The Adventures of Shadow Chaser: The Cutie Mark Crusaders in Marelantis

by RangerBeef

Chapter 1

Often times, sea fairing ponies will boast and brag of amazing things they’ve seen while at sea. Mermares, whales, sharks, and everything in between. You have to take nearly everything they say with a grain of salt. So, when a lifelong friend of mine came back to Ponyville, rambling of having actually seen mermares and found the fabled land of Marelantis, other ponies thought him insane.

“It’s real, Shadow. It’s very real. Mermares as pretty as any you’ll find here on the land. And the city is beautiful! Magnificently carved pillars and buildings with more craftsmanship than you ever thought possible. You don’t even have to worry about breathing! They’ve found a way to bless every pony that enters with a spell of breathing that allows you to breathe underwater!”

“Calm down, Captain.” He had been in my office for nearly four hours now rambling incessantly about Marelantis. While he was my friend and I’ve never been one to think him untruthful or crazy his story was becoming, quite simply, annoying.

“But Shadow, you’ve got to believe me. I need to share this discovery with somepony.” His face looked distraught.

Rainbow Dash walked in the room and over to me, whispering to me what I’d been waiting on.

“Captain, I believe you. I really do. I would like you to talk to a friend of mine, though. She’s not a doctor or anything like that but she has an unnatural affinity for the truth. If you really saw all of these things and aren’t crazy then she will be the one to know for sure.”

He looked like I’d just punched him in the gut but he nodded. “I understand, Shadow. I guess I do have to sound pretty crazy.”

“Nothing too out of the ordinary there, Captain.” We chuckled and I waved in my associate.

“Captain, this is Applejack. She’s called me on more lies than I can count. If you really did see all these things, Applejack here will be the first to know the honest truth and if she says you’re not crazy then we’ll start this expedition.”

The Captain nodded at me and then looked at Applejack. “Hello, miss.”

“Aw shucks, nopony’s called me miss in a long time. Applejack is fine.” Her tone was comforting even as she corrected him.

“Alright, Applejack, I suppose you’re going to want to hear my story.”

“Ah reckon ah do. Rainbow wasn’t too clear on the details but she said you’d been to Marelantis and were wantin’ to set off to find it again but with more ponies this time?”

“That’s right. Marelantis is a beautiful place…”

I zoned out as he began to tell his story for the third time. As he launched into how he’d happened across it Rainbow Dash tapped me on the shoulder and motioned to the back room.

As I entered and gently shut the door she looked at me with a bit of concern, “Are we really going to take this guy’s word and go chasing after some old mares’ tale?”

“No.” Rainbow started to speak again but I cut her off, “We’re going to take Applejack’s word and if she believes him then we’re definitely going hunting.”

Rainbow didn’t look satisfied with my answer. “Ok, but let’s not do this one for free alright? I’m tired of eating daisy sandwiches.”

I chuckled and kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry. The Captain may be a good friend but he wouldn’t let me work for free. Not that I’d even offer. I hate boats.”

Rainbow laughed and nuzzled my neck. “Me too.”

I reveled in her embrace for a moment then heard the Captain finishing his story. “Let’s get back out there before they get the wrong idea.” I winked at her and lead the way back into the office.

The Captain was just finishing up his story and the look on Applejack’s face told me she believed him. “So what’s the word, AJ?”

Applejack turned her head slowly to me, her eyes wide with excitement. “He’s not lyin’, sugarcube. That there colt knows where Marelantis is.”

“Well, then, I guess we’ve got a deal, Captain. You head to Bridle Shores Bay and gather what we’ll need. Rainbow and I have some jobs to get done before we can join you but we should be down in about a week’s time.”

The Captain was almost overcome with joy. “Thank you, Shadow. I’ll have everything ready to go when you arrive. And thank you, Miss Applejack.” The Captain walked out the door, nearly sprinting for the train station.

Applejack chuckled at being called miss again and hollered after him, “It’s nothin’ any good pony wouldn’t do. Good luck on yer adventure.”

I sighed heavily as I closed the door.

“What’s the matter, detective? Ah woulda thought you’d be a right bit excited to find Marelantis. Ah know ah would be.”

I flopped in my chair and looked over everything on my desk. “Oh, I’m excited to see it, AJ, but I was almost wishing he was just telling stories. I’ve never been much of a sea fairing pony. And this adventure we’ve just set out on is going to have me wet for weeks.”

“Well, that doesn’t seem like something ah’d enjoy either. But sometimes ya have to get yer mane wet if ya want to do great things.”

I smiled at the ceiling. She was right.

“’Nothing worth having in this life comes easy.’ That’s what my dad used to tell me before he died. That’s what kept me pushing forward all these years. Working my tail off has been all I do. And who knows? Maybe this will be like one long vacation.”

“That’s the spirit! Ah wish ah could come with ya but ah’ve got the farm. Besides, ah’m sure you two will have more than enough people interested in going along.”

I thought about that and doubted it. Not that the prospect of finding Marelantis wasn’t enticing but no pony really believed it existed anymore. I looked at Applejack and smiled.

“Yea, I bet they’ll be lined up at the docks.”

“Well, anyway, ah’ll leave you two to yer work. Stop by the farm if ya need anything.” Applejack closed the door behind her and I glanced at Rainbow.

“We’ve got a week to finish four cases. Think we can do it?”

“Of course we can. We’re only the best mystery solving duo Ponyville’s ever seen.”

We both laughed. She was right, ever since she’d joined me my cases had gone much faster. Her wings and general ability to fly under the radar were keeping her ahead of me in a few cases. But I had a couple tricks she didn’t and that kept us on equal ground. Our relationship had suffered a bit with all the recent work but we had powered through and were feeling closer now than ever before.

I looked back down at all the papers on my desk. I had one of these cases already wrapped up, I just had to tell the pony that hired me. The other, I hadn’t even started but it seemed like it would be easy enough. I sighed and sat back again.

“Hey, Rainbow.”

“What’s up?” She looked up from her own work.

“Take the day off. Go home and pack a little. These cases can wait until tomorrow and I just don’t feel like working today.” I stared at the ceiling as I spoke and could tell she was wondering my intentions.

“Fine with me. These two cases are just about done, anyway.” She walked over and brought my face down to her and kissed me. “I’m hoping you’re right about this trip, ya know. We could use a vacation.”

“Yes, we could.” I smiled at her and got up from my chair. “Let’s get out of here.” We walked out the door bumping each other playfully and I turned to lock up the office.

Rainbow asked the same question she always did at the end of each day, “Same time tomorrow, boss?”

“Yea, same time tomorrow. And how many times have I told you to stop calling me boss?” I asked, turning to her.

“Just about every day I’ve worked here.” She smiled and gave me a wink and then was gone in a flash.

I chuckled as I turned down the road and headed for home but after a few minutes I got that old familiar feeling that I was being followed. Normally I would think nothing of it, Rainbow Dash tried to tail me every once in a while just to work on her skill at it. She was getting rather good at not being detected. But this feeling was different. This person didn’t know what they were doing.

I slowed my pace trying to pick up any hint about who was following me but I kept hearing noises from three separate places. As I rounded a corner I stepped into a nearby alley and flattened myself against the wall.

I hear the footsteps of three ponies moving up and rounding the corner but they stopped just short of the alley.

“Aw shucks, we lost ‘im.” I didn’t recognize the voice but it had a strong Southern accent.

“How did he get away from us so fast?” I didn’t recognize that voice either, it was higher pitched and slightly whiny.

“I told you guys, he’s a professional.” That one I did recognize. Rainbow Dash had told me all about her loyal filly follower, Scootaloo.

Realizing I was facing the Cutie Mark Crusaders I let myself relax, knowing there wasn’t a threat but decided to teach the girls a lesson. I moved further down the alley and hid behind a dumpster, purposefully knocking over a can and making it clatter as I ducked down.

“Did you guys hear that!? He must’ve gone this way!” Scootaloo lead the charge down the alley and the other two followed her closely. As I heard them approach the dumpster I jumped onto my hind legs and made myself as tall as I could, growling with all the ferocity of a manticore.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders all slid to a halt and screamed their little girl squeals. I made a mental note to where earplugs the next time I did this. When they finally stopped screaming I landed on all fours and proceeded to laugh myself silly at them. They joined in half-heartedly.

“That wasn’t very nice, Mr. Chaser.” Sweetie Belle said, as I recovered from my laughing fit.

In the sternest voice I could muster I said, “Neither was following me, girls.”

They looked at each other and down at the ground. They knew I was right. I got the usual “We’re sorry” and lead them back to the street.

“Now would you girls like to tell me why you were following me? I know you weren’t trying to get your cutie marks. Rainbow Dash told me about you three making her day a royal pain in the flank a few weeks ago.” I turned and headed to my house with three tagalongs.

“Well, ya see, Mr. Chaser..”

“Shadow, girls.”

“.. Shadow, we were trying to find out why Rainbow Dash had come to get my sister earlier. They wouldn’t tell us anything because they said they were in too much of a hurry,” Apple Bloom explained.

“Oh, is that all? Well, you could’ve just stopped me and asked.”

Sweetie Belle poked Scootaloo as we walked. “Told you.”

“I sent Rainbow down to Sweet Apple Acres to grab Applejack because she’s the best lie detector in town and I needed to make sure somepony wasn’t lying to me.”

“Whoa, cool! Were you interrogating him? With a big hot lamp in his face while he was tied to a chair?” Scootaloo’s excitement was unmistakable.

“No, no. Nothing like that. I had an old friend come into town and he was telling me a fantastic story about some place he’d been and he wanted me to come along to help him convince other ponies it was real.”

“Why wouldn’t other ponies believe him?” Sweetie asked.

“Well, because the place he found is thought to have been lost for hundreds of years. Back when Equestria was still a young country.”

“Wow. That place must be super hard to find then.” Scootaloo said.

“You bet it is. Lots of brave ponies have spent their lives searching for it and never found it.”

“So did my sister tell you he was telling the truth?”

“She sure did. Turns out the Captain isn’t as crazy as I was thinking and I get to help him make ponies believe that Marelantis is real.”

The girls stopped and gasped speaking as one, “Marelantis!?”

“That’s right, girls, the fabled lost city of Marelantis is hopefully going to make its return to the maps and to the world.”

The girls jumped back into place beside me.

“So when are you going?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Probably in about a week. Rainbow Dash and I have some cases to finish up and then we’re headed to Bridle Shores Bay to meet my friend and begin our expedition.”

“Cool! Can we come with you?” Scootaloo asked in the sweetest voice she could muster.

“I’m sorry, girls, but this isn’t going to be a fun time sailing. This is going to be a serious mission to find Marelantis and document how to get there. And the open waters are filled with all sorts of crazy sea creatures, not to mention pirates.”

“Pirates!?”

“You girls have got to stop shouting together like that.”

As we neared my home I invited the girls in for something to eat before they had to leave. They said they weren’t hungry and thanked me for talking to them. As they dashed back toward Ponyville proper I heard Scootaloo say, “We’ve got to find a way…”

I put my head in my hooves realizing I'd said too much.

"Oh, what did I just do?”

Comments

[RangerBeef]

These chapters will be coming much slower than my first story but hopefully this story will turn out even better and probably be quite a bit longer.

Also, do you guys prefer the spaces between paragraphs like the first story or the format it's in now? I sort of like the spaces but this style makes it seem like more of a book. Let me know.

And leave me some feedback. I could use it.

[DaMagiks]

Ooh new adventure! Marelantis and Dash is learning detective skills
Nice use of Applejack as the element of honesty!
And did the Cmc really think they could fool a trained detective and get away with it?
The shouting in unison was perfect too.
Poor Shadow walked right into that one with them deciding to find Marelantis after all his explaining
Seems like things are going to get very exciting from here

I find it easier to read with the spaces but I agree that without does look more like an actual book.
Either way however is readable.