1. The Dragon of Kamareucho
Hooves crunched against the well worn concrete sidewalks the shouting of butchers and street vendors hocking their wares, and the clattering of motorized carriages echoed through Shoa Street, the southern most street of the Kamarerucho District. Kamarerucho, founded some two hundred years ago, was one of the most popular entertainment districts, for both natives and tourists alike, in all of Pokyo, if not all of Neighpon.
Trotting through a large crowd of buisnessmares, tailors, and other citizens milling about, one mare, dressed in a well sewn suit, from Carousel Enterprises, her dark purple hair slightly spiked, pushed her way through. Before her, in the center of the entire district, lay Serenity Tower. The roof was being renovated, apparently a zepplin pad was being built. Serenity Tower, on the surface appearing to be a wealthy magitechnology and banking company, was in actually the current headquarters of the Pojo Clan, one of the wealthiest, and most feared, of the many Marekuza syndicates in all of Neighpon. That was the destination of one Twilight Sparkle, known as the Dragon of Celestia, by those who knew of her.
She galloped up the limestone steps, her hooves clacked against the smooth stone. She was, unbeknownst to all but the highest tier members, one of the Chairmares of the Pojo Clan, one of the movers and shakers who ran the operations of the group, under the Clan Boss, Celestia Faustis, who was the one who supervised their suggestions. She placed a hoof on the revolving door, and spun it around as she entered the building. She breathed the freshened air, created by the various air freshener spells placed throughout the building. Stairways, crisscrossing the floors together, led both up and down. Curtly noodding to the two guards, one a female griffon, a former mercenary in South Zebrica, the other a Cira, one of the three offshoot tribes of the Dromaeosauridae, or Raptor People in Equestrian, of the tropical south-eastern nation of Cretacioussin. The Cira was in debt to the Marejima Family, one of the families under the hooves of the Pojo Clans, and in order to repay his gambling debts, was made to be a guard at Serenity Tower for at least four years, Twilight trotted forward.
The lavender Alicorn, the righthoof mare of Celestia, hence her nickname of the Dragon of Celestia, combined with her draconic fury in combat, had earned her fear and respect from rival Marekuza families, and some of the various street gangs´ leaders. Twilight was an expert in several martial arts schools, and was quite the brawler non the less. She had been called for an assignment by Celestia, and she was an hour early, as usual. One hoof rested on the guard rail, sliding along it, as she headed to the back, In the back of each of the two hundred something floors, were several elevators. The last two elevators only led up to the roof, but since it was under renovation and some heavy duty construction was being done up there, it was off limits to anyone besides the construction workers, architects, Celestia, and her Chairmares. Giving a small smile to the first floor, not counting the ground floor, which led to the underground parking lot, elevator guard, she headed in.
Twilight;s horn glowed, pressing the down button. She tapped her left forehoof against the polished, tiled floor, her ears perked, as she listened to the elevator descending, the pulley´s firm wires whirring as they pulled and pushed at the elevator box. With a hissing sound, and a puff of steam, Twilight trotted into the empty elevator. Slapping the PENTHOUSE button with her elbow, she leaned against the silver and steel railing. She fixed her collar, lightly bobbing her head to the elevator music. It wasn´t exactly the catchiest song she had ever heard, but she enjoyed it. Light streamed through the slits in each corner of the elevator, then vanished once the slit had past it.
Twilight glanced upward, staring as the floors ticked by. One Hundred Two, One Hundred and fifty five, and finally, it landed on one hundred and ninety-nine, the penthouse. Here, the Chairmares, and their Lieutenants would meet. A long, lacquer brushed, poplar table, with a smooth, emerald green tablecloth, with gold trim, was draped across its sweet smelling surface. More often than not, food and drinks would cover the table, as the Clan´s head would sit in the center, his or her righthoof mare next to her, and the other Chairmares, Lieutenants, and a few servants around them. While they ate, they would often discuss matters relating to the Pojo Clan, or about things that interested them. The elevator dinged, as the door slid open. Inside, seated at her usual spot, was Celestia, wearing a form fitting dark blue suit with gold trim. Beneath that was a black shirt, a red tie with dragons printed on it completed the outfit. Celestia gave a small smile and a nod to Twilight. Two servants, dressed in the red vests and white, button down shirts that was their usual attire, bowed as Twilight trotted between them. ¨Celestia.¨ Twilight said, returning the small smile. Celestia had taken in Twilight from a young age, and mentored and raised the mare to her position, she was like a mother to Twilight.
¨Twilight, I trust you know why you´re here?¨ She asked, her prismatic mane billowing behind her. She motioned to a tray, where two cups, and a steaming kettle. ¨Care for some tea? Its jasmine.¨ She asked, nodding to a servant. The stallion, a thin Pegasus, bowed and filled her cup. Warm steam drifted up from the liquid. Celestia´s horn glowed, as she took a sip, and set the cup down. Twilight just sat down in front of Celestia, not one for tea, really. ¨Down to business, eh?¨ she chuckled, ¨Very well,¨ she clapped her hooves, ¨Bring them in.¨
Twilight turned her head as the doors opened. In stepped three ponies. One was Chairmare Cadence Mi Amore, Celestia´s adopted aunt, and head of the Amore Family, who dealt in mining and gem trading, especially on the black markets, as well as the selling of love potions, their top seller was simply known as Love Elixir No. 9. The second, was Chairman Shining Armor, head of enforcers for the Pojo Clan, as well Twilight´s blood brother. The two were not actually related, but were close enough to be considered among the Clan to be, and were sworn to defend one another. In between them, a young filly, with a pink coat, a light purple mane with a pink streak. She had heard rumors that the two had a daughter, though whether this was her or not, she couldn´t tell. She could see a bit of the resemblance thought. The filly looked like a toddler, but looks could be deceiving. The way the filly moved, confident enough to not be held, but still in the safety between the two, she could maybe be around seven at the oldest. She gave a small smile and nod to the two, which was returned.
¨The filly here, Flutter Heart, is, as you´ve no doubt heard in gossip, Cadence and Shining´s daughter.¨ Twilight quirked an eyebrow at Shining, who refused to meet her gaze, his eyes´ expression unknowable behind his sunglasses. ¨She has been arranged to marry the son, or daughter, whichever comes of age at the same time she does, in about eleven years,¨ So she´s seven. Twilight Sparkle thought to herself, absentmindedly fixing the cuffs of her jacket. ¨of the Omareta Family.¨ Twilight´s eyes shined. The Omareta Family, once belonging to the Maremon Clan before they vanished, were highly skilled, and could be an asset to the Pojo Clan. ¨You are to be her guardian until she reaches a safehouse.¨ Celestia´s horn flashed, as a map of Neighpon popped onto, and unrolled itself, covering a fair chunk of the table´s surface. Marked with a small, emerald flag, was Kamarerucho, Pokyo. To the north, was Pyoto, where the Stalkumatsu, the bloody clash between government hired assassins and soldiers, against the revolting warriors who wished for Neighpon to remain free of foreign influences, reached its peak. In the end, the Mareji Era had begun.
¨So, you want me to transport her to Pyoto?¨ Twilight guessed, quirking an eyebrow. To her knowledge, they had no safehouses in that city. Celestia nodded slowly, as an emerald flag appeared on the city, the pin digging through the paper of the map. The alabaster mare took a sip of her tea.
¨Yes, we´ve established a joint Pojo-Omareta safehouse.¨ Celestia. She then pushed a tan colored enevelope over. ¨The transfer has been arranged to be in two weeks. Before that though, I have some debts I need you to collect.¨ Twilight glanced at the folder, and opened its contents. Two files were inside. One, belonging to a Mr. Braeburn, a former rancher, who now worked in, and ran, a bar specializing in hard cider on Shingrifuku Street East. According to his file, he owed about about fifty-thousand Yen, plus five percent interest. The second file belonged to a well known gambler, a disgraced cop by the name of Silver Star.
"Of course." Twilight nodded. She ruffled Flurry's mane, and trotted out, tucking the file into her suit jacket. She had some work to do, and she loved her work.
