//------------------------------// // Vigilante // Story: Mare Anguis // by StSebastian //------------------------------// The twilight over Fillydelphia was witness to many spectacles; ponies would hustle across crosswalks, carriages pulled their clients around the city without tarry, and the energy of the scene was offset by a cloudless serene orange sky. The view of the city was a spectacle without rival. The sound of breaking wind followed by a torrent of gusts kicked up debris throughout the streets, disorienting and confusing several of the citizens. Above the streets a small formation of pegasi raced through the artificial canyon, one a significant distance ahead of the others. They were constantly banking hard to the left and the right to avoid collision with reinforced concrete. After several city blocks had been blasted with a wall of wind, the leading Pegasus pulled into a vertical climb, rather than strafing, making himself parallel with the skyscraper in front of him. The other pegasi attempted the same maneuver; one had to banked just in time, the other crashed through one of the windows. Upon reaching the peak of the tower, the leader slowed and proceeded to land on the roof and slowly lumbered towards a stairwell access door at the middle of the deck. Clearly as exhausted as he, his trailers did the same, each one rushing to move to a different side of the lead. In total, at least a half dozen pegasi stood on that rooftop. “Zephyrus, you can’t keep running!You’ve reached your limits, and it’s time you paid for your crimes!” called one of the surrounding pegasi, taking a few steps towards the center of the tower. The pursued pony made an attempt to open the door, “Locked” he muttered to himself. Zephyrus looked around to try and weigh his options, “There are clearly too many of them for me to fight my way out. I can’t fly much higher; the air is getting too thin…” he turned his eyes to a storm-cloud rolling towards the city; it wasn’t too far off in the distance. “Well, I’m certainly not going to give myself up.” “So what will it be, are you finally going to give up now that you’re trapped?” shouted the more inward of his pursuers. “Y’know, Whiptail, I’m trying to think here, and it’s kind of hard to hear myself think over your blathering on about me being ‘caught’.” Zephyrus retorted with an almost joking tone. Whiptail took another step towards Zephyrus, his expression did all the talking for him; his eyes sharpened and pointed towards Zephyrus, teeth clenched, ears slightly bent back, and a sadistic smile. “It’s gonna be now or never” Zephyrus urged his body to move, but the previous chase had taken its toll. He closed his eyes to try and escape mentally, to give himself a brief retreat from the situation at hoof. A nagging voice echoed in the back of his head, “Run!”, repeating over and over again. The foreign voice continued to reverberate. “Run…run…RUN!” Whiptail took one more step forwards when Zephyrus’ eyes shot open, and he broke into a charge towards the East edge of the roof. “Stop him, don’t let him get away!” Whiptail commanded as he turned to chase. When two of the other vigilantes tried to intercept the beeline, Zephyrus leaped skyward and began to fly towards the approaching storm clouds. Whiptail took off, his peacemakers quickly followed, like hornets. Pure adrenaline propelled Zephyrus out to meet the storm, accelerating even as he drew closer to the now thundering behemoth. Without hesitating, he pierced the cloud at full speed, setting off a loud crash of thunder. The vigilantes stopped just short of the cloud and started to question their judgment, as well as Zephyrus’. “Don’t just sit there, get after him!”Whiptail commanded. One by one the reluctant pegasi darted into the clouds. The cloud rolled on with a massive session of percussion. Zephyrus still had a substantial lead, but Whiptail sought to overtake him by flying below the clouds. “There’s no way I can keep running for much longer, I’ve gotta find someplace to hide…” Zephyrus lowered himself just enough out of the clouds to see the ground below. Surprisingly they were still over the city, but rather than the towering skyscrapers that made up central Fillydelphia, they were over the downtrodden warehouses and residences of downtown. “There’s got to be-“ Suddenly he was knocked out of the air, mid-thought; he and his aggressor tumbled through the air and through the roof of a warehouse, landing amidst several empty cardboard boxes. When the dust cleared, Zephyrus lay with his legs sprawled out, one of his wings broken, and several deep cuts along his midsection. Whiptail stood over him, with a few lacerations on himself, but otherwise fine. The two of them were on the open floor of a warehouse, a few stacks of boxes here and there broke the emptiness, but it was otherwise vacuous. “You’ve had enough running Zephyrus, It’s time you atoned for your crimes.” he spoke, raising a hoof. “I’ve told you, I’ve told the royal guard, I’ve told EVERYPONY that I didn’t do anything!” Zephyrus struggled with every word; the crash had taken just about all the air out of him. “Just because there isn’t any evidence doesn’t mean you’re innocent. Even if you are, this way the people will see that justice has been done.” Whiptailraised a hoof over Zephyrus’ head, “Any last words, Criminal?” “Why bother? It’s obvious that you wouldn’t deliver them.” Zephyrus said calmly. He turned his attention to the hole in the ceiling and through it the sky above. There was no more fiery sunset sky, but instead a nearly black night sky lit with thousands of tiny specs of light and a single giant white sphere. As Zephyrus looked upon the moon he felt a sense of comfort mixed with longing; he felt nostalgic in a way, looking to the moon like a colt does towards his mother. “As true as it is fair. I probably won’t even tell them that you were caught, that you fled to the Everfree forest, rather. And if people wonder why you haven’t turned up, it’s easy enough to believe some beast killed you.” “You’re sick, you know that?” “I’ve been told by others, many in similar situations to the one you're in now. Anyways, enough chatter. Goodbye, Zephyrus, it’s been rather fun…” Whiptail raised his hoof a bit higher. Zephyrus shut his eyes, clenching his teeth, and prepared to meet fate. The wait, to him, seemed eternal; time seemed to slow down. After several moments, Zephyrus opened his eye once more, and found that Whiptail held his hoof just an inch over Zephyrus’ head. Seizing the moment, the pinned Pegasus broke the pause and rolled out from under the hoof and brought himself up. Shockingly, Whiptail hadn’t reacted; he was completely oblivious to Zephyrus’ relocation. Whiptail just stood there, holding his hoof in position over where previously lay the head of a Pegasus he had intended to kill. Zephyrus drew close enough to press a hoof against the statue’s side. “What the hay is going on here?” Zephyrus poked at the paralyzed Whiptail, and scratched his head after concluding his findings. “He’s definitely alive, but why isn’t he moving?” It wasn’t until he turned around to leave that he found out why. The silhouette of an Alicorn loomed over him, its very presence daunting in every manner. Zephyrus felt drawn to it, but repelled at the same time. “Where in the hay did you come from, did you do- did you do whatever that is to Whiptail?! What the BUCK!?” Zephyrus was turning his head back and forth, trying to make sense of the situation. But the Alicorn just turned and walked away, straight through a doorway and out of sight. “Wait!” Zephyrus broke into a sprint and followed the shady figure into the doorway, but stood stupefied, “What the buck?” He found himself standing in a hallway that went on for at least twelve yards with no other pony in sight. He looked behind him back to the main floor; Whiptail was still frozen in place. After a long silence, Zephyrus finally started to look for an exit. “We’re almost there. It shouldn’t be but a few more minutes now.” Luna put a hoof on Midnight’s back. In all the excitement of sitting on a several hour chariot ride, Midnight got tuckered out and fell asleep. Shade, however, stayed awake through the trip by holding light conversation with Luna. After picking herself up, Midnight peered over the edge of the chariot; she could see Fillydelphia! In the morning light the city looked as if it was made of gold. The sun’s reflection off of the glass towers could have blinded Celestia, but when a glimmer of the sunlight caught Midnight’s eye she retreated under her hood. “It’s okay sister, we will be landing shortly.” Shade tried to comfort her, he had grown a small tolerance to sunlight, but he still felt excessively tense when shone upon. Just as Luna promised, the Chariot was landing in Fillydelphia within five minutes. To Shade and Midnight’s surprise, there wasn’t a massive fanfare, no trumpets or ceremony, no music or parade, no indication of celebration. “Shouldn’t there be some massive ‘Welcome Princess Luna’ festival or something?” Luna just let out a sigh and gave him a weak smile, then led them off the chariot and into the streets. “No, usually there isn’t. It seems that I am only welcomed with open arms when I’m with my sister…” Luna broke her smile and replaced it with a still face, with just a dash of sorrow hidden amongst the muscles. Midnight gave Shade a slight nudge, and tried to change the subject. “So, how many ponies live in Fillydelphia? It looks way bigger than ManeHattan does!” “Oh quite a few, the last I recall there were no less than two or three hundred thousand.” The siblings were speechless; they just followed Luna with open mouths. “It’s not that impressive really, there’s a settlement over in some valley sprouting up on a mountainside, the population has doubled in the past six months…” “So, where are we going to stay?” Shade tilted his head a bit to the left. “We’re going there now actually, they live a few minutes’ walk into the city, so the chariot can’t land there, but it’s always nice to take a stroll through Pastry Street.” Luna turned to answer Shade with a smile. They took a turn onto a stretch of road where the air was saturated with the smells of all sorts of delicious treats. Among the aromas, the strongest scent came from the “Le Trot’s” pastry shop on the corner; the air was so thick with the smell of cinnamon that Shade could practically taste it. As they neared the end of the street, Luna stopped the procession in front of a moderately sized townhouse nestled between a bakery and a general store. Separating the house from the street was something completely unique to the siblings; it had an iron fence lining the perimeter. Behind the fence, a thick hedge obscured any inward lookers’ view of the porch, granting a sense of privacy and security. The house itself stood three stories above the street level with additional attic space. The exterior wasn’t pristine and showed signs of age, but was in rather good shape with the exception of a few spots where the paint was peeling. When Princess Luna opened the gate and led the siblings through, they could see the yard was recently due for a cutting. The porch was built inward to the door, with a small portion stretching outward into the yard, was lined with wooden rails, and was equipped with two rocking chairs. As they stepped up onto the porch they were greeted with a few notes from the wind chimes and a smiling face on the “welcome” mat. Princess Luna knocked on the door, to which responded a thicker stallion’s voice. “Hold on, just one moment.” The door opened and a leviathan; a towering, gray Unicorn with a light blue mane poked his head out to see who was at inquiry, “Oh! Princess, Wait one moment, please!” The stallion shut the door briefly to withdraw the latch, and then promptly reopened it. “Please, please come in! We hadn’t expected to see you until tomorrow morning with the storm coming in.” their host motioned them inside “My name is Hoofstead, the butler, and welcome to the home of Mister and Misses Trotston!” “Pleased to meet you Hoofstead, I am Midnight and this is my brother, Shade.” Midnight gave a weak smile as she stepped inside, suppressing her fear of their host. “But, then, where are the Trotstons?” “Ironically, they left moments ago to the grocer to select tonight’s dinner.” “Doesn’t Fillydelphia have a weather patrol?” Shade interjected as he walked in. “Normally we would, but lately the captain of the patrol has preoccupied himself with fantasies; he’s begun to think himself as a law bringer now,” Hoofstead fiddled with his mane a little, “He’s spent an awful lot of time chasing after one Pegasus in particular… I can’t remember who it was exactly, but Captain Whiptail believes him to be responsible for several freak accidents and causing some of the recent thunderstorms.” “So Whiptail has become a vigilante?” Luna’s expression turned to stone. “I’m afraid so, yes.” Hoofstead frowned. “I will look into the matter” Luna turned to Midnight and Shade, “Meanwhile; I want you two to settle in, the Trotston’s are two of the nicest ponies I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. I will be back in three days to come and check on how you are settling in.” “Yes Princess.” The siblings gave a simultaneous nod. Princess Luna nodded in return, and after a brief farewell started back to her chariot. “I’m sure that you will love the Trotstons as much as they will love you!” After closing the door Hoofstead turned to Midnight and Shade, and gave them a stern look “But before I turn the two of you loose, because I have a little bit of work to do, I want to make sure you two know the rules.” Shade and Midnight listened attentively. “There are four simple rules: Rule number one is that there shall be no running in the house, these are old hallways filled with items priceless to Mrs. Trotston. Rule number two;clean up after yourselves, while I may be a butler, Mr. Trotston has made it clear that he wants you two to be responsible for your own actions. Do you understand so far?” Hoofstead gave pause. Shade and Midnight looked at each other, then back to Hoofstead and nodded. “Okay then, Rule number three is quite simple; unless it is an emergency, always knock before opening any of the bedroom doors, or the door to Mr. Trotston’s study.” Hoofstead turned his back to the two briefly as he straightened a picture frame, and then turned back, “Rule number four is the most important; there shall be NO fighting or arguing, at all, for any reason, ever.” “That seems fair enough, after all it is their house,” Shade shrugged. “Of course, I don’t foresee any problems as far as rules go,” Midnight affirmed. “Excellent!” Hoofstead reared up momentarily, putting a bit of fright into the young mare and stallion, “Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, the city has enacted a 9:00 curfew due to recent concerns regarding vigilantes, the night shift of the Weather patrol to be exact.” “Is that the shift that Captain Whiptail oversees?” Midnight inquired. “Actually, yes! You’re quite the bright one aren’t you?” Hoofstead said with a wry chuckle. “But yes, anyways, Whiptail is in charge of the weather patrol’s night shift. While he’s out and about he sees it fit to try and force his word as authority upon anypony that’s out at night without a reason.” “He doesn’t sound like a very friendly pony…” Shade concluded. Startled by a light thud sourcing from the front door, Midnight quickly turned to face the threshold. “That must be the newspaper!” said a now enthusiastic Hoofstead. Hoofstead stepped out the door briefly and returned with a roll of paper, and a less than joyous expression. The cumbersome waiter motioned Midnight and Shade to follow him. Unsure of their destination, Shade made it a point of taking in the small mansion’s atmosphere. As the procession followed its guide, Midnight continued her conversation with Hoofstead, leaving Shade to observe the finer details of their new home. The interior structure, unlike the outside, was carved out of a single piece of wood, a peculiar sight. The grains of the wall flowed into each other, making swirls and whirls and natural patterns on the walls and ceiling. Several different relics further embellished the walls; several antique brass lanterns hung in procession down longer hallways while small chandeliers lit intersections. The procession rounded one last turn into the sup hall, where Hoofstead made his way to the table and unrolled the newspaper. He began to read the headlines to himself. His eyes immediately widened; shocked by what he read, Hoofstead's jaw nearly came detached. "Oh my word!"