Twilight's Golden Age

by Bitpull

"A Fury in Your Words"

The yellow cab hurtled along the evening streets.

The Reckoner and Chipper were up front, the latter holding his mentor's silk hat in his lap. In back Snoopy gazed out the window while Twilight tried to make sense of the comic book Chipper had shown her.

Maybe I'm just sensitive because it's my name, but he just doesn't look like a "Twilight," the lavender alicorn considered. Aside from the cowl and unitard – not uncommon among ponies, uh, men of mystery – this Twilight had a shoulder length mane attached to his cowl, one most stallions would be proud of. He also had long strands of hair dripping off his fetlocks; terribly dangerous in a fight. All in all, he just didn't look like a creature of the night, unless that meant he wouldn't dare show himself in the light of day.

"Uh, Chipper, why does your Twilight call himself that?"

"Hm? Oh! Well, he was a private investigator before he joined the Marines, see, and he was investigating a shooting at an opera house, see, and then this parrot gave him a fortune: 'At Twilight you will be master.' Well, at that moment he saw this costume with a big red 'T' on it and felt it was just meant to be, so he called himself Twilight."

Twilight Sparkle blinked once while digesting this. "So he didn't even design this costume?" So this isn't a creature of the night? Looks more like just a creature – What kind of animal is brown, with a mane and hairy forelegs, and starts with "T"?

Wait – was this outfit meant to be a THOROUGHBRED?

Twilight shook her head to clear it of that image, while Chipper, oblivious, was soldiering on. "It was like kismet, I guess. He took Snoopy – that's the parrot that gave him the fortune – on as his partner and decided to keep fighting crime after his first case wrapped up."

Twilight Sparkle wondered at this. "Just like that. Risking his life doing what the police do every day." Still, it's not like the Power Ponies are any different…

The Reckoner joined in with a pained expression. "Around here the police aren't what you would call top of the line," he offered. "There have been any number of scandals involving graft and corruption. I'm sure that's why so many adventurers, even those without special powers, decided to put on a mask. We want to do something to make a difference."

"Actually I wondered about that," said Twilight. "Why aren't you wearing a mask?"

The Reckoner paused for a beat. "I'm not?"

Chipper shook his head. "You left it in your hat. Again."

The Reckoner gave an annoyed grunt. "I'm always doing that! It's because it cuts down on my peripheral vision – a real hazard when you're driving or fighting!"

"You should ask your Twilight what he does about that, looks like he'd have the same problem."

"Let's hope we get the chance. And here's the Bayou Beanery coming up."

I don't suppose we'll have time for dinner, thought Twilight. She had never tried cajun cooking, having yet to visit Neigh Orleans, but Shining Armor spent his leave one year at the famous Mare di Grass festival. Said things were way too spicy for him.

The cab rolled past Juju's Bayou Beanery, but screeched to a halt in front of the adjacent alley.

"Trouble," said Chipper, handling the Reckoner his topper.

Twilight followed the two crime fighters. Their attention was on two large male humans – interestingly, their skin was dark brown, rather than the pink she had seen thus far – who were trying to subdue a redheaded female. "Step away from the girl!" the Reckoner called.

The larger human charged him while his friend hung onto the girl. He was more than twice the Reckoner's body mass and could've caused some real damage if those outsized hands managed to connect. He whiffed one fist past the tuxedoed terror, who retaliated with two or three jabs and one interesting move that sent the hulking figure into a brick wall. He lay down on the ground, out of the picture for the time being.

His partner tightened his grip on the hostage, holding her neck in the crook of his left elbow while his right hand brought out a wicked looking switchblade. "Stan' back, white man, or de mouse gits it in de face!"

The Reckoner met his eyes, and in a steady voice, intoned: " 'Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them.' "

This took both the captive and the captor by surprise. (For her part, Twilight found the words familiar but couldn't immediately place them.)

Filling the silence, the Reckoner continued, " 'You are one of those that will not serve God, if the devil bid you.' "

"Hey, you shut yo' face," said the bravo. "Don't act so high'n mighty, comin' here, spoutin' Othello–"

"You knew it was Othello."

The assailant opened his mouth, shut it again. He closed his eyes, his knife hand dropping to the side, although his grip on the girl never loosened. That was okay; as long as that knife was out of his line of sight, Twilight could act.

The Reckoner was pressing his advantage. "But then again, why wouldn't you recognize it? Two performances each Saturday and Sunday, August in the town park? And who was that kid from New York who played Iago? Klugman, Krugman, something like that?"

"All right, all right, no need to bring out my press clippings." The mugger sounded very articulate all of a sudden.

"Wh-What's going on?" said the girl.

"Miss," said the Reckoner, "may I introduce Cuthbert Robespierre, late of the Mercury Theatre."

That took her by surprise. "Cuthbert??"

"Memorable, don't you think?" said that worthy. "But enough of this. You've all been sticking your noses in business that doesn't concern you, and now I'll ask you to back off, or this young lady will be hurt 'past all surgery.' "

" 'I understand a fury in your words,' " said the Reckoner, " 'but not the words.' "

"That doesn't matter. What matters is, we're all going for a little ride." And he flexed his wrist in front of the girl's face.

Playing a hunch – he really had nothing to base this on, other than proximity – The Reckoner said, "Why are you working for Madame Juju, Cuthbert?"

"Why do you think?" said the actor. "She 'puts money in my purse.' Artists don't really like starving."

"What does she want with the girl?"

"That would be telling," the assailant said. "Why don't we all go out to Rue de Valley, and you can ask her yourself." He gave a short laugh. " 'They laugh that win.' "

"Which doesn't include you," said the Reckoner, pointing to Cuthbert's right hand.

Cuthbert looked down and discovered he was threatening the girl with an empty fist, jolting him enough to loosen his hold. In a flash the girl broke free, which was good, and threw herself into the Reckoner's arms, which was not.

Cuthbert gave a less than articulate growl, pulled a blackjack from his pocket and came at the pair. Suddenly he was enveloped in a purple aura, making him a living statue.

"What did you do?" said the girl.

"Just a little something I picked up in the Orient," said the Reckoner. Twilight couldn't help but sneer a little at that, but decided it was probably simpler than a discussion of Equestrian magic. And that was some pretty cool sleight-of-hoof with the knife, if I do say so myself. She took inventory. Chipper was binding the arms and legs of the prone mugger, the Reckoner was calming the shaken victim, and Snoopy was busy standing around doing nothing.

"Snoopy, that girl's had a rough time tonight. Get her a glass of water," said Twilight.

Snoopy saluted, sped off, and returned in two seconds with a tall cold tumbler full of water.

Which he proceeded to drink himself.

"Don't know why I expected any different," muttered the alicorn.

Meanwhile the Reckoner was getting the details. "Are you all right, Miss…?"

"Ah, Summers. My name is Winnie Summers. I'm roommates with Betty Ann Noakes, she's a waitress at the Beanery, and she hasn't been home in two days, and when I came by to ask where she was they took me out back here and – and –"

"It's all right, all right now, the bad part is over. From what our thespian friend told us, I'm pretty sure they took Betty Ann to Madame Juju's home. What I need you to do is go to a pay phone, call the cops and have them collect our playmates here. Tell them we've gone to Madame Juju's on Rue de Valley."

"Madame Juju's, Rue de Valley," she repeated, and ran off to make the call.

"As for us, we've got a date with a swamp witch," declared the Reckoner.

"Is that enough of an address for you to find her place?" said Twilight.

"If it's on Rue de Valley, I know the place it has to be. Chipper! Snoopy! Let's get going!"

As they climbed in, the Reckoner turned to Twilight and said, "By the way, nice job with the knife and the whammy."

"Thank you. And I was impressed, you really know your William Shanksmare."

"Really? You know Othello?"

Well, we call it O'Thelwell, but never mind… "As it happens, I'm a librarian, and have read the Complete Works several times. I do appreciate a well-applied quote, 'for I am nothing, if not critical.' "

Author's Note:

The purple passages are direct quotes from Shakespeare's Othello.

Norman Thelwell was a British cartoonist, perhaps most famous for his pictures of ponies and their riders. How that can be interpolated into a drama of race, sex and ambition is anybody's guess.