There are no ponies out in Ponyville. There are no birds chirping or dogs barking. There is only rain. Rarity sits at a bedroom window in her robe sulking at the downpour that had ruined her evening plans. There would be no customers today not with this rain nor would any friends for that matter. A long and irritated moan escapes her lips as she lays her head down in boredom. This display does nothing to get the attention of Opal who lays in her bed cleaning her paws. Rarity looks around for something to do she sees a few dresses that needed work, but in her bored stated she couldn't find the proper inspiration to finish them. She lets out another moan of boredom.
"Oh Opal what I am to do with myself? All this dreary rain has ruined my mood and there just doesn't seem to be anything for me to do."
Opal stares at Rarity with dead pan eyes then leaps onto Rarity's nightstand knocking over a book that was left there. Rarity goes over to grab the book. It was one of her favorites The Mare of Two Names by Shadow Spade. It was about a mare who had gone missing and Shadow Spade had to find her. By the end of the book it turns out that the mare is the leader of one of the largest gangs in all of Manehattin. A glint shimmers in Rarity's eyes as she looks over to her wardrobe and Opal . Who now has a concerned look on her feline face.
After a few moments Rarity has rearranged her downstairs business; all of the mannequins are now dressed in costume, and her cashier's desk is made into a makeshift bar. When Rarity is ready she begins to walk downstairs in an overcoat and hat slightly tilted.
"These streets are dangerous to walk alone at night, but then again I'm no stranger to danger. I had received a call earlier that day some one needed my help. It seems that some poor mare had been at the wrong place at the wrong time, and now has gone missing. I told the stallion that mares go missing all the time in Manehattin, and that there wasn't much I could do for him, but he was having none of that. He was insistent that I look for her and so here I am in the one place in this entire town that a mare can go to get information. Missy's Tavern a breeding ground for unsavory characters."
Rarity uses her magic to make the mannequins move and dance as she makes her way over to the counter where a grumpy Opal sits in a sparkling red dress and head feathers. Opal lets out a very laudable growl from her belly as Rarity approaches. Rarity gives opal a disappointed look before getting back into character.
"Long time no see Missy."
"Detective Rarity what brings you into this fine establishment?" Rarity mouths Opal's lips as she does an awful voice impersonation.
" A mare has gone missing her husband is worried sick for her well being. I come to you because you know everything that happens in this town."
"Not everything darling just the important things. I can't be bothered about some mare going missing. If I did I'd lose sleep at night."
"Something seems off about what Missy says, but I can't tell what. I feel a tingling in the back of my head like some pony is watching me."
"Well if you say that you don't know anything MIssy then I believe you. I hope you don't mind if I ask around though?"
"Not at all darling just remember no one here is innocent."
Rarity quickly steps around the corner to do a quick costume change. She was now wearing an elegant white silk dress with gold trimming. She seductively walks up to a mannequin set to the side in a tux.
"Mind if I join you handsome?"
"Not at all miss. I could use the company." The dashing stallion says as he gives a welcoming smile and lifts his martini to her in Rarity's mind at least. "What will you have?"
"Manehattin."
Soon enough a waitress brings her drink over and she delicately sips smacking her lips together afterwards. The stallion smiles at Rarity and sips his.
"So what brings such a fine and upstanding mare such as yourself to these parts?"
"Information."
"Well you certainly know where to look then. What kind of information are you looking for?"
"A mare went missing and I need to find her. I don't suppose you would know anything about that?" Rarity bats her eyes at the mannequin in her flirtatious manner.
"A mare huh? Those seem to be in high demand these days. Try your luck with the Pink Lady."
"The Pink Lady ? Can't say I've heard of her before"
"She runs the brothel in the red light district. A bit of advice don't cross her she's more dangerous then a dragon with an upset stomach. Except she doesn't need fire to burn you." Rarity kisses a napkin and places it in the stallion's tux as she struts away.
Rarity then uses her magic to levitate her impromptu scene to change it into a brothel. Clothes fly around as she changes the mannequins into patrons and sultry seductresses. Opal meows in protest as Rarity uses her magic to put her into another dress. Rarity now puts on her own magnificent black laced gown with it's accompanying veiled hat and high heels.
"The red light district a place were even the rats refuse to go. Only the lonely, the desperate, and the depraved come here, but this is where I might find a lead into my missing mare so this is where I must go. Sickly ponies lay in the street their drug addled minds are all but gone. They're nothing but skin and bones unable to pay for food. My heart aches at the site I wish that I could help them, but that would take too much time. Time that I do not have for time is ticking, and I'm on the hunt. I soon make my way to the brothel two bouncers stand at the front entrance next to a red covered lantern. They open the door for me once they do a search. Filthy pigs! The inside is decorated with extravagant furniture and other debaucheries. The work girls are dressed in fine lace and masks serving their 'masters' with whatever pleasure they can give. I ask to see their head mistress, and soon enough after passing several corrupt politicians, and their depraved pleasures I am lead to an office on the upper most floor. Behind a chair sits a pink mare in a deep red dress with white lace her straight hair gives way to a dispassionate face. A cigarette in her mouth lets out a long snake of smoke crawling it's way towards the ceiling. I could see a mile away that this mare was more trouble than a parasprite at an all you can eat buffet."
"I hear you've been asking around about little old me. So what can I do for you detective? As you can see I have an establishment to run and am very busy so please make it quick."
"I here tell that you have a lead on my missing mare."
"Did you now? I wonder who put shuch accusations into that pretty little noggin of yours. If you think that I know anything about missing mares you are sadly misinformed. Most of my girls are hear of their own accord."
"Most not all?"
"Some of them are sold to me by their parents because of poverty. Those that are sold to me young are kept at a seperate location learning the tricks of the trade until they are of 'legal' age then they are brought here to ply their craft."
"So no I don't know who put this notion into you that I steal mares or something but I can assure you that my girls are in fact mine."
"I never implied you were in fact guilty my 'Lady' just that you might have heard of a commotion is all."
"Talk to my second she is down in the basement making the opium; my boys will escort you to and from that area." The Pink Lady waves a dismissive hoof towards the door as two large stallions point the way.
Rarity makes her way down into her basement were she quickly dresses a few mannequins in French maid outfits and one of the mannequins in a dazzling blue dress that sparkles in the light.
"I am escorted to the basement where several of the serving girls are at work prepping the opioids for their guests. A grey mare stands over watch a riding crop in hoof. Her stoic expression tells me that she is related to The Pink Lady."
"Who is this? Another mare who sold herself to The Pink Lady?"
"Detective Rarity at your service."
"A detective? what brings you here? Business or pleasure?" The emotionless monotones of the mare's voice unsettles detective Rarity.
"I can assure you that it is business. I'm tracking down as to what happened to a certain mare and I was told to come to see you."
"A missing mare huh? well our boys did say that they heard a scuffle between some rival gangs not too long ago. Over some missing package or something. Not sure if that package was your mare or not. Why don't you go and check it out? The fight was reported to be between the Cloud Street Crew and the Main Street Buckers."
"Thank you Grey 'Lady' for your cooperation." The grey mare gives a faint smile at that name as Rarity is escorted out of the brothel. All the while eyes are watching her. Some pony was watching her like a hawk from the shadows.
The sound of thunder crashing shakes the home making opal bug out and go all terror on the mannequins. Rarity comes rushing from the basement to try to stop Opal from ruining her dresses, but in the mitts get a scratch on her cheek drawing a thin line of blood down her jawline. Once Opal finally calms down Rarity caresses her cheek she decides that it would be best to put Opal in her cage until the storm subsides. After she cleans up the store she looks into a mirror. The scratch is small and has already stopped bleeding but still hurt. She then checks her dresses thankfully none of them were damaged they would just need to be ironed later.
After that little incident Rarity composes herself and once again transforms the store into a scene this time she decided to make the Cloud Street Crew hangout. She made the ringleader mannequin look like Rainbow Dash in a biker get up with matching uniforms on the other ones, but less extravagant. She herself changed into a miniskirt with a torn up tank top with fishnet stockings. She decided to pull her hair up into a cute ponytail. Even though she doesn't like wearing clothes with holes in them she had to admit that she looked adorable as she stared at herself in the mirror for several minutes. She takes a long deep breath and begins her inner dialogue.
"I decided to start my interrogation with the Cloud Street Crew. They were notorious for killing cops and other symbols of order. This was going to be tricky like trying to color coordinate with your mare friend but are colorblind. I am going to try my luck and sneak in. I will have to disguise myself as a local unicorn of that particular neighborhood; lest any pony gets too suspicious. It is going to be hard especially since all members are pegasi but that's the way I like it. I get to the hide out there a but a few guards patrolling the entrance. Thankfully they were all male. This is going to be like taking candy from a sleeping baby."
Detective Rarity begins to seductively walk the length of the shop making sure that every bounce in her step caught the eyes of her prey. Sure enough once she is within distance three pegasi mannequins are levitated towards her to symbolize the guards.
"Well well well look what we got here! What is beautiful thing like you doing in these parts?"
"Oh you like what you see of little old me do you? Maybe we can work something out." Rarity whispers into the mannequin's ear. Pretending that those words made the pegasus turn red.
"Maybe we can, but you didn't answer my question. What are you doing on Cloud Street Crew's turf?"
"Oh well you see I ran away from home and I was...hoping that I could talk to your leader about joining. You don't mind do you?" Rarity says as she gently makes circles into the chest of the mannequin that she is talking to with a delicate hoof.
"I...think we could...arrange something. Come with us."
The pegasi escort Rarity to their inner sanctum where a grizzled rainbow maned pegasus is hoof wrestling two larger pegasi at once. The entire crowd of pegasi look at their guest the leader pins both contestants at once. When the leader approaches Rarity cursed slightly in her head the leader was a mare. This made things a bit trickier.
"Whose this you boys brought with you!" Rarity mimics Rainbow Dash's raspy voice down to almost perfection.
"We got a unicorn that wants to join thought you'd want to talk to her yourself."
"Is that so? Why would a unicorn want to join a gang of pegasi?"
"I heard that you take in mares of any race that want to join so here I am."
"Who told you something like that?" several of the pegasi in the back of the room begin to stir making their way towards their boss.
"It was just a rumor that I heard from a friend of mine that's all." Rarity eyes dart around as the pegasi begin to close around her.
"Really from whom? I'd really like to....talk with your friend." the leader smirks.
"She said that you let her join not too long ago. She disappeared after a scuffle you had with the Main Street Buckers. So I thought that she was just injured or something, but if she's not here then I think I'll just go. This was a mistake."
"Go? I don't think so you see I think that your friend is a rat, and if your friend is a rat that makes you a cop. We know how to treat cops. Don't we boys?" the entire gang begins to chuckle as they close in.
Detective Rarity knowing that the jig is up throws a magically infused foundation powder bomb on the floor under her. Creating a smokescreen she bolts out of there.
"What are you imbeciles waiting for after her!" chokes the leader.
Droves of pegasi take to the air as they begin to comb through the area. Several pegasi fly past an darkened alleyway where detective Rarity lays hidden in the shadows covering herself in a black cloak. She decides to stick to the shadows for now; pegasi eyes are sharp, and would be able to spot her in a crowd a mile away. She is happy to get out of that sticky situation like getting maple syrup in your mane as she would say. Although she would like to go and interview the Main Street Buckers something told her that would result in the same outcome. It seems she is not the only one following the tracks of this missing mare. Time to go to see the chief she if she has any leads.
Rarity decides to take a small break from her fun to get a bite to eat. After eating a sandwich and having a cup of tea she goes to check on Opal. She had managed to escape her cage and was now running amok in Rarity's bedroom: curtains torn, feathers flying all over the place, and beads were scattered across the floor. This was the last straw! Rarity places Opal in the bathroom and takes everything out that could get destroyed and locks the door on her way out. She lets out a loud sigh of exasperation as she begins to clean up the mess. It had taken several hours to find all of the missing beads on the floor, but by some miracle she had finished cleaning. The rain had finally stopped, but it was already past sundown no pony would come to see her this late. Even though she was now tired from the cleaning she still wants to finish her reenacting so she sets up the store front to look like a police station dressing up most of the mannequins in uniform. She puts the trench coat and hat back on and gets back into character.
"Manehattin police department good stallions on the wrong end of a losing war. You can see the struggle under manned and under financed. That doesn't stop them though you really have to admire that. Only the strongest of wills stay here longer then a year most of them quit or get fired for drowning their sorrows at the local watering holes. The chief however is tougher then a three week old baguette. Her attention for details borders on the obsessive. May Celestia have mercy on your soul if you so much as move a pencil out of place. I enter into the chief's office she is head deep in paperwork literally all I can see is the purple glow of her horn. Soon enough she throws the papers aside in frustration. It must be tough being the chief of police at such a young age especially for a recently made alicorn."
"Having some trouble there chief?"
"You have no idea. These gangs are terrors if it's not the Cloud Street Crew it's the Main Street Buckers, if it's not them then it's The Raven Slashers or the Filly scouts beating a stallion to death because he refused to buy their cookies."
"Sounds like you could use a hoof."
"Is that an offer? Why are you here anyways?"
"A mare has gone missing and I was hired to find her. Got any leads that I need to know about?"
" A missing mare? You'd have better luck winning the lottery than finding her alive in this city, but if it leads your looking for you can try your luck with one of my 'guests' she is in interrogation room seven."
"Who is she?"
"You'll get a kick out of this it's the leader of the Main Street Buckers herself miss Apple Martini Jackson."
"It seems luck is in my favor now I'll finally get a straight answer."
"Lead the way."
Rarity is now in her sewing room with a mannequin tied to a table. She uses her magic to change the lighting to a spotlight over the table.
"Apple Martini Jackson like a lot of the mares in this accursed city was born and raised by cruelty. Being forced to take care of her family at a young age after her parents were violently murdered in front of her. She sold herself to the former leader of the Main Street Buckers at the time; she was his personal little sex toy. That is until one night when a grunt found a knife in his chest. She would have been beaten to death by the other members if it weren't for the fact that she pummeled them into submission first. Since then they have been a more formidable force to deal with. Now though I have her all to myself I need to find out what is going on in this city."
"Miss Jackson right. I am detective Rarity and if could answer a few questions for me I would be ever so grateful. A mare has gone missing and you are reportedly the last one to see her."
" One mare goes missing and you just had to investigate? You must be desperate for bits if you're accepting work like that. What makes this one mare so special anyways?"
"I was asked to find her by her husband. If you don't anything about her perhaps you will something about her husband? Tall, white coat, carries himself with dignity has a mustache."
"A mustache? The only stallion that I know of that fits that description is that damn Fancy Britches! If he is the stallion you are talking about then I know exactly which mare you are looking for."
"Oh and who would that be?"
"Information isn't cheap it'll cost ya."
"Name it."
" I get to walk out of here scot free and let my boys have a go with you. They could use the company of a pretty thing like you. Give me that and I will give you the name."
Rarity smirks " Tempting but that won't be necessary you already gave me what I need. Enjoy prison miss Jackson I'm sure you can have all the mares you want there." Rarity struts out of the room. All the while Jackson cursing her out as well as some lewd remarks about her flank as she left.
Detective Rarity makes her way back to the chief's office.
"What do you know about a stallion named Fancy Britches?"
"Fancy Britches? He's one of the most wealthiest stallions in all of Manehattin his wife all but owns the fashion industry. Please don't tell me that she is the one you've been sent to track down."
"It seems so."
"Well....shit. If she's gone missing Manehattin is in for some rough times."
"Why's that?"
"You've been busy detective Rarity if you don't remember what is right around the corner. Next week is fashion week. If it fails which has never happened in all of history of Manehattin our economy will take a serious plunge."
"Oh my God! Fashion week really is right around the corner!" Rarity breaks out of character when she realizes this little tid bit. She rushes back to her closet to check her designs she breaths a collective sigh of relief; Opal hadn't touched her marvelous gowns that she made for fashion week."Wheeew thank goodness I almost had a heart attack. Now where was I? Oh yes that's right."
Rarity makes her way back to where she left off clears her throat and gets back into character.
"Well we can't have that now can we? Don't worry chief I'll have this solved before you can shake a dogs tail."
"For our sake I hope."
Rarity changes the venue once again this time to make her runway look like it does when she does a show. Putting the mannequins in her absolute best dresses that she has ever made. For her own part she puts on a jewel encrusted sapphire blue no strap gown, and rolls her mane over a shoulder covering one of her eyes. She looks in a mirror posing in the dress for a few minutes before starting.
" This case has gone from one dead end to another, but I finally am starting to make head way. I decide to make my way over to the fashion district to have a little talk with the second in command. If any one knew anything it was him after all he is in charge of the all the runways. If any of the mares get out of line he sets them straight. It would only make sense that he would know something about his boss disappearing. I get there and sure enough he is running the show every pony in the building are busier then a hive of bees."
Ponies are frantically running around: make up artists running from one model to another, while dress makers go around making small adjustments to each dress, photographers and interviewers making sure not to miss a moment before show time. Detective Rarity gets the attention of an intern who goes to fetch the lead director himself. He was a small purple dragon his eyes were covered in bags he obviously hasn't slept well in days. He comes over to Rarity with an impatient look.
"Yeah what do you want? I have a shoot to run so make it quick."
"I need to know what you know about your missing boss."
"Shhhhh! Keep your gorgeous mouth shut! None of the girls know that she is missing. How do you know about it though?"
"Hate to ruin the surprise but the undercity knows and they are having a feeding frenzy trying to increase their turf before all hell brakes loose."
"Shit! Look if you can help then please do so quickly."
"Tell me what you know."
"Last I saw her was a couple nights ago she was acting real strange like she was being watched or something. Next thing I know she simply disappears."
"Why didn't you report her missing then?"
"Look around you! We've been so busy with fashion week that I haven't been able to take two steps away from the models. If they find out that she disappeared then I go missing they will panic. Panicking models isn't exactly sexy on the runway. If I can manage to somehow pull off fashion week without her we can secure this season's fashion. Then we can file a missing mare report. However who exactly told you that she was missing in the first place only a small hoof full know that she is missing?"
"That's classified. Is there anything else you can offer?"
"As a matter of fact there is not that I know how much use it is. There was a letter on her desk from some unknown pony asking her to come to some bar to talk about some kind of business proposal or something. Usually these kind of things would have been brought up to me before her, but not this time."
"Was there a name on the letter?"
"No just said from you-know-who."
"What bar did it say?"
"No name just said you-know-which. Please can you find her as fast as possible. We are in a real bind here without her."
"Hmmm. I'll see what I can do. Thanks for your cooperation."
"Anytime." Rarity walks out of the building making a beeline for the only place of note the beginning.
Rarity lets out a big yawn as she looks over to the grandfatherclock it was half past nine if she wanted to get any beauty sleep she would have to finish up quickly. Thankfully for her there was only two small scenes left; she could manage. Letting out another big yawn she uses her magic to transform the store front back into Missy's Tavern and changes back to the traditional trench coat and hat. She lets out another yawn but this time it was a lot smaller.
Detective Rarity finds herself back at Missy's Tavern taking a look around most of the customers are gone only a few remain. Strangely the stallion Rarity talked to earlier was still there and it was quite obvious that he hadn't left. Rarity makes her way over to him no longer being coy she sits down with utmost seriousness.
"Somehow I figured that you'd still be here. Waiting for some one?"
"Hehe Missy warned you that no one here is innocent that includes me. I bet you are wondering why I led you on?"
Rarity raises an eyebrow she doesn't realize that there is a pony behind her.
"Intrigue me."
"Lets just say it was for kicks." thwack Rarity is hit in the back of the head and she passes out.
Detective Rarity wakes up in a warehouse tied to the back of a chair. Several boxes are lined up around her. The stallion walks out of the shadows with a smug expression.
"Enjoy your nap?"
Rarity looks at him with disdain.
"No? ah well. Oh that's right! I never answered your question did I? Well maybe this will help." A bright light emanates from the stallion as he transforms into a draconiquis. Still dressed in a tux he snaps his claw and several Raven Slashers begin to come into the light. Rarity's eyes widen as she realizes her predicament and begins to struggle against her bindings.
"That won't help you." A female voice remarks from the shadows. A tall slender white unicorn enters the spotlight dressed in the most fabulous gown ever. " Greetings detective Rarity I do believe we have never had the pleasure of proper introductions. I am the wife of Fancy Britches and the front of the fashion industry miss Fer De Lance but to the crime lords I am known as." The Draconiquis snaps his claw again and the unicorn melts into a pool of white liquid where a tiny yellow pegasus emerged. " Lady FlutterKill troop leader of the girl scouts." as she announces herself several little fillies fill in the rest of the warehouse. " You have proven to be most annoying in our 'little' plan. Because of my stupid husband hiring you our plans have fallen to pieces. Once fashion week failed we were going to take over the city by unifying our forces and crush the other gangs into submission. Thanks to my 'scouts' forcing ponies to buy their drugged cookies; civilians would be forced to obey. All the while with the combined force of our new army we would crush what's left of the police force. The nobles would be forced to pay up front for protection and 'we' would rule this city. Thanks to you however our plans have fallen through. My second is somehow managing fashion week all by himself. Both the Main Street Buckers and the Cloud Street Crew have reached an accord, and ponies don't seem to be responding to the drugs we've planted in our cookies! How in the HELL did you manage this?!" Rarity smirks.
Suddenly blinding lights coming from outside illuminates the warehouse and a bullhorn is heard.
"This is the Equestrian National Guard! We have the place surrounded give up and no one will be harmed!"
The hirelings begin to panic as the ones on the catwalk look out to see a sea of officers armed to the teeth. The one with the blow horn is a bluish grey mare with an opal grey mane and light green eyes. Several ponies grab weapons preparing for a fight when the lights go out. The unicorns in the warehouse light up their horns when a shadowy figure comes crashing down from the ceiling and starts taking out one pony after another in a blur. The lights come back on and only the draconiquis and the yellow pegasi are the only criminals left conscience. A small turquois grey mare with straight dark grey and green grey mane is standing in the center in a black spandex suit. Rarity is now free from bondage.
"Well this is a surprise I was wondering who was following me. Glad it turned out to be a friend." The grey mare smiles and makes a small nod. The draconiquis tries to use magic to escape but couldn't for some reason. The grey mare smiles then points up with her chin. They look up to see a strange chalk drawing on the ceiling.
"Well crap!"
"What is that?" asks FlutterKill
"That my dear is a spirit containment seal. Basically so long as I am under it I can't use my chaos magic."
The grey mare strikes him in a blur placing a special tag on him at the same time. The instant the tag was placed strange writing wraps around him and constricts him into a fetal position. Before she could react FlutterKill found herself hog tied in heavy steel cables. The rest of the night was filled with ponies being escorted in hoof cuffs and Rarity in a blanket drinking hot coffee. A dark grey pony in a dazzling blue dress walks up to her and greets her with a smile.
"You know you almost got me killed back there Grey 'Lady' I sure hope it was worth it."
"You were in no danger my little sister was watching you from the moment you left the bar. Her timidity makes her perfect for recon. She would have saved you if you were in any real danger."
"So why then did you send me all over Manehattin then?"
"You were a decoy while you were asking around she was leaving breadcrumbs for my other sister to follow. Once she saw you being carried off by their target she alerted her and here we are."
"If your younger sisters are officers then why are you dealing drugs in a brothel then?"
" They protect in the light while me and my other sister protect from the shadows."
"By running a brothel?"
"Best place to attract the undesirables and eliminate them." the mare then walks off back into the shadows.
Rarity is back at her office behind her desk typing.
"This city is a hard place to live. It takes a special kind of pony to live here. Some decide to make it a better place to live. They take up the badge and try to up hold the laws that have kept us together as a society for countless years. While some protect what is most precious to them by walking a path no pony would wish to take. This is the heart of this city. After the raid of the two gangs; the rest of the gangs dissolved unable to fight each other and a newly invigorated police force; creating peace throughout Manehattin; a peace this city has never known. Fashion week went well; it was not as crippled as most thought it would be after it's head went missing; it actually began to flourish when a certain purple dragon took over surprisingly. As for me I wait patiently for my next call after all I am a detective and that's just the way I like it." Fade to black.
Rarity prances in place as she giggles once she was done with her role playing. With her new found vigor she goes to the unfinished dresses and finishes them making some of her most glamorous dresses she has made in recent history. She then goes to bed. All the while Opal is still in the bathroom growling at the door still locked in there.
Author's Note
Cover art is by http://9de-light6.deviantart.com/art/Detective-Rarity-578174465
