Chapter 16: Of Apples and Silver
Chapter 16: Of Apples and Silver
By Octavia Melody
The mud under my boots uttered disgusting sounds as I plodded through it. The day was dark and cold. Flashes of lightning and the rolling of thunder filled the sky. The rain was heavy and chilling. The Appleloosan Assassins scrambled around the small town, hauling supplies and storing weapons. I saw Braeburn shouting orders above the heavy downpour.
"C'mon lads! Get movin'! We can't let a little weather slow us down."
The Assassins picked up the pace. I slowly approached Braeburn. The mud and large puddles prohibited me from running or even jogging. The Den Master noticed me and greeted me without emotion.
"Good mornin' Den Master. The Bearers have been pushing us already. They don't want us to store all of our supplies in one building. Twilight wants us to spread out fo' some reason."
"That is interesting." I replied. "Where are the Bearers?"
"Hmph. The Hell I know. They've been questioning every Brother they get into contact with. They's also been sending patrols out along the walls."
"I assume that this is for the traitor?"
"Yeah. I think they're gonna use my cousin's Element to sniff out the bastard."
"It can do that?"
"Ha, beats me, but I won't doubt it, even if those Elements are so confusing."
Memories of Pinkie's Element filled my head. The images made me remember the price that the Bearers pay to wield the Elements. I wondered if the Elements were separate from their minds, or if they were one. Do the Bearers think for themselves? Or do they simply repeat what the Element commands? These questions made and still make me ponder the beings that are our leaders.
"Octavia!" I heard a voice shout from behind me.
I turned around to see the two Bearers approaching me. Twilight possessed an expression of frustration. They stopped in front of me and did not say a word. Braeburn and I bowed to greet them. Twilight cleared her throat before speaking.
"We require both of you for this, Den Masters. The Bearer of Honesty and I have our suspicions on who the traitors are. However, we cannot confirm them just yet. The last messenger that was killed had died three days ago. According to protocol, this means that we are expecting another to arrive sometime today. Braeburn, you are going to watch over the west entrance for any messengers. Octavia, you shall watch the north gate. Do not tell anyone else of these orders. Anyone who lays a finger on the messenger shall be apprehended and turned over to me. Do not kill any traitors. I want their execution to be public. Is this clear?"
We bowed in acknowledgement. Braeburn then turned and headed west. I climbed onto the rooftops and started my way to the north gate. Though the wooden roofs were slick, they were much better to travel on than the thick mud. A lightning bolt crashed through the sky. This reminded me not to be the tallest object, so I crouched and carried on.
I was almost to the north gate when I heard footsteps behind me. My first thoughts were of the traitor. I sprung out the blade on my left hand and readied myself. When the steps closed in, I swiftly turned around and placed my blade threateningly at the offender's neck. I soon realized that my follower had been Vinyl, who held her hands up in surrender.
"You alright Tavi? Cuttin' it a little close aren't ya?" She said through her black mask.
I pulled my weapon back. "Oh, sorry. I just.....I thought you were someone else."
"Hmph. I could tell."
"Well, what is it Vinyl?"
"What? I can't follow my friend?" Her body and voice expressed mock sadness.
"Ugh. No you cannot follow me Vinyl. I'm on a mission for the Bearer of Magic and..." I started to explain.
"Alright. Alright. Don't worry Tavi, I know. You always get that glint in your eye when ya have a mission. Well I'll be off. And do your mission well." She turned and left.
I was about to respond, but I decided not to and continued my walk to the gate. The storm still raged on. The wind had increased its ferocity, causing the wind to swirl around randomly. My teeth started to chatter as the cold water sucked out my body heat. I had never been this cold since the freezing winters in Canterlot. And to think I would be cold in this semi-desert.
I finally saw the north gate. I had never been to the northern part of the city since my first day here in Appleloosa. The rain did not allow me to see the rolling hills that stretched all the way to the Everfree. With my short journey over, I quickly sought out shelter. I found a small house and entered.
The inside was dry but, like every other building, was filthy and messy. The first room appeared to be a large waiting room. The only furniture was the many chairs and the single round table in the middle. The windows were only half-boarded. This was beneficial to me as I could watch the surrounding streets for any suspicious figures. I searched the room for anything interesting. I found many dry logs in the corner, next to the hearth. My mind immediately thought of a nice warm fire. I tossed the logs into the fireplace and searched the room for any ways I could start the fire. When I didn't find any, I opened the door to the back rooms and searched in there.
The back rooms were very different than the waiting room. The back rooms seemed to have had use since the town's abandonment. The ground was not as dusty and the furniture was all brushed to one side, creating a large path through the rooms. One point of interest was a small door in the far back. I walked over to it and opened. The other side was a short staircase leading down into a dark cellar. I had not seen many cellars thus far in the town. My curiosity grabbed me like it always does and I ventured down the stairs. Since I did not have a light source, I could not see much upon my descent. However, my eyes soon adjusted to the dimness and I saw something I did not expect. In front of me were many barrels and muskets laid upright along the walls. From the smell, I could tell that the barrels contained black powder. The muskets appeared to be in good shape, all bearing the Templar cross on their stocks. This was once a secret Templar supply depot.
I gasped upon my discovery. However, my mind was still bent on warmth and fire. I used my hook to open up the barrels. I dug my hands deep in the powder and carried a handful to the fireplace. I did this two or three times. My mind was filled with the thought of success that I overcompensated. I then took the flint off of the muskets. I broke the off logs' bark and splinters and gathered it into a small pile in the fireplace. I extended my hidden blade and struck the flint against it. The black powder ignited with a force that I had not anticipated. My small pile and the ends of my sleeves were soon on fire. Once I stopped the fire on my clothes from spreading I sat back to admire my work. The logs were in flames and the warmth emitting from them was satisfying. I removed my wet robes and rested by the fire.
When I was dry I quickly placed my clothes back on. It seemed that hours have gone by, but the rain was still as strong as ever, the wind, however, was non-existent. I watched the streets through the windows. The north gate was now visible due to the non-swirling rain. I did not feel comfortable to wait for the messenger inside. What if I didn't make it to him before the traitor kills him? I needed to be out there and be vigilant. I opened the door and walked out of the building. The fire still burned inside.
I took my hiding spot on a small tower to the west of the gate. The rain was lessening slowly, or I had become accustomed to it and it just seemed that way. Over there! My eyes soon perceived a rider in the distance to the north. The rider was swiftly totting towards the north gate. This was the messenger. I looked to the sky to tell the time, but the clouds prevented me from doing so. The rider slowed down upon entering through the gates.
"Greetings!" I heard a voice call out to the messenger.
Oh no. I had allowed someone to meet the messenger before me. I quickly climbed down until I was on a roof above the two figures.
"Greetin's! I came from Canterlot with dis message." The messenger yelled above the rain. The voice was familiar.
"Alright. The Den Master is this way. I wouldn't advise takin' your horse through these streets. He'll get stuck." The other told the messenger.
My eyes focused on the unknown Brother. The voice was feminine and heavily accented. The robes appeared to be a light yellow in the rain, but I could not see her face.
"Let's go." The figure told the messenger.
The messenger dismounted and followed the other. I slowly kept close to them on the roofs. The figure was not heading southwest as she should have been, but was heading to the east. I hoped from roof to roof and listened to them converse.
"What's your message?" The Assassin asked.
"I rather not tell ya. Well, not until I see the Den Master."
"That's fine."
The Assassin stopped in her tracks. The messenger also halted. The Assassin gestured to go down an alleyway. The messenger shrugged and did as the Assassin ordered. With the messenger in the lead, the Assassin followed. Before she disappeared between the buildings, I saw her slide out her hidden blade.
Now! I leaped from the room and ran towards the alleyway. I turned into the alley to see the messenger and the traitor fighting. I charged the traitor and tackled her. The messenger saw her opportunity to run away from the fight and did. The traitor and I stood off in the alley.
The traitor lunged at me. I dodged her attack and retaliated with an elbow to her face. She fell over and her hood fell off to reveal orange hair. I knew who it was immediately.
"So it was you, Carrot Top?" I said mockingly. "It was clear after I saw that you didn't fight in the last battle."
"Eh, so what? Scouts don't fight." She replied as she got back to her feet.
"Huh, you're still defending yourself even after being caught?" I asked in somewhat disbelief.
"Hmm...You're right. However, you died from freezing in the storm and the messenger never made it here."
"You think you can take a Den Master?" I taunted.
"Let's see!"
She charged at me again. The mud made our footing unstable and we slid through the alley. I grabbed her and threw her into the wall. She recovered and drew her sword. The traitor than swung at me with surprising speed. Hook! I grabbed her sword with my hook. Carrot Top tried to pull it out without success. I then twisted my arm and disarmed her. I then followed with a kick to her stomach.
The Traitor fell to her knees. She tried to get up, but I knocked her out with a knee to her chin. She fell into the deep mud. I walked over and picked up her limp body. I heard the cheering of the messenger behind.
"Woohoo! Go Octavia! Thanks for the savin' me, Den Master." She congratulated me.
I now had my first look at the messenger. To my surprise, it was the same messenger I had seen in the South Canterlot Den. Her golden eyes were still uneven and she still bore her goofy grin. I inspected her for some time. She finally became impatient and crossed her arms.
"Umm....Yeah. I'll take you to the Bearers."
"Finally!" The messenger exclaimed.
I dragged Carrot Top's body to Twilight. The rain had mostly subsided by the time I had reached her. Twilight was chatting with Applejack at the old home. The Bearer's expression lightened up as she saw my accomplishment. The messenger waved excitedly at seeing the Bearer of Magic.
"Well, well, well." The Bearer said. "I guess I should have listened to you AJ. You were right. It was Carrot Top."
"Ah told ya. Ah can always tell a liar when Ah hears one." Applejack said proudly.
"Are you doing the honors AJ?" Twilight asked the Bearer.
The Bearer of Honesty's face darkened. "O' course Twi. We gotta keep discipline in the Brotherhood."
The Bearer of Magic's attention turned to the messenger. "What news have you brought? I could use some good news right now."
The messenger opened her mouth and paused. "Umm...well...I...do have news...."
"Then tell us." I said.
"Uhh...Alright. The West Canterlot Den has been sacked by the Templar." She said quickly.
We all blinked in at this news. Applejack piped up. "What abou' the Assassins there?"
"Well...Many are unaccounted for. Den Master Minuette was captured and...."
"And what?" Twilight hissed.
"And....and died a criminal's death by hanging. The Empire had a public execution." The messenger squeaked.
What?! I couldn't believe it. The West Den had always been a stronghold in Canterlot. How could it have just fallen? Minuette was one of the Brotherhood's best fighters. She had held the rank of Den Master since she was in her late teens. Who could have led the assault against the Den? Only someone with knowledge of the Brotherhood. I slowly uttered one name. "Spitfire..." My mind then turned to my own home. Could this happen to the South Den? What of my Brothers there? I cannot stay here in Appleloosa while they are at risk.
"That is not the end of it Bearers." The messenger continued. "The Bearer of Kindness was visiting the Den when it was attacked. We......there are no signs of her. We believe that she was captured."
Twilight and Applejack's expression became enraged. Their fists became so tight that their veins bulged out. I could see their cheeks become red and their eyes wild. Twilight gritted her teeth and levitated the messenger to her. She then stared intently at the messenger.
"What......what did you say?" She said through her teeth.
"The Bearer of Kindness is gone! Pl...Please don't kill me! I'm the messenger! I just don't know what went wrong!"
Twilight suddenly magically threw the messenger away. The thick mud padded her landing. The Bearer of Magic then grabbed Carrot Top's leg and dragged her away. She then yelled over her shoulder.
"Get the others! AJ, we shall make this quick!"
The rain was only sprinkling by the time the Appleloosan Assassins had gathered in front of the large street. Some were cheering and some were merely whispering. However, all of our minds were focused on what was inside the circle. Carrot Top was sitting in the middle with the two Bearers circling around her. She was stripped of all her weapons and her hands were bound. The traitor yelled at the Bearers.
"Go ahead, do it! I did my job! Did it well. You criminals will not win. My death shall not be in vain."
"Really?" Twilight asked. "We have held back the Templar for over 200 years. The Brotherhood is bigger than ever. The Gryphon Kingdom is slowly dissolving. Freedom will win. This is a fact, traitor. I wish that you had kept to the Creed."
"The damn Creed? I ain't a traitor. I never was on the Assassin side. I have been aiding the peacekeepers all my life! The Templar want peace, you criminals only want bloodshed!"
Twilight stared at Carrot Top. "Then in that case, you are a spy. We Assassins usually do not like swift executions, but with the time constraints, yours shall be harmless. Hopefully. But I want to tell you something before Honesty sends you to the afterlife. Did your Order achieve peace? Of course not. They only seek power and money. Peace cannot be achieved through Absolute Order. Humanity is not made to be in chains, but to soar with Freedom. Freedom that is Harmony."
"Harmony eh? Well, you rebels certainly practice that." Carrot Top said sarcastically. "You can't even keep Harmony in your ranks! Your own Brothers helped me. Some of ya only seek power. Your 'Freedom' shall be your end. Freedom lets people choose. And they choose wrong, well, according to those who decide what is right or wrong."
Applejack lifted an eyebrow. "What're you implyin'?"
Carrot Top grinned. "Well, Bearer, I am simply sayin' that one of your men aided me. He told me where the messengers came in and allowed me to safely inform the Templar of your hideouts. This man is in the crowd right now. I am sorry that I couldn't die with our little secret, Noteworthy."
The Assassins gasped. I could tell where Noteworthy was since all of the Brothers around him stepped away. He stood there looking down. Twilight aimed a pistol at him. Applejack raised her axe above Carrot Top who closed her eyes.
"May the Father of Understanding guide me." The Templar uttered before being decapitated by the Bearer.
Applejack then faced Twilight. "She was tellin' the truth Twi."
Noteworthy walked towards the Bearers. He then stopped only a few feet in front of them.
"Noteworthy?" Braeburn snarled. "My second-in-command? Why did you do this?"
Noteworthy looked up at the Den Master. "Because I didn't want to see my Brothers die. Look around you Braeburn. This is what we are fighting and dying for. A bloody ghost town. There is nothing of value here. I wanted our efforts here to end and we move on. Yet, you send us out against the Templar to die in your fits of rage. You always did since you grabbed the bottle. The war here is aimless and your leadership is terrible. I helped the spy so that you will be outed as Den Master. I can lead the Brotherhood much better than you. I deserve to be Den Master. However, I didn't want any Brothers to die at her hands. I hope you will believe me."
The Den Master laughed. "If ya wanted my position, you could've jus' asked." He drew his swords and stomped over to Noteworthy. "C'mon! We'll fight! Winner takes all!"
Braeburn charged at Noteworthy. The second-in-command drew his longsword and deflected the Den Master's strikes. Twilight and Applejack backed out of their way. The Den Master and Noteworthy fought on, circling around Carrot Top's headless corpse. Each dodging the other's attacks and countering. Braeburn got the first hit by cutting Noteworthy's left thigh. The Assassin grunted, but fought on. Braeburn swung his sword at Noteworthy, who skillfully deflected the blade and twisted it out of the Den Master's hand. As Braeburn tried to attack with his other sword, Noteworthy lunged at him. Braeburn expertly sidestepped and stabbed Noteworthy in the shoulder with his hidden blade.
"No!" I heard an Amethyst Star scream.
Suddenly Amethyst ran in and swung at the Den Master. Braeburn quickly turned around and tried to deflect the oncoming sword. Braeburn's screams of agony could be heard as two of his fingers were sliced off by the Sister's blade. Amethyst raised her sword and prepared to finish the Den Master when a pistol fired in the air.
The sudden noise stopped the battle. The three fighters turned to see three levitated pistols, each aiming at one of them. They raised their hands and dropped their weapons. Twilight walked over to them with her arm extended, as if she was holding the pistols herself. I could see her cold stare as she inspected each of them.
"Enough." She said sternly.
The Bearer of Magic continued. "Noteworthy and Amethyst Star, you both have disobeyed the Creed. Normally, you would be executed like Carrot Top, but you both have done much for the Brotherhood. I shall show you two mercy. Go. Be gone. The Brotherhood will no longer aid you and if you are caught interfering with this war, we will be forced to terminate you. You are banished. Now GO!"
Amethyst quickly supported her wounded brother on her shoulder. They then slowly walked out of the circle and headed north. The Assassins were silent. Not one of us dared to speak. The former Assassins did not say a word or even look back. The rain began to fall again and we lost sight of them.
"Now for you...." Twilight hissed as she faced Braeburn. "Your actions were foolish. I am shocked that I have you as Den Master. I will not remove you of your rank, however, I shall have you closely monitored. If you do such actions again, you will lose your rank. Is this clear?
The wounded Den Master spat at the ground before he silently nodded. Twilight turned away from him. His cousin then lifted him out of the mud. The Assassins turned to leave, but Twilight's ringing voice stopped them.
"Now, with this matter over, we can focus on our true enemy. The Templar have been here for too long. We have allowed them to plant artillery and a fortress in this town. Throughout Equestria, we have allowed them to corrupt and destroy our homeland. Canterlot is now on the brink of Templar control since they sacked the West Den. We cannot stay in Appleloosa forever. Tonight we shall make a final assault on their fortress. We shall infiltrate their base as they sleep. Tonight, we either dine in their barracks, or we shall dine in Tartarus!"
The storm had completely passed by nightfall, though the clouds still loomed above us. The infiltration was about to commence. I held by my forces until the signal. Twilight had divided all the Assassins into four groups. Each was led by Twilight, Applejack, Braeburn, or me. I had taken the east side of the barracks. Many of the Brothers were armed with the muskets that I had found in the supply depot. We were equal to them in weaponry. My forces stood outside the town walls. The ground was much sturdier out here than the muddy roads inside.
"What's the signal again?" Vinyl whispered to me.
I sighed. "As I have told you before, it is an arcane thingy."
"That doesn't help."
"The Bearer of Magic is going to launch some purple light in the sky. It won't last long, so we have to..."
"There it is!" A Brother shouted.
I looked at the sky to see an arcane bolt shoot into the sky. As quickly as it shot up, it vanished. The Assassins quietly cheered and began to climb the town walls. I was the first one at the top. The surrounding darkness kept us hidden as we approached the barracks. We silently descending the wall and made for the barrack's walls.
We were about twenty meters away when I stopped the Brothers. Some of them looked at me with curious expressions. I pointed up at the walls. A Templar patrol was walking on top of it. If they saw us, then the mission would have been compromised. Luckily, they moved on. I signaled to the Brothers to start moving again. We lined ourselves at the bottom of the wall and then began climbing. The climb was slow and silent. The only noise we could hear was the chatting soldiers from within the fort. Most of them were talking about the bolt they had just seen. Once we were at the top, we stopped. It was not the time to reveal ourselves. We hung on the sides of the wall, waiting for our next signal.
"Alright Templar, we've had enough of ya." I heard the Bearer of Honesty shout at the front gate. "We caught your spy and here's her body."
The Templar soldiers began to stir. I heard their footsteps march toward the front gate. Some of the soldiers yelled while others laughed.
"Oh, lookie here boys! We gots ourselves an ursa of a woman." I heard a soldier shout.
"Well, that was mighty kind of ya to return the body..." Another jeered.
"They got ol' Carrot Top! You''ll pay for this!" A Templar screamed.
BOOM!
I heard the firing of muskets. I signaled to the others to climb over. The immediate Templar soldiers were quickly dispatched and we entered the barracks. I looked over across the barracks to the other side and saw Assassins swarming over the walls. Soldiers soon realized the situation and grabbed weapons and firearms.
"We're under attack! Hold them off!"
"Let's finish this!" Braeburn shouted from across the barrack's field.
The Templar base soon became a raging battle. Brothers swept in off of the walls and struck many Templar down. The barrack's gates opened and soldiers stormed through. I saw Twilight and Braeburn charge into the fight. Vinyl sat back and fired her musket. I extended my hook and blade and ran into the Chaos.
Duck! I ducked under a blade. The Templar tried to swing again, but I hooked his shoulder and flipped him over. Another Templar attacked me by thrusting his spear at me. I sidestepped and grabbed the spear. We fought over possession of the weapon until I kicked him in the knee. He let go and I skewered him with his own weapon. Quick! I dodged an axe that slammed into the ground. The Templar then attempted to pull the axe free from the mud. I easily killed him with a blade to his back. I looked up to see that we had a clear advantage. The Templar firing squads were being held by our own firepower. Applejack and her forces had barged through the front gate and supported our rear. Many of the Templar soldiers were in their night or relaxation clothes; they had not anticipated an attack at all.
The final battle of Appleloosa raged on. The Assassins pushed the soldiers to their barracks. Many Templar fired their muskets through the small windows, but with little success, as we returned their fire. We amassed in front of the barrack's large doors and slammed a wooden pole into it. Every smash brought the doors closer to breaking.
"Heave! One more'll do it!" An Assassin yelled.
With that the Assassins slammed the pole into the door, causing it to finally collapse. Once the doors broke, a final swarm of soldiers charged us. We were caught off-guard by the large remaining number. One of the soldiers was another Royal Enforcer. He charged at me and swung his large sword. I rolled away and faced him. The Enforcer was quick on his feet and swung again. I jumped back to avoid his blade. I ran towards him. He swung again, but I slid under his sword and stabbed him in the back of the knee. The Enforcer fell over and I finished with my dagger in the gap of his neck.
I stood up and the sounds of the battle were over. The silence disturbed me and I turned around. The Assassins had formed a semicircle around the barrack's doors. I made my way through the Brothers and saw what they were watching.
In the center was a tall regal man in polished silver armor. He possessed a handsome face and a large black moustache. His eyes were cold and dark. He stood still with a large sword clapped between his gauntlets. Across from him was Braeburn, who was pacing back and forth, keeping his eyes on the knight.
"Well Silverstar. Ya finally showed yourself." Braeburn said in a mocking tone.
"Of course, Assassin. I see that you have captured my base. And due to the lack of captives, I assume that I am the only one of my Order left here. What do you plan to do with me?" The General's voice was smooth and calm.
"We're gonna do what we shoulda done weeks ago! I'm gonna kill you and this whole battle shall be over." Braeburn extended his arms as to gesture to the entire city.
"So be it. It shall be the Equestrian way though. Leader versus leader in a final duel. We shall end this with honor."
"A duel?" Braeburn spat. "Ugh fine! We shall have it your way."
"Then we must follow the proper etiquette. First we stop pacing and stand still."
Braeburn took a moment to respond, but soon planted his feet firmly in the ground.
"Then we remove all of our weapons except our sword."
Braeburn started to remove all of his weapons. It took some time to do it, as he carried many daggers, knives, and pistols. He finally threw down his bomb pouch and looked at Silverstar.
"All of them, Assassin." The General muttered in his still calm tone.
Braeburn growled and threw his left glove off. However, the Brothers knew that his hidden blade was on his right hand.
"That's better. Now by Equestrian law, we plant our swords into the ground like so." Silverstar planted his broadsword into the ground to his right. He then removed his hands from the pommel and waited for his foe to imitate.
Braeburn was angrily muttering to himself as he repeated the General's steps.
"Now Leader of the Assassins, we shall bow and the duel will commence."
The General then began to give a long and formal bow. Braeburn, however, did not bow. The Den Master charged at the General with his hidden blade extended. The Den Master ran the short distance between in astounding speed. Silverstar saw the oncoming Assassin and reached for his sword. It was too late. Braeburn tackled the knight and stabbed him in the throat. Silverstar's hands were twitching wildly as his blood spouted from his body. Braeburn withdrew his blade and spat on the General.
"There's your bloody honor, General."
~
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Down goes the Templar Stronghold but at the price of an Assassin Den in Canterlot and its Den Master. Guess the Southern Den and Octavia will have to pick up the slack for the foreseeable future, huh?
5061478 Equivalent Exchange maybe?
In a war of attrition, no one gains any ground.
5061608 Heh, what's next, are you going to include zebra alchemy next? Speaking of which, is Zecora going to appear at any point in this story?
5061628 Well...You got the reference
No, not really, she may appear as a background character or "only for plot" character. I really don't know how to portray her in this story, otherwise she would have been in there already.
Rip Colgate.
I liked that revelations trailer reference you put in there...
6627822 I didn't remember putting one in here, but I would not be surprised If there was one. Since this is a crossover, having such references would be easy.