The Dark Expanse
4. The Curious One
The next day
Dalerun Avenue wasn't a singular street, rather it was a quaint commercial district, at ground level, and near the heart of Los Pegasus. The area was clean, well maintained, and a very popular tourist stop. There were many restaurants here alongside curio shops, designer outlets, barbershops, and everything else one could hope to find, so long as you knew where to find it. To that end, there were pedestals with easy-to-follow maps placed at strategic locations. Dalerun Avenue, whether by accident or design, also acted as a border between an expansive suburban neighborhood and a wealthy, gated, community.
It was also full of noise, the multitude of conversations, the stampede of countless hooves stomping the pavement, and the shouts of playing foals; it made Aurie have to cover her ears. The auditory overload dragged her back to a dark place and it took a lot of willpower to not lash out at imaginary threats.
As she wove her way through the streets she stuck to the margins, hovering above the pavement as it was faster and quieter than physically walking. Her magic caused a slight rippling effect on the bottom of her dress. She could feel the stares of ponies and other creatures she passed them. Most just regarded her with curiosity, some with concern at her obvious distress, and a few scrambled to get out of her way. Aurie watched them closely, as much as the situation put her on edge, her mission was to openly expose herself and gauge the Equestrian's reactions accordingly.
Eventually, she arrived at her destination, a small building that had a sign out front that showed a smiling pony, in a beret, holding two overly large coffee beans between their hooves. 'Prench Press,' was the name of the coffee shop, the one where she'd agreed to meet Iron Will for a cup and some conversation.
Inside, the first thing she noticed was the rich smell of mocha and almonds mixed with freshly baked pies and other confectionaries. Gentle music played from a gramophone placed on the cashier's counter which was situated in the back left of the shop, three chalkboards listed the various drinks and foods next to their prices. Perpendicular to the counter were glass displays of various cakes, pies, muffins, bagels, and more that went all the front of the store. To the right of the shop was the dining area with enough tables and chairs to seat around thirty-two individuals.
It was about an hour before noon and appeared the lunch rush hadn't yet begun, so Iron Will was the only one who was seated. The circular table of polished wood seemed woefully undersized next to his massive bulk. While Aurie was pleased to see him again, the large minotaur failed to spark the same kind of embarrassing feelings she'd felt at their first meeting. Maybe it had been the heat, or the shock at meeting a seemingly friendly species that had made her feel like a hormonal teenager. Whatever it had been it was gone now, though she still found herself admiring those big muscular arms.
"Aurie," The bull bellowed and beckoned her over, "Iron Will is mighty pleased to see you again, my friend."
With a smile, the mage floated over to his table, reached out, and shook his hand. The exchange was a lot more gentle this time. "Iron Will, thanks for inviting me." She then lifted her dress slightly to comfortably take a seat, tucking her legs underneath the chair.
"Bonjour dearies," a middle-aged mare suddenly appeared next to their table, speaking in an accent that Aurie was unfamiliar with. The blue-furred pegasus was wearing a beret, just like the mare on the sign, on top of her greying walnut brown mane and an apron around her barrel. She also was using her primaries to carry a notepad in one wing and a pencil in the other. "I'm Café Français and I'll be your waitress today. Have you already decided or would you like a little more time dearies?"
"Iron Will will have a large hazelnut coffee with two sugar and cream. Then add a slice of your finest lemon meringue pie and he will be satisfied."
"Très bien," Café wrote it down, "et toi?"
Aurie had no idea what the mare was saying, but the context seemed clear. So the Terran leaned back a bit to look at the chalkboard menu. None of the food items made sense either, she'd never heard of any of them, let alone tried them, except for the coffee.
"Oh, um, I'll just have my coffee straight, uh, hazelnut sounds good, and I think I'll try the...the qui-chee?"
"It's pronounced kēsh, my dear." the smiling pegasus corrected while writing the order down. "Alrighty, I'll return en une seconde rapide." As the mare trotted off to the pastry display, Aurie turned back to Iron Will.
"So Mr. Will, what do you think of Los Pegasus?"
"No Mister, Iron Will is Iron Will," he pounded a fist against his chest, "and Iron Will loves the sights and sounds of a big city. Many business opportunities." He then leaned forward in a conspiratorial fashion. "Truth be told, Iron Will also enjoys the company of ponies, but he does find them to be rather squishy and in dire need to be more assertive; unlike a certain Terran."
"What do you mean?"
"A handshake can tell you much about the creature you are dealing with. Iron Will saw Aurie's strong grip as a welcomed change and the mark of a creature that is assertive and not afraid of danger."
"Very perceptive, I've seen plenty of danger, nearly died more times than I could count." Aurie felt several unpleasant memories wash over her. She brushed a strand of hair aside and dismissed the dark thoughts. "I am curious though, you mentioned before that minotaurs had socialized with Terrans before, but I’ve never heard such stories before until yesterday."
The large bull played with one of his ears, deep in thought.
"Iron Will confesses that he may have exaggerated a bit when he first met Aurie. When Iron Will was a little bull he enjoyed many a tale about myths and legends. The stories about Terrans were his favorite. Iron Will never thought that any of the stories were true until he met Aurie."
"Oh? What kind of stories?" she started to lean forward.
"Many strange tales, Iron Will doubts Aurie would want to hear them, and they probably aren't true."
"I do want to hear them. I need to hear them so I can tell the others." The Terran rested her elbows on the table, and placed her chin on her woven fingers, "Don't lead me on and then refuse to elaborate. My people have been isolated from the rest of the world for a long time we need to know what the world thinks of us." The bull had an unsure expression, but she insisted. "Please."
"Very well," he cleared his throat before whispering to her, "The tales never told Iron Will where Terrans had come from and there is a lot of disagreement between them. Some tales that say Terrans used to live in Equestria, in the east, where the pony cities of Baltimare and Fillydelphia now reside. That Terrans lived in harmony with all races. Other stories say Terrans appeared from the Everfree Forest suddenly, and that Terrans were ruthless predators that killed for food and sport." He paused for a moment to gauge Aurie's reaction but she remained neutral.
"The legends also told Iron Will that Terrans were magicless creatures, but Iron Will knows that isn't true since he saw Aurie using magic to float over here." she gave a nod to his observation. "As to the fate of your people Iron Will heard that Terrans grew jealous of the Pony's magics and tried to take it for themselves. Other stories say that Terrans were hunted down by the other races because the blood of a Terran was believed to cure all diseases and," the bull broke into a cheeky grin, "even grant immortality to the one who drank of it." Aurie frowned deeply at that tidbit, her hands itched for a defensive spell, yet she didn't move a muscle.
"Iron Will knows of even more tall tales, but one thing they all agree on was that Ponies and Terrans went to war with each other and that the Terrans were wiped out."
"Well as you can see," Aurie snorted, "we are very much alive and that war did happen. Nearly three thousand years ago too. The motivations behind the why and where have long since been forgotten, but we remember that it was the Ponies who attacked first." She then looked out a window at the large crowd of ponies outside, "but it seems that the ponies have completely forgotten about all of it. Some are curious about me, a few are jumpy, but I can see that they have no clue who or what I am."
"Iron Will is not surprised, it is not in Pony nature to dwell upon the unpleasant memories of the past." He shook his head, "A mistake in Iron Will's eyes. The only Ponies who would remember would be the former Princesses Celestia and Luna."
"Former princesses?"
"The sister princesses are retired now and no creature knows where they are."
The two of them grew quiet as Café Français returned. The mare placed their order down on the table and gave a pleasant smile as she left them to their lunch.
The taste of the black brew tingled on her tongue. She'd always taken her coffee black, sometimes with a shot of brandy to smooth out the bitter taste, but this one had a taste that was both smooth and pleasant. The hazelnut was pleasant, but something in her brain identified a hint of peanut as well, and she couldn't figure out why.
After a generous swallow she put the cup down as the relaxing sensation of warmth spread from her stomach and she relaxed back in her chair. As Iron Will devoured his slice of pie several ponies had begun to shuffle into the coffee shop. The mage listened intently to their conversations. It all seemed to be small talk and gossip about a little bit of everything and nothing at the same time; frivolous and inconsequential. Which celebrity was in a relationship, current fashion trends, who was the voted the sexiest bachelor, music tastes, and on it went.
It didn't change the fact it everything she could learn about the ponies might be useful someday. Even rumors and tall tales gave some insight into how these creatures thought and behaved. Even if she couldn't confirm everything they said.
Aurie and Iron Will chatted for a while longer about life in the city and she even shared with him some details about Terran life, avoiding the more sensitive matters behind her mission or anything concerning Terran technology. More than once she had to deflect the minotaur's inquiry as to the location of the Underground. Once their meals were finished they said their goodbyes and left the café; agreeing to meet again in a couple days.
Aurie rapidly made her way back to her new room at a hotel called the 'Mareiott.' Locking the door to her room she pulled out her tablet computer and had begun typing her report of everything she'd learned that morning. Every detail no matter how insignificant was saved. Having checked her notes several times till she was satisfied she then transmitted a copy to the FOB receiver. The Marines there would then archive it and at the end of the first week, one of the interceptors would make the long flight back to the Underground and transmit the full data package for the big brains to ponder.
Two days later.
Three days till week's end.
Officer Cookie Crisp was not having a good day. Funny that since police work was not a career choice one went into expecting fun and happy times. Then again it wasn't every day she had to be called in for a multiple homicide case on her day off. But, she was the unicorn specialist on call for crimes involving the deadly use of offensive magics. So, there had been no alternative except to drag herself out of bed. The brown unicorn, with a chocolate-colored mane, had quickly dressed in her regulation blues, put on her officers cap, and headed out.
Her department had received the report that morning about a situation unfolding in one of the poorest districts of Los Pegasus. A district well known for its high crime rate and for its distaste for any kind of law enforcement. The only thing more hated than the police was the Royal Guard. So it was a rule of the hoof to avoid that area entirely unless absolutely necessary.
Officer Crisp's slender pegasus partner, Officer Ten Penny, was already on the scene. His ability to skip the morning rush by simply flying over it was something she was rather jealous of. Sure, as a unicorn, Officer Crisp could technically teleport there, but it went against department policy as it could contaminate the crime scene. The idea also kind of freaked blinking out of and back into existence kind of freaked her out anyway, though she would never admit it.
Officer Penny was accompanied by two other detectives from Homicide, another pegasus, and an earth-pony, that had cordoned off the area while taking notes and marking evidence. There was also a member of the paparazzi that had tagged along; taking pictures while constantly finding some way to be a nuisance. Officer Crisp immediately forgot about the reporter when she spotted the four dead ponies. There were two earth ponies, a pegasus, and a unicorn, white chalk outlines had already been traced around them.
Officer Crisp immediately recognized the one in the pin-stripe suit as she had arrested him before. His name was Al Dente, a convicted criminal that had a reputation for the crimes of blackmail, perjury, drugs, bribery, and foal smuggling. He was also suspected of murder, but the charge had been unable to stick to him. Not much was known about the stallion's personal life, but it had been rumored that he had ties to the Flim Flam brothers; the twin tycoons that practically owned Los Pegasus.
Officer Crisp wasn't going to lose any sleep over his untimely demise. A part of her even wanted to thank whoever had managed the punch the scum-suckers ticket. While she didn't want to have to investigate the death of some trash thug, her involvement proved to be the right call as her sensitive horn was able to hone in on the residual thaumatological energy in the area.
"What do you think?" Officer Crisp inquired.
"Messy." The copper-hued pegasus quipped, much to the annoyance of his partner, "A quadruple homicide is highly unusual even in this part of the city." He flipped through a few pages in a notebook he carried, "We've already identified all of the victims and they are all known criminals with extensive rap sheets. Seems like some pony was cleaning house."
Officer Crisp's eyes drank in the entire scene, "I can defiantly sense some residual thaumatic energy in the air, but based upon the state of decay," she then sniffed the air and felt a little bile rise in the back of her throat, "and the stench the bodies are at least three days old." By this point, the rats and other nightly scavengers had set upon the bodies and had eaten chunks out of them.
"Not enough energy left to identify the perp I'd imagine?" the pegasus asked, disappointed. Crisp shook her head.
"After this much time, it'll be nearly impossible to identify the killer based on their thaumaturgical aura alone." She closed her eyes for a moment and concentrated on what energy remained, "They are an expert caster though, the size of the residual aura says they have fine field control, a novice would have left a lot of wasted energy all over the place, easier to identify that way." The unicorn felt there was something else that was wrong with the leftover magic. It felt different, not pony-like, something she'd never experienced before.
"Hmm,... Ten Penny have you noticed how much of the area hasn't been disturbed. Here," she indicated the body lying in the depression, "and here," she pointed to the spot where another pony had been slammed into the wall. "This is where the thaumatic residue is thickest. The two of them were killed by magic and their hoof prints showed that they had walked in, not galloped. So it appears that the attack happened very quickly, and apart from the pegasus," she waved at the nearly headless body, "they didn't have much time to react. And yet...,"
"Something else?" Penny took notes as he listened.
"The pegasus wasn't killed by magic, but I have no idea what weapon could cause damage like this. It's like his head exploded from the inside. Finally, there is Mr. Al Dente here," she walked over to the late pin-suited stud, "His leg here, the broken one, you can see the bruise just above the hoof, where the fur is thinnest. The bruising wraps around the leg and the shape suggests that the perp has hands. There are no lacerations, which suggest a minotaur or a dragon with a manicure had grabbed him."
"Tch." Officer Penny's pencil stopped as he scoffed, "Really? A manicure?" The unicorn merely rolled her eyes.
"Yes, it's a real thing."
"If you say so, but this doesn't make any sense. Minotaurs and dragons have the strength and the hands, yes, but they don't have magic. Yet, we have clear proof that magic was used to a deadly degree. So, we might be looking at two, or more, perps here."
"Yes, that makes sense." Crisp nodded, "The question is are we looking at a case of self-defense or a rival gang hit."
"Even if it was self-defense, the perps clearly used excessive force, so I'm betting it was a rival gang." The stallion tapped his pencil lead against his notepad.
"True, but what I don't see here are the hoof prints of the perps responsible." The two officers surveyed the scene again.
"Over here." Penny pointed to an overturned wooden crate. "There are some hoof prints here, but they come from behind the crate, and based on their size I'd say they belonged to a small foal and the stride shows they made a straight gallop out of the alley."
"Not the perps, a witness perhaps?" Crisp looked over the trash in the crate but found nothing of note. "Other than the foal's tracks there is nothing here to indicate who our perps could be. But if they used physical force then they would've had to get in close, but there are no prints." she scratched her head in confusion.
"It would appear we've got quite the mystery on our hooves." Penny jotted down the information.
"Any witnesses in the hotel next door?"
"Negative, the place was deserted when we went in. We searched that place top to bottom. No personal items left behind, not even a record of tenants."
"So, whatever happened clearly spooked everypony inside. Well, without witnesses, hoofprints, and little useable thaumaturgical evidence we have to hope the physical evidence is enough to compile a list of suspects otherwise we've pretty much hit a dead end here."
"It would seem that way." Penny started to shuffle a little uneasily, "We do have fur and mane samples from the crate that don't match up to any of the bodies. Plus, a jar that was used as a makeshift latrine and saliva samples on the juice boxes. Once forensics processes them, I'll run it down by Foal Protective Services, maybe find a match and the identity of our little witness."
"Assuming they even saw anything or are even still alive." Crisp then turned to the other officers on-site, "all right everypony, let's collect what we've got and take it back to the lab for examination."
"We should call in the Royal Guard for this one." Officer Penny suddenly suggested, which surprised Officer Crisp as her partner was not one for sudden outbursts, nor did he have any love for the Royal Guard.
"Why?" the brown unicorn crooked her head in confusion, "I know you are a former guard yourself, but you hate it when they muscle in on our jurisdiction."
"You said it yourself," Penny pointed at her with a primary, "One of the perps is not some greenhorn fresh from magical kindergarten, they know exactly what they are doing and that makes them extraordinarily dangerous." He looked the unicorn dead in the eyes. "I quit the Guard when my wife gave birth to our first foal, and after this..." he inhaled deeply and released it slowly, "I don't want to find a tiny little body dead in some sewer drain. I can't help but imagine it being my foal."
"I understand," Officer Crisp gave a reassuring pat on his withers, "don't fret, we'll find them soon enough. We'll inform the Chief about this I'm sure he'll see the need for some extra hooves on this case. To be safe, we should prepare a letter for Princess Twilight."
Later that evening.
The lyrics were simple, bordering on infantile. It made little difference as Aurie couldn't help but sashay her hips to the beat of the heavy music. The nightlife in Los Pegasus was far more controlled than the day crowd. By now the sun had disappeared far below the horizon. Most shops had closed hours prior and very few creatures walked the streets. For those that hadn't retired for the night they were sweating it up in one of the late-night bars or dance clubs. The latter of which the Terran had found herself passing by.
She had no desire to enter the club, the noise and the close proximity to so many Ponies at once were highly unfavorable. It didn't mean she couldn't take a few moments and enjoy the beat from a safe distance. As she was in no rush to she opted to walk this time. She found the faint tap of her metal legs on the pavement, accompanied by a chill breeze was a pleasing comfort.
Guided by street lights and the neon signs of the clubs Aurie wander for a time with no particular destination in mind. Gazing upward at the top level of the metroplex, it was still a hotbed of activity. The clouds were alight with the spark of casinos, arcades, and theaters still in full swing. Even the sounds and screams of the park rides occasionally broke through the silence.
Right then the mage decided that come tomorrow, she was going to visit the upper level. She just hoped that she could find some earplugs before then.
She gave a small shiver as the temperature continued to plummet and decided he had enough for the night. Turning around the Terran began to magically glide her way back to the Mareiott. Making her way back her instincts gradually began to spark, giving her an impression that she was being watched. She whipped around and surveyed the surroundings, but there was no one there. She chalked it up to fatigue and continued on her way, but soon became aware of the soft clopping of hooves behind her.
The clatter from up above was ever-present, it could have easily masked the sound of hooves at a distance, meaning the stalker was close by. Aurie stopped and turned again, the clap of thick keratin abruptly ceased as well.
"Sticking to the shadows, yet no padding to muffle their hoof steps?," the mage quietly scolded, "Amateur."
When she had finally made it back to the Mareiott she ignored the entrance. The hoof steps continued to follow and were not getting closer nor were they falling behind. Aurie suddenly shot forward, gliding as fast as her magic could propel her, and made a right turn down the street next to the hotel. Rounding the corner she then shot up into the air and grabbed onto the safety railing of an unlit balcony on the second story. Briskly pulling herself up and over the handrails, she then pressed her back into the darkest corner and peeked around the wall. Waiting for her mysterious creeper to show.
When the stranger turned the corner, they immediately skidded to a halt. They were not close enough for Aurie to make a jumping tackle, but in their haste to catch up they accidentally exposed themselves to the light.
It was a foal, the same bat-pony child that Aurie had spared in that alley a few days ago.
The child looked left and right trying to spot the Terran. When they failed to find their target, the foal turned around and galloped back the way they came. The mage just watched them go and wondered if the foal had been following her this entire time, and why?