The silence of the foals

Luster was on the first floor of the City Stall of Fillydelphia. Her muscles were tense and her eyes wide open. She was looking at the pony on the other side of the small table.

The pony gulped and nodded twice. She had her forelegs resting on the table. “Yea, commissar, dere’s an alderpony called Neighel Mareson. He works here, of course”.

Luster sighed, narrowing her eyes a bit. She stepped forward and sat on the pillow before the table. She had taken her saddlebags off and put them on the floor next to her. She cleared her throat. She looked the pony in the eyes. “What does he look like?”

The pony looked up at the ceiling for a second. Then, her eyes fell back on Luster. “He’s all green, literally, and his cutiemark is a letter wid a red seal”

Luster batted her eyes rapidly. She raised a hoof, and facehoofed and sighed. She closed her eyes. “Are you sure that’s Neighel Mareson? Couldn’t his mane be brown and his coat light blue?” She opened her eyes and looked at her.

The pony shook her head. “I don’t mean to brag commissar, but I know everypony here and nopony falls into dat description”

“That’s it, isn’t it?” Luster murmured, looking down. She had raised a forehoof and was rubbing her muzzle.

“Sorry, commissar, what did you say?” The pony asked.

Luster looked up at the pony. She brought her hoof from her muzzle and put it on the table. “Tell me something, do the sewer workers use black overalls?”

The pony, with both of her hooves on the table, was drawing imaginary circles with one of them. “I-I…”

“No, no…!” Luster stood up and had both of her forehooves on the table. “Does any unicorn work down the sewers?” She was looking at the shrugged pony.

The pony shook her head. “To be honest, I’m not sure, commissar. I don’t mean to be classist but unicorns wouldn’t take a job down dere. De only ding I know dey’d do is interact wid the magical padlocks. Eard ponies do most of de work down dere”. She inhaled. “About de overalls ding. I’f only seen orange and green ones”.

Luster was smiling. She put her forehooves down on the floor. “I think I’ve found the Fillydelphian!” She said. The pony was looking at her with wide eyes. Luster, with her telekinesis, grabbed her saddlebags and put them on her back. She turned around and rushed to the exit of the City Stall.

After a minute of flying north-east, Luster Dawn landed before the doors of the Rearing Terminal Market. She approached a stablo agent that was by the door. He opened his eyes wide when he saw her. “Co-commissar?!”

“Hello! I’m in a hurry”. She looked him in the eye. “I need to know if a unicorn with a brown mane and light blue coat has entered this building. He must stink like the sewers!”

The stablo agent batted his eyes quickly for a second. “Uh, I’ve been guarding dis entrance for almost two hours and I don’t remember anypony wid dose traits”

“Dung it!” Luster looked down and pawed the sidewalk with a hoof once. She looked up at the stablo agent. “Does this place have another entrance?”

The stablo agent nodded. “Yea, commissar, but dat entrance is being watched too”. From his legband, with his magic, he took his cantie-rantie out. He pressed a switch and the brick size device made a static noise. He approached the communicator close to his muzzle. He pressed a red button. “Haysin, do you copy? Over”.

“Copy dat, McColt. Over”. A voice coming from the cantie-rantie said.

McColt looked Luster in the eye. “Haysin, has a unicorn wid a brown mane and light blue coat entered drough the employees’ in the last two hours? Over”

“In de last two hours, I’ff only seen dree ponies come in. None of dem match dose traits. Over”, Haysin answered.

Luster sighed. She unfolded one wing and facewinged. She closed her wing back and looked at McColt. “Thanks for the assistance, sire”.

McColt nodded, closing his eyes. “Fillydelphia Mane-to, commissar” He smiled at her and she smiled back.

“Excuse me now”. Luster turned around and took flight.

After two minutes of flying north-west, Luster Dawn landed in front of the Fillydelphia Ponice Department. She trotted to the doors. With her magic, she turned the knob and pushed one of them. She crossed the threshold.

She was trotting down the corridor, passing by doors and dodging stablo agents on her way. When she reached an intersection, she kept walking north. When she was about to reach the double stairs she stopped before the door of the meeting room.

With her magic, Luster opened the door. “Attention everypony!” She said as she rushed inside and closed the door behind her.

In the room, there were Ursa and the members of team three. They were sitting on pillows before the large table, but stood up and looked at Luster when she spoke.

“Listen, fillies and gents, no time to lose!” Luster approached the board north of the room. With her magic, she grabbed a marker and started to write against the white surface. “I think I have identified the Fillydelphian!” She kept writing as she spoke. “He’s got a brown mane and a light blue coat!” She put the marker down and her magic aura disappeared. She turned around to face the audience of four ponies.

Ursa gulped. She was a few legs away from Luster. “Excuse me, commissar, I haff someding to say…”

“Speak up, Ursa. Please”.

“In my neighbourhood dere’s a family with light blue coats”, Ursa said.

Luster opened her eyes wide. She exchanged glances with Ursa and the rest of team three. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go to that neighbourhood!” She rushed to the door and, with her telekinesis, turned the knob and pulled.

The team three, hunters after the Fillydelphian, followed Luster to the exit of the Fillydelphia Ponice Department.

The five of them were on the sidewalk. “Lead the way, Ursa”, Luster commanded. Ursa nodded and the group started to follow her. They were heading south-west down Fairsteed Avenue.