Twilight awoke, her head throbbing, and mouth dry. She threw off the covers of her bed, looking out the window. A simple, autumn morning. The events of last night still raced through her head. She had saved somepony! But... Who was that colt? She shook the thought out of her head. She stumbled down the stairs, walking into the small kitchen. Spike stood near the fridge, holding the local paper and a bottle of milk.
“Hay Twilight, You seeing this? Some weirdo in a costume beat some guys up last night. Some people...” Spike muttered, flipping to the colored comics in the back. Twilight grabbed the front page of the paper, and the milk bottle, taking a swig of the later from the bottle.
“Says here a mare reported a mugging, two were found dead, and another in a local park. Hmm...” She studied the blurry image that took up the image. It showed the two bodies in an alleyway, and a separate image of a pair of dark figures on a rooftop.
“There’s been some other masked weirdo running around to. What’s going on you think? Some superhero epidemic?” Spike asked, looking up from his comics.
“I don’t think that two ponies in costumes count as an epidemic.”
“I know, but today? 2. And tomorrow? Maybe three. Maybe 4? Who knows? Ponies around here can be a little crazy about that stuff.” Twilight sighed, her mind thinking back. It had felt good to save those ponies, but killing them? The paper said Mare Do Well was a hero. But it also noted that the authorities wanted her for murder... She shook the ridicules thoughts from her head. She was no hero. A sudden knock at the door brought her attention. She trotted to the door, easing it open.
“Good morning Twilight, I hope your not too exhausted from last nights extremities, and I was wondering if you made it home last night.”
“Hello Rarity, Yeah... I'm fine.” Twilight sighed wearadly.
“Ah, wonderful. Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to head to Canterlot with me, if you're feeling up for it? I was going to pick up some new materials for a dress i'm designing, and thought we could maybe have a day for ourselves. Hmm?”
“... You know, Sure. Gimme a moment to fetch my bag.”
. . .
“And so then I said, ‘Dragon scales? This is a vest not a jacket!’” Rarity laughed at her story, walking aside Twilight on the crowded streets of Canterlot.
“Great story.”
“You seem out of it, Twilight. Let’s do a little shopping for you. Ooh! A bookstore. You like those, right? Let’s go!” Rarity drug Twilight by the hoof to the small corner store. Inside were shelves stacked high with old books, the air thick with the scent of old leather and paper. It gave Twilight a small piece of mind. She looked up and down the shelves. Familiar and new titles jumping out at her.
“Hmm? ‘The elements of design’? Now what is- Oh! Not what I expected.” Rarity held up a large dusty book out to Twilight. The cover featured a cutaway of a grappling hook like device. Her brow furrowed as she flicked through the book. Designs and blueprints for odd devices that would probably not have any day to day purpose. But for some...
“I’ll take this one.” Twilight said with a nod to the bored looking teenager behind the counter. “Paper of plastic?”
. . .
“Oh my, I believe we are lost.” Rarity complained. They walked down a filthy street, no longer populated by the wealthy citizens of Canterlot. The slums.
“I would hate to get roughed up by some hooligan. And i thought for sure this was the way to the train station.”
“Let’s go in here and see if we can get directions.” Twilight said, pointing to a tavern, the sign reading ‘The thirsty Dragon’. The two ponies pushed open the double doors. The bar was filled with dirty colts, throwing darts, playing billiards, or just having a drink.
“Excuse me sir, would you happen to know where the train station is? We are terribly lost, and would be rather grateful if you could tell is!” Rarity swooned, Twilight scanned the room. A colt sat alone at a table nearest them. He sat with his legs on the table, leaning his chair back and rolling a black knife around his hoof. A few rowdy drunks pushed each other around, one hurtling into Twilight. She was sent flying, and hit the floor with a thud.
“Twilight! Are you alright!?” Rarity shrieked. The colt stood up offering a hoof to her.
“Are you alright, my dear?” He asked, pulling her to her hoofs. He slid his knife back into his belt, and sat back down. He offered her the fallen saddle bag.
“Yes, I'm alright.” She said, waltzing back to the awaiting Rarity.
“Good, this kind Colt has given me the directions to the train station, we should go.”
Twilight turned back, the Colt long gone. “Did you know him?”
“No, No I did not.” She said, leaving through the Double doors, side by side with her friend.
. . .
Twilight drug her hoofs across the floor, slamming the door to her house behind her. The shelves of books echoing her action. She slid off her bag, letting it fall to the floor with a thump. She opened the small clasps, while glancing at the clock on the wall. 10 Pm. She shook the bag upside down, as two books fell out. Puzzled, she reached down. The book she bought was just as she left it, but a second now lay aside it. ‘Close-Quarters-Combat: Paramilitary guide book’. She recognized the book as the standard issue manuals for new soldiers in the last war. That was quite a few years ago, and these books were quite rare. She flipped open the cover. A small message was scribbled their.
Nov 5
Let’s meet
~K~
He wanted to meet on the fifth? The message was hastily written, with messy handwriting. That was four days from now... She looked at both books. She had work to do.