The Dark Expanse

Chapters

1. The Golden One
2. The Lost One
3. The Insane One (rev. Apr 20, 22)
4. The Curious One

1. The Golden One

The Dark Expanse

Chapter 1: The Golden One

The room was a perfect square, and she didn’t need a ruler to know that. A casual scan up, down, and around the stiff concrete walls was enough to tell her that this was not a place one would wish to be and that she was in deep trouble. Aurie wasn’t sure what law she had broken that would’ve warranted her presence in this stone purgatory. But when the Secretary-General’s private mages ‘requested’ that she accompany them, well, any sane person would not dare defy them. Aurie knew that she was a powerful mage in her own right, which might have been enough to have resisted, but she didn’t fancy herself as being the suicidal type that actively defied legal orders. After all, they were all on the same side, right?

There was no clock, nor any other means by which to distinguish the passage of time. However, her delicate ears could pick up the faint background noise of an air conditioner clattering against loose screws. It seemed to almost beat in time with her slow breaths; in and out, one after another. Casually, her left leg started to slowly patter to this almost invisible tune as she leaned back into a wooden chair. Click-clack her left foot echoed, her hands clenched together in her lap as her brown eyes slowly traced the wooden grain of the desk in front of her. The desk was set up in the exact center of the room and it was not some cheap decoration for a simple prison; its surface was polished with a razor-sharp shine that no living person would ever be capable of duplicating by hand.

Aurie studied her reflection in the mirror-like polish; lazy reddish-brown locks sat atop a relatively young face with eyes that belonged on a Terran four times her age. Eyes that wanted to tell a hundred different stories. She quickly looked away, growing uncomfortable and bored at the sight. Instead, she absentmindedly ran her hands down her navy blue dress, with two black stripes around her midsection. While she couldn't feel any wrinkles or dirt it didn’t stop her from trying to dust some imaginary dirt off of her shoulders and chest. The simple act was somewhat comforting and after a few moments, her hands returned to her lap as she patiently waited for someone to explain why she had been brought here.

She did not have to wait long as the sound of a lock being turned echoed through the room, and a door that had seemed invisible against the concrete wall opened outward. The blue light that shined into the room gave Aurie a small sense of comfort as it indicated that a state of emergency had not been declared and that things were relatively secure. Yet, this small avenue of comfort was fleeting as a man quickly entered the room.

He was a big man, around six foot five, and he towered over her modest five and one. His face had an expression cut from marble and was dressed in the full military uniform of a naval officer. His lapel was decorated with the golden rectangle and three golden stripes of a commander. Aurie felt a twinge of jealousy as she only had the two stripes of a captain proudly displayed on her collar. But, these concerns were swiftly overshadowed at the sight of the 9mm rail pistol on the man's hip. In his left hand was a leather satchel that was weighed down with pounds of reports and other proprietary information that was possibly several security levels above what Aurie was permitted to see.

“Name and rank?” The man casually asked as he unfolded a chair that he had carried in his right hand. As he sat down, he didn’t bother to look Aurie in the face as he roughly swung his satchel onto the desk.

“You already know my name.” She spoke through terse lips while searching for some identifying mark on the man. Yet, his uniform had no nametag, nor did his face seem all that memorable. Even as she tried to focus on his face it seemed to shift and distort ever so slightly; which was an immediate red flag.

“ID scrambler,” she realized, “Black ops…” the bottom of her stomach fell out. Yet she remained in her chair, sitting absolutely still as her brain processed numerous ways in which to quickly and cleanly kill this man, but only if such an action should prove necessary.

The naval officer extracted a brown manila envelope from his satchel and wordlessly began to parse through the paperwork inside it. Reading over every single page as if they contained the secrets of the universe within the ink. Aurie kept her breath measured, pretending to not pay attention to the man anymore. Keeping him inside her peripheral while she attempted to determine if there were hidden cameras in the room or even a fake wall with a window behind it. She hadn’t spotted anything, but her gut told her that they were being watched.

“Name and rank?” the commander asked again, but this time he looked up with an expression that promised punishment if Aurie didn’t respond immediately.

“Captain Aurie Michele Burke.” She finally surrendered, “serial number 2216862.” That’s what the service had always taught her; if the enemy interrogates you, only give your name, rank, and serial number.

“Hmm,” the man intoned, seemingly bored, “time of service?” He had expected more, and as loath as she was to cooperate with the spook, she knew she would never leave this room again unless she cooperated.

“Current, mandatory assignment to the Psi Omega division as mage first-class. My commission was accepted on December 27th, 2968. After the attack…” Aurie replied mechanically, and then stopped before she gave away too much. The man looked up and seemed to regard her with a modicum of respect, but it was fleeting.

“Yes, your file mentions the Red Christmas massacre, correct?” He replied as he placed a single page down on the desk and pushed it towards her. Aurie didn’t have to read it to know what it said. No way she couldn’t help but notice the damning words that had been written in red ink and underlined. Her fists clenched in silent rage, not at the man specifically, but towards the Abyssians.

The two Terrans stared at each other for several tense seconds, neither one willing to elaborate further.

“My apologies.” The commander suddenly raised a hand in apology, yet Aurie didn’t believe for a second that he was sincere. “Your file also says you were awarded the Purple Heart as well as a silver medal for val…”

“Just get to the fucking point!” Aurie snapped.

“Captain,” the man casually tossed his paperwork aside, unfazed at her sudden outburst. He then leaned forward with his hands crossed, “the Secretary-General has personally requested your assistance with a problem of a ‘sensitive’ nature.”

“That’s rather vague and unhelpful,” Aurie stood up from her seat; the click-clack of her feet echoing in the room while her fists continued to flex in anger. “If this has something to do with the Abyssians...”

“No,” the man calmly corrected, “it concerns the Equestrians.”

“The ponies?” Aurie felt her mental train derail at that very moment. If the man had grown three extra heads it would’ve made more sense than what he had just said to her. Her mouth opened and closed several times as she attempted to come up with some sort of coherent response.

“We haven’t had contact with them in nearly three millennia,” was the best she could muster, “why change that now?”

“There has been a development,” the man looked off to the side, as if listening to some invisible voice, “Military Intelligence has received reports that the ponies have become a threat to us again. That they have grown too powerful, too fast, and we can’t afford to ignore them any longer.” The man let out an audible sigh as he reached into his satchel and pulled out another file.

“By reports you mean any pony that happens to land on our shore. Where they are then ‘disappeared’ by spooks like you.” It wasn’t a question and Aurie didn’t particularly care what happened to those ponies, no Terran did. It just seemed odd that the officer would try to cover it up. The fate of any pony appearing in Terran lands was an open secret after all.

“The Secretary-General has commissioned an overt operation into Equestria,” he tossed the file onto the table.

“The only ‘operation’ we need,” Aurie air-quoted, “is to nuke them all back into the primordial ooze.” She declared before picking up the file. Aurie’s expression grew more and more grim as she worked her way down the text. There was the mission statement, operational protocols, budget, and equipment inventory, among many other things, were listed in the dossier. It all seemed reasonable and straightforward until she considered exactly where she was going.

“You can’t be serious.” She slammed the file back down. “Los Pegasus?”

“The city of sin,” the man nodded, “circuses, rides, casinos, gambling, prostitution; it's all there. More importantly, dozens of species are known to visit there. Griffons, Changelings, Dragons, Minotaurs, and even some Zebras and Kirin as well. So a single Terran will not stand out and you should be able to operate freely.” The man grabbed his satchel before idling back towards the room’s entrance. Aurie circled the desk and took a few steps towards him, ready to argue the mission given to her. Yet, the click-clack of her feet was the only sound. Her dress was long enough to mostly conceal them, yet the military officer could easily spot them.

It was known throughout the Terran Nation as the Mage’s curse; as any Terran born with the gift of magic suffered a terrible reality. To cast magic, a mage needed an outlet. Unicorns used their horns, but Terrans had to use their fingers, as well as their toes, to fulfill that need. However, like water flowing out of too many opened valves at once, the magical stream was diminished, weakened, and hard to control.

Aurie, like so many mages before her, had to fix that problem by having their legs severed just above the knee. The prosthetics put in place did not resemble anything natural or even Terran-like. Dark metal was melded to her flesh, artificial knee joints, and below that the legs just tapered off at ‘feet’ that terminated into fine points; tips that were more fitting for the bottom of a dreidel, or that of a doll.

“After three millennia,” Aurie pointed an accusatory finger, “why are we risking revealing ourselves to the ponies now?”

“After our victory over the Abyssians, there are many on the council who feel the time for Terran ascension over the other species should happen now.” The spook said with the same conviction as one who’d memorized a script. “Make no mistake Captain, the Council does not wish for another war, especially with the Equestrians. That is why this mission is of the utmost importance. To discover if peace is an option.” The door to the room opened, but the man hesitated at the threshold, “This is a request from the Secretary-General, not an order. If you wish to decline, there will be no repercussions.” The officer concluded, yet Aurie still didn’t believe a word he said. Every Terran grew up with the old stories that warned about how mercilessly cruel the ponies had been towards the Terran race. True, a lot of things could change in three thousand years, but there were wounds that not even time could heal.

“Los Pegasus is on the other side of Equestria, on the other side from us, and past Griffonstone.” Aurie exhaled heavily, knowing that her duty demanded she accepts. “The file didn’t explain how I am going to get there?”

“We have already prepared a transport for you, along with two fighter escorts, and a detailed flight itinerary.” The man pulled another file out and passed it to Aurie. The details highlighted a super-sonic dropship with an array of PDC defenses and enough space for a dozen Marines. Alongside the transport were two air superiority craft armed to the teeth with missiles and rail guns. “As for the Griffons, don’t worry. They have no unified kingdom or military to speak of, plus we’ve already taken the liberty to…purchase their full cooperation and silence on the matter.”

“There is a lot that can go wrong with this operation. What happens if the ponies aren’t interested in peace? What if I need extraction?”

“Your escort will establish a FOB near the city, out in the undiscovered western territories, and outside the Equestrian border. One call and they can fly in with lethal force to pull you out. Of course, you will have to make a daily check-in, otherwise, they will assume the worst and will extract you by whatever measures necessary. You won’t be left behind.” He added on the last line in a tone that was forcefully optimistic.

“Any other questions?”

“Yes,” she brushed her clothes again, “why me?” The naval officer carefully considered her question for a moment.

“As you said Captain, it's been three thousand years since we’ve had contact with the Equestrians. We are taking a big risk here as, by all accounts, the Equestrians believe our species to be extinct. Any agent we send in, we can’t risk them being captured and interrogated.” The man approached her, his towering height made her feel small, but he spoke with civility to her.

“You proved yourself during the war as an extra-ordinarily powerful mage. Any attempt by the Equestrians to capture you would be very costly for them. Plus you are a patriot, betraying the homeland isn’t in your nature.” If his words were meant to invigorate her, they succeeded. It took all her willpower not to puff out her chest with pride.

“But, the Council hopes that a worst-case scenario can be avoided, that the Equestrians are amenable and willing to talk.”

“And if they aren’t?”

“Then you’ll handle it, and maybe get the chance to nuke Los Pegasus back into the primordial ooze.’ Not an unforeseen contingency since your escorts are being armed for that possibility.”

Aurie sat back down, closed her eyes, and mulled the proposition over. Only the tip-tapping of her metal legs to an unknown beat broke the silence. After a while, she leaned forward and gave the spook a harsh lour; speaking slowly and deliberately.

“I might be open to the idea, with certain assurances that are to be guaranteed in writing.”

“You will have your chance to speak to the Council and the Secretary-General before departure. Any demands on your part you can present to them at that time.” The officer rejoined Aurie at the desk, “In the meantime, I suggest you consider replacing your prosthetics with something more Terran-like.” He gave a tilted smirk, “No need to scare the Equestrians more than necessary.”

“We’ll see.” Aurie returned with a toothy smile, flashing her sharp incisors.

March 22nd, 2973 (Terran Calendar) 08:23 hours

Aurie noted the time and date on her smart tablet, just before her thumb brushed the power button and the screen went dark. Stashing the mini-computer into a hidden pocket inside her robe, she settled back into her chair as the rhythmic rocking of the subway tram threatened to sway her to sleep. The gentle sway of the tram was only broken by the occasional streak of a tunnel light as it sped past.

"Forty-seven, forty-eight..." Aurie counted each one, bored out of her mind. There were several other people in the cabin, but none of them spoke nor paid her any attention. They were all too busy listening to media through headphones or watching the morning news on their tablets.

At the count of fifty, a chime played through the tram’s speakers, announcing their arrival at the next station.

“Next stop, Fairview Junction.” an artificial male voice announced joylessly.

When the tram had come to a complete stop, Aurie approached the doors and then made her way onto the station concourse. Two flights of stairs later, she emerged into Fairview proper. The first thing she noticed was just how colorless and sterile the city was. There were bits of debris and discarded trash here and there, but it was quickly swept up by the garbage collectors.

Where it lacked in the garbage, it made up for it with the smell. The whole city had the distinct scent of body odor, sweat, and vomit. It was not surprising given the closed air systems that most all Terran cities were forced to employ; air filters could only do so much. Aurie only had to look up at the artificial sky, that disguised a concrete ceiling, to remind herself that she was in a subterranean chamber nearly a kilometer below the surface. Twelve million Terrans were all forced into cramped proximity with each other; such was the price to be paid for safety from the outside world. Yet, somehow, the Abyssians had discovered them, fracturing that illusion of safety overnight. Then came the war, and three years later she still had no idea why, or who had started it. She only knew how it had ended and the terrible cost that everyone had paid for it.

“Captain Burke?” a masculine voice suddenly spoke behind her. She swiftly turned and found herself being approached by two Marines; sergeants according to the square pin, that held a single silver chevron, on their lapels. The two of them promptly stopped and presented a clean salute to her.

“That’s me,” She, in turn, returned the salute, “I assume that you’re my escort?” She wasn't surprised to find her senses revealed that neither of the Marines was mage material. Not only did they have all of their fleshy bits intact, but they also lacked the thaumatic aura indicative of magical talent.

“Yes, Ma’am. Please follow us.” The soldiers gestured before hastily marching down an unmarked alley. They were so quick in their stride that Aurie found it difficult to physically keep up. Instead, she decided to follow them magically, by using her prosthetic legs to hover several inches above the ground and float like a ghost. The magical field caused the bottom of her dress to ripple slightly in an artificial wind.

"We were instructed to take you to the armory first. There you will be properly provisioned. After that, we’ll show you to your transport.”

Minutes later the three of them arrived at a door that lead into the back of a brick building. Both the building and the door were unremarkable, completely average in every way except for some spots of discoloration here and there. One of the sergeants peered and studied the alley for any eavesdroppers, while the other one kneeled and placed his left hand against a random brick. A brief flash of ethereal blue light revealed a biometric scanner had been built into the wall itself. A series of clicks followed and then the door had opened to reveal a reinforced plasticrete hallway.

"What are your names?" Aurie asked as the three of them proceeded towards the armory. The door automatically shut behind them with barely a sound.

"I am Sgt. Brady" The darker one said, before pointing to his lighter, and taller, partner, "and that is Sgt. Stiles."

"It's a pleasure, Ma'am," Sgt. Stiles nodded. "to work with someone as famous as you."

"Not if you ask the Abyssians." Aurie brushed her sleeves in discomfort at the compliment. "So what are your assignments?"

"We are both assigned to Bravo squad, and will be accompanying you to Los Pegasus to work on establishing the FOB; along with the members of Alpha." Stiles smiled with youthful exuberance, which Aurie found rather strange since the two of them looked to be no more than two years younger than her. It made her wonder...

"Were either of you in the War?" She felt she already knew the answer.

"No Ma'am, we missed it." Sgt. Brady looked remorseful at that fact. Aurie felt a bit of relief, even if it meant she would be going into Equestria with a couple of rookies watching her back.

"I have to imagine that the Council selected you for this." Aurie inquired, "So you must have impressed someone."

"Yes Ma'am, both of us graduated top of our class" Sgt. Stiles answered, "I'm in charge of heavy weapons and weapons maintenance, and Sgt. Brady is responsible for communications and encryption. Trust me, there is no better cryptologist than Sgt. Brady here."

"Yes Ma'am," Brady could barely contain a smile, "I don't like to brag, but you can be assured that none of your messages will be intercepted by the Equestrians and with Sgt. Stiles, you never have to worry about a weapon breaking or having a misfire."

A few hours later, Aurie was seated in the cabin of the supersonic transport. Ten Marines accompanied her, all of them tall, big, and buff; making it difficult for her not to stare longingly at them. Both Sgt. Brady and Stiles were there, strapped into their harnesses. The cabin was cramped and from here she could easily see into the cockpit as there was no separating door. Aurie was a little short for the harness and it failed to properly secure her in the chair. So she was left to fidget uncomfortably, and not just from a safety concern. The testosterone levels were heavy in the air and she was the only female on board.

Thankfully, her belongings and equipment were safely secured in an overhead compartment so there was no need to worry about falling objects, but she also didn't have easy access to a weapon. If she tried to reach for one she wondered if she might slip out of the harness and free-fall around the cabin like a bouncing ball. Would one of the Marines catch her if she did? Would they embrace her in their strong muscular arms?

"I fucking hate flying." she rubbed her temples, trying to banish the oncoming headache and the hormonal fantasies.

"Hey doll legs, when was the last time you flew coach with us ground pounders?" Another Marine asked, one Corporal Hudson if Aurie remembered correctly.

"None of your goddamn business." she groaned.

"Relax Hudson," Corporal Wierzbowski chuckled, "our tiny frustrated friend is just worried she'll slip out the harness and fall for one of us."

"That or she'll get sucked up into one of the engines." Sgt. Stiles quipped, to the laughter of the other Marines.

"When you all disappear," she growled, "no one will ever find the bodies." Despite her threats, all the men laughed and Aurie couldn't help but grin just a little bit.

Any further conversation was silenced as the engines began to spin up. The idle hum became a living pulse as the transport gave a sudden lurch upwards and began hovering above the deck. The plane then began taxing out of the hanger, rising up and up, until it crossed the threshold from the subterranean and past the planet's surface, going higher still. A moment later the transport shook as Aurie began the long journey towards Equestria.

Author's Note

A little bit of trivia for you:

Aurie is a variation of Aurelia. In Latin, it means 'the golden one." Thus the name of the first chapter.

Aurie's serial number, 2216862, is the ID tag of a mined-out asteroid in the book "The Expanse: Leviathan Wakes." The same asteroid that the Scopuli was discovered orbiting. Seriously if you haven't watched 'The Expanse' you need to clear out your calendar and binge it.

Sgt. Brady and Sgt. Stiles were inspired by Wayne Brady and Ryan Stiles, respectively, of "Whose Line," fame.

Corporal Hudson and Wierzbowski are pulled from the excellent 1986 sci-fi movie, "Aliens"

2. The Lost One

The Dark Expanse

Chapter 2. The Lost One

Despite her earlier reservations, Aurie had managed to sleep through the entire flight. Their itinerary had them pass over Griffonstone and then across the Celestial Sea. That would have brought them close to Equestria's eastern beach. Then they had diverted to the south and then circled Equestria to reach Los Pegasus, unnoticed, on the western side. It was a predicted twenty-two-hour trip, and when she awoke the transport's engines were already cold and the Marines were nearly finished unloading their equipment.

She wondered why no one had bothered to wake her, but then remembered that most Terrans were cautious of mages, and magic, as a rule. Only one in every ten thousand Terrans had the gift, and half of them were clinically insane. Thus, who would wish to tempt fate and disturb the one person who could bring down some sort of magical curse upon you? The very thought made her want to laugh, as there was no such thing as curses, yet she wouldn't argue against the Marines as she did enjoy her sleep.

Releasing her harness, she stood and stretched. Her vertebrae thanked her with several satisfying pops in return, making her sigh with delight. Reaching up, she had to pull her equipment down from the overhead storage. Placing a gray unmarked trunk, with a simple five-digit lock, on her seat.

"No one will ever know." She rotated the metal dials and then with a snap of her fingers the trunk sprang open as if it was alive. Its contents hovered out, encased in the light brown aura of Aurie's telekinetic grip.

First, she buckled a utility belt around her waist, where there was a holster for a 9mm rail pistol at her right thigh, sleeves for several extra magazines. On the left of the belt was a sleeve for a taser, and some spare batteries, since the Council had assumed that she wouldn't want to kill every pony she met. There was also a port, located at the small of her back, to attach a shotgun to the belt. Aurie examined her pistol, ensuring the safety was on before placing it into the holster along with the magazines, the taser, and the batteries. The shotgun was another matter entirely; it was a Katana model, heavy, slightly bulky, and yet had the power to stop an eight-foot dragon mid-stride. It made a satisfying sound as it folded into a compact size. She attached the shotgun to the magnetic port on her back. The weight of the weapon threw her center of gravity off for a split moment. After physically correcting herself, she found that the weight of the shotgun was a comforting, and reassuring, sensation.

Aurie briefly wondered if she was overdoing it on the firepower. The concern was quickly dismissed as it was often taught to be over-prepared than to be found lacking. After all, she would soon find herself easily outnumbered several million to one. Los Pegasus was a massive metroplex, and she was going in blind. Somehow it made her feel even more alone than she'd ever been before.

Aurie's trunk also contained a pouch of Equestrian bits that had been lifted off of 'disappeared' ponies. She didn't know much about Equestrian money but figured there was, at least, several thousand Terran dollars worth of gold coins in there. Lastly, there was a large backpack that was filled with everyday items; food, water, a first aid kit, purification tablets, emergency flares, a radio, extra pairs of clothes, toiletries, and more. There were even contraceptives in the pack, which had caused her to do a double-take. Maybe the council had foreseen the need for her to seduce a pony for information, perhaps. That was the only logical explanation her sane mind dared entertain.

Strangely she also had felt the need to pat her chest, feeling for where her mini-computer was stashed away in its hidden pocket.

Emerging from the transport she saw that they had landed in a large grassy clearing outside of the White Tail Woods; as the ponies had named it. One of the fighter escorts had touched down close by, and the pilot was having an involved discussion with one of the Marines. The powerful hum of the other fighter's engine punctuated the air as its sleek, black profile flew overhead, banked, and continued its patrol around the perimeter. The sunlight seemed to fade as the fighter's stealth composites absorbed the photons around it. Aurie tracked the fighter for a while, wondering why the jets reminded her of a reverse Y, with their wings placed at the back and angled forwards. It must have had something to do with aerodynamics, but she was not a scientist or an engineer.

Turning away from the fighter, Aurie had to inspect the FOB next. The site had already been cleared of any noticeable hazards such as large rocks, poisonous flora, aggressive animals, and the like. Still, calling it a base was being overly generous, it was more of an impromptu campsite. There were several large tents for sleeping, a lone Marine was digging a latrine hole, there was also a mess tent, and a triage unit with corporal Wierzbowski as the attending medic. The most notable landmark was the slipshod building made of recycled wood pulp panels that had been erected in the center of the camp. The large antenna placed on the roof was the clue that the building was intended to act as the headquarters and a central communications hub.

So it was their only direct line back to civilization.

Aurie took a deep breath, she knew she was stalling for time. She didn't want to go to Los Pegasus, and she didn't want to talk to the ponies. The Marines had their orders, and she had hers. Without speaking a word she began the long trek to the city of Los Pegasus. While she couldn't see the city through the trees, she was able to observe the flashing neon lights of the casinos and carnival rides reflected by the clouds. Every so often there was also the pop-pop-pop of a fireworks display that colored the sky.

As she made her way south towards the city of sin, she looked all around herself. It was an attempt to try to get a sense of her location. She knew that further to the west there were the undiscovered lands, where no Terran had ever ventured before. To the north, the snowy peaks of the Smokey Mountains broke the horizon. To the east, there was nothing but hundreds of kilometers of open land and train tracks that led to a village that must have had the worst name she'd ever heard of; Ponyville.

To her unending disappointment, Aurie had discovered that entering Los Pegasus was not a simple affair. It turned out that there was a massive line of non-Equestrians that also desired to make their way into the Metroplex. Ponies got a free pass, but everyone else had to be checked and registered with the Equestrian Royal Guard. There were around twenty guards responsible for processing the various non-equine races, and each guard was an identical copy cut from the same template. The same white coat, the same golden armor, the same upside-down loo brush on their stupid golden helmets.

Aurie couldn't help but groan in frustration, stepping into the queue, while wiping the sweat from her forehead. Checking her mini-computer revealed that it was already an hour past noon, and the ambient temperature had climbed into the low eighties, with the humidity adding an extra ten degrees. Strangely none of the ponies that walked by seemed bothered by the heat, and as the minutes ticked by the line slowly crawled forward.

The worst part was the noise, dear god, the noise. Living in a subterranean city the earth tended to carry and amplify every sound. Terrans had been taught to keep their voices in check out of politeness. Though, realistically, it was the fear of possibly being discovered by the outside world that silenced them. Out here there were no restrictions, hundreds of different conversations, all of them happening at once. Aurie clutched her hands over her ears, closed her eyes, and tried to will it all away. Even the engines on her escort hadn't been this overbearing.

With her eyes closed, she hadn't been paying attention to where she was going. Not until she accidentally walked into a solid wall covered in fur. A wall of fur that had a clean-cut mohawk on its head and a pair of sharp horns that looked ready to gore any opponent foolish enough to challenge them. Aurie realized that she had just face-planed into a minotaur. He stood at an incredible seven-foot and five, with chiseled arms that had muscles upon muscles for days. She felt the heat color her cheeks with a rosy blush.

"Excuse me." Aurie apologized as the minotaur turned around.

"If someone tries to knock, show them that you rock!" the minotaur exclaimed loudly while flexing his mighty arms. Suddenly he froze in place, his small eyes opening wide as he regarded Aurie with shock and awe.

"Do Iron Will's eyes deceive him, but might you be a Terran?" He assumed a more relaxed posture before reaching his hand out to her, which Aurie eagerly clasped and they both shook.

"You've heard of us?"

"Iron Will knows of your kind, as all minotaurs do." he gave a sad smile. "We mourned your kind's passing, but Iron Will is relieved to know that you still live after all these many moons." Aurie was at a loss for words, the only thing she could manage was...

"Thank you."

Author's Note

Trivia (or useless information that you don't care about):

Originally, I wanted to commission Starscribe to write this story for me because she is an incredibly talented writer. Far better than I am. Since I lacked the funds to do It, so I find myself writing it.

Please give Starscribe some love and support: https://www.fimfiction.net/user/173490/Starscribe

3. The Insane One (rev. Apr 20, 22)

The Dark Expanse.

The Insane One.

"My name is Aurelia Burke, call me Aurie." She happily shook the Minotaur's hand, grimacing as she felt her fingers being crushed in his vice-like grip. She reciprocated with every ounce of strength that she could muster.

"Iron Will, at your service." he returned with a slight bow, and a knowing smirk as his hand was being crushed under the Terran's death grip. Eventually, they had to end it, and Iron Will emerged the victor as Aurie had to cuddle her aching hand under her armpit.

"Fuck you." she cursed him; there was no malice, just humor in her eyes. The Minotaur answered with a deep and hearty laugh that shook the very earth.

"Iron Will is intrigued," he wiggled his eyebrows, "but it is unwise to tempt him. He is curious at what brings a Terran out here, and after so long?"

"I don't know what you want me to say." Aurie shrugged, "My whole life I was taught that we were on our own. That no one cared about us."

"Iron Will disagrees, the scholars say that Minotaurs and Terrans share branches of the same family." He then snorted, "Iron Will doubts that but it does not change the fact that Minotaur tales are filled with Minotaur-Terran friendships. Even if no Terran remembers them."

"Honestly, I've been all over the world." she lied, "and I've never heard about anything like that before. I've read all sorts of stories, tried new things, collected souvenirs because they're shiny and I can't help but hoard everything I can". She had to stifle a school-girl giggle, she couldn't stop staring at those muscles.

"Mostly I just make a nuisance of myself."

"Then Aurie and Iron Will share a lot in common. He has also traveled the world far and wide." He emphasized this by trailing his hand over the horizon, "Assertiveness classes, cooking tutorials, do-it-yourself workshops, ship rides, air tours with pony royalty; if it can be done, Iron Will has done it."

"You're a jack of all trades, then."

"Iron Will knows he is."

"That's impressive. Wish I could've done all that," a sigh, "but right now I just want to get into the city and find someplace to settle in. It's been a long trip."

"Iron Will understands, and he knows of a coffee shop on Dalerun Avenue." He pointed into the city center, "Iron Will would be honored if Aurie would join him for lunch at noon tomorrow."

"Ehh...," Aurie stumbled on how to respond, feeling that the blood had rushed back into her face. She wanted to accept the offer but was also afraid of what it might lead to. Her mission gave her a window of two weeks in Los Pegasus. A mere fourteen days to gather what information she could on the ponies and then run. While banging a Minotaur could be fun, it would only make her job harder in the long run. She then reconsidered as Iron Will was clearly educated and possibly well connected. There was a good chance he might prove to be an excellent source of insight into Equestrian culture, possibly even their defenses.

"I'll be there."

She gave herself a light slap on the cheek, to recenter her focus on the job ahead. The sun was already beginning to go down by the time she'd passed through Los Pegasus customs. Seemed government bureaucracy was the same everywhere; slow, unhelpful, non-commital, and just a massive pain. While the guards at the desk hadn't asked about her species, their confused faces said that they had no clue what she was. Their repulsed glances at her leg prosthetics showed that they wanted to turn her away, but had no legal standing to do so since to since she hadn't done anything illegal.

Yet.

They just handed her a pile of documents to fill out with a quill and ink. The forms had the usual array of questions such as name, birthdate, address, and so on. But also had sections asking her about how long she wanted to stay, if she was coming for work, did she have diplomatic clearance, did she have family here, any known medical conditions, and so forth. Then it came to the area where they wanted her to indicate if she had a cutie mark and then illustrate it. Aurie was tempted to respond with something obscene.

Thinking about it she felt the payout wasn't worth the effort and simply filled in the box for no cutie mark.

"Don't do anything we wouldn't do." the last guard had said to her as he handed her a temporary visitor's pass. Again Aurie had to bite back a scathing remark as antagonizing security would have been counter-productive. There was just something so punchable about the guard's faces.

She walked out of the immigration office and nearly tripped over a young colt that had been standing at the street corner. He'd been waving a newspaper around in front of a stall selling all sorts of books, magazines, and pamphlets for the tourist crowd. After she had apologized, Aurie pulled out several bits and promptly bought the newspaper from the colt; giving him a friendly smile. Then had done the same for a dozen magazines.

One had a white unicorn on the cover, whipping her permed purple mane around and giving a 'come hither' stare; it was a fashion magazine. Another had a blond maned stallion, in a chef's outfit, screaming obscenities at some poor lackey. She didn't need to read the title to know it was a periodical dedicated to cooking. Aurie just stashed all of them in her bag with the newspaper. She didn't care about what the ponies wrote; that was a matter best left to the big brains back home to decipher and catalog.

In the light of early evening, the sun had painted everything in an otherworldly orange tint. The hum of neon lights switching on heralded the awakening nightlife.

Los Pegasus was an amazing city, she'd never seen anything like it. Terrans had the advantage technologically, but the ponies had an eye for aesthetics and large-scale engineering. The city was comprised of two massive halves; the ground was where most of the stores, inns, and average public life were found. Then there were the rides, coasters, carnivals, arcades, zoos, and conventions centers that had been built atop a playground of clouds. If you weren't a pegasus, you had to either rent your balloon or take the public skyhook up.

She had also noticed the smell and wondered how the air could be so clean and fresh. It smelled like newly cut grass, despite it being more crowded than any Terran city.

There were the cries of delight from the carnival rides, merchants peddling their products, the bang and clang of the games, hundreds of conversations, and the sheer number of hooves pounding the pavement. The noise was overwhelming and she had to retreat out of fear she might go deaf. Several ponies gave her concerned looks as she blindly sprinted from the main roads. Somehow having managed to find her way deep into the bowels of the metroplex.

The sun was now below the horizon, if she didn't want to sleep on the streets she had to find shelter now. The cheap incandescent light of a building advertising itself as the "Heart O' The City Hotel," blinked sporadically. It was a grimy, roach-infested, crap-hole that smelled of too much bleach and bodily fluids. Five ponies lounged in the hotel's reception, minding their own business and not paying her any mind.

"I want your cheapest room," Aurie walked right up to the clerk's desk and announced herself. She hadn't bothered with a proper greeting as the dirty brown stallion behind the counter gave her a look that could curdle milk. He was the tallest pony she'd seen so far, mare or stallion, standing at four and five. Which meant she had a superior height of six inches over him, not that he had seemed to notice or care.

"Room 103," he spoke plainly, and placed a key in front of her, "assuming you don't mind two roommates."

"I don't."

"Private bathrooms are extra," he then pointed down an unlit hallway, save for the flash of a malfunctioning lightbulb, "the common latrine is down that way. Checkout is at eleven in the morning and we do not do breakfast. Full payment is to be upfront, and don't bother to ask about credit." Only when Aurie slapped down the appropriate payment, did the stallion relax, if only slightly.

"Any other questions?"

"Nope." she took the key and left without another word. It would have been possible, easy even, to find a more pleasant hostel than this, but a place like this had the twin advantage of being cheap and being out of sight.

Room 103 was fairly spacious for a place that should have been condemned years ago. Somehow it reminded her of a little bit of home. Space in the underground was tightly controlled and a group of four bunked Terrans would either be extremely lucky or very rich, to find something comparable to this. That was the only advantage the room had; there were cobwebs in the corners, an inch of filth seemed to cover everything, and her bed had some very suspicious stains on it that were either blood or urine from a very dehydrated creature.

She just assumed someone had spilled fruit juice on it.

It was easier to ignore it.

Her two roommates, both earth-pony mares, were sharing the same bed, cuddled against each other. Aurie didn't want to disturb them, so she carefully slid her large backpack under her bed, hiding the shotgun under it. She then inspected her pistol and realized she had loaded it but hadn't chambered the first round.

Click

And then she put it back into the holster; then and laid herself down upon the bed.

She had to check the time on her tablet and found it had only been twenty minutes. Aurie was bloody bored and considered messing with the two mares that had already woken up. The two of them just stuck to their corners and were quietly whispering to each other. Not hiding the fact that they'd been talking about the strange creature in their presence. With particular emphasis on her prosthetic legs. Aurie obliged by stretching herself causing several of her joints to pop, but also caused her dress to roll up slightly past her knees. Exposing the artificial knee joints to the mares who recoiled in horror at the sight.

Aurie quietly observed this with a silent chuckle. Her playtime came to a halt as someone knocked on the bedroom door. A stallion dressed in a fine pin-strips suit and a fedora hat strutted into the room without any further announcement.

"Welcome, welcome to Los Pegasus," the suit sporting stud warmly greeted, but with an air of malice "I don't recognize any of you, and you probably don't know who I am; it's alright if you don't." He then removed his hat and turned it upside down. "But I've come on behalf of the local...community awareness foundation, and we have a new service to offer you; accident protection insurance." he gave a look of concern, "Los Pegasus is a dangerous place, you never know what'll happen."

"But," the mare with a peach coat, and a lime green mane, protested while drawing her partner into a tight embrace, "we paid the guards before coming into the city."

"That one was for entry, this is new insurance. Pay only if you want to, nopony will force you. But you never know what might happen in the future, and in this part of the city there aren't many Royal Guards around." He held his hat out and eagerly awaited their payment.

The two terrified mares shared a look, one that showed they were beaten and there was no point in resisting. For a moment Aurie couldn't help but feel a spark of sympathy for them. Even though they were the enemy, they were just civilians caught under the heel of a very shady organization.

"I remember this one time I was ambushed by a couple of cats." Aurie began to speak, not caring if anyone in the room was paying attention. But she knew they were as their heads turned towards her "The two of them were pitch black and had managed to sneak deep into my home city; a suicide mission to take me out. So I was cornered in this hallway, right next door to this big-ass reactor, with a sabotaged coolant pipe. They wanted to trap me there, and that coolant shit is radioactive as fuck. If it gets on your skin you should be alright, assuming you can wash it off immediately...," she pantomimed running a bar of soap up her torso and over her breasts. "yeah, you'll mostly be alright."

"What are you talking about?" The mobster nearly dropped his hat. Seemingly unable to mentally process what the strange creature was saying to him.

"Problem is, as soon as that shit hits the air it aerosolizes. If you breathe it in it'll melt you from the inside. Thankfully you'll drown in your own fluids before realizing your squeezing blood out of places you didn't know you had."

"Sounds terrible." the pony rolled his eyes, and still took several steps back from the girl, while the two mares looked to be on the verge of vomiting.

"I had to sprint a hundred yards to reach an emergency station, strap a mask on, all the while fighting off the cats that wanted me dead in the worst possible way." Aurie pushed herself off the bed and turned to look at her captive audience. The two mares made a valiant attempt to merge with the wall, while the mobster had nearly retreated out the door.

"I learned an important lesson that day; two, in fact. That radiation makes spell weaving a bitch and that coolant mist clings to cat fur like a fly on stink." Aurie then frowned severely, and shuddered "Good thing I wasn't the one who had to clean up that mess afterward."

"So?" The mobster made a gesture as if signaling for reinforcements.

"So," Aurie stood from the bed and bore down on the stallion. Not once displaying an ounce of fear or hesitation. "If I can survive all that, what are the odds any 'accident' you throw at me will?"

"Is there a problem?" said the stallion from the reception desk, unsure of what was going on.

"I was just telling our friend here," she pointed at the male with the expensive suit, "that no one in this room is paying for anything, and the two of you can suck it and take your bullshit elsewhere."

Several minutes after the two stallions had beat a hasty retreat, Aurie was still facing the door with her back to the two mares. She pulled out her pistol and double-checked that it was loaded and the safety was off.

"You didn't have to do that." the peach mare said, "Now they'll come for us, and you as well." She'd started to shake and her partner couldn't stop it cause she was also quaking in terror.

"Yup." Aurie droned as she opened the door out of the room.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to the bathroom, maybe grab some dinner in the meantime."

"But...but, you'll never make it out of here, they're going to get you."

"Exactly, that's what I want them to do."

Aurie walked into the public restroom and saw it was a unisex room. She wondered if it was because there wasn't enough space for two restrooms or the ponies didn't care about separating the genders. She risked a peek inside and then had immediate regret. There were three stallions in there displaying things she didn't want to see nor did she want to know what they'd been up to. She placed her hands on the side of her face, like blinders, and focused on the flow of water and soap flowing down the drain. Then spotted that there was a door that had a wooden exit sign above it. Indeed the door had led outside.

There was dirt and trash everywhere, but what stood out the most was a large shipping crate made out of wood. It had been placed on its side with rusty nails still poking out from where the top had been. There was a moth-eaten sleeping bag inside, alongside many empty food containers, several crushed juice boxes, and a mason jar that was being used as an improvised urinal.

There was no sign of whoever was using the crate as a home.

Aurie just stood there, tapping her tipped prosthetics in time with the seconds, both out of impatience and to also signal of her presence. Mentally she'd checked out until something interesting happened, or she just called the whole affair off.

A few minutes later she wasn't disappointed.

The suit stallion was there along with three other ponies that she recognized from the hotel lobby. Two earth-ponies, a pegasus, and a unicorn had blocked her way out of the alley, and they were pissed.

"Why did you interfere?" Mr. pinstripe asked with genuine curiosity, "They were gonna pay, but you just had to make all our lives harder." The four ponies approached several steps, "What even are you?"

"Perhaps what I am is not what you should be concerned about."

"It makes no difference to us, we'll carve the money out of your hide anyway."

"You're free to try, but you see;" she took a step forward, "I have no love for ponies, but I know your kind. Your dick gets hard when you can take advantage of those beneath you, and I hate you even more for it."

The mobster then lunged at her, drawing a switchblade from a hidden pocket. He made a thrust at her stomach, but Aurie easily sidestepped the lethal blow. Then grabbed the earth stallion by the hoof, and shattered his leg over the top of the crate.

She felt the magic pulse down her veins and into her fingertips as she cast a wind spell that launched the other earth-pony into the air. Aurie then followed up with a second blast of magical wind that buried that same pony right back into the ground.

The pavement cratered under the impact.

The Unicorn ignited her horn and tried to sweep the Terran's legs out from under her. The bipedal mage simply canceled out the attack with a quick barrier spell. Then reached out with her telekinetic grip, and seized the pony by the throat. Aurelia's fist clenched and then twisted; the pony's neck gave a sickening crunch as the mare's head rotated at an unnatural angle.

The corpse was then smashed against the wall.

The fight was now down to just one Terran and one Pony pegasus. The pony's muzzle was twisted in abject terror as his flight response kicked in and he tried to fly away. The iron sights of Aurie's pistol were lined up before she'd realized what she'd done. With a pull of the trigger, a split-second hum of a capacitor discharging, a metal slug popped the pegasus' head like an overripe cherry, leaving the body to drop like wet cement.

Then there was silence, a silence as profound as when the whale swallowed Jonah.

Only to then be broken by the ping of a glass bottle falling over.

Aurie turned, gun held at the ready as she looked for the source of the disturbance. The gun's capacitor charged for another shot. Only she was greeted by a small filly that had stuck her head out from behind the wooden crate. The tiny child was shivering, her large golden eyes reflecting the horror that she'd witnessed as she stared down the barrel of the Terran's gun. Aurie had to blink in surprise at the undersized equine. The foal had dark gray fur with a mane of midnight blue. She couldn't have been more than a foot-and-a-half tall, emaciated, and (Aurie couldn't judge ages) the foal must have been only ten or nine years old. That wasn't even the strangest thing about the filly, her eyes were slit like a cat's, or a dragon's, and she had a pair of leathery wings like a bat.

The mage's finger danced over the trigger, the filly was a witness and Aurie didn't know any mind spells that would have allowed her to erase memories. A dark corner of her mind said it would be best if she ended the little pony right then and there. A single shot, a fleeting moment of regret, but the problem would have been solved. A cleaner approach would be grabbing the pony, a twist, and the snap of the spine. After all, the homeless child meant nothing to her or anyone, but Aurie found herself hesitating.

Then the more rational part of her argued that even if the pony went straight to the police, or to the Royal Guards, who'd believe her. So, Aurie lowered her weapon and placed a single finger on her lips.

"Shhhhh..."

The filly seemed to understand and gave a submissive nod.

Aurelia left the bodies where they laid, hovering herself over them to avoid getting blood on her clothes. At the door, the one that crossed into the inn's bathroom, she gave one more sweep for any other witnesses that might be hiding in the dark corners. Seeing no one, other than the bat filly, Aurie returned herself to her room and to her bed.

The two mares that had shared her room were nowhere to be found.

As for what she'd done, Aurie felt no remorse. She didn't feel much of anything as she succumbed to a dreamless sleep.

Author's Note

When it comes to magic, Only one in every ten thousand Terrans has the gift, and half of them are clinically insane So what do you think that says about Aurie?

I know that if you happen to be a pony, she is not your friend.

I think I've written around thirteen, fanfics in my life. The Teen Titans "Half-Life" and "Trigon Apotheosis' are the ones I'm most proud of.
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1846388/1/Half-Life (Super original title, please hold your applause. This was back in 2005.)
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2284329/1/Trigon-Apotheosis

It all comes down to the little details, I've been accused of being too long-winded or focusing on things that don't seem to matter. I do it cause I want the world I'm writing about to pop out and feel alive. To find those things that some authors overlook.

With that said, this is the first story where I've given the characters overt sexual motivators. There will be no clop, never ever, nor anything of a gross and disturbing nature. But please warn me if I take it beyond a Teen rating.

4. The Curious One

The Dark Expanse

The Curious One

The next day

Dalerun Avenue wasn't a singular street, rather it was a quaint commercial district, at ground level, and near the heart of Los Pegasus. The area was clean, well maintained, and a very popular tourist stop. There were many restaurants here alongside curio shops, designer outlets, barbershops, and everything else one could hope to find, so long as you knew where to find it. To that end, there were pedestals with easy-to-follow maps placed at strategic locations. Dalerun Avenue, whether by accident or design, also acted as a border between an expansive suburban neighborhood and a wealthy, gated, community.

It was also full of noise, the multitude of conversations, the stampede of countless hooves stomping the pavement, and the shouts of playing foals; it made Aurie have to cover her ears. The auditory overload dragged her back to a dark place and it took a lot of willpower to not lash out at imaginary threats.

As she wove her way through the streets she stuck to the margins, hovering above the pavement as it was faster and quieter than physically walking. Her magic caused a slight rippling effect on the bottom of her dress. She could feel the stares of ponies and other creatures she passed them. Most just regarded her with curiosity, some with concern at her obvious distress, and a few scrambled to get out of her way. Aurie watched them closely, as much as the situation put her on edge, her mission was to openly expose herself and gauge the Equestrian's reactions accordingly.

Eventually, she arrived at her destination, a small building that had a sign out front that showed a smiling pony, in a beret, holding two overly large coffee beans between their hooves. 'Prench Press,' was the name of the coffee shop, the one where she'd agreed to meet Iron Will for a cup and some conversation.

Inside, the first thing she noticed was the rich smell of mocha and almonds mixed with freshly baked pies and other confectionaries. Gentle music played from a gramophone placed on the cashier's counter which was situated in the back left of the shop, three chalkboards listed the various drinks and foods next to their prices. Perpendicular to the counter were glass displays of various cakes, pies, muffins, bagels, and more that went all the front of the store. To the right of the shop was the dining area with enough tables and chairs to seat around thirty-two individuals.

It was about an hour before noon and appeared the lunch rush hadn't yet begun, so Iron Will was the only one who was seated. The circular table of polished wood seemed woefully undersized next to his massive bulk. While Aurie was pleased to see him again, the large minotaur failed to spark the same kind of embarrassing feelings she'd felt at their first meeting. Maybe it had been the heat, or the shock at meeting a seemingly friendly species that had made her feel like a hormonal teenager. Whatever it had been it was gone now, though she still found herself admiring those big muscular arms.

"Aurie," The bull bellowed and beckoned her over, "Iron Will is mighty pleased to see you again, my friend."

With a smile, the mage floated over to his table, reached out, and shook his hand. The exchange was a lot more gentle this time. "Iron Will, thanks for inviting me." She then lifted her dress slightly to comfortably take a seat, tucking her legs underneath the chair.

"Bonjour dearies," a middle-aged mare suddenly appeared next to their table, speaking in an accent that Aurie was unfamiliar with. The blue-furred pegasus was wearing a beret, just like the mare on the sign, on top of her greying walnut brown mane and an apron around her barrel. She also was using her primaries to carry a notepad in one wing and a pencil in the other. "I'm Café Français and I'll be your waitress today. Have you already decided or would you like a little more time dearies?"

"Iron Will will have a large hazelnut coffee with two sugar and cream. Then add a slice of your finest lemon meringue pie and he will be satisfied."

"Très bien," Café wrote it down, "et toi?"

Aurie had no idea what the mare was saying, but the context seemed clear. So the Terran leaned back a bit to look at the chalkboard menu. None of the food items made sense either, she'd never heard of any of them, let alone tried them, except for the coffee.

"Oh, um, I'll just have my coffee straight, uh, hazelnut sounds good, and I think I'll try the...the qui-chee?"

"It's pronounced kēsh, my dear." the smiling pegasus corrected while writing the order down. "Alrighty, I'll return en une seconde rapide." As the mare trotted off to the pastry display, Aurie turned back to Iron Will.

"So Mr. Will, what do you think of Los Pegasus?"

"No Mister, Iron Will is Iron Will," he pounded a fist against his chest, "and Iron Will loves the sights and sounds of a big city. Many business opportunities." He then leaned forward in a conspiratorial fashion. "Truth be told, Iron Will also enjoys the company of ponies, but he does find them to be rather squishy and in dire need to be more assertive; unlike a certain Terran."

"What do you mean?"

"A handshake can tell you much about the creature you are dealing with. Iron Will saw Aurie's strong grip as a welcomed change and the mark of a creature that is assertive and not afraid of danger."

"Very perceptive, I've seen plenty of danger, nearly died more times than I could count." Aurie felt several unpleasant memories wash over her. She brushed a strand of hair aside and dismissed the dark thoughts. "I am curious though, you mentioned before that minotaurs had socialized with Terrans before, but I’ve never heard such stories before until yesterday."

The large bull played with one of his ears, deep in thought.

"Iron Will confesses that he may have exaggerated a bit when he first met Aurie. When Iron Will was a little bull he enjoyed many a tale about myths and legends. The stories about Terrans were his favorite. Iron Will never thought that any of the stories were true until he met Aurie."

"Oh? What kind of stories?" she started to lean forward.

"Many strange tales, Iron Will doubts Aurie would want to hear them, and they probably aren't true."

"I do want to hear them. I need to hear them so I can tell the others." The Terran rested her elbows on the table, and placed her chin on her woven fingers, "Don't lead me on and then refuse to elaborate. My people have been isolated from the rest of the world for a long time we need to know what the world thinks of us." The bull had an unsure expression, but she insisted. "Please."

"Very well," he cleared his throat before whispering to her, "The tales never told Iron Will where Terrans had come from and there is a lot of disagreement between them. Some tales that say Terrans used to live in Equestria, in the east, where the pony cities of Baltimare and Fillydelphia now reside. That Terrans lived in harmony with all races. Other stories say Terrans appeared from the Everfree Forest suddenly, and that Terrans were ruthless predators that killed for food and sport." He paused for a moment to gauge Aurie's reaction but she remained neutral.

"The legends also told Iron Will that Terrans were magicless creatures, but Iron Will knows that isn't true since he saw Aurie using magic to float over here." she gave a nod to his observation. "As to the fate of your people Iron Will heard that Terrans grew jealous of the Pony's magics and tried to take it for themselves. Other stories say that Terrans were hunted down by the other races because the blood of a Terran was believed to cure all diseases and," the bull broke into a cheeky grin, "even grant immortality to the one who drank of it." Aurie frowned deeply at that tidbit, her hands itched for a defensive spell, yet she didn't move a muscle.

"Iron Will knows of even more tall tales, but one thing they all agree on was that Ponies and Terrans went to war with each other and that the Terrans were wiped out."

"Well as you can see," Aurie snorted, "we are very much alive and that war did happen. Nearly three thousand years ago too. The motivations behind the why and where have long since been forgotten, but we remember that it was the Ponies who attacked first." She then looked out a window at the large crowd of ponies outside, "but it seems that the ponies have completely forgotten about all of it. Some are curious about me, a few are jumpy, but I can see that they have no clue who or what I am."

"Iron Will is not surprised, it is not in Pony nature to dwell upon the unpleasant memories of the past." He shook his head, "A mistake in Iron Will's eyes. The only Ponies who would remember would be the former Princesses Celestia and Luna."

"Former princesses?"

"The sister princesses are retired now and no creature knows where they are."

The two of them grew quiet as Café Français returned. The mare placed their order down on the table and gave a pleasant smile as she left them to their lunch.

The taste of the black brew tingled on her tongue. She'd always taken her coffee black, sometimes with a shot of brandy to smooth out the bitter taste, but this one had a taste that was both smooth and pleasant. The hazelnut was pleasant, but something in her brain identified a hint of peanut as well, and she couldn't figure out why.

After a generous swallow she put the cup down as the relaxing sensation of warmth spread from her stomach and she relaxed back in her chair. As Iron Will devoured his slice of pie several ponies had begun to shuffle into the coffee shop. The mage listened intently to their conversations. It all seemed to be small talk and gossip about a little bit of everything and nothing at the same time; frivolous and inconsequential. Which celebrity was in a relationship, current fashion trends, who was the voted the sexiest bachelor, music tastes, and on it went.

It didn't change the fact it everything she could learn about the ponies might be useful someday. Even rumors and tall tales gave some insight into how these creatures thought and behaved. Even if she couldn't confirm everything they said.

Aurie and Iron Will chatted for a while longer about life in the city and she even shared with him some details about Terran life, avoiding the more sensitive matters behind her mission or anything concerning Terran technology. More than once she had to deflect the minotaur's inquiry as to the location of the Underground. Once their meals were finished they said their goodbyes and left the café; agreeing to meet again in a couple days.

Aurie rapidly made her way back to her new room at a hotel called the 'Mareiott.' Locking the door to her room she pulled out her tablet computer and had begun typing her report of everything she'd learned that morning. Every detail no matter how insignificant was saved. Having checked her notes several times till she was satisfied she then transmitted a copy to the FOB receiver. The Marines there would then archive it and at the end of the first week, one of the interceptors would make the long flight back to the Underground and transmit the full data package for the big brains to ponder.

Two days later.
Three days till week's end.

Officer Cookie Crisp was not having a good day. Funny that since police work was not a career choice one went into expecting fun and happy times. Then again it wasn't every day she had to be called in for a multiple homicide case on her day off. But, she was the unicorn specialist on call for crimes involving the deadly use of offensive magics. So, there had been no alternative except to drag herself out of bed. The brown unicorn, with a chocolate-colored mane, had quickly dressed in her regulation blues, put on her officers cap, and headed out.

Her department had received the report that morning about a situation unfolding in one of the poorest districts of Los Pegasus. A district well known for its high crime rate and for its distaste for any kind of law enforcement. The only thing more hated than the police was the Royal Guard. So it was a rule of the hoof to avoid that area entirely unless absolutely necessary.

Officer Crisp's slender pegasus partner, Officer Ten Penny, was already on the scene. His ability to skip the morning rush by simply flying over it was something she was rather jealous of. Sure, as a unicorn, Officer Crisp could technically teleport there, but it went against department policy as it could contaminate the crime scene. The idea also kind of freaked blinking out of and back into existence kind of freaked her out anyway, though she would never admit it.

Officer Penny was accompanied by two other detectives from Homicide, another pegasus, and an earth-pony, that had cordoned off the area while taking notes and marking evidence. There was also a member of the paparazzi that had tagged along; taking pictures while constantly finding some way to be a nuisance. Officer Crisp immediately forgot about the reporter when she spotted the four dead ponies. There were two earth ponies, a pegasus, and a unicorn, white chalk outlines had already been traced around them.

Officer Crisp immediately recognized the one in the pin-stripe suit as she had arrested him before. His name was Al Dente, a convicted criminal that had a reputation for the crimes of blackmail, perjury, drugs, bribery, and foal smuggling. He was also suspected of murder, but the charge had been unable to stick to him. Not much was known about the stallion's personal life, but it had been rumored that he had ties to the Flim Flam brothers; the twin tycoons that practically owned Los Pegasus.

Officer Crisp wasn't going to lose any sleep over his untimely demise. A part of her even wanted to thank whoever had managed the punch the scum-suckers ticket. While she didn't want to have to investigate the death of some trash thug, her involvement proved to be the right call as her sensitive horn was able to hone in on the residual thaumatological energy in the area.

"What do you think?" Officer Crisp inquired.

"Messy." The copper-hued pegasus quipped, much to the annoyance of his partner, "A quadruple homicide is highly unusual even in this part of the city." He flipped through a few pages in a notebook he carried, "We've already identified all of the victims and they are all known criminals with extensive rap sheets. Seems like some pony was cleaning house."

Officer Crisp's eyes drank in the entire scene, "I can defiantly sense some residual thaumatic energy in the air, but based upon the state of decay," she then sniffed the air and felt a little bile rise in the back of her throat, "and the stench the bodies are at least three days old." By this point, the rats and other nightly scavengers had set upon the bodies and had eaten chunks out of them.

"Not enough energy left to identify the perp I'd imagine?" the pegasus asked, disappointed. Crisp shook her head.

"After this much time, it'll be nearly impossible to identify the killer based on their thaumaturgical aura alone." She closed her eyes for a moment and concentrated on what energy remained, "They are an expert caster though, the size of the residual aura says they have fine field control, a novice would have left a lot of wasted energy all over the place, easier to identify that way." The unicorn felt there was something else that was wrong with the leftover magic. It felt different, not pony-like, something she'd never experienced before.

"Hmm,... Ten Penny have you noticed how much of the area hasn't been disturbed. Here," she indicated the body lying in the depression, "and here," she pointed to the spot where another pony had been slammed into the wall. "This is where the thaumatic residue is thickest. The two of them were killed by magic and their hoof prints showed that they had walked in, not galloped. So it appears that the attack happened very quickly, and apart from the pegasus," she waved at the nearly headless body, "they didn't have much time to react. And yet...,"

"Something else?" Penny took notes as he listened.

"The pegasus wasn't killed by magic, but I have no idea what weapon could cause damage like this. It's like his head exploded from the inside. Finally, there is Mr. Al Dente here," she walked over to the late pin-suited stud, "His leg here, the broken one, you can see the bruise just above the hoof, where the fur is thinnest. The bruising wraps around the leg and the shape suggests that the perp has hands. There are no lacerations, which suggest a minotaur or a dragon with a manicure had grabbed him."

"Tch." Officer Penny's pencil stopped as he scoffed, "Really? A manicure?" The unicorn merely rolled her eyes.

"Yes, it's a real thing."

"If you say so, but this doesn't make any sense. Minotaurs and dragons have the strength and the hands, yes, but they don't have magic. Yet, we have clear proof that magic was used to a deadly degree. So, we might be looking at two, or more, perps here."

"Yes, that makes sense." Crisp nodded, "The question is are we looking at a case of self-defense or a rival gang hit."

"Even if it was self-defense, the perps clearly used excessive force, so I'm betting it was a rival gang." The stallion tapped his pencil lead against his notepad.

"True, but what I don't see here are the hoof prints of the perps responsible." The two officers surveyed the scene again.

"Over here." Penny pointed to an overturned wooden crate. "There are some hoof prints here, but they come from behind the crate, and based on their size I'd say they belonged to a small foal and the stride shows they made a straight gallop out of the alley."

"Not the perps, a witness perhaps?" Crisp looked over the trash in the crate but found nothing of note. "Other than the foal's tracks there is nothing here to indicate who our perps could be. But if they used physical force then they would've had to get in close, but there are no prints." she scratched her head in confusion.

"It would appear we've got quite the mystery on our hooves." Penny jotted down the information.

"Any witnesses in the hotel next door?"

"Negative, the place was deserted when we went in. We searched that place top to bottom. No personal items left behind, not even a record of tenants."

"So, whatever happened clearly spooked everypony inside. Well, without witnesses, hoofprints, and little useable thaumaturgical evidence we have to hope the physical evidence is enough to compile a list of suspects otherwise we've pretty much hit a dead end here."

"It would seem that way." Penny started to shuffle a little uneasily, "We do have fur and mane samples from the crate that don't match up to any of the bodies. Plus, a jar that was used as a makeshift latrine and saliva samples on the juice boxes. Once forensics processes them, I'll run it down by Foal Protective Services, maybe find a match and the identity of our little witness."

"Assuming they even saw anything or are even still alive." Crisp then turned to the other officers on-site, "all right everypony, let's collect what we've got and take it back to the lab for examination."

"We should call in the Royal Guard for this one." Officer Penny suddenly suggested, which surprised Officer Crisp as her partner was not one for sudden outbursts, nor did he have any love for the Royal Guard.

"Why?" the brown unicorn crooked her head in confusion, "I know you are a former guard yourself, but you hate it when they muscle in on our jurisdiction."

"You said it yourself," Penny pointed at her with a primary, "One of the perps is not some greenhorn fresh from magical kindergarten, they know exactly what they are doing and that makes them extraordinarily dangerous." He looked the unicorn dead in the eyes. "I quit the Guard when my wife gave birth to our first foal, and after this..." he inhaled deeply and released it slowly, "I don't want to find a tiny little body dead in some sewer drain. I can't help but imagine it being my foal."

"I understand," Officer Crisp gave a reassuring pat on his withers, "don't fret, we'll find them soon enough. We'll inform the Chief about this I'm sure he'll see the need for some extra hooves on this case. To be safe, we should prepare a letter for Princess Twilight."

Later that evening.

The lyrics were simple, bordering on infantile. It made little difference as Aurie couldn't help but sashay her hips to the beat of the heavy music. The nightlife in Los Pegasus was far more controlled than the day crowd. By now the sun had disappeared far below the horizon. Most shops had closed hours prior and very few creatures walked the streets. For those that hadn't retired for the night they were sweating it up in one of the late-night bars or dance clubs. The latter of which the Terran had found herself passing by.

She had no desire to enter the club, the noise and the close proximity to so many Ponies at once were highly unfavorable. It didn't mean she couldn't take a few moments and enjoy the beat from a safe distance. As she was in no rush to she opted to walk this time. She found the faint tap of her metal legs on the pavement, accompanied by a chill breeze was a pleasing comfort.

Guided by street lights and the neon signs of the clubs Aurie wander for a time with no particular destination in mind. Gazing upward at the top level of the metroplex, it was still a hotbed of activity. The clouds were alight with the spark of casinos, arcades, and theaters still in full swing. Even the sounds and screams of the park rides occasionally broke through the silence.

Right then the mage decided that come tomorrow, she was going to visit the upper level. She just hoped that she could find some earplugs before then.

She gave a small shiver as the temperature continued to plummet and decided he had enough for the night. Turning around the Terran began to magically glide her way back to the Mareiott. Making her way back her instincts gradually began to spark, giving her an impression that she was being watched. She whipped around and surveyed the surroundings, but there was no one there. She chalked it up to fatigue and continued on her way, but soon became aware of the soft clopping of hooves behind her.

The clatter from up above was ever-present, it could have easily masked the sound of hooves at a distance, meaning the stalker was close by. Aurie stopped and turned again, the clap of thick keratin abruptly ceased as well.

"Sticking to the shadows, yet no padding to muffle their hoof steps?," the mage quietly scolded, "Amateur."

When she had finally made it back to the Mareiott she ignored the entrance. The hoof steps continued to follow and were not getting closer nor were they falling behind. Aurie suddenly shot forward, gliding as fast as her magic could propel her, and made a right turn down the street next to the hotel. Rounding the corner she then shot up into the air and grabbed onto the safety railing of an unlit balcony on the second story. Briskly pulling herself up and over the handrails, she then pressed her back into the darkest corner and peeked around the wall. Waiting for her mysterious creeper to show.

When the stranger turned the corner, they immediately skidded to a halt. They were not close enough for Aurie to make a jumping tackle, but in their haste to catch up they accidentally exposed themselves to the light.

It was a foal, the same bat-pony child that Aurie had spared in that alley a few days ago.

The child looked left and right trying to spot the Terran. When they failed to find their target, the foal turned around and galloped back the way they came. The mage just watched them go and wondered if the foal had been following her this entire time, and why?

Author's Note

There were some revisions made to chapter 3, nothing major just a few adjustments to make it better.