“Is it just me, or is the wildlife oddly absent here?” Bayek asked while looking back and forth as they were walking through the Everfree.

“That just makes this forest more creepy,” Lyra commented as she cowered behind John.

“It’s not that bad, I can’t see why you're so scared of this place,” John responded looking around him.

“Try saying that when you’re expecting the worst, and that doesn’t happen,” Lyra said. “When I was sent on missions for the Order, and believe me, I didn’t want to do them...anyway, many Order soldiers got jumpy in those conditions. It got to the point where whenever the slightest noise happened, they nearly turn on eachother out of reflex.”

“That's good to know,” John responded seeming to take a mental note of that fact for future reference.

“I’d hate to see what Granny Smith would do in conditions like this,” Bayek said. “Maybe go overboard and burn the whole forest down?”

“That could be within the realm of possibilities,” Lyra said, shivering at what Bayek “suggested.”

“Maybe not have her do that, the benefits this place could have may outweigh the risks,” John pointed out. Just as he said that he nearly walked into a patch of blue flowers, but Lyra stopped him and pointed them out, gesturing to walk around them. “Umm… why do that? Their just flowers aren’t they. Besides they don’t look that dangerous.”

“Poison Joke,” Lyra said. “You step in them, you’ll get a random prank played on you.”

“Any examples?” Bayek asked, following the two around the flowers.

“Let’s just say, those flowers are part of the reason of my exotic lust,” she said with the shake of her head. “I don’t think you guys want something like that happening.”

“I’ll take your word on that,” John responded as he walked around the plants.

After getting around the Poison Joke, they continued on until they reached a rope bridge. “Well, we’re here,” Bayek said. “Now what?”

Suddenly, the sound of clashing metal was heard in the ravine. Peeking over the edge, the group saw the Jackal Commander from earlier fighting some people of varying sizes wearing silver plated armor with purple accents. He was fighting alongside some other Jackal soldiers as well.

“Why do I get a feeling that's not good,” John asked the group.

“It’s not,” Lyra said. “Those are soldiers of the Storm Cult. The only good thing I can probably think that the Order does is fight against them. After that, freedoms are taken for the sake of ‘all.’ The point being, the Cult being this close to where the Elements of Harmony were found is just bad. They’re starting to become active for some reason.”

“Well, add another thing to the shit list, John,” Bayek said with annoyance. “We are pretty much going to be fighting a two front ‘war’ now.”

“As much as I want to say this isn’t my problem, this kinda will become one.”

“Correct you are,” Lyra said. “One of the Order’s best field operatives reports that their end goal is to destroy Equestria, ending our oppression...and now that I’ve spent time with you two studs, I can probably visualize what would happen if one of the two groups is wiped out too quickly.”

“What?” Bayek asked.

“A ‘power vacuum’ of sorts,” she answered. “If the Cult is destroyed, then the Order has relative free reign to use Equestria to ‘civilize’ the other nations. On the other side of this delicate issue, if the Order is destroyed, then the Cult and the Storm Kingdom could march in and take over everything that makes up Equestria.”

“So, if we want to prevent it we even need to reform a good portion on each side of the conflict to make both follow a united ideal, kill them both off at once or find a third faction to fill the void that the other would leave behind,” John suggested.

“Until we have the means to accomplish any of those options, we have to work with option 4: try to maintain the ‘balance’ between the two while trying to keep collateral damage to Equestria and beyond to a minimum,” Bayek said.

“That’s the best we can do for now,” Lyra commented. “Now you guys need to get down there and help your Jackal guys. There should be some carved stairs just a few paces left of the bridge.”

Bayek and John nodded, moving a few paces left of the bridge and climbed down the stairs and took stock of the battle. The Cult guards outnumbered the Jackals 3 to 1, but the Jackals seemed to be better skilled than the guards. The stairs came out behind the Cult guards, so Bayek started to stab, shoot, and hack through them before they were noticed. They eventually were, but they couldn’t easily switch targets, causing the guards to get confused and get slaughtered easily. A few minutes of combat later, and the Cult managed to flee with only about 5 troops left, while the Jackals only lost about 10.

“You know, it would have been good to have captured at least one of their captains alive for questioning so we could learn something about this Cult,” John remarked.

“Then learn this,” the Jackal Commander started as he helped one of the wounded Jackals to a medic. “The Cult soldiers are all brainwashed beyond repair. They fight to the last man, with a few exceptions, as evidenced by the five that fled battle. By the way, I’m Commander Scarab. Thought I should let you know that.”

“I see, well let's hope eventually someone finds a way to repair them, what is currently beyond repair may one day become something possible to do after all.”

“Then I wish you luck in that pursuit,” Scarab said. “Now follow me into the partially desecrated cavern.” He walked into an almost unnoticeable crack in a nearby wall. He led them through a corridor that seemed to ‘evolve’ from rough cavern walls to what seemed like overly expert carved stone, intermingled with some sort of glowing obsidian.

“Is it just me or is this architecture mile above that of the castle outside,” John asked before adding, “and this place hardly looks desecrated.”

“Yes to the first, but I’ll wait on explaining the second until...ah, we’re here,” Scarab said, stepping aside, giving the two a view of a tree carving with six glowing holes in it.

“I don’t see what you mean by desecration,” Bayek commented.

“This is known to the ponies as the Tree of Harmony, and Lyra told you that this place is where those Elements of Harmony are,” Scarab stated. “With that in mind, what is missing in this picture you see before you?”

“I’d assume some sort of stones, but why would they have been taken?” John asked looking at Scarab.

Scarab facepalmed. “The Elements of Harmony are the things missing, you dunce of a Nek!” He snapped. “The Elements are instrumental in keeping the structure here charged, which keeps the forest outside from over-growing and borderline attacking all of this world.”

“And that still leaves the second question unanswered, if they are needed for that purpose why take them?”

“Do you think those dumb alicorns who took them would have known that?” Scarab asked. “While they can be removed to be used as a collective weapon, they shouldn’t stray too far from here. If what Anubis told me about this place is true, there is only roughly three to four years before this place shuts down and the forest attacks.”

“So while we are trying to keep the fight between the Order and the Cult under relative control, we also need to get the Elements returned to keep that from happening?” Bayek asked. “Yet another shit list item we have to deal with.”

“And here I thought we’d have it easy,” John added with a smile.

“Now, back to the matter of the Forge,” Scarab walked to an inconspicuous section of the wall. “John come forward and present your shroud to the wall.”

“Okay,” John responded cautiously as he removed the Shroud of Eden before walking towards the door, before holding the Shroud up in front of it. The shroud glowed and the section opened without a seam, revealing a larger,and deeper glowing hole, and a pedestal in front of it.

“What now?” Bayek asked, moving closer.

“Place one of the relics in the hole and press your hand on the pedestal,” Scarab answered.

John then looked to Bayek before taking a step forwards drawing his sword before placing it into the hole and placing his hand onto the pedestal as he had been instructed. The sword seemed to float up and started glowing, with odd latticework sparks floating around it. ‘Initiating repair sequence...repair sequence complete.’ The room echoed, as the sword stopped glowing and the sparks vanished.

It was then John picked the sword back up turning it in his hand to find the blade looked to now have a faint yellow engraving travelling up the centre of the blade which looked to separate into two lines inside the engraving of the dragon's mouth on the hilt, while there seemed to be other incomplete markings that almost made the blade look like the sword was incomplete.

As John was examining his sword, Bayek stepped forward and placed his broken hidden blade in the hole and placed his hand on the pedestal. Following the same pattern as the sword, it floated, glowed, and was repaired, but the blade was now different. The blade was now a spear tip on a “broken” spear shaft. The shaft was capped with a small iron shaft and the wood on it was smoothed to perfection and lightly wrapped with leather strips.

“Well, this is interesting,” Bayek said as the forge closed behind him. “Before we go, can we make a token?”

“Do you even know how to do that?” John asked curiously.

“I do,” Scarab said. “Instructions from Anubis if one or both of you want to make a token.”

“Well, I definitely do,” Bayek said. “What about you John?”

“I see no harm in doing so,” John responded with a shrug of his shoulders, “but I’d rather not be called constantly, You can be forced to go if you wish but I don’t need that on my plate.”

“Then perhaps being lightly bound to Bayek’s token when it is made is acceptable,” Scarab suggested. “You won’t be summoned all the time. Roughly a five to ten percent chance of being summoned with Bayek. Sound fair?”

“I guess I can accept that,” John agreed with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Alright then, Bayek, hold your item you intend to use with both hands,” Scarab instructed. Bayek followed the instruction, holding the ‘broken’ spear. “Now John, place your hand on the spear.” John did so, placing it on the bottom of the the spear shaft. “Now, I’ll channel some magic and Bayek, you speak your message. And be as brief and informative as you can.” Scarab then stood back a few steps and a floating stream of sand came from the tip of his staff and flowed over the spear and the hands on it.

“I am Bayek, Servant of Anubis. Should you need the aid of the Assassin Brotherhood, the Armies of Anubis, or just need someone to talk to, summon me. Call for Anubis’s Servant. And if I come with a passenger, it means that fate requires him to come.” Bayek said, his voice echoing.

The sand stopped flowing from the staff and all the sand fell on the ground and seeped away. “It is done,” Scarab stated. “A weakened version of the relic has been sent out among the Multiverse.”

“Well, now that that’s done, we can-” Bayek started, but was interrupted by himself suddenly turning into a pile of sand and said sand suddenly funnelling downward into the ground until gone.

“Are you serious, did he really just get Displaced into another reality… and did it really happen just like I said I expected someone to leave our world?” John asked Scarab curiously.

“Yes to both,” Scarab said. “Now, go gather your marefriend and get back to the farm. You will need to discuss logistics and semantics with her and the Apples. Me and my troops will stay behind and look for any clues the Cult may have left behind.”

“Two things, one she’s not my marefriend, which I’m gonna assume means girlfriend here, and two, you wouldn’t be able to spare someone to guide me and her out of the forest?” John responded.

“Ba should be able to help you,” Scarab said. “He’ll be waiting at the top of the gorge for you to guide you back and be a part of your soon-to-be restarted Brotherhood.”

“Okay, I’ll get that sorted, just if you are able too, keep an eye on Bayek for me,” John responded.

“I’ll do what I can,” Scarab said, moving to stand in front of the ‘Tree of Harmony.’

“Thanks,” John responded as he walked out of the chamber and made his way back up to Lyra.

---

As John returned to the surface he slowly made his way back towards Lyra to find her waiting with Ba standing nearby.

“Sorry I took so long, had a fair bit to sort after we finished clearing out the Cult,” John stated calmly.

“What kind of stuff to sort after, aside from the forge...and where’s Bayek?” She said and asked.

“You know how Yang disappeared, think of what's happened to him as that in reverse,” John responded.

“So he’s gone?” She asked. “Is his disappearance permanent or otherwise?”

“I would assume temporary, as for how long, that I cannot say.”

“Well, he’ll miss out on the “hunt” when he’s gone,” she said. “And what was the other thing you guys had to work with down there?”

“The method for why he disappeared for one,” John admitted before looking to Ba, “I hope you don’t mind helping to lead us out of here while we talk.”

“Fair enough. Just follow me and keep talking with your marefriend,” Ba said. “And don’t argue semantics of your status. With how much Miss Lyra clings to you, people will assume that and your denial will only fuel the flames.”

“I will keep denying that for a long time, you both know that,” John stated clearly annoyed

Both Ba and Lyra laughed a bit at that. “Teasing aside,” she said. “What else did you have to do down there. You said the method disappearing was one thing. What were the other or others?”

“Well we did some maintenance to our weapons, in my case my sword.”

“I assumed that, since you were there for the forge and a forge is generally used for such at times,” Lyra said.
“Oh yeah, and by the way, we’ll need to find the actual Elements and return them here within the next few years to stop some sort of disaster from occurring,” John responded.

“What?!” She exclaimed. “What kind of disaster would need the Elements to be returned to prevent it!?”

“Supposedly this forest going out of control and spreading all over Equestria draining it of life.”

“That...sounds bad,” Lyra said, slightly ‘deflated’ in her reluctance against the idea. She then kept quiet during the walk through the forest.

“That is starting to feel both good and disturbing,” Ba said as they walked. “It’s nice to have a moment to not hear sexual jokes and quips, but at the same time, it doesn’t feel natural for her to be quiet.”

“Honestly, I think it’s a breath of fresh air,” John added trying to get a reaction from Lyra.

“Oh, shut up you twits,” she said, half annoyed. “I’m just trying to absorb the world ending information I was just told. I’ll joke later.”

---

The group managed to exit the forest and arrive onto the farm property just as night was falling. Lyra quietly followed John as they approached the farmhouse, occasionally sniffing. “And to think, if you guys hadn’t shown up and started interfering, the world the Order was fighting for would have been for naught,” she quietly said.

“Still will be if we don’t do something with the knowledge we gained,” John pointed out.

“And keep the Order and the Cult from gaining more than they already have,” Ba said. “One who knows nothing can understand nothing.”

“I suppose that's true,” John agreed before adding, “We better fill the others in on everything we’ve learned and try and piece together all the information we have.”

“Right, right,” Lyra said, she then looked to John with an appreciative look. “Thank you.”

“What for?” John asked cluelessly.

“Being a good friend, despite my general obliviousness and sexual jokes,” she said. “When we get the chance, I should learn how to fight openly, as I’m sure assassinations can be easy for me.”

“Wait… are you saying that you want to be trained to become an assassin?” John asked in both suprise and curiosity.

“The open fighting portion,” she clarified. “Assassination should be easy for me, If I’m in the right ‘position’ for it.”

“And there’s the Lyra I know,” John responded with a smile, “And if you need training to use a sword just ask, I’ll try and sort something out for you.”

“Sounds fair, let’s get going and hopefully not get my head blown off the crazy granny pony,” she said, walking to the door. She knocked and instantly hit the floor, narrowly dodging the shot from the blunderbuss and the wood shrapnel from the door.

“Seriously, why do you keep trying to kill all of us Miss Smith?” John asked as he walked towards them.

“Reflexes!” Granny shouted back. “Too many times in one mission, a door getting knocked on meant an enemy was coming.”

“Why didn’t you warn us about that before now?” John asked.

“Because she’s a stubborn old mule who won’t admit she has a problem,” Pear Butter answered. She then turned to the mule guy who was in the room. “No offense, sir. And thank you for your legal advice.”

“None taken, and you’re welcome,” he said, picking up a briefcase and walking out of the house.

“Umm… what do you mean by legal advice?” John asked in confusion.

“If we’re going to run the Assassins, we need more income than what a simple apple farm can give us,” Pear said. “That legal advice was to secure a means to somewhat industrialize-”

“Ain’t no Apple gonna industri..whatsit the farm!” Granny shouted, looking almost ready to grab another firearm.

“I’m staying out of this,” Lyra whispered to John, then retreated up some stairs. “I’ll be looking for the guest bedroom.”

“If I may interject Miss Smith, I think she may have meant a us finding a way to diversify ourselves to get more funds, so maybe considering, selling something beyond just Apple related products,” John suggested.

“That, and getting some workers to make the farming easier and more productive,” Pear added. “Last time I checked, Applejack and Macintosh are only managing to harvest so much, practically leaving most of the apple trees on the property to go wild. If we have more workers, we can fix or replace those trees and get more bang for our bit.”

“Sweet Apple Acres has been family run since Ponyville’s founding and it will stay that way!” Granny shouted. “No outside help!”

“Granny Apple Smith!” Macintosh yelled from the stairs. His shout was followed by the cocking of a pistol. “You are starting to overstep your bounds!”

“What’s the meaning of this!?” Granny and Pear shouted, as Macintosh stepped into view with the pistol he was holding pointed at Granny.

“What are you doing Big Mac?” John asked in confusion his hand moving to his side.

“I’ve spoken with the lawyer about who has rights to Sweet Apple Acres, and while it does lawfully belong to you, that changes when you turn 200 tomorrow,” he answered, directing the conversation towards Granny. “If somepony owns land and manages to live to 200 years old, they are legally ancient and the land they own goes to the next of kin. The only exception to that law are Alicorns, since they are biologically ageless, and last time I checked, you’re not one.”

“What?!” Granny shouted in shock. “When did that law start!?”

“When you exceeded 150 years old, if my recollection of the conversation is correct,” Macintosh said. “How you had Pa when you were older than that is beyond me, but I’m not gonna question the law too much.”

“Damn,” Ba whispered, pulling John away from the family dispute. “With how he tore her apart legally, he should have had a legal cutie mark.”

“My mark represents my talent for handling the ‘internal affairs’ of apple farming, legal and financial especially,” Mac said, surprising Ba. “My sister has come up with a few ‘profit boosting’ schemes, like selling treats at the Grand Galloping Gala. More often than not, they fail and I have to clean up her mess behind her back. What Ma is suggesting is different.”

“Okay then, what are you suggesting then?” John asked Pear Butter curiously.

“You already laid out what I was suggested, plus I already said what I was also suggesting,” she answered. “If we have the all the hands we need, we can maximize the usage of the Acres, and actually make a profit rather than scrape by as we had for too long.”

“And when tomorrow comes, those plans can start taking action,” Mac said. “Unless Granny acts stupid, then those can be worked around tonight.”

“I never thought my own kin would turn on me like this,” Granny muttered. “Alright, you win, but I don’t like it.”

“Miss Smith, If I may be honest with you, maybe this is for the best for more than one reason. If we are trying to rebuild the Assassins again, we need someone with a lot of knowledge to help lead them, and if you still control the farm, it would leave you having to manage both sides. Maybe simply focusing on one side would benefits both worlds.” John suggested

“Or we can just have her housebound or put in an old pony’s home,” Pear suggested. “No offense to you or your idea, but she is slightly unhinged at best, and a loose cannon at worst. Having her lead the Brotherhood will result in potential innocent losses, something I’m not willing to risk.”

“Well if not her, then who would lead the Brotherhood?” John asked.

“Well, I believe you and your friend, Bayek, should lead the Brotherhood, since I’ll be busy with farm and family,” she answered. “Speaking of Bayek, where is he? I didn’t see him come in with you guys.”

Instantly, after her statement, a knock sounded at the door. Granny Smith pulled a pistol from behind herself and aimed at the door. A gunshot fired from Mac’s gun, knocking the gun out of her hand. The bullet then ricocheted and pinged around the room until it pierced the door. A shout from the porch and a thud and the sound of trickling sand followed the bullet, then silence, except deep breathing.

“Okay, is it just me or is luck not on his side?” John asked.

“Probably not,” Ba answered.

“YOU (random stuff put under the spoiler black mark thing)!!!” Bayek bellowed from the porch.

Mac looked between the door and his pistol with an embarrassed look. “Oops…”

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