The Neon Vale

The search for Colin Canterson's killer has been continued by the Equestrian Investigation Bureau. Tourist helicopters fly around as if tonight were a beautiful night. Reflective light from Princess Luna's old prison shines on the police headquarters, especially the floors  that had been closed off by Roya and myself. So the police department stood busy in the night, but quiet from the outside. Office lights on the bottom floors created the checkerboard effect for the most.

My late night canter had come to an end as I trot off the broken memories that left me in despair. Insects made their calming and soothing noises as I continue to trot down the street and towards my home. As I pass Trent's house, I then had a quick rush of warming memories that included us on our favorite missions. Golden from the past, but no longer happening to this day. So I look at the lights of his house turn off before I kill my grin and look away.

Winter had arrived quickly. Just one day after the shooting, and I feel that I may never find the killer within the the only week that I am given. After one week is gone, the case is federal. All those royal police assholes take the case from my hands and run away with the files.

The murder of Canterson has shaken the task force, and quaked the trees upon impact of the first bullet. I knew that if I wanted to find the killer, I'd have to go back to where it all had started. I must connect the evidence to create the story that had existed the day before. Without a doubt, the only story I know is that our friend had been killed by a firearm, hoof fitted. The only way I could really understand is if I go back to the crime scene and get back to work.

I drove past the twelve-thirteen highway in my unmarked vehicle. I pulled up the the headquarters parking lot and put the cruiser in park. I took the office division entry on the other side of the campus. I slide my card to verify identity, and the LED light quickly glows green. The door gave a faint buzz followed by the click of the locking mechanism.

The entire fifth floor was seized of electrical power moments after the shootout. I find it difficult to find a link to anyone I could imagine who would kill somepony like Canterson. None of the evidence I scrutinized had a link to the Shadow Army, not even O. J. Clopson. This was no partner, this was my friend. Now that I got something on my mind, it's time to help a friend who had saved my ass in the past . As I started to ponder, my assumptions started to get the best of me.

A sudden image of an evil changeling standing across the room flashed, smiling, and soon disappearing before my eyes. I remove my pistol from its holster and closely watched for more images that kept flashing, flying, coming around corners like shadows. These angering figures of my imagination kept appearing. I blasted a couple of rounds, only causing the ghostly images to catch me at another angle. The bullets only went right through them, destroying the crime scene. The images faded away as I kneeled down and effaced my tears, “It’s all my fault.”

The door unexpectedly swung open with the Las Pegasus Special Weapons and Tactics Team rushing through. Their guns all pointing at me, and I can tell they’re on high alert. Especially when they shouted, “LP Metro, officer put away your weapon!”

I threw the hoof fitted pistol to the side and placed my hooves on my head. As soon as I thought my ass was being taken in, my ass was saved by the one pony I have been depending on.

“Stand down,” said Roya Shine. “He’s with me.”

“Understood ma’am,” replied the unit.

Roya approached me with all of her disappointment. Her eyes were glistening as if she were crying. She stopped beside me and kneeled down, “Here now. Let me take you home.”

Roya guided me to her car just outside of the department. The neon lights at that perfect moment casted the most distinct cloud of light in the sky. It quickly disappeared as I hopped into Roya’s red coupe. She turned on the car and left the parking spot vacant as she inched backwards in her car. Then she clicked the gear all the way to drive, and pulled up to the stop sign.

“Roya,” I said. “I’d like a drink before I go home.”

“So you can go home drunk to your family?” she asked rhetorically. “I don’t think so.”

“It’s just a drink. I can take care of myself.”

“If that’s what you want.”

Roya began to speed up above the legal limit of  sixty kilometers per hour. She began to light up at intersections and honk her distinctively heard police horn along the way. As we get closer to the bar down the street, her driving only got more aggressive for the longer she drove the vehicle. When she met the curb of the bar, she slowed down to a complete, yet gentle stop.

“Get in. Get out,” said Roya. “That’s all I ask of you.”

“Yes ma’am,” I said sarcastically.

I look at Roya, whose head was faced forward, hooves on the steering wheel. I unbuckled my seatbelt and slowly let it retract. Still staring at Roya, I slowly open the car door and leave at a fast pace. I close the door and make my way to the entrance of the bar.

Walking beside me was a dark blue human with light brown eyes and shades resting atop of his black hair. I gave eye contact, as for he did not. As my attention is being diverted, I couldn’t tell how far I was from the door, that was until I bumped into it. The human pulls the door open and asks,”You alright?”

“Yea,” I said, acting as if I were okay. “I’m perfectly fine.”

“Let me get that for you.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.”

I walk into the bar and sit at the oakwood counter just ahead. As I take a seat, I notice the human also taking a seat right next to me. He signaled the stallion bartender for a Corona. I turned my attention to the mare who looked dead center at my pupils.

“Excuse me,” I said to the brown-maned mare. “One filly style martini please.”

“Coming right up!” she exclaimed followed by a questionable wink.

As I waited for my drink, I studied the character of this human. He had a very interesting look on his face, almost as if he had seen a lot. Experienced a lot. I look back at the mare who finished the mix, and gently places it in front of me with a tiny piece of ripped paper attached to it. The note spelled out, “Need anything ‘else’ just call me.”

“Enjoy,” the mare said in a seductive tone.

I didn’t feel a bit nervous at all, but a bit uncomfortable due to the fact that I am already married. That’s just how the Neon Vale works. Anypony would assume the same based on the background of the city.

I sipped away and faced the powerful kick the drink delivered. When I was three quarters done with the glass, I opened my wallet and left ten solid bits on the counter. I then reached the end of my drink, and didn’t bother sipping up the pale blue liquid at the bottom of the glass.

The atmosphere of the bar was beginning to get boisterous. I then noticed a drunk human tossing his chair over and standing up straight. He burped as he stood up and began to sway from side to side. Next movements I predicted, he’ll be heading my way.

The man pulled out the stool next to me and sat down. From that distance I could smell the strong scent of alcohol under the man’s breath. He had gigantic fists and veins making his skin stand out by a centimeter. Hair blond and cut short, as if this man were in the armed forces of the other world we know.

“Hey red guy,” he said. “What do you think about a little brawl?”

I pulled out my badge and taser and demonstrated a high voltage shock without contact.

“The only brawl we’ll be having will be between an unarmed man and the law,” I said.

“Oh hell no,” said the man. “Johnny ain’t havin’ this shit today.”

He slid off of the stool and turned his attention to the blue man that I have been studying by the minute. Johnny seated himself next to the human and displayed the most strangest looks for facial expressions that anypony could imagine. What worried me most was the two other men he was just sitting with. The blue human kept his composure, no sudden movements.

“Hey you,” said the man. “How about a little competition, my style.”

“Walk away,” said the blue human. “You may be lucky enough to stand on two feet.”

“Oh so you’re saying you’re better than me? Not on my watch. Gentlemen, let’s teach this guy a lesson.”

The two men got up and began to surround the human. I watched as this happened, and kept my hoof on my taser at all times. Roya should be here by now, I thought. What’s taking her so long?

My hesitation wasn’t helping the situation. I sure wouldn’t let fight or flight determine how this man will end up. It’s time I take action. Two against three.

“Buck it,” I said to myself.

I stood on my three legs and kept my body facing away from the three men. I held on to my taser and kept an eye on the reflection of the dusty mirror leaning against the wall in the corner. As soon as I saw an arm move back in the motion of a punch, I spun around and pointed my taser to the man next to Johnny, but it was too late.

The blue human did something extraordinary. Maybe even out of the ordinary, and this is something that will make me wonder.  Who is this being? He acted fast almost as if he were slowing time down in his mind. No critical hits were taken, in fact, the individuals were the ones taking the damage. Most of the damage was done to themselves.

When another punch darted towards his face, he held on to the bottom of the arm, and slammed big Johnny on the ground once he got a hold of his armpit. I came in for the arrest while the others brought the fight to the center of the bar. I placed Johnny in handcuffs, and watched as the blue man performed his defensive moves, and switched them around to an offensive attack. As an officer I will call this self-defense against dangerous individuals.

“This is unit red, need slammer transport at the Las Pegasus Grand Bar,” I shouted into the radio.

I turn away briefly to read the rights to Johnny, the cause of it all.

“You have the right to shut your ass up, anything you do or say will definitely be used against you in the Royal Equestrian Court. Do you understand me?”

“Go suck it, Mr. Cloppity,” said Johnny.

“Just know this: you’re the one in the cuffs.”

I turn back around to see where the fight had lead. There lying in the center of the room were the heavily beaten bodies of the two rolling on the ground and holding onto to the mostly “damaged” areas. I scan the room and find a door that had been opened. Through it I saw something blue moving in the fading light. This decision was tough, but I need to know who this guy is, and so I chased after him.

I galloped to the top speed I could possibly reach. It seemed to me that the bar was only meters away. As I looked back I could see Roya’s red car still in my vision. My breathing was controlled, and I looked back to find my snout only inches away from the biggest impact I would regret. I jab my hooves into the fresh soil of the Earth and lean back slightly to stop myself completely. There it was. In front of me stood an interesting looking garage. It had a resemblance to a warehouse by size, but it looked luxury for the most. I take my hooves out of the ground and run up to the steel door at the side of the building. To my surprise, the door was unlocked.

I swung open the door to find nothing but mostly darkness. The moonlight still shined through the glass windows acting as the unseen fluorescent lights hanging by the ceiling.

“Hello?” I shouted. “Is anypony here? Human?”

“Clockwork,” said the mysterious figure. “Just like clockwork.”

I made out a silhouette of a human coming around objects I could not tell the names of. The door behind me closed tightly, but at that very time, light had opened up. Row-by-row the fluorescent lights hanging in checkerboard style switched on. Each light flickered before becoming stable, and standing in front of me was the human I had been looking for.

“H-Hi there,” I said, trying to keep calm. “I’m-”

“Ridgee,” said the human. “Las Pegasus Metropolitan Police Department. I read up on you. Enough to know that we are looking for the same thing.”

“There aren’t really any papers about me, and my records are supposed to be secure.”

“I’m a pretty creative guy. When I put my mind to it, I can find whatever I need.”

“Understood, sir. I saw what you did back there, the most interesting show I’ve seen all night. Better than what happened at H.Q.”

The human kneeled down to my height and gave me the eye contact anypony would be asking for. Focused.

“I need your help, to be honest,” said the human. “You’re the only chance I’ve got.”

“One,” I started. “We just met, I know I chased after you, but that was only because I wanted to question you for a bit. Secondly, what you did back there was awesome, but may I ask what your name is?”

“Skyline, and only Skyline. It’s your choice, officer. If you want this city to go to shit, that’s on you. But we are both looking for something. I know you’ve seen her,” he said, “I can tell by the look in your eyes, by the redacted Shadow Army files.”

He made quotations with his fingers when he said “redacted.” Then something came to my mind that he couldn’t be talking about…

“Chrysalis?” I asked.

“The one and only. You and I, we have a job to do,” said Skyline.

“Well then. Let’s go find this evil witch.”

I adjusted the thick vest under my plaid shirt, and loaded up my taser before having it rest at my side. While trying to remember to meet Roya as soon as possible, a loud scream alarmed the two of us. It was faint, but distinct. It sounded as if she were shouting out, “Ridgee.”

“Roya!” I shouted. “I think she’s in trouble!”

“Your partner, hm?” said Skyline. “We’ve got no time to lose.”

I went ahead of Skyline and galloped faster than before. The wind blew into my eyes and tears began to form, blurring my vision and turning the rear lights of the suspicious vehicle into diagonal rays shooting towards the sky in my perspective. Once I reached her red coupe, it was already too late. Somepony had gotten to Roya leaving nothing behind, but her car and her hoof-fitted pistol. She must’ve left her car unarmed.

“No!” I cried. “No, no, no, no!”

I throw my entire body to the ground and try to catch my breath with my eyes open. I looked dead outside, but I had some details. I then closed my eyes to try and remember the plate of the van that snatched her up. So the plate came in, more clearer than day.

I force myself off the asphalt and kept everything within me in a calm state. I hop into the coupe with Skyline, who somehow was sitting in the passenger seat already.

“Damn,” I said. “You scared the living crap out of me, dude.”

“I’ve heard that before… Let’s get going,” Skyline replied.

I take the backup keys from her special hiding spot, under the rubber lining that connects to the undercover lighting of the vehicle. I turn the key, and find that the vehicle starts just fine. I unpin the radio from the side of the the air conditioning vent and announce the plate of the vehicle. All remembered by one glance.

“This is Ridgee,” I said. “Unit 567. We have a 427 on Roya Shine in progress, need info on plate Mary, Queen, Easy, Frank, two, one, nine. Do you have any flags?”

Static came from the radio after my question, but I got just what I needed.

“We are looking at a white grand timberwolf,” said dispatch. “expired license, two citations and owned by Glacier Shine. Proceed with caution.”

“10-4,” I acknowledged. I placed the radio back next to the vent and adjusted the laptop to be more on the passenger side. “Let’s go catch these fools.”

We went down the roads in code two. I only lit up at intersections to get traffic out of the way. As I remain the driver, Skyline moves the computer and hops right on the database without even logging in.

“What the hell are you doing, man?” I asked.

“Can’t chase that vehicle if you don’t have eyes on it.”

He opened up the traffic cameras and found the van moving eastbound on Blue Pegasus Road. I look at the computer screen briefly, and screech my tires on the road just to circle around.

“Manual cars these days,” I muttered. Skyline chuckled to himself.

I then shifted the gears and slammed the pedal to accelerate immediately. While doing this, I hoped that Roya’s car wouldn’t be damaged in any way. The car exceeded one hundred and twenty kilometers per hour within city limits. I decided to go code four, but we weren’t catching up to a mother’s soccer van any time sooner.

The coupe’s sirens bursted through the intersections. With vehicles moving over, we finally had a visual on the white timberwolf that fled from the scene. The windows were limo tinted and were impossible to see through, but the plate was a match. The vehicle failed to pull over, but with this coupe, it’s not going anywhere.

The two back doors securing the interior of the van then swung open. There stood Roya, gun to the head. Two masked changelings then reveal their faces that looked just like the rest. Then suddenly, the guns were not pointed at Roya, but right at our faces.

“Get down!” I shouted.

Bullets zipped passed our heads and rang our ears. I pulled out my weapon and depended on reflection so I may not hurt Roya in the process of pulling the trigger. Luckily, one of my rounds had one of the changelings.

The changeling shoots the siren dead, even some of the flickering lights on the car were taken out. Suddenly, a loud pop alarmed Skyline and I. I lose control of the car, and drive straight into the ditch beside the road. I tried braking, but we ended up in the darkness of the unclaimed land and rolled the coupe upside down.

I  remained drenched in my own sweat, heard no more than the insects chirping away, and felt like nothing but a failure. At this time, I was unaware of the presence of Skyline. I did not look into the passenger seat, I just unbuckled my seatbelt and let the blood in my head flow properly. As I rest on the windshield, I had sworn I heard the voice of Skyline. Instead of paying attention to it, I saw darkness.