Band of Five Attributes (Re-Written)

“So, what yer sayin’ is a bloody train grew more legs than a pack o’ timberwolves and would’ve destroyed Appleloosa had Tenmei not stopped it?” Applejack asked, eyes widening as she tried to wrap her brain around Braeburn’s rather absurd story.

“Pretty much. You know I wouldn’t lie about something that big a deal.” Braeburn replied. He and Applejack were trotting to a red barn that was bathed in the light of a full moon.

The duo entered the barn and found six ponies at a table, one being the nurse who had accompanied Koto, another being Tenmei (who currently had a smug look on his face), another being a yellow filly with a red mane, another still with red body and orange mane, and the last being an elderly green mare with a white mane.

The whole lot of ponies were playing cards, save for Koto, who was merely sitting back to watch.

“Big Mac, ya have a ten?” Asked the filly.

“Eenope.” Replied the red stallion.

The filly groaned, her hoof connecting with her face before she drew a card.

“Do you have a three, Applebloom?” Asked the nurse.

“Why does everypony always take the card I just drew??” Applebloom, the filly, complained as she handed the nurse a card.

The nurse looked at Tenmei. “You sure are smug. You have any five’s?”

“Gofish.” Tenmei replied, glasses glinting as the nurse drew her card. He turned to the elderly mare. “Miss Smith, do you have any seven’s?”

“No, I don’t.” Miss Smith, whose first name was Granny, answered. She watched as the teen stallion sighed and drew a card...before plumping two sevens down on the table.

“Welp, I made a match. I think that means I get another go.” Tenmei said, that smug look still on his face. “Redheart, you have any jacks?”

The nurse sighed and forked over the card. It was then she noticed Braeburn and Applejack trotting towards the table. Both ponies took chairs and sat at the table, and Applejack looked at Tenmei dead in the eyes. “Alright, I have never of a train growin’ legs and other pony parts that was hellbent on attackin’ things. Not once in a day of my life.” She said sternly.

“Ah, great. Here we go.” Tenmei thought, ears flat on his head and his smile fading.

“A train...growing legs? And hellbent on destruction? The only scenario I can see in which that WOULDN’T be preposterous would be Discord and his magic! That’s simply absurd!” Redheart declared, eyes wide in anger.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed, nodding and not doing much else.

“And what if Discord didn’t do it?” Applebloom asked, raising a hoof only to find herself getting stared at by Koto, whose mouth happened to have nearly dropped open.

“That’s the thing--Braeburn didn’t see Discord do anything, let alone hear anything of the sort. I feel that only ONE pony round here has the answer.” Applejack said, still looking at Tenmei.

Koto then raised her good hoof before slamming it onto the table. “Actually, he’s not the only one who can answer that.” She said, eyes narrowed a bit. She looked relatively angry.

Applejack turned to her. “Why do you say that?” She asked.

Koto’s expression didn’t waver. “Let’s just say he and I came from the same place and have seen the same things.” She answered quickly.

“Alright, I can understand that. But, if the train really did grow that many legs, then how do you know what caused it to happen?” Applejack said, an eyebrow arching upwards.

“It’s not a what; it’s a who.” Koto replied, her expression still unchanging.

“Are you two seconds away from yakkin’ about them?” Tenmei asked, also looking at Koto.

“I see the two of you have entered a most peculiar discussion.” Said a masculine voice not belonging to any at the table, causing all faces present to suddenly twist in confusion.

Applejack turned around, only to see a white stallion with dark grey eyes and short, spiked mane. He wore glasses that were small and rectangular in shape. His hooves were also dark grey, and he had a friendly smile on his face.

All present also turned to look at him, though only Tenmei and Koto’s faces turned in wide-eyed shock. It was as though they instantly recognized this stallion as he pulled up a chair to the table and sat between Big Mac and Applebloom.

“Mister, who were you talking to?” Applebloom asked.

The stallion turned to the filly, the friendly smile still on his face. “Why, I was addressing Tenmei and Koto, dear.” He answered.

“Wait, you know them?” Braeburn asked, a hoof raised as if he were objecting to something beyond words.

“Why, I do indeed know them! Very well, in fact.” Answered the stallion, his face still brimming with the smile. “Consider me...one of their two legal guardians.”

“Are ya sayin’ they’re adopted?” Applejack asked, eyebrow still arched.

“Not necessarily me adopting them; I’ve been tasked to look after them and ensure they go to school and do other things a teenager needs to live.” The stallion answered again, still smiling.

“01, could you please for the love of all that is holy--” Tenmei started, only to stop as the stallion looked at him with a darkening face, tiny pupils, a twitching eyebrow and a lopsided smile on his muzzle.

“D-don’t you dare finish that sentence, young colt.” 01 said, the tone of his voice dark and angry despite his expression saying otherwise.

Tenmei gulped, ears flat on his head and sweat forming. “Y-yes, sir.” He muttered.

01 then turned back to Applejack, his friendly smile returning as if his expression never changed. “My apologies for that display. Like all teens, the lot I have tend to backtalk sometimes.”

“There’s something that’s been bothering me.” Redheart said, catching the stallion’s immediate attention.

01 turned to the nurse. “And what would that be?” He asked.

“What explains the crossbow and boomerang?” The nurse replied.

“Ah, those. It’s something that is a bit tricky to answer. All I can say is those who have the weapons have gained them through training.” 01 answered, still smiling.

“Training?” Braeburn inquired.

“We’re part of an agency called the Special Task Force. It’s...hard to explain.” 01 replied, now frowning. “What I can say is that we deal with monsters...made of objects that are, in a way, their own sentient beings.”

“Like that train I seen the other day. I swear to Celestia it had many legs and a horn. The only pony who dared take that thing was Tenmei. Let me tell ya, I hadn’t seen something quite like what he did.” Braeburn commented, a small smile on his face.

“I think you can see…” 01 paused, slowly turning his head in Koto’s direction. He took notice of her wounded foreleg cascaded in bandages, and his darkened face, tiny pupils, and lopsided smile returned almost immediately. “Just what in the name of all things holy did you do to your foreleg, young lady?”

The teen’s ears fell flat on her skull. “I-I honestly don’t know...I was unconscious…” She answered, her body and voice trembling a little bit in fright.

“I have no idea myself.” Redheart said, wrapping a foreleg around Koto as if to reassure her. “All I know is a bunch of ponies found her with her boomerang being held in her hurt foreleg...which happened to have a knife plunged in said leg that somehow fractured the bone, causing it to poke out of the skin. She had to undergo immediate surgery.”

“A-a KNIFE?! A-are you implying someone was trying to KILL her?!” 01 nearly shrieked, suddenly raising up on his hind legs and slamming his front hooves on the table.

“That’s my only guess, considering she was found on the outskirts of town.” Redheart replied, looking at the stallion with widening eyes.