The story of Silent Jade, the Assassin. Prequel to The Empty Room
Thief. Assassin. Sister. When her secret was revealed during the Battle of Canterlot, it shocked her friends, but Jade's story hid a darker past than they could guess.
Important Note: this story is a prequel to The Empty Room. You do not need to read it to understand this story, but bear in mind it happens entirely in a pre-Season 2 AU which has different situations (and some characters) than those that came up in canon after TER was completed.
Special thanks to Burraku_Pansa for sticking around and helping me bounce ideas, and helping me make sense of my own rantings while feverishly writing. Cover art by the amazing Rametep!
Canterlot's lights flickered far below him, the city sleeping, unaware of what was going to happen—of how their beloved Princess would fall tonight.
Silent Stride stayed inside the cloud, watchful eyes constantly aware of patrols flying around him. When the latest patrol had just left the area, he dropped through.
The wind whistled around him, his dark uniform a perfect camouflage against the casual observer. He waited until the last moment to open his wings and glide onto the spire that housed his objective, clinging onto the structure with powerful claws.
A quick glance inside revealed the room was currently empty, so he dropped to the balcony. Quickly, he worked the lock, his magical bracers deflecting and stretching the spells laid on the double doors and warping them back onto them. When he stepped inside and closed the doors behind him, he willed the bracers to gently reform the spells on the door.
Nopony would be able to tell it had been opened at all. Now, he needed to blend with the room, preferably close to the doors. As much as he trusted his skills, others had failed spectacularly at this.
It was his turn now, as much as he hated it.
He mentally snorted, unwilling to risk making a sound as obvious. Flame Glow's underlings had been decimated just two months ago, and thanks to the previous Phantom Note's actions, they would be naming a new pony with that title in the coming months. He didn't care how well trained you were, you did not take on Eldritch Chant in a magical battle.
Not unless you were Celestia... or Starswirl himself. And you had prepared for it. And brought the guard to keep him distracted. Regardless of how you looked at it, Archmage Eldritch and Captain Lance were on a different level than any of their peers.
And even if she had succeeded, Phantom Note would then have had to fight Celestia herself. What kind of assassin walked in in broad daylight to fight up front like that, anyway?
He shook his head. Folly. At least Phantom Note had had the presence of mind to blow herself up when she had fallen. Of course Eldritch Chant had shaken that off without worry. But that was neither here nor there.
Killing Celestia was not a job for the Dragons or the Sirens. It was a job for the Order of the Wraiths, and since he had another mission in the area, he'd uphold the honor of his Order by doing the job none of the others had managed and also restore the honor of the Order of Assassins as a whole.
With the remainder of his original mission, he glanced into the valley below. There, past several miles worth of pastures, hills and the beginnings of the Everfree, he could see his destination. Ponyville shone like a little beacon of light, awaiting his wrath, and there, thinking herself safe, Silent Balm waited as well.
He felt the pang of betrayal again. The anger of finding out that she had ran away from the Order. That he, as her mentor and patron, would be the one required to finish her off.
A crooked smile. Gentle eyes. That blue mane, swirling around her as she jumped.
Silent Stride closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She wasn't his first apprentice. She wouldn't be the last. It just somehow hurt more than before. Maybe it was just that he'd known her the longest.
She had made him proud. Made all of the Order proud. She would have been the next Silent Stride, no doubt. But then she had walked away.
She had shamed him. It would be his responsibility now to restore his honor, and that of the Order of the Wraith. Killing Celestia when others couldn't would simply be icing on the cake.
Speaking of which...
A flash of light dropped Captain Lance on the floor of Celestia's room, and Silent Stride cursed silently. He'd have to take Lance down too? He prepared to pounce, but paused.
The captain looked weak, unable to even stand or lift his head much. He hadn't noticed Silent Stride at all and looked more confused than anything. Had somepony attacked him? Had he finally insulted Eldritch to the point of the Archmage playing such a trick on the captain?
Something was off. Something big.
Celestia hadn't been seen outside of her room for several months, visible by the public in the mornings when she raised the sun, but keeping to herself and even deferring court duties to Lance, Eldritch and some minor officials. She had been seen as weakened, thus prompting the Guild to attack but—
Energy gathered in the room above the bed, a silent, whirling sphere of blue lightning twirled there for a moment before it dissipated, revealing the form of Princess Celestia, which dropped heavily onto the bed.
She looked exhausted, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. She weakly raised a hoof struggling to draw something small and red from under her pillow.
She was trembling. 'It must have been quite the battle,' he thought.
Her horn sputtered some magic but she couldn't even turn on the lights.
She was completely vulnerable.
Silent Stride gulped. Something big, very big had happened. But it was his chance, and he would never have such an opportunity again.
Silent Stride emerged from the shadows ignoring Lance's gasp and widened eyes, and his attempts to even groan something out before passing out. The captain was indisposed and he would be forever so once Silent Stride was done with Celestia.
He approached the bed where the trembling mare held the little red thing in her hooves and raised his dagger.
And then he saw what it was that she was holding.
It was a plush toy shaped like a phoenix. It was brand new, it had a little purple pacifier with buttons that fit into the wings and made it look as if it were holding them. Its neck was wrapped in a golden ribbon. A perfect gift for a foal.
Silent Stride stopped and stared.
Celestia was crying. She was looking at the plush toy without understanding and her eyes reflected a staggering sense of loss and horror. Her breathing was fast, and her eyes darted to him from the plush toy, and back to it.
"What have I done?" she whispered, looking up at Silent Stride as if he had the answer. "What have I done? W-what is this? Why is it breaking my heart? Why don't I remember? Why can't I remember and why shouldn't you find out? Why?!"
Silent Stride stayed rooted in place, watching Princess Celestia's heart being shattered. He looked down at the little plush toy, his foreleg wavering, his clutch on the dagger shaking. Slowly he lowered his arm down and stared at Celestia in the eye.
It was then that he realized why Balm's betrayal hurt him so much.
He sheathed his dagger and approached the bed, Celestia's eyes were wild. She glanced at the toy and him unable to focus on either.
Slowly and gently, Silent Stride wrapped his claw around the toy and took it off of Celestia's hooves. He slid it into his bag.
Gulping, he took a deep breath. "Noone will find out," he promised.
Celestia's eyes widened in thanks for a second, before she frowned tiredly. "Find... find out what? Who..." she blinked, struggling to stay awake.
"A dream," Silent Stride whispered as she slumped down and took a deep, shuddering breath.
He made his way to the double doors and stared out, trying to figure where the patrols were right now. He still had things to do tonight and he had already forfeited a unique chance. He shook his head, having spotted the patrol flying overhead.
When they were gone, he once again worked on the doors. Stepping out, he looked over his shoulder at the sleeping princess and passed-out Captain of the Guard.
He snorted. "We never had any business murdering the Princess anyway."
Stealthily making his way out of the room and closing the doors behind him, he glided over the oblivious heads of the guards below and headed towards Ponyville.
The clock kept ticking away, and Rarity couldn't take her eyes off of it. She tried to concentrate on her notes, or Ms. Belt's words, but her mind kept drifting back to her parents and the hospital. It had been seven hours already since they had woken up in the middle of the night, with her mother having the tell-tale pains of contractions.
Of course they had stayed all night together at the hospital waiting for her new little sister to be born, but she was taking so long! The doctors hadn't seemed very happy either, talking to her dad and asking her mom questions about when Rarity was born and some other things that Rarity didn't really understand.
Finally, her dad had asked her to go to school, promising to send somepony to let her know as soon as her mom was ready to bring her baby sister to the world.
"Rarity," Ms. Book Belt called out, drawing her attention. "You may leave now. I know you don't want to miss a minute today."
Rarity smiled gratefully and started getting up, but hesitated. "Um... are you sure you don't mind me missing class today?"
Her teacher shook her head. "Rarity, dear, I appreciate that you came to school today, but we would all have understood if you missed class for something so important."
Murmurs from the other students made her look around to her friends and neighbors nodding and smiling.
"Well, go on!" the farm filly in the last row called out. Applejack, if Rarity's memory served her. "You can't miss a new family member comin' along!"
Quickly gathering her books, she smiled at her schoolmates and nodded at her teacher, making her way out. "Thank you, Ms. Book Belt!" she called out as she headed for the door. "I'll let you all know how things went!"
She galloped out of school as fast as she could, past the playground and making her way into Ponyville soon after. She ran past her home, turning right onto the main street and not slowing down even as she ran through the central plaza's market.
Ponies left and right were almost a blur, but she wasn't thinking about them at all. 'I'm going to be a big sister!' she kept thinking to herself over and over as her smile grew. 'I'll get to teach my little sister how to dress up! And how to style her mane! I wonder if she'll model for me, and play tea party! We can play with Ardeur together! I'll introduce her to my friends at school, I'm sure she'll be such an adorable little filly!'
The hospital, in all it's concrete glory finally came into view, and soon Rarity was pushing the glass doors open and trotting up to the nurse behind the counter, while gasping for air.
The nurse raised an eyebrow, but smiled. "Can I help you?"
"Y-yes," Rarity gasped out and stopped to take a deep breath and calm down before speaking again. "Yes, sorry. I'm looking for Prench Seam's room?"
The nurse looked down at her clipboard and hummed. "That would be room 615, dear."
"615, got it!"
Rarity had barely gotten to the room when the door was pulled open, and a panicked stallion galloped out, barely avoiding her. She could hear shouts coming from within and the scrambling of several ponies.
Even before she even thought about looking inside, the pony that had galloped out was already rushing back in, a bag of equipment floating in with him.
Rarity quickly jumped into the room, trying to see her mother, but the bed was surrounded by several ponies moving about, frantically setting up equipment around it. She stared at the scene for a moment, and levitated Ardeur out of her backpack, holding the phoenix plush toy tight, trying to gather her courage.
She was about to take a step forward, when she felt somepony hold her back.
She looked up in shock at her dad, who was standing next to the door, looking down at her in surprise. His eyes were bloodshot and his teal coat matted, and rusty-red mane disheveled.
"Rarity?" He shook his head, eyes wide. "What are you doing here? Weren't you at school?"
"I—"
"Rarity," he said urgently, kneeling down to look at her in the eye. "You shouldn't be here, love. Go back to school."
"But Ms. Belt said I could come here to see my little sister!"
"Rarity, I—"
"Level!"
Immediately Rarity and her dad looked at the bed.
"Where are you, Level?"
"I'm right here!" Rarity's dad responded, standing up and making his way to the bed, with her in tow.
He took a deep breath as the medics and nurses stepped back to give them a better view. "Rarity is here as well, they let her out early."
Rarity stood on her hind legs, leaning on the bed, and looked up at her mom, who smiled tiredly at her. The beeping sound of the machine they had strapped to her kept going steadily, and Rarity could see several spells as they were cast on her mother.
"My little Rarity," Prench Seam whispered. "Her hoof raised delicately to brush down Rarity's mane.
"Honey..."
Prench Seam shook her head. "It's okay... I'm glad she's here so I could see her."
"Mommy?" Rarity asked, raising a hoof to hold her mother's against her cheek. "What's going on?"
Prench Seam cringed, closing her eyes and hissing in obvious pain, before forcing them open again. "Rarity, the doctors have to help mommy finish giving birth to your little sister, but it's going to be complicated... Can you be a dear and wait outside the room for your daddy?"
For some reason Rarity felt scared, but she forced herself to nod. "I-I will, mommy. Do you want Ardeur to stay with you?"
"Thank you, darling." Prench Seam smiled and stroked Rarity's mane again. "But I think Ardeur needs you right now. I love you, sweetheart. I love you very, very much."
Rarity gulped and nodded, sliding down and slowly making her way to the door. Outside the room, she leaned next to the door, trying to listen in.
"We don't know what's wrong..." one of the doctors was saying.
"It came out of nowhere... this complication is nothing like what we have on record from ten years ago." A female pony spoke up. "It might be the same cause, but it's much worse this time. If we knew how she contracted this—"
"Is it a disease?" Rarity heard her dad speak up.
"No it's... some sort of deterioration."
They were silent for a moment, and Rarity could barely make out the sound of her mother's voice, but she couldn't tell what she was saying.
"We may be able to stabilize you but not while you're giving birth! Your body is going into shock—"
The pause was longer this time, and Rarity risked a peek inside.
Her dad was leaning very close to her mom, nodding and shaking. He turned to say something to her, and she nodded back, then looked at the door, where she noticed Rarity looking in.
Prench Seam smiled and said something to her dad, and soon, after some hushed words to the doctors, and several nods from the staff, Level Spirit walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him as he picked up his daugher and sat down with her on one of the benches nearby.
Rarity didn't let go of Ardeur, squishing him tight so he wouldn't be scared. "Daddy?"
Level Spirit took a deep breath. "Yes, dear?"
"What's wrong with mommy?"
He gulped and pulled her close. "We don't know sweetheart."
Rarity lowered her head to rest on her dad's shoulder. She stared straight ahead, at the window far at the end of the corridor, where sunlight shone through. "But she's going to be okay, right?"
Level Spirit held her tighter and didn't answer.
"Right?"
"I hope so, Rarity. I really do."
Rarity sighed and hugged her dad as tight as she could.
It was the stirring of the warm body under her that woke her up. Rarity blinked and yawned, looking up at her dad who had shifted his position when a doctor had come up to him.
"The baby is safe," the doctor said.
Rarity rolled onto the floor and gazed at the pony in surprise, a big smile growing on her face. "I have a sister? I have a sister!" She picked up Ardeur and held him in front of her with that smile on her face. "Did you hear that Ardeur? I have a sister!"
"What about Prench Seam?" Level Spirit asked, slowly standing up.
The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry. She's with the foal right now but... there's not much time left."
Rarity's eyes widened. "Daddy, what does that mean?"
Level Spirit opened his mouth to answer, but hesitated. His eyes centered on Rarity and she was surprised to see them shimmering with unshed tears.
"It-it means..." Level Spirit gulped, shaking his head. "It means we need to see your mommy right now, sweetheart. So we can say goodbye."
He levitated Ardeur out of her arms and put it inside her saddlebags.
Rarity followed her dad into the room, stumbling around trying to make him look down at her. "Why goodbye, daddy? Where's mommy going? Can't she stay? Is she going to another hospital?"
Level Spirit faltered as he walked, and stopped only to brush Rarity's mane with his hoof. "No, honey... mommy is very sick... I-we need to say goodbye, and be brave. She'll want us to smile and let her know that we'll think of her."
They had reached the bed by then, and Rarity jumped on a nearby chair to sit looking at what her mom had in her hooves while her dad walked around the bed to sit morosely on the other side, looking at his wife. Prench Seam was softly nuzzling a little bundle of white, pink and purple. The little foal had her eyes closed and was breathing calmly, with a content smile on her face.
Smiling, Rarity looked up to her mom’s face and her smile slowly faded away. She looked gaunt. Exhausted. Her breath was ragged, and although she was smiling at the foal and Rarity, she lacked something in that smile. "Rarity..." she whispered.
"M-mommy..."
Prench Seam stretched her foreleg, gently tracing her daughter's cheek. "I love you honey... I'm so sorry that we can't all be together much longer."
"But why?" Rarity cried, tears brimming in her eyes. "Mommy, I have a new sister and we—" she choked, sniffing loudly as the tears finally poured down her face.
"Be brave, little one," Prench Seam whispered. "Be good for your daddy, and take care of your sister and Ardeur for me, okay?"
Rarity shook her head, pushing away. "No. Please! Please don't go! I'll be good! I'll get better grades!" she sobbed. "Please stay! I promise I'll be the best daughter you could want! Don't go!"
A soft chuckle made her look up to her mother, who was looking at her with loving eyes. "My little Rarity... you couldn't be more perfect in my eyes, sweetheart."
Prench Seam wheezed and coughed, her body curling up. Gasping, she weakly levitated the foal away and to the waiting arms of Level Spirit. "I'm sorry..." she began to say, but her husband shushed her, bending down to kiss her.
Rarity watched with horrified eyes as her mom leaned forward for that last peck on the lips, then closed her eyes. Her breaths became stronger and faster before slowing down until they stopped.
She slowly reached to touch her mother's foreleg, shaking it for a bit. "Mommy? M-mommy?"
She hadn't noticed when her dad had left the other side of the bed, but when he levitated her and held her close, Rarity couldn't help it.
"Mommy!" she bawled, not caring about anypony else seeing her. She kicked and screamed and called out until she finally couldn't anymore and slumped, sobbing onto her dad's shoulder. "Mommy..."
Rarity didn't even raise her head when somepony knocked on the door. She lay on the sofa, head on the pillows, staring emotionless at the crib, where Sweetie Belle cried without pause.
More knocking. "Just a second!" Level Spirit called out, coming out of the kitchen and levitating a bottle of formula. He lowered it carefully, and let Sweetie hold it with her little hooves before shooting Rarity a short, worried glance and trotting to the door.
Rarity ignored the voices coming from the entrance, her concentration directly on the crib. She gritted her teeth. In there, sucking away happily at a bottle and without any care in the world was the one responsible for her mom dying.
She thought about the dinner they had before the contractions happened. How her mom was so happy, with a big belly, to tell Rarity how she would be a wonderful sister. Rarity closed her eyes, her mother's smile engraved in her mind until it was flushed away and replaced with a restful look devoid of life as she lay inside a coffin. 'She killed her!
She slowly pushed herself up and walked over to look over the edge of the crib at her sister. The little creature gurgled, big green eyes focusing on her as she used all four hooves to keep the bottle up and drink from it.
"You shouldn't be here," Rarity whispered. "Why did you have to be here and not mom?"
"Rarity?" Level Spirit asked, drawing her attention, making his way up to her as he levitated a cloth bag and some notes. "Is Sweetie okay?"
Rarity pushed herself away from the crib and snorted. "Of course she is."
Level Spirit shook his head, putting the bag and papers down. "What's wrong?"
"She's what's wrong!" Rarity snapped, startling Sweetie into letting go of her bottle. The little unicorn began crying again, which seemed only to make Rarity more and more angry. "Why is she here and not mommy?! Why did she have to come with us a-and we had to lose—"
She never finished her sentence. In a second, she was being held close by Level Spirit, who didn't let go of her as he levitated the bottle back onto the crib. "Shh. It's okay, Rarity."
Tears fell from her eyes and she buried her face on his shoulder as her body shook with frustrated sobs. "It's not fair..." she mumbled.
"Rarity," Level Spirit said softly. "Your mom wouldn't want you to hate your sister."
"I know," came the muffled reply. "But if Sweetie hadn't been born—"
"Your mom," her father interrupted. "Almost died as well when you were born."
Rarity's eyes opened wide and she became very still, holding on to her dad as he spoke.
"She never told me what had happened that affected her, but something did and... when she was pregnant with you, she was told her chances of surviving were very low." Level Spirit started brushing her mane down with his hoof. "She didn't care... she wasn't going to lose you. And so she pushed on and... she came very close, but when you were born after many hours of pain and a lot of scares, and she was holding you... she looked up at me and said: 'Look, Spirit. Our little Rarity. Isn't she worth fighting death for?' And," he added, nuzzling Rarity's cheek. "You were. And you still are."
He pushed her back a bit, so that they were still right in front of each other. "When she was in the hospital struggling to help Sweetie into this world, she told me she was not afraid, because our family was worth protecting and bringing together." He carefully levitated Sweetie Belle, still drinking her formula, out of the crib and lowered her gently onto Rarity's forelegs.
Rarity held her little sister in her arms, looking down at the warm, little furry bundle that looked right back at her with all the trust in the world.
"Don't you think..." her father spoke up, making her look at him. "That she's worth fighting death for?"
Rarity stared at him and felt Sweetie shift a little. She looked down and felt the tears come again. Maybe it was that Sweetie had the most adorable little hooves. Or maybe that cute little horn, or just how cuddly she was. Maybe it was that her eyes were the same shade of green as her mother's... but whatever the reason, there was only one answer she could give him.
"Yes." Rarity choked and sobbed and closed her eyes, pulling Sweetie a little closer, but careful not to crush her or make her drop the bottle. "Yes... yes she is! I'm sorry! I just want my mommy!"
Level Spirit smiled gently, and wiped the tears from under cheeks. "I know sweetheart, I miss her too."
After a reassuring shoulder-hug, Level Spirit stood up, taking Sweetie in his spell, and depositing her back inside her crib. "Would you like something to drink, Rarity?"
Rarity nodded, sniffling. "Tea, I think."
Level Spirit arched an eyebrow. "But I thought you didn't like it?"
"Mom liked it."
Rarity watched her dad set up a small table next to them, pouring some tea and then levitating an apple pie from the cloth bag he had come back with earlier.
"Where does that come from?" Rarity asked, mouth already watering.
"One of your schoolmates brought it," Level Spirit replied, cutting a wedge and serving it. "Applejack, I think she called herself. She also brought you school notes." He smiled, settling down the plate with apple pie in front of her. "She seems like a good friend."
Rarity shook her head. "I know her but... we're not friends, exactly. We never talked before."
Level Spirit bopped her nose with his hoof. "Well then, she seems like a nice pony to befriend."
Rarity nodded absently.
"Maybe... at school, right?"
Her father's words made her look up. "I—"
"Sweetheart, you need to go out again, it's been almost two weeks now," Level Spirit said evenly. "A filly your age needs to be in school, you need friends and some distractions, let me worry about the rest."
"Will you be able to take care of Sweetie Belle on your own?"
Level Spirit nodded, giving his daughter a hug. "I will. Now, let's eat this apple pie before it cools down completely, and then we can work on your homework."
Rarity nodded. "And then Ardeur and I can play with Sweetie?"
"Daddy? Are you home?" Rarity called, pushing the door open.
"I'm here, sweetheart!" Level Spirit called back from his workshop at the back of the house.
Putting her saddlebags down, Rarity troted over to him, scrunching her nose at all the wood shavings on the floor. Noticing the crib rocking magically in the corner, she made her way there to check on Sweetie. "How's work?" she asked. "I saw Mr. Rich's new house is being constructed, I thought you'd be there."
Level Spirit smiled at his daughter. "I'm taking as much as I can right now, but taking care of Sweetie doesn't leave me much time to get the bigger jobs."
"Daddy." Rarity shook her head. "You said that if you didn't get that job—"
"I know, honey," Level Spirit sighed. "We just can't afford a babysitter right now, you know that."
Rarity bit her lip. "But you said last week we would have enough for you to—"
"Don't worry, Rarity," Level Spirit said, taking a moment off to give her a hug. "We'll see this through, I promise."
Rarity grimaced at the feel of sawdust and wood shavings digging into her coat and mane, but returned the hug. "Are you sure it's okay for Sweetie to be so close to all of this dust?" She asked, stepping back.
Level Spirit chuckled and ruffled her mane. "I make sure to recast the fresh air spell on around her crib every few hours. But now that you're here, can you take her with you? It'll let me concentrate on my work."
Rarity nodded and used her magic to carefully levitate the crib out of the room.
"We'll be okay, sweetheart, things just need to even out."
Rarity nodded. "I know, daddy." She closed the door behind her, leaving him to his work.
When Sweetie started gurgling and calling for attention, Rarity quickly prepared some foal formula for her, warming it carefully and watched as Sweetie drank it all, making sure to pat her back when she was done so that her little sister burped before laying her down back in the crib.
The tiny foal giggled and held onto her hoof, cuddling up to her and slowly falling asleep. Smiling, Rarity slowly slid her hoof free and carefully levitated the crib across the living room and, after checking that Sweetie was still asleep and comfy, she quickly set up her sewing equipment.
She levitated her saddlebags up to her, and emptied the contents out into two piles.
"Okay, let's see... Cup Cake said these dresses had been torn a little at the seams, and Ivory Scroll said she needed this one done by tomorrow morning for her internship..." she slowly started sorting the damaged clothes she had been given and soon enough her sewing machine started it's hum as she fixed the several items she had been given by other ponies.
A dress was followed by an apron, followed by a delicate table cloth, followed by another dress, followed by curtains. Rarity would comb through all items, making sure to note the repairs she made, especially additional ones before folding them.
She slowly got into the rhythm of things, and the afternoon passed by unheeded, until at last she had finished with the last item; an old quilt Applejack had wanted repaired to give to her grandmother.
"I had wondered where those extra bits were coming from," Level Spirit said from where he had sat down.
Rarity squeaked and scrambled back, before realizing it was just him. "Daddy! You scared me!"
Level Spirit chuckled and shook his head. "How long have you been doing this, Rarity?"
Rarity sat down next to the crib. "Two weeks now."
Level Spirit's smile was a bit sad. "I'm sorry, Rarity I—"
"I just want to help!" Rarity interrupted. "I know you said you could take care of everything, but you can't! I'm very good at sewing and fixing clothes, remember when I got my cutie mark?"
Level Spirit sighed. "But that doesn't mean you should give up your happiness."
Rarity trotted over to him and cuddled him. "Oh, daddy. I'm happy helping! Applejack works at her farm too and she's happy!"
Level Spirit leaned forward and hugged her close. "That's very generous, Rarity," he whispered. "Never change."
Rarity grinned and pulled back. "You mean I can keep doing it?"
He chuckled. "Only if you keep good grades at school."
"I will, I promise, daddy!"
"Rarity could you get the door, please? I'll be right there after I finish changing Sweetie's diaper."
"Yes, daddy!"
Rarity trotted to the door trying to think if she was supposed to have any orders ready for the day, but everything she had so far wasn't supposed to be done for at least a couple of days more, maybe it was an emergency order? 'Or perhaps more work for dad?'
She opened the door with a smile. "Hello how can I—"
She cut off, staring in surprise at the dark gray feathered chest of a large griffon. She looked down to his sharp-looking talons, then up to his scratched beak, which looked like it could pierce through the wall. His green eyes—the left of which she noticed with some trepidation shared a scar with his beak, starting right above the eye and down all the way to the left side of his beak, which was chipped where the scar ended—shone with amusement at her obvious staring. The edge of his beak twitched slightly upwards.
"Aaaaaah!" Rarity scampered away, jumping right over the sofa in the living room and cowering behind it.
She heard her sister cry out in surprise and a second later the galloping hooves of her dad. "Rarity! What's wrong?"
When Level Spirit rushed into the room, levitating a bag of used diapers, he looked around wildly until he noticed the gryphon at the door. "G-gaius?"
Rarity peeked around the sofa, blinking in surprise when the gryphon started laughing. "Go take care of your little one, Level Spirit, I can wait," he finally said, still chuckling.
Level Spirit shook his head and chuckled weakly, giving the gryphon an uneasy glance. "Okay, I'm sorry, please come in, I'll be right back."
The gryphon nodded, stepping into the house and closing the door behind him. He then sat down on one of the chairs facing the sofa and smirked at Rarity. "Nice reflexes."
Rarity gulped and slowly walked around the corner of the sofa, keeping her distance from Gaius. "You know my daddy?" she finally asked.
Gaius nodded. "I knew your mom too, she was a very good friend of mine... I was her mentor, when she was growing up." He paused and looked around. "I'm glad that she met your father." He smiled. "It was the happiest I ever saw her... before you were born. You couldn't wipe that smile off her face."
Rarity frowned. 'Mentor?' She was about to ask for more details when Level Spirit returned, carefully levitating Sweetie Belle.
"I'm sorry about that, Gaius, I was busy taking care of Sweetie Belle."
"No problem, Level," Gaius grinned. "I did come unannounced, after all. Here, let me see her."
Rarity watched with some worry as her little sister was lowered into the waiting, razor-sharp talons of Gaius, who was surprisingly gentle with her baby sister.
"She's beautiful," Gaius whispered, holding her comfortably with one claw, as he pressed the foal to his feathered chest. He used the tip of one of his talons to very carefully push Sweetie's mane out of her face. He chuckled gently, making cooing noises at Sweetie Belle.
Rarity had some difficulty getting past the physical appearance of the gryphon and making sense of just how gentle he looked at that moment.
She realized that the gryphon was older than her dad now, but there was something familiar about him... when his words came back to her, she stared he did remind her of her mom! Maybe the way he spoke, gently to Sweetie Belle, or just turned up to look at them just like she remembered her mom doing.
"Say Gaius... Gaaaaiuuuus..."
Despite Sweetie simply gurgling in response, the gryphon seemed delighted and kept trying to coax words out of her.
"Daddy?" Rarity walked up to her dad while Gaius concentrated on Sweetie. "Who's Mr. Gaius?"
Level Spirit smiled and ruffled her mane. "He calls himself her mentor, but... he practically raised your mom by himself." He glanced at the entertained griffon, who had curled up a talon so that Sweetie could pull on it with her hooves without injuring herself. "He was her father, for all intents and purposes."
Rarity's eyes went wide. "My grandpa is a gryphon?!" she whispered in awe.
Gaius laughed as he carefully made his way on three legs to Level Spirit. "She's lovely, Level. She's got her mother's eyes, but that curly mane is all your fault."
"Thank you, Gaius," Level Spirit said with a small smile, taking Sweetie in his magic and lowering her own into her cradle.
"Yes, well," Gaius cleared his throat and looked away. "I'm just glad that Prench's legacy lives on." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, that probably sounded rude, it's a gryphon saying."
Level Spirit shook his head, placing a hoof on Gaius' shoulder. "No. I understand, thank you for coming Gaius."
The gryphon nodded, and cleared his throat once more. "I should visit her, before I go, but for now..." He looked up at Level Spirit. "I hear you have some problems with making a living, Level. Let me help."
Level Spirit seemed taken aback. "Gaius, I couldn't—"
"Nonsense." Gaius sat down again, motioning at Rarity and Sweetie in turn. "With two fillies, Level, you are a good stallion, a good father and a great carpenter, but you are not making enough to take care of them or be able to take on real work. Let me help you."
Level grimaced, but didn't say anything.
"Rarity is reaching an age where she can become more than a seamstress' apprentice," Gaius said slowly.
"How did you know?" Level Spirit asked.
"I've kept tabs on all of you ever since Prench moved here. You're my family," the gryphon replied, shrugging. "She may not be with us here, right now, but she lives in all of us still. And I would be remiss to let my beloved apprentice—"
"Please," Level Spirit spoke up. "If we're going to do this, be honest with yourself too, Gaius." He smiled at the gryphon. "We're family."
Gaius closed his eyes and nodded. "...my beloved... daughter." He paused taking a deep breath, and he seemed to relax a little. He opened his eyes. "I want the best for all of you, so I come with an offer."
He motioned at Rarity with his talon. "Let me take Rarity abroad. I will make sure she learns the skills she needs to succeed. She will not be mending clothes for ponies... if she so wishes, she'll learn to design them. She'll learn to create from masters of the craft. She's Prench's daughter, and I see as much potential in her as I saw in her mother."
Rarity's eyes were wide. "I-I could learn that?"
Gaius nodded. "Not only that, but as my apprentice, she will be earning a certain amount of bits, which I will match and send as a gift from her to you," he added, looking at the stunned Level Spirit. "This way, she won't only be helping herself, she will be helping her family more so than she can with the limited work she can do here."
Level Spirit stood up. "I can't send Rarity away!" he paced a little in place. "Gaius, this is-I don't know what to say. I know it's a great opportunity. Prench loved to talk about your travels and learning her trade but... I don't know when I'd see her again!"
"I wouldn't be able to see my daddy and Sweetie Belle?!" Rarity gasped.
Gaius shook his head. "She will come back, Level. I will bring her back once a year to spend time with both of you." He sighed. "Were circumstances different, I would not think of offering this to you in such a manner, but the truth is she is not going to get far as she is here in this small town and you both need the help.
"The choice—as her father—is yours," he clarified, but he looked at the stallion with grim determination. "However, she has talent. And no one here can teach her as the masters I know can."
Level Spirit sat down, pulling Rarity closer in a hug.
Gaius smiled. "Let me take at least get to know Rarity and see where her interests lay," he said. "If she's not interested at all, I won't push it." He hesitated. "Prench asked me once to do this if she... well..."
"If Rarity were to choose to go abroad with you..." Level Spirit sighed, rubbing his face with his hooves. "You promise to take care of her?"
"Of course. If she wants to come."
Level Spirit nodded, tiredly leaning back. "You can talk to Rarity," he said. "But the final choice is hers."
Gaius nodded and looked down at Rarity, who really didn't like being in the spotlight at that moment. "Would you take me to see your town, Rarity?" he asked, smiling encouragingly.
Rarity looked to her dad, who smiled in return. "Show grandpa Gaius around, Rarity and... think about it, whatever you choose, sweetheart, I'll back you up."
Rarity nodded, and looked back at 'grandpa' Gaius. "Okay," she said, slowly walking to the door, followed by Gaius. She stopped at the door, levitating her saddlebags, where she had left Ardeur earlier. "But you have to tell me all about my mom!"
Gaius chuckled. "Well I don't know if I can tell you everything, I'm an old bird, see... but I will tell you what I can."
Rarity nodded more resolutely and led him out into Ponyville.
Rarity took Gaius downtown first to show him the interesting places in Ponyville. They had walked, through the market and around the Town Hall, drawing more than a few raised eyebrows. Gryphons weren't a usual sight in that side of Canterlot, after all. She had then walked him to Sugarcube Corner, where Gaius had bought her a slice of strawberry cake and a chocolate milkshake.
They took one of the tables outside the bakery and Rarity had spent the next hour or so telling him all about the ponies she had fixed clothes for, how she had gotten her cutie mark and about her costumes for the school play. She told him about school, about Ardeur, and how her new friend Applejack had the largest apple farm in all of Equestria.
After that, they had roamed around town, and Rarity had pointed out Miss Book Belt's school building, and Rarity's favorite see-saw.
Not once did she bring up her mom in conversation past mentioning that they had gone to one place or another together, however. She'd talk about what she had heard about the Everfree Forest and how monsters would come out on Nightmare Night and gobble up unwary ponies.
Eventually, they had wandered towards the park, and it was there, when they reached a small hill that overlooked Ponyville that Gaius had finally asked her.
"Tell me about your mother."
Rarity looked at Gaius with a confused frown. "But you knew her, right?" She gulped, looking away. Every reminder that she was gone still hurt.
"Of course," Gaius said with a smile. "But I knew the her from before you were born. Tell me about Prench Seam, please." He guided Rarity to a flat area of the hill and sat down next to her.
Rarity gave him a quizzical look before taking off her saddlebags and sitting down as well. Out of habit, she levitated Ardeur out of her bag and held the plush phoenix against her chest as she glanced down at the town.
"My mom was a seamstress," she said after a moment. "The best in Ponyville! She taught me all about sewing and fabrics..." She looked down. "She was nice. And warm. She loved to sing to me when I was going to sleep. She loved going to the market with me and getting excited about flowers and Granny Smith's apple pie or Zap Apple Jam." She sniffled. "H-her favorite food was mint-chocolate cake, like the one Angel Cake makes at Sugarcube Corner. She drank tea, not coffee."
Rarity closed her eyes and fought the tears. She didn't want grandpa Gaius to see her cry. When she felt the wing wrap around her, she leaned onto his feathers and sobbed. "S-she liked to smile at ponies!" she forced out. "She would give old Mrs. Rich a secret discount because Mrs. Rich loved her dresses! She made me promise never to tell!" she cried.
Her body shook harder than she thought it could, but she held onto Ardeur and Gaius, desperately, trying to calm down. His feathers were strangely soft, especially when she could feel how strong his muscles were under it. His wing around her shoulders weighed nothing, and yet, she felt so warm and protected. She looked up at him, and saw his eyes had watered a bit as he smiled down at her.
He was family.
Rarity cried for several minutes while he remained motionless, wing covering her and waiting.
"I-I'm sorry, I don't know what—"
"It's okay," Gaius interrupted, his smile gentle. "You did a great job, Prench Seam was a wonderful pony. An amazing mom. I'm even more proud of her than I was before."
Rarity nodded, sniffling and wiping away her tears. "Was she very different with you, granpa?"
Gaius barked a laugh that made Rarity jump. He kept laughing for a few moments, before he controlled it and grinned, not looking at Rarity or Ponyville, but rather at the sky.
"Oh, Rarity. Your mother was... amazing." He shook his head, eyes distant. "Before coming to Ponyville, she did things, had adventures, fought monsters... just—" He cut himself off and chuckled, looking down at the awed filly.
"Your mom had a difficult and dangerous life growing up. She made me proud with every achievement, every challenge she took on and succeeded. When I knew her—when she lived with me, learning from me and following in my steps, I never imagined she would turn out to be who you described.
"I think..." Gaius trailed off, staring into Ponyville. "That the only time I saw that side of her before she met your dad was... one time, when she sang to me." He smiled, albeit a little sadly. "I was injured, neither of us knew I'd make it home alive." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "That is my favorite memory of your mother. Singing to me while holding my head to her chest."
Rarity smiled and hugged the gryphon, not feeling at all anxious about the sharp claws when his foreleg gave her a gentle squeeze. She pushed back and looked at him in awe. "But, how did my mom do all of that while learning how to sew in Prance?"
Gaius grimaced. "It's not a story I can freely repeat," he said, patting her head. "Nine years ago, after I... visited Canterlot, I stopped by to talk to your mother here. She had a lot of responsibilities she chose to leave behind and as such I took them over."
Rarity slowly closed her mouth. "A-are you disappointed?"
Gaius shook his head, looking down at Rarity. "No. Your mother did better than the life I could give her." He very gently used a talon to lift Rarity's chin, so she would look at him. "For all her adventures and achievements, looking at you now... this little, brave filly that is so much like her it hurts... I can tell you in all honesty, I couldn't have wished for a different result in how she chose to lead her life. You and Sweetie Belle are miracles she brought to this world. And I am so glad she lives in you."
"But then what's the problem in telling me?" Rarity asked, her grip on Ardeur tightening.
Gaius looked at the plush toy and smiled. "When I gave her that little toy of yours, she made me promise to take you in, if there was no way around it. I didn't want you to go through the same things she did, but your mother, she... well, she knew exactly how our group operates."
His smile faded and he looked down at the town. "Your father is a good stallion, but he's struggling and he doesn't have the means to keep you and your sister... I already heard rumors from the social services office in Ponyville, and they have him on probation. Soon they'll push a case saying that he can't afford you both and he'd lose Sweetie and you both."
Rarity gasped, looking down at her home in horror. "But—"
"However," Gaius spoke up. "According to my order, I am allowed to take you from home and offer your father a large sum of bits in recompense. He'll be able to afford taking care of Sweetie, and we'll make sure you save money and help them out too, if you choose to do this."
"Is this why you were telling daddy about having to take me with you?" Rarity bit her lip. "What would I have to do?"
Gaius cleared his throat. "I can't tell you unless you accept, for your protection and your dad and sister's."
Rarity pouted. "What if I say no?"
"I don't know. I am very capable of doing a lot of things, but my direct involvement in other ways would draw too much attention." Gaius was quiet for a moment. He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "I'll have to find some other way to help, but I would be severely limited. It would be less quick, and might cause some problems with the social services office here while we sort it out, not to mention..." he glanced at her. "Well. Other things."
Rarity gulped.
"Listen to me, Rarity," Gaius said at length. "This would not be a happy life. It would be dangerous, and you will have to do things you're not going to be proud of. At least I hope you never are." His wings ruffled. " But you will grow strong, you'll learn skills that will help you in the future and you will help your family." He took a deep breath and repeated, almost to himself, "It's not a happy life."
"But," Rarity spoke up, touching her hoof to his talon. "It's the same thing my mommy did?"
Gaius hesitated, but nodded. "It will change your view of her forever, Rarity, and you will have to leave Ponyville for a long time."
They remained silent for a long time. Gaius even laid down on the soft grass, next to Rarity, who held onto Ardeur like it was her lifeline.
She thought about her school and her friends. About Applejack and not visiting Sweet Apple Acres anymore. About no more cake. And no more Ponyville. No more farmer's market every Saturday. No more looking at Canterlot Castle in the distance and dreaming of becoming a princess.
But most of all, she thought about her dad, working himself to the bone trying to get enough work done to afford them. About her sister... and she thought about the idea of losing them and being sent over to be adopted by different families. Faceless ponies walking in and holding her dad back while they marched Rarity out of the house and picked up Sweetie Belle.
What if Sweetie Belle was sent over to another city?
Rarity shuddered in the breeze, and once again Gaius put his wing around her. Sighing, she rested her head on his shoulder, gazing down at her home.
Her mom had a strange, secret past that she had told nopony about, and only grandpa Gaius knew the truth about it. Her mind drifted to her mother's smile, her gentle kisses. 'Could it really be that bad?'
She sighed.
"Grandpa Gaius?"
"Hm?"
"I want to go with you."
Level Spirit closed the door to Rarity's room and sighed, walking up to the kitchen, where Gaius awaited. "She's asleep."
The gryphon nodded, gazing into his tea thoughtfully.
"Do you really think this is the best for her?" Level Spirit asked, taking a seat across Gaius. "Taking her away from home?" he added bitterly.
The gryphon sighed and looked up with a tired look. "I don't know, Spirit." He looked down at his tea again. "I have to wonder what Prench was thinking when she said it was an option."
Level Spirit looked away, tapping at the table with his hoof. He looked back at the gryphon. "I remember when we met, nine years ago."
Gaius looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"She tried not to show it, but Prench was terrified when you showed up at our door."
Gaius didn't reply, simply shrugging while Level Spirit stared at him.
"She made me promise to stay inside. She didn't answer when I asked her what was wrong, or if she was coming back."
Gaius nodded.
"And then, a few minutes later, she comes in," Spirit continued, "crying and smiling and telling me that you're her dad and that she was worried you wouldn't approve of me, and she showed me Ardeur and said you bought it for our first born."
Gaius chuckled.
"Was I good enough?" Level Spirit asked, not looking at Gaius.
The gryphon took a sip of his tea before speaking up. "When I came here to find Prench Seam... I didn't know what to expect." He scratched his beak. "Certainly, finding her married to an unknown stallion was..."
"Unexpected?" Level Spirit offered.
"Annoying."
"Oh."
"But not because of you," Gaius said slowly. Ponderously. "I had an epiphany earlier that same night, so when I saw you, I wasn't disappointed in her, or you. I was disappointed in me. I let my little girl think that she had to hide from me." Gaius laughed. "No, Level Spirit, back then I didn't think you were not good enough for her."
"That was back then," Level Spirit said, glancing at the gryphon. "What about now?"
"Does it matter?" Gaius sighed. "It wasn't me who decided your worth. It was Prench Seam, and she thought you were definitely worth it."
"But you did such a great job with her..." Level Spirit whispered. "And now—" He stopped when Gaius started laughing and narrowed his eyes. "I don't see what's funny."
"I didn't do a great job with her," Gaius choked out, coughing a little before he could look up at Level Spirit. "I taught her skills to survive and how to make it wherever she went... but Prench Seam..." he chuckled. "She was her own pony, even if I had the honor of watching her grow into the mare she became."
He gave Level Spirit a considering glance. "You've done well with Rarity. I can see much of Prench Seam in her. And I'm sure you'll do an excellent job with Sweetie Belle too."
"Then why do I have to lose my daughter?" Level Spirit blurted out and grimaced. "If I'm a good father, then why can I barely afford our livelihood? Why can't I offer them a better future on my own?"
Gaius shook his head. "I don't want to take her away, and you're not losing her, Level Spirit," he said, reaching across the table and poking Spirit's chest with a sharp talon, making him jump. "I'm going to make sure she learns a way to live, but more importantly to her, we're making sure you and Sweetie Belle get to stay together and greet her when she comes home."
Level Spirit nodded sullenly.
Gaius sighed. "The money will help you even out, and also take better jobs when you hire somepony to watch Sweetie. Rarity will learn a trade that will set her up for life, and she's already looking after her dad and sister." He grinned. "You've done a good job. A great job. Let me help the best way I know how."
Level Spirit looked at his father in law. "I miss her."
Gaius leaned back and nodded. "Me too." He glanced at the empty cup. "I miss her too."
Rarity held Ardeur for a moment before stealing a glance at her dad and Gaius, who were talking quietly in the kitchen. She had been told to take only what she needed, but what would life be like without Ardeur?
No. She couldn't.
She stuffed him at the bottom of her saddlebag. She then looked around. Some winter clothes, since she was headed north. Her sewing kit. A picture of her mom and dad. A picture of Sweetie. A small bag with the last few gems she had found when she got her cutie mark.
That was it. She didn't really have anything else.
She trotted out of her room and up to the two adults. Her dad pulled her into a hug. It was warm and tight and it made her feel very loved. They stayed like that for a long time, before he let her go. Sniffling, she went over to Sweetie's cradle and looked in.
Big green irises looked right back at her and a little excited gurgle escaped Sweetie Belle's mouth. Rarity sniffed again and reached her hoof inside, letting her baby sister hold on to it with her hooves. "I'll miss you, Sweetie." Rarity leaned in a gave her sister a peck on the forehead. "Be good for daddy."
Sweetie Belle gargled a reply and Rarity giggled.
She trotted up to Level Spirit and gave him as tight a hug as she could. "I'm going to miss you, daddy."
Level Spirit's embrace was just as tight and firm. "I'm going to miss you sweetheart," Level Spirit confessed into her mane. He closed his eyes and leaned his muzzle onto her mane. "Come back soon and often."
"As often as I can," Rarity whispered onto his shoulder. "I promise, daddy."
Gaius watched from the sidelines, his face not betraying any emotion, and Rarity was thankful that he didn't press them for time. But eventually, she had to let go of her dad, who stepped away, blinking away some tears.
"I guess this is it," Rarity said, her smile trembling.
"I'm proud of you. I always will be," Level Spirit said, a smile forming on his mouth as well.
Rarity touched her hoof to his foreleg before turning and walking to Gaius. "I'm ready to go, grandpa."
Gaius nodded, looking up at Level Spirit. "I'll bring her back as soon as we can get a break in her training."
"Take care of her," Level Spirit said, meeting the old gryphon's eyes.
Gaius smirked. "As if she were my own daughter."
They didn't take the main road. As soon as her home was past waving-distance, Gaius led Rarity away from the usual routes. At first she was confused when they didn't get in a train, but as they marched past her now-former school, and then waded through the road that went down Sweet Apple Acres and neared the Everfree Forest, it slowly dawned on Rarity that they were not headed for any big cities.
"Um, Grandpa Gaius?" She asked, trotting after him. "Wouldn't it be faster to take the usual roads?"
Gaius chuckled but his smile soon faded away and he shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Rarity. We're going to have to work on your stamina and resilience as we go. I can't train you quite yet, but I can't stop you from learning."
Rarity frowned at the response. "What does that mean?"
"It means whatever you want it to mean," Gaius responded. "Now come, here's the road we're taking," he added, motioning with his claw at a large bush, almost as big as him, with tightly packed trees behind it, extending as far as she could see. But that wasn't the worst part.
Rarity stared at the bushes. "That's not a road," she stated. "That's a poisonous plant called leaf scald. Applejack told me about it."
"That's because you're only seeing what others want you to see," Gaius said, walking straight into the bush and through it as if it were nothing.
Rarity stood there, gaping at the place where her grandfather had simply vanished. She approached the bush, sniffing it, but not touching the leaves. It smelled like the plant her friend had carefully pointed her at: the triple-pointed leaves were a deep green with tiny red veins on them. It looked like it, and even smelled like it but.. there was something odd. Still, after studying it for a few minutes she was unable to figure out what it was. She just had a nagging feeling that she was missing something, and it really annoyed her.
She eventually realized she was just standing there at the edge of the Everfree looking straight at a possibly poisonous bush. Clearing her throat and glancing around to make sure nopony had witnessed her odd behaviour, she gathered her courage and, closing her eyes, jumped through.
She felt the leaves brush her for a split second, and then… nothing. She opened her eyes and realized she was standing on a thin path that wove between trees and underbrush. A few meters ahead, she could see her grandfather waiting for her.
"Did you figure it out?" he asked.
Rarity gulped. She didn't want to fail anypony so early in the start of her new life but…
"It's okay," Gaius interrupted her thoughts before she could say anything. "I didn't expect you to on the first try."
"I… I didn't," Rarity acknowledged. "I felt I knew something was wrong, but… I couldn't put my hoof on it. Was it magic?"
Gaius chuckled. "No. Not like unicorns understand it, I guess." He turned and motioned with his head. "Come on, we must make way a while longer before taking a break."
"But!" Rarity protested trotting behind him. "What's the secret?!"
"You'll have to figure it out yourself," Gaius said.
Rarity pouted and tried her most devastating puppy eyes on Gaius, who only raised an eyebrow.
"Tsk. Fine." Rarity stomped after him, trying to ignore the fact that she could have sworn she saw him smile as he turned.
The Everfree was as dark and gloomy as she had expected it to be, but even more surprising was how comfortable she felt in there, following her grandfather. She could hear creatures shuffling in the underbrush and even grows and howls in the distance, but their path never changed and no creature or monster stood in their way.
More than once she had seen something, a shadow or eyes, but it was almost as if the old gryphon had some sort of magical, invisible barrier that even the largest of monsters would somehow feel and stay away from.
The mystery of her mother's past deepened and Rarity let her thoughts wander as she followed in her grandfather's wake. A gryphon father. A secret past, full of dangers and, well even more secrets. She had travelled all over the world… what did the future hold for her, now that she was doing this… and more importantly, who was her mom? Really?
The idea that a seamstress would be fighting monsters was ludicrous. Had she been a secret agent? A spy for the princess? She glanced at her grandfather, trying to think. He moved silently, but with conviction. He had a strong build, but lean. She hadn't seen many gryphons before, and the few had been from a distance. They all looked dangerous to her, but thinking back… her grandfather had this, aura of sorts that made her think he was dangerous. Not to her, but to others.
Was that what the animals and monsters were feeling?
"It's part of your future training," Gaius said.
"W-what?"
"Presenting yourself as a threat… or not," Gaius replied, as if he had been reading her mind. But he couldn't, could he?
"I can't read your mind."
"Oh." She blinked. "Wait! How did you know I was thinking that?!"
Gaius laughed. "You're a very expressive filly."
"But how does that even help?"
Gaius shrugged. "As I said, it will be part of your training, so I can't teach you that quite yet, but I can't stop you from thinking about it."
Rarity pouted, but mulled his words as the pair went deeper and deeper into the forest.
It was several hours later that they walked into a small valley in the forest. Rarity panted and heaved, her mane was disheveled and covered in twigs, her hooves dirty with mud and grime. They felt heavy and itchy and worse, painful.
She had begged her grandfather to catch a break earlier, but he had denied her wish, arguing that they needed to reach a safer area.
She had begged him to carry her, and he had told her if she couldn't make it to the camping site, he'd be carrying her back home, because she would never survive what she needed to do otherwise.
Rarity had shut up after that: the idea of not finding out the truth about her mom was inconceivable. She wouldn't let her own weakness be the cause of her sister moving away from home, either. No. As Celestia was her witness, she would do it!
And thus it was that despite the pain, she still had a small smile in her mouth when she collapsed next to the old Gryphon. "I made it."
There was a hint of pride in his voice. "You did."
She watched with interest as he pulled out several items from the surrounding underbrush. "Wait, you had this place all set up?"
Gaius smirked. "Of course. Our job needs us to be prepared and plan in advance…" he trailed off and let out a heavy sigh. "Let me set up camp, you rest for now, Rarity."
She watched in silence as he set up the camp, quickly starting a small campfire and setting out some sleeping bags. Without waiting for her to say anything, he walked over, picking her up carefully and laying her on one.
He checked her hooves, mostly leaving them alone except for using his claws to take out a sharp stone that had jabbed into her right fore-hoof. She hadn't even noticed it, but she felt immediately better when the pressure was off even if it still throbbed a bit painfully now that she was aware of it.
Gaius took a small container from his bag and spread some of the contents on her hoof, where the rock had been. "It didn't pierce your skin, but this should help ease off the rest of the pain. You'll be fine tomorrow morning."
Rarity nodded, looking at him expectantly.
Gaius sighed. "So you really want to know now? Here," he passed her a canteen with water and a small bowl with some oatmeal in it.
Rarity accepted the food. A bit spartan but… well, they were camping. The thought made her giggle. She was camping with her grandad. Funny how life turned out.
"Rarity," Gaius spoke up again, and the tone of his voice—Rarity couldn't tell what it was exactly, it wasn't anger or fear. It was something she had heard in her dad's voice a few times when he'd had to not take a job to manage her and Sweetie. "It's a beautiful name, that encompasses so much of who and what you are." He closed his eyes and she could see him balling up his claws for a second before slowly releasing them. "It cannot be your name from now on."
Rarity's eyes went wide. "B-but that's my name!" She reared up, food forgotten; the illusion of a peaceful camping trip completely destroyed. "Why can't I have my name?"
Gaius looked at her and she quieted down. The look on his eye was dangerous, but it wasn't a threat… it was different. "Your name will be a secret, known only to us. You will change the color of your mane. We will hide your cutie mark with a special formula that I will teach you and you will have mastered before we arrive at our destination," he said, opening up another package.
"But why?"
Gaius continued, undeterred. "You will not reveal your mother's name, or your father's or your sister's. The picture you carry of your family must remain with me. Hidden from others. The life you have chosen is not easy. It's deadly. Overwhelming."
"But if I do that… why can't I—"
"Rarity. Revealing this to anyone but me would put you and them in mortal danger. I won't be able to protect you all again. Your mother left who she was behind to become Prench Press. Her name is forbidden from being spoken."
He closed his eyes. "What you love, you will pretend to dislike. Or at least be uninterested in." He smirked. "I will make sure you get taught in it regardless. You will have no parents. You are an orphan I rescued from a distant relative of yours. Drink this," he said, pulling out a slightly glowing vial and giving it to her.
"W-what is it?" she asked, levitating it off of his claws.
"The formula I will teach you to make," Gaius said. "The order has made sure nopony outside of it even knows about it. They will never suspect you of having taken it."
"I don't… I don't want to." Rarity whimpered. "Please grandpa Gaius…"
His eyes softened and he very carefully brushed her mane back. "I'm sorry, Rarity… for even offering this to you. But it was your mother's wish that you understand who she truly was… and had she not passed away, she would have trained you herself in what she knew.
"She would have taught you everything, probably dragged me into it too. Your mother was dangerous, Rarity. She made enemies of the deadliest, most efficient group ever to exist: her own family. There is no way to proceed further with this if you aren't willing to go the whole way."
He sighed. "You will die. All you love will die if you go forth with doubt in your heart and mind. You must never forget, that by drinking that, Rarity as we all know and love her, will die while the new you lives."
"Who was my mom?" Rarity asked in a small voice. "Who was she, really?"
Gaius remained quiet.
Rarity sniffled, looking down at the vial. Gaius hadn't said it, but she knew he was giving her a last chance to step away. To have a grumpy gryphon grandad who would help as he could to support them.
To somehow try to achieve her dreams in a small town…
To never find the truth… but live maybe happier.
Gulping and closing her eyes, she uncorked it and brought it to her lips, drinking the contents.
It tastes… like lime and banana?
She heard Gaius sigh and take hold of the empty vial.
She opened her eyes and looked down at her coat, not noticing anything new… until her mane caught her attention. From a blue violet, her mane's color slowly seemed to bleed out into a dark, rich emerald green.
Rarity gasped, remembering Gaius' words earlier and looked at her cutie mark, which had disappeared to be replaced by a single, green rock that reminded or gem. It wasn't polished, and looked more like what a miner would extract out of a bigger chunk of it.
"And so your daughter is truly born…" Gaius whispered as the last vestiges of blue and violet left Rarity's mane.
He carefully curled a claw under her chin to lift Rarity's face up to face him. Her eyes were watery and confused.
"Why?"
Gaius took a deep breath. "Because your mother was a legend."
Rarity was gently—but firmly—woken up from a dreamless sleep by Gaius shaking her shoulder. "It's time to get up. We have a lot of work to do the next few days."
She shook her head and yawned, before pushing herself up and shaking the sleep away. Still groggy, she sniffed the food that her grandfather passed over to her. It smelled good. She took a bite, then a second. "Oh, this is delicious! What is it?"
Gaius shrugged. "Fruit bat. It was one of your mom's favorites."
Rarity stopped chewing. "Wait, aren't fruit bats animals?"
Gauis gave her a look. “They’re Fruit Bats. They’re just like timber wolves… plants. Only these fly and eat more fruits."
”You can't possibly expect me to believe that," Rarity said, narrowing her eyes.
Gaius grinned. "It was worth a try, but you should eat them, they taste good and will give you the extra energy you'll need today."
Rarity huffed but after a few seconds resumed eating, her thoughts drifting to the conversation they had last night, and what her new role in life was going to be.
"A legend?" Rarity asked, eyes wide.
Gaius nodded, staring at the flames of their campfire. "Her real name, as you probably figured out, was not 'French Seam'," he said slowly. "It was Silent Balm, just like my real name is Silent Stride.
"Your mom was an assassin,," Gaius said bluntly. "I still am. And that is what you will become too."
"A-assassin?" Rarity gasped. "You mean I'll have to ki-kill ponies?"
Gaius sighed. "If necessary, yes."
"B-but…" Rarity closed her eyes. "I-I can't, I shan't! It's too—"
Gaius held her shoulder firmly. "You will and you must," he said carefully, looking into her eyes. "This is what you were born into. Even if things were different, your mother intended to train you in this art." He pulled back, sitting up and looking down at her. "It is your heritage. It's not fair, it's not nice, but it is what you have gotten yourself into, in the end. And it's not something you can back out of now."
When Rarity simply whimpered, Gaius relaxed and lay down on his stomach, crossing his front paws in front of himself and smiled a little. "It's a scary thing, I understand," he said gently. "But this is why I asked you to be sure you wanted to follow your mother's hoofsteps. Understand Rarity, that if it had been up to me, you wouldn't have needed this, but circumstances have forced my claw. I must honor your mother's wishes, help your father and sister in the best way I can, provide you a future where you can forge your own way... and you must honor your own word to me, yourself and your family."
Rarity looked down, unsure. "What type of pony was my mom? Really?"
Gaius chuckled. "She was a great pony, beautiful, smart, deadly… full of grace and compassion, but able to take action if needed. She was to be my successor in the Order of the Wraiths."
Rarity glanced up curiously at that. "Order of the Wraiths? What's that?"
"All in due time," Gaius said. "It is getting late and tomorrow we'll have plenty to do. Suffice it to say that despite your mother's occupation, she was, in the end a good pony."
Rarity nodded. "And you're a good griffon, right grandpa?
Gaius had simply smiled. "Time for bed."
"Well, it seems you do like them."
Gaius' voice snapped Rarity out of her reverie, and she looked down to see all of her food was gone. "Huh."
"Now we get to work," Gaius said, come on… Jade."
Rarity stopped. "Jade?"
Gaius nodded. "That will be your name from now un, until you come back to Ponyville. Remember, you cannot reveal your name to anyone at all. Only you and I will know it, no matter how much you might trust anyone at the Hall of Silence."
Jade nodded, frowning. "I understand." She had expected having to hide her name to be exhilarating, maybe even fun… but now that she had to be somepony else… she felt sad.
"It makes it a bit easier," Gaius said, once more as if he was reading her mind. "If you're a separate pony… Jade is the assassin. Rarity is… whoever Rarity wants to be."
"I understand Gra—"
"Call me Silent Stride," Gaius interrupted. "Or Master Stride. We can't let the fact that we are family be discovered, and my name is something that would raise red flags immediately."
Rarity nodded, feeling another slight pang of regret. "And I'm Jade. Not Rarity."
"I will always be your grandad, though," Stride said gently, smiling down at her. "But it will be our secret once we're there. Now, come, Jade, we need to harvest the ingredients for your potion. I will show you how to dry them properly and you'll practice making it until you can do it with your eyes closed."
Taking a deep breath, Jade nodded.
"I'm ready, Gr-Master Stride."
Master Stride nodded in return, then motioned with his head to follow him. The way wasn't easy. He made her climb over collapsed trees to jump across ravines, and wade through thick, murky swamp water.
She could feel the eyes of predators watching them, but they remained thankfully away, most likely intimidated by a look from Silent Stride. Still, despite the lessened danger from the local wildlife, Jade struggled.
Her hooves didn't have sharp talons to stop herself from slipping on the moss covering the downed trees. More than once she had slipped and fallen face first onto the rotting wood. Once, she landed chin first and felt her lip split when she bit into it.
Each jump across a ravine Master Stride did without effort, Jade had to attempt with plenty of running space, or she ran the risk of not making it and either crashing onto the side only roll down to the bottom, or fall all the way down.
The swamp was deep enough that she had to paddle through, struggling not only through the thick, muddy water, but also not to get entangled in roots.
"Don't use your magic," Master Stride said whenever Jade's horn lit up. "The ingredients are very sensitive, and will be affected by your magical aura if you do."
Sighing, Jade picked up the knife she had been handed and slowly started to carve the bark from a tree.
"The bark from the ash tree represents the Earth element for the potion," Master Stride explained as she worked. "It provides balance. Without its properties, it would be impossible to mix several of our most potent potions. The Wind and Magic elements are too whimsical for Fire and Water to boil into submission by themselves."
The next hour was spent in search of a clear spring. It would have been easier if the were not in the middle of a swamp, but eventually her ears had picked up the sound of running water and she had soon managed to discover a little brook in a small island in the middle of the swamp.
Next she had to wade her way out of the swamp and back into the forest itself, following Master Stride through the underbrush until they gazed at a full patch of blue flowers with deeper blue veins.
She was about to move forward to pick one up, when her grandfather stopped her. "Careful, this is the most important ingredient, it's commonly called Poison Joke, but we assassins call it: illusion's shadow. Its properties are extremely powerful, this, Jade represents the power of Magic in your potion, and you will treat it with the appropriate respect. Misusing it has never killed anyone directly, but it can put you at terrible risk."
Under Master Stride's direction, and without using magic, Jade lay down an open sack right next to the flower, and very carefully used her knife to cut the stem swiftly, tilting the knife as instructed to guide it to fall into the sac.
Once she had gathered a few flowers, she followed Gaius carefully out of the area and eventually they emerged to the edge of a cliff overlooking several miles of forest. Jade had known that the Everfree was no small patch of trees, but never in her life had she imagined how vast it truly was.
Perhaps sensing her awe, or maybe reading her mind despite his claims to the opposite, Master Stride allowed Jade to bask in the glory and beauty of the scenery in front of her for several minutes before gently nudging her with his wing.
Silently, she followed him along the edge of the cliff. Her body felt stiff and heavy after so much work… the day before she had walked a lot, but it hadn't been anything compared to this.
"The world is a pretty big place," Master Stride said after a moment, and she could only nod. "And as beautiful as this is, it's dangerous, even deadly. Down there, past the river, the forest becomes the territory of several star spawn… there's an Ursa Mayor down there that has been expanding its territory… they are beautiful creatures, but extremely dangerous."
They watched in silence as the sun slowly sank in the distance, twilight casting reddish-purple light onto the forest.
"Ursas are a good example…" he said at length. "They can seem friendly at times, allowing smaller creatures to get closer to them. They're are not prone to sudden violence either, so some foolish ponies have assumed them to actually be friendly to them. But one misstep, or getting too close to their territory, their cubs… or even if they're just hungry and those ponies quickly, if briefly, learn the folly of their confidence."
Jade winced, giving the elder gryphon a look, which he returned with a small smile. "What I'm getting at, Jade, is that you will make friends, or feel that you did, while at the Silent Hall. They will have your back. They'll fight at your side. Guard most of your secrets. Die for your sake. For all intents and purposes, they will be your family… and you are welcome to be part of it. But if you expose your family to any of them… you risk losing both."
He glanced down at Jade. "Like your mother, you'll grow up beautiful and deadly, but you will have something she never did… a life under the mask. When it's all said and done, you'll always have a family. Ponyville will always be safe place to come back to... as long as you are careful and follow my rules."
Jade nodded, eyes drifting down to the woods below as Master Stride started walking again and she followed suit. She paused, eyes wide and heart beating harder. For a moment—just a brief second—she thought she saw stars moving through the trees below.
Once they had reached camp and started sorting through things, Jade groaned. "We forgot something."
Master Stride raised an eyebrow. "We did? I was under the impression that I was teaching you the recipe."
"But there is!" Jade insisted. She motioned to her hoof at the vial from the spring. "Water." The tree bark. "Earth." The campfire with the cauldron. "Fire." The flowers. "Magic." She glanced at her grandfather. "We're missing Air."
Master Stride smiled. "I'm glad you're paying attention, but don't fret, we didn't miss anything," he said, raising a talon to pluck out one of his feathers. "Air."
Jade pouted. "Unfair."
Stride chuckled and then started laughing. After a few moments, Jade also succumbed to the laughter and for a few more minutes at least that day, they were once again Rarity and her grandfather Gaius.
Each morning for the next couple of weeks, Jade would wake up from tired sleep to follow Gaius, or Master Stride—as he wanted to be called now—through the underbrush, swamplands, woodlands and mountainous ranges of the Everfree Forest.
Her hesitant footing slowly became more sure and her jumps, rolls and catches more confident. Rarity had never had to survive in the wild, but Jade was not Rarity. Being dainty would not save her life, although her trained eye gave her an advantage once she started to recognize what terrain was safe to step or jump onto; what branch to latch on, which areas to avoid.
Their missions were always gathering quests of some sort; more ingredients for her potions, food, materials for makeshift tools… all had a purpose, even if Master Stride insisted on taking the most complicated, exasperating routes to do so. Sometimes they would go one place, then another, then go back through a more dangerous area to end up in the same place as before, where she would pick up the next item.
Tired, aching and hungry, she would then have to carefully memorize the preparation of the ingredients; how to dry them and cut them and store them, and also where to store them properly, so she wouldn't end up accidentally causing an explosion.
Under Master Stride's tutelage and careful eye, she mixed several batches of her mane-altering formula. In a way, Jade knew that it was his way of training her without officially doing so. It was somewhat obvious in retrospect when she was tasked with finding more ingredients for the first formula on her own and the process seemed much easier.
That is until one day she was told to go on her own to an unexplored area.
"There is a tree there," Master Stride explained, "that has grown tall and twisted. Its roots have formed a large cavern of sorts at it's base. It's a little sunken in, and can only be approached from the north. Inside, there is a package, you must bring that to me."
"We've never been there…"
"I have, a while ago," Master Stride said. "But I will not be going with you. I will wait here and pack so we can be ready to leave soon. It's dangerous, but I know you can do it. You need to bring that package over here."
Rarity couldn't do it. She was afraid of facing an unknown area that even her grandfather would call dangerous. Sudden anxiety flooded her. There were unknown creatures in the forest. Things she had seen moving in the shadows, kept at bay by the presence of her grandfather up to the point that while by no means completely safe, traveling their usual routes was some sort of clearly marked territory the beasts respected.
But this? This was off the beaten path. This was new and scary. Rarity simply couldn't do it.
But Jade could.
"Understood," she said, fighting away the doubt and presenting herself as self-assured as she possibly could.
Master Stride nodded and she was off, not willing to keep delving into her thoughts, into what innocent, dependant fillies would do or not, but rather what a growing survivor and future assassin would do without fear.
She headed through the forest, slowly making her way towards the area her master had indicated. Her knowledge of the forest served her well, and she kept spatial awareness to the landmarks she was already intimately familiar with.
She made her way north, climbing up a tree and jumping from branch to branch while the rock crocodiles below her snoozed in the morning sun. Eventually, she saw her objective. The tree was massive, just like her master had said, and she could see the entrance to the side.
Slowly, she circled the area first, making sure there were no beasts or dangerous areas around, it would not do to walk in only to have a timber wolf jump out of the marshes to catch her. The area, however, was devoid of large predators as far as she could see, and so she made her way down from the branches and onto the soft earth.
She tried to be as careful as possible and hide the sound of her hoofsteps as she approached. It was then that she heard it. A low, rumbling sound that had a steady beat to it. The unexpected noise made her stop dead. She dared not move, just listen, expectantly to see if the sound changed or more noises accompanied it. She had no idea what it was or what it could potentially do to her.
After what had to be a few seconds but felt like an hour at least, she gulped, and forced herself to move. She daintily finished the round around the tree and peeked into the crevice.
Jade felt her heart stop.
Inside, curled around a small, black saddle bag, was a manticore, snoring gently and licking its chops. Its claws were massive and its scorpion tail twitched, the tip glistening with venom. The leonine face was relaxed, completely asleep.
Still. It was unexpected.
She considered her options, which weren't many. She could wait it out, until it went out hunting, but it was a nocturnal creature, and that meant the whole day would be spent waiting for a dangerous beast to step out to hunt for food in its own territory.
She could go back and tell Master Stride that there was no way in Tartarus she was risking her neck for a bag.
Or she could try to sneak in and steal the bag.
Jade pondered before nodding to herself. She couldn't disappoint her master. Slowly she made her way inside, all the while feeling like she was being watched even though there was nothing around other than the sleeping manticore. Telling herself it was just her nerves, she approached the dozing feline as close as she dared and carefully—very carefully—used her magic to try to levitate the saddle bag.
The bag slowly slipped between the paws of the manticore, each as big as she was tall. Jade didn't dare breathe as the tortuous, slow levitation proceeded. Any mistake, any tilt, hesitation, rush or lapse had the potential to wake up the beast, and Jade had no illusions as to whether she'd be able to survive long if the manticore attacked her.
Jade was sweating by the time she managed to bring the floating bag up to where she stood at the entrance to the cubby and use her magic to tie the saddlebag securely around herself. It felt like she had been working on it for hours, even though she knew it was less than a minute.
She started to back away when the manticore stirred. Jade froze in place. Her eyes were glued to the leonine creature as it shuffled and turned. Slowly, amber eyes opened, sleepily and heavy, looking in her direction without any hint of recognition before slowly closing again.
Jade slowly released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in.
The eyes opened again, and this time focused on her own.
Jade bolted around the tree, doing her best to ignore the furious roar from within the tree and the sound of splintering wood. She knew she couldn't look behind her. She had to run as fast as she could and focus on getting away. She felt displaced air behind her and the sudden, loud crack of a tree being split in half by a powerful claw only encouraged her to run faster. She zig-zagged around the trees, trying to figure out a way to get on higher ground as she approached the swamplands.
Just as she was about to reach the edge of the swamp, something, either an unknown instinct or an otherworldly warning deep in her gut made her stop and duck, just in time for the deadly creature to soar just over her, slashing at where her head had been just a second earlier.
She didn't escape unscathed, however. Just as she dashed out of the way and into an area with more dense vegetation, the manticore's scorpion tail shot down, grazing her leg and leaving a bloody gash in its wake.
Jade didn't stop, ignoring the immediate, flaring pain from the wound and from crashing shoulder-first on a tree before she found her footing again and galloped through the underbrush.
Despite the pain, Jade pushed herself as hard and fast as she could. The manticore was close behind, even if she had put some distance between them. She was bleeding, and she could feel her muscles cramp together. The wound had some poison in it, no doubt.
When her hoof lost all mobility and her whole leg felt on fire, she really started to panic. She slowed down considerably, using her three whole legs to move forward. She could see her hoof bump onto rocks and roots, but the pain was burning through her whole body more intensely as the seconds passed.
Jade stumbled out of the forest and rolled down a small slope until she smacked against a tree. Through bleary eyes she looked up and thought the area looked familiar. It took her pained mind a few seconds to realize that she was back where the cubby was.
She forced herself up as the manticore emerged from the forest, slowly approaching her. It was clear it knew its prey was poisoned and that it would take little to finish her of.
Jade gritted her teeth. She wouldn't go down like this! With a challenging shout, she charged towards the manticore, her horn glowing as she tried to summon the rocks around to bombard the creature.
It was not to be. She set her hoof down, reflexively trying to gallop on her wounded leg and crumbled down when it didn't respond. Her whole body felt on fire, working like pulses of intensity from her injury outwards.
She was breathing heavy as the manticore approached. She couldn't keep her eyes open. She would never see her dad or Sweetie or her grandad again. She heard herself whimper before everything went black.
Jade slowly came to her senses. She could hear fire crackling, the pain in her leg was still there, much lighter than before, although it still radiated waves of pain and heat from time to time.
She opened her eyes and took in the situation. She was lying on her side, and her wound had been treated. She could feel warmth to her left, no doubt where the fire was, but right across from her was the manticore, and it was dead.
"You did well, Jade," Master Stride said from next to her.
The voice of her grandfather made her sigh in relief. "I'm sorry, I tried to sneak an—"
"No, it's fine." Master Stride stepped in front of her and offered a claw.
Jade gingerly took it and pushed up, wincing when her leg moved, but still able to stay upright. She looked around and noticed the saddlebag was resting next to her.
"Why don't you take a look inside?"
Jade nodded and levitated the saddlebag, bringing it over to her as she slowly took out all its contents, which turned out to be several vials and instruments. Some looked familiar from the potion making, but others…
"Wh-what is this?"
Master Stride grinned. "Very useful tools for an assassin. It's an apprentice kit to make poisons, and antidotes."
Jade looked from the bag, to the manticore to her grandfather. "This was a test?" She opened and closed her mouth. "But! I could have died!"
Master Stride nodded.
"And you knew the manticore was here! And I got poisoned!" She could feel tears pulling up, but surprisingly, they were less about hurt and more frustration. "I almost died!"
"But you didn't," Master Stride said, then grinned. "And even better… the most important bit… you fought back."
"I tried." Jade huffed.
"That's more than a lot of ponies would do in your situation," Master Stride said. "Now, come over." He motioned towards the dead manticore.
Jade grunted and shuffled her way towards Master Stride.
"Pay attention, Jade," Master Stride said, "Manticores have several glands that are very useful for assassins. Their claws and stinger by themselves are very useful for creating weapons, it's bone marrow is a delicacy, but also very valuable for its medicinal purposes. The leather from the wings can be used for lightweight but sturdy armor…"
As her grandfather carried on, Rarity took note. The designer in her was quick to imagine uses for everything, most of which would have made her squeamish just a month ago. But she also noticed something else. Whenever she would wince, or the pain would come back, her grandfather would stop his explanations and wait for her to recover, and more than once his eyes drifted to her wounded leg and they would soften briefly before going quickly back to the manticore.
"Grandad…"
Master Stride paused for a moment that seemed to stretch into minutes. He didn't turn or acknowledge her in any way before his shoulders slumped a little and he turned back to look at her. "Yes, Rarity?" Gaius finally asked.
"Wh—" she stammered and reconsidered her question. "W-was this really necessary?"
Gaius looked down at his granddaughter and lifted her chin up with his claw. "I would have never done it otherwise. I'm sorry."
Rarity hugged him.
"It's only going to get worse, isn't it?"
Gaius held her close. "Yeah."
"I think…" She tightened her hold before slowly stepping back and looking up to him. "I think I could never survive this… but Jade can."
Gaius smiled. "I'm proud of both of you," he said. "Now, let's finish doing this before heading back to camp," he said, returning to the Manticore. "Now, manticore fangs are not like normal feline fangs…"
They stayed in the Everfree for another week before the night to leave arrived.
"You must always remember what you need to do… never run out of this potion, or the balm," Master Stride said one night.
Jade looked up from where she had organized all the materials exactly as he had taught her. IT seemed that she had enough formula for years to come, but she understood the warning. "I won't, I promise."
Master Stride smirked and nodded. "Very well then, Jade, let's head out to our destination, my return is expected within a certain period of time and we don't want to miss it."
"Will they accept me?" Jade asked, a bit of worry creeping into her voice. "What if they don't? Will I have to go back to Ponyville and try and make it there without any help?"
Master Stride shrugged. "I have no doubt that they will accept you," he said evenly, "since I'm bringing you in myself. And I am very respected in our organization." He chuckled.
Jade levitated her black leather saddlebags and secured them on, while her grandfather tightened his own packs. The road through the forest would be tough… but not as tough as it had once been, and then, after that, her new life would really begin.
Their first stop, roughly a day and a half from their camping point, was a secluded town not quite in the outskirts of the Everfree called Marethage. The pair walked in, drawing uninterested gazes as the townsponies trod through muddy streets, focused on their own business, it being skinny-looking crops or dull-colored materials. Rarity winced internally, doing her best to disguise her horror at the drabness of it all.
It was a short visit. They walked into the inn, ate a meal and meandered around town for a bit, with Stride pointing out the main buildings and such to Rarity before they went into the less-pleasant areas of town; made of crumbling or decaying bricks and wood, where some ponies glared at them from the shadows—either not daring to come out into the light or more likely not willing to fight a capable-looking gryphon such as Gaius—while the rest stared into space morosely under old capes.
A few colts and fillies Rarity's age ran around in small groups, tumbling and wrestling and giving them both calculating looks before Gaius' glare sent them scampering away. After a few hours of this, the pair left, heading back into the forest.
They walked for days, discussing her fake past, in case it was brought up by anyone in the order, and Silent Stride insisted on randomly asking Rarity questions about Jade's past for several days, drilling a character history into her so she could immediately answer without hesitating, yet leaving it open enough that it would not seem perfect. It was a lot of little details and Rarity caught herself filling up the empty spaces with elements from her life in Ponyville.
"That is okay," Stride said, "As long as you use them as reference for a couple of things and not the whole place. Marethage is off the beaten path for most ponies; a small community with little things in common with Ponyville, which is right next to the railroad that takes ponies to and from Canterlot. It's actually hard to find on a map, unless it's local and you're travelling that particular route.
"So making references to how the books are organized inside Ponyville's library is fine if you're thinking of a reference, but you should be careful to not include the fact that it's a tree—Marethage's library is, as you saw, a rundown building."
Jade had lost sight of any sights of civilization by the end of the second day. She had been briefly upbeat when she had stepped into an actual road, only for them to leave it several hours later much to her chagrin.
They had camped and eaten rations and gone over the exact formula of the potion again, then as they left the next morning, her grandfather had taught her how to hide their camping spot. Still, in her mind and from the descriptions of the place her grandfather kept hinting at, Rarity was looking forward to seeing the grand complex where the assassins trained.
When they eventually stepped out of the deep woods to the north, she was disappointed to only see a huge mountain range ahead of them.
"It never ends," she sighed, brushing her green mane from her face.
Master Stride chuckled. "Really, Jade?" he asked. "Aren't you missing the most obvious part?"
Jade blinked and gazed at the mountain again. Her eyes followed everything about it until she realized that what she was looking at at the bottom of the mountain.
"Is that… a crevice?"
"It is," Gaius said, motioning for her to follow. "Not only are we far away from civilization, but our hideout couldn't be just there, in plain sight of a flying pegasus, gryphon or dragon."
Jade nodded. "That makes sense, I suppose." She stopped in her tracks, however, a heartbeat later. Master Stride stopped as well, glancing at her with mild amusement.
"Something bothering you, Jade?"
She glanced around. Everything seemed normal. And yet… "It feels strange… as if we're being watched."
Master Stride chuckled. "Well done. We are."
Jade looked up, then around. "Well… if we're being watched, and I figured it out, won't they come out and introduce themselves?"
Stride blinked. "And why would they do that? You might know you're being watched, but you don't know how many might be watching you or where they hide. As it is, they still have a considerable advantage."
Jade grumbled but had to acknowledge the point with a nod of her head.
Stride chuckled. "Think of it this way: if a pony senses they're being watched, they might tense up, but if nothing jumps out of the shadows to confront them immediately, they'll eventually just ignore it and blame it on paranoia." He smirked. "And trust me, ponies are paranoid. This patience could be the difference between success and failure."
Jade grimaced but finally nodded again. "I guess that makes sense." She looked curiously at him. "Do you know where they are?"
The old gryphon's grin never wavered. "Of course. These young ones need a few more years of practice before they can get a jump on this assassin. Isn't that right, Flame?"
"Perceptive as always, Stride."
Jade was about to ask what her grandfather meant when a voice behind her made her jump into the air, roll and turn, facing the voice's origin and ready to vault at the slightest chance.
An earth pony, large and muscled with a deep, crimson coat and yellow-red mane, wearing a black matted light armor grinned down at her. "She has nice reflexes. Where did you find her?"
"Really, Fire? I'm sure you'll find out eventually," Stride said, motioning to Jade to follow. The three started walking towards the crevice. "Her name is Jade… and if you really must know, I found her in the back streets of Marethage." He smirked. "As you can see she has quick reflexes and a keen eye for detail… it wasn't hard to convince her parents to let me take her for the usual fare and a promise for a better future."
"Certainly better than becoming a common thief, as so many do in those circumstances, or dying of hunger" Fire agreed. He glared at Jade. "You have been given a great opportunity, filly, make sure you're worthy of it."
"Y-yes…"
Stride chuckled. "This is the second in command of the Order of Dragons, bearing the title of Raging Flame," he explained. "It's not his actual name… did you ever tell us your real name?"
Raging Flame just snorted.
Stride continued, "Of course not. In any case, once a member of the order takes the second spot in the hierarchy of an order, the first part of their name is replaced by the order's title. In his case, Raging, in the order of the Wraiths it would be Silent, and in the order of the Sirens, the title would be Phantom."
At that point they had reached the crevice on the cliff side and Jade noticed that it had a natural protrusion all along the upper part. It was angled in such a way that she imagined a flying pegasus would not be able to spot the cave from above, and if they came low enough to investigate… well, ponies here were assassins after all.
"You can call me Master Flame," the earth pony said, nodding at her. "And I will test your mettle day in and day out. We'll burn that baby fat off of your body and make a true assassin out of you." He smiled. "If you survive."
"Come now, no need to scare the new apprentice," Stride said with some humor in his voice. "We don't get many as it is."
"We have a good number this year of fresh ones," Fire said, shrugging. "The old orphanage near Philidelphia caught fire. Tragic incident. But we did manage to save plenty of young ones to foster into the order."
Stride's brow furrowed. "That practice was abandoned for a reason."
Fire shrugged again. "It was going to be a massacre otherwise; plenty of bandits and rogue packs of Diamond Dogs had been scouting it for months."
Stride sighed. "How many?"
"Plenty. A lot of them much younger than her... the older youngsters were able to get out of the building with the adults. They'll be moved to another, newer foster home; a lot of fillies and colts will have food, roof and a future; and we get to expand our family. A winning situation all around."
"Fair enough," Stride said with a sigh. "Now, I should introduce Jade here to Velvet Blanket."
Fire snorted. "She might be busy arranging for all the new additions, but I guess she would have to make time for Silent Stride himself." He stopped and bumped a hoof on Stride's shoulder. "Good to have you back."
"G-Master Stride," Jade spoke up when they were alone in the caverns. "What did he mean about the orphanage?"
Stride sighed and motioned with his head so that they kept moving through the darkening tunnels. "Once you're part of the order, once you mingle and make friends here you'll come to regard a lot of them as good ponies or gryphons… and in a way, they might be, but you should never forget they, and you, are assassins. We are not the good guys, we'll never be. But we can, at least, be neutral."
Jade nodded a bit nervously.
"In olden times, orphanages were easy places to find new members, and generations before you or I, the order would sometimes foalnap entire groups of colts and fillies from there and bring them here. At the time, it was arguably an improvement on their lot, but as times became calmer and Celestia's influence spread, there was less predation of such places and the practice fell out of favor, as hiding these actions would be much more harder."
"Then why would they—we risk being found out by doing it this time?" Jade asked.
"A good question," a new, female voice answered, making the young filly scamper back onto Stride's flank. "And good questions are hard to find these days."
Out of the darkness, slow purple-glowing mist emerged, forming into the shape of a unicorn, before blowing away in the breeze and revealing an aging, but still beautiful mare. Her coat was a pale blue, her eyes—several shades darker—lit up with magic, giving them a glint almost like sapphire.
"Jade," Stride, said, "This is Phantom Note, second in command of the Order of the Sirens."
"A pleasure, I'm sure," Phantom Note all but purred. "I had heard you came back with a new apprentice, Stride, I didn't expect that to happen ever again."
"Times change."
"Oh," Phantom Note smiled roaming around him and Jade. "They sure do." She stopped and smirked, looking down at Jade. "To answer your question, young one, this was one of very few orphanages remaining where the authorities have neglected to act on demands to repair the building, or even to have a new one constructed. All we did was provide them some incentive and guilt over their oversight. The orphans were in real danger as it was, now they are safe." She paused. "Or safer in any case. At least now they have a chance at life and success."
Jade nodded uncertainly.
"I doubt you're here just to welcome me and Jade, Note," Stride said after a moment. "I know how hard it is to get you out of your lab."
"Oh, pish-posh, darling," Note said with a glint in her eye. "Why wouldn't I come out to greet an old friend?"
Stride just looked at her.
"Fine, fine, no need to glower. Hidden Claw wishes to speak with the masters of the three orders and their second-in-command," she said, relenting. "I was on my way to pick up Fire, but happily noticed you and your apprentice on the way."
"I see," Stride nodded. "I think we made it just in time for the new generation to be announced then?"
"Quite right, dear," Phantom Note said with a smirk. "You still have a little time to drop her off with Velvet."
"I will meet you and Fire soon then," Stride said, motioning with his claw for Jade to continue walking.
"Ta!" Phantom Note said cheerfully before becoming mist again and dispersing into the wind.
"Hidden Claw?" Jade asked.
"The Grand Master," Stride said.
"I see… wouldn't it have made sense to tell me all of this on the way here?" Jade asked.
"In a way, yes," Stride admitted, "but the names of our masters are never to be uttered outside of our home. If I had started explaining this, I would have had to break that oath."
Jade was about to make another comment when they emerged out of the tunnels, and she forgot completely about her questions. A great expanse of land opened before her, dipping down for a whole mile from the cave they had emerged from, before it became a forest that went on for miles, wrapping around several lakes and split by rivers. Above them, the cave went up, far above them, with occasional, large holes where sunlight poured into the cave below. Birds and pegasi and gryphons flew here and there, and in the center rose a large castle with a central tower so tall it reached high above their current height and merged with the top of the cave.
Jade stared at it all with slack-jawed wonder, barely managing to get her bearings back when she heard her grandfather chuckle.
