Virgil's *DEFAULT* Everypony RP-verse...thing.

I feel somewhat silly about this, but there's potential in some of the Skype RPs I've been in when we don't have much else to discuss in my room. I guess I can lay down the Ground work here and see what happens.

Facts and General Stuffs:

Equestria has the following executive components:
The Royal Guard - Specific high profile/danger/risk military and Police Operations (Arrest/Detain/Defence)
The Royal Equestrian Military - General Military Operations and Special Operations (Defence)
The Equestrian Rangers - Paramilitary and Police Investigations (Arrest/Detain/Defence)
The Constableary - Police and Investigations (Constables + Stables) (Arrest/Detain)
The Equestrian Watch - Observation and Patrol of locations, First Response and Early Warning (Citation)

Fiction Dependencies:
The Cutie Mark Crusaders now includes Dinky Doo and Pipsqueak.
Dinky Doo is one of two children to Derpy Hooves whose husband is unknown but loving and always 'missed' when he is in town.

Events of import:

Wars: Numerous wars from the present back, though the last war fought occurred a decade before the events of MLP:FiM
Each ended up being victories for the ponies and garnered land claims in many directions.
Taurtaurus Offensive: A battle fought at the gates to a realm of foulness that threatens the mortal world. The events of which are more than mysterious.

Important Characters:

Virgil T (The) Pony:
A male Earth Pony of brown coat, green eyes and a blond mane. Cutie Mark: a wide open eye.

Son of a shamed Military officer, Virgil was born in Canterlot. At the age of 4, he and his family began a life of constant movement. Father would be between jobs and mother would support the family through crafts and handiwork. When Virgil was old enough, he attended a college of art and design which he graduated from. While in the post college flop, he joined the Equestrian Watch and was posted to Manehattan. After a year on the watch in the city, he transferred the brand new Ponyville Contract and has been working there ever since.

Fun Facts:
Virgil has worked so dedicatedly in the Watch that he will voluntarily use Watch terminology in common speech.
Virgil spends at least one 24 hour cycle 'roughing it' in the ever free forest either camping or geocaching every week.
Virgil is better at everything other than art.
Virgil has never been late for an appointment or a meeting and is usually early.
Virgil is a graves officer and is seldom seen in Ponyville while the sun is shining.
Virgil has excellent eyesight in part because of a doubly reflective Tapetum Lucidum that lets him see in almost total darkness.
Virgil got his cutie mark when, while visiting his father's construction site, he spied a problem with one of the central columns of the building. When he told somepony about it, he was laughed at and patted along. Finally, he told the building manager who stopped the job just in time to get the workers out before the building collapsed. To this day, Virgil continues to notice minute details and see things missed by other ponies; making him an asset to the Equestrian Watch.

Merriweather:
A female Pegasus of Orange Creme coat, blue eyes and silvery mane. Cutie Mark: A ribbon dancing in the wind.

Daughter of chimney sweeps, Merriweather had wanted to be a dancer her entire life. One of the very rare pegasai that prefer living near the ground, Merriweather has tried out for dance troupes around Equestria but never been selected. Unbeatable in her resolution to become a great dancer, Merriweather can be found dancing through her patrols around Ponyville as the Days Shift Patrol Officer of the Equestrian Watch. Her personality is very professional but she lacks the harder edge of a seasoned officer. She is fond of roaming the area immediately around the Exposition Hall in the center of Town.

Fun Facts:
Merriweather prefers being called Merry.
Merriweather accidentally won a flying race once by dancing to the end.
Merriweather is terrified of cats and spiders.

Duncan:
A male Unicorn of pesto green coat, yellow eyes and olivine mane. Cutie Mark: A sword balanced between the pages of a book.

Son of a military officer and a constable, Duncan seemed destined to become an officer of some kind. However, his magical skills lacked and his physical abilities left much to be desired. Out of all the officers currently on the Watch in Ponyville, none have aspired to and failed at so much as Duncan. The failures that have mounted upon him torment his mind and threaten to make him quit on himself. However, he shows up to his Swing Shift patrol every day and gets the job done fairly. It's a shame that legislation or attorney prospects have yet to dawn on him.

Fun Facts:
Duncan wakes up every morning and can be found jogging around the perimeter of Ponyville.
Duncan is at odds with anypony that is distrusting of the military or the judiciary. He frequently argues the merit of the system with anypony who can stand it.
Duncan collects weaponry and will regale anyone who asks about the meticulous nature of each and every one.

Smooth Runnings:
OC Owned and used with permission by Gilson1.
A female earth pony of dark brown coat and blue eyes. Cutie Mark: a shimmering cup of tea.

Daughter of a prominent freight hauling company specializing in trains, Smooth is Ponyville's relaxation authority. From her Relaxation Shop, she sells fine snacks and herbal tea blends that are custom assembled. Additionally, she offers non-professional counseling for stress reduction and general happiness. As much of the furnishings as is possible are second hand and 'loved in' such that the shop has a rustic, craftsman feel. Heiress to an undisclosed amount of money from her father's business, Smooth has done as much as she can to retain a self-made personality. She has lived in Ponyville several years more than Virgil.

Fun Facts:
Smooth has a bubble pipe that she keeps in her mouth at all times. It acts as a badge of confidence, allowing her to speak. Without the pipe in her mouth, she is mute save for the breath she would use to speak.
Few ponies in Ponyville have eaten as many of Smooths cookies than she.
Smooth is always seen in a bright red smoking jacket while out and about.
Smooth used to pull trains with the other ponies back when trains didn't have dedicated engines. Because of this, Smooth is deceptively strong.

Foxytail:
OC Owned and used with permission by Foxytail.
A female pegasus of pink coat and golden eyes. Cutie Mark: A parchment with a pencil.

Daughter of two Strawberry farmers operating far to the south of Ponyville, Foxytail is one of two children to the family. Her older sister, Ichigo, fostered her creativity from a young age and before long, helped Foxy to realize her special talent of writing. When she was older, she met her betrothed under unusual circumstances. As a terrible storm threatened their farm, she and her family were taking cover when, out of nowhere, the Captain of the Royal Weather Patrol, Flash Windbegon arrived and beat back the cyclone single hooved! From then on, Foxytail and Flash have been smitten and openly in love with eachother. When finally the ceremonies were completed and Foxytail moved to Ponyville propper, they decided to adopt a spunky and highly animated filly named Scootaloo; welcoming her into their small family. Foxytail now composes written works of various length and subject as a resident of Ponyville.

Fun Facts:
Foxytail has asked Virgil to babysit for Scooty on multiple occasions, which usually includes the entire CMC crew.
Foxytail was the pony who introduced Virgil to Smooth's Relaxation shop.

 

Virgil Arrives:

"We are arriving in Ponyville in 20 minutes," called the conductor.
Ponies of all colors and breeds gathered their belongings and prepared to detrain. Among the other ponies in the car, a brown earth stallion collected his carry-ons and stretched. The train from Manehattan had been a really tiring affair. Two train switches since departure and an overnight run through a thunderstorm had not brightened his mood. He shook out his mane and looked out the window. From the mountains that surrounded Canterlot, the train had come out through rolling green foot hills and was crossing a widening stream. The stream flowed south bellow and shimmered minus the grime of a massive city. He smiled.
The train arrived at the station just as predicted and came hissing to a stop in front of a fairly new looking passenger office. The cars came to a halt behind the locomotive and bodily motion became the word of the day.
"We have arrived in Ponyville. Please gather your belongings and proceed to the nearest exit. Rolling Stock thanks you for choosing us for your travelling needs. Those of you who..."
The stallion stood and prepared to disembark. As he did so, a filly dove between his legs to reach her mother. Shouting excitedly above the din, she told everypony nearby exactly what she and 'Mr. Bunn' were going to do when she got to grandmas house. The stallion rolled his eyes and had just about enough of loud children during the 38 hour trip. Bedraggled, he followed out behind the other ponies.
He was almost to the door when he noticed something below him. Stopping to examine it, he realized that this stuffed animal was supposed to be in the hooves of an orange colored filly who was on her way to see grandma. Nipping it up in his mouth, he followed the herd out to the platform and scanned the crowd for the child. He remembered vaguely that the mother was shorter, red maned, tan coated and wearing the loudest shade of pearlescent hoof polish he'd yet seen. Within moments, he'd found her. She and her little one were standing at the side of the platform and appeared to be in an animated discussion.
"...but we have to go back for Mr. Bunn," pleaded the child.
"Honey, we have to get to the dinner tonight on time. Grandma wants to see you again very much, sweetie. We have to go now."
"I don't wanna leave Mr. Bunn, Mommy!"
"Excuse me, Ma'am. Does this little bunny fellow belong to you?"
The brown earth stallion presented the toy with his hoof. The filly rushed forward and took hold of the plush in one excited motion.
"Oh thank you mister!" she squealed while hugging the stuffing out of the aged toy.
"My! She does love that old hand-me-down rabbit," the mare said chidingly, "shame she misplaces him such. Molly, make sure you take better care of your toys."
The filly pranced about and happily scuttled down the steps to the train office interior.
"Thank you for your help, young man. Are you here in Ponyville for the first time?"
The stallion grinned, having only heard about Ponyville from reports and newspaper posts. He scanned over the city as he spoke, "Yes, Ma'am. It's my first time here but I'm going to be around for a while. Do you know of any good places to eat?"
The mare thought for a moment and mentioned she'd seen many food carts near the Exposition Hall still open at this hour.
"...it's a big 'ol circular building with turrets and flags. It's done up pretty when we have a function. For now it's just a big 'ol open market with nearly anything you could need. Check out the D'Mitri Salad bazaar if you're famished."
The stallion nodded happily and turned to leave. Before he could do so, the mare stopped him, "Before you go, what is your name, sweetie?"
"Virgil T. Pony Ma'am. Officer of the Equestrian Watch."
Virgil offered his hoof but received a polite smile and a hoof above his. The polish was still wet.
"Well we look forward to your help in makin' Ponyville a safer place." The mare smiled and caught sight of her filly doing something improper behind Virgil. She dashed ahead with discouraging orders flying. Virgil simply smiled and left the station.
The Exposition Hall wasn't hard to find. The cylindrical building jutted out above all but a handful of other buildings in town. Just as he'd been told, the vendors in the area were still active and selling food. After a quick reconnoiter, Virgil found himself torn between the Salad bazaar and something called Frankin Fritters. Savoury or Sweet; the ultimate dilemma.

After wolfing down his second funnel cake, Virgil sighed contentedly and finished off his third Ginger Beer. For 9 bits, the meal was impressive! Taking a moment to make his front presentable, he gathered his belongings and checked the time. It was nearly 1800 proper which meant he had an entire hour before he was to meet his new apartment manager and get set up in the studio space. Being a bachelor had its perks and the ability to live out of a shoebox came standard in all models. Still, he needn't show up so early. The directions he'd received through the watch were intelligible but clearly intended to ball-park him in the area and number hunt afterwards.
Virgil started east from the Expo Hall and found the ground ascending into hills. As he looked back to the city falling away below him, it became apparent that Ponyville was built in a fertile valley rimmed with low hills and the odd mountain. A range of taller, more imposing mountains appeared to wall off the northern rim, but light coming through a divide indicated otherwise. To the south, the stream he'd ridden over widened. From somewhere below Canterlot, it accepted tributaries and swelled into a real river. It darted snake like through the valley and out to another larger river which, if he remembered correctly, flowed out to the ocean only a days trip from town. He reached the highest road on the hillside and discovered a park there. Finding a bench, he took in the view and considered his future here.
When the opportunity to transfer to Ponyville came up, he'd jumped at the chance. Manehattan had treated him badly. As far as places to live went, Manehattan had tried to discourage every one of his better tendencies. Cities were supposed to be Egalitarian but the fractional forces of wealth, class and profession seemed ready to destroy the general good most ponies were born with. In his short time with the Watch, he'd seen so much foulness for-the-sake-of-it, that he'd started to doubt whether or not the city was the right place for him to live.
Virgil fished out a duplicate of the documentation outlining the contract the Watch had with the city of Ponyville. He scanned the wording and found the duplicate of the paper article justifying the contract: "Alive! An Ursa Minor awakens to terrorize Ponyville!" At least it wasn't something you make up on a whim. Magickal creatures could be found all over Equestria, but they tended to be benign or easily moved away safely. The bigger, more dangerous creatures seemed to be relegated to Everfree and even then, mostly because it was a vast unpopulated place between ponies and the Griffin Kingdoms.
"Everfree," he sighed to himself.
His eyes fell upon the wooded lands that stretched into the North West region of the valley. Even from this high up, the place seemed to be shrouded in mystery. It had been fully explored already, but for some reason, the topology defied record. Inconsistencies and changes to a region seemed to come in over night. Compasses worked there and Surveys of the region had been commissioned by the Royal Geology Department, but things just kept turning out wrong. Mountains seemed to move and rivers would appear to change course seasonally. The reasons for these phenomena were never truly explored. Virgil made a mental note to work towards that end!
Checking the time, Virgil found he'd whittled down the remaining hour to a nub. Reading his directions again, he went down the hill a street or two and found, without difficulty, the studio that was going to be his home from now on. Virgil looked about and spied the Apartment Manager trotting up to him from down the way. His frown did not make Virgil feel particularly welcome.

 

"Are you Virgil?" the stallion asked.
"Yes Sir."
"Well, here are your keys," he said hoofing them over to Virgil. "You got renters?"
"Yes Sir."
"Good. I don't want any loud parties. I don't want any messes. Your studio gets inspected monthly and you had better keep the place clean. This is an older building so the wood's going. Next summer we're going to remodel but for now: you see any bugs, you fill out a request through the main office."
"Which is..."
The apartment manager pointed his hoof out across the valley, as though expecting Virgil to see it from here. However, Virgil picked out a building near the Expo Hall. "The orange one?"
"Good eyes," the stallion grumbled. "Make sure your owners pay their portion on time with yours."
Virgil put two and two together and asked, "You're unhappy with the living allowance?"
The manager looked back to Virgil. He was a middle aged stallion whose coat was going to grey, wrinkled and worn hide stretched across an aching back and arthritic ankles. He sighed and straightened up, "I don't like my terms being dictated to me."
With that, the manager left Virgil in front of his new home with nary so much as a thanks or good bye. Virgil scowled as the manager left him and hastily opened up the door. The manager had been right about the wood. Certain places along the entry way creaked and strained under his higher than normal weight. He stepped lightly up the stairs to the living space above.
Being built onto the corner of a larger building, this apartment felt grafted on. The sounds of other ponies who'd arrived home to the apartments behind and below him indicated the walls were as sketchy as the boards. He had a railing over the stairs that didn't look like it wanted to be tested for weight. Next to it, a simple kitchen with a table top range and a paint mixers sink. There were a few cupboards above and below so he'd at least be able to store some food stuffs. A door behind these lead into the bathroom which had a toilet, a sink and a two-in-one shower tub. In the wall leading away from the kitchen was a window looking south. From that, the only landmark was a set of shelves and then the wall he shared with the apartment next to his. Here was where the bed should be, but he'd yet to purchase one. In the adjacent corner, however, Virgil found the real treasure of the apartment; a drafting table.
The wall leading back towards the stairs was barren so he laid his bags and belongings against this. He looked around and found that a stool had also been left under the table. With a sharp swat of his hooves, the cushion coughed out the dust and grime that had accumulated from the previous owner. Virgil sat down and scooted himself under the lip of the desk, finding that at least this part of his new life was on track to being favorable. Without hesitation, he grabbed his nearest pack, pulled out a sheet of paper and his tools, and immediately got to work. Holding his pencil with his teeth, he sketched out the boarding platform where he'd arrived and illustrated his first interaction in the city. Using his memory, which wasn't as sharp as his eyes, he tried to draw the little filly who'd lost her stuffed rabbit departing the station with her mother. In 45 minutes his sketch was complete to his satisfaction. Despite the flaws in the rendering, Virgil took the drawing and put it up on the blank wall with pushpins he'd found already embedded in it. Standing Back, Virgil admired his work and vowed to do everything in his power to enjoy his time here, however long it ended up being.

As the sun set behind the hills of his new home, Virgil left his apartment to travel down to the site of the new Watch Command Center. Taking a different route into town, he came through older homes which appeared to have been built earlier than those near the train station. Checked stucco, fractured foundations and warped window panes were just some of the more common ailments he saw. Old-as-dirt pines and other conifers sulked under the weight of their years. Only the spruces seemed to have posture. The odd oak tree that he did find appeared to shy away down an alley or behind a buggy barn. Trees seemed to be in pleasant supply but there wasn't much of a canopy in many places. The trees that did grow seemed to want more space.
Virgil found himself thinking back to the old home in Delamare. You could throw a rock in any direction and have it bounce off of a birch or an Ash trunk. He could still smell the cool air wafting up from the shipyards where dad worked that whole year. Even near the coast the trees were thick as flies! The arbor that formed along the Sackhammon Boulevard, below which he strolled as a colt in grade school humbled him and left sweet memories.
When the hill leveled out into the center of the valley, Virgil walked more north around the Expo Hall until he came to the stream. Looking for a sign or marker that would name the water body, he detected a shadow flying over him. Looking up, he saw the pink-est pegasus mare he'd ever seen zip across the sky. Her tail and mane were stretched taught behind her, clearly in a hurry. Virgil took a moment to watch her go before continuing on. Opposite the stream, the buildings stopped being made of regular materials and started to look like pitched tents. The bright colors and wavering flags couldn't have belonged to squatters. Indeed, as Virgil drew near them, he could see that these were specialty shops designed for ponies with heavier pockets than himself.
"Casual Mare," he thought aloud.
Each boutique had some kind of angle on clothing, accessories and expensive tastes. There was even a boutique made up to look like a giant carousel! And why not, he mused, with the bits a place like this could rake in, you could make it look like anything you wanted. Virgil made his way through this section of town as quickly as he could. As luck would have it, this portion was as far north as the town got. Turning left and following the road back across the stream landed him in much more comfortable territory.
With the hoity-toity glimmer of pretension fading behind him, Virgil strode south until he ended up among the mills and die plants he was familiar with.
Manehattan was certainly a place of industry and wealth, but the number of the factories there were fouling the nearby river and choking the streets with soot. Here at least, the odd wood shavings or broken bricks didn't seem too out of place. In fact, as Virgil was trotting through, a street sweeping crew was coming down, clearing up the clutter.
Virgil waved to the gentlecolts as he passed and received one in turn. Smiling, he turned the corner on a brick factory and stumbled onto the site of the new office.
Barely a foundation, the Control Center was being built opposite some of the dirtier mills in the area. The reek of a resin mill was very perceptible and added gravity to each breath. Opposite the mill was a tool-and-die of some kind, adding burning metal and ash to the air. Virgil guessed that each breath was worth about 2 bits on this corner of the street.
Hastily finishing his appraisal of his new office, he trotted quickly to some place where the air was clearer. The back of his throat started to burn as he tried to escaped the heavy air. Without thinking, he turned the corner into a blind corridor that ended in a culdesac a half mile off the arterial. Wrought Iron gates that had closed for the day were barring further entry which left only the way he'd come as his exit. Turning that direction, he spotted three youths approaching from the opposite direction. The younger ponies appeared to be arguing about something.
"...I'm telling you! I saw him come down this way."
"You think he's new? Spit! There he is!"
The youths spotted and started coming towards Virgil with boisterous jeers and insults. The larger of the three approached first.
"You look lost, tubby. Didn't your mamma tell you not to be out in the brickyards after dark?"

 

Virgil snapped his awareness out and to the sides. The youths had numbers and were trying to flank him. There was the smaller green one to his right, the taller and fitter orange one to his left and the bigger, meaner looking blue one coming down the middle. As they approached, Virgil tensed his body and began to slowly back up.
"Look at him, JT! He's a scrapper!" jeered the smaller one.
"Look at this little piggy! Suey! We're going to make you wee-wee-wee all the way to mamma, tubbs," spat the orange one.
Virgil backed up against the alley terminus. The gates loomed over him. Just as his flank was about to bump into them, he stopped. These three youths were definitely going to be trouble. Each had clearly spent a number of years on the street and with their simple gear could likely have any number of concealed weapons on them. The ring leader kept coming closer.
"As you've heard, name's JT. I own this place and you're trespassing."
Virgil didn't say anything. He simply reared and stood confidently on his hind hooves. The two flunkies backed away slightly, but JT kept coming.
"Woah, you think I ain't beaten down a hundred foals that could rear?"
Virgil held himself high but then hunkered down. He held out his hooves, one in front and one locked against his side.
"I will defend myself," Virgil stated.
The youths tried to laugh it off. JT even reared up and put up his forehooves in mock bravado.
"Yo! Look at me! I'm such a fatty bad-flank! What do you call that spit you're doing?"
The other two laughed but kept their distance, waiting for JT to start the fight. Virgil answered him, "Horseback Stance."
JT didn't have time to move out of the way. His heavier body was used to fighting on all fours. Virgil, however, wasn't just used to fighting while rearing, it was the lynch pin of his style. Within a second, JT's head was rocketing back under the power of Virgil's uppercut. Without pausing for breath, Virgil twisted and planted his elbow into JT's ribs, knocking him to the bricks.
"Get Him!"
The two ponies to his sides leapt forward. Virgil addressed the smaller green pony with a swift kick to the teeth. Turning his back to the taller one, Virgil loaded his front hoof and waited for proximity. When the pony was in reach, he shot the hoof back into the pony's shoulders, diverting him to the ground. Without waiting, Virgil spun to face JT who had gotten back up and threw a punch. It connected with his jaw. Virgil backed up but suffered another blow to his nose. Reeling, Virgil side stepped and missed the third. JT wasn't expecting the initiative but he was ready for the brawl.
JT's punches were quick and found their way into Virgil's defenses. Virgil side stepped each advance but caught the blows on his forelimbs. The warm dribble down his nose indicated a break. Right as JT was ready to unleash a haymaker, Virgil dodged to let the blow curve up along the side of his face. Trapping the arm with his hoof, Virgil turned and placed his body weight where JT was. The growing youth, muscle for fat to Virgil, sprung into the air and slammed down smartly back on the bricks. As he rolled to come back up, Virgil grabbed his hind legs and pined him. JT cried out in pain as Virgil sat and arched back, bending the youth's spine in the wrong direction.
"You feel that, JT," Virgil asked angrily.
JT continued to cry out as his ligaments were drawn tight.
"The Equine body comes apart a lot easier than it goes back together!"
The other two ponies who'd been with JT stood up and looked at the scene. They looked at each other and fled. JT pleaded for the torture to stop. Virgil turned back and looked at him. JT might only have been 15. He could pass for 18 in a pinch but he was still just a boy. From his cutie mark to his muzzle, the kid was hardly an adult. Just like every other puke he'd ever had to tussle with on patrol in Manehattan, this kid was playing at adulthood. How else did one end up being throttled on the brick work?
Virgil stopped the pressure and let go, stepping away. JT's body slowly eased off the tension, but he'd be walking funny for weeks. The scowl on Virgil's face turned uglier with his own blood, which was scary enough. But the look of horror on the youngster's face, one Virgil had seen a number of times, could only be because of the low light.
The sun had set by now and even though the street lights weren't on just yet, Virgil's signature creepiness was out in force. From where the youth cowered on the street, Virgil's eyes were on fire. His tapetum lucidum was catching the dying rays of the sun and glowing like a moving picture screen. Virgil used this to his advantage.
"You see this cutie mark?"
JT didn't respond but didn't look away.
"You see it again, you hide! In a hole, a box; I don't care if the only place you can hide is in a blast furnace! You jump in there and pray I don't find you! If I do, the Constabilary won't be able to."
JT scrambled to his feet and ran out of the culdesac. His limping gallop fading, Virgil addressed his nose. With a smart tug forward and down, the nasal bones clicked into place, causing him to smart and tear up. Feeling an awful pain in his face, he wiped off the blood and snot and made his way out of the street.

 

Virgil appraised himself in the mirror. He'd made it back to his apartment without being noticed and washed up in his tiny bathroom. The swelling in his muzzle was subsiding and the bleeding had stopped. If this had been his first broken nose, he might have worried after it more.
When had he become such a violent pony? Hadn't dad always taught him, "Violence begets! Don't add to it, don't multiply it; end it." JT was likely down for the count when he hit the ground so there wasn't any need for a faithful Figure-Four leg lock. He could have really hurt that colt. And then the oath?
"...I don't care if it's a blast furnace. Feh!"
Virgil turned from the mirror and looked at his bedding. It hardly amounted to a pile of cushions and blankets. It would be a couple days before he would be able to find the parts to make his own. He hadn't seen a place to buy bedding though one must surely exist. The only other thing needed was blackout curtains.
He collapsed on the pile, looking up at the ceiling. A dodgy looking spider traced one of the cracks in the plaster. Even though he'd transferred out of Manehattan to escape the rising crime and police duties being attributed to the Watch, confrontations continued to follow. Being a bigger colt than most meant he'd shrugged off all attackers but the drug addled or the insane. At least when they attacked, it wasn't because you fit the victim role.
He rolled over onto his stomach, blowing the dust bunnies away with a snort. This wouldn't be happening if the Guard and the Constableary were ready to handle it. When he'd joined the guard, there were ample resources from police, fire and rescue to handle all the spit the job could throw at him. Send up the flare, get back and wait for somepony paid more than you are to take care of it. That all changed 2 years ago.
He'd forgotten what it was that happened but Dad had told him through a letter that it was something involving the military and substantial numbers of officers of every branch. Dad, only having recently been able to out-live the trouble he'd been involved in, continued to keep his ear to the wall where the guard was concerned. It had to do with a portal to an evil place that was normally lousy with guards and other military members which kept it hidden and secure. Some kind of break out happened and there was a lot of bloodshed and lost lives. Because of the structure, police agents were conscripted to the Guard which depleted all other posts across Equestria. 2 years later and the shortages in terms of the Guard and the Constableary were still being felt. Thankfully, the Watch was private, guaranteeing Virgil safety from being absorbed as well. Much to his father's relief.
It had started with the 'Duty to Retreat' being eliminated from his hoofbook. Virgil was asked to carry around a full First Aide Kit and a baton. Officers would now send up color coded flares from a forearm bandoleer and and be prepared to defend ponies in trouble with force that was 'Reasonable and Prudent.' Virgil began patrolling with another officer in rotation and received substantial back up in terms of more Control Centers around the city. More officers meant more getting seen and reported to the Constables who would more efficiently handle crime and investigations now that they weren't on patrols themselves. As for the Watch, officers were guaranteed personal immunity from grievance out of the community in exchange for more procedural audits and enhanced training. In theory, the system would eliminate the need for more Constables long enough for the Military to sort itself out and get back to hiring more police.
Virgil groaned and looked at the clock. It was only 2300 and already the old pain was setting in. He'd started on the Swing Shift in Manehattan and was forced onto Graves Shift when his talents showcased an odd extra advantage. He was already a sharp eye in daylight but at night, even by a single candle, he could still see. He might not hear something happen, might even miss the scent of a creature or criminal in the vicinity; but if he could see it, it did not get overlooked. Too valuable to be used in the daylight where fewer crimes were committed, his sensitive sight was put to work for the night patrols. It took him months to get used to it and even longer to get used to the side effects of the shift. Every time he got a break or took a vacation, his natural want to return to the daylight beckoned like a silver hoofed alicorn.
Angrily, he got to his feet and left his apartment for the second time that day, hoping to stomp out the fatigue with a run.

 

Virgil trotted out the last portion of his run. He'd lapped downtown Ponyville about two times and ended up on the opposite side of city center to his home. That gave him plenty of time to bring his heart rate down slowly. Jogging and exercise had come with difficulty to him. The bite of words like 'tubby' and 'porky' stung less now than before but he didn't deny that he was still very much over weight. Catching his profile in a store window, he smiled. The Watch obligated physical fitness by definition and for his part, the weight loss was effortless. In fact, when he started taking it to the next level, he found he loved running despite how bad he was.
Rounding the corner, he spied lights in the windows of a massive tree house. The sign posted outside read, 'Ponyville Public Library.' Virgil kept his eyes on it until the door opened and, of all things, a tiny dragon stepped out!
"...you never get that mixture right! How many times has that thing exploded, Twilight?"
A voice from inside was mostly inaudible, but the viscous black smoke that wafted out of the door behind the hatchling indicated the explosion was probably pretty powerful. Virgil considered helping before he looked back down to the small dragon. It was transfixed on him, meaning that Virgil's eyes were shining again.
"Oh! Er, need some help in there," he asked.
The tiny dragon said nothing but began to back up.
"Don't be afraid," Virgil tried, "I'm...I'm with the Equestrian Watch so...I'm here to help."
The hatchling backed up until he ran into the body of a unicorn coming out the door. She coughed and almost tripped over the dragon. Tears rolling out of her eyes, she dabbed at them and until she could clearly see Virgil. The angle of the light could not be more perfect.
She gasped and backed up, finding the little dragon cowering behind her.
"No...Please I...I know it looks weird but I'm with the Equestrian Watch, I was just..in the neighborhood and saw the smoke so...is anything on fire?"
The lavender unicorn squinted at Virgil before giving a knowing smile, "That's right! We're getting a Watch Patrol for Ponyville! I remember now. You said you are an officer with the organization?"
Virgil loosened, relieved, "Officer Virgil T. Pony of the Equestrian Watch. Yes, Ma'am."
The small dragon didn't budge but asked, "If he's with the Watch, what's wrong with his eyes?"
"Hush, Spike," she scolded. "Welcome to Ponyville Officer Virgil. I am Twilight Sparkle. I kinda run the Library here in town. Are you with the night shift?"
"Graves, yes," Virgil grinned. "I thought I'd be the only pony up at this unholy hour."
Twilight Laughed, "We really shouldn't be ourselves but, I wanted to give this experiment a try again and...well..."
"She got the mixture wrong and blew it up again," Spike finished.
Virgil leaned down to inspect the hatchling, "You, sir, I did not expect! Have you lived here all your life?"
Spike remained wary of Virgil but stood out from behind Twilight and said, "Nah, just since me and Twilight moved here. Guess you've never seen a baby dragon either."
Virgil shook his head, "No. I mean, we know a lot about drakes but next to nothing about dragons!"
Spike took that with a smile and looked back in the vicinity of the door, "Hey! The smokes clearing! I better get back in and clean the place up."
Twilight agreed, "Come on, Officer Virgil! Let me show you the library."
Virgil followed Twilight into the tree house. The sour smell of the experiment hung in the air but was dispersing. Spike opened a few windows to help clear the rest out. Virgil smiled at the expanse of the room, "Pretty big for a smaller Library."
"Oh yeah. It's not nearly as big as the one in Canterlot, but it does have many of the important works. The Encyclopedia Equestria, for instance."
Virgil checked the sections while Spike started to clean up exploded pieces of test tubes and containers. He asked, "What was the mixture?"
Twilight blushed and looked around sheepishly, "Oh...just a little Alchemical compound some of the 5th year ponies are supposed to make. It's...probably a bad idea to keep trying."
Virgil shrugged and inspected some of the materials, "Alchemy and standard Chemistry escape me. Better you than me, then."
"Have you been to bigger Libraries," Twilight asked.
"Oh, sure. I would sometimes spend time in The Canburn Branch. That place was huge!"
"Manehattan," Twilight guessed.
"Yes, Ma'am. It's where I started with the Watch."
Twilight smiled and got a dustpan out for Spike who'd just swept up a pile.
"I guess I know why we're getting a Watch detatchment from Manehattan. The Ursa Minor caused quite an uproar!"
"Were you involved?"
Twilight pawed unexpectedly at the ground. A look from Spike urged her to spit it out.
"Well, yes! I...subdued and expelled the beast from Ponyville."
Virgil turned and looked quizzically at Twilight. "You...you subdued a multi-ton magical being and expelled it from the city?"
Twilight smiled nervously and nodded.
"She also beat the saddlebags off of 'Trixie, the Great and Powerful Fraud," Spike added. "It was all Twilight in the end."
Virgil whistled in amazement. He smiled, "Well, gosh, what do they need us for? Hah! Think you could come to my rescue when a Kelpie or a Hobgoblin tries to abduct me?"
Twilight laughed and tried to keep her blushing from showing. Seeing that he was embarrassing her, Virgil turned to go.
"Thank you for showing me your lovely library, Ms. Twilight Sparkle. I hope I can come by and look up local magical fauna for reference some time."
Twilight gasped and grabbed a book off one of the higher shelves by the stairs. She floated it over to Virgil in a magical field until he could safely grab the book.
"Vagabond James's guide to Everfree? You have a copy?"
"I do," Twilight beamed, "and check out is good for one week. Let me know if you need any further reading! We have a lot of books on the subject!"
Virgil smiled and tucked the book under his right forehoof and left. He smiled to himself. At least with a relevant book, he'd have far less chance of falling asleep!

 

Virgil flipped through the sections of the book, looking at everything from Behemoths to Trolls. Each were broken down into species according to morphology. He was very displeased at the thickness of 'Arthropodas' devoted section. Still, the variety of dangerous creatures present were mostly familiar to him from training. The hours marched on unnoticed. Virgil sighed with relief that he'd made it to morning without too much trouble, 0600 was right around the bend. Shaking with fatigue and fighting touch-and-gos, Virgil prepared himself for sleep. Then, before he put the book down, he spied the afterward penned by the author. Technically, he had until 0700 before he should actually bed down so better then to read that much and then sleep.
'Vagabond James is as notorious as they come. However, toward the end of his life, he found peace among the wild creatures of Everfree and beyond. So much about the natural world is unknown that even the journals and observations of an outlaw have found use within our society. In the waning years of the Griffon Wars, Vagabond James surrendered himself to authorities in Canterlot and from his jail cell, wrote and illustrated much of the book you see here. In addition, as Everfree was his last book, he gave us his words of wisdom and commentary on his experience.'
"I found that, as I walked about the place, animals were just do'n what animals do. Magical, Material, Mundane; these are 10 bit words for a 5 cent thing. Animals do. Ponies, man, they got this thing in them that wont let them do. They gotta come up with excuses or find something that gets them go'n. They got this thing they gotta jump over first, like a pole-vault. Once on the other side, they can do. Sometimes they remember what it was when they started, sometimes they get to the other side and forget what it was. I never wanted to be like that.
"I just wanted to do. I hurt ponies in the process and that's never right. Maybe I'm like the animals. I can do, but I only ever did what I had to do. The Guard calls it, 'Dodgery.' The law calls it, 'Theivery.' The ponies call it, 'Non-Conformity.' And like every other thing they've ever done, they go out and spend bits on words that just mean, 'Did something they wouldn't, couldn't or shouldn't have done.' I did! And if anypony listens to me, maybe you can find a way to do it too. If you've got time to waste coming up with a reason to do something, forget it! Unless you're already do'n what you want to do it will never get done."
'Vagabond James died in prison only a year after his incarceration of old age or a possible infection. He was buried in his family's plot in Whinnyapolis, next to his mother and father. Observations by royal naturalist Avid Bittenborough confirmed the information regarding much of the creatures discovered later in regions surrounding Manehattan, Canterlot and the Saffron Desert. This credence allowed his entire works to be published by the Royal Society for Natural Sciences as the Vagabond James Series. The RSNS thanks you for your purchase.'
Virgil paused and considered the words. Vagabond James had dodged conscription and committed hundreds of petty crimes in his lifetime. Still, what had he meant about 'just doing something?' Virgil read the passage again. He thought on the subject for a moment and then got up from his bed.
He made his way down to the mill district in time for the first rays of sunshine to kiss the tops of the Eastern Mountains. Still tired and barely functional, Virgil took stock of the area. He found the alley to the mills where he'd tussled with JT first then looked from there to the street heading back to the control center. JT had hobbled that way trying to escape. Of course, JT had also taken some blows to the face in the fight. He was bleeding too, by the looks of it and his blood droplets were still visible. Virgil traced these out of the district and up into the city. As sure as a golden bit, Virgil began climbing into the hills of Ponyville and was once again staring at those same lazy pines from yesterday. In fact, when he found the house, he was completely surprised!
Virgil stared at the silk curtains hanging in the windows and the antique brickwork of an older money home. The manicured hedges and lawn leading up to the Queen Anne style home blew Virgil's mind. JT simply couldn't live here!
"You have to be kidding me!"
A head popped up from behind a bush. It belonged to a shapely mare of middle age and bizarre mane styling. He hazzel eyes searched him, she ill prepared to find him standing there. As she faced him, he could clearly see the resemblance.
"Excuse me," she asked cautiously.
Virgil felt himself reconsidering having come here. But if he had time for that...
"I'm sorry, is JT in?"
The mare looked quizzically at him, then side to side as though there might be more ponies watching.
"Yes," she said finally, "are you a friend of his?"
Shaking his head, Virgil came out with it, "I was involved in an altercation with your son yesterday about 2100 or there about. I came to...apologize."
There was an awkward silence in the air. It suppressed every other sound but the unsteady breathing of the mare. Her eyes stared down at Virgil unbelieving until they filled with anger. Virgil stepped back as she unhinged her jaw and cut the air with her voice.
"Jolly Trotter! Get out here right now!"
JT appeared from behind the door to the home. When he caught sight of Virgil, he cried out meekly and tried to run back into the home. The mare darted in after him. A commotion followed until JT left the house, half falling down the stairs. He was clearly in pain with a swollen muzzle and bandages crossing his ribs. He whimpered as his mother picked him up and forced him out to the street. Virgil was thankful that at this hour, his pupils were mostly closed and appeared normal.
"You told me you fell in the street," she shrieked. "You told me last month that you weren't the one going around fighting ponies in the street! You promised me that you'd never be caught doing it again!"
JT sulked to the side of his mother. She turned to Virgil, "What did he do?"
Virgil relayed the story to her from where he was cornered in the alley way. JTs mother seethed as the story came to a close but Virgil stayed her, "The problem is ma'am, my actions weren't reasonable and prudent."
The mare sniffed, "Well he probably deserved it! I always told you, one of these days you're going to run into somepony bigger than you and he's going to beat you to death. Didn't I? You think it's alright to do this to you mother?!"
JT could not have looked smaller. He was visibly shrinking down as Virgil watched. Still...
"I apologize but, I'm an industry professional and have an obligation to behave properly. I did not stop when the fight went out of your son. His little friends got better treatment than he did and my actions are reprehensible. I am sorry that I harmed your son. It would have been very different if I were on the ticket, that night."
The mother looked at Virgil, "Are you law-enforcement?"
"Negative ma'am. I'm with the Equestrian Watch. And even though we're not yet established in the city, my duties extend to my conduct while off-shift. I should be setting an example. And I am sorry that I failed to do so."
"Aw, dude. Haven't you humiliated me enough yet?"
Virgil looked to JT. His shrunken stature and bloodied face failed to make Virgil feel sorry for his attack but it did remind him.
"Maybe that's the point JT. Maybe the last nail in the coffin of your bad behavior is shame rather than the beat down of your life. I put ponies in jail in Manehattan because they did things to other ponies like what I did to you. It's a crime but I'd float it because you attacked me first. What doesn't sit here is how I feel. This is about me. I don't want to be that guy. I'm starting today, here in Ponyville so that I fail to become him! I am sorry. I took it too far and did too much. It's not okay to brutalize other ponies."
JT hung his head and looked away. The mother spoke for him.
"Thank you Officer. We look forward to your group coming to Ponyville to help keep our streets safe. Feel free to arrest my son if you catch him doing anything wrong. On his behalf, I forgive you."
Virgil nodded and excused himself. The woman turned to her son and let out a stream of angry shouting that was audible even as Virgil arrived back at his apartment. He opened the door to his new home and closed it behind him. The smell of the home as it started warming in the sunlight reeked of old tarnish but wouldn't prevent him from sleeping. He found his bed, lay down upon it, and slept deeply. It would be another week until the Watch was up and running but Virgil was already fully established. It will be different in Ponyville.

 

And I am fully done with this story. Let me know if anything ends up sounding strange or if you need more information. Hope you liked it, it needs some editing.

07-15-12

Alrighty, without any complaints/corrections, I am going to start the next rough draft to the next section of the story. Lemme know if I am doing this wrong, Mods. I -think- I understand the rules.

 

Day 1: the Pink Pony arrives.

Virgil checked himself out in the mirror. It had been a full week since he'd arrived in Ponyville and only now was the Watch ready to begin shifts and patrols. The Control Center was still being built so the watch was going to use a mobile unit of two carriages to start. Virgil was finally ready to go back to walking the streets at night behind a badge with the intent to detect and deter.
He turned to look at his bandoleer, laying out on the bed behind him. He opened the compartments and repacked his flares. He was equipped with 5 of them. One for Fire Response, one for Constables, one for Medical, one for the Guard and one for code 99; nicknamed 'the Oh-Spit rocket.' Each had a small drawstring tied to a simple phosphorous trigger like you would have in a cannon. After the charge was lit, the rocket would fire in 3 seconds, giving him time enough to aim it upwards and look away. The chute would open at maximum height and a color-coded flare would erupt and burn for 15 seconds; long enough to give warning and short enough to extinguish before landing. Considering the number of thatched houses in Ponyville, Virgil was packing 10 second burners.
Rolling the bandoleer around his left foreleg, he laced it up and tied it down. The only thing left was his pack. Supplies had been sent out prior to first watch and much of these were already present in Virgil's possessions. He already had the medical kit, the extra flare heads and triggers and a single piece patrol uniform. That would have been more than enough for his job in Manehattan. Now, however, he'd received two other uniforms for both summer sun and winter cold. In addition to that, he now had a Daily Activity Report to take care of.
In Manehattan, his actions were recorded by the ponies in the Control Center. If he did anything of note while on patrol, it usually required the Constableary. If it did not, he went to the nearest signal station and flashed in his report. An operator using a Semaphore Optical Telegraph would take down his report and signal the Control Center who would receive it and put it back down on paper with ink. The two carriages here in Ponyville would not have such a luxury. Because of this, all of his actions would have to be recorded on pre-cut sheets of parchment which would be submitted and filed for later Semaphore Telegraph with the Guard in Canterlot. Until an adequate system was created to replace this, he would have to lug around a clipboard with ruled parchment and record his timely actions.
Virgil took out the letter explaining the Mobile Command Center. Neither Medical nor Fire had flare detection matrices installed. The Constabilary had one and the second carriage would have one as well in order to signal the guard from Canterlot. Until the other systems were installed, runners for Emergency Response would be dispatched from the Mobile Command Center. This would only, the letter assured him, be a factor for another three weeks. The Control Center was already walled and plied. The electrical was going in next.
Virgil tied down his pack and fitted everything into it. Satisfied with the heft of his gear once again strapped to his body, he proceeded to the door only to be surprised by somepony knocking on it. Not expecting anypony to be showing up to meet him, Virgil placed his hoof up against the bottom of the door and leaned into it. After leaning his full weight into it, he spied out the peephole. Beyond the door was a familiarly pink pegasus mare. She looked about her as she waited and did not appear suspicious, so Virgil opened the door.
The Pegasus Mare stepped back and smiled, "Hello? Are you Virgil...T...Pony?"
Virgil slowly considered her. She was an average pegasus of shocking pink coat. Her sparkling golden eyes appraised him back, hinting at a playful nature. She grinned like a jester, causing Virgil to remember he'd been asked something.
"Yes. And you are?"
"Foxytail," she said holding out her hoof. Virgil shook it, almost dislodging the quill from behind one of her ears. Her close cropped mane had been styled to both sides, failing to hold the feather back. She nipped it up quickly and gathered a writing rig from around her right side. Placing it before her, she took the pen and jotted something down.
"I'm sorry, are you with the press," Virgil asked cautiously.
"Oh no, no, no," Foxytail said, "I'm not with the papers, I'm a writer. I do some light journalism but mostly I just write down the stories of ponies who come to live in Ponyville. This isn't anything formal."
Virgil continued to be a little suspicious of the mare. Her cutie mark was a pencil and paper so at least that much added up. But a journalist talking to him about moving here? That wasn't a usual thing. Foxytail appeared to have read his face.
"I talked with all three of the other officers in your detachment. Officer Russell wouldn't stop hitting on me and Officer Merry Weather was sleeping already. I could go back to them for their accounts if you'd prefer."
Virgil thought about it. Russell was familiar to him from Manehattan though he'd never had more than 10 shifts with him personally. An avocado green unicorn, Russell was the pony he relieved from Swing Shift. As fair and honest as they came, Russell was also a flank chaser and was sometimes unpleasant to talk to when the subject of women came up. Merry Weather was completely unknown to Virgil and would be his Day Shift Relief. An orange-cream pegasus, she was 'of the earth' and by all accounts, the nicest pony the watch had ever had in Manehattan. Still, she would be bedding down now in order to wake up in time for her shift. Virgil noticed Foxytails hopeful look and checked the time. The sun was already behind the foothills which meant 1900 had rolled around. Virgil had three hours until shift and, if the accommodation were nice enough, would not mind wasting time with somepony else downtown.
"Eh...sure," Virgil relented. "Can't say this is going to be an interesting interview, though."
Foxytail didn't seem to hear that. Instead she gleefully packed her things up and said, "I just thought of the best place to do the interview!"

 

Virgil followed Foxytail downtown. Along the way she explained her purpose.
"...so I want to get the stories of all the ponies who come to ponyville into a book that kind of explains the draw our beautiful city has!"
"Do you intend to buff up tourism," he asked.
Foxytail stopped and looked back at Virgil. She didn't look as though she understood the question.
"I mean, do you want more ponies to come live here or come visit?"
Foxytail licked her lips trying to dislodge the explanation, finally, "Not necessarily. It's more like, I want everypony to understand that ponyville is a kind of place you arrive at. We've all, most of us, come here from other places. It's like a pull. The most interesting, skilled and nicest ponies I've ever met have come here to Ponyville and once here, stayed. I just think that's neat. It's something that deserves to be told, I think."
Virgil rolled his eyes but added, "Can't say I didn't feel 'shoved out' of Manehattan."
Foxytail turned around and kept leading Virgil down the road.
"Were you born in Manehattan?"
"Negative. I was born in Canterlot. My family moved around and when I went to school in Manehattan, I found a job there soon after and kind of...stayed."
"But you didn't like it?"
Virgil rounded the bend, bringing City Hall into view. The flags were flying on their poles high above them. The figure it cut out of the sky was enhanced by the twilight.
"It wasn't where I was going to spend the rest of my life, that's for sure."
Foxytail took Virgil around to the southern section of the town. Right before they came to the stream crossing, Foxytail held up and waited for Virgil to stand at her side. Before them was a cottage like any other in the city. What made it special, however, was the unusual calm it seemed to exude. The building looked like it had been there forever and was about as 'lived in' as one could make it. The Thatched roof was recently redone, but the rest of the facade seemed old as dirt and twice as sound. Creepers crawled up the door frame while holly plunged down from the top of a great bay window. The upstairs eaves and the stair-port were done up in a handsome Tudor style that was lovingly maintained. Virgil fell in love with it instantly.
"That is the nicest little home I have ever seen," he marvelled. "Don't tell me that's a business."
"Yes," Foxytail beamed. "That's the Relaxation Spa of Smooth Runnings. Her speciality is technically being a peaceful sort that helps ponies who are stressed out. However, what she's really good at is baking. You're not going to find anything tasting this good outside of the Cakes or the Apple family bake sale!"
Virgil's stomach approved the message. Suddenly in the lead of this two pony parade, Virgil trotted to the door and gently pushed it open. It gave an approving creak and let him inside.
Within the home was an assortment of furniture, art and clutter that melted his heart. Everything was loved-in here. The table chairs and stools were ages old and clearly repaired several times in the last 50 years. The table had been resurfaced, but the knicks and scratches were there to stay for decades. The weathered wooden frames that held up paintings ranging from recent to ancient, put out a stiff upper lip. There were hand crafted throw pillows with mismatched patches, rocking chairs with odd colored wooden fabrications, a sofa that pouted against it's years and a corner space with two pony-sized throws that begged to be sat upon. Virgil gleefully took it all in, only to be interrupted by Foxytail calling him over to the couches. They were nearest the bay window and lit by an arthritic kerosene lamp. Virgil sat next to Foxytail and looked around for other ponies. Strangely, the place was mostly vacant.
"Ma'am," Virgil asked, "shouldn't this place be jammed full with ponies?"
Foxytail baulked but recovered, "Er, no. It's quite late and Smooth tends to close up in a couple of minutes. We're friends so I can hang out here a little later if I need. Oh! Here she comes now."
Virgil watched the mare enter the room from the rear. Carrying a platter of cookies and some tea, she looked over to the sitting pair and put down her tray. In one combined motion, she produced an authentic looking tobacco pipe and mouthed it. A cloud of bubbles gently floated up from the rim. She smiled.
"Good evening Foxytail. I see you have a new friend."
Foxytail smiled and put a foreleg on Virgil's shoulder.
"This is Virgil T. Pony of the Equestrian Watch. He's new to Ponyville!"
Smooth smiled and slowly approached. "How nice. I was reading in the paper that Ponyville was going to have a Watch group stationed in the city. And what good timing! That Ursa Minor was such trouble! We could really use the help."
Virgil could smell the cookies now. The tea was something completely new but chocolate chip cookies were hard to miss. Smooth must have caught his line of sight, because she turned gently and brought one to him. He thanked her and began devouring it.
"Somepony is hungry," Smooth said pleasantly. "Foxy, would you like some tea?"
Foxytail took tea with Smooth while Virgil helped himself to another cookie. After a moment of eating and drinking, Virgil broke the silence.
"I just can't believe all the nice stuff you have here Ms. Runnings! It's like a museum you can touch."
"Smooth is fine," she cooed. "Most of this was rescued from estate auctions, bargain bins and rummage sales. You wouldn't believe the wonderful things most ponies are just willing to throw out."
Foxytail agreed, setting down her teacup. "Smooth is the master of classic home styling. I do as much of my writing here as I can! If I'm able, I do as much of my eating here as well."
"Can't complain about those cookies," Virgil said taking another. "I guess this is the perfect place to do your interview. Are you ready, Ms. Foxytail?"

 

Foxytail smiled and pulled out her writing equipment. She dipped a quill and turned to Virgil. "What were your younger days like?"
Virgil collected his thoughts and tried his best for brevity,
"I was born in Canterlot on the 10th of September 20 seasons ago. My mother is Charity Pony and my father is Carrol Pony. When I was still very young, my family moved to Trotterdame. Father worked in a foundry for a couple of years and I am told we stayed there until I was 5. After that, we moved to Delamare where I started and completed school. Dad worked about 6 jobs all throughout. My favorite one was his construction job. The foreman seemed to like me a lot and invited me to come to the site any time I wanted. However, when I finished school and was getting ready for college, my parents moved one last time to Maryland and I moved to Manehattan."
Foxytail dutifully recorded the conversation. When he got to the part about Manehattan, Smooth perked up, "You used to live in Manehattan? Where abouts?"
"I used to live down by the docks on Smelter Lane."
Smooth gasped, "You lived down there? That must have been awful!"
Virgil nodded. "The Murder-thon. Yup. It was also my first station."
"Were you anywhere near the freight yards?"
"Closer than I liked. I was...involved with the Scrap Riot."
A pained look appeared on Smooth's face when she heard that. Virgil dismissed it, adding, "But I was in a fortified location manning an entrance. The mob passed us by."
Smooth seemed genuinely relieved to hear that a passed Virgil another cookie.
"So, you've encountered some really awful things while working with the watch then," Foxytail asked.
"I've seen my share. But I try not to let it drag me down. Ponies in poverty do things, awful things, but always for a reason. I remember this time we were trying to battle down a drunken dockworker who'd pulled up a length of chain and started attacking folk on the wharf. The Constableary were a mile out and this guy was the size of coking furnace. It took three of us to hold him down after he threw myself and another officer of like a couple of pillows. After he got to the drunk tank and calmed down, we found out he'd just lost his job in the middle of a bitter divorce. I...can't really fault him except to disagree strongly with his choice of actions."
Virgil looked around for something to drink. As if through intuition, Smooth left and brought back a glass of milk.
"Do you think your job has affected you negatively?"
"I wonder some times," Virgil started after a drink, "I want to say something like, 'you gotta be tough to patrol the docks,' or some ridiculous thing. What I should say, what I want you to understand is; leaving your fellow mare in want is a cruel seed that reaps a bitter harvest. If I'm honest, a lot of what happened down there had a reason. And in every case where I defended myself or someponyelse: it always turned out to be a pony who had lost everything or the most important thing."
Foxytail thought carefully about what Virgil said, prompting Smooth to ask, "Didn't you ever try working for the Railroad? They are constantly hiring ponies for decent jobs at competitive wages. Why not work in a job less...hazardous?"
Virgil turned a wry smile out and decided not to answer. Instead saying, "I guess it hadn't occurred to me."
"Did you try to find other jobs in Manehattan?" Foxytail continued.
Virgil thought carefully, "I want to be an artist. My parents, to their credit, set me up with a lot of bits to go to school in Manehattan at the College of Equine Art and Sciences. The place has branches all over Equestria and it's rated pretty highly amongst colleges of the same type. Problem is I...I think I missed the point of it."
Foxytail looked up from her writing, then to Smooth. Smooth bubbled a bit wondering what Virgil had meant.
"Well, the secret to it, the trick to it, isn't about learning anything at college. You want to maintain the barest minimal grade average and use the place for what it's actually designed to do: meet ponies."
Foxytail finished writing that and paused, "You mean to say that the function of University isn't to study and improve ones knowledge but improve ones...friend base?"
Virgil nodded. "I never really kept in touch with anypony from my graduating class. I stayed at home while they were partying down and studied. I know more about art and art history than I care to know and believe it or not: the classes designed to help me execute that knowledge weren't worth a sock in the kisser! And that's by design! The one guy, the only guy I keep in touch with keeps telling me that the only reason he can stay in business is because he knows people who work in it. He's never without work because all those parties, all those failed or missing assignments meant he can keep a toe hold in the industry. That's the real lesson of college: it's who you know not what you know."
Foxytail nodded while Smooth thoughtfully eyed a bubble floating lazily before her. She looked over to Foxytail and said matter-of-factly, "It's the same with business, Foxy. Half of these objects came here because I know a pony. Nearly all of my speciality tea blends are made from ingredients I buy from friends and business ponies I've met or been introduced to. A degree means you're smart but savvy can't be taught. You meet it at a party."
Foxytail became wide eyed and furiously jotted the conversation down. Virgil grinned knowingly at Smooth who sat pleasantly and bubbled to herself. When Foxytail was ready to continue, she started with the obvious.
"What prompted you to leave Manehattan and come to Ponyville?"
Virgil reclined a bit and sighed, "I guess it was because the city...no. -That- city makes a pony ugly. See, Manehattan has it all wrong. The way they have the working classes split up, the way city services are exclusively the property of those who have more and pay less into the pot, the false scarcity, the pollution; all of it is just ugly to see and ugly to be a part of. It gets inside of you and it turns you ugly. I caught myself turning and started looking for other places to be. Ponyville was the first on the list and as I sit here, I am glad I came."
Foxytail smiled, "So you jumped at the chance just by the name alone?"
"Honestly, as I read more about it, I thought this would be the perfect place. Initially, I just needed to leave Manehattan. After I started learning more about where I was going, I started to feel a lot better about the choice. You're near some wilderness that has some pretty amazing wildlife in it. You're in close proximity to a major office of the Watch and...I can breathe here. There's just enough city and just enough not-city here to make me feel comfortable."
Foxytail wrote the rest of that down, paused to make a couple of notes and then rolled up the document.
"Excellent! I have the whole story here. And look at the time! You should still be able to arrive at your shift without trouble!"
Virgil checked his time piece and discovered he'd only been here with the mares for about 47 minutes. The sun now fully behind the hills, darkness was encroaching. A yawn from Smooth impressed the lateness of the day upon him. He rose gently and adjusted his effects. Addressing the pair of ponies, he thanked them both and left to his shift.
"Please come back when you have time," Smooth cooed from her doorway. "We're open most hours for visitation and the cafe is always making something yummy to eat."
"See you around Ponyville, Officer Virgil," Foxytail called from above him. Her pink streak became blue shadow against a darkened sky slowly winking in stars. Lights were on in every house and around ever bend in the street. The lamp lighting ponies would be starting their rounds soon to ignite braziers and gas lamps across town. Some even walked by on stilts. Earth ponies, not about to be outdone by either pegasai or unicorns, walked as ably as circus acrobats down the long avenues with torches. Soon enough there would be ample light for other ponies.
Virgil caught a glance or two out of the corner of his eyes. It was a familiar look. And, without much doing about it, he shrugged it off and stepped forward. Heading off to the Mobile Control Center, eyes a shimmering silver blue, Virgil approached his new patrol unit and began his new life in Ponyville.

 

Today I am going to try very very hard to outline this one. I've been stream of consciousness writing for ages so, lets take this a little seriously this time:

Story: Virgil meets the CMC.
Set-up: Virgil agrees to perform a 'shift-swap' with Officer Russell only to find that he has an extra duty to perform. As part of a Job-Shadowing exercise in class, the CMC get stuck following Virgil around on his patrols instead of something more fun.
The Problem: Virgil doesn't like children very much at this stage. He must overcome his aversion to kids in order to help the CMC understand that his job is varied and provides an interesting viewpoint to see the world from.
The Kids: Sweetie Belle, Applebloom and Scootaloo haven't met Virgil before but they've heard about the scary watch pony that walks the streets at night and can see everything you do! Thankful that he's only out at night, they are shocked to find that they have been paired with him! In addition to not wanting to hang around such a fearful pony, they are also very bored with the concept of the watch and are constantly looking for a way to sneak off or goof around.
The B-Story: A Catoblepas wanders into Ponyville, mostly unseen, through the northern shop district. As dangerous as it is slow, the animal blunders through town and corners the CMC while escaping Virgil's boring and repetitive job. Virgil attempts a rescue only to be petrified by the beasts stone-breath instead. However, because of patience applied beforehand, the children remember how to revive him and help drive out the monster!
Extras At this time, Scootaloo is homeless or at least in some kind of group-home care. Her fear of Virgil is pretty real since she doesn't want to be caught by him at night when she's away from the home. He scares her at this time.

 

The school bell rang loud and clear across the hills and dells of Ponyville, letting everypony know to expect their little ones back from fascinating lectures and projects of learning. Fillies and Colts bounced through the streets, heading either to the park or to their homes. All the children spilled out into the afternoon sun save for three fillies. Each hung their heads low and walked crest fallen through the play-yard and out into the street.
"I told you we should'a put our ideas in the box last week," the orange one complained.
"Yeah. We were told we needed to have our ideas in the box as soon as we could! Ms. Cheerilee said it was going to be first-come-first-placed!"
The white coated filly stopped at the edge of the road and sat upon the curb. She curved her hooves and rest her head upon them, dusting the street with her tail.
"Well, ah wanted to write down more than two suggestions! Applejack said that if we put down a whole bunch'a jobs, we'd get chosen furst. I'm sorry guys," spoke the yellow one.
The three fillies sat dejected on the side of the road in various states of defeat, waiting for one or the other to say something. Finally, the orange pegasus stood up, gathered her scooter to her and hitched up a red wagon to the rear. Pulling out head gear, she strapped down her helmet and tossed the remaining two out.
"Well, we can sit here all day and feel sorry for ourselves, or we can go do something about it! Who knows? Maybe we'll find our cutie marks on the way!"
The other two fillies gathered the helmets up and seemed to pick up a bit.
"Yeah, Applebloom," spoke the little white unicorn, "we don't really know if being a security pony is a bad thing. We might even find that we're supposed to be other kinds of police ponies by being around them! Big sis told me that the Equestrian Watch works with a bunch of other ponies during the day. Those might be able to help us find our cutie marks!"
The yellow earth filly picked up her helmet and looked inside, as if trying to find the answer to her troubles within. Then, putting it over her head, she climbed into the wagon and remarked, "I s'pose. But what kind'a pony would you be if all you were good at wus lookin at stuff?"

Virgil T. Pony awoke groggily at the sound of his alarm clock. To ensure his successful awakening, he'd made sure to put the thing as far from his new bed as he could. Through faint slits in his blackout curtains, he could clearly see that it was far too early in the afternoon for him to be up. Uninterested in listening to the ringing, he got up, walked over and shut the thing off. Without missing the moment, he climbed into the shower and turned it on cold. The needles of chilly water that pelted his hide picked him right out of his weariness and put his mind on track. Soon as he could stand it no more, he turned on the hot tap and got on with his shower.
Shift trades, by their very nature, tended to jar and unsettle a pony. In the same way that a day of lost sleep or overtime increases stress on the body, waking up for a shift 8 hours earlier than your own tended to provoke madness. Still, a day for you is a day for me and the recompense of having a three day weekend propelled Virgil out of the shower and into his uniform with adequate speed. Still an hour early for his shift, he took the opportunity for what it was and went directly to the market. He would at least have a spectacular breakfast and lunch if he was going to run earlier than he wanted.
Trotting from his apartment to get his blood pumping, Virgil arrived at the market in time for the lunch crowd. Knowing next to nopony in town, even now, he did start to see some faces more often than not. Since he was usually arriving here as other shops were closing, he took the chance to eat at a place he'd yet to try. Merry Weather had suggested the pizza parlor enough times that Virgil was going to give it a try, especially since he could buy a calzone to save for later. The half-a-pizza product wrapped in baked crust and seasoned with crushed garlic sang siren's songs into his ears. Still needing a proper breakfast, he moved one stall over to a place called the Hash House. Since it was technically his first meal, it made sense to have something for breakfast. Hashbrowns, tomatoes, oats, crushed hay seeds and sprouts were mortared in between two sour dough buns and covered in a country gravy and served to Virgil with a bib. Taking a seat under the City Hall Building, Virgil ate his pleasure and rebuffed odd looks from passers by. This was, after all, a stallions meal and he'd no obligations to polite society at this ungodly hour.
Finished, Virgil rose, dusted himself and checked his uniform out in a mirror of a public wash-house near by. All cylinders finally starting to fire, Virgil got his head around the subject at hand. Officer Russell had requested this shift trade so he could attend a function of some kind. Virgil asked after the subject but received a cryptic hoof-waving reply that begged not to be pushed. Considering Russell, Virgil likely didn't want to know. All he was concerned with was getting to see the newest Bruce Canter film when it opened next week. Marlon Bridle was staring in this one and, having missed seeing the last two in Manehattan, he was bound and determined not to let that happen again.
With new resolve, Virgil trotted off to the Control Center. Recently completed and fully upgraded, nearly every tool in the possession of the watch was on hoof for use in the field. Only the Fire Department and the Hospital lacked Flare detectors at this stage, meaning that in a few short months, Virgil would scarcely know he wasn't back on patrol in Manehattan. Except, of course, for the lack of suffocating air and oppressive class warfare.
"Virgil," called a bright green pony from the back of the control center, "over here."
Virgil looked towards the day Supervisor and trotted over. Supervisor Reckoning was like a pony from a story you'd only ever heard about. Never once in the months since Virgil arrived had they met until today. His supervisors blazer and badge were polished and pressed so clean that Virgil could see himself in the reflection. His check-mark cutie mark meant that Virgil was going to be under heavy scrutiny.
"Officer Virgil! Welcome to the daylight side. Did you sleep well?"
Virgil nodded.
"Very good. I apologize for not mentioning this earlier but this shift was selected by the mayors office for a Job Shadowing event. I want you, rather than the control center, to lead some kids from the school around with you on patrol."
Virgil seemed to freeze for a moment. The supervisor noticed this and bit his lip. When Virgil found the words to say, they came out bluntly, "I...I don't -do- kids."

 

Sweetie Belle, Applebloom and Scootaloo arrived at the Control Center quickly, stopping only to get a drink at a fountain along the way. The Control Center looked about as intimidating as a shack in the yard, except for the shiny glass and metal structures on top.
"What do you think those are for," asked Sweetie Bell.
Scootaloo looked at the objects as they shone in the afternoon light.
"Well, they're obviously some sort of...uh...festive lighting! Yeah!"
Sweetie Belle and Applebloom didn't seem to agree. The object, whatever it was, clearly had some sort of purpose. The large glass work was shaped like a big bug with 6 reflective parts arranged around a middle. Pulleys and other brass fixtures protruded at regular angles and looked like they could move. Next to that structure was a large brass pole with a conical hat. It looked like any regular chimney hat except that it too had glass components facing at regular angles outward. It was almost like a mad scientist lived here.
"Well, guess we should go up'n knock," said Applebloom.
She took out a slip of paper explaining why they had come. Signed by Cheerily, the fillies were to give this to somepony called a Supervisor. Thinking on the subject, Applebloom gave it to Scootaloo.
"Maybe you should do it, Scootaloo."
Scootaloo looked took the note in her hooves and thought about it. Then, "Nah, Sweetie Belle can do it."
Sweetie Belle found the note in her hooves. Looking to the other fillies, she sighed and approached the door. When she knocked, she was met by a sizable mare with a very tightly braided mane. She looked right and left until she thought to look down. When she discovered the fillies, her hardened looks softened and she smiled.
"Officers at Attention! Our guests have arrived!"

"No, no, no, no, no! Damn it! No! I accepted this trade on the grounds that it would be an over-and-done with thing! Russell should be doing this!"
"You'll notice he's not here," Reckoning said. "You took the trade so you'll handle the kids."
"I am not trained to take care of somepony elses rug rats! I got enough to do tonight without having to deal with...children!"
Supervisor Reckoning looked hard at Virgil, "You don't like kids?"
Virgil balked.
"You really don't like kids at all, do you?"
Virgil looked pained at that. He calmed and tried again, "I am not a trained child care provider. I can not and will not be responsible for the safety of children."
The supervisor laughed, "What? In the middle of ponyville, in the middle of the day? You'll notice the sun's still out! What's going to happen to them?"
"You remember what I told you about the Industrial Way?"
"That happened at night! Right now the factories are still running and the Constables are on hoof as we speak! And you wouldn't take them down there with you, they'd choke to death on the soot! All you have to do is walk around in broad daylight with three little kids with you for maybe an hour and a half showing them the things we do in town to help out. It's not Dressage!"
Virgil was on the way with an exasperated plea but stopped short with a knock on the door. The head of Officer Crowley poked in and said, "They're here."

Sweetie Belle looked over the tables arranged inside the small building. The two watch ponies inside this Control Center were awfully nice and were helping to show the three fillies around. She saw that a large map of Ponyville was arranged underneath a wide brass and glass fixture. The female watch pony from the door pointed and explained, "This is our Flare Detector. When one of our officers calls for help with their flares, this device catches the light from them and focuses it down into a beam that tells us where they are in town."
"Wow," said Sweetie Belle, "so this machine tells you where the officer is just by seeing the flare?"
"Right," said the officer.
"Whee!" cried Scootaloo. She'd found one of the chairs and was being spun around on it by Applebloom.
"Careful there," the second chair officer scolded lightly, "we don't want you two getting hurt in here."
Applebloom and Scootaloo stopped horsing about and joined Sweetie Belle at the map table.
"It's lucky you three don't have to stay cooped up in here with us," spoke the mare. "Being a Watch Pony can be pretty boring."
"Do you two really have tuh stay in here while the other officer gets to walk around," asked Applebloom.
The two officers looked at eachother but smiled despite, "Well we do get to take care of the official paperwork. And Officer Ruler, over there, gets to operate the Semaphore Telegraph! That's the big glass thing you guys saw outside."
The second chair officer smiled, "Well I only get to use it about once a week. Still, it's an amazing piece of technology, that's for sure!"
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle went over to the controls and looked at the complicated mechanisms that controlled which parts of the machine reflected light. Next to this system was a cheat-sheet showing what each reflection combination meant. Every letter in the alphabet had one and each was a different arrangement of 6 light or dark circles. There were some that meant letters and others that meant whole words like STOP, FAHRENHEIT or STORM. Officer Ruler explained who the telegraph was pointed at as well as the general information transmitted.
"...and usually, it's just simple things like injuries called for or temperature."
"Wow! That's amazing Officer Ruler! Does the Guard ever call back?"
"Not really," he replied. "Usually they just let us know when supplies for the Watch are going to arrive by train or if we should be wary of stray weather. The Weather Patrol is in constant contact with Canterlot's team so, they only tell us about it if it's going to be a danger to control or they need to scramble. I doubt we'll have any."