Equestria Noir Case 4: Skies of Cloudsdale

by Jacoboby1

Rating: teen
Tags: Rainbow Dash, Comedy, Other, Romance, Fluttershy, Adventure, Spitfire, Tragedy, Dark, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 16825

A Murder Mystery in Equestria set in Cloudsdale

A mysterious letter from Princess Celestia prompts a broken Private Eye to venture to Cloudsdale. While there Private gets caught up in a conspiracy involving mobsters, a lost friendship, and a love put in grave danger. With the help of a newfound ally Rainbow Dash, Private hopes to solve this case...but can he do it without Twilight at his side?

This Fan Fiction is dedicated to: Darkskyz, for all the encouragement you've given me throughout this series. This series wouldn't have reached this point without you.

Published 2012-08-07 07:14:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-08-14 02:07:34 UTC

Chapter 1:Letters

Equestria Noir
Case 4
“Skies of Cloudsdale”
By Jacoboby1
Dedicated to: DarkSkyz
Chapter 1
“Letters”

Sunlight met my eyes as I slowly opened them. I sat up and shook my head to get the grogginess out of my eyes. I must’ve fallen asleep on the office floor in the middle of the night. I stretched my legs and got up. I picked up my fedora and slapped it on my head.

I tried to forget all about last night. What I said…what I did…the feelings of hurt and pain afterwards…but nothing worked. I kept thinking of the mare I cast out and the words I said to her. The irony of it all? I found out I was in love with that very same mare right after I tossed her out.

I shook my head. Come on Private, you can get over her. I just needed a drink…or just anything to get her off my mind. Damn, it was Larksong all over again. I started walking back toward my desk. I needed something to distract me from all this. I could never get over her if I don’t do something.

“Maybe somepony will have a case for me, I can solve it right?” I said looking at myself in the glass of my window.
“Twilight didn’t affect me that much. Did she? I’m still a detective! I have years of skills and training! This is a just a bump in the road…right?”

Truth was I was just kidding myself. I sighed and set about organizing my haphazard desk. Normally I would ask Spike to do it but the baby dragon was nowhere in sight. If I knew Twilight she probably told the dragon not to come in, and rightly so. I levitated some papers off my desk when I heard a crash coming from outside the building. Not a good start to my day.

I stepped outside the office building to find a strange sight. She was a Pegasus my age with a grey coat and a blond mane. She was trying to haphazardly fix the sign hanging above my door. It was swinging rather dangerously and the poor thing was trying the best she can to fix it.

“Are you alright?” I said looking up at the Pegasus

“Yeah, I’m fine…sorry about the sign, my bad…” she said in a rather cute voice. It was almost childlike; right now it was ridden with guilt over what happened. “I was trying to watch where I was going and then this bird came around and…well you can guess the rest”

I smiled at her and my horn glowed a pale grey. I wrapped my magic around the sign and put it back in place. “There, no harm done. It was bad sign anyway”

The Pegasus landed in front of me and smiled. When she opened her eyelids I couldn’t help but stare. Her yellow eyes were completely lopsided; one was looking at me and the other off in some other direction. Dear Celestia…can she like see other dimensions or something?

She frowned “Mister it’s not nice to stare…”

“Oh sorry” I said apologetically “Um…I’m Private, I own the building you just crashed into”

She smiled “I’m Ditzy Doo, sorry about the sign...”

“No biggie, I’ve been meaning to fix up that ugly sign anyway”

She nodded “It just came out of nowhere as I was flying over” She frowned at my sign “Bad sign! It’s not nice to get in the way like that!”

I chuckled a little at the Pegasus scolding the sign “Yes I shall reprimand my sign profusely” I noticed the mare had a saddlebag on with a mail symbol on it. “You’re the mailpony?”

“Yep!” She made a salute “Ditzy Doo Delivery! We deliver anything you could possibly need in the general direction you want it to go!”

Not a very encouraging slogan but I wasn’t about to rain on her parade. I nodded at the strange pegasi “So what brings a young lady like you around here?”

She reached into her saddle bags and pulled out a letter with her mouth and I levitated the letter in front of me. “Delivery for Private Eye!” Ditzy said happily.

I raised an eyebrow “Funny…I never get mail that isn’t bills”

“Not a very funny joke mister…”

“No Ditzy it’s a figure of speech”

“Oh! Carrot Top uses those all the time, they always confuse me”

I wasn’t about to ask. “Thank you Ditzy for the timely delivery…but I have to ask why you delivered mail to me so early in the morning”

Ditzy looked at me…or did she look at the sky? I can’t tell. “Ugeeines said this was a very important letter to be delivered immediately”

“Okay, thanks again” I said as the young pegasi flew away. She almost hit my sign again but made a scene of avoiding it. I don’t know why but there was just something charming about the clumsy Pegasus. I bet she makes a lot of ponies happy without even trying.

I stepped inside and opened the letter while sitting on my desk. I noticed a royal seal on the letter. Also it was written in Princess Celestia’s hoof writing. I’ve suffered way too many burns from spike not to know what a letter from her highness looked like. I wish she would deliver by Ditzy more often. It was certainly safer than me getting scorched every time Spike got a letter.

Dear Private Eye

I’ve heard from Twilight about what happened with the last case. I cannot say I condone with the actions you took but I’m willing to offer a distraction. Judging by Twilight’s description of the event it was hard on both ends. So as consolation I’m willing to offer you two tickets to the Cloudsdale Derby. The Wonderbolt Spitfire is going to be racing so it will be exciting. I want you to go and have some fun. I can understand personally how bad losing somepony can be. I know that the best medicine is distraction and a little bit of cutting loose. The extra ticket is for you to give to anypony you choose. I suggest you give it to somepony who wants to go desperately. I know you have a kind heart Private, try and have some fun.

Sincerely

Princess Celestia

Okay, this has got to be the strangest request I’ve ever gotten. Why in the world would the monarch of the entire known world want me to go to a race? Was this her idea of a distraction?

I looked inside the envelope and found two sky blue tickets inside. Why would she give me the extra ticket? I had no friends in town aside from Rarity and Pinkie Pie. I wanted to avoid an encounter with them as much as possible. If Celestia had heard of what happened from Twilight then her two friends probably have also. I couldn’t bear the thought of a sad Pinkie Pie again. That and I don’t think a race would be Rarity’s kind of idea of a great outing. That and Spike would probably kill me in my sleep for asking out his crush.

I could try and track down Ditzy, but the tickets are dated for this afternoon and the mailpony probably had other plans. I levitated the tickets into my trench coat. I needed some air to think about this.

Outside I found that the sky was clear and the air crisp from last night’s rain fall. I saw some ponies looking at me with mixed expressions. Some were looking at me with daggers and others with sympathetic looks. Neither helped in my attempts to forget about what happened last night. Neither was this rain. Wait, rain?

I looked up with a bemused expression. Of all the clouds in the sky the one rain cloud left over from last night just happened to be in my path. I swore under my breath as I heard a voice shout.

“Aww dang it Thunderlane! He can’t ever clean up after the rain clouds he leaves behind!”

I looked up and saw a rainbow colored blur fly past me and cut into the rain cloud. It dispersed into tiny clouds and the blur kept cutting the cloud into smaller pieces. Ultimately the cloud was gone and I was left with another strange looking Pegasus in front of me.

“Sorry about that, Thunderlane just left that cloud over from last night”

“Uh, thanks” I said as I wrung out my hat to get the rain water out.

The Pegasus in front of me was one of the strangest I’ve ever seen. She was the color of the clear sky above me with magenta colored eyes. Her mane was also very unusual, whereas most ponies have a solid or dual colored mane she had a bright rainbow colored mane. Was that her natural hair color or did she dye it that way? She was also very well tuned and muscular, obviously some kind of athlete.

She flattened her ears in apology “No really I’m sorry. I’ve never seen you around town before”

A pony that hasn’t seen me before? What did she sleep on a cloud all day? I smiled a little “Detective Private Eye”

Her magenta eyes lit up “Oh my gosh! You’re that detective that Twilight told me about!”

This caused a frown to develop on my face. Damn it just when I thought I was done thinking about her. “Yeah that’s me”

“Can I just say how awesome it must be to be a detective?! Solving crimes, putting bad guys in jail, doing all sorts of awesome things along the way!” She said with bright magenta eyes.

I guessed her favorite word was “awesome”. I nodded “It’s not all glamour and fun, its hard work”

“I know that but it’s still cool” She put her hoofs on her cheeks and let out a small squeal “So, awesome!”

“I don’t think I’ve caught your name in your praise for the local law enforcement” I said

She blushed a little “Oh right, I’m Rainbow Dash” She flew up several feet in the air and puffed out her chest. “Greatest flyer in all of Equestria!”

I remembered Pinkie Pie mentioning a “Rainbow Dash” when I first came into town. Could this be her? I let out a bemused snort “Greatest flyer? On what grounds?”

She frowned at me “On the grounds of being able to perform a Sonic Rainboom on command!”

My eyes widened “A Sonic Rainboom? You’re the one that performed that?”

“Cha!” She grinned widely “And that my dear detective is why I’m the greatest flyer in all of Equestria”

I tapped my hoof to my chin in thought. “A great flyer like you must be on some kind of flying team am I correct?”

The roygbiv maned Pegasus flushed a little “Well no, not yet but someday! I hope to be on the greatest flying team in Equestria! The Wonderbolts!”

I smiled a little “That’s a pretty high mountain you wish to climb, they don’t take in just anypony”

“Yeah well they just have never got a good look at me is all” She sounded like she was trying to convince herself more then she was trying to convince me.

I then remembered the tickets in my trench coat. Is this what Princess Celestia meant? Give the extra one to one who wants to go desperately? I wondered if she was interested.

“Are you aware of the Cloudsdale Derby?” I said curiously.

“Yeah, I’m from Cloudsdale ya’ know”

“Well, I heard that Spitfire was racing in it…”

“OH-MY-GOSH!!!! Really! Spitfire of the Wonderbolts?! I haven’t seen her race in a long time!” She then started flying around the air squealing in glee constantly repeating “ohmygosh” over and over again. Just then her wings drooped and she came down to earth. “Dang it who am I kidding? I haven’t gotten paid yet and it’s this afternoon. How can I get the bits for it in one day?”

Celestia’s powers of foresight are amazing to behold. It was like she knew Dash would want to go. Question is why? Oh well that was for another time. I reached into my trench coat and pulled out the extra ticket. Dash let out a gasp of sheer delight.

“I have an extra ticket that I wasn’t going to use" I smiled a little "If you want it it’s yours”

Suddenly I was tackled by the cyan colored Pegasus and was being hugged tightly. “Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I can’t ever repay you for this!”

“Dash…rib cage…is being…crushed…” I said fighting for air from the mare’s hug.

She let go of me and blushed a little “Sorry, I just got a little excited there” A little? My ribs will say otherwise Miss Dash. “But really thank you so much for this, you have no idea what this means to me”

I smiled and hoofed off the ticket to her “Just think of it as a first gift between friends”

She held the ticket like I’ve just handed her one of the elements of harmony. She smiled at me then started to fly off. She smiled back at me then let out a squeal of delight.

In the end I didn’t really know why I gave her the ticket. I guess after yesterday it was nice to make somepony’s day. I shook my head; this town has really made me go soft. Then again Rainbow did remind me of myself back when I was learning to be a cop. I to would’ve squealed like that if somepony gave me a chance to see my hero in action. I watched the young Pegasus flying around in the sky like she was queen of the world.

I smiled, there just was such a small joy in giving a fan a chance like this.

Chapter 2 "Behind The Clouds"

Chapter 2

“Behind the Clouds”

I looked out of the basket of the hot air balloon I was riding. I looked down to see the ground become like a faraway dream below me. I’ll admit I suffered a little bit of vertigo from looking down. I never much cared for heights.

I myself have never been to the Pegasi capital before. Unlike unicorns and earth ponies the pegasi had a city all to their own. I looked on the massive city made of clouds. The weather factory was hard at work pumping out clouds for the day. The pegasi were everywhere, swarming the city like mouths to a flame. Pegasi were the only race that could normally walk on clouds. Unicorns and earth ponies can but we needed a special spell in order to do it. As a result the Pegasi have developed a culture all to their own.

Looking at the clouds did bring back some memories of mom though. She was a Pegasus herself. Not a native to Cloudsdale but the city still reminded me of those days when she would fly me up to the clouds and we would play for hours. I shook my head at the thought. First Twilight now mom? What next I start mourning the loss of Firebird?

The balloon landed on top of one of the clouds. I casted a cloud walking spell on myself, I used the spell whenever mom and I would play on the clouds. I stepped onto the clouds and looked around. I’ve never been to the cloud city before so I was unsure of where to go. I just knew I was looking for the racetrack. Maybe somepony was willing to give me directions.

I looked around for a bit and then perked my ears at something. It was a beautiful melody the likes of which I haven’t heard before. I followed the sound and came across a butter yellow Pegasus singing to a bird. She hovered next to the bird and started singing a few notes to which the bird repeated. I couldn’t help but smile, her voice was like honey.

“Oh, good work sparrow just remember that diction is important” The Pegasus said in a sweet voice that matched her singing. She was rather small compared to the average pony; she had a long pink mane that covered the side of her face. Her wings weren’t muscular like Dash’s; in fact they looked like they were rarely if ever used. Her aqua eyes looked at the sparrow encouragingly. “Remember to keep practicing” She said as the sparrow flew away.

I smiled and walked to the mare, she didn’t seem to notice me at first. “Hello there”

She turned suddenly and let out a small squeak of surprise. She fell on her romp and looked at me with frantic eyes. She finally turned one side of her head so that her mane acted like a curtain between me and her. “Um…hello…”

Well this was a sudden switch…She was so friendly to that sparrow. I smiled at her trying to be friendly. “I’m Private, what’s your name?”

She looked at me with her aqua eyes as if unsure what to say. She then looked down and said almost in a whisper. “I’m…Fluttershy...”

I raised an eyebrow “Sorry I didn’t catch that…could you repeat what you said?”

She flushed a little in embarrassment and said again this time even softer “Fluttershy…”

Still a whisper, man this pony really is a shrinking violet. I decided to cut to the chase. “I’m looking for the racetrack, could you point me in the right direction?”

She raised her hoof towards the center of town and let out a small squeak. I nodded and started trotting toward where she was pointing. What a strange mare, I’d love to get to know her if she didn’t seem to think I would suck out her soul or something. She seemed awfully sweet.
_____________________________________________

I was able to find the racetrack with relative ease now that I knew the general direction of where to go. I was about to enter the racetrack when I heard a familiar voice.

“Hey Private!” I looked up as Rainbow descended to land beside me. She smiled at me and looked at her watch. “Come on the race is about to start! I’ve been waiting forever!”

Not one for patience was she? “Don’t worry, the race isn’t going anywhere”

We both entered the stadium and found seats. Rainbow insisted on spending most of her bits on Spitfire fan gear. She came back to the seats wearing a t-shirt and what looked like a spitfire style wig.

I frowned at her then she said to me. “What? Like you never bought stuff like this?”

I wasn’t going to tell her about my Raystar costume that I wear every year for nightmare night. I simply let out a bemused chuckle as Dash took a seat beside me. The racetrack itself was a simple oval shaped racetrack. This was a test of speed, no fancy tricks or stunts were going to get you ahead. You had to use sheer endurance and velocity to win.

The announcer then started speaking “Good afternoon ladies and gentlecolts and welcome to the annual Cloudsdale Derby!”

Many pegasi cheered at this including Rainbow Dash. She leaped up and down like she just won the lottery. Then again this was probably like winning the lottery to her. I couldn’t help but smile a little at the enthusiastic Pegasus next to me.

The announcer continued “Big turnout here with pegasi coming from all four corners of Equestria! Here come the contenders right now!”

I watched as several Pegasi entered the stadium, all clad in various colored flight suits. The loudest cheer came when Spitfire came out. She was a mare about a year or two older then I was with a long flame colored mane that was swept back. She made an effort to wave at her adoring fans in a very smooth manner. She seemed rather calm and collected despite her reputation as one of the fastest Pegasi in Equestria. I could figure Dash could learn a thing or two from the Wonderbolt.

“Isn’t she awesome?!” Rainbow said almost squealing like a school pony.

It was then that I noticed, she stopped in her tracks and looked directly at our seat in the stadium. I looked around; there weren’t any ponies that were really Spitfire fans around us. Most wore colors of the other flyers. Spitfire had an entire section dedicated to her that was on the other side of the stadium. But she wasn’t even acknowledging them. It was then that I realized…she wasn’t looking at me, she was looking at Dash.

Dash noticed this and waved excitedly at Spitfire. Spitfire gave a small wave…why did she look so…downtrodden? I got the feeling that something was going on. Spitfire made an effort to find Dash…not many celebrities would do that. But why Dash? I looked over at the cyan mare.

“Have you and Spitfire met…personally?”

Rainbow nodded “Only on a couple of occasions, but we never really talked before. Sure she would congratulate me but that was about it”

I looked back at the fire branded racer as she was preparing to take her position. “Funny, it’s almost like she was looking for you”

Her magenta eyes shone with delight. “You mean she remembers me!? Oh my gosh!”

“It’s possible, I just wonder why” I put my hoof on Dash’s tail before she could fly off into the sky propelled by sheer delight. “Cool your jets fly girl, the race is about to start”

“Racers! Take your positions!” The announcer said over the speakers. Spitfire lined up with the rest of the pegasi racers. They were all poised and ready to start.

“On your marks…get set…GO!!!” The racers zoomed out of the gate at blinding speed. I watched the crowd with a pair of binoculars I thought to bring along.

“Where’s Spitfire!? I can’t see her!” Dash said as I searched the crowd of racers for Spitfire.

I finally found the Wonderbolt at the back of the pack “She’s in the back; it looks like she’s…lagging”

Dash shook her head “That doesn’t make any sense! Spitfire always rushes out at the gate first! She doesn’t need to pace herself!”

I watched the Wonderbolt and Dash’s suspicions were dead on, something was wrong. Throughout the whole race Spitfire didn’t make an effort to drive home for first place. She made one effort to make sure she didn’t end up in dead last but aside from that she paced herself.

“Isn’t it a good idea to pace yourself during a race?” I said looking over at Dash

“Maybe if you’re just a normal Pegasus but not Spitfire, she’s a speed demon who never lets up. This race isn’t making any sense” Dash said incredulously

I looked back as Spitfire crossed for the final lap. She was still lagging behind the pack, Dash was right…Spitfire was making an effort to make sure she didn’t place last. Crowds cheered as the final lap began though Spitfire’s section wasn’t.

It was then that Dash did something I never expected anypony to do. She cupped her hooves around her mouth and shouted just as Spitfire was about to pass us. “Spitfire! You can do better than that! I know you can!!!” Everypony in the stadium looked at Rainbow…including Spitfire.

Spitfire looked up at Dash’s seat. She looked at Dash…then at the other racers…then at Dash again. She looked, conflicted about whether or not to give it her all. Spitfire shook her head then unfurled her wings to their full length.

I couldn’t tell you what happened, one minute Spitfire was at the near back of the pack. The next minute she was at the head of the pack almost by a mile.

“I don’t believe this folks! Spitfire just left all the other contenders in her dust! This is unbelievable!”

Spitfire crossed the finish line in a blaze of fire. She landed on the clouds and looked up at the roaring crowd. Again she turned to Dash’s seat and smiled. She gave another wave to Dash before walking out to rest up after the race.

I turned to Dash who was just sitting there with her jaw hanging open. “She…looked…so…awesome!!!!!!” She sprang into the air before I could stop her and let out a huge cheer for Spitfire. I looked back at the Wonderbolt as she went to sit down at a resting cloud…did her wings just droop just now?
__________________________________________________________

Dash and I were walking into the locker rooms of the stadium. Dash looked at me confused. “Private? What are we doing back here?”

I looked at Dash “Something just wasn’t right about Spitfire; you mentioned she wasn’t racing like she normally would”

Dash tapped her chin with her hoof. “Yeah, she usually just leaves everypony in the dust as soon as she comes out of the gate. Why pace herself?”

I found Spitfire’s locker room “I’m going to find out” I knocked on the door and one of the other racers answered. “I’m looking for Spitfire is she in there?”

The racer shook her head “No, she said she was going to her manager’s office…she looked very upset”

I held out my notebook and started writing things down “Did she say who her manager was?”

The racer nodded “Somepony named Texem I believe; he has an office in the south side of town”

“Thanks, we’ll look into it”
_______________________________________

We arrived at Texem’s office just when Celestia’s sun was about to make its descent. It was on the second floor of an office building. We came to the door and I heard voices coming from inside.

“We had an arrangement Spitfire! You realize how much money I lost in that race of yours!” I heard a male voice shout from behind the door.

“I couldn’t let her down Texem! I just couldn’t!” I heard a female voice say from behind the door.

“That’s Spitfire!” Dash said in a whisper.

Texem started speaking again “You really are on thin ice with me Spitfire! You would ruin our entire setup for one mare!”

Spitfire’s voice fired back, no pun intended. “Maybe I’ve had it with this arrangement!”

“You can’t just walk away!” Texem fired back.

“Maybe I can! I’m tired of being told how I should fly! From now on you can find some other means of generating income you sick twisted son of a-“

BANG! BANG!

I heard the gunshots and bucked down the door. I drew out my pistol and shouted. “Police!”

I looked inside and didn’t like what I saw. There was Spitfire…standing over a male Pegasus’ corpse…a gun on the floor…

Chapter 3 "Loyalty"

Chapter 3

“Loyalty”

They came by for Spitfire about an hour later. The police in Cloudsdale were nothing if not efficient. I knew not to touch the crime scene or speak to the suspect until they arrived. They went about securing the area with police tape and everything. As they were arresting Spitfire the Wonderbolt didn’t even look at Rainbow. Spitfire was making an effort not to be seen by a fan of hers. I could tell there was something special between them.

While they were securing the building I walked up to a crestfallen Rainbow Dash. She was sitting against the wall her wings drooped. I put a hoof on her shoulder. “Dash, it could’ve been an accident”

Dash looked at me her magenta eyes fighting tears “I know it’s just…it’s hard to see Spitfire in a situation like that” She wiped her eyes with a hoof.

I nodded at the cyan colored Pegasus “Don’t worry, I’ll find out what happened”

“Won’t do you much good” said a rather snobby voice behind me “This case is open and shut”

I turned to see a chocolate Pegasus walking out of the crime scene. He wore a detective’s badge and a newsy hat on his head. He had a cutie mark of a magnifying glass, although he hardly deserved it. His golden eyes looked at me with scorn. I returned it, I knew this guy far too well.

“Well well well, if it isn’t Clippers…” I said not bothering to hide my disdain.

“That’s Clipard to you! I thought you were off the force Private…” He didn’t even try to hide his contempt for me.

“I’m just here to make sure that detectives like you don’t buck things up” I said mockingly.

Clippers snorted at me “Well this case like I said is open and shut. Don’t you have some filly to find or something?”

“I’m on vacation, so why do you believe this case is so open and shut?”

Clippers gestured with his wing for me to enter the crime scene. The room was small, square and had a desk in the front and a large window on the side. CSU ponies were everywhere combing the place; Clippers puffed out his chest and spoke in that irritating voice of his. “The victim was a stallion named Texem, middle aged, male and manager to the Wonderbolt Spitfire”

I looked at the corpse. Texem was lying on the floor blood seeping from a head wound. I bent down and levitated out my magnifying glass.

Clippers continued “We found out that the suspect was fixing races for the guy. Then she made that little display this afternoon and you have motive and opportunity”

Rainbow flew out and got in Clipper’s face “Hey! Spitfire would never kill anypony!”

“Then how do you explain the gun?” Clippers said smirking “It was on the floor in front of her when she was caught”

“We heard two shots!” Rainbow retorted “They could’ve been fired from Texem!”

Clippers let out a huff “So what? Are you saying that the victim was suicidal?”

“He could’ve shot himself to try and blame Spitfire!”

“That’s ridiculous! Over one race?! Surely it couldn’t have been such a loss!”

“Then where are the bullets? If there were two shots heard and only one bullet in his head then where is the second bullet?”

Clippers smirked again and walked to the wall next to the door. “Right here” Rainbow flew in to get a closer look at it; I followed and looked at the bullet myself. The bullet was the same caliber as the gun that was in front of Spitfire. “That first shot might’ve been a miss and then the suspect took the gun in the struggle and shot the victim”

Rainbow was about ready to pound the guy. I would’ve let her had I not noticing something. “It’s too big”

Both Clippers and Rainbow looked over at me and said at the same time “What?”

I pointed at the bullet hole “This bullet” I then gestured to Texem’s bleeding head. “Doesn’t match the size of the hole in Texem’s head”

Clippers looked at me incredulously “What are you saying? That there were three bullets?!”

I nodded “That’s what I’m saying, this bullet” I pointed to the bullet in the wall like a teacher would a problem on a chalk board. “Is a .32 caliber bullet, I know because I own a gun that uses that kind of bullet caliber”

Rainbow looked at me “So what was the caliber of the bullet stuck in Texem’s head?”

I looked over at Texem and turned his head to get a better look at the whole in his head. Rainbow looked like she was about ready to throw up. “Bathroom’s that way” I said pointing to my right. Rainbow zoomed out to deposit her lunch in the bank of toilet.

I turned back to the corpse and looked at the hole. Sure enough, the hole was way too small compared to the bullet in the wall. “This bullet hole I’d say was made by a .22 caliber bullet…used by a sniper rifle”

Clippers scoffed just as Dash reentered the room. “And just where would that bullet come from?”

I walked to the window and pulled out my magnifying glass. I saw a small hole the exact same size as the one in Texem’s cranium. I turned to Dash and gestured to a book case right next to the door. “Dash, could you remove the books from that book case?”

She nodded and set about removing the books one by one until she let out a small gasp. “Private! I found the second bullet!”

I walked over and sure enough on the 4th shelf from the ground was a .32 sized hole in the book case.

Clippers looked about ready to kill “Spitfire could’ve hired an assassin or somepony to kill Texem!”

I frowned “While she was still in the room? Really Clippers did all those years working traffic teach you nothing?”

“First of all it’s Clipard! Second of all I’m working Homicide now and you have no jurisdiction here!” He growled as he got in my face.

“You solve one case and suddenly you think you’re a big shot? I remember you Clippers you couldn’t solve a crime if the murderer stood up in the middle of the square and shouted ‘I did it!’”

“At least I’m not a half baked detective who thinks he can do better than everypony else on the force!”

“Whose flank did you kiss to get on homicide?” I said mockingly

“Don’t change the subject! You’re nothing but a worthless, cowardly, and ungrateful detective who can’t keep his hoofs off a case. Why I have half a mind to-“He was interrupted by a rainbow colored blur that hit him in the chest. Next thing I know I see Dash wailing on him.

“You take that back you worthless jerk!” She said why she was punching Clippers in the face. “Nopony goes around and insults Private like that!” Several officers grabbed Clippers and I grabbed Rainbow.

“I’ll have you arrested for assault you ingrate!” Clippers shouted while being held back by his fellow officers.

“You should thank me!” Rainbow shouted back while I did my best to hold her back. “I fixed that ugly mug of yours!”

I dragged a yelling and squirming Dash out of the crime scene. She was shouting many words at the detective involving his mother and something about elder berries. We left the building and I sat Dash down in front of me while she tried to calm down.

“Dash what were you thinking back there? You don’t just assault an officer because somepony insults me. You’re lucky I got you out of there before things got too ugly.” I scolded in a voice that I was used to using on Tailspin whenever he stole from the cookie jar. I never thought I’d have to use it on a full grown mare.

Dash glared back at the building “I just couldn’t sit there and take what he said about you”

“You punched an officer because you didn’t like what he said about me?” I said with a raised eyebrow.

Dash nodded solemnly “Yeah, I just can’t take it when somepony insults or hurts one of my friends”

“I’m your friend?” I said a little confused.

Dash nodded and smiled “Yeah, you’re willing to help Spitfire and you gave me that ticket to the race. I think you’ve immortalized yourself as my friend”

I smiled a little at the young Pegasus “Alright, just make sure you don’t wail on anypony unless I ask you to okay?”

“Alright” She sighed “I’ll try to have a little restraint”

I patted her on the head “That’s a good girl, now let’s go solve this case”
______________________________________________

We both walked a little ways, well I walked but Rainbow hovered along next to me. She looked at me curiously. “So where are we going?”

“To talk to Spitfire” I said simply

Rainbow’s eyes got wide “We’re…going to…talk to…Spitfire!?”

“Ayup” I said chucking a little at my impersonation of Big Mac.

Rainbow shot up in the air and stated flying circles in sheer delight.

“Omygoshohmgoshohmogoshthisissoawesomeawesomeawesomeawesome!!!!!!!”

She’s more energetic then Pinkie Pie when it comes to the Wonderbolts. I smiled a little, heroes can do that to you I guess.
_____________________________________________

We arrived at the detention center and Dash was sweating like a leaf. She kept fidgeting with her hoofs and mumbling to herself as we walked down the hallway. I looked at her with a bemused expression. “You nervous?”

“Yes! I mean no, I mean…” Dash said her face flushing in embarrassment. “I’m just…I never thought I’d meet my idol like this”

We got to the door and I stopped before it. “If you want to sit out you can go ahead”

Dash shook her head and puffed out her chest in confidence “No way! I’m going to find out why Texem would make Spitfire race like she did!”

I smiled at her “Okay, just try not to freak out too much”

Dash let out an audible gulp as we entered the interrogation room.

“So you’re the detective huh?”

“Oh…my…gosh…” Rainbow said looking at the mare who said that.

Spitfire looked…different out of uniform. Her coat was a bright yellow and her firebrand mane was let down. She was very muscular for a mare her size and her orange eyes were half opened. She had this calm and smooth air about her that you felt compelled to respect her. She smiled at me then looked at Rainbow who was just staring at Spitfire wide eyed.

“Well well well, if it isn’t my biggest fan Rainbow Dash. You made quite a splash today at the race” She said looking over at the cyan Pegasus.

Dash rubbed the back of her head blushing as red as one of Applejack’s apples. “Oh it was nothing really”

I looked over at Spitfire “Miss Spitfire I’m Detective Private Eye, I’d like to ask you a few questions”

She nodded “Sure, ask away”

We sat down at the table in the center of the room. Dash was trying her best to handle the situation mentally. I was just glad that Spitfire was being cooperative. It was refreshing having a suspect that didn’t immediately lawyer up when you first started talking.

Spitfire looked at me “First of all I want to say that I didn’t kill Texem”

I nodded “I believe you; we found out that an assassin’s bullet is what took care of Texem. I think I can understand why somepony would want him taken out”

Rainbow looked at me “And what’s that Private?”

I looked at Spitfire “You were acting strangely at the race today, like you wanted to lose”

Spitfire looked at me, then at Dash. She sighed and smiled a little “Nothing gets past you eh Detective? Yes, Texem asked me to try and rig the race so I would finish second…”

Dash looked at Spitfire in shock “Why would he ask you to do that?! What manager would want their flyer to finish second!?”

I nodded knowingly “He was betting money against you wasn’t he?”

Spitfire looked at me “Yeah, he had a lot of bits riding on me coming in second. He said to ‘make it seem like it was close’”

Dash pounded the table “That jerk! Spitfire, how could you ever agree to that?!”

Spitfire’s orange eyes looked hurt. Dash calmed down, and sat back in her chair. Spitfire then looked at me “He…had something on me…He said he would use it if I won the race”

I returned her gaze “That ‘arrangement’ you were arguing with him about. What exactly did he have on you that would make you forsake your pride as a racer?”

Spitfire spoke the next words as if she were confessing a sin before Celestia herself. “You know Soarin right?”

Dash nodded “Yeah, he’s your second in command on the Wonderbolts”

“Well…him and I…well we were always close. I mean it was me who taught him how to fly. But, as our careers went on we became…closer”

Dash looked at me confused “What is she talking about?”

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I turned to Spitfire “You and Soarin…are dating”

Dash’s jaw dropped like an anvil “Spitfire and Soarin! They’re dating! Oh my gosh!” then suddenly Dash grew quiet and then.

Spring!

Dash’s wings suddenly became erect and she flushed with embarrassment. “Oh Spitfire please don’t take that the wrong way!”

Spitfire was trying to hide a laugh “Wing-boner spotted…”

I looked at the two of them as Dash tried desperately to flatten her wings. “Wing boner?”

Spitfire was trying desperately not to laugh. “It’s a thing we Pegasi do when we feel turned on by something”

“Turned on?” I looked at Dash with a grin on my face. “Dash…are you thinking dirty thoughts about the two of them?”

Spring!

Dash flushed even redder “No I’m not! It’s just, my wings are feeling itchy! I’m not thinking about Soaring and Spitfire doing it!”

Spring!

I smiled and gestured to her now even more erect wings. “You don’t need to be a Detective to solve this one”

“I’ll just get some air!” Dash flew out in a rainbow colored streak. I could’ve sworn I heard her mutter. “Stupid wings”

I turned back to Spitfire who smiled and said “Never thought I’d see the day when that would happen”

“You have to remember” I said “You’re her idol, so imagining you doing it with another idol of hers…well that’s quite a wet dream”

Spitfire flushed a little in embarrassment “That’s why I wanted to keep it private”

“I don’t remember hearing anything hinting at a romantic relationship between you two in the tabloids”

Spitfire nodded “Yeah, we wanted to keep things a secret because we didn’t want everypony hounding us asking what I wear during my nights with him or something”

I was starting to get a boner of a very different kind from imagining this lovely mare in socks but I shook my head and refocused. “So I can guess that is what Texem had on you, he threatened to expose you didn’t he?”

Spitfire looked at me, and then slowly nodded “Yeah, he threatened to tell all the papers about us, Soarin and I could never have any time alone if that happened”

“So he threatens you, but you were having a fairly decent winning streak according to the papers I found on you. Why the sudden change? Why did he decide to reinforce his will over you?”

Spitfire’s orange eyes closed “Because…I was going to quit…”

Chapter 4 "Bombshell"

Chapter 4

“Bombshell

”

“You were going to quit the Wonderbolts?” I said my jaw dropping a little.

Spitfire hung her head “Yeah”

“But, why?” I said shocked “You’re career is at its highest point, you have millions of fans all around the world and not to mention a lot of money goes into your team”

“That’s the thing” Spitfire said lifting her orange eyes to meet mine. “It wasn’t ‘my team’ anymore. Once Texem got a hold of my contract it just became show after show…hardly any time for myself”

I nodded “So that’s why you had him scared enough to threaten to expose the relationship you and Soarin were having. But even still to quit the Wonderbolts?”

“After a while I just got sick of it all” Spitfire said her voice developing an edge “The gossip, the tedious ways that Texem would have us fly, the so called fans that were only there when I flew well…”

I leaned forward and looked her right in the eye “You can’t quit”

“Didn’t you hear at all what I just said?” Spitfire fired back…no pun intended. “I got tired of it all; I just wanted some time where I could fly how I wanted”

I got quiet for a while and then looked at Spitfire again “I remember back at the race track…you were looking for Rainbow Dash weren’t you…?”

Spitfire got quiet, sighed a little and then said “Yes…yes I was”

“She’s special to you isn’t she? You weren’t even looking at the whole section dedicated to you, you were looking for Dash”

She smiled and nodded “Nothing gets past you detective, yes I was looking for Rainbow Dash”

“What’s your history with her?” I said taking my seat again.

Spitfire’s eyes ventured to a different time “Back when I was just starting out flying seriously Cloudsdale was hosting this flying show for young pegasi. I was so determined to win I stayed up all night perfecting my routine. But on the day of the performance…I choked”

“Stage fright?”

“That’s putting it mildly, I watched everypony perform tricks that made my routine look like a chicken trying to fly” She sighed “When it came to my turn I fumbled throughout my routine, I made so many mistakes I was convinced that I couldn’t make the cut. I wanted to just walk out and never fly again…”

“Well you’re still flying so what changed?”

“Out of nowhere I saw this young filly watching me in the front row; she was watching my every move as if I was a sight to behold. Just the look on her face…She was expecting me to perform some awesome feat or trick…I just couldn’t…” A tear came to the eye of the Wonderbolt as she reminisced “I just couldn’t let her down”

“That was Rainbow wasn’t it?” I said my grey eyes looking to her.

She nodded and wiped the tear from her eye “Yeah that was her. After I saw her my performance picked up. I breezed through the rest of the competition and won the gold. My second half more than made up for the first half performance wise. That show is what would eventually get me on the Wonderbolts. I owe my entire career to that Rainbow maned gal”

I smiled and nodded “You are what inspired her to take up flying herself”

Spitfire returned my smile “Yeah, the kid’s got a lot of talent, the only thing she really needs is some more experience under her belt and she’ll make Wonderbolts in her sleep”

“And maybe some lessons in humility” I mumbled under my breath.

Spitfire looked at me “So you think I shouldn’t quit because of her?”

I nodded “Yes, Rainbow looks to you for inspiration…what you need to understand Spitfire is that true fans aren’t just ponies who sit in the back and wave a banner every once in a while when things are going well. Fans like Rainbow, who are there even at your bleakest moments…make everything worth fighting for”

Spitfire thought for a minute then smiled “You’re right…I’ve been awfully selfish to think about quitting when somepony is counting on me to do my best. I almost let Rainbow down today and I won’t let that happen again”

I smiled “That’s what I like to hear” I got up from my table and started walking out.

Spitfire looked at me “Don’t tell Rainbow about me wanting to quit…or about what I said about her being close to becoming a Wonderbolt. I want her to keep flying like she’s doing now”

I nodded then stepped out of the room. What a strange day this has turned out to be. I guess I can check off “Saving a Wonderbolt’s career” off my checklist of things I wasn’t expecting to do today.

Checklists…Twilight…damn it
________________________________________

I got back to the Detention center’s lobby to find Rainbow hanging her head.

“Stupid, Stupid…” She mumbled as she stared down at her hooves.

“Are you going to be alright?” I said looking at the cyan mare.

“I completely embarrassed myself in there!” She said looking at me with her magenta eyes. “She probably thinks I’m some kind of weird pervert!”

I raised an eyebrow “Dash I think you’re overreacting a little. She took it all in good humor”

Her wings drooped a little “Yeah you’re right…I just can’t believe I embarrassed myself like that"

“To be honest Dash” I said putting a hoof on her shoulder “I would’ve done equally as embarrassing if I was talking to my hero”

She smiled a little at that “Yeah, I guess you’re right”

I returned her smile and nodded “Now are you going to help me solve this case or not?”

She puffed out her chest in determination “It’s only fitting that Equestria’s most awesome detective have Equestria’s most awesome flyer as a partner!”

She really needed lessons in humility. But I did appreciate the compliment. I wasn’t going to tell her that though. She had a moon sized ego already.
_________________________________________

“Now we just need to figure out where the bullet was shot from” I said surveying Texem’s office after CSU had already combed it.

“So what are we going to do? Use some awesome gadget or something?” Dash said sounding excited.

“Nope…simple math” I said smiling cheekily

Dash frowned and pouted “Kill joy…”

I looked over at Texem’s desk “Dash could you sit in Texem’s chair? Like you would if you were arguing with somepony”

Dash flew over and sat down in the chair leaning forward slightly. “Like this?”

“Yeah” I said as I walked over to where the bullet hole in the window was. “Okay…if the hole is there” I pointed my hoof
at the hole. “And Texem’s head is there…” I pointed made a motion like the bullet traveling until I touched Dash’s head.

“Gah! You got me I’m dead!” Dash said and dramatically fell on the floor.

“Really?” I said bemused

Dash smiled and chuckled a little “Sorry couldn’t resist”

I then started doing the math in my head “Okay…by calculating the trajectory of the bullet hole and the target…the only place he could’ve shot from is…”

“Where? Where?” Dash said sounding excited again.

“From up there!” I pointed to the top of the nearby weather factory towers. They were pumping out clouds right now to be used all around Equestria.

Dash looked up at the towers. “Of course! The clouds would be perfect cover in case anypony could see him!”

I nodded “And the noise from the factory would’ve covered any sound of a gunshot. No wonder why we didn’t hear three shots”

“Alright! We’re getting somewhere!” Dash said
__________________________________________________

“Geez what do you eat that makes you so heavy!?” Dash complained as she lifted me to the top of the weather towers.

“It’s not my fault the Apple family are generous tippers” I said trying desperately not to look down. Heights and I didn’t exactly go well together.

“Well quit squirming we’re almost at the top”

We arrived at the top and Dash dropped me like a dead weight on the rim of the towers. The rims were wide enough for us to stand on.

I started looking around and found something on the rim. “Hey Dash take a look at this”

Dash looked at the object we found “It looks like an old calling card”

It was a calling card, it was very old and torn up. I read the title of the business on it.

Crosshair’s Model Airplanes

“Who needs wings to fly?”

“Dude, worst, slogan, ever” Dash said shaking her head.

“Well we have a name now, the address is faded but I think I know how we can find out where the guy lives”

“How can we found out where the guy lives by his name alone?” Dash said looking at me with curiosity.

“First things first…you’re going to have to get me back down to the clouds”

“Work work work…” Dash grumbled as we began our descent.
______________________________________________________

I entered the phone booth and picked up the phone. Many phones still used the old operating system that had hundreds of operating ponies at the other end connecting lines. I spoke into the receiver.

“Operator get me KGBL”

The female voice on the other end spoke politely “Putting you through now”

“Detective Private Eye former badge five, one, seven, eleven”

An angry female voice spoke on the other end “PRIVATE?! What the hell are you doing using the phone like this!?”

“Good to hear from you to Foundra” I said dryly

Foundra opened fire on my eardrums “The hell do you want Private?! I could get fired for this you realize!”

“Which is why you’ll be a dear and not tell Shinebadge about this” I said flatly

Foundra snorted on the other end “What do you want?”

“I need you to help me find somepony, I have a name of a business but I need and address”

“What’s the business?” Foundra said dropping her angry voice for her slightly less angry but still very annoyed voice.

“Crosshair’s Model Airplanes”

I heard Foundra sorting through papers on the other end “Well, I have a Crosshair’s Model Airplanes listed, but it’s been closed for almost a decade”

“Can you get me the owner?”

“Let’s see…” Foundra made more noise as she continued her search “Ah ha! Crosshair, he used to own the store but he couldn’t keep it open”

“What happened?” I asked curious

“Made a bunch of bad deals with the mob…several of them were griffons who were using the store as a front for their crimes”

This was interesting “Any by the name of Grimwing?”

“Grimwing…nope nothing about a Grimwing”

“Do you have a residence listed?”

“Hold on…nope, no next of kin we can contact either. But according to his credit card account he had recently purchased a hotel room”

“When?”

“This morning, Private what’s going on?”

“I think he might be a killer and I need to track him down, where is that hotel?”

“1247 Phelps ave in Cloudsdale. The hotel is called the South Flight Hotel”

“Thanks Foundra”

“If word of this gets to my boss…” Foundra said her voice slowly rising in fury

“Don’t worry about it; I’ll say I roughed up some local to tell me okay?”

“Just don’t call again unless it’s an emergency!”

Click!

She hung up on me, unbelievable.

“Who was that?” Rainbow said as I left the phone booth

“Just somepony who I can add to the list of mares that hate my guts”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

I nodded “Now we know where to find Crosshair”
__________________________________________________

South Flight was a little hard to find but that was probably what was intended. A good assassin would need an out of the way hideout. The building was small and well hidden away. In fact it could be hardly called a hotel, just a small two story place. Apparently Nopony every told them that this kind of place should be classified as a motel.

“This the place?” Rainbow said looking up at the old beat up building. “Why would Crosshair want to hide in this dump?”

“He wasn’t on vacation Dash” I said mildly “He was out to kill somepony, and we’re going to find out why”

We we’re about to enter the door when all of a sudden.

KABOOM!!!!

A huge explosion came from the second floor of the hotel and it knocked me and Rainbow off our hooves. I shook off the disorientation and looked up at the smoke coming from the hotel room. “Dash get up there! I’ll take the stairs”

“On it!” Dash flew inside the smoking window while I pushed my way through the door.

Several guests were looking around trying to wonder what was going on. I ran up to the front desk. “What room did that explosion come from!?”

The pony at the front desk looked just as worried as the guests “It came from the second floor left side! The stairs are that way!” He pointed with his hoof to a set of staircases.

I climbed the stairs three at a time and came to the second floor. In hindsight I didn’t really need the guy to give me directions. I could see the smoke coming from a small room to my left side. I walked inside and my hooves crushed rubble.

“Private over here!” Dash was in the center of the room holding up a small crystal. “I found this on the ground, but I don’t see Crosshair anywhere”

I looked at the crystal Dash was holding and my eyes grew wide. “Dash, that’s a crystalline bomb!”

“A crystal what now!?” Dash dropped the crystal on the ground as if it was suddenly hot.

“A crystalline bomb, it was created during the reign of the Alicorns to combat dragons…they would eat the bomb thinking it’s a gemstone and well” I gestured at the ruined room around me “This would be the result”

“But where’s Crosshair?” Dash said looking around

“You’re probably standing on him”

Dash flew into the air in surprise to get off the dust on the ground.

I looked around “This bomb is designed to completely vaporize anypony within its range…luckily this one was a small charge so it only destroyed the room” I gestured to the dust left behind by Dash “And it’s inhabitant”

Dash looked at me “Can we find out who bought the bomb? Like you did with finding out where the hotel was?”

I shook my head “Crystalline bombs are highly illegal in Equestria and in most other countries because of the damage they can cause. Nopony would leave records of selling them just lying around…”

“So this means…” Dash said looking at me with realization

I sat on the ground defeated “That there’s no way for us to find out who hired Crosshair…we’re at a dead end”

Chapter 5 "Package Deal"

Chapter 5

“Package Deal”

Dash and I sat on the sidewalk in front of the hotel. CSU would be here soon to comb the place hoping to find the culprit. Only problem is that a crystalline bomb made it very difficult to find clues. It vaporized everything around it and turned bodies to dust.

No body meant no ID on Crosshair, and that meant we couldn’t find out who hired him. If we can’t find out who hired him then we can’t solve this case.

“I can’t believe it! We were so close to solving this thing!” Dash said as she punched the sidewalk in frustration. “Why’d Crosshair have to go and blow himself up!?”

“Somepony else probably set the bomb to cover their tracks” I said matter of factly

“So we’re stuck?” Dash said looking at me with her magenta eyes.

I slowly nodded “I’m afraid so, this case could go unsolved unless we find something we missed…”

CRASH!!!

We heard it come from a nearby alleyway next to the hotel. I looked at Dash and put a hoof to my lips to tell her to be quiet. We slowly walked to the alleyway entrance and planted ourselves on opposite sides of the wall. I peeked over and withdrew my revolver. If this was our bomb maker then I wanted to be ready for him to make a run for it.

I turned into the alley with my gun raised. “ERPD!! Come out with your hooves in the air!”

Dash looked at me and whispered “ERPD?”

“Equestrian Royal Police Department” I whispered back. “I’m just saying it to scare him”

Dash then turned to the alleyway and shouted “Yeah! If you don’t come out I’m going in after you!”

Slowly but surely an aqua colored eye poked its way from behind a trashcan. I lowered my gun as recognition came to my eyes. The butter yellow Pegasus known as Fluttershy looked over at me. “Please don’t hurt me” She said in a small and timid voice.

I lowered my gun and looked at her “Hey, you’re the mare that gave me directions this morning”

Dash flew over to the mare and was looking her over “Fluttershy? What the hay are you doing hiding in this alleyway?”

Fluttershy seemed more comfortable talking to my cyan companion. “I heard the explosion and I hid in this alley to hide”

Dash sighed almost in defeat “That figures that you would go running for the hiding spot…”

I put away my gun and walked to the two pegasi “I take it you two know each other?”

Fluttershy hid behind Rainbow and peeked over her like I was about to shoot her again.

Rainbow turned to her and smiled “Don’t worry Fluttershy; he’s a friend of mine. He only looks scary”

I didn’t look that scary did I? I guess I should take Rarity’s advice about presentation on my job.

Fluttershy slowly nodded then came out from hiding behind Rainbow and looked at me. “Um…hello” She said in that same small and timid voice she used last time.

I smiled at her to try to get her to open up to me “I’m Detective Private Eye, Rainbow and I are investigating a murder”

“A murder? Oh my goodness…” Let’s just say I don’t think my smile helped.

I looked up at the hotel…Fluttershy was hiding pretty close to where the room was. “Did you see anypony leave the building?”

Fluttershy looked thoughtful for a moment “I do remember seeing something fly out of the room right before it exploded…”

I looked her right in the eyes “Did you get a good look at him?”

She shook her head “No the sun was in my eyes and the explosion was a much larger concern”

She had a point there “Can you describe it at all?” I said writing down what she said in my notebook.

Fluttershy looked at me and closed her eyes trying hard to remember “It was…big…and it had wings”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow “Big and with wings? Was it a Pegasus Fluttershy? We’re big and have wings”

Fluttershy shook her head “No this creature was much bigger then a Pegasus”

I thought for a moment then said “A griffon maybe?”

Fluttershy’s eyes grew wide in realization “Yes that was it! I remember the creature having claws”

I nodded “So a griffon was the one who left the bomb?”

Fluttershy nodded “Yes, that must’ve been it…I hope the poor thing feels sorry for leaving that bomb…”

Rainbow facehoofed “Only you would feel sorry for a potential murderer Fluttershy…”

“Oh sorry…” Fluttershy said a little embarrassed.

“Either way” Rainbow said looking at the window “It’s time to find out where this bird…” She suddenly pulled shades out of her pocket and put them on “Flew”

YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I frowned at her “Really?”

“Oh come on” Rainbow said looking at me after lifting the shades from her eyes. “We’ve gone almost 4 cases without using that joke!”

Fluttershy looked at Rainbow “Isn’t Pinkie usually the one making those kinds of jokes?”

I looked at both of them in confusion “What the hay are you guys talking about?”

Rainbow shrugged “You wouldn’t understand, you haven’t been in the group long enough”
____________________________________________________

“So where are we going to find out where the griffon went?” Rainbow said hovering next to me.

“We could try asking another griffon where he went” Fluttershy suggested as she walked beside me.

“Yeah, somehow I don’t think that’ll fly” I said looking at them both. “Why are you still with us Fluttershy?”

She looked at me and smiled a little. Celestia, she could win the heart of any stallion just by smiling like that. “I just want to make sure the poor griffon is okay”

Rainbow sighed “Why am I not surprised?”

“You two have known each other for a long time?” I said after observing this banter between them.

Rainbow nodded “Yeah, we’ve known each other since flight school and ever since Twilight arrived in Ponyville I guess you could call us friends now”

Twilight…damn it! She’s like a ghost that’s haunting me wherever I go!

“Are you okay Private?” I looked over to see Fluttershy’s eyes looking at me with a concerned expression “You got all quiet just now”

I nodded a little too quickly “Yeah, I’m fine just…got things on my mind”

Rainbow looked at me “If you have something you wanna get off your chest you know you can talk to us”

“I couldn’t ask that” I said firmly

“Rainbow you shouldn’t pry” Fluttershy said looking at Rainbow “If Private doesn’t’ want to talk about it we shouldn’t force him”

I looked at the yellow Pegasus “Thanks Fluttershy” I smiled at her.

Fluttershy looked away a hint of blush on her cheeks “No…problem…”

Rainbow huffed in annoyance “Alright, let’s find out where this griffon flew to before something else happens…”

CRASH!!!

Rainbow sighed, clearly exasperated “Not again!”

“Again?” I said raising an eyebrow.

We followed Dash and found a strange sight. There was Ditzy entangled in what I could only imagined used to be a chariot. Right now it looked like the wood was trying to make a Ditzy sandwich out of her.

Rainbow glared at the grey colored Pegasus and facehoofed “Derpy! How many times do I have to tell you to watch where you’re flying!?”

Ditzy smiled Rainbow Dash “Hey Rainbow Dash! Sorry about the chariot…”

“For Celestia’s sake Derpy!” Rainbow said as she tried to untangle Ditzy from the wreckage. “How do you expect to make the weather team when you keep crashing like this!?”

Ditzy managed to wiggle her way out of the wreckage “Sorry Rainbow Dash…I just don’t know what went wrong…”

Rainbow sighed “You don’t need to be Private to solve this mystery…”

I looked over at Fluttershy “Derpy?”

Fluttershy nodded “That’s what someponies call her, mostly because of her…antics”

That’s a bit of a cruel nickname…I shook my head and walked to Ditzy/Derpy. “You alright Ditzy?”

She smiled upon seeing me “Hi Private! I’m okay really”

Rainbow looked at Ditzy with chastising eyes “Just what were you doing near those chariots?”

Ditzy looked at the ground guiltily “I was looking for a package I lost…”

Fluttershy walked to Ditzy and smiled gently at her. “It’s okay Ditzy, everypony makes mistakes sometimes"

“Some more than others…” I heard Rainbow say under her breath.

I looked over at Ditzy “When was the last time you saw the package?”

Ditzy gestured to her mailbag “I put it in there this morning when I was supposed to deliver it…then this happened” She stuck her hoof inside the mailbag and it exited through a hole in it. “It fell out, I remember it was very heavy…I didn’t realize it was gone until this afternoon. I’ve been looking for it ever since”

Fluttershy smiled at Ditzy “We’ll help you find your package”

Rainbow landed next to me “We don’t have time to go looking for some package”

Ditzy looked crestfallen “It’s okay Rainbow Dash…I won’t make you guys go look for it” She turned and started walking away.

Fluttershy glared at Rainbow whom got a second glare from me. She finally sighed and said “Alright…we’ll help you find the stupid package…”

Ditzy suddenly perked up and hugged Rainbow tightly “Oh thank you thank you!! I can’t thank you enough Rainbow Dash!”

“You might want to thank her a little less Ditzy…” I said concerned “I don’t think her ribs can take all that thanks”

Ditzy let go of Dash and Dash let out a huge breath for air. Ditzy looked apologetically at Rainbow “Sorry…”

Rainbow dismissed it with her hoof “Let’s just find the package before I suffer more bodily harm…”

Fluttershy looked at Ditzy “But how are we going to find it? It could be anywhere in Cloudsdale”

I suddenly got an idea “Ditzy…can I have a hair off your mane?”

Ditzy looked at me with an odd expression “Why do you want my mane?”

“For a spell, it’ll help us find out where the package went” I said

“Really!” she said and I nodded in answer “In that case!” She reached with her teeth and plucked out a hair off her mane. “Ow”

I levitated the hair and my grey magic coated it. “A simple DNA spell…and…bingo!”

Suddenly Ditzy glowed a faint green and spots on Rainbow also glowed green. “What the hay is this stuff!?” She said as she tried unsuccessfully to wipe it off. The green stuff only spread as Rainbow tried to wipe it off.

“It’s Ditzy’s DNA, I used a glamour spell to make it visible” I said my horn aglow.

“That’s so cool! But a little gross” Dash said looking at her now green spotted body.

Fluttershy turned “Look, we can spot Ditzy’s trail!” Sure enough a bunch of green showed up on various buildings.

“Let’s go” I said walking onward.
________________________________________

It took us half an hour to follow the trail but our search yielded the prize we were searching for. Rainbow spotted the now green envelope lying next to a nearby fountain.

“I found it!” She picked it up in her mouth. The envelope was a manila envelope and it looked rather stuffed. “Man this thing is thick” She muffled as she plopped the envelope in front of me.

I levitated it and looked at the return address. “Oh Celestia…”

“What is it Private?” Ditzy said looking at me with those crossed eyes of hers.

“This envelope…it was sent by Texem”

Rainbow looked at me as if I just said I was an Alicorn “Say what now!? Texem sent that!?”

I nodded “Not only that…but it was sent to…Grimwing”

Rainbow started to sweat a little “The head of the Griffon mafia in this area?”

I nodded grimly “Texem was dealing with mobsters somehow…”

Fluttershy looked at both of us confused. I sighed and looked at Rainbow “Fill her in will ya?”

Dash nodded and began explaining the situation to Fluttershy. I turned to Ditzy and looked at her. “Ditzy…I hate to put your job on the line but I’d like to deliver this letter personally”

She shook her head “You go head Private, this way the letter’ll get delivered anyways”

I smiled at her “Thanks Ditzy, we need to get going…I think you have more letters to deliver”

She nodded and flew off…into a nearby street sign “My bad…” She shook it off and flew away into town.

I smiled after her then turned to the envelope. This envelope blew the case wide open. Ditzy was a miracle worker in disguise.
__________________________________

“I can’t let ya in!” The griffon guard said for the fifth time. I was standing in front of the gate to get into Grimwing’s mansion. This guy was more stubborn then Big Macintosh and that was saying something.

“I need to see Grimwing! It’s important!” I retorted

“Yeah do I look like the kind of guy who let’s just anybody in? I didn’t think so. Now scram little pony before I call the cops!”

Ironically I was the cops but I wasn’t going to argue with the griffon that was three times my size and muscle build.

I swore under my breath and returned to my two companions “No luck, they won’t let us in”

Rainbow stomped on the ground in frustration “That figures! We find a clue and the only thing standing in our way is a doorman!”

Fluttershy looked at the guard then at me “I could convince him…”

I looked at Fluttershy in shock “You? Fluttershy what are you going to do? Ask him politely?”

Fluttershy trotted passed me “Something like that…”

I was about to follow after her when Rainbow stopped me “Let her handle this Private”

“These are highly trained and deadly guards Dash!” I said trying to escape her grip on me. “She’s going to get killed!”

Rainbow frowned “Just watch and learn my dear Private”

I did watch…and I soon learned. Fluttershy walked up to the griffon guard and spoke in a very polite voice. “Can you please let me and my friends to see Mr. Grimwing?”

The guard looked at Fluttershy with an amused expression “Look doll, I can’t just let anypony in…now get lost before I have to smack ya around”

Suddenly Fluttershy’s personality switched at the top of a hat. She got right in the griffon’s face and yelled. I’m not kidding from this point on. “Listen here mister! We have very important business with Mr. Grimwing! Somepony got hurt and we need his help finding him! Just because you’re the guard doesn’t mean you can just turn us away like that! That’s very mean and you should feel ashamed of yourself! I have half a mind to tell your mother about just how mean you've been!”

I think the guard wet his feathers. He glared back at the yellow Pegasus “I can’t just let anybody in doll! Get lost!”

That was then I beheld the power of…the stare. Suddenly Fluttershy’s eyes got really huge and scary looking and the griffon’s eyes grew wide in turn…but in fear.

“You will let us in!” Fluttershy said firmly.

“I…I will!” He slowly hit the button to open the gate and once he did he fled into the guard building as if a Manticore was chasing after him.

Fluttershy smiled and turned to us “The door is open”

My jaw was hitting the ground at this point. Note to self do not try and treat the butter yellow pegasi like a doormat. She will gaze into your soul and make you do whatever she wants.

Rainbow was laughing at this point. “You should see the look on your face!”

I just stared at Fluttershy “What…the hay…just happened?”

Rainbow closed my mouth “You just witnessed the almighty power of ‘The Stare’”

“The what now?” I said still reeling from what I just witnessed

Fluttershy smiled a little “It’s just something I do…”

The more I hang out with Twilight’s friends the more worried for my health I become…
_________________________________________________________

“I wasn’t expectin to run into you again Detective in all honesty” Grimwing said as he sat opposite me on a coach. He insisted that I was the only one who could talk to him. I was careful to leave out the part about my yellow companion traumatizing one of his men. Right now I was sitting in his living room trying to not look at his deadly claws and that metal beak tip.

“Times call for what times desire I guess” I said mildly.

“Yeah? So what can I help yuh with this time?”

“I have a package to give you…” I levitated the thick envelope and Grimwing picked it up with his claw.

The griffon used the metal tip of his beak to cut open the envelope. He pulled out the contents and his yellow eyes grew wide. “Where the hell did you get this?”

“It was sent to you from somepony named Texem”

“Texem!?” He suddenly stood up and slammed his claws on the table “That son of a bitch thinks he can just blackmail me!?”

“Texem is dead…” I said looking at the griffon trying to not look at the metal tip.

“That goombah is dead?” He said his yellow eyes looking at my grey ones.

“Yes, that’s why I’m here…what exactly is he blackmailing you with?”

Grimwing looked at me for a long time then sat back down “Detective...what I’m about to say cannot leave this room”

“You trust me?” I said frankly

“Nah, I just know you know better than to blab this to the cops or to another family”

I nodded “So what was in the envelope? Case notes? Lots of bits?”

Grimwing shook his head then sighed “Nah, they’re pictures”

“Of what exactly?” I said leaning forward in interest.

Grimwing got quiet for a while then simple said “…of mah daughter”

Chapter 6 "Best of Friends, Worst of Enemies"

Chapter 6

“Best of Friends, Worst of Enemies”

“Grimwing has a daughter!?” Rainbow said her jaw dropping to the clouds we we’re standing on.

“Yeah, and not a legitimate daughter” I said sitting down outside of Grimwing’s compound. “But Texem was going to blackmail Grimwing to get more time to pay off a dept”

“Poor thing” Fluttershy said looking at Grimwing’s home. “He must be so lonely without his daughter to talk too”

Rainbow frowned at Fluttershy “Only you would feel sorry for a mobster Fluttershy…” the cyan pegasus then turned to me. “So why would Texem resort to this?”

I didn’t want to say my theory. I made a promise to Spitfire I wouldn’t tell Rainbow about it. I decided to only tell mostly the truth. “Let’s just say Texem’s income was shrinking fast”

Rainbow tapped her hoof in thought “So Grimwing killed Texem to cover up the whole word about his daughter getting out?”

Fluttershy shook her head “No, Private said Grimwing was shocked when he saw those pictures. It was the first time he’d ever seen his poor daughter in a long time”

I looked at Fluttershy smiling “I never would’ve pegged you as detective material Fluttershy”

Fluttershy let out a squeak and blushed. I could tell she wasn’t used to being complimented by stallions like me.

Rainbow sighed and looked at me “So what now?”

I turned my head down the street “We reinvestigate the crime scene with this new knowledge in mind…”
_________________________________________

We returned to Texem’s office just as Celestia’s sun was setting. We climbed the stairs and my eyes grew wide at the sight.

The cop I had guarding the crime scene was laying on the ground knocked out. I ran to him and took a look at him. He was knocked out cold and there was a spilled coffee mug over on the floor.

I smelled the coffee and smacked it aside “Dope…somepony broke into the crime scene”

Fluttershy looked over the officer “He’s not hurt badly…oh who would do something like this?”

Rainbow nodded knowingly “Our culprit”

We entered the office to find it trashed, books were on the floor and papers were everywhere. The desk was overturned and claw marks were everywhere.

Fluttershy examined the claw marks on the desk “These claws belong to a griffon alright”

Rainbow picked up some papers “Looks like he was looking for something that Texem had”

Fluttershy looked over “Could it be the pictures?”

It was then that I noticed it…one of the pictures on the wall was where it was when I saw it earlier. Everything else was overturned but this picture was put back where it was. I walked to the picture and levitated the picture off the wall. Behind it was a small safe with claw marks all over the dial.

“I think I found what he was looking for…” I said as my two pegasi companions looked at the safe.

“How do we open it without the numbers though?” Rainbow said giving the dial a few experimental twists.

I gently pushed the pegasi aside “You underestimate me my dear Rainbow” I reached into my trench coat and levitated out a screw driver and some bobby pins.

“You can pick locks?” Rainbow said her voice taking on a look of admiration “Remind me to call you whenever I get locked out”

It took five minutes to get the safe open but when it did I found something strange inside. There was a small package and a stack of papers. Rainbow picked up the package while I looked over the papers.

“They’re docking ledgers” I looked at Fluttershy “Papers that tell you what cargo you have on an airship…and it says it has…” I suddenly turned to Rainbow who was about to smell the package. “Rainbow don’t inhale that!”

She looked at me and dropped the package like it suddenly caught fire “What is it Private? A bomb!?”

“No…Magieth, it’s a highly addictive halogen drug. Had you inhaled it you probably would start seeing pink elephants everywhere” I said picking up the package and holding it in front of me. “This is a sample of what is on Texem’s airship…Texem was selling drugs on the side!”

Rainbow looked at me wide eyed “The griffon is probably going to go after the drugs! We have to stop him!”

I nodded and looked at both of them “I’ll head to the dock…you two fly and warn the cops about what’s going to happen”

Rainbow shook her head “I’m going with you!”

I frowned at her “Dash you have no experience handling criminals. I admire your loyalty but I’m better off going this one alone”

“I’m not leaving you hanging!”

Fluttershy put a hoof on her friend’s shoulder “Rainbow…let’s listen to Private”

Rainbow looked ready to protest but saw the earnest look in Fluttershy’s eyes and relented. “Fine…but I’ll never forgive myself if you get hurt”

I smiled “It’s all part of the job”
_________________________________

I entered the now deserted airship hanger. It was night time and all the staff had turned in for the night. I pulled out my revolver and loaded it. I didn’t want to have to kill the griffon but anything could happen in a gunfight. Sweetie Belle’s case proved that more than anything.

I heard scuffling near a batch of cargo next to a large docked Airship. I aimed my gun at the boxes and shouted. “Police! Put your claws in the air!”

The griffon that emerged was bigger than me but obviously my age. She looked at me with disdain in her eyes. That’s right I said “she” because this griffon was the same one in the photographs.

She glared at me “I didn’t think anybody would find me so fast”

“You also think that bomb of yours could stop me…Gilda?”

Her wings spread in anger “How the heck do you know my name?!”

“Daddy says hello…”

Her yellow eyes grew wide “You talked with my father?!”

“Of course I did…how else would I have figured out why you had Texem killed?”

“And why would I have some dumb pony killed!?”

I was quiet for a second and then I spoke…”Connection…”

“What?” She said looking at me with raised eyebrows.

“You knew that Grimwing was your father…but he wouldn’t acknowledge you…all those years of looking for him and you discover he’s a mob boss. You realize he wasn’t going to let you into his life unless you proved yourself. So when you heard about Texem and his blackmail you thought it would be the perfect opportunity to connect with your father”

Gilda looked at me; her yellow eyes filled with rage “He never once tried to contact me! I was his only egg and he wouldn't even acknowledge I even existed!”

“So you decided to prove yourself again…by stealing the drugs that Texem was selling on the side”

“He isn’t going to use them anyway”

“But your actions had an unfortunate side effect…Spitfire was in the room at the time of the murder. The cops almost arrested her as the culprit. Your actions got your old friend Rainbow Dash on board…”

Gilda looked at me with different eyes…eyes of guilt “Dash…?”

“Yes Gilda…Dash helped me with this case…she doesn’t know I’m about to arrest you”

Gilda’s eyes returned to fury “So not only does she humiliate me she also has to rat me out?!”

“You can go out two ways Gilda…in hoofcuffs or a bag” I cocked my gun “Your choice”

“I’ll go with C, none of the above!” Suddenly she threw as small sphere at me. I blinked and it exploded in my face. I flew back and smashed into a nearby box. I shook my head trying to focus. I looked up to find Gilda smiling. I tried to pick up my gun with my magic but my horn only let out small grey sparks. My magic was disabled somehow.

“Anti-magic bombs…designed years ago for arrogant unicorns like you” Gilda said grinning evilly.

“I don’t need magic to take you out!” I pushed forward and outright tackled the griffon. She had size but I had flexibility and combat training. I started wailing on her with my hooves but she then reached up and clawed me across the muzzle.

I tried to cover the wound but then Gilda delivered a swift punch to my muzzle and I was flown back. I fell on the ground with a thud and looked up at the griffon above me.

I glared up at her “The cops are already on their way…you can’t out fly them…”

She glared back at me “No…but I can get rid of you…the one who foiled my one chance for somebody to care…”

She reached down and grabbed me by the neck. I struggled and kicked in the griffon’s grip but she was far too strong. She reached over and pressed a button and the hanger floor opened to reveal a long way down.

“Don’t do this Gilda…” I said in between breaths “You’re…not a…murderer…”

“No…but the ground sure as hell is…” She dropped me…and there was nothing I could do to stop my fall.

I fell…
_______________________________________

I looked up at the sky so I wouldn’t have to look down.

Was this it?

Was I going to die?

I watched a small dot move in the sky; Gilda was going to get away. I couldn’t use my magic to slow my descent and Nopony was going to save me.

Suddenly I thought of Twilight…of the things I never said to her…the things I wished I said…just of her…If I had any regrets in life...asking her to leave was one of them.

It was then that I saw it…a blue streak heading towards me…mother? Was that you? Are you coming to take me home…?

I missed you so much…your blue coat…your rainbow mane…wait! She had an electric blue mane not a rainbow mane!

“PRIVATE!!!!!” Rainbow said as she dived for me. Her hooves were out in front of her to increase her dive speed.

“RAINBOW?!” I shouted as I saw her diving for me.

“Hang on Private I’m almost there!”

I shook my head “Don’t worry about me! Catch Gilda!” I said pointing my hoof to the slowly disappearing dot in the sky.

Rainbow shook her head “I’m not going to let you die!”

“Don’t be stupid!” I shouted back “If she gets away more ponies are going to die! My life isn’t worth it!”

“It is to me Private!” She shouted at me tears in her eyes from the strain. “You’re my friend and friends don’t abandon friends to die!!”

I just stared at her…friend? There was no wonder why Rainbow bore the Element of Loyalty. She was willing to risk a criminal getting away to save the life of a friend.

“Dash…” I said looking at her with new eyes.

“Hang on…” Dash suddenly concentrated on a particular point…I could see a small barrier forming in front of her. Was she doing what I think she was doing? The boom that followed answered my question.

I closed my eyes as Rainbow suddenly zoomed to me and grabbed me in her hooves. I slowly opened them again…the ground was below me but I was moving not towards it but away from it. I looked up to see Rainbow’s smiling face looking at me. “I never leave anypony hanging”

I looked around “Dash! We’re flying!”

“This is what we pegasi we’re made for!” Dash shouted as we ascended.

I extended my arms out like wings of my own and shouted to the wind. “Yahoo! Too infinity and beyond!”

Rainbow smiled and looked up “There she is!” She pointed with her nose at Gilda who was trying desperately to fly away from Dash.

I reached into my trench coat and pulled out a mini revolver that I kept for emergencies and looked at Dash. “Can you get me close enough?!”

Dash nodded “What are you going to do?!”

“Clip a bird’s wings…” I said as I stuck the revolver in my mouth.

Gilda was an agile flyer but she was no match for Rainbow Dash’s speed. We got closer and I closed my eyes in concentration. Suddenly I flashed back.
________________________________________

“Remember Private” Fenlock said sitting next to me “A gun is like a lady…you treat her right and she’ll give you all she’s got. Trust her, and you’ll see miracles occur”
____________________________________________

I smiled and thought “Sing for me baby…”

Dash brought me neck and neck with Gilda I turned my head to her. I opened my eyes and aimed. I pulled the trigger with my tongue.

The bullet fired just as Gilda was reaching the highest point in her flap. The bullet sailed through both of her wings. The Griffon screeched in pain and lost control of her flying. She crash landed onto a nearby cliff.

Dash landed me on the cliff and I pointed my gun at Gilda “Gilda Grimwing…you are under arrested for the assassination of Texem and Crosshair, the possession and selling of illegal drugs…and the attempted murder of me…”

Gilda looked at me but simply whispered as she fell unconscious “You notice me now daddy…?”

Epilogue

Case 4

Epilogue

I watched as the officers took Gilda into a police carriage. She looked at me with scorn but I could tell it was a half hearted attempt. She wasn’t looking for me…but for the griffon that would soon stand by me. Grimwing looked on his daughter who recognized him. Grimwing bowed his head and looked at me.

“I never wanted this life for her…” Grimwing confessed, his voice laced with guilt. “I only wanted her to live a normal life so I stayed out of it”

“She did it all for you” I said looking at the mob boss “It was all to try and connect with the father she never had”

Grimwing shook his head “I don’t know whether to be proud of her for coming up with this scheme or worried that she is this much like me…”

“What do you plan to do now Grimwing?”

Grimwing closed his eyes “What do ya think I should do?”

I looked at Gilda then at Grimwing. “Show her that she has a dad who loves her”

Grimwing looked at me with his yellow eyes “You think it’s that easy? Just walk up to her and say I’m yuh dad?”

I nodded “This whole thing could’ve been avoided had you laid claim to her…may as well fix the mistake while she’s still able to be saved”

Grimwing looked at me for a long time then turned to walk to Shinebadge. Griffon and pony spoke for a while. I turned to see Rainbow flying toward me. She looked past me at Gilda.

She hung her head “Had I been a better friend to her…”

I put a hoof on her shoulder “Don’t blame yourself Dash…this is something not even you could fix”

Dash looked at me with those magenta eyes of hers. “Still, I wanna apologize about not listening to you before. I just couldn’t bear the thought of my friend going somewhere so dangerous alone…”

I smiled at her “Had you not come I would’ve been some pancake on the ground”

Dash smiled and chuckled a little at that “Yeah, can we say best rescue ever?”

“Thanks for saving my life Dash…I couldn’t ask for a better friend” I smiled at her.

I could’ve sworn a tear came to her eye but she quickly shook her head “Darn it! Now you’ve gotten me all sappy!”

I laughed a little and then turned back to Gilda and Grimwing. The two griffons we’re talking with each other…slowly Gilda reached up and touched her father. Grimwing wrapped his wings around his daughter. Both parties had tears in their eyes. Dash looked over at me. “What’s going to happen to her?”

I looked over at Dash “She’ll still go to prison for a while…but I’m sure the courts can work something out so that she doesn’t stay there forever…”

Dash looked over at her former friend “She didn’t know about Spitfire?”

“This was a stunt to connect with her father…not revenge on you” I said simply.

Dash sighed “Still, I feel guilty about all that’s happened…Gilda isn’t really that bad just…well mean”

I smiled at the pair of griffons “I’m pretty sure she’ll change her tune now that her father is here to help on the way…”
_______________________________________

Dash didn’t say anything for a long time as we walked towards the balloon station. I looked over at her “What’s wrong Dash?”

She turned her cyan head to me “I still owe you”

I raised an eyebrow “Dash, you saved my life. If anything I owe you”

She shook her head and turned to stand in front of me “No here’s how I see it. You gave me the tickets, I helped you on this case, you got me to actually talk to my idol, you helped get her out of jail” She looked at me with those shining magenta eyes of hers “If anything, I owe you a lot more then you owe me”

I sighed “You’re not going to relent until I ask you to do something are you?”

She puffed out her chest in pride “I don’t bear the Element of Loyalty for nothing”

If there was an element for stubbornness she would have it to. Suddenly an idea kicked in my head “Actually…there is something you can do for me”

She flapped her wings in excitement “So what is it? You want me to clear all the clouds in the sky? Fly to the ends of the earth? Perform a double sonic Rainboom!?”

I shook my head “I just need you to come to Manehatten with me…”

She looked at me with confused eyes “Why Manehatten?”

I smiled and walked on “You have a huge fan that would love to meet you…”
____________________________________________

“Moren Stallion’s Filly Hospital?” Dash said reading the sign above the hospital. “Why’d you bring me here?”

It was a calm evening in Manehatten. At night was when the city really came alive with all the lights and the people going everywhere. It made the city feel like one giant Heart’s Warming tree. I looked over at Dash and smiled “Like I said, you have a fan who’s here”

Dash smiled with glee “Awesome! I have a fan!”

I frowned “You already have a fan club back in Ponyville Dash…”

Dash let out a huff “Well it’s still nice to discover I have an awesome fan so far out here”

I walked past the cyan Pegasus “Let’s go, he’ll be anxious to meet you”

We entered the lobby and were greeted by a plump white coated nurse. She smiled upon seeing me “Hello Private”

“Helloo Nurse!” That earned me a giggle from the old mare.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow then shook her head “I’m Rainbow Dash; Private said I have a fan staying here?”

Nurse Jubilee nodded “Yes, he should still be up I’ll show you two the way”

She dropped us off at the top floor. The hospital room was small and private with a single inhabitant. That inhabitant was my brother Tailspin, he was quite happy to see me.

“Bro!” He said upon seeing me enter the room. I left Dash outside to add to the surprise of seeing me. I got close to my brother and he nuzzled me under my chin. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

I smiled “I wasn’t going to originally…then I met somepony”

Tailspin looked at me with those bright blue eyes of his. “Who is it? Tell me!”

I chuckled at the colt’s enthusiasm then turned my head towards the door. “Dash you can come in now!”

Dash entered the room in a showy fashion. Tailspin’s jaw dropped like a ton of bricks. “B-bro! That’s Rainbow Dash!” he exclaimed at the top of his lungs.

Rainbow walked up and smiled at my brother. “Heya kid, Private tells me you’re a fan of mine”

Tailspin spoke excitedly “Yeah! I’ve watched every single one of your shows! It’s so awesome that you can perform a sonic Rainboom going straight up!”

Rainbow smiled at him in turn. “Well, I don’t mean to brag but I am kinda awesome like that”

Tailspin reached under his blankets and pulled out a small rolled up poster. “Could you…I mean if you’d really like too…” he spoke nervously holding the poster in front of him.

Rainbow smiled and took the poster and pulled out a marker out of her pocket. “Who am I addressing this to?”

Tailspin looked at Rainbow still stammering at all this “I-I’m Tailspin!”

“Cool name kid” Dash said and she began to write on the poster. “To my awesome fan…Tailspin” She smiled and examined her work then handed the poster to an excited Tailspin.

He held the object in front of him as if he were holding the crown of Celestia herself. “Thank you so much Rainbow Dash! You have no idea what this means to me!”

Rainbow smiled at the young colt “It was nothing really kid…”

He shook his head “No, it’s really awesome that you’re willing to do this for somepony like me” He looked at the poster then at Dash again. “I’ve always wanted to be able to fly like you…”

“Well what’s stopping you?” Rainbow said looking at Tailspin “You’re a pegasus right?”

I looked at Tailspin who suddenly got quiet. My brother looked at me…he knew she had to know. He slowly started to sit up. Dash let out a small gasp at what she saw. She saw Tailspin’s small and mangled wings…She was about to cry I could tell.

Tailspin spoke simply “I can’t fly…I probably never will…”

Dash looked at Tailspin for a long time then shook her head “No! You will fly if I have anything to say about it!”

I looked at Dash “What do you mean? Tailspin has been like this since he was born…he can’t fly”

Dash looked at me and smiled smugly “You underestimate me my dear Private”

“Okay that was totally my line!” I said as Dash stepped out of the hospital.
________________________________________________

I couldn’t believe she would do this. I knew she was loyal but to do this for him…it brought a whole new meaning to the word “friend”

I looked up as Dash was standing on the roof of the Hospital. Attached to her back with rope and some bed sheets was Tailspin. Tailspin looked at Rainbow Dash excitedly. “I can’t believe you’re really doing this for me!”

Dash smiled at the young colt “I promised you I’d have you fly. I never leave anypony hanging”

Just then Dash leaped off of the building. I ran to the edge just in time to see Dash soar up into the sky with Tailspin attached to her back. My brother let out an excited yell and laughter as he flew for the first time. The sight of Tailspin so happy…I felt a wetness come to my eyes. I was sure crying a lot lately.

Dash flew around with Tailspin all through the Manehatten skyline. Tailspin was hanging on all the while letting his small wings flap alongside his idol. They did tricks in the air, flew in circles and did all kinds of things in the air that Tailspin could only dream of. Dash was laughing as well; she was really enjoying this flight despite the extra passenger.

To Dash…this made flying all the more worth it.
______________________________________________________

We left the hospital just as Luna set the moon at its highest point. Dash walked beside me and was quiet for a long time. Dash was rarely quiet unless she was sleeping so I grew slightly concerned.

“You okay?”

She looked at me and smiled “Yeah, just…thinking about things”

“About Tailspin?”

She nodded “Yeah, that little guy can’t fly at all…he can’t do something that I’ve taken for granted for so long…”

I looked at the young cyan Pegasus and smiled “It puts things in perspective doesn’t it?”

She then had this determined look in her eye “From now on…I’m going to fly for ponies like Tailspin…for my true fans. If I ever become famous and there’s a chance I can do something for Tailspin to let him fly on his own…I’m taking it”

I looked her unable to find the right words for this. “Dash I…I don’t know what to say…”

Dash smiled at me “Just say it with me, I have the BEST. FAN. EVER!!!”

We both turned our nuzzles to the sky and shouted

BEST FAN EVER!!!!!!
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Author’s note

This story is dedicated to my best fan ever. DarkSkyz has been there since the beginning of this series and I owe him everything. I’m so happy for the rest of my fans as well. I hope to keep writing not just for myself but for all of you. What this show and fandom has taught me is that there doesn’t have to be a wall between those who create the product and those that enjoy it. We build on each other to create something great together. I will keep writing Equestria Noir because of all of you. Thank you all…so much.
Forever your writer
Jacoboby1

Author's Note

Link to First Side Story: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/45009/equestria-noir-side-story-a-private-conversation
Link to next case: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/45117/equestria-noir-case-5-bonds-of-madness