Justice, Integrity, and Service

Almost as soon as the door closed, the smile fell from Braeburn’s face.

“What’s wrong,” Daring asked. “You did great!”

“Did I?” Braeburn sighed, kicking at the carpet. “I dunno if I should stay here.”

The pegasus blinked. “What?”

“Hot Shot’s going to say shit. You know he does. How do you think it’s going to look for Earp when reporters find out that he employed someone with a known drinkin’ problem? You heard him, ponies are just itchin’ to find some dirt on him.”

“Brae, enough of that. It’s just talk. Ponies always have been looking for ways to hurt us, and they always will be. You can’t let them break you.”

Braeburn just sighed again. “I don’t know. What if I’m not who Earp thinks I am?”

“Let me stop you right there, because I’ve had those exact same thoughts before,” Daring interjected. “Brae, you’re the kindest pony I’ve ever met. You might not see it in yourself, but you’re a better pony then I could ever be.”

“That’s nonsense. You’ve got the confidence, the skill, and the determination that I never had,” Braeburn replied.

“Let’s agree to disagree then. And face it, I don’t think anyone can see in themselves what others see in them.”

The two shared a laugh. “Well, here’s to tomorrow then, whatever it may bring.”

With a nod, Braeburn trotted off. Daring went back to her desk, seeing the card Hoofer had given her. “Sorry, sir, but I think I’m just fine where I am.” She picked up the card in her mouth and dropped it in the trash can.

[br]

Soon after the story, Braeburn and Lyra returned. The train arrived shortly after, and the four boarded. They were given a car to themselves, as was apparently customary. The ride was mostly silent, with Braeburn and Daring reminding themselves of who they were after and why. Lyra kept stealing glances at Bon Bon, as if to silently ask when they could leave.

“Gotta say, I expected more than this,” Braeburn said aloud. “Granted the crimes are serious, but I think we’ve all seen worse.”

Bon Bon shrugged. “I explained it already. I just wanted to see why our agencies don’t talk much anymore.”

Daring and Braeburn exchanged a glance. It was time, they decided. “Bullshit on that,” Daring declared.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Braeburn gave her a sad smile. “It means we know there’s somethin’ more to this that you’re not tellin’ us. We can see it written all over your face.”

Bon Bon cursed inwardly. Had she been that obvious? Yes, she realized, as she remembered how Lyra had been nagging at her the entire time to tell the truth. Speaking of Lyra, the unicorn wasn’t offering much support to her. She wanted to know as much as they did.

She hesitated, wondering what they would think of her. “Well, the truth is a little… complicated. I guess I’ll just say it outright: my dad was a Deputy Marshal.”

Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise. Nobody knew that, not even Lyra. “Where did he work?”

“He worked in the Northern offices. You probably don’t know him. But you know, he loved his job.” A nostalgic smile fell upon her face as she spoke. “He served for over thirty years, I think. And from the stories he told, I think he loved every second of it. When I was a filly I wanted nothing more than to follow in his hoofsteps. So you can probably imagine how sad I was when I got my cutie mark in confectionary making.

But my dad just smiled and reminded me that being a lawpony isn’t something that everyone’s born into. It takes determination and work, not natural talent or magic.” She looked around the car. “And I think we’re all perfect examples of that. So when I hit the legal age, I applied.”

She sighed, shaking her head. “I’ll never forget finding out that I didn’t make the cut. I didn’t know it at the time, but the Northern Office has the lowest selection rate out of all the offices except for the Canterlot Office. I was so angry, I locked myself in my room and cried for hours.

“My dad said to me later that I should take this as a lesson. A lesson that I shouldn’t take anything in life for granted, because you don’t know what’s going to happen. Nopony does. Anyways, I focused my studies and went to apply again. I still didn’t make it, but I caught the attention of another agency.”

“The RIS,” Lyra guessed.

“Yeah. So I took the job, hoping I could do a lateral transfer someday. But… I guess I just fell in love with the RIS. I don’t know how my dad took it, but I think he was proud of me for finding something I loved doing.” Her smile faltered. “I came here because he died two weeks ago.”

Lyra’s jaw dropped. She knew that Bon Bon had taken some time off due to personal reasons, but she had no idea what had happened. “Bon, I’m so-”

“Sorry, I know. Please, I’ve heard enough condolences for now.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “I… I’ll get over it. I just need time, not apologies.”

Braeburn frowned. “It wasn’t in the line of duty, was it?”

“No, he was retired. He went peacefully in his sleep.” Bon Bon took a deep breath. “But that’s the reason I came out here. I met one of his friends, and he said he was surprised to find out I worked with the RIS. That was the first time I learned that the Marshal’s Office had some sort of grudge against the RIS. I asked him what had happened, but he just said something about the Western Office. I did some digging and found your names, and now here I am.”

“Why didn’t you tell us that to begin with,” Daring asked. “We keep thinking you’re here to fuck us over again.”

“I thought it was stupid,” Bon Bon confessed.

“Ain’t nothin’ stupid about that,” Braeburn replied. “That’s damn admirable. In fact, I think this ‘grudge match’ is settled now. If everyone at the RIS is like you and not like Blueblood, I think we can get along.”

Bon Bon smiled, wiping her face. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Lyra pulled her into a hug. “You should have told me, Bon. Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course, I just… I don’t know, I was afraid you’d say no.”

“I probably would have,” she joked. “But still.”

“That’s enough sentimental shit for me,” Daring replied.

Braeburn chuckled. “Hey, at least it’s a happy endin’. Don’t you think we need one of those, Darin’? ‘Specially after the, uh, thing.”

“I’m leaving for Canterlot tomorrow morning.”

Braeburn blinked at the news. “Why?”

Earp growled. “Pinkerton tells me that those greedy bastards are trying to slash funding to the ground. He needs my help to plead our case. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. You two are in charge until I get back.”

The two nodded, wide eyed and confused. Why were the bureaucrats in Canterlot trying to cut off their funds? Were the firings and pay reductions not enough? They barely had anything as it was.

“Look, public perception of us has gone to shit every since that Blueblood fiasco,” Earp said. “The government thinks this is the perfect time to divert funds to their own pet projects. Not to mention they want to replace me with someone who will blindly agree with whatever they say. But let me worry about that, you two just keep the office running.” With that, he left the office.

“Well, shit,” Braeburn huffed as the two left.

“You’re telling me,” Daring grumbled. “We’re still understaffed and not getting any new recruits. Of course Pinkerton would pull him to Canterlot now.”

Braeburn shot her a surprised look. “What? Pinkerton’s just tryin’ to fight for us, what’s so bad about that?”

“Please,” scoffed Daring. “You really think that talking to politicians is going to save us? Pinkerton’s been talking with politicians all his life. What’s one pony from Dodge frickin’ Junction going to do to change their minds?”

“What do you suggest then? That we should just accept our fate until we’re all outta jobs?”

“At this rate we’re going to be out of jobs no matter what happens,” Daring exclaimed. “What, are you blind? You’ve seen how Earp’s been acting! He hasn’t been the same since Doc bit the dust!”

“You’re not the same either,” Braeburn responded. “Don’t call me blind! Your attitude’s gone to shit, you don’t respect anyone anymore, you don’t listen, you-”

“Oh, I don’t listen? I don’t respect anyone? That’s real rich coming from the guy who just blindly sucks off the marshal every chance he gets! Seriously, fuck Earp and fuck you!”

Anger flashed in the stallion’s emerald eyes. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Darin’, you need to get your head out of your own ass-”

“SHUT UP BRAEBURN!” Daring snarled at him.

The stallion didn’t flinch at the yell but fell silent. The two stared at each other for a few more seconds before Daring spun around and left the room. Braeburn turned in the opposite direction and went into the empty office. The only sound was the slamming of doors.

The pegasus grimaced. “Uh, yeah. Especially after… that.”

Lyra was staring at them, eyebrow cocked. “Wow. Are things really that bad for you guys?”

“They’re worse,” Braeburn lamented. “Last week we had protestors outside the office all day, harassin’ everyone who came and went.”

“Yeah. Earp tried to fight it off, but they cut our funding again. It’s only a matter of time before they bleed us dry,” Daring remarked sadly.

Bon Bon frowned, thinking hard.

“Hey, it’s alright. We made peace with what’s going on a while ago.”

Daring spent the night fuming. “Stupid fucking Braeburn,” she muttered under her breath. She gave up on sleep, her emotions raging like a storm in her mind. “Stupid Earp.”

She could quit. Finally start the archeology career she had longed for. Smile and laugh as the Marshal’s Office slowly fell apart. She could leave it all behind.

No, she suddenly realized. She couldn’t. If she wanted to she would have done it a long time ago. Then why was she still here?

There was a knock at the door. Daring opened it a crack to see Braeburn standing outside. “Darin’. I reckon we need to talk.”

She had half a mind to slam the door in his face, but decided against it. He was right, they did need to talk.

And so they found themselves seated at Daring’s kitchen table. “I was thinkin’ about what you said earlier,” Braeburn said, not meeting her eyes. “And you’re right. Earp’s changed for the worse. He’s a different pony than the one I met years ago.” He paused to rub his eyes. “But I don’t think I’m the same either.”

“None of us are, Braeburn. You were right too, I’ve changed,” Daring said.

“So have I. We all have. Doc’s death hit us harder than we knew. I think it’s just been everythin’.”

Daring just nodded. “I’m sorry about what I said earlier.”

“Hey, I’m sorry too,” Braeburn answered.

The two breathed a sigh of relief, glad they hadn’t ruined their friendship over a stupid argument.

“Brae, I’ve been thinking,” Daring said.

“That’s not good.”

Daring cracked a smile. “Shut up Brae. I’ve been thinking about the job. And how we’ve been doing the same thing for so long, and now everything’s changing. Do you ever feel like you want to just quit?”

“A little bit. I can’t say I haven’t thought about it. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I just left, went back to my farm in Appleoosa. But I can’t bring myself to do it.”

“Me too. It feels like I’ve given too much of myself, you know? And it feels like I owe it to everyone to stay. Especially to Doc. Doc would never have let me quit, and quitting now seems like insulting him.”

Braeburn nodded again. “Right. So we just push forwards. We stay because we tell ourselves we have to. And we just keep sayin’ that things will get better. We might be goin’ down, but damned if we don’t go down fightin’.”

They fell silent for a second, looking out the kitchen window at the empty roads. “Things aren’t getting better though, are they,” Daring sighed.

“I dunno. But honestly? I don’t think so.”

The four ponies found themselves in front of a dusty, rundown building on the outskirts of Appleoosa. It was funny, Bon Bon thought. She had been listening to so many stories in this setting that the house was almost exactly what she expected.

After they arrived, they had met up with Sheriff Silverstar, who gave them a wagon and two deputies, who were currently lounging in the shade, watching them from afar.

“Here we go,” Braeburn said as he trotted up the stairs. He pounded his hoof on the door. “Front Load? Deputy Marshals, we need a word with you!”

There was a shuffling from inside. The door opened, and a ragged, gray coated pony answered the door. The pony pushed his glasses up with his hooves and blinked in surprise.

Braeburn stepped back and looked at Bon Bon expectantly. “Are you Back Blast?” She asked.

The pony’s eyes widened as he saw the letters on the backs of Lyra and Bon Bon’s jackets. Then, he chuckled. “Well. I guess you got me.”

Daring suddenly stepped forwards. “I wouldn’t do that.” She reached out and seized his foreleg.

Bon Bon hadn’t realized that the pony had been slowly raising his hoof towards his coat.

Braeburn stepped forwards and pulled a gun out of the coat pocket. “Nice try.” He then procured a set of hoofcuffs. “You’re under arrest.”

Back Blast just smiled as he was read his rights. The smile unnerved Bon Bon.

“We’ve got him from here,” Braeburn grunted as he and Daring led him away.

“Bon?”

Bon Bon frowned, turning to Lyra. “Something’s not adding up here.” She turned back to the door, nosing it open. “Let’s look around.”

Once inside, Lyra cast a preservation spell to prevent the disturbance of any evidence. Bon Bon glanced around the room, noticing that it was mostly empty except for a single brief case that sat on a rickety desk.

The mare pulled on a set of gloves and opened the case, her eyes widening as she saw the contents. Inside were four different sized knives, as well as a dozen photographs. Each photograph pictured a different pony who was unaware they were being photographed. Bon Bon’s mind worked frantically. Where had she seen these before?

“Bon? What’s up?” Asked Lyra.

“Lyra, look at these. Do they look familiar to you?”

Lyra lifted some of the pictures in her magic and squinted at them. She thought hard for a second. “Wait, yeah. Yeah, we saw these at a briefing. It was… the Ghost of Fillydelphia. A serial killer who left these a picture of his next victim at each crime… scene.”

The realization hit them both at once. “The offical report was that the Ghost was an earth pony,” Bon Bon remembered. “Black or gray coat, wearing glassess… Lyra, did we just catch the Ghost of Fillydelphia?”

“I think we did, Bon.”

Bon Bon smiled widely. The Ghost was number four on the RIS’s Most Wanted List. And to think they caught him all by themselves-

No, not themselves, she remembered. “Come on, we should tell Daring and Braeburn.”

The two exited the house, but paused on the porch. A crowd of ponies had surrounded the wagon, jeering and yelling.

“I bet they don’t even have a warrant!” someone shouted.

“What has Equestria come to, where innocent ponies are being harassed like this!”

“Look at him! He wouldn’t harm a soul!”

“I bet they planted evidence on him! Scoundrels!”

In the center, Daring and Braeburn were ignoring the complaints, instead talking with the deputies, who were only half paying attention.

Whatever joy Bon Bon felt at catching the Ghost were quickly replaced with feelings of anger. “What are they saying? The Ghost killed a dozen ponies!”

Lyra just gave a sad shrug. “I dunno. Ponies will be ponies, I guess.”

“I can’t imagine going through that every day,” Bon Bon said, her anger fading.

“Well, not like there’s much we can do.”

“Actually, maybe there is,” Bon Bon said, a plan forming in her head.