C.R.’s Detective Agency: Case File, Corruptions Roots. By: Snoopy8009

Chapter 2: Hog in the Pig Pin

Hours after the meeting of Starry Eyes, C.R. knew where to start, Hog, really to call him that name is an insult to swine in general. He is, surprisingly, a skinny unicorn who has a pink coat, brown mane with brown eyes; his cutie mark is a wad of money. Hog has a track record a mile long, most of it is small stuff like unarmed robbery, dealing illegal substances, that sorta stuff. While it is unusual for him to work with other bigger dealers, Hog has been known to work with others for a time; the smart ones are able to continue living. Hog has another nasty reputation of being a back stabber. In his tiny corner of the city, The Pig Pin a dirty little dancing joint, is usually where Hog can be found.

C.R. had readied himself, slipping on the holster for his trusty chrome .44 mag snub nose, with the words “Stub” stamped into the leather holster, next he grabbed the dark green canvas duster from the coat hanger standing next to the door and last he flipped the fedora, sending it spinning in the air and making it land on top of his head. With a grin he whispers to himself “Still got it…” and heads out the office door.

On the other side there was a small desk sitting near the door where Cherryl normally sat. Must still be setting Miss Eyes up C.R. though after pausing by the desk he writes a note telling Cherryl where he was going. On the desk sat a type writer, unopened bills mixed with open ones, and other paper work that clients need to fill out before they talk with him, he placed the note on top of the typewriter keys and C.R. headed towards the exit, passing by a couple of chairs that had seen better days, deciding to take the stairs down this time C.R. spends the time enjoying the sounds of the rain fall and the heavy squeak of the stairs as he went. As he approached the glass exit door he stopped, it was still raining pretty heavy, beyond that he could see taxi ponies trotting and running back and forth, each one trying to make a living carting ponies about. Farther past that faceless ponies trotted to and fro next to ruined buildings, and some better kept ones and each pony seemingly having to do something that is more important than the pony next to them.

With a heavy sigh he pushes the door open and steps into the storm, turning right towards the Pig Pin and Hog. After walking down the street for a minute C.R. was drenched and thought, ‘for the love of Celestia, couldn’t those bird brains control this shit better’, enjoying the rain from inside his office and being out in it were two different things. Things seemed to run better when the princesses where around, everyone able to live in safely ordered and peaceful time. After the princesses disappeared, Celestia’s personal student, Twilight Sparkle, had tried to take control and restore order. Granted she might be the most powerful unicorn in equestrian, only topped by the princesses, it was still too much for her to handle.

She’s doesn’t know much the noble politics, they seen this and all had tried to manipulate her into doing what they wanted. Though she may not know all the ins and outs like a noble, Twilight is no fool, she seen what they were doing and appointed the only ponies she trusted, her friends from Ponyville, as her aids. Needless to say the nobles where pissed, when they failed to manipulate they tried to run her out by ruining her reputation, after awhile they failed that too, a few nobles went so far as hiring assassins, this also failed and after that she had the few nobles executed, publicly shamed, banished or jailed for the rest of their miserable lives, one even had that whole list upon him, some say his corpse is still buried out in the everfree, somewhere. This show of force had broken most of the nobles and quelled those who voiced their doubts about the validity of her taking rule; the few who dared fought her on every front they could, by stonewalling her politically or instigating the constant riots in the streets. Anything they could do they did, and it was starting to show, Twilight stopped appearing at social events and tightened laws and regulations on just about everything.

A group of Sparkle Guards trotted by clanking and splashing as they went, their two tone purple and red trimmed armor looking warn down from crowd control and looked like it was chafing most of the wearers, their armor always seemed to let water in, even with spells and other techniques, shame it looked like quality made too. Their flanks had Twilights symbol stamped into the metal, a faceless unicorn head sitting in front of a book, part of the title made it look like a book of law. The guards faces showed strain and ware from continuous work, so many young faces. When you join the Sparkle Guard you’ll be lucky to make it 5 years, while most of the populace wouldn’t actively attack them, they wouldn’t bother lifting a hoof to help when they need it, the radical rebels kill anypony who helps the guard, if you’re lucky that is, and there are fates worse than death. Tipping his hat as they went by C.R. noticed the street he was on.

“Finally, seems like the walk to the Pig Pin gets longer every time.” He said to himself. “Let’s go get this over with.” Rounding the corner the neon sign appeared, lazily blinking in the rain. Heading towards the Pin, C.R. hears a rough voice, like somepony had once too many shots of The Rocks.

“Well, lookie here! Why if it aint my good buddy, Rocky!” the pony said “Watcha doin’ waay down ‘ere Rocky baby?” turning around C.R. seen who it was, he could have made a good guess it was her, the president of his own personal fan club, Slips.

With a sneer C.R. replied “Whadda want Slips? And only my friends get to call me Rocky.” Feigning as if her feelings had been hurt and holding a hoof to her chest Slips says.

“Rocky baby, I thought we had something special with each other, don’t tell me you’ve been cheatin’ on me with that broad of a book keepa’!” smiling at C.R. she continues “But never mind that Rocky, ‘ah forgive yah, looks like yous is going to the Pig Pin, you lookin’ for a certain swine maybes? Or was you down this way to visit little ol’ me?” doing the best she could to give C.R. ‘bedroom eyes’.

With a frustrated sign C.R. looks at Slips face, she was an earth pony with a sickly green coat, light brown mane, which is messier than usual, and two different colored eyes, one green and one brown, her flask cutie mark was covered in dirt along with, hopefully, mud all over her body. “Look Slips, I don’t have time to mess around, I’m workin’ and unless you have some information worth wild about Hog or the missing pony, I’m gonna walk away right now.”

A disappointed sigh escapes Slips mouth. “You know Rocky baby you should take it easy once in a while, come visit me I’ll take care of you the only way a mare can take care of a stud like you.” Before C.R. could trot off she follows up with “But I know one day you’ll come down here just to see little ol’ me, until then I might have some information you’ll want to know.” With that C.R. pinches the bridge of his nose, trying to quell the headache that was slowly forming; talking to Slips could give anypony a killer headache.

“So what do you want in return for the information Slips? The usual or something different this time?” with her ever widening grin, showing more and more of her messed up teeth she happily and enthusiastically responds to C.R.

“How kind of you to offer Rocky, but I have enough of my fix this time, you haven’t been down this way in awhile so I found another source. I want something different this time, it has been raining more than usual and I’ve been getting the chills at night Rocky baby and since you won’t come down and help me stay warm, how about you give me that nice trench coat of yours, look it’s even in my color!” After a moment to think it over he finally gives up his trusty trench coat up for the hopefully good Intel.

“This better be worth it slips, that was my favorite coat, and I just gotten it broke in just right.” C.R. stated clearly and slips clearly pleased with her new prize, and quite possibly the most important addition to her ‘Rock collection’, she responds hardly able to contain herself as the coat gets handed to her.

“Rocky baby, you know everything I put out is good,” with a wink she continues “besides you can always buy a new one. Ok look so Hog has been in and out for the last few weeks, looks like he’s cooking something big up Rocky, word on the street say that he’s leaning on the other gangs, and snubbing those who don’t fall in line, he’s grabbing as much turf as he can.” With a frown and a moment to take this new information in, C.R. pushes for more info.

“Slips, there better be something more than that, my favorite trench coat is worth more than this.” With said coat draping over her shoulders, her frail looking frame barely able to fill it. Her enthusiasm falling off and hurt in her voice she replies.

“Calm down Rocky, I was gettin’ to the good stuff, so as I was sayin’ Hog has been in and out, he’s out doin’ something now, buuuuut somepony snatched a few keys off of him before he left one night, and maybe you’ll find said keys in said pony’s living arrangements out behind the Pin, I’m sure Hog has some juicy shit locked up in his office. You might even find some information about that missing pony you’re lookin’ for.” With that and a wink she strutted around towards the ally, leading to the rear of the Pig Pin, purposely making her hips sway side to side, lifting her tail slightly giving anypony who followed a good view of her mare hood through the tail of C.R.’s old trench coat.

With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, he reluctantly followed her around back, the subtle noise of dance music bleeding through the old brick walls of the Pig Pin, behind the Pig Pin there was a small set of stairs leading to a plain steel door going in the building, along the opposite wall is a dumpster with a tattered tarp, one side hooked to the dumpster, the other nailed to the cobblestone, making a lean to. It was lined with cardboard boxes, mostly old booze boxes from the Pig Pin, some thread bare blankets, beat up tin ware, Slips turns slightly to see if C.R. followed, with a wide and mostly toothless grin she continues to saunter into her ‘home’ and rustles around what belongings she has managed to steal or otherwise acquired.

After a few minutes she comes out of her lean to, key in her mouth, she leans in to give C.R. the key. She mumbles something through the key ring that sounded close to “’Ere yea’ go” C.R. leans in to grab the key with his mouth, only for her to thrust forward and give him a kiss while she pushed the key ring into his mouth. After a moment she pulls back, with a satisfied look, grin and a string of saliva connecting the two that only breaks after she tells him “Thanks for that Rocky baby, the keys are free and so is this bit of information, Hog is usually gone for a couple of hours around this time, and he left about half an hour ago, so I’d hurry if I was you stud.” Flabbergasted by what has happened C.R. nearly chokes on the key ring, spitting it out into his hooves then spiting onto the cobble stone, he glares at Slips.

“Thanks for the information and the keys, but don’t ever do that again. Ever.” With a giggle, she turns and lays back in her lean to; enjoying the view of C.R.’s toned flank as he walked away and with her new found warmth from the trench coat she calls out to C.R.

“You can always stay here and keep me company Rocky baby.” With a grunt C.R. heads to the back door, keys in hoof.

Author's Note

If any one sees anything that I could improve one, please let me know. Otherwise I hope you enjoy the story!