New Horseleans - I
I was sitting on the couch in my childhood home, holding Jett close with a wing and trying not to cry in front of her. Orion brought her home with him for mother's funeral. We buried her next to Dad’s headstone. I think she would've wanted that.
Mother's lawyer was here now to go over her Will and Testament. I didn't want to be here for this. I could care less about her things. I would’ve traded all of them in a heartbeat just to get her back.
“I want to start by saying I'm sorry for your loss. All of you. Your mother was not only my client but my dear friend,” her lawyer, Silverword, said solemnly. He was a unicorn pony whose colors reflected his name. He wore a black suit and tie.
“Thank you, Silverword. It means a lot that a family friend was trusted with this,” Atlas spoke up. He seemed to be the only one in the room with the strength to speak.
I took a moment to notice where everypony else was in the room. Grandmother and Grandfather were holding Buttercup, who had been sobbing softly but uncontrollably since before I arrived four days ago. Atlas was sitting beside Thasus. Fleetfoot was here, her wing around Orion; he was doing his best not to cry, but a few tears were still escaping. Auntie Breezy and Uncle Akane were beside Jett and I, Aunt Breezy sobbing softly.
Silverword cleared his throat. “The Will and Testament of one Sparrow Song: ‘I wish for all my possessions to be divided amongst my family. And for whatever is unwanted to go to the Canterlot Orphanage. As for the house, I leave its fate in the hooves of my children; Atlas, Orion, Thasus, Flame Strider, and Buttercup.’”
“Mother did know how to get to the point,” Thasus commented.
“I have the new deed to the house your mother had drawn up. It has all your names on it. And as for the things here, I think you all can deal with that.” Silverword put the will back in his briefcase, snapped it shut, and stood up. “My part is over.”
“Thank you,” I croaked to him.
“It's no trouble. If any of you need legal help, here is my card.” He dropped it on the table next to the deed. “I know military law as well so I know what I'm doing.”
“If we need help in that regard. You'll be the first we call.” Orion nodded.
Silverword nodded and left the house, leaving us all in silence save for the quiet crying. My mind wandered back to when Thasus told me what exactly happened;
We were on the train at the time. “Her organs failed without warning. The potions were supposed to make it so that when it happened it happened slowly,” Thasus tried to explain.
“Obviously that is not what happened,” I had snarled.
“They had to put her under. So that way she wasn't in pain.” Thasus forced himself to say.
“Well, at least the doctors got that right,” I snapped. Thasus had taken my hint and we sat in silence for the rest of the train ride.
Everypony was just kinda wandering around the house right now, picking up random items that they wanted to keep. I went to my old bedroom where I slept growing up. I started to gather up some of my old stuff that I still had here. Mom kept a lot of it. My hammock could go to Jett. I didn't really have a use for it anymore. I packed that up in a box. I started looking through a box of old clothing.
Some old winter jackets. And something I didn’t think existed anymore. Two foal-sized flight jackets. One was Orion’s and the other was mine. Back when we were little pegasi and we both wanted to join the Wonderbolts. I, of course, grew out of the dream; Orion did not and made it a reality. I took both the jackets to go show Orion.
I came out to the living room where Orion was looking over old photos. “Hey, brother. Look what I found.” I showed him the jackets.
“Wow, those are still here?” Orion stood up.
I gave Orion the bigger one, that was his. “I know; I thought these would be dust by now. Mom kept them.”
“Whose are those?” Jett asked.
“They were ours,” Orion said, smiling as he turned the jacket over in his hooves.
I looked at Jett and the jacket. “Say why don’t you try this on?” I gave her my old jacket.
She took the jacket, slipped her wings through the slots and zipped it up. It was a little big for her but she’d grow into it. It also made her look more like a colt with the flight goggles on her head. “Perfect,” I chuckled.
“Thanks, dad,” Jett smiled and hugged me.
“Jett honey, can you help me!” Grandmother called.
“Coming, Grandmama.” Jet hurried down the hall.
I was about to go back to the room when Orion stopped me. “Brother. Will you be staying for long?”
Everypony else was. But Jett and I needed to be somewhere. “No, we need to be on the first southbound train tomorrow,” I said.
“South? What about Baltimare, what about Snow?” Orion asked.
I took a deep breath. “Snow left, and I took an offer in New Horseleans. Our stuff was shipped to the joint Army-Guard base there. We will be living on-base,” I informed him.
Orion seemed unsettled. “I don’t like it. New Horseleans is an okay town if you're just visiting, but for the Guard, it’s worse than Las Pegasus. Ponies disappear in those swamps. When did you have time to put in for a transfer anyway?”
“When we were waiting for a funeral date,” I told him.
Orion sighed. “Well, I suppose I can't do anything to stop you. Just promise me you'll be there for the wedding in a few months.”
“You set a date?” I asked.
Orion grinned. “Yeah. We'll be sending out the RSVPs soon.”
I set a wing on his shoulder. “I'll be there brother.”
He nodded. “Yeah, you will. I'll need all my Best Stallions.”
“You know you're only supposed to have one, right?” I asked him.
“Yeah well, when have we ever done anything the right way?” Orion joked.
I laughed as I started back into the bedroom to look at more stuff.
“Hey, Strider,” Orion called after me. I paused and turned around. “I'm sorry. To hear about Snow. She really seemed like the one for you.” Without another word he turned around and went back into the living room.
“Yeah. She really did,” I sighed to myself.
The train hit a bump and woke me up. I saw Jett across from me. She was reading the Wonderbolt Handbook. An older version that I'm assuming she got from Fleetfoot.
“How long has it been since we left Canterlot?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.
She looked up at a clock. “A few hours. New Horseleans is lots farther than Baltimare.” Jett observed.
“Yeah, it is.”
“Hey, Dad.”
“Yes, sweetheart?” I asked shaking off the nap.
Jett hesitated. “Wh-why didn't Snow come with us?”
I knew this was gonna come up sooner or later. “She… had some things to do. We won't be seeing her for a while.”
“How come she didn't say goodbye?” Jet asked, looking like she might start crying.
I didn't have a good lie for her, and I didn't like the truth. “Come here,” I said softly, opening a wing so she could sit underneath.
“Dad, how come?” Jett pressed.
I kissed her forehead. “I don't know, sweetheart.”
Jett was silent for a moment. “I miss her.”
“Me too.” I sighed. “Me too, sweetheart.” Jett leaned against me and just sat there silently. I think a change of topic might be good. “So how was Flight Camp?”
Jett smiled. “I almost forgot. Flight Camp was so much fun! There were Gryphons there and even a young Dragon. His name is Kyber, he’s a very clumsy flyer. We're going to be pen pals. Also, I think Captain Spitfire is afraid of foals, she had a pony named Rainbow Dash helping. It was weird.” she went on and on. It was good to see a genuine smile on her face.
A thought crossed my brain as she started to conclude a story from flight camp. Her birthday was coming up.
“...and then Kyber crashed into Spitfire in the middle of dinner. I thought he was going to be in trouble for sure, but Spitfire just said, 'Close, but keep working on that landing.’” She grinned wide.
I nodded. “Say. Your birthday is coming up. Anything, in particular, you'd like?”
She puffed her cheeks. “I dunno. Your birthday is coming up too. Before mine. Uncle Orion said so, what do YOU want?”
I squeezed her playfully. “To spend the day with my daughter.”
She giggled. “No, seriously.”
“Why can't that be what I want? Think about it, we can make a day of it. Go have breakfast, find something or somethings fun to do the whole day, and then we can have dinner with cake. It will be a good way to see what New Horseleans has to offer.”
“That sounds really fun. Can we do the same thing for my birthday?” Jett smiled.
“You got it, sweetheart.” I hugged her. She yawned after a moment. “Why don't you get some rest? We'll be arriving early morning. You're going to need your rest. We have a lot to do.”
“Okay. I love you, Daddy.” She snuggled up against me. I kept my wing draped over her. These rear train cars weren't known for warmth.
“I love you too sweetheart.” I stayed awake a little while longer to make sure she got to sleep.
The train’s brakes screeched as we came into the station. The rear train cars, exclusive to the Equestrian Militaries, emptied out onto a section of platform that was behind the fence for the Base. Jett and I had to go through the Identity Confirmation Line to get into the base. Considering this was the largest Army base this far south, a training base, and Guard Outpost, the extra security was an expected and a welcome sight.
I could do without the humidity though. Ten seconds after I stepped out of the train, I felt like I was boiling.
Jett and I gathered our bags and started through the line. It was a short wait. “Papers, please and submit luggage for inspection,” a Staff Sergeant ordered.
Jett did as asked, giving our bags to a Private Third Class who was inspecting luggage, and I gave the SS my transfer documents and Jett’s papers. Once the PFC and the SS were done inspecting our things, they gave it all back.
“Welcome to the New Horseleans Army and Guard Training Base, Sergeant,” the staff sergeant welcomed me.
“Thank you,” I said moving on.
Once we were past them Jett spoke up. “Dad, why are there so many Guards?”
“Because this is an Army and Guard Training Facility, a fully functioning Army base and Guard outpost for the City, and the Command hub for all the southern provinces. Cadets come here to train from all over the southern provinces. Safety here is paramount.”
“This place is big,” Jett observed.
She was right. On the more militarized side of the base closest the bayou, there were training barracks that could easily hold several training garrisons, various training ranges, and ranked housing. Similar looking houses made to be built fast for the families of Army ponies stationed there stood in rows behind the garrisons.
Closer to the city, the base looked a little more like civilian houses. Apartments for the Sergeants, and officers, then the Guard main building, and their own training grounds behind that. This place was so big it had its own markets, and its own school system separate to the city’s.
“Yeah. Luckily everything is organized. Follow me.” I lead the way to the apartment we would be occupying in building three.
It was close to the Guard Operations Building. Just down the street was the school, so Jett didn't need to take the carriage to get there. I liked that. The building seemed well kept enough. Heading inside I looked at my transfer papers, “Family Apartment two-seven,” I mumbled.
Jett made a face. “What does two-seven mean?”
“I think that means it’s the seventh apartment on the second floor. Come on,” I said to her as I started up to the second floor.
Finding the seventh unit, I dug out the key that was mailed to me once the paperwork had been completed. It fit into the lock perfectly. As I opened the door I saw that the boxes of our stuff that was sent ahead were here.
The apartment was small. The right side of the apartment was just kitchen counters, a fridge, stove, sink, dishwasher, and a decently sized hexagon shaped table with chairs. Then there was a sitting area with a Magictune Radio. The bedrooms and bathroom were the same as the last place, in the back of the apartment. To my immense relief, I saw a Magi-Air unit sitting in the kitchen window.
“Why don't you go relax a few minutes before we make our rounds,” I said, putting my stuff down. I quickly found Dino’s cage and allowed him to slither out of the feathers in my left wing where he had been hiding and into his little open cage.
“Okay.” Jett went into her room. “Hey Dad, I got an air unit!”
Did she? “You did?” I went and looked. Sure enough, there was one for her, a smaller version of the one in the kitchen. I looked in my room and found another small one sitting in my window. “It must get really warm in the mid-day,” I mumbled.
“Should we turn them on?” Jett asked.
“Um…” Even in here, the air was sticky and heavy. “Yeah, set them for sixty-five. That should be plenty comfortable for us.” The little paper indicator flipped to the number “sixty-five” after a few presses of the button and I could hear the magical mechanisms starting to turn.
“What do we still have to do?” Jett asked from her room.
“I have to get my service armor from the Armory. Then we get you into school,” I announced. She groaned at the word “school.” “Lastly, I have to report in at the end of the day just to let Commander Swampfire know I'm here. He will also give us passes for when we want to go into the city, that way we can come back in without hassle.”
“Why do we need a pass?”Jett asked.
“Because they can’t let just anyone into the base,” I explained. “A lot of important things happen here, and a lot of armaments move through here as well. It needs to be protected.”
“Oh,” Jett mumbled. “Can we get ice cream on the way home?” she asked, coming out of her room.
“Yeah, sure. We’ll grab some groceries on the way back here and a pizza after I report in.” I smiled at her.
“Okay. When are we going?” she asked me, looking eager at the promise of pizza and ice cream.
I looked up at a clock on the wall above the door. “In about thirty minutes. You can take your boxes and start unpacking if you like.”
“Okay, dad!” She started taking her boxes into her room. I started doing the same but with the kitchen stuff.
“This place is kinda quiet,” Jett commented.
We were in the office of her soon-to-be school, waiting for our turn to talk to the principal. He was speaking with another student at the moment.
“Well, this is a military and guard-run school. So don’t expect it to be like your last one,” I said.
“I hope the other kids here are nice.” Jett shifted in their seat.
“Hey, I’m sure any of them will be lucky to be friends with you.” I bumped my wing with her’s.
“Sergeant Strider?” I heard someone call. I looked over to see the principal in their door. He was a First Sergeant. “Come on, I’m sure you have other things to do today,” he grumbled.
We entered his office. “Thank you for your time, First Sergeant,” I said sitting in a seat. Jett sat too.
“It’s no issue. I’m just an overpaid foal sitter anyway.” His voice reflected his desire to be somewhere else. “Let’s see. Jett, fifth in your class back in Baltimare. Just did a two week of Flight Camp. Hmm… your school was on summer break. We don’t have summer break here, we just shorten the days... I think Sergeant Faux will be a decent teacher. School starts at seven thirty in the morning on Monday, and goes until noon.” He slid some papers over to Jett. “Show those to Sergeant Faux in room C-eleven Monday morning.”
“Thank you, First Sergeant!” Jett smiled up at him and made a salute. It was adorable. He smiled weakly back and waved. Once we were out of the school Jett looked up at me. “What next?”
“I need my armor.”
“This is it? It doesn't seem to give much protection,” I said skeptically, staring at my set of Service Armor in the mirror Requisitions had down here.
The chest plate and sides covered only the ribs, and the spine was protected with thin sheets of plate metal. The rest was merely really light chainmail. While at as a whole it was light and comfortable, I felt underdressed. It didn't even have a helmet. However, it did have a badge that said “New Horseleans, Special Investigations. Detective” etched into the chest piece of the armor. The hoofguards were simple as well and had aggressive rubber treads on the bottom.
We were in the basement of the Guard Main building. Directly after this, I needed to report to Commander Swampfire.
“Do you really want to be wearing heavy armor when we get a heatwave?” the Staff Sergeant on duty said. “Or if it rains and it starts evaporating while you’re on-duty? You’ll die of dehydration. I suggest carrying a canteen with you.”
“I see your point, Staff Sergeant.” I saluted her, and she returned it. I walked outside and found Jett where I left her, sitting patiently on a bench. She cocked her head when she saw me in my armor.
“Doesn’t look very cool,” she said.
“It’ll keep me alive, hopefully,” I said. “Last stop; Commander Swampfire.”
Jett stayed close to me and we headed up to Special Investigations. It was a small building. There were only about five Sergeants like myself, each with an office for something specific; Juvenile Crime, Organized Crime, Missing Ponies, Smuggling, and Corporate Crime. There were only eight GFCs in cubicles taking up the floor. The sixth office was Commander Swampfire’s.
I was getting ready to knock when I heard yelling from inside. “Celestia help me, Finder! If I catch you snooping around one of my crime scenes again I will have you arrested! Now stop harassing my suspects. I want you on the first train out of here! Got it?!” I heard from the other side.
Hearing the knob turning, I stepped back. A pony stepped out. He was a reddish-brown earth pony. His midnight black mane was long and untidy, the bangs hanging down over his dark gray eyes; accents of silver ran through the black hair. He wore a pale gray short-sleeved shirt with a dark green fishing vest, and a grey fedora sat on his head. His magnifying glass cutie mark gave an indication that he might be some sort of investigator. Probably private sector. He ignored me and stormed out of the room.
When he was gone, I proceeded to knock on the Commander’s door frame. Swampfire is a, I want to say blocky, earth pony built like a tree. His coat color was a dark almost black brown. His mane was a sage green. Eyes an orange. But he seemed far more angry that when I met him last.
“Sergeant, finally. I was worried you got lost. Sorry, no time to wait, I’m afraid I need you to hit the ground running here,” he said through a pen, scribbling on a piece of paper. Once he was done he spit out the pen. “Here are your passes. You are taking over all the cases my other sergeants don’t have the time to go over. Your office is downstairs next to the labs. All the files you need are there, take your time tonight going over them and I want you back here tomorrow morning getting to work.”
I had to take a moment to process the rapid-fire instructions. “Commander, just so we are clear. I’m taking over all the cold cases that have been deemed unsolvable? So that way officially you can say you have a detective on said cases.”
He seemed to glare momentarily. “In a nutshell. Now go get to work, I have a lot of work to do, and some meetings to get to. Dismissed.” He waved me away.
I saluted and exited without another word. Jett was still with me as we headed down to the labs. “I don’t like him,” Jett commented.
“I don’t think I do either. But he is currently my boss,” I agreed.
We got down to the labs. It was mostly windows in here. The morgue was down here too, on the other end of the hall from the office door. I walked past the windowed labs, trying very hard not to look into the morgue and using a wing to keep Jett from looking, and into my office. It was a little depressing. The walls were gray and the desk was two short metal filing cabinets with a piece of wood on top. A single lamp was used to illuminate the desk. The files on the desk were new though; about thirty or so cases. An old magi-radio hung by a nail on the wall. This was obviously not a popular post since the layer of dust showed this space was used rarely.
“Are we going to be down here long? It’s creepy,” Jett said looking up at the walls.
“No, sweetheart.” I grabbed a hoof-full of the unsolved cases and put them in the one large pocket my armor had hidden under my right wing. They barely fit luckily they were mostly thin files. “Come on. Let’s go get some groceries and a pizza.”
I was sitting on the couch eating more pizza as I read over some of these cases. Jett was out like a light after four slices of pizza and a bowl of ice cream; I’d already tucked her into bed.
Most of these cases started out as missing ponies cases then turned into something else. One of the missing ponies showed up out of nowhere spouting crazy religious nonsense and waving a knife in the middle of a museum, before being shot by a rookie guard who panicked. The rest either stayed missing or died in mysterious ways: ‘Choked on chicken feet’, ‘Found dead with one-inch symbols carved into every centimeter of her skin’, ‘Death by centipedes’, ‘Hung by grapevines’.
I was finding all these deaths absolutely insane and highly improbable, but I had to believe them because there were pictures. It was a good thing I developed a strong stomach because I wouldn't be able to eat if I hadn't. Most some of these cases were initially ruled ‘Unfortunate Accidents’ or ‘Suicide.’ “Because choking on chicken feet is totally within normal parameters,” I said sarcastically to myself.
I was looking for the reason why these cases were reopened. And there was the same reason for each one: “Private Investigator Phillip Finder uncovered more evidence.” Over and over again, on every one of these.
I remembered that article about Phillip Finder long ago, and I suddenly remembered the stallion in the gray fedora from earlier. As far as I was concerned this Finder guy should be assisting me in this rather than being thrown out of the Commander’s office. Regulation states I can indeed seek help outside the Guard if I have reasonable cause to do so. My reasonable cause being that Phillip Finder was my best lead on this case.
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Ooh. This is gonna be good. Any arc that starts with a 4k word chapter that reads as easily as this is going to be well worth the effort.
I love how well the bad moments are handled here. Just the right amount of emotional weight to each of the sad scenes and then some cute Jett to balance it out. I do hope things go well for her because, well, let's just say I'm not convinced Strider was thinking everything through on this transfer. And that Commander is a real arse if he thinks kicking out the one pony able to find more information in so many weird cases is actually going to work out. I foresee issues with Strider and Finder working together, at least as far as the Commander is concerned. .
Love it! Can’t wait to see where this arc goes!
this is going to be a vary interesting ark in this story.
this story is just so good and it just gets better.
Nice! This should be a good distraction for Strider for a while as he gets his life back together. Looks like there's some good, and some bad in the new place, but I get the feeling that Strider will excel beyond expectations.