//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: A Deadly Encounter and an Unexpected Getaway // Story: Adventures in The 6ix // by Wiz Ahmad //------------------------------// MAIN HUMAN CHARACTER POV NORTH YORK, ONTARIO, CANADA AN HOUR TO MIDNIGHT “And that’s the last of it,” Kaito said, handing me a small box - though it was the size of a shoebox. I glanced down at the cardboard, tightly wrapped in its plastic shipping cocoon. This was it - I’d finally obtained all the means for me to increase power. “Thanks again so much,” I replied gratefully. “Maybe you can come down sometime and we could attend a meetup, maybe even qualify for CSCS.” Kaito sighed sadly. “That would be beyond a dream come true, but I have to attend to my family’s business. It’s what means the most in life.” “Yeah, me too,” I confided. “Well, call or email me if you got time! Have a good night.” “You too, my friend,” Kaito replied, waving as I got into my car. I smirked at his Japanese accent - it was smooth and beautiful. After all, he is pure-blooded Japanese. I lived in Parkdale with my mom, but had come all this way up north since he was a special one who knew of a method to import premium car parts and sell them  at half-price. Shifting into first gear, I set off down the road on a long journey back down south. All I wanted was to hit the pillow, eat a hearty breakfast the following morning, and get to work. Yet as I turned onto the highway and turned up the radio to keep me awake, I had no idea I was about to cross paths with a group of colorful friendly beings that would change my life forever. PONY CHARACTERS POV BLOOR AND SPADINA AREA, ONTARIO, CANADA “Fizzlepop, wake up, wake up!” Twilight pleaded, shaking her friend in a desperate bid to rouse her. “Uuuuuuuunnnnnnngggggggghhhhhhh,” Tempest groaned. “Wh-what was that? My head is so… fuzzy. I can barely make out anything.” “Wh-where are we?” came the faint voice of Rarity, and soon the others began to rise from their resting places. “I don’t recall the Crystal Empire having grass this short, or having houses that shabby,” Applejack added, pointing across the street. “A-a-and why is it s-s-so d-dark?” Fluttershy whimpered, still curled up. “It was daylight before we teleported…” “Maybe we’re just in a foreign city,” Tempest theorized. “Like Klugetown.” “Come on, we’ve gotta find out our actual location,” Twilight declared. “Let’s move… quietly.” Picking themselves off the grass, the group - seven ponies, a hippogriff, and one little dragon - set off across the grassy area, only to come to a hard road moments later. “What are those things?” Spike inquired, pointing to a lineup of large objects along the other side of the road. “I don’t know,” Twilight admitted. “But they don’t look alive, more technical. Much like our carriages, but in an enclosed design.” “Do you even think this is Equestria?” Skystar asked worriedly. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.” “It kinda does remind me of Klugetown,” Tempest admitted. “The buildings do look worn-down and slightly shabby. Stay close everypony. This place doesn’t look very trusting.” To the left the road split in two - one heading further down, the other straight up. The group stopped, still slightly unsure which path to take, until Rarity noticed a tall building in the distance. “There’s an apartment block up there,” she said, pointing. “If we can get up there, we’ll be higher up and thus be able to see better…” “...And find out exactly where we are,” Pinkie Pie finished. “Why didn’t I think of that?” Rainbow mused, and without warning, shot straight up into the air. “Wait!” Tempest called out, but she was too late. The eager pegasus was already airborne, almost a multi-colored smudge in the sky due to the extra darkness the buildings brought. From her vantage point high up in the sky, Rainbow Dash got a good look at where she and her friends actually were. In one direction stood hundreds of tall buildings, densely packed together, and beyond it a large body of water. In the opposite direction lay more run-down houses with small parks, and one large building of sorts. Down on the ground, a couple of those “modern carriages” moved about at considerable speed. The lights of the city stretched on for miles beyond the visible horizon. Her heart sank. This was nothing like anything she’d seen - only Manehatten could come fairly close. They were definitely not in Equestria, not with this size of a city and the large, fast moving, ground-dwelling contraptions. Unbeknownst to her, another set of eyes was also scanning the city. “Don’t do that again!” Twilight snapped the instant Rainbow Dash touched back down on the road. “We all agree this place isn’t the safest in Equestria so we need to be cautious. How is that - ” “Whoa whoa whoa,” Rainbow harshly cut in. “You’ve gotta be a fool if you think this is still Equestria. These” - she pointed to one of the large objects by the roadside - “are capable of movement! They move quite fast, but I’m not sure if they do so on their own though. This city is huge, like really really really really REALLY huge! It’s also, um, next to a large lake, in case you wanted to know that.” Twilight bit her lip in a painful zap of realization. She and her friends were in a shady-looking area with little light in a place they had no knowledge of. “Let’s try to slowly understand the world around us here,” she ordered. “I know nothing about it, though a few things look similar. Point out what you recognize.” “Trash can.” “Doors and windows.” “Fencing.” “Hard road surface.” Still taking turns at random, Twilight and her friends headed right and continued down the road, the sounds of fast-moving objects and talking voices getting considerably louder as they proceeded. “Okay now I believe you, Rainbow,” Twilight confessed, as they all caught sight of several lean, tall creatures walking upright far down at the intersection where the road ended. “We definitely aren’t in Equestria.” “I feel rather drained,” Skystar whined. “Can we just rest over there?” Twilight and Tempest looked over to see a dark, empty corner behind a small parking area, with a large tree hanging over it. If anyone came up here they wouldn’t be able to see them, at least not clearly. “Ooh, looks like a good hiding -” Pinkie’s words were interrupted by the sound of a blaring siren. Within minutes one of the “fast-moving modern carriages” sped up to them from behind, nearly knocking Fluttershy over. “All of you, whatever the hell you lot are, on the ground, now!” a voice barked. A large, well-built man burst out of the door and drew his gun on Twilight and her friends, so fast they were taken by surprise. “Uh, hhhhhh…” Fluttershy whimpered, starting to cry. “SHUT UP! I SAID, ON THE GROUND NOW!” The cop’s voice bellowed like a minotaur, and for a moment even Rainbow Dash felt fearful. Tempest slowly knelt down, keeping silent but observant. Skystar, however, stood her ground. “Why do you think we’re going to do any harm?” she asked defiantly, taking a step forward, we just -” BANG! In a state of anger, a shot rang out clear, shattering everypony’s ears. Spike and all the others dropped flat on the pavement and froze. Suddenly a loud agonizing scream of pain was heard. From the corner of her eye, Tempest caught sight of a bleeding Skystar collapsing on the ground. One of her hind legs had a thick streak of blood. She looked dead. “You…” Tempest couldn’t even get the words out as her blood boiled over. She rose to her feet and blasted all the magic she could right into the gunman’s chest. He shook, wobbled, and collapsed unconscious in a heap. MAIN HUMAN CHARACTER POV BLOOR STREET, ONTARIO, CANADA TEN MINUTES EARLIER It had been a long night, and I’d been driving for almost an hour. At least I was closer now, rather than farther. The radio was helpful at first, but soon became boring. Seriously, who plays cheesy pop from Alicia Keys in the dead of the night? C’mon. BANG! The loud pop of a gunshot startled me out of my woozy feeling, and I immediately sat upright, eyes darting around to catch sight of any movement or a hand holding a gun. Passing by one neighborhood side street, my eyes caught one of the most chilling sights ever. A group of colorful pony-like creatures of an unknown kind were all huddled on the ground along with what looked to be a...hippogriff? But it what was beside them that made my blood run cold. A cop car, with its occupant lying unconscious, his gun several feet away. I didn’t know exactly what struck me at this moment, but inside all hell broke loose. I stopped in the rightmost lane - the parking lane, leapt out of the car, and threw open the trunk. I pushed the passenger seat as far forward and over as it would allow, then rushed up the street, pulling my phone out as I ran. If news of this incident ever got ‘round, I was going to get all the evidence I could before any of it was altered. “All of you, run down that way, now!” I ordered sternly, already taking pictures of the cop and the hippogriff’s leg, which I noticed was badly injured. You sick trigger happy bastard, I thought, before turning back to the innocent creatures with a serious face. “Your life depends on it, I warn you. Go.” After taking a quick video of the cop car’s license plate, the cop’s face and (thankfully) a fragment of the bullet, I put my fingers on the poor hippogriff’s neck and chest. It felt slight movement, but somewhat rapid. Slipping my phone back into my pocket, I lifted her up. Boy, was she heavy! Supporting her hurt leg, I pulled up with all my might, and rested her on my chest, almost staggering backwards due to her weight. I took off after the others down the street, a moaning sound heard behind me. “In there!” I exclaimed, pointing to the open doors of my car. The sight of me struggling to help one of their friends may have triggered something in them, because at that moment one of them - rather tall, dark-colored, and muscular - rushed to my side and helped support the hippogriff’s weight. Together we loaded her into the trunk. Pulling a rag from my pocket, I wrapped it around the bloody area of the hippogriff’s injured leg. “You, in front here!” I instructed the large, muscular one - who I now noticed looked like a unicorn. The others seemed to understand my car to a certain extent, as they were all huddled in the back seats. I repositioned the front seat as quickly as I could, before shutting the door and sprinting around to the other side. With all the occupants loaded up, I threw the car into second gear and slammed the throttle, lurching the car forward with a loud screech from the spinning tires. Even though I didn’t even know these alien creatures, there was no way I was going to let them die at the sight of a gun wielded by a trigger happy cop. A couple gasps and dialogue was exchanged between them, but I kept silent and focused on my driving. In the distance I could hear the all-too-familiar sound of police sirens. “Ah, great.” The sicko was onto us from a distance, and I had to lose him. If I was to die by his gruesome hands, it’d be protecting the occupants of my car. Spotting a residential area further west, I yanked the e-brake and skidded into the corner, my rear tire missing hitting the curb by inches. No sooner did the front start to re-align with the road, I hit the throttle again, shifting into third gear but keeping the speed down - the weight of the occupants assisting somewhat. I let out a slight sigh of relief as I noticed the cop car passing on by on the main street and the siren’s sound dying off. In a quick move, I stopped, jumped out, and pulled off a cover that I’d used to shield my rear license plate, before hopping back in. “You’re the last things in the world I expected to show up on a night like this,” I muttered, driving away slowly and keeping my ears alert, just in case. “What were you doing on that street in the middle of the night, anyway?” “Um, thanks for saving us,” a slight whimper came from the back seat, and my heart sank. Had I done a bigger favor than I originally anticipated? As small and timidly expressed as that question might’ve been, it sparked another, so I put up my hand like a stop sign. Amazingly, they recognized what I meant, and fell silent. “It goes without saying that you all have a lot of questions, and so do I,” I began. “Let me first explain to you the where, the what, and the why, then you can fill in the rest. You’re in Toronto, a large and diverse city. Toronto is a city within a province called Ontario, in a country called Canada, on a planet called Earth. Those you see living here are called humans. We are living creatures that walk upright, and use our upper limbs to hold objects, eat, climb, and do all kinds of stuff. We’re made up of cells and organs, just like you. Males are called guys or dudes, and females are called girls or sometimes gals. What you’re in right now is called a car - like a carriage, but with an enclosed body, and its own method of driving power within that is controlled in a mechanical manner. There are several types, I’ll explain more later.” “Now onto the why. That sicko you encountered back there was a cop. Police officer, if you will. They serve to establish law and order, though some are horribly abusive of their positions of power - the bad apples, if you wish to assign a term. As a fine dude who’s lived in this city his whole life, I’ve encountered and witnessed cases with cops like that. I’m sorry you had to be at the heart of one, and I’m happy I got you out of it.” I let out a big fake sigh. “Over to you lot.” I pulled down my rear sight mirror so I could see them all clearly. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship,” said the first one. She stood out with a violet mane and tail with a pink streak. "We are ponies." “Wait,” I interrupted with a sly smile. “Let me guess.” I observed them closely in the mirror for a moment while we waited at a stoplight. They were a mixed bunch - pegasi, unicorns, and "regular" ponies. “Rainbow, because your mane and tail’s colors speak for themselves. Applejack, because your flank has apples on it, and you’ve got a nice little Stetson. Many cowboys’ names are often Jack, so go figure. Pinkie - it’s in the color. Rarity - your mane is a rare design compared to that of your friends. And the one in the corner there… you’re shy, so, Shy.” Twilight’s eyes widened at how accurate my guesses were. “I can’t believe it - you got it all right! Only for Shy, it’s Fluttershy. And the little dragon here you missed is Spike, my number one assistant.” “Quite the super-smart one, aren’t you?” Rainbow sneered. God, I haven’t heard a girl’s voice as tomboyish as that since middle school. “You can say that,” I chuckled, and turned to the one opposite me. “How about you?” “Tempest Shadow,” came a thick, serious voice, and I stiffened slightly. Looking at her build and the armor she wore, she was a force to be reckoned with. A brief thought hit me. “Were you the one who put that blaster in his place?” “Yeah…” Tempest looked down, as if feeling remorse. My eyes widened, and I pulled a little smile. How could a figure as big and strong as her have such a deep level of sympathy? “It’s okay,” I said, consoling her with a little caress. “You’re brave and strong to stand up for your friends and defend them. That in itself is worth more than what the world contains.” Tempest smiled so solemnly at me she looked as if about to cry, but held it in. I then turned onto Dundas and went onto the next question. “How about the one in the back?” “Oh, Skystar?! Is she going to be okay?” Pinkie gasped, and my heart melted again at her worried face. “She’ll be fine,” I reassured the little pink pony. “She just needs to rest. Hopefully that rag I put on her leg will ease the blood loss from that bullet wound. I’m not sure if the bullet went through her leg or just passed it through the skin, so I’m going to have to take her to the vet ASAP next morning.” It then dawned on Twilight: that cop nearly killed Skystar! No wonder Tempest burst with rage. “Almost home everyone,” I announced, turning onto Roncesvalles Avenue. “Oh, I forgot to mention, my name’s Xavier William Brown, but most call me Breezy X.” “Xavier,” Twilight repeated, rather fluently. “Interesting name. Thanks for saving us.” “Happy to save nine lives,” I replied with a smile. Noting the body physique of Rainbow, I gave her a sly wink. “I have a feeling you’re going to like what’s inside these boxes. More on that in the morning.” “Will you help us get back home?” Twilight asked worriedly. “If only I knew where to start,” I admitted. “But I will try my best. First though, Skystar needs to get healed up and we all need some good sleep. I’ve been driving for almost four hours now just for those boxes, but I can guarantee it was all worth it.” At last, I pulled up into the driveway and pushed a button, causing the garage door to rise as the little ponies looked on in awe. Entering the garage, I pulled the e-brake and cut the engine. “Alright, let’s get to sleep.” I opened the door and let Tempest out, then Twilight, Spike, and their friends. Re-adjusting the front seat once more, I shut the door and opened the trunk. Skystar lay there, looking almost lifeless. I gently felt her neck and her chest. Yep, still got a beat. Instantly Pinkie was onto her before I could even. “Skystar, Sky!” she pleaded in a heartbreaking sorrowful voice. “Please wake up, please!” I gently wiggled her front arms, and then stroked her wings. Slowly, Skystar’s eyes fluttered open and she moved her limbs slightly before wincing in pain. “Oh Skystar, you’re alive!” Pinkie exclaimed, hugging her hippogriff friend. I felt like crying but knew we had more important things to do. “C’mon. Let’s get her inside.” Tempest supported Skystar’s front half while I held her lower back and legs, taking care not to touch or bump her injured one. The rag was wet with blood, but thankfully not soaked through completely, which meant her blood loss hadn’t reached fatal levels. I shut the trunk and locked the car, then handed Applejack a remote, and with a hoofpress of a button the garage door shut. “Can you open up, please?” I kindly asked Twilight, tossing her my keys. She caught them using telekinesis and had the front door open in a jiffy. We walked down a short flight of steps. A night light was on, and my mother was fast asleep on the couch. We snuck past her into my room. Door shut, Tempest and I laid Skystar down on my bed and I instantly held up her leg to avoid any bloodstains. “Pinkie, hold her leg up like this,” I ordered. “I’ll be right back.” I slipped into the bathroom and took a quick relief, then washed up and got a couple sheets of paper towel,a cup of warm water, and a first aid kit. “Um, can I help?” Fluttershy asked as I began to carefully clean the wound. It didn’t look too bad, but the skin had definitely been pierced. It looked as though the bullet had simply made a deep incision on the skin as it passed, but not hit any bone. Still, an expert would be needed to confirm this. Working together, Fluttershy and I cleaned the wound, clipped away some of the blood-stained hair, and applied a dab of rubbing alcohol. The ensuing pain resulted in a bit of a squeal, but amazingly Skystar held it together quite well. In no time at all the wound was dressed, bandaged, and covered. “Good,” I said with a yawn as I put away the first aid kit, the cup, the rag, and the paper towel. “Now let’s get some sleep… once we clean up, of course.” In the bathroom, we all took turns washing our hands (and hooves) and drying them well. Finally, drained of energy, we entered my room again. I pulled back the blanket and flopped down, and Fluttershy, and Rarity snuggled up next to me, while Skystar slept on the other side and Spike rested by my legs. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Tempest simply curled up on the floor and we all nodded off to sleep.