Login

Monsters

by Sharpe Quill

Chapter 2: Chapter 1: Dock

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Monsters

By Sharpe Quill

Chapter 1: Dock



The town of Dock was dying.

There was really no way around that fact, no matter how much Captain Belle of the Dock Constabulary wished there were. It was painfully obvious everywhere she looked. The warehouses to her right were all too empty these days, with only one or two showing any signs of recent activity. The river to her left was similarly deserted. Only three merchant vessels, barge-like in shape and dimension, were currently moored at the dock when once upon a time a pony could hardly see the water because of the sheer number of ships crowding the area.

Dock was situated at the widest point of the Canter River, which ran all the way from Canterlot, just north of the point where the Everfree River branched off from it before breaking into several tributaries, eventually reaching Baltimare and the Eastern Ocean. Not long ago the majority of merchants would use the rivers to transport their goods throughout all of Equestria, and Dock was the one place they all visited, its central hub. Everything from the famous Canterlot perfumes to Fillydelphian dresses and suits to Sweet Apple Acres apples, all of them came through Dock. The town had prospered.

But no longer. Several years ago, the railroad had been brought to Ponyville, which for the longest time had been just another simple neighboring town. The new technology provided faster and more direct transportation for the merchant ponies. Ponyville quickly became the second largest railroad hub in Equestria, eclipsed only by Canterlot itself, its location an optimal crossroads for the rail lines running south and west. Ponyville had grown while Dock had declined.

It had all happened so quickly too. Just a few years ago, Dock had been home to over two thousand ponies, with hundreds more passing through every day. Now, there were barely six hundred.

Belle’s hooves made dull thumps against the wooden planks beneath her. Most of the docks here were made up of solid stone with simple wooden jetties jutting out into the river itself, but she preferred to trot on the wood as often as possible. It was a somewhat childish enjoyment to hear the sound and feel the slight give as her hooves struck wood, but she didn’t care.

The sun was well on its way towards its nightly slumber and the shadows were beginning to grow long. The docks were mostly deserted with only a hooffull of ponies still around, a few pegasi flitting about and one or two unicorns carefully unloading and stacking large crates of goods for storage. They moved quickly, hurrying to finish their duties and relax after a long day’s work.

Belle herself now approached the anticipated destination of the dock workers: a massive, three-story building, almost as wide as three of the smaller and empty buildings, which sat in the very center of the long line of structures facing the river. It was the only building that showed any kind of activity. It had the unfortunate name of The Hole, and it was Dock’s last remaining tavern.

The sounds of the evening revelry were already in full swing; conversation, laughter, music, the clinking of mugs and plates all forming a happy cacophony. It was a sound Belle enjoyed hearing, the sound of happy ponies living life. She probably wouldn’t be needed here tonight, which was all for the good.

For all that she approved of what The Hole represented to the dock workers and visiting sailors, she herself disliked the place. It was too loud and boisterous for her tastes.

Belle approached the open doorway from which a bright glow streamed, forming a rectangle of light on the stone street in front. As she entered the regrettably named tavern, she took in the scene before her.

Situated around several dozen round tables sat a large number of creatures, mostly ponies. A few griffons were in attendance though, and she even spotted a trio of diamond dogs in a shadowy corner. Merchant ships attracted all sorts of races, and the mysterious ‘fingers’ that the latter two races possessed gave them a distinct advantage over most ponies. As such they were often in high demand from merchant vessels. A small mix of unicorns and earth ponies were on a short stage off to the side playing a variety of musical instruments, emitting a fast and jolly tune.

Belle had often imagined a scenario where she would enter through these doors, her silhouette standing out sharply, her imposing bronze armor glinting in the lantern light, and all sound inside would cease as all eyes would turn to her, cautious and respectful. She would enter slowly and confidently, hushed whispers following her as she approached the bar.

Not that she wanted to be feared or anything. It was merely a fun fantasy.

Of course, it never happened. Never had and most likely never would. When she stepped inside there wasn’t so much as a hitch in either the music or the conversation, not even from the five pegasi sitting at the table closest to her. Her armor failed to intimidate even the scruffy dog lying just next to the door, despite her efforts to keep it shiny.

She slowly made her way to the bar, winding her way among around the tables, careful to not disturb anypony. She paused, carefully raising a hoof to push the tinted glasses she always wore to the top of her head, revealing her dark blue eyes. Sitting at the corner of the bar, a mug of frothy liquid she greatly doubted was cider close at hoof, was her target: Brine.

Brine was the owner of The Hole, and he was a ruthless business-stallion. When the economy of Dock had first begun to sink, he had begun buying out the other businesses, consolidating all of the shipyard’s taverns into his own. He refused to tolerate competition against his business and had formed close alliances with the few remaining warehouse owners. But he also had a legitimate interest in the well-being of not only the town, but of the ponies who lived there. He provided jobs for almost a hundred ponies in his massive tavern. He often used his influence and power to help the ponies of Dock, taking a stand against shady merchants, and refusing to tolerate violence on ‘his’ docks. In a way, Belle’s own job had become less necessary due to Brine’s influences. That being said, he was always willing to work with Belle and the other constables should the need arise.

Brine looked as salty as his name implied. He was large but looked as though he had lost a lot of muscle mass with age. His disheveled brown coat was covered in a lattice work of pale scars, the most noticeable of which were matching spots on his flanks, completely obscuring his cutie mark. His seaweed green mane was liberally streaked with the silver of age. A dark eye patch covered what had once been his right eye and a web of scars radiated from behind it.

In his youth he had been a prolific sailor, one of the rare competent earth ponies in that profession. Generally speaking, earth ponies made poor sailors, as they lacked the speed and agility of pegasi, and the versatility of unicorns. But Brine had bucked the stereotype, making a name for himself all along the Canter River, and even as a sailor on the Eastern Ocean. There were rumors that he had been a part of a fearsome pirate crew that had terrorized the coastal cities forty years ago. Belle herself had doubts about this, although his appearance did little to quiet the rumors.

Belle approached Brine and, despite her being on his blind side, he turned to face her before she announced her presence.

“Captain Belle,” he acknowledged with a nod. His voice was a deep, resonating baritone that she could practically feel in addition to hear.

“Brine,” she responded with a matching nod. Her own voice was light and slightly airy, something which had often irked her as she felt it detracted from her image as an authority figure. But she had been forced to simply accept it over time. “Anything of interest going on tonight?”

The mangy looking stallion shrugged his broad shoulders. “Nothing worth mentioning at the moment, although word is that a large shipment of gems is coming through in a few days, complete with a guard ship. Might be something to keep an eye on.”

Belle looked thoughtful for a moment. “Normal precautions I assume.”

“Of course,” Brine said with a slight inclination of his head.

Belle sighed silently. She knew that she and the other six ponies that made up the entire constabulary these days wouldn’t be much of a deterrent against a group of determined thieves. A tempting target like a large cargo of precious stones might attract more attention than they could handle. As much as it stung her to admit, Belle knew that Brine was in a better position to prevent an incident than she was. She would be there should he need help, or an official’s status, but otherwise he would handle it. The whole situation made her sick to the stomach but she knew that in the long run, it worked out better for everypony.

At least he never insulted her by trying to bribe her. He didn’t need to. He knew what the score was.

“Very well then,” she said at last, “let me know if you have any problems tonight. I’ll send Corporal Keen around later to check on things.”


He nodded with a slight smile. It might have been a condescending smile, but she didn’t think so somehow. It wasn’t his style. Brine was a proud pony, and he could be ruthless when necessary, but he wasn’t cruel.

“Would you care for some salt before you go? Or perhaps a drink?” he asked politely, as he always did.

She declined, as she always did. “Not while I’m on duty.”

“It’s not as though the streets are teeming with villains,” he prodded, more than a little sarcasm tingeing his deep voice.

She glared at him with a quiet but emphatic, “No.”

He shrugged. “As you wish.”

He turned back to his drink without another word, his patch preventing any more eye contact. She gave him another glare and, just to make herself feel better, stuck her tongue out at him for an instant. There was no way he could have seen her, but his mouth turned up in a knowing smirk. She frowned and quickly turned away.

She made her way out of the tavern, her hoofsteps perhaps a bit more forceful than was strictly necessary. As she exited she dipped her head in a quick motion, causing her tinted glasses to slip back down and settle familiarly on her snout. The evening was fast approaching now and the sun was setting towards her left. It wouldn’t be long now before Luna began the moon on its own celestial journey. It was quiet and peaceful, the kind of evening she loved.

As much as he irked her, Brine had a point about her not being overly needed tonight. In truth her duties were often dull, barely more than a few minor fights here and there. Theft and vandalism were rare, and there hadn’t been a murder in as long as she could remember. Her job was often dull, it was often quiet, it was often unnecessary.

And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

********************

Belle approached the guard house at a brisk trot. The famous Running of the Leaves was still over a week away but there was already a slight chill in the air. She hesitated as she drew close; she could faintly make out the sound of raised voices coming from inside the small stone structure. The voices sounded familiar to Belle but she would need to see the owners’ cutie marks to know for sure.

She pushed the door inwards with a gentle shove and entered onto a scene of strife. Two unicorn mares, their cutie marks identifying them as Peach Blossom, a florist, and Ink Leaf, a librarian, were standing in front of the main desk, yelling at Sergeant Emerald Grass.

It was an unusual sight to be sure. Emerald Grass was the largest mare Belle had ever seen, bigger than most of the stallions in the town and with the mass to match; her white coat and pleasant green mane did nothing to alleviate the sheer imposing size of the gentle unicorn. Conversely, the two mares currently yelling at her were less than impressive in size, both being shorter than even Belle.

Emerald weathered the verbal abuse with her usual stoicism. Finally, she spoke in her normal voice, “Enough.”

The two mares quieted down at once, looking startled. Like many unusually large ponies, Emerald was very conscientious of her size and strength, and as such was always overly careful in all her actions. Her voice was no exception. Emerald’s normal voice was impressively loud, which is why she so rarely used it, preferring to speak in low whispers.

Once silence had been restored, Emerald reverted back to her low voice, which was still more than audible. “I know you’re worried, but if it’s only been a few hours, then there’s no reason to think that anything untoward has happened to them. When Captain Belle gets back, I’m sure that she will tell you the same thing.”

“But they’ve never been gone this long!” Peach exclaimed. “It’s just not like them.”

Emerald gave a small sigh, which caused several of the papers on the desk to blow halfway across its surface with its force. But then she looked up and saw Belle standing in the doorway. “Ah, Captain. So good to see you,” she whispered, sounding like she really meant it.

The two unicorn mares whirled around and immediately besieged Belle, both talking at once in such shrill voices that she couldn’t understand a thing they said. She happened to look up and just saw Emerald’s look of immense relief before she hid it away behind some paperwork.

Belle stomped her hoof once sharply on the wooden floor. This caused the pair to quiet down and for the first time Belle got a good look at them. They were both in obvious distress, their eyes brimming with tears, their ears laid back in panic. Belle’s own expression softened slightly at this but she addressed them firmly. “I need you to calm down and tell me what’s happened. One at a time.”

They alternated then, still speaking in panicked voices.

“It’s our fillies!” exclaimed Peach Blossom. “They’re missing!”

“They’ve been gone for hours!” interjected Ink Leaf. “We have no idea where they’ve gone! Something could have happened to them!”

Belle held up a hoof for silence.

“Alright, calm down now, we’ll find them,” she said before moving further into the building. The pair of mares let her pass but followed immediately behind her. Belle reached the main desk while Emerald surreptitiously slipped out from behind it, giving her space. Once she was safe behind the metaphorical shield of the desk, Belle turned back to the pair.

“Alright,” she said, trying to sound authoritative, “a few questions. First: who exactly is missing?”

Peach Blossom answered first, “Our fillies, Butter and Coal.”

“They’re both unicorns,” Ink added, “Butter is a pale yellow with blue hair, Coal is pink with grey hair. They don’t have their cutie marks yet.”

Belle took down this information on a sheet of paper on the desk before mumbling around the pencil, “And how long have they been missing?”

“Since this afternoon,” answered Peach.

Another note. “Where did you see them last?”

Ink answered next, “They were playing outside my house.”

“And they wandered off?” Belle mumbled, carefully taking down the information.

Ink looked a little unsure. “Um, I guess. I didn’t actually see them leave.”

“And is that common?”

Ink answered with a sniff, “Well yeah, they’ve been friends since they were foals. They play together all the time. They go around the town pretty often.”

“Hmm,” Belle said, not impressed with their parenting skills.

“Don’t get us wrong,” Peach interjected defensively, recognizing the tone, “we usually know where they’re going. And they’re smart fillies.”

Belle didn’t push the issue. “Have you checked with your friends and relatives?”

“Of course we did!” both mares exclaimed in unison.

Belle finished making copies of all the information before dropping the pencil. “Alright, calm down, please.”

“We’re just so worried!” they both practically shouted.

Belle sighed. “I know, but panicking isn’t going to help. Look, I’m sure they’re alright, they probably just lost track of the time. They’ll probably be back home as soon as they realize it.”

“So you won’t help us?” Ink asked, a mixture of anger and despair in her voice.

“I didn’t say that,” Belle said with a hint of a growl. She had to resist the urge to snap at the unicorn, to remind herself that she was just scared and worried. “I’ll personally take a look around the last place they were seen, make sure nothing’s unusual. In the meantime…”

She turned away from the pair and raised her voice. “Corporal Keen!”

A pegasus stepped out of a side room. He had a short, slightly curved sword in his mouth; most likely he had been sharpening it. With a deft twist of his neck he sheathed the blade into a scabbard strapped to his side beneath his wing. It was a single fluid motion, only possible through years of repetition.

“Captain,” he acknowledged in a quiet, rather sharp voice.

Keen Edge was a stallion of few words. His light red (but definitely not pink) coat and sky blue mane and tail often gave ponies the impression that he was light, happy, and most importantly not dangerous. But colors meant nothing to Belle; all she needed to see was the pegasus’ cutie mark, a pair of crossed swords, to know he was not somepony to take lightly.

“Keen,” she said, pushing a copy of the information she had taken down towards him, “I want you to do a fly over of the docks, keep an eye out for these two unicorn fillies. If you don’t spot them, check with Brine, in case he’s heard anything. Nothing goes on around the shipyard without his knowing.”

The definitely-not-pink pegasus nodded curtly and, without another word, took the paper and moved out the door. With a single powerful thrust of his wings, he launched himself into the sky.

Belle turned back to the distraught mares. “I know you’re worried, but right now the best thing for you to do is go back to your homes and wait there. Hopefully they will be there when you get back, but if they are actually missing then we will find them.”

The pair nodded hesitantly and exited the building without another word.

Belle sighed, letting her frustration and weariness show briefly before again slipping into her authority mode. She went into the side room Keen had exited from and, with a few pulls at straps, shucked her bronze armor. The local tailor, an abundantly cheerful unicorn named Needle, had once told her that her armor clashed horribly with her dark grey coat and silver mane, but to Belle one color was the same as another. Besides, she loved her armor, putting many hours into its upkeep. The only thing she didn’t like about it was the way it covered her cutie mark, a silver flower blossom.

She carefully cleaned and polished the bronze barding before replacing it on the armoring dummy in the corner. The two other full sets of armor let her know that Snowflake and Oak hadn’t reported in for the night shift yet. The absence of the heavy quilted barding owned by Morning Dew and Shining Star told her that the two unicorns were most likely already on patrol. She stepped back into the main room where a quick check of the duty manifest confirmed her suppositions.

With a stretch that caused a series of pops to ripple along her back, she turned to the side desk. “Em,” she said, a yawn punctuating the declaration.

The green unicorn looked up from her side desk. For such a large mare she could be quite discreet when she wanted to be. “Yes, Belle?” she responded quietly, meaning Belle could have heard it in the other room.

Belle stretched again, barely stifling another yawn as well. “I’m going to check out those mares’ homes and then head to my own if there’s nothing to find. Be sure to let Snowflake and Oak know about the situation before you head home. If anything comes up, let me know immediately.”

“Of course. Have a good night, Belle.” Emerald went back to her work, the halo of energy surrounding her horn also illuminating a quill, busy scribbling away at yet another report.

“Good night,” Belle called out as she left.

********************

The trip to the scene of the maybe-crime was uneventful. After ensuring neither foal had turned up, Belle had looked around but, as she had expected, neither saw nor smelled anything unusual. She had checked with the neighbors but nopony had seen anything.

Now she was making her tired way home. She knew that Keen was more than capable of handling the situation. A foal wondering off was a rare but not unheard of occurrence. Usually they turned up after a couple of hours, or whenever they finally got hungry.

The whole situation bugged her though. Somehow things didn’t seem right; she couldn’t quite put her hoof on what exactly bothered her, but she didn’t like it.

Still, it had been a long, if otherwise uneventful, day and she was tired. There was nothing else to be done and she trusted her guards to do their jobs. She tried to force the matter from her mind as she made her way home through the empty streets.

Night was well under way, with the moon well above the town’s skyline, by the time Belle finally arrived. For Belle, home was the second story of the town’s best, and now last, ice cream shop. The store’s windows were dark, although its gaudy advertisements remained visible in the pale moonlight.

She trotted down the alley that ran alongside the shop and up a small flight of stairs to reach her door. She smiled as she pushed it open, already feeling some of the weariness of the day dropping from her shoulders.

She was greeted with the very welcoming smell of hot food. Sighing contentedly at the meal to come, she tossed her tinted glasses onto a nearby table with a practiced toss of her head and made her way into the kitchen. The sound of clattering platters and bowls masked her approach, and so she was easily able to slip into the warm room unnoticed by its occupant. A tall and somewhat stout unicorn stallion was fussing next to the counter, swaying un-rhythmically to music only he could hear.

Belle stepped behind him without his noticing and suddenly pounced, wrapping her forearms around his neck, burying her face in his short, scruffy mane. He flinched and the bowl of steaming greens he had been levitating dropped to the countertop with a clatter, although nothing spilled.

“Belle!” he exclaimed, relief filling his mild voice, “don’t do that!”

She merely smiled and continued to nuzzle him gently. Having finished his rebuke, he returned the embrace affectionately.

Lemon Sherbet (he refused to spell his name ‘Sorbet’ like those pretentious ponies in Prance) was about as unlikely a match for Belle, Captain of the Dock Guard, as any pony could imagine. He was a well renowned ice cream maker and vendor. He specialized in cold spells and had perfected a method of making ice cream that other vendors had been trying to replicate for years but never seemed able to quite get right.

Even in appearance they were a study in contrast: where Belle was small but hard, Lemon was large but soft. Where she was authoritative, he was rather laid back. Where she was often serious, he was often not. Even their colors were disparate: Belle was rather monotone, with her dark grey coat and silver mane, while Lemon was as colorful as his name suggested, with a bright yellow coat and two-tone orange and white mane. He used to always joke that he looked like a creamsicle, until Belle got so sick of it that she threatened to cut off his mane and tail in his sleep if he didn’t stop.

“How many times must I tell you to keep that door locked?” she asked softly, but there was no anger in her voice. “Somepony could wander in and hurt you.”

Lemon scoffed lightly. “With Dock’s top-notch guards? I think not!”

Belle snorted softly into his mane but slowly backed away, looking him in the eye. “I’m serious. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”

Lemon frowned. “I’m going nowhere, Belle. Now c’mon, have some food. What brought all this on?” He levitated the bowl of hot greens over to the dining table and gently prodded her to take a seat on the cushion placed specially for her.

Belle dropped onto the cushion gratefully and began to graze at the vegetables her husband placed before her. In between bites she told him about the missing fillies. He looked concerned but didn’t seem as worried as Belle. “Foals’ll be foals, Belle. I’m sure they’re jus’ fine.”

Belle nodded but remained unconvinced. She felt better, yet she couldn’t shake the tension brought on by the missing fillies. Her ‘Guard’s Instinct,’ as she sometimes called it, just wouldn’t let the matter go. She finished the last of her dinner, silently thanking Celestia for the umpteenth time that her husband was good with all sorts of food and not just desserts, and sat back, her body tense.

Lemon, noticing her stiffness, levitated over a brush and began to gently groom her mane. It had a soothing effect on Belle and soon enough she felt her muscles relax. She gave a great sigh of contentment and started to slouch.

Her mind was beginning to drift towards possible escalation when they were rudely interrupted by a loud banging at the side door. Groaning at the interruption, she was almost tempted to ignore it but knew that she couldn’t. A second loud banging followed immediately, and then a third. Whatever it was, it was urgent.

She rose and walked over to the door, leaving Lemon there, still holding the brush. She interrupted a fifth sequence of beatings, pulling the door open wide. Emerald Grass nearly fell on her face, her hoof fully extending when she had anticipated a strike. She recovered her balance but was still breathing heavily, obviously having run all the way here.

“Whoa, whoa, calm down, Em. Where’s the fire?” Belle asked with a slight chuckle.

“At the docks,” Em gasped quietly.

It took a moment for that to sink in, then Belle sputtered, “Wait, what? There really is a fire?!”

“Yes, Belle.” Em’s breathing was still ragged but she finally managed to calm herself down.

Belle recovered from the surprise, all business again. “How long?”

“Not long.”

“Where are the others?”

“Snowflake and Oak are handling the crowd, Morning and Shining are directing the unicorns, and Keen’s doing whatever it is he does.”

Belle nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”

Belle turned back to look at Lemon. “Darling, I need to go,” she said softly.

Lemon nodded, looking grim but understanding. “Of course. Just be careful.”

“You know me,” Belle said with a chuckle.

He muttered something under his breath but didn’t otherwise respond. With a skilled smack, Belle hit the ends of her tinted glasses’ arms, launching them into the air where they spun before landing perfectly on her forehead. She jerked her head once, forcing them to fall over her eyes.

“Em,” she said, back fully in her role as captain of the town guard, “let’s hoof it.”

She shut the door on her facehoofing husband.

********************

Belle and Emerald raced through the city, their hooves echoing on the cobblestone street. It was a cloudless night and the full moon provided plenty of light. Belle had sensitive eyes, one of the reasons she wore the tinted glasses, even this late, but could see easily enough. But even were that not the case, Belle knew her town like her own hoof; she could have run through it blindfolded.

Even this far from the shipyard, Belle could make out the faint glow tinting the skyline which betrayed the presence of the fire. The sight of the glow spurred her on even faster. Em was not a fast runner, but her long strides made her more than capable of keeping up with Belle.

They raced past dark alleyways between the many buildings on either side. At this time of night, Belle expected to find nopony up, even with the excitement and fear induced by a fire nearby; most likely news hadn’t even spread this far. And yet, just for a second, she thought she saw a large figure hidden just within the shadows next to the tailor’s shop duck further into the darkness of one of the alleys. This unsettled her, the Guard Instinct in her blood screamed that anypony who wished to so remain out of sight couldn’t be up to any sort of good.

She turned her head to try to catch a second look, but her speed had already carried her past the alleyway. She turned back forward with a disappointed grunt. She didn’t have time to investigate now.

Em glanced at her friend. “What’s the matter, Belle?”

Belle snorted, shaking her head. “I thought I… No, it was nothing. Let’s just hurry on.”

Em didn’t press the issue but instead remained quiet, focusing on her own galloping.

Before long, they breached the wall of buildings that lined the river and the long stone dock stretched out before them. The whole area, usually lit only by a few lampposts, was now bright as day. One of the warehouses up river, a large monstrosity of a building Belle knew to be empty, was completely engulfed in flames.

Large gouts of fire shot out from the structure dozens of feet long, licking the air like a parched animal. The roar of the flames rumbled and echoed across the gently flowing river, punctuated by the occasional sharp crack of a collapsing beam. Thick smoke billowed from the conflagration, mixed with large bursts of sparks and hung over the river like a thick veil before slowly drifting away on the gentle breeze. Belle was suddenly very happy for her tinted glasses as a blossom of fire burst from the second floor of the warehouse, lighting up the river for over fifty yards around it. Em recoiled slightly, stopping to raise a forehoof in front of her eyes.

The fireball illuminated the forms of several ponies dropping prone as it flowed over their heads while others leapt aside. It was with a certain sense of pride that Belle saw a host of ponies around the burning building, not panicking but working together to put out the blaze.

In some cities, a permanent, or at least voluntary, fire brigade was tasked with handling fires, but in a smaller town like Dock, and especially since its recent decline, firefighting was by necessity a communal effort, with ponies from all over joining together to save the town from further destruction. Fires were quite rare however. Belle could recall fewer than five in her twenty years as a guard, and none had been as large as this.

Two groups of unicorns were busy at the corners of the warehouse, forming lines from about twenty feet back from the building all the way to the river’s edge. The majority of them were drawing up water from the river in their telekinesis, siphoning it to the next group who were working together to pressurize the liquid before passing it on to the last two in the line. These two directed the flow of the now highly-pressurized water. The end results were two narrow but constant jets of water arching into the raging flames, beating back the larger fires and completely extinguishing isolated pockets whenever possible.

Meanwhile, above the blaze two dozen pegasi were gathering clouds and forming makeshift storms, jumping up and down rapidly in order to release as much water as possible before the clouds evaporated in the intense heat. Dock didn’t have an overly large pegasus population, but they were undeniably useful.

Earth ponies and a few other unicorns were also forming bucket chains, targeting the lower areas of the building and ensuring the fire couldn’t spread. A few more were just visible as silhouettes against the fire dashing about, not panicked, but with a purpose.

Belle and Emerald trotted up to a pair of ponies, the only ones not actively working. One of them was Brine, who looked on grimly, occasionally directing ponies here and there when necessary. It was the other pony Belle addressed now.

“Sergeant,” she shouted over the roar of the fire, “report!”

Sergeant Oak Root was practically the poster image for the Canterlot Royal Guard: large and muscular, white furred with a yellow-golden mane and tail, quiet but with a constant air of authority surrounding him. He was the only guard left in Dock with more experience than Belle, and she often consulted with him before making decisions. He was well named as he could be just as stubborn and unmoving as an oak root, but was also as dependable and strong as one.

“Captain,” he acknowledged with a quick salute, despite the fact that she was technically out of uniform, “it’s a nasty one. Corporal Snowflake is coordinating the weather pegasi. Corporal Keen is on lookout for possible spreading. Constables Morning Dew and Shining Star are assisting with the water jets. Mister Brine here has been-"

He was cut off by a strange hissing sound that broke through the cacophony of the fire, its pitching rising rapidly in intensity.

Sergeant Oak’s eyes widened slightly in surprise and he bellowed out as loud as he could, “It’s going to blow, everypony get back! Shields, now!

There was a moment’s hesitation as confused ponies looked at him and it was almost too long. Emerald’s horn shone brightly and suddenly the four standing ponies were surrounded by a semi-opaque bubble of energy. Similar bubbles popped into existence around the groups close to the building. Shield spells were among the first learned by constables, and both Morning and Shining, while relatively new to the job, knew the spell practically on reflex.

It was not a moment too soon. The hissing reached a crescendo seconds later. Then a massive explosion burst from the building, fire and wood shooting out in a single wave of fury. It washed over the protective spheres sheltering the ponies and for a few heart-stopping moments everything was heat and light and sound. But not for nothing did the unicorns of the Dock Guard practice the shield spell hour after hour, day after day, month after month.

When the fire had passed them by, the vast majority of ponies were shaken, but unscathed. A few unlucky souls had been too scattered to reach the shields in time. Although none had been close enough to be outright killed by the explosion, there were still about a half dozen ponies scattered around the dock, smoke rising from their singed fur and more than one bleeding from the splinters of wood which had accompanied the blast.

A quick glance up showed Belle that several pegasi had been directly above the warehouse and, while none had been burned or otherwise injured, the blast had knocked them about. The other pegasi were able to catch them easily and brought them to the ground so they could recover from the buffeting.

The shield dropped once the fire had passed, although the very air now felt like it was boiling. Belle recovered first. “Sergeant,” she yelled, “get the wounded away, and get them help! I want the walls of the warehouse pulled in, get a handle on this! Have the pegasi make sure the fire didn’t spread from that blast; we can’t have any other buildings going up. Get that water going again.”

The white stallion snapped to attention. “Yes, ma’am!” He immediately trotted forward, bellowing out orders and restoring a semblance of order to the fresh chaos.

Belle turned to the other ponies with her. Emerald gave a snort and shook her head, none the worse for wear. “Em,” Belle said, “help with the wounded.” The unicorn nodded and moved to assist.

Brine seemed surprisingly calm about the whole thing. Belle, on the other hoof, was not. “I thought that warehouse was abandoned, Brine!” she growled angrily. “Empty warehouses don’t explode!”

“I’m as surprised as you are, Captain,” he said, his voice even and only just loud enough to be heard over the fire and distant yelling. Yet the look in his good eye betrayed a hint of anger, although she got the feeling that it wasn’t directed at her. “But perhaps we can worry about it after the fire is put out?”

Belle glared at the earth pony but nodded. By now a new crowd of ponies had begun to gather, no doubt drawn by the loud explosion. Most immediately pitched in to help; although a few, those too old or weak to help fight the fire were mostly gaping in a horrified fascination. Belle left Brine among this latter group with a slightly smug feeling, trotting to help as best she could.

There was a series of massive crashes as the remaining walls were pushed inwards with unicorn magic, causing the building to finally fall in on itself. This sent up a huge cloud of smoke, ashes, and sparks that was quickly diminished by the steady rain the pegasi had finally managed to keep going.

At long last the concentrated efforts of the Dock ponies triumphed and the main blaze was finally dispersed, leaving only a few isolated pockets of fire. These were quickly quenched by a bucket of water from an earth pony or snuffed out when a bubble of unicorn magic cut off its oxygen. Before long all that remained was the blackened husk and ashes of the warehouse, soaked from the drenching it had received but still sizzling from the heat. With the threat finally extinguished, the adrenaline began to fade while a sense of quiet calm permeated the exhausted ponies.

Belle’s first task was to check on the wounded ponies, slipping her tinted glasses back on top of her head now that the dock was back in usual nightly shadows, the only lights coming from the intermittent lampposts and a few pony-held lanterns. She was relieved to discover that, while frightened and slightly singed, none had been badly hurt in the blast. Two had been struck by wooden shrapnel but they were superficial wounds, quickly tended to by a few unicorn nurses. After exchanging some comforting and encouraging words, she moved back towards the main group, trailed slightly by Em.

As she was walking back, she was suddenly caught up in a rough embrace. Her instincts kicked in and she almost bucked her would-be attacker. Thankfully she managed to get a look at the pony before lashing out and immediately recognized Lemon. She relaxed into the embrace for a brief moment before breaking away. It wouldn’t do for ponies to see the Captain of the Town Guard hugging in public while on duty, even if she was out of uniform.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed, not wanting to draw attention to them. A quick glance showed that Em was currently very interested in the river to their right.

Lemon had no such qualms. “I got worried when I heard that explosion,” he exclaimed. “I just had to make sure you were okay.” He sounded relieved, but also out of breath; Lemon wasn’t much of a runner. “You are alright, right?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” she answered soothingly. She cast a troubled glance at the area where the wounded ponies had been moved to. “Relatively speaking.”

Turning back around, she saw that some ponies were beginning to tentatively approach the charred and smoking ruins.

“Lemon,” she said suddenly, “I’m actually glad you came, and thanks for checking on me, but right now I need to clear this area. It’s too dangerous for anypony to just wander around.”

He looked thoughtful for a second before breaking into a cheeky grin, the one she absolutely loved but often led to crazy shenanigans. “Just leave it to me, dearest. Be careful, and I’ll see you at home.”

He trotted off with a wink, neatly insinuating himself into a nearby group of ponies. After a second, she recognized the group as some of her neighbors: Mr. and Mrs. Loaf, the town bakers, the latter of whom looked rather ridiculous in her pink nightgown and pink fuzzy slippers; Mr. Zinger, the tea house proprietor; Ms. Eris, a veterinarian; and Mr. Flynn, one of the town’s farriers.

What was her husband up to?

Belle shook her head with a chuckle. Lemon could sometimes be too clever for his own good, and she just had to hope this wasn’t one of those times. She had more pressing matters to worry about anyway.

She turned back to focus on the burned out building. She quickly spotted the unmistakable figure of Sergeant Oak talking with Keen. She trotted up to them, Em approaching just behind her.

“Sergeant,” Belle said as soon as she was close enough for them to hear her, “cordon off the area, I don’t want any ponies wandering into this mess and getting hurt. Corporal Keen, have Constable Shining provide you with some light and check the ruins from above as best you can, make sure we aren’t in for any more surprises.”

The two stallions saluted and moved off, Keen to nab Shining Star from her spot in a group of tired unicorns by the pier, Oak already starting to chivy away the curious ponies getting too close to the blackened husk of a building. Belle allowed herself a brief yawn, feeling the stress of the fire compounding with her long day’s work. She quickly stifled it before turning to Em.

“Em, I want you to take Morning and check the perimeter of the building. Make sure no ponies are hanging around the back, and take note of any possible damages to the adjacent warehouses.” She nickered softly. “When this is over, drinks are on me.”

Em smiled gently at her. “Sounds good to me, Belle.” She gave her own salute and moved off to obey her friend’s order.

Belle started looking around for Corporal Snowflake, but before she could spot the white pegasus, she heard a magically enhanced voice rise into the night.

“Alright everypony! That sure was somethin’, wasn’t it?” Belle had to resist the urge to facehoof when she recognized Lemon’s voice. “Y’all should be right proud of what y’all accomplished. By Luna’s starry mane, you just might have saved the whole damn town!” Her husband paused for effect, the silence filled with general mumblings of agreement from the distracted ponies. “As a way of sayin’ thanks, me ‘n my good friends here think a nice round of tea and muffins for y’all is in order, on the house. Might be a few sundaes around too, who knows? Who’s with me?”

A few cheers went up and slowly the multitude of ponies followed Lemon and the other shop owners away. By now they were talking excitedly, recalling the more harrowing moments with vivid and often overblown descriptions. This night wasn’t going to be forgotten anytime soon.

Belle had to hoof it to her husband. He might be crazy at times, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t one of the slyest stallions she knew. He had managed to move the majority of the crowd away from any more potential dangers with just some quick thinking and the willingness to accept a small loss in profits.

Within a few minutes the dock was almost completely deserted, save for the constables and, irritatingly but not surprisingly, Brine along with a few of his trusted helpers (thugs). She might as well get the worst over with. With a resigned sigh, Belle approached Brine, heedless of the two large earth ponies who stood close to him now, not exactly threatening, but obviously there.

“Alright, Brine, what happened?” she demanded without prelude.

Brine looked thoughtfully at the remains of the warehouse for a few seconds before turning his good eye on Belle. “What makes you think I would know?”

Belle snorted. “Because nothing happens on this dock without you knowing about it.”

“You flatter me, Captain. I admit to having a decent amount of knowledge about the going’s on here, but to say I know everything…” he trailed off, shaking his head. He faced the smoking ruins of the warehouse. “Unfortunately I don’t know much about this.”

Belle raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Well tell me what you do know.”

His eye narrowed slightly at her tone, but he complied curtly. “It started about a half hour ago. First I heard of it, some pegasus crashed through the doors, shouting about a fire. Whole place rushed out, and damned if there wasn’t a large blaze right here.”

“Who was the pegasus who reported it?” Belle asked at once.

Brine shrugged, causing the latticework of scars around his shoulders and back to shift in a slightly sickening way. “Never seen her before. Came in on the Star’s Retreat this afternoon. If I recall correctly.” Which he did. He always did.

Belle processed this news. It wasn’t exactly helpful, but any information was better than none. “Any ideas about how it started?”

“None,” Brine replied tersely.

Belle glared at him, wondering if he was hiding something. He seemed to realize what she was thinking, as he so often seemed to be able to do, much to her irritation. “It wouldn’t be in my best interest to hide anything about this from you, Captain. I assure you, I’m as eager to know who threatened my docks as you are.”

“And if you find out, you’ll let me know and let me take care of it?”

Brine smiled unconvincingly. “Of course.”

Belle was about to ask him more about the pegasus who had reported the fire when a flurry of wings followed by a few light clops of hooves on stone announced the arrival of Corporal Keen Edge. The normally stoic pegasus had a grim look on his face.

“Captain,” he said, “you need to see this.”

Belle nodded at once, and without glancing back at the salty earth pony followed Keen into the ruined husk of the warehouse. Unbidden, Brine followed closely behind them. Em met her at the edge of the burnt remains, her horn brightly aglow and creating a spotlight-like effect on the ground before her.

“This way,” Keen said, hovering above them and moving deeper into the husk.

Unable to fly after him, Belle and Em were forced to carefully pick their way among the blackened beams. The warehouse had been mostly empty with only a few empty crates stored near the front, but the darkness and the treacherous footing made it slow going. After a few minutes of picking their way through the scorched detritus, they spotted Shining Star, a small beige mare with a brown mane sporting a trio of five-pointed stars on her flank underneath her barding. She was standing just inside the doorway of what must have once been an office. Her horn was shining also, and she looked sick. The mares reached the entrance and Belle looked at what had caused such an effect on her constables.

When she saw it, Belle felt her insides seize up. Horrible realization coming over her like a slap to the face. She had known something was wrong before, but she hadn’t done anything about it then. She should have taken it more seriously.

For there, now bathed in the light of two unicorn horns, burnt almost beyond recognition, were the horribly charred and twisted bodies of two unicorn fillies.

Author's Notes:

Once again, a huge thanks to my editor Expository Brony for his proofreading and encouragement.

As always, MLP and its characters are © Hasbro and Lauren Faust respectively.

All OCs, however, are purely mine.

Next Chapter: Chapter 2: Questions Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 24 Minutes
Return to Story Description

Login

Facebook
Login with
Facebook:
FiMFetch