Harmony's Creed

by Gapeagle

Chapter 33: A Curious Homestead

By Octavia Melody

I looked behind me and sighed in relief. The Bearers had not followed me. It was just me and my horse. By this time, I had already passed the river and even the Canterlot Mountain. It had been almost a full day since my departure from the destroyed village of Ponyville. My arms and legs now ached with the amount of use they experienced in the large battle. I removed Vinyl's mask from my face. I did not realize how stifling it could be to its wearer. I reached in a saddlebag and pulled out my map.

"Alright, let's continue east until we get to the Bronze River. We'll follow the river all the way to Baltimare. Huh, according to this, we will stay north of the Swamps. Hmph, Pinkie was simply using that as an excuse to come."

The animal I was talking to did not respond and simply walked on. He was a good and strong stallion of North Equestria. The Bearer of Kindness had picked him out for me before we left the capital. I did not remember his name, but something told me that it started with a "J." I patted the beast lovingly. We had a long trek ahead of us.

I looked up at the sky. The sun was setting behind me. In my rush to escape the Bearers, I had forgotten a tent and many essentials for traveling. Thus, I needed a place to spend the night or sleep under the stars. The latter did not appeal to my Canterlotian ways, and with the forest around me becoming denser, I held the option with distaste. What I needed more than a tent, however, was a fire. A fire to protect me from the wild creatures and the many bugs that sprouted with autumn. Yes, fall was approaching, but it was still too early for the trees to change color.

I shuffled in my armor. The armor that Lyra had forged for me. It was not heavy, as one might think, as the steel plates were thin and only there to deflect instead of stopping a hard blow. Having this shiny addition to my new robes guided heads to me. It certainly made me conspicuous in my brief time wearing it in Canterlot. But I guess it was better than my other robes, as they had no protection whatsoever. Though the new large collar often rubbed with my neck, causing it to itch annoyingly. I should have refused Rarity's influence in the robes' creation. I did and still do not understand how she can cope with such an obtrusive accessory.

The stallion neighed loudly. I looked about to see what had bothered him, but alas, nothing was around us. The dark forest around us was quiet and tranquil. After going through the Everfree, my fear of forest like this was nonexistent. The Everfree's equivalent of a roaring manticore was the rustling of a chipmunk in this forest. I, however, would still not want to sleep on the old leaves and grass. I impatiently looked at the sun again. It was almost behind the western mountains. I had, at most, an hour left of daylight.

---

The hour quickly ticked away. I could no longer read the map as the darkness of night surrounded me. There was no moon out, so I had to stop soon. The horse sped its step. I had not commanded it to do so, thus I was greatly confused. We started to go up a steep hill. The dirt road we were on took a tight bend. The horse was almost at a trot by now. We rounded the bend and behold, there was a large house on the top of the hill. My heart leaped in joy at finding a place to stay for the night.

In the dark, I could not see much of the house. It was two-stories tall with several windows. The house was made mostly with bricks. The roof was slanted with shingles on the top. Around the house were many, many different animal pens. I could see chicken coops and, from the smell, I could tell there were pigs too. My horse walked up to the fence that surrounded the curious homestead and halted. I tried to urge him forward, but the stubborn stallion refused to walk any further. I sighed in defeat and dismounted him.

After tying him to a fence post, I walked up to the house. I realized that I was wearing my hood. I removed it as to not frighten the residents of the home. The walkway to the house was quite long. Many different decorations lined up with the walkway. Now, I use "decorations" lightly here, as many of the objects appeared to be parts of a ship or machine, sprawled about in an artistic way. There was half of a ship's steering wheel planted in the ground at a slight angle. The wheel's center had, what looked like, an elaborate sun. A sun much like Celestia's Sun. I could not be sure, however, as the darkness obstructed my sight. Another piece was a wooden statue of a gryphon with its wings spread out. I assumed that the owners were of the Gryphon Kingdom by this.

I finally reached the door. The door was red with a golden knocker in the center. The knocker was in the shape of a horseshoe. Two horseshoes to be exact, with the other one hanging at an angle below the first. I grabbed the knocker and banged on the door. I silently waited for a response. I could hear a chair scuttling across the floor. Heavy footsteps followed. The door then swung open. A large man with a thick brown beard stared at me with blue eyes. His dark brown hair was touched with gray. His rugged face bore many horrific scars. He was wearing a long white nightgown. His hands were massive and calloused. He snarled at me, showing crooked teeth.

"Go away." He demanded with a gruff voice and slammed the door in my face.

"Sir! I require a place to stay for the night!" I shouted and knocked on the door again.

"Persistent huh? Get off my porch ya shite!" He yelled back.

"I shall ignore that comment out of my desire for rest." I told the rude man.

"Final warning, go or I'll slice ya!"

"Dear, who is at the door?" A sweet voice sounded from inside.

"Gah, uhh...It's just a vagrant, love." The man stuttered.

"I heard her voice, that isn't a vagrant, Caramel, now let her in."

"But honey..."

"Now."

The door opened again. The man looked at me in utter defeat. He then reluctantly beckoned me inside. I walked in and he grumbled loudly. He then walked out of the house.

"I'll take care of ya possessions, m'lady." He said the last word through gritted teeth.

I looked about the inside of the house. It was rather spacious and very clean. Well-made furniture sat in every corner. A desk there, a table there, a nightstand there. The walls were lined with many different artworks. Most of them were of ships or the ocean. It was apparent that the residents loved the sea. The man's wife walked over to me. To my surprise, she was much younger than the man. So young that one could be easily mistaken for his daughter. As I had not had that confirmation at the time, I thought she was his daughter. The wife had bright yellow hair and yellow eyes. She smiled at me.

"Sorry about my husband, he can be like that at times."

"It's alright. Truly."

"You need anything to eat? Anything to drink? I can whip up something real quick."

At the mention of food, my stomach growled. I had eaten that day, but it seemed that I was hungry again. The wife took notice of my stomach and giggled.

"I guess that answers it. Here, sit at the table."

I sat at the table in the kitchen. She placed a pot over the fire in the hearth. The kitchen was also filled with paintings. With the similar settings and similar appearances, it was obvious they were all done by the same artist. As the wife cooked, I pointed at the works of art.

"Who did all of these?" I asked.

"The paintings? They were all done by my husband, Caramel. He is gifted with the brush."

"I see that, but why are they about ships and the sea?"

"It's how Caramel relives his memories. He loved the sea and his ships. But that was before I met him."

"What did he do?"

"Oh, you won't believe me, but he was a pirate of the Equestrian Sea and the Labyrinth Isles."

"I prefer the term, 'rogue privateer.'"

Caramel entered the kitchen with a grin. He lovingly kissed his young wife on the forehead before turning to me. When he faced me, his smile disappeared. He took a seat across from me at the table. He rested both of his weathered hands on the table. His eyes met mine. I squirmed a little under his scrutiny. He cleared his throat and addressed me.

"So why are ya here, missy?" He asked coldly.

"Why are you so hostile to me? I am simply a traveler." I said.

"A traveler with two pistols and two blades underneath her wrists, carrying about 12 throwing knives in that sleeve, a sword on her hip, pouches with who knows what in them and finally, steel covering her arms. Yeah, bloody traveler you are."

"Pays to be prepared." I responded.

"Against what? A cockatrice?" No need to hide what ya are."

"I guess you know what I am?"

"I bloody do, ya shite."

His wife glared at him. "Caramel!"

"Sorry, honey!" He apologized quickly.

"Then what am I?"

"You're an Assassin. You got the robes, the hidden blades, the hood, everything. I mean, ya not even hidin' it." He gestured at me.

"So you know about us. So what? That shouldn't mean I'm hostile in any way to you."

He gave me a look of disbelief. "Yeah it does. Look at ya, you're smothered in weapons. And I know ya religious freaks. I've dealt with ya so many times."

"Really? I thought you were a pirate?"

"Rogue privateer. And yes, I did. You Assassins and Templar made a mighty good profit for me."

I was about to respond when the hostess gave me a bowl of stew. Caramel leaned back in his chair. His wife took a seat next to me. Upon seeing her again, the man's face lightened up again. It was odd seeing his mood swings. He looked at me with a warm smile.

"Yeah, ya Assassins were good for business. I was such a nuisance to you guys. Heh."

I was skeptical. "How could you have been a nuisance to the Brotherhood?"

"Oh, many ways. Main way was, I would raid ya ships. Both you and those snobby Templars. I'll take those little artifacts you guys hoarded and then sell them to highest bidder. Most of the time that would be the Templar, but you guys won once."

"And what was that for?"

"The Element of Loyalty."

I almost dropped my spoon into the hot soup. I stared at him in shock. He returned my stare with a boastful smile. His wife simply sat there calmly, as if she had been in this situation before. I laid the spoon down. My eyes focused on him.

"What?"

"Ya heard right, lass. I robbed you guys of your precious Element. You see, nothing gets by me. I heard you guys lost your Bearer of Loyalty. Said he got diced up pretty good and that the Brotherhood was searching for a new Bearer. I knew the ship it was on, Eagle Eye, I think that's what the ship's name was. Well, anyway, I swept in there with me Ragnarok and took it. Took it right underneath your self-righteous noses. Then I sold it. You guys offered the most money, so ya got it back. Made 15,000 bitpieces off that."

There was so much to think about in that short story, however, I could only utter one thing. "The Ragnarok?"

He pointed at one of the paintings. "Yup. That was the beauty of my life."

"Hey!" His wife shouted.

"Uhh...It was until I met you." He recovered.

I stammered. "But-but, The Bearer of Loyalty is the captain of that ship."

"Aye, she is. Is that what ya call her now? Bearer of Loyalty? Pfft, with me, she's Miss Dash. Craziest gal I have ever laid eyes on. Girl's as bold as her rainbow hair. But I'm sure you know that already."

"Well, yes, she is known across the Empire now since she captured Baltimare and separated it from Equestria."

"That's my girl." He beamed. "She always took on the mightiest beast in the sea. She's as small as they come, but her heart is larger than even the bravest warriors. She's a gal one never forgets. Have you met her?"

"No, I have not, but I am going to Baltimare. It's why I'm traveling."

"Well then, best of luck to ya. Just don't call her short in any way and don't mention me." Caramel instructed.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked.

He nodded slowly. "There's a reason why she is captain and I'm here. To her, I'm dead. Buried at sea by nature. About ten years ago, I was chasing this Templar ship. It had a crystal shard in it. I wanted that thing so badly. I chased 'em into a wild storm off the coast of Fillydelphia. I put my whole crew, including Miss Dash, in danger. But it was me who was washed away by a wave. Wiped me clean off the deck. The waves drove me into shore where I waited until the storm passed. The Ragnarok stayed put since the Templar toppled her sails. When the storm was over, I swam all the way to my dear ship. I climbed the hull and was about to reveal myself to the crew when I heard her. I heard Rainbow Dash speaking with the boys. She was givin' a long speech about my demise. Her words touched me. You see, she was already the new captain by the time I reached the Ragnarok. The things she said, they showed that she was ready to be captain. I always wanted her to become one. Her time had started, mine had ended. I swam to shore and left the Ragnarok in her hands."

"That doesn't explain why I can' tell her that you live."

"She'll come lookin' for me. She'll come lookin' for her teacher and old friend. She's Loyal that way, like a dog. When a dog gets a whiff of their master, they will follow it until the ends of the earth. She belongs in the sea. I mean, when she became a sailor under me, it was like a bird who found out that she could fly. Nah, my time in her life is done. I showed her how to be a captain, and how not to be. I hoped she learned from my foolish mistakes. Oh look at me, Sassaflash, your husband is talkin' like an old man. Assassin, I hope I haven't bored with my story,"

I shook my head. "No, not at all, but one final question, why was that crystal shard so important?"

"You don't know? Well, it was a piece of the Crystal Heart. One that was found in on an island south of Manehatten. I believe it was the shard of Reasoning or something like that."

"I do not follow, what Crystal Heart?"

"Oh, you know Assassin, the thing that this whole Templar and Assassin war is about? I mean, I'm not even an Assassin, but I know this. Well, some of it."

My heart started to pound. "What is the Crystal Heart?"

"To Hell I know, but what I do know is that your Bearers sought the shards of it. Templar did too. They like gave the holder some sort of knowledge or power. I actually held one, one tiny little fragment, and it did this."

He showed me the palm of his left hand. There were burn scars all over it. His wife looked away. It was apparent that she did not like looking at such a horrid hand.

The shard that did this was Greed, I think. I was never sure 'bout their names. You see, an Assassin captain told me that they are named after thoughts, morals, ideas, that sort of thing."

"How many are there?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Hundreds? Thousands? Hundred-thousands?"

The enormity of it all made me fall back in my chair. Another secret the Bearers kept, from not only me, but the Brotherhood. How did this old pirate know more than me? A Den Master? My soup was cold now, as I had not touched it. But that wasn't on my mind. The Crystal Heart, the shards, the Elements, the Two Sisters, the Bearers, how much of this world did I not know? I felt nauseated by all of this. My hostess took notice of my reaction.

"Are you alright? Here, I'll get you to the bed."

"No, Lady Sassaflash, I'm alright."

"No your not m'lady." Sassaflash supported me on her shoulder.

My hostess guided me to a large bed. I laid down on the bed and rested. My head still spun with all the unanswered questions in my head. Caramel stood over me with an almost mocking smile, as if he enjoyed my distress. I have to admit however, that I probably appeared to be rather pathetic in my state. The former captain patted me on the shoulder.

"Heh, reminds me of Miss Dash when she discovered the world around her." His tone was ridiculing as it could be.

"Oh honey!" Sassaflash chastised him. "You don't have to mock her, she's a lady."

"Aye, that she is, and that's what makes it fun. Nothing gets me better than havin' fun with pretty dames. I'm lucky enough to have two in my house."

Sassaflash glared at him.

"What? I still complimented you, woman!"

I slapped my forehead. I would rather refer to these two as an "old couple" but couldn't since only one was old. And that one was a crazy pirate who now raised pigs painted lovely art of ships and the sea. It was just my bloody luck to come across these two in the middle of nowhere. The couple's bickering, the Bearers' secrets, and my low tolerance for anything slightly annoying, ushered me to this state of conflicting negative emotions. The hosts noticed my mental condition, as they stopped their prattling when the palm of my hand collided with my skull.

"Give me some peace so that I can think about what I've just heard." I told them politely through my gritted teeth.

"Hiya Octy! We finally found you!"

The next moments were sheer disgrace to my self and my dignity. My eyes widened to behold the Bearer of Laughter and the Bearer of Kindness standing in the doorway of the room. My first reaction was that of a childish tantrum. I started to bang the bed with my fist and squirm in my own agony. The shouts from my mouth were mainly curse words that not even Vinyl would use. I proceeded to grab a pillow and stuff it in my face, suppressing my screams. I finally threw the pillow at the Bearer of Laughter, who easily dodged it. I then pointed a rude finger at them.

"You followed? You damned followed?"

Pinkie nodded in her ecstatic fashion. "Eeyup! And I'm glad you are happy to see us too."

"You daughter of a swine! I told you not to follow!"

"Oh silly, my mother wasn't a swine, she was a rock farmer!" Pinkie replied cheerfully.

I was dumbfounded. "How? How?"

Pinkie shrugged. "Oh you know, we came in through the backdoor."

Sassaflash raised a brow. "There is no backdoor."

Pinkie looked at her with a broad smile. "Well, there is now."

"That wasn't what I meant, Pinkie!" I yelled.

"Oooooohh...Well Octy, you're like, the easiest person to track and Flutters is an awesome tracker. You walked through all the softest ground you could find. We just followed the tracks."

I fell back on the bed. I was so sure that I had escaped the Bearers. But no, they were right in front of me, telling me about my awful skills at disappearing. I rubbed my eyes in annoyance. Suddenly, the hearty laughter of Caramel filled the room.

"Haha, this night couldn't get better. I now have four pretty gals in my home. I can only see fun in the near future."

His wife growled. "Hey!"

~

Author's Note:

I realized that this is my first ship I've done. Huh, well, it's canon

Comments

[Linkonpark100]

Way to make Caramel someone very disgruntled and self-centered, yet have a joy for beauty.

[Gapeagle]

5253872 Glad you like him. I have plans for him, but mainly elsewhere and not in this story.

[Not so New Brony]

Hah, city Assassins, don't know how to cover their tracks, though the horse Fluttershy picked out for Octavia probably helped out a bit. Heh, I like your rendition of Caramel, an old sea dog living in the woods. Bet he'd have a lot of stories to tell

[Gapeagle]

5254270 Oh yeah, his story.... Yeah.....I wonder if he'll get a certain side-story with Rainbow......maybe....

[Not so New Brony]

5254294 I was expecting him to tell the Assassins when he was the captain of the Ragnarok with maybe an exaggerated retelling by Rainbow later on but the side story idea sounds even better

[Gapeagle]

5262538 If ya really wanna spam my comments, go ahead, don't take this as a warning (sarcasm)

Also, yeah there are errors (lots of 'em) in the first 9 chapters, as I was a bloody moron when it came to writing.

Oh and sentence fragments are a way Octavia writes, so I ain't changing them.