> Harmony's Creed
>  by Gapeagle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: A Familiar Situation 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	
 Chapter 1: A Familiar Situation

By Octavia Melody

Ah! It felt lovely to hold a quill once more. It's been too long since I had a chance to record the Brotherhood's activities and my own story. The duties of Den Master are endless. I was either performing some menial task like bribing the Canterlot heralds or assaulting a Templar courier. Though sometimes I have been sent on larger missions with the Bearers of Harmony, but not lately.

But now I had the freedom to relax and write. A privilege that many cannot boast about. The majority of people here in Equestria are illiterate. The common folk do not see the reasoning behind reading. I cannot imagine being illiterate. It is not blood or death that make me cringe but this certainly does. Maybe it is the Templar's doing. To create a sense of disregard for learning and knowledge. A people who do not know the wrongful actions of their government cannot object to them.

I am going off topic! I should be writing about our activities no? Well, the Templar are on the move once more. They seem to be adding on to their already vast military. It appeared that their recruiter, Iron Will had been busy. The brute practically forced the Equestrians to join their Order. I doubt the Templar or even the Equestrian Empire possess any volunteers. The Templar established a barracks in the newly formed town of Appleloosa to the south. The Brotherhood had already stationed a Den close by. The Den has no master yet, but hopefully will in the next upcoming days. This war of attrition between the Templars and us has the impression to be continually spreading. It may go beyond the Equestrian borders in the next two years. Though I consider that unlikely. 

I feel like I must reveal the history of our enemy. The Templar were established long before the Assassin Brotherhood. According to legend, they were founded by the Shadow King Sombra of the Northern Crystal Empire. His goal was to establish complete Order. He called it Absolute Order, where the few make the choices and the many follow out their commands. Leadership was to be never trusted in the hands of the common folk. They were too insignificant to reign. There was to be no Chaos or Harmony. Though Harmony had not yet formed into existence. All that we really know about King Sombra was that he was successful in the creation of Absolute Order and the Templar. After his death, his minions took his Order beyond the Crystal Empire, spreading it to the far corners of this mysterious world. Now it seems they run this Empire along with the Two Sisters.

We Assassins have never had influence beyond Equestria. We started right here in Canterlot. The old Starswirl the Bearded founded the Brotherhood two centuries ago when he created the Elements of Harmony. The Templar influence had reached Equestria by then and he feared them. The Templar, even at that time, were known to be greedy and manipulative. They could overthrow a government in days and none would be the wiser. So He gave the Elements to six nameless heroes. They were the original Assassins. They formed the Creed and fought the Templar. Generations past and we still have the Elements. The Elements can no longer be freely given like how Starswirl performed, they now choose their Bearers. This generation, the Bearers are six girls. Their names are Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity. They, like me, had very humble beginnings.

I was a musician that played for the haughty noblemen and women at Canterlot balls. It was not until my old friend Vinyl Scratch threw me into this organization, that I had any authentic purpose. I did not join by my own choice, but by Vinyl's. Unbeknownst to me, she was an Assassin. She thought I would make a fantastic contribution to the Brotherhood. I didn't want to abandon my only friend, so I reluctantly joined. I rose above her in rank but she still outshines me. She is the unofficial "Destructive Junkie" or "DJ." Her term for weapon and machine inventor. She works alongside the Brotherhood's chief engineer, Lyra Heartstrings. They have invented many contraptions that let us have the advantage over the Empire and the Templar. One of them is the pistol, a small device that propels a lead ball at high velocity, meant to puncture and bleed an individual. This weapon has been a favorite of the Bearer of Magic. 






As I wrote this, I turned my head to the right to find an imposing black mask in my face. The wooden mask had no facial features. The only feature it possessed were two purple eye shaped lenses allowing the wearer to see. The dark purple lenses created a sense of soullessness in the mask's wearer. If I hadn't known any better, I would have screamed and attacked the menacing mask. Instead I gave a frustrated sigh.

"Vinyl, I am writing! You know how easy it is to startle me when I am writing!" I shouted at the mask.

"Aww! Tavi, you know how fun it is to mess with ya." The inventor responded while sliding a hand through her electric blue hair.

I crossed my arms. "It would be fun for both of us if you didn't wear that bloody mask everywhere."

Vinyl chuckled. "What? This mask is practically my identity. There isn't much to hide beneath it."

"What are you doing here at such a late hour anyway?" I questioned.

"Oh yeah, that's why I'm here. You have a summons by..." She started an improvised drumroll. "...The Bearer of Magic!"

These were summons I could not ignore. This by far was not the first time Twilight has called for me. This was just such an unusual time. Maybe it was a vital mission? A new campaign to begin against the Templar? I must stop writing here for now. I must get to the Bearer of Magic. 


~

	
		
> Chapter 2: Commands Delivered
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2: Commands


By Octavia Melody


I followed my fellow Assassin to the Bearers' quarters. The Bearers rested separately from all the other Assassins, as they are of the highest rank in the Brotherhood. Vinyl opened the door and gestured me to go in. I entered and Vinyl closed the door behind me without coming into the room. By the many candles in the room, I could clearly see the Bearer of Magic leaning over a large wooden table. Her lavender robes contrasting with the room's light blue walls. The table was smothered with maps and other documents. It seemed rather messy for the Bearer's usual standards of organization. I assumed it was due to all the stress of having to run the Brotherhood. 

Beside the Bearer sat a young boy. He had green hair and eyes. He wore a very fine purple garment. Just right for his small size. He was holding a quill and large sheet of parchment. This boy was known as Spike. That was just his nickname, as we did not know his real name. There were rumors suggesting that he was a Templar experiment to advance some medicine and the Bearer of Magic rescued him on one of her missions. By the scars on his body and face, it was not a ridiculous tale. The Templar advanced technology in any way possible. They did not care how. 

The Bearer of Magic turned to face me. Her cold magenta eyes stared into me. I did not gulp out of fear, but out of respect. None of the Brothers or Sisters feared Twilight, but instead had immense amounts of respect and affection for her. She had been a good leader and mentor. We hoped to prosper under her command.

She turned her head slightly. The movement rustled the pistols that rested in her sashes. I noticed her flowing purple hair escaping the robes' silk hood. Her slight frown was the most notable feature.

"You have arrived, I see," she said almost absentmindedly. 

"Yes, Bearer! I have answered your summons." I humbly stated.

"Our scouts have intercepted a Templar courier right next to us in the South District. They recovered this message off his corpse. Take a look, Den Master."

She gently levitated a sheet of parchment into my hands. I still had yet to get used to her abilities. The Element of Magic granted its Bearer power over the arcane arts. Something that none possess except for the Two Sisters. Though we did not know how they possess such power.

I read the parchment. It was a Templar message stating that an prototype "train" was being developed in East District of Canterlot, followed by a short description of the machine. It was a large steam powered engine used to ship supplies across land at high speed. 

Twilight looked at me, "I hope you see my concern." 

I understood the situation perfectly. If the Templar created such a thing, they could send troops and supplies at any part of Equestria or even get help from other Templar controlled countries like the Gryphon Kingdom. The Brotherhood had halted them from making such efforts before, but with this they could easily out run us. Since our main transportation was by horse.

"So what is your command, Bearer?" I asked.

Twilight leaned back on the table and placed a hand to her sharp chin. "Well, obviously we can't let this "train" be finished. Though, since it is in Canterlot, we cannot storm the facility either. We would not want to rouse the enemy or the Empire in their own capital. I need this to be at most, a two-person mission. The Bearer of Generosity has already volunteered for this mission. You shall go along with her to support her.  Be sure to leave no schematics of the train. Do not keep them either since we do not possess the means to build one. Go. The Bearer awaits you on the Den's rooftop."

I swiftly exited the room. I ran back to my quarters to retrieve my twin daggers, my smoke bombs, and my throwing knives. This was certainly a surprising task. I was not usually sent on a mission without a couple days preparation. Twilight must have been extremely keen on dismantling the train prototype. What made it even more odd was that I was operating with Rarity, the Bearer of Generosity. She was a strange woman. She, being a former Canterlotian seamstress that was raised in Ponyville, had high regard for accessories. Her robes were much more ornate than any other Assassin I've seen. Maybe to the point of impractical. But I must hurry anyway. I would not want to be late to a superior. 







I effortlessly climbed onto the Den's roof. Being in the South District, the view was spectacular. One could see literally miles of green land to the south. The view of the north was just as notable since all one's eyes perceive are the massive spiraling towers that define Canterlot. My eyes caught a white figure sitting on the edge of the roof. The figure's robes contained several layering collars. The belt was lined with jewels and the boots were of the finest quality. The figure's hood possessed a rather complex Brotherhood symbol on its side. This was certainly Rarity. I walked over to her. She glanced at me with sapphire eyes and a subtle grin. She then beckoned me to sit beside her. I complied.

"Well, it is pleasant to see you, Den Master. Tell me darling, how has your night fared?"

I hesitated due to the calm and cheerful tone in her voice. "Nothing to note, Bearer. Should we proceed with the mission?"

She sighed. "Oh, don't be so formal, dear. I may be a Bearer, but that does not mean I am some military official. We are not so strict like the Empire. Relax. It helps free the muscles."

I tried to obey. I tried to focus on other subjects. In my attempt, I looked up. The night was clear and the moon shined down on us. It was our only source of light. I looked down. The streets were empty except for a few wandering thieves and beggars. Hm. Two kinds of folk who just wished for money, yet obtained it in very different ways. I was contemplating this further when Rarity stood up and stretched.

"Well, we must be going. We would not want the Templar to miss us."

I hopped onto my feet. Rarity was already far ahead of me, running and climbing swiftly on the rooftops. I followed. Grabbing this ledge, surmounting this tower, running across this wire. I felt at home. Ever since I joined the Brotherhood, I quickly took to the art of parkour. Vinyl was the one that taught me how to do it. She was still better at it than I though. I had yet to beat her in a race.

I must admit, Rarity was much better at parkour than I had previously imagined. It seemed like she was floating above the ground. This impression was further increased by the fact that she performed it with such fanciful style. It almost seemed like she was mocking me and my attempts to catch up with her. I doubted that these were her intentions, but one could never tell with the Bearer of Generosity.

The Bearer stopped in her tracks. I expertly avoided running into her by sidestepping to her right. She glanced at me and then pointed to a well-lit building. The building was not one of Canterlot's finest constructions. It looked shabby and haphazardly made. It was surrounded by torches and readied guards. The guards wore the golden armor of the Equestrian Empire's Royal Guard, though some wore the crimson armor of the Templar.

"That is the place." Rarity whispered.

"What is the Empire doing in this Templar facility?" I whispered back.

"Beats me darling, the Empire has worked with the Templar for centuries now. Maybe they are becoming one of the same."

I cringed at the thought. The Templar have been at the helm of the Empire for almost two centuries. Though the Empire has never directly helped the Templar cause. The Two Sisters have ruled long before the Elements were created. The Brotherhood hoped that the Sisters will never become Templar leaders. However, we could not rule out everything.

The Bearer of Generosity clicked her tongue and gestured me to follow. We headed to the back of the facility along the opposite rooftops . The back door was only protected by two Guards in heavy golden armor. This was going to be easy.

We hopped down from the roof. The shadows concealed us from the Guards' eyes. Rarity stood up straight and sauntered towards the guards, making no attempt to be stealthy.

"Stop right there, madame! This is a restricted area!" One of the Guards shouted.

This did not hinder Rarity. She kept up her elegant stride.

"We're warnin' you miss. This is a restricted area." The Guard shouted with slightly less authority.

The Guards lowered their halberds. If shouting didn't work, maybe intimidation will. Rarity walked right between the sharpened points.

"That's no way to treat a lady. Will you gentlemen let me pass?" Rarity gently requested.

"NO!" They shouted back in unison. 

Suddenly Rarity plunged forward and stabbed both of the guards in the neck with her hidden blades. The guards desperately reached for their necks as they fell to the ground. I stood in the shadows, still trying to understand what I had just witnessed. I ran over to the Bearer.

"Was that necessary? You almost got us spotted! We could have just killed them from the shadows." I suggested.

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "It is more polite to just ask, Octavia. Since they were Guards of the Empire, they could have said 'yes.'" 

My face tightened at this. I was not one to be "polite." I rather have been cold and efficient. 

"No, I bet you were just trying to show off your seducing skills!" I said.

Rarity's expression turned from calm to shocked. "The audacity! It is not lady-like to use their own charms against men. This is certainly not the case! Now, we must be going." She then angrily pointed at the door, silently telling me to go first. I entered the building, hoping that the Bearer's methods ended there.


~

> Chapter 3: Old Enemies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3: Old Enemies


By Octavia Melody


I instantly felt an increase in temperature as I entered the building. Rarity followed close behind me. The inside was bright and active. Templar guards patrolled the area while clearly overworked steel workers bended and hammered the metal for the locomotive. To the right of us was a large furnace, the reason for the heat of the building. Rods of iron were slowly being heated in its intense flames.

We both hid behind a pile of boxes, containing the Sun knows what. Rarity tapped my shoulder and pointed to the low rafters in the ceiling. 

"We could climb up to them to get a better view of this place." She whispered.

I nodded my head in agreement. We both silently approached for the wall. The shoddily crafted walls were easy to climb. Mainly due to the many uneven boards and beams that stuck out of the wall. We tiptoed onto a rafter and observed the surroundings. The entire structure was a single room. On the opposite side was a wooden door, no doubt leading to the chief engineer's room. In the middle of the room sits a metal contraption, barely half-built. This was the train.

I glanced over to Rarity, "Bearer, how are going to destroy the train?"

"Oh, with these!." She reached into her side pouch and pulled out three cherry bombs. "Twilight made them for the mission. Rude of me not to inform you beforehand."

She continued, "Now, since I have the bombs, you should worry about the schematics. Once you have destroyed them, I shall proceed with the train."

Without hesitation, I initiated my trek across the facility. Hopping from rafter to rafter. The guards on ground level were far away enough to not hear my steps. When I arrived right above the chief engineer's room I stop and assess the situation. Below me were two soldiers chatting with themselves right in front of the door. To their left was a pile of metal. To their right was a Royal Guard leaning on a craft table. I am not sure if he was awake or sleeping. 

Suddenly a box close by the Royal Guard fell over. The guard grunted loudly and headed over to the box to investigate.  The guard leaned over to inspect the box. A white arm flashed at his neck and puled him into the shadows. This was my chance.

I took a deep breath. The chatting Templar were still right under me. I slid off the rafter and plunged towards them. Before they could complete their next sentence, both of them were pinned down into the floor by my blades. I instinctively dragged them into the empty engineer's room. I did not want their bodies to be found. I began to search the room for the schematics.  Many pieces of parchment laid over the small table. Designs, failures, redesigns, letters, orders, workers' strike, everything was there. I grabbed a nearby torch, the only light source in the small room, and dropped it on the table. The flames quickly engulfed the designs. I smiled and turned to leave. Once I exited the room, I saw three large black balls being rolled towards the locomotive. My eyes widened at this. I forgot that they were bombs. The noise of such devices would surely alarm every guard in the East District. 

BOOM!

The sound deafened my ears. Shards of the locomotive flew in every general direction. I saw steel workers fleeing in terror, Guards rushing towards the offending ruckus, and Rarity sprinting straight to me. She grabbed my hand and together we ran toward the front entrance. Several guards were in the way, but that did not stop us. I chucked a smoke bomb at them. The bomb exploded on the impact of a Templar's face. The white smoke filled the area, causing the guards to cough and gag. Rarity and I held our breath as we ran by them. 

We exited the facility. I looked back to see flames spitting out of the roof. Apparently, I had caused a larger fire than what was necessary. It was not my intention to burn down the facility, but it may prove to be for the better. 

Rarity and I continued to run. I could faintly hear the shouts of the furious guards that chased us. Though they have no hopes of catching us with their heavy armor. We turned into a thin alleyway and halted to recover our breath. 

The Bearer smiled at me, "Couldn't have done better, if I say so myself." 

I did not respond. I was usually not social after a mission. My mind was still processing the recent events. 

My eyes caught a faint light at the end of the alleyway. The light was beginning to become brighter. The light was getting closer to us. Is it the Guards and soldiers? Is it some common folk out in the early morning? I grabbed the hilt of my daggers just in case. 

The light brightened as the torch came into direct view. A hooded figure wielded the torch. The hood was a light blue with a zigzagging yellow line down the middle. The side of the hood possessed a red cross pattée. The insignia of the Templar. All I could see of the figure's face was a wide grin. The figure proceeded to removed the hood from its head. The action revealed spiky orange hair and fiery orange eyes. The face was that of a women.

"Good to see you guys again huh? We knew you would attack the train, so I've been waiting here for you." The women stated. The grin still large as ever.

I glared at her. "Nice meeting you again, Spitfire. How's the Templar been treating you since your betrayal?" 

Spitfire chuckled. "Oh, they been paying my friends and me well. They are also much more fun than the Assassin's ever were. But enough chat. I am here to end you Assassins. You destroy our property, we destroy YOU!" She tosses the torch to the ground, drew an Arabian scimitar, and charged at us.

Rarity and I were quick to dodge the Templar's swing. Spitfire continued to swing her blade at us repeatedly. She swung violently at me; I expertly dodged and attempted a counterattack. I lunged with my dagger at her chest. She sidestepped and grabbed my arm, twisting it so that my dagger fell out of my grip. I ripped my arm free and landed a successful left hook on the Templar's face. Spitfire grunted in pain and staggered. Rarity seized this advantage and grabbed Spitfire from behind. The Bearer tightened her grip on the Templar's neck. Spitfire leaned over and flipped Rarity onto her back. Spitfire followed up with her hidden blade and stabbed the Bearer in the side. Blood squirted out and the Bearer's silk robes became tainted in red.

I screamed and threw two throwing knives at the Templar. One landed deep into her thigh and the other into her upper arm. She yelped and fell to the ground grunting. I ignored the wounded Templar and placed Rarity over my shoulder. I started running towards the South Den.

I ran and ran. I did not know how long. My legs never ached with the strain of carrying a woman my size on my shoulder. The adrenaline in my body was pushing me beyond my limits. I noticed the pinkish sky to the east. It appeared dawn was upon us. I continued running at top speed. The Bearer's blood was soaking my own gray robes. I glanced at Rarity's face. Her eyes were closed and her face was pale.

I turned tightly and headed down the mostly empty street. Early risers set foot from their homes and watched in confusion as I ran by. I ran up to the South Den and kicked the door in. Unsurprisingly, at the breaking in of the Den, I found myself at the tip of a sword. A sword belonging to the Bearer of Magic. She looked at me with harsh eyes. Her expression rapidly changed to concern when she saw Rarity swung over my shoulders.

"She's hurt Bearer! We need a doctor!" I pleaded.

Twilight quickly beckoned me inside and closed the door. 



~

> Chapter 4: A Leader's Story
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4: A Leader's Story


By Octavia Melody


I quickly carried the injured Bearer to the back of the Den. I placed her on the physician's table in the back of the Den. The Den's physician, a tall man with dark brown hair and blue eyes, readied his tools. Rarity uttered a pathetic moan as the physician began to operate on he wound. 

"The Bearer will pull through," He said with a strong accent, "Though she will be unable to walk for some time."

I sighed in relief, only to be found in the Bearer of Magic's firm grip on my collar. 

"What HAPPENED?!" She screamed in my face. The Bearer's face was a horrid shade of red and I could hear the grinding of her teeth.

"Answer me! Answer me, Den Master!" She continued.

"We were attacked by Spitfire the Wonderbolt." I squeaked. 

"I told you to support Rarity! How?! How did you let this happen? You let MY FRIEND get hurt!" She shoved me into the wall.

By this time the whole Den surrounded us. Many eyes peeked past the door to the room. The physician continued his work without any care for the commotion. 

"It was one versus two. I don't care if she was a former Assassin. You should have beaten her without a scratch. Just..." Her voice began to quiet down, "......get out of my sight"

I did not hesitate and left the room, pushing Assassins out of my path. I made my way to my quarters. I slowly sat down in my small chair by the desk. I cannot say that I was surprised by Twilight's reaction. The Bearer's of Harmony have always been known for their tight camaraderie. These girls had never met  and weren't even in the Brotherhood before the Elements chose them, but now one would think they were life-time friends. 

I casually searched the room with my eyes. I saw my old cello sitting in the corner. Ah yes, the instrument I played during all of the noblemen banquets. I walked over to the cello. I gently dusted it off and grabbed the bow leaning next to it. I needed to clear my mind and I knew this was the best way. I sat back on my chair on slid the bow across the strings. It was a familiar feeling. One I had not felt for years. The melody emitted from the cello was off; it certainly needed some tuning. I played the notes of songs I had memorized long ago. The morning sun illuminating my room.

I feel that this should be the time where I discuss the adversary the Bearer and I faced in the alleyway. Spitfire is a former Assassin from the Northern Cloudsdale Den. She and her two partners, Soarin and Fleetfoot formed the self-named "Wonderbolts" squadron. They were deadly in that fog town to say the least. They made their own tradition to use the weapon of their first kill as an Assassin. Spitfire's first kill was an Arabian Templar sent to Equestria to promote the sale of oil in the Empire. She has used the Templar's ancient scimitar since. Six years ago, though it feels longer, the Wonderbolts left their Den. In the following weeks, the Den was sacked by the Templar. We instantly suspected treason. We were right. The Wonderbolts switched sides. No one knows the reason. Spitfire always make it seem that it was some money issue. I however do not. I think they have a fear of losing. At that time the Templar had the upper hand in the extinguishing of Assassin influence in Cloudsdale. If we Assassins gain the upper hand in the next few months, I'm sure they will be begging to come back. Though, we will surely not allow it. Not with the Bearer of Loyalty in our ranks.

As I continued to play my song, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." I said instinctively.

The door flew open and Vinyl Scratch entered the room. She was not wearing her usual mask. She leaned on the table beside me.

"Don't mind the Bearer of Magic, Tavi. She can be a grump sometimes. Just move past that." She ruffled my hair with her hand.

"Do not worry Vinyl, I already have." I continued playing.

Vinyl thoughtfully stroked her chin. "I think I know how to cheer ya up Tavi. It's almost noon and you haven't even ate! C'mon let's get some food." She grabs my hand and lurches me from my position with surprising ease. My cello falls to the floor. She proceeded to lead me downstairs to the Den's cafeteria, or rather, lounge.

The lounge is the largest room in the Den, even larger than the Bearer quarters. The colorful room was spotted with Assassins relaxing and socializing. Imported Arabian incense burned in the corners. I detested the smell, but I seem to be alone in that viewpoint. The inventor dragged me to side kitchen where the Den's cook was at work. The cook was a thick woman with blue and pink curly hair. The always present scowl was on her lumpy face. 

"Hey Bonnie Bon Bon! How bout some grub?" Vinyl eagerly requested.

The cook coldly glared at the noisy intruder. She then reluctantly handed us two bowls of thick warm soup. I did not know what it exactly contained, but it was appetizing at least.

Vinyl smiled back at her. "Thank ye kindly!" 

"Pfft. Whatever," the cook responded.

The ever-cheerful inventor and I ensconced ourselves at a short table. The table was already occupied by the Den's Chief Engineer, Lyra Heartstrings. Lyra looked at us nervously with golden eyes. The pupils seemed barely visible. Her mint colored hair is uncombed and wild. Her right hand shook uncontrollably. 

"Ho-how are you guys?" She stammered. 

"Just peachy Lye." Vinyl answered.

Most would think Lyra as "unsociable" and "nervous" but in reality she simply has a speech impediment. The engineer is quite talkative, especially if it is on the subject of weapons and destruction. 

I did not converse with the two friends. I preferred to listen to their insane talk.

"What have ya been working on lately Lye?" The inventor asked with a mouth full of food.

The engineer beamed, "I-I have been working on a ne-new addition to the hid-den blade! I have designed it to now s-shoot darts wi-with poison. such a device will grea-greatly help our stealth since unlike you-your pistols, the d-darts are silent. Though th-the poison can become expensi-sive. I need a way to-to develop a poison both ch-cheap and effective."

"How 'bout we just place arsenic in water and store them in the darts?" Vinyl suggested.

Lyra pondered this, "Then we may have to us-use multiple darts. But in tr-truth, I am not com-completely sure about it."

I finished my soup and placed my arm on the table. Vinyl noticed this.

"Tavi, what do you think we should do?" 

I deadpanned at her, "Why don't you solve the problem without an unimaginative musician."

"Brilliant Tavi! Why hadn't I thought of that?" The inventor said in mock disbelief. 

I rolled my eyes. Lyra raised an eyebrow at me. She was not really looking at me, her mind was elsewhere, as she was resting her head in her hand. 

"I'm going to go check on the Bearer of Generosity." I told them.

"I guess I'll go out for a run." 

"That's probably reasonable Vinyl."

We left the lounge and headed upstairs. Lyra sat completely still as we left, her eyebrow still raised. I did not know if she acknowledged our absence.

I entered the physician's room. Rarity still laid unconscious on the flat table. The physician was not operating on the Bearer. He was leaning on the wall beside Twilight. The Bearer of Magic looked up at me. She did not say anything, so I thought I would end the painful silence in the room.

"Well, Bearer what is the plan?"

She crossed her arms. "Rarity will not be able to walk since she is paralyzed from the waist down. The Templar's blade reached her spine. We will have to wait for the Bearer of Kindness to get here. Only her healing powers will allow Rarity to recover."

Hmm. The Bearer of Kindness was coming all the way to Canterlot? She was currently stationed with the Bearer of Loyalty in Manehatten. It was a setback for her to come this far west. Who knew that knocking one Assassin out temporally would have such an impact. This was probably another reason why The Bearer of Magic yelled at me so. She knew the circumstance better than I.

Twilight walked over to me and placed her hand on my shoulder. 

"You did well in bringing her back, Den Master, but never let it happen again. You are the Master of this Den, I appointed you here because I trust you, better than any other Assassin in Canterlot." She said.

This response astounded me, though I did well not to show it. I balled my right hand into a fist, pressed it to my chest, and bowed. The Bearer lifted her hand off my shoulder. A slight smile was on her face. 

"Come on, Den Master. Let's take a walk."





The city was bustling during the early afternoon. Merchants advertised their wares from various stands and homes. An artist was expertly painting the Canterlot view. Women in bright dresses giggled and chatted with each other. A pack of mercenaries reveled outside of an inn. Drinking their hearts out. A group of gamblers were playing some dice game on a street corner. Workers were heaving boxes and crates from location to location. Children chased each other. A few Royal Guards were making routine patrols. The massive towers shadowed the streets from the sun. The Great Royal Palace was visible to the north.

The Bearer and I shuffled through the crowds, keeping our heads low. Few of the citizens noticed us. Those that do usually remarked about our odd appearance and carry on. We cared not for their rude opinions.

"Have you heard of the Tale of the Three Lords?" Twilight calmly asked.

"No Bearer, I have not." I replied.

"Well, the tale goes like this: Once there was a king. A king that ruled the entire world. However, he was dying. He needed an heir. He summoned his three lords. One of them was to be the heir. The first lord was Discord, a man bent on chaos, the next was Chrysalis, a woman that harbored love, the last was Tirek, a man obsessed with order. The king asked his children how they were going to rule the world. Discord replied with anarchy, everyone rules themselves to see fit. Chrysalis replied that her government will spread love and everything shall be loved. Tirek replied with a strict government that shall only be controlled by one. The king pondered these answers. All seemed to be able to work. But he needed to be sure. He gave his throne to Discord. Discord filled the land with chaos like he said. His subjects turned on each other and the kingdom fell apart. The king then gave his throne to Chrysalis. The woman spread love and loved all equally. The subjects started looking past love. It was just a means to take from the government. The subjects tore down the government by taking all of their possessions. The subjects justified it as their right. The king then gave his throne to Tirek. Tirek ruled with an iron fist. He made all the decisions and made the people obey his every command. This did not last. His subjects rioted. They stormed his castle and overthrew him. All three lords crawl back to the king. The king told them to rule together. As one. There will be individual freedom, a loving government and laws that cannot be broken. With this balance, the lords reign. Chaos was where chaos was needed. Love was always present. Laws were enforced when they were broken. Long after the king's death, the three lords named this type of government after him. They named it Harmony."

"Who wrote this tale?" I asked after a short silence.

She looks at me and smiled, "The Great Starswirl himself."

"Bearer, why are you telling me this tale?"

"So that one more Den Master knows our purpose."

"Is our purpose to rule the world?"

She stopped and stared at me. "I personally do not care if the Templar capture every country out there. As long as the Equestrian Empire remains free, Harmony will last. Our Creed will last. That is what I care about. That is my purpose."

"Come along," She continued, "It's been a long day for you and you require rest."

We headed back to the South Den. The sun was almost to the horizon in the west. The day had been long indeed.

I entered my room. The cello was on the floor. Vinyl needed to be more careful when I am playing my music. I set it in the corner like it was before. I sat in my chair. I grabbed my quill and dipped it in ink. This is where I must end this entry. The sun is down and my legs ache. I have not slept in two days. I need my rest like the Bearer of Magic stated.

Until my next opportunity to write, I say, goodnight.



~

		
> Chapter 5: Beneficial Acts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5: Beneficial Acts


By Octavia Melody

Three days have passed since Rarity and I destroyed the train prototype. Operations in the South Den had been going at a slow pace as we awaited the Bearer of Kindness. Rarity had regained consciousness. All I heard from the physician's room was "I'm so pathetic," and other various wails. If the reason for her cries had not been so dire, I would have found it comical. 

I headed outside. The Den was noisy and hyperactive. I believed that the lack of missions lately had given the South Den Assassins a mild case of "Cabin Fever." The Templar, most likely, had not slowed down their activities. I however, could not act on my own commands with a Bearer at my Den. So I must find a way to spend the time until summoned.





The sun was right above the world. It was slightly passed midday. The sky was clear and the birds sang out from the high towers. I laid on the roof of the Den, trying to take a pleasant nap.  Vinyl walked up to me, blocking the warm sun. She bugged me about being "The Laziest Den Master in Equestria," but I ignored her comments and continued to rest. She gave up on me and jumped off the roof.

I smiled at her departure. I slid my hood father down my face to shield my eyes from the sun. I heard footsteps heading towards me again. Was Vinyl already attempting to get me up again? I would treat her with the same rudeness as before.

I heard the Bearer of Magic's voice. "You only sleep when you need it, Den Master." 

Saying that I sprung up like a cat was an understatement. I swear that I could have stood up three times before the cat even had time to react. My eyes met hers. The magenta eyes looked back at me with annoyance. The Bearer's arms were crossed. 

"Operations are up and running again. I am expecting the Bearer of Kindness, so I need you to help with West District's Den Master, Minuette. Our scouts have located a Templar mine owner in the northwest corner of the city. You should meet Den Master Minuette on the top of the Overton Tower. Remember our purpose Octavia, and silence this Templar offender."

I bowed and made my way to the west. The Overton Tower is the tallest tower in the West Canterlot District. It is made out of iron and not the usual stone. Hence the name "Overton" to describe its massive weight. The tower is not very elaborate like most of the colorful Canterlot towers. The entire structure is a dark gray with no fancy architecture. It is also known for its massive public pool to the west of it's base.

I climbed my way towards it. Striding along the rooftops at a steady pace. Hop over this. Swing on this. Jump over that. Tiptoe over there. Don't fall off. I could see the Canterlot natives bustling about as usual. None seemed to notice me. It seemed that I was like a transparent phantom to them. Run over that. Pull myself up onto that. Slide under that. Keep balanced. I ran by a large group of pigeons, scaring them and forcing them to take flight. Step on that. Avoid that. Turn sharply. Be more careful. The Overton Tower came into view. I altered my course slightly to head in the right direction. Run up that. tiptoe on that. Flip over that. Don't get cocky. I came to edge of the rooftops. The Tower's base is about a hundred meters in front of me. I turned around and slid myself down to the street, grabbing on windows and pools to slow my descent. 

I slowly walked over the Tower's base. I glanced upwards. The top was barely visible. From this angle, the tower appeared to be trying to pierce the sun. Den Master Minuette could have picked an easier location to meet. I began my ascent. Unlike the pleasures of parkour, climbing towers was nothing more than a chore. I possess far more strength in my legs than I do in my arms. This did not stop me however, I am a Den Master, it would take far more to hinder me. After what seemed like hours, I finally pulled myself onto the tower's look-out platform. I panted and rested my hands on my hips.

"Ah, you're here Den Master! I'll let you rest for an iota of time and then we shall be off." A sweet voice called to me.

I looked to my right to see a tall hooded woman. The woman's hair were various shades of blue. Her robes were of a light blue with many purple sashes wrapped around her waist. A large black Assassin insignia seamed on the side of her hood. A metal plate protected her left shoulder. The other shoulder possessed a throwing knife holder. I could see the small metal grips protruding from behind her shoulder. Her purple sashes held two small axes. Small enough to be thrown and large enough to be standalone weapons. A black and gold sheath held a well-crafted sword. Probably acquired from some Templar nobleman. I digested all this information while her large blue eyes studied me. 

"Our target is a Sir Rich of South Equestria. He is a mine owner for the Templar. Specifically iron and aluminum. The Templar make armor and weapons out of this. He gets plenty of money from it because the Templar never cease in their forging. Not only that, but he is making his business into a monopoly. If that happens, the Brotherhood may not be able to purchase the materials from innocent mine owners. If we kill him, his mine will need a new head, one we may have influence with. The greatest part of all this is that Sir Rich is right here in Canterlot. Our scouts have acquired intelligence that states he will be at a outdoors banquet at three. But this is a noblemen banquet, so there is likely to be many guards there."

I  payed heed only to the last part. I had not a need for a reason to silence him other than him being a Templar. Except something seemed missing.

"Where is this banquet?" I asked.

"Follow me."

Minuette proceeded to walk to the west side of the tower. I looked down to see the large pool hundreds of feet below us. She placed herself on the railing and jumped off with her arms in a spread-eagle formation. I got on the railing. The height did not bother me. I am quite used to Leaps of Faith. I propelled myself off the tower. The water below was traveling towards me at an astounding pace. I placed my arms in front of my head. Angling my hands to form a point. I straightened out my body to be perpendicular to the ground. I touched the water at an extreme velocity. The water's surface broke as my hands pierced it. The next moment I was at the bottom of the deep pool. I casually swam up to the surface. I poked my head above the water and saw Canterlot folk, naked or in simple clothes, staring at me. I had intruded upon their bathes. I felt my cheeks warm up. I swam to the wall where Minuette waited for me. she offered a hand to me. I accepted the offer and she pulled me out of the pool. Both of our robes were drenched. Hopefully they will be dry by the time we get to the banquet.





By the time we arrived at the banquet, it had already commenced. Our arrival was later than I had hoped for. The Den Master's route to the location was winding and bizarre. I believed we could have made it to the banquet faster if we had simply walked. However all was not lost, we were here and our target was in view.

From the rooftop of the host's mansion, we could see the entire party. Noblewomen danced slowly with their respected fiancees or spouses. Some old men laughed and retold the tales of their glory days. Bards and musicians dully played from the corners. A familiar sight to me. Guards stood in the entryways, only allowing certain members to enter the banquet. Sir Rich sat on a bench with a lovely lady by his side. The man's hair was a shiny black. His garments were of fine quality. His body short but lean. He was drinking expensive wine from his large goblet. 

Minuette looked over to me. "Alright. I'm going to in. You should stay up here and watch my back.

I nodded in acknowledgement. Even though we were of equal rank, this target was in her district. She had the honors of attempting first strike on the target.

Minuette silently jumped down into the party. She quickly became hidden as she blended in a cluster of chatting nobles. Sir Rich was still talking with the lady. The Den Master swiftly moved to another group, slowly getting closer to her target. When she was about ten meters away, she reached to her shoulder, grabbed a knife, and prepared to throw it. In a clean motion, the blade exited her hand and soared to its target. Her aim was off though, as the knife knocked the goblet out of Sir Rich's hand. The party became deathly silent. Every noble gawked at the Assassin. A muttered curse emitted from the Den Master's mouth. Sir Rich stared at her in utter fear.

"ASSASSIN! GET HER! KILL HER NOW!" He screamed.

Sir Rich scrabbled off the bench and ran out of the banquet. Minuette tried to follow but was interrupted by the guards. One of the guards swung his mace at the Den Master. She rolled away and then planted her sword deep into the guard's torso. I could clearly see the flash of the blade in the late afternoon sun.

"Give chase Den Master!" She shouted at me. "Don't let him escape!"

Go! I sprinted after the target, making sure not to lose him in the crowd. I followed him on the roofs to his left.

The chase was on.

I ran with all my might. I saw him push pedestrians out of his way. His instincts were carrying his legs far beyond their limit. Hop this. Get over that. Run. Run. Run. Tiptoe to there. Climb up that. Don't lose him! The Templar took a tight right turn. I leapt over the street and climbed back on the roofs. I could still see him running down the street. Faster! Faster! You Den Master! Don't you dare let him escape!

I hopped from roof to roof, bearing the grace and fury of an eagle. Go! Get the Templar! For Harmony! For the Creed! I slid down a ledge to another building. The building possessed a thin chimney. I tripped over on the protruding stone. Damnit! Bloody Hell! Get on your feet! Go Assassin! Fetch your prey! I quickly pulled myself up on my feet. Run! Hop over that. Swing on that. Run. Jump. Harder!

I regained some ground. Hurry! Step over that! Don't lose your balance! He still ran at top speed, avoiding the occasional horse or mule. His strides were becoming uneven. He must have been getting tired. I hopped over another street. I took to the sides of the buildings. Hopping on the market signs and the decks of homes. Guards noticed the commotion and yelled at me. They were nothing but noise to me. I was entirely focused on the mine owner. Faster! You're getting close! Hop! Jump! Swing!

I followed tightly to him. I swiftly ran on the roofs to his right, placing him in my shadow. He's close! Harder! Hop over this! Go! Run! Climb that! The mine owner continued to run in his hope of survival. The townsfolk were moving out of his way. The Templar made another right turn.

Wrong move.

I leaped straight off the roof. My body flew to the street. My blade was ready to intercept his moving body. The Templar glanced up at me. He could not stop himself. Our bodies collided. I digged my hidden blade deep into his chest. Blood splattered across the cobblestone street. The deed was done.

I held my blade in him. His breathing became heavy as he lost precious blood. The Canterlot citizens stared at the sight, some with hands to their mouths and others fleeing for their lives. The Templar looked at me with half-open eyes. His face contained a vicious glare.

"You proud Assassin?" He snarled. "What do you think this....will accomplish? Huh?! Answer me filth."

"It will accomplish Harmony, Templar. Rule is not meant to be in the hands of those who wish not to share it. You're death shall be a message to your Order. The Brotherhood is still as present as ever. We shall not let you take this Empire."

"Heh.....You think 'tis is....Harmony? What Harmony is there in this? Look around you.....You have only created Chaos. The townspeople are in utter fear. Human has turned on human. Will they be the next victim of your Brotherhood's crusade? Your 'Harmony' will let the people out to starve, to defend themselves.....No......I joined the Templar because I wanted to know that my daughter's future family is safe....Safe from terrorists like you. Curse you Assassin! My death will be your undoing!"

I stared into his dying eyes. "I bid you well in your afterlife."

The Templar's head keeled over. His soul was no longer apart of this world. I stood up and withdrew my blade. The townspeople were still around me. Though there was a familiar face in the crowd. I noticed Minuette walking over to me. 

"Leave his damn corpse here. The street cleaners will deal with him."

"No Minuette." I picked up the Templar's body. "I shall dispose of him myself."

Minuette's face reflected a perplexed look and then bowed. "As you wish, Den Master." 





I carried the body to the Waterfalls of Canterlot. A small river flows from the mountain top through the southern tip of the capital. The waterfall is the tallest in Equestria. I gently placed the corpse into the blue water. The steady current seized the body and pulled it off the mountain. Landing somewhere at the base of the mountain. It was the only thing I could think of to give him an honorable departure to the beyond.

I laid down near the edge of the falls and looked up, the sky was tinged pink with twilight. I  then gazed off into the west, towards the sinking sun. I could fathom the peculiar feeling of pain for a Templar. Yet here I was, sulking in one's death. Though I was not in mourning. His final words repeated themselves in my mind. I had just ripped a family from their father. 

I must get over this. I am a Den Master. I could not sulk at the death of an individual. Death will always surround me, whether it be one of my enemies or friends. Death is necessary for our cause. Harmony will only be triumphant when Absolute Order is demolished. When the Templar are demolished.

I stood up. The Bearer of Kindness could be at the Den. I slowly started walking to the north. My head was low and my face was solemn. Hopefully Vinyl would be there to cheer me up. I was quite ungrateful of her support. I needed to remember that I would still be a musician, begging for a bitpiece and a reason to live, if she didn't push me into the Brotherhood.


~

	
	
> Chapter 6: Harsh Kindness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 6: Harsh Kindness


By Octavia Melody

I casually entered my Den. I was met with the sound of worried whispers. I saw Assassins gathered at the back of the Den, outside of the physician's room. The Bearer of Kindness surely had arrived . I quickened my pace and slid between the Assassins and entered the room. 

Rarity was laid on the table with her arms crossed, her eyes revealed annoyance. Twilight and the physician leaned on the wall, listening to the new arrival, who leaned over the Bearer of Generosity. I stepped past the crowd, getting a better perspective of the Bearer of Kindness.

The Bearer of Kindness was a tall and extremely thin woman. Her simple robes were a light green.  She possessed no visible weapons, except the recurve bow on her back, and the accompanying quiver beside it. She wore a single thick leather glove on her right hand. Her hood was down, but I could still only see one teal eye, as her long pink hair covered the other. Her face was smooth and delicate. A face that did not seem to ever experience harshness. 

"Oh, for the love of the Sun! Just get it over with, Fluttershy." The Bearer of Generosity moaned.

A small "eep" escaped from the Bearer of Kindness. She quickly recovered from her startled state and placed a thin finger to her chin.

"Um....Alright Rarity......Um...Twilight? Do you mind......holding her down against her will?" Fluttershy hesitantly asked.

"Wait? What!?" Rarity barely finished her scream when the Bearer of Magic and the physician clamped onto her arms. 

"Her legs too." The Bearer of Kindness added. 

Twilight looked over at me. She nodded her head towards the Bearer's legs. I walked over and grab Rarity's lifeless legs. I braced myself for whatever came next.

Fluttershy delicately removed her leather glove. I could see her right hand clearly. It was malformed and bore many gruesome scars. However, the hand's most notable feature was its faint yellow glow. She then proceeded to place the hand on Rarity's side, where the traitorous blade had entered. 

"This is going to sting a little Rarity, I hope you will forgive me." Fluttershy uttered.

The next sound I heard was the painful screams from the injured Bearer. I looked at her face to see her eyes bulging out. Her temples' veins were swelling. Her body started jerking madly. The Bearer of Kindness kept her glowing hand on the wound. I heard the movement of bones and skin from within Rarity. The crowd of Assassins behind me gasped at this miracle. I felt her blood pumping through her veins. I struggled to keep her body to the table. 

As quickly as it all started, it came to an end. The Bearer of Kindness removed her hand from the injury. Her hand was bloody and her scars reopened. She slowly halted the blood pressure in her wrist with her other hand. He eyes were shut tight. I could see silent tears flowing down her cheeks. 

Fluttershy briskly exited the room, still holding her bleeding right hand. I returned my focus back on the Bearer of Generosity. She was panting heavily, her legs were twitching randomly. Twilight, the physician, and I released our grip on the Bearer. Not a soul in the room appeared to be joyful. The only sound was Rarity's breathing. 

"Go check on her, Twilight. Make sure the dear is alright." Rarity said in a worried tone.

The Bearer of Magic was quick to obey. The gathered Assassins slowly return to their activities. I feel that my need here is done. I follow the other Assassins and leave the room. I headed towards my quarters. As I passed the Bearer quarters I heard Twilight's voice. Curiosity got the better of me. I stopped and placed my ear to the door. 

"Don't worry Fluttershy. You did well today." Twilight said in a motherly voice.

"I know, Twilight. It.....It just hurts...." The Bearer of Kindness muttered.

"If  it didn't, it would not be a true act of Kindness." 

"I understand, Twilight. A Kind act is never true unless there is a sacrifice to pay. I....I just wish it wasn't so. My body and blood have been sacrificed enough. The pain in my hand never ceases. Why can't there just be peace? I've healed so many. Saved countless lives and families. Yet still so many have perished in front of me. This is all I have known since this cursed Element chose me."

"Do not speak like that Fluttershy," The Bearer of Magic said in a soft voice. "We fight for Harmony. All the pain we go through is not for us, but our future generations. Even if we fail, they may still remember our endeavors. Harmony is not easy to achieve. If it was, it would not be worth fighting for. That Element chose you because it believes you are the best to wield it. It's a blessing, not a curse."

"Is there a problem, Den Master?" I heard a voice behind me.

I turned to see the Bearer of Generosity glaring at me. Her sapphire eyes stared deep into mine. A scowl was on her immaculate face. Her left foot tapped the floor impatiently. Her hands were on her hips. My cheeks flared. My body tensed up as I began to comprehend the awkward situation. I then turned and quickly dismissed myself without a word. 

"The audacity! Den Master, I simply cannot fathom why Twilight trusts you so much when you behave so rudely!" She shrieked at me as I walked away.

I retreated to my quarters. I slammed my fist into my desk. What was I thinking? Had I no restraint? I just prayed that the Bearer of Generosity does not report my behavior to Twilight. I certainly did not need to upset another Bearer. I sat down in my chair. Holding my head. Anger started to build up in me. I looked down at a blank paper in front of me. I forcefully picked up my quill and prepared to record another log.

As I was about to place the quill on the parchment I heard footsteps heading towards me. I placed the quill back on the desk and turned to see my guest. A black mask appeared out of the dark hallway and into my candlelit room. The wearer was boasting a confident stride.

"Hey Tavi, how's the day been? I haven't seen ya since you were napping on the roof." The inventor asked me.

"Oh just fine." I lied. I paused and then spoke again. "How about we go for a walk?"

Vinyl shrugged, "Whatever ya want, Tavi."






The sun had vanished behind the world. The moon was not present since the dark sky was cloudy. Vinyl and I casually walked on the Canterlot rooftops. Our steps were barely audible as we traveled in the dark city. By the lanterns I could spy stray dogs fighting in the alleyways, a lonely drunk sitting passed out on the side of the street, and a beggar pulling another rag over himself as he sought warmth. I took all this in with no regard for them. 

"So Tavi, what's been troubling ya? You're not one to be active when you can rest."

"Oh Vinyl, it's just that I need some cool night air to relax my mind. It's better to so with company."

"Ah, I see. Now tell me girl, what has caused your mind to not be relaxed?"

I sighed in frustration. I seemed to not be able to hide my true thoughts from her tonight. I cast my gaze away from the inventor. 

"Why did you join the Brotherhood Vinyl?

"I joined because I wanted to purpose. I wanted to contribute something to this world. I mean, life's so short, why not help the future when you can?"

After some silence I spoke up. "Do you belief that you have made the right choice?"

"Oh of course Tavi! I've never been better in my life."

"What if.......What if the Brotherhood is wrong?"

"Huh? How could it be wrong?"

"What if our Creed is false? What if Harmony is not right for this world?"

"Tavi! Don't start silly talk here! Harmony is the ultimate goal for humanity."

"We could be going about it the wrong way, Vinyl. I cannot see Harmony in killing."

"Oh now I see. You're having som' good ol' sadness from killing the mine owner earlier. Let me guess, he said some crap about his family and all? Pfft. They's always sayin' something like that. They try to get into your mind."

"What if it's true?"

"Oh I'm sure it is, but he made the wrong choice Tavi. He joined the filthy Templar! Society does not deserve men like that. Men that just want money and are willing to harm others for it."

"We are not much different from them Vinyl. We both harm and kill to gain influence in the Empire."

"You're wrong Octavia. The Templar kill for their selfish needs, we fight for our future's sake. We fight and kill for the freedom of the Empire. Templar can't gain control. Harmony will be utterly lost if they do."

We hopped onto another rooftop. A light sprinkle began to peck on our hoods. A slight breeze ruffled our robes. I continued the discussion.

"Is Harmony worth all this trouble? Will the future generations look at us and say 'those Assassins, those Assassins were the heroes of an era!'"

"That depends on the victor."

"Oh Vinyl, what makes our acts justified? What are we doing for this Empire?"

Vinyl stopped. Her black mask is barely visible in the darkness. "Den Master, we are protecting this Empire from Absolute Order. Absolute Order will destroy the ancient culture and prosperity that is Equestria. Absolute Order seems like a reasonable viewpoint, yes, but it has never worked. Look at the Shadow King Sombra. Half of his vast Crystal Empire is now barren and desolate. The slaves of his empire rebelled. They conquered him after a long revolution. They stormed his palace and buried his severed limbs in the snow. Equestria does not need this. The Empire needs to spread love, have individual freedom, and reasonable laws for their subjects. If we allow Absolute Order to reign, our home will collapse on itself. We.....I can't let this happen."

I stared into her purple lenses. I could not see her face, but I knew her eyes were staring right back at me. Her tone, proper punctuation of words, and addressing me as Den Master were highly unusual. I put my right fist to my chest and bowed. 

"Thank you Vinyl, I needed some reassurance."

The inventor bowed back. "Anytime friend."

With our conversation ended, we started back to the South Den. Suddenly the inventor jumped off the roof and onto the street. I follow her. She heads over to a news wall. The wall had various images hammered onto it. The news reports contained no words on them. Their illustrations clearly told the tales. I spied one sketching with the burning train facility in the East District. I also spied wanted posters of many petty criminals. The one that Vinyl was studying portrayed a large sun. 

"Well what do ya know Tavi. The Summer Sun Celebration is coming up! Man, the year just flies by don't they?"

I nodded in agreement. The Summer Sun Celebration is a substantial holiday. It celebrates the longest day in Equestria. The Two Sisters always have had a city-wide banquet at dawn. The entire Equestrian government will be present. It would be a pleasant party to attend. I turned back towards the Den, Vinyl closely followed me.

We arrived back at the Den. The place was quiet and no candles are lit. Vinyl and I carefully walk to our respected quarters. I did not want to awaken any Assassins who desired rest. I entered my quarters and sat down at my desk. The quill still rested where I left it. The blank paper beckoned me to write on it. My head swirls with the memories of today as I recorded them. I must stop writing here for now. I still have much to contemplate and I hope my dreams do me justice till dawn.

Adieu and goodnight.



~

	
	
	
> Chapter 7: War and Joy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 7: War and Joy


By Octavia Melody

Awakened by unfamiliar voices outside my quarters, I rose from my comfortable bed and slipped on my robes. The sun's light illuminated my room. It was mid-morning. The smell of breakfast filled my nostrils. It seemed that we were having corn bread and rabbit today. I inspected my robes with a tad disdain. The garments were dusty and desperately need a washing. After making a few final adjustments to my apparel, I open the door and walk out.

In the hallway, outside the Bearer's quarters, stood a short woman in gray traveling gear. Her messy hair was gold, the same color of her eyes. Her goofy grin revealed sparkling white teeth. Her dusty and ripped clothes displayed her rough adventures. A large leather traveling pack was strapped onto her back. The most notable aspect to her was that her eyes did not seem to ever look the same direction. This baffled me for a moment, I, however, quickly brushed it aside. She was probably simply blind in one eye. 

"Ah! You mus' be the Den Master. Ah was just telling the Bearer of Magic abou' the efforts in Appleloosa. Newly appointed Den Master Braeburn requests sum more men. The city has become a war zone. The Templar jus' keep sending more troops down there. The Templar are even using lightweight artillery."

The messenger startled me with her high-pitched Cloudsdalian accent. However, the news was even more startling. The southern town of Appleloosa was a war zone? This would certainly not sit well with the Empire nor the Sisters. I feared for the common folk down there. I wondered what was causing the Templar to react so violently. They usually never acted on such a scale. Especially for a small town like Appleloosa.

The Bearer of Magic walked up to us from her quarters. The expression on her face was far from pleased. Floating beside her was a parchment and an animated quill writing some report on it. She cleared her throat before speaking.

"The dire situation in Appleloosa needs to be addressed. However I cannot spare any Assassins from the South Den nor the West Den until after the Summer Sun Celebration. I am going to need as many eyes as I can assemble."

Upon hearing the name of the familiar holiday, my interest grew. "What are we doing for the Summer Sun Celebration, Bearer?" I asked.

"The news about Appleloosa will most likely reach the corners of the Empire by then. I fear harsh retaliation to the Two Sisters by the common folk. They will not be pleased to be in a celebration while their kin die in the south. The Sisters are too important in our cause to be provoked or eliminated. We must protect them, because the Templar will certainly not."

She looked over at the messenger. "Go messenger. You have traveled far. Go to the lounge and get some nourishment."

The messenger bowed and departed. The Bearer stepped up to me and rested a hand on my shoulder. Her face was not as tight as it was before.

"I want you to know ahead of time that if I send any Assassins to Appleloosa, it will be me and you. I am, however, giving you a choice. We have already lost many Brothers down there, I will understand if you rather stay here in your Den."

"Do not worry Bearer, I am willing to partake in the battles. It's the least I can do for our Creed."

She smiled at me. "That's what I thought you would say." She removed her hand from my shoulder. "You should get some breakfast, Den Master."





The lounge was as active as ever. Assassins chat with each other while seated around the short tables. I spy Vinyl sleeping on a sofa in the corner. Her loud snores could be easily heard above the chatter. Apparently she did not sleep enough last night. The messenger sat by the Den's physician, giggling uncontrollably. The physician appeared to be greatly annoyed. I walked by all of them to the side kitchen where a meal awaited me on the counter. I pick it up and look for a place to sit. 

My eyes caught a flash of motion to my left. I turned to see the Bearer of Generosity beckoning me to her table. She was seated next to the Bearer of Kindness. I obeyed the summons and sat at the table, opposite them. 

"Well Den Master, it is lovely for you to join us." Rarity told me with slight venom in her voice. She had clearly not forgotten my behavior from the previous night.

The Bearer of Kindness simply nodded absently in agreement. Her plate had no meat on it. She was only eating the corn bread, which she sliced into small pieces with a fork. Rarity was still inspecting me. She raised an eyebrow.

"Dear heavens, Den Master! Your robes are filthy. How does a Canterlot girl like you stand wearing them in such a state?" 

"Really? Bearer please forgive me, for I had not noticed." I responded sarcastically.

The Bearer of Generosity opened her mouth to retaliate, but was interrupted by Fluttershy.

"Oh, she is fine, Rarity. A little dirt and grime never harmed anyone."

Rarity closed her mouth. She then reopened it to change the subject. 

"You know that Den Master in Appleloosa? Well, I have met the fellow before. He is quite the handsome man. He is also a cousin of the Bearer of Honesty, but unlike her, he has some manners. He is not so uncouth like the rest of his family."

The Bearer of Kindness brightened at this. "Oh yes, I remember him too, Rarity. He is handsome, but he has a mean side though. I don't recall him being the nicest person to his family. I don't think he likes being in the Apple family."

"Well, who would, darling?" Rarity asked. "Being a lowly farmer is nothing to be proud of."

The Bearers' gossip continued. After a while, I stopped listening. I did not care about one's personal life, only if they were efficient at what they do. Braeburn must have been efficient since he was the rank of Den Master. That was all I needed to know. After I finished my meal, I stood up and left the chatting Bearers. They did not notice my absence.





I left the Den. The mid-day air was fresh and cool. The sun brightens the cobblestone. The streets' reflection of the light made it blinding. I began walking northward. The voices of the townsfolk filled my ears. A wandering musician was on a street corner expertly playing a violin. Minstrels sang to those who cared to listen. 

I continued walking. I soon began to hear joyous music and laughter on my right. I turned to see a large crowd clapping in unison. When I reached the crowd I noticed men and women dancing together. The music was upbeat and blithesome. I could not help but smile at the sight. A large man in elaborate clothes raised his arms and addressed the crowd.

"Don't hesitate folks! This celebration of the new couple is not only for my family, but for all! Grab a partner and join us in merriment!"

People cheered and began participating in the dancing. I began clapping along with the bystanders. Suddenly I saw a hand stretched out to me. I looked up to see a tall young man with spiky blue hair. His clothes were one of a rich merchant, or at least the son of one. I hesitated to accept his offer. He smiled at me and then grabbed my wrist. He proceeded to drag me into the dancing circle. My first thought was to reject the dance and head back into the crowd, but I decided to let it slide.

I am familiar with art of dancing, as I have attended many balls in the past, but I had not performed it in years. Being Den Master does not allow many opportunities to do so. The odd man stopped and bowed to me. I return the bow.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked him. I did not know what else to say to him.

"Why not? Madame, your eyes do not look joyful. Let us change that." He responded with a large grin. His voice was smooth and elegant.

He gently grabbed my hands again and we began to swing in circles. His feet were light and quick. I had trouble to keep up with him at first but I soon matched his skill. The other dancers became a blur as we moved. The music echoed off the buildings. My hood fell off my head.

"That's the spirit folks! Today is a day of joy! Let us not worry today!" The large man yelled.

"You're quite agile m'lady." The young man complimented me.

"You're not bad yourself."

The song continued. The crowd clapped on. I even saw some Royal Guards join the crowd. The world seemed oblivious to the destruction that surrounded it. Warriors, merchants, nobles, beggars, thieves, gamblers, and housewives all joined in the celebration of a stranger and his wife. Everything felt like it was under the impression of peace in an Empire at war with itself. This sense of ignorance of the south would not last. I started to feel a tinge of guilt as the man and I danced. I knew about the devastation in Appleloosa, yet here I was participating in a party that was not my own. The whole situation seemed to contain a bitter irony. 

Small children joined the merriment. Supportive mothers urged them on. I saw a woman in a long dress dancing with a man in white. They were surely the married couple. The musicians intensified the music and the dancing sped up. I stumbled slightly as the young man set the pace.

"C'mon m'lady. Focus! Lighten up! We can do this all day." The young man then spun me gracefully under his arm. I am impressed by his finesse.

"Oh please, you think you're so suave?"

"Think? M'lady 'suave' is my middle name."

"What is your name, oh desperate gentleman?"

"My name? Hah! I have many, which one do you want it to be?"

I roll my eyes. "You're one of those huh?"

His smile faded. "Well, no. Whatever do you mean madame?"

I quickly shook my head. "Nothing."

We accidentally bumped into a pair of dancers. We both lost our balance but were quick to recover. The other dancers did not seem too gleeful about our little collision. The music carried on, so we continued our jovial dance. 

"Well m'lady, the name I received at birth is Flashius Senti of Cloudsdale. But you can just call me Flash."

I chuckled at the abnormal name. "My name is Octavia Melody of Canterlot. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Well, Octavia, can you explain the oddness of your robes? They are fascinating to observe."

"I could not fully explain them within the time of this song."

Flash simply responded with a perplexed look. He then lightly shrugged as we swing in circles.

"You're an interesting woman, Lady Octavia."

"I wish I could say the same about you." I teased him.

"Ha, she has a witty tongue too!" He laughed.

"HEY YOU!" A deep voice boomed from the crowd.

The music came to an abrupt and screeching end. The dancers, musicians and bystanders stopped to stare at the offending voice. I turned around to see a Royal Guard pointing his armored index finger at me. He was in the company of three other guards all dressed in Equestrian golden armor. 

"YOU FIT THE DESCRIPTION OF SIR RICH'S MURDERER!"

Run! I shoved Flash out of my way and sprinted away from the guards. I heard their metal footsteps follow me.

"You! Get that boy! He is a conspirator like her! The others with me! We'll see to it that she pays for her crimes!"

I looked over my shoulder as I run. A large Royal Guard grabbed Flash by the collar and dragged him away.

"What is your problem guard? I swear I am not affiliated with her! I only danced with her! I don't even know her! Please let me go!" Flash's pleas were of no avail as the guard continued to drag him away. He was most likely to end up in the Old Dungeons.

Crowds ran out of my path as I sprinted by them. The guards were still in pursuit. I made a tight right turn and continued to run down an alleyway. The guards did not slow down. Run! Go! Do not get caught! I sidestepped by a group of gamblers. Faster! You can outrun them!

Hide! I slowed down and walked with a large moving crowd. Nice and easy. I hoped to blend in with the people. The guards rounded the corner out of the alleyway. They stopped and their eyes searched the area. Their long blue crests stood above the masses.

"Where is she?"

"She can't be far!"

"Over there! I see the murderer!"

Dammit! Run you fool! I shoved the pedestrians over. Screams and gasps emitted from the surrounding crowd. Once I saw clearing, my legs carried me at speeds I did not believe I could muster. Go! Take to the roofs!

I jumped and grabbed onto a low beam extending above a tomato stand. The tomato seller cursed at me. I then continued up on the roof. The guards stopped and stared at me.

"You can't get away that easily!" They began to discard their heavier gear. 

"Pay for your crimes, criminal scum!"

"Justice shall be served for the Sisters!" The guards begin to skillfully climb up to me.

Don't just stand there! Move! After my brief moment of shock, I sprinted along the rooftops. Jump over that! Step there! Go! The guards chased after me, but were beginning to lose ground. Look over there! My eyes caught a small pool on the street to my right. I jumped off the roof and ran towards the pool.

I dove into the small pool. I made sure to be fully submerged. Calm down. My body slowed down to conserve oxygen.

"By Empress Celestia! She's gone again!" 

"Dammit!"

"We'll get her next time, lads. We know her face."

I watched them angrily walk away. I was fortunate that they did not see me enter the water. When they had exited my line of sight, I heaved myself out of the pool. The water was a darker color than when I entered. This made me inspect my robes. The robes' dirt and grime were gone. The entire garment was a lighter shade than before. Hmm. I had given my robes the washing they required. 

"I hope the Bearer of Generosity is happy now" I indignantly muttered to myself.

I observed my surroundings. The buildings were not familiar. In my haste, I seemed to have made many turns without thinking. I did not know my exact location in the city. So, with my dripping robes and my mind spinning I made my way back to the Den. Well, I thought it was the right way to the Den. I checked the sun's position in the sky and adjusted my course.


~



> Chapter 8: Summer Sun Celebration
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 8: Summer Sun Celebration


By Octavia Melody


The next few days passed without much to note. I ended my daytime walks in the city due to the incident with the guards. The news of the chase spread through the capital like fire. Vinyl even showed me my wanted poster. She found it humorous because of my wrongly shaped nose. She kept the poster and hung it on the wall in her room. Today however, was the longest day in Equestria, and the Assassins rose before dawn. The Bearer of Magic gathered us outside the Den in the cool Canterlot air.

"Alright Brothers, this day is vital to us. The city is furious about the recent events in Appleloosa. They are going to make it absolutely clear to the Empire that this appalling display of joy is not proper behavior for the times. The Templar would love a riot. I fear that their supporters will purposely aggravate the population further. We are going to silence the voices that try to rouse the common folk."

"Bearer, the Templar are for Order. What makes you think that causing Chaos will help them?" An Assassin asked.

"Any harm to the Empire's government is beneficial to the Templar. The only way they will take control is if the Empire is weak enough to do so. They do not care how it is accomplished."

With that, Twilight turned north and made her way to the Great Royal Palace. The other Assassins and I followed. The streets were already active as folks had risen early to see the dawn. Ever since the heralds announced the Appleloosan events, the city had been quiet and without life, except for the occasional provocative speakers. 






The Palace towers surrounded us.  The sky was brighter than the ground as the sun approached. The Great Royal Palace was far larger than any other building in Canterlot. Three fourths of the North District was covered by it. Crowds gathered on the colossal platform that extended west of the Palace and out the mountain. The same mountain that delayed the sun from its arrival, as it overshadowed the city in the east. We, hidden in the crowd, shadows, or bushes, closely watched the civilians' behaviors. I could hear muttering and murmurs around me.

"What do the Sisters think? We gotta go help Appleloosa, not sit here and dine!"

"Those damn rebels! They think they are helping, but all their doing is causing fear and death."

"Let us hope that General Silverstar can regain control."

"Bloody nobles drink while my folks die? My brother's down there."

"What are they rebellin' for anyway? Nothin' wrong with the Empire..."

"If the rebels want it so bad, they can have it!"

"We don't need to stand for this! If the Empire doesn't want to help, we'll make them!"

This last voice was louder than the others. I turned to see a man in crimson standing on a table. The people nearby gave heed to him. I slowly walked towards him.

"The Sisters have had their rule. They have become weak with the years. Look! Our land is shrouded in criminals. Killing and raiding at will! Yet they sit in their palace and do nothing. It's high time to reforge the Empire, with a new leader to guide this generation."

I got closer. The man's right sleeve possessed a red cross, barley visible due to the surrounding colors. He was a Templar agent. Reaching my hand to a throwing knife, I was determine to end him. Stop. Think! I could not simply kill the man with a crowd around me. I pulled my hand away from the knife and continued listening to the Templar, pondering what to do next.

"Listen to me! The Sisters do not believe in justice anymore. They only adore their haughty nobles and their expensive banquets! A ruler that does not care for ALL of their subjects does not deserve to be ruling. This is when tyranny ends! This is when we build a new government that rules ALL of their subjects equally!"

He was about to continue when a loud noise emitted in the distance. The gathered crowd jogged in the direction of the noise to investigate. The Templar stayed on his table, annoyed by his listeners' abandonment. I walked over and leaned on the table he stood on.

"That was a lovely speech, Templar. It is a grievance that it landed on deaf ears." I casually complimented him.

He turned to look down at me. Upon realizing who I was, his body lurched away from me. I was quick to grab his ankle and pulled him down into the cobblestone. I proceeded to swiftly stab his thin neck, being careful not to let the blood taint the ground. Dragging away his corpse into a nearby bush, my job was complete.

My mind then turned to the noise. It sounded like a pistol. I began following the Templar's former listeners. They led me to a large crowd surrounding an empty circle, in the middle of the circle appeared to be small amounts of blood. 

"There was a body here I swear!"

"The man fell over and was gone!"

"Empress Luna save us! There is a demon on the loose!"

"The sun is not even up and already I regret not staying in bed."

The confused crowd continues to mumble as they gawk at the nothingness in before them. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see Twilight. The Bearer of Magic gestured for my silence and nodded her head to tell me to follow. 

"The Sisters are about to exit the Palace, let's go." She whispered to me.






We took our station in front of the Palace gates. Citizens surrounded the Palace, lining up along the empty white path that the Sisters will ride through. Royal Guards also lined up along this path with halberds raised perfectly straight up. The sun's rays touched the land far below the city. A small man stepped through the gate, shouting and waving his arms in unison.

"Make way! The Sisters have arrived! Make way!"

Behind him, a massive golden chariot followed. The chariot was being pulled by six large horses dressed in the same gold as the chariot. The chariot's front was carved with elegant wings. The back supported the Equestrian flag. Everyone was not looking at the chariot though. Their gaze was on the chariot's occupants.

The Two Sisters waved at the crowds. The taller of the two, Empress Celestia, was adorned in a long white silk dress. Her sister, Empress Luna, was wearing a similar dress, but instead of white, a rich dark blue.  Their long hair flow with the wind of their movement. Behind the Sisters are Princes and foreign nobles on horses. The crowd, surprisingly, cheer at the appearance of all this.

The chariot made it way to the far end of the platform. Twilight and I followed along on a high fence. Her pistols rattled at the steady movement. I saw other Assassins making their way through the crowd. Let us hope that they are not needed.

My eyes found a hooded man sharpening a dagger in a dark corner, away from the crowds. I pointed this out to Twilight. She nodded and disappeared in flash of purple light. I was temporally bewildered by this act. I looked back at the man to see Twilight crouched behind him. In a smooth movement, she placed the man in a choke hold and silently wrestled him to the ground. Once his body was unconscious, she placed him in a sitting position in the dark corner. She then teleported back on the fence next to me.

"I did not know his true intentions with the dagger, so I let him live. Hope he enjoys the nap." She told me.

The procession continued. The Sisters reached the end of the platform and elegantly stepped off the chariot. Guards followed them and symmetrically placed themselves on either side of the rulers. The adopted Prince Shining Armor and his wife, the New Crystal Republic's young princess Mi Amore Cadenza, stood off to the side. The Empire's other prince, Prince Blueblood, was nowhere to be seen. I assume he did not wish to rise early for the ceremony.

Empress Celestia took a step forward. Even from my view, I could see her soft smile. She cleared her throat and addressed the now silent multitude. Her angelic voice easily reached my ears.

"Greetings my dear Equestrians. Today is the Summer Sun Celebration. The day in which we welcome the new season. A season that will bring prosperity to the Empire. Although that is up to you, my subjects. It is you who lift this nation above the rest. It is you that bind this Empire together. It is you that will let this nation survive. These are troublesome times, however, we cannot falter. We cannot give in to the violence that surrounds us. We shall rise above it all. The Freedom and Justice of this Empire shall last. So let us celebrate today! Let us shout back into the faces of our trials. Let us gaze into the future with confidence and purpose! Know that we shall pull through, no matter the value!"

The short speech was received with mixed emotions from the masses. Mutterings and whispers filled the enormous platform. A skinny man in the front row stepped forward and shouted at the Two Sisters.

"Celebrate? Really? Wha' good is there in celebrating? What about Appleloosa? They'ze in a war zone down there. No. We can't celebrate simply to shrug such things aside. We must act! Clear the place of such violators."

"Hush thy tongue peasant! It is not of wise of thou to address..." The younger Empress was cut off by her elder.

"Luna, enough. The man has the right to speak his mind. Now, young man, I understand your concern. The matter is already being resolved. I have personally assigned General Silverstar of the Sixth Royal Legion to oversee the matters in Appleloosa. I fear for the people down there just as much as you do. We can only wait for the outcome. We are not forgetting them in celebrating, we are honoring them. We cannot let such tragedies affect our Empire. We must overcome them. We hold this celebration to look beyond our failures and to honor those that have given us the opportunity to celebrate."

The man stayed standing in front of the masses. After a short silence, he turned and disappeared back into the crowd. The sun's rays shines down on all of us. The sun had arrived and not a soul cared or even noticed. I heard Twilight incoherently mumble beside me.






By midday, the ceremonies had finished. The music and entertainers were lively and joyous, but their audiences remained stern and unhappy throughout their performances. Very few speakers lifted their voices against the Empire after the skinny man's confrontation of the Sisters. We Assassins lingered but quickly began feeling that our task here was completed. Once the midday feast commenced, the Bearer of Magic had sent the majority of us back to our respected Dens. A couple Assassins remained at the feast in case of any suspicious activity.

Upon returning to my home, my stomach growled with hunger. I had no need to enter my quarters, so I headed down into the lounge. I sat down with my meal while Assassins discussed the events of the morning. Most of their ceaseless chatter was on the subject of General Silverstar and Appleloosa. I payed no heed as I did not find their opinions on the matter interesting. As I chewed my food, the jingle of weaponry came towards me. I looked up from my meal to see Twilight standing in front of me; a large sack was slung over her shoulder. 

"Pack your possessions, Den Master. We are going to Ponyville."


~

> Chapter 9: Unfamiliar Lands
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 9: Unfamiliar Lands


By Octavia Melody


I quickly packed my few belongings along with my writing equipment and headed outside. Two horses and a mule awaited Twilight and me. Beside a horse stood Spike bearing a determined look as he inspected a long checklist. The mule already possessed the Bearer of Magic's gear. I placed my gear on the mule. My eyes caught Twilight exiting the Den.

"Did we get everything Spike? Alright. Let us be off."

The Bearer hopped onto her horse. She then extended a hand to her assistant and lifted him on the horse. Apparently he was coming along with us. The boy was small enough to sit in front of the Bearer on their saddle. I jumped on the other horse. As we begun to trot off, we heard a scream behind us.

"STOOOOPPPP! I'm coming too!" 

I glanced back to see Vinyl running towards us. My eyebrows tightened at this delayment. I looked over at the Bearer. She was chuckling at the scene. I yelled back at her.

"Vinyl, please! You can't come. You have to watch over the Den."

"Naw Tavi! I ain't doin' that! I can't just let you go off to a place like Appleloosa without your best friend. I mean, you know ya need me."

"Ugh. Vinyl you don't even have a horse. You can't just walk the entire way there. The distance is way too far."

At this the inventor paused. She started to madly rub her chin in thought. Her head lifted up and she began inspecting the area. Her eyes saw something pleasing and brightened. I looked in the direction of her gaze. There was an old merchant riding an elegant brown horse down the street. I moaned at what to expect.

"Vinyl, you cant...."

"Too late! Be righ' back ya'll!"

She pulled her black mask over her face and sprinted over to the merchant. She patted the merchant's leg when she reached him. The merchant is then pulled right off his horse by the inventor, who quickly replaced him as the rider. She then lightly trotted towards us.

"Piece of cake. Well? Let's go."

The Bearer of Magic and her assistant had apparently found the whole thing amusing as they chuckled at the merchant's misfortune. Twilight then snapped the reins as she urged her horse to move forward and I followed closely behind with Vinyl riding her stolen horse next to me, a wide grin on her face. I was conflicted on whether to slap my friend or congratulate her.





As we made our way down the spiraling trail leading towards the base of the mountain, I began to feel anxious as I have never traveled this far out of the city before. The sight and sensation of the rugged trails only added to my growing anxiety but the view it gave me was spectacular as I could see the the verdant green valley below where Ponyville rested.

The Bearer of Magic informed us that we were planning to spend the night in Ponyville and leave the next morning accompanied by the Bearer of Honesty who was stationed there. The Bearer of Laughter is also in Ponyville, but she was not coming with us to Appleloosa. The shy boy in our pack began to speak up in a worried tone.

"Does....does that mean we have to go through....the Everfree Forest?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes, Spike. Do not fret; the Everfree is not as dangerous as everyone makes it out to be."

The Everfree Forest. It is an infamous region of the Empire. It is just south of Ponyville and north of Appleloosa. The forest is inhabited by strange creatures such as cragadiles, manticores, and hydra. But these do not bother me, what my mind does fear are the Everfree's human inhabitants. The Lunar Cultists. Wildmen that raid and pillage travelers in the name of their moon goddess, Nightmare Moon. We do not know if they actually believe in such a deity, but they do create large stone shrines to her throughout the Everfree area. And they have been rather successful in their raids, as their cult's name is known throughout the Empire.

Vinyl piped up. "You guys will be fine. Ya got me with you."

"You'll not that much of a fighter Vinyl."

"Hmph. Tavi, I fought quite a bit before you were in the Brotherhood. I could be....a lil' rusty.....maybe..."

We rode through a short tunnel. The trail was as steep as ever. The harsh road made me wonder how Canterlot is such a rich city. Due to the horrible roads we traveled on, it seemed that the only option to get goods into the city was by way of an aircraft. Although, I could have been simply underestimating the traders and merchants who take the long trek up the mountain. My wandering mind was snapped back to reality by Twilight's voice.

"Now, be careful in what you say around the Bearer of Honesty, especially anything about the Empire or the Sisters. She is not exactly fond of them. Applejack has a temper, I do not want to see it aggravated."

We nodded in affirmation. I had never met the Bearer of Honesty or the Bearer of Laughter before. So I did not know why the Bearer of Honesty would be this way. But I could trust Twilight's words. I hoped to not make any mistakes when we were in Ponyville. I wrote a mental note to keep my mouth shut in Ponyville until I knew who the Bearers were.






By the time we reached the base of the mountain, the sun was low on the western hills. The journey down the mountain had been long and tedious. With the light left in the day, I could see a walled village in the distance. Vinyl rode beside me half-awake. Her head lowered in sleep only to be quickly raised back to its original position. Spike's low snores could be heard from Twilight's horse. 

The land was much different. The usual sound of hooves on dirt and rock is replaced with the ruffle of grass and leaves. The air was humid and hot. Few trees surround us as we approach a river. A large bridge arched over it. My eyes followed the river upstream and noticed that it was the same river that sliced through southern Canterlot. My mind filled with the memories of the mine owner. His body must have landed around here. We crossed the river and approached the village. 

I could see the village was surrounded by a short stone wall with watchtowers in the corners. Orchards stretched as far as the eye can see towards the west. To the direct south, across the river, was a thick line of horrid moss covered trees. I assumed that this is the Everfree. It is closer to the village than I expected. The gates opened as we approach. The gates revealedl a hooded figure waiting for us.

"Bout time ya got here Twi. Ah was just startin' to worry about ya." The figure said in a rugged accent.

"Well I'm here Applejack. And I brought some company with me." The Bearer responded with a friendly smile.

When we entered the walls, the gates closed behind us with a loud thud. I now could see the entirety of the village. The village homes were mostly two-storied houses with thatched roofs. There were no streets, mainly large openings between the houses. In the middle of the village was large gazebo like structure. A pole extended from its top. The pole was flying a white flag with a black Brotherhood insignia.

My attention moved to the Bearer of Honesty. She was tall, fit, and oddly muscular for a woman. Her blonde hair was tied haphazardly in a ponytail that hangs out of her hood. She did not possess a graceful body like mine or Rarity's. Though, her robes did not help her in this. Her robes, if one could call them that, were mostly comprised of  armor. Her arms, legs and chest are covered in red and orange Equestrian steel. This made her look more like a Templar than an Assassin. She did not wield a wrist blade either. Her obvious weapon of choice was the large two-headed axe that was slung on her back. 

The Bearer of Honesty gave Twilight a tight hug, lifting her in the air. I hear Twilight gasp at being clutched in the large woman's might.

"Nice to see ya Twi! We got everythang here ready for ya. A meal, a bed, and plenty of cider, freshly made."

"Hehe.....Nice to see you too, Applejack....could you....please put me down!"

"Oh." She placed Twilight back on the ground

"Last time I was here, there wasn't a wall. And so.....well constructed. You guys work fast."

"Oh that? Well, the Everfree is jus' gettin' a little too personal with us. So, we built this here wall. Gotta keep them monsters out and it works for the Templar too! C'mon, Pinkie's waiting for us at the Den"

The Bearer of Honesty then beckoned us to follow. The village did not share the bustling activity like the capital. Instead, it seemed to carry a more laid-back tone. The village was quiet and solemn. I saw civilians and Assassins calmly talking with each other. A lonely musician plucked at the strings on his instrument, a satisfied smile on his face. A blacksmith and his apprentice worked on a plate of steel, hammering it into shape. The sun had set and the town is only lit by various newly developed gas-powered lanterns. 

The Bearer of Honesty led us further into the village. Vinyl was still fighting her body's will to sleep. I found it humorous as she lost balance in her battle. She did not mind my giggles, as I think she was too preoccupied to heed them.

"Well, here are. The Ponyville Den!" Applejack announced to us.

The Den was an oddly shaped building. It was by far the largest structure in the village, even larger than the gazebo. It was completely wooden with many extensions branching out of it. It possessed the form of a man-made tree. The Bearer of Honesty led us inside through its red double doors.  The inside was just as peculiar. The Den seemed more like one massive room, far more massive than one would think from the outside. However, I soon saw stairs leading upward and another leading downward. The walls were aligned with books. The center of the room sat a large wooden horse head, probably symbolizing the name of the village it is located in.

"Who is the Den Master here?" Vinyl asked the Bearer of Honesty.

"Ain't none. Assassins of Den Master quality are usually sent out into Equestria. Where they are needed."

Twilight piped up. "Oh! I remember this place. I am ashamed that I did not recognize this place before." She runs over to the wall and picks a book up off its shelf.  "I mean, look at this history! Oh. I wouldn't mind living in a place like this." Her little antics reminded me of a girl with a new doll. Suddenly, a high-pitched voice filled the Den.

"IS THAT THE VOICE OF SUPER-DUPER TWILIGHT?!?!" 

The Bearer of Magic was then tackled by a pink and white blur. Twilight was slammed into the wall by the attacker. The assault knocked off many books from their resting places. I tensed up at the sight of the tackle. Applejack chuckled at this and gestured for me to calm down.

"Don't ya mind, Den Master. It's jus' the Bearer of Laughter."

"Uhh....Pinkie.....that is the most painful tackle yet...." Twilight moans.

The Bearer of Laughter giggled and hoisted Twilight on her feet. The Bearer of Laughter was an average sized woman with bouncy pink hair. The Bearer's large eyes were a light blue. Her robes were of Assassin white, but they did not look fashioned for combat but instead more for a teacher. A large grin stretched itself across her face. 

"Aw! Twilight! I missed you SO! I'm just so glad to see you!" Pinkie hugged the Bearer of Magic.

"Hehe....Alright Pinkie. We have some other guest here. Would you like to welcome them too?"

The Bearer of Laughter performed shockingly long gasp. Her blue eyes turned towards Vinyl and me. The next moment, we were both pinned to the ground by the pink-haired woman.

"Oh! It's soooo nice to me you. I'm Pinkie Pie." Her happy tone changed into a darker one. "Don't you ever refer to me as 'Bearer.' Alright? I mean it...." Her voice then returned to its original tone. "Hehehe. C'mon. C'mon. Tell me your names, friends!"

Vinyl was the first to respond. "Uh....my...my name is...uh...Vinyl." The inventor then looked over to me expectantly.

"Gah. My n-name i-is Den Master Octavia Melody." I stammered.

The Bearer of Laughter looked at me with an eyebrow raised. "You didn't need the rank in there Octi." She told me in a matter-of-fact way. The Beare- "Hey what did I say Octi? Hmm?" Pinkie then looked over and spied Spike and waved cheerfully. "Oh, hi Spike." The boy silently waved back.

I glanced at Vinyl. The expression on her face was of both confusion and worry. I could not help but chuckle at it. This drew the attention of the woman sitting on us.

"Well, I accomplished something." She said rather absently. She then sprung up and helped us both on our feet. 

The Bearer of Honesty whistled to get everyone's attention. "We got a meal to atten'. I mean, it's still the Summer Sun Celebration righ'? C'mon let's go."






We sat around a large bonfire outside the den. Benches, logs, tables, stumps, and other improvised furniture surrounded us. Assassins sat by and around the fire to chatter, drink cider, or eat pork. The cider, I found out, was not alcoholic. Applejack explained that this night was an exception to the usual hard cider since they must leave early in the morning. No one was allowed to become intoxicated tonight. That, however, did not slow down the party. Assassins danced and sung Brotherhood chanties around the fire. Vinyl was off participating in these activities as I watched from my stump. The Bearer of Honesty pulled up her own stump and slouched next to me.

"Well, Den Master, you don't seem to be enjoyin' yourself tonight." She told me.

"I eagerly await tomorrow, Bearer. I cannot get my mind off of the near future." I responded.

"Hmph. Don't ya worry none. My cousin is doin' fine down there. He's a mighty fine warrior, Ah mean he was born into the Brotherhood."

"Really?"

"Heck yeah. And so was Ah. Unlike the other Bearers, Ah never had a life outside the Brotherhood. All Apples are born into it."

"I thought you were a farmer."

"Ah was and still am. The Apples are farmers. When we are young, we work in the field until we're strong enough to fight. When we gets to old, we head back to the farm. Ah keep returnin' to my farm cause Ah'm scared to leave it. Ah don't trust my youn' sister and Granny Smith to take care of the orchards."

Our attention turned to a small girl in white robes. She was far too young to be an Assassin. Her curly hair appeared to be several shades of pink, her bright green eyes looked at Applejack, who she was holding a jug of cider to. "Here is your cider Bearer." She said in an adorable voice.

"Well thanks Sweetie. That's mighty nice of ya." The Bearer smiled at her. A light blush appeared on the girl's face. She bowed and walked off.

"Is she one of you family?" I asked Applejack.

"What? Nope. She's from Canterlot actually, got sent down here to be a Disciple."

"Disciple? Why haven't I heard of that rank?"

"It's new. The Brotherhood needs more people in it. So, we are startin' them younger than ever. So Disciples are basically Assassins in trainin'."

"That seems rather sad."

"Maybe." Was her only response.

The Bearer of Honesty stood up and left. I too get up from my stump and began to walk around the party. I did not have a specific location I wanted to go, so I just watched the Assassins as I wandered.  I spied Vinyl boasting to some Brothers about one of her heroic tales. Twilight was hunched in a corner quietly talking to Spike. She was checking all of her pistols and ammunition. I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"HEY Octi! Why so sad? Hmm. Wait. Don't answer that. I don't need to know. So how is Canterlot? Is it fun? I've never been there actually. I've spend my whole life down in this valley. You know how BORING that can be? I mean....wow! Never seeing the Empire? You must be so lucky! Traveling on such adventures like this! Wait.....no...You're not lucky. Not one bit."

"How am I not lucky Bea...I mean Pinkie?" I hesitantly asked the woman in now in front of me.

"For Real? Hmm. Look at you! You're a fighter! What fun is there in that? Yeah that's right, nothing!"

"One can enjoy battle." I corrected her.

Her smile faded. She shook her head furiously. "No. No. Nononononono. You see, one can enjoy battle only if they win. Only if they take the life away from the loser. This is not true enjoyment, but instead are simply instincts."

"You're in the Brotherhood. How can you not like fighting?"

"Ha. Don't be a silly-filly Octi! The Brotherhood is not simply some fighter's guild. Look around you. It's family. Family that is willing to fight for Harmony, yes, but we are more of a movement to this modern society. We move to a society that has all the Elements established in it."

"I do not understand."

Pinkie looked over at a table gestured me to sit down. I obeyed. After she joined me at the table, she stared at me intensely.

"You see Octi, there are six Elements: Loyalty, Kindness, Honesty, Generosity, Laughter, and Magic. These Elements are required to complete Harmony. Nothing more, nothing less. To create Harmony, one must be Loyal. They must never abandon anyone that they choose to care about. You never give up on them even when they make the wrong choices. You support them through their trials. However, you must also be willing to show them their wrong ways. It's harsh, but it's good for them. Loyalty has nothing to do with obedience like most think. To create Harmony, one must have Kindness. Now most would think that Kindness is simply acting nice, but it's more than that. To be a Kind act, one must sacrifice something in their act. Opening a door for a lady isn't Kind, that is simply proper etiquette. A Kind act is more like sharing limited food. You give up your own food so that they can be fed. That means you'll go hungry so that they won't. Catch what I'm saying? Huh? Yeah. Now Honesty. Yadda yadda don't tell lies. No, once again, it's more than that. It's being reliable. It's you keeping promises. It's about telling your friend what they really are. You don't ignore their bad behavior just to keep them happy. You tell them that they are wrong. If you lose them as friends, well, they weren't your friends to begin with. Generosity is a tough one to explain, as it is close to Kindness. However, this one deals with your possessions. You must be willing to give everything. Not only your materials but your body and soul. You must be willing to throw yourself out there for a cause you believe in. Laughter. Hehe. This is where I come in. Oh wait. You know that. WELL, Laughter is more than just laughing. It is the keeping up of morale. One must be able to lift up someone's spirit even if they themselves are not happy. Help them make it through the day. 'A smile makes life worthwhile' as I like to say. Now finally, Magic. The one that binds it all together. That bondage is known as Friendship. Only when all the other Elements are present, can Friendship be created. And it is the most powerful force in this world. Without Friendship, the Fires of Loyalty, the Healing of Kindness, the Strength of Honesty, Giving of Generosity, and the Fruits of Laughter will not work. That's why it is known as Magic. Now, where in ALL that, is where the fighting and killing comes in?"

I sat back and pondered all of this. I did not expect such insight from a pink-haired woman who was bent on making others laugh. "I understand, Pinkie. How did you learn all this?"  I asked, not knowing what else to say.

"Made it up." She casually shrugged.

The last sentence from Pinkie left me in great confusion. After a long and almost unbearable silence, I asked another question to continue the conversation.

"How is it being a, you know, a Bearer?"

"Hmmm..." She mused. "Eh....Oh I'll just show you."

Pinkie began unbuttoning her robes. I started to squirm in my sit as she started to expose herself. She pulled her robes slightly down to reveal her chest. There, between her breasts, right where the heart would be, protruded a blue pulsing crystal. She calmly tapped the crystal to create a low hollow noise. She giggled at the sound.

"Is....Is that the...."

"Element of Laughter? Yup. You see, we're called Bearers for a reason. So gotta bear something. And that something is a crystal in place of your heart." She told me in an inappropriately happy tone. She then buttoned up her robes.

"Why haven't I known this?" I asked.

"Oh.....You know....The others reeeealllly don't like to talk about it."

"Was it painful?"

"Hehe. Unbearably! But it's all for a good cause right? I rather have gone through the pain and be chosen, then NOT be chosen and NOT go through the pain."

"Good cause?! How....How can you deal with that?" I slightly raised my voice.

"Because I know it's all worthwhile. I know that Absolute Order is wrong. There is NO fun in Order OK? Now, I know that the Brotherhood could have done a tinsey bit better in how they spread Harmony, but Harmony is being spread nonetheless. I can't add to the bloodshed because, not only do I faint at the sight of blood, I also cannot commit an act that hurts another. I can't kill a Templar because there will be someone in the world who will grieve the loss of his life, I just...I just can't do that. I cannot lift someone's morale while destroying the other. So that's why I don't fight. I instead teach the Disciples our Creed, Cheerilee teaches the fighting though. But yes we can 'deal with it' simply because our minds are bent on succeeding. It's going to be rough, but this is for our future generations, not us."

"If you cannot harm morale, then why tell me these things? It seems that my ignorance on these subjects help me cope with situations better than the harsh reality that comes with the knowledge." I asked after some silence.

"Octi, you're so silly! You're not sad because of the things I told you. It's the complete opposite. You see, I have riled you up for action. You are more confident in your purpose than ever. I have raised your morale. You may think you're sad because of these things, but really, you're just more willing to complete your task. My job isn't just to laugh remember? Don't worry, it's a strange concept I know. Trust me! I know. But just remember that the easiest person to lie to is yourself. Yawn, I need some more cider after all this talking."

With that, Pinkie stood up, stretched, and departed. I sat there remembering her words. I had been in the Brotherhood for many years, but yet I still did not know half of it. Our Creed sounded so simple, but it was vast in meaning. The Elements' purpose are far greater than leading us to victory over the Templar. They seemed to be more entwined with daily life. As I pondered these things, Vinyl flopped down on Pinkie's former chair.

"Hey Tavi. Been a fun night huh? Tavi?"

I snapped back to reality. "Oh hello Vinyl. My mind just had some.....points of concern it needed to address." 

"Seems like it does that a lot." She replied. "Maybe you should ge' some sleep Tavi, the next morning isn't gonna be kind to us."





I have taken Vinyl's advice. I sit here in the Den's sleeping quarters as I write this. The day, once again, has been long. I have participated in two Summer Sun Celebrations today. Hmm. By this time I have forgotten about the morning. I wonder how my Den is holding up with the Bearer of Generosity at its helm. I hope she does not add too many decorations to it. I am quite fond of its simplicity. My mind grows weary. I must end my writing here. The dawn will come soon enough and with it, a journey through the Everfree and the arrival in Appleloosa. I must be as vigilant as possible tomorrow. I need my rest.

Adieu and goodnight.



~

	
	
> Chapter 10: Forest of the Free
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 10: Forest of the Free


By Octavia Melody

My eyes opened and I reluctantly realized that the night was over. The sun incandescently shined through the circular windows of the Den. In my half-awoken state, I still believed and acted as though I was in the South Canterlot Den. I was quite saddened to remember my true location and my task. I slowly stood up from my small bed. I could hear Vinyl's snores emitting nearby. I wished that I was still in her state of slumber. I nonchalantly glanced around the large room. The Bearer of Magic was still asleep on a pile of books, and, unlike me, was still in her Assassin robes. I lazily poked the Bearer as to awaken her.

"Bearer......Bearer wake up.....It's......dawn..." I barely muttered.

She started to squirm. "Go away Spike, big sis needs her rest." She sleepily replied. I was annoyed by this response and angrily flicked her closest arm. The Bearer jumped off her makeshift bed. She was now fully awake. I began regretting my actions as her cold stare reached my face.

"I am AWAKE, Den Master!" She growled at me.

I quickly backed away from the Bearer. Her snarl followed me. Her reaction had awoken the others in the Den. Muffled grunts from stretching came behind me. The Bearer's eyes shifted passed me. I glanced back to see Vinyl sitting up in her bed. She was not pleased about her slumber being disturbed. She was about to say something when the front door swung open.

"Rise and shine everyone! You guys have a very big day ahead of you! C'mon! Get up! I've been up and I'm not even leaving." Pinkie filled the Den with her extremely high-pitched voice. The Bearer of Honesty followed her through the door. She was already dressed in her armor. Twilight stood up and tried to straighten her messy hair. She grabbed her pistols and placed them in her sash. Vinyl laid back in her bed and covered herself in her sheets. The Bearer of Honesty noticed this and marched up to her.

"You came along this trip by ya own choice, and this is how ya act? Rotten. Get your hind up!" 

The Bearer of Honesty then grabbed Vinyl by her ankles and pulled her out of the bed and dropped her on the floor. Vinyl seemed nothing more than a feather to the Bearer. The Bearer grunted at Vinyl before leaving the room. The inventor soon lifted herself on her feet, bearing a disgruntled expression. She performed a rude and admittedly, juvenile gesture behind the back of the Bearer before she gathered her belongings. I could only shake my head disappointedly at the inventor. I had witnessed such behavior from Vinyl before and it was one of the main reasons she was still only a First Rank Assassin after so many years. 

I noticed Pinkie approaching me. I instinctively bowed only to placed back in an upright position by the teacher. "Hmm! Remember Octi, don't treat me like a Bearer. I'm just Pinkie Pie! Now, you really need to get dressed. I mean, wow, not even I get that much bed-hair! Oh! We also have a breakfast already cooking outside. The other Assassins are really good at cooking. It's not like I taught them or anything. Hehe!" She patted me heartily on the back and then skipped out of the Den. I grabbed my gray robes and slipped them over my undergarments. 

We packed our gear and headed out of the Den. The Ponyville air was crisp this morning. The sound of birds, frogs, and insects filled the air. Ponyville Assassins walked to and fro, carrying crates or hauling produce. Several fat pigs made their way across the village. My Canterlotian instincts demanded me to avoid them all cost. Applejack stood by the same fire that was burning the previous night. A large metal tripod held a boiling pot over the flames. I assumed that this was our breakfast. 

The Bearer of Honesty spotted me. "C'mon Den Master. Soup's up." She then scooped some of the soup into a bowl and handed it to me. "Eat fast. We'll be headin' out when the wagon's ready." This made me glance over a nearby wagon. This was what the Assassins were placing crates and produce in. With the quantity they were storing, I could tell that this wagon was for the Appleloosans. I quickly ate my meal. I wanted to be done with that Sun-forsaken forest as soon as possible.





Vinyl, Twilight, Spike, Applejack, and I stored our gear on the wagons and horses. Applejack was responsible for guiding the wagon due to it containing her "precious apples." Vinyl had moved past the anger she had earlier. The sound of adventure increased her efficiency. Twilight and Spike were rechecking the maps of the area. We would need the maps in the winding paths in the forest. Though the village wall separated us from the Everfree, its presence was still felt in everyone's heart. 

The village gates swung open for us. Twilight, Vinyl and I rode on our horses while Applejack and Spike rode on the wagon. The village had become quiet when we passed through the gates. The only sound was the cheering from Pinkie. Her joyous encouragement only added to the silence. Pinkie did not dare follow us out of the walls as she halted in the gateway, still waving enthusiastically. I glanced back at the gatekeeper on the wall. He bowed as if he would not see us again. I had reasonable doubts about returning from Appleloosa, but it still seemed far-fetched. We slowly crossed the river that was the only obstacle between us and the forest. The forest appeared thicker as we approached it. I could not see past the dirt road that allowed entrance to the mossy woodland. The horses reared and halted. It was clear they did not want to enter. After a little of coaxing, we got the horses to continue. Applejack lighted a torch before we entered. She looked at us after she lit it. "Trust me. We'll need it."





Applejack's words could not have been more true.The forest was almost as dark as night. The massive trees blocked out the sun. The forest's inhabitants were quick to notice us. Small creatures scurried across the dirt road. Glowing eyes watched our caravan from the shadows. The sound of snarling and hissing resounded from the trees and bushes. The trees themselves seemed to moan in agony. A low fog coated the floor. The place seemed so alive and at the same time, dead. Every step from our horses was felt. Every breath was fully heard. We were all on edge. Vinyl was breathing heavily. Twilight had one of her pistols drawn. Spike was clutching the Bearer of Honesty's side. 

"How about we begin some uhh...talkin'?" Applejack suggested.

"This place sucks." Vinyl stated.

"We know...." I replied irritably to the inventor.

"How could a place like this exist in the middle of the Empire?" Twilight asked, still holding her pistol by her head.

"There are a lot o' things that I don't understand with the Empire. This is one of 'em. They could've cleared this Tartarus hole a long time ago. But hey, with them ageless Sisters, you can't be sure of anythin'. This could have been like some grand city before. It must have been cursed or somethin'. Cursed by the Sisters to cover up somethin'."

The Bearer of Magic shook her head. "Oh AJ, always the one to come up with such theories against the Empire. I mean I know you hate them but..."

"But what Twi? They don't tell their subjects the truth. All you hear is how well they treat their people when, in truth, they don't! Look at Appleloosa. Look at Cloudsdale. The Sisters have never told the people why they don't look over the age of thirty when they've ruled for over two centuries! They deal with the Templar, I jus' know it. They act so similar they could be twins." 

Twilight sighed. "AJ, do you think they need to tell the people? I mean, they have ruled quite well. Yeah they have their flaws, but they are still better than, let's say, the Gryphon Kingdom. I say, as long as they don't turn into Absolute Order, they do not need to step down."

A violent growl halted the conversation. Twilight instinctively aimed her pistol in the direction of the sound. We could not see what caused the noise. I glanced back to inspect our progress. The Ponyville entrance to the forest was out of sight. The only things we could see were of the torch-lit surroundings. Beyond that was the darkness of the Everfree. We did not know how long we had been in the dreaded woodland as there was no sun or moon to tell time. This also made the maps that we brought with us utterly useless since we could not tell direction without the sun. After a short pause, we carried on our journey.





There was certainly not much to describe in the forest. The torch seemed to keep the place at bay. The trees that lined the dirt path were incredibly close to each other. This made me wonder how creatures could even move through the forest. We soon came up on a half-rotten manticore skeleton that laid unevenly on the path. We had to stop due to the beast's size.

"We gotta move this off the path. The wagon can't fit by it." The Bearer of Honesty told us.

The Bearer jumped off the wagon and walked towards the skeleton. Twilight and I dismounted our horses and joined the Bearer. Flies and other insects swarmed the corpse. I noticed a long, well-crafted spear lodged in its skull. Twilight tried to levitate the beast but it was too heavy. Applejack chuckled at her attempt and began rolling the skeleton to the side of the path. When this feat was accomplished, a low continuous chant filled the woods.

"O! She brought us some food. O! She brought us a pint. For she is the ruler of the Night." It sounded

The torch revealed humanoid beings in the branches above us. The beings were lanky and dressed in completely black apparel. They possessed the appearance of a shadow without a owner. Their eyes glowed a low green through their wooden masks. They wielded daggers or spears. They were still chanting in unison.

"Our wrath shall be quick! O! Death shall come soon. All for the glory of NIGHTMARE MOON!"

With the final words, they leapt from their boughs. Their weapons pointed at us. We were quick to dodge their plunging attacks. After their failed attempt at us, they circled around the edge of the torch's light. We closed tight on each other, back against back, our weapons pointed at the cultists. This did not seem to intimidate them.

"Hush now. Quiet now. Your bodies shall be employed. When your souls reach the Void!" 

A cultist charged at us. Twilight fired her pistol and he fell before reaching us. She began reloading the pistol with her levitation. The sound of the firearm echoed throughout the forest. The constant growls and howls ended. The other cultists paused at this display of technology. They soon resumed their chant.

"It is they who sleep. It is they who rest. The weak who cannot fathom the Night's blessed!"

The cultists swarmed us in unison. I gutted the first cultist I saw. Our circle had broken and we were on our own. Constant booms were heard from Twilight's pistols. A cultist flew through the air from Applejack's swing. A cultist grabbed my neck from behind. I wrestled myself free and stabbed him through the chest with my dagger. Upon realizing the heavy losses they had sustained, the surviving cultists retreated back to their shadows. As Twilight and Applejack taunted the fleeing savages, I looked down at the cultist I had killed. Bending over him, I removed his black mask. The face beneath was that of a middle-aged man. The skin and hair were almost white as if he had never seen the sun. Despite this, he looked surprisingly sophisticated and noble. 

Then I remembered the wagon. Vinyl! I ran back up the path to the wagon as apparently our skirmish made us move far beyond the manticore skeleton. When I reached the wagon, Vinyl was seated next to Spike on the carriage. By light of their torch, I saw four black corpses sprawled around the area. A faint smile appeared on inventor's face as I noticed this.

"I told ya. I told ya didn't need to worry." Her voice wavered.

My attention turned to Spike. He was shaking uncontrollably in Vinyl's arms. The young boy was clearly traumatized by all this. This made me furious at the Bearer of Magic. Why did she bring him? If this didn't ruin him, then Appleloosa would. As I pondered about this, the Bearer of Honesty and Magic both returned to the wagon. Twilight instantly noticed Spike's troubled face. She quickly hopped on the wagon and pulled him into her arms.

"Shh shh, it will be all fine, Spike. We'll get you through this. Be brave. Big sis will get you through this." She soothed. 

The scene removed my previous anger at the Bearer. The woman was almost in tears at the sight of her scared assistant. I had never before seen Twilight in such a state. In all my experience with her, she had been strict but reasonable. A true woman to live such a life as hers. However, now, she appeared like a mother soothing her son. It made me realize that she was more than my superior but also a caring individual. We rested until the boy was ready to continue.





Spike preferred to ride with Twilight on her horse from then on. Thus, the Bearer of Honesty sat alone on her wagon. Vinyl and I led the group. I could not tell you how long we had been in the forest nor how much progress we had made. The trees all looked identical in the torchlight. It made the journey seem like an endless cycle. We all could have been riding in circles and none would notice. Applejack decided to end the silence.

"Well.....At least at the end of this is my cuz. He'll give us an Apple welcome Ah'm sure. Ol' Braeburn knows how to be hospitable."

"If he's still alive that is." Vinyl said monotonously.

"Oh he will be. Braeburn's one of them guys who jus' don't die. He enjoys spittin' in the face of Death." Applejack replied.

Silence engulfed us again. We slowly trekked onward. The sounds of the forest began to pipe up again after Twilight's shot interrupted their ominous symphony. Signs of civilization began to appear occasionally. A wagon wheel here, a human skeleton there. This told us that we were relatively close to the southern exit.

A large clearing in the trees appeared on our left. The sudden end to the monotonous tree line made us stop our caravan. Vinyl and I dismounted and walked over to investigate. A path led off into the darkness. By the faint light, we could see a massive stone castle across a black chasm. There was no way to access the structure as the bridge across the chasm was destroyed. 

"Hmph." The inventor shrugged. "I guess this place was a grand...something before."

"Who would let such a castle sit in such neglect?" I asked. "No matter. Let us be off. I am truly tired of this miserable place."

After these words were exchanged we still stood there. The place had an odd welcoming feel to it. It could have been due to the hostile environment around us. The fact that humanity once lived in this place. Or it could have been due to our eyes yearning to see something different than the usual mossy trees. Either way, the castle slightly relieved us. The castle was a friendly oasis in a massive malicious desert.

Vinyl and I mounted our horses and continued on the path. The torches were fading. Applejack told us not to worry because we had extra if they are needed. The land was becoming hillier. The flatness of the Everfree seemed to have ended. The savage sounds of the forest were dying. The trees themselves were becoming less and less close to each other. These were all satisfying signs that the exit was approaching.

There it was! A faint light could be seen, straight ahead, in the distance. At the sight of this, we all rejoiced. Even the horses now had a spring in their stride. We quickened our pace. Our tired bodies were revived and the thought of death was banished. Even though we were still in the forest, we felt that it was already conquered. As the light approached, the sound of birds and winds could be heard.

We exited the Everfree. The perpetual darkness around was swept away by the sun's precious light. The sun itself, was high on the western side. It was late afternoon. The new lands around us were rolling and dry. A vast difference from the lush valley of Ponyville. Here there were no trees, only tall grass that ruffled in the strong winds. We sat there, admiring all of this, until we spied the town of Appleloosa in the far distance. With our purpose remembered, we resumed our journey.







We crossed the last hill to Appleloosa. In the evening light we could now observe the town in all of its ruined glory. The town itself was walled, but one could not easily tell as the walls were only half completed. The buildings were all made of wood and shoddily built. They had no particular style and were all bland in color. Smoke was rising from various location in the town. The town was surrounded by large stumps. Apparently there had been an orchard or forest here that was all chopped down and turned into wood for the town. We approached the "gate" of the town. A man in crimson armor confronted us with a hand raised.

Halt! By order of the Sisters, none shall enter this town!" He commanded.

Before we could respond the man was stabbed through the chest from behind by a large sword. The man slid off the blade and his body flattened itself on the dusty ground. This revealed the hooded man who had performed the deed. He looked at us with green eyes and smiled.

"Welcome to Appleloosa." 



~

	
	
	
> Chapter 11: Appleloosan Hospitality
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 11: Appleloosan Hospitality


By Octavia Melody


Our greeter was none other than Den Master Braeburn. The man looked nothing similar to how Rarity and Fluttershy had described him. He had thin messy blond hair. His face was dirty and unshaven. His teeth were uneven and dark yellow. His light gold colored robes were torn and singed. His hood was thin and possessed numerous holes in it. He had no sleeves as they appeared to have been ripped off. His boots were not matching. His sashes were lazily strapped around his waist where his pistols rested. His long sword was bent and rusted in the hilt. The sword seemed to know nothing but neglect. He possessed the overall appearance of a rubbish collector. 

"About time you got here. The afternoon has been peaceful so far. Come along, I'll show you the town." He gestured to us to follow with his bruised and cracked hand.

He led us through the destroyed gates. Our wagon could barely fit between all the debris in the road. As we walked into the ruined town, a deadly silence consumed us. The place was empty. There were no signs of the living. The town was completely abandoned by the common folk. The silence was broken by the Den Master.

"There ain't much here in Appleloosa. All the civilians high-tailed out of here long ago. No idea where they've gone. Just us and the Templar here now." Braeburn informed us.

"Where is the Den, Den Master?" Twilight asked.

"Ha. There ain't one now. The filthy Templar blew it up the other day. Shattered it with their artillery and then burned the ruins with their torches. Nothing left but embers." 

"Then where ya been hidin' cuz?" Applejack questioned.

"We turned this place into guerrilla warfare. We don't hide in the same place twice. We move here and there, picking off the Templar when we can."

We passed three half-rotten corpses hanging over the street. By their armor it was clear that they were Templar. Braeburn chuckled as we passed this gruesome display. As we continued, Assassins began appearing on the short rooftops. They inspected us like we were exotic animals. One Assassin in dark blue robes jumped down and approached us.

"Den Master, we are glad to inform that all is well at the moment. Templar activity is low this evening. They seem to be regrouping for further efforts." He said.

"Of course they are." Braeburn sighed. "Don't let up the guards, Noteworthy. We must be on constant alert. Just having some more bodies with us ain't gonna mean more slacking." 

"Yes, Den Master." Noteworthy bowed and ran off to his station.

"You guys have had a long trip. We'll rest at the tavern up ahead." Braeburn told us.





The tavern was dark and secluded. When we approached it, I thought it was simply an empty building. However, upon entering, I saw several Assassins sitting in the tavern, quietly having a drink and conversing. The tavern had no lights, so as to not attract unwanted attention. The other Assassins began unloading the wagon. I could not tell where they were storing the food. I assumed it was the cellar beneath us. I seated myself along the counter. Braeburn goes behind the wooden counter and served us some drinks.

"Don't get drunk, we gotta stay sober." He warned us.

"So how was your trip?" He asked.

Spike was the first to speak. "It was awful. The Everfree is no place I want to see again."

"Well don't you worry kid; your horrors haven't ended yet." Braeburn laughed.

"From the descriptions up north, it seemed like this place was Tartarus. Doesn't look it. Disappointing." Vinyl complained.

"Some days here are more relaxed than others. Some days the Templar don't attack, others they just swarm the place." 

"Where are the Templar, Den Master?" I curiously asked.

"Hmph. Them Templar are up on the far east side. Built some fortified barracks. They hide in there every night. Cowards. Led by that bastard, Silverstar too!"  Braeburn raised his voice. "That Silverstar, launching bloody artillery on this town. The nerve. He's the one that caused all these people to leave. He's a general for the Empire, but he's really just a Templar agent."

"Hmm. When we were in Canterlot for the Summer Sun Celebration, Celestia told everyone that he was just sent down here." Twilight uttered suspiciously.

"Well ain't that a pack of lies! He's been here just as long as I have. Empire! Templar! Oh I'll have his head..."

The Den Master's voice trailed off. He then popped a cider bottle open and began drinking from it. When he had finished it, he angrily threw the bottle at the floor, shattering it. He grunted and stormed out of the tavern. We sat there, confused by the Den Master's performance. Our attention then shifted to a chuckling Assassin.

"Get used to that gals. That's our leader. Plain and simple." He said.

"Ah'll go talk with him." Applejack said as she walked out of the tavern.

The tavern was once again in silence. No one seemed particularly bothered by this. Soon, the voices of the cousins could be easily heard. They were not far from the tavern.

"Wha's your problem cuz?" 

"My problem? Look around ya. This is my problem. This whole town, wrecked by the Templar. Most guys think they just want the southern border, I say it's different. I think they's just tired of us Applejack. Tired of the Brotherhood messin' with their little schemes. I mean, we've been at this for two centuries now. They're tired. Now, they jus' want us dead. It's become more than just political influence. I think it's a war of extermination now." Braeburn's voice was softer than before.

"Then wha's your plan?"

"We turn it on them. They want to kill all of us, we'll kill all of them. This war won't end until there's a clear victor. And we'll start tonight!"

Braeburn reentered the tavern. His eyes were shifty and wild. "When's the sun is gone, we gonna attack that barracks on the north side. So get ready, we'll be off in the next hour." He ran back out through the door.  Applejack walked through the door, sliding by her cousin, with a annoyed expression. The Appleloosan Assassins jumped to their feet and began preparations for the attack. I glanced out at the setting sun. Our day was still not over.





The sun was below the western hills and the moon was watching us behind thin clouds. Braeburn was leading his Assassins towards the northeast side of town. The town was dark and ominous. The strong wind rocked creaky inn signs back and forth and created a mild dust storm. I was walking beside Vinyl, whose mask blocked out the dust. I shielded my eyes with my hands.

"Oh Vinyl, will this day just end?" I grumbled.

"Hmph. I know right? I just feel like this guy's some madman."

"Oh, I would not say that, Vinyl. I believe he simply possesses some....restraining issues."

"You're defending him? Well, ain't that unusual. Nevertheless, we're still heading for a Templar barracks that is armed with artillery. Ya see nothin' wrong with this?

"Of course I do. The Bearers could lead us to victory though. If we succeed tonight then we can get back home. I am exhausted of this rural territory. I want to see the Canterlot spires again."

"Well ya better get used to it Tavi. I got a feeling that tonight's not going to be fun."

Braeburn stopped in his tracks. He then signaled some Assassins to go down the street and others to go up the street. He then climbed a short building and gazed in the distance. Vinyl and I joined him on the rooftop. I could see what the Den Master was inspecting. Across the empty street was a small group of lightly armored Templar soldiers. They wielded odd devices. The devices appeared to be long cylinder sticks with a metal end. I could not see the weapons clearly in the faint moonlight. 

"We can't let those bastards alarm the others. If they do, it'll be another tough skirmish ahead of us." The Den Master thought aloud.

Bareburn looked to his left. An Assassin stood on a rooftop close to us awaiting orders. Bareburn signaled him to head for the Templar. The Assassin jumped off the roof and quietly made his way to the other side. The Templar were oblivious to the enemy closing on them. The Assassin climbed up on a roof opposite us and above the unsuspecting Templar. The Brother then leaned over the roof to see the targets. A Templar pointed up at him and screamed.

"ASSASSIN!"

Boom!

The Templar pointed their devices and fired. The Assassin soon fell off the roof. Braeburn cursed and leaped onto the street and sprinted towards the Templar. Vinyl and I stood dazed by the previous moment. I was the first to snap out of the confusion.

"Vinyl! Why do they have firearms?! I thought you invented it!"

"Uhh....Wait what? C'mon Tavi, that was years ago. Some Templar chump could have easily come up with the idea and remodeled it. We weren't going to stay ahead in technology forever ya know."

The sound of footsteps could be heard from the east. The small group of Templar was soon reinforced by nearby soldiers. Braeburn was leading the attack while other Assassins joined the fray.  Go! Help them! My body lunged forward before my thoughts could command it. Vinyl and I climbed down the small building and worked our way into the fight.

Assassins and Templar fell all around us. Braeburn was fighting four soldiers at once. A Templar swung his sword at the Den Master, only to miss and be stabbed. Braeburn then fired his pistol, killing another. He flipped the pistol around chucked it at a Templar's head, incapacitating him. He finished the last one with a overhead swing of his rusted sword into the Templar's skull. He left the large blade lodged in the soldier's head and grabbed a sword off the ground to replace it.

On your left! I ducked under the swing of a sword. The Templar followed his swing with a thrust. Move! I dodged the attack and stabbed him in the chest on a counterattack. He struggled to free himself, but his body soon went limp and flopped on the dirt. I bended down to retrieve his sword. A purple flash appeared behind me. I quickly turned around to see Twilight standing over a headless soldier. She nodded at me and teleported away. My focus returned to the skirmish. Another Templar raced at me with his blade. I used my new sword to block his attack. He then backed off and we circled around each other. He tried to bait me, but I waited patiently. Now! I swung at him. A shatter of sparks emitted off our colliding blades. I followed my attack with a kick to his knee. The Templar wailed and I finished him with a stab before he could recover. With the Templar dead, I searched for a new opponent. I saw Vinyl wielding a Templar firearm like it was a club. Applejack was holding her ground against many soldiers. Braeburn was running towards me.

"Get down Den Master!" He yelled.

He tackled me to the ground. The sound of igniting black powder and painful screams pervaded the air. Assassins and Templar alike were struck down by the lead balls. With the ringing in my ears, I searched frantically around the street. I could not see Vinyl nor the Bearer of Honesty. The Appleloosan Den Master sprung to his feet and viciously charged a group of reloading soldiers. He quickly chopped them down with his sword. 

Find her! I got back on my feet. I ran in the direction where I had last seen the inventor. The street was smothered with bodies. My eyes frantically searched the bodies for identification. Bwah! I felt the strike of a blunt object against the back of my head. My body spun out to the ground by the force. I laid there helpless as my eyes slowly focused on my attacker. The Templar above me was holding a long firearm over his shoulder. Before the soldier could finish me, he was shot through the chest and fell. I am then grabbed by my hood and dragged into a dark alley.

"Ya should be glad Tavi. I think I just saved your life." A familiar voice emitted behind me.

I slowly turned my body around. My head was still hazy from the blow. I saw Vinyl reloading a Templar firearm. Her right sleeve was red with blood. The black mask stared at me.

"Oh don't look at me like that! The ball went out the other side. It's just a damn wound. Nothing else." She said in an annoyed tone.

"But...How do you know how to operate that thing?" I asked, gesturing to the Templar device.

"Really? I made these things. I know how they work. It's just a pistol with a long barrel."

I slowly got to my feet. My head still madly ached. I leaned out of the alley. The skirmish still raged on. The Bearer of Magic was teleporting from Templar to Templar, shooting or slicing them in quick succession. Applejack was launching soldiers in the air with her large axe. There weren't as many Brothers out there as there was before. Though it seemed that we had the upper hand, the Templar still greatly outnumbered us. 

BOOM!

The next sound was not like the other firearms. It was low and much louder. A building close by was shattered as a cannon ball ripped through it. The collapse of the structure created more dust in the already dust filled air. Wooden boards and splinters flew through the air, lodging themselves deep into the ground or into an unsuspecting warrior. Braeburn stopped his fighting and pointed towards the west.

"FALL BACK! The artillery is here! Get back now or you're dead!" He ordered.

Vinyl grabbed my robes and pulled me up. We began sprinting down the alley. Surviving Assassins ran along the rooftops above us. Vinyl was still lugging the Templar firearm on her shoulder. The cheering of the Templar soldiers could be heard far behind us. I had rarely heard the sound before. I was so familiar with victory that this defeat was painful to say the least. 






We made our way back to the west side of Appleloosa. The winds had died down.  The remaining Assassins gathered around the tavern entrance. They angrily leaned on the walls of the building, waiting for their leader's arrival. Disgruntled mutters could be heard from them. Vinyl and I sat down on the porch. 

Braeburn marched up to us from a dark street. He was talking with Twilight, who had her infamous cold expression. Applejack followed behind them with a slight limp.

"Bearer, it was going well until we were spotted! The barracks was just a couple of blocks away. We were unlucky." The Den Master explained.

"Hmph. You could have still not engaged! We would not have lost so many Brothers if you didn't dive into the lot of them." The Bearer of Magic fired back.

"Those soldiers killed one of my Brothers. They had to pay. They kill one of us, we kill ten of them!" 

"That is not how it works Den Master! I think your hate for the Templar have made you blind. Applejack and I assigned you here due to your great leadership. Now all I see is some idiot out for revenge! What happened?" 

"Shut your mouth Bearer! The Templar have killed far too many of us. They need to get the Justice they deserve! I don't need your help. My boys have lasted this long, we can finish the fight."

"How dare you speak to a superior like that." Her voice began to soften. "No. Look, we have just lost many Brothers. Your force is smaller now than it ever was. We cannot risk another frontal assault, especially ones planned on angry impulses. What we do now is slowly weaken them over the next few days. Not just by killing them, but by stealing or destroying their supplies. We starve them out. We take their food and ammunition. When the time is ready, we infiltrate their base and kill them in their sleep. It's the only way."

"Hmph. That don't seem honorable to me Twi." Applejack said.

"She has a point cuz. Honor is out of this war anyway. C'mon boys, let's call it a night." The Appleloosan Den Master said in an almost absent tone.

Braeburn leisurely walked past the grumbling Assassins and into the tavern. The two Bearers followed. Vinyl stood up and gestured for me to follow. We walked away from the tavern to a nearby building with boarded windows. A sign that said "The Sleeping Ursa" was hung over the door. Vinyl glanced at me through her mask.

"I don't like the thought of sleeping in that tavern with everyone else. From the sign I think this place was an inn at one time. That means it has beds. Which is just fine by me." The inventor chuckled.

Vinyl walked up to the door and tried to open it. The door did not budge. "Get over here Tavi." I walked up to the door and leaned on it. We slammed our shoulders into the door. After several tries, the door gave in and we fell inside. I landed on top of Vinyl who grunted in pain. She forcefully shoved me off with her good arm. The inventor raised herself slowly, grabbed a wine bottle, and poured the wine on her wound before heading up the stairs. I laid there inspecting the deserted inn.

The place was dusty and untidy. Old wine bottles were lined along the shelves. The chairs and tables were overturned. Jars, mugs, tankards, and flagons were sprawled around the lounge. Nothing was stored properly. A single staircase led upstairs. The place had an appearance of sudden abandonment. 

I followed my friend up the steep stairs. At the top was a short gray hallway with several doors. One of the rooms was illuminated. I walked in the room to see Vinyl attempting to nurse her wound with bandages and the wine. I could tell she was having trouble doing this with one arm, so I sat by her on the bed and took the bandages. While I wrapped the bandages around her arm, Vinyl sighed and inspected the Templar firearm that leaned on the nightstand.

"Told ya it wouldn't be fun. Told ya. Well, at least this day's over. Kinda hard to believe that it started in Ponyville huh?"

"Yes Vinyl, it seems like a week has passed since we left Canterlot." 

"These days are just gettin' too long. When I joined, I never thought I would be down in some southern town like this."

"Well, it was your choice to come along."

"Yeah, and I don't regret a second of it. Ya need me Tavi. I mean, you could've been dead if it wasn't for me. I ain't just gonna let you go out into the world by yourself." 

"I appreciate that. I truly do. I can't really imagine being out here without you either. I am glad that you introduced me to the Brotherhood. Our lives have gained so much purpose because of it."

"That's because it is the best life we can live Tavi."

"Yes, it is the best."

"And ya know what? Let it never change."

"Nor change us."

I finished bandaging her wounded arm. With her good arm, we grabbed each other's wrist and performed a firm shake. She then patted me on the back and extended herself across the bed. I reached into my pack and pulled out my writing supplies. The inventor removed her mask to reveal the annoyed look on her countenance.

"Take the candle out with ya Tavi. You ain't writing in my room." 

I frowned in jest at the inventor. She chuckled at my expression. Keeping my eyes on Vinyl, I snatched the candle and backed out of the room. Once outside, I walked into the room beside hers and placed the candle on the small nightstand. Placing the supplies on the bed carefully, I prepared to begin my writing. I dipped my crooked quill into the ink and started the day's log. 





Vinyl is snoring in the other room as I write this. Please excuse my uneven handwriting as I do not have a proper desk to rest my parchment on. My ink is low and my quill is about to break. I do not know where to acquire more supplies. Hopefully, I will find a nice abandoned ink shop tomorrow. If I do not, I feel that my next attempt at writing will not be for a couple of days.

Adieu and goodni_

Damn it!


~

	
	
> Chapter 12: Southern Heat
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 12: Southern Heat



By Octavia Melody



My head... I woke up with an ache in the back of my head. The memories of last night flooded back into my mind. I sat up in my uncomfortable bed. Due to the boarded windows, the room was still dark in the morning light. I began to hear metal clanging in the room beside me. I slowly raised myself out of the bed and walked over to the inventor's room.

Upon entering I saw her inspecting the now dismantled Templar firearm. She was giggling and shuffling between the parts. Upon looking down the long barrel she gasped and handed it to me.

"Tavi! Tavi! Look! What do you see?"

I peeked down the barrel. Unlike our pistols, the inside was not smooth but instead had several etches spiraling down the barrel. "It's not smooth." I said.

"Exactly! Oh how genius!"

"I do not follow Vinyl.

"It's why they're so accurate! Ya see, the lead ball speeds down the barrel and out, usually flying in some random direction upon exit. With these etches, it spins the ball which makes it fly straighter!" She giggled in her excitement.

"How would spinning the ball make it fly straighter? Would not that just send it spiraling out of control?"

"Tavi....You're the musician. I'm the inventor. Just know that I'm right."

I glared at her for the implied insult. With an indignant grunt, I shoved the barrel back into her hands. I turned to leave when the inventor stopped me.

"Wait Tavi, it also means something else."

"Like what?"

"Could Equestrian equipment make all of these? Especially with the etches."

"Well..." I paused to think. "No, Equestria is not known for their large weapon manufacturing."

"Yup. What country is?"

"The Gryphon Kingdom."

"Which means that all these weapons are imported. Which means they come across the sea. Which means we can stop them from coming into the Empire."

"Where would the Gryphon ships dock?"

"Manehatten or Baltimare. But these weapons have gotten here fast so I would say the latter."

"But Baltimare is just a village of scum." I said in a skeptical tone.

"Yeah, perfect for the Templar right?" She smiled.

"Well, I will see you outside." I responded. She began putting the firearm back together as I turned and left.

"Be out there soon!" She yelled.





I stood out on the inn's porch. I was terribly uncomfortable due to the extreme heat of the morning. Being a Canterlot native, I was used to cool mountain air. This however, was a temperature similar to the train facility. I felt like removing my robes to lessen the discomfort, but I knew it was not a viable option.

Vinyl exited the inn with her new firearm. She was not wearing her black mask, I assumed that the reason was heat related. She greeted me with a cheerful smile. Together we walked the dusty streets to the tavern. As we approached the tavern, we saw the two Bearers sitting on a bench on the tavern's large porch. We could hear their quiet conversation.

"Ah still don't like it Twi. Doesn't seem to be honorable to jus' steal the Templar food. Ah rather jus' fight them straight on. You know, givin' them a chance."

"I knew you would feel this way. However, we simply cannot risk fighting them head on. They have superior weaponry here. Also the Brotherhood is not trained to fight in large battles. We fight in the shadows, and this is another way of doing that."

"Ah guess you're right Twi. It's jus' this thing" She flicked her chest. "Telling me somethin' ain't right with all this. Guess it ain't exactly Honest to fight this way."

"Well, you are allowed to abstain from the raids. I fully understand your predicament."

"Naw, Ah'll fight..."

We passed them and entered the tavern. The place was well lit by the sunlight. Appleloosan Assassins were enjoying the  fresh food we had brought in yesterday. Spike was sitting in the corner with his eyes focused on his lap. Vinyl and I sat next to him. He looked up at us with a grin.

"Good morning. Was quite the day yesterday huh? I'm writing a report for Twilight to send out. She wants constant communication for the Brotherhood."

My ears perked up. "Writing? Does that mean you have ink?"

The scarred boy looked up at me confused. "Of course, Den Master. I couldn't be writing without it."

I slapped my forehead upon the answer to my idiotic question. "Uhh...I mean, do you have any spare ink and a quill also?"

"Oh yeah! Twilight always has me bring tons of that stuff. I think I have more ink and quills than shirts." His voice trailed off as he realized this "Than shirts...."

He absent-mindedly handed me an ink container and a quill from his small sack. He then rested his chin in his palm and stared out into the distance. He bore a pondering look on his face. I inspected the boy curiously, wondering where his thoughts were. He lifted his head and vividly snapped his fingers.

"That's what I'll do." He exclaimed. "I'll go find a tailor shop and get me a new shirt. Or at least try to sew a new one."

The boy stood up and excitedly jogged out the door, leaving his current task of writing neglected. Vinyl glanced at me and shrugged. She was eating an apple and handed me one too. My apple was a tad soft and dark, but it tasted fine. My attention shifted from the apple to the Assassin standing in front of our table. It was the same Assassin that gave the report to Braeburn upon our arrival yesterday. Once he saw that he had our attention, he spoke to us in an unconfident manner.

"Uhhh....I would like to speak with you two in private. If that's not inconvenient for you."

"Not at all. Please, lead us to where you would like to speak." I replied.

"This way." He led us out of the tavern.





"I wanted to inform you about Den Master Braeburn." The dark blue robed Assassin told us.

The Assassin informed us that he was Third Rank Noteworthy. He had been one of the original Assassins stationed in Appleloosa, even before Braeburn. Noteworthy was a tall and thin young man. His face was thin and his golden eyes were shifty. His only weapons, besides the hidden blade, were the longsword on his hip and the small crossbow on his back. Despite his constant wringing of his hands, he appeared to be a strong Assassin.

We rested in the shadow of an abandoned bank. It was not even mid-morning. The town was empty as usual. The sounds of death had all passed. I leaned my back on the wall of the bank while Vinyl sat back with her "musket" as Noteworthy called it. Noteworthy paced back and forth in the structure's shadow.

"The Den Master has not always been like how he is now. I....I remember when he first arrived here. Clean-shaven and everything. He was always crakin' jokes here and laughing there. After a couple of fights and when Silverstar arrived, his cheerfulness......It just left. Left like the common folk. Then he started taking to the bottle when he got angry. Which was quite often. Kept tellin' us not to drink on all the free wine and cider, but he did himself."

"Why ya telling us this Note. Couldn't you just tell the Bearers?" Vinyl questioned.

Noteworthy sighed at this. "No. I don't think it proper to tell his cousin. I mean, you've seen her strength. I don't wanna risk saying somethin', dumb. Besides the Den Master is hanging aroun' them. He doesn't like hearing others talk about him."

"Then what are we suppose to do about it?" I asked.

"Just watch yourselves. We Brothers haven't lived in this town so long cause of good leadership, but of our fightin' skills. The Den Master will try and kill all the Templar again. I knows it. He ain't right in the head no more. It's as clear as the Sun."

"Well, Noteworthy we appreciate your concern for us. After last night, we share your viewpoint on Braeburn. I however believe..."

"We lost 27 men last night." He interrupted me. "27! How am I gonna tell him that? He treats every man like his son. Yet he sends us out on our doom. He makes no sense, Den Master. He loses a man to his own incompetence, then he rages and sends more of us to avenge the fallen Brother. What I'm tryin' to tell ya, is that I want him out as Den Master."

We did not answer. The request was reasonable yet felt ridiculous. Remove a Den Master? I had never heard of such a demand before. I had only been in Appleloosa for a day and already I had experienced battle and tensions in the Brotherhood. I rubbed my temples as I pondered all of this. Finally, I directed a question to the Assassin.

"Who would replace him as Den Master?" I asked with an unintentional harshness in my voice.

"I...uh.....I don't know. I am second in command. I guess I would." He mumbled.

"Of course. You want him out so that you can replace him yourself." 

"It's not like that Den Master! I swear by the Sun! He's mad and we need a better leader in his place."

"Well then take that up with the Bearers. Vinyl and I are not going along with this. As a better leader, you must stand up for what you think is the right choice for the Brotherhood. It is not suitable to sit here and complain about your superiors behind their backs."

"Fine. Fine. Forget it. I'll just let the Den Master be for now. But I'm warnin' ya. Him in command is just gonna be the worst. I hope the Bearers will fix this, cause you guys ain't!" The Assassin stomped off down the lonely street.

I glanced over at Vinyl who was glancing back at me. We did not say anything. Our minds were still pondering over the previous moments. I got up on my feet and dusted off my robes. She grunted and did the same. We watched the disgruntled Assassin make his way down the street. Vinyl walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Ya know, he kinda has some points on Braeburn."

"Yes, but we cannot simply act over one night and the views of one Assassin. I do fear improper leadership here, but we will have to patiently wait and see." 

"We should probably head back, Tavi. I itchin' for some drink"





We returned to the tavern. The place was empty and deserted. It was apparent that the Assassins moved on to a different location. I sighed in frustration and we inspected the area for any clues as to where they were currently hiding. We walked along the dusty streets. There were no footprints or signs of previous movement in the wind-swept dirt. Vinyl casually walked beside me, clearly in a better mood than I. She started holding her musket like a halberd and paraded around in the manner of a Royal Guard. The actions only heightened my frustration. 

"Vinyl, you're not helping." I said.

"Helpin' with what?" 

"Helping me find the others of course!"

"Oh you're really worried about that? C'mon Tavi, this town is small, we'll bump into 'em soon enough."

"We cannot simply leave it to chance. Braeburn did say that they moved to a new hideout everyday. We may miss it."

"Oh Tavi..."

I raised my voice at the inventor. "Do not 'Oh Tavi' me Vinyl. This is serious. They left without telling us. They left without US! The Bearer of Magic left her most trusted Den Master!" 

"Did you know that you're adorable when you're angry?" Vinyl asked with a sly grin.

"I am not angry and I....Do not know how to respond to that. Look we need to find the others. They may require our assistance."

Vinyl did not seem to take any interest in my concern. She leaned on her musket and inspected me thoughtfully. Her mind was off somewhere and I had no hope of returning it. Her eyes brightened suddenly and she pulled one of my daggers out of its sheath.

"Vinyl! What are..."

"Shush. This is brilliant." She began unwrapping her bandages. 

"Vinyl....Your wound will..."

"Viola!" She exclaimed in glee.

I saw what she had been planning. I looked to see that my dagger was wrapped underneath the musket's barrel. It was a shoddily crafted job, but the new attachment appeared functional. Vinyl began thrusting the musket in the air similar to a spear. 

"Ha!" She laughed. "Now I can use this for both long and short range! Aren't I jus' the best?"

"Certainly." I said sarcastically. "This did not help our predicament Vinyl. And your wound is going to become infected in this dusty air."

"You're no fun. Guess that's why you're Den Master. Alrighty, where do ya wanna go?" 

"Follow."

I climbed up onto a rooftop. Vinyl soon joined me and we gazed in every direction. We did not see any of our Brothers. The town was empty and quiet as usual. The wind slightly picked up. We were above the constant dust, but the sun's heat seemed to intensify on the roof. I moaned at the disappointing results. Vinyl nudged my shoulder.

"Psst, over there." She hurriedly whispered.

I looked over to my right. Vinyl was pointing downward to the streets. I saw a patrol of Templar soldiers slowly making their way across the town. They did not possess any armor, but instead thin red shirts and wide-brimmed hats to ward off the sun. They were chatting merrily as they walked by us.

"...And then she said 'you're dead to me boy and your crazy oatmeal too!'" A Templar said in a poor imitation of a woman.

"Haha! Good one Cosmic. Did I tell you guys about the time when that Cloudkicker gal try to get me to dance?" Another Templar said.

"Of course ya did, Hunter! You've told us that story too many times." A short soldier told the other in a annoyed tone.

"Well...I just wish there were more gals in our ranks...." Hunter moaned.

"We all do man...We all do."

Vinyl and I stealthily followed the patrol from the rooftops. We made sure to stay low in the broad daylight. The Templars' hats helped hide us due to their broad nature. The Templar patrol stopped at an abandoned structure.

"Hey guys this place looks like a smithy." The one named Cosmic told his fellow soldiers as he looked through a dusty window.

"You're right! I wonder if there's any goods in there."

"Well, let's find out."

The soldiers began to slam themselves on the locked door. After a couple of tries they succeeded in breaking into the business. They entered the building and out of our view. We hesitated. We did not know whether to stay where we were on jump down on the street to face them. However, we did not need to decide as the soldiers soon exited the building. 

They were holding some tools and scrap metal. Though the looks on their faces expressed disappointment. The soldiers grumbled and resumed their patrol. We followed them. We jumped from one roof to another, making a loud thud as we landed on the other side, which caused a Templar to stop and listen.

"Ya guys think those Assassins are nearby?" He asked suspiciously.

"Oh, Private, they's always nearby." Hunter told him with a chuckle.

"Hunter's right. This town so small, there's probably a dozen of those bastards staring at us right now."

"This don't bother ya?" The private questioned.

"Course not, we got the superior weaponry. Assassins can dodge a lot, but a ball ain't one of 'em."

The party, except for the suspicious private, laughed heartily. We slowly continued our quiet pursuit. The Templar turned and started to head east. I assumed that their patrol was over and that they were returning to the barracks. A slight feeling of excitement swelled in me and I wished to see their fortress myself. I beckoned Vinyl to follow and we shadowed the soldiers.

As we traveled east, the amount of buildings became scarce or increased in destruction. The signs of previous battles surrounded us. One could easily tell that the wood for the fort was supplied by the dismantled buildings. The Templar patrol was below us, taking a break. Another patrol met them and they conversed.

"There was another skirmish with those criminals down in the south district. Even after the whoopin' they received last night they still a fightin'."

"Been clear up here. Had one of the most peaceful patrols yet.

"They must be low on men. They can only concentrate on one area at a time."

Vinyl and I crept up to them on the rooftop. The Templar soldiers did not see us. We were practically right above the combined patrols. Vinyl poked her head out only for me to pull her back. I did not want the same scenario as the Assassin that was shot last night. All that we could hear were the Templar chatter, until a loud horn blew.

"Huh, that means we should head back to base." A Templar said.

"Guess Silverstar wants to tell us something."

The soldiers began to hurry to the east. Vinyl and I closely followed. The soldiers were no longer chatting as they were focused on their destination. We had trouble keeping up with the troops as they sped away from us. However, we soon caught up as the roofs started to become connected.

Then we saw it. The fort was about a sixty or more meters in front of us. We had come to the end of the town, so we laid prone on the final rooftop. There were many soldiers surrounding the fort. The barrels of artillery could be seen from the barrack's walls. The Soldiers stood there as if waiting for something. That something was soon answered. A tall armored man walked out of the fort's walls. I could not see much of his face, but I could tell that he possessed a large mustache.

"Alright men." He shouted. "The Assassins are now targeting our supplies. We shall not spread ourselves too thin. I want the patrols to remain close by the barracks. Do not worry, we shall soon find where the Assassins are hiding and make them pay."

The soldiers all exclaimed "Yes, General!" and saluted in unison. 

I turned my head to look at Vinyl. I gasped as I realized she was aiming her musket at the General. "Vinyl, you'll miss!" I whispered. She grunted and continued to line up her shot. "You'll only get us spotted." She looked at me and said only two words. "Run Tavi." Oh no. She fired. I did not wait to see if it connected with the General. I  quickly got to my feet and ran to the west.

My heart was racing as I heard the sounds of enraged soldiers. Hurry! I jumped from building to building. The heat was no longer an issue to me. I checked over my shoulder to see Vinyl, but there was no one behind me. I heard shots fired. Go back! I stopped in my tracks and prepared to support Vinyl. Then I saw her running along the rooftops at me with many soldiers swarming behind her. Nevermind! My feet swung around and propelled me westward. Over this! Under that! I made my way swiftly across the uneven rooftops. Sprint! I ran over a chapel and then over a long hall. I could only focus on the few feet in front of me. I chased my shadow across structure to structure. The buildings started to become scarce and the jumps became longer. Damn it! I jumped across the street only to be planted on the opposite wall. I tried to grab onto a window, but my hand slipped and I fell onto the dusty ground. 

The roar of the Templar approached. I returned to my feet and ran. I saw Vinyl above me on the rooftops. Apparently she had achieved the jump I could not. Faster! I found a line of boxes that led up onto the roofs. I ran up the boxes and pulled myself on the roofs. Go! I sprinted along the rooftops with Vinyl far ahead of me. Keep up Den Master! Keep up! I heard the discharge of a musket and the screaming of a lead ball as it sped past me. They were closer to me than I had thought.

Hop here! Woah! Not there! Go! Don't let them catch you! I ran westward. A Templar skillfully ran along with me on the rooftops. He tried to tackle me, but he missed and fell off. I found the failure of apprehending me humorous, but my mind snapped back to survival as another lead ball sailed past me. 

The buildings became more frequent. This meant that I was close to the west side of town. The town itself had felt much larger then before. I was about to leap to another roof when I am struck with a rock in the side. The impact knocked me off balance and I tumbled off the roof. I tried to grab onto something as I fell but everything was beyond my reach. My body bounced as I struck the hard ground. My entire body screamed in pain. Get Up! I tried to get back on my feet, but my legs could not support me. I fell back on the ground. Just get out of here! I started to crawl when I felt a the end of a blade on the back of my head.

"Well look here guys! We got ourselves one!" A gruff voice sounded behind me.

I twisted my body around to face them, instinctively raising my hands in surrender. The Templar standing in front of me was broad and muscular. He had a large devilish grin on his face. The soldier pressed his sword to my neck, causing me to slightly lift my chin. 

"Should we keep her? She does have a pretty face. Maybe we can have some fun with her tonight." He suggested as his grin grew wider. The other Templar soldiers nodded their heads in sound agreement.

"We don't see many gals down here no more. Be a nice change of pace." Another Templar said.

"Or you know, we could just gut her. One less of those criminals, the better." A soldier said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"That no fun, Corporal. She could be valuable to the Order." The broad Templar said.

"Well, we can't just sit here forever, get her up!" The Corporal ordered.

The broad Templar grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. My legs buckled a little, but they soon supported me, though not without pain. I raised my hands in the air and the Templar poked my back with his sword to urge me forward. I limped forward, I saw dissatisfaction in the corporal's face. 

"She's goin' too slow! Tie her up and just carry her." He said angrily.

I felt the grip of the large Templar again. He pulled my arms behind my back. I did not resist in fear of retaliation from the soldier. The Templar began tying my wrists together with rope. My focus was on the Corporal who was rubbing a hand on his chin. The Corporal parted his lips to say something, but suddenly he was lifted off the ground in a light purple aura. He screamed as he was turned upside down in the magical grip and slammed into the ground head first. The sound of his skull shattering on impact startled all the surrounding soldiers. 

The Bearer of Magic charged into the rest of the soldiers. They were not quick enough to react to her teleports and were quickly disposed of. The Templar that was tying me let go of my wrists. I turned around to see him being gutted by Braeburn. The Den Master whispered something into the dying soldier's ear before forcefully throwing his corpse to the ground. I tried to free my hands, but the soldier seemed to have finished his tight knot. I saw the remaining Templar retreating, the Assassins did not pursue them. I felt a grip on my entire body as I was enveloped in a purple aura. I was quickly turned around by the force and levitated towards Twilight. The Bearer scowled at me. Her eyes were cold as usual.

"What happened? What were you doing Den Master?" She demanded.

I squirmed in her grip. The sensation of the magic was ticklish to be honest. But I was not laughing at the moment.

"I....I was looking for you Bearer." I squeaked.

"Really?" She asked in utter disbelief.

The Bearer released me. I fell to the ground off-balanced and landed on my rear. The Bearer was holding her face in her hand. I glanced at the other Assassins. They all held stoic expressions, as if all of this was expected. I saw Vinyl crouching on a rooftop, chuckling. My focus then returned to the Bearer, who was making incomprehensible noises behind her hand. 

"Octavia, Octavia...." She said in low, questioning way.

The Bearer then walked away. The other Assassins followed her. I scrambled onto my feet. My hands were still tied. I once again tried to escape the tight robes with my hidden blade, but the contraption was severely jammed from the fall. Thus, my attempt was rather unsuccessful. I looked up to see the Assassins leaving me. Not one of them seemed to care about my plight. I started to walk towards them. I said the only sentence my mind could produce.

"Brothers? Some assistance, please?"


~

	
	
	
	
> Chapter 13: Contrivances
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 13: Contrivances


By Octavia Melody

It was mid-afternoon. The sun still shined down on us heavily in a cloudless sky. Vinyl and I sat outside of the new hideout: the town hall. I thought such a place would be too conspicuous, but the others assured me that the Templar recently searched the building, and did not like searching in the same place twice. Vinyl was humming a tune as she tried to repair my jammed hidden blade. I still felt the numbness in my wrists from the rope. I was tied for a while since the Assassins found my predicament humorous and did not assist me until I started kicking them. I believed they had too much pleasure in seeing a Den Master be so pathetic.

Vinyl grunted in frustration and threw my blade to the ground. She leaned back and blew her blue hair out of her eyes. "It's broken Tavi. Your fall did more damage than I thought."

"There is nothing you can do?" I hesitantly asked.

"Nope. It's a piece of junk. Now if I had Lyra's tools, maybe I could fix it. But with what I got, naw."

"This is unfortunate."

"Hell yeah it is! Now if ya were better at parkour..."

"Hey! You do not have to make this personal." I interrupted her. 

She was about to reply when the sounds of shouting could be heard approaching. We turned to see Braeburn furiously marching towards us. His wild green eyes were focused on me. He stopped right in front of me. A nasty snarl on his face.

"Were you the one that told 'em? Eh?!" He yelled.

"What are you talking about Den Master?" I entreated, waving off his alcoholic breath.

"Oh you know, Canterlotian. You and your friend were absent this morning when we headed out. Then we find out that the Templar bastards already know of our plans since they's was guarding their supplies like gold. Then you two come running from the east!"

"I understand what you are accusing us of. It is simply not true, we were lost. We followed a Templar patrol to their base and we saw General Silverstar. Vinyl shot at him and we ran away from the pursuing soldiers."

"Shot 'em? Well, inventor, did ya get 'em?" His voice was becoming even harsher as he spoke.

"In the shoulder, it was not fatal." Vinyl answered.

"It better not be. No one takes out that bastard except for me." Braeburn pointed to himself. 

"So Den Master, do you believe our tale?" I asked.

"No, but I'll let this slide fo' now. Make no mistake Canterlotians, I'll be watching ya." He turned around and walked down the street.

Vinyl was grinding her teeth beside me. I also was in a foul mood after the minor interrogation. Traitors? How dare he believe such an accusation. I was AM the Bearer of Magic's trusted Den Master. Vinyl is my adviser and friend. The prospect of the Appleloosan Assassins believing that we were traitors was simply preposterous. Noteworthy's words flooded my mind. This Den Master was not in his right mind. We would have to watch ourselves as long as we are in this Tartarus pit.

Vinyl snapped me out of my mental speech when she picked up my hidden blade. I had forgotten that my traditional weapon was nonfunctional. The inventor's eyes brightened and I knew she had a plan.

"Remember the blacksmith shop the Templar found? There is a good chance that it has some good tools." She smiled.

"What? Oh, yes Vinyl. I do not see why we shouldn't search there."

"Then let's be off." Vinyl picked up her musket and we headed toward the smithy.





We arrived at the abandoned shop. The patrol had left the door open, so we did not have any trouble entering it. Upon entry, a foul smell reached my nostrils. The place was filthy and in complete disarray. Pieces of iron and steel were scattered on the floor. There did not seem to be anything of value in the shop, but Vinyl was vividly searching the place. She grabbed a peculiar looking tool and smiled.

"This is what I needed!" She exclaimed excitedly.

The inventor began working on the hidden blade. She suddenly paused. I could not tell what was running through her mind. She began grabbing random objects. She was muttering to herself the entire time. She placed her body in front of the blade so that I could not see what she was doing. I however, did see the sharpened blade of the contraption be tossed aside. My mind could not fathom what she was doing on my weapon. The inventor then went to the nearby grindstone and began sharpening the device, though I could not tell which part.

"Vinyl, that is a rather important part of the device." I told her indignantly as I pointed at the blade.

"Shush. I'm helpin' ya."

I bent over and picked up the blade. I feel that it may be still of use. The inventor turned around to show me the new contraption. It was no longer a stabbing device. The knife that was fastened underneath the wrist was replaced by a long and thick metal hook. I stammered before speaking.

"V-Vinyl, how do I stab with that?" 

The inventor only sighed in response. She then lodged the tip of the hook deep into a wooden beam. The hook was deep enough in the wood that it supported the whole gadget. She then pointed at it. I understood what she meant and tried to pull the hook free. I had some trouble, but I finally freed the device.

"There you go. That will do fine against flesh. Now, I made this to help you with climbing and parkour. I saw ya missed that jump and slam into the wall earlier today. With this, ya don't need to worry about that."

"How will this hook help?"

"It's an extension of your reach Tavi. You know what, slip it on and try it."

I did as she suggested. I tightened the device's straps around my wrist. The rugged hook was much heavier than the fine blade. I tested the springs. The hook sprang out like the blade, though a tad slower. I walked out of the shop with Vinyl trailing behind me.

"Did you come up with this yourself?" I asked.

"Not entirely. I heard stories of the old Assassins using stuff like that. But they had a blade in there too. I don't know how they did that though."

I looked up at a nearby building. I could have easily climbed the building without the new device. However, there were no tall buildings in the town, so this would have to do. I ran towards the building, gaining momentum to run up the wall. When I reached the wall, I planted my foot ahead of me and propelled myself upward. I then lodged the hook into a crevice in the wall. The hook stuck with astounding ease. I lifted my body up and repeated. Before I knew it, I was on top of the roof. I heard the applauding from Vinyl below.

"Great job Tavi! How about we have a race back?" Vinyl suggested with her usual sly grin.

"Alright! I'll beat you this time!"

She tied her musket on her back. She then took the position of a sprinter, with her hands on the ground and one leg extended behind her. I placed my body in a similar pose. I heard her clear her throat before shouting.

"GO!"

Sprint! I pulled myself up and began running. I could see Vinyl had already a slight advantage on me. My body did not ache from the damages it received earlier, for my thoughts numbed the pain. I jumped from roof to roof. My mind had forgotten about its current location in Equestria. The shoddy buildings soon became elaborate white structures. The sun was blocked by a familiar mountain. The mountain that supported my home, my capital. The streets became crowded with spectators, flabbergasted by my skill. The girls in lovely dresses and the handsome men who tried to win their hands. A familiar tune played in my head as I ran along the Canterlot rooftops.

The towering spires surrounded me. The minstrels and musicians played to any audience they could gather. The shop owners shouted out their wares. Jump! I leaped onto another roof. The sounds of my steps echoed off of the fine stone. I did not know exactly where I was going. However, I did not care. The city was bustling and lively. I could run, walk, or jog as long as I wanted here. The atmosphere simply lifted one's spirits. I was relishing in these thoughts until I saw Vinyl in front of me.

Over that! Under that! Tip toe there. Get ahead of Vinyl! My mind told me to beat Vinyl, but my soul did not acknowledge it right away.  My hook latched onto the stone walls, getting stuck in any crevice available. I pulled myself to see Vinyl only a few steps ahead of me. Go! My legs started propelling my body beyond speeds I did not know I could muster. The cool air revived my dry lungs. Vinyl glanced back at me and started to run harder. That did not stop me. I leaped over another yellow rooftop and took the lead.

"Haha! Good one Tavi! I ain't beat yet though!"

Hop! Jump! Slide under that! Go! You're ahead! Vinyl stayed along with me. We sailed over the streets and dodged the odd polls and shop signs. A noble spat out his tea as we flew over his small banquet. The Royal Guards screamed at our intrusion. However, they did not pursue. Over that! Climb that! The Great Royal Palace was in view. The Overton Tower was far to the west. There was nothing wrong with the world as we ran through the grand city. It all seemed to be in a life that I had lived long ago. A life without the Brotherhood or the Templar. A life with my only friend and no other. 

I started to extend my lead on Vinyl. The hook was certainly fine at its job. No building seemed to far to jump. I swung myself on beams protruding over the cobblestone streets. The passing air whipped my hood off. I did not mind. This city already knew my face. Over that! Swing on that! Look nice shortcut! I turned and headed down a branching street. The streets began to empty in front of me. The finish line was in sight. The cobblestone was turning into dirt. The stone structures became wooden abodes. The crowds dissolved and the Great Royal Palace disappeared. By the time I reached the town hall, my mind fully returned to the harsh reality I lived in. Why?

"Well, it looks like ya finally beat me Tavi." Vinyl said as she caught up to me.

I did not feel the satisfaction of victory. The barren streets and short buildings whipped away my joy. The evening sun was still as hot as ever. I was still in Appleloosa. I sat down on the hall's porch. Vinyl sensed my mood and joined me on the porch. The faint chatter of Assassins nearby were the only sounds Vinyl and I heard. I looked at my wrist and remembered my new contrivance. 

"Thank you dearly for this, Vinyl." I said after a long silence.

"It's nothing. When we get back to Canterlot, I'll be able upgrade it even more." She replied.

"If we get to back to Canterlot." I brooded unhappily.

The inventor glared in annoyance at my depressing response. Vinyl was never one to soothe or comfort, so this was expected. She sighed and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Fine, be that way. But only if you'll get us out of here." She said.

"How?"

"By clearing out the Templar and capturing this place. We only go to Canterlot when our job here is done."

"Then what is the first step?"

"Well, Tavi, remember what loony Braeburn was talkin' about? There is a traitor among us. If we get him, we'll be back in business."

"Noteworthy..."

"Yup, Note is number one suspect. He was with us when the others left the tavern. He also hates Braeburn. It makes sense he would be the traitor."

"Yes, but Vinyl, after the previous days under Twilight's command, I have been, unreliable. I do not believe it is wise for us to go accusing an Assassin for treason when we ourselves share the same accusation."

"You're right. Braeburn's got his eyes on us don't he? He wouldn't like us sneaking around his second-in-command."

"We will have to be cautious. I personally doubt that Noteworthy is the traitor, but he should be our first target. If he is not the traitor, we will simply branch out to other Assassins."

Vinyl glanced at the lowering sun. The temperature was swiftly declining with the celestial body. My body began to fill the pains of fatigue. However, my mind returned to Canterlot. My quarters and my cello, were all in perfect disorganization. The incense-filled lounge was alive with the chatter of the Assassins. Lyra was sketching out some schematics for her new creation. The ill-tempered cook was serving some meals to the hungry warriors. I continued to sit on the porch, daydreaming. Vinyl waved a hand in front of my face to gain my attention. I turned to see her pointing at the night sky. The time was much different than I had left it.

"We should call it a night Tavi." She suggested.

"I believe you are right."

I got up and we started towards the old inn. Even though the Appleloosan Assassins moved to a different location, we wished to keep ours. The inn was not that far away, so we soon arrived at the abandoned structure. I opened the door and allowed Vinyl to enter first. We did not have any conversation as we went to our separate rooms.





Well, the day is over and I anticipate the morning. My homesickness is not gone, but it has been mostly diminished. I am glad that my quill and ink have been restocked. As it has allows me to write these words. I however, must end here. The Brotherhood possess a traitor and Vinyl and I will track him or her down. I am tired of failing the Bearer of Magic. This will be my time to regain her trust and maybe her respect. I will write again when time allows it.

Adieu and goodnight.



~

	
	
> Chapter 14: Complex Encounters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 14: Complex Encounters


By Octavia Melody


I woke up startled. Grunts of pain were emitting from the other room. I leaped out of bed and ran to Vinyl's room. The inventor was sitting upright clutching her wounded arm. Her white robes were drenched in crimson. I quickly sat myself beside her. I was about to attend to her wound when she waved me off.

"Nah, it's fine Tavi, it's fine." She said defiantly.

"No it's not, Vinyl! Look at all the blood!"

"Yeah, I bleed some. Humans do that."

"Did you change the bandages since you wrapped my dagger around the musket?"

"Yeah..." She muttered.

"Can I see the wound?" I asked.

The inventor sighed in exasperation. She folded up the sleeve of her robe. The white bandages were completely red. I unwrapped the bandages to reveal the wound. The wound was still bleeding as I examined it. The puncture was raw and open. It did not appear to heal at all.

"How did you climb on this?" I asked, appalled by the damage in her arm.

"Well......It wasn't painless...." The inventor was barely audible.

"Vinyl! You should not have climbed on such a wound. You reopened it and now infection is sure to come!"

"Not even my mother would worry so much. Tavi, it's fine. I can still fight and that's all that matters."

"Not for long. It will only become worse. I will need to clean it up before we head out."

"Well, get on with it!"

I turned around and headed downstairs. The sun had not risen yet, but I could tell it was dawn due to the pinkness in the sky. Spiders and roaches scrambled out of my way as I walked to the wine shelves. I was about to grab a bottle of wine when my eyes spotted a case of Gryphonian whiskey. The increased amount of alcohol in such a beverage would surely cleanse the wound, I thought. I grabbed the case and returned to Vinyl.

The inventor was right where I had left her. She grumbled at my return. She extended her wounded arm towards me and looked away. I reached for a small towel and then soaked it in the whiskey. I lightly placed the towel on the wound.

"Gah! What is that? Octavia! That hurts worse than the wound itself!"

"Oh be quiet! It is merely cleansing the wound."

"I know, but..." The pain stopped her from speaking further. 

I removed the towel. Vinyl continued to cringe in her agony. I then replaced her old bandages with some fresh ones. She muttered something inaudible and stomped down the stairs. I followed her out of the inn after a brief rest.







The morning was hot and dry as usual, even with the sun still below the horizon. There was no wind, so the dust was completely settled. Vinyl was pacing out in the street. She was still unhappy and did not attempt to hide her emotions. I joined her out in the street.

"Oh, stop being so cheerless, Vinyl. Do you not remember our mission for today?" I told her.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go find Note." She covered her face with her black mask. She then beckoned me to follow her as she headed toward the town hall.

As we made our way towards the hall, an Assassin in purple robes ran up to us. I could tell that the Assassin was female from her physique. The Sister stopped in front of us and bowed.

"I am First Rank Amethyst Star. I was sent to you by Den Master Braeburn. I shall accompany you for today." She said in a cheerful voice. 

The young Assassin was of average height and size. She did not appear to be above her teenage years. Her short hair was a mixture of purple shades. Her light purple eyes shined as bright as her smile. Her robes were comprised of many sashes. This, along with her darker skin tone, gave her the appearance of an Saddle Arabian. The only weapons I could see were her long parrying dagger and her Equestrian schiavona. 

"I am confused. Why must you accompany us?" I asked.

"The Den Master wants me to keep my eyes on you. He says it is important that I do so." She replied with the same cheerfulness.

"Sorry Amy, but we don't need ya to watch us." Vinyl waved a hand at her.

"What? And disobey a superior? Hmph! I must do as I am ordered." Her voice was supposed to be authoritative, but it seemed more apologetic than anything. 

"Vinyl, let her be. She has been ordered and she must obey. Now, Amethyst, if you wish to accompany us, we are heading toward the hall." I gestured toward the road.

"Thank you Den Master. Let us be off." 





It did not take us long to reach the hall. Appleloosan Assassins were already packing and moving equipment to another location. The Bearer of Magic was directing some Brothers to do some task. I could tell they were not performing well because of the Bearer's subtle cringes. I then saw a Brother tying a corpse by the neck over the hall.

"We captured a Templar scout during the night. We tried to retrieve information out of him, but, he was stout and didn't give any. So we hung him." Amethyst explained to us in joyful tone.

"Do ya always hang 'em?" Vinyl asked while grimacing at the sight.

"Well," she remained on that syllable for some time, "sometimes....most times....every time."

I could only blink at this response. Some other Assassins seemed to have taken notice of my surprise, as they laughed at me and held their sides. The previous days had certainly made me a laughing-stock among the Brothers. I scowled at them. This stopped their laughter and they returned to their work. 

"Ha, well ain't it the loners? 'Bout time ya got here!" A familiar voice sounded from behind us.

The three of us turned around to see the Bearer of Honesty. The large woman smiled at us with a straw between her teeth. We bowed at her and were met with hearty laughter.

"Haha, you guys are always so formal. How's your night been gals?" The Bearer asked.

"Well." Amethyst was the first to answer. "We had a good sleep I guess. I mean, with the scout and all..."

"It was fine, thank you Bearer." I interrupted the young Assassin.

"Wait, let me guess, Braeburn told this girl to watch ya, didn't he?" Applejack asked suspiciously.

"Yes, Bearer!" Amethyst responded proudly.

"Braeburn! He thinks ya traitors huh? He's been pretty rotten lately, but this?" The Bearer started to raise her voice.

Hey! You shouldn't speak of the Den Master like that!" Amethyst told the Bearer in an almost amusing attempt at being angry.

Applejack focused on the young Assassin. "He's my cuz. I speak to 'em how Ah want. Now you three better help with the moving. We all need to be settled again in the nex' hour."

The Bearer walked away. I could see her gritted teeth as she left. We turned around again and head over to the hauling Assassins. I saw the Bearer of Magic talking to Spike. The boy was obviously exhibiting his new shirt. Apparently, he did find a tailor shop to raid. Twilight was simply smiling at him. I assumed it was in a similar manner to a mother smiling at her child when he tells her something uninteresting. I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Psst, Tavi, Note's over there." I heard Vinyl whisper.

I glanced in the direction that Vinyl pointed at. There, indeed, was Noteworthy. The second-in-command appeared unconfident as usual. He was walking among some other Assassins, chatting. I glanced over at Amethyst, who simply looked back at me. We did not want to rouse her suspicion. I then saw Noteworthy walk away from his group in the corner of my eye. I had to think quickly. If Amethyst caught us spying on Noteworthy, she would surely inform Braeburn. I motioned to Vinyl to follow and I started to walk in Noteworthy's direction. The young Assassin followed behind us.

"Ya know that we gonna have to shake her off." Vinyl whispered to me.

"I am fully aware of that. Any ideas?"

"We could knock her out in an alleyway."

"Ha, we will be practically waving a red cross pattée." I told the inventor. 

"Hey! You can have a conversation with me too!" The young Assassin shouted at us.

We stopped in our tracks and turned around. Amethyst was no longer in a cheerful mood, as her arms were crossed and she impatiently tapped her foot. This reminded me of a certain Bearer in Canterlot. I hesitantly cleared my throat before speaking.

"We want to speak with Noteworthy. We have some.....business to take care with him." I stated flatly.

Her annoyed expression suddenly brightened. "Notey? Why didn't you say so? Go ahead."

I was rather taken aback from her sudden response. Her addressing of Notewothy as "Notey" also aroused my curiosity. I glanced over at my friend. She was in a similar state of mild shock. We certainly had not anticipated this. The young Assassin started to make her way to Noteworthy. We soon followed.





We found Noteworthy sitting on a porch far away from the other Assassins. His hood was down and his chin rested in his palm. One could tell that his mind was far off, as he did not hear us approach. He was briefly startled when he noticed us. However, upon seeing Amethyst, his scared expression was soon relieved.

"Ah, Star, nice of you to join me." He calmly said.

"As always." Amethyst giggled.

The young Assassin sat next to Noteworthy. He placed an arm around her and continued to stare off into the sunrise. Vinyl and I felt awkward to intrude on the pleasant meeting. Fortunately, Amethyst was the first to speak.

"I brought Den Master Octavia and her friend. They said they have business with you."

"I am sure of that. Do not worry Den Master, we can speak openly in front of my young sister." Noteworthy told us in his still calm voice.

"Alright Noteworthy," I began, "I am sure that you are aware of a traitor in our mist. We..."

"Let me guess, ya thinks it's me?" Noteworthy cut in, his calmness quickly changed into anger.

"Not exactly..." I tried to explain, but was once again interrupted.

"The Den Master thinks ya two are the traitors. And now, here ya come at me, accusing! What did I do? Huh?! It's because I don't like Braeburn? Is that it? You Canterlotians are such a judgmental type. Ya take anything, their moods and their clothes, and ya form ya tight opinions on them! Would a traitor bring his little sister into the Brotherhood? Would a traitor go out there and fight the Templar he works for? Ya know these answers. I don' see what's your problem. Maybe that fool of a Den Master was right about something. He was right not to trust Canterlotians. They jus' only care for themselves."

"My brother is right." Amethyst jumped in. "How dare you two accuse him of being so horrid. We've been here for weeks, even longer than you and Braeburn combined. Just because we don't share your fancy robes and your pleasant mountain doesn't mean that we don't follow the Creed."

"Fine! Then who do ya think is the traitor?" Vinyl questioned harshly.

At this, the two Assassins fell silent. Noteworthy still scowled at us. His sister's face became perplexed, her defending nature had left her. Vinyl and I stared back at them. We did not want to appear intimidating by their backlash nor offended by their rude remarks. The Appleloosan second-in-command stood up and stomped off without a word. He was to be out of eyesight when a large discharge was heard in the southeast.

BOOM!

The sound was that of a cannon. Amethyst got to her feet and began running to her brother. Vinyl and I followed. The crash of wood and destruction could be heard in the direction of the town hall. After about eight or nine discharges were heard, the town was completely silent again. We returned to the hall. Noteworthy and Amethyst were already there.

The place was completely demolished. small craters were spotted around the base where cannonballs first contacted the ground. All that remained of the structure were parts of the floor and a corner of the wall. We all stood there in awe. The precision on the artillery strike was astounding, as many of the surrounding buildings were unharmed. Our attention shifted to an Assassin down the road. The Assassin was excitedly beckoning us to follow. We ran towards him.

Upon reaching the Assassin, he withdrew his hood. This revealed that the Assassin was not a "he" but a "she." The Assassin possessed long orange hair and light green eyes. Her robes were of a light tan that made her slightly blend in with the dirt and buildings. Her face was knotted in annoyance.

"Why were ya out there? The Templar almost got ya! C'mon, I'll show ya where the others are." She said in a strong Baltimarian accent. 

"We heard the fire and quickly ran towards the hall. We were worried that the Templar caught the Brothers in mid-move." I explained to the Assassin.

The Assassin did not respond and led us to the north. Noteworthy trailed behind us, not speaking to anyone, even his sister. Vinyl and Amethyst were on either side of me. The orange-haired Assassin paused often and checked streets before crossing. I assumed she was simply making sure that the way was clear.

"So..." Vinyl started, "I'm Vinyl, that is Amethyst, that's Octavia, and that guy back there is Noteworthy."

"I'm aware of your names Brother and Sisters." The Assassin stopped and looked at us. "I am Second Rank Carrot Top." 

"Well met Carrot Top, but why are you so far from the others?" I asked.

"Huh, I should ask you four the same question. I am a Scout, so it is natural of me to be far from the others. Also, Braeburn ordered me to find you. He was rather upset that you were absent when we were struck by the artillery."

"You mean that you guys were still moving?" Amethyst inquired.

"Yes, Amethyst. We were about finished when the first cannonball headed our way. Luckily, it sailed over the hall. We quickly departed the hall and made for the north."

"How did they know of our location so fast?" Vinyl threw the question out to everyone.

"Well, Canterlotian, they's the traitor remember?" Noteworthy piped up. "Could have easily told the Templar of our location. It had to be the traitor since we killed their scout."

"The traitor sure is making things difficult." Carrot Top said. "I wonder how long this will keep up."





Carrot Top led us to a large building. The street was empty except for Braeburn and Applejack. The two were talking with each other. The conversation did not seem to be going well, as the Den Master was snarling at his cousin. They both simultaneously noticed our arrival and turned their attention on us.

"Where the hell ya been?! Amethyst! You were supposed to be watching Octavia and Vinyl. Yet here we go again with the info leaks!" The Appleloosan Den Master yelled.

"I...I was watching them Den Master! I swear by the Sun! They did not leave my sight."

"She's tellin' the truth cuz." The Bearer of Honesty told Braeburn.

"Ugh!" The Den Master angrily grunted. "Well ain't this fine and dandy? I guess ya off the hook for now Canterlotians. Hmm...First the Templar knows our plans and now they's knows our hidin' places. If we don't get this bastard soon..." The Den Master's voice trailed off, but soon resurfaced. "Carrot Top? What were you doing so far behind us?"

Carrot Top gave him a perplexed look. "I was searching for these absentees Den Master. Like you said."

"Hmph, I must have forgotten. Anyway, fine work." The Den Master turned and entered the large structure.

"That bottle clouds his memories." I heard Noteworthy murmur to himself. 

Carrot Top gestured to us to enter the building. I could not tell what the building's purpose was prior to its abandonment. It contained no sign or any noticeable features. I believed it was simply a rich home. Upon entry, my previous thoughts were confirmed. The fine furniture was sprawled about. The kitchen area was small but homely. Some Assassins sat around a long table in what I assumed to be the dining room. The place was not silent, as an Assassin played a small lute. Our party sat down at the table in any seat available.

The lute playing Assassin stopped his music and looked intently at me. The Assassin was a large man with a thick blonde beard and dark green eyes. His white robes appeared too small for him. I did not see any weapons on him. I assumed due to his large muscles that he was not one for swordplay. He lightly grinned at me, revealing a missing tooth.

"I know a musician when I sees one." He said in a deep voice. "Wait. I'm guessing cello right?"

"Your conjecture is most accurate." I responded.

"Oh, you don't need to polite m'lady. I jus' rarely see those who enjoy music down south. What's your name?"

"My name is Octavia Melody. I am the Den Master of the South Canterlot Den."

"Really? Canterlot eh? Never been there meself. I'm kind of a wanderin' bard. Going place to place with me music, and wrestling any beast that gets in me way. Oh, and I am Meadow Song of Manehatten."

"What is your rank?" I asked him.

He laughed heartily. "Rank? Pfft. I ain't an Assassin or whatever you guys call yourselves. Jus' a man on a mission."

My interest grew. "What is your mission?"

"Avenge me friend. Those Templar guys over there, they killed me friend. He was one of you guys. He was as long as I 'member. He always wantin' to fight for somethin' other than himself. And cause of that, those soldiers killed him. They killed him when the av'rage folks was still in this town. I tried to bury me friend. But they didn't let me. They let his body be food for the buzzards. After they picked him clean, I took his robes. He was always tellin' me to finish the job if he couldn't. I never knew what he meant, but I reckon it deals with you folk. So I took his spot. I ain't no Assassin, but I'm a man itchin' to kill them Templar. I doubt that you care for more than that."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

He shook his head. "Don't be. He died the way he want'd."

With that, he plucked the strings of his lute. The notes from the instrument were no longer high and lively, but long and deep. The whole scene was rather deceptive. The lute player was a broad and rugged man, however, his large hands were precise on the strings. The melody that sprouted from the lute was masterful. I can say that I have not heard better from even the prestigious minstrels of Canterlot.

No one dared to speak above the music. We all sat silently around the long table. I took this time to glance out the window. The sun was up, but not very high. It was about mid-morning. The day has already felt like a week and the past week has felt like a month. My mind began to wander as I recollected the past events. I was brought back to the present when the music came to a stop and I heard Braeburn addressing us.

"The Templar almost got us with their artillery back at the hall. The Bearer of Honesty and I believe that a counterattack is necessary. Their artillery is not easily moved. If we attack quickly, we could catch them out of position. Arm up, we're moving out!"

The Den Master turned and exited the building. All of us were quick to our feet. Meadow Song was the slowest to get up, but since he did not need to retrieve weapons, he was the first out. I followed close behind Vinyl and we stepped back out into the heat of Appleloosa. Upon our exit, we saw a large group of Assassins in a semicircle in front of us. In front of them were Braeburn and the two Bearers.

"Here we are Brothers." Twilight began. "We are performing a counteroffensive against the Order. Their artillery was in the south region when they opened fire upon the hall. That is a rather long distance from their fortified barracks. If we move quickly, we shall catch them off guard and neutralize their cannons. We must act with haste. The Templar are transporting their weaponry back to the fort as we speak. Let us be off!"

The Bearer turned to the south and began running. Assassins took the the rooftops and followed Twilight. I saw Amethyst and Vinyl head out. I was about to sprint after them when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Noteworthy glaring at me.

"Go on Den Master. Would not want to disappoint the Bearer." He said in a mocking tone before running off.

I grunted in frustration. I assured myself that I would make the Bearer of Magic proud. Not only that, but I felt that I needed to prove Canterlot's worth as well. I sprinted after the others, quickly gaining up to them with my hook device. I was truly tired of this place and its complex occupants. This was my chance to help end the Appleloosan battle.



~


	
	
> Chapter 15: Momentum
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 15: Momentum



By Octavia Melody


The Templar horses pulled the artillery slowly across the town. The soldiers urged the horses on, obviously fearing what could be surrounding them. The Appleloosan Assassins were all in position. Any Assassin bearing a pistol or a long range weapon aimed at the unknowing Templar. The Brothers took aim at their individual targets. With a sudden swipe from the Bearer of Magic, the Assassins fired. Soldiers fell from the impact of bolts, arrows, or lead balls.

"They're here! Fight for the Order men!" A Templar shouted at his troops.

Your turn! I leaped from my hiding position. The streets were in complete chaos as soldiers and Assassins clashed in heated battle. Lead balls screamed through the air as the Templar fired upon us. Over there! I saw a nearby Templar charge at me with his axe. I sidestepped away from his cleaving swing. I jammed my hook deep into his back. I then tried to pull it back out without success. The Templar was still alive and fighting. Move! I had to dodge more of his violent attacks. I pulled the hook again and ripped a rib from his body. The soldier screamed in agony and I finished him with my other hidden blade to his head. My first kill had already left my robes crimson in blood. 

"Reinforcements inbound!" An Assassin yelled.

I looked up to see nothing but bloodshed. I saw Braeburn slicing his way through the Templar. I spotted Noteworthy picking troops off with his crossbow. Some Assassins fell as the Templar recovered from the sudden ambush and organized themselves for a push. Woah! I jumped back from a swinging sword. The attacker came at me again. I deflected the blade with my own. The soldier backed off. He bent down and grabbed some dirt from the ground. Before I could react, he threw the dust into my eyes, blinding me. I instinctively threw a knife in his general direction. I heard a wail of pain. I then felt thin metal slicing through my torso. My eyes recovered from the dust and I, once again, faced the Templar. He had a knife in his side; I had a long cut on my stomach. Surprisingly, I did not feel the pain. Attack! I lunged at him with my dagger. His wound prevented him from dodging. My blade soon met his heart and he was done. 

"Keep it up! We're winning!" Braeburn shouted above the battle.

The battle soon completely engulfed me. The Templar reinforcements had arrived and they held their ground. I felt pressure on my back and I knew it was Vinyl. We were soon back-to-back with the soldiers surrounding us. Hold your ground Den Master! I started to fling knives at every Templar I saw. I heard the sound of flesh being penetrated behind me. I was soon in the shadow of an impaled Templar being lifted to the sky on a musket.

The remaining Templar around us were soon dispatched by Twilight, who teleported by us and shot the soldiers. She then teleported away. Vinyl and I made our way through the intense skirmish. I could not tell if Braeburn's words were true as members of both parties were dying rapidly. I saw the Templar making an attempt to arm the artillery.

"Vinyl! We have to stop them!" I shouted at the inventor.

"Way ahead of ya!"

We charged the artillery. The horses that were pulling the wagons were already dead. The soldiers arming the artillery spotted us and reached for their weapons. Vinyl made the first move and shot a soldier with her musket. That caused the others to charge at us madly. Move! I ducked under a swing. I retaliated with a stab to the Templar's neck. The other Templar took advantage of my preoccupation and punched me in the face. The force of the punch knocked me over. I laid flat on my back and kept my blades in front of me. The Templar raised his sword and was about to swing at me when he was tackled by a large man.

I got to my feet and saw Meadow Song beating the soldier to a bloody pulp. His savagery frightened me, but I was relieved that he was on our side. I returned my focus on the artillery. Vinyl was dealing with two soldiers at once. A Templar soldier was ramming a cannonball down the massive barrel. I ran at him and knocked him over. The other cannon operators swarmed around me. They clearly were not trained for direct battle as they had no coordination between themselves. One of the operators swung at me with his shortsword. I dodged but tripped on the artillery's wagon. The Templar saw his opportunity and lunged at me. I kicked him into the wagon's wheel, causing it to break. The cannon that rested on the wagon slid down the broken wagon and settled in a precarious position. I got back to my feet and fought on. All of the soldiers' attacks on me were sporadic and easy to avoid. I neutralized them all quickly.

I turned to see Vinyl running up to the cannon. She swiped her hidden blade along the barrel of the cannon to create sparks that ignited the fuse. Hit the deck! I fell to the ground and covered my head. I soon heard the boom of the cannon as it fired into the ground. Due to the cannon's unstable position, it was flung into the air and shattered. Shards of metal and wood flew through the air impaling anything it came into contact with. I felt Vinyl grab my arm and pull me up.

"That's one down Tavi, let's get the others!"

We pressed on. The battle was still raging on around us. I could see Applejack's axe cleaving through the Templar ranks. Amethyst was skillfully fighting a soldier one-on-one. We found the remaining cannons sitting idly in the back of the Templar forces. The soldiers were not arming the cannons. Some Templar saw us and engaged. One of the soldiers was heavily armored and wielded a large hammer. Roll! I rolled away from the knight's hammer. He grunted and swung again. The sound of the hammer slamming into the ground echoed above the skirmish. He charged again and smashed the ground, barely missing me. Each pound emitted dust into the air, reducing the line of sight to a minimal. However, I never lost track of the armored giant. I saw Vinyl leap at him with her blade, only to be back-handed away. The brute turned to face me again. I noticed that his armor was not crimson, but Royal gold with white stripes. He was not a Templar soldier, but a Royal Guard of the Enforcer division. He raised his hammer again. Suddenly, a bolt pierced his unarmored armpit, causing him to let go of his mighty weapon. The Enforcer fell to his knees and clutched his wound. I lunged forward to kill him. When I was about to stab him, he grabbed my face with his large hand. 

"I'll end you rebel!" He yelled at me through his steel helmet.

He then threw me to the ground. I skidded across the dirt. I looked up at my attacker to see him wrestling Meadow Song. The two large men punched and kicked each other. Meadow Song ripped the helmet off the Enforcer. The Enforcer was clearly losing the battle because of his deep wound. Meadow Song finished the Enforcer by snapping his neck. Meadow Song, panting and limping slightly, walked over and grabbed the Enforcer's hammer. I saw him smile as he tested the weapon's weight.

"I could use this..." I heard him mutter.

My attention returned to the artillery. The battle was slowing down as the Assassins pushed the Templar back. My mind was racing with the ways I could neutralize the cannons. I needed explosives. I searched my compartments for any bombs, but found none. I frantically searched the area. Vinyl was on the ground rubbing her temples. Next to her was a dead Assassin. I quickly ran over to the corpse and began searching the deceased Brother's pockets. Sure enough, the Assassin had bombs. I quickly lit them and chucked them at the cannons. The explosions dismantled the artillery with ease. I shouted in joy and hoisted Vinyl on her feet. 

"They're retreating!" I heard a Brother shout.

The remaining soldiers turned and ran to the east. Assassins picked them off with pistols and crossbows. Some Brothers started to pursue but were halted by the Bearer of Magic.

"No! Let them go. We will get to them soon enough." Twilight told us.

"Check the bodies lads! We're takin' everything." Braeburn ordered.

Assassins began to scavenge the many corpses. Several Brothers cheered at our victory. I began to search the corpse of a Templar soldier when I heard Twilight's voice call out to me.

"Over here, Den Master." 

I walked over to her. She was not looking at me when I approached. Twilight turned to face me and her expression turned to worry.

"Den Master, are you alright?" She asked while looking down at my torso.

"Of cour..." I paused and looked down. My robes are red with with Templar and my own blood. The gash I had received in battle was much deeper than I had thought. The pain of the wound soon swarmed my body. I winced in the pain and my eyes became unfocused. I, however, stood tall in front of the Bearer.

"I am alright." I said through gritted teeth.

"If you say so..." The Bearer seemed unconvinced. "I simply wanted to congratulate you. You fought well in this battle. I realize that you haven't had the most glorious moments in this town, but make no mistake Octavia, your skills in battle make up for any mistakes you have made. Do not forget this."

"Thank you Bearer." I bowed. "However, I want to tell you about the Enforcer that was in the Templar ranks."

"Enforcer? What is an elite warrior like him doing in Appleloosa? Why is he fighting for the Templar? My guess would be that he is one of Silverstar's personal men. Thank you for informing me of this Den Master, I shall have to investigate this." The Bearer of Magic turned and left.

I stood out there in the bloody street. The sun was high above us, it was certainly noon. I glanced around the battlefield. Brothers were piling Templar bodies together and dragging fallen Assassins away to be ceremoniously cremated. The Brothers were done with their scavenging, as they threw torches on the Templar corpses. I turned away from the fire. I had seen enough gruesome scenes already. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up to see Noteworthy bearing a mocking grin.

"You owe me Den Master. I saved your life when you fought that knight." The second-in-command pointed to himself.

"You were the one that shot him?" I asked, already aware of the answer.

"Hell yeah. Not many Brothers appreciate the crossbow anymore."

"I thought you despised me?"

"Don't worry, I do. But you're a Sister. I don't care how much you piss me off. You're still family and I should not hesitate to defend you."

"That is certainly one way to view things. I...." My voice trailed off as my eyes became unfocused again. 

"Den Master? Octavia?" Noteworthy said in a confused tone.

I felt my wound again. I was still bleeding heavily. I tried to keep my balance, but my head swirled and my eyes blurred. The last thing I saw was Noteworthy standing over me. Then it all went black.





My eyes opened and I found myself in a dimly lit room. Vinyl, Twilight, Noteworthy, and Amethyst were gathered around me. I had forgotten about my wound and I glanced at each of their curious expressions. I tried to sit up, but Amethyst discouraged me with her hand.

"Sorry Den Master, you have to take it easy." She told me.

"Why?" I asked, still in a slight daze.

Vinyl chuckled and pointed. "Because of that!"

My mind was flooded with the memories of today as I stared at my large wound. The wound was no longer bleeding, as it appeared to have been sutured. The surgical work did not look impressive, but it was effective. I glanced around the room.

"Who stitched me?" I questioned.

"I did!" Amethyst beamed.

"Are you a surgeon?" 

"Oh, not at all Den Master. All of our doctors are dead. So I did it." She told me in her usual cheerful voice.

I checked the wound again. I half-expected it to reopen. When it did not, I sighed in relief. I could now observe my surroundings. The room I was in was not familiar to me in the slightest. I was on a long thin table surrounded by dusty chairs. I could tell that this was not a medical facility before its abandonment. The book shelves and candles proposed that it was a rich man's study. I finally glanced out of the only window to see the sun setting.

"I have been unconscious for that long?" I said in disbelief.

"Yup, Tavi. Noteworthy dragged ya to this building and got Amethyst to stitch ya up." Vinyl informed me through her mask.

"I guess you owe me twice, Canterlotian." Noteworthy chuckled.

The Bearer of Magic paced silently in the corner. I could tell that she was deep thought since her magenta eyes stared at the ground. Her thoughts were interrupted as scout Carrot Top entered the room. The first aspect I noticed of Carrot Top's robes were that, unlike ours, they were clean and whole. The scout bowed and reported to the Bearer.

"There is a Brother wanting to speak with you Bearer." She said in her heavy accent.

The Bearer walked out of the room without a word. Curiosity grabbed me and I lifted myself off the table. The others tried to persuade me to stay still, but I waved them off and headed out of the room.

The front room of the building was small, but cozy. The room seemed to be a sitting or living area. Braeburn and Applejack were seated in some wooden chairs by an empty hearth. Twilight was listening to an Assassin with Carrot Top standing next to them.

"...We were scouting the north gate. We found bodies of our messengers. Three of them to be exact. They were not carrying any messages on them Bearer. It seems that the documents were taken off their corpses." The Assassin reported in hasty sentences.

"Interesting. The Templar have been keeping us in the dark this whole time." Twilight brooded.

"Another thing, Bearer. The fatal wounds appeared to have been caused by Assassin blades. The punctures and positioning all indicate this." The Assassin continued.

"Ugh! Of course it was!" Braeburn shouted. "That damn traitor is ruining everything! Jus' when I thought we had the momentum, this pretty little news reaches our ears. Anything could be happenin' all over Equestria and we don't know any of it. We need to start placin' all of our efforts into catching this traitor. Once he's dead, we're clear out the remaining Templar."

"Don't forget ta mention the Enforcer." Applejack continued for her cousin. "The Empire gots their soldiers down here. Fightin' on the same side too! The Templar and those Sisters are the same. I knows it. Twi, ya can't jus' sit there and think, we gotta move!"

"Oh, be quiet AJ! I have been sending out messages and none of them have been received. For all we know, the other Dens may think we have lost Appleloosa. We will not receive anymore reinforcements if that is the case. Ugh! I must calculate this further. With the efficiency of this traitor, I say there are at least two of them. No one could do all of this in just days. I am also tired of being compromised. I will have it that these traitors shall be dead by next sunset."

"Then what's your plan Twi?" The Bearer of Honesty inquired.

The Bearer of Magic looked around at all of us. Her cold stare penetrated even the stoutest Assassin. She grunted and said only a few words.

"Everyone, leave. NOW!" She commanded.

The Assassins and I scrambled out of the building. Vinyl, Noteworthy, and Amethyst were levitated out of the building and thrown on the ground. The only soul in the building beside The Bearer of Magic was Applejack. I saw Twilight snap her fingers and the windows became pitch black. We had no hope to figure out their plan.

"That was rude of her." Vinyl grunted.

I heard my stomach growl. I then realized that I had not eaten at all since before dawn. Vinyl took notice of my hunger and handed me some bread she was carrying. As I ate, my mind wondered as to what the Bearers were discussing. My mind also wondered why Braeburn and I were not part of the conversation. Even with the Den Master's flaws, he could be trusted. I believed that the Bearers had reached their limit and could not take any chances. The band of Assassins around me began to dissipate. Our day of victory seemed to be forgotten. 

Vinyl and I returned to our little inn. The Sleeping Ursa was much farther than we had anticipated. The Bearers never appeared again after Twilight blocked the windows. So all the Brothers were long gone when we left. Vinyl and I had supper in the dusty inn. The pain of my wound was still there, but nothing more than an annoyance. Even Vinyl's arm seemed to heal. The day's complexity had left both of us tired and sleepy. This made me realize that we have been operating solely in the daylight since the initial attack on the first night. Something that we Assassins don't normally do. There was plenty of strange differences between operations in Appleloosa and operations in Canterlot. Though they seemed to becoming one in the same.





The moon is out as I write this. Though I do notice large black clouds in the west. Rain is undoubtedly on its way. It seems fitting for what Twilight had said. I predict bloodshed tomorrow. The Bearer of Magic is a cunning one; she will certainly capture the traitor in our mist. For some reason, I do not look forward to what may happen. The Brotherhood is family. The traitor is a Brother. There will be controversy after the betrayer's execution. I am certain of this. However, I cannot do anything about it. Even in the tightest inner circles, there will be unrest. I shall have to end my writing here. My eyes can barely keep open.


Adieu and goodnight.



~

	
	
> 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."



~

	
	
> Chapter 17: Homelands
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 17: Homelands


By Octavia Melody


The barracks was bustling with Assassin activity. Brothers gathered food from the Templar kitchens and storage. We held a large feast in the barracks. The Templar flags that surrounded the fort were used as tablecloths. Dishes and silverware were laid off to the side as many of the Appleloosans preferred to use their hands. I sat with the Bearers, Spike, and Braeburn. I did not take much interest to their conversation as the interior of the barracks fascinated me.

The entire barracks appeared to be small from the outside, but was actually very large and spacious. The barrack's walls were well crafted with interweaving logs. It was a design I had not seen before in the rest of the town. This made the structure sturdy and tough unlike the other buildings in Appleloosa. The floor boards were also of great quality, being smooth and tightly wedged together. The ceiling was a large triangle with several beams crisscrossing from side to side. My mind pondered how the soldiers constructed such a masterpiece with only limited supplies and no lifts and in the constant threat of Assassin ambushes. I wanted to ask them how they accomplished this, but I soon remembered that every soldier's soul was no longer with us.

"You could have fought him fairly in a duel, Den Master." I heard Twilight tell Braeburn.

"And give that bastard a chance? He didn't deserve one." Braeburn seemed confused.

"Well, maybe not. However, we cannot be this way. The common folk and the Empire would not approve of our ways if they saw that."

"Why not? 'Cause of honor right? Like I said, there ain't honor in this war anymore."

"That does not give us a right to be unlawful. Silverstar was following Equestrian etiquette and law. You could have easily followed it."

"I don't see why a simple movement of your torso means so much. He made a mistake in trusting me. I used his mistake to my advantage." The Den Master slightly raised his voice. "That man, if you could call him that, he.....he launched his artillery on the Appleloosans. He didn't care if he got an Assassin or a bystander. He sat in this barracks for all the days of battle. That ain't a General if I saw one. He didn't deserve a bow, especially one by me! This is a war of extermination. We shouldn't care about how we kill them. We jus' need to kill em. All of them. The only way we will save this Empire is when every single Templar soul is in Tartarus."

With that, Braeburn stood up and walked away. Twilight shook her head slowly. The Bearer of Honesty seemed to have ignored their conversation as she gulped down cider. Twilight then turned to face me. Her expression possessed mixed emotions and her eyes did not seem to be focused on anything particular.

"Octavia, we shall travel back to Canterlot in the early morning. The Bearer of Honesty is going to stay and watch the southern efforts, and maybe Braeburn. I would advise gathering your possessions now and bringing them here. We shall spend the night here. It is much better than the old houses we had been living in before."

"Are we going to go through the Everfree again?" I heard Spike ask.

Twilight smiled at him. "No, we are going around the Everfree this time and travel through the Rock Ridge instead. We do not have to make a stop at Ponyville, so we shall skip it entirely."

"Wouldn't that add another day to our journey?" I asked.

"Yes, Den Master. Though it should be far less dangerous."

Twilight then looked at Spike again. "I think it's time for you to get some sleep. I do not need my assistant sleeping on the job tomorrow."

Spike lifted his chin in defiance. "I don't need sleep! I have the heart of a dragon!"

Twilight chuckled. "I have never heard of a sleepless dragon. Dragons couldn't be so strong without sleep."

Spike lifted his eyebrow. "I'm not gonna win, am I?"

"Nope."

"Fine..." He turned and left.

The Bearer stood up and faced me. "Well Octavia, I shall also retire for the night. Remember that we leave at dawn."

I bowed and watched her leave before heading to the inn.





Our horses were packed and ready to depart. I had not seen the horses since my arrival, but they were in good shape and health. Spike did a superb job in caring for them. The sun was only half way above the horizon, creating a brilliant orange light to the town. The heat had not yet reached us. The storm had greatly cooled off the land. The town itself was quiet, as the Assassins no longer needed to move supplies to another hideout. I was standing next to Vinyl and Spike. We were waiting for the Bearers to complete their adieus.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see Meadow Song. The large man was no longer in his friend's robes, but in leather traveling gear. He smiled and patted me on the back.

"M'lady, me task here is done. I don't have to worry 'bout me friend. He's gotten his Justice. I'm gonna leave this town. Return to me wanderings. Take care Octavia."

I smiled back at him. "Thank you for your help, Meadow. I hope that we see each other again."

"Aye. I hope so to."

The large man turned and headed east. He was a mere silhouette against the rising sun. I saw him lift his hand and I returned his wave. Vinyl gagged in immature disgust at the slightly saddening departure.

"Oh it's just too much. The hero leaves his dear friend and journeys alone into the unknown. Will we ever see him again? Only the Sun knows..." She narrated in a fashion similar to dramatic poets.

"Vinyl! Don't be so bloody insensitive." I scolded her.

She lazily turned her head toward me. "Alright, Mother."

I gave her an annoyed look. I could not tell what her expression was, as her mask blocked her face. However, I could easily assume that it was a mischievous grin. Our attention turned to the Bearer of Magic, who was with the messenger. They walked over to us together.

"The messenger would like to accompany us to Canterlot. She also has a horse, so there is no issue with that. Now, since we are ready, let us be off."





My mind was running with the excitement of returning to my home. My head was cycling through every emotion I could feel when I rode through that massive stone gate. However, we had only been riding for a few hours, as the sun was almost directly above us. The journey had been quiet thus far. The rolling hills and tall grass were the only thing we saw. The town of Appleloosa was out of sight. I did not feel any pangs of guilt for leaving such a place.

The messenger was humming a tune. She appeared to be the most relaxed individual in our group. This was probably due to her always being on the road. She was so used to traveling that it didn't bother her in the slightest. Vinyl was riding her horse backwards, using the horse's neck as a headrest. The stallion did not seem to mind, as he steadily walked on. Twilight and Spike were discussing about the lands outside of Equestria. Spike was telling about superstitious stories of of travelers who ventured to far to the south and were eaten by giant worms. The Bearer of Magic giggled and told Spike how ridiculous the tales sound. She, however, did not completely deny their existence. I was left to my own thoughts. My mind switching from the bliss I would feel from arriving at my Den and the pain of knowing the West Den's destruction.

I feel that I must inform you on our current situation. With the West Den destroyed, Canterlot has only one major den left. That one is mine. The East Den and the North Den are too small to even have a Den Master. They are more of small hideouts than anything else. Canterlot has always been a hive of Brotherhood activity. We have never held the capital under complete control like Ponyville and now Appleloosa. Canterlot however, is by far the most important city to control. Having Assassin influence close to the Two Sisters is vital to our cause. If we can get our politics into the government before the Templar, we have a sure chance of protecting this Empire. So we must keep the Southern Den functional for as long as possible.

"You know, ever since I left Cloudsdale, I haven't been in one city for longer than a week." The messenger piped up.

My thoughts on Canterlot immediately vanished. I turned to look at the odd-eyed Sister. She was smiling and gazing to the far hills to the south. Spike and Twilight did not seem to notice the messenger, so I thought I would reply.

"You are from Cloudsdale? How is that ancient city?"

"Oh....it's.....different. The high mountains it sits on make it in constant fog. Once you get used to it, it ain't a problem. The winters are very cold though. The summers don't get very warm, well.....sometimes it can. The thing I remember most of Clousdale are all of the Olden Families that govern the city."

"Olden Families?" 

"Oh, you haven't been there, have you? Well, the Olden Families are a bunch of old clans that formed the city hundreds of years ago. They still follow ancient Cloudsdalian traditions such as names, forging, architecture, marriage, and fighting.  These clans are now called families and they basically own the city more than the Sisters. No one talks about this since the Olden Families are not considered rulers in any way. They just have the money."

"Intriguing." My mind pondered the information I had been given. Ancient names? I began to remember a certain young man with a strange name. Flashius Senti. "Is Senti a Cloudsdalian name?" I asked.

The messenger nodded. "Yup. The Senti family mostly deals with trade from the far west. I myself am also part of an Olden Family, but they rejected me at a young age. You see, My Cloudsdalian name is Dupia Hous. My Equestrian name is Ditzy Doo. But, everyone calls me Derpy."

"What...Why were you rejected?" I asked cautiously.

She pointed at her eyes. "The Hous family are mainly made up of warriors. They along with the Becips family provide protection for the city. When I was young and in training, a terrible accident left my eyes like this. I was too young to remember what caused it. I was then removed from the family because my eyes were no longer fit for combat. So they threw me on the streets. I survived as a thief for some years, until a Cloudsdalian Assassin let me join the Brotherhood. I've been a messenger since."

I silently brooded about the sad story. It reminded me of myself as a lonely musician. Though my story was far less painful, it seemed similar. The Brotherhood gave us both an opportunity to make something of ourselves. I looked at Derpy. She was now gazing at the sky with a slight smile. She whispered something to the air that made my heart ache.

"The Assassin's name was Soarin...."

I turned away from the messenger. Hearing a Wonderbolt's name brought me to the present. The traitors were still at large. I wondered if I was going to engage them again in Canterlot. It seemed likely. My eyes caught Twilight moving in her saddle. I focused my eyes on her to see her   look back at me with a contemplating expression. She then slowly turned her head back to its normal position. I assumed that she was listening to the messenger and I after all.

"Well, hey, the best part of being a messenger is this." Derpy gestured to the land. "It's beautiful. I've traveled the Empire many times, and it still hasn't grown old on me. You should enjoy it Den Master. You don't see these things from inside city walls."

My gaze then turned to the land. The hills had become smaller as we went northeast. The grass was a deep green, no longer to dead color of the rolling hills. To the far north were massive dark trees on the other side of a wide river. This was the Everfree. To the distant south was the vague appearance of a town. Appleloosa was far out of our sight, so I assumed that this was Dodge Junction. A rural town known for its cherries and rich farmers. To the east was flat plains. My eyes caught the motion of a large herd of animals. I looked closely and saw that they were wild horses.

Wild horses were common in rural Equestria. They are the reason this country has such a name. Equestrian horses were the best steeds in the world. The only challenger to that would be the Crystal Republic's horses, which many consider to be the same species as the Equestrian's. According to legend, the first Cloudsdalian, Commander Hurricane, decided to inhabit the Equestrian lands solely on the horses. Such a legend seemed like a stretch to me, but as I watched the herd gallop across the fields, I could see its validness.





When evening engulfed us, we arrived at the Rock Ridge. The sound of hooves on grass was replaced with the clips and clops on stone. The Rock Ridge was more of a small canyon than anything else. The floor of the ridge was mainly dirt with large rocks jutting out. The place was dark and eerie. It was nothing compared to the hostile Everfree Forest, but it had the similar sounds of animals in the shadows. 

We soon came upon a large dig site. There were stone tools for digging in a pile nearby. We stopped the horses to investigate. Everyone except Twilight dismounted. The large hole was filled with gems and jewels. It seemed that whoever dug here was a lucky and now rich individual. I bent down and grabbed a loose gem. The gem was about as large as my hand. I could clearly see my reflection in the crystal. I stood up and showed the Bearer it. She raised an eyebrow. 

"What a find, Den Master. It seems odd that the miners would leave it here." She said while stroking her chin.

"Maybe we should pack some for the trip." Vinyl suggested.

"I do not like the idea of stealing Vinyl." I started. My eyes fixed on the valuable crystal. "But....there so many.....They will not miss a few..."

"Octavia." The Bearer said sternly. "Put it back now."

I sighed and turned to toss it back into the hole. Suddenly I heard many footsteps tumble down the ridge's steep sides. I glanced around to see bright eyes glowing in the dark. The shadowy figures made odd and quick movements.

"Whys theys heres?!" A sharp voice yelled from the shadows.

"Theys heres to robs us. Likes burglars!" Another screamed.

"They's can'ts has it."

"Smellssss delightfulssss..."

"Wes earneds that gems!"

"Filthies thieves."

"They's comes into ours homelands!"

"We's has to kills thems."

"Sends thems to the voids!"

"Kills thems nows!"

I threw the gem in the hole and pulled out my dagger. The shadowy figures approached us slowly. As they came closer, I could make out their deformed bodies. Their faces barely appeared human, as their noses and mouths were large and jutted forward. This gave them the appearance of a dog's snout. Their large hands had long and filthy claws. They were hunched over as they walked. I finally saw them draw their own weapons. A fight was on our hands.

One of the diggers charged at me with a shoddily crafted ax. The Bearer of Magic teleported off of her horse and appeared in front of the grotesque being. In a clean motion, she cleaved the head off of the beast-man with her sword. Woah! I rolled away from a wooden club. The creature swung again. I rolled and rolled, dodging his endless attacks. The creature bent over and unleashed a high-pitched roar. I took the opportunity to throw a knife into his gaping mouth. The digger gagged on the knife. I ran towards it and punched the knife deep into its head. The creature's glowing eyes rolled into the back of its head and it fell over. 

One of the diggers gave a long howl. It was cut short when a lead ball passed through its brain. I saw Vinyl start to reload her musket. I looked around to see Spike and Derpy were crouched behind a boulder and hiding from the battle. The diggers swarmed us. Many of them had plates of carved stone as armor. The creatures only seemed partially sentient, as their tools and weapons were extremely primitive.

The Bearer of Magic was dealing with most of the dog-like men. Her pistols were constantly firing as they floated in the air and reloaded themselves. Twilight dodged the beasts' attacks by teleporting from location to location. She often appeared behind a creature to perform a back stab. The creatures were relentless however, and continued to attack us.

Quick! I sidestepped out of the way from an oncoming attack. The creature in front of me was different from the rest. Its armor was red and its eyes were green. It wielded a large ax. The beast hissed at me and swung again. I expertly disarmed the attacker with my hook. It then swiped at me with its large claws. I stabbed one of its hands with my dagger. It yelped and then pounched on me. The creature pinned my arms to ground. Its long tongue slowly swiped over its frightful jaws. Without thinking, I kicked it in the chest. This made it lift its arm up. I seized the opportunity and stabbed its face with my hidden blade. The creature screamed and fell silent. I pushed its large corpse off me.

"Chiefs Roverss deads!" One screamed.

"Wes losts!"

"Gets aways! Runs fors the hills!"

The remaining creatures scampered off. I still held my dagger up in defense. The Bearer of Magic teleported next to me. She was panting and blood was lightly flowing down here face. I guessed that she did not evade all the attacks. Vinyl walked over to us. Her musket's barrel was smoking from use. Twilight was not looking at any of us, but the dead creature that tried to eat me. She poked its head with her sword.

"Filthy diamond dogs...."

"Wait...Ya know what these things are?" Vinyl asked in a shocked manner.

"Of course. Read a book and it will probably tell you. These things live underground, looking for gems. According to Equestrian Bestiary: Volume II, they were mostly extinguished by General Firefly of Cloudsdale in the First Imperial Era. I guess they have been doing well since."

Vinyl glanced over at me and shrugged. It was clear she did not care for the Bearer's information. I looked back and saw Derpy and Spike emerge from their hiding spot. The little boy did not seem frightened, to my surprise. It must mean that he was getting used to the wild dangers. He inspected the dead diamond dog curiously.

"Why is everything out to kill us?" He said rather emotionlessly.

Twilight chuckled. "If they weren't, we would have boring lives."

"The sun is down and we have only a few minutes of light left." The Bearer stated. "We shall have to spend the night in this ridge."

There was a collective moan from out group. We mounted our horses again and departed from the dig site. In the corner of my eye, I saw Vinyl picking up some gems and storing them in her pouch.





We set up camp at a large tree in the middle of the ridge. Derpy started the fire with her "survival pack" that she carries in her leather traveling pack. The ridge had plenty of trees in it, so fuel for the fire was not an issue. Our small tents circled the campfire. There was not much talk among us. Vinyl was whistling while adjusting her hidden blade. Twilight was reading a book aloud to Spike, who listened intently. Derpy was laid back on her sleeping mat, gazing at the night sky. There were many stars out to accompany the bright moon. I sat back on a rock and wrote the words that you have just read. 

Canterlot is so close, yet so far. I cannot imagine what welcome I shall receive upon returning to the South Den. Will I get a new device from Lyra? Will the chef give me a special meal? Probably not. My mind has just remembered who is currently in charge of the South Den. I hope Rarity left it just the way it was. If there was something I did not miss from Canterlot, it would be that pompous Bearer. It looks like my time for writing is over. Twilight is going to have the first watch tonight. I better put away my quill and get some rest. We are still not halfway to the capital.

Adieu and goodnight.



~

	
	
> Bearer Chapter: Loyalty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Bearer Chapter: Loyalty


4th Imperial Era

Manehatten, Equestrian Empire

The scene constructed itself. The blue hexagons and triangles formed the large city of Manehatten. Short and tall square buildings rose out of the ground. The Grand Statue of Celestia formed out of air in the Manehatten Bay. Folks walking here and there popped out of nothing. A short Assassin in cyan robes appeared on a rooftop. Rain started to fall on her. She did not seem too excited about her current condition.

The rain pelted the ancient gloomy city. There was no wind, nor lightning. The rain seemed peaceful. Too peaceful for the Bearer of Loyalty. The Bearer paced back and forth on a high flat rooftop. Loyalty's wrath pumped through her veins. She needed this. She wanted this. Her cyan robes kept most of the rain off of her. Her colorful sashes held many small weapons ranging from knives to smoke bombs. She grunted in impatience. Why wouldn't that Templar leave the building? Did he know she was there? She playfully extended her hidden blade and brought it back. She repeated this for some time. Her leather boots left the ground as she hopped in place. This messed up her rainbow colored hair; however, she did not care about that. She looked out into the bay. The Ragnarok, her ship, was anchored a few hundred meters off the coast. Her crew was waiting for her return. She sighed and rested her hands on the pommels of her twin swords on her back. The pommels were comfortable. They seemed to sooth the Bearer with their touch. However, the Bearer was still in a sour mood.

"This sucks." The Bearer said to herself.

"Does it? Loyalty is patient. Wait. Your prey shall be here soon."

"I know, I know. It's just not fun sitting out in the rain. And I bet the crew is getting annoyed."

"A little rain should not put out their fire."

The Bearer rolled her eyes. She looked back down at the street. The tight alleys and roads were mostly empty. The common folk never risked getting their hair or clothes wet. "Whimps..." Suddenly a sound reached the Bearer's ears. It did not come from where she had hoped, but instead to the north. It sounded like yelling. "I likey."

The Bearer sprinted toward the sound. Despite her size, the Assassin flew across the buildings. Hopping from roof to roof and running over the many ropes that connected the Manehatten rooftops. The sounds were becoming louder. She could distinguish several voices among the grunts and yells. It seemed like a fight. The Bearer loved fights.

She slid down a slanted roof and landed firmly on the cobblestone street. The conflict was extremely close. She peeked around a corner to see a group of Royal Guards pummeling a girl. The Bearer spat in disgust and cleared her throat.

"Hey, bullies! Look over here!" She waved. The Guards stopped punching and stared at her. "Nothing to fear random citizen in distress! Your friendly Rainbow Dash has come to save you!"

"Is that.....The Spectrum guys?" A Guard asked in a worried tone.

"I think it is mate."

"I thought she would be taller..."

Rainbow Dash's confident pose faltered at this. Her eye started to twitch. Short? Did they just call me short? They'll pay. Empire or not, they'll pay. She drew her swords, which glowed a faint orange.

"Rainbow....Is this necessary?"

"OF COURSE IT IS!" She yelled.

The Guards and the girl looked around to see what she was yelling at. They were unsuccessful and returned their gaze at the Bearer. Rainbow Dash was shaking in anger.

"I'm not short!"

One of the Guards raised a brow. "Really? I think this girl here is tal-"

The Guard was cut off as his head was cut cleanly off by the Bearer. The others dropped their weapons and ran away due to the show of immense speed they had just witnessed. Rainbow's blades were now glowing red. Steam from the rain droplets gently floated above the hot blades. The Guard's headless corpse was still standing. The Bearer gently pushed the body and it tumbled to the ground. The girl sat on her haunches and stared at the Bearer in fright.

"Oh, don't look at me like that! I saved your live. Be grateful." The Bearer told the girl.

The girl didn't speak. She simply blew her light purple and pink hair out of her eyes.

"Did I save a mute?" Rainbow said harshly.

"Cool it Rainbow!"

"Oh really? Of all the people to tell me to cool down it's you!" The Bearer screamed at her swords.

The girl piped up with a Manehatten accent. "Are....are you insane?"

"Yup....grateful." The Bearer responded sarcastically. "Why were the Guards beatin' you?"

The girl showed the Bearer some pieces of bread. "I stole it. I stole it from the nobles." 

"That's it? I should've cut them all up for that!"

"huh, maybe."

"What's your name girl?"

"Babs Seed....It's Babs Seed."

"Well, Babs Seed, I am Rainbow Dash, Bearer of Loyalty, and Captain of the Ragnarok."

"What?"

"You must have a reason to hate Empire and their goons. Would you like to join my crew and be an Assassin?" Rainbow Dash asked. Her spill was well rehearsed.

"You sound like a cheap merchant..."

Babs Seed stared at the Bearer with a perplexed look. Some woman just saved my life and now wants me to join some pirate crusade? What in Celestia's reign...

"No." The thief answered.

Rainbow jumped back. "What? I just saved your life, brat! What's wrong with you?"

The thief shrugged.

"I guess she has no Loyalty."

"I guess not." Rainbow said to no one.

The Bearer turned around and stomped off. Suddenly she stopped in her tracks. She then faced Babs Seed again.

"I know. I'll show you something so awesome, you jus' can't NOT join the Brotherhood after watching it."

The thief grinned mockingly. "Show me, chump!"





The Bearer of Loyalty stood on the same roof as before with Babs Seed. The thief had her arms crossed and looked skeptical. Rainbow Dash beamed with enthusiasm. 

"In any minute, a Templar scumbag is gonna come through those doors. When he does, you'll see something twenty times cooler than anything you've seen in your life."

"You said that about ten minutes ago. And I think the Guards were right. I am taller than you." Babs replied.

The Bearer snarled at her. Her hand reached for the pommel of her sword, but she was forced to stop.

"Be careful Rainbow..."

"Just shut up!" Rainbow yelled to the air.

"Who in the Sun's name are you talking to?" The thief asked in utter confusion.

"You shut up also!" The Bearer pointed a stern finger at the girl.

"Alright.....So defensive."

"Haha! Here the Templar comes! Get low." The Bearer became prone and watched the streets below.

"Him? That's the guy I stole from. He sent the Guards on me." Babs hissed.

Down below the two was a Templar officer minding his own business. The officer was well dressed and did not seem to mind the rain harming his garments. He walked with a golden cane and wore a Templar ring on his right ring finger. The man was not fat like most Manehatten nobles, but was fit and young. He was young enough that one could tell he was either born with wealth or used illegal methods to obtain it.

The Bearer leaped off the roof and landed firmly on the street in front of the officer. The Templar instantly noticed her and froze in fear. The Bearer giggled.

"Well, go get a head start." She casually told the Templar.

The Templar turned and ran. He dropped his cane and his large coat. His legs carried him far down the tight street. Rainbow looked up at Babs.

"Now, this is the awesome part. I'm gonna kill this guy in ten seconds flat. You can count it yourself. Begin......NOW!"

"One...." The Bearer then sprinted down the street. Leaving Babs to follow her. Rainbow's speed allowed her to gain on the Templar in almost an instant. She climbed onto the roofs and continued her pursuit up there. Hopping from roof to roof. Swinging on signs and somersaulting over pipes. The people below her screamed as they saw a blurry spectrum sweep over their town. 

The Bearer tiptoed over a thin wire. She hopped onto a window and jumped backwards to the other side of the street. The Templar officer ran with all his might, but the Bearer seemed to be behind him at every moment. Rainbow continued to run along the rooftops, dodging rooftop furniture and thieves who rested on the flats of Manehatten.

"Two....Three..." Rainbow Dash darted above the streets. Her heart pumped wildly with the excitement. She dodged a chimney and rolled over a railing. She leaped and grabbed onto a board suspended by a crane. With little effort, she swung herself onto another roof. The Templar was still in sight. She was doing well.

"Four.....Five...." The Bearer reached and drew her blades out. The swords glowed with heat. Loyalty needed to be shown. Justice shall reach those who deserve it. The Fires were aglow. A trail of steam followed her as the rain was vaporized upon touching the blades. "Get him."

The prey glowed yellow. His every footstep left an impression on the street. The common folk faded into a dark blue aura that surrounded the Bearer. Bright red Guards and soldiers could be seen in the crowd. The Bearer saw these men and made a note to avoid them. "Nothing slows me down."

The Templar quickly changed directions and headed down an alley. Rainbow Dash was on the wrong side of the street. After a quick curse she leaped onto the other side and then jumped down onto the street. Some bystanders gasped and moved out of her way.

The Bearer sprinted on the cobblestone. She shoved common folk out of her way and charged toward the officer. "Six.....Seven...." The blades became hotter. They smelled Templar blood. I'm ready. Rainbow jumped over and fountain and slid under a large table being carried by two men. The Assassin soon recovered and carried on at top speed. Her eyes searched the surrounding area for any good routes. She found a pile of crates on the side of a building.

"Eight...." She once again took to the roofs. "Jump that! Over that! Quick!" The Bearer swiftly threw herself along the sides of the square buildings. The Bearer continued by jumping horizontally along the walls. It was not an easy feat, but it was nothing more than practice to Rainbow.

"Nine....." The Templar ran into a woman and fell over. Rainbow saw her opportunity and leaped onto the streets. She charged at the Templar. The officer pulled out his rapier and prepared to fight. "Ten!" Without hesitation, Rainbow Dash gutted the officer with both of her swords. "Toasty." The smell of burnt flesh emitted from the officer. He gasped for air and smoothly slid off the blades. The swords cooled down and she sheathed them. Her work was done.

Rainbow stood over the dead officer. The common folk screamed and ran away for their lives. Babs Seed finally reached the Assassin and gaped in awe.

"You...you really...."

"Yup. I did."

"We did."

"I'll accept that offer." The thief said quickly.

Rainbow smiled. "I knew you would, Sister. Just one thing, how's your sea legs?" 
> Chapter 18: Shadows
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 18: Shadows


By Octavia Melody


I stood upright and stared at the fire. It was my turn to watch. I did not know what time it was. I looked to the sky to see the brilliant stars and moon. I tried to remember when the last time I admired the constellations. The little bright dots in the sky that formed the Draconequus, or the Pegasus, or even the Three Sirens. If there was no snoring from Vinyl or Derpy, I would have described this moment as peaceful. I rested in this state for some time, until I heard the sound of hooves.

I looked at our horses. They were fast asleep next to a large tree. The sound persisted, so I knew it wasn't one of our steeds. I started to glance in random directions. The geography of the ridge echoed the sounds. I drew my dagger. It was not more diamond dogs. They certainly wouldn't ride horses. The sounds steadily approached. Then it stopped abruptly.

I stared off into the darkness. The noise of someone dismounting was heard. I took a defensive position and addressed the shadows.

"Who's there? Show yourself!"

"Calm down. We mean no harm, m'lady." A voice uttered.

The voice was close enough that I could tell what direction it came from. My head turned and I saw black figure at the edge of the fire's light. The figure was tall and lean. From the light I could tell that he was hooded. He had a long thin blade on his hip and several small devices tied around his waist. He slowly walked forward. Two others appeared behind him.

"Your fire attracted us miss. We have been traveling all night and are in desperate need of rest. It is alright if we stay for a bit?" He asked in a smooth but polite voice.

"That depends on who you are." I answered.

"Fine." He removed his black hood to show a handsome young face. He had dark blue hair and grey eyes. He smiled before he bowed. "I am Descent of the Shadowbolt operatives. We work for Empress Luna. This is my comrade Nightingale and this is Haze." He pointed to a lean woman and a burly man.

"What are Imperial agents doing in the Rock Ridge?" I questioned as I returned my dagger to its sash.

"Well, citizen, we cannot answer that. It's secret." Descent responded. "Now, can we rest here or not?"

"Yes, you may."

"Thank you m'lady."

The Shadowbolts tied their horses to a nearby tree and sat by the fire. The others had already awakened from the conversation. Though Spike still slept soundly. Twilight rubbed her eyes and looked over at me. The only response I gave her was a shrug. I looked back at the agents to see them praying. I could not hear what they saying, but the prayer did not last long and their leader addressed us.

"It is kind of you to let us stay." Descent said in his polite voice.

"You guys seem pretty armed for travelers." Nightingale observed. He eyes were focused on Twilight's pistols.

"Pays to be prepared." Vinyl said hastily. I saw that she was sitting on her musket in a attempt to hide it.

"Nightingale is right, you seem more armed than a Zebran bandit." Descent remarked.

"Well, in the Equestrian wilds, one may never know what they could run into." Twilight told the Shadowbolt in an innocent tone. A tone I had never heard from the Bearer before.

"This is true." Descent nodded in agreement. "However, the type of weaponry you use is quite rare and new."

"Uhh....We.....got them in a bet." Vinyl stammered.

All three of the Shadowbolts raised their brows in unison.

"There have been unsavory rebels in the south..." Descent started.

"Yes, Descent, they been attacking Appleloosa." Nightingale stroked her chin.

"Probably lost against the General and ran off." Haze finished in a deep and gruff voice.

"How dare you accuse us of being rebels." I yelled.

Descent smiled. "We never did."

I instantly realized my mistake. The Shadowbolts did not move in any way. They simply sat there and inspected us with sly smiles. After this silent standoff, Descent reached and pulled out a pistol. The pistol was not like ours, but was comprised of four barrels that seemed to be able to rotate. He pointed the firearm at me and chuckled.

"You've never seen one of these have you? Empress Luna has an amazing mind. She can take anything and vastly improve it. Don't know why you rebels despise our lady when she can innovate like this."

The other Shadowbolts drew their own pistols. They soon stood up and aimed their firearms threateningly at us. We could do nothing but show them our hands.

"The current mission be damned." Nightingale began. "We have some rebels that need Luna's Justice."

"We can't haul them back to Canterlot, Nightingale." Descent said. "We have to make it to Baltimare and...."

"Shush!" Nightingale hissed at her comrade.

"Then I guess we shoot them." Haze lazily suggested.

Descent shook his hand. "No Haze! Our lady would not like that. Justice can only be served through her. We cannot take that power into our own hands."

"We can say they attacked first." Nightingale said casually.

"Ha, do you think that will get by our lady?" Descent asked in an annoyed tone.

Nightingale growled. "We could try. These rebels can't be allowed to roam. We must show the people that we are still in charge."

"How would killing some innocent travelers accomplish that?" I asked.

"Shut up you!" The Shadowbolts shouted at me in unison.

"We gotta decide quick. I don't like these guys." Haze sluggishly persisted.

The Shadowbolts paused. I could see that they were all in deep thought. Their odd pistols were still aimed at us, but not as tense as before. I looked over at Vinyl and Derpy, who looked rather afraid. I glanced over at Twilight. The Bearer possessed a grumpy and annoyed expression. She did not seem to be scared, but just tired. Suddenly the Shadowbolts' horses began neighing frantically.

We all turned our heads and saw Spike untying all the Shadowbolts' horses and sending them off galloping. Nightingale cursed loudly and pointed her pistol at the boy. Before she could fire, all of the agents' firearms were pulled from their grasp by Twilight's magic and then promptly turned to aim at them. The Shadowbolts were now in a helpless position.

"I hope you didn't intend to harm him." Twilight spoke through gritted teeth.

"How....How is she doing that?" Nightingale questioned.

"Haha, looks who's got the pistols now." Vinyl jeered.

"You'll pay rebels. Each one of you." Descent threatened us.

There was a short pause. Finally Twilight addressed the agents. "What is your mission?"

"We won't tell you that!" Nightingale spat.

"Yes you will. Otherwise you'll die by your own weapons." Twilight told them.

"Kill us if you want. We'll never betray our lady." Descent responded.

Vinyl chuckled. "This mission must be somethin' else if ya willing to die with it."

"Of course it is scum! Our lady only sends us on the most important missions."

Twilight smiled. "Then I guess Empress Luna is going to deeply miss you." 

"Fine. You win." Descent said in a defeated tone. "We are heading to Baltimare to secure the government there. The bloody pirates have taken over the town. Those criminals are trying to set up a "Freedom Town" or something like that. We are going to defend the Empire by killing their insane leader and establishing Governor Mare as the head of Baltimare so that she can let the Sisters rule there again."

Twilight chuckled and looked up. "Oh Rainbow, what have you gotten yourself into? Taking on the Empire like this." She lowered her head and faced the agents. "Thank you very much for this information. However, if I let you proceed, you will try to harm my friend. Let the afterlife be kind to you."

The Shadowbolts panicked. "Wai...."

Bang!

Twilight fired the pistols simultaneously. The agents slumped over and were dead. I saw Derpy wince and Vinyl giggle. Twilight then levitated the Shadowbolt pistols towards us, giving Derpy, me, and herself one of them. The device was surprisingly heavy. Spike ran over with a wide smile on his face. The Bearer of Magic smiled at him.

"Thanks Spike."

"Oh, it was nothing." The boy boasted casually.

"Bearer, what shall we do with the bodies?" I asked as I gestured at the dead agents.

"Check their corpses for any documents. Then chuck them into the woods." Twilight ordered.

I walked over to them. Their shocked expressions were frozen. I slid my hand over their eyes to close them. I reached into the pockets of their black cloaks. I finally found a piece of rolled up parchment in Descent's cloak. I angled myself to receive light from the fire and read the words.

ORDERS

The "Spectrum" of the Ragnarok , Captain Rainbow Dash, has been the head of an uprising in Baltimare. She has turned the town into an independent state from the Empire. This cannot be. Take thy best agents and head over there. Discreetly kill the captain and establish Governor Mare as the head of Baltimare. Do NOT kill anyone else. Do NOT reveal yourselves. If thou are caught by the separatists, die with Our honor.

Nocturna Metu

Empress Luna

The message was simple enough, but the large and elaborate handwriting made it slightly difficult to read. The Bearer of Loyalty was certainly not being subtle if the Empress knew of her doing. Our Bearer a pirate? Staging an uprising? Becoming a separate state? This did seem to be right. The Brotherhood should be seeking the Empire as allies not enemies. As I thought this, I walked over to Twilight and handed her the message.

"Rainbow....Rainbow...." The Bearer slowly repeated.

"Bearer, why is the Bearer of Loyalty doing this?" I asked.

"Oh, Octavia, many reasons. The Bearer of Loyalty is one to have far-fetching ideas. Sometimes even more than me. She has always had the dream of having a place ran completely off of Loyalty. No government, no systems, just Loyalty. I believe that is what she is doing now. Do I approve of her actions? No. However, she is pushing back Templar influence in the east and is defending our waters. I couldn't ask more of her."

I pondered this. "How can something be run off of Loyalty?"

"Well, I asked her that too. She said Loyalty shall be placed in the town or state itself. The folk will try and protect, help, and keep the town based off of their Loyalty to their home. I personally doubt human capabilities in this, but we shall wait and see if her plan is successful."

With this, she retired again. I followed the second half of her orders and removed the bodies. Haze was the hardest to move due to his large size. After I was finished, I took my post as watch again. The stars were still shining bright. I silently wished for dawn.





"C'mon! Get going. Dumb horse...." Vinyl tried to urge her steed forward.

Derpy chuckled. "I don't think he's gonna move Vinyl. That grass is just to good."

Vinyl's horse simply stood there with his head to the ground, eating the sweet grass of Saddle Lane. The afternoon sun shined on us through spotty clouds. The powerful winds kept our hoods off. In every direction was tall green grass. There were no trees or even bushes. Though there were small mountains in the west and to the far north was the base of the Canterlot Mountain. I did not pay much attention to the attractive nature that surrounded us. I was inspecting the pistol I had received the previous night.

The contraption was odd. It had the same functions as a normal pistol, but to reload, one simply grabbed the barrels and rotated them. Each barrel was already primed beforehand. Thus, four shots could be quickly emitted, however, one had to ready each barrel individually to reload. It was an ambush weapon and not meant for long engagements. That is, if you didn't possess magic like the Bearer.

My mind then turned to a different subject. How did the Empire get one of our pistols? Did they loot it off of a dead Assassin? Maybe in the West Den? I did not recall Minuette ever using a firearm. How did the Templar create muskets? Why did everyone seem to know how to make a firearm? I have the inventor right next to me....

"Vinyl, I have a question." I said.

Vinyl lifted her head. "Fire away!"

"Did you really invent the pistol?"

"Yeah..."

"Did you? It seems that every single bloody person on this planet knows how to make one. Inventions like this are not discovered and copied so easily. Especially not in just a few years of existence."

"Well...Ya know....times are changing..." She hesitated.

"Vinyl, I can tell you're lying just by your expression. Why did you credit yourself with its invention?"

"Well....I may have been the first to make one in Equestria...."

"Vinyl!"

"Alright Tavi. I took credit for it cause I wanted to help the Brotherhood...."

"Well, you did. My question is why didn't you tell us who the real inventor was?"

"Cause....It was Shadow King Sombra who invented or at least helped design it."

I was confused. "Sombra, he....that was centuries ago. How is it only appearing now?"

"Back then, they didn't think it was black powder and stuff. They thought it was Sombra's "Shadow Magic." Something like that. So his weapons were lost when he died. I suspect the Templar that followed him made similar weapons and cannons. They just never reached Equestria."

"Then how did you find out how to make one? And how do you know that it was Sombra?"

"Well....Through the Templar. When I was a scout five years ago, I came upon a Templar engineer. The guy was short and ugly. When he saw me, he told me to take his schematics. He was tired of the Templar and wanted out. I took the schematics and he wanted me to kill him. He said that he couldn't go back to the Order now. I told him no. He couldn't take that as an answer and attacked me. He lost the battle. I then went back to the Den. Lyra and I then built a pistol and I took credit for inventing it. I went later to my former master at the forge and asked him about it. He told me the Sombra story. I doubt if it's completely true, but that ol' man had never failed me before...."

"Damn the Sun!" The Bearer yelled. "Do you know what this means? The Templar could be fully armed with pistols and muskets. If they hid firearms for this many years, they could very well possess futuristic weapons. Like self-reloading pistols, silent muskets, multi-barreled cannons, flying machines, armored vehicles, underwater ships, flamethrowers, and Tartarus knows!"

The Bearer's hair began to become wild as she spoke. Strands of hair shot up in random directions. Her pupils shrunk and her face twitched. She began to wring her hands nervously. Vinyl and I were taken aback by the disturbing display of temporal insanity. Spike sighed and slapped the Bearer across the face.

"Keep it together Twi!" He ordered her.

"What?! Oh....Sorry..." The Bearer apologized.

"We were never ahead in technology..." I uttered.

"That's why this is terrible!" Twilight continued. "The only way we can win is if we win the technology race. The Templar are probably only revealing their lowest weapons. When their usual subtle conquering strategies fail, they will resort to invading the Empire by force."

"Then we must hurry to Canterlot." I said. "The others must know of this."

With that, we urged our steeds to gallop across the flat lands. The lands quickly sped past us. There was no time to waste. The Templar have been beating us at our own game of secrecy. The tides of war must change in our favor soon, otherwise the Order will surely overwhelm the entire Empire.





We pushed on. When evening struck, we were in sight of Canterlot. However, that was not saying much since Canterlot could be seen many miles away. We were still in the green fields. The temperature dropped as we escaped the southern heat. We slowed down as the horses tired from their long trek. Twilight sighed in frustration at this.

"We shall have to spend another night out here. The horses will not have enough strength to scale the mountain right now. We shall make it to the river and call it a night."

In a few hours we arrived at the Canterlot River. It did not seem to have rained in a while, as the waters were low and muddy. The horses did not seem to mind and began to desperately drink up the precious water. We all dismounted and prepared camp. The sun was below the horizon and only the faintly orange sky illuminated the area. Derpy skillfully started a new fire and I went to gather wood for it.

I was at a small patch of woods gathering some small sticks and branches when I heard an odd noise. The noise came from the thick patch. I curiously inspected the woods. The sound emitted again. A childish instinct told me to run back to camp. I quickly dismissed this and gathered more sticks. I turned around and headed back.

Suddenly I was painfully tackled from behind. High-pitched squeaks of victory filled the air. I felt a sharp point on my back. I angrily glanced back to see three small figures staring at me.

"Uh oh. Is this someone we know?" One of them asked.

"Beats me."

"What're you guys doin'? This looks like a Den Master."

The two others gasped. By their voices, I could tell that they were mere children. I grabbed the spear they pointed at me and threw it away. They then stared at me with wide eyes. I recognized one of them as the girl who served Applejack at the Ponyville Summer Sun Celebration. I had never seen the other two.

"What are you doing?" I asked them in an aggravated tone.

"Uh....We are.....We were...." The red haired one stammered.

"It's Pinkie's fault!" The purple haired one croaked.

I blinked at them. "What? Pinkie? What is the Bea-"

I was cut off as I was tackled again. This time the force of the tackle threw me through the air and slammed me into the ground. The attacker pinned me to the ground. I then stared into the eyes of an angry Pinkie Pie, who was breathing hard.

"I told you Octy! I told you not to call me Bearer!" She screamed at me.

"I'm.....I'm sorry!" I panicked.

Her dark expression instantly changed to a friendly one. "Okay." She then lifted herself off of me.

I sat on the ground for some time before speaking again. "Why are you so far from Ponyville?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Pinkie giggled. "Well, in truth, I'm teaching these Disciples how to survive in the wild." She gestured to the three girls. "I thought I would take them in the Everfree, but then I did not. That place gives you the creeps. Well, I'm sure you know that. Buuuuut, these three needed to be taught, so I thought out here by the river would be great." 

The three Disciples hesitantly waved at me. My eyes darted between Pinkie and the girls. My mind was trying to fully process the situation. I realized that Pinkie was not wearing her usual teacher robes, but a thick leather wandering jacket and trousers. These were covered in dirt and leaves in an attempt at camouflage. Then, I felt an aching pain in my back.

"Why did they attack me?" I asked Pinkie.

She laughed. "I told them too silly!"

"Why?"

"Needed practice. Can't have a better shot at a Den Master ever again." She said matter-of-fact way.

"They tackled me!" I complained loudly.

"No, no, no Octy, I tackled you. They threw a rock at you." She beamed.

My cheeks flared and I stared at the Disciples. "By the Sun, I'll have your hides!"

The three girls yelped in fear and ran off towards the camp.

"Aw...Don't be so down Octy. They were just having fun. Something you need to try some time." 

I only grumbled in response. Pinkie grabbed my arm and lifted me off the ground. She then proceeded to skip towards the camp we made. I gathered the sticks I had dropped. As I picked them up, I saw a large rock by the pile, this was obviously the Disciples' weapon. I cursed to myself and headed toward the camp.






"So......Since you are here in the valley, that means you either whooped Silverstar's butt or he whooped yours."

"Pinkie, it's the latter."

"Of course it is Twi. Never doubted you. How did it go?"

"Heh, worse than you can imagine."

"Try me."

"Maybe later. By the way, Why do you have the Disciples out here? Isn't that Cheerilee's job.

"Yeah! Buuuut.....She can't do everything. So I chip in every here and then."

"I guess that's reasonable..."

The Bearer and Pinkie's talk continued in the background. The stars were out again. My attention shifted from the two Bearers to the Disciples and Vinyl. The little girls, who introduced themselves as Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo, were enthusiastic and talkative. Vinyl awed them with her tales of adventure and glory. I was not surprised that the children took great interest in the stories of their elders slaughtering valiant soldiers and haughty nobles. Vinyl then told them about last night and the Shadowbolts.

"Bearer Rainbow Dash is a pirate? Wow! I want to be just like her!" Scootaloo said.

"All the way in Blatimare eh?" Apple Bloom pondered. "Ya know, my big brother Big Mac went over there two years ago. Never came back."

"I'm sure he's fine." Vinyl told the Disciple.

"Yeah, he is. Nothing can knock down that giant." Apple Bloom said proudly.

"Hey, well my sister is doing great in Canterlot." Sweetie Belle beamed.

Vinyl lifted a brow. "Canterlot? Well, I may know her. What's her name?"

"She's Rarity, the Bearer of Generosity."

"Well, that's fantastic." I said sarcastically. 

Sweetie Belle was oblivious to my meaning. "Yeah I know! She sent me a letter the other day that she is making new friends in high places over there. It's great!"

"What friends?" My sour mood lifted slightly as the news intrigued me.

"She says nobles and stuff. Don't really know who, but it must be stupendous if she writes about it."

My mind trailed off at this. Rarity making allies with nobles? The Bearer of Kindness was missing, the West Den was in ruins, Minuette was swinging at the gallows, and she was attending parties. I sighed and covered my face. I hoped that Twilight would speak with her upon our arrival at the capital. These depressing thoughts made me seek refuge in my small tent. 

The sounds of chatter continued as I sat in the darkness of my tent. My mind focused on Canterlot. My home was just a half-day trip up the mountain. I could not imagine how the city was in this time. The entire Empire seemed at complete war with itself. Baltimare was an independent state. Pirates were controlling the waters. Appleloosa had been conquered by the Brotherhood. Cloudsdale was controlling itself. New weapons were being imported and constructed in mass quantities. The stress of the Sisters must be at an all-time high. And the odd thing is, the Brotherhood, the protectors of the Empire, had caused most of it.


~

	
	
> Chapter 19: Back Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 19: Back Again


By Octavia Melody


The sun desperately tried to penetrate the sheets of my tent. I lazily rubbed my eyes as I laid inside. The morning, like most of the night, was extremely humid. This uncomfortable weather made me strip down to my under garments. Even then, I sweated from the heat. Mutterings could be heard from the outside. I recognized Pinkie's gibberish. It was apparent that our new guests did not leave last night. I only knew this now because I had not taken a night shift. That was pleasant gift from the others.

I was still only half-awake though. My mind could not focus on any given topic for more than a few seconds. I slid a hand through my black hair. I sighed as I realized that it was greasy and very unkempt. I would not enjoy entering my home in such a state. I was starting to think like Rarity. My eyes started to falter as I fell back asleep. However, this was abruptly stopped when my tent started to shake.

"Rise and shine, Tavi! Usually I'm the late bloomer." Vinyl said through the sheets.

"I require five more minutes Vinyl..." I moaned.

"Tavi. The sun's up already. Ya gotta get up."

"I told you. Five more minutes before I am rested enough."

"No ya don't."

The flaps of the tent flew open. The inventor reached for my legs and pulled me out of the tent. This action made me wide awake. I cursed at Vinyl as she dragged me onto the dirt of our camp. When she had pulled me far enough, she let go of me legs. I quickly looked around the camp. Twilight stared at me with a disapproving look. Pinkie cheerfully waved at me. Spike glanced at me, but soon averted his eyes. Vinyl giggled at all of this.

"Tavi, ya need to put some robes on." 

"Vinyl, that was rude of you to drag me out here."

"Alright, Den Master." She gave me a mocking smile.

"That's it!"

I stood up and forcefully kicked her in the side. I then proceeded to grab her shoulders and throw her into the ground. I heard a loud gasp from Pinkie. I soon regretted my retaliation as I saw my friend hold her sides in pain.

"I get it...Ya have no humor." She mumbled.

"What humor is there in dragging someone from their bad?" I lifted a brow.

"Heh, you used to laugh at that kinda stuff."

"Maybe, but that was then when I was naive and uncivil."

Her only response was shaking her head.

"Sorry Vinyl..." I reached my hand out to her.

"Nah....I'm good."

She then lifted herself off the dirt. Once she got on her feet, she brushed the dust off of her white robes. I then realized that I was a still in my under garments. I quickly returned to my tent and dressed.







"Well, it was kind of you to have traveled with us." The Bearer of Magic told Pinkie.

Pinkie shook her head. "It wasn't Kind of me Twi. Just nice."

"Oh right. Well thanks anyway."

With that, Pinkie and her Disciples turned and left our group. We were about a quarter of the way up the massive mountain. Since it was only about mid-morning, we had been making great time. The horses were refreshed from their rest and easily climbed the steep rock. 

As we headed up the mountain, merchants, travelers, and Royal Guards became more frequent. The Guard patrols were mainly groups of three, armed with halberds or any standard weapons. This made me slightly uneasy, as I did not remember this many outside the capital walls before. The merchants mainly sold produce or clothes. I guessed that they could not access the city for one reason or another. We bought some apples from a farmer with the few bitpieces we had left. This small meal strengthened us to finish our long journey.

By early afternoon, we had made it to Canterlot. The grand entrance was filled with merchant stalls and wagons. We had not entered the walls and already the place was bustling. We slowly passed the shouts of silk and paintings, all wanting to be bought at a certain price. A herald shouted out news. Our group stopped to listen, but all of his news was on trivial matters that we did not concern. We passed the long bridge and were about to enter the walls when a two Royal Guards halted us.

"Halt! By order of the Empire, we must search your possessions before you can enter."

"That rule is new." I said. "Why has it been implemented?"

"Well m'lady, due to the recent terrorist activities, we cannot risk letting more of them through these gates."

The two Guards approached our horses. They seemed to have been doing this all day as they lazily started to search our gear. Suddenly, an indignant grunt emitted from the entrance that made them turn around. I looked up to see a white dressed woman in the gateway.

"And what exactly are you boys doing?" I recognized the voice instantly.

The Guards gulped. "Lady Rarity! Uh.....We were simply.....Making sure they were not enemies of the Empire."

"That is highly unlikely boys. I know these darlings. You can permit them through."

"Yes Lady Rarity." The Guards bowed at us and stepped aside.

I looked intently at the Bearer of Generosity. She returned my stare with a confident grin.






The South Canterlot Den's lounge was crowded, but mostly quiet. Upon our arrival, we were greeted with a shout of joy. However, this was short lived as the Assassins quickly went back to their work. I noticed that there were far more Brothers here than usual. I assumed that they were remnants from the West Den. I observed the lounge closely. Vinyl was talking to Lyra in a corner, by some burning incense. Derpy went off to find the physician. I sat with the two Bearers as they recounted their respective stories.

"Noteworthy and Amethyst Star?" Rarity pondered. "I have actually heard those names before. I believe it was two days ago. They met me at the gate and asked if they could stay in the East Den. They were suspicious, yes, but I could not simply reject them. I told them they could stay at that Den and they left. Never heard of them since."

Twilight frowned. "Well, there's another issue on our hands. I told them to stay out of the war. Doesn't seem that they listened."

"Oh, don't be so austere my dear. They had traveled far. Maybe they simply needed rest."

"Hmph. That reminds me, why did the guards obey you at the gate?" The Bearer of Magic asked.

"Oh, those boys? I had a little chat with them about a week ago. They are actually very kind men. Let's just say they know when to obey the one with the knife."

"Ha, and you call me austere."

I piped in the conversation. "Last night I met your younger sister. She said you were making friends with nobles. For what purpose may I ask?

"Sweetie Belle? How is that sweetheart doing?"

"She's doing fine, Bearer. What about the nobles?" I persisted.

"Hmph! Always so snappy. The nobles are going to be our eyes in political affairs. I was thinking we had simply too much in the underworld and not enough in the nobility. I have already made acquaintances with Sir Fancy Pants and his wife. Talking about him, he is hosting a banquet tomorrow evening. He even invited Prince Blueblood. I am also attending; I however, need another woman to aid me in this."

"I would love to, Rarity." Twilight beamed.

"I am deeply sorry Twilight, but I was not referring to you. I was meaning for it to be Octavia."

My eyes widened. "What?"

"You should be glad Den Master. This is an honor..."

"To party with nobles while the Bearer of Kindness is missing and the West Den destroyed?" I shouted.

"My word! No, this is for Fluttershy. There is no trace of that poor girl, but Twilight and I know she is not dead. We believe she is in the Old Dungeon, which means she is under Imperial custody. The nobles can bend the rules. If we appeal to them, they could free Fluttershy with only their words and money. But first, we have to make them our friends." The Bearer of Generosity stared at me with her deep blue eyes.

I leaned in the back of my chair. "Fine, but I still do not see why I must be involved in your scheme."

"Neither do I." Twilight said.

"Darling, it is that I do not believe you have the grace or finesse to pass as a noblewoman. You are well-read, but other than that you are nothing more than a scholar. Octavia, on the other hand, has been to many noble banquets before."

"Only as a bloody musician..." I grumbled.

Rarity turned to me. "Yes, and that allowed you to learn how to be a lady. You do not realize it, but you have the best etiquette of anyone in this Den besides me." She then faced Twilight again. "I do not want to risk the nobles despising us by our behavior. But the main reason is that looks are far better than words. Octavia is one of the most beautiful girls in Canterlot."

I heard inaudible sounds emitting from the Bearer of Magic. I could tell that she was slightly upset at this. I myself felt a blush reaching my cheeks. Rarity glanced at me with a sincere smile. I tried to say something, but instead, I stood up and started to head upstairs.

"I....I am going for a walk." I told the Bearers.

"I would highly advise against it, darling."

I turned around. "Why not?"

"Your face is still plastered over Canterlot. It's been a few weeks since you killed Sir Rich, but the Guards still search for you. Some of them are now considering that you are phantom that will never return. However, many of your wanted posters have been covered up by ones for petty criminals."

I chuckled. "I'm not a petty criminal."

Rarity slowly nodded her head. "No you're not. Darling, you are far worse to the Empire."

My smile disappeared at this. I stood there blinking. I then walked up the stairs and towards my quarters. The door to my quarters was closed and a bit dusty. It was apparent that no one had opened the door since I left for Appleloosa. This pleased me. I opened the door and entered my room.

The evening sun shone through the red stained glass window. My bed was in disarray, as was the rest of the room. I sat down at my desk. The wood had a fine layer of dust over it. Some quills were pushed aside to the ends of the desk. This was my kingdom. A place where knowledge flowed and violence was non-existent. A place that I had neglected over the past weeks, yet it waited patiently for my return. The kingdom's scribes, the quills, silently cheered as I ran my hand over them. My top import, the ink, waited to be used. My personal adviser, the cello, beckoned me to come over. I walked over and grabbed the instrument that used to define me. I placed the herald, the bow, over the strings. I slid the bow back and forth. The sounds that emitted were surprisingly in tune. My left hand pressed the strings while my right guided the bow. A lovely melody rang through the South Den halls. This went far into the night. My kingdom shouted good news to the surrounding nations. If only their news was true.

Adieu and goodnight



~

	
	
> Chapter 20: Canterlotian Etiquette
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 20: Canterlotian Etiquette


By Octavia Melody


"I do not see why we must start so early."

"Well, Octavia, this takes time. I cannot risk letting you not looking your absolute best."

The Bearer of Generosity continued to measure out my limbs. I sighed as I could not enjoy the magnificent Canterlot air as I was trapped in the Bearer's quarters. The morning was barely on its way, but we were already making preparations for Fancy Pants' banquet. The Bearer lifted my left arm and counted the length of it from my shoulder.

"I do not see why my normal robes are not suited for this." I muttered.

The Bearer was shocked. "How can you even suggest such a thing! Your robes are battle-torn and filthy. I won't even mention about how suspicious they look."

"I guess you're right..."

"I AM right darling. The dress I am making for you needs to exceed Fancy Pants' expectations. We must impress him. Something that Assassin robes will not do. Besides, if you don't want to be arrested, you should not wear the clothes you committed the crime in."

"For I'm a mass murderer aren't I?" I said rather harshly.

She paused and looked at me. "Was this from what I said last night? I did not mean it in that way, dear. We are all criminals and thugs to the Empire. For in today's society, doing the right thing is wrong."

"I'm sure the Templar say the same thing."

"No doubt."

I felt like changing the subject. "I have a feeling this man cares more about material than anything."

"Maybe. However, we must pass as noblewomen. The rich wear only the finest clothes. I intend to surpass them."

"Are you treating this as some sort of challenge?" I raised my brow in annoyance.

She tilted my chin with her long hand and inspected my neck. "Why yes. It helps me to work my best."

I was not convinced. "I feel like we are taking this too lightly."

"We are not Octavia. This is a business visit. We are doing this for the Brotherhood. In these dark times, we could use some friends. I need you to not be so gloomy when we are at the party."

"Gloomy? When am I gloomy?"

"More than you know. Just.....Just keep your realist feelings in check. We do not need you to dull the nobles with your depressing views."

"Well then what is the plan, Bearer?"

"I shall inform you later. I have all the measurements I need. I will be back with the cloth and silk to make the dress."

"Are you sure you have enough bitpieces?" I asked her as she headed out.

She turned in the doorway and winked at me. "If I do not, I'll improvise."





Not an hour later and the Bearer returned. I had luckily snuck in a small breakfast and a conversation with Vinyl. She and Lyra had worked throughout the night on their new project. She said it involved a concealable pistol. I was rather interested in this, but my time with her was cut short. Twilight told me to focus on Rarity's plans. So I found myself once again under the custody of the Bearer.

"My dress is going to be pink?" I asked hesitantly.

"Why yes, darling. It will match your eyes. Since you have one of the lighter shades of eyes, I thought I should make them pop out more."

"But I am fond of gray..."

"Such a dull color, Den Master. You should trust me in this, I am the tailor."

"Was a tailor."

"Shouldn't matter."

The Bearer then skillfully sketched the dress's layout. The dress only reached the top of my chest, with two thin shoulder straps and sloping in the back. The sleeves seemed very tight. The long skirt was made up of two parts that were sewn over each other and split in the front, allowing movement. Thankfully, it seemed simple enough, but it was still too elaborate for my taste. 

"How can I fight in that?" I asked.

She blinked at me and then frowned. "Octavia that should be the last aspect to worry about."

"It's a simple question."

She sighed. "Darling, this mission is not....We are not going to engage in combat. We are attending a banquet, not assassinating some poor soul."

"Well, we still could end up in a fight."

"That is highly unlikely. If there is a fight brewing, we shall leave it to the Guards. You know, like normal women."

"We are Assassins...."

"I am fully aware of that Den Master! Just.....Leave it to me."

"Can I not make some modifications..."

"NO!"

I was taken aback from the Bearer's reaction. She glared daggers at me with her sapphire eyes. She held this expression for some time. Soon I became less scared and more impatient. I gestured towards the sketch and she silently went back to work.

"You told me that you were going to explain our plans when you got back." I spoke up after some silence.

"Ah yes. The banquet starts at five O' clock. Since it is in the North District, we shall have to leave quite early to make it. Once there we shall socialize with the nobles. We want to appear as friendly and honest to the people as possible. However, Fancy Pants and his wife are our main objective. We shall explain to him about the Brotherhood and how he can help. We must tell him the truth while also keeping him ignorant. Do not tell him anything about Appleloosa or your adventures. We have to be cautious with him. We dare not offend him. Also, Blueblood will be there. I do not intend to make allies out of him yet, but he does know everything there is about the Empire's royals. We should retrieve information from him."

"What if he refuses?"

"Then we shall help him leak information."

"I thought we were simple noblewomen."

"I did not mean like that. I mean the bottle. One thing a man can't refuse is being intoxicated with two beautiful women by his side."

"Oh..."

"You can go for now Den Master, but do not stray. I shall call you when you are needed again. However, be sure to take a bath."

I was slightly surprised by this. I bowed at the Bearer and headed out of the quarters. I stuck my nose into my robes and sniffed. I was disappointed that I had to agree with the Bearer. I headed straight to the washing room.





"What are you working on Vinyl?" I asked the inventor while I sat at a table in the lounge.

Lyra answered for her. "We.....we're mak-king this!"

The engineer showed me a small rectangular device. It was black, with a short barrel on one end and what appeared to be a wrist strap. I could make out a small strike hammer in the middle of the contrivance. Lyra had a broad smile on her face. Vinyl continued the description of the weapon.

"Lyra and I are about finished with this. It's a pistol, only way smaller. It's supposed to hook onto your hidden blade and hide down there. The barrel even extends out."

"Is it functional?" My voice sounded skeptical.

Vinyl looked up and tapped her chin. "It should be. We haven't tested it yet. Like I said, it's not finished. We want to add that rotation feature that the Shadowbolts had. Only....We could use one of those pistols."

"You can take mine, Vinyl." I suggested.

Lyra beamed. "R-really? That''s ni-nice of you."

"I am not one to use firearms. So I will not miss it."

Vinyl winced. "Uhh...We are making this for you."

"Oh..."

"Oh Octavia!" I heard Rarity sang from upstairs. 

"Tartarus! Well, I must be off again, Vinyl." I apologized.

"Don't worry about it. When you come back, we hope to have completed it."

"Well good luck."

I headed up the stairs and walked into the Bearer's quarters. I saw two dresses laid across the large table. One pink and the other white. Rarity was gathering some objects. I noticed she had two pins clinched between for teeth. She had obviously been working hard the past few hours.

"I am finished with the dresses Octavia, now we must prepare to depart."

The Bearer closed the door. She then began to frantically walk around the room, for some purpose I did not know. She finally halted in front of me and looked at my hair.

"You did take a bath right?" She asked.

"Yes, Bearer."

"Hmmm, your hair reminds me of a crow nest. I should fix this." 

"Excuse me?" I felt offended.

"Shush!" She grabbed a brush and began to tidy up my hair.

"My hair is fine." I said.

"Ha! And I'm a Crystal princess." Was her response.

After a little bit, she sighed and threw the brush away. She then pulled my long hair and placed it in a ponytail. "That will have to do."

I was relieved that she was no longer attacking my black hair. However, it was short lived as clamped onto my shoulders.

"It's time to get dressed, Den Master. We should hurry, the banquet starts in three hours and we have to cross the entire city."

"Alright." I began to undress.

After I had stripped to my under garments, the Bearer placed an odd item that stretched from my waist to my chest on me. I was rather confused by this, but I trusted the Bearer. I felt her tying some strings in the back. I gasped as she fully tightened the tight clothing item.

"Gah, what is this? I can't.....I can't breathe...." I panted.

"It's a corset, Octavia. All of the noblewomen are wearing them these days."

"Is its purpose to suffocate its wearer?"

"Oh stop complaining. It's meant to perfect your form. You'll get used to it. Here, you have to tie mine."

I turned to see that the Bearer had her back to me. She wore a corset as well. I wanted revenge for her placing me in this awful contraption. I grabbed the strings and did as she; only making sure it was extremely tight. My plan was foiled as I realized that it had no effect on her.

"Thank you Octavia. Now, let us finish."

We finished getting dressed. Though it was not as easy to put on the dress as my traditional robes, they were not difficult. The hardest part was placing the leather high heel boots on my feet, as I fell off the table while doing so. The shoes did not imbalance me as much as I feared they would, though I did not feel as free to move. Rarity changed rather fast, though I was not surprised by this. Her dress was also different than mine. Unlike mine, it didn't reveal below the neck. I assumed that this was due to the Element embedded in her chest. That would certainly frighten the nobles away. She covered herself in jewelry and only gave me one necklace. Lastly, she gave me a hand fan that matched my outfit. When we were ready, we walked out of the Den and headed for Fancy Pants' banquet.





The city was certainly not in the state that I had left it. The place was lively as ever in the afternoon sun. Merchants called out for their wares to be bought. Laughing children ran through the streets. Painters set up canvases and began to create their works. Minstrels played their instruments and sang their old songs. A group of boys were having a friendly dance competition. Each boy trying to one up the other. Mercenaries laughed heartily as their comrades told jokes and humorous tales. Acrobats and street performers awed their small crowds. Gentlemen tipped their hats to us. Ladies chatted eagerly, especially when Rarity and I passed them on our horses. I uncomfortably rode my horse side-saddle, as to not rip my dress. My lungs had grown use to the corset and my feet to the boots.

Some Royal Guards tipped their golden helmets at us. I had not been used to this much attention before, as I purposely avoided it. I half-expected a Guard to shout my name and give chase, but none did. I looked up at the grand spires that I had dearly missed. They still stood tall as they reached the sky. I smiled at the familiar architecture. After being in towns like Ponyville and Appleloosa, I had almost forgotten what it felt like to be amazed. I had lived my entire life in the capital and it still impressed me. I had an urge to run free on the rooftops, as I have done many times before. To feel the stone roofs and tip toe over thin lines. I then felt the restraint of the dress again and sighed.

"It does not feel right to be unarmed." I said after a while.

"I am sure, but we still have our best weapons with us: our minds."

"Hmph, I rather depend on my instincts than cleverness."

"Well, you may, but I rather be resourceful."

The Bearer than leaned far out of her saddle and stretched a hand out at a passing man. I saw her quick fingers snatch the man's purse. She then leaned back and tossed it lightly in the air. I saw her grin at her success. I looked back to see the man feeling his waist. He realized what had happened and began to search the area.

"I lost my purse! I've been pick-pocketed!"

Rarity chuckled. "We may need this."

I grunted. "Hmph, that was Generous of you."

"Indeed. Our Generosity does not depend on material, darling. Besides, I doubt he will miss it."

I lifted a brow at her odd word use. I shrugged and assumed she meant the other Bearers.

We entered the center of the city. The large clearing relieved us of the tight streets. The circle was filled with chatting people. Rarity and I noticed that a herald shouted news from up on a tall box. His news seemed to be important as the crowd around him was vast.

"We have news from Appleloosa! The Empire has retaken the town from the rebels! The battle is over! Unfortunately, our beloved General Silverstar died defending our home. Do not mourn! He would not have wanted us to be depressed over his demise!"

The crowd cheered at this. Many folk jumped to joy and others hugged each other. I felt anger building up in me. I wanted to knock over that herald and give the people the truth. I knew it would have been foolish of me to do so. I heard Rarity sigh. We rode on.

After a long and mostly uneventful ride, we finally reached the banquet. The lawn was surrounded by a tall hedge, so I could not see inside. We dismounted our horses. Two boys took the reins and led our steeds to a nearby stable. As we walked to the entrance, A Royal Guard halted us.

"Name." He said stiffly.

"Lady Rarity."

"You?" He asked me in the same tone.

"Lady Octavia."

He looked at a long piece of parchment. "I don't see a 'Lady Octavia' on here."

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Have you heard of money?" 

"Why yes...." The Guard looked confused.

"Then take it." Rarity shoved the stolen purse into the Guard's hands.

"Guess you can enter." He gestured at the entrance.

"Thank you kind sir." Rarity thanked him and we walked into the party.

Even though it was barely after five O' clock, the party was already filled with nobles and servants. Musicians played their soft melodies in the corners, while servants hustled to get food and drinks for the guests. Guests sat at tables, eating roast pork and large salads. I followed Rarity through the crowd. I realized that she was heading toward the host. I started to feel nervous as my mind counted the ways I could ruin the mission. I took a deep a breath as the corset could allow me and relaxed.

"Ah! Good day Lady Rarity, it is pleasant of you to join us. I must say, you look marvelous, dear." A haughty voice addressed the Bearer.

"Sir Fancy Pants, I am glad that I could attend." Rarity responded.

I looked at the man in front of us. He was tall and broad. His physique reminded me of Meadow Song. He possessed light blue eyes that matched his well-combed blue hair. He wore a monocle on his left eye. His blue moustache was not as large as Silverstar's, but it was quite noticeable. His clothes were of a black coat with two long coat-tails in the back. He had a white undershirt with a light purple tie. His tight pants were of a light blue and his feet were covered with long black boots. He was regal to say the least. I saw his gaze focus on me.

"And who is this lovely lady accompanying you?" He asked.

"This is my assistant, Octavia Melody."

"A pleasure." He bowed to me.

Due to my watching of nobles greeting each other in the past, I knew how to return his bow with my own. I had to fight the habit of doing the bow in the Brotherhood integritas fashion. When I lifted my head back up, Sir Fancy Pants was now flanked with an equally tall woman. She had large lavender eyes and long, flowing pink hair. She smiled at Rarity and me.

Fancy Pants gestured at the woman. "Lady Octavia, this is my wife, Fleur."

Fleur simply nodded at me.

"Shall we take a seat? I think we should commence our meeting." Rarity suggested.

"Ah yes. This way please." The noble led us to a large rounded table.

We sat at the table. The table had a white embroidered tablecloth. Rarity and I were on one side while the two nobles sat on the other. A servant came by and poured wine into our glasses. I took a sip. I never had better wine in my life. As the banquet continued around us, we chatted over trivial matters. Fancy Pants seemed to enjoy speaking ill of his fellow nobles. Fleur seemed rather interested with Crystal Republican affairs, as we talked mildly about Prince Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. I was not as invested in all this gossip as Rarity was, so I almost cheered when our host finally conducted our business.

"Ladies, would you tell me about your Brotherhood."

Rarity was quick to respond. "We are the protectors of the Empire. The Brotherhood is made to defend our lands from those who wish to take freedom away. This is also a way we promote peace. If our freedom is lost, so is our peace. We live by a Creed of freewill, for freedom is not limited to government regulations. We also promote the belief of Harmony. For if Harmony was in everyone's heart, then humanity will cease to be savage."

Fancy Pants stroked his chin. "This seems like a grand task. I am puzzled as to why I haven't heard of you before."

I beat Rarity to the answer. "Well, that's simple enough. We are a secret organization. The people may not approve of us, so we keep to the shadows."

"Interesting. Though I do not see the importance of your existence. The Empire has not been threatened for years, well, you rule out the occasional rebellion."

Rarity responded first. "That is another reason that we must be secretive. Our enemy, the Templar, are also just as unknown. Their society is much larger than ours and much older. They conquer lands not by siege weapons, but by infiltrating the government. Once they do, the people become their slaves. We fight to prevent this."

The noble pondered this. He then turned to me. "Does your representative speak the truth?"

I nodded. "Yes Sir Fancy Pants. The Brotherhood does everything they can to defend the Empire from the Templar."

"Very well. Lady Rarity, I would like to speak with you in private for a little bit. Fleur, Lady Octavia, please enjoy yourselves for the time being." He stood up and walked towards his mansion. Rarity got up and followed.

I sat there with Fancy Pants' wife, who did not seem to interested in me. My mind started to wander. My eyes darted from guest to guest. Some of the nobles looked familiar. I had probably attended or crashed their parties before. My eyes then focused on a young man. He had long, greasy blond hair and light blue eyes. I recognized him as Prince Blueblood, the Two Sisters' nephew. I quickly got up and approached him.

He was alone at his table, drinking wine from a lonely glass. I sat next to him at the table. He glanced at me suspiciously. I merely smiled at him. He grunted before speaking.

"Good evening." He said dryly.

My smile disappeared. "Let's get to the point. I am not one that you would like to mess with. I want to know what's been going on in the royals."

He smiled. "I can already tell that we shall get along nicely. A drink?" 

"No thank you. Now, where are your aunts hiding prisoners from the terrorist hideout in the West District?"

"Oh, I am sorry Assassin, I do not know."

"Are you a Templar?"

"No. I am neutral in this underground war. I deal with Templar and Assassins all the time. I care only for my own well-being. If I knew, I would tell you, Lady...."

"Octavia."

"Lady Octavia. I must say, you Assassins know how to recruit the most beautiful women."

"Flattery will not help you. You know of the Templar, are there any you know? Tell me, or I will hurt you."

"Ha, such boldness. From a woman too! Where have you been all my life? I do not concern myself with the Templar, so I do not take time to memorize all the ones I have met. Well, there is this one. She is actually here. Auntie Celestia's student. You can't miss her. Red and yellow hair in curls. That is all that you have heard from me."

"Thank you, Prince Blueblood."

He grinned. "You can thank me after the party, Octavia."

I silently got up and walked through the party. My dress slowed down my progress, but I soon saw the Templar woman. She was tall and thin but also graceful. She wore a bright orange and red gown that matched her curly hair. Her eyes were light green. She wore a Templar cross as a necklace. She sat by a table chatting with other nobles. I approached her and she instantly took notice of me.

"Well, I guess this chat is over. I have to speak with this woman. Would you please give us privacy?" She told the nobles.

The nobles grumbled and walked away. She beckoned me to take a seat. I obliged.

"You do not hide your face very well Assassin. I would have thought a wanted woman would keep away from public eyes." She said in a delicate voice, as if I was a long-time friend.

"Times call for desperate measures. Now I must ask you something." I replied.

"Be my guest..."

"Where are the prisoners from the West Den?"

"Heh. Quick to the point. I must apologize for Justice is not under my jurisdiction. If you wish to know, then ask Empress Luna."

"Well, that was not much help..."

"Oh I'm sure. Must be hard losing a Den right in the capital. But I will admit, I was not thrilled about the report from Appleloosa. Losing a General and a town. We were so close too."

"I guess we are still even."

She leaned back in her chair. "I wouldn't say that. We still have Cloudsdale. You may have lowly Baltimare, but that will only last so long. I hear that your leader there wants to implement anarchy in the town."

"Yes, though we do not all approve."

"I'm sure. Anarchy is Chaos. Chaos is something both of us greatly despise. Humanity infinitely deserves better."

"You speak to me like I am your friend."

"Don't worry, we are enemies. Enemies solely based off of what we call ourselves. Enemies based off of our conflicting ideologies. Templar and Assassin. Nothing different."

The Templar was charismatic. Her smooth demeanor and elegance distracted me from what she was. The thirst for for removing her did not rise up in my heart. She seemed innocent and the hardest foe to beat.

"You are Empress Celestia's student right?" I asked her.

She frowned. "Oh Blueblood. Never did learn to shut his mouth. I guess you offered him prostitution. He always falls for that. But yes, I am Celestia's student. Though I prefer the term 'adviser.' Celestia often needs me to help her."

"How did a Templar get so close to the Empress?"

"It is interesting, isn't it? Well, I have never always been a Templar. I became one through my love for study. Especially history and philosophy. In the Royal Archives, I stumbled upon the "The Gateway" by Shadow King Sombra. His views are flawed but reasonable. The Templar no longer share all of his viewpoints. However, they are a way to achieve peace. I want to bring peace to the Empire, and maybe the world. And this is the way to do it."

"How is slavery peace? Shadow King Sombra fell to his own subjects. Do you think this is what the Empire deserves?"

"Slaves? Ha! The Templar do not want to make slaves. Shadow King Sombra was insane in that category. However, his reasons were far ahead of his time. If people think alike, they will get along. The Templar want everyone to think alike. To have the same mindset. There will be no arguments since there is nothing to disagree upon. Wealth will be spread evenly throughout the commerce. All regulated by the government. The people will never worry again. You must broaden your mind, Assassin. Sapere Aude. You do not have to follow some Creed made by those who simply resist the future."

"People have the right to think for themselves. They have the right to make their own choices. The government should not do everything for them. Your Absolute Order will only work for so long, until the people start to outsmart you. They will rise against their rulers and replace it with freedom or Chaos. Freedom and Harmony is what we Assassins strive for. We know the flaws of your viewpoint and simply want to avoid destruction in the future generations."

The Templar shrugged. "I am willing to admit that I am not sure if my views are 100% correct. We shall see by the time this two century war ends."

"This war does not seem like it will ever end. So much destruction has been wrought upon both of us already. I am not sure if I can take anymore death."

Celestia's student nodded. "There has been much devastation. Though you should know that the Brotherhood caused most of it. For anyone that disagrees with your Creed ends up stabbed by a blade."

"Many die at your hands as well."

"We are not so savage. We at least give them a warning before disposing them. But why should either of us care?  Felix culpa. They perish for the future generations, for the greater good. If they live, then they may ruin our plans for the future. Peace through death."

Our attention turned to a new arrival. The hooded woman stood next to the Templar. Her Assassin robes were blue with a yellow line through the middle. A Templar cross was stitched on the side of her hood. Two cutlasses rested on her hips. She removed her hood to reveal white hair and purple eyes. Her appearance made me almost shatter the glass I was holding. The Wonderbolt cleared her throat before speaking.

"Lady Shimmer, the G. K. R. S. Valkyrie has arrived in Fillydelphia. Captain Gilda is ready to protect the Equestrian coast."

"Thank you Agent Fleetfoot. This is splendid news." Lady Shimmer smiled at the traitor.

Fleetfoot looked at me. "G'd evening, Octavia. Wow, you look lovely tonight." She said cheerfully.

"You look splendid as well." I said through gritted teeth.

"Thank ya! Have a nice night."

With that, the Wonderbolt climbed over the tall hedge and disappeared. Lady Shimmer chuckled at my apparent anger. 

"You shouldn't be so harsh on the Wonderbolts. They have free minds."

"They're bloody traitors."

"Oh, but your Creed is that of freewill. Are you so angry that those three chose their own lives? You Assassins should have them as examples of thinking for oneself"

"No, because they have no Loyalty."

"Those Elements? The Brotherhood is proud of them aren't they? Crystals that can grant their bearers powers and knowledge. Makes me wonder about their true origins."

"I would expect a scholar like you to know they were made by Starswirl the Bearded."

"I don't believe that. How can one man create magic like that? No one else has. Even Shadow King Sombra's magic turned out to be simple tricks and black powder. Something is wrong with our history there. Some devilish aspect is connected to those Elements. I am sure of this."

"The Sisters have magic." I reminded her.

She waved that off. "They fall under the same category."

She sat quietly pondering all of this. I myself was confused by the history. How did Starswirl create the Elements? This was something never asked when studying the Brotherhood's history. It was just fact. My mind started to picture demonic sacrifices and portals to Tartarus. I quickly dismissed these. The Templar and my attention shifted to the woman standing by our table.

"Well there you are Octavia. I've been searching everywhere for you. I had feared that you became bored and scampered off." The Bearer of Generosity told me.

"She has been doing fine. We had a lovely conversation." Lady Shimmer said in her elegant voice.

I saw that Rarity instantly noticed the Templar's necklace. She then eyed me suspiciously. Her silent accusation made me frown.

"It's not like that!" I defended myself.

"I assure you lady, Octavia is speaking the truth." The Templar gestured at me.

"Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?" Rarity asked in less than friendly voice.

"Sunset Shimmer, adviser of Empress Celestia. You?"

"Rarity."

Sunset chuckled. "Simple enough. But don't you two have some poor noble to kill or some herald to intimidate? I never see Assassins enjoying themselves in upper class activities."

"We can be just as refined as the Templar." Rarity told her and then looked at me. "Let us be off, Octavia." 

Sunset lifted a brow. "The banquet is not over yet. You can't walk out now."

Rarity did not respond and walked away. I hesitated before getting up. As I walked away the Templar waved at me.

"May the Father of Understanding guide you." Her friendly voice disgusted me.

I soon caught up with the Bearer. Rarity did not seem to be in the best mood at the moment. Nobles took notice of us as we passed. Some questioned about our identity while others simply admired our attire. When we were about to exit the banquet, the voice of the Prince stopped us.

"Lady Octavia, I thought we had something on for tonight." He sounded sad.

"No we did not. I was here only for business."

"The first real woman I meet rejects me." He said in disbelief.

"Maybe that says something about you." I observed.

"How rude!" The Prince stormed off.

Rarity looked at me with shock. "How....You just rejected the Prince! How could you?"

"Very easily."

"Oh, we may be the next great offenders of the royalty. I hope my head stays attached to my body after all this." She nervously felt her throat.

"I do not see the problem. He only wanted my body."

"Of course he did! But he's the Prince of Equestria! You give him your body. We need to make allies, not enemies."

"He's not nobility."

"No, he's royalty! That's better! We are now known as the ones who rejected him. He will not be happy with us."

"Too bad for him. We were here for Fancy Pants, not a piggish prince."

Rarity covered her face with her hand. She then called the stable-boys who brought our horses over. We then started heading south. The streets were still crowded with people, though the particulars were different. The children and housewives were replaced by gamblers and courtesans. The "undesirables" that wanted to get an early start on the night. Royal Guards still patrolled the cobblestone streets, wielding their halberds and swords in an intimidating fashion. As we rode away from the banquet, Rarity spoke.

"Sir Fancy Pants has accepted our offer. But, he is afraid of retaliation from his enemies if they catch wind of this. He told me that he will only help us if we help him first. His enemies: Lord Toity, Madame Finish, and Lady Shores must be dead my midnight tomorrow."

"Are they Templar?" I asked.

"I asked that too darling, but he said that he did not know. Though, according to him, it is likely. All that we can go on is that they have wronged him and they need to die."

"We cannot simply kill them without a reason." I stated.

"We do have a reason, Octavia. Remember that this is for the Bearer of Kindness. Fancy Pants may be the only way to free her, and we must kill these three in order for him to do so. I say it is necessary."

"We don't even know if she is in the Old Dungeon. She could be anywhere. What if Fancy Pants is a dead end?"

"Then we shall search elsewhere."

I shook my head. I knew I could not convince the Bearer. The strong companionship between the Bearers was making her act this way. I decided to change the subject.

"How is it that Empress Celestia's student is a Templar? It's strange that she slipped under our noses."

"That girl you were talking to? Ah yes, a curious one. It seems that the Empire is made up of Templar these days. With Sunset Shimmer, we do not know how much real authority she possesses. I highly doubt that Empress Celestia is a Templar herself."

"She said something about the Elements. How were they created?"

Her eyes widened. "Well.....That is something you must ask Twilight. I am not one to look into such things."

"You are a Bearer. Surely the Element can tell you."

Her voice became angry and mocking. "Can it? Can a crystal do such a thing? I have no idea, Den Master. Maybe you should bear it sometime."

"I'm sorry Bearer...." I apologized.

"I cannot do that. She'll think ill of Us. You know this." Rarity said quietly, it did not seem directed to me.

"Bearer? Who are you talking to?" I asked worriedly.

She snapped back. "Nothing and no one. Ummm....Let's get to the Den shall we?





After a long and silent ride, we finally arrived at the South Canterlot Den. Upon entering, we heard a commotion coming from the physician's room. Rarity and I followed the noise and saw Vinyl being attended to by the physician. She was laughing and smiling. The grumpy doctor was bandaging up her right wrist. Lyra sat in the corner sighing. The inventor looked at me and chuckled.

"Tavi, I know what you're thinkin' but this is progress."

"What in Tartarus did you do, Vinyl?" I yelled at her.

"Well.....Lyra and I wanted to test the hidden pistol.....And we......went to the back and fired it." She said in nervous cheerfulness.

"Well then, did it fail?"

"Miserably. It put on my wrist and it...." She searched for a word. "Blew up."

"Vinyl! You can't....What if you lost an arm?"

"Well I didn't. We know what went wrong and we'll fix this."

I slapped my forehead. The inventor still chuckled at her failure. Lyra looked at me and shrugged. I did not know what to say. The inventor and the engineer have had injuries before from their projects. The fear of having one of them crippled was often on my mind. I shook my head at their incompetence and walked to my quarters. 

I had grown so accustomed to the corset and boots that I forgot I was wearing them. Upon realizing this, I quickly changed back into my traditional gray silk robes. I kept the dress and placed it in my small closet. I thought that I would keep it in case of disguise, or maybe have it for when my Assassin robes are no longer needed. Either way, I would probably not put it on for some time.





Finally I am finished for the night. Due to all of the annoying screams and shouts outside, I believe there is a drunken brawl happening in front of the Den. Even for a city of this caliber, this is unusual. The nights are usually peaceful save the occasional thief or Assassin. Ha, it is so easy to compare the two. Thieves, cutthroats, Templar, Assassins, all desperately wanting something: gold, glory, peace, Harmony. And all so willing to commit any crime to do so.  It seems that humanity only progresses by those who conquer. Those who implant ideas and views into others. As The Templar said, felix culpa, our actions propel humanity even if they are not proper. This era shall be remembered for the great flux of ideas and morals. Half of me wishes it was not so, the other yearns for more. I shall end my writing here. My hand aches from holding the quill for so long. My mission tomorrow is clear.

Adieu and goodnight.



~

	
	
> Chapter 21: Ungrateful Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 21: Ungrateful Day


By Octavia Melody


I stood nervously outside the Bearer quarters. Due to my restless night, I was wide awake in the early morning hours. I kept mentally rehearsing what I was going to say to the Bearer of Magic. Rarity told me to ask Twilight about the Elements. However, after the Bearer of Generosity's reaction to my asking made me apprehensive about emitting such a question again. My will and curiosity was stronger than my fear, and I knocked on the door.

"You may enter, Den Master." I heard Twilight's voice from inside.

I slowly opened the door. Inside, the Bearer of Magic and Spike were shuffling through many pieces of parchment. I could see the words "Madame Finish" or "Lord Toity" or "Lady Shores." It was apparent that the two were researching the Brotherhood's current contracts. It was also evident that they were not having much success, as the Bearer of Magic's hair was uneven and her eyes lacked rest.

"How did you know it was me?" I asked as I entered.

"Easy. You are the only Assassin in this Den that knocks four times in one quick session. Most knock only two or three times, or knock five times in a session of three and then two."

I blinked at this response. The Bearer's words were too simple for me to comprehend. I had never been one to understand how people could keep track of such minuscule observations. The Bearer was known for her eye for details, so I shrugged this off. As she fumbled with pictures and letters, my question began to rise in my throat.

"Bearer....I have a question."

"Of course." She said in an unusually friendly tone. "I will answer your question."

"How....How were the Elements created?" I asked quickly.

The Bearer stood upright with her back to me. Her head slowly turned to the side, so that she could see me with only her left eye. I could see her mouth part slightly and her eye blinking. She seemed both disturbed and confused by my question.

"Wh..What did you ask?" She stammered.

"How were the Elements created?" I repeated.

She turned around completely. "Such a question." She said absentmindedly.

She stared at me for some time. She had a slight grin in mock laughter. I could tell she was trying to fetch an answer and probably discussing it with another in her mind. I stood there in my still nervous state. Finally the Bearer stroked her chin.

"Why are you asking that?" She sounded suspicious.

"Uhhh.....It's been on my mind lately. Bearer, can I ask you to not avoid my question?" I was unintentionally bold.

"I wouldn't if We knew what to tell you." She said quickly.

"We?"

Her eyes widened. "Uhh...Sorry, I misspoke. I don't know what to tell you, Den Master. You should know that Starswirl the Bearded made them. That is something you are required to acknowledge upon entering the Brotherhood."

"I realize that Bearer, but I am asking how he created them. Not who." I was becoming impatient.

"Den Master, I am working very hard at the moment. I cannot answer your question right now. Maybe you should get some breakfast." She opened the door behind me with her magic.

My eye twitched. "Yes you can, Bearer! You were a scholar! Not only that, you have a bloody shard in your chest that should tell you everything! Answer my question!"

I instantly knew I had gone too far. I saw Spike wince at my words. Twilight stood silent. I had aroused the Bearer's anger. Her frown and magenta eyes penetrated my stout defenses. She lifted a hand. I felt a magical aura surround me. I was then slammed into the wall and held in place by the magic. A force tightened upon my neck. I gagged and tried to breathe. The Bearer slowly approached me.

"You should learn your place, Den Master! After all I've done for you. Training, promotions, protection, saved your life countless times, forgiven your mistakes, and I even took you in off the bloody streets. This....This is how you repay me? With such arrogance. Like an ungrateful child. I am not your mother, Octavia, so I will not forgive all your mistakes. This is one of them. Now, because you so heartily volunteered, you shall deal with our three contracts by yourself! Go and get some food and then be off! And not a word of this leaves these quarters."

She let go of me and walked back to her table. I fell onto the ground. With the magic no longer around my neck, my lungs desperately inhaled the valuable air. Spike looked at me and disappointedly shook his head. I slowly got to my feet. The Bearer did not look back at me. I silently exited the quarters.





I sat eating alone at a table in the Den's lounge. My mind was filled with the memories of just a few moments ago. My head was filled with questions. Why are they so secretive about it? Why don't they tell us? Is it the Element or the Bearer that makes them so tense about it? Was Sunset Shimmer right about them? Are they devilish? Do the Bearers even have minds of their own? I could not keep these questions out of my head. Each one always led to another. I must find out. Who am I truly working for? My mind then realized that there was one Bearer that would tell me. "Pinkie...."

"Hey Tavi! How's ya morning been?" Vinyl asked me as she sat down at my table.

"Oh, hello Vinyl. My morning? Well, it could have gone better."

"What's been troublin' ya?"

"Nothing that you should be concerned about."

"Alright. Well......What's today looking like for you?"

"I have three nobles to kill." I said flatly.

"Three? Well, this may be the time to test that poison Lye made."

"Poison? What kind?"

"Poison joke. Nasty stuff, especially when concentrated. It's cheap too since it's a native plant in Equestria."

"Do you have darts?"

"Not yet. However, this stuff is so good; all's ya need to do is dip your blade in it. Just give the target a poke, and the joke will do the rest. Here, take some" She handed me a small vial.

The vial contained a rich blue liquid. I turned the vial this way and that, testing the thickness of the poison. From all the movement in the vial, I could tell that it was very thin. I then placed the vial into one of my pouches. I returned by attention to Vinyl, who was inspecting her injured hand.

"How is the pistol coming along?" I asked.

"Oh that? Good. Had to dismantle a regular pistol for parts. I hope to test it again by tomorrow."

"It better not blow off your hand."

"Lyra and I have never failed twice."

"Well then I hope you didn't jinx yourself."

"Pfft."

I finished eating. "Vinyl, I hope you complete the pistol soon."

With that, I left the lounge. As I walked up the stairs, the Bearer of Generosity passed me. Her face was solemn and stoic. She did not look at me or even acknowledge my existence. I sighed as I reached the top of the stairs. Was this how the Bearers now perceived me? As some lowly Assassin that should be ignored? I opened the Den's door and headed out into the capital.






I was soon lost in the morning crowd. Jolly folks scampered about the city, performing their everyday chores. The sun filled the grand city with its light. Merchants and customers bartered over valuables. Street doctors were giving aid to the sick and injured. I simply walked with the crowd, not really caring where they would lead me. 

I spotted four Royal Guards asking an old woman some questions. This odd behavior intrigued me. I broke away from the crowd and sat on a bench nearby. A man was already on the bench before me. He eyed me suspiciously and then casually shrugged. I did not pay much attention to him. I sat there listening to the Guards' conversation.

"Was that what you saw m'lady?" A Guard asked. 

"Oh yes, purple robe and hair, darker skin too. Caught her petting my cat last night. When she saw me, she took to roofs and ran off. She seemed like she was flying." The old woman told them.

"Another one of them criminals no doubt. Thank you for telling us, m'lady. Men, be on the lookout. We must give these criminals Empress Luna's Justice." 

The Guard then bowed to the old woman and led his men down the street. I stood up and followed them. The woman's description reminded me of Amethyst. I was swallowed by another crowd. However, I could still see the blue crests of the Guards' helmets. I quickened my step to match the Guards' long strides. I gently pushed slower people out of my way. Some of them grunted at me. 

The Guards halted once more. I walked up towards them. One of them looked back at me. I darted and crouched behind a fruit stand. I eyed the Guard through an opening. I saw him shrug and returned his attention to his comrades. I was about to move on when a gruff voice addressed me.

"Ya gonna buy somethin' or what?" 

I glanced up to see the stand's owner. He was broad and had an uneven beard. His thick eyebrow was raised at me. I stammered before giving a response.

"I....I'll take the apple?" I told him with a sheepish smile.

"That'd be a bitpiece." 

I reached into one of my pouches. "Here."

"Thank ye. Here ya go." He gave me an apple.

I took it and did my best to casually walk away. I was not hungry, so I did not bite into the fruit. I soon remembered why I was hiding. I looked over at the Guards who were chatting with another patrol. I desperately searched for a hiding spot to listen from. My eyes spotted a wagon of hay next to the Guards. Using people and stands to keep out of sight, I walked over to the hay. I checked to see if anyone was watching and then delve into the hay. I could hear the Guards from within the stack.

"How did a gal make it to captain in the Royal Guard?" A Guard asked in disbelief.

"Hard work and charisma and looks. That girl got it all! Damn!" Another said.

"Keep you wishin' Seth. Never gonna get that girl." A Guard chuckled.

"Why are we worryin' bout the captain? Didn't ya here a Gyrphonian warship landed ol' Filly?"

"Yeah, why them Gryphons making land there? Trade goes through Manehatten and Baltimare." A Guard said in a Manehatten accent.

"Baltimare? You live under a rock? The Spectrum got that place." A Guard spat.

The Guards gasped. "The Spectrum? I thought it was some uprisin' not a bloody pirate and her crew."

"She was seen in Manehatten about two weeks ago. She killed some official and then headed south. Who knows what's happenin' down there." A Guard said nervously.

"Glad I'm in Canterlot."

"We all are, buddy." They said grunted in agreement.

The randomness of their chatter left me with questions. They continued chatting, however, I did not heed them. I heard the sound of munching right next to me. I felt hard teeth next to my leg. I removed some hay from my vision to see what was causing it. My face was then met with a horse's muzzle. The equine was eating my hiding spot.

"Go away. Go on." I whispered as I shoved the horse's muzzle with my hand.

The horse took no notice of me and continued to feast on the hay. I shoved the horse again. I could tell it was becoming frustrated as it snorted loudly. I then tried to listen to the Guards again. My focus was broken up again when the horse started feeling around me for more hay.

"Get lost you stupid beast!" I waved my hand in its face.

"What was that?" I heard a Guard say.

Good job, Den Master. Armored footsteps headed towards me. I desperately tried to conceal myself again with the hay. As I shuffled through the hay, the horse neighed loudly. I held my breath and waited. The footsteps stopped next to me. Suddenly I felt a strong grip grab my body and forcefully threw me out of the hay.

"Got ourselves an eavesdropper!" A Guard announced.

I landed hard on the cobblestone and rolled. I stopped myself and got to my feet. The Royal Guards surrounded me with their halberds. I extended out my hook and blade. People crowded around the commotion. 

"Are ya gonna come peacefully? Eh?" A Guard yelled at me.

I stood there silent. I kept up my defensive posture. My eyes darted for a place to run. These men weren't Templar. This wasn't my fight. The Guards started to circle around me, keeping their weapons pointed at me.

"Guess not. More time in the Dungeon then."

Move! I sidestepped past a swing. The Guards were using only the blunt ends of their weapons. They did not intend to kill me. I just needed to avoid capture. Another swing at me. I grabbed his handle and yanked him forward. He stumbled and fell, his bulky armor ringing on the ground. Some women gasped at this. The Guard tried to get back up, but I kicked him back over. With his part of the circle opened, I dashed by the rest of them. 

"Get back here scum!"

I was quickly losing them. Suddenly, a man came out of the crowd and shoved me over. The force knocked me to the ground. I looked to see that the man was a farmer, simply trying to help the authorities catch a criminal. This rubbed me the wrong way.

"I'm not the villain!" I yelled at him.

"That's what they all's say." He responded.

I then realized how idiotic I must have sounded defending myself after shoving a Royal Guard and running away from them. I looked back to the Guards charging at me. I tried to run, but was once again knocked over by the farmer.

"Sir...Let me pass!" I pleaded. 

"Not until you're shackled!"

"Alright!"

I sprung up and grabbed the farmer. Before he could react, I wrapped my right arm around him and placed my hidden blade next to his neck with my left. I then turned towards the Guards and placed the farmer between us. I had a hostage.

"Back off! Back off or I kill him!" I screamed at the Guards.

The Royal Guards halted. They watched me back slowly away with the farmer. They still held their halberds menacingly, but I could tell they took my bluff. One of the Guards spat at me.

"Filthy terrorist! All of ya robed murderers! Why don't ya leave this city alone?"

I continued to back away. "We are not terrorists! We only want to help!"

The Guards followed me. "Yeah, is that so? Then why ya using a hostage to prove ya point?"

"I....It's necessary. I cannot..."

In my distraction of conversing with the Guards, the farmer pulled my arms away and then kicked me in the side. I recovered quickly. The Guards then charged at me with renewed determination. I turned and climbed the nearest building. When I reached the roof, the Guards and people booed and yelled at me from below. Unlike some other Guards I have met, these did not give chase on the rooftop. I was free for the time being. I walked away as rotten fruit and rocks began to hurl at me from the street. 

"Well, my day is going well so far." I muttered sarcastically.





I remained on the rooftops as it seemed the only safe place for me. It was barely late morning, and my body ached from the Bearer of Magic slamming me into the wall, and being thrown into the ground by a Royal Guard. This made me forget about my true purpose of being out in the city. I had three nobles to kill by midnight. I did not know anything about them, or even where they were. I needed information. I needed it now.

I started to jog on the rooftops. The tight stone buildings allowed me to keep jogging without many interruptions. I had to scale the occasional tall building, or cross the street by tiptoeing over a line or by long jumping. As I wandered, my mind was focused on who I could get information from. I thought of nobles or Guards. My mind finally realized the perfect place. The Canterlot Thieves Guild. A place I had rarely visited, but a memorable place to say the least. The thieves always know the dirt on anyone in Canterlot. I was an Assassin, so I was already their ally. I adjusted my course and headed east.

The East District was not like the others. The East district was mainly made up of slums and cheap buildings. This was due to the mountain and the sun. The East District hardly ever received direct sunlight because the mountain blocked it in the morning, and the Canterlot towers blocked it in the evening. All this allowed mold and disease to build up in the District, causing many to abandon it for the far prettier Districts. 

Despite all of this, the place was far better than Appleloosa. The District still shared the Canterlot stone buildings and spires. I crossed a large gap between two buildings and continued to head for the Guild's headquarters. I could tell that I was near, as the sounds of laughter and music rung through the empty streets. I hopped down on the filthy street and walked over to a well-lit building.

"Ha! Let's go another round. I still have bitpieces left." 

"I do too! Let's go!"

I passed two gamblers playing cards. They were clearly drunk as the stench of alcohol surrounded them. A group of thieves sat in a corner in front of their headquarters. I approached them.

"Well, 'nother Assassin. How's the day been m'lady?" A thief asked my through black teeth.

"Less than fantastic. May I please speak with the Guildmaster?"

"Naw, the Guildmaster is outta town right now. Could I do anythin' for ya?" The thief grinned at me.

"I am on a mission. I need information on Lord Toity, Madame Finish, and Lady Shores. Do you know them?"

"Ha, maybe, maybe not. You should know how this works m'lady. No bits, no dirt." The thieves chuckled.

"Fine, how much." I reached into my pouch.

"1500 bits. 500 for each noble." 

"1500! That's insane!"

"Not my problem."

"How will I acquire that many bitpieces?"

"I know. An Assassin came by earlier today. Said he needed money. We told him about an annual brawl tournament in front of "The Magical Unicorn" bar. Winner gets 2000 bits. I think they start at noon, so you still have time to sign up."

I deadpanned at him. "You want me to brawl..."

"Guess I have no dirt to give ya."

"Fine!"

I turned around from the thieves and began to head towards the bar. I heard them laughing behind me. First, I was disciplined by Twilight, then I was chased by Guards, the Guildmaster is out of town, and now I must win a brawl tournament for information on my targets. With all my bloody luck, the thieves could have no dirt on the nobles at all.






"The Magical Unicorn" bar was bustling with activity. Burly men laughed and shared ciders around the entrance. A long line was waiting to sign up for the tournament. I eyed my competition. All of them were large muscular men. I could tell that some were Royal Guards not on duty, and others were builders or mercenaries. I knew I was going to be the only woman in the tournament. Why did I accept this? I should have just forced the information out of the thieves. I was imagining myself returning to the Den with two black eyes and a broken nose. Heh, Rarity won't call me beautiful after that.

"Uhh, m'lady? What are you doing in this line?" A thick man behind me asked.

"I am here for the brawls." I said casually.

"Sorry m'lady, but this is for fightin' men. Not someone so delicate as yourself." He sounded sincere.

"I appreciate the concern, but I think I can manage."

The man shrugged. The line moved quickly. As I waited, I watched the staff set up an arena. A large square of grass was in front of the bar. This was where the fighting would take place. I was glad for soft dirt and not hard cobblestone. Finally, the last man in front of me signed and it was now my turn. The staff member operating the sign ups looked at me curiously.

"Uh...M'lady? I..."

"I know. What are the rules?"

"No weapons. That's it, except no killing." He tried to make me laugh.

"That last bit is always the hardest for me." 

"Alright?" He was startled by my solemn reply. "Uhh...Sign with your name or mark."

I inspected the sheet. Various symbols and marks were lined up on the left side in rows. Hardly any names were on there. I sighed at this and then began to write my name. I used my elegant cursive and made sure that my signature took up two or three rows on the sheet. The staff member frowned at this. My built-up frustration from the day made me throw the quill back on to the table. I then walked over to the arena.

Men cheered and yelled as they waited for the tournament to begin. Most of the men were taking off their shirts in preparation. This reminded me that I was carrying pounds of weaponry on me. I began to remove them and placed them in a pile nearby. I could only hope that no one would steal them. I however, kept some of my pouches on. After the last weapon was off me, I turned back to the arena. I instantly saw a robed man among the shirtless men. His dark blue robes and thin body allowed me to recognize him.

"Noteworthy!" I shouted to him.

The former Assassin jumped at this. He turned his head to me and smiled. He then removed his hood and walked over to me.

"Octavia. Good to see you." 

"Noteworthy, what are you doing here?" I harshly asked.

"Some welcome. Well, if you want to know, I am fighting in this tournament."

"What? I am too. You jus..."

"Wow, Octavia, didn't think a girl like you could think of such a thing. Thought it was too uncouth." He mocked.

"That is not how you speak to a superior..."

"Oh shut it! I don't need to follow those rules anymore. I'm not an Assassin. Go find someone who cares."

"What are you even doing here in Canterlot?"

"Me? Amethyst and I are still fightin' the Templar. We aren't Assassins, but that shouldn't matter."

"Templar? You.....You are not supposed to interfere with the war. I am authorized to kill you if you do."

"Then go ahead. Kill me! I know you won't"

"Why not?"

"You owe me two times."

"You think life debts play in this?"

"Yes. With you, yes."

"Ugh!"

I kicked a chair over. He knew me well. Noteworthy simply smiled at me. His usual unconfident demeanor was non-existent. It seemed like that and his honor were left behind in Appleloosa. I glared at him. He shrugged and then turned to the arena. I grumbled and did the same.





I stood in the ring against a monster of a man. He had brown hair and blue eyes. He looked worriedly at me. All of the fights so far had only been burly man versus burly man, except Noteworthy's fight. The former Assassin beat his adversary in under ten seconds. Now it was my turn.

"I can't hit her! Look at that face! It's like an angel!" The man told the crowd.

"C'mon man, think of the bits!" His friend told him.

"But is it worth ruining that?" My opponent asked.

I slapped my forehead. "Just fight! Just bloody fight!"

The man hesitated. "Fine."

The man charged at me. I sidestepped and watched his punch harmlessly pass me. 

"Is that your best?" I taunted.

The man then punched at me again. I then grabbed his arm and twisted it. He wailed and I twisted it again the other way. The man then swung his other fist at me. I ducked and jabbed him in the throat. He coughed and gagged. I then kicked him in the back. He fell flat on the grass. I leaped on top of him and placed him in a choke hold. He tried to grab me with his flailing arms, but I pinned them down with my knees. The bell-operator rang a loud bell and the match ended. I had won and all of the spectators grumbled about it.

My next adversary was a Royal Guard. The man was handsome and well-cut. I, however, couldn't find time to admire him as he attacked me with swift punches and kicks. I rolled away from them. He swung at me and I ducked. I countered with my own fist to his jaw. He then grabbed me and threw me to the ground. I retaliated by flipping the Guard over me. His body hit the ground with a sound thud. I got back to my feet and stomped on his chest. The Guard gasped. I then held him down by placing my knee on his neck, choking him. He submitted.

I was now in the semifinals. The next foe was a factory worker. He looked like a humble and hard-working man. I almost felt bad that I was trying to take away money that he probably deserved. However, when he struck me firmly with a left hook, all my guilt disappeared. I tasted blood in my mouth. Some spectators cheered while most cursed. I assumed they were fans that I had earned through the tournament. He swung again. This time I ducked under and then boxed his ears. This stunned the worker. I followed up my grabbing his head and slamming it into my knee. The worker was resilient and fought on. He dodged one of my punches grabbed my waist. He then lifted my body onto his large shoulder. Due to his height and strength, I could only flail helplessly. He then paraded around the ring with me struggling on his shoulder. A roar of laughter rang from the spectators, Noteworthy included. 

"I got myself the best lookin' fish in the sea!" The worker announced.

More laughter emitted from this. My cheeks flared with anger. I then clocked him in the back of the head with my free elbow. The worker yelped in pain. I did this again and again. He finally slammed me into the ground. The worker remained humorous and sat on me while I was down. More laughter filled the arena. 

"Sometimes, ya just gotta wrangle them. Women can be fiercer than a manticore." The worker jeered.

"Get your bloody ass off me!" I yelled angrily.

"Sorry m'lady, but that may risk more injury for me." 

The crowd teared up in laughter. Even the bell-operator was holding his sides. I was not going to lose like this. I planted my hands on the ground and began to push myself up. With the years of climbing and parkour, my arms had enough strength to lift myself and the worker off the ground. The laughing came to an abrupt stop. Once I was high enough, I rolled out from under the worker. He simply smiled at me. It was perfect for me as I knocked him out with my next punch.

Finally, I had reached the finals. My opponent was, not to my surprise, Noteworthy. The former Assassin against the Den Master. The two smallest participants. Most of the spectators were cheering for me. I figured since they couldn't beat me in the ring, they would try for my hand instead. For that is the way of men's minds. Noteworthy danced around lightly on his feet. 

"How about this, Octavia? I'm gonna get that money. I don't have to keep myself from injuring you. Life's good."

"Well, that is if you are able to take down a Den Master."

The bell rung and we were off. We circled around and around. The crowd became annoyed and urged us to attack. Noteworthy complied and threw a swift kick at me. I dodged it and kept circling. I had to fight Noteworthy differently then the others because of his training. Noteworthy grabbed a clump of dirt and hurled it at me. He followed his distraction with a punch to my stomach. I caught his arm and threw him passed me and into the crowd. He was thrown back in the arena by a large man. Noteworthy then slowly approached me. I anticipated a low kick to my side, but instead, Noteworthy jumped and kicked me in the head. I fell over and my pouches flew off. My eyes refocused. Noteworthy charged at me. In panic I looked at my pouch. I saw the apple I had bought at the fruit stand. I grabbed it and threw it at his head. It connected and shattered on his face. His temporary stun was all that I needed. I got up and tackled him. I then began punching him while he was on the ground. He recovered from the apple and grabbed my neck. His face was red with anger. I tried to breath, but the grip was too much. I then tried to pull his hands away. His strength kept them there. My eyesight was blurring. Shouts and worried gasps started to fill up the arena. I heard some men shouting for the match to end, but the bell was not struck. With my final strength, I punched him as hard as I could. My fist knocked him out cold and his hands let go of me. I rolled off of Noteworthy and gasped for air. A burly man lifted me to my feet.

"Lady Octavia is the winner!" He shouted.

I simply sighed in relief. The sun told us that it was mid-afternoon. I needed to retrieve the money and return to the Guild. My targets needed to die soon.
> Chapter 22: Ungrateful Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 22: Ungrateful Night


By Octavia Melody



"Here's your bloody bits!" I threw my newly acquired money at the thief.

"Haha! We knew you'd come through, m'lady. Didn't get your face ruined neither." The thief laughed.

I sighed in response. My interesting day was still far from over. The dark East District was empty and lonely as usual. Thieves and slutty women cheered from within the Guild's headquarters. I impatiently tapped my foot to remind the thief of our business.

"Alright! Alright! Don't look at me like that." The thief scowled back at me.

"Then give me the dirt." 

"Fine. Lord Toity and Madame Finish live in the west part of the North District. Lord Toity is a well-known businessman. Mainly dealin' with clothes and such. I think he likes to trade with the Crystal Republic. Finish is an odd one. She's as haughty as nobles get. Gone through about six husbands or so. Not much about her, except that she likes to walk around the city in the evening with her four bodyguards. Now Lady Shores, she lives in the south part of the West District and she is a suspicious gal. She used to be the head of a brothel. Dumped that and all her girls for more.....respectable earnings. Her money increased by a lot and she became a noblewoman. No one knows how though."

"Is that it?" I was slightly disappointed.

"Yup. Not much about them. They's just normal nobles. Don't know why you guys are after them."

"It's complicated."

"I'll take your word for it."

With the information I needed, I left the Guild. My pouch was heavy with the remaining 500 bitpieces. I thought of something to purchase for myself. I had to dismiss this as I was getting sidetracked. Those nobles, innocent or not, must die. Die for one filthy Bearer.






I decided to assassinate Lady Shores first since she was the farthest away. The rooftops were mainly empty save for the occasional worker or thief. The afternoon sun did not heat up the city, as it remained cool in the mountain air. After crossing the central opening, I climbed to the top of a spire to get a better look as to where I was.

The wind was powerful up there. I stood on the tight balcony that every tower possessed. I gazed around the whole city. The view was spectacular as I was hundreds of meters above the streets. The Grand Royal Palace loomed over the city and even the towers from the north. I could see the Overton Tower to the northwest. With these landmarks, I was able to get my bearings. The south part of the West District was to the west. 

I placed my hands on the railings. I felt an etching in the stone. I lifted my hand and saw a name hastily engraved in the railing. The name read "Octavia." I smiled at this. I had been up here before. It was when Twilight started my training in the Brotherhood. The night when Vinyl suggested my service to the Bearer of Magic, she made me climb up here. She said I took the longest of any new apprentice. Then she executed a Leap of Faith. My young self etched my name in here because I thought I was going to die by following her. I, however, was wrong.

I then remembered where she and I had jumped from. I got on the railing and crouched to keep balance. I looked down. The distance was far too great for my eyes to see anything down below. I adjusted myself slightly to negate the wind. I closed my eyes and leaped.

I flipped myself in the air to land on my back. Only the rustling air was what I heard. This was for some time as the height was immense. Finally my body fell into a thick stack of hay. I sighed in relief as I did the first time I had jumped from the tower. I could not see anything, as hay surrounded every part of me. I then got myself up and scrambled out of the stack.

Common folk walked around me, completely ignoring what I had just accomplished. I looked back to where I landed. The hay was stacked loosely about three or four meters high. The horses in the stable next to it only snorted at me. It was just as I had remembered it. Good thing too.





The southern part of the West District was filled with liveliness. Canterlotians happily shopped and sold along the streets. I walked, keeping my head down, through the crowds. I realized that I did not exactly know what Lady Shores looked like. I whispered a curse as I roamed the pleasant streets. I gazed left, and then right. The noblewomen all looked the same. Elegant dresses and large hats. I wished I had strangled more out of the thief. 1500 bits for what he told me? I made a mental note to find him again in my free time.

"Oi M'lady! You seem like the mercenary type." 

I turned to see a blacksmith waving at me from his shop window. I walked over to him. I assumed he heard the jingle of the money I was carrying. His apprentice was hammering steel on an anvil behind him. Like most Canterlot blacksmith shops, the smiths forged their weapons and tools in plain sight. The blacksmith smiled at me.

"You look like ya in need for some nice armor! Or maybe some sharp and quick saber. Prices half off."

"Why the discount?" I asked.

"To liven up a pretty face." He replied.

"Father!" The apprentice yelled. "You can't make a business with that attitude!"

"Shut up boy!" The blacksmith fired back and then turned back to me. "Now, what'll be? An Estoc? No...Too long for ya. A rapier? No, not ya style. I gots it!" He reached under a table and pulled out an oddly shaped sword in a simple sheath.

"What is that?" 

"Why m'lady, it's a falchion! Best swords of the Empire!"

I had never been one for swords. I usually used quick daggers and my hidden blades. This falchion, however, enticed me. It was short enough for mobility, but also strong enough for hacking. The shiny blade curved at the top, giving it a slightly Arabian appearance. The short grip was black with grey lines running down to the pommel. The pommel had a ruby embedded in it at the bottom, the usual Equestrian touch. The front of the cross guard curved downward while the back curved upward. I was successfully enthralled by the work of art.

"How much?" I asked as he handed me the sword.

"About 1200 bits. But with you, it's less."

"How about 500?"

"That'll do nicely."

I threw him the pouch that contained my bits. He waved at me as I walked away. I stopped in the street and admired my new weapon. The sword was light and balanced. I gave it a few swings. Due to my recklessness to the nearby pedestrians, I quickly stopped. I placed the blade comfortably in its sheath and tied the leather straps around my waist. I looked up and realized that I was sidetracked again from my objective. I still did not know what Lady Shores looked like. Time was running out also. I turned back and walked to the blacksmith.

"Yes m'lady?"

"I am new to the West District and I wanted to meet Lady Shores. I, however, do not know what she looks like, can you help me?" I told him in my best innocent voice.

"Of course. Lady Shores has long blue hair. One for lots of makeup too. She hangs around just two blocks south of here. Go and I am sure you'll find her."

"Thank you sir."

I turned south and headed that way. It did not take long for me to see a blue haired noblewoman. The woman was chatting with many other women that looked just as fanciful as her. She had large eyes and eyeliner that stretched to the sides of her face. I silently approached my first target.

"Then I told him to beat it. Can't have men like that in my life." Lady Shores told her friends.

"Trenderhoof is always like that. Just treats all of us like we're trophies." A woman said.

"At least he isn't like the scoundrel Fancy Pants." Another jeered.

The group laughed. I stood by a tree in the middle of the street. How was I going to do this? I must not be spotted. I hated being chased by the Guards. I held a throwing knife in my hand. I thought I could slide one in past the other ladies. I then remembered how Minuette tried the same thing with Sir Rich. I put the knife away. I then walked up closer to them.

"That Fancy Pants." Lady Shores grumbled. "Always getting in my way. I don't know what I did to him to make him hate me so."

A woman nodded. "Fancy Pants and his wife love to make enemies. Never see why the Sisters approve of them."

"No one does." Another woman commented. 

I stood about eight meters from the group. There were no Guards around, so maybe I could simply walk up and stab her. What if the other women attack? Then all of them would die too. I didn't want that. I then turned and climbed up to the roofs. Once I was on top, I looked down at the women. They did not notice me climbing, so they still sat around chatting and gossiping. I decided to drop in on them. They were right under me, so I could easily assassinate Lady Shores and run. I extended out my hook and blade and jumped off.

"Look out!" A woman screamed and pointed at me.

Lady Shores rolled out from under me with surprising agility. I firmly landed on the ground and rolled away. The other woman started to throw dishes and food at me. Lady Shores was running down the street.

"Out of my way!" I yelled at the women.

I ran at them and forcefully shoved them out of the way. Lady Shores was far down the street. I saw that she had ripped her skirt to increase mobility. I sprinted after my target. Common folk jumped out of my way. I started to gain on her, until she took to the roofs.

"What in the Sun's name?"

Go! Get her! I turned and ran up a short wall to get on a side porch. I then ran along the sides, grabbing signs and windows. Lady Shores was still in sight above me. I swung on a beam and threw myself on the roofs. The noblewoman still had a large lead. 

Sprint! I sprinted on the rooftops. Dodging every obstacle in my way. I was still in shock by the woman's skill. Something was not right with this picture. She turned sharply and jumped across the street. I followed. She then tiptoed over a thin rope. I jumped alongside the rope and hooked into the wall across the street. My device allowed me to propel myself up and I had gained on her.

I saw her gasp and she turned again. I threw a knife at her and missed. I need some range. I chased after her. Lady Shores ran along the rooftops in front of me. She then slid off the roof and back on the streets. I jumped off and swung my way to the ground on a wooden beam. The area was becoming a construction site. Builders stood on scaffolding repairing windows or creating buildings with stone bricks. They yelled at us as we sprinted through their workplaces.

Suddenly, Lady Shores kicked out a small beam from one of the scaffolding, causing it fall in front of me. I dodged the falling wood and made my way through the obstacle. I saw the noblewoman run into an alleyway. I followed close behind her. I entered the alleyway to see her looking up at the high walls. The alleyway was a dead end. I saw my chance and charged at my target.

"Wait! Stop!" The noblewoman begged. 

I did not heed her. My impatience and frustration fed my will for blood. My savage instincts took control. The noblewoman ran and started climbing again. I threw another knife at her. It landed in her hand. She cried, but still climbed. I cursed and chased her up the wall. When I was in reach, I hooked her in the leg and pulled her off the wall, making her fall to the ground. I heard a wail of pain when she landed. I jumped off the side and stood over her.

"Why did you do this? I didn't do anything to you..." She coughed.

I remained silent as I watched her blood smother the dirty cobblestone. I looked at her for any signs of her belonging to the Templar. I couldn't find any.

"Was it my desertion? I tried so hard to help your cause. It's just.......It limited me. I left to see what I could make of myself.......All those years ago.....Comes back to bite me." She gasped for air at her last sentence.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You don't know.....? Check my arm."

She pointed her finger at her right arm. I grabbed her sleeve and ripped it off. I was saddened to see a faint tattoo of the Assassin insignia on her dark arm. I could only stammer an apology.

"I......I'm sorry...Sister...."

"Who sent you?" She asked with desperate strength.

"I.....It was...." I couldn't finish.

The noblewoman slumped over. I knew she had perished from all the blood lost. I got up and ran out of the alleyway. I left the dead noblewoman in the alleyway. I just wanted to escape that area. I had not only killed an innocent noble, but one that was with the Brotherhood. 







The evening sun filled the city in bright orange. The North District was bustling with activity. The rich imported incense filled the streets, giving me a slight headache. Though I must admit that it smelled better than what the Brotherhood used in the lounge. The North District nobles chattered in the shadow of the Grand Royal Palace. I walked on the rooftops, inspecting every single noble. From some gossip I had picked up on the way; I knew that Madame Finish was going to be easy to spot. She had no problem standing out.

I stretched out my back. My body had begun to ache from the day's brawls, chases, and general usage. The Bearers should be happy after this. My tolerance level for them was dropping dramatically. So if they weren't happy, I did not know what I would do to them. Probably something rash.

"Getz out of my way! I'z got places to be, peazants!" I heard a haughty voice call out below. 

"Well, that must be her." I said aloud.

I looked down at the yelling noblewoman. She had white straight hair and a long black dress. There were four bodyguards around her. They were not Royal Guards or even Templar soldiers. Their armor was black with light purple stripes. They had long purple crests on their helmets. I could not see their faces, as their helmets fully covered their face and head, like the helmet of an Enforcer. They were all armed with long Crystal Republican glaives. Like all Crystal weapons, the blade itself was made out of carved crystal. An unusual weapon to be seen in the Empire, but one that was majestic enough for Madame Finish.

I grabbed the poison joke vial out of my pouch. It was about time I used it, I needed this target to be done with quickly.  I opened the vial. I expected a foul stench, but instead, a sweet aroma. I extended my hidden blade. I then delicately slid it into the vial and dipped it in the poison. I sealed the vial and returned it to its pouch. My blade now glistened in the sun's light. This made me think of a way to improve the blade. Maybe have the blade automatically fill itself up with poison? I assumed that would require the hollowing of the blade itself and much, much work. I would leave that to Vinyl and Lyra.

I got off the roofs and onto the streets. Madame Finish was yelling at some merchant. Her guards stood silently by her. I did not worry about the guards since I had already planned for them. I had a smoke bomb on me and would use it when I was close enough. A large group of commoners were walking their way. I slipped in the crowd and walked with them.

Soon enough, I had reached Madame Finish. She was done with the merchant and began walking away. I grabbed my bomb and threw it at the ground, creating a small explosion. Smoke filled up the street, causing guards, commoners, and nobles to gag and cough. I steadily walked through the smoke, avoiding contact with anyone or thing. I grabbed the noblewoman and gave her a poke on the neck with my blade. I then walked away as the smoke dissipated. 

I did not turn around to see if the poison worked. However, the screams and shouts suggested that it did. I silently thanked the Sun that this assassination went much smoother than the last. I looked up at the sun. It was under the horizon now. I only had six hours left to kill Lord Hoity. Plenty of time, I thought.





Only three hours remained before midnight. The bright stars were out over the capital. I wondered if Sir Fancy Pants was waiting at his home for us. For Rarity or some other Assassin to come and tell him that the deed was done. Would he mind if we were five minutes late? An hour? I mentally shrugged and carried on.

I wandered the dark North District. Balls and banquets went quietly along as I passed them from above. I pondered how many of them were Templar. Was Sunset Shimmer attending one? I then shook off these thoughts and continued to search for my target. 

I soon came upon a group of Templar soldiers. They were armed with muskets and short swords. Due to the darkness, I easily approached them from above. The Templar were chattering while drinking some cider.

"I don't see why we must carry these guns. They get the Royal Guards to stare at us!" A soldier complained.

"Well if they attack us, then we can jus' shoot 'em."

"Well maybe not those Night Watch guys. Those guys creep me out."

"Empress Luna always has head-cases in her personal army. The Night Watch and the Shadowbolts both."

"Some Shadowbolts were found dead in the Rock Ridge yesterday. They all got shot too."

"I guess Empress Luna's designs aren't that great."

The group chuckled. They all took a long drink from their ciders before continuing.

"Ya hear 'bout Iron Will? He hasn't gotten anyone in the Order for two weeks now."

"The man's been slippin. How long before Lady Shimmer boots him off?"

"She won't do that."

"Sure she will! The woman hates it when things don't get done."

"Don't all women?"

They all laughed heartily. 

"How about them Assassins? Lost their Den and everything."

"Yeah, those thugs didn't stand a chance. Though, we lost Appleloosa."

"So what? The place is useless anyway. Now we need Baltimare.

"What's so important about Baltimare?"

"C'mon guys! That place is a trade center. Yeah it's bloody wretched, but good bits flow through there. Bits that belong to us. Manehatten only gets us a few bits from their trading. Fillydelphia is jus' a big fort. Baltimare is where it's at!"

"Wait 'til we get Ponyville..."

"That won't for for a month and something."

"Tank ain't even here yet...."

"What was that?"

All of them got up and pointed their guns every which way. They were not worried about me, as none of them looked up. Suddenly, a pistol fired nearby. The soldiers ran towards the sound. I silently followed behind them. 

The soldiers rounded a building and aimed their muskets down an empty street. There was nothing in the street except a body lying on the ground. The soldiers approached the corpse with caution.

"Who did this?" One asked in a whisper.

"It was a firearm that did it. Templar or Assassin. No one else."

"Assassin then. We would know if we had a noble to hit."

"Then we better get out of here!" A soldier panicked and then ran off in fear.

"Holt! Stick to the rest of us!" 

Holt ran through the empty street. A bright purple flash appeared by him. His head was then sliced off cleanly by a sword. The other soldiers panicked before positioning themselves in a fire squad formation.

"Fire!" A soldier ordered.

The Templar fired their weapons. The attacker teleported again and appeared next to the soldiers. The Bearer of Magic cleaved another soldier. Her levitated pistols shot the others. When her ambush was finished, only three soldiers remained and attacked her. They dropped their muskets and pulled out their swords. The Bearer expertly deflected their blades and countered them in quick succession. Stabbing one, slicing one, and then threw the last one down. She then walked over to him and stomped on his face. The Templar's body instantly became limp.

I jumped off the roof from where I was watching and jogged up to her. As I approached, she pointed a pistol at me. The darkness shrouded her face.

"Bearer, it's me!" I told her.

She lowered her pistol. "Den Master. I guess you were doing your task after all."

"Of course. I still have Lord Toity though."

"No you don't. He's right there." She pointed at the corpse that was in the street.

"Well thank you? Why did you kill him for me?"

"It's about two hours before midnight. I had not heard from you since you left. Apparently you were taking your sweet time. I had to make sure the contracts were met."

I grunted in frustration. "Sweet time? I've been working at this all day!"

"And you have a nice new sword to prove it. Also a brawling title."

"How did you...."

"You don't think that the news of a woman winning a brawling tournament was going to just stay put? Bars everywhere are talking about you. The tough woman in gray robes. It was easy to make connections."

"It's complicated Bearer...." I started.

"Oh I'm sure." She sounded sarcastic.

I sighed. "Is my work done?"

"Yes. You can head back to your Den. I'm going to give Rarity the news of our success so that she can report to Fancy Pants."

I walked past the Bearer. My fists were clinched tightly in anger. I was sure she took notice of my mood. However, she remained silent and teleported away. I climbed onto a roof and walked southward to my home.





I am glad that I rested before writing this. I had arrived last night at around 3 AM. I couldn't have written a log at that time. So I slept and started in the early morning. The sun is rising at the moment. I hear Vinyl and Lyra cheering about something in the lounge. Maybe they have completed their pistol device. I shall soon know the answer.

Adieu.


~

	
	
> Bearer Chapter: Magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Bearer Chapter: Magic


The dark gray and black haired woman looked through the window of her large room. She was of average height and in great shape. She wore a dark tan tank top and green sweat pants. The woman could not see far as the Manehatten skyscrapers surrounded the building she was in. She sighed and walked over to her long couch. The morning was nice and bright, but she could not go out and enjoy it. She was stuck here at Ahuizotl Industries. The only thing harder here than pronouncing the name was dealing with the executives. The corporation mainly dealt with the discovering of ancient artifacts and remaking them for home decorations. However, ever since she came upon the Elements of Harmony in the Everfree Castle, they have focused all their energy on finding what the Elements are and what they do. 

She sat down and took a sip from her coffee. The woman was tired of being in this place. She was basically captured by Ahuizotl when she found the Elements. But, she was also happy to stay because she herself wanted to know what the Elements were and how they worked. Stories of their Bearers and the power they wielded. It fascinated her. She actually was on the end of the Elements' power when she touched them. Ever since, she had been able to see their memories in her mind, though not clearly. That's why Ahuizotl kept her here. They had the "Animus" which let her relive Bearers' memories that she couldn't access on her own. She didn't know how it worked, but she didn't really care. History was worth this much.

She absentmindedly shuffled through the old documents that lay on her glass table. She had been reading these ancient texts for a while. She and one of her friends discovered them in an underground basement in South Canterlot. For being about 500 years old, they were in marvelous condition. Her attention shifted to the man that walked into her spacious room. The man was tall and had sleek black hair. His chin was thick and had a 5 O' clock shadow. He had a tired expression on his face.

"Good mornin' Doc." She said to him.

"That's Doctor Caballeron to you." He told her flatly.

"So uptight already?" The archaeologist questioned.

"Oh Miss Yearling, I'm always uptight without my coffee."

Miss Yearling wished that the Doc would call her "Daring Do" like all the others. She earned her nickname from all the crypts and old castles she had delved into. Doctor Caballeron didn't appreciate such things. He was a nice man, but one that was very straight forward. Yearling picked up the old documents.

"You still reading that?" Caballeron asked her.

"Of course. It's great information on the Elements."

"Bah, Octavia was just some Den Master, not a Bearer. What did she know?"

"Well, yeah, but her writings are very descriptive. It's a go...."

"Can we even trust her writings? They are very descriptive. No one can remember all that. I think she added some stuff to be interesting."

"That wouldn't make sense Doc."

"Of course not, but how can we trust its validity?"

Yearling and Caballeron paused to think. How could they trust the writings? Caballeron started to tap his foot impatiently when Yearling snapped her fingers.

"I got it Doc! In the last log I read, she said she was initiated into the Brotherhood by jumping off a tower, with the Bearer of Magic. If we go into Twilight's memories with the Animus, then we could see what really happened."

"Hmmm...Alright, but make it quick."

Yearling jumped off of her couch and jogged over to the Animus that was on the other side of her room. The Animus was a long white table with a large ring at the top for the head. It wasn't very comfortable, but it was easy to use and effective. Ahuizotl Industries placed plenty of cash into its creation. Yearling laid herself on the device while Caballeron operated a large monitor.

"We better not come empty handed..." He mumbled.

"We won't, Doc. Ready?"

"Wait.....This....Then that....Alright! Here we go."





4th Imperial Era

Canterlot, Equestria Empire

The Animus loaded the scene. Blue lines and shapes built every bug and every speck of dust. It did not take much time. Soon enough, the papers were all over the table, the scent of incense burning in the corner, and the candles that illuminated the Bearer's work. Twilight hunched over her table. She was not doing well tonight for the documents in front of her remained unread and unanswered.

"I really need an assistant." She said to herself.

"You have me."

"Yeah, but....I don't think you can help me with this."

"Guess that's fair."

The Bearer looked down at the pulsing shard embedded in her chest. She was chosen only a year ago, and she still had to get used to her new partner. Not to mention all the Brotherhood looking up to her as a leader. She was a simple scholar, not a fighter, or even an idealist. She sighed as she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in." She said automatically.

The door swung open and a young Assassin walked in. She had bright magenta eyes and electric blue hair. Her white robes suggested that she was still only an apprentice, but one that was about to become First Rank. She bowed in the Brotherhood fashion.

"Bearer, I have someone who is interested in joining the Brotherhood." She told Twilight.

"Good, good. Vinyl, where can I find the person?"

"She's right outside the Den."

"You brought her here?" Twilight said in a worried tone.

"Don't worry Bearer, she already knows about us and everything."

"Well....Then I'll see her."

Twilight turned to her work. She could leave it for one night. This was not her usual approach to anything, but a new recruit was important. She walked passed Vinyl and headed out of the Den.

The night was cool. Twilight looked around the street for anyone or anything. There was nothing in the empty street. Twilight placed her hands and her hips. Where was she? Did she leave? Did Vinyl trick me.....again? The Bearer turned around and opened the Den door again. As she was about to enter, a meek voice called to her.

"Ahem. Are you the Bearer?"

Twilight stopped and shut the door. She then turned to see a young girl with black hair and pink eyes. She barley looked sixteen.  Her clothes were black. Unlike most Canterlot women, she wore black trousers and a pink bow-tie. These were the clothes of a musician. Twilight stared at her for some time before realizing how rude she was being.

"Yes.....I'm the Bearer. What's your name?"

The girl puffed her chest slightly. "Octavia Melody, m'lady." She then made a formal bow.

"Well, if you are going to be an Assassin, first things first, we aren't nobles, so no "m'lady" or "sire" here."

"I am sorry." She said in an earnest voice.

"You didn't need to apologize."

"Sorry."

"Oh....She'll be fun."

"Uh....I can see you are a musician. What do you play?" Twilight asked after an awkward silence.

Octavia brightened at this. "The cello m'la...I mean Bearer. The cello has always been my instrument."

"Well, maybe you could play it in the Den sometime." Twilight suggested.

"I would love to."

"Well then, let us take a walk through the city."





The Canterlot night was calm and tame. Mercenaries drank their cider and whisky in front of taverns. Courtesans sat on benches, waiting for a job to come to them. Parties were heard from inside various homes. Twilight and Octavia walked slowly through the streets. The deep shadows of the Canterlot towers covered them in darkness.

"Why do you want to join, Octavia?" Twilight asked.

"I want to do something more for this world. I am tired of being a simple musician. The world needs to be free and rest in Harmony."

"I see that Vinyl has told you about Harmony. Not many outside of the Brotherhood know of its existence. You do realize the risk you are going to take in such an organization?

"I am. Vinyl has told me that you fight for peace against the Templar. I cannot let the Order take control."

"Why not?"

"It......It would devastate my friend."

Twilight stopped. She turned her head to Octavia. "Your friend? You mean Vinyl?"

"Yes Bearer. She is my only friend. I have never been one to socialize. Vinyl is my friend and I hope to join her in a mutual cause."

"This is just for her?"

Octavia stared into the Bearer's eyes. "Yes. I do not want anything to happen to her. Well, at least not without me at her side."

"Interesting."

"Commendable. Octavia, do you know how we travel?"

"Parkour."

"Yes. Do you think you can make it to that tower?" Twilight pointed in the distance.

Octavia's jaw dropped. "Uhh...Yes?"

"Then let's go. No using the streets."

Twilight then ran up a wall and grabbed a beam. She then pulled herself up and hopped on the roof. She looked back to see Octavia do the same, though, with much more effort involved.

"Ha. Did Vinyl teach you that?" Twilight asked.

"Why yes. Vinyl gave me a few points."

"Then come on!"

The Bearer and Octavia started to make their way to the tower. Twilight jumped over gaps and hopped on small chimneys. She looked back to see the girl following behind her. The skill was admirable for someone as young as she. Though it seemed expected as her teacher was the best in the South Canterlot Den.

Twilight climbed up on to a taller building. The moon watched the two as they glided over the stone rooftops. Swinging on this, jumping on that, rolling and hopping. The few people on the streets watched them like they were ghosts. Most probably thought they were. 

They came upon a high beam. Twilight swung on it and went through an open window and into a building. The inside was filled with people trying to sleep. Twilight didn't care about them and sprinted through the room. She heard Octavia mutter apologizes to the disgruntled residents. She jumped through the window on the other side and they both continued on their trek.

The Bearer tiptoed quickly on a rope the stretched across a wide street. When she crossed, she looked back at Octavia. The girl was about half-way across when she slipped and lost her balance. As Octavia fell towards the cobblestone, Twilight reacted by catching her with magic and dragging her across. 

"That was close." Twilight said.

"Thank you Bearer."

"No problem. Let's go."

They continued across the capital. The tower steadily approached as they ran. Octavia still remained close behind Twilight, but her fatigue was becoming evident. Twilight began to slow down a tad to let her catch up. The two leaped over a street and then jumped down onto a shorter building, rolling upon their landing. The Bearer noticed that Octavia's clothes were becoming torn up as they went along as they were not well sewn Assassin robes. Though, the girl did not seem to mind or even remotely care.

"Those are probably the only clothes she possesses. Maybe it's worth it for Vinyl."

"Maybe."

They finally reached the base of the tower. The massive spire touched the stars. Without hesitation, Twilight found a grip in the stone column and began her climb. When she was about 10 meters above the ground, she looked back. Octavia stood there without moving, her face was mixed between determination and fear. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then she ran and began her climb. The Bearer smiled at this and continued up the tower. She propelled herself up as the grips became fewer and far between. She dared not look down now. The wind increased as they went higher. There was nothing that equaled them in height except the other massive towers. 

Twilight jumped to the side to another grip. She was about halfway up. She was now starting to regret choosing this tower. The girl could have fallen and already be dead. She looked down. To her surprise, Octavia was still climbing. The girl strained with every new reach and pull. However, she was still making progress.

"She has heart."

"Yes she does."

This urged Twilight to go faster. She jumped up and again and again. The Bearer reached a window in the wall. She paused and looked through. There was nothing except the flight of stairs that wound up the tower on the inside. She chuckled at herself using the hard way up the tower. They both were making progress. The balcony was in sight.

After some time, Twilight pulled herself over the railing of the balcony. She leaned on the wall with a relieved sigh. She could not see Octavia below, but that was due to the balcony jutting outward, creating a ledge. So, the Bearer waited patiently for the girl to reach her.

"You know, I won't do this to other recruits." Twilight said.

"Well, Octavia is your first recruit. You have to experiment."

"Yeah. I'm lucky she is determined enough."

"I see a bright future with her."

"I do too. You think she'll be a Den Master someday?"

"Think? I know so."

"Who shall train her?"

"We will."

The girl reached her hand on the railing. Twilight took notice and grabbed her arm, pulling her the rest of the way up. Octavia panted in fatigue. Twilight inspected the girl. Her clothes were torn and uneven. Octavia's bow-tie had fallen off and was gone. Bruises and cuts were scattered on her thin and graceful body. Octavia looked up at the Bearer expectantly.

"How did I do, Bearer?" She asked between pants.

"You took the longest of anyone." Twilight responded in a joking manner.

Octavia's face became solemn and her eyes fell. It seemed that she took the joke seriously. Twilight opened her mouth to tell her, but decided not to. Instead, she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"That was very brave of you, Octavia. How about we rest?"

"Thank you, Bearer." The girl sat down on the stone floor.

Twilight sat down as well. It was just the three of them. Octavia looked at her dirty hands. The Bearer gazed at the sky. Constellations filled the perpetual darkness that roamed over the  world. She then looked back at the girl. 

"Do you know the stars?" Twilight asked.

Octavia glanced at her. "Stars? No. I do not know much besides music. I can't even read or write."

"You can't read?" The Bearer repeated sadly.

"No. Musicians only need to read notes and know how to move their fingers. Nothing else."

"Do you want to learn?"

"Desperately. Always wished to read and write since I was little."

"I can teach you."

Her eyes brightened at this. "Really?" 

"I'm...or was a scholar. Reading and writing all my life. I'll have you reading classics from Starswirl the Bearded and Clover the Clever."

Octavia giggled in excitement and hugged the Bearer tightly. Twilight hesitated before returning the hug. The girl then let go and sat next to the Bearer, smiling all the while. Twilight chuckled and pointed to the sky.

"Since it is a lovely night and we have the best view. I'll show you the five most well-known constellations."

Octavia gazed upward. "Alright."

"You see that one? Those seven stars make up the Alicorn. The Alicorn was the original symbol of Equestria when it was forming. Legend says that Clover the Clever used it to guide Princess Platinum southeastward from the Frozen Lands. Those five stars make up the Draconequus, a wild creature of myth that created Chaos. Those six stars are the Three Sirens. They were creatures that haunted the Equestrian shores. That's the Pegasus. The mighty symbol of Cloudsdale. Commander Hurricane's warriors had pegasi on their shields. That last one way over there is the Six Lights of Harmony. The stars form a perfect pentagon with one in the middle. This was named after Starswirl the Bearded's insignia of Harmony."

The girl did not respond, but instead, simply gazed off into space. Twilight rubbed her chin as she stared at Octavia. She grunted and got up. After stretching some she looked at the girl.

"We better head back. You have a new bed at the Den."

Octavia stood up and reached for the door that opened to the stairs. Twilight caught her hand. The girl looked up at the Bearer who shook her head.

"Assassins do not take stairs."

"Then how are we getting down?"

"I'll show you."

Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She reopened them to see the dark city fade into a deep blue. Octavia had a bright yellow aura around her. Twilight stood on top of the railing, looking below. Her eyes caught a deep haystack at the very bottom. The hay told her tales of safety as it glowed in gold hundreds of meters below. The Bearer turned to the girl.

"Now, you must watch me closely. Know where my feet are and everything. When you are ready, follow."

"Bearer?"

Twilight jumped off the rail with her arms stretched out wide. The air rushed past her as she fell. The bottom steadily approached her. She flipped herself over to land on her back. Soon enough, she landed in the hay. Some of the dried straw fell into her mouth, causing her gag as she scrambled out of the stack. She calmly brushed herself off. She noticed a man watching her. He stared at her while holding a large jug. He looked at the jug and then tossed it aside with a grumble. He walked away while still looking the Bearer. Twilight shrugged and looked up at the tower. Her vision was back to normal and she couldn't see Octavia up there.

"Oh, she can't cop out now!"

"Wait. She'll come."

Suddenly, a big form fell from the balcony. Twilight watched with a hand ready to catch her if need be. However, it was unnecessary as the girl landed in the haystack. Twilight walked over to the hay. Angry grunts were emitting from within.

"That bloody girl! What I do for her damn soul!"

"Octavia?" Twilight asked in a singsong voice.

The girl fell out of the hay. Her hair was filled with straw and entirely messed up. She then crawled on the cobblestone until finally rolling over on her back dramatically.

"Vinyl never told me about this...."

Twilight tried to hold in her laughter. Octavia noticed this and scowled.

"Oh! You think it's funny?"

"Well....Yeah."

"Hmph."

"Get up. Your training shall start tomorrow."

As Octavia rose, the memory began to fade away. Their faces started to blur and the city collapse into nothing. All that was left was a blue room.  The Bearer stood still as if paralyzed. Finally Twilight faded completely. The Animus was taking its user back to the present. 





Yearling opened her eyes. She grunted as her eyes adjusted to the light after being closed for so long. Caballeron stood over her with a clipboard. He was writing something down. He looked past his board at her.

"You alright?" He lifted a brow.

"Yeah. Heh. Are Octavia's writings accurate now?"

"Hmph. Well.....One time doesn...."

"I knew you'd agree!"

Yearling got up and stretched. Her back ached as usual after a trip into the Animus. Ahuizotl Industries needed to improve how comfortable the device was. The sun was shining through her window. The time had greatly changed. She walked over to her table. Yearling instinctively took a sip from her coffee but spat it out as it was cold and tasteless from being out for too long. Caballeron chuckled at this before leaving. Yearling scowled and then picked up Octavia's writings that were in sealed plastic to preserve them. 

"Well, I guess it's back to you Den Master."



~

	
	
> Chapter 23: World's Capital
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 23: World's Capital


By Octavia Melody

"We did it, Tavi! Haha! The pistol is done!"

The engineer and the inventor jumped up in joy. The other Assassins in the lounge clapped at their achievement. The pistol device they held was much different than the earlier model. It was sleeker and more compact. The barrel was thin and long with a small trigger right underneath. There was also a bolt that jutted out at the back of the gun. It also had carvings that swirled through the metal, giving it an elaborate decoration. Vinyl walked up and handed it to me. 

"Don't worry, it works. Lye and I never fail twice."

I stood silent as she strapped the device right under my left hidden blade. I assumed she chose the left since my right possessed the steel hook. It was much lighter than what I had expected. Vinyl then tied a thin string around my left ring finger. I followed the string to the trigger. Upon realizing that this fired the mechanism, I took great care to keep my finger relaxed. The other Assassins observed all of this.

"C'mon, Tavi. Let's go in the back and I'll show you how it works."

Vinyl grabbed my hand and dragged me through the crowd until we reached the back door. The inventor opened it and we went down the stairs to the testing room of the Den. The testing room was actually a large basement underneath the Den. For some reason, the Assassins referred to it as "the back." I rarely visited this room before. Mainly due to my love for sunlight and not a dark cellar. However, the candles in there illuminated the room enough for me and Vinyl to see.

"You can stand here. I'll go get a dummy." Vinyl told me. 

She then excitedly grabbed one of the hay stuffed sacks and propped it upright at the other end of the room. She ran back to my side and pointed at the device.

"Now, that's the trigger there and that's the barrel there. There are two ways to fire the pistol, first is just pulling the trigger with your other hand, or by pulling the string. Flick your hand back and it should pull the trigger."

"Wouldn't that throw my aim off?" I asked as I eyed the pistol.

Vinyl paused for a moment. "Well, that's why you can use the other hand if you want. It was my idea to add that feature so that you can fire it off quickly if you need to."

"Is it loaded?"

"No, I'll load it for ya."

Vinyl grabbed the bolt and twisted it forward and then back again to its original spot. "There ya go."

"That's it?"

"Yup! Lye put that feature in. There are balls in the small box at the end. The bolt grabs one and sticks it in the barrel. There are caps in there also for the black powder. Neat huh?"

I lifted my left arm up. I was right eyed dominant, so it felt odd using my left eye to aim. I pointed the pistol at the target. When I was ready, I flicked my wrist back and the device fired. My arm flew back from the power and I almost spun around.

"Yeah, it's got kick to it. Reload and try it again."

I grabbed the bolt like she did and twisted back and forth. I aimed and fired again, this time bracing for the kick. My arm went back, but not as far as before. 

"This is incredible, Vinyl!

"I know right? Let's see how you did with the targets."

We walked up to the dummy sack. The sack was untouched in every way. There were two holes next to it on either side. Vinyl chuckled at this.

"Well, ya missed 'em twice."

"I don't really care. This device is going to be fun. The Bearer of Magic will be jealous."

"Well, we are going to copy the schematics and send them to other Assassins so that they can make them. Twilight may have one herself soon."

"Thank you for this, Vinyl. You know, I do not have any assignments today. Could we go for a walk through the capital? You and I have been too busy to appreciate the city since our return."

Vinyl smiled at me. "Lead the way."





It was a perfect day. The cloudless sky only held the bright sun. The air was warm, but far from hot. The joyous residents laughed and gossiped as they wandered from place to place. There seemed to be more people out than usual, but that was probably due to it being a Sunday. Vinyl and I casually walked on the rooftops. Thoroughly enjoying the day.

"It feels like forever since we last did this." Vinyl said through her mask.

"Indeed. All the trouble lately has taken much of our time."

We continued our walk, occasionally jumping from one rooftop to another. Our gaze was mostly on the people below. Canterlotians shopped and sold. Acrobats performed in city plazas, entertaining their crowds. A bard sang the sad story of prince and princess who fell in love with a love potion. Vinyl giggled at the bard's over dramatic singing. An old adventurer told children about the mysterious lands of Zebran and their strange inhabitants. Some Royal Guards were discussing the news of a dead Lord Toity and the dead soldiers around his corpse. They apparently did not know who the soldiers worked for. Which was good news for the Brotherhood. The Empire was not working with the Templar entirely.

Vinyl and I came upon a covered rooftop porch soon after. The house that supported it obviously belonged to a rich merchant or even a noble. We sat down on the furniture that decorated the porch. Vinyl had not said much after we listened to the Guards. I heard her mutter something before speaking to me.

"Ya haven't told me how the contracts went yesterday."

"Hmph. Not so well. One of them was a former Assassin."

"What? Which one?"

"Lady Shores. She still could climb and run well for her age."

"Never heard of her. I guess she left the Brotherhood?"

"I assume so. She said something about desertion while she bled on my boots."

"Did you tell the Bearers?"

"Of course not. I am not on the best terms with them right now."

"Really? You're like Twilight's little assistant. What did you do to piss her off?"

"What did I do? I asked her about the Elements."

"That's it?"

I started to raise my voice. "Of course! Every single question I throw at them is either avoided, or they threaten me."

"Well, what did you ask about?"

"I asked how the Elements were made. Before you say anything about Starswirl the Damned, think, how did he do it?"

I waited for her answer. I could not see her expression because it was behind her mask. However, the tapping of her fingers indicated that she was deep in thought. Finally, she shrugged.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes. I do not want to be a part of something that is lying to me. What if these Elements are not for Harmony? What if they are made by monsters or demons?"

"So what? They have helped the Brotherhood since the beginning. If these things were made for Chaos, they have done a poor job of it."

"Have they? We Assassins seem to make plenty of Chaos."

"No we don't. We end Chaos by creating peace."

"You sound like a Templar." I muttered.

"Hmph. Then what are you going to do about this?"

"I'm going to find out the truth." I paused. "And....I think I know where to start."

"I'd love to hear it." Vinyl mocked me.

"There is Lady Shimmer. She and I have mutual interest in the Elements. She has access to the Royal Archives. I'll start with her."

"Lady Shimmer? Rarity told me about her. She's a Templar. You.....You want to help her?"

"Well, no. I mean.....I won't be helping her rather than myself."

"I could take ya back to Twilight with how you're talking."

"Go ahead. I know you won't."

"Why do you want to go to the Grand Royal Palace? What if ya caught?"

"I will not be caught."

"Heh. Well, if you are caught. I'll come after you."

"I would be killed most likely. Maybe they will show mercy and place me in the Old Dungeon."

"It's too much of a risk, Tavi."

"You telling me it's too much? Our roles are reversed at the moment."

"That's because it's never been the Royal Palace. And I won't be going with you."

"You can if you want."

She shook her head. "It wouldn't feel right. I think I'll be betraying the Brotherhood."

"You must know, I am not betraying the Brotherhood. I simply want answers. Answers that no one will give me. Except for Pinkie, but she is all the way in Ponyville."

"If you say so."

I grunted in frustration. I was truly hoping that Vinyl would accompany me on this infiltration. The idea of talking with Sunset Shimmer had not occurred to me until only a few moments ago. So I was still planning how I could enter the Grand Royal Palace. As we sat in silence, the door to the home opened and a man stepped out. His face was red with anger as he stared at us.

"Filthy trespassers. Get off my porch!"

We didn't need to be told twice. Vinyl and I jumped from our seats and swung ourselves over the railing. The man threw a pot at us as we ran away. Once we were far enough away from the angry man, we slowed down. Our conversation did not take as long as I thought. I noticed Vinyl climbing down the building.

"Vinyl?"

She did not answer. I sighed and followed down to the street. She patiently waited for me at the bottom. When I touched ground, she began to walk away. I had no choice but to follow her through the crowds of people.

"Isn't Canterlot great?" She asked when I caught up to her.

"Yes it is. I've always admired the amount of people here." I said as I watched a man carve out a wooden doll.

"Yeah, they're nice after being in a place like Appleloosa."

"Certainly. Also, Appleloosa didn't have towers like these." I pointed to a nearby spire.

"Just another reason why this is the World's Capital."

"I've never believed that. I hear the Crystal Republic is much bigger and more beautiful. Though I would not be surprised if Canterlot was the best city in the world."

"Guess we have to see them all to judge."

We entered a large plaza. Stands were here and there with various products. One of particular note was an Arabian stand selling gems and fragrances. Another was a Crystal Republican merchant selling crystal vases. These merchants reminded me of the immense trade the city possessed. Canterlot was landlocked and still was a trade center. It made me wonder how Baltimare and Manehatten were. With those two being large ports, I expected something similar to this. 

Vinyl walked over to the fountain that rested in the middle of the plaza. She then sat down on the short wall that surrounded the fountain. I joined her. The fountain was about three meters tall. The stone statue depicted Empress Celestia and Empress Luna standing back to back. Their right arms were stretched outward with a small flow of water sliding out of their open palms. Celestia was in a long dress while her sister was in elaborately decorated armor with a short cape. The base of the fountain had the phrase "Authority of the Equestrian Heavens" carved into it. This was a slightly intimidating depiction of the Sisters, but one that was the most common. 

"They also raise questions." I said as I pointed at the statue.

"Huh. It seems like you won't have any allies after all this." Vinyl chuckled.

"Guess that's what I get for being nosy."

"Is that a new sword?" Vinyl asked as she inspected my sheath.

I drew the blade. "Oh yes. I bought it yesterday right before I killed Lady Shores."

"Shush!" Vinyl warned me.

"Oh right." I looked around to see if anyone was listening. Thankfully it seemed we were completely ignored.

"What did ya name it?" 

"Name it? It's just a sword."

"That's exactly why. All the great heroes had named swords. Like Commander Hurricane and his sword, Neptune."

"Those swords are legendary. This is a simple falchion." I noted.

"You can still name it. What name would fit the sword of Octavia Melody?"

"Ha, that makes my mind only go to musical terms."

"Adagio, uh....symphony..hm...overture...uhh.....tarantella?" Vinyl suggested.

"Symphony..." I repeated thoughtfully.

"There ya go. The falchion is Symphony." The inventor sounded proud.

I looked at the curved blade. The polished metal showed a reflection of my face. What better name for a weapon of a musician than Symphony? I silently nodded and then sheathed the sword. I looked up to see Vinyl walking off again. Her constant movement was beginning to annoy me. I got up and followed, taking one last look at the fountain before moving on. 





The sound of lively music was approaching as we walked down the street. Vinyl was stepping to the beat. She seemed to be the only one noticing the music as the common folk simply moved on without a care. The band that played the melody came into view. She turned around to face me and walked backwards.

"C'mon Tavi! You were always one to enjoy music."

"Yes, but that was a while ago."

"When did you become so solemn?"

"When I found out how gloomy this world really is."

"That's no excuse."

"It is to me."

Vinyl then stopped right in front of me. I halted right before I walked into her. She crossed her arms and stared at me with her soulless mask. She then outstretched a hand to me.

"We shall enjoy the music." She commanded.

I was confused. "Are you offering me a dance?" 

She simply nodded her head. I stood there without moving. My mouth parted and then closed. What was my friend doing? 

"We can't dance in public like thi...." 

Vinyl grabbed my hand and swung me around. I was taken aback by the force. She then grabbed my other hand and we swung around again. She then let go and began circling around me in the traditional Canterlot fashion. 

"Where did you learn how to dance?" I questioned as she tapped her feet around me.

"I was born and raised in this city. I can pick up a thing or two. Even from an old forge."

"Vinyl, we shouldn't be drawing such attention to ourselves..."

"Naw. It's fine Tavi."

I shrugged. The music was all around me now. People gazed at us as they passed. Some even stopped to watch. I wanted to leave. However, my friend kept me in it. Vinyl grabbed my hand and began circling. I hesitated before circling with her. Might as well, I thought. We switched hands and went the other way. We let go and stood facing each other. We performed a small bow and continued. We stared at each other as we mirrored each other's moves. If Vinyl was trying to cheer me up, it was working. I tried to stop a smile from forming but failed.

"There we go." Vinyl said in satisfaction.

"Oh shut up!" I yelled in jest.

The music continued and we continued dancing. Vinyl was much better at dancing than I had expected. Mainly because I never saw her dance like this before. Maybe we were both stepping out of our comfort zones? Folks started to clap at our performance. Vinyl and I clasped hands and held them at eye level. We then circled around slowly to the beat and guitar. The two of us were dancing at our best with the melody. However, it did not last forever. The drummer made his final hits on the leather drum and the music came to an end. I panted slightly as we stopped. Some people cheered at us.

"So gloomy now?" Vinyl asked me.

"Hmph. Way to embarrass me." I told her with a smile.

"I did not. Ya jus' not used to being loose for once."

"I'll take your word for it."

We walked away from the musicians. The sun was just at its peak in the sky. That meant that no shadows of the towers covered the city. The day was marvelous so far. My calm and solemn demeanor was absent due to my friend's help. At the moment, I was not Den Master, but simply Octavia. The Octavia that was before I was appointed my title. Vinyl put her hand on my shoulder. I was about to tell her something when my stomach growled. I realized that I had not eaten breakfast and it was already noon.

"Let's find something to eat." I suggested.





We didn't have any bitpieces on us. So we had to pickpocket a few off some poor Canterlotians. One actually caught me trying to get her purse. She then screamed and called the Guards. Luckily, Vinyl and I were quick and we ran away before halberds and spears were thrown at us. Shortly afterwards, the Guards were after us again when I accidentally discharged my pistol with my wrist. People screamed and ran away and the Guards were very unhappy about it. Fortunately I shot the pistol into the air, so no one was hurt. After that, I kept the gun unloaded until I needed it. Finally we reached a suitable tavern and went inside to get a meal.

Upon entry, Vinyl took her mask off and I removed my hood. This was due to simple etiquette of not having anything unnecessary on one's head while indoors. There were very few taverns that served food to its customers. It was something new in Canterlot and many were still adjusting to such places. We then sat down an empty table and waited for someone to take notice of us.

The tavern was mostly empty as expected. Taverns did not become crowded until late at night when everyone was done working and wanted to drink the night away. The corners of the tavern had burning incense, much like the lounge in the Den. Soon, a woman approached us.

"What can I do for ya?" She asked us.

"Some bread and wine will do." I said as I handed her our stolen bits.

She took the bits and walked away. Vinyl was gazing out the window next to us. I followed her eyes to a young boy hammering a sword on an anvil. Sparks flew every time he made connect with the red hot steel-to-be. I glanced back at Vinyl.

"Reminds you of when you were an apprentice?" I asked her.

"Yeah. Good times. The old man taught me a lot about makin' stuff. I was good at it too."

"You still are. Must have been hard for him to see you go off."

"Naw. The old man knew about me going into the Brotherhood. I even got his permission. He only wanted me to be there when he needed me."

The woman returned with a plate of fresh bread and two glasses of wine. It was anything but fancy, but I didn't mind. Vinyl wolfed down her bread before I had even touched mine. I scowled at the ill manners at first, but then shrugged and took a bite out of my own bread. 





We talked most of the afternoon away. We sat at the table far longer than what the owner wanted. Our topics varied from the past to the future. Vinyl told me humorous tales of how she almost burned down her master's forge. I in return told her of the time I was arrested because I punched a nobleman who disliked my music. I certainly have always had a temper. Our conversation then turned serious again as I told Vinyl of the Elements.

"They are embedded in their chests?" She said in disgust.

"Yes. Pinkie told me it was painful. She did not say how they embedded themselves into their Bearers though."

"This is why you got curious?"

"Well....Not really. It was when Lady Shimmer told me what she knew. When she brought up the whole Starswirl thing. I have not been able to put my curiosity down since."

"Well that's...." Vinyl was interrupted.

We began to hear a commotion from the outside. The few people in the tavern got up and looked out the windows. I saw a group of crimson clad soldiers pummeling some men. Vinyl and I shot up and ran out the door.

The Templar thugs continued to beat the four men. The soldiers yelled "that's what you get" and "obey next time." Pedestrians watched the mugging in horror. I extended my blades and was about to engage when Vinyl grabbed my shoulder.

"No. There are Guards."

I looked up the street. Like Vinyl said, there were Guards marching up towards the Templar soldiers. The Royal Guards were armed with halberds. They were headed by a woman who wore intricate Imperial Captain Armor. She wore no helmet and I could see that her hair was silver. Behind was a tall Enforcer in white armor. He carried a Gryphonian zweihander on his armored shoulder. The Templar took notice of them and stopped their mugging. Two soldiers aimed their muskets at the Royal Guards. The captain pulled out a pistol and aimed it at the soldiers.

"Stop right there thugs!" She ordered.

A large Templar with Minotaur tribal tattoos stood in front of the rest. "Iron Will is not intimidated."

The captain chuckled loudly. "Trixie can also speak in third person. Now, I shall give you ten seconds to drop your weapons and flee." She had a slight twirl in her r's. 

Iron Will crossed his arms. "We were only doing business."

Captain Trixie laughed. "You call this business? Please, I wasn't born yesterday. I shall not warn you again."

"Oi! Ya think you're so tough eh?" A soldier mocked.

Trixie scowled at the soldier. "Yes, we do. You are in my city, disrupting it! If you do not flee now, we shall throw you off the mountain!"

The Templar returned this threat with musket fire. A Royal Guard fell on his knees and clutched his arm. Trixie fired her pistol and a soldier fell. The two sides then charged each other. The Enforcer cleaved several soldiers in half with his massive sword. The common folk covered their eyes or ran away. The Royal Guard were clearly the better fighters as they quickly dispatched the soldiers. Captain Trixie fought Iron Will one on one. Her Equestrian schiavonia went up against the Templar's ax. She artfully dodged the brute's swings. Finally she cut his torso. Then she sliced into his shoulder. The man grunted in pain. He fell to his knees. She left the blade in him for some time before she nonchalantly tapped the bleeding Templar on the forehead, making him fall over dead. The captain pulled her blade out and wiped the blood off on the brute's clothes before sheathing it. She paused as she inspected the dead man. Trixie bent over and pulled off a necklace that bore a Templar cross. She stared at it intently before placing it in one of her pouches. She turned and faced the crowds.

"No worries dear people. The city is safe again. Carry on with your lives." The people still stood and stared. I saw her clinch her fists. "NOW!"

At the furious shout, common folk scrambled away. Some of them pushing Vinyl and I out of their way. We started walking away from the skirmish as well. The Royal Guards were picking up the corpses and dragging them away. One Guard supported the wounded Guard and they slowly walked to the north. The Enforcer was talking with the captain. I saw him point at us with his armored finger. The captain turned around. I felt her eyes on me. She however, did not do anything. I gulped and glanced at Vinyl who had put on the mask again.

"I do not like this, Vinyl."

"How? The Empire jus' whooped the Templar. We didn't need to do anything."

"Yes...but....It's that captain. There is just something off about her."

"Ha! Maybe it's because she is a woman in the Royal Guard?" Vinyl chuckled.

"No...I didn't mean that. It's something else."

"I guess we'll talk about it at the Den."

"No. I'm not going back to the Den. I shall be off to the Royal Palace."

"Tonight? Really?" The inventor was annoyed.

"Yes Vinyl. You can go back. Do not tell the Bearers of my doing."

"My lips are sealed." She told me reluctantly. 

"Thank you, Vinyl."

"What if you are caught?" Vinyl clearly showed her disapproval with her body language.

"I won't be. Fine, if I am not back by dawn tomorrow, that means something has gone wrong. You have my permission to come after me then."

"I will." She sounded dead serious.

The inventor bowed to me and then climbed up a building and left. I turned to the north. The Grand Royal Palace seemed to beckon me onward. I could clearly see it even with it being a long ways off. I looked at the sun. I only had a few hours left of sunlight. Good, I shall need the cover of darkness for this. I began my trek. Hopefully I shall find answers about the Elements in the Archives. But first, I must speak with a Templar leader.


~

	
	
> Chapter 24: Mistakes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 24: Mistakes


By Octavia Melody

"I am regretting my choice of entry." I told myself.

The moon gazed at me as I climbed the Royal Palace. It was arduous to say the least. The nearest land was miles below me. If I fell, it would have taken me a year to hit the base of the mountain. The Grand Royal Palace hung outward like a tree hanging over a stream. Most of my climb thus far had been at an unfavorable angle. However, at the moment, I was climbing vertically. I stopped to catch my breath.

"Oh, Octavia, what have you gotten yourself into?" I muttered.

My eyes gazed upwards. I was currently climbing one of the Palace's spires. I could see a balcony that stretched out at the top. I wanted to reach this balcony because all of the Palace spires were connected by bridges at the top. It was almost like another city up there. Once I reached one spire, I could easily reach them all. 

After some time, I finally reached the balcony and pulled myself over the railing. I observed my surroundings. There were two bridges leading to different spires. The tower I was on had a large door that went inside. These towers were much wider than the ones to the south, so I suspected a whole bedroom could fit inside. I walked across one bridge to spire. The wind was chilly and strong. I was higher than most of the Canterlot towers, though I still wasn't on the highest point. As I walked from spire to spire, a faint noise was heard.

I saw a lamp illuminating one of the balconies. On the balcony was Lady Shimmer playing a violin. I began to cross the bridge to her, but stopped. She was a Templar. If she saw me, she could raise the alarm. I swung myself over the bridge's railing and began to climb sideways. Her spire was far away from the Palace's base, so there was nothing under me. Her violin playing was moderately skilled. I have heard better, but have also heard much worse. As I approached her balcony from below, the music stopped.

"Lady Shimmer, it is a lovely night." I heard a deep voice call to her.

"Nice of you to join me. I have some tea ready." The Templar tell the man.

I finally reached the balcony. Since there were two of them, I couldn't simply pull myself over the railing. I must wait for my opportunity to reveal myself. So I hung there with my hands on the top of the railing, listening to the two.

"I am sorry, but I am here on business." The man said.

"Oh. Well then, what is the matter?" Sunset Shimmer sounded disappointed.

"It's about Iron Will. The Royal Guard have killed him and his men."

"Damno!" Lady Shimmer spat.

"Indeed. The Empire seems to be catching on to us."

"No, not quite. We still have many assets in the Empire. Just one dead Minotaur native won't change anything."

"I hope so."

The man walked over to the railing. I moved my hands slightly as he rested his on the railing. He gazed out into the distance until his eyes shifted down to my hands. He gasped as he took full notice of me and jumped back. My instincts took hold and I reached at him with my hook, digging it deep into his torso. I then pulled back, making him sail over my shoulder and off the balcony. His screams became faint as he fell down the mountain. I pulled myself over the railing and stared at Sunset Shimmer who was in a red nightgown.

The Templar woman stood with her back against the wall, holding what looked like a bread knife. She pointed the knife at me in a desperate attempt to intimidate me. Her face showed utter fear and her body shook with adrenaline. I slowly walked over to her and grabbed the knife out of hand and tossed it aside. She tried to run away, but I caught her arm and threw her into the wall.

"Let go of me Assassin!" She yelled with new found courage.

"Shush! Be quiet or I'll kill you!" I told her.

"I know that." She said quickly. "Wait...You're the Assassin I met at Fancy Pants' banquet. What was it? Octavius? Something like that?"

"Octavia. Now enough small talk. I need you to get me into the Royal Archives."

"What for? Oh, I see it now. Audaces fortuna iuvat. You are trying to find out about the Elements. Going against your Bearers aren't you?"

"The Bearers are none of your concern. Now get me into the Archives."

"And when I do, what will you do with me? How do I know if you will kill me or not?"

"You don't."

"Fine. Well, we have to be stealthy. I know you do not want to be caught. I don't want to be caught either. If they find out that I am helping a wanted criminal, I'll be in the same boat as you."

The Templar then opened the balcony's door and entered. I followed her with my hidden blade extended. Her room was spacious and well furnished. In the corner was a large bed with bright red-orange covers. A large desk was across from it. From the wood, I could tell it was mahogany. The room also possessed a bookshelf. I saw that most of the books were of ancient Cloudsdalian scholars, which explained Shimmer's constant Cloudsdalian latin usage. 

"Who was that man you were talking to? I asked as I inspected her bedroom.

"Oh him? He's just a courier. One I am....or was very fond of. Until you threw him off the balcony."

I chuckled. The Templar took notice and scowled. I was about to ask her why we had not departed when I realized she was putting shoes on her feet. She then put a shawl over her shoulders. 

"The Archives are a bit cold since they are far below. I rather be comfortable while I have a blade at my back." She told me casually.

Suddenly a knock is heard on the door. A sweet voice emitted from the other side.

"Sunset, can I please come in?" The voice asked.

Sunset Shimmer's eyes widened. She then hastily gestured for me to hide. I quickly hid behind the bed while lying on the floor. I heard the Templar open the door.

"Your Highness. It is a pleasure to see you. But I must ask, why at this late hour?" 

"Oh, Sunset, don't you remember? It's Sunday night. We have tea at this hour." 

"Oh yeah....Well, I have my studies. I cannot do so tonight."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Empress Celestia. Can we do it tomorrow?" Sunset suggested.

"Certainly. I....I shall leave you to your studies then." The Empress did not seem convinced.

The door shut again and I heard the Templar sigh in relief. She then stomped over to where I was hiding and pointed a threatening finger at me.

"You....You'll be the death of me."

"Please. I do not think Celestia would be like that." I stood up.

"It's not Celestia.....It's her sister Luna. She'll see right through both of us and we'll end up hanging!"

"Are we going now?"

"Yeah, yeah."

She started to walk out the door. I followed close behind her, making sure my blade was ready in case she made a wrong move. The door led to a wide flight of stairs that spiraled down the spire. I crouched and we moved silently down the steps.

"Why didn't we take the outside bridges?" I asked.

"And go through Blueblood's room? No. You'll have to trust me Assassin. I know this Palace like a book."

I blinked at the odd simile. We continued down the steps until we finally reached the bottom. The bottom led to a large hallway with two guards clad in dark blue armor. Their helmets had what looked like a fin streaking down the middle. Sunset and I crouched behind a table to avoid their eyesight.

"Are those...."

"The Night Watch? Yes. We must get by them. It's the quickest way to the Archives."

I watched as one of the Night Watch walked away. The other simply stood there with his arms crossed. I fell back behind the cover of the table, thinking of what to do, finally I thought of a plan. I placed my fingers to my mouth and whistled, making sure it was not too loud.

"Huh?" The Night Watcher began to come over to investigate.

"What are you doing?" Sunset whispered.

When the Watcher was next to us, I jumped out and stabbed him in the neck. I then quickly hid his body under the table we were behind. Sunset cringed at the gruesome display. She soon recovered and took the lead.

The Palace was just as large as it appeared from the outside. The ceiling itself was as high as most structures in the city. The floor was covered in soft red carpet. The stained glass windows depicted scenes from Equestrian history. Most had The Sisters conquering some country or saving some city. Gold and blue banners hung from the ceiling. The gold banners had Celestia's Sun while the blue had Luna's Moon. Stairs went this way and that, crisscrossing and spiraling over each other. I could tell it was easy to get lost in such a place. 

"Down these stairs." The Templar told me.

We went down another flight of steps. We entered a long thin hallway. Flanking either side of the hallway were statues of rearing alicorns. Their wings were spread and their horns touched each other at the top making some sort of archway. It was much different than the rest of the Palace.

"You can tell when you've entered an old part of the Palace. Early Equestria loved their horses." The Templar informed me. 

We silently traveled the hallway to the very end where a large door was closed in front of us. The metal door had a carving of a hooded woman reading a scroll. I had seen this woman before in a library. She was Clover the Clever of the Frozen Lands. The first known woman to be literate and the one who proposed the Archives' creation. Her clothes were rags and her flowing hair was unkempt. The scroll she held possessed the words "Res Audita Perit. Litera Scripta Manet." Sunset Shimmer stood up and walked next to the door.

"Alright. To enter the Archives, you must have the password. So that means there is a guard on the other side. There are actually five guards: The Archive Guardians. One is at each entrance and one patrols the entire area from the outside. So hide while I knock and then charge in once the door is opened."

I did as she ordered. When she saw that I was hidden, she reached her arm to the door. She paused and looked at me.

"Cover your ears." She said.

"For what purpose?"

"I....I don't want you to know the password. Only the most trusted can know it."

I grunted and covered my ears. Her paranoia in me returning to the Archives was false, but I didn't want to waste time arguing. Sunset smiled at my obedience and knocked. A slide in the door opened and I saw a dark helmet look through. Sunset said the password and the Guardian opened the door. I ran from my hiding spot and entered into the Archives.

"Hey!" The Guardian shouted at me.

I turned on the Guardian and kicked him in the knee. He stumbled and I grabbed him from behind, placing him in a choke hold. I squeezed his neck tightly until he passed out. His body was then dragged to a dark corner. Sunset simply stood there with her arms crossed.

"Well, at least you didn't kill him." She muttered.

"Do you think the others heard?"

"No. The Archives are too massive for such sound to reach the other side."

This made me observe the Archives. My jaw dropped as the rows and rows of bookshelves went on forever. Some shelves spiraled upwards and some went to the high ceiling. I then realized this was only one level as I saw stairs and floors above me. Then my mind contemplated the thousands upon thousands of books here. A fine sweat built up on me as I realized that this was the haystack and I must find the needle.

"Any ideas of where to start?" I asked meekly.

Sunset chuckled. "Please. I have this place memorized."





"Here are some more tomes." Sunset handed me some more books.

I took the books without much thought. We had been at this for some time. All the information I had gathered thus far had been aspects of the Elements I already knew or knew were false. Starswirl had many stories on these shelves, some I remember reading to Twilight when she taught me to read. All his stories had the same basic outlines of Chaos and Order. The Elements were designed to give Harmony not only to the collective, but to the individual as well. There was nothing about how he forged them or any origins other than "he made them." I sat back in my chair and sighed. I saw the Templar smile mockingly in the candlelight.

"You see my predicament now? So many questions and no answers." Sunset leaned on a reading table.

"It doesn't make sense! Where did they come from?"

"Hmph. My theory is that he found them."

"Found them? But where, Shimmer? What place could hold such things?"

"I do not know. What we do know is that there are six Elements and that they grant their Bearers powers."

"They also embed themselves in the Bearers' chests. I have seen it myself."

"Gruesome isn't it? Starswirl must have been a madman to use such things."

"I just do not know why the Bearers will not tell me."

"Maybe they fear the answer? They fear retaliation if you know the truth."

"Retaliation? What would the Brotherhood do? They have all served well. I do not think some more history on the subject will do such a thing."

"Are you sure? I am sure you would hate working with people who keep secrets, especially in an organization where all is family. Family do not keep secrets. Your Creed is there so that you can feel like you are helping the world. Maybe the Elements do not believe in your Creed? They may have their own.

"The Assassin's Creed should not play in this. This is about the Elements' origins, not their viewpoints."

"It has to. From your information, the Elements are sentient. You have caught the Bearers referring to themselves as "Us" and "We." The Elements think, so they have a purpose, an agenda. I do not know what that objective is, but it must involve the Assassins, otherwise, they would have left your Brotherhood."

"What do you think they pursue?" I asked.

"Harmony. What else would it be? The Elements are incarnations of ideas. Loyalty, Laughter, et cetera. They feel that the Brotherhood is their best chance of accomplishing such a purpose. The Templar do not believe in Harmony, so that's why the Elements despise us so."

"That doesn't explain why they are secretive."

"Yes it does. They are using you for their own gains. Your Creed is against such advantage taking. They lead you astray with their Bearers and you follow them blindly. If you found out, the Elements will be dispose of."

"Then they are like you Templar." I muttered.

"Not quite. The Templar would not be as savage as them. They are creating Chaos by using the Brotherhood to slay all those who oppose them. There are no laws with them. They have no Order."

"Order? They do have Order. For Order is needed for Harmony."

"Harmony is a false representation of Order. The Brotherhood believes that if everyone is free, then they will work together. Humanity cannot operate like that. People only wish to help themselves and never others. That is, unless it benefits the helper. Humans require someone to give them direction. To tell them what to do. That is how you make laws."

"Laws based off wrongdoing and control. That is your law. Rightful law is based off of truth and not what rulers say."

"Auctoritas non veritas facit legem!" Sunset spat at me.

The Archives became quiet after the Templar's outburst. I sat in my chair and stared at her. Her eyes were filled with anger. My words had tipped her off. I did not know what the she had yelled at me since I did not understand much latin. However, I did feel slightly smug. My words had cut through a Templar leader, forcing her to backlash. I felt like it was a small victory. My little joy was shortened when she leaned towards me.

"You shall find out that Harmony is not what you believe it is. That all the killing and death your Brotherhood wrought is for not. Those Bearers are not your friends. They seek to rule like everyone else. The Elements know that they are beyond human potential. They know that they are worthy of commanding lesser beings like us. If your Brotherhood wins, the Bearers will turn on you. Their only obstacle would be the Two Sisters. They would kill the Sisters like they did everyone else and then dictate this Empire in their Harmony."

I stood up from my chair. "And you shall find out that men have the ability to rule themselves. They do not need some Templar over their backs telling them what to do. Your Order conceals truth and only displays false wishes to the people. I remember your agents on the Summer Sun Celebration, telling the people it was time for revolution. The Templar only wish to rule and feast on the earnings of others. Your Order is so corruptible. I believe that you want peace, but you go through so much death to win it. You place men and women in your Order who only want a chance at reaching the top. They have no wish for peace. If you win, the Empire will collapse as the Templar take the freedom that makes Equestria thrive."

"This Empire is my homeland too. I want the very best for it, I swear by the Sun. The Sisters have ruled long enough and this Empire remains on the same borders as a hundred years ago. Progress has been lost. The only technology added to the Empire in the last century have all come from Templar engineering. The Templar progress humanity. That is what I want for Equestria."

"Progress shall be made with the Sisters. They have ruled countless years and still have made this land flourish. Look in the city! Trade and people fill every corner of this capital. This has all been done with free lands."

"Look outside Canterlot! Baltimare, Manehatten, Appleloosa, and Dodge City. All were great towns and cities, now lawless piles of Chaos! Appleloosa is a ghost town thanks to the Brotherhood. Baltimare has separated itself from the Empire because of your Bearer of Loyalty. Manehatten has no regard for the Sisters anymore and trade without their consent. Dodge City is dry and impecunious. Cloudsdale is the only well-off city other than Canterlot. And that city is under Templar control, under our Absolute Order!"

"You forgot about Ponyville. That village thrives with no Templar influence. People there live in peace and quiet even with our war surrounding them."

"Let's see how it is when the war reaches them. Ponyville is a haven for Assassins. I know this. That's why they are going to be our testing grounds."

"Testing grounds? Are you going to..."

"Attack it? Not the Templar. We do not operate in broad daylight nor with massive armies bearing our cross. Now the Crystal Republic, they may have plans for the village." A smile formed on her lips.

"You bloody bitch!"

I grabbed her and slammed her into the reading table. She grabbed a book and smacked me across the face. The force spun my head and stunned me. She took the opportunity to escape my grasp and began running. I wiped the blood from my mouth and chased after her.

"You won't get away, you bloody Templar!" I grunted at her.

"Guards! Guards! I'm under attack!" She screamed.

She weaved through the aisles of bookshelves. Her knowledge of the area gave her the advantage as I missed turns and crashed into small furniture. The sound of metal footsteps echoed through the Archives. I entered a row and had a clear shot at the fleeing Templar. I lifted my wrist and aimed at her. I fired and she fell over. I heard her scream in pain and I ran over to her.

The Templar was hit in the right arm. I cursed as I realized it was not a fatal shot. Sunset Shimmer got back on her feet and ran. I reloaded my gun and raised it again. Before I fired, I was tackled by a Guardian. He threw me into a stone bookshelf, making many books fall off. I could not get back to my feet as he grabbed me again by the leg and slammed me into another shelf. I blindly fired my pistol. He let go and clutched his bleeding shoulder. 

"Help!" He yelled.

The other Guardians arrived. I stood up and into a fighting position. I did not want to kill the Guardians, but I felt that I must. I pulled out Symphony and pointed it at them. They drew their blades as well. It was a standoff.

"Put down your weapon intruder!" A Guardian demanded.

"My quarrel is not with you." I told them.

"It is now since you harmed Lady Shimmer!" 

I swung at a Guardian. He deflected my attack with his own blade. I swung again with the same results. Suddenly the wounded Guardian I shot grabbed me from behind. I struggled to get out of his grasp. Even with his injury, he held to me tight. A Guardian walked up to me and lifted his fist over his head. Before I could react, the armored hand hurled at my face. It all went black.


~

	
	
> Chapter 25: Answers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 25: Answers


By Octavia Melody

I awoke with a frustrated sigh. My plans to acquire knowledge ended up in a heated argument with a Templar. I could have done better. I could have avoided such a dispute. Now the Elements were still mostly unknown. Was Sunset Shimmer right? Were the Bearers using the Brotherhood for their own gains? Maybe I would discuss it with Vinyl. Wait, where was I? All around me were black walls and the sound of dripping water. The bed I was laying on was not my bed and rather felt like hay. I sat up. The jingle of chains startled me. I looked down to see my hands and ankles in shackles. I was not even in my robes. Instead, I was in a prisoner rag. My head was struck with the final memory. I was attacked by the Guardians, I was knocked out. I was now in the Old Dungeon.

"Oh, how could I have been so foolish!?" I slapped my hands over my face.

"Oh, you're awake?" A soft voice asked me from the darkness.

I looked to my right to see a figure sitting on a much better bed than me. The figure was also much better dressed than I, wearing what looked like Assassin robes. I could not see much detail in the darkness, but the voice was recognizable.

"Bearer?" I asked the figure.

"Yup. It's good to see you Den Master." The Bearer of Kindness said in a cheerful voice.

"How long have I been here?"

"Oh, about three hours. It's really early morning. You came in with a broken nose. But don't worry, I healed it."

I felt my nose. It felt perfect like before. I only nodded in silent thanks. Then my mind noticed something.

"Why are you in your robe and I am in.....these?"

"Oh, that's because the Guards are nice. Bulk and Trixie often come and talk with me. They think I am important, so they give me special treatment. Though, I don't know why they think of me like that. I am just Fluttershy."

I felt like slapping my forehead. "Of course they think you're important. You are a Bea....." I paused and inspected her.

My quest for truth was not over. Here was a Bearer in the same cell as me. A Bearer that was not known for attacking or even retaliating. I pondered how I could get information out of her. I had to beat down my will to strangle the truth out of her. I was still an Assassin. I could and should not do such things. I shrugged and asked her a question.

"Bearer.....Fluttershy, may I ask you a question?"

"Uh.....Of course."

"How were the Elements made?"

She sat silent. I began to regret my direct approach. She began to squirm in the darkness. I could hear her stammer and think aloud. Finally, she came up with one full syllable.

".....No?"

"That's your answer?" I was thoroughly enraged. "I...What...You bloody Bearers!"

"I...I'm sorry. Did I give the wrong answer?"

"Yes! I......Oh forget it."

I leaned back on the cell wall and slumped over. I felt defeated. The truth was right next to me, and I couldn't even get it. Fluttershy took notice of my sudden change of mood. She leaned forward and clasped her hands.

"I guess....I guess We may tell you." She began.

My heart lifted. Fluttershy still looked apprehensive. She started muttering some inaudible sounds. It was clear that she was fighting with the Element. She finally sighed and began to tell me about the Elements.

"We...Well, the Elements weren't created. I mean, they had to be created at some point, but well, not by Starswirl. Starswirl found the Elements in their home. They took Us...er them. He took them from their home. We came along, We wanted more. He told Us about the Templar, about the awful people that wanted to rule this world. The Elements couldn't allow such a thing to pass. We......We wanted to help humanity. So We left with him. We knew We could help, but We needed a host, a shelter to carry Us on the journey. We needed Bearers. I am sure you know the rest."

"Home? What's your home?"

"The Tree. The lovely, bright, harmonious Tree. We are seeds, simple seeds of this Tree."

"Where is this Tree?"

"No.....We can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Becau.....Because it can't be known. We don't want to go home. Our task is not yet finished."

"What? Just because I know where the Tree is doesn't mean I'll take you back to it."

"Yes, yes it does. No, you shall remain ignorant of Our home. Please...." 

"Who am I talking to? The Bearer or the Element?"

She paused. "Right now, me, Fluttershy."

"Can I speak with the Element?"

"With Kindness? She.....It is not pleasant giving her complete control." Fluttershy's voice began to falter.

"Please Fluttershy?"

"I....Alright...You heard Octavia.....I guess I can give you a minute...."

She began to clutch her chest. Her breath became heavy. I did not know what I had just asked of the Bearer. I started to become scared as the Bearer grunted in pain. However, it suddenly stopped. The Bearer opened her eyes and flooded the cell with light. Her eyes were white and glowing brightly.

"Hmm....Well now you see, Den Master." The voice that uttered from Fluttershy's mouth was not the same.

"Are you the Element?"

"Yes, my name is Kindness. You are very curious about us aren't you?"

"I....Yes. Why don't you wish to go home?"

"Because we will lose the fight. Our purpose is to establish Harmony to the land so close to us. Until that is achieved, we shall remain out in this world."

"Is that what the Brotherhood is for? Your own gains?"

"If you think we are taking advantage of you, you are misled. We do not order you any more than a brother asks his twin for a favor."

"Then why....Why must you train us to kill? Why do you hate the Templar?"

"Because the Templar do not wish peace like they say. They only wish to stuff their purses. We have seen many like this throughout the millennia. The only way to stop such people is through death, for there are many who will not change."

"I do not think of that when I hear Kindness!" 

"Nor should you. When we were in the Tree, we would say that as well. However, Starswirl showed us our true purpose. We must achieve that purpose in any way possible."

"Are you saying that I'm ignorant?"

"No. We are saying...." The Element was interrupted.

Footsteps could be heard down the black hallway. Fluttershy's body tensed up for a moment and the glowing eyes left her. The Bearer panted in fatigue. I was still in slight shock by the Element's rough possessing of Fluttershy. The sound of footsteps approached. I could tell it was at least four people heading our way. The hallway became illuminated as the group had a torch with them. The group reached our cell and faced us. They were certainly guests that I did not want to speak with at the moment. It was Sunset and the three Wonderbolts.

"This is what you get Assassin. My arm is never going to be the same thanks to you." Sunset Shimmer gestured to her bandaged arm.

"Oh, I am honored to be in your presence." I said sarcastically.

Fleetfoot giggled at this. She was abruptly silenced by a glare from Sunset. Sunset pointed at me with a threatening finger.

"You are going to hang for this, I swear by the Sun. You and the Bearer both!"

Spitfire spoke up. "Lady Shimmer, we have tried that before. Empress Luna won't execute Fluttershy. She finds no wrong with her."

"Ah, Captain. We can try again. Since we have another Assassin here, we could pinpoint a crime on her through Octavia." Sunset pondered.

"I don't see why we can't kill them now." Soarin mumbled.

Spitfire raised a brow. "What Honor is there in that?"

Sunset shook her head. "No, killing them now would raise questions among the Royal Guard. The last thing we need is more of them killing us."

"I'm sorry that we are an inconvenience." Fluttershy uttered.

The Templar stopped their bickering and gazed at the Bearer with confusion. I too was confused by the sincerity in the Bearer's voice, but I was not surprised by it. The apology from the Bearer seemed to have taken the angry breath out of the Templar agents that stood outside my cell. Sunset Shimmer grunted in annoyance and walked off. The Wonderbolts stood and watched her depart.

"Damno! These horrid floors ruined my shoes. I need new ones. Another bloody task on my list." Celestia's student complained.

Spitfire chuckled. "Canterlotians." She turned to me. "Sorry it had to be this way Den Master. It's necessary for this Empire. Bearer, have a nice night. Valete!"

With that, the Wonderbolts left and the hall became engulfed in darkness once again. The Templar were very anxious to rid me. I even held an audience with four of their top agents and leaders. I felt special. As I thought about this, I turned to Fluttershy. She was laying on her cot, trying to get some rest. I should get some shut eye too. I tried to get comfortable on my hay pile. My chains making unwanted noises. Finally I found a reasonable position and closed my eyes.





I awoke to the sound of bird singing. The squawks and chirps greatly annoyed me. Wait...They sounded awfully close. I propped myself up off of my hay and frantically searched my cell. My eyes found the Bearer of Kindness standing by the cell window, feeding the small birds that filled my ears with such agony. The sight was so strange, I stammered as I took it all in.

"Bea.....Bearer? What....What are you doing?

"Oh, good morning Octavia. I'm feeding my friends. This one is Jacques and that one is Breezy and that one is Olivia." She pointed to the birds that stood between the window's iron bars.

I responded by rubbing my face. I had forgotten that she was an animal caretaker before she was chosen. To even further my morning grumpiness, the Bearer began to hum along with the birds. I will admit that it was an adorable scene between woman and nature, but it felt wrong in such a time as this. I grunted and got to my feet, making my chains rattle loudly. The birds pecked the small pieces of food that the Bearer gave them. My stomach growled at this display. 

"Bearer, what are you feeding them with?" I asked as I envied the birds.

"Oh, it's our bread we got a few minutes ago." She told me in her cheerful voice.

My face became red with rage. The birds were eating our food? No, No! I angrily shooed the birds away. Once they flew away I turned to Fluttershy. I saw that he Bearer was still holding a chunk of bread in her hand. I snatched it from her and took a bite from it. Making sure that I showed no Canterlotian manners.

"Well....That wasn't very nice..." Fluttershy muttered in defeat.

"Hmph. It's better than giving it to the crows." I responded.

"Actually, Jacques is a parrot." The Bearer said in a matter-of-fact way.

I shook my head at the Bearer as I ate the bread. With my hunger sated for now, I was satisfied. Well, as satisfied as one imprisoned could be. The Old Dungeon became quiet until the sound of metal footsteps could be heard from down the hall. Fluttershy instantly brightened at this. I shrugged to show her my confusion. She simply responded by pointing at the iron door. Soon, a large knight in white armor appeared at the door. His armor was that of an Enforcer. His large zweihander was strapped over his back. It was the same Enforcer I saw cleave through Iron Will's men.

"Is she bothering you m'lady?" The giant asked Fluttershy.

"Oh. No, she's fine." The Bearer turned to me. "Octavia, this is Bulk."

The Enforcer bowed. "Bulkian Becips IV of Cloudsdale, at your service."

This day was becoming stranger with every minute. "Uh...I'm Octavia Melody. It is a pleasure."

"No one ever introduces me!" A loud voice emitted.

A woman joined the Enforcer. She was tall, but still only reached the Enforcer ribs. Her silver hair and pink eyes complimented her Imperial Captain armor. She held her golden helmet at her side. A pistol and sword were strapped around her waist. She grinned at the Bearer and I with confidence. 

"It seems we are always capturing more of your kind." The captain observed.

Fluttershy spoke up again. "This is Captain Trixie Lulamoon. She is Bulk's boss."

"Rightly so." Trixie said proudly. "It always wonderful to have such a man under you." She patted the Enforcer's armor.

The captain continued. "However, we are not here on such talk. Both of you are very similar people. How you dress and how you move. You even carried the same wrist blades. I would be a fool if I didn't see a connection. That's why I placed both of you in the same cell. It would be too much to keep track of you two in different cells."

"Alright. What are you getting at?" I asked.

"What Trixie is getting at is, this." She pulled out the Templar necklace she got from Iron Will.

"We know you are involved with this symbol." Bulk said in his deep monotone voice.

"Lady Shimmer bears the same cross. You two, however, both carried this symbol. " Trixie pulled out a hidden blade and showed us the Assassin insignia that was engraved on it.

"Maybe if you let us go, we'll tell you." I suggested.

Trixie laughed. "Ha! Fluttershy has a shard in her chest and you are a wanted murderer. I don't think that's an option."

The Bearer sighed. "We are Assassins. The Assassins are a brotherhood of men and women who seek to protect this land from the Templar, who wear that cross. They want Order, Absolute Order to be exact. We Assassins want Harmony and Freedom."

Trixie pondered this. "So you Templar and Assassins are the reason for all these deaths lately?"

Fluttershy shrugged. "For about the past 200 years."

There was a pause from the two Imperials. A grin began to form on the captain's face. Before I knew it, she was laughing hysterically.

"200 years? Ha! An underground war that has raged through the Empire for 200 years?! That's preposterous! This should be well known by now if it's been going on for that long. Ha!" She stopped laughing as she observed our faces. "You're serious?"

I nodded. "Exceedingly."

"What?" The captain muttered. "What? This has been going on right under our noses. Under the Sisters' noses?"

"We are good at going unnoticed." I told her.

"And Lady Shimmer is with these Templar?"

"Yes."

"Then why were you with her in the Archives?"

A deadly silence took hold of the Old Dungeon. I saw Fluttershy's open mouth in the corner of my eye. Her eye was twitching. I thought of some excuse to say, but I knew it wouldn't matter. Trixie shifted her eyes from me to the Bearer and back. It was evident that she knew she said something that would get me punished. The Bearer finally sighed and faced me.

"Yes, Den Master. What were you doing in there?" Her voice was not as soft.

Bulk, Trixie, and Fluttershy stared at me, awaiting my answer. If I told the truth, the Brotherhood would be furious with me. If I said that I was trying to assassinate Shimmer, the Empire would hang me. If I said anything else, they wouldn't believe me. So I took the coward's way out.

"I want....I want a cell transfer."

"Oh no you don't!"

The Bearer grabbed me and threw me into the wall. Her quickness was shocking. I didn't fight back and simply shielded myself as Fluttershy kicked at me. The iron door swung open and Bulk took hold of Fluttershy. He pulled her away with one arm and held her in the air. She squirmed and struggled.

"Let go of me!" She yelled.

"Calm down m'lady. Take a deep breath." The Enforcer soothed her.

The Bearer did as he suggested. She stopped struggling and looked at me. "I'm....I'm sorry, I didn't know what came over me."

Trixie walked over to me and pulled me up. She then led me out of the cell. "Cell transfer approved."

"Thank you Captain Trixie." I whispered.

"I have never seen her fight like that before. You must have really pissed her off."

"You could say that."

Trixie led me to an empty cell down the hallway. Inmates stared at me as I passed. Men, women, there was no separation in the Old Dungeon. You were all the same: criminals. Before I was placed in my new cell, the captain unlocked my shackles and removed them from my wrists. However, she left the shackles on my legs.

"Trixie does not trust you completely. A woman that could scale the Palace should have extra security."

I simply grunted and sat on my new cot. The bed was not as fine as the Bearer's, but it was better than the hay. Trixie closed the iron door. I expected her to walk off, but instead she stood there with her arms crossed.

"Yes?" I asked impatiently.

"Fluttershy said you Assassins protect the Empire, no?" She questioned.

"Yes. That's our purpose."

"Then why all the secrecy? Is it because of your methods?"

"Yes, we do not want the people to turn on the Empire if we killed someone they liked or trusted. Since we are not affiliated with the Empire, the people will turn on us and not you."

"It doesn't make sense. You kill so many, just to protect?"

"Yes."

She patted her sword. "You know, I joined the Royal Guard to protect people. To save people. Trixie carries this sword and this pistol, weapons that were designed to slaughter fellow humans, to protect people, to save them from dying. As a Guard, my job is not to kill villains, but to help those who cannot help themselves. Your Brotherhood has weaponry beyond the Empire's engineering, yet you use them to only kill. That is the difference between you and I. I seek to aid, you seek to destroy."

"How dare you!" I sprung up and grabbed the iron bars. "The Brotherhood fights to save this nation. We fight to save the future generations!"

"The future generations be damned if we don't get through THIS generation. You Assassins only seem to see those you help and not those you harm."

"The Templar are evil doers that seek to rule this land. The Assassins must end them in any way possible!"

"I'm sure the Templar say the same about you. You two are no different. You both seek power and influence in this Empire. You both kill to get it. Trixie sees this as two-faced coin. I flip and get Templar, it will be the same if I flip and get Assassins. Another thing about a coin, the sides never leave each other. If this war has gone for over 200 years, it will go another 200."

"We fight until there is peace."

"No, you don't understand. You and the Templar are the only reason we aren't in peace! The Empire would thrive without your kind."

My eyes fell. I was angry, but I could not utter any harsh words at her. It felt so true, but I didn't want to accept it. My mind filled with the faces of those I killed. Templar or not. Most of them, I did not give a second thought at their death. But Sir Rich, Lady Shores, and my first victim as an Assassin ripped at my heart. So many faces stared at me, and I was just one Assassin. There were many Brothers out there and have been for 200 years. My mind could not calculate the massive amount of death we have wrought. The guilt made me slide to the cold floor. I kept my eyes away from the captain. She crouched and looked at me.

"If Trixie were Empress, I would track all of your kind and the Templar as well. I would hunt you down and give you true Justice. It would be the only to improve this Empire."

I nodded. "And we would deserve it."

"That is what Trixie thought."

The captain began to walk away. I cleared my throat and called to her.

"Captain?"

She stopped. "Yes?"

"Can I have something?"

"What would you want?"

"A quill, ink, and some parchment."

"As you wish." Trixie left to give me what I had requested.


~


	
> Bearer Chapter: Kindness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Gore is ahead)

Yearling stretched her neck. The night was late and she barely kept awake. She lazily reached for her coffee mug. She dragged it to her face and took a sip. To her disappointment, the mug was empty of its precious caffeine-filled nectar. This caused her to slump onto her couch. She didn't want to fall asleep. Too much to do, must stay awake. Her laptop rested on the table beside Octavia's writings. Octavia, Elements, Trixie, they were all the same to her at the moment. Wait. Trixie? As in Trixie Lulamoon?

Yearling sat right up and grabbed her laptop. She brought up a search engine and typed the Imperial Captain's name in it. Millions of results popped up. Images of a regal woman with silver hair and sword appeared on the screen. Yearling began to skim through the information that the search got for her.

"Trixie Lulamoon. Born from a poor family. Spent early years on a rock farm....Joined the Royal Guard, first woman to do so. Soared through ranks...Became Empress. Trixie was self-crowned Empress after the reign of the Two Sisters. Known for her just reign and establishing a republic in place of the Equestria Empire. Reigned in the 4th Imperial Era to 1st Republic Era."

Yearling leaned back and sighed. "Oh, how could I have missed that?" She lowered her head to look at Octavia's writings. "Huh, the Den Master met a future ruler."

The door to Yearling's room swung open. This startled the woman and her laptop slid off her lap. Dr. Caballeron walked through the door with a raised brow. Yearling gave him a sheepish smile.

"Hi Doc! I was jus' researching stuff."

"Really? What a surprise." He returned in sarcasm. "Was it on the Elements?"

"Uh...No. It was on Trixie, as in the Trixie that became Empress. She's in Octavia's writings."

"Interesting. But, we can't get sidetracked with history we already know. The higher-ups wanted me to research a specific aspect of the Elements."

"Oh? What do they want?"

"They want to know how the Elements choose their Bearers. I want you to go into a memory of a Bearer right before they were chosen. It will give us an idea of how it's done."

"Wait, Octavia made a discovery in her writings. The Elements are seeds of..."

"The Tree of Harmony? Yes, we know that. You discovered the Tree yourself. That's where the Elements were."

"Kindness told Octavia that they didn't want to go back to the Tree."

"Well, then they didn't get their wish. Heh, maybe we helped them by taking them out again. But anyway, we got to do this tonight. Might as well get it over with."

Yearling sighed. "Which Bearer?"

"You choose."

The woman pondered this. "Fluttershy."

"Alright. Get ready for foggy weather." Caballeron prepared the Animus.

Yearling slowly walked over to the Animus. She didn't really want to do this at the moment. She was tired and wanted rest. But, you can't just ignore the Elements. They could lead to great scientific discovery or better yet, important facts in history. Yearling laid herself on the Animus and closed her eyes.





Cloudsdale, Equestria Empire

4th Imperial Era

The old city of Cloudsdale built itself out of memory. Temples and statues of ancient warriors shaped themselves and were hidden in a thick fog. Cloudsdalians went about their ways. One Couldsdalian in particular gently walked through a grassy plaza. The area was mostly empty, except for the small animals that followed behind the Cloudsdalian. This Cloudsdalian was a young girl with long pink hair that covered her left eye. She wore simple garments and a green cloak to keep herself warm. She threw out small bites of food to the critters around her.

"Oh, Angel, you must not eat so much." She told a small white rabbit.

The rabbit stopped and looked at her. The annoyance could be felt from his stare alone. Fluttershy shook her head and he scampered off, as if he understood every word from the girl. Fluttershy then continued her slow walk. The few people that passed her by gave her odd looks. Many of these were returned with an awkward wave from the girl. The young girl sighed.

"They always look at me like that. I don't know why." She said to her animal friends.

Fluttershy began to walk down a flight of stairs. Cloudsdale was built on the side of a mountain. This made it be divided into several levels. The lowest level was in the east and the highest in the south. As Fluttershy descended, she passed many old ruins. Cloudsdale had been sacked centuries ago and rebuilt. The surviving structures still remained as new ones were built next to them. This gave Cloudsdale a past to present feel. She enjoyed the city for this. She hadn't been anywhere else in her life, but she felt at home here. This was probably due to her complete ancestry living in Cloudsdale. She could see their way of life even in hers. A song her grandmother taught her came to mind. She began to sing it as the animals followed her. The Cloudsdalian latin echoed off the ruins.


atas sancto ut, ata nam regna 
atas sancto ut, ata nam regna
resus animae sat
resus animae sat


She stopped her singing when she heard a noise behind her. She looked back to see a man in white dashing on the rooftops. He vanished in the fog above. She tried to resume her singing but the man's appearance scared her. Who was he? Why was he running on the rooftops? She continued her trek across the city. She became more cautious as the figure she saw stayed in her mind. 

Another noise was heard. She turned to see a woman in white robes leaning on an old fountain. The city seemed empty as she was alone with Fluttershy. The strange woman simply gazed at the girl, her face was shrouded by a low, pointed hood. Fluttershy walked pass the woman. The girl noticed that her animal friends had disappeared. Fear gripped her and she began to walk faster. She looked over her shoulder to see the white woman following her casually. There was something not right with this woman, Fluttershy thought. The girl took a turn into a small gap between building and a rock ledge. 

"Please don't follow me through here." Fluttershy begged under her breath.

Sure enough, the woman entered the gap. Fluttershy began to sweat. Panic took hold and she sprinted off. This woman was after her, she knew it. She didn't know why, but she couldn't think of such matters right now. She had to get away.

"Hey! Get back here!" The woman yelled at her.

Fluttershy ran with all her might. She didn't know where she was heading. She tried to look for a friendly face, someone she could hide behind, but alas, the city was empty. She had run into an old and sparsely populated part of Cloudsdale. She had to rely on her speed and endurance.

"Why are you chasing me? I'm a nobody!" Fluttershy asked her pursuer.

"You'll be a somebody soon." The woman replied.

"You don't have to run, little one."

The sudden voice made Fluttershy trip over and fall on the cold stone road. She started to desperately crawl away from her chaser. She stopped as she entered the shadow of a man that stood over her. She looked up at him. The cloaked man crossed his arms and returned the stare. Fluttershy began to crawl backwards and bumped into the woman that had chased her. She was surrounded.

"Calm yourself down."

"Who....Who are you?" Fluttershy asked meekly.

The man chuckled. "We would explain, but you'll know it soon enough, that is, if you are our next Kindness."

"Next Kindness? I guess that sounds alright..."

"Oh, it's more than alright."

"Where is that voice coming from?" Fluttershy questioned as she searched her surroundings.

The man smiled broadly. Fluttershy took notice and became afraid again. His smile was that of one who saw another pass a test or accomplish some feat. He pointed his finger to the right. Fluttershy turned to see another man in white approaching with a small chest in his hands. The chest bore the symbol of a golden ornamental unicorn with several circles around it. The chest was old, very old. The man who carried it did not have the same robes as the others. His robes were long and more formal. It looked like what a priest would wear. This also showed the man's age, as he had a thick gray beard. Fluttershy began to scramble away, but the white woman grabbed her arm and held her.

"Don't run, this is your blessing." She whispered in Fluttershy's ear.

The young man took hold of Fluttershy's other arm and held her in an spreadeagle position. The old man opened the chest to reveal a pulsing pink crystal. He walked up to the girl. The crystal pulsed more quickly as it approached.

"Yes, there you are."

"I'm....I'm a nobody, you don't have to do whatever it is that you are doing!" Fluttershy begged.

The old man waved a soothing hand at her. "Girl, do not be afraid. What you are about to receive is the ultimate gift of this world."

"Why me?! I....I am Fluttershy! The animal caretaker....I....Don't!" The girl could barely utter words between her tears.

"Let us begin." The old man muttered.

"Yes. Let's begin."

The old man picked up the shard and placed the chest on the ground. He walked over to Fluttershy and crouched slightly. The girl struggled to get away, but the man and woman held her in place. The old man moved the crystal to Fluttershy's chest. The pulsing became erratic. She could feel the crystal's presence in every way. The sound of its voice, the thumping of the pulse hitting her body, the warmness that emitted from it, it all told signs of something very alive. 

"It will go best if you do not struggle." The old man warned her.

"What? What is it going to do?"

"Here, we'll show you."

The old man let go of the crystal and it floated over to her. It then latched onto her chest and began ripping her clothes off. It did not have any arms or legs, so Fluttershy did not know how it was doing this. Once it reached skin, it started ripping that off as well. It took a moment before the agony reached her and she began to scream. The shard did not heed her and continued drilling itself in her. It reached the ribs and began pulling them out with an unequal force. It was trying to reach the heart. Once it had butterflied all her ribs it grabbed her heart. Her veins and arteries became severed as her heart fell out of her chest and splatted on the ground. She was in utter shock by now and simply watched. The heart made a couple of beats before stopping in its dead state. The crystal attached her veins and arteries to itself. Her blood became a light shade of pink. Her ribs started to fold back in place. Since the crystal was larger than her heart, some ribs broke off when they tried to cover it up. This left the shard jutting out of her in a horrid angle. Once the ribs were down, the skin regenerated and sealed her wound. The man and woman let go of Fluttershy and she fell on the ground.

"Ah yes, I made a good choice."

Fluttershy did not feel any pain. The pulse of the crystal gave her strength. She got to her feet. Her clothes were still torn and she could see the shard embedded in her chest. Flashes of images filled her head as the crystal's knowledge and hers became one. These men and the woman were Assassins. She was the new Bearer of Kindness. Must establish Harmony. Templar.....The Templar. Starswirl, the Tree, the past, the present, the others. The other Bearers. All these made her feel light-headed and she became imbalanced. The Assassin woman caught her before she fell. All three Assassins looked at her with worry.

"Are you alright Bearer?" The young man asked.

"We haven't felt better."

Fluttershy nodded. "We feel fine. Actually, We feel great."

"That is good to hear." The old man said.





Yearling awoke with a start. Her time with the Animus was cut off manually. This always made her head swirl. She lifted her head to look at Caballeron who was typing some notes on his tablet. The doctor lifted a brow at her.

"Interesting isn't it?" He asked.

"Interesting? That was brutal! Are you sure we should be using things that do THAT?" Yearling returned.

Caballeron shrugged. "I see nothing wrong."

"WHAT? That thing ripped Fluttershy's chest open and replaced her heart! We can't use that, it's inhumane!"

"Miss Yearling, this is scientific progress. These things can get us through a whole new era of technology. If they want a Bearer, they can have one. So far, the Elements can only communicate to us verbally via Bearer. These crystals know knowledge beyond us. We must access it."

Yearling spat at this. "These Assassins were sick! Why would they use such things?"

"Desperate measures. The Assassins and Templar are gone now; we can use these for good and not harm."

"Say that to a new Bearer."

"Heh, they won't have a choice, but the Elements may never pick another Bearer."

"Why you say that?"

"You came into contact with them, they didn't embed themselves into you. So they are either very particular in their Bearers or they don't want to deal with humanity anymore. If it's the latter, well too bad for them, if its the former, we'll find one for them."

Yearling got up and walked away. She was not happy with Caballeron's calm nature toward the Elements. She didn't want to deal with the Elements after that. History and all be damned. The gruesome ceremony left her in complete disgust. And they did it to a poor girl as well. She entered her bedroom and slammed the door. She needed sleep.  She pulled the covers off her bed and simply fell on it. She was far too tired to even change into nightclothes. She cursed and closed her eyes. Hopefully her night will not be filled with nightmares of what she had just witnessed.


~



> Chapter 26: Templar's Message
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Octavia Melody

I awoke with a kink in my neck. After writing, I had dozed off. I looked out of my small window. The sun was nowhere to be seen. With the windows facing west, it could have been late night or early morning. I stood up off my cot and stretched my neck and back. I heard my neck pop with my movement. My dark cell reminded me of my situation. My shackles told stories of my mistakes. I leaned back and sighed. I wanted to go back to sleep, but my body wasn't tired and my mind was restless. I grabbed the quill in the dark. Should I write? Should I do anything? What was there to write? The quill slid out of my hands and landed silently on the cot.

"Bloody Tartarus." I muttered.

I picked up the parchments I had written on. Was anyone going to read these? Why was I even keeping track of my life? These depressing questions were I all asked during the cold and dead night. I sprawled myself on the cot and waited. Waited for sunlight, waited for someone to talk to. I regretted leaving Fluttershy. Even though she was mad at me, I would rather have tolerated her lecture than have sat in the silence. I closed my eyes and waited.





The first being that met me was the sun. The morning rays did not touch me, but the light did fill my cell. I sighed in relief. Daylight meant people, people meant talking. Talking was what I needed. I sat up on my cot and listened. I could faintly hear the sound of armored Guards changing their shifts. Voices of the men filled the gloomy halls. I stood up and stretched my back. Inmates close by began to mutter in their morning reluctance. I walked over and leaned on the bars.

The large hall was empty except for one Royal Guard strutting down it. Since I had nothing else to inspect, I watched the Guard. He was shorter and much younger than most of his position. He waved at inmates as he passed by. As he approached, his face became rather familiar. His smile, his eyes, I had seen them before. My mind cycled through on who he could be. When I figured out who he was, it was too late. He had recognized me as well.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" He said mockingly.

"You don't have to be like that...." I mumbled.

"Of course I do. You placed me here. What was your name? Oh, I remember. It's Octavia."

I nodded. The young man walked right up to me and smiled. He was greatly amused by my capture. I couldn't blame him. He was arrested because of me.

"Flash......You don't have to rub it in." 

"Yes, I do. I am here only because of you."

"You were the one that offered me the dance."

"Could I refuse a face like yours? Hmph. It taught me something. It taught me never to trust beautiful women."

I chuckled. "You should have known that years ago. Now....Why are you a Guard?"

He shrugged. "It was either life in the Old Dungeon or serve my sentence out as a Royal Guard. It was an easy choice."

"But you're a Senti. Your family didn't bail you out?"

"Ha! My family disowned me. No Olden Family is ever going to get their kid from prison."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you better be. Well, at least they finally caught you." Flash pointed at my shackles.

"Yeah, they did, didn't they?"

"Never thought I'd hear that. A murderer that's glad she's caught?"

I sighed. "I deserve it. I brought this on myself."

He frowned. "That's rather pitiful."

"It is."

He placed a hand through the bars and onto my shoulder. "Well, if it means anything to you. I did enjoy the dance."

I simply nodded. He patted me with his armored hand and began to walk away. I stopped him.

"Flash, could you tell me anything about Trixie?" I asked.

"Heh, I don't think I should talk about my boss."

"Please?"

He sighed. "Well, she is a tough and confident woman. The Guards enjoy her as their leader. Captain Trixie is the only superior I know that actually cares for her men. Most just treat us as cannon fodder. She fights alongside us and she backs us up. If she ever becomes general, she'll still be on the battlefield and not in some tent behind the lines."

"Anything else about her?"

"Well, she made a long rant about Assassins and Templar last night after Fancy Pants' men came by...."

"Fancy Pants? For what?"

"He bought out the girl you shared cells with. Can't remember her name. Anyway, a few servants of the nobleman came by and took her. He had some money I'll tell you. The warden readily accepted. Trixie was pretty mad about it. She told the warden he was greedy and selfish. She wanted to keep the girl. Said something about her helping the Empire. I  didn't really understand, I just thought she was angry."

I blinked at this. "Uhh....Thank you, Flash."

"Anytime?"

The Royal Guard walked away. I stroked my chin with a finger. Fluttershy was gone? Rarity's plan had worked after all. Wait, if Fluttershy was now back with the others, then she probably told them that I was here. She probably told them that I was searching for the Elements' truth. That I was working with a Templar to do so. I sighed. The pain of it all returned. Was I ever going to be forgiven by the Brotherhood? Wait, were they even going to come back for me? Was I going to die alone in here? Vinyl.....Vinyl said she would come after me. Where.....Where was she?

"Damn it all! Why did I listen to that Templar at the banquet? Why!?"

I rattled the bars of my iron door. I was angry with myself. If I had just accepted the Elements' odd existence, I wouldn't be here. By accepting a lie, I would have done better than searching for the truth. This twisted concept pulled and pushed me. Was that what it meant to be an Assassin? To not question and only seek what you want? Nothing is True. Everything is Permitted. Was there no truth with the Elements? Were all concepts about them accepted? This would mean there was no reason to seek out the real one. The real truth would only divide us. It was all the false ones that kept us together. Vinyl accepted that the Elements were mysterious, but they helped, so why even bother questioning them? I wanted the truth so that I could fight knowing that I was on the right side. The Elements were not the reason I joined the Brotherhood though. Harmony was not the reason I joined. It was Vinyl, and only her. Was I wrong to do this? Was my Loyalty to my friend so thick that it blinded me from picking the right choice? No. It wasn't. Vinyl was my friend. I had to be by her side. I had to fight alongside her. 

My mind battled with itself for quite some time. The breakfast trays were given to all the prisoners and I hadn't even noticed. I was finally awaken from my deep thoughts when Trixie banged her armored arm on the iron door. I gave her an annoyed look.

"Trixie is here to ask you something, Assassin. Is Sir Fancy Pants an Assassin?"

I rolled my eyes. I really did not want to deal with the captain at the moment. "No, he is not."

"Then...Then why did he take Fluttershy?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"We asked him to."

Her already tight brows became tighter and she growled. "Trixie doesn't understand."

"We asked him to buy her out. Why do you care so much?"

"Trixie cares because Fluttershy's shard was incredible. I have never seen anything like it. The Two Sisters needed to know about it. Now she's gone due to the greed of the warden. It surprises me how easily corrupted my associates are."

"Really? If that surprises you, then you have no idea."

She crossed her arms. "No idea of what?"

"I was in Appleloosa, where I fought two Enforcers and General Silverstar. You know what they were? Templar."

"General Silverstar was not a Templar."

"Yes he was. His forces were nothing but Templar soldiers. The Empire is filled with Templar agents in their ranks. If you hate them so much, I'd suggest cleaning out your men before even thinking about assaulting the Brotherhood."

"I shall do it my way, Assassin. I do not need you telling me what to do. Besides, you're a dead woman walking."

I stood up. "What do you mean?"

"Lady Shimmer has confirmed that you shall be hanged. The execution will take place at noon tomorrow. The gallows are being readied as we speak. We like to give the people a chance to get the memo a day in advance."

"So you let that Templar win huh?"

"Lady Shimmer is a Templar yes, but she is also Empress Celestia's student. You have been charged with attempted murder on her and the murder of Sir Rich. Empress Luna could not see an alternative to you."

"Sir Rich was a Templar as well." I defended myself.

"Good for you. I could not care less. You kill Templar, Templar kill you, I kill you both. That is how it goes. I do not care about your death because you are an Assassin. You should not worry about Lady Shimmer because her time will come. A simple Imperial Captain cannot approach her, but a general can."

"So you are just going to rid all of us and get yourself promoted?"

"Trixie sees no other way. My duty is to the Empire, and this is how I shall accomplish it."

I glared at her. She smiled back at me. It was easy for her to taunt me such. I was a shackled prisoner and she was an armed Royal Guard. Oh, I wished I was out of my cell. I wanted to strangle her. I felt like she was involving herself in a war that was not hers. She did not know what the Templar were capable of, nor the Assassins. She was naive to think her army could stomp on us. All she was going to do was lose her men.

Trixie cleared her throat. "One more thing. Since you will be hanged, you must look your best. Equestrian tradition. So, what shall you wear?"

"Do you still have my Assassin robes?"

"The ones you came in? Yes."

"Those will do."

"As you wish."





I gazed out my window. The hours ticked by with the pace of a drunken snail. There was nothing much to see out of the window except the seemingly bottomless cliff under me. Since the Old Dungeon was underneath Canterlot, there was nothing underneath it. If one was afraid of heights, they would probably die of fright just by being in a cell. Despite this, it was still pleasant. The green valley stretched out as far as my eyes could see. I could make out the speck that was Ponyville from here. Ponyville.....What was it about Ponyville?

The Crystal Republic! Sunset Shimmer told me they were going to attack Ponyville. That's why I tried to kill her. How could I have forgotten? I could have told Fluttershy. She would be telling the others at this moment and the day may yet be saved. Oh, what a surprise! Another bloody folly of mine. Is this what prisons were for? To count every single error of your life? Might as well. I was....Am going to be hanged tomorrow. I should make peace with myself.

Yeah, that's about right. I, Octavia Bloody Melody should think about her time on this earth and reconcile. Sounds great, but how was I going to do this? I am stuck in this pitiful cell with an insane captain, an Enforcer, and a charming moron guarding me. Of course, the audience of true Den Master. A Den Master that had to rely on a hook to parkour, a Den Master that couldn't kill a Templar with a gun. What did this Den Master even do for the Brotherhood? That was the question she should have sought. Not the Elements but her bloody self. 

I stopped my rant and the quill scratched the parchment. What was I expecting of this? Good feelings? The true question was did I do my best? I could easily say yes. Did I make the right choice? I could not answer that. It was Vinyl. It was all Vinyl. Was I blaming her? No, it was still my decision. I started to hear her voice in my head. I missed her. I heard the words that she said in Appleloosa, when I was nursing her wound. 

We lived the best life.

The very best.

Why did it change?

Why did it change me?





Night had fallen and the sound of Guards dissipated. My eyes barely stayed open. I had been writing all day, but most of my work laid in little pieces as I ripped my writings apart. One of the Guards warned me that they weren't going to give me anymore parchment, so I was going to make use of this last one. I had to, because this would be the last one of my life. 

I stood up and started pacing around my cell, the shackles making noise with every movement. I was contemplating on what I should write. This was my last log. I needed to end it off somehow. I thought about sharing my views, but I didn't want to venture back in the Tartarus of my mistakes. I continued pacing. I was startled when I heard footsteps approaching.

I turned to see a woman in Assassin robes facing me from the other side of the iron doors. I knew who it was instantly and my heart swelled in anger. Even in the darkness, I could make out the Templar cross on her hood. Spitfire faced me in silence; all I could see was the whites of her eyes.

"Why are you here?"

"I....I wanted to tell you something." She stammered.

I blinked. This was not Spitfire's usual confidence. She sounded guilty of something. I walked over to the bars and looked into her eyes. She averted her gaze to ground.

"Well, what is it? I already know that I'm being hanged." I told the traitor.

"It's.....It's not that. It's....more personal."

"Ha! Like I can anything personal with you."

"You know, I sided with the Templar because I wanted to help Cloudsdale. I wanted to save my home. They manipulated me and I knew it too. I stay with the Templar now to uphold my Honor to them and myself. I fight and.....and kill for them. Never think that I am ruthless."

"You have proven yourself to be ruthless many times."

"That's the Assassin side of me. I kill, but I only kill if necessary. I will never torture anyone. Do you believe me?"

"No."

"So be it. Now this wasn't.....wasn't why I am here. I wanted to tell you something."

"Then tell me and leave."

She took a deep breath and reached behind her. She revealed a bloodied black mask. A mask with no features except two purple lenses. The Templar handed me the mask. I was speechless. My body began to take only shallow breaths. My head was light and I had to lean on the wall to retain balance. I felt like fainting.

Spitfire swallowed. "She fought well. She fought bravely. I had no other choice."

"What....What was Vinyl doing?"

"She was trying to free you." She tapped her sword. "I....I thought you should know. I...know the pain of loss."

"Go away."

"Yes, Octavia."

Spitfire turned and left. I simply stared at the mask. Vinyl......Vinyl why did you do this? Why did you keep your promise? You got yourself killed. You got yourself killed by a Templar. I couldn't control my body. Tears began to stream down on the black mask. My hands began to wipe away the blood with the salty liquid. My sadness turned to anger and I screamed at the Templar.

"Damn you Spitfire! Damn you and all your Order!"

I knew the curse was useless. It was as useless as this war. It was useless as my promise to Vinyl. My promise to not let anything happen to her. To be at her side when something did happen to her. I did neither. I did bloody neither! My whole purpose in my life was gone! Gone like that! Bring on the hanging! I had no reason to live. None. My body became limp and I fell on the cold floor. I picked up the mask and inspected it.

This was her identity. She wore it everywhere. Now her body will rot on whatever street she died on without it. She was a true Assassin. She fought for the Creed. She found her way in the Brotherhood alone. Not like me who was introduced in it. She wanted to help the world, I only wanted only to protect her from the world; I was here because of myself. Why did she come after me? She was my only friend, that's why. I would have done the same. Now I had no friends and certainly no allies. The only one who did not detest my existence was no more. 

No more.....

Adieu a final time. May the afterlife be peace for me....


Vinyl's Friend,

Octavia Melody


~



> Chapter 27: General Reluctance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	
Yearling lazily walked over to her coffee brewer. The Animus had been taking its toll on her the past few days and she had reached the end of Octavia's writings. She was disappointed by its end, especially since Octavia did not find the truth. But, eh, not every tale had a happy ending. Yearling yawned and placed her mug next to the brewer. She sleepily pressed some buttons and it began to churn out her precious nectar. So warm....So delightful....So....What?

Yearling dropped her mug and her eye twitched. She was staring at her couch which had someone sitting on it. Someone in 4th Imperial Era robes. Someone with an Assassin insignia on her hood. The robes were lavender. The Assassin had swords and pistols. Old one shot pistols. The worst part was, the Assassin was slightly transparent.

"Oh crap! I'm hallucinating again!" Yearling yelled.

The Assassin blinked at her. "What do you mean?"

"You! Look at you! You are a Bearer from centuries ago! You're dead. There is no way you're here in my room, sitting on my couch!"

"Way to rule out everything." Another voice uttered.

Yearling turned to see the Bearer of Loyalty leaning by her window. She was in a similar state of transparency. The Bearer of Loyalty returned Yearling's stare with a sly wink.

"Well, Loyalty, she is right. We are dead. But, we aren't dead." The Bearer of Magic explained. "We Elements never died, but the bodies of our Bearers did."

"So why are you here in my room!?" Yearling's head was beginning to ache.

"Because we wanted to meet our new friend! Oh oh! What was it that you were drinking? Was it good? Guess not, you spilled it all over the carpet. Who wears trousers like that? What's up with your hair?" A high pitched voice filled the room.

Yearling growled as the Bearer of Laughter bounced around her. She had three spectral Assassins of old in her room. She was going mad! She threw her face in her hand and stomped off to her bedroom. It was too early for this. She was dreaming and she needed to wake up. She slammed the door and sat on her bed. Yearling closed her eyes and sighed. When she reopened them, The Bearer of Magic was standing in front of her.

"Lady Yearling, we need to speak." The Bearer pleaded.

"No! Go away!" She covered herself in her blanket.

"Gah, Magic, just get her up." The Bearer of Loyalty ordered.

"No, Loyalty, we are not here to do such things."

Yearling stopped squirming under the blanket. "Why don't you refer to each other with your names?"

"Lady Yearling, we are. This is Loyalty, that is Laughter, and I'm Magic."

Yearling sat up in bed. The three ethereal Bearers stood watching her. Yearling inspected them with skepticism.

"Are you guys the Elements?"

"Well....Yes and no." Magic shrugged. "We are more of their Bearers' souls. The shards themselves are in some dark case in this building. We do not know where they are. So, we'll ask you."

"I have no idea. I've been in this place for weeks. Never seen the Elements since I found them."

"Rediscover would be a better term, Lady Yearling." Magic told her.

"Ugh, whatever. Oh, look at me! I'm talking with my own hallucinations. Go away already!"

"We aren't hallucinations!" Loyalty spat.

"Then what are ya?"

"Oh! I know!" Laughter squealed ecstatically. "We're zombies!"

Magic raised a brow in confusion. "What in Tartarus is a zombie?"

"It's a dead person that comes back to life and acts like this!" Laughter began to imitate a zombie, sound effects and all.

Loyalty beamed at this. "Awesome! I am so a zombie!" She joined Laughter in the imitation.

Magic sighed in annoyance. "Keep track girls. Alright? Alright. Now...Lady Yearling..."

Yearling cut her off. "We don't say 'Lady' anymore."

"....Then what should I call you?"

"Uhh.....Darin...No...Just Yearling."

"Yearling, we have come to warn you about ourselves." Yearling was about to interrupt, but Magic silenced her with a quick finger. Magic opened her mouth to continue.

Loyalty cut in. "Get us back to the Tree."

Magic scowled at Loyalty, who simply shrugged in response. Yearling blinked at this. It seemed rather odd to her. She snapped her fingers and pointed at Magic.

"Wait, the Elements are telling me to get them back? Ha! What changed? Ya guys didn't want to go back according to Octavia."

They are stared at her when they heard the name of the Den Master. Magic leaned in and her magenta eyes stared into Yearling's.

"You know Den Master Octavia?" She asked quietly.

"I've read her writings. All of them. Right to her hanging."

"I don't remember that." Magic contemplated.

"She was executed after she was captured. You know, when she got caught in the Archives with Sunset Shimmer."

Magic leaned back and laughed. Laughter giggled and held her sides. Yearling was confused. She had reached the end of the Den Master's writings. They ended with her heading for the gallows. What happened? When Magic was done laughing, she took a deep breath.

"No, she didn't die at the gallows. Right girls?"

Laughter nodded. "Yeah, she visited me in Ponyville afterwards."

Loyalty smiled. "She became part of my crew for some time."

Yearling nodded her head quickly. "Alright, alright. Cut me some slack, how could I have known that?"

The three Bearers deadpanned at her. Then they all simultaneously pointed in the direction of the Animus that was on the other side of the wall. Yearling realized that her previous question was pretty stupid. If some wandering souls from ancient artifacts knew better it must have been obvious. Loyalty stepped up and addressed her.

"That Animus thing is the best chance you have of following Octavia. Follow her through us."

Yearling shrugged. "Why would that help? You guys want to go back in the Tree, why would Octavia have anything to do with that?"

Magic rested a hand on Yearling's shoulder. Yearling was startled with the icy touch of the Bearer. It felt like one was placing a piece of ice down another's spine. It was almost painful. Magic did not seem to notice Yearling's reaction. She simply looked into Yearling's eyes, like she had done so many times with Octavia.

"It would be very hard to explain all that now. We are not connected with our Elements right now. But they sent us here. They sent us to tell you to continue your research on us, along with Den Master Octavia. The more knowledge you accumulate, the better you'll see."

Footsteps could be heard right outside the room. Dr. Caballeron had come for his morning visit. Yearling stood up and became worried.

"Can he see you guys?" She asked.

Loyalty spoke first. "We don't know, but we won't stick around to find out."

Magic nodded in agreement. "This is goodbye for now. Expect us regularly Lad....Er...Yearling. The Elements do not belong here. Keep that in mind."

All three Bearers dissipated right before her eyes. Yearling was still hesitant to believe what she had just witnessed. Even if they were hallucinations, they could have been telling the truth. Octavia lived? Yearling opened the door and walked into the larger room. Caballeron had his tablet out and was writing on it. Yearling slowly walked over to him.

"Good morning, Miss Yearling. I see you spilled your coffee."

"Oh that? Yeah.......My mistake."

"Is everything OK?"

"What? Yes, yes. Just too early that's all."

"Miss Yearling, it's almost ten at the moment. 'Early' is not a word I would use right now." He told her with a smug look.

"Hmph! Well, what's the plan today?"

"The plan? Well, since you are done with Octavia's writings, I would suggest the Animus."

"About Octavia.....Do you think she died at the end of her writings?"

"Uhh.....Of course. After what she did to the Brotherhood, I would expect them to abandon her."

"What if she didn't? What if the Bearers came in and...and rescued her. You know, like movie style."

He shrugged. "Then they did. Miss Yearling, we are here for the Elements, not some Den Master. Now, I have already made some plans of wher..."

She cut him off. "C'mon! You would miss that? You are going to have me enter some random memory again that tells us nothing. No! Octavia is how we are going to learn about the Elements. It's a gut feeling. And you know that my gut feelings are always right."

Caballeron scowled at her. His glasses reflected the light in a way that Yearling could not see his eyes. His jaw was tight, but then slackened. He took his glasses off and looked at her.

"Fine, but just this once. If it does not intrigue me, we shall go back to my way. Is this clear?"

"Like a window. Shall we?" She gestured to the Animus.

"You should have had a breakfast before entering, but go ahead."

Yearling excitedly hopped onto the Animus. She settled herself into the grooves that were built for her body. The machine became active. She closed her eyes. The sounds of Manehatten were silenced. The feel of her body disappeared. The time period she was living in was changing.





4th Imperial Era

Canterlot, Equestria Empire

"Vinyl? Vinyl! Dammit! Where is that woman?" Twilight yelled from her quarters.

"She left yesterday. I do not think I saw her return." Rarity said as she inspected one of her knives.

"Just when I needed her..." Twilight spat.

The sun was behind the large mountain. It was early morning in the Empire's great capital. Rarity, Twilight, and Fluttershy sat in the Bearer's quarters of the South Canterlot Den. A Den that was very quiet since the disappearance of both Vinyl and Den Master Octavia. Though they knew where Octavia was as Fluttershy told them when she arrived. She told them that Octavia was going to be hanged at noon. They couldn't let this happen.

"I don't see why we must rescue her. Her behavior was atrocious and she questioned our Elements." Rarity observed.

"She was also with that mean woman, Sunset Shimmer." Fluttershy stated.

Twilight shook her head. "Girls, this is Den Master Octavia. We have already lost Minuette to the gallows. Octavia is the only Den Master left in Canterlot. She is irreplaceable to our cause. Rarity, if you do not want to do this for her, then do it for the Brotherhood."

Rarity crossed her arms. "What if I do not want to do this at all?"

"Ha. You don't have a choice. We all shall do this."

Rarity grunted indignantly. "Hmph! Well darling, how are we going to perform such an action?"

Twilight smiled. "We are going to set up a show for the Empire and the Templar. And the main star is going to be Fluttershy."

The Bearer of Kindness stood straight up. Fear and confusion were written all over her face. She did not want to do whatever the Bearer of Magic planned for her. Being a 'main star?' This certainly could not be good. Twilight walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. 

"You'll be fine." She told Fluttershy.

Fluttershy sighed. "What do you want me to do?"

"Grab your bow and quiver."





"You'll have to trust Twilight. She knows what she is doing."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Fluttershy replied.

There was a thin fog over the cobbled streets. Canterlotians did not seem to mind as they wandered about. The Bearer of Kindness made her way through the crowds, making sure that she apologized to every citizen she bumped into. Rarity and Twilight were above her on the rooftops. They were chatting. Probably going over the plan together, without her. Always the usual. 

"Oh, it's fine. You know your part."

"Yes, but I.....So many people...."

"The people will not stay to watch you."

"I guess so."

"Fluttershy!" Twilight called to her.

The Bearer of Kindness looked up. Twilight gestured her to come up on the roof. She easily made her way up to them. Rarity pulled her up the last step to the top. Once she was on the roof, she gazed out into the city. She hadn't been on the Canterlot roofs before, as she always preferred walking in the streets. The view from up here made her gasp. The city seemed endless. The spires and the Grand Royal Palace could be seen in the far distance. Twilight nudged her slightly to remind her of their mission.

"Fluttershy, are you ready?"

"Umm.....I think so?"

"Good, the execution is taking place in the Central Plaza just north of here. Even though the hanging is scheduled for noon, we must get there early to set up. There are already Assassins there waiting for our command. For your command."

"Twilight...Are...Are you sure about this?" Fluttershy stammered.

"Yes. If I wasn't, I would have planned something different." Twilight answered.

The Bearer of Magic turned and made her way to the north. Rarity was already heading that way. Fluttershy sighed and followed. She was still apprehensive about the plan. However, it was her friend Twilight who thought of it. Twilight trusted her with it. That made her proud. She could do this. For Octavia and the Brotherhood. Fluttershy smiled and looked up. The other Bearers were far ahead of her. She squeaked and chased after them. Her arrows bounced in her quiver. 

She tiptoed across a rope and swung on a beam. Rarity and Twilight were going much faster than what she had anticipated. However, this did not bother her. She could keep up with them. Her heightened senses and skills allowed her to run over the roofs with ease. She caught up with the Bearers. They were at the Central Plaza. In the middle of the Plaza was a large wooden scaffold where the hanging would take place. There were five nooses. Octavia was not the only one being hung today. Rarity and Twilight were inspecting the area below. Fluttershy joined them. Though she did not know what they were looking at.

"The Empire has increased the Guards. Look. There are a couple there, some over there, even one on the roof across the street." Twilight told them.

"It must be due to the recent deaths of the nobles." Rarity concluded.

"Or they are expecting us." Fluttershy suggested, but her words reached deaf ears.

"This will just complicate things." The Bearer of Magic complained. "Before we do anything, we must take out the Royal Guards on the roofs."

Rarity nodded and left. Twilight turned to Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy, get into position. There are many Assassins waiting below for your orders. I told them to strictly follow your orders, so do not hesitate to call on them for help. Once you get into position, wait for my signal. Rarity and I shall handle the Guards on the roofs. Go and be safe."

"Wait, what is the signal?"

"You'll know. I think you will like it."





Fluttershy sat on a bench nearby the north Plaza entrance. This was the entrance where Octavia would enter. People were gathering in the Plaza. It was almost noon. She had not heard from Rarity or Twilight since they left. Royal Guards were increasing in number. They lined themselves in front of the gallows. A hooded executioner was tested the lever and floor traps. There was another on the scaffold. It was Empress Luna. She was here to display her Justice. The Bearer of Kindness gulped. The place was not silent though. Common folk chattered merrily and laughed as the execution approached. This was a spectacle to them, Fluttershy thought. It was barbaric and cruel.

The sound of a carriage approached from the north. The Bearer of Kindness looked up to see a prisoner wagon pass by. The wagon had five chained prisoners. One was a woman in gray Assassin robes and a black mask. Fluttershy had seen the mask before but could not pinpoint on who it belonged to. She did know one thing, that this woman was Octavia Melody.

People cheered and shouted as the wagon passed. Some threw tomatoes and other rotten vegetables to show their disgust in the criminals. Royal Guards accompanied the wagon and prevented citizens from getting too close. A necessary precaution. Fluttershy stood up and walked through the crowd, parallel with the wagon. The cheering grew louder as they entered the Central Plaza. The wagon stopped and a Royal Guard opened the wagon's backdoor. 

"Alright ya maggots, get yer hides up. Time for ya to walk." The Guard yelled at them.

The prisoners exited the wagon in a single file line. They were all chained behind the back. Octavia was in the middle of the line. Her robes made her stand out from the other condemned prisoners. They walked towards the gallows in complete silence. 

The people spat insults at the prisoners. Fluttershy could only pity the Den Master. Suddenly a large eagle flew above them all. The eagle was made out of purple arcane energy. Its wings left a faint trail of lavender fire in its wake. This was the signal, Fluttershy thought. She placed two fingers in her mouth and whistled. Men and women in white robes started to gather around her. Some wielded large axes and others crossbows or daggers.

"It's show time."

"It is. Let's do this."

Octavia reached the scaffold and took her place next to a noose. The executioner brought the rope around each of the prisoners' necks. Fluttershy walked forward, her Assassins followed behind her. The people around her took notice and moved out the way. They could tell that a battle was going to happen. The Bearer heard the booming voice of the Lady of Justice.

"Today we attendeth this ceremony to celebrate Justice and Freedom. Thou, the people, deserveth to witness the demise of these traitors, criminals, and murderers. They, the villains that standeth behind Us, hast decided to taketh the path of evil, the path of Injustice! we, the Empire of Equestria, must..."

Empress Luna stopped as she noticed the large group of Assassins before her. Fluttershy was at the head of this small army, her bow in hand. The crowd made a large circle around the Assassins, watching in awe and confusion. Luna simply stared at the Bearer. There was no emotion on her face. The Empress slowly drew her sword. The blade was thin and black. It was an Equestrian estoc. She pointed it at the Bearer. Royal Guards started to march towards them. Fluttershy drew her bow.

"Really Fluttershy? This was your Brotherhood's plan? It makes Trixie laugh." The Imperial Captain scoffed at the Bearer as her men surrounded the Assassins.

Fluttershy saw the captain out of the corner of her eye. She was focused on Octavia. Her arrow was resting on the string of the bow. She had one shot. The executioner made his way to the lever. Trixie continued to laugh.

"What exactly are you doing? Huh?" Trixie mocked the Bearer.

Fluttershy took a deep breath. "I'm being a distraction!"

The executioner pulled the lever. Fluttershy released the arrow and it flew through the air. Octavia began to fall as the trap door under her opened. The arrow split the rope above her head, causing the Den Master to fall under the scaffold. The Empress growled and addressed her troops.

"This will not stand! Kill them!" She ordered.

The Royal Guards lifted their weapons and charged. The Assassins cheered and charged in return. Common folk fled as the battle commenced. Fluttershy ducked under a sword. She grabbed an arrow from her quiver and stabbed the Guard in the armpit. She pulled it back out and jabbed it in his neck. The Guard fell helplessly on the ground. Assassins chopped down Royal Guards before her. It so far was in the Brotherhood's advantage. The scene began to fill with smoke as Assassins threw smoke bombs everywhere.

"I can't see." Fluttershy uttered.

"Quickly! Let me have your eyes!"

"You know I..."

"Just do it!"

"Fine..."

Her vision became blurry. It soon returned. She could see the entire battle. Assassins and Royal Guards were battling in the dense smoke. The Royal Guards were bright red figures and the Assassins were green. The Element told her everything she needed to know. In front of her, an Assassin deflected a sword and countered with a stab to a Guard's side. Fluttershy extended her hidden blade and stabbed a Guard in the back. A Guard charged at her, but he was blown away by an Assassin's pistol. 

"You can't win this easily!"

Fluttershy turned around and deflected a sword. Trixie backed off and faced the Bearer. The smoke was dissipating. Fluttershy's vision went back to normal. The Imperial Captain snarled at Fluttershy.

"This is what happens when we let you go. You return and give us more pain and suffering! I will not make the mistake of letting you live!"

Trixie charged again. Fluttershy caught the sword in her bow and twisted it out of the captain's hand. Trixie reached for her pistol. Fluttershy tackled the captain. The Bearer grabbed the pistol and fired it off in the sky. Trixie screamed and punched the Bearer, knocking her over. The captain followed up by jumping on Fluttershy and grabbing her neck.

"This is the end of you!"





This will not stand! Kill them!" The Empress shouted.

Twilight teleported onto scaffold. The prisoners hung dead by the rope, except one. The battle in the Plaza raged as Twilight made her way to Octavia. The executioner took notice of the Bearer and grabbed an ax.

"I won't let yo..."

He was silenced as Twilight gutted him with her sword. She then heard the sound of sword fighting next to her. She turned to see Rarity and the Empress fighting. Both displayed their skills at swordplay. Twilight pulled out one of her pistols.

"No, find the Den Master first!"

"You're right."

She ran over to Octavia's noose. She looked down into the trap door. Octavia returned her gaze through the black mask. The Bearer levitated the Den Master up and onto the scaffold. Twilight then hugged her tightly.

"Hold on tight." She told Octavia.

Twilight teleported away from the gallows and onto a rooftop. She laid the Den Master on the stone roof beside two Assassins. The Bearer pointed at Octavia and addressed the two Assassins.

"Take care of her. Get her to a safe spot."

"Yes, Bearer." The Assassins bowed.

"Twilight you bi..." Octavia shouted.

Twilight could not hear the last word as she teleported back into the fray. The Plaza was filled with smoke as the Assassins threw smoke bombs everywhere. The Bearer of Magic found Rarity and Luna again. Luna attacked the Bearer of Generosity with mad vigor. Rarity could only back up and deflect her blows. Twilight pointed a pistol at the Empress. 

"Hold it, Your Highness! Drop your sword or I will shoot!"

Luna stopped. She looked over her shoulder. At the sight of Twilight, her hand began to quiver. She flipped her sword about and kept it in her hand. The Empress turned around completely and walked over to Twilight. The Empress's nose was almost touching the barrel of the gun.

"Twilight, is that you?" Luna said in a calm and sweet voice. 

"Sheath your blade, Empress, I will shoot."

"I doubt that. I've ruled for hundreds of years. I have learned the difference between a threat and a bluff."

"Don't take me lightly." Twilight growled.

"Ha! Do you think that I don't know you? Or even remember you?" Luna waved her sword nonchalantly.

Rarity approached from behind the Empress. "Twilight, what is she talking about?"





"This is the end of you!"

The Imperial Captain was strangling the Bearer of Kindness. Fluttershy struggled as Trixie choked her. The Royal Guard began to slam Fluttershy's head into the cobblestone. Suddenly an Assassin tackled Trixie. The Bearer gasped for air. She got up to see Trixie and the Assassin fighting. The captain disarmed the Assassin and took his sword. She then sliced his legs and he fell in agony. Fluttershy grabbed her bow and shot an arrow into Trixie's calf. She screamed, but remained standing. The Bearer angrily walked over to the wounded captain and pushed the embedded arrow until it was completely through the leg. The captain fell over and clutched her leg.

"Go ahead, kill me! I would die for my Empire." Trixie yelled at the Bearer.

Fluttershy whistled. The Assassins immediately stopped fighting. The remaining Royal Guards were too wounded to keep fighting. The Bearer bent over the captain and pointed a finger at her.

"Now Trixie, you shall live. Let this be a warning to you. Never interfere with the Assassins again. This is not your fight. Next time, we will kill you."

Trixie remained silent. Fluttershy smiled and turned to leave. The Assassins watched her walk away before following. Two Assassins picked up and carried off the wounded Brother who saved Fluttershy. The Plaza was now empty except for the dead and wounded Royal Guards. Fluttershy looked back at her Assassins. They all returned her look with smiles and cheers. The mission was accomplished and they did great. She squealed in delight as she found new confidence in her leadership.





"Twilight, what is she talking about?"

"You haven't told them?" Luna asked.

"There's nothing to tell them!" Twilight yelled.

Luna chuckled. "Oh yes there is. Let me guess, you tell them that you were a lonely scholar, making no money and only reading old books?"

"That's what I was!" Twilight snapped.

Luna snapped back. "No it wasn't. And this isn't you. You wouldn't shoot me. My sister took care of you. She taught you how to read and write. She told you to think for yourself! Celestia, my Sister Dearest was the one who raised you and your brother after your parents' deaths. You were no lonely scholar, you were much more. Now, is this what has happened to you? All the time you were gone, this is what you became? I know you're still in there. You wouldn't kill your Aunt Luna. Would you, Princess Twilight?"

"I'm sorry Your Highness." Twilight said quickly.

The Bearer of Magic lowered her pistol and fired the gun into Luna's knee. Luna screamed in pain and fell over. The Empress cursed loudly as she hopelessly tried to stand up. Twilight turned and ran off. She could hear Rarity following her. The Plaza was still filled with the skirmish. The two Bearers exited the Central Plaza. They slowed down and entered an alley.

"Twilight! What was that about?" Rarity demanded.

"Oh, nothing. Just the Empress trying to turn us against each other."

"No it wasn't! Dear, if there was no Applejack, you would take first place as worst liar."

"Fine! I am a princess. What does it matter? I'm still the Bearer of Magic."

"If it didn't matter then why did you keep it a secret?"

Twilight turned and walked away. She didn't want to answer the Bearer of Generosity's question. Twilight climbed up onto the rooftops. She could see other Assassins running to the south. Fluttershy made it through, Twilight thought. Her mind returned to Rarity, who stood next to her. No, She didn't need to answer. She had no time for such a thing. Besides, she had a Den Master to attend to.


~

	
> Chapter 28: New Reasoning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight and Rarity finally made it to the rendezvous point. Assassins stood in an empty street behind a blacksmith shop. They were chatting and discussing about the heroic rescue they had just accomplished. Fluttershy was also talking with the other Assassins. In their midst sat Octavia. She held her head low and Twilight could not see her face since it was still behind the black mask. Her hands were still bound.

"Really? You haven't freed her yet?" Twilight asked the Assassins.

They all stopped their chatter and turned to the Bearer. Some of them rubbed the backs of their necks as they did not answer. Twilight rolled her eyes and walked over to the Den Master. She then lifted her up to her feet and dusted her off.

"Good to see you again, Den Master. Here let me get those off."

Twilight broke the shackles off with her magic. Octavia still remained silent. The Bearer of Magic raised a brow at her. Twilight gently grabbed the mask and took it off Octavia's face. The Den Master had a stern and angry look on her face. Her breathing became heavier and jaw tightened. The Bearer was confused.

"Uhh....Octavia? You don't look to..."

Twilight was cut off as Octavia punched her across the face. The force knocked the Bearer to the ground. Twilight's vision was blurred and her head spun. As she regained focus, she touched her lips to reveal blood. She got up and turned to the Den Master who was being restrained by the other Assassins.

"Octavia? What was that for?"

Octavia spat at the Bearer. "That was for Vinyl! You bitch!"

"What? What did I do to Vinyl?"

"You let her go out alone! She was a Sister without Brothers. And she died because you weren't there to help her!"

"She left without our knowing. We did not even know of her death until you said so."

"And that's not all! You....You let me live. I had made peace with myself after all these years of death and murder. With Vinyl gone, I have no reason to live. I wanted death and you took that from me." Her yelling was turning into incoherent sobs.

"She's delirious!" An Assassin yelled.

"How ungrateful." Rarity grunted.

Twilight was speechless. Octavia was crying and sobbing right in front of her. She didn't know what to do or how to comfort the Den Master. What had happened? This was not the Octavia she trained and taught. She stammered before ordering the Assassins.

"Take her....Take her to the Den."

The Assassins bowed and turned to the south. They dragged the Den Master as she refused to walk on her own. It was painful to watch. Twilight was beginning to question the reality around her. This couldn't be, she thought. The Bearer then felt a hand on her shoulder.

"She'll be fine. She's simply going to a tough time." Rarity assured the Bearer of Magic.

Twilight sighed. "I hope you're right." 





Twilight looked around the Den. "Where did you put her?"

An Assassin pointed towards the testing room. "Oh, Bearer, she is in the back. She tried to escape so we had to lock her in there."

Twilight walked over to the door and stopped before opening it. How should she do this? Some of her wanted to yell at the Den Master for her weakness. People died, and in the Brotherhood, it was common. No, that wouldn't work. She had to take a different approach, one she rarely used. She gulped and opened the door. 

The testing room was dark and damp. The only light came from the few candles in the corners. By a candle sat the Den Master. In the light, Twilight could see that Octavia was holding Vinyl's mask. She lifted her eyes and looked at the Bearer.

"From one bloody prison to the next." She muttered.

Twilight remained silent. She hesitated before walking up to the Den Master. Octavia merely gazed at her with indifference. Twilight then sat next to her. The only light was the candle next to them. Octavia returned her gaze to the mask. Twilight began to pick at the specks of dirt on the ground. After some silence, Twilight spoke.

"You know, we have sat like this before. It was on the day I met you, on top of the tower. We sat like this, looking at the stars. I can picture it now like it was yesterday."

"That was also the day that I told you my purpose. I didn't join the Brotherhood for your Creed, but for Vinyl."

"Yes, I remember that. It was one of the reasons I picked you. You not only had skill and heart, but you were a true friend. Something that I and my Element admire."

"Your Elements, they're the cause for all of this."

"Maybe, but this is not about Us, but about you."

"Here to lecture me on my misbehavior?"

"No, not at all. I must tell you, I have also lost friends, family. I know how it feels. You just want to give up."

"It's not fair. Why was it her?"

"Fate? I do not know how this world operates. If we did, we would not be needed."

"How can this world be so cruel? She's my only friend. We fought, we thought, we were sisters. Now separated.

"She's watching. She always will. You were her friend also. I am sure she feels the same way."

"I....My promise to her....I did neither. I didn't protect her, and I wasn't at her side. It was my fault."

"It's no one's fault. Vinyl was trying to save you, she gave her life for you. This grants you a purpose."

"Ha. What purpose would that be?"

"To honor her memory. To fulfill her wish for Equestria."

"Her wish was your wish; she wanted Equestria to be in Harmony. She wanted the Templar gone."

"Then the best thing you can do for her would be to complete that task."

"It still seems so wrong..."

"And it always will. The first thing you can do is to avenge her. Who killed her?"

"Spitfire."

"There you go. If Vinyl and you were switched at the moment, she wouldn't be here mourning, she would be out there fighting. That was her dream, to be something bigger. It's only right if she can still fight, fight through you. But it is your choice, Octavia."

Octavia did not reply. She simply looked down at the mask. Twilight could not tell what was going through her mind. Did she sound like she was manipulating her Den Master? She hoped not. This was Octavia's choice, even though abandonment was not allowed in the Brotherhood. The Den Master sighed and lifted her eyes. 

"Fine. I'll do this Vinyl. But only Vinyl. Not for you, not for the Creed, not even for this bloody Empire."

"So be it."

"I must tell you, the Templar have plans, plans much bigger than before. The Crystal Republic marches on Ponyville as we speak. Sunset Shimmer said so herself."

"That is grave news. We better be off."

Twilight stood up and started to walk away. Octavia grabbed her ankle and stopped her. The Bearer turned around to see the cause for the interruption.

"Twilight, I have no weapons. They were left in the Old Dungeon. A falchion, my wrist blades, my knives, everything. I have nothing to fight with."

"Well Den Master, if what you say is true, then those weapons would do you no good in large fight. You'll need something better. Lyra has been busy in your absence. She has something for you."

"Can I ask one favor of you?"

"Of course."

"Find my friend's body. I know it's out there. She should have proper farewell."

Twilight hesitated before answering. "Will do. Get some rest."

"I will not Bearer. I want to go to Ponyville. I want to protect it."

"You're a Den Master here, Octavia. I'll fin..."

She gritted her teeth. "No, I will go to Ponyville."

"Fine. But take Fluttershy with you."

Octavia let go of Twilight's ankle and slowly stood up. Twilight bowed at the Den Master before leaving the testing room. She left the door open as Octavia did not follow. Twilight then made her way to the Bearer's quarters. Rarity and Fluttershy were inside gossiping and Spike was sleeping on the bed. Twilight ignored them and leaned over the table. The Crystal Republic? Why were they assaulting Ponyville? Now that she had time to think about it, Octavia's words made no sense. The Republic was not a Templar controlled nation. Their armies wouldn't follow the orders of Sunset Shimmer. There was something wrong here.

"Are you really a princess, Twilight?" The Bearer of Kindness asked.

Twilight turned and glared at Fluttershy. Fluttershy's beaming face slowly turned into an uneasy expression. Rarity rolled her eyes at Twilight's reaction. The Bearer of Magic sighed.

"Yes, I am, so what?"

"Well....I wouldn't think we'd ever have royalty am.."

"I AM NOT ROYALTY!" Twilight screamed.

Fluttershy squeaked and hid behind Rarity. Spike awoke with a start. Twilight felt sweat sliding down her temple. She did not mean for such a backlash, especially at Fluttershy. In her anger she slammed her fist on the table, making loose parchments fly off. Rarity crossed her arms.

"No need for such anger, darling. She was simply making an observation."

"No observation needed, Rarity. You don't need to talk about such things."

"I don't see the problem, darling. You are a princess, why would you keep it a secret?"

"Because. The others simply don't need to know. I don't care if we are Bearers. So drop it."

"Is this why you are so protective of the Sisters? I mean, they don't exactly line up with Harmony or the Creed."

Twilight grunted in growing anger. "Rarity, you are on thin ice. The Sisters are important to our cause, you and your Element know this."

"Yes, but only so far. Don't you think they have ruled for too long?"

"No. We are not here to other throw the government; we are here to establish Harmony."

"What if the Sisters refuse our Harmony? What then? Do we say, 'oh, phooey, it was all for nothing' and move on?" She mocked.

"No. Rarity stop. Just stop. Listen to your Element for once, and maybe you'll see."

Rarity cocked her head. "All I see is our leader, the great Bearer of Magic herself, keeping secrets from the rest of us."

Twilight pointed at the door. "Get out. Both of you."

Rarity shrugged in a mocking fashion. She then grabbed Fluttershy's hand and led her out.

"Come along dear, we should let Twilight alone and apparently rethink our lives." She said sarcastically.

Twilight slammed the door with her magic once they were out. She sighed and fell in a chair beside the table. She was tired. Twilight rubbed her face with her hand, slightly regretting what she had just done. She heard Spike sigh from the bed.

"The Bearers of Harmony are certainly demonstrating Harmony."

Twilight gritted her teeth. "I don't need your sarcasm."

"Maybe you do. You told me of your princess background. Why not them?"

"Because I fear what the Brotherhood would do. Spike, you must realize that the Assassins are made up of the poor, the downtrodden, the beggars, the farmers. I do not belong in their ranks. They will either start treating me like royalty, or reject me because I have no reason to be here. It's better for them to not know."

Spike shook his head. "That can't be all."

"It is all I will tell you. I could spend hours telling you the reason why."

"You need to stop treating me like I won't understand."

"I wish I could. But you won't. You don't know how it is to have a family. To lose one. I just found you on the street. Homeless, orphaned, covered in scars. No, you won't understand."

"Fine, be that way. But I do have family, Twilight. You are my sister. Remember that."

Spike got up off the bed and exited the quarters. Twilight cursed. This day began so well, and now look where it had gone. She rose from her chair and gazed at all the documents that rested on the table. She must get back to work.

"Twilight, what are you doing?"

"I don't want to talk right now."

"I haven't talked with you all day. This is the right time to talk."

"Do you have some way for me to mute you?"

"Ha, no. Now, you don't have to be so tight up about this. They will understand. They always do."

"You seem to talk with experience."

"I do. Do you really believe that you are the first Bearers with trouble? I have seen this many times. Harmony is not easy, not even among the tightest of friends. Harmony takes time and effort. If it didn't, it would not be worth it."

"Why did you pick me? You knew this would happen right?"

"I cannot see into the future, Twilight. I picked you because I knew I could guide you to be a leader. We Elements cannot communicate through the air. We must trust each other to get the best Bearer possible. We have never failed once."

"I doubt that. You had another reason. I know it. I bloody know it. You picked me to prove your point."

"Then you are. Just know what I say is true, Twilight."

"I think I'll get some rest."

Twilight walked over to her bed. The sun was falling behind the western mountains. It had been a long day and night had not even arrived. She touched the sheets. They were still warm from Spike sleeping on them. She laid herself on the bed. Her intention was not to sleep, but to simply contemplate. She had returned her protégé. Though she did not know if Octavia had retained her strength and courage or if she halted her pursuits for answers. Answers. That was what Fluttershy and Rarity wanted now. Twilight could still not understand why they were so inquisitive about it. Even with all of that, the Crystal Republic was headed south to Ponyville. She had to make a decision fast. If the Templar were truly behind such an attack, it could lead to an all-out war between the nations. Twilight sighed as she considered these things. She thought she was thinking of everything. In reality, she had forgotten about the Den Master's request. She had forgotten about Vinyl.


~

	
	
> Chapter 29: Calm Before the Storm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Yearling opened her eyes. The world around her was blurry and swirling. She felt like she had just fallen down a flight of stairs. A figure leaned over her. She knew it was Caballeron, but she could not see his face. Yearling tried to sit up, but the dizziness prevented her from doing so. Caballeron dropped his tablet and put his hands on her.

"Miss Yearling......Miss Yearling?"

Upon her incoherent mutterings, he picked her up and walked over to the couch. She sighed mentally as she felt the cushions beneath her. The world was still blurry. Caballeron retrieved his tablet and began writing notes on it. Probably writing down the Animus symptoms that Yearling was displaying. Once he was done, he sat on the table beside the couch. The dizziness was wearing off. Yearling slowly pulled herself upright.

"Uh...Doc, what happened?"

"Miss Yearling, you were in the Animus for over 13 hours. It was far too long for one exposure, especially since you haven't eaten."

At the mention of food, her stomach growled. Caballeron took notice. Yearling could see clearly now. She was glad that the effects did not last long. Though she still had a headache in its place. The doctor stood up and patted her on the shoulder.

"I'll get you something to eat. You should rest."

With that, he walked out of the room. Yearling turned to look out the window. It was night. The neon lights that covered Manehatten shown brightly, making the city in an artificial daylight. Yearling rubbed her face. Her head hurt, her body ached, and she needed rest. Doctor's orders. When she removed her hand, Loyalty was standing next to the couch. Yearling threw head back and sighed.

Loyalty grunted. "Nice to see you too." 

"It's late, go away."

"Pfft, it's only midnight. Besides, ya sail through the whole night on the seas. It's never late."

"That's for you. I am more delicate."

"Oh! Yearling, how you doin'? Ooo...You don't look so good."

Laughter had just ghosted through the wall and joined Loyalty in annoying Yearling. The historian grunted and stuck her face in the cushions. It had been a long day. She prayed for sleep, for rest, for food. Yes, where was Caballeron to scare them off? Her nerves froze when Laughter placed a hand on her back. The coldness took her breath away.

"Oh, no need to be so grumpy. We still have a lot to do."

"I'm done working for now!" Yearling said through gritted teeth.

Laughter giggled. "If ya have fun with what you do, you never work."

Loyalty rolled her eyes. "Ya have to get back in the Animus. We need you to see."

"Rainbow...I mean Loyalty, I can't be in the Animus all the time. I'll die! Let me take a break."

Loyalty slapped her face. "Ugh. The world doesn't take breaks. We're counting on you!"

Laughter rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about Loyalty. She's just like speeding through everything. Oh, that reminds me, next Animus trip should be through my memory."

Yearling gave the Bearer a perplexed look. "Your memory?"

"Righty O! Octavia and Fluttershy visited me right before the Battle of Ponyville happened."

"The Battle of Ponyville? That..."

Yearling stopped as Caballeron's humming could be heard outside the room. The two Bearers instantly disappeared. The historian sat upright and tried to appear that nothing had taken place since the doctor's absence. The door opened and the man entered holding a plate of pasta. Yearling had expected a simple cheese sandwich or something of the like, so this surprised her. As the doctor approached, she noticed something about the pasta.

"Lean Cuisine?" She asked.

The doctor rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, it was the only thing I could find."

"It's fine. Thanks Doc."

Yearling picked up the plate and began to eat. Caballeron sat on the couch next to her. She had forgotten that he had been working just as much as her, watching, analyzing, and making sure she was alright. Now that she was thinking about, he had to care for her a lot. Yearling thoughts shifted as she noticed the notes on his tablet. He had been recording what they had seen through the Animus.

"So Doc, did that intrigue you?"

"Heh, yes it did, Miss Yearling. Never thought I would enjoy watching a fight like that. However, watching memories is far heavier than watching a movie."

"Yeah, it is different when ya realize this actually happened. Those men died brutal deaths. Eck." 

"But we should not think of such things. That is in the past. But I will say that Twilight interests me. We have no historical files about her being royalty. Yet we know it's true since Empress Luna said so."

"Kinda odd isn't it?" Yearling agreed.

"Maybe we shall know in the next trip? We'll track Bearer Twilight some more.

"Naw. We should follow Octavia. I know where too. Next trip will be with Bearer Pinkie."

The doctor stood up. "Hmph. I don't see what's so important about Octavia. But, whatever. We shall resume in the morning. Gets some rest."

"Will do. G'night."

"Goodnight."

Yearling finished her meal as she watched the doctor leave. Her eyelids started to become heavy. The food had made her even more sleepy than what she already was. She sprawled herself on the couch and closed her eyes. The images of the old Assassins swirled in her mind.





"Thanks Pinkie!" Three girls cheered in unison.

Pinkie waved at them. "Aw, no need to thank me. Just here to help."

The girls ran off. The entire village was up and running, moving supplies there, barricading that wall, testing the ballistae and cannons. Everyone was preparing for war. The village of Ponyville had been told by a messenger that the Crystal Republic was heading their way. Ever since, the Assassins were doing everything they could to ready the town. Pinkie merrily skipped along as she supervised the people. An Assassin ran up to her and bowed.

"Bea...I mean Pinkie, the Bearer of Kindness and Den Master Octavia have arrived."

"Oh goody! I'll go greet them. You make sure that the Disciples are in a safe place? Alrighty?"

The Assassin bowed. "Yes, Pinkie. Right away."

Pinkie rolled her eyes at the Assassin's formality. She didn't like how her Brothers would treat her like she was above them. She was a Bearer and all, but deep down, she was still Pinkie Pie the baker and rock farmer. She kept these thoughts as she made her way to the Ponyville gate. Fluttershy was here. Pinkie had not seen her friend since she fled from Cloudsdale, which was a while ago. Ever since, Fluttershy had been serving in Canterlot or east of the capital. Now, she was finally back. Pinkie giggled with excitement and quickened her step.

She jumped over an Assassin rolling a large powder keg through the dirt. The Assassin did not appear to notice since he was used to the Bearer's antics. The clopping of horses could be heard down the road. Pinkie stopped suddenly to avoid an Assassin carrying several muskets. One of the firearms fell out the young Assassin's grasp. He cursed and tried to pick it up while still holding the other weapons. Pinkie picked up the gun and handed it to him. He smiled and thanked her before heading to his destination. Pinkie beamed at his smile. Though the time was becoming grave, she still encouraged such things among the Brothers. The sounds of the horses approached. She had to ready herself.

"Where to hide?" She asked herself.

"Uhh...How about behind the bush?"

Pinkie shook her head. "Naw, she always expects the bushes."

"Then the well."

"Brilliant! Oh, me, you're so brilliant."

"I try my best. I think."

Pinkie ran over to the well and swung herself over. If she was going to do this, she'll do it right. The horses' hooves approached. Pinkie held herself in a position to strike. Her friends never saw her coming. And they won't now. Here she comes, Pinkie thought. As she waited, Fluttershy's voice could be heard.

"Oh yes Octavia. But I must say, Bulk is a re..."

"Here's Pinkie!"

The Bearer of Laughter sprung from the well and tackled Fluttershy right off the horse she was riding. The two Bearers rolled in the dirt for several rotations until finally halting. A long sigh could be heard from the Den Master. Pinkie hugged the Bearer of Kindness tightly. Fluttershy gasped her air.

"Oh, Pinkie....You startled me." She said in a meek voice.

"I missed you so much! C'mon Flutters, I'll give you "Welcome-Back-to-Ponyville-While-a-Battle-Rages-on-the-Front-Porch" Party! It'll be fun!"

Fluttershy hesitated. "Uh...I don't think that's a good idea..."

"Be..I mean Pinkie, we should continue preparations."

At the sound of the voice, Pinkie turned to see Octavia standing next to her. The Den Master was not wearing the same robes as her previous visit. She had a black mask with purple lenses. Her hood possessed a black Assassin insignia with many extravagant curves. Her collar was longer and pointed in Canterlot fashion. This reminded Pinkie of Rarity. Her left arm was completely armored with several steel plates that overlapped each other, but still giving her flexible movement. A small, black, one-shouldered cape hung from her left right shoulder. Her fists and wrists had thin steel gauntlets. Even her chest and right shoulder were armored. Her hidden blades were longer and their blades were well adorned. Under both blades appeared to be some sort of small pistol. A sheathed falchion was on her hip. The Den Master's gray robes were much more complex than her previous ones, having elegant designs running through the silk. Red sashes were tied around her waist. Several leather belts and pouches were tied around her in various places. Finally, the Bearer looked down at her steel boots.

"Wow Octy! You look fantastic! Like a true Den Master."

Octavia nodded. "Thanks. Lyra made it for me. Rarity had some fun with it."

"I can tell."

Pinkie got up and lifted Fluttershy to her feet. The Bearer of Kindness dusted herself off. Octavia approached both Bearers. Pinkie could not see her face, but she could tell something was wrong, and it did not involve the Crystal Republic. The Den Master looked down and ran her foot through the dirt. Finally she gained enough confidence to speak.

"Pinkie, I would like to speak with you in private. May we?"

"Uhh...Sure! We can talk in Sugar Cube Corner. C'mon! This way!"

The Bearer started to bounce her way to the baker's shop. Pinkie expected metal footsteps to follow her, but the Den Master's feet were quite muffled. She looked over her shoulder to make sure if Octavia was following, which she was. Actually, as the Bearer watched Octavia, she noticed her gait was firm and slightly intimidating. It seemed that the Den Master wanted to look angry. Pinkie mentally shrugged it off. It could have been the new robes making her do that.

"I think you should be more alert with her."

The Bearer of Laughter and Octavia reached Sugar Cube Corner. The shop, like many others in the village, was quite colorful. The building was mainly made up of blues and light pinks. Octavia stopped and inspected the shop. It appeared that she was startled by its odd style. However, she could not look at it for too long as Pinkie grabbed her wrist and dragged her inside.

The inside was just as wild. The tables and even the floor were blue. The shop was empty as the residents had already taken refuge from the oncoming siege. Pinkie joyfully jumped over a table and sat in a chair backwards. She quickly turned the chair so that she faced the table and rested on arms on the chair's back support. Octavia calmly took a seat. She looked at the Bearer before removing her mask. The Den Master placed the mask on the table with such gentleness that one would believe it was a sacred totem. 

Pinkie cocked her head. "Soo....What's ya wanna talk about?"

"I do not know how to start this conversation because I know it will soon go downhill."

"Oh, it can't be that bad..."

"Fine. It's about Harmony. It's what you said the last time I was here."

"What's wrong with that?"

"It's not that, it's you and your Bearers. It's the Elements and their secrets. It's that Tree that you seem to despise."

"Oh....So THAT's what ya meant." Pinkie started to rub the back of her neck.

"Tell me what I want to know. You Bearers talk so highly of Harmony, yet you don't even follow your Elements to a T."

"I don't see what you're talking about. I'm Laughter and I keep people joyful, Fluttershy is Kindness and she heals the hurt. Applejack is Honesty and she is reliable and truthful."

Octavia jabbed a knife in the table. "Secrets aren't truthful damn it!"

Pinkie didn't notice the violent backlash. "A secret is something that is kept hidden purposely, I think you mean that we simply haven't told you everything."

"It's the same. You haven't told anyone. Starswirl, the Tree, the Elements' true purpose. You've told lies instead."

Pinkie shrugged. "And? Your point, Octy?"

"My point is that you Bearers are not what you say. I would think Harmony to not be willing to create an organization bent on killing. When I hear Laughter, Kindness, Generosity, I don't imagine you and the Brotherhood."

Pinkie leaned in. "Then that's your opinion. I don't kill. The Brotherhood only kills those they deem necessary to die. Assassins don't kill innocents; it's one of our tenets."

"You don't kill, but I saw Fluttershy kill. She took the lives away from Royal Guards, not even Templar. That is not Kindness, not by your description. Something doesn't add up."

Pinkie looked away. "Starswirl was an interesting fellow. Never met him myself, but he had some ideas. Like mirrors, he was crazy about mirrors. You know..."

"Get to the point."

Pinkie looked at the floor. "Starswirl showed the Elements true humanity. Humanity did not possess Harmony. The Elements could not stay in the Tree. If they did, they could not intervene with the life above. So Starswirl took them. He told the Elements that humans hated change. They disliked like a plague. So the Elements needed ways of establishing Harmony that were beyond their understandings. They needed a way to bring about Harmony slowly and carefully. The Templar delay this. This is why we hate them. They despise Harmony and only seek Order. They are no better than agents of Chaos. So the other Elements have decided that death is the only option."

"So that's it? You Elements took the word of Starswirl? He must have been a madman."

"No. But like I said, I never met him."

Octavia sat back in her chair. "Then how do you know this?"

"Memories. The Elements keep the memories of all their respective Bearers. It's a way to accumulate knowledge and skill. Bearers don't need training as they get it all from the past."

"So are you Elements corrupted with what Starswirl has told you?"

"What? Naw. We just are trying to help humanity. They were right outside of the Tree's door. Starswirl basically cried for help. We simply answered his plea."

Octavia stood up. "Where is this Tree?"

Pinkie pointed at the back of the shop. "I think there is still some pastries in the pantry. Want some?"

The Den Master shook her head. "No different than the rest."

Pinkie was uncertain about this response. "So did I answer your questions?"

"Yeah, except the one I came here for."

"I thought you came here for Ponyville?"

"Heh, I would not do such a thing for that. Nor am I here for the Assassins. I am here to find a trail to Spitfire. She left Canterlot the day of my hanging. She'll be here and if not, I'll find out where."

Octavia picked up the mask and slid it over her face. The black mask stared at the Bearer. Pinkie returned the stare. The Den Master's mask made her look inhuman, having no emotion and complete apathy. Finally, Octavia turned and walked out of the shop, leaving Pinkie alone. The Bearer noticed that she did not take her knife out of the table. Pinkie wondered if that was done on purpose.

"That's not the same Octavia as before."

"Naw, she's the same. She's always asked questions."

"Too many. She'll find out the Truth of this world, like Rainbow did before she was a Bearer. Octavia won't like it."

"Then We'll have to be careful."

"Hehe, indeed. Unlike Rainbow, Octavia won't be strong enough to resist such temptations."

Pinkie sighed. She did not enjoy telling the Den Master about the Element's past. It wasn't fun. She looked around the shop. Its emptiness made the place slightly ominous. She wished that the Cakes were still here, baking some fresh pies or cupcakes. But no, the war had reached their sanctuary. The war had driven the villagers to hide out in the wildness. They had to drive the Republicans away quickly. The terrors of the Everfree could hunt the refugees. Pinkie stood up and followed the Den Master.

The village was quiet. This made Pinkie uneasy as she wandered the empty roads. She searched around for any living soul. They're here, she realized. She sprinted towards the walls. The Crystal Republic was here. She passed Town Hall and continued north. Suddenly, a cannonball struck the ground next to her; the blast threw her in the air. The Bearer rolled upon impact with the hard ground.

"Hey! That wasn't nice!" She shrieked.

"Pinkie, are you alright?"

She looked to see Octavia running from behind a building. She offered the Bearer a hand. Pinkie accepted. Another cannonball tore through a house next to them.

Pinkie knotted her eyebrows. "Ugh! This is making me angry!"

Octavia chuckled. "Aw, the Bearer of Laughter isn't happy? How usual it is for you to be the opposite of your Element."

"Oh, quit it!"

A cannonball whizzed by them and destroyed a large fountain. Pinkie glared at Octavia. The harm to the village was greatly upsetting her. The Den Master's mockery was even more upsetting.

"You think you're so in the right about all of this, don't ya Octy?"

The Den Master crossed her arms. "I've never been in the right since joining the Brotherhood."

"If you hate it so much, why join? Oh yeah, it was because of Vinyl! I remember her. I remember everything about people and what they wear and what they do."

"How do you know my reason for joining? I never saw you until two months ago!"

"What? Ya don't think that Twi told me about you? She was inspired because of you and your Friendship with Vinyl. She wanted all the Bearers to know it too. And here you come and slap us all in the face. Truly grateful."

Another cannonball smashed the ground beside them. They didn't even notice the explosion. Octavia began pacing back and forth.

"Twilight is nothing but a liar and a bitch! She's used me for her own gains. And she forgot my request! She forgot to find Vinyl's body! I will never repay her in any way!"

"Octy, that's one of the Bearers. Twilight is not perfect, no one is. But what are you doing? Do you think by hurting us you achieve anything huh?"

"I'm not hurting you! All I've done is asked questions. I want to know the truth behind this Brotherhood. Behind those Elements. The same ones that embedded themselves in Bearers' chests and take over their minds. And because of that, you Bearers aren't even human."

"I am too human! Having the shard in place of my heart does not take away my individuality, or my feelings, or my thoughts."

A cannonball struck the Town Hall. The gazebo-like structure collapsed under the force. The Bearer and the Den Master were interrupted in their argument by this. They stared at each other in mutual fright. The realization that they were being bombarded had taken hold in their minds. They then sprinted towards the walls. Assassins lined themselves on the Ponyville walls, ready to defend their home. Pinkie scaled the wall and looked out over the northern valleys.

The green valley was covered in purple. As she inspected the Crystal soldiers, she noticed that their army was not vast. There were at most, 300 men. Not a force meant to siege a town. Their purple crystal armor reflected the sun back at the Assassins. The Republicans stood in formation, not moving an inch in any direction. A Crystal officer marched up to the walls alone. His armor was red and the crystals on his shoulders stuck out in odd angles. He finally halted before the Ponyville wall. He lifted his arms at the Assassins and addressed them in a booming voice.

"Assassins, we come at last! What you have just tasted was the future of warfare! It was no mere cannon. This is a day that shall go in history, the day when man ceased to use men and instead used machines! Courtesy of the Templar Order, we give you, the Stormbringer Tank!"

Pinkie instantly knew that something was wrong. The Republicans knew of the war, they had Templar technology. The officer spoke Equestrian and not the native Crystal language. He didn't look Republican or even sound like one. These were not Crystal soldiers. They were all Templar in disguise.

The sound of something heavy and rolling was heard in the distance. The Assassins could see a large turtle-like object moving across the land. The moving object was mainly made out of wood and steel plates, with many holes along its circular base. The holes had cannons sticking out through them. This was the tank. One could easily tell that it mobile artillery and armored too. Some of the Assassins faltered as the machine approached. Pinkie gulped.

"Oh horseapples...."



~

> Chapter 30: Battle of Ponyville
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Oh horseapples...."

BOOM!

The Stormbringer fired a volley of cannonballs at the Ponyville wall. Assassins flew off the wall as the balls shattered the supports they were standing on. The tank kept firing, the circular base rotated so that a fresh cannon could fire at the wall. Pinkie was shocked, she had never seen such a machine before. The Templar really had these things? She felt Octavia drag her down as another volley soared over their heads. When Pinkie looked at Octavia, the Den Master was running away with many other Assassins. The wall was not safe. They had to make their stand elsewhere.

The Bearer got up and ran. The ground and buildings shattered around her as the tank did its devastating job. She saw Assassins taking cover behind anything they could find. She dove over a small stone wall. The rolling sound of the tank was heard again. It was entering the village.

"Where did they get such a thing?"

"How are we gonna fight it?"

"It can't end like this!"

The wails of the Brothers penetrated Pinkie's mind. No they can't be like this, they can't give up already. She needed to rally them. Pinkie looked around the area. There was a dropped sword on the ground in front of her. That will do nicely, she thought. The Bearer grabbed the sword and stood up on the stone wall. She began waving the sword madly about.

"To me! To me!"

Assassins gave her an odd look as they dunked under their pitiful protections. Pinkie continued to yell at them to come to her. She wish she had done this before that attack. Maybe that would have helped. Fluttershy ran out from her cover and beckoned others to follow. Even Octavia showed herself and joined the two Bearers. Cannons erupted behind Pinkie as she rallied her Brothers. The tank had not noticed her yet and was still simply destroying houses and shops. When enough Assassins gathered around Pinkie, she gestured at the enemy.

"We are Assassins! We do not run with tails between our legs! For centuries we have fought in the name of Harmony and Freedom. We fought the Templar and any who threaten our Empire and our home! This is our home! We have built this village upon the foundations of our Creed. We must not let it fall to some monstrosity that the Order has created. Fight! Stand up and fight! Not for me, or the glory, or yourselves, but for the Brother beside you. We fight as one, we WIN as one! Let's face the dragon and extinguish his flame! To battle!"

With that, she pointed at the Crystal soldiers. The Assassins cheered and charged. If the Assassins were like any other military, the charge would have been suicide, but the agility of the Brothers allowed them to dodge the attacks of the soldiers and the tank. Pinkie ran with them. Octavia was on one side of her and Fluttershy was on the other. The battle met in a violent clash as both sides met in the streets. The Stormbringer rained upon the town, taking out just as many soldiers as Assassins. Pinkie stopped and stared at the machine.

"C'mon Laughter, I'll need ya."

"Here you go."

Pinkie's vision blurred slightly. The Element took over her eyes and allowed her to see through the machine. The inside of the tank had ten soldiers operating the machine. Four of the men reloaded the cannons while six operated the steam engine that propelled the tank. From the information gathered from her eyes, Pinkie knew what to do. The Bearer ran at the tank. The machine turned a cannon at her. She dove to the ground as a cannonball flew by her. They had to reload after that. This was her chance.

The Bearer reached the Stormbringer and climbed up on is turtle-like "shell." The steel armor was slippery and she had to cling on as the tank rolled about. Every time a cannon fired, the whole tank would lurch back, creating even more struggles for the Bearer. 

The battle raged on as she clung onto the tank. Musket fire filled the air as both sides fired upon each other. Pinkie had to dodge sharpshooters who aimed at her. One shot a hole through sleeve, barely missing her arm. The tank fired again. Pinkie grumbled in annoyance. She was not happy, it was time to let out some steam.

She repeatedly banged on the roof of the tank with unrestrained aggression. "Let me in dammit!"

"What was that?"

The Bearer could hear the men on the inside. The disturbance she had made alerted them about her presence on top of the tank. The lid on the roof swung open. A Templar soldier looked around. When he found Pinkie next to him, he aimed a pistol at her. The Bearer grabbed the gun and wrestled it out of his hands. The soldier cursed and pulled himself out of the tank. He stood up and faced the Bearer. Pinkie simply rolled her eyes at him. The soldier threw a punch at her. She dodged the fist and then pushed him. The soldier lost balance and fell off the tank. She proceeded to enter the Stormbringer.

The inside was hot and stuffy. The heat from the engine, the cannons, and the crammed space all added to its uncomfortableness. The soldiers inside took notice of her. She ducked under a punch that connected with a Templar behind her. She then sidestepped a dagger swing. The dagger-wielder continued to swipe at her. She quickly turned and grabbed a soldier and placed him in the way of the dagger. Blood squirted out of the soldier as his companion gutted him. With him dead, there were eight soldiers left in the tank.

The soldiers surrounded her. Daggers and pistols pointed at her. The tank was no longer operating as the operatives were distracted by the Bearer. Pinkie just looked around at the Templar. Their snarls were nothing pretty to look at. She started thinking of ways to remove their angry faces. However, before she could come up with one, a gray blur entered the tank and fell on two soldiers.

The other soldiers turned their attention to the Assassin that had just entered. With Octavia taking care of the soldiers, Pinkie turned to the engine. She needed to destroy this thing. A pistol shot was heard as Octavia fired into a Templar's face. The Bearer reached the steam engine. Coals were stacked around it, ready to refuel the tank. How could she destroy it? Pinkie's mind flashed with ideas.

"Blow it up?"

"Oh yeeaaahhh..."

Pinkie looked around. No explosives here. Well, there was gunpowder for the cannons, but that required a lot of searching and gathering. She checked on Octavia. The Den Master deflected a dagger and then retaliated with her blade to the soldier's chest. Pinkie's eyes shifted to Octavia's pouches. She probably had bombs. Bombs and this fire would nicely, she thought.  Pinkie started to sneak over to the Den Master.

Octavia dodged a swing of a dagger. She quickly turned around to deflect an attack from behind. She grabbed the attacker and threw him into the other, causing them both to fall over. She then swung her sword at a soldier. The soldier angled himself so that the sword would hit his armored shoulder. Octavia followed up with her other hand, stabbing him in the neck. The Den Master noticed the Bearer of Laughter trying to reach in her pockets.

"Pinkie, I'm busy!"

"I know, jus' trying to find something."

Pinkie continued to search the Den Master's pouches. Due to Octavia's constant movement, it was no easy task. Octavia fired her pistol and a soldier fell right before reaching her. Finally, the Bearer reached in a pocket and pulled out a cherry bomb. 

"Finally."

Octavia glanced at her. "Pinkie, what are you doing?"

"Octy, I suggest getting out."

The Den Master did not hesitate. She threw a knife into the last tank operative and climbed out of the machine. Pinkie threw the bomb at the engine. It was once that she threw she realized that she was still in the tank. The Bearer tried to climb out, but the bomb fell into the fire of the engine. The explosion ripped the engine apart. Steel splinters flew through the air. One impaled the Bearer of Laughter through the stomach, causing her to fall to the floor of the machine. 

The world began to blur as she laid on the floor. She could see that the engine was almost completely destroyed. She looked down at hr stomach. Horror gripped her as she saw the spike that was lodged in her. Sweat began to build up and her breathing quickened. She had to get out. Pinkie fought the fear back and stood up. The metal spike prevented her from standing up all the way. She slowly walked over to the ladder that led out of the tank. 

"C'mon Pinkie, ya can do this." She urged herself.

The first pull up was the hardest. The stretching of her limbs only caused more damage to her stomach. Her eyes began to blur as she climbed the ladder. Every reach and step was agonizing. 

"Keep going..."

She finally reached over the top and pulled herself out of the tank. The whole village was roaring with battle. Crystal soldiers and Assassins squared off in the streets. She could see Octavia slicing down Templar left and right. The Den Master fought with such anger. Pinkie watched as the world around blackened. She stepped forward. Her foot left the tank's shell and she fell, rolling down the steel sides. 

She gasped for air when she reached the ground. She couldn't move at all. Her ears picked up the faint sounds of war. She knew they were all around her, but it felt like they were miles away. Soon her eyes gave out and blackness took hold of her.





"Is she going to be alright?"

"I reckon so. Flutters did good like always."

"Do ya think she can hear us?"

"Maybe."

"I doubt it."

"Always on the negative, aren't ya Den Master?"

Pinkie opened her eyes. The first figure they rested on was not one she had expected to see. Applejack returned her confused look with a warm smile. Next was Den Master Braeburn. He had his arms crossed and simply returned her stare with indifference. Finally, Octavia was looking down at her. The black mask concealed any emotion the Den Master was having.

Pinkie blinked sleepily. "What happened?"

Applejack patted her shoulder. "Accordin' to Octavia, after the tank thing was destroyed, there was a long battle where no one gained the upper hand. That was, until Braeburn and I showed up with reinforcements. The 'Publicans fled before us. Sorry we didn't get here sooner."

"It's alright. Where's Fluttershy?"

Octavia answered. "In what's left of the Den. She healed you."

Pinkie's eyes widened. "Gah! That means she's in pain! She's in agony! We need to be with her!"

"It's alright Pinkie, I'm here."

All of them turned to see Fluttershy holding her bandaged hand. Applejack was quick to move and walked over to the Bearer of Kindness.

"It's fine, Applejack. Cheerilee took care of it for me."

Applejack gave her a smile. "Ya jus' hang in there Flutters. Ya did good."

"I know..."

Octavia turned away from the Bearers and began packing objects into a large bag. Pinkie glanced at her. The Den Master was packing food, water, some odd trinkets, a quill, ink, and parchment. Pinkie sat up on the table she was on. Her stomach ached in soreness. 

"Where you goin' Octy?"

The Den Master continued packing. "Baltimare. I interrogated a Templar after the battle. He told me that the Wonderbolts were heading for Baltimare. I'm going after them."

"Are you going alone?"

"Yes."

"I can come with you."

Applejack grunted. "Uhh...Pinkie Pie? I don't think ya in good condition for traveling. Flutters healed ya, but that wound is gonna need to rest still."

Pinkie shook her head. "I'll be fine."

The Den Master sighed and walked out of the room with her bag. Pinkie got up and followed her. Octavia exited through the front door of the house. Pinkie caught up with her on the street. She was about to say something when she inspected the town around her. The whole place did not look the same. Every building, shop, or home, had some hole or roof missing. Many buildings were completely gone. The place was desolated and devoid of the life it had before.

"Uhh....Octy?" Pinkie mumbled.

"No. I'm tired of being with you Bearers. This is my mission. I will do it alone."

"OK, I think we've gotten off to bad start. The Bearers haven't been the nicest to you. So I'll speak on their behalf. We're sorry."

Octavia stopped and glanced back over her shoulder. "You think that will suffice?"

"For now, yes. Ol' Pinkie can make it all up to you. A trip together will be nice. You know, maybe we're be friends afterwards. Besides, to get to Baltimare, you'll need to go through Hayseed Swamp. That place is dangerous. It's like the Everfree, only worse. You'll need someone with you."

"I'll come with also!"

They both turned to see Fluttershy running up to them. She stopped once she noticed their stares were upon her. She faltered before continuing.

"I mean....yea...."

Pinkie beamed. "Great idea! All three of us shall go to Baltimare! We'll get to see Rainbow Dash."

Fluttershy brightened. "Oh yes, Rainbow. Octavia, we must come al...."

She stopped. The Bearer of Laughter turned to see the Den Master walking away. Pinkie's smile turned into a scowl. Why was she like this? She was just trying to make it up to her. No, she was not going to let Octavia go. Not without a fight. She'll make the Den Master a friend. Even if she has to go to the ends of the world.

Fluttershy pointed at her. "Should we follow?"

Pinkie nodded. "Yup. Pack your bags quickly. We're going to make a friend out of this Den Master. We're going to protect her in the Swamps. We're goin' to Baltimare."


~


> Chapter 31: Modern Assassin
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Octavia is writing again! Can you believe this guys?"

"Yes Yearling. We were there remember?"

"Oh yeah..."

Yearling sipped her coffee. Loyalty, Laughter, Generosity, and Magic were pacing around the room. Generosity had finally arrived after she said she was "lost" for the past few days. Yearling was greatly confused by this. She asked how that could even be possible with her being a ghost. Generosity merely replied with "Not reading the signs on the walls." Yearling took the comeback as mocking insult.

"Hey, if all you guys are here, then where is Honesty and Kindness?" Yearling asked.

Magic answered. "Kindness and Honesty didn't want to make an appearance. They don't want to be in this type of business again."

"Why not?"

"Various reasons, but the main is plain tiredness. They are done with humanity as of right now."

"You think you can convince them otherwise?"

Magic shrugged. "Maybe."

Loyalty piped up. "Guys, guys, you all are thinking of the wrong thing! They're going to Baltimare! I'm coming into their story. Just watch Yearling! You'll see me in my finest form!"

"Actually, I've already gone into one of your memories. I know what to expect."

"Well good. You'll see me on the Equestrian waters, on the Ragnarok. My sweet Ragnarok."

The other Bearers rolled their eyes. Yearling leaned back on her couch. Her mind returned to Octavia. The Den Master was writing again. But where were her writings? They weren't in the South Canterlot Den. Could they be in a different city? Octavia was going to Baltimare, maybe they would be there.

"Uhh...Bearers? Was there a Den in Baltimare?"

Loyalty nodded her head. "Yeah, but it was more of a fort. Fort Moonlight. My boys took over that fort when we gained the city."

"Could Octavia have stashed her writings there?"

Loyalty considered this. "Maybe. She did visit it a couple of times."

Laughter jumped in. "Then we should totally go there! Nice trip, from wherever we are!"

"We're in Manehatten."

Loyalty's eyes widened. "This is Manehatten? Wow, it's changed. It actually looks inhabitable."

Yearling chuckled. "It's on the edge."

"Now darlings, if we need to retrieve these documents, we should do quickly."

"Well Generosity, if ya haven't noticed, I don't get out of here often."

Magic looked at the historian. "We could help with that."

Yearling raised a brow. "What? Gonna ghost me through the walls?"

"Not exactly. Do you have a hood?"

"Uhh.....I have a hoodie. Want me to get that on?"

"Yes.

Yearling got up and walked in her bedroom. She didn't know why she was getting her hoodie. What were the Bearers up to? Maybe this was how Octavia felt when dealing with them, she thought. She grabbed one of her dark tan hoodies and put it on. She then returned to the Bearers.

"OK, what now?"

"Do you know your way out Yearling?" Magic asked.

"Yeah. It's guarded by security though. If I leave, they're drag me back here."

"We'll get you by that."

Without warning, the Bearers walked up to her and placed their hands on her. The extreme cold chilled Yearling to the bone. Then, one by one, they were absorbed into the historian's body. It felt like running in ice water. Yearling's vision blurred and her heart sped up. Her hands gripped and released the air without her command. Her whole body twitched. Finally, it all felt normal again, though she seemed to be stronger and more alert.

"Can you hear me?"

"Uhh....yeah?"

"Good. Now let's see how you walk."

Yearling's body began to move. She panicked as it was not her brain telling her body what to do. As she walked, her body became imbalanced and she fell to the floor.

"Hehe, I haven't done this in a while."

"Which one are you?"


"Magic. The others are simply using you as a transport. Don't worry, I'll get the hang of this again."

"You better." Yearling growled.


"I'll let you have a bit of control. Don't override me though."

Yearling stood straight up. It seemed that Magic was collecting her thoughts or something. The historian began moving again, though this time with more calmness and balance. Maybe this wasn't so bad, Yearling thought.

"No it's not"

"You can read my thoughts too?"

"To an extent. I am controlling your body, I would think such a conclusion would be reasonable."

"Hmph. Just get me out of here."

Yearling opened the door to her room. The long hallway was the only thing that met her. She hadn't walked down this hall for some time and it showed with its new unfamiliar design. Yearling walked down the hall slowly, making sure that she was silent. She probably was on camera though. Yearling looked up to see a camera. Luckily it was facing the other way. The historian placed her hood on and stuck to the wall underneath the security camera.

"What is that device?"

"It's a camera. It shows people stuff. You know, like a watch."

"I see. We better avoid them."

"Don't have to tell me twice."

Yearling made her way down the hall. Posters for Ahuizotl Industries covered the white walls. Posters of ancient artifacts and various reconstructions showed the Industries' products. She could tell that the Bearers were inspecting these things as they did not talk to her. She could feel more freedom in her movements as she went on.

The historian stopped at an opening in the hall. The hall turned into many different office rooms. Industrial sized lights hung from the high ceiling, giving the place a dim blue coloring. This was where the higher ups liked to hang out, Yearling thought. She crouched and continued her way down the right side of the room. On the walls were artifacts enclosed in large glass displays. One such artifact caught Yearling's eye.

"I don't remember that being there before."

The historian gazed upon a set of gray Assassin robes. The set was armored in many places and the silk had elaborate designs. The hidden blades had old pistols underneath them. The sashes and pouches were accurate to what Yearling had seen. The robes looked new. They were not the original robes. The mannequin it rested on bore the appearance of a certain Den Master she had been researching. Yearling's jaw dropped as she gazed at a reconstruction of Octavia Melody.

"But how?"

"What is Octavia doing here?"

"How do they know about her? Caballeron and I are the only ones who know about her. Right? He must have told them."

"I think we should get out of here."

Yearling continued to stare at the plastic Den Master. Her face well too accurate to be merely a coincidence. Her pink eyes, thin lips, angled nose, everything. This mannequin was made with the images collected by the Animus. It was too accurate to not be. Others had been watching her trips in the Animus. They knew what had been going on the past days. Did they know about the Bearers yet? She hoped not. 

"Yearling, we must go."

"Fine."

Yearling walked quickly down the room. She kept her eyes on the cameras that dotted the high ceiling. She passed another mannequin. This one was of Vinyl Scratch. She was holding a musket in one hand and placing her mask on her face with the other. Again, the appearance was as accurate as it could get. The mask, the robes, even the small scars on her face. It almost seemed that they were actually there in the flesh. 

"This is gettin' creepy."

"They did me also."

Yearling turned to see a mannequin of Twilight. The reconstruction was holding a pistol in each of her hands, aiming straight ahead. Her purple hair blew in a nonexistent wind. Her robes were lavender and had several pistol holster on her hips and on her chest. She had a wild smile on her face and her pose was slightly seductive, with her hip extended out to one side. Next to her was Rarity. Rarity was inspecting her extended hidden blade which was tipped with blood. She was giving the blade a smug look, as if satisfied in its bloody work. Her sapphire eyes and even her make up were all there. Her robes appeared just as Yearling had seen them through the Animus. Over both mannequins was a sign saying "Canterlot Assassins." Yearling slapped her forehead.

"Oh is this what my work is for? Huh? To show modern men how sexy Assassins were back then?"

"Well.....I have to say, I look superb. See Generosity? That's why you should have picked me to come with you to Fancy Pants' banquet."

Generosity's voice rung in Yearling's head. "You still hold that against me? I still do not regret my choice, dear."


"Ugh, let's keep going. I want out of here now."

"Caballeron! If you continue like this, Mr. Ahuizotl is going to be mad!"

Yearling turned at the sound of this. Some woman was talking with Doc. Yearling immediately forgot about what was right next to her. She needed to know what he was up to. She sneaked by a camera and made her way to the woman's voice. The white floors creaked a little with her step. The woman continued to chastise Caballeron.

"Octavia is fine and all, but we need to know about the Elements. They are the first step, the rest will come later."

"Raven, my dear, ugh, I'm trying. Miss Yearling really wants to follow Octavia. I can't refuse her. She deserves that much."

"No, she doesn't Caballeron. I don't know what to tell you. Just, just my her go back into memories, especially the Bearer of Loyalty."

Yearling leaned on a wall right before the the doctor and Raven who she knew as the CEO's secretary. What were they talking about? She stayed put as they talked further.

"Mr. Ahuizotl wants those Elements' power. The Elements seem to refuse everything we give them. They seem dormant, and we need to wake them up. That's why we have the Animus."

Dr. Caballeron sighed. "I realize this. The Animus is tough on Miss Yearling's mind. We can't rush or we might lose her forever."

"That's your job. Quicken the pace, or you're fired."

"I know you don't mean that, my dear."

"Yeah, I don't. You won't be fired, you'll be dead."

Raven walked away. Caballeron stood there and watched her leave. Yearling could tell that the threat was legit. He sighed and placed his hands in his pockets. Yearling felt sorry for him. Was this what he had to go through? His life was on the line? What if they find that I'm not in the room? Will they kill him? She hesitated. Should she leave? She wasn't that far away, maybe she could go back without any problem.

"No, we continue. We need to get to Baltimare."

Yearling felt her body lurch. Magic had taken control again. Yearling walked down a short flight of stairs and into another large room. Pictures lined the walls. Ahuizotl Industries loves to decorate, Yearling thought. One such picture was an old artwork of Lady Sunset Shimmer. Yearling inspected it. Shimmer was holding a book in her hand while she was sitting down a large cushioned chair. She had a long red dress that matched her red and yellow curls. A Templar cross rested on her bosom. Her eyes seemed to look right at Yearling. Under the picture was the Latin phrase, "ipsa scientia potestas est."

"Well, it seems that everyone is getting the celebrity treatment." Yearling moaned.





"Are we lost?"

"No, we still got just a little way to go. Be patient." Yearling assured her.

Yearling walked around a corner. She had been sneaking about for about an hour. She had taken the elevator to the first floor. Surprisingly, that did not set off the alarm. She was finally close to the front exit. The first floor, however, was much more crowded than the others. Ahuizotl employees and guests walked about. They didn't notice Yearling among them. They did not know of her existence in the company, Yearling thought. She casually made her way to the large front doors. 

The large front room of the building was filled with Assassin and Templar images. There was a very large poster of Rainbow Dash in a dramatic pose. Her blazing swords were held in a threatening position. The background around her was being destroyed by some unknown force. The poster had the title "Under Loyalty's Flag" over her head. Next to that poster was a similar one of Spitfire, only the title of that was "Templar's Honor." People chatted as they wandered the grand entrance. Ahuizotl Industries no longer looked like a replica making business, but an entertainment studios. Yearling heard an employee dramatically telling a group of young kids about Rainbow Dash, the most feared pirate of the seas. 

"They say she could wrestle down 30 men with her bare hands. None could match her skill in battle or her wits in gambling. But that's not all, she even befriended a sea-turtle, one she named Tank. The turtle cruised with her ship at all times."

"Wow, she's awesome." A kid exclaimed.


"All true, all true." Loyalty bragged.

"HEY YOU!"

Yearling turned to see a group of security guards walking over to her. Her heart raced. What to do? What to do? She felt her body move without her. Magic took control and made her run for the exit. The guards yelled and pursued her. She dodged the people in her way. Magic was pulling her body at speeds she did not think she could achieve. Yearling pushed open the door and exited the building. 

The guards were quick to catch up with her. The Manehatten sidewalks were covered in pedestrians. Her body ran into the crowd, shoving anyone who was in her way. She wanted to apologize to the people she knocked over, it wasn't her doing it. The guards continued their chase.

"We have to take this to the roofs."

"What? No!"

Yearling ran up to a street pole and climbed it. Once at the top, she jumped from it to a street light that hung over the street. To Yearling's great surprise, her body kept balance and she ran on the poles and lamps. She then jumped on the tops of cars that slowly traveled the Manehatten streets.

"GET BACK HERE YOU!"

"Hmm...Naw."

She cheered as she ran along the roofs of the cars. Every step was perfectly balanced and she felt in one way in danger of falling. The Bearers were making her body parkour in Assassin fashion. She turned and ran back on the sidewalk, hoping to lose the guards in the crowds. Her plan seemed to be working, until a cop blind-sighted her. Yearling toppled to the ground.

"Hold still or you'll have it!" The cop pointed a taser at her.

Yearling rubbed her head. "Now wait officer, nothing's the matter."

"THERE YOU ARE!"

The Ahuizotl guards reached her. They pulled out their batons and pointed them at her. Yearling slowly got up, with her hands up. The Manehatten police officer stepped forward.

"I said hold still!" The cop warned.

"Wait..."

The cop walked over to her. Yearling was on her knees holding as still as she could. The cop grabbed one her arms and brought it behind her back. Her heart started to race again. Suddenly, she twisted herself and flipped the cop over her. The cop pointed the taser at her. She kicked his hand and the taser shot harmlessly into the pavement. The guards charged her. She ducked under a baton and tripped one guard. She grabbed another and twisted his arm, making him let go of his baton. She took the baton and smacked a guard across the face. The cop tried to get up, but she kicked him in the head, knocking him out. She then followed up with a swing at a guard's knee. He grunted and bent over. She jumped and kneed him in the chin. The guard she tripped up grabbed onto her wrist and twisted it. She flipped backwards in the air so that it was him who had the twisted wrist. She then smacked him in the stomach and then in the head. She threw her baton at the neck of the last guard standing. He gagged at the impact. She then ran over and threw him into the pavement, following up with a stomp to his face. She dusted her hands off as she inspected her work.

"That was incredible! I'm incredible!" She yelled.

"Hate to break it to ya, but Magic did most of the work." Loyalty said.

"No I didn't. She did plenty. Not much longer and she'll be as good as a Bearer."

"Oh whatever. These guys are done either way. And I'm free. I'm free to explore again. No more empty room. Haha!"


"Stay on target, Yearling, we must get to Baltimare."

"Oh yeah. Well then, off to the docks!"





"This is the Manehatten docks? Wow, this was where it all began for me...And it's changed so much." Loyalty told Yearling.

"Well, 500 or so years will do that."

Yearling walked along the docks. The sun has high up in the sky as it was early afternoon. The breeze from the Bay blew refreshingly by Yearling's face. The docks were crowded with ships from all over the world. Yearling could see flags from the Crystal Republic and Saddle Arabia. Cranes lifted massive crates of cargo onto the ships. She search around for a craft that would take her to Baltimare. Since she forgot her wallet, she had no money and no name. So buying a passage was out of the question. She had to be a stowaway. As she thought this, the promise of Batlimare seemed further off than when she was in her room. 

"Don't sweat it. We'll take a ship if we have to."

"Loyalty, I know you were a pirate..."


"I prefer the term 'rogue privateer.'"

"Yeah whatever. Look at these ships. They're a lot bigger than what you fought." Yearling gestured at an oil tanker.

"If I had that attitude I wouldn't be famous beyond death."

Yearling couldn't argue with that. The fortune of Rainbow Dash was vast. People were still finding ships that she had sunk. Ships much bigger than her Ragnarok. And that 'rogue privateer' was in her head right now. She could handle a few modern sailors right? They couldn't be any tougher than the guards or cops right? Yearling was still unsure about it. Since she had beaten up a policeman already, she probably was wanted suspect. From what she had learned through the Assassins, was that one did not stay in town that knew her face. She considered this as she furthered her search.

"We have to get to Zebrania soon. We have perishables remember? And we have to stop in Baltimare on the way. We have to go soon."

Yearling's ear perked up at this. She turned to see two men in front of a large ship. The men did not seem happy. The historian walked closer to them. Making sure not to attract attention to herself.

"I don't see why we must transport this stuff. They could use the trucks to carry it."

"Remember man, there is way to much stuff to do that. They'll have to get hundreds of trucks to haul all of it. Besides, Zebrania is really far away. It's faster through the sea."

"Fine. When do we depart?"

"As soon as possible. The crew's ready. I'll need to take inventory with the boss one last time. See ya."

One of the men walked away. The other grumbled and began to make his way to the ship. Yearling followed him. The grumbling man walked up the board leading to the deck of the massive ship. Yearling looked around to make sure no one was watching her. She then followed closely behind him. The historian used the massive crates on deck to hide away from the sailors. The sailors of the ship walked around, talking about one thing or another. They did not seem to be doing anything important, except be a nuisance for Yearling.

Yearling made her way to the center of the deck. She was heading for the storage room beneath the deck. She ran from crate to crate, trying to avoid any sailor's eye. She finally made it to the center. There was a massive door in the deck that led to the storage room. Fortunately, it was open for Yearling. She quickly jumped down onto a large crate inside the storage room. She rolled upon contact with the crate to ease the fall on her knees. Then she started to climb down the pile of crates. The storage room was dark and silent. Perfect place to hide from the sailors.

She reached the floor and quickly hid in a dark corner. She sat down and waited. All she needed to do now was wait for them to reach Baltimare. Hopefully fast, Yearling thought, as she didn't have any food with her. She considered stealing food, but she'll have to do that later. She leaned back and quietly sighed, which sounded loud due to her silent surroundings. It had been an exciting day so far. One she never expected to have. She had been in tight places before in tombs and old temples, but nothing like this. This was an adventure, she thought. An adventure that she didn't want to finish.



~

	
	
> Chapter 32: Den Master's Return
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Yearling awoke with a start. She had been sleeping most of the voyage to Baltimare. Occasionally sneaking above for food and water. No sailor on board knew about her being among them. The storage room was dark and silent as usual. The only lights came from the dimly glowing Bearers that stood before her. Even though they left her body, the heightened senses and strength remained. Months worth of training had been given to her in mere days. She didn't think it was everything Magic knew, but it would certainly suffice. Loyalty ghosted through a crate and cleared her throat.

"Ship's stopped. I think we're in Baltimare, but I don't recognize the port. All tall buildings like in Manehatten. Though the waters have their nice clear green like what I remember."

Yearling nodded. "That'd be it. The Horseshoe Bay is famous for its beautiful water. Guess we should get out of here."

"Agreed. Although, the way we came in is now blocked to you. We must go through the main quarters, or whatever they call that now." Magic told her.

Yearling stood up. "Let's get going then."

Yearling stretched before heading to the back of the ship. The only sounds were her footsteps since the spectral Bearers made none. The historian had to make an abrupt stop to avoid walking into a crate. The darkness hid the crate until the light from the Bearers revealed it. It was going to be a little harder than Yearling had thought. If only there was some way she could see in the dark, she thought. Then an idea hit her and she faced the Bearers.

"Hey, can you guys give me that "blue vision?"

Loyalty lifted a brow. "Uhh...What are you talkin' about?"

"You know, that vision you get when the Elements take over your eyes. Everything becomes bluish, things and people become clearer. You can look through a tank with it. I saw it in the Animus."

Pinkie leaned back. "Oooohh, so THAT's what you're talking about. Eh, no. We only get that from the Elements. So only Bearers can do it. We like to call it Elemental Vision, but it's really more like a sense. A sense that lets you hear, see, feel, and smell what you want. Like, let's say I wanted a cupcake, mmmm, I would allow the Vision to take over, and it will find me one, regardless of what's hiding it. It basically allows us to reject useless information and only show the important ones. When I looked through the tank, I wasn't seeing through the tank but simply rejecting the tank wall's existence, letting it to disappear in my mind and letting me see the important soldiers inside. Get that huh?"

Yearling rubbed her chin. "I think so?"

"Don't think too much about it Yearling." Magic said.

"Alright..."

Yearling made her way through the dark, constantly feeling the area in front of her. She was making good time for not being able to see more than a couple of feet in front of her. Suddenly, a bright light entered the room. Yearling realized that it was a flashlight being carried by a sailor. She hid behind a crate. More lights entered. The chatter of the sailors echoed off the far walls of the ship. 

"Accordin' to the footage, that gal went in here." One sailor said.

"Bloody stowaways..."

"Let's teach 'er not to steal from us."

Yearling gulped. The sailors apparently saw her on camera when she was pilfering food from their cabins. She held her breath as one of the sailors passed her. When he passed, she got up and moved to another spot. She saw that some of the men carried pistols on their belts. They wouldn't shoot her, she reassured herself. That would be murder and these are probably good men, hopefully. Her heart raced, she didn't want to risk it.

She sneaked over to another crate. She was slowly making her way to the exit. She glanced over to the end of the room. She could not see where it ended. Another light passed by her, just missing her arm. 

"She gotta be in here somewhere." A sailor grunted.

"Hey boys, ya think she could be that woman from Manehatten? The one all over the news?"

"What was her name?"

"A. K. Yearling."

"Dammit..." Yearling muttered.

"I doubt we have a psycho like her in here. Didn't they say she was from an asylum or something?"

"Yeah."

"What? How dare..." Yearling almost yelled, but quickly covered her mouth.

"READY FOR A DRINK IN TARTARUS!?"

Yearling heard Loyalty scream throughout the ship. She could only blink. What was she doing? The historian stayed still. The sailors' flashlights started to shine every which way. 

"What was that?"

"Could that be her?"

"BLOODY DOGS! ALL OF YA! WHAT'S HAPPENED TO REAL SAILORS?"

"There she goes again!"

Yearling realized that the sailors were distracted by Loyalty's voice. She quietly resumed her trek. The sailors called out to the voice. Loyalty insulted them again.

"YA'LL ARE SOFT! REAL SAILORS WOULDN'T USE A SHIP WITH NO SAILS!"

"Show yourself!"

"Here I am!"

The frightened screams of the sailors filled the air. The sounds of footsteps and flashlights hitting the steel floor resounded through the ship. Yearling turned to see sailors running towards her. Some tripping over in their mad flight. She jumped out of the way of their stampede.

"Run ya maggots! Run! Haha!"

The Bearer of Loyalty chased after them. Her swords were drawn and she bore a insane grin on her face. She swung her swords about wildly, laughing manically the whole way. The sailors ran with all their might from the ghost. Loyalty came upon the sailor that had tripped. She stabbed her swords into him. The sailor's face became shocked, but then became confused as the Bearer's sword went harmlessly through him. Loyalty attacked repeatedly, with similar results. The sailor just sat there.

"Oh c'mon! So close! So far! I want burning flesh!" Loyalty wailed.

"Actually, I feel more like freezing." The sailor mocked.

"Shut it you!"

"Hey guys, this ghost is harmless!" The sailor called out to his fellows.

"No I'm not!" Loyalty shouted. "I am Rainbow Dash, the famed rogue privateer of the Equestrian seas and the Labyrinth Isles. I am the most successful Assassin of all time!" Her voice became high-pitched with her anger.  "I am the Spectrum of Manehatten! I am the Liberator of Baltimare! I am the Bearer of Loyalty! I am a Survivor of Chaos! I am..."

"Dead." The sailor finished.

"No! No! NO!" The Bearer attacked him again with her ethereal blades.

Yearling watched Loyalty's breakdown. She could only feel sorry for her. The sailor stood up and dusted himself off. He still looked dazed from the fact that he was seeing a ghost right before his eyes. However, he seemed confident in himself, as he began to walk away. Loyalty followed him, punching him or kicking him to no affect. Yearling ran over to the sailor.

"Hey fatty!" She yelled.

He turned around. Yearling punched him across the face. He fell flat to the ground, knocked out cold. Loyalty started to kick his body, her leg ghosting through him like it wasn't there. Yearling turned to her.

"Loyalty, Rainbow, stop."

"Don't tell me what to do." Loyalty grunted.

"I'm not telling, I'm asking."

Loyalty stopped. Her face was knotted in anger. She sheathed her swords. She then stomped away, towards the exit. Yearling watched her walk away. The historian felt a cold hand on her shoulder. She turned to see magic looking at her.

"Give her time. She's always had a temper. But, she calms down quickly."

Yearling gestured at the sailor. "I don't get it, why was she mad about not being able to kill him? About being dead?"

"I don't think that she has accepted that her time has passed. When you walk the world like we do, you forget that you're dead. We do yearn to live again."

Yearling blinked. "But, aren't you living now?"

Magic shook her head. "No, we are just wandering manifestations of what we once were. Due to the Elements, our souls will never be at peace, so we'll just wander."

Yearling considered this. "Is being a Bearer, a curse?"

"Kindness thought that. I saw it has a harsh blessing. We had gained the ability to change the world. Something everyone wishes for. But with such power, comes a price, and that price was our souls. Our souls became one with our Element, becoming immortal with it. When I was young, I thought it was incredible. When I died, I realized how awful it was. That's why we want to go back to the Tree of Harmony. With them back in the Tree, we'll be at home. Our souls will still be with them, but we would not wander. That and other reasons that you will find out through Octavia."

She walked away from the historian. Yearling felt depressed by their plight. If history didn't motivate her to seek the Truth, then this will. She stepped over the sailor's body. Sneaking was not on her mind at the moment. She picked up a flashlight and walked to the exit.

Once she got there, she climbed up a ladder to the main deck. The deck was empty. The sailors had ran off. She looked about the area. The sun shown brightly on Horseshoe Bay. Seagulls and pelicans called out while flying above her. The sea breeze was stronger than what it was in Manehatten. Beaches lined up the shore of Baltimare. Palm trees dotted the streets. The city loomed over the Bay with its skyscrapers. The pirate town had become a tourist attraction for modern Equestria. 

Yearling walked to the edge of the ship. The ship was docked along a concrete pier. She swung herself over the railing and climbed down to the pier. The docks were bustling with activity. The sailors and traders around her took no notice of her. She gazed around the area. She needed to find Fort Moonlight. She looked across the Bay. On the other side was an old fort. That would be it, she thought. Even though it was not far away from a direct route, she had to circle around the entire Bay to reach it. She sighed and began her trek.





By evening, she reached the fort. The fort had a fence around it, as it was a historical landmark and needed to be protected from vandals. Yearling easily climbed the fence and continued. The fort was crumbling and unstable. Weeds and vines smothered the walls. The yellow stones were jagged and uneven. But the most interesting aspect of the fort was the giant stone statue of Empress Luna. The statue was well-carved. It was in fine condition as well, except that the head was gone. Yearling walked up to it and inspected it. She then heard Loyalty behind her.

"Yup, I did that when we took over the fort. Blew her head right off with a cannon on the Ragnarok. I don't regret it. I mean, who puts statues on forts anyway?"

Yearling chuckled. She was imagining the rainbow-haired pirate purposely blowing the head of the statue. She was sure it was a fine symbol to Baltimare of who was running the town. She looked out into the Bay. The Ragnarok was probably right down there when it happened. It was amazing feeling being at a place where so much history happened. She then noticed that the sun was setting and she turned to the fort again. 

She saw the Bearers walking around. They were searching for Octavia's writings, Yearling thought. Loyalty ran inside the fort. The historian trusted her the most to know where it was, as she visited this place the most. Yearling followed the Bearer.

The inside was dry and dusty. It was mostly empty except for some equipment left by archaeologists. Loyalty searched the floor. She started mumbling to herself as she tried to remember something. Yearling followed the Bearer's zigzags across the fort's interior. The other Bearers started watching it all. Loyalty went to a dark corner and stopped. She pointed at the floor.

"There it is!"

Yearling looked down at what she was pointing at. There was a large square in the stone floor. In the middle of the square was the Assassin insignia. Yearling dusted off the square. As she did so, she felt grooves in the floor. The square could be removed, she realized. She gripped the square and lifted it. It slid out of the floor. She then threw it to the side and behold, there was a ladder leading down into floor. 

"We made a few revisions to the fort when we occupied it." Loyalty said.

"What's in there?" Yearling asked.

"Let's find out."

Loyalty ghosted through the floor. Yearling turned on the flashlight she grabbed on the ship. She looked down the hole. The bottom was not far down. She then turned and placed her foot on the ladder. The ladder creaked with her weight. It felt stable, so Yearling placed another foot on the ladder. She braced herself for the ladder to break, but when it didn't, she beamed.

"Huh, that's better than I..."

The ladder snapped and she fell to the stone floor. Dust filled the air with her impact. She slowly got up, rubbing her lower back. The Bearers chuckled at her. She had to admit that her mistake was humorous. She got to her feet. Her flashlight was thankfully, still working. She picked it up and looked at the hidden room.

The room was covered in cobwebs and dust. Old boxes and odd furniture surrounding her. The Bearers started to look around. Yearling searched a box in front of her. Whatever it held had been in there had been taken out. Fear gripped her. What if they were too late? What if they had come all this way for nothing? She started to search drawers and boxes frantically. Nothing, nothing. She heard the Bearer of Loyalty call to her.

"Hey Yearling, get over here."

Yearling looked up to see Loyalty beckoning her over. Yearling jogged over to her. Loyalty pointed at a desk. Two odd cylinder-like devices rested on the desk. Yearling picked them up. They were heavier than what she had expected. The Assassin insignia was carved on both of them. She turned them over to see a blade underneath.

"Hidden blades." Loyalty told her.

"Put them on." Laughter suggested.

Yearling inspected them. They didn't look like the most comfortable things to wear. The Bearers continued to urge her to wear them. She sighed and slid one over her right wrist. It was slightly big for her. She tightened the straps underneath until it was snug. She then did the same with the other. She thought she looked ridiculous with the slightly bulky devices on her wrists. 

"Uhh....How do you extend them?"

Loyalty frowned. "Eh, they may not extend since they're old. They need to be oiled a little."

"Lady Yearling? I think I have discovered what we are looking for, darling."

The historian looked to see Generosity in a far corner, almost in a different room entirely. Yearling made her way to her, avoiding debris that could trip her. She started to notice that some of the objects in the room were made of gold. One such object was a golden bull head. Generosity cleared her throat to remind the historian of her request. Yearling drew away from the bull head and made her way over.

"Lady Yearling, I have the strong indication that the writings are in there."

"Why's that?" Yearling asked.

"This is a writing desk, one in the like of the her desk in the South Canterlot Den. If I knew Den Master Octavia, she would be drawn to use a desk that reminds her of her home."

Yearling silently agreed with this. The desk Generosity was showing her did look of Canterlot fashion. The old wood had swirling carvings and elegant thick round legs. The desk had a single, center drawer. Yearling grabbed the handle of the drawer. The handle was metal, thus the touch was cold to Yearling's fingers. She pulled it. The drawer did not budge. She pulled harder. The drawer was sealed tight. She pulled with all her might. It was useless, as the drawer remained closed.

"Dammit!" Yearling cursed.

"Oh! Oh! Let me try!" Laughter bounced excitedly.

"Laughter..." Loyalty moaned. "You can't open it; your hand will go right through it."

"Hmmm..." Laughter rubbed her spectral chin.

Laughter then fell prone on the floor. She crawled underneath the desk. She continued to rub her chin as she looked up at the bottom of the desk. Her eyes shifted here and there. Her finger began to trace something in the air, as if she was solving a puzzle. Finally, she clapped her hands and pointed at a rod next to Yearling.

"Grab that. Then hit it here and there." She pointed at two points under the drawer.

Yearling picked up the rod. Yearling could tell that it was a part of something else originally, but later fell off. She then took the spot of the Bearer of Laughter. Laughter made sure she was showing the spots to Yearling as long as possible, without getting in the historian's way. The Bearer was pointing at the back corners of the drawer. There were things lodged in the space there, keeping the drawer closed. Whoever did this, Yearling thought, did so purposely. She smacked the objects. After several tries, they fell out. Yearling saw that the objects were Assassin throwing knives.

Yearling crawled out from underneath the desk. She then pulled at the drawer again. This time, it slid out easily. She gasped in excitement. All of them looked at the drawer's contents. Sure enough, it was a pile of old parchments. The documents were not in as good a shape as the ones in the South Canterlot Den, but Yearling could easily read them. Handle them with care, Yearling reminded herself. She gently picked the papers up. They had been stitched together on one side, not letting them separate. There were more papers here than the South Canterlot Den. 

"Octavia had a lot to write about." Yearling muttered.

"That she did." Magic agreed.

"Oh! I can't wait what she says about me. It's gonna be awesome!" Loyalty squeaked and pushed up her cheeks in excitement.

Yearling looked at the first familiar words. "By Octavia Melody..."


~

	
	
> 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!"


~

	
	
> Chapter 34: Sea Dog's Warning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Aye, that was it, that Gryphon Man O' War had no idea where we was. The Ragnarok was quieter than a hare and we used the fog to cover our sails. Got away untouched with the gold."

"Wow Caramel, that must have been exciting!" Pinkie commented on the old captain's tale.

Caramel leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "One of the most exciting moments of me life. Lass, I tell ya, if that monster of a ship saw us, well, I wouldn't be here."

Pinkie awed at the old man. I rolled my eyes at his boasting, all of his boasting. As we ate breakfast, it was all that I heard. Sunk a Templar ship here and outran that Imperial and chased down that Assassin Corvette. It was starting to grind on my mind. Were the stories interesting? Well, the first five were, but the six that followed were nothing more than irritating. I can't believe I kept track of how many tales he told us, I guess there was nothing else to do but listen to him. The old captain took a sip from his breakfast stew and sighed.

"Ah, this reminds me of ol' Zecora's fish stew. The Zebran could make a grand meal with anything my boys would catch in the ocean. I mean anything."

"You never compliment my meals." Sassaflash complained.

"I just did. Well, fine, this is lovely dear. Lovely." He emphasized the last word by carefully pronouncing the syllables.

"Hmph!"

Fluttershy stirred a spoon in her stew. "Do you ever miss it? I mean, the sea and all?"

Caramel nodded. "Aye, I miss it everyday. That's why I paint so much now. I mean, I painted during my career, but not this much. It's the way I live the memories again. But know this, I don't want to go back to it. My time out there is done. I'm content with me lot and me wife. Sometimes I wish I settled down sooner and not so late in my fourth decade on this world."

I considered this as it actually reminded me of myself. I had been an Assassin for a while, almost my twelfth year to be exact. Was I going to do this forever? Til my death? I never had a lover or even had any thoughts of creating a family. The Brotherhood had been my family for so long now, the idea of settling down was foreign. Most Assassins stay in the Brotherhood until they can no longer fight. Very few leave early, well, leave alive. Was that my fate? To fight until a demise like Vinyl? The idea was depressing to say the least and I started to envy the captain before me. He had been through it all and lived, lived to have a fine resolution to his adventurous life. The same captain looked dotingly at me.

"Cheer up lass, it's only morning and no need of heavy thoughts yet. Like I tell me crew, don't think until ya goin' to sleep, because you'll forget the thoughts by morning."

"Sounds like you prefer ignorance." I replied.

"No, that's not what I meant. Life is supposed to be wrangled like a bull. If ya keep thinking about the bull and why it's there, you won't go wrangle it. You end up doin' nothing but thinking, and thinking doesn't get you anywhere. Especially thoughts that discourage ya from living. I've been through many rough times in my life and I pulled through with one sayin' my father told me. 'Cheers for that.' If there was anything good or special in that day, that chance meeting, that fallen brother, well, let's have a bloody good cheer for it. It tells ya to look on the brighter things of life, even when there seems like there is none."

Pinkie nodded at all of this. I could tell that she agreed with what he said. I stirred my stew in a reluctant manner. I no longer felt like talking. I would and will admit that I may seem like a solemn and serious individual, never trying to find the good in anything. Was there any good in Vinyl's death? I certainly couldn't find anything. But, that could be what he had been talking about. Maybe I only was seeking the sad things in life and never sought any happiness for myself. Was I going to Baltimare for happiness? No, I was going there to kill the one that killed my friend. I can only hope that will give me some happiness.

"Here lasses, let me show you around. I'm sure you couldn't see the place in the dark. It's plenty better in the daylight."

Caramel slowly stood up. He grunted and stretched out his back. Pinkie jumped out of her seat and Fluttershy hesitantly rose. I finished the last bit of my stew and stood up. The old captain headed for the door. Pinkie skipped behind closely behind him. Fluttershy looked at me expectantly. I gestured for her to go first, but she silently shook her head. I rolled my eyes and walked past her. The captain ahead of me opened the front door and left it open. Pinkie and I followed. I heard the Bearer of Kindness's footsteps behind me, but they we're not following me.

I walked out into the morning sun. The forest that surrounded the homestead appeared much livelier than the previous night. In the daylight, I could see that the man's lot was even more covered in random objects than what I had thought. The old man stood next to the half steering wheel that I saw before. The sunlight reflected on the golden handles and the center sun symbol. It was indeed Celestia's Sun. The man patting the thing affectionately.

"This was the wheel of my first ship, Sun's Pearl. She was an Equestrian frigate. 40 guns on her. Well, she wasn't fast, even for a frigate and well, this is all that's left of her."

"Is she sunk?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Yeah, very, very sunk."

He then walked over to the gryphon statue. The statue was wooden and smoothly carved.

"This be the Ragnarok's gryphon that hung over the Captain's Quarters. This is a replica of course, as I couldn't haul such a thing this far. I made it from me memory."

"Why would your ship have such a thing?" Fluttershy asked from the doorway.

"The Ragnarok is a Gryphonian brig. She had served in the Gryphon Kingdom's navy before I won her. Unlike most Equestrian captains, I decided not to give her a Equestrian name and let her keep her Gryphonian one. That's because of what ragnarok means. It's Gryphonian for "Gods' Fate." Sounds much nicer now, doesn't it?"

"Sounds quite intimidating." I remarked.

"Aye, and my crew rose up to her name. We fought like animals, everyone one of us. That was due to some aid from you Assassins, though, not intentionally."

Pinkie rubbed her chin. "Really? Cause if I remember right, we went after your crew a lot. Especially in Baltimare."

"Aye. Here, I'll show you."

The captain went to the side of his house. The smell of farm animals rose as we neared the pigs and chickens. Fluttershy became distracted by the critters and joined them in their respective pens. I was disgusted by her casual petting of the pigs. I guess that I had been with Rarity in Canterlot for too long. 

Caramel opened a cellar door that went underneath his home. As it was on the side that the sun shone on, the cellar was well illuminated. He walked down a short flight of wooden stairs. Pinkie and I followed. The cellar was one large square room. The walls were lined with wooden shelves of small weapons and even more paintings. In the center of the spacious room was a hanger displaying white Assassin robes. The robes were old and torn. They were heavily modified for sea wear and use. The robes had a long white jacket with blue buttons that hung over the rest of the robes. The hood was placed on the top of the hanger. A very faint Assassin insignia was visible on it. I walked over and inspected it.

"I thought you weren't an Assassin?" I said.

"I wasn't Octavia. I took these off an Assassin that talked shite to me. Well, that was before I knew of the Brotherhood's existence. I liked the robes and kept them. I always felt safer on land when I wore the hood."

I only now realized that this man killed Assassins in his prime. It felt so odd being in his presence, him telling me his adventures and giving me meals and a bed to rest in. He was a killer and marauder for a living. Yet here he was now, an old man with a wife and his own place to call home. If this wasn't the definition of change, then I am completely ignorant of the word. Maybe there was still hope for me? Although, he had fortune on his side, to disappear in a false demise, something that I wouldn't dare risk.

"Wow, that's so cool!" Pinkie cheered. "You must have more stories to tell!"

"No!" I yelled and then recovered to a more dignified manner. "I mean....We have to get to Baltimare soon. I...We have someone we need to reach."

The captain chuckled. He clearly saw through my attempt at being polite. He gestured at the cellar door. Pinkie slumped her shoulders and sighed.

"Awww I wanted to hear more." She complained.

"Maybe another time, lass." Caramel patted her on the back.

The Bearer of Laughter kept hunched over as she made her way up the stairs. I followed her outside. The Bearer of Kindness was still socializing with the animals. Her sweet talk to them was delightful to watch, but odd as I knew the frightful side to the Bearer. This thought made me notice that she was carrying her bow. A weapon fit for hunting, yet in the hands of one who will never harm a creature of nature. 

Caramel appeared from the cellar and locked the doors behind him. He then silently walked to the stables behind the house to retrieve our steeds. I patiently awaited his return. The good wife of the homestead came from the front of the house. She gave us her usual friendly smile. It was a smile that made me feel ashamed of leaving behind. 

"Leaving so soon?" She asked.

"Yes." I replied. "We Assassins are always busy. I do thank you for the hospitality you have shown all of us."

"Yup." Pinkie nodded.

"Yes, it was lovely here." Fluttershy remarked.

"Well, that's mighty kind of you gals to say. Safe travels."

Caramel returned with three horses behind him. Mine was the least packed of the three, as the Bearers clearly brought tents. We wasted no time in mounting them. Caramel walked over to his wife, placing her in a warm embrace. 

"Oh, I can't wait to see Rainbow Dash again. It's been so long. I really wonder if she's changed." Pinkie said.

Caramel chuckled. "Ha, I bet she's still the same as when I met her."

"I hope not..." I muttered under my breath.

I urged the stallion to move. I might as well lead, I thought, it was my still my journey. Fluttershy's horse followed behind me with a meekness similar to its rider. As I headed towards the trail, I looked back to the waving couple. The voice of the old captain called out to me.

"Stay sharp Octavia. The world is a queer one. Don't be shocked by anything you see out there. Ever."

I did not respond to this. The way he said it was serious and foreboding. I assumed it was because of the Crystal Heart and its shards. The shards were an oddity I had yet to discover. As the shards reminded me of the Bearers' secrets, I turned to Pinkie who had ridden her horse next to mine. The Bearer of Laughter did not listen to the sea dog and hummed to a song in her head. Caramel still looked at me gravely. His wife contrasted with his solemn face as she had a bright smile on her lips. 

The day was well on its way as Fluttershy, Pinkie, and I arrived at the main road. We turned and headed east with the sun high above us. Caramel and Sassaflash walked up to where their walkway and the road met. I waved at them. When they were out of sight, I reached into my saddlebag and pulled out Vinyl's mask. I quickly slipped it on. The world became a faint purple through the lenses of the mask. 

"Any idea of what he meant?" I asked the Bearers.

"I have no idea." Pinkie answered

My jaw tightened. "Yes, you do." 


~

	
> Chapter 35: Nothing is True
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Are you ever going to speak?"

"Octy, I can't answer your questions because I don't know! I would have told you if I did."

"Pinkie, these shards have been in your knowledge for quite some time. What do you mean, you don't know what they are?"

"All we know is that they are similar to Elements, but not. We don't know what they exactly are. Not even Laughter knows."

"Then how does a bloody pirate know?"

"He dealt with them? I don't know. We find most of the shards in the Labyrinth Isles, so we don't really see them often. Assassins are in Equestria, not those islands."

"Leave Pinkie alone, Octavia. She's telling the truth."

"I bloody doubt that, Fluttershy."

The Bearer of Kindness gave me a stern look. A look I had never seen from her before. I grumbled and turned my gaze to the road. I had been trying to pry information about the Crystal Heart from the Bearers for hours. They seemed as much in the dark about it as me. As I am a stubborn woman, I did not let up. That was until Fluttershy's intimidating stare. Though I will never admit it to any soul other than myself, but the stare was almost nightmarish. 

"Now say that you are sorry to Pinkie." The Bearer ordered me.

I gritted my teeth behind the mask. "I'm sorry."

"Oh it's alright. No harm done." Pinkie told me in her usual happy voice.

"Ugh..." I placed a hand on the mask. It was the closes thing to being able to rub my face in frustration. The journey felt much longer than what it really was. We were over halfway to the port, but it seemed that we had just started. By the time I reached Baltimare, I was sure that Spitfire would have moved on. If she was still working like an Assassin, she would not spend much time in one place. 

"Wait...What is Spitfire doing in Baltimare?" I said my thought aloud.

"Maybe she likes beaches?" Pinkie suggested.

"It always seemed like a lovely place to visit, especially when you've grown up in.....Cloudsdale." Fluttershy said the name of the city with mild distaste.

"With those horrid suggestions out of the way, let's reason why she is there." I retorted.

"Well, you know, Templar stuff." The Bearer of Laughter shrugged. "Who knows, maybe she is there for Crystal shards?"

Fluttershy rubbed her chin. "Oh yes, that may be it. Caramel and Rainbow found some shards on their journeys so they may be still out there in the sea."

"If Caramel is accurate, that would mean such a find is of utmost importance to the Order. There may be more than just revenge awaiting us in Baltimare."

"You mean revenge for you." Pinkie pointed out.

"Oh, of course."

I fell silent as we entered a large clearing in the woods. The grass was high and waving in the wind. In front of us was a large river. By the current and size, I could tell that this was the Bronze River. Our odd route made us not reach it until later in our journey, as Caramel's homestead was much farther south than I realized. We had now finally reached the Bronze River and now our route to Baltimare was easy to follow.

"Let the horses drink. They've been working hard." Fluttershy told us.

We all dismounted and led the horses to the cold waters. The sun was in the west, becoming a bright orange in the late sky. Pinkie looked about the scenery with a fair amount of interest. Her eyes dashed from tree to tree, as if she was following something. I soon realize that she was watching a squirrel making its way across the woods. The Bearer then turned to Fluttershy with a mischievous grin.

"Hey Flutters, wanna catch a squirrel?"

"Oh? Uhh....I don't think that will be nice...." Fluttershy hesitantly responded.

"How will you catch such a creature anyway?" I asked the Bearer.

"Duh. By running, silly."

"Ha, and can you outrun a squirrel?"

"Maybe not, but I can try. Ol' Maud and I used to act like animals all the time. We did tree-running through the woods behind the rock farm."

"Tree-running? What is that?"

"What the squirrel's doing."

I returned my gaze to the small creature. It jumped from one branch to the other, quick and fluid. The idea of a human being able to imitate it seemed preposterous, even to one skilled in the art of parkour. The Bearer of Laughter ran over to a large tree and began to swiftly climb it.

"C'mon Octy! It's fun."

Fluttershy smiled at me. "You can go with her, I'll watch the horses."

I looked at the Bearer in the tall tree. She gestured for me to follow and ran off on the high branches. I had nothing better to do, so I ran to the tree. Feeling grips in the bark was something I was unaccustomed to doing. My knowledge was with wooden boards and stone walls. I grabbed onto a low branch and pulled myself up. The branch snapped and I jumped to another. I then ran up the trunk until there was a split in the tree. There I rested until I jumped to another branch. Pinkie waved at me from a tree.

"Move fast. Most branches won't support you, so you gotta keep moving."

As she said this, I felt the branch I was standing on give way. I quickly hopped to another branch. To retain my balance, I grabbed a nearby vine. The Bearer of Laughter giggled and swung herself around a trunk to a branch on the other side. 

"Let's get a squirrel!" She shouted.

She pointed at such a creature and sprinted after it. I mentally shrugged and followed. Around this, over that, swing on that. Don't fall! I jumped on a dead tree. The tree gave way and it fell on a smaller tree. I used this to easily jump to a nearby branch. I felt a tug at my cape and realized that it had torn on a bough. Well, I was glad Rarity wasn't there to see it. The Bearer of Laughter was way ahead of me. Her tongue hung out of her mouth and her eyes dashed about.

I was not so keen on catching the squirrel as Pinkie was, but the feel of running again was exhilarating. Over this! Over that! I leaped onto some vines and swung quickly to the nearest tree. I was keeping up with the Bearer of Laughter, but she was clearly more skilled at this tree-running. I tiptoed on a branch until I ran to the trunk. Like the did before with the trunk, I swung around it to a branch on the other side. 

I swung on a vine to another tree. Birds flew from the hidden nests in the leaves. I looked down. Fluttershy guided the horses on the road below. From the treetops, I could see many different animals running about in the forests. Deer, groundhogs, and the occasional cockatrice. I jumped and jumped, making sure that I did not fall to the rough forest floor.

Suddenly, I heard a loud whistle to my left. I turned to see something that I still do not believe. Running along with me, at some distance, was a figure in white robes. Her crazy hair was a blue darker than the sky. The eyes were of a magenta color. The figure smiled broadly at me. She made a gesture with her hand, as if pointing a pistol to her head. A tree came between us and when it passed, the figure was gone. I blinked and continued. The Bearers were acting the same. 

Jump there, go there, swing, hop, go! My thoughts remained on the figure. I didn't want to accept what I saw. I looked at my left again. Alas! There she was again. She had her hand the same way. I heard her make the sound of a gunshot with her voice and cocked her pistol hand upward. She then stuck her tongue out at me playfully. She did all of this while staying with me through the woods. 

"What?" 

"Haha!" The figure laughed. 

The voice, it too was familiar. I knew who the figure was, very well. She seemed to have been enjoying the pain she was putting me through. The figure turned and disappeared in the woods. I hesitated as I wanted follow. My hesitation made me run straight into the trunk of a tree. The force knocked me over and I fell through several branches before finally reaching the ground. 

Fluttershy gasped and ran over to me. I motioned to her that I was alright. My back ached from the fall, but I didn't care. The figure remained in my head. Why? Why? That was all that I could think. Pinkie ran over to me. She was cuddling a squirrel in her arms. She clearly was indifferent to my fall.

"Look Octy! I got 'em!" She practically shoved the creature into me.

"I.....I see." I muttered.

"What happened Octavia?" Fluttershy asked.

"Oh? I....I don't know. Hallucinating, that's all."

"Oh, oh, oh! Who were you seeing Octy?" Pinkie asked.

"....It was Vinyl. I was seeing Vinyl running in the trees."

At the sound of my friend's name, their faces fell. I could see sympathy in their expressions. I tried to ignore their looks and slowly walked over to my horse. I silently mounted the stallion. I realized that my sight was altered. I removed Vinyl's mask and inspected it. My jaw tightened as I saw a massive crack in the middle of the mask. My mistake had ruined her mask. The object in my hands was only a piece of wood with two lenses, but the sight of the damage ripped at my heart. I felt like I had harmed her even beyond death. 

I urged my horse to get going. The two Bearers watched me ride away in silence. I was so close to feeling the freedom and awesomeness of running in the wind. I had never felt closer to happiness since Vinyl's demise. Now, it had only worsened the wound. Caramel's words came back into my head, but they had no effect. The wound was salted even more by the hallucination. The way she moved her hands, she was signalling her death. Was she shot by Spitfire? I knew that the Templar used such things before, like the odd firearm when she usurped the Brothers in Cloudsdale. No, I do not think that's how my friend died. I could have been simply depicting her and her antics in my memory.

I sighed and rode on. The Bearers had finally mounted their steeds and were behind me. I looked at the sun. We had only a couple of hours of daylight. I wanted to be in Baltimare now more than ever. I could no longer keep my friend's memory through the mask, I now had to avenge Vinyl and put an end to Spitfire's bloody existence.





"See? My cooking ain't THAT bad. I can cook more than just pastries." Pinkie boasted.

I grimaced at my vegetable stew. The carrots and the bits of potato were undercooked and quite rubbery. I did not know how the Bearer made carrots able to bend like hers did. We did not have any trace of meat in the stew due to Fluttershy's vegetarian ways. This disappointed me as we could have easily hunted for some creatures in the woods that surrounded us. 

"Next time, I'm going to cook." I told the Bearers.

"But you're a musician." Pinkie remarked.

"And you're a bloody rock farmer." I responded.

"Fine! Flutters is going to cook!" Pinkie pointed at her friend.

"What? Oh, I'm not sure if I can." Fluttershy said in a worried tone.

"I'm sure it will be better than this." I gestured at the bowl in front of me.

I could see Pinkie's glare from across the fire. The camp we had set up for the night was a modest one, with two tents. I had assumed that I was sleeping under the stars, but the Bearer of Laughter preferred sleeping on the dirt, so I had gained a tent. The horses were all tied up to a tree close by. Their constant neighs annoyed me to no end. The Bearer of Laughter crossed her arms and gave a frustrated grunt.

"Well, since you are like that, I shall have the rest of the food."

"Be my guest." 

I handed her my bowl. After the days events, I was not hungry in the first place. When Pinkie took the bowl, I walked away from the camp. The sounds of the forest increased as I made more distance from the warm fire. The night was not yet dark enough for the forest to be shrouded in shadow. I could still see some ways into the woods. 

I found a large tree and sat at the base of the trunk. The grass next to it was comfortable. I pulled out Vinyl's injured mask. The wood's smoothness was gone due to the crack. The crack was large enough for one to see through it. The artful symmetry in the mask was lost with such a horrid wound. The forest became silent as I sat there.

"Oh Vinyl....Why do you still torment me? Am I being a true friend by seeking revenge? Should I leave you to be forgotten like every other Assassin? What should I do?"

"Just hang in there, Lady Octavia."

The ghostly voice startled me. The voice was smooth and masculine with a slight twirl. The echo that followed was ominous. My eyes darted around. There was nothing in sight. The voice began to chuckle. A chuckle that was pure evil.

"Are you afraid? You shouldn't be. I mean no harm."

"Show yourself!" I yelled into the forest.

"Hehehe, so pitiful you humans are, really. You have no understanding of this world. So much has been lost to the centuries."

"Who are you to say so?"

The ethereal voice chuckled again. "Hehehe. You shall soon know. Just know this, Nothing is True."

A figure walked out from the foliage of the woods. I stared at the figure with shock. Her electric blue hair, her bright eyes, her mocking smile. She placed her hands in the robes of her bloodied white robes. She was clearly amused by the situation. I felt myself backed up against the trunk of the tree. My heart raced with fear and every other emotion possible. What spirit was in front of me?

"Vinyl? Is that you?" I asked the familiar figure.

"Heh, the one and only." She answered.


~

	
	
> Chapter 36: Everything is Permitted
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"But....But why?"

"Tavi....Alright, I went over this many times in my head, but I never thought you would ask me "why."

"I'm clearly hallucinating. Hello phantom Vinyl. How are you doing?"

"Tavi! I'm not a hallucination."

"Don't play with me. I'm just an insane woman talking with her long dead friend."

Vinyl glared at me. I didn't really care as the.....person... in front of me wasn't real. Vinyl, if I could call her that, started angrily pacing back and forth. The night was becoming darker. I was becoming more insane.

"Octavia. Listen. I'm not dead. I'm standing right in front of you."

"The mind can do that. I should turn myself in. Maybe I will consult the bars of a prison. Ask them how I can last through this torment. I have a feeling they will respond with utmost sincerity. Tell me that I am hopeless and should simply shy away from society."

Vinyl stomped over to me. I slumped to the ground and leaned on the large tree. She loomed over me with a expression that could frighten a manticore. I was not intimidated by her. That was, until she painfully slapped me across the face. The hit spun me to the ground.

"Can a damn hallucination to that? Huh? Can it, Tavi!?" Vinyl yelled at me.

The sting of my cheek made me wince. Vinyl was prepared to do it again. I quickly waved her off and crawled away. I started to stammer wildly.

"Ho-How? Did you fake your death? How?"

"What? No. Why would I fake my death? I was trying to save you from the Old Dungeon remember? I wouldn't have been a good friend if I disappeared."

I considered this. "That is reasonable...I guess."

"Now before you say anything else, yes I kinda did die."

"That doesn't make sense!" I exclaimed.

She smiled. "Good, that means I'm getting good at this."

"What in Tartarus does that mean?"

"Uhh....Forget I said anything. Alright, it's a very long story. Like, a 1000 years long. But I'll get to that. Now, how have ya been since I was gone."

I blinked. "Utterly devastated. I wanted to die at the gallows with the news of your demise."

She nodded slowly. "I'll have to admit. I expected that from ya. Who told you by the way?"

"Spitfire."

"Oh that Spitfire, she got me pretty good. Oi, let me show you."

She pointed at her robes. The white Assassin robes were stained with crimson. I now assumed that this was her blood. She pointed a tear in her robes. 

"This is where she stabbed me through the chest. Let me tell ya, that hurts, a lot. Her sword went out the back, see? And here is where she shot me with her pistol."

"How did you survive?"

She waved a hand in my face. "I'll get to that. Here is where she finished me off. Gutted me right through the liver."

"She did ALL of that to you? I'm...I'm going to KILL her!"

I jumped to my feet and began to walk back to camp. Vinyl grabbed my arm and stopped me. Her action was swift and desperate.

"Tavi, wait. I'm not sure if I should see the Bearers just yet. Come, we should go deeper into the woods."

Her tone was suspicious, but I complied with her order. Vinyl walked in front of me and we heading into the shrubbery of the forest. The place felt off. I noticed that the bugs were crawling away from Vinyl like she was disease. Centipedes rose from the dirt and sped away. Everything seemed disturbed. The trees moaned with our passing. My friend did not seem to notice. Some birds nearby made awful noises and flew away. Even the bushes seemed to shy away from us.

"We're almost there. Then, you can meet him." She told me.

"Who is he?"

"The one that healed me you could say. You were talking with him before I showed up."

"Do you mean the ethereal voice? I thought that was you playing tricks on me." I said.

"Nah, I wouldn't go THAT far. Here we are."

We stopped in a small clearing. The grass around Vinyl's feet seemed to slowly wither. Vinyl stood there and smiled at me. I was nervous about the place. A thick fog began to surround us. In the darkness, I could barely see anything. I felt sweat sliding down my face.

"Vinyl? What's going on?"

"You'll see."

"Yes, you will."

The ghostly voice was back. In the fog, two bright red eyes opened. I could only see the eyes and nothing else. Vinyl remained calm and casually gazed at the eyes. I heard a claw dig into the ground and the eyes came closer. I could hear the monster's breath. It was uneven and seemed ill. I was struck with terror. My limbs were frozen in fear. The eyes came closer. I could now feel its breath. 

"Are you scared?" The voice asked. The sound came from the direction of the monster.

My lip quivered. His head poked of the fog. It was far from human or anything I had seen before. It was the shape of goat. A very deformed goat. He smiled at me with bright yellow teeth. The teeth were sharp and had many rows. One very large fang hung from the right side of his angled jaw. The fur on his hideous face was gray. Two mismatched horns rose from the top of his head. His ears were long and flabby. His devilish grin widened as he approached me. His head extended to me on his long and snake like neck.

"There is nothing to be afraid of, Lady Octavia." He said through his massive grin.

I felt imbalanced. I wanted to faint. Vinyl stood next to the demon, perfectly calm. I fell to the ground. I was still conscious, but barely. The monster loomed over me. His head was almost as large as me. His breath was hot like a furnace. The demon placed his head right in front of mine. I could see with jagged teeth. He took a sniff, a long sniff. He started to laugh wildly. Cackling like a madman. He reared his head up and placed a lion's paw on his face. His laughter echoed through the woods.

"HAHA! You should the look on your face! Priceless!" He guffawed. 

"It's too good!" Vinyl began laughing as well. She bent other and held her sides.

"WHAT?! I screamed.

"I can't help it." Vinyl laughed.

"VINYL! What is this thing?!" I yelled.

The demon looked down at me. His height as almost three times my size. He smiled at me. Not so much with a demon-like grin, but a goofy smile.

"Oh, Lady Octavia, I am Discord, Lord of Chaos and Disharmony. At your service."

"But.....No......I'm going insane. I'm officially insane." I wailed and clutched my head.

"Tavi..." Vinyl began.

"No! I knew this day would come! All this killing and war. It takes the toll. I can't live on like this."

In my panic, I pointed my hidden pistol underneath my jaw. In truth, I was contemplating suicide. I had seen enough in past ten minutes that I wouldn't want to see in several lifetimes. Vinyl screamed at me not to do it. But I did. I flexed my wrist and fired the gun into my head. Only, a lead ball did not shoot out, but a wad of flying confetti. Discord laughed even harder. I quickly turned and began to crawl away.

"Tavi, come back!" Vinyl yelled.

I got to my feet and ran a little ways. My mind was still bent on ending my mind. I pulled out my sword and pointed to my belly. I did not want to live an insane life full of demons and living dead. I stabbed myself with the sword. But, alas! My sword bended upon touching my skin. The steel felt rigid and unmoving, but it still bended like a bough under pressure. I unsuccessfully attacked myself a few times before Vinyl grabbed me.

"I'm sorry to do this." She said and then punched me in the face. All went dark instantly.





I awoke with my face burning like the day. The day? It had arrived. The sun shone on my face through the tall trees. I had been dreaming a wild dream. I probably had too much of Pinkie's stew. Where was I? I was not at the camp, but a large tree. I tried to move my hands; however, they were bound behind my back. For what reason? Was I captured? By who? I started to squirm about. I unleashed a fitful groan.

"Oi, ya up? Finally?"

I was shocked to see Vinyl standing before me. She had her ruined mask in her hand. The sun shown from behind her and blocked most of her face. 

"Vinyl? How? You're alive?"

Vinyl sighed. "Here we go again. Did I hit you too hard?"

"What? We've talked before?" I asked.

"Yes. Don't you remember?"

The memories flooded back into my head. Vinyl's return. Discord. That horrid monster. The fleeing bugs. I was not dreaming. It was stuck too well in my memory.

"Ohh....I do. Wait. You punched me!" I shrieked.

Vinyl nodded. "I did. I'll do it again if ya try and kill yourself for a third time."

"Is that why you tied me?"

"Yup."

I had nothing else to say. Vinyl did not come closer and left me in my restrained state. My friend started to pace in front of me. I simply watched her. Not much was going through my mind. Suddenly, Discord walked from behind some bushes. He walked on his back legs which were what looked like a dragon leg and a goat leg. He stretched his body out and twisted his head in a full circle. I blinked in confusion. It seemed that his head was floating above his neck as the rest of his body did not twist with his head. 

He took notice of me. "Oh look. She is awake. Good. How was your sleep?"

"Less than peaceful." I replied.

"Those are the best kinds. Now Vinyl, my dear, have you informed her of the reason for your living?"

Vinyl snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah. I forgot about that." She reached in her pocket. "Here Tavi, take this."

She tossed a crystal to me. It landed on my lap. I could not touch it as my hands were still bound. The crystal hummed faintly. It did not look unique in any way. The crystal was no larger than my thumb. It was just as thin too. It was in a long and thin shape, like a diamond. It was transparent and quite shiny. I looked at the crystal with varying degrees of interest. I finally returned my gaze to Vinyl.

"How does this explain what happened?"

"Tavi, this is a shard of the Crystal Heart. Alright, I know you've not heard of it but..."

"Actually, I have. But please continue."

"Really? Huh. Well, I stole this from the Sisters when I was underneath the Palace lookin' for ya. I thought it looked nice and kept it. They have a bunch of these things anyway. Now, I was looking for your gear also. When I came across your gear, that's when Spitfire found me sneaking about, but she was looking for these shards as well. She asked me to hand it over and I refused. We fought, I lost. The Royal Guards saved me though. Spitfire almost took this from me, but the Guards came and scared her off. They found my almost dead body and threw me out the back and into, well, a ditch. That was when this thing started talking to me. It kept me alive, through Hope. That is what that shard is, Hope. And well, the power of it attracted ol' Discord. He was interested in my attempt to rob the Sisters and healed me. Kinda. I had to go through his little tests of Chaos before he decided to let me live."

"This saved you?" I looked at the shard.

"Yup. Well, I probably would have died without Discord, but it kept me living long enough for him to come."

Discord spoke up. "Anyone who is willing to steal from the Sisters is always an ally of mine.  Well, it depends."

"Do you work for him?" I nodded at the demon. I could not gesture because my hands were still tied.

"Yes. I am what you call a Survivor of Chaos. I'm his human agent. I'm not the only one. Apparently Rainbow Dash is also a Survivor."

"The Bearer of Loyalty? What cause do you have with a Bearer of Harmony?" I asked the demon.

"It was during her early stages of being a Bearer. And because of that, you shall find her much different than her fellow Bearers. Fun isn't it? I do love messing with you humans. So filled with science and skepticism that you forget what world you live in. Hehe. But I can save my comments for later. I did come here for a reason, even though I hate Reason."

"Why are you here?" I asked.

He rose and snaked over to me. "It's simple. I have a mission for you, Vinyl, and Miss Rainbow Dash. I want you to capture both good ol' Tia and little Lulu. I haven't been able to talk with them over the past millennia and I cannot wait any longer. I miss them. Rainbow Dash has already agreed to do so. Will you? Oh wait. You have no choice, otherwise you can say goodbye to Vinyl again forever and go about were little way of revenge. If you accept, then you and Vinyl are reunited. What say you?"

"Tia and Lulu? Who are they?"

"Oh, nicknames. You know them as Empress Celestia and Empress Luna. You see, I knew them before they had such an Empire under their command. Before they got some shards from the shattered Crystal Heart and became immortal. That could be your reason to find the Sisters. To discover the Truth, as you may call it."

I blinked at this. "You...Want us.....To kidnap......The Sisters!?"

Discord nodded very slowly.

"You seem like the powerful sort, why not do it yourself?" I asked.

"That would make too much sense." He answered simply.

I gestured in confusion. Wait? I looked at my hands. They were unbound. Vinyl had not taken a step in my direction, so this was very odd. I glanced to the ground to see a much of snakes slithering away. Their bodies and eyes were constantly changing color. Discord chuckled at me. I assumed these curious creatures were what keeping my hands bound. My mind began to falter as I comprehended the bizarre situation. I thus decided to throw reasoning out of the metaphorical window and just......roll with it.

"When do we start?" I asked.

Discord clapped his "hands" in excitement. "Right away, my dears!"

"DISCORD!"

The demon coward away from the scream. It wasn't any of us who shouted so angrily. I got up and looked around the tree. The Bearer of Kindness was stomping towards us. Her eyes were glowing, so I could tell that this wasn't Fluttershy, but Kindness. Discord regained his composure and simply grinned at the Bearer. Kindness ended her mad trek at the "feet" of the demon. 

"Why are you here? What are you doing?" Kindness demanded.

"You're a Bearer? Hmm....You've changed bodies since I last met you. Kindness was it? Aw yes. Well, I don't like your tone, let's see the woman you've latched your parasitic self onto."

Discord knocked Kindness on the top of her head. Her eyes to spin vertically, rolling up in her head and then back out. They finally ended and her eyes ceased to glow. Fluttershy looked up at Discord and well......eeped.

"Naww." Discord sounded. "In another universe, we could be friends, but not this one. Hello, dear Bearer, I am Discord."

"I...I know who you are." Fluttershy spoke meekly.

"Of course you do my dear! Rainbow must've told you EVERYTHING about me? Didn't she?"

Fluttershy nodded weakly. Even though Fluttershy was the tallest human among us in the forest, she was miniscule compared to the monstrous size of Discord. The demon gently patted the scared Bearer on the head. Vinyl chuckled at the scene. I, however, pitied the Bearer. She was trying to be brave, but, failed miserably at it.

The Demon snaked around the scared Bearer. "You do not need to be afraid. I have no quarrel with you...yet. I am simply asking these friends of mine to aid me in a little, itty bitty, quest. Nothing wrong with that, is there?"

Fluttershy shook her head with uncertainty. I had just about enough of them and started to walk about. I did not know where I was going, but neither did I care. All that had transpired left me in a pool of complete apathy. My friend was alive, but never dead, a demon of Chaos was now ordering me to capture the Empresses, and the same demon was clearly more powerful than the Elements. I rubbed my eyes with such thoughts in my mind. I sighed loudly and looked up to the tree tops. The sun was pleasant and shining down on me, but I did not feel any of its warmth. A stifling chilliness surrounded the area. I knew it was because of Discord and Vinyl. Whatever he did to her changed her in a way that she was not the same person. I looked to the ground to see the remaining insects flee away from where my friend was standing. 

"Heya Discord!" I heard a shrill of joy behind me.

"You must be Laughter! Oh, you're my favorite of the bunch." Discord laughed.

"Ya hear that Fluttershy? I'm his favorite!" Pinkie clapped her hands excitedly.

"Uhh....That's nice...." Fluttershy muttered weakly.


~

> Chapter 37: City of Rogues
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Octavia Melody

"Are you OK, Tavi? I don't think slapping your head like that is healthy."

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you. I...I don't know what else to do."

I slapped myself again. My forehead was bright red from the numerous times I had done so. The day was barely here and it had been far too long. The constant prattling between Discord and Pinkie was on edge with unbearable. The two of them were clearly made for each other in their inherent insanity. I ended my self-punishment for a few seconds. During that time, I saw the Bearer of Kindness return from the campsite with a worried look.

"Uhh...The horses are gone." She said meekly. I had to replay the words in my mind to fully hear her.

"Eh, no biggie, we can walk there." Vinyl shrugged.

"Does that mean we're going on a hike? I love hikes!" Pinkie jumped in excitement.

"Gah..." I returned my palm to my face.

"Miss Melody, are you going to be so serious this whole time? Vinyl's told better of you." Discord pouted as he snaked by me.

I did not answer his question. He continued to pester me by shrinking in size and wrapping his body around me. The fur mixed with the scales tightened itself around me. Not enough to hurt me, but enough to restrict all movement. His goat head was right in front of me. His grin was that of confidence and mischief. 

"Tsk, tsk." The demon clicked his tongue. "Miss Dash and Miss Scratch have such exciting personalities. You are so stoic...and boring. You're only determined for revenge. Have I mentioned that's petty and worthless? Don't get me wrong, it creates Chaos, but it's expected of people these days, so the amount of Chaos is miniscule."

"What are you getting at?" I deadpanned.

"heheh, what I'm getting at, Miss Melody, is that you need to liven up. Unlike me, your time in this world is limited. I can't imagine a mortal who doesn't to live her life the fullest. Hmm...It seems there is one right before me."

"What do you know about living? You're a demon, a monster bent on Chaos and destruction. You neither know Life nor Death."

Discord tilted his head away in Laughter. I had never heard him laugh so hard before. This attracted the other's attention. Vinyl, who was holding her ruined mask, cautiously walked up to us. The demon continued to guffaw loudly. His grip around me lessened as he unwrapped himself. Tears streamed from his eyes like waterfalls. It was obvious these tears were from his sheer amount of Laughter.

"Hahah...Haha! Hehe hoho! Haha! I love this. A 'demon' you call me? Please! I'm no demon, Miss Melody. I am more! I'll always be more. I know Life, I've survived Death. I've fought him and won! I'm not bent on Chaos. I AM CHAOS! Chaos Incarnate! Do you think I was like this always? Huh? Don't make me laugh more. You Assassins and your vain goals. You Templar and your hopeless ideals! Listen now, all of you. Watch and you shall see that you are fighting amongst gods. Gods that were just as mortal as you."

He snapped his fingers. The sun went over the horizon in seconds. The moon replaced it for only another second before disappearing and being replaced by the newly risen sun. During that time, the moment of darkness, something changed in the demon. When the new sun rose, he was no longer his mixed up form, but that of a young man. The man was handsome and well-shaped. His hair was a long black and his eyes were bright red. His clothes were of a brown nobleman garment. He held a red cane textured with the scales of his tail. He smiled at all of us with his usual grin. His teeth were of a perfect white.

"Well," His voice was the same. "Now you see. Demon? No, I am a man. Though I prefer my other form, this is how I get through the world unnoticed. Unlike the Two Sisters, I prefer to my keep myself secret. It's more fun that way. Now, we should get going to Baltimare. Don't want to keep Miss Dash waiting."

"Uhh..." Vinyl rubbed the back of her neck. "We kinda don't have horses. It's gonna take some time to walk there."

Discord rolled his eyes. "I guess I'll make sense this one time."

He snapped his fingers. Instantly, we all were in the air, falling. I could see Vinyl and Fluttershy waving their arms in a desperate attempt to fly. Pinkie was cheering with joy as she fell, like all this was amusing. Discord was nowhere to be found. The wind rustled past me as I fell. I decided to look down. A city was below me, but not too far down. A Bay was to the left of me, a forest to the right. A tall building was closing in on me. I grimaced and braced myself for impact.

"Damn you Discord!" I yelled.

Wam! I hit the edge of the clay building and tumbled towards the street. I hit another building on my way down. I finally hit the ground with a roll. The sand and stone was not a very soft. Some of the sand got in my hair and I shook it to clean it out. My back and arms ached horridly. I looked around. Fluttershy landed on top of a fruit stand. The owner was in shock and simply stared at her. Pinkie was in a ditch, but looking rather happy. Vinyl was caught in a clothesline above us all. She struggled to get free, but in vain. Discord gently floated to the ground holding an upside down umbrella. He spun his cane around and walked by us while whistling.

"Welcome to Havanna....Wait...No. Welcome to Baltimare, ladies!" Discord stretched his arms out to the city.

"Discord!" I yelled. "Why didn't you teleport us on the ground?"

"Tavi!" Vinyl answered for him from her clothesline. "He's gonna say 'that would make too much sense.' Stop asking such stupid questions."

"Stupid? I'm the only logical person in this party! You are th..."

"Hey you! shut ya cocksuckin' mouth! I'm tryin' to think here!"

My head turned to the unfamiliar voice. Who would say such nastiness? I saw one short woman in cyan Assassin robes staring back at me from a stool in front of a bar. All the hair that escaped her hood was a different color. Her magenta eyes stared at me with as much viciousness as Twilight. Two oddly shaped swords rested on her back, both handles were on the same side. The pommels had thin chains that connected to a part of her robes. Her arms were bare up to the wrists. Seven sashes held up her robes, each a color of the rainbow. I sighed as I knew who she was.

"Yeah, that's right! You shut your mouth. Good girl." Rainbow returned to what she was doing before my interruption. It appeared to be a game of chess with a burly man.

I stood up and shook the sand off my robes. The city was hot under the bright sun. The armored parts of my apparel began to sweat. This was no cool Canterlot, but even more hot than Appleloosa. Though, there was a nice sea breeze from Horseshoe Bay. I walked over to the Bearer of Loyalty. She paid no heed to my approach. Her focus was on the chess game before her. She was black and I could tell she was losing, badly. The burly man had at least six more pieces than her, and unlike her, still had his queen.

"Gonna give up, lass?" The burly man mocked.

"Shut it you, tryin' to think." Rainbow answered.

Rainbow grinned and moved her only bishop some spaces. I was not the best at chess, but even I could tell it wasn't a smart or even useful move. The man chuckled and took out her only knight with his queen, putting the king in check. Rainbow's face faltered. She would be placed in checkmate in the next move.

"I hate losing..." She muttered.

"Pay up." The man extended a hand over the table.

"Here's ya damn money!" She threw a bag of bits at him and then proceeded to flip the table on him. The chess pieces went flying into the sand and the man fell to the ground. The other patrons of the open bar stared at the commotion with indifference before going back to their drinks and conversations. Rainbow turned around and faced me. The Bearer was indeed short. So short that she only reached my bosom. Now, I was of average height, thus she was the height of a child. I imagined her next to tall Fluttershy, she probably would only reach the Bearer of Kindness's lower torso. The Bearer of Loyalty inspected me without care before walking past me. She was more interested in Discord, as should be expected.

"Hey, Dissy, finally got a team with ya?" She asked the man.

"Heh, indeed, Miss Dash. Are you ready to depart?"

"Naw, not yet. Maybe I'll show ya around the city. It's better here than most think. C'mon."

Rainbow gestured for us to follow. "So, what's ya names? I know you Fluttershy and Pinkie, but you two, uhh...Miss Gray Robes and Crazy Blue Hair."

"I'm Den Master Octavia Melody, this is my friend, Vinyl."

"Pleasure to meet ya. I hope you two have sea legs. Have you ever been on the waters?" Rainbow walked backwards as she spoke. Her mood was completely different than at the bar.

"Well...No. I have not." I answered sheepishly. "In fact, I've never seen the ocean."

"I haven't either." Vinyl said. To my surprise, she was still holding her mask.

"Heh, greens. So, who wants to capture some Empresses?" She asked excitedly and rubbed her small but calloused hands together.

"Not so loud, Rainbow, someone might hear us." Fluttershy told her fellow Bearer.

"Pfft." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Do ya see any Guards around? Eenope. This place is liberated, 'Shy. Liberated it myself. That Governor Mare is living outside the city and the true freedom fighters live inside, as it should be. All that those Two Sisters can do is send Shadowbolts, (who suck) and the Templar send their Wonderbolts. Nothing hard."

My eyes looked at her upon hearing about the Wonderbolts. "The Wonderbolts are here?"

She nodded. "Yeah, they don't do much. I think they're trying to get some ships and leave for the Labyrinth Isles. Funny thing is, that's where Celestia is at the moment. She went there after the Crystal Republic invaded those days ago. I think they're following her."

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. Spitfire had not killed my friend, but she was still Templar and she still inflicted much harm upon Vinyl. My eyes glanced at my friend. She was caring to her mask, trying to fix the gaps in it. Was revenge still necessary? If Vinyl had not appeared, I probably would go all out to kill the traitors, but now, my will for their deaths was lessened. My whole purpose to being in Baltimare was for the Wonderbolts, but now I had a new mission. One I was forced to do and one I had to do. Maybe I could do both? Finish the Wonderbolts and capture Celestia and Luna. Capturing Celestia...Just thinking that now gave me chills. I became an Assassin to aid this land, but now, I was going to betray. Was that how I will be remembered; as a conspirator against the Two Sisters? Was I even an Assassin anymore? I didn't like to think so. Then what and who was I working for or doing? Discord? Twilight? The Empire? Myself? Vinyl? I did not know.

"Yeah, yeah. I get you. Don't have to keep tellin' me. Geez." Rainbow said to no one.

"Get used to that ladies. Rainbow is much more relaxed about speaking with her Element." Discord told us.

With my thoughts no longer on myself, I turned to the city for entertainment. There was no place more full of scum and villainy than Baltimare. Every alley held scowls from muggers and ruffians. Bar fights were at every bar and tavern. Pirates shuffled about with scantily dressed women under their arms. Mercenaries gambled on the street corners. Thieves pilfered fruit stands and pick-pocketed their neighbors. Rainbow turned a blind eye to all of this. Fluttershy grimaced at the events around us. Even Pinkie looked concerned. Vinyl held the same apathy as the other Survivor of Chaos. Discord danced around to a tune we could not hear.

"Bearer." I asked Rainbow. "Who is in charge here if the Governor is gone?"

Rainbow chuckled. "No one! See? That's what's great about this place. There ain't shite to tell ya what to do. Every man and every woman leads themselves. The only thing I ask of them is to return their Loyalties to the town. They can aid their city all they want without a government. And they do."

"Does not seem that way to me." I uttered as I witnessed a mugging.

"Takes time to get used to it." The Bearer shrugged. "Oh, shut it. I'm not talkin' with ya." Rainbow scowled to her Element. I think?

Discord suddenly stopped and checked his pocket watch. A pair of spectacles appeared on his face as he inspected the time. He gasped loudly. "Oh no! I am late for a very special tea party with the Queen! Arrivederci!"

Discord's body disappeared and his clothes fell to the ground. Three crows unburied themselves from the clothes. They were each a different color. One red, another brown and last one black. They squawked at each other indignantly before flying off. They continued to attack one another while flying in the distance. We watched the scene with little awe. His clothes were left in the sand as we continued towards the Bay. 

"Discord seems nice..." Fluttershy barely broke the silence.

"He can be. But most times, guh..." Rainbow moaned and stuck her tongue out to show her displeasure.

"I think he's fun. What's more to like?" Vinyl asked.

I shook my head. "He could be a little more reasonable. He left us with no clear directions."

Rainbow tugged her own robes. "That's where I come in. Ya see, I've dealt with Discord longer than all ya combined. There couldn't be a better leader of Chaos than myself. I'm a rogue privateer that knows the Labyrinth Isles like the backstreets of Manehatten. Celestia is somewhere in those Isles, and we'll find her. My ship, the Ragnarok,  is getting supplies before we head out. Might be a couple of days before we leave. All you need to do is be ready when I call ya. You can stay in Fort Moonlight on the hill. We converted it into a Den of sorts. Ol' Big Mac will like to have some company. Maybe Maud too."

"Maud? Where is she?" Pinkie asked and grabbed the small Bearer.

Rainbow was surprised by Pinkie's speed. "Uhh....She should be at the Stone Bridge Bar. She needed some crew for her ship." 

With that, Pinkie ran off at full speed, bumping into several pedestrians. Rainbow stood there in confusion before shaking her head. Vinyl took our pause to rest her arm on my shoulder. She was eating an apple that she did not have moments ago. Even stranger was the fact that her mask was in perfect condition. It appeared to never be harmed. Fluttershy silently walked over to Rainbow.

"Uhh....You said she was getting a crew. Does she have her own ship?" The Bearer of Kindness asked.

Rainbow smiled at this. "Oh yeah. The Brotherhood ain't a one ship fleet. We got five. Maud's got the biggest though, not sure how she got it. She gave it the worse name too. Boulder. Who names a ship after a rock? Rocks sink!" The Bearer waved her arms with wildly.





I did not remember much after that bit about Maud. All I really remembered was walking around the forsaken city and all of its sand and palm trees. The Bearer of Loyalty showed us about the city. She showed us some landmarks and areas of interest. Pinkie found us later that day and took Fluttershy away to meet her sister. Vinyl and I rejected her offer politely and thus we were left in Rainbow's care. However, this did not last long as she wandered to a local tavern when the sun went down and got as drunk as could be while still conscious. The other patrons found the Bearer amusing in her pathetic state. Because of her size, the others saw her more like a doll and toy than a human. Her constant giggles indicated that she did not mind. Vinyl and I kept an eye on her while discussing the day in whole.

"I can tell we are about to meet more sane individuals tomorrow." I said to Vinyl with utmost sarcasm.

"C'mon Tavi. If they weren't sane, they won't be fun. See? We're all working under ol' Discord, why not have some fun with it? Much better than following Twilight, am I right? Or Rarity for that matter. 

I looked at her curiously at these words. There was some bitterness to them. Vinyl had always been on the Bearers' side, but now seemed to have distaste by even mentioning them. Well, except for Rainbow of course. Usually I was the one who complained about taking orders, not Vinyl. Vinyl had always done her duties, even reluctantly. My expression made her lean back in her chair.

"Oh, ya can't be like that. You know what I say is true."

"I see. It's just weird, that's all. Before all this, I never thought such things could exist. Discord, the Bearers, the Crystal Heart. We live a fantasy realm, Vinyl. It was so much simpler when I was a cellist."

"Yup. Back when I forged with the old man, he told stories about Sombra, the Two Sisters. Magic, voodoo. You know. I didn't think any were true. Heh, that's what the Creed is about."

I nodded in agreement. Suddenly, Rainbow fell off the table she was dancing on, to the enjoyment of the spectators. She tried to get up, but her intoxication prevented that. She placed a hand on a bench and pulled herself up.

"I'm alright! A'ight. I'm a'ight. hehe!" She slurred.

Two men and a Zebranian woman walked into the tavern. They saw the Bearer and scowled. The two men picked her up by the arms and dragged her away. The Zebranian scolded her loudly.

"O Captain of the Seas, why indulge yourself in crooked fantasies?" 

"Le' me go! Ya scumbbie berstars!" Rainbow yelled at them.

Vinyl and I stood up and chased after them. They were strangers and we couldn't allow harm to our drunken ally. We exited the tavern and followed the group down the sandy road. Rainbow cursed at them the whole way. The two men finally dropped her on the ground. When Vinyl and I reached them, she was vomiting all over the sand and rocks.

"Two days Cap'n! Two bloody days! Ya couldn't even do that. What would Caramel say?" A man chided the Bearer.

"Damn ya! Don't ya dare use Caramel agains' me! Never! I'll...I'll have the nine on ya for that!" Rainbow screamed between her vomits.  

Rainbow collapsed on the ground and began sobbing helplessly. The two men crossed their arms and shook their heads. The Zebranian woman sighed and turned to us. Her face was full of frustration and disappointment.

"You Assassins see clearly, this Captain needs help dearly." She spoke in a steady rhythm.

Rainbow, the infamous captain of the Ragnarok, was crying and pawing at the sand. The tears from her eyes seemed to have no end. I did not know whether to pity her or scold her. She was a Bearer of Loyalty, a leader in the Assassin Brotherhood. No person meant to be drunk on a corner of a street. The Bearer clutched her head and began thrashing about.

"Shut up! Stop talkin' to me! I don' want to hear you. Never! Get out of my head, ya bloody shite!" She rolled about like her head was exploding. Her veins bulged out with the pain she was going through. The two men and the Zebranian only watched. They had seen such things before. 

I placed a hand on one of the men's shoulder. "Can't you help her? She looks like she's dying." 

"Naw, Miss. Best thing to do is wait 'til the pain knocks her out. Once that happens, we drag her on board and wait until she wakes up. Heh, she's always in the worst of moods after a night like this."

Rainbow grabbed a palm tree and tried to pull herself up. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry ya hellish bastard! Why...Why did ya pick me? Gah!"

The Bearer stood up and ran some distance before falling face first into the ground. She did not stir upon landing. The two men picked up her small body from the sand and carried her away. The Zebranian woman stayed behind. She ran a dark hand through her mohawk. She placed a hand on the sickle like sword on her hip and faced us again.

"Too many nights have ended this way, if only we found a way to keep her from the fray."

With that, she turned to follow the men. Vinyl looked at me with worry. Even as a Survivor of Chaos, she was still surprised by all this. I returned her gaze with the same concern. We were thinking the same thing.

"Should we follow them? I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Hell yeah, we should."

Vinyl placed her mask on and sprinted to catch up with them. I followed my friend closely. The light from the moon guided us in the unlit streets. I wanted to erase what I had just witnessed, but the curiosity of it all intrigued me. These men were going to lead us to the Ragnarok. A ship of legend already. Though, as of late, I was not sure if I could the same about her captain. Maybe there was a side to this I didn't know. As always, I was willing to find out.


~

> Bearer Chapter: Magic II
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grand Royal Palace, Equestria Empire

4th Imperial Era

"Nice move, won't save you though."

"Please, I'll make a comeback. Just watch."

A young Sunset Shimmer moved her knight forward. The move was unsettling to Princess Twilight. Sunset clearly had a plan. Twilight was winning at the moment, but the girl across from her was not going down without a fight. The young Princess placed a finger on her lips and thought carefully.

"Go on, make your move, Princess." Sunset taunted.

"You can't rush strategy." Twilight responded.

"Please, being quick is a strategy in itself."

"True, but not necessary here."

Twilight moved her pawn forward to free her rook. Almost instantly after she put the pawn done, Sunset made her move. It was so quick that Twilight almost missed it. The red and yellow haired girl had moved her bishop three spaces, putting it in front of Twilight's queen. It was an odd move. The Princess was about to take the bishop out with her queen but halted to see Sunset's own queen guarding the bishop. It was a clever trap. 

"Nah uh. I'm not falling for that."

Twilight moved her queen back some spaces to safety. Once again, Sunset's move was instant. The threatening bishop took the rook Twilight had just freed. Twilight huffed and crossed her arms.

"Should of seen that coming."

"Yeah, but you didn't. It something wrong with you today?" Sunset asked sincerely.

"No. Just wasn't focusing. That's all." Twilight rubbed her face and returned to the game. Celestia's student chuckled and rested her chin on her fist, staring at her opponent intently. Sunset would always use such strategies to distract others. Twilight had faced her so many times that she could tune out the girl's tactics. That was until she started snapping her fingers loudly.

"Stop it Sunset! That's cheating!" Twilight yelled in frustration.

"Pfft, it's not my fault you need absolute silence to think." Sunset continued to be a nuisance.

Twilight made her move while grunting. She had moved her queen up in an attacking position. Sunset quickly moved her bishop in front of the queen again. 

"You're using the same move twice." Twilight gestured at the board.

"So? It's strategy." Sunset defended herself.

"It's not strategy! You're not even going after my king!"

"I will, I will, but for now, I'll do this." Sunset leaned back in her chair.

Twilight growled in a not-so-princess-like way. She moved her knight up to threaten Sunset's queen. Sunset moved her queen. Twilight took out the bishop. Then a myriad of moves by both sides were made, as the game devolved in strategy and relied on speed and aggression. Many blunders were made on both sides as well. Sunset had the upper hand with the speed factor, but in the end found herself in checkmate.

"Ha! You lose again!" Twilight added salt to the wound.

"Well.....Damn it..." Sunset looked at the board solemnly.

The two girls shook hands. Twilight stretched her arms and stood up. Sunset did the same. They both walked over to the couch in Twilight's room and rested. Sunset took some grapes from a bowl and started to eat them. Her attention turned to the book on the small table beside them. Twilight watched as her friend picked it up and inspected it.

"The Gateway" by Shadow King Sombra. Huh, didn't know you're into that kind of stuff." Sunset said as she read the title.

"It's good, but a little weird I must say. Have you read it?" Twilight asked.

"Huh? Nah. Not yet. Maybe I will, sometime." Sunset put it back down.

"So, have your studies with Aunt Celestia been fairing with you? She has said great things about you." Twilight asked while trying to get comfortable on the cushioned couch.

"Yes. She has been teaching me a lot. Her Highness is very wise. So is Luna of course. But Luna is way more strict than her Sister. She spends most of her time calling me "naive" or "incompetent." I don't know what her problem is."

"Well, Aunt Luna can be hard to socialize with sometimes. She has taught me plenty though. Probably not as much as you. I mean, I can't fight like you or anything, but she calls me smart. I hope to ascend like them one day."

"Good luck with that." Sunset chuckled and popped another grape into her mouth.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened. A butler in elegant garments entered. He checked his watch and fixed his monocle before addressing the two girls. His puffy beige moustache jumped up and down with the air from his mouth.

"Princess Twilight and Lady Shimmer, your presence is requested by Empress Celestia. She wants to see you two immediately. Follow me."

With that, he turned and left. Sunset and Twilight jumped from their seats and chased after him. The halls were no longer lit by the sun as it had fallen under the horizon. Lamps dotted the halls with different colored flames. The Princess and the student caught up with the butler. The butler kept his head high as he walked with a silent step. Twilight tugged his coat to get his attention.

"Kibitz, what is the matter? It's late for Aunt Celestia to call us."

Kibitz huffed before answering. "Hmph, Her Highness did not inform me on why I should retrieve you two, only that it was important."

Sunset and Twilight looked at each other. The student shrugged her shoulders. The Princess rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Kibitz continued to walk ahead of them in silence. Occasionally he would check his pocket watch, but never comment about the time. He was an odd butler that had often gotten on Luna's nerves. Celestia however, had a deep liking for him and had allowed him to be the butler for almost 50 years. At such an age, Kibitz was still in prime condition. No one knew how he kept in such good shape, but many think he had a strict diet.

They turned in the a great hall and entered the Throne Room. Upon entrance, they witnessed Celestia and Luna discussing something. Luna did not look pleased at her Sister. 

"Tia, you must understand, I object to what you are about to do. They're not ready. They...They are just girls!" Luna gestured at the group walking up to them.

Celestia placed a hand on her younger Sister. "Luna, they couldn't be more ready. Besides, they will still live here and live with us. I'm not going to send them out into the world."

Luna huffed and stormed off. She was clearly unconvinced by her Sister. Kibitz did not pause when Lady Justice stomped by him. The butler halted before Celestia and cleared his throat.

"Your Highness, I have the Princess and your faithful student."

"Thank you, Kibitz, you may leave us." Celestia told him with her angelic voice.

The butler bowed and left, leaving only the three of them in the Throne Room. Once he left, Celestia smiled at the girls and revealed two embroidered boxes in her hands. One was red and the other was purple. The gold off the boxes shined with the light of the nearby fires. She handed the red box to Sunset and the purple one to Twilight.

"Open them." Celestia said like a caring mother to a child.

They did as they were told. Inside the boxes were similar but different crystal shards. They were translucent and shiny like diamonds. Both of the girls raised their eyebrows. They were not expecting jewelry at such an hour. Twilight smiled at Celestia.

"Thank you, Auntie. They look spectacular." 

Celestia chuckled. "They're not jewelry, Twilight."

"Then what are they?" Sunset asked, suddenly intrigued.

"Shards of the Crystal Heart. Twilight, you have Curiosity and Sunset, you have Order. It is time for my Sister and I to give you your own shards, even if she does not agree with it. These will aid you in the future. Now, before you pick them up, there might be some pain involved. Be brave. It won't last. Especially if it likes you. If it doesn't, well then I chose shards that did not fit your true likeness." Celestia held her smile on her lips. 

Sunset was quick to take hers out of the box. She held it in her fingers and inspected it. Twilight took hers out carefully. It was smaller than Sunset's, but not by much. Unlike Sunset, Twilight held it in her palm. The shard began to pulse with a deep magenta. Sunset's became a bright red. The shards started to heat up with their touch. They noticed Celestia closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Sunset's shard began to drill itself into her palm. The student screamed with pain and tried to remove it, but it went deeper and deeper. Twilight watched in horror when her shard did the same. They both wailed in agony at the shards burying themselves into their hands. It wasn't long though, as the shards disappeared under their skin and it was like nothing had happened. Though they were still in pain. Celestia sighed in relief.

"Good. They liked you." She said simply.

"What? What? What did you do?" Sunset panicked. She searched her palm for the shard, but couldn't feel or see it.

"They made their homes in you. They think you'll be worthy of their titles. Do you feel any different?" Celestia asked.

Sunset was the first to answer. "Yeah, I do. It feels....hot. I feel like..."

The student snapped her fingers. Suddenly, a jolt of fire engulfed her hand. She screamed and started to wave it about. Twilight ran over and tried to help. Celestia shook her head slowly and watched. The fire suddenly went out and behold, Sunset's hand was completely unharmed.

"What...?" Sunset uttered weakly.

Celestia giggled and walked over to her. "Haha, I did not expect the shard to give you THAT sort of power. But, I can never predict such things anyway. Order is achieved through flames. It makes everything into a single substance, ash. I guess fire is its true form."

"Power?" Sunset snapped her finger again. A delicate flame wrapped itself around her fingers. She watched it burn nothing.

"Then what did I get?" Twilight asked herself. She snapped her fingers, but nothing happened. Disgruntled, she snapped them again, but to no avail. She concentrated with all her might. A large poof sound echoed in the Throne Room and she found herself in a far corner. Celestia and Sunset looked over at her. Twilight concentrated again and teleported back next to them. Her hair was singed on the edges and her world spun.

"Curiosity allows one to go wherever they want. Clever." Celestia commented.

"Teleportation? Pfft, I got the better. I'm a pyromancer." Sunset boasted and made multiple flames with her hands.

Celestia placed a hand on both of their shoulders. "Now, you two shall get better with your new magic with time. However, you must keep it a secret. Such power is for your protection. We never met at this time. I never gave you these. You don't know what the Crystal Heart is. Alright? Good. You should get some sleep, and try not to burn the Palace down, Sunset."

Sunset ignored her teacher and made the flame in her hand more intense. Celestia rolled her eyes and placed her hand over Sunset's flames, snuffing the fire out. Sunset grunted in annoyance. Twilight giggled before accidentally teleporting across the room again.  The student turned and walked away from her teacher, who watched dotingly, as always. Twilight stumbled some before following her friend.

"Wow! Did you ever think we would be able to wield the powers of the Sisters?" Sunset asked gleefully.

Twilight nodded. "Well, to be honest. Yeah. Just not this soon. We must hav----"

"I know. It--------"

"-------"

"Haha! That's gre----"

-----------------
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"What's going on?"

"What's happening?"

"Subject 001! Subject 001! Can you hear me?"

"He's in limbo!"

"Get him out of there!"

"The memory, what about the memory? It's incomplete!"

"Forget it! We gotta save him!"

"Wake up!"

"Get him up!"

"I'm trying. The Animus....It's not working."

"Is he lost?"

"Delete him."

"What? So soon? We can still save him!"

"Dr. Caballeron, I advise you to delete Subject 001."

"I won't do it."

"Yes you will. Mr. Ahuizotl will not be pleased if you don't."

"UGH!"

Caballeron mashed the buttons on his tablet. The poor soul in the Animus was unresponsive as he stared at the ceiling above. His eyes were wide open and his mouth was gaping. The Animus glowed a bright blue before the lights faded away. Subject 001's eyes rolled up into his head and gave a final sigh. Caballeron cursed and slammed his fist on the Animus. The other workers in the room back up in fright.

"Dammit! This didn't need to happen. Why Raven? Why?" He yelled at the woman next to him.

"It was the only option we had." Raven adjusted her glasses.

"We shouldn't have forced another contact with the Elements. Yearling could sustain it, not this man. This boy. It didn't need to end like this."

"Dr. Caballeron, it worked. We received memories of past Bearers. I would not say this is a failure. All we need is more people to interact with the Elements. We could piece this mystery before Yearling does."

Caballeron made a deep sigh and ran a hand through his hair. His eyes were still on the unmoving boy. Raven, Mr. Ahuizotl's secretary, kept her arms crossed and stared at him. She tapped her foot impatiently.

"Now, there were successful memories transmitted. What did they tell you?" She asked.

Caballeron turned his head away. He did not want to answer her question.

"Answer me." Raven hissed.

"Fine. It told me that there are more like the Elements out there. They're different, but grant power all the same. There are many more out there." Caballeron told her reluctantly.

"Thank you, Doctor. Mr. Ahuizotl will be pleased to hear this." The secretary said with a smile.


~

	
	
> Chapter 38: A Captain and Crew
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Octavia Melody

"Duck! She got another bottle!"

"Whew....That was close."

The crew of the Ragnarok struggled to get inside the captain's quarters. Their captain, the hung over Rainbow Dash, was yelling and hurling empty cider bottles at them. She was very sober from last night. Since she no longer slurred her words, she could make even more intricate curses and vulgarities to throw at her crew. 

"Get lost ya cocksucking, shite-eating, land-loving bastards!"

"Good morning to you too." One of the crew laughed.

"C'mon Cap'n, the sun's up. Ya can't stay in there all day." Another said.

"Shut it, Mr. Kyle! You don't know shite about anything! I can do what I want." Rainbow responded.

"Aha!"

The crew broke open the door and charged the quarters. Rainbow cursed loudly as they grabbed her legs and dragged her out. Once the sun reached her eyes, she howled like she was burning. Some of the crew laughed, but most remained silent. The crew threw her down on the deck. She covered her eyes and continued to complain about the light.

"It burns! It burns! Why? Why is my crew so......evil?" She wailed.

The crew gave a hearty chuckle at their captain. The Bearer removed her hands from her face, revealing a deep frown. Her right eye began to twitch. She stood up slowly, unblinking, and keeping her bloodshot eyes on her crew. Her hands were in tight fists and her breathing became heavy. The laughter of the crew ceased and they began to back up. I took their example and did the same. Rainbow reached for her swords and drew them. The oddly shaped blades were glowing with a bright orange. I felt heat from it as soon as she drew them. The crew members' faces faltered. 

"Cap'n, no! Don't do this!"

"Wah!!!" Rainbow charged them with her swords above her head.

The crew members dodged her sluggish attack. She buried her fiery blades into the ship, lighting the wood aflame. As soon as this happened, Rainbow panicked. The flames grew larger and the crew panicked as well.

"Get water! Get water!" Everyone yelled at the other.

"My ship!" Rainbow panicked.

The crew gathered buckets of water and threw them on the increasing fire. I watched without much care, but seeing the drastic change in Rainbow was humorous. Vinyl was laughing and holding her sides. The fire was soon taken care of, but a large black patch of wood was on the wall of the captain's quarters. One crew member brought an extra bucket of water, and seeing it had no purpose, splashed the captain instead. The water that touched her blades became instant steam.

"Gah! What was that for?" Rainbow asked the bold sailor.

"You hurt our ship!" He yelled back.

"My ship!" Rainbow jabbed a thumb in her chest.

"Caramel's ship!" They yelled back.

"Fine..." Rainbow lowered her head in defeat.

The crew soon dispersed and left the wet captain. Vinyl and I approached the Bearer. She looked up at us when we walked up to her. She still held her swords in her hands, but the heat from them had diminished, leaving only a cold dark steel blade. I wondered if the water did that to them. She did a couple of fancy flips with the blades before sheathing them on her back. I had just realized that if she sheathed them on her hip, they probably would have dragged on the ground. The captain sighed and placed her hands on her hips.

"Yeah yeah, you saw what happened. My bad, alright?" 

"Your swords are awesome, can I see them?" Vinyl reached for the captain's blades.

"No!" Rainbow intercepted Vinyl's hand and glared at her. "Only I can use these swords, punk."

"Is that your Element's power?" I asked.

"Pfft, no. You think this thing has any use? Nope, it's jus' a lonely shard telling others what to do." She tapped her chest three times; the ringing of the shard could be heard from under her thin robes.

"Then what can you do?" I asked again.

"Climb, run, kill, fight, you know, the usual stuff." She said mockingly as she returned to her quarters.

We followed her inside. The quarters were crowded with strange objects and artworks. From seeing Caramel's art, I could tell these were his. There were several tables and desks in the corners and center of the room. Rainbow walked over to a large decorated desk and sat in its chair. Her head barely went over the top of the desk. The desk had several Gryphonian designs carved into it. This reminded me that the ship we were on was from the Kingdom. The captain impatiently tapped her fingers on the wood.

"So, have you seen the other Bearers this morning?" She asked. It was more of a silence breaker than a question she was interested in.

"No, we have not." I answered. "Uhh...I've been meaning to ask you, but what happened last night?"

Rainbow looked to her desk and sighed. "You mean about how I passed out? I expected this question. Well, you see..."

She suddenly stopped and began clutching her head again. She withheld her screams and merely grunted in pain. Soon, her eyes opened and were glowing bright white. Her whole demeanor changed. We were now talking with Loyalty.

"Well, you see, ladies," the voice was masculine and deep. "Miss Dash has a drinking problem. She's had one for years now. She's also not the most obedient Bearer, and so I must deal with her accordingly. When she gets drunk like that, I must intervene. It's pathetic to know that your Bearer is in such a state. I have made it my..."

Loyalty's face stiffened. One eye ceased to glow while the other continued. The Bearer and the Element were obviously having some difficulty getting along. It seemed that Rainbow was beating Loyalty in control. If this was the first time I had witnessed such an action, I would have been frightened. However, I only frowned and waited for a victor. A victor did come, and it was thankfully Rainbow.

"Gah....Loyalty is such a bitchy Element. He thinks he can control my life, well sucks to be you. Alright, the Element punishes me for drinking too much. That's all it is. I'm the only one that goes through this. I'm the only one with the will to challenge my Element. The others are weak like that. Especially Twilight. I...I really don't wanna talk about it. Miss Seed!" Her change of subject was instant.

Her call echoed in the quarters. A moment later, a young girl entered the quarters with a salute. Rainbow dismissed the salute with a hand. This girl had light purple hair and green eyes. Freckles dotted her cheeks. She stood erect in front of her captain. 

"What ya need cap'n?" She asked with a strong Manehatten accent.

"Miss Seed, show these two around. Maybe take them ashore again. Just get 'em outta my hair." The Bearer ordered.

"Alrighty! C'mon you two. I'll show ya around." The girl gestured for us to follow.

We followed the young girl. Rainbow muttered something to herself and faced the back window of the ship. Vinyl and I exchanged glances as we walked out. Miss Seed turned to look at us. She closed the doors behind us and led us across the deck.

"Eh, don't mind the captain. She has her off days. She's usually in a better mood and manner than this. People go through rough patches right?" Miss Seed explained.

I nodded in understanding. "Of course. Is she always fighting her Element?"

Miss Seed nodded. "Oh yeah. You can hear her scream at herself in the dead of night. I don't think they ever agree on anything. But, it's expected."

Vinyl looked up. "Why's that?"

"Two things: She's a Survivor of Chaos and the other is that the Element chose her not because she's Loyal, but because she was close to the previous captain of the Ragnarok. But, that's accordin' to the rumors. I've only been on this ship for two months."

I watched Vinyl pull out her shard from her pocket. I had to keep reminding myself that Rainbow and Vinyl had made the same deal with Discord. Whatever deal that was, I did not know. All that I did know was that it made the creatures around them avoid them like a disease. The Ragnarok was the only ship in the port with no seagulls flying around it. The birds even flew around the masts and never above them. Why this happened was an enigma, but after seeing Discord, I couldn't blame the creatures. 

"This ship is as old as I am, but it still holds up with the new modern ones." Seed continued. "28 guns, if you don't include the small swivels in the back and the mortars. There's even that multi-barrel gun that the former Bearer of Kindness made. No one knows how to work it though."

"You knew the Bearer of Kindness before Fluttershy?" I asked the girl.

"Well....No. Captain and ol' Zecora did. Those two have been on this ship the longest of all of us. Well, except Neon. I always seem to forget him." The girl's voice trailed off.

We stopped in the middle of the deck in front of the main mast. Miss Seed gestured to the stairs that led below deck. Sounds of activity was heard from below.

"You'll be stayin' down there when we leave. It's not the most pleasant place, but it's better than Manehatten. Don't worry, the Labyrinth Isles aren't that too far south. It'll take us two days at most to reach 'em."

"So you know of your captain's plans, Miss Seed?" I asked her knowing the answer already.

"Yup. Oh, and only Captain calls me Miss Seed, you guys can call me Babs, Babs Seed."

"Hey Babs, are these the two joining us to the Isles?" A voice was heard behind me.

Vinyl and I turned around to see a lean and handsome man. His hair was black and spiky. A blue bandanna was wrapped around his head. His blue eyes were solemn yet hid a certain amount of mischief. This was probably heightened by his one-sided grin and angled eyebrows. A thin beard line followed his jaw. The man was also covered in scars, particularly on the side of his neck and ribs. I could see his ribs as he did not wear a shirt like most of the male crew members. His whole demeanor reminded me of the masked woman beside me. Babs Seed walked around us and gestured at the sailor.

"This is Neon, the guy I mentioned. He's been the second-mate on this ship since....Well, before me. Neo, this is Octavia and Vinyl."

Neon gave a short bow. "Pleasure to meet you two. Call me Neo."

I returned the bow. Vinyl stood erect and unmoving. Her face was hidden beneath the mask so I couldn't tell what she was thinking. It was very odd of her to act like this. It didn't feel like she was trying to be rude to the pirate. Neon raised a brow at my friend. He mouthed the word "alright" and back away. Babs was confused as well. 

Vinyl suddenly grabbed my hand and we rushed off of the ship. Her step was serious and not in its usual joking manner. Once we had escaped whatever was chasing her, we stopped on the sand covered pier. She looked around some before staring at me through those soulless lenses.

"Did ya see him?" She panted.

"Oh, of course not." I responded sarcastically.

She sighed in relief and leaned on a barrel next to me. She removed her mask to reveal glowing red cheeks. I had never seen them so red before. The sight made me worry.

"Uhh...Vinyl? Are you alright?" I asked.

"What? Yeah....I'm alright." She looked away from me. 

I blinked at her suspicious response. I tried to get a look at her but she kept moving her face away from mine. I did not understand what was happening to her. Was it the shard? Was it Discord? Was the mask too hot for the sun? I was rather warm in my armored robes, thus it felt natural for her to feel like this too. No, that was not it. She would have complained about it if it was. I was rather curious to know what ailed her.

"Vinyl, what's the matter?" I asked in my serious tone.

"Nothing." 

"Let's try this again." I leaned towards her.

"Tavi! Get away!" 

She shoved a hand in my face and pushed me away. The force almost knocked me over. The action annoyed me and I grabbed her extended arm. Vinyl growled and grabbed my face with her hand. She then threw me around her and I fell to the wood. I flipped myself upright and raised my fists. It had been awhile since she and I fought each other. I thought that streak would end until she started running away. 

"Hey! You can't run like that! Get back here!" I yelled at her fleeing figure.

"If you wanna fight, come get me!" Vinyl answered over her shoulder. 

"Bollocks to you! Go ahead, run like a pansy! You'll be back! I know it!" 

Vinyl halted in her tracks. She turned and spread her arms out. "What? What are ya, an old hag? Did you lose your skills in prison? Are you afraid of losing? Huh? Huh?"

"Don't make this personal! You couldn't even kill a single Templar! You let her dominate you! You got the scars to prove it! How's that? Huh? Not so..."

I went too far. I couldn't even finish my sentence when a tropical fruit collided with my face. I saw her throw the fruit, but greatly underestimated her throwing arm. She had not only thrown the fruit over a respectable distance, but also precisely on target. I was impressed and would have commemorated her if I didn't have the sourness of the fruit in my mouth and all over my face. In retrospect, I deserved it for scolding her for her insensitive remarks when I myself threw even worse ones back.

The juice blinded me momentarily. When I finally regained my vision, my friend was charging straight at me. She had her head lowered and was as vicious as a bull. I cowardly pleaded for her to stop, but my wails went unheard. Vinyl rammed me off my feet. She kept her feet going until both of us went flying off the pier and into the shallow water. 

"Vinyl! I'm sorry!" Were the lasts words from my mouth before we were engulfed in the Bay's water.

I hit the sandy bottom before both of us sprang out of the water. My eyes were stinging. It was the first time I had experienced salt water. Vinyl was cringing in pain as well. We soon returned to the task at hand. My apologetic ways were no longer needed. I was ready to fight. My friend threw the first punch, but I evaded it. The water was up to our stomachs and so we fought like drunken brawlers.

"Take it back!" Vinyl screamed.

"I already did!"

"Then do it again!"

She swung again. I grabbed the flying arm and pulled her under. Her quickness allowed her to grab my shoulder with her other hand and pulled me below the surface as well. Once above the water, I threw her off me and pushed her into a poll of the pier. I then followed up by charging into her. She grunted and then grabbed my head and slammed it into the wooden pillar. The move left my head spinning. Vinyl followed up with a punch that knocked me down into the water.

She allowed me to get back up. She taunted me with her fingers. The pier above us was lined with spectators, mainly pirates of the Ragnarok. The crowd split and Rainbow emerged from the opening. A broad grin lined her cheeks.

"A fight eh? Just what I needed. All we need now is some cider!"

"Cider? Captain, it's still morning." A sailor observed.

Rainbow glared at the sailor. "It don't matter! We're pirates, we drink from dusk to dawn. Or is it the other way round? Eh, who cares." She gave a relaxed shrug.

Vinyl ignored the viewers and charged me again. I dodged the attack and pushed her in the back. The pirates gave a cheer. I doubt they were rooting for me and only wanted a good show.

"Vinyl, this is pointless. There's no need to fight." I said.

"That would make sense. That's why I don't like it!" Vinyl responded.

"She's right mate." Rainbow interjected.

Vinyl threw a clump of wet sand at me, hitting me on the shoulder. Once again, I was glad Rarity wasn't there to see it. My friend giggled at her hit. She was mocking me as usual. As bloody usual. I charged her as fast as I could. She started to run away toward shore. I felt scores of small fish flee from the direction I was heading. Vinyl was making the fish swim away in unexplained fright. 

"Ha! What's ya gonna do Tavi? I know you can't take me on land." Vinyl boasted when she stepped out of the water.

"We'll see!" I returned.

Once I propelled myself out of the water, I lowered my head and drilled Vinyl into the sand. We started rolling around, punching, kicking, slapping, and any way to inflict pain on the other. The pirates cheered us on. Well, except Neon.

"Rainbow, we should stop them before one gets hurt."

"Neo, that would make too much sense. Let's watch instead." I heard the Bearer suggest.

"Rainbow!" Neon yelled.

"Fine..."

I was on top of Vinyl, trying to end our brawl. Suddenly, a kick from an intruder sent me flying off and into the sand. Once I got up, I saw Rainbow standing between us. 

"Ya'll need to calm down. Otherwise, I'll beat you both." She pointed her small fingers at us.

"Oh really? You think you can beat us both?" Vinyl laughed.

I was feeling my friend's confidence. "Seems rather farfetched to me."

The crew gave a loud moan. Rainbow huffed. "You don't know who you're messin' with."

I chuckled. "Hear that Vinyl? Well, I see how she could be a problem. I'm not sure if her head is high enough off the ground to hit."

The crew gave another suppressed moan. Vinyl laughed at my joke. Rainbow's eyes twitched madly. At that moment, I remembered a special warning from Caramel: "Don't mention her height." As I looked at the horrid face of the captain, my confidence failed me. She pointed a threatening finger at me.

"You're first." She growled.

She gave a hellish screech and ran at me with the fury of a dragon. She jumped in the air and performed a spinning kick into my chest. I was still hearing her screech when I realized what had happened. Her speed was beyond incredible. I hit the ground before I could comprehend the situation. 

"That's what ya get! Stretch!" Rainbow yelled.

The Bearer of Loyalty pounced on me and began slamming my face into the sand repeatedly. Her anger and strength was untamed and brutish. However, I was tired of being bested by anyone I came across. I would not lose this fight to such a scrawny little prick of the seas. I rolled and pushed her off me. I then grabbed her little throat and slammed her into the ground. The crew gave a worried gasp.

"No way! Did she...?"

"She did."

Rainbow recovered from my attack and retaliated. Her style of fighting was most peculiar. It comprised mostly of high kicks and spins. Like a master of the East. With all of her jumps, flips, rolls, and spins, it was hard to tell if she was fighting or dancing. Whatever she was doing, it was effective. I spent most of the time blocking her ceaseless kicks and swipes. Vinyl swung at her from behind. The Bearer dodged the attack by performing a split with her legs. In one fluid motion, she sprang up from the split and wrapped her legs around Vinyl's shoulders and flipping my friend onto me. 

Vinyl and I righted ourselves right before the rainbow colored blur attacked us again. I could tell some of her moves were purposely deceptive. She would throw a slide kick to bait us with a follow up high kick or punch. It did not feel like we were brawling, but having some acrobatic sport. She could jump well above her height and her quickness left no breathing room. I did not want to imagine her with her blades. She flipped on her head and began spinning with tremendous speed. Her legs spun like a wheel while she stood on her hands and head. Vinyl interrupted the attack by grabbing one of the flying legs and knocking the Bearer off balance.

"Got ya!" My friend exclaimed.

The Bearer kicked Vinyl in the face and flipped again, twisting my friend's grip. I jumped on Rainbow from behind and placed her in a choke hold. The Bearer gagged and struggled. I thought we had won until the Bearer swung herself and her knees clutched my head. She was much more bendable than I had thought. With a jerk of her body, I lost balance and we fell to the sand. However, I still held her tightly.

Vinyl joined me in reining the captain. Her little frame was hard to pull down. We successfully pinned her to the ground. She continued to squirm, kicking her legs at us and trying to push us off. We however, were enough to keep her down. I once again thought the battle was over until she bit my hand.

"Gah!"

The removed hand was all that she needed to get free. She shoved Vinyl off and performed a back flip to stand up again. A wild determination was in her eyes. They glowed with some animal-like passion. I thought I saw fangs and slit eyes glare at me. It felt wrong. She wouldn't stop until she won and her definition of winning differed from most. Her hand came at me again, but this time, her hidden blade was out. 

"Stop!"

Rainbow was grabbed by Zecora from behind and pulled away. The much taller Zebranian lifted the captain off her feet. The mad Bearer squirmed wildly. Two crew members grabbed hold of me to restrain me from furthering the fight. Neon took hold of Vinyl. The Bearer of Loyalty flailed and kicked in the air.

"Let me at her! Let me at her! She called me short!"

"Captain, you must cease, otherwise you will succumb to the beast!" Zecora ordered.

Rainbow growled before calming down. Her crazed look remained in her eyes, but it was far less than before. Eventually the Zebranian let go of the captain, who stomped off. The crew members that held me released their grip and I slide to the ground. Vinyl was still being held by Neon. My friend's cheeks were once again bright red and she had a stupid grin on her face. She would usually fight or resist anyone who held her in such a way, but she did neither and simply grinned at Neon. The pirate returned her grin nervously. It took me a moment to figure out what "the matter" was that started all of this fighting. When I found out, I sighed and shook my head.

"Vinyl, you've got to be kidding me."


~

> Chapter 39: Obscurity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset Shimmer was sleeping soundly on her royal sized bed. Her ceaseless snoring, of which had made her notorious in the Palace, echoed through the halls outside of her room. Her arms and head hung over the sides as she slept sideways.  Her curly hair covered her face. All this gave her the appearance of being murdered in bed and left at a horrid angle, but the loud noises from her mouth revealed that she was very much alive. Her mind was probably filled with the dreams of Templar conquests and Absolute Order, of making the old dead Shadow King proud. One could see the scene as adorable, but the Assassin watching her had different thoughts. 

"Could she be any louder?"

The Assassin tapped her fingers impatiently on the nightstand by the bed. The Templar did not give heed to the sounds beside her and slept on, grunting or nudging every so often. The Assassin sighed and crouched eye level with the student. The infiltrator eyed the sleeping Templar carefully. 

"I shouldn't wake her, she looks peaceful." The Assassin whispered aloud.

"Wha...?" Sunset stirred slightly.

"Well, there goes that. Wakey wakey, Sunny!" The Assassin padded her on the head.

"At this hour? Come on..." The Templar moaned.

Sunset lifted herself and sat up in bed. Her eyes were barely opened and her hair was everywhere. From the confused faces she made, the Assassin could tell she had not recognized her yet. The Templar rubbed her eyes and finally uttered an "oh."

"Twilight? Why are you here? Has something happened?" Sunset stretched her arms above her head.

"In a matter of fact, yes. Ponyville was attacked by the Crystal Republic. Is this your doing?" Twilight asked.

Sunset chuckled. "You know it. Did Octavia tell you?"

"No, she did not. It's like you to be so brash. You never thought your plans out did you? The Stormbringer was ruined after the battle." The Bearer shook her head.

"Pfft, of course. I mean....Yeah." The Templar was unsure. "That wasn't the only tank we have..." She muttered under her breath.

Twilight ignored her. "Well, because of that, the Republicans are being ousted by Equestrians! Your little stunt could get both nations to declare war!"

"No need to get loud. "Auntie" Luna could hear you. Also, I knew they would. The Republic is no ally to the Order. Equestria will take care of them for me. Get your enemies to fight each other, you know?"

Twilight groaned and rubbed her face. The pistols on her robes jangled with her movement. "Ugh. What if the Empire loses? What then? You'll be certainly executed by either side. If the Republic wins, they'll kill you for being an Imperial leader. If the Empire wins, you'll die as a traitor. Not good options."

"Please, that is if they would find out who I am. It's not like everyone knows I'm the Templar Grandmaster. I'm too young and far too cute. Don't roll your eyes at me. I've thought this through. Just like you, I make sure everything is in place. There's been some rough patches like Baltimare, but it's mostly going well. Like I said Princess, I've thought this through."

"Oh have you?" A foreign voice ripped through the air behind them.

Sunset and Twilight jumped to see Empress Luna in the doorway. Her stare froze both of them in place. She wore her black night gown, but both knew she never slept at night and thus did not need such clothes of relaxation. She took a couple of steps to them and shut the door behind her. Her glare remained fixed on them.

"So, the Republicans were you doing? Should of known. Because of that my Sister is now hiding away in the Labyrinth Isles. And now, I find a Bearer of Harmony in my Palace. Explain yourself Twilight. I still walk with a limp from the wound you gave me."

Twilight gulped. "I...Uhh...I'm just checking on a friend. That's all. Nothing to worry about."

Luna crossed her arms. "Where is Octavia? You saved her for a purpose."

"Baltimare. She went to Baltimare. I...I didn't tell her to go there." Twilight answered quickly.

Sunset rubbed her chin. "Huh, that's where I sent the Wonderbolts. She's most likely chasing them."

Luna sighed loudly. "Just my luck. The only port in the Empire that goes to the Labyrinth Isles has both Templar and Assassins! You insolent girls! You're going to get my Sister hurt!"

Sunset jumped off her bed. "What? Why would we want that? Her Highness is valuable to both of our causes. We would do nothing like that."

"Summer Sun Celebration." Twilight coughed.

Sunset turned to the Bearer. "Hey! That wasn't me. That was the people. If you Assassins didn't wreck Appleloosa..."

"Shut up! Both of you! You think you're so special; fighting a war like it's a game! Give me a bloody break! That bed alone is older than both of you combined. You think yourselves wise and intelligent, yet you don't even grasp either's meaning. If you were wise, you wouldn't have fought in the first place!" Luna panted with her anger.

The Assassin and the Templar looked to the floor in silence, like disciplined children. Luna looked them both in the eye as much as she could. She wanted to see a Princess corrupted by an Element and a student bent on betraying her teacher, but she saw neither of these. 

"Celestia should have never given you any shards. Sigh, I'm sorry." Luna walked over and hugged them both. Twilight and Sunset were taken aback by her sudden warmness. However, they soon hugged her back.

"I'm sorry." Luna continued. "So much has changed. I fondly remember when we were like family. Heh, we were family, in all except blood. It was better before you became a Bearer, and you a Templar. Celestia wasn't afraid of showing you about them, but I was. If I had I my way, you probably both would be so ignorant, but still family and not enemies."

Twilight smiled at the Empress. "You're wrong Auntie. Becoming a Bearer was the best thing for me. I've gain so much knowledge about this world. I became a warrior, a scholar, a leader, all in one. It was painful, but worth it. And no, Sunset and I are not enemies. Not entirely." 

The Templar rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, mushy stuff. You can't get mad at me for doing what's right, Your Highness. It was my choice to ascend like this. A New Utopia is on the horizon, and I'll fetch it for humanity. Those pesky Assassins may get in the way, but it wasn't like such a task would be easy. I'll do what Sombra couldn't."

Luna stopped her embrace and glared into Sunset's eyes. "You have no idea who Sombra was. Don't strive to be like him. Never! He had no Utopia in his eyes. Only slavery. I will allow you to seek humanity's perfection, but never think yourself above the people. The same goes for you, Twilight. Your secret organizations have only brought hurt. Yet, Celestia and I cannot condemn you for your actions. We truly want the best for the Empire, and we know we cannot rule forever. Thus, we hope for a competent ruler to take our place one day. Be it Assassin or Templar. It's going to be one of you since you are aware of the Crystal Heart. Do not put that Heart above the lives of others. It will only lead to ruin. Have I made myself clear?"

The two women nodded. Luna patted them on their shoulders dotingly. Her smile was nowhere near as warm as Celestia's, but it was nice nonetheless. Its rareness probably enhanced its friendliness. However, something nagged at the Empress.

"Were there any other Bearers going to Baltimare?" Luna questioned abruptly.

Twilight nodded. "The Bearers of Kindness and Laughter. Why?"

Luna rubbed her chin. "Doesn't it seem odd that the Wonderbolts, Bearers, and my Sister are all in close proximity and none of their reasons are exactly similar?"

"Yeah, it is odd." Sunset agreed.

"Some coincidence huh?" Twilight shrugged.

"Coincidence? No. There are no coincidences. Not in this world." Luna muttered.

"You believe someone is orchestrating this? How could they?" Sunset chuckled.

Luna frowned at her. "Don't laugh. I have my reasons to suspect such a conspiracy. Though, I haven't uttered his name in decades."

Twilight patted the Empress on the shoulder. "Well, whoever he is, don't worry; we'll take care of him. He won't lay a finger on Auntie Celestia, I swear."

Luna huffed unconvincingly. "You may try. However, I must leave you with a final warning. I don't know what you two are up to, but if it involves my Sister, I don't care who touches her, they shall die. I'll do it myself if need be. Have I made myself clear?"

Once again, the women nodded. Luna gave a satisfied "good," and exited the room, leaving Sunset and Twilight alone. Once the door was closed, the Bearer and the Grandmaster sighed in relief. Sunset giggled some before opening the balcony door and walking out in the chilly autumn night. Twilight followed the student. They both rested their arms on the curved railings, the only obstacle between them and the ground a mile below. At such a height, the wind was always present; however, it was a rare warm breeze from the south. This allowed Sunset to last in her red night gown.

"That was a close one, don't you think?" Sunset remarked after the short silence.

"Indeed. If she found out..." 

"Well she didn't." Sunset cut in. "Now why are your Bearers in Baltimare? I told you to stay out of there."

"They did so without my choice. It's Octavia's doing according to the Bearer of Honesty. That Den Master has been nothing but trouble since you met her." The Bearer scowled in the distance.

"Heh. Oh Twilight, you know how I love to have fun with your underlings. I gave her a simple question that she couldn't answer. I tried to redeem myself, but you saved her from execution. At least we killed her little friend." Sunset said the last sentence as an afterthought.

Twilight moaned. "I wasn't trying to save her, we were there for Trixie. However, the Bearer of Kindness spared her. I should have never left that to her. If I refused to save Octavia at that moment, the others would have questioned me and my leadership. Heh, they still did after Luna revealed that I am a Princess."

Sunset raised a brow in worry. "Did you say anything?"

Twilight shook her head. "Of course not. But my silence has made a rift between myself and the Bearer of Generosity. I hope to restore that friendship."

Sunset turned to face the Bearer. "And you should. We need all the Bearers for this. We cannot risk the dissolving of the Brotherhood."

With that, the two fell silent again. Their minds worked like well-tuned machines as they leaned on the railing. In their thoughts, the sounds of the Palace around them went unheard. The schemers planned and reworked their actions in their heads. It was their best attribute. However, the student started muttering in her thoughts, interrupting the other's. Twilight grumbled loud enough for Sunset to hear.

"You just can't stay silent, can you?" Twilight questioned.

"What? It's not my fault you have to think in complete silence."

"Fine. See you around." Twilight waved at her friend.

Sunset grabbed her arm. "Leaving already? You've hardly been here."

"Sunset, the Bearer of Generosity may become suspicious with my absence. I must return to my Den. Alright?"

Sunset nodded. "Alright. With the Wonderbolts gone, it's been rather quiet around here. I enjoyed your company."

Twilight smiled. "Well thank you. I enjoyed it too. I'll be around, don't you worry. May the Father of Understanding guide you."

Sunset waved a frustrated hand. "Yeah yeah. May the Father of Understanding guide you."

"And one last thing, you can't blame us for wrecking Appleloosa. You know the reason for it." Twilight poked the Templar.

"Yeah, yeah. Go get your eyes pecked out by an owl." Sunset waved her off.

Twilight ruffled her friend's hair. Sunset giggled and removed the Bearer's hand from her head. Twilight gave one last smile and wave before teleporting out of the area. A puff of purple smoke was all that was left of her. Sunset gagged on the smoke before knowing that she was alone and returned to her bed. She was disappointed in the shortness of her friend's visit.

The Bearer teleported from spire to spire before eventually reaching the front entrance of the Palace. The night had gone well. In truth, she was apprehensive about visiting her friend, but she now casted her fears and doubts away. She even began to whistle as she walked away from the looming spires of the Grand Royal Palace. She felt her chest heat up slightly. A faint glow emitted from beneath her clothes.

"You are surely a bold one. Never have I been with such a Bearer as you."

"Oh really? I guess that favors me."

"Perhaps. You won't win over me though."

"Too late. I already have." 

Magic fell silent after her response. The Bearer giggled and continued to carry her whistling tune. She was thinking of other things however. She was thinking of reasons or excuses why she would arrive at the South Den so late an hour. As she walked, she came across a small group of thieves gambling in front of a inn. Twilight halted and watched them. A smirk formed on her lips. A plan formed in her mind.

"Well, I can get some blood on me and say I got in a fight. Rarity will surely believe that."





"Well, well, we should have stuck with Twilight, Yearling. We should have stuck with Twilight. Now you're gone and I have to watch this by myself. Pity. You would have loved it."


~

> Bearer Chapter: Kindness II
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

4th Imperial Era
Cloudsdale, Equestrian Empire during winter


"Maverick? Maverick! Fleetfoot? Soarin? Where are you?"

Fluttershy called out into the halls of the burning Den of northern Cloudsdale. She was still in shock about it all. It was so sudden, so unexpected. It was like the Den spontaneously erupted in flames. No one threw a torch on it; no one even approached it. It just sort of became fire. However, there was no time to question what was going on, there were Assassins still inside. The Den Master, the remaining Wonderbolts, and herself. 

The Bearer coughed as the smoke surrounded her. She started to panic as all she saw was more and more flames. Parts of the ceiling collapsed and sparks flew in the air. The Element pumped the arcanic blood through her body. It pulsed and pulsed, telling and giving her the strength her to get out of there.

"Fluttershy! We need to get out of here!"

"I can't leave the others." Fluttershy objected.

"Fluttershy!"

"Alright!" She eeped.

The Bearer looked around for an exit. There was a relatively open hallway to her right. She dashed through the flames around her and made her way through the Den. The ends of her cloak caught aflame as she ran. The flames crawled up her cloak until she finally noticed their intrusion. In her fright, she ripped the cloak off and left it behind. More of the ceiling collapsed around her. A beam fell and blocked her path, forcing her to make a detour.

"Help! I'm stuck!" A voice called out from the end of the hall.

"Den Master Maverick! He's in trouble." Fluttershy panicked.

The Bearer reached the Den Master, who was trapped under a fallen beam. In his younger years, he probably could have lifted the beam off, but at his ripe age such a task was too much. Fluttershy grabbed the beam and tried to pull it up, but it remained on top of the Den Master. 

"Come on Flutters." The Element encouraged.

"I can't...." Fluttershy moaned.

"Then get out of here! Bearer, your life is worth more than mine. I've served my Brotherhood and lived my life. You are far too young to die for me. Get out of here!" Maverick told the Bearer.

"But Maverick..."

"Go!" The Den Master screamed.

"Bearer, I'll do as he says." A mocking voice rang from behind her.

Fluttershy turned to see Spitfire standing in the hallway. A devilish grin on her face. Spitfire was wearing all black Assassin robes. Fluttershy first questioned why the former Assassin was here, but she was help nonetheless. She could get Maverick out from under the beam.

"Spitfire! Come, help me get the Den Master out of..."

"No can do, Bearer." Spitfire said simply.

Fluttershy became confused. "What? Why?"

"Lots of reasons. First is Honor, second is Cloudsdale, and third, you." Spitfire angrily walked up to the Bearer. Her grin was replaced with a horrid snarl.

"I don't understand..." The Bearer of Kindness uttered.

"Maybe this will help!"

Spitfire yelled and charged at the Bearer. Fluttershy got up and tried to dodge, but the former Assassin's speed was too much. Spitfire rammed Fluttershy into and through a glass window. The Bearer was out of the fire and into the cold and wet snow. She tumbled through the white snow until coming to a complete stop. Spitfire tumbled next to her.

"Get up! Get up and make your damn Element proud!" Spitfire yelled as she got to her feet.

"What are you doing?" Fluttershy began to crawl backwards, away from the angry former Wonderbolt.

"What I should of done years ago. You are all weak and pathetic. You Elements hide in the bodies of young girls and use them for your sick purposes. Harmony? What is that? Something the Brotherhood made up to sound good, that's what. C'mon Bearer, get up and fight me!"

"You know I won't do that." Fluttershy responded.

"I knew you would say that. You couldn't harm a fly, could you? And because of that, that's all what the Brotherhood is: a hive of pests and flies. I'm sure at one point the Brotherhood was honorable, but not anymore. You are corrupted as much as you say the Templar are. It's a disgusting irony."

Spitfire grabbed the Bearer and lifted her to her feet. The eyes of the assailant were burning with rage. Behind her, the Den collapsed completely, severing any hope of the Den Master getting out. Spitfire chuckled at Fluttershy's worried eyes. 

"I've waited a whole year for this! Ever since you ordered me to kill that falsely accused Arabian, I have wished to avenge him. And guess what? I'll use his sword to do it. Fitting like a novel's end eh?"

Spitfire threw Fluttershy into the snow and drew her scimitar. The Arabian steel hummed with satisfaction. Fluttershy was frozen in fear. She couldn't move and simply gaped at the traitor. Spitfire cackled and raised the sword above her head.

"I won't be killing you, Bearer. You died when that shard replaced your heart and soul." 

Spitfire swung her sword toward the Bearer. Suddenly, a wall of bright fire appeared between the two. The traitor howled from the burns and turned away. Fluttershy regained her senses and stood up. Spitfire cursed loudly as she clutched her burned hand. A woman with red and yellow hair approached the traitor. She wore a black cowl that covered for face.

"Spitfire! You are not supposed to kill the Bearer. She was not part of the deal." She yelled at the traitor.

Whoever this woman was, Fluttershy did not know. Though she had to be the one who sprouted the fire on the snow. Her Element pulsed again. The Bearer felt a strong urge to flee and did. She ran with all her might away from the mad traitor. She heard Spitfire scream in anger.

"She's getting away! I've waited too long for this. You can't stop me, you fiery bitch! The deal was for me to clean up Cloudsdale, that's what I'm doing. Out of my way!"

Footsteps in the snow followed the fleeing Bearer. Fluttershy ran and ran. The traitor shouted insults to the Bearer. She dared not look back. She took a quick right and continued running through the Cloudsdalian crowds. 

"You forget that I was an Assassin! You can't shake me off like that." Spitfire reminded the Bearer.

"Just keep running or we're both dead!"

Fluttershy hopped over a snow-covered wagon. She could only think of one thing: survival. She made sure her steps were well placed and not on the icy puddles of the roads. The sounds of people being shoved over were heard from behind. Spitfire apparently foregone her ability to evade the civilians in the chase.

"Fleet! Soarin! Get her!"

"What?"

"Hah!"

Soarin jumped down from a roof and tackled the Bearer. Fluttershy rolled on the cobblestone with the Wonderbolt. Soarin slid into a merchant stand, knocking it over. Spitfire charged at the Bearer, the same fire in her eyes. Fluttershy sprinted off again, only to run into Fleetfoot.

"Hey Bearer! How ya doing this fine day?" The young Wonderbolt asked casually.

"Wait? Are you two with her?" Fluttershy asked timidly, already knowing the answer.

"Of course silly! Why else would we want to kill ya until ya dead?" Fleetfoot giggled.

"Time to take over."

Kindness quickly took control of the Bearer. Fluttershy reached out and grabbed Fleetfoot by the shoulders and threw her into the charging Spitfire. She then took off down the hill. Her ultimate destination was now the Cloudsdale gate. She had to flee the Fog City. It was the only way she could survive against three trained traitors.

"Get off me you idiot! Soarin! Get her and crack her skull and her Element!"

"Gotcha Spits."

Fluttershy looked to her left. Soarin was running along the rooftops. His mace reflected the afternoon sun. The Bearer halted and took a left. Soarin slid on the icy rooftops as he had to change direction. She used this to her advantage and ran towards one of the gutters that ran to the bottom of the city. She threw herself into it and slid down the stone.

"Didn't expect that." Soarin uttered.

When she reached the end of the gutter, Fluttershy sprinted through a large plaza. People putting up Hearth's Warming decorations took notice of her and her glowing eyes. The three Wonderbolts shoved the ladders and customers out of their way. The plaza was large enough where no rooftops were nearby. The Bearer was relieved slightly by this. They had to go through the obstacles on the ground.

"She's too fast!" Fleetfoot complained.

"Shut it, Fleet! She still got to get through the last level before reaching the gate." Spitfire said.

The Bearer turned again and dodged a couple of Hearth's Warming entertainers and actors. Some cursed loudly as she interrupted their small plays and dances. She looked back. Spitfire was running on peoples' shoulders and slowly gaining ground. Oh she wished she had the courage to fight back. The courage to even bring a weapon with her. It seemed that being the Bearer of Kindness limited such freedoms drastically.

"I need help!" She screamed.

"That won't help you now, Bearer!" Spitfire answered her cry.

"You sure about that?"

They all turned to see who said that interrupting sentence. The crowds split and young Flitter, an Assassin from the West Den charged at Wonderbolts with her twinblade, an ancient Cloudsdalian weapon that was comprised of a two straight blades that were attached to a single handle in the middle. Fluttershy stopped and hesitated. It was three against one. Flitter was also not known for her combat prowess. The Bearer could only stand and watch.

"You killed my sister, Spits! She was your friend! How can you live with yourself?" Flitter spun her twinblade about to get their attention.

"Kicker attacked me! She was no friend of mine if she attacked me. Now get out of our way. I want the Bearer, not you." Spitfire pointed at Fluttershy with hatred.

"You'll have to get through me first!" Flitter swung at the traitors.

"What are you doing? Run!" 

"I should help her. She'll be killed!"

"Indeed! If you don't go, her death will be in vain!"

Fluttershy couldn't leave. She was stuck in the middle of it all. Flitter held up against the trio. Deflecting both Spitfire and Fleetfoot. The young Assassin fought the two fronts, but the third was left unchecked. Soarin smacked her in the side with his mace, sending her flying to the ground. She regained her footing, but she clearly had broken ribs. She blocked Spitfire's attack. The head traitor kept the pressure on the wounded Assassin. Fluttershy was still standing there, unmoving. Her Element was trying to drag her away, but to no avail. 

"Keep it up! I'll take you all on!" Flitter taunted.

Spitfire growled. "You asked for it!" 

Spitfire swiped a leg underneath Flitter, tripping her. She then stomped on the Assassin's ribs in three quick slams of her foot. Flitter screamed in agony. She tried to swing her blade, but Fleetfoot stepped on her hand, pinning the blade down. Fleetfoot cackled as she spun her cutlasses. She then drove both swords deep into Flitter's throat. The young Assassin was done.

"Lucky us, she stayed behind. Hehe!" Fleetfoot giggled as she saw the shocked Bearer.

"I need to go!" Fluttershy squeaked.

"Oh no you don't! If you stay, we'll make it painless. I swear." Soarin offered.

The Bearer shook her head and backed away. "I rather not risk it." 

"Let's lose them."

Fluttershy grabbed a purse from a nearby man and ripped it open. Bitpieces flew out and onto the street. She did this with another and another. Soon, the plaza was filled with scrambling people getting a share of the loose bits. More chaos was made with Cloudsdalians reacting to the ruined body. It was a grand mixture of greed and fright. The Wonderbolts collided with the people when they tried to reach Fluttershy. The Bearer ran through the confusion with the Wonderbolts trapped inside.

"That'll do it."

They were out of sight but Fluttershy kept running. She was so afraid like when the Element chose her those years ago. She was now thankful for Kindness's help as she probably would have died at the Den without it. Then again, she wouldn't have been in the Den if it wasn't for the Element. Flitter wouldn't have died either...

"No time to think like that. We're not out of the city yet."

She ran down to the bottom level of the city. The gate was in sight. She just now was starting to feel to chill of the wind without her cloak. The Element acted as a heart, but did not function as well with keeping one warm. The cold was biting her even as she ran. Her teeth started to chatter. The gate was just across the Main Plaza. 

"I can't get there." Fluttershy wailed.

"No! We can't give up."

"So c-cold..."

The Bearer ran to the middle of the Plaza before falling to the cobblestone. Her fingers were becoming purple. Cloudsdalians noticed her and picked her up. They were clearly worried for her in the freezing weather.

"She has no cloak! She's freezing!"

"She needs help!"

"We'll help her!" A traitor laughed.

Spitfire! Fluttershy turned to see all three of the Wonderbolts. All their weapons were out. Fleetfoot's bloodied cutlasses, Soarin's barbaric mace, and Spitfire's gleaming scimitar. The crowd parted as the traitors confidently walked over to her. Spitfire chuckled in her apparent victory.

"Haha. Looks like you've reached the end. So close to freedom too. Just like the Brotherhood, you'll never reach freedom. So, how do you want it? A decapitation? Want me to rip the shard out of your chest? I wonder what would happen. Slices? Stabs? Soarin could snap your neck. It's all up to you, my dear Bearer."

"You will not lay a hand on this poor girl!" A man shouted back at her.

"Ruffians! Can't you see that she is ill?" A woman said.

"Fiends! Get them out of our city!" Another yelled.

Spitfire gaped at them. "Fiend? I've saved this city from filth like her. You dare protect the criminals?"

"What crime has she committed? Are you the judge? What right gives you to take a life?" A man placed himself between the Bearer and the traitor.

Several others did the same. The Wonderbolts were in shock by it all. Fluttershy was led into a warm tavern with a blanket and some hot liquid. She could hear Spitfire scream at them for their involvement. The people were firm in their ways and repelled them. 

"Is this the gratitude I receive for my actions? Ask Lady Shimmer! She knows what I am doing. You cannot reject royalty!"

"Begone woman! Begone before we call the Guards on you!" The crowd shouted back.

"Of all ways this could go bad, I didn't think of this." Fleetfoot muttered.

"Ugh! You listen Bearer! I'll kill you! I'll kill all the Assassins across Equestria. You can't stop Justice! You can't stop Justice!" Spitfire yelled at Fluttershy.

The door to the tavern shut and there was quiet. People gossiped about the commotion as they drank their drinks. Fluttershy sat on a stool in front of the bar. She was starting to feel warm. Patrons muttered about her. Some saw her glowing eyes but could not confirm it as they were normal again. Her shard hummed with relief. The bartender leaned on the wood in front of her. His face had a friendly smile.

"What kin' I get ya lass? Girl like you deserve anything ya want. No charge. So, what kin' I do for ya?"

"I want enough supplies to get me to Canterlot. I do not wish to live in this city anymore."

"I understand after what I saw. Why Canterlot?"

"I have friends there. I hope..."

"We both hope..."


~

	
	
> Chapter 40: Bolts of the Blaze
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.


	~

> Chapter 41: Lunar Cycle Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Octavia Melody

I woke up from my slumber with a start. From the darkness of the quarters, I could tell it was still night. I felt restless and apprehensive, so I removed myself from my hammock and stretched. Once I was done with my stretch, I glanced over to Vinyl's hammock. To my surprise no one was occupying it. I soon realized that I was the only one in the quarters. It must have been early morning, I thought. 

I made my way through the halls to the stairs that led to the main deck. The darkness was sliced by the brilliance of the moon. There was no sounds in the dead quietness of the ship. I stopped, the ship being quiet? Where was the sounds of water? The shouts from Rainbow or Zecora? I hesitantly walked up the rest of the way. 

The sounds of the crew flooded my ears instantly. It was like they weren't there before and only appeared with my sight. The crew was acting normal, but they certainly did not look normal. All of them were skeletons in rags and charred bones. They moved like the living but appeared beyond rotten. Some lacked jaws, arms, or even legs. Some had old flesh hanging from their shoulders, like they were a jacket or shawl of some kind. Others had a complete eyeball or two rolling in their sockets. I was frozen with both shock and fear. 

"All hands on deck! We can't sail the clouds with such utter carelessness!"

The voice cracked from the wheel. I expected a skeleton of Rainbow Dash, but instead got a skeleton in dark blue robes and just as dark blue hair rising from the scalp of the skull. The supposed captain of this undead ship cackled in joy as it spotted me. The skeleton gestured for me to come with its skinless digits. 

"Good of you to join this merriment, my dear Octavia." The captain laughed. The jaws only moving up and down, but still making perfect speech.

The voice was familiar, but I could not pinpoint who it was. The voice was feminine but firm. I slowly made my way over to "her." The crew members paid no heed to me as I passed. I looked to the side of the ship. There was no water on either side of it. Only clouds and emptiness. The ship was flying through the air.

"Probably one of Discord's tricks." I muttered aloud.

"I assure you, Discord has no play in this. Though I'm rather glad you mentioned him." The blue haired skeleton said.

I reached the wheel. The captain "smiled" at me before cackling again. Being up close to the skeleton, I saw that her skeletal figure was almost perfect and not incomplete like the crew. The only blemish was the crooked and broken ribs where the heart would be. 

"What is going on? Who are you?" I demanded.

The skeleton laughed again. It was obvious she was enjoying my confusion. "It never gets old. What's going on? I think it's obvious. Who am I? The perfect question. I am the one who is going to find you and make you wish you died on the noose." The skeleton's voice became grim and serious.

"Going to find me? You're right in front of me!" I laughed. I simply couldn't take the skeleton seriously.

"No, I am not." The skeleton said with a slight growl.

"Excuse me? I am touching your bones, I can feel your breath....I can feel the breath....of a skeleton. I am talking to a skeleton. I'm on the Ragnarok...with skeletons..."

"Ragnarok? Oh, you're with that pirate huh? What's she like? You also mentioned Discord, how is he doing?" Her voice was calm again.

The captain leaned towards me. Her breath was warm and smelled like...like cake. All this could only be Discord's doing. Only he would imagine something like this. A skeleton with cake breath? To me that was the most absurd of all. Despite this, I answered her questions.

"Yes, this is the Ragnarok, although it should be in sea and not air. And Discord is doing...well..."

As soon as I said "sea," the surrounding area became just that. It wasn't instant, but more of gradually changed. Water was not thrown about at all, but more of the air simply morphed into water. The skeleton noticed this and took her "eyes" off me.

"You weren't expecting that, were you?" I asked.

She chuckled. "Actually I was, however, I can't get used to it. Now, peasant, woulds't thou intri...I mean...Octavia, may I ask about why you are on this ship?"

She was going through three or four voices. She even "cleared" her throat in the middle of her sentence. I opened my mouth to answer her question, but stopped. Why should I answer her? She threatened my life earlier, why give her information like this? Maybe this was a test from Discord to test my Loyalty. Whatever it was, I shut my mouth.

"We asked thee a question!" She barked.

"You're someone I know..." I breathed.

"Fine!"

She grabbed me with her bone fingers and shoved me into the side railing. She was strong for not having any muscles. Her hand made me lean backwards over the railing. The water below turned into a black abyss. Water actually started to drain down the giant hole.

"You have forced Us to use a more direct approach! Answer Us!" The skeleton yelled.

I punched the skeleton in the cheek. The skull spun all the way round before returning to its original spot. She growled and pushed harder. 

"Answer! Answer or you're done for!"

I grabbed her shoulders and swung her into the railing and over it. The skeleton screamed as she fell into the abyss. As she fell, the world collapsed on its self. The ship, crew, and sea all dissolved into a white space. All color returned moments later. Well, if black was a color.

"Good morning Tavi! Glad ya back to the living!" Vinyl said with her mask in my face.

"Oh...You have no idea..." I muttered sleepily.

Vinyl removed herself from my face with a merry jump in her step. I sat up in my hammock, still reliving that wild, yet unusually real dream. Vinyl noticed my apparent confusion and lifted the mask off her face, revealing a slightly worried expression.

"Ya alright?" She asked.

"Just as insane as usual." I replied.

She smiled. "Well great! No one likes a sane person. The crew's mostly up. The all-nighters have called it a night...Heh."

I rubbed my eye. "And Fleetfoot?"

"Doesn't shut up. For a prisoner, she seems relaxed to be on this ship. I guess the past two days have calmed her down."

I stood up. My back ached horridly. It was the same spot where the skeleton lady pushed me into the rail. I must have banged it on something during my sleep. I winced in the pain.

"You sure ya fine?" Vinyl asked again.

"Of course. Just slept wrong, that's all."

Vinyl nodded and walked off. The bright sun shone through the small window in the quarters. From the angle of the rays, it was later than I had expected. I placed my shirt and trousers on, as my robes were too heavy and thick to wear on a ship. Rainbow said I would drown if I fell into the water with them. I did not think the armor was heavy enough to prevent me from swimming, but I rather not take the risk. Luckily my shirt was gray.

At first, I wished to go on the main deck, but decided not to. I was not hungry either, thus I felt no need to visit the chef, who wasn't the nicest of men. Rainbow told me the previous one was worse, and that she retired from the pirate business a few years ago, which allowed this new one to be recruited. No, I did not feel like visiting him. I actually felt like speaking with Fleetfoot. I spoke with the traitor last night, but she was all terrified about being hanged from the masts in the morning. Knowing this feeling myself, I pitied her and left her alone. I walked over to the "Pit," as the crew called it, with the hope, since Vinyl told me she had calmed down, that she would be more cheerful. 

The walk was not long. The Ragnarok was much smaller than the legends told of it. Below deck was always crowded, even when there were no sailors to clog up the hallways. The ship was simply messy and untidy. Most of the space was taken up by barrels of apple cider, something Rainbow referred to as "treasure." Despite this, the ship moved at a respectable speed. I knew that ship was fast because we passed Big Mac's and Maud's ships even when they left before us. The Ragnarok was so fast that we lost sight of them within 30 minutes of passing them.

I turned the corner and there she was. Fleetfoot was sitting in the iron prison cell and tapping each bar with her fingers. Her other hand ran through her off-white hair. Her hair and robes were truly a mess. I doubt even a bird could make it's nest as untidy as her hair. Her good leg was chained to the wall while her injured leg was heavily bandaged. To my shock, she could still walk from the wound I gave her. Zecora gave her a Zebranian potion that aided with the healing process. For a veteran pirate, Zecora did not like to see others suffer. From Rainbow's tales, she had always been the healer on the ship, and she aided anyone who sailed on it, including the prisoners. 

Fleetfoot glanced up at me. Her calm expression did not change. I was expecting some malevolent remark from her, but she did not speak. I crouched down. She kept her gaze at me, waiting for me to say something, so I did.

"How are you Fleetfoot?" I didn't know what else to ask.

"What's it to ya? I'm just some piece of scum to you." Her voice was sad and slow.

"True." I said simply. "However, that does not stop me from talking to you. I know you were Spitfire's friend..."

"And she left me! She left me to you guys knowing full well what may become of me! Some friend." Fleetfoot raised her voice and crossed her arms.

"What did you expect? She betrayed the Brotherhood, why not you?" 

"It's not like that, Octy. I did not agree with her reasons of attacking the Brotherhood. Her and Lady Shimmer made some points but I never joined her because of that. I went with Spits cause she was my friend. I couldn't just leave her. I couldn't just turn my back and let her be killed by the Assassins. I don't believe in this Absolute Order or anything. I'm not a Templar scum like you all think I am! I...I just wanted to help Spits. I wanted to keep her safe. And after all that. She leaves me."

"I know how you feel." I said.

She raised a brow. "Really?"

"Yes. I only joined the Brotherhood to protect Vinyl. I didn't care about Harmony or anything like what Twilight says. And ever since I encountered Spitfire in Canterlot, Harmony seems farther off than ever. It makes you wonder what you fight for. I just know I fight for Vinyl and her only."

"Huh, well then imagine when Vinyl runs out in your darkest hour. Yup, that's me. I did everything for Spits. You know I've killed your Brothers and Sisters, but guess what? They were my friends too. I may be sadistic and all, but I felt terrible after Cloudsdale. I killed my friends just so that I could stay by Spits' side. Has that happened to you? Have you ever killed anyone and regretted it?"

"Indeed. My first kill as an Assassin was by far the worst. I didn't understand the concept of killing and death at that time. I thought I did, but once you do it, once you have seen the victim's eyes, it changes you. You're the last face they will see before departing. And to me, that means they never forget you. When I killed that man, his only name to me was Templar, I felt afraid. Like all this would haunt me. I was only sixteen and well, I cried afterwards."

She nodded slowly. "Same here. My first guy was a bandit leader. Terrible man and all. I was his executioner. He never saw my face, I stabbed him right through the back and took his swords. The very ones that I use. It just wasn't right, but the Den Master said I did well. And that was that."

I stroked my chin. "The Bearer of Generosity told me it was going to get better. She comforted me behind the Den. It was a act of kindness that I..." I paused. "That I never returned."

"Well of course you didn't. All those Bearers keep secrets. Even from the Den Masters. If Spits was right on something, it was that Harmony doesn't exist. Absolute Order and Chaos have been done. We can see it and feel it, but not Harmony. It can't exist."

"Why not?" I asked.

She looked right at me. "Because of us. All of us. Lady Shimmer told us about it. Harmony can't exist while we fight and kill each other. Even being angry at one another is Chaotic. Lady Shimmer sees that Absolute Order is the only way.  If we all think the same and are obedient, we'll accomplish amazing feats. Although she doesn't like her other Templar Masters, as they are far more radical than her. They think it should be back to the old days where Fear ruled the lands. Lady Shimmer thinks that Order should rule. That all the lands should form a sort of one nation with one goal: progress."

That was Sunset Shimmer alright. I stroked my chin thoughtfully. Sunset Shimmer believes other Templars are radical? I would have thought her the most radical of all. Maybe she was. Even radicals don't always know how zealous they really are. But from Fleetfoot's description of other Masters, Sunset was not that bad compared to them. I would have to take such assumptions lightly. The traitor before me could have been lying or exaggerating the actual situation. 

I stood up and crossed my arms. Fleetfoot remained silent as I did so. She seemed to have lost the urge to speak with me as she returned to her pointless task of tapping the bars. The sound of the tapping was louder and more upbeat, however, so I could tell she was in a better mood than before. My talk with her somehow revived the liveliness that she was known for. 

Feeling somewhat oddly satisfied, I turned and left the prisoner. The light above beckoned me. I still had no appetite for breakfast, thus I skipped the kitchen again and headed up the stairs. It was just like in my dream, but this time filled with a living crew and catchy tunes and shanties. I was rather grateful for this after my nightmare. 

The wind whistled by as the Ragnarok sailed onward. The Bearer of Loyalty barked orders from the wheel. Even though there was nothing but water in sight, the captain kept her crew in line and working ceaselessly. None of them complained and did their chores with grins.

A giggle disturbed the crew's chorus. I saw Vinyl following what looked like an annoyed Neo. The pirate was hauling rope across the deck and the Assassin walked with him like a shadow. I sighed and covered my face as I watched them. My friend had obviously fallen for the pirate. Although he was handsome, I still could not fully believe it. Vinyl had never shown any interests in relationships. We had discussed our love life countless times, and it seemed clear that I would find a man before her, mainly because she did not care for one. I did not either, but I was far more willing to accept one when the time came. Seeing this gushy side of Vinyl, the rugged blacksmith apprentice-turned-Assassin, was startling for me. 

I walked over to her. The two had stopped, as Neo was bending over and tying the ropes to the ship. Vinyl was still talking as I approached. Her mask was on top of her head so I could see her face clearly in the bright sun.

"Canterlot's not so bad." She told the pirate. "I think you will like it there."

Neo sighed. "I've been there. Too fancy and so much going on. No takes time to just relax. I was raised in Baltimare and the Isles. It's my home and it's gonna stay that way."

I cleared my throat loudly. "Vinyl, would you mind having a word with me?"

"Yeah." She answered simply.

"I don't" Neo muttered.

"Vinyl." I growled through my teeth. "Get over here."

My friend kicked a wash bucket over before accepting defeat and walking over to me. Once she stopped in front of me, she placed her hands on her hips. 

"What is it?" She questioned.

"Why are you bothering him so much? You should let hi...Why are your eyes red?"

"What? My eyes aren't red. Oh, unless you mean I got salt water in them."

"No, Vinyl, your irises are red." I pointed at her eyes. They were a deep crimson. Her usual eye color was magenta.

"Ya pulling my leg."

I drew a knife out. "You look at them yourself."

Vinyl took the knife and used the blade as a mirror. Her reaction was delayed as she obviously did not want to believe what she saw. She grimaced before taking her eyes off the knife and back to me.

"They are red..." She moaned. 

"Is this because you are a Survivor of Chaos? I saw something similar in Rainbow Dash when we wrestled. It happened when she was angry. Are you angry?"

She shook her head. "I was a little, but not like angry angry, you know?" She looked at the knife again. "They're still red."

"I think we should ask Rainbow about it. She has the most experience with....this."

She nodded and we both started towards the wheel. The captain steering the ship could only be seen by her hands from our perspective. This was due to her height. I learned that see could not see over the wheel yesterday when I asked Babs Seed about it. With the knowledge that the captain can't see where she was going made me nervous at first, but the perfect track she had thus far eased my worry about crashing into objects. 

We both walked briskly up the short flight of stairs to the captain, who was humming the shanty with her crew. She spun the wheel for a tight turn to adjust to an oncoming wave. I almost lost my balance when the ship glided over it. The captain smiled at us when we reached her.

"Good to see ya up. We should reach Sepulchre before midday." Rainbow informed us.

I hesitated. "That's brilliant. But we are...wait, Sepulchre?"

"It's the rendezvous for the fleet. It's a small island village on the edge of the Labyrinth Isles.  It's our headquarters down here. Captain Caramel's father was the one who founded the place. That's where we'll meet the other captains."

"I see." I nodded. "Uhhh...Vinyl has something she wants to ask you."

Vinyl turned to me. "Why can't you say it?"

"You're the one who the problem!" I hissed back at her.

"Fine. Rainbow, I got red eyes."

The captain raised a brow. "Yeah, so? Octavia got pink eyes. That's even stranger."

I frowned at this. "Excuse me?"

"You're excused." Rainbow replied.

Vinyl rubbed her face. "No, my eyes are magenta, you know, purple-ish. Not red. But now they are red."

"Oh...Let me guess, you think it's Discord right?"

We nodded. She sighed and ordered Zecora to take the wheel. After that, she led us down the stairs and into the Captain's Quarters. Rainbow did not look back at us as she slowly walked over to her desk. She stopped in front of the desk and started to throw cups, papers, and other objects of the desk to clear a space for her to sit on. The sound of the golden spoils hitting the floor rung awkwardly until she was satisfied with her seat and jumped on it. From the way she was getting comfortable, I could tell she was ready for a long talk.

"Well, " She began. "You already made the right guess. This kinda stuff is right up his alley."

"What does it mean? Is she ill?" I asked and gestured at Vinyl who stood slightly behind me.

"That's the fun thing about being a Survivor, you don't know. Could be curable, could be not, could be bad, could be good, could be downright awesome or downright awful. Chaos is not predictable."

"Rainbow, what did he do to you? What does it mean to be a Survivor of Chaos?"

"You haven't told her?" She asked Vinyl. "Huh, thought ya would. Well, the title is literal. Discord has power over Chaos, like one would have the power of air or water. Chaos is physical and it's all around us. Everything has a basic resistance to it. Nature follows Order and we follow Harmony. Chaos is a.....a type of force that disrupts Harmony and Order. In Chaos of nature, we get mutations. I'm not talking about blindness and that kind of thing. You know chimeras? Manticores? Windigoes? Yeah, they are Chaotic animals. They don't follow a certain type of animal, like a horse. A horse is a horse, but a cockatrice is chicken and a lizard, and dragon all in one. That's what Discord does. Now, that's with nature. With us, it's anger, dissatisfaction, anything that disrupts Harmony or Order. He planted pure Chaos into both of us, and well, we survived it. Not all live after such a thing. As time goes on, the Chaos grows. How it will grow, I don't know. I've been a Survivor for several years now, and I now become bloodthirsty, hungry for death sometimes. I can't quit it. That's why I tried to kill you the other day. I can fight it, but it will only get worse. I've told my crew to kill me when it does. Now, that's with me. I don't know about Vinyl. We'll just have wait and see."

I was speechless. I did not know what to think. Vinyl was in the same state as myself. Her lower lip quivered uncontrollably. She took her mask and covered her face with it before walking out without a word. Rainbow showed no emotion and kicked her legs absently in the air. The only sound was the waves hitting the ship. 

"Does...Does your Element help you cope with it?" I dared a question.

Rainbow shrugged. "Maybe. I think the Chaos in me keeps him from taking over me completely. You look at Fluttershy, she can't keep her Element at bay at all. I can fight him and beat him when...I'm sober. I think it does matter though. It's the reason that shard Vinyl has hasn't embedded itself in her."

"You know about Hope? That's her shard."

"Yeah. The only shard I've encountered was Greed. We still have him in this ship. Torched Captain Caramel's hand when we found it. There are some shards that are pure evil, Octy. You should be glad Vinyl found a good one. However, from my experience, every shard and Element has a cost. Ya can't just use any ya want. My Element may have picked me for horrid reasons like killing Caramel, but I still have enough Loyalty to use it. Vinyl's giving up something to use that shard. Probably somethin' to do with hope."

I looked at the door. "Well, I believe she has just lost whatever hope she had."

"Then be a friend and go talk to her." Rainbow said. "It's what I would do."


~

> Chapter 42: Alliances
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Twilight. Twiliiight....Twilight!"

The Bearer of Magic woke up with a shout. The action almost sent her flying off the bed she rested on. Her eyes darted across the room before finally settling on Rarity, who was sitting in a chair uncomfortably close to the bed. Her arms and legs were cross. Her left index finger thumped impatiently on her right arm. Her expression was neither angry nor sad. It was frozen in a state stoic harshness. Twilight returned the cold stare with a cheerful smile. She soon grimaced from the aches she received the other night.

"Are you still unwell from those 'thugs'?" Rarity asked in the same mood as her face.

"Definitely. They shook me up pretty good." Twilight answered with a laugh.

"How dreadful."

"Was that sarcasm?" Twilight asked upon Rarity's reply.

"That's up for interpretation."

"Then it was. Why did you wake me up? The sun isn't even up yet. Has something happened?" Twilight began to panic.

"Be calm, I simply wished to speak with you. I did not feel like waiting until Celestia's Sun rose above the mountain. Don't worry about Spike, he is up and speaking with Lyra. He had his rest sure enough."

"Alright? What is it?"

"It's about you, darling." She said simply.

Twilight blinked. The abruptness in Rarity's voice made her feel unsettled. She decided not to question the usual "why" and held her tongue. The Bearer of Generosity's sapphire eyes went unmoving, keeping their focus on Twilight's bruised face. The finger tapped louder on the white silk sleeve.

"How...Why did you let some ruffians rough you up?" Her face barely moved as she spoke.

"They ambushed me, remember? I didn't see them coming." Twilight answered.

"The great Bearer of Magic got battered by some untrained and inexperienced ruffians. It's..."

"I was deep in thought." Twilight replied quickly. "If I was on my toes, they would not have laid a hand on me. It was my mistake."

Rarity finally released Twilight from her stare. "Alright, I'll believe that. Now my second question. Why were you out there?"

"I told you, I was on a walk to clear my head. After Ponyville, the Brotherhood has been very stressed. I needed some time to think without all this," She gestured to the room. "Noise."

"I've never seen you do such a thing before. Well, not without writing it on your schedule."

"You looked at my schedule?" Twilight growled.

"Yes, Spike gave it to me. That boy is always willing to help me. It's rather adorable. Anyway, you have not been following your schedule, going off on these 'walks' at night and being ungodly late when returning. We have the protocol, the one you established, that said that Assassins can only leave on untold personal matters for at most, 3 hours. For any longer time, they must report their absence to a Bearer or Den Master. You went without telling anyone, and you were gone 7 hours both times. Does a walk need 7 hours?"

Twilight sighed. "I guess there's no point in keeping it a secret. I went to the Grand Royal Palace."

"For heaven's what?" 

"To watch the Two Sisters. Empress Luna is the only one left there as Celestia went to the Labyrinth Isles those 2 weeks ago. She's up to something. I see her walking and talking in her sleep. Almost fighting with the air. I think she's fighting in her dreams."

"So Luna is insane, it doesn't surprise me. You should know this by living with her."

"Yes, I did live with her. I never saw her do this type of magic before. I..."

Rarity pointed a finger at her. "Ha, you are finally talking about your princess background. You never told me why you kept that a secret..."

"Because I grew up with Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight barked. The suddenness made Rarity lurch back.

"Oh...I see why..." Rarity mumbled.

"Yeah. If anyone else knew, they would think I still cared for her. That was then, before either of us knew about the Templar and Assassins. I just did not want to arouse any unnecessary suspicion. I'm sorry I gave you so much stress."

Rarity waved off the apology. "Don't be, darling. I should not have been so nosy. Please continue."

"That's all I had to report. I kept my spying secret in case you disapproved. I guess I predicted your reactions wrongly."

"I understand. Maybe I'll accompany you on your next trip? I haven't been able to get out much since...Well since Octavia's execution. I was so confused by your princess title, I got carried away in trying to pry such private matters out of you."

Twilight reached out and patted Rarity on the shoulder. The Bearer of Generosity stood up from her chair slowly. A smile was on her lips for the first time that morning. Twilight removed the covers from that kept her pinned to the bed. As Rarity scooted the chair back to the table it was originally at, she grimaced at the rising Bearer.

"Darling, you must do something about that hair. It's truly horrifying." She commented.

"Heh, why? I just put a hood over it anyway."

Rarity rolled her eyes. She gave one last wave before leaving the Bearer of Magic alone. Once she left, Twilight flopped back on her bed with a sigh of relief. Her eyes stared at the dark ceiling. The odd rays of light were slowly lighting her room.

"That was close."

"Very."

"I can't keep this up forever. I must confront the issue. I must get this plan going. It must start today."





Twilight yawned sleepily. With her lack of sleep the past days, she could barely keep her eyes open. She soon found herself leaning on the corner of a stone building. The Canterlot sun had just risen over the mountain. She did not care for that though. She was focused on simply not falling asleep.

"People...Watch the people..." She mumbled.

Equestria was diving into winter. The frigid cold had not arrived yet, but the slow and tedious process for winter had commenced. Food was stocked and stored. People bought more fabrics and heavier clothes. The process was certainly not sudden or abrupt. Fall always seemed the longest season of the year. Winter had Hearth's Warming and other holidays. Fall had nothing. Well, except for Nightmare Night, but that's only for the superstitious folk, Twilight thought.

"I wonder if it's warm in Baltimare." She said to herself.

She pushed herself off the stone wall and stretched. She had been waiting long enough. She took a deep breath and let the Element control her eyes. The world faded into a dark blue aura. She looked all around for any spies. Once she detected none, she regained her true vision. No Assassins followed her from the Den. She knew Rarity was not hiding as she would detect Generosity. She took a exhaled deeply, her breath was visible in the cold air. 

Twilight turned and entered a lone alley. The air there was much colder than anywhere else. Her teeth started to chatter as she went deeper into the alley. Without a natural heart, Twilight felt frigid in the plummeting temperatures. She silently cursed at her Element for not helping her body create heat. 

"You can make fire you know..."

"Oh yeah..."

She lifted her heart and summoned an arcanic purple flame in her palm. To her disappointment, the false fire was not as warm as she hoped it would be. Even steam would have been better, she thought. She made the flame more intense, but it wasn't worth the effort. She ceased her magic and instead placed her hands in her armpits. 

"Getting a bit chilly Bearer?" A voice uttered mockingly behind her.

Twilight turned around. The voice came from a female Assassin. This Assassin wore icy blue robes. Her weapons consisted of an elaborate sword, throwing hatchets in her dark blue sashes, a pistol on her hip, and a blunderbuss on her back. Not to mention her white hidden blades. Her face was behind a blue mask. The mask depicted the toothy grin of a dragon. Her eyes also appeared like that of a slit-eyed reptile. The only skin exposed was her neck, which was pale and seemed covered in thin frost.

"Indeed." Twilight shivered. "Do you know why I'm here?"

"I've been 'dead' for the past half year. So I guess that finally ends? I missed talking to people. Eh, I really don't care about them. I just guess that's the reason."

"Yes, it's time for this plan to take action. Tell Sunset that I'm ready. It's time to send Captain Gilda to the Isles."

The Assassin waved that off. "Yeah yeah, but what about me?"

Twilight sighed. "I guess you can come out now. Just don't draw attention to yourself. I know you don't care about our plans, but you better follow them. Now listen, after you tell Sunset, I need you to go to Ponyville. Since you're an Assassin, they'll let you in. Stop them from rebuilding the place. You are allowed to fight any Assassins in your way, except the Bearer of Honesty. Only fight if necessary, be discreet. Do not die or be identified. If you are questioned, answer that you're an Assassin. If you are attacked, make them believe you're an Imperial agent. Got that? Alright, you can go." The Assassin started to leave, but Twilight huffed. "Wait. Hold on, also tell Sunset to meet me at the Slumbering Drake Inn. And one last thing, don't fail."

"Don't worry Bearer," The Assassin said as she formed a icicle in her hand. "I'll freeze them in their tracks!"

"An ice joke, seriously?" Twilight deadpanned.

"I thought it would be cool....OH! I didn't mean that to be a pun. I just...I had the last three months working on them. Come on, don't be so cold-hearted!"

Twilight slammed her palm in her face. "Just go...."

The Assassin fell silent and walked away. Her tracks let small piles of snow on the cobblestone. Twilight sighed in relief as the temperature rose with the masked Assassin's departure. She took a deep breath and walked the opposite way of the Assassin. She felt her Element pulsing steadily.

"She really needs to chill with that all that frost magic."

"Don't you start..."

"Sorry, that joke was too cool for you."





"This was the best place for us to meet? Kind of..."

"Don't worry Sunset, I know where my Brothers are. They aren't here. The question is, do you know where yours are?"

"I only brought my most loyal here. Their outside."

"Sit down."

Sunset did as Twilight asked. The inn was completely empty. The Templar was hesitant about putting her hands anywhere since the whole place was nothing more than a pile of dust and dirt. Having spent most of life with Royalty, she was disgusted thoroughly. Twilight, who never had problems with filth, raised a brow at her.

"What's the matter?"

"You know what's the matter. Next time, I'm picking the meeting place."

"What's wrong with this place? It's private and out of the way. That's the best part of East Canterlot: no one here to listen in your conversations."

"Indeed but...It's filthy. I mean, is that a dead rat in the corner?"

They both looked at a hairy lump in a dark corner. Twilight squinted at it and it was a dead rat. The Bearer slowly turned her head back to face the Templar.

"I see your point now."

"Well, the less time we're here, the better. Why did you send ol' Ice Prick to see me?"

"Rarity is onto us. She is watching me now. I feel that we cannot delay. We must start the process of unification. I already sent 'Ice Prick' to tell Gilda to strike. I feel that Octavia is sailing with the Bearer of Loyalty. With Gilda, we will take care of two birds with one stone. I just hope Gilda gives us the Element and not keep it for herself."

Sunset leaned back. "She won't. I chose her for this for the very reason that she can be trusted. Unlike other Templars..."

"You mean Spitfire?"

The Templar nodded. "She is my favorite creation, but also my most hated. Her thirst for cleansing the Brotherhood has gone too far. She won't see the beauty of our plan. She would never work with Assassins. I'm not sure about Soarin or Fleetfoot. Hmph, I'm running low on Templars I can trust."

"I am too. I can only hope that Rarity would see the sides. This war has gone on for too long. Now the Brotherhood is filled with ones like Octavia: impulsive, bigoted, and far too curious. She wasn't like this a year ago. She was my favorite Den Master, now....my most hated. She was going to be the one to get the Element of Loyalty too..." Twilight frowned.

Sunset shook her head. "After my test, she couldn't use it. Her Loyalty should of outweighed my questions."

"You should have never asked her! I kept them ignorant for a reason. If they could not see the flaws with the Bearers, they could not disobey them when the Order and Brotherhood merge. The Bearers tell them what to do and they follow. As it should be. You should have never gave Octavia the Truth."

"It worked with Spitfire. I told her of the shards, the Elements, about how Celestia and Luna are Bearers themselves. She gave herself to me, but revenge was more important to her. Did you know she tried to steal a shard from the Two Sisters? That's where she met Octavia's friend."

"What? What shard did she want?"

"A child of Chaos: the shard Wrath. The shard is larger than the others, thus it is more powerful than even ours. I don't know what it does though. I punished her for such an action by sending her to Baltimare."

"Why Baltimare?"

"I wanted her to go into the Labyrinth Isles and find the Temple of Tirek. She was...well is supposed to return with the Tirek's shard of Pride. If she did that, her crime will be forgiven."

"You know Discord watches the place everyday?" Twilight reminded Sunset.

"Yes, Chaos loves to be around Absolute Order, I know. But the possibility of her not returning doesn't bother me. Like ol' Ice Prick, I'm quite Apathetic towards it."

"I didn't mean that. I meant that she would become a Survivor of Chaos. You know, like the Bearer of Loyalty."

"I doubt it. One must be exceptional and determined to survive pure Chaos being put in your body. It won't happen, trust me." Her eyes widened. "Wait, the Bearer is a Survivor of Chaos? I thought she was a Bearer of Harmony?"

"That's why we must rid her. She has no Loyalty to the Brotherhood. Her Loyalty lies with Chaos. She can only be trouble for us and the Empire. It will be a public service to kill her. I mean, you look what she did to Baltimare. All that was for Discord."

Sunset nodded slowly. "I see."

Twilight stood up and walked over to the window. The myriad of cobwebs and hollowed insects on the window kept her at bay. Sunset remained sitting, tapping her fingers in order on the dusty round table. The Templar and the Assassin gave into their thoughts and remained silent. They had only gotten so far through careful planning. Anyone of lesser minds could not have have accomplished what they had. All they needed now was to finish it.

Sunset became impatient with the silence and drummed her fingers louder. "So, who is next on our list? We could use another agent like that...that Miss Frosty. What shards would like to use next?"

"Who do we have available?" Twilight turned around.

"Those two former Assassins from Appleloosa. The Royal Guard apprehended them a week ago. They're brother and sister. Can't remember their names."

"Noteworthy and Amethyst?" Twilight suggested.

"Yeah, that's them. They don't believe in our plan like that girl did. They seem..."

Twilight interrupted. "Leave that to me. I told them if they continued in this war, they would be killed as traitors. They wanted to rid Den Master Braeburn in Appleloosa. If they follow us, we let them live. Give them shards."

"Which ones?" Sunset asked with a grin.

"Noteworthy is impulsive, but quite reasonable. He was the second-in-command in Appleloosa. He never gives up and his tasks. However, he loves to point out faults in others. Give him Doubt. It's the closest to him we got. Amethyst...She's a sweet girl, bit protective of her brother. What do we have like that?"

Sunset shrugged. "Faith?"

"Faith...Faith...the shard of Faith...I guess it could work. I'm sure she has faith in her brother. She has followed him all this way, so it would make sense. Though Faith is powerful. We should wait before giving a shard like that to a young girl. Give Noteworthy Doubt and we shall wait and see if his sister complies with us. We should also have a backup plan if Noteworthy doesn't see our plan."

"Sounds good, Twilight. Oh, one last thing, how is Braeburn?"

"Still obsessed with killing every Templar out there. Why?"

"Well, there are still some more radical Templar that could be axed off. He did well in killing that awful General Silverstar. There are a couple of rowdy Templar in Manehatten that I would like dead."

"Braeburn is in Dodge Junction. He left Ponyville a couple of days ago. Making him travel that far would be too much. I could send Rarity. The distance is halved and it would be nice to rid her for now. I'll send her up there. Who are these Templar?"

"One is named Suri Poloman. She has an assistant named Coco Pommel. I don't believe they will aid us. All they are going to do is spread a false image of the Order with their lies and deceit."

"And we should silence them, got it."

Sunset stood up. "Thank you Twilight. Without your Assassins, this plan could never work. Now we should be parting ways. See you soon."

The Templar briskly exited the inn without a look back. The Bearer of Magic remained inside and watched her friend depart. Through the window, she saw the Templar soldiers bow to Sunset before escorting her away. Twilight felt her Element pulsing again.

"Should we go?"

"Yes. Let's tell Rarity of her new assignment."

















"Spits! Calm down!"

Spitfire threw a chair across the room in anger, disgust, frustration, and aggravating disappointment. The other Templar in the room stood back in silence. Some of the soldiers cowered behind the few upright pieces of furniture. Some had left the hideout completely in fear of their furious captain. The only one who dared to defile the sound of breaking wood and glass was Soarin, who followed Spitfire wherever she went.

"Spits, ya acting ridiculous!"

"Shut your lips, Soarin! We lost Fleet! Damn us. Damn us all we lost Fleet! We ran off without her like selfish fiends." Spitfire buried her head in her hands.

Soarin grabbed her shoulders. "Yeah, we did. But making yourself a fool is not going to get her back or make this situation any better. We are wasting time here. We gotta go get her back ourselves."

"That is if she's still alive..."

"She is. Trust me, she is."

"How do you know?" Spitfire lifted her head.

Soarin faltered. "I...I jus' do."

Spitfire grumbled before righting a chair to sit in it. They ran away. Ran away with their tails between their legs like cowards. It would have been far better to die fighting. I could have done it, she thought. 

"We could have beaten them." She concluded.

Soarin shook his head. "No we couldn't. That Vinyl is using a shard, I know it. I smacked her several times but never harmed her. She came back from the dead also. She took a shard from the Sisters, I just know it."

"Do we have to take a shard too? I fear those things. They corrupt your mind. They use you for their own benefits."

"Heh, there could be a shard of Honor." Soarin joked.

Spitfire only shook her head in response. The Templar soldiers rose from their hiding spots. Seeing  that their leader had stopped raising Hell, they gathered around her. She looked at each of them. Most were stoic and emotionless, a few had worried expressions, and one or two raised a questioning eyebrow to her. They were all good men, she thought. They needed a strong and capable leader. She sighed in her thoughts. She was that leader. Lady Shimmer had appointed her this position in the Templar ranks. She had done so for a reason.

"Where are the brothers?" She asked calmly. 

"Here they are M'am." A soldier brought Flim and Flam into the room.

"Bring 'em here." She said in her still calm and almost soothing voice.

The soldier did as she asked. The brothers were forced into their knees in front of her. They were not bound, but were kept in place by a pair of muskets. Spitfire waved off the guns with a hand. Flim and Flam began to panic.

"We didn't mean anything by it, m'lady." Flim squeaked.

"Nothing at all. We were...just having a joke, that's all." Flam followed up.

"Shut up. Both of you. I'm going to make this simple. Let us buy your ship, The Maiden, or else we take it."

"You mean take and kill us!" They both said simultaneously.

Spitfire shook her head. "No. I won't kill anyone not involved with the Brotherhood. Your lives aren't in danger. Your property is."

"How are you sure they aren't with the Brotherhood?" A soldier asked.

"The Brotherhood would not deal with such scum. They have many faults, but they do not cheat the innocent out of money."

The brothers glanced at each other. Their mutual staring lasted a couple of odd and awkward seconds. It was like they were communicating through telepathy. They finally returned their gaze to Spitfire.

"You may buy it." They said.

"Of course that would be your choice. When given the choice, you choose money over sense. Like the Assassins choosing war over peace. Let them have their money and then release them. We have our ship. We need nothing else."

"Oh thank you m'lady." Flim cheered.

"Don't thank me. Thank Fleet." She told him.

She leaned back in her chair. Soarin leaned closer her. She whispered to him. "We're going after them, those bastards. And when we meet them, they all die."


~

> Chapter 43: Lunar Cycle Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Vinyl! Vinyl wait!"

My shouts were useless as my friend walked on. I had to dodge some crew members as I followed her. She was heading towards the bow of the ship. I saw her bump into Babs and completely ignore what she had done. Her mind was elsewhere.

She stopped at the very front of the ship, where the mortar was located. It was  an odd place to rest, but it seemed like the only place Vinyl wanted to be. She kept her mask over her face and silently leaned on the railing. I did the same with the railing opposite her. For being on a crowded deck, the bow was quiet and deserted. None of the pirates even approached us by accident. It seemed this place was supposed to be private. 

"Ya really want to be around me when I'm like this?" Vinyl pointed to the lenses of her mask.

"Do you think I won't?" I questioned back.

"Ya shouldn't. I may lose control to Chaos at any moment. Could be now, tomorrow, anytime..."

"And that time will come. Well, we have no idea when it will come, but like Rainbow, it could be years. Separating myself from you because you're a Survivor would be ludicrous."

"But what happens if it's soon? I could kill you."

I shook my head. "Do you think I would let you?"

She cocked her head. "Ya mean you'll kill me? Aren't you cold?"

"What? It would be the better option. I would care for your body and no revenge would be needed. Well, except Discord."

"Discord would do the same to you as he did me. No offense, but you're not even an ant compared to him."

I nodded. "You're right. It would be the same as killing myself. And he saved my life from doing that multiple times. Unless..."

"Oh no. Ya get that smirk when you get a stupid idea."

"When have I ever had a stupid idea?"

"Tavi..."

"You have no faith in me. This is not a stupid idea. Maybe we could get Celestia to take care of him. Her power must match his."

"Ya don't know that!"

I started to pace. "It's only logical. Maybe her and Luna both! The Two Sisters and all the Bearers. He couldn't stand up to that."

"And what if he does? Not to mention how we'll get them all together. He'll be pissed at us."

"Are you afraid?"

"YES! Tavi, you don't know Chaos. Facing him would be like trying to conquer the rules of life! Trying to conquer Death! Which he did! It's just not gonna happen." Her gestures became wild.

"You make a point. I guess I was getting ahead of myself. It's just...He has done so much to you. Ruined your life. He..."

"Saved me too."

"No, Hope did."

"I still would have died. Hope did only so much. Tavi, this world is not black and white. Discord is evil no doubt, but we need him. We need Chaos. Without it, we would be stagnant. Never wanting to improve. No trials to make ourselves stronger and certainly no Harmony. Harmony requires Chaos."

"As we believe. Now, about Hope... Rainbow Dash says that you have to have something to be able to use that shard. I presume it involves hope of some kind."

"Yes, it runs on hope." She answered simply.

"May I ask what kind of hope?"

"Nah. That hope's gone."

"That's not what I asked." I said patiently.

"I used my hope of both of us gettin' out of all this alive. I hoped that we would finish our jobs as Assassins and...I don't know. Maybe live the rest of our lives in peace? If what Rainbow says is true, then I'm already dead."

"Really? I would have thought you would love to die as an Assassin. I can't see you ever settling down. Not like Caramel."

"Huh, I wanted to be just like Caramel. Tell people of all these tales with a smile ya know? A husband would be optional. I don't know if I'll ever find one. Neo seems pretty uninterested in me."

"Don't delude yourself. You're never have a husband, Vinyl."

"Wow, real nice ya know that?"

"It's not 'you.' I know you. You can't stay put for too long nor perform the same task repeatedly. A family to you would be nothing more than boring. I just can't see you being a wife, let alone a mother."

"Well...I guess.....Yeah...Ya probably right. But why even think of things like that? I'm gonna turn into a beast and go on a rampage and get killed by you. My future's already planned out for me."

"Stop it Vinyl. You're sounding like me." 

She smiled. "Yeah, I am."

"Land sighted!"

We both turned to see a sailor waving his arms from the high rigging. Vinyl was faster than me to look over the railing. There indeed was a island in the shape of a mountain sticking out of the sea with a fine point. There were other ships around the island as well, most being smaller than the Ragnarok. Seagulls flocked around us, but kept their distance from the two Survivors on board. A gust lifted the ship onward at a respectable pace.

"The Stormrider and the Dionysus are docked there! I swear on me mum!" The lookout exclaimed.

"Half-sale! Last thing we want to do is crash into them!" Rainbow ordered. 

The crew sprang into action. Like monkeys they climbed up the ropes and pulled the sails up. Zecora repeated the orders in her usual rhyming ways. It looked like complete disorder to one like myself. However, I knew that they were completing their respected tasks with superior skill.

We were still heading for the dock at a steady pace. The wind was taking us straight to it. As we approached the island, I could see thatched huts and crumbling stone works. Most of the huts were on tall stilts to sit above the battering waves. A large torn black flag fluttered above the huts. I could not tell what was on it from such a distance. Only that it had red and white on it.

"Pull 'em all up!" Rainbow shouted. "We'll coast."

The sails were tied up all the way. Our momentum carried us the rest of the way. The Ragnarok groaned as she turned into the dock. The symbol on the flag was clear now. It was a white skull with one eye as the Templar cross and the other as the Assassin insignia. The skull itself was on a white pike. 

"Bring her in boys!"

The pirates threw out ropes to the pier next to us. There were people on the pier who caught the ropes and pulled. Most of the people on the pier were burly men who wrestled the ship in close. One of the leaner men had a tall light blue mohawk. He also possessed a cocky grin and confident golden eyes.

"Bout time ya gals got here!" He laughed.

"We had some delays. So shut ya sucker!" Rainbow yelled back.

Vinyl and I left the bow and walked over to the side. The crew calmed down and greeted those who awaited us on the pier. A gangway was laid across the gap so that we could easily reach them. Several crew members ran across and greeted their friends with hugs or handshakes. Laughter was not in short supply. 

Rainbow left the wheel and walked down the steps to us. She slid her hood off with a quick hand. Her vibrant hair seemed even more of a mess than usual. She absently patted it down. Her action was an improvement on her hair, but it was ruined again by the mohawk boy's ruffling of it with his fist.

"Hey Rainbow! Ya miss me?" He laughed.

"Quit it!" Rainbow snarled.

"Naw, ya like it! I know ya do! I'm the big brother ya never had!" He continued messing with her.

"I'm older than ya bub! Now let go of me."

Rainbow freed herself from the boy. The boy laughed more until he turned to Vinyl and I. He froze with a confused expression on his face. He then regained control of himself and licked his hand. He then ran the hand through his hair as if to adjust it, but it changed nothing. His toothy grin changed to a seductive smirk.

"Damn, Rainbow. Ya know how to recruit!"

"They aren't recruits, dumbass." Rainbow muttered.

"Then they're here to stay? Even better! Hey ladies, ya see that ship over there?" He pointed to a docked ship. "She's the Stormrider. And like her captain, she can ride anything."

I could not say for Vinyl, but I blushed with the unsubtle offer from this young man. Rainbow gave a long and heavy sigh before gesturing at him.

"Guys, this is Captain Thunderlane. You'll get used to him."

"That's right ladies! I'm Thunderlane of Cloudsdale!" He gave an exaggerated bow. "So where ya two from?"

"Canterlot." I did not want to answer.

Thunderlane gasped. "Canterlot! Where are my manners then? I can't disrespect such beauty from high society."

He took my hand and kissed it. I felt a growl rise in my throat but I suppressed it. When he moved on to Vinyl, I took my now infected hand and rubbed it thoroughly against Vinyl's sleeve to cleanse it somehow. Vinyl retracted her hand from him before he could kiss it. Thunderlane took the hint and backed off.

His grin returned. "Well, it's nice of you two to join us here. I could, you know, show ya around this place."

"NO!" Rainbow screeched.

"Alrighty then! I'll be off, but around. See ya." He scampered off like something was chasing him.

Rainbow watched him leave before turning to us. "Yeah, that's Thunderlane. C'mon, I'll show ya a much better captain."





"This is your 'better captain?" I asked.

"Hey! She's been at my side more than anyone else. It's better than how it looks."

"I think she's been next to the bottle longer than with you." Vinyl commented

"Yeah...That's actually true."

A loud snore came from the sleeping captain sprawled on a table before us. I could not see her face, as it was hidden behind bushy purple hair that was greying in some areas. Her large hand clutched an empty bottle of rum. 

"Berry. Ya there?" Rainbow poked the captain in the shoulder.

The captain stirred only a little. Another snore erupted from under the hair. Her hand dragged the bottle across the table to her chest and she then cuddled it like dog. Vinyl stifled a laugh. Rainbow cursed under her breath.

"Berry! Berry! Get ya arse up!" Rainbow screamed at the hair.

"What? I'm up, cap'n!" Berry jumped up from the table.

Berry stood on the table with the bottle still in her hand. The woman was not as old as her hair would suggest. Now, she did not appear young at all, but I could tell it was deceptive. She was younger than she looked. The bottle had obviously done her a good number.

"Heya Caramel! Need help with the rigging?" Berry lazily smiled at Rainbow.

"Berry, it's me!" Rainbow pointed at herself.

"Oh, hi Rainbow! Caramel woke me up for some reason. Did ya know where he went?" She almost lost her balance.

"Berry, I woke ya up. Caramel's not here."

Berry leaned forward. "Then where is he?"

Rainbow faltered. "He's dead."

"Oh yeah..." Berry gazed off absently.

"C'mon. Ya better get down here."

Rainbow took the hand of the woman and helped her off the table. The short captain forcefully took the empty bottle out of the other's hand and tossed it into the sand. Berry grunted in disapproval but did nothing else but that. She then yawned loudly before gazing sleepily at us.

"Why hi. I don't think we've met before. I'm Berry Punch." She stretched a hand for me to shake.

"Octavia Melody." I said and shook it.

Rainbow patted Berry on the shoulder. "Berry's been with me since well, even before I met Caramel. We were two homeless vagrants in Manehatten back then. Right?"

"Yup." Berry nodded. "She would go out and make bits and I.....I drank." She said proudly.

"And now we're both captains. Lots has changed since then."

"Yup."

Rainbow took a step in front of Berry. "I think it's time I show ya two around. There ain't much, but it's home away from home."

Rainbow gestured for us to follow. The place was much smaller once we arrived there. There were about 50 huts and a dozen shops and bars. The taverns were by far the most social of places. Men, women, even children talked amongst themselves with a tankard in one hand and bread or cards in the other. There were no horses, streets, or even a town square. Not to mention the lack of a town hall. It was a simple island village for the pirates of the Labyrinth Isles. 

The Isles could be easily seen from up top the large hill in the center of the island. Rainbow showed us this place directly, as it was the reason the village was called Sepulchre. The hill was a graveyard that was larger than the village itself. Apparently, Caramel's father made the graves for his fallen crew, if he could get their bodies there. If he could not, he would make them a tombstone anyway. Caramel followed the tradition and now Rainbow followed it. 

"It's how we remember all those who have sailed on the Ragnarok." Rainbow explained. 

It was shocking how many tombstones there were. There was no order to the stones either. They were all haphazardly placed everywhere. No sense of direction and no organization. Dropping all the bodies from the sky and burying them where they land would have been more orderly. However, the stones themselves were gorgeous. Each one had its own shape and design, as if to share the same personality as the one who laid under it. One stone in particular caught my gaze. It was by far the largest stone there.

I walked over to it, treading carefully to not disturb the dead. The stone was in the shape of a pyramid. The top of the stone had an old paintbrush pointing straight to the heavens. Each side bore a chiseled name and description.  I read it, knowing full well who it was. 

"Caramel: The Greatest Captain of the Ragnarok. Mentor, Leader, Artist, Visionary, and Friend. Loved by all and Hated by none. Body never recovered. Died in storm." I read it aloud with guilt in my throat.

"Yup. Caramel was something else. Best man I ever met in my life. And that's saying something." Rainbow said fondly. "A man, heck, a person like him jus' doesn't leave ya."

I glanced over to Vinyl to make sure she remained quiet. I did not know if she knew of Caramel's warning or not. Apparently she did as she gestured that her lips were sealed. 

"And this stupid Element," Rainbow continued. "It tried to get me to kill him. Can ya believe that? The Element of Loyalty wantin' me to betray him. Stab him in the back! I won that fight against it. I came so close to doin' it too. My Loyalty outdid the Element's. I couldn't live with myself if I did it. If I killed him. Then what does he do? Goes after treasure and gets himself killed. Died as a greedy bastard. And now I'm stuck being a Bearer and in this damn Brotherhood. Sometimes I wish it was, you know, back to how it was."

The Bearer turned and walked away from us and down the steep hill. "There are some bunks on the edge of town ya can rest in if you don't wanna go back on the ship." Were her parting words.

I waited until she was at the bottom. "Vinyl, do you think it's right to keep Caramel a secret?"

"Yeah. I mean, he told us to, right? If we tell Rainbow, we won't get her back for the mission."

"This mission is pointless. We're just being Discord's personal minions. Why should we obey him?"

"Because...You know...He's the Lord of Chaos? Vinyl suggested.

"And we're Assassins, Vinyl! We should not give in to Chaos! It's what we are fighting against. Chaos and blind obedience has no place for Assassins."

"Tell that to your precious Bearers."

Vinyl and I turned to see Discord slithering across the numerous tombstones. His massive goat head grinned at us with rows of crooked teeth. The mismatched yellow eyes bobbed around without control. His paw, claw, hoof, and talon searched for suitable landings and grips on the stones. A sly chuckle emitted from his misshapen throat.

"What's the matter Octavia? Having issues? Internal affairs? Thinking in general?"

"How long have you been here?" I asked in clear disdain.

"Is that how you greet a friend? I just came back from a terribly long visit with the Queen." He chuckled. "She's doing fine before you ask. Her tea is simply to die for."

"I am not in the mood."

"Are you ever?" He sat up and rested his haunches on a single tombstone. "Octavia, my dear, why do you have such hostility towards me? I saved your friend from imminent death and now give her reason to live."

"You've done nothing but ruin her!"

"On the contrary, I have done nothing but aid her. A girl like her needs some advantages over others. Such Chaos is a gift. A harsh gift, but a gift nonetheless. The side affects are completely not my fault."

"You control the power! It is your fault!"

"If you say so, miss 'I'm always on the right side.'" Discord jeered. "I hope you realize the irony in what I just said. You Assassins, although I applaud the effort, are so disillusioned with your Creed and Harmony. You don't even know Harmony. You wield it like a child wields a wooden sword. It's quite effective against the imaginary dragons, but fails miserably in a real fight. You think that Harmony will win because you are good. Because you are not evil like poor ol' Discord. Let me tell you. Chaos is neutral in the realm of morals. It is not good, nor evil. Harmony, however, sounds good, quite painfully delightful to masses, but in reality, it is no better than Absolute Order. It is corruptible, immoral, forcing others to be like-minded. The only difference is that they are not physically oppressed, just mentally. You force them to be loyal, always happy, have no choice in lying, no choice in being alone and without friends, never rich due to constant Generosity, and treating those who treat you unfairly with sickening Kindness. If they don't do that, they break Harmony. And what would the Assassins do? Well kill them of course! It's the best option."

Vinyl and I remained silent. Discord was making sense. It was not right and I really could not get my head around his sudden change. Upon seeing our silence, Discord sighed.

"Alright! All I'm trying to say is don't trust the Bearers of Harmony. Some of them got plans that...well, you wouldn't like. I've always liked you, Octavia. You could see what I'm talking about. All the secrets to be revealed. The reasons behind them. The true powers that humans toy with. Mark my words. There are traitors amongst the Brotherhood. And it's one of the Bearers. Maybe one, maybe two, maybe all six of them. I won't tell you who. That would spoil the fun. Toodles!"

He snapped his talons and in a flash was gone. The flash blinded me temporarily. Vinyl glanced over at me. 

"Do you know who it is?" She asked me.

"Not Rainbow, it would be too obvious for Discord's game." I answered.

"I think he thinks you already know who it is."

"Of course. I sort of defied the Bearers on multiple occasions. I brought up questions where I should of remained silent."

"Well, I think it's Fluttershy." Vinyl said.

I raised a brow. "Really? I doubt that."

"We can't be too sure." She shrugged.

"No we can't. This all could be a trick though."

"Naw, I would have known. He's serious on this."

"Then we shall be too." 

"Well, I guess I'll get some early shut eye. Wanna come with? You know, sleep on it?"

"Yes, that would be nice."





"Good to see you again, Octavia. Did you miss me?"

I was dreaming again. The same flying ship was soaring through the clouds, straight to the moon. No water appeared, no skeletons marched about. I was laying on the cold deck and propped up on my elbows. The "captain" before me had all her flesh on her skin, and all her waving dark blue hair. A black crown on her head, a long estoc sword in her hand, and a deep glare on her countenance.

"Empress Luna? What are you doing here?" I gasped.

Her expression did not change in the slightest. "I was here before, do not worry. You threw me off the ship and into the abyss. I was trying to be nice that time. But, now that you see me in my true glory, I shall take a more direct approach."

"Direct? I don't even know why you are here, or how?" I questioned.

She lifted the sword, its black blade gleamed in the bright moonlight. "This is your interrogation, Octavia Melody of Canterlot. I am your interrogator. That must be clear."


~

> Chapter 44: Dream Raid
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Empress Luna! What is wrong with you?"

The Empress thrust her sword deep into the deck, right between my legs. I crawled away from the humming blade, fearing for my life. I knew I was in a dream, however I did not know what could become of me in the dream. Luna was using some supernatural power to be in my mind, the logical conclusions of soul and body may not have been applicable. 

"You are dealing with him! With Discord! You are planning to ruin my Sister! I know you are!" The Empress screamed at me.

The anger from her was felt in the very air. Each step towards came with the sound of thunder and an earthquake through the wooden boards. You may think I be exaggerating, but what I write is quite literal in the dreamworld. Lightning engulfed the sky with a terrible storm, whirlwinds flew through the air with the same speed as the flying ship. Every strike behind the Empress made a terrifying split-second image of her blackened face with bright, glowing, soulless eyes. 

"Your Highness, I have no idea what you are talking about!"

"Do not lie, peasant! You have confirmed your dealings with my last trip. Lying will do you no benefit."

She lifted her sword and lunged at me. I flipped myself over and dodged the ferocious attack. The sword stabbed the wood and remained in there. The Empress pulled on it, but it remained fixed in the boards. I took this opportunity to flee below deck.

"You cannot run forever! Your imaginings are finite!" Luna yelled at me.

It did not seem that way as I ran. The wood was changing colors each second, the halls were bended and curved. Blackness would take over spots here and there. Since it was my mind forming all these peculiar images, I concluded that it was places I had either not observed before, or had forgotten entirely. 

"You shall pay for this!" I heard a demonic voice from behind me.

"You're mad! I've done nothing to your Sister!" I pleaded desperately.

I opened a door and walked through. Nothing was under my feet and I fell into an abyss. On my way down, I kept colliding into invisible objects that altered my journey to the bottom. The light from the door I had opened went farther and farther away. I finally slammed into a smooth and hard ground. My back burned with pain. Pain. Was it real? Did I need to fear anything at all from this? 

"You'll have to be quicker than that."

Out of the darkness that surrounded me came the Empress herself. Her blade hummed in the silence. I lifted myself off the ground. The bones in my back seemed to pop into place as I stood up. Each movement echoed in the dead silence.

"What have I done to receive your wrath?" I asked, or better put, moaned.

"You deal with Discord. You plan to usurp my Sister and I!"

"On what proof?"

She gestured to the area around us. Images of palm trees ad green water faded in and out of the blackness. Sepulchre, Rainbow Dash, the Ragnarok, and the memories of every time the Labyrinth Isles were mentioned.

"You are in the Labyrinth Isles! I can tell by the way your mind imagined the waters and the moon. You mentioned Discord. Knowing his very existence is enough for me to understand your plot. What do you plan to do to my Sister?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"You tell me or you will regret your pride."

"We are in a dream! What can you do to me? I cannot die." I prayed she'd take my bluff.

"You cannot physically die, this is true. But, that does not mean the pain you feel will not be excruciating! Or that your mind may remain dead in this realm!"

She lifted her sword to her face and turning the blade so that the broadside faced me, putting herself in a classic dueling pose. I drew my sword, but did not join her in her sudden formalities. The black estoc's blade formed an image where Luna's face went behind it. The haunting face was a dark blue with a long sharp teeth and wicked eyes. Unlike Luna, the face was smiling; I could hear some wild cackle from it. It was something from a horrid nightmare.

"Do you expect to win this?" She asked me.

"Of course. It's a dream, I can do anything."

"If only that was the case."

With a yell, she swung her blade at me. I caught the blade with my own. She withdrew her sword and swung it again. Her attacks were fueled by a hellish rage. I kept stepping back with every attack. Despite using the longer and heavier sword, she could wield it like a light dagger. Her style was simple: attack until you successfully hit. 

The darkness took over the floor again and we fought on. I expected to fall into the abyss again, but did not. There was no light, but her and I were well illuminated. That was the only reason I could see her obsidian sword.

"This would be simple if you just answered!" Luna griped.

"I would answer if I felt your intrusion of my mind was justified!"

Her words distracted me slightly. It was just enough for her get the advantage and spin my falchion out of my hand. My sword flew through the air and never landed as it fell through what I thought was the floor.

Luna then grabbed my collar and held me in place. I felt her warm breath reach my face. It smelled of cake, again. The darkness left us like a snake being chased. The ground changed into a thin wooden beam that we both were standing on. The rest fell away and became air and sky. Clouds were below us and above us. Wind howled past us and the moon was back in its full glory.

"You think I'm afraid of a fall?" I gulped.

"You are. Trust me. I can sense it in you. This may not be real, but Fear is still with you."

"Your Highness, why do speak of Fear like that?" The board of wood started to evaporate behind me.

"Because We are Fear!"

My feet hung in air. The board ceased retracting before Luna. The only thing that kept me from falling was the Empress's grasp on my collar. I looked down. The clouds and land below me were familiar, I had seen them before. I then realized that it was the view from the Royal Palace. The places that were generated were never new. This dream was being built solely off of memory.

"Answer Us! We tire of your unwillingness!"

"Can I summon people in my dream?" I asked her.

"What? We did no..."

"Here I come!"

I sighed in relief by the voice. Luna turned around to see Vinyl reloading her musket. My friend went on one knee on the wooden beam. She rammed the ball in the barrel, cocked the hammer back, and aimed at the shocked Empress.

"Hold still princess!" Vinyl grinned.

The ball from the rifle struck the Empress squarely in the chest, causing her to let go of me. My hands caught the end of the beam. Surprisingly, Luna did not fall off from the hit. Blood tainted her dark blue armor and robes. Her growl indicated that it was not entirely successful.

"How dare you use my own powers against me!"

"Shut it moonbutt. Do you think we care?" Vinyl taunted.

"I can't believe I remember her like this..." I muttered.

"Do not insult me, projection!" Luna shouted.

Vinyl raised a brow. "Projection? What in Tartarus are ya talkin' about?"

I lifted myself onto the beam. Luna stomped over to Vinyl, who was wisely backing up. I reached for a throwing knife, aimed, and threw it into the Empress's shoulder. An infuriated groan left Luna's throat.

"Tides turned!" Vinyl laughed.

Luna clutched her wounded shoulder. "Do not tell me about tides!"

Suddenly, water funneled from far below and up to us. The clouds disappeared and more water took its place. I started to float from the surrounding water. It was all streaming in like one broke a dam nearby. Vinyl was also being washed to and fro from the rushing water and waves. Her musket swirled around before being lost under the rising surface. Luna was gone. I did not know where she was, but I knew she was still around.

Soon, it was all quiet. The water stopped its currents and settled as a calm ocean. The moon was resting on the horizon, far larger than I have ever seen it before. I started to swim. I did not know where to go as there was no land in sight. 

"Think Octavia! Think!" I encouraged myself. 

The water began to ripple and shake. I stopped my swimming and tread in place. The bow of a massive ship sprang out of the ocean in front of me. It was a shape and size that I had no recollection of, thus I knew it was a creation of Luna. The number of decks it possessed kept rising as the entire ship soared out of the black water. Each deck had a row of cannons. The sails were a dark blue with Luna's Moon on each. The very top of the main mast flew the Equestrian flag. The water it threw up rained on Vinyl and I. 

"Pfft! Not impressed." Vinyl commented casually.

"Why can't I just wake up..."

It was then that I saw Luna at the wheel. Her hair waved in a non-existent wind and became the same color as the night's heavens above us. Her eyes glowed so brightly that they appeared as incandescent as the moon itself. I had seen such a glowing before. And that was from a Bearer of Harmony.

The Empress raised her hand, signalling the cannons to make ready. My eyes widened and I turned to swim away. The sound of hundreds of cannons firing echoed across the world I was in. I braced for whatever they were launching to strike me. Splash! Splash! Splash! Some cannonballs skipped on the surface and went out into the nothingness. One came screaming right for me. I shut my eyes and expected to return to the world of the awake and conscious. Instead, the cannonball teleported me onto the deck of Luna's ship.

"You are by far the most troubling Assassin I have ever met!"

"I wouldn't be such a trouble if you let me speak!" I replied to the approaching Empress.

"You are the murderer of my Sister! You and the Lord of Chaos plan to bring Death to her! You do not deserve the right to speak."

The Empress set herself in an odd stance, her sword held back with both hands and her body in a position to strike, yet she was across the monstrous deck from me. A dark embrace surrounding her feet and legs. She then charged across the deck almost instantly leaving a dark blue streak in her wake. The sweeping sword cut through my right shoulder and the force sent me into a mast.

The more I fought her, the more power she used against me. I clutched my bleeding shoulder and thought. I had to have the same powers as her in this dream. I summoned Vinyl, I knew I could do more. I started thinking of every single person I could remember. Friends, family, acquaintances, and even enemies. 

Before I knew it, the deck was smothered in hundreds of people. Some were duplicates and many were not there entirely. Some of their faces were greatly blurred from my own forgetfulness. However, all of them, including the Sunset Shimmer I summoned, pulled at their weapons and charged at the invader. They swarmed over her like locusts on a farmer's field. 

Luna fell to the army momentarily. They tackled her and seemingly tried to beat her to the dreamworld's version of death. She recovered from the onslaught and psuhed back the summons. I saw her throw Noteworthy off and then slice his head off. Lyra went down, a few people who names I remember not, and Flashius went flying off the ship. Twilight seized the Empress with her magic and began slamming her repeatedly into the deck, snapping the boards with each it. 

"You Assassin! You lack the honor of the duel!" Luna screamed as she was knocked into the wood..

A shadow crept onto Twilight, making her disappear into nothingness. Luna recovered from the attack and stood up, her hand glowing with a bright blue. The same blue surrounded each of my allies. The next moment every one of their heads exploded in disgusting amounts of blood and splatter.

"You should of summoned Discord, Octavia, then you could have stood a chance. But I must admit, you adapt to the dreamworld rather quickly."

With that, she conjured a javelin in the air and threw it at me. I dodged it easily, but it was simply a distraction. She charged at me again with the lighting strike, but this time I intercepted her sword with my hidden blades. It was well that I did so, as this attack was aimed at my skull. She tried to overpower me by pushing down on me, but I held my ground. I expertly slid her sword to the side and kicked her in the stomach and followed up with both my blades into the gaps of her armor. 

"GAHH!" Her eyes bulged out with agony.

In a fit of retaliation, She grabbed my arms and pulled the blades out of her. She then held me up by my wrists. Her teeth were becoming sharper and that of a savage beast. Her eyes were now different sizes and slits in the pupil. She became a terrifying beast.

"We shall kill you for that!" The voice was doubled. "We shall end you for you insolence!"

She spun and tossed me across the entire ship. My body tumbled into a mast and fell it and I landed by the wheel. The mast fell off the side and into the black waters with a tremendous splash. My entire body ached from the pain. It was not real, but I could not ignore it. It felt real; it acted real. There had to be a way to heal that I did not know about. A way to manipulate the wounds on one's body. Whatever that was, Luna knew it as she ran across the ship as if she was never injured.

She stopped before the tall steps that led up to me. Her sword glowed with immense energy and she swung it. The energy sprouted off her blade, extending its reach. The enhanced sword sliced through the captain's quarters below me, sending into pieces like a barrel of gunpowder was lit.

I flew into the air and landed straight below in the now roofless captain's quarters. The place was untouched by Luna's sword. All the rich furniture remained upright, the small cups and dishes sat on the tables like nothing happened. Even the paper did not fly off with the explosion.

The battle was no longer in my favor, if it ever was. The furious Empress marched through the remnants of the door. Her hideous teeth and eyes glared at me with hatred. My body ached so much that I could barely move. I grabbed onto a table and pulled myself up into a standing position, but still leaning on the table. Luna stopped before, her blade pointing right at me and the tip inches from my face.

I needed a way to get out of this situation. Of being stuck in this ceaseless nightmare with such an Empress. I fell to my knees, the blood from my shoulder still oozing out. I tried to appear as defeated as possible.

"Your Highness!" I gulped. "It does not need to be this way. We do not need to fight!"

"Now you beg? I would slap you for such an act if you were my Sister Dearest. That time is long past. We shall break your will and send you to Discord as nothing more than a husk. The best way to deal with Discord is to compromise his underlings. We shall do this so that you will not bring ill to my Sister."

"Sister! Think before you speak! Consider what you are doing. Listen to my words and show mercy."

Beside Luna appeared her Sister, Empress Celestia in a brazen portal of warming light.. Luna's face instantly softened and her grotesque features faded away. Celestia glowed with a illuminating aura. It was soothing and relaxing to me, as if all my problems were gone. The younger looked at her Sister with genuine affection. It was the first time I saw Luna smile. She then nodded and lowered her sword.

"You are lucky, mortal. We...I would have gutted you."

"My Sister can be quite serious at times." Celestia told me casually. "Now, Lulu, what is it that makes you visit this young woman?"

"This woman, Octavia Melody, has been dealing with our old enemy, Discord. She wants to kill you."

"No!" I defended myself. "Discord only wishes to speak with Celestia as a friend."

"So you finally admit your dealings!" Luna guffawed triumphantly.

"I can tell you are merely a pawn in all this." Celestia said to me. "Well, I'll be expecting you two shortly then. I'll have tea ready."

Celestia then faded away. I was hoping she would stay as I was left alone with  her mean-spirited Sister. Luna seemed to wait impatiently for Celestia to disappear entirely before speaking to again, in a low, almost whispering voice.

"My Sister and Discord have had their relationship; that is over now. From their past, I have learned that nothing good can come from Chaos. It has always been this way. It was Chaos that started this war of yours. You Assassin, a mere imposter of what we truly were. That's why you shouldn't help him."

"Imposter? I am not an imposter of anyone!"

For the second time, she smiled. It was a mocking grin of my apparent ignorance. "Is that what Twilight has told you?"

I blinked. "Yes. We started off when Starswirl foun..."

"Silence! Starswirl was a fool and an unoriginal one at that! With his hate for progress and the like, he tainted the name of the Brotherhood for his own gain. He stole the Elements of Harmony from the Tree for his own insane vision."

"How could he taint the name of one did not exist at the time?"

Luna stood upright. Her eyes glowed a little still, but the amount of brightness waned. The ship was now riding the waves of a powerful ocean. The silence from the Empress disturbed me greatly. It was like I surprised her with my words.

"Assassin, the Brotherhood has been here far longer than Starswirl. It started when Death himself was swarmed over by his people and beheaded. When the Crystal Heart was shattered and never to be remade again. When Chaos, Fear, Harmony, Wisdom, Love, and Absolute Order were taken by six nameless Bearers. Do you not know this?"

"That's not how I remember it..."

"Then observe."

She sheathed her sword and placed a hand to her chestplate. She pulled it back to reveal her chest beneath it. There, a pulsing black Element was in place of her heart. 

"You're a Bearer?" I croaked.

"Indeed. One of the nameless six. We are Fear, her and I. It is what allows me to dreamwalk."

"But...But..." I felt weak.

"Starswirl took the Elements of Harmony, seeds of the original Element that was carried by a dear friend. He recounted the tale of us conquering Death, better known as the Shadow King, using his own nameless warriors. I was an Assassin, the name given to us by our killing of the Shadow King. The act gave us immortality, thus we conquered Death. We destroyed the Crystal Heart, it was too powerful to keep intact. To prevent its reconstruction, my Sister, Discord, Tirek, Chrysalis, our dear friend and I decided to give up our hearts to Bear the Elements for eternity. For they are must be returned to recreate the Heart."

"Then the Brotherhood..."

"Has no purpose. My Sister is quite amused by you all. I'm sure Discord is too. We are the ones preventing what you believe should be prevented."

"The shards!"

"They are children of the original Elements. Fear and Wisdom has sprouted countless number of them. I'm sure you know we keep them in the basement, out of the hands of those who should not wield them. Your Elements of Harmony are different though. They resemble the original six. Harmony tried to make a new Crystal Heart, and in doing so made itself a tree and killed its Bearer. It was partially successful. However, since they are half-shards and half-Element, they cannot make shards themselves."

"Why hide this from all of us? To make your population ignorant?" I pointed at the Empress boldly.

"They Fear that which they do not understand! The Greed of humanity knows no bounds. They would search for the Elements and shards to no end. Just like the Templar who wish to recreate the Crystal Heart. That is why they despise my Sister and I. Our existence prohibits their visions. I cannot answer for your Bearers of Harmony. I expected you to know such things. Sunset Shimmer and Twilight do."

"Twilight..." I muttered. "Twilight has kept us all ignorant. But why?"

"Maybe she has plans of her own. She is a child playing in a war she does not understand."

Twilight was the traitor! It was the only explanation. I should of known. She was the most likely from the bunch. Magic did not hold any moral standings like Honesty, who cannot lie. My vision blurred. The head of the Brotherhood was leading us all to ruin! Were the other Bearers with her? Did they know of her true intentions? All her suspicious actions flashed through my mind. Braeburn, Appleloosa, her talks on revenge, her anger when questioned, her secret of being a princess, and her willingness to do anything for victory.

"This does not relinquish the crimes you have committed, Octavia. My business here is not yet finished."

The Empress backed away from me. She unsheathed her sword and began twirling it in her left hand. I waved frantically and leaned on the table. I did not want to start another battle.

"Wait!" I begged. "Maybe we could help each other? Discord is your enemy, right? Maybe we..."

"The better option would be to silence you. You now know of the secrets We hold. We cannot let you spread such things across the land. You also have a death sentence on your head. Your hanging is long overdue."

"I could keep it a secret. I promise. I can help you as my sentence."

She paused. "I sense sincerity in your voice. And Sister Dearest would not approve of me disposing you. Fine, you shall have your chance. Meet my Sister. She already knows to expect you. She shall be on the ECS Solaire, you cannot miss such a ship. It is the size of the one you stand on. Capture her, but do not harm her. Tell her that you had a nightmare that involved the moon and a thousand years. She will understand. Then we shall form a ploy against Discord together. Do not tell anyone of this. Not even your dead friend who seems to be back from the grave. The projection you created would have not been so clear and vivid if you had only seen her months ago."

"Thank you, Your Highness." I bowed.

"This is not the last time we shall meet this way, Octavia Melody. I shall also meet you in person again. And I shall be on this ship when I do it. This is the ELS Artemis."

"This cannot possibly be an actual ship. It is far too large to even float."

"With enough surface on the water, even larger vessels can float."

"Can I wake up now?"

"Yes, We give you permission."

It was instant. My eyes opened and I was in a cabin. The morning sun poked through the window. Vinyl was snoring loudly in the bed beside me. I sighed in relief that I was out of the dreamworld.

"Good sleep? You were tossing and turning like you were on fire!"

At my feet was Discord. He was in his human form and eating a rotten apple. He grinned at me with his crooked yellow teeth. I felt a cold sweat on my back as I sat up in my bed. 

"You've been here all night?"

"ALL night, my dear! Once I saw you muttering pleas and grunting like you were stabbed, I had to watch. It lasted, and lasted. I was waiting for when you shoot up with a start and pant like crazy. But you never woke up."

"It was a terrible dream indeed."

"Yes, it would be a nightmare for me too if Lulu showed up with her dreamwalking abilities."

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Really? I pinpointed it on the spot and you still lie? Oh, Octy, you make me proud." He laughed.

I remained silent and stood up. My body ached, especially my shoulder where I was cut. Without looking back at the Lord of Chaos, I walked away. I heard him giggle under his breath. My mind was rushing with all the startling news from Luna. Twilight....Twilight....Twilight. Who would I tell? How could I reveal my findings to another? Would the Bearers attack me? Would the Bearers believe me? What were the Sisters' plans against Discord? I sighed. Such things could only be answered through waiting and seeing. Risks were on the horizon for me.


~

> Chapter 45: Intrigue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Yearling withdrew her eyes from the writings. She was still trying to comprehend what she had read. Dreams? The Empresses being Bearers? What the hell? Twilight....Twilight being a...traitor? She glanced over at the Bearer of Magic. To her surprise, Twilight was looking right back at her, a solemn expression on her ghostly face. 

"Twilight....Is Octavia right?" Yearling asked hesitantly.

Twilight faltered. Her face went to utter sadness and she desperately tried to hold her composure. Her bottom lip quivered, her "breathing" became shallow and she looked at the carpet. 

"Yes. I betrayed the Brotherhood." It came out as a sob.

"And you guys are still with her after that?" Yearling asked the other ghosts.

Rarity was the first to answer. "Miss Yearling, do you think after 500 years, we would care? It's a terribly long time to hold a grudge. Especially against one who went through the Elements' tortures as well. We relate to Twilight, we were brought together by the Elements. To shun her for so long would be ludicrous. Although Applejack and Fluttershy may say otherwise."

"So you were in her plan as well huh?" Yearling accused them.

Rainbow shot up out of her seat. "Hey! Don't ya go saying stuff like that. You weren't there."

Twilight spoke up. "No, they were not in my plan. Only Sunset and I. That Twilight isn't me. After...After what happened, I knew I was the reason for the calamity. I destroyed the Brotherhood from the inside out. All...All I wanted was peace. The Templar, the Assassins, they could be friends. If they just worked together, the world would see peace. Please tell me you see my thought process. I....I thought I was doing the right thing."

"Really? You ordered the deaths of lots of Templars. How was that going to ease tensions?" Yearling asked coldly.

"I never ordered the killing of any moderate Templars. The ones who were killed were radicals, people who would never work with the Assassins. When Sunset and I would make the unification, as we called it, both sides had to have some willingness to work with the other. Radicals would never do that. So we got rid of them. She took out radical Assassins, I took out radical Templars. No one batted an eye since it was not suspicious at all."

"I say it was pretty clever!" Pinkie commented excitedly. "Twilight kept us all under her thumb and we just went along with it. I mean, we weren't COMPLETELY in the dark. I mean, we knew about Discord and all. We just didn't know of Sunset Shimmer and her being close. Nor did we know of Celestia and Luna being Bearers. We totally predicted it but we didn't know exactly. For the longest time we thought we were the only Elements. Heck, even the past Bearers did not know about it. I mean wow! We did NOT know anything. Well...Except Twi of course."

"The Elements can be lied to and corrupted, darling." Rarity spoke up. "We may represent the good values of man, but they also can be used for ill-intent. There was a Bearer of Kindness before Fluttershy who believed Kindness could only be given to those who are kind. In turn, this made her cruel to those who treated others unfairly. It was her take on Kindness that differed from Fluttershy's and probably yours. But it was her Kindness, so she wasn't exactly wrong. Same thing here. Magic is often referred to as Friendship. We trusted Twilight without a worry because she was..."

"Our friend." The Bearers, minus Twilight, said in unison.

This made the Bearer of Magic cry even more. She buried her face into her arms and foggy tears ran down, disappearing before they even touched the ground. Yearling grimaced at the Bearer's breakdown. An ancient warrior reduced to sobs. Pinkie scrambled over to Twilight and began to sooth her.

"C'mon Twi. It wasn't THAT bad. I mean, you didn't get Applejack and Fluttershy kil..."

"PINKIE!" Rarity screeched.

"What?" The Bearer of Laughter shrugged.

Twilight lifted her head. "It's alright. Just to feel all this guilt...all over again. I'm sorry I did this to all of you. There's no excuse for me. I was a vile fiend, taking advantage of my friends and their gullibility. I ruined so many lives. So many... They haunt me everyday. From then and now. I'm sorry."

"We know ya are Twi." Rainbow said. "Wailing about it ain't gonna help. We don't want this to happen again right?"

"Rainbow's right." Rarity agreed. "This is why the Elements are unstable. They are gullible, easily tricked and lied too. They are much better now than at Octavia's time, but they will relapse with use. This Ahuizotl Industries will misuse them and these horrid events will play out again. We cannot let that happen."

"This is why you read, Yearling. It will only get worse."





"Hey Octy! It's been so long since I last seen you! Omigosh! I almost forgot how you looked! Wait, I'll never do that. I remember everyone's faces perfectly hehe. Like a painting!"

"Please let go Pinkie. I'm not in the mood."

"You like it."

"I feel like your killing me with this hug."

"Nope."

"Yes."

"Nope."

"Let go damn it!"

Pinkie jumped back from me with a frightened expression. I glared at her before softening my gaze. I was in a foul mood from earlier. My mind still swirled with my dream battle with Luna. That and the revelation that Twilight was the Brotherhood's traitor. I felt a new abhorrence towards the Bearers. It was a conflict within me to either trust them or not. However, rejecting Pinkie's friendly demeanor would be rude either way. I forced a smile to her.

"Sorry, rough night. Vinyl decided to snore louder than usual. How has the morning fared?" 

She instantly returned to her normal, joyful state. "Great! Rainbow, Mac and Maud are already planning on how they are going to capture Celestia. They say she's on this reeeeallly big ship with tons of cannons. They say this monster could sink them in a blink of an eye. Which is dumb because water can't flood a ship faster than a person can blink. See? I can blink so fast. I've never seen water go THAT fast. I mean, the ship would have to teleport to the bottom of the ocean for that to be true. Unless it could be Maud's blinking. She blinks really slow."

"I see your logic." I said with fake interest. "Umm...Where are they?"

"Oh! They are at the tavern. The one by the docks. Come, follow me!"

She turned and started to skip merrily away. I followed her with a roll of my eyes. The end of the conversation also made me realize the discomfort my body was in. The day was hot and humid to the point it felt like my face was being covered by an invisible mask. I sighed, hoping that the Isles were not all like this. However, the natural beauty of the place certainly helped its nasty temperatures. Although I saw palm trees in Baltimare, they were no where near as lush or tall as the ones that rose out of the small island. The sand that crept up from the shoreline was white and soft. Not like the Baltimare's coarse and dark sand. The water, however, was the same as that of the city. The rich green and blue waves constantly crashed on the large hill's overlooking cliff. By the docks, it calmly rushed in with small and consistent waves. 

It did not take Pinkie and I long to reach the tavern. The smallness of the island made travel seem effortlessly. Everything except the cemetery was in a throwing stone's reach. It was convenient, but it felt unimpressive due to its founding. Though that could be through my ignorance on the matter.

Pinkie shouted a "hello" before tackling Rainbow in a hug only she could give. The short pirate was engulfed in pink hair and lost from my view. Maud did not react as her partner was roughly separated from the table's bench that they were sitting on moments prior. Big Mac chuckled deeply before looking at the map they were studying on the table. There was a fourth person at the table, but she did not belong.

"Fleetfoot?" I asked incredulously.

"Oh...Hi Octy." She waved at me with bound hands. "Uhh...I asked if I could have a breather out of the ship. They said 'yes' but with you know...only under some conditions." 

"I see." I said as I sat on the table bench next to her.

Rainbow shoved Pinkie off and then shook her head wildly to remove the sand in her colorful hair. Pinkie stood up almost instantly, her smile as wide as ever. She also had sand in her fluffy mass of pink hair but did nothing to remove it and left it there. Rainbow gave a short grunt and sat at the table opposite me and on Maud's left. Pinkie remained standing and watched over Rainbow's shoulder.

"Like I was saying," Rainbow sounded indignantly, "Celestia will be heavily guarded. No less than three frigates and two brigs. But, if my plan goes together, they won't be an issue."

"Unless Spits finds you at that time." Fleetfoot remarked.

"Well...I doubt that." Rainbow responded. "She didn't have a ship when we left. I wouldn't expect her for another couple of days at least."

"That is if she comes for you at all." I said to the Wonderbolt.

Fleetfoot growled. "She will. She left me once, she wouldn't do it again. I'm sure of it now."

"Now, let's get back to business." Rainbow reminded us. "Alright. We need to get Celestia's ship alone. We don't need to go all out and try to sink it either. We gonna sneak on her. Thunderlane has been tracking the ECS Solaire's movements for a week now. There are three docks the ship rests at as they go in their circle around the Isles. The closest one is here." She pointed on the map. "Not two hours' sail from here. But that's not the place we want. It's too open and they're see us coming. We'll do it here. Right in the middle of the Isles. Islands crowd the place and hide us as we come. We get her escort distracted and then creep up to her ship in the night, take out the guards, and then carry the Empress away in the moonlight. Boom! That egghead Twilight couldn't make a better plan."

"That's perfect!" Pinkie squealed. "You could be a general Rainbow."

"I try my best." Rainbow grinned with pride.

"How you gonna distract the escort?" Fleetfoot asked.

"That's up to these two." Rainbow pointed at Mac and Maud. "Them and Berry are going to make the frigates give chase. You know, fire some shots and then run. We don't need them to go far, just enough for us to...ahem...extract the Empress. Since my guys are the best sneakers, we'll handle the infiltration of the ship."

I blinked. "What if Celestia decides to not fight?"

"Why would she do that?" Maud asked in her monotone voice.

I wanted to answer with the truth. The truth that she was expecting us with tea. I doubted bloodshed would be good for Celestia, even less for her deranged Sister. Not only that, but it seemed Celestia was not going to be hostile towards us when we arrived. Instead of answering, I gave a long shrug.

"Celestia wouldn't just let us take her." Rainbow stated. "She's an Empress! Almost like a goddess! Nah, she'll hide behind her Royal Guard until every one of 'em is bleeding out on the deck..." She paused. "Which doesn't sound bad to me."

I shook my head. "Maybe she will put her men's lives above her own. We could just threaten that we will kill them and then she hands herself over peacefully and we leave. No Guards need to die."

"Are you sleep deprived?" Rainbow glared at me. "There's no fun in that and is also unlikely. We're Assassins, we don't bluff, and they aren't pushovers."

"But this isn't for us, Rainbow." I reasoned. "The only reason we are even here is because of Discord. The only reason to kill anyone in this mission is to feed your bloodthirsty nature as a Survivor of Chaos."

"You watch your damn mouth!" Rainbow yelled. "The Royal Guards bring fear upon people. They regulate, torture, and maim people. This world could use less of 'em. Look at what I did to Baltimare. It's much better without them. I could care less if I stabbed one or a hundred of them."

"Do you even hear yourself? You sound like an animal." I pointed out.

"Octy's right." Pinkie nodded. "That is kinda harsh."

Rainbow threw her hands up in exasperation. "Fine! We'll use non-lethal weapons, alright? Sleep darts and choke holds it is."

"Um excuse me." Fleetfoot interrupted. "But what in Tartarus are you doing working for Discord? Lady Shimmer says he is a lunatic! C'mon, the Brotherhood hasn't fallen that low, has it?"

"Long story Fleets." Pinkie told her. "We're not doing this by choice. Discord kinda demanded it. Also, the Brotherhood is no different than when you left it."

She sighed. "That's what I'm afraid of..."

"How do you know of Discord?" I glanced over at the traitor.

"Oh shit..." She cursed under her breath. "Uhh....Lady Shimmer told me?"

"How did she know of Discord?" Pinkie asked.

"Uh, Bearer." She looked at Rainbow. "May I go back to the ship? I think I've had enough air for today."

Rainbow remained silent and simply shook her head. Fleetfoot started to sweat. Her eyes darted from every face at the table. They finally landed on me, filled with panic. She then stared at the table in silence.

"Not going to answer?" I asked.

"Nope."

"C'mon Fleets, it isn't that hard." Pinkie said cheerfully. "All ya need to do is open those lips and sing. Secrets are bad for your health and mind. You shouldn't worry about us neither. We don't bite."

Fleetfoot lifted her gaze. "Celestia told her."

"We coulda guess that!" Rainbow shouted. 

"There's more to it than that, Fleetfoot." I remarked. "Why would Celestia give such a secret to Sunset Shimmer?"

"Cause she kinda.....maybe....has a shard." The traitor's explanation came out barely audible.

I froze with the news. Luna had mentioned it in my dream, but it went over my head at the time. All this time? All my encounters with her about the Tree of Harmony had been fake? Her ignorance on Starswirl was false. She was playing with me. She could have killed me at any moment with whatever power she wielded. But she didn't. My mind moved on to Spitfire. She was trying to make me into a new Spitfire. A traitor and hunter of the Brotherhood. She failed, however, when I attacked her in the Archives instead of joining her. That was why she was so angry with me afterwards. She was probably angry at herself as well. 

Twilight also knew of Discord and the lot. She was a princess under Celestia, so I concluded that she was told of such things by the Empress as well. If Sunset received the information when she gained a shard, then Twilight had a shard as well. A shard and an Element, the power that would be...I shuttered as I thought about it. And in the hands of a traitor as well.

"Great, just great." Rainbow complained. "Well, she wouldn't be a problem for me, of course. She could be for the other Bearers though. Now I wish one of us had mind reading. Cause we can't tell anyone in Canterlot about this without sending someone all the way there."

If Rainbow was working with Twilight, she did well to hide it. Discord hinted that it could be more than just one Bearer. However, I could not bring myself to believe them as such. Pinkie avoided violence when possible, Rainbow was not subtle enough, and Fluttershy was.....Fluttershy. It did not seem logical for them to be traitors like their fellow Bearer. The Bearer of Honesty could not lie, thus removing her from the suspect list entirely. Rarity was the most likely to be the second traitor. Although I wouldn't count on it since Spitfire almost killed her at one time.

I was about to say something when I jumped in fright from a cold hand touching my shoulder. In my startled sate, I looked at who the new arrival was. To my relief, it was Vinyl, uncharacteristically without her mask. Her eyes were a deeper red than before.

"Hey Tavi." She said with a smile.

"Good morning." I returned. "We were discussing the plans for Empress Celestia."

"With Fleets?" She pointed at the Wonderbolt.

"Hey!" Fleetfoot exclaimed. "Not like I can tell anyone. Hell, do anything for that matter."

"Good point." Vinyl nodded. "So, where can ya get some food? I'm starving."

Rainbow pointed at the tavern's bar. "Over there. Try not to get too much, alright?"





"Vinyl, you've been eating all day. Aren't you full yet?"

"C'mon Tavi, let me eat like I want."

"Hmph, I would have had a stomachache an hour ago. Are you alright?"

"What? Yeah."

Vinyl leaned back and chugged a full mug of cider. It was her tenth drink that afternoon and she was not even remotely effected by the alcohol. Her piercing red eyes peered at me lazily when she placed the mug down. I took the opportunity to forcibly take the mug from her, ending her gluttony.

"I am cutting you off. Do you even know how bizarre all this is? Five ciders, two rum bottles, three bottles of wine, twenty bread rolls, six full plates of fish, a bowl of beans, and three potatoes. All in one afternoon. It's not mid-afternoon by my calculations. Not only that, you are spending all my bitpieces!"

"Jeez, Octy, stop ya complaining. I'm just hungry. I think I'll get the pork next."

"No, you are not. No more food for you. Not one bite more."

"Some friend you are..." She crossed her arms.

"I only do so as a friend. Vinyl, do you realize that you have eaten far more than I have in this entire week? You did it in a couple of hours too! Please tell me you see something not right here."

"The only thing not right is you taking food from my mouth."

"Vinyl, you are going downhill. I haven't seen Rainbow eat like this. Maybe she does and I don't even know it. But still, your eyes are redder and your....eating habits are ridiculous."

"You saying this is Discord's doing?"

"Absolutely. You're probably going to grow fangs next."

As if the Lord of Chaos was mocking me, she smiled to reveal just what I had predicted. In place of her normal fangs were canines that would fit a vampire. I moaned loudly as I looked at them.

"You already have fangs..."

"I do?" She gasped.

She put her hand over her teeth, feeling the new fangs she had. Her pupils went to pinpricks when she felt how long and sharp they were. She slowly removed her hand and rested it on the table.

"Tavi.... Is it time yet?"

"No!" I took her hand. " It is not. Vinyl, don't think that way. Please. You are not gone yet. You have fangs and an extreme stomach, so what. Chaos does not have you entirely. I'm sure of it."

"But...what if GAH!"

With a hellish screech she pounced at me, knocking me over. She pinned my arms to the ground and snarled in my face like an animal. My heart raced as she showed off her new teeth to me. She then started to chuckle madly and fell over on her side laughing.

"Bahaha! The look on your face! Priceless!" She laughed and rolled about.

"Vinyl, you immature asshole!" I yelled. "I....I was about to shoot you!"

"Yeah right." She giggled. "Did you really think I didn't know of my new fangs and eating? I woke up this way. C'mon, Tavi, they're cool. You gotta admit they make me look awesome. Red eyes and fangs? Yes please! Haha!"

"Vinyl, don't you remember what Rainbow said? You are going to turn into a Chaotic monster one of these days."

"Pfft, taken care of. I talked with Discord when you left the hut. I asked him if he was willing to keep that from happening. He said 'alright' and snapped his fingers. So then I wanted to go tell you the good news, but he wanted to do it in a fun way. So he gave me a bottomless stomach to just mess with you. The rest was my part."

"It was that simple? You just asked?" I was shocked in more ways than one.

"Hell yeah. All our crying fo' nothing. But it was worth it! Oh, your face! Haha!"

"Vinyl! You are going to wish you became a beast, cause I'm going to kill you for this!"

"Bring it on, cello player" She smiled mockingly.





I refuse to recount the moments after that. Not out of shame, but more....personal reasons. Let me simply say that she is not going to do that again. I now write as I gaze upon her through the candlelight on board the Ragnarok. Smiling at the bandages she is wearing. Chuckling at the bruises on her forehead. Laughing at her humbled pride. 

Now, the news she gave me was fantastic, but the way she gave me it was low and dirty and above all else, immature. I have had enough people play with my mind and dreams. I was determined for it not to happen again. Thus, I look at the sweet consequences of my actions upon my dear friend in satisfaction. 

"It was still worth it." She said to me.


~

> Bearer Chapter: Generosity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Rarity impatiently tapped the mahogany table. She tried to keep her posture straight and formal, but her tiredness made her sag slightly. Her sapphire eyes were only half open. A single candle rested on the middle of the table. It was the only light source in the room. Even though the amount of light was pitiful, the room could be made out clearly. Graceful drapes were hung over the windows, the floor had a rug with Arabic designs, the seats at the table were well-carved, and a golden chandelier was above the table. One would believe that Rarity would be happy in such a clean and elegant place, but the girl across the table prevented that.

The girl had short light blue hair with whitish highlights. Her thin eyes were the same color as her hair. A rose flower was in her hair and she wore a fine purple and white dress. Her face showed that she was terrified, hardly moving or speaking. Her eyes would dart around and avoid Rarity. They finally moved to the Bearer's tapping fingers. She parted her mouth to speak for the first time.

"Is...Is this a mansion? Are we...in a rich man's home?"

Rarity nodded. "Yes. Did you think I would take you somewhere else?"

"Well, usually Assassins take people into dark dungeons or creepy alleys for interrogation. This place is very....clean."

Rarity stopped tapping. "You see darling, I would do that, but I would have to be in such filth as well. That is simply unacceptable."

The girl blinked in confusion before gasping. "Wait, this is someone's home! How did you get me in here?"

"I had to make some arrangements."

"You killed them?" She asked in horror.

"What? No! I simply disposed of them. The resident is tied up in the closest. He isn't the nicest or even handsomest of gentlemen. So he can be in there all he wants."

The girl leaned back in her chair. It was obvious she was becoming more comfortable with the Assassin in front of her. She still held a worried face, but the fact that she started to talk was evidence that she was less timid than before. Rarity sat up in her chair and smiled at the girl. 

"It is good that you are speaking, Coco. I need to you know this: I am not here to harm you. I realize you are affiliated with the Templar, but you are young and taking your life would be no justice. Now, you're superior on the other hand..."

"Madame Poloman?" Coco gulped. "Oh, she's a nasty lady. She's been in a vile mood lately from her meetings with Lady Shimmer in Canterlot. That means more work for me."

"Canterlot? When was she there?"

"Oh, just a week ago. We weren't there very long of course. She made arrangements to meet Lady Shimmer in the Grand Royal Palace. I could not attend the meetings, so I can't answer any questions about that. All I know is they agreed on nothing."

"Why would two high-ranking Templar disagree as such?" Rarity asked curiously.

"Well, Lady Shimmer is not the clearest of minds. Most of the Templar don't see eye to eye with her. She's likes to limit the Templar's influence. She keeps the Order at bay when it comes to Equestria. Madame Poloman and I don't understand it. It is like she wants the Assassins to win. We know that cannot be the case after her recruitment of Captain Spitfire and the Cloudsdale Reformation. She's a hard woman to comprehend."

Rarity blinked in confusion. "If she is so...odd, then why is she one of the top Templar in Equestria?"

"Oh, that's because of the recent happenings. You Assassins have done well to thin our ranks. We've lost General Silverstar, Sir Rich, and even some officials here in Manehatten. She had the Wonderbolts and plenty of men at her disposal. She forced her way up the ranks. Anyone who opposed her have died within the month. Madame Poloman is the latest, and here you are to kill her."

Rarity raised a brow. "Are you saying that Shimmer wants me here?"

"That or a coincidence. But I don't really believe in those."

Rarity scooted her seat back and stood up. Coco timidly watched her from the edge of the candle's fading light. The Bearer started to tap the table again in thought. The young Templar's words worried her. She could be simply trying to confuse me or send me on a wild cockatrice hunt, she thought.

"Let's think about, shall we?"

"Of course." Rarity replied aloud.

"Sunset Shimmer could not always have been Templar. Growing up under Celestia's care would prevent that. She turned into Templar sometime later, just like how you turned into an Assassin by my choosing."

Rarity gently rubbed her chin. "What would that have to do with anything?"

"Who...Who are you talking to?" Coco asked meekly.

"None of your business!" Rarity snapped, making Coco squeal in fright and jumped back in her seat.

"What I am getting at, my dear Bearer, is that Sunset must have a different view of the Templar than the vast majority. Her unique upbringing is most likely the cause of it. And I doubt the Sisters are the main reason."

"Are you saying that Twilight has something to do with this?"

"I doubt it. No other Bearer has committed such a horrid lie. But, you cannot deny the how curious this all is. Twilight tells us that Sunset and her grew up together and now she orders us to assassinate two Templar that disagree with Sunset. All in apparently a week's time. It took us four days to reach this city so it was not even three days since Madame Poloman and Shimmer met when we received our orders."

"I see what you are saying. But I refuse to believe the accusations. Twilight may be secretive, but she would never work with the Templar. I know her and this isn't what she would do."

"My dear Bearer, she has lied to us. Crept out of the Den on several occasions. We even became suspicious about her doings in the night. We must continue to be cautious around her until we know everything."

Rarity felt Generosity pulsing in her chest. The Element was contemplating just as much as she was.  Her gaze returned to Coco, who was as timid as ever. The Templar simply sat there in her worry and confusion, not making any movement at all. Now that her Element had suggested that Twilight was scheming with the Templar Mistress, she was questioning her orders to kill Madame Poloman. She had orders to kill Coco as well, but had already decided against it. Withholding mercy was not Generous and thus against her Element. She sighed through her nose before speaking.

"Coco," She started softly. "Where would your superior be? I need to make quick of her before leaving. This city is not suited for one of my background. Both of my backgrounds..." She muttered at the end.

"Do you have to?" Coco asked. "I mean, I know Madame Poloman is not the nicest of people, but does she deserve death?"

"Coco she...." Rarity paused. What had Poloman done to deserve assassination? She had never met the woman nor even heard of her before Twilight's order. She had history with her previous targets, but not this one. "She....She's a Templar. She seeks to bring Absolute Order and ruin the Freedom of this Empire." She said halfheartedly. 

"So what?" Coco grew bolder. "It's just her view on the world. Wouldn't it be Freedom to let her choose what she believes in instead of punishing her? You Assassins make no sense at times. No wonder Lady Shimmer believes there is no such thing as Harmony."

Rarity gritted her teeth and turned away from the girl. The sound of rain hitting the windows was heard as a storm passed over the city. The candle faded more and the room was almost engulfed in darkness. She had just realized that her "interrogation" had in fact, been the opposite. Coco was asking her more questions than she. It's not one of my nights, she groaned inwardly. The Element pulsed a single time, emitting light through her robes.

"Don't listen to the girl. We are in the right. We are Assassins, remember? We work in the dark to serve the light."

"Coco, I am sorry, but I have orders. Tell me where she is." Rarity said without looking at the girl.

"But...What I sai...."

"Silence!" Generosity screamed through Rarity's mouth. Her eyes flashed with bright light.

"She's at Montel's Theater. It's in the northern part of the island." Coco muttered in both fright and defeat.

"Thank you, Coco. I shall go at once. You may leave at any time." Rarity told her and walked to the door.

"Please make it quick for her. I can't imagine the pain of dying." Coco called out to her.





"Of all places. By Celestia, the smell of this city."

Rarity grimaced as she took another step. The rain was pouring down and she wished to not get her clean and elegant robes wet. She used her powers to make an umbrella out of air, but that did not help her avoid puddles. She spent most of her time finding detours where the streets or roofs went beyond her level of tolerance for water or general filth. Manehatten was a city of filth and plague in her eyes. The East side of Canterlot was cleaner than here, she concluded. 

The buildings were all the same: square with flat roofs. Occasionally, one would find a round building or even a painted building, but those belonged to the wealthy and were quite rare. The alleys were thin and narrow, most were filled with the waste of the nearby residents. The smell....the smell! Rarity would pinch her nose, but she refused to due to the dirt on her gloves. Dirt on gloves was one issue, dirt on her face was entirely different.

"Oh, I'm glad Applejack is not here to see me. She would laugh at me! I can see her just dancing out here without a care. Farm girl..."

She came across a gap in the roofs. With her being on the cold street, the rain was not hitting her at that moment. She could walk through with her umbrella, but she could not walk through the ditch flowing with black water that was in front of her also. Think, Rarity think. She could run and jump over it, but the ditch was wide. What if she didn't jump far enough? 

"The worst possible thing?"

"Indeed."

Rarity knew she was wasting time. She had to figure this problem quickly. What to do? She then snapped her fingers with an idea. The Bearer took a breath, focusing her mind on her powers. In her outstretched arms formed a stone and then another stone, and then another. Soon she was forming a bridge with her mind. She only needed a few stones to create a bridge for her to cross, but why stop there? This flooding ditch had to be an issue and she could solve it. Her mind raced with her sudden inspiration. Rails, beams, curves, she had it all in the bridge she was making. Only a great sculptor could manipulate the stone like her. The bridge stretched to the other side and landed with a loud thud. She dusted the metaphorical dust off her gloves with a satisfied grin. The bridge was wide enough for a carriage to cross and tall enough to be at a comfortable height over the rushing water. Long and thin rails followed the bridge on either side, a covered lantern was placed on them at the middle of the bridge, illuminating it. 

"I say this is abusing your power, my dear." 

"Oh nonsense. This bridge is for the people, Generosity. We made it for them to use." Rarity answered her Element.

"I won't even argue..."

Rarity beamed as she lifted her umbrella over her head and skipped to the bridge in an almost childish delight. She then realized how undignified she must have looked and slowed down her pace, so that she had the stride of a proper Canterlotian woman. The Bearer enjoyed her short walk over the bridge of her creation. She felt sad as she walked away from it. It felt wrong of her to simply leave it.

"What, are you going to name it?"

"Well, I could."

"Oh yeah? What? I'd like to hear it."

"Tom. It shall be Tom Bridge." Rarity smiled.

"You name everything Tom..."

Rarity raised a brow. "And what's wrong with that?"

"Ugh. Let's just go find this Templar, shall we?"

"We are not far. I see the lights of the theater just over there."

The Bearer sped up slightly as she approached the theater. The buildings was massive compared to what surrounded it. Still small compared to Canterlot sizes, but respectable. The theater had a row of windows near the roof, no doubt where the wealthy attendants watched the plays and operas. Madame Poloman was wealthy and so she was most likely to be up there.

Rarity reached a plaza before the theater. The entrance was guarded by Royal Guards. If there were no civilians around, she would take them on directly or even ask them for passage. However, the likelihood of them letting her in were slim and the risk was too great.

"I'm going to have to climb, aren't I?"

With a sigh, Rarity threw her umbrella away. The rain pelted her silk hood and threatened to seep down onto her hair and face. The idea of it ruining her makeup was horrid to say the least. She leaned forward and began to run with her arm in front of her precious face. She was far from silent as her boots splashed in the numerous puddles of the cobblestone. 

The Bearer reached the side of the theater. It took her only a glance to find a path up the wall. With a quick hop, she had commenced her ascent. Window, loose brick, beam, another window, lantern, and finally, another window. The window she clung onto was bright with light from the inside. She could not see through it as thin curtains blocked her view. She extended her hidden blade and  jabbed it in between the windows where they would open. It did not take long to snap the small lock and open the window. 

Silently, Rarity slithered through the window, closing it quietly upon entering fully. She stayed behind the curtains while two Royal Guards walked by her in the hall she had just intruded. Once they went by, she pushed the curtains to the side and looked about.

"Poloman must be nearby. No doubt watching the play."

She sneaked to the end of the hall, deciding to check each room that connected to the hall in a single orderly fashion. Applejack would have barged in with her ax swinging, Rarity thought, that woman knows nothing about stealth. The Bearer tiptoed over to the first room and gently opened the door to see inside. Three men were chatting in their chairs while watching the play. Rarity walked away and checked the next room. Once again, Madame Poloman was not in there and she checked the next.

"There you are." She whispered to herself.

Rarity leaned through the doorway to inspect the Templar woman sitting in front of her. She was sitting next to an unknown man and laughing about something happening in the play. Neither of them noticed the Assassin who had entered their room. Rarity summoned a pistol into her hand and silently walked up to the Templar. Being only feet from Poloman, Rarity cocked the pistol and aimed it at the back of her target's head. All she needed was to pull the trigger.

"Well? What is the matter?"

Rarity held the pistol up. Her Element pulsed with both confusion and annoyance. It was so easy, Rarity thought, so easy to simply take a life. Who was this woman? What had she done to deserve my judgement? The words of Coco ringed in her mind and conflicted with the echoing voice of Generosity.

"I know what is troubling you, my dear Bearer. However, you must realize that killing one to save a hundred is worth it. It is confusing, but it is what we do. Remember the Creed. We take responsibility for our actions. Our acts shape the future to aid those who will come after us. I've told you this before. If we don't do it, no one will."

Was it all that simple? Would her death save anyone? Rarity did not know. Her hand began to tremble as she held her pistol at the Templar woman. Madame Poloman was still speaking with the man next to her, both oblivious to the Assassin in their midst. Rarity gulped. She could pull the trigger, blast a hole in the woman's head, and run off. Her mind had already formed an escape route from experience. The experiences of assassinating and running. 

"I can't...I can't..."

She lowered the pistol. It felt like she had been healed from a nasty wound. Generosity pulsed vigorously but did not take over Rarity. The Element decided not to intervene with its Bearer's choice. Rarity sighed softly before walking away from the Templar as silently as she had entered. Poloman's voice could be heard giggling in all her ignorance of what had happened moments passed. 

The Bearer went through the hall and out the window, back into the rain and storm of the outside. Her mind was blank and her feelings numbed. The Element pulsed no more and its Bearer descended the wall with ease. Once at the bottom, she paused, inspecting the summoned pistol in her hand.

"I....I didn't kill her." She muttered.

The words stunned her. It was was like an odd but sweet taste on her tongue. Had she ever spoken such words before? She would have remembered. Rarity cast the pistol into the darkness. A strong emotion swept over her suddenly and she slid to the wet ground.

"I didn't kill her..." She repeated.

"Well, that's wonderful."

Rarity glanced at the voice. Coco smiled at her from the edge of the light, holding an umbrella over her head. The smile was gentle and kind, relieved to hear the words from the Bearer. 

"I'm not sure if it is. I just disobeyed my friend, Twilight. How will I go back to her now and say 'I didn't kill her'? I'm not sure if I should feel elated or disappointed."

Coco walked over and crouched next to the Bearer, sharing the umbrella with her. Rarity could only stare at the girl with anxiety. 

"Nonsense, Rarity." Coco said motherly. "You showed great courage just now."

Rarity's lip quivered. "Courage? I am going against all that I have learned. I have been chosen by the Element I wield to uphold the principals of my Brotherhood. My lack of action may bring ruin to people. The Templar only want power and influence in this world. I seem to have lost the strength to fight them. I used to extinguish Templar scum like a one would a spider with a torch. It's gone now..."

Coco looked away. "Is it strength to kill, or to show mercy? Is it bravery to know when to kill or to know when to let one live?"

Rarity placed her muddy glove to her face, trying to wipe the tears that were now flowing down her cheeks. "I don't know. I don't know. My purpose is blurry now. I...I don't know what to do."

Coco remained silent and lovingly patted the crying Bearer's shoulder. Rarity could no longer think. She did not want to. Her mind swarmed with every action she had made since that old and withered Bearer knocked on her door in Ponyville. It was all flowing through her mind, asking if they should be regretted or not. She did not answer. 

Her hair was soaked and wild, her face was filthy from her tears and gloves, and she was sitting on the wet street, but she did not care now. The Element of Generosity pulsed a single, soft and soothing hum before returning to its silence. The only sound that remained was the rain from the sky and the rain from the Bearer's eyes.


~

	
	
> Bearer Chapter: Magic III
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wha.....? Ow my chest...."

Twilight tried to sit up. The world was going up and down in a steady and annoying rhythm. The sky was there, the trees, the clouds, the mountain....The mountain?! Twilight gasped as she gazed upon Canterlot, the great city she was in moments ago, from the Valley. Her mind froze as she felt the saddle of a horse in her back, the pungent smell that only an animal could emit. She risked a glance to the left and right. She was not in the Grand Royal Palace. Where was Aunt Celestia? Sunset? Luna? She gulped at the realization that she had been kidnapped!

On both sides of her were a man and woman in white robes with hoods over their heads, shrouding their faces in mystery even in the bright day. Swords rested on their hips and crimson sashes were tied around their waists. Twilight began to feel a fine sweat on her face as she silently inspected her captors.

"Ah, you are awake."

"Gah! Who said that?" Twilight yelped.

"Bearer?" The man asked worriedly. "Bearer, you're awake! Good to see you survived the choosing."

"Get away from me!" Twilight screamed and teleported off her horse.

She landed face first in the dirt. The shard of Curiosity was still new to her and her powers were less than consistent. She poked her head out of the earth and scrambled frantically to her feet. She had only run for a few strides before whip wrapped itself around her ankles and she fell again.

"Have you ever seen a Bearer of Magic do that?" The woman asked.

"Nah, but that doesn't mean they can't." The man replied.

"Stop calling me that you thieves!" Twilight teleported out of the whip's grasp and she appeared on the high branches of a tall tree.

She did not escape the vision of her captors and they patiently waited at the trunk of the tree. Her teeth rattled with fear and her throat was dry with the desire to escape. Her eyes dashed around for an exit, but her shard was not helping her. She could not concentrate enough to teleport again. Thus, she cringed in the branch, not knowing or performing a single action.

"What makes you worry?"

"Gah! There's that voice again!"

"It's your Element, Bearer." The man called to her. "The Element of Magic. Check your chest."

"My chest?" Twilight ran a hand to her ribcage, freezing upon feeling the jagged crystal conflicting with the smoothness of her skin.

She hesitantly looked down. Her bright purple dress that she was wearing for the Summer Sun Celebration was torn all over, especially around her chest where a gaping hole revealed her new, purple, pulsing, protruding, heart of crystal. It was all coming back to her. She was in her study making plans on how her and Sunset were going to spend the day when these two fiends intruded her room. It was so fast, so sudden, the way they spoke to her, the crystal speaking to her, the agonizing pain. She had fainted form it no doubt. Now she was far from Canterlot and the day was late. 

"Bearer, we know it's tough, but you need to come down here. We need you to meet the others in Ponyville. They are waiting for you." The woman told her.

"You can't take me anywhere, I'm a prin..." Twilight stopped. What if they did not know she was a princess? She was in a public section of the Palace. They may think she was a student or scholar. "You can't take me anywhere! I don't...I don't even know who you are."

The woman raised a brow. "Hasn't the Element told you? We are Assassins of the Brotherhood. We were formed by Starswirl the Great...."

"Um, I'll take the whole history later when I feel better if you don't mind." Twilight said. "So...What are your names?"

"My name is Den Master Rain Drops of the South Canterlot Den." The woman bowed. "This is Den Master Whiplash of Ponyville. We are escorting you to our headquarters. We are friends and allies, Bearer, you have nothing to fear."

"How can I trust you? I...."

She felt a strong emotion sweep over her. It wasn't one of her own, but a foreign emotion from a foreigner in her mind. It ceased her talking and most of her thinking. Her body started to move without her command and she began to skillfully descend the tree.

"I am an impatient one, my dear Twilight. Let them guide you."

Twilight walked over to her horse in silence. The two Den Masters watched her in utter confusion, shrugging simultaneously before mounting their own horses. Twilight struggled mentally to fight the Element's control, but it was in vain as she took the reins of the horse and actually led the trio towards Ponyville.

"Welcome to your new life, my little Bearer of Magic."





"Alright, who are these other Bearers?"

"It's odd that Magic has not told you yet. The other Bearers bear the other Elements of Harmony. There are six of them. We almost had six Bearers, but the Bearer of Kindness...."

"Ok....I guess we are your leaders or something?" Twilight asked.

"Indeed." The Den Masters both nodded.

"Why don't you lead yousel...." She grunted from a shock that ran up her spine.

"What was that, Bearer?" Whiplash asked worriedly.

"I said...!" Another shock left her cringing in pain.

The horses walked towards a village comprised of a couple hundred thatched houses. This was certainly Ponyville, a place Twilight never wanted to visit. She often gazed at it from her Palace window but never wanted to get any closer. It lacked everything she loved about Canterlot. The spires, the art, the sculptures, the cleanliness, and the people. Well, maybe that last part could still be proven wrong.

"The other Bearers will meet you shortly, we must leave you here." Whiplash told her and he spurred his horse and galloped away with Rain Drops.

"Well that's just great." Twilight muttered.

Now that her Element was no longer controlling her every action, she stopped her horse and dismounted, only to land in mud. Fortunately, she was not wearing any expensive shoes; unfortunately, she was not wearing any shoes at all. She must have lost them in her fight with the Den Masters. 

She trudged through the mud carefully before reaching more solid ground. It seemed that no one had noticed her yet. Good, she thought, maybe she could leave in the same manner. She cackled in her mischief and began to head away from the village, only to be confronted by a young woman with curly pink hair.

"Gah!" Twilight yelled in surprise.

The young woman blinked silently. She was wearing white robes as well, but they were not like the Den Masters at all. They were longer and more suited to one of an elderly position. She suddenly gasped loudly, her eyes bulging and her arms flailing madly. The gasp was long and exaggerated, scaring Twilight even more than the initial shock of their encounter. In a flash the young woman fled down the street and out of sight as if she had seen a monster.

"Well....That was weird. Better keep going before any more strange people show up."





This was the wrong direction wasn't it?"

Twilight gazed with contempt at the barn in front of her. She thought she was going back the way she came, but she went in the exact opposite and wound up on an apple farm. She was no closer home than before! She started to beat herself on the forehead in frustration.

"How could I be so dumb? How?" She yelled at herself.

"We don't like trespassers ya know?"

Twilight shot up upon the intimidating voice from behind her. She slowly turned to see that the voice originated from a tall, blonde woman in dark red and blackish armor. A hood was on her head and a thin piece of hay was sticking out of her mouth. Her blonde hair was tied in a long ponytail that slide out of her hood and rested on her thick breastplate. Her massive arms were crossed and her heavy boot tapped the ground with a low rattling bass. A two-headed ax was on her back, gleaming in the sunlight. Twilight jumped back.

"I didn't mean anything! I swear by the Empress!"

The burly woman chuckled. "Don't ya worry, sugarcube, I know ya didn't. Name's Applejack, Bearer of Honesty. This is my family's farm."

"Bearer? Oh...I guess I was supposed to meet you...."

"Eeyup. I can tell you're our newest Bearer. Moondancer was a great Bearer of Magic, tough seeing her go, but hey, that don't mean I can't be hospitable to ya. What's ya name?"

"My name is Twilight Sparkle."

"Well, howdy do, Twilight?" Applejack stretched an armored hand to Twilight and they shook hands.

Twilight's arm was tossed like a noodle in the grasp of the Bearer of Honesty. She tried to force the handshake to go slower, but it was no use. It was like she had no strength at all to match Applejack. Her arm still felt like going up and down even after they ceased their shake.

"Well, nice to meet you, but I have to be off. You know, I have to meet the others and all." Twilight said innocently.

"Of course ya do. Here, I'll take ya right to 'em." Applejack offered.

"You don't have to. I'll find them...."

"No you won't." Applejack shook her head. "I can tell you're tryin' get out of here. C'mon, the others are nice folk. Especially Pinkie Pie. You'll know when you've met her."

"No, really there is nothing you..."

Twilight was silenced by Applejack's sudden cold glare. Due to the hood over her face, Applejack's green eyes were bright against the darkness surrounding them, increasing her general intimidation immensely. Twilight nodded in defeat and they both started towards the village where she yearned not to go.





"All she does is talk about apples..." Twilight grumbled under her breath.

"Then there's my brother, Big Macintosh, or just 'Big Mac' to most. You ain't ever gonna get much out of him, but he's wise beyond most Equestrian folk. Ya can't miss the feller, he...."

Twilight stopped listening to the prattling Bearer. Apples. Family. Apples. Family. Apples. Family. Ax swinging. Apples. Family. Apples. Family. Punching trees. Apples. Family. Family of Apples. Apples that are family. She stopped caring. When could she just leave? When could she just runaway and escape these....these crazy Bearers? She sighed. The noise made the talking Bearer raise a brow at her.

"What's wrong sugarcube? Everything alright?"

"Yup. Everything." Twilight gave her a fake smile.

"Don't lie. I can tell ya not feeling....fantastic." Applejack halted and rested a heavy hand on Twilight's delicate shoulder.

"Well, for starters, I have just been kidnapped by your slaves and now I'm some sort of Bearer of Harmony! I have no idea what's going on or even what to do. Do you think I'll be bloody fantastic?"

"Thats' odd. Magic should of told ya all that. Honesty told me when I was chosen. Heh, I was 10 when that happened. Can't remember not being a Bearer."

Applejack said this with casual ease. Twilight gaped at it with shock. She had fainted in the middle of her choosing, but the pain, the pain was too much for a little girl, Tartarus, anyone to go through. That made Applejack, from her appearance, a Bearer for 10 years now, at least. Twilight found an odd respect for Applejack from this and felt that her complaints were nothing compared to what the Bearer before her had gone through.

"Well, I am also wearing this torn dress. Nothing fit for public you know?" Twilight chuckled hesitantly.

"Oh yeah! How could I forget?" Applejack slapped herself. "Ya wait right here. I'll get Rarity. That girl would love to help ya out."

In a flash Applejack ran off, her boots making large thumps on the dirt and mud. Twilight felt awkward simply standing there in the "street." There were people walking all around her, none looking like they were Assassins. A few glanced out her out of curiosity. Her torn dress made her appear nothing more than a vagabond. What a princess has been reduced to, she sighed.

The sound of quick feet approached her. It was not on the dirt or mud as it sounded like the feet were hitting something much more solid. It was becoming louder and louder until she finally turned around. A short figure ran at her at full speed, not slowing down a bit. Twilight froze at the colorful person ran right into her.

"Wah!"

Twilight and the figure fell to the ground and into a nearby puddle. The figure was running while bending over, clearly not watching where she was going, and thus slammed her head in Twilight's torso. Both of them groaned in pain from the collision. The figure recovered quickly and pounced on Twilight in anger.

"Hey! Watch where ya goin' ya piece of shi...Oh..." The girl softened her rage upon inspecting Twilight.

The woman wore a cyan colored robes and hood. Her large eyes were magenta and skin was weathered. Her hair was, to Twilight's surprise, the color of the rainbow as a pale yellow, deep red, and bright orange hung over her eyes while a dark green, simple blue, and contrasting violet crawled out from behind her thin yet strong neck. Two swords were strapped on her back. By their identical hilts, the swords were no doubt twins and their designs made me them of ancient Crystal make than Equestrian. Her upper arms were bare, save for two golden arm bracelets on either arm. Her wrist had thick gauntlets that ended at her hands. These gauntlets both had some sort of blade underneath them, as if it was a hidden weapon. Black gloves covered her hands until reaching the midpoint in her fingers, leaving the tips bare and dirty. All in all, she was quite unlike the other Assassins Twilight had seen before. She seemed more attuned to warm weather of a southern bay than a cool valley.

"Ehe, uhh....Sorry about that." She giggled nervously. Her voice was gruff and seemingly tried to be masculine.

"Um....No worries?" Twilight replied in a similar manner.

"Here let me get ya up."

The young woman stretched an arm to Twilight and pulled her up to her feet. With both of them standing, Twilight realized that this woman was a good head shorter than her. She was not that tall as Sunset often teased her for her less-than-average height, and so this woman surprised her even more. 

"Sorry bout that." She repeated. "I kinda just get goin' and don't stop ya know? Aw man, I got ya soaked. Uhh...Here, let me dry you off some."

She drew her swords and showed them to Twilight. The blades glowed with severe hotness that she felt immediately. She was used to magic so this did not scare her, but the fact that the girl was drawing them close to her body did. The intense heat of the red-hot blades evaporated any wetness on her body and probably burned some of her hair off.

"Get that away from me!" Twilight jumped back.

"Why? I'm jus' trying to help. Alright. I guess you dry enough." She conceded and sheathed her blades as they instantly cooled down.

"So, who are you...." The woman paused as she gazed at the hole in Twilight's dress. "You're a Bearer? Well that sucks."

"Tell me about it." Twilight replied.

"My name is Rainbow Dash. The Rainbow Dash! I'm sure you've heard of me." She said proudly.

Twilight blinked. "Uh...And if I haven't?"

"What!" Rainbow pulled Twilight closer. "You haven't heard of me? I'm the captain of the Ragnarok! Raider of the Labyrinth Isles and the Equestrian coast! Sinker of the ELS Nox and the GKRS Yggdrasil. You...You haven't heard of me? Some guys call me the Spectrum. Maybe you know me by that name?"

"Nope."

Rainbow grunted in disappointment. "No matter! You'll know me soon enough. Around here they call me the Bearer of Loyalty. Loyalty smoyalty, I say. Pfft, these Assassins need me though. One of my profession as a rogue privateer is unheard of here. Means they'll admire me more."

"You're a rogue privateer? You used to serve the Empresses?" Twilight asked with piqued curiosity.

"What? No! I'll never serve those two pampered pussies!"

"Hey! Don't you talk about the Empresses like that." Twilight growled.

Rainbow was taken aback by Twilight's sudden change in mood. Twilight had a finger pointed at Rainbow's face and the pirate reeled back slightly from it. She then frowned and swatted the scolding hand away, much to Twilight's disapproval.

"I can talk about them how I want!" She returned. "They haven't had a day's worth of suffering like anyone here has. Now, if ya excuse me Bearer, I got some real business to get doing."

Rainbow mockingly waved at Twilight before turning around and walking away. Twilight huffed indignantly and crossed her arms. The Bearer of Loyalty did not stop walking until a loud shrill halted her.

"Rainbow! Great heavens what kind of behavior was that?!"

"Aw crap..." Rainbow muttered sadly and turned around. 

Twilight turned to see what Rainbow was looking at. There, along with Applejack, was an Assassin woman in gorgeous white robes. The woman appeared short next to Applejack, but she was obviously taller than Twilight. She had striking sapphire eyes that dominated her immaculate face. Her slightly pointed nose, red lips, high cheeks, and haughty eyebrows were of beauty that not only rivaled Canterlot's finest, but beat them as well. Unlike the others, her hood was down, showing off her rich royal purple curls of hair. Despite being only one color and a dark one at that, her hair was more vibrant than Rainbow's. Her robes were of fine silk and flourished with elaborate floral designs. A white, one-shoulder, cape was draped over the left side of her thin but strong body. The cape had the symbol of three light blue diamonds that contrasted with the white of the outside and had a royal purple on the inside. A bright red sash was tied around her waist with a single, Crystal dagger sitting in it. Silver bracers decorated her wrists in a similar fashion to Rainbow. These, however, were carved with the Assassin insignia. Finally, the woman's boots were a light brownish leather of the best quality. Her entire being was a contrast to the rural surroundings. She appeared noble and much more Canterlotian than Twilight.

"I am sorry, dear." The woman told Twilight in a soothing and warm voice. "My friend Rainbow can be rude at times. It is a faulty habit of hers."

"No harm done?" Twilight shrugged. "I must say, you look lovely."

"I wish I could return the complement." The woman sighed and shook her head. "I am Rarity, Bearer of Generosity. Applejack informed me that you are our new Bearer of Magic. Well my dear, you simply cannot go about that. It's barely over indecent exposure."

"I'm not sure what you..."

"You must come with me at once, darling! Together we will fit you in the most fabulous of Assassin robes. And you, Rainbow, will come with!"

"Do I have to? You'll gonna do girly stuff." Rainbow moaned.

"Rainbow, this is an order." Rarity said sternly. "I can't have you out here and crashing into the common folk. From our experiences together, I know you are a walking disaster. When you are around me, I can contain it.

"Fine...You better make it exciting..." Rainbow uttered and walked to Rarity with the gracefulness of a sloth.

"Excellent. Now, let's get down to business."





"This is like....very not exciting." Rainbow groaned from where she was slouching.

"Rainbow, using proper Equestrian is not that hard." Rarity commented.

Applejack spat before replying. "Rarity, who uses proper Equestrian? Ya seem the only one."

"Hmph! In Canterlot, they speak with eloquence and enunciate every syllable. You two talk like you are missing half your teeth."

Twilight stood with her arms crossed as Rarity measured her. She had tried to flee from the fashion-driven Assassin, but was halted by a marble wall forming in front of the door. She still had no clue where the bricks of marble came from, but she had her suspicions. Rarity suddenly stood up from her previous crouching and bending, her eyes bright with inspiration.

"Idea! White robes will certainly not match your hair. Not with that pink highlight. I believe lavender would fit you best, darling. Lavender is making a comeback. If you have ever been to Canterlot, you would see."

"Heh, I'm from Canterlot."

Rarity gasped. "You are? My stars, this is fantastic. I've only been there a couple of times in my life. Both of them before I was a Bearer. Oh, how I wish I could go there again. The people, the spires, the nobles, ah, my people."

"Well, since we seem to be on the same team now, I guess I'll take you there." Twilight suggested.

"That falls to Applejack." Rarity said. "I may be a Bearer, but there is no doubt Applejack is the leader. Well, what do you say Applejack? Can I be stationed in Canterlot with Twilight?"

The Bearer of Honesty shrugged. "I don't see why not. Having two Bearers in the capital would be great. I hear the South Den there is fancy enough for ya."

"It is settled then. Oh, don't you worry Twilight, I can teach you the skills you need to be a Sister in the Brotherhood. I have taught several already, including someone who often rejects my teachings!" Rarity said through gritted teeth.

Rainbow grunted. "Yeah yeah, whatever."

"When ya done there, Rares, take Twi to the library. She could find some neat history on the Brotherhood there."

"You guys have a library?" It was Twilight's turn to squeal in excitement. "Becoming an Assassin can't be too bad if you have lots of books."

Rainbow deadpanned. "What an egghead..."





"This is the library? It's a tree...Oh well. It's not the strangest thing I've seen.

Twilight opened the door to the tree slowly. There seemed to be no one there at the moment. It was late in the evening. Rarity took a long time to make Twilight's new robes, which she was wearing. However, Rarity had a sort of material summoning power that her Element gave her, which quickened the process immensely. The robes were lavender and much simpler than Rarity's, much to Twilight's pleasure, and the silk hood was comfortable and shielding her face from the wind despite it being nothing more than silk. She took a deep breath and opened the door fully, stepping in quietly.

The library was dark and still. No noise emitted from the black walls and no lights illuminated anything. The place was foreboding and hostile to Twilight. Must think about the books, she thought, always about the books. A tingling shot up through her fingers. The Element pulsed with life and a bright purple spark popped off her fingertips. It was showing off its power, she realized. Twilight breathed and suddenly, an arcanic flame sprouted in her palm, giving off a small amount of light.

"That's neat." She commented.

Twilight glanced at the edges of the light only to be staggered in horror. She was not alone in the library as a pair of eyes looked right at her. A large, ceaseless grin of sheer joy reflected off the magic's light. The door closed behind Twilight, sending a wave of air through the room and wiping the small flame away, shrouding her again in darkness. 

"Nope!"

She snapped her fingers and another flame appeared. The smiling figure was gone and there was no sign of the eyes at all. Twilight sweated in panic as she searched the room for any clue as to where the insanely happy face went. She ran to the door and tried to open it, only to find it somehow locked. 

"Aunt Celestia help! I don't wanna die!"

"You're not gonna die silly." A cheerful voice laughed from the pitch black.

"Get away! You....You horrid monster! Twilight screamed at it.

The face appeared in the dim light. The bright blue eyes shined with bliss like no other. The face guffawed before blowing Twilight's flame out. Making the new Bearer of Magic even more desperate to escape.

"Leave me be!"

"Hehehe! Never!"

In the blackness, Twilight felt the figure suddenly hug her tightly, lifting her off her feet and into the air. Despite the hug being tight and suffocating, it was kind and sweet. Nevertheless, Twilight screamed in terror.

"Help! I'm being attacked!"

"Shush, no more crying. Just hugs." The monster giggled.

"What are you? What do you want with me?" 

The monster snorted in its excitement. "I want you to smile silly!"

"Smile? What...."

"C'mon, I know you can do it. Show me that grin, friend!"

"Friend? I'm not you're friend."

"Yes you are." The monster said rather decisively.

"I don't even know you...."

"I know you. How ya doin' Twilight? I have never met you before and I was like "oh no!" and so I made this surprise party for you because I knew you would come here but I didn't know it would be this late so I forgot to light the torches and that's why it's so dark in here and then the others left because they didn't think you'll come, but I did and so I prepared for it and now you're here and I'm here and we all are here hehehe! It's gonna be great!"

"Wait...It sounds like there are others." Twilight asked hesitantly.

"Yup! Wanna see them?"

The lights in the library suddenly went up in flames, showing off the room. It was a library no doubt as the shelves were lined with books, and the same pink-haired woman. Twilight glanced down to see that it was the woman that gasped and ran off who was holding her in a tight hug. But that was just one of her as there were nigh on thirty of the same woman there, all waving, smiling, and being generally merry. 

"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie and I threw this party just for you!" The woman holding her squealed in delight.

"Uh huh.....I'm scared...." Twilight uttered.

"C'mon dupees!" Pinkie called to the other Pinkies. "Let's party!"





"She can duplicate....seriously?"

"Yes. They are all crazy."

Sunset nodded in vague understanding. Twilight nervously stood there in front of her in her Assassin robes, her face much less fierce than what the robes suggest. Sunset rubbed her chin and leaned on her large desk. The sounds of the Palace creaked down the hall.

"So how does it feel, being an Assassin?" Sunset asked.

"Odd. I read their history. From what Celestia and Luna have told us, what these Assassins believe in is false. They really think that some scholar named Starswirl made the Elements to fight the Templar. Who are the Templar? I think they were formed by Sombra, yes the very one who wrote "The Gateway." At least we are familiar with him. They have been at war with them almost 200 years. So much death in this land has been the fault of both sides."

"This is good." Sunset said absently.

"What? How is it good?"

"It means that you can do something now. C'mon princess, you're a leader of a grand secret organization, you can help this. Maybe lessen the amount of deaths."

Twilight crossed her arms. "I doubt that. These Templar seem pretty mean. It may not work. Both sides need to conceded for that to happen."

Sunset grinned. "Leave that to me. I'll make myself a leader of the Templar. Don't worry, with my powers, they can't stand a chance against me. Be like Empress Luna, make them Fear you. I can do that."

"But we don't know all that's going on with these two. It could be much more than we..."

"Ha! This is what Celestia would want us to do. Trust me, we'll make a difference. Isn't that what matters?"

"I guess you're right. We'll keep in touch?"

"Of course."

"Of course."


~

> Chapter 46: Audience With an Empress
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The next days went by rather quickly. Every one of them being the same as the last. Rainbow ordered her fellow captains and crew to prepare for their heist of an Empress. Ships were rearmed, supplies replenished, and sails refitted. Even I was worked with the more experienced crew. Rolling barrels up gangways and counting the amount of black powder we had stored. It was tedious work, but much better than Vinyl's task of cleaning the cannons and mortars. 

Vinyl had ceased to become more beast like, but her fangs and eyes remained there. I could not keep my mind off them whenever I spoke to her. Her new features dominated her face. She now had a reason to wear her mask and I now encouraged it since she was becoming a topic of worry and gossip among the crews. The annoying and scrawny Thunderlane stopped his unromantic chasing of her and solely focused on me now. She was grateful for that in her pursuit of Neo. That man has livened up to her since yesterday, relieving me greatly as it showed I was not the only one brave enough to keep talking with her.

Rainbow's zealousness increased since we formed our plan. I often found her jumping in place from sheer anticipation. Each day brought a new tale about how she would subdue the spoiled Empress. It seemed she had some personal vendetta against Celestia. I did not know why she would and I never asked. I assumed it was due to her Chaotic side, but Vinyl did not show any similar traits. 

By the time we had set off on our task, the plan was mesmerized among all the crews. Thunderlane was going to lead us to the Empress' location, not because we didn't know where she was, but because he volunteered to be the first distraction. He would fire harmlessly upon some of the smaller escort ships, making them chase his Stormrider. While he did that, the rest of the ships would hide behind some tall but narrow islands. The likelihood of all the escort ships taking chase was unlikely, so Maud, Mac, and Berry would distract the remaining ships. Then, the Ragnarok would sneak beside Celestia's docked ship and we would infiltrate it and take the Empress. I was certain it wasn't a foolproof plan, but I couldn't come up with anything better.





"Lay off the sail! We don't want to slam in Maud's slow ass ship!" Rainbow called out in annoyance.

"I heard that!" Pinkie screeched angrily from the back railing of her sister's frigate.

I could see Pinkie shaking her fist from the bow where I was stationed. Rainbow was unsure where to place me if our plans went awry. Zecora said that they could use another with the mortars, thus that was where I was ordered to be. I had no previous knowledge about how to fire such a massive weapon, but a quick demonstration by both Rainbow and Neo showed me that it wasn't overly complicated. I had another to help me aim the vertical cannon, so I only had to load it. 

The ship rocked up and down in the moonlit waves of the Isles. We had gone much farther into the Isles than I had expected. The deeper we went, the more and more islands surrounded us. The islands themselves were beautiful and all covered in palm trees uniquely. Some had high Minotaur ruins that overlooked the lesser islands. Not only were the islands plentiful, but the numerous other ships that sailed these waters astounded me. We saw Equestrian, Griffonian, and even Republican vessels before sundown. 

"We're closing on her docks. No loud noises ya hear?" Rainbow shouted in whispering voice.

"Alrighty! We'll be quiet as ever!" Pinkie happily shouted back.

Rainbow grunted and slapped her face with her hand. Pinkie's grin stayed even after Rainbow's clear frustration. All the ship's slowed down next to a long and tall cliff. From how the crew acted as we waited, I knew we were close to the Empress. My heart started to pound with worry. Everything that could go wrong played in my head. There could be an ambush for us right on the other side of the island where the dock was located. Celestia knew we were coming, but I was not sure if she knew how or when. She may have told her officers about us or she was keeping our arrival a secret. I could not predict anything.

The Stormrider lowered her sails and jumped in front of the other ships with ease. Once it left the safety of the cliff, it was in the sight of the Equestrian ships. Thunderlane fired his cannons first before fleeing the scene. Since the Ragnarok was in the very back of our small fleet, I could not tell how many ships chased him. 

Without a word from any captain, Maud and Mac's ships followed Thunderlane's example. The cannons echoed and smoke rose to the heavens. I could now see how we could go to the Empress without being seen. The fog of war was dense and blinding in the moonlight. When the Ragnarok rounded the cliffs, I could barely see the Equestrian ships that defended their leader. As Maud and Mac distracted them, we coasted to the ECS Solaire with the half sails.

A wave of suspicion fell over me as we approached. The grand ship that towered over everything else present floated lazily as the sea battle raged in front of it. There were no signs of crew scrambling to guns and certainly no attempts to even set sail. I glanced back at Rainbow to see if she felt the same concerns, but her confident smirk told me otherwise.

We cruised next to the ship, our main mast only reaching the poop deck of the monster. It was almost an exact copy of Luna's ship. Seven rows of cannons stretched upward and above them stood masts of an inconceivable height. I now knew why only two of these ships existed as it would take decades just to make one. 

Rainbow released the wheel and we gathered on the main deck. We attached hookblades that Vinyl had made to our wrists and prepared to infiltrate the Empress' grand vessel. Rainbow was the first to leap across and began her ascent immediately. Vinyl was the second to leap and I was the third.

"Gotta be sneaky. We don't know how many Guards will be up there." Rainbow whispered.

The climb felt that I was ascending a spire in Canterlot. The higher I went, the farther away the destination felt. Vinyl's hooks made it easier for me to latch myself into the yellow wood but it was still exhausting. Rainbow had no trouble and climbed with tremendous speed.

She swung herself swiftly over the railing and out of sight. Vinyl wisely held herself at the railing and peered over the deck. I caught up with her and to my surprise; there were no Guards on the deck at all. It seemed that the ship was abandoned. Rainbow whipped her head around in search of anyone in particular, grumbling all the while. 

"They knew we were coming!" She hissed and then paused. "But they're still here. This is odd."

The captain waited until most of her crew was with us. She then gestured for us to gather in front of the door to Celestia's obvious quarters. We drew our weapons and waited until she counted down to our barging in.

"Three....Two....One!" She kicked the door open and ran inside with her swords blazing.

We all halted upon entering and seeing the Empress herself smile at us warmly while she sipped a small cup of steaming tea. There was no one in the decorated room with her. Confusion swept through the crew and Vinyl while I stood there knowing exactly what was going on.

"Nice of you to join me this lovely night." Celestia said in such a voice that certainly made half the crew groan with the thought that we her kidnapping her.

Rainbow boldly stepped forward with her sword pointed at the Empress. "Ha! We got you now, Your Highness."

"It does seem that way." Celestia nodded. "There are plenty of seats available. Would you kindly partake in some tea and discussion?"

This made the captain falter. "Uh....No? I mean we kinda in a rush."

Celestia beamed even brighter. "Well, I'm not. I actually have all night. Octavia, will you sit with me?"

All eyes turned to me instantly. I felt my cheeks burn and my eyes dashed about wildly. I even felt Vinyl's raised brow beneath her mask. My feet walked before I told them too and I found myself next to the Empress in seconds. 

"What the hell is going on?" Vinyl exclaimed. "Tavi, what's up with ya? We need to get this Empress and go."

"I'm sorry Vinyl." I told her earnestly. "But the Empress is not our enemy. She's been expecting us for some time now. We had no need of any special plans."

"Why didn't ya tell us that?" Rainbow yelled. "You know what? I don't care. We got what we came for. Discord's gonna be happy."

At the sound of the demon's name, Royal Guards sprouted from behind furniture and dark corners of the room, each pointing a pistol at us. In no time, we were surrounded. Celestia's face did not change at all as she refilled her cup with more tea. I felt the barrel of a pistol nudge the back of my head. 

"We do not speak of that name here." Celestia told Rainbow in a sweet but scolding voice. "I am disappointed that you Assassins work for him. Are you a Survivor, Miss Dash?"

"It's Captain Dash to you!" Rainbow growled.

"Watch your tone! Be grateful you have not been sent to gallows yet pirate." A familiar and rude voice rang behind me.

"I did not know Trixie was here." I muttered.

"Yes indeed, Octavia. Trixie is here to protect the Empress and bring fugitives like you to justice." Trixie said in a painfully loud voice.

Celestia turned her head. "Captain Lulamoon, lower your weapon. Octavia is no threat to us."

I felt the barrel leave my head and Trixie grunted in disapproval. The rest of the Royal Guards held their guns at the pirates. Rainbow cursed and sheathed her blades, instantly cooling the room. 

"Does that mean there are no hard feelings?" Celestia asked. "My men only point at you for my safety. Once you calm down, we will not raise any weapons against you. Is this clear?"

"Yeah yeah..." Rainbow muttered in defeat.

"Good." Celestia smiled. "Now my ships will stop their chase after your allies."

The Empress raised a hand and the night became day almost immediately. All the cannons from outside ceased and with that, the new light faded back into darkness. It was a casual gesture by Celestia, but the pirates and I gaped at the power she had just demonstrated.

"You see. Discord is not the only one who can manipulate the world. Now, about Discord, I assume he has sent you to kidnap me so that we can talk. Yes, he's predictable even under all that Chaos. I also assume you will not meet a pleasant end if you fail to capture me."

"That's right." Rainbow confirmed.

"Then I will come with you. But only if you agree to not assault any of men and that I be escorted by my own ships, including this one. Discord probably did not say you had to whisk me away without anyone knowing. He's terrible at loopholes."

Celestia stood up and her white and gold gown ruffled with the movement. The Royal Guards stood agape as their leader gracefully walked over to Rainbow. I was expecting an objection by a Guard and Trixie delivered.

"You cannot be serious! These pirates are unfit of your presence. You canno..."

"Trixie, I value your silence more than your judgement." Celestia said.

This made the Imperial Captain shut her mouth, much to my appreciation. The Empress stopped in front of Rainbow, the massive height difference made the pirate even smaller than before. Despite this, Rainbow glared up at the Empress fearlessly. This made Celestia place a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle.

"Oh Rainbow Dash of Cloudsdale, your boldness knows no bounds. Quite fitting for a pirate and a Bearer of Harmony. Though, I sense you dislike your Element as you have yet to even show its power. Yes, I know those swords are not affiliated with your Element. It makes me rightfully curious on how you obtained them."

"That's none of your business." Rainbow muttered quietly.

"Fair enough. We will know each other well soon. I hope your ship has room for me." She clapped her hand joyously. "Oh! I've been many things in my life, but never a pirate! I'm sure it's fun to kick back on the seas and simply sail. These men of mine never allow me to help with the rigging or any ship-caring at all. You will let me help you, won't you captain?"

Rainbow rubbed the back of her head. "Uh...Sure....Only if ya can keep up with my boys."

"Oh, you'll find that I am quite knowledgeable in seafaring."

With that, Celestia made her way past the staring pirates and out of the room. The Royal Guards mumbled and lowered their weapons with disgust. Some were remarking about this being "the usual Celestia" and others grumbling about how hard it was to protect an Empress that runs off with pirates. The most angered by far was Trixie who stood with her arms crossed and rejecting Bulk's soothing paw. The Enforcer retracted his hand like she was about to bite him.

I got up and followed the Empress. All the other pirates had left already. When I passed Rainbow, she grabbed my shirt and yanked me to her level. I was filled with rainbow hair and bright red cheeks.

"Ya think ya can get away with this?" She asked aggressively. "Ya got some explainin' to do Canterlotian."

"I said I was sorry." I pleaded nonchalantly.

"That don't cut it here." She hissed quickly. "Go to my quarters and wait there. We'll gonna have a long, long chat."

I gulped and she pushed me away. Rainbow walked off to Neo and Zecora who were in the middle of the main deck. I sighed and started walking to the edge of the ship when I felt an armored hand grab my shirt and forcefully turn me around.

"Trixie does not see what Celestia sees in you." Trixie pulled me close to her head and almost slamming me into her helmet. "But do not forget that I remember you from the Old Dungeon and how your Bearers made me a fool at your hanging. To Trixie, you are nothing more than a criminal and you should pay for what you've done. Maybe not at this moment, but soon. Remember that."

Just like Rainbow, Trixie pulled herself away and stormed off with the Enforcer chasing after her. I sighed once again and returned to my trip to Rainbow's quarters, only to walk into a solid and hard-breathing Vinyl.

"That's two you've pissed off, but I'll make it three. I'm not an idiot, Tavi, I know you're keeping secrets. I wanna hear them."

"Vinyl, I know I know. I'll tell you in Rainbow's quarters, alright? I promise I will."

"Ya better."

She then walked off like the previous harassers. However, hers was by far the worse. I did not feel like walking any farther and forced myself to do so. Despite the warm islands and breezes, the night never felt colder.


~



> Bearer Chapter: Honesty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Now 'Bloom, ya better get along now. I think Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are waitin' for ya by Rarity's place."

Apple Bloom nodded. "Yup. See ya later Sis!"

Applejack waved goodbye to her fleeing sister with a relieved sigh. She returned her attention to the Assassins and common folk who were still rebuilding after the fake Republican army attacked them. The town hall was fully restored, as well as the walls, but there were still homes in disrepair. It was not an easy task, but it brought the village closer together.

"Bearer, we are almost done with the library. The books will be placed back inside shortly."

Applejack turned her head at the voice. "Ah, That's mighty fine to hear, Cheerilee. How's the Disciples?"

"Mostly good." Cheerilee nodded. "Some are still recovering from the attack." She paused. "That was not the only reason I've come to you, Bearer. There is a new Assassin that arrived from Canterlot."

Applejack raised a brow. "What's his name?"

Cheerilee shrugged. "That's the thing, she said it was 'Minerva' but I don't know any by that name. She also wears a blue mask of a dragon's grin. She hasn't taken it off. It's suspicious, you know."

"Mhm. I guess I'll go see her. Bring me to her." Applejack gestured for the mentor to lead.

"Of course." Cheerilee bowed and walked away.

Applejack followed the mentor closely. Despite not wearing her usual armored robes, the Bearer trudged through the moist ground ungracefully. Her mind was curious about this new Assassin showing up. Twilight did not mention anyone coming down the mountain in her letters. This made Applejack rub her chin thoughtfully. 

The walk was short and quiet. Neither Assassin said a word until they halted near the Ponyville gate. There was a group of six Assassins chatting in a relatively close circle. Five of them were in the usual Ponyville white robes and one was in blue elaborate Canterlotian robes. They quickly took notice of the Bearer and mentor and gave a group bow in Brotherhood fashion.

"I'm guessin' ya the one from Canterlot?" Applejack nodded at the blue robed Assassin.

"Yes I am." The one in question answered happily. "I am Minerva of the South Canterlot Den."

Applejack took a step closer. "Ya recently put there? Cause we have the Den's roster. I ain't never seen no 'Minerva' there."

"Oh, I was stationed there after the West Den was taken. The roster may need updating."

Applejack fell silent. Minerva's grinning mask made her uncomfortable. Its pale white, sharp, and pointy teeth could frighten young ones easily. The blackish eyes had holes that allowed the wearer to see, and allow Applejack to see the dark blue eyes beneath. 

"Can ya remove your mask? Ya can't be that ugly." Applejack remarked jokingly.

The other Assassins chuckled at the joke. Minerva did not laugh and simply shook her head. "I am sorry Bearer, but I don't want to do that. I am not one for showing my face around....strangers. Just a personal choice."

"That's alright." Applejack said. "So why did Twi send ya down here? We got the place doing well."

"She sent me to check up on the progress." Minerva said with a gesture to the village. "Could you show me around?"

"Sure thing, sugarcube. I'll show you myself."

"I'll come with." Cheerilee spoke quickly.





"So here's the town hall. It got leveled by the tanks, but we got her up now. Better than ever."

Minerva gazed up at the gazebo-like building as Applejack introduced it. The mentor stood by the side with a confused expression that she had been carrying throughout the whole tour. The Bearer smiled before placing a firm hand on the masked Assassin's shoulder.

"So, Minerva, why are ya here?" She asked politely.

"Why? I said I was here to ch..."

"I asked you a question. Think about it." Applejack told her coldly.

"I don't understand."

"Do ya really think ya could lie to me? The Bearer of Honesty herself? C'mon. Maybe we can help ya get out of whatever you've been put to do. Ya seem like a sweet girl out of her element."

A sudden coolness swept over the trio. Applejack felt the warmness leave her body as the temperature dropped immensely. A sly chuckle rose from the grinning mask. The dark blue eyes squinted with delight.

"Sweet girl? Bearer, I am anything but sweet. I knew I would never trick you. It's not my style. But I got what I wanted. I'm next to the town hall, have you and the mentor next to me, and a whole lot of witnesses. I think it's high time I bring this village to a cold version of Hell."

Applejack chuckled. "Oh yeah? How ya gonna accomplish that?"

"I'll show you!"

Minerva grabbed Cheerilee, causing a wave of thin ice to engulf the mentor in seconds. She then lifted the mentor and through her right into Applejack, knocking the Bearer to the ground. The air around them began to swirl with snow and sleet. Applejack felt her breath be taken away by the sheer coldness. She threw the frozen Cheerilee off her and jumped to her feet.

"What are ya?" She asked the masked cryomancer.

"I can come up with plenty of comebacks, but I won't go there. I'm just here to ruin a village, that's all."

Applejack jumped at the assailant with a flying fist. Minerva formed a block of ice that stopped the Bearer's punch. Applejack punched it again and destroyed the block with ease. The cryomancer was taken aback by the Bearer's strength, but stood her ground.

"You're the brute of the bunch." She commented. "But I'll bring you to your knees!"

Minerva created two ice swords and then swung at the Bearer. Applejack slapped one of the swords, shattering it, while the other met her unarmored shoulder.

"Gah!" She screamed.

The Bearer kicked the opponent firmly in the gut, making her fly away and hit the ground with a roll. She quickly recovered and formed an icicle in her palm. The Bearer's eyes widened as the icicle flew passed her, grazing her cheek and ear. The cold sting made her winch in pain. With a yell, she charged at the cryomancer.

Minerva threw herself out of the Bearer's away. Applejack ran into a house with her shoulder first, making the wall collapse. She recoiled from the impact with her head spinning. She located Minerva and prepared to charge again, but she felt a new wave of coldness sweep over her. She looked down to see that her feet were frozen to the ground and the ice crept up her body rapidly. She struggled to get free, but in no time her face was covered by the ice and she was stuck.

"Wooh! You gave me a heart attack with that charge." Minerva laughed as she tapped the ice over Applejack's nose. "Now you can watch as I ruin this place. Oh, and give the Bearers my regards. I'm doing this for them."

Minerva giggled under her mask and turned away. The blizzard she created became stronger with every second. The biting wind whirled angrily and the thatched roofs flew off. Assassins ran around in panic. Some, however, ran at Minerva with their swords.

"I just took down your Bearer; you really think you can take me?"

The cryomancer froze them all in place without any effort. She started to dance around happily as the storm raged on. The devilish grin on her mask portrayed its wearer perfectly.

"Aw shit, I froze you guys with such unhappy faces!" She gasped as she inspected her latest victims. "I always liked happy smiles. You know, with bright and happy teeth. It's why I chose this mask. The teeth are pearly white, as they should be. Hmm, I can see that such teeth aren't some of your strong points. Guess you have to live with that."

Applejack flexed her muscles. The ice prevented her from moving enough to break it. She flexed again with similar luck. Her Element pulsed and she felt its power surging.

"Let me handle this."

"Ya sure?" Applejack replied mentally. "This ice is thick."

"Yes, but my power should overcome it. Let me have control. I'll give it back when I'm out. I promise that."

"Go ahead."

The eyes of the Bearer glowed bright white. Her limbs vibrated against the ice, slowly creating room. In a few seconds she made enough room to wiggle her arms back and forth. With a yell, she cracked the ice and freed herself.

Applejack's sight returned to normal and her eyes honed in on Minerva. The cryomancer noticed the Bearer's escape and sent another ice spike at her. Applejack knocked the spike away and picked up a piece of wood from the broken house and chucked it with tremendous speed.

The wood collided with the attacker and sent her to the ground. Applejack bounded over to her and grabbed the back of her head, stuffing it in the still moist ground.

"Yield!" She screamed.

No response came and she shoved Minerva's face in the ground with even more force. The cyromancer reached back and took hold of Applejack's arm, freezing it. The cold made Applejack grunt loudly.

"That's it!"

The Bearer lifted the Assassin up in the air and threw her down again, making her bounce off the dirt. She then punched her in the face, knocking the mask cleanly off.

"And I pull my punches. Huh?!"

The cryomancer breathed heavily as she gazed helpless up at the Bearer. The girl beneath the mask was young and quite pale. It was like the sun was her enemy. A massive bruise covered half of her face, but the rest was still recognizable. Applejack stood agape as she inspected the girl.

"Den Master Minuette?"

"That's right..." Minuette moaned.

"But you're dead! I...Ya Den was destroyed and you was hanged!"

"Nice fake out, huh? None of you ever checked to see if that gal who died was actually me. It was easy."

"Then...Why are ya here? Why are ya attacking us? You're an Assassin!"

"Quit your talking!" Minuette snapped back.

Applejack slammed a foot on the traitor's gut, making her hurl. The Bearer then leaned over her and took hold of her face, making Minuette look at directly at her.

"Don't talk like that to me. I want to know everything. Don't ya lie to me cause I know when ya are. Why are you here? How'd ya get a shard? Where have ya been this past year? Tell me now!"

"You know...I tried to help this world. Put my body and soul into it all. It was all for naught you see. After my 'death' I realized that all my work went to shit. I was a Den Master of a great Brotherhood. But what did I achieve? Nothing of course. The world's the same with me or without me. I got no purpose, no destiny, no part in some grand scheme. You know Bearer, all this Assassin stuff isn't gonna help anyone. I've learned this the hard way. Why put so much care, emotion, and thought into your life and others? Whatever we do will be forgotten in a couple years at best. After my death, I realized that the world has no care for you. You can be forgotten in days as I was. I had no Den to go back to. No welcome committee. Nothing. After all my work and knowing that none of it mattered, all that's left is Apathy. That's my shard. A gift I needed. The bliss of knowing that death and horror can't affect you emotionally is overwhelming. I don't care what you do to me, Applejack, I really don't. You can put me through so much hurt, I'll shrug it off. No matter what, we will go to the same place after death. And all that happens in between will be meaningless. I just want to have fun until then. Some nice white smiles 'til the end. That's why I'm here. Now tell me if that was a lie."

Applejack remained silent. Minuette was not lying. This was not the Den Master she knew those years ago. The Bearer sighed through her nose. The frozen Assassins started to move about as the air warmed up. Minuette's breathing slowed down and she gave a bloodied smile to them.

"Minuette, there's more than that." Applejack said. "Please tell me."

"Why should I? It's more interesting if you don't know. But...It could be interesting if you do." She sounded absent.

"Someone sent you. Who?"

"Wait, I need to decide if telling you would be fun."

"Do I have to bribe ya?" Applejack asked in a annoyed tone.

"What's your offering?" Minuette smiled.

"What do ya want? Money? Freedom? I can let ya go with ya want."

"How about fixing her mind." Cheerilee rudely suggested through chattering teeth.

"What? You gonna remove my shard? She's kind of my best friend." Minuette stated casually.

"We won't remove your shard." Applejack said. "But only if ya tell us who sent you."

Minuette's eyes darted to her left hand. "Alright, I'll tell you. But you gotta let me go afterwards."

"Cheerilee?" Applejack wanted the mentor's input.

"I guess we can let her go." Cheerilee grumbled.

"Good!" Minuette beamed. "The Bearer of Magic sent me."

The Assassins laughed at the traitor's words. All except Applejack, who twitched uncontrollably. The laughter died down when they saw the Bearer's motionless face. Her eyes dropped to the ground.

"She's tellin' the truth." Applejack croaked.

"Hehe. Yeah I am. Her and Sunset Shimmer! They've been pals this whole time. I'm just one of her soldiers. When you're a princess, shards are in good supply. I won't be the last shard user you'll meet."

"And I knew it too..." The Bearer faltered, ignoring Minuette. "I just thought it was how she was. I never wanted to believe it was real. My senses...They were right. Twilight sent ya to destroy us? Why?"

"She never told me nor did I ever care."

"Our leader...How?" Cheerilee gasped.

"By the other Bearers being incompetent." Applejack answered as tears began to flow down her face. "We never questioned her. We never wanted to. She's our friend; she couldn't do something like this!"

"And it all comes full circle." Minuette giggled. "But hey, I didn't think she was Templar either when I was a Den Master."

"She's no Templar." Applejack shook her head. "I'd a known it. She's no Templar, she's something else."

"Well, I told you what you wanted. Can I go now?"

"Shut your mouth!" Applejack punched the cryomancer, knocking her out cold.

Cheerilee recoiled from the outburst. "But...you said we had to let her go."

"You did, not me. I can't lie, but ya can. Chain her up and keep her under watch. We can't let vermin like her out there where they can hurt people."

"And what about you? What about the Bearer of Magic?"

Applejack rose as slowly as her speech. "I'mma go and show her that she can't trick us no more. And....if need be.....Take the Element of Magic away from her. Forcibly."


~

> Bearer Chapter: Honesty II
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Applejack hesitated before opening the door to the South Canterlot Den. She looked down at Minuette's dragon mask that she had brought with her as proof of the attack. Do you really want to do this? She asked herself. Maybe there was still hope that Twilight was on their side. Maybe it was all still a lie. Minuette could have lied about it! 

"No, she didn't."

With a heavy sigh, Applejack opened the door and entered. The Den was in its usual cleanness and nothing was out of place. The Bearer's eyes shifted cautiously about. With her armor, her steps echoed through the tight halls. The handle of her family ax almost scrapped the low ceilings. The Den was on the small side for her large frame, but that did not bother her.

"Hey Applejack!"

Little Spike jumped out of the Bearer's Quarters with a bright smile. The action did not startle the Bearer of Honesty but still made her take a step back. She recovered quickly and crouched to his level, ruffling his hair playfully.

"How ya doin' sugar?" She asked. "Is Twilight here?"

"Yeah, Twilight's in there." He pointed to the room he just exited. "Um, why are you here in Canterlot?"

"Long story." She sensed innocence in the boy. "I'm jus' here to have a private chat with Twilight."

"Oh, alright. Uh...I guess I'll leave you two then."

He scampered off in disappointment. Spike was always fond of having Applejack around. Not as much as having Rarity around, of course. The Bearer of Honesty thought he viewed her as some sort of crazy aunt. Though that would mean that Twilight and her were sisters, which they weren't.

"Not one bit." She muttered.

She promptly entered the quarters, every second changing her anxiety to anger. She gripped the door and accidentally crushed the handle. The world is made of glass, she reminded herself. She carefully swung it open and walked in, closing it gently behind her which still ended with a slam. 

Twilight was writing down some notes on a floating piece of parchment. She had definitely noticed the Bearer but was too busy humming a tune to talk. Applejack ducked under a levitating book that swirled around with the rest in a sort of magical vortex. Twilight only did such things when she was either in a good mood or rearranging the room. Both seemed to be the case.

"Hi AJ!" She finally said to the Bearer. "What brings you to Canterlot?"

"We need to talk." Applejack said simply.

"Of course we do. I can't make all the plans by myself." She laughed before noticing Applejack's frown. "That's not what you meant."

"Nope. Here."

Applejack walked through the whirlwind of papers and books to Twilight, handing her the mask. The Bearer of Honesty was expecting some sort of attack or an angry response in general, but Twilight became worried with the sight.

"Did she hurt anyone? Kill?" Twilight cried.

"What? Ya not even gonna deny ya involvement?"

"With you? No. Now, did Minuette hurt anyone? I told her not to!" Twilight was legitimately concerned.

"Nope. Did give some Brothers hypothermia, but nothing bad." Applejack answered. "Now why did you do this?"

"It's best that I just show you. In truth, I knew you would be the first to find out."

Twilight placed the mask on the table and walked over to her bed. She then reached underneath it and pulled out a small pile of neatly stacked papers. Applejack was shocked by how she was unfazed about being caught. Twilight hummed a little more before turning around.

"Ever since I joined the Brotherhood, I only saw two brilliant factions fighting over meaningless values and morals. They could do so much for this world and instead, pity themselves with trivial matters. Assassins versus Templar, all about influence over the common people. It's been going on for over 200 years and I was upset about that. So, Sunset and I formed a plan. A plan to unite both factions so that they could aid the nations properly."

"Then why did you attack Ponyville? I'm guessing the Crystal Republic's attack was your doin' as well."

She waved casually. "That was Sunset, not me. Minuette was supposed to slow your rebuilding progress. What we are trying to do is make it apparent that both sides need each other. In order to do that..."

"You gotta make both sides miserable." Applejack finished. "So ya have been killing Assassins to do this?"

"Not me. Sunset takes care of those Assassins that...well....won't believe in unification. The Brotherhood takes care of the radical Templar in return. Once the moderates are left, the proposition is more likely to be accepted."

"Twilight, do ya even know what ya saying? You're betraying the Brotherhood."

"I'm betraying no one, AJ." Twilight corrected. "All Sunset and I want is peace in this secret war. We'll be able to use the Elements and shards to help the people as one faction instead of causing destruction as two."

"Well I won't be a part of this mad scheme." Applejack concluded. "Do ya really think ya will convince any of the Bearers to join you?"

"That's the plan yes." She nodded. "Here, I actually planned this conversation. If you read the notes, you'll see that my plan is for the best."

Twilight handed Applejack some of the notes before continuing. "You see, Sunset is not the best about making plans, so I have taken the liberty to think of every possible situation and develop a set course of actions in case it ever is needed. These notes show how I would convince you of this plan if you ever found out of its existence prematurely."

Twilight was no doubt proud of this as she beamed with enthusiasm. Applejack, who was never the best at reading, scanned the notes in her armored hands. The notes were well organized into sections, each titled something different. Applejack noticed that they were about her and how she would react if A, B, or C happened. If she was angry, Twilight would do this, if she was sad, this would be the right course of action, etc.

"This is ludicrous..."

"So ya think by being honest with me, that I'm gonna join ya?"

"Precisely. You're a smart woman, Applejack, I don't see why you would not."

"Maybe cause this plan is a bunch of horseshit? The Templar and Assassins are never gonna join each other."

"They will once they look at the Bearers like they are the chosen ones." Twilight explained. "We have already established that we are chosen by the Elements. To the Brotherhood, our word is law. All we need is that to be the same with the Templar. Sunset is working on that."

"So ya want us to pose as some gods now? Are we friends, Twilight, or are we nothing more to you than tools?"

"Of course you're my friends."

"Just because ya want it to be true, doesn't make it true."

"Applejack..." Twilight sighed.

"Oh, and ya forgot one situation that could occur in these here notes." Applejack handed Twilight the notes.

Twilight raised a brow and took them. "What? I thought I covered them all."

"Yeah, the one part where your face and my fist meet."

"Applejack?"

The Bearer of Honesty punched Twilight squarely in the face, sending her through the nearest wall and through the wall after that. Twilight fortunately reacted with a magical barrier around her as she flew through the rooms. Applejack ran after her and arrived in the Den's lounge room where Assassins gasped as their leaders fought.

"Applejack! What was that for?"

"Do ya really need to ask?"

Applejack took hold of Twilight's robes and lifted her up. The Bearer of Magic struggled but to no avail. 

"I don't want to fight." She squealed.

"Too late princess!"

Applejack threw her through another wall and into the streets outside. The Assassins hid under furniture in some desperate attempt to hide from the Bearer of Honesty's wrath. The Bearer walked through the new back door to the Den and watched as Twilight picked herself up.

"Calm down!" She yelled. "Calm down now!"

"Calm down? After finding out that my friend is trying to ruin what I stand for? Trying to destroy my life's work? And ya want me to calm down?"

Twilight stood tall. "Applejack, I am not hurting the Brotherhood. I am only helping it."

"By giving us up to our enemies? Yeah, we'll jus' let ya walk over us and tell us what we need in our lives. Ya crazy Twilight!"

"How is your Element not making the better judgement?" Twilight demanded.

"That question should be for ya." Applejack retorted.

Twilight's response to this was grabbing Applejack in a telekinetic grip. "You're no match for me. Stand down!"

"To Tartarus with ya."

"Fine!"

Twilight slammed the Bearer into the cobblestone and lifted her back up just to do it again. Applejack was helpless in the magical grip and took the beating. Twilight then threw her into a nearby statue of Celestia, shattering the beautiful marble to pieces.

"I won't kill you AJ." Twilight said. "You're too valuable in the plan."

"That's not what a friend should tell the other." Applejack responded. "The Bearers are just your toys."

"You are my friend."

"I know when ya lie!"

Applejack pounced off the ruined statue and at Twilight. In the blink of an eye, Twilight teleported away to safety. Applejack stood where the Bearer of Magic was moments ago, searching to where she went. The next second, she heard Twilight's feet rushing to her. Applejack turned to see Twilight charging at her with her sword drawn. Applejack began to pound the ground with all her might, creating a quake through the street that tripped the Bearer of Magic.

"Learned that trick when harvesting apples." Applejack boasted.

Twilight levitated herself in the air, high above the ground. Her pistols floated out of her sash and aimed themselves at Applejack. The Bearer of Honesty was quick to dodge the incoming lead balls that bounced off the streets. Twilight began to reload them while they swirled around her. This gave Applejack time to reach for the rope on her hip. Rope she brought just in case this would happen. She made a lasso while she dodged a second wave of lead balls. The next second, she threw the lasso up at Twilight, wrapping it around her waist and pulled down.

"Get down here!"

Twilight slammed into the cobblestone. Applejack pounced over to the dazed Bearer and grabbed her firmly by the neck. Making sure that Twilight could not make a sound, she lifted her up to her eye level, which had Twilight dangling her feet helplessly. She loosened her grip slightly to let Twilight breath.

"Applejack please!" Twilight begged, struggling to catch a breath. "It doesn't have to be this way."

"I wish that was the case, Twilight." Applejack replied. "But you got yourself in this mess. I thought ya was gonna be a great Bearer. I even made ya the leader! Like so many other things, I was wrong. Now I have to rip that Element out of your chest. Have fun in Tartarus."

Twilight's head wiggled around insanely before her eyes changed into glowing white spheres. Her face hardened and Magic spoke through her mouth.

"Stay your hand, Honesty! You do not understand the opportunity we have before us!"

"Ya on board with it?" Applejack asked incredulously.

"Of course you idiot!" Magic screamed. "I helped Twilight form the plans. This is the first time in the Brotherhood's existence that peace can be achieved. Why not take it?"

"What happened? Ya changed Magic! What about the Creed?"

"The Creed is a lie! A lie you have preached, Bearer of Honesty! Starswirl only made the Creed to have a unifying statement for the Brotherhood. It was never meant to be taken as a code of life! You know this, Honesty, yet you still lie!"

"Honesty can't lie!"

"Yes it can! Have you yet figured out that we Elements are merely named after the aspects of Harmony? We are children of Harmony, we are not Harmony itself. We have been corrupted, not by Starswirl, but by the idea that we make a difference in this world! Honesty can lie, Kindness can be selfish, Laughter can harm others, Generosity can be exclusive, and Loyalty can be given to no one. And I....I can be without friends since I am not the true incarnation of magic. We are merely imitators of something that does not exist."

"Ya mad!"

"I'm the one being slowly choked to death and I'm the mad one? The Templar and Assassins will join together in true Harmony. Even if we must force them to! Once we are in Harmony, we will form a new Creed. One for all people! A Creed for thoughts and ideas! Harmony's Creed!"

Magic released Twilight, who began to breath heavily. Applejack growled in suppressed anger. Magic was on her side as well? She lifted Twilight in the air and slammed her into the cobblestone much like she did to Minuette. Twilight bounced and then rolled to an abrupt halt.

"You traitor!" Applejack screamed. "Ya justify the killing of Assassins! All you've caused is more hurt for both sides!"

"Applejack...please listen..." Twilight moaned in her agony.

"Shut it!"

The Bearer of Honesty kicked Twilight, sending her skipping across the street and into the wall of a bakery. The Bearer of Magic could not utter a sound as she felt her broken ribs. Applejack confidently walked over to her.

"I can't believe I called you my friend." She spat.

"Not a step closer!" Twilight mustered enough strength to hiss these words.

Applejack did not heed the wounded Bearer's warning. Twilight lifted a hand and a magical aura surrounded it. Applejack suddenly felt a tightening in her chest. She stopped immediately, her breathing becoming shallower with each moment. Twilight then clutched her hand and Applejack fell to the ground, coughing up blood.

"I told you not to come closer." Twilight began to get up. "Enjoy your collapsed lung."

"Twi!" Applejack barely uttered. "I'll kill ya for this! I'll....I'll rip Magic outta ya chest.....I promise that...."

Twilight vanished in a puff of purple smoke, teleporting out of the area. Applejack continued to cough up blood. She felt weak as she tried to crawl along the cold ground. Assassins from the Den rushed over to her and took her on their shoulders, straining to lift her armored body. 

"We need to get her a doctor, now!" An Assassin cried.

"Twilight..." Applejack moaned. "How could ya...?"

"What's happened?" Another Brother shouted. "Should we chase after the Bearer of Magic?"

"Leave her..." The Bearer of Honesty ordered softly.

"She needs help!" 

"We need help! Our leaders are fighting each other!"

"What will we do?"

"What did you do to Twilight?" Spike screeched.

 "Don't worry, Applejack. I'll get you through this. Think of the others. Think of them."


~

> Chapter 47: Temple of the Centaur
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Dreams? You've been talking with Empress Luna in her dreams?"

"She, like Celestia, is a Bearer of an Element. Fear is the Element, I believe. It is no stranger than the Bearers of Harmony wielding powers."

"It's not that, Octavia, it's that you kept this secret. Why?"

"So that you would not lose your minds over it. It was an error on my part and I take responsibility for what could have happened. I simply did not want you to panic because we could be watched and questioned in our sleep."

Rainbow blew the orange hair out of her eye indignantly. Her small foot tapped loudly on the wooden floor and her hands moved about like they did not know what to do. Vinyl leaned on the wall, inspecting her mask in silence. The shadow of a beam was cast over her eyes, emphasizing the glow from her red eyes. I sat in my chair as the interrogated, wishing that they would release me peacefully.

"How do the Sisters have Elements?" Rainbow ran a sweaty hand through her multicolored hair. "I thought the Elements of Harmony were the only ones. I can get behind shards, but Elements?"

"Discord has the Element of Chaos." Vinyl commented in a low tone.

"Yeah, but he's Discord! I thought he was, you know, the Element himself or just some magical dude. And that's only one different Element, now we have three!" Rainbow said in rising annoyance.

"There are six, actually. Wisdom, Fear, Love, Absolute Order, Chaos, and Harmony. Harmony split off into the six we know. The rest just made shards. They come from the Crystal Heart." I explained.

"Then we only know where three of them are." Vinyl nodded. "Harmony's tree is somewhere out there, but we don't know where."

"Yes we do." I pointed at the Bearer of Loyalty.

"Eh, he's never trusted me enough to tell me." Rainbow shrugged as she pointed to her chest. "Like I care." She added nonchalantly.

"Life would be better for all of us if you were friends with your Element." I snapped.

"Hey, you weren't told to kill your best friend to show your Loyalty to a group of people you didn't want to be a part of!" She snapped back. "You be a Bearer and see how you like being told what to do daily and not having a literal heart in your chest. Oh, and also having a talking crystal invade your head and never being able to drink without it tearing you apart mentally. I don't even get any special powers cause it doesn't think I'm good enough. All I am was a way to kill my captain and then I was gonna be axed off for the real Bearer of Loyalty to take it. Unfortunately for both of us, that didn't happen and I'm stuck with this thing until I die. Cause you know, I can't take it out without killing myself."

I found the Bearer's face only inches from mine. She breathed heavily through her flaring nostrils and I felt every small breeze it made. I knew I was in the wrong for scolding her, but I was too stubborn to show it and kept my glare upon her as she did to me. Vinyl sighed and stepped over to separate us, but we all were distracted when the doors to the quarters opened and the radiant Empress sauntered in like dawn itself.

"I have to say you are wrong in that assumption, Rainbow Dash. The Element can forsake you at any moment. If it thought you unworthy of bearing it, it would have left long ago. Maybe you take its Loyalty to you for granted."

"Shut it Your Highness." Rainbow barked at her. "You have no idea what happened to me."

"Maybe not, but does that change the situation here?" She asked. "I am a Bearer myself, and have had this Element since before the Tree of Harmony existed. The Tree is in the old castle, Everfree, where my friend, Scorpan, started his own nation. It was tragic when Harmony forsook him and turned him into a tree. I am grateful Wisdom has never done likewise to me."

"Does this mean you know where all the original Elements are?" I asked.

"Oh yes, but some are far away and quite out of reach. Take Love, for example, it is off in the desserts where Chrysalis bears it, if she is still alive. Discord is everywhere and nowhere, never to be caught. Him and Chaos are always on the run. Fear is with my sister and she seems to be busy in Canterlot. She said something about a battle of fists and magic. Wisdom and I are standing before you. Absolute Order is in these Isles, resting in silence. Tirek fell victim to his own people here and now his Element sits unguarded in his crumbling temple, sprouting the most distasteful shards known to man. Although, there are a couple good ones in there that my sister and I have collected in the past."

"There's an Element in these Isles?" Rainbow raised a brow.

Celestia frowned at the captain. "Do not act dumb, Rainbow Dash, you know very well of what I speak. You have two swords of Tirek's crafting. Those blades used to be the tools of King Sombra, forged by Tirek when he was a blacksmith that specialized with shards. The hilts of those swords each contain a half of the shard Wrath. When we defeated the Shadow King, Tirek took them southward as trophies and to these very islands. Now you wield them after you raided his temple."

Rainbow's face scrunched up at this. "But...But I never knew that! Caramel gave me these, I didn't take them! But yeah...I know of the Temple. It's where I met....It's where I met Discord."

"Can you take us there?" Vinyl asked enthusiastically. "I mean, a hotspot for shards? No doubt the Templar would love to have a place like that. The Assassins should take it first!"

A thought flashed through my mind. "Empress Celestia, did you ever tell your student, Sunset Shimmer, about this place?"

Celestia nodded. "Indeed. Both her and Twilight, but they have never come to the Isles before." She paused. "Oh, I see what you mean now. No, I do not believe that the Templar have ever raided the temple. Luna and I took as many shards as we could find and have taken them back to Canterlot for protection. That was decades ago though and new ones may have formed."

In the corner of my eye I saw Vinyl pull Hope out of her sash. I was certain she was thinking that it came from this temple. I was heavily intrigued by this information from the Empress. I stood up from my seat, inciting a grunt from the Bearer of Loyalty. With a hand on my hip, I faced the Empress.

"Your Highness, it is important that you show us this temple. If there are more shards there, we cannot risk them falling into the wrong hands. If you were indeed an Assassin, you would understand."

"Of course I do. I see that Luna has told you what we were. Even though we share the name Assassin, my sister and I were never part of your Brotherhood. Sigh, I will take you there. Be warned, the place is ancient and unstable. Also, if you find any shards, do not touch them with bare hands for they may accept you. Above all, leave Absolute Order in peace and do not listen to its words."

"Will do, Your Highness." I bowed.

"Wait, wait, wait." Rainbow interrupted. "What about Discord? We can't just go off without seeing him. He'll think we quit our mission."

Celestia raised a calming hand to silence the captain. "Fear not. Discord will follow us if he thinks that we betrayed him. I will be with you throughout this journey. If he attacks you, he would have to go through me first."

"Yeah, like you could stop him." Vinyl guffawed.

The Empress cocked her head in aggravation at my friend. "Please do not doubt me, young Assassin. Not only have I survived much more than you, I have learned from it as well. The Elements of the Crystal Heart are all equal in power. I wield one just like Discord. Not to be boastful, but I am more than a worthy opponent for the Lord of Chaos."

Immediately after stating this, Celestia turned around and promptly marched out of the quarters. Vinyl carefully returned Hope to its pocket in silence. Rainbow shook her head before sighing.

"Ya two can go now. It's been a long night."





"You're steering too hard, Captain."

"This is my ship! I steer how I want!"

"That's what Puddinghead told me before he crashed into the shore."

"I'm not Puddinghead."

Rainbow mumbled under her breath as the Empress giggled beside her. It was mid-morning as we coasted through the maze of islands. Celestia's escort was far behind us and only followed leisurely. I knew most of them did so reluctantly, desperately wishing they could be with their glorious leader. The Empress was enjoying their absence however.

"The Temple is not far." She said. "Ah, it's wonderful to not have an army of trained soldiers acting as servants around you. I cannot say I do not appreciate the freedom on this vessel."

"That was Caramel for ya." Rainbow told her. "No one higher, no one lower. He practiced it better than me though."

Zecora approached from behind the captain and the Empress. Her tight jaw contrasted with her anxious eyes. She placed a hand on Rainbow's shoulder.

"I must warn you, my captain," She began. "I sense a storm brewing beyond the west island."

Rainbow instinctively looked westward. "Ya sure? I see no clouds."

"It is not the clouds I fear, but the heavy sounds I hear."

As if on cue, the low roar of thunder echoed across the clear sky. The captain pouted at this as a ring of mumbling spread through the crew. I glanced at Vinyl to see her reaction, but found her sleeping beside me.

"Ain't that just great." Rainbow moaned. "We need to get to this Temple and out of here. Any strong winds in these tight passages will throw us into a mountain."

Another rumble of thunder threw itself through the air above us. It was much louder than the first which increased the amount of talking among the crew.

"That thing's close!" One exclaimed.

"She's a big one no doubt!" Another yelped.

"Only a hurricane sounds like that." A third complained.

"Quiet!" Rainbow yelled. "If ya guys moved your sorry asses, we can outrace it. Get up and move!"

The crew scrambled about to their positions. I stood up and tried to appear that I was actually doing anything. It worked only for a few minutes when I heard Rainbow shout my name.

"Ya being lazy, Octavia? Get your ass moving, Canterlotian!"

I had a truly witty comeback in my head, but restrained myself from saying it. I looked about, seeing what I could possibly do to increase the ship's speed. The sails were released, the ropes secured, and everything else clean and spotless. I finally gazed upward to the crow's nest close to the top of the main mast. I was in no mood to help and hiding up there would prevent me from being able to be called into some meaningless task.

I jumped onto the mast and climbed it swiftly. It was not as easy as climbing a stone building as the sway from the ship almost made me lose grip more than once. I stopped on the crossbeam of the main sail to catch my breath before ascending all the way.

The world was much larger from up there. I could see beyond most of the islands, but many cliffs still blocked my view. The taller masts of the Maud's frigate and the Royal escort could be seen easily. I hung onto the mast and gazed westward.

"Oh my..."

In the distance was a black and green wall of clouds. Lightning sprouted from within the clouds countless times each second. From the deck below, it could not be seen, but from my vantage point, I could see all of it. Every time I glanced at it, it was no doubt closer. I knew in my heart there was no way in Tartarus to outrun such a monstrosity.

That was not all. Smoke was rising from the north where we came from. The amount of it proved that a naval battle was occurring. I knew there were several nations trying to seize control of the Isles and brushed it off hesitantly. It was probably just some clash between Zebricans and Gryphons. 

In a few minutes we came across a tall Minotaur ruin that had a bull's head on top. This was no doubt Tirek's grand temple. The Ragnarok lurched towards the shore and almost crashed on the rocks. I heard the distant splash of an anchor far below. 

"I guess it's time for me to head back down."

I took one last glance at the approaching hurricane, still as menacing as ever. With that, I descended carefully until I reached one of the pulley hooks. I had seen Rainbow descend by falling down while clinging onto the hook. I took a jump out, wishing I hadn't once there was nothing under my feet, and started to fall less-than-gently to the main deck.

I had to roll upon landing to save my already worn-out knees. Several of the crew eyes me suspiciously before returning to their respected tasks. Rainbow was calling out to her crew, trying to organize them somehow. 

"Alright boys, take care of the ship while I'm gone with the Empress. Don't look at me like that! it's just a bloody temple, not Hell."

I had just noticed that many of the crew, Vinyl included, gazed upon the bull head in terrified awe. I had to admit, it was beyond intimidating, but I was still surprised by it. 

"Some of ya have been here before remember?" Rainbow continued. "C'mon guys."

"Yeah, and it's just as horrid as the first." Neo commented.

Celestia began to casually walk off the ship before the crew placed a gangway to the shore. With a short giggle, she jumped over the side and into the water below. We watched her incredulously as she was acting very....not royal. She had to swim some meters to the beach before standing up in her now soaked garments.

"Oh!" She cried happily. "I forgot, Octavia will be joining us in here."

"Of course." I wanted to roll my eyes.

"Ah what the heck. Ya guys are takin' too long anyway!" Rainbow complained before throwing herself overboard as well.

I planned on waiting for the gangway. I did not fear the water, but if I could avoid becoming wet, I would. So I stood by the railing and watched Rainbow expertly swim over to Celestia. The Empress chatted with Rainbow with a radiant smile.

"Whatcha waiting for?"

"Huh?"

I felt a sharp elbow in my back and I tumbled over the side of the ship. I couldn't straighten myself out and smacked the water squarely on my back. It was not that deep and I floated to the surface easily, only to hear Vinyl's incessant laughter from above.

"She didn't see it comin' at all!" She laughed.

Well, that's another reason to punch her in the face, I thought. Since I was in the rather nice and refreshing water, I swam over to the pirate and the Empress. Luckily, I was not in my normal robes, but my sailor's rags. I soon reached them and sighed upon my arrival. My back started to ache from the fall off the ship.

"The storm's coming fast." Rainbow pointed at the sky. "Let's get done here."

"Then let's be off." Celestia nodded.

The two started towards the entrance of the temple. The closer we got to the place, the more grand it became. Although vines, cracks, debris, rubble, and overgrown trees adorned it, the temple was spectacular to behold. Minotaur statues decorated about every corner, each holding scrolls, spears, or snakes. However, a giant statue of a horned man stood tall among them.

"That is Tirek." Celestia pointed at him. "He never had horns like that, don't worry. He just liked how he looked with them. Most of the helmets he made had large horns."

"He seemed pretty self-centered if ya ask me." Rainbow commented.

"Not always. He was quite the good man, but so was Discord. It continues to sadden me that they fell to their Elements."

"Luna said you were the first Assassins and you say you weren't like us, then what were you?" I asked.

"We were a group of rebels trying to fight for Freedom against Sombra." Celestia explained. "There were more than just the six of us. We were many. After the battle with Death, there was only us six left. Sombra had the Crystal Heart and had corrupted it for many long years. It allowed him to invent all sorts of new weapons and he mastered control of darkness itself. We had no choice but to stop him. We were called Assassins because we were there to assassinate Sombra."

"Well, ya won. Why did you take the Elements of the Heart?" Rainbow asked.

"To prevent the Heart from ever being whole again. We knew very well which Element was which. Cryshalis took hers without a thought about the rest of us. Luna took hers with tears as she knew what she would become. Tirek took his proudly and ran off. Scorpan accepted his with humbleness. Then it was to Discord and I to make our decision. Wisdom and Chaos were left. One would become a renowned leader while the other would be a monster. Discord took Chaos so that I wouldn't. I wanted to take it to save him, but he acted first and saved me. Now we bear them so that they would never become one again."

"What would Luna become?" I ventured.

"I'll let her answer that." Celestia dismissed the topic. "Ah, we're here."

we arrived at a large entrance into the temple. A few vines had to be brushed aside to be able to enter without trouble. The three of us traveled through a short hallway and was engulfed in darkness. We had no torches with us, which brought a string of cursing from the pirate. Celestia giggled at this before snapping her fingers. The whole entire hall was suddenly illuminated by some light without a source or even shadows. 

"Great for when I lose my earrings at night." Celestia chuckled.

"That's pretty....awesome." Rainbow gaped.

"That's just the most basic ability I can do." Celestia boasted. "Light is like Wisdom, the more you know about it, the more you can do with it."

"Like what?"

"Well, I can change color."

Celestia's eyes suddenly became a dark green, much different from her previous pink ones. I noticed that Rainbow's hair also changed color. All of her shades turned into one blue color, much to her shock.

"What happened to my hair?" She yelped.

"Nothing at all." Celestia told her. "I only changed what light waves bounce off it. Your eyes can only see blue hair now, but nothing has changed at all."

"What?"

"It's hard to explain, but I've found out much about how we perceive our world by using my powers. Light is fascinating and I'll admit, I don't know half about it."

She then turned invisible. Rainbow's hair returned to normal, much to her relief. The Empress could be heard breathing and we both knew she was still standing before us.

"I can let the colors of my surroundings conceal me." She explained. "I'm not invisible, but I am tricking your eyes to not see me. It took me a long time to master this. Luna could often find me by seeing a floating mass of bright red or violet out in the hallways."

She soon reappeared slightly to the right of where we last saw her. She then started down the shadowless hallway. Rainbow and I followed calmly. Since the place had no darkness whatsoever, it seemed like the most peaceful place we had ever been to.

We had to climb down an old stairway to a short of basement beneath the main floor. It was still dark in there until Celestia stretched her light farther, showing us the brilliant carvings that lined the walls. Most of the carvings depicted a centaur guiding what looked like servants.

"The Element of Absolute Order is around here. This is where it is kept while it creates shards." Celestia informed us. "If you find a shard, only pick it up if you have gloves."

I was not wearing any gloves, so I accepted the fact that I would not be touching any shards. Not that I wanted to anyway. After seeing the Elements' effects on its Bearers, I had no interest in becoming a shard user. 

We started to spread out as we explored the gigantic room. Books were overturned, ancient weapons tossed aside, and bones removed from our paths. There was some evidence that a battle occurred down here long ago, but we had no interest in that and focused on the shards. 

In an hour or so, I had no luck in finding any. Rainbow had given up entirely and was sleeping on a large throne, hugging a jeweled scepter in her small arms. Her loud snoring echoed through the tall ceilings and broad rooms. The snoring was fighting against a rumbling from above. It was not until Celestia shouted in joy that Rainbow woke up with a start.

"Haha!"

"What? I'm up!" Rainbow yelled in confusion as she fell off the throne.

I rushed over to the Empress who was no doubt inspecting a shard in her long hand. The shard was clear with a purplish tint to it. It was also larger than Vinyl's Hope by at least six centimeters. When I reached her, she smiled at me.

"This is Valor. A rare good shard from Absolute Order." She told me.

She picked up a small chest that was on a small table and placed the shard in it before handing it to me. I took it in surprise and raised a brow at her.

"I trust you to carry it. You won't lose it, will you?"

I shook my head. "Of course not, Your Highness."

"Very well. We must be heading back. I hear the storm above. If I remember correctly, this place will flood with rain."

"Then let's go!" Rainbow shouted and pointed with her scepter. 





Fortunately the rain was light enough for us to escape the temple without an issue. It was not until we emerged from the temple that we saw the battle before us. The wind howled ferociously and lightning brightened the sky. The Ragnarok swayed in the shallow waves that broke on the shore. However, that was not the problem. Many crew members were floating dead in the water and their blood made it crimson. 

Neo ran at us with a crooked step. His face was plastered with horror. We ran to him and met him by the gangway. He panted some seconds before speaking.

"It...It was them....Spitfire! She and her ship ambushed....us while hidden in the storm! She took Fleetfoot and killed half our men! We wanted to chase, but we couldn't leave ya!"

"What the hell! Get the boys ready!" Rainbow ordered. "Let's get them bitches and make them pay!"

"Set sail! We got a chase on us!" Neo shouted to the ship.

"A chase in a hurricane." I moaned before running after Rainbow.


~

> Chapter 48: Rain and Fire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Get your arse moving! We can't let them escape!"

Rainbow and I swam to the ship as the gangway was destroyed. We had to fight every rising wave as the hurricane blew the seas around us. Even though the waters were shallow, I felt like I could drown if I stopped moving. I was relieved when I felt the wet wood of the ship in my grasp and we hastily climbed onto the main deck.

We were met with scrambling crew members, many of them bleeding on the arms or leg. Several members of whom I was acquainted with were not present and I could only assume they were dead in the water below. Rainbow took no time to reach the wheel and send us off the island. I checked one last time that I still had Valor in its box before looking for ways to help.

A cry uttered from the beach. I glanced over there by reaction and saw that Celestia was still on the island as we floated away. She saw my and began to wave fanatically to get my attention. As we were already off the island, I could only shrug at her in apology, much to her annoyance. 

"You can't leave me here!" She called out through the rain.

Rainbow took no heed of the Empress and we sailed on. Well, we didn't sail because all the sails were drawn up due to the powerful wind. Neo ran up to her and stood by her as first-mate.

"Why you up here?" Rainbow asked Neo. "Where's Zecora?"

"Knocking on Tartarus' door like the others!" He replied.

"Damn them! Guess the old coot lived her life well. But there's no time for mourning, we need to catch these sons of bitches!"

"Maud's ship is in pursuit as we speak, Captain! Spitfire's ship is an Equestrian frigate named The Maiden. Me thinks it was a cargo ship transformed into a war machine."

"Maud's never gonna catch them then." Rainbow grumbled. "What about the Thunderlane and Mac?"

"We lost sight of them when the storm broke. They's probably riding it out." Neo gestured at the chaotic sea.

"And the Royal escort?"

"They let those bastards to us! Didn't even fire a shot when they attacked us! No doubt they wanted us to sink."

"Bloody Royals!"

Rainbow began a string of curses as she madly steered the vessel. Each wave crashed on the ship's bow and made it lurch into the air. Lightning engulfed the sky in an awesome display of nature's wrath. Water hurled itself over the deck every other second, keeping every crew member soaked from head to toe. 

We were ordered to tie ourselves to the main mast. I quickly made my way to it with a long piece of hope, making a bowline with only one hand and testing its security before moving on. The rope around my waist prevented me from falling off the ship, but it did not prevent me from tumbling about uncontrollably. 

A thunderclap erupted right above us, sending a deafening wave through the already noisy air. The captain turned the ship to meet a rogue wave head on. We rose and rose. Hundreds of feet we went to travel up the massive pile of water. The crew took a collective gasp as we fell over it, going straight down into a valley. 

"The Maiden is in sight!" Neo screamed.

"Prepare the cannons! They sink or we do!" Rainbow ordered.

"Aye aye!" The crew shouted in unison.

I took my station by the mortar. Since half of the crew was now deceased, I had to do it alone. I took a shell and rammed it down the large barrel. Salt stung my eyes and I could only peer at my actions with barely opened eyes. 

"Hey Tavi! Need help?"

"Vinyl!" I called. "Where have you been?"

"I was down below."

"Why?" I demanded.

"Ummm....Nothing."

"Bloody Hell, Vinyl, what were you doing?"

"I was uhh..."

I noticed she had no wounds on her unlike every single other crew member. Even though her mask was on, I could see redness in her pale cheeks. I could only assume the worst.

"You were hiding?" I shouted. 

"Why ya say that?" She yelped.

"Vinyl, why were you hiding? You have faced Spitfire before."

"And almost died! C'mon, ya gotta feel for me!"

"Ugh! We fought her after that!"

"But that was with you!" She defended herself. "I didn't want to risk it."

I growled. "Fine! We need to get this mortar operating!"

"Alright!"

Together we turned and angled the mortar to face the fleeing ship in the distance. The ship jumped over another wave, splashing us. Rainbow steered us away from an island and guided the ship through the maze of islands. The Maiden was still visible in the distance.

"We need to stop that ship!" Neo yelled.

"Wait!" Rainbow interrupted. "Where's Maud?"

"They must of lost course. I'm sure they're alight. Her frigate is the most seaworthy vessel I've ever seen." Neo stated reassuringly.

"Then it's up to us." Vinyl breathed.

We finished prepping the mortar and made the final adjustment to its aim. Vinyl lit the fuse and I turned away from the weapon. It fired, creating more thunder to the already thunder filled sky. We could see the fiery shell splash about 20 meters away from our target.

"Damn it! Fire again!" Rainbow commanded. "Get the chain shot ready!"

"Barrels in the water!" A crew member shouted.

It was too late. A flaming barrel brushed the bow of the ship, creating a large explosion that sent Vinyl and I onto the deck. I landed on my upper back first. The box that was at my hip flew off and cracked on the deck. Valor flew out and slid across the wet wood.

"No!" I screamed and chased after it.

I got to my feet and ran at the shard. In my madness, I threw myself at it, only for the ship to crash against a wave that made her lean the other way, sending the shard and I both tumbling over the deck. 

"Tavi!"

I rolled head over heels until I smacked the railing. Valor followed me and flew over the railing. I reached out and caught it just in time before it would be lost to the depths. 

"Haha!" I laughed proudly.

Then I realized what I had just done. A shearing pain was felt in the palm that held the shard. A pain like none I had ever felt. I brought my hand back on the right side of the railing, inspecting what was happening. It was worse once I saw that the shard was splitting my palm in half. It burrowed itself into my hand while I screamed and desperately tried to take it out with my other hand. It was too late. Before I could accept it, the shard had disappeared in my hand, giving me a tingling sensation through my now corrupted veins.

"No! No!" I yelled hopelessly.

"This one is Valor."

"Curse you!" I yelled at the new voice in my head. "Curse you!"

It said nothing else. Instead my hand started to shake violently. A blue aura warped itself around my whole arm. I started to notice that the aura was taking the shape of a hand very similar to mine. The aura arose from my other hand, and then my feet and it soon enveloped my whole person.

"Tavi! What's happening?" Vinyl ran after me.

She was about to reach me when the aura shot out and tackled my friend. The force drove Vinyl to the deck and the aura's movement made a gust of wind that blew in every direction. I tried to stand up, but the ship rocked again, sending me back down. 

"Let go of her!" I yelled.

The aura suddenly jumped off Vinyl and looked at me. The rain deformed the aura with every drop that fell through it. It reminded me of smoke that stayed in a constant shape no matter how much one blew it around. The aura cocked its head at me. It was like looking at a blue clone of myself, every lock of hair and item of clothing were the same. 

"Valor is never alone." It said in my voice.

"Wow!" Vinyl gasped. "Tavi, did you just take a shard?"

"Vinyl, this is no time to awe!" I told her before facing the aura. "What are you?"

"This one is Valor." It repeated with a humble bow to me. "Valor is never alone."

The aura spoke in choppy sentences as if it was struggling to pronounce the words. I took another look at my palm before successfully standing up. The spirit assisted me in getting up. The touch felt like a cold and moist wind. When I had reached my feet, it silently floated into my body and disappeared. My hand tingled again before calming down. 

"Hey! We need some firepower!" Rainbow shouted.

This order brought the storm and chaos back instantly. Vinyl and I raced to the mortar. I tried my best to stay focused on the task at hand, but the very word "hand" reminded me of what I was now: a shard user. I cursed under my breath and loaded a shell into the mortar. We then checked our target again, using the light from all the lightning to see her, and then we fired.

The shell soared into the air before heading down to the waters. It scrapped the side of the Templar's ship, making it turn unexpectedly. The crew cheered at our successful hit.

"They's in range!" A member called out. "We can get 'em with chain!"

The cannons below us roared, sending chain-shot out at the enemy's masts. Since The Maiden was a frigate, we were much faster than her and she required her sails down in order to flee from us. The chains hit their respective targets, sending one of the masts down into the churning sea.

With the Templar ship partly crippled, we rode right over to them. I write this as though the short trip was easy, but every single wave made the journey a minute longer at least. 

"Water devils!" Neo warned.

In the distance was a large water sprout that the hurricane summoned. A monster that literally was as tall as the heavens. It ran parallel to us, following the current of wind for the time being. The crew forced the beast of nature out of their minds and worked on. As the lightning made the storm as bright as daylight, we loaded the weapons and prepared to fire upon the ship.

More chain-shot was fired upon them, smacking the back of the ship. Splinters whirled in the wind past us, forcing us to shield our faces. Vinyl fired the mortar, sending another shell at Spitfire. This one hit the bow of the ship, taking out one of their own mortars in a horrific explosion. 

"Keep it up!" Rainbow encouraged.

The ship took another turn and rounded The Maiden. The right side fired the Ragnarok's broadside cannons right into their left back corner. Chunks of wood flew in every direction as the cannonballs dug into the frigate. A cheer erupted from the crew.

Unexpectedly, they fired back. I first saw the fast flashes as their cannons fired at us. Vinyl and I fell to the deck and covered our heads. I heard some cannonballs whiz by us. It was an odd angle of attack from the Templar and thus most of their cannonballs missed the Ragnarok.

"Return fire! I want these bastards dead in the water!"

The Ragnarok crept up to the frigate's side. As we came closer, the size difference became evident. We were much smaller than the Equestrian frigate and had fewer guns, but that did not deter the Bearer of Loyalty.

Since my mortar was no longer useful in such close quarters, Vinyl and I ran to one of the broadside cannons. From there I could see Templar soldiers running about on The Maiden. Their red uniforms were hard to see in the rain, but their moving shadows were clear even in the dark environment. This was unlike their captain. Spitfire's bright blue and yellow robes were visible as she steered the ship. Her bright hair was like a beacon of fire in all of the darkness. 

"Get out of my waters!" The Bearer shouted.

She then turned the ship into The Maiden, causing both ships to collide in a glancing blow. I thought the action was careless in terms of caring for one's prized vessel, but the action did give us time to fire the cannons safely into their side at point blank range.

It was a dreadful blow to their frigate. How boards of the ship flew out in random directions, as did the Templar soldiers unfortunate enough to be on that side. One soldier hit the Ragnarok's railing right in front of me before falling hopelessly to the black waters. 

"Dammit!" Vinyl shouted as she picked splinters out from her arm.

"Board her!"

"But captain!" Neo objected. "They outnumber us! They'll swarm us with their numbers!"

"Not with me here!"

Rainbow let go of the wheel and drew her blazing swords. The crew gathered their boarding hooks and sailed them over to The Maiden. The hooks connected and dragged the frigate close to us. I could hear Spitfire cursing at this. 

"Kill 'em all!" Rainbow ordered.

"Show them no mercy!" Spitfire commanded.

Rainbow grabbed a rope and swung herself over the side and onto the frigate, followed by her brave crew members. Steam rose from her blades as the rain evaporated on its hot metal. I drew my sword and, since the ship was close enough to jump to, I ran and threw myself to its side, then proceeded to climb up with Vinyl behind me.

When I was about to climb over the railing, the blue aura appeared again on the deck and stretched its ethereal hand down to me. I took the hand with anxiety, but the aura lifted me up all the way before disappearing again into my person.

The deck was anything but sane. Rainbow's swords whirled around on their chain as she burned her way through the Templar ranks. Spitfire threw one of the Ragnarok's crew overboard with her usual ferocity. However, I knew there were two other Wonderbolts present.

"Octy! I'm back!"

Fleetfoot pounced at me with her swords. I lifted my sword in defense, but it was not needed as the aura of Valor sprung out of me and knocked the attacker to the ground before returning to me.

"What was that?" She asked incredulously.

I ignored her question and swung my blade at her. She flipped herself backwards to avoid it. The ship rocked back with a wave and we all paused to get our footing back. I took the time to plan my next move. I felt the shard take hold of my wrist and I threw my hand out like Twilight when she performed magic. The aura shot out and slammed itself into Fleetfoot with its shoulder before dissipating. The action was so fast she could not react to it and was knocked to the deck again.

"Valor is never alone."

She recovered quickly and came at me again. I deflected her sword and kicked her bad leg, making her scream in pain. Another wave splashed over the side and knocked me off balance. I swung my arms about and prevented myself from falling. The Wonderbolt dashed at me, only to be blocked by Valor again.

"That's not fair!" Fleetfoot complained. 

It was clear I had the advantage in this engagement. I felt the power in my hand, always tingling with increased aggression as the fight went on. I sent Valor out again, making the spirit sweep Fleetfoot's legs out from under her. I followed up with a downward strike of my sword. She expertly moved her legs out of the way and retaliated with a strong kick to my stomach.

The Wonderbolt came after me again. I took a step back and sent Valor out, but this time, the aura appeared from behind Fleetfoot and grabbed her. It wrapped its ethereal arms under her armpits and took hold of the back of her head. She tried to kick the spirit, but all of her attacks went through the blue aura like it didn't exist. I kept Valor there, which seemed to be strain on my person. I walked over to Fleetfoot, with my sword in hand, and stabbed her underneath the ribcage and up into the heart.

"Not like this..." She muttered weakly.

I withdrew my blade. Its sharp metal was crimson with the Wonderbolt's blood. Fleetfoot's eye twitched involuntarily, her gaze absent, and her lips quivered in fear. Valor dissipated, making the dying traitor slump down to the deck. Finally, a Wonderbolt tasted the death they had brought so many. I flicked my blade, letting the traitorous blood wash off in the rain. 

"Fleets!"

I turned to see Spitfire racing at me with a fury that only she could muster. Her scimitar was in her clutched hand as she jumped around the Templar and pirates fighting on the deck. A fire brighter than her hair was in her tearing eyes. Her face completely contorted in unrestrained rage.

"You bastard! You killed my friend!" She yelled in sobbing anger.

I could not reply as the Ragnarok broke off from The Maiden. The water devil had returned and it was traveling straight to us. I saw that the Ragnarok escaped its path when it leveled the side of the frigate. The ship was turned on its side, sending everyone on board into the waters. I did not remember much during that time. My body was going any way the water wanted it to. I did remember bashing into several rocks on the bottom of the sea before being lurched back onto the surface. I ended up finding myself clinging to a palm tree on the side of an island.

I was on land, but so was Spitfire. I saw her washed up on the small beach next to the tree that saved me. She was coughing up water and dragging herself to higher ground. The water spout had dissipated and The Maiden was still floating on the sea as a deformed mass of wood. 

I carefully removed myself from the tree and sought higher ground myself. I kept my eyes on the Wonderbolt, making sure she did not see me. I had lost my sword in the sea, but she did not. She held her scimitar with an iron grip that I could not comprehend. 

"That bitch! She took her away! She took her away!" Spitfire screeched to herself.

The Wonderbolt captain seemed deranged. When she reached solid land, she proceeded to beat the earth repeatedly, saying a curse each time. I kept my distance from her as I entered the small wood. She did not notice me until I ruffled some vines in my movement.

"I'm not alone." She shot up. "The Canterlotian.....The Canterlotian is here."

Her eyes darted in every direction. She was shivering and twitching madly. I climbed the trees to hide from her. The Wonderbolt started to walk about cautiously with a rock in her hand.

"What keeps you going, Assassin? What motivation can you possibly have to keep doing this?" She demanded loudly.

"You are a fiend!" She continued. "You are a marauder that preys on the weak! You have no Honor! I extinguished your kind in Cloudsdale! Rid it of corruption! I have dealt with your kind for too long."

I shrunk away and held myself close to a tree as she wandered below me. Every one of her words sounded like they required a mountain's worth of effort to produce. I could tell she was not injured and that it was only her raw emotions that were doing it.

"You don't even know the corruption that plagues your Brotherhood, do you? How can you stay loyal to them and know what they do? I had to kill innocents! I had to become a monster to have any recognition in the Brotherhood. Call me a traitor all you want, but it is you who has betrayed. You've betrayed yourself when you cast lot with them."

She suddenly turned around and threw the rock right at me. It struck me and knocked me off the tree and onto the hard dirt. I had expected her to attack me immediately, but she stood there breathing heavily, her scowl as evident as ever.

"Get up." She ordered harshly.

I stood up and raised my hands up in position to fight. She cocked her head before performing a long sigh. The wind howled above us and the lightning lit every crack in the woods. She gazed absently at her sword before stabbing it into the ground.

"You have no weapon. So I will not have one either." She said simply.

I awaited her first move. Her eyes glared straight at mine, not for a moment looking elsewhere on my body. She took one step forward, as if trying to get me to react prematurely. She took another. I saw her swallow and then she dashed at me with her arms in front of her. I rolled to the side and dodged her. She expected this and followed up with a swift kick that hit my side when I was in the middle of my roll.

It was not a tough blow and I stood up afterward. Spitfire kept the pressure on me by giving out a fury of punches and kicks that I had to block or dodge. She was breathing hard already, but I could tell she was not close to tired. 

"All the trouble you've given me! All because you can't see the errors of the Assassins!" She yelled.

I jumped back. "I know very well of the Assassins' lies, Spitfire. I understand why you left them."

"Then you are worse because of it! You know what's right and won't do it!"

She grabbed my arm and swung me into a tree. She then took my face and began slamming it into the tree repeatedly with the intent to bust my head open. My arm tingled and Valor appeared behind the Wonderbolt, taking her by the back and tossing her off me.

"What?" Spitfire gasped. "You are a shard user?"

I wiped the blood from my cheek. "Just received it not long ago. It was an accident."

"And now you use it against me? I thought you were unarmed!"

Spitfire got up and ran for her sword. I guided Valor to her and made the aura kick her back to me. It was truly effortless. The Wonderbolt tried again and Valor halted her progress. I walked over to the traitor.

"You are outmatched." I told her.

"Outmatched?" She growled. "You cheater! You corrupted woman. These shards were what caused all this. No person deserves the power they wield. It drives them insane. The Bearers of Harmony are clear evidence of this. Now you join them in that insanity."

I tried to reply to her, but she came out at me so fast that I was taken completely by surprise. Her hands wrapped themselves around my throat and she brought me to the ground. She had cut off are air to my lungs as she straggled me. The lightning from above shrouded her face into a silhouette.

"This is for my friend! This is for all the trouble you've given me! This is for Cloudsdale's protection and my Honor!"

Valor tackled her off me. The spirit began to punch the Wonderbolt repeatedly. Spitfire could not retaliate as her fists flew harmlessly through the aura. She then grabbed a rock and struck me with it, making the spirit dissipate before I wanted it to.

"Spitfire, stop this. I know what evil is in the Brotherhood, and I too want to cleanse it. But we can reform the Brotherhood. We don't need to destroy it."

"How can we reform something so lost?" She muttered as she tried to stand up.

"It's not lost!"

"Not lost? They kill innocents, their leaders are corrupted and foolish, they play with toys not meant for them, and their whole purpose is a lie! There is no Harmony in this world and there's no way you can make Harmony. The Creed is useless since the Brotherhood doesn't follow it."

"Then we'll set it right!"

"We? You can't be referring to me and you? We'll never be allies. I could never see myself working with the killer of my dear friend."

In truth, I did not even realize that I was saying "we." I knew she would never rejoin the Brotherhood. My speech was being altered by the shard. I shook my head in an attempt to free my conscience.

During this slight mental distraction, Spitfire pushed herself up. She threw herself at me again in her rage. When she came close, I made Valor backhand her across the cheek. There was an attempt at a dodge from the Wonderbolt, but the action was far faster than her mind could react. 

This did not stop her. After she spat some blood from her mouth she dived at my legs. She took hold of me above my knees and ran until I was pushed into the ground. 

"You won't use your shard to knock me off now!"

She grabbed my left hand and twisted it until it broke. I yelped in pain and use my other hand to grab her. Fortunately, my left did not have the shard as my right did. The blue aura whirled around my fingers, emitting a flying fist into the Wonderbolt. 

I got up quickly as Valor attacked Spitfire. My left hand was deformed and dislocated. I took hold of it and popped it back into place. After the pain of the shard accepting me, all that followed seemed disappointing. However, my hand was still broken in the palm up and thus it was ruined for the time being. 

Valor disappeared and Spitfire sprung to her feet. I sent Valor out again and Spitfire finally dodged the spirit. I sent it out again with similar results. She had clearly adapted to the battle. It was time I did as well. I lifted my hand up and made Valor appear above her and slammed the spirit down with a heavy kick straight on her. Her knees buckled awkwardly and her back popped out. She fell face first into the mud with her knees broken and her back out of line. The blow was much more destructive than I had anticipated.

I walked over to her. She breathed heavily and did not move. The only part that did was the twitching of her bloodied fingers. I dropped on one knee and inspected her. Her fiery eyes glanced at me defiantly, but it was clear she knew she had lost. 

"Do you expect me to beg?" She whispered hoarsely.

"No. I'm not sure what I expect from you." I replied.

"I can't move." She uttered. "You've paralyzed my body.  I'm done with my life."

"It is a shame it had to come to this. You were a great Assassin." I told her sincerely.

"No I wasn't. I was a fool. I'm still a fool. I had the dumb idea of attempting to change the world. It was too big, even for me and my mad dreams. I wish I could say I had no regrets....But it's not true."

"I should have stayed out of the war when I left the Brotherhood." She continued. "I never should have listened to Lady Shimmer. I let my anger guide my path, and it led to the deaths of my friends. All of them."

"That's the dangers of the Templar." I nodded.

"I was never a Templar!" She spat. "Never in heart. I could never see Sunset's vision...It was too blurry for me. Her and her Father of Understanding...It was just the same forgotten morals like the Brotherhood. After all these years, they were just words as the actions were all forgotten."

"Then why did you attack us?"

"Because it was the only way to bring peace. If this secret war never existed....we would have peace. I just wanted safety for my home. I should have kept my purpose that simple."

She grimaced as she finally felt the pain. Her eyes were close to tearing and her hands twitched violently. I took a step back in fright.

"I....never regained....my Honor. I doubt now it was even possible. Once tainted, always tainted. Please, Octavia, take my sword and finish me. I care not about that scimitar anymore. It was just the symbol of my past mistakes and I never moved past them. It is only fitting that it should end me completely."

I did as she asked. I walked over to her sword and pulled it out of the ground. Its gleaming edge glistened in the first ray of sunlight that broke through the subsiding hurricane. I returned to her. Her eyes watched me carefully and with a gleam of hope as well. With my good hand I turned her over on her back, letting her eyes stare at the greyish sky. I then placed the sword in her hands and lifted her arms up with the blade pointing at her chest. With a fluid motion, I pushed the blade down into her heart; her hands still limp of its handle. The Wonderbolt's eyes rolled up in her head and with a relieved sigh, she rested for eternity.

I bowed to her in the Assassin manner. I swiped my hands over her still eyes, closing them in peace. My eyes then turned to the clearing horizon. Wood and bodies floated to the shore slowly and with almost a sense of tranquility. The storm was finished, but all the horrors of it remained. 


~

> Bearer Chapter: Wisdom
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"They's all around us!"

"Take cover!"

"I've seen worse..."

"Get down!"

"It's coming straight for us!"

"Sister!"

Celestia dived to the ground after her younger sister. Her white robes landed in the bloodied snow with a plop before she quickly crawled towards Luna. Each step was harder than the last as the earth shook from the shadow monster that rumbled through the frozen ground like a giant snake through thin grass. The mass of blackness sailed over her and went into the ground again head first. Celestia watched it disappear before continuing her journey.

"Luna!"

Celestia slid over to her sister who was hiding behind a crystal building. The younger one clutched her leg, trying to stop the bleeding from her thigh. Celestia carefully inspected the wound and placed a comforting hand on her sister.

"You'll be fine, it's nothing to worry about." She reassured Luna.

"We shouldn't have challenged him, Sister." Luna sobbed as she fought her tears.

"It's too late now. He won't spare us."

"Tia, this was a horrid mistake..."

"Quiet!" Celestia hissed as she brushed her pink hair out of her eyes. "We must get the people to safety, his shadows are killing everyone. Then we can assassinate him."

Luna fell silent and looked down, making her white hood cover her eyes. Celestia sighed in regret. Luna was right. They had challenged Sombra prematurely. They had an army, yes, but they were now witnessing that an army was not enough. 

"Come on Sister." Celestia took one of Luna's shaking hands. "We can do this."

Celestia pulled Luna on her feet, much to the latter's disapproval. Luna grimaced as she put weight on her wounded leg. Celestia wiped away some of her sister's cold tears with her white sleeve. She waited for Luna to say something, but the young woman never uttered a sound that was not caused by her crying. Celestia sighed and placed her sister's arm over her shoulder.

"Let's go. We need to be in a safe place to regroup with the others."

Luna nodded quickly in acknowledgement. Her short blue hair gently unfolded and hung out of her hood. Her large eyes focused on the ground, trying not to stare at the blood and slowly flowed down her leg. Celestia supported her and they started their trek through the sparkling snow.

They had to avoid the ever-searching eyes of the shadows that spread destruction across the Crystal City. Warriors would be sucked into literal darkness and the sounds of their body parts being ripped apart could be heard over their accompanying screams. Sombra's inglorious display of power was evident in every alley and snow-covered street. 

The sisters crouched low when they reached a house that was only half-standing. A shadow popped out of the snow before them and Luna held her breath as the monster did not notice them at all. Red gas flowed from its black jaws and its white eyes glowed with passion. It then ran off with a demonic howl. They watched it chase after some of their fellow warriors before moving again.

"Are you gals in trouble?" A smooth voice cackled from behind them.

"Discord?" Celestia turned around.

Before her, standing calmly as the world battled itself around him, was her lover, Discord. The man grinned with slightly crooked teeth that destroyed his otherwise handsome appearance. His long and thin arms were crossed with confidence. Celestia was ecstatic to see him and let go of her sister, who promptly fell to the snow. 

"Oh, Discord! I thought they got to you when the gate collapsed." Celestia hugged Discord tightly.

Discord grunted as she squeezed him too tight. "Sorry to....disappoint. Celestia, this is....not....the time!"

"Oh, right." She let go. "Luna? Are you alright?"

"Not with a sister like you." She replied with an indignant huff. 

Celestia took hold of her sister again and they returned to their trek with Discord calmly following. Nothing had ever gotten to Discord before, so Celestia was not surprised by his demeanor. He, however, did not help her with Luna and so she supported her sister up by herself. 

The scream of a man being tossed into the air faded as he flew out of sight. Another crystal structure sank into the ground as Sombra's rampaging shadows destroyed everything there was. 

"Discord! We need to get the people to safety!" Celestia ordered.

"Ya don't say? Well, Scorpan is already on the job, last I heard. Of course, he could be dead now, which would be rather unfortunate."

"Discord!" Luna shouted. "Listen to Tia! Sombra's shadows are going mad out here."

"Alright, alright. Chryssi should be over yonder. I think her boys are holding well over there. She'll patch ya yup, Lulu."

"Thanks. C'mon Tia, let's get to Chrysalis." 

Celestia quickened her pace. Discord ran off in the other direction, climbing the crystal buildings with grace and ease. Luna held tight on her bleeding leg, watching the crimson blood mix with the fur on her robes. The clash of metal sounded through the snow-filled city as the rebels and the Immortals of the Northern Crystal Empire fought with swords and spears. Death was common in the city today. 

"We aren't going to make it to the Crystal Palace..." Luna sighed in defeat.

"Yes we are. Sombra's reign ends today. We've planned this for years. It is not going to just end like this." Celestia hissed back.

Luna tripped over a crystal in the snow and fell to the white ground. Celestia cursed at herself for letting such a thing happen. She bent low to gather her sister up again. The sounds of war grew closer. The elder sister risked a glance upwards as the Crystal Palace that loomed over the entire empire. It seemed to watch them, always mocking them for their futile efforts. The black crystals the made it reminded them of the one who constructed it. The one who defiled the Crystal Heart, changing it from Life to Death. 

"Luna get up! We need to move!"

"Tia, I can't!"

Celestia was about to yell back when the metal footfalls of Immortals approached them from all sides. Out of the rising blizzard came knights in bright red crystal armor, jagged and wild as usual for their nation. Their crystal halberds glistened with the weak sun. Celestia slowly stood up and placed a readied hand at her side.

"There's one of the assassins!" An Immortal pointed at her.

"To Tartarus with you! Let Commander Hurricane have mercy!" Another growled.

"Get up Luna! Now!"

Two of the Immortals charged at Celestia. She pulled out her crystal tomahawk and sidestepped the attack. With a quick swing, she buried the tomahawk into one Immortal's unprotected armpit, making him scream in pain. The second Immortal jabbed at her with his halberd. She hooked it with her tomahawk and made it fell into the ground. She then kicked his helmet off swiftly before he could pull his weapon out of the ground. The Immortal's bruised face was revealed to all. 

"You'll die for that!" He yelled.

Celestia sliced him below the knee, making him kneel. She yanked the halberd out of his hands and pulled it out of the ground. With a quick spin of the weapon, she turned it around and stabbed it through his mouth and down his throat. The crystal point emerged from his lower back and pinned his corpse to the frozen ground. 

The first Immortal returned with a downward swing. Celestia rolled out of the way and struck him in the back, cracking his spine and sending him into the red snow. She shook the blood off her rounded blade and faced the rest.

Luna finally got to her feet, her hidden blade was almost invisible next to the glistening objects around it. With a quick swipe of her hand, three knives flew into the necks of the other Immortals, making them clutch their necks and fall to the ground with quick twitches. The remaining Immortals jumped back in fright.

They were about to run when an arrow struck them each in the visor and into their skulls. They fell silently as blood oozed out of their gaudy helmets. Both Celestia and Luna instinctively glanced in the direction that the arrows came from.

On top of a nearby building was Chrysalis, her green long bow was held in front of her, ready to send another arrow if need be. Bright green locks escaped her hood and her piercing eyes seemed to glow with reflection. She held an arrow to her green lips and her long thin hands held the string gently. Her face was masked with the cold breath from her nose. When she saw that all the Immortals were down, she lowered her bow and returned it to her back before hopping down gracefully.

"No need to say thank you." Chrysalis smiled, showing her unusually long fangs.

"We've been looking for you." Celestia explained. "Luna's hurt."

"Doesn't look bad to me." Chrysalis chuckled.

"You're not the one feeling the pain!" Luna reminded her.

"I'm also not the youngest and weakest of the group." Chrysalis retorted. 

"Be nice Chrys." Celestia defended her sister. "All she needs is a way to stop the bleeding."

"Well, why didn't you say so?"

Chrysalis untied her blue sash and wrapped it around Luna's leg. The younger sister grunted as the archer made sure it was tight. Chrysalis then finished it with a knot before standing up and patting Luna on the shoulder.

"That should do it. You could have done that with your own sash too."

"Oh be quiet!" Luna growled.

"Chrys, if you haven't noticed, Sombra's shadows are everywhere. We need to reach the Shadow King and end this." Celestia pointed at the Palace.

"Hm, yeah." Chrysalis shrugged. "My boys are pushing up that way right now. We should join them."

Chrysalis turned and quickly climbed the crystal buildings. She was by far the best climber of the six. Tirek was the worst. Celestia followed swiftly, using her natural height and long legs to easily surmount the crystal walls. Luna tried to climb, but her leg hurt too much, thus Celestia and to reach down and pulled her sister up.

"Make sure not to make it worse, Sister." She whispered in Luna's ear.

"I'll try." The younger responded.

Chrysalis was already far ahead of them. Celestia hoisted Luna all the way before chasing after the archer. Her soft shoes, mainly built for trekking through snow, softly touched each point of colorful crystal as she ran after her companion. Luna grunted with each step, but was resilient. That was Luna alright, Celestia thought. She was the first to cry but the last to be defeated. 

Celestia jumped over a street and continued on. Shadows raged through the air, slamming their ethereal forms into the standing structures, causing them to explode loudly. With all of Sombra's slaves liberated, he had no use to keep the city standing. That or he was trying to frighten all the people back into submission. However, it was not working as the rebels fought on. There was not a peaceful alley in the Empire at the moment. No street without corpses, and no home untarnished by fear. It was a massacre for both sides, but rebels' army was much larger than Sombra's legions.

"Sombra is the legion though." Celestia told herself.

She climbed onto a taller roof. A shadow monster ripped out of the earth and sucked in a squad of rebels, never to be seen again. Beams of darkness fell from the sky, obliterating the ground where they touched. At this rate, the Northern Crystal Empire would be torched to oblivion before the day was done.

"This is worse than the Windigoes...."

Chrysalis hopped down and out of sight. Celestia checked on her sister before continuing. Luna forced herself forward with much effort. Her older sister ran back to support her on her shoulder. The two of them then jogged to the edge where Chrysalis jumped down. 

"You have to go down, Sister." Celestia told her.

"Of course."

Luna turned around and began her descent, making sure not to put unneeded weight on her wounded leg. It did not take her long to reach the bottom though as all crystal buildings have plenty of footholds. Celestia followed by simply jumping down into the snow.

The sounds of a bow could be heard over the nearby fighting. Chrysalis was shooting her arrows in quick succession, knocking an Immortal down with each shaft. Rebels in black and green garments surrounded the archer. The toothy jaws that decorated their unique helmets showed that they were a part of Chrysalis' army.

You just gonna stand there or fight?" Chrysalis demanded as she shot down another Immortal.

Celestia responded by pulling out her tomahawk and charging into the fray. Small shadows emerged from the ground and took the forms of humans. Celestia gasped as the shadows picked up the weapons of fallen warriors and joined the fight like regular men. These new soldiers swarmed over Chrysalis' men. 

"Get back! Regroup!" Chrysalis ordered.

The black and green warriors fell back into position and held their swords and axes up against the shadows. An arrow flew through a shadow's head, making it deform until it brought it back into shape. Celestia charged at one, knocking it over and sending her tomahawk deep into its ethereal body. The weapon ripped the shadow apart faster than it could rebuild itself. Celestia kept pulverizing it until it separated completely and vanished.  

"That's how you do it!" Chrysalis cheered.

Chrysalis' men roared with passion and followed Celestia's lead. A whole new battle ensued with shadows and Immortals versus the rebels and assassins. Luna stood up and pulled out her black estoc. With a shout, she ran with her companions.

Celestia ducked under an Immortal's swing and countered with a knife to his neck before kicking him into a shadow. She then rolled past several shadows. They glanced her way, only to be destroyed by rebels with war hammers. An Immortal fell to Chrysalis' precision and a shadow was extinguished by Luna's furious sword. 

However, Chrysalis' men were becoming thin as the skirmish went on. Their insect-like armor was not helpful against the shadows and their unbelievable strength. Heads rolled on the ground and parts of limbs flew through the air. 

"Hold strong!" Chrysalis yelled.

The shadows paused before lashing out with their extendable arms, straggling a group of rebels and shattering their bones. Celestia took another shadow out and quickly proceeded to the next one. She did not know how much she was actually doing since Sombra's shadows were seemingly limitless. 

"Outta the way!"

The sounds of horses made Celestia turn around. A squad of cavalrymen was heading straight for her, their leader in spike-ridden armor and was wielding a massive blacksmith hammer. She quickly jumped out of the way and the horsemen rode through, clearing the area of shadows and trampling over any remaining Immortals.

"Tirek you've arrived!" Luna shouted. "It's about time."

"Ha! You never cease to amaze me. I leave the sisters for 10 minutes and they already need me." Tirek guffawed as he rode to them.

The long horns that rose out of his red and black helmet made him appear far taller than he actually was. His muscles bulged out from under his plate armor. A long, braided black beard covered most of his chest and a gold nose ring almost covered his thick mustache. Yellow eyes glared at them unhappily, but all knew he was in a much fairer mood. His uncovered hands displayed the countless burns he acquired through his dangerous forging techniques. A gold triangle was hung on his necklace, giving color to his otherwise colorless fashion. Sparks of lightning flew off of his hammer. The shard within it beamed with the satisfaction of death. 

"My brother has successfully escorted all the unarmed civilians out of the city. Discord now marches on the Palace from the northeast. Victory is coming lads and lasses." He boomed with his deep and commanding voice.

"Then let us strike! The sooner the better!" Chrysalis demanded.

"What about Hurricane's men? Aren't they waiting for us?" Celestia pointed at the Palace.

"Of course they are." Tirek nodded. "The boy, however, is afraid. I can feel it. A commander as skilled as him should know when he's lost. I do not see much resistance from him."

"And the High Princess?"

"She's already given herself up. Princess Platinum is our prisoner. My riders made sure of that." Tirek smiled confidently.

"Then all that's left is the Private." Luna muttered.

"She'll be with Hurricane no doubt. That girl and him are practically lovers." Chrysalis commented.

"Do you think they may take shards?" Celestia suggested.

Tirek huffed. "Of course they will. Sombra doesn't want to lose, he'll make them all take shards."

"Then let us be ready." 

"To Tartarus!" Tirek shouted and his riders followed in. 

Tirek and his riders stormed off towards the Palace. Shadow monsters still attacked the city, but their paths of destruction were not close. Chrysalis yelled at her remaining soldiers and they ran after the shard-smith. Celestia and Luna glanced at each other.

"Are you ready?" Celestia asked.

"Yes. No leg is going to stop me from ending this."

"That's the Luna know. Together?"

"Together!"





The battle to the Palace was much easier than anticipated. Sombra's forces had gathered within the Palace itself. The only soldiers that dared step out of the Palace were shadows which Tirek had too much fun destroying with his hammer. It seemed like victory was achieved, but Celestia knew better.

"Sombra's still alive and he's just waiting for us."

"Hm, yeah." Chrysalis shrugged. It's up to us to set the time of meeting."

"It should be now." Tirek boomed. "I've been waiting so long for this."

"We all have, Tirek. But we just can't go straight in there. He'll expect that." Celestia reminded him.

"Then we do the unexpected."

They all turned to see Discord and Scorpan walking to them. Scorpan brushed his short brown beard with one of his stubby hands. His hood was down, revealing a small bald head. When next to Discord, he appeared very small. He however, was used to it as he was the shortest of the group. 

"Discord! Good to see you again." Celestia giggled. "What news do you bring?"

"Well, there was the news that I am best here, but I'm sure you already know that." Discord chuckled.

All except Celestia rolled their eyes. Discord walked up to them, rubbing the little brown hair on his pointed chin. Tirek slammed his hammer on the crystal door again, making several sharp shards of it fly in every direction. He huffed in frustration.

"What's your plan Discord?" He asked coldly.

"We either stay down here and spend all day trying to break the door down or we simply climb it."

"Climb?" Tirek spat. "Climb? That's idiotic."

"For you maybe. For the rest of us, it is plausible. We have all trained ourselves to surmount every obstacle. And here's an obstacle."

He gestured at the Palace. All heads turned to the grand tower. The top was not visible, nor was even halfway. The smooth crystal that it was comprised of made it even more impossible.

"I'm sorry Discord, but I don't like that idea." Celestia said quietly.

"Even if we could climb it, we'd be far too tired to face the Shadow King." Luna added.

"Hmph!" Discord sounded offended. "Then I'll just see you guys at the top."

Without another word, he jumped on the crystal wall and began climbing. The others could only watch him as he ascended. Tirek shrugged and went back to hammering the door. 

"Umm...Be careful!" Celestia shouted at Discord.

"Well, he was a lot of help. So what's the plan." Chrysalis eyes everyone sarcastically.

"The plan is to get in there and kill him!" Tirek grunted.

"That's good and all, Brother, but details could be beneficial." Scorpan hesitantly spoke up.

Tirek looked at him incredulously. "Details? Silence! We all know what to do! We go and kill him!"

"Um....As you wish." Scorpan nodded in defeat.

"Tirek be nice." Celestia hissed.

"Fine." He muttered.

"Alright then. We need a plan before we enter. Tirek, you and your riders will break the door down. Chrysalis, gather your best archers. Once the door is down, Tirek's men will get out of your way. There is no doubt that an army is on the other. Get as many of them as you can. Luna and I will run in with Tirek's men behind us. We are great at being distractions and we'll make whatever Immortals left focus on us while they get smashed by Tirek. Scorpan.....You be.....uh....You'll bring up the rear."

"As always..." He muttered.

"Great plan, Celestia. But ya forgot something. How is Tirek going to break the door? That thing is a foot of crystal." Chrysalis pointed out.

"You doubt me?!" Tirek shouted.

"Yup." Chrysalis nodded.

Tirek's yellow eyes burned with anger. Sparks flew off his hammer and he slammed it deep into the crystal. Lightning began to strike the door repeatedly. He raised his hammer again and struck the door even harder. The rebels had to stand back as bolts of lightning traveled in every direction. With a third blow, the lightning shot into the door, ripping it apart and sending the shrapnel flying into the Immortals that waited for them inside.

"Or you could just do that..." Celestia shrugged.

Tirek's men flooded the doorway and ripped through the Immortals' ranks. Chrysalis let loose some arrows that struck down her targets. Celestia and Luna quickly followed the bull head of Tirek and helped him strike terror into the remaining Immortals. 

The Immortals, much to Celestia's admiration, held their ground against the large man and his hulking forces. They were no match for the grounded riders and soon gave way. Celestia jumped from helmet to helmet as she crossed the large crystal hallways. She then pounced on an Immortal, digging her weapon deep into his neck. 

"Fall back to the King!" An Immortal ordered.

The remaining soldiers scrambled up the winding staircase. Their bulky armor blocked the stairs so much so, that they could only climb it two-by-two. Their formation was excellent, having the last guys fend off attackers with spears or halberds. Tirek cursed as a spear scrapped his shoulder. A bolt of lightning flew out and struck an Immortal dead, making his body slide down the stairs.

"Don't let them regroup!"

Luna threw a rope-dart into the neck of an Immortal and pulled him downward on his companions. His weight knocked over the men below him and broke their formation. This made it easy for Celestia to expertly climb the railing and cut them off from their destination. She kicked one over he railing and stood before them.

"You don't want to continue." She warned them.

With Tirek behind them and Celestia in front, the remaining Immortals wisely threw their weapons down. Fear could be seen in their eyes. The shard-smith grumbled and shoved them all out of the way and off the stairs. The Immortals sort of just accepted the bullying as he made his way to Celestia. When he finally reached her, all the Immortals were on the floor below the stairs.

"That wasn't polite of you." Celestia chuckled.

"Heh. Like I was ever polite." Tirek replied annoyingly.

Luna and Chrysalis ran up the stairs with the army behind them. The four them paused and observed the room they had just entered. It was a large room with high ceilings, all in bright blue crystal. A few pieces of furniture dotted the room, adding much needed color. There, in the center, were a young man and woman in crystal armor. The man had blackish armor while the woman had a pale yellow. Her pink hair hung out of her helmet. They both watched the four rebels closely.

Tirek walked forward with his hammer pointing at them. "Hurricane, Pansy, move aside."

"Not today, Tirek." Hurricane replied forcibly.

Celestia and Luna joined Tirek. Their two adversaries still stared at them with caution. Both of their right gauntlets were missing, indicating they had recently accepted shards. Celestia took a step forward and addressed the two young leaders.

"Cease this, Commander. We are not here for you." She told Hurricane.

"We take orders from the Shadow King only." Pansy hissed.

"So be it!" 

Chrysalis sent an arrow at the duo. Pansy threw an arm up, making a pillar of stone soar out of the floor to block the projectile. This commenced the fight. Celestia and Luna led the charge, throwing knives and other sharp objects at the Commander and his Private. 

"I will not let you by!" Hurricane shouted.

Flames engulfed his arms. An intense fire appeared in his palms. Celestia ducked under a fireball that flew over her and exploded in the wall. The Commander followed up with several more fireballs, all of them greatly missing their targets.

Celestia rolled under a gout of fire and swept Hurricane off his feet with her legs. She got up to follow up on her attack, but Pansy sent a rock pillar that knocked her away. Celestia was caught completely by surprise and laid on the floor for some time. She could barely hear Tirek fighting as her ears rung from the strike.

Hurricane pushed himself up, only to get tackled by Luna. She pinned him to the ground. He reacted by breathing fire over her face, making her reel back in pain. Celestia watched in horror as her sister's face was burned off.

"Luna!"

Hurricane stood up, his lips bleeding heavily. Pansy fell over as an arrow struck her left arm. The Commander gasped and started to run over to her. Celestia puled out her tomahawk and threw it into his back leg. The blade barely reached his skin, but the force knocked him off balance and too the crystal floor. 

Celestia did not hesitate and ran over to Luna, who was still screaming from the pain. The elder sister pulled the younger's hands away so that she could inspect the damage.

"It's not as bad as I thought." She whispered.

However, it was still horrid. Luna's face was half-gone and one could easily see some of the jaw's tendons on her right side. Celestia tried to hold back her emotions as tears started to form in her eyes. Her sister's face was ruined. 

"Luna, hold tight. The battle's not over. You must hang in there until it is done." Celestia told her.

"Sister..." Luna groaned.

Tirek landed close by them, making the whole Palace shake. Pansy was standing up, clutching her bleeding arm. A wall of stone rose in front of her and started to slide on the floor. Chrysalis cursed as her arrows were useless against the defensive maneuver. Hurricane threw flaming orbs over the wall.

"Damn them!" Tirek yelled. "I'll leave nothing but paste when I'm done with them!"

"Chrys!" Celestia shouted at the archer. "We need you to take Luna away from here! She's hurt."

"Can't it wait?!" Chrysalis shouted back. "We're busy!"

The stone edged closer. It was so large now that it blocked the other side of the room completely and threatened to crush them as it approached. A lightning bolt shattered some of the wall, but the stone shards pieced themselves back together. The rest of the army gasped and headed back down the stairs to safety.

"C'mon! There's gotta be a way to reach them!" Chrysalis spat.

The wall suddenly collapsed to reveal Hurricane on the ground and Pansy in a choke hold from Scorpan. The Private struggled against the short man, but she soon ran out of breath and became limp on his shoulder. Scorpan threw her down and pulled her left behind her, pinning her down. 

Celestia took one last glance at the whimpering Luna before charging at Hurricane. He started to crawl away, but she stopped him and stomping on his back.

"You're not going anywhere!" She yelled angrily at him.

He groaned loudly. She tore his helmet off to reveal black hair and the face of teenager. Hurricane was known for his young age and it was one of the reasons why the Crystal Empire did not trust him entirely with leadership if the military. Celestia could care less about that as she rubbed her foot deeper into his spine.

"I yield!" He screamed.

"Not after what you did to my sister!" Celestia growled and pulled her tomahawk out of his leg. 

Celestia swung the tomahawk on his right hand, cutting it off. The Commander screamed in agony as his hand flew across the floor, leaving a trail of blood. Celestia withdrew her foot and he clutched his wrist tightly.

"No more! I'm with Sombra no more!" He begged.

"Good."

Tirek kicked Pansy over. She gasped and clutched her ribs with her left arm. Her right hand stretched across the room and she dragged herself. Her helmet was off as well, revealing a beautiful young girl, no older than Hurricane. Her only imperfection was the grimace that lined her countenance.

"Which hand has the shard!?" Tirek demanded. "It's your right one I bet."

His hammer slammed on her outstretched hand, crushing it completely. The sounds of bone cracking echoed through the high ceilings. He slowly lifted the hammer to reveal what was left of her hand. As she instinctively pulled it to her body, the fingers and palm were left on the floor. Only bits of flesh on tendons were extended out of her wrist. A bright brownish crystal was in the middle of where her hand was.

"You had Integrity." Tirek mused. "A fine shard. It's terrible how you misuse lass."

"It was my orders!" Pansy cried. "It was my orders!"

Celestia picked up Hurricane's severed hand and gave it a shake. A reddish shard fell out and made a soft ding on the crystal below. The shard gave an instant warmness to he room. Tirek walked over in surprise.

"The shard of Order." He gasped. "Sombra's more desperate than I thought. Boy, this shard is dangerous! How dare you use it!"

"I won't use it again!" Hurricane moaned.

"You better not!"

Tirek was about to strike the boy's head when Celestia intervened. She calmly lowered his hammer away from Hurricane's skull. A long sigh emitted from her nostrils and she faced the Commander again.

"You and Private Pansy shall leave this place and be reminders of why one does not toy with such artifacts. If you do not leave now, we'll kill you."

They did not need to be told twice. Pansy and Hurricane scrambled to their feet. Without a glance back, they ran out, clutching their bleeding wrists. The rebels simply stepped out of their way and watched them pass. Celestia felt some guilt, but it did not last when she heard Luna's cries.

Chrysalis was hunched over the younger sister, her face was indifferent to the torment she was watching. Tirek ignored the cries and marched to the next set of stairs. Scorpan and Celestia were the only ones who showed concern for the youngest in their group.

"She'll be fine." Chrysalis muttered. "It's not as bad as it looks. She'll be looking like this for the rest of her life though."

"Can you carry on, Sister?" Celestia asked quietly.

"I.....I'm not sure..." Was the answer.

"We'll continue without her." Scorpan spoke up. "She's safe down here. We'll come back after defeating the Shadow King."

"I just can't leave her down here..."

"You need to, Celestia. We need as many warriors to fight Sombra as we can get." Chrysalis reminded her.

"Go....Tia..." Luna groaned the order and pointed at the steps Tirek was now ascending.

"I'll be back, Sister! Just you wait for me." Celestia kissed Luna on her unburnt cheek before departing after Tirek.





"This is it..." Scorpan swallowed.

"Don't be cowardly, Brother. We enter this fight fearless." Tirek said decisively.

Celestia gulped as she stared at the black door before them. On the other side was the throne room where Sombra waited for them. They had defeated every Immortal, monster, and shadow thus far, but now they challenged the ruler of the Empire. 

The army whispered among themselves. Each one of them tightly gripped their sweat-covered weapons. Chrysalis was almost panting with how hard she was breathing. Usually the most calm of all of them, she fidgeted with her bow in fear. Her men stayed close to her, trying to give mutual comfort.

Tirek's jaw tightened and the grinding of his teeth echoed through the crystal halls. His massive hands gripped his glowing hammer. His beard was stained with blood and wet with sweat. His eyes scowled at the door. His muscles were taut and fingers unmoving. 

Scorpan swallowed again, making much less noise than before. His small frame was unnoticeable compared to the large bodies beside him. That was how he liked it, however. He was also the one forgotten and that was his greatest strength. He could only hope that Sombra would forget him too.

"It's time." Celestia muttered. "It's bloody time."

"Eyah!" The rebels behind her shouted.

"Sombra!" Celestia yelled through the door. "Your time has come! Face us now! Face the people you have enslaved!"

The door slid open slowly. Black tentacles wrapped themselves around the dark crystal and pulled the door open with ease. There was a moment of silence after the heavy door slammed open. The four glanced at each other before walking in as one.

The throne room was much larger than any room they had been in. A massive balcony stretched out of the Palace, watching the smoke that rose from the city below. A long purple carpet lined its way to the massive crystal throne across the room. On the dark crystal sat the Shadow King himself with the Crystal Heart glowing a faint red above him. 

Sombra rested his bearded head on the knuckles of his armored hand. His other hand tapped the armrest impatiently, creating the only sound in the room. A red crown sat on his head and a long red cape flowed from his back. Despite his chiseled, but wild face, he appeared regal. He faintly smiled to reveal astonishingly white teeth.

"Good day." He said simply.

"How dare you treat us like that!" Tirek roared.

"Shardsmith, I am not treating you harshly. You are the invaders of my home. You have treated me poorly."

Sombra's voice was impatient and rude. His fingers tapped the crystal at a faster rate. He snorted indignantly before continuing.

"What do you expect, rebels? Me to beg? Not likely. I have faced such enemies before. You are nothing compared to me."

The army flooded in and surrounded the throne. Celestia found strength with the numbers in her favor. She took a step forward and pointed a finger at the King.

"We will not spare you, Sombra. All the horrors you have brought on this Empire shall now come to haunt you. You were never a king, only a tyrant!"

"Bold words to me." He replied. "Indeed I was never a king. I am more. From this day, Celestia, Daughter of Solaire, you may refer to me as Death."

The Shadow King stood up and threw his cape to the clean floor. Without the cape, his frame was now revealed. He was not massive like Tirek, but tall and lean. His body was the perfect balance. He connected his hands, cracking the knuckles for all to hear. 

"You shall all die here like pigs!" He snarled. "I am your emperor! I am your leader! None shall ever usurp me, for I have the Crystal Heart on my side. I am Death!"

Masses of black shadows sprouted from the floor and grabbed rebels before they could react. Their bodies were crushed by the shadows' strength before being promptly thrown out of the Palace and over the balcony's decorated railing. Sombra laughed as his shadows emerged in one horde to face the army.

Celestia jumped out of the way of a tentacle and threw a knife at the King. It dug deep into his arm, only for him to laugh and pull it out with magical telekinesis. His wound healed instantly and he threw the knife playfully back at her.

"You're a fool, my sweet. I can't be killed." He chuckled insanely.

Tirek yelled a battle cry and charged at the King. His hammer struck Sombra, sending him to the crystal floor. The King cursed and teleported away in a puff of smoke. The smoke then flew to Tirek, picking up the man and throwing him across the room. A loud crack was heard when the warrior met the wall.

Chrysalis shot an arrow that grazed the King's crown. Sombra lifted her up with his magic and slammed her into the ground, knocking her unconscious. Her bow broke with the impact.

Celestia gasped as her friends were being swiftly taken care of by the Shadow King. She lifted her tomahawk and charged at him. He grinned at her and a rebel corpse was thrown her way by a shadow. She tried to dodge the barbaric projectile, but could not as it collided with her. The dead rebel's armor pinned her to the floor.

"So much hate and anger in you, Celestia." Sombra clicked his tongue while stroking his groomed black beard.

Celestia could watch the Shadow walk over to her and place a mocking foot on the corpse. His tentacles and shadows were wiping out the rebels with ease. All of Chrysalis' men were dead already and Tirek's riders were barely holding up.

"You people keep forgetting who your ruler is." Sombra hissed like a snake. 

"You're wrong! We know exactly who the ruler is! It's not you, but ourselves." Celestia spat.

"Now now, if that was the case, I wouldn't be needed, would I? This Empire thrives because of my reign. Without me, you all would be nothing. Nothing!"

The Shadow King stomped on the corpse, sending its armor deep into Celestia's chest. His eyes glowed a deep red with green wisps gently floating out from the edges. His thick jaw was tight in rage.

"I'll make an example of you, Celestia. I know where you sister is. Luna, Daughter of Artemis, shall be an example of why one does not oppose the king. And you shall watch it all."

He reeled his head upwards in laughter. Suddenly, he was tackled off of Celestia by a tall figure. It was so sudden that Celestia paused to rethink what she had just seen. She then realized that she still had the rebel's body on her. She called forth her strength and pushed the armored soldier off of her.

She looked to see Discord and Sombra fighting. He had finally scaled the Palace from the outside. Celestia quickly stood up and pulled out one of her knives. She had seen what Sombra could do and wished that it would not happen to Discord.

"I saw that you needed me. As usual." Discord guffawed as he dodged one of Sombra's arcanic bolts.

"You're late." She told him.

"Do not mock me with your conversation!" Sombra bellowed angrily.

A tentacle shot out of his arm. Discord jumped out the way and Celestia rolled to a better spot. Rebels were still being torn apart by the shadows. Most of them had started to retreat back downstairs. 

Tirek got up and threw his hammer at the King. It connected and sent him hurling across the room. It appeared to do no harm however, as Sombra recovered instantly. Shadows formed around him and charged at the shard-smith, climbing onto him like giant ants. Scorpan ran in and pulled the shadows off.

"You can't handle all of us, Sombra." Celestia boasted.

You have not seen my power yet!" He screamed back.

Two swords materialized in his hands. They were short swords that glowed red-hot with warmth. It was like they were on fire but without flames. The King laughed proudly.

"You think you are my assassins? You have not killed me yet. Come at me!"

Celestia picked up a sword off the floor and ran at the King. Discord joined her with his own sword in front of him. Sombra deflected their first attacks easily. Fiery sparks flew off the blades like a metal rod would when hammered in a forge. Celestia felt a shock of hot air when the blades struck. The wind knocked her thick hood off.

"Those are my swords you bastard!" Tirek yelled.

Sombra countered with two swings of the blazing swords. Discord jumped back to avoid the blades. Sombra was focusing on only one at a time as he ignored Celestia for the most part. He would simply deflect Celestia's attacks and then return to Discord. 

Discord spun around and kicked Sombra's shin. He then followed up by slashing the King across his chest. However, like when Celestia threw her knife, the wound closed itself in no time. Sombra seemed invincible.

Celestia stabbed him in the back, only to be picked up by a powerful wind and hurled away. Tirek slapped Sombra, sending him to the floor. The shard-smith was pushed back by another squad of shadows. Scorpan tackled the King, only to be slammed to the ground by a tentacle. 

"You can't stop me!" The Shadow King laughed.

Celestia watched as Discord battled with the King. Both were skilled swordsmen. Sombra was more fanciful in his movements while Discord's attacks were unpredictable and unorthodox. She knew the King would win, so she got back up to return to the fight.

Celestia swung at the King. Sombra reacted by sidestepping the blade and kicking her in the gut. His spiked boot scrapped her belly, making a nasty laceration. She screamed in pain.

"You did not just do that to Tia!" Discord growled.

Discord began to fight harder. He soon smacked one sword out of the King's hand and then the other. Sombra was in shock by how easily he was disarmed. Discord did not hesitate to swing the final blow, but his arm was stopped by Sombra's telekinesis.

"If that's how you want to fight, I'll give you a real battle." Sombra hissed.

Discord's arm bended the wrong way, breaking it instantly. Sombra laughed as he made the arm go in every direction. Celestia gasped at the sight. Discord wailed in agony. The Shadow King finally threw him into a wall to silence him.

"Now that's done." He said casually.

"You monster!" Celestia shouted. "I'll kill you myself!"

Celestia grabbed a helmet and chucked it at him. The helmet struck him in the head, knocking him over. She knew this did nothing to him and charged after him, her sword held high above her head. The King tried to get up, but she skewered him before he could do so. 

"You.....You think that hurts?" He grimaced.

"It does. I know it does."

Celestia pulled the sword out and stabbed him again. He started to laugh despite the blood that poured from his smiling mouth. It was like he was forcing himself to laugh. Celestia repeated the action.

"You will die!"

"Not with the Crystal Heart on my side!"

Celestia was hit by a force field and thrown away from the wounded King. She landed hard on the bloodied crystal floor. Tirek ran at the King. Sombra waved his hand and made the warrior fly into a wall. Scorpan was tackled by a shadow. 

"I can't be killed when I have the Element of Life." Sombra explained. "The Crystal Heart will never let me die."

"Then let's observe how thou do'st without it!"

Celestia and Sombra turned to the balcony. Luna, with her scarred face, was holding the Crystal Heart in her hands. It's reddish tint was fading into a more sky bluish color. The King's eyes widened.

"Girl! You don't know what you do." He told her in a panic.

"I know what I do." Luna replied. "Thou is king no more."

Without hesitation, Luna dropped the Heart over the railing. Silence fell over the room. Sombra was in a state of shock and simply stared at Luna. It seemed like an hour passed before the sounds of the Heart shattering were faintly heard. 

"No..." Sombra mouthed.

All of his wounds opened and blood oozed out of them. The skin around his bones shrunk until they made him look sickly. Color left his face and his beard became white. Lacing the strength to hold himself, his body sank to the floor.

Luna limped over to him, her face tight and serious. Not an ounce of joy was in her. She kept her face's burned side away from her sister's vision. She stopped over his weak body, her breathing was heavy and loud.

"I would kill you." She told him coldly. "But that would be taking the pleasure away from the people."

The remaining rebels and civilians entered the throne room. They made sure that the shadows were gone before rushing over to the fallen king. They scrambled over him, every hand taking some part of him and dragging him away. He barely had the strength to utter a scream of terror. It was inaudible among the cheering of the mob.

Luna shifted her eyes to Celestia without moving her head. The elder sister could only see her unharmed side. The green eyes of the younger stabbed her like daggers.

"It's done, Sister." There was no hint of happiness in her voice.

"Yes, Luna." Celestia nodded. "Let's get the others."





"So this is what made the Crystal Heart?"

"Yes, Discord. Six Elements of Life. I believe they are Chaos, Love, Absolute Order, Harmony, Fear....and Wisdom." Celestia explained.

"We cannot let this happen again." Tirek stated. "We must ensure the Elements stay separate."

"Now how'll we do that?" Chrysalis moaned while rubbing her head.

"We bear them." Luna said sternly. "I do not see any other option."

"I'm sure there's another way..." Scorpan whispered.

"Bear them? What does that mean?" Chrysalis asked.

"We give them what we cherish most. They return our acceptance with powers." Celestia told her.

"What do we give up?" Discord questioned.

"Our hearts." Luna said.

"That's extreme." Scorpan gasped.

"It's to keep them separate. We'll all go our ways and never see each other again." Tirek muttered in understanding.

"I'll take Love." Chrysalis said suddenly.

"Chrys! Dammit Chrys!" Celestia cursed.

"Where are you going?" Tirek barked.

"She's gone faster than that one girl in my house the other night." Discord chuckled.

"Sister, I'll take Fear." Luna told her. "I've lost so much already. I do not worry about losing more."

"Luna no. I'll take Fear. Who knows it could do to you."

"I know exactly what it will do." Luna replied.

"Luna!"

"Well, she makes her decisions fast. Let the girl be." Tirek said calmly.

"Luna, you can't take Fear. I won't allow it!" Celestia ordered.

"Too late Sister. I think it likes me."

"Luna no!" Celestia cried. "Dammit Luna..."

"I'll take Absolute Order. I can deal with the consequences. I would not want any of you to become tyrants."

"Tirek, you don't have to." Scorpan said worriedly.

"Brother, cease your worry on me! I do this for you." Tirek told him coldly.

"I'll take Harmony!" Scorpan said quickly. "I'll take Harmony!"

"It's just you and me, Tia." Discord observed. "Hope they'll be alright."

"I'll take Chaos..." Celestia moaned.

"Are you kidding me? You are taking Wisdom. I'm taking Chaos."

"Discord, do you know what Chaos will do to you? It will shape you into a monster. I can't let that happen."

"Yes you can. Watch."

"Discord! Why? Why? Why! Discord! Oh no.....I need to be with my sister through this. I can't let her be Fear. I can't let Discord be Chaos! Oh....Celestia, you have to do this. Wisdom.....I must become Wisdom...."





Celestia watched the citizens of the Crystal Republic rebuild their destroyed homes with disinterest. She glanced down at her glowing chest. Wisdom was relaxing and she felt a tingle go through her veins. In her hand was a jar containing her still heart. She did not know she kept the heart, but she was comforted with its presence.

"Oh Luna...I hope you are doing alright."

She lifted the jar to her eyes. The heart was disgusting, but it was her heart and she could not be ungrateful for how it kept her alive. A faint hope arose in her, that she would one day have it back in her chest. She knew this hope was futile and so she sighed longingly.

"Princess Celestia?"

Her eyes darted to the voice. She was still becoming used to her new title. The voice came from a young man in the shadows. She knew who it was instantly, but decided to not be hostile.

"Why are you here, Hurricane? After what you did to my sister..."

"You took my hand. I say we are even." He replied.


"Do not threaten him. He means no harm."

"What do you want?" Celestia spat.

"You are the Bearer of Wisdom."

"Yes..."

He came out of the shadows. He appeared ten years older than what he really was. He slowly approached her, glancing this way and that to make sure she was indeed, alone. Once he was confident, he pointed at her chest.

"You have Wisdom. The part of the Heart that the Order greatly respects. Sombra misused the Heart, but I know you won't."

"What "Order" are you talking about, boy?"

"The Templar Order. An agency that the Shadow King founded himself. Despite him being our leader, we trusted him nor believed him right in his ways."

"So what does that mean?"

"You are the Bearer of Wisdom. Shadow King Sombra was the previous one since he wielded the Heart. The Order called him the Father of Understanding. You are the new Father of Understanding."

"Your Order is done then."

"No it's not. Pansy and I are only a couple of members of it. The Templar is an Order that is already outside of the Crystal E....Republic. You are the new leader. I am here to get your orders."

"Because I have Wisdom, I'm automatically you're leader?"

"Yes. You are Wisdom. You are the best to lead."

Celestia paused. Her Element was telling her that he was sincere. She placed the jar on a box and walked over to him. He quivered slightly but regained his dignity.

"What will you do for me?" She asked.

"Anything you wish."

"I want your Order to watch over the Bearers. Make sure they do not become another Shadow King. Keep watch over the shards, make sure no one uses them. Keep future governments at bay, do not let them use artifacts to conquer. Above all, erase all evidence of shards and Elements. I do not want people to search for them. If need be, hide shards and artifacts from the people. If need be, use them to save a populace from a tyrant. Never use them for anything else. Am I clear?

"Yes, Father of Understanding." Hurricane bowed.

"Good, now get out of here."

Hurricane turned and ran. Celestia felt her heart race like she had made a grave mistake. She sighed again and returned her eyes to her heart. She could only think about what Luna was going through. Not just Luna, but all the new Bearers. 

"I can't let them know about this. They think I'll betray them."


"Agreed."


~

> Chapter 49: Valor's Voice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I watched the sails of the Ragnarok approach. The hurricane damaged it greatly, knocking the front mast off and thus inhibiting its mobility. My head rested on the knuckles of my bruised and bleeding right. The wet sand was soft enough to be comfortable, but the two that were with me on the shore made my body tense. 

Spitfire's corpse was just a few meters away from me. Her face was pale now, though it was still tranquil in death. The sword was no longer in her heart as my hand wrapped itself around the pommel. It was a brilliant piece of weaponry. The blade was thin, but the sharpest I had ever seen. Its handle was made with Arabic steel and lined with gold lacing. How Spitfire acquired such a weapon had been the rumor of many Assassin Dens. I could only assume it was the decorative sword of some rich Templar.

I spun the pommel, making the tip of the blade make a hole in the sand. I was conflicted on whether to take it or leave it with the Assassin Huntress. I was also conflicted on whether to bury Spitfire or not. She believed herself noble in her own eyes while she massacred those who stayed with the Assassins. Some of my friends died at her hands. And then there was Vinyl. Just because Vinyl did not die should not mean I could not take revenge. Well, my revenge was had. I felt no better because of it. In fact, I could only feel guilt whenever I glanced at her still face. I felt pain when I see her Assassin robes, made in such vibrant yellow and blue tainted by the red of blood. Even though her hood was lined with the Templar cross, she still retained the outfit she wore when she was an Assassin. 

"Maybe she was still an Assassin at heart." I suggested aloud.

My thoughts quickly disagreed with the statement and I shook my head. The other presence on the shore was Valor. The blue aura sat next to me, constantly wiggling its toes playfully. When I looked at it, it would stare back with the dark blue versions of my own eyes. It was unnerving, to say the least, but I knew the shard was no threat to me.

"Valor is never alone." It said happily.

"Yes, yes, I know. Do you say anything else?" I questioned tiredly.

"This one is Valor."

"You've said that many times already! Say something else.

"Valor?" It shrugged.

My hand soon met my face in exasperation. Valor's face saddened and the aura kicked the sand in frustration. It was like dealing with a young child. A child with an extremely small vocabulary. My hand tingled slightly with its movement. I had already grown accustomed to the shard nestling itself in my palm. It was like how one would toss and turn in bed to become comfortable. At first it was annoying, than it became no more obtrusive than the beating of your own heart.

The masts of the Ragnarok cast a shadow over us. It always amazed me how close such a vessel could be to the shoreline. I saw two familiar figures climb down the ship and waded to me. I did not do so much as wave a nonchalant hand at them.

"Hey Tavi!" Vinyl called. "I see that ya made it."

"That storm was awesome! I hope we get another soon!" Rainbow said determinedly.

"Good to see you both." I said softly. "Valor and I are just resting here."

Rainbow lifted an eyebrow. "Valor?"

Rainbow jumped back when she noticed the blue aura. Her eyes darted to me and then back at the spirit. Valor waved a hand at the Bearer. Rainbow answered the wave with one of her own, though it was quick and short. 

"You took the shard?" Rainbow questioned loudly.

"It was an accident. I grabbed it when it was falling off the ship. And it was for the best. Valor has already saved me multiple times."

I pointed at Spitfire. Vinyl nodded, obviously impressed with my work. Rainbow still was in a confused state and blinked at the dead Wonderbolt before looking back at me.

"Well, that makes every 'Bolt dead. Soarin was lost at sea when the water devil struck the ship."

"How did you escape that monster?" I inquired.

"Ya should thank Neo for that." Vinyl chuckled. "He was quick to get off The Maiden and out of the devil's way. Rainbow and I had to climb the main mast to stay above the water as the ship sank. Then he came back and we hopped aboard."

"Did you ever think I was lost?"

"Nope. I've learned that you don't die easily. Some water is nothing for ya." Vinyl patted my shoulder.

"Well, we should get going. Celestia's gotta be pissed with us after we left her." Rainbow said and started to head back to her ship.

Vinyl and I were alone. I spun the sword once more. Vinyl sat down next to me in the sand. A creeping grin was on her lips. I could tell she was thinking of something that amused her. 

"So, that's the end of Spitfire. We don't have to worry about her no more. Heh. I may miss the encounters." Vinyl mused.

"I won't. Vinyl, was Spitfire evil?" I asked.

"Hell yeah!" Was the reply. "I mean, she butchered lots of Assassins. Killed some too."

"We've done that to Templar. At this point, the killing of another is the norm. I think she's just a soldier in this war. She played her part, no doubt. She wasn't the boss or even second-in-command."

"Well, she's gone now. That's all we know." She paused. "Ya ready to go to Canterlot and finish this? We get to see home again."

"Yes. I doubt we will receive a warm welcome though. Who knows what Twilight has in store for us. 

"Pfft. It should be Twilight who worries...about us! She wouldn't even know what hit her."





I lifted myself over the railing and planted my feet on the deck. The ship was not as lively as usual with all of the losses. All of the familiar faces were tired or saddened. Only a few smiles reached my way as I passed them. Rainbow and Neo were chatting up on the forecastle. I was about to join them when a voice uttered my name.

"Octavia..."

I turned on my heel to see Empress Celestia standing before me, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed. She was soaked and her dress was in shambles. Her fingers impatiently tapped her arm and her frown completed the overall indignant look.

"Your Highness!" I croaked. "How...How did you get here?"

"I had a friend pick me up." She said simply.

A goat head rested on the Empress's shoulder. The snake-like body wrapped itself around her torso and right leg. A small lion pay and gryphon claw soothing placed themselves on Celestia's bare arms, gently rubbing them up and down. A devilish grin laughed at me and bright yellow eyes peered at me. Discord was hugging the Empress tightly, but she did not seem to mind.

"Hello again, my dear." Discord grinned. "I see that you have forgotten your mission and left Tia on an island! How dreadful! How inconsiderate! Luckily, Uncle Discord could teleport her away. Like a knight riding off into the sunset, I swept her away and through the raging storm. It was almost romantic, wouldn't you say, Tia?"

"Not quite, but close." Celestia giggled and her cold stare lifted. "Oh, Discord, it wasn't that bad. They had good reason to run off like that."

"Wasn't bad? Tia, they left you! You could have starved there." Discord pointed out.

"Heh, it wouldn't be my first time in a survivor situation. I'm not a damsel in distress, dear."

"History says otherwise."

"No, your interpretations of history say otherwise. I have always handled myself, thank you."

"Ahem." I interrupted. "Have you two had the talk you wanted so badly?"

"Of course." They said in unison.

"Discord and I talked about how your Brotherhood and the Templar are going toe-to-toe at the moment. Of course, he sees it all as fun drama, as he doesn't need to worry about a whole empire. I however, must worry about what you people may do to my country! Ah, but we feel the climax is approaching. I informed Luna about this feeling and she also agrees. The Bearer of Honesty and Twilight had a battle yesterday."

"What? Twilight's made her move?"

"Apparently so." Celestia nodded. "The Bearer of Honesty...what's her name? Applehack? Yup, Applehack, was injured. A collapsed lung, says my Sister. Twilight ran to the Palace in a less-than-well state. She seeks refuge there at the moment with Sunset. Luna won't be coming down here like planned because of these new developments. She plans on speaking with the two girls. They have a chance to stop what they are doing and surrender. I hope they do before it gets any worse out there."

"Huh. Guess that means we need to get to Baltimare fast."

Rainbow reached my side. She had been behind me the whole time without me knowing, so I was a little startled by her sudden appearance. I visibly jumped away from her with my arms in a defensive, yet helpless, posture. This brought on the attention of the everyone present, including the wandering crew. I paused a moment to regain my dignity.

"Now, I've only seen your ship since the hurricane." Celestia continued with uncertainty. "Do you know what happened to the Solaire and its escort?"

"We have only seen the Solaire." Rainbow said. "About a mile that way. Captain Lulamoon was searching for you."

"Then I'll contact her. I'll be back." Celestia walked into the captain's quarters and shut the door behind her.

Discord was left with us. He watched the Empress carefully until she vanished from sight. His devilish grin disappeared at her absence and a low growl emitted from his long throat. He was clearly upset about something. It took me but a moment to realize what it was. Rainbow knew before me as she smiled at him innocently.

"Uhh....Hey Discord." She tried to remain positive.

"You left her." He growled. "You left Tia on an island and in the shadow of Tirek's temple. Was that what I told you to do?"

"No..." Rainbow and I said together in regret.

"That's what I thought." 

He stood on his back legs and shook his head at us disappointingly. His front legs were crossed and his snake tongue was held out in an odd manner. I was not as afraid as I should have been. Celestia was still there on the ship, but this was the Lord of Chaos who was upset at us for leaving his former lover on an island. 

"We didn't mean anything by it." Rainbow croaked.

"Mhm, whatever." He snarled. "I should have expected something like this from you. This isn't your first time messing up my orders, Rainbow."

"Well, I ain't your puppet." Rainbow shot back. "I may be a Survivor, but that doesn't mean I can do everything you want."

"That's precisely what it means..." He whispered absently.

"Discord! Watch what you do."

The Empress returned from the quarters. Her radiant cheeks were still vibrant despite the frown on her countenance. Discord visibly shuddered and cursed under his breath. He was not going to make any moves with her around. I sighed in relief at this discovery. The Empress placed a hand on Rainbow's and my shoulder.

"Trixie is coming this way. Luna was a little late on the daydream message. Once she arrives, we shall sail for Baltimare."

I nodded in acknowledgement at Celestia's information. She looked at both of us before her eyebrows twisted in thought. Her eyes darted to my hip and then to Rainbow's. She was searching for something on our person. 

"Where is Valor?" She asked.

I did not want to hide it from her. I showed her my palm. "I grabbed it in the hurricane and it accepted me." I explained.

Discord began to laugh and Celestia placed a head on her forehead. I could see disapproval in her eyes, but she did not utter anything against my accident. Instead, a chuckle began to faintly rise in her throat. Suddenly, she snapped her graceful fingers and a bright spark flew out of the sound.

"Show yourself, Valor." She ordered calmly.

The shard tingled in my palm and my began to glow. Valor stepped out of me peacefully. The spirit first turned to me with confused eyes before gazing at the Empress. To my surprise, the aura bowed to the Empress. Even Discord looked surprised at this.

"This one is Valor."

"Please to meet you, Valor. I am Empress Celestia, Bearer of Wisdom, at your service."

The aura cocked her....its head at the Empress. She smiled in return, showing off her pearly whites. Discord stroked his goatee and his brows furrowed. Rainbow shrugged at it all. Vinyl, who had finally made her presence known, inspected the aura with curiosity.

"Valor is never alone."

"That is all it ever says." I gestured at the aura. "It's like speaking with a child who doesn't know how to talk."

"That's because it is." Celestia nodded. "Valor was not in the temple when Luna and I last visited. That means its creation was after that. Since I was most likely the first to ever touch it, it knows me. You are its first user, thus it is basing its entire worldview, knowledge, and personality off of your memories."

"Shards are not born with their own personalities." Discord jumped in. "They get them through their Bearers or users. That's why old shards are so unpredictable. A past user may have developed the personalty of a shard to be quite....destructive." He purred.	

"So that is why she...it is not messing with my head like an Element of Harmony would?"

"Well, it still could, but yes." Celestia said. "Though Elements always have more mental presence in one's mind. They are more powerful, so it should not be a surprise."

Valor crossed its arms. It was not until then that I realized my own arms were crossed and that the aura was imitating me. I lowered my arms to see if the spirit would follow suit, and in less than a second it did. For some odd reason this annoyed me and I huffed indignantly. 

"Is there any way to remove it? I rather not risk infection of my mind." I stated.

"There's a pretty simple way to remove it." Discord chuckled. "Just chop your hand off."

"He's right." Celestia nodded. "There's no other way to force it to remove itself."

"Wait." Rainbow jutted in. "What about how Elements forsake Bearers? You said something about that."

"It won't work unless it's sincere. An Element of Loyalty or any Element knows when its Bearer is purposely acting the opposite of its values. I have no doubt it's the same with shards."

Having that option eliminated threw away any hope of me returning to my normal state. This shard was a permanent addition to my being. I could only curse and walk away. Valor followed me, acting as innocent as usual. Vinyl raised a brow at me as I walked passed her, grumbling all the while. Discord senile giggling echoed across the Rangarok's cracked deck. As I went below deck, his laugh was all that I heard.





The Ragnarok crawled across the now calm waters to the ECS Solaire. I had finally shown my face again to the crew members and my friend. Valor had entered my person and had not removed herself....itself from me. So I found myself leaning on what was left of the railing, grumpily watching Celestia and Discord chat like old friends.

"You should have seen the look on her face." Discord chuckled.

Celestia replied with a cute giggle. It was hard to believe they were lovers, but it was just as hard to believe they were enemies as well. They were just so different. Discord with his insanity and her with her calm and motherly demeanor. I guess he could be compared to an odd uncle if Celestia was the mother. 

A gangway was drawn from the Empress's to the Gryphonian brig. The weight of the gangway actually broke the old board it landed on, making Rainbow curse loudly. Some of the pirates were also displeased with the Equestrians' carelessness.

"Out of the way! Trixie must speak with Her Highness immediately!"

To my displeasure, Trixie walked down the gangway like she was royalty. The Royal Guards that accompanied her were on either side, their light armor glistened in the light. The light blue haired woman went straight to the chatting Empress.

"Your Highness! I have arrived after receiving a disturbing message from your Sister. Trixie cannot believe these fools would leave you on an island during a hurrciane."

"Captain Lulamoon..." Celestia began.

"No need Your Highness! Trixie will deal with these criminals herself."

"What are ya babbling on about?" Rainbow stormed in. "You let the Templar come right at us and your damn Empress! The only one who should be punished is you!"

"How dare you!" Trixie hissed. "I did nothing of the sort. I would never let such a threat reach my Empress."

"Well, then how do ya explain all this?" Rainbow gestured at the Ragnarok. "We all almost died! You let them come straight to us, kill my boys, and take our prisoner! There's no way your giant ass ship couldn't have blown them to bits from half a kilometer away!"

"She's right Trixie." Celestia said softly. "You were negligent on defending our allies."

"Allies?" Trixie spat. "Your Highness, they're pirates!"

"And bloody good ones at that." Celestia replied. "You have no excuse, Captain."

"Trixie can't believe this. My Empress, who I have devoted my life to, will cast me away without a thought? These pirates have done nothing but raid our ships. Rainbow Dash is a wanted criminal! Do you realize how many ships she has sunk without mercy?"

"Yes." Celestia nodded. "She tried to take the Solaire out one time."

"Oh yeah, I remember that." Rainbow smiled at the memory.

"Then can you explain the meaning of this?" Trixie demanded.

"We have enemies far worse than Rainbow and her tiny Assassin fleet." Celestia told her. "It's better that we make them our allies."

"Celestia, you have lost your hea-"

"Quiet!" Celestia stood up and sized up the Imperial Captain. "You are about to overstep your boundaries. Cease! It does not matter if you disagree with my methods at the moment. I know with all my knowledge gained from hundreds of years that I am in fact the better person to lead this operation. You must remember that you are nothing compared to most who are present. I would suggest some humbleness and let others lead for once."

Trixie and fell silent. Her eyes refused to look up and she stared at the deck. Her head slowly nodded in fearful understanding. Most of those who watched the Empress lass out were silent as well. I was left in awe by the retaliation and suddenly felt a little bit of pity for the Imperial Captain, though I knew such pity was misplaced.

"Forgive me..."

"You already have been." Celestia returned to her soothing voice. "Now I shall instruct you....Please lift your eyes."

Trixie did as she was told and Celestia continued. "Canterlot may be in danger. Our enemy, though young and foolish, may be a great threat to our capital. We must return there and they will no doubt be expecting us."

"Your Highness, the...the Crystal Republic. Your Sister wouldn't approve." Trixie reasoned weakly.

"We have had that discussion. Luna is allowing me to return. The Crystal Republic does not seem to have hostility towards us anymore. A war may have just been avoided."

"Then it shall be done." Trixie bowed. "We sail to Baltimare."

"Hold on!" Rainbow jumped in. "My boys would like to stop at Sepulchre first. We lost a lot of good lads and lasses. We must remember them."

"We shall escort you there then." Celestia nodded. "Then off to Baltimare."

I was impressed by the new alliance we had created. I never believed such a thing could be accomplished. I suddenly felt Valor tingling in my hand again. 

"Valor is never alone."

"I get that." I muttered aloud.

"Will you ever leave Valor?"

I paused. She had finally spoke more than those two blasted sentences. The words rung in my head like a distant echo. What did she mean? After a moment, I risked an answer.

"No, I won't."

"Thank you."

I was still confused by the sudden broadening of vocabulary. I was left in my thoughts as Trixie and Celestia discussed plans among each other. Did Valor fear being left behind? Did she....it fear being separated from me? Well, I was not going to remove it for some time. As long as there was a certain future of battling, I could use such powers, especially against the Bearer of Magic.


~

> Bearer Chapter: Generosity II
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Doing things just to please your crowd."

Rarity sipped from the glass of wine that was previously resting on the table before her. Her eyes could barely focus as the words she had just heard repeated themselves in her mind. Her decorated hidden blade was extended, reflecting the picture of the troubled Bearer. Every breath was more forced than the last and her blinking became manual.

"Why don't you just go home?"

She finished the glass and placed it hard on the table. Her eyes glanced down at that dastardly weapon that was under her wrist. It was so unusually clean, no blood was on it to satisfy the status quo of her Brotherhood. Her hand began to tremble and she took the wine bottle again to refill her empty glass.

"Rarity! Do not drink anymore."

"Make me." She snarled and poured the wine into the glass.

"You have been like this for two days now! I would suggest getting a hold of yourself."

"I let her live..."

"Yes, you did."

The hand that held the wine was stopped by Generosity's control. Well, the Element made her stop. Rarity tried to fight, but her will was too weak to match the Element and her hand slammed the table with the bottle, making some of the precious wine splatter against the table. Rarity swore with a not-so-lady-like growl that contradicted her usually elegant voice. 

"Bearer?"

Rarity turned to see Coco peer at her anxiously. The Templar girl had severed her ties with the Order so that she would be away from Madame Poloman. However, if it was not for the Bearer's intervention, Coco would have probably been killed by some other Assassin. 

"What is it, darling?"

"An Assassin wishes to speak with you. I didn't think you wanted to be disturbed, so I tried to send him away, but he says it's urgent."

Rarity gave a confused look. Manehatten had been quiet of both Assassin and Templar operations since she arrived there. In fact, she had only seen a couple of Brothers this whole time. Such a message now made her Element jump and she stood up from her seat.

"Oh...woah..."

A dizziness overcame her and her eyes refused to focus. She had drank more wine than she thought. Coco ran over to assist the Bearer, much to the latter's disapproval. Rarity did not protest however, and allowed the girl to help her keep balance.

"Where is he?" Rarity asked.

"Right at the door."

Rarity pushed herself away from Coco and walked crookedly to the door. She missed the handle at first before trying again and barely succeeded. In a rather forced motion, she opened the door and was met with bright torchlight. The Assassin before her, short and thin, sighed in relief. The torch he held was far too close to the building and to Rarity. The Bearer took his hand and gently pushed it away to keep the heat from the torch away.

"Ah, Bearer, finally." He smiled, completely ignoring the Bearer's actions or demeanor.

"What is it?" Rarity tried to sound polite.

"Reports have come from Fillydelphia. There is a fleet of Gryphonian ships that lie anchor there. They report that the head of this fleet is Captain Gilda of the GKRS Valkyrie. We believe they mean to assault Baltimare."

"What!" Rarity gasped. "But....The Bearer....Rainbow Dash is down there! My dear Dash! Are you sure about this, Novice?"

"Absolutely." He nodded. 

She placed a worried hand on her cheek. "Oh my! Of course the Templar would do this. Rainbow had always been the loner of the Bearers and thus the easiest to pick off. Now Pinkie and Fluttershy are there too! My friends! Coco!"

Coco ran up to her from the dark parts of the house. "Yes?"

"We need to get going, dear. My friends could be in trouble.....soon."

"Are you sure you want to? You just had a existential crisis and are still trying to figure out why you are in the Brothe-"

"Coco! This is different! My friends' lives could be at stake. What kind of woman....person am I if I let this pass? A horrid one, that's what! We must go. We must go now!" She turned to the Assassin. "How long has this fleet been docked?"

"A month at least."

"Blast! They could leave any day."

Without giving a rational thought, Rarity took Coco's hand and rushed out into the Manehatten street, pushing the young Assassin out of her way. She started whispering to herself as she ran through the ill-lit streets and passed the gawking city folk. 

"Lady Rarityyyyyy!" Coco squealed.

The Bearer ignored her companion and made a tight turn. Her mind was focused now and her eyes darted about madly. To the docks. To the docks. That was all she could think about. A Gryphon fleet attacking poor Rainbow? The thought was unbearable. 

Rarity pushed by some pedestrians and dragged Coco further. Each step was harder and faster than the previous. Generosity pulsed to keep up with her. Its ringing voice filled her head.

"What is the matter? What are you doing?"

"I need to get to my friends!"

"Rarity! Please!" Coco wailed.

The Bearer took another turn and the Manehatten docks came into view. Not much could be seen in the darkness, but the shape of readied ships could easily be depicted from the watery backdrop. With one last quick motion, Rarity brought Coco to her side and they crouched behind a pile of potato sacks.

"What are you doing?" Coco hissed uncharacteristically. 

"We are taking a ship and sailing after these Gryphon hooligans." Rarity triumphantly replied.

"With what crew?" Coco inquired back.

Rarity froze and her eyes gazed into space. It was a valid question. Coco rolled her eyes and shook her head in disappointment. She then stood up and began to trek back, but Rarity tugged on her pale dress and pulled her back.

"We don't need one. You underestimate me." Rarity huffed.

"No, you overestimate yourself." Coco accused harshly.

"I beg your pardon! Rainbow taught me many things on sailing and being a captain." Rarity pointed to herself. "I know how to operate a ship. So well, in fact, that a crew is merely a convenience for me."

"Bullshit." Coco deadpanned.

"Watch your tongue, young lady!" Rarity shot back.

Coco held her tongue after this. Satisfied, Rarity stood up and walked over their cover. The docks were not completely abandoned for the night and late-night sailors chatted merrily on the piers. The Bearer did not mind this and simply walked forward.

"Lady Rarity! What are you doing?" Coco loudly whispered. "You know you're going to attract attention."

"By simply walking? Please, Miss Pommel, I think you are stereotyping sailors."

Coco grimaced in response to this. Rarity made a smug look before heading on in her usual not-Assassin-like manner. It would be fine, she thought. Much to her disappointment, the chatting sailors took instant notice of her when she entered the light of a nearby lamp. They all raised a curious eyebrow at her, no doubt confused by her ostentatious outfit.

"What brings a gal like ya out here this late?" A sailor asked.

"What cleverness do you have ready for this?"

"Oh nothing much, my good sirs." Rarity began. "I simply require a ship."

"A ship?" Another sailor guffawed. "Sorry m'lady, but you'll have to wait 'til mornin' for that."

"Ugh, I don't have time for this!"

Rarity threw her hands up in exasperation and walked by them. This left all the sailors even more confusion. The Bearer grumbled to herself as she approached a docked Equestrian schooner. 

"Lady, you just can't take a ship ei-"

Rarity turned around and pointed a scolding finger to them. "Listen her, my good sirs. I am taking this ship whether you like it or not. And if you don't want a cold bath, then don't stop me."

"What the hell's wrong with ya?" A third sailor barked. "That's our ship. How in Equestria do ya think you can take the ship and then sail her without a crew? Are you drunk?"

"I've had a few glasses of wine, but that's irrelevant." Rarity replied quickly. "And besides, I do require a crew and you hearty boys look promising."

"We just got back from the Gryphon Kingdom. No way am I going back on the water just yet." A sailor complained.

A general agreement spread throughout the sailors. The Bearer grind her teeth in deep annoyance. Right now she was wishing that Coco's stereotype was true. It would make it much easier. However, she still could try it.

"Are you really rejecting an offer to sail under a woman like me? I would pay you are handsomely. I am a lady with resources. A trip to Baltimare is all I am asking and I may make your trip, worthwhile." She batted her eyes.

A sailor shook his head. "Sorry, lass, but I'm married."

"Me too." Another sailor stated.

"Same here."

"Ha!"

"Oh for heaven's sake!" Rarity screeched. "I am trying to be a good friend here and save them from eminent doom and here you are, delaying me! Oh! Just let me leave and you can have the rest of the night without broken bones! Turn around and leave! You could say that you were pummeled by a squad of gangsters and they took the ship. Anything! Just let me have her!"

"Sorry. We can't do that."

The sailors started to walk over to her. Rarity rolled her eyes and summoned a pistol to point at them. With a gasp they are stopped in their tracks before her. Most of them speechless and simply gawked at the magic they had just witnessed.

"She's a witch!" One cried.

"And a rather pissed one at that." Rarity hissed. "Now would you kindly let me commandeer this ship and make my way out in peace?"

They all nodded quickly. Rarity smiled politely and holstered the pistol in her brightly colored sashes. Coco edged by the frightened sailors and hopped on the schooner quietly. 

"Are you sure about this?" Coco asked meekly.

"Of course, darling."

Coco gave her a skeptical look and glanced at the sailors who were backing away from the ship. The schooner was anything but worthy of such a trip. It was dreadfully ill kept and plain dirty. This made the girl confused as it was terribly out of character for the Bearer of Generosity.

"Why this ship?"

"Oh? Don't worry, this piece of Wendigo droppings is not our voyager. No, this is merely a tool for our real prize."

"Which is?"

"That ship."

The Bearer pointed at an anchored sloop-of-war floating in the harbor. From that distance, she appeared much more seaworthy than what they were standing on. Coco could only shrug at this. The night had already been far too long for her. Rarity grinned with confidence and strode over to the wheel in her usual fashion.

"Coco, my dear, release the main sails and let us be off!" She sung.

"How?" Coco croaked.

"Oh, by Celestia! Just untie those ropes and let the sails fall down. I have already released the ship from the pier. Once you do this, we should get going splendidly."

"Where did you learn to sail?" Coco asked as she released the main sails.

"As I told you, Rainbow Dash gave me more than a few pointers. I'll have you know that when I was a young Assassin in Baltimare, I sailed to the Labyrinth Isles. Crazy place, that is. Full of the most horrendous men. But some of the most handsome as well..." She added dreamily.

"You have much fonder memories of that place than I."

The schooner drifted from the docks and into the deeper black waters. Rarity began to hum a tune as she steered the skinny vessel towards the sloop. The ship they were targeting was lit with lamps on the bow and stern of the ship, indicating that the crew was still active on board. This was just what Rarity wanted. Her grin remained intact as they pressed forward.

"I have a bad feeling about this..."

"Oh, cheer up, darling! You are about to witness me at my finest in just a wee moment. You thought I couldn't get a crew, well you would be wrong."

"I thought you didn't need one."

"I don't....but that wouldn't mean I don't want one."

She steered the schooner close to the sloop. Coco had trouble pulling the main sails back up and laying anchor beside the larger ship. Rarity gently let go of the wheel and approached the side of the schooner. Since the sloop was taller than the schooner, Rarity began to form a staircase out of summoned gemstones. The sailors on board the sloop all gathered to the railing to watch the Bearer's magic.

Rarity sauntered up these steps with Coco meekly following behind. The sailors stared in awe at the Bearer. Some exclaiming words like "angel" and the such. Rarity waved at them kindly as she passed to and walked over to the captain's quarters. 

She gracefully opened the door to see the rugged captain staring at the papers on his oak desk. He grumbled some words before looking up. His eyes widened upon seeing Rarity and Coco. A single croak left his throat.

"Yes?"

Rarity clapped her hands together playfully. "Ah! You must be this fine ship's brave captain! Such is the pleasure of acquainting with you."

The bearded captain was intoxicated with her voice instantly. He began to sweat and smiled weakly at her. "Captain Gazer, at your service m'lady." He stood up from his desk. "May I ask what....brings you to my ship at this hour?"

"A task." Rarity placed a delicate hand on his desk. "A task for an armed ship like this and a worthy crew. Am I in the right place?" She added innocently.

"I believe so." He grew more confident. "What is this task?"

"I need to sail to Baltimare as quickly as possible. Opposition on the way is almost certain."

"That's quite a bit you ask of us, madame." The captain stated. "I am not sure my lads will like it." 

"I'll handle that, my dear captain." Rarity chuckled. "Don't you worry. I'll make certain that this voyage is worth your while."

He began to sweat even more. Rarity could now smell him and held her grin up reluctantly. This man was not the sort of captain she needed at the moment. 

"It's a deal." The captain nodded.

"Good." Rarity smiled. "I'm so glad we could form an agreement."

With that, the Bearer turned around and started to walk away. Coco followed with her usual confused look. The girl leaned towards the other and whispered in her ear.

"Are you sure about him?" She asked worriedly.

"No. We'll throw him overboard in the morning." Rarity answered. "But we have a ship and crew now. That's all that matters now."


~

> Chapter 50: And I was Thinking About...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yearling lifted her sunglasses to get a more realistic view at the Manehatten skyline. It had been months since she had been here last and she did not look forward to the welcoming. Satisfied with the inspection, she lowered them back over her eyes and took a bite out of her meaty sandwich.

"It seems like no time has passed at all since I was stuck in the Animus." She mumbled.

"That happens. But time is short now. Octavia's writings have shown you the power of the Elements. It is time to retrieve them and return them to the Tree of Harmony before Ahuizotl creates new Bearers."

"I know, Twilight." Yearling scoffed. "We've been over it a thousand times. Are you always this persistent?"

"She is, darling." Rarity commented. "It took all of us a while to get used to it."

"When you guys are back in the Tree, does that mean you'll be out of my head for good?"

"Yes. Our souls would no longer wander and we would be at peace with Harmony. Until then, deal with us." Twilight stated.

Yearling only responded with a disappointed sigh. Whatever Ahuizotl was planning, it could not wait. She took one more bite before leaving her meal on the table. After dusting her hands of the crumbs, she brought her green hood over her head and left the area. 

"Do you remember how you escaped the facility?" 

"Not really, Twilight." Yearling answered. "I was kinda in a blur with all you guys swarming my head. Besides, I went out the front door. It'd be stupid to go in the same way."

"She has a point." Rainbow agreed.

"Also, we don't even know where they're hiding the Elements." Yearling added.

"We can sense the Elements." Rarity said. "Though with our far separation, it has waned. We'll know when we are in close proximity." 

Yearling stopped in her tracks. Some pedestrians glanced at her because of her sudden abrupt halt. She didn't know where they were, but that did not mean one of the Ahuizotl employees didn't either. She could find one and get him to talk. 

"We'll have to see an old friend of mine." Yearling told them.





"Ya guys sure about this?"

"Yes Yearling. The best way to enter is through the front entrance. It may not seem like what an Assassin would do, but I cannot think of another way." 

Yearling paused and inspected the entrance to Ahuizotl Industries. The place was far more popular than when she left. The grand entrance was marked by a marble statue of Empress Celestia pointing heroically towards the street in front of the monstrous structure. 

"Does this mean that they know of Celestia's true purpose?" Rarity gasped. "This is worse than I feared."

"But they can't access memories without me." Yearling pointed out. "I am the only person the Elements aren't hostile to."

"They could if they keep trying to force it out of them. But that could cost the lives of many people." Twilight explained. 

"Then that'd be what they'd do." Yearling spat. "They wouldn't care about lives."

"We should start making our way inside."

Yearling took a deep breath and dug her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. There was a crowd of people going into the building and she forced her way into them. They took notice of her rude behavior but said nothing and went on in. She kept her head low and her eyes peered for anything. 

"You know they have cameras, right?" Yearling asked.

"I have caught up with this era's technology." Twilight proudly stated. "These cameras are just as much of an advantage as they are a disadvantage."

"Pfft. Whatever you say. Your life ain't at risk here."

"No, but the world's is."

"Touche."

Yearling felt her eyes tingle and she blinked instinctively. The place became a dim blue and the people around her faded into the bluish shadows. Ahuizotl security was highlighted in red for her to see clearly. The ghosts in her body were letting her use Elemental Vision. It had taken some time for them to become synchronized enough to let her control her own body while they controlled her eyes. That bit of training relieved her greatly at this moment.

She suddenly saw a trail of golden footprints that went up the stairs to another location within the building. Curious, she slowed down and gazed at them.

"What do those imply?" She asked.

"Someone you desperately want to see just went by that way." Twilight answered.

"Doc..." Yearling breathed.

She was about to pursue these tracks when she hesitated and thought for a moment. Would Caballeron work with her? She needed a plan if he didn't. She then turned to the security officer. The holstered pistol on his hip could be seen perfectly in the Vision. 

"I need that gun."

"I got this!" Rainbow said confidently.

Yearling felt her limbs start moving without her command. Her face tightened uncontrollably into a devious grin and her movements became firm and full of purpose. Yearling began to push every person between her and the officer out of the way. Her steps became quicker and harder as she approached him. Luckily for her, the Officer was looking the other way, occasionally scratching his itchy nose. 

"Rainbow! You can't take him out right here! We don't want the whole building coming after us!" Twilight argued.

"Cool it, egghead. I'm not stupid."

Yearling slowed down as she came close to the officer. Rainbow's precise control made her hand slowly reach the holster. With the skill that only an Assassin could posses, she undid the latch that held the pistol down and slipped the gun carefully out of the holster. The pistol left the holster and she placed it inside the unzipped part of her hoodie. 

Rainbow then pulled out a Ahuizotl business card that Yearling had in her pocket and threw it over to a water bottle that rested on a counter, knocking it over. The officer noticed the noise and was distracted by it as Yearling walked away. 

The woman was relieved as Rainbow allowed her to have control again. She felt a strong sensation as the Bearer let go. It made her want to shiver.

"Rainbow! You could have compromised us!" Twilight yelled.

"Sheesh! We got a gun. We're good."

"Until he notices he doesn't have one..." Yearling mumbled.

The Elemental Vision took over once more and she followed the footsteps up the stairs. She soon found out that they led straight to the men's room. After she cursed under her breath, she moved on towards the socially restricted room. 

"This is the worst so far..." She groaned.

"You know Canterlot had public wash houses where both sexes would clean in the same tub. What's bad about this?" Twilight asked.

"Shut up, barbarian."

"Huh? How rude!" Rarity huffed.

Yearling sighed and was about to enter the room when she remembered something. Where was Pinkie? She paused and mentally asked the question.

"We silenced her for this." Twilight explained. "We didn't want any distractions during this mission."

"It's not easy, trust me." Rainbow stated.

"Just go!" Rarity squealed. 

Yearling squeaked and opened the door and jumped inside. Fortunately for her, there were no men outside the stalls or using the urinals. She tried to focus her mind. Her heart raced suddenly and began to crawl on the floor to see under the shut doors of the stalls. Caballeron always were the same shoes to work. He had been for years. She would recognize them on sight.

She saw them and gasped. Doc was right in the stall in front of her. His usual grumblings could be deciphered from the other side. Yearling stood up and was about to break open the door before pausing.

"That'd be rude. And I could see his junk...ugh." Yearling faltered.

"Just break it down! Who cares if he is shitting?" Rainbow yelled.

"I do! Rainbow, didn't I teach you proper behavior?" Rarity snapped.

"Shut up! You only taught me to be a snobbish bitch!" Rainbow growled back.

"Rainbow!" Twilight called shockingly.

"Bearers!" Yearling said aloud. "Focus!"

"Uh....hello?" Caballeron weakly ventured. 

Yearling sighed and leaned on the stall. "Hey Doc. Wanna talk?"

"Gah!" Caballeron gasped. "It's you. I know that voice! Why are you here? Why are you in the men's room?"

"It's a really long story, bruh. Do you have a private place we could chat?"

"Not really. Your room has been monitored by that secretary, Raven. Well, there is one place..."

"Let me guess, a janitor closet?" Yearling suggested with a roll of her eyes.

"No, my office of course. But we'd have to take the elevator."

"That'd be risky."

"I can only hope that my presence would dissuade any suspicion. There is not much in this place that isn't monitored."

"It's worth a shot. And we' be closer to the Animus."





"This elevator takes forever."

"It needs to go up 76 flights."

"And yet you were on the main floor?"

"I had to check up on Rainbow Dash's section of the Entertainment Center. Make sure everything is up to date."

Yearling wanted to lift her head and look at him, but refrained to and kept leaning on the side of the rising elevator. The camera within the elevator spied at them with its unblinking eye. All she could see was Doc shuffling nervously beside her.

"So how has it been without me? I'm sure you got pretty stuck without someone to be in the Animus." Yearling chuckled to lighten the mood.

"Actually, we've had over 20 people go into the Animus since you left. Only about 6 have ever been able to go in there twice. However, the information we have acquired since then has been valuable, though I believe it wasn't worth the lives of those people."

"What do you know?"

"That the Bearers were more unstable than we anticipated. We have mainly been tracking Twilight and her dealings with the other Bearers. Who knew she was against the Assassins the whole time? It was like watching a TV drama. And also, we have followed Rainbow Dash before she became a Bearer herself. Life on the seas and meeting all sorts of supernatural creatures along the way."

"Anything else?"

"Well, we have gained some intel on the Crystal Heart."

"You say that so casually." Yearling observed.

"This is Ahuizotl Industries, did you really think we didn't know about it? We are this era's Templar. We knew all along."

"Then why do this?"

"Because Mr. Ahuizotl wants to find the Heart. But he needs to find those who bear its parts."

"But...But the Brotherhood is gone."

"Indeed." He nodded. "However, the Templar never died. They cannot die."

"Are you Templar?"

"Only in occupation. I do not hold their principals of Absolute Order any more than you do. I thought I did at one time, but I've gained my senses since."

The elevator stopped with a beep and the doors slid open. Yearling slowly lifted her head to walk out when she was met with a squad of Ahuizotl guards pointing their rifles at her. In the middle of them was a young secretary with rich black hair and large glasses. She had no emotion on her face and her arms were resting behind her in a rather professional manner.

"What are you doing, Raven?" Caballeron demanded.

The secretary ignored him. "Did you really think you could just walk in here unnoticed? We knew you were in Manehatten eight hours and thirteen minutes ago. You are bold, Miss Yearling, but not too bright."

Yearling responded by drawing her pistol out and firing. The wild shot missed the secretary and struck a guard in the shoulder. The guards quickly retaliated by grabbing her arm and throwing her to the ground. The pistol flew out of her hand and was picked up by a very calm Raven. 

Yearling's mind began to go mad with the spirits inside her trying to take control, but none could bring the strength to resist the men that were on top of her. Her arms were drawn back and she felt the cuffs snap on her wrists. 

the secretary peered down at her with indifference before returning her clam gaze to the doctor. "Dr. Caballeron, you are also in big trouble. You now have an appointment with Mr. Ahuizotl."

A guard took the man's shoulder and led him away down the hall. Yearling was forced to her feet and she stood restrained before the secretary. Raven slowly turned her head to her.

"And you, Assassin." She began harshly. "We know what resides within you. The very ghosts of the Elements. We cannot risk killing you because of this. But you shall not resurrect your dead Brotherhood. We will make sure of that. Guards, return her to her room."

"You bitch!" Yearling spat.

The secretary merely blinked at her without a care and then snapped her long fingers. The guards responded quickly and dragged Yearling down the hall, opposite the way Caballeron went. The voices in here head were panicking. All except one. A strange tingling rushed through her limbs as one Bearer was free again.

"Woo! We're caught! Yeah!" Pinkie cheered.

"Ah crap! Pinkie's out." Rainbow groaned.

"Guys! You aren't helping." Yearling said aloud.

Yearling's eyes darted to the guards who eyed her suspiciously. One tightened his grip on her arm, making her grimace. They, however, did not comment on her random shouting.

They stopped at a door at the end of the hall. One guard performed numerous tasks to just unlock the door. Once it was opened, she was led inside. It was the same room she had been living in before. Although most of the comforts they had given here last time were all gone. No coffee, no couch, no tables. Just one large rectangular device that she knew too well.

"And I thought I'd never see the Animus again..."


~

> Chapter 51: New Purpose 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I watched solemnly as the remaining crew members of the Ragnarok raised the new tombstones to honor their fallen comrades. The Bearer of Loyalty did Zecora's tombstone personally, as she was one of her longest friends and trusted first mate to Caramel. Not much was said throughout the sad ritual. I could only assume it was due to their pirate backgrounds. No words were needed as their sorrowful hearts displayed their clear mourning. A slow song was sung among the crew and it ended in the same silence it started with. 

Beside me was Vinyl, whose wolfish characteristics were still present. During the past week, I contemplated why she still appeared like a Survivor of Chaos even though she no longer was one. I wished to confront Discord about the subject, but he had been busy with Celestia all the while. I could only wait for the opportune moment to bring up such a topic to the Lord of Chaos. 

Rainbow walked away from the graveyard to me with her arms uncharacteristically behind her back. Her usual roguish and rude demeanor was not present. Her magenta eyes only glanced my way once as they mostly wandered between the earth and the sky. When she reached me, she lifted her arm up to my shoulder and gave it a friendly, but serious, pat.

"Can't stay in Sepulcher." She said reluctantly. "We got a trip ahead of us. Leads to Canterlot. Hmph, why now?"

Her last words were a question to the air. I placed a hand on hers and gave her a smile which I seemed to have created out of nowhere.

"Don't worry, Bearer. The end is approaching, I can feel it. A victory for the Brotherhood and Equestria."

"Well, I'm not looking forward to it." She sighed.

The response surprised me. All of her confidence seemed to have been depleted and she was walked away with a slow and methodical gait. Vinyl shrugged at me and we followed her. The vibrant colors of the Bearer's hair seemed pale and lifeless at the moment. 

"Captain's always this way after the ritual." A crew member explained when he noticed our worried faces. "Ever since Caramel was lost in that storm, she's taken this tradition very seriously."

The Bearer heard this and  quickened her pace. I felt a sting of pain when the old captain's name was said. Telling Rainbow that Caramel was alive was tempting every second, but I felt obligated to keep the old seadog's promise. Besides, it was time for her to focus on the task at hand. We must get back to Canterlot and end the schemes of Twilight and Sunset. 

Explaining such a betrayal to the crew members of the Ragnarok and her fellow ships was a tough one. Luckily Celestia took that task under her wing. Since the pirates were mostly non-Assassin, their expressions were mostly confused instead of shocked. I could tell they didn't understand most of what Celestia told them, but I doubt they need to anyway.

We made the mildly-long walk back to the village in little time and little words. Rainbow, despite her must faster pace of legs, never grew far from us. That was probably due to our legs being much longer than hers. I digress. The village was informed of the battles near Tirek's Temple. Plenty of the families that lived here were related to the sailors that lost their lives. I felt fortunate to have not been assigned as one to bring such a grave message of their husband to one of the waiting mothers. 

Rainbow walked to her ship without a word, leaving Vinyl and I in front of the pier the ship was docked to. Pinkie and Fluttershy chatted away while sitting on some cider barrels. Big Mac's ship was turned around by the hurricane and they sailed to Sepulcher as the island was the only landmark they could rely on. So they had already been on the island for some days.

Thunderlane and Berry Punch were discussing something amusing at a table in the shore's tavern. Thunderlane's ship, Stormrider, was destroyed in the storm. Which was ironic due to her name. Luckily most of his crew survived as they were picked up by Berry and Maud's ships. Somehow Pinkie knew exactly where the waves carried them off to.

Thunderlane was happy when we brought him the news of the Wonderbolts' deaths. Apparently he met Spitfire when he was a young boy in Cloudsdale. He told me he even looked up to her and Fleetfoot. They were the reason he joined the Assassins and became a sort of apprentice to Rainbow though that never took off. He had a mighty grudge against Spitfire when she betrayed the Brotherhood and had only wished ill on her since. It seemed all that wishing paid off in the end.

Vinyl and I went aboard Rainbow's rugged ship. There was no shortage of activity on the main deck as the crew went to work to prepare for departure. I made my way through them to the lonely captain who stood by her wheel in a stoic manner. 

"Rainbow, I hope you are not having doubts about the mention ahead." I began.

"How couldn't l?" She asked back. "Twilight may not have been best buds with me, but she still is a Bearer. I just can't think of why she'd betray us, that's all."

"She's mad. I can't think of any other reason."

"Maybe. Usually I'm one for killing and ending, but are you sure we should assassinate her? It doesn't seem right to just give up on her."

"It may be our only choice, Bearer." I answered softly.

Rainbow was not convinced. The Loyalty that surged through her told her not to give up on her friend. I placed a hand on my hip and could only bite my lip at her. My words were nothing to her and I knew it. The Bearer of Loyalty sighed and rested her arms on the wheel, gazing off into the the green sea. 

I turned to Vinyl. My friend was not paying the slightest attention to us and was instead watching some one on the main deck. I thought she would be watching Neo like usual, but instead I was blinded by the glare off the golden imperial armor. I shielded my eyes from the glare to see Trixie speaking with a crew member. She was in a far less haughty pose than usual. Though her loud voice made it to our ears rather easily.

"Trixie is here to see if your captain is preparing to depart. Her Highness wishes to leave immediately." She demanded.

"We just had a funeral, lass." The crew member responded. "Give us a break."

"Trixie will do no such thing. The Royal Guard does sympathize with your situation, but Equestria could be in danger. We must reach Baltimare to commence the journey to Canterlot."

"We're on it!" Rainbow called to her. "Geez! Tell the Empress that we're rushing."

"That is what Trixie wanted to hear." The Imperial Captain smiled. "I shall return! Her Highness wishes for me to attend to you pirates during the sailing to Baltimare."

"What?" I cried. "Why would that be?"

Trixie's eyes fell. "She wishes for me to learn from you Assassins. Trixie does not understand, but I don't need to. It is the orders of the Empress."

I felt an initial wave of surprise, but it subsided quickly as it was not as surprising as I thought it would be. Celestia was an Assassin. It only made sense that she would respect the Brotherhood enough to let her Imperial Captain learn from them like she did. It actually relieved me somewhat as it showed that Celestia trusted us at least a little bit. 

Trixie departed from the ship, leaving us again in peace. Rainbow considered just leaving right then and there, but Neo advised her to stay to please the Empress. We might as well take Trixie and then leave. Of course we did not look forward to having the Imperial Captain on board, but we knew we had little choice.

"It's never easy, is it?" Rainbow groaned.

"Well," Neo began, "at least Discord sticks with Celestia. The guy gives me the creeps."

"Doesn't he give everyone the creeps?" Rainbow retorted.

We all fell silent as the conversation faded away. The crew went about their ways in their final preparations for the trip. I leaned on the railing of the ship and watched them. My mind began to wander. Where it went I soon forgot. It seemed like a spell of forgetfulness was upon me until it was lifted three hours later. 





"Trixie is experienced in seafaring, Rainbow Dash. I steered the ECS Solaire. She is not an easy craft to steer, I'll assure you that."

Trixie held her helmet under arm and grunted in annoyance. Rainbow rolled her eyes and steered the ship northward. The difference between the two was astounding. Both were arrogant and egotistical, but those were the only similarities. While Trixie was upright and haughty, Rainbow was laid-back and quite down to earth. These differences made it hard for them to get along.

While Vinyl and I tended to some ropes and sometimes the cannons, we also watched the two captains bicker. It was like watching a comedic play in a theater. I couldn't help but think that Rainbow's height made it even more hilarious. 

"Trixie, this is my ship. Do as I say. I am the captain! You are not." Rainbow poked the Imperial threateningly.

"Trixie is a trained officer of the Royal Guard!" Trixie gestured to herself. "Do not think I am less experienced than you. Unlike many of my rank, I did not buy it or gain it through heritage. I rose from the bottom to here through duty, diligence, and honor. Something you pirates severely lack. And you Assassins too."

"Good for you." Rainbow replied. "Now shut up and let me handle my own ship."

To my surprise, Trixie held her tongue. I say this metaphorically, but she did open her mouth and then stuff it with her hand. I could only assume she was about to say something even she knew would be inappropriate for the situation. 

The chuckle from Vinyl made me turn in her direction. Her mask covered her face, but I knew she had a large smile beneath it. Behind Vinyl was one of the Equestrian frigates that escorted us. I felt like I was a part of a fleet with the ECS Solaire and her frigates following us. We weren't supposed to be leading the fleet, but we could not help it since the Ragnarok was faster than any of the others. 

"I think the Empress just wanted Trixie to annoy us." Vinyl suggested. "I mean, she does seem to have a trickster in her, ya know?"

"I doubt that. Maybe Trixie has annoyed her too much. She just wanted to get rid of her." I said playfully.

"That isn't far from mine." Vinyl chuckled.

I did not answer, but instead leaned on the railing, gazing out into the sea. Vinyl soon joined me. At these times I always felt lazy as my fellow crew members would continue to work as I laid on the job. They never gave me a hard time about it, so I assume they didn't mind. Despite the month I had shared with them, my seafaring knowledge was still limited. 

"So what are you going to say to Twilight?" Vinyl asked.

"I think it's a little early to say." I answered. 

"Well, let's see what's she has done. Um, oh yeah, she left me with Spitfire. She kinda lied to the whole Brotherhood. Well, that's about it."

"I bet she tried to kill me once or twice." I said. "She did pin me to a wall one time. Do you remember that?"

"I remember you deserved it." Vinyl nudged my shoulder.

"Yes, I think I did." I paused. "She also taught me to read and write. She....She helped make me into the person I am today."

"You were her special Den Master." Vinyl huffed. "You're probably her numberone1 enemy now. I mean, who else knows about her betrayal than us?"

My heart jumped. "Do you think our Brothers in Canterlot will defend her?"

"No idea."

"Well, hopefully we can convince them. The Bearer of Honesty would know. She can deal with lies and truths. And I have Valor, to show them about shards. Vinyl, it amazes me how well she kept us in the dark! Almost a year ago I was ignorant!"

"Seems fishy, I know." Vinyl nodded. "But she is the most powerful Bearer. There's been some cool legends of past Bearers of Magic. Maybe she mind-controlled all of us?"

"No. We would still be under her spell now." I told her.

"Ya right. Hey! We'll get Twilight. Maybe ya will have the honor of..."

"It's not an honor, Vinyl. We may have to kill her, but I hope it won't come to that."

"I think it's already come to that. I mean, we don't compromise the Brotherhood. She did that and more, Tavi!"

"I know. I know. Just the thought of assassinating our leader..."

"I get ya mean, Tavi. Best thing is to not think about it. We aren't even in Baltimare yet. Canterlot is a long ways away."

"Hopefully we all make it there."

"We will. It's hard to kill people like us."

"If only that was true..."





As the sun was setting, I fastened the ropes tightly. I was about to call it a day and go beneath deck for rest. Vinyl had already fallen asleep down there. Luckily her snores did not reach me there. Trixie had calmed down for the most part. I had barely interacted with her that day as she kept close to Rainbow. The Bearer tolerated her for the most part, but often fumed at the Imperial. Trixie occasionally fumed back and then they would be separated by Neo. 

When I was satisfied with my work, I dusted my hands and turned to the latch. The ship rocked on the waves as I made my way across the main deck. It was a lovely evening. No clouds and the wind was favored our direction. By this time we were far ahead of the Equestrian ships. Only the Solaire's masts could be seen behind us. She was a massive vessel, but she moved far better than I had anticipated.

"Ship sighted! Bow way, Captain!"

The lookout pointed directly in front of the Ragnarok. A smaller ship that looked much like a brig was on the horizon, sailing towards us. We had not seen many ships thus far, only fishermen vessels and some trading boats. Everyone on board knew instantly that this ship was unlike the rest. 

"We'll keep heading for her." Rainbow called out. "She's probably just headin' for the Isles."

After Rainbow said this, the other vessel released all her sails and began speed to us. I thought I even saw oars come out the sides. I looked to see Rainbow's reaction to this. Like I expected, she raised an eyebrow. Trixie took out a small looking glass and spied at the ship. Rainbow noticed this and took the glass.

"I'm the captain! I'll see who these fools are." Rainbow said authoritatively.

"That is Trixie's! Give it back."

"You'll have ya turn." Rainbow pushed her away.

The ships went almost full speed towards each other. I began to worry as there was no sign of either slowing down. As the other vessel approached, I could tell it was smaller than the Ragnarok. Despite this, her sails and oars moved her swiftly. 

"Huh, if that's who I think it is..." Rainbow began. "Oh, you magnificent bitch."

"Excuse me?" Trixie growled.

"Not you!" Rainbow lowered the looking glass. "Her!" 

The captain pointed at the oncoming ship. Rainbow tossed the eye glass to Trixie before steering the ship to the left. She then ordered for the sails to be lifted, which made me groan since I had just tied them down. 

"Slow her down boys, this ship's an ally!" She called out.

We did as she wanted, coming to a standstill upon the drifting water. The vessel came to us quickly and halted in a similar manner. Since the sun was setting, I could barely see the crew on the other ship. Rainbow, however, knew who it was and came running to the side where I stood.

"Haha!" She exclaimed. "What brings a girl like you all the way out here?"

"Oh nothing, darling. Just some important business." The other captain replied.

"Naw. So it wasn't that ya missed me?"

"Missed you? Wouldn't dream about it, dear."

I looked at Rainbow's smiling face. "That can't be who I think it is..."

"It's exactly who you think it is." Rainbow answered. 

"Is that Octavia?" Rarity called from the other ship. "How have you been faring, darling? It's been a long time since I saw a fellow Canterlotian."

"You're not a Canterlotian, Rares." Rainbow said. 

"Close enough to one." The Bearer defended. "Now may I hop onto your ship? I actually do have a reason to be here. You may not like it...or you may love it. I'm not entirely sure what side of you I will find."

"Come on board." Rainbow urged her.

The ships were now close enough that Rarity could simply jump to the Ragnarok and climb up over the railing. She was, as usual, wearing her extravagant Assassin robes that did not belong at all on the sea. Once she was on the Ragnarok, Rainbow and her shared a hug. 

"Oh Rainbow, you still have ease up on those hugs. You give Pinkie a run for her bits."

"It's been so long!" Rainbow said as she left Rarity. "You never leave Canterlot. Why are you all the way out here?"

"It's a rather long story. Unfortunately, it's not a pleasant one. It actually starts with Twilight..."

"Yes, we know." I jumped in. "Twilight has betrayed us."

Rarity blinked at me. "No, that was not it at all. What are talking about? She only sent me to Manehatten."

"Twilight's evil, Rares." Rainbow put it plainly.

"I can't say that the past days haven't made me think of her that way. This is confirmation then of my worst fears. However, no that was not the reason at all. I was an Manehatten when I was informed of a Gryphonian fleet coming your way. I immediately set sail for you to warn you.  My crew have been sailing none stop from Manehatten to here."

"Your crew? Rainbow asked. "You don't have a ship."

"I do now. I 'borrowed' it from a fine gentlemen. He was clumsy though and 'fell' off one night. The crew made me captain when that happened."

"Didn't know you had it in ya."

"I did."

The two Bearers shared a laugh while I was stunned by the news. We were going to be attacked? Was the Bearers' conversation more importance than this startling news? I threw my hands up to get their attention.

"There's a Gryphonian fleet coming after us? When do they arrive?"

"Good heavens, Octavia!" Rarity jumped back. "What are you wearing? It looks like the sort of apparel one would find in a Ponyville ditch. Where are the robes I made for you?"

"I...uhh...They are in my drawers below deck."

"Then go put them on! No Assassin Den Master is ever going to look as uncouth as you. I feel insulted that you refuse to wear what I made for you."

"Bearer! The robes are too thick to wear out in the sun. This isn't cool Canterlot."

"Never mind that. As you can see, I am wearing my robes and I am perfectly fine."

"Octy," Rainbow began, "do as she says. I can tell she won't talk to you otherwise."

"But..."

"Octavia." Rarity said sternly.

"Of course. Right away, Bearer."

I gave her a mock bow and reluctantly went below deck. The two Bearers watched me until I disappeared down the stairs. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I was met with the sounds of my friend's snoring. I sighed as I approached the loud noises. I didn't want to go through all the troubles of putting my robes on. It was late. I was tired. Instead of bending over my drawers and rerieving my robes, I fell in my hammock and dreamt of morning. 


~

> Chapter 52: Battle of Horseshoe Bay (Part 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What ya mean, they mutinied?"

"I just could not believe it, Rainbow! When I went back to the ship last night, they bound me and Coco and threw us overboard! They said something about "not enough rest" or something along those lines. Complete nonsense!"

"Wait, they bound you? How did you escape?"

"I am a Bearer, Rainbow. Such things come in handy. I summoned a large bowl over my head. I probably looked ridiculous, but it made an air bubble for me and gave me time to slice the ropes open with my hidden blade. Coco was less fortunate, but I saved her in time as well.

"I came so close to dying!"

"Yes, yes, we know, Coco."

Coco scrunched her face as Rarity dismissed her cry with a brief wave of her dainty wrist. Everyone but myself ignored the young woman's reaction. With a quiet and indignant huff, Coco crossed her arms and lifted her head away from the Bearers. 

"So ya stuck with us eh?" Rainbow chuckled. "Might as well get comfortable."

"Certainly." Rarity nodded. "But I must ask, why is Trixie on board?"

The Imperial Captain jumped in on the scene once her name was uttered. She had spent the first half hour of daylight adjusting her armor and fixing her hair. From that I could tell that the Imperial and Rarity would get along on some points. 

"Trixie is here on a mission for Her Highness." Trixie practically boasted.

"I see." Rarity responded skeptically. "To have such an alliance with the Empress...These are peculiar times."

The last sentence was said to no one. It was barely a breath that was audible. As my body felt the heat of wearing my now itchy Assassin robes, I considered her words. These, indeed, were peculiar times. Much had changed throughout the past year. Most of it for the worst. My life before all this seemed so simple...and boring. I now idolized it. Wished that I could one day return to such a life. However, the road I was taking did not lead to it any time soon. Everyone talks like some sort of end is approaching, but I cannot see an end. 

"I never thought Twilight was capable of something so fiendish." Rarity sighed. "However, I am not completely surprised. It just seems like that sort of outlandish behavior happens in startling frequency."

"I hear ya, Rares. The Brotherhood was must more honest back when you and I joined. Who knows if Assassins are even worth it now."

Rarity raised a brow at Rainbow. "Hm, I should think your Loyalty would keep you ahead of all that nonsense."

"Loyalty also knows when to be blunt." Rainbow retorted. "And when to move on."

"Let us not speak of such things." I jumped in. "As of last night, there's a fleet of enemy ships hunting us. Maybe we should prepare for them before we even start thinking of Twilight."

Rarity nodded in agreement. "You are right, Octavia. If we risk Baltimare, they will no doubt be there. Maybe we should avoid that port altogether. We can sail outward and curve our way to Fillydelphia instead."

"That'd take forever!" Rainbow excalimed. "Besides, you're on the Ragnarok: "Gods' Destiny!" Those Gryphons can't take her down."

"I hope your right, dear." 

"How many times have I been wrong?"

"Several injuries too many." Rarity said.

Rainbow crossed her arms at this response. Coco giggled girlishly, which made everyone give her a stern look that quickly shut her up. I found my thin hand rubbing my face in annoyance. Whenever these Bearers partnered up, I seemed to always be aggravated to no end. They were friends, I knew this, but they acted too much like siblings for me to take them seriously.





"Well, this has been the most boring day ever."

"Don't you dare say that, Vinyl."

"Why? It is."

"Ship sighted! No, many ships! There's a fleet ahoy, Captain!"

"Good job, Vinyl."

"Now I see what ya meant, Tavi..."

I threw the cards I had in my hands at Vinyl, who reacted rather calmly when the cards struck her face. All morning and afternoon I had been preparing for when the outlook would say those bloody words. I yearned that the battle would be pushed off to tomorrow or forever, but those Gryphonian ships on the horizon ruined that feeling. 

"Prepare yourselves lads, those aren't friendlies!" Rainbow yelled.

I did not want to look at those ships. Ever since the hurricane, I wished desperately that a naval battle would never occur in my life again. Well, that was a useless wish. Luckily this battle lacked severe weather. In all actuality, it was a pleasant day with very little wind. A nice, boring day...By Celestia! Why couldn't it stay that way?

I took my position at the cannon far before anyone on the ship had moved to a battle position. There was nothing for me to do at that moment. The enemy was still far off. I was just so anxious. So nervous. Assassins usually laugh at fear. However, we never disregard it. I at one time was able to use fear to my advantage, but out on the waters, it was anything but helpful.

"Rainbow Dash, I hope you know what you are doing. By the rigging, those are Man-O-Wars!" Trixie yelled.

"Of course they are!" Rainbow fired back. Why would they send anything smaller against us?" 

"Rainbow, remember, you get over-confident when you're scared." Rarity said casually.

"I'm not scared!" Rainbow growled.

"Duly noted." Rarity returned sarcastically. 

"Do not fret, pirates!" Trixie sang proudly. "The ECS Solaire is on our side. Those Gryphons cannot win!"

"Just a moment ago you were worried 'bout me not knowing what to do." Rainbow observed.

"Well, that's because Trixie wishes to not only have victory, but to come out of it alive." The Imperial Captain told her.

"Oh."

How could they be speaking like that with those massive ships heading straight for us? I took a deep breath, trying desperately to regain control of my emotions. I leaned on my assigned cannon. My eyes risked a daring glance at the Gryphons. They indeed were coming closer, though it was hard to track their progress. The ships were like ghosts. Always moving when you aren't looking and still when you do. 

"Well, see you guys later!" Coco squeaked and ran below deck to supposed safety.

Just as I took my relieving breath, the sun was blocked by the ECS Solaire striding to the front of us. She was no doubt rushing to be the leader of our small pack of ships. The armor-clad sailors on board gleamed in the sun's light. The decks of cannons reached far higher than ours. The glory of the ship made the Ragnarok appear nothing more than a fisherman's craft. As the massive ship tried to sail in front of us, Empress Celestia, along with the ever-laughing Discord in his human form, came to the railing to speak to us.

"Bearers of Loyalty and Generosity," the Empress began, "we have it from here. You have no need to risk your lives in battle."

"Are you kidding?" Rainbow shouted at her. "This ship's fought worse, and so have I! We don't let others do our work."

"Now you know why I like her. She's feisty." Discord chuckled. 

Celestia ignored him. "No offense, Captain Dash, but the Solaire is much more capable of handling a fleet of this size..."

"Shut it, Empress!"

Trixie gasped at Rainbow's disrespect. I was so used to this behavior that I barely noticed what she said. Rarity covered her face in disappointment. Celestia smiled at this. With a subtle nod, she gave up on convincing the pirate and moved back to the forecastle. 

"We sail as equals then." She yelled. "Do make sure to be clear of our cannons though. Stronger ships have been sunk by our friendly fire."

"Gotcha." Rainbow curtly responded.

The small amount of hope I had for getting out of the battle was now completely gone. I didn't expect anything different of course, but I was trying to expect the unexpected. I probably muttered a strong curse under my breath, but if I did, I hardly heard myself. 

"Hmph, I guess you're in one of your bloodthirsty moods today?" Rarity asked the pirate.

"Naw. I jus' know Caramel wouldn't have backed down from a fight. These Gryphons are looking for us! Probably me above all else. I should be the one to confront them. It's my battle. No, it's the Ragnarok's battle. "

"I understand. Pirate culture, heh." Rarity huffed.

"I'm not a pirate."

"Are you still saying the "rogue privateer" nonsense? What you are is the definition of a pirate, Rainbow. Never have been anything else."

"Shut it Rares." Rainbow mumbled.

The Ragnarok struck a wave that sent us all back to the formidable task at hand. The Gryphonian ships crept closer, their sails fully drawn and no signs of slowing down were present. As I watched them carefully, a flash emitted from the leading ship, followed by a splash just meters in front of us.

"A warning shot?" Rainbow laughed. "Please."

To our surprise, Celestia sent out her own warning shot from the bow cannons. The cannons boomed in a low tone that vibrated our ship. Large splashes could be seen near the Gryphonian ship. After this happened, the enemy fleet started moving slightly away from each other.

Rainbow called out to her crew. "They're getting into attack positions. Get ready boys! This fight has just begun!" 

Yes, the battle started indeed. The sounds of frotnal cannons sending desperate shots at the opponent filled the water and air. Smoke rose high above us, forming dark clouds that began to block the sun. 

"Don't get caught between their ships, Rainbow! They all have better firepower than us." Rarity told the captain.

"I know!" Rainbow shouted back. "Let me handle this, woman!"

Rainbow steered the ship to the left, aiming for the edge of the enemy fleet. Mortars flew through the sky like balls of fire, landing sparsely on the battlefield. The Solaire rumbled as she sent off an endless barrage at the enemy.

"We'll pick one off at a time." Rainbow informed us.

"Their flag ship is headin' for us!" A crew member shouted.

"That's the Valkyrie." Rarity said. "From what I've heard, she's one of the largest Man-O-Wars ever created."

"Just how I like 'em." Rainbow grinned.

The Valkyrie edged towards us. She was much slower than the Ragnarok, so she had trouble getting in range. However, her mortars fired off. I could only keep my head low and hope that their aim was off target.

It was. The water whirled above our heads and landed all over the ship. Waves were formed as the burning shards of metal ripped through the previously peaceful waters. 

"Keep it up! We ain't never lost a battle and we won't now!"

Rainbow's words of encouragement could barely be heard as the Gryphons fired once more. The Bearer steered the vessel away from their fire and set the broad side against one of the frigates. With a single word, she ordered us to return the fire. I lit the fuse, covered my ears, and waited for my cannon to explode with the powder within it.

"We hit her!"

Splinters of wood flew through the smokey sky. One piece of wood embedded itself quite close to me on the railing, causing me to duck behind my cannon. Rainbow laughed madly and sent us deeper into the battle. The Man-O-War was now on our tail, but again, it was too slow to keep up.

As the sunny sky was replaced by the darkness of fog and smoke, we pressed on with our attacks. Celestia's ship was reigning hell upon the other Gryphon frigates, making one sink less than ten minutes into the battle. 

Despite our helpful allies, The Valkyrie chased us without hesitation. She seemed to ignore all other ships in the battle and solely focused on us. The cannons on the side that I was not on fired upon a smaller frigate, blasting some of her cannons into the air. The Ragnarok was doing surprisingly well as the enemy frigates seemed to keep missing us.

"I believe the Man-O-War wants to take us out personally." Rarity concluded. "It doesn't make sense why the frigates refuse to tear us apart!"

"I think ya right, Rares." Rainbow agreed. "If that's how their captain wants to play it, let's reward him!"

Rainbow made the ship take a tight turn towards the massive Man-O-War. The Valkyrie, with a carving of a ferocious female warrior on her bow, charged at us with ceaseless tenacity. The images of proud gryphons were painted on her large whitish sails. She was a monster in every meaning of the word. However, this did not intimidate Rainbow as much as it did me.

"Load the frontal cannons! Give her everything we've got!"

The two cannons on the bow fired upon the Man-O-War. The fiery cannonballs glanced harmlessly on the bow of the enemy ship. No cheers rang from the crew this time. The Valkyrie's reply was a counterattack with its six front cannons.

"Head for cover!" Rainbow ordered.

I did not need to be told twice. I threw myself to the deck and covered my head. Before I could brace myself fully, a cannonball sliced through the hull of the ship, making her rock back from the force. A wave of energy speedily crawled through the deck and when it reached me, I was thrown up into the air and pushed into the railing of the steps that led up to the forecastle.

"Rainbow! We can't take hits like that!" Rarity scolded.

"This is not looking good for Trixie..." The Imperial gulped.

"I know!" Rainbow shouted back. "I got this, alright?"

"I hope you do." I whispered.

I recovered to my feet. Well, if one counted throwing myself on my cannon to stand up as a way of recovering. We were still heading straight for the behemoth of a ship. Blows were now being traded as our front cannons battled theirs. The waves saved us from most of the cannonballs but also saved the enemy as well. Mortars were fired on both sides, but neither gained an edge.

Rainbow turned the ships sharply to give a quick broadside at the Man-O-War. The cannons were fired and the enemy ship was lost in the puffs of smoke that followed. The sounds of wood cracking met my ears. For a moment I thought we had won this confrontation, but the roar of their retaliating cannons sent me back to the deck.

I saw one of my fellow crew mates disappear with a cannonball taking him to the waters. Other than that, not else happened to our ship. Rainbow turned the vessel away from the Man-O-War with a curse to the foggy heavens. 

"Damn it! How much can she take?" She yelled.

"We need to back off! We have allies, let's use them." Rarity told the captain sternly.

"Fine!"

The Ragnarok spun on a high wave. I held on tight to the railing as we rolled down the wave. The Gryphonian ships circled around us, but only the Valkyrie pressed on. Rainbow ignored them and focused the ship's path towards the last sighting of Empress Celestia's ship. The fog of war made it difficult, but I could tell Rainbow knew which direction she was going. 

The ECS Solaire was battling two frigates when we found her. The raw power of the conqueror class vessel was in full display as its dozens of cannons wrecked through the tough hauls of the frigates. Wood and fire sprung from the Gryphonian ships as they were completely overwhelmed by the ferocity of Celestia's ship.

The Valkyrie  chased us from behind and continued to fire upon us with mortars. Rainbow ordered for powder barrels to be thrown in the Man-O-War's path as mines. The speed of the crew was tremendous as they cast off the barrels. I could not see if the mines were effective, but from the lack of explosions, I could assume they did not help.

"Keep her off us!" Rainbow screamed.

I saw in the corner of my eye one of the Equestrian escorts go down bow-first into the sea. In the chaos of the battle, I could not tell who was gaining an advantage. 

The Solaire sunk the two frigates that boldly opposed her. Her mortars reigned the heavens and covered the Gryphonian fleet. The Valkyrie did not hesitate, however, and continued to pursue us with mad ambition. Trixie hollered in delight as she saw her Empress take care of her enemies so swiftly. 

"Her Highness knows what she does! Why doesn't a pirate with more experience flee?" She rudely questioned Rainbow.

"Shut up! Ya not helping!" The captain barked.

"Coming in from the left sir!"

All eyes turned to the other side of the Ragnarok. We were so focused on the Man-O-War behind us that a Gryphonian brig was speeding towards us unhindered. I barely saw her massive ram before she slammed straight into the side of the our ship. The force of the impact sent me tumbling over the railing. 

The salt and smoke in my face made it difficult for me to see the side of the ship. My hands slipped on the first holds I found. I finally took hold of a board and hung there as the ship rocked back and forth. Cannons ignited on the other side and ripped into the opposing brigantine. I then tried to pull myself up with the only hand. My feet could not find a place to stick in the wet and damaged wood.

"C'mon!" I shouted at myself.

My ears then rang and stunned my head. I was hanging right next to a window for a cannon and it fired, leaving me dazed. I tried to bring myself together, but the ringing remained and the ship kept rocking.

"Tavi!"

I looked up to see Vinyl leaning over the railing. Fright was in her eyes and she was clearly trying to decide whether to come after me or not. This made me angry. I started to wave my free arm about.

"Forget me! Get to your station and continue the fight! I'll be fine!" I told her.

"Don't forget Valor!" She yelled back.

My palms started to tingle with life upon hearing those words. I tried to summon the spirit, but it did not come out right away. I focused harder and its bluish arm started to rise out of mine. Unfortunately, it was taking its time.

"Look out!"

I risked a glance upwards to see Vinyl pointing out towards the sea. I then followed her finger. A Gryphonian frigate was readying for a broadside. I saw dozens of cannons pop out of their windows to point at me. In the adrenaline, I pulled myself up a little and covered my head.

The cannons roared and the world collapsed around me. I could feel every impact that each cannonball made. Even with my strength, it rattled the wood so hard that my hand slipped. I tried to hang on as the wood blew up around me, giving me large splinters in my legs and arms, but it was too much. I felt myself slipping and could do nothing about it.

"Hang on!"

To my astonishment, I saw Rainbow Dash climbing sideways towards me. She was using her swords like climbing picks in the side of the ship and expertly traversed the awkward wall. I had never seen anything like it before. When one of her swords was embedded, the other came out to be placed in another position. She was doing this with the speed of a sprint, dodging any late cannonballs and protecting herself from shrapnel all the while.

I tried to dissuade her. "Bearer! Do not risk yourself for me! Command the ship!"

"I ain't leaving you! Who ya think I am?" She yelled.

She reached me in no time, placing both swords deeply into the wood. I placed my arms around her shoulders, giving her my entire weight. She did not even grunt and started to climb upwards. One sword in, the other out. One sword in, the other out. Each fluid motion was met with a deep breath by the Bearer. My blood started to mix with her cyan robes, but nothing seemed to distract her. 

"Bearer, you didn't need to save me." I started.

"Shut it! You're part of my crew, so I treat you like family. I'd never back off from keeping any of ya alive."

We reached the railing and I pulled myself over it. She then followed and placed her swords back into their sheaths on her back. She didn't even look my way again and started to command the crew once more. Rarity was now steering the ship and I couldn't help but notice Trixie's bewildered face.

"Trixie is impressed." She said. "Never have I seen such courage..."

"Get used to it, darling." Rarity told her. "Rainbow's got a knack for the heroics."

I was hugged by Vinyl as she came out from cover. I couldn't hear her whispered words over the cannons that came from the ships around us. I guessed what they were though and patted her lovingly. My arms still bled from the splinters that stuck out of my limbs, but I felt no pain from them. 

"We gotta get to a good position!" Rainbow shouted. "Listen, we need to regroup! Stick with the Solaire, Rarity!"

"Of course, darling!"

Though the Ragnarok was damaged and burning in some spots, we pressed on towards the capital ship. The ECS Solaire had sunk another Gryphonian ship with ease and was charging towards the great Man-O-War. The latter, though, seemed to ignore her and chased after us. 

"I think they want to board us, dear." Rarity called out. "That would only make sense since they haven't sunk us yet."

"I think they want the Elements." I told Rainbow, who was next to me. "If Twilight's behind all this, then that would be important in her plan."

"I doubt Twilight wants to kill us." Rainbow scoffed. "There's no gain."

"Maybe there is. We can't risk it!"

"Alright, alright! It doesn't matter. Either way, we're sinking all these bastards!"

The Solaire fired upon the Valkyrie, taking out one of her smaller masts. It was an impressive strike upon the legendary Man-O-War. This seemed to have finally made the Valkyrie think of the other ships in the battle. The captain steered her quickly and she bombarded the Solaire in retaliation.  I could not tell how much damage was done by the quick broadside, but it did make the Solaire back off slightly. 

"Get lined up with her!" Rainbow ordered Rarity. "We'll double team the bitch!"

Rarity gave a proud salute before turning the Ragnarok around. We were not the only ones targeting the Valkyrie. Maud's frigate was close by, shelling the Man-O-War with her few mortars. 

"Get her close, but not too close!" Rainbow yelled.

"I understand! I can handle it!" Rarity yelled back.

"I won't risk my ship!" Rainbow pounded the main mast to drive in her point.

The Valkyrie fired her mortars on the Solaire, just like we wanted. The massive ships danced about the waters, each looking for a window to strike. We headed towards the Gryphonian's backside, hoping to take her by surprise. 

"Keep her steady!"

Rarity angled the ship so that our broadside would meet their back corner. Maud's mortars started to fall down from the blackened sky, making it difficult to get close. The fiery scrapes of metal splashed between us and the Man-O-War. 

"Just a little closer!"

I ran over to an unmanned cannon with Vinyl and started to prep it. Since we have already done this routine many times, we prepared and loaded the cannon in no time. I only now started to feel a sting in my limbs. I almost pulled some of the splinters out, but I knew that would be unwise. 

"Little more..."

We were terribly close to the Man-O-War, which started to turn about due to our presence. I could see the brawny, but feminine captain of the ship glare at us with large yellow eyes. She was in the usual Gryphon uniform of browns and blues. Her sturdy arms turned the wheel with ease and wild determination. 

"Fire!"

I lit the fuse and covered my ears. Almost all of the cannons on this side of the brig fired upon the Man-O-War. The Gryphonian captain barely flinched at out attack and kept turning the wheel. The back windows of the ship shattered as it took the blunt of the attack. Our attack was a successful one, but it did not even stagger the great Man-O-War. The enemy ship turned around and I saw the captain's hand go up. I ducked for cover as I saw her hand go back down, motioning to her crew to counter attack. The cannons fired and I braced myself. 

It was going to be a long battle indeed.


~

> Chapter 52: Battle of Horseshoe Bay (Part 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How much can this bloody ship take!?"

Rainbow was helping control the sails as Rarity controlled the ship. The winds were picking up as the day went on. The sun was completely gone in the battle smoke and the waters ripped back and forth with all the disturbances. I was taking the small gap between cannon barrages to bandage up my wounds. Rarity had summoned some clean cloths for me and I was putting them to good use.

"How many splinters did ya get?" Vinyl asked me.

"Too many. It's better than what could have happened though." I told her.

"Hell yeah." She agreed.

More flaming shrapnel fell from the skies as the Valkyrie and the ECS Solaire pummeled each other further. Maud, Big Mac, and the Equestrian escorts were engaged all around us with the smaller Gryphon vessels. With the carnage that was Horseshoe Bay at the moment, I was terribly surprised any ships were floating at all.

"Rarity! We're ready for another round!" Rainbow called.

"Acknowledged, Captain!" Rarity saluted.

It was back to business. I finished wrapping the white fabric around my wounds and headed back to my position by the ship's railing. Rarity steered the vessel back to the battle. The Valkyrie was also turning around after she gave the Solaire a good bruising. 

"We're keep pressin' until she sinks!" Rainbow ordered.

That was just what we did. The Ragnarok circled once more after the Man-O-War, taking small shots at every angle we could find. Although our ships was massively damaged, the speed difference was now coming into play. 

"Fire until the barrels melt!"

I kept reloading the cannon and Vinyl kept firing. Ammunition was becoming scarce as we launched it all at the enemy. Gone were all the mortar shells already. Gone was also any clear air.

The Solaire was now flanked by two Gryphonian frigates, letting the Man-O-War escape freely. The monster fired her mortars at us, but the crew's aim was greatly off, landing harmlessly in the black water. I clamped my hands over my ears and let Vinyl fire once more.

Our latest volley struck right below the bow of the ship, a lucky hit indeed. I could tell this strike interrupted a counterattack. A fire broke out in one of the holes we made and the ship turned away to regroup.

"Don't let them have a second of peace!"

Rarity angled the ship straight towards the fleeing Man-O-War. The front cannons boomed with whatever ammunition was left. I started to see crew members stuff knives, forks, splinters, and chain down the barrels. I fortunately had one cannonball left by my side and proceeded to ram it down my own barrel.

"Give her everything left!"

The Ragnarok swung right next to the Valkyrie and all the cannons were unloaded upon her. I saw the Gryphon crew members fly and fall with the sharp projectiles ripping threw their bodies. It was a quick, bloody mess. No counterattack came and we passed them by without a new scratch. 

The crew gave a loud cheer as one of the ship's masts fell off and into the bay. The Valkyrie was now immobile and stuck dead in the waters. We were already preparing another run, but it was not necessary. The Solaire had beaten the frigates and now brought fire upon the Man-O-War. Mortar fire rained down and tore the ship apart. Soon the Valkyrie was nothing but a large fire, sinking slowly into the depths. The flagship was done, and we achieved victory.

"We did it!" Vinyl shouted with joy.

"Of course we did!" Rainbow boasted. "This ship can't be sunk! This is the Ragnarok! We're meant to topple the gods!" She pointed at the sinking fire proudly.

"But I must say, Rainbow, dear, the ship is no longer in traveling condition. We must hurry to Baltimare." Rarity told her.

"Aye. We can celebrate later. Everyone, get to work! We're landin' in Baltimare!"





"Didn't ya see how I swooped in there and got you?" Rainbow asked me with excitement.

"How could I forget? You saved my life, Bearer." I answered.

Rainbow Dash laughed out loud and spilled some of the cider in the mug. Other crew members and captains surrounded the tables at the old Baltimare tavern. Laughs were plenty and merriment in no small amount. The Bearer of Loyalty and I sat at the same table with Vinyl, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. The first was hogging up all the conversation by telling the tales of that morning.

"It was not the first time you saved one like that." Rarity said. "I remember you did it for Neon Lights back before you became an Assassin."

"Oh yeah, can't forget that!" Rainbow laughed. "Great times back when Caramel was captain. I bet he would have owned that Man-O-War in half the time we took, and by himself too."

"I thought we did pretty well." Rarity folded her arms.

"Yeah, but ya can't compare to Caramel. That guy was something else."

Pinkie chugged down her cider before slamming the mug on the table. "Oh! I bet he could take down a hundred brigs with just a fishing boat! If he's better than Rainbow, he must be amazing!"

"Eh, I don't think he's that good." Rainbow chuckled.

"I wish I met him." Fluttershy sighed. "He sounds like a great guy.

"Maybe not for your taste, Flutters." Rainbow shrugged. "Last thing I'd call him is nice."

"He could be a gentleman here or there." Rarity commented with a dreamily gaze at the stars. "He's the only pirate I ever met who could create inspiring art and be polite to a woman."

"Too bad he was never polite to me..." Rainbow groaned quietly.

I felt odd being with a group speaking of someone they thought to be dead when I knew otherwise. Those months ago, Caramel told me to not inform Rainbow of his health and I was sticking to it. To make sure I did not slip, I remained quiet at the table.

"Have I ever told you guys of the previous Bearer of Kindness?" Rainbow started after the short silence. "That woman was a bitch."

"Oh Rainbow, this is not the place. I knew that woman too." Rarity protested.

"I knew her too!" Pinkie shouted. "Oh wait...I don't."

"How could a Bearer of Kindness be mean?" Fluttershy asked. "I mean, I'm not mean, am I?"

"Alright, I guess she wasn't a total bitch, but close. One thing was, she would hardly heal people. I know, Flutters, it's not easy, but I mean she would rather watch you die slowly than even try to save you. I got on her bad side a few times, and most scars you see on me are from her."

"Darling, you attacked the Brotherhood, it was only necessary." Rarity interrupted. "I think you deserved some of those beat downs."

"Maybe I did deserve some. But how about when she stabbed me with her blade?" She rose dramatically. "Right into my side! She buried it deep and twisted it. How would like one of these in ya?" 

She activated her hidden blade and showed us all its fine point. A devious grin was now on the Bearer's face. I could she was enjoying the dramatic tension and started the story with great detail.

"It hurts the most when ya don't expect it. It pierces ya skin and ya can feel the guts inside you wiggle. It don't hurt...yet. When I saw the blade in me, that's when the blood started gushing out like a fountain! The Bearer of Kindness was drenched in my own blood. The pain comes and my head aches instantly. It was the moment I thought I would die!"

Rarity rolled her eyes. Pinkie leaned in excitedly, but Fluttershy coward in her seat. Vinyl and I simply leaned back and listened. Trixie had apparently walked in on the story and was listening with only mild interest.

Rainbow continued. "But I wasn't gonna die, nope. I grab her arm and pulled the blade out. Some of my guts and flesh came out with it. I grab my knife and stab it right in her neck! Blood blinded me and-"

"Oh it's too much!" Fluttershy shouted. "How could any Bearer of Kindness be like that! Could I be like that? It's so awful!"

"Flutters?" Rainbow asked worriedly.

"Now I can only think if what I kind do! I'm Kindness but not Kind at all! How could this be?" Fluttershy sobbed and ran off down the street.

Rainbow grind her teeth and punched the table. "Dammit! Why'd I do that?" 

"I'm sure she'll be fine, darling." Rarity panted the captain's shoulder. 

"Yeah, but I knew it would happen." Rainbow growled. "And I did it anyway."

"Well, Fluttershy should not worry, she is not Kind. She stabbed an arrow through my leg once."

"You're not helping." I told her flatly.

"I don't want to seem rude, but did you kill that Bearer?" Vinyl piped up.

Rainbow sighed. "Nah, not like that. Caramel finished her. I did stab her neck though. And because of that, Fluttershy was chosen. She had to see all the violence of the world because of me."

"It's not your fault, darling. The Elements will choose who they choose. She would have been a Bearer no matter when Junebug perished." Rarity tried to comfort her.

"These Elements seem to plague your Brotherhood." Trixie huffed. "If Trixie were you, I would stop using them."

"Oh don't worry, we haven't thought of that at all." Rainbow replied sarcastically. "Cause, you know, we should just rip these things out of chests and die!"

"Well, at least I'm not alone in my thinking." I said lowly.

"Um, any of ya think we should go after her?" Pinkie asked after gazing down the road.

"She'll be fine." Vinyl said. "I bet she just needs time alone."

"That's what I'm afraid of." I remarked. "Baltimare is not a safe place. She may be an Assassin, but a distracted one at the moment."

"If anyone goes, it'll be me." Rainbow stood up. 

We watched her get up, put her hood over her head, and walk away into the dimly lit streets. My hand started to tingle, making my wrist bump against the table. Something wasn't right. Valor was telling me to follow, so I stood up and began to walk in the Bearer's footsteps.

"Hey! Where ya off to?" Vinyl asked.

"Something isn't right." I told her.

"What?"

"Something isn't right!" I repeated louder.

The tingling became stronger. My heart started to race. I began to run with all my might. The Bearer of Loyalty was nowhere to be see, but I could faintly see her prints in the sand and dirt. The others started to chase after me.

Valor jumped out of my body. "Go!"

"Valor, what's going on?" I asked.

"I sense him! Valor sense him!"

Well, she had broadened her vocabulary, I thought. The spirit took the lead from me and guided me through the alleys and passages. Fluttershy had gone much farther than I would have expected.

"Tavi! Wait!" I heard my friend cry from behind.

I did not reply. Valor made a hard right turn and I swiftly followed. The sounds of metal clashing against metal could be heard echoing off the small buildings. It became louder and louder with every step.

Valor took another turn and there it was. In the dark street was Rainbow and dark figure fighting. A body in a pool of blood was sprawled in the sand next to them. My  heart leaped when I saw the body's long pink hair. I had the option to help Rainbow or check on Fluttershy. In the rush of the moment, I chose the latter.

"I'll kill you or this!" Rainbow screamed at the figure. 

"You better! Kill me like you killed my friends!" The attacker mocked.

I ran my hand threw Fluttershy's hair. Her face was in the dirt, so I rolled her over on her side. To my relief, she was alive, but barely. Her hand was clutching a small sword that entered her stomach and exited her back. Not only that, but she had at least five other stab wounds in her torso. I could see no hope of her escaping such wounds with her life.

"Don't worry, Bearer. You'll be fine." I coaxed her.

"No...I won't...." Fluttershy barely uttered.

The fight went on. The much larger man swung his blade madly about. Rainbow kept parrying the attacks with her own swords. I still hesitated on whether to help Rainbow or stick with Fluttershy.

"You killed them! It's only right for me to kill you!" The man shouted. 

The voice was familiar and so were his movements. In the darkness, I could barely see him. He was wearing something along the lines of a brown or black tunic and he had a hood over his head. 

"You killed Spitfire and Fleetfoot! The only action I can take is fulfilling their wishes. I'll end all the Assassins by myself!"

The man was Soarin. I presumed him dead after the hurricane. His voice cracked every other word and he breathed hard. He was mad with revenge. His fighting was reminiscent of an untrained fool. All his attacks were wide and easy to predict. 

"Soarin?" I yelled. "He's dead!"

"Guess...not..." Fluttershy breathed.

Rainbow parried one of his strikes and kicked him rightly in the stomach, sending him towards the ground. She tried to slice him with a swing but he recovered and sidestepped away from the glowing blade. He countered with a jab and it only made bright sparks when it struck Rainbow's swords.

"Octy..." Fluttershy weakly grasped my robe.

"You'll be fine, Bearer." I repeated.

The others arrived on the scene. Pinkie Pie ran to her fellow Bearer in less than a second. Vinyl and Rarity drew their swords and ganged up on the Wonderbolt. Trixie folded her arms and stood by.

"Keep coming! I'll kill you all!" Soarin screamed.

With three versus one, it did not take long to end him. Vinyl pressed from the front and allowed Rainbow to skewer him with her two blades. The blazing swords caught his clothes on fire and he soon became an inferno. As his dying body burned to death, they all forgot him and rushed over to Fluttershy and I.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Rainbow panicked. 

"Fluttershy, dear, you must hold on, let me summon something to hel-"

Fluttershy sighed. "It's too late...I can feel Kindness leaving me..."

"You bloody Element! Don't you dare leave her!" Rainbow yelled.

"Vinyl! Can you use Hope?" I asked her desperately.

"I'm not sure!" Vinyl yelped. "I mean, I think it would have activated by now...but it's not doin' anything."

"We need to heal her now!" Rarity cried.

"C'mon Flutters! Don't ya remember how ya laughed at this face?" Pinkie made a silly face.

Fluttershy weakly smiled as her chest started to glow. Now, I did not know what this meant, but to the heightened worry of Rainbow and Rarity, I could tell it was not good in the slightest.

"She has healing powers!" Trixie huffed. "Can't she heal herself?"

"No..." Fluttershy gasped. "It would only give me the same wounds..."

Rainbow's shoulders slumped. "That's not entirely true."

All eyes looked at her. Rarity was the first to speak. "Darling, what do you mean?"

"Bearers of Kindness can heal themselves by giving their wounds to another. I know this cause the old Bearer used to do it all the time, especially during fights. Fluttershy, ya gotta give someone else the wounds. Ya gotta give me the wounds."

"Rainbow...no..." Fluttershy shook her head.

"Listen Flutters, I was the one who killed the last Bearer. I made that Element choose you before your time. Heck, maybe ya coulda avoided all of this. Ya know, like a peaceful life. This is my fault. I really, really don't want ya to die right here. I'll change places with you. Please let me do this."

Rainbow took Fluttershy's hand and placed it on her side. Almost instantly, the wounds began to disappear on Fluttershy's body, only for them to spread upon Rainbow's. The cuts were not even in the same places as Fluttershy's. Cuts were popping up around the arms, back, legs, and even the face. Blood started to burst from the Bearer of Loyalty.

"Gahh!" Rainbow screamed in agony.

"Oh please stop!" Rarity separated them.

The magical connection was interrupted, but by the deathly stare on Rainbow's face, I knew it was too late. Fluttershy was completely heal, even the smaller gashes were gone. Rainbow was sliced up from head to toe and her robes were nothing but crimson. I could see the captain take a desperate swallow before uttering weak words.

"Take care...See ya in Hell..." 

She then fell backwards on the sand, her eyes open and unblinking. Rarity cried and threw her face in the dirt without a care. Pinkie collapsed to the ground in silence. Fluttershy clambered over to the Bearer's body and tried to heal it, but nothing happened. Vinyl and I stood back in shock. Even Trixie was speechless.

"Kindness! Heal her!" Fluttershy pleaded. "Please! No, don't you dare say she's gone!"

Nothing happened still. Rainbow's chest began to glow. The cloth that covered her chest began to rip a part, showing a bright red crystal emerging from its hole. The Element was leaving its Bearer. In little time, the whole crystal sat on her chest, leaving a gaping hole where her natural heart would be. Fluttershy stopped trying to heal and simply picked it up.

"Oh no..."







I wish I could go into more detail, but even now my hand aches. We may have stayed in that street for hours, for the Bearers wept until the sun rose upon us. Never did my person tremble so much. Never did I feel so grieved since Vinyl's supposed death. I can say my views on the Bearers changed that night. They are still as human as I. Not only were my views changed, but Trixie's were as well.

I write this in the fortress beside Baltimare. I, Octavia Melody, shall write these words before shutting these entries away forever:


The Bearer of Loyalty and Captain of the Ragnarok is dead.



~

	
> Bearer Chapter: Order
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Calm down, Twilight. Your worry has given me a headache."

Sunset Shimmer rubbed her forehead with a long sigh. The Bearer of Magic paced about in front of her, each step more nervous than the last. Her hands were constantly moving as well, showcasing nothing but anxiety. 

"Twilight, listen, it doesn't matter-"

"Doesn't matter?" Twilight gasped. "Sunset, all that we are trying to do, it all could be for not. Applejack knows and now the rest of the Brotherhood does as well."

"That doesn't mean they believe her..."

Twilight stopped and shook her head. "Applejack is the Bearer of Honesty, of course they do."

Sunset leaned on a wall. "All is not lost, Twilight. You and I are still two of the most powerful people on this planet, we can handle this."

Twilight placed her hands on her hips. "Oh? Do you think we're just going to kill whoever comes in our way? The Bearers are my friends."

"Not if they go against you." Sunset pointed out. "Two versus the world. That's what it is now and what it has always been. We're close. We can finish it."

Twilight looked away at the only candle in the room. The Palace bedroom was quiet without her pacing or her sighs. The Templar leaned on the wall still, a serious look on her face. 

"On a better note, the Gryphon fleet should be arriving in Baltimare, if they haven't already. I say it's about time." Sunset chuckled.

"About that, did you really have to off Spitfire?" Twilight asked.

"I see you heard the news. Well, you know very well that she was too radical. The Wonderbolts would never accept Assassin aid. Oh, and how goes Rarity's mission? She should be back now, right?"

"Suri still lives. Rarity abandoned the mission. See, Sunset? They all know what we have been doing."

Sunset stroked her chin. "Perhaps, but I guess it would be better to assume the worst. Well, no matter, it is all about survival now."

"Sunset! Someone comes!"

Twilight teleported out of the room, much to Sunset's annoyance. The closed door to her room swung open to reveal the Empress of the Night. No words left Luna's deep frown and none left Sunset's bemused face. 

The Empress was the first to look away from the other. Her eyes inspected the room, knowing full well who was in it just moments prior. Her mouth parted slowly and she started to address Sunset before even looking at her.

"I see you two have not given up your mad quest. Well, I am the bringer of sad news to you. My Sister has defeated your fleet."

Sunset's expression did not change. "Of course her behemoth would. What about the Ragnarok?"

"Still floats and so does her crew."

"Well there's that." She shrugged. "They are no doubt coming our way. Thank you, Empress, Twilight and I shall prepare accordingly."

"Do not treat me like some messenger. I am here to dissuade you from continuing your madness. Sunset, Twilight, Tia and I have always sought the best for you. Why throw it away for a dream you can't accomplish? This is madness! If you give up now, Celestia and I will protect you from the Assassins!"

"Your offer is hollow." Sunset told her. "Twilight and I don't need your help. We have gotten this far without it. You may not know it, but we still have shard users under our control. We will be ready for the Bearers and their pawns to come after us. No Luna, you need to focus on staying out of this."

"Staying out of it?" Luna spat. "How dare you! I am an Empress. I have the duty to make certain my people are safe. You Templar...You Assassins, nothing but shadows of your former selves. Corrupted beyond cure. You think you have some right to change the course of humanity?"

"Right?" Sunset took a step towards the Empress. "Right? It is our responsibility! We shall have both Order and Harmony! With the Assassins and Templar united, we can forge a single path towards success. You just don't see it, do you?"

"The Brotherhood and Order will fall to pieces before joining." Luna yelled.

"Indeed!" Sunset shot back. "That is why Twilight and I are destroying them. Both will crawl around, searching for hope in the dust of their defeats. Then they will see. After the death and mayhem, they will see that they can only rise again if they are united."

"Foolish talk!"

"Quiet! Empress, if you oppose us, then we can no longer be allies. Leave."

Luna's face reddened. "You dare order me in my own home? You are but a stubborn girl. It is you who should be leaving."

Sunset's hands were engulfed in fire. Smoke began to exit the sides of her eyes as her anger boiled. Luna stood by with a stern look, not moving an inch away from the furious pyromancer. 

"Do not think I'm an easy match, Your Highness. My flames will burn even you."

Twilight teleported in between them. "We are not going to fight!"

Sunset glared at her with literal fire in her eyes. "Luna needs to be incinerated!"

Luna guffawed. "Ha! Come and try! I'll teach you true Fear."

Twilight held her ground. "We are not fighting! Sunset, please calm down."

"Shut it! You know what needs to be done. Luna needs to die anyway! She wields the Element of Fear. We need it to unite the Elements and restore the Crystal Heart!"

"You are planning on rebuilding the Heart?" Luna growled. "You cannot be so foolish?"

"Luna, we do not need the Crystal Heart." Twilight tried to assure her. "That was just in one of our renditions of the plan. We can try without it."

"The fact that you would even think of doing so..."

"Enough talk! Twilight, it is time for survival."

"Sunset, no!"

The Templar summoned flames all around the Empress. Luna drew her sword, but the flames grew larger and faster. Twilight grasped Luna in her magic and threw her away from the flames before they became a central inferno that would have roasted her.

"You two are dead!" Luna screamed.

Twilight was thrown aside by Sunset. The Templar was now almost fully engulfed in a raging fire that covered her body. The whole room was being eaten by flames. 

Sunset threw fire from her hands at the Empress. Luna dodged them the best she could, her black dress burning away. She countered the Templar by sending a mental attack that knocked the pyromancer to the ground. 

"You are outmatched, Sunset." Luna said.

"I'm not done yet!"

The pyromancer threw a large fireball at Luna. The Empress jumped to the side, watching the ball blow a massive whole in the stone wall. The wave of force it created made her flew through the doorway and out into the hall.

"Sunset! Please!" Twilight begged.

"You have to pick a side!" Sunset yelled. "We have no friends anymore. Anyone who stands in our way must die! Pick a side! Are you going to stick with me? Are you going to abandon me? Choose!"

Sunset did not wait for an answer. She turned and left a teary-eyed Bearer in the burning bedroom. Luna was just now standing up from her fall. The hallway was already on fire and there was no sign of the flames dying.

"Twilight and I have already changed the world." Sunset boasted. "Your Palace will burn to the ground. Everyone will see that the Sisters are unfit to rule. I may not be able to fulfill Twilight's plan now, but at least I can open up the path for the Templar to fill after me."

"I will not hesitate to cut you down!" Luna warned.

"Then try your best!"

Luna charged at her with her sword. Sunset jumped back, leaving a trail of fire were her feet touched the purple rug. The Empress felt sweat evaporate on her temple. The whole wall, be it wood or stone, was covered in fire. It spread like it was being fueled by wine. The magical flames ran throughout the Palace, alerting everyone of the fight.

Royal Guards saw the flaming demon and rushed from corridors and stairs. Sunset paused in her fighting to see the squads of Guards head towards her.

"Rather sad, I know most of these men..."

She prepared an attack for them, but stopped when Twilight teleported with her sword in hand. Soon heads were flying off the Guards' shoulders as the Bearer teleported from each one quickly, giving him a decapitating blow before moving onto to the next victim. They fell n such a systematic way that Sunset laughed.

"Only Twilight could make it look so simple."

"You have betrayed us!" Luna called through the flames. "How can you stand yourself?"

Sunset returned her attention to the Empress. "I have betrayed no one. If you ever thought I was on the side of Equestria, then you fooled yourself. I may not hold myself as a true Templar, but they are better than anything that has come before. It is not my fault you never gave them a chance."

"You did not see the horrors of the Shadow King."

"Neither do I hold his principals. The Order has risen above such pettiness. We guide the people. We make them understand. We are the teaching father to them. Something you have never been. With you and Celestia dead, we will have our opportunity to shine."

Sunset hurled a rolling flame disk at the Empress. Luna was not fast enough and it singed her ankle. She cried out in pain as her ankle's skin was burned away. The Templar laughed again.

"I thought the Bearer of Fear would put up more of a bloody fight!"

Luna's eyes glowed. Her hand was thrown up towards Sunset, creating a boom of energy that threw the pyromancer into the air. Sunset bounced off a wall and fell on her flaming face. The Empress then leaned on her sword and lifted herself up.

"We are more powerful than you believe. I am a nightmare when unleashed!"

Sunset quickly stood up. Luna was backing away down the hallway. The pyromancer kept the distance between them the same by cautiously approaching the backward peddling Empress. Sunset could feel the shard in her hand tingle with excitement. All this fire, all this rage, it fueled the shard and her. Even her breath felt like dragon's fire.

With a howl, Sunset blasted away at Luna with a constant stream of flames. The Bearer seemed to block the attack with a magical shield. Sunset had to admit, she did not know all of Luna's powers. What could Fear do outside of the dream world?

Luna set another force wave at the Templar. Sunset braced for this one and it only pushed her back a few steps. Suddenly, Luna opened her mouth, letting a swarm of bats fly straight at Sunset.

"Gah!" Sunset screeched.

The swarm of bats flew harmlessly by her. Her burning eyes widened with shock by the strange attack. Luna's arms were now covered in spiders, falling off her like water. 

"It's an illusion!" Sunset yelled. "They aren't real!"

"Think that if you may." Luna said quietly. "You do not understand the power We have."

"Doesn't matter! The vermin burn like the rest!"

Sunset charged at the Empress. Luna swiped her sword about and cut the Templar's shoulder. The attack made Sunset back off and quickly cauterized the wound. Then she summoned her fire into the form of a broadsword and held it in a threatening way. Luna twirled her sword once in readiness.

The pyromancer stepped forward and gave a quick swing. Luna met the swing with her on sword, only to have it pass through the flames with no effect. Sunset swung again, trying to burn Luna's legs. Instead of simply dodging the attack, Luna countered by jabbing the tip of her longer sword into Sunset's outstretched arm.

"You may be covered in flames, but you still have flesh!"

Sunset cursed and jumped back. Her other arm called upon the flames on the walls, making them fall upon the Empress like a tidal wave. She lost sight of Luna as the flames swarmed about. Fire upon fire was brought down. The raging inferno was all Sunset could see.

"Even a Bearer has her limits!" Sunset laughed.

"Aye!" the flames seemed to say.

"How are you still alive?"

A blackish figure emerged from the flames. Sunset's fire lessened as she gasped at the sight before her. The figure bore little resemblance to the Empress. This new woman was covered in bluish armor, made in the like of ancient warriors. The helmet had two small horns in the back that looked like ears and a long, thin horn in the front. Crow feathers hung from the gaps in her armor and a back cap hug from her large pauldrons. Her pupils were slits and her eyes wild. Fangs protruded from her lips. Her skin seemed melted away to leave only a pitch black version instead. Her armored hand still held Luna's sword, ready to strike.

"Luna! What are you?" Sunset asked.

"We are Fear! Sunset Shimmer, you foolish child, have forced my hand. You now see Our true form. Since the Shadow's King's death, We have held his power. Fear was his most beloved Element. Now I, Luna the Cursed, have carried his likeness since. Our illusion of normalcy is passed. Be ready! You shall feel the sting of a thousand fearful lives penetrate your being. Thou art traitor, and deserves a death like no other."

"You are a monster!"

"Talk does not aid you! Fight!"

A shadow emitted from Luna's cursed body and charged at Sunset. The pyromancer threw her fire at it but it passed through the flames and struck her. She was thrown to the ground by the force and rolled over her head before stopping on the burning floor. She glanced upwards to see Luna turn herself into a black mist and disappear. 

"Twilight!" Sunset called. "We must stick together!"

Twilight teleported next to Sunset. She was about to help her up, but the pyromancer's flames made her stay her hand. 

"Where's Luna?" Twilight asked.

"Somewhere. She is a shadow, beware."

"Shadow?"

Suddenly, Luna appeared from the floor and pounced at them with her sword. Twilight quickly took hold of Sunset and teleported out of harm's way. When they appeared on the other side of the hallway, the Bearer of Magic screamed in pain.

"Sunset! Your flames!"

"I am sorry." Sunset cried. "I'll control them better, but we need a plan! Luna is too powerful for only one of us."

"I understand. Let me think!"

Luna emerged from the shadows before them. Her sword was thrust at them. Twilight levitated her sword and blocked the attack. The two began to fight in swordplay. Twilight's sword versus Luna's. Sunset backed off to regain her wits as they fought in the fiery hallway. Parts of the Palace began to fall. Old supports and hangings fell to make large piles of burning debris. Smoke filled every corner and escaped through the now shattered stained-glass windows.

Twilight took hold of a Royal Guard's corpse and hurled it at Luna. The Empress was caught off guard and was stuck by the armor. A hellish scream left her mouth as she was pinned down by its weight. However, she was not down for long as she disappeared once again as a shadow.

"We must get out of here." Twilight stated.

"Of course we do! Come on."

Sunset led the Bearer down the hallway. They soon came across a set of stairs completely up in flames. Sunset could traverse the flames without harm, but Twilight hesitated.

"You go along. I can climb the outside." She said.

"No! We need to stick together. Luna is still after us. She'll kill us when we separate." Sunset objected.

"What should we do then? Stay here?"

Sunset looked around. "I'll clear the fire for you."

Sunset stretched her hand at the flames and the fire crawled away to the sides. With the path clear, they ran down the stairs. Palace servants and nobles who were unfortunate to still be inside ran around, desperately looking for exits in the massive structure. Sunset watched more than one leap out of the broken windows to whatever met them beyond. It was total chaos and destruction.

They both ran down another hallway, much shorter than the one they fought in. Dead persons trapped under fallen wood and stone were becoming more common as they went to lower levels. 

"Do you see what you have done?" Luna called from the shadows. "They died with Fear in their hearts. Many of them had nightmares of this very fate, now to only become realized visions of the future. You are tainted, both of you! These deaths are on your hands."

"Do not lecture us!" Sunset shot back at the air.

Luna formed from the shadows in front of them. Her bluish armor reflected the glowing flames like glass. Sunset threw a fireball at her, only for the Empress to dodge by becoming shadow and returning to her normal state afterwards. Twilight blasted at her with a magical beam. It struck the Empress in the chestplate, knocking her to her knee. 

Twilight teleported next to Luna to give a blow with her sword. Luna recovered and grabbed the Bearer by the throat before slamming her to the ground forcefully. Sunset picked up a sword from a fallen Guard and rushed at her opponent.

Luna lifted her arm up and deflected the blow with her armor. She then jumped at the pyromancer, grabbing her arm and ripping the weapon out of her hands. Sunset spat fire from her mouth at the Empress. It made Luna twitch away from the violent sparks. The Empress returned the attack by delivering a banshee-like scream at the Templar. Her wicked teeth gnashed and her lizard-like tongue hung out madly.

Sunset fell to the ground, her ears ringing from the awful noise. A shadow came from the floor and wrapped itself around her, pinning her to the ground. Twilight took hold o Luna in her magic and slammed her against the wall and then again. 

"Gah!" Luna yelped.

The shadow kept Sunset still. Twilight finished her brutal attack by slamming the Empress face first into the stone floor. Luna jumped back to her feet unfazed. Both were uncertain when to counter. With their swords out and their other hands ready to deploy magic, they started to circle around.

"And now Celestia's mistake comes full circle." Luna said. "We knew from the beginning that you could not handle the Truth."

"I'm sorry, Luna, but you're wrong. I've been blessed by these artifacts. I'm trying to help a world with them. With such power I should not let it go to waste." Twilight countered.

"Still you are so naive. Do you not see the horror you have made of Our homeland?"

"It's a transitional phase. Once we have established peace, Harmony will follow." 

"I see there is no convincing you of the obvious." Luna sighed.

The Empress let lose a fury of shadows at Twilight. The Bearer of Magic raised a bubble shield over her to block the attacks. The shadows bounced off the shield and dissipated harmlessly. Twilight followed up by unleashing a ball of arcane energy. Luna faded into a shadow and flew out of the way. Then they both met with their swords in the middle of the fiery circle they had created.

Sunset struggled to free herself as she watched her friend and her former teacher fight to the death. Magic versus magic, sword versus sword. The fires around them grew higher and higher as they fought. The entire Palace, crumbling beneath its own weight. Years of history, art, decoration, and preservation lost to the inferno.

The two kept teleporting around each other. Strike after strike, parry after parry, counter after counter. Luna's black steel met Twilight's Assassin sword with sparks and a wicked noise. The Empress locked their swords together to free one of her hands. The gauntlet reached over and smacked Twilight in the mouth. 

The Bearer of Magic lost her sword and fell to the ground. Luna caught the sword and cast it into the surrounding fire. With her own blade, she pounced viciously at Twilight. The Bearer threw yourself up and lunged at the charging foe. She sidestepped Luna's sword and stabbed her hidden blades into the gaps of the Empress's armor. 

There was a pause in the action. Twilight withdrew her blades forcefully, making Luna fall to the ground. Her armor clanged against the floor. One hand held her up and the other rested at the wounds where red blood seeped out. Her breathing became heavier and could be heard over the fires.

"To be... surprised by my own... invention..." Luna gasped.

The shadows around Sunset left and the pyromancer leaped to her feet. Luna rested there for a second longer before slowly fading away in shadow. The Templar and Bearer met eye to eye before returning to reality.

"Is she gone?" Sunset asked.

"I doubt it. Let's just leave." Twilight said.

The two nodded in agreement and ran down a flight of stairs. The Palace was falling apart around them. They seemed to be the only ones left as there was no longer any servants or Royal Guards running about. 

"It's getting too hot!" Twilight announced worriedly.

"Just a little longer, Twilight. Here! Let's jump out of this window and you can teleport us to the ground."

"Alright!"

They turned and headed for an open window. Sunset removed the flames that covered her body so that Twilight could take her hand. When they reached the window, the snowy Palace Gardens could be seen far below. At seeing the tremendous height, Sunset jumped back in fright. 

"Oh, c'mon!" Twilight huffed. "It was your idea."

"Well, I can just walk through the Palace, fire's not an issue." 

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Luna is still in here! Remember what you said about separating?" 

"Alright! Just do it quick!"

They leaped out of the window and in the next second, were on their backs in the snow. Sunset felt nauseated from the teleport. Twilight looked over at her to make sure she was alright before giving her a loving pat on the shoulder.

"Well, we got out of there." She sighed in relief.

"Yes..."

"But we are now on our own. I never thought we would have to go this far." Twilight lowered her head.

"To be true, neither did I." Sunset shrugged. "But here we are. It is all about survival now. Once we survive this, everything will go according to the plan."

"If we survive this." Twilight corrected.

Sunset sat up and gazed into Twilight's eyes. "We will get through this, I promise. You, I, and Magic will live. Besides, we got the shard users, remember? Minuette won't be imprisoned forever and we got others. We'll be fine."

"I hope so..."

They both looked upward at the burning Palace. The flames soared through the windows and across the balconies. It was a horrid sight to behold. Sunset only now felt some guilt, this was her home. Now it was nothing but a blackened mess and ash. The fires seemed to symbolize a new chapter in her life. She no longer had a shelter or a home. It was time to start a new and continue their plans.

"Well, looks like we need to find a new place to stay." Twilight uttered.

"Yup."


~

> Chapter 53: Haunted Elements
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"I checked every corner. The place is tight." 

Yearling listened to Rainbow's words with a frown. Her eyes did not move from the Animus that was sitting across the room. The memories of the Bearers, the long nights, and the awful headaches flooded her mind. She visibly twitched when she remembered how Fluttershy was chosen by her Element.

"We need to look harder. We are so close to the Elements, I can feel it." Twilight encouraged them. 

"Well, darling, we need to get to them first." Rarity reminded her dully.

Yearling rubbed her eyes. "Ya guys need to work harder. I just can't sit here and let Ahuizotl pick my brains apart."

"Ya need to get outta here by force," Rainbow suggested. "A place like this wouldn't have hold me down."

"You were an Assassin."

Rainbow chuckled. "So are you! This place is crawling with weapons. We don't need a gun yet. All ya need is something to kill with."

This made Yearling pause for a moment. Rainbow was right about this. Pencils, plastic cups, coffee machine, parts from the Animus, they could all be made into improvised weapons. All she needed was the jump on a poor fellow, be it a guard or that Raven. 

Yearling stood up and began to gather these simple tools to the middle table. She knew that the cameras in the room were watching her, but she didn't care. 

"When we're ready, we'll knock the cameras out." Yearling explained. "That'll make those bastards come in after me."

"Oh! This is gonna be a party!" Pinkie cheered.

Yearling played along with it. "Yeah, the kind of party that involves lots of killing..."

"That's what I like to hear!" Rainbow said proudly.

She ripped the leg out of the table, revealing exposed nails. It was essentially a spiked club. She used this club to smash the glass top of the table into jagged pieces. After smashing the table, she took a blanket and ripped it into small bits. She used the small pieces of blanket to wrap around the edge of a large glass piece, giving it a place to hold. Without any tape present, she had to make a knot with the extra blanket.

"That's two weapons. I can't just run at these guys though. They have guns."

"Remember, darling, they need you alive. They can't just shoot you." Rarity said softly.

"They can taser me. I'll need a shield."

Yearling rubbed her temples. What could be used as a shield? All it needed was to stop tasers, nothing else. It needed to be large enough to hide her body and light enough for her to carry. There was nothing that fit that description. 

"Well, there's the bed mattress." she said with uncertainty.

"That thing's a little big." Twilight warned. "Maybe the couch's mattress?"

Yearling thought about it. It was old and not as solid as a bed mattress, but it may be thick enough to stop a taser. The thing's meant to shoot through clothes. 

"I'll throw it at them, I guess."

Yearling took the mattress and placed it next to the door. She then took her club and knocked the cameras out. It was only moments before the guards would arrive. She rushed over to the bedroom and dragged the mattress off it. She then quickly slid it over the floor to the door. She lifted it up so that it blocked the doorway completely.

"I'll need you guys for this." She told the Bearers. 

The four of them quickly entered her body, making her visibly cringe. Her vision blurred and went bluish before returning to normal. Feeling the Assassin abilities in her veins once more, she climbed the wall and to the corner right above the door, where she was able to hide herself. One foot was on the door frame, all other parts were pressed against the walls. Now, it was a matter of waiting.

Through the wall, she felt the footsteps of guards running down the hallway. To her surprise, it did not sound like many. She focused her mind and allowed the Bearers to take control. The guards soon became visible through the wall. Like she thought, they were armed with tasers with pistols holstered at their hips.

Since the door swung to the outside, they did not disturb the mattress when they opened it. Yearling could see them pause in confusion. She felt lucky that these men were no SWAT. 

"Yearling, we know you're in there." One shouted. "Quit playin' and we'll be nice."

Upon hearing no response, a guard forcibly kicked the mattress down, making old dust fly from it. Two entered immediately with their tasers raised. They did not even take time to move the mattress and instead walked over it. Yearling could hear their racing heartbeats. They were scared. 

"This is your last chance!" Another ordered.

The third one sort of slithered in behind his comrades. While his pals went about with their weapons raised, he held his down at an angle. He stepped over the mattress and stood there, watching the other two. Yearling gripped her shank tightly.

With a silent leap, Yearling jumped out with her knife. The guard never turned around and she fell into him, stabbing him deeply in the neck with the hard piece of glass. Only a low, guttural noise left him as his blood spilled across the wooden floor. She ripped her weapon out and looked up.

The other two went on like nothing happened. She took this opportunity to take the dead guard's pistol and put it in her pocket. She then carefully sneaked over to the closer one (as the other was almost to the back bedroom) and quickly slit his throat. Yearling silently led his corpse to the ground and took his gun as well.

The third guard paused and then turned around to see Yearling hunched over his partner's body. A scream left his lips and he pointed the taser at her. In a quick reflex, Yearling grabbed the table leg and chucked it at him like a throwing ax. Before he could pull the trigger, the two nails went straight into his face, knocking him dead to the floor.

"Efficiency." Twilight remarked. 

Yearling did not slow down and took the third guard's gun as well. She kept the large shank in her hand and ran out of the Animus room. Right before she left, however, she took a long look at the memory-simulating device. She pulled one of the pistols out and fired it five times into the Animus. Not knowing how much damage she dealt to it, she cursed and ran out into the hall.

"We must go down a couple of floors." Twilight informed. "The Elements are close by, I can feel it."

"Well, I'm taking the stairs this time!" Yearling yelled. 

The vision of the Bearers made a faint blue trail in front of her, guiding her through the maze of hallways and stairs. She hardly stepped on the floor and rather ran along the walls or jumping from one flight of stairs to another. Once they reached the emergency exit, the traveling became easier.

"They will be coming in boatloads after me now." Yearling complained.

"Let them come! I'll take 'em all out." Rainbow boasted.

Yearling kicked open a door and ran inside. Her whole body was telling her that the Elements were on this level. It was odd though, as all she could see were rows of cubicles. It appeared no different than most of Ahuizotl Industries.

"There she is!" 

Yearling turned to see a squad of guards running at her. Without hesitation, she climbed onto a cubicle and began running from one to another. The guards pulled their guns out and began to fire at her, making the simple workers duck under their desks in fear.

"Why are they shooting now?" Rarity asked in shock.

"They rather have us die then get the Elements." Twilight concluded.

Bullets rang through the office, tearing up computers, stacks of papers, and general office equipment. More and more guards came from the various exits to the giant room and added their firepower to the rain of bullets.

As Yearling ran through the office, her mind started to become convoluted. The Bearers in her mind seemed to expand, giving her a headache. She started to feel two other spirits in her mind, they all seemed to be fighting.

"You guys still up there?" She asked her mind.

There was no response. Her feet were now moving on their own. She was running faster than she ever was before. She was not only running, but also being drawn, like a piece of metal to a strong magnet. She felt it in her organs too, as if they wanted to be thrown out of her body. The most affected though, was her heart, which felt like it was trying to rip her ribs open.

Two guards stood in her way and held rifles in their arms. Without thinking, Yearling shot them both down with her pistol. The two men were guarding a glass room where cowering men and women in lab coats were hiding beneath their tables. She fired at the glass, shattering it and opening a path right in front of her.

She leaped through the new entrance and ran by the supposed scientists. Her mind was so cluttered, but she could see who these people were. They all were a red symbol on their coats. It was like a cross, but more in the shape of an "A." A mixture between the past and the present. 

She was drawn to the very end of the room where she had to shoot down another two guards. There was a large door locked by a code before her. the Ahuizotl guards behind had no care for all the people between her and them. they kept firing at her and so she grabbed a man and used him as a human shield. 

While the unfortunate man took the bullets for her, she inspected the keyboard where one would enter the number password. Her finger twitched and she tried to focus. The world became blue once more and the password became clear on the keyboard. She quickly punched in the numbers "122112" and the door opened.

She dropped the now dead man and ran inside the long tunnel the door revealed. On the other side was a red button that closed the door behind her. This was the first time she could relax and took a deep, relieving sigh. Her mind was still fuzzy and she could barely think at all.

Her body guided her down the tunnel. Each step was harder, yet easier, than the last. Her steps became heavy, but she did not need to will herself on. Her hands twitched mildly and her lip quivered. Her eyes could never stay at a single focus and her legs would kick out randomly.

She could already see the Elements of Harmony at the end of the tunnel. They were in a large glass container with tubes and wires flying from them and into the high ceiling. This was no doubt some chamber where the Element's magic could be harvested. It was almost a depressing sight.

Suddenly, she fell to her knees. Her mind was becoming clear again as the spirits left her. She looked up to see, not ghosts, but solid forms of Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie.

"Thank you, Yearling." Twilight said sincerely. "With the Elements so close, we are able to materialize. We don't have to be in your mind anymore."

"Ya did good, lass." Rainbow leaned down and touched her shoulder. "You'd make a good privateer."

"That's good." Yearling barely uttered. "But we still need to get them to the Tree of Harmony."

Twilight was about to answer, but her words were interrupted by another. A voice of a Ponyvillian accent and full of hate.

"Like that's what really gonna happen. Sugarcube, ya jus' too dumb to understand."

They all turned to the Elements. There, before the glass container, was a large woman in armor. A long blonde ponytail was stretched over her breastplate. Her large arms were crossed and her feet far apart. Beside her was a tall and thin woman in a green cloak. Long pink hair was all of her head and her eyes drooped with perpetual sadness.

"Applejack! Fluttershy!" Twilight gleamed. "It's been so long."

"Shut it, liar!" Applejack silenced her. "Once again, ya up to her ol' tricks. I see ya got this poor gal to do your errands now."

Rainbow jumped forward. "What gives, AJ?"

"It's Twi of course." Applejack replied. "Do you really think she wants the Elements to go back to where they belong?"

"Why yes!" Rarity interjected. 

"Then she's fooled ya too, Rares. After 500 years, she still hasn't given up on her plans. She just wants the Elements for herself."

"That's not true!" Twilight defended herself. "I've changed.

"No proof of it, sugar. Ya lied to us so easily back then, why not now?"

"No proof to the contrary either!" Twilight insisted. "I only want peace, Applejack."

Applejack chuckled. "Ha, that's what ya said back then too." She pointed a thick finger at Yearling. "You, you've been the butt of all this trouble. Who do you believe?"

Yearling's eyes widened as all the Bearers' eyes went straight to her. 

"I don't know..."


~

> Chapter 54: Brief Recollection
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The only thing that guided my hand across these pages was habit. Writing was now just part of me. I couldn't live without recording my actions for some faceless future reader. I must admit, when I write these words, I feel like burning the parchment. I don't wish to recount what transpired after Rainbow's death. I simply don't.

By the time I wrote this, two weeks since her death had passed. We could only hold a short ceremony before Neo, the new captain, took the battered ship and sailed back to the Labyrinth Isles where the late Bearer would join Caramel's tombstone. Speaking of the old sea dog, we (Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Vinyl, Coco Pommel, and I) were on the long road to Canterlot. I hardly remembered the road since I traveled on it last, but I did remember how Caramel's homestead looked.

When we reached the homestead, I was the first to recognize it. Rarity (who was in charge of carrying the Element of Loyalty in her satchel) did not know of Caramel's living. I had to explain to her what had happened when I was here last. Recalling my wrath and almost insane desire to kill Spitfire felt so foreign now. I no longer viewed her as the devil, but as a victim. I saw her intentions, and even to me they felt sincere. I remembered how...how I dreamed of killing her in the worst of ways.

After I told her that Caramel's death was a lie, I boldly knocked on the former captain's door. The young wife, Sassaflash, opened the door with a bright smile. She recognized me instantly even though over three months were between our last meeting. I tried to smile back to her, but my heart trembled when I thought of giving Caramel the bad news.

"Come on in." She said cheerfully. "Caramel just got back from taking care of the pigs. Just in time for supper too."

"Thank you." I said and we all walked inside to her home.

The place was just as I remembered. Paintings of the sea and the Ragnarok. I now understood those paintings. The sea was beautiful, the feeling of adventure on the brig was exhilarating. I, a city girl from the mountain, was able to sail on a sea with rogue privateers. Just thinking that told me of my ingratitude. What I had experienced was one very few could ever tell.

"Ah, ya finally back." Caramel called from the kitchen. "Been an aging while, lass." He paused. "Ya got somethin' in ya eye that wasn't there before. You've tasted the life of a pirate. Ya changed."

"Indeed." I replied. "I sailed under Captain Rainbow Dash."

"And on my ship!" He cackled. "Ah! Rarity! The young lady hath returned from the high society."

Rarity stepped forward. "Nice to meet you again, Captain Caramel. It is nice to be on friendly terms for once."

Caramel laughed. "Oh, I'm with ya on that. Ya gave me such heartache those years ago. So many times I jus' wanted to strangle ya!"

They shared an awkward laugh once more. Then an eerie silence followed as Rarity and I both knew about the painful message we held. I tried to speak, but my throat was dry and sticky. I saw Rarity's eyes advert to the floor instead of looking the old sea dog in the eye. Caramel knew something was up and held himself close to his wife.

The Bearer of Generosity quietly withdrew the glowing red crystal of the Element of Loyalty. I was not sure if Caramel knew what this meant. The Bearer cleared her throat and began to speak.

"Rainbow didn't make it. She gave her life to save her friend." She stammered.

Caramel did not say anything at first. He nodded his head like he already knew it. "That's how I thought she would go. An honorable death is lot more than we pirates deserve. She's lucky."

" Are you not upset?" Rarity started to tear up. "She was practically your daughter."

"Naw, she was never that. She was a friend." Caramel said. "I can't say I am upset. I've heard these tales of death so many times, they don't affect me anymore. I'm glad actually. She didn't end up like me. I died out there, risking my crew for something I didn't believe in. She had a hero's death. Cheers for that action. Cheers for devotion. Like I always said, she was like a dog protecting her owner. She didn't understand the threat, but she knew that putting herself before others was always the right thing."

Sassaflash took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for your loss. Travel no more today, we have enough beds for you all. Please rest here."

We took her offer up and spent the night there. It was a long evening. Caramel told us stories about him and Rainbow. They had daring feats of glory together and Rarity often pitched in the story from her own perspective. Some of the stories were serious and dark, but most had a humorous twist placed on them that made us laugh. 

The next morning came swiftly after we retired. Before sunrise, the horses were readied and we said goodbye to the couple. Part of me wanted to stay there, isolated from the terrible world. However, I knew what was ahead of me, what waited for me in my home city. It was something I could not avoid.





Our arrival at Ponyville was a dismal one. Half of it was destroyed and the Assassins there were demoralized. They told us about the shard user Minuette. She had escaped them two nights before our arrival and none of them could find her icy trail. This was startling news to all of us. Twilight and Sunset were distributing shards? It was unheard of, but sound with evidence. 

"The Bearer of Honesty has been in Canterlot since the attack." A Brother told us.

"She's not come back?" Vinyl asked.

"No, last we heard, she got in a fight with the Bearer of Magic. Her lung's collapsed because of it."

This information made us decide not to spend a night in Ponyville and instead ascend the great mountain. Coco and Fluttershy wished to stay behind and help clean up the village. We allowed Coco to stay, but Fluttershy was forced to continue. Her being a Bearer was too valuable to leave behind. We also tried to bring as many Assassins with us, but only a couple joined us. Many who lived in the town had moved on or refused to leave. They no longer adhered to the Bearer's commands, they said. They said that Twilight's betrayal showed them that Bearers were faulty and could not be trusted. However, some believed that Twilight never betrayed the Brotherhood and that Applejack was the one lying. They were split on opinions, but never took action on them.

We spent half the night climbing the mountain's trail. It was long and hard. I spent some of the journey asleep in my saddle, letting only the beast carry me. Our words were few. Even Rarity barely spoke. We all knew what was waiting for us. "Bloodshed," I kept whispering. I was to the point that my thoughts were said aloud, to no one but myself. The others no doubt listened to my soft ramblings, but they never commented on them.

"Death waits for us." I would say. "Can the Brotherhood survive this?"

With no answers to my questions, it made it clear that everyone was not sure about the answer. We did not have confidence or even a desire to go forward. It was all out of cruel necessity. Twilight and Sunset had to die. I had spent the last twelve years of my life working for Twilight. The woman who taught me how to read and write. The woman who inspired me and gave me priceless life advice. All that, even now, did not feel like a facade. There was more to this than meets the ear or eye.





I write these words on a cheap parchment. The ink will probably be faded by tomorrow. All of us sit in front of the Canterlot gate with many other migrants who did not arrive in time to get in. We already had a plan. We were going to go straight to the South Den and find Applejack. From there, we hunt Twilight and any of her allies. Simple, but complex. Finding an Assassin would not be easy, even for an Assassin. 

I look now to Vinyl and to Fluttershy. The former's mask was gleaming slightly in the fire light. The latter was humming a tune I often heard her hum before. One was often silent, the other was hardly ever silent. Here, they were both equally silent. Vinyl hummed along with the Bearer of Kindness. I was surprised the both knew the song.

"What do you think is going to happen?" I ventured in speaking.

Vinyl looked at me but said nothing. Fluttershy lowered her eyes and her fingers ran through her long hair nervously. She parted her lips a moment before speaking.

"Whatever happens, I can only hope that we'll still be together."

"Twilight's gonna die." Vinyl spoke. "Though I hope it's a quick one."

Rarity sighed behind me. "Darling, I pray for reasoning. In my eyes, Twilight is still my friend. It's Sunset who is the monster. We just need to bring her back to the Creed."

Pinkie leaned on her arm. "Maybe we can find some random portal that will reset all of this and so we can start anew. You know, like time travel!"

It was my turn. "I think we shall see more bloodshed than we deserve. I can only hope that bloodshed is not ours."

"You know what?" Vinyl said. "We shouldn't think of it. How about some sleep? Sleep's good before a battle."

We all nodded in agreement. Vinyl threw herself over on her sleeping mat and Pinkie jumped into her tent. I wrote these final words before retiring to my own tent.

-Octavia Melody



P.S.
Twilight, we are here and we are coming for you.


~

> Chapter 55: Consequences (Part 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Valor awaits you." Valor spoke to me in a whisper. "Valor knows you hurt."

I sat up on my sleeping mat and looked lazily at the spirit. There was concern in her ethereal face. She must have been watching me all night long, I thought. The sun was already higher than what I had anticipated. With the chatter outside my tent, there was no doubt I was the last one up.

"Valor sees you are worried. Valor is here. Valor is never alone." She spoke in short spasms.

"Thank you." I uttered. "I assume my worries are bothering you?"

"Yes. You are worried. Not bad to be worried. Valor worried too."

"I see. Well, I'll need you in little time. Stay with me, alright?"

"Always." She then faded away.

I stretched and yawned before exiting the tent. I was even farther behind than I had expected as the Canterlot gates were opened and the migrants wandered into the grand city. All of our tents, except mine, were wrapped up and on the horses. Vinyl was kicking the fire out and spreading the ashes about. The three Bearers were huddled together, talking only with themselves.

"What is the news?" I asked my friend.

"Well, a Brother came by half an hour ago. A scout saw us arrive her last night. He said the Bearer of Honesty is doing better, but not great. Fluttershy may have to heal her up all the way."

I frowned. "That's unfortunate for both of them. After seeing what the Bearer of Kindness can do, I rather her abstain from using her powers again."

"I get ya, but for me, I rather have Applejack fightin' beside me than Flutters. I know it's mean to say that, but it's how I feel."

"I presume that's what the Bearers are discussing over there?" I pointed at the trio. 

She nodded. "Yup."

We both watched the Bearers walk up to us. Fluttershy was holding her wrist as if it was hurt, so I already knew what the answer was. Rarity smiled at me, but her eyes did not. Pinkie was humming a tune, but was still melancholy in her standards.

"Good morning, Octavia. I'm sure Vinyl has informed you of what has transpired?" Rarity asked.

"Of course, Bearer."

"Well, we've concluded that the best action to take would be to have Fluttershy heal Applejack. Applejack's wound is severe, so this healing will keep Fluttershy down for some time. I wish I could take the wound instead. I can't bear to see Fluttershy in pain."

"Don't worry." Fluttershy began. "It's my decision. I don't want to see Twilight again anyway."

"Understood." I bowed. "I shall ready my horse and we shall head for the South Den."





I was back in Canterlot. Half a year went by since I last was below its towering spires and its white structures. It was like traveling down the memories of my childhood, when everything outside of the city was a mystery. The people, the streets, the merchants, the sellers, the Royal Guards, all of them so familiar and somewhat heartwarming.

The city, however, was not in its best state. Smoke rose from the Grand Royal Palace. We could easily gawk at it from the other side of the city. People were in silent terror. Their eyes shifted and their arms were kept close. It did not take long for the news to reach us. The Palace had burned down from some accident, they said. Empress Luna was caught in the flames and was never recovered. 

I did not believe this for a second. A simple fire could not bring something made of stone to the ground so easily. Many Guards said that the fires started at the top of a spire. The kitchens were down below, so it was not some cooking fire. According to stories, the fire engulfed the Palace in mere minutes. It was not some accident, I knew, it was a battlefield with a pyromancer present.

As we rode down the streets towards the Den, Brothers and Sisters were lining the rooftops. Crossbows and pistols were ready in their hands.  They watched us with keen eyes. It seemed like they were expecting us to attack them at any moment. Rarity called out to them at one point, but they never responded.

"Ya know, this is the first time they've seen me since ya'll thought I was dead." Vinyl commented.

Indeed. I used to know these Assassins. I lived with them for years. Their faces were the same as ever, but they did not recognize me in return. I felt like an intruder upon their land. They followed alongside us on the rooftops. Sometimes they would point a weapon at us, most of the time they simply watched around us. Applejack was not trusting the other Bearers, I concluded. Did she believe they were all conspiring against the Brotherhood?

This question was about to be answered when we arrived at the solemn Den. The Assassins on the rooftops gathered above the Den's entrance. Two of them jumped down and guarded each side of the door. There, blocking the door, was the grungy Den Master Braeburn."

"Ya'll arrived soon enough." He spat. 

"Den Master, please move." Rarity commanded. "You know why we must enter."

"I only take orders from my cousin, thank you. I had to tighten this shithole down since Twilight betrayed us. AJ's not letting no more Bearers in unless she says so."

"Why?" Rarity huffed. "Does she not trust us?"

"Guess not, sweets." Braeburn muttered. "Lots of things changed since ya last left. Brothers been going out solo and never return. Found some bodies of two Sisters just yestermorning. So yeah, we ain't lettin' no one in until Honesty's magic shit proves ya in the clear."

The Den's door opened and a weak Applejack appeared. She was not in any type of armor and had a bunch of bandages over her chest. The tip of her Element was glowing with an irregular beat. Braeburn turned around nonchalantly.

"Ya holdin' up, cuz?" He asked.

"Let them in." She ordered harshly. "They ain't lying. Well, not from what I can tell at the moment. If one of them do lie, I'll break her skull in."

"Sounds about right." Braeburn chuckled.

We were allowed in, but had to move ahead of Braeburn and his men. Applejack had to lean on the walls to get anywhere. Her legs could not support her all the way. Without the armor, she was a slimmer woman, but still had arms that could rival a man's. Her skin was paler than what I remembered, showing she was struggling with the wound.

"Ya'll missed some pretty action here." She told us.

"We had a lot of our own, don't worry darling." Rarity sighed.

This made Applejack pause. "Ya couldn't bring Rainbow with ya? Girl's that stubborn?"

Rarity sighed again and pulled out the Element of Loyalty. Unlike Caramel's emotionless response, Applejack loudly cursed and slammed her fist into the wall, cracking it. The force was felt through the floorboards and made our teeth rattle slightly. 

"The Brotherhood's fallin' apart!" She yelled. "One damn Assassin at a time!"

"Applejack, she died as a he-"

"I don't care how she died!" Applejack snapped at Rarity. "Only matters is that she's dead. This is all Twilight's fault. When I get her, I'll rip that corrupted Element right out of her chest."

"Applejack, please don't speak like that." Fluttershy said softly. "I rather not picture it."

Applejack cursed again and then wiped the angry sweat from her face. "I'm sorry. I jus' never seen a woman throw away her friends like this. The Brotherhood's family. We'll held together. Twilight threw it all away. I ain't never gonna respect or show any mercy to a fool like that. Never!"

She continued after a pause. "But forget it! I can't move much with this collapsed lung. I'd be a sittin' duck out there against Twilight's magic."

Fluttershy stepped up and removed her leather glove. "That's why I'm going to heal you. You need to be out there."

"Don't!" Applejack snapped again. "I mean, it ain't worth it. Ya gonna be pretty bruised by healing this."

"I know." Fluttershy said determinedly.

"Fine. I can see ya committed. Go ahead, come on back with me to the tables where I can lay down. Bring some bandages for the wounds ya about to receive. I don't like ya doin' this for me, but I can already see why ya doing it."

An Assassin brought the needed supplies and the two Bearers disappeared in a back room. We then waited for the screams of Fluttershy's pain to follow. Applejack's own screams, however, were much louder than hers. We all could only look at the floor and wait. Even Braeburn was upset at these sounds. 

After a minute of silence, Applejack stormed out from the back room. She had replaced her bandaged chest with a light tan shirt. A determined look was on her face as she marched through the hallway. 

"Braeburn! Get my armor and rope. We're killin' Twilight and Sunset today! Round up any Assassins also." She paused. "One last thing, get my hat."

"Bout time." Braeburn grinned.





We only knew one thing about the enemy's position: they had ran off into the Northwest corner of the city. I did not know this area of the city well, but I did know that it was a rich part of the city where the homes were all extravagant. It was also near the edge of the city, where it overhung off the mountain. 

The other thing about our enemy: they all had some sort of magic. We could not guess how many shard users Sunset and Twilight had in their small circle, but even the simplest shard user was dangerous. We needed every advantage we could get.

So we ran across the city, all the Assassins we could muster, all the Bearers, except Fluttershy, and all weapons we could find. This felt not like a battle, but a hunt for a rare creature. A creature that we all wanted extinct. As we went boldly through the city, no longer hiding, but now wishing for any challenge to face us on the spot, I couldn't help but think of the stories I read when I was learning how to read from Twilight. Many epics and poems told of major battles were both sides had generals and massive armies that clashed on a broad battlefield. Men in those stories were just numbers and faceless suits of armor. None of them were named, none of them had their own stories. They were merely counted in how many went into the battle and how many did not make it out of the battle. 

This was not like that. This was personal and direct conflict. There were no generals who commanded from the back of the lines. The soldiers in the battle all had names and a story. Whatever document that would retell this battle would always fail. Words and images can only go so far. These words I write, are a retelling of what I went through. I shall say now, I write only the truth. To whoever reads my words, I say thank you and hope that you understand what has transpired. 

This is the battle that I endured.





"They're there alright. This is it."

Applejack lowered her binoculars. Snow was falling from the sky, gathering on the cold roofs around our feet. The curious thing, it was not snowing anywhere else in the city. This odd weather pattern could only be by Minuette, who I heard could control ice and snow with her shard. This weather change made Rarity conjure us all a set of thick cloaks to go over our robes. 

"It's like they wan' us to get 'em." Braeburn grumbled. "I don't like it."

"I agree." I said. "They aren't hiding whatsoever. They have something prepared for us."

Applejack adjusted her hat. "Maybe. It still don't matter. They chose to lose their minds. C'mon, sooner we kill 'em, the sooner can rebuild what Twilight destroyed."

"I hope the next Bearer of Magic will not fall into this corruption." Rarity sighed.

Applejack rolled her eyes. "There won't be another Bearer of Magic. The Element's corrupted like she is. Best thing to do is return it to the Tree of Harmony and forget it ever existed."

"Are ya gonna address the lads an' lasses before heading out?" Braeburn asked.

"Sure." Applejack turned around to face the Assassins. "Listen, the Bearer of Magic needs to be ended. Do whatever it takes. Kill all her allies as well." She then turned around and jumped off the roof.

"Short, but sweet." Rarity said curtly.

We all followed the Bearer's lead. Some Assassins kept on the roofs and most went down to the streets with Applejack. Our feet my tracks in the rising snow. My face hurt from the coldness, but the warmth of running helped fight it. We were all heading to a single large mansion on the corner of the rich neighborhood. There was no clear indication that this was where Twilight was hiding. It was only a hunch given by the Bearers as they said they could "feel" the Element's presence.

We were only half way there when out first opponent stepped out into the street. It was a woman dressed in cobalt blue Assassin robes and had a blue dragon mask. The mask possessed a mocking white grin, the same could be said with the wearer's eyes.

"Ah! You all finally arrived for the show!" Minuette giggled. "Isn't it great that the family's all back together?"

"If ya wanna live, step out of our damn way!" Applejack hissed. "I beat ya once, I can do it again."

"That was me flying solo, dear Bearer." Minuette defended. "This time, it's a little more even. Did you really think Twilight was just gonna send one fighter out at a time? We're all smarter than that."

Twilight teleported next to Minuette, her pistols all floating in the air by her magic. Unlike Minuette's mocking grin, she had a face of deep remorse. It was apparent that she was reluctantly fighting. Beside her was a thick cloud of what appeared to be smoke. At first I thought it would be Sunset, but no, a man formed out of the smoke. The man was young with striking blue hair and golden eyes. It was Noteworthy. 

If that wasn't enough, Sunset slid in on a trail of fire. Half of her body was engulfed in flames, but none of it was harming her. The final opponent was Amethyst Star, who had glowing yellow eyes. Electricity was zapping between her fingers. 

"As you see, Bearers." Sunset laughed. "Recruiting is not that hard. Three of the Brotherhood's finest, fallen to low levels by your incompetence, now rise again with shards."

"Listen Applejack." Twilight stepped forward. "We don't need to fight. We're trying for the same goal: peace. However, peace cannot be made while the Templar and Brotherhood fight. We are two sides of the same coin!"

"You got that wrong, Twi." Applejack growled. "You are tryin' to destroy us! Ya killin' ya Brothers and Sisters for a plan that not even you understand. Ya crazy! Ya made some mighty poor choices and here's the consequence of it all."

"Come on! Let's fight already!" Minuette squealed in anticipation.

"Do you ever think we followed the Creed, AJ?" Twilight questioned. "Do you think that killing everything that disagrees with us is right? The only way to stop the killing is to stop ourselves. I'm destroying the Brotherhood so that there would be an end to all this madness. Both the Order and Brotherhood can work together with shards to protect the world as one united force."

"What you're talking about is a domination of the world." Rarity snapped. "That's not what the Assassins stand for. Not now, not ever!"

"I can't wait any damn longer!"

Minuette formed an icicle in her hand and shot it at us like it flew from a cannon. The small spear ripped through an Assassin's skull, spreading blood to the white snow. It was the first blood spilled of the battle. 

I drew my sword. Applejack saw the killing of her Brother and then charged at the five. Twilight grabbed her with her magic and flung the Bearer into a building far off. Applejack's screams faded as she was hurled away. The pistols of the Assassins rang out, but the bullets were stopped by a magic shield bubble Twilight created.

"Minuette! Why did you do that?" Twilight barked.

"Because I enjoy it. You weren't really going to listen to these fools anyway." Minuette replied.

"Perhaps." Twilight said through her teeth.

All the Assassins had their weapons out and charged at the enemy. Twilight's own pistols fired from within the bubble, hitting only one unfortunate Sister. We smacked our weapons on the shield, but we could not penetrate it. It was like hitting an unbreakable glass dome.

"We can still negotiate!" Twilight pleaded.

"No, that's passed, Twilight." Sunset finally said. "They won't listen. It's time for survival."

I felt my hand tingle. Valor wanted out badly. I stretched my hand out and the spirit leaped through the shield and tackled Twilight to the ground. The Bearer of Magic was taken completely by surprise and lost concentration, which made the shield evaporate. The next instant was chaos.

Twilight escaped Valor by teleporting away. I was about to chase after wherever she went, but Minuette came at me with her sword of ice. I sidestepped away from the attack, which would have undoubtedly split my skull if I allowed her sword to connect with me. Her sword of ice broke upon being slammed downward into the ground. 

"Minuette!" I shouted. "What has happened to you?"

"Oh, you know full well!" She replied. "I've kept this side of me hidden for too long! Fighting for a Brotherhood and cause I never really believed in. It was not until Apathy joined me that I finally decided to have some care-free fun for once."

She launched a spike of ice at me, which I deflected with my sword. To counter, I lifted my hidden pistol at her and fired, but the bullet was stopped by a wall of ice she created as defense. The ice shattered and the rogue Assassin leaped through, blasting bits of icicles at me. I rolled to dodge them, but some scraped my skin, giving me a cold stinging.

A fireball flew by my head. Sunset was battling against Rarity and some Assassins. One quick glance towards them, I saw one Brother go up in flames, his whole body burning away. While they faced the extreme heat, I faced the extreme cold. Minuette's attacks were relentless. She could form any sharp projectile in her palm, she could create a cold armor on her body, which was not the best defense, but certainly a challenge to get by. 

I released a kick to her gut, making her fall backwards. A blizzard then surrounded her, shrouding her in blinding snow. This whirlwind of icy terror came charging at me. I quickly threw Valor at her and the spirit ripped the shard user from her protection. A puff of snow was thrown up as she hit the white ground once more.

"Shards are fun, aren't they?" Minuette snarled. "Once you taste them, you can never go back."

"I only wield a shard to end these chaotic battles!" I returned. "Any other time, I would cut my hand off to remove its mind-altering effects."

"You are lying! You love your shard. It's the first friend you ever had!"

"That would be me, bitch!"

Vinyl stormed in front of me and smacked Minuette across the face with the butt-end of her musket. The strike sent the shard user in the air once more. Vinyl then spun the rifle around and fired. I could see the ball of lead rip through the tip of Minuette's shoulder. A grunt left the former Assassin, but it was easy to tell the wound was nothing worth noting.

"Go ahead! Gang up on me, I don't care." Minuette laughed.

"You can stop this, Minuette!" I yelled. "I remember a Den Master, fastest ever to earn such a rank. What happened? Why did you so easily betray us?"

"I remember fighting for a cause I didn't believe in!" Minuette fired back. "Just a pawn, waiting to be sacrificed for this pointless war. Yeah, I was a good Assassin, did my chores, paid my dues. All of it didn't matter when you all left me and my Den to be slaughtered. That was the deciding factor. Why would I just die like a criminal on the gallows? Huh? Not only did I not care for the foolish Brotherhood, but they didn't care back. Sweet mutual Apathy. Twilight offered me to have a chance at fun, I took it. Now I don't care about what happens. We all try and fail based on some fate we have no control over. It doesn't matter what the Templar do, it doesn't matter what the Brotherhood do. Together, we all fall into a giant pit of despair, so why even care what happens between now and then?"

"Because our whole purpose is to care!" I answered. "We must have some Loyalty to our own race, to our brothers and sisters in this world. If we all fall, then let us make it the best possible descent imaginable."

"You know I'm right, Octy!" Minuette croaked. "You know it!"

Minuette sent a wave of ice at us. Vinyl and I jumped out of the attack and prepared to counter. I was ready to unleash an attack, but I saw Vinyl reloading her rifle. I instantly knew what she planning. I had to repel the shard user until she was ready to fire again. 30 seconds of fighting was now right ahead of me.

Minuette's blade of ice and my steel sword met with a high-pitch clang. Every part of her sword I broke, it would form again. Her attacks made me constantly step back. This was part of her strategy as I walked right into a wall of snow and ice. Being pinned to that location, I simply blocked all her attacks.

There was one small opening between her attacks and I took it. I flexed my left shoulder, sending a wisp of Valor to knock the shard user off me. Minuette fell backwards and flipped upright in spectacular fashion. I sent Valor out again with her fist outward in a sort of flying punch. The speed of the attack surprised Minuette, who took the spirit's blue fist right to the face, knocking her laughing mask off.

"Damn it!" She exclaimed.

I charged at her, but the snow around me deepened. It was moving like an undercurrent. Before I thought of jumping, the snow swept my legs from under me. It was a simple move by Minuette, but one that gave her time to recover.

Vinyl swooped in around the wall of ice and pointed her rifle right at the shard user. Minuette paused and then jumped to the side, trying to predict when Vinyl would pull the trigger. Vinyl's hand did not clasp the trigger until Minuette made her faulty prediction.

The rifle fired. The ball struck Minuette right in the heart. She seemed paralyzed after the attack, looking down at her bleeding chest. Her already pale face grew even whiter as her hands clutched her now crimson breasts. With a gasp, she fell to one knee and then keeled over onto the melting snow.

She was still alive and I walked over to her. Her eyes watched me slowly and without much worry. Her mouth was in a frown, but her eyes did not hold defeat.

"Can't say that I'm surprised." She gasped. "Funny thing is....my....tears are frozen too..."

Vinyl shook her head and looked about. "Well, that's one down. Four more punks to go."

Vinyl started reloading her weapon while I now gazed at my hand. Would Valor turn me into a version of Minuette? Would Valor corrupt me and pull me away from my values? I did not want to answer. All I did think was that it was not the time to ask such heavy questions.

The snow started to melt and subside. Now, Canterlot was cold, so I knew it wasn't because Minuette died, but because Sunset Shimmer was melting everything with her fire. Rarity was still fighting the Templar. The Bearer had formed a wall of stone in front of her and Sunset was spraying hot fire at it, just waiting for the other to poke her head out. 

Pinkie was chasing after Twilight. I would not say they were fighting, but loudly arguing. Twilight was also dodging the pieces of buildings Applejack was chucking at her. 

"Pinkie! Stop this! I know what you're trying to do!" Twilight screamed.

Applejack chucked another giant piece of stone. Twilight teleported off the mansion she was on. The piece of stone completely razed the mansion, leaving only the foundation. 

"But Twilight! You need to remember us!" Pinkie reasoned. "Come on! Do you, like, really believe in all this?"

"I do!" Twilight barked.

"Then let's work with that. I'm sure there's some way to be friendly with the Templar! Oh! How about we throw a 'Joint-Operation' party for them? How abou-"

"Enough Pinkie!"

I ran towards them. Applejack was forcing Twilight towards the edge of the city, where it overhung like a giant balcony. Pinkie casually kept up with Twilight and thus they both were going the same direction. 

"Pinkie, the only way for either side to give in is if they are broken." Twilight explained. "If the Templar and Assassins are in no place to fight, then they will be forced to help each other when a third party goes against them."

"Third party? Who's that?" Pinkie rubbed her brow.

"Well, I don't know!" Twilight shrugged. "I was thinking it would be Sunset."

"But she's Templar."

"Not anymore."

Pinkie shrugged this time. "Oh, yeah."

Applejack threw another lump of stone. This one's target was true, heading straight for Twilight. Pinkie, unaware of the projectile heading their way, zoomed over to Twilight and leaned on her. 

"Well, here's what we should do..." Pinkie started in a confident tone.

Twilight teleported away, leaving Pinkie still in the stone's path. It was only now that Pinkie saw the giant stone. My heart leaped into my throat as I was expecting the worst.

"Pinkie!"

Twilight quickly took hold of Pinkie and threw her out of the rock's path. The mansion was utterly destroyed by the rock crushing it. From my position, I could see Pinkie's flight through the air. The Bearer of Magic did not grab her and hold her, she had simply tossed her roughly in the air. Pinkie's high-pitched screaming could be heard easily over the sounds of the fighting behind me.

"TWIIIILLLIIGHTTT!" She screamed in desperation.

She was heading right over the edge of the city. She landed back first on the high railing that prevented people from falling over. In one silent moment, she hit the railing and rolled right over the side, to an impossibly high doom. I saw her summon clones of herself in some desperate way of surviving. It was no use, as the clones simply fell with her.

"Pinkie!" Twilight rushed over to the railing.

The Bearer of Magic reached over with her glowing hand, trying to catch the falling Bearer in her magical grasp. I rushed over to her, constantly hearing mumbled "no" and "it can't be." 

"Can't you pick her up?" I asked as I too looked over the railing.

"She's out of reach. She's gone. Oh, how could this have happened?" Twilight cried. "Pinkie's dead, Octavi...."

She stopped her words and looked up at me. "You..." She growled. "I...You show up now?"

"Bearer, do not hold me in such contempt at the moment." I told her. "You just killed Pinkie."

Twilight stood up. "I killed her? No, Applejack did! If she wasn't so stupid, launching pieces of mansions at me....This wouldn't have happened."

I pointed a finger at her. "If you didn't go insane, Applejack would never have to throw anything at you."

"If you obeyed me like I asked. If Sunset never told you about the Truth. If you just remained ignorant, none of this would have happened!"

"Live with it." I snarled. "You were never going to control me as some puppet."

Twilight levitated me in the air and threw me aside. She uttered something inaudible and then pointed at me with hatred. Her eyes slightly glowing from Magic's influence. Tears fell from her cheeks and onto the snow. Her voice possessed both hers and that of the Element.

"We'll deal with you later. If all the Bearers have to die today, then Applejack is going before Us."

She teleported away. I got to my feet and slumped over to the edge. The clouds below hid the Green Valley from my sight. There was no doubt Pinkie was still falling, rethinking her whole life with her friends and family. The only Bearer who never killed anyone. The only Bearer who saw herself as a moral example instead of a Brotherhood commander. If the Elements were corrupted, she was the only pure one of them. 

My hand tightened on the railing. Just like I felt with Rainbow, it was a surprising feeling that I cared so much for Pinkie. With all the Bearers, I had a strong bias against them even though all of them except for Twilight were just looking for my best interests. The Brotherhood was now falling apart and with it, the Bearers. At that point, I did not see much of a future. I simply couldn't see beyond this horrid battle.

"I'll make sure of one thing. Twilight and Sunset are going to die. If the Brotherhood dies today, then they win."


~

> Chapter 55: Consequences (Part 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Applejack was far from the battle, thus I knew I wouldn't be joining them. I got to my feet and rushed back into the street where the battles continued. Vinyl was popping shots at Sunset from a distance. Rarity was still holding her own against the pyromancer. Most of the Brothers and Sisters were dead now. Charred, frozen, ripped apart, or electrocuted. 

The closest battle to me was Noteworthy against Braeburn. I would say it was a battle, but it appeared that Noteworthy was simply playing with his former leader. 

"Hold still, ya bastard!" Braeburn yelled.

A cloud of smoke circled around the Den Master. The man within the smoke kept laughing evilly, mocking Braeburn in the worse of ways. The Den Master swung his blade through the smoke to no effect. 

"Keep swinging, I can watch it forever!" Noteworthy laughed with a seemingly out-of-body voice.

I started to run over to aid my fellow Den Master. I was not sure how I would help him against living smoke, but I was certain Valor may be of assistance. The muck that was left of the snow sloshed under my boots. With Sunset moving away from the area I was in, the snow was refreezing over, becoming sleek like glass. 

However, I was too late. Noteworthy must have seen me approaching, for he returned to his solid form right behind Braeburn before slicing the Den Master's head off. The body twitched about as the head landed silently on the snow. With a tap of his finger, Noteworthy made the body fall over.

"Well, that's one down." He chuckled. "I guess it was fun while it lasted. I've been waiting to do that, I mean, oh! That felt good!"

"You will find me a tougher match, Noteworthy." I warned him. "What shard do you possess?"

"Me? Well, it's exactly what everyone acquaints me with: Doubt. Braeburn had doubt in my skills as an Assassin. Applejack had doubts of me being loyal to the Brotherhood. You gave me doubts in myself after you beat me at the fighting tournament. Now my own sister has doubts of me being a good brother. It's something you live with, Octavia. It clouds your vision. It is what signals a disaster. It is the warning when you head towards danger. After being around it for too long, it stinks up even your clothes for weeks. You can't just wash it out. It is what comes after Order has made everything the same!"

Noteworthy, with a insane grin on his face, turned back into his smoke form. I launched Valor at him, but the spirit passed through the black cloud with no effect. After seeing his tactics with Braeburn, I rolled forward and dodged the swing of his blade as he returned to his real form.

"You may run, Octavia, but it's not like you can have the endurance to face me." He said mockingly.

"I had to battle a hurricane out in the Labyrinth Isles. I think I can last." I remarked.

"You're just going to rely on that petty shard." He shot back. "The shards grant such wondrous powers, yet yours just let you make a blue clone for two seconds."

"Valor does not like his tone."

My hand started to tingle with Valor's anger. It tingled so much that it started to feel numb. Was she trying to take over me? My vision blurred for a second or two. Fortunately, Noteworthy strafed about with his word up, waiting for my move instead of taking advantage of my confusion. The odd sensation did not last long though. Without my command, Valor appeared underneath Noteworthy and grabbed his legs.

"What?!"

I swept in with my sword, but he recovered and blocked my attack. The next instant, he faded away in his gaseous state and out of Valor's grip. The blue spirit disappeared back into my body, but shot out again from behind me. She kicked Noteworthy to the ground with speed I could not keep up with.

He expertly threw himself back to his feet. I approached him cautiously. Smoke was emitting from his fingertips. What other abilities he possessed, I did not know.  His yellow eyes squinted at me in anger. With a twirl of his blade, he rushed at me. When our blades met, he turned back into smoke and floated through me. I turned around quickly to parry his next attack. Once his attack failed, he repeated the action even faster. Every time the smoke went passed me, my eyes waters and my lungs would fill up with the horrid stuff.

"Keep fighting! Do you even think you're going to win?" Noteworthy barked.

I couldn't respond to his words because I was gagging and coughing on the smoke. Several times I parried his sword and swung at his leg or torso, only to have my blade go right through his gaseous body. I could only describe this fight to be frustrated. My skills were superior to his in every way. It was easy to tell he had not improved as a fighter ever since I last saw him. If it was not for that bloody shard, I would have killed him at least eighteen times.

Valor smacked him away from me and gave me much needed time to rest. I coughed the rest of the smoke out of my chest and then took my first steps towards him. He lifted his hand and a spray of dense smoke flew at me. I closed my eyes and threw Valor at him. The spirit tackled him to the ground and gave him a punch to the face before disappearing. Like every other time he went down, he quickly got back to his feet.

With a roar, I charged at him. I had still some length to go. He did not fade away like I thought he would. He held his sword out as well, waiting to parry me or something. Whatever he was planning, it was a change of tactics. As I ran to him, we both heard the scream of a girl sound over the battle noises. I knew the voice of the scream. It was Amethyst Star.

With a glance, I looked over his shoulder and saw his sister have her hand sliced off by an Assassin. All the lightning she had been creating ceased to be as she was separated from her shard. Noteworthy heard the scream and turned around, leaving his back to me. 

"Star! No!" He yelled.

He started to fade away and run after her, but I met him first. My sword stabbed him right in the back and emerged on the other side, right out of his chest. I was close enough to his face to hear every startled breath from him. His hands clutched the end of my blade as he realized he was about to die. His eyes stayed on his sister and they never looked anywhere else.

"I'm done..." He gasped. "Octavia, make sure Star lives....please. She never wanted any of this to happen. W.....Will you let her live?"

"Yes." I told him.

"Thank....you..."

He slid off me blade and onto the frozen snow. The hand with his shard began to twitch madly and the skin on his body began to decompose on the spot. Smoke popped out of his body at places and he soon became a horrid corpse. I whisked the blood off my blade before running over to his sister, who was at the end of Vinyl's rifle.

"Stop, Vinyl!" I yelled. "Don't kill her!"

Vinyl looked at me through the mask. I knew exactly what she was thinking under there. She stubbornly kept the rifle pointed at the girl's head as I ran over. The girl had tears in her eyes and she stared at the barrel of the gun with unblinking eyes.

"Why not?" Vinyl spat.

"Because she is not the enemy." I told her. "She's obviously been forced into this by Twilight and Sunset Shimmer. You've already disarmed her."

"She killed a Brother!" Vinyl growled. "She is a traitor!"

"Let us have one person live through this battle! From now on, only those responsible for this should die."

Vinyl did not seem convinced. "She is responsible..."

"As Den Master, I order you to spare her!" I commanded harshly.

Vinyl slowly lifted her rifle up. "As you wish, Den Master." She added rudely.

Amethyst looked at me for the first time. "Thank you, Octavia."

"Get out of here." I told her coldly.

The girl nodded her head and stood up. She clutched her wrist and glanced once at her chopped off hand before running out of the dwindling battlefield. There were only two battles left. Sunset and Rarity were still fighting while Applejack and Twilight were battling on a large roof. 

Vinyl ordered the remaining Assassins to go help the Bearer of Honesty. Her and I ran over to Rarity, who was shooting her pistol at the pyromancer from behind cover.

"Ah, good of you darlings to help." She panted when we reached her. "This woman is no easy task to bring down."

The smell of burning corpses stung my nose. All around us were the unfortunate burnt bodies of Assassins. Sunset's fire was so untamed and wild. It was no wonder that Rarity could not get close to her.

"I have had to summon several pistols. They keep melting from use." The Bearer told us. "And I haven't hit her once!"

"Let me try." Vinyl suggested confidently. 

Vinyl stood up and aimed her rifle over the stone cover. A gout of fire went over our heads, igniting Vinyl's hood. My friend crouched back down again and stuck her head in the snow. I could only shake my head at her.

"That didn't work like I planned." Vinyl sighed.

"There must be some way to get to her." I said.

"We need some mobile protection." Rarity suggested. "Maybe I can summon a Royal Guard shield?"

I thought of my fight with Noteworthy. "Perhaps a smoke bomb? A bunch of them. All we need to do is distract her long enough for her to lose her advantage."

I checked my sash to see if I had any. I thought I left the Den with at  least two, but neither were there. The only guess I could make was that they had fallen off or Noteworthy used them against me. Rarity quickly summoned three of them in her hand. We all took one and then lobbed them over our cover. 

"Is that your best idea?" Sunset asked with confusion.

I risked a glance around the cover and saw that the smoke was between us and the pyromancer. I could not see Sunset and assumed she couldn't see us. I rolled out and rolled again, trying to get in a position to flank her. Vinyl and Rarity went in the other direction. I heard the sound of raging fire and saw a fireball flew through the smoke at me. I threw myself to the snow and watched the fire fly over me. 

"Trying to get cute on me isn't going to help." Sunset said.

The smoke cleared and all of us could see each other. Vinyl was reloading her rifle and Rarity had formed what looked like a large Crystal shield in her left arm. Sunset looked at us with a slight grin. Her arms were bare and flames snaked around them. Small flames emitted from the ends of her turquoise eyes. 

"Ah, Octavia, nice of you to join us." She chuckled. "And you too, Vinyl. We had such plans for you two."

"Enough!" Rarity yelled. "This is where you die like the fiend you are. This is when all your mistakes come back to haunt you."

"And I thought you'd be the one to encourage speaking." Sunset remarked.

"Well, darling, I'm simply not feeling it today."

Sunset's flames grew larger and she formed a fireball in her palms. She launched the ball at Rarity, who took the blow with her shield. Rarity then charged at the pyromancer with her shield still up. It was an unusual attack method for an Assassin, but Rarity was skilled at adapting to situations.

I followed the Bearer and tried to attack from the side, but a wall of bluish fire rose up before me. I fell backwards trying to stop myself. Sunset kept backing up as Rarity pressed on. The shield took countless streams of fire and small explosions. Chips of Crystal would fly off, but the shield held up. The Bearer could only swing her sword so much as she could not get too close to the pyromancer's flaming body. 

Sunset then sent a crawling fire that went underneath the shield caught Rarity's shoes on fire. The Bearer summoned a brick wall up between them before beating the fire out. It was like watching a chess match. Everything had a counter and every counter had another counter. 

Vinyl finished reloading and took aim. Sunset noticed this and made a sprout of fire rise right under my friend. My heart fell as I saw the flames shoot up. Vinyl escaped by leaping back, but her rifle was left in the inferno. The wood had caught on fire and the barrel melted beyond use. I saw fire creep up Vinyl's leg and she cried in agony as she put it out.

"Anything else you want to throw at me?" Sunset growled.

I got to my feet and started running around the wall of flame. Wherever I went, it followed. There seemed to be a invisible bubble around them and me. I kept running, trying to find some opening. 

Rarity countered an attack from Sunset by bashing her shield into her. The pyromancer hit the snow and tumbled over. The flames around me died just for a second, but it was enough for me to dive through and enter the fight. Not a moment later did wave of fire fly by my head, catching the ends of my hair on flame. 

I could tell Sunset was becoming frustrated with us. Her attacks became even more sporadic than before. I had to dodge most of the flames while Rarity took them with her shield. The edges of her robes were all singed and her shoulder cape was on the ground in flames. Upon seeing this, I slipped both my cape and cloak off and fought with only my thin robes and pieces of armor in the cold. 

The Bearer took another strong hit and slid back. Sunset followed her attack by expertly sweeping her legs under the shield and tripping Rarity. The pyromancer was about to strike the open Bearer when I sent Valor to kick her over. I tried to follow up by sending Valor crashing from the sky upon her, but Sunset rolled out from beneath my attack. Valor's smash sent a ripple through the ground. 

"Get up, Bearer!" I said.

"No need to tell me twice." She said as she jumped to her feet.

A series of throwing knives formed in her hands and she launched them at the Templar. A thick wave of fire intercepted them and knocked them to the ground. Sunset sent a rolling disk of flame at us. We sidestepped out of the way and watched it explode when it struck a building.

"Why do you still fight? Don't you know that you've lost already?" Sunset asked.

"Hm, darling I think you're quite outnumbered." Rarity remarked. 

"It doesn't matter what happens to Twilight and me now." Sunset said. "We've already broken the unbreakable Brotherhood. You're nothing but remnants now."

"Do you think we will not persevere?" I said. "We are stronger than that!"

"Is that coming from you?" Sunset chuckled. "You know, for being so strong, they kept you in the dark, all of them. It's so easy to simply blame Twilight and me, but all the other Bearers played their part to make this happen."

"Octavia, don't listen to her." Rarity told me.

"I know." I said, ignoring Rarity. "I know they kept secrets and lied. I know they are false representations of their Elements. They kept their secrets to protect us. If not even the Assassins knew of the Crystal Heart and of ways to dominate the world, then who will? The war with the Templar was never about shards or Elements like one would believe. To us, it is more. It's about keeping Freedom alive and establishing Harmony where there is none. We do not need shards or any forms of magic to accomplish this. Those are only tools for Chaos and Absolute Order. The Assassins may have their Bearers, but they know not to become corrupt with power. All of them except Twilight."

"Are you on my side or not?" Rarity asked me with a frown.

"And yet you Assassins supported the Empresses, who hoarded shards. I have mine as a gift from my former teacher. I'm sure you gained yours by pleasing Celestia in some way."

"Celestia and Luna kept them to make sure cruel men and women would not get their hands on them. You know this, Sunset Shimmer. Empress Celestia blessed you with the shard, but you paid her back with this!" I said loudly.

"I paid her back to only way she deserved. In all her false Wisdom, she never saw the turmoil that raged in her land. She allowed the Templar and Assassins to reek havoc in Equestria. Twilight and I were forced to take action when the Sisters refused to!"

"You killed Luna!" Rarity shouted.

"I made a point!"

"You destroyed the Palace!"

"It was in the way."

"You corrupted Twilight!"

Rarity charged at Sunset with her sword raised. I was taken aback by the speed of the Bearer and followed only after she was far ahead of me. Sunset sent a ball of fire at the Bearer. Rarity deflected the attack with her sword, sending the ball out into the air. I only now realized she had dropped her shield. Both her hands were on the handle of her sword.

Rarity swung and missed the pyromancer. I hit Sunset squarely with a blast from Valor, making her tumble over a couple of bushes. Rarity jumped over the bushes and chased after her. The Templar stood up quickly and ducked under a crazed horizontal swing from the Bearer. Her Crystal sword went deep into a sapling tree where it became stuck in the trunk.

Sunset grinned and threw Rarity away with her fire. The Bearer landed back first on the ground with the front of her robes on fire. I prepared to send Valor out once more, but Sunset already had an attack planned. A crawling flame tripped me up and sent me to the ground. I looked up the next instant. The pyromancer's eyes were dead on the Bearer.

"You've reached your end, Bearer!" She laughed.

A gout of fire went up right below the Bearer, putting her in a raging inferno. I watched with horror as not only her robes, but her skin and hair burned up in the fire. The fire went on and on, the only thing louder than it was Rarity's screams of pain and terror. She had a hand reached out towards her killer. Her skin was melting and I could see the bones be exposed. Ashes floated above her and her arm fell apart into black pieces. 

I could not even utter a word. Sunset laughed as she sent up more and more flames on the dying Bearer. The Element of Generosity was exposed now, a gleaming gem in a burning corpse. It rung out with some low tune of mourning. As the flames started to finally die down, the once beautiful and kind woman that was Rarity was nothing more than a charred skeleton and ash.

Another Bearer was lost. My hand tingled with the rage that was building in me this entire time. Rainbow, Pinkie, and now Rarity? With a twitch of my fingers, Valor rushed out of my body and at Sunset. The spirit knocked her into a tree before disappearing. I scrambled to my feet with a quickness I did not know I possessed. The ground all around me was on fire. Fire upon the snow and fire in the bushes and trees. Valor was released again hitting her in similar fashion. 

A gout of fire formed under me, but I was too fast. The city of Canterlot was blocked by all the fire that was sprouting around me. I leaped through anything in front of me, ignoring the burn marks on my body. Nothing hurt anymore. Valor knocked her through the tree this time. She was stunned for the moment. I jumped over the broken sapling with my sword ready to stab downward. I connected the attack and stabbed Sunset right in the stomach. I felt the tip of my blade land into the hard ground underneath her.

"You won't kill me that easily!" Sunset said through her teeth.

An  explosion happened right where I stood, launching me off of her and into what was left of the snow. To my shock, Sunset stood up with the sword still in her. She pulled it out and then singed her wounds together with her fire. All the while she groaned with pain. Ignoring my own pain, I stood up once more and activated my hidden blades, but another explosion sent my reeling back. When I recovered from this attack, Sunset was already fleeing the street while holding her stomach.

"Come back here!" I yelled.

I was about to give chase, but I then heard Vinyl's moans beside me. I looked to see her clutching her right leg, which was blistered with burns.  My hands reached her shoulders and I worriedly looked into her eyes.

"Vinyl, are you alright?" I asked.

"Don't give me that!" She spat. "You go after that bitch! You go and you kill her. Show her what it means to die at an Assassin's hand!" 

"But you..."

Vinyl pushed me away. "Forget me! Go!"

With one last glance, I looked upon Rarity's ruined corpse. The sight once again fueled my anger and I was off. I chased the target. I ran with all my might through the street after her. Every wound I felt was nothing compared to my willpower. Sunset may have been fleeing, but there was nothing she could do to escape me.

Every step in the snow gave me strength to carry on the chase. Like any Templar, she chose to stay to the ground. I expertly took to the rooftops of the neighborhood and we went on through the wreckage of the mansions. Don't give up. Finish this fight.

Parts of the buildings collapsed under my feet. I was constantly jumping from one standing stone to another. Hurdle that! Jump over that! Keep going!  Never before had I felt such determination. I could not think of anything else. I could not even tell what was in front of me. My body moved before I even recognized the obstacles. Kill Sunset. Kill Sunset.

I ran on the side of a wall and swung from a small flagpole to another mansion. She was still running, every footstep creating a puff of flames. I could see her face becoming paler. She also knew how this was going to end. Like a lame prey, she was just waiting for the predator to strike. 

She threw a fireball at me once or twice, but her aim was so off I ignored them completely. She took a tight turn down a tight street, but the move was nothing for me. I jumped from my building to another and kept up right with her. I was now just waiting for the perfect chance.

"I will not be slain like some dog!" Sunset cried.

"Then you'll die like a Templar!" I shouted back.

She stopped and sent a wave of fire at me. I kept running and ran out of her line of flames in no time. I skipped from one rooftop to another while she followed behind with her ceaseless fire. I slipped a throwing knife into my fingers and aimed with care. With precision, I released the knife, watching it fly right into her shoulder.

"Gah!"

With a quick turn of my feet, I turned towards her. I jumped off the ledge of the mansion and extended my blades. This was it. This was the moment I had been waiting for. For Vinyl, for Rainbow, for Pinkie, and for Rarity. This was the end of an insane and false leader. This was the moment that my blades served Justice well.

Upon colliding with her, my blades went into her chest simultaneously. Our eyes met in the fleeting moment of our collision. I knew my pink eyes were cold to her, but hers were filled with tears. I did not care for what she was crying about. They were eyes that told of loss and defeat. After this moment, my body crushed her into the ice. Her mouth was agape slightly and her breathing became heavy and shallow. I forcefully took my blades out from her and watched her chest become crimson.

"It's done." I said.

"Of course it is..." She chuckled. 

"Why?" I asked. "That's the only question I wish to ask you.

She tilted her head. "Such a broad question. Almost unanswerable. I tell you why. It's because Twilight and I know that when war exists, so does Chaos. We only wished to end Chaos and establish Order. I never believed in Harmony and I was right. Harmony never existed. The Creed of Harmony that Twilight was planning on to establish would never work. Harmony can only exists if people are willing to have Harmony within themselves. If even the Bearers can't accomplish this, then why would any normal sod?"

"You don't know that!"

"I do. You just deny the evidence before you. Twilight and I were trying to bring down these organizations to unify them. She did so well with the Assassins. You killed so many Templar in her name. It was just an elimination game. Silverstar, Sir Rich, and others were just radical Templar that needed to be destroyed. I tried my best with Spitfire. Have her be my alley, but she went too far with the Templar. I sent her on a suicide mission and you helped nicely. We pushed the Templar down, but the Brotherhood remained strong. I tried to ruin you all. I sent the attack on Ponyville, but even that did not work. Twilight had to start ruining you from the inside. I'm sure you know the rest."

"All of this just to create peace?"

"Yes. That is the purpose of war, is it not? War is nothing more than an argument. You either convince the other of your point or you forfeit. If both are stubborn and refuse to see the other side, the argument or war continues. End the argument, doesn't matter who wins, and peace follows. The Templar and Assassins is a war that won't end unless someone like me comes along. They may not praise my name in the future, but they will remember it. I made a difference in this world and it will benefit the future. So I'll die now, but my legacy will live on."

"No, your legacy ends here. None will remember you in any good light."

"As you wish. You are the survivor, you write the history. Depict me in your worse way." She smiled.

"Then I'll just write you like how you are before me: weak and foolish. I don't need to change anything. Your true nature gives me what I already need."

"May you die in Tartarus." She chuckled weakly.

Her head tilted back and her last breath left her. Her turquoise eyes looked up at the cloudy sky unblinking. I felt like leaving her in this state, but I remembered what the Bearers often did with their slain targets. One must honor the dead. With a sigh, I crouched beside her and closed her eyes with my hand.

"And may you rest in peace, Sunset Shimmer."


~

> Chapter 55: Consequences (Part 3)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Vinyl and I met up again after I finished Sunset Shimmer. My friend was still aching from her burnt leg, but her complains were less than before. She leaned on me and we walked through the remains of the battle. Even though I suspected imminent victory, Sunset's dying words stuck with me. Dozens of Assassins lay dead on the snow and ice. It was a solemn sight. 

"When I get my hands on Twilight, I'll rip her to pieces." Vinyl growled beside me.

"I think we should let Applejack decide what to do with her." I said.

"Just kill her....just kill her..."

Vinyl's tone made me on edge. Her breathing was reminiscent of an infuriated lion. I knew she was in pain, but I never heard her this way before. 

"I think you should take your mask off."

"Huh? Why? It helps keeps my face warm."

"Would you please?"

Vinyl snorted and did as I asked. Just like I suspected, her eyes her glowing red. Her face was also paler and lacked any redness from the cold. I could see that she was a still a Survivor of Chaos, unlike what Discord said. All this fighting was not helping her mental health. In an attempt to calm her down, I decided to start small talk.

"Do you wonder what we'll do after all this?" I said in my most cheerful voice.

"We'll do what we must..."

"Huh?"

"I don't care what Applejack or Fluttershy do after this. I don't care if all the Bearers die. I'll take the Brotherhood under me."

"You really want the Brotherhood to stay in existence?"

"Yeah. Maybe this is all a harsh reformation. Sunset and Twilight aren't gonna win. I'll make sure of it."

I was still worried by her behavior. Her muttered curses stayed constant as we approached the final battle scene. The last Assassins of Canterlot (of which I counted nine) were watching the fight with their arms crossed. Applejack and Twilight were settling this battle alone and none intervened.

I sat Vinyl down on the stone before climbing up to the rooftop the Bearers fought on. It was a large, flat rooftop, not at all like the rounded mansions. This was square meeting hall that the neighborhood used as a central hub. Just like the rich neighborhood, it was abandoned and safe to destroy.

The other Assassins glanced my way before returning to watch the fight. A pulsing purple bubble stood between us and them. I knew I could pierce the shield with Valor, but I decided not to at the moment. The bubble was not only keeping others from them, but protecting everything else. Twilight's beams of magic never went through the shield and Applejack's missed charges made her bounce of the bubble. 

"How long have they been at this?" I asked a Brother.

"For most of the time." He replied. "Twilight's laid on more hits than the Bearer of Honesty."

I could tell this just by looking at them. Applejack was bleeding from her nose, temples, and her right arm. The freckles on her face were lost under the dried and still flowing blood. Twilight was bleeding from her left leg, but nothing else seemed to be wounded. Her robes were ripped in several places, revealing a bruise or two. 

"Den Master, what happens if Twilight wins?" The Brother asked me.

"Then we fight her."

"And The Bearer of Honesty?"

"If she wins, we do what she tells us to."

"No you don't!" Vinyl screeched from below. "She ain't our leader anymore."

"Ignore her." I told the Assassins. "She got burned in a fight and that the pain is disrupting her brain."

"Oh shut it, Tavi!" My friend yelled.

A large explosion startled us. Twilight sent some arcane bomb at Applejack. The Bearer of Honesty flew right into the shield before us. She was then levitated and slammed into the rooftop, cracking the stone. I winced as I watched, but I knew Applejack was still able to fight.

"Why won't you stop?" Twilight barked. "We don't have to do this!"

"Course we do!" Applejack said. "Ya brought all this death, it's only fair you go with them!"

"We can still salvage this!" 

I spoke up. "Sunset is dead, Twilight."

Twilight glanced at me. "Oh, like I'll believe that."

I reached into my sash and pulled out Sunset's Templar necklace. It was stained with blood. The Bearer of Magic paled at the sight of it. Applejack tried to use this distraction to her aid, but Twilight picked her up with magic and threw her to the opposite side.

"You killed her?" Twilight asked slowly.

"Indeed, Bearer. She met a fitting end." I said. "You are the only one alive. That's why the remaining Brothers are gathered here. We defeated everyone else."

"Then we have no need to fight anymore." She told me. "It's time for us to gather the shards and rebuild with the Templar. You may not trust me, but I can help with that."

"You wanted them to die?"

"Sunset? No. However, I see an advantage with her out of the way though. She was too ambitious and hotheaded for this type of work."

Applejack had recovered from being tossed about and came flying at Twilight. Just like before, Twilight reacted in time and threw the Bearer away. I could not restrain myself and threw Valor at Twilight when she had her back to me. My attack connected and she went to the stone. This was all the time Applejack needed to land a strike on her. The Bearer's strength sent her flying into her own shield. When she hit it, a pulse rang out from it. 

Twilight stood up while holding her side. Applejack did not need to land many strikes to do damage. The Bearer of Magic shot out an arcanic beam that knocked Applejack to the ground, leaving a black mark on her chest plate. Twilight then looked at me, her eyes glowing white. Her hand was raised and I felt my sword draw itself out of its sheath. Before I knew it, my sword was floating right before me. 

Before I could dodge, it flew at my chest. The Brother I had been speaking to grabbed its pommel and pulled it back away from me right before it reached my robes. With all his strength, he kept it back, but then Twilight twisted the blade out of his hand and stabbed him right in the gut with it.

"Gah!" He gasped before falling over.

"I had such plans for you, Octavia!" Twilight yelled. "I had everything planned. I had the plan A's, the B's, even C's and D's! Yet all of them counted on you! You were my most trusted Den Master. You would have believed me! If you didn't lose your way, you would have seen my plan for peace. You would have believed in it!"

I ducked under my sword as it swung for my neck. The Bearer of Honesty was only now starting to get up. I could not fight a floating sword for long. Twilight scratched my leg and arm as I tried to evade every lighting fast swing. The remaining Assassins wisely fled and allowed me more space.

"Sunset's death may be a true advantage, but she was still my friend! My first friend!" Twilight continued. "She feared death. She was afraid of being alone or without me. Now she is alone! Now we are separated! You ruined her, Octavia!"

The sword struck a stone pillar and broke, but it kept coming for me. Even after I broke sight with the Bearer, she seemed to sense my location. She was no doubt seeing me through walls with Elemental Vision. The Bearer's voice began to stammer with emotion.

"Sunset talked about survival. It was her rule in life. You all should follow the rule! If you all quit now, Rarity, Applejack and the rest of you won't have to die for a cause that was never there!"

"Rarity is dead as well!" I yelled.

The sword fell to the ground as its wielder dropped it. I withdrew from behind the wall to look at her. She was looking at me, her eyes still glowing. Tears flowed down her cheeks and her lips quivered. 

"Not Rarity..." She cried softly.

"See what ya did, Twilight?" Applejack said as she stood up. "Ya lost all your friends."

The bubble dissipated around them. "Not...not my friends..."

"Ya was so powerful with Magic because we all loved you, Twilight." The Bearer of Honesty continued. "Ya know that you use Friendship to power your abilities. Every Element has its cost. Without Friendship, you have no power."

"I had such plans...." Twilight stammered. "I had friends who could help me."

"Ya had us all fooled. You've been using our Friendship to make ya powerful while you lied to us all. Ya kept the power because some of us had faith in ya. Some of us believed ya didn't need to die. Rarity and Sunset were ya last friends. No one living loves ya."

"Celestia....Luna..."

"Have now abandoned you. Celestia must've learned what ya did to Luna."

Twilight's shoulder slumped over and she looked at the ground. Her eyes ceased to glow and were filled with tears. The remaining Assassins and I crept towards the Bearers. Applejack laid a large hand on Twilight's shoulder.

"This is the consequence of ya actions, Twilight. Ya lost all your friends."

"I never wanted this to happen...Not Rarity..."

"Too late to regret."

"I wanted peace....peace with my friends."

Applejack raised Twilight's chin so that she looked up. "It wasn't all ya fault. The Element inside you is corrupted. It caused a lot of this. I could call ya a victim, but I've met temptations too. I guess I was better at not fallin' for them."

"Can you forgive me?" Twilight sniffled. "Can you forgive Us?"

"Probably will, someday." Applejack shrugged. "But it ain't that day."

"I'm sorry..."

Twilight hugged Applejack tightly around the waist. I was already back on the flat rooftop and the other Assassins stood next me. The Bearer of Honesty returned the hug. 

"Ya can make ya last requests, sugarcube." Applejack whispered. 

"You don't have to do this. I....I can make it up, somehow." Twilight said.

"Sorry, but I said I was gonna kill you. If I don't, I'd be lying."

Applejack moved Twilight at arms' length. One of her large hands rested on the Bearer of Magic's chest before being lifted over her shoulder, ready to strike. Twilight did nothing but rub Applejack's other arm.

"You don't have to do this. Please." Twilight uttered.

"I can't let you off for all ya done. I wish I could."

Applejack's fist went deep into Twilight's chest. Blood spilled out onto the Bearer's gauntlets. Twilight gasped for a breath and clucthed the hand that was holding her Element. Her eyes were flooded with tears and knees buckled.

"Please. Just remove your hand and let Magic be. I don't want to die before I can change." Twilight pleaded.

"I would've believed ya, but I've seen too much of ya. The Element and you are corrupted. You're a danger to people here, Twilight. I won't let ya harm another."

Applejack closed her eyes and pulled the Element out of Twilight's chest. The Bearer made a leap for Magic, trying to pry it from Applejack's hand. The attempt was futile and Twilight fell face first to the stone. In one desperate move, she took hold of Applejack's boot and looked up.

"Please put it back! I'm begging! I....I'm not ready to die....not like this! I want to change what I've done....I don't.....want....to die...with....regret..."

She gave one breath before rolling over and dying. The pulsing Magic in Applejack's hand was letting out a low pitch noise, as if crying itself. I walked over to her, occasionally glancing at Twilight's body. The massive hole in her chest let blood ooze out and her eyes, just like Sunset's, looked to the grey sky. 

"I thought it'd be easier..." Applejack said as I drew near.

"It had to be done, Bearer. You should not let it rest on your soul." I told her.

"But it does." She trembled. "It does more than I did imagine. She was my friend, Octavia. More than you know. Just like she trained you, I trained her. I gave her leadership over the Brotherhood. I guess that makes me responsible for all this Chaos."

"It's not time to find blame in anything. It's time for us to rebuild."

She looked at me with the saddest eyes I ever did see. I'll never forget the look. "The Element's corrupted. I can feel its energy and its anger. Octavia, this thing can't be used by the Brotherhood anymore. None of the Elements can. They're corruptible, just like any human. Twilight's jus' the first of many to come. Maybe I'll be next, or Fluttershy when she hears of this. Octavia, we never held our Elemental traits. We never could. I can't tell ya how many times I lied. Honesty never left me like it said it would. The Element of Honesty is nothin' but a liar itself. The Bearers are nothin' but false images. We can't use these things anymore. The Harmony left them once we removed them from the Tree."

"What are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggestin' that we return the Elements to the Tree of Harmony. All of them."

"But you know that means..."

"Yes, I do. We shall go to the Everfree at once. After that....You're in charge of what's left of the Brotherhood."

"As you wish, Bearer."

"Can ya promise me one thing?"

"What?"

"Will you do exactly as I say, even my last order?"

"I will."

"Good. Fetch the remaining Assassins. We'll swing by the Den and get Fluttershy. I don't want to inform her of who we lost today, but....I'll just have to do it."

Applejack bent over and gently picked up Twilight's body, holding it like one would a sleeping friend. The battle was over, but no one cheered. I watched the Bearer carry Twilight's body away, sobs being heard here and there. With a sigh, I turned and dropped to the ground where the Assassins walked about, collecting the remains of fallen Assassins. Vinyl leaned on a tree, her mask on again and her arms crossed aggressively.

"Serves her right." She told me as I approached.

"There's no need for that, Vinyl."

"Here ya go, tryin' lecture me again. Good ol' Den Master." She snarled.

"Vinyl, what's with you?" I asked coldly.

"Oh, nothing at all!" She sarcastically remarked. "Jus' that we lost the whole Brotherhood here in Canterlot! Mark my words, Tavi, I'm gonna change this Brotherhood. It's time for a leader change and I'm gonna bring it."

"Fine! You do that!" I said through my teeth. "Perhaps after all this, I'll just quit the Assassins for good! It seems like you don't need me."

She paused. "Sorry 'bout that. This is all jus' getting to me. All I can think of is Discord's words when I became a Survivor. There's only one thing that is eternal, and that's Chaos.  I now see what he meant. Harmony couldn't even stop Chaos..."

"Don't you dare give in to him." I pointed at her chest. "Discord is not your friend!"

"But he's an ally..."

The words frightened me. She sounded so sincere. I was losing her again. Instead of being a good friend and hugging my only friend closely, I backed away as if she was a monster. I then remembered about the Assassins and Applejack. With a stammering order, I told them to find any shards and Elements and then move out. With fear in my heart, I went on ahead of them, leaving a Brother to help support Vinyl's wounded leg. My hand tingled as I walked away. It was telling me to look back, but I never did. 


~

> Chapter 56: Pieces of Harmony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Well, who do you believe?"

"I...I don't know..."

Yearling kept shifting her eyes from Twilight to Applejack. All the Bearers were watching her, waiting for an answer. She slowly got to her feet. Applejack raised an impatient brow at her while Twilight gave her a sincere and warm smile.

"I'm not sure who to believe." Yearling said. 

"Just believe this: the Elements of Harmony need to return to the Tree. That's all you need. Do whatever it takes for that to happen." Twilight told me.

"Twilight's gonna trick ya." Applejack spoke up. "Like she did to us."

"There's no need for deception." Twilight replied. "I have told her nothing but truth. My days of lying are done. Yours should be too, AJ."

"Ya callin' me a liar?"

"Yes."

Yearling gulped. "I ain't calling anyone a liar, but I don't think this is the time. We got all the Ahuizotl guards right outside, ready to barge in. We can't just stand here and argue."

"Yearling's right." Rainbow said. "We better get our act together!"

"Darling, I agree." Rarity stated. "Let the past be the past."

Applejack tightened her fists. "Let the past be the past? Don't ya remember how ya died, Rares? Sunset Shimmer burned you alive! Ya just gonna forget that?"

"I never have, dear. It just happened 500 years ago. As an Assassin, I knew that death was inevitable. Why should I be upset I died in battle?"

Applejack looked at her incredulously. "And Pinkie, Twilight knocked you off of Canterlot!"

"But she was trying to save me, duh!" Pinkie rolled her eyes. "I can't stay mad at her for that! Do ya know who I am? I'm Pinkie Pie, I'm not letting an accident be a reason to frown at Twilight for over 500 years."

"And Rainbow..."

"I died how I wanted too. Couldn't ask for a better way to go."

Applejack stomped her foot. "I can't believe you guys! She's the reason ya'll died so horribly! How can ya forgive her? She lied to us all, repeatedly and led us to our demise! She's at it again!"

"I am not!" Twilight snapped. "I remember how you killed me. I remember every emotion I felt. I wasn't lying to you then Applejack, and I'm not now! I changed there. I was going to show you how I can make it all back, but you didn't let me. I still have regret for my actions and I'm trying to help you now! The Elements need to go back! We both agree on this, so let us make it happen."

"I rather have these Ahu-whatever have them than you!" Applejack growled.

"Ahuizotl are Templar!" Yearling spoke up. "Are you sure you want Templar to have the Elements?"

"Ya weren't there, girl!" Applejack pointed at her. "You didn't see Twilight for who she is."

"I did! I've seen countless memories of you all. I was able to relive your lives. I watched when Fluttershy got chosen by Kindness. I saw Pinkie fight in the Battle of Ponyville. I saw Rainbow chase down Templar in Manehatten. I've read all of Octavia's writings, telling me everything I need to know. I am not ignorant."

She continued. "And all of them show me the dangers of the Elements! I know why I should return them. I now know why I should have never taken them out of the Tree."

"Applejack, let us be one again." Twilight stepped forward. "I understand why you don't trust me, but let us forget the past right now. I always dream of all six of us being friends again. Can we be friends right now and get back to the Tree? We will finally rest and maybe we can continue to be friends in whatever afterlife we deserve."

Fluttershy tapped Applejack's shoulder. "Please, Applejack, do as she says."

Applejack snarled before nodding her head. "Fine. Yearling, you're gonna have to carry us all out of here. It's gonna be a toll on ya head, but don't fight us. You may have seen what one Element can do, but ya ain't never seen all six of them at once."

"Aww yeah!" Rainbow pumped a fist in the air.

Yearling ran over to the Elements and opened her bag. Applejack moved aside and let her by. Each Element pulsed with a bright color. Each jagged crystal seemed to watch Yearling with non-existent eyes. Just like how they watched her when she stumbled across the Tree of Harmony. In truth, she was afraid of what would happen when she touched them again. She closed her eyes and took hold of Kindness first.

"Good to see you again, Miss Yearling." It said softly.

Yearling's eyes shot out as the power flowed through her arm. It was a burning sensation, like if one was stretching before a run. Fluttershy faded away and entered Yearling's mind. She forced herself to pick up Loyalty next, letting Rainbow return into her head. Then came Laughter and then Generosity. Her mind was becoming crowded with the Bearers. Each one made her vision more and more blurred. She paused before grabbing Honesty, letting a deep breath out.

"You better know what ya doin' gal." Applejack said.

"Don't....Don't worry..." Yearling panted.

She picked up Honesty and Applejack disappeared. Only Magic remained. Twilight walked up next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Yearling looked to see her smiling.

"We'll be with you through all of this. Be brave Yearling. I can't thank you enough for this. But I must warn you: stay on your mission and do not listen to the power you're about to wield. Will you?"

"Yes."

"Live in Harmony, Yearling." Twilight bowed before disappearing.

Yearling took hold of Magic. The Element seemed to grab her back, controlling her motions. It started pulsing loudly and brightly as if excited. Sweat began to fall from Yearling's temples.

"Let me have control." 

"No..."

"Only I can save you from destruction."

"No!"

"Do not struggle, young one. Harmony is eternal."

"I'll control it!"

"Yearling! Don't listen to Magic!" Twilight said. "Let all the elements have control at once! Let the other five suppress Magic."

Yearling's eyes became blurred as all the Elements took hold of her. The world became a deep blue and all the details of her surroundings disappeared. Her hair began to float upwards as the Elements' powers strengthened her. Information flowed through her head like a flooding river. Memories, ideas, concepts, and personalities. Her eyes glowed with a constant changing of colors. 

"I can't....I can't handle all of this!" She cried.

"You have to! You are our transport!" Twilight said.

"Calm down, Yearling." Applejack told her harshly. "The more ya struggle, the more likely you'll die from this."

"Be calm." Kindness spoke. "We will not harm you."

"Handle the pain, Yearling! Think of what you are doing! Savior of the world! Do not be intimidated by what comes for you. We are here. We will die for you!" Loyalty roared.


"This is what you listened to, Rainbow?" Rarity asked.

"Yeah, but he never was this dramatic." Rainbow answered.

"For Harmony!" All the Elements cried.

Yearling's head went back as she gave her mind up to the Elements. She could not even move her own eyes without permission. She could still feel her body, however. She looked at her hands in their bluish tint. Everything was so simple now. There were no distractions, no sounds for the ears and no sights to ward off attention. Nothing exited but what was needed. Everything there had a purpose, a reason. Everything else was forgotten. This was pure Harmony.

The sounds of violence came from the shut door. Yearling's head slowly turned towards it. The sounds were so disjointed and loud. They were not harmonic in the slightest. It was a distraction, a root of evil caused by those who wanted Chaos. If they wanted Chaos, they deserved to be eradicated. For Harmony.

The doors blew open and Ahuizotl guards poured in. They fired their rifles and pistols at her. All the bullets reflected off a magical shield that protected her. The guards' minds were crowded. Distracted by an insatiable urge to kill and to follow orders not of their own. They were corrupted. They sought for Absolute Order, yet their minds had no Order. They were enemies of Harmony, but they did not deserve pain.

Yearling lifted a hand towards them. A bright rainbow left her hand struck each guard in the head. The next second, they lowered their rifles and pistols. Their minds were clear and straight forward. Some fell to their knees as their minds fought an invisible war. Most just stood there, questioning why they were there, questioning the purpose of their actions, questioning if their existence was worth anything. 

"I'm not helping." One said.

"What have I done to be proud of?" Another asked.

"Go your ways, soldiers." Yearling said with an echoing voice. "Violence is not the path of Harmony."

The guards looked at each other before simply turning around and leaving. Some were reluctant to go, some were far too happy to. Yearling mentally sighed in relief. She was so use to killing, this was a nice change of pace. However, there was something she was feeling. Something not attuned to the rest of the Elements. It was some corruptible factor that made her hand go up again. She had power like nothing else in this world. Her abilities placed her on a level that caused a rapture in a harmonic way of living. She was not Harmony, but some false image of it. Something to be worshiped as a goddess. 

"Violence is a part of Harmony." Magic said within her. "It's what keeps the Chaos at bay. Without the violent actions of the Good, who stops the Evil?"

"What are you saying?" Yearling asked.

"Harmony only exists if everyone is harmonic. You may be able to send these men back to their families, but their minds will fall again. They will be tempted and fall into Chaos once more. Why let them live just to fall again? Does it make sense to you?"

"Kill them?"

"Kill them at once, my dear."

Her outstretched hand squeezed into a fist. As the soldiers walked out of the door, their heads exploded and blood rain from the ceiling. Their Chaotic thoughts ceased to be as their minds were destroyed completely. Their headless bodies rolled to the ground without any distracting noises. 

Yearling's face did not show it, but she was absolutely horrified. Those men were letting her go in peace. This was not self-defense, this was murder. The little she had control of her body made tears fall from her glowing eyes.


"It's sad, but this is the way."

"This isn't Harmony!" Yearling spat.

"It is, my dear. You have not lived as long as I. You have not seen the cruelties of man. It is constant, it is eternal! To believe that we have any ability to make a world where Harmony thrives is useless, improper thinking. The Brotherhood falsely believed in it, you shouldn't follow."

"Yearling, don't listen to him!" Twilight called from somewhere in her mind.

"Forget the other Elements, forget Harmony. Magic thrives without them. Let me be your guide and we can be the rulers of the world, making this place as peaceful as possible. Our power will grow when we are adored by the masses."

"I thought your power comes from Friendship?" Yearling asked.

"It does."

"We will not have any friends, only people who are afraid of us." Yearling told the Element. "We won't have any power. I've seen how you are without friends. I've read about your weakness. You can't live without the other Elements. They are connected to you tighter than sisters. You need friends, not only to have power, but to live! Without friends, you are nothing but a worthless piece of crystal."

"We will have countless friends! People who love us!"

"We will have nothing but a lonely life. That is what awaits us."

"Yearling, you do not know the future."

"I think I do. Ya know, as an archaeologist, I know history well. It all seems like a repetition of the same episode. Nothing really different happens. We get in fights, powerful people come to rule, and some die with honor and some die in loneliness. By seeing those men who sought nothing but power, even for a good cause, fall to their own ambitions makes me know exactly what will happen to any Bearer of Magic. You will rise and you will fall without a friend. That is our future."


"You have an opportunity to bring peace to the world!"

"Shut up! I know I can change the world, but it won't be with you."

"Then you shall continue in this world of Chaos..."

Magic's voice faded away and the other Elements took over once again. Yearling's legs began moving and she walked by the fallen guards on the floor. Her eyes kept forward and she did not fight the Elements. Outside the room were more guards pointing guns at her. It was obvious that all the scientists and civilians had been evacuated. 

Just like the others, the guards began shooting at her. The bullets were deflected by Yearling's shield. She still felt an urge to kill them, but she fought it down. Another rainbow left her fingertips and delve into each of the guards' minds, removing their will to fight. They lowered their weapons and simply watched her slowly walk by them. 

"Why am I here?"

"What is life?"

They all started asking questions to one another. They began to converse like rational beings. Yearling only half-listened to them as she made her way through the building. 

"So that's what ya had speaking in ya all this time, Twilight?" Applejack asked.

"Magic has grown worse, but yes." Twilight answered.

"No wonder ya fell..." Applejack said softly.

Yearling walked through Ahuizotl Industries without any trouble. Any resistance was easily dissuaded from fighting. Men and women with Templar crosses became nothing but bystanders as they questioned the world around them. As she walked through the halls, Yearling felt like she was forgetting something.

"Doc!" Her lips verbally said. "He's still here!"

"Do we need to waste time on him?" Honesty asked.

"He's helped us. It's the least we can do." Rainbow said.

Yearling closed her eyes and allowed the Elements to search the building for her. Energies from the people in the building were highlighted in her mind. Some were blue, some red, and one yellow. Her head snapped to look upwards. Dr. Caballeron was two stories above her. With two fingers pointed up at the ceiling, she let out a beam of rainbow that blasted holes into the ceiling. When an opening was made, she levitated herself up the stories. 

Her feet landed softly on the carpet. She had entered some office room. Behind the desk was Caballeron, being held at gunpoint by the secretary, Raven. Yearling took a step forward, making Raven cock the hammer on her revolver.

"Take one step closer and he dies!" She ordered.

"Miss Yearling!" Caballeron gasped. "What...What happened to you?"

"I have the Elements, Doc." She said. "It's time for us to leave here."

"Put the Elements back, you monster!" Raven shouted. "You don't understand what you wield. It's not meant for one person like you!"

"No it's not." Yearling remarked. "However, it is better with me than with you. Now release him."

"Not until you give those crystals up."

"I won't ask you again."

Raven snarled and made the barrel touch Caballeron's head. "Fair enough!"

Yearling lifted a hand, pulling the revolver out of Raven's hand. The secretary gasped and threw herself against the wall. The revolver slowly pointed at her, the hammer still cocked. 

"If you want to live, tell me where Mr. Ahuizotl is." Yearling ordered slowly.

"He left when you took the Elements. He's long gone now!" Raven croaked.

"Then will you give him a message?" 

"Of course."

"Tell him never to come after me or the Elements again. Tell him to never search for any shards or artifacts. They are to remain undiscovered. If he doesn't listen, well, he'll have to answer to me. Got that?"

"Yes....Yes I do."

"Good."

The revolver melted in the air, the hot metal causing a small fire on the carpet. Raven's mind was scattered and unreadable in her intense fear. No series of coherent thoughts could be made. Yearling kept her eyes on her and gestured for Caballeron to stand up. The doctor did and walked to her.

"Yearling...?"

"I'm fine. Let's get out of here, alright?"

Yearling picked him up with her magic and they floated down through the hole. The doctor was obviously scared about how he was floating, but other than his wails, he seemed to have taken it fine. They followed the wandering guards that still were influenced by Harmony's disruption. Everything was quite peaceful, in its own way.

"The road to the Tree is far from here, but we shall make it in good time." Generosity spoke.


"It's still amazing how the world has changed without us." Honesty remarked.

"Thank you for saving me back there." Caballeron said. "You've grown into quite the woman since Ahuizotl captured you."

"I've gone through a lot, Doc." Yearling replied. "I've gone through a lot."

They walked out of the front entrance to the skyscraper. The remaining guards dispersed into the crowds and down the roads. Their weapons all left behind in the building. Yearling did not know how long they would be in this state, but she was happy that they were alive to make their own decisions.

"We gotta separate here, Doc." She told him.

"I'm not afraid to go with you." He placed a gentle hand on her. "So that you don't have to be alone."

"We'll meet again, sometime. I must take the Elements back. I won't be alone either."

"Why not?"

"Well, including my own, I have 13 minds in my head right now. I think I'll be fine for conversation."

"13? Are you alright? Those are the Elements right?"

"What? Yes. I'm not going crazy. Well, not yet. See ya."

"Goodbye, Miss Yearling."

As he turned around, an urge made Yearling lift her hand up. Purple energy was gathering at her fingertips. A sudden urge to blast him away and end him. He was a Templar. an agent of Absolute Order that could only make Chaos. Why did he deserve to live? Ending him would only be a victory for Freedom and Harmony.

"Kill him." Magic said.

"Not this time!" Yearling grunted in pain and pulled her hand back.

"What was that?" Caballeron turned around.

"Just go!" She told him.

He blinked in confusion before running away. Yearling suppressed Magic's power once more and forced herself to walk down the road. her head ached terribly and her movements were sluggish. The Manehatten people stared at her as she walked by. All the minds were hurting her. It was too much. All this false Harmony! 

"Hang in there, Yearling!"

"We're with ya!"

"Darling, push on."

"Come on, sugar cube."

"Go Yearling! Woo!"

"Please make it."

She felt a surge of strength and began to walk faster. "I must get...to...the Tree!"


~

> Chapter 57: Revelations.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Do you have to go?"

"Yes, Apple Bloom, I do. Don't ya worry though, I'll still be with ya." Applejack caressed her sister's worried face. 

The little girl did not seem convinced. "Does this have to do with the Bearer of Magic's death?"

"In a way, yeah."

Apple Bloom turned her head to look at Twilight's burning body. The evening sky over Ponyville made the sight even more gloomy than before. Pinkie's mangled corpse burned alongside her and the rest of the fallen Assassins surrounded them. It was a proper ceremony for the last Assassins. 

I sat on my horse, holding a satchel that held Laughter, Magic, Generosity, and Loyalty. My stoic face watched the Bearer of Honesty converse with her little sister. Fluttershy was on a horse next to me. Her eyes constantly gazing at the ground as if she was counting the blades of grass. I did not want to speak or utter a sound and so watched the remaining Assassins pay their dues to the deceased Bearers. I recognized some of them, Lyra, Cheerilee, and others. They each had been influenced and guided by at least one of the Bearers. Not one Brother or Sister was not in mourning. 

"Please don't go AJ. Granny's already lost too many of us." Apple Bloom pleaded.

"I'm sorry. I have to do this. It's the best for all of us. You will be strong, will ya? Will ya take care of Granny and the farm?" Applejack asked.

Apple Bloom nodded. "I'll try."

"That's my sis."

The sisters hugged tightly. I could not bear to watch it. Applejack had already told me her plans. I knew what awaited us at the Tree of Harmony. Such sadness overwhelmed me. In an attempt to distract myself, I got off my horse and walked over to Twilight's burning. The smell of the smoke made me gag slightly. I forced myself through the wind to her. She had not been on fire for a long time as her face was still recognizable. Her lips and face seemed at peace in death. Pinkie's toothless smile also was yet unharmed by the flames. We had found her that way. Even in death, she could not stop smiling. 

I gazed at Twilight's face through the flames. My eyes started to burn and a lump formed in my throat. I had so much to say, yet I knew she would hear none of it. These words that formed in my mind were not new at all. I had been holding them up since I joined the Brotherhood. Words of Kindness and sincerity, unheard by her. With quivering lips, I uttered every one of them.

"Thank you, Bearer Twilight. Never has one turned my life around like you. Never has one made me seek knowledge and truth like you. You taught me to read. You taught me to think. In all of my complaints and doubts, you guided me. In your wisdom, you helped me become the person I am today. Without you, I would have never tried to make friends. I would have stayed that antisocial cellist. You climbed towers with me. You made me soar higher than I myself thought I could. With Vinyl, you taught me how to love and how to be loved. None have been my mentor more than you. I am so honored to have been trusted by you. I am so honored that I could be a part of something worth living for. It pains me to see you like this. I struggle still to think you are dead and a betrayer. If I could, I would take your spot on that pyre. You deserved to be the survivor more than me. And...If it wasn't for the flames that surround you now, I would hug and kiss you, just to show you that I'm sincere. Let your seeking of knowledge be found in me still. Let you not die as a villain, but rise back as a hero. May your legend never die."

I bowed and and moved to Pinkie. "You smile still, showing just how you lived. I can safely say that none of have been as joyful as you. Throughout all this Chaos and destruction, you were a beacon of hope, not only to me, but the rest of the Assassins. That was the part I never understood about you. I could never comprehend your selflessness. You always, without fail, put someone before you. I can only imagine how blessed your sisters were to have you. I have always sought what is best for me. I know you would reply that there is nothing wrong with that, but it prevented me from ever surpassing your humbleness. Like a beat of a drum, or the strum of a fiddle, you were action were there was solemnity and tune of bliss in the midst of a sorrowful ballad. I never showed gratitude for you. I had the tendency to dislike your company. It was because I knew I could never feel the happiness you felt. I saw it as blissful ignorance, but I now see you were less ignorant than me. You knew all the horror of our world and you chose to have bliss. You chose to be happy when others were depressed, not to satisfy yourself, but so that your joy would reach the sad. The whole reason you lived was to spread cheer. There can never be enough thanks for a person like you, Pinkie. Even when Twilight fell, you held on to your beliefs. You put yourself in danger just to save your friend from herself. How can I say a negative thing about you? Rest in peace, Pinkie, and let even Tartarus melt beneath your Laughter."

Next was a jar of Rarity's ashes. "I despised you. I spent years hating your presence. In my selfish ways, I threw you down as a noblewomen who cared too much for art and dress. Yet, throughout all the years you spent with me, you never returned the hatred. Every day, you gave up your time and energy for the Brotherhood. You sought convenience because no one else did. You would spend days on a robe or cloak just to make sure we did not get chilly. You would rest with us on rooftops when no one else would. I always looked at Generosity as the giving of money to the poor, like a philanthropist. However, you never believed that. There is nothing more valuable in life than time. Time is money as they say, and you gave up hours and days for us. Every robe was made to perfection because you would not let us wear something that was not your best. You helped whenever you could just so that we would not spend as much time on a project. In everything, you did your best. That is admirable, Rarity. How could I ever hate you? How could I have been blinded by my own bias to forsake you? You were always improving, always helping, and always believing in us. There could be no better leader than you, Rarity. You died as a warrior and lived as the kindest women I was blessed to know. It is a shame how you left us, in a whirlwind of flames, but I know you only care that you are not forgotten. Wherever you are, darling, may you be at peace."

I looked up to see Applejack staring at me with a stoic expression. All of our horses were by the bridge that crossed into the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy was still staring at the ground as she sat on hers. I wiped the tears from my cheeks and bowed at Applejack.

"Are ya ready?" She asked me.

"Indeed, Bearer. I have the other Elements in here." I patted the satchel.

"Good. Now let us get this over with."





"Just like how I left it."

Yearling climbed down a hill to reach the entrance to the cave. The Elements in her bag hummed as they grew closer to their home. The chatter in her head had died down as she approached the entrance. It was just like she left it. No human, not even Ahuiztol, had touched the place since she left. 

"They must have never found it." She remarked.





"We're here." Applejack said.

I dismounted my horse along with Fluttershy. A small, beaten path was leading into the wildness of the Forest. The Elements in my satchel buzzed with some sort of excitement. Even Valor tingled in my hand. I knew we were close to the Tree. I knew that the days of the Bearers were coming to a close. Applejack took the lead, whacking any trees and bushes out of our way. Fluttershy followed and I took the back.

Fluttershy was crying, but it was a silent cry that could not be heard over the ambient sounds of the Everfree. Unlike Fluttershy, Applejack held her calm expression and fought the Forest. I remembered the last time I was in the Everfree. It was so long ago. Nothing had changed. The sky was still shrouded by the countless trees and the sounds of death were always nearby.





Yearling grunted as she removed the stone that blocked the entrance of the cave. There, in the back of the cave, was the the Tree. Its sight warmed her heart. This was it. This was when the Elements were returned safely and the world will return to its normal life.

"Never thought I'd see it again." She chuckled. 





Applejack stopped before a wall of rock. The battled and destroyed castle was on a ridge above us. I was looking for some entrance to the wall of rock, but I could not see any. It was just a cliff in my eyes.

Applejack popped her knuckles before walking over to it. Without a moment of hesitation, she pushed a boulder out of the way, revealing a hole in the cliff. She gestured for me to hand her my torch. I quickly obeyed and we looked into the hole. It was the entrance to a deep and forgotten cave. 

The two Bearers entered before me. Once I stepped through the hole, there is was. The magnificent Tree of Harmony was glowing beacon in the center of the cave. It was made of crystal and graceful gems hung from it like it was a weeping willow. I wish I could describe it in better detail, but it was far to majestic for me to comprehend. I felt a wave of relief grip me, like all my troubles had been removed for good. The Tree was captivating. The Tree was glorious.

"Come along." Applejack urged us.

We stepped through the cave quickly. I felt like I was intruded on some sacred ground. I watched where every foot fell. I made sure not to disturb the pebbles or the moss. The whole place felt pure and harmonic. Even the drops from the cave's ceiling all fell at the same time, giving a constant beat that echoed. 

"Take a good look, Octavia." Applejack told me. "Ya won't be here for long."

"It's just like how Kindness told me it would look." Fluttershy said quietly. "It's beautiful."

Applejack nodded at Fluttershy's comment before returning her attention to me. "Get the Elements out."

I opened my bag and with my gloved hand, took out Laughter. The bright blue crystal rattled in my hand, as if to get free. I handed it carefully to the Bearer of Honesty. The Bearer took it and stepped up to the Tree.

"There are six slots in the branches of the Tree." She explained. "Each one holds a Seed, or Element of Harmony. Without the Elements, this Tree slowly dies. We've been using them for 200 years. I hope the Tree isn't permanently damaged."

She lifted the Element up to its slot. Both the slot and the crystal began to glow. Applejack released her grip and Laughter slowly floated into its place in the Tree. Once they connected, a beam of light went up from the Tree's branch and into the trunk. The Tree seemed to shift in its stance. It was pleased, no doubt.

I handed Applejack the other Elements, one by one. The Bearer took each one to its respected slot. All the energies from them flowed to the trunk, where Magic was being held. I did not like that Element. It was less energetic than the rest, as if it did not wish to be there. It must have been my imagination. How could I understand the feelings of crystals anyway?





Yearling ran through the cave with her flashlight. The Elements bounced in her bag as she jumped from stone to stone. Her mind was clear now, her abilities at their best. The warmness of the cave filled her being. The Elements seemed happy, so she was too. 

She stopped right before the Tree and looked up at it. Its branches were all stretched out like a star. It was not a very tall tree, but every inch of it was covered in crystal. It had no bark or any leaves. It was as if someone chiseled it from a giant crystal. She took a deep breath and opened her bag. Before she had fully opened the bag, the Elements flew out of it and floated to their respected slots in the Tree. Each one gave a high-pitched click sound when it reached its slot. The Tree gave a low hum as all six Elements were returned to their proper home.

"I'm never removing these again."





"It's done."

Applejack took a step back and admired her work. The Tree was humming loudly with a note of satisfaction. Applejack's smile did not last long and she looked at the stone floor with regret. She placed her large hands on her hips and sighed.

"Well, it's time now. We came here to put all the Elements back."

"I wish it could wait." Fluttershy sniffled.

"C'mon, Flutters." Applejack said gently. "Don't be scared. We gotta do this."

"I know...just...why now?"

"Because we have nothing else to do. Think about the others, Fluttershy. We aren't Harmony. It's a shame we were chosen, but it's no time to regret. The Elements aren't meant to be handled by humans. Not now, now ever."

"Just make it fast..."

I took a step away from Fluttershy as Applejack approached. Tears were filling the Bearer of Kindness's eyes. She could barely look at her fellow Bearer. Applejack stepped up to her and hugged her closely.

"I just' wanna tell ya now that I love ya. You've been a great friend and have sacrificed so much for us. Have no regrets, Flutters. There's no reason to. You did everything you could and that's all that matters now."

"I love you too, AJ. I'm sorry all this had to happen. I just hope everyone can recover."

"Me too, Flutters, me too."

Applejack turned to me. "Now, are ya ready for my last order?"

"I am ready."

"You're gonna leave here right now. Ya gonna go back and disband the Brotherhood for good. Tell them that the orders are mine and that you are the highest ranking member of the Assassins now. Make sure none of them try to go after the Elements and make sure that Equestria is safe without us. Those are ya orders. Now go, and close the cave behind ya."

I bowed and began to walk away. She had already told me the orders before, but they were far heavier this time. This was the end of the Brotherhood. I was the one who was to give the confirmation of our disbanding. My steps were loud in the cave. I glanced back to see the two Bearers still hugging.

I reached the cave entrance and started to move the boulder. It was harder than Applejack made it look, but I rolled it. As I was closing it, I watched the two in there. They were saying their goodbyes. Fluttershy nodded in some understanding and took a step away from her friend. I saw her close her eyes and stand like a statue. Applejack lifted her arm up as if to strike. I knew what was coming next. As her hand flew at Fluttershy's chest, I shut the cave with the boulder. A squeal of pain was heard from inside, but it only lasted a quick second. I may have imagined the cry of agony. With the terrible news in my possession, I started back up the path to the horses. It was time to fulfill Applejack's commands.





Yearling felt a rush of relief as the Elements were now at peace. Her mind no longer had any Bearers or any Elements clogging up space. She sighed a long and triumphant sigh. As she turned around, she jumped back. She almost stepped on a pair of skeletons. She had forgotten about them being there. One had a green cloak and the other had some pieces of armor. Strands of pink and blonde hair were still attached to their ancient skulls. They both shared holes in their ribs, right where the heart would be.

"Well, ya two are finally at peace." Yearling remarked.

The skeletons dampened her mood. She saluted them and then walked back outside of the cave. This place was going to be hidden again. She rolled the stone back over the entrance. The sunlight crept through the old trees on her. It was a new day. She still felt the presence of the Bearers within her. All that knowledge and training did not leave her. In that moment, she felt alive. She wanted to run. She wanted to be free. 

Yearling took the hood of her hoodie and tossed it over her black and gray hair. Her eyes looked up to the trees. Paths along the branches formed in her head. She quickly climbed a tree and began running from branch to branch. She was now free. The Elements were safe once more and Ahuizotl was crippled. In her attempt to run away from all her experiences, she ran along the trees. The wind rushed in her hair and birds flew away as she streaked by them. 

"Now what shall I do with my training?"


~

> The Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Well, I can write these words with decent handwriting. For two months I had been practicing my writing with my left hand. My right was bandaged for now and incapable of writing.  In my attempt to keep my mind pure, I ordered Vinyl and the now disbanded Assassins to remove Valor from my hand. It was a messy and awfully done surgery. If it wasn't for all the alcohol I drank during that time, I am not sure if I would have made it through.

Now, I sat at my new desk in the Royal Palace. Valor was in a glass case to the right of me. I could still hear her voice, but it was faint and eerie. I asked other people if they could hear her, but all said no. I could only hope I was not becoming mad after all this. The only thing that was keeping me sane at the moment was my writing.

A lot changed since I last wrote. After Applejack and Fluttershy's death, I followed the Bearer's orders. I gathered all the remaining Assassins and told them that the Brotherhood no longer existed. I told them to carry on with their lives, try to become citizens. Most simply ran their separate ways, started their own adventures. Some joined the Royal Guard as special forces. Others simply disobeyed me. Chief among these particular Assassins was Vinyl. My friend denounced me almost instantly. She did not care about me being the highest ranking Assassin or the Bearers. She told me and the Brothers that the battle was not over. "As long as there are Templar, we fight!" she said. She called me a coward and said that I was no longer fit to be a Sister. The others joined with her and none backed me up. After they haphazardly removed my shard, they verbally told me to leave Ponyville. I did as they wanted.

So I left and went home to Canterlot. I first went to the South Den to not only dwell in the past, but to get any equipment that was in my room. After all this time, I gazed upon my cello. It had dust on every inch of it. It was terribly out of tune as well. I spent that afternoon tuning it and cleaning it. I returned it to its case and took it with me out of the abandoned Den. 

That night, a wall-eyed messenger, who I lost the name of, told me to visit the Royal Gardens immediately. I was at a restaurant when she came up to me, so I was not far from the Gardens. To show that she was sincere, she handed me a letter that was sealed with Celestia's Sun. The Empress was summoning me. I quickly finished my meal and ran off with haste.

When I arrived there, there were only three people in the Gardens. Two of them were tall and had black cloaks on with hoods shrouding their heads. The third was Captain Trixie, who looked worried and nervous. They all glanced my way when I approached them. The tallest removed her hood to reveal that she was Celestia.

"Ah, there you are, Den Master." Celestia smiled at me. "I'm glad you made it."

"Your Highness." I bowed. "What brings you here? You have been unheard of in the past months."

"A necessary precaution." She said. 

The other took her hood off to reveal Luna. "Greetings."

"Luna! But you're dead! You died in Sunset's fire!" I exclaimed.

"Don't be so loud." She chastised me. "I never died. Her flames could not touch me. After Twilight wounded me, I thought it best to keep myself alive rather than fight to the death."

"And she is still dead." Celestia told me. "Well, at least on paper."

"And as you see, I have not come out of it unscathed." She angled her face in the moonlight to reveal what looked like a monster. I saw fangs, slit eyes and a vile fork tongue. "This is my true form. My Nightmare form. It is a result from bearing Fear for this long. I cannot reveal myself again to the people. They will no longer love me."

"And the Templar will seek us if we do." Celestia said. "It is no longer safe for us, as Bearers of Wisdom and Fear, to continue ruling Equestria. It is better that we go into hiding and carry our Elements for eternity, out of the reach of man."

"But the people..."

"Will think that I killed myself upon hearing Luna's death." Celestia nodded. "That is why you are to witness what is happening here."

I blinked. "Which is?"

"I, Empress Celestia of Equestria, give my power to Trixie Lulamoon."

"What?" I exclaimed.

"Octavia, she has become my most trusted Captain after the battles at sea. She has matured greatly since you first met her. I have faith that she will do the best for her people. Since you are no longer with the Brotherhood, but retain the knowledge of shards and Elements, you shall be her advisor. Continue what we started. Make sure the shards stay out of the reach of the Templar."

I bowed. "I will do so, Your Highness."

Celestia turned to Trixie. "Trixie, I have confidence that you will make a great Empress. Just remember this: adhere to advice and always seek other paths and you shall be Wise. That is all you need to remember."

"Trixie will do her best. I will continue your legacy, Your Highness." Trixie bowed.

"Don't worry about my legacy. It's time to start your own." Celestia hugged the new ruler.

Trixie and I watched them leave in the shadows. It was the last time I ever saw the Two Sisters. It was a very quick goodbye. They were now meant to wander for the rest of their lives. 

Empress Trixie took the throne the next day. She was met with boos rather than cheers. However, she never let them get to her. She ceased to refer to herself in third person and her quickness to anger was dealt with. Never had I seen a woman age so quickly. 

We held a long ceremony for the death of the Two Sisters. Some demanded to see their bodies, but we kept the empty parade caskets closed. The whole Empire was in mourning. All of Canterlot flew Imperial flags. Celestia's Sun and Luna's Moon were painted on doors and windows. The whitewashed city was glistening with golds and dark blues. It was a patriotic scene.





Trixie leaned on my new desk with a sigh. Her royal regalia jiggled around her neck and the scepter she held in her hand was being twirled about like a toy. I wrote away on parchment. I was trying to act busy with my new duties as Imperial Advisor, but she knew I was writing my story again. She turned to me with a smirk.

"Aren't you busy?" She chuckled. "Writing your tales of glory?"

"I wish they were tales of glory." I replied. "However, all I seem to write is death."

"The events were tragic, truly. They have helped us both though. I did not become a real woman until I saw a pirate die for her friend. I never saw courage until I saw you and the Assassins. It was a humbling experience to be with you all. It saddens me that the Brotherhood no longer exists."

"As it does me. I don't even know why I write this anyway. My life should be a secret, unknown and unread. No one is going to read my life story."

"I'm not sure about that." Trixie mused. "I just hope you don't depict me in bad light."

"Too late." I laughed.

We shared a laugh and she patted me on the shoulder. I would consider us friends now, despite all the conflicts we had with each other in the past. Trixie uttered a goodbye and left for her chambers. The Royal Palace creaked with noise as she moved. The rebuilding of it was taking its time. Masons and carpenters were a constant as they tried to painstakingly put everything into place. Even my room, the largest room I ever owned, had scaffolding in it. Workers were trying to construct a chimney there, which was much needed at the moment. The chill of the early spring night made me wrap my cloak tighter around me. 

I continued to write. It was all I ever did those days. Nights and days passed and I became more involved with the royalty. Nobles despised me since I lacked any noble blood myself, but Trixie stood by me at all times. Together we created a task force (named the Wonderbolts) to watch the Templar operations in Cloudsdale. The Templar were weak and leaderless, but we wanted to make sure they stayed that way. Trixie used Celestia's style of leadership to keep the nation moving. We kept the Night Watch and the Royal Guard like the Sisters did before. We wanted to keep their image in the Empire as long as we could.





My hand ached with my writing. I had burned through five quills already that evening. My right hand was never fully healed from the surgery, so I flexed my left wrist to relieve the ache. For the first time, I started to feel old. My bones burned at the joints and my digits lacked proper mobility. I was not old myself, only 32. My years as an Assassin had taken their toll on my young life. I had served the Assassins for over 14 years. I had killed countless men and women. I had fought in innumerable battles. I fought at sea and against magic. I saw my friends die and some fall to corruption. I already lived with enough action to fulfill 70 lifetimes.

I sighed and picked up the quill again. I was close to placing the final period on my life as an Assassin. Through many discarded papers and delays, I was coming so close. Here I was, writing my life's story while still living. When I was a mere cellist, playing for a bitpiece, I was so simple. I was so innocent and ignorant of the world around me. After that one night where I met Vinyl, my life was never the same. 

I paused as I heard a window slide open. I assumed it was the wind and carried on writing. A small breeze went by my hair. This disturbance made me place the quill down. I felt a presence. In a quick action, I turned around in my chair to meet a black, menacing mask just inches from my nose. If I hadn't known better, I would have attacked the soulless mask, but instead, I sighed.

"Vinyl, you know how easy it is to startle me when I write."

"I remember." She replied.

"Now close the window, you're letting the cold air in."

"Wow, aren't ya grumpy?" She huffed as she closed the window. "So, how's it been being a royal quill pusher?"

"More exciting than you would believe." I said. "Vinyl, it's been a year since I last saw you. Why are you here?"

"Is that how to treat an old friend?" She asked mockingly. "Aren't ya suppose to hug me closely and tell me how you missed me?"

"I would, but my legs are losing strength."

"Ya need to get moving again, Tavi. Sitting in a chair everyday ain't gonna help ya."

"Will do."

"Ya in luck though, Tavi!" Vinyl giggled. "I'm here to get ya movin' again. Ya don't need to sit here all the time. Ya a trained Assassin. I think ya should return from retirement."

"I'm done with all that. And you should be too."

"How can I simply stop being an Assassin?" She asked. "I've been one most of my life. It's my nature now and you don't mess with nature."

"It's not your nature, it's the Chaos inside you. You're a full Survivor now. I even hear Discord's accent in your speech."

She crept closer to me. "But ain't that wonderful? Tavi, he's the best. The new Assassins and I have been having so much fun. You see, we aren't Assassins anymore, we are the Sons of Discord. We fight, not for Harmony, but for Chaos. Tavi, there must be Chaos to make sure Order does not succeed. The Templar are still out there and they growing. It's high time you joined the Sons and we will stop them like we did so many times before! Come on, for old time's sake?"

"No! I will not join you or Discord."

"The Lord of Chaos has called on you. He asked for you. Tavi, he is granting immortality. To live on forever! Come with me and we shall be best friends once more. Fight side by side like we used to. It's what friends do."

"Vinyl, no. I will not budge. You are no longer the Vinyl I knew. It pains me to say this, but we should part ways once more. I am no longer an Assassin. I have a new life to live now."

I could tell my words hurt Vinyl. She backed away from me and nodded in understanding. She must have been waiting for this moment. In the candlelight, she stood there like someone who just heard terrible news. Her arms went limp and her upright stance slouched.

"Vinyl, please remove the mask."

"Of course ya would ask that." Vinyl said as she took off her defining mask.

Her eyes were glowing red so brightly that her cheeks were illuminated by them. Looking at them hurt my own eyes. Her teeth were uneven and sharp, like that of a beast. Her other features were sharper and thinner. The only thing that remained the same was her electric blue hair.

"I must look like a monster to ya." She said.

"No, you look like Vinyl Scratch." I replied. "Vinyl...I missed you."

"I missed ya too, Tavi."

"Vinyl, did we live the best lives?"

"The best." She answered.

"And did it change?"

"It did."

"May it be remembered by both of us. Vinyl, this is goodbye. You will always be my friend, no matter what Discord does to you."

"Tavi, the Chaos is beautiful! Can't you hear it? Just run away with me! We'll be heroes once more..."

"No Vinyl, I will not come with you."

Tears began to roll out of her glowing eyes. "Then to whenever I see ya again."

"If we see each other again."

She put the mask back on and walked towards the window. Slowly, she opened it, letting the cold air back in. I watched her pause with one leg out the window. The next moment she ran back to me and took me out of the chair, embracing me in a tight, childish hug.

"I'll miss ya, ya old coot! Just tell me ya won't die sitting down in a bloody chair."

"I won't. I'll make sure I die swinging." I hugged her back. 

"You better, cause I'll be there when you do!"

The words startled me, but there was no reason to be afraid. We hugged for several minutes and I enjoyed every second of it. When she finally released me, she wordlessly walked over to the window and took a Leap of Faith out of it. I was filled with grief. My legs burned and I stumbled over to the window, cursing with every step. I looked out of the window, trying to find where she could have landed. The darkness shrouded the ground far below me. I could not see my friend. That was the last time I ever saw Vinyl Scratch.

"Die swinging eh? I'll make sure of it!"





"Why were you so foolish?"

Empress Trixie gazed at the glass casket before her. Rows of fallen Royal Guards were lined up to be honored. A great skirmish happened with the Crystal Republic over a mining town on the border. It was a stupid reason to fight and both sides lost many good soldiers. It was a horrid day for Equestria and an even worse one for its ruler.

"Why did you enlist? What made you think you could still fight? You had a mangled right hand, diseased legs and had not face battle for almost two years. Why didn't I stop you?"

Trixie placed a hand on the glass. Inside was the beautiful face of Imperial Captain Octavia Melody. Her hands were crossed over her chest, holding her falchion sword. Her golden armor was clean and glistening. Her symbol, a treble clef, was on her right pauldron. The Assassin symbol was on her hidden blade bracers. Her eyes were shut in peace and her lips shut in silence. She was in her most regal and noble attire she ever wore. 

"Of course you didn't want to live as an advisor. I understand. There's a call to battle and you listened. I just don't understand why you listened. Was it just your duty?"

There was no reply from the body. 

"Octavia Melody, Den Master of the South Den, Heroic Assassin, User of Valor, Royal Advisor, Friend of the Empresses, Imperial Captain, and my only true friend, rest in peace. May death hold no troubles for you."

Up above them in the scaffolds of the Palace was Vinyl Scratch. Her mask gazed at her friend, unblinking. She was not angry, nor was she sad. The Chaos that flowed in her blood told her to be proud of Octavia. They had their run together in life. The separation was inevitable. 

"Good night, Tavi. It's been a good one. May the Chaos guide your afterlife."





Yearling drank her cider in one gulp. The shady bar she was in was mostly quiet except for the loud TV in the corner. As always, it was on the news channel. On it was an anchor that was far too charming to be taken seriously. His hair, smile, and eyes contradicted the strange and forboding news he was covering.

"Police continue to track down the hooded vigilante. Police have confirmed that the vigilante is a woman. She should be considered armed and dangerous."

"I'm more than that, sweetheart." Yearling chuckled quietly.

"Haven't ya had enough?" The bartender asked harshly.

"Not really. I'm not even buzzed." She hiccuped. 

"It's not that, ya just don't have the money."

"I'll pay it back." She shrugged.

"Come back when ya can. Now get out."

Yearling furrowed her brows at him, but did as he wanted. She popped her hood over her head and walked out into the cold Canterlot street. With no where else to go, she started walking down the street. The Canterlot slums were quiet this evening, unlike most. Yearling kept her hands in her pockets as she walked.

She took a turn onto another street where there was only one street light. At the base of the light's pole was a hooded figure, flipping a coin in the air repeatedly. Yearling readied the hidden blades under her sleeves and continued approaching the single light.

The figure glanced her way once before returning his attention to the coin. Yearling tried not to make eye contact as she passed. The figure stopped her with a voice. A gruff female voice.

"So, Yearling, how ya handling all this?" The figure asked.

"How do you know my name?"

"I know everythin' 'bout ya. You really helped those Bearers out."

"Are you Ahuizotl scum?"

"Me? Never. I'm actually against those foo's jus' like you. Ya did good putting the Elements back."

"How do you know this?"

"Cause I know a lot about this world. The shards, the Elements, all of it. It's kinda my business, ya know? I'm here offering ya a position on my team."

Yearling took a step toward the figure. "Who are you?"

"Someone who loves the theatrics and mystery." Was the answer. "But you do know who I am and you know who I work for."

"Have we met before? Was I drunk when we did?"

"We've never met in person. But you know me...well, you know some of me."

Yearling huffed. "Just answer. I don't have eternity."

The figure looked at her. She was wearing a black mask with purple soulless lenses. She slowly took off the mask, revealing glowing red eyes and blue hair. A sly chuckle left her pale lips.

"There's only one thing eternal, Miss Yearling, and that's Chaos."



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> Scattered Memories 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I slowly made my way through the plaza. It was a lovely day, not a cloud or disturbance in sight. The Canterlotians, like always, were chattering around me. Women in gay dresses, men in bright tunics, and Royal Guards were all having a great time under the Equestrian sun. They had finally accepted Trixie's rule as Empress. 

Even though the day was so pleasant, I felt my continuous ache in my right knee. By these days, my pains were increasing. I was trying to keep my strength by walking through the city every day. If it was helping, I could not tell. How could my legs be aging so fast?

My grimace drew some stares from the civilians. Huh, civilians. I was still not used to including myself among the normal folk. I no longer had a hood nor gracious robes produced by some loving Bearer. However, I still possessed by hidden blades for safety reasons. All my years of being in danger had left me in a state of constant vigilance. Royal Guards were still a sign of authority I did not want to accept and the spires called my name to climb them. A life that was gone was not ready to be forgotten.

"Damn it!"

With my useless curse, I placed myself on a plaza bench. My hand, through habit, started rubbing my knee, trying to relief it somewhat. I was jealous of the older men and women who fared better than me health wise. Men with grey beards and heads carried heavy loads with ease. Women with arched backs and hag-like features swept the fronts of their homes or hung out laundry to dry on high-strung ropes above the streets.

"Is this because of Valor?" I asked myself.

My hand was ruined also. Vinyl and the...Sons of Discord purposely botched my surgery no doubt. It was so symbol to remove a thin shard from within my palm, but they destroyed my hand in the process. I could still use it to hold some objects, but my tendons did not let me move each digit individually. I could only assume I contracted some disease through the wound. That or age was finding me much faster than normal.

I leaned back on the bench. This was my favorite plaza to visit these days. The people, how I loved to watch them. They were always busy, doing something unique or special. Every person was an interesting specimen worth investigating. Young, old, beautiful, ugly, all of them had their own stories. Most were unlikely to be as exciting as mine, but to me, that did not matter. I hoped they were not as interesting as mine, actually.

As always, I started to think about Vinyl returning to me. I had a feeling she could come at any moment. My routine was to watch the people while I prepared another part of my speech for her. Every day I added pieces to it, about how she should not follow Discord, about how the Brotherhood is done, and about how we used to be friends. Two parts added every day and one part forgotten by the next.

However, I could not concentrate this time. Something felt off. I could feel eyes watching me. In my paranoia, I glanced about through the crowds of people. Was it Vinyl? Had she finally showed up? No, it was not her. I knew it was not because she would be leaning on my shoulders, her face right behind mine. No, someone else was watching me.

During my years as an Assassin, I would have jumped up and ran away towards the rooftops. Not today. I took a deep breath and simply waited for the stalker to appear. 

It did not take long. I was watching my right for the lurker, but the sound of a cocked pistol was heard to my left. With a casual turn of my head, my eyes met the barrel of a gun. The weapon was being held to my face by a girl with curly pink hair and a white stripe going through it. A look of pure hatred was on her scowling face.

"I found you." She said with a growl.

"Well, perhaps. Who are you looking for?" I asked her calmly.

"You are Octavia Melody, the woman who killed my father!"

I was not shocked by her words. I already had a feeling it was something like that. Her eyes were so familiar, the shape, the color, that I recognized them. They were the same worried eyes of Sir Filthy Rich, a Templar that I had killed. You never forget the eyes of those you killed.

"I am Octavia."

"I'm here to finally get my revenge!" The girl shouted. "I'll kill you just like you killed him!"

"I understand." I nodded. "Revenge is a worthy cause to pull that trigger, young one. However, if you were so determined to shoot me, you would have done it already."

"Do not mock me!"

"I'm not. I would not mock the one who holds my life in her hands. I am sorry for assassinating your father."

"Oh please!"

I continued, ignoring her roll of the eyes. "It was a crucial part of my life. I killed your father in cold blood, but his death affected me more than you know. I know simply saying 'sorry' will not be worth it. I cannot comprehend how much you miss him or how much pain I've brought you. Girl, you have every right to kill me, even my permission in front of the witnesses. I'll tell you now, your father's death was the beginning of me growing into a woman, and ceasing to be some girl playing with daggers."

Her hand faltered, but she held the pistol up. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes. Her snarl only deepened and her precious face was hideous with anger. 

"You took him from me!"

"Yes."

"You murdered him!"

"Yes."

"Bring him back!"

I shook my head. "You know I can't, and neither can your vengeance."

"You didn't even let us bury him! Mommy at least wanted that!" She began to cry.

"I gave him a proper burial by the river. I gave him the respect he deserved. He, like many Canterlot heroes, fell off the waterfall."

Tears were streaming down her face now. The pistol that had been at my face was lowered. I only watched calmly as she wiped her tears away with her sleeve. I wanted to hug her and desperately apologize, but I only sat there in silence.

"Thank....thank you for that." She said through a sob.

"You have no reason to thank me. I'm glad you chose peace instead of violence. The life of one who kills is not worth living, young one. Do not be like me. I am a lighthouse that warns people to stay away from my path."

"I...I want my father back..." She sniffled.

"I know. I...I can't bring him back." I started to falter.

The gun slipped out of her hand and landed on the cobblestone. Her face was of utter defeat. The next moment, she buried her face into my chest, sobbing softly. I was taken aback by this, but soon found my arms around her, trying to comfort her in some way. 

"It's alright, child. I can't feel your loss, but I do understand how it is to lose someone close. Trust me, I lost six....and a seventh."

"I can't even get revenge for my father..." She continued to sob.

"It's not worth it. Killing me would not have filled up the hole in your heart. That is meant to heal with time and care. I am the reason for your suffering, but I will try to help it be mended."

"Did you...really lose six friends?" She looked up at me.

"Yes. They were great friends too." I smiled back at her.

"What...what were they like?"

"I'll tell you. If it comforts you, I'll tell you about my six friends. Here, sit next to me."

She broke off from me and sat on the open part of the bench beside me. Tears were stained on her cheeks, but I could tell most of the outburst had passed. I was not used to dealing with such a young person, but I forced myself to only think of good for her sake. She owed me nothing and had every right to call me a monster. I must be grateful for this opportunity to help her wounds.

"Well, they were six courageous women. Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. Twilight was a scholar and had a love for books of all kind. Applejack was an honest farmer that lived down in Ponyville, she had a younger sister that you remind me of. Fluttershy was a kind woman that cared for animals of all shapes and sizes. She was always quiet, but she was wise in her silence. Rarity was just like you. Always in high fashion and ready to help others through Generosity. Pinkie Pie, you would have liked her, was the nicest, happiest and most laughter-filled woman that ever lived. Nothign could bring her down or even make her frown. Then, there was the notorious Rainbow Dash. She was a....a....performer. She was loyal like a dog and never left a friend hanging. Let me tell you how those six impacted my life and made me the woman you meet today..."


~

> Dragon's Cry
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Spike was sitting in his chair nervously. He had been on edge all day and the previous day as well. His heart made loud thumbs in his chest and his hands were constantly rubbing his legs. Like everyone else, he could feel the tension growing.

His eyes darted about the mansion room. Minuette was leaning on the wall, throwing a dagger playfully in the air. Amethyst Star was nervously in the corner, whispering to herself something Spike could not hear. Sunset was also sitting down in a chair, keeping a flame in her palm to stay warm. Finally, there was his sister, Twilight pacing around the mansion room.

"He should be back by now." She grumbled. "I gave him one job and he takes this long..."

"He'll be back." Minuette chuckled. "And besides, it doesn't matter. We don't need him anyway."

"We are going to face the wrath of the Brotherhood, Minuette, we'll need everyone we can." Twilight scolded the shard user. 

"Oh! Here's coming, Twilight." Sunset said.

A stream of smoke flowed through the gap of a window. In front of Spike, a man formed out of the smoke. It was Noteworthy, the user of Doubt. His dark robes were messy and his eyes appeared tired. He looked like he had been running all day. With a hoarse grunt, he bowed to Twilight.

"I've evacuated the neighborhood. Our battlefield is clear now." He told her.

"Good job, Note." Sunset smiled. "This battle will be unlike any other. I doubt this neighborhood is going to be left standing."

"That is if we have to fight." Twilight started. "There is still time for negotiating."

"What do you know about negotiating?" Minuette scoffed.

"Well, I read some books on it..."

"Wow...." Minuette shook her head.

Spike stood up from his seat. "Hey! Twilight can do it! She'll make sure that no one has to fight...and make sure Rarity won't be hurt."

"Rarity's not going to be hurt, I promise." Twilight smiled. "All I need to do is make sure Applejack understands."

"She won't." Amethyst spoke from the corner. "She's gonna attack us and we'll die."

Noteworthy placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. "We'll be fine. We have shards, they don't. They are fighting on our spot, so we have an advantage there. Besides, Twilight is the most powerful Bearer. We can't lose with her leading us."

Amethyst merely nodded but said nothing. Her wide eyes stared past her brother and into space.

"Hmm, I sense the other Bearers." Twilight said suddenly. "They are approaching. We should get into position out in the street."

"I actually like it in here." Sunset chuckled. "It's warm, unlike the blizzard out there."

"Ya'll jus' jealous." Minuette sneered. "It's perfect weather out there. So let's get this show started!"

Minuette then opened the door and rushed out of the mansion. Noteworthy and Amethyst slowly followed her out side by side. Sunset sighed and got up out of her chair. With a casual stretch, she exited through the door. This left Twilight and Spike as the last ones in the home.

"Well, Spike, this is it." Twilight tried to sound optimistic. "Pray that it goes well."

"Can I come out with you guys? If it goes south, I want to be there." Spike asked.

Twilight dropped to a knee to be eye to eye with him. "I'm sorry, but you need to get out of here. This building is not safe, this whole part of Canterlot is not safe. Applejack's powers can devastate this whole area and I don't want you to be caught in it. If negotiations fail, as unlikely as that is, I want to know that you are safe. Don't worry, it's all going to be alright."

Spike looked away before returning his worried gaze to her. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. I'll meet you at the Palace Gardens. The Royal Guards will think you're only a normal boy and will not think you're an intruder. There's an inn nearby there if you need to keep warm. You'll do that, won't you?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah. I'll do it."

"That's my Spike! Now run, get out of here."

Spike hugged his older sister once more before fleeing out the door. His mind was not on Twilight's orders one bit. He needed to see what was going to happen. He wanted to make sure Twilight was going to be alright. 

"Now where can I watch this battle from?"





"Rarity's dead, Twilight!" Octavia shouted.

From high on a mansion's crumbling roof, Spike's heart fell at the echo of the Den Master's words. Was it true? His mind refused to think and he slumped over in deep sudden sadness. He could not blink or even breath properly.

He next heard the sobs of his sister, Twilight, as she gave up on the fight. From his vantage point, he could see Applejack talking with her, but he could not make out the words. They were just sounds from where he was. His sadness was slowly turning to anger as he watched Applejack's arms reach back to strike the Bearer of Magic.

"No..."

Applejack reached into Twilight's chest and pulled Magic out with ease. Twilight was now dead as well. Spike could not even utter a sound. He was beyond crying now. In his mix of rage and sadness, he slammed his small fist into the stone, cutting his knuckles badly. His neck became tense and his temples felt like they were about to burst. With a savage growl, he picked up a rock and chucked it with all his might at the Bearer of Honesty. Applejack did not even notice the rock as it fell well short of her, harmlessly landing in the snow below. 

Spike cursed loudly and threw himself on the rooftop. He gazed at the grey sky, asking every question that popped up in his young mind. Why? What should I do? Why? How? What's next? Is it over? 

"You should just run, lad."

Spike's eyes widened. "Who said that?"

The voice did not answer. The boy got to his feet and stared one last time. Applejack was speaking to Octavia as the former carried Twilight's body away. He felt like screaming, but it was if he had no mouth to do it with. With a jerk of his head, he ran away.

He slid down onto the snow and started running down the empty street. All he wanted to was hide and never see light again. All he wanted to do was forget this day for the rest of his life.

He took a turn into a tighter street and stopped dead in his tracks. Before him was Sunset's body in a pool of blood-mixed snow. Her eyes were shut peacefully and she almost appeared asleep if it was not for the deep stab wounds in her chest. 

"Sunset?" Spike asked the body, already knowing she would not reply.

He fell to his knees and reached for her hand. It was cold and frigid, just as he expected. A friend of Twilight is a friend of mine. He did not know what to do with her body, but he thought it wrong to let her lay frozen here.

"A true tragedy, isn't it?" A crafty voice said behind him.

Spike turned around to see a tall, skinny man in unmatching clothes. He had a long white goatee and yellow eyes. His smile was crooked and had one long fang on his right side. He almost appeared handsome.

"Who are you?" Spike snarled.

"Someone who knows the feelings you feel." He said. "Sorrow, anger, remorse, regret, and the best of them all, plain hatred."

Spike stood up. "What do you know? You're just some...some..."

"Not good on the insulting, are we? Hehe, you need to work on that. Look, I saw Twilight die to that awful Applejack. I saw Sunset here be stabbed to death by that annoying Octavia. It's sad, yet humorous, to see them go like that."

"Hey! Don't make fun of them!"

"But that's the point of living, no? We are here to have fun and the best people find fun in every place. Hehe! It's so hilarious seeing your anger. You want to go get revenge? Ha! Your puny fists will do nothing, but I would love to see you try."

"Just go away!"

"Oh, I'm not leaving any time soon. Boy, this is the start of a new life. I mean, I can't let such a story like this go to waste, can I? Here you are, a little orphan boy, saved by an Assassin and raised in the Brotherhood, watch the Assassin who treated you like a brother be killed right before your eyes! It's perfect!"

Spike blinked in confusion. "Perfect for what?"

"Why, it's a perfect time to use your anger to do something amazing. I'll tell you a deep, little, tiny, gigantic secret. You know Sunset wielded the shard of Order? Good, I knew you knew. Well, unlike what others may tell you, you can subdue the minds of shards. You can make them erase their personalities and make them not be able to manipulate your own mind. All it takes is determination and lots and lots and lots of anger."

He leaned close to the boy, his large fang almost touching Spike's nose. "If you want to be something great, then I suggest you rip that shard of Order out of Sunset's hand and take it. Use the anger and sorrow inside you to crush Order's freethinking. Replace Order with Chaos. Make it reveal to you its true powers."

"There's a catch, I know it." Spike said.

"The catch is that your life will never be the same. You will become a dragon of a man. Twilight would want you to strive for peace. However, there cannot be peace if there are such cruelties as Absolute Order in this world. Chaos is what makes the world keep spinning. If you make the shard of Order a weapon for Chaos, imagine what can be done. You can finish Twilight's work. You can crush those who wronged you. You, a mere lad, will be a warrior among warriors. And do not end there. Twilight carries the shard of Curiosity, one of Chaos's children. Take it from Twilight and you shall be unstoppable. But don't do it for yourself, do it for your sister."

Spike turned around and viciously took Sunset's frozen hand. In his rage, he bent the hand in two ways, splitting it up in the middle of the palm. It was hard work, but he kept at it until he could see the glowing shard. Without hesitation, he picked it out and clutched it tightly. He started to feel it bury itself in his hand. He wanted to cry, but he held it in.

The crooked man cackled. "Come on! fight it! Use the pain to your advantage! Show your dominance."

"Gah!" He cried.

"Beat it down! You will not be controlled! Chaos is the master, not Order!"

Spike fell down as the shard of Order was fully enveloped in his small hand. His arm began to tingle madly, but he fought it down. A sudden wave of heat went through his veins, as if fire was within him. Power was at his fingertips. He was no longer a boy, but a shard user.

"I feel it." He said. "I feel...amazing!"

"Do not forget that feeling. Chaos is driven by emotion! Use it to your advantage. Just. Have. Fun."

He stood up and felt the heat in his chest. He tilted his head back and opened his mouth as if to yell. A jet of green fire shot out towards the sky. It lasted over 20 seconds. When he finally ran out of fire, he panted.

"Bravo! You are a natural." The man clapped. "I can see a wonderful partnership in bloom!"

"No..."

The man paused. "What?"

"I will not follow you! You are Discord, Lord of Chaos. You are not my friend!"

"So what? You are perfect! Come with me and we shall make a new Brotherhood!"

"No! The shard has shown me the truth. I am for Order, not Chaos! Twilight never wanted Chaos, but Harmony. I now know that doesn't exist so I'll go for the closest thing."

"You have to be joking!"

"I choose Order and Wisdom! I will seek the Father of Understanding! She still lives!"

"No! You will not aid her!"

Spike's hands were enveloped by green fire. He blasted the man away with a combined blast of flame. Discord screamed in pain as he was burned away. After the attack was done, the Lord of Chaos was standing there, his clothes burning off him.

"Pitiful attack, boy! But I see another opportunity. A very fun one. You shall live forever. You shall always seek your goals but never get them. I look forward to our future encounters. See you in eternity!" 

Discord snapped his fingers and disappeared. Spike was left there, his arms still on fire. His memories were still on Twilight and Rarity. They're gone now, move on!  With a growl he looked down at Sunset's corpse. The next moment, the corpse went up in green flames. He could only watch it burn with a frown on his hard face.

"The Father of Understanding will guide me in a way you could not comprehend, Sunset. You never understood what it meant to be Templar, yet your shard did. Order is telling me to seek the Father. I will do so." He sighed and looked out to the north. "I'm coming to aid you, Celestia."


~~

> Chaotic Recruitment
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Finally back at this place..."

Vinyl slipped her mask off and stared at the port city of Baltimare. It had been a long time since she was last here. All the fun memories returned to her. The brawls, the fights, and the good times. Yet, it was still overcast for her because the last night she spent here was the night Rainbow Dash died.

"Oh well." She shrugged.

"Wow! This is Baltimare! This is where Rainbow lived?"

Vinyl raised a brow at the young girl who excitedly ran in front of her. Her purple hair caught the seabreeze and whipped it back. Vinyl only sighed in annoyance and walked up beside her.

"No, Scoots. Rainbow didn't live her, she only worked here sometimes. She actually lived out in the Labyrinth Isles."

"Are we gonna go there next?" Scootaloo asked happily. "I want to go on a ship just like she did! I wanna be the next feared pirate on the seas!"

"No. We aren't going there. Listen, kid, we're here for a quick visit with the captain of the Ragnarok. I only brought ya along because I thought you'd like seeing your hero's place."

"I know. I wish Sweetie and Apple Bloom came along..." Scootaloo frowned.

Vinyl rolled her red eyes. "Well, unlike you, they decided not to become a Son of Discord. Until they do, they can be stuck in Ponyville for all I care."

Scootaloo cast her own red eyes at the sand and sighed once more. With one little kick at the ground, she started again towards the port city. Vinyl raised a confused brow at the girl before hurrying her step to catch up.

"I'm sure they'll join, kid." She ruffled the purple hair playfully.

"Yeah...but are ya sure of this? I mean, the concept of living forever seems great, but I bet it can get dull." Scootaloo said.

Vinyl scratched her head. "Well, maybe. That's if ya let life become boring. You and I...and Discord will make sure nothing's boring. You and I, we'll be the best Assassins ever. And then ya may even become as good as Rainbow Dash."

"Really?" The young Assassin asked hopefully.

"Hell yeah! Ya probably won't need to become a pirate captain like she was. All ya need is some good, iconic weapons. Something that will ast the test of time, ya know?"

"I guess..."

"Trust ol' Vinyl Scratch! C'mon, let's see some pirates."





The two Sons of Discord walked through the town towards the Bay. The tall masts of ships rose over the much shorter clay buildings. Scootaloo nervously hung close to Vinyl. The latter strutted with confidence and focused on the objective ahead.

"I didn't think Baltimare was this...busy." Scootaloo said.

"Ya haven't seen Canterlot, kid. After a while, ya get used to city life."

"I'm not sure if I like it..."

They passed a fisher's shop and reached the docks. Ships of all sizes were floating peacefully along the wooden piers. Vessels also were sitting out in Horseshoe Bay. It was a very lively scene that Vinyl had grown accustomed too, but Scootaloo still seemed unsure about it. 

"There's so many boats. Which one is the one we're looking for?" She asked.

"I'll know it when I see her." Vinyl answered. "She's a brig named Ragnarok."

"Are you sure it's here?"

"Discord said she was."

"Why call it a 'she?'"

Vinyl shrugged. "I don't know."

"You don't know much..."

"Keep walking, kid."

Vinyl gave the girl a nudge to get her moving. The amount of ships made her sigh. It was going to take longer than what she wanted. With a finger, she pointed at each ship, trying to discern if she was the Ragnarok. With each ship they passed, Scootaloo grumbled a complaint. At the eighth ship they passed, she kicked a stone off the pier.

"We came here for nothing."

"Oh shut it! The Ragnarok is that one!"

Vinyl pointed at an old brigantine. Her flag was no longer that of Rainbow's but of the old Sepulcher flag, showing that her allegiance for the Brotherhood was over. Vinyl was disappointed by this, but she did not falter in her mission. With a gesture of her hand, she told Scootaloo to follow.

"Come along, kid. Time to see your hero's workplace."

Scootaloo gasped in excitement and ran ahead of Vinyl. The older Assassin rolled her red eyes and kept the same cool pace. Scootaloo scrambled around some crew members and pirates to run up the wide gangway. Some of the pirates cursed at her, but fell silent upon seeing Vinyl.

"She's back." One said.

"Look at her eyes..." Another gasped.

"Assassin..."

Vinyl walked up the gangway and set foot upon the main deck. Scootaloo was frozen in her joy at being on her hero's legendary ship. Vinyl thought it amusing at first, but once she saw that the girl wouldn't move, she grabbed her hood and dragged her towards the Captain's quarters. 

"You can gawk later, but right now we need to do business." She harshly told the other.

"But..."

"Come on."

Vinyl took hold of the door handle and forcibly opened the door. Her eyes fell on Captain Neon Lights, who was reading some long parchment. When he saw who had entered, his eyes widened in surprise. The Assassin chuckled at this and gave a mocking bow.

"Well hello, Neo! It's been a while!"

"Why yes, it has, Vinyl." He said. "I've heard about your exploits in the Brotherhood. The Ragnarok wants no part in your Chaos."

"Straight to the point, aren't yeah?" She purred. 

"Vinyl..."

"That's Master Vinyl to ya." She said quickly. "And don't be so quick to dismiss this. Ya have a great opportunity in front of ya."

"Master Vinyl, as captain of this ship, I wish to stay out of the war."

"As a leader of the Sons of Discord, I want to continue the war."

Neo grumbled. "You have no power..."

"We'll see about that."

Scootaloo looked about awkwardly. "Umm..."

Vinyl coughed to clear her throat. "Oh yes! I forgot! This is Scootaloo. She was an Initiate, but has graduated as a Son...or Daughter of Discord."

"So?"

"Well, she was big fan of Rainbow Dash. I think it's only fitting for her to carry on Rainbow's legacy."

"She is not going to be captai-"

"Did I say 'captain?' No I didn't. No, you have something, two things actually, that not only  Scootaloo should have, but the Lord of Chaos wants them as well. He thinks it's the true tool of a Survivor."

"You are talking of Rainbow's swords?"

"Yes."

"I don't have them."

Vinyl chuckled. "Don't lie. Discord told me they were here. Hand them over."

Neon sighed through his nostrils. He got up from his chair and then opened a long chest of drawers. There, in the top shelf, were the two twin swords that Rainbow wielded. He picked them up slowly, as if they were a fragile creature.

"These are powerful tools not meant for a teenager." He told Vinyl.

"Indeed. However, they are also works of art not meant to collect dust in a chest." Vinyl returned.

"You will use them for Chaos..."

The Assassin smiled. "I'm counting on it."

Neon cursed softly and handed the blades over to Vinyl. The Assassin did not even glance at them before shoving them into Scootaloo's chest. The girl slowly lifted one blade out of its sheath. The small part revealed let a wave of heat through the room, making them have instant sweat. The hotness made Scootaloo sheath it once more.

"Uhh...Thank you." She bowed at Neo.

"You take good care of them." Neo told her coldly.

Vinyl patted Scootaloo on the head playfully. "Now go along. I need to speak with Neo privately. Go and uhh...make friends."

Scootaloo raised a brow but left as she was told. Once the door shut behind her, Vinyl giggled creepily. With a flash of her red eyes, she put a hand on Neo's shoulder.

"Since the kid's gone, we can get to the real business." She said lustfully.

"Vinyl, are you still attracted to me?" Neo asked rudely.

"Well, I'm a stubborn woman. When I see a man I want, I get him."

"Is this your attempt at recruiting me? To seduce me?" 

"No, no no. Seducing you would be like lying to you. This is simply me telling you my affections."

She pushed him against the wall. She could feel his heart quicken in beat. Both her hands were on his chest, keeping him in place. Her face was so close to his that her glowing eyes were reflected off his cheeks.

"Ya must understand, Neo, there is nothing wrong with Chaos." She began slowly. "It's the constant change of a society. Something comes along, people react to it, and there is a change. Nothing ever stays the same. Unlike Order, change comes rapidly, fueled by emotion. Good or bad feelings can ruin a society. Chaos makes sure that these emotions are in constant turmoil. People are free to choose their own truths and their own lies. No one controls your body except yourself. It's time to let go of your white-knight persona, Neo. You are a pirate, a freedom fighter. Yet, you're not free from the judgments of other people. Ya think way too much about what other people think. Chaos puts you in the center. You are free to choose your own emotions. To Tartarus with the views of conformity. There is no conformity in Chaos, only what you want to believe. So, Neo, what do ya want to believe?"

"I...I..."

"Don't let your tongue hold ya back."

"I...I want to be happy." He said. "I want to love."

"We can start that right now."

"But I..."

"Nuh uh, Neo." She put a finger on his lips. "Let your emotions take over. Do what you want to do. Seek what you want to seek. This isn't Harmony. This isn't Absolute Order. This is Chaos, eternal Chaos."

"I want to love..."

"Right answer."

Vinyl moved in and their lips met in a kiss. Neo's eyes were wide when they started, but closed slowly as he calmed down. This kiss did not last long as Neo slowly pulled her face away.

"How much of that speech do you actually believe?" He asked.

"I don't know. Jus' felt like saying it."

"It was a nice way to try to convince me of your ways."

"Well, I don't need to convince you. You're supposed to convince yourself."

"Then I guess I have, Vinyl."

Their lips met once more. Their passion and lust took over and they fell on the desk, knocking some papers and a globe over. 



Scootaloo and Babs Seed were listening closely of the other side of the door. Babs had a look of pure enjoyment as she tried to see through the old glass window while Scootaloo appeared most disgusted.

"What are they doing in there?" She asked through a moan.

"Having a blast I bet." Babs replied.

"Sounds like they'll wrestling."

"Oh yeah they are!" Babs squealed.

"Well, then Vinyl would win." Scootaloo concluded.

Babs took one more peak in. "Naw, Neon's totally winning."


~

> Octavia's Embers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Vinyl,

I write this letter to you because I know that tomorrow will be my last day alive. You may know and will certainly know this if you ever read this letter, but I have enlisted as an Imperial Captain in the Royal Guard. Empress Trixie, since I have served as an Assassin, allowed me to skip all sorts of training and made me an officer in the Imperial Army. It was a pleasant thing for her to do, but I know my rank will not save me on the battlefield.

Vinyl, I am sick and growing weak. I still have not identified the disease I have acquired, but I know it focuses on the joints of my body. I need to force myself to walk and move. I am seemingly shackled to my cane as I cannot last without putting my weight on it. Yet, I shall be leading my troops, the 36th Battalion, on the outskirt mining towns that border the greedy Crystal Republic. My task is to beat the Crystal Immortals that are holding the Equestrian mines. It's a simple mission, but one I am confident I shall not survive.

So I write this letter, making sure that my last day here is not wasted. When others know that their time has come, they go out and party, trying to squeeze every ounce of joy out of their dwindling hours. I have no such opportunity. Before me is a suit of golden armor and my sword. One is meant to prevent my death while the other is my tool to bring death on another. As I write this, I have much to consider when reflecting on my life as a whole. 

When I joined the Brotherhood, I was lost. I lacked self-confidence and I lacked hope. Being young and already a failure at what I believed was my purpose in life, I was ready to give up. I was ready to quit and start anew or not start again at all. Fortunately, I chose the former. You of all people know how hard it was to make me happy. You of all people know how hopeless I was. Yet you and Twilight pushed me onward. I did not deserve such care and affection, but you granted me it anyway. For that, I say thank you.

Not much changed after I lifted myself off the ground. I thought everything I did served some magnificent purpose. I believed that I was living a life of dreams, being with close friends through a war that even the most knowledgeable of people knew nothing about. We were unsung heroes. We had the responsibility of guiding Equestria, our home. I felt that I had everything, but alas, I had nothing. With a Brotherhood, small in number but strong in heart, I was a weak link. I saw the Brotherhood as a tool, a weapon. I did not need the love from the Bearers. I did not need to feel that I was part of a massive family. I was a cog in the machine of conspiracies. That was all I needed to believe.

In my youth and ignorance, I rejected friends. I kept myself locked up and you were the only one with the key. In my proud stoic nature, you were able to melt me. You were able to bring about an excitement that made me happy. I smiled plenty, but only around you were they sincere. I can only give you thanks for how much you have made my life worth living. I can only think fondly of our old memories, for there was only a rare time when we were not happy together.

Vinyl, you and I shared countless adventures and suffered through terrible loss, but we stayed together. We cried, we laughed, we insulted, and we praised together. The former apprentice and the former cellist. We were a duo that took the Brotherhood by storm.

However, these next words may surprise you. I am jealous of you. I have always envied your relaxed views on life. I have always wondered how you could remain in a good mood when the world burns around you. In my seriousness, I never believed I found true happiness. I could awe at Canterlot and its people, but I never felt a part of it. You threw yourself into the masses, I simply watched. You poured joy into the gray while I sucked it out and left it dry once more. In my jealousy, I kept myself even colder. I scoffed at your silly ways. I put you down for thinking differently. You never did that to me. You always held my opinion in respect. For those little acts of Kindness towards me, I say thank you.

As I recount the times we had such intellectual conversations and all the times we wondered about the most silly of things, I can only feel regret. The last time I saw you, you were not the Vinyl I know. You are not the Vinyl I am thanking. For the second time in my life, I perceive you as a stranger. When I look into your red eyes, I no longer see the joy of life, but pure wild ambition. The Vinyl I thank would be thankful for every breath she breathed, yet you now are ungrateful. It does more than break my heart to see you so vastly different. Sometimes I wish I said "yes" to you. Sometimes I wish that I jumped out the window to pursue you and to go on Discord's insane crusade. Chaos does not seem so terrible with the concept of living with you forever. However, my duties to being Loyal to you would make me reject your offer. You and I both know that you have fallen into being a minion of the Lord of Chaos. Vinyl, you have fallen down a great hill and are stuck. I so desperately want to go down and save you, but I know that I would be stuck at the bottom as well. 

I cannot tell you how tempting it is. I make myself even believe that dying with you at the bottom will make me a better friend. However, it will not. Even though I no longer use the name "Assassin" I still believe that the Brotherhood's intentions were pure. Harmony does exist, Vinyl. Do not let anyone, not even Discord, tell you that it does not. With only one more sunset in my life, I have come to this revelation. Harmony is alive and we simply ignore it. That is why I must keep to what I believe in. I believe in Harmony above Chaos.

While Chaos is the turmoil of emotions and Order is the restriction of Freedom, Harmony is not a combination of them. Harmony is the natural form of Love. It does not take place in the government. It is not held by Kings or Empresses. It is the acceptance of what is good in this world. We fought for Harmony, believing it was something to be earned, but it is something that we all have. Harmony is within us all and we only need to find it. Harmony is the knowledge that we do not know everything. Harmony never forces itself upon another, it never rules with an iron fist or even a giving hand. 

Harmony is Laughter. It is the feeling of joy we receive when something amuses us. It is the hope we find when everything else crashes down. It is the satisfaction we get when others are happy. It is the passive bliss we feel when we see others succeed. Laughter is but a way for living to be enjoyable. It is a reason to keep going through all our trials.

Harmony is Generosity. It is the will and drive to help others. It is the knocking on your door when a poor man needs shelter. It is the woman who requires just a helping hand with her chores. It is the child who has lost his pet. It is the drive to help everyone of these people. These are but tests of our Generosity. Such little things in life that we have the opportunity to be a part of. 

Harmony is Honesty. It's the encouragement we tell a friend who has failed. It's the stubbornness we have to guide another on a path of righteousness. It is our passion to do everything we do to the best of our ability. An Honest man keeps lies away and will go beyond the call of duty to make sure his work and reputation is his absolute best.

Harmony is Loyalty. It's the part you and I share. Loyalty goes beyond a soldier's duty or even a peasant's oath. It is found in fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, husbands, and wives. Loyalty is our call to action. It is our call to reason. It's the devotion to protect who we love. It is the will to go through Hell just to get back your friend. It's also the will to not let your friend go downward. To go through Hell just so that your loved ones would not need to. One cannot teach Loyalty, not in the slightest. It's a sacrifice that comes often too late. 

Harmony is Kindness. It too is a sacrifice. It's the giving up of oneself for another. It's the splitting of food when rations are low. It's the little things that we do to make one's life just a bit happier. It's the small acts that let us be an example to others, so that they could also do acts of Kindness. There is no boasting in Kindness, no loudness, barely noticeable. It sits in the corner and never speaks. It is awkward yet completely necessary. However, whenever you encounter Kindness, you cannot help but become happier. 

Harmony is Magic. It is the will to improve and strive for more. It is the friends you make, the ones you love, and the ones who mentor you. It is the old man who gives you wise advice. It is the friend who pushes you forward. It is the mother who teaches you about the world. We are always students, learning something new each day. Magic can only survive on Friendship and Knowledge. Without friends, it does not thrive within oneself, thus dying. Magic is necessary for all the other parts of Harmony to be pure, otherwise they would be tainted within the realms of the mind.

So you see, Vinyl, in my lifetime I have made a discovery. Harmony has never been about who rules or who does not. It is all based on the virtues of man. It's within all of us, yet there are many who shun it or lock it away. The Assassins failed in Harmony. We tried to force it, but instead it must be taught and discovered. We should have taught Harmony by being examples of such living. Only then we would be recognized as true unsung heroes. 

Please, Vinyl, remember my words. I do not care if you forget my name or my face in your immortality, but please remember this letter. In all my achievements, battles, and heroic tales, this revelation is the only noteworthy discovery of my life. To sum up Harmony in a way for all to understand, I believe there is only one way to state it.

"Love others like you love yourself."

That is the true Harmony's Creed. Remember that.



Adieu one final time, my friend. Be well in your Chaos and I pray you find content in whatever the future holds for you. Discord does not deserve to have you under him. 

In undying love,

Octavia Melody.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~