When A Good Apple Turns Sour

Big Mac stared down at his hands which had been cuffed together. He then looked back up to see the guards, driving him off to who knows where as he tried to think of what he could have done to be arrested. He had always lived an honest life, never breaking any law, however now that he was in the back of a police car, he was sure it was a mistake. Big Mac looked back up now as he looked out the window, watching the apple trees move by as he watched his orchard pass by him. He smiled only slightly as he remembered his past and growing up on the orchard. Once the squad car was out of the apple family orchard it began to make its way to the Ponyville Police Station. He watched as the Station came into view. Once there the car came to a complete stop. The Guards got out and then grabbed him, taking him inside.

The Ponyville Police Station wasn't the biggest, and was rather small. It only had a few holding cells and one interrogation room. Mac was led to the interrogation room and sat down in a seat, while his hands were uncuffed for the briefest of seconds before being cuffed to the table. The guards then left, leaving Mac alone in the room.

Mac sat there as he tried to wrap his head around all that happened. Everything had started out like a normal day, but those guards. They had to have him confused with someone else. He knew that he was rather large for a normal earth pony, and he also knew that some Canterlot Guards tended to look down on all earth ponies. Mac shook his head. No, there had to be another reason besides that. He spent his whole life doing what was right. He followed all the rules, never broke the law, and would always put others before himself. He was like most Apples, Honest and hard working. Mac knew that this had to be a mistake, and when the detectives came in, he would explain it to them.

A few hours passed before the door to his interrogation room opened. Two individuals walked in, one Unicorn, and the other a Pegasus. They both had detective badges on as they took a seat across from him. The Pegasus seemed to be eyeing Mac up and down, as if reading him. The Unicorn began to take out a small stack of papers, setting them down, and organizing them. From his position he could see that the top document was simply words, and a few numbers. After a few minutes the Unicorn looked up at him. He placed what looked like a recorder on the table, and then was the first to speak.

“My name is Detective Gumshoe, and this is my partner Detective Hawkshaw. We are currently at the Ponyville Police Station interrogation room.” He then looked down at his papers. “Now then, Mr. Apple, do you have any reason on why you were brought down here?” Big Mac shook his head, causing Gumshoe to continue. “You were brought here as the primary suspect in a muder investigation. Now then, we will be asking you a few questions, and I want you to answer them honestly. Do you Understand?” Mac could only nod as the information sunk in. Mac hoped that he could prove his innocence here and now, so he would be able to return home to his family. Gumshoe nodded as he began. “Please state your full name, species, and age.”

Mac cleared his throat before speaking, “Mah name is McIntosh Apple, Im twenty years old, and an earth pony.”

Gumshoe nodded as he made some notes on one of the pieces of paper he brought out. “Were you in Canterlot a few days ago?” Mac nodded “How long were you in Canterlot and what were you doing in Canterlot?”

Mac took a breath before speaking, “I spent about five days in Canterlot. I was there to speak with a Mr. Blueblood. Ah had a meeting with him about selling mah farms produce to be used in the Castle’s kitchens, as well as a few events that they have.” Gumshoe made a few more notes on his paper.

“Tell me more about your meetings with Prince Blueblood?” Gumshoe spoke in a cold tone. Emphasizing the word Prince as he made some more notes.

“Well mah meetings with Prince Blueblood took us bout two days. We would start after breakfast an go til supper time. We spent most of the time talking bout logistics and numbers. Ah would let him know what set us apart from our competitors, and why we should be used stead of them. We would always take bout an hour break for lunch. Ah always had to leave then on account that Mr, ah mean Prince Blueblood preferred tah eat alone.”

Gumshoe took notes during Mac’s confession, curling a few words and underlining others. “You said you were in Canterlot for five days.” Mac nodded. “Two days for the travel time, two more for your meeting with Prince Blueblood and one day that is unaccounted for. What were you doing on that day?”

Mac cleared his throat before speaking. “Ah spent that day visiting a few stores in Canterlot. I was picking up a gift for my little sister Apple Bloom. Ah know Applejack said not to, but ah cant really help it when she gave me those eyes and asked for me to bring her back a gift. I also spent some time looking around the castle and talking with some of the staff there. Ah also made sure to visit the royal garden.”

Gumshoe nodded before looking over to his partner, and then back to Mac. “What did you talk about with the staff?”

Mac looked up in thought as he remembered all that he had talked about with the staff members of Canterlot’s Castle. “Well, ah talked with the head chef a little about different spices he could use as well as swapping a few recipes between each other. The butler and ah chatted about different ponies we have met and what they were like. I chatted with one of the maids as I helped her with a few of her tasks. Finally I talked with the gardener. She told me about the various plants and how she liked the idea of planting a few food producing trees like apple trees. She told me about how her grandson had joined a martial arts class and was worried he might use it for simply beating others up. That is until ah mentioned that mah pappy taught me boxing, and how its a good way to build strength and discipline.” Mac finished his speech and looked at Gumshoe, who proceeded to pull out what looked like two photos and slid them towards Mac.

“Would you care to tell me what you see in these two pictures?”

Mac looked at the photos. They were each of him, one showing him entering what looked like Blueblood’s door, while the other looked like him leaving it in a hurry. Both with different times on them. The first picture was of him wearing the same clothes he wore the day before leaving. A simple slim fitting white undershirt meant to show off his muscles with a red and black flannel shirt being worn over it. A pair of older form fitting bluejeans with leather belt holding it up along with a Sweet Apple Acres belt buckle. He also wore his work boots, but then again, he didnt own many other pairs of shoes afterall. The Second photo was similar but his clothes looked more ragged, there were also some red spots all over his white shirt, though if he looked closer it was also on his flannel shirt and face. Something also appeared to be on his hands, dripping from them. “Um ah see me entering and leaving Blueblood’s room?”

“You're a boxer, care to explain what you see in this picture?” Gumshoe took a third photo and slid it over to Mac.

Mac raised an eyebrow. He didn't know what being a boxer had to do with anything, but he looked down to the photo before him and froze. It took every once in him not to throw up what little he had on his stomach. The photo he was being shown was beyond anything he could imagine. At first he simply couldn't tell what he was looking at. After looking closer he could tell what appeared to be someone's head. He of course had seen stallions get beat before, but this was beyond that. He could finally tell it was a pony because their brain was at the very edge of the photo. The head looked like mince meat, it didn't even look like a head anymore, just tissue and bone. Whoever had done this, had beaten this had beaten this ponies face in until they had made it through to the other side. Some tile making its way through the blood and bone. Mac gulped, “I see what's left of a pony, their, uh, head beaten in.” Mac pushed the photo back. He couldn't look at it anymore. Looking at it made him sick to his stomach.

“That is a photo of what's left of Prince Blueblood, he was murdered. He was beaten to death as you can see. His time of death fits perfectly when you were present with him. As you can tell from the first two photos, you entered his room. You then proceeded to beat him to death, before leaving with all the evidence on your clothes and fists.” Gumshoe stated matter of factly. He finished his writings and put away some of his papers.

Mac couldn't believe what he was hearing. They thought he killed Blueblood. He knew the guy was a condescending, egotistical, and pompous douche, but he would never harm him. Mac knew he could take any kind of insult, and tended to never resort to violence. The world seemed to slow again as he tried to find his words with mouth feeling like the San Palomino Desert. Gumshoe shook his head, nodded to his partner and stood up. He then gave Mac one final look before leaving the interrogation room.

For the first time since the interrogation started Detective Hawkshaw leaned forward. He pulled out a bottle of water and moved it towards Mac. Mac took the bottle and downed its entirety, before breathing a sigh of relief. Hawkshaw looked towards the door and then moved to the recorder, pressing a button on it.

“Listen we don't have much time until Detective bonehead comes back in. You seem like a good kid who was just in the wrong place, at the wrong time.” He then pulled out a small packet of papers and slid them over to Mac. “If you sign this confession, I guarantee that you would only have to spend about five years in a minimum security prison.”

Mac thought it over, the water was a welcome relief. He then looked at the recorder. He guessed that Detective Hawkshaw wanted this deal to not be recorded. He slowly began to read through the papers. It didn't take him long, but it was as Hawkshaw had said. If he confessed to the crime, he would spend five years in a minimum security prison along with community service. He didn't know what to do. He knew in the bottom of his heart that he was innocent. There must have been some kind of mistake. He needed to make a decision, and it didn't take him long.

“So if ah confess, yall can guarantee that I'll only do five years and some community service,” Hawkshaw nodded at this. Mac breathed in slowly then out, before sliding the papers back to him. “Thank ya for the offer Detective Hawkshaw, but ah trust in Celestia, Ah know her court will find me innocent.”

Hawkshaw nodded as he took the papers back, putting them away. “They are there if you change your mind. You will have until the trial ends Mr.Apple.” He then pressed the same button on the recorder just as Gumshoe came back in. This time he was accompanied by two guards. Gumshoe shot a glare at his partner who sighted and stood up, taking the empty bottle of water from Mac.

“McIntosh Apple, you will spend the night in a holding cell here. After which you will board a train to Canterlot where your trial will be held.” Gumshoe explained as the two guards moved to Mac and un-cuffed him, only to cuff him again once his hands were free of the table. They led him away as the two detectives began to have a hushed argument. Over what, Mac could not tell.

Mac was taken to one of the holding cells and placed inside. Once there they un-cuffed him and locked him in the cell. Mac looked down at his wrists, rubbing them softly as he replayed everything that happened that day. He slowly walked over and took a seat on the worn mattress. The day started out so perfect for him, but now here he was. A suspect in Prince Blueblood’s murder. Mac layed down, letting his body stretch out, heis legs over extending the bed, and simply hanging out. He closed his eyes, trying to relax. He trusted his Great Princess Celestia. He had utter faith in Celestia and her court, and knew that they would find him innocent. Then he could go back to his normal life, especially back to his loving family to whom he cared for deeply. With those thoughts in his head, he drifted to a dreamless sleep.