Templar's Honor

"So, where's ya hood, Lady Spitfire?"

"For the last time Rumble, I threw it away."

"But why? You looked amazing with it!"

"Alright, are you going to buy or sell anything?"

"What? Naw, I'm only here for you."

"Well....Ain't that sweet?"

I grumbled at the young boy before me. Him and his brother, Thunderlane, had been badgering me over the last four months. These four months had been ups and downs for me. Leaving the Brotherhood had made my life a little boring. I now did odd jobs around town such as delivering or hauling or mercenary work. I still had the skills of an Assassin and I used them to be a masked vigilante in the city. Often saving a civilian from a mugging or fetching a stolen purse. But I never killed unless I was dealing with a murderer. Rarely, I would run into an Assassin committing the crime. However, Justice falls on everyone equally, and I treated them the same. I did not kill any Brothers or Sisters as I had never seen them commit murder. I am sure I had a spared more than a couple. Fleetfoot warned me that I was interfering with the war and would be branded a traitor. I heeded the words of my friend and stopped my personal crusade. Soarin advised for me to settle down. With the bits I earned, I opened my own pawn shop in the West District. It was my humble contribution to the city. I still had urges to go out at night and fight. Most of the time I kept them at bay. I wanted to help my home. And now with the Olden Families rising against each other and using gangs and mobs to express their authority in the city, I felt like I was needed more than ever.

"Where's your friends? You know, the ones that were dressed like you." Rumble asked.

"Oh, they're out there somewhere, doing something."

Business, like all days, had been slow. It was mid-morning and I had been open for about three hours. The early spring air was upon Cloudsdale and I left the shop's door open. The young boy looked about the shelves behind me with disinterest. Rumbled had never bought anything and I knew he wouldn't now. The sound of armored footsteps could be heard outside. I sighed. I had been expecting them.

"Rumble, go hide, they're here. Right on time too."

Rumble nodded. This wasn't the first time he was here when they came. "Alright, Lady Spitfire, I'll be in the kitchen."

The young boy ran off into my home. I turned to the doorway. Three armored thugs walked through. By their white armor and their yellow crests, I could tell they were of the Becip Family. They walked over to me and grinned. I returned their grins with my usual indifference. I leaned on the counter and waited for them to spit out their rehearsed spill.

"Lady Spitfire, you are late on your payments, again. You need to pay rent to have a shop on Becip territory." The thug told me and pointed a rude finger at me.

"I told you to give it up. I've beaten you guys before. Just give up. I'm not paying." I returned.

"One last warning..."

"Just put your fists up and let's settle this!" I yelled.

"FINE!"

I swung myself over the counter. My blue spring dress made it much harder, but I was used to maneuvering in a long skirt. One thug swung at me. I ducked and he struck his fellow thug who was on the other side of me. I focused on one Becip. I kicked him in the knee. He grunted and tried to return my attack. I deflected his punch with my arm and grabbed his head. I bent over and flipped him over me. Fortunately, he wasn't getting back up. Unfortunately, I threw him on my  shop counter, destroying it. Only two remained. They both circled around me like they were professionals. One swung at me. I grabbed his flying arm and pushed him into the wall. When he was on the ground, I followed up with a kick across his face, incapacitating him. The final thug drew his sword and pointed it at me.

"We don't need ya alive to take your money." He said.

He swung his sword at me. I rolled under his swing and stood up behind him. He attacked again, but this time, I grabbed his forearm and punched his elbow upward, breaking it. He screamed in pain and dropped his sword. I picked up the sword and whacked him across the head with its pommel. He slumped over on my wooden floor.

Rumble entered the room. "Did ya get 'em, Spitfire?"

"Yeah, I did."

I picked up one Becip thug and swung him over my shoulder. Like always, I had to clean up my shop from their bodies. I carried him outside to the large fountain in the plaza in front of my shop. I put him down in a sitting position on the fountain's stone base. I did this again with another thug, placing him on one side of his fellow Becip and placing his arm over the other's shoulder. I put the last one on the empty side of the first. I also placed his arm over the first's shoulder. Clousdalians laughed as they saw me construct my art. The position I gave the unconscious fiends was that of three close buds enjoying the day by the fountain. I finally gave them empty cider bottles in their free hands. I stood back and admired my work.

"Oh Spits, at least you retained your humor."

I was startled by the voice behind me. I turned around to see Fleetfoot leaning on a lamp poll a few meters away.  She gave me her usual smile. I tried to ignore her and started to walk back to my shop. That was, until Rumble saw Fleetfoot from the pawn window and came running out.

"There she is! I knew you guys were still friends."

Fleetfoot laughed. "Haha, hello Rumble, how's your week been?"

I blinked. "You know each other?"

She placed a hand on my shoulder. "We talk a lot. He tells us everything about what you are doing. Well, only Soarin and me. How else would we find you?"

I sighed and rubbed my face. "I need to shut my mouth..."

"He's also interested in joining the Brotherhood." She said and gestured at him.

"What? He's too young." I replied.

"Well, his brother just went to Baltimare to be under the Bearer of Loyalty's command. He says he's gonna get himself a ship and sail on the seas with the Bearer of Loyalty. High goals right there."

"How did they even know about the Brotherhood?"

"After you left, they came in the North Den. They kinda figured it out on their own, especially with the snowball fight on Hearth's Warming. Smart kids, both of them."

I pointed at the blushing kid in front of me. "I'll save ya time. Don't join. There's nothing there for you."

"Spits!" Fleetfoot growled.

"What? I'm helping him."

"No you're not! You jerk!"

"Hey, I'm doing something for this city, unlike you. You see those thugs over there? Yeah, what are the Assassins doing about them? Nothing of course. All you Assassins care about is your vendetta with the Templar. Why don't you go help the city for once?"

"We do Spits, by ruining the Templar, we'll save the city." Fleetfoot reasoned.

"That's not how it works. You should clean the streets before you take on the heads. You let the Olden Families roam about and hurt people. You guys sure fight for Freedom..."

I nudged passed Rumble and walked to my shop. Fleetfoot muttered some curses and ran off. When I entered my shop, I angrily threw a chair over. My temper was higher than it had been in a long time. Most of my anger was directed at myself. I had lashed out at one I still considered my friend. Both Soarin and Fleetfoot disobeyed the ol' Den Master's orders whenever they spoke to me. they risked a lot to just talk to me and I treated them like this.The rest of my anger was directed at the Brotherhood. Ever since my desertion, they seemed to have stopped aiding the city. Cloudsdale was going downhill fast with the gang wars and violence. The Assassins probably helped the violence. They inspired others through all their killing. I leaned on a wall and looked at the boy who followed me inside. He gazed at me with worried eyes. He was a poor lad living in a dying city. He didn't deserve a home like this. He certainly did not deserve to be with the lying and deceiving Brotherhood. No, something had to be done. If the Assassins refuse to aid the city, then I will. For the people. Always the people. It was time for me to place matters in my own hands.

"Are you alright, Lady Spitfire?" Rumble meekly asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm going for a walk. You head home, OK?

He silently nodded and ran off. I walked into my bedroom. It was small bedroom with few things in it. But there were two things in there, and those were the Arabian's scimitar and my hidden blade. I took it and some others tools. Even though I was wearing a dress, I could still make a statement to those gangs.

I finally reached the Becip gang's headquarters. Their headquarters was a slightly fortified block in the city. Well, block as in at least eight to ten modern buildings. Anyone who lived there before was quickly removed by the gang. I saw their white armor glimmering in the afternoon sun. In the center of their  open "fort" was a white flag bearing the golden hammer of the Becip Family. There was no doubt that I was in the right place. I placed the hood of my shawl over my head. I also had a small cloak to conceal my sword. I looked about the headquarters. In the middle was a tall building acting as a small watchtower. I saw a Becip member with a large crossbow patrolling on its roof. I wanted to burn this building. To let the people know that they weren't invincible.

I carefully walked up to one of the pathways leading in the headquarters. A Becip was standing guard in front of it. He smiled at me, as I was disguised as a fine woman. Fortunately, there was a building between us and the watchtower. So whatever I did with this Becip would go unnoticed.

"How are you this fine day, m'lady?" He asked me.

"Much finer with you, good sir." I replied in an innocent voice.

"What brings you here?"

"I require passage through here. Will you let me pass?" I humbly asked.

"Sorry m'lady, but this part of town is reserved for Becip Family members and their associates. No one else allowed."

"Even for a fee?" I drew closer to him.

He smiled. "Depends on what ya giving."

"I'm giving you bastards access to Tartarus."

I stabbed him in the side with my hidden blade. With my other hand, I covered his mouth and suppressed his agonizing scream. His heavy body fell on mine. I silently placed his body on the ground and dragged him behind a barrel. It was not a good hiding place, but it would have to do. Once I was done with that dead lout, I sneaked further into the gang's home. The small pathways and alleys between the fortified buildings hid me from the thugs.

I came across some thugs reveling in a corner. Two of them were women. At first I thought they were entertaining the man, but I saw that they were in Becip armor as well. It seems that these gangs allow everyone to join their ranks. Since they were drunk on cider, it was not hard to pass them. I turned to the right and slowly made my way to the main building.

"Now Markus, the boss would hate that if we killed her."

"Are you soft? Ever since Bulk left, you've been so soft. Did ya lover leaving ya for the Royal Enforcers make ya forget who we are?"

"What? No, I'm not soft, just reasonable. She's a Templar and we can't hurt her."

I stopped and listened. One of the voices was feminine and the other masculine. I crouched behind a pile of crates and leaned around it. Two Becip thugs were chatting in a small alley. The woman had blond hair while the man had black hair that contrasted with their white armor. The man did not look happy. The woman had her back to me, so I could not see her face, but her movements made her appear meek.

"Markus, she's a Templar, you know, that ones we used to work with? Yeah, if we kill her, the Order is going to be upon us."

"Lician, Sunset Shimmer may be Templar, but she can't come here and tell us what to do. We need to show the Order that don't work for them anymore."

Lady Shimmer was here? Whatever for? The two thugs continued to chat. I stayed and listened with new found interest. The woman, Lician, shook her head at the man. Markus grunted at this.

"Lician, what don't you understand?"

"I understand everything. Sunset Shimmer should not be harmed any more than what we've already done."

"Fine, I'll go give her her lunch."

"No, Markus, I will. I can't risk you killing her in your madness."

Lician picked up a sack that was on the ground and walked passed Markus. Markus shrugged rudely and made off in the opposite direction. Should I follow her? Why? Sunset was a Templar and deserved this. Did she? I need to treat all equally. If Lady Shimmer was an Assassin, I would save her. What did she do to deserve being a prisoner to these fiends? I could not think of anything. All she had was a different mind than mine. That was no crime. Not even the Assassins could justify that.

When Markus passed by me. I sneaked around the crates and followed Lician. She was taking me away from the main building. I cursed. I hoped she was worth the trouble already. Lician walked out of the alley. I watched her from the end of the alley as she walked down one of the Becip streets. Thugs wandered about, mostly ignoring the woman. I quickly darted from the alley to behind a pile of barrels.

"Hey Lician!" A thug called to her. "Where ya heading?"

"To the prisoner quarters. Gonna give them some food."

"Just let them starve. They have no use to us." A Becip remarked.

"Oh quit it you. Ya'll the same about them. If we want this city, we need to show them that  we are not savages." Lician reasoned.

The brute shook his head. "Nah, we don't. We need to show them that we mean business. Business don't take no prisoners."

Lician snarled and continued on her way. The brutes that were talking with her turned and worked on their errands. One started sharpening a blade on a grindstone. I noticed that the blade was an odd one, like a blade found on an Assassin hidden blade. I doubt that this was true, but it certainly looked like it. I continued my slow pursuit of the Becip woman.

I rounded a small table and darted behind another. The prisoners were farther than I expected. A few Becips patrolled on the rooftops. I had to wait for their eyes to turn away from me before I could move to another location. I quickly ran to a large barrel and halted. Lician's voice could be heard from a small hut in front of me. She left the door opened. I slowly made my way to the door.

"Alright, I'm here. How's it been, Shimmer?"

A dry moan replied to her.

"It ain't that bad. Oh, I forget about your Canterlotian skin. You're as tough as a frigid flower. Kinda look like one too."

I entered the hut. It was shoddily made of wood and only there to serve as a hiding place and a roof, but nothing more. The hut had three prisoners chained in it. I saw Lady Shimmer, the other two were both men I did not recognize. Lician was standing in the middle of the hut with her sack. She playfully swung it around in her hand. I stood up and walked up to her. The Becip continued to mock the Templar.

"Tough isn't it? You come from royalty, but look at you now? No better than a peasant. Oh, if only the Assassins saw this. They would consider the Becip Family as heroes. Something you and the Templar never were. Oh, it's tough keeping you alive. All the others want to end your pitiful life for being a Templar. Me, however, think that's too kind for someone like you. You should suffer as long as possible. You royalty convinced Bulk to join your ranks. He won't last long as your royal cannon fodder. Now eat this."

I had enough of listening to that woman. I reached for her head and grabbed it. She knew no more as I forcefully twisted her neck around. The woman fell to the ground and her armor rattled. I then leaned over Lady Shimmer. Her arms were chained above her head. Blood was all over her face and her hair was mangled. She gazed at the ground weakly.

"Lady Shimmer? Sunset? It's me, Spitfire." I nudged her shoulder.

"What....?" She mouthed.

"Here, I'll get you out of here."

"The others..." She weakly nodded at the chained men.

"I'll get them too. Now, stay with me, everything's gonna be alright."

"I'm such a fool, Spitfire..."

"Oh, I know. But this isn't the time. Here."

I walked back to Lician's corpse. I started searching her pockets and pouches. After some searching, I came upon a key. I then returned to Lady Shimmer. I unlocked the chains on her wrists. Her arms slumped to her sides. I then did the same with the men. The men were in better condition than the Templar woman. As soon as I freed them, they ran out of the hut to freedom. I turned my attention back to the poor woman.

"Can you walk?" I asked.

"No...."

"Then I'll carry ya."

I pulled her over my shoulder. It was not the most comfortable position for Sunset, but it was the easiest for me. With her on my shoulder, I jogged out of the hut. Luckily, I was on the edge of the Becip fort. I went through an empty alley and out of their territory. I was not satisfied with this and continued to jog away. Cloudsdalians stared at me as I carried the woman.

"Spitfire..."

"Save ya strength." I told her.

"What were you doing there?" I asked.

"Trying to persuade them to end their marauding." Sunset told me.

The Templar rested in the bed of my shop. It was the only place I knew that was reasonably safe. The night sky was all that one could see out of the window. The Templar sipped the water that I gave her. She was bandaged all over. The thugs gave her far more beatings than I expected. She was better than before, but she could barely stand. This was because they broke her left leg. With the little knowledge of medicine I have, I made a splint for her. Now I sat on a chair beside her bed. The only light came from the candle on the nightstand.

"Those ruffians. They think they can rule this city. Such arrogance." Sunset remarked.

"Didn't the Olden Families work for the Templar?"

"Worked with. And yes. But now they have ended their dealings with us. It had been getting worse since even before last Hearth's Warming. Their ideas on the city have changed. I do not know what happened, but I suspect Assassin influence."

I nodded. "Of course you do. I wouldn't be so quick to assume. I mean, we hated them too."

She gave me an odd gaze. One of deep thought and mixed emotions. I raised a brow at her. She did not seem to notice.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Oh, just how odd this circumstance is. If this was before Hearth's Warming, you would have left me to die. You have changed in the months. Now, I owe my life to one who was called an Assassin."

"Heh, yeah. You don't owe me anything though. I only helped ya because no one deserves to treated like that." I told her.

"I still think I do. I'm also glad you think that way. The city doesn't deserve one like yourself."

"Is that why you're here? Are still trying to help the city?"

She nodded. "Yes. I have realized how troubled Cloudsdale really is. These Olden Families, the Assassins, they have dragged this city down so far."

"And what of you Templar? You're doing everything but helping. You let the Families do this."

"Spitfire, the Templar here are far and few. The Assassins have done well to chop down our ranks, even in your absence. We had the Families under us, making sure they wouldn't harm the citizens, but the Assassins undermined our authority and now the Olden Families believe they can take the city for themselves. The Families are in no way united, and thus the gangs rose to clash in the streets."

"Or you know, the Families just got tired of ya."

"Maybe. But, I've kept this question away long enough. Did you ever consider my offer I gave you last winter? You never returned."

I leaned back in my chair. "Really? You won't accept a no, will ya?"

"The Templar are always reluctant to accept defeat." She jested.

"It's a no. I will not join you."

"Can we help you?" She asked. Her voice sounded desperate.

I was startled by her mood. "How?"

"The Templar have money and technology. Technology that will blow your mind, and most literally do that. You may not be a Templar, but you are no Assassin. You're trained and skilled. We will aid you in regaining this city from the thugs and the Assassins. If the Templar ever step over their bounds, do not hesitate to put us back in our place."

"What will you gain from this?'

"The knowledge that Cloudsdale is redeemed from the Chaos it is in right now and that the Assassin influence will be lowered."

"I will not go against my Brothers and Sisters. Some of them are still friends."

"I understand, but they do play part in these gangs. The Order does not know much, except that."

I considered this. "What's in it for me?"

"You will save this city and your Honor."

I sighed. There was a long pause as I thought about this. It seemed the best of both worlds. She did seem earnest. I saved her life, she should be. Lady Shimmer had never mistreated me. We had some arguments, but nothing major. Her desperate voice, her sincere frown. It was convincing. I nodded my head slowly before answering.

"It is a deal."

She sighed in relief. "Thank you, Spitfire. Now, first, you must have a new look. Dresses don't look good on you. The Templar can make you some robes. They cannot be like your old ones, as there are Assassins who where similar clothing. No, they must be unique, so that we can tell them apart from others. I think black will match your hair."

I grunted. "Hmph. I don't think fashion plays into this."

She smiled sheepishly. "Of course, what was I thinking? Sorry."

"I think we need to sleep before we plan the future of this city."

"I agree, Spitfire."

"G'night."

I stood up and turned to leave the bedroom. I had prepared myself a sleeping area in my small waiting room behind the shop. The day had been long. I had talked with both sides of the war. This could be a new day for the city. The Olden Families had been ruling over this place for long enough. Their cruelty must come to an end. The Assassins would not confront this issue, so I will. With the help of the Templar, I could do wonders. I grinned as I exited the room. However, I stopped when I heard Lady Shimmer's voice.

"Spitfire?"

"Yes?"

She swallowed. "When I'm healed, could you teach me how to fight, like an Assassin?"

"Why?" I almost chuckled.

"I felt so helpless in the captivity of those renegades. I don't want to feel that way again. I may be of royalty, but that shouldn't make me weak. A woman like yourself could train me to take care of myself. I would no longer be some damsel in distress." She said

"It took me years to be as good as I am. Do not expect yourself to rise to my skill."

She nodded. "I understand. Is that a yes?"

"It's a maybe."

"That is good enough for me."

The room became dark as Sunset blew out the candle. I left her in the room. Now I could finally get some rest. Sunset's last request remained in my mind. Training her would certainly cause the Brotherhood to come after me. Oh, I've already gone to far by housing a Templar in my home. I walked over to a drawer and opened it. A small dagger was inside. I had to sleep with this by my ear from now on. The Assassins could be right outside my window without me knowing. It was scary. I felt hunted. I was prey. After all this time, I had been the hunter. Now it has changed. Well, be ready Brothers, this prey was claws.

~