Stardust Sparkle: Equestrian Ranger
Author's Note
Takes place after the events of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and My Little Pony: A New Generation.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or My Little Pony: A New Generation. All rights reserved to Lauran Faust, Hasbro, eOne, and other rightful owners.
WARNING: The following is rated M for Mature, and should not be read by anyone under the age of 18. Discretion is advised.
Chapter 1: The Beginning
It was a dark, stormy night. I looked out the window of my room and sighed, remembering the night I lost my parents and home.
Allow me to explain the situation. My name is Stardust Sparkle, though that's not what I was named at first. I'm a Unicorn, but I'm in law enforcement in Equestria. Specifically, I work for the Equestrian Rangers. My story starts back when I was a just a colt. It happened 18 years ago.
[Flashback, 18 years ago....]
I was out in Maretime Bay Center, spending time with some visitors, when I saw smoke rising up. I felt something sink inside me as I saw the location of the pillar. I started to move towards it slowly before speeding up to a walk, then a trot, then a run, and finished with a sprint. I kept it up, practically drifting around corners, and I gasped in fear. My home, the place where I live.... WAS IN A SEA OF FLAMES!!!! I felt my heart sink and I looked around.
"HELP!!!! SOMEPONY HELP!!!!" I yelled. I heard screaming from inside and I recognized it. The screaming made my heart sink further. Somepony came around the corner and they had the same reaction I had.
"WE NEED THE FIRE BRIGADE HERE!!!! NOW!!!!" They yelled.
"My parents are trapped inside!" I said. I heard a cracking sound and looked at the fire again.
"Don't do it! It's too dangerous!" The pony said. Something told me to back away, and I acted on instinct.
"IT'S GONNA BLOW!!!! GET BACK!!!!" I said. I ran back as fast as I could, but the flames caused an explosion and I was flown behind a barrel.
"Holy shit!" The pony said. I looked from behind the barrel and felt my heart break. My home... my family... is gone. Tears started flowing down my face. No words could describe how I felt. I looked around and saw everypony gathering, shocked at what they saw. Everything went slow for me. I heard muffled voices as I sat there, softly sobbing. I saw fire ponies working to get the fire under control. It wasn't until I felt a hoof on me that I snapped out of it. I looked and saw Sheriff Hitch. He had a solemn look on his face. Not long after, someone landed in front of me. I looked and my jaw dropped.
'Wings and a horn? I read something about that! She must be an Alicorn!' I thought.
"I saw the smoke from where I was. Are you okay, young one?" They asked. I was stunned. I gathered my thoughts and spoke one sentence.
"You're an Alicorn!" I spoke.
"You're very studious." They said, impressed.
"Who are you?" I asked. They smiled and knelt down to me.
"My name is Twilight Sparkle." They said. Wait.... THEY SAID WHAT NOW?!?!
"PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!" I yelled out. Everypony around, including myself, bowed in front of her.
"Forgive our rudeness, Your Highness!" Sheriff Hitch said. Princess Twilight giggled a bit.
"You may rise." She said. We all rose and I was still in shock.
"Where have you been? Equestria had fallen apart without you!" I said.
"I'm aware of that. My friends and I had to fight a great evil that was in the form of a spirit. Because of that," Princess Twilight spoke, "we had to be sealed away. However, we were set free somehow. Perhaps you know something about it, Sheriff Hitch?"
"It was my friend, Sunny Starscout, who helped us realize that we needed friendship to have magic." Sheriff Hitch said.
"They sound like a smart pony. Probably as smart as me." Princess Twilight said. I then felt a vibration in my horn and went on alert.
'What was that sensation? Trouble?' I thought. I looked around and saw a flash from the water. It triggered an instinct in me that I've never had before. The moment I saw that flash again, I jumped in front of Princess Twilight and used my magic to conjure a dome around us. I then watched as a projectile hit the barrier and heard a sound echo out in the distance.
"What the?!" Sheriff Hitch asked, stunned.
"SNIPER ON THE WATER!!!! GET BEHIND SOMETHING!!!!" I yelled. Everypony gasped and hid. Meanwhile, I saw a cyan blur fly past and go towards the water. I soon saw that blur again and it landed with a colt I recognized in its mouth, revealing it to be a Pegasus. I immediately recognized them. I soon saw four others show up and my jaw dropped. It caused me to lose my concentration and the dome around me and Princess Twilight disappeared. The Pegasus then spit out the colt and Princess Twilight looked at me.
"Do you recognize this colt?" She asked. Sheriff Hitch shook his head and sighed.
"Unfortunately." He said.
"He's caused trouble for EVERYPONY here in Maretime Bay." A pony said.
"Uh," the Pegasus said, "is he okay?" I couldn't even believe it. Sheriff Hitch walked up to me and shook me.
"Stardust? You okay?" He asked. Princess Twilight walked in front of me and stood with the others.
"Do you recognize who we are?" She asked.
"The..." I spoke.
"Huh?" The Pegasus asked.
"The...." I spoke again.
"Darling, are you alright?" A white Unicorn asked.
"Ooh! Ooh! It's a guessing game! Uh... Theatre! No... Thesis! Ooh! Ooh! I got it! Thermometer!" A pink pony spoke.
"Maybe he's trying to say who we are?" A yellow Pegasus suggested.
"Well? Out with it! Who are we?!" An orange pony asked. My eyes went wide and I started to feel light-headed.
"The Council of Friendship." I said. After saying that, I had fainted.
I don't know how long I was out, but when I woke up, I was in the Maretime Bay Lighthouse. I looked around and saw Sunny, Zipp, Pipp, Sheriff Hitch, and Izzy. They all looked at me and Izzy smiled.
"How you feeling?" She asked. I felt my head throb and held it in pain.
"Like I just took a punch from Rainbow Dash after she did a Sonic Rainboom." I said.
"Splitting headache?" Sunny asked.
"Like somepony is taking a jackhammer to my skull." I said. They all winced.
"Yeah, I'd bet that would hurt." Sheriff Hitch said.
"He needs some pain meds." Zipp said.
"I can see about getting him some Oxycotin or Hydrocodone!" Pipp said.
"Huh?" I asked.
"What?" Sunny and Sheriff Hitch asked.
"Those are weird medications." Izzy said.
"I've never even heard of them." Zipp said.
"Just find me some Acetaminophen." I said.
"That one I've heard of! It's perfect for headaches and migraines!" Zipp said.
"It's also a good fever reducer!" A voice said. I looked towards it and saw Princess Twilight with the others again.
"Princess Twilight!" I said.
"Don't go fainting again. You were out for 10 hours." Sunny said. The sudden realization hit me right then. I remembered it all. The fire... my parents... my home.... Everything I had was gone. I looked down, solemn. I felt a hoof on my shoulder and looked, seeing the yellow Pegasus.
"We're sorry for your loss." They said.
"Yeah. Nopony should have to go through that." The cyan Pegasus said.
"You must be devastated. I know how that feels." Princess Twilight said. I shed a tear, but felt something wipe it away. I looked and saw Sunny as she gave me a gentle nuzzle before pulling me into a hug. I hugged back and the others joined in. That's when I felt the tears start flowing. I couldn't hold back. I clenched my eyes closed and started bawling like a newborn foal. It didn't take long for me to calm down and Sunny dried my tears again. Izzy held out a tissue and I took it, blowing my nose before throwing it away.
"What's your name?" Princess Twilight asked. I looked at her in full seriousness.
"Stardust Blaze." I said. Princess Twilight smiled and gave a nod.
"You already know who I am. Can you guess the others?" She asked. The others had lined up and I started down the line in the order I saw them.
"Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy." I said.
"Very good." Princess Twilight said.
"Say," Izzy said, "what are you going to do now? You lost your home."
"Guess I'm on the streets." I said.
"Nonsense! I shall take you in!" Rarity said.
"No way! This guy has some good instincts! I'll take him in!" Rainbow said. I then felt that sensation in my horn again.
'There it is again. What is that? Some sort of link?' I thought. I looked around and Izzy looked concerned.
"Is everything okay?" She asked.
"What just caused that?" I asked.
"Caused what, darling?" Rarity inquired.
"I felt a weird sensation in my horn just now. The last time it happened was when that sniper was shooting at us." I said.
"Wait," Sunny said, "are you saying you had a Magic Link?!"
"Magic Link?" I asked.
"It's something my dad researched. Apparently," Sunny said, "it was said that most Unicorns had the ability to use magic and connect, or link, with other ponies based on their emotions. They called this phenomenon the 'Magic Link' and tried to determine the cause behind it. However, they scrapped the project in favor of other, more practical solutions." I felt that sensation again and glared behind me. I then jumped and put a barrier around everyone as an arrow almost hit Sunny. The arrow then exploded and I recognized the smell.
"Sulfur." I said.
"A napalm arrow?!" Sheriff Hitch asked.
"Sweet Celestia!" Pinkie exclaimed. I then thought back to the fire and I remembered smelling the same thing.
'They're connected.' I thought.
"The same one that shot this arrow," I said, "is the same one who set my home on fire."
"We're waiting on forensics to come back." Sheriff Hitch said.
"You have great instincts," Princess Twilight said, "and you're very knowledgeable. I see a little of myself in you." That's when Applejack had an idea.
"How about the SIX of us take him in?" She asked. That threw Rarity for a loop.
"Are you certain that's wise?" Rarity asked.
"Think about it! He lost his family and home to a fire that was DELIBERATELY set! He lost everything! If we take him in," Applejack said, "we can teach him about Equestria! Plus, he'd have access to the most EXTENSIVE information on magic!"
"I refuse." I said.
"Say WHAT?!" They all asked. I got out of bed and looked out the window.
"My parents' killer is out there somewhere. I have to find them," I said, "and bring them to justice. Unless there's information on Equestrian Law Enforcement where you're planning on taking me, I refuse to go with you." Princess Twilight then walked up to me and placed a hoof on my shoulder.
"There is information on Equestrian Law Enforcement. Everything you need to know. All we ask is that you come with us to Canterlot." She said.
"Canterlot? As in... THE Canterlot?! The Capitol of all EQUESTRIA Canterlot?!" Sunny asked.
"The very same!" Pinkie said.
"We HAVE to go!" Sunny said.
"We will. I'm quite interested in how Equestria was founded." Sheriff Hitch said.
"Then let's go!" Rainbow said. Izzy looked concerned and approached me.
"Stardust? Will you at least visit with us?" She asked. I gave a sigh and looked at her.
"I'll give it a visit," I said, "but I can't promise I'll enjoy it." They all smiled and I sighed.
[Moments later....]
We all walked the streets of the lost Capitol, Canterlot. I looked around and took everything in. Sunny looked like a filly in a candy store.
"I can't believe it! We're ACTUALLY in Canterlot!" She said.
"Easy, Sunny." Sheriff Hitch said. Princess Twilight then walked ahead of us and motioned for us to follow her with a wing. We did so and I saw Fluttershy and Rainbow fly towards the castle. I sighed and kept walking. However, I looked further and saw a shadow. I went on alert at that point. Applejack noticed this and looked around.
"What do you think we should do first?" Izzy asked.
"I want to learn EVERYTHING about how Equestria was founded!" Sunny said.
"I want to learn about the Wonderbolts!" Zipp said. That shadow then seemed to draw a weapon and I gave a glare. I ran in front of everypony and stopped them.
"I see your shadow on the wall! Show yourself!" I said. The shadow then revealed itself to be that troublemaking colt from Maretime Bay.
"You?!" Sheriff Hitch asked.
"This place should never have existed. The three pony races were meant to be enemies!" The colt said.
"If the three races were enemies," I said, "Equestria would have no magic. Only by the three races coming together in friendship could the magic throughout Equestria be strong." The colt then revealed the weapon to be a spear and he glared.
"I won't let you any further. You die here, Stardust Blaze!" The colt said. He then charged at me and I glared before getting into a position.
"Get to cover." I said.
"No chance! I'm still a Sheriff!" Sheriff Hitch said.
"You don't have jurisdiction in Canterlot! Get to cover!" I said. Princess Twilight then conjured up a dome around everypony behind me and I closed my eyes.
"What is he doing?" Sunny asked. I felt an energy surround me and my eyes shot open.
"DIE!!!!" The colt yelled. I then sidestepped and tripped him, causing him to send the spear into the dome. The spear broke on impact and the colt gasped.
"I don't want to hurt you. Just give up." I said. The colt looked at me and had a death glare.
"Go to Hell!" He said. I gave a glare of my own said only two words.
"You first." I said. The colt then charged at me and I dodged before stopping a strike. I then gave one of my own before throwing him to the ground.
"GWOH!" The colt exclaimed. I then stood over him and glared. He tried to strike me, but I blocked it and turned him over, putting him in a restraint hold.
"Whoa!" Sheriff Hitch said.
"That hold hasn't been used in years!" Sunny said.
"Does anypony have some rope I can borrow?" I asked. Out of nowhere, Applejack pulled out some rope and Twilight released the dome. Applejack then tossed the rope to me. I grabbed it with my magic and used it to make a hoofcuff knot.
"Who taught you that?!" Sheriff Hitch asked. I gave a sigh and looked towards the clouds.
"My parents." I said.
"How did they know it?" Sunny asked.
"Because they were training to become Deputies." I said.
"They were killed before they had a chance." Rarity concluded.
"They were teaching me to do the same thing." I said.
"I'd say you surpassed them." Applejack said.
"Gee, thanks." I sarcastically said.
"I didn't mean it like that." Applejack said.
"It came out like that." I said.
"Well, we have other matters to worry about. Let's keep going." Princess Twilight said. We continued on and arrived at the castle. I looked around and sighed. Rainbow then flew over to me and held out a book.
"You should read this." She said. I looked at the book and read the title.
"The History of Equestria: From Past to Present? Guess I should read this." I said. I took the book in my magic and went to a secluded spot. I opened the book and started to read it.
[Moments later....]
I closed the book, having finished reading it, and saw Fluttershy with another.
"How long have you been there?" I asked.
"Long enough to know that you zone everything out when you're focused on something." Fluttershy said. I sighed and looked up. Rainbow then showed up and landed next to me.
"All finished." She asked.
"Yeah." I said.
"Good. You know of Equestria's history up until all the pony races were divided." Rainbow said.
"Yeah. Though, something doesn't make sense." I said.
"What's that?" Fluttershy asked.
"If all the pony races were separated," I said, "as they were at the beginning of Equestria's founding, then there's a contradiction in how Equestria was before the three races were reunited."
"What would that be?" Rainbow asked.
"Back in Equestria's founding," I said, "there were creatures known as Windigos that caused the leaders to freeze up. When Sunny was growing up, we didn't have ANY Windigos."
"Oh! I see it! The pony races were already divided then!" Fluttershy said.
"Exactly. Where were the Windigos?" I asked.
"Guess they didn't want to show up." Rainbow said.
"I guess." I said.
"Anyways," Fluttershy said, "I found this in the library of the castle. It's a book on different magical spells." She then placed the book in front of me and I nodded. I then read that book and saw a spell that caught my attention.
'Taser Spell?' I thought. I looked and saw how it could be used. I read the entire book and yawned before rubbing my eyes.
"I need a break." I said. I got up and started to walk towards the castle entrance.
"Hiya!" Pinkie said, jumping up in front of me.
"GAH!" I yelled. I then used the Taser Spell on Pinkie, causing her to seize up and fall. I panted heavily and looked at her.
"Now I know electricity feels." Pinkie said.
"I didn't use too much force, did I?" I asked. Pinkie stood up and shook her head.
"Nope. Now I know not to surprise you." Pinkie said.
"Yeah. Thankfully I used the Taser Spell and not a magical blast." I said.
"Well," Pinkie said, "where you off to?"
"I just need a break." I said.
"Then follow me!" Pinkie said. I then followed her to a room in the castle that looked like a Dining Hall.
"I could go for something to eat." I said. Pinkie smiled and pulled up a seat for me. I sat down in it and Pinkie pushed me in. I looked around and saw various decorations on the wall. The others then joined in and I saw Princess Twilight with a box.
"I asked for some chefs to be brought here to cook for us. They just got here. So, we have time." Princess Twilight said.
"I'm surprised this place hasn't fallen apart or been torn down like the Maretime Bay Lighthouse was." Zipp said.
"Come to think of it," I said, "how did the lighthouse get repaired?"
"I was wondering that, too." Pipp said.
"That's all thanks to Sprout. He was ordered to rebuild it," Sheriff Hitch said, "and Canter Logic helped."
"I also got some Unicorns to use their magic and help." Izzy said.
"Seems legit." I said.
"We all need help sometimes." Fluttershy said.
"That's true." Sunny said.
"Anyways," I spoke, "what's in the box?"
"Just something I'm thinking of implementing." Princess Twilight asked.
"What would that be? A kingdom wide police force?" I asked. Sheriff Hitch practically did a spit take.
"Where did THAT come from?" Rainbow asked.
"That... actually wouldn't be a bad idea." Princess Twilight said.
"Oof." Zipp said.
"Just what we need. MORE of Sheriff Hitch." Pipp said.
"What's THAT supposed to mean?!" Sheriff Hitch and I asked.
"Oh," Pipp said, "I meant no offense."
"Too late." I said.
"Well," Zipp said, "that's something you can discuss later. For now, I say we socialize and wait for some good food."
"Here, here!" Pinkie said. Everypony agreed, but I simply stayed silent. Princess Twilight passed the box to me and I looked inside. I saw pictures of her parents, and her family. I gasped slightly and I lifted one picture out. It was a picture of Princess Twilight with her parents, her brother, her sister-in-law, her niece, and the two Rulers of Equestria before her, Princesses Celestia and Luna. I remember my parents having this picture. They said it was passed down in our family for generations. I then got up and ran out, taking the picture with me.
"What the? Stardust, where are you going?!" Sunny asked. I never answered back. I kept running until I came across the Canterlot Castle Library. I looked around until I found the Geneology section.
"Family trees, family trees, family trees... aha! I found it!" I said. I pulled out a copy of MY family tree. I remember my parents going away for a few days to update the family tree. I never knew where, but it all made sense if they were coming here! I opened the book up to where it was recent, and I nearly dropped the book. My mom was related to Princess Twilight's family. Not by marriage, but by blood! I looked through it further and I couldn't believe it.
'No way! This has to be some sort of joke! There has to be a mistake!' I thought.
"This can't be right." I said. I continued looking through and I came across an important page. It was written by my mom. I read the page and nearly fainted.
'NO FUCKING WAY!!!!' I thought.
"My mom was Princess Twilight's daughter?!" I asked.
'How is that possible?' I thought. I then read more and came across a spell. I immediately recognized it as a Memory Projection Spell. I started casting the spell and felt the presence of the others behind me. I saw a screen and shot a blast of magic at it. The screen started faintly glowing before an image of my mom appeared.
"Hi, Stardust. If you're looking at this," my mom said, "something happened to me and I lost my life. If my theory serves right, you found our family tree. I left this for you as a spell that only YOU would recognize. If anypony else tried to perform it, they'd experience a terrible headache. This... is my life." The image of my mom then faded and a video started. I gasped in shock when I saw my mom as a newborn foal being held by Princess Twilight, who was crying tears of joy. The video then cut to my mom being raised around the castle in Canterlot. That's when I saw a Unicorn stallion that was Navy Blue in color that had a Cutie Mark in the shape of a badge.
'Is that my grandfather?' I thought. The stallion then picked my mom up and spun her around in his magic. The video then showed Princess Twilight and the stallion holding my mom close in an embrace, smiling happily. I felt tears well up and wiped them away. The video then went to a scene where Princess Twilight and the stallion were confused.
"What's going on here?" The stallion asked.
"Well," my mom said, "I plan on having foals someday. When I do, there's a chance you won't be around for it. I want them to know who their grandparents are!"
"Makes sense to me." Princess Twilight said.
"Ladies first." The stallion said. Princess Twilight smiled and giggled a bit. She then looked into the camera and it zoomed in on her.
"Alright," Princess Twilight said, "where should I start? My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I'm the current Ruler of Equestria, as well as your grandmother! I hope I have a chance to see you grow up, my grandchildren. However, if not, just know that I'll always love you." The camera then panned to the stallion.
"Your turn, daddy!" My mom said.
"Uh," the stallion said, unsure, "do I have to?"
"If I had to do it," Princess Twilight said, "then so do you." The stallion sighed before smiling.
"Alright," he said, looking into the camera, "guess I have no choice. My name is Absolute Justice. I'm the Official Royal Investigator, and I'm your grandfather. I believe that your mother may be right. I won't be around after you're born. However, like your grandmother, I will always love you. I hope you grow up to be a strong mare, or stallion. Just like I know your mother has." The camera then zoomed out and was placed on something. My mom then went into view and looked at the camera, smiling brightly.
"These are your grandparents, my little pony! I hope they're around when you grow up!" She said. The video then cut to a picture of the three of them in a pose that I recognized as one from a courtroom. I couldn't hold the tears back any further and let one fall. I sniffled and heard somepony approach.
"When were you going to tell me?" I asked. I looked behind and saw Princess Twilight, my grandmother, in tears.
"I completely forgot about that video. I forgot she took it." She said.
"What happened to him?" I asked.
"Who do you mean?" Princess Twilight asked.
"My grandfather." I said. Princess Twilight gasped and looked ashamed. She then collapsed to my level.
"He lost his life protecting me and my friends when we were battling that spirit in an attempt to seal it." Princess Twilight said.
"He paid the ultimate sacrifice, huh?" I asked.
"It didn't go in vain." Princess Twilight said. I looked back at the picture and noticed something. I used magic to enhance it.
'That badge.' I thought, drying my tears.
"That was his badge." Princess Twilight said.
"Why's it in the shape of a star?" I asked.
"He said that it was a way of having me with him while he worked," Princess Twilight said, drying her tears, "and to make sure his reach spread across Equestria. I think he just said that to humor me."
'A six-pointed star. It almost looks like Princess Twilight's cutie mark, with almost being the key word.' I thought. That's when I made a revelation. I had seen that badge before as we had walked towards Canterlot. It was engraved on a tombstone. That's when I knew.
"You sealed that being in what used to be Ponyville, didn't you?" I asked. There was silence at first, but it soon ended.
"You have his intellect. Your grandfather's, I mean. After his death, and our sealing, Ponyville was abandoned and the three races all went their separate ways. You know the rest." Princess Twilight said. Even though the glaring contradiction was there, I had an idea.
"When you sealed that spirit," I said, "did you seal the Windigos with it?" That caused her to gasp and look at me in shock.
"We didn't seal even one!" She said.
"Then where did they go?" I asked.
"And why didn't they show up when the races were at each others throats?" Princess Twilight asked.
"It's one mystery after another." I said.
"Could there be a hidden alliance during that time?" Princesss Twilight asked.
"No," I said, "there wasn't until Sunny and the others formed one to reunite the races."
"Sounds like you should look into this." Princess Twilight said.
"There's no point in it. I know why. My grandfather gave his life to protect you from all of them. He used the last of his magical strength to destroy them," I said, "and he lost his life in the process. That's why you buried him in Ponyville's ruins before you were sealed with that spirit. My mother had no idea. She was kept hidden from everypony, and they didn't know the truth. The only other who might have known...."
"Was your father." A voice said. I looked behind and saw that the others had entered.
"Why didn't you come in earlier? I knew you were outside." I said.
"We didn't want to intrude." Zipp said.
"Your father had something to tell me," Sheriff Hitch said, "but he never had the chance. I think this was it. He was going to tell me of your relation to Princess Twilight."
"I want to search it." I said. That confused everypony.
"Search what exactly?" Rainbow asked.
"The burnt remains of my house. I want to conduct my own search." I said. They all gasped.
"That's insane!" Sunny said.
"I can't allow that!" Sheriff Hitch said.
"I wasn't asking you." I said. I then looked to Princess Twilight who had gone into thought. She looked at me and gave a small smile.
"You're just like your grandfather." She said. She then went to a book and pulled it out. I heard a loud noise and a wall opened up. I looked at it and I was stunned.
"All this was my grandfather's?" I asked.
"All except one thing. Your grandfather was the Official Royal Investigator. He had a sworn duty to protect Equestria's royalty. I'm naming you the first ever Equestrian Ranger." Princess Twilight said, pointing to a badge that was on a pedestal. I approached and saw that it was a new type of badge. It was round with a five-pointed star in the middle of it with the words "Equestrian Ranger" in bold letters in the circle, the two words separated with "Equestrian" at the top and "Ranger" at the bottom. I took it and saw that it was pure silver. I saw all types of weapons, but one caught my attention. I thought back to when we were first in Maretime Bay, when that troublesome colt attacked. I used my magic to pick it up and bring it closer to me.
"This weapon is almost like a cannon. The only difference is that it's small and compact. That colt we keep encountering used a bigger version of this with some sort of magnifying apparatus. It's how he was able to fire at us from that far a distance. We need to visit somepony." I said.
"Who?" Izzy asked. I grabbed some armor and put it on before grabbing the weapon and placing it in its... let's call it a case for now. I put the weapon in its case that was on the armor, and placed the badge on the armor as well. I then looked at them with a serious expression on my face.
"Sprout." I said.
"WHAT?!" Sunny and Hitch asked.
"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!!" Zipp and Pipp exclaimed.
"ANYPONY BUT HIM!!!!" Izzy shouted.
"Who's Sprout?" Rainbow asked.
"You'll see. We need to go back to Maretime Bay." I said.
"Is that where he lives?" Pinkie asked.
"It's where his mom lives. She can tell us where he's now staying." Sheriff Hitch said.
"Much as I don't want to visit him," I said, "we have no choice."
"Stardust is right. We need to talk with him." Sunny said. The others nodded and I looked at Princess Twilight.
"Do I have your authorization, Your Highness?" I asked. Princess Twilight giggled a bit before kneeling down to me.
"You forgot already. I'm your grandmother!" She said.
"Who is also my superior." I said.
"Huh?" Princess Twilight asked.
"Ooh, ooh, I get it! He's compartmentalizing! When he's asking for something work related, he's doing so in a professional manner! When he's just asking for a casual favor, he does it in a personal manner! He's saying not to mix his professional and personal lives!" Fluttershy said. We all looked at her in shock.
"Um...." Sunny spoke. Fluttershy then blushed and looked to the side.
"That is what you were saying, right, Stardust?" Fluttershy asked.
"More or less, yeah." I said.
'She is SERIOUSLY smart! How can she not use that intellect for anything else?!' I thought.
"Anyways," Princess Twilight said, "I do grant authorization."
"Then let's go." I said.
[Moments later....]
We all stood outside Canter Logic, talking to Sprout's mom, Phyllis.
"What?! You WILLINGLY want to talk to him?!" She asked.
"We need his help." I said.
"Huh?" She asked.
"I did my own search of the ruins of my house," I said, "and I found this." I then held up the end of an arrow.
"The end of an arrow?" She asked.
"The end of a napalm arrow." Sheriff Hitch said. Phyllis gasped and stepped back in shock.
"You don't suspect he was behind it, do you?!" She asked.
"No, ma'am. We just need to talk to him. I need to know why my parents were killed in an arson fire. He needs to know why the three races were at each others throats. We need his help in this investigation," I said, "and to help capture those responsible. Surely you can understand that." Phyllis looked unsure but soon got serious and handed me a piece of paper.
"This is Sprout's new address," she said, "and a map on how to get there." I nodded and took the paper in my magic.
"Thank you." I said.
"Your parents were good friends of mine," Phyllis said, "and they helped Sprout get his new place. No one told him yet."
"I'll break the news to him." I said.
"You make it sound easy." Phyllis said.
"I know it won't be." I said. Phyllis then pulled something out and handed it to me.
"Take this. It's the latest in Canter Logic technology." She said. I took it and looked it over before pressing a button and turning it on.
"An Electronic Organizer. This will be helpful in this investigation," I said, "as well as other investigations to come. Thank you."
"Be careful during the course of your investigation." Phyllis said.
"If I get into trouble," I said, "I'll find a way out."
[Two minutes later....]
I approached Sprout's new place and the others looked unsure.
"Are you sure this is the place?" Izzy asked.
"This is it." I said. I walked up to the door and knocked on it. The moment I did, it cracked open.
"That's not normal, is it?" Zipp asked.
"No," I said, "it's not." I then drew the weapon I had and stood on one side of the door. Sheriff Hitch stood on the other side and nodded.
"Do it." He said. I then walked inside and looked around.
"Equestrian Ranger! If anypony is here," I said, "say so now!" The entrance was clear. I kept looking around and saw a single light on. I motioned towards it and the others stayed quiet. Sheriff Hitch went to the room and I aimed at the door. I gave a nod and Sheriff Hitch opened the door.
"Sheriff's Office!" He announced. We both then gasped when we saw the sight. The stallion we came to see, the only one who didn't know my parents died yet, WAS HANGING FROM A ROPE ON THE CEILING!!!! The others looked and Izzy screamed. I got serious and looked to Sheriff Hitch.
"Find something to cut him down!" I ordered.
"Right!" He said. I ran in and put my weapon away. I looked to the others and pointed to Rainbow.
"Fly me up to him! The rest of you," I said, "stand below him to catch him!" Sheriff Hitch then came back with a knife. He tossed it to me and I grabbed it with my magic. Rainbow then flew to me and lifted me up to where I could cut him down. The others stood below and I cut the rope. Sprout fell down and was caught by the others. Sheriff Hitch then checked for a pulse, but stopped as Sprout gasped for air. I sighed in relief, as did the others.
'Thank fuck.' I thought. Sprout then started coughing and Pipp walked up to him and grabbed him.
"What's the matter with you?!" She asked. Sprout looked confused.
"What?" He asked.
"Why would you try to kill yourself?!" Pipp asked. Sprout then looked ashamed.
"Because I don't deserve to live." Sprout said.
"Don't say that!" Pipp said.
"It's true though!" Sprout said. That got me angry and I jumped off Rainbow and landed on him.
"Huh?" Pipp asked.
"Stardust?" Sunny asked. I then reared a hoof back and punched Sprout in the jaw. The others were shocked.
"Never try and do that again!" I said. Sprout looked at me in shock and confusion.
"Why?" He asked.
"Because your mother would be devastated if she learned you killed yourself. She still worries about you! She's the one who told us about this place!" I said.
"Why are you here?" He asked.
"Because the ones who helped you get this place," I said, "my parents, were killed in an arson fire!" Sprout gasped and looked at me. His lower lip started trembling.
"W-What?" He asked.
"You heard me. My parents are dead. I came here to talk to you because I need your help." I said.
"How so?" He asked. I then pulled out the end of the arrow and he gasped.
"This belonged to a napalm arrow. It was used to set my house on fire." I said.
"Why come to me?" Sprout asked.
"Because you know how modifications work. The machine you had built," I said, "it incorporated several Canter Logic items. You modified them to suit your needs. This napalm arrow had traces of sulfur."
"Sulfur is in napalm." Sprout said.
"There was another compound." I said.
"What?" Sprout asked.
"It also had traces of triacetone triperoxide." I said. Sprout gasped and looked shocked.
"It had a TATP-Napalm mixture?!" He asked.
"It did. The forensics techs confirmed it." Sheriff Hitch said.
"Why do you need my help?" Sprout asked.
"I want to see how it looks. I want to recreate it," I said, "and use it to track down the ones responsible for this heinous crime!" Sprout was stunned. I got off him and he stood up. He then got serious and gave a nod.
"I might have an idea on how they did it." Sprout said.
"Glad to know you're on board." I said.
"I actually have a set of old blueprints. I think that's how they managed to make it." Sprout said.
"Where are they?" I asked.
[Minutes later....]
Sprout opened a drawer and pulled the blueprints out. He then spread them out on a table and I looked at it.
"It looks like the mixture occurs when the arrow strikes the target. The napalm and TATP mix together," I spoke, "and each one ignites at the same time. It causes a bigger explosion, thus causes more damage. Since TATP is undetectable by scent alone, the only smell that remains is the smell of sulfur from the napalm. This type of arrow was used during the Three Race War by archers."
"Where did you find this?" Sunny asked.
"It was among some old Canter Logic files. I took it when I moved. My mom wasn't going to use it," Sprout said, "so I figured I'd take it off her hooves. I also have some renovation plans for this place. I was thinking of turning it into an office of sorts."
"This place belonged to a rich family. That family has since left this world." Sheriff Hitch said.
"We can turn this place into the new Maretime Bay Sheriff's Office!" Sunny said. I shook my head.
"Not a chance. There's already plans to build a new Maretime Bay Sheriff's Office and also have it double as the Detention Center." I said.
"Oh." Sunny said, looking downtrodden.
"Perhaps you have an idea?" Sprout suggested.
"We turn this place into the HQ of the Equestrian Department of Public Safety," I said, "and fully announce the presence of the Equestrian Rangers. That way, I don't have to operate in secret, and I can get more cooperation." That caused a look of shock to come across everypony's faces.
'Great,' I thought, 'they think the idea is stupid.'
"That idea is genious!" Sunny exclaimed, shocking me.
'Say WHAT?!' I thought.
"That's WAY better than what I was planning to do!" Sprout said.
"I say we just make it the Equestrian Rangers HQ. We don't really need a Department of Public Safety. In fact," Zipp said, "we just need more ponies to help out! I can see if some Pegasi want in on this!"
"I can talk to the other Unicorns!" Izzy said.
"I can make an announcement at a press conference to try and recruit ponies here in Maretime Bay." Sheriff Hitch said.
"I'll spread the word to my Pipp-squeaks!" Pipp said. I simply rolled my eyes.
"That can wait until after we solve this. We need to find the materials they used to make this arrow." Applejack said.
"I agree," Princess Twilight said, "we should focus on the case."
"Let's start with the manufacturers of the parts." I said.
"I can talk to a contact of mine." Sprout said.
"Not on my watch!" Sheriff Hitch said.
"What?!" Sprout exclaimed.
"The last time you worked on something," Sheriff Hitch said, "you destroyed the lighthouse! You can't ask for any records, either! They won't divulge it without proper authorization!" Sprout then went into thought and looked at me. That's when he said two words that shocked everypony.
"Deputize me." He spoke. I looked to Princess Twilight and she nodded.
"Alright. Raise your right hoof." I said. Sprout did so and Sunny looked unsure.
"I hope you know what you're doing." She said.
"By order of Equestrian Law," I said, "Article 4, Paragraph 10, Subsection G, I hereby deputize you to get the records necessary for the materials needed to make this type of arrow. You will report your findings immediately to me when you have found them. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir!" Sprout said.
"Get going. Dismissed!" I said. Sprout then ran off and I looked at Sunny.
"Are you sure about this?" She asked.
"As sure as I am this arrow killed my parents." I said.
"What now?" Izzy asked.
"We search this place for anything useful for us." I answered.
"Huh?" The others asked.
"The family that used to own this place were distant relatives of mine. They had to have left something behind." I said.
"He makes a good point." Fluttershy said.
"Split up into teams and search the place! Inspect every suspicious looking nook and cranny!" I said. The others looked serious and went to attention.
"Right!" They said.
[Moments later....]
They all stood at attention before me and had set down some items.
"This is all you found in the rooms?" I asked.
"This was it." Pinkie said, now wearing what appeared to be a military style uniform.
"Where did you get that?!" Zipp asked.
"It's Pinkie Pie," I said, "don't question it."
"Well said." Rainbow said, deadpanning. I looked at the items and saw they formed something. I put them together and gasped. The others were stunned, too.
"What is it?" Izzy asked.
"Something that hasn't been seen in years." I said.
"Huh?" Sunny asked.
"These make the Elements of Honesty and Loyalty. Two of the six Elements of Harmony." I said. They all gasped.
"The Elements of Harmony?!" Zipp asked.
"No way!" Applejack and Rainbow said.
"Why would they be here?!" Princess Twilight asked.
"Because the ones who owned this place," I said, pulling out a picture from a drawer, "were my great grandparents."
"SAY WHAT?!" Sunny and Sheriff Hitch asked.
"Their names were Twilight Velvet and Nightlight. They had two children," I said, "and two grandchildren. Their children were Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle. Their grandchildren were Flurry Heart and Sparkling Blaze." Pipp gasped.
"Why would they be looking for the Elements of Harmony?" Sunny asked.
"Why else?" I suggested.
"You lost us." Zipp said, deadpanning.
"To reverse the seal." A voice said. I looked behind and saw Sprout.
"Sprout?!" Sunny asked.
"I also wanted to get to the bottom of the Three Race War. Therefore," Sprout said, "I looked into Equestria's past. I discovered the Elements of Harmony, and found the shards for Honesty and Loyalty. If we find the rest of them, we might be able to solve it."
"My thoughts exactly." I said.
"They were hoping to find them all and break the seals on them to free the Six Bearers." Sprout said.
"The Six Bearers?" Izzy asked.
"The Council of Friendship." I said. Izzy gasped.
"Before we became the Council of Friendship," Princess Twilight said, "and before I became a Princess, let alone Ruler of Equestria, my friends and I were the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Applejack was Honesty, Fluttershy was Kindness, Pinkie was Laughter, Rarity was Generosity, Rainbow was Loyalty, and I was Magic."
"Wow!" Sunny said.
"I just wish we still had a picture." Fluttershy said.
"Same here." Rarity said.
"I can look for the remaining Elements. You guys focus on solving the Three Race War." Sprout said.
"If you're going to investigate the wherabouts of the remaining four," I said, "you're gonna need something."
"What?" Sprout asked.
"This." I said. I tossed him something and he caught it. He looked at it and saw it was a badge for the Equestria Rangers.
"What?! You want me to join the Equestrian Rangers?!" He asked.
"I need someone to look over Maretime Bay while this investigation is going. You have experience as a Deputy." I said.
"I'm TERRIBLE at keeping the peace! The last time I was left in an authoritative position," Sprout said, "as I'm sure you can recall, I DESTROYED THE MARETIME BAY LIGHTHOUSE!!!! Why in Equestria would you put me in such a high position knowing that?!"
"Because you've learned from your mistakes." I said.
"Huh?" Sprout asked.
"You said it yourself. You're terrible at keeping the peace. That's probably why you wanted to turn this place into an office building." I said.
"Way to be blunt." Zipp said.
"Regardless," I said, "that's only one side of the coin."
"Huh?!" Zipp, Pipp, Sunny, and Sheriff Hitch asked.
"Try turning your thinking around. Instead of looking back on how bad you were," I said, "try looking back on what you were GOOD at as Sheriff of Maretime Bay. The results may surprise you." Sprout started to say something, but stopped as he went into thought.
"Well," he said, "I was pretty good at rallying the town. That's pretty much it, though."
"It shows you have leadership." I said.
"Ah!" Sprout gasped.
"Combine that with the remorse you had," I spoke, "and the fact you admitted your mistakes. You improved because of your failure. You learned from the past, and you changed your future. I believe you hold the key to finding the remaining Elements of Harmony. I'm entrusting you with your first ever solo case!" Sprout gasped and the others looked as if I were crazy. Sunny was about to object, but Sprout gave a salute.
"I won't let you down, sir!" He said. I saluted in return and he started off again.
"One last thing." I said.
"Sir!" He said, stopping and facing me. I looked directly at him and gave him a piece of paper.
"Have your mother get this prepared for me. I'll be collecting it when I return." I said.
"Return? From where?" Sprout asked.
"The primary crime scene. The spot where the First Victims were killed!" I said.
"Do you know where it is?" Sunny asked.
"I do." I answered.
"Where is it?" Zipp asked.
"A place that hasn't been visited in years," I said, "and completely different from Equestria." Applejack gasped and looked at me.
"You mean?!" She asked. I gave one look and answered with full force.
"The Everfree Forest!" I spoke. Sunny's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped.
"THE EVERFREE FOREST?!?!?!?!?!" They all exclaimed.
[Moments later....]
I stood at the clearing where the First Victims were slain. The others were shaking like leaves in the wind, save for Princess Twilight. I closed my eyes and felt an energy surround them. My eyes then shot open and magic came from my horn as the entire area was engulfed in green. The others gasped Princess Twilight looked at me in shock.
"Did you come up with this spell on your own?" She asked.
"Not quite. I made improvements to the spell," I said, "but I didn't create it. The real one who made it was a pony that went by 'Yatagarasu,' and claimed to be a great thief. It was used to recreate a scene the way it looked so that nothing would appear missing. I modified it to make a scene look like it had after a crime had been committed."
"So," Rainbow said, "this is how the clearing looked back then?"
"Precisely." I said.
"Then let's investigate!" Pinkie said, wearing a tweed hat with a bubble pipe.
"Easy, Sherlock Pones." Princess Twilight said.
"Leave this to the pros." Sheriff Hitch said. I looked over everything, as did Sheriff Hitch, and I found several noticable things. I soon put it all together, as did Sheriff Hitch.
"Based on what I'm seeing here," he spoke, "I think whoever set this up was targeting one specific pony. The others were simply collateral damage."
"Who was the target?!" Rainbow asked. I looked at where they all were again and gasped.
"We shouldn't be looking for a target." I said.
"Huh?" Sheriff Hitch asked. I then pointed it out to him.
"We should be looking for the traitor." I spoke. They all gasped as I had pointed. Where the victims were, in pure visibility, were the tracks of a single pony.
"We just uncovered the truth! They didn't die as a result of the races falling apart!" Sunny said.
"We already knew that." Zipp said.
"I think she was being sarcastic." Princess Twilight said.
"The war happened because of their deaths," I said, "but we had it all wrong. We assumed that they were attacked to prevent a new Council from being formed. That was an incorrect assumption. They weren't killed to prevent a new Council, they WERE the new Council!" Sunny gasped.
"Then wouldn't that mean somepony knew about it?!" She asked.
"It was leaked out and they were ambushed." Zipp said.
"That means their deaths were no accident." Sheriff Hitch said.
"Which means the war was no accident." Pipp said.
"It was all planned!" Izzy said.
"Then that means!" Applejack exclaimed. I looked serious and glared at the shadows as the silhouette of a pony was reveled.
"There was an impostor." I said. The spell ended and slow clapping was heard.
"Well done." A voice said. I looked towards the sound and gave a glare.
"You." I seethed. A figure then landed and stepped out of the shadows, revealing itself to be a Draconequus. The others gasped and Sheriff Hitch stood in front of Sunny to protect her, for some odd reason.
"Identify yourself!" He commanded.
"His name is Discord," I said, "the Lord of Chaos and Disharmony."
"Oh, my! Twilight was right! You ARE very studious." Discord said.
"What do you want?!" Rainbow asked.
"I simply wish to assist you in your case." Discord said.
"You were here when it happened, weren't you?" I asked, bluntly.
"Blunt much?" Discord asked.
"Just tell us what you know!" I said.
"Whoa! Testy, aren't we? I'd say you could give Rainbow Dash a run for her money." Discord said.
"Stop wasting our time." I said.
"Yes," Discord said, "I was here. I watched from the shadows, in the treeline. I saw it all. They formed the new Council of Friendship, just as the prophecy had foretold. However, I watched as one of the ponies turned into a Changeling."
"A Changeling?!" The others asked.
"What did it look like?" I inquired.
"It looked like the way they had when Chrysalis had attacked Canterlot." Discord said. I pulled out a picture and showed it to him.
"This is what the Changeling looked like?" I asked.
"Yes! That's how it looked!" Discord said.
'I knew it.' I thought.
"Is everything okay?" Sunny asked.
"You know who that Changeling was, don't you." I inquired.
"I haven't the slightest idea! I hadn't seen that form of Changeling in centuries!" Discord said.
"Do you know what happened after?" I asked.
"No. I got out of there before I was spotted and made a victim!" Discord said.
"Were you the one who leaked it?" I asked.
"Heavens no! I would NEVER put them in such jepoardy!" Discord said. Rainbow scoffed and turned.
"Let's go!" She said.
"I know who did." Discord said. That caught everypony's attention.
"Who was it?" I asked.
"It was Sprout's father." Discord said.
"What?!" Sheriff Hitch and Sunny asked.
"No way!" Izzy spoke.
"You're joking!" Zipp and Pipp exclaimed.
"I wish I was. I saw it with my own eyes." Discord said.
"Why would he leak it?" Sunny asked.
"To start the Three Race War." I said. I then glared behind me and sent a blast of magic in that direction. I heard the sound of somepony convulsing and we all approached. There, lying on the ground, was Sprout's father.
"Why'd you do it?" I asked.
"Because I was blackmailed! They had pictures of me two-timing!" He said. Rainbow picked him up and pinned him against a tree.
"Who were they?!" She asked. He didn't say anything, and Rainbow threw him against the ground. His head landed on a rock, causing him to start bleeding from the wound. I had glared and used my magic to grab a similar weapon to mine that was nearby.
"Even if I knew a name," Sprout's father said, "you couldn't get me talking. These guys.... I've heard stories, man. They're like nothing you've ever seen before. You gotta walk away from this, man!" I gave a look and approached him.
"Some things you can't walk away from." I said. Sprout's father looked at me in fear.
"Wait! Please!" He pleaded.
"Who gave the order?!" I asked.
"I spoke to them on the phone! They told me where to find them! That's all I know, man! That's all I know!" Sprout's father exclaimed.
"Give me a name." I said.
"I don't know!" Sprout's father said.
"A name!" I exclaimed, aiming the weapon.
"Kill me man! Just fucking kill me!" Sprout's father said. The others looked at me as if I were crazy.
"Don't do it!" Sunny said. I aimed it at Sprout's father's head and they all gasped.
"No!" Sheriff Hitch exclaimed, lunging forwards. I fired the weapon, and it made a click.
"GEAAAAH!" Sprout's father yelled. He looked shocked before looking at me.
"How's your memory now?" I asked.
"I want immunity and protection." Sprout's father said.
"Give me a name," I said, "and I'll see what I can do." Sprout's father started shedding tears and broke down.
"It was Cocoon." He said.
"Cocoon?" Pinkie asked.
"He was a Changeling that believed in the old methods. He sabatoged the meeting and posed as somepony!" Sprout's father said.
"Who did he pose as?" I asked. Sprout's father gasped shakily before shedding more tears.
"Pipsqueak." He said. I tossed the weapon aside and Zipp, along with Sheriff Hitch, picked Sprout's father up. I looked at Discord and he nodded.
"I'll make sure a memorial is placed here for them." Discord spoke.
"For who?" Izzy asked.
"The First Victims of the Three Race War." I said.
"Who were they?" Pipp asked. I looked solemn and Discord snapped his fingers, conjuring up the pictures of them.
"Their names were Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Rumble, Button Mash, Babs Seed, Little Cheese, Pumpkin Cake, Pound Cake, Yona, Sandbar, Ocelus, Smolder, Gallus, and Princess Skystar." Discord said.
"What about... what was his name again? Pipsqueak?" Zipp asked.
"It appears he was a victim, too. He was killed and Cocoon took his place." I said.
"They never found Pipsqueak's body." Discord said.
"I think I know where it is." I said.
[Moments later....]
I walked towards what was left of Ponyville's Schoolhouse. The others were questioning what I was doing, but I knew the truth behind it. I opened the doors and my suspicions were confirmed. Lying on the floor, directly in front of the blackboard, were the skeletal remains of a pony. I walked towards them and looked at the board. I saw blood spatter and knew what happened. The others walked in and Pinkie gasped.
"Is this?!" She asked.
"It is." I said.
"How can you tell?" Rarity asked.
"Just look at it." I said. They did so and Applejack closed her eyes, taking her hat off.
"I concur. That's most definitely Pipsqueak." She said. I walked to Pipsqueak's remains and bowed my head.
"I'm sorry it took so long to find you. I will bring the one responsible to justice." I said.
"I know you will." A voice said. I felt time stop and I looked behind me. I gasped at what I saw. Right there, standing before me, were the First Victims.
"Pipsqueak was killed first," I said, "and an impostor joined your ranks. I won't rest until he is found."
"Cocoon has long passed. His partner is the one responsible." Sandbar said.
"Who was his partner?" I asked.
"I wish we knew." Sweetie said. Button Mash soon comforted her and I saw Pipsqueak's spirit walk up.
"Go to the Castle of Friendship," he said, "and look at the map in the throne room. You'll find something there that may prove useful to you."
"I'm sorry it took this long." I said.
"Don't worry. We haven't been at peace since the start of the Three Race War. We'll be at peace when the one responsible for it is punished." Pipsqueak said.
"The other races were wiped out because of the war. We couldn't save any of them." Smolder said.
"I'm sorry." I said.
"You no need to be sorry. Not your fault. Fault on traitors. Yona want to stomp them. Sadly, Yona can't. Yona lost life trying to save friends. Yona never had first date, first kiss... Yona never started tribe of her own." Yona said, crestfallen.
"None of us could." Gallus said, just as crestfallen. I shook in anger and punched the desk in the schoolhouse, making them jump and punching a hole in it. I pulled my hoof out and they gasped as they saw it bleeding.
"I swear to you they will pay. Even if it costs me my life," I said, looking at them and holding my hoof out, "I vow to bring them to justice. Whether alive or dead." My wounds immediately healed and the desk returned to normal. They all looked at me in shock before shedding tears.
"Please avenge us." They all said. I felt time start to resume and turned away.
"I will." I spoke. Time then resumed and I looked at the board.
"Looks like Cocoon used a projectile to kill him." Sheriff Hitch said.
"Let's go." I said.
"Huh? Where?" Sunny asked.
"The Castle of Friendship. We need to look at the map in the throne room." I spoke, being extremely sincere.
"The map in the throne room?" Zipp asked.
"What does that have to do with this?" Rainbow asked.
"You'll see." I said.
"I'll lead the way." Princess Twilight said. We all then started walking towards the castle.
[Moments later....]
We all stood in the throne room of the Castle of Friendship and I looked at the table in the middle. I put a hoof on it and a map of Equestria came up. It showed how Equestria was in turmoil, but it was starting to improve. That's when I saw a blinking dot near what used to be a town called Dodge Junction.
"What's there?" I asked.
"I have no clue." Princess Twilight said.
"I do. That's where the Three Race War ended. My father talked about it. The Treaty of Dodge Junction." Sunny said.
'The Treaty of Dodge Junction?' I thought. I looked at Sunny with shock and fear.
"I've never heard of such a treaty." I said.
"Neither have we." Pipp said.
"I haven't either." Izzy said.
"What treaty are you talking about?" Sheriff Hitch asked.
"You mean... nopony told about it?!" Sunny asked.
"Guess not." I said.
"That was the treaty that made it to where the three races would stay in their own separate lands." Sunny said. I then looked at the map again and gasped.
"They're connected!" I exclaimed.
"Huh?" Sunny asked.
"The Three Race War and the Elements of Harmony! They're connected! The mansion had the Elements of Honesty and Loyalty because of Princess Twilight's parents! They were honest and loyal to those they spoke to!" I said.
"So if there was a treaty made in Dodge Junction..." Zipp said.
"The Element of Kindness could be there!" Princess Twilight said. A faint glow caught my attention and I looked before gasping. I went to it and pulled out the Element of Laughter!
"No way!" Sheriff Hitch said.
"The Element of Laughter!" Applejack exclaimed.
"Stardust was right!" Sunny said.
"Huh?" Pinkie asked.
"The Castle of Friendship is where everypony who fought in the war came together for 'The Last Hearts Warming!' They shared laughs here!" Sunny said.
"My parents must have visited the sites that made significant impacts on the war!" Princess Twilight said.
"Let's go!" I said.
[Hours later....]
We walked to the place where the Treaty of Dodge Junction was signed and I noticed Sprout was there with his mom.
"You put it together, too, huh?" I asked. Sprout looked at me and nodded.
"We found the Element of Kindness here." He said.
"We found the Element of Laughter in Ponyville at the Castle of Friendship." I said.
"The Last Hearts Warming." Phyllis spoke.
"So that's Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, and Loyalty." Sunny stated.
"That just leaves Generosity and Magic!" Pipp said.
"Think everypony," I said, "and think hard. Where during the war was the most generous moment, and where was the most magical moment?" They went into thought and Izzy soon gasped.
"The most magical moment happened when a female soldier gave birth in the field! All three races banded together to help birth the child," Izzy stated, "and also help protect those birthing the child from the dangerous creatures there were!"
"Where was it?" I asked.
"Umm.... Ooh! The Badlands!" Izzy exclaimed.
"Then where was the most generous moment?" Zipp asked.
"In Manehattan! Two Unicorn soldiers allowed two Pegasi soldiers to enter Bridleway Theater before anypony else so they could protect the performers from assassins! Even though the performers were enemies they still risked their lives to protect them! The Unicorn soldiers said it was the most generous thing anypony has ever done!" Sprout exclaimed.
"We should split up into two teams!" Princess Twilight said.
"I agree." I said.
"How many ponies are there right now?" Phyllis asked.
"There's me, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Twilight, Stardust, Zipp, Pipp, Sunny, Hitch, Sprout, Izzy, and you! That's... one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen ponies!" Pinkie said.
"No," I said, "there's only thirteen. Phyllis isn't a part of this. She just came with Sprout because of what I had requested." Phyllis nodded and held out several smartphones.
"These smartphones are all linked to each other. If you ever run into trouble," she said, "these will help you. I've programmed them to have a panic button at the top left. Press that, and everypony else will be notified of your location."
"How will we know whose number is whose?" Pipp asked.
"I've listed everyponies names in each one. If you don't see yours in the contact list," Phyllis said, "you can ask to see each others numbers. It's more efficient that way."
"That's true." Pipp said.
"Alright. Now we split up." Izzy said.
"I'll go back to Maretime Bay with my mom." Sprout said.
"We'll go to Manehattan to find the Element of Generosity." Princess Twilight said.
"Leaving us to go to the Badlands for the Element of Magic." I said.
"Let's go!" Rainbow said.
"Be safe, Stardust." Princess Twilight said.
"You, too, Princess Twilight." I said. We then split into our teams and set off.
[In the Badlands....]
I was on high alert, as were the others.
"Seems quiet." Zipp said.
"Yeah," I said, preparing to draw my weapon, "a little TOO quiet." I sensed something up ahead and drew my weapon, aiming. The others gasped and Sheriff Hitch stood in front of Sunny again.
"Who's there?!" He asked. A figure then appeared and revealed itself to be Discord.
"Easy there! No need to jump the gun! Pun intended." Discord said.
"Huh?" Izzy asked. I sighed and put my weapon away.
"Okay," Discord said, looking annoyed, "that does it. What you have there, Stardust, is called a pistol. Specifically, it is a Sig Sauer P229 semi-automatic pistol. Before you continue any further, read this book!" He then threw a book at me and I caught it with my magic. I then looked at the title of it.
"How to Use Firearms? Is that what I have?" I asked.
"Oh, for the love of Celestia, I JUST SAID THAT!!!!" Discord snapped. I looked through the book and gasped when I saw the chapter on rifles. One of the types of rifles there were had a magnifying object on it called a "scope!"
'That was the rifle that was used against Princess Twilight in Maretime Bay!' I thought. I kept reading until I completely finished the book. I tossed it back to Discord and gave him a look.
"What are you doing here, Discord? Other than educating me on firearms and how they're used?" I asked.
"I'm here to tell you that the Element of Magic is nearby." Discord responded.
"How can you tell?" Sunny asked.
"Just follow your instincts." Discord said. He then teleported away and I thought about what he said.
'Follow my instincts.' I thought. I then looked to my right and saw a faint glint. I walked towards it before going into a run. I soon discovered what Discord meant. My instincts told me to investigate that glint. It led me to not only the Element of Magic, but also to an abandoned camp. The others were shocked, but I knew we needed supplies.
"Search the camp for supplies! We're gonna need them." I said.
"Why do you say that?" Pipp asked.
"Because the Badlands are harsh. At the rate we're going," I said, "we won't be able to make it back to civilization before nightfall. We'll have to camp out. Try and find some survival tools! Tents, water jugs, matches, anything we can use! I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to." I then heard a noise and drew my pistol from, what I now know to be, its holster. I aimed it at the location of the sound and saw a filly, about my age, looking scared and wearing a hoodie. I lowered my pistol and Sheriff Hitch approached.
"Are you lost?" He asked. She soon approached me and my instincts told me one thing....
"RUN!!!!" I yelled, holstering my pistol. We all ran away and I heard a large explosion. I stopped and put up a barrier as I saw shrapnel flying towards us. The others were stunned, but stayed behind me. When the dust cleared, I saw that the camp was still there. The filly stood in front of the barrier, a shocked look on her face.
"You...." She spoke.
"What?" Zipp asked.
"You... You're in law enforcement, right?" She asked.
"That's right. I'm a Sheriff," Sheriff Hitch said, "and he's an Equestrian Ranger." The filly then shed a tear and fell to her knees.
"I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!" She pleaded. Wait...
"What?" I asked. The filly then pulled her hoodie back and revealed that she was a Unicorn.
"I used an illusion to drive you away thinking you were bandits!" She said, tears streaming.
"How long have you been there?" I asked.
"What day is it?" The filly asked. Pipp checked her phone.
"Um... Thursday." Pipp spoke.
"About five years." The filly said.
"WHAT?!" I asked.
"Where are your parents?!" Zipp asked. The filly looked solemn before motioning for us to follow her. We did just that and she led us to the part of the camp we were at earlier. She motioned to inside one of the large tents and we looked inside. When I had looked, I gasped. Under the tent were two graves, each had a cross marking them.
"When did they die?" Sunny asked.
"Last year. They had fled from the war when they were children. My mother was a Pegasus," the filly said, "and my father was a Unicorn. They had fallen in love at a young age, and fled when they were both just five. That's when they stumbled upon this camp, and decided to make it their new home. My parents had me when they were only 13. They made me promise never to let bandits take anything from the camp. For the past few months, I've done just that. I've used my magic to create illusions of the camp blowing up, and I would send knives disguised as shrapnel at them. They always tried to take the one treasure my parents had."
"You?" I asked. The filly blushed a bit, but shook her head.
"No. The Star Gem. They said it had magical properties," the filly said, "and that it should NEVER fall into the enemy's grasp. I keep it hidden in my tent. The one out front is a fake."
"Pretty realistic to me!" Sunny said.
"May we see it?" I asked. The filly looked unsure.
"Can I trust you?" She asked.
"Of course!" Sheriff Hitch said. However, my instincts acted and I caught two knives with my magic. One knife was aimed straight for Sheriff Hitch's neck, and the second one was aimed at mine. The filly was shocked, but gave a soft smile.
"You passed my tests." She said.
"What's your name?" I asked. The filly smiled and held out a hoof.
"Golden Streak." She said. I took her hoof and shook it.
"It's nice to meet you." I said. She then motioned for us to follow her and we did just that. She took us to another tent and showed us what we had been looking for.
"No way!" Zipp said.
"I know. It's amazing!" Golden said.
"Do you know what this is really called?" I asked.
"My parents called it the Star Gem because of how it looks. They never knew the real name for it." Golden said. She looked at me and saw my serious expression.
"This gem is Element of Magic." I said. Golden gasped and looked at it.
"This is one of the Elements of Harmony?! I thought they were destroyed!" She said.
"They aren't. The Elements of Harmony are still around." I said.
"Golden," Sunny said, "we need the Element of Magic. This could be the key to solving the Three Race War that your parents escaped from."
"You know you can trust us to protect it." Sheriff Hitch said. Golden looked at me before looking down. I could tell what her answer was going to be.
"We apologize for wasting your time. If you have any supplies you can give us," I said, "it would be appreciated. Just give us that and we'll be out of your mane." The others gasped and Golden looked at me in shock.
"Are you crazy?!" Zipp asked.
"Did you forget why we need the Element of Magic?!" Sunny asked.
"I haven't forgotten. However," I said, turning to look at them, "I won't force her to give it to us. She said that it was her parents' only treasure. I see no reason to force her to part with it." Golden was shocked beyond belief. That shock soon turned into a blush and she looked to the side. I started to walk away, but Golden stopped me.
"I...." She spoke.
"Huh?" I asked, looking at her.
"I..... I want you to take it." Golden said.
"You want him to take the Element of Magic?" Pipp asked.
"Yes," Golden said, "I want him to take the Element of Magic. However, that's only ONE of the things I want him to take." I soon caught on and looked shocked.
"You want to join us?!" I asked.
"I do. I want to help you in your investigation." Golden said. I felt my phone ring and I answered it.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Stardust," a voice spoke, "it's Rainbow Dash! I don't have long! We need help in Manehattan! We're taking fire!" I heard a loud explosion on her end of the call and the line went dead. I looked at the others with urgency.
"Grab what supplies you can! We've got to go!" I said.
"What's going on?" Sunny asked.
"Rainbow Dash called me saying they needed help. They were taking fire!" I exclaimed. An alert then sounded and I looked, seeing the SOS from Manehattan. The others got it, too.
"We need to go! Now!" Sheriff Hitch said. Golden grabbed the Element of Magic and placed it in a bag along with some other stuff.
"I know something that can get us there fast!" She said.
"Huh?" Sunny asked.
"It's not a train," Golden said, "or a carriage, or a blimp. I don't know what it is, but I think it should help!" She then packed some spare tents and I saw a glint. I went to it and found a key of sorts. I then looked around and saw a wheel. I left the tent and gasped when I saw what the wheel went to.
"What IS this thing?!" I asked. The others joined me and Golden smiled.
"I always called it the Big One." She said.
"It's an Armored Car." A voice said. I looked above and saw Discord.
"How do you know what this is?" I asked.
"That's a story for another time. For now," Discord said, "you need to get going. I'll drive." Discord snapped his fingers and the keys appeared in his claw. Golden then had several bags and put them in the back. I looked at the others and gave a nod.
"Let's roll." I said.
[Hours later....]
Discord was driving towards Manehattan and I was in the front with him. I saw Manehattan in the distance and saw pillars of smoke coming from it.
"Oh, my. It looks like the apocolypse occured here!" Discord said. I went on alert and looked ahead. There, I saw Princess Twilight with the others.
"Stop here!" I ordered. Discord did just that and I got out, running to them.
"Stardust!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"Is everypony okay?!" I asked.
"Rainbow took heavy damage," Applejack said, "but otherwise we're okay."
"The damage isn't THAT heavy!" Rainbow said. I looked at her and saw a piece of shrapnel in her hind leg.
"Get her to the back." I said. They nodded and I opened the back. They got Rainbow inside and Golden gasped. She then went to Rainbow and used her magic to remove the shrapnel from Rainbow's body.
"What are you doing?!" Sunny asked.
"She needs a hospital!" Zipp exclaimed.
"We don't have time!" Golden said. She then used magic to stop the bleeding and started to heal Rainbow. We looked on in shock, and Rainbow was stunned. Golden then started panting as she finished healing Rainbow.
"How did you learn that?" Fluttershy asked.
"My dad was a Unicorn." Golden said.
"We need some armor if we're going in Manehattan." Sheriff Hitch said.
"It's a good thing I have some." A voice said. I looked towards it and gasped when I saw Sprout and his mom.
"Sprout!" Sunny exclaimed.
"I made more of that armor that Stardust is wearing. It's a special armor called a flak vest." Phyllis said.
"It's actually called a Kevlar vest." Discord said.
"Kevlar?" Pipp asked.
"It's a type of fabric, darling. There's a special process to make it," Rarity said, "and I must say the process is grueling. I'm honestly shocked I haven't tried to make it yet."
"Well said." Discord said.
"Let's suit up!" Rainbow said. The others then put on the vests and I saw Sprout put one on, too. He had his badge in the same place I had mine, and Sheriff Hitch did the same. Golden looked unsure, and I approached her.
"You can stay behind if you want. I won't force you." I said.
"I want to help," she said, "but I don't want to hurt anypony."
"These guys are trying to destroy everything we worked so hard to build. They want Equestria to be at each others throats for the rest of our lives!" Zipp said.
"It's still her choice on if she wants to stay behind." I said. Golden looked at me in shock. She soon blushed and approached me. I was confused at first, but tensed up when she gave me a hug.
"You'll be back, right?" She asked. I sighed and returned it.
"I can't make any promises," I said, "but I'll try." Golden then kissed my cheek. I looked at her in shock, and she looked away.
"That was for good luck." She said. I smiled softly and nodded before looking at the others seriously.
"Let's go." I said.
"We'll keep the armored car here." Discord said.
"Be safe!" Phyllis said.
"Always." Sprout said. I then led the charge and the rest followed.
[Hours later....]
I looked around and drew my pistol from its holster. The others looked around and Sprout drew a weapon of his own, a sword. I kept trusting my instincts and aimed ahead of me. I soon took a silent breath to calm my nerves before glaring ahead.
"FRIENDSHIP IS MURDER!!!!" A voice yelled. A stallion then charged out towards us with several more behind him. I saw somepony with TNT and I glared before aiming.
"Rest in pieces." I said. I then fired one shot and the TNT exploded, killing the attackers.
"Whoa!" Rainbow said. I gave one look at the carnage left behind and looked around.
"Stay close." I said. The others then stood close to me and I looked around. I then saw a glint and went to it. There I saw the Element of Generosity. I used my magic and brought it to me. The moment it reached me, a piano then hit right where it was.
"Talk about luck." Sunny said.
"Right?" Pinkie asked.
"Let's get going." I said. The others nodded and we started heading back. I kept a look out, staying on complete alert. I then saw a lit fuse and teleported out with the others. When they looked around next, we were back at the armored car.
"Why did you just do tha-" Pipp spoke. However, she was interrupted by several loud explosions going off.
"Guess we know why he teleported us all out." Zipp said. I soon collapsed and panted heavily. Golden ran to me and helped me up.
"That took a LOT out of you." She said.
"Let's get back to Maretime Bay!" Sunny said.
[Hours later....]
We arrived back at the mansion and went to the room with the blueprints in it. We all stood around the Elements of Harmony as they were all brought together. They all glowed faintly and I watched as they rose up. A bright light then surrounded them, causing everypony to shield their eyes. The light then faded and I gasped as I saw the Elements of Harmony floating above.
"Whoa." Sprout said.
"Amazing!" Sunny said. The Elements then swirled around their bearers and I gave a soft smile. I then saw a faint glint from a mirror and looked at it. Something told me to put a barrier around us all and I did just that. The moment I had the barrier up, a projectile was deflected off it. The Elements glowed brighter and they shot a beam at me. I felt the beam hit me, but it didn't hurt me. It formed something around my right hoof.
"Huh?" I asked. The Elements then went to their rightful bearers and a bracelet appeared on my right hoof.
"A bracelet?" Sunny asked.
"Why would the Elements give you that?" Pipp asked. I looked at it and saw it had a faint glow to it. Time then stopped again and I looked behind me, seeing Pipsqueak and the others again.
"Was this your doing?" I asked.
"No. That was all you. You brought the six Elements of Harmony together once more," Ocellus said, "and they rewarded you with that bracelet. You did what we couldn't do. You found all six Elements."
"The first two were found by my great grandparents." I said.
"No," Pipsqueak said, "they didn't. The first two Elements had been destroyed, yes, but they were always right here. This location was where the Elements of Honesty and Loyalty were destroyed and hid. You had put the shards back together."
"They didn't know?" I asked.
"They had no idea." Smolder said.
'I wonder if my parents knew.' I thought.
"You have the key to solving the war," Rumble said, "now you just have to put the pieces together. Just figure it out and you'll unlock the truth."
"I'll do my best." I said.
"We know you can do it." A voice said. Before I could look, time resumed and the spirits were gone.
"Are you okay? You look as if you've seen a ghost?" Phyllis asked. I then got serious and looked at the others.
"We're close to solving the reason behind the war." I said.
"How can you tell?" Fluttershy asked.
"Call it a hunch." I said.
"Regardless," Sheriff Hitch said, "what are we going to do? We don't have any idea on who started this war! How are we going to figure that out?!"
"We look into who had the most to gain from the war." I said.
"That would be Discord." Princess Twilight said.
"I've already been cleared as a suspect. Thank you very much." Discord said.
"Then who else should we look at?! Tirek, Cozy Glow, and Chrysalis were turned to stone! Discord pretended to be Grogar! We don't have ANY suspects!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"You forget. Cocoon was a Changeling that still believed in the old ways." Zipp said.
"He's probably long dead!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"That doesn't mean there aren't Changelings who still believe in the old ways." I said.
"Huh?" Rainbow asked.
"Cocoon had an accomplice. This is too complicated for only one pony. We're looking at a group." I said.
"What are you saying?" Applejack asked.
"He's saying there's more than one suspect." Sunny said.
"Precisely." I said.
"What's our next move?" Sprout asked.
"We look into the lives of the First Victims." I said.
"I see where you're coming from," Rarity spoke, "but there's just one problem. How will we do this in a way we can all see and understand it?" I simply smiled and looked to Zipp and Pipp.
"That's where Queen Haven comes in." I said. Zipp smiled and gave a nod.
[Hours later....]
Queen Haven stood in the room and placed a remote on a table. Inside the room was a large screen that was turned on. I grabbed the remote in my magic and pressed a button on it to reveal the photos of the First Victims, along with their names. Rainbow gasped and nearly collapsed.
"Everything okay, Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked.
"I haven't been to one of these in a long time." Rainbow spoke.
"What exactly is this?" Applejack asked. Rainbow looked at the screen and gulped.
"A briefing." She said. The others gasped and Queen Haven gave a look.
"Why are you holding a briefing?" She asked.
"To better solve the investigation," I said, "it's best we look at all the facts. This is the best possible way on doing so."
"I get it! It's a CASE briefing!" Sprout exclaimed.
"Exactly." I said.
"I'm intrigued. I see why you asked for this stuff now." Queen Haven said.
"Let's start." Sunny said. I gave a nod and turned to the screen, pressing a button which pulled up Pipsqueak's photo and revealed his information.
"Pipsqueak," I said, "the first of the First Victims."
"He was born in Trottingham," Princess Twilight said, "and was raised there until moving to Ponyville."
"Cause of death?" I asked.
"Projectile wound to the head." Sheriff Hitch said.
"This was confirmed by my Royal Investigative Team. What's interesting is what was found in his skull. Metal fragments." Queen Haven said. I pressed a button and a photo of the fragments appeared on the screen. I looked at the photo and gave a serious look.
"What do you think it is?" Fluttershy asked.
"A bullet." I spoke.
"What?" Rarity asked.
"That's a bullet. Specifically," I said, "it's a .9mm Hollow Point. This type of bullet was designed to fragment on impact to do the most damage to its target. I read about this type of bullet in a book I found during the course of the investigation. Specifically, the place where the Element of Magic was located." Golden gasped and pulled out a book from one of the shelves.
"Is this the book you read?" She asked. Then held it out and it was a copy of How to Use Firearms.
"That's the one." I said. Golden looked like she had seen a ghost.
"What was the cause of death for the other victims?" She asked.
"Those reports weren't released." Sprout said.
"I have them." Phyllis said.
"What?!" Sunny asked.
"I had a feeling the Three Race War was going to be investigated," Phyllis said, "so I grabbed the autopsy reports on the victims that were found in the Everfree Forest."
"Show me those reports." I said. She did just that and I looked through them before gasping.
'No way!' I thought.
"Is everything alright?" Pipp asked.
"They found projectile wounds in the all the victims except one!" I said.
"Who was it?" Pinkie asked. I pressed a button on the remote and Ocellus' picture came up on the screen.
"Ocellus?!" Princess Twilight asked, shocked.
"She died of a single stab wound to the heart." I said.
"What were the projectiles in the other victims?" Queen Haven asked.
"All they said was there were metal fragments in the wounds...." Phyllis said, trailing off.
'She just made the connection.' I thought.
"Oh shit." Phyllis spoke.
"They found bullets." Sheriff Hitch said.
".9mm Hollow Points." I said.
"The same bullet that killed Pipsqueak." Zipp said.
"Please tell me this is a dream." Phyllis said.
"It's not, mom. This is real." Sprout said.
"We have to find Cocoon." Izzy said.
"He's already dead." Discord spoke. We all looked at him.
"How do you know?" Sunny asked.
"Because I saw his accomplice kill him. He was beheaded in the Dragon Kingdom and his corpse was tossed into a pit of lava." Discord said.
"Who was the accomplice?" I asked.
"I don't know. They wore a black cloak that had a strange symbol on it." Discord said.
"What did it look like?" Zipp asked. Discord snapped his fingers and the logo appeared. It was a Maltese Cross that was red, and it was inside a white circle. I gave a glare and grabbed a book with my magic. I started looking through it and Golden looked at the title.
"Organizations of the Three Race War? What will this prove?" She asked. I stopped on a page and put the book on the table. The page showed the same logo that Discord had seen.
"That's the logo!" Pipp said.
"It belongs to an organization called the 'Order of the Equestrian Knights.' They were a mercenary group consisting of Unicorns. Their founder was never revealed." I said.
"No way!" Izzy said. Princess Twilight then looked at the book and read the page.
"The 'Order of the Equestrian Knights' was founded at the start of the Three Race War as mercenaries," she read, "but they soon became the most dangerous organization in the Three Race War. They had created weapons called 'pistols,' 'rifles,' 'launchers,' 'grenades,' and modified land mines into something called a 'Claymore' mine. Their founder and leader was never learned, but their methods were what caused the Three Race War to come to its conclusion. After witnessing their methods, the Three Race Leaders came to an agreement and signed the 'Treaty of Dodge Junction' to end the war!"
"They caused the war," Sheriff Hitch said, "and their actions caused it to end?"
"What sense does THAT make?!" Applejack asked.
"I can't even make sense of that," Golden said, "and my parents FOUGHT in the Three Race War!"
"This investigation is sending us on a wild goose chase!" Rainbow said. I gasped when she said that and looked at the reports again.
'It all makes sense now!' I thought.
"Uh, Stardust?" Sunny asked.
'The way the victims were killed,' I thought, 'the manner in which they were killed, the secrecy behind it all! This war was never about the three races!'
"Everything okay, Stardust?" Princess Twilight asked. I slammed my hooves down on the table and looked at the others.
"I know why the Three Race War started." I spoke, looking serious.
[Hours later....]
Everypony in Maretime Bay was gathered in front of the Canter Logic building, standing in front of a stage. Cameras were set up around and a podium with microphones for different news stations was set up. Sprout stood on one side of the podium and Sheriff Hitch stood on the other side. Beside both of them stood Queen Haven's Royal Guard. Sunny and the others, including Discord, were in the audience. I went to the podium and had a serious look on my face.
"Good morning, everypony. My name is Stardust Blaze," I said, "and I'm a member of the Equestrian Rangers, a law enforcement agency that was just formed. I'm holding this press conference today for one reason. I know the truth of the Three Race War. The war that severed the Bonds of Friendship between Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi. This war took the lives of other creatures, as well. It took the lives of Griffons, Hippogriffs, Yaks, Changelings, Buffalo, Kirin, Reindeer and Dragons. My investigation revealed a stunning truth to the war. It was never really about the three races being friends. This war was used to commit the genocides of the non-ponies!"
"What?!" Sunny asked. Rarity fainted and several others were shocked. A reporter then rose a hoof.
"Mr. Blaze," they said, "I'm Hot Scoop with the Bridlewood Gazzette. What makes you think the Three Race War was used as a cover to commit a mass genocide of non-ponies?"
"The investigation I did was extensive. As you can see," I said, "it took at least three days to complete. Within that three days, I found evidence proving that an organization had caused the Three Race War. That organization was the Order of the Equestrian Knights!"
[Flashback, at the case briefing....]
"What?!" Princess Twilight asked.
"The Order of the Equestrian Knights sought to kill non-ponies. They couldn't openly start committing mass genocide," I said, "so they made a plan with a group of Changelings that still believed in the old ways. Using that group, they killed Pipsqueak and the others using .9mm Hollow Point bullets."
"But Ocellus was stabbed in the heart!" Sunny exclaimed.
"Because she could identify Cocoon. As a Changeling," I explained, "she probably had suspected something was wrong. If Cocoon had killed her the same way he killed the others, he would have been discovered on the spot! THAT'S why he stabbed Ocellus first before shooting the others! He needed to keep his cover!"
[End Flashback]
The audience was shocked and another reporter rose a hoof.
"Mr. Blaze," they said, "I'm Front Page with the Zephyr Heights Chronicle. Do you have a suspect in custody?"
"We're about to make an arrest as we speak." I said.
"Mr. Blaze," another reporter said, "I'm Hot Exclusive with the Maretime Bay Journal-Herald. We've heard rumors that your investigation discovered the Elements of Harmony at the key locations of the Three Race War. Each location showing a moment where the three pony races came together in friendship one last time. Is that true?"
"It is. To get to the truth of the Three Race War," I spoke, "I had to find the Elements of Harmony. There's only one pony responsible for this heinous act of violence." Several of Queen Haven's Royal Guard then surrounded a cloaked pony that had the symbol of the Order of the Equestrian Knights on it. The others were shocked. Sprout and Hitch then got off the podium and approached the cloaked pony.
"Former Prince Blueblood," Sheriff Hitch said, "you're under arrest!" Sprout then removed the cloak and everypony gasped. There, standing before them, was Prince Blueblood.
"Well done. You managed to figure me out. Just like your parents." He said.
"Why? Why would you do this?!" Izzy asked.
"Revenge." I spoke.
"Huh?" Pipp asked.
"He wanted revenge against them. He wanted them dead because he lost his marefriend to a Griffon." I said.
"All this because his marefriend died?" Pinkie asked.
"She didn't die. She dumped Blueblood for a Griffon." I said.
"I was going to change my ways for her. I promised her that I would be more respectful of others." Blueblood said.
"But she still left you because it was an empty promise." I said. Blueblood clenched his eyes closed and looked down.
"My only regret was not destroying the Elements of Harmony when I had the chance." He said. Blueblood was then put in restraints and led away.
[Later that evening....]
I looked at the case file one last time before putting it in a box and putting a lid on it. I then put the box on a shelf and turned away from it. The bracelet I had then glowed faintly and time stopped.
"Here for one last visit, huh?" I asked. I turned around and saw the First Victims.
"We're not alone this time." Sweetie said. I looked and saw my parents and my grandfather. I gasped and nearly collapsed in shock.
"You did us proud, son." My dad said.
"Just like we taught you." My mom said.
"That bracelet is important. Make sure you keep it with you at all times." Absolute said.
"What about all of you?" I asked.
"We have to go. Our time is over." Sandbar said. They all started to faintly glow.
"Thank you for avenging us." Scootaloo said. I shed a tear and gave them a final salute.
"Rest in peace." I said. They all smiled and faded away. Time then resumed and the bracelet's glow faded. I gave a sigh and lowered my salute. I then turned and left. I kept walking until I saw Princess Twilight with a bag.
"Ready to go?" She asked.
"As I'll ever be." I said. She knelt down to me and smiled.
"As of today," she said, "you are no longer Stardust Blaze. You are now Stardust Sparkle." I shed a tear and gave a nod.
"Thank you." I said.
"The others are waiting. Let's go." She said. I followed her out and felt as if a weight was lifted from my shoulders.
"That case was only the beginning." I said.
"How so?" Princess Twilight asked.
"There's bound to be another case out there. Victims whose souls can't rest in peace until justice is served for them. I can't even begin to fathom the amount." I said.
"That's why we have you." Princess Twilight said.
"True." I said. I saw the others and they smiled. Among them was Golden Streak. She hugged me softly before looking into my eyes.
"Promise you'll call me when you can." She said.
"I will." I said.
[End Flashback]
Since then, I was training in the ways of law enforcement. I finally graduated from it today, and I sighed. I closed my eyes and tried to get some sleep.
That case only brought out my prowess. To everyone else, it was just another case. To me... it was a chance to fulfill my promise. I won't let any case go unsolved, and I will always find the truth behind it.
My name is Stardust Sparkle, and I am the first pony in the Equestrian Rangers.