Yearling scratched her chin while she lay on the hotel bed. The only light in the room came from the television screen and the lamp beside her. It was just enough for her to read the old writings before her. She had been in Baltimare for about a week. After her and the phantoms gathered the Assassin items, she got herself a hotel room cheap enough for her to last some days. The hotel was on the west side of the city, away from the gorgeous Bay. This was the only reason the rooms were cheaper. It probably had the same quality, but not the best location.
The ghosts of the Bearers were entertained though. Laughter was amazed by the television, always switching channels or leaving it on bright and colorful cartoons. Generosity had become friendlier to Yearling. She was fascinated by the change of fashion throughout the years. It was so different than in her life. She was now looking through those old magazines that seemed to be in every corner of the room. Loyalty was grumpy that Octavia had called her short not only in real life, but in her descriptions as well.
"Height of a child? I'll tell her that when I look down on her grave...Well....Wherever THAT is..." She muttered.
Magic had become rather silent as they progressed through the writings. Yearling had wondered why this was. Twilight wasn't in the writings at the moment. Only the Bearers of Kindness, Laughter, and Loyalty were. Magic had also been the leader of the spirits. It was odd for her to be the first to lessen the interaction with Yearling. Magic was now standing by the window, gazing into the city. Yearling could not help but think about the Bearer's odd behavior. She set the writings aside looked at Magic.
"Hey Twilight, why so gloom lately?" She asked.
The Bearer did not respond. Yearling was annoyed by this and threw the same question at the ghost.
"You should keep reading, Miss Yearling." Magic answered simply.
"That's not what I asked..."
"Then I apologize. Keep reading." Magic repeated in the same dull tone.
"I'll get to you later then." Yearling muttered and picked the writings back up.
By Octavia Melody
After Vinyl and I fought with the captain, the day was much more pleasurable. I was able to write all that had transpired the past two days during lunch. My friend did not see the use of my writings anymore. I too questioned it. My first entry about the train with Rarity was over 8 months ago. It felt like years had passed. Yet here I was, writing my life's story, even how bizarre it was. During that lunch, I wondered if my writings were even true. Ever since Caramel, I wasn't sure if what I was experiencing was reality. Discord, Vinyl living again, the Crystal Heart, it all rattled my mind. However, one could say it wasn't that far off due to the Elements and that Tree of Harmony. It would be stupid of me to not see a connection between the Elements and the Crystal shards. But what came first? Now that was the question.
After the lunch, Pinkie and Fluttershy appeared again. They had spent the day with Maud and Big Mac in the Fort Moonlight. Pinkie introduced me to Maud. The woman was a captain of the Boulder, a large 48 gun Equestrian frigate. Now, she was anything but Pinkie-like. This woman was older than Pinkie and far, far more serious. Not only was her appearance dull, especially for a pirate, but her whole personality fit that of a neglected vegetable. I only heard four words come out of her mouth. They were "hello," "I'm Maud," and "bye." This was over an hour's worth of talking with the Pie sisters. Until that point, I never thought I would meet a living individual more quiet than the Bearer of Kindness. Captain Maud was so quiet; Vinyl asked her if she was alive. The captain merely nodded to answer. Pinkie spent most of the time talking about their childhood together. Due to the speed of her voice, I cannot recall what she said. What I do remember is that Maud walked off without Pinkie even knowing.
I met another captain after Maud, Big Macintosh of Ponyville. Now, I had seen many, many tall people on my journey. Applejack, Fluttershy, and Celestia come to mind, but none of them were as tall as this man. He was a giant in both height and muscle. He had blonde hair and green eyes. He never smiled, but he never looked angry or even solemn. It seemed like he was in a state of perpetual calmness. The only words he said was "Eeyup," and "Eenope." He said the words with a relaxed tone and was not dull and dry like Maud. I found out that he was the brother of Applejack. Now that I heard his name, I remembered that little girl telling me about him. Apparently he's been here for some years and never wrote a letter to his family. It piqued my curiosity to say the least.
Apparently these were not the only captains in Rainbow's fleet. There were others sailing and plundering in the Labyrinth Isles. Since this was where we were going, I assumed I would meet them in the near future. Hopefully they would be far more enjoyable to speak to. I highly doubt this would be the case since the liveliest of the pirate captains was also a drunk and had a temper like no other. It makes me wonder how the Assassin fleet was in the past. From some details from Rainbow and some from Twilight years ago, it seemed they were larger in every way. Due to the pirates and some Templar ships, the fleet almost completely diminished. This had to be Caramel and Rainbow's doing. From Caramel's story of how he stole the Element of Loyalty and how many ships the Ragnarok has sunk, it was easy to make such a connection. Though it was now ironic that the destroyer of the Assassin fleet was now restoring it. I wonder if Rainbow felt any remorse for her actions on the Brotherhood. From her interactions with Loyalty, I highly doubt she did.
This had also reminded me of my friend. Vinyl was a Survivor of Chaos like Rainbow. Now, when I was fighting the Bearer, she seemed to turn into a beast, an animal. Zecora even said "beast." I knew that the Element would never do such a thing to its Bearer. Especially to a Bearer it seemed to not control. Her slit eyes and rage was implanted there. Most likely by Discord. I had still to ask Vinyl what his "tests" were. I believed it wasn't the fondest of memories for her. She hardly mentioned the Lord of Chaos. One could say I am simply worried about her, and indeed I am. I would not want her to become Chaotic. Though it may be already out of my control. Time will tell.
I placed the quill on the table. Satisfied with what I had written, I gathered the inked parchments and placed them in my bag. The sound of Vinyl drinking her cider was heard from across the table. We were in a small tavern to the south of the ships. The late afternoon sun was blocked by the occasional cloud. It wouldn't have reached us anyway as we were under a pavilion that extended out of the tavern's front wall. With my writings up to date, I sat back in my chair and took in the surroundings.
I was still not used to the Baltimare lifestyle. In Canterlot, people had an obvious purpose in their daily activities. One would go to the market to restock on food. One would go to the tailor for new apparel, et cetera. Here, Balts, or Baltimarians, just wandered. If one would only watch a single man going about the city, they would think he's lost. However, it's the same with all of them. Like how a creature wanders a forest, they wandered the city. It was all too strange for me. It was like the city was sick, not with disease, but sick in thoughts and actions. The city had no authority, but I doubted that was the reason.
I looked over to Vinyl, who had just finished her drink. When she placed the wooden mug on the table, she smiled my way. Her smile disappeared when she realized that I was in a thinking mood. She rolled her eyes.
"What's on ya mind now, Tavi?"
I tilted my head. No point in rejecting her question. "What do you think of this city?"
She blinked twice and then shrugged. "What's there to think? Seems fine and all. I still prefer Canterlot. Just too warm here."
"I did not mean that, Vinyl. I meant about the people. Do they act odd to you?" I leaned over the table.
"Tavi, of course they're weird. You know why? Cause we're foreigners. This place was here before Equestria. Old cultures are still around and all. Don't ya see that sugar seeker over there? We don't have people like that at home."
I considered this as I watched the sugar seeker. The old woman was using sugarcane and some dark liquid. I did not know the process of seeking sugar, as they call it, but it looked rather involved. All I did know that the delicate sweetness of the end product was heavily sought after.
"Not convinced are ya?" Vinyl stood up and stretched.
"Not entirely. Mainly because it's from you." I stood up as well.
"Oi! What's that supposed to mean?"
"Hmph. When you have the title "Survivor of Chaos" I question your ways of thought."
Vinyl sighed and started to walk away. "If ya really think that way, fine. I'mma take a short walk before headin' back. Wanna come with?"
"That would be delightful. Hopefully we will not run into any trouble." I joked.
"Oh, we will. Don't worry." Vinyl assured me with confidence.
As we walked through the streets under the burning sun, I wished I had lighter sets of robes. Vinyl was wearing her usual white robes, even the same ones she "died" in, and she was not bothered by the heat. I was quite jealous of that. I usually found myself being jealous of her in one way or another; ever since we met it's been this way. However now, I was content that I wasn't her. Going through such tortures and dealings with devils made me happy that I was the one who was just imprisoned. Knowing that I would not go through such agony, even if it was to save her, made me feel disgusted with myself. I had both luck and allies on my side, but not her. I had the feeling that if she was about to be hanged, no one would save her. I was only rescued for being a Den Master, an Assassin of importance. Twilight rescued me, but would she rescue Vinyl? It was just one of those questions that picked at me.
"How ya think the Labyrinth Isles gonna be like?"
"Same heat, only with more water. Plenty of water." I answered Vinyl.
"Heh, it's going to be paradise, I say. I hear that they have ruins from the Minotaur tribes. I would love to see them. But, because of all that the Isles have, they are contested."
"By who?" I asked.
"Well, it was Discord who told me. He said that the Empire, the Gryphon Kingdom, and even the Republic fight for them. Sometimes Zebrania comes in from the south. There's so much fruit 'nd sugar and exotics there that they all want a piece. Gonna be interesting going into the firefight. Eh, Rainbow's got it."
"What else did Discord tell you?"
"Tons. Once you get him chatting, he can't stop. He told me about him and Empress Celestia. Apparently they used to be tight. That's why he wants us to capture her. So, you know, they can chat again. Odd right? Well, it's the most sense you'll get out of him. I'm glad he doesn't make sense." She said the last words as more of an afterthought.
"What's with you and sense?" The question came out more like a demand.
"Pfft. What ya think? I'm a Survivor of Chaos, it's how I think. It's my thought process. It's my way of life."
I paused and hoped she would continue, but she didn't. I rubbed the sweat off my face. "Care to tell more?"
"Eenope. Heh, I sound like Big Mac!" She looked at me and frowned. "Fine. I don't want to tell ya. I'm scared to."
"Why would you be scared? After all that has transpired, nothing is going to scare me."
"Maybe later alright?" Her plea was sincere.
I muttered an affirmative and nodded. I did not want to encroach on the subject too soon. Knowing Vinyl, such personal subjects were always difficult to free from her secretive mind. Not that I'm saying she kept secrets from me, but that she hesitated to reveal them. I knew she was going to speak about Discord and her Survivor of Chaos title, so I was content with her words.
Just then, two almost identical men ran up to us. They both were lanky and quite pale. Brownish-red hair with off-white highlights was shared among these two men. Their clothes were the same as well. The only way one could tell which was which was that one had a moustache while the other was clean shaven. They stopped right in front of us; their faces expressed trouble and fright. They panted and I could tell they had been running for some time. The one with the moustache spoke first.
"Oh look, we found more like them! This city is crawling with them these days!"
The other spoke right after his twin finished. "Indeed! Though these two ladies look different. Maybe they can help us? Let those others see reasoning."
"I see your thinking, brother!"
"You always do, brother!"
Vinyl spoke up. "Who are you two?"
They both stood erect and cleared their throats. Every motion made by each brother was identical, like they had rehearsed such actions. They gave a quick and subtle bow before introducing themselves. They pointed at each other.
"He's Flim"
"He's Flam"
"We are the FlimFlam brothers!" They ended simultaneously.
Vinyl and I glanced at one another in confusion. I spent at least five seconds trying to understand these fellows. Vinyl scratched the back of her head. I felt like doing the same.
"And we can help you how?" she asked.
"Make them understand how business works!" Flim said and pointed at the trio that was running at us.
All my confusion was instantly replaced by sheer rage. This trio, still unaware of Vinyl and I, was none other than the Wonderbolts. Soarin, Fleetfoot, and Spitfire were all there. All their hoods were down, their bright blue and yellow shined in the intense sun. I could not take my eyes off them, or specifically Spitfire. That woman, almost took my friend. And here she was, right in front of me. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass.
"I don't think they're going to aid us." Flam moaned.
"It was worth a try brother. From their looks, I wouldn't stay around much longer." Flim said.
"Neither would I brother. Let's be off!"
The brothers scampered off. It was well that they did so. Without a word I drew my sword. It hadn't been used in some days. I was going to change that. I tightened my grip on the handle. It was already warm from the sun's rays. My heart started to pump, not at a quick pace, but with a steady and heavy "thump" that shook my body. I knew very well what I was feeling. Anger, rage, the thirst for revenge. It never felt sweeter.
The trio halted when they spotted us. To my disapproval, they ignored me and only stared at Vinyl. It was like I was not even there. Their faces, especially Spitfire's, were stricken with fear and confusion. it was the look of one who had seen a ghost, which wasn't far from the truth.
"You!" Spitfire pointed. "What? How? I killed you. Gutted you like a tailor's pincushion! I killed you..."
Vinyl chuckled. "Ha! It takes more to kill me Spits. Better luck next time?"
I raised a brow. "This is the 'next time' Vinyl. Keep your comments to yourself."
"Naw, Octy, I think ya should..." Fleetfoot started.
"Shut up Fleet! We shouldn't waste time!" Spitfire grabbed Fleetfoot's shoulder. "Those cons are getting away! I want my money back and my ship!"
I took a step forward. "I agree Spitfire. We should settle this before it becomes old."
Soarin guffawed. "You really want to go this route? You're out numbered, Assassins."
"No they're not!"
We all turned to see the Bearer of Loyalty standing on a low rooftop. Her swords were glowing intensely. The sun was behind her and thus I could not make out her face, but I could tell it was a scowl. She hopped down and walked to my side. She was silent in her approach. When she reached my side, she turned to face the Wonderbolts, who were not intimidated by her arrival.
"I only fight if the match is even anyway." Spitfire muttered. "There's no Honor in fighting with such an advantage."
"Oh really?" Rainbow spat. "Then explain the time when ya all ganked Fluttershy in Cloudsdale?"
"You weren't there Bearer! I took the whole Den on! She was just the last one to finish off." Spitfire answered.
"Shut it!" Rainbow yelled. "And guess what? Honor is the last thing you're gonna find here. We're all scum here. Yet, you still are the foulest of the bunch. Heh, I have to applaud the effort."
Spitfire only replied with a loud and ferocious growl. She drew her sword above her head. Such an action was curious as it had no real purpose. That was until I saw that it was a distraction. Her other hand threw a knife at our direction. Rainbow deflected it with her swords, creating massive sparks in the air. The Bearer made no hesitation and charged at the trio. I screamed internally with passion. I directed myself toward my true target. The "Captain" herself.
However, Rainbow swung at Spitfire, and Fleetfoot kicked me in the side. The sand was soft upon my landing and I quickly rolled upright. In the short time of separation, I threw down a smoke bomb, covering the empty street.
"You reeeallly think I'll fall for that?" Fleetfoot mocked as she jumped through the black smoke.
"Not entirely..." I muttered.
She swung her two cutlasses at me. I deflected the attack and counter with a low kick at her knees. My kick missed as she jumped back and away. Fleetfoot was a nimble and resourceful fighter. She was, for certain, the fastest of the three Wonderbolts. Since she was often considered the "third wheel" of the group, I did not know much about her. However, I soon realized that being the third wheel did not amount to much for the Wonderbolts.
"Keeping up Octy?" Fleetfoot giggled happily.
She jumped in the air and performed a quick spin-kick. I ducked easily under her leg. She followed up with both of her swords swinging directly down. I placed my armored arm in their way, stopping them. The steel prevented the blades from reaching me. She was startled by my action. I took the quick advantage and shoved her off me. It was a short moment of rest before she attacked again.
She swung again and again. When I deflected one sword, she would spin and attack with the other. It was steady and rhythmical. I soon broke her rhythm by catching her left sword with my hidden blade. I twisted the sword and kicked her firmly in the stomach, making her let go of the weapon. The cutlass fell to the sand without a noise.
"That wasn't nice! You're making me angry!" Fleetfoot yelled.
"It's about time you sadistic jester!" I retorted.
With a roar Fleetfoot clutched her remaining sword and went on the offensive again. She only handled her sword with one hand, letting the other be free. That free hand punched me in the face. With superior quickness, she grabbed me and threw me into the wall of a building. Before I knew it, she kick my face into the wall. With her foot still in my face, I swung my sword upward and stabbed her outstretched leg. I saw the blade go from the back of the leg to the side of the shin.
"Gah!" Fleetfoot screamed and fell over.
My sword remained in her leg as she clutched it in the sand. She was certainly not going anywhere with that wound. I never thought about finishing her off. She was not my target. I felt blood trickle down my face from her vicious kick. I had to spit some of it out of my mouth. I then picked up one of her swords and approached Spitfire, who was battling the Bearer in a fantastic show.
"For a mighty Wonderbolt, ya nothin' special!" Rainbow called out.
Rainbow's tactics were just as terrifying as I had predicted. Anything made of wood was on fire from her blazing swords. The swords themselves were attached to their sheathes by a thin chain, thus she could swing them about like a long morningstar. I hesitated from joining the fight right away because of the chaotic instincts of the Bearer. She would be likely to hit me with one of her blades.
I was truly impressed by Spitfire's ability to even stay alive in the rings of fire Rainbow created. It didn't matter if Rainbow used her superior range or not; Spitfire evaded all the attacks and occasionally retaliated.
"C'mon Bearer! I thought the Spectrum would be more than this!" Spitfire taunted back.
"You ain't seen nothin' yet!" The Bearer yelled and threw a sword at the Wonderbolt.
Spitfire threw a small barrel at the flying sword. A large grin was on her face. The sword went through the small barrel. Upon impact the barrel exploded and sent the Bearer flying backwards. Spitfire rushed over to the Bearer of Loyalty with her sword above her head. I knew I had to intervene and ran at the traitor.
She stopped in her tracks and turned to face me. The Bearer was still in the sand. I could not tell if she was conscious or not. The Wonderbolt captain chuckled and approached me cautiously. I was hoping to have surprised her from behind, but that was not an option now. We strafed in a circle and pointed our swords at one another.
"Did you come all this way for me? I can't think of a reason you or that....undead friend of yours would be in Baltimare."
"Shut your mouth Spitfire! Yes, you are the reason I'm here: to end you for what you did to my friend." I spat at her.
"How very thoughtful. It's only like you Assassins to lust for revenge. But I am sure no one will avenge you. Ever since your imprisonment, I hear you've dropped off the Bearers' favorites list."
"That doesn't matter. The Bearers can perish for all I care."
Spitfire stopped her strafing and cocked her head. "Really? You just prevented me from killing the Bearer of Loyalty. What you say isn't true. Are you deceiving yourself, Octavia? Are you spitting out words you can't back up? You always seemed like the hypocritical one, even amongst the Assassins."
"Stop stalling you traitor!" I yelled.
The Wonderbolt shook her head slowly. "Traitor...That word will never leave me as long as I live. However, it has no meaning to me anymore. One could betray the worse criminals in existence and still qualify to be called that...That word. I rather be a traitor of the Assassins than be the most Loyal of the Brotherhood. I could go through existence being called the most wretched of names, because I know what is right, what is Honorable. And I don't need some shard or Element to do or know so!"
She finally charged at me. The anger and rage was at its peak, giving me a satisfaction that was like...Chaos. We clashed with our steel first. Spitfire did not have Fleetfoot's speed, but made up with strength and strategy. In all of her attacks, she had a backup, a misdirection, a plan and scheme. If she missed with her scimitar, she did a backhand with her hidden blade. If we separated, she would throw a knife at me. If we got too close, she would stomp on my foot or kick me. Two could fight like this.
"If you stayed with the Brotherhood, you would have goods like this!"
I fired my wrist pistol. The ball struck her in near her collarbone. She grunted and then threw down a smoke bomb with her other arm. The area around me filled with the thick and blinding smoke. I knew she was only meters from me, but I didn't know where. The seconds seemed like hours in my supposed loneliness.
"I wish I had that 'Elemental Vision' Pinkie talked about." I thought aloud.
Suddenly, I felt a ruffle in the sand behind me. I quickly turned around with my sword. It met with steel and sparks. I gasped when I saw a black mask staring back at me. It was my Vinyl.
"Cool it, Tavi!" She told me.
"Where's Spitfire?" I asked desperately.
"Gone. Soarin ran off and Spitfire followed."
"What? Those cowards!" I screamed and walked out of the smoke.
"Heh, let's jus' say they had a reason for running." Vinyl laughed.
As I exited the smoke, I saw Pinkie and Fluttershy standing by while men from the Ragnarok taunted two fleeing figures. Some crew members held Rainbow by the arms. She was fine as she was cursing loudly at her men. I walked towards the Bearers, who had Fleetfoot sitting next to them. The Wonderbolt's hands were obviously bound and my sword was removed from her leg. Zecora was actually tending to the wound, which made me both curious and angry at the same time.
"What are you doing? Why heal the wounds for her?" I demanded.
Zecora answered simply. "I am sure many think the same, but she is no threat with being so lame."
"She's right!" Fleetfoot squeaked. It was obvious she was terrified.
I was not satisfied with the reasoning, but it would have been wrong to simply kill her. It was better that we gained a prisoner from this, a very valued prisoner at that. Spitfire may have abandoned the Brotherhood, but I doubt she would abandon her friend. Although I wouldn't count on it.
Rainbow walked over with a slight limp. "The nasty sods escaped! Well, at least we have one. Take her to the ship. We gotta leave anyway."
Vinyl made a grunt. "Huh? Why Rainbow?"
Rainbow crossed her arms. "The Big Man came to see me today. He's gettin' impatient. That's why I found you guys, to tell ya to get your bloody arses on board. We're going to the Labyrinth Isles to fetch his beloved Empress. We're going now." She was stern in her voice.
"But Spitfire and Soarin are still out there!" I pointed in the direction the two fled.
"Doesn't matter. Discord's orders come first. You can settle any arguments with them later. Besides, since we got Fleetfoot, they may come after us anyway."
With that, Rainbow turned and followed her crew. I clenched my fist and stood gazing down the street. Balts started to trickle back into the street we had fought in. Some gathered water to end the wild fires that were engulfing some houses. The merry skip of a certain Bearer was heard behind me. Pinkie walked over and hugged Vinyl and I tightly.
"I'm going with Maud, so this is goodbye for now!" She said. Her big smile was there as usual.
Fluttershy nodded. "I'm going with Big Mac....He had an open seat....If that's the term..."
Vinyl shrugged. "Eh, I doubt we're be away for long."
The two Bearers ran off. Vinyl and I headed toward the Ragnarok. My face started to burn from Fleetfoot's kick. I made a mental note to get back at her for that. This pain also reminded me to check Vinyl. I inspected her as we walked. To my confusion and mixed delight, she was unharmed.
"Vinyl, how did you fight Soarin without getting a scratch? No pun intended."
Vinyl looked at me. "I think you underestimate me Tavi."
I shook my head seriously. "I'm not. I know you and you wouldn't have escaped with nothing!" I raised my voice.
She sighed and took the shard of Hope out of her pocket. "This thing is pretty amazing..."
"That thing protected you?" I asked, astonished.
She simply nodded and put the shard back. With that, we both fell silent. We passed the tavern where our walk began. We passed the sugar seeker, who was resting on her porch. We then arrived at the docks, where I was smacked in the face by a fruit. We walked over the sand where Vinyl and I faced the Bearer and how she almost killed me. We walked on the docks where my friend and I fought beneath in the shallow water. We walked up the gangway to the deck of the ship where we saw the Bearer sluggishly attack her crew.
One could say it was a pleasant way to end the day, but I felt abnormal for the rest of the evening and night. Even my dreams were odd. Maybe because it was my first night on the waters. The waves could have messed with my head. I doubt this was the case. My dreams felt...invaded. Like one was stealing my privacy right in front of me. It made me think of the moon, for a reason I don't know. Perhaps I should contemplate such things at another time.
~