Harmony's Creed: Brotherhood

by Gapeagle


Templar Chapter V: Twisted Triumph

"Didn't you face Octavia before this?"

"Yes, she was just as lucky the first time as this time."

"Well, I understand your frustration then."

Sunset finished putting bandages around her wounded ankle. Her face was in a perpetual frown as she kept cursing under her breath. Starlight Glimmer sat across from her on a small wooden chair that was too short for her tall stature. The Grandmaster's hair was now in long elaborate curls and no longer in its usual boring ponytail. She now also wore armored plates on her thighs and greaves for her shins. Having her long legs crossed in a womanly fashion, these metal plates could be seen as her purple dress rolled off to the sides. Her affectionate smile was there and her terribly polite demeanor had not change. It was the complete opposite of the other Templar woman.

Sunset sat up on her makeshift bed and stretched her arms behind her back. Without her armor, her thick biceps appeared much larger with her arms at such an odd position. Bruises, cuts, and scares lined her arms and her bare shoulders. She wore no shirt as the Templar medic, who was walking back and forth from her room and the kitchen, was tending to all her swollen bruises that lined her chest and torso. The most severe wound was the one that Octavia had given to her so these wounds were nothing significant. However, without the armor the Templar Mistress's fit body could be inspected for its glorious worth.

"Your body often reminds me of a man. I'll even say it reminds me of a soldier," Starlight chuckled.

"I've trained long and hard," Sunset answered. "Not many women work as hard as me. Even before I joined the Templar, I trained alongside the men and I made sure anything they could do, I could do as well. Because of that, even the men compliment my muscles."

Sunset proudly flexed her arm to show what she was talking about. This made the Grandmaster giggle a little before they decided to both get up. The Templar Mistress put on a white shirt and believed that would suffice to cover her torso. Sunset then limped and refused to put weight on her hurt ankle. Together they walked out and into what appeared to be a tavern. There was a bar and several tables where Templar Knights and soldiers sat around and talked among themselves. They only glanced at this casual merriment before going into a back room behind the bar.

This back room was much darker and serious than the tavern. Maps, plans, and other scrolls were sprawled out on numerous tables. Templar walked about and would stop to bow or salute the two women who just entered.

"Well, about time you two got up," said a voice.

From one of the tables came Suri Poloman in her usual uninviting attitude. Unlike them, she was in her stylish Templar uniform that made her stand out so well. With a extremely curt bow to the Grandmaster, she cleared her throat and began to report to the two women.

"Assassin activity has dwindled immensely since the attacks," she said. "The Wonderbolts have dealt with some survivors, but that means they are no longer surviving, heh."

"That is good news, but how has the Empresses reacted? That's where it really matters, Suri," Starlight said calmly.

Suri frowned deeply at this, but continued. "The city is in lock down. The Royal Guards are pouring into every street and stacking on the southern gates. Anything suspicious is being actively confiscated by the Two Sisters. Getting supplies in will be difficult. Some of our scouts also report a large influx of mercenaries. Empress Celestia is taking no chances and is bolstering an army right before us. I predict that any Equality protests you may start will likely end in massacre."

"Interesting," Starlight stroked her chin. "We must remember that Celestia and Luna are the real threats to Equality. The Brotherhood is not done either, but we should not worry about them again for some time. It's hard to come back swiftly after such a blow."

"There's the Thieves Guild as well, Starlight," Suri mentioned. "They've been allies with the Brotherhood for a long time, but as of late, they've been the closest of friends. The thieves will certainly try and help rebuild the Brotherhood. I suggest we seek them out as well."

"Since you suggested it, I'll put you in charge of dealing with the Thieves Guild."

"I'll do it," Suri nodded. "It's about time my men got back at them for all they've done to me."

"I approve of your enthusiasm, but please keep a level head, Suri," Starlight smiled.

Suri rolled her eyes. "Of course."

There was an awkward silence before Starlight spoke again. "Well, um, where is Spitfire and her colleagues?"

"Over in that room with the noisy Assassin," Suri lazily pointed at a door at the end of the room.

"Thank you," Starlight bowed slightly and hurried over to the room. Sunset was surprised by the sudden speed of the Grandmaster and limped on to keep up. Suri grumbled as they walked away and return to looking at the numerous parchments that were on the tables.

The Grandmaster stepped inside the small room to see the three Wonderbolts looking at her. The blue-robed Templars were standing around a chair that was occupied by an Assassin woman. The woman had her hood down, revealing electric blue hair and magenta eyes. It was Vinyl Scratch. A black mask was on a table next to the Assassin, so it seemed logical that it belonged to her.

"How has she been?" Starlight asked.

"Quite talkative," Fleetfoot rolled her eyes, "but, ya know, in all the wrong ways."

"Sometimes even the best jester gets a tough crowd," the Assassin gave a dry laugh.

"Know anything about her?" the Grandmaster tilted her head to one side and inspected the prisoner.

"She's not a high ranking Sister, I know that," Spitfire huffed. "Probably joined around the time when we left the Brotherhood. Though if that's the case, she's been a low rank for some time. Way behind what she should be."

"Oi!" the Assassin frowned. "I do pretty well. The Bearers just don't see my true talent, that's all."

"About the Bearers," Starlight politely began. "Do you know anything about where they would hide?"

"Let me think..." Vinyl made a determined look, "I'm thinking....I'm thinking..."

"We don't need your antics, Assassin," Starlight's smile twitched. "You are only asking to be hurt by being so....disrespectful."

"Disrespectful?" Vinyl blinked. "Who are ya to talk like that? Ya speak to me like a bloody mother. Oh wait! Ya must be Starlight Glimmer, the new Grandmaster. Wow, the Templar sure are shorthanded, aren't they? My shit could make a better leader than you. I mean, are ya even trying?"

Starlight's eye twitched this time. "I'm trying to keep my patience."

"Ah, I see," Vinyl rudely said, only to be kicked in the shin by Spitfire, who glared at her.

"Just answer her! We've been treating you fair so far, just wait until you really piss us off!" the Wonderbolt snarled.

"If I haven't pissed ya off yet, ya are some patient bunch then," Vinyl chuckled.

"Listen, Assassin," Starlight leaned over to be eye level with Vinyl, "I have the Bough of Yggdrasil. I can take any thoughts or memories from your idiotic little brain. However, I despise using this method as the pain and damage it creates in a small idiotic brain is unsettling. So you have the delightful option of simply telling what you know. It will not kill you and we would be glad if you offer your services to the Wonderbolt Hunters. There's no shame in fighting for Equality, as that is what the Order now stands for. It's a much better goal than Harmony."

"Oh," Vinyl nodded. "Ya really doing this 'join me or die' sort of thing? I joined the Assassins to fight ya. Now why would I jus' give that up cause ya blew up a Den?"

"Assassin, we did quite more than blow up one Den. As of right now, there is no Brotherhood in all of Canterlot. As of right now, you have lost. There is no shame in switching sides now. We both fight for something that is beyond ourselves, so why let yourself die here? You have so much more to give this world, don't you?"

"Ya asked about where the Bearers are," Vinyl chuckled. "That means ya don't have 'em! Ya can't celebrate this early. If the Bearers are out there, you have no chance of winning. Do what ya will to me. See if I care."

Starlight scratched the back of her head. "I'll give you another chance-"

"Consider it rejected!"

This made the Grandmaster freeze. Why do they all take mercy for granted? She stared at the smiling Assassin. Such unbridled arrogance made her blood boil. Her eyes glanced around at the Wonderbolts, who stood there and awaited her command. She had lost all of her usual politeness. With a violent first step, she crossed the room to a table that was lined with torture tools.

"You know, Assassin," she said almost with a growl, "I used to believe the Brotherhood were actually a force for good. A group with an agenda I could understand. When my people allied themselves with the Order, I had an extremely difficult time understanding why the Order despised the Brotherhood. Order versus Harmony? Why couldn't you see that your goals were so similar? It took me some time to see the true differences."

Her hand went across several nasty tools. Her finger fell on a surgical knife and she picked it up with enthusiasm. It felt good in her hands and her heart beat faster at the anticipation of utilizing its sharpness.

"The Brotherhood did not actually fight for Harmony. They were the most disharmonious people I've ever come across. They did the unthinkable. They backed up the Two Sisters. Such an action is disgraceful in itself. You don't care about Freedom or joy, merriment, or happiness for the people; you only cared for getting your point across through the terror of the blade. You love to protect a pair of tyrants because you understand how tyranny works. You are tyrants yourselves. A disease that has plagued Equestria far too long. Your Brotherhood was founded just to spite the Order. You had no real goals, you just wanted to stop progress for humanity. You filled the air with your own voices just to drown everyone else. You had no real policies, no platform to stand upon, no philosophies to hide behind, no agenda to follow, just one bloody mess of killing and silencing for your own damn pleasure. My dear Assassin, I am troubled that you've been so misguided as to think you fight for something special. You are nothing but a disease that needs to cured. The Order will not waste time treating the symptoms. Sometimes a man must be put down like a wounded horse to stop the spreading virus in its tracks."

She clutched the knife and stood in front of Vinyl, who held her smirk still. Her lips shook with anger at the Assassin. She then looked at the Wonderbolts and pointed at the Assassin's mouth.

"Pry her mouth open," she ordered.

The Wonderbolts obliged. They grabbed her face and forced her mouth to be wide open with their hands. Vinyl struggled, but it was useless. Starlight brought the surgical knife over her mouth and held it there.

"Assassin," she said with hatred, "sometimes voices must be silent for the right ones to be heard."

Starlight dug the knife into Vinyl's mouth. Blood gushed out of the gums and poured out the sides of her mouth. The Wonderbolts held her head still and let the Grandmaster saw her tongue out. Unable to make proper screams, Vinyl could only utter guttural sounds. Starlight dug deeper and deeper, using the sharp blade to slice to her advantage. Blood continued to rush out of the mouth, spilling its redness on the floor and onto the sleeves of Starlight's dress. Even the Wonderbolts grimaced at the gruesomeness of the seen.

"Cry, shout all you want," Starlight yelled. "Soon you won't be able to! Understand this pain! Feel how it is to lose what's precious to you! Then you'll understand! You'll just begin to understand why I fight for my people!"

Starlight then reached a bloodied hand into the mouth and ripped Vinyl's tongue out. The Wonderbolts instantly released Vinyl's hand and allowed her to lean forward, letting all the blood inside fall out. The Grandmaster squeezed the tongue angrily before dropping it on the floor in a pool of dark red blood.

"Assassin," Starlight muttered, "I know you're a friend of Octavia. The only way you know who I am is through her. I hope she finds you. She must know what she is dealing with."

Starlight looked down at her clothes. Splatters of bloodstains were all over and her hands were coated with now drying blood. She peacefully placed the knife back on the table and short sigh, walked out of the room with her usual polite smile. She even waved at a Templar, but he was too interested in the constant coughing that could be heard from Vinyl.

The Grandmaster even said hello to the staring Knights and soldiers. Some recovered by the noises and returned to their drinking or chatting. Others took much longer with either looking at the floor guiltily or laughing the Assassin's expense.

To Suri Poloman, nothing was out of the ordinary. She did not even register a glance at the Grandmaster.

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