her flowing hair was unkempt. The scroll she held possessed the words "Res Audita Perit. Litera Scripta Manet." Sunset Shimmer stood up and walked next to the door.

"Alright. To enter the Archives, you must have the password. So that means there is a guard on the other side. There are actually five guards: The Archive Guardians. One is at each entrance and one patrols the entire area from the outside. So hide while I knock and then charge in once the door is opened."

I did as she ordered. When she saw that I was hidden, she reached her arm to the door. She paused and looked at me.

"Cover your ears." She said.

"For what purpose?"

"I....I don't want you to know the password. Only the most trusted can know it."

I grunted and covered my ears. Her paranoia in me returning to the Archives was false, but I didn't want to waste time arguing. Sunset smiled at my obedience and knocked. A slide in the door opened and I saw a dark helmet look through. Sunset said the password and the Guardian opened the door. I ran from my hiding spot and entered into the Archives.

"Hey!" The Guardian shouted at me.

I turned on the Guardian and kicked him in the knee. He stumbled and I grabbed him from behind, placing him in a choke hold. I squeezed his neck tightly until he passed out. His body was then dragged to a dark corner. Sunset simply stood there with her arms crossed.

"Well, at least you didn't kill him." She muttered.

"Do you think the others heard?"

"No. The Archives are too massive for such sound to reach the other side."

This made me observe the Archives. My jaw dropped as the rows and rows of bookshelves went on forever. Some shelves spiraled upwards and some went to the high ceiling. I then realized this was only one level as I saw stairs and floors above me. Then my mind contemplated the thousands upon thousands of books here. A fine sweat built up on me as I realized that this was the haystack and I must find the needle.

"Any ideas of where to start?" I asked meekly.

Sunset chuckled. "Please. I have this place memorized."





"Here are some more tomes." Sunset handed me some more books.

I took the books without much thought. We had been at this for some time. All the information I had gathered thus far had been aspects of the Elements I already knew or knew were false. Starswirl had many stories on these shelves, some I remember reading to Twilight when she taught me to read. All his stories had the same basic outlines of Chaos and Order. The Elements were designed to give Harmony not only to the collective, but to the individual as well. There was nothing about how he forged them or any origins other than "he made them." I sat back in my chair and sighed. I saw the Templar smile mockingly in the candlelight.

"You see my predicament now? So many questions and no answers." Sunset leaned on a reading table.

"It doesn't make sense! Where did they come from?"

"Hmph. My theory is that he found them."

"Found them? But where, Shimmer? What place could hold such things?"

"I do not know. What we do know is that there are six Elements and that they grant their Bearers powers."

"They also embed themselves in the Bearers' chests. I have seen it myself."

"Gruesome isn't it? Starswirl must have been a madman to use such things."

"I just do not know why the Bearers will not tell me."

"Maybe they fear the answer? They fear retaliation if you know the truth."

"Retaliation? What would the Brotherhood do? They have all served well. I do not think some more history on the subject will do such a thing."

"Are you sure? I am sure you would hate working with people who keep secrets, especially in an organization where all is family. Family do not keep secrets. Your Creed is there so that you can feel like you are helping the world. Maybe the Elements do not believe in your Creed? They may have their own.

"The Assassin's Creed should not play in this. This is about the Elements' origins, not their viewpoints."

"It has to. From your information, the Elements are sentient. You have caught the Bearers referring to themselves as "Us" and "We." The Elements think, so they have a purpose, an agenda. I do not know what that objective is, but it must involve the Assassins, otherwise, they would have left your Brotherhood."

"What do you think they pursue?" I asked.

"Harmony. What else would it be? The Elements are incarnations of ideas. Loyalty, Laughter, et cetera. They feel that the Brotherhood is their best chance of accomplishing such a purpose. The Templar do not believe in Harmony, so that's why the Elements despise us so."

"That doesn't explain why they are secretive."

"Yes it does. They are using you for their own gains. Your Creed is against such advantage taking. They lead you astray with their Bearers and you follow them blindly. If you found out, the Elements will be dispose of."

"Then they are like you Templar." I muttered.

"Not quite. The Templar would not be as savage as them. They are creating Chaos by using the Brotherhood to slay all those who oppose them. There are no laws with them. They have no Order."

"Order? They do have Order. For Order is needed for Harmony."

"Harmony is a false representation of Order. The Brotherhood believes that if everyone is free, then they will work together. Humanity cannot operate like that. People only wish to help themselves and never others. That is, unless it benefits the helper. Humans require someone to give them direction. To tell them what to do. That is how you make laws."

"Laws based off wrongdoing and control. That is your law. Rightful law is based off of truth and not what rulers say."

"Auctoritas non veritas facit legem!" Sunset spat at me.

The Archives became quiet after the Templar's outburst. I sat in my chair and stared at her. Her eyes were filled with anger. My words had tipped her off. I did not know what the she had yelled at me since I did not understand much latin. However, I did feel slightly smug. My words had cut through a Templar leader, forcing her to backlash. I felt like it was a small victory. My little joy was shortened when she leaned towards me.

"You shall find out that Harmony is not what you believe it is. That all the killing and death your Brotherhood wrought is for not. Those Bearers are not your friends. They seek to rule like everyone else. The Elements know that they are beyond human potential. They know that they are worthy of commanding lesser beings like us. If your Brotherhood wins, the Bearers will turn on you. Their only obstacle would be the Two Sisters. They would kill the Sisters like they did everyone else and then dictate this Empire in their Harmony."

I stood up from my chair. "And you shall find out that men have the ability to rule themselves. They do not need some Templar over their backs telling them what to do. Your Order conceals truth and only displays false wishes to the people. I remember your agents on the Summer Sun Celebration, telling the people it was time for revolution. The Templar only wish to rule and feast on the earnings of others. Your Order is so corruptible. I believe that you want peace, but you go through so much death to win it. You place men and women in your Order who only want a chance at reaching the top. They have no wish for peace. If you win, the Empire will collapse as the Templar take the freedom that makes Equestria thrive."

"This Empire is my homeland too. I want the very best for it, I swear by the Sun. The Sisters have ruled long enough and this Empire remains on the same borders as a hundred years ago. Progress has been lost. The only technology added to the Empire in the last century have all come from Templar engineering. The Templar progress humanity. That is what I want for Equestria."

"Progress shall be made with the Sisters. They have ruled countless years and still have made this land flourish. Look in the city! Trade and people fill every corner of this capital. This has all been done with free lands."

"Look outside Canterlot! Baltimare, Manehatten, Appleloosa, and Dodge City. All were great towns and cities, now lawless piles of Chaos! Appleloosa is a ghost town thanks to the Brotherhood. Baltimare has separated itself from the Empire because of your Bearer of Loyalty. Manehatten has no regard for the Sisters anymore and trade without their consent. Dodge City is dry and impecunious. Cloudsdale is the only well-off city other than Canterlot. And that city is under Templar control, under our Absolute Order!"

"You forgot about Ponyville. That village thrives with no Templar influence. People there live in peace and quiet even with our war surrounding them."

"Let's see how it is when the war reaches them. Ponyville is a haven for Assassins. I know this. That's why they are going to be our testing grounds."

"Testing grounds? Are you going to..."

"Attack it? Not the Templar. We do not operate in broad daylight nor with massive armies bearing our cross. Now the Crystal Republic, they may have plans for the village." A smile formed on her lips.

"You bloody bitch!"

I grabbed her and slammed her into the reading table. She grabbed a book and smacked me across the face. The force spun my head and stunned me. She took the opportunity to escape my grasp and began running. I wiped the blood from my mouth and chased after her.

"You won't get away, you bloody Templar!" I grunted at her.

"Guards! Guards! I'm under attack!" She screamed.

She weaved through the aisles of bookshelves. Her knowledge of the area gave her the advantage as I missed turns and crashed into small furniture. The sound of metal footsteps echoed through the Archives. I entered a row and had a clear shot at the fleeing Templar. I lifted my wrist and aimed at her. I fired and she fell over. I heard her scream in pain and I ran over to her.

The Templar was hit in the right arm. I cursed as I realized it was not a fatal shot. Sunset Shimmer got back on her feet and ran. I reloaded my gun and raised it again. Before I fired, I was tackled by a Guardian. He threw me into a stone bookshelf, making many books fall off. I could not get back to my feet as he grabbed me again by the leg and slammed me into another shelf. I blindly fired my pistol. He let go and clutched his bleeding shoulder. 

"Help!" He yelled.

The other Guardians arrived. I stood up and into a fighting position. I did not want to kill the Guardians, but I felt that I must. I pulled out Symphony and pointed it at them. They drew their blades as well. It was a standoff.

"Put down your weapon intruder!" A Guardian demanded.

"My quarrel is not with you." I told them.

"It is now since you harmed Lady Shimmer!" 

I swung at a Guardian. He deflected my attack with his own blade. I swung again with the same results. Suddenly the wounded Guardian I shot grabbed me from behind. I struggled to get out of his grasp. Even with his injury, he held to me tight. A Guardian walked up to me and lifted his fist over his head. Before I could react, the armored hand hurled at my face. It all went black.


~