Chapter 3
There was deep awkward silence in the office, the only sound was ticking of a clock on the wall. Tango sat in front of the desk and behind it sat his probation officer, Pardon Peace. Teal colored both in mane and coat, wearing a business suit that concealed her scroll cutie mark. She was cringing a little at the sight of the stallion, wondering how he received his black eye and the various bruises over his body. The former officer had long since shed his bandages.
“Tango… what in Equestria happened to you?” the pegasus finally ventured to ask, utter disbelief in her voice. Tango had so far been her most problem free case, so problem free she was almost tempted to appeal for the probation to be lifted within the year.
There was no response from the stallion. He looked very ashamed, head hung and ears down. It had not been easy for him to come for his scheduled meeting looking like this, knowing there would be questions and he would have to answer them.
“You ran into the gang didn’t you?” the mare asked with a sigh and muttered something under her breath. It sounded like it was directed at those who had approved the apartment.
“I…” Tango slowly glanced up. “Yes… I… did.”
“Of all the places they approve in Manehattan, it had to be Hoofington.” Pardon rubbed her forehead tiredly. “I’m sorry, Tango. I never should have accepted putting you there.”
“It doesn’t… matter,” the stallion muttered.
“Tango, don’t say that, of course it matters,” the pegasus said with a concerned frown. “You got probation because we feel you are worth the effort, that there is low risk that you’ll do any crime again. You shouldn’t be treated…”
“Like unwanted trash that nopony will miss, so might as well just toss him into a high crime neighborhood where there is always an off chance he’ll disappear and be found dead in a ditch few weeks later?” Tango interrupted her and now fully looked at the probation officer. His expression was grim and the eyes looked empty of life.
“No, no, no that’s not it,” Pardon protested but could see the stallion wasn’t buying it.
The mare couldn’t blame him though for feeling this way. It had been a real struggle to find not just an apartment but a neighborhood that would accept having him. She had tried in a nice little suburb in Manehattan, but some of the families residing there balked at the idea that a criminal charged for involvement in foalnapping would be living amongst them. Various apartment landlords also wanted nothing to do with it, some even had their information mixed up and though Tango was the serial killer caught.
Pardon had really dreaded placing Tango in Hoofington. It was just asking for trouble and by the looks of it, her worries had been well justified. The stallion could only avoid ponies for so long before he would eventually run into the local gang and now he had.
“You know Tango; we could have put you in Fillydelphia or even Vanhoover. Why were you so dead set on Manehattan?” she asked and tilted her head when some life actually returned into Tango’s eyes.
“B-Because…” Tango inhaled sharply and closed his eyes before whispering: “She is here.”
“She?” It took a few moments for it to register with the pegasus mare. She arched her brow when realizing of whom he was referring to. “Snow Heart?”
“Oh right, Snow Heart is incarcerated on Long Whinny Island just off the coast of Manehattan,” Pardon mused and rubbed her muzzle for a bit. “Do you wish to visit her?”
Tango blinked when hearing the question. Never in a thousand years did he expect to hear it. He had been absolutely certain that he was forbidden to ever meet Snow Heart again. She had been the leader of the foalnapping plot after all.
“I…I can?” he asked absolutely stunned.
“Ordinarily I would be wary of allowing partners in crime to meet again,” Pardon stated, causing Tango to slump down. “However, I trust you and I don’t think Snow Heart is in any condition to try anything. I am going to look into it and see if I can’t arrange for you to visit her during visiting hours.”
Tango nodded slowly, although this brought him small hope that he could at least see Snow Heart again, he wasn’t going to fool himself it would necessarily happen. Pardon could only do so much and her job wasn’t to cater to him, her job was to ensure he did everything expected of him during his probation.
“As for the gang, Tango, I need you to tell me what happened.” Pardon then brought the subject back to his injuries.
The stallion nodded again and quietly began telling what had happened, both when he first met them when helping Derpy and Time Turner and when Barricade had attacked him in his apartment. Pardon listened without a comment, she knew Tango was very truthful and tended to be detailed in his accounts.
Pardon wasn’t though familiar with Barricade and his gang, only was aware that there was one. What she mostly knew was that Hoofington seemed to be a forgotten dirty part of Manehattan that the city just wanted to forget about. It was a breeding ground for all kinds of criminal elements and it had only been a question of time when a strong enough pony would appear to take control.
“This Vanilla Cream, she lives in the same building?” she asked once Tango had finished telling about his attack. She noted the name down when he responded positively to the question.
“I wouldn’t bother… I know how it will just go… Barricade will produce dozens of witnesses that he was at his gym,” Tango muttered.
“Tango, you were physically assaulted, of course I’m going to have it investigated,” Pardon said sharply leaving no room for argument.
Bet Barricade is going to just love that, the stallion thought but remained quiet.
“This Vanilla, is she a friend?” The pegasus softened her tone as she decided to shift the subject a little.
“Well… I suppose.” Tango’s brow sunk a bit as he considered it. “She is on speaking term with most of the building… I think. She has a habit of seeing how everypony is doing. She is very friendly and social.”
“You don’t say.” Pardon noticed that Tango didn’t speak in as broken voice when talking about Vanilla. “Do you like her?”
“W-what?” Tango exclaimed, he was not certain how to read that question.
“As a friend I mean. Do you want to consider her as a friend?” Pardon smiled a little when seeing the mildly flustered look on him.
“I guess.” Tango wasn’t actually so sure himself, he didn’t mind Vanilla and when he thought about it, it was nice that someone in the building didn’t care he had committed a crime and was on probation.
“Good, I recommend you continue with that friendship. It’s healthy for you and it’s good to see that you are socializing even if it just one pony,” the mare told him.
Tango wasn’t so sure he agreed, he was actually starting to wonder if it was healthy for Vanilla to associate with him. Barricade was already breathing down his neck about the money he claimed Tango owed him, the former officer was pretty sure there would be more visits by the unicorn to extract that money. Vanilla had barely escaped the thug’s wrath few days ago and only because Tango had summoned enough strength and willpower to go out the door and push him away.
Pardon now continued to ask more mundane questions about his life that the stallion really just answered with nods or shaking of his head. He had no problem at work, though he had been questioned about his injuries. Otherwise, aside from his run in with the gang, Tango’s life was still mostly problem free and quiet.
Soon enough the session was over and Tango was free to head back home. Pardon still promised that she would have the attack investigated. The stallion made no comment on that and was soon on the busy Manehattan streets walking away from the probation office.
One subway trip later he was back in Hoofington. It didn’t look so bad during the daytime at the moment, ponies were actually out and about though some looked ragged and tired. No one paid much heed to Tango and he didn’t bother them either. The stallion had not arrived close to his home street as he was going to buy some supplies. The pony soon found the store he was looking for and entered.
Once his saddle bag was filled with groceries, the stallion paid for them and headed for the exit. As he was stepping out the pony was nearly hit by a pegasus filly that whizzed quickly by. Tango just barely managed to stop himself in the doorway of the grocery store. The filly was already gone from sight, having taken a sharp turn to another street.
“Hey mistah!” Babs Seed came running from the direction the other filly had come from. She was nearly out of breath and stopped in front of Tango. “Did you see a dark grayish brown pegasus filly go by?”
“Yes, she turned down the street here,” the stallion responded and pointed to where the other foal had gone. He raised an eyebrow when Babs snorted in frustration.
“That jerk, first she calls me a Hooflyn snob and then she steals my ball,” the filly grunted and prepared to continue the chase. Tango stopped her by putting one front leg in her way.
“Wait, you’re from Hooflyn?” he whispered startled. “What are you doing all the way in Hoofington?”
Babs Seed quickly glanced at the stallion wide eyed, then she looked around and first now noticed that things looked a little more run down. The streets were not as clean and some of the building definitely could use some repair. The filly hadn’t even noticed the change; she had been so intent on chasing that thief. She had been so incensed at both being called a snob and having her ball stolen. This was somehow different than the blank flank teasing she received from school, this was something she felt she could deal with by chasing down the other filly.
“Look, it’s not a good idea for you to be here. The subway is not far away from here, I’ll buy you a ticket back to Hooflyn,” Tango offered.
“No way, dat filly stole my ball, am gonna get it back!” Babs declared firmly and took off.
She is not your problem, she is not your problem, she is not… oh to Tartarus with it. Tango groaned and hurried after her.
Tango hurried around the corner and stopped short when seeing where Babs was headed. The filly had spotted the other girl just outside a gym, playing with her ball. She had called out and rushed for her, the grayish brown pegasus in turn quickly darted inside. The stallion gave even a longer groan; the gym’s name was The Barricade.
“Kid wait!” Tango just barely managed to reach Babs and stop her from going into the gym. “You do not want to go in there.”
“Why not? That jerk that stole my ball is there,” the filly protested and pointed indignantly at the building.
“That gym is run by very bad ponies, very bad ponies go in there,” the stallion explained between his teeth. He didn’t know why but for some reason he felt like he was arguing with Apple Bloom back in Ponyville.
Though Tango knew that regular ponies also went to the gym, ponies who were not associated at all with Barricade and his gang, that still didn’t make him think it was safe for the filly to go in there.
“But I gotta have my ball back, please mistah, can you help me?” Babs asked pleadingly.
“Can’t your parents just buy you a new one?” Tango wondered, the filly shook her head. The stallion wasn’t so sure he believed her and had a feeling this was a matter of principle rather than anything else for the girl.
She is going to go in, whether I help or not, he thought and looked at the gym. Through the large windows Tango saw ponies inside, exercising, he even recognized few of them. Ponies that he very much rather avoid.
Sighing the stallion hung his head and headed inside with Babs following right behind him. Barbell was at the counter and she arched her brow when seeing Tango enter. Several of the gym goers also stopped their exercise though most were just staring in surprise at who had entered.
“You have some nerve to come here,” Barbell retorted and didn’t appear overly impressed.
“Believe me, nerves had nothing to do with it.” Tango raised his head fully up and grit his teeth. “This young filly over here is chasing somepony that stole her ball.”
“And called me a Hooflyn snob!” Babs snapped causing Tango to palm his face with one hoof.
“The other filly went in here, dark grayish brown coat, I think her mane was dark grayish sapphire blue with grayish blue highlights. Couldn’t see a cutie mark,” the stallion grunted, hoping it wouldn’t come bite them in the rump that Babs had identified that she came from the richer districts of Manehattan.
“Sounds like Cara.” Barbell shook her head and rose up from the counter. “She went into the boss’s office, follow me.”
Oh wonderful. Tango didn’t look forward to meet the boss at all, considering he knew who it was. Reluctantly he followed the mare, with Babs strutting behind, towards a door further inside the gym.
“Boss, looks like Cara’s been causing trouble again,” Barbell said as she knocked on the door. There came an indignant snort from behind it, belonging to a little filly by the sound of it. The mare opened the door and looked inside, then she pulled back and opened the entrance fully and gestured Tango and Babs to go in.
Tango braced himself as he entered the office. Barricade sat behind a desk and for a second the pegasus filly stood on top of it, but the moment the stallion and Babs entered, she immediately ducked behind it and out of sight. The unicorn watched the newcomers with mild bemusement.
“I’ll just go straight to it, that girl here wants her ball back that was stolen by the one who ducked behind your desk,” Tango grunted, pointing first at Babs and then the desk.
Barricade smirked, then his horn began to glow and suddenly Cara the little pegasus filly was lifted off the floor via levitating magic aura. The girl looked quite indignant and folded her thin front legs, glaring at the unicorn.
“Cara, did you steal her ball?” Barricade asked and just smirked wider when Cara scrunched up her face.
“Who cares, she is a Hooflyn snob,” the filly retorted.
“I’m not a snob,” Babs snapped glaring at the pegasus.
“Hooflyn? Cara, what were you doing all the way up in Hooflyn?” unicorn dropped the smirk and sounded genuinely surprised and confused. He released the filly from the magic aura but she continued to hover in the air under her own wing power.
“I wasn’t going to Hooflyn, just ended up there.” Cara shrugged, she stuck her tongue out at Babs who returned the gesture the same way.
“Right, we will talk about that later.” Barricade shook his head and now looked at Babs. His horn began glowing again and a red and blue ball was lifted up from behind the desk. “I take it this is your ball.”
“Yes.” Babs nodded, she raised one leg to grab it when the toy was floated over to her.
“Now, Cara,” the unicorn looked at the pegasus. “Say you’re sorry.”
“What? But daaaaad?” Cara protested. Tango raised an eyebrow when hearing that, it hadn’t actually clicked with him that this was Barricade’s daughter.
“Cara!” Barricade scowled and deepened his voice. “You apologize for stealing that toy, now!”
Cara cringed slightly when her father’s voice deepened, but she didn’t flinch away or show any behavior that she feared being struck. Tango also found it rather strange that Barricade was actually demanding she apologized for stealing. He just couldn’t picture it that the unicorn was raising the child to be a model citizen.
“Sorry I stole your ball,” the filly grumbled and glared away from everyone in the room.
“And calling her a snob.” Her father was clearly not done.
“Daaad!” Cara turned back to him but sighed and hung her head when all the answer she received was another scowl. “Sorry I called you a snob.”
“Thanks.” Babs was satisfied to hear this. Seemed Cara was being taken to task. The earth filly also felt more generous to accept the apology since the pegasus hadn’t really actively teased her.
Alright, we got the ball, can we go now? Tango glanced at the doorway, Barbell still stood there, clearly ready to escort them out when they were done.
“I think we are done here,” he said. Barricade just shrugged and smirked at him.
Tango ushered Babs out of the office, the filly looked much happier now. Barbell followed them until the two were all the way out of the gym and back on the sidewalk outside. The stallion felt extremely relieved to be out of there.
“Thanks mistha, I dunno why they say Hoofingon is a bad place, you’re the second pony from here who is nice to me,” Babs said and bounced her ball as she and Tango began walking away from the gym.
“Second? Who was the first?” Tango asked, he made sure they were headed towards an entrance to a subway station. The stallion was determined to get that kid back home.
“Uh… Vanilla somethin’, works in a candy store in Hooflyn,” the filly told him while balancing the ball on her nose.
“Vanilla Cream?” the stallion frowned, though he couldn’t be surprised Babs had met her since she worked there.
“Yeah, you know her?” Babs asked.
“She lives in the same building as me.” Tango walked down the steps that lead to the subway. He would have liked to escort her all the way to Hooflyn, but he was actually forbidden to go there. So the stallion could only buy Babs a ticket and see her off to the correct subway.
“Is she your special somepony?” the filly wondered as she accepted the subway ticket from him.
“No… no not at all, we’re just friends,” Tango quickly assured her. Babs didn’t seem to care much though anyway and didn’t go further into the subject.
The stallion felt even more relief when watching Babs go onboard a subway car and when it finally took off. He felt had averted a crisis, there was no telling what some ponies around here might do if a filly from a rich family was found wandering around here. Tango left the subway station and finally headed home.
End chapter 3