The Farm Boy

The setting is Renaissance Equestria. The Templar ponies are looking for the pieces to the Apple of Eden. There is a group of assassin's to stop them, though. For the most part, they live in secret, but you could easily identify one of their members. Well, that's if you live long enough to notice them. We begin on the farm of Red Harvest, who is being interrogated by Templars.

Red Harvest was having a normal old day, tending to his crops. Then the Templars showed up. They thought he was in possession of a Piece of Eden. When Red said he had absolutely no clue what that was, he was thrown to the ground. The ponies stomped and beat him for the thing he didn't even know existed. They were relentless. They may have even broke one of Red's wings. If only somepony could help this poor kid out...

Shy was trotting around the rural areas of Equestria. The Templars had been especially active here of late. He was travelling with another assassin, Robert Swift-Shadow. Shy didn't particularly like him, or anypony for that matter, but you needed more than one pony if the Templars had a camp or something up.

As he walked, he saw a farm colt being beat up. Normally, Shy wouldn't care. His own fault for getting in trouble. But as he watched, he heard the guards yelling.

"WHERE IS THE PIECE OF EDEN?!!"

Shy's ears pricked up at this. Did this colt have a piece? He had no idea how that kid managed to acquire such an ancient and powerful artifice, but he didn't really care. He turned to Robert.

"Look. They want a piece of Eden from him. What say we help him out and see if we can get it off him?"

Without waiting for an answer, Shy snuck up behind one. He signalled to Robert to attack as one. He indicated they Shy would take one, while Robert would take the other. Shy crept up to his one and jammed his hidden blade up his spine. He loved that feeling, the life draining off the pony. Felt like taking out all his rage on somepony. After the deed was done, Shy turned to the farm colt. He looked more in his teens but Shy didn't care.

"Right kid. Do you have a piece of Eden on you? Bad ponies like those want to use them for bad things. We need to get them first. So if you have one I advise you to hand it over."

The pony looked pretty beat up but Shy quite frankly didn't care in the slightest. He just wanted the piece.

Robert watched and looked to Shy, who quickly acted without, this was why Robert was here, He knew that Shy wanted to capture a piece of eden, but the only question Robert asked himself was, if there was a piece of Eden, How did these tyrants find it first?.. Robert saw Shy act, and followed suit, and quickly grabs the other pony and snaps his neck as quickly as he could, Robert took no joy in killing, but it was a act that needed to be done, he then looks to the young colt, and looks to Shy “ check the home for others, if there is a piece of eden don’t touch it, we still don’t know what most of them do.” He then walks to the young colt and looks him over, noticing some damage had been done to his wing, but time and medicine would help, Robert gives the young colt some medicine, to aid him, “ Where is your father and mother, are they not here to help you tend to your fields?” Robert looks around his hood hiding his eyes from the colt, and speaks again,” Those ponies will be missed… Their allies will send more… and since they think you have a piece of Eden, they will not stop hunting you down… you have a choice to make… but first.. your name.”

Red Harvest got back onto his hooves after being rescued from that assault. Thank Celestia that these two mysterious stallions came and saved his flank. He was beaten pretty badly though. The bigger one gave him some medicine. He drank it, and began to feel a bit better.

One of the stallions was nice. The other seemed very straight forward. At least he was safe. They were asking for a Piece of Eden too.

"I'm sorry sirs. I don't really know what that is. Nor do I know why those ponies thought I had one. Thanks for rescuing me, though. I owe you guys."

"My parents? They left a long time ago. I've been living here by myself for years. Been going pretty well. Until, that..." Red pointed to the dead bodies. "I'm Red Harvest, by the way."

Shy watched the pony. He didn't know what it was? Typical village idiot. Shy always felt like the only intelligent one in this world. If this pony had a piece of Eden, then he was probably using it as a ball or something.

Shy did as Robert asked and left him to the snivelling little runt. He never liked foals, and while this one wasn't exactly little he was still young and dumb. That counted as a kid to Shy. He entered the farmhouse, taking an apple out of a crate. He was a bit hungry. He ate the Apple while looking around.

He looked in the kitchen area. Nothing of note. Same with the sleeping room. It was a relatively simple home, so it didn't take long to search. He trotted out again, finishing the apple and throwing the core onto the roof. He trotted back to the other two. He listened in and realised what Robert was doing. He wasn't seriously trying to recruit this pathetic specimen. He decided to leave them to it- if the pony, this Red Harvest actually joined he'd probably get killed. Still, it would be really funny to watch. He decided to hide the Templar bodies in a nearby hay bake- no use in local simpletons finding them.

Robert watched and looked Red over, he then speaks with a tone that only relented years of wisdom, “Red you have choice, and those ponies are Templars… an order out to control everypony’s will, thoughts, and Actions… Those ponies we just killed, their allies will come looking… stay here or leave, they will find you, when they do, and I don’t mean if, They WILL find you, they will torture you mercilessly, and only when they are sure that you have nothing of use to them, only then will they kill you, Or… Join us, Become a force of Shadow to protect the free will and actions of everypony, and fight with a group of other ponies who fight for the same cause, Become an Assassin, follow an order that has excsisted for a great deal of time. Red Harvest the choice is yours, but knows, you will not have a normal life ever again with ether choice...” Robert looks to Shy who had returned empty hoofed, and speaks with a clam tone,” Nothing eh?” Robert was not surprised, but he had to ask why attack a small farm... beat on a young Farm colt?

Red Harvest looked at the stallion. Everything he said meant that Red is screwed in some way. It kind of scared him. Either be brutally tortured for no reason, or become an Assassin? The assassin thing certainly was better. But, Red liked his normal life, and hated having to kill others.

Red sighed, and looked at the stallion's again. Looks like he didn't have a choice. He would have to join them.

"I'll side with you. Better than being tortured, I guess."

Red may have seen calm and laid back about this, but right now he was a nervous wreck. His whole life was just turned upside down. First he was randomly accused of having an object he had no idea existed, now he's forever wanted. Well, at least his life got interesting.

"But, aren't you guys worried that I wont be a good... asset? I mean, I never killed, or even harmed a pony before, and I'm still pretty young. I'd probably ruin everything for you guys."

Shy looked this pony over. He was getting annoyed. Self depreciating. Yeah, like that ever helped anypony. He had to agree with this pipsqueak though- why recruit him? He was clearly useless at killing. The only reason they were doing this was to save his life. Big whoop.

Still, as he thought earlier it would be really funny to watch. He'd go along with it for now. Play the nice guy. That way he'll see this kid die up close.

Shy wasn't a psychopath- he'd have joined the Templars if he was. He was just very cold as a pony. He joined the assassins because he was raised among them. He was orphaned as a foal and an assassin couple found him. They took him in and he grew up to be a knife in the dark. He grew very antisocial though- as he was trained to kill from foalhood, he loved killing in the same way most children loved drawing. He couldn't get enough of it. His small size meant he was good for infiltration as a colt- nopony suspected the kid to suddenly drive a knife into a Templar lord's back.

He snapped out if his reminiscence. He looked to this Red kid.

"Nopony is a good asset when they first join. Unless they were trained from birth, like myself. But trust me- we'll make you useful. Besides, it seems pretty lonely out here. You'll have brother's and sisters to guide you. Not literally of course. But since you're joining us, follow us. We'll take you to the hideout and begin your training."

Vassago and OzyManedias sat at a bench in the Forum, about a mile from Red and company.

OzyManedias fiddled with a cross shaped necklace.

Vassago pulled the white hood of his robe over his head.

"You know..." Vasaago, with a conspiratorial grin began their conversation: "If Your Side or My Side caught us talking, they would execute us for conversing with the Enemy."

OzyManedias chuckled at his young friend and flicked that one pesky lock of black mane out of his eye. "This again? Look Vass, just because we have philosophical differences on how Equine Kind should be governed, does not mean we cannot still be friends."

Vassago shrugged as he slouched and sank down on the stone bench. "Look, I didn't come up with this stupid universe!"

OzyManedias raised his brow, "Yes, about that. What do you mean by-" Vassago interjected with a whoop of excitement as a harlequin started to breath fire across the street. A parade started to plod by, bringing with it a menagerie of colorful masques and clowns and stilt-walkers.

The two good friends sat and watched the parade go by. Despite their differences, they enjoyed the sunshine.

Ask next time Oz.

((whoops! sorry I assumed it was an open thread, may I join?))

Fine. Just wait until gab posts- we need to keep an order going.

Robert only smiles, and speaks with tone that only invited confidence, “Shy is correct, no one is great at first unless you’re born into the order… but the first lesson is your mentality, you need to know Red, most don’t enjoy the kill… but we see it as a means to an end.. When we can finally put our blades down is the day we no longer need to fight the Templars and tyrants like them… but our war has been waged for many years, and to what our leader thinks… We may in this war for the long way… “ Robert takes a small dagger from his bag and gives it to Red, “For now youre one of us, but when we return to the the base, training begins, and trust me… you will be far more intelligent then another Farm colt and far more fit.. Shy..” He looks to his partner and smiles “Burn the place down, bodies as well, No trace.” HE then looks to Red “That life is over Red, form here on out, you’re an assassin.” Robert walks slowly towards the hideout, knowing choice was made, and now he had to lay with it..

Red Harvest took the dagger. An assassin? This was getting too much for him. Then they talked of burning his farm down. These ponies were crazy! But Red was too scared to do anything about it. And training? Red just hoped that wouldn't kill him.

Who would have guessed that the simple farm colt would be caught in this mess? At this point, all he knew was there were high ranking ponies hunting him down, and he was becoming an Assassin. He didn't want his normal life to end. This one seemed so dangerous and terrifying. red sighed and mumbled to himself.

"Why am I always stuck with the bad luck?"

"They say the good die young. By that logic I guess you simply attract bad luck."

Shy grinned. Burning it down, now we're talking. He liked to take his time with burning stuff, so he casually picked up several crates and hay bales and threw them into the middle of the farmhouse. Then came some furniture, a book here and there. Could this idiot even read? He probably thought they were footstools or something.

After he'd thrown everything together, he took out a box of matches and lit one he looked lingering at the flame, amused by the thousand subtle changes of the shape. He then threw it on the pile and watched his handiwork. It relaxed him to watch stuff burn- it felt like he was destroying something slowly and painfully.

After a few minutes of staring he turned and left. He walked up to Red and Robert.

"Well, that's the evidence gone. Come on then new recruit. Let's see how you favour in training."

He followed Robert to the hideout. He went to the nearest tunnel entrance. There was a network of them the Assassins used to get around. He slid into it and lit a torch. He guided the other two along to the hideout.

Robert walks into the Hideout, and without a second thought looks around and hits Red square in the snout and smiles, ”Red first lesson is one of the body, Your reflexes need work, and you need to learn how to fight, but that is another lesson for another day, now here is how your training goose form now on.. for every lesson of the body we will teach you several of the minde… is this understood Red Harvest?!” Robert looks at him as he lowers his hood ready to act again, he needed Red to be ready for anything, he needed to be ready to act with an instant, if he couldent he could be responsible for not able to act and help another within the order, or loose a target, or a innocent.

Red watched as the place he lived in his entire life was burned to the ground, and nothing was left of it. Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't Red's life just be nice? He was already beginning to regret this decision.

Red followed the two through a bunch of tunnels to their hideout. Seemed like a convenient mean of travel for an Assassin. Before he could think, the nicer one turned around and punched him square in the snout. Wow, the training already sucked.

"Ow... And yes, I understand."

Red really wished he didn't understand. He wanted no part in this. To be honest, he didn't care about this war they were fighting. And maybe death would have been a better option. He liked his simple, anonymous life. Not being punched in the face for "training."

"So." Vassago said.

"So what?" OzyManedias said.

They left the parade and were currently walking towards the outer side of the town. Vassago frowned with frustration. "I heard your side thinks they found a Piece of Eden."

OzyManedias laughed uproarously. "Oh, that! Vass, come now. We had an unruly guard captain who thought he could progress within our ranks by selling out to the rich." OzyManedias waved a hoof dismissively. "Im certain that Your Side has dealt with him."

Vass stared at Ozy as the cobblestone street passed by. "But you don't actually know whether there is a Peice involved or not?"

OzyManedias snorted as of the very notion was absurd. "Well. I mean. Its Highly unlikely."

Vassago hummed a little tune and kicked a stone away.


It was a mutually beneficial relationship. OzyManedias would go about his business and Vassago would go about his. And ever so often they would share lunch, talk a bit, maybe disscuss things, then leave.

No need for friends to become mortal enemies over trivial philosophy.

At the junction between two streets Vassago bid OzyManedias goodbye, and the two friends left back to their respective sides.

Shy trotted into the hideout and took down his hoof, revealing his messy mane and piercing eyes. He looked around. He approached a book on a table and wrote in that he'd arrived. He also went up to his quarters and scribbled in his journal what had happened that day. Everything seemed in order- most assassins were out on contracts right now, so it was pretty much just Him, Robert and Red. Speaking of which....

Shy led Red into an empty training room with several weapons on the wall. He took his preferred weapon- a long, slim sword- and stood in the center.

"Alright laddie. If you're going to be an assassin, you're going to need to learn basic combat to defend yourself if you're caught. Pick a weapon from the wall and strike me. I will not hit back, but I'll judge the accuracy and power of your strikes. Now, lets get started!"

He drew his sword into a blocking position, awaiting the incoming strikes.

Robert looked to shy and speaks with an uneasy tone, “Shy, a dead recruit is a useless one.” Robert knew he could trust Shy, It was just a way to scare the recruit, because if he could face death and keep running at it, his rebirth as an Assassin would be nothing, for one who could act even with fear that was supposed to be there, he would be strong. Robert walks silently towards the Mentor’s office, half hoping the Mentor was around, he knocks and hears nothing and only sighs, and The Mentor was not in this hideout... The mentor must be off somewhere… Robert walks away and returns to the main training room, and sits his hood still hiding his eyes and majority of his face, “for every one of the body we must teach one of the mind, there needs to be thought as well as the ability to act...”

Red was told to take a weapon and fight Shy. Then Robert said that a dead recruit was a useless one. That worried Red beyond belief. Would Shy really kill him?

Red picked a sword off the wall. It was light, and a bit shorter than Shy's. Red shook a little, thinking of if he actually hit Shy. Not like that would happen. Or he would either hurt himself, or Shy would hurt him.

Red took a deep breath, and took a large swing. He swung the sword like a baseball bat at Shy. Maybe he did need more training. But, like he said, he never even harmed another pony before. Wasn't in his nature

Vassago turned a nob, then a switch, then pulled a string.

the entrance to the Assassin's hideout opened up for him, and he waltzed inside.

After signing in, the foal and youngest assassin went around inspecting the weapons, the food stores, and the assassin's who were currently on assignment. Interestingly enough, two of his brothers were training a new face in the base. Vassago's horn glowed as he floated up into the rafters and glided until he was over the three ponies training.

"How curious." He whispered to himself. "I wonder if this is our Farm Boy Ozy mentioned?" He perched himself on top of the rafters and watched.

He was a horrible swordstallion. Possibly worse than Vassago himself. At least they shared that in common. Vassago laughed childishly when he saw him swing his sword.

Shy easily blocked all of Red's strikes. Meh. Somewhere between pitiful and awful. Still, he was new and at least had an idea what he was doing considering he at least knew how to swing the bloody thing about. Shy looked for an opening and struck. He pushed Red back, then knocked him over and held the sword to his throat.

"That was pathetic you little whelp. I ought to put you down right now for thinking that would be any degree of acceptable." He said in a very low, threatening voice.

Shy held the sword on Red for a few more seconds, then took it away, laughing. Ah, the fun in tormenting the rookies. Can't beat it. He helped up Red then put the swords back in place. He went over his findings in his mind, then turned to Red.

"Let's see. On the positives, you have a solid grip on the weapon- not too loose so it falls out, but not too rigid so it's unmovable. However, you swing too wide and completely off balance. There needs to be technique to wielding a blade, one which you don't have. I'll need to teach you that too. Overall, better than expected. You at least have a semi-decent starting point."

He heard a laugh from upwards. Oh celestia, not that git.

"We know you're there Vass. Get your arse down here."

Robert doesn’t look up, the laughter only makes him smile as he waits for Vassago to come down, and he then hugs the young colt and asks, “How are you Vassago? This...” He motions to Red and smiles “Is our newest brother Red Harvest... Vassago, you’re one of our most powerful intelligence gatherers, could you by chance teach red all you know? I need time to prepare this one’s next body lesson, then a lesson in… blending in...” Robert smiles and finally lowers his hood, and looks to Red,”You’re in the best hooves of all Equstria for information gathering, Shy is one of our best swordsponies.” Robert walks away to prepare the lessons of stealth.

Meteor and Lightning started walking into the hideout. Meteor and lightning have been assasins for a year now and they always went on contracts together they may argue and biker sometime but they make an awsome team.
"Why did you attack that guard?" Lightning asked walking into the hideout.

"Because he was watching me and started to follow me i had no choice." Meteor said walking in.

"Well your lucky we were able to track our target still."

"Yeah but we still didnt get any info on the peices. But we did get some info on some weapon caches. and i think taking them might be fun. But first we need permission to go on a contract like that." Metor said.

They were about to sit down when they heard swords clanging and other assasins talking. They decided to go check it out.