The Puppet Maker

"What do you mean you can't?" I asked, my mind can't comprehend it anymore. She's magic-she can't figure anything else out? "There isn't a way anymore?" Twilight frowned, a crease between her forehead showed her frustration abruptly.

"That's the only way," Twilight concluded as she moved along in the room, taking a file that the Detective had. "Even so, they aren't old enough. I'd have to wait till she's at least 10 months along-far enough so that the foal can be born. With every pregnant mare that's been tested, its an almost guarantee that she would be forced to give birth early. With the conditions of the area, its not a smart move. She would bleed out and won't sustain herself any longer. In other words: If the abrupt force of magic that's used to detect where they are, don't kill her necessarily, it would be the toxic shock that will-she would suffer from immune problems and die immediately. Infection is a guarantee."

"Not if we get there in time!" I pointed out. Twilight gave a sad smile before she shook her head. "Then maybe--"

"Apple Bloom, even if we get there, we do not know what'll happen. They are dirty-only Luna knows what can be caught as a result. Even then, the foals would pay the price." Twilight looked more at the case files closely before she placed them down. "Even so, we need the exact location first. I have to know what part they are located. Clearly, its quite dark. Scootaloo seemed to go pretty far before getting taken again. We need a location to spring to. It also doesn't help DNA is quite hard to master in the exact order, nonetheless, remember. Take into account that the foals aren't born yet either. To match them up to the DNA to find the location can be hard unless, like stated earlier, Scootaloo is at least 10 months pregnant. Until then, I guess we have to hold out. We can only do conjecture until the reality is brought to us."

"Conjecture?" I sputtered. "There is no "conjecture". Twilight, Pinkie Pie was talking to Demi! She knows something and I know you know something. Right now my fiancee's suffering in the hooves of two- know, more than two ponies out there and your just lecturing me on how we can virtually do nothing! When Cadence was stolen and replaced by a Changeling, you stopped it from happening and you never gave up-you did so for your brother. Well, Twilight, I have a family in trouble there and I can't just stand here and look pretty. At any minute, she'll be suffering from the worst thing that any mare can suffer from, and they'll enjoy her suffering. I can't take that. Even if we have to wait-we know who's responsible. We just have to find them."

"I-I what?" Twilight's eyes turned to pin pricks. "Pinkie-----" She stammered and her eyes glazed over for a quick second before realization filled her being.

"She knows what happened, at least partially. She must know something about Demi." Twilight didn't like the idea much apparently.

"Pinkie Pie's too fragile right now---" Twilight stopped her words, a bright pink hoof stopping in front of her face. This halted everypony in the room. Everypony watched as Pinkie Pie started for the chair.

"I'm sorry Twilight, if it would make everypony happy, I'll tell." She smiles at her sadly. "Its...hard not to know anymore...the names are blurred but..I know Demi. I want everypony to know, even the Detective in the corner." I looked over to the Detective who, mainly, wore clothing to hide his appearance other then his glowing yellow eyes. With his wings, he wrote something down, then walked towards the desk.

"Shall we get started then?" He stuttered at first as he composed himself. He didn't see the video, had he? She played with her hooves, fidgeting in her seat before calmly answering. "Name and occupation?"

"Pinkamina Diane Pie, I'm Ponyville's Party Planner." She smiled a little, then frowned. "I forgot the name behind the pony, but I knew her. I knew Demi." Rainbow was the first to crack from impatience.

"Well, we know this already!" Rainbow Dash yelled from frustration. "Anythi-"

"Enough, let her speak." Detective interrupted. "May you continue please?" She glared and forced herself down, signalling she wasn't too happy with being forced to quiet.

"I was Check Mate's cousin..."She cleared her throat. "Amethyst Locket is my Aunt that I visited frequently before meeting you all. I came to Manehatten one day to visit them. Check Mate had all the polite manners of my family drilled into her, having fun was hard for her. I try to get her to see how things are when you can be happy, so I visited frequently. One day I visited one of her classes to pick her up-she has so many..its hard to remember them all." Doesn't she have some sort of picturesque memory? She remembered everypony-

"Amethyst Locket? You mean the main jewelry maker of Manehatten?" I asked. She looked towards me and smiled. "I've seen the store and heard about it-Diamond said that's where she got her tiara. Don't you have great memories? You remember everything else...."Applejack didn't like the line of questioning.

"Apple---" Pinkie Pie interrupts Applejack with a smile.

"She's right..." She answered, her smile becoming very hollow. "I do remember everything else-Its not like remembering everything from Ponyville....I didn't catch her name much. I barely heard of her. I guess I just let her name slip...I met everypony a lot and I took each name to heart. I didn't care for hers." I nod. She didn't know Demi well for the time it would take to know Demi.

"Darling, we can't expect you to remember every aspect!" Rarity reminds. "Your still a pony."

"No, Rarity, this one's really important to remember-I keep getting asked everytime. This is my only response anymore." Ouch. That hurt the heart right there.

"I need you to stay strong and continue, for the case, for her." Pinkie nodded towards the Detective.

"Yeah, her. I...All I remember was screaming. Screaming so loud and grabbing Check Mate." Her face scrunched up. "I pulled the clothing off her and took her home immediately. I told Amethyst and everything went down from there."

"Wait, your telling me you saw grooming in progress?" Rarity asked. "You never bothered to bring that to the police?"

"My family is one that works about these sort with family only. We don't like bringing things like those into family affairs."She noted. "Amethyst Locket uh...she stormed there and started a ruckus. We left and I had to go home, so I did. When I come there again just a week later, Amethyst broke down. We tried looking around with family, but even a family as large as mine...can't do things without others. Then...months later...Check Mate was found....you know what had happened..." Why did she sound like she was hiding something? I shrugged it off.

"Amethyst Locket right? So if I go find where she works and lives we can verify your statement?" He asked gently.

"Of course she will. I....just don't know how she is right now..." She admitted. "She had a freak out recently. Marble tried to get her to function again. I haven't learned much about it now." I frowned, perhaps I'll learn something about this later.

"Thank you for your time. We'll see what happens from here. We'll contact you later. " Pinkie took off from the chair and bolted away immediately as the Detective sat shocked. She wanted to leave so bad, I couldn't blame her. In her haste, Fluttershy followed to calm her friend down as Applejack rushed away to do the same. Only Twilight, Rarity and Rainbow Dash bothered to stay. "As for the rest of you, there is word about Sweetie Belle."

"Your going to release her?" I asked. "She wasn't even-" He stopped me instantly.

"No," He looked grim. "I'm sorry to state that she's prime suspect in connection. She's the only witness we have for Scatenata's disappearance. The other is the owner of a pair of glasses which can be traced anywhere." Glasses?

"Glasses?" I asked. "There aren't that many ponies in Ponyville that wear prescriptions." He frowned slightly before contemplating.

"Only a few?"

"On hoof, only 5 that really wear their glasses. That includes Twist, Silver Spoon, Book Light, Hammer Drop, and Script Scroll." I paused. Script Scroll wasn't possible, being an earth pony as small as her. "Script Scroll is very small and Hammer Drop left a week ago. It can't be either of those two."

"These sound like school mates, correct?"

"The adults weren't out at the time, so I excluded any glasses wearing adults." Mares were about trying to figure out what to wear for the dance the day before. Even Sweetie Belle was like that. "They got ready for the dance that was happening the day before." He slammed his hooves on the table before standing up.

"Book Light, Twist, and Silver Spoon." I scratched my head. Why did Silver Spoon always ring in my head? Did Diamond even know?

"Diamond Tiara might know more about her."I recall. "But she wasn't there either. Silver Spoon wasn't seen by Diamond, I asked Diamond earlier." He grabbed me by the hoof and shook tightly.

"You answered everything nicely. Thank you for your parti---" Rarity spoke to break him mid sentence. He was going to end there and force us away, wasn't he? Rarity made sure that he wouldn't dare allow it. I was sure she was anxious.

"Take me to my sister!" She yelled. He was caught off guard. "Take me, now! You promised me that she would be safe-"

"She is safe." He countered. "Look, we made no--" Rarity stomped towards him.

"Look right now, mister, you promised me insight on my sister, you never stated that you'd convict her!" Rarity yelled. "You march right on there and BRING ME TO HER. I let you take her once, I'll swear to sweet Celestia, I won't make that mistake again! Now, I'll ask again. Can you take me to my sister please?" He nodded profusely before he walked off with a fuming Rarity in tow. Rainbow looked over towards them before she made a decision.

"I'll...go with Rarity on this one. I'll make sure she doesn't kill the dude," She chuckled. "Well, catch ya later guys!" Her rainbow mane flashes by one last time before she flew with such skill away towards the other two. That left me with Twilight alone. I cringed. Twilight knew something already. She knew I stole, I could just feel that she knew.

"Your the one that stole from me hadn't you?" She asked quietly. Her voice wavered and broke. "I know it had to have been you."

"Why me?" I felt accused, but quickly knew she was right. I did steal-she was right. "Why think of me?" She chuckled hollowly. Is it so obvious?

"Its quite clear that you have the connection that's needed for this case." She looked away. "Well, tell me. Why'd you do it?"

"Why'd you lie to me in the library?" I counter, her eyes widen. She smiled a little before she opened her wings to stretch. "You lied to me twice, both to my face. Why should I trust you?"

"There were some..reasons behind it. Private accord that needed to be settled with before I told you. Whether Applejack had isn't my business. Celestia told us by orders. Applejack violated them, but she's honesty."

"You knew she would tell?" Twilight's smile widened again as she nodded.

"I wanted it to be told by her." She replied, whispering. "Why should I tell you? I have no real connection towards you. She knows more, I wouldn't help you in the situation." She started tearing up.

"B-But Twilight---" She wiped her tears away before she spoke again, her voice harsher and her gaze was strong. She was rigid, something I never saw her become. Her eyes were glaring harsher then even Fluttershy's stares- her composure reminding me of all those bad guys in those stories Sweetie Belle reads.

"I'll turn a blind eye to the breaking and entering as well as the stealing-you need to do one thing for me, however."

"What is it?" Twilight paced around for a moment. "Twilight-?"

"You need to help me find them, I made a promise to a victim and intend to keep it. I need to keep the others out of it, but they seem to like being a part of this..mission." I looked shocked for a moment until something grumbled in me.

"They're your friends! They help you surely. Besides, like I said, I can't trust you."

"This one means trouble. Celestia assigned it for solely me. I can't put them in harms place because of my goals. Either way, your marefriend can be found faster, even if we must do something later. The moment she's ten months along, we will rush in for the kill." She said, deadpanned. She ignored the last line I had said. "Well, what's it going to be?" I looked away for a moment and smiled a little, the answer being simpler then ever. The trust was gone-what was the point if I trusted her anymore? She has something against me. I have garbage against her. As long as trust ability scores go, we'll fall flat with low scores. If Scootaloo was going to be okay in the end, then it will work out either way.

"I'll do it."