“They followed me here.” Twilight said sounding terrified. Can’t say I blame her. This group of zebras that she doesn’t even know, who harassed her in Baltimare, ends up following her to her hometown of Ponyville? I consider this stalking.

“Just let me handle this, Twilight. I’ve dealt with activists before. Follow me and don’t say a word.” I said, as we started to head toward the front exit. Spike followed behind us with a determined look on his face.

“I don’t think you should come with us, Spike. This might get ugly.” I told him.

I saw he did look a little afraid, but he was refusing to show it. He was putting on a strong look for me and Twilight.

Guess there’s a reason why he’s called Spike the Brave and Glorious.

“I’m not letting Twilight get harassed by a group of ponies she doesn’t even know. Zebra or not.” He said, now standing right next to her in a way that looked as if he was protecting her. It was kinda heroic and a little adorable to see this little guy wanting to protect somepony that can be viewed as his big sister.

Twilight sighed. “Spike, I can take care of myself. And I’ve got Shadow here with me. You don’t have to worry. You should just stay here where it’s safe.” She said.

Unfortunately, her words had no effect on him. He shook his head.

“No. I’ve got your back, Twilight. Even if it would get ugly.” He said, not leaving her side.

She looked at me as if to ask if it’s okay for him to come along. I could see he wasn’t going anywhere. Plus, our deal did say that Spike could help out on any investigations.

So, why the fuck not?

“Fine. Just don’t say anything or do anything if those zebras say anything. They want your attention. They want you to react. Good or bad, it doesn’t matter. They want you to acknowledge them. Don’t acknowledge them. This goes to both of you. Am I understood?” I asked them. They both nodded. Spike even saluted me like I’m a drill Sargent. Goofball.

After that was said, we made our way to the front exit. Hopefully, nothing bad happens here. Celestia, I hope.

-/-

Protesters. Activists. Media Crew. Reporters. Social Justice Warriors. Creatures of some type of movement.

I’ve dealt with a lot of these kinds of creatures before. These types of creatures claim to fight for a cause. To get Justice for a certain type of creature, or somepony of a big group. To right a wrong.

And, honestly, I do support protesters. I really do. I am all for free speech. I am all for somepony wanting to say how they truly feel about something.

Hell, I remember back when I was on the force, an LGBT group called “We Are Strong”, protested outside the NCPD building when one of their own was found murdered. The victim was a lesbian mare, I believe her name was Bedazzle. And the leader was some mare named Buffy. She was a bisexual mare, and was one of the most in your face type of mares I’d ever come across. Almost to a point of me wanting to punch the inner bitch outta her.

However, she did give us the Vic’s name, when we had literally no ID for her. She even wanted to be on the investigation with me and my old partner Scout Ranger. Back before I fucked up……

Anyway, me and Scout did our investigation(without her; even if one of her “sisters” was dead, that didn’t make her a cop), and we found out the same guy who murdered Bedazzle was also targeting other lesbian mares as well. Apparently, he liked to rape and murder mares who don’t find stallions attractive. This was said by Buffy, although with her wound up, sorta crazy attitude, we all thought she was just paranoid.

Well, I can admit when I’m wrong.

We ended up finding the fucker. He was some loser grocery store clerk, who worked in a shitty looking super market. Guy was pathetic, and I have to say Angel Blossom made him cry like a little bitch. Heh. It was satisfying to say the least. And I learned something that day. Even if Buffy was kind of a bitch toward us, especially me, at the end of the day, she was just trying to find Justice for her friend. And, if I’m being honest, I’d probably be in her shoes too.

Now, reporters and media ponies, on the other hoof, are entirely different. The minute they see some creature, who is named a suspect in a big time crime, they will swarm you like flies to a dead carcass. And it’s not just the suspect, oh no no no, that’s not the worst thing. What’s even worse is they’ll hunt down where their families and friends live or work and swarm them too. They’ll harass and bombard them with questions that they, probably, don’t even know a thing about.

Like this other time. A middle age stallion was accused of molesting a 10 year old colt. While me and Scout were investigating, and Angel and her partner Rap Sheet were interrogating him, the news media was literally outside the stallion’s home. He had a wife, two daughters and one son. I could only imagine the fear and humiliation the mare must’ve endured. And the foals. Could anypony imagine what it’s like being 7, 8, 9 or 10 years old and being asked whether your father ever touched you inappropriately? It would be a pretty traumatizing experience. And it was for them.

And for the record, the stallion was proven innocent. It turned out the colt was told to lie by his mother. Apparently, this mare was a former lover to this stallion, and he then dumped her out of the blue one day. She was pissed off and wanted payback. So, after a one night stand with a random gigilo, and waiting some years, she told her son to accuse this stallion.

Thanks to my intimidation factor, I was able to get the kid to confess that his mother was manipulating him to do this. She basically said to him that if he didn’t do it, she’d send him to an orphanage. We were able to arrest the mare for child abuse and manipulation for a false rape accusation. The kid went to live with his aunt and uncle in Harneigh, and the stallion got to go home to his family.

Of course, the media didn’t apologize. Didn’t admit they were wrong. They just said the thing that they all say when a big time case doesn’t go their way:

The Justice System is Flawed.

Maybe it is, and believe me, I’ve felt that way when cases I’ve worked didn’t go how I wanted it too. But let’s be frank here: the news media doesn’t care about you. They don’t care if you’re a victim or a suspect. They only care about creating a sensationalistic headline that they could profit off of to make some bits for their greedy little pockets. They don’t care how old you are, or what your feelings are. They just want to make money off of you.

The news media, to me anyway, are rapists. Of ponies dignities. Fuck all of them.

However, recently, I think the most pathetic group of ponies are what a lot of ponies call Social Justice Warriors. These types of ponies claim to fight for civil rights, LGBT rights, mares rights, and just about anything they see as an injustice to them.

But, I think we all know what they are. They really are just little crybabies(or Snowflakes as I and a lot of other ponies call them) when things don’t go their way.

Probably the biggest crybaby I ever came across was when this 19 year old college mare was seen vandalizing an anti abortion sign. And I literally caught her in the act.

And when I did catch her, she started to get all emotional and even trying to explain that she wasn’t vandalizing it, she was just trying to decorate it. She was even crying when I told her she was under arrest.

Now, I am all for abortions be legal. However, I don’t support vandalism and messing with other ponies property. It was funny how she was thinking she was some tough mare, vandalizing somepony’s property, and when she’s caught and being told she’s arrested, she turns into a little crybaby trying to excuse what she did.

It’s kinda hilarious if I’m being honest.

Now, let’s get to the ZRA. Zebra Rights Association. I’ve heard about these guys. They are a group of zebras who want Justice for other zebras, who were victims of hate crimes, false accusations, and police brutality.

Now, when me, Twilight and Spike walked out onto the front step of the Castle of Friendship, I just waited for them to start calling us racist, prejudice or we’re part of the big problem because we’re ponies and not them. I waited for them to swarm us with questions and harass Spike. I even waited for one of them to bring out a mega phone.

But, that didn’t happen. They just stood there. Staring at us. Some with blank faces, some with disappointed looks, some with peeved looks, and some with angry looks. There were even ponies who were looking in on what was going on. I think I even saw Bon Bon with her girlfriend Lyra.

I decided to break the silence. “Can I help with you something?” I asked them.

I then saw a zebra who looked about 12 years old then I was. He was a zebra with a bit of light grayness in his coat. His stripes looked kinda wavy. And he had a black beard too. He walked up to the front steps and was a few inches away from us.

“Yes. You can help us. My name is Zane. I am the leader of the Zebra Rights Association. Or ZRA for short.” He said, even offering his hoof to me.

I decided to shake based solely on being polite, and not wanting to look bad in front of the guys followers. Or the other Ponyville folk.

“I’m Detective Shadow Haze. What is it that you need?” I asked him, taking my hoof away from his.

“We wish to speak with Princess Twilight Sparkle. As well, we also wish to know where your hospital is so we can give Miss Zecora support.” He told us.

I saw Twilight look nervous when he said that. Spike looked ready to attack.

“How do you know the victim’s name? Her brother never mentioned you or the rest of the ZRA.” I said.

“You’d be surprised how I get my information, Detective. Now, may you please give us the location?” He told me in a very polite manner. I think he’s trying to make himself look like the good guy.

But I can see right through him. He’s using this as a way to make us look bad by not giving him what he wants. He’ll probably label me as a racist. Just like lots of creatures, other ponies included, would label me and other law enforcement officers as.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t give out information of victim’s to ponies she doesn’t know. No disrespect, I’m just doing my job.” I told him.

“Really?! Or do you just not WANT us there?” I heard a random female zebra yell out in a hostile voice.

“Is it a pony only hospital?!” I heard another yell. This one was also a female.

“It’s okay, Zya. Zira.” Zane said, calming them down.

“We can’t force him to give us classified information. However, we DO wish to speak to the Princess.” He told us.

I shook my head. “Twilight told me about the interaction you and your followers had with her in Baltimare. I’m not gonna allow you to harass her again.”

“You guys called Twilight prejudice!” Spike blurred out.

Twilight gave him a glare. “Spike, quiet!” She quietly yelled at him. He still looked ready to pounce, but stayed back.

“You got a problem with the truth?!” Another female zebra in the crowd yelled out.

“All ponies are prejudice toward zebras!” I heard a male zebra this time.

I glared at those two zebras in the crowd and that caused them to shut the fuck up. It’s good to have an intimidation factor on your side.

“Twilight also told me you called her that. How can you refer to her as prejudice?” I asked Zane.

“Simple. One of our fellows gets brutally assaulted, and she just happens to be away? She didn’t NOT know. She just doesn’t care. She doesn’t care about other minorities in Equestria.” He told me in an intimidating voice. Not that it scares me. I’ve seen more intimidating ponies then him.

He then looked at Twilight and told her. “And you call yourself a Princess.”

While my conversation with Zane went on, I noticed Twilight was getting upset at what he was saying about her. She had her head down. As if to not look at him.

However, that changed when he said that. Because as soon as that conversation left his lips, Twilight looked up at him in the most angry look I’ve ever seen on her face.

He had a shocked look on his face before what happened next unfolded.

“HOW! DARE! YOU!” She yelled out in her Princess voice. She yelled so loud that it knocked back Zane into his followers like a bowling ball hitting pins.

Strike, I guess.

“How dare you call me prejudice, you piece of fucking shit!” She yelled at him. Damn, I’ve never heard Twilight use the f word, except when I told her about Silhouette. She looks super pissed.

“I may be a Princess, but I can’t control when some creature does a terrible thing. It wasn’t my fault that happened to Zecora, who is a friend of mine. I also run the School of Friendship, which has all kinds of other creatures there. Yaks, Hippogriffs, Griffons, Changelings and, yes, Zebras.” She told him while I saw that her eyes looked about to have tears falling down from them.

“So, how dare you call me prejudice. If anything, you all are prejudice for thinking all ponies are prejudice—“ She started to say before I grabbed her by her wing.

“That’s enough Twilight. Let’s go. You two, Spike.” I said to them as I lead Twilight to Sweet Apple Acres. Spike followed us. Not before shooting an angry look at the ZRA.

I even saw Zane look pissed off as he shook his head at us.

-/-

“Why did you stop me?!” Twilight yelled at me, as I let go of her wing. Spike was right next to her.

“Because any more, and you would’ve made yourself look bad.” I told her as we started walking toward the road where Sweet Apple Acres was at.

“How so?” Twilight asked angrily.

“I told you.” I said, giving Twilight a stern look. “They want your reaction Twilight. The ZRA has several followers who will spin what you just did and try to make you look even more prejudice, even though you aren’t.”

“But, Shadow I have to—“ I stopped her right there.

“No. Twilight, this is one of the reasons why I was hesitant to have you work for me.” I said to her.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“You’re easy to rile up. Sometimes, you just have to accept things the way they are. Like I told you before, don’t let your emotions get ahold of you during a case. It’ll just make everything go to shit. Cold hard fact of life, Twilight.” I said to her.

Both of them gave me a glare. Guess they feel like I’m siding with the ZRA, when I’m not.

“Look, we’ll talk about this later. Let’s go to Sweet Apple Acres.” I said to her.

They continued that glare, until they walked with me.

-/- Sweet Apple Acres -/-

Twilight and Spike still weren’t looking at me when we arrived. As we walked under the Sweet Apple Acres sign, I saw Applejack bucking apple trees to our right. Several types of apples fell into the bucket as they fell from the tree.

I decided to let her finish her work, however Twilight and Spike went over to her. Probably both to say Hi and to get away from me. I hope I didn’t piss them off too bad.

I knocked at the door and after a second of waiting, Happy Hayburger answered the door.

We stared each other down for what felt like hours, even though it was only a few seconds. With what happened yesterday, things were probably gonna be tense between us for a while.

And I’m okay with that.

With a slight sneer on his face, he stepped out of my way and let me inside. I heard laughter in the kitchen. From the sound of it, it must be Sugar Belle and Apple Bloom.

I took a few more steps and saw my thought was correct. Apple Bloom and Sugar Belle were baking something. It looked to be some type of muffins. They smelled pretty fucking good too.

I stood in the kitchen entryway for a minute before making my presence known.

“You two look to be having fun.” I said aloud. That got they’re attention, as they stopped doing what they were doing and looked over at me.

“D-Detective. How nice to see you. I didn’t hear you come in.” Sugar Belle said, looking nervous while holding a wire whisk. Apple Bloom held the bowl that was filled with batter.

She put the bowl down and came up to me.

“I’ve made my decision, Detective.” She said to me with a serious tone. Although, I can’t lie, it was kinda funny she said it like that while wearing a white chef hat.

Now it was time to get serious. “Okay. What?” I told her.

She breathed in before she told me, “I’ll do it.”

I saw Sugar Belle look defeated. I know she didn’t want her sister-in-law, who was only 10 years old, to do something very scary in participating in open court.

Me, on the other hoof, I couldn’t help but smile. I had a feeling she was still scared, but she was gonna do it anyway. This was one brave filly.

I think her parents would be proud of her.

Before I could respond, I heard Spike, Twilight and Applejack come inside. They stepped into the kitchen with us.

“We’re coming with. End of story.” Applejack told me.

“I guess you know Apple Bloom agreed to it?” I asked her.

She nodded. “Yeah, and I’m gonna go with for moral support. And to make sure nothing bad happens to mah little sister.”

I saw Apple Bloom blush. She hid her face with her bow in embarrassment as she said, “Applejack, not in front of every pony.”

I thought that was kinda weird. She just looked annoyed the last time she was called little or baby by her family. Now she looks all embarrassed and blushing? Wonder why that is.

“I’m going to.” Twilight said. “I want to help Apple Bloom too. I’ll teach her what I read up on court hearings.” She smiled and got a proud look on her face.

“I once read Court Hearings 101: Everything You Want To Know About Testifying In Court. Heck of a page turner that was.” She said.

I chuckled as I shook my head. “I’m sure you can Twilight, but since I’m in law enforcement, I’ll be the one to teach her. That, and I’m leading the case.” I told her. And I kinda bummed her out when I said that, with the disappointed look on her face.

I saw Spike sniff the air for a sec. “Woah. What are you two cooking?” He asked.

Sugar Belle giggled. “Me and Apple Bloom are making Apple Cider Muffins. And she’s gotten really good at it, Spike.” She said, for some reason winking at him.

Apple Bloom hid her face in embarrassment again.

Hmmmmmmm.

“Alright.” I said, now gaining every pony’s attention. “Let’s go you four.” I said as we walked out of the front door to Sweet Apple Acres.

-/-Ponyville Court House-/-

“I’ve never seen a courtroom in pony before. This is kinda cool.” Apple Bloom said, staring in interest around the facility.

Though, that wasn’t the case on the way here. When we were walking through town, I couldn’t help but notice she was avoiding Spike’s eyes. She would look at him for a couple of seconds, and when he would look at her, she would look away.

Oh. It appears lil’ Apple Bloom is smitten with Twilight’s assistant. Wonder why that is though? Either way, it’s honest to Celestia adorable.

Anyway, while we were standing in the row of seats where ponies would be sitting to watch this unfold, I guided Apple Bloom toward the stand. She sat down in the seat that was between the Judge’s seat and where the jury would seat.

“Okay Apple Bloom. The first thing that’s gonna happen is somepony will come up to you with a Bible. They’ll ask you to raise your right hoof. Can you do that?” I asked her and she did with a smile on her face.

“Then, they’ll ask you to place that hoof on the Bible. Then they’ll ask this exact question: “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? So help you Celestia?” Then you will say…” I motioned for her to guess what she has to say.

And, she got it right. “Yes, sir I do.”

“Good. Next, one of the prosecutors will ask you about what happened when you found Zecora in her hut. They’ll ask you what your relationship with her is. They also are gonna want to know of any ponies or other creatures in Ponyville who may have had problems with her. Most of all, they’ll want a reason as to why Gavin should be in prison and not a mental facility.” I explained to her.

She nodded. “Okay. I think I could handle that.”

Twilight stepped in next. “Well, sweetheart, there’s also this too. Gavin’s lawyer will ask some questions that might be hard to answer. He actually might ask if you’ve ever met Gavin, which I don’t think you have, have you?” She asked.

Apple Bloom shook her head no.

“I thought so. But, they might even ask some questions that might seem inappropriate.” She said.

Apple Bloom raised her eyebrow. “Like what?” She asked.

This time Applejack spoke. “They might ask if Zecora…did some things with you…ya know, that parents tell their children what inappropriate is.” She said, looking really uncomfortable.

Apple Bloom now looked really offended. “Zecora had NEVER touched me inappropriately. She’s mah friend.” She said.

“I know she is.” I said, stepping in. “But, unfortunately, that could possibly be a valid question to ask. And that is something I really need for you Apple Bloom.”

“What?” She asked.

“I need for you to be a really big girl here, and try not to get all emotional and offended. The jury might form an idea in their head and think otherwise. So, you have to try to keep your emotions in check, okay?” I told her.

Now, she looked worried. Guess I can’t blame her.

“But, what if they really DO ask me what Twilight suggested? I have to defend Zecora.” She said.

“I know, sweetie.” Twilight said. “But, Shadow Haze is right. You need to remain calm. And actually, if you do what he says, that actually will help Zecora even more. Just trust me, okay?”

That was surprising for me to hear that come out of Twilight’s mouth. I looked over at her with a look of disgust on my face. She saw it, and just looked away. I could tell she knew what I was gonna say to her later.

Apple Bloom was quiet for a minute before she replied, “Okay. Ah’ll try. Ah’ll try mah best.”

I nodded at her with a smile on my face. “That’s good Apple Bloom. If you do this, I’m sure Zecora will have Justice in no time.” I said to her.

“Don’t worry Apple Bloom. You’re gonna do great.” Spike said randomly. I saw her blush again.

“Thanks, Spike.” She said in a low voice. I even saw Twilight giggle.

“Alright, I think that’ll be enough for today. Come on Apple Bloom, let’s get y’all home now.” Applejack said, as her little sister got off the stand.

And as minute she did that, I heard my phone go off.

“Shadow Haze.” I answered it, and I couldn’t believe my ears. The others must’ve seen my face as my eyes widened in shock from what I was just told.

“I’ll be right over.” I said and hung up. “Applejack, take Apple Bloom home. I have some place I gotta be.” I said, walking out of the doors leading into the courtroom.

As I was in the hallway, Twilight and Spike had caught up with me.

“Shadow, what’s going on?” She said, sounding concerned.

“Gavin just murdered a zebra prison inmate.” I said as I was now heading outside.

Author's Note

Hope you guys like this chapter. Make sure to like, comment, follow and favorite for future updates. Thank you all and goodnight everybody.