//------------------------------// // Divided by a Common Language // Story: Violet Edge: Ace Prosecutor: Turnabout Buttons // by Magic Step //------------------------------// The town got more populated but it never looked less dilapidated. Most of the buildings seemed to be houses and barns built into one and none of them looked less than a hundred years old. The townsponies were all earth ponies, most of them very old, some of them very young, all of them with muddied tattered coats and tired eyes that followed the newcomers suspiciously. They fell silent as soon as the four ponies approached. Children sat frozen in the middle of whatever game they’d been playing with marbles or sticks or other versatile homemade toys. Violet Edge remembered his mentor’s lessons. Never show fear or weakness; act like you’re in charge and you’ll be treated like you are. He spotted a couple of withered elderly ponies sunning themselves on the unbroken half of a porch. He marched up to them. “Excuse me; can you tell me the way to the Dorsets?” The pair narrowed their eyes at his approach. The stallion moved the straw he was gnawing on to the other side of his mouth. “You gombeens sent here by that tea-sipping gingernut?” Violet Edge took a second to check if he still hadn’t retrieved all his memories. Nope; he’d remembered as much as he’d ever would, and that sentence still made no sense. “Whist, now, and lay off the poor lad,” the mare said, gently shoving the stallion’s shoulder. “The Dorsets can take care of blackguards well enough.” Turning to the party of four, she gestured with one hoof. “Follow the main road; you can’t miss their manor.” “Thank you.” Violet Edge resumed his walk, glancing over his shoulder briefly to see if they were still staring at him. “Was that… Equish…?” Gumshoe muttered. “I know, like, why do ponies have to be talking totes weird?” Adorabelle muttered. As far as Violet Edge could tell, the ‘main road’ was the only road. After a while there were less plants growing in the mud. Some of the buildings seemed to be businesses, or at least houses with stores on the lower floor, but nothing had signs, so Violet Edge was only guessing from the traffic going in and out and a glimpse of some things in the windows. Actually he wasn’t sure Lucktown even had stores, considering they were used to getting all their material goods shipped in from Canterlot for distribution. Around the corner of a building with several quilts hanging from the railings that was either a quilt shop or just an enthusiastic hobbyist, the quartet found the only nice building in town. It was a three story, sprawling building, with a huge fenced-in yard filled with handmade playground equipment. A metal slide, a seesaw, a rickety-looking swing set…but no children. The windows all had actual glass and thick mint curtains blocking a view of the inside; the exterior was whitewashed very quaintly. It certainly was showing its age, but somepony, or perhaps many someponies, were clearly keeping it intact. Adorabelle whistled, making Gumshoe’s ears prick up. “It’s, like, soooooo big! So much bigger than our house in Canterlot!” “Your house is a real manor though,” Violet Edge said he telekinetically pulled at the gate. “This house is only so big because land costs nothing in the swamp.” The gate barely budged. Violet Edge narrowed his eyes in concentration and visualized pulling all the power in his body out through his forehead. The effort made him start to lose feeling in his legs. The gate lazily unlatched itself, then obstinately started inching open. “You sure we’re allowed to be here?” Lyra asked. Adorabelle’s royal blue aura suddenly lit up the whole gate, and it slammed open as the periwinkle unicorn froliked into the field. “Aw, look at all these toys! The Dorsets must be a huge family! They’ll love us!” Violet Edge gritted his teeth in pain as he reluctantly let go of the gate, feeling his skin tingle with warmth as his magic flushed back out of his horn. He felt his cheeks growing red and squeezed his eyes shut in shame. Violet Edge’s father had been an earth pony, and Violet had inherited the genetic inclination earth ponies had to let their magic spread throughout their entire body to give them strength and a sixth sense about the natural world. But Violet Edge was born with unicorn magic, not earth pony magic, so it did him no good to have magic anywhere but in his horn. Even the most basic spell was an intense uphill struggle. Meanwhile everything came easy to Adorabelle, what with her impeccable breeding and all. It wasn’t politically correct anymore to talk about genetics as if they were destiny, but Violet Edge knew better than to think you could just ignore science. “Y-you’ll get it someday, Mister Edge!” Gumshoe said. “Shut up,” Violet Edge muttered. Adorabelle was already on the wrap-around porch. Before she could bang on the door, her attention was attracted by the natural wood porch swing dangling nearby. She swished her tail and hopped over to look at it. “Don’t use someone else’s porch swing!” Violet Edge shouted, running up to the porch steps. “I’m not. But, like, aren’t these the cutest throw pillows?” Adorabelle picked up a round cream colored one in her telekinetic grip. The phrase “Industry is its own reward” was embroidered onto it in lavender thread, with buttons dotting the ‘i’s. “Don’t pick up other ponies’ throw pillows either!” Violet Edge batted the pillow out of the air back onto the porch swing. “You meanie; who has throw pillows that aren’t meant to be squooshed?” Adorabelle pouted. Gumshoe rapped on the door with his claws. Then his ears pricked up. “What do you hear?” Violet Edge asked. Eavesdropping wasn’t legal, but it wasn’t like Gumshoe had chosen to have dog ears. “Elderly mare, yelling something. Can’t make out what.” “Just as well.” Violet Edge shrugged. The curtain by the side of the window flickered. “She’s saying… ‘I’ll handle it, don’t- latches!’” The sound of several locks being undone was so loud even Violet Edge could hear it. The door snapped open to reveal an elderly mare. Her coat was a very pale pink, her mane iron grey and knotted in a tight bun. Her eyes matched her mane and studied Violet Edge coldly from behind half-moon glasses with a simple wire frame. Unlike every other pony they’d seen so far, this mare was wearing clothes. A very starchy white dress with faded blue flowers. The dress was obviously cheap material, but the buttons were another matter. Cerulean blue thread was woven around the buttons in an intricate pattern. Violet Edge wasn’t that familiar with fashion, but he knew that woven designs like those tended to be expensive heirloom items. The mare scanned the mismatched party and the corner of her mouth quirked briefly into an amused expression before returning to its solemn look. “Quite a motley crew, aren’t you?” Violet Edge bowed. “My name is Violet Edge; I’m a prosecutor from Canterlot.” “Aye? What’s a gentlestallion like you doing in our humble town? We thought you’d forgotten about us.” “We’re making inquiries regarding one Bright Innovation,” Violet Edge said. The old mare’s eyes widened. “Japers! Go slow now, youngfella; lot of long Canterlot talk you’ve got.” Violet Edge narrowed his eyes at her. “Is this the Dorset residence?” “This gaff, sure enough.” Violet Edge clenched his jaw in frustration. “Can I speak to someone in charge?” Someone who speaks proper Equish, preferably. “No johnny rey over this old mare.” She nodded sagely. And then Violet Edge remembered the other rumor about Lucktowners. No one ever wanted to have to negotiate with them. In folk tales and nationalist jokes they were always playing word games and head games to get their way, no matter how educated the other party was. Unfortunately Violet Edge didn’t have enough evidence to charge her with obstructing justice, because she could honestly just be doing this by accident… ...but something in her eyes left Violet Edge unconvinced. “OMP, I know who you are!” Adorabelle spun in a happy circle. “You’re Madame Dorset! Like, your buttons are, like, totes famous and expensive and stuff! I mean like, elite level stuff!” The elderly pony initially seemed taken aback by Adorabelle’s accent, but then smiled and nodded at the compliment. “Cute mot you got there, teasipper.” “Um… thanks.” Violet Edge hoped mot was a nice word. “You’re just the pony we need to interview then. Do you remember Bright Innovation?” “Oh yes; quite the gentlestallionly git, he was. What about him?” “It’s a long story; may we come inside?” Violet Edge asked. “Wasted little time asking for hospitality, now didn’t you?” Madame Dorset clicked her tongue. “The little sprogs are down for their kip; can’t have a small herd clomping about right now. Come back in an hour; we’re very crowded folks.” She shut their door in their faces. “Hey!” Gumshoe shouted. “Wow, how totes rude… at least I think she was? Could you understand her?” Adorabelle asked Violet Edge. Violet Edge was beginning to feel in over his head. Why hadn’t he waited to ask someone’s advice…? “Can I go… ask around after my brother… while you, um, investigate?” Lyra asked. The only thing worse than looking like a fool was looking like a fool in front of civillians. “You shouldn’t go wandering off in a town where ponies might disappear,” Violet Edge said. “But yes… maybe it’s best if we split up for now.” “Who are you going to take with you?” Adorabelle gave Violet Edge a lethal dose of puppy eyes. “Who gets to investigate with you?” Being a giant puppy at heart, Gumshoe was also a master of puppy eyes. “Give me a second.” Fortunately Violet Edge could close his own eyes. Once those stares weren’t visible he could make a logical decision. “Gumshoe… no one is better at searching than you.” Of the present company, excepting himself. “And I know you’ll do an outstanding job keeping Lyra safe.” And possibly driving away helpful witnesses. “You really mean it?” Gumshoe yipped with excitement. “I won’t let you down, sir! Come on Lyra!” Violet Edge opened his eyes and watched the pair run back into town. Then Adorabelle tacklehugged him. “Ack- Adora-!” She squeed shrilly right in his ear. Violet Edge yelped in pain and Adorabelle leapt back. “OMP, I’m sorry! I’m just so happy!” “Oh, I couldn’t tell,” Violet Edge muttered. “All right, this is serious business. You know the Dorset family?” “I mean, like, not KNOW know them, but like sure, I know about them a little.” Adorabelle shrugged. “That might have been nice to know before we came…” Violet Edge said. “We were busy with Lyra; I’m totes sorry though. Anyway, like, it didn’t click for me until I saw her and the buttons and stuff.” “...You knew we were investigating an accident with a button seller… and you didn’t make the connection until just now?” Violet Edge asked. “Ehehe, whoops.” Adorabelle grinned sheepishly. Violet Edge’s head was feeling better by now, so he went through with that facehoof. “Well, like, sorry, but I remember now!” Adorabelle swished her tail. “So, like, they’re the richest family in Lucktown I think because they make buttons Canterlot loves buying. Oh, and, um… there’s more of them. I don’t remember how many. I think, like, her daughter designs everything and there’s, like, one more that’s a salespony or something… but also they’re, like, local philanthropists I think. This house isn’t just a manor; it’s an orphanage.” “I see.” That certainly explained the playground equipment… but where were all the children? Violet Edge brushed it off; probably not important. “So Bright Innovation not only had a meeting with these ponies that went very badly… But he and his team were working on a machine to mass produce buttons. Which gives the Dorsets a very strong motive to make trouble for Innovation… but on the other hoof…” “...it, like, also gives a motive to the whole town, right?” Adorabelle asked. “Because, like, these ponies have nothing but the Dorsets have and share everything.” “Well, they don’t seem to be sharing very liberally…” Violet Edge studied the Dorsets’ giant manor and reflected on the nigh uninhabitable structures they’d seen elsewhere in town. “But motive is only a small piece of the puzzle. How would respectable Lucktowners get voodoo dolls?” “Hmmmmm…” Adorabelle furrowed her brow in concentration. “I don’t think we’ll be getting any answers here,” Violet Edge said. “Let’s head back into town and ask about the dolls instead.” “And, like, hopefully find a translator…” Adorabelle muttered.