“Death’s Front Door”
Epilogue
Twilight and I stepped out of the taxi in Manehatten. It was a clear crisp morning in the sprawling Metropolis. I think my time in Ponyville has caused me to lean more towards the country though. I felt like I was simply an ant in a huge world for some reason. Maybe I was just trying to distract my mind from the fact that I’m going to do something I haven’t done in years. Share what I’m going through with somepony else...
Twilight looked up at the building before us “Moren Stallion’s Filly Hospital? You brought me to a children's hospital?”
“What were you expecting?” I said looking up at the white hospital before us.
Twilight shrugged “I don’t know, that you were working for the mob or that you were an undercover spy or something”
“Nothing so extravagant I can assure you...just something I have to do” We both walked inside the hospital. The waiting room was thankfully patient free. It’s always a good sign for the hospital if there weren’t a lot of patients. I walked up to the front desk and hit the buzzer.
About two minutes later a plump white unicorn with silver hair and a nurses cap walked out from a door in the back. She smiled warmly upon seeing me “Oh Private! Good to see you”
“Hello nurse!” She smiled a little at that “I’m here to see Tailspin”
Twilight looked at me “Tailspin?”
Jubilee looked at Twilight “A friend of yours Private?”
I nodded “Yeah, she’s my assistant and I couldn’t keep the little guy under wraps anymore”
Jubilee smiled “Well, he’s just gotten up and he’s in his room”
Jubilee led us down the halls of the hospital. Twilight looked at me for some clue as to what she was about to see. I tried to keep my face as neutral as possible. I didn’t want to give Twilight any hint about what she was about to see. Her reaction had to be genuine.
We stopped at a door with a name marked “Tailspin” Jubilee nodded at me and then left. Twilight looked me then I gestured with my head for her to follow. I opened the door.
Inside was just the one hospital bed. Its sheets were blue with tiny clouds on it and covered the hind legs of its owner. The foal sitting on his bed had a soft sapphire blue coat and a bright electric blue mane. He had no cutie mark yet but he did have a smile on his face when I entered the room. This was Tailspin...my little brother. “Hey bro” He said as we entered. Twilight looked at me in shock.
I ignored Twilight and walked to Tailspin's bedside. “How are you feeling today Tailspin?”
“Better, hospital food still sucks though" He turned his attention to Twilight "Why didn’t you tell me you were bringing a beautiful mare to visit today?” I flushed a little as Twilight giggled.
Twilight walked to the bedside and sat in a chair like I did. “I’ll thank you for that beautiful compliment, I’m Twilight Sparkle”
Tailspin smiled “I’m Tailspin, Private’s much cuter younger brother!”
I frowned “Alright that’s enough flirting out of you mister you already have the nurses wrapped around your hoof you’re not getting my assistant!”
“Aww and here I thought I could add a unicorn to my list” He said smiling innocently
“Can it you flirt!” I bopped him lightly on the head and we both laughed
Twilight smiled “Funny, I would’ve expected a relative of Private’s to be a unicorn not an earth pony”
Tailspin suddenly stopped laughing and looked at Twilight “I’m not an earth pony...”
Twilight raised an eyebrow “But...you don’t have a horn and I don’t see any...”
I looked at Tailspin my grey eyes serious “It’s up to you if you wanna show her Tailspin. I won’t force you”
Tailspin looked at me, then at Twilight, then back to me again. “She’s gonna find out anyway...” He leaned forward and Twilight gasped at what she saw. Tailspin’s wings were all mangled and small. They weren’t in any sort of flying shape at all “I’m a Pegasus...my mom was one...” Tailspin said simply
Twilight looked at me trying not to stare at Tailspin’s wings. I shook my head; she didn’t need to say anything. I motioned for us to head outside. Twilight looked at me fighting for the right words. She finally found them “What, happened?”
I looked at Tailspin who was sitting back on his bed reading a book. “He was born too early”
___________________________________
We sat in the hospital waiting room for a long time. Twilight was looking at me, fighting to figure out what to say. I looked at her “You want to know the truth?”
“By now I would like that...” Twilight said
I sighed and leaned back in the chair “It’s a long story...”
“We got time...”
“Alright, my full name is Preventus Phelps Eye. My father’s name is Irenius Eye”
“Irenius...Wait! I know that name! Irenius Eye makes monocles for a lot of the upper class ponies in Canterlot! You’re his son?!”
“I told you I was born into old money” I said simply
“Okay, so what about your mother?”
I leaned back in my chair “My mother was named Sparrowheart. She was a beautiful actress my dad fell in love with while he was visiting Cloudsdale. She eventually left the acting world and became a flight school teacher later in life. There was some small controversy around him marrying a Pegasus but he didn’t care”
“He sounds like a great stallion” Twilight said smiling
“Wait till you get to me, from the minute I was born I was to be groomed to take over the family business”
“How do you go from that to being a private detective?”
“After I got my cutie mark” I gestured to my flank which sported a magnifying glass on it. “Dad wasn’t too happy when I told him I wanted to be a cop”
“I would’ve thought your dad would be proud” Twilight said tilting her head
“He was less unhappy about me becoming a cop then me leaving behind the family business. After I told him he was furious. He convinced my mother to think about having another child...”
Twilight looked at me “That was Tailspin...”
“Yeah” I said nodding “Only problem was as I got older my dad wanted a new son as soon as possible...he had my mother take Mandrake”
“Isn’t that a drug that’s supposed to accelerate the growing of a pony?” Twilight said drawing on her knowledge.
“Yeah, only it has a billion side effects and can cause...permanent damage to the baby...”
Twilight covered her mouth “I’m so sorry...how did your father react?”
I looked out the window “I still remember it to this day...I was staying late to help clean up back when I was in middle school...I got a call from dad telling me that the baby was coming too early and that something terrible was happening. I remember not being able to hail a taxi carriage because it was pouring rain outside. I remember running for nearly two hours trying to find the hospital in the rain and the darkness. I found it...only...” I stopped for a few seconds and looked down at my hooves...I felt Twilight lay a hoof on my shoulder.
That got me going again. “They wouldn’t let me see my mother...she made a choice…either save herself or save the baby...she chose to save Tailspin”
Twilight looked at me “He was a preemie wasn’t he?”
“Yeah, his wings didn’t have time to fully develop...same with his hind legs…he can’t fly or walk without help”
Twilight had a small tear in her eye “I’m so sorry....I shouldn’t have stared at them”
I looked at her “He doesn't mind it much anymore...he’s used to the reaction you gave. Had I told you ahead of time you would’ve tried to fake it or made an effort not to look at them”
Twilight looked at me “So, what did your father do when he found out?”
“He wouldn’t even look at him" I replied flatly "He wouldn’t acknowledge Tailspin as his own...he told me to take Tailspin and drop him off at an orphanage somewhere”
“You didn’t by the looks of things...”
“I couldn’t hold him responsible for what happened to mom like dad did...He was so small and helpless, I had to take care of him”
“And the reason why you’re so poor...”
“Is because every bit of my damn earnings goes to Tailspin, my father wouldn’t help me take care of him so I had to earn everything on my own”
“I have plenty of bits if-” Twilight started to say before I cut her off
“I don’t take charity Twilight. I know your intentions are good but Tailspin is my brother. It’s my responsibility to take care of him” I said firmly
Twilight looked at me for a long moment. My eyes met hers and for a moment...she knew me. She nodded “I’m...happy you are a good pony Private...”
“You had doubts?” I said curiously
Twilight looked down at her hooves “Just...the way you’re so secretive I thought...well that maybe you were doing something terrible behind my back or something”
“You thought I was dangerous?” I said
She shook her head “No, just...I hate not knowing anything”
“I could’ve gathered that” I said smiling
She returned my smile “I’m sorry for being pushy”
“And I’m sorry for being tall, dark, and mysterious so now we are even”
We both laughed at that. Can’t really explain why but, it was nice that somepony else knew my troubles. I guess I just waited all this time for somepony to share my troubles with. Twilight and I spent the rest of that day in Manehatten before venturing back to Ponyville.
______________________________
I was sifting through my mail when I saw it. It was a small envelope with a dice on the bottom right corner. I knew who it was from and I opened it. Inside contained a note.
Dear Private
You’re getting reckless, first a business tycoon and now royalty. I can’t protect you forever Private. If you don’t know when to back off you’re going to get hurt. The next case, try and know when to stop your pursuit.
Vegas
I took one look at the letter and threw it in the trash. Vegas isn’t going to influence me when it comes to cases. I learned a long time ago that he’s the kind of Detective who would know when to walk away. I never walk away.