A City's Understanding

The week that followed was quiet and I stayed at home most of the time. To keep up the lie that I was taking up banking and following my father, I kept to my room to "prevent Sweetie from disturbing my study time." My sister was suspicious of my behaviour throughout it all, but she never proved that I was doing less than nothing in my room.

She came dangerously close to finding out what I had been doing when she saw my Templar ring. Of course, she mistook it as Father's and I strung the lie that he had forgotten it the day prior and that I placed it in my room to remind myself to return it to him. She bought the tale and scurried out of the room like an enraged bat. Father sighed in relief when I reported the story to him that night. It seemed the more I become involved with the Order, the more he wanted to keep it secret.

Yes, not even Mother knew of what we did. That was far harder than it sounded. My mother was cunning and far too intelligent to keep ignorant. From my room I would listen to her question Father about his day, every new question with a more venomous hiss than before. Father never denied her information. He simply kept my dealings out of it, saying that I was conversing with some noble or hanging about the Palace Gardens. Mother feared for Father and his true occupation, but she kept telling herself that he was doing the right thing.

One event of note was that Twilight visited us three days after Father and I visited the poor Assassin. The girl, in her usual quirky manner, was obviously trying to hide that she was scared. The cup of tea in her hand shook to the point of spilling on the red carpet, inciting apology after apology from her. Her eyes dashed to the windows every ten seconds or so, as if she expected a demon to be watching her from such a vantage point. Her fingers tapped every surface she could find with a quick and unsteady beat. A defense mechanism for fear, I was sure. Above all this, her hair was wild and unkempt.

"Darling," I began, trying to sooth her. "What is it that has you so...?"

"Disturbed? Aghast? Terrified?" Sweetie suggested excitedly.

"Any of those will do." I nodded as I sipped my tea.

"Rarity, have you been out of the walls lately?" Twilight whispered.

"No, I have not. Has something happened?"

Twilight gave a short nod. "Yes. It happened in the plaza by my home. A gunfight between Royal Guards and Nationalist protestors. Some bullets broke our windows and Spike was almost shot! It didn't last long and the protestors lost....every one of them."

"Good heavens!" I exclaimed. "I've heard nothing of it. I would believe a travesty like that would be all around the Capital."

"That's because you live within the walls." Twilight said gloomily. "We all know about it out there, especially with Arthur Daniel's articles about it in the Capital Tribune."

"Arthur Daniel? Of course, he's a radical Nationalist." I reminded her. "I hear he helped elect Tirek as head of the party."

"Yes." Twilight agreed. "His wife visited my home a few days before. She's a nice woman, but lacks modesty. Well, she is an airship pilot and was looking for parts for her ship." The girl smiled genuinely for the first time. "I'm glad Spike found parts for her. I hate it when a customer leaves empty-handed."

I mentally pushed back my memories of shopping there. "Indeed. But I must say, doesn't that mean you helped the Nationalists? You could be branded as a terrorist if they use that ship against the Royals."

Twilight's eyes gazed at the floor. "I see. I shouldn't have done that then. I mean, I knew who she was before I sent Spike to aid her. I would have no defense on my side if I was caught. But we shall keep this between ourselves right?" She added innocently.

"Of course darling. Now what troubles you? These walls are safe from Nationalists, I assure you."

"It's not the Nationalists." Twilight shook her head and lowered her voice to a whisper. "It's the other ones. The Changelings."

"Pardon me, what?"

"The Changelings." She repeated. "These men and women who wear all green with ugly black masks. Every one of them, the same. One was in our home in the early morning. He got away with two of our best rifles. Flash stayed the next night with us for protection. That was pleasant." She added absently.

"Are you sure they're not just crazed Nationalists?" I asked.

"Or maybe they are Unionists." Sweetie suggested."

"Well, Octavia calls them Changelings."

"Octavia!" I yelled. "You still talk with that..." I closed my mouth upon realising that Sweetie was still in the room. "That fiend?"

"I know, Flash doesn't like it either, but she talks plenty with me. She's on the shady side, I know, but I don't see a criminal."

"Twilight, she killed people." I told her. "She's a murderer and if she sees you with me...she'll kill you as well."

"Why would she do that?" Twilight raised her voice.

"Because she's an..." I halted. "She's an..."

"A cello player? Yeah, I know." Twilight barked. "Rarity, I think you're just still mad at her when she insulted you. That was months ago! You should have moved on."

"It's not that." I sighed and remained quiet for the rest of the time.

She left not an hour after that. Mother wished for her to stay for the night, but Twilight refused. I had come startling close to revealing what I am in front of both my sister and Twilight. I was glad that the talk of the cello-playing Assassin distracted Twilight from the Changelings that frightened her. After the short lecture, she was much more relaxed than before. Before I slept, I hoped dearly that she would be all right through the night.

I sat on a park bench, desperately waving my hand-fan to fend off the heat of the morning. I spent my time watching two Royal Officers bicker about what colour of uniform they were supposed to wear today. One was saying "blue" with a fiery passion while the other uttered his delicate opinion of "yellow." I was glad I was wearing neither of those colours, as I wore my white day dress.

I was waiting for Father to return to me. He had told me that he was "fetching someone" and that it would not take long at all. Thus, I decided to rest my feet and sit down. I was a great distraction to most of the rich admirers who passed me by. A Royal Guard altered his patrol to pass me every other minute, while a nobleman rested in the shade of a tree to watch me. I was certain he had not the slightest idea that I knew he was staring at me.

There was a third admirer that was close to me. He was one that I did not want to be around. Now, I only knew of his presence due to him ruffling some flowers in a nearby shrub. The yelps that echoed from said shrub made me jump, as I had believed it to be a squirrel and not a man. I turned around and faced the bush with sharp eyes.

"Are you a thief or simply a stalker?" I asked the bush. "Either way, your sneaking skills need improvement."

"Was I really that noticeable?" The shrub asked back.

"Dr. Turner!" I recognised the voice immediately. "What are you doing here?"

The Assassin jumped out of the bush, brushing himself of the leaves and petals that stuck to his coat. "Nothing at all! I mean, well, I am doing something. I couldn't be not doing something. I...uhh...Hello Rarity."

"It is 'Miss Belle' to you."

He licked his lips before smiling. The new addition to his wardrobe was a brown hood that covered his eyes and hair. He calmly stroked his chin as if to show me he had recently shaved. As was the norm for him, he reached in his coat and pulled out his watch to check the time before returning it to its spot. He then hesitated with a low whistle escaping his lips.

"It is a lovely day." He began.

"Indeed." I replied simply.

The situation was becoming awkward and we both knew it. He took a step forward and then a quick dart to the bench I was sitting on. His eyes whirled around under his hood and he cleared his throat loudly. I crossed my arms to show him my annoyance, but he obviously did not care as he flashed an arm at the vacated half of the bench.

"May I?" He asked smoothly.

I made a deep swallow. The look in his shaded eyes was sincere and warm, but the rest of him was full of mischief. The one-sided grin, the twitching palm of his hand, the incessant tapping of his boot, the shallow breaths all attributed to his overall demeanor and true intention. I was not afraid of the Assassin and he knew it very well. I sighed through my nose and waved an accepting hand at him.

"Of course."

"Thank you, Miss Belle." He said with an odd bow before taking a seat next to me.

"You know, Miss Belle," He continued immediately. "I find you as a fascinating specimen."

"Is that a compliment?" I asked.

"Yes it is. I have traversed this city countless times, met countless people, helped even more. But I have never met a young woman like yourself. You come from a Templar family, wealthy and honored. Though you are a thief, seducer, and maybe even more. I just don't understand it."

"I do not wish to speak of such things. That was me in the past, before I followed my father. I never did anything for myself and only did it when absolutely needed."

He leaned forward, his hood masking the upper half of his long face. "That is well. You will not find a judgmental bone in me. As an Assassin, I hold a Creed that tells us we are responsible for our own actions. Thus I understand your views on the matter."

"Are you saying I hold Assassin principals?"

"Actually, yes. Your father may brand me and my associates as murderers and rapscallions, but I assure you, most of us are no different than the common folk. Many Assassins have never lifted a blade to another. The name "Assassin" has been tainted through the years due to the heavy actions of a minority. All we wish is freedom for the people. That or a righteous government that holds itself accountable, nothing more."

"And the Templar only wish for the people to be guided to success."

"They do." He nodded. "But that's not all of it. I tell you, there is much more between Assassin and Templar than mere ideals. Such things that make Sir Charles Tirek an even greater threat to both of us. This is a strange world we live in, Rarity, and you must be ready for anything."

"I do not understand."

"You will. You will." He said absently.

"All right. Now, Dr. Turner, why are you here? For an Assassin, you've been inside the walls for quite some time. You can't be simply wandering about, or climbing about like you do."

"Very observant of you, Rarity."

"Miss Belle." I corrected.

"Miss Belle." He repeated. "I am on a mission to watch the Templar and Royal activities. Another Assassin was supposed to take my place, but she is far too hotheaded to stay in enemy territory. So, in a sense, by sitting here, I am fulfilling my job. You are Templar, even though I hate to say it, and I'm watching you."

"That makes you nothing more than a creep."

"Oh, you're right. Sorry." He apologised quickly, his face turning red under the hood.

I raised a brow at his unusual reaction. "I have a feeling there is more reason for your actions than that."

He leaned back. "What makes you say that?"

"The tone of your voice. The redness in your face. The-"

He glanced at his watch. "I am sorry to interrupt my lady, but I'm late to a meeting with Reina!"

With that, he sprang from the bench and sprinted off, knocking a few bystanders to the side. I growled at his escape. The Assassin drew the unwanted attention of a Royal Guard patrol, who chased him out of sight. I rolled my eyes at the commotion and returned to waving my fan at my neck.

From the other direction came Father and a woman in black. I was not paying attention to her hair or face and thus only recognised that she was Sarah Sommerset, the Assassin that we interrogated. The two of them halted in front of me and Father beckoned for me to stand up.

"Rarity, Miss Sommerset has agreed to help us and we have returned her equipment to her.

More than her confiscated equipment was given to her. Her black robes were new, but in the same design as before. A black dress with a black leather jacket and an ebony hood to top it off. Her red and yellow hair was even brighter in the daylight and was a brilliant contrast to her clothes. She was decked out in weaponry with a sniper rifle on her back, a revolver on her hip, the red blades of her hidden blades shown in the rays of sun, and a sheathed knife was on her left hip. She clicked her heeled boots before shifting her posture to the side.

"Don't you think for a second that I've switched sides." She said. "I'm an Assassin, not Templar. I'm only doing this cause I hate Tirek."

"And that is fine." I replied. "I'm just glad that you are out of those dreadful dungeons."

Father glanced at me with slight disapproval before clearing his throat. "Well, Rarity, I have gone over the dealings with her. She was supposed to have a mission with the Siren girls, but they have...disappeared. The Grandmaster has not the slightest clue where they have gone, and with Miss Lulamoon already busy, you are next in line. I am granting you charge over Miss Sommerset until we can find those rowdy girls."

Father sniffled and gave me a proud smile before twirling his cane and walking away. Somerset crossed her arms with a frown and waited for him to be out of earshot before speaking to me.

"So he wants me to hunt down Tirek. Simple enough, but your Grandmaster seems to not trust me and thinks I need a Templar to watch me. Bunch of bollocks I say, but I guess I'm stuck with you."

"If you believe that I will hinder you, I am must more capable than I look, Miss Sommset."

"You can call me Sunny." She gestured at the air. "And yeah you will. Templar may be able to fight, but they can't keep up, especially the women. You know why? Because my dress is made for movement. I only wear it to blend in with crowds and not appear like I'm trying to be dressed like a man. Your dress can't let you even jog."

"I do have a specific outfit for such occasions." I told her. "When the time comes, I'll wear that for the mission."

"Oh yeah, and you don't know parkour. By your face, I think you've never heard of it. I'll show you some time, all right?"

I nodded in confusion. I had indeed heard of it, but I did not remember what it was exactly for. Sunny huffed and relaxed her arms. I was surprised that very few people noticed the Assassin with her long rifle. I had drawn more glances on the bench than she. In some nonexistent reason, I turned and began to walk along the paved trail through the park. Sunny followed me at my side. Her gait was much different to mine. Now, I expected her to walk like a commoner, but instead she walked with unprecedented boldness and unsubtle arrogance. Each step was firm and outgoing while mine was delicate and perfected. Such boldness could have only been acquired at birth and thus I knew she was related to the Royals.

"You were raised inside the walls, weren't you?" I ventured.

"Yup. What gave it away?" She cocked her head.

"Your gait."

"Should of known." She whispered before raising her voice to normal. "I grew up in a noble family in the Solar District. Never liked the wealthy life, but it was all I knew until I was 17. That's when I went beyond the walls and saw the horrors that exist in the Capital. I became a Nationalist on the spot and ran away. From there I met the Brotherhood and they took me in. Rest is history."

I was walking in the direction that Turner had left minutes ago. In his wake were gossiping witnesses that stared and pointed. Royal Guards cursed loudly as they failed to capture the fleeing Assassin, saying "we'll catch him next time" or something must more explicit. A Royal Officer among the Guards broke away and approached us with his head down. I thought nothing of him and waited for him to walk by. When he was close to us, Sunny squealed in joy and hugged him.

"What the!" He yelled before realising who it was. "Sunny? You're out of prison?"

Sunny pulled away and held him at arms' length. "Yes, Flash. I'm so glad to see you!"

"Me too, but how?" He sounded shocked.

"I have to aid the Templar with something. Don't worry, I'm still an Assassin. It was too nice a bargain to pass."

"That's great." Flash looked at me. "Oh, and Miss Belle is here. Sunny, you realise that right?"

"She's my partner in this mission." Sunny explained. "Don't ya mind her."

"Sunny, if her father knows about us..." He began.

"You worry too much." She told him. "Hey Rarity, are ya gonna report us to your papa?"

"Of course not." I weakly smiled.

"See? We're fine."

Flash patted Sunny lovingly on the back while mouthing the word "help" to me. My mind was blank and I could not find a way to remove Sunny from the scene without arousing suspicion. Half of me also wanted to brand Flash as a womanizing cheater but I did not want to jump to conclusions. Thus I shifted my eyes in confusion and tapped my chin until an idea came to me. I swiftly walked over to Sunny and forced her away from her beloved, much to her annoyance.

"Sunny, dear, I think Flash has some Royal business he must attend." I told her. "We should let him go."

"Flash working? Pfft, get a load of that!" Sunny guffawed. "Nah, Flash never has 'business.' We're fine."

"Actually, I do." Flash interjected. "Sorry Sunny, but these past months have been hectic for all the Officers. See you around?"

He took a few steps backwards before tipping his large hat and promptly left. Sunny huffed indignantly and arched an aggressive brow at me. Her eyes dug into me with as much aggravation as Mother when Sweetie failed to properly cook a meal. It was a truly frightful stare from the Assassin and I adjusted my wide-brimmed sunhat to hide my own eyes.

"Why did you do that?" Sunny hissed. "Flash is wearing the same uniform left him which means he hasn't been promoted which means he has the same work schedule. Today's Sunday and he doesn't visit the Palace on Sundays."

"You have been incarcerated for months." I said in defense. "Flash could have acquired a new schedule in the meantime. You two are obviously an item, but that should not intervene in the oaths he swore to the Royals. You Assassins have greatly altered the work hours of the military with your ceaseless attacks."

"Guess my boys have been busy." Sunny chuckled before returning to her stern tone. "But that doesn't mean your lies are true, girl. I've been trained to read body language and you both suck at telling lies. Don't know why you'd care if I was with Flash."

"We are not here to discuss your love life. We are here to discuss our mission."

She stepped towards me with a bold assertiveness. I found a gloved finger pointing at my face before I could blink. There was no doubt I hit a nerve with the Assassin sniper. Sunny breathed loudly two times before shaking the rude finger around my nose.

"Ya can discuss that all ya want, but later! Jus' cause we're on a team doesn't mean I obey your every whim or order. You're Templar, I'm Assassin. Now, I'm gonna find out what Flash is really up to."

I rebounded. "I can't let you go wandering through the District! Father would not-"

I was interrupted by a cocked revolver pointed between my eyes. Sunny glared at me with hatred as her finger twitched by the trigger. I was astounded by the speed of her draw as she pulled the pistol from her waist to my head before I had even finished my words.

"It was stupid of you Templar to arm me." She remarked casually. "Now, I can blow your little brain out and not be distraught at all. Hell, I may even be happy. Heh, the bliss of killing a Templar is tempting....But I'll restrain myself."

She removed the pistol with a devilish grin and returned it to its holster. I assumed she was chuckling at my terrified face, which I inadvertently held much longer than I should have. Her turquoise eyes gleamed with satisfaction before she sprinted off towards a white brick building. Like always, no one seemed to notice the Assassin except me. Sunny paused when she reached the top of the building to mockingly wave at me before disappearing. The last bit I saw was the tip of the rifle's barrel.

I found myself alone as an airship blocked the sun and engulfed the park in shadows. I felt like screaming. I felt like cursing. Both would be improper of a lady in public, thus I did neither. However, I did find my hidden blades activated. The shiny blades were bright in the fleeting darkness of the flying machine. Just another reminder of who I was dealing with.

"All these Assassins are bloody pricks." I concluded quietly.