Known Gods

by Teeemu

Chapter Two: A Hot Date

It was a cool spring’s eve in Cloudsdale and the smell of the early afternoon showers had lingered in the air. It was the most distinctive and memorable smell the pegasus would ever know.

He was walking down a short corridor towards the sound of his mare’s laughter.

“Hat! Come look at what she’s doing!” She called out to him.

“Comin’, darlin’!” He called back, picking up the pace and heading to the first door on his left.

Opening it, he stepped into a small room. There he saw his mare with her back to him and a filly no older than three years old stretching her wings and attempting to fly. Her first try hadn't even seen her hooves off the ground. But after the third attempt she was able to keep herself hovering three feet in the air, her tiny wings fluttering madly.

“Can you believe this?” his mare said with astonishment. “She’s flying! At three!”

The filly saw her father and began to smile, losing concentration and flopping to the floor with a light thud. Hat rushed over to her and lifted her up.

“Careful, now,” he chuckled, tickling her belly. “You don’t wanna lose your wings just after you learn how to use em!”

“She has her dad’s talent for flying it seems,” said the mare from behind him.

“But her beauty and her eyes, that she gets from her mom.” Hat turned with a smile to his wife but was instead met with a pair of luminescent green eyes attached to a dark monstrous form. He tried to scream but no sound escaped him. His filly’s room disappeared and he was engulfed by darkness.

***

Hat awoke on his couch with a start, feeling cold sweat upon his brow. He turned over and looked out the window at the dark sky outside, trying to bring his thoughts back to reality. The dream he had was the same as it had always been, yet the dark presence was a new addition. It somehow made things more personal all of a sudden.

With reality dawning on him, Hat realized he was late for his date with Firefly. Wait, why did he just think of it like that? It was a meet up at a bar. Simple. Swearing loudly, he jumped off the couch and trotted to his bathroom to sort out his sleep disheveled mane. There was a time when appearance meant something to him. Perhaps the recent years had dulled his ability to care but something about meeting up with Firefly, even if only just for business, sparked up his attention to good grooming.

Feeling as though he looked presentable enough, he dashed into his lounge, grabbed his overcoat and headed down towards his apartment’s entrance.

Tonight was uncomfortably warm, he could feel the lingering presence of a hot and dry day in the air. Ahead of him was the ever present backdrop of the Canterlot royal castle. No matter where you went in the city, its divine structure always loomed over you. Some ponies thought that it was to keep everypony in the mind-set that Celestia and Luna were always watching over them. Hat, on the other hoof, believed it was to maintain a sense of omnipresent power over its subjects.

Although it was quicker to fly, he decided trotting the few short blocks to the bar would help him better prepare for what he was about to say to his colleague. He doubted she would be in the best of moods since she’d most probably been there waiting for a while now. Not the best way to rebuild an old relationship but then again that wasn’t why Hat was meeting with her. Or was it?

There were a few ponies out and about, a couple of colts were kicking around a ball in an alley and a single pony had her head out her window smoking a cigarette. Hat continued down the road until he reached the corner bar. It was a quaint little dive that was frequented by some of Canterlot’s less than snooty clientele.

Hat pushed open the door and stepped inside the dimly lit and stale smelling room. There were three or four ponies here all in all. Two of which sat at the far side of the bar and a unicorn couple in the upfront booth. Hat immediately spied Firefly sitting alone at the corner of the bar's L-shaped bend. She had a martini in front of her and a dour expression on her face.
Yip, Hat called it.

“Howdy, Hat," said the barpony, Firefly turning her head at this. “The usual?”

“Not sure,” Hat looked into Firefly’s eyes. “I’ll tell you in a minute.”

He smiled at the barpony and sat down next to Firefly who waited until he had hung his overcoat around the stool before finally saying anything.

She stared at him for a second then gazed around the bar with a disgusted look on her face. ”Wow, Hat, you sure know how to pick them, don’t you?”

“Yeah well… this way I don’t have to travel too far when out of it,” he intoned with a grin. “I’m sorry about this, darlin’, I kinda fell asleep.”

“Well you’re only an hour late, so…” She turned back to her glass and started swirling the clear liquid inside before finishing it.

Now that he was sitting he could properly regard her. She looked good. Her mane was straightened and looked as if it had just been especially washed, her eyelashes were primed and a pretty silver bracelet adorned her left forehoof. The odds were that she had intentionally dressed up for Hats benefit, which in no way made him feel any less guilty.

“Hey… You look really”, he gazed at her bracelet, “shiny.”

Shiny? Seriously, Hat? He sighed at how out of touch with all this he was.

Firefly snorted and turned to him smiling. “Smooth, Hat, really smooth”, she turned in her stool to face him. ”Do you like it? Gold doesn't quite suit me since, well…” she gazed at her bright yellow coat.

“It’s nice…” he smiled at her. “So, could I get you your next drink?”

“Sure. Its not like you weren't paying for the last one either.” She turned her attention to the barpony. “Vodka, lime and lemonade.”
“Make that two, and… make mine a double”, added Hat.

There was a nod as the barpony turned and disappeared behind his distillery. Hat and Firefly sat awkwardly together for a few moments before she finally broke the silence.

“So, why am I here?” She gave him a serious look. Something Hat said or did must have given her the impression that this was more than a social call.

“’Cause maybe I like a little company once in a while?” he attempted, but the unconvinced expression on her face told he'd better try harder.
Okay… Guess that didn't work.

He looked at her and wondered how best to approach something as outlandish as what may as well be a fire breathing dragon. He was given some time by the arrival of their drinks. Taking a sip, he watched her do the same before finally working out the right words.
“So, I was watching the show… well Rainbow Dash, and I was wondering if you may have seen anything out of the ordinary.” He placed his glass on the bar.

“Besides the sonic rainboom?” she took another sip. “That’s not something you see every day.”

She was being facetious and it annoyed him a little.

“Look, at first I called you up because I wanted to know if you had seen anything, too. Judging by your tone I knew everything was fine your end.” Hat paused to watch her expression before continuing. “But I saw something. Something that scared the hell out of me. During Rainbow Dash’s rainboom I saw something in the shadows of the upper east stadiums.”

“The ‘shadows’?” She seemed intrigued by the word. “Hat, it was a bright, sunny day. Anything hiding in the shadows wouldn't be too hard to spot. Not unless it was dark out.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m tryna’ to tell you,” Hat held up a hoof. “Unusually dark shadows that were exposed by the bright light following her rainboom. In those shadows I saw something else. A large black alicorn. It was watching her.”

Firefly looked at him curiously. “An alicorn? As in two wings and a horn, alicorn?”

“Yeah. Tell me I’m crazy. I know. But I saw what I saw and it was pretty darn distinctive too.” He took a large gulp of his drink.
Firefly looked at his glass then back at him.

Hat noticed it and put two and two together. “You think it’s the drinking, don’t you? You think I’m just making this shit up?”

“I didn’t say anything,” her expression remained calm. “And maybe you could give me a chance to respond without jumping on my tail.”

“Sorry.” Hat shook his head feeling ashamed.

“You’re being defensive.” She turned her drink in her hooves, considering her next words carefully. “What exactly did it look like?”

“Big. I mean like really big. It must have been at least twice the size of Celestia.” Hat scoured his mind for more details. “Its horn was shaped almost like a blade, bent weirdly. It had bright, glowing, green eyes and a massive wingspan.”

Firefly bit her lip and then took another sip of her drink. “Well’, she began. “I don’t know what to say. I didn’t see it. But something as distinctive as that sounds like it needs to be looked into. My advice? Talk to the director.”

“And how will that make me sound any less crazy?” Hat asked in protest

“You say you saw something and I believe you.” She leaned over and placed her hoof on his.

Something in her touch felt reassuring. He felt a sense of warmth rush through his body and he found himself gazing into her eyes. “Okay,” he finally said. “I’ll talk to him. But I seriously doubt he’s gonna do anything.”

“Well think about it, Hat,” she lifted her hoof. “What can he do? All we have to work on right now is a visual. At least he’ll be alerted to it.”

Hat sat quietly thinking about what she had just said and it made sense. Reporting oddities up the chain of command was the procedure anyway. He guessed that the sheer insanity of what he saw would have made him seem unhinged if he had called the director immediately. Maybe the mere idea of him thinking that way at all was a sign that he was going in that direction.

“Why so silent all of a sudden?” Firefly had leaned forwards and was looking intently at him.

“Sometimes I just wonder why I was chosen for such a demanding post.” He looked back at Firefly, those green eyes of hers bearing into his soul. “Why it was that I would be suitable for such a position after all that had happened.”

It was true that Hat Trick was a capable and talented agent. He was handpicked by the director himself to serve as a Protector. But this was months after he lost his family. The psychological fall back should have null and voided his candidacy.

“I think the director believed that after everything you had lost, focusing on somepony to look out for may have been good for you.” It seemed as if Firefly wasn't quite sure she herself believed what she had said. Yet it somehow made sense. In a strange and unprecedented way.
Hat’s work had become his life. Rainbow Dash’s life was all that had mattered to him, keeping her safe and following her every move had become his crutch. He may have even become slightly obsessed with the mare.

“Besides, she’s pretty damn sexy,” as if Firefly was reading his mind. “I’m stuck with a boring little bookworm who gets her undies in a twist every time she can’t get more than ten hours of studying in every day. I mean, really… is there some massive life exam that Princess Celestia has set up for her when she reaches a certain age?”

Hat chuckled at this and he raised a glass to Firefly. “Wait a minute… You think Rainbow Dash is sexy?”

“I know you do, agent,” she said with a grin. “I saw the way you’re eyes went all hazy when I mentioned her name.”

“That is just unprofessional and slanderous, agent Firefly,” he retorted with a pretend shocked look. “I resent such implications.”

“Ohhh big words, huh?” she said, finishing her drink. “You trying to impress me, now?”

Hat’s smile faded and he quickly realized he had fallen into her trap. Firefly was always good with the classic misdirection tactic. Something inside him wondered if that’s why she had come tonight in the first place. To case whether he still had any feelings for her.
“Well does it?” he replied with a smile. Let her show her hoof first.

“It was a long time ago, Hat,” she responded. “Neither of us really thought it through and we ended up parting on rather tense terms.”

It was a strangely direct reply. He had never quite considered that the last time they truly spoke it was about them taking the next step in their relationship. It was Hat who backed out in the end. Still wrapped up in his loss and not as in tune with what she wanted out of the relationship. What it was that the beautiful mare in front of him had seen in him to take that next step.

Somewhere along the lines, Hat had lost sight of how important he must have been to her. That maybe she had been carrying it around for so long that coming here tonight was her way of getting some kind of closure. Then again, she had come dressed for the occasion. So instead of making sense of the situation it simply confused him more.

“I think you may be right,” he finally said. “However, I never really gave it much thought.”

“Oh…” she looked a bit stung. Crap.

“I mean… ugh… I dunno what I mean, darlin’. I’m not one for flattery.”

She smiled again, although it seemed to be more forced than the others. “It’s getting late, Hat. I should probably get going soon.” She motioned to the barpony for the check.

Well that was a mood kill, he thought to himself, nice work Hat. Real smooth.

“Fly, let me,” he said. “I invited you here and I was late so, let me get it. Besides, I may be here for a while anyway.”

“Drinking alone, now?” She gave him a stern look. “Well, thanks then. It was nice seeing you again.”

“Same. And we should do this again, I mean…” he stammered.

“Oh. Oh yeah, no, we should, it’s been far too long.” She climbed off her stool while Hat did so too out of courtesy. “Well… bye then.”
She looked at him for a moment before lightly pecking him on the lips and walking off. Hat touched a hoof to them as he watched her walk out the door and into the night. Mares. Tell you one thing but do the opposite. He sat back down, finished his drink and called for a second.
At least she didn’t look at him as if he was crazy. The whole black alicorn thing warranted it. Then again, she could have just been humoring him. However, it felt good getting that off his chest, among a few other things. But Hat couldn't shake the feeling that she hadn't been totally honest with him. Something in her eyes told him she was holding something back.

***

The following morning was just as sunny and cloudless as the day before and the heat was beginning to get to Hat. It was the sun falling on his face through the window that woke him. His head had hurt enough from his liberal attitude towards alcohol the night before and the dryness in the air wasn’t helping.

Pulling himself from bed, Hat winced as feeling started coming back to his left wing. Somehow he had managed to sleep on it awkwardly. The odd feeling of pins and needles started to flare up as blood began to circulate again. Goddess, he hated that. He slouched towards the bathroom and placed his head in the sink, turning on the cold faucet and letting the water just wash over him.

He tried to recall what happened last night. It started with Firefly then continued on with him sitting and drinking alone, listening to jazz and feeling sorry for himself. That was just another thing he hated about what he did. The full blown knowledge of the stupid things he was doing but the unwillingness to do anything about it. Maybe he thought he didn’t deserve to pick himself up and move on with his life. Maybe punishing himself like this was penance for what he did 5 years ago.

He lifted his head back up and observed his reflection in the mirror. The face that looked back was matted, tired looking and wet. He chuckled and scrunched his muzzle. Sometimes a little light humour made the day better.

It was time to call the director and make his insanity known and maybe, if he was lucky, he could keep the apartment as memoir once he was asked to turn his badge in.

Drying himself off he stepped back into his bedroom and dug around for his overcoat that was lying in a heap on the floor. “ahh…” he flopped down next to it and reached a hoof into one of the pockets for his magic communicator. “Come on you little… yeah… there you are.”

Hat pulled the small orb out of his pocket and headed out into the lounge. Putting it on his coffee table, he placed a hoof to his chin. He had better choose his words carefully.

“Ping the office of the director,” he said, now beginning to pace.

The orb turned white and remained so for a few seconds before the cool voice of a mare answered.

“Office of the director, Dahlia speaking.”

“Agent Hat Trick. Assignment 2208. Quarterly report for the director,” Hat said in a businesslike manner.

“Your report is three weeks early, agent,” Dahlia replied.

“Something came up. I’ll need to do it now.”

There was a pause on the line, then. “One moment, please”

The orb turned white again as the magical connection changed over to the director’s personal communicator. Finally it turned green and the deep yet crisp voice of the director answered.

“Agent Hat Trick, I wasn't expecting to hear from you for another 3 weeks. Is there a reason as to why you’re breaking protocol?”

“Yes, sir,” Hat began. “Rainbow Dash has remained under good security parameters and so far everything remains stable. Well, where her personal security is concerned, I reckon. I do think that, with your permission, I should keep a closer eye on her.”

“Very well, agent,” said the Director. “If you believe you need to get closer then by all means. I do, however, warn you not to get too close.”

“Understood, sir.” Hat bit his lip. "Umm..." The thought of cutting to the chase seemed so much easier when he wasn't speaking directly to his boss.

“I’m a busy pony, agent. Is there something else you wanted to tell me? Breaking protocol on a whim is not your style.” The director was starting to sound impatient.

“Sir…” Hat lifted a hoof and closed his eyes. Let’s just get this over with, he thought.

Hat recounted the events of the day as they happened. His meeting with Firefly, his seat number, the precise moment at which he saw what he saw. He found himself concerned at the silence on the other end but the orb remained green so he continued on. When he finally reached the end, Hat stopped pacing and turned to his orb. He watched it intently as the silence continued.

“A black alicorn.” The tone in the director’s voice had not changed but something about the way he said it seemed more of a statement than a query. As if he was considering the term more than trying to clarify it. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention, agent. I must ask that you keep this information to yourself. We don’t want to start a panic over rumors.”

Hat blinked at how candidly the director was treating the news but recovered quickly and replied with a sigh of relief. “Sir, agent Firefly also knows. I had to meet with her last night to exchange information. I had to figure whether or not she had seen the same thing I had.”

“And did she?”

“No, sir,” Hat wished he had at least some form of backup. “I believe I’m the only pony that was there who saw anything.”

“Good. I’ll speak to our archivists and see if anything comes up.” He was reviewing the situation and taking this seriously. Hat felt stupid about thinking that the director would pass him off as a lunatic. He had never given him any reason to do so. “In the meantime, I would ask that you maintain closer proximity to your charge. You say it was watching her, I believe she may be in danger. On that note, I’ll also be sure to ask the other five Protectors to do the same. So far we don’t know anything and this is the best I can do. Good job, agent.”

The orb turned white then clear as the director cut his connection. Hat felt relieved, picking up the orb and taking it back to his office. Today’s first order was to get cleaned up and head straight to Canterlot library. It was nearly 10am and Dash was always there reading her Daring Do book round about lunch time.

***

Director Black Hooves stared at his magical communicator with his hoof on his chin. Visual confirmation. There was no denying it. He knew one of these days something would come up again. That the report five years ago was no isolated incident.

He placed a hoof on his intercom. “Dahlia. No one is to disturb me for the rest of the morning.”

"But sir, you have your weekly briefing with the Deputy Director in five minutes," Dahlia replied.

"Satin Grey can wait another day," he said back. "Have my files sent to her if she has to see them."

Without waiting for a response, he pulled open his draw and picked up the ancient codex still stored there. He rummaged through a now higher collection of earmarked pages before landing on one page in particular.

The page had an old depiction of a giant alicorn with a bladed horn and fearsome eyes staring up at him. At the bottom of the page was the title “The Ancient”. So it was true. It did exist. He was sure only a handful of ponies had any knowledge of this book and its contents and even fewer had even known who it's author was. Least of them being one of his field agents.

The director shut the book and gazed at the title. “The Annals of Time”.

It was time he had a chat with the Princess.

Comments

[ThunderWonder]

A new, chaptered fanfic that's actually promising, intriguing, and well-written? And it centers around interesting OC's, no less?

Tracking!

[Teeemu]

5441627 Thanks for the vote of confidence!! Its always a pleasure seeing another enjoy what I write.