Detective Dash

Murder. Murders nearly never happened in Equestria, especially in Ponyville. By now tears were streaking down my cheeks, my eyes were wide open and my entire body was numb. It couldn't be true, it must be some kind of sick joke, but deep down I knew from Clipper's reaction what was happening right now was one-hundred percent real. I darted out through the now door-less doorway onto the street where I jumped into my notably annoyed carriage driver's vehicle and screamed at him to go as fast as he could. I had realized that the pony's expression had changed from annoyed to clearly scared for his own well-being. After a ten minute carriage ride, we came to a sudden and complete stop as I stepped out onto the sidewalk below. I pushed open the door and hopped the turnstile before sprinting to my usual elevator and ascending to the same floor I had been assigned to yesterday. I burst through Blackhoof's door looking like an absolute mess, tears soaked my face, my shirt had been creased and my tie had been flipped over my shoulder. Blackhoof stared in disbelief before making some stuttering noises, no words came out his mouth. We both glared at each other for a solid minute before Blackhoof, finally finding his words, broke the silence. "Rainbow? You-you look horrible." He said.

"No sh-shit." I muttered

"Something the matter?" He asked.

"You know what? Yeah. Something is the matter." I replied.

"Would you mind telling me what?" Something told me he knew exactly what was the matter.

"The...case file."

"What case file?" He said with a chuckle.

"The one you sent Clipper to give me you stupid fuck!" I couldn't control myself and grabbed Blackhoof by his tie pulling him in close.

"Hey! Calm your ass down. I have no idea what you're talking about." He pushed me off him. At this point I had no idea if he was playing dumb or was being honest with me.

"The...murder case?" I calmed myself. "Sc-Scootaloo." I barely held back tears.

"That son of a bitch! I told him to put that case on hold. We don't have time to be running around trying to find a crazed killer. We're already up to our necks in paperwork, we simply don't have the manpower. Listen, I know you knew the kid and you had a bond but I..I just.." He struggled to find his words once again.

"You honestly weren't going to tell me were you?"

"It's not like that okay. I knew of you were told you would react like this."

"Answer the question dipshit! Were you going to tell me my sister had been fucking killed? Were you!?" I began to sob again.

"No. Under these circumstances I guess not." I knew it. The thought of not being told Scootaloo was involved in a murder case for days, simply just noticing she wasn't around for a couple days before being told the horrific truth sickened me. "We have work to do, try and think positive she wasn't actually your sister anyway." My fiery anger that had been building up finally released as I clenched my hoof and gave Blackhoof a punch round the mouth sending him flying over his desk.

"Say it! Say that bullshit again you fucking prick!" People had begun to crowd the room preventing me from lunging once again, tugging me back and forth before finally calming me. After I had been held back and placed out the office I walked out the door and stepped inside the elevator once again. During the descent from floor eighteen to one was one it really hit me, all at once everything overwhelmed me. I started to cry again, I couldn't keep a hold of myself. I wiped the tears from my face and stepped out onto not floor one, but floor eight. Case Distribution. I walked into Clipper's office, and realised I probably owed him an apology for just leaving him in such a rush earlier. He caught sight of me and lowered his head. "I-I'm sorry." He said softly. I could tell he meant it.

"It's okay. I'm sorry too but I need something."

"Anything."

"The case file for Scootaloo's..." I still couldn't get it out. "M..murder."

"This isn't wise you know." He advised.

"I know. But it's necessary, for my own sake."

"You sure?" I gave him a glare. "Okay. Do what you need to do."

"Trust me, I will."

2 days later....

It was Thursday morning, I woke up and began to read over the final details of the case before I set off to that ever familiar building. The first thing on my to-do list was to see Clipper and hand back the files I'd illegally borrowed. The next was to visit the local police station and see if they had anything linked to the case in their evidence locker and finally I would visit Twilight. She had already agreed to accompany me to the orphanage and inspect Scootaloo's room for any evidence, the reason being she said if I went alone I might lose it. She was probably right. I Approached the door to Clipper's office to see a note pinned to it, it read:

CLIENT REASSIGNED - OFFICE:VACANT

I huffed. He hadn't told me where he was being reassigned to, let alone the fact he was being reassigned. I trotted over to my co-worker and asked. She told me she had no idea and to check with Blackhoof, which I really couldn't be bothered to do. Reluctantly, I dragged myself to Blackhoof's floor and knocked on his office door only to be met with silence. I peeked through the blinds and saw this time, there was no figure. Then I saw something, there was a figure, not in the chair but on the ground laying there lifelessly. It seemed somewhat smaller than Blackhoof, maybe even smaller than a full grown pony. It's shape was mangled and broken, like some kind of toy left in the hands of a foal. The lights were off as always so nothing was for certain but it looked somewhat reminiscent of a corp- "Rainbow! What can I do you for?" Blackhoof said appearing suddenly.

"I..um...where's Clipper ?" I asked.

"He was involved in some illegal case distribution so he's been suspended for a while. Why?" This was what I feared. Coming up with an excuse for why I was looking for him. You see Clipper didn't hand out many cases though being in the distribution service, the reason being he sometimes...Okay most times messed up details. Badly. We're talking victim names, the type of crime itself and even the masterminds behind the whole thing got away with it. Why? Because of Clipper. So most people got cases from Applebutton or Rancher, because they seemed a lot more consistent. The fact Clipper keeps his job, kept his job, was a miracle.

"I need to see him about some personal issues." My answer was very vague and easily seen as suspicious but it was the first thing that came to mind .

"Going past me to get a case from Clipper? Really Rainbow? I thought you knew better." He said in a soft tone "And I think you owe me an apology?"

"I'm sorry sir I couldn't control myself it won't happen again ." I said.

"It better not, Anyway aren't you on suspension for two weeks?" Crap. I'd forgot I'd been given a suspension the day after the incident.

"Yes I am. I'll see myself out. Goodbye sir." I hated calling him that. I hated making him feel like he's better than me, because deep down we both knew he wasn't. After accepting my punishment I scanned my notepad until I found the page listing today's tasks and circled: Visit Police Station

I stepped inside the carriage I'd called and made myself comfortable as I slid my hoof into my pocket and pulled out my phone which I then proceeded to use to try and get a hold of Clipper. No answer. I called again. No answer. Every time I called it went straight to voicemail, like his phone had just been cancelled which might seem logical and not strange for someone to do, but when your contract is with the EBI that's when things get suspicious. I just assumed Blackhoof had put a temporary ban on his contract or something. He was suspended after all. I arrived at the police station and was greeted by a large black stallion wearing a navy uniform with the same logo I had imprinted on my waistcoat on the two forelegs of his uniform. "Excuse me, my name is Rainbow Dash. I work for the EBI and have some questions about the...incident that occurred earlier this week."

"Ah yes. The murder right? Little filly bout' this big. Yeah I know which one you're on about." He said somehow cheerfully. I managed to keep my self from swinging at the mention of the murder this time though.

"Yes. Do you have any extra details or evidence that hasn't already been printed into the official case file. Anything new? Anything at all?" My voice filled with desperation.

"Well not that I'm aware of. Why? The EBI struggling to find a lead?" He asked.

"Yeah we are so uh can I please just see your files. I think I could find something."

"Missy I assure there ain't nothing on-"

"Please!" I interrupted.

"I guess so." He said giving in to my pestering. We walked over to the police terminal, I say that because that's what it looked like. This was no computer, this was a giant clump of data storage. Ignoring the "computer's" strange look I continued to scroll down until I found the files I was looking for. To my disappointment the file was just a text only version of the case Clipper had given me.

"Dammit!" I shouted.

"Now calm down miss. It's only a case."

"The thing is it isn't."

"Okay, missy you seem very into this particular case. What gives? You know the victim?" He asked.

"Yeah. We were..sisters." I said

"Oh. Well I'm awful sorry for your loss. We'll..um..do whatever we can to help."

"Thank you. And if you really do want to help, would you mind showing me your evidence locker?" .

We walked down the narrow hallway of doors and labels until we found ourselves at the evidence locker. The black stallion pressed his hoof on the digits 5-7-8-2 and the towering metal door slowly opened until what looked like a near enough empty janitors closer was in view. Nothing but paperwork and a couple of brooms populated the closet like room to my utter devastation.

"This..is it?" I said in disappointment .

"Oh...ha..no. This is maintenance, there's a secret door behind this filing cabinet so nopony can ever try to steal anything dangerous." He said. But honestly what could a county Police station have that could be seen as dangerous. The most dangerous things I'd seen so far were the janitor 's brooms. The stallion started to push the filing cabinet to the side revealing a wooden door with no handle , and with a weak push swung open. Inside to my absolute disbelief were a multitude of firearms and explosives. Oh and a whole lot more paperwork. "Beautiful isn't it." He said to my confusion. By beautiful did he mean gazing upon a variety of murder weapons because if so, no. No it wasn't .

"Anything to do with this case in particular. A murder weapon?" I

"No. Actually nothing was found at the crime scene but the body. " I gagged but I had no idea why. Just the thought of someone hurting Scootaloo made me angry and sick. I didn't want to imagine it, but I could. "Help me! Help me Rainbow Dash! Was all I heard before I felt my consciousness slip.

A bright light was shining in my eyes as I awoke and a pain in my head was present, I was clearly concussed. I wasn't in a hospital but it looked like a kind of local clinic. It was then I saw the police officer from the station approach me. "Hey there. You alright? That was a nasty fall." My mind flashed back to when I passed out . We were in the evidence locker and Scootaloo! No Scootaloo! I can't I'm not there! Please hold on! hold on. I woke up again, this time screaming only to be comforted by a familiar purple unicorn. "Dash. Are you okay?" She asked gently.

"No. No I'm not Twi. She's there. She's always there in my head. I can't get her out. Twilight. I need help." I hadn't realized I was tearing up, so many thoughts filling my head at once and that image of Scootaloo. It was just always there. It was too much.

"Dash. I can help you."

"How Twilight? How?"

"I can help you accept it" She said.

"Accept what?" I said .

"Reality."

I had been given back my uniform and put it on before taking some painkillers and following Twilight to wherever she saw necessary. After a thirty minute trot we had reached Ponville. More specifically, Ponyville orphanage. "I don't know if I'm ready Twilight." I told her.

"If you think like that you'll never be." She said, boosting my confidence ever so slightly.

"Okay but you're coming with me right?" I asked

"Not just me." She said before the four other ponies that made life still worth living appeared behind Twilight. They were all there. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and even Fluttershy.

"Dash we know you've been through some tough times recently so we thought you could do with some moral support ain't that right y'all?" The three other ponies giving the country pony a simultaneous "Yep!"

"Darling I want you to know we all feel your pain. Me especially. It kills me having to comfort Sweetie Bell's cries every day after school."

" Dashie. I'm so so so sorry about Scootaloo. I-I never even for to throw her a first flight party. " Pinkie began to break down, which annoyed me since it seemed she was being sarcastic, but it was then when I realized that was Pinkie Pie's element, to see the fun and laughter that's been lost instead of the person's characteristics and personality, so my anger quickly faded. Fluttershy's comment was barely audible but still sincere as she was already tearing up when she first saw me. "Rainbow. I'm so sorry about your loss, Scootaloo really saw you as a sister and idol figure. And to think she was k-k-k." She struggled "" Killed, well that's simply awful. " I think her quiet remark was more because of her fear to anger me than her usual personality.

"Thank you all. I love you all so much, and I loved her too." I said as all six of us passionately embraced tightly. This was special, the five most important ponies in the world to me were here but the sixth was missing. A part of ME was missing. I looked up at the sky and shed a single tear before looking back down to be met with the compassionate eyes of those five mares locked on me.

"Shall we go in?" Twilight asked.

"Yes. " I said.

"What are we looking for exactly?" Applejack asked.

"Evidence. Any leads or motives that could lead us to Scootaloo's killer. " I replied, and with that we trotted to the huge wooden door and I laid a hoof on the handle. "I'll get him Scoots. I'll shoot the bad guy."