Noise from the busy streets of Canterlot mixed with the constant humming of my fan. It had been a warm and slow day and I would have done anything for a case or just a chance to set some smart guy straight. Anything...
I walked over to the window to appreciate the sunset. This was just like any other day. And again, I was wondering if I did the right thing in leaving Ponyville. It was too late to change, I left everybody there. No point in going back now. Suddenly a voice pulled me out of the quick-sand that was my memory.
”And yet again, you’re drowning in your regrets?”
I turned to face my assistant, Twilight Sparkle, while trying to make out a comeback, but I could only force myself to reply: ”Eeyup.”
She always had a strange way of expressing herself. She’d also been a real book-worm, so that didn’t come as much of a surprise anymore.
She smiled and tilted her head a bit, so the last warm rays of the setting sun were caught in her glasses, obscuring her eyes for just a moment. ”Also, you have a visitor from your home.”
I thought about turning the visitor down. It could only mean trouble, but then again, that was what I asked for.
”Sure, send them in.”
I positioned myself nonchalant in my chair and awaited my mysterious guest. She swayed into my office almost as if she’d been carried on wings. Next thing I noticed was her bright pink hair that almost hid her face. Then her eyes, deep, blue and gentle, a rare set these days.
I leaned back in my seat gesturing her to sit down too. She gracefully placed herself in the seat in front of my desk. She didn’t say anything, so I decided to kick-start her:
”You know, I have other cases today.”
That seemed to startle her and she mumbled:
”I’m... um, I’m sorry. I’ve been sent here to get you by Granny Smith.”
My heart jumped. It couldn’t be. Granny Smith had disowned me, after I left Ponyville. I didn’t see a future in Ponyville, everything just seemed to go downhill there, that’s why I left. Left Granny Smith, Applejack... Little Apple Bloom. I turned my chair and looked out at the now dark skies.
”Bullshit...”
I could hear the girl shift in the chair behind me and her tender voice reached my ear.
”You need to return to Ponyville. Granny Smith, she’s... She’s dying.”
I immediately turned around and stood up, making the girl cower before me.
”You’re lying! You don’t know anything about her or me!”
Tears formed around her eyes and she turned her head away, so her hair covered her face. Twilight, who had probably heard me yelling came in and gave me a mean look, while she kneeled down next to the girl to comfort her. With a sigh I sat down again.
”Shit... I’m sorry.”
Twilight gently rubbed the girl’s shoulder and stood up.
”You might have gotten more out of her, if you didn’t yell at her. Like the fact that she worked for Granny Smith, helping any way she could, when SOMEBODY decided to run away.”
I leaned forward and hid my face in my hands, mumbling:
”I’m an id...”
Twilight quickly interrupted:
”An idiot, correct. I believe you owe this poor girl a heartfelt apology and your poor grandmother a visit, don’t you agree?”
Twilight always knew how to work me. She wouldn’t let it go, until I’d apologized, so I sat down next to the girl and took her hand.
”What’s your name?”
She tilted her head a bit and spoke so low that I could hardly hear her.
”...Fluttershy...”
I tried to lift her chin slowly and did my best to smile at her.
”How about you take me back to Ponyville?”
We agreed to take the next train same night. As Twilight showed Fluttershy out, reality hit me square in the face. How would Ponyville look? What would my dear sisters say? Would I arrive home in time to apologize for all I’ve done to the family. I started packing only the most necessary. I didn’t plan on staying for long. The best part about living in your office is the fact that you’d never have too much stuff to pack. I told Twilight to fetch Fluttershy for me and meet me at the trainstation. I’d need some time to sort out the big old mess in my head.
The streets were deserted and an evening breeze flew by my face as I made it to the station.
As I neared my destination, I noticed a figure shifting in the darkness, making its way towards me.
At first I could hardly recognize the person, as her face was hidden under a dark-blue Fedora, but I was certain the minute she spoke to me:
”You know, I would advise you to stay here in Canterlot. My sister wouldn’t like it if you suddenly dissappeared with that Ponyville-hussy.”
I replied with a respectful nod, but accompanied it with a cocky smile and a sarcastic remark.
”So Celestia couldn’t even see me off herself, she had to send little sister to do the dirty work.”
She turned away, clearly offended.
”I’m not here on behalf of anybody. I’m just warning you. Going back to Ponyville is going to hurt you. A lot.”
I looked past her towards the station and noticed Twilight and Fluttershy looking puzzled in our direction, slowly I walked by her and whispered:
”Wouldn’t want it any other way.”
I walked over to the girls with a straight face and was handed a ticket. Twilight looked a bit concerned and asked me quietly:
”Was that...?”
I simply shook my head in denial and boarded the train with my companions. The trainride itself was pretty uneventful as Twilight had burried herself in a book the second she sat down and Fluttershy had leaned her head against a wall, trying to get a little sleep. I decided to follow her example.
The train came to a screeching halt in the early hours of the morning. Though my eyelids were heavy, I still managed to open them and stretch my back. A ride like that does wonders for your neck. For a second I lost myself to a memory of the farm and working in the fields on a sunny day.
I looked over at Twilight. She was still reading although a new book. I really hoped there would be a book-store or library in town, otherwise she’d have a major problem. I looked over at Fluttershy arching her back, while letting out a small groan, ending in a yawn. For the first time I noticed her body. The way her breasts gently moved up a bit as she stretched. I caught myself staring just before she looked around, which was mostly caused my a small giggle from Twilight, when she saw my curious expression. I stood up, paying Twilight no mind, and got my bag from the compartment over our seets. Just before stepping off the train I felt a hand on my shoulder and Twilight saying:
“Are you going to be okay, Macintosh?”
I nodded and stepped off the train, taking a deep breath and trying to remember how it all looked, when I left.
“Eeyup. I’ll be fine.”
I didn’t plan on returning to this place anytime soon. But now I was back and I just wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible. I’d come home.
Author's Note
This will be the only part of the story to have a first person narrative. The rest will be third person.
Chapter 1 - The Town He Once Called Home
Big Macintosh wandered through his hometown as the warming rays of the sun illuminated the filth strewn along the sidewalk. Drunk men shambled into the shadows with unfortunate street urchins, while a small handful of ladies tried to score one last trick before they had to go back to their pimps. For a moment Big Macintosh was disgusted, but he quickly realized that it hadn’t changed that much since he left, he’d just started to notice it now. He was glad, however, that he’d agreed with the girls to meet up at the farm after they’d gone back to Fluttershy’s home to unpack and get a quick nap. A voice from behind him, pulled him out of his thoughts and he quickly turned around:
“Hey stranger, wanna party?”
Big Macintosh stopped for a second, as he could barely recognize his old friend Pinkie. Her hair was a pink mess of both curls and straight hair. The clothes were tight and revealing and parts were stained with crusted fluids. Then he noticed the scar. From the corner of her mouth a nasty scar ran over her cheek as a morbid extension of a smile. Finally Big Macintosh mustered the wits to say something:
“Pinkie? Is that you?”
She was stunned and looked both in surprise and terror at him. She stuttered and took a step away from him:
”Big Mac? I...”
Tears formed at the corner of her eyes, she quickly looked around and then ran away from him. He wanted to run after her, but she’d already rounded a corner and had disappeared. A sigh escaped from his lips, as he continued down the street of the town, he once called home.
Big Macintosh finally made it to Sweet Apple Acres around noon and met the girls, who were talking to another old friend of his, Lyra, by the stables. He came to the conclusion that she’d been looking after the horses after he left, probably due to her obsession with the animal. When she noticed him approaching, she angrily marched over and stopped right in front of him. For a long time, she just stared harshly at him, then suddenly, she slapped him hard and precise. Both Twilight and Fluttershy gasped loudly and stepped forward, but Big Macintosh signaled them to stop by raising his hand. Lyra was far from done, she yelled and cried, hugged him and hit him. She finally stopped and simply leaned against him, whispering:
“You have no idea how much you’ve ruined.”
He pulled her close and just embraced her, letting his memories take him back to a time when the farm shone in the sunlight, when his sisters played in the sun and got in the way of his work. The way Apple Bloom cried, when he turned his back on his family and left, and Applejack simply turned away from him and threw her beloved hat in a dusty corner of the house.
He looked down at Lyra and gently asked:
”Where’s my family?”
Lyra took him straight to Granny Smith’s room, he asked the girls to stay outside, so he could have a moment with his family to talk things over. Lyra remained awfully quiet though as Big Macintosh opened the door and walked in.
The room was dark and humid. Granny Smith was sleeping in a bed opposite of the door. Big Macintosh closed the door behind him and looked around, still puzzled, since his sisters were nowhere to be found. Slowly he walked over and sat down next to the bed and took Granny Smith’s hand.
“Granny? Are you awake?”
Before she opened her eyes, Big Macintosh had some time to study her and get an idea of her illness. Her body looked frail and broken, she had never looked that bad before. Her eyes opened slightly and darted around the room for a while and then centered on Big Macintosh.
“Who’s there?”
He moved closer, so she could get a better look at him.
“It’s me. Big Macintosh.”
Her eyes widened with surprise.
“Mac? No, that can’t be. He left for the big city. There’s no way, he’d come back.”
Then her eyes closed again and she went back to sleep. Big Macintosh lowered his head and tried to suppress the overwhelming feeling of sadness.
“I’m so sorry...”
Quietly he left the room and was greeted by Fluttershy and Twilight. They asked him questions he didn’t hear and offered help, he didn’t need. He simply walked right passed them, making his way over to Lyra, who was at the other end of the hall with an old hat in her hands. She looked up at him and carelessly brushed it clean with the back of her hand. He stopped right by her.
“Lyra, tell me where they are.”
She scoffed at him and continued to brush the hat. At that point, Big Macintosh lost his patience. He smacked the hat out of her hands and forced her up against the wall, holding her by the wrists.
“Damn it, Lyra! Where are my sisters?”
The sudden outburst clearly shocked Lyra, but she still managed to reply:
“The old bar. It’s called ‘Flim Flam Fields’.”
“The old bar?” Big Macintosh angrily replied. “We own that bar!”
Lyra simply shook her head and looked away. Big Macintosh released her and stormed out of the door without saying another word. Fluttershy and Twilight quickly came over to check on Lyra, who’d sat down with the hat in her lap.
“You guys have to help him. That bar is the one place, he shouldn’t be.”
After making sure Lyra was okay, the girls quickly went out to find Big Macintosh.
Big Macintosh stood in front of the old bar and surveyed it. He’d heard of the Flim Flam Brothers in Canterlot. Apparently they had tried to mix with the wealthy and proposed business ideas, but their reputation had preceded them. Nobody would deal with them, since they just wanted to scam and hustle people of their money. But it seemed like word hadn’t reached Ponyville in time.
He stepped inside and was met by a couple of odd stares from around the corners of the bar. Unfazed he walked through the bar and sat down by the counter. The barmaid, a tall blonde with her backed turned cheerfully asked:
“What’cha drinkin’, sugarcube?”
“Top Shelf, please?”
The girl stopped and turned around. She sneered right in his face.
“How dare you come back?!”
Big Macintosh was taken aback by the sight of his oldest sister, Applejack, standing in front of him in a tacky dress with blue and white stripes. He tried to remain calm and talk her down.
“AJ, I’m here to make everything right. I heard Granny was ill.”
She slammed her hands down on the counter, which sent an echo through the bar, hushing the buzz of incoherent conversations.
“Aren’t you a bit late?! Get out, Mac!”
By the other end of the bar the name had reached the ear of a petite redhead, who quickly dropped her tray and ran over to her big brother, holding him close.
“Brother, you came back!”
Applejack remained stern and started to yell at her little sister.
“Apple Bloom, get away from him! He’s not staying here.”
This resulted in more yelling back and forth between his sisters, until he finally slammed his hand down on the counter and shouted.
“Now, you girls calm down and let me tell y’all what’s going on.”
The girls gasped and looked surprised at their brother. But before he could get a chance to explain anything, he heard a smug voice from behind him.
“What seems to be the problem out here?”
Big Macintosh turned around and stared straight into the face of Flam, the older brother.
“No problem, mister. I was just wondering why I still hadn’t gotten that glass of Top Shelf cider I ordered a long time ago.”
Flam grudgingly stared at Applejack sent her over to the opposite end of the bar to care for some other customers. He returned his attention to Big Macintosh with a grin.
“I’m sorry about that. We had to hire some local good-for-nothing girls, I’m afraid they’re not properly educated, you know, being from such a small, disgusting hole in the ground as this. I’ll bet you, if it weren’t for us, they’d be working in the streets,” he scoffed. “Not that anybody would want them.”
Flam turned his back to Big Macintosh and reached up to grab a fancy bottle of cider. He grabbed a glass and placed it in front between them on the counter and started pouring.
“So, stranger, what brings you to our fine establishment, because surely you wouldn’t visit this place for any other reason.”
Flam was about to put the bottle back, when he heard Big Macintosh tell him to leave it. He poured another glass for himself and sat down. Big Macintosh guzzled the cider down and filled his glass again. Finally he continued the conversation.
“I’m working and work brought me here.”
Flam laughed heartily and took a big swig of his own glass.
“Some job you got there, it couldn’t have sent you to a worse place. Unless it sent you to our bar.”
Big Macintosh smiled and looked around for a second to make sure his sisters were at a safe distance. Then he took the bottle and drank straight from it, while at the same time keeping an eye on Flam. He then abruptly stood up and looked Flam straight in the eyes.
“Funny you should say that. It actually did.”
With that he swung the bottle against Flam as hard as he could. It shattered against the side of his skull and the impact sent him to the ground. The sound had rippled through bar and some patrons stood up while others were already headed for the door. The other brother, Flim, came running out of a back room and went straight for Big Macintosh. He stopped for a second and yelled:
“Snowflake! We got a heavy hitter here.”
Big Macintosh looked over his shoulder, just in time to catch a glimpse of a huge man in a white suit charging at him, with a loud battle-cry.
Big Macintosh took a quick sidestep and punched the guy right in the gut, leaving him stunned for a while. Adrenaline pumped through his body and the expensive drops of cider started to do a number on his feet and legs. Then he felt a hand grabbing his shoulder from behind. Acting on reflex he spun around and swung his arm against whoever had gotten too close. First when he had hit his target, the blur of adrenaline lifted from his eyes and he saw Apple Bloom lying in front of him, not moving and with a small drop of blood from her cracked lip dancing down her jaw.
He only heard Applejack screaming at the top of her lungs, before he was overpowered and everything turned black.
Author's Note
I hope you'll be okay with the change from 1st person to 3rd person. I'm still working out the way I want to write the story, but I'm pretty sure I'll stick to 3rd person, unless I'm making some sort of "special" chapter.
I'd still love some feedback from you guys. :)
Next up will be a background story for Pinkie Pie! What's the story behind the scar? Why is she in this situation? You'll find out next time on... Equestrian Noir!
