Chapter 1: The First Crime
Splash!
Scootaloo landed face first into a puddle of mud, for what was probably the hundredth time.
“Scootaloo! Are you...” Sweetie Belle called out to her friend running over to her, but stopped when Scootaloo pushed herself out of the puddle of mud.
“I’m fine! I’m getting tired of this... I can’t even count how many times I’ve ended up covered in dirt trying to get my cutie mark.” Scootaloo said, shaking her head around to get the mud off of her face.
“Ah guess we can take tree climbing off the list then?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Yeah...” Scootaloo mumbled, kicking the mud off of her limbs, and flicking her wings to get it off them. “Which one of you eggheads suggested tree climbing anyway? What would a cutie mark for a tree climber look like? How could tree climbing even be considered a talent?” Scootaloo questioned, shaking the last of the mud off of her flank.
“Well if it was a talent, it’s definitely not one of yours.” Apple Bloom teased.
“Oh ha-ha!” Scootaloo retorted.
“You really hang out with Rainbow Dash too often. You’ve been using all of her names and insults far too often.” Sweetie Belle said.
“Sorry for having an idol,” Scootaloo replied before the three began to make their way out of the Everfree Forest and back to Sweet Apple Acres for lunch.
As the three fillies approached Ponyville, they made their way to the back alleys of the town, taking their usual quick route to the farm.
“What’s after lunch?” Scootaloo asked.
“Nothin fer me, ah gotta help with some work around the farm.” Apple Bloom said.
“I guess we’ll have to wait till later then?” Sweetie Belle asked Scootaloo.
“I guess so... Or maybe we could...” Scootaloo thought for a second, but as they kept walking, right as she was about to share her idea, the trio heard a small squeal just in the distance.
“What was that?” Apple Bloom asked.
“How the hay should I know?” Scootaloo scoffed back.
“We’ll let’s go find out!” Apple Bloom proposed, running off with the others trailing close behind her.
They came close to the end of an alley that would emerge to the back of Sugarcube Corner, and heard what sounded like muffled cries, and a deep growling voice.
“What is that?” Apple Bloom whispered, peeking around the corner of the building obscuring the back of Sugarcube Corner from view. She jumped back in shock to see a large suited stallion with a mask on, pressing a mare against the wall of Sugarcube Corner with his foreleg clamped over her mouth. Apple Bloom was able to identify her as Bon Bon, and she was clearly scared and crying in fear, unable to whine without her voice being muffled by the stallion’s arm. He didn’t appear to be armed with anything that could cause serious harm to her, but he looked strong enough to kick the entire foundation of the wall of Sugarcube Corner into a pile of wood.
Apple Bloom threw her head back; breathing very heavily and feeling a sweat break out on her brow. She wondered why somepony would be attacking Bon Bon behind Sugarcube Corner, but she didn’t have time to focus on that when she noticed Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle coming her way.
“Apple Bloom what is it?” Sweetie Belle asked, quickly to be shocked and silenced by Apple Bloom who had leapt at her and put her hoof straight over her mouth. She put her other hoof on her own mouth and nodded towards the end of the alley. The noise from behind Sugarcube Corner had momentarily ceased with Sweetie Belle’s voice, but it wasn’t long before the stallion’s voice could be heard again.
“Shhhh!” Apple Bloom whispered, moving back over to the corner of the alley to listen in on what he was saying, with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle doing the same.
“Now, I’m gunna take the bits out of your saddle, and walk away. Nopony has to get hurt here if you just be quiet!” The stallion commanded, receiving a fearful nod and whine from Bon Bon who shuddered at the stallion’s grim tone. Scootaloo slowly peeked her head out of the alley and saw the look on Bon Bon’s face; she felt terrible that she could see what she was going through, and felt worse not knowing how she could help. She watched as the stallion slowly reached his arm behind her, and into the saddle bag fiddling around looking for the small pouch containing the few bits Bon Bon carried with her for shopping. He didn’t remove his arm from her mouth while doing so, and it was taking him a few attempts to find it.
Scootaloo tried to peek out further, but suddenly tripped instead over Sweetie Belle’s leg letting out only a gasp of shock, before attempting to recover herself. She looked up, but the stallion was so busy he hadn’t noticed her. Bon Bon had however, and was watching her pleadingly with glassy, tear filled eyes. Scootaloo didn’t pay attention to her for too long, in case the stallion followed the direction she was looking, and leapt back at the alley way, but instead collided head-to-head with Apple Bloom. She staggered back out of the Alleyway clutching her now pounding head, trying to find something to balance herself on. Scootaloo saw in her blurry vision a pole on the side of the building just out of the alleyway, and without thinking staggered at it and grabbed onto it.
Even with as little weight in her body as she had, Scootaloo had failed to notice the crippled, rusty bottom of the pole she was now trying to support herself with. To her shock again, the pole began to squeak, as the lower body of it gave way, collapsing on the horribly decayed bottom, and beginning to tilt away from her. Scootaloo collapsed next to the falling pole still dazed from crashing into Apple Bloom, and looked up as the pole came crashing down.
The stallion and Bon Bon had too averted their attention to the falling pole, watching it go down towards a structure built to restrict overly large carriages from entering the alley behind Sugarcube Corner. It was composed of two large poles spread enough for a small carriage holding supplies to enter, and held a large beam between the tops of them by two ropes which was high enough to stop large carriages from entering and damaging parts of the buildings.
The pole came crashing down on the carriage gate, destroying one of the chains holding the middle beam in its descent, which in turn dropped extremely quickly still being held by the other chain. The middle beam fell on its angle, curving around the other supporting beam, heading straight for the head of the stallion, who in shock could only stand and watch before the large beam made contact with his skull, throwing him several feet away into the wall of another building, and knocking him out cold.
The beam continued to swing, slowing down until it came to rest on the pole still holding it up. Scootaloo still remained on the ground dazed, unsure about what had just happened, while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had rushed out of the alley to her aid. Bon Bon was also making her way over to the trio, still a little scared and confused, but aware that the little orange pegasus filly had just saved her.
“Scootaloo, are you ok?” Apple Bloom asked, shaking her friend around a little. Scootaloo rubbed her head a little, still dazed, but feeling better than before.
“Yeah... I’m ok.” She mumbled picking herself up again, trying to avoid wobbling around anymore.
“You saved me! Thank you so much!” the three fillies heard from behind them. They turned around to find Bon Bon had come over to thank Scootaloo.
“I’m not sure what you did to knock that pole over, but whatever you did worked. Thanks very much!” Bon Bon cried, picking up Scootaloo and hugging her. Scootaloo groaned a little trying to inch out of the awkward hug.
“Uh, you’re welcome.” Scootaloo replied, continuing to try and escape her embrace, before a new voice came from the street, entering the back alley of Sugarcube Corner.
“Hello? What was that noise?” asked an earth-pony stallion dressed in a formal looking blue and white uniform, racing around the corner. He had a hoof-cuff cutie mark, which added to the overall persona of a member of the Ponyville police; one of the overall divisions of police squads set among the towns and cities in Equestria, since the recent outbreaks of crime in many areas.
Bon Bon upon noticing the uniformed officer dropped Scootaloo and frowned at him.
“What’s going on here? What’s all this mess?” The officer asked.
“You might know if you were doing your job right!” Bon Bon scolded the stallion. “If it weren’t for this little filly I would have just been robbed, and possibly hurt.”
“Well, that probably wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for Apple Bloom being in the way,” Scootaloo mumbled scratching the back of her neck.
“Well I tried to move but Sweetie Belle was in the way,” Apple Bloom added.
“Then all three of you are responsible for saving me.” Bon Bon finished. “You could at least finish the job off by taking the criminal in!” Bon Bon scoffed at the officer, gesturing towards the unconscious stallion lying against the wall.
Bon Bon strutted over to her saddlebag lying on the ground, and slung it over her back, before walking back over to the three small fillies.
“You three alone are more useful than the Ponyville police.” Bon Bon complimented the trio.
“Wait, so what’s happened here?” The officer asked, still a little confused about the situation.
“He tried to rob me! They saved me!” Bon Bon yelled, pointing at both the robber and the CMC, sick of repeating herself. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to find get back home... Lyra will want to hear about this.” Bon Bon said scratching her neck. She turned back to face the three fillies again. “Thank you all again, I don’t know what might have happened if you hadn’t shown up.” She said gratefully, before trotting out of the Alleyway and into the streets of Ponyville. The officer simply sighed and ignored the fillies, before moving over to the stallion, and trying to move him, so that he could drag him to a cell wagon and transport him to the Hoofington Prison; Hoofington was the only town that had actually built a large, successful prison so far.
“They don’t pay me enough to do this...” He grunted, struggling to move the bulky stallion.
The three fillies not wanting to get further involved in the situation, left the alley way, and went back to continue their normal route, talking about the strange experience they’d just been through.
“How cool was that? We just saved her!” Scootaloo cried in joy.
“Well it was a little scary at first... Ah mean, Ah’ve never seen a crime up close before.” Apple Bloom said.
“Regardless, everything went quite well considering the outcome was because of a mistake.” Sweetie Belle said. The girls continued to walk and chat about their thoughts on the situation they had just been through, but soon enough, they ended up on the dirt path to Sweet Apple Acres.
“So you girls stayin fer lunch?” Apple Bloom asked as the trio approached the gate to the barn.
“Nah that’s ok, I need to pick up my saddle bag from the clubhouse.” Sweetie Belle replied.
“Yeah, I left my Scooter there too. We’ll catch you tomorrow morning though Apple Bloom.” Scootaloo said moving through the gate to the farm.
“Okay then, what are we gunna do tomorrow?” Apple Bloom asked.
“I don’t know, we’ll figure something out.” Scootaloo replied.
“Ok, see you girls later.” Apple Bloom said, heading down the right path to the barn.
“Yeah, see ya Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle replied, making their way down the left path towards the CMC clubhouse.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were practically silent all the way to the clubhouse, only short sentences kept them talking occasionally, but upon reaching their clubhouse, the pair engaged in a long conversation regarding the events of the day.
“Sweetie Belle! I know exactly what we’re going to do tomorrow; and possibly for the rest of the week!” Scootaloo cried excitedly.
“What’s that?” Sweetie Belle asked enthusiastically.
“We should become crime fighters!” Scootaloo announced. Sweetie Belle looked at her confused, and a little lost for words.
“Come again?” Sweetie Belle asked, wondering if she’d heard correctly.
“Well you heard what Bon Bon said earlier right? She said we were more useful than the police around here; so why not try and be police ourselves?” Scootaloo asked grinning eagerly.
“She was trying to be nice; and besides, what happened there was an accident.” Sweetie Belle said.
“Who cares, what’s stopping us from trying?” Scootaloo asked.
“Our age; plus a police officer’s job is pretty dangerous sometimes.” Sweetie Belle replied.
“Well obviously we won’t be joining the Ponyville police force,” Scootaloo said chuckling a little.
“We could be our own police; we could be... oh I don’t know...” Scootaloo paused to think about what they could call themselves if they were crime fighters. “The filly fighters!” Scootaloo announced.
“Do you know how corny that sounds?” Sweetie Belle asked with a mocking smirk.
“Yeah... oh I’ve got it. The Foalice!” Scootaloo announced again, receiving a giggle and larger smirk from Sweetie Belle.
“That sounds even sillier!” Sweetie Belle laughed.
“Well why don’t you think of something better! It’s just an idea!” Scootaloo retorted. “I don’t see what else we could possibly do... we’ve tried so much already. I mean if we did this, we could... we could have secret identities, and costumes, and try and beat the police to every crime in Ponyville. We could easily get our cutie marks as crime fighters.” Scootaloo explained.
“What happened earlier was a fluke, we could get into lots of trouble if something went wrong; and I wouldn’t even want to hear my sister’s reaction if she found out I was searching for crime.”
Scootaloo frowned disheartened.
“Alright... well, I’m gunna go, oh I don’t know, I might go see if I can hang out with Rainbow Dash for a while.” Scootaloo mumbled walking over to the clubhouse door.
“You don’t wanna stay and chat?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Nah, that’s ok. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Scootaloo said, popping on her helmet which was next to the door, and walking outside to her scooter, before starting it up and riding through the acres of trees to go find her idol.
Sweetie Belle could tell as she heard her friends Scooter racing off that Scootaloo was disappointed that she hadn’t shared her enthusiasm, but she did have to consider the negative implications of an idea like that. Sweetie Belle sighed and picked up her saddle bag, getting ready to depart for her sister’s boutique. By the time she made it there it would be getting late, knowing that it was on the opposite side of town, so she knew she’d have to skip popping in to see Apple Bloom again. She gave a sigh of her own before walking out of the clubhouse, getting ready for her walk back to the boutique.