The Land With The Hidden Blade

“So you’re the Hillborn!” Big Mace glanced at Blade, who was busy inspecting his front legs. How he twisted his joints was a mystery and by common sense, should have been impossible for him to do. Blade took a good minute of fruitless questioning. A chuckle from Macetera brought Saving Blade back to the present.

They were in Donut Joe, a bakery owned by a Pony Joe who is the eldest son of Daddy Joe and Momma Joe with two brothers named Pizza Joe and Java Joe and a sister named Joanna, much to the disappointment of the Joe family. At first they thought she was just joeking around but well-

I agree; that pun was stupid. It was not punny at all.

Back to Saving Blade. They were in one of the sofa tables and were eating from a box of different flavored donuts with each varying colors. It was a donut set called the ‘Elements of Yummy’. While it did kinda sounds like a child made it, it was based off the Elements of Harmony. Big Macetera was snacking on an orange-frosted donut that had yellow sprinkles and apple filling inside.

“Still distracted?” he said dryly before tiredly shaking his head with a smile. “When you get stuck in one of those bouts of blank-eyed episodes, tell me first. I don’t want to look like a fool talking to a vegetable, Hillborn.”

“Don’t call me that,” Saving Blade said, irritated at the title. On the way here he kept hearing loud whispers and murmurs of “That’s the Hillborn,” or “The Hillborn’s here,” and even heard one say “Hillborn showoff,”

“Care to explain, Hillborn?” Macetera asked with a grin on his face.

“Don’t call me Hillborn. I wasn’t born on a hill and it sounds stupid,” Blade said with even more irritation. Macetera raised his hooves up in surrender.

“Alright, alright. I’ve heard the stories and I’ve seen a pillar of light during my patrol. Don’t expect anybody to react lightly to someone that came from a light from the sky,” Mace put his hooves down and ate the last bit of the donut he had earlier.

“I guess.”

A silence took over the two as Blade reached for a donut with rainbow colored frosting. His hoof was slapped back by Mace’s as he grabbed the donut and took a bite from it. “Hey! I was going to eat that,” Blade complained.

“I bought the box,” Macetera stuck his tongue out childishly.

“What do these donuts represent anyways?” Saving Blade asked. Mace raised an eyebrow at him.

“And you say you weren’t born on that hill,” he muttered. “Blade, these donuts are based off the Elements of Harmony. You know the 6 mares that single-handedly defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord? That’s them: Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity; there cutie marks can be found on this box for Pete’s sake!” a pony coughed behind them and Joe was looking at Macetera with a raised eyebrow.

“Err, hi Joe. Sorry ‘bout your cousin.” Macetera showed Blade the back of the box that held the six cutie marks of the named ponies as Pony Joe walked away.

“Some feeling tells me that these names should be relevant to me.”

“Aww come on! Not a barest thought?” Saving Blade shook his head at the question, which prompted Macetera to face-hoof himself. It was a tradition as old as Equestria itself. After that Macetera showed Saving Blade whose colors and cutie marks belonged to whom.

The rainbow colored donut was the Rainbow Dash one and once Saving Blade got to try it, it tasted of different fruits that blended together…awesomely.

“I hate to be bias but the Dash donuts are 20% cooler,” Macetera said with confidence.

“Fluttershy is best donut!” shouted a pony from one of the seats near the door.

“Says the minority!” Mace shouted back. The rest of the patrons silenced the two ponies with a unified “Shh!”

Blade had to smile inside. During the training routine, Macetera was an iron-back shouting drill sergeant that held all appearances of discipline and strictness. Only in times like now and a several conversations with the trainees showed Mace’s friendly, fun-loving side.

“He pushes to our limits every single day but cools us off every time,” a trainee by the name of Silent Death the 16th told him. Another pony by the name of Poison Gas agreed with this.

His thoughts then returned to their spar in the training grounds. His mind sent him to another place and time, fighting a different opponent and species. Saving Blade put a hoof to his forehead as a headache started to form.

“You alright, Blade?” Macetera looked at Blade with slight concern creasing his features. Blade waved a hoof at him.

“I’m fine, seriously.”

“If you say so,” Macetera said cautiously as he picked up the box handles with his teeth. “Let’s go, Blade,” Macetera said through clenched teeth over the box handle. Blade understood and nodded, dropping down from the chair and watched Mace wore his guard body armor that he gave to Joe as they came in and hung the box on one of its saddlebag holders. Macetera caught Saving Blade’s gaze and smiled. “Perks of being a guard.” Blade only nodded.

Walking back to the castle, Blade and Macetera passed through several shops and vendors with three types of ponies walking around. The nobles who always wore fancy clothing as well as dignified postures. The working ponies with normal clothes and professions. Lastly the guards, who patrol the streets with a vigilant gaze for any troublemaker.

A flicker of movement caught Blade’s eye. He looked back at the direction of the movement and saw a dull blue pony snatch a few bits from a mare’s saddlepurse. He narrowed his eyes, wondering why the guards aren’t doing anything to stop him. He went towards the thief’s direction, earning a confused look from Macetera who followed behind him.

“Where in Equestria are you going, Blade?” Saving Blade shushed the question before pointing towards the thief, who was now stealing golden goods from the purse. Still, nopony noticed. Macetera nodded. “A sneak-thief; there are many of his kind here.”

“Why aren’t the guards doing anything?”

“They actually do things to prevent this but the trouble is that ponies like these blend into crowds so easily it’s hard for a guard to spot him or her. The job gets even harder when you have reflective gold armor that alerts the thief before you even see him.”

“He’s in a clearing!”

“A mass of ponies can form a wall that blocks your view, Blade.”

“I’ll stop him then,” Blade growled and started to walk towards the thief, who caught his eye and started to run. Body tensing to chase after him, a strong hoof rested firmly on his shoulder. Blade looked back at Macetera.

“Let him go. Did you look at the pony he was stealing from? She’s no more a bandit than he. Watch,” Macetera pointed at the mare that bore all the signs of nobility. She was talking to a street vendor that sold fruit baskets. “Go nearer; hear their conversation.” Mace instructed Blade. Blade nodded and went behind the noblemare, pretending to wait in line.

“Madam, this apple basket only costs 10 bits. If you can just reconsider-”

“2 bits for the basket, or none at all,” the noblemare coldly replied.

“How about 5 bits? Please Madam, I have a family to feed-”

“Your impudence costs me time. I will buy it for one bit. That is my final offer.”

The vendor sighed dejectedly with wet eyes, giving the basket to the noblemare who threw a bit on the vendor’s stall, which he held in both hands.

“This will buy an apple, at least…” the vendor sighed, letting a tear drop down his face when small trickles of water dropped from the sky, hiding the tears of the now wet vendor. A hoodlum ran over a stack of baskets, knocking it over as a royal guard chased him from behind. The vendor went to the fallen baskets and began re-stacking them.

Macetera went over to Blade, the pair looking at the vendor with pity.

“There’s a saying: ‘The hoof of a thief can steal five coins; the word of a noble can steal five futures.’”

Blade looked at Macetera and the vendor. He nodded to himself.

“Mace, can you lend me 9 coins?” Blade asked. Mace gave Saving Blade a questioning look.

“I know what you want to do; bits aren’t simply yours to give away. Don’t be naïve about the world and let’s get back to the castle. The rain’s starting to grow stronger.”

“I will not pass up an opportunity to right a wrong. Either you will give me 9 coins or I will find it elsewhere,” Blade glared at Macetera who glared back but quickly sighing and giving 9 bits from his pack to Blade.

“Thank you,” Blade told Mace. Mace grunted in affirmative. Saving Blade walked over to the vendor and helped him stack the remaining baskets that fell down. The vendor looked at Blade with wonder.

“Celestia bless you, stranger,” the vendor said. Blade only smiled at him and nodded before getting the last basket and stacking it.

“What is your name?” Blade asked.

“It’d be Golden Stall, sir.”

Blade gave 9 bits in Golden Stall’s hands; Stall blinked in surprise.

“I can’t accept this, sir. If you want I could give you a basket for it-”

“No need. I saw what the noblemare did to you. Think of this as compensation for your trouble.”

Golden Stall was looking at him with adoration and looked at the 9 bits on his hooves. The rain was starting to pick up, drenching them further, but Blade could still see new tears forming in Stall’s eyes.

“I-I will repay this! I swear to Celestia’s shiny rump I shall!” He proclaimed. Blade laughed, the first time he had laughed here in Equestria.

“Thank you, Golden Stall.” Saving Blade said with heartfelt appreciation for the vendor’s words.

“No, I swear it! Give me your name, good saint! I will never forget you, your face and at a call I will come to your aid!”

For a basket vendor, he’d make a great drama king.

“If you insist, I will keep your promise in mind. My name is Saving Blade and I hope we will meet again.”

“4 bits for my little Silver! 3 bits for my wife! 2 bits to cider- er rent! Yes!” Golden Stall shouted merrily as Blade walked away, feeling a great sense of pride fill him. Mace stood where he was and the two continued walking to the castle.

“I’m soaked,” Mace complained several times throughout the walk.

When they arrived at the castle, Saving Blade immediately ran to the room he was given, took a shower and laid on his bed for a while. Thinking of what to do, he went back towards the library to find that the books he gathered earlier were still there. He picked up where he left off, at latent pony magicks.

After burning through that book, he moved over to the next one which was titled “Hoof Blocks for Idiots” and after that another one named “Avatar Aang: The Last Ponybender” which described  the unique bone formation on the front hooves that allowed almost 360 degree rotation. The more strenuous angles required more practice. He decided to borrow this book since it can explain how his hooves do their strange movements.

After putting all the books back in their respective places, Saving Blade went back to find Broken Heart, seeing that he doesn't even know what Written Fiction looks like.

After combing through the rows and rows of bookshelves he finally found the violet pony rearranging some books on ground level. She glanced at me and gave a small smile.

“Done reading? Did you put them back?” She asked.

“Yes I did,” I replied with a small smile.

“Whew! I hate putting them back!” She grinned at me. I showed her the Ponybending book and she looked at it with an eyebrow raised.

“What did you want me to do with this?”

“I’d like to borrow it.”

“You’d better see Writ then,” Broken Heart led Blade to the front desk of the library and knocked on the door beside it.

“Writ, the Hillborn wants to borrow a book,” Broken Heart told him.

“Alright then, come in.” An old and raspy voice replied back from behind the door.

Broken Heart put a hoof on the door and opened it.

“You first,” she said.

As Blade put his hoof inside his left ear twitched. He immediately took a step back just in the nick of time. Broken Heart gasped in surprise as the floor opened and spikes rose up to floor level, probably impaling Blade if it weren’t for his reaction.

“What in Celestia’s name was that for, Writ?” Broken Heart yelled at the other pony, who stepped into view as the spikes receded into the ground.

He was a blue unicorn with a black mane with a few grey lines here and there. His steps were slow and weary, showing his age. He wore reading glasses that further made him look older. His cutie mark was a feather quill with a royal blue-and-yellow tiger stripe pattern.

“Wasn’t that the signal for ‘Kill the intruder’?” Written Fiction asked. Broken Heart groaned in frustration.

“No, you old crick in the back! We agreed to stop using those codes last week!”

“Well pardon me for not being a perky youngster that rules an old man’s life like some whip-wielding mistress!” Writ retorted. Broken Heart face-hooved and shook her head.

“Why do I keep up with this horseapples…” she muttered under her breath. Writ looked at Broken Heart sternly from inside the room.

“Language, young apprentice!” As if for the first time he noticed Saving Blade, who watched the whole scene with relief of being alive, anger at almost dying and humor at their exchange. “Oh hello there! You must be the Hillborn my no good apprentice” –who was glaring at him- “was talking about! Please, come in! It’s safe now, at least I think it is…”

Saving Blade took a cautious step forward, waiting to see if a giant dragon would chomp off his head from his shoulders or something of the sort. Nothing happened.

Relieved but still alert for any traps, Saving Blade walked inside, along with Broken Heart behind him.

It was not -suffice to say- a room meant to be inside a library.

Weapon racks lined the walls. Chains and blades and other metal items of death lined the surface of a long table on another wall. A large banner of a strange symbol was the center of the room’s attention. A hooded outfit is put on display on the center of the room.

Saving Blade felt a strange wave of nostalgia overcome him. This setting was familiar yet still out of reach for his conscious mind. The nostalgia and unfamiliarity mixed together to form an emotion Blade knows not the name of.

“Err, Writ?” asked Broken Heart, who was staring at the scene in silent alarm. “Shouldn’t all this be hidden? He’s not –you know- one of us.” She said that word with a tinge of panic.

“Don’t worry I won’t speak about this,” Saving Blade said defensively. He felt offended that they believed him to divulge secrets so easily. “I don’t know why but I feel kind of familiar to this place…” his voice slowly dropped to whispered muttering at the end.

“I believe I know the cause of your feelings,” Writ said as he trotted over with a large book floating behind him as well as a flying feather quill that is a copy of his cutie mark. “Tell me, Hillborn,” he asked before blowing the dust from the large tome’s cover. Still floating, the book opened itself to Writ and started to nod and murmur to nopony in particular.

“Do you suffer bouts of flashbacks into a place different from Equestria entirely, but similar to the circumstances you find yourself in?”

Rapidly the scene changed. It smelled of wood, dirt and dust. A man was before him, wearing a hooded outfit similar to the one in Writ’s room.

“Apprentice, are you ready to take on our Order’s responsibilities?” the man asked.

“I do,” said Saving Blade. The scene changed back to Equestria once more.

“I see you have that look in your eyes. What words come to mind when I say Asassin?” He asked, his form melding from the hooded man to the blue unicorn in Blade’s eyes. He also heard a different question:

“What is the Creed’s Maxim?”

“Nothing is true; everything is permitted,” answered Saving Blade, effectively answering both questions.

“I see this is the case then,” Writ said.

“With the power invested in me,” the other person intoned,

“Welcome to the Order of Assassins.” Said both Writ and the person in the same time.

“Welcome back,” Writ said with a smile. Broken Heart was in the background, mouth hanging open.

-TLWTHB-

“I can’t BUCKING believe it!” Broken Heart shouted. Writ glared at her.

“Language, young apprentice-”

“Shut up for a minute, will you, old man?” She let out a growl and stomped on the ground with as much force as she can muster.

“I have been your apprentice for, what? 10 years? Now this guy comes along,” –she pointed at Hidden Blade, who looked up at her from inspecting one of the swords on the weapons rack- “and suddenly we’re all buddy buddy and HE becomes an Assassin lickety-split? YOU CAN’T BRING BACK 10 YEARS!” she yelled at him. Written Fiction’s eyes held anger but soon quickly dispersed as he breathed out a weary sigh.

“Ten years of apprenticeship and you still let your temper take hold of you,” He snapped back at her. Noticing this, her ears lowered and looked down shamefully.

“I am sorry, Master.”

“Good; I thought for a minute there you’ve forgotten your place.” his voice was stern, yet softer. It was clear that he had this talk with her so many times already.

“Will never happen again master,” droned out Broken Heart as she found a clean rag and started cleaning the gear; it was clear that she had done this so many times as well.

Written Fiction turned back to Saving Blade, who was strapping on a hidden blade on his right hoof. Writ’s eyes wandered over to the Ponybending book lying on one of the gadget tables.

“I guess you know how to Ponybend?” Writ inquired. Saving Blade only shook his head.

“I wanted to borrow it so I can learn how to, but so far I can do what the book teaches fairly easily,” Saving Blade demonstrated this by standing on hind legs and using his forelegs similarly to a human. Through some instinctive knowledge, he slid open the hidden blade and stabbed at the air with it in one fluid movement.

“Cool! I could never open that thing!” Broken Heart looked up at Blade from cleaning a chain. Written gave her a look and she went back to cleaning.

“In terms of training and physical combat your past live has provided you very well, Saving Blade,” Writ noted. “But you lack knowledge, and you need to learn of Equestria, both past and present.”

With magic he floated the large book towards Saving Blade. It was titled ‘The True History of Equestria’. It was thicker than Saving Blade’s hoof, to say the least.

“Start with the past,” Writ said as he walked outside towards the library. Saving Blade swore the old pony chuckling silently.

“I remember my time reading that old thing.” Broken Heart laughed as she cleaned an old knife blade.

“Aw shut it, apprentice.”

“Alright, alright.”