Underbelly Of Baltimare

~~~~The Big City~~~~~

The train comes to a stop to a city that is rested between Equestria and the open sea, the city it self seen better days half of it was at least slums and dilapidated buildings stretch as far as the eye can see to the new cleaner skyscrapers off in the distance of the city. The streets was packed cars and trucks of all sizes, and with all kinds of ponies, minotaurs, griffins, zebras, and a few changlings. Baltimare...seems like a melting pot kinda thing. Lowell thought to himself as he slowly walked the packed sidewalks carrying his suitcase.

“First order of business in this city.. find a place to stay...”Lowell said to himself looking around not seeing a lot of choices besides a motel in the distance.

“Clipped Wings Motel, what a comforting name...”Lowell muttered to himself as he approached the motel office.

Lowell walked up to the counter spotting a rather large minotaur wearing a tank top with jeans glaring at him.

“Uh, hello got any rooms open? I can pay for like a couple of nights seeing the price is five bits a night.”Lowell said with a smile as the minotaur grinned.

“That will be twenty bits for a pegasus.”The minotaur said as Lowell only blinked.

“Whoa one moment big guy, I know my math sucks but wouldn't the price be like ten bits?”Lowell asked deadpanned as the minotaur rolled his eyes.

“Rates are doubled for you feather brained pegasi.”The minotaur answered as Lowell scrunched his nose.

“This my friend is racism!....Good day to ya!”Lowell said as he turned away with his nose held high.

After Lowell closed the door the minotaur heard it open up again, as he looked he saw the orange pegasi flipping him off with a grin before the pegasi disappeared.

Lowell made his way though the once again busy sidewalk, he passed a lot of buildings be it a factory, apartment complexes or houses. He stopped at one house that looked abandoned he approached the door as it opened with no fuss, the inside of the home looked somewhat normal condition as if some pony lived here.

“Hello? Any pony live here?”Lowell called out only to be met with silence.

“I hate to do this...but I got no choice for the moment..”Lowell muttered as he sat his suitcase down.

He sat down on the couch setting his suitcase aside as he took off the stetson looking at it sighing softly,

“I miss you already......”Lowell muttered to himself.

There was a sound behind him as he looked there stood a filly changling who wore a yellow T-shirt and jeans as she held a small plank, just as he held up his hands the filly swung at him whacking upside the head as he fell back onto the couch holding his head.

“Owie! Lil miss, that really hurt! I'm not here to hurt ya!”Lowell replied as he groaned.

“I-I don't believe you!”The filly cried holding the plank up.

“I promise I won't hurt ya....I'll lay here.....man this city is a pain....”Lowell grumbled a bit as the filly kept the board up.

After a few moments the filly backed away some.

“Wheres my mommy and daddy?”The filly asked as Lowell sat up slowly.

“I don't have a clue...I only arrived in this city....when did they leave?”Lowell asked as he looked at the terrified filly.

“T-three days ago to buy some groceries.”The filly answered as Lowell's ears flatten some.

“Are they gone for three days at a time?”Lowell asked as the filly shook her head.

Nah.....that's just bucked up, I can't leave this filly here....Lowell thought to himself as he placed the stetson on his head.

“I can....well stay with ya..to see if your parents return.”Lowell said before the filly tackled into him hugging him sobbing some.

…...Poor little filly...Lowell thought as he gently hugged the filly.

“Your no more older than my fillies back home...”Lowell whispered as he brushed the filly's red mane.

“Ya got a name lil one?”Lowell asked as he looked down at filly who looked at him sniffling.

“B-Breanna, ponies....normally aren't...accepting to a changling.”Breanna said as she looked at him as he smirked.

“I ain't no normal pegasi. I'm the darn friendliest pegasi like ever!” Lowell answered as the filly giggled some as she laid against the stallion falling asleep.

Poor thing she must have been up with out sleep..worrying over her parents. Lowell thought as he brushed the fillies mane.

Lowell pulled out his cellphone and dialed Applejack's number as he looked out the window seeing the street lights on, back at Ponyville over on Sweet Apple Acres Applejack's phone started to ring as she picked it up.

“Hello?”Applejack said with her eye brow quirked.

“Jackie, Its me! Lowell fer my daily call.” Lowell said with a soft smile.

“Where are yah stayin' sugarcube?”Applejack asked smiling to herself.

“Uh,...well I tried staying at a motel...but the minotaur there...was racist to pegasi....heh.....I'm bunking in with...well a changling.”Lowell answered with a smile.

“Ah what?”Applejack asked she only blinked.

“A changling.....and well....uh....I....well somewhat adopted her..”Lowell answered as he smiled some.

“Yah did what! Lowell!”Applejack yelled as Lowell winced from the phone.

“But Jackie....she is just a filly....”Lowell whined a bit as his ears flattened.

“But Lowell... It's ah changelin'....”Applejack said sternly as her ears flatten.

“So?....The ponies who were caring for her are gone....”Lowell said simply as he heard Applejack groan some.

“Fine...”Applejack said softly before she smiled to herself knowing how Lowell was.

“....And well....hows the foals?”Lowell asked as he brushed Breanna's mane.

“They're gettin' on mah nerves abit...”Applejack grumbled as she leaned against the wall.

“What are they doin?”Lowell asked with a grin.

“Well Ah jus' wanted ta say that yah didn' light that catapult on fire...”Applejack said as she rolled her eyes.

“They got the pult again......I miss ya..”Lowell said as he sighed.

“Ah miss yah too sugarcube... Ah wish yah were here...”Applejack said as a tear dripped down her cheek.

“Like wise my sweet apple mare...I'll be home.....I'll tell you when I'm coming.....for now I love you...”Lowell whispered as he closed his eye with a soft smile.

“Ah love yah too, never going to stop lovin' yah either sugarcube.”Applejack whispered back as she sniffled.

“Right back at you.....”Lowell said as he sighed softly as he hung up.

Lowell sighed before he looked down at the sleeping filly as he leaned back against the couch tipping the stetson over his face.

“Now to find that stupid amulet....Take Breanna away with me to Ponyville..and get lots and lots of hugs from Jackie...”Lowell muttered softly before trying to drift off.

     The night was pretty long for Lowell unlike the farm all Lowell could hear from this town was gunshots echoing in the city or a crash, he eventually finally fell asleep despite the noises. Day one down and an unknown amount more to go, as the morning risen Lowell sat there on the couch unpacking as Breanna watched him.

“Who are you....and....where do you come from?”Breanna asked as she tilted her head.

“I'm Lowell....Lowell Apple of the Apple family......but if any pony asks about me..just tell them my name is Winged and I'm from Ponyville.....originally Texas though.”Lowell answered as he looked at the filly with a smile.

“Do you...have a wife?”Breanna asked as Lowell smiled and sighed.

“I do....just about the most beautiful mare in Equestria.....her name is Applejack... and we have foals two are adopted Golden Ray and Paint Drop...then there's Golden Apple....Mine and Jackie's new born colt...”Lowell answered as the filly smiled.

“One day, I want to have a family of my own! I do miss my parents.....I'm adopted, mommy and daddy are earth ponies.”Breanna said before she sat by the stallion who smiled a bit.

“They sound like wonderful ponies.”Lowell said as he ruffed the filly's mane.

“Why are you here, why did you leave your family?”Breanna asked as Lowell's ears flatten some.

“I wouldn't have....but I'm looking for something said to be in this city....its an amulet of some kind suppose the be ancient or something.”Lowell answered as the filly tilted her head.

“If I'm not here I'm out there lookin.”Lowell said as Breanna looked up at him.

“If you go home after you find it...can you...take me and my parents with you? Ponyville sounds nice..”Breanna asked as Lowell smiled.

“Sure I'll take you, it will be a while till I find it knowing my luck..”Lowell said as he slipped the suitcase away.

Breanna hugged his arm tightly with a smile, She is a darn cute lil changling innocent too. Lowell thought as he ruffled her mane.

Lowell tucked the filly in on the couch before he got his backpack on,he left a not on the coffee table as he left the house.

“Right day one, time to gather some intel on this city.”Lowell muttered to himself.

He sighed lightly as he traveled along the city and picked up a newspaper.

“The two gangs at it again, the Blood and Chain go at it again leaving the streets in ruin.”Lowell muttered as he was reading the headlines.

“Oh, well that is just peachy two blood thirsty gangs hope it doesn’t complicate things..”Lowell groaned as he crumbled up the paper tossing it into the trash bin.

Most of the day Lowell wandered the city seeing how it plays out only to come up empty handed in his search for anything about any kind of amulet he searched for. As he was just coming up to the house he heard a scream not far from him causing him to jump, he quickly rushed to the source of the scream. He came around the back of a home to find a minotaur and a pegasi towering over a smaller male changling, Lowell only shook his head.

“Oi! Buckers that's two on one!”Lowell called out as he tilted his stetson some.

“Why don't you run along and play cowpony some where else!”The pegasi said as he drew a knife from under his jacket.

“Yea, do you know who we are?”The minotaur said as he crossed his arms.

“Dumb and dumber?”Lowell joked as he grinned a bit.

“No! We are with the Blood!”The pegasi growled as Lowell held his hands up.

“Oh, I'm sooooooooooo scared of dumb and dumber life in the hood!” Lowell said as he grinned steaming the two up.

“We're gonna fuck you up boy!” The minotaur yelled as he charged the stallion.

Lowell picked a broke piece of a plank as he jumped out of the way whacking the minotaur across the face stunning him, the pegasi came from behind and tried to stab Lowell which he simply dodged it barley. He grabbed the pegasi's arm and flung him into the wall slamming his head into the back of the house, the minotaur grunted as he got up.

“Who are you with cow pony!”The minotaur as he glared at Lowell.

“Yo dog I ain't rollin with no hood G!” Lowell answered as he stuck his tongue out.

“Now bounce outta here before I use my piece ya hear?”Lowell threaten as he slipped a hand into his pocket.

The minotaur picked up his unconscious partner and ran off as Lowell looked to the terrified changling, he held out his hand as the changling backed away some.

“Come on fella I'm helpin ya.....I'm not a jerk.”Lowell smiled as the male took his hand as he helped the changling up.

“I-I-I have no bits or anything to give you...”The changling said as he shied away some.

“Lad, yer talkin to the wrong kinda pegasi....I'll help if help is needed.”Lowell said as he chuckled.

“W-whats your name?”The changling asked.

“Winged.”Lowell answered as Lowell escorted the changling home which wasn't far a block or so away.

A day has gone by some what eventful saved a changling and came to the house at the filly watching T.V, he had a lot of work to do to just locate something he didn't have a clue to find.