The Elements of Love

by UnweptSchlipps

Of Snobs, Pickpockets, and Moles

Trottingham. A town where the wealthy met the filth. On one side, the posh mansions of the affluent ruled the streets, where gas lamps lined the cobblestone roads and classy ponies clopped along with their nose held high. In the middle of it all were the stone cottages of the middle-class, with brick chimneys that seemed to perpetually bellow white smoke. The houses were built on a hill, with the road slanting downward gradually. This part seemed much more welcoming than the high-class district, mostly due to the humble workers going about the place with a modest smile.

Then, at the very bottom of it all (both geographically and socially), were the poor. This part was surrounded by chain-fences, as though the rest of Trottingham didn’t want anything to do with it. Here, the housing was meager little shacks, and the heating came from the wood of old broken furniture. Not surprisingly, the ponies had a layer of dirt coating their bodies, and whatever clothes they owned were ragged and worn. If they had any to begin with, that is.

The Elements found themselves near the junction of middle-class and high-class, watching the citizens of Trottingham go about their business. In way, it was much like Canterlot, except the streets were (thankfully) a bit less crowded.

The six strolled along the paved streets, sauntering past a marketplace. At the time, they felt more like tourists than a team of heroes sent to vanquish an evil. The voice of a colt waving a newspaper chanted, “Read all about it! Crystal Kingdom Under Siege: Cadance and Shining Armor Nowhere to be Found!”

Unlike the others, Lucky was not there to just take in the sights. Every now and then he would peer over his back wearily, his eyes skirting around everypony they passed. He uttered, “Never thought I’d be back here so soon.”

“Ah don’t see what the big deal is, Lucky. This place don’t seem all that bad,” Braeburn retorted.

“You’ll soon realize just how stupid you sound, mate,” Lucky replied cynically, only loud enough for Braeburn to hear. The cowpony gave him an ireful glare, but the unicorn was too busy glancing over his shoulder to see it.

The Elements soon found themselves underneath a gazebo in a large square garden. One side was a large menacing building that could only be Town Hall, while across the street was an inn.

“Now that we’ve checked this place out,” Cheerilee began. “How are we going to go about looking for this Shade person?”

Although they all were eager to start investigating, one very big problem still remained. “How are we supposed to do that? Trottingham’s huge!” Scootaloo remarked, whirling her hooves for emphasis.

“Ah dunno, the princess never really clarified on that part,” Braeburn stated, perplexed. All the six were unfamiliar with this new town, much like the Frost Star Sanctuary but on a grander scale. Well...all of the six except…

As if on some imaginary cue, the Elements slowly turned their gaze to Lucky, who was wearily watching a jacketed stallion. The unicorn turned back to find his companions gawking at him expectantly. It was enough to make him feel quite unnerved, and he asked, “What?”

Finally, Lucky realized the purpose of their eager gaze and said, “Oh, I get it. Well just because I come from here doesn’t mean I know everypony. Besides, it’s been years.” He turned his head toward the familiar building of City Hall, and with a restrained voice he uttered, “Most of the ponies I knew…are long gone.”

Cheerilee sensed a quiver in Lucky’s voice, and she found that rather odd coming from a normally prideful unicorn such as himself. But before she could pry, Redheart spoke up, suggesting, “Perhaps we should just ask around, see if anypony’s seen him?”

It wasn’t exactly the best plan, but in this case, the six had to make due. They began to wander around the rich district, asking the citizens as to Shade’s whereabouts. Most of the time, the snooty ponies passed them by with their noses stuck up in the air as though they were superior. And if they did answer, it was with the derogatory, “Peasant,” remark.

Fed up with their rudeness, Scootaloo said loudly, “What’s wrong with these ponies? It’s like they’ve got a pole up their butt or something!”

“Ah can see where you got yer personality from, Lucky,” Braeburn poked, prompting Lucky to scowl, clearly not in the mood.

The six moved on over to the middle district, strolling along the gentle slope, trying to converse with other pedestrians. These ponies were obviously much nicer than their moneyed counterparts, offering as much help as they could. They were met with as much success as their previous attempt however, and the whereabouts of Shade was still unknown.

“Well, at least they actually talked to us,” Soarin said, trying to brighten the mood. Redheart, stone-faced as ever, stifled whatever cheeriness Soarin tried to create, and he could only wince at her as she ignored him.

Soon the group found themselves slowly marching towards the run-down shacks below. Lucky quickly stepped in front of them, saying, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. You don’t wanna go in there, mates. That place has always been bad news.”

“Can’t be that bad. Besides, what if Shade’s in there?” Braeburn answered, continuing on. The rest of the group followed suit, and seeing as though they weren’t going to stop, Lucky has no choice but to sulk in the rear.

They first thing they noticed was that the streets here were much more crowded than in the rich district. Not to mention the streets were narrow and unpaved, and a strange smell of grime and sweat fumed from the premises. It was almost sunset, and the only light source came from burning piles of scrap wood. The eyes of the other pedestrians followed the Elements wherever they went, almost as though they were sizing them up.

“Hey, watch it!” a stallion growled, almost stepping on poor Scoots.

“Yeah, yeah, move it or lose it, bub!” the defiant pegasus replied, earning her the evil eye.

Soarin quickly swept up the filly, whispering, “That’s…probably not a good idea, Scoots.”

Suddenly a mare, probably only a few years older than Scoots, bumped into the Wonderbolt, putting him off-kilter. He watched the pony speed off down the street, a wily grin on her face. “Hey, can’t you watch where you’re going?” he shouted, regardless of his advice earlier. “We’ll see who’s laughing when I air-tackle you to the ground!”

The Wonderbolt cursed under his breath, reaching into his bag because all the shouting made him hungry. But Soarin realized his bag felt much lighter, and after taking a peek inside, he said, “Wait a sec…that mare took some of my food!”

“Told ya this place is bad news,” Lucky replied, munching into a poppy-seed bagel for no apparent reason, leaning against a run-down wooden fence. Between bites he continued, “You’d have more luck…back at the rich district…than trying to get some info from these blokes.”

Unbeknownst to him, as he chewed on his favorite treat, a mischievous stallion was sneaking behind the fence. Thinking Lucky wasn’t paying attention, the pony aimed his magic at a tiny carved-out hole, lifting up the flap of Lucky’s saddlebag.

Suddenly, the thief tensed up, unable to move his body due to the light green magic surrounding him. Lucky casually mopped his mouth with his handkerchief, and without turning around he said, “How cute. You think that just ‘cause I’ve got this designer vest, I’m another stupid lunk with too much cash to notice some stupid idiot sneaking a few coins out of my pocket?”

He whirled around to look at the would-be pickpocket and threatened, “Now bug off before I magic your hoof up your arse.”

Lucky dispersed his telekinesis spell, causing the thief to fall flat on his flank. The ragged stallion snarled at the unicorn, saying, “You better watch your back mister.” Then he stared at Lucky straight in the eye, and a sudden look of realization flashed across his face. “I’ve seen you from somewhere…” the thief uttered. Without elaborating further, he scampered away into a dark alley.

“Pssh, these guys are all bark, no bite!” Scootaloo remarked as she watched the stallion disappear.

Lucky replied, “Believe me, little one. That guy was just a street rat. Let’s hope you don’t meet the real thugs.”

The gambler began to wander down the sidewalk, with the rest of the group trying to catch up. Cheerilee was the first to reach him, walking by his side. She inquired, “He said he’s seen you from somewhere. What’s that about?”

She could have sworn she had seen something flash across Lucky’s face. But it swiftly replaced by an indifferent shrug, and he answer, “Oh that? Probably has me confused with some other poor stallion he stole from. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, okay sweetheart?” As Lucky said this, Cheerilee could only go with it, wishing that she had Braeburn’s ability to detect lies.

Soarin piped, “I’ve got feeling the only thing these crooks are gonna give us are empty pockets. This place is a bust.”

Cheerilee turned to Lucky and asked, “Are you completely sure you can’t think of some way to help us out?”

The unicorn gave a deep breath, this time trying to think harder than he had last time. He began to scan the surrounding buildings, eventually settling on the inn sitting atop the hill. “Well…I do remember that inn over there being a place for gossip,” Lucky began. “And believe me, that place probably has more info than City Hall itself.”

“Hey man, I’m all for it,” Soarin commented. “Besides, it’s gettin’ dark, and after what happened in the Everfree, I can't even trust my own shadow!” His feeble attempt at a joke fizzled out one again, and Redheart glared at him questionably.

The two probably would have glared at each other until they bore holes into each other’s skulls. That is, if Braeburn hadn’t said, “Then it’s settled, folks. Let’s get to that inn an’ get some rest. Cadance gave me some money just in case.”

Travelling from Ponyville to Trottingham in a single day was no easy feat, especially with a bunch of shadow monsters chasing you along the way. So although nopony showed it, they were all relieved to finally get a good night’s rest. They made their way up the slope, night beginning to fall. However, as they wandered up the street, something caught Scootaloo’s eye. For split second, she glimpsed something, or someone, lurking in an alleyway across the street, barely visible in the moonlight. But when she tried to get a better look, the figure was gone.

Did I just…?, Scootaloo thought. Was she imagining things? It was only a split-second after all. Yeah…imagining things, she decided, shaking her head, only half-believing her statement.

The Elements of Love sauntered into the inn’s first floor, and they were greeted with a lovely little eatery where ponies sat to drink some apple cider. A warmth hearth lit up the room, and multiple citizens gathered around it to bask in its warmth. Standing at a bar/desk in the front, wiping it down with a cloth, was a unicorn who seemed to be the innkeeper.

She was definitely…not the most beautiful mare in Equestria. She was quite on the portly side, with her ginger mane tied up in a messy, frizzy bun. Her teeth were crooked and yellow, and she wore enough make-up to suffocate a clown. But her most prominent feature was a big hairy mole located on her left temple.

With a gritty voice that probably would have sounded better from a stallion, she greeted, “Welcome to the Seventh Street Corner Club and Inn. We’ve got cool cider and warm beds, the only thing a pony needs. How can I help you folks?”

For a moment, all six didn’t answer, fixated on the black, hairy monstrosity planted on her face. Finally Braeburn cleared his throat and, looking down at the desk, he said, “Come on now y’all…don’t be shy. We’d like to, er, rent a room. Two rooms actually.”

“You must be travelers then, huh? Never seen you folks before. Well anyway, that’ll be 30 bits sugar,” the innkeeper replied gruffly, showing off a crooked smile.

What did she jus’ call me?, Braeburn thought as he reached into his pack. He placed a few coins on the table, and the mare swept them into a box located underneath. As she did this, Braeburn inquired, “Oh an’ by the way…we’re lookin’ for this pony named Shade. He prolly walks around with a hood over his head, pretty reclusive. Might have some kind of fascination with ancient magic or somethin’. Have you heard anythin’ like that?”

The innkeeper put her hoof under her head in contemplation. Her face was puckered and scrunched from thought, making her mole look larger than life (just like her). Finally, once the six began to feel hopeless, she answered, “Actually…I think I have heard of something."

“Really?” Braeburn said, surprised. “Well let’s hear it then, ma’am.”

But the mare shook her head, and with a wily grin she uttered, “Sorry, I can’t give you that info. Not without a price…”

“What?” the cowpony replied in utter disbelief. “We already paid fer two rooms, miss! How much more do ya want?”

“For a handsome stallion like yourself…20 bits.”

Rapping the table angrily with his hooves, Braeburn stared straight into her mole…eyes…and began, “Well now listen ta me, miss. Yer jus’ full a shi-.”

He was interrupted by a subtle tap on his back. The voice Cheerilee whispered from behind, “Just do it Braeburn. We need every clue.”

After much persuasion by the others (and a few choice words from Lucky), the yellow stallion reluctantly uttered, “Fine.” He fished out a few more coins out of his saddlebag and tossed them on the table, saying, “There’s yer darned 20 bits.”

Smiling triumphantly, the mare placed the gold coins underneath the table and began to talk. “So a couple a’ workers down by the mines have been telling stories of how a buncha’ robed mages came along and dug up some kind of book. Since then, this hooded fellow’s been snooping around that place, askin’ about some ‘umbrella magician’ or something like that. Seemed pretty knowledgeable about that stuff, could be the one you’re lookin’ for. You could try asking some miners, see if they know anything. You can usually find a few hanging around the entrance down at the poor district, being all lazy and such.”

After staring into her eyes with his Truth Glare, Braeburn nodded his head, satisfied with the clue. “Hear that guys? Looks like we’re headed to that mine tomorrow mornin’.”

“Pleasure doin’ business with you, sweetums,” the innkeeper said, giving the cowpony a wink and mouthing two words that made him gag.

As he walked away from the innkeeper and her mole, he muttered, “Is everypony in this town a swindler?”
Lucky answered warily, “You don’t how right you are.”

“Oh, almost forgot! These are the keys to yer rooms!” the mare at the desk called out. She levitated two keys over to Redheart. “First and second door on the right!”

“Good, now we can finally get some sleep. We’ve got a big day tomorrow,” Redheart commented. They split into two bedrooms, one for stallions, the other for mares, and all six were anxious for when morningtime came along once again.

Xxx

Somewhere miles away, an old mage and a pegasus resided in a room atop an ancient tower, only lit by a small lantern on a table. The elder sat stood complacently next to the table, his wicked features highlighted by the dim light. The pegasus’s face, however, was completely shrouded by the dark.

“So what have you brought me, my minion?” the Arch-Mage asked.

The pegasus replied curtly, “They reside in the inn at the top of the hill, my liege.”

The Arch-Mage responded with a slow nod and nothing else, sipping out of a cup of broth. The messenger tilted his head, asking, “Aren’t we going to do something about them?”

“No, no. Now is not the time. Too many witnesses.” With voice that was both calm and sinister, the Arch-Mage added, “Besides, it is much too early to get them now. They haven’t even met our dear friend Shade yet.”

The old unicorn made his way to his balcony, standing at the very same spot where Lucky and Cheerilee had eluded their grasp. “For now, go back to your post, young one. That is all I need to know for now. Keep a close eye on them.”

When the old pony turned back to his room, the pegasus was already gone.

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Comments

[Chaotic Note]

whelp, guess i got nothing better to do.

TO DAH BLOGS!