The Dance of the Seven Veils

Chapters

Dice mihi
Ubi apparuit primo mane
Et iam sole
Chapter 4

Dice mihi

Despite the late hour of the night and the cold air of winter, a crowd of ponies gathered around a tapped off perimeter set up by the Manehatten Police, they wanted to see the crime scene out of morbid curiosity. A single pony in a fedora and trench coat navigated through the crowd, he got in front and showed off his credentials to a nearby officer.

The police officer let the pony through. "Commissioner Dunn is over there." he pointed out. The pony just nodded in response and walked over to see the commissioner himself overlooking a shroud covered corpse on the sidewalk.

"About time you got here Keibu," responded Dunn. "maybe your expertise will help us." he said.

"What do we have here?" muttered Keibu as he peeked under the shroud to see the bloody mess of what used to be a pony stallion. Judging from the injuries, he fell from a pretty extreme height. "Another suicide?"

"Not a suicide," Dunn pointed out. "although I never heard of ponies literally stitch their own suicide notes to themselves before killing themselves." he pointed at the stitch marks on the body, each of them continued ripped pieces of paper. "most suicidal ponies are too impulsive to take their time for it, besides, we found evidence of a struggle in his apartment."

"Where's the note?" asked Keibu.

"I have it," he took out a transparent plastic bag with the note inside, it's edges torn off implying that the paper had to be forcibly removed from the victim's body. "But let me warn you, it is definitely not a suicide note," Dunn said cryptically as he gave Keibu the paper.

He began to read the paper although the fact that it was soaked in blood made it difficult to make out the words. "You abused me and lied to me all those years ago," Keibu read. "you think it is funny to ruin other ponies lives before it truly began? The justice system is a scam considering you were let off too easy and never received justice for all the things you did to me, but I am not here to give you justice or vengeance, but punishment." he read. "Sighed, Oн." He looked back to the body. "What's the victim's name?"

"I guess you couldn't recognize him considering that his face has been literally flatted by the pavement, but his name is Light Field, does that name ring a bell?"

Keibu looked back through his memories of all the ponies he encountered in his life, has he met a pony with such a name? He suddenly got an epiphany to confirm that he in fact did, and it was not a good thing. "The foalophile photographer who worked for 'Hard Candy'," he said to confirm his suspicion.

"He accepted a plea bargain, ended up going to jail for two years and probation for the rest of his life, one of his conditions was to never take up photography for the rest of his life," informed Dunn. "He's the third pony you helped arrest during that sting that was killed by this Oh pony."

"Third?!" he was stunned. "Why wasn't I told about the first two?"

"We thought the first two were suicides, but that note confirmed that they weren't, we have a wannabe vigilante serial killer on the loose."

"I need names and locations for the three remaining stallions who we arrested." he demanded as the realization dawned on him.

"Well, one died in prison, another died after a botched self-castration shortly after release and the third one, the big one, is missing." explained Dunn.

"Missing? Male Lupe is missing?!" he was shocked. "He's the most prolific foal pornographer in Equestrian history! How can he just go missing! You were supposed to track his whereabouts!"

"He absconded shortly before his first meeting with the probation officer, about five months ago," Dunn explained. "Good thing too, because if we don't know where he is, then our killer sure as Tartarus does not know." he turned to Keibu. "This case is all yours considering that you were the one that helped shut down a large-scale foalophile magazine and put these sickos in jail." he calmly left the scene. Keibu said nothing as he took in his surroundings.

Keibu looked around the messy apartment, furniture was broken, glass everywhere, a struggle did indeed happen. He looked to see that the Hearthwarming Day tree was undamaged and a pile of gifts halfway wrapped to signify that the victim was in the middle of wrapping the gifts before the struggle began. "To my family." one of the labels on the boxes read.

"I thought his family disowned him..." he mused to himself. He looked out the broken window in deep thought, he found no trace of the killer anywhere. "I wonder..." he mumbled. "What if the killer was one of the fillies they abused?" He was tempted to go down to the station to look up the case files of all the fillies they saved about six and a half years ago, but he realized that they all live under assumed names and have been sent to live with foster parents across Equestria. "But there has to be one unaccounted for?"

It was about four in the morning when he arrived at his apartment, having insomnia does have its benefits when you are a detective, but it wreaks havoc on his deductive skills. He groggily reached his apartment door when another door opened. He turned around to see that it was just his landlord's daughter. "About time you got home?" she asked, she was a tall Saddle Arabian mare, about sixteen, she still wore her traditional tack even at four.

Keibu just smiled. "Why are you up so early Aisha?" he jokingly teased, he always did had a small crush on the mare although never allowed himself to go any further with his feelings due to being twice her age and the vastly different cultural backgrounds.

"Getting in some food and drink to last the day before morning prayer, typical Ramadan stuff." she smiled playing along with the teasing. She always found him cute, but she knows her father would not approve, much to her frustration. "Want to join us?" she offered.

"Oh, no, it's okay, I have some sleep to catch up on, but good luck for today, Ramadan Mubarak." he complimented as he opened his apartment door and walked inside.

"Happy Hearthswarming Season." complimented Aisha back with a smile as she watched him walk inside. She just sighed with longing.

Inside, Keibu just plopped himself down on the couch, exhausted and sleep deprived. He fondled around the coffee table to get his much-needed sleeping pills. He took the bottle and swallowed double the prescribed dose, to say he was dependent on them was an understatement. The pills soon began to do their job and the stallion slowly drifted into his usual restless sleep.

Hours later, Keibu was awoken by a loud pounding on the front door. "Ugh..." he grunted with annoyance as he straightened himself out before going to the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming..." he yelled at the door before he opened it to reveal a large muscular stallion with a shaved off mane and dark sunglasses. "Uh..." he was intimidating, to say the least. "...can I help you?"

"My name is Rochefort, and I work for a very important pony who requests your services," he stated in a deep yet emotionless voice. "He promises to pay triple what you normally offer."

The detective pony just looked at the imposing man suspiciously. "What kind of services?" he asked.

"He'll tell you once you visit him."

Keibu just looked on skeptically. "I refuse to visit clients without knowing what services he is requesting first," he said stubbornly.

The large stallion just gave a sigh. "Fine, but should you ever change your mind, give my boss a call." he gave the detective a business card.

The card was for Cai Lun Mills, the largest paper factory in Equestria. "Have a nice day," he said before he walked away. Keibu looked at the card suspiciously before he slipped it into his trench coat pocket.

"Like I told the police yesterday, I heard a loud crash, then I quickly got up and looked out to see what happened and saw this strange pony in a cape and hat standing behind the broken glass of the apartment across from me." explained the witness to Keibu, a mare, who got ready for work at the corporate office.

"So you mean to tell me that the killer is a masked vigilante like in the comic books?" he responded with disbelief.

"Seems fitting especially after I heard what that dead stallion did, probably had it coming to him in my opinion," she stated as she packed her suitcase. "Things have been going bad ever since that Canterlot foalophile ring was discovered, it seems like this world is becoming increasingly unsafe for our foals with each passing year," she stated with worry for the world.

"Just because the victim did heinous things does not excuse the killer's actions ma'am, intentional murder is still murder." the detective stated. "And he will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

"Even if that makes him a martyr for vigilante justice?" she pointed out bluntly. Keibu just looked on with confusion.

"So anything we can gauge from the body?" asked Keibu as he looked at the dead corpse in the morgue. The medical examiner just looked over the charts, his hind legs confined to a wheeled platform attached to his torso. He went over to the body, his wheeled hind legs following right behind.

"Just that he was beaten to the point of unconsciousness and then had a piece of paper sewed to his chest." explained the examiner. "Nothing new to help catch the killer from the victim himself, but we did analyze the paper." he gave Keibu the paper that was found out the victim. "Hold it to the light and tell me what you see."

The detective did as told and held it up in front of the surgical lights to see a strange marking near the corner of the paper. "What's this?" he asked. "A watermark?"

"Yes, a watermark, but not just any watermark because that's the logo of the largest paper mill in Equestria-"

"-Cai Lun Mill" interrupted Keibu who quickly reached into his trench coat and took out the business card Rochefort gave him, it had the exact same logo on it. "But doesn't every paper produced by them have this mark?"

"No, the only paper used for internal business for the company have that watermark, employees for the company are the only ones who have access to it." the examiner explained as he went over to resume eating his sandwich.

"So the killer is most likely an employee of the company."

The Cai Lun Mill was located several miles north of Manehatten, the winter season was more evident in the forest surrounding the city. The carriage Keibu rode in soon arrived at its destination. He looked out to see Rochefort at the front entrance, he knew the detective was coming. Keibu just got off the carriage and walked up to the large stallion. "You knew it was one of your employees the entire time didn't you?" he asked skeptically.

"The boss will explain more to you Mr. Keibu, just follow me," said Rochefort dryly. He leads the detective inside the building.

Both the detective and the stallion rode the elevator up to the highest floor in the Mill and walked out to see a bed shrouded in darkness. "Who goes there..." creaked a weak voice.

"Why detective Keibu, as you requested sir." answered Rochefort.

"...approach my bed Mr. Keibu..." ordered the weak and gravelly voice. The detective cautiously did as told. "...and please remove your hat first...it's disrespectful..." he added.

The stallion did as told and reached the bed, only to nearly trip over a pile of used tissue boxes. "What the-?"

"Come closer..." said the boss.

The detective reached the bed, but still could not see him well, still shrouded in darkness, but he could make out a long beard and an equally long and ragged mane. "Mr. Folio?" began Keibu. "Is this really you?"

"Last time I checked..." he joked, but he was too weak to properly convey such tone. "I know who it is that did this..." he began.

"Okay, tell me then." urged the detective.

"My daughter...." admitted Mr. Folio. "...or more accurately, a daughter I never knew I had until you saved her from those awful stallions..." he continued. "...then one that the press dubbed 'Girl O' to protect her identity from the outside world."

"Are you sure the murderer is your daughter?" asked a skeptical Keibu. "How are you certain about this?"

"Because who else has the resources to go across Equestria in a suit and cape and track down those horrible stallions?" Folio pointed out.

"She has the means, she has the motive and she has the opportunity Mr. Keibu, besides, I couldn't have stopped her even if I tried," he admitted with remorse. "I'm just sad that my condition prevents me from being the father she needs, especially after all she went through with those stallions."

"Look Mr. Folio," he began. "Is there any way you can help us find your daughter, or help out in any way in the case?"

"There is something you could do for me Mr. Keibu." he began. He motioned Rochefort to approach the bed. Rochefort walked up to the bed with a saddle bag. "Have you ever heard of the Canterlot foalophile ring?"

"Who hasn't heard of it?" responded the detective. Rochefort opened the bag to reveal a manila envelope. "What's that?"

"That is one-third of the list ponies who were involved in the ring, I want you to take it, find the other two-thirds of it and hide them away from Celestia before her guards get them." the bedridden stallion instructed.

"I thought everyone involved was caught and arrested."

"Those were just low-ranking members who were brainwashed into being patsies to take the fall for those who are really involved," stated Mr. Folio. "Celestia considers them too important to let them be arrested," he explained. "This document is the only proof we have of the existence of this conspiracy and how this ring truly works."

"But how did you come across them and why would you need them?" asked Keibu who was suspicious.

The haggard stallion just gave a weak chuckle. "Blackmail purposes Mr. Keibu, blackmail purposes." Rochefort gave the detective the envelope.

"So if this is just one of three, where are the other two?" wondered the detective.

"My daughter is wondering the same thing my dear detective, but she's beginning to suspect that Mr. Male Lupe is the one that has the second of three," he explained. "I should know, he used that list of help him gauge the amount of subscribers that magazine would get and-" before he could continue, he suddenly let out a painful gasp and clutched his chest. He shot up from the bed, revealing his emaciated and haggard form to the detective in all of its glory. Rochefort shoved Keibu out of the way so he could attend to his employer.

"Don't worry sir, I got your medicine." he pulled out a syringe and filled it with a liquid. The old stallion began to convulse as the muscular pony jabbed the needle into his employer's foreleg. He looked up at the detective. "It's best that you leave now Mr. Keibu, you got what he wanted you to get, so get out of here." he strongly suggested.

Keibu just slowly and cautiously left the room with the envelope that he was given. There was just so much to take in.

Classical music played in the autopsy room as the medical examiner stitched the body closed. He could faintly hear someone pounding on the back entrance to the room. He looked over to see Keibu who pressed his face against the door window with a funny face. The medical examiner rolled his eyes and walked over to the door and opened it. "You could use the front door like everyone else Keibu, especially since I am busy with a stiff right now," he said with annoyance as he let the detective through.

"Well G, this is important," he walked inside and placed his fedora on a hat rack. "I need a place to store the contents of the envelope." he showed Dr. G the item. "Like maybe in this cold storage." he turned to one of the many cold storage units.

"No wait, not that-" G yelled, but it was too late, Keibu opened the door to reveal the body of a dead filly.

"Woops..."

Dr. G just went over and pushed the body back inside before closing the door shut with annoyance. "Gosh darn it, this filly jumped off the penthouse suite and into a pool and I need her ready and undisturbed for the family to identify her." he spat at Keibu.

"Okay, sorry there, I didn't know that one was occupied." he tried to calm the medical examiner down.

Dr. G just gave a sigh of annoyance. "What else do you need Keibu?" he asked, he felt like he was going to regret asking that question.

"Want to go out and hit the clubs tonight? I'm bored and I need something to tire me out so I can finally sleep." he explained.

"Okay, first of all," he began skeptically. "I haven't been hanging around much with the ladies ever since the accident left me with hardly any feeling below my waist." he pointed to his hind legs that strapped to a wheeled platform. "And secondly, drinking, dancing and fucking the night away will not cure your insomnia, we've been over that." he scolded. "Besides, aren't you still seeing that therapist?"

"Oh? You mean Dr. Stroop?" Keibu asked for clarification. He thought back about it. "I haven't seen her in three months now, ever since I pumped and dumped her," he explained nonchalantly.

Dr. G just placed his hoof on his face with shame. "I'm not even going to ask."

"So, are you coming with me so I can help you get laid for the first time in three years, or are you just going to stay here, cutting up bodies and listening to classical music? Just because you can barely feel below your waist does not mean you can't get your thing to work, I've seen it rise to the occasion." Keibu pointed out.

"For the last time, that's not arousal, that's blood pooling." he groaned with annoyance. "Just go get help with your insomnia before it starts affecting your abilities as a detective, for your sake." he urged before he returned back to the table to resume his work on the body. "Now please leave before my boss sees you, he hates it when there are unauthorized visitors in the autopsy room." he immediately got back to his work and completely ignored Keibu.

"Fine, whatever, more mares to pump and dump for me." said the detective who took offense. He just walked out the door and slammed it shut. Dr. G looked up a was suddenly worried for his friend.

Keibu wanted to go to the new dance club that opened in the neighborhood, the headlining DJ that night was Neon Lights, but with his friend's rejection, he lost all motivation and purpose to be there. He just walked back to his apartment and got to work looking through the document he was given. He walked in, closed the door and sat down at his small desk near his practically unused bed. It was past sunset by the time he got home.

Immediately upon laying eyes on the document, he was met by the names of several influential ponies in Equestria that were implicated as being involved, most were local politicians. He could not believe just how deep it went, but he found that the list ended abruptly, the two remaining parts that made the list are still out there, he just needs to track down Light Field before the killer does. He casually checked the back of the page just to be certain, only to find a single word printed on the back: "Aeneid"

Before he could probe further, his thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Huh?" he quickly got up and trotted over to the door. He opened the door to see Aisha before him holding a bag of food. "Aisha?"

"Just wanted to ask if you would like some food that I prepared." she said.

"Oh? Okay, thanks." he takes the food. He looked at her and felt his heart pound from nervousness. He needed to say something least appear to be rude. "Want to come inside and grab a drink?" he spat out, nervous. "If that's okay, seeing as it is now dark outside and you probably haven't eaten anything all day and-"

"As long as it is not alcohol I'll gladly accept the offer." smiled Aisha, she could not help but find his nervousness cute and endearing. She let herself into his apartment and looked around. "A lot cleaner than I thought." she joked.

"Mostly because I'm usually out investigating," Keibu explained as he looked inside his icebox only to see a twelve pack of sparkling cider and a gallon of milk. "Uh...you don't mind warm milk?" he asked. He always kept forgetting to buy groceries.

"Just make sure you add a lot of honey in mine." she requested as she sat down on the couch. She could not help but feel like she was crushing something stiff underneath the cushions. She looked over to see the stallion busily preparing the drinks, so she took the opportunity to sit up and look underneath to cushions, only to find a shocking amount of pornographic magazines underneath. "Typical," she muttered.

"You say something?" he asked from the nearby kitchen, too focused on watching the milk get heated on the stove top.

"Oh no, I didn't say anything." she quickly placed the cushion back in its place and sat back down. "Just surprised that you're still living the bachelor lifestyle at your age." she then remembered something. "Say, what happened to that young mare that would always visit you three times a week? I haven't seen her since the end of summer." she wondered.

"Oh, she graduated, so she has no need for my tutoring services," he answered as he poured the warm milk into the mugs. He gave a smirk from the memories of the long and sweaty 'tutoring sessions' he had with her.

"That's nice," Aisha said completely unaware of what really went on. "Although I never understood why she was so loud."

Keibu gave a sheepish chuckle as he trotted over to the couch and gave Aisha her mug of warm milk. "I added a lot of honey in it just like you asked." he sat down next to her. "So, how is school going?" he asked.

"It's going good, I currently have the highest GPA in my grade, straight A's, but it's my dumb closed minded and ignorant classmates that are the most difficult part," she explained with annoyance and sadness. "Everyone makes fun of either my height, my tack, or my religion." she felt disgusted with herself. "I'm Saddle Arabian! I can't help it!" she exclaimed with annoyance.

"How does that make you feel?" asked the stallion with intrigue.

She sighed. "Like I am ugly and unwanted," she admitted.

Keibu just watched with concern. He felt bad for her, and he wanted to help her. "I...I actually think you're...beautiful," he said as he tried to get the proper words together.

Her ears perked up when she heard that word. "You...you really think so?" she really hoped it was not some big joke to make her feel better, she yearned for him to mean that word, always had since they first met.

"Look, don't tell your dad this, but I actually really do think you are beautiful, with or without the tack," Keibu admitted. "I just kept quiet because of the age and cultural differences and all."

Before he could say any more, he was suddenly grabbed into a kiss by the mare. His eyes grew wide from the shock of such an unexpected display of affection. He suddenly felt her tongue flop around inside his mouth, that is when the full realization of what was happening finally dawned on him. He grabbed the mare and suddenly shoved her away from him. "Huh?!" she exclaimed with complete confusion.

"I'm sorry, I can't..." he answered as he straightened himself out. He felt bad for turning her down, but it was for the best. "...there's just too much going against us for this to ever work Aisha." The mare just gave the stallion a look of hurt in her eyes.

"Oh...I understand..." she said as she tried to hide her frustration. "I guess I better...go, it's getting late." she tried her best to push back the tears, but her eyes still managed to well up. She immediately got up and trotted out there, without a single glance back or without saying another word.

The realization of what he did finally hit him as soon as she slammed the front door shut. "Mother fucker!" he exclaimed with frustration from the missed opportunity. "I could've had her right her and now on this couch! But I just had to let my morals get the better of me!" he punched a couch cushion in anger. "I just had to be a gentlecolt about it..." he collapsed on the couch and looked up at the ceiling where the skylight was located. The dark and cloudy night sky could be seen.

"I'll go get it, sir," said Rochefort was a walked to the door, the red light above the door flickered to announce that someone was at the door. He calmly opened the door. "Mr. Folio cannot be disturbed right now, come back when he gives you a personal invita-" he was suddenly cut off by a swift swipe across the neck by a large knife. Blood seeped from his neck as the stallion struggled to speak, only emitting a gurgling sound from all the blood in his throat. He soon collapsed on the floor, weak from the massive loss of blood, still trying in vain to warn his boss to no avail.

"Rochefort?" asked Folio, completely unaware from his bed. "Who's at the door? You know I don't accept visitors unless personally request by me." it was too dark for him to see clearly from where he laid. Soon, he could make out a pair of ponies walk towards his bed, he knew who they were. "Oh, Wink and Fib, of course, it would be you two." he leered at them.

"Good evening Mr. Folio, we just wanted to stop by to pay you a visit is all." began Wink, a unicorn stallion in a creepily polite tone.

"It sure must get lonely up here at the top." began Fib, a bespectacled and short earth pony stallion. "But I sure love what you did to the place, that neat pyramidal stack of jars of pee really ties the whole place together."

"I always did say that OCD sufferers make way better interior decorators than those queers, Mr. Fib." Wink chuckled.

"That statement can be seen as highly offensive Mr. Wink." Fib pointed out.

"Not if you're a queer yourself, Mr. Fib." he stated.

"Touche, Mr. Wink." he agreed.

"Where's Rochefort?!" Folio angrily demanded.

"He's in the hallway trying out this nice Colombian necktie we gave him, it should suit him very nicely." chuckled Wink with pure delight. "Now let's get straight to the-" he suddenly stabbed his bloody knife down on the mattress, uncomfortably close to Mr. Folio's testicles. Folio began to twitch in fright not out of fear, but from the anxiety, these two stallions were causing him by invading his personal space with their germs. "-point Mr. Folio." hissed Wink. "Where's the list?"

"W-what list?" Folio began to sweat bullets, he tried to play dumb, but the fact that he felt like he could have a panic attack at any moment made it hard to do so. "What are you talking a-about...about...about..." he repeated the word without his control.

As Folio repeated himself, Wink motioned to his partner to do something. Fib took the hint and went to the pyramidal stack of urine filled jars. The stallion, without much thought, grabbed the top jar and slammed it into the floor, where it instantly shattered, bits of glass and a large amount of stale urine spread itself all over the floor.

"NO!!!" he screamed Folio. "YOU CONTAMINATED IT YOU FOOLS!" he yelled with terror in his voice. "DAMN YOU TWO TO TARTARUS!" he continued, his body began to shake uncontrollably.

"Tell us where the list is or else my intimate partner will smash another one!" Wink snarled with anger as he grabbed the emaciated stallion by the neck.

"MY DAUGHTER STOLE THE TWO-THIRDS I HAD!" Folio yelled with desperation, but despite the mental breakdown, he still managed to smudge the real truth slightly to protect the true location. "STOLE THEM TO KILL THOSE LISTED ON IT!" he admitted. "Now please just leave me alone, I beg of you!" he pleaded. He could feel his skin crawl from the increasing contamination of the room. "Please..."

"And the remaining one-third?" Wink refused to let go until he was satisfied with his responses.

"MALE LUPUS HAS IT!" he began to bawl like an overgrown baby. "THAT"S WHY MY DAUGHTER IS TARGETING HIM FIRST!"

"Do you have any clue on where your daughter could be Mr. Folio?" Wink asked as he let his neck go so he can hear the recluse speak.

"I-I-I don't know-" before Folio could finish what he wanted to say, he suddenly felt a great stab of pain on his right foreleg. "AHHH" he reflexively clutched his chest with his right forehoof, his broke into cold sweats, he was having a heart attack. He gasped for air but saw everything go dark. "...don't...know..." he gasped before his body suddenly went stiff, face contorted into utter terror. Wink gently and carefully crossed the descended pony's forelegs across his chest and placed two bits on his open eyes.

Both Wink and Fib looked on quietly in silence for about a minute. "What a waste of good talent, don't you think Mr. Wink?" mused Fib.

"Very true Mr. Fib, now let's get out of here, we have a wannabe vigilante to find." said Wink to his partner.

"Now this should be fun," smirked Fib as he happily followed his beloved partner. "But what are we going to tell her, we're expected to report about this once we get back to our apartment," he asked.

"That's easy Mr. Fib," Wink smirked. "We tell the Princess the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, like the good subjects that we are to her."

They both chuckled with each other as they left the room and walked toward the elevator.

To Be Continued...

Ubi apparuit primo mane

The next morning, Keibu woke up and got ready to go follow a potential lead in finding Male Lupe. He put on his hat and trench coat, and walked out of his apartment. He noticed immediately that Aisha was not around to greet him as she usually did in the mornings. He then realized that today was Eid and she and her family were probably at the Saddle Arabian community center. He just sighed out of guilt for hurting her feelings. He quietly went downstairs and out to the streets.

In a smoke filled den, a mixed group of Ponies, Longmas and Kirins were playing Pai gow and placing bets.

"Okay, place your bets." said a Unicorn dealer as he distributed four tiles to each player and himself. Everyone at the table throws down some Houshan coins for their bets. "Everyone ready?" he continued. The patrons at the table nodded silently. "Reveal your tiles."

Everyone did so while the dealer did the same. There was a mix of loud groans of frustration, but one cheer. "Yes! I win!" exclaimed a female Longma. "Suck it Bao Feng!" she boasted.

"Tianhuo! Nuh boasting!" yelled a Zebra in a thick Jamaican accent who sat in the corner of the room reading a newspaper. "Mi don't want anoda fight to erupt here!"

"Then they can all suck on my cloaca, because I cleared them out." she boasted as she grabbed the large pile of money. But as she grabbed the money, a piece of game tile fell out of her armor. Everyone saw that and a kirin used his magic to stab his dagger between the longma and the money. "Huh?"

"You were cheating!" snarled the kirin.

"I did not!" the longma denied. As soon as she said that, a large pile of Pai gow tiles fell out of her armor. "Uh...I can explain..." she sheepishly explained.

"Go suck on my cock!" snarled the kirin as he levitated the knife to stab the longma.

Suddenly, the main door was kicked open and everyone looked to see a detective walk in. "I am looking for Male Lupe, now you will tell me where he is or else I'll blow the whistle on this illegal operation." said Keibu as he trotted inside. Everyone suddenly drew their knives and pointed them at Keibu. The detective looked around to see Tianhuo was there. "Damn it Tian, I thought I told you to stop going here!"

"I'm too good at this game for me to just stop Keibu!" she spat with annoyance.

A kirin suddenly charged up to Keibu with his knife only for the detective to block the knife out of the way and pin his opponent down. He proceeded to kick the kirin in the face. "Now let go of the knife, let go of the knife, let go of the knife." he repeated as he kept kicking. Soon the kirin did as told. Keibu ceased kicking his opponent and took the knife away. "Anyone else want to fight me?"

Before anyone could answer, the Zebra walked in. "Dere ah nuh need fah fighting." he pleaded. "Let mi handle dis detective." he quickly escorted Keibu over to his office. He turned to Tianhou. "Tianhou, leave now." he instructed the longma.

"Can I keep my winnings-"

"NOW!" he yelled before he slammed his office door shut.

"Hey Keibu wah gwan? A wi still cool?" sheepishly smiled the Zebra. He hoped his good friend did not tell the police about his illegal gambling club.

"For now..." he said with annoyance. "You know the only reason I say nothing about this is because you're my inside source of all things underground Patois!" he pointed out. "Look at you, you're a Jamaican Zebra, who has a Kirin marefriend and runs an Asian restaurant in the middle of Kirin town! No wonder the local University newspaper accused you of 'cultural appropriation'!"

"Its fi mi life, mi can appropriate whateva mi want!" Patois went over to his desk and sat down. "Now wat brings yuh here?"

"Male Lupe, I know he used to come here every Wednesday, now where is he?" Keibu asked with seriousness.

Patois' face dropped with apprehension. "You're nah de first to ask mi dat." he admitted. "Someone came here two days ago asking mi de siem ting."

"Who?"

"Mi don't know," the Zebra related. "Somepony inna costume." he admitted. "Mi assume ah mare since mi saw har wide foal bearing hips drough de spandex of har costume."

A realization dawned on the detective. "O!" he exclaimed.

"Cum again?"

"O is one of the victims of Male Lupe's foal pornography studio." explained the detective. "She's looking for him to kill him, what did you tell her?!"

"Dat him went into hiding afta him heard de news of iz friends deaths." Patois answered. "Dat was one week ago."

Keibu just left to the door without warning. "I need to find him first before she does." he said.

"Ef yuh du find har, tell her dat shi has an amazing ass." Patois said, only for Keibu to ignore him and slam the door shut. Once it was quiet, the Zebra pulled out a Polaroid photo from his desk drawer. "But nah as amazing as fi yuh fi mi luv." he said to the photo of his marefriend with yearning.

Keibu walked out of the building, he found himself in an alleyway in Kirin town. Only to be met by Tianhou. "Are you mad at me Mr. Keibu?" the young longma asked with worry.

"Are you part of that school gang again?" the detective asked.

"Oh come on Keibu, I saw the error of my ways, my life and grades have gotten so much better since I left those dip-shits." she answered with sincerity. "The only reason I come here is, like I said, too good at this game, plus I need the extra money to pay for University."

"You've decided to actually go to University?" he asked her skeptically.

"Of course, I want to the first of my family to do so." she said with pride.

Keibu was impressed by the longma. "Just keep up the good work." he turned to leave.

"Are you sure you don't want to start a relationship with me?" asked Tian with curiosity.

"You know my rule Tian," began the stallion. "I don't fuck with individuals outside of my biological class." he admitted.

"Is it because of that time you learned the hard way that I didn't have the...well...parts, that a female mammal should have?" asked Tianhou.

"Goodbye Tian." was all the stallion said before he walked away. His made sure he kept his face hidden from the world so no one can see the sheer blush of embarrassment on his face.

Keibu walked down the Manehatten streets until he came across the local Saddle Arabian community center. It looked just like any other building in Lower Manehatten, except the signs were bilingual, in Equestrian and Arabian. He walked in to see that there was what appeared to be a potluck dinner, the majority of the ponies inside were either Saddle Arabians or Equestrian ponies who converted to the Saddle Arabian state religion, both wore traditional Arabian tack and clothing. He quickly and quietly took off his hat and washed his hooves before entering the room. He looked around the plainly decorated room to see Aisha by the food table. He walked up and took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Hey there." he said to grab her attention.

Aisha turned around to see Keibu there, "Oh hey there." she said. Awkward silence immediately followed.

"Uh..." the stallion began, awkwardly. "...so about last night..."

"No need to say anymore Keibu, I completely understand why it would not work out and all, you were right, there's just too much working against us to make it possible." she said. "Plus I promised my dad to stay a virgin until marriage." her face fell once she uttered that final word.

The stallion saw that. "Are you okay?" he asked her with concern.

Before the mare could answer, an Arabian stallion walked up to the two, he looked about mid-twenties and carried with him a face that screamed 'punch it as hard as you please.'

"There you are Aisha, I was wondering why you are taking so long to get food." the Arabian stallion said with relief. He then saw the detective in front of him. "And who's this?" he asked Aisha.

"Uh, Ibrahim, this is my friend and neighboor Keibu, he's a detective." she introduced the detective to the stallion.

"Ah, nice to meet you." he slightly bowed. "My name is Ibrahim, I am chief architect at the oldest and most prestigious construction firm in Saddle Arabian, and second cousin to the king." arrogance dripped out of every single word he uttered. "And I am also Aisha's betrothed."

"What...?" Keibu's eyes grew in shock.

"Two years from now, after I graduate high school, I'll be getting married to him." Aisha announced as she tried to break the news to her friend and crush as gently as possible.

Ibrahim just gave a chuckle. "Oh don't be modest Aisha, not only will I marry you, but I will also fuck you in every way short of sodomy all night long, see goodbye to your virginity, because it will be mine!" he said with the biggest manure eating grin Keibu has ever seen. This caused the detective to snap and punch him in the face.

"KEIBU!" yelled Aisha in shock as Ibrahim flew backwards into the table, breaking it. His snout a bloody mess.

Keibu immediately snapped himself out of the satisfying fantasy to find that nothing happened. "Oh don't be modest Aisha, our parents deemed us a very great match, and as your future husband, I promise I will take care of you and protect your honor." the Arabian stallion said. "Now if you excuse me, the imam wants to speak to me, be right back." with a smug grin, he walked away, leaving Aisha and Keibu alone.

"You got betrothed to that asshole?!" he said in shock, but in a whisper. "How?!"

"I don't know!" answered Aisha in a whisper as well. "My clueless parents chose him because he's the highest status non-cleric Arabian in Manhatten!"

"And you went along with it?!"

"Like I had no other choice Keibu!" she defended herself. "I promised my dad that I would not only stay abstinent until marriage, but that I would marry an Arabian as well." she explained. "But I was willing to break both these promises if it was you!"

"What?!" he responded in shock from what he just heard.

"I want you Keibu!" she said with a hint of desperation in her voice. "My heart yearns for you, sometimes at night I would fantasize being with you, making my first time magical, the reason I kissed you last night was because I knew my parents were going to make the betrothal official today so it would have been my last chance!" she admitted.

"...it's not too late..."

"Now it is too late..." her eyes welled up with tears. "...I'm sorry...the opportunity is forever gone." she then hid her face from the crowed and trotted away. The stallion stood in the middle of the room in stunned silence.

There was only one way Keibu knew to fix this problem: drink himself half-blind and find a mare to fuck.

Heartbreaking as fast as they can

I'm so damn sick of colts

I might go le-e-e-e-esbian

The song blasted from the DJ booth as Keibu made his way through a dance floor populated almost exclusively by mares dancing with each other. The detective reached the bar to see his good friend Norm bar tending. "Hey Norm!" he called out as loud as he can so the bartender can hear him over the music. "Give me the strongest you got!"

Norm trotted over to him. "You came at a really bad night Keibu." he said.

"I don't care!" he said with annoyance. "Just give me the strongest drink you have and point out the sluttiest single mare you have served." he demanded as he gave Norm some bits.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you Keibu, tonight is a bad night because tonight is Lesbian Night." he pointed over to the bar chalkboard. "Lesbians get in for free and there's a 10% cover charge on drinks for everyone else." he stated.

"What?!" he stunned. Just his horrible luck, he just had to experience the biggest let down of his life on tonight of all nights. "I can lick pussy just as well as any lesbian in this club! I will not stand for this sexist injustice that you call a '10% cover charge'!." he pounded on the bar top with annoyance.

Norm rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll knock it down to 5%, but only because you are a loyal regular. But if I hear that you've been soliciting a threesome with them, like you did last time you came on Lesbian night, I will take this corkscrew." pulls one out to show him. "and shove it up your pee hole." he said with a sadistic smile on his face. "And you know I'm being serious because I once did that to a stallion who came here regularly for a whole year and never once tipped me, now he makes sure to tip extremely generously." he said with a crazed look before he gave Keibu a bottle of the strongest drink behind the bar and calmly left to attend to another customer.

"I will fulfill my wish to have a threesome with lesbians someday, mark my words." he mumbled to himself. "But then again, I NEVER had a threesome before." he turned around to survey the dance floor. One the floor, he saw tons of mares dancing, grinding with each other, or making out. It was extremely hot in all senses of the word, but it frustrated Keibu that he can not get a piece of that. "I guess it's just me, my hoof and a porno magazine...again" he sighed before he chugged down the bottle.

Keibu got out of his seat at the bar, made sure to tip Norm generously and turned towards the exit. He suddenly bumped into another pony. "Oof!" they both fell to the floor.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." said a red maned and pink coated mare who wore neon and a pacifier. "You okay?"

The stallion looked up at the pink pony. "Uh yeah, I'm fine, just about to leave." he said as he dusted himself off. "Probably never going to find much luck here tonight considering the theme."

"Oh I know, it's extremely hard to find a good stallion around here during Lesbian nights." she nodded in agreement. "All I do during that night is dance until the Molly kicks in then go to the club next door to find one." she explained as she showed off her ecstasy tablets.

"Well, good luck with that, I guess I'll do the same thing and go next door." he nodded in agreement. "Have a good night." he said to the mare as he left.

"The same." she responded.

But almost simultaneously, they both stopped in their tracks when an obvious realization kicked in. "Wait...you're looking for a stallion?" Keibu turned around to ask.

"And are you also looking for a mare?" she asked in response.

Both stared at each other in silence for about a minute before the stallion spoke up. "Give me some of that E and let's take this party next door." he said with a grin, he could not believe his turning luck.

After they both took some ecstasy tables, they ran to the club next door, where the music was heavier and with a higher BPM. Everyone wore neon bands around their necks or legs as everyone danced and sweated aggressively.

Sure enough, the drugs affects kicked in as Keibu began to see more vibrant colors, and started to feel like time either sped up or slowed down randomly. Soon he found himself grinding against the mare he just met recently. He noticed how everyone began to dance sexually, getting for explicit with each passing hour. He suddenly found himself rubbing his erect member against the pink mare's rump.

"Mmmm, you ready to take this to someplace more private?" she said seductively as her tail rubbed against the stallion's throbbing member.

"You know it." he smiled in agreement, and moaned slightly.

"This is going to bed fun." she giggled before she turned around and kissed the stallion deeply with lust. At that exact moment, neon paint rained down on them.

Time suddenly skipped ahead, and Keibu found himself roughly making out with the pink pony in what he assumed was her bedroom at her apartment. "Mmm, you feel so nice." she moaned as she ran her hooves down his chest. Time once again skipped ahead, he was now on top in missionary position, he could feel himself inside her, thrusting wildly, and the mare was extremely loud. "Oh fuck...so good!". From then on, everything kept skipping forward randomly.

Skipping to her on top in cowgirl position, then again with himself mounting her, and then another time skip to find himself orally servicing the mare on top while she returned the favor back in a sixty-nine position. For some reason, she tasted like salt water taffy, he could not tell if it is the ecstasy messing up with his taste buds, or it just is. But before he could figure out the answer, time skipped once again where she's on top again but now with her back turned towards him. He held on to her hips. "Oh fuck, fuck, fuck, so full!" she screamed with mindless pleasure. Time skipped ahead once again, and Keibu now found himself doing the pile-driver on the mare, he was extremely surprised that he was doing it, but then everything suddenly went black.

The bright sun shone through an apartment window, inside a completely trashed room, Keibu slowly stirred awake. "Ugh..." he groaned, completely drained and sore. He opened his eyes to find himself in a strange pink bedroom. He suddenly remembered the mare from last night, and realized he was probably in her bedroom. He then realized that there was something in his mouth, he spat the thing out only to see that the thing in his mouth was actually a pacifier. "Ugh...everything tastes like salt water taffy now..." he groaned. He got up, only to hear his joints pop and creak. "I can't believe I pulled off the pile-driver..." he got on his four legs, head starting to pound from severe dehydration. "...I could've snapped my dick doing that..." he grabbed his trench coat and hat from the floor and straightened himself out. "Note to self, go to the drug store and buy a bottle of water and aspirin." he made a mental check. "And to never take so much E."

He walked out of the room to find himself in a nicely decorated and furnished living room. "Good morning stranger." greeted a new and soft voice. The stallion looked to see a tan maned, blue haired pony in the open kitchen packing her lunch. "Pacific Glow took you in last night didn't she?"

"Who?" he asked with confusion. It hurt too much to think right now.

"That pink mare you met at the rave, she's my roommate, or technically, pays me to live here." she explained with a soft voice. "She does that every few nights she's out partying."

"Oh her, she's very acrobatic and full of stamina I can tell you that." he said from what he could remember.

"And you made her scream and moan louder than ever before, that is going to be a hard record to beat." she softly giggled.

He just chuckled in response. "So where is she?" he asked out of curiosity.

"She works at the aquarium, probably cleaning the tanks right now." she answered. "By the way, my name is Coco, Coco Pommel." she greeted, slightly nervous.

"My name is Keibu, Keibu Pepper, I'm a detective." he greeted back. "I guess I better get home, not overstay my welcome." he went to leave.

"Oh but before you go." she interrupted. "Don't forget to grab the bottle of water and aspirin that are next to the door, dehydration caused by taking ecstasy is no laughing matter." she chimed with a smile.

"Thanks," he took the water and aspirin. "By the way, where am I?"

"In my apartment over my fashion boutique in Greenwich Village, West 10th Street in between 5th and 6th Avenues, close to 9th Street station." she explained matter-of-factly.

"Oh, okay, thank you Miss Pommel" he planned out the walk home in his head. "Good luck today, bye." he waved goodbye.

"Good luck to you too." she gave a small smile. Keibu walked out the front door and closed it. "Such a nice stallion, and kind of cute." she quietly giggled. "Glow always had impeccable taste."

Six years ago...

A young orange maned, tan coated filly sat down at a chair in an interrogation room at a police station. She looked lost and confused, unsure what was happening around her.

Behind the two-way mirror, Keibu walked in completely exhausted from the raid he lead earlier. Inside he saw Commissioner Dunn watching the filly through the mirror. "Got any information from her?" asked Keibu.

"She still insists that her real name is simply 'O' and that she is eleven years old." he took a big gulp of coffee. "Other than that, she has the worst case of Stockholm Syndrome that I have ever seen in my career."

"How so?" the young stallion looked on.

"She insists that Mr. Lupe is her father and that the warehouse she spent the last six years living in is her home." he gave a look of disgust from the thought of damaging a sweet innocent filly.

The door opens and an officer peeks his head inside. "Commissioner Dunn, we managed to find the filly's biological father, he's waiting out in the lobby" he announced.

"I'll be on my way." said Dunn before he turned to Keibu. "Keep the filly company while I explain the situation to her father." he ordered. The young detective said nothing but watch the commissioner leave. Keibu just gave a sigh of exhaustion, he just wanted to go home to forget all the things he saw. He walked into the room to see the filly who looked more bored than in shock. "Uh...hello there little one..." he nervously announced. He never knew how to act around foals, foals are too unpredictable for his tastes.

"Where's daddy?" was all she asked, her expression changed to concern.

"Which one?" Keibu sat down across from her.

"The only daddy that ever truly loved me..." was all she said. Her eyes began to well up with tears.

"What he did to you after all those years was not love, he took advantage of you to make money." he explained.

"He promised he was going to make me even more famous once I become a grown-up, all the stuff he made me do was practice and training for the big time, he told me that my talent is in porn acting!" she exclaimed in complete denial.

Keibu looked over at her rump to see a cutie. "And what does a hat have to do with porn acting?" he pointed out.

The filly said nothing but to breakdown crying. She bawled her eyes out as she placed her face on the table. "I just wanted to escape that orphanage!" she bawled through her tears. Keibu just went over and rubbed her back to comfort her.

"HELP! HELP!" yelled a pony in complete darkness. He tried to struggle free, but quickly found himself strapped to some kind of chair. All four of his legs and his neck strapped down tight by plastic ties. "THIS ISN'T FUNNY ANYMORE! LET ME OUT!"

Suddenly, the lights of the room turn on to reveal that the unlucky stallion was in a white room surrounded by computers and medical equipment. He looked around in utter confusion, only to see an equally white cat sitting on a nearby table. "Huh?"

The cat hissed in response before jumping off and running out of the room as soon as the door opened. "Now now Rory, don't hiss at daddy's guests." a voice with a slight German accent scolded at the cat. The tied up stallion looked to see an older stallion in a white lab coat walk in. "Ah, good morning Male, hope my staff didn't have to hit you too hard on the head to get you here." he chuckled as he sat down on an office chair and went to a nearby computer.

"Reich? Is that you?" Male was confused. "What's going on? What are you doing?" he asked his former financial backer. "If this is about the money you lost after the raid, I am sorry, but that's the risk you take when funding an illegal activity."

"Oh please Male, this is not about the money." he assured with a smile. "Besides, the money I lost in your venture is a drop in the bucket compared to my total wealth." he then rolled himself around the room in his office chair.

"Then what is it that you want from me?" the bound stallion asked, he sweated nervously.

"Well, since I help you achieve your dream of starting a 'Playcolt' for foalophiles," he began. "It is only fair that you help me achieve mine." he then placed what appeared to be a large surgical drill near Male's head. Reich then went back to his computer to start the drill.

"And what is that?" the stallion stuttered nervously.

"Well, ever since I found out I was a foalophile long ago, the question of how one pony could be attracted to something that will only lead to a biological dead end, so over the years I came up with several hypothesis, from maybe a tumor, or brain damage, or just several nerves misfiring and giving conflicting information, I was looking for a cure." he lectured. "But then I thought, what if it is actually normal for us ponies to be attracted to foals and everyone else is just in denial? How do you explain the fact that puberty happens years before society says we should do the deed? What if consent is just a social construct used to deny everyone of their biological imperative?" he began to sound like a conspiracy theorist as his eyes went wide in a crazed manner.

"And you need me because...?" he asked cautiously.

"Because you are the one foalophile I know that will not be missed when he's gone." he pointed out. "And I want the whole world to finally see the truth they have all been denying!" he announced melodramatically.

"And that is...?"

"That every pony is a foalophile, but they just don't know it yet!" Reich beamed. "And I know just how to do it." he pressed a key on the keyboard and suddenly the drill started up.

"Look Reich, did O put you up to this?!" Male struggled to break free from his restraints.

"O? You mean your former top filly of your magazine turned wannabe vigilante?" he asked incredulously before he just laughed. "Oh Male, you're such a silly pony." the drill began to inch closer to Reich's patient. "Now hold absolutely still, once the drill passes your skull, you will not feel a thing." he assured.

"No...no...NO...AHHHH!" screamed Male as the drill began to go through his skull. Reich just looked on proudly at his own work, he is now one step closer to achieving his master plan: turn everyone into a foalophile like him.

Et iam sole

The next day, Keibu was at his desk. All he did was stare at the list, trying to make sense of it all. "There has to be more to this list, like there is something I am not seeing." he said to himself. He took another sip of his lemonade. Suddenly, he heard someone pound on the front door, this startled the stallion enough to cause him to spill his drink all over the desk and on the list. "Shit!" he exclaimed with annoyance. He quickly grabbed a towel and placed it over the document in an attempt to dry it somewhat before he rushed to the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" he yelled back as he good himself straightened out and opened the door. "Hello?"

To his surprise, he saw the mare he met briefly yesterday morning, Coco Pommel, at his door. "Oh, sorry, did I bother you?" she asked nervously with concern, she did not want to be a bother to anyone.

"Oh hey, and no you are no bother at all." he reassured. "What brings you here?" he asked with curiosity.

She was so nervous that she momentarily forgot how to speak, but she quickly focused herself. "Oh...just that you left your business card behind in my apartment and I came over to give it back to you." she said sheepishly before she gave the card over to the detective.

"Oh, why thank you so ma'am." he accepted the card. He found the mare kind of cute and endearing with her timidness, but he was reluctant to start a relationship so soon with a mare he barely knows.

"Uh...hey..." Coco began suddenly. "if you don't mind and all...but would you like to grab some coffee with me?" she asked.

Keibu was briefly taken aback from the unexpected proposal. "Really?"

"If you're not busy of course." she nervously clarified.

The stallion gave a smile. "Make it milkshakes instead and you have yourself a date." he gladly accepted it. It has been over a year since he dated a mare outside of sex, but it was not in his nature to turn down a mare's proposal.

"Oh, cool." she smiled confidently that her proposal was accepted.

After getting some milkshakes at the diner across the street from the detective's apartment building, they both returned back to the apartment and walked inside. "So that's how I ended up with my own boutique." she said as she finished her story. "It's a lot of hard work, but at least I can finally say I have some financial stability." they both sat down on the couch.

"That was a very nice story, good for you." he complimented. He gave her a warm smile, only to be met by a nervous blush from the mare. "Are you always this timid?" he asked.

"N-not all the time, just when around new ponies...or in crowded public spaces..." she trailed off a bit, finding difficult to make a coherent sentence around a very handsome stallion. She needed to move the spotlight over to the stallion and fast before she blurts out something embarrassing. "Uh...why did you decide to be a detective?"

The stallion just looked on, not expecting such a question. "Well...uh..." he tried his best to explain, he nervously tried to string some words together that would make his reasons for being a detective coherent, but he just could not bring himself to do so. "...it's a long...story..."

"Look...don't bother asking..." Coco interrupted. "...I just need you to do something for me." she placed her hoof on the detective's hoof. A blush emanated from both their faces as they looked into each other's eyes. "I want you to run some background checks on some new employees I am planning on hiring...can you do that for me?"

Keibu just looked on, lost in her eyes. "I will get to that as soon as my work load decreases."

The mare just smiled. "How much do you charge for your services?" she asked, eager to have the job done for her.

"254 bits per day..." Keibu answered matter-of-factually, both their eyes still locked to each other.

"That's a little steep for me right now...especially since my boutique has not turned a profit yet..." she was stunned by the price but she really hopped there was a way to lower the price. "Is there any way you can lower the price, like, I would do anything..." she suddenly rubbed her hoof along the stallion's inner thigh, dangerously close to his sheath. The stallion immediately jumped off the couch in complete shock in response.

"Woah there ma'am...I barely know you..." he warned.

"That didn't stop you from having sex with my roommate!" she blurted out. She quickly covered her mouth in embarrassment. Awkward silence befell on both of them. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have risen my voice...I didn't mean to sexually harass you..." she sighed with shame.

"No it's okay," began the stallion. "I have a bad habit of lowering prices for female clients who do me sexual favors..." he also sighed with shame. "It's kind of a weakness for me...along with my insomnia..." he explained. "If you want to have sex with me you are perfectly within your rights to do so...I don't mind...just tell me what you're into to and I'll do my best."

Coco just blushed. "You stallions are all the same," she began. "easily manipulated by the thought of sex." she joked and rolled her eyes. "I'm into anal." she admitted, playing along.

"Great." he smiled. "Uh...let me go to the bathroom to wash myself and grab some lube." he nervously trotted away to the bathroom. He walked in and locked the door. "Come on Keibu, no need to be nervous, you've done this many times before..." he talked to himself. He grabbed a bottle of lube and a box of condoms from the medicine cabinet. "Besides, it's usually the shy ones that are the most kinky in the bedroom, I bet she can give her roommate a run for her money." he assured himself.

After a quick a through wash of his privates, he walked back out to the living room to see Coco about to leave out the door. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this..." she said with shame, she looked like she was in a nervous rush. "...it's not right...I promised myself long ago I wouldn't stoop this low ever again...I'm sorry..." she just turned around and walked out the door.

"I will half the price!" he yelled after her.

"Don't be such stallion-whore." she responded with shame for the stallion. "I've been down that road before...trust me..." with that, she walked out and slammed the door shut.

Keibu just sighed. "I guess I'll use this lube for later." he just placed the bottle next to a stack of tissue boxes before he sat down at his desk to re-focus himself on his work. He removed the soaked towel to reveal the document only to see something completely different; an old subway map. "What the...?" he looked at the spilled glass of lemonade and a thought came into his head. "Invisible ink?"

He looked to see a row of numbers along the side of the map. "Twenty-three, Fifty-three, Eighty-three..." he read the list. "Intervals of around thirty...why thirty?" he thought to himself. He then realized something. "Phases of the moon!" he ran off to his bookshelf and took out an almanac. He flipped to the page on moon phases. He saw that the first full moon took place on the twenty-third day of the year and the second on the fifty-third. "So I assume they meet during the full moon at the old subway lines...and the next full moon is..." he saw the date listed on the almanac. "Tomorrow night."

At a small one-room apartment during the night, Wink sat on the edge of the pull out bed looking into the fire. Next to him, Fib snored softly. He grabbed a stick so he could poke the embers only for the flames to suddenly flare up into a flaming wall of blue flame. "Mr. Wink! Mr. Fib! You have some explaining to do!" boomed a voice from flames.

Both stallions quickly stand before the wall of flames at attention, intimidated at the sight. "Uh...hey boss..." nervously began Wink.

"I thought I told you ZERO BODY COUNT!" boomed the voice. "But next thing I hear, a paper making magnate and his bodyguard have been found dead!"

"Technically," began Fib. "we did not kill Mr. Folio, he just had a heart attack on us."

"Although we will fully accept responsibility for the bodyguard." apologized Wink.

"Oh for the love of me!" the voice exclaimed with annoyance. "I hired you two coltcuddlers to find me the list! I need that list to take care of this foalophile scourge once and for all! WHERE IS THE LIST!"

"Uh...his daughter has them boss..." admitted Fib. "...she's using it as a hit list." he theorized.

"Great, now I have a vigilante to deal with, along with the prospect of digging more holes than planned!" complained the voice behind the flames.

"We're thinking of visiting the biggest financier of the magazine, maybe he knows where Male Lupe is, and if we find Lupe, we find the vigilante." explained Fib.

The voice just gave an annoyed sigh. "You better be right, because if you fail me again, I will not hesitate in making you part of my statue collection in my garden." the voice warned. "You have 48 hours to get me the list!" before the two stallion could voice their opinion, the wall of flames suddenly disappeared. The fireplace now producing embers again as if nothing happened.

"What now Mr. Fib?" asked Wink to his partner.

"Why, we pay an unlucky rich pony an unexpected visited Mr. Wink." smirked Fib to his partner. Both just chuckled menacingly.

Keibu calmly walked out of his apartment building. In about twelve hours, he was going to infiltrate a meeting that was going to be held during the night, he had no idea what to expect, but also had nothing else to do until then. He calmly took the subway uptown to pay a visit to one of his only friends he had.

He reached his friend's house in Inwood and knocked on the door.

The door opened to reveal a griffin female in a white nurses outfit. "Can I help you?" she asked with annoyance, thinking that he's a salespony.

"The name is Keibu, G's best friend." the detective answered.

The griffin looked at him suspiciously before she yelled at the inside of the house. "Granum! There's a pony named Keibu at the door, says you are his friend!" she yelled.

"Let him inside!" G yelled from his study.

The nurse lead Keibu inside to the study. There the detective saw his friend sitting in his armchair reading the latest medical journal. "Hey G." said Keibu as he entered the room and sat on a chair across from his friend.

G put away his journal. "Hey Keibu, what brings you here?" he was pleasantly surprised since Keibu rarely ever visits. "You want some tea? Galatea, serve my friend here some of your famous sage tea." he told the nurse, he had looked forward to the day his friend showed up to his home willingly for over a year.

"Thanks G." answered Keibu. Galatea walked in with a trolley of hot tea, she carefully poured both their drinks, at the same time, Keibu noticed his friend staring at the nurse's butt with hunger in his eyes, ever so slightly licking his lips. The nurse's outfit drew even more attention to her backside. Keibu just smirked.

"There you go boys, I'll be dusting the upstairs if you need me." she offered with a smile before she walked away. G continued to stare at her backside as she left the room.

"So, I see you have a vested interest in that griffin." Keibu joked. "Hello nurse, I need twenty CC's of your love juice, stat!" he chuckled. G just blushed in response.

"It's been years okay, I just wish that accident never happened." explained G. "That's why next year I'll be participating in an experimental spinal surgery to hopefully fix this so I can be normal again." he then realized what he wanted to ask of his friend. "So why are you here again?"

Keibu sighed. "I came here because tonight I'm going to do something dangerous and risky, and I wanted to at least mend some bridges should anything happen to me." he explained.

"Did you do that with Aisha already?"

"I've actually been trying to avoid her." he confessed. "Afraid of giving her another reason to hate me more." he related as he drank some tea. "I've always had a small crush on her since I moved in to that apartment three years ago, seen her grow up from an adorable filly to an amazing mare." he thought back to the times they hung-out together, the times he had dinner with her family during their holidays. "I blew it sky high." he sighed with regret.

G looked at his friend and smiled. "Is my friend actually admitting to actually having romantic non-sexual feelings for a mare?" he teased, pretending to be shocked. "I would have never thought I'd see the day."

Keibu rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Yeah, yeah, just don't get used to it." he got off his seat. "So you want me to talk to her I'm guessing?" he asked, he was reluctant to do that.

His friend nodded in response. "Even if she moves on without you, at least you brought some closure so you can move on with your life." he said.

Keibu nodded, fully accepting what he needed to do. "She's probably in school by now, if I leave now I should get there just as class gets out." he said as he walked to the front door. "Thank you for being the only pony who has put up with me for all these years." he smiled.

G chuckled, "Someone has to, I'm just the unlucky one that got stuck with the job." he joked. Keibu laughed before he walked out the door.

Aisha attended a private, all-mare school about 10 blocks away from home. Her parents forced her to attend mares-only schools since the start of middle school. She happily walked out of the school relieved to finally be free, she was the only Saddle Arabian, and the tack she wore caused her to stick out among the group, it did not help matters any further that Aisha saw all of her classmates as airheaded bimbos.

She just sighed and calmly left the school groups, walking down the city streets back to her home, saddle bags in tow. "Hey Aisha!" yelled a familiar voice. The teenaged mare turned to see Keibu trotting up next to her. She looked at him with a mix of regret and suspicion.

"What do you want?" she asked, she assumed he was there to pester her more about not going through the arranged marriage.

"I just wanted to apologize for acting like an entitled fool." he humbly stated. "I should've been happy or at least supportive of you in this difficult time for you."

Aisha was surprised by what he said. Normally, he would act an immature and smug plot hole, so this was a nice surprise for her. "I could use all the support I need." she said with worry. "I'll be spending the rest of my adulthood stuck him, although he does remind me a lot of you...personality wise anyways." she explained as they both walked.

"How so?" he asked.

"Well, just like you, he's self-centered, constantly goes on ego trips, is crass, thinks he's the hottest stallion in world." she stated. Keibu looked on with slight offense. "The only difference is that at least you mean well, and have the right intentions in mind, always willing to do the right thing." she smiled. "And plus you're cute when you think you're hot stuff, Ibrahim just makes me cringe when he does it."

Keibu could not help but blush in response. "Aisha I do indeed lov-" before he could complete the sentence a passing carriage sped boy, the passenger inside carelessly threw his smoothie out the window aiming for the trash can that Keibu inadvertently stood next to, only for it to hit the detective square on the face. "FUCK!" he yelled as the sticky liquid covered him. Some of the smoothie got in his mouth. "AND IT'S COCONUT! I HATE COCONUT!" he complained.

Aisha quickly lead Keibu to the apartment building just two blocks away. She took him to her apartment since they have a washing machine and dryer, unlike the other rooms in the building, one perk of being a landlord. She took Keibu inside, and swiftly took the stallion's coat and hat off, placing them in a garbage bag. "You should know where the shower is located, it's basically the same layout just inverted." she explained.

"What about your parents?" he asked before being pushed to the direction of the shower by the mare who wanted him clean before the liquid dried to become sugary glue.

"Dad is on a yacht outing with Ibrahim and mom is working the night shift at the hospital, both won't come back until morning, now get in that shower." she quickly explained before Keibu got the hint and trotted to the bathroom.

Aisha breathed a sigh of relief as she took the stallion's dirty coat and hat and threw them into the washing machine. She walked over to her room to unpack her school saddle bags. Her room was locked right next to the bathroom, she noticed steam emanating from the room along with the stallion's singing. It was slightly off pitch at a few places but she assumed it was because he had a narrow range, but she also noticed that the bathroom door was slightly opened, completely unlocked. Temptation set in inside Aisha but she quickly shook away the thought. She trotted into her room and unloaded her bags.

She laid down on her bed, Keibu's faint singing could be heard, that just made the mare think about him. Could this her last chance to show how she felt about him? But she was afraid of going against her father's wishes, but then she thought about Ibrahim... "Fuck it..." she said to herself as she got off the bed and with determination walked into the bathroom.

Keibu heard someone trot in and looked over to see through the steamy glass of the shower door Aisha standing before him. The room was full of steam from the hot water. "Can I help you?" he asked with confusion, shampoo dripping down his wet mane. Aisha said nothing but take off all of her tack, her bridal, saddle and bit unceremoniously dropped to the bathroom floor. She stood truly naked before she walked up to the shower and opened the door. Keibu did nothing to stop her as she let herself inside. "But what about-?" he was swiftly silenced by a passionate kiss on the lips, the hot water fall on both of them.

She broke the kiss and looked into his eyes with determination "Shut up and fuck me." she said before she dove in for another kiss on the lips, this one more passionate and heavy than the first. The stallion happily obliged.

Normally, Keibu would define skill, thrill and performance of the act to be important, but not this time, for the first time in such a long time, he actually did not care about those things, sure it was amateur and awkward in the physical sense, but he did not care, for the first time he finally experienced that sex is much more than just getting one's rocks off, it was also an opportunity to make an emotional connection to another soul, and to him, that feeling was all he cared about now.

As he laid down on her back on her bed, her hind legs spread apart, showing her awaiting marehood to the stallion, he looked at her and saw nothing but beauty, he never experienced such intense love before. He gave her a look of assurance, to quell her apprehension and seconds thoughts, telling her that she can fully trust him.

She tasted divine... her gentle and soothing coos and moans served as an excellent backdrop to a magical performance, to the stallion she tasted like the sweetest honey in the world, lapping her up, tongue focused and determined to find the special spots that drove her wild, knowing he found them every time she grew louder or squirmed around more. "Keibu..." she would gasp occasionally.

Both their eyes locked to each other as the stallion slowly entered her for the first time, the mare gasped loudly, the world suddenly looked brighter. The stallion gave a romantic smile to her as he went in full hilt. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head in response, moaning. His ministrations where soft and gentle, afraid of harming such a beautiful and delicate creature such as her but gradually picked up the pace.

Every thrust only deepened the connection between them, the stallion continued, even as she tightened her grip around him. He grunted loudly as her inner walls instinctually and slowly began to squeeze, her way of saying to keep going, she wanted everything he could provide. He tried to make it last as long as he could, but it was a matter of time before the inevitable climax arrived. Both souls kissed each other passionately, holding each other, her forelegs holding on to him, and her hindlegs wrapped around his torso, she did not want him to let her go. "I love you..." she gasped between kisses. The stallion naturally responded in kind.

The world turned pure white as both screamed out each other's names.

Reich walked out to his private carriage. "Okay Randolph, I am off to my monthly meeting, please take care of our 'guest' while I am away." he smirked as he climbed in.

"You want me to dispose of him in the usual location I am assuming?" responded the butler. He knew that he was referring to their mentally indisposed guest Male.

"Of course." nodded Reich as the carriage drove away. The butler just silently waved his boss goodbye. "Better get the feeding tube so I can give Mr. Lupe his dinner before I dispose him." he mumbled to himself as he walked back inside before it got too cold.

In the carriage Reich calmly sat as he was taken into the city of Manehatten, he ordered the driver earlier to take him through the alphabet city neighborhood to meet a contact. He soon spotted him standing in the corner, a minotaur, patiently waiting. The carriage pulled up beside him and the minotaur walked up to the carriage window. "So how are things going Palladium?" asked Reich to the minotaur.

"The city water pump is secure, we have successfully infiltrated the entire nightshift." he explained.

"And the evaporator?"

"It arrived here this morning, express delivered from Saddle Arabia, it's being loaded into a truck and is on it's way to the water pump." he reported.

"Good, then you need these." Reich gave the minotaur several viles of liquid. "The light ones are the serum, so you wouldn't get affected, the dark ones are the agent itself." he explained. "Quite harmless in its liquid state...as long as you don't smell them."

"We will do our best, and should this plan succeed, this entire city will see the world in the way we see it." Palladium smirked.

"They will...no longer will we be forced underground like rodents." calmly said Reich as he put on his bird mask with a prominent beak and cloak. The carriage soon drove away into the setting sun.

The sound of the washing machine buzzing loudly, to signify that its load is done, broke the silence of the apartment. In Aisha's room, Keibu tried his best to follow along with the mare's afternoon prayers. "So, it's stand, bow, stand, prostrate, sit, prostrate and sit?" he asked once the prayer ended.

Aisha smiled and nodded. "And since this is the afternoon prayer, you do all of that four times." she explained.

"Ugh, that's too much work and commitment for me." he joked as he sat down on the mare's bed and looked around the room. It was like a stereotypical teenaged mare's room, but not as overly decorated. He looked at Aisha, she looked stunning in front of the sun's rays coming threw her window, especially without her tack on. "So what now?" the stallion asked.

Aisha was unsure about that question as well, what they did was something spur of the moment, but felt like the right thing to do. But it was time for the mare to accept reality. "Pretend that this never happened and stay friends, go about our lives like normal." she looked down in sadness. The stallion walked over to her and lifted up her face so they can be face to face.

"You don't have to go through with this." he urged to her. "You don't have to end up married to him-"

"My father is adamant about this!" she exclaimed as tears flowed down her cheeks. "Father told me I should remain a virgin and marry a good Saddle Arabian stallion...I just broke one of orders...he must never know this happened." she explained with shame.

"Then why did you do it?" he asked.

"Because it fell so right..." she said before she grabbed the stallion into a hug and cried into his shoulder. "...I'm so torn...I want YOU!" she wept. "But I want to make my family proud..." she explained. Keibu said nothing, he just rubbed her back while providing her a shoulder to cry on.

The stallion noticed the sun begin to set from out the window. It was time for him to go. He sadly had to end the hug. "Look, I have to go now, I have a case to do." he explained before gently kissing her one last time. Aisha sadly agreed to let him go, she did not want to him to miss a case.

"Will you at least promise me that you'll come back home safe?" she yearned. Keibu looked at her, he did not want to make such a promise, but he also did not want to worry her.

"I promise I'll come back home safe." he assured as he walked out of the bedroom and grabbed his coat and hat from the washing machine. "But if I fail to keep up that promise, then please move on without me." he stated. He put on his clothes and walked out the door without saying another word.

Aisha looked on as Keibu walked down the stairs. "I love you..." she murmured under her breath before sadly closing the door.

It was night at a mansion just outside of Manehatten, inside a butler calmly went up to the front door to answer the doorbell. He opened the door to reveal to stallions, one tall and skinny, the other short and fat. "Are you Celestia's Witnesses?" the butler inquired with suspicion. He carefully grabbed a nine iron golf club just in case they answered in the affirmative.

"Oh no, no, no, we're just old high school buddies trying to reconnect with him is all." began Fib.

"Yes, next month is our 30th anniversary class reunion and we are wondering if we can talk to him." said Wink.

The butler looked at them suspiciously. "Master Reich graduated high school 40 years ago." he corrected as he suddenly showed the pair his nine iron. "Get out." he warned.

Both Fib and Wink looked at each other and shrugged. "It was worth a try." said Fib before his partner pulled out a knife and stabbed the butler on the chest. He gasped out in pain and fell to the floor, clutching the knife.

"I suggest you keep pressure on that, because it's the only thing keeping you from bleeding to death." explained Wink.

"Now tell us where Mr. Reich goes once every four weeks, and we'll consider dumping you at a nearby hospital." said Fib in a creepily calm manner.

The butler looked up at them with fear and confusion. "What do you want from Mr. Reich?!" he gasped, laboring to breathe.

"More like what CELESTIA wants from Mr. Reich." answered Wink with a chuckle. "Mr. Reich knows something that Celestia desperately wants to know, and she has sent us to get that information."

"So we'll ask this one last time, where does Mr. Reich and his foalophile friends hang out once every four months?" Fib grabbed the knife handle, threatening to pull it out swiftly.

The butler breathed heavily, completely conflicted about what to do...

Chapter 4

Keibu calmly left the costume store and hailed a cab. The last rays of sunlight began to disappear from the sky as he got in the cab. "South Ferry station." he told the cab driver.

The carriage quickly drove off to its destination.

At Mr. Reich's mansion, the butler lied on the floor in a puddle of blood, dead. He removed the knife in defiance after telling the two intruders of his master's whereabouts.

In the kitchen, Mr. Fibb happily raided the fridge and pantry, gorging himself on the expensive meals imported directly from Allemane. "Oh Mr. Fibb my love," chimed Mr. Wink from a communication tube from Reich's master bedroom. "I have a surprise for you upstairs." he said in an almost flirty tone.

The was enough for Fibb to drop all of his food. "I'm on my way..." he announced. He assumed Wink was planning for the two of them to have a quickie on Mr. Reich's bed. He made his way upstairs only to see a just as pleasant surprise; Male Lupe himself on the bed.

"We finally found him." smirked Wink, excited that they found who they were looking for. "Well...sort of..." he pointed to the fact that Male looked and sounded more like a zombie than a pony. The stallion just gave a loud groan of pain as drool streamed out of his mouth.