The Puppet Maker

He wanted to already call his lawyer. We found he was guilty already-why even bring a lawyer if you weren't? Still, Pick Pocket was his pick. Celestia help me if I don't kill him. Orange Julius went to the front to catch his thoughts, something I must do sometime. He had the right idea.

"Why hello, dearest Apple Bloom." Pick Pocket smiled like a devil. "Long time no see, I see that you've grown bigger." I glared at her. She hadn't seen me since I was a filly.

"Course I have." I huffed. "What brought you here? I'm sure you don't naturally grace me with your presence. " She rolled her eyes.

"Uh, who are you?" Sweetie Belle questioned. Pick Pocket looked incredulously. "What?"

"Scatty surely didn't tell you, had she?" She gasped and composed herself instantly. "Of course she hadn't, she's Scatty of course! Still holds a huge grudge. Pity, she shouldn't hold it. I forgave her already. The name's Pick Pocket, I work on the defense for a Swift Kick. " I roll my eyes. Like mother like witch. Wait, she called her Scatty! My thoughts turn back to Check Mate's book. Scatty is what Check calls her as a nickname.

"Of course she holds the grudge towards a pony that only cares about herself." I counter. "Besides, you know more then you say." Pick Pocket's eyes widen from the accusation.

"I just came here for a routine trial. Nothing big or horrible in that, or do you know more than I, Apple Bloom?" She paced around me, her eyes narrowing before she lowered her head. It was natural to do so as a unicorn. "Enlighten me, why don't--"

"Swift Kick's little clan is holding back information on where Scootaloo is, your sister. Then again, loyalty isn't in her family's blood, is it?" I get in her face before she can do anything. "She could be in serious trouble, but nope, Swift refuses to answer anything.Then again, I feel like your doing the same. That's why Swift chose you, correct?"

"He told me nothing of the sort!" She claims before smiling. "All the more fun, I suppose. I never-"

"But she's your sister!" Sweetie Belle's voice broke. "You don't care at all?" Pick looked towards her with a condescending air.

"Its my job, darlings. I care, I just need to do my job. He hired me and I don't back down," She smirks. "We're taught that way. Scatty surely knows this. Pirouette liked her the most. I can't see why."

"Neither of you call her mom?" The Detective suddenly asked. "From what Sweetie Belle told me, neither you or Scatenata ever call her mom. Has she ever done something to make you not call her that?"

"She dares not call her mother? Figures so, not after a few things, I suppose. Pirouette never was a great mother." She stuck her tongue out. "But I'm not an interviewer, your not going to question me as well. Think again." Detective shook his head.

"Legally, I can," He answered. "You don't care much, but if you interfere with an investigation or your too attached, its illegal to continue forward with being a lawyer. Your too biased." Ah HA! Pick narrowed her eyes.

"That's for certain things, dear. I think your surly mistaken." She flicked her red tail at me, but I dodged. "That's my past, I refuse to give you any-" Orange Julius had rushed in from leaving earlier to the office. Pick gave him a cold glare before allowing him to speak.

"There's a pony on in the mirror. I think that's the mare that they're talking about." I nod and gesture Pick over. When we reached the destination, I saw her again. This time, she was worse. Her back was against a wall, head head barely propped. She was bruised up more and looked like she was even having trouble sitting. Her tail wraps around her, but it never covered what I took notice of. She had her cutie mark. Her face was so peaceful even in this time. Pick gave a disgusted scream.

"I'll see you all later, I have to do something anyway." Orange looks towards the Detective who follows suit after him. Must be some sort of interview. Scootaloo was first to break from the conversation.

"I wanted to contact you Apple Bloom!" She turned her head to me. Even with her peaceful face, she was struggling. "I wanted to because Laughing and Demi aren't here right now and-" She was holding a tiny pony. Did she--?

"You had your fo--" Scootaloo made a face at Sweetie Belle before she shook her head.

"No, wait why'd you assume I did?" She was perplexed, her nose scrunched at the thought. "No, no! She can already talk, I just found her." The tiny filly yawned before her eyes opened. She had bright pink eyes. I narrowed my eyes to get a better look at her. Cream with a pink streak mane and a light brown coat to match.

"Excuse me, but did you forget my presence, Scatty?" I glare at her. Why can't she just shut her trap? "You've...uh...changed." She made a face at her.

"I don't think that's-" Sweetie whispered to Pick Pocket before she was interrupted. Sweetie wasn't comfortable and neither was I.

"Why is she here?" She was colder then I ever heard her. "Is this a part of the torture?"Pick shakes her head.

"Your plumper then ever. I can't believe you wasted your life to be like..this." Scootaloo growls at her, holding the filly tight. "I always knew you'd be like this. Shame, I thought you'd prove me wrong."

"Shut your tramp trap!" She barked. "Why don't you go suck on Pirouette some more, while your at it! Both of you can buck off for all I care!"

"That's no way to talk to your big sister!" She yelled, Scootaloo's eye watered for a moment before she spoke.

"You never were a big sister. Big sisters don't do what you did." She wavered before she came to her conclusion finally. "Now go, just go already! Tell them what you did, what you let happen. If you don't, then just leave and don't come back for me." Pick Pocket looked torn before she lowered her ears and head.

"I'm not going to say," She replied honestly. "I can't, at all. You know why." She refused to have any of that, judging by it all.

"No, I don't know why! You left before you even had a chance to tell me!" Scootaloo snapped. "Please..wait outside at least.." She wavered slightly, looking away. Pick left the room, waiting outside with Orange Julius. The room went silent before the filly in her arms, the one that had just previously, buried her head in Scootaloo, spoke up.

"Mommy, who was that? Who are they?" Did she just call her mother? I glanced at Scootaloo for an answer. She shushed her worries and smiled. She whispered something to her before she answered me.

"Ever since I met her she's been calling me that. I can't change her mind, tried that." She chuckled, looking towards her for a moment. "Besides, I guess I've gotten close to her. She's been abandoned by Laughing and Demi in here, her parents. Her name's Pretty Penny, she knows all about them."

"Didn't you say she's a foal? Is she another victim?"I hold my breath for a moment. There can't be. There just can't. She shook her head at that. How can we send her here for information if needed? I tried figuring a solution, but none came to mind.

"No, well, I guess in a way," She frowned, holding Pretty Penny closer to her. "She was built-its hard to explain."

"I was hoof made!" Pretty states bodily, but then her ears fall flat. "I was made by...well..." Scootaloo looks at her for a moment, rubbing her back gently to allow her to finish.

"She was hoof made by Laughing and Demi," Scootaloo answers as she rubs, seeing her unable to answer. "She's made from the other students." Students? Crafted? My eyes widen as the thoughts swirling in my mind. She was holding a thing that could be just as similar to them. She's putting herself at risk. My legs tremble. She's being stupid.

"She already has maternal instincts, "Sweetie Belle noted as she whispered to me. She laughed like it was a joke. How could Scootaloo just make such a rash decision? She's making a mistake I have to correct. I can't let her be in thralled with her. She's not a pony, she's not even supposed to be alive.

"What were you thinking?!" I grit. "You don't know if she's with them! You know what they'll do--" Scootaloo's eyes were filled with an anger that I never seen in her. I only saw such once, and Fluttershy had to enter the scene. A mother bear and her cubs were in the proximity and Fluttershy had to help us. Was she that close to her already? Or perhaps--

"I know the risks, but I don't care. I won't let them hurt her. She's a just a filly," She countered, her anger controlled before she held the filly tighter. "I won't let anypony harm her or anypony else. I don't care whether you approve of how far I go to do that. I trust her-I know she's not lying. I learned so." Was she trying to get herself killed? She lifted Penny's hooves. She had no horseshoes on. She can't grasp anything without them. Still, I refuse to allow her to be in that kind of danger. Some head damage must have caused he thinking to shift.

"Scootaloo, don't act like that! Your pregnant, you can't be so-"

"Reckless, Apple Bloom? I know, I heard that multiple times." She spat. I cringe at her anger. "I'm not, I'm just telling the truth. I won't let them harm anypony else. I can't let them any longer." I try looking towards her flanks.

"Is that how you acquired your cutie mark?" Her eyes lit up for a moment, her sudden anger fading. I sigh to myself. She's happier at least. That was my first taste of her mood swings. I shivered at it.

"I have my cutie mark?" She asked then looked to her sides. I raise an eyebrow.

"Wait, you didn't realize---" She shook her head.

"I chal-I told off Demi. I didn't want anypony being hurt. I meant what I said. She even tried saying that she'd get you and Sweetie. I got mad and lectured her. I guess I got it from that." She set her down before she stands up, showing me her cutie mark in full. It was a purple shield wrapped in vines. Each vine was littered with flowers of all different colors. At the base, there were flowers were noticeably different. One was a mix of two pinks, another was purple with stripes of a different shade and pink, and so forth. The closer the flowers got to the middle, the more detailed. In the center was a yellow and red flower with pink trim. Just slightly below it were three others. Two weren't open and the other was. It was a cream color with a brown undertone. It was finished off with a pink trim. They all connected onto the shield and reached down her legs to form a shield and sword like pattern.

"Scootaloo," My eyes watered at that. The flowers represented everypony in order. I was the center and the children pretty close. Her cutie mark was for everypony. I never seen a cutie mark like that. "Your cutie mark...!" She smiles a little before realizing.

"I..never noticed my cutie mark. I just got it yesterday," She paused for a moment. "That's why there was light..." She seemed to completely miss everything. Pretty tugged on Scootaloo, worry filling her senses.

"Mommy, they're home with a pony. I know they are," She was distressed, panic filling her voice. I heard a few clopping sounds before everything became eerily silent. Scootaloo brought Pretty closer to her, making sure she wouldn't get hurt.

"With you, she won't be in the way any longer. You should be glad," Laughing's voice fell on me hard. "She's Demi's prize. Though, she's well trained if you consider everything the whorse has done."

"G-Get off of me!" My ears flickered at that. The voice sounded eerily familiar to a pony. I couldn't understand why I hated the voice so much. "Dad won't let me get hurt-if you lay another hoof on me I swear--"

"You liked her before, your just with her closer now." Laughing replied to her. Scootaloo caught sight of her before anyone else. Her eyes widen at the sight. "Besides, if the whorse can't do so, and she had more bite than you, then you won't be successful.You'll have your whorse now, though. Just back off when Demi's near. She won't take to well to you being near her property with the way you act. When we started seeing her, my jaw dropped.

"They took Diamond Tiara..!" Scootaloo answered my worst nightmare. She'll tell her everything.