Yearling awoke with a start. She had been sleeping most of the voyage to Baltimare. Occasionally sneaking above for food and water. No sailor on board knew about her being among them. The storage room was dark and silent as usual. The only lights came from the dimly glowing Bearers that stood before her. Even though they left her body, the heightened senses and strength remained. Months worth of training had been given to her in mere days. She didn't think it was everything Magic knew, but it would certainly suffice. Loyalty ghosted through a crate and cleared her throat.
"Ship's stopped. I think we're in Baltimare, but I don't recognize the port. All tall buildings like in Manehatten. Though the waters have their nice clear green like what I remember."
Yearling nodded. "That'd be it. The Horseshoe Bay is famous for its beautiful water. Guess we should get out of here."
"Agreed. Although, the way we came in is now blocked to you. We must go through the main quarters, or whatever they call that now." Magic told her.
Yearling stood up. "Let's get going then."
Yearling stretched before heading to the back of the ship. The only sounds were her footsteps since the spectral Bearers made none. The historian had to make an abrupt stop to avoid walking into a crate. The darkness hid the crate until the light from the Bearers revealed it. It was going to be a little harder than Yearling had thought. If only there was some way she could see in the dark, she thought. Then an idea hit her and she faced the Bearers.
"Hey, can you guys give me that "blue vision?"
Loyalty lifted a brow. "Uhh...What are you talkin' about?"
"You know, that vision you get when the Elements take over your eyes. Everything becomes bluish, things and people become clearer. You can look through a tank with it. I saw it in the Animus."
Pinkie leaned back. "Oooohh, so THAT's what you're talking about. Eh, no. We only get that from the Elements. So only Bearers can do it. We like to call it Elemental Vision, but it's really more like a sense. A sense that lets you hear, see, feel, and smell what you want. Like, let's say I wanted a cupcake, mmmm, I would allow the Vision to take over, and it will find me one, regardless of what's hiding it. It basically allows us to reject useless information and only show the important ones. When I looked through the tank, I wasn't seeing through the tank but simply rejecting the tank wall's existence, letting it to disappear in my mind and letting me see the important soldiers inside. Get that huh?"
Yearling rubbed her chin. "I think so?"
"Don't think too much about it Yearling." Magic said.
"Alright..."
Yearling made her way through the dark, constantly feeling the area in front of her. She was making good time for not being able to see more than a couple of feet in front of her. Suddenly, a bright light entered the room. Yearling realized that it was a flashlight being carried by a sailor. She hid behind a crate. More lights entered. The chatter of the sailors echoed off the far walls of the ship.
"Accordin' to the footage, that gal went in here." One sailor said.
"Bloody stowaways..."
"Let's teach 'er not to steal from us."
Yearling gulped. The sailors apparently saw her on camera when she was pilfering food from their cabins. She held her breath as one of the sailors passed her. When he passed, she got up and moved to another spot. She saw that some of the men carried pistols on their belts. They wouldn't shoot her, she reassured herself. That would be murder and these are probably good men, hopefully. Her heart raced, she didn't want to risk it.
She sneaked over to another crate. She was slowly making her way to the exit. She glanced over to the end of the room. She could not see where it ended. Another light passed by her, just missing her arm.
"She gotta be in here somewhere." A sailor grunted.
"Hey boys, ya think she could be that woman from Manehatten? The one all over the news?"
"What was her name?"
"A. K. Yearling."
"Dammit..." Yearling muttered.
"I doubt we have a psycho like her in here. Didn't they say she was from an asylum or something?"
"Yeah."
"What? How dare..." Yearling almost yelled, but quickly covered her mouth.
"READY FOR A DRINK IN TARTARUS!?"
Yearling heard Loyalty scream throughout the ship. She could only blink. What was she doing? The historian stayed still. The sailors' flashlights started to shine every which way.
"What was that?"
"Could that be her?"
"BLOODY DOGS! ALL OF YA! WHAT'S HAPPENED TO REAL SAILORS?"
"There she goes again!"
Yearling realized that the sailors were distracted by Loyalty's voice. She quietly resumed her trek. The sailors called out to the voice. Loyalty insulted them again.
"YA'LL ARE SOFT! REAL SAILORS WOULDN'T USE A SHIP WITH NO SAILS!"
"Show yourself!"
"Here I am!"
The frightened screams of the sailors filled the air. The sounds of footsteps and flashlights hitting the steel floor resounded through the ship. Yearling turned to see sailors running towards her. Some tripping over in their mad flight. She jumped out of the way of their stampede.
"Run ya maggots! Run! Haha!"
The Bearer of Loyalty chased after them. Her swords were drawn and she bore a insane grin on her face. She swung her swords about wildly, laughing manically the whole way. The sailors ran with all their might from the ghost. Loyalty came upon the sailor that had tripped. She stabbed her swords into him. The sailor's face became shocked, but then became confused as the Bearer's sword went harmlessly through him. Loyalty attacked repeatedly, with similar results. The sailor just sat there.
"Oh c'mon! So close! So far! I want burning flesh!" Loyalty wailed.
"Actually, I feel more like freezing." The sailor mocked.
"Shut it you!"
"Hey guys, this ghost is harmless!" The sailor called out to his fellows.
"No I'm not!" Loyalty shouted. "I am Rainbow Dash, the famed rogue privateer of the Equestrian seas and the Labyrinth Isles. I am the most successful Assassin of all time!" Her voice became high-pitched with her anger. "I am the Spectrum of Manehatten! I am the Liberator of Baltimare! I am the Bearer of Loyalty! I am a Survivor of Chaos! I am..."
"Dead." The sailor finished.
"No! No! NO!" The Bearer attacked him again with her ethereal blades.
Yearling watched Loyalty's breakdown. She could only feel sorry for her. The sailor stood up and dusted himself off. He still looked dazed from the fact that he was seeing a ghost right before his eyes. However, he seemed confident in himself, as he began to walk away. Loyalty followed him, punching him or kicking him to no affect. Yearling ran over to the sailor.
"Hey fatty!" She yelled.
He turned around. Yearling punched him across the face. He fell flat to the ground, knocked out cold. Loyalty started to kick his body, her leg ghosting through him like it wasn't there. Yearling turned to her.
"Loyalty, Rainbow, stop."
"Don't tell me what to do." Loyalty grunted.
"I'm not telling, I'm asking."
Loyalty stopped. Her face was knotted in anger. She sheathed her swords. She then stomped away, towards the exit. Yearling watched her walk away. The historian felt a cold hand on her shoulder. She turned to see magic looking at her.
"Give her time. She's always had a temper. But, she calms down quickly."
Yearling gestured at the sailor. "I don't get it, why was she mad about not being able to kill him? About being dead?"
"I don't think that she has accepted that her time has passed. When you walk the world like we do, you forget that you're dead. We do yearn to live again."
Yearling blinked. "But, aren't you living now?"
Magic shook her head. "No, we are just wandering manifestations of what we once were. Due to the Elements, our souls will never be at peace, so we'll just wander."
Yearling considered this. "Is being a Bearer, a curse?"
"Kindness thought that. I saw it has a harsh blessing. We had gained the ability to change the world. Something everyone wishes for. But with such power, comes a price, and that price was our souls. Our souls became one with our Element, becoming immortal with it. When I was young, I thought it was incredible. When I died, I realized how awful it was. That's why we want to go back to the Tree of Harmony. With them back in the Tree, we'll be at home. Our souls will still be with them, but we would not wander. That and other reasons that you will find out through Octavia."
She walked away from the historian. Yearling felt depressed by their plight. If history didn't motivate her to seek the Truth, then this will. She stepped over the sailor's body. Sneaking was not on her mind at the moment. She picked up a flashlight and walked to the exit.
Once she got there, she climbed up a ladder to the main deck. The deck was empty. The sailors had ran off. She looked about the area. The sun shown brightly on Horseshoe Bay. Seagulls and pelicans called out while flying above her. The sea breeze was stronger than what it was in Manehatten. Beaches lined up the shore of Baltimare. Palm trees dotted the streets. The city loomed over the Bay with its skyscrapers. The pirate town had become a tourist attraction for modern Equestria.
Yearling walked to the edge of the ship. The ship was docked along a concrete pier. She swung herself over the railing and climbed down to the pier. The docks were bustling with activity. The sailors and traders around her took no notice of her. She gazed around the area. She needed to find Fort Moonlight. She looked across the Bay. On the other side was an old fort. That would be it, she thought. Even though it was not far away from a direct route, she had to circle around the entire Bay to reach it. She sighed and began her trek.
By evening, she reached the fort. The fort had a fence around it, as it was a historical landmark and needed to be protected from vandals. Yearling easily climbed the fence and continued. The fort was crumbling and unstable. Weeds and vines smothered the walls. The yellow stones were jagged and uneven. But the most interesting aspect of the fort was the giant stone statue of Empress Luna. The statue was well-carved. It was in fine condition as well, except that the head was gone. Yearling walked up to it and inspected it. She then heard Loyalty behind her.
"Yup, I did that when we took over the fort. Blew her head right off with a cannon on the Ragnarok. I don't regret it. I mean, who puts statues on forts anyway?"
Yearling chuckled. She was imagining the rainbow-haired pirate purposely blowing the head of the statue. She was sure it was a fine symbol to Baltimare of who was running the town. She looked out into the Bay. The Ragnarok was probably right down there when it happened. It was amazing feeling being at a place where so much history happened. She then noticed that the sun was setting and she turned to the fort again.
She saw the Bearers walking around. They were searching for Octavia's writings, Yearling thought. Loyalty ran inside the fort. The historian trusted her the most to know where it was, as she visited this place the most. Yearling followed the Bearer.
The inside was dry and dusty. It was mostly empty except for some equipment left by archaeologists. Loyalty searched the floor. She started mumbling to herself as she tried to remember something. Yearling followed the Bearer's zigzags across the fort's interior. The other Bearers started watching it all. Loyalty went to a dark corner and stopped. She pointed at the floor.
"There it is!"
Yearling looked down at what she was pointing at. There was a large square in the stone floor. In the middle of the square was the Assassin insignia. Yearling dusted off the square. As she did so, she felt grooves in the floor. The square could be removed, she realized. She gripped the square and lifted it. It slid out of the floor. She then threw it to the side and behold, there was a ladder leading down into floor.
"We made a few revisions to the fort when we occupied it." Loyalty said.
"What's in there?" Yearling asked.
"Let's find out."
Loyalty ghosted through the floor. Yearling turned on the flashlight she grabbed on the ship. She looked down the hole. The bottom was not far down. She then turned and placed her foot on the ladder. The ladder creaked with her weight. It felt stable, so Yearling placed another foot on the ladder. She braced herself for the ladder to break, but when it didn't, she beamed.
"Huh, that's better than I..."
The ladder snapped and she fell to the stone floor. Dust filled the air with her impact. She slowly got up, rubbing her lower back. The Bearers chuckled at her. She had to admit that her mistake was humorous. She got to her feet. Her flashlight was thankfully, still working. She picked it up and looked at the hidden room.
The room was covered in cobwebs and dust. Old boxes and odd furniture surrounding her. The Bearers started to look around. Yearling searched a box in front of her. Whatever it held had been in there had been taken out. Fear gripped her. What if they were too late? What if they had come all this way for nothing? She started to search drawers and boxes frantically. Nothing, nothing. She heard the Bearer of Loyalty call to her.
"Hey Yearling, get over here."
Yearling looked up to see Loyalty beckoning her over. Yearling jogged over to her. Loyalty pointed at a desk. Two odd cylinder-like devices rested on the desk. Yearling picked them up. They were heavier than what she had expected. The Assassin insignia was carved on both of them. She turned them over to see a blade underneath.
"Hidden blades." Loyalty told her.
"Put them on." Laughter suggested.
Yearling inspected them. They didn't look like the most comfortable things to wear. The Bearers continued to urge her to wear them. She sighed and slid one over her right wrist. It was slightly big for her. She tightened the straps underneath until it was snug. She then did the same with the other. She thought she looked ridiculous with the slightly bulky devices on her wrists.
"Uhh....How do you extend them?"
Loyalty frowned. "Eh, they may not extend since they're old. They need to be oiled a little."
"Lady Yearling? I think I have discovered what we are looking for, darling."
The historian looked to see Generosity in a far corner, almost in a different room entirely. Yearling made her way to her, avoiding debris that could trip her. She started to notice that some of the objects in the room were made of gold. One such object was a golden bull head. Generosity cleared her throat to remind the historian of her request. Yearling drew away from the bull head and made her way over.
"Lady Yearling, I have the strong indication that the writings are in there."
"Why's that?" Yearling asked.
"This is a writing desk, one in the like of the her desk in the South Canterlot Den. If I knew Den Master Octavia, she would be drawn to use a desk that reminds her of her home."
Yearling silently agreed with this. The desk Generosity was showing her did look of Canterlot fashion. The old wood had swirling carvings and elegant thick round legs. The desk had a single, center drawer. Yearling grabbed the handle of the drawer. The handle was metal, thus the touch was cold to Yearling's fingers. She pulled it. The drawer did not budge. She pulled harder. The drawer was sealed tight. She pulled with all her might. It was useless, as the drawer remained closed.
"Dammit!" Yearling cursed.
"Oh! Oh! Let me try!" Laughter bounced excitedly.
"Laughter..." Loyalty moaned. "You can't open it; your hand will go right through it."
"Hmmm..." Laughter rubbed her spectral chin.
Laughter then fell prone on the floor. She crawled underneath the desk. She continued to rub her chin as she looked up at the bottom of the desk. Her eyes shifted here and there. Her finger began to trace something in the air, as if she was solving a puzzle. Finally, she clapped her hands and pointed at a rod next to Yearling.
"Grab that. Then hit it here and there." She pointed at two points under the drawer.
Yearling picked up the rod. Yearling could tell that it was a part of something else originally, but later fell off. She then took the spot of the Bearer of Laughter. Laughter made sure she was showing the spots to Yearling as long as possible, without getting in the historian's way. The Bearer was pointing at the back corners of the drawer. There were things lodged in the space there, keeping the drawer closed. Whoever did this, Yearling thought, did so purposely. She smacked the objects. After several tries, they fell out. Yearling saw that the objects were Assassin throwing knives.
Yearling crawled out from underneath the desk. She then pulled at the drawer again. This time, it slid out easily. She gasped in excitement. All of them looked at the drawer's contents. Sure enough, it was a pile of old parchments. The documents were not in as good a shape as the ones in the South Canterlot Den, but Yearling could easily read them. Handle them with care, Yearling reminded herself. She gently picked the papers up. They had been stitched together on one side, not letting them separate. There were more papers here than the South Canterlot Den.
"Octavia had a lot to write about." Yearling muttered.
"That she did." Magic agreed.
"Oh! I can't wait what she says about me. It's gonna be awesome!" Loyalty squeaked and pushed up her cheeks in excitement.
Yearling looked at the first familiar words. "By Octavia Melody..."
~