Chapter 1: Just An Ordinary Morning
“The soul that has conceived one wickedness can nurse no good thereafter.”
- Hoophacles
It started out like any other morning in Ponyville. In a cozy cottage, near the Everfree Forest, the gentle pegasus mare, Fluttershy was waking up and preparing to feed her many animals. She hummed to herself quietly, as she was known to do, as she set up all the various foods. But, something was different about today; it was unusually quiet. Inside the cottage, the butter colored mare noticed none of her animals inside her cottage. She supposed they could all be outside. But when going outside, Fluttershy didn’t see any of her animals in sight. At this time of day, they would all be scurrying towards her to get some delicious food.
“Hello?” she called out. “Where are you my little critters? I have a yummy breakfast for you.”
Fluttershy looked around and so nothing.
“Hello!?” she called out again, just a little louder this time.
She was beginning to worry. But then she heard some whimpering coming from inside her chicken coup. Walking up slowly, so as not to make her little friends more nervous, she peeked her head inside, and saw many different species of animals huddled together in fear.
“What’s the matter, little ones?” she asked with great concern. “Is there some scary creature nearby?”
Most of them remained seemingly motionless, showing only the tiniest hints of shivering. Out of the pile of animals jumped Angel Bunny, her most beloved pet. The normally confident bunny had a clear look of fright on his face, something Fluttershy rarely saw in her furry companion. If he was scared, she knew it must be serious.
“What’s the matter Angel Bunny?” she asked.
Angel motioned Fluttershy to follow him. They made their way towards the border of the Everfree Forest, near a seemingly ordinary bush.
“Is this the spot, Angel?” she asked softly.
Angel rapidly nodded his head, pointing continuously at the bush. Both of them let out an audible gulp, as the timid little mare made her way closer to the bush, and moved some brush aside.
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From up in the clouds, Rainbow Dash (self proclaimed greatest flier in all of Equestria) was napping lazily as she was prone to. She’d finished her work early, and felt she was deserving of a good rest. Suddenly, she was woken up by somepony screaming in terror. She would’ve fallen off the cloud, if not for the fact that she remembered in a split second that she had wings. Disoriented at first from waking up, the cerulean mare realized it was her best friend Fluttershy screaming in terror.
“What the hay is wrong with her now?” she said out lout to nopony in particular.
She zipped down to her as fast as she could.
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Rainbow Dash made her way to Fluttershy and Angel’s location in ten seconds flat. Uncharacteristically, she was panting like mad for worry of her oldest friend.
“Fluttershy!?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “What’s the hays the matter!? Are you hurt!? Are you animals hurt!? Something stolen!?”
Fluttershy’s pupils were so small, like the size of bits; she was shaking and shivering and sweating like crazy. Angel Bunny wasn’t in much better shape.
“Did your shadow scare you again?” asked Rainbow Dash, rolling her eyes. “I keep telling you, it’s something everypony has…”
“N-n-n-no, R-r-rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy finally managed to whimper out. “Th-th-the b-b-bushes.”
“What about them?” Dash interrupted.
S-s-somep-p-p-pony in the bushes!” Fluttershy continued.
“What? Somepony peeking on your or something?” she questioned.
“N-no,” she continued to whimper, tearing up frantically, now unable to say anything.
Under normal circumstances, Rainbow Dash would’ve figured Fluttershy was just overreacting to some little situation. But, this was…different somehow. Fluttershy wasn’t just scared, she seemed saddened as well. The rainbow pegasus went over the bushes cautiously and moved some brush aside very slowly.
“HOLY BUCKING SHIT!” Rainbow Dash Cried out.
Now she was acting out of character, as she let a blood curdled scream. Now she saw the source of Fluttershy’s terror. It was body, a dead body. Some poor pony had been attacked; torn to shreds and mangled beyond belief, with hardly any flesh left on its bones. Organs were strewn about in a puddle of blood. It looked like it had been eaten. Rainbow Dash came very close to throwing up at the sight.
“Get back in your house now, Fluttershy! Angel, go with her!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “I’ll go get Twilight.”
Fluttershy nodded slowly at her best friends orders, still teary eyed from the shock of what she just saw. Angel accompanied her to the cottage as he‘d been ordered (not that he needed to be told to comfort his owner), while Rainbow Dash made a sprint towards Ponyville to get Twilight. Her mind kept racing as to what could’ve done this; she’d never seen anything like this in her life. It could’ve just been a random animal attack; Celestia only knows what all lived in the Everfree Forest. Could it have been a Timberwolf attack? Those things were dangerous and had the strength and sharp teeth to do something like what she saw. But she’d never heard of Timberwolfs ever getting their fangs on a pony before; but she supposed there was a first time for everything.
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Twilight was just getting up, when there was a sudden succession of rapid knocks at her door.
“Who could that be at this time of day?” she thought to herself.
The alicorn princess made her way to the door to let whoever it was causing the racket in.
“Yes, yes! I hear you!” Twilight Exclaimed. “Oh…Rainbow Dash? What in the world are you doing pounding my door?”
“Fluttershy! Everfree Forest! Body!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash, gasping like mad.
“Please slow down, Rainbow Dash,” said Twilight, unable to fully understand her friend.
“Fluttershy…outside her cottage,” Rainbow Dash explained slowly. “Just on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. She and Angel found a body! A ponies body! And I think it’s been eaten!”
“What!?” asked Twilight in shock. “By what!?”
“If I knew I wouldn’t be coming to you, would I!?” yelled Rainbow Dash.
Twilight’s ears drooped at her friend’s tone.
“I’m sorry, Twi, I really am,” she said in softer tone. “But you should’ve seen Fluttershy’s face. She was so scared and shivering like I’ve never seen. And the body…sweet Celestia it was awful!”
“We better get the sheriff,” suggested Twilight.
“We have a sheriff?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Recently instated,” explained Twilight. “The mayor felt we needed law enforcement, to seem more important. Since I’m a princess now, and living in Ponyville still.”
“Go figure,” thought Rainbow Dash. “We might actually need some law enforcement.”
Chapter 2: The Ponyville Police Department
“We must always remain diligent, Deputy Sheriff Hum Free,” said Blue Knight. “Ready to pounce on crime whenever it rears it’s ugly head.”
Blue Knight had been sheriff of Ponyville for only a few weeks, but he always took the law seriously. He had light brown fur, with a green mane and tail that sported blue streaks in it. His cutie mark was a police shield on a black ticket book, representing his love for upholding the law. He’s rarely seen without his blue vest. He was originally from Canterlot, and a prominent unicorn family (though he himself is an earth pony) but moved away from the scorn of his snobby family because he had a son out of wedlock (named Polaris, whom he has full custody of).
“Oh yea, we need to keep an eye out for litter bugs and loiterers,” Hum Free responded sarcastically.
Hum Free is the resident “burn out” given that he’s never held any job for very long. He’s a pegasus pony, tall and lanky, with aqua fur and a wavy, dirty blonde mane and tail. His cutie mark is tiny musical notes on a bar, representing his special talent for being able to hum any song from memory. He became Blue Knight’s deputy because he figured being a cop in Ponyville would be a very cushy job, since there are very few crimes to report. Though he rarely gets to just sit around, because Blue Knight always wants to stroll around town looking for possible “offenders.”
“Would it kill you to take this seriously, Hum Free?” asked Pencil Pusher.
Finally, there’s Pencil Pusher, the secretary of the “police force.“ A female unicorn with light brown fur and a dark brown mane and tail, she sports a typewriter cutie mark, representing her ability to type anything exact precision. Since there isn’t a lot of paperwork to do due to lack of crimes, she also acts as foal sitter to Blue Knight’s young son, Polaris.
“Easy for you to say,” said Hum Free. “You get to sit in a cozy office, while me and Blue Knight gotta go out and patrol the so called dangerous streets.”
“Don’t forget I also have to look after Polaris,” she retorted. “Not that I mind, he’s a good kid. Still, I don’t get to sit around as much as you think.”
“Enough with the bickering, already,” commanded Blue Knight. “Now, Deputy Sheriff Hum Free, it’s time for our patrol of the town.”
“Aw, come on, Blue,” groaned Hum Free.
“That’s Sheriff Blue Knight,” he interrupted his deputy.
“As apposed to the other sheriffs in this massive town,” the deputy sheriff sarcastically replied.
“Listen, Deputy,” exclaimed Blue Knight. “I don’t have to put up with your snark. There are tons of other ponies in town who’d love to have your job.”
“Like who?” retorted Hum Free. “I don’t think Pencil Pusher has the time with all the vital ‘paper work.’ Plus she has to watch your kid.”
As much as Blue Knight hated to admit it, Hum Free was correct. There was nopony else in town who’d even applied for this position. They were stuck with each other.
“Ok, fair enough,” said Blue Knight. “In casual conversation, you can refer to me as Blue. But, outside the station, please address me as Sheriff.”
“Yeah yeah,” he groaned once more.
Just then, Rainbow Dash and Twilight burst into the sheriff’s station. Blue Knight, given his Canterlot upbringing, immediately bowed at Twilight’s presence.
“Princess Twilight Sparkle,” he greeted. “You honor this station with your presence!”
“I’ve told you time and time again, Blue Knight, that Twilight will do,” she said. “I’m more a princess in title than anything.”
“Don’t bother, Twi,” said Hum Free. “Sheriff Stick in the Mud here is all about traditions.”
“Deputy!” sniped Blue Knight. “We do not address royalty by some silly nickname!”
“These guys are cops?” Rainbow Dash asked Twilight.
“I assure you, that I am a serious police officer,” exclaimed Blue Knight.
“Serious as a bucking heart attack,” Hum Free said under his breath.
“Don’t use such language in front of royalty!” screamed Blue Knight.
“For Celestia’s sake!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “Enough with the squabbling! We got a real case for you bozos!”
“What? Somepony vandalize a wall?” chuckled Hum Free.
“For your information, smart mouth, there’s a dead body near the Everfree Forest!” barked Rainbow Dash.
“A body?” Blue Knight and Hum Free both said in surprise.
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Fluttershy was still inside her cottage, drinking some tea for comfort, when she got a knock at her door. She figured it would be Rainbow Dash and Twilight. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see two stallions standing at her porch.
“Oh my…” she squeaked. “Who are you?”
“Ma’am, I’m Sheriff Blue Knight,” he introduced himself. “This is my deputy, Hum Free.”
“Oh…hello Hum Free,” greeted Fluttershy, recognizing the deputy. “I see you have a new job.”
“Yeah, real excited for it,” he sarcastically replied.
“Anyway,” Blue Knight interrupted. “Your friend, Rainbow Dash, and Princess Twilight Sparkle have informed us that you found something by the Everfree Forest?”
“Y-y-yes,” Fluttershy stuttered, beginning to tear up again. “It was s-s-so awful.”
Blue Knight and Hum Free hadn’t dealt with a crying witness before, and weren’t quite sure how to handle the situation. Finally, Rainbow Dash intervened.
“Look, guys,” she began. “Fluttershy can’t handle seeing the body again. I can take you both to it. Would that be ok?”
“It’s a bit unorthodox,” said Blue Knight. “Normally it’s good to have a witness.”
“Well…um…Angel is who showed me the b-b-body first,” replied Fluttershy.
“If your husband is willing to show us the scene, that will work just as well,” said Blue Knight.
“Oh…um…he’s not my husband,” she blushed. “He’s my bunny.”
Angel hopped up from behind her, with his usual stern look.
“A bunny?” questioned Blue Knight.
“Trust me, Blue, that’s no ordinary rodent,” said Hum Free.
Blue Knight gave Hum Free an annoyed look.
“Pardon me…Sheriff,” he sighed.
“Alright then. Mr. Angel, please take us to the scene,” said Blue Knight.
Confused at first by the formality, Angel took Blue Knight and Hum Free to the bush where the body had been discovered. Rainbow Dash decided to stay with Flusttershy for comfort, while Twilight followed the sheriff and his deputy. Angel stopped in front of the bush and Twilight decided to use her magic to part the brush. There were three audible gasps from the sight they saw.
“Oh my,” gulped Blue Knight.
“Holy shit!” exclaimed Hum Free.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Twilight. “Do you think it was some sort of animal attack?”
“Well…it’s possible,” said Blue Knight, going in for a closer look at the body. “I don’t see a cutie mark. That’s going to make identifying the victim difficult. Have there been any missing pony reports, Deputy?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” responded Hum Free. “There aren’t any real features to make out any more. I don’t think we can handle this on our own, Blue.”
“Princess, do you think you could use some sort of spell to identify the body?” Blue Knight asked.
“I don’t know any spell like that on a deceased pony,” said Twilight. “But I may be able to find somepony who can!”
