Early Morning

It was early in the morning when Dawn Drops arrived at the park, her hooves touching the already dry grass as she landed. While she had not been able to take the twenty-minute flight here before sunrise, especially after all the work she had done last night, she loved the mornings regardless.

Folding her wings by her sides, Dawn began to walk around, enjoying the cool air and texture of the ground. She appreciated the near-silence; it gave her a chance to think that the afternoons did not provide. Her mane had not been braided like it usually was, instead falling to the top of her front hooves in large curls. She paid it only a passing glance, hoping that nobody would happen to be in the park at this time to see it.

Looking around, she sat on a bench, listening to the chirping of the nearby birds that stood on a tree above her. That was almost the only sound she heard, and she did not mind it.

A quiet, miserable groan sounded from a nearby bush.

The groan was followed by the bush shaking violently, accompanied by a series of impotent grunts, curses, and cries of exasperation:

"Z'ounds... Ne'er gotten so... HNNNG... Damnation upon this shrubbery! RRRRRR....Oh by the bowsprit me head...!" A pause, punctuated by large gasps for air. "Foul thing...! GNNNNNNN...Where's my... Aha!"

The voice unmistakably belonging to a mare, there was a gruff yet eloquent quality to it. The accent smething of a mutt of Canterlot's enunciation and refinement, Ponyville's rustic & grassroots flair, and Trottingham's good old version of the Princess' Equine.

The tip of a cutlass protruded from the plant, and started to hack away at the bush. Each whack echoed through the pleasantly quiet park.

Dawn continued to bask in the silence... and then she heard loud grunting, miserable curses, and complaints from a nearby bush. "For Celestia's sake," she muttered, "the world is against me." How did that even happen, anyway? Who does topiary work or... whatever at this time? At any other day, she might be concerned or even amused, but considering she had woken up early for this sake, today was different.

While disgruntled, she was also curious. It was true that practically nopony would bother waking up early just to do... um... whatever the pony was doing, and she did wish to know what was happening. Getting up from her bench, she walked over to the bush and looked down at it. "Truly," she deadpanned, "this is a battle of the centuries. Ponies will talk about for ages to come - the story of the unknown pony, versus the bush!"

Sarcasm wasn't her forte, nor would it ever be, but even so she could form a few sarcastic remarks. She was well aware that she might look back at this one day and burst out in uncontrollable laughter at the idea of needing a weapon to get out of a bush, however big.

"Omission.." The mysterious would-be conqueror of foliage replied between slashes. "Is a sin you know... Especially... RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH." The sword was snagged upon a deceptively strong branch of the bush, and a light orange hoof shot out to fight the branch in single combat. after a good eight seconds of struggle, the hoof fell back into the bush. The mare was defeated for now.

"Particularly." The mare gasped out, incensed by the stubborn bush. "When somepony is in dire need of assistance! Beaten by the bush. Now isn't that a turn of phrase..." There was a great sigh, and a moment of silence.

"Ah-ha!" The sword gracefully shot through the bush, cutting it in twain and depositing its prisoner out onto the path.

The mare was indeed orange of fur, with some freckles along her cheeks. Her mane was a rich brown except for a lock of bright auburn that fell along the left side of her face. Her tip of her left ear was missing, and her right was heavily pierced with studs and hoops.

The mare wore a heavily patched justacorps that was once dark grey, and a maroon neckerchief. She looked up to Dawn and stood right up; she adjusting her coat and kerchief to not look like she just fought a bush, returned her cutlass to the baldric hanging about her shoulder, and stepped smartly up to the mare.

She smiled as she reached up to remove a hat that was not there, and her smile immediately dropped when she discovered that it wasn't. "My hat..." She ran back to the bush and rifled about through it, producing a old cavalier's hat with a maroon ploom. The mare returned to Dawn.

"Where were we? Ah yes." She removed her hat, and bowed. "Captain Calico Blastsides at yer service, Mademoiselle. A pleasure..." She took the mare's hoof and gently kissed it, looking up at her smiling. "... to make your acquaintance."

For a moment, Dawn glanced up at her own mane self-consciously, for she was seldom seen without it braided in polite company. Assuming, of course, that this was counted as such. If she was not in the middle of something here, she might have spent several minutes pondering this matter.

Instead, she nodded briefly, pulling her hoof away. "It's nice to meet you, Captain Calico Blastsides," she said, returning the greeting. Long name. Her parents must have taken some time to come up with that. The mare was mildly shorter than her, and she had to bend her neck slightly to look her in the eye. "Would you care to explain to me what exactly you were doing in a bush?"

A small thought occurred to her that she might have heard of Calico before, in a non-personal way involving a poster of some sort, but it was dismissed with a subtle flick of her indigo-streaked tail. If she had, and in such a way that she did not remember it fully, it was unlikely to be important. If it was, one of them would remember and bring it up.

"It's nice to meet you, Captain Calico Blastsides,"

Cpt.Blastsides waited patiently for an introduction in kind.

"Would you care to explain to me what exactly you were doing in a bush?"

Calico's nose flaired as she tried to maintain some sense of mystique and dignity. She started slowly:

"Well. Tis a... dull and arduous tale. One of foolishness an' inappropriate amounts o' debauchery. Not suited for a sweet respectable thing like yerself." As she talked, she rubbed her temple painfully. "One that, to be honest with ya madame, I mayent be able to fully account for meself." It was time for a change of subject.

"Alas, you do me much offense! Whom may I be addressin'?" She tilted her head back to get a better look at the mare, her earings jangling lightly as she did so.

Dawn still wondered what could have possibly happened with the bush, but curiosity she wuld have to satisfy later. The only thing she could think of was perhaps an accident of some sort with magic. Of course, this was an Earth pony, but still, most took the effort to know at least one unicorn friend here in Manehatten, the city quite honestly filled with crime. But before she began an hour long internal monologue, she would introduce herself.

"Oh, right. My name is Dawn Drops - proud upholder of the law and skilled flier." Her wings flared as she said it, as if in demonstration, before she tucked them back in place. She knew that the last part of the sentence was unnecessary, but basking in one's achievements never hurt anyone, now did it? If it did, half the entire population of Manehattan would be much worse off than they were now.

"Oh, right. My name is Dawn Drops - proud upholder of the law and skilled flier."

Calico's brow rose slightly, a smile crept on her face at the mention of 'law.'
"A guardspony, I take it?a pity Tis odd to see one of the Gold Backs out of uniform. You look so..." Calico analysed Dawn up and down. "Equine. Do you uphold your law here in Manehattan? An arduous and Sisyphean task, I'm sure. All that bureaucracy and whatnot. The law seems to be like that of the ouroboros, forever eating its own tail." She stared off into the park wistfully. "Deliciously ironic."

The pensive moment was interrupted as a noise pierced the quiet. A unintelligible sound of urgent voices and hoof beats coming down the path. Calico snapped into action as she jumped to Dawn's side and offered a hoof.
"But it is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Drops. Would you care to walk through the green with me? I could awfully use the company."

"Not guard, technically, though my father was. Just bounty hunter. The job's much more... simple." Dawn had never figured out how the stallion had ever managed to be both a decent father and a guard at once, and even with her own, less busy life, she knew she would be unable to take the job. A confident pony she was, but not (usually) delusional.

Had her hearing been more strong, she might have been too suspicious to do as suggested. Unfortunately, for all her strengths, her hearing was not among them. "Why not?" she said, smiling slightly as she took her hoof. She glanced up at the sky; the morning was still young and not many ponies were roaming around yet. Maybe she could have some intelligent conversation.

(If she had said that aloud, and if she was around her family, she might have added a 'Hint hint hint' after that statement.)

"Oh! A pleasant surprise. I've known a bounty hunter or two. Upstanding Gentiles all." Bounty hunters were much more exciting than the dimwitted guards. More varied, interesting, and a great deal more fun. Dawn was not hard on the eyes, either, as Calico was keen to note.

She smartly directed her companion away from her invisible pursuers. Walking at a brisk but relaxed pace, She did not appear to be a pony on the run. "Tis exciting? The life of a bounty hunter I mean. I take it you've had a fair share of adventure and danger." She glanced over at Dawn. Behind the pegasus Calico saw a glint of gold through the foliage a ways away; the subtle noises of chase were receding.

A brief nod was at first the only answer, then Dawn continued, "Indeed. I'm not exactly a stranger to danger." She recalled several incidents in her life that included... less than pleasant situations. "Did you know you'd have to cut less deep into a wing than one - or at least I - would think, in order to draw blood?" she commented in a regretful tone, glancing at her back. Yep. Definitely less than pleasant.

She was silent after that, listening to the sounds of birds and crickets alike chirping around her. She was usually a mare of many words, but then that would require subject matter. Preferably some that she actually knew about, a quality that the nature of the park did not fill. She made a mental note to study the subject at a library when she could.

"Did you know you'd have to cut less deep into a wing than one - or at least I - would think, in order to draw blood?"

Calico smiled knowingly. She couldn't really remember a time when she wasn't healing some cut or wound from an altercation, but she didn't think to say it. So she enjoyed the quiet morning with the Bounty hunter. Who knows how long it would last? Calico learned to cherish the moments, and blessed her good fortune for the quiet.

"If I may be so bold, Ya don' seem the violent type, Miss. More a scholar I'd say." She observed. "Reminds me of a bird I know. Fancies herself quiet the sophisticated well-to-do, back where she comes form... Do you come from these parts, Miss Drops?" She quickly peaked behind her shoulder, seeing no more signs of official law enforcement.

Hey, a conversation-carrier. How convenient. A smile graced her lips as she replied. "Yep. I don't think I would have been able to reach this park quite so early if I didn't live nearby." Flight was hard while with about six hours of sleep under one's belt, and she was aware of this. She would probably have crashed before even reaching the park. Considering most of the city's ground was made of cement... that would be unpleasant.

Bounty hunting was, she found, often depicted as some sort of epic adventure with foolhardy daredevil who rushed into things and succeeded anyway, and that was partly true. But that seldom actually worked, and she was glad there was somebody who understood that. Her ear twitched as she heard faint noises, which she more felt than actually heard, but she ignored them.

Calico was a realist. She knew that the world could be a harsh place: not forgiving to the innocent, not generous to the downtrodden, and not just to the evil. But she also knew that the world was truly a miraculous place, and with panache, wit, and charm, great things could be found. She was a realist but there is a reason that fiction mirrors reality. Reality, of course, mirrors fiction.

"And how do you like it? Manehattan I mean. Dreadful port, in my opinion, but it does have some redeeming qualities. If its one thing this city has no shortage in, its scalawags and bilge rats.I imagine its quite good for your business."

Like Captain Blastsides!

Speaking of rodents, it appeared the law's iron hoof was slowly closing in. Although they were still a good ways away, and out of sight, Blastsides could tell they were fanning out through the park. There were probably five of them. She smartly and subtly directed Dawn down a fork onto a slightly smaller path. In the quiet she thought to a brief, yet better time. And what brought an end to it all.

"You wouldn't..." She started. Her eyes narrowed as she slowed to a stop. There was an almost imperceptible change in her face, as it took on a serious, intimidatingly intense expression. Her catlike eyes latched onto Dawn's.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about a slatternish (w)horse of a equine known as the Black Mare, would you? Sails on a black-sailed galleon named The Discord II. Ugly looking vessel. You seem smart. Well informed."

Quote :

"And how do you like it? Manehattan I mean. Dreadful port, in my opinion, but it does have some redeeming qualities. If its one thing this city has no shortage in, its scalawags and bilge rats.I imagine its quite good for your business."

"That'd be true," Dawn stated, nodding. She flicked her head when a large tuft of her mane obscured her vision as a result of the jerky movement. While she would not hesitate to fly to Ponyville or Canterlot or wherever, and she was familiar with most of Equestria, the travel would leave her exhausted, and, more likely than not, needing to rest for at least a few hours that could be vital.

Quote :

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about a slatternish (w)horse of a equine known as the Black Mare, would you? Sails on a black-sailed galleon named The Discord II. Ugly looking vessel. You seem smart. Well informed."

If not for how many criminals she had faced before, Dawn might have been intimidated by the immensely intense expression on Calico's face. The pegasus reviewed her knowledge of all sailors and pirates for a moment or two before nodding, her tone serious. "I have, in fact. Not exactly the most obscure of ponies."

Of course, she did not usually research criminals she was not hunting (the exception being if it showed up in some book she was reading, and she became intrigued), and this one had been coincidence. That, and goers to taverns by the beach seemed to enjoy discussing her. Also, a few books regarding pirates had mentioned her, or at least her father.

A chagrined smile spread on Captain Blastsides' face. Of course she was the well-known and feared pirate. The evil wench... Calico dropped her gaze to the ground and pursed her lips. This was a hopeless effort. She'd be more likely to trip over a chest of gold.

"Anything on her location? Last-known sightings or other such of the like? " She cautioned hopefully. Calico took a deep breath and seemed to lose a bit of the edge in her voice. "I apologize, Miss. I can be quite single minded in some pursuits and forget good form."

While keeping a respectful focus on Dawn, she dared to glance about quickly. The coast was, for the moment, clear. There were a few ponies about, but it was not nearly as crowded as it would be in perhaps an hour. Most were too wrapped up in their own interests or chores, and wound down a predetermined path to Thunder knows where. Like Ants, Calico mused.

There was a brief pause, in which Dawn strained to remember, before an answer came. "Yes, I believe, and it's fine. The Black Mare was seen nearby... Baltimare, I believe, a few weeks ago. She sailed South after that." She made it a point to remember any significant criminals, lest she ever need the information. Some ponies were predictable enough that knowing their patterns was all that was needed.

Taking note of Calico's subtle glancing around, she continued, "Why do you ask?" Psychology had never been her thing; she preferred set-in-stone rules of the universe to things that any pony could defy if they wished, but she was able to guess thay her lack of attention had something, even if only slightly, to do with the subject.

Calico took a very deep breath and closed her eyes. South, past Baltimare. She had to get South.

"Why do you ask?"

"We had a..." Calico squinted, trying to find the right words for her relationship with the witch of a mare. "Philosophical disagreement."

Calico slammed the pommel of her blade into the Black Mare's head "Spineless wench! Have at thee!" She sang out.

"One might say that she didn't take too kindly to some of my viewpoints." Calico sighed wistfully, fondly remembering the clobbering that she gave the Black Mare.

"Needless to say, The Black Mare took something of mine and I wish to have it back."

"So long, you craven hussy!" the Black Mare called from the deck of the Jack-o-lope, Captain Blastsides' ship. Calico Blastsides leveled her pistol, and fired, taking off the hat of her hated enemy. A vile and sinister mare.

She had almost expected some long, brief pause in conversation while the Earth pony had some sort of inner monologue. Cartoon physics tended to appear in real life when it might be humorous. Or, rather, real life physics seemed to apply to cartoons, but she found some things in the real world too bizarre to disregard.

"Yes, pirates have a way of taking things," Dawn commented with a small smile, before regaining a serious expression, not because of any real reason than courtesy. It would be unbecoming, after all, to feel mirth at someone's misfortune. She knew she'd wanted to bash a pony's head in for that precise reason at least once, while in a particularly bad mood.

Calico met Dawn's eyes with an equally somber expression. The frown held for a moment, before devolving into a barely suppressed laugh. "Thunder! ain't that the truth." She proclaimed heartily, letting her chortle turn into a a melodious giggle.

She let her mirth subside, a smile still on her face. "But ponies of a piratical persuasion have given plenty as well! Robin Hoof and his crew, Aladdin and the lamp, both loved by all. Despite their criminal occupations."

Calico thought back to a simpler time, briefly. She remembered her mother, standing at the fore of her ship, looking out over the crowds that flocked to see the Queen of the Pirates and her daring adventures.

Glad that no offense had been taken, Dawn smiled, sharing the amusement. "Indeed, I guess those two aren't the worst of criminals. Of course, the latter are fictional." She enjoyed a nice fairy tale as much as any other pony, and while those weren't quite her favourites, she would be happy to read them as a timekiller. "I think. I wouldn't be all too surprised if he had some real-life influence."

She was walking, but had she been able to, she would have put a hoof to her chin. As it was, she shifted her tail slightly and ruffled her feathers, little habits she had developed while thinking. While she had no idea why a unicorn would do such a thing, someone powerful enough might be able to turn their spirit into a genie, or create a new one from scratch.

"Indeed, I guess those two aren't the worst of criminals. Of course, the latter are fictional. I think. I wouldn't be all too surprised if he had some real-life influence."

"Of course! Not all of the unlawful nature are evil scoundrels. Most are, mind, but not all. And contrary to that, not all those who follow the law to the letter are saints and princesses! My father..." Calico trailed off, frowning slightly. Her father indeed...

"Well. I would say that he was a good stallion who wanted the best for his darling child, but I would be lying." She shrugged dismissively. How could she love a father she hardly knew outside of a few years?

Dawn would have asked about that statement, but decided it was considerably more personal than one should be asking upon first meeting. She may not be the most courteous of ponies, but she did know basic manners. Having parents as disciplined as hers tended to do that to someone.

She was unable to think of any other subject, however; most of the time, while interacting with ponies, it was on serious topics they could stick to for hours. "I can't say I have much experience with bad parents," she commented. "Mine were in essence perfect, though I will admit to them both being seldom home."

Blastsides flicked her auburn lock of hair out of her face dismissively. "I don't mean to complain. My apologise, Miss Drops. Although my father was a horrendous, hoighty-toighty, so-called-gentlestallion with a stick up his derriere, my mother saw that he never got his disgusting little hooves on me." That was, until she died. Blastsides smirked and let a quick burst of air out her lungs, reminiscent of a chuckle.

"She always said: 'if that no-good bastard of a stallion comes this way again, I'll make his other eye black as his soul!'" She laughed at the memory.

Calico looked over her shoulder once more. much farther down the path, almost at the other side of the park. She recognized the telltale glint of gold armor conversing with some passer-byers, who pointed in her direction.

She started to whistle an old shanty she knew she turned around, maintaining a nonchalance as she continued her conversation.

Dawn's wings twitched in amusement as she chuckled merrily. "Strange parents you have," she commented, a smile on her face. "Or, at the very least, passionate, as far as I can tell." The last few words of that statement was added primarily because she believed that nothing could be taken at face value (thus the reason she frequently overanalysed things), and coming to such a conclusion from a few sentences... not the best thing in the world to do.

Picking up the sound of metal against stone, she turned her head, seeing a few royal guards talking to some passers-by. Not a particularly uncommon sight; some time had passed by now, and there was a larger number of ponies around than before. It wasn't inconceivable for a criminal to come along for whatever reason.