Speechless: An MLP Crime Romance

“Twilight, how long have you been sitting there?” Lieutenant Moondancer asked her best friend.

Federal Agent Twilight Sparkle hadn't looked up from the paperwork pile that she’d been poring over, pushing her horn-rim glasses up the bridge of her muzzle. It’d been another hard day. The whole department was bent over backwards trying to find the manufacturer of the new drug on the market, SMILE. Apparently, the drug had come out of nowhere, after the previous drug craze, CHAOS, which had been peddled by the ‘Lord of Chaos’ Discord, had finally been destroyed. Discord had been arrested and still sat in Everfree Penitentiary, and all the samples of CHAOS that he had doled out, along with his formula, had been shredded and burned. So, the Canterlot Police Department was at a loss as to how SMILE came on the scene. Even worse, many people didn’t see it as a narcotic.

SMILE, as the name implied, gave the user a feeling of unbridled happiness. Like ecstasy and other drugs that released endorphins, SMILE activated the parts of the brain that made one feel joy and laughter. The problem was, it was styled to look like a confectionary, and as such, it began to be secretly peddled to kids through candy stores with less-than-reputable owners. That is how SMILE made it into the hands of one Sweetie Belle, a 12-year-old girl.

Sweetie Belle lived in the richer parts of the city, with her parents and her sister, Rarity, being highly profitable business owners. But, she went to school nearer to the slums. Why? Her friends Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, who she’d known since kindergarten, went to the same school and Sweetie Belle could not bare to be separated from her fellow Cutie Patch Crusader’s, a club the three girls had made up as motivation to progress in their Girl Scout group and earn the coveted ‘Cutie Patch’, a symbol of achievement within the troop.

The Crusader’s would usually walk home from school every day, Sweetie Belle leaving first as her sister’s personal assistant, Coco Pommel, would pick her up.

But, on the day of the incident, Sweetie Belle was informed that her sister was seeing to a client in Las Vegas and had to bring Coco with her. As such, there was no one there to pick Sweetie Belle up at the usual time. So, with the bit of money she’d earned having done chores for her parents the week before, she decided to frequent a candy store in that part of town, under the name ‘Flim-Flam Bros. Sweet Shoppe.’

The owners, the eponymous Flim-Flam Brothers, were more con-men than business owners. Most of their candy was pre-purchased at convenience stores, and for the one’s that they labeled as ‘exclusive’, they were near fully made by their mother, with the two brothers’ merely adding ‘secret ingredients’ to finish the recipes. These ingredients were things that should not be in candy; chili pepper extract and other unsavory items.

The shop was already a public health hazard, but when the Flim-Flam Brothers got their greedy hands on SMILE, that is where the Federal Authorities got involved.
You see, Sweetie Belle entered the Brothers’ shop that day, unaware of the danger she was about to face. Her mouth watered at all the ‘confectionaries’ that Flim and Flam had on display in their shop window, so with her money clutched tight in her fist, she pushed open the door to walk inside.
To Sweetie Belle, the ‘ding’ of the shop’s little bell was pleasant sounding, almost like sleigh bells, which reminded her of Christmas. But, it would be more accurate to describe the sound as that of a requiem bell. Flim and Flam stood behind the counter, observing the little girl like a hyena would gaze at a baby antelope. The two had sinister intentions for the girl, that was to be sure.

“Welcome to the Flim-Flam Bros. Sweet Shoppe, little one! I’m Flim, this is my brother, Flam! How can we help you?” Flim called to the little girl.
Sweetie Belle smiled, skipping up to the counter, as her eyes took in all the sweets on the shelf behind the Brothers. It reminded her of the opening scene from that famous movie her troop had been shown about the eccentric owner of a chocolate factory. The opening had a candy shop owner singing about a ‘candy man’ and his sweets were arranged almost exactly as the Flim-Flam Brothers were. Little Sweetie Belle’s mind started to wonder if perhaps SHE would find a Golden Ticket that day, just like Charlie had in the movie.

“I’d like some candy, please,” Sweetie Belle said to the two men. Flim glanced at Flam, who grinned evilly.

“Well, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve got a wide selection of candy just waiting for a special girl like you,” Flam said. Sweetie Belle placed her money on the counter in front of the brother’s, before straightening the skirt of her school uniform.

“What can I get for that much money?” asked the little girl. Flim’s eyes flicked to the bills and coins that Sweetie Belle had placed down.

“Hmm. For that much, you could get a sack full of our ‘exclusive’ gumballs or taffy. Though, you seem like a girl who’d want something brand new, something no one else has, right?” he asked. Sweetie Belle nodded very fast. Flam winked to his brother, before Flim reached up to one of the high shelves behind him and pulled down an unopened cardboard box. “No other shop has received this candy yet. It only just came out, but it’s so good, that it’s liable to sell out. But we’re willing to sell you a whole sack of it before anyone else.”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened in excitement. A whole sack of candy that no one else would have yet? How could she pass it up? With a toothy grin, the little girl nodded enthusiastically.

“Good choice,” said Flam, opening the cardboard box with a simple flick of a knife. Flim kept his eye on the young girl, his mind awash in dark thoughts. Oh yes, she’d be very, very enjoyable. Reaching into the box, Flam removed the bag full of SMILE and handed it to Sweetie Belle, his grin shark-like. “Here you go, kiddo. Why not have a bite?”

The little girl nodded, and pulled out a piece of it. It looked like a chiclet of gum, but dusted with powdered sugar. With a squeal and a giggle, Sweetie Belle popped the 'candy' into her mouth and chewed. It was gooey inside, and it made her feel happy. Really, really happy!

"Wowie! These are so good!" she said, scooping more of the candy out of the bag and shoveling it into her mouth. Flim and Flam smirked.

"Happy to help, kiddo," they said, steering Sweetie Belle toward the door. "Feel free to come again!" The little girl nodded deliriously as she munched on the candy.

Thing's went downhill after that.

Sweetie Belle hadn't made it far from the Brother's shop, when her stomach began to ache. At first, the little girl thought she simply had to go to the bathroom, but then the pain intensified. It was horrible and hurt so much. Yet, her brain wasn't registering the pain, still consumed by the happy feeling that the 'candy' had had on her. However, it wasn't long until she was crumpled against the wall, holding her stomach and moaning in pain. The worst part, there was no one around to assist the little girl, until a car drove down the street and saw the helpless child. It was a beat up red pickup truck that Sweetie Belle thought looked familiar. She was correct. It was owned by Apple Jack, the older sister of her friend, Apple Bloom. The blonde farmer stopped the truck at the sight of the ill child.

"Tarnation! Sweetie Belle, you okay?" she asked, leaving her car. Sweetie Belle shook her head, and merely moaned as she held her stomach. Apple Jack paled when she placed a hand on the little girl's forehead. She was clammy, and her forehead was burning. "Come on, Sugarcube. Let's get ya to the hospital."

Twilight frowned, reading more of the report about little Sweetie Belle. She'd been admitted to the emergency room, and after a thorough examination, the doctor's determined that there were unknown, harmful drugs in her system and they had to get them out right away. Apple Jack stayed with her the entire time, calling her parents and Rarity and letting them know what happened. It was after the diagnosis by the doctor that Apple Jack asked the little girl how she got drugs. Sweetie Belle was scared, she didn't know.

"Can...Can I have some of my candy?" she asked, pointing at the sack. Apple Jack cocked her head to regard it, before picking it up and carrying it to the little girl. Sweetie Belle smiled and gripped the sack, opening it and pulling out a single piece of the candy. Just as she did, Apple Jack cleared her throat.

"Sugarcube, where'd ya get that candy?" she asked.

"At the Sweet Shoppe," Sweetie Belle said, opening her mouth to eat the candy.

"Which Sweet Shoppe, Sweetie Belle? Who owned it?"

"Um...it was two stallions. They said they were brothers."

Apple Jack's breath caught short.

"Sweetie Belle, don't eat another piece from that sack! It ain't candy!" she yelped, pulling the string to call the nurse.

"What? What do you mean?" the little girl asked, her lip quivering.

"Those brothers, Flim and Flam? They swindled ya! They sold you drugs disguised as candy! That's why you're sick, Sugar," the farm girl said, her hands clenching into fists. "Here, give me that there sack. I'll explain things to the nurse and she'll give it to the doctor, and then we'll have ya right as rain."

Sweetie Belle looked at Apple Jack, then looked at the sack in her lap. She didn't want to give up her candy. It made her happy, more happy than she'd been in a long time. But, Apple Jack had said it was drugs, and her mom had always said to never use drugs. If the candy was drugs, she should give it to Apple Jack. But, it didn't TASTE like drugs. It tasted like really sweet candy. Maybe...maybe there were only a few pieces that were drugs and the rest was candy. Maybe she could have those ones.

"Is everything alright, Miss Apple Jack?" the nurse asked as she arrived.

"Sweetie Belle, give me the sack," Apple Jack said again, holding out her hand. "She got that from the Flim Flam Brother's Sweet Shoppe on DeLancie! That's where the drugs came from. Those shyster's are sellin' drugs disguised as candy to kids!"

Nurse Redheart gasped, and looked at the little girl, who closed in on herself with a death-grip on the candy sack. "Sweetie Belle, may I have one piece of your candy?" she asked. Sweetie Bell blinked, but nodded, and handed the one she was about to eat to Nurse Redheart. The nurse smiled, straightening up. "Miss Apple Jack, why don't you go get Sweetie Belle something to eat in the cafeteria. I want to ask her more about this candy," she said. Apple Jack looked from Nurse Redheart to Sweetie Belle, before nodding and leaving the room. "Now dear," Nurse Redheart said. "Tell me everything that happened."

It was through Sweetie Belle's confession to Nurse Redheart that the report eventually made it to Twilight's desk. Thankfully, at the end of it all, Sweetie Belle was okay. The SMILE was flushed out of her system, and the rest of the sack had been disposed of, after Sweetie Belle was convinced that they were, in fact, drugs. When her parents and Rarity had arrived, Apple Jack was the first one to tell them what had happened. In an instant, the family informed the police, who'd raided the Sweet Shoppe. They charged the Brothers with child endangerment, possession and distribution of narcotics, and selling narcotics to a minor. Suffice it to say, the Sweet Shoppe would never open again. The Brother's were in Canterlot Penitentiary, and Twilight intended to pay them a visit.

"Twilight!" Moondancer said again. "Hey, are you listening?"

"What is it, Moondancer?" the purple unicorn asked.

"You've been at your desk for over an hour now. Everyone's already gone home," the Lieutenant said, motioning around to the empty office space. It was just her and Twilight left.

"Sorry. I was just taking another look at the report," the Agent sighed, pulling her glasses off and wiping them on her button down shirt. "SMILE's manufacture has increased since the Brother's got their grimy hands on it. Maybe if we pay them a visit, they could tell us where they got it."

"Twilight, Twilight, Twilight. You know I admire your optimism, but criminals don't work like that, especially one's like the Flim Flam Brothers. They won't offer up anything like that without getting something in return," Moondancer sighed, starting to slip her blazer on. Twilight frowned, gathering up the paperwork, and putting it in her briefcase.

"Well, we have to do something, Moondancer! How many more kids like Sweetie Belle are going to be affected by SMILE?! And how many won't be as lucky as her?"

"Twilight, we'll figure it out. Trust me, I'm as invested in this as you, but we need to do this right. For right now, we've been burning the midnight oil for too many days. We should both go home and rest, and then we'll start up again as soon as we wake up. I'll bring coffee and donuts." Moondancer offered with a smile.

Twilight smirked, rolling her eyes, as she pulled her trench coat on and placed her hat on her head. "Okay, okay. You don't need to butter me up," she said, as the two finally left the headquarters.

Pinkie Pie sat at the desk in her office, rubbing her head in exasperation before pouring herself a glass of scotch. This had been the longest, shittiest day she'd had in a while, and she ached for the drink.

It started first with when she arrived. The latest reports on the that quarter's profits had been delivered to her and they had been lower than projections. The board hadn't been happy about that. Then, the bill for the renovations had hit her desk, and there were significantly more zeroes than she anticipated. Dear God, just thinking about it was about to bring her headache back. She downed the scotch in one go, and poured herself another glass.

The door to the office opened and her friend, Rainbow Dash, walked in. She saw Pinkie pause mid-pour and frowned.

"How many have you had?" she asked, closing the office door. Pinkie finished pouring and leaned back in her high-backed chair.

"This is my second, Dashie. After the day I had, I earned this," she said, taking her time with this glass.

"Well, these aren't going to do anything for your mood," Rainbow said, holding up a manila envelope. She threw it onto Pinkie's desk, before sitting in front of it, and pulling out her pack of cigarettes. Pinkie raised a brow as Dash removed one with her teeth. She held the pack out and Pinkie grabbed one for herself. The two friends lit the narcotic's, using Pinkie's silver-chromed lighter, before the pink mare flipped open the manila envelope.

"There's apparently a new drug in the field," Rainbow Dash said with the cigarette between her teeth. Pinkie took a puff and flipped through the paper's.

"It's called SMILE? Really? First Discord's CHAOS, and now this?" she frowned, releasing the smoke from her mouth.

"From what we've heard, it's not CHAOS with new branding and some new ingredients. It's a completely different thing. Apparently it makes you feel really fucking happy. Some of the one's who've died from the stuff apparently died smiling, hence the name," Rainbow Dash said. Pinkie looked up from the envelope.

"Who's been killed by this stuff so far?"

"Not many, thank God. A few junkie's. But, recently, there's been a lot of hospitalizations. Mostly of kids."

"What do you mean?" Pinkie asked with concern.

"This stuff looks like candy, apparently, so it's being mistakenly sent out to candy stores and kids are getting hurt because of it," Rainbow Dash explained. Pinkie shot up from her chair and headed for the large wall-sized window, overlooking the lit city of Canterlot. Her blue eyes sparkled from the lights of the city, and the smoke from the cigarette clouded around her head.

"What else? You wouldn't have brought this to me if it wasn't concerning us personally," Pinkie said through grit teeth.

"Apparently Flim and Flam had gotten some of it. They got busted recently for it after a little girl went to the hospital," Dash responded. Pinkie looked back at her friend and scoffed.

Honestly, she wasn't going to shed a tear for Flim and Flam. They had been a liability for a while now, a liability the family didn't need, and now with this, they'd proven just how careless they were. She still needed them though. If they had gotten SMILE, then they probably would know either who is making it, or where the shit's distributed. She'd find out, then she'd bring them to her parents. You don't fail the family and get away with it.

"Where are they being held?" she asked the rainbow maned pony.

"Canterlot Pen. The bail's set for 4 grand."

"Take care of it, and then bring them to me. I wanna find out more about SMILE," she said, not even looking back at Rainbow Dash. She nodded, and headed for the door. "And Dashie? You don't need to be nice to them."

"Message recieved, Boss," Dash replied, leaving the office. The room was silent once again, as Pinkie sucked on the cigarette. Her mind whirred. CHAOS, SMILE. The naming conventions were similar. Discord was still in Everfree, otherwise Pinkie would have thought he was the culprit.

The Brothers had fucked up. By causing harm to a little girl, they brought the Feds down HARD, which meant more of a headache for her family. Even worse is that Flim and Flam were her responsibility, they operated in her area. She should have kept a tighter leash on them. She also should figure out who the little girl is and help her family. It's partially her fault after all. She returned to her desk and downed more of the scotch.

Yup. The longest, shittiest day.