Detective Hooves: Burning Apples and Avarice

A distant fog roamed overhead. The night cast a dark shadow over the fields surrounding the refinery. It was quite a cold and damp night, and if the circumstances weren't so demanding, Walter would've made himself at home inside the building, where the candles from the grand opening ceremony danced in the windows. But instead, he, binoculars in hoof, hid in the bushes. He checked his watch for a quick moment. Thirty minutes and still no sign of anything. The sounds of streamers and party whistles pounded his ears.

The fog was thickening over the refinery building. If it continued at this rate, Walter's range of vision would be drastically reduced. He had to move in closer. There was a bush not too far from him, just a few meters off. Taking one last look at the barnyard, he dashed over as quickly and as quietly as he could. As soon as the bush hid his presence, he noticed something moving across the landscape. Immediately, his heart pounded in his chest. The binoculars got a closer look, and he saw three things. Walter's mind eventually registered them as a glowing light; a large, dark figure moving quickly across the ground; and a third figure, a little smaller than the first.

Detective Hooves had to squint his eyes to see. Only across several trees and plants did he register the smaller dark figure, and it hit him like a rock. Strudel, he thought. Walter stood there stunned but regained his consciousness as soon as the figures were moving more and more quickly toward the barn. The figures slowed down for a second, then started running again.

There was nothing Walter could do but go in for a closer look. But as he continued to scurry forward, the figures stopped in their tracks. Walter's breathing refused to subside as he stayed as still as he could, attempting to blend in with the background. Nonetheless, the figures apparently noticed him and started running toward the barn at a faster pace.

Drat, he thought to himself and got up to chase the mysterious figure down. Never in his entire life had he felt so much the urge to sprint. The refinery barn was a good several meters away, and he was catching up quickly. In the ensuing pursuit, Walter caught a glimpse of a small box on the mysterious figure's back. Firecrackers. Hooves could tell by the rattling of the contents inside.

Through his heavy breathing, winds of the night, rustling of the leaves underneath his hooves, and the sounds of chatting from inside the barn, Walter Hooves finally got within tackling distance of the two figures. The larger figure had dropped the torch, and it lay aflame on the ground. The smaller figure, as Walter could easily tell at this point, was sure enough Strudel, who attempted to reclaim the torch before Hooves snatched it away from the ground with his mouth.

Apparently, that was a pretty important torch because the larger figure, whoever it was, stopped in his tracks, turned around, and slowly approached. It was still too dark to see who it was, but it's menacing approach made Walter trot slowly backwards with sweat on his mane. However, he was determined to keep the torch. Bad idea, he later discovered as a sharp pain rose upon his left cheek. After getting up, Walter found his left lip dripping blood and his vision blurred.

But something wasn't quite right. His back was numb from the impact, but the detective could feel grass moving across his face. He was being dragged. At some point, the sound of grass pushing across his mane stopped, and somewhere in front of him, a fire lit. More descriptively, it was a firecracker. Though Walter was still lying on the ground, he registered Strudel and the other figure, and by the light of the firecracker discovered the culprit's face and gasped.

But that was the least of his worries at that point. The detective pony was tied up with his hooves behind his back, and next to him was a lit firecracker. Now this firecracker wasn't only a sparkler; it was basically a TNT barrel placed on its side compressed into one thin tube about a hoof long. It wouldn't take much to pulverize anypony with one of those weapons.

Walter couldn't make out a word nor scream. He cycled through the options in his head, and finally decided on a risky operation. The firecracker wasn't too far away, and with all the strength he could find, rolled over to it, and put the lit end into his mouth. The fuse stifled and died seconds before detonating, but not without giving Walter the burning of his life, for his tongue felt scorched. Hooves had to open his mouth and allow ventilation to fight back the tears in his eyes.

As soon as his daze ended, Walter caught sight of the figures again, this time running away from the barn refinery. Oh, no you don't. And with a case that once took several days and now would be finished on this very night, the detective got on his hooves and charged. Before he even knew it, the thief was tackled and on the ground. Recently, another firecracker had been lit, and this one flew into the air during the impact. Perfect timing, Hooves thought as it exploded midair harmlessly.

The explosion resonated through the night. One could easily tell it probably woke up several ponies in the neighboring apartments. So many events had occurred that nopony noticed the noises inside the refinery had stopped, the doors had opened, and the light from inside bathed the scene. Amongst the pony congregation that surrounded the scene was Applejack, who was the first to speak.

"What in dally who is going on out here?"

Walter could hardly speak. Both because of shock and that his tongue still had a burning sensation. But one idea was clear: the culprit had been captured. He lay on the ground but was still wearing a black mask.

A large gasp was shared amongst the ponies that congregated on that very night, for when Walter pulled of the criminal's mask, the only words Applejack uttered were, "But... but... Big... Macintosh?! Why?"

Detective Hooves knew why, and he would finish his case report, patch up his wounds, and finalize the mystery of the Applewood Refinery arson.