Chapter 1 – An Errand
Princess Twilight Sparkle never appreciated the rough seating the train often provided for its many customers. Her body shifted uncomfortably as her lavender wings ruffled in discontent. Really, train rides weren’t actually that bad, but for a long period of time, such movement could be very nauseating for somepony who wasn’t Rainbow Dash. And even then, Rainbow Dash preferred her movements to be free, not confined in a metal box going at a speed she wasn’t in control of.
From the section of his operating car, the train conductor rang his bell. “Manehatten! Manehatten!”
Ah. Perfect. The lavender alicorn proceeded to gather her luggage, a saddlebag filled with only a few essentials she made sure to pack for her journey. A set of parchments and quills for taking notes, bits to pay for lodging, and a container of dragon fire for if she needed to send messages due to urgency. Yes, everything was just perfect and exactly in the correct order.
That is, if it wasn’t for the extra package that insisted on accompanying her this time. Normally it would’ve been Spike, but he was sick in bed with a dragon flu, which Fluttershy was currently tending to. Of course, that meant that a certain creature of mischief and chaos was left without anypony willing to entertain him, so…
“Oh, goody, we’re here!” Said creature of chaos popped into existence beside the lavender alicorn, causing her to jump a little.
“Ah! Yes! We’re here, Discord, but just remember…I can’t be playing your mind-boggling games during one of my duties as a Princess. We talked about it, right?” Twilight faced the Lord of Chaos with an intense look.
Discord simply yawned. “Ah, yes, yes, we’ve been over the same conversation since we first slipped into the train. I’ll be good. No turning clouds pink or raining cats and dogs, or abuse of chaos magic. I’ve learned my lesson.” He looked back at her with a small smile.
“Okay, just making sure. This mission will have no disruptions; we’re just going in and checking on the status of the lesser established part of Manehatten for Princess Celestia.” Twilight stated with a firm nod.
“Right, so are we going already? Or are we just going to keep repeating your mission statement throughout this entire chapter?” Discord narrowed his eyes in boredom.
The lavender alicorn raised an eyebrow at the comment, but proceeded to walk through the entranceway of the station into the big and wide metropolis of Manehatten. The last time she was here, she came here to visit with her friends on a trip to support Rarity’s chances of winning a fashion contest. This time, she was here strictly on business. No sightseeing, and somehow she had to ensure the same for Discord, despite him making the argument that he hadn’t been in Manehatten before. Or at least, in over a thousand years, before it was even Manehatten. In a sense, it was a little unfair, but at least she let him come with her.
“So, I noticed that none of the others showed up. Were they busy like Fluttershy was, too?” Discord questioned, snaking along behind Twilight as they passed confused bystanders on the sidewalk.
Twilight nodded. “Rainbow Dash was stuck doing extra shifts for the weather due to other ponies calling in sick, it’s nearing Apple Bucking Season for Applejack, Pinkie Pie had a foal’s birthday bash to plan for, and Rarity was stressed by an abundance of dress orders for an upcoming spring event for Sapphire Shores. So, yes…everypony else was too busy to come, but I’m doing this on Princess Business anyway, so…some things you need to handle yourself, I guess.”
The draconeques nodded in acknowledgement. To be honest, not having her friends around was still an unnerving thing, especially since their bond seemed even closer with the appearance of their new castle. It seemed as if fate itself was keeping them together with the Magic of Friendship, helping her through every hurdle. However, this was just a small errand, nothing she couldn’t handle.
Right?
Discord sighed as he bumped against the lavender alicorn. “Oh, don’t fret, you’ll only turn your sweat into soap! Even if your dear friends couldn’t come with you, I’m here to help! And aren’t I one of your friends?”
Twilight nodded. It was true that Discord was easier to be around now. In fact, his words did make her feel a little better. “…Right. Thank you, Discord. Now, we have a mission to complete!”
“Yes, ma’am!” The draconeques followed after, the two making their way towards a darker portion of the large city, the shops becoming less and less elaborate than the main famous attractions of Manehatten.
The less established part of Manehatten was just that: less established. Another way to refer to it was to call the area the Manehatten slums. It seemed fitting too, as Twilight passed by some questionable ponies that seemed to give funny looks at her crown and her wings. Compared to the beauty nearby the train station, this place looked like it was morphed from Tartarus.
“Ooookay…seek for structural improvement.” The lavender alicorn scribbled onto the parchment she held with the magic from her horn, its glow wavering steadily.
“It’s quite the fitting touch here, don’t you think?” Twilight turned around to see Discord scraping a claw across a rusted pipe of metal, his expression shaped into a grin.
“Not exactly. This place needs a lot of help. It’s a good thing Princess Celestia sent me here. How much of this area is illegal?” Twilight took in her surroundings with a look of disgust. The structure of half of the buildings didn’t look safe to live in, and the filth was another issue. She almost felt like Rarity, often lifting up her hooves to check if she got any filth on her.
“Mmm, you know, you’re quite right, I think. Something IS missing from this picture. For one thing, everything seems broken, but it’s still meant to look orderly. If it does it that way, then of course it fails your inspection.”
“I’m not playing games here, Discord. I’m almost done with my notes here, and then we’ll need to catch a train back.” Twilight continued to scribble more notes as the draconeques frowned. “Well, what shall I do in the meantime? A Lord of Chaos does start to get bored, after all!”
“Find a way to entertain yourself, but remember our talk about magic.” Discord gave a light groan as he loitered around the area, his eyes scanning the filthy floor, the walls, some articles of ragged clothing on a line, and so on, and so on…
…A piece of paper? The draconeques approached the wall that held an old parchment, tearing it from the nail that held it still.
“Hmm…interesting…” He mused as he brought his paw up to stroke his goatee in a thoughtful manner.
The rip caught the Princess’ attention. “Ugh, Discord, what damage are you causing over there?” She blinked as she noticed the parchment in his grip. “…What is that? A piece of paper?”
“Well, if I’m reading this right, this is a wanted sign for an extremely dangerous assassin.” Twilight’s eyes widened as the draconeques looked further. “Mmm, no name or face. Typical.”
“W-What’s an assassin doing in Manehatten?!” Twilight went into panic mode. If this wasn’t something to alert the Princess for, she didn’t know what would’ve. “I’ve got to report to Princess Celestia about this!”
“Whoa, whoa, pipe down, already!” He searched for a given date. “Aha, this was given what, 4 or 5 years ago? Chances are…the case is closed by now.”
The alicorn couldn’t help giving a sigh of relief. “Well, good…but I think I might search in the Canterlot archives for anything about this assassin after we return. I need to go there to give Princess Celestia these notes, anyway.”
As the two turned to leave the area, a can clanked past the street, causing Twilight to quickly turn around. In front of her was a cloaked pony, very ragged and dirty. In fact, the pony unnerved her, and she questioned whether to talk to this pony, or to run away.
“Um…hello, sir…?” She tried for the first approach.
The pony laughed lightly, a sound so raspy, it was like gargling nails. “A Princess, eh…? Well, what’s a pretty little charm like you doing in such a dark dank place like the slums, anyway?”
Discord grinned. “Well, we’re just on a little mission to check up, so to say.”
“Ah, yeah...About time we’ve been due for one…So, I hear you’ve been curious about that there paper of yours, right?” The pony pointed a scrawny hoof towards the parchment in Discord’s claws. “Quite a killer, that one was.”
Twilght blinked. “Was? Do you know anything about this pony?”
The pony snickered. “Pfft, no, not me…but them fat cats would hire that one for nasty deeds. That was the one who killed that Super Intendant, you know?”
While Discord merely cocked an eyebrow, Twilight gasped. In her younger years of studying under Celestia, she had admired the actions of a Super Intendant in Manehatten for supporting charities to make lives better for orphans. He was a kind-hearted stallion in his older age, but unfortunately one night he was murdered. The only thing that was found was a bag full of bits, and a knife that showed no signs of DNA except for the deceased victim’s. It was a tragic case that ended without anypony to blame.
Twilight blinked a few tears away. “Yes, I remember the incident. Murder isn’t something that’s common here in Equestria, but there were several occurrences then.”
The pony nodded. “Yup. They were all done by that one. That one was a special case…a real killer.”
Discord frowned. “So, why is it always ‘that one’? Did no one know the gender of the pony?”
The stranger shook his head. “Nope, no one but the fat cats that hired the beast…anyways, I should be getting back. My slop’s gonna get cold.”
Twilight nodded. “R-Right, of course…Take care, sir.”
The stranger gave a cackle as he made his way back into the shadows, leaving the two puzzled figures behind him.
Discord blinked. “Well, that was quite the experience! Shall we be going then?” His claws twitched as Twilight took the parchment into her magic grip. She herself said there’d be no disruptions, but technically her mission and her curiosity were taking her to the same place.
“…We need to deliver the notes to Princess Celestia. After that, I’m going to do some research. I have to find out who our mysterious assassin is.”
The draconeques clapped his paw and claw together. “Oh, goody! We’re researching a murder case! Though, personally I could find a better use of my time, but what better way to bond with the Princess Twilight Sparkle, eh?”
Twilight deadpanned. “Discord, trying to handle logic…this should prove to be interesting.”
“Oh, the fun we’ll have!” Discord cheered as they walked back into the lighter area of Manehatten, some of the tourist attractions back in their line of sight. If Twilight didn’t have something else to occupy her time after the mission was done, she did now.
Someway, somehow…she was going to find the murderer responsible for killing that poor Super Intendant.
Author's Note
So, this is just a little experiment to try an idea that's been kicking around in roleplays with my sister. Please, give any form of criticism, but don't hate the story for no reason.
Enjoy.
Chapter 2 - The Canterlot Archives
Chapter 2 – The Canterlot Archives
The train rumbled loudly as the curious pair, an alicorn princess and a draconequess, sat across from each other in a private cubicle. Compared to the trip to Manehatten, the reserved seating was much more comfortable; albeit expensive, but it allowed for a sense of confidentiality. Twilight Sparkle frowned as she scanned the parchment they found for any other details.
“Ugh, nothing…” The lavender mare groaned as she placed the piece of paper on top of a nearby table that came with the room. Despite their interesting encounter, the stranger hadn’t had that much to give in terms of proper evidence. What kind of life did that pony lead, anyway?
“Oh, come off it, Twili. You can suffocate yourself in books to your heart’s content once we reach Canterlot.” In front of her sight, Twilight could see the draconeques peeling a juicy orange, but only eating the peel instead of the fruit inside. Despite the absurdity, her mind was focused on one thing only.
“Wha- You can’t call me Twili…That’s reserved for my big brother and Cadence.” She gave the draconeques a stern glare.
“No? Aww, that’s truly a shame. What to call you then…?” Discord placed his paw to his goatee in a thoughtful manner. “…How about Sparky? Your horn’s always giving off a few sparks!” The Lord of Chaos snickered as the Princess of Friendship sat there with a dumbfounded expression.
“…Sparky…? No, just…no.” She shook her head in distaste. Then again, it was better than having him use her brother’s nickname for her…
“…Well, at least not in public…” She caved in, her forehoof meeting her face.
The Lord of Chaos grinned as he reveled in his victory. “So, Sparky, what do you hope to find in the Canterlot Archives, anyway?”
‘Just ignore it…Just ignore it…’ Twilight faced the draconeques with a confident smile. “Well, since Canterlot is in charge of the royal military force as well as the keeper of all criminal records in Equestria, I plan to search for these other murder cases connected with the assassin…according to that pony, anyway. He did say that assassin was responsible for the lot of them. Anyways, through that, I might be able to track down a few of these…”fat cats”, and from there we can find out the identity of the assassin! After all, that one pony did say that they knew the assassin’s identity, right?”
“Mmm, he did say that, didn’t he?” The Lord of Chaos mused. “Well, it sure seems like you’ve got this all planned out. I guess this won’t be as much fun as I thought after all.” He pouted, slumping further into his seat.
Twilight gave a deep sigh. “For starters, this isn’t a fun matter. This involves murder; something that assassin hasn’t paid for yet.” The alicorn stared out into the window. Further on, she could see the tip of a castle; she knew that structure anywhere. Ever since she became Princess Celestia’s personal student, she had grown accustomed to living in the castle, so it was actually kind of a second home.
“Oh, look…ol’ Tia’s domain, straight ahead.” Discord droned as the alicorn princess began to gather her things.
“…You know, you don’t have to come with, if you really don’t want to.” Twilight frowned at the draconeques.
“No, no, I really would rather being dragged around than to sit around with nothing to do. It’s not as easy to entertain myself as a reformed draconequess, after all.” Discord rose from his seat to follow after.
The train doors parted as the two went through, one snaking behind the other. The structure of Canterlot was grand; a complete contrast to the Manehatten slums. The streets were paved and polished, and the structure of the buildings showed but a few flaws. This truly was a place of art and beauty, masking the cruel and disgusting hearts of the noble breed that resided here.
Discord scowled at the design. “You know, I just reminded myself why I so detest Canterlot.”
The alicorn didn’t stop, but one of her eyes looked behind her in interest. “…And why is that?”
“Well, look at it. It’s…so…perfect, and symmetrical, who wants something like that?” He gagged as offended ponies gave their own judgment by eye towards him. Of all the places he certainly was out of place in, it was Canterlot. Too bad he couldn’t summon a cotton candy cloud over their heads.
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Of course the Lord of Chaos himself would have a problem with Canterlot. Anyways, we’re almost to the castle.”
The jewel of Canterlot; the Canterlot castle stood tall, rested on its high mountain. It was from this mountain that all of Equestria could see it, big town or small. Twilight smiled as they passed through the gates. She could still remember how nervous she was, when she first passed through those same gates. A lot had happened since then, and now she was a Princess of Friendship, united with her friends. They had a bond that no other threat could break.
Twilight Sparkle opened the castle doors with confidence. Normally she would’ve reported to a guard, but since becoming a Princess…she had a little more privilege than she’d rather admit. Trotting through the hallway, the lavender alicorn followed the path she knew by heart to the throne room, where she knew Princess Celestia would be.
Discord scanned the castle décor. He already said plenty about the town itself, he wasn’t going to even start with the castle. Despite his disgust, a portion of him preferred a bit of harmony and order now, thanks to him having proper friends who wouldn’t backstab him without a second thought.
Twilight beamed as she took sight of her mentor. “Princess Celestia!”
Princess Celestia blinked for a moment out of surprise before her eyes relaxed. “Twilight.” The two embraced for a moment before the elder broke it. “…And how is everything over in Manehatten?”
Twilight winced for a moment before she proceeded to levitate her notes out of her bag. “Well, the structural condition is to say the least…it’s devastating out there. Ponies are living in shacks that could topple on top of them at any moment, and the food situation is scarce as opposed to its thriving main district. We need to send help, immediately.”
The Sun Princess nodded. “…I understand. I will send a support team of guards to aid them as soon as possible. Thank you for checking on this for me, Twilight.”
The lavender alicorn shook her head. “It was my pleasure to serve my duty as one of Equestria’s princesses. Although, Princess Celestia…I have a question.”
Princess Celestia blinked. “What can I do for you?”
Discord snatched the parchment from Twilight’s saddlebag. “Well, during our little errand in Manehatten, we caught wind of an assassin that…got away, so to say. Twilight here wants to find that pony. Do you know of any assassin?”
The Sun Princess frowned. “…I don’t know of any assassin. If there was one in Manehatten, surely I would’ve known.”
Twilight blinked. “Wait- you know nothing of this, Princess?”
The elder alicorn shook her head. “I’m sorry that I do not have the answer you seek. Perhaps you may be able to find out through a different source…although little information passes by without my knowing.”
Discord grinned. Maybe things weren’t going be so easy after all.
The lavender alicorn sighed. “If it’s all the same, may I search through the Canterlot Archives for anything regarding this pony?”
Princess Celestia nodded. “You may search if you wish, but I fear you may not find what you’re looking for.”
The two continued on down towards another hall, to the library of libraries, home to hundreds of magic spells and legal documents; including criminal records. It wouldn’t make any sense to not find anything there, right?
The Princess Twilight Sparkle groaned as her head slammed into another desk. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing on this pony, or their criminal cases. Was that stranger in the Manehatten slums just making fun of them? Was there ever really an assassin?
There had to be, otherwise what truly happened to the Superintendent of Manehatten? How was he killed? She groaned again at the possibility of it all, yet in all the legal documents of Equestria, she found nothing regarding their mysterious assassin.
Discord reveled in the alicorn’s pathetic state. “And you thought you had it in the bag.”
“Just…shut up, Discord! I don’t need it right now!” Her head slammed into the desk again.
The draconequess yawned before he rose up to stretch himself. “Well…we could always double-check ourselves if there was really an assassin or not by meeting the pony!”
“I would love to, if I could find any darn evidence!” Twilight frowned, looking through the papers on her desk once more.
“No, I mean actually meet the pony, not having to go through the boring process of finding the fat cats.”
Twilight had enough. “I would LOVE to, if I could only find out who that pony is!”
“Shall we go, then?” Twilight felt a tap on the back of her head. With great reluctance, the lavender alicorn turned towards the Lord of Chaos. “And how exactly are we going to find this pony without any evidence?”
“Well, we know the time and location. Manehatten slums, 4 or 5 years ago, right?” Twilight’s eyes widened.
“Wait, you mean- time…We’re going to travel back through time to find this pony?!” If she hadn’t used a similar solution for one of her previous problems, Twilight might’ve thought the notion to be ludicrous. Either way, it held great risks for both the present and the future if they ended up changing anything…
…But that wasn’t on the lavender pony’s mind right now. “Discord…you’re a genius! We can easily find the pony by going back, finding out the identity, and then make them pay for their crimes now!”
The draconequess grinned. “So, ready to spread a little…chaos? I’ll need official permission before I use my powers to benefit Equestria.”
Twilight nodded. “Discord, take us back through time. We find to know who this assassin is!”
“Yes, ma’am!” The Lord of Chaos threw his paw and claw into the air, a dark form of magic building up through the two detectives. Twilight felt a chilly wind blowing through her mane as her body was lifted up into the air; the world around them becoming a sea of clocks.
“Okay…Mmm, not that one…” The draconeques checked each clock in his general area, the lavender alicorn following behind with a puzzeled expression. Not too far from her, Twilight spotted another glowing clock, displaying the year she recognized only as the year they were searching for.
“Discord, I found it!” She levitated the object in her magical grip, causing the Lord of Chaos to turn around with a grin.
“Oh, goody! Now we can really have one heck of a time!” His eyes flared with excitement and mischief, the lavender alicorn pursing her lips in uncertainty.
…This was going to help them, right?
