When Two Worlds Collide

Epic Ace's POV

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The air in this underground club was stuffy, making it rather hard for me to breathe. My wing was swelling and, from the looks of it, I might be acquiring an infection. I trotted through the club, some ponies looked hammered while others simply examined them with lust filled eyes. Were they on Buck? I thought questioningly to myself. The drug was to make you feel nothing but calmness, lust, and out of it. I never wanted to get into it, the drug was addicting and I've seen many ponies just lying on the street helpless. I looked around and spotted a buff gray stallion in the back of the club, smoking a cigar in a brown leather booth. I trot over to him, his black shades shielding his eyes but his mane was a dark blue or black color. "Who are you?" the stallion spoke in a husky voice.

"That is of no matter. I was wondering if you or any of your friends here, found a necklace by any chance," I spoke with calmness and certainty.

The stallion looked at me over the top of his glasses. I caught a glimpse at his eyes. They were a blue-ish green color and he slid out of the booth, towering over me. "Even if I did, I wouldn't give it to a punk like you. Now, run along," he said with a hint of laughter as he began to turn away.

I laugh slightly with him "Ha, okay listen,” my tone now more serious, and all the more threatening, ”all I came for was to find my necklace, so tell me if you know anything about it," I replied, the anger seeping into my voice ever so slowly.

"Or what? You gonna run to your mommy? Ooh, I am so frightened! I'm quivering with fear!" the pegasus laughed slightly harder, looking over at his buddies, who were also laughing with him in the booth. "Seriously, beat it, kid."

That last comment sent my blood boiling, I grit my teeth and try to hold back using my ‘special talent’. No one must know. "Now I will ask again," I growled. "Where's my necklace?" I asked again.

That made him tick. "I said beat it!" he yelled this time, causing a few nearby ponies to look at us. The gray stallion's nostrils flared as he huffed continuously.

"Or what?"

"Or I'll snap you like a twig!" he yelled furiously at me, stepping forward with one white hoof.

I stood my ground, trying to keep my cool. "I'm going to ask you one more time. Do you have my spade shaped necklace?"

He took another step forward, trying to look intimidating as he spoke, "Beat. It," he growled, just barely inches from my face. His breath stunk like a mixture of smoke and cider.

I had enough of him. I decided to act upon him. A drunken pony was never a fast one. I stood up on my hind hooves and snatched his shades from his face, put them over my eyes and stuck my tongue out and ran. I don’t need to waste energy fighting him, I think as I dart away quickly as he ordered his, now what appeared to be, employees after me. Most of them stumbled and bumped into each other, while the others kept attempting to fly but to no avail. Yes, they're all drunk! I may get away with this! I ran up the stairs that lead out of the underground club, the three stallions charging straight at me but, with a painful leap out a window and a single flap of my good wing, I was able to jump over a gate blocking my path. I looked at them and quickly ran away in different directions, to make sure I would not be followed. I then put the glasses that I took off my face and put them in my cloak, and came to a stop at a Mini Mart and walked in, grabbing a bag of Lettuce Chips and paying three bits to the sales pony. With a flash of my grin, I walked out and continued my search for my necklace.

"That was a waste of energy," I muttered, sitting behind yet another dumpster and tearing open the bag of Lettuce Chips. "Now I know not to mess with anypony associated with underground clubs or drug dealers." I began eating the chips and sat there for a while, examining my wings as I did so. I sighed heavily at the sight of how badly bruised, swollen, and infected my right wing looked. I debated on whether or not I should go to the hospital and use a fake name to pass by the security and not get arrested. I took the idea into consideration and finished my chips, slumping against the dumpster in deep thought.

*   *   *

I suddenly awake with a pain coming from my right wing. I jump up and yell in agonizing pain, leaning against the dumpster on my left side to regain my composure and prevent the threat of tears from trailing down my already dirt covered face. I must of nodded off into a slumber and fell over onto the wounded wing. I regretted thinking once again, deciding thinking just wasn't meant for me since all that came from it was pain. After the immense amount of suffering I went through when I had fallen on my wing had started to settle down, I took a look at it, opening my cloak and regretting that as well. It's still infected and the longer I look at it, the more I feel like I should of done something about it instead of just cutting the arrow down to size. I began groaning in pain as I looked it over from the arrow all the way to the tip and around it. “I don’t need to lose a wing, I have already lost so much,” I say as I cover the wing back up with my cloak, the cloth just barely brushing against it.

I made it my goal to go to the hospital tomorrow, no matter how much I risked in order to do so. I couldn't bear with losing something else I needed. As for now, I must continue the search for my most prized possession. I step out of the alley way and begin to walk into the streets again I begin to ponder on the places the necklace could be. There were so many possibilities, that it could be anywhere, in a jewelry store, a convenient stand, a brothel, in some wretched pony’s hooves, hell it could even be in a- in the middle of my random thinking, a paper slaps me in the face. I peel it off of my face and examine it. And I could not believe my eyes. With some stroke of luck the paper that hit me is a poster for my necklace. A read the address: 102 Golden Light, Ave. Silver Mist. I shove the paper in my cloak and begin to run towards the address. “I guess I will have to pay this Silver Mist a visit,” I say under my breath.

I walked out onto the streets once more, pulling the hood of the cloak over my head just in case anypony wanted to see if I was somepony they knew. Of course they hadn't nor would they ever know me, considering the fact I'm just a thief. I sigh softly, realizing I might as well run. I was in the market by now, some sales ponies casting suspicious glares and looks at me while every other pony carried on with their own business. I mean, the only time I'm ever caught stealing is when the sales ponies notice I stole something of theirs, alerts the Royal Guard of my thievery, and I'm running for my life. I mean, I'm just "borrowing" the food anyway, I could return it if I'd like. Well, I would never return food. I mean, food is food, whether it is stolen, free, or bought. I continued down the road, picking up pace since it was starting to get dark, meaning he or she could be getting ready to go to work by now. I kept my mind off the food now, hearing my stomach let out a low growl.

I start picking up speed, running by now to get to the gates of the ponies that actually have a home. If it wasn't for my wing, I probably would have been there by now since I can fly faster than most pegasi around. The gates to, what I called the rich ponies, homes were barely just a mile away by now. Some homes had their lights on while others were dark and seemed to have nopony living among them. I take out the paper again and look at the address, now trotting carefully down the sidewalk. I had slipped under the gate protecting the ponies, but for some reason, I could not help but have the feeling that the pony who had found my necklace was as foul as the underbelly of an unsanitary colt. I shook my head, still unsure about this situation. I find the home I was searching for, knocking gently. I slide my knife from under my cloak and look down at the sharp blade barely brushing against my coat. This was if they had asked for any bits. I needed them, for just in case purposes.

The door starts to unlock, the mechanisms inside of the door turning. I hide the blade once more, making sure it wasn't visible. A gray mare with a light green, purple, and black as her mane color appeared in the doorway of the home. She's rather cute, I thought quietly and continued my train of thought, but I only came for my necklace. With curious and wandering eyes, she looked me over and spoke, her voice as beautiful as the wind blowing through wind chimes, though I know she didn't actually sound like that. "And who are you?" she spoke softly.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. "My name is of no matter," I said, "but I believe you have something of mine." She seemed to be on edge now, probably because I had not given her my name as a more formal introduction. Maybe I seemed threatening to her? Well, now it didn't matter, I was in the presence of the mare whom had picked up my necklace and not somepony else. It's bad enough that I had been starving during most of the walk here and now, I'm still talking to her while I'm literally almost dying of hunger.

"You mean the necklace, no?" she asked me, raising a single brow in a quizzical form or way.

"Precisely," I replied hastily.

She moved to the side, making enough room for me to walk by her. "Well, come inside and I'll get it for you," a small smile spread upon her muzzle, making me want to smile back.

I honestly didn't want to go inside, but the invitation made it hard for me to back down. I'm not a rude stallion at all, so I take the offer and slowly step inside her home as she closed the door behind me with her back hoof and retreated up the steps to retrieve my necklace. While she was gone, I took advantage of this opportunity, looking around her home and I trotted into the living room, looking around the walls and admiring the many pictures upon them. Some held what seemed like some sort of family and, by the looks of it, a stallion and a mare who had her cradled in their forelegs. Perhaps those ponies are her parents, but where are they? I thought questioningly to myself. Images began to pass through my head, many of them being awful ones I had wished to get rid of. I shake my head quickly, putting the images to the back of my mind as I hear hoof steps coming down the stairs. I look up and ask, "Do you have it?"

With a nod, she handed it over, and I wrap it around its rightful place around my neck. "May I ask who is in the picture with you?"

I sighed, knowing this was coming. I pause and open up the pendent slowly, looking down at the picture and holding back the memories of my once so perfect life. "It's my family," I replied with a raspy voice, "my father, my mother, and my brother Phantom," as his name left my lips and a shiver made its way down my spine.

"Oh," she said with a hint of sadness in their voice, "you look happy."

"Yes, we were happy."

"Were?" she tilted her head to her left side, her mane falling over her dark blue eyes.

"Yes were," I replied in haste, "why do you ask so many questions?"

"I don't know you for one," she paused and then continued, "for two, I'm slightly curious. I mean, I've been holding onto your necklace for the past two or three days not knowing whom it belonged to. I have a reason to ask."

I don’t need her asking anymore questions. "I need to get going," I muttered, making my way for the door. "I got things to-" my stomach lets out a long, loud growl and my face flushes. I turn my head, my face beginning to turn red with embarrassment. I'm hungry, but I didn't expect my stomach to be so loud.

She let out a giggle and asks, "Are you hungry?"

I nod my head, turning back to face her as my sky blue eyes make contact with her deep ocean blue ones. "Well, just a bit," I reply, trying to stop a smile from forming.

"If you'd like, you can stay and I can make you something," she said, making her way towards her kitchen.

I want to say no, but my stomach insists I sit and dine. Who am I to reject a kind offer on free food? I decided to stay a while, considering the fact she was so very friendly to me already while everypony else looks at me like I'm some sort of convict stallion. Maybe it's the dark cloak? I stop the argument with my inner voice as I loiter into the kitchen and climb up onto the stool-like chair in front of her, watching her make the lettuce sandwich. I slide off my cloak, forgetting about my injury. I interjected, "Can you add more? I'm famished."

She nodded and placed the lettuce sandwich in front of me, it practically towered over me, but as she placed the plate down before me with her magic, she got a good look at my injury and let out a gasp. “What happened to your wing?” she said in a shocked tone, but before I could come up with a reason, she had a sudden realization. “Wait, you’re that stallion I saw on TV!”

I look up at her. “Well, I didn't know I was that famous,” I say jokingly with sarcasm.

“It’s not funny!” she said, slightly upset. “You are some sort of criminal.”

“Criminal!” I said as I stood up out of the chair. “Now I take offense to that, because I am no criminal. I’m only wanted because I steal food to live. You try to live on the street by yourself and not get caught up in some sort of thievery. And if I really was a criminal, I would have done something already, but I haven’t, now have I?” I slide the knife out and place it on the counter. “I have no intention of harming you, none what so ever. But I will give you a choice. You could either call the guards on me, or you could get to know me.” I hold out my hoof waiting for an answer.