New Trottland Yard Case 05 - Silver Cross and Sweet Potato

Silver Cross

and Sweet Potato

Chapter 2

The wind blew around my muzzle as I soared through the sky in the back of a chariot. Los Pegasus was already visible in the distance, and I couldn't wait to get there. After all the commotion of my first two cases, and the attack on the Yards Headquarters in Canterlot, I really looked forward to this vacation. My boss had even insisted that I took it. Mostly because he didn't want Broken to show up and finish turning the building into rubble though...

If my grinned had been any wider, I would have grinned all around my head. A fully paid vacation in one of the most expensive cities in all of Equestria! Was my luck finally turning for the better?

“We're almost there Miss. Should only take us about ten minutes to reach the hotel superintendent Gruff booked for you.”, the Pegasus stallion that was pulling my chariot called out to me.

“So what was the name of the place again?”, I wanted to know.

“The Celestias Pride hotel, Miss. I hear it's one of the better ones in Los Pegasus.”

It certainly didn't take long to reach the chariot landing platform on the roof of the building. I marveled at the skyscrapers all around us, and especially at the one I was now standing on. All four of it's sides were beautiful glass fronts, while the rest of it seemed to be made of solid gold. A giant sun symbol, almost exactly the same on that was on my cross, adorned the front of it.

It was that moment that really showed that I had grown up in a small town. The high society Ponies all around, that were boarding or disembarking from their own chariots, were looking at me in disapproval as I ran to the edge of the roof and stared at the city below. I didn't care about that at all as my muzzle hang open, and I squealed in delight. Los Pegasus, the city that never sleeps. A vacation here was a dream come true. Nopony at my pay grade could usually afford to stay here, even for a weekend!

Taking a look into my saddlebags, I saw the golden Pony Express card the boss had hoofed over to me. Oh he would so regret this!

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My jar almost hit the ground as I saw the suite the boss had booked for me. It was the presidential suite! The whole thing was as big as the entire house my apartment was in! The bed was big enough for ten Ponies my size, as was the bathtub. A personal Bellboy and even a butler were included as well. It was way too good to be true!

I worked my way over to the GIANT flat-screen TV that stood in one corner. I think I drooled a little as I lay down onto the marvelous velvet couch that stood in front of it... and almost jumped out my skin when I noticed the Changeling that sat on the opposite side of it. It's eyes sparkled in a midnight blue light, and a silver cross was hanging from it's neck.

“Broken Cross!”, I mouthed, unable to speak out of shock, while I sat on my rump with my eyes wide. What the heck did SHE want here? I really didn't want to wreck this wonderful place while fighting her. Besides, it would have kinda ruined the entire idea of a vacation.  She just smiled at me, not moving and inch.

“Don't worry dear brother. I am not here to harm you. If I were, you would be dead by now. No, my mistress sent me to extend her congratulations on defeating me, and to wish you an enjoyable vacation. All of us have been ordered to leave you alone while you relax. I don't really understand it, but she wants to beat you at your best. That said, there is also another reason why I'm here. Dancing lost a key when she went back to her time. I would like you to give it to me.”, she said calmly, helping herself to some of the snacks on the small TV table.

“The key? Why would you want it?”, I blurted out, remembering the key I left back in my apartment. I didn't see any reason to bring it along. Now I regretted that decision.

“Simple. Dancing had something that I want, and I can't get at it without that key. Isn't that obvious, dear brother?”, she singsonged, a dangerous tone creeping into her voice on those last two words.

“I won't give it to you. Had you asked me before you attacked me, then maybe we could have come to an agreement, but as it is, I don't think I would even give you the dirt under my hooves.... Unless it was while I pounded them into your face!”, I retorted, standing up and taking a battle stance.

“Now now... I told you that I am not here to harm you. It really is a shame that you are not on our side... Shadow and Dancing are so weak. Neither of them could defeat one of us alone. Just imagine what we could do together....”, she began, but I cut her off.

“I saw what will happen if you guys win. I was in Shadows era, and that is certainly not the future I want for my children!”

Broken began to chuckle at that. The sound of it made my mane stand on end.

“Children? You? Don't make me laugh. Before you even get the chance of procreation, you will die by my hooves. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have urgent business to attend to.”, Broken taunted, and shimmered out of existence. It made me worry that she seemed to have the same ability as Dancing. My joy over my vacation here had subsided considerably....

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“Bujah!”, I shouted as I won the tenth round in the hoofwrestle competition one of the bars nearby was holding this evening. The casino in the lower part of my hotel was too high society for my taste. I had expected a wild party and Ponies happily exclaiming that they won... What I had gotten however, was a bunch of stuck up snobs who looked at me strangely, just because I wasn't wearing a dress....

In the end my personal Bellboy, a young Pegasus stallion, had pointed me to this bar. Loud music, interesting company, and drinks that didn't take a whole barrel to get me drunk. That was the kind of thing I preferred.

“Who will challenge the unbeatable mare next? She has already proven herself to be stronger then most stallions here, so who will it be?”, the barkeeper shouted into his microphone. To my surprise, a very familiar green Pegasus mare sat down on the chair opposite of me. She looked as beautiful as ever as she put her hoof on the table. Her injuries seemed to have healed quite nicely,  since I couldn't see a single scar.

“You have quite the interesting taste, dear brother.”, Dancing Cross said alluringly, her voice just loud enough for me to hear her.

“Ehm... well... hehehe...”, I giggled. I was on my fifth mug of Applewhisky, so I might have been a little drunk. With a low thud, Dancing locked hooves with me and I knew what would come next. She, of course, knew that the only reason I had won against stallions twice my size was that I was wearing my cross. Unfolding her right wing a bit, she gave me a glance at her own and smirked. The barkeeper was switching into high gear as he announced her as my newest challenger.

“Oh! And who do we have here? Since all of you seem to be too afraid to challenge our new champion, another mare has stepped up! Will the newcomer be able to defeat her fellow mare? Who will win? Earthpony stubbornness, or the Pegasus with her heads in the clouds? Place your bets here at the bar!”, he shouted, and I saw that several Ponies placed their bits on my victory. After about a minute of that, he began to count down.

As soon as the stallion reached zero, we both began to push. My other opponents had lost in mere seconds, but Dancing was putting up quite a fight. Our hooves didn't move one inch, as we both pushed with all our might. Suddenly, her eyes flashed a deep pink for a second. I doubt that anypony except myself noticed it, since it was so brief. A second later, my hoof was smashed through the table, and all the way to the floor.

All customers in the bar went silent at that display of power. Dancing was already fussing over me, noticing that my right foreleg was bent in an odd angle, and that my screaming was definitely not a good sign...

“Oh dear Celesta... I'm so sorry... I just.... just... oh damn it...”, she cursed under her breath, while she hefted me onto her back. Dancing wanted to pay my bill for me, since I was unable to do much of anything at the moment, but the barkeeper just waved a hoof. He told her that all of my expenses had been covered with the bets that had been placed on me.

As soon as we left the bar, the cold night air hit me. My sister in destiny didn't stop apologizing all the way to the Los Pegasus general hospital.

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Half an hour later, I was limping through the halls of the hospital with my right foreleg in a cast, and a detoxification pill in my system. I had been to the restroom about ten times in the last ten minutes due to that damn pill, while Dancing was constantly trying to assist me with every step I took.

“Enough already, Dancing! I can walk on my own... Besides, it's OK. It was an accident. It's not like you wanted to break my leg, right?”, I turned on her, which was a bad idea, considering my developing hangover.

“But... still... I just wanted to show you that our powers are not to be used for such trivial matters... By no means did I want to hurt you...”, she said weakly, rustling her feathers a bit. Her eyes looked everywhere but at me. Then I remembered something.

“Say Dancing. You lost a key the last time you were here. Broken came to me and wanted to get her hooves on it. Anything you want to tell me?”, I asked.

“That... That key... I had meant to give it to you during our last encounter. It is important, and you may not hoof it over to Broken, or any of the Nightmares servants. I can't tell you what it is for yet, but you must keep it safe at all costs. If she gets her hooves on it, then all is lost.”, she replied cryptically as usual... I wasn't getting anywhere with this, and I knew it. Which was why I decided to ask another question, when something collided with my left foreleg, and sent me tumbling to the ground.

When I raised my head again, with Dancings help I must admit, I saw a frightened filly that was hiding behind me. Her head was wrapped in bandages, but I couldn't believe my eyes nonetheless. Other then the bandages and her age, she was the spitting image of Dancing Cross! A stallion came galloping down the hallway towards us, and the filly did her best to hide behind me completely.

“Come on now Potato, we've gotta get back to the orphanage.”, the stallion growled. It didn't work. All it did was that the filly tried to get under me to hide between my legs. When he noticed that, the Earthpony reached out a hoof to pull the filly away, only to have it knocked aside by a swish of my tail.

“Hooves off buster! That filly obviously doesn't want to go with you, so buzz off!”, I said, glaring down the stallion. Dancing couldn't take her eyes of off the filly that had now wriggled herself completely under me. It was hard for me to keep my balance, since one of my legs was out of order for the moment, but I was unwilling to show any kind of weakness.

“Look, that filly lives in the orphanage I work in. They sent me here to pick her up. So now step aside bitch, and let me do my job.”, he said, attempting to grab the filly once again. My neck snapped backwards, and I dug around in my saddlebags with my muzzle. A quick search later, I was holding my badge between my teeth. Speaking around it I said,

“No can do, and now back off. I'm with the New Trottland Yard, and I'm hereby taking this filly into protective custody.”, I stated matter of factly. The pink stallion backed off a little, his face going pale.

“You'll regret this, bitch. You'll have to answer to my boss for this!”, he threatened, when Dancing stepped between the two of us.

“Threatening a Yard Inspector, and calling her names? Dear sir, that is an offense that is punishable by at least three years in the mines, according to paragraph four-hundred-fifty-nine section B of the Equestrian book of law.”, she lectured him. The massive stallion seemed to ponder that for a moment, before shooting me a look and disappearing down the hallways again....