I think Applejack might of stepped on a few more than she said. Yeah, definitely. Both front radius and ulna snapped, back left femur broken in multiple spots. Not to mention how not all of the system is here. I'll need to get a unicorn in and cast a searching spell. Wait, I have a unicorn.

"Hey, Silver." I say, standing up and turning around. "Silver?" He's disappeared. Again. Wait, there he is.

He walks out from behind a giant apple tree that was behind me. He's rolling down his right sleeve.

"Hey, could you cast a finding spell, please? Not all the remains are here." I ask. He nods, his eyes half closed. starting to walk over, he stumbles, corrects himself, then actually gets to me.

Closing his eyes all the way, he thinks. Shiny silver eminates from his horn, sputters, then bubbles down, failing.

"Uh, what happened?" I ask. In response I get nothing. I look to him and he's floating a map out of his saddlebags.

"Here." He points, voice shaking. "T-they can do the spell.... Thing."

I look to where he's pointing. It's a small shop like building. I nod.

"Okay, let's go."

"Y-you can go..." He says, almost whispering. "I need to go.... Lay down....."

"Okay... Sleep well. I'm going to the shop. See you at the apartment." I tell him, he shakes his head.

"W-we have different..... Apartments....... But they're still..... Right next to each other." He stumbles out.

"You okay? You don't sound too good." I ask, concerned.

"Just tired." He says, then walks away. I walk far enough behind him to keep it from being awkward.

"Hi! Welcome to Trixie's magic shop! How may Trixie help you?" A squeeky voiced mare shouts as i walk in. She wearing an odd wizard hat and cape.

"Hi, I'm from the RCIS." I tell her, pulling out my badge and showing her. I put the badge back. "I need somepony who can cast a finding spell."

"Ooh... As much as Trixie would love to help you, she can't use that kind of magic. But she knows somepony who can help." She tells me.

"Great! W-"

"STARLIGHT!!!" She yells, causing me to put my ears back.

I swear I've heard that name before.

"What!? Why is it that you need me this time!?" A purple unicorn yells, walking out from a curtain behind the counter. "I swear if it's an-" she looks at me.

"It's you!" We both shout simultaneously.

She laughs, I just shift uncomfortably.

"What do you need?" Starlight asks.

I walk over to the counter.

"I need somepony who can cast a finding spell. I'm investigating a murder but some of the remains are scattered." I tell her.

Trixie slightly gags.

"Trixie can't handle death." She says, then walks away. Starlight giggles.

"She's always been a baby." She says to me, I nod in response.

"So, can you do it?" I ask her.

"Sure! I just need to be there."

"So....." Starlight says, breaking the silence that has plagued us since the shop. "You ever find that stallion you were looking for?"

The question takes me by surprise and I stumble momentarily.

"Uh... I... I don't want to talk about that. I did, but...." I trail off.

"But what?"

"It's... He's not who he used to be. I mean... I know ponies change after two years, but.... Not Silver..." I sigh, looking down. Seeing it's a touchy topic, she changes the subject.

"We're going to Sweet Apple Acres?"

Snapping out of my state of sadness, I look ahead.

"Yes. The West orchards is where the remains are." I tell her as we walk through the arch thing.

"I hope word doesn't get out. That could seriously damage the reputation of Sweet Apple Acres."

"Yea..." I say. "Hold on, I gotta to talk to the owners." I say, she hums a response.

I walk up the couple of steps and knock on the door. Applejack opens it.

"Howdy again. Hey there Starlight." She says, tipping her hat.

"Hi Applejack." Starlight replies.

"Awesome!" I say. "You two already know each other." They both nod. "Just so you know Applejack, everytime I enter your property with somepony new, I'll introduce them to one of you, that way there's no confusion to who's working the case or not."

"Alrighty! I mighty appreciate that." She says to me.

I always try to limit the amount of unicorn magic I use. The magic, be it a spell or just normal levitation, if touching the bones leaves a residue. It's tiny, but still there. And can screw up the equipment in the lab, causing false positives or just bad readings.

"So, where do I need to do the thing?" Starlight asks from behind me. I continue walking then stop.

"Here." I say, looking down. "The remains are here."

I sit and let my saddlebags fall off my flank. Standing back up and turning around, i open a bag and pull out a white, tyvek tarp. As well as some hoof and wing gloves. I ask Starlight to lay the tarp out while i put the gloves on. I pick up a Coccygeal vertebrae and hold it out to starlight.

"I need the whole skeletal system found. When found could you put them on the tarp please?" I ask. She nods, picking up the vertebrae.

Here's how this finding spell works. The one casting it picks up something similar. Or in this case an exact DNA match. Scanning the item, the spell shoots out in all directions for a distance of 100 hooves. Then it creates a mental image of exactly where it all is. One disadvantage for me not having magic.

"It's all right here. Under where the others where. They're just deeper." Starlight tells me. "I'll get them out."

"Carefully!"

She nods. "Carefully."

Within an hour we had it all set out on the tyvek tarp. Actually, more accurately, she had it all set out.

"Where'd you learn to put together a skeleton?" I ask her, looking at the almost perfect put together remains. Even the broken peices were right. The only things off were a few of the vertebrae.

"When you came to the castle about a month ago, I wanted to learn what you do."

"You learned this in a month!? It took me almost five years!?" I shout, surprised.

"I a fast learner." She giggles.

"Whatever. Could you help me get these to the Ponyville lab?"

Author's Note

1 hoof = 1/2 foot.