Band of Five Attributes (Re-Written)

“You two good?” Kaguya asked, looking at Rekka and Koto as she spoke. The two only nodded in response.

“Where on this planet has Tenmei wandered off to?” 01 wondered aloud, sitting on the couch whilst cleaning his glasses in his hooves.

“We’re not sure--it’s why I’m sending these two out to find him.” Kaguya answered with a nod, watching as Koto loaded her boomerang into her saddlebag before she and her companion trotted out.

“Where should we go first?” Koto asked, brow arched as she looked every which way. There were some other ponies trotting about, but not many this day.

“Let’s hit Carrot Top’s farm first, then Sweet Apple Acres because it’s closer than the rest of the town.” Rekka sighed, turning so that his front faced south of the town. Then, at once, he burst into a gallop, with Koto following close behind. It took a hefty fifteen minutes or so of running, but they got there in the end.

Carrot Top, a mare with a golden pelt, curly orange mane, and green eyes, was digging into the dirt with a bag of seeds in her mouth. Her cutie mark, three bunched-up carrots complete with green leaves, really did match her name and colors.

She put the bag of seeds down onto the small dirt mound she created as she saw the unicorns stop to a complete halt, gasping for breath like they just fled from the wrath of a monster. “What brings you two here?” Carrot asked.

Rekka wheezed for a bit as he regained his breath. “Have...have you seen Tenmei?” He asked.

“Who?” Carrot asked, brow arched.

“Brown mane, tan pelt, crossbow cutie mark, wears glasses?” Koto inquired, sighing as she regained her breath.

It took a moment, but her words finally registered in Carrot’s mind. “Oh, him. Haven’t seen him lately.” She answered. “Has something happened?”

“He kinda went walkabout...without his glasses.” Rekka replied, blinking a few times. “So, yeah, something’s happened, but we don’t know what.”

“Could you tell us if you see him?” Koto asked, ears flattening on her head for a moment.

“Sure thing. I’ll be farming most of the day, but when I have the time, I’ll have the mailmare send ya a letter if I find him.” Carrot answered, a small smile on her face. She picked up the bag of seeds and went back about her business.

“Thanks.” The two unicorns said before taking off to Sweet Apple Acres. Once they arrived (after catching their breath again), they found Applejack hard at work. She was kicking apple trees, letting the delicious green and red fruit drop into waiting baskets below.

The farm mare stopped kicking once she saw the unicorns. “Howdy there. Why are you two runnin’ like a cockatrice is on yer heels?” She asked, taking the moment to wipe sweat off her brow with a hoof.

“Have you seen Tenmei? He’s gone walkabout without his glasses.” Koto said, sitting on her rump.

“Nope. Can’t say I have. Why would he go without his glasses, though? That right there is worryin’ on its own.” Applejack replied, brow arched.

“To be honest, we’re asking the same thing.” Rekka sighed, rubbing a foreleg with a hoof. “It’s just...off.”

“Well, I’ll holler at ya if I see him. Hopefully he ain’t hurt.” Applejack said, resuming her kicking at the tree to make it drop more apples.

“Okay.” The two said, turning and starting their trot towards Ponyville. Along the way, they stopped to talk with a big red stallion with a short orange mane and green eyes. He had a cart attached to him via harness, and its frame was empty.

“I assume you’re going to fill that with more apples, Big Mac?” Koto asked.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac replied with a simple nod.

“Have you seen Tenmei?” Rekka asked.

“Nnnope.” Big Mac replied, this time shaking his head.

“Could you tell us if you see him?” The two unicorns asked.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac replied, nodding before trotting to the Acres. The two resumed their course as well, this time going to a building whose overall structure was reminiscent of a carousel with a full, 360-degree porch with the inner space lined with windows and precisely one door.

Rekka knocked a few times. Nopony answered. It was then he noticed a sign on the door.

“Gone to get fabric. Will be back around three in the afternoon.”

“I think we should come later.” Koto sighed. Rekka nodded in agreement, and they went about their business. Quite simply, every house they went to had an occupant that yielded the same answer that was usually worded differently: ‘I haven’t seen him.’ In fact, they were about ready to go home and face Kaguya’s wrath once they told her the news when a group of five ponies, all stallions, approached them.

One had a dull grey coat and short, black mane. His golden eyes seemed to gleam intently as he stared at Rekka in particular. Another stallion, also with black mane but with brown pelt, was eyeing the red-maned stallion with his own set of green eyes. The third, light grey pelt and black mane with dull yellow eyes, kept his eyes on Koto instead. On his midsection was a closed saddlebag.

The fourth, black mane with a pelt of a color somewhere between turquoise and sea-green, was looking at what the first two was eyeballing with eyes matching the color of Koto’s mane. Unlike the others, he sported a white collar and black tie, like what would be found on a businessman. The last one, grey pelt with mane of two different shades of light blue-teal, was also looking at the unicorn stallion with moderate light-blue eyes.

“And why are four of you looking at me like I’m a murderer?” Rekka asked, brow arched.

The five glanced at one another, and at once, they broke out into a cacophony of laughter. It was then the pony with the tie returned his gaze to the unicorn who had asked the question, eyes narrowing low. “It’s very simple,” He started, his tone resonating with anger as he spoke, “your mane and tail happen to be at a length we find rather intolerable for a stallion such as yourself.”

“E-Excuse me? You’re saying my mane and tail are too long?” Rekka inquired, letting the words of the apparent business-pony sink in for a moment or so.

“It’s exactly what he’s saying.” The blue-maned stallion answered, grinning rather darkly as he finished speaking. “And we’re here to fix it.”

“Um, why don’t you guys just trot elsewhere if my mane and tail length offend you that much?” Rekka quickly countered, ears falling flat on his skull. He didn’t want to cause trouble, not with these ponies.

“We’ve put up with it for long enough,” Spoke the light-grey stallion. He opened his saddlebag with a hoof and produced from it a pair of shears. “We’re gonna fix it right here, right now.”

Koto stomped one of her front hooves. This caused the group of five to look at her. Her eyes narrowed low, and she huffed once. “I happen to like his mane and tail being that long.” She said quickly.

The five registered her words for a moment before they broke out into another awful, unified laughter. The stallion with the shears then shook his head disapprovingly. “You like his long mane and tail? Are you serious? Girl, you lack some taste!” He cried before laughing out loud again.

“It makes him unique.” Koto countered quickly, her horn lighting to life with magic. “And if you take away what makes him unique, it’s almost like if I used those same shears to remove the horn or wings of your slutty, disease-ridden mother.” She added, stomping a front hoof again and this time pushing dirt aside afterwards with it.

“Say what?!” The light-grey stallion cried, eyes widening and then narrowing at the crude remark. “You don’t know my mother, kid!”

“I can say quite a lot about her--based on how you’re acting right now. She didn’t raise you too good, did she?” Koto countered. Her magic grasped her boomerang, and she was effectively prepared to draw it out and hit some things with it.

“Same can be said about you, given your foul mouth.” Spoke the pony with the tie. “Now, just let us cut his mane and tail and we’ll be on our way.”

“How about no?” Koto hissed, literally stepping in between the group of stallions and her companion.

“Oh, goodness gracious, what is all this fuss about?” Spoke a high-pitched, elegant female voice. All ears perked to attention at once, and the source of the voice made itself known: a white unicorn mare, so pristine white, with a royal purple and expertly curled mane and tail, approaching the group of arguing seven with saddlebags on her body as well. Her sapphire blue eyes darted back and forth between the makeshift factions, and her cutie mark of three cyan diamonds was as radiant as the rest of her form.

Koto swiftly drew her weapon, and she used it like she would the accusing hoof. “They want to cut off the mane and tail of my boyfriend!” She cried, briefly glancing at the white unicorn as she spoke.

The stallions who had the shears on their side laughed once more at the remark. “Boyfriend?” They cried in unison, as if in disbelief at her words. “Who’d want him with his long mane and tail??”

The white unicorn gave Rekka a quick glance, and all the stallion could do was look at her with wide eyes, dropped jaw, and meager shrug. She hastily turned back to the group of stallions who were mocking him, and it was then she gave her opinion on the matter at hoof: “The mane and tail could use a bit more brushing through, but I personally think it is actually greater the longer they are.”

“You have got to be kidding me! You like it too?!” Shouted the blue-maned stallion, sitting on his rump and flinging his front hooves before him in Rekka’s direction.