Evening Crown

by Onyourleft

Chapter 1: Backstreets

Author's Note:

IMPORTANT: Dark tag has been added. The backstreets of Canterlot are a place filled with violence and darker themes. Just wanted to let you all know.

--- I would love to see you all rate how much you hate Slim. I tried to work on villain development.

Athena sat down on the ground, allowing plumes of dirt to fire up into the mid-summer breeze. She coughed and brushed the remains of dust off of her magenta coat. Her dark mane fell into her eyes, adding to the unicorn's general annoyance. She quickly adjusted her lips and poofed it out of the way. The ground was coarse and dry, per usual, but today that didn’t matter in the least.

Athena was the first of the council to arrive. While she had come to expect this from her friends, her excitement was making her antsy. She began pawing at the ground, a small eager smile remaining on her face. Without realizing it, Athena began to doodle in the dirt. She drew families and houses, a castle, and some strange creatures that might have been birds.

Her boredom drove on. Anypony who knew Athena was very aware of how mature she was for her age. Compared to the other orphans, she could hold her own quite well. Today though, she was one step away from losing it.

Behind the unicorn was the cause of her excitement. A life-changing, year making, Princess level find! Her glorious pile of treasure! Now, most ponies would find her ‘treasure’ lacking, but to an orphaned filly, this heap of garbage was monumental.

Athena was bored of being bored, so she twirled on her bum till she was gazing upon her loot. She had counted and rechecked her pile a dozen times, but on the streets of Canterlot, one can never be too careful. She re-conjured her mental checklist, something she did often, and began filing the objects.

3 - Golden Bits
2 - Complete antiques
1 - Half-eaten hay burger
1 - Scrumptious, shining, delicious, mouthwatering, g r o u n d s h a k i n g, complete, apple.

As her mental check drew to a close, Athena recognized her slobbering mouth and hurriedly wiped it clean. Never before had she tasted such a fruit, or really any fruit for that matter, and she was ready to devour it! The thought of taking it for herself crossed her mind, but she immediately downed that idea. There was no way she could leave the others out on such a wondrous opportunity.

Athena reluctantly turned away from the pile and allowed more positive thoughts to revive her spirit. Her mind wandered to Slim. While she hated Slim with all her being and wished nothing less than eternal damnation upon his head, she knew that he would be happy. When Slim was happy, she was happy. No matter how unfortunate this cycle was it wasn't going to change. He would take the bits and the antiques, but in return, they would hopefully receive at least a day’s worth of meals.

The Badass Brigade was technically unofficial, but after a couple years of pulling cons together, Slim had to recognize them as a team. Just as Athena was ready to reminisce about the ‘pleasant’ past, Wagon strolled into the alleyway. The magenta filly was practically dancing at the sight of him.

“Wagon! Come on, come on! I hit the jackpot today!” Athena bounced over to her earth pony friend and gave him a pleasant hug, something she would only do for Wagon and one other. Wagon smiled and returned the hug. He then pushed her off and blessed her head with an incredibly practiced noogie. Athena giggled as she batted his hoof away.

“Look here! I found the antiques while scrounging the west side, and pulled the bits right out of Merc’s pocket! It was the smoothest performance of my career!” She grinned like a mad pony. Athena inhaled a deep breath and was prepared to reveal her incredible story when Alpha turned the corner.

“Looks like I’m late to the party. Didn’t think you would both make it here, new location and all.” Alpha shifted his wings as he lowered his satchel to his side. He proceeded to nod at Wagon and drop his satchel next to Athena. “I got nothing today. So you both will need to pull up some slack.” Alpha slid down the left side wall, all the way to the ground and lay with his eyes closed.

The adjacent lime colt seemed about ready to slap his friend across his arrogant face, but Athena put a hoof on his shoulder and shot him a pleading look. Wagon sighed as he set down his own bag, moving to free the contents onto the cracked ground.

“You know Alpha, you should have more faith in the rest of the gang. They work just as hard as we do… Maybe they aren’t as successful… But we all contribute. There have been weeks so dry that every fry and morsel counts.” Athena gave a frustrated hrrmmph before settling down once again. She was way too used to his absurd behavior, but today was too promising to be spoiled by some self-absorbed pegasus.

She looked over at her long time friend. While he was a nuisance, he was the oldest and most successful thief. Without him, the whole operation would have failed years ago. His black shortcut mane blew slightly in the wind and seemed to flow in time with his rustling feathers, creating a sort of gentle wave. His cloudy grey coat which was speckled with dirt and gleamed grotesquely with grime disrupted the picture. Athena might have thought him cute if he had just…Nope. With over the top finality, Athena burned the picture of them together in her mind.

The three socialized for a little while, talking casually about their findings. Alpha perked up after Athena revealed her stash, so typical of a teenage colt. The conversations trailed into a whisper as an unknown stallion jogged past the entrance. Such movements put them all at unease. Luckily, the rest of the team was on the way.

Within the span of a few minutes, the remaining members arrived. Each received a brief greeting and an unorthodox inspection of their goods before they took a seat in the cramped circle. In the end, they totaled a whopping six, with one MIA.

Alpha and Rocket chatted loudly to one another, talking about impossible futures and the likes. Wagon stared at the moving clouds above, thinking something very Wagony I suppose, and Athena watched her two girlfriends inspect their own loot. The final to arrive, as always, was Dragon Fruit.

The pegasus mare had a pleasant leafy green coat and a reddish purplish mane that was far longer than anypony present. She walked with grace and put forth an effortless smile that had helped to calm so many tantrums and end pointless brawls. Athena who had been getting bored, again, raised her head high and waved to her best friend. Wagon who had still been gazing blankly at the sky turned his head and nodded to the new arrival.

The rest of the crew remained oblivious to Dragon Fruit’s approach until Alpha shouted, “It's about time! We’ve been waiting for hours!” Athena rolled her eyes, and Wagon raised a bushy eyebrow.

“Well, I had a job to finish. We do want to eat this week, don’t we?” Her voice dripped with playful sarcasm and her tone silenced the aggressive colt.

“Well, I do believe since Alpha is pouting, that I should call this meeting to order!” Athena took the reins, her patience running thin.

“So, let's pile it up and see what we got!” Rocket piped in, his squeaky voice matching his miniscule horn and body.

The statement initiated a chaotic sequence of dumping bags and mad grabbing. Luckily, Alpha had recovered from the aggressive sarcasm and being the oldest, brought order down. A few minutes passed and all the loot was gathered, excluding one magnificent stash.

No one spoke as Wagon and Dragon Fruit took stock of the contents. They were rudely interrupted when Athena shoved a glowing pile into the mix. The oohs and ahhs were nothing compared to the wide eyes of Dragon Fruit. Wagon hummed a low inner laugh as he observed the others' reactions.

“Well…We sure are meeting our goal today!” Alpha was gracing the fillies and colts with a mischievous grin. They all responded likewise, and the hearts of the orphans soared. Little did they know that there was one last juicy surprise. The clamor died once again, and their eyes gradually were drawn to the imploding magenta filly, whose joy was so apparent that they all just had to know why.

Using her magic, Athena lifted the holy apple over her head. It followed the single pink streak in her hair like a stairway to heaven and then descended to hover in the center of seven ravenous predators. The dirt that had once been a dry sandy brown was now dark and rich with life as the overflowing mouths of the children wet the ground. Using her prized knife, Athena cut the apple into seven identical pieces.

The gang waited in revered silence as they were gifted with a slice of Apple. They said nothing as they savored each and every bite. No words were spoken. It was a moment they would all fondly remember. Once finished, each and every orphan went through an emotional rollercoaster. They were sad it was over and thirsted for more, but they were also grateful for one slice and ecstatic to have enjoyed such a prize.

Meanwhile, Wagon shoved his slice at Athena. She gave him a quizzical look before forcing it back towards her friend. He shook his big head and then moved it back towards her.

Athena sighed. “Look, Wagon. We share here to survive, and I want you to enjoy this. As a member of the Badass Brigade and as your friend, I order you to eat it! I know you are trying to be nice, but I really want you to have it.” She gave the lime colt a pleading smile, he gave her one right back. After a moment, he reluctantly broke the apple in half and offered it once more. Athena gave him a disapproving frown before she took the half, gobbling it down.

The rest of the meeting went as usual. They gathered their supplies and loot, hearts raised, and headed back to tartarus. Or back home, to the orphanage. The trek wasn't long and luckily the streets were emptying with the dying sun. The longest shadows were just fading when the team reached their location.

The orphanage was less than ‘not much’. It was a three-story building but only had one usable level. The building itself was a nasty and chaffed white that showed an obvious lack of care. The windows on the top two floors were either broken or hanging on by a thread, complementing the eroded walls.

The usable floor, or ground level, was far from legal as well. The door was thick and the only near-pristine portion of the pitiful building. The rest of the floor was the bare minimum. Windows were boarded up, and the walls were splattered with dirt and unidentifiable splotches of some other element.

Alpha led the line, accompanied by Wagon, who was closely followed by Athena. They trudged in, remnants of smiles remaining with the fear of the coming misery. Alpha, Wagon, Athena, and Dragon Fruit walked in and headed for the seldom-used caretaker room. On this single day every week, Slim would be waiting. The rest of their troop headed towards the single and only other accessible room, the kitchen; or the living quarters, family room, dining room and every other room they didn’t have.

Athena held steady and focused her mind on Wagon, working profusely to not tremble. Alpha held his head high and his arrogance seemed to double, which was an unrecognized blessing in times like this. The poor kids needed every bit of confidence they could muster.

Dragon Fruit was practically hugging Wagon’s back leg, attempting to hide from the inevitable. Athena mentally facehooved, why had Fruity insisted upon joining them? So what if she was double digits now, it didn’t matter how old you are, Slim was always terrifying.

Alpha stopped in front of the door, causing the contents of his bags to shift and bang together. Dragon Fruit gnawed on her left wing, as Wagon put a comforting hoof over her shoulder. He flicked his light brown mane out of his own eyes and then stared daggers at the door. Athena saw the hesitation in Alpha, it was always the same. He looked back at her in defeat. She proceeded to knock on the door with her magic.

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Slim heard a light and reluctant knock on his door. His previous frown flipped into a terrible and sinister smile. He used his hoof to grease back his jet black mane and rubbed his mustache before tapping on his desk twice. The children would be entering soon. He knew very well that it would be at least a minute before they would be able to conjure up enough courage to move the door, and he would relish every minute of their terrified silence.

He glanced down at his golden watch, noting the time, though it didn’t truly matter. He adjusted his tie and suit as well. The few subordinates of his who were aware of this operation had questioned his appearance and devotion to such a less lucrative ring of activity. He had simply responded with the truth, he loved this job.

Controlling and tormenting these filthy children, and forcing them to make him free money was a fantastic experience. His image was one of the most important factors here. The children had to fear him in earnest. They needed to hear the sound of his money-filled pockets and run for their dirty lives.

He was an upper-crust noble and liked to think of himself as a very important pony. A pony who had to retain his image at all times. So this outlet was perfect to let off a little steam. No fillies or colts really died, those were rare occasions. Sleeping a night out on the streets or going without food is a true motivator. Of course, he had never killed any of the children himself. It had been natural causes, yes, natural is the word.

Thoughts of a certain troublesome colt filled his mind. If he was ever going to get his hooves dirty it would have been for that worm. Alpha, he believed was what the colt called himself. Ugh, their stupid names for one another had been an intelligent move. Originally they were to remain nameless, or in severe circumstances, they were given numbers, but names? No. To give these children a sense of false meaning and belonging was just cruel. Slim knew better.

Then Alpha had come along. Well, he wasn't the only trouble maker, that Brigade or whatever they call themselves were all trouble. They were by far the most successful group he had obtained in years though... Slim’s mind returned to the present and he reached again for his watch when the door creaked open.

He wrinkled his nose, anticipating the foul odor of the orphans. Meanwhile, Alpha strutted up to Slim’s desk continuously balancing the many bags of payment. Behind him entered the rest of the crew, each carrying more of their hard-earned loot. One by one they set the bags down in front of the desk, each sweating in the shadow of their one true enemy.

Once the payload had been deposited the crew took up the defensive position. Alpha sat in front of Dragon Fruit, and Wagon blocked the way to Athena. They all were close-knit and touching, hoping to draw strength from one another. Slim laughed to himself, it was always the same. He lifted himself out of his oversized chair and rounded his wooden desk. Slim then lowered himself to look at the heap of garbage before him.

Did Slim need or want any of this? No, he didn’t. But he took it all anyway, as he always did. “Hmmmmm. I like what I see. You did good work, and you should be proud.” His grotesque smile chilled Dragon Fruit to the bone and she again hit herself for tagging along. “I did not expect such a turnout… So you will all be eating well this week. Two meals a day, in fact. I'm feeling in a generous mood.” He puffed out his chest as he rose from his previous position of observance. At this point, they were all supposed to hightail it out of his office and he would leave for the pawnshop. That didn’t happen, and Slim was not happy.

“Uhhh, Sir, we would like to humbly ask… that in response to our good performance… That... that you feed everyone, Sir.” Alpha who had spoken in a quivering voice cowered as far as he could, avoiding eye contact with everypony and everything excluding the cold concrete floor.

Slim was enjoying the pitiful performance, but this was a challenge. No matter how small, it was a challenge. Slim decided he would enjoy this, drag it out, no reason to cut this opportunity short. With a devilish grin, he advanced on the tiny Alpha. “Colt, you think you can tell me what to do? Hmmm? After I generously agreed to feed your little posse? What do you take me for?! A damn fool?!” With a final sneer, Slim struck Alpha across the face and sent him sprawling into the wall.

Wagon jumped into action and pulled the exposed Dragon Fruit behind him. Alpha struggled to his hooves just to be struck again, and again, and again. He bled onto the cold floor as he cried out in pain. Athena cried while she hid behind Wagon, Dragon Fruit just curled up in the corner hooves over her ears.

The beating lasted only a minute, but the damage was done. “Get out of my office you little thieves. Now!”

Wagon hoisted the limp form of Alpha over his back and struggled out the door, following close behind the tear stricken fillies.

Beatings such as that were not common, but also not unheard of. The jam-packed kitchen moved like a wave to receive the heroes. The older kids directing the younger ones on what to grab.

A larger earth pony parted the wave of children and took the limp form of Alpha onto his back, shooting a concerned glance in Athena’s direction. She in turn gave him a sad but reassuring smile. He turned and headed to an empty cot on the ground. As he set Alpha down, an organized swarm of medical equipment was brought before him. The earth pony sighed and then began his work.

They truly had nothing, but they did the best they could. Once Alpha was bandaged, the orphans went to their ‘beds’. No pony spoke a word. Athena and Dragon Fruit shared a brief whisper with Bandi, who was the closest thing they had to a doctor. He didn’t know anything besides the heart chilling fact that Alpha was unconscious, and had received enough blows to remain that way. The final three broke up and headed their separate ways, each attempting to find comfort among their friends.

Athena with her ruined mane and dirty coat cuddled close to Wagon and cried into him. No children should ever have to endure a tenth of what the orphans had to go through. Dragon Fruit drifted off by Alpha’s side a broken water bottle half-filled in her hoof. Bandi simply went to his corner of the room and drifted off in a nervous sleep.

Silence fell and the terrible dreams were brought to life. The orphans had struggled, just as they had done every day. Athena in her final thoughts whispered the same lines she did every night, “One day, I will make things different. For everypony.”

Comments

[Meowofy]

Cool chapter! I was a bit confused, but was Athena Twilight?

[Onyourleft]

10601069
Yep! I thought about putting that in the authors note, but it is more fun for people to figure it out.
Edit- Her name does change to Twilight eventually, and it is a very important moment.

[Mlp_Starry_Night]

I only got around to reading this now and I am intrigued. Keep up the good work!

[Meowofy]

Juuuust a lil typo in the long desc.

Twilight Sparkle was never Celstia’s student, and she has never been to Ponyville.

Sorry, just saw this and I’m really picky about these things...

[Onyourleft]

10605240
Thanks! I will fix that.