It was sometime after the messy affair with Diamond Tiara that I wrote about earlier. It took a bit of my royal influence to hush up everything about that, but everyone got compensated, Pinkie Threw a big party, and that was that. After that part was finished I actually went for a holiday. I was invited by Princess Celestria to a…very special weekend…Ehrm…Now why was that important…Oh yes, I needed to explain why I came home so late that night. I expected to be alone…which I wasn’t. Pinkie Pie were sitting in a chair at my dinner table, reading a book about tobacco ashes when I entered the room.
”Helloooo Twilight! I’ve been waiting for you!”
”GAH! Er…Hi Pinkie… ehm… Have you been waiting long?”
”No, just a couple of days. You see, I need you. Another case is up, and I can’t work without my faithful assistant. Guess who THAT is?”
I sighed. Knowing Pinkie for the years that I have, it was no other option than to sit down.
”Alright… guess that’s me. So what’s the problem?”
She tossed a letter over the table
”What do you make of this?”
The Letter read as follows.
Dear Miss Pie.
I’m writing this on behalf of a friend. He is a widower, with a son. For some years it was just them, but then he met this wonderful mare which he decided to marry. There was love everywhere, I must say, seeing them, and very soon there was a baby on the way. Hovewer, after the birth, the parenthood must have struck a bad nerve on the poor mare. She seemed to have no love for her foal, and for the first child, there seemed to be only violence and curces. Twice, she has struck him with her hooves that caused the poor child some quite embarrasing injuries, which is more painful regarding the fact that he is an invalid. But the worst attack was aimed at the foal. One afternoon, the husband came in to the babys chambers only to find his wife bending over the little one with a knife in her mouth! Luckily, the knife only left at red mark on the throat, but never the less, the husband did not dare to leave her in charge of the foal again. This happened just yesterday, and my friend turned to me for advice. I, in my turn, turn to you for advice. What shall the poor stallion do?
Sinscerly, mr Sterling Plum.
Having read the letter, I looked at Pinkie.
”well?”
”Well… he sounds like a good friend at least. But it’s a little bit annoying that he’s not metioning names.”
”MY guess on that is lack of imagination. I wrote to him to come here tomorrow to discuss his case. Lucky for me, you came back at the right time!”
”Sorry, but… HIS case?”
”Of course it is. He’s given himself away a couple of times. The describing of the crime is very emotional, and even though it’s tragic, he would not have gone so far had he been just an ombudsman. Besides, I think I know why he’s acting this way. We know his wife.”
”We do? I don’t know any mrs. Plum.”
”Of cource you do, Twi! You just don’t remember the surname, cause you’re not used to it. It’s Raritys husband.”
-
It took me a night to melt all those news. Of cource I knew that Rarity was married, I had been to the wedding for equestrias sake, but Pinkie was right. When you never adress a friend by the surname, you don’t start all of a sudden because she changed it. It was more a question of chock, that Rarity should be violent to her own foal! At least, that was the reason I told Pinkie the following morning when mr Plum, as arranged by Pinkie, showed up at the library for consulting.
”Morning mr Plum! It is SO great to see you!” Pinkie greeted him as she knewn him half her life.
”Good morning miss Pie. And I’m honored that you are awarding me with your prescense, your highness.”
”Please… it’s nothing. As we understood, we’re about to help a friend.”
”Yes… I maybe was a fool trying to act as the case was about someone else… but you see, what shall I do? I love her, I can’t imagine a life whitout her, but what am I to think? What am I to do?”
”Oh, there is always things to do. Like eating chocolate cake. But I don’t think that will help you. Shame, cause it sure is delicious. Please, tell me about youre household.”
”Eh… yeah…well, thats done sone enough…I guess you know my wife… then there’s Sally, our little girle. With her, the sun truly came to out home. … And then theres Bucky. Daddys little Bucky. ”
”Buckys your son?”
”Yes. He’s about 8 years. He’s a bit of a cripple, unfortunately. A accident at three years. Sad. ”
”I take it, that when your first wife died, you were very much left to each other?”
”Yes. Whitout him, I’m not sure I had survived.”
”And he loved his mother?”
”Adored her.”
”Not surprising. How does he like his new mother?”
”Well…I knew it would be a change for him… but he has taken it rather well… He’s a lad with a lot of feelings.”
”If he is, like you say, a cripple… nasty word by the way… can he enjoy life much?”
”Well… he walks with a limp, and he can not run very much… But he’s a keen fisher! Even got his cutie mark in fishing.”
”Good for him. Now, anyone else in the household?”
”Well, yeah. My wifes sister, Sweetie Belle stays with us. She’s sort of an au pair.”
”She’s the one taking care of Sally?”
”Yeah, but she’s also like my wifes personal assistant. They share more secrets than me and Rarity.”
”Yeah, they are pretty close these days. Hmm…. Yes… Okey dokey, sir. I think I’ve heard what you can tell me. The rest, we have to work out on the spot itself. Is it possible that we can visit you this afternoon?”
”Of cource. I have some buisness to take care of first, but you can come down with me on…. Lets say… the 14.30 train?”
”Splashing! See you at the station! Bye!”
Our guest left us, and the silence was rather thick. Pinkie sat with her eyes half opened. Wheter she was thinking or just being Pinkie was beyond me. All of a sudden, she spoke.
”I’d say it’s quite easy.”
”This…buisness? Easy?”
”Oh yeah. Don’t you think?”
”Sorry Pinkie, but I can’t see Rarity as a killer.”
”Niether can I. I don’t even think that’s the explanation.”
”So what is it then?”
”Oh, you know Twi… I think I want everything in order first. I need to see somethings for my self, it’s always bad to bloat out a theory before knowing everything. So first things first. Whats bothering you?”
”me? Nothing…”
”You can’t fool me Twi. Everytime mr Plum talked about Rarity you looked like you’d swallowed an onion. Now, since I know that you share my affection for Rarity, and you don’t love her, it can’t be jealousy, so it has to be something else.”
”Oh… you saw that…”
”I see, I deduce. So. Tell auntie Pinkie what it is”
I hesitated. Noone knew about this, but to be honest, it was rather stupid of me to hide it from my friends. So I decided to tell Pinkie all.”
”well… yeah, I am a bit jealous. You see… Fluttershy’s got Big Mac. Applejack and Rainbow got each other. And now Raritys happily married… And I am alone. I don’t want to be…alone.”
”Come on Twi! Marriage is overestimated! Ban Marriage! Oh, great song, by the way! Besides, you’re a friggin Princess! You can have a whole harem of stallions if you wish. Mares to, but my Pinkie sence tell me you don’t swing that way. Now don’t tell me you don’t use your royalty for some good clean sexy fun?”
”well… no… I’m not a virgin, and… I had my share…”
”So I thought. You were at princess lunas party this weekend? As I heard, it was quite a bachanal.”
”How did you hear… oh never mind. Well… it was nice.”
”Nice? Only nice? No big strong stallion grabbing your legs and…”
”PINKIE!”
”Oh… sorry.” She smiled, pinkie style ”I always forget. Your a doer, not a talker when it comes to that. Nice probably mean… ok we leave that one. But still, why not just enjoy life and have fun with it? I am.”
That I knew was true. Pinkie had probably the most active sexlife in Equestria, and she had probably been invited by Princess Luna on more occations than one.
”Yeah well… I am. But…I realised….I want that special somepony. I really want to… feel love you know. I want that special one, just for me! I want…”
”The prince in shining armour?”
”…yeah… I want that. I want to love that special somepony, and I want him to love me.”
”Sugar… you will find him. Someday you will. Cause you’re smart, good looking, sweet and if that wouldn’t make anyone intrested, and THOSE guys would have no brain… you are a princess. You will find your prince. Pinkie Promise! In the mean time, want to come to my party next Wednesday? No details, no names, just a place and a dark room?”
”…sure, why not. Just promise me I don’t end up in your bed this time.”
”You didn’t like that? I thought it was hilarious!”
-
The same afternoon we found ourselves on the train to the small village of Hooveston where the Plums lived. We talked nothing about the case during the ride, only of things in general. Mr Plum apparantly held his buiness in the bransch of building rather large houses out of bricks. Pinkie was silent the whole journey. On the walk from the station to the cottage, however, Pinkie gave out a cry.
”Why, mr Griffin! I didn’t know you’ve moved here?”
”Hullo Pinkie. Well… been living here for some months. It’s quite nice. But it feels strange now. You see, my dog died some forthnight ago.”
”Oh how sad! An accident?”
”Well…I don’t know how it happend. Just found him one morning stiff as a plank. He had a red mark on the left part of his throat. Looked like a skin infection. It was the first time I saw it, so it was rather strange”
”I’m sorry for your loss. Oh, do you know mr Plum? And Princess twilight?”
”Honored to meet you, your highness! And mr Plum is my nearest neighbour.”
”Oh. Good to know! Very good to know…”
Pinkie sunk into herself, and the silence was rather painful.
”Eh… yes… Terribly sorry about your dog. If you don’t mind, I would like to invite you to the royal kennels if you’d like. It would be an honor to help you find a new dog.”
”Why, thank you, your highness! That would be a great service…I might come… but I have to bury my old friend first…”
”Well, just send a note to me. Now… Pinkie? Shall we move on?”
”Oh… oh yes! Yes we shall… you go first. I’ll be right after you.”
As we walked away, she seemed to ask mr Griffin a lot about his dog.
”Is she really good? I mean… she seems a bit…up in the clouds”
”Well… she is, to be honest… but she is probably the best help you can get.”
We came in to the house. The first one we met was Sweetie Belle. She gave me a hug.
”Oh Twilight, how great that you could come! Please, come up and see my sister. She’s not feeling well! Mr Sterling, she’s been in bed since yesterday evening! I fear for her health!”
”All right sweetie, lets go.”
Walking upstairs, I tried to get something out of Sweetie Belle about the buisness that had occured in the house, but she gave very brief answers. I guessed she knew quite a bit, but hade given a promise to not tell. On the second floor, we stopped outside at large door made of oak. I knocked on it, and Raritys voiced was heard the very moment.
”Sterling! Get lost! I told you, unless you have my baby, I won’t see you.”
”its me… twilight.”
The door swung open, unicorn magic, I presumed.
”Twilight? But… by all thats wonderful, what are you doing here? Darling…I wish I’d seen you under better circumstances.”
”I’m here with Pinkie. Your husband called on us.”
”Oh…but what shall one do? What shall one do with a demon, Twilight? What shall I do? What can I do?”
She seemed delirious, so I gave her a quick medical scan. She had some fever, but it seemed more like an emotional illness, that physical.
”Rarity…Your husband loves you very much.”
”So he says. And I? Doesn’t I love him? And yet he said those nasty things to me! And he brings you! …not that it isn’t nice to see you, darling, we must have lunch next Tuesday…but he brings in other people when he should just trust me!”
”He probably doesn’t understand”
”No he don’t. But he should! I’m the one he should trust. Not somepony else! Please go now, Twilight. Tell him that I want my child. I want my child, and an excuse. Oh, and please book a table at the inn, darling.”
With those words in my ears, I went down. By now, Pinkie had returned.
”You’ve spoken with Rarity? Good. How was she?”
I told them what had happened. Mr Plum gave out a sigh.
”How can I possibly hand my child over to her? Who knows what she might do?”
”Well, next Tuesday she will have lunch with Twilight. Sounds nice.”
”With my child I meant!”
”Oh…probably nothing. Can we see young Sally?”
”Oh, yes. Of Course. Sweetie belle, please go get Sally.”
At that instant another foal made his entrance in the room. He was young, about eight years, and the way he walked seemed to me, if I remembered the medical books correctly, he suffered a weak spine and a stiff left back hoof. At the sight of his father he hurled himself at him.
”DADDY! I have been waiting! It’s not fun when you’re not home! I missed you so much”
”There, there kid. I have been in town. Just some work. And you should pay your respect to the princess. And her Assistant. They’re here to help us with mo…Rarity.
The boy gave me a not that friendly look, but he was polite, as the etiquette requires. Pinkies greeted him with a smile and a hug, and from what I could see, he did not enjoy it.
”Daddy… when you’re done with them, can we go fishing? Please?”
”Oh my boy… I can’t promise you that… I don’t know how much time it will take. But… well. Done your homework?”
”…almost.”
”Then, go upstairs and finish. After that, I will se if we can go.”
”Just a moment” Pinkie again. ” How do you like rarity?”
The boys face darkened, but his answer came steady, but cool. ”If daddys happy, I’m happy.”
”Do you like sweetie belle?”
The boy shrough his head rather hard, and clinged onto his father.
”Oh… easy on me, sport! Bucky has a very strong opinion on who he likes and dislikes. Luckily, I seem to be on the ”like”side. Now, go up to your room, sport. Homework doesn’t make itself you know.”
”Just one final question. I’ve heard fishing is your game. What do you prefer? Wobbler or fly?”
”Fly anytime. I make my own. Daddy taught me how to do it”
Another look of love on the father, a bit like a crazyinloveteen-mare.
”So, off you go now!”
As the boy went out, in came Sweetie Belle with little Sally. I had no problem understanding that this was a loved foal. The look in her fathers eyes betrayed him. She was a copy of her Mother, with a long, dark mane, but the eyes were of the father, large and brown.
”Who is daddys girl? Who is daddys girl. YOU ARE! Lets go out for a while, princess… and miss pie.”
We went out in the garden. At first, I left father and foal alone, but mr Plum invited me, and soon I was round up in the play. It all seemed so strange to me. Who could really have the nerve to wish this little qutie dead? And what was the problem with Rarity? And where was Pinkie? She loved to play. I looked around, only to see Pinkie staring at a small window on the second floor. The look in her face was the most sad I ever seen her wear, and I was suddenly afraid that she would break, and Pinkamena would come visit… But she straitend soon enough and came to join us.
”Well, case is closed. I think I can say with confidence that the chain won’t break.”
”Then please, tell me everything!”
”Of cource, but not here. Twi, you’ve been talking to Rarity. Can she see us?”
”Oh yes. As I could see, it won’t be a problem.”
”But she refuses to see me!”
”I don’t think she will much longer. Sweetie Belle, can you please bring this note to Rarity? Oh, and a quick word with you, if I may?”
What they talked about, I could not hear, but apparantly she had more confidence in Pinkie than in me…. Or rather, Pinkie seemed to know everything about the events. At least, her last words implyed that.
”You’ve been incredibly brave. And loyal. It will soon be over, I promise!!”
So we went upstairs to Raritys chambers.
”Now, sweetie, can you please leave us for a moment… No wait. Please stay. That will be better.”
”Now, please miss Pie, can you give an explanation?”
”That I shall. But I’m afraid the truth is going to hurt.To begin I must say shame on you! Your wife, our friend Rarity is a very loving, very caring pony! And you have treated her most unfair! It’s a hideous accusation that you made. That she would hurt her own foal? Shame on you!”
Mr Plums head sank with every word. Getting scowled by Pinkie Pie always fells like to eat a deep frozen apple.
”But what was I to think? Who could do such a thing?”
”Oh, I tell you. Now, there was a problem with the assault. You see, there are no scares from the knife. And even so, if you surpriced your wife at the very first instant of a murder, there would be bruises. But you said, it was only a thin red streak. Now, if it wasn’t a knife, then what would leave such a wound? A rope! Or… a fishing line…! So, if you kneel down over a foals throat with a knife in your mouth, isn’t it possible the reason was to CUT OFF something thats blocking the air… And there’s more. Your neighbour mentioned that someone had killed his dog. Even that went with the red streak over the neck. No one assumed foul play, but to me, it did sound like a rehearsal. You see now? Your wife suspceted an attempt. She saw it be executed, and she did what she had to do, but she didn’t want to hurt your feelings, because the real murderer was very dear to you aswell.”
”Bucky!! I can’t…It’s not possible…not Bucky!”
”it’s very tragic really. It’s a very severe form of jealosy, coming from a very twisted love for you, and probably his mother, that caused this.”
Rarity was now crying.
”How was I supposed to tell you, Sterling! You adored the boy. You could never handle anything like that. How Pinkie did this I can not say, but when she wrote she knew everything I… I…”
”It actually made me sad… When we took our walk in the garden before, I did see young buckys face when he looked at you playing with lil’Sally from his room. That hatred and anger shouldn’t be seen in a kids face. It was probably the feeling of you preferring a healty, hopping kid to his halting and scrumping. Now for you Rarity, it is not nice to hurt someome, even if they are murderous… but I can understand your feelings. You told Sweetie Belle all? Yeah, I guessed you needed an accomplish to watch over her. I’d say you need to have a real family talk about this! Bucky need to find more strenght in himself… after you’ve punished him. It is NOT nice to strangle you foalsister! Now, Twilight, we are done here, and Sweetie Belle, come with us! I think they need to do this by themselves. Some things you know, is best to be taken care of as family buisness.”