Chapter 1: Friend and helper
2008
Liberty City
It was a rainy day in Liberty City. Carl Wagner was talking with his friend Aiden Brown in front the police station in Broker, Mohawk Avenue Hove Beach.
“… So he says to me: ‘Body? What body? I don’t care if they surrender, I’m killin’ me some bad guys.’ Sometimes, I have the feeling that I am the only cop in Liberty City, who gives criminals a chance to surrender, instead shooting on sight.” Aiden told him.
“Same here in the N.O.O.S.E. Tactical Response Unit of Liberty City, Aiden. How are your children?”
“Good as always. Did you have luck with your wife yet?”
Carl sighed. “No.” Both men were very fond of children. Aiden had a son and a daughter, but Carl and his wife tried for years to have a child.
"Then why don’t you adopt a child then?”
“We already thought of that. But can you imagine how an American child would get along with a father of German origin?” That was one of Carl’s doubts.
“No doubt my friend. I mean everyone in the LCPD gets along with you.” His friend countered.
“You're right. Does that rain ever stop?” He shuddered.
“That’s Liberty City. We better get inside.”
A loud thunder came. “Wait, do you hear that?” There was a sound of a crying child. It came out of an alley near the station.
“Poor kid. Must be scared to death.”
“Right.” Aiden turned his flashlight on and walked into the alley. “Hello? LCPD.” The two cops got only more crying as response.
They saw a newspaper. Grey hair was peeking out of it. Aiden slowly and carefully removed the newspaper. They were shocked.
The child was not human but a filly with a grey fur coat, and mane, and violet eyes. The filly was wearing glasses that was steamed up from the heat of the tears. It also had a Spoon adorned with a heart on its flank.
Both cops blinked, shaking their heads, trying to get out their heads what they saw but it didn’t vanish. As they pulled themselves together, they knew they had to help it, it was their duty as law enforcers after all.
“Don’t worry little one, we’ll help you.” Aiden spoke to the foal. It looked up. Then in panic, it crawled backwards against the wall, trembling.
Both men tried to approach her until she asked scared, “Wh-who-who are you? Wh-where am I? I...I...I wanna' go home...” She trembled harder.
Aiden kneeled down to her. “Shh, we won’t hurt you. We are police officers, your friends and helpers.”
“Alright.” The foal replied with a weak smile but winced as thunder came again.
“Shh, we are here for you. Come with us. You are freezing in this rain and could get a cold.”
But Sir, I don’t want to get your uniform wet.“ The foal replied, shivering from the cold.
“Don’t worry, it’s only water.” Carl gently picked her up. “We can’t take her inside, the other officers would freak out.”
Aiden brought his hand to his chin. “You know what? Pack up. I’ll do the paper work for you.”
“Ok, thanks.” Carl carried her to his car, a blue Rancher with a bedcap. The SUV was no longer recent but still a reliable vehicle. The foal was confused as he put the seat belt on. “Safety first. It will be a long ride. I suggest you take a nap until we arrive.” She nodded and closed her eyes. Carl turned the Radio on. He liked to listen to Radio Broker.
“It’s LCD Soundsystem.” The moderator said and ‘LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous!’ played.
Carl lived with his wife in Middle Park East, Algonquin. Their house was in the Albany Avenue, against the Union Drive East. Actually, it was a penthouse. His wife was working as bank employee, so she earned enough money to afford it.
Carl and Aiden were good friends, yet different. Carl was more a man for the rough things, than Aiden. Also he liked to listening to Jazz Nation Radio 108.5 and loved classic music, while Carl loved Radio Broker and modern music. The cars they were driving showed their differences too. The Rancher, a SUV, for off-road, while Aiden was driving a Stanier, a Sedan.
The rain stopped as he reached his home. He parked his car on the yellow parking lot, next to his wife’s red Merit. He gently shook the filly’s shoulder. “We’re here.”
She let out a cute yawn. “Really?” She stepped out. Her eyes went wide. “You live in a Penthouse? I bet that was not cheap.”
Carl chuckled. “My wife works as a bank employee, so it was not expensive for us. Don’t worry my wife is kind and likes children.”
They took the elevator up. “Sofia, I am home! And we have visit!”
Sofia came out of the kitchen. “Welcome back, Carl.”
She was a young woman with brown hair and green eyes.
“Do I see that right?” She asked with confusion upon seeing Silver Spoon.
“It’s a child in costume, my dear.” It was the only logical explanation he could come up with.
“And who are you, my dear?” She asked the filly, smiling.
“Silver Spoon, Mrs. Sofia.”
“Sofia is just fine. Let me get a towel for you.” Sofia walked into the bathroom and came out with a towel.
“Thanks Sofia.” Sofia dried her.
“Are you cold?”
“A little bit.”
“Let me make a Hot chocolate for you.”
“I love Hot chocolate!” Silver Spoon exclaimed.
Carl switched from his black N.O.O.S.E. uniform to Jeans and a Gray Flight Jacket as the uniform was bulky and only allowed him to walk crouched. He liked the post-soviet clothes. He even had a Fatigues-Camo pants and an Army Hat but that wasn’t something he wantzed to wear right now. For sunny Days, he bought sunglasses.
Sofia didn’t mind his clothes at all. She loved it like him. In fact, that was what he was wearing when they first met. Sometimes, Carl used even an AK-47 instead of the Carbine Rifle on duty. But also the MP10, a copy of the German MP5 was a weapon for him. For close-combat the Pump-Shotgun was his weapon of choice.
Sofia helped the girl on the chair. Silver Spoon was drinking the Hot Chocolate with great pleasure. Then she saw Carl without his helmet and goggles. He was also young, had green eyes and brown hair.
“Thanks, I needed that. Where am I?”
“You’re in Liberty City in the United States of America, USA for short. We have the year 2008.” Carl explained.
After a few minutes of silence, realizing she was far away from home, the filly’s eyes began to water. “S-sister…” She cried.
Sofia hugged her and spoke in a calming tone, “Shh, we’re here for you.”
Silver calmed down. “Thanks. My sister and her friend are the only part of my family that is left.”
“It’s okay sweetie. You can stay with us until they find you. Do you want to tell us more about them?”
“My sister Octavia is a Cellist and an earth pony. She has a dark gray fur mane and tail, a light gray coat and light purple eyes, and she wears a pink bow-tie with a white collar. Her Cutie Mark is a violet treble clef. Her friend is a Unicorn. Her name is Vinyl Scratch but most ponies use her stage name DJ Pon-3. She has a white coat, a blue mane and tail, and magenta eyes. She has a backwards double quaver as Cutie Mark. She loves parties and modern music. Despite this difference in taste, they understand each other well. I like both music tastes, despite being born in a rich family. A Cutie Mark represents the special talent of a pony. I was born in Ponyville. I have a friend named Diamond Tiara. We were the school bullies but we changed. My parents died in a terrible accident after I earned my Cutie Mark.
Our Country is called Equestria where Earth ponies, Unicorns and Pegasus ponies love together in harmony. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna control the Sun and Moon. They are Alicorns. You are humans, right?” She got nods as answer.
“In Equestria, humans are only a myth. But I never thought that they were real. Also the magic allows me to understand your language and me to you.” She sniffed. “But now, getting home is impossible.” She was about to cry again. Carl picked her up and patted her back.
“Don’t worry, you can stay with us. We always wanted to have a child. But every time we try, we fail.” He chuckled. “My friend and I are like your sister and her friend. I like modern music and he likes classical music. But we are best friends. How did you get here?”
“Well, a Unicorn foal named Ruby Pinch lost control of her magic as she practiced and accidentally zapped me. That’s how I got here.” She explained sad before smiling weakly. “How did you meet each other?”
The man replied, “It’s kind of a long story. I am the son of a German immigrant that tried to escape the Soviets in the 1970s. I was born 1978. I met Sofia in 2001 at the Bank of Liberty in the Columbus Avenue…”
Carl was wearing sunglasses, an Army Cap, Fatigues-Camo pants and a Gray Flight Jacket. He entered the bank to open an account.
A young woman was the receptionist. “Hello. How can I help you?”
“Hello Ma’am, I want to-“
An armed and masked man busted in. “Nobody move! This is a robbery!” He fired his pistol into the air. “You there! Give me the money or I will kill you!”
“I can’t! It has a time lock!”
He aimed at her. “Open the door or I’ll kill you!”
“No! Please!” The woman cried out in fear.
He had his back turned. Carl patted his shoulder. “What?!” the bank robber turned around only to get hit into the face by Carl.
“Amateur. Is the police en route?”
Police sirens could be heard. “LCPD! You’re trapped. Lay your weapon down and surrender.”
Several civilians were running out. Agents of the Tactical Response Unit and police officers stormed the building.
A police officer saw the knocked out robber. “You did this by yourself?” He asked Carl.
“Yes, my father was in the Army and taught me self-defense and to stay calm in situations like this.”
“Impressive. We could use someone like you in the Tactical Response Unit. Name’s Aiden Brown.”
“Name’s Carl Wagner. Are you alright, Ma’am?
The woman hugged him then kissed him. “You’re saved my life!”
“… After this, we fell in love, dated and married. That’s also how I became a member of N.O.O.S.E.”
“What’s that?” The foal wanted to know.
“That is short for National Office of Security Enforcement. The Tactical Response Unit responds to hostage situations and wear heavy equipment and use heavy weaponry as needed. We are wearing body armor to protect ourselves in a fire fight. “
“Interesting.” The filly let out a yawn.
“Looks like someone is tired. We have a guest bed. Let’s tuck you in.” Carl’s wife said to the young filly.
The Penthouse was very modern and lavishly furnished, including a bedroom with a king-sized bed and a cow-skin carpet, a wine cellar in the back, a kitchen with a small armchairs and a leather sofa in front of a flat-screen TV, a radio, a laptop and a large dining table. It also had a guest room and a roof terrace. Sofia and Carl lived on the top floor.
Silver Spoon was too tired to resist. She had to smile at a Teddy Bear laying on the bed. Then she sighed.
“You’re missing your family, right?”
“Yes, Sofia.”
“Don’t worry; I’m sure they will find you.”
“You’re right, Sofia. As long as I have faith, I know that they will find me.” With these words she, fell asleep, teddy bear in her arms.
“She looks like an Angel.”
“Indeed, Sofia.”
There was a knock on the door. “Come in.” Aiden walked in, still in uniform.
“How is she?”
“Fine and asleep, Aiden. You won’t believe this…” Carl told him how her name was and how she got here.
“Poor kid. But I promise she’s safe with me. Hey, what about showing her Liberty City? You could just say that she’s your daughter in her costume.”
“Good idea. I ask her tomorrow. Goodnight, buddy.”
Carl walked on the terrace and saw how Aiden was driving home in his Police-Cruiser.
Then they went to bed. “I love you, Sofia.”
“I love you, too. She’s not our real daughter but we can be finally parents as we always wished.” She kissed him and they fell asleep.