Adventures in the TARDIS

Perspective: Swift Step

I wasn’t looking forward to this. To return to the Red Sands empty hooved. We planned that heist for moons and some of us put in meticulous detail to our efforts, myself included. After all that, the night finally came and went and we failed.

Still . . . how were we supposed to know that the Mon Amarie Inn was going to be haunted during Princess Celestia's stay in it?

My recent memories of that event have left me feeling numb about it ever since. I got such emotional whiplash by going from being totally unaware of anything like this to visibly seeing that which should be impossible to exist. I saw a filly melt into a flat, 2-D image with my own eyes! That’s horrible! All of this is made worse with me not knowing if the same happened to the Princess.

I guess I’ll have some idea of her fate tomorrow morning if I see the sun rise again. It’s a haunting thought to consider that it really might not do so ever again. My end of the world stuck in the night . . . forever. It probably would be just as bad for another to be stuck in the day.

What an unforgivable, critical weakness our world has. The untimely death of an otherwise immortal pony could doom the entire world to oblivion. If anypony asks me, I think the Princess needs way better security for all that.

Thinking of all of this, this is why my emotions feel numb when I arrive at one of the hideaways for the Red Sands. No matter how much anypony yells at me for failing tonight's heist, it’ll feel like nothing compared to what could have happened tonight or what might have already happened. No amount of punishment sent my way can compare to the prospect of half of the world freezing to death and the other side cooked alive. I would be panicking over that prospect except it’s just too large. Too overwhelming for my emotions to fully process, so instead I feel numb.

The place I go to is called the Rocking Horse. It is a bar, restaurant, and inn all wrapped up into one. Poor quality too so the wealthy should stay clear of it. Secretly it also has the hideaway entrance for one of the branches of the Red Sands.

When I enter, I notice a few secret members of the Red Sands giving subtle acknowledgment towards me in the form of a faint nod, a wink, or raising of a stein. Beyond that, the bar is a clamor of drunken activity with very low-class clientele. Same as usual. I order a room for the night and the bartender, a lanky yellow brute, gives me my usual room.

When I enter that room, I make sure to close the door but I don’t lock it. Truthfully I can’t. Still, with the door shut, I can be sure the coast is clear. I then make my way to the closet at the back and open the secret entrance that leads to the Red Sands base in the sewers. Once I am through, a Red Sands guard gives me a nod of acknowledgment before shutting the secret door.

I make my way down the dimly lit stairs then down through a dank tunnel of the sewers. I make my way quite a ways before I reach yet another hidden door in one of the walls of the sewers. When I pass through that, I am immediately taken aback by the buzz of celebratory activity from the rest of the Red Sands gang who are already down here.

Blinking with shock, I wander through the group while wondering what is going on. Many ponies are raising steins, clinking them, laughing and hoof clapping each other. One pony slaps my back as well.

“What’s going on?” I try to ask the group in bewilderment. Considering how loud it is down here, I am surprised anypony has heard me.

“Yo! Swift Step! The Boss wants ta see ya,” a large light blue brute of an earth pony stallion informs me.

I am taken aback again before I double check, “The Boss wants to see me personally? But . . . he’s never done that before!”

The blue brute just shrugs and replies, “Well, he does today and he ain’t a patient stallion, so get on in there.”

I gulp. Despite the festive mood around me, I guess this is very serious. The Boss, Neighzer Ralmsha, hardly ever sees anypony in person. Usually he just sends out orders from some dark and remote corner of the city. Beyond that, all I know for sure is the fortune of the Red Sands took a severe upswing several moons ago ever since he became in charge. No pony knows how he does it, but the Red Sands have never been more organized and successful before he was in charge. Mysteriously and ominously, though, hardly anypony has ever seen him either. Some even question whether he really exists or not.

Despite all that, I do know where to go to see him if he really exists.

It’s dark here.

Too dark.

Indeed, this is much too dark here for any average pony to see even if their eyes are adjusted to the dark. The glow bug lamps on the wall are very dim green. They radiate a light one can read off of if it is held about six inches from the lamps. Beyond that, it is impossible to read anything let alone see anything. Vague shadows and silhouettes are pretty much the most anypony can see here at all, if that.

This is where our mysterious leader likes to dwell if, indeed, he exists at all. Anypony who dwells in the shadows this thick all the time doesn’t feel natural in the slightest.

Also, I can’t be sure, but I smell something off about this area. It is more than just the pungent stench of mildew from the sewer walls. I think I smell the tang of blood as well and it’s got the hairs on my body standing up on end. In addition, I feel something . . . dark here. Not just in the ambient sense, but in an energy sense as well. It’s as if there is something evil here to a monstrous degree.

“Swift Step. Ah! We meet at last,” calls out an almost nasally sounding stallion somewhere ahead of me and very well hidden in the shadows. If this is our leader Neighzer, he almost sounds like too much of a weak dork to be intimidating except there is an undercurrent of sinister confidence in his voice as if he knows he has an advantage that is so strong, he need not fear anypony who comes to him in the slightest. It’s like talking to a tiny chihuahua dog who knows he can secretly shapeshift into a mountain-sized ancient and powerful dragon.

“I wish I can say the same, but it’s too dark to see pretty much anything in here,” I reply.

“One can get used to it eventually when their eyes adjust to the dark!” Neighzer replies with sinister emphasis with the last word. “And one can’t be too careful with this business. Cloak and dagger strategies tend to work best in the shadows.”

“No doubt,” I agree politely. I think I’m holding my composure very well right now all things considered.

“Congratulations are in order too, me thinks,” Neighzer goes on with a very slimy edge to his tone. “Well done with our successful yet also unexpectedly complicated heist.”

“Successful?” I echo questioningly. Doing so right now, in front of him of all ponies, might not be the most diplomatic and tactical move but I’m just that confused. Then I exclaim, “Oh! Is that why the gang is celebrating back there? We successfully took Princess Celestia’s torc?”

“Indeed,” Neighzer replies in his usual very thick, slimy tone. “Equestria should pay very well for the return of their national treasure.” There is a short pause before he goes on to say, “But I understand there were some unusual complications with the mission? Things we could not have foreseen?”

“A ghost . . . so some of those in the Mon Amarie Inn claim,” I report to him. “I’ve seen it as well. It isn’t like anything else I’ve ever seen before.”

“And you are convinced that this is an actual apparition, I take it?” the Red Sands leader checks.

“I don’t know about that,” I answer with a light shrug. “But, whomever this pony was, he wasn’t normal. I could see through him. The edges around him were also blurry, and he could attack others in a way I have never encountered before. Something about melting ponies he touches into flat, 2-D images of themselves on the floor and walls. The image gradually fades, too, but only when one is not looking upon it.”

“Interesting story,” replies the leader. “It is one I would normally call a flight of fancy if it wasn’t you who is telling me this.”

“Why should my word have any more credit with you than any other in the gang?” I check.

“Because you are not like any other pony in my gang,” Neighzer answers. “I keep an ear out on the streets and the stories I hear about you aren’t like other ponies, for you see . . . it seems that you aren’t as greedy as other ponies in my gang. You actually care for others. You look after the little guys which, I think, are admirable qualities about you.”

“Really?” I ask skeptically as I raise an eyebrow. “Considering the organization you run, one would not normally think that you would consider such traits to be useful virtues.”

“That used to be true, I’m sure, back in the days when the Red Sands were nothing more than petty thugs,” Neighzer returns. “But in order for this Family to become something more, to grow to the next step, we require more evolved ways of doing business. The ‘every pony for themselves’ strategy isn’t going to cut it with truly organized crime. In order to take a larger role in society, we have to be willing to be something more. Something more grand than a petty criminal could ever be. We need ponies in this Family who are interested in far more than their own self worth, and Swift . . . I’ve been hearing mighty fine things about you in this regard.

“That’s not to downplay your other contributions either. Even as an individual thief, you are pretty skilled. The Guards have hounded you far more than any other member of my gang for some reason. I promised you that my gang would provide you some protection and I delivered on that word, but still . . . they are after you with an unusual amount of determination. Even on your own, you kept up and stayed one step ahead of the law.

“You’ve paid your tribute too and always on time. You never shirk those duties or pretend you already paid it off. Keeping your promises is actually a big deal with you. Honor among Thieves is a creed that some others may look down upon or scoff at, but to me . . . I see it as a virtue of one who is ready for the next level, for only a pony who can take responsibilities seriously should have them in the first place.”

“Forgive me if I sound impertinent, but where are you going with this?” I ask him.

“Forgiveness is not required, for I see nothing wrong,” he replies. “In fact, I find it rather refreshing that you are courageous enough to speak your true mind with me. I cannot tell you how rarely I encounter that. Most other ponies would bend over backwards to kiss my flank if they suspected that is what I want and might even be willing to do it anyway even if I don’t request it. I guess sucking up to others makes them feel secure somehow and I’m kind enough to let them think that at times.

“However, when it comes to talking to true ‘adults’, it requires another language entirely. One that I have observed that the gutless cannot speak. The Red Sands are no longer just a loose connection of petty criminals and that is a concept that most ponies here can’t seem to understand. In order to achieve grand visions, one needs to work closely with an organized group who are at least willing, to some extent, to put aside petty differences and work together towards a common aim. In order to do that, we need a leader who has a grand vision. Not just for himself, but for the Family as a whole.”

“And you have fulfilled that role very well,” I tell him as calmly as I can while secretly dreading where this conversation seems to be leading. “You’re the reason why the Red Sands have enjoyed the recent string of successes that it has.”

“Of course I helped, but what is a leader without followers?” he reflects to me.

“Just an individual pony,” I answer swiftly.

“Exactly!” he cheers. “See? You get it. You have a good enough head on your shoulders to recognize and respect Big Picture stuff, and I want to see that potential nurtured and grow. Even as an individual, you are quite impressive, but me thinks you can be something far more.”

“Your point?” I challenge him brazenly. After all, he did encourage me to be honest about my feelings.

“I think you’re well aware of my point, but let me be absolutely clear just in case,” Neighzer says then swiftly moves in front of me. I have no idea how he moved that fast. Once he is in front of me, he’s in the dim green light enough for me to notice he is a surprisingly lanky dark brown stallion with a white mane and tail. His face is a little elongated. He is bald at the top of his head but has a short mane to the sides of his head. He wears a white toga robe that is rather richly embroidered. More than any other feature of him, it is his crimson eyes that captures my attention the most. It could be my imagination, but they seem to have a dimly predatory glow to them.

“I built up this Family to be more than it ever was,” Neighzer tells me when he’s in front of me. “That is a legacy that I wish to see endure, but I can’t do that on my own. Any building that leans on only one support structure will eventually collapse. We need a bigger vision of the future to make sure our good fortune lasts. To that end, I need ponies who are willing to do more than think of only their own self interests. I know you donate some of your earnings to street orphans and that tells me that you have some of the qualities that I am looking for. You’re willing to rise above your own petty interests and put The Family first.

“It is The Family that is everything to me, Swift Step, and only another pony who shares that same vision can see that this legacy endures.

“To be perfectly honest with you, Swift Step, I don’t really have many other options beyond you. I have ponies galore who are very skilled and/or talented in other pursuits. For some it might be weapons training, for others it is good fliers or scouts. Some of them are very sneaky, some are good at staying hidden. Some are good at divvying out a fair amount of rations, but you? You have what it takes to put The Family first. As such, you have the qualities that makes a truly good leader, for a leader has the wisdom to realize that any social organization is more than just its component parts. Only by ensuring that they work well together can grander aims be accomplished.”

“Yes but you have that too,” I remind him. “Do you simply want me to be a backup? A second-in-command perhaps?”

“For the moment, yes, but eventually more,” Neighzer answers. “For you see . . . eventually I plan to retire in luxury. Maybe buy a palace or an island somewhere. To be surrounded by buxom beauties and the like. Amassing a giant fortune has its own challenges and amusement, but eventually I want to know what it is like to relax on the lap of that accumulated fortune. When I do, however, I want to make sure that the throne of the Red Sands is passed on to a worthy successor. One who is capable of keeping up or even further propelling our good fortune because it is The Family that I care about as well. I cannot fully relax and retire until I become certain that I have left this organization in good hooves. Very few can do that, too, so I keep a very close eye on the few that can.

“Not long ago you joined this Family for the first time. When you did, I told you, however remotely, that this Family would be here to protect you so long as you remain loyal to it. You did that and I think you even went above and beyond that call of duty. Because you protected and promoted our cause, we are able to protect you, and others like you, all the more. By strengthening The Family, we can do more for The Family and I need that vision, that trajectory, to continue.

“I also think that, if you are willing to pause a moment and really think about this with all honesty, who else would make a more worthy successor of that vision than you? If you were standing in my place and eventually plan to retire, who else would you promote to take your place? I know you care for this Family so you are among the very few who could possibly give a worthy response to that question.”

“I see your point,” I conceded.

“Dishonor among Thieves is common enough to be considered cliché, and for good reason, but for the few who have a better vision, more can ultimately be accomplished. We are more than the sum of our parts and I need truly ‘good’ leaders who can hold all of this together and do it for the right reasons.

“So . . . what do you say?” When he asks that, Neighzer holds up a hoof to me. “Can I count on you?”

I stare at his hoof for a second then look him right in the eyes as I say, “The fact I take my promises so seriously is also why I am reluctant to make them. I don’t know what the future holds and if it includes something that would make such promises difficult, or even impossible, to uphold. The fewer promises I make, the easier it’ll be to fulfill them all and with true conviction.”

Neighzer’s hoof continues to be held up to me but lowers slightly as he asks me, “A fair point, but ask yourself this; do you care for this Family? If there was any way to make us stronger, is it an opportunity that you would take? If the answer is yes, shake my hoof and we’ll seal this pact. That’s basically what I do all the time.”

I consider his proposal for a moment then lift my own hoof but I don’t shake his yet. Before I do so, I tell him, “I’ll shake your hoof so long as there is an understanding between us that there is no exact plan yet. I need this promise to be loose enough to be flexible towards any opportunity. I might be willing to consider leadership someday but perhaps some other path, even one we haven’t discovered yet, might be more ideal in the long run. For now, I will agree with the fact that I agree with the general plan and vision of this Family. I do, indeed, care for it and therefore shall do whatever is in my power to protect and promote it. Is that enough for you for now?”

Neighzer’s drooped hoof lifts straight again as he announces firmly, “We have an accord.”

“Very well then,” I agree as well then proceed to shake his hoof.

As soon as I do, I am immediately blasted with a huge download of information and most of it is not good. I would later need a lot of time to sort out all of this sudden blast of information, but what stood out to me the most is precisely why Neighzer was so confident this whole time, for he is no longer fully mortal anymore, or indeed, not fully a mundane pony at all.

He has become something more. Something supernatural and dark, and all of that because of the Grand Vizier of this city, one Dispatcher Hoofclaven. By becoming a spawn, and therefore also a pawn, to whatever Dispatcher has recently become, it means these two are in cahoots with each other and their plan, all along, has much to do with me. I don’t fully know why yet, but it has something to do with corruption and revenge. I also get the feeling both of these stallions know who I really am before I lost my memories.

I keenly feel that Neighzer has become an unnatural monster. He does have dark, supernatural powers above and beyond normal mortal kin now but it comes at a price. To maintain his dark strengths, he must drain something from others. Whatever that something is, it resulted in the death of a lot of ponies and in this very room! No wonder I got awful vibes in this room!

Neighzer doesn’t really care for the Family either. All he actually wants is for me to take his place so I become as corrupt as him someday. When the time comes, I might even be offered the same dark transformation. Either that, or it will be forced upon me.

He was, however, honest about retiring in luxury eventually. In the meantime he is relishing the power and authority he has over others as well as the unnatural advantage he gained because of another. That same dark gift is precisely why he is keeping himself in the deep, dark shadows.

Another reason he stayed hidden like this was to make his transformation, and therefore his new unnatural advantages, less obvious. The more ponies remain unaware of that, the less prepared they are to counter the full scope of his new dark gifts.

Neighzer never knew about my recent psychic gifts, though, which is why he didn’t avoid shaking my hoof. He had no idea that allowing me to touch him, or other sentimental objects from him, would suddenly reveal a lot of his dark plans to me. It is most fortunate for me, then, that I kept this a secret from the rest of the Family. One never knows exactly who to trust or who will later stab us in the back.

As he said, Honor among Thieves is indeed a rare thing.