Internal Changeling Affairs

Chapter Seven:  A Gat In The Garbage

Rarity and Fluttershy

"gray?!" Rarity whined in disapproval of her suit color  "of all the colors I have to be seen in, gray had to be the one!"

"oh it's not so bad, Rarity" Fluttershy replied.  "I actually think it suits the both of us just fine"

"Fluttershy, really!  you're going to stand there with a straight face and tell me you like these?"

"I'm sorry.  I was just trying to look on the bright side.  after all, it definitely beats the hel- er I mean heck out of that time we  were gray when discord got out of hoof."

"well, I guess it could be worse but now I have to once again, block out the image of that day my mane was the color of this dreadful suit"

"oh my!  oh no!  I was so mean that day!  please forgive me, Rarity!"

"you do realize that was three years ago don't yo-?"

"Here it is!"  Fluttershy interrupted.  "4922 West Trotten Street!  one of our witnesses lives in this apartment building.  number 7B"

"get your stare ready, dear.  i'll signal you by winking my right eye.  let's go!"

Meanwhile, with Applejack and Rainbow Dash

"just giving you a more than fair warning, pal!"  Dash said threateningly to a random pegasus stallion she had backed up against a wall.  "I will find out if you're bull ~squee~ing me!"

"Dash for pete's sake get a grip!" Applejack said recalling Twilight's warning to Rainbow Dash about avoiding police brutality.  "not everypony around is gonna know about what we're lookin' fer.  it's not like Ponyville where we all know each other.  this place is huge!"

"relax, AJ.  it wasn't like I was gonna beat him up or anything"

"then why were you reachin' fer your baton?"

"just to intimidate is all"

"um excuse me, officers"  the stallion said, still backed up against the wall.  "but, um, c-can I go now? please?  I promise if I see or hear anything about it I'll let you know"

"you're off the hook for now, but remember I've got my ey-"

"you betcha, mister and thanks fer keeping that in mind!  Rainbow, ya better calm your plot down!"

Meanwhile with Pinkie Pie

"hey you!"  Pinkie Pie shouted from the PA on the pedal chopper.  "I saw that, buster!  pick your nose with a tissue next time!  that's gross!"

"ChopperPie!  come in ChopperPie!"  a voice from Twilight said on Pinkie Pie's headset.

"ChopperPie here!  go ahead, coach 45!"

"Pinkie, I'm begging you!  for my brother's sake, please look for things more relevant to our investigation!  you need to be keeping a look out for threats against Equestrian security!"

"oh sorry, Twilight.  but how did you know what I was doing?

Meanwhile with Twilight and Steel

"because you're hovering right over our heads, Pinkie"  Twilight replied.  "still though, I can't wait to tell Rarity that Prince Blueblood was using his tongue to pick his nose.  over and out, ChopperPie!"

"heh heh heh.  your friends are alright, Detective Sparkle" Steel Piston Said while proceeding through a green traffic light.

"thanks, Steel.  I'm glad you like them.  Twilight by the way.  behind this badge, we're all still friends no matter how you slice it"

"OK, Twilight.  so where to?"

"we need to get to the Crime scene that involved my brother.  luckily, the guards still have the area blocked off and nopony without a badge has access to it"

"alright I'm on it"

"excellent!  oh and Steel?"

"yes, Twilight?"

"we'll be able to get there a lot faster if you use the siren"

"oh of course"  Steel then used his magic to flip the switch causing the coach's siren to start winding up and it was soon wailing at full volume.  Very quickly, traffic ahead of the duo began to pull aside and create a straight, open path for them.

"c'mon, Steel!  let's run some red lights!"

Steel proved to be a very talented driver once again showing that he was deserving of his cutie mark of which was a burning tire next to an engine block.  They arrived at the scene in what seemed no time at all and Steel found a perfect spot to park the brand new patrol coach with it's stylish tailfins jutting out of it's rear end.  Steel was the first one to exit and before Twilight could even reach for the door latch, Steel had already made his way over to the passenger side and opened it for her.

"what a gentlecolt" Twilight giggled as she stepped out.

Steel's glasses began to fog again as the pair of rookie cops made their way to the alleyway where Shining Armor had been shot.  At the end of the alley was a fence of yellow caution tape and one lone guard waiting for them.  When the guard noticed the two approaching he greeted the pair with a salute.

"you must be Detective Sparkle"  the guard said.  "Officer Silverbadge at your service!"

"at ease, officer.  my partner and I will take it from here"

"yes ma'am.  I wish you two the best of luck.  several other guards and myself scanned the area but checking it again couldn't hurt"

"we'll leave no stone unturned, Silver"

Officer Silverbadge then out of nowhere hung his head low and a puddle of tears had began to form on the ground.  after an awkward moment of silence he finally began to speak again.

"I was working with him the other day when this happened"  Silverbadge said with a steady river now flowing down his face.  "If only I had stayed with him.  I could have prevented this"

"it's not your fault"  Twilight said finding it difficult to control her own tears.

"I just can't help but let it eat at my gut.  I swear if he doesn't make it, i'll never forgive myself"

before anything else could be said, Silverbadge hastily made his way to a squad coach of his own and took his leave.  there stood Twilight Sparkle thinking of her big brother best friend forever while forming her own puddle of tears.  Once again Steel Piston, without even thinking about it, placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder as if it were a reflex.  Twilight had taken note that every time he did this, she felt an instant feeling of comfort.  Whenever she was depressed around her mare friends, they would do the same but it was no comparison to what Steel was doing for her.  She couldn't explain why but it just felt right.

"you ok, Twilight?"  he asked.

"I'll be fine"  she replied.  "thanks so much.  time is of the essence though.  we can't let anything get in our way from now on.  let's see what we can find"

"sounds like a plan"

They made their way past the yellow tape into the alley and took a few steps in and Twilight cringed at the first thing they saw.  It was a chalk outline of a stallion on the ground with a dried up crimson puddle on the upper torso area.  Twilight was already feeling nauseous at the sight and the fact that the trash cans and dumpsters in the alley had not been emptied after a heat wave did not help, but they still pressed on.

"alright, Steel.  I'll scan every speck of dust on the outer end and work my way in.  I want you to do the opposite and we'll meet in the middle"

"and I'll let you know if I find anything  at all, Twilight.  I won't let you down!"

the two ponies then began to search for clues, both of them examining things from empty cider bottles to paperclips and staples.  After several minutes of pointless sweeping, the two were quickly losing hope.  All of a sudden, Steel began to realize something that had just hit him harder than the stench of the nearby trash cans.  He then began using his unicorn magic to pry every single lid from all the seemingly untouched rubbish containers and began to sift through their contents.  Twilight at first failed to notice and only did so when she heard Steel begin to gag and heave.  she did not think much of it.  The only though that crossed her mind was how bad she felt making Steel do all the dirty work closest to the smelly garbage.  That thought would soon prove to be pointless as Twilight Perked up her ears to the sound of a lid being lifted off of a can and Steel letting out a loud gasp.

"Twilight!"  he shouted with urgency in his tone.  "Twilight, I think you should see this!"

"what is it?!"  she asked, her suspense biting at her more and more with each step she took towards him.

She ran up to her partner staring inside one of the foul smelling trash cans nearest to the chain link fence at the end of the alleyway.

"take a look at this!"

Twilight then glanced at the inside of the can and saw exactly what Steel was on to.

"Steel Piston!  you're a ~squee~ing genius!" End Chapter Seven