Mercury and his sister were never that lucky in life. Their parents disowned them, the orphanage wouldn't take them. Without any money to support them, Mercury turned to a life of crime in exchange for their bread and butter.
Mercury was a young colt when they left him and his baby sister on that street corner, dirty and scared. He wasn't even more than a few years old when he had been left to fend for him and his sister. The two would wander from town to town, scraping along the bottom of the food chain. They would resort to begging, whining, and... Stealing. One of these unfortunate attempts of burglary left Mercury and his sister Quik in a cell in the Juvenile Detention Center of Trottingham. One day, a man who claimed to be their uncle came and bailed them out, taking them to his home and explaining who he was. He was Silver Shears, a high ranking mob boss in the underworld of Trottingham. He soon hired the two, and thus their stories begin from there.
“Is he coming?” The hooded stallion growled at his companion, “He was supposed to meet us here hours ago..” The small pegasus gave a curt nod to her elder, glancing down the long hallway leading out to the dejected and dark alleyway beyond.
“He should be, sir. He has never been late on a delivery before.” With that answer, the tall stallion smiled, content that his delivery was assured. “I mean, we did spend a ton of bits on it. Why wouldn’t he come through?” This turned the smile of victory to a frown of realization, causing him to turn on his young apprentice.
“If he doesn’t come, the boss is gonna be on your ass for what happened. I covered for you last time, and now look at me…” He gingerly lifted a hoof to his hood, sliding it backwards to reveal his bent and mangled horn. “You may be my little sister, but that doesn’t mean I can always protect you. Now shut up and keep a lookout for him.”
A soft creak, no more than a whisper in the otherwise silent building brought the two ponies attention to the doorway adjacent to their location. Standing there was a rather shady stallion, his wide brimmed hat hiding most of his facial features, aside from his mouth, which held a thin electronic cigarette. “I see you’ve been waiting patiently for me, eh?” Taking a puff of his cigarette, he began to approach the two. “Well, patience is a virtue, as they say.”
The stallion quickly set down his brown leather suitcase. A thing which was seen as disgusting throughout the land of Equestria, seeing as leather was made from dead cows. “An import from the Griffon Empire, if you’re wondering.” He let out a soft chuckle, setting the briefcase on the ground and opening it with a click of the lock. “This is the best shit you’re gonna see in a while, mates.” Inside were two bottles with a strange swirling liquid inside.
“Impersonation potions…” Muttered the older brother, a hint of awe in his voice. “These things are rare.” The dealer smiled at the two, licking his lips nervously.
“Might there be a tip for the delivery boy? I’ll toss in the suitcase with the potions for a little extra.” He looked up at the two, extending a hoof. The eldest of the two smacked it away, lifting the bottles with his mouth and setting them in his satchel. “We’re fine. I’m positive that our boss wouldn’t want that monstrosity in his home. Now leave, you’ve already gotten the payment.”
With that, the brother and sister left the building, galloping swiftly off into the dark Trottingham night.
“That deal went well, right Mercury?” The filly giggled up at her older brother, smiling warmly at him. “I mean, we got away without a fight that time, didn’t we?” Mercury looked down at his little sister, kissing her forehead. “That’s right kiddo, we got away safe and sound, with the merchandise at that.”
Mercury opened the door to their rather spacious home, flicking on the lights before entering. Scanning around, he deemed the house empty and took a step inside, herding his younger sister through the door. “Get upstairs and take a shower. I think that apartment had some mold in it or something.” At his command, she bounded up the stairwell and rushed to the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
Mercury, finally alone, decided to throw himself not-so-elegantly onto his rather comfortable couch. He let out a loud groan as he stretched his body out, working most all of the stress from his muscles. Reaching into the small drawer parallel to the couch, he retrieved a small tube of ointment and a roll of gauze. “Time to clean it and wrap it again..”
A flick of his ears told him his sister had hopped into the bath, the sound of the running water reaching him easily. With a lighthearted giggle, he began to apply the ointment, wincing and biting his lip here and there, attempting to block out the pain from his broken horn. After a few moments of self-torture, he wrapped his horn in gauze and sighed. Another lonely night at home, with only his sister to accompany him.
Mob life was hard, that was for sure. He was constantly being checked on by the other thugs in the city, and having his sister dragged into it all wasn’t any better. But it was the lifestyle he was thrust into, and a hard one to get rid of at that. He constantly told himself, ‘It’s all for Quik. Once we have enough money, we’ll move out of Trottingham and go somewhere safer. Perhaps Ponyville?’ Another sigh escaped his white lips as he closed his eyes, drowsy from his day of hustle and bustle around the city.
His last thought before sleep dragged him away was, ‘I need to buy more milk tomorrow.’
“Wake up Mercury!” A young voice rang in the stallions ears, squeaky and high pitched. “It’s time for breakfast! Come on! I made waffles!” He opened his eyes to see his giddy young sister bouncing around the large living room, her long, silver mane flowing behind her as she ran along.
“Alright, alright..” Mercury began to rub the tiredness from his eyes, sweeping his hind legs off of the couch and onto the floor, soon moving all four appendages onto the hardwood floor. “I’m up, see?” Now c’mere and give me a hug.”
Letting out a loud giggle, she leapt into his hooves for a tight, loving hug. A smile crossed the weary stallion’s face, causing her to giggle even more. “Now, lets see those waffles you made.” He lifted her onto his back, carrying her light pegasi form into the kitchen. The smell of freshly baked goods filled the air, and with a short look around, he caught the buffet set upon the table.
She had not only made waffles, but pancakes, french toast, and an assortment of other pastries. Giving a light kiss on his head, she leaped down and smiled. “Dig in.”
Mercury gazed in awe at the feast his sister had brought upon his eyes. He had never seen so much food on one table in his life, save for his fourth birthday, many years ago. A small smile teased at the corners of his mouth as he dragged his sister into a hug. “Thanks, squirt.” He began to run his hoof through her near-perfect mane, throwing about the delicate strands of hair until they were just as unruly as his.
After a few minutes of eating, the two sighed in sure bliss, taking their empty plates to the sink before rinsing them and retiring to the living room. Mercury took his leave to the couch, feeling the tight springs in the cushions conform to his equine shape. A moment or two later, he felt a little shuffle near his hind legs, only to see his sister crawling onto the couch to join him.
“So, what are we gonna do today, Mercury?” She inched her way higher on his body, soon nuzzling into his neck. “Are we free to do whatever today?” A sigh escaped his lips as he pondered the thought. Would a day off from The Boss be so harmful? Nothing bad would happen, right?
“Quik, hand me the phone. I need to make a call.”
“Yes-”
“Yes sir, I understand.”
“No, I promise. Nothing will be said.” “Alright sir. Have a good day.”
Mercury set the phone back on the receiver, looking down at his younger sibling. “Quik?” He took a step towards her before tackling her small frame in a crushing hug, his deep giggling filling her ears. “We’re free for the weekend!” A bright smile crossed her face. They’ve not had a weekend to themselves since Hearth’s Warming of last year.
The two dressed quickly, throwing on scarves and caps. Today was a chilly one, but not too chilly so as to deter the two. After being clothed, the two took off into the crisp Trottingham afternoon. The young filly hopped around alongside her elder, smiling with glee as the two set off towards the town square, a place of festivities and joy.
“Mercury!” His sister shouted from up ahead, “What are we gonna do first? Go on the slides? The swingset?”
Mercury’s ears perked up. He had been lost deep in thought, thinking about what to do with his sister. He looked up at her, then took a quick look around at the square. “How about the swings? I’ll push you.” He walked with her to the old swingset, plopping her onto one of the swings as he went ‘round and began to push her, sending her small frame higher and higher into the air.
Her squeals of delight tugged at Mercury’s heart, making him smile brighter than he had in a long time. After a time, she asked him to push his hardest. She swung up high, and launched herself from the seat, flapping her wings to slow her descent to the ground. As she set her hooves firmly onto the the ground, she glanced over her shoulder to look at her brother’s stunned face.
Quik had never done anything like that before. The closest she had gotten was straining her wings until she was mere centimeters from the ground. With a smirk and a swish of her tail, she lifted herself from the ground yet again, floating towards her elder. “How was that, Mercury? Did I look cool or what?” There was no response from her astonished brother, aside from a blank stare with his mouth agape.
“I’ve been practicing, y’know..” The young filly dropped to the ground and sat, fiddling with her long hair. “For you. Because, y’know, you’ve been wanting to help me learn..” Mercury swooped in and squeezed her tightly, giggling in utter joy.
“You did it, Quik! You did it! You can finally fly!” He nuzzled the filly affectionately, soon blushing as he caught the stares of the many other ponies in the square. He set her down with an embarrassed look on his face, patting her head awkwardly.
“Maybe we should go home so you can show me your flying a little more?” the little filly nodded in agreement, lifting herself off the ground and into the air. She gestured for her brother, whom followed her home giddily.
Quik buzzed around the house, using her wings to their very fullest as she zoomed up and down the hallways of the condo. Every now and then, she lost control and bumped into something, such as a pot or a wall, but would get back up and into the air.
All the while, Mercury watched his sister. She soon wore herself out, though, and joined her brother on his usual spot on the couch. With a long, drawn out sigh, the two cuddled together and fell asleep.
“Wait! Mum!” the white coloured colt reached out to the taxi with a hoof, watching it pull away from him and the small bundle next to him. He heard the muffled cries from inside the blankets, so he peeked inside. “I- It’s okay, Quik. It’s gonna be alright.” He cooed to the young foal, nuzzling her with all the gentleness and love that a sibling should have. “Mummy and Daddy are gonna be right back, you’ll see…”
The colt sat in the rain, staring down the foggy country road. He held the foal tightky to him, doing his best to keep her warm. “Mummy and Daddy promised.. They said they’d be back in a few minutes..” Smiling weakly, he planted a kiss on her forehead. “They’ll be right back..”
Mercury awoke with a start. The darkness enveloped the immediate area around him, and left him blind for a few moment. His heart was thumping in his chest as he reached over and lit a candle, illuminating him and the small grey pony residing on his chest. “Thank Celestia you’re okay…” The stallion nuzzled the younger pony as she slept, tears threatening to fall down his cheeks as sleep took him once again.
A week had passed since the duos’ day of fun and freedom. A dreary, empty compilation of days compared to the one moment of festivities that they had had. Now everything seemed boring. Bland even. Neither of them wanted to do much, because they both knew that they were back to work. It wasn’t fun and games anymore, but time for seriousness and business.
“Mercury?” The young filly floated over to her brother, setting down on the couch next to him. He had been busy filling out paperwork for their boss, and didn’t necessarily have the time to chat. A simple grunt of question was all he gave her in response, not daring to take his eyes off of the important files before him.Her question was short and simple. “May I go outside and play?”
Mercury stole a quick glance at his sister and gave her a hug, nodding. “Just make sure to be back inside in a few minutes. It’s getting chilly out again.” Setting a small kiss on her forehead, he let her free, casting her away playfully. She rushed from the home, into the crisp fall air outside.
~~~
Mercury had gotten lost in his work, losing track of time thereafter. Without noticing, seconds had turned into minutes, and minutes into hours. All the while, the door had not opened once. His sister had not retired to the house.
~~~
“Let go of me!” The filly struggled in the magical grip of the mare before her, being lifted ever so higher into the air. She could feel her wings being pressed against her slender frame, the grip tightening with every kick and jerk of her body. Magic wasn’t alien to the filly, as she had grown up around her unicorn brother, but this magic didn’t seem gentle compared to his. It felt malicious and harmful. She struggled to breathe as the magic dug into her ribs, carrying her away from the neighborhood.
No mare, stallion, or filly had seen what happened. Quik’s captor had seen to that. A simple shimmer spell had made it seem as if nopony was there, or had ever been there. The ground was just as empty as it had been all day…
~~~
Mercury finished up his work, staring up at the tower of paper before him. “Well, that’s finally over with..” He let out a small yawn, standing up and stretching. His hooves ached from the monotonous work, the silence all around him being broken only by the old grandfather clock in the hall. Odd, He thought, Why don’t I hear Quik? It was a rather odd thing to have such a lack of noise in his house. Quik was usually always making a ruckus, tossing around a ball, playing with the odd assortment of toys she owned, and generally making a mess of the peace and quiet he desired.
“Sis?” The white stallion’s voice echoed through the halls of his home, and was his only reply. “Are you taking a bath or something?” He took a few soft steps to the stairs, climbing them quietly. “Quik?” Reaching the landing, he stood before the door of the bathroom. Leading a hoof to the knob, he turned it and pushed. She wasn’t there.
Mercury’s heart began to thump lightly in his chest. It’s okay. He thought to himself, grasping for an answer. She probably went to bed early, what with all her horseplay in the yard. A thought struck him though. He had heard her leave, but never had he heard her return. His heart began to thunder, the blood roaring in his ears as he quickly paced to her room, throwing the door open without hesitation. The room was empty, as the one before had been.
“No…” He shook his head in disbelief. “She has to be here somewhere. She has to!” Rushing from the room, the stallion held back tears. He tore apart the house, throwing open doors and rushing to old hiding spots from when she was smaller. Every single one was empty, tearing his heart to smaller and smaller pieces with every disappointment. She was gone, and there was nothing he could do about it.
No. There was something he could do about it. It was his duty to protect her, and he wasn’t about to just give up on her. He was going to find her, no matter what the cost. He knew he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if she was never found.
~~~
The mare carried the unconscious filly on her back, the small body’s chest rising and falling in an uneven tempo. “She’s been having breathing troubles since the struggle, Sir.” She used her magic to set the filly down on the large, plush chair across from the sea-blue stallion across from her. He gave Quik a momentary glance before returning his attention to the mare before him, nodding softly.
“It will be taken care of, Miss Opal.” He let out a soft sigh, shaking his head. “I’ll see to it that I get somepony to check her out. You are dismissed.”
The mare shuffled about anxiously at the doorway, as if waiting for something. She took a moment to clear her throat, glancing up at him. “Umm, Sir? My payment?”
“Oh, right.” The old stallion began to rummage through his desk, retrieving a small sack of bits before tossing them to the unicorn. “There you go, Miss Opal. And please, don’t call me ‘Sir’.” He gave her a bit of a wistful smile, winking. “Call me ‘Uncle Shears.’”
Mercury slowly trotted through the cold, dreary fall evening. The sun had been quickly setting, and looked as if it’s very existence was to be wiped out by the dark horizon. This neither stopped nor disheartened the unicorn. Rather, it steeled his resolve.
It had been hours since he had noticed her disappearance, but that didn’t lower his hopes. He was going to find her. He just knew it. Even if it dragged him to the very ends of Equestria, he was going to find his sister. The minutes began to drag on, every step of his trek throughout the bustling city bringing him the hope that he was coming closer.
He went up and down every road, searching every nook and cranny. He would often knock on doors, asking for the whereabouts of the small grey filly, but every time he would be greeted with a shake of the head and a prayer for her safety.
Hour after hour he searched, the temperature dropping and a light snowfall coming in from the north. This still did not deter him. He continued to trudge along, dragging his weary body through the streets before finding an enclosed bus stop. Stepping inside, he laid his head down to rest on the rough wooden bench…
~~~
Quik slept fitfully through the night, the thoughts of her abduction running rampant throughout her tired mind. She tossed and turned on the hard leather couch, her body tense with aggravation and annoyance. She couldn’t get comfortable on the couch, and resorted to falling the short distance to the floor.
The small thump of her body woke the old stallion behind the desk. He had been resting after a long day of paperwork and dealing with the other, lesser ponies of his faction. It had been stressful, but not nearly as stressful as a certain grey filly’s had been.
Glancing over his desk, he noticed his ‘niece’’s form slumped on the plush carpet, still squirming here and there to find the right spot to lay in. She hadn’t been restrained, as Silver Shears had no reason to do so. She was a restless child, but not a disobedient one. Especially in the presence of her elders.
Standing up, Shears walked slowly and quietly around his desk to her, lifting her into his long, slim hooves. He cradled her gently, sitting down on the couch as she slept in his arms. The stallion had nothing against Quik. Neither anger nor hatred. But it was her brother he most despised.
Yes, the white stallion always did his job, and had always done it well, but rumor had it that the pony had plans to remove Shears from power. It was marked as betrayal within their organization, and was treated with severe consequences. Shears had made a point of this months previous, when one of his workers had been caught smuggling potions to the northern half of the city, where a rival mob often held their operations.
The mare had been taken to the back alleys of Trottingham, where he forced the other members to watch her torture. She was whipped, beaten, and tossed around by a pair of testosterone fueled stallions. They pummeled her until she was nothing more than a broken sack of bones and blood. After over an hour of this, Shears went on a rant about what would happen to the next pony who ever dared to betray him.
The rumors about Mercury were not true, as a few jealous acquaintances had spread it throughout the corrupted company. The lies continued to spread, climbing higher and higher on the ladder until they had reached the very top, to Silver Shears.
Now, he would have easily dismissed the rumors, and all that had to do with them, but there was a spark of skepticism within his heart. Would his most trusted friend betray him? Try to destroy all the hard work he’d poured into his life? It was unlikely, but still….
~~~
Mercury awoke with a start, the ear shattering horn of the bus blaring through the damp November morning. He had slept longer than he thought, as the sun was rather high in comparison to the horizon. Glancing at the small clock residing on the inside wall of the bus stop, he saw that it was nearly noon.
I’ve been out that long? He thought to himself, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. I could’ve sworn that it was going to be sooner. The bus driver glared at him, before calling out to the stallion. “Oi! Buddy! Are ya gonna get on or not? I’ve got a schedule to keep!” Mercury shook his head at the driver, who immediately shut the doors of the bus and drove off.
The rain from the previous night had left to roads and cobblestone paths slick and dark, revealing small cracks and crevices in the ground that had previously been unnoticable on the dark grey canvas they laid upon. It didn’t seem as if the weather was going to let up anytime soon, so the stallion donned his scarf and took off once again into the bustling streets.
Thoughts continued to run through his mind, as they had the day previous. Who could have taken her? Who would have taken her? Granted, she was an adorable looking filly, and often caught the eye of the young colts in the parks and along the streets, and the eyes of a few… ‘aged’ ponies as well. It wasn’t a look of admiration, but something more perverse.
Once I find the pony who did this, Mercury thought, gritting his teeth just a bit too hard, I’m going to tear them limb from limb.
His walk continued on, the constant dripping of water from the fall of a few stray raindrops mixed with the noise of hooves clacking about on the dark pavement. It was a bit of a droning noise to Mercury, like that of a gnat or a fly drifting near your ears. It was white noise nonetheless, and he wouldn’t let himself get distracted.
He glanced up, towards the outskirts of the city. He had finally made his fourth march through the city, with nothing but a few elderly mares mistaking the filly he described as their own grandchildren, and a shop owner or two giving him nasty glances that could turn any piece of fruit rancid.
Mercury pushed all those meaningless memories from his mind and dropped to the ground, sitting in a small patch of grass. “Okay…” He reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a large map of the city, which had been covered in scribbles and other markings. “I’ve searched all throughout Northern Trottingham, down the East District, and now I’ve just finished searching the Southern half…” Placing a few more notes and scribbles on the map, he tapped his chin with a hoof in a most thoughtful way.
“That leaves about three places left to check. The house, Hoofington’s Park, or Uncle Shear’s estate. I can check the park and the house in just a few minutes, but it’ll take a while to get to the manor…” Swiftly packing up his things, he began to trot home, a determined look on his face.