Author's Note

Hello, thank you for choosing to read my story! I am not a very good writer, but I'm doing my best. My work is inspired by the forensic life, and novels, of Kathy Reichs. Also, I'm taking my basic understanding of human psychology and injecting it into these ponies. Enjoy!

Case: The mare with the missing flank

I stand Infront of the tent that is covering at least a twenty hooves by sixteen hoof spot in the middle of a field. It's pouring rain, mid day. My blood red hair a pathway for the rain to the ground. This is always the part I hate the most. Walking up to the remains I'm sent to examine. It's always the adrenaline rush and wave of fear that hits me hardest. Sadness and sympathy second. Walking up to what I know it's going to be a half-decayed, a waterlogged, or a completely skin baked on bone, pile of bones, always sends a shiver of fear up my spine.

I sigh, stretch out my Chestnut brown wings, and step into the tent. The first thing I notice is that, oddly, Princess Celestia is in the corner of the tent. Second noticable thing, is the smell. The smell of rotting flesh washes over me and I gag. Once I get over that, I take a deep breath, adjust my trench coat so that it looks tidy for the princess, and stops rubbing the base of my wings. I take a second deep breath. Overcome the instinct to gag. And walk over to Celestia.

"Princess." I say, giving her a bow.

"I've told you, Dr. Reigns, no need to bow, stand yourself up." She says to me. I stand up as she demanded so.

"I'll stop bowing when you stop addressing me so formally. You can call me Andreah." I tell her, giving a little giggle, then I get another waft of what's in the pit a yard away.
"Why did you call me in? I can already tell there is too much flesh for my expertise. Can't the M.E. handle it?" I inquire, walking over to a crate a couple hands away, picking up a respirator, dampening the smell.... Somewhat.

"Take a look and you'll understand why I called you in. And can you grab me one of those masks aswell, please? This oder is starting to get to my head." She tells me, knowing I know it wasn't really a question. I grab one by my right wing and carry it over to her that way. I drop the mask on her back, laughing as she struggles to grab it.

I continue to the pit, and an orange colored female comes into view. I look down into the pit, examining the flank first, or rather, what's left of the flank. Even though the corpse is lying on it's left, I can still make out the outline of a missing flank on that side aswell. Looks like this unsub didn't want us to find out her Cutie Mark. As my eyes scan up the rest of her body, I stop at a very disturbing three words, carved into her side, aswell as a very familiar Skull with a paper behind it. My Cutie Mark. Alongside 'I WANT REIGNS'

"Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!!" I yell, while wearing a path in the floor from my paseing. I've never found my Ponyville office very comfortable, but I'll take it over NOT having guards here 24/7. I dunno who's after me, but it's scary as hell.

"Knock knock!" I hear my partner vocally announce at my door, instead of actually knocking.

"Who is it!?" I yell, sounding more agitated than fearful, thankfully.

"The diet soda servent." He says as soon as the door opens. I watch my partner walk in. His stunning yellowy-gold body, almost shiny silver mane. His Cutie Mark, I've always found a little border line inuendus, was a pair of hoofcuffs. He is in law inforcement, but still.

"Why thank you, sir." I say and start to walk over to him. He bows down and holds the soda up to me by his bubbly silver magic.

"For you, Miss Reigns." He says gallantly. I walk up to him and in the process grab the soda with my right wing. He stands up and faces me. "Now, how 'bout a kiss?" He inquires Cooley.

"Silver Colt! You did not just ask that!" I scoff and turn around, walking to my desk.

"No? Ok.... Anyway, I heard what was found at the last crime scene. News travels like wildfire. Who would send a massage like that?" He asks, sitting in the client chair on the other side of my desk. I sit in my office chair, crack open my Cola, take a sip, set it down. Than open a drawer on the bottom left of my desk.

"I dunno." I reply. "I know I've pissed some ponies off in the past. But this is extreme. The unsub kn-" I'm unable to finish my sentence before Silver butts in.

"I know you keep explaining, but I keep forgetting. What the hell does 'unsub' mean?" He asks, blinking his green eyes at me.
I sigh before responding. "It stand for unidentified sssssss" dragging out the s in the word subject as I remember something. "You remember the case where I first used that word? Some Colt chopped up his special sompony because he caught her cheating? What was his name? Name name name!!" I shout at Silver. It takes him a second to process all I just said.

"Oh!!! Ohohoh!!!" He yells exidedly. Clopping his front Hooves together. "Ummm..... Thunder.... Noooooo... Uhh." He slumps sadly into his chair, realizing he had no idea.
We sit in silence for a couple minutes trying to remember they pony's name. Silent, save for my slurps of diet cola. All of a sudden Silver shouts.

"DUKE WING! Worked at the department store!"

"That's him!" I respond, equally as loud. "I remember some verbal threats he made to Celestia and I when we caught him. I'm gonna go over to headquarters over in Canterlot, I'll check the records on him, see if he's still serving time or not. Good job recalling his name, that case was a couple dozen moons ago." I say to him. Hopping out of my chair, I grab my bag and start to walk out.

"Andreah!" Silver beckons me.

"What?" I ask turning to him.

"Right here, wouldn't hurt." He says, tapping his lips with his hoof.

"Keep dreamin'." I tell him, just as I get to the door, I finish off with a "bud." Than walk out. Hearing Silver heave a deep sigh.
I climb into a flying carriage I requested for.

"Where to?" The Colt on the left asks me.

"Off to Canterlot to follow a lead!"