Case Five, Chapter One: Memories
The breeze running through Memorial Circle in northwest Ponyville was cool, but not needlessly biting or harsh, just enough to make ponies shiver, tug harder on their coats, and nestle up closer to their special someponies.
The stands that had been set up around the concrete circle were packed full of ponies, their expressions pensive and quiet. In the center of the circle was the memorial itself, a tall granite obelisk column set in a fountain, topped by a bronze phoenix with its wings outspread. All four sides of the obelisk were inscribed with names. A flagpole was set on either side of the fountain. On the northern side was the flag of Ponyville, the city’s coat of arms displayed on a blue background. On the southern side was the flag of Equestria. This flag consisted of three horizontal stripes: blue on the top to represent pegasi, purple in the middle for unicorns, and green on the bottom for earth ponies. Three white six-pointed stars were in the purple stripe. Both flags flapped languidly in the breeze.
To the west of the memorial was a stage covered with a blue, purple, and green curtain. Standing behind a podium was Mayor Mare, tapping the microphones and causing a brief squeal of feedback through the speakers. Sitting behind her on a row of folding chairs were a few other ponies, including Chief Chilled Tumbler, who would look rather regal in his formal police uniform if he wasn’t nodding off in his chair. A line of ponies in military dress uniforms sat in front of the stage, given the seat of honor. Right behind them was the usual crowd of press ponies, their microphones and notebooks at the ready.
Mayor Mare cleared her throat and took in a breath. “Good morning, ladies and gentleponies,” she announced through the microphones, her voice cutting through the air and bringing everypony’s attention to her. “Five years ago on this day, the eleventh of the Moon of Frost, 1944, a peace treaty was signed between Princesses Celestia and Luna and the newly crowned Crystal Empress, Princess Cadenza, ending four years of bloodshed and violence between Equestria and the Crystal Empire. Many of you here will remember the role that Ponyville played in that war, and of the sacrifices that our neighbors and families made during the Crystal War…”
She continued, speaking of how many Ponyville citizens had served and died on the front lines, and how all citizens in Ponyville had served their part. Towards the back of one of the stands, Daring Do nestled up against Phillip, resting her head on his shoulder.
“Did you serve?” she asked him. “In the war?”
“No,” Phillip replied. “I was eligible to be drafted, but they decided that I was worth more as a cop than a soldier. But I knew a lot of officers that volunteered or were drafted. Good ponies.” He blinked. “Most of them didn’t come back.” He nuzzled the top of her head. “What was it like for you?” he asked.
“The thing I remember the most was the bomb raids,” Daring said. “Sometimes, Sparks and I would use them as opportunities; when the sirens went off, we’d wait a few minutes for everypony to get to the shelters, then hit a few houses.” Noticing the look on Phil’s face, she chuckled softly and added, “We only hit ponies who could afford the losses, don’t worry. And we gave a lot of that away to food shelves and stuff, for homeless ponies: Mojo would've been furious if he found out.” The smile evaporated from her face after a moment. “But there was always a chance...every time I went out during a raid, whenever I heard the planes overhead, I thought, ‘Is this it?’ One time, one plane hit the building I was in only a couple minutes after I got out.”
“That was dangerous,” Phillip said in a scolding manner.
“About as dangerous as taking on a psychopathic terrorist for hire who can throw fireballs?” Daring smirked.
Phillip looked down at her for a few moments, then smirked and let out a quiet laugh through his nostrils. “Fair,” he admitted.
“—the defeat of the Changeling Empire after the wedding of Shining Armor and Princess Cadenza, and the death of King Sombra allowed the Crystal Empire and Equestria to begin the long road to recovery,” Mayor Mare was saying. “And today, both nations are strong once more, and our alliance is as firm as ever. To commemorate the lives that were lost, and that their sacrifice might be remembered and honored, please welcome our own Lyra Heartstrings and the Green Clovers!”
The crowd applauded as a small band, led by a mint green unicorn with a lyre for a cutie mark, stepped up onto the stage and set themselves up on chairs, gathering their instruments. There was a pregnant pause, then Lyra began the song with a strumming of her lyre strings, which shuddered through the air. The lyre was joined by a drum, then a pair of pipes. Lyra closed her golden eyes and began to sing a slow ballad, every syllable heavy with emotion:
“As down the glen one early morn,
To a city fair walked I,
There marching lines of colts and mares
In squadrons passed me by.
No voice did brag, no battle flag
Did its proud colors show;
But brass bugles shrill o’er the northern hills
Called out from the bloodstained snow.”
The pipes sang out a brief melody while Lyra drew breath, and she began to sing again:
“Right proudly high in ev’ry town
They sent out the call of war.
‘Twas better to die ‘neath a free blue sky
Than to bend ‘neath a tyrant’s bar.
From humble plains and royal streets,
Brave souls rushed to and fro
While Sombra’s Huns, with their long-range guns,
Marched south through the bloodstained snow.”
Again, a pause for the pipes to sing out a brief bridge, and then the next verse::
“Oh, the night fell black, and the rifles' cracks
Made our fair kingdom reel.
In the leaden rain, tongues of magic flame
Did scream o’er the lines of steel
By each shining blade, a prayer was said:
To Equestria our loyalty show!
When the sun does rise, still our proud flag flies
In defiance of bloodstained snow.”
There was another pause, during which Lyra’s body tensed up as though she were bracing herself for the next stanza, then:
“The bravest fell, and the funeral bells
Rang mournfully and clear
For those who died over land and tide
In the fighting of four years
While the world did gaze, with deep amaze,
At these souls with bravery endowed,
Who bore the fight so freedom’s light
Might melt away the bloodstained snow.”
The pipes wailed out in harmony with the lyre, while the drums beat out their time. Daring looked around during the bridge, watching the faces of the ponies sitting around them. Prowl was sitting in the same row as them to their right, dressed in her police dress uniform. She sat stiffly at attention, her eyes on the fluttering Equestrian flag, and Daring noticed that tears were running silently down her cheeks. Her husband, Maple Leaf, was sitting next to her in a semi-formal vest and tie, his hoof grasping hers; their daughter Skysong was fast asleep in a carrier hanging from his chest. Bumblebee was sitting directly behind Prowl, and he was also crying in silence.
Below her and to the left, she spotted Flash Sentry sitting next to his mother, Joyful Sound. Her head was on his shoulder, and he had a wing draped around her, holding her close. Twilight Sparkle was sitting not far from him; she noticed them both sneaking glances at each other when they thought the other wasn’t looking.
Applejack was on the row in front of Twilight, sitting with Big Mac, a small yellow filly with a pink bow, and an old green mare. All four of them were hugging, and Applejack had her hat pressed against her chest with a hoof. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were all sitting nearby in a group.
Daring turned behind her and noticed Trace Evidence and Red Herring. Neither of them was in dress uniforms, but they both had taken the opportunity to dress up slightly better than normal: Red was wearing a pressed gray vest and tie, and Trace’s trenchcoat was much cleaner than normal. Both stallions nodded respectfully to her.
She turned back towards the stage as the music slowed and Lyra began to sing again:
“As...back through the glen...I came again,
And my heart with grief was sore…
For I parted there, with stallions and mares,
Whom I never shall see more…”
Her voice quivered, her chest heaving for a moment, but she forced herself onwards:
“But to and fro...in my dreams I go…
And I weep...for names I’ll never know…”
Her voice went up too high, her overwhelming emotion causing her to momentarily lose control. Tears were running from her eyes, which were now screwed tightly shut, and her lyre shook her hooves. The other band players paused, looking at her, all of them beginning to weep as well.
“For tyranny fled…” Lyra gasped out the last few lines acapella. “Oh, glorious dead...when you fell in the bloodstained snow.”
There was a moment of trembling silence as the song ended; the audience sat as though stunned while Lyra slumped in her seat, weeping. Then the applause started, the crowd stomping their hooves against the stands and cheering to signal their approval.
Lyra sniffled and got back to her hooves, wiping her eyes and smiling. “Thank you,” she croaked out to the crowd. Her band gathered around her in a group hug, then Lyra broke off to shake the mayor’s hoof, receiving a hug from her as well.
“Thank you, ladies and gentleponies,” Mayor Mare said, shaking hooves with the rest of the band members as they exited the stage. She then stepped back up to the podium. “In conclusion, I’d like us all to remember that we must not take our freedom and our lives for granted. Threats will come, and not all of them will be overt.”
“And some of them are very overt,” Daring muttered, her eyes panning to some of the ponies in the chairs behind Mayor Mare. Charles August Silvertongue sat straight-backed in his chair, a small smile that served as a very thin mask for his boredom. To his left stood one of his bodyguards, Secure Lock, dressed in a suit, tie, and sunglasses. Though she couldn’t see his eyes through the tinted lenses, the green unicorn’s head snapped up towards her, giving her the impression that he was looking at her.
“But we all must stand together to face them,” the mayor implored. “Despite our differences, in the end, we are all ponies of one city and nation, and it is what is in our hearts and not what is on our faces that truly counts.”
Daring scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Politicians,” she muttered.
“So, to conclude our ceremony today, will you please rise and join me in the singing of our national anthem,” Mayor Mare said.
As one, the crowd rose up on its hooves and faced the fluttering national flag. Phillip and Daring both doffed their hats and placed them over their hearts, looking up at the flag as a brass band began a slow introduction.
“O Equestria!” the ponies sang as one, their voices joining together in some semblance of harmony. “Our home and native land!
True friendship and love in all your creatures commands!
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The land of harmony free
From far and wide
O Equestria, we stand on guard for thee!”
The band finished the anthem with a flourish that garnered another round of applause from the crowd. Now dismissed, the gathered ponies began to flow out of the Memorial Circle. A few ponies walked up to the obelisk, while the press ponies mobbed the mayor and the esteemed veterans.
Daring stretched her wings as she followed Phillip down the steps. “You wanna hang around and say hi to some ponies?”
Phillip seemed to think about it for a few seconds of silence. Daring saw his eyes panning over towards Flash Sentry, who was guiding his mother towards the memorial. Prowl and Bumblebee both walked up to them and began a conversation. After a moment, Joyful Sound stepped forward and raised her forelegs towards Prowl who, after a moment of hesitation, stepped forward and hugged her.
“No,” Phillip said quietly, a twinge of regret in his voice. “Let’s give them some time to themselves for this.”
Daring looked over at the small group of the Apple clan that was gathered in a knot, staring up at the obelisk and talking amongst themselves, then sighed and nodded. “Yeah.” They turned and walked off respectfully, joining the flow of other ponies.
Daring noticed Silvertongue out of the corner of her eye, following behind Secure Lock as his bodyguard pushed the crowd aside. Reaching a flashy red car, Lock opened up the back door and held it for his boss, then climbed into the driver’s seat and the car pulled away, disappearing down a side street. She scowled at the vehicle and its occupant.
“Besides, we have other things,” Phillip muttered. “Like Scarlet Letter.”
Daring frowned. “We’ve been searching for anything ever since I met her, and we’ve come up with zip. Maybe she’s using a false name.”
“Likely,” Phillip agreed. “But I’m still working on tracking down her face and cutie mark. Might find something in the national records.”
“What about Janus? Her informant?” Daring asked. “You followed up about that, right?”
“Dead end,” Phillip scowled. “Different ponies bring the messages down to the Foal Free Press every time. Not enough info to work on.”
“Damn,” Daring snarled, kicking at a loose bit of gravel. “Why do some criminals have to be smart? The dumb ones are easier to deal with.”
“Just takes one mistake,” Phillip replied calmly, placing a hoof on her shoulder as they started up Honeybee Bakery. The familiar blue two-story with the hanging sign over the door was within sight. Instead of just a magnifying glass, it now had a magnifying glass and a compass rose. Beneath it was a simple title: “FINDER AND DO.”
“Could they fuck up a little faster?” Daring grumbled. “At least before next Thursday, I’m drying my hair then.”
Phillip chuckled quietly and looped a foreleg over her shoulders, briefly squeezing her to his side as he stepped up onto the porch before reaching out towards the mailbox.
“At least somepony thinks I’m funny,” Daring smiled as Phillip opened up the mailbox and started sorting through the bills and advertisements inside. “Hey, with a bit more practice, I could try stand-up if we ever lose the PI business…”
Her voice trailed off as both of their eyes focused on a single envelope. This envelope was a shade of very feminine pink, and the address was written in bright red ink. The return address was missing: in its place was a single word, “Scarlet.”
Without a word, both ponies hurried inside. Phillip carried the envelope over to the experiment table in the living room, pushing aside the jars of poison and setting the envelope down beneath the table-set magnifying glass.
“You think it’s poisoned or something?” Daring asked.
“Nopony’s stupid enough to put their own name on a poisoned letter,” Phillip said, turning the envelope over in his hooves. “Local postmark, common stamp.” He sniffed it. “No sign of perfume. Nothing that can really be traced back to her.”
He took out a letter opener and sliced the envelope open and extracted the letter, unfolding it. Neatly written on the sheet of pink paper was a message in flowing cursive.
Dear Mr. Finder and Ms. Do,
I am certain that you are not happy to receive a letter from yours truly, but in truth, I believe that I will be needing your assistance soon. In fact, I strongly believe that we can help each other and start a strong working relationship.
Secrecy has always been a necessity for me, but recently, our mutual friend Mr. Silvertongue has been putting a lot of pressure on me and has come uncomfortably close to catching me numerous times. I’ve had to go even deeper underground to protect myself and my crew, and because of this, there is not much I can do to help the pony that I am so concerned about.
His name is Headline Jot. He’s a reporter for the Foal Free Press. For the past several months, he has been gathering evidence against the mobs that rule this city, particularly Monopoly, who is in charge of most of the money that funds Silvertongue’s empire. However, the mob is onto him, and I have reason to suspect that they are already sending assassins after him. You must protect Mr. Jot; the evidence that he has accumulated could prove to be the undoing of Silvertongue and his rule. You would save many lives.
He lives in the Dockside District, at 782 Flotsam Street. I’d suggest you hurry over.
I wish you good luck,
Scarlet Letter.
P.S. I hope you enjoy the book!
“What book?” Daring asked.
“Worry about that later,” Phillip said, studying the letter. "Hang on, there's another postscript."
P.P.S. By the way, this letter has been charmed to burst into flame and burn to ashes sixty seconds after being opened, so I do hope you're fast readers!
And sure enough, as soon as Phillip read the last line, the letter abruptly burst into flames as though somepony had held an invisible match to it. He dropped the letter in shock, but the entire letter crumbled into nothingness as it fell, quickly vanishing into a pile of ashes on the carpet. Both ponies stared at the ashes for a moment, then looked at each other.
"What do you think?" Daring asked.
“Even if she's lying, we’d best check this out,” Phillip said.
“You know she’s going to want something for herself out of this,” Daring commented.
“Obviously,” Phillip replied. “But if it’s a chance to take down Monopoly and Silvertongue, I’m all for it.”
“Me too,” Daring nodded, placing her hat on her head. “Let’s fly.”
“Must we?” Phillip protested feebly, knowing what the answer was already.
Daring just opened the door for him and gave him a smirk that clearly said “Yes.”
“I thought so,” Phillip sighed, walking out the door before her and holding his hat onto his head with a hoof.
“Think of it this way,” Daring said, grasping him beneath the forelegs and taking off into the air. “I’m faster than a taxi, and you don’t need to pay me.”
“Taxis stay on the ground and they don’t do barrel rolls and flips,” Phillip commented, watching the city fly past several feet beneath his hooves.
“You mean like this?” Daring asked, her grin becoming wicked.
Phillip’s eyes widened. “No, no, don’t—Daaaaarrriiiiiiiinnnng!”
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Okay, really love the anthem Josiah! Great shit right there, pure art and poetry.
I like how you integrated their history with ours, lining up time frames like that. It's awesome and gives us more of a reference point.
And the story is going swell!
Amazing work as always! But that song really hit the old heartstrings hard!
8763339
It was intended to. The Foggy Dew is a pretty emotional ballad in and of itself, and the Chieftain's version is one of my favorite songs for a reason.
This is easily one of the best stories I have read, why does it only have 62 up votes it really needs more.
8773645
I appreciate the thought! Hopefully, the upvotes will come in their own time.
Beautiful and moving chapter, especially Lyra's song.
The Foggy Dew, eh? Yes, I've heard it but didn't make the connection. (There's another song entitled The Foggy, Foggy Dew; an Anglo-American folk song with mysterious lyrics no one can quite figure out. It was sort of the great-great-great grandpa of such songs as Whiter Shade of Pale.)
Great, now I've felt too much emotion to sleep. Sarcasticly Oh well, I guess I'll just have to keep reading.
9016283
(cackles evilly) Yes, yes, my plan is working!
I mean, um, glad you enjoyed!
Um, question...is this based off the Canadian Anthem? It sure looks like it.
9727272
It is indeed based off of O Canada.
And thank you for the comments and the follow! I am glad that you enjoy my story, and I hope that you enjoy the continuing adventures!
Not everyone knows this fact, so I'm glad this story addressed it. Equestria and Canada have actually been one and the same all along.
Which I suppose is also fitting since the show is made in Vancouver, if my memory serves me correct.
10568044
Didn’t even think of that!
I think he already said that to Prowler where Daring could hear, in Case Two Chapter One:
food shelves?
Sounds a lot like Alas and Did My Savior Bleed. Wonder who copied whose homework.