Luna hadn’t been kidding about Salt Lick City. The place was a filthy slum. The constant sunshine only served to accentuate this, revealing every filth ridden corner, every graffiti spattered wall, every disgusting detail standing out sharply in the constant midday sun. The filth that seemed to cover every inch of the city was alien to Moxi’s idea of what a city was supposed to be, but not the main difference gnawing at her, there was something far more off about this town than the simple dark nature of its sunlit streets.
“Where is everypony?” Moxi spoke up as she and Dreamcatcher walked down a main street which was nearly completely deserted of ponies. A stark contrast to the constant bustling nature of Manehattan.
“With the sun and moon in the state they’re in, it’s been getting harder to tell night from day anymore,” Dreamcatcher replied, his eyes darting about warily, taking in every street corner, every alley, and particularly the ponies in dark coats who seemed to be loitering on every street corner, “maybe we’ve simply arrived in the middle of the night and everypony’s already asleep?”
“No,” Moxi said, shaking her head, “even in the middle of the night a city will have more ponies than this around. Manehattan never fully shuts down, this city is nearly as large, I can’t imagine it would be able to set its entire populace by the same clock.”
“Celetia is a totalitarian,” Dreamcatcher offered, “it’s possible she’s begun forcing her own schedule on the ponies under her rule.” Moxi shook her head once more, “Except that doesn’t make sense either. Even with the sharp incline in direct conflict during the past few months, Celestia wouldn’t risk inciting a panic or turning more people to our side by directly revealing her power hunger. Don’t forget that most citizens of the Solar Empire don’t even know that Cloudsdale has been wiped off the map!”
“Keep your voice down,” Dreamcatcher muttered, eyeing one of the dark coated ponies they were passing in close proximity to, “if you go shouting about the NLR that disguise won’t do us any good at all.”
Moxi eyed the heavy, dark robe she’d donned before they’d entered the city’s limits with distaste. “I don’t like wearing this,” she groaned, rustling her wings against the fabric, “it’s so constraining on my wings!”
“Yeah,” Catcher murmured, “well pegusus ponies are even less welcome in the Empire now than they were before you left Manehattan. Fact is, you’d have probably been lynched by now if you hadn’t joined up.”
Moxi shuddered, her partner’s words all the more chilling because she knew full well that he was right. She locked her wings firmly against her sides and continued walking, “So what’s the plan, then? Without the proper channels, how are we going to figure out where this lab is?”
“I’m trying to figure that out myself,” he groaned in reply, “unfortunately, I didn’t really think that far ahead when I suggested we head right out here. Then again, Luna’s resources won’t be much good here, not this deep in Solar territory, even the Princess’ spy networks have their limits.”
“Well whatever you’re planning on trying,” Moxi said, glancing behind them, “I’d suggest you do it quick, because we’ve got a tail.”
“How many?”
“Just two from what I can see, it’s those guys from the street corners…”
“They’re definitely Solar Empire, then,” he growled before steering Moxi toward an alleyway, “follow my lead.” The pair ducked into the alley, the tall buildings on either side providing shade, if not completely dispelling the constant sunlight. The pair of dark coated ponies followed them, their hoofbeats coming in more rapid succession with each passing second.
Without warning, Dreamcatcher turned on the spot and shot their pursuers his award winning grin. “Afternoon,” he said, never taking his eyes off the other ponies, “do you gents need something?”
“Show me some identification,” one of the ponies asked, his coat and mane were dark and his eyes were cold and merciless, Moxi felt a shudder go up her spine the instant she caught the other pony’s eyes and she instantly knew, these ponies were dangerous…
“Dear me,” Dreamcatcher spoke in mock exasperation, “but I seem to have left my ID in my other belt. Perhaps I could just tell you who I am? My name is Willmane, this is my wife Callie, we just arrived in town to visit some friends of ours.”
The guard pony didn’t look like he was buying the ploy, but he didn’t advance any closer toward them, “What is your business here in Salt Lick City?”
“Business?” Dreamcatcher said, puzzled, “Like I said, we’re simply here visiting friends. No business to be had, as such.”
The guard spat and started marching forward. “I said, what business-“ the pony’s words were cut off mid sentence as a long shaft of wood suddenly appeared sticking firmly out from his neck, blood gurgled up from his mouth and spilled onto the floor only moments before he dropped to his side, his hooves furiously working at the crossbow bolt lodged in his throat. The other guard pony stepped forward to help him, but instantly drew back, struggling against an unseen force at his throat as his eyes bulged and his face flushed. After a few moments, the pony’s eyes began to close, it was only in the last moments of his consciousness that the grinning face of a black coated unicorn pony appeared at his shoulder, holding garrote wire firmly in place to choke the life away from the struggling pony. The guard kicked once more, and then fell limp in the unicorn’s hooves. She gave one final jerk and then let the guard’s lifeless body slump to the ground.
“Search the bodies,” came a voice from behind Catcher and Moxi, and the pair turned to see a grey coated earth pony with a wild, unruly mane sporting a simple green cap approaching them, “Celestia does love to dote on ‘er lil’ spies wif valuable trinkets, don’t she?”
“Don’t she, indeed,” snickered the unicorn, already rifling through the pockets of the first dead soldier, sneaking away anything that looked valuable.
“Now now, but what ’ave we ‘ere, eh?” the gray pony said, pointing at the pair of them with an unloaded crossbow, “a paira silly lil’ fillies done gone and los’ their way, is it?” He eyed them warily before speaking again with a heavy smirk, “Nah, but that ain’t it, ain’t ‘at right, silly fillies? You knew ‘xactly where you was goin’ di’ncha? Bet’n them’s good odds you was lookin’ for dear old Chaser, weren’cha?”
“Chaser?” Moxi muttered to Dreamcatcher, trying to cut the other pony out of the conversation.
“Oh me oh my,” said the pony, placing the hoof still holding up his crossbow to his heart in a mock display of shock, “but surely you di’n come all dis way lookin’ to do summit in Salt Lick wiffout even knowing who da head honcho is in dis ‘ere town?” He pointed the crossbow back in Moxi’s face, and she was shocked to see that he’d somehow managed to load it without her noticing, “don’chu know who runs dis town? You’s bettah off keepin’ that pretty lil’ tongue locked away in your ‘ead, girly, less’n you wants it cut out, eh?”
“Moxi,” Dreamcatcher spoke up, making sure both the newcomers could hear him, “this is Chaser Doolit, one of the most notorious criminals in Salt Lick City.”
“Ooh, ‘e knows how ta pay propa respect, don’t ‘e, Chase?” the unicorn piped in, taking a break from her rummaging to shoot the earth pony a devious grin.
“He sure ‘nuff do, doll,” Chaser smirked, “well, now dat we’ve dispatched C’lestia’s own personal like lil’ welcomin’ service, what say you’s fillies come wif us and we’s a word in a more private like settin’, eh?”
“I suppose we don’t have much of a choice in the matter,” Dreamcatcher growled at the cockney crime lord, “do we?”
“Nah, lad” Chaser responded with a casual flick of the crossbow, “s’pose you don’t.”