The Cutie Mark Ripper

Luster trekked through Ponyvillie, thinking long and hard about what she had learned that day before. It’s been three days since she was given the mission and has been 19 hours since she met Jokes Kard. Now, she hasn’t caught even a glimpse of Jokes all morning at the market, which made Luster very untrustful of everyone there. She couldn’t help but think, “What if Jokes is the Cutie Mark Ripper? What if she was coming to Ponyvillie to hunt for her next target? Why was she so calm in talking to me the other day? Is she targeting me?” Her thought all came to a head when she ran into a tall unicorn, sending both their saddlebags off of their back and all over the ground, “Ah! I’m so sorry!”

The unicorn, tall and elegant, powder snow coat and black straight mane were also wearing a beautiful long cloak. She looked down at Luster Dawn, who was attempting to gather all her things. The unicorn, silently, helped her get her things back in order, and placed Luster’s saddlebag back onto her, “You should be a bit more careful young one.”

That voice. It sounded all too familiar. Luster looked up but saw the unicorn was gone. Luster shook her head in confusion, “Must have been my imagination… Or, maybe it wasn’t…” Luster was too confused to think straight. She looked around the surrounding area, and there! Sugarcube Corner, “Oh yes! I need a hot chocolate.” Luster trotted over to the lovely bakery, treading carefully, watching out for Jokes and that mysterious unicorn.

Luster enters the sweet establishment, smelling the air for whatever incredible smells it had in store. However, instead of the anticipated smells of chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, or the like, she was met with a thud to the face, with the following smell of rubber. Luster looked down and saw the item that aggressively booped her nose: A rubber chicken with the number 6 on it. A young yellow and messy pink mane colt ran up to it and picked it up, hugging it. He then looks up at Luster with a smile, “Sorry about that ma’am! Boneless 6 often has a mind of his own.” He swung the now named Boneless 6 around so it was riding his back.

Luster simply rubbed her nose and smiled back, “It’s ok. Nopony was hurt.”

The young colt runs to the backroom while a pegasus stallion flies out, stopping mid-air when he spots Luster, “Luster Dawn!” He shouts, flying over to give Luster a hoof shake, before turning his head towards the back door, “Pumpkin! Luster’s back!”

A yellow unicorn came from the backroom and spotted Luster, running up to hug her, “Welcome back Luster!” The twins back off to give Luster some space, “What brings you back to Ponyvillie?”

“Hey Pumpkin, hi Pound. I’m on a case and I came to Ponyville to speak with DIscord. But now I’m kinda at a dead end.”

“Oh, that’s bad.” Pound Cake flies to the counter.

“Do you need anything, sugar?” Pumpkin asks, following her brother.

“Yesh, I could go for a hot chocolate.” Luster sits at a nearby table and chair, laying her head on said table.

“You got it! Pound, can you go make it for her?” Pumpkin asks.

“Sure thing sis!” Pound Cake zips right into the backroom.

Pumpkin walks over to demoralized Luster Dawn and pulls another chair up to sit on, “What troubles you, sugar?”

Luster sighs heavily and takes out her notebook, filled with various notes on her quest, “It’s just… The Princess sent me on a mission, and even though I feel like I have every bit and piece for the puzzle, something is missing. Like, I’m missing that last crucial piece of the puzzle that will make this whole case crystal clear.” Luster face-planted into the table as Pound Cake came out with her hot chocolate.

“Oh dear… I’m sorry to hear you’re struggling, sugar.”

“Yeah, sounds like you’ve been to Tartarus and back again.” Pound Cake comments, “Maybe you need to take a step back, look at the bigger picture.”

Luster looks back up, “I’ve tried that, but no matter what angle I look at it, this case is an anomaly… Unsolvable, until something new happens. And I can only fear what that could mean…”

The twins look at each other, confused but wanting to help their friend. Pumpkin nudges the hot chocolate to Luster and Pound Cake grabs a slice of apple pie with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, “Don’t worry Luster Dawn.” Pound Cake says, “You are the smartest pony we know. You’ll solve this case.”

“Yeah! You solved mysteries even we couldn’t solve. Remember that time we couldn’t figure out the culprit of the eaten birthday cupcakes a month ago?”

Luster smiled a little, “Yeah I guess…”

“Yeah! Who knew it was Li'l Cheese behind it!?” Pound Cake shouts.

The colt in question hops out from the back room, “I regret nothing!” He says in a singsong voice.

The three grown ponies laugh and Luster takes a swig of hot cocoa, “You know what? You two are right! I can solve this mystery. I will find the culprit! Justice will be severed!” She pounded her hoof on the table, “And it will be served cold.”

Pumpkin clapped her hooved together, “Great line delivery, Luster.”

“Thank you Pumpkin.”

“Eh hm!” A voice perks up, “I hate to break the lovely moment, but I would like to be served today.” The three ponies turn and see a green Changeling waiting by the counter. Pound and Pumpkin Cake cheerfully trot over to assist a customer, but Luster takes a good long look at the Changeling. There wasn’t anything too special to this particular Changeling, but her mind was sending all the red flags. Something about her pose, her calm demeanor, just something this changeling was giving her gut a bad feeling. Her voice didn’t sound familiar, but at this point, Luster wasn’t paying attention to what was being said, but rather what the Changeling was buying: 3 dozen cupcakes, all vanilla with real vanilla frosting. The Changeling paid for the food and walked out of the establishment.

The twins noticed Luster staring at their customer, and once the changeling left, they walked back to her, “Is there a problem, Luster?” Pound Cake asks.

“I… I don’t know. But every bone in my body is telling me that changeling is up to no good.”

Pumpkin rolled her eyes, “Sugar, Ms. Junebug isn’t some crazed changeling. She’s a very nice changeling, one who loves to host small get-togethers. She’s simply getting ready for another get-together.”

“I know my suspicions may be arbitrary, but I just know it. Something isn’t right here.”

“Yeah… Ok.” Pound says with disdain in his voice.

Suddenly, a grey coat, yellow mane pegasus stumbly flies into Sugarcube Corner. She gets back onto her hooves and looks around, “Letter for Dawn Luster? Oh no, I meant Luster Dawn.” She then takes out a scroll.

“That’s me. Luster Dawn.” Luster gets up and takes the letter from the mail pony, “Thank you.” She opens the letter and starts reading it, suddenly looking very nervous, “Oh no…”

“What’s wrong?” The twins asked in unison.

“I’m being summoned to Canterlot at once!”