Clover Clues and the Fugitive Fawn

"No. I'm not going, Clover. And you shouldn't either." Laser Focus pulled off her lab goggles to glare at me.

I couldn't believe it; I needed her support on this more than anypony! "Wait, Lase, just--"

She shook her dark red mane. "Nope."

"Nope?"

"Nope. Come with me, I want to show you something." She then turned, her white lab coat elegantly swishing around her. She led me from the workbench where she was doing some chemical analysis to a room further back in the MPD crime lab. She emphatically stuck out her hoof, pointing at a metal table in the center of the room. On it were all the weapons our deer thief had used during the robbery.

"Clover...I have to make you understand. See these knives? They were coated with a lethal toxin. If they had hit you..." Her voice faltered, suddenly welling with emotinon.

"Laser..." I tried to put my hoof on her shoulder, but she walked away to another item on the table, the fragments of the smoke bomb.

"This is not just a chemical-based smoke bomb like the ones the SWAT ponies use. It is laced with a powerful disorientating spell. If you hadn't gotten out of it when you did, you could have suffered permanent brain damage. And she threw that bola at you fully expecting you to fall to your death. Clover...this thief was prepared to kill to get what she wanted. If you try to hunt her down, she--or the ones she works for--will kill you."

Laser hung her head and began to cry, tears rolling down her pretty face. "C-Clover, that fawn kills for a living. She will not hesitate. Please let the CBI handle this."

I hated to see my friend hurting like this. Tears welled up in my eyes as well. "The Princess is sending me on this mission. She is confident that I can bring back her Royal Vestments. If I don't get them back, many more ponies could be hurt than just me. Luna said that a powerful magic user could wrest control of the moon from her, and invade helpless ponies' dreams." I placed my hoof under her chin and gently raised her head to meet my gaze. "I can't do this alone. I need you, Laser Focus."

She locked her dark blue eyes with mine before looking away. I wrapped my hooves around her neck in an awkward, one-sided hug. "Please," I said.

After a few moments, she returned the hug and gave a shuddering sigh. "Somepony needs to be there to look out for you. Celestia knows you won't."

I hugged her tighter. I could smell her strawberry shampoo. "Thank you. We can do this. And we won't be alone, we'll have support from the Neighponese Intelligence & Research Office."

Laser pushed me away from her, wearing a thoughtful expression. "We have to stay under the radar as long as possible. Especially if the badguys can invade our dreams."

I scratched my chin with a hoof. "Hmm, oh! Maybe we can get some dreamworld support from Luna on that front."

Laser gave me a determined grin, and it felt like a switch was flipped in my head. I suddenly realized I was deeply in love with the mare standing before me. She nodded resolutely and said, "Now we're getting somewhere. Let's get ready."