Chapter 10: Lies. Lies, lies and more lies.

“Don’t breathe a word.”

Streamlight and Kaneki stared at each other in silence. Both studying the other, both thinking what course of action the other would take.

The two had completely forgotten the very existence of the other four mares in the common room till the bubblegum mare’s hoof clicked upon hitting the crystal surface that was Twilight Sparkle’s floor.

Instantly the two synchronously snapped their heads in the direction of the sound, only to stare at the slightly confused looks of the mares.

Streamlight relaxed, then backed away from Kaneki still keeping his eyes on the stranger that had so strongly piqued his interest. “I’m sorry Pinkie Pie, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Miss Rarity. But I need to take this one outside for a talk. It’s crucial.”

“Why exactly is it crucial for someone of the Manehattan Detective Agency to come into my home and question one of my friends?” Twilight said calmly, though the hint of belligerence in her voice quite clear.

“I understand your irritation that an officer of a different city would come into your home and demand such a request of one of your friends, but you do not understand the weight of my reason for coming here” Streamlight intoned.

Pinkie Pie lifted her hand over to Kaneki, gesturing him over to return to her side. Kaneki complied moving back over to his friend and as he did so he kept his eyes firmly glued on the light blue unicorn.

“Then please” Rarity said drawing the stallions attention to her. “Enlighten us.”

Streamlight took a deep breath in, then exhaled running a hand over his aqua mane. “Right...enlighten you” he said with a sigh. “Fine, fine I didn’t want it to come to this but it looks like I’ll have to explain myself.”

Walking into the center of the room, the detective removed his trench coat that bore his agency’s insignia and his own cutie mark before removing the gun out of it’s holster. He took note of how everyone in the room tensed.

Rarity gave him a scrutinizing look, Applejack’s ears wilted and her eyes narrowed with grit teeth. Twilight continued to stare with as much patience as she could muster, her hoof every now and then tapping against the ground and Pinkie Pie just kept her eyes firmly glued on the drawn weapon as Streamlight turned on the safety.

“Relax” he said soothingly. “I mean none of you harm, this is just a precaution in case” he nodded his head in Kaneki’s direction. “Your friend over there gets any ideas.”

A quick glance of eyes were sent in Kaneki’s way, all of which he ignored. His focus was now on the unicorn in the center of the common room.

How much does he know? Kaneki thought to himself. A part of him, the old part of him was overtaken with anxiety, but if he had any Kaneki clearly didn’t show it as he remained inexpressive.

Another part of him said something completely different. “Kill him.” The dark side said. Not here. Do it when he leaves, alone, in a dark alley. Just snap his neck, it will be quick. Painless, he won’t feel a thing. Do it. Do IT!

“Kaneki” Streamlight’s voice said now drawing the boy out of his inner turmoil, “has had some experience no doubt with ghouls, I’m assuming you all know what they are, since the news article that came out a few days ago.”

“That’s right. Someone got attacked by one of those things right?” Applejack asked. “Ah can’t remember who though.”

Streamlight nodded. “I’ve heard that there are investigators as well that know more about these ghouls. I met one of them recently. His name is Chuu Hachikawa, I don’t believe you’ve met him?”

Everyone shook their head, everyone except Pinkie. Applejack noticed this and asked. “Pinkie, have you met this Hachikawa fella?”

The mare quickly glanced over to Kaneki who remained impassive, before she nodded her head. “I have met Hachikawa, he’s not really the uh positive or cheery type” she said with a nervous smile.

Streamlight chuckled at this as he placed his gun back in its holster. “I agree. Definitely not the friendly type. That reminds me actually, Princess Twilight I’ve heard that there are two other CCG Investigators in your residence. If you don’t mind me asking, where are they I’d like to ask them a question.”

“Kill Shot left for a meeting. Sting went out to escort Fluttershy back home” Twilight replied.

“Speaking of Fluttershy those two have been getting quite close don’t you think” Rarity said with wry smile.

Applejack rolled her eyes, “Now’s not the time Rare.”

“Anyway” Twilight said with a raise of her voice. “You still haven’t told us what the reason is for you coming here.”

“Right my reason” Streamlight said. “Alright so here’s the thing” he said with a light brown glow of his horn the unicorn summoned a chair so that he could sit. “You all recall the attack that I just mentioned a few minutes ago?”

Everyone nodded.

“Good, I was the one that got attacked that night” he shrugged his shoulders and added, “Well not just me but a very close friend of mine nearly died in the process, because of that ghoul. If it weren’t for the guy that saved me and my friend we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”

A deathly silence filled the room as everyone took in what the unicorn just said. All of them now stared with wide eyes, Kaneki especially.

A few more seconds of silence passed and the young detective broke it after he cleared his throat with ‘ahem’. “Now, I’m sure you understand why I’m here. I don’t want what happened to me and my friend, happen anywhere else. Ever. To anypony. And my talk with Hachikawa told me that Manehattan isn’t the only place suffering from the enigmatic appearance of ghouls, but it’s happening all over Equus; all over Equestria. And that’s something I need to figure out how to solve.”

“Wait!” Twilight said with a pensive expression. “You mean, you were the one that got attacked?”

Streamlight nodded. “And the one that saved me was an investigator most likely associated with the CCG.”

“So one of Sting and Kill Shot’s allies” Twilight muttered under her breath. Twilight lifted her head up after a few seconds of silent thought her eyes now fixed on the detective.

“What does this have to do with Kaneki though?” she asked.

Kaneki tensed up, but it was in a manner that went unnoticed.

“I have reason to believe that he knows or at least has knowledge on the ghouls, just as much knowledge as your investigator friends or Mr. Hachikawa” Streamlight responded.

“Does it have anything to do with that picture you showed him?” Rarity asked, her eyes now glancing over to Kaneki.

“Yes.”

“Actually” Pinkie said quietly, her voice raising to a more audible tone. “Isn’t Kaneki a part of the CCG also? Sting and Kill Shot said something about him being one of their own investigators but weren’t clear on what ranking or status he had in the organization” she said, looking up at them.

“Actually now that you mention it that does ring a bell” Applejack said, her hand thoughtfully under her chin.

Everyone looked at Kaneki now, the ghoul now starting to feel the pressure as his friends and this detective stared at him waiting for an answer.

“Well then, I guess I have one question for you Kaneki" Streamlight said, tapping an index finger gently against the rest of his chair, as he leaned forward.

“What is your relationship with these ghouls?”

Kaneki was silent, many things going through his mind. One of those being the fact that he had just been pushed into the spotlight, the very same spotlight he’d wanted to avoid ever since coming here. It had taken his brain a second to register that the young detective had even spoken.

“What is your relationship with these ghouls?” Streamlight asked.

There it was, the very question Kaneki had considered more dangerous than any CCG investigator or any ghoul he’d ever faced. The question that now threatened an identity, an image he’d been able to establish peacefully here would be ruined if continued to remain silent or even worse if he said nothing at all.

Kaneki cleared his throat. “My relationship with the ghouls?” he asked after regaining his composure.

Streamlight nodded, Pinkie Pie and the others now all watching, waiting to see what he would do.

Kaneki weighed his options, the others had just vouched for him that he worked with the CCG, technically, this was true. Then again technically it wasn’t since he hadn’t been accepted as an investigator yet, he’d been made a prisoner. What his intended fate had been had he reached the headquarters still remained to be determined, although a part of his mind said otherwise. Part of his brain said he was is a investigator.

So he went with it, and decided to go off on that lie.

“I’m an investigator of the CCG” he said calmly. “I like, Sting and Kill Shot fight ghouls. I’ve fought them before, but under different conditions in comparison to the other investigators” he said.

Silence.

Everyone in the room weighed in with what Kaneki said, then Pinkie spoke up.

“I believe him. Why would he lie to us, he’s got to be telling the truth right girls?”

A few nods, Applejack speaking next. “Ah suppose, after all he does look like he’d have the kind of skill to face off against one of those horrible things.”

Streamlight’s eyes narrowed, though slightly. There was something about what Kaneki said that made him not want to buy this. If Kaneki really was a investigator how come Hachikawa had said nothing about the investigator, especially when he mentioned the investigator’s name.

Did the man simply not know him or something? he thought with curious eyes as he patiently observed Kaneki.

Kaneki merely watched his allies talk amongst themselves with what he had said. Finally Twilight spoke.

“Well then, you have your answer now. Kaneki is an investigator like Kill Shot and Sting so-”

The light blue unicorn rose from his seat, now approaching Kaneki, Pinkie Pie who was standing by the boy’s side moved in front of him in a defensive manner, her expression somewhat timid as Streamlight’s sepia brown eyes stared right past her and focused on her friend. He stopped when he was in front of the bubblegum pink mare.

“Miss Pinkie, would you please move. I’d like to do something quickly.”

Pinkie Pie bit her lip, unsure if moving was the right course of action. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the detective it was just that her Pinkie senses were telling her to stay in between these two for the moment. A gentle hand on her shoulder though made her look at Kaneki.

The determination in Kaneki’s eyes sent a chill up her spine. Gently moving her aside the pink mare watched Kaneki confront the unicorn who was no more than a few, three inches at most taller than him.

There the two stood, staring at each other once more sizing each other up before Streamlight spoke in a quiet tone towards Kaneki.

“You’re not lying to me, to your friends are you? You are an investigator...right?” he asked, skepticism clear in his voice.

For a few seconds the tension in the air rose, as all four mares waited for Kaneki to respond.

“Yes” Kaneki replied. “I am an investigator. I assure you. My only purpose is to protect my friends and the innocent, by any means necessary.”

Streamlight’s eyes narrowed. Kaneki looked into the unicorn’s eyes and could see, feel almost the same desire to protect his loved ones, those he cared for with every ounce and every fiber of his being.

Finally the light blue unicorn smiled, though it was a weak one.

Kaneki knew, he didn’t believe his lie. And if he didn’t then Kaneki only had one comment for this detective.

He’s good, he thought with a small smirk. Real good.

The rest of that afternoon was spent with Streamlight getting a bit more acquainted with the rest of the gang. Though things were still slightly awkward the young detective did a good job erasing any signs of his focus on work.

The detective even had the chance to meet the other two investigators, both of which he privately questioned on the fact of whether or not Kaneki was an investigator or something else. The two had given him the same answer as the others.

He was an investigator.

Streamlight left Twilight’s home later in the night, feeling somewhat confused yet at the same time somewhat content.

He’s not telling me the whole truth. That’s for sure, but at least I can tell his intentions are good.

He stopped, looking ahead of him. There was not a pony in sight. Did I really spend all that time with them? he thought. “Better get back to Quiet Residence’s place quickly."

Turning his attention back to the hotel he’d been staying in, the unicorn stopped, hearing footsteps behind him. His ear twitched and he glanced back.

Faintly in the light, he could see a figure pass by.

Streamlight’s eyes narrowed. Muggers in the streets? he thought placing a hand on his gun. Or could it be something else?

Streamlight stood at the same spot looking off in the direction of where the hotel would be in just a couple feet. “Maybe I’ll take a detour instead.”

Turning his back to the hotel the unicorn took off at a steady pace in a random direction. “Whatever is following me I’d like to see it before I dismiss it as nothing.”

Minutes passed and nothing happened. It wasn’t until Streamlight picked a random street did he hear the sound of sobbing.

“That can’t be good” he thought placing his hand on the mag V. Walking down the street slowly, Streamlight let his senses stay alert, till he reached the sobbing figure. It was a girl. A human girl. She looked to be about the age of around 11, maybe even 12.

Streamlight wasn’t convinced.

“Hello” he said gaining the little girl’s tear stained face to look at him. “What’s wrong kid? Where’s your family?”

The girl sniffed. “I- I- don’t know. I was on a trip with my brother when I woke up in this strange place. Since then I haven’t been able to find him and all the people here are strange and keep rejecting me when I ask them for help.”

Streamlight winced. Ouch, well that’s some ponies for ya.

“Well alright kid” Streamlight said, his hand still on his gun. “I’m guessing you haven’t eaten in awhile, right? What would you like to eat huh? There’s a store nearby here that I can get you something. You just name it.”

“Well I would like one thing” the girl said with a small smile drying her tears.

“And what’s that?” Streamlight asked gripping his gun tighter at the girl’s most likely deceptive smile.

“I would like some pastries” she said sweetly.

The unicorn was actually surprised. “Oh...alright then. Here come with me” he said taking her by the hand.

Together the two walked back up the street in the direction of one of the stores Streamlight had seen.

Every few seconds the unicorn would look down at the innocent girl to see her look up and smile at him.

Streamlight couldn’t help but smile back. Deep down however he was prepared to fight if need be, he still had his magic if anything else.

A few seconds passed and the little girl stopped, now doing a little dance like she had to use the bathroom.

“Is there a nearby bathroom here?” she asked her face starting to turn a bright red from embarassment.

“Um, yeah...if you go into that store, there should be one” he said pointing inside. The girl smiled before rushing inside with a thank you and wave as she rushed in. A few seconds later she returned, smiling broadly.

“Ready to go?” he asked.

She nodded.

A few more seconds passed with the girl and Streamlight walking down the street till she suddenly came to a stop.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

The girl immediately turned to Streamlight a frown on her face. “I’m sorry mister. I really liked you.” Streamlight grabbed a hold of his gun, immediately releasing the girl and jumping back.

“But I really need to eat, and so does my big brother. Please don’t hate us for this” she stated as her pupils turned red and her eyes went black. “We’re only trying to survive.”

Streamlight’s ear twitched, quickly glancing behind him he saw something rush towards him with such speed he thought for sure it was an animal, the next thing he knew he had the wind knocked out of him as whatever it was tackled him, as he turned sending him spinning a few feet away from the girl and the large being beside her.

“I’m sorry” the little girl said sadly as a kagune emerged from behind her back and under her shirt. “But we all need to eat sometime.”

Streamlight winced, his stomach was in serious pain, and he was having trouble getting up. His vision was somewhat blurry from the tears that stung his eyes. One thought popped into his head.

How the hell do I get myself in these situations?

The big brother of the young girl came rushing towards Streamlight who was now stumbling to get up, a lamp post that was on one of the sides of the road came revealing the ghoul’s hungry look and the drool that drooled down his face.

Streamlight who had now finally managed to get up, just barely managed to avoid the koukaku that came at him before he nimbly jumped out of the way landing a few feet away from the ghoul and his sister.

Streamlight pulled out his gun and pointed it at the ghoul. The little girl gave Streamlight a confused look while the older brother laughed maniacally.

“Oi sis, look at this guy! He thinks bullets will work on us. Hahaha, the species of this planet aren’t too bright are they” the ghoul said wiping at the dribble on his lip as he eyed the detective. Streamlight’s smirk went unnoticed.

“You think my bullets won’t work on you?” he asked with a small smile as he forced himself to stand up straight.

The brother who as he heard from the sister call his name, Yu only laughed louder. “Of course, none of your weapons will work on us” Yu stated.

Streamlight nodded, before switching the safety.off, “We’ll see.”

BAM!

A shot was fired as the ghoul waited for the bullet with a grin on his face to make contact. And it did.

Nothing happened.

The ghoul laughed, watching the casing of the bullet fall to the ground. “If that’s all you’ve got then let’s get this over with-” he winced, looking down at his stomach the ghoul’s eyes widened to see the bullet had actually hit him and he was now bleeding.

“W-What the hell?!” Yu shouted, touching the wound. “The hell is this?!!” he said in rage. His sister backed up behind him.

“It’s called improvising” Streamlight said. The shard he’d taken out of the dead ghoul’s head that had attacked him, he’d turned into a small supply of bullets. Which were very limited for him in his case. He had a total of 15 bullets in total. And he’d just used one. The rest of his bullets were back in his office and right now he had about 4 maybe 5 more shots before he was out and would be doomed.

Yu smirked. “Fine job” he said with a weak grin. “I’d heard someone got attacked in a different city by one of the ghouls there. Didn’t think the officers would adjust so quickly to the situation” Yu stated with some surprise. “But we’ll see who’s faster.

“Your trigger finger or my speed” Yu said with a wicked grin.

Streamlight grinned, starting to feel a bit better. “Bring it on.”

Yu dashed straight towards the unicorn, his sister now following behind him. Streamlight’s eyes shifted between the two as they split up on opposite directions and attacked. Yu swung his blade like koukaku towards Streamlight’s head, the unicorn ducked quickly, his reflexes kicking in, after the months of training he’d had to spend in combat practice.

“Now Yumi!” Yu shouted at his sister. Streamlight looked up and saw the little girl with the dragon like tail falling towards him her tail above her before she did a flip, and slammed it in Streamlight’s direction.

The only thing the young ghoul managed to hit was Streamlight’s trench coat as he stripped it off, when he jumped out of the way.

The ground cracked with the force as the tail hit the ground, a long slamming sound echoing across the streets of Ponyville and a few light turning on as well.

“No one come outside!” he shouted, as he ducked and received a slight cut on the cheek as he flipped out of the way of Yu’s koukaku.

“You’re pretty fast kid” Yu commented with a grin, as Streamlight managed to evade yet another of his attacks. “But you can’t handle two ghouls by yourself.”

Streamlight felt his feet fall under him as he was lifted into the air and tossed into the sky, looking down he saw Yumi had used her tail to sweep the ground and knock him into the air. Yu launched towards the detective who was now trying to reach for his gun that had slipped from his grasp.

“It’s over kid!” Yu said with a manic grin, as he appeared above Streamlight. Streamlight’s eyes widened, and then he focused, his gun disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared in his hand.

He pointed it directly towards the ghoul. It was Yu’s turn to gain widened eyes. Raising his arm and slamming it down into Streamlight, the unicorn went crashing to the ground like a rocket, but not before he fired into the ghoul’s arm.

“Aniki!” Yumi yelled, her eyes now directed towards the quickly descending unicorn. Rushing towards him Yumi jumped into the air and using her tail like a propulser sent herself straight towards the direction Streamlight would be as he fell.

Streamlight grimaced. Yumi was coming in hot. He pointed his gun at her and fired. she used her kagune like a shield and blocked, still coming towards him.

Streamlight cursed, his horn taking on a light brown glow, as he focused.

Time slowed. Yumi was inches away from her target, Yu had landed back on the ground and was nursing his injured arm, waiting expectantly for his sister to deliver the deathblow, seconds passed as Streamlight’s horn became caked in a second overglow of aura.

Then in a blast of light he was gone.

Yumi landed, skidding on the ground in surprise as she looked around to see where, the unicorn had disappeared to.

“Did he just...disappear?” Yu asked in surprise.

“I- I think he did” Yumi said with just as much exasperation.

They heard a loud groan and then looked to their right. Standing there just a few feet away and holding his head, was Streamlight. “Teleportation while moving is a crap load of work” he stated, his headache taking over.

A whistle distracted him as he looked up to see the girl stand back up, her brother walking forward as he nursed his arm with a half grin. “Well well well. You’re probably the first ever non ghoul aside from investigators to give us such a tough time” he said still grinning.

“But that ends now. Yumi.” The little girl nodded, taking up a stance with a sad look in her eyes. “Once again sir. I’m sorry about this. But my brother and I need to eat.”

Streamlight, tried to keep his focus as his headache became even stronger. “Yeah yeah. Apologies, apologies. You didn’t need to lie to me who you were the entire time though” he said before falling on one knee, the pain from the hit Yu had given him in the air now making it’s presence known.

“Ooh, I think I might have a fractured rib” Streamlight muttered to himself as he looked up at the girl.

Yumi’s eyes narrowed once more, not once losing the somewhat sad look in those red eyes. “Goodbye sir.”

Streamlight raised his gun, forcing himself to stand once more. “Goodbye to you too.”

Streamlight fired, he was down three bullets and only had 2 more now, Yumi evaded as she ran towards him. Her reptilian tail raised and ready. But before either could deliver a fatal strike a figure jumped in and landed between them, knocking the girl aside and forcing the young detective to jump back a few feet away.

“Who is it?! One of your own?” Streamlight shouted on the other side, the dust masking the figures presence but not the figure.

“Not ours!” Yu and Yumi said together. “It’s just us by ourselves!” the brother exclaimed.

“Then who could it-” The dust had now cleared, the wind picking up and playing with all the group’s hairs or mane. And as Streamlight gazed at the person that had come out of nowhere he saw the white hair play in the wind, before the boy turned his hooded figure towards the unicorn.

Then Streamlight saw it. The red pupil and the dark eye that had defined the presence of a ghoul. Streamlight’s eyes went slightly wide as he realized who it was.

Kaneki?

The boy turned his hooded figure towards the two ghouls that had now stayed in their exact spots, watching the scene unfold before them.

Kaneki put his mask on, before staring straight at the ghouls and taking a pose in front of the detective.

Streamlight realized what was happening. Getting up, his gun in hand the unicorn removed his holster straps so that he could gain more free movement, his gun firmly gripped in his hand as he took up a position by the ghoul. The two staring at the ghouls in front of them who looked a bit perplexed.

Kaneki turned to look at Streamlight and nodded, Streamlight nodded back. Then Kaneki looked up at Yumi and Yu, the two slightly flinched when they saw the look of annoyance in his one visible ghoul eye.

Lifting his hand up and moving it in a taunting form Kaneki, stared at his opponents quite frustrated that he’d been pushed to resort to intervening in the fight, when he’d have rather preferred to not get involved.

Continuing to give them the evil eye through his hoodie, the wind blew between the two vs two party before Kaneki reverted back to speaking in Japanese.

“Koi.”

Author's Note