The Future Will Change

The next day…

On the news, Starlight Glimmer would give a report.

“A tragic day as police officer Archibald Cronus has been confirmed dead with his body crashed into the roof of a car downtown. Some sources say that it was a suicide by fall but the results are inconclusive due to a bullet wound that was found in his head. In other news, a giant panda woman was arrested yesterday near the home of Fluttershy…”

As Twilight watched the news report, she couldn’t help but slam her bird-like fist into the corkboard where her results had been pinned with push-pins and notes.

“Dammit! Why can’t I figure this out?!” she grumbled and squawked, shedding some of her raven feathers. “Now Fluttershy’s been arrested and the rest of my friends are helpless animal people! Rrrak! What am I missing from this picture?!”

Nearby, Spike was trying his best to adapt to his new human body by lifting weights as Twilight had instructed him to do. “...think that police officer could have anything to do with it?”

“Huh?” Twilight’s bird wings fluttered at the idea. “...wait a minute. You might be onto something.”

“I’m just spitballing here,” Spike went on, “But it seems weird how that cop was killed right after something like that happened. Usually in cop movies, the guy who finds out about something he shouldn’t is killed off by the bad guys.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and slapped her conspiracy board. “Spike, you can’t just rely on movies for your--” But then it hit her. Maybe the timing of the report was a tad suspicious? “...hang on a minute.”

“Hang on?” Spike asked.

Twilight would then proceed to dial her phone to call Aidon.

Eventually, he would answer, “Hello?”

“Professor, did you see the news?” she asked.

“...I did,” he admitted with a sigh, “We’re still one step behind…”

“Professor. You’ve been at all of the scenes so far, right?”

“Yes?”

“And every time something happened, the police showed up, right?”

“...yes, but isn’t that what they’re supposed to do?” Aidon muttered in confusion, “I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

Sci-Twi would then run with Spike’s analysis. “Spike just brought something to my attention regarding that officer’s death. Do you think it’s possible that these situations are connected?”

Aidon couldn’t exactly rule it out. “...maybe, but don’t you think that’s a bit of a logical leap?”

“Not for someone like me,” she went on, “What if that police officer got too close to exposing our culprit, and he was killed for it as a result.”

“Okay, but why wouldn’t the culprit simply get rid of all of the evidence?” Aidon countered. “Wouldn’t allowing that officer to show up on the news poke a hole in their plans?”

“Not if it was done on purpose,” Twilight replied as she scribbled down something on a notepad. “Maybe our culprit wanted to expose that officer and make an example out of him. To show that their plans wouldn’t be tampered with and to dissuade others from trying to interfere.”

Aidon couldn’t help but agree. It would stand to reason that showing one’s crime on TV would be a great way to scare off others from tampering with one’s criminal acts. However, this still didn’t get them any closer to exactly who could be behind it all.

“I see…but does this give us any proper leads, Twilight?”

“Not quite yet,” the raven-girl added, but then came up with an idea. “...but I have a theory. The next time you get a call from that mysterious person, don’t run as soon as the police show up.”

“...alright, Twilight. I trust your word here.”

With that, Twilight hung up and continued to scribble down on pieces of paper while flying back and forth through her house. “Yes…yes…this has to be correct!”

All Spike could do was watch his caretaker turn into her usual sporadic self when she was on the verge of a discovery and simply grab the bridge of his nose. “...ah boy there she goes again.”

At Aidon’s home…

The cerberus man sighed and nearly crushed his phone in his hand. Luna was already there, rubbing his shoulders with a gentle frown on her foxy maw.

“...Aidon, honey, are you alright?” she asked, “I know Twilight Sparkle, trust me. She’s an intelligent young woman and we can trust her.”

Aidon gave a relaxed exhale. “...Yes, I know. I suppose I still have a hard time letting go of my old habits.”

“If Twilight knows something, I’m almost certain it’s true. We just have to trust her word for now.”

Suddenly, Aidon’s phone rang once more and he immediately answered it.

“No more games, heathen,” Aidon snarled with a canine growl.

“...this is your last chance,” said the masked figure, “If you can’t figure it out, the curse will spread to everyone in the city. This is your final clue: Death License.”