Chapter 1: Welcome To The Valley
It's already been a very long day for me as the sun vanishes beyond the mountains, opening the doors to dusk. As this happens, the iconic neon lights of the city become active. As well as the Las Pegasus Metropolitan Police Department, the city's special task force, and the Equestrian Investigation Bureau, also known as the "EIB." The city's task force was created by the director of the EIB whose name is Roya Shine.
Las Pegasus is one of the major tourists attractions in Equestria. Though the iconic Las Pegasus Boulevard is what makes this city one of the most familiar destinations in the Equestria. Everything here is widely available for 24-hours. Food, movies, beverages, groceries, cash, nonstop parties, sex. You name it. This place attracts ponies on tour, new citizens, criminals, even humans come to this world. The humans call this place, "Equestria's Vegas." The ones who live here call it, "The Neon Vale," which also means, "The Neon Valley."
About the humans, what I find a bit strange is that ponies can go through a portal to become a human in their world, and humans come through the portal to become, humans. On the bright side, humans aren't an issue in Equestria. They come here, drink, and pass out on the spot waiting for AAA to take care of them. They're not stupid, they just get ridiculously drunk when they come over to be entertained, especially when they arrive with their own cases of alcohol.
Later in the night, the Las Pegasus Task Force receives a call straight from the LPMPD Headquarters requesting for an immediate interrogation to be held between one of the officers and a changeling. Changelings are the ones who commonly commit crimes, for most of them are part of an infamous group called "The Shadow Army," which is controlled by Queen Chrysalis.
You see that yellow unicorn with the brown mane sitting at the metal table? Yea, that's me. My name's Ridgee, and I'm one of the the colonels of the Las Pegasus Task Force. That metal table I'm sitting at is located inside the interrogation room, and this table has been replaced...A lot, due to the angry suspects that always get mad over the truth. This room is basically 4 concrete walls with an inaccurate analog clock, and a shitty surveillance system. Perfect enough to be called a holding cell.
An officer walks in with the suspect, switching out the handheld cuffs , to the cuffs attached to the table. I am given the report and history files, as well as the burger I asked to be ordered at the shop next to the Bon Bon & Clyde Museum. The officer then gives a sign of approval before leaving with the door shut tight behind him. The interrogation begins.
"So," I started, "the record shows that you are in for causing domestic disturbance in the middle of a busy street, and refusing to cooperate with police officers. The officers also suspected that you were trying to break into a revenue security truck." The changeling slowly smiled and exposed its sharp fangs while I also felt threatened by its gestures.
"Let me ask you something," I said. "Are you, by any chance, a member of The Shadow Army?"
The changeling keeps the same expression, and kills at least five seconds of my time before responding.
"I don't speak of this as you ponies hold accusations against my race," it finally responds.
"It's a simple question whether you're part of it, or not. There are some changelings within Las Pegasus that are innocent civilians with no criminal background, but a majority of changelings in this metropolitan area are part of this infamous group."
I look straight into its eyes and took off my glasses while giving an angry look. I began feeling more pissed off, but went about asking the question once more.
"Are you part of The Shadow Army, or not?"
"I hope you realize that I set this up myself," it says, "I've actually been preparing for this moment my entire life."
I was very confused, and became lost in the changelings words. Though I didn't seem to be nervous, I was terrified by what might happen. I redeemed myself from anxiety by demanding the specific answer to what my question is asking of the changeling to tell me.
"Listen, what I'm asking for you to tell me is-"
Suddenly, the cameras begin to make an annoying beeping noise, and shut off completely. The doors automatically sealed me in the soundproof room with the suspect, the lights began to flicker for an entire minute before shutting off completely, and the changeling's horn began to glow. The changeling began to alter its shape, but I could only see the shadow it casts from the glow of its horn. Then the suspect's voice began to change from that of a male's, into a female's, and the character was triggering something in my memory, but I couldn't quite make it out. Then, the only two lights above our heads were turned on, revealing the mysterious figure to being something far more than I expecting.
"I don't believe it," I said as I widened my eyes and mouth. "You're t-the Queen Chrysalis?"
"That's right," she said, "I'm only here to make an agreement between us that will help me and my colleagues seem like we're no longer the trouble. Except, we'll be doing a business more secretly, as not to draw the tourists away."
"Yea, not happening," I said as I turned my back on her. "You may or may not be planning something that will harm the city. I cannot take that chance."
"I see. You're going to let your city down like that?"
"I'm not letting my city down. I'm avoiding the negotiation between me, and a wanted criminal. Besides, what are you going to do about it?"
"I'll easily take your spot, and make you look like the enemy."
"Good luck with that, you have no idea of my life's background. When you get close to my family, they'll know something isn't right."
"Mr. Ridgee, born on July 16, 1987. Your family is from Phillydelphia, but currently makes a living in Las Pegasus. You summon human "officers", to Equestria for illegal assistance. Your sister has autism, brother is suffering from depression, a wife with cancer, and a grandfather with Alzheimer's disease."
My heart stopped, because I knew that she would easily replace my family members with her army if something had gone wrong. She knows everything about me, and I worry for the damage she can have done in the matter of minutes. Most of this is mostly due to how much power she has over me, unless I had a plan. She can easily trick my sister on to joining the largest pony trafficking business in history without payment. She could put an end to my wife's misery, while I didn't have the chance to tell her, that I love her, and so it races through my mind. Kira, you are the one who turned me into a better person, and I will do whatever it takes to keep you alive for one more day.
I took a few deep breaths and ignored the sweat that dripped from my forehead, into my cup of water.
"I'll accept the agreement for the sake of my family," I said.
"Very well then," she started, "I will kindly ask that you clear our records by this Friday. You have a good 3 days. In return, you get the safety of the ones you love, and some of my earnings. Just stay out of my way, and you won't have to pay."
She sure did ask me kindly to do what she desired. I then think to myself, what a bitch! My crime scene investigators would think the same way without a doubt. My wife, Andrea, would most definitely shout that out before I could even think about it.
"You know what to do," Queen Chrysalis said as she used her magic to to take a bite from my burger, and forcing it in my mouth.
She then transformed back into a changeling and made the scene look as if nothing happened. I immediately spit out the burger and use the edge of my badge to scrape the leftovers from my tongue. The lights came back on, cameras turned on, doors unlocked. I waved my hand at the camera, letting them know that the interrogation was over.
The officer opened the door while having panic attack. I notified him that everything went well, and that I didn't even know the system had failed, or what had even gone on. I then handed in the file in which I had written lies in. The department trusts my information as much as they trust me alone. Since there was no proof of a serious crime, I took my time entering the case as a misdemeanor under another pony's name. Then I watched as Queen Chrysalis was simply released, and walked out the automatic sliding doors while looking back at me. I already knew, I'm in the agreement for good, until I could figure something out. However, my poor decisions are not only a threat to me, but a threat to my entire family. I just don't get it, I'm just a regular colonel within a special task force. A task force flooded with thousands of other hardworking ponies, and I'm not the only colonel here. Boring routines, boring employees, and boring ass cases. This one doesn't make things interesting, it just pisses me the fuck off.
What's my problem, is also my family's. I have a plan, but I don't want to put another world in danger. At the same time, I feel that it will most definitely work. She's the queen of her back, but there's no fucking way in Hell that she's going to be the queen of me. I'll play it out for now.
I've dealt with many conflicts on the streets of Las Pegasus. From Changelings to dragons, trafficking to robberies. I've never been targeted by any of those criminals, but I was being watched by one of their notorious leaders. So I finally learned that the uncommon things that happen in The Neon Vale, I could be the victim of. Welcome to the valley.
