Les Mareables

                                                                       II

  Twilight Sparkle has always been a mare of rules and systems. So when poverty struck Equestria it seemed fitting for her to enlist for a job at the local police station. She was like nothing Equestria had ever seen. She continually solved cases even the hardest of crimes where the culprit left very little evidence to his or her dastardly deed.

  Twilight excelled as a police officer, going to great lengths to see any wrongdoers punished by the law and its unrelenting systems. And so as time dragged on she became the prefecture of Ponyville police. She was ecstatic from the news! She swore that with evermore responsibilities she would never fail in keeping her town safe.

  But despite being a nation-wide heroine of the law this did not mean that ponies took too kindly to her. Why you may ask? Because Twilight’s mindset was that if you committed any crime then you were not fit to live in society, and were a danger to the community.

  Yet this did not mean that Twilight did not harbor any good traits. Twilight was honest, very honest. Honest meaning that if she were wrong about somepony she would admit it. But that did not mean she had to necessarily like that pony. And she was also known for her intense loyalty to the law.

  Loyalty and honesty. Two great traits. But if used for the wrong cause then it could make you into something ugly. In this case that ugly vessel was Twilight Sparkle. Once a creature of sympathy and all things good, she had been morphed into a vessel of the law. Unrelenting, stubborn, apathetic, hard, and cold to anypony that fell out of society’s standards.

  But thanks to her loyalty to the law she grew an obsession. She thought that if there was a crime of any sort she had to solve it. In this case she had heard of a mugging that occurred in an alleyway near the dilapidated Sugar Cube Corner. And according to the testimonies from the three respectable ponies that were attacked it was most likely Big Macintosh.

  Twilight always knew that Big Mac would eventually stray from the law, she saw it in him. And Applejack had lied right to her face about Big Mac’s whereabouts! She wanted to step into her house to have a look about the house but knowing AJ’s intense love for her family she wouldn’t allow it.

  And so Twilight retrieved a search warrant from the town’s court and trotted to Applejack’s farm with an animal like grin on her face. She would catch the culprit and then her mind would be at ease. Knowing that she had kicked another criminal off of the street.

  “Oh, uh…howdy Twilight. Ya came by again.” Applejack said with a nervous laugh when she had opened her door to see the prefecture of police at her home.

  “May I come in?” Twilight asked with utmost courtesy to her friend.

  Applejack swallowed, “Why?”

  Twilight began to play with the collar of her uniform, “I just need to conduct a search, apparently your brother has mugged somepony and I’m looking for him. So might I come in?” Twilight asked again.

  Applejack narrowed her green eyes, “Ya’ll got a warrant?” Applejack asked, this was her last hope of keeping Twilight out of her home.

  Twilight grinned triumphantly at her friend and pulled out a roll of parchment from her coat pocket, “Actually I do,” She put it into Applejack’s hoof, “Just got it this morning.” Twilight said with an air of superiority.

  Applejack scanned the paper for a while, realizing that Twilight had every legal right to enter her home she stepped out of the way and motioned for Twilight to enter, “Thank you.” Twilight said while entering her house.

  Twilight immediately started scanning for any sign of Big Mac being here recently. She checked everywhere. Under the furniture, in various cabinets she rifled through everything without the common courtesy of putting things back the way they were. “Is Big Mac’s room upstairs?” Twilight asked.

  “Y…yes.” Applejack stammered.

  “Thank you for your cooperation AJ.” Twilight said as she began to go up the flight of stairs to the second story. “I will try to leave soon, I wouldn’t want to intrude any more than I have to!” Twilight called from upstairs. Twilight began to search about Big Macintosh’s room, going through his drawers’ only stopping to take a small breather.

  Twilight continued her search until she stumbled upon a cracked frame that once held a photograph lying on the floor near Big Mac’s bed. Twilight carefully picked it up and examined the photo frame. It was cracked and a few insignificant shards of glass lay strewn on the floor.

  So as AJ finally came up the stairs Twilight inquired, “What happened here?” She asked.

  Applejack began to sweat, “Um. Accident. I was cleanin’ up his room when ah’ accidently tripped over somethin’ and broke the frame.” Applejack lied.

  Twilight grinned, “One hay of an accident wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah, yeah it was.”

  Twilight began to look around the floor, “Where’s the picture that was in the frame?” Twilight asked.

  Applejack jerked a little. Had her brother been so stupid as to not cover his tracks? “I…I don’t know.” Applejack lied.

  “Ah. Shame. Well I think I’m done here.” Twilight said, walking down the stairs and out of the house. “Have a pleasant day Applejack, may our next meeting be more fruitful.” Twilight said, leaving the premises

                                                                   ***

  Lies! Lies! Twilight stomped her hooves on her desk in the police headquarters. How could her own friend lie to her!? Twilight gritted her teeth, how could the element of honesty possibly lie right to her face!? Can’t Applejack see she just wants to rid the world of criminals!? To keep the community safe, from scum like Big Macintosh!

  Twilight ran her hoof through her purple mane and started to enter a relaxed state. It would all be fine. After all where could Big Mac gallop off to? The Everfree forest? Impossible Zecora would never agree to harboring a traitor. Unless of course she wants to spend a few decades in prison.

  Twilight thought, and thought, and thought. She went through every scenario but none added up to Big Mac’s whereabouts. Where could Big Macintosh possibly be?

                                                                     ***

  And what of the other Elements of Harmony what had happened to them? As we know Pinkie Pie is presumably dead, and Twilight had become prefecture of police, but what of the others? Rainbow Dash’s whereabouts are unknown along with Fluttershy’s. But the fair Rarity had maintained residency in Ponyville for many months after the Equestrian stock market crash.

  Rarity having owned a boutique was out of a job, nopony had enough money for the luxuries Rarity offered. So in a few months Rarity closed the Carousel Boutique and left Ponyville to try and find a job in Manehatten in order to support herself and her sister Sweetie Belle.

  Rarity went on hoof to Manehatten for months, stopping only at night to rest. It wasn’t until they had reached a small town outside of Baltimare that they at last would be able to stay at an inexpensive tavern. Rarity had wanted to continue on saying that the tavern was “uncouth” but Sweetie needed her rest so her sister obliged.

  Before Rarity had entered the tavern however she caught sight of a mare playing with two, well dressed, and well fed, fillies. Sweetie Belle started to motion to the two fillies wanting to play with them.

  “Excuse me? Ma’am?” Rarity called to the woman sitting outside of the inn.

  The mare turned to her revealing her exceptionally ugly face and misshapen muzzle. The mare appeared to have applied too many cosmetics, which gave her the appearance of a clown. And she was quite round almost resembling an egg.

  “Yes?” The mare asked.

  “Can…can my sister play with your children?”

  The mare turned to the small fillies and motioned to Sweetie Belle, “Go on go play with the new filly.” The two fillies obeyed and began to play with Sweetie Belle while Rarity relaxed with the mare next to her. The mare put her hoof out for Rarity to shake, “I’m the co-owner of this inn.” They shake hooves, “You’re going to stay here tonight?” The mare asked.

  “Yes, yes my sister and I will.” Rarity told the mare.

  The mare clapped her hooves, “Splendid! I hope you have a nice stay.” The mare said.

  “Thank you.” Rarity said in a curt manner, for she was preoccupied watching the three fillies chase each other in circles on a grassy spot. It was then that Rarity realized that Sweetie Belle would be far safer with this mare and her children than in a bustling city where crime runs rampant. For Rarity wished for her sister to retain her innocence for as long as she could despite the circumstances.

  “Miss please listen to me.” Rarity said holding the mare’s hooves in her own white ones. “I’m going off to Manehatten tomorrow and I don’t want my sister mingling with those ruffians in Manehatten. It would change her.”

  The mare furrowed her brow, “What are you proposing?” The mare asked.

  “I’m proposing if she can stay with you and your family.” Rarity said, at the same time looking at the three fillies smiling with glee at each other.

  “We will have to see.” The mare said.

  “Please I will pay.” Rarity told the mare.

  The mare slightly grinned she had gotten what she wanted. “I-”

  “Thirty bits and no less!” A stallion’s voice came from inside the tavern.

  “Fine thirty bits.” Rarity said pulling out a coin purse, she took out thirty gold coins.

  “And we insist you pay in advance…um I’d say three months!” The stallion called again from inside.

  Rarity reluctantly pulled out ninety bits and gave it to the mare. And so later on that evening Rarity and Sweetie Belle slept in the inn. And the next morning Rarity trotted away from the inn continuing her exodus to Manehatten leaving her sister behind. And she went out of ear shot the stallion from inside the inn stood next to his plump wife.

  “Good thinking darling I was almost late on paying those loan sharks down the lane!” The stallion said feeling very relived thanks to his wife quick thinking.

  The mare smiled smugly, “And I didn’t even plan it.”