Detective Pie - Episodes from Manehattan

by Random Gamer

The Order - Part 1

Author's Note:

Heavy crossover elements with Assassin's Creed start here and continue until the end of The Order.

At Jorwood Street 48.

The white building wasn't very hard to find, since it was the only one on the whole street. Even though it was of modern design, it felt somewhat mystical and ancient since it's design was very different from any other building Twilight or Pinkie ever saw. Most of it was built out of what looked like white marble with the ornate windows and beautifully decorated pearl doors.

Twilight knocked twice and waited. After waiting for more than a minute without a repy, she started getting skeptical about the matter. Is the building abandoned? How can the world be real, if our eyes aren't? These questions and many more started plaguing her mind.

"I don't know Pinkie," she said. "What if no one's inside?"

"Ha!" replied Pinkie. "Piece of cake! Watch and learn, Twilight." Pinkie was suddenly wearing a uniform from an unknown fast food chain and held a box of pizza. She then approached the door and knocked twice.

"Anyone order a pepperoni pizza?" she asked, smiling. In less than two seconds, the doors burst open and a pony in hooded robes appeared. The door covered his face, with only the mouth being seen.

"Yes," said the pony. "Brother Veselius did. He'll be here shortly." Another pony, albeit a bit smaller, appeared near the first one. He handed Pinkie a pouch full o' bits and grabbed the pizza. The unnamed robed pony then proceeded the door.

"Wait!" shouted Twilight at the last moment. "I can help you!" The doors opened again.

"Are you beer?" asked the first robed pony. "Because, other than that, we didn't order anything else." Judging by voice, it was most certainly a mare.

"No, but I really want to help you!" let out Twilight. "We... We would like to apply."

"Apply for what?" asked the robed mare. "You wanna be a permanent delivery assistant?" Twilight sighed, not believing that the mare was so close-minded.

"Memberships, silly!" said Pinkie. "Why do you think we knocked?" The mare stood completely silent for a fews seconds and then let them in, leading them to a small room with two doors and no windows. Afterwards, both of them were asked to put on blindfolds.

"Why?" asked Twilight. "Why do we have to put them on?" The mare let out a short laugh.

"It's a part of being accepted," she said, "A very vital one. Don't worry, they aren't soaked in poison." Since the two undercover detectives had no other choice, they reluctantly put on the blindfolds, led around by the mare for what seemed like forever. Afterwards, she put their blindfolds down. The first thing they saw was a much bigger pony infront of them, meditating in the middle of the room, with his back facing them.

Instead of having the simple white robes they saw earlier, his robes were adorned with all sorts of red, almost-runic markings along with same coloured patches around his shoulders. He too, wore a hood along with his robes.

"Grandmaster, I bring you the newest recruits," she said. "They wish to apply."

"Very well Seera," he said. "I will test their will and see which of them is strong enough to stay." After saying this, he stood up and turned to Twilight and Pinkie. Seera, the pony that led them there, left the room shortly after. Twilight noticed he wore a leather vest with layers of blue and red cloth visble underneath. His hood covered his face and a had golden beak on it's tip, reminescent of an eagle's. Some sort of brace was also seen around his front left hoove but it was impossible to say what it was from this angle. Pinkie, instead of paying attention, was pretending to be cross-eyed, mimicking the eyes of the somewhat famous mail mare.

"What brings you here?" he asked. "What do you expect from this place?" Pinkie's eyes rolled from one side of her head to the other, causing the grandmaster to look concerned about Pinkie's sanity.

"We were told that everyone who goes inside," said Pinkie, hear eyes finally fixed at their normal position. "Leaves without a worry in the world."

"So, you expect to find happiness?" he asked her. "There are many ways of achieving it, but this is not the place. But if you see hapiness in... 'removing' something that causes you worry, young one, then you're on the right track."

"That's the reason I came here," said Twilight. "To learn what I cannot learn elsewhere and help in a way I couldn't before. Break the bars I've set and look up to one's limits, hoping to achieve well above them." Twilight quoted a story involving the Solar Order, saying exactly what a recruit said to prove he was worthy of being a member.

"If it is knowledge you seek, I will teach you," he said and looked at Pinkie. "If that knowledge will make you happy is another thing, especially for someone with your condition." With this said, Pinkie was obviously out of the game.

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold the phone!" she let out. "I wanna join too! I ain't leavin' my sis to do this alone!"

"Ah, a sisterhood. You must lern to temper your eagerness with caution," he said. "You will learn alongside each other and become partners, but if one of you fails, you both fail. If it is truly a strong sisterhood that binds you together, you will suceed. If not, you will fail." Twilight bowed and since Pinkie already said a bunch of stupid things, she did the same. The grandmaster took a scroll out of his vest and started reading it out loud.

"Repeat these sentences," he ordered them. "I will not draw attention to this place or any of it's members."

"I will not draw attention to this place or any of it's members." repeated Twilight and Pinkie in unison. They did not question why such a rule existed, even though Twilight really wanted to. If any similiar rule arised, she probably will, if the grandmaster allows her to.

"Let ponies mask you such that you become one with the crowd." said the Grandmaster. Twilight was starting to feel sceptical. Sure, not drawing attention to anyone from the Order of Light is a good thing, but what exactly did the second thing mean? Why would anyone from that Order need to 'become one with the crowd'? It's not like they were some sort of thieves or assassins.

"Please, repeat the sentence." uttered the Grandmaster as if he noticed Twilight had doubts.

"Let ponies mask you such that you become one with the crowd." repeated Twilight and Pinkie in unison once again. It appeared that Pinkie, despite her crazy being of the chart, had absolutely no problems with any of this and just carried on. Twilight, on the other hand, felt more and more doubt as more rules surfaced. She needs some answers.

"My actions must never bring harm to us - direct or indirect." said the Grandmaster. Harm? Why would she or Pinkie cause harm? Unable to relay his words, she gave asked a question instead, much to the grandmaster's dislike.

"Why would my actions cause harm?" she asked. "Isn't dealing with things without violence the purpose of this place?" The grandmaster looked around and then pierced Twilight with his gaze.

"I'll tend to your questions only after you finish the oath," he said. "Now, please repeat the sentence, recruit."

"An oath?" she asked, shocked. "Why on Celestia would I need an oath?" The grandmaster put the scroll on the ground and stood up, towering above Twilight.

"Do doctors not swear to do no harm?" he asked. "Do lawyers swear not to value finding what's true above everthing else?" Twilight was unable to answer these questions, as he was right. She tried thinking of a counterargument whilst biting her lip, but was unable to.

"By swearing your allegiance to us, you join not a group of misfits," he said. "You join a family, A brotherhood of brother and sisters." Twilight was completely speechless and since Pinkie was eagerly waiting for her, she decided to let go of her doubts for now and say the last sentence of the oath. The grandmaster once again sat down and took the scroll from the ground.

"My actions must never bring harm to us - direct or indirect." said Twilight and Pinkie in unison. Afterwards, the grandmaster, closed the scroll and tucked it back into his vest.

"Welcome to the Order of Assassins, my fellow recruits," he said, a bit of joy in his voice. "It's a rare ocassion for some to just walk in and wanting to apply. but you... You give an old stallion hope for the future." Pinkie and Twilight looked at each other, mouth agape.

"Order of WHAT?!" asked both of them in shock. Walking into a completely different building was one thing, but joining a group of murderers was another.

"You've heard me loud and clear, recruits," he said. "This is the Assassin Order, an ancient order of mares and stallions following the Creed and living by it."

"This... this isn't the Church of Light?" asked Twilight.

"No," he replied. "That one is at Ioerwood Street, not this one."

"Well, what a funny coincidence!" said Pinkie. "We'll be on our way now." She tried to casually escape by moonwalking, but two members were guarding the doors, not letting her out, despite her fabulous dance moves. She gave them a worried smile, slowly walked back to Twilight.

"You cannot leave," he said. "Especially not after what you've heard. You swore the oath and you will follow it." Since Twilight saw no way out of this situation, their only choice was to play along and become assassins against their will, just for the sake of not being killed or worse.

"Fine, we will follow your so-called out oath and do as you wish." Afterwards, Twilight looked at Pinkie, who, despite her worries, nodded.

"Very well, my recruits," he said. "Seera will introduce you to the rest of the recruits, along with Initiates and Apprentices and assign you a bed. Follow the rules and you'll do more good than you ever done in your life. Break them and a group of assassins will be sent to hunt you down. Risk the life of me and I will kill you myself."

"Y-yes, Grandmaster." Said both of them in unison.

"Today, you have learned the three tenets of the Creed and tomorrow, you will be taught the three ironies and on the day after that, you will be taught the Maxim, the final part of the Creed," he lectured them. "Now, Seera will introduce you to you fellow brothers and sisters-in-arms and show you where you can rest."

Without any sort of complaining, they followed Seera into the shared lounge. She then introduced them to other members, one by one, and showed them their respective rooms. Almost instantly after entering her room, Twilight started planning an escape plan, hoping to get out and investigate the real Church of Light. Only time will tell if she'll suceed.