From Dusk to Night

by KuroiTsubasaTenshi

9 - Leads

It was good to be back at the Seapony. With the night shift back in Night Flurry’s hooves, I could look forward to a nice, long evening of socializing. Even if I still wasn’t really sure about Merriweather and Starshadow, it was preferable to another night alone with the Fetlock incident.

While certainly nothing to brush aside, with no new information, I was just dwelling. Besides, there would be plenty of time to think about it tomorrow, both on the way to Canterlot and once I met up with my parents.

The evening had hardly started and Terra was already into her third glass by the time I’d arrived. She sat a seat farther away from Starshadow this time, something Starshadow didn’t seem to mind in the least.

Meanwhile, Mahogany was still more than happy to buddy up to Merriweather because of the endless supply of free Buzzards. And, as usual, Night Flurry sat low against the table, squished under the weight of Mahogany’s forehoof.

“Today any better?” I asked as I sat down.

Terra squinted her eyes, shifting them from patron to patron. “Nah. Shtill ain’t feelin’ it.”

“What, your… ‘sexy’?” I sighed, still unable to believe I was using that terminology.

She nodded emphatically as she leaned forward and intensified her stare.

“Somehow I don’t think it’s going to work if you try to force it,” I said before dropping my voice to a fake mumble. “Just like a certain other thing.”

Sticking out her tongue, Terra continued eying the slim pickings of the room. “Psh, you’ll thank me when it all worksh out.”

I shook my head. “Riiight. So, have you asked Starshadow about it?”

“Yeah! She shaid there’s too much inta—incha—” Terra screwed up her face. “—intherawoven magic to tell. Not that it matters. She shaid the magic won’t go ‘way until next week. It shux.”

I gave Starshadow a sideways glance. “Hmmm, well, if you want a second opinion, we could always see what Twilight Sparkle has to say.”

Terra spit her drink back into her glass. “Twilight Schparkle? Twilight Schparkle?! Nonononono! No way!”

“Why not?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Why not?! Because she’s a celebrity! I can’t… I can’t…” Terra slammed back the regurgitated drink. “I just can’t!”

I had to admit that I was taken aback. In all our years of friendship, I’d never seen her react this way. Granted, we’re both simple mares and I hadn’t been friends with a celebrity up until rather recently, but still.

“She won’t bite, you know.”

“It doeshn’t matter.” Terra levitated another glass up to her lips.

“Uh… okay? Well, if you change your mind, let me know.”

She and her glass nodded.

The doors swung open and in walked a bleary-eyed Blizzard Breeze.

I stood, ready to intercept Blizzard and pull her aside. After all, I still owed her an explanation of Merriweather’s history. But something was wrong. The look on Blizzard’s face was not the fatigue of a job well done, the tired after-bliss of a challenge overcome. No, her eyes were sunken, bearing the sort of wavering glimmer that spoke of a painful ordeal.

A newspaper was tucked under her wing, clutched up against her like a newborn foal.

“Hi, Blizzard. Are… are you okay?”

She shook her head. “I need to ask you and Night and that Merriweather pony a question.”

My heart fell as I motioned over to the table. I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be avoiding a certain topic like I’d hoped. “Sounds serious. Do we need to talk in private?”

“Maybe? I don’t know, it depends.” Blizzard sighed, taking a seat beside me.

“Oh, um, h-hi, Blizzard,” Night Flurry began with what cheer he could muster, but quickly clued in too. “W-what’s wrong?”

“I need to know: did you three see any weird ponies by the sculptures?”

My stomach churned. “Weird? How so?”

“Anything. Rough, suspicious, drunk.”

“Not that I can think of.” I shook my head. “But we weren’t by the sculptures for long. Night Flurry and I left right after our visit to the knitting expo.”

Blizzard’s gaze turned to Merriweather, with Starshadow following suit and adding a raised eyebrow.

“I was at the Frothy Flagon the rest of the night,” Merriweather answered. “I’m sure a few ponies there would happily vouch for me~.”

“Wait a second. You went out in public and drank without me?!” Starshadow narrowed her eyes.

“Yeah. What’s the big deal? It’s not like you drink anymore.”

“That is not the point! What were you even doing?”

“Helping!” She pointed a hoof at Night Flurry, who shrunk down. “He was winning! And happy!”

Starshadow closed her eyes as she clutched her forehooves to the side of her head, as though something might escape if she didn’t.

“Sis’?” Merriweather tilted her head. “You’re not angry about some little thing like this, are you?”

Starshadow’s eyes snapped open and she glared at Merriweather. “Of course I am angry! You oversaturate two ponies with your magic and then decide it is appropriate to use even more magic near the one who was seriously injured? Have you gone mad?!”

Blizzard started like she’d just been hit by a cart. She gave Merriweather a dark look. “So you’re the one who hurt Night.”

“No! I know what I’m doing!” Merriweather’s head swiveled toward Blizzard. “Not on purpose!”

I winced. The whole bar was looking our way now and it only seemed like things were going to get more intense. I drew in a deep breath.

“Everyone, calm down! Now!”

The conversation stopped dead.

Good.

I motioned around the room. “This is obviously something too heated to discuss in public. Now follow me before we get kicked out.”

Astonishingly, everyone fell into line behind me—even Starshadow and Merriweather. What I thought would be ten minutes of dragging them one-by-one to the back rooms turned out to be a simple thirty-second walk. Part of me thought I should yell more often. Another said, That’s stupid.

Once Terra and Mahogany had made a second trip to retrieve all the drinks, I shut the door.

“All right.” I took a seat. “Now let’s try this again without shouting. Blizzard, what’s wrong? Did something happen to the sculptures?”

Blizzard sighed. “They were smashed. All of them.”

“Whoa! Seriously?!” Mahogany leaned forward, his drink forgotten for once.

Blizzard nodded, spreading the the newspaper out in front of us before glancing at Merriweather. “And there was alcohol dumped all over the remains.”

“Agh, what a waste of perfectly good booze!” Mahogany moaned. When all eyes and scowls turned on him, he hastily added, “And sculptures! Yeah! That’s whatameant!”

I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to the newspaper.

Statues Vandalized Beyond Repair! Who is to Blame?! it declared. I started skimming the article itself, but at least from the part that was on the front page, it was more concerned with pointing hooves at the leadership than the vandalism itself.

“Hey, don’t look at me. I was having a good time at the pub~,” Merriweather preempted.

“Too much of a good time?” Starshadow peered at her.

“No, I… I could only afford a few ciders,” Merriweather looked away, as though that was somehow the most embarrassing thing she could admit to.

“What?” Starshadow stared.

“It’s not my fault the knitting was so good~!” Merriweather replied, nuzzling at an invisible piece of wool.

Starshadow just shook her head.

“Cider was dumped on the sculptures,” Blizzard said flatly.

“C’mon, Bree, cider ain’t a reason to suspect somepony. I mean it's no Buzzard, but plenty'a decent ponies drink it. Now if we were talkin’bout Screwdrivers...” Mahogany nodded sagely.

“It ain’t pure whishkey, either.” Terra half-smirked. “But sheriously, doeshn’t that kinda thing have guards and schtuff?”

“They did.” Blizzard looked down. “One of the tents caught fire. They jumped in to stop it from spreading.”

“That is troubling,” Starshadow said, crossing her forehooves. “While Sister is prone to inebriation and excess in her pranks, especially when inebriated—”

“Oh, gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.” Merriweather frowned.

Starshadow continued without missing a beat. “—I do not believe there is reason to accuse her. I suspect that this was premeditated malice.”

I nodded. “The fire is just too convenient. Was anything else damaged or stolen?”

“All the ice in the warehouse was smashed too.”

“Yeesh! And here I thought I hated ice.” Mahogany took a long sip from his Buzzard.

“That’sh a lotta work for shomething sho…. uh…” Terrabona’s eyes glazed over.

“Petty?” I suggested.

“Yesh! Dat!”

“U-um, what about the ponies d-doing the sculptures?” Night Flurry added.

“Fixing the competition? If that were the case, why smash everything?” Starshadow asked.

The Cartel drifted back to the forefront. They had to be involved somehow. A sleepy town like Fetlock just doesn’t normally attract those kinds of people. There was the obvious question, though it was almost too obvious and whether I was right or wrong, bringing it up would reveal my knowledge to everyone here.

“Blizzard.” I looked her straight in the eye. “I need to ask you a difficult question. I may have a lead, but first I need you to answer honestly.”

She let out a sigh. “Whatever it takes.”

I’d had years to prepare, imagining many scenarios from a slip of the tongue, to taking them aside and telling the individually, to giving the quick-and-dirty as we fled the Cartel's enforcers. I thought I was ready. I wasn’t. Years of doubt surfaced. What would they think? Just being friends was putting them in danger. After that, I couldn’t reasonably expect them to trust me. My body shook, racked by the thought of losing them in one way or another.

I took a deep breath and then a second. “Have you ever made any deals with the Leaf Sister Cartel?”

“What?” Blizzard’s eyes went wide and she just stared as though I’d just said something as ludicrous as ‘Princess Celestia is secretly in love with an arch-villain.’ Unless she was really good at faking it, her shock was genuine. Still, I wanted an answer to make certain.

“Pfft, good one!” Mahogany raised his glass, but stopped as he met my eyes. “Wait, ‘snot a joke?”

I kept the entirety of my focus on Blizzard. “The Leaf Sister Cartel was in Fetlock that weekend. Did you or did you not make and break any deals that they would be inclined to collect on?”

“N-no! Never! I wouldn’t ever go near something like that!” Her expression didn’t change. If someone had made a deal, it probably wasn’t her.

“That is a very specific organization. Is there a reason you asked about them?” Starshadow eyed me up and down.

“It’s because… well, let me start by saying that Night Flurry didn’t accidentally knock a stack of crates onto himself.”

“O… kay?” Blizzard cocked her head.

“We were attacked.”

Terra’s drink sprayed all over the table. “What?!”

Starshadow didn’t even say a word, but her ears were pointed right at me, while Merriweather bore a surprisingly serious look of concern.

Blizzard’s face alternated between horror and anger. “Where? When?”

“On the way back to the station. They came from the alleyways.”

“I… I… why?” She slumped.

Starshadow’s eyes flitted over to Night Flurry before falling on me. “You do not seem worse for wear. Have you contacted the Guard?”

“I’ve been in a scrap or two. And… no, I can’t trust them.”

“I see. How do you know that these criminals are, in fact, Leaf Sister Cartel?”

“The thugs’ leader. I’ve fought him before. Well, insofar as fleeing is fighting him.”

Terra and Mahogany stared. I was an alien, far more than the simple Ponyvillian they thought I was.

“What?! When wash thish?”

“Years ago. I was baited into taking planted evidence to the Guard. Someone wanted that information out, but without taking responsibility, perhaps because they knew the Cartel have spies within the Guard. Regardless, I learned the hard way that that’s why I can’t trust them.”

“Yasure you aren’t talking about a book you read?” Mahogany asked.

I nodded. “I wish.”

“If the Guard can’t help, then when do we start knocking heads~?” Merriweather grinned.

I shook my head. “I don’t want to draw more attention to myself, let alone any of you. This is not an organization a small group can beat by taking out a few thugs.”

What I didn’t add is that after that last magic display, I wasn’t sure if Merriweather and Starshadow would cause more or less damage than the Cartel.

“Then what do we do? Challenge their leader to a duel? I bet Sis’ would have it no problem~.”

Peering at Merriweather, I sighed. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t go for that. This isn’t Ostfriesen. As for what to do about the attack? Nothing. The details are too specific. It’ll lead them right to us. As far as the sculptures go, perhaps if we draw a connection, then the Guard could be given an extremely anonymous tip.”

“If they are connected.” Starshadow frowned. “All we have so far is idle speculation.”

“What about the rest of your staff?” I glanced at Blizzard. “Did the festival receive any large, mysterious increases in funding?”

She shook her head. “No, the books all checked out. Besides, they might be rough around the edges, but I can’t see them stooping to… that.”

“Dusky, are you certain they were not looking for you and that the sculptures are not coincidence? If none of the staff are suspect, then what do they have to gain?” Starshadow turned her forehooves up.

I shook my head. “No, I have no way of being certain, but I believe it to be an attack of opportunity. There were too few of them for it to have been planned.”

“T-too few…?” Night Flurry shrank.

“The Cartel doesn’t fight with more than basic finesse. They send overwhelmingly large groups to take care of their targets. If they knew Night Flurry was with me, three is maybe half of what they’d normally bring. It would make sense for them to be short-hoofed if they’re going after something that large within such a limited time frame.”

“But that still doesn’t tell us why.” Blizzard eyed Merriweather again.

I sighed. “I know. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more help, but whatever the missing piece is, we’re not going to find it here.”

---

With nothing concluded, we’d left the room as uneasily as we’d entered. I took a moment to make sure Terra and Mahogany were okay. They were still giving me funny looks, but that was about the best I could hope. All that was left was to give them time; time to decide whether they could risk the dangers of being my friend.

I’d planned to talk to Blizzard next, but she’d excused herself pretty much as soon as we’d reached the common area. The whole round table discussion was something I’d hoped would take some of the stress off of her, but as she’d scurried out, I had to wonder if it hadn’t just made things worse.

It was then I decided that come Canterlot, I’d have to make a detour to see an old friend and to ask him questions I’d hoped I’d never have to again.

And so I found myself padding through the darker streets of Canterlot’s bar district, with only a long cloak insulating my features from prying eyes. To call it seedy would be an inaccurate comparison; even the worst sections of Canterlot were pristine compared to the rest of the country. Still, there was a certain feeling of hushed and hasty business that hung in the air like humidity on a hot summer day.

The Record Club was a small, unassuming pub whose only quirk appeared to be its gaudy obsession with collectable vinyl. But like many on the block, it was a gathering place for those who dealt in information. The Record Club just so happened to be a favourite of my friend’s.

As I pushed through the door, as expected, I was flanked on either side by a half-dozen framed records. Old booths circled the room, taking up any remaining wall space as they enclosed what few free-standing tables there were. The familiarity was comforting, knowing I had somewhere to ground myself, for it belied the high-speed world I was about to tap into.

I trotted to the back corner, stopping at a particular pair of booths. There were no markings or signs to indicate which, but my hooves always knew where to take me. I reached under my cloak, to my flight satchel, and retrieved a small bag of bits. I slid it under the table of the booth on my right before taking a seat in the left.

Now it was just a matter of waiting patiently for Lockbox. It wasn’t his real name, of course, but it had almost been assimilated into the role. The last I recall his real name even receiving mention was years ago, back when he was in the Guard.

It was with his help that I was finally able to get my information to stick. And it was because of his centralness to that effort that he also became a target. I’d always wondered if he resented having to go into hiding. Never could get even the vaguest answer out of him, though.

A half-cider later, I caught a glimpse of Lockbox as he slid into the booth seat behind me. He had a coat a similar colour to Mahogany’s, though it was a touch redder. He wasn’t particularly large, especially for an earth pony, but he was also much like my mother in that they’re both much more vicious than their size would suggest. A long, uneven hazel forelock shadowed his eyes; even if I were looking straight at him, it would have been difficult to tell what he was thinking.

“I heard a certain Moonlit Dream caused a bit of a stir in Fetlock Falls. I thought you were done with this fool’s errand.” His voice was completely even, which just felt weird when he was being particularly blunt.

“I am. I was. But they found me. I need to know if they’re after me.”

“You ask more than that.”

Poking a hoof at my drink, I sighed. “I know, it’s… I owe some friends.”

“Must be a hefty debt. Business, then?”

“Bits are under the table.”

The bag’s contents clattered against themselves as I heard them fall across Lockbox’s table.

“Very well. I hear Fetlock brought in extra ice to accommodate the larger competition this year. Too much, in fact. Or perhaps not enough, given that some of it contained certain… impurities. A shame it all went missing so that nothing could be done about the vandalized sculptures. Hoofington should safeguard theirs more closely, lest they find themselves in the same situation.”

The barest of joys drifted up my chest. I never quite expected an opportunity to come this readily. “When?”

“This weekend.”

I frowned; that hardly left any time to prepare. “Thanks.”

“Don’t get yourself killed.” He slipped away as quietly as he came.

I sipped at my cider, the gears in my head already turning.

---

My next and last stop was another friend, this time at the Canterlot University. If I wanted to make Hoofington, I’d have to move quickly. I’d already sent word to Rainbow Dash, to enact my emergency vacation, as well as my parents, who I told I’d catch up to later.

If I could figure out which ice had impurities, then I could bring some back as evidence. As it was, I had no way of telling which did and did not fit that category. And so I trotted the halls, seeking one Ruby Result, Magic Analysis Specialist.

Her lab was as smelly as ever, the cocktail of different chemicals forcing me to pause at the door. Not that they were dangerous or anything; a trip down a large enough scented candle aisle had the same effect.

While I waited, I peered out over the room. As usual, the room was pristine in every place except the one she was currently working. Sprawled across the farthest table was a half-dozen dog-eared books and a small assortment of glowing materials.

“Ruby?” I called out.

“Dusky?” Ruby’s head poked up over her table. A wide grin spread across her fiery red coat and her soft pink forelock bounced around her horn as she hopped to her full height. She was in full lab gear, the white cloak and thick goggles appearing especially dull against her natural colours. “Dusky! What a surprise! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? We could have done dinner!”

I smiled back as I approached. Sometimes that exuberance made it difficult to remember that she was nearly twice my age. “Sorry, this was actually kind of spur-of-the-moment. I... could I ask you a favour?”

“Of course!” Ruby stepped away from the table and trotted over to meet me.

I glanced back to ensure no one had come in behind me before lowering my voice. “I need a way for a non-unicorn to detect the presence of either part of the Ghost Flower.”

Ruby’s brow furrowed. “You’re not going after them again, are you?”

“Well, yes and no.” I scuffed my hoof. “I have some friends who might be caught up in one of their schemes. I need to get this all figured out before it comes back to blindside one of us.”

“Okay.” With a nod, Ruby headed for one of the book shelves, several tomes unseating themselves before she’d even arrived. “How do you think it’s being concealed?”

“In ice. Probably mixed.”

“Very well. Give me a few minutes.”

With a nod, I settled down beside one of the empty tables. “Thanks, Ruby.”

“Just make sure you come back and fill me in afterward,” she said, burying her muzzle in a book before snorting and setting the tome aside.

The next book bent itself to her will, its pages fluttering open. I was always a little awed—even though unicorn magic is relatively commonplace—to see how quickly and accurately magic could perform these precise tasks. My mind turned to idle thoughts. If I had had spells, would it have made a difference? Could I have finished this sooner?

I’d certainly seen enough destructive magic, even in recent memory, to know that fighting would have been significantly easier. But perhaps that would have just drawn more ire my way. Powerful entities always seemed to find a way of clashing, especially around Ponyville.

“Is a solution okay?” Ruby asked, breaking my day dream. “I can have it prepared in a few hours. Anything else will require days.”

I nodded. “I’ll make it work.”

Comments

[Chaotic_Revenge]

1st comment

[Skulljack17]

Aaah, I thought it might be smuggling of goods. Slip the items in with the ice, find it, and then wreck it all once the goods are found to cover their tracks.