Chapter 12
Once our respective identities had been established beyond a doubt, Jenna threw herself at me, laughing, crying, hugging. I gave back as good as I got, nearly beside myself with emotion. Octavia, Vinyl, and Photo were all talking at once over us, trying to make sense of things. Photo didn’t have my side of the story, and Vinyl and Octavia didn’t have Jenna’s.
All of us had momentarily forgotten about the nine o’clock breakfast appointment and the three day warning. It was probably a good thing when Iridium waded into the mess of us and cleared his throat politely but pointedly.
Vinyl took her mother off to the side and out of earshot, presumably telling her an edited explanation of who I was supposed to be. I was grateful; we didn’t need any more ponies than necessary in on this.
In the resulting lull after Iridium had broken things up, I asked Jenna, “How did you get here?”
She flushed red. “Well, I guess the same thing that happened to you happened to me. All those stories you told me about Equestria...well, I believed that you believed it, but didn’t really think that any of this was possible until I saw it for myself.”
“I can’t blame you. I still sometimes have a hard time getting my head around it.” She could have confessed to murder right then and I would have forgiven her instantly. It was just so overwhelming to see her.
Jenna paused. “And... why are you a mare? Should I be making a joke about getting in touch with your feminine side?”
It was my turn to go beet red. “Remember how I told you that last time I got sucked in because of a magical accident? Well, this time they did it on purpose. They think I’m qualified to catch a murderer and they gave me a new identity so I would blend in.”
“They just... grabbed you? Like kidnapping?”
“That’s the long and short of it.” I frowned. “But why you, too? Have any mysterious ponies talked to you about this?”
She shook her head. “No. Until I met you, I thought I was alone here. Nopony told me differently.”
I sighed, my tone dipping into frustration. “I knew I should have gone back last night and demanded answers from that Lunar Guard.”
“Lunar Guard?” Jenna asked. “Those are the ponies who protect Princess Luna, right? What do they have to do with it?”
“They had something to do with me coming here,” I explained. “Also, I have three days left to catch the killer I mentioned or I won’t be able to go home. I don’t know if that also applies to you.”
“Perhaps you can find out by going to your breakfast meeting,” commented Iridium, smoothly breaking into the conversation. “You should get going if you hope to make it on time.”
“He’s right,” said Octavia. “We should leave now.”
“Mom, can you stay here for a while?” said Vinyl. “We have to do some stuff.”
Photo gave a quick up-down nod. “I stay.”
I turned to Jenna. “Honey, I’m more excited to see you than I can express, but this is important and I need to go to this meeting. Let’s walk and talk.”
The four of us exited the building. I walked next to Jenna. Octavia and Vinyl formed up on either side of the group. In this way, both of them could contribute to the conversation while staying as far apart as possible. It still irked me that they hadn’t managed to come to terms, but we had more pressing things to take care of.
I briefly introduced both of them to Jenna. I had previously mentioned the pair to her when telling stories from my previous time in Equestria. Jenna held back on questions for the moment, sensing the urgency in my voice to continue filling her in on the situation.
“So there’s a serial killer in Manehattan. The Lunar Guard brought me here because for some unknown reason they think I’m qualified to catch the killer. We’ve had very few leads so far, except that the killer might have white feathers.”
“I actually have more info, dude,” Vinyl broke in. “All the victims have been criminals. Not all of them have been killed with blunt force trauma. A few have been tossed off buildings or strangled. Some have been stabbed with their own knives that they were carrying. One was even smothered with a pillow in his bed. There have been twenty six confirmed dead.”
That was a higher number than the newspaper had reported. Then again, I could see the police wanting to keep this as quiet as possible. Twenty six murders in three months; wow, somepony had been busy. I made a mental note to ask Vinyl where she had gotten the information.
“Okay, so we’re dealing with a vigilante killer,” I said. I turned to look seriously at Jenna. “This meeting were going to seems pretty shady. They say they want to help, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s because they’re friends of all those dead crooks.”
“Then why are you going?” she blurted out, eyes wide.
“Because they might be able to assist us. I don’t like it either, but if we’re going to find this killer within three days we’ll need all the help we can get.”
Jenna took a moment to process that. “Is this so important? I know murder isn’t a good thing, but this serial killer doesn’t sound like they’re hurting innocent ponies. I don’t know if getting involved with criminals is such a good idea.”
That had been my attitude exactly when I heard about it, but I was reminded that putting the killer behind bars was my ticket home. I sighed. “See this belt around my neck? It’s covering a cut. I was attacked by some thug a few days ago. The killer we’re looking for probably saved my life by pulling him off me. Then he got beaten to death. I don’t like going after this killer either, but it has to be done.”
“So you met them,” Jenna said slowly.
“Not exactly. It was dark. All I know is the catchphrase that was used - Miller the Killer.”
Jenna looked up sharply, remembering the stories that I had told her. “Wasn’t that-?”
“Yeah. This serial killer is a copycat, or at least thinks they are. As near as I can figure, that’s why the Lunar Guard brought me here. I have a connection to the case.”
“But then why is your wife also here?” Octavia asked.
It was a very good question. I glanced at Jenna, meeting her eyes. There was still so much we didn’t know. I felt a little better, however, now that we were together again.
“Oh, before I forget, I was meaning to ask something,” Jenna said. “While I was following you on Photo’s behalf, why did you go to that bench? It’s where I first appeared.”
“Me too,” I said, surprised. “There’s a Lunar Guard headquarters in the area. I guess that means it was them that grabbed you, too.”
“I woke up there six days ago. It was the early morning just as the sun was rising,” Jenna recalled. “It took me most of that first day just to accept that I was in Equestria.”
While I sympathized, something struck me. “Wait, sunrise six days ago? I got here on the same day but a little bit later.”
“You don’t think they grabbed her by mistake and then went back and got you?” suggested Vinyl.
“Would the Lunar Guards really be so amateurish?” questioned Octavia.
I didn’t like to think so, but then from what I had seen so far the Guards weren’t run very well. And they were using magic that probably hadn’t been thoroughly tested.
Going back to the original point, Jenna asked, “So what do we hope to accomplish with this meeting?”
“We’re going to see what help we can get with catching this killer. I don’t like working with ponies who are probably criminals, but I think it has to be done.”
Jenna bit her lip, her unease growing. “Is this safe? How are you so comfortable with it?”
“I’m not. I don’t see any other way, though. Maybe when this is all over we can stab them in the back by calling the cops, but until then we might have to work together.”
“How can you do this? Once you get involved with the mob it’s nearly impossible to get un-involved.” Jenna’s voice wasn’t judgemental, merely disbelieving.
I sighed. “I’m doing whatever I have to. I can’t help anything else that happened to me, but I can try my hardest to fix it.”
A thick silence blanketed the four of us for a moment. Seeking to perhaps put Jenna’s mind at ease, Octavia offered, “If it helps, Millie is very capable.”
Jenna glanced at her. “Well, I knew he was good with his hands but this a little outside his skill set.”
I sighed. “Yeah, I know I’m out of my league here. I’ve just been getting by any way I can. It sucks, but I don’t see any other options.”
“You are pretty good at adapting,” Vinyl put in. “Even to a new name.”
Jenna smirked. “I know you went by Miller the last time you were in Equestria. But Millie?”
Vinyl chuckled. “That was my idea.”
I grumbled a little. “Well, surely the ponies didn’t accept your real name.”
“Coincidentally, Photo seemed to prefer calling me Miller, discarding my first name completely.” Jenna shrugged. “Though I prefer Curtain Call.”
“Where did you come up with that?” I asked, surprised.
Jenna grinned. “Well, I needed something that sounded plausible. I couldn’t run around calling myself ‘Jenna Miller’ when everypony has some sort of crazy name. ‘Fancypants’ or ‘Hayseed Turnip Truck,’ to name a few. Becoming somepony else is what I do, remember dear? I not only have a name, but I’ve also come up with a backstory.”
I nodded. Jenna was an actress, hence the theater masks for her cutie mark. She probably had a much easier time fitting in here than I did, especially with the preparation I gave her from the stories. “Well, if we have to bluff, I’ll let you take the lead.”
“I’m sorry,” broke in Octavia. “Did you say Fancypants?”
“Yes, Photo introduced me to him,” Jenna replied. Over Octavia’s gasp of admiration, she went back to our conversation. “How much bluffing do you think will be involved?”
“Hopefully none. I’m not any good at it.”
Jenna smiled again but it disappeared quickly. “I still don’t like this. What do you know about this meeting?”
“It’s at a restaurant called the Happy Dragon. I don’t know much past that.”
“Do you know who we’re meeting?” asked Vinyl. “Are they ponies or something else?”
I shrugged. “Griffons are probably more dangerous. I guess it could also be dogs.”
“There are some sapient species I don’t think you’ve met,” said Octavia. “Like cattle.”
Vinyl snorted. “Yeah, gangster cows.” She went on in a more serious tone. “I guess similar to them are the buffalo. There’s also mules and donkeys. I can’t really think of any other creatures that are sa-sap...”
“Sapient,” Octavia provided. “I can think of one more. Dragons.”
This was all a review for me, although it had been a long time since I had read anything about Equestrian demographics. “How likely are we to meet a dragon?”
“They aren’t really common, especially not in cities,” Octavia said.
The Happy Dragon restaurant didn’t look like much. The interior was a little dark, especially compared to the bright sunshine and snow outside. The brown unicorn I had met the previous night was positioned near the door. He glanced at me and then looked over my three companions.
Without a word, he motioned us towards the back of the dining area. I observed that his attitude today was a little less brash, a little more reserved. Maybe it was the setting. If we were meeting with his boss then I would expect him to be respectful.
His boss turned out to be a no-kidding dragon. Even sitting, the scaly creature was taller than any other creature in the room, although I thought he was still pretty small by dragon standards. Maybe that’s how he could get away with living in a city.
The dragon didn’t get up as we approached, merely gesturing to the booth across from him. Vinyl and Octavia hung back, taking up position facing away while Jenna and I sat down.
“So you’re Millie,” said the dragon, his gaze settling on me. Not that I knew what dragons in Equestria were supposed to look like, but he didn’t look well. His wings were disproportionately small and seemingly deformed. The scales on his lizard-like body seemed dull. His movements were slow and clumsy. A few scraggly whiskers or whatever the reptilian equivalent was sprouted from his chin.
“That’s me,” I confirmed. I tilted my head to the side. “This is my associate, Curtain Call.”
“What do we call you?” asked Jenna, adopting the same cool tone I used.
“The name’s Joe,” he said. Of all the names he could have given, I think that - so simple and human sounding - probably threw me more than any other.
Jenna, however, jumped in with a comment. “You’re named after coffee?”
To be fair, that was probably what a real pony would have said. The dragon gave her a look but did not reply. He turned back to me. “So you want me to help you pin down this pony who’s been an uncatchable killer so far?”
Here was where I had to be careful. My angst at the situation I had been dumped into made me more aggressive than usual. Hopefully that didn’t cloud my judgement. Using a passive voice, I replied, “Actually, you want my help. I’m not the one who has been losing henchponies to this killer.”
Joe’s eyes flattened into slits and his mouth opened just far enough to expose sharp teeth. “That’s a big assumption to make.”
“Do you want to work together on this or not? Let’s be clear on something: I want this serial killer caught too, but I’m not your subordinate. I don’t want money or business from you. The only thing I’m asking for is respect.”
A puff of grey smoke came out of Joe’s nostrils as he snorted. “Respect? Why should I give you that? I’d never even heard of you until a week ago.”
I nodded. “Do you wonder why that is? Have you had any luck trying to find information going further back than that? I wasn’t born in Equestria. I don’t own anything here. There are literally no public records about me. You only know what I’ve allowed you to.”
I didn’t even need Jenna’s acting skills to deliver that line with conviction. Not only was it true, but I must admit some satisfaction in saying it.
Joe glowered at me, trying but failing to contain all his anger. He certainly didn’t want to give me the satisfaction of knowing how much I had just annoyed him. I doubted he was used to ponies telling him off. After riling him up, however, I decided that I should probably bring him down again by doing what I came for.
I cleared my throat. “All right, I’ll tell you what I know. You tell me what you know. No matter if you catch this killer first or if I do, we’ll both be happy.”
Before Joe could retort, Jenna and I launched into the evidence that had been amassed so far, spending the next few minutes talking. Joe actually appeared to calm down a little, occasionally asking a question or two for clarification. I noticed Jenna begin to subtly shift the conversation in Joe’s direction. Unfortunately, either he was a good actor, or he didn’t know very much that we hadn’t already learned.
A waiter brought out a plate with a cooked and seasoned bird on it. I thought that it seemed like a strange breakfast food, but then what did I know about dragons? Speaking of Joe, he seemed to have lost all interest in talking when the food appeared.
“That’s all you know?” I prodded. “Nothing helpful?”
He glanced at me. “Make no mistake, lady. You might have a fancy secret identity and know a lot of things, but that doesn’t make you better than me.”
To punctuate his point, he ripped the leg off the cooked bird and took a gaping bite, chewing slowly with his sharp teeth while continuing to stare at me.
I thought I had been pretty reasonable in the conversation and didn’t deserve this kind of attitude. Besides, Joe had used the L word.
I pulled the other leg off with magic and chomped at it. My eyes shot open wide. “Oh my God, this is amazing!” I pushed the plate towards Jenna. “Here, try this. It tastes like duck Peking style.”
She carefully peeled off a wing and licked it before beginning to nibble. “Wow, you’re right!”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Joe’s lip twitch in astonishment. Even as a meat-eater himself, two ponies who apparently had no qualms about such food surprised him. He managed to get his emotions under control, but it was all I could do to keep a grin of satisfaction off my face. Miller the Killer strikes again.
I dropped the bare leg bone on the plate when I was finished and got up from the booth. I said to Joe, “I’ll be looking forward to hearing any new information you come across. We’ll do the same.”
Collecting Vinyl and Octavia, we left the restaurant. I nearly ran into Gilda on the sidewalk. All of us seemed surprised.
“What are you doing here?” Gilda demanded. “Coming out of Little Puffy Joe’s place? This is a bad part of town!”
Well, with a moniker like that I could see why Joe preferred a shortened version of his name. But to the point at hand, Gilda didn’t sound like she would tolerate a halfhearted explanation. Luckily, Vinyl was more than willing to fill her in; on the aspect of catching the killer at least. Not to be outdone, Octavia took up position on the other side of Gilda as we walked, adding more detail and facts to the explanation.
By the time we had arrived back at The Metronome, Gilda knew that we were trying to stop the local serial killer and the extent of the data we had collected so far. Vinyl and Octavia both seemed to understand that if Jenna and I wanted Gilda to know about the whole alien thing then we would tell her ourselves.
“This is stupid!” Gilda declared loudly. “You could get hurt! Millie already did!”
“But the police haven’t been able to do anything,” I retorted.
She eyed me. “And just why are you so interested? Is it because you got hurt? I mean, I guess I can understand revenge, but...” Gilda trailed off, searching for another point to make. She dropped her gaze and rubbed the back of her head. “Look, I just don’t think this is a good idea. At least let me help.”
Well, that was a no-brainer. Having a griffon bodyguard could come in handy, especially now that Joe and his associates were involved. I gladly accepted.
Octavia held the door for the rest of us. Stepping into the club, Jenna looked around and muttered, “Well, it looks like the tables have turned.”
“Yeah, my mom likes to reorganize furniture,” agreed Vinyl.
Sure enough, Photo was studying the layout of the room and occasionally making adjustments. Iridium stood by patiently, gesturing to Octavia that he would put things back when the photographer left.
“What’s going on, Photo?” I asked.
She glanced my way, twirling to face me. “The room must be correct. I will need it to take your picture.”
My eyebrows went up. “Uh...”
Vinyl came up. “Mom, we’re kind of in the middle of something right now. Can it wait?”
Photo glanced between the two of us before nodding once. She turned and trotted out the door. With as much drama as she had displayed so far, I was almost surprised at the lack of it in her exit.
“Well, it’s been an interesting morning.” I sighed and sat down in a nearby chair.
Jenna drifted over and sat down next to me. “I’m just glad we found each other.”
I felt a little bad about putting an emotional discussion between us on hold earlier, but it seemed that Jenna understood. It’s not everyday that you meet a dragon mobster.
My hoof rested on the table and she touched it with hers. She looked up at me. “So how have things been going for you?”
“I think you’re taking this better than I am.”
Jenna smiled faintly. “Oh, I’m actually freaking out on the inside, although it helps that you’d prepared me for this place with your stories.”
“What about preparing you for this?” I gestured to my body.
“Be honest, which is a bigger change: getting transported to a different world and turned into a unicorn, or just swapping genders?”
I sighed. “I guess when you put it that way, if I can handle being a pony I can handle being a girl.”
She winked. “I do it every day.”
I looked around to see if anypony else had heard the joke, but the room seemed to be mysteriously abandoned. I gave silent thanks, especially to Vinyl and Octavia who were probably enduring each other’s company in another room to give Jenna and I some private time.
I scooted a little closer and my hoof moved around to cradle Jenna’s back. “I’m just glad you’re taking this so well. I feel kind of emasculated.”
She smiled and stretched a wing around me. “Back at the restaurant, you were tossing out insults without thinking and messily chowing down on whatever was in front of you. Sounds pretty manly to me.”
I chuckled and leaned my head until our brows touched. I was careful to keep my horn out of the way. “I’m just so happy to see you. We still need to get home, but I feel a lot better about it knowing that you’re by my side.”
Jenna continued to smile and stretched her wing further, sliding a few feathers around my side as we leaned even closer. It was then that I discovered that my belly was ticklish.
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Jenna:
"Oh, honey, that killer you were looking for? Yeah, it was me. See, I was kinda freaking out when I actually showed up in the land of magical horses you had been talking about, and I may not have had a very firm grip on reality those first few days... but don't worry, I got it out of my system. I totally don't kill people anymore! I'm back to the old me now, just... with more pony! And more blood on my hands- er, hooves."
Millie:
"..."
Also, strange coincidence: I recently finished reading a different story starring Vinyl & Octavia in Manehatten with an actress named Curtain Call... and it was also about a search for a killer.
That Curtain was a unicorn, however - perhaps there is a body swap in the Millers' futures? (DOUBLE DUN DUN DUNNN!)
Let's see where it goes from here.
Hmmmm ... I wonder ... If Millie becomes Miller again maby ... permanent residence?
And this story is now longer that the original.
Yeaaahh! :D :D :D
And Miller resumes his role as badass.
OUT BUCKING STANDING!!!!
As i was reading it on my kindle, i was reading parts of it out loud to my wife. Damn this was a good chapter. Please keep up the wonderful work
Can't we just do this the Naval way?
That was a very profound discovery at the end. The meat eating scene was also amusing. I wonder if normal ponies can even digest meat? Then again, Millie and Curtain Call aren't normal ponies. Does eating meat get you places you wouldn't otherwise get to?
Maybe a mistake will be made after the case is solved, and Octavia and Vinyl go back with the Millers.
2718195 Coincidence, or Shout Out?
When Millie said 'vigilante killer' all I could think of was : the ghost of Charles Bronson has possessed a pony !
"Death Wish" is a pretty good name for a killer pony...
2720423 "Death Note"
also, nice chapter! I like the developments and I'm glad that Millie and Miller got to show off their totally-not-a-pony abilities, like eating meat!
[youtube=awsolTK175c]
SUCH A CLIFFHANGER! SUCH FORESHADOWING! WHAT TREACHERY WILL WE DISCOVER NEXT?
Also, props if that actually becomes significant down the line. I would be highly amused.
2719228 This.
Jenna and me.
2761361 I am not good with this grammar thing. What's the difference between the usage of I and me?
2761420
"I" is the first-person subject personal pronoun, "me" is the first-person object personal pronoun.
The simple trick to deciding between "I" and "me" at the end of a list is to remove the rest of the list and see which pronoun makes sense:
2761602 Thanks a lot.