Once a Time Lord, Now a Pony

Canterlot, near the Royal Mail Post Office...

"Hold it right there!" Steel shouted as he pursued his quarry down a alleyway.

"Stop, in the name of the Solar and Lunar Regents!" He shouted again, but to no avail. His quarry continued his running, and Steel his pursuit. Neither was willing to give up.

The stallion he was after was a dark green with a even darker colored mane. As he ran, the stallion kicked a barrel over in a attempt to trip up Steel, but he saw it coming and leaped over it as the Stallion turned a corner. A few moments later, Steel was around that corner as well but the whole thing was a dead end with only a wooden fence in front of him. Now Steel knew the Stallion wouldn't have had any time to climb over the fence without Steel seeing him do it so he must be hiding somewhere around him unseen. Steel's suspicions turned out to be rather correct when his target leaped out from a dumpster and latched onto his back and put his forelegs around his neck attempting to deprive him of his precious air. Thankfully, Steel threw him off just in time and the Stallion landed right in front of him and earned Steel's sword pointed right in his face, with the tip just barely touching his nose drawing a bit of blood.

"Now, if I were you I'd not move. Why?" Steel asked sarcastically as the Stallion cowered before Steel got right in his face as the Captain of the Royal Guard grabbed him by the neck and shoved him against a brick wall.

"Because I'm in a very bad mood. Understand?" Steel growled as the Stallion whimpered a "Uh-huh."

Canterlot General, in the meantime...

"Well, can you do it?" Cadence asked to the two stallions in front of her. Well, a stallion and a older griffin anyway. "Can you save my Shiny?"

Ironclaw thought to himself for a moment. He'd arrived right before Cadence got back and was already well aware of the situation. It had been years since he'd read of the Nightwitch Fever, and had only seen a small sample of the thing once in his lifetime. He'd been lucky to see that back then but he knew if it was to be cured he and Sunburst were the right ones for the job.

"Well, it'll be tough that I do know..." Ironclaw growled out. "And I can't make any promises but I think it can be done. He's losing blood fasther then we can pump it back in though so we don't have time as a friend here." Ironclaw explained before grumbling to himself. "We have Solar and Lunar alicorns, why can't we have a one that can slow down time?"

"W-we'll have to move him to a secure facility though. Too dangerous to keep him here." Sunburst stuttered. 'Too... Too easy for him to be attacked." He explained before turning to Ironclaw and asking "Hey, wait weren't you retired?"

Ironclaw growled to himself. Nearby, Sunburst and Cadence were trying very hard not to stare at his missing wing. Ironclaw noticed this, but paid it no mind. Wouldn't have been the first time some creature stared.

"I was, but those damn buzzards dragged me out here once they heard what happened to Cupid here's coltfriend." He grumbled, and Sunburst and Cadence shared a meaningful look. Ironclaw may not act like it, but he really did want to help but he just didn't show it outwardly.

A half hour later, at the Canterlot Police Station

As soon as Steel had knocked out his quarry, he dragged him to the interrogation room for some answers he desperately needed. Once he got there, he pulled out some smelling salts and threw the Stallion in a chair behind a table with Steel getting in one facing him across the table before staring him down. From behind some one way glass Cadence watched.

"So, this is the one?" She asked and a nearby guard nodded. "I should be in there."

The Princess of Love's horn glowed pink, and the guard took a step back. It was a well known fact amongst the Guard and the Nobility of the city that Cadence out of all the Alicorns had the worst temper when riled. Normally she could keep it in check and under control but whoever was foolish enough to make her let it out was probably not long for this world if Cadence had anything to say about it.

"Woah ma'am." The guard said in a attempt to placate her, although it wasn't working very well. "Can't let you in there, or we'd risk losing any chance we have of getting anything out of the stallion in there. Besides, Steel's got this handled."

Cadence calmed down with a few short breaths emitted from her mouth. She knew the guard was right, but at the same time she quirked a eyebrow in confusion. From what she could see Steel was acting rather friendly towards his captive even offering him a glass of water. The guard knew what she was thinking.

"Just wait for it." He said simply. "Steel just needs to lure him in for the kill, as it were."

Inside the Interrogation Room...

"Now, Mr... Uh, sorry never caught your name." Steel asked, faking sheepishness. In reality he didn't care one jot who this guy was. Just why he did what he did.

"F-Fast Delivery sir." The now named stallion said nervously, a complete 180 from before. Steel guess he was faking for whatever reason. He suspected it might have been to throw him off guard, same as he was doing himself. So, two could play at this game but the only way he'd win was to change the rules. With a mighty heave, Steel flipped the table over.

"Alright, cut the crap. Why'd you send the package?" Steel snarled. Sensing the jig was up Delivery gave up the ghost as it were.

"Payment. Lots of payment in pure gold bits, that's why I did it." Delivery explained as Steel's anger rose by the minute. That's what it always came down to wasn't it? Money. Delivery continued. "Seems I lived up to my name, if your response is any indication." He chuckled.

"You're scum." Steel growled. "Do you even know who you sent those packages to?"

Delivery shook his head.

"Fine then, I'll tell you. Shining Armor, the Captain of the Royal Guard and Celestia HERSELF!" Steel roared. "Now, they're lying in beds and Shining's dying! And it's all thanks to you..." Steel growled, as he got in close to his captive's face.

"No... No it can't be." Delivery whispered in horror. "He... He said those packages wouldn't kill anyone!"

"Oh, don't worry. They're not dead yet. But I promise if Shining does die, and Celestia comes out of this in no shape to rule you will not like what comes next. Now who sent you the packages for you to send?"

Delivery whispered one word, one fearful word that Steel had been suspecting might have been behind all of this in the back of his mind since Shining was put in Canterlot General.

"Boltstrike."