I walked toward the bottom of the bridge to get a good look at the scooter. It was covered in dirt, and it looked like the pole that held the handlebars was bent a little bit. Judging from the tire tracks at the top, and the state that the scooter was in right now, it appeared Scootaloo must’ve, somehow, lost control of her scooter and crashed at the bottom of this bridge.

But, the question is, where is she now? If she accidentally fell down here, wouldn’t some pony have noticed her? Or, if she didn’t get hurt all that bad, why didn’t she just climb back up the hill and head home where Holiday and Lofty would treat her wounds?

I turned around and saw another set of hoof prints in the mud. Oh no. If there are two sets of hoof prints, then that must mean....

“Scootaloo was here.” Rainbow Dash said, looking worried.

“I know. And somepony else was too.” I said, looking around.

I took a look at some bush that was near the underside of the bridge. It looked like a piece of cloth. A white piece of cloth to be exact. It looked like it was ripped off from a full clothing set. Unless Scootaloo was wearing a white type of dress last night, which judging from her appearance in the photo would prove she doesn’t like to wear dresses, then I’m thinking some pony else was here at the bridge.

Another thing I noticed, was that the cloth itself looked like it was from some sort of gown. I think I’ve seen something like this before. But, I’d need to be 100% sure about it.

I levitated the cloth and put it in a small baggie. Trying not to interfere with any potential hoof prints. There were a little bit of twigs with it, but Cadaver could probably still get a print on the cloth.

“Shadow! Look over here for a sec!” Rainbow yelled.

I turned around and saw what Rainbow was making such a fuss about. There was a small patch in the ground near the scooter.

And it looked like there was blood. Oh fuck.

“I-I-Is that S-Scootaloo’s blood?” Rainbow asked, looking sick.

I went over and touched it with my hoof. Which, by the way, was now covered with a hoof glove. Wouldn’t want to risk an infection now, would I?

I felt it, and it wasn’t as fresh as it was before, but it still wasn’t dry yet. So, I got out a test tube, which was part of my chemistry test, among one of my other things in my trench coat, and gathered the blood in the test tube. I then placed that in another baggie.

“I think some pony was here when Scootaloo crashed her scooter.” I said to her.

“Are you sure?” She asked me.

I nodded. “Yes. Look at this cloth.” I showed it to her.

I turned to Rainbow, and levitated over the cloth and the test tube to her.

“Rainbow, take these over to the Detention Center. Ask for some pony named Cadaver. He’ll look over them for any traces of DNA. Also, have some pony look at where this type of cloth is used at.” I told her.

“Why the cloth?” She asked.

“I’m thinking it could help us find out what happened to Scootaloo here. While you do that, I’m gonna head over to that address that Holiday and Lofty gave me.” I told her.

Obviously, that didn’t set well with her. “Woah, Woah, Woah, hold on. I am NOT missing out on a chance to catch a potential pervert.” She said to me sounding very cross.

“You will if you want to keep helping me find Scootaloo. Plus, I already know what will happen if I take you along for this one.” I said.

“Oh yeah.” Rainbow said. “What’s that?” She asked, sounding very rude.

“You’ll start accusing him before I hit him with actually facts and evidence about Scootaloo’s disappearance. Plus, if he lies about something, I just know you’ll start to physically harass him. I can’t allow that.” I told her.

“No, I won’t!” Rainbow Dash denied.

“Even so, it’ll speed things up with the investigation. Just drop it off over there quick, tell Cadaver to call me when he’s done, and head over to the address. But, if you do any of the things you allegedly DO NOT do, then I’m kicking you off.” I said to her.

She looked pissed off at me. But, I don’t give a fuck.

“Fine. I’ll be quick.” Rainbow Dash said, flying away as fast as she could to the Detention Center.

Then, I started to walk over to the address that Holiday and Lofty gave me.

-/- 43 E Maple St -/-

I was just about to the door, when a big streak came rushing toward me. I thought at first it was some pony trying to attack me, but I looked, and it was Rainbow Dash.

She got that done already? Wow.

“That was quick.” I said to her.

She looked proud of herself. “Well, I am the fastest flier in all of Equestria.” She boasted.

“Whatever.” I said, which caused her to give me a stern look.

“Okay, you’re here now. Do you promise to let me do the questioning? And not pounce on him with accusations and questions?” I asked her.

She folded her hooves together. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s just get some info outta this guy.” She said, now sounding impatient.

......

I knocked at the door, waited a few seconds, until the door opened. Only, it wasn’t a stallion that answered. It was a little Pegasus filly.

She looked about the same age as Scootaloo in the picture. She had a light purple coat with a short orange mane. Her cutie mark was a necklace, which was what she was wearing right now around her neck.

This must be Locket. The one Holiday said. But what I didn’t expect, was when you swap the mane and tail, she’d look exactly like Scootaloo. Like a twin.

She looked at me and Rainbow, but mostly at me, and looked quite intimidated. Well, when you are a freak like me, you tend to intimidate ponies. Children especially.

“Hello, little filly, what’s your name?” I asked her.

“Uh, L-L-Locket.” She stammered. So, I was right.

I was right. I put on a little smile. To try and make sure the filly knew I was an ally. “That’s a cute name. I’m Detective Shadow Haze.” I levitated my badge. “And you probably know Rainbow Dash. So, tell me, is your father home? I need to speak with him about something.” I told her.

When I showed her my badge, and that smile, it seemed to work a little bit. She seemed less intimidated of me. Granted, she still looked put off by my physical features, but she at least looked ready to cooperate if needed.

She nodded and cried out, “Daddy, there’s some ponies here that wanna see you.”

Almost instantly, a very skinny looking Pegasus stallion, around his early thirties, possibly late twenties, came up to the door. He was exactly how Sweetie Belle described him on that day at school. Purple coat and white mane, with a heart shaped necklace around his neck. Accompanied by the glasses on his face as well.

“Yes, can I help you?” He asked me, with Locket hiding under his legs.

Out came my badge again. “I’m Detective Shadow Haze. You know Rainbow Dash. I need to ask you some questions. May we step inside?” I asked.

“Uh, of course. Come in.” He said, allowing us inside. I made sure, while we stepped inside, to keep an eye on Dash. Cause, when the stallion came up to the door, I saw a look on her face. That looked spelled attack. She still had that look on her face.

The stallion brought his head down to Locket. “Honey, why don’t you go play in your room for a little bit, while I talk with Mr. Shadow. Okay?” He told her.

She nodded. “Okay.” She hugged him before she flew over to her room. Away from us.

“You seem close with your daughter, Mr.....” I said, wanting to know his name.

“Just call me Valiant.” He said, looking a bit intimidated. Good.

I levitated the photo of Scootaloo to him. “Do you know this filly?” I asked him.

He looked at it, and all of a sudden, got white in the face. “T-T-That’s Scootaloo.” He looked at me and Dash with a worried expression.

“Is she okay? Has something happened?” He asked us.

He did look genuinely concerned for her. That felt odd. “Last night, she disappeared. We found her scooter at the bottom of a bridge. Apparently, she had an accident.” I said to him.

He shuttered at my statement. “Oh no.” He said.

“So, you admit you know her. How so?” I asked.

“She’s my niece.” He said.

Both me and Dash had a WTF look on our faces. I didn’t see that coming.

Then, against my orders, Dash started questioning him.

“What do you mean, she’s your niece? Scootaloo never mentioned having an Uncle. And I never heard anything about you from Holiday or Lofty, or her parents.” She asked, sounding suspicious.

“Why the hell should we believe you?” She asked, now sounding angry.

“Look, I know this sounds weird.” Valiant said, looking nervous. “But, it’s true. Scootaloo’s mother and my wife, Light Heart, are sisters.” He said.

“I think your lying you son of a-Ugh!” I pulled her tail with my magic, before she finished that sentence.

This dumbass bitch is gonna get a talking too when we’re done here.

“Disregarding my partner’s comment, she does have a point. One of Scootaloo’s friends puts you at their school the day before her disappearance. And Holiday did describe you when she delivered a letter to you earlier today when it was brought to the wrong address. I don’t want to automatically think that some perv grabbed Scootaloo. And looking at you, I don’t see it. But, if you want to be in the clear, you better come clean with me. Why did you run when you saw her?” I explained everything to him.

He sighed. Okay, he looked like he was ready to talk.

“I did see Scootaloo. But, the reason I ran, was because I saw a police pony walking by, and I didn’t want to give anypony the wrong idea. So, I ran off. I would NEVER harm Scootaloo. I love her like I love my daughter. I swear.” He told me.

“What did the police pony look like?” I asked him.

He shrugged. “She was a mare. Red coat, violet mane. Pretty young looking.” He told me.

He described Ruby Glow. I’ll have to ask her if she walked past the school yesterday. That’d clear his alibi.

“By the way, where is your wife? I don’t see her here. I’d need to ask her some questions as well.” I told him.

“She’s not here.” He said.

“Do you know where?” I asked.

He sighed, and actually looked pretty sad when telling me this next part.

“She’s at the Cloudsdale Correctional Facility. She’s a paranoid schizophrenic.” He said.

.....Shit.

-/- A Few Moments Later -/-

We left just now. This guy is going through a lot. First his wife is away, and now his niece is missing.

Speaking of the wife, from what he told me, his wife was at that correctional facility, because, about 5 years ago, when she was off her meds, she viciously attacked a mare out of nowhere at some park over there. He told me the voices in her head were SCREAMING at her that she was a secret agent, wanting to take him and Locket away from her. So, she just snapped.

Thankfully, the mare wasn’t seriously injured, just a lot of scratches on her face, and a shattered muzzle. The one thing that was a miracle was the mare didn’t die. Cause, schizophrenics off their meds are extremely dangerous to other ponies.

And, when she was dosed with the drugs, after the cops brought her in, she damn near had a nervous breakdown after finding out what she did. She almost had to be put on death watch, just in case she tried to commit suicide. He had to be there to see all of that. Thank Celestia, Locket didn’t see it. That would’ve surely traumatized her.

Maybe as almost like how I was back then.

“That’s so messed up with the wife.” Dash said to me.

Now, it’s time to talk to her. I spun around, and got in her face.

“Dash, what did I tell you before we interviewed Valiant?” I angrily asked her.

She crossed her hooves at me. “Hey, I wanted to know how he knew Scootaloo. And I got that outta him, didn’t I?” She asked me.

“You got it out of him, by trying to intimidate him. You didn’t even listen to his statement. You can’t go accusing ponies, Dash.” I said.

“Well, I didn’t know his wife was away, and that he’s a single dad.” She argued.

“That’s no excuse. You fucked up. Thankfully, I was there to stop you from doing anything else.” I said.

“Look, I’m sorry, okay? But, I’m worried Scootaloo might be out there somewhere seriously injured, or worse, dead.” She said.

“I get that. But, please, try to be professional. Or I’m throwing you off the case. Got it?” I slightly yelled at her.

Dash growled at me, and was about to say something, before I heard my phone go off.

“Shadow.” I answered. The voice on the other end was Ruby Glow. She told me to come down to the Detention Center.

“On our way.” I said, and hung up. I looked at Dash, and told her to follow me.

“What’s going on?” She asked.

“Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood just arrived at the Detention Center.” I said to her.

-/- Ponyville Detention Center -/-

We walked inside, and not even two steps forward more did I take, until a big stallion came up to me, who I’m guessing is Scootaloo’s father.

“DETECTIVE! DETECTIVE!” He practically screamed as he ran over to me. He was a pretty buff looking dude, with a grayish gamboge coat, a dark cerise mane, and a cutie mark of a map and flash camera.

He grabbed me by my shoulders, looking as terrified as any parent would, and asked, “Have you found her? Have you found my little girl yet?”

Then, a very skinny looking mare, which I’m guessing is his wife, making this Scootaloo’s mother, came up to me as well. This mare had a light tangelo coat, a blonde mane that was tied in a ponytail, no pun intended, and had a cutie mark of a swirl of wind with a compass to it.

So, these two are the traveling adventurer parents of Scootaloo.

The mother looked just as terrified, seeing as how her eyes were filled with tears of fear for her daughter.

“Mister Detective, please tell me you found her. Please tell me you found Scootaloo.” She said with a sob in her voice. Snap had come over and put his hoof around her in comfort.

Celestia Damn. This is what every parents worse nightmare is. They’re child going missing, and not knowing what to do to find them. I can just see the fear in there eyes. These two clearly LOVE their daughter very much.

I cleared my throat. “Mister Shutter and Miss Allgood, I assure you, me and Rainbow Dash are working hard to find your daughter.” I told them.

Dash nodded. “Yeah. We’re not gonna give up trying to find her. I promise.”

They both still looked so worried for Scootaloo.

“How did this happen? How?” Mane said emotionally.

I told them everything that we found at the scene where Scootaloo crashed her scooter and fell off the bridge. Also, unfortunately, the part about the blood and her possibly being kidnapped.

Mane almost fainted. And Snap looked about ready to fight some pony.

“Are you telling me my little baby girl could not only be injured, but in the hands of a fucking foal molester?” He yelled.

I put my hooves up at him. “Sir, calm down. That was a possible rumor. I don’t know for sure if there is even a pedophile. I’m still collecting evidence. Plus, my pathologist Cadaver is looking over everything as well. So, please try to remain calm.” I said to him.

Mane put a hoof under his chin. “He’s right, honey. Getting angry isn’t gonna solve anything.” She said, before turning to me.

“Detective, if you have any questions you want to ask me or Snap, we’ll answer them. Anything to help find Scootaloo.” She said.

I nodded. “It’s funny you say that, cause I was gonna ask you some questions.” I told them.

But, before I could ask anything, Cadaver, my pathologist, came over to me.

“Shadow, you’re gonna wanna see this.” He said to me, motioning me to come back to his lab.

I told Dash to stay with Snap and Mane. Help calm them down a bit. She did it, reluctantly I might add, and I followed Cadaver.

-/- Forensics Lab -/-

“So, I take it you gotta hit on the blood samples Dash gave you.” I said to him.

He nodded. “Yes. Dash told me everything. Pretty fast, I might add. I’m surprised I understood everything.” He chuckled a bit.

“Anyway.” He continued. “I checked both blood types. It took a bit, but I found something.”

Both? As in, two types? “Wait, I thought there was only one.” I said.

He smiled. “That’s what I thought too, until I took a look at some of the twigs in the bag with the cloth. There was a little bit of blood on one of them too.” He said.

He then brought up some projector that showed the DNA results.

“Now, you’ll see here that on one side, they look the same. And the other, they’re a little farther off from each other.” He pointed to the one on the left.

“This one here is indeed Scootaloo’s DNA. And, judging from the blood in the test tube you gave me, I’d definitely say she hurt her head, or somewhere near her head at least in the fall. So, we better find her. I don’t know how serious her injury is, but it could be bad.” He explained to me.

Fuck. Celestia, it’s bad enough Scootaloo is probably in the hooves of some pony dangerous, but she could also be injured really badly as well?

I need to find her after everything here is done. And fast.

He showed me the other DNA photo. “You know how they look so similar, but so different, right? Well, that’s because these two are blood related. Honestly, I think it’s an aunt or uncle who abducted her.” He said.

“Are you sure?” I asked him.

He nodded. “DNA doesn’t lie, my friend.” He said.

I shook my head. I can’t believe it. Scootaloo’s abductor is a member of her own family.

How hard this will be to tell Snap and Mane is an understatement.

Author's Note

Yeah, it’s been a while, but I had some other interests that kept me from writing. But, here ya go. Make sure to comment, like, favorite, and follow for future updates. Thanks to you all, and goodnight everybody.