-The False Friend-

"Can you not smoke?" The elegant voice of Rarity spat from within the cafe as she waved her hoof in the air, trying to dissipate the cloud of pungent smoke wafting from the coated stallion that was lounged in a large seat. She huffed in protest as he took another drag of the sweet smelling cigar. "It's such a vile habit."

"So I keep hearing." Rein threw a hoof up. "And you came into this coffee shop, you didn't have to come here."

Rarity stomped her hoof. "When are you starting your investigation? I need to make you an appointment so I am not busy."

"Fine." Rein lifted his head to look at the budding business mare. "How about tomorrow?"

"That's what you told Twilight every day for the past week." Rarity said impatiently before muttering under her breath. "Imbecile."

Rarity shuffled her hooves while Rein looked her up and down. He took in all details about the mare before him. He paid special attention to her hooves at the needle marks of someone in the textile business. He tapped his cigar and smirked at her.

"So how is your exploration into other career fields?"

"H-How did you?"

"I'm guessing Twilight Sparkle hasn't filled you girls in?" Rein sighed and stood from his chair. "It's no matter. I'll begin my investigation now, with you, Miss Rarity."

Rarity took a step back and squinted her eyes. "I'm busy today, I don't have the time to spend all my worries on you."

"That's a shame, I could stand to lose a few on you." Rein whispered as he passed Rarity. "But I guess I am too much of an imbecile to discern quality."

Rarity yelped as Rein flicked his long, snake-like tail at her cutie mark before leaving the shop.

"Wait, where'd that stallion go?" The shop owned called as he walked in from the back. He growled when Rarity pointed outside. "That scoundrel owes me one hundred and seven bits!"

Rein chuckled as he took a breath of fresh air. The ponies in town scoffed and sneered at him as he strode through the town towards a large crystal castle in the distance. Every so often, a pony would stray too close in a silent attempt to haze him, but they received a face full of smoke in return.

"Mr. Mind?"

"Huh?" Rein muttered and looked up to see a grey mail mare holding a clipboard out for him.

"Are you Gallant Mind? I have a package." The mail mare shook the clipboard.

With three heavy strokes, Rein threw the clipboard up and caught the package before shoving it under his wing.

"Six one six?" She asked and started to fly next to Rein. "Are you new to Ponyville?"

"Just passing through, bubbles." Rein said.

The mare Rein named bubbles cocked her head in confusion, she flew to the other side of the stallion when a low hanging branch bumped her back. "M-My name is Ditzy."

Rein looked up and nodded. "Well, Ditzy. I'm just here to do a job, after that, I get to leave."

"Oh, what kind of job?" Ditzy smiled.

"Out of the way, Derpy!" A tan stallion growled as he flew through where Ditzy had been moments before.

"I solve problems." Rein stopped walking and gestured to the jerk of a stallion flying away. "Say, are you lying to me or is your name really Derpy?"

"My name is Ditzy Doo, but ponies call me Derpy because I crash into things."

"You hate the name."

"Oh no, it's fine. I've become used to it."

"It wasn't a question." Rein continued walking and Ditzy followed closer. "You know, if you hate the name, you could just burn their houses down."

Ditzy gasped. "That's horrible! Why would I do that?"

"Kind of hard to laugh when their life's work is a two story pile of cinder." Rein muttered and looked at Ditzy's surprised expression before glancing at the small, hoof made heart pin on her bag. "It's getting to that part of the day, your daughter should be done with school."

"How'd you..." Ditzy looked at her watch and gasped. "Bye, Mister Mind!"

"That's Rein!" Rein threw his hooves up after seeing she was already gone. He turned and was face to face with Shining Armor. "Shiny!"

Shining Armor drew back and punched Rein in the face, causing him to stumble back.

"Ah! Yes, hit me more." Rein smirked and rubbed his nose as small droplets of blood dripped from it. "It's fine my love, I'll just tell everyone I fell down the stairs and into a doorknob."

"What is wrong with you?" Shining said in disgust.

Rein winked as he passed Shining Armor. "I thought you had given up on me?"

"I'm just here for the next day visiting my sister, after that I am going to return to Canterlot."

"Oh, why not the Empire?" Rein asked and leaped into the air to avoid an ethereal spear. "Did I hit a soft spot?"

"It's none of your business."

"Still haven't told your sister, have you?" Rein chuckled. "It's of no consequence. You're back on the market, I'm sure there are several mares in Canterlot looking for a strong stud to provide genetic material."

"I am not that type of stallion!"

"Hey, there are stallions too, I'm not judging."

"You are so wrong." Shining groaned.

"Then stop pretending you aren't interested in my stories and ask questions already." Rein called Shining out on his secretive thoughts. "I saw one of my novels in your bag on the train."

Shining Armor scowled. "I wanted to speak with the real Gallant Mind and not, whatever it is you've become."

"Indeed." Rein hummed.

"My sister is going to be so disappointed." Shining muttered.

"In your divorce or sudden desire for stallions nicknamed 'Big Hooves?'"

Shining glared up at Rein. "While growing up, your books were some of her favorite. Before I attended the academy, we would sit home and pretend to solve crimes."

"Aw, that's sweet." Rein's monotonous tone conveyed his disinterest.

"Big Brother!" Twilight teleported from thin air and into Shining Armor.

"Hey, Twily!"

Rein gagged and continued trotting toward the castle. Thoughts of food crept into his mind and he started to trot faster and faster towards the castle.

"What's he doing?" Twilight asked.

"Nothing good." Shining spat as he galloped after Rein with Twilight flying behind him.

Twilight ran into the castle with her older brother, they looked through the rooms and tried to discover where their new resident villain had went to.

"Um, Twilight." Spike called as he ran from the end of the hallway. "There's a strange stallion in the kitchen?"

Twilight enveloped her two brothers in her magic and teleported them to the kitchen where Rein laid on the counter holding a large loaf of bread.

"Oh Shining, paint me like one of your Prench baguettes." Rein tried to say seductively, but found it hard while trying to eat said baguette with maple syrup he found in the fridge.

"He's a lunatic." Spike said as he tried to make sense of what was going on.

"Spike, don't insult our guest." Twilight scolded.

"Oh, no. Please insult all you want, he deserves it." Shining corrected. He approached Rein with a deepening scowl. "You get an allowance from the crown for food. Why are you eating my sister's food?"

"I get an allowance?" Rein asked. Somewhere there was a solar diarch groaning because she forgot to notify her detective of his allowance. "And here I've been eating out of the garbage."

Twilight gasped. "That is horrible!"

"It was good actually. A pink mare brought me out some fresh stuff while I slept in the alley."

"You slept in an alley?" Shining Armor and Twilight said in shocked unison.

"Better than an admax cell." Rein chuckled and poured chocolate syrup on cheese before taking a big bite. "I used to love this stuff as a foal. So glad I still do."

Spike gagged and left the room, leaving Twilight to deal with their eccentric guest.

"Mr. Mind." Twilight started. "I appreciate that you've finally stopped by, but could you stop laying on the counter? If you take a seat, I'd be happy to make you something."

Rein stopped mid bite and looked into Twilight's beaming expression. He knew she was familiar with his crimes, which begged the question; why treat him so kindly?

"Twily, don't. He's a scoundrel and isn't even worth the time." Shining whispered, but was flicked by Twilight who continued to stand with a big, forced smile.

"I accept." Rein rolled off the counter and landed on his hooves. "And the name's Rein, kid."

"What would you like?" Twilight Sparkle levitated the contents of her fridge into the air. "I have enough ingredients and cook books to make virtually anything."

"Tomato soup and a grilled cheese?" Rein asked.

"Right away." Twilight chirped.

'I'm going to pay for this in questions, I know it.' Rein left the kitchen and ignored the glaring set of stallions outside the door. "Hey Milo, Otis."

The stallions growled at Rein's nicknames, causing him laugh as he walked away. Within moments of turning another corner, Rein dropped his mood and leaned against the wall before fishing out another cigar. His hoof shook until he was able to light the cigar to take a long drag. He mumbled to himself and to the distant ear, it would sound like singing.

Secretly, Rein peeked at an old photo of a blond mare before stuffing it back to continue his trek through the crystal like castle. He looked all around and eventually arrived at a huge set of double doors. "Well this looks important."

Many considered sneaking into large, ornate rooms, rude, but Rein had no such reservations. He smirked when he found Rarity and Rainbow Dash sitting at the large round table discussing Rarity's latest Seaddle trip.

Rainbow spotted Rein sneaking up from behind Rarity and called him out. "Can we help you?"

"Oh, just waiting for lunch. Go back to your conversation." Rein sat in Applejack's seat and sank into it leisurely. "Don't let me spoil your fun."

Rarity huffed when she made eye contact with the offensive stallion.

"Ah, come on, Gorgeous." Rein mimicked a Manehatten gangster's voice. "A dame like you is too beautiful to scowl like that."

Rarity fought her frown as it threatened to turn into a smile, but Rainbow had no qualms with her own scowl.

"Oh, you're the stallion that caused that crash last week." Rainbow leaned into her chair. "I asked Shining Armor about you, he says you're bad news. Something about you being a villain."

"Villain?" Rein feigned insult. "I am merely a wronged stallion."

Rainbow didn't take her eyes off of Rein, she kept her judging gaze fixated on him. She had tried to get all the information she could from Shining Armor, his past and what he intends to do for the future. Princess Celestia had tried to censor Shining by telling him to not freely share Rein's file information, but Rainbow was able to wean her way into Shining's good graces. And from what he had to say, Rein was a pony to keep at arm's length.

"Do you still have to smoke?" Rarity asked.

Rein rolled his eyes and tapped the fire out of his cigar before shoving it into his jacket. "For you, my dear."

Rarity leaned towards Rein's direction and tapped her hoof lightly on the table. "Mr. Gallant, may I ask you a question?"

"You may." Rein leaned on an arm while he made eye contact with Rainbow. "Questions are an excellent way to learn from one another directly and not from a disgruntled guard captain."

'Can he read minds?' Rainbow thought.

"I can read minds." Rein said.

Rainbow's eye grew large and Rein laughed.

"Mr. Gallant, how did you know about my desire to change careers?" Rarity asked. "Since your conversation in the coffee shop earlier, it has been plaguing my mind."

"Since I've arrived, I trust you've been told who I am?" Rein asked.

"Nothing past your real name and some background information I'm afraid. I prefer to find out who you really are, from you. I thought I had seen your name before in the mystery section of the library. Though, It must be a coincidence, those books were over ninety years old and you're not a day past thirty."

"No, I am indeed the author." Rein smirked and nodded. "I take it you've never read any of my books?"

Rarity shook her head, confused at his statement. "I had a choice between a few series and chose one of Shadow Spade's."

"Ah, so you chose the romanticized noir of detective work and not factual accounts in which the author, myself, examines an actual crime and details the actions of real beings?" Rein chuckled at Rarity's embarrassment. "Don't be embarrassed. I don't think less of you for it, I myself have enjoyed the hard hitting certainties of Shadow Spade getting her culprit."

"You have?" Rarity asked in surprise.

"Yes, I often read her stories while in prison." Rein chirped, instantly killing Rarity's intrigue. "It's nice to feel the thrill of reading a chase and the know of her emerging triumphant."

"Shining Armor said you were in a high security prison." Rainbow cut in. "But, you don't speak like a convict."

"Would you like me to?" Rein asked in earnest and threw up a hoof in question. "Because if you wish for me to be verbally abusive and try to steal yo' cornbread, I can."

"I don't even have cornbread?" Rainbow said, throwing up a hoof. "Do you even hear what you say?"

"Not over the sounds of grinding gears and laughter." Rein deadpanned and looked towards the door before it opened to see a floating grilled cheese and bowl of soup.

"Twilight, is that where you went to?" Rarity asked. "If you were hungry, we could have gone to one of the many restaurants in town."

"Oh it isn't for me." Twilight chirped. "It's for him."

"You made him food?" Rarity said in disbelief. "Wait, you made food?"

"I can cook!" Twilight defended. "Especially for an honored guest."

"Honored." Rein whispered to himself in amusement. He glanced between Rarity, Rainbow, and Twilight and read them like the ingredients on a food label.

Rainbow tapped her hoof on her chair as she let Rarity and Twilight talk themselves out of hot air. She opted to look at their guest and found that his eyes were darting over her lounged form.

"Can I help you?"

"You favor that set of words quite a bit, don't you?" Rein chided. "You seem very upset with me being here. I bet you have problems meeting new ponies."

Rainbow felt her temper bubbling up. "You don't know me, so I think it's best if we just ignore each other."

"Interesting point of view." Rein said monotonously into his soup.

Twilight smiled deviously and pulled out a notepad, which gained the confused attention of Rarity who looked between Rein, Twilight, and the notebook.

"You don't know the first thing about me." Rainbow huffed and crossed her arms.

"I could dissect you in seconds." Rein stated as he stirred his soup.

"No you can't." Rainbow challenged.

Rein dipped his grilled cheese in the soup and took a satisfying bite. He turned and chewed his food with vigor. "I know you're an only child. Either one, or both of your parents pushed you to do sports, likely your father judging from your general brutishness in your speech. You have issues with connecting to the opposite sex and because of it you've tried to come off as tough and capable. Stop me if I'm wrong."

Rainbow's eyes opened wide in awe, signalling Rein to continue his assault. "Tough and Capable are not bad qualities, but the smeared makeup residue on your lip and ear tell me you are bothered by this and desperately want to change this." Rein stopped and turned to Rarity. "You look like a mare that enjoys a good soak at the spa, have you ever caught Ms. Dash at the spa and caught her acting weird while attempting to explain her presence."

"No. Rainbow Dash." Rein said calmly. "I'm afraid I know you quite well." He took a bite and stared up into her eyes. "If silent screaming doesn't get anyone's attention, then try and speak to someone who is listening."

Rainbow's face fell at the allusion he had made to her own inner turmoil. "How did you know all that?"

Twilight clapped her hooves. "That was just like the duchesses scene in the case of 'The White Noir of distilled hearts!'"

Rein smiled and sipped his soup.

"How did you do that?" Rainbow said.

With a hefty sigh, Rein finished his soup. "The romanticized version of it is-"

"-everypony is a walking blueprint of their lives and lifestyles. With simple deductions, any world-weary pony can read another's life in their first meeting. All it takes is a keen eye and some wit." Twilight recited.

"R-Right." Rein said. "What she said."

"And the un-romanticized version?" Rarity asked.

"Well, hot flanks, that's my secret." Rein winked at Rarity's scowl.

"I don't understand, one moment you seem like a gentlecolt and another you're an unrefined vagabond? Twilight told me you were once a great detective and then out of nowhere you turned evil and was sent to prison."

"There's a spider on your shoulder." Rein pointed, causing Rarity to freak out and lose her mind while the other two mares tried to help, when they found no spider, they glared at Rein's empty spot.

"That jerk." Rarity growled.

"Isn't this a lamp from Princess Twilight's castle?" Silver Coin asked as he looked over the crystalline ornamentation. He was unsure what he was looking at was actually a royal item.

"Yes." Rein said. "I was given this by the... ah, Princess of Friendship as a housewarming gift, she imbued it with power of electricity to light up the darkest areas."

"So it's a lamp?"

"Or, a totem of light?" Rein reasoned. "I'll take fifty bits for it."

"I'll give you ten." Silver Coin rolled his eyes.

"Forty five?"

"I'll give you fifteen just to get out of my store."

"Sold!" Rein barked and scooped up the bits that clattered to the counter before skipping out of the store. "And you, Sir, the owner of a grand totem of light, have a somewhat mediocre day!"

"W-Wait! This lamp has a broken bulb in it!" Silver shouted as Rein closed the front door behind him.

"Where to now?" Rein mumbled while stumbling and looking around. He wanted ponies to keep their distance, so acting like a drunk usually did the trick. Images started to fly through his mind of the dossiers he read from Celestia.

Rein slowed his walk and leveled his balance out. He needed an alley and an alley was where he slipped in to. He chuckled as it was the same alley he had slept in for the past few nights.

"So. You're the stallion that's been eating out of my garbage?" Mrs. Cake asked, jolting Rein from his thoughts.

Rein had seen this bag of frosting before, she would peek out at him throughout the day before her lanky husband shooed her away from the window.

"Well, if I had to choose an alley, I figured it may as well be the best." Rein chuckled and sat against the wall of the opposite building. "Foods not bad either."

"I see Pinkie has fed you. She does love helping ponies in need." Mrs. Cake leaned against the frame of the backdoor and smiled sweetly, she rubbed her bandaged face gently. Upon seeing Rein's looks, she giggled. "I got this, tripping on frosting."

"Ouch, lemme guess, green batter?"

Mrs. Cake laughed and nodded. "Caught me red hoofed."

"Well, I am a detective."

The mistress of the baker looked slightly surprised, but melted back into her smile. "Is that so? May I ask, what is your name?"

"Rein six one six." He smirked and rustled inside his jacket to get his next cigar.

"Rein? Like the district in Canterlot?"

"The very same." Rein chuckled. "But enough about my life. May I ask you some questions regarding your patrons?"

"Oh, I'm not sure I should." Mrs. Cake said and glanced behind her nervously.

"Oh, nonsense." Rein cooed. "Your husband is at the market, isn't he? And this is just a harmless, little conversation. This is the first time we've met. You just returned from your trip from Manehatten, did you not?"

"How did you know that? I was away at the cake festival." Mrs. Cake shuffled her hooves and relented. "I-um, sure. What would you like to know?"

"Has there been anyone in your business that, say, have been acting as if they just won a bag of bits? I mean excited, elated, and other fancy words." Rein stood and lit his cigar and snapped his lighter shut, within a few good puffs the alley was hazy with sweet fog. "To give you a short bit about myself, I am here investigating a foalnapping plot."

"A-A foalnapping!" Mrs. Cake gasped and turned to run towards the front of Sugarcube corner. "P-Princess Twilight!"

"Here we go." Rein groaned as he followed the baker through her store and into the front where Twilight stood with Rarity and Fluttershy.

"Mrs. Cake, what's wrong?" Twilight asked as she saw the frantic mare trotting over to her.

"Princess Twilight, is there something going on in Ponyville?"

Twilight laughed and rolled her eyes. "There's always something happening in Ponyville."

Mrs. Cake shook her head vigorously. "No, is somepony about to be abducted?"

The bakery erupted in gasps and whispers. Twilight turned her head and looked at both her friends who shrugged in return. Her mind raced with questions until she saw a cigar wielding Rein saunter out of the kitchen.

"Gallant!" Twilight growled as she stomped her hoof.

"Yes, Princess?" Rein gave a mock growled in return.

"Why are you going around worrying ponies?"

"Oh, I was just gathering the last bit of information before solving this case." Rein sat and rolled his eyes back as he took a particularly long bite of his cigar.

"You solved the case?" Twilight said. "But you started your investigation today."

Rein raised an eyebrow at the Alicorn Princess and sighed. "Yes, and I for one am surprised that no one was able to get to the bottom of this shallow pool we call Ponyville. I solved it the first day by deduction alone, all I needed were key bits of testimony."

Twilight narrowed her eyes. "Explain."

"Gladly." Rein stood and blew smoke in every direction as he stepped towards Twilight. He gave a hollow grin as he passed her before leaning against the door frame. "But try and keep up."

A Ponyville guard walked in from the darkening weather outside and found Celestia's detective about to explain the case.

"Ah, excellent. This way immediate action can be taken." Rein chuckled and started.

"The plot to foalnap Twilight seemed very deluded, but that was likely why none of the guards figured it out." Rein started and was interrupted by the subject of his statement.

"Wait, me?" Twilight spat.

"Yes, now sush." Rein snipped. "Now where was I? Oh yes. I started walking the streets a week ago and found a curious trinket in a garbage can behind a certain jewelry and fine ornamentation shop. It was dirty and tarnished, but I was to identify it as an ornate bookmark that went missing after the last break in."

Rein stood and started to pace around the room. "Next I asked around about the going ons of Ponyville, who knew who and why. It turns out the Silver Rush Jewelry store is up on their lease and the owner wants them out." Rein paused and waited for interaction, but when none came, he patted Fluttershy on the shoulder, making her jump. "Who's the owner? Good question Fluttershy."

"But I didn't say anything." Fluttershy whispered gently.

"The owner is the Ponyville Government entity and who is half the power in Ponyville?" Rein asked and looked at Twilight.

"Me?"

"You." Rein continued pacing. "I took a thorough look around the room that was broken in to and found a lamp missing, but I was able to locate the remains of its bulb. After some browsing in the local shops, I found the missing lamp in the Silver Rush Jewelry store with a broken bulb still in it."

Rein stopped in front of the guard and nodded down to him. "It isn't difficult to surmise who it was and their motive. A thorough search of his business after arrest should turn up more incriminating evidence."

The guard, fully knowing who stood before him, gave Rein a crisp salute before running off towards the guard barracks.

'Sorry, Coin. Just business.' Rein thought as he apologized silently to the shop keep.

"That was amazing." Mrs. Cake said.

"Yes, I know." Rein chuckled at the nervous mare. "I've been out of the loop for quite some time. With the case solved, I get my amnesty and my money." Rein paused and grinned wide. "And my soon-to-be rebuilt pent house in Canterlot's cloud district."

"Amnesty?" Fluttershy and Rarity asked.

"What are you talking about?" Twilight asked.

Rein shrugged. "Penthouse in the Cloud district." He tapped his chin and stood up to exit the bakery. "Maybe I should have Tia move the penthouse here, or the entire building."

"No, the part about the amnesty." Twilight asked, her curiosity and concern crept into her words as she approached Rein, she followed him out of the store and onto the street.

"Ah, Gallant Mind." Came a regal voice. "I just heard the good news."

Twilight looked up from focusing on Rein and saw her mentor standing before him in all her radiance.

"I trust everything has been thoroughly investigated and collected?" Celestia hummed.

"It has, to a point." Rein nodded. "I see you wasted no time in teleporting here?"

"Have I ever?" Celestia smiled. "I received notice earlier today of your investigation and cleared my schedule as a result. I see eighty years haven't dulled you one bit."

Whispers spoke behind Rein, he guessed that his crimes had been forgotten by ponies since crime was never openly spoken about in an increasingly fragile society.

"So who is the culprit?" Celestia cooed.

Rein chuckled and glanced up at the grinning Princess. "I think it's Silver coin."

Celestia's smile twitched slightly before she summoned a scroll. "Well. Here are your amnesty papers, I hope you can live with the decision you've made."

"Making." Rein corrected curtly before snatching the scroll from Celestia's magical grip, causing her to smile at him as he left in a determined hurry toward Twilight's castle.

"So will he leave?" Twilight asked as she looked up to her smiling mentor.

Celestia glanced over to see an extremely upset stallion being brought out of the Silver Rush. "No, he isn't finished. Though, if he's even half the stallion he used to be, he'll be up all night tonight."

"I don't understand." Twilight said. "He named the culprit, doesn't that mean it's over?"

Celestia draped a wing over Twilight. "Let your guards have the night off tonight and you will have your answer."

"If you say so, Princess." Twilight stored her notebook away and choked on her breath when she remembered what she wanted to ask Celestia about. "Princess, why did you release him from imprisonment? I dug up old articles and it is said he committed some pretty heinous crimes."

Celestia sighed. "I trust you've read his books?"

"Of course." Twilight sat and looked up to the sky. "He was a historical figure in crime fighting and later became an imposing figure in Equestria's underworld. If I remember it correctly, you were the one who apprehended him."

Celestia closed her eyes and memories of the past danced in the darkness of her vision. She could see Gallant siting against an old apple tree with a cold, distant look coming from his eyes. Celestia jerked involuntarily when she remembered the hug she gave him as he turned himself over.

"Are you okay, Princess?" Twilight asked cautiously.

"Yes, I am alright." Celestia opened her eyes and smiled. "To answer your question; I let Rein have his freedom back because I think he can be saved. Out of everypony in Equestria, he alone has made the greatest sacrifice."

Twilight closed her mouth and gave her mentor a thoughtful expression as to what she meant. 'The greatest sacrifice.'

"Please watch over him, Twilight. Chances are he will have a rough time adapting to the times." Celestia said with a weak voice.

Only silence stood as Celestia teleported away, leaving Twilight to contemplate what was really going on. She looked back to her friends who had gathered for the Princess' sudden arrival.

"So where'd he go, Twi?" Applejack asked.

"I think he went to my castle." Twilight turned and started to trot, and was followed by her friends shortly after.

"Spike, can you get me some tea? Preferably Equestrian Royale?"

"Right away, Mr. R." Spike said and ran out of the room, away from the stallion writing in strange languages. Spike had not minded the smoke, but the strange mumbling made his scales crawl.

The instant Spike left, Rein scribbled on a piece of paper before burning it over a candle of green flame.

With slow, deliberate movements, Rein stood and stretched his wings before three loud pops made his back kink in delight. He sighed in victory, having finally succeeded in popping his back when he had been trying for hours.

Rein reached forward and he looked over his case file one last time before shoving it into its brown, bronze clasped, suitcase. He looked over and saw his opened package that said 'personal effects,' sitting on the study desk.

"Spike, where is he?" Twilight's voice echoed through the hall. Rein guessed Spike was nearby, because he heard no response before a small stampede of hooves marched toward the door. But before the door was flung open, Rein's voice alone stopped Twilight in her tracks.

"Do not open that door."

After a short moment of silence, Twilight gulped. "Why?"

"Case sensitive materials. Only Twilight and Rarity are allowed inside. Not Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, or Rainbow Dash." Rein placed his hoof over the magic briefcase lock and whispered the combination to seal it.

"What about Applejack?" Twilight asked.

Rein closed his eyes and fought the soreness in his throat. He sighed and dug in a cigar box Celestia had sent him as payment. "Only the named mares shall enter, no more."

With two pomfs, Twilight and Rarity appeared in the room with concerned looks. They took in the room and coughed at the sweet scented smoke.

"Must you smoke?" Rarity wrinkled her nose. "It smells like my grandfather's trunk in here."

Rein and Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"He used to smoke Sweet Andalusians too." Rarity shrugged. "He kept them and smoked them when my grandma wasn't looking, it's a smell I'm not quite fond of."

"Thank you for sharing." Rein said.

Twilight stomped her hoof, cutting off Rein before he could continue. "Wait, why are you smoking in my castle? It says, in no uncertain terms, that nopony that enters this castle is to partake in such activities!"

Rein gave Twilight a wry look and rose to his full height. "Don't worry, Princess. I will be gone soon enough and then you don't have to worry about me smoking, drinking, destroying your plumbing, or eating all your food. The case will resolve itself tonight."

"Wait what was that about the plumbing?" Twilight said before shaking her head. "So I was right? You're not done with the case?"

"Nope."

"But what about Silver Coin?" Twilight asked. "Were there two plots to foalnap me?"

Suddenly, a large crash was heard from the kitchen, drawing everyone's attention and Rein's unchecked gallop out of the room. He barreled passed Twilight and Rarity before side checking the door, throwing the doors wide open. He took off and ran through the corridors and up to the kitchen.

"Help! Intruder!" Spike's voice rang out through the castle.

Rein darted out a hall window and doubled back toward the castle's kitchen. He turned and leaped through the door before colliding into a squishy, cloaked mare.

"Spike!" Twilight cried as she entered the room with her friends and the castle guards.

"Get off me!" The mare shouted as Rein pinned her to the floor.

"I see you truly didn't disappoint." A voice cooed from the shadows of the kitchen.

Everyone in the room turned to find Celestia sitting in the corner with her Equestrian Royale tea, seemingly waiting for the show to begin. She waved at Rein, signaling him to start.

"What's going on?" Twilight asked with labored breath, not from running, but from her extreme confusion.

Rein paused when his eyes met Applejack's, his strength faltered causing the mare beneath his to fight his grip, forcing his concentration back to pinning her. "Simple, Twilight. I apprehended your would be murderer."

"What?" Twilight's voice shook at the prospect.

Everyone in the room looked on with wide eyes, but none more so than Celestia. She stood and levitated her tea till she sat next to her former student. "Please explain, Sir Gallant."

Rein sighed at his name and shrugged it off. "You hired me to solve a potential foal-napping, but after looking over the crime scene, it was painfully obvious it was just someone testing the castle's response to infiltration. Which I did earlier this week."

Twilight scowled when she remembered a brick flying through the guest bathroom window and the hour long staging of panicked guards afterwards. "That was you?"

"Yes, and the answer is six minutes in case anyone was wondering." Rein said before continuing. "Now, infiltrating and attacking the Princess is impossible, or at least extremely hard for the run of the mill pony. So what next?"

"A bomb?" Rainbow asked.

"Trapdoor?" Pinkie asked.

"What about poison?" Fluttershy whispered.

"Close, Fluttershy." Rein said. "I see you've thought about this."

Fluttershy whimpered. "I-I just read a lot of mystery books and that seems like a common theme with hard to reach ponies."

"Lemme guess, another Shadow Spade fan?" Rein chuckled. "Flat out poison now-a-days is rarely used. Now, killers use enchanted potions to cause a variety of effects. In my day, it was the opposite and poisonings were the frequent killers among the two."

"So somepony broke in and is trying to poison the food?" Rarity asked.

"No, the poison was brought here by none of than Spike the Dragon." Rein pointed, eliciting a resounding gasp.

"Are you saying Spike tried to poison Twilight?" Celestia asked.

Rein looked at the shocked, teary eyes dragon and shook his head. "Not at all, he was an unwilling participant. He bought a variety of deserts from the bakery today alongside Twilight. She gets a special toffee and only gets them from there."

A guard marched over to a turned over back and picked it up with his magic. "This bag?"

Rein nodded. "Yes, bring it here."

Slowly, the guard levitated the bag over and placed it in Rein's hooves. "For a solid week, I slept in the baker's alley and went through their garbage looking for food-"

Celestia smacked her forehead.

"-and in the garbage, I found seeds from apricots, apples, and peaches spilled on the ground under the garbage can." Rein heard the mare scoff. "Not that it's abnormal, however, Saddle Arabian figs are rare for Equestria, even today."

"Rein, I don't see what seeds have to do with poison?" Twilight asked.

"What if I told you that all the figs I found were devoid of seeds?" Rein asked. "And that those seeds carry large amounts of a chemical that in high, enchanted doses can kill a full grown hydra in seconds. A natural defense for fruits is basically turned into a devastating poison for anyone to use. Restaurants require cooks with special licenses and training to even sell the item."

"But who would do this?" Twilight exclaimed.

Celestia closed her eyes, based on the evidence and the location of said evidence, she knew exactly who was under the cloak. She opened her eyes to watch Rein heft the mare up and rip her hood back.

"Mrs. Cake!" Everyone cried.

Mrs. Cake just hung her head in shame. The silence was almost more than she could take and the look on Pinkie's face alone threatened to take the heart of her right then and there.

"May I ask a question?" Mrs. Cake choked out. "When did you figure it out?"

"The first day I arrived." Rein's answer shocked the room. "After the whole train crash, I walked around from business to business and examined everything. I examined the so called crime scene and walked outside to a small clearing beneath the window, there I found trace amounts of flour, leading me to Sugarcube corner."

Mrs. Cake hung her head.

"There, I perused the garbage, since ponies usually don't mind vagrants eating their trash. You probably saw me and never thought twice about it." Rein sighed. "I looked at the seeds and from their rot, I guessed them to be at least a month old. You've planned this for quite some time."

"How did you know I would be here tonight?" Mrs. Cake asked.

"I remember you requesting to ask one question, but I shall indulge you." Rein pointed to an empty nightstand. "This afternoon, you laid on your 'act' a little too thick when Silver Coin was arrested. You panicked initially and sought out your target to make it seem like you regard her as the go-to mare. But all of this falls in comparison to my biggest piece of evidence."

"Oh yeah?" Mrs. Cake laughed. "And what is that?"

"Green frosting." Rein smiled. "I asked you earlier if you had green frosting on you and you said yes without thinking. According to Pinkie, you've been short on it for a month. Interesting, since Twilight likes her toffee with small, green, frosting stars on them. In the end you didn't order green frosting so that you wouldn't accidentally mix the green, poison laced frosting with regular frosting. It certainly would have been a shame to kill a bystander and fail before killing your target, hm?"

"Also, adding to the fact that Mrs. Cake just got back from Manehatten, where she was paid a large sum by an unknown benefactor before returning with the figs." Rein shrugged. "You really should keep your dirty laundry out of the trash."

"This is all circumstantial." Mrs. Cake tried to plea. "I was home when the castle window broke!"

"But your husband wasn't, he was handling the flour earlier that day." Rein shoved Mrs. Cake towards the standing guard. "He is the other half of their murder plot."

"B-But why." Twilight asked through tears.

Rein signaled the guard to muzzle Mrs. Cake. "In short, she has never liked you and the Equestrian criminal underworld wants you out of the way, being royalty, a national treasure, an element of harmony, and someone who Celestia cares deeply for, it's not hard to see why."

The guard nodded when Rein gave him the signal of lighting a cigar, a staple from his books. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be held against you in a court of Equestrian law. You have-"

The guard droned on while Rein closed his eyes and exhaled upward. He waited for him to finish and for the mare's tears of fake sorrow to follow. "This has been jarring for you all, the guards will take care of this. The rest of you, get some sleep and eat some chocolate. I will debrief you all in the morning."

One by one, each mare helped the other out of the room, hearing what was believed to be a close friend actually turn out to be the one trying to murder another weighed heavily on the mind.

"Thank you." Celestia cooed as the double doors shut them both in.

"It's no problem." Rein said. "Its been awhile."

"And you haven't lost a beat at all." Celestia said. "I thought you would doom that stallion and leave, but no, you stayed true just like I knew you would."

"Knew I would, huh? Gotta do something criminally insane to uphold my reputation." Rein chuckled and puffed his cigar.

Ignoring the criminal comment, Celestia nodded. "Yes, I believed in you every step of the way."

Rein laughed and took the tea cup Celestia offered to him. "A talk and a nice, warm cup of coffee sounds really good right about now. I know Twilight got more marble cake today too. And don't worry, it isn't poisoned."

Celestia smiled. "I would like that, more than you know."

Rein smirked and sat next to Celestia as the cake floated over from the fridge. "So Rein, what do you plan on doing with your new found freedom?"

"I'm going to use the money I'm getting from this case to open up another agency." Rein leaned back. "And then I have a few cases I need to reopen."

"Which ones?"

Ignoring the question, Rein looked out the window at the mare screaming as she was dragged away. "There is also the matter of who hired the Cakes to assassinate Equestrian royalty."

Author's Note

I totally didn't write this to the tune of Case Closed.

Yes I did. As I mentioned in the prologue, I love mystery. I'm going to be releasing these chapters in spurts, like cases and in some it'll be stuff like case closed, shadow spade, type stuff where you'll get the guy, but others will be rooted in more non-fiction means, whatever that means to you.

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