City Scape

by TigerSwirl448

Chapter 10: A Dazzling Encounter

Chapter 10
A Dazzling Encounter

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

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Twilight climbed up the fire escape to approach her equipment setup and was surprised and relieved to find her setup undisturbed. She rushed to her equipment and set down her pack to pull out her mini laptop and plugged a USB cable to the black box and began her gathering all of the data for the control for her experiment. Unaware that someone was watching her.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Rainbow Dash removed her binoculars, scratching her head. She placed her binoculars back over her eyes to watch the girl do her work. She was surprised to see the mini laptop on the table. She had seen laptop computers before but she never knew they could be that small.

Rainbow watched how Twilight checked her beakers, her propeller, and her computer screen. She was there for thirty minutes before shutting her laptop and stuffing it into her bag. She went back to the equipment and did some changes to the setup then she took her bag and left the rooftop. Rainbow licked her lips thinking if she should check the equipment or to follow Twilight and tail her.

"Hey Rainbow." Thunderlane’s voice startled her from her thoughts. She sighed calming herself down.

"Yeah?" She answered sitting up dusting off her jacket and shirt from the dirt from her stakeout point.

"We have a delivery for you to pick up."

Rainbow sighed nodding. There's her answer to her question. "Alright, where from?"

"Cherry Jubilee, she has message for you to deliver. She didn't sound happy contacting me."

Rainbow groaned. She disliked going to Cherry's bar and whore house. From her stories it sounded like she was a sane woman but now after living like she has been since the attack she seems to have dropped off the deep end. Rainbow never went to that place but it's only when there was no one else to take the trip that she got called.

"Alright, I'll head over there now." She sighed "Where’s CK?"

"She’s still at a drop." Thunderlane answered. "She should turn up sooner or later." Rainbow could hear the annoyance in his voice.

"Alright I'll get it over with. Later." Rainbow shut off her communicator and began her run to Main Street.

As soon as Rainbow was out of sight, Flash climbed up the fire escape leading to Twilight's experiment equipment and smirked looking around to make sure no one was watching him. Once he was sure no one was around he ran over to the equipment and reached into his large pocket to pull out a packet. A packet that was used by crime scene specialists. He pulled out a clear slip and pulled off part of it and placed the sticky side over a perfectly placed fingerprint. He carefully pulled back the sticky slip to capture the fingerprint. He quickly placed the cover flap back over the fingerprint to preserve it. He held up the plastic slip to the sky to see the fingerprint clearly and couldn't help but smile.

He checked for more fingerprints and pulled out more of the slips to collect the fingerprints. After finding six fingerprints he placed the slips into the packet and couldn’t help but smile again. Fingerprints at a crime scene is fifty-fifty cause of arrest. If Twilight is smart enough, a highly skilled lawyer will argue that she just happen to be there before the crime happen. He had to find more proof, hoping Twilight isn't as smart as he hoped.

He felt his cell phone buzz and checked the caller ID and smiled. He accepted the call placing it to his ear.

"Yo-" He paused hearing the crazed anger talking from the other caller. "Hey, settle down. Slow down what’s the ..." He groaned. "Hey. Hey where's your sister." He asked rubbing his face. "Finally, hey I got part one of the evidence." He said patting his pocket. He frowned hearing the response.

"Well then, just tell him to give us more time. We'll start it soon. Oh and how are things going on your end? Got more information on the Griffs 'Project Horizons' crap?" He paused for a second hearing the response and sighed rubbing his forehead. "Okay, okay, send someone else don't even think about sending Sonata in there." He paused again then looked around. "Look, I got to go. I'll meet you at our base with the fingerprints. Later."

He shut off the call and immediately made his way off the roof and headed for his next destination.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Rainbow walked out of an alley into the deserted street of Main Street. All around her she could see boarded up businesses, debris piles that were never cleaned up from the attack, trash on the ground, and the air was hard to breathe from the smoke in the air. Rainbow coughed a couple of times then sighed heading off towards the speakeasy. She looked around to see no one around. Usually this part of Low Town was deserted in the day time but once the sun went down the place was lively with druggies, hookers, fighters, everything that is illegal in Equestria resides here.

Rainbow shuddered leaving the streets to another alley. After walking for a few seconds she saw the glowing red neon arrow pointing down a flight of stone stairs to a door. Rainbow fixed her jacket pulling up her zipper to the top of her chest as a precaution. Cherry is known to be very touchy towards the young people or to those that will give her the best money.

Rainbow walked through the door and immediately smelled the drugs and the booze. She walked through the hall then entered the tavern. As she entered she could see how empty the room was. But from the sounds she could hear in her ears she could tell that the back rooms were full.

She turned then bumped into someone and looked up at the giant man. He was new. He was at least a foot taller than her, his hair was ginger, and he’s wearing a button up shirt with a deep red jacket. He looked down at her with his lazy green eyes and sniffed.

"Uhhhh," Rainbow started, taking a step back. "I don’t recognize you." Rainbow started trying to start a conversation. "Are you new to Cherry's place?"

"Nope." The giant man answered.

"Oh uh, where did you work before?" She asked.

Before the man could answer the two turn hearing the clatter of a glass on the floor.

"Again!" A woman’s voice fumed. "I want that reporter's head on a pallet and I want you to find the one she's smitten with!" Cherry roared before kicking out three hooded teens that pushed past Rainbow and the man. Rainbow blinked seeing one of them look at her, the only thing Rainbow saw were her eyes. Rainbow blinked after being shoved away.

"Don't come back until you get her!" Cherry cried out then stopped seeing Rainbow Dash fixing her jacket. "Oh Rainbow Dash." She purred smiling. "I see you have met my new guard?" Rainbow turned to the man then nodded.

"Uh yeah, never seen him before."

Cherry chuckled waving her hand telling the man to walk away. "Oh Mac? He's all right. He's worked for me since he was a boy. A trustful man now and he does what as he’s told." Mac nodded once turning away as if shamefully which made Rainbow worry.

"So I was told you have something for me to deliver?" She asked hoping this will go quick.

"Actually yes, and I want this delivered post haste." Cherry said holding up a yellow envelope. "I want you to send this to Flash Sentry. You do know where he is right?" She asked. Rainbow could tell she was short tempered by the way she stepped on her bandaged foot. Rainbow blinked to notice her foot.

"What happened to your foot?" Cherry made a very scary frown.

"I was attacked. And the one I'm paying Flash Sentry to find. Now deliver this." She said shoving the envelope into Rainbow's chest. Rainbow took the envelope before it fell to the floor no doubt filled with bills. "And here is the payment." Cherry said reaching into her bodice to pull out a smaller envelope filled with the bills for the job. Rainbow took the second envelope and stuff it into her pocket.

"Alright I'll deliver. And thank you for the service."

"Just go already." Cherry snapped before limping away. Rainbow sighed with relief. Thankful for not being groped by the tavern keeper but she felt a bit nervous seeing Cherry so upset. Who ever made Cherry mad has got a target on his back.

Rainbow turned to the guard Mac to see him wringing his hands. He turned to look at her then sighed.

"Go." He ordered.

Rainbow nodded with a two finger salute. "I'm leaving. Nice to meet you, Mac."

"Eeyup." He answered silently turning away.

Rainbow nodded then headed out the door feeling herself shudder. She did not want to be in the same building as a raging Cherry Jubilee.

Rainbow walked out then stopped seeing three hooded teens from Cherry’s place talking to one another. Rainbow blinked recognizing their hoodies and walked over.

"Hey, aren't you the Dazzling sisters?" Rainbow asked causing the three girls to jump and turn, one of them held a pistol. When the three realized it was Rainbow they each pulled down their hoods.

"So it was you three." Rainbow said a bit shocked. "I thought you three were ... you know." She said rubbing the back of her neck uncomfortably."

"Dead?" One of them said before getting glares by the other two. "What? What did I say?" She asked confused.

"Just shut up Sonata." another of the sisters said with a glare. The girl Sonata blushed shamefully rubbing her arm.

"Rainbow Dash, it's been a long time." The taller of the sisters said walking over smiling. She stuck her pistol into the back of her pants.

"Adagio," Rainbow said crossing her arms across her chest with a light smile on her face. "Wow, I'm surprised. You three survived against the Griffs?"

"Why are you so surprised?" The second girl, Aria asked with a frown.

"Well," Rainbow started uncomfortably. "I mean everyone said that most of the runners up top were either killed off or left the rooftops to street level. And everyone said that your whole operation was destroyed by the Griffs."

Adagio turned to her sisters then turned back to Rainbow. "Forgive Aria,"

"Believe me," Rainbow interrupted. "I haven't forgotten what’s going on." She smiled a touch. "But still what happened?"

Adagio sighed crossing her arms across her chest, setting her weight on one foot. "We had some friends that were able to give us a place to stay. We got ourselves into a new organization." She made a smirk looking Rainbow up and down. "I see you still wear that old, gaudy jacket."

Rainbow glared at her. "Don't dis the jacket Dazzling."

Adagio laughed wiping her eye. "To tell you the truth Dash, I missed seeing you around."

Rainbow shrugged. "Missed seeing you too. So um where do you work?"

Adagio smirked turning to Aria and Sonata.

"Oh we work here or there." Aria said with a smirk. "You know, simple stuff."

"Are you kidding me?" Sonata blurted out causing Aria an Adagio to look to her with fear. "What we do is like so much harder than being a runner and I mean the pay is like so- Mmpph!" Aria grabbed Sonata's mouth to shut her up as Adagio glared coldly at her.

"Don’t pay attention to her." Aria said grinning.

Rainbow nodded quirking her brow. "Well um, I'm glad to see you three are alive and still running around. I have a delivery to take care of. Talk to you guys later?" Rainbow asked backing away.

"Sure Dash." Adagio said smiling. "It was nice to see you again."

Rainbow nodded then started her jog to the nearest fire escape. It was nice to see the sisters again even though they were rivals in the runner trade. It just meant she still has something in common with the sisters, they were fellow runners just like her.

Adagio waited until Rainbow was a gone before growling and turning to the other two. "I would have loved to see that bitch bleed." She growled.

Sonata pushed Aria's hand away from her face. "Why didn’t you?"

"Because dummy," Aria scolded. "We can't blow our cover yet and you just about did!"

Sonata blushed shamefully turning away as Aria turned back to Adagio. "What now?"

Adagio smirked. "We go on with the job. No doubt Sentry will be getting the same thing."

"So we do what we always do?" She asked with a bored drawl.

"Well this time," Adagio said smirking. "We do something a bit different."

"Which is?" Aria asked curiously as Sonata messed with her hoodie strings, picking at the threads.

Adagio smiled looking up at the skyscrapers patting her satchel. "We get ready for the main event."

As Adagio and Aria chuckle at the plan, Sonata looked down at her worn out sneakers with worry and fear.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Spelling sighed stretching her arms in the air as she continues her walk on the clean sidewalks of the middle district. Almost back home. As she walked she played through her thoughts thinking of ways to apologize to Coco for missing her calls and making her worry. She read the texts and listened to the messages given to her and it made her feel sick with worry.

She didn't want to worry Coco or even make her upset. She didn't want that. But the more she did this and the deep she goes into these conspiracies the farther away she becomes. After what happened with Cherry earlier that day it woke her up and it mad herself question her job. Should she continue this dangerous work? Should she quit and try to get out of the city before everything blows up?

Spelling wasn't sure. The closer she got the more confused and scared she became. The worst thing to happen is Coco being upset with her and dumping her. She didn’t want that. The second worse thing is not telling Coco she was sorry before someone put a bullet in her head. Spelling shuddered rubbing her arms. She stopped and turned to see the road that will lead her back to the apartment. Then she turned the opposite direction to see the way to the business district just a gate away. She could go to the subway station and grab her phone and call One Note and tell him she's done.

As she thought about it, she could hear his words now, "You're going to quit now? We have to tell all of Equestria what's going on in Cloudsdale. The people of Equestria must know!"

Spelling rubbed her face with a loud groan. She dragged her feet to a bench and sat down covering her face with her hands. "What am I going to do?" She whispered feeling herself wanting to cry. No matter which way she turned she's stuck. She'll lose the one she loves all over again, lose her career, and even worse her own life before she made things right again.

"Being a fiction writer was way simpler than this crap." She growled angrily. She leaned back against the bench and sat there just staring at the street in front of her. She tapped her finger on her knee getting antsy. "Damnit." She growled. She stood up and began to walk. Walk straight back to the apartment, time to let out her frustration the one way she knew how.

When she unlocked the door she found nothing that revealed that Coco was home, yet. To be sure she walked into the two rooms to find them empty. Coco was still at work.

"Good." She whispered running to her laptop. She turned it on and went to the kitchen to make herself a quick sandwich and grabbed a bottle of lemonade and sat in the living room. She opened a blank document on her laptop. She took a sip of her lemonade then thought for a moment. Then without thinking, and happy to know she's all alone, she began to type and talk at the same time.

"It was a dark, dreary night." She began as she typed. "The detective stood before the slaughter of ... the murdered family before him ...." She paused and nodded liking what she pictured in her head. "The detective, a senior from his precinct, started checking the crime scene for any clues. A murder weapon, a signature, anything that will give him what he needs for his report."

Spell Check continued to write the start of a fictional, mystery story with a mixture of science fiction. She typed well into the afternoon until she wrote about one hundred pages worth of work. By the time she stopped she looked at the clock to find that it was close to when Coco returns from work. She left her laptop on as she went into the kitchen and began to make something for Coco. She knew Coco enjoyed mac and cheese. It's simple and quick to make so doing that before she gets home will problem put a smile on her face. Hopefully.

Spelling sat back down on the sofa to read what she wrote as she waited for the water to boil. As she read her own story she couldn't help but shake her head.

"Check you are one dark writer." She said smirking to herself. "This one might be a winner for later."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Twilight was sitting in her hotel room making a hard copy of the test results for her control in the experiment, writing the numbers in a small book and used a flash drive to make a copy from her laptop in case her notes were lost or destroyed. As she wrote she heard a lot of commotion outside her door. She closed her laptop to see what was going on.

When she opened her door she watched one of the hotel staff carrying one of Princess Celestia's bags out the door. Twilight walked out to notice more of them.

"Wait, what's going on?" Twilight asked confused. Luna looked up from her book, she placed a bookmark over her place and closed her book.

"Oh Twilight, did we disturb you?" She asked worriedly.

"What’s going on?"

Luna blinked. "Didn't we tell you that the hotel staff will be packing our things before we leave for Canterlot?"

Twilight blinked once then she remembered slapping her palm to her forehead. Luna chuckled seeing the familiar gesture. "You forgot?"

"Yes, I was so focused on getting my things ready that I forgot about this. It's really time for you to go?" She asked touch fearfully.

Luna nodded. "I'm afraid so. The Griffin Security Force wants us to leave post haste. So after our farewells ceremony, whatever that is, is over we'll be taking our trains back to Canterlot and the Crystal Empire."

Twilight nodded. "Things will be awfully quiet here."

Luna smiled wrapping her arms around Twilight hugging her. "Oh I wish one of us was here to keep an eye on you."

Twilight blushed but couldn’t help but smile at that.

When the two separated Cadence and Celestia came into the room. Celestia smiled sadly seeing Twilight looking around worriedly.

"Will you be alright?" Celestia asked.

Twilight nodded. "I'll be fine."

Celestia nodded sadly. "Well we still have the rest of the night together. And we have breakfast together. You are coming." She said sternly with a wink. Twilight nodded.

"I wouldn’t miss it."

"Good," Cadence said with yawn. "If you three don't mind I'm going to bed early. My train will be leaving before yours." She said smiling at the sisters before heading to her room. Celestia nodded.

"Cadence is right, let us all go to bed early tonight. We all have a big day in the morning."

Twilight nodded feeling frown tug on her lips as she watched Luna and Celestia walk to their rooms for bed. Twilight looked up at the clock to see that it was still early at night. She walked to her room watching the last of the hotel staff leave the hotel suite in peace. She walked to her laptop and sighed unaware that her laptop camera was on watching her as she worked.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Gilda Griffin looked up at the giant monitors and one of them had Twilight's face on it as she stared at the screen and type on her keyboard, oblivious to bring watched.

"It’s working." Gilda said smiling a touch. "At least you bumpkins did something right for once." She said chuckling watching her three workers salute to her. She waved her hand for them to be dismissed as she walked to her elevator. She looked at her watch to see that it was about time to head for home.

"Commander!" A woman called just as Gilda reached the elevator. She turned to notice one of her agents running over. Gilda nodded seeing her salute.

"Report Agent Colgate."

"Yes ma'am. As you can tell I was able to bug the hotel's Wi-Fi to get more info on the Equestrians." Colgate said with a smirk. "However, because of the princesses returning out of city limits I'll have to send some of my lower agents to prepare the target's next residence."

Gilda nodded as the elevator doors opened. "Good, once the princesses leave then we can watch Miss Sparkle like a hawk." Gilda snarled. "I don’t believe in that Canterlot Council bull shit."

Sunlight smirked. "I was given info through our grape vines that Equestrian support for the damn resistance has grown." Gilda blinked and turned as Colgate pressed the up button.

"Seriously?"

"Yes Commander" Colgate answered. "They have some sort of ghost writer writing about our politics and about the cesspool."

Gilda groaned rubbing her forehead. "Great first that DJ and now an outside reporter? Anything about the name or the organization this ghost writer writes for."

"We don't know who this writer is yet." Colgate answered. "But we already know who is spreading the paper. Times News."

Gilda groaned again. "Damn free speech Equestrians have." Colgate chuckled nodding her head.

"It is a complicated mess of laws they have. No organization what so ever."

Gilda nodded. "That'll change soon." She jumped feeling her cell phone vibrate. She pulled out her phone and flipped it on. "I've been waiting for your call." She said frowning. Colgate remained silent waiting as Gilda talked on her phone.

"Look you keep on your side of the city I stay on mine." She said angrily. "I don't care what you do as long as you can take out the rest of the vermin of that cesspool. When the time comes Project Horizons will be activated and you'll be paid handsomely for you work."

Colgate scratched her neck under her collar.

"Very well, keep low. Evening." Gilda hung up and growled. "Damn that bastard." She growled.

"Has he made another condition?" Colgate asked. Gilda snorted.

"The old bastard never learns to shut up. But yes he wanted me to give his "children" the leave to own the cesspool when we're done."

"And you agreed?"

"I told him he'll get his share. I didn't say yes." Gilda said grinning. "Anyway, prepare Miss Sparkle’s new apartment. I want that place bugged. She might be naïve but don't make those bugs obvious, I want them hidden good."

Colgate smirked. "You can count on me, Commander."

"Good," Gilda said nodding as she began to think. "And after you are done with that I want your best agents to look for this ghost writer. He is causing trouble and I want him eliminated fast." Colgate smirked.

"Of course." Colgate said bowing.

The elevator dinged and he doors opened Gilda walked out as Colgate held the door. Gilda smirked looking at the doors then turned to Colgate.

"Did operation Bass Drop go as planned?"

Colgate frowned turning away. "It went through perfectly. No one heard the drop. But..."

Gilda frowned glaring at her agent. "Right, she lived, again."

"Not to worry." Colgate said grinning. "We have her radio studio rigged. She won't even do her radio shows without electrocuting herself." She said chuckling. "The infamous DJ will no longer be a threat."

Gilda nodded. "Let's hope this time she’ll be dealt with. Carry on then."

Colgate nodded letting the doors shut, she would take the elevator to her floor.

Gilda continued her walk, pulling out her cell phone again. She pressed a speed dial number and waited as she entered her office. She flicked a few light switches to turn on her lights and her security systems. She heard the reply on her phone just as the system’s turned on.

"Ah yes, hello my friend." Gilda said grinning. She waited hearing the question from the other caller and grinned. "The summit is officially over. Make your move at dawn." She hung up grinning. She turned to see a large portrait of an old man dressed in old armor.

"Soon, you'll get your victory." She whispered.

Author's Note:

Here is chapter 10 edited by Xhoral1865.

I apologize for this chapter being late. I blame TF2, school, and doing other things. I have more chapters ready but I have some bad news. Xhoral1865 has asked to step down as editor for a while. So I'm without an editor for the first time since I started here. So if you know someone who has the free time to help me out that would be great but until I find someone I'll have to edit my own work again which I'm a touch fearful for. Those 14 down votes were from my own editing from the beginning.

Next chapter will be up sometime soon. Later guys.

Comments

[An-Twan Star]

Hmm, I really like this story and where it is going. But without a proofreader, I also feel that the quality may suffer. I have a lot of free time and would be willing to take a look at your story. I'm pretty good with grammar and I have a few ideas that could benefit the story.

PM me if you are interested.

[TigerSwirl448]

5859647 Nope she doesn't.

[Cyclone]

Question 1: You gonna make more now?