Bones for the Taking

Nothing would of prepared me for that phone call. It wasn't Silver like I'd hoped, but chief note. He needs me in his office.

I'm needed in the Chief's office. Placing the gun back on my side, I walk out the door.

I'm dreading that I have to do this. Trudging up the stairs the the RCIS headquarters, I walk. Not caring to fly. I walk through the front doors and am stopped by the guard. Sighing, I pull out my badge and show him. He nods and let's me through. The badge goes back into my coat and I make it to the front desk.

"Hi Andreah!" A young stallion says.

"Hi. You new?" I ask, looking at him. He nods.

"Yeah! Started last week." He tells me, then his phone rings. I let him answer it by me walking away.

I make it to the third floor. Remembering where it is I'm going, I head down the hallway, and look into my office.

Flowers.

Curious, I enter my office and head to the desk. Wrapped around the vase is a string with a piece of paper.

'Welcome Back Andreah!' -Tangled Wires.

Tangled... I need to go thank him.

Exiting my office, I turn left heading for the Chief's office.

Soon, I knock on the door.

"Come in!" His voice traveling through the door. I enter, then turn around and watch myself close the door.

I turn back to the chief.

"Hey." Silver says, in his regular chair across from me. I just nod at him, ashamedly.

"Now that we've got pleasantries aside, let me tell you where your going." The chief says, grabbing a case file from his desk. "Sweet Apple Acres, just out side if Ponyville. Earthpony remains were found. I'm assigning you two."

"We're back!" I shout happily. Silver not sharing in my enthusiasm.

Bump bump.

The train makes those dreaded noises again, reminding me of the trip that changed my life so much.

Silver's asleep, across the train from me. I can tell he's distancing himself from me. He obviously depressed.

He's changed his outfit in the time I was gone. He went from a trench coat like mine except being black, to a weird suit. Sleeves and everything.

I must admit he's kinda handsome in it, but it's not him. Not the Silver I knew.

Bump bump. Bump bump.

Ah.... Ponyville. My home town. I'd of loved to go around with Silver and show him my childhood play places, where I ran around with friends like Lemon Juice and her sister Orange Juice and Swi....

I look over Silver's side at the map he's Psychokneticly holding up. Sweet Apple Acres is.... North of here. Okay. Let's go.

I walk down a dirty path leading to an arch that breaks an opening in the fence. Silver walking silently behind me. Slowing my walking speed down some, I start to walk beside him.

"Hey." I say to him. "I understand why your all skulky and everything. And you have a right to be. But you can't be like that when we talk to the owners of the property." I tell him. He just groans something and speeds up to get ahead of me.

Growling annoyedly, I run ahead and stop in front of him, making him stop.

"Hey!" I say, placing my hoof under his chin and push his head up. "Look at me!"

He's reluctant, but he does. I look into his eyes and notice something off. They're slightly glazed over and... Absent.

I push it aside as him being tired.

"Hey." I say again. "I love you." My words make him wince.

"Sure..." He whispers, turning to continue walking to the homestead behind me.

"No." I tell him, pulling his head back and making him look at me again.
"I. Love. You. There wasn't a day that went by when I was in that hellhole that I didn't think about you. I thought about what I was doing to you every day! I know not telling you was wrong! But I couldn't do anything about it!" I shout, bringing my hoof down from his chin. I stomp with the same hoof, tears welling in my eyes. Subconsciously I lean in and kiss him. He Yanks away without hesitation.

"Just 'cause you thought about it doesn't mean you know what it actually did to me." He says, walking around me.

The tears flow.

Silver knocks on the front door to the main Sweet Apple Acres home.

I hang back about ten feet behind him. I'd stopped crying but if they look hard enough they'll know I was.

The door opens quickly after Silver knocks. A little filly at the door.

"Hi!" She says. "How may ah help you?" She asks in a southern drawl.

"Hello!" Silver says with neutrality that shows nothing's wrong. "May I speak to Applejack?"

"Of course! That's mah big sis! Let meh go git 'er!" The happiness in her voice is aggrevating. She bolts from the door and runs into the house.

About a minute later an orange coated and blond maned Earth pony shows up.

"Howdy!" She says, tipping her country hat. "Watcha need?"

"Hi. My name's Silver Colt with the RCIS. I'm here about the remains found in one of your orchards." Silver says, flashing his badge.

"Oh... Yes." The happiness drains from her voice. "Grab yer marefriend and I'll show yeh. It's this way."

He didn't object to me being his marefriend. That's good! Right?

I trot to their side.

"How did you happen upon the remains, Ms. Applejack?" Silver asks.

"Ah was out apple buckin' yesterday when one of mah apples went further than it should've. So ah went to go get it, but that's when ah felt something snap under mah hoof. At first ah thought it was just a twig. But when it happened again, ah had a gut feelin' to look. That's when I saw it ain't a twig." Applejack tells us. Then we reach an area where the dirt is turned up.

"Here it is."

I walk over and look. A few of the remains are broken, a few scattered. But it's an earthpony.

"Well..." I say. "We've got ourselves a crime scene."