Prologue: An Old Friend

Hunter's Office

11:30 p.m.

Canterlot, Grey Quarter

I was sitting in my office drinking a fresh cup of coffee that I had got from Donut Joe's, after a long day of tracking down petty thieves and purse snatchers I was dead tired. My name is Lawful Hunter, I'm a private detective stationed in Canterlot's Grey Quarter. I've got semi - long hair, a dark tan coat, brown hair and brown eyes, and a magnifying glass for my cutie mark. I've been in the detective business for about eight years now. I'm fairly known around the neighborhood. I get small cases like burglary or missing ponies reports and the other trivial things.

I was about to head to bed when all of a sudden I heard a knock on my door, who the hell could be knocking at my door at this time? I thought, it was around 11:30 at night so it was kinda weird for someone to be out this late. I opened the door and saw an old friend of mine from my days at the royal guard, Lieutenant Divine Paladin probably one of the only ponies I ever got along with. A pretty big stallion and very muscular he was a Pegasus with a short white mane and yellow coat, emerald colored eyes. His cutie mark was a pair of wings with a lance.

I used to be in the royal guard for a good thirteen years. Started my way up to eventually becoming a sergeant and such. I quit eleven years ago for personal reasons and waited around two years before I started my investigating business.

“Hunter long time no see, how's my favorite buddy doing?” he asked rather cheerfully.

“Good I guess, uh come in then,” I was confused I haven't seen Paladin since I left the guard, what could he be doing here?

“Nice place ya got here, rather dull and kinda small but it looks nice,” he said

My office wasn't exactly one of the most impressive looking places, when it comes to the important stuff I'm usually organized but everyday items I can lose for weeks. I lived in the Grey Quarter, the most dangerous and cheapest part of Canterlot. Can't go one day around here without being mugged by some random stallion giving petty threats that they won't go through with. I've seen the type, scrawny guys that liked to look tough and try to be something their not, small fish in a big pond.

“Yeah thanks, Paladin what are you doing here?”

“What? I can't visit my best bud for a little chat?” I gave him a look that said “Not in the mood” and he gave a rather depressed sigh.

“Heh always business with you eh Hunter? Alright I'll get down to it, I need your help,”

“Wait, you need my help?” I asked confused. Here was a pony I haven't seen in over eleven years and the first time we meet after so long he needs a favor? I got a really bad feeling that this was not going to be fun.

“Yeah we need your help in a case for us,” Paladin said, a case? I thought.

“Paladin, I'm done taking orders from the guard, you have no idea how much I hated that job I don't care what the case is I'm not gonna be bossed around by asshole higher ups,” whatever the case was I didn't care for it, if it was any other pony I would had been interested, but the guard is where I draw the line.

Paladin sighed and just stared at the ground, I assumed he was trying to figure out a way to get me to take whatever job he wanted me to take.

“Listen Law, just please hear me out, I really need your help here. I know I'm asking you for something big after not seeing each other for eleven years but this is really important and you're the only pony who can solve this,” Paladin stressed, he was really desperate.

I sighed and thought hard about what to do. On one hoof Paladin was my friend and he never steered me wrong and always had my back. On the other hoof was that I would have to work with the royal guards and a lot of those guys could give two shits about their jobs. As much as I didn't want to I decided to hear him out.

“Alright, I'll listen but I won't guarantee that I'll take the job, okay?” Paladin gave the biggest smile I've ever seen, it was serial killer happy, dear Celestia was it creepy. He hugged me and said thank you at least eighty times. It was laughable but also really freaking uncomfortable.

“Okay, so earlier today at around 4:21 in the afternoon the royal guard was called in to investigate a murder in the town of Ponyville, the victim had multiple stab wounds and seemed to have signs of torture as well,” Paladin said.

“Okay and you need me for this why...?”

“Well the thing is, there's no evidence anywhere! No hoof prints, no blood trails, nothing the body was found in the middle of the town square and not a single pony witnessed anything! All we found was a note that was placed on the victim's chest, again no hoof prints or any way to determine its origin,” Paladin handed me a letter that was written in blood, I assumed the victim's blood

To the ponies of Equestria,

I am very happy to make your acquaintance, I hope you find my gift for you satisfactory as I have plenty more where this came from. Please do not be alarmed at the nature of this gift, the rest will be even better to give to you. This is only a taste of what I have to offer, who will help me in my next gift to you? Oh what fun we are going to have together I can't wait to find my next “helper”.
Sincerely yours,
The Gift Maker

The Gift Maker? I thought, that was probably the dumbest name for a murderer I have ever heard. Apparently he thinks murdering ponies are his way of giving somepony a present.

“Okay that was the weirdest thing I have ever read, was their anything special about the victim's death?” I asked.

“Actually yes, the victim was covered in Hearth's Warming Eve wrapping paper, kinda like those old mummy ponies,” Paladin said. This could be the case that I've been waiting for, but was it worth getting involved with the guards? I left them for a reason I don't have any reason to get on board for this. I needed to think more clearly about this.

"Listen Paladin, I need some time to think alright? Just give me an hour or two and I'll have an answer for you," I didn't want to get involved with something that I was just going to regret later so I needed to clear my head.

Thankfully he agreed, I stepped outside for some fresh air, or at least as fresh as you can get around here. The Grey Quarter was like Tartarus, dirty air, drunks littering the streets, broken windows and demolished houses filled the scene everywhere. I'm only living here because I didn't have enough bits to get a more high - end apartment in a more cleaner district. Canterlot was separated into four districts, The Grey Quarter where all of the poorer citizens live, The Silver Quarter where the middle class lived, The Rose Quarter for all of the nobles and rich ponies like Fancy Pants, and finally the White Gold Quarter where the Canterlot castle is located for all of the royal family.

I thought about the offer, I wanted to put my old life from the guard behind me, and now Paladin just had to go and bring back old memories. On the other hoof though, Paladin has been one of my best friends, he's always been a loyal friend and helped me out of many situations that I nearly didn't make it out of. Maybe I should return the favor. As much as I wanted to go back and tell him no, I decided to take the case, not for him or the guard, I'm doing this because I want to. I'm not doing this for anypony.

I arrived back at my apartment a rusty old building, but the landpony was a nice mare. I entered my office and saw Paladin sitting on my dusty couch and sprang to his hooves.

"So, have you though about it?"

"Yeah, I've decided to take the case Paladin,"

“Really? Hunter thank you so much! I promise you will not regret this, and don't worry the higher ups have given you full freedom to do whatever you deem necessary to solve this case. You will be given full cooperation from the guards and unrestricted access to crime scenes and other places civilians can't enter. Also you don't have to worry about taking orders they placed you in full control for the duration of the case.”

“That's what I want to hear,” I said, this will make my job much easier then.

“Your train to Ponyville will leave at 7:30 in the morning, here's your train ticket,” Paladin passed me a train ticket for my trip to Ponyville, I placed it on my desk.

“Alright Hunter, I've gotta go thanks again, and good luck to you,” Paladin exited my office and closed the door behind him.

Finally a high profile case! The Gift Maker, I had a feeling that this wasn't going to be a walk in the park, but I always liked challenge. Tomorrow was my first day on the job. Whoever this Gift Maker was, they were in for a surprise...

Author's Note

Well this is my first story, I'm somewhat hoping that its decent but most likely it will probably be bad. Any criticism and comments are appreciated so tell me what I did wrong and did right so I can hopefully improve upon this story.