Chapter 3
“Guns of the Loftwings”
We walked behind the stage to where Raiden’s trailer was. All three of the mares in my company had insisted on hitting the venders before we did. I rolled my eyes, this always happened whenever I brought girls along to see Raiden.
We arrived at Raiden’s trailer and a Minotaur guard stopped us. “You have business with Mr. Bolt?”
I nodded “I’m an old friend, Private Eye and I need to see him”
The Minotaur nodded and knocked on the door. Out stepped Raiden himself clad in a lightning bolt colored robe and a pair of shades. He lowered his glasses so his yellow eyes were visible. He smiled wide “Bout time you came around dude!”
I smiled back “It’s good to see you to Raiden, can we talk?”
“Well, I’m willing to talk to you…” He looked past me at Rainbow Dash. “But it’s your marefriends here I’d like to get acquainted with…”
Rainbow blushed furiously and shook her head. Suddenly she flew up and got in Raiden’s face “Look pal! We need your help and we don’t have time to be screwing around!”
“Aww” Raiden said in mock disappointment “But screwing around is the best part…”
Dash’s face turned even redder at the innuendo.
Spring!
Dash’s wings sprung up wide and she shook her head. “Look are you going to help us or not!?” She tried desperately to flatten her wings while the rest of us laughed a little.
“Of course, right this way” He pointed for us to enter his trailer.
Twilight and Fluttershy entered the trailer bouncing with a little too much excitement. Rainbow frowned and as she passed Raiden to enter the trailer…
Spring!
“Darn it!” Dash suddenly picked up the pace to enter the trailer.
I frowned at Raiden “Still the same old womanizer I see”
Raiden shrugged “I can’t help it if the mares fall at my hooves” He then looked over at me with curiosity in his yellow eyes. “So which one is yours?”
I got within inches of my friend’s face “It’s the violet one…if you even think about flirting with her…”
“It’s all cool dude” Raiden said dismissively “You know I respect you enough not to use my wiles on her”
“But you’re willing to use your wiles on a Pegasus you’ve only just met?” I said my frown still on my face.
“Dude have you seen her!?” Raiden said excitedly “I don’t think I’ve seen a flank like that in years! And that mane, how many mares do you know have a mane like that? Rainbows should totally come in”
Raiden’s own mane was long and parted in the front. He had yellow highlights among the black of his mane. Or was it the other way around? I can never tell in that mess of a mane he had.
I sighed “Just try to act professional and I won’t hang you from the nearest flag pole”
He laughed out loud “Same old Private…”
_____________________________________________________
“A murder and a kidnapping?” Raiden said while sitting on a couch in the trailer. The trailer itself was about the same size of a small house. It had a full on kitchen for Luna’s sake. We sat around him in various chairs as Raiden went on “Sounds heavy dude”
“It is” I said simply “And that’s why we need your help to get us inside the Ball of the Bells”
Twilight continued “None of us can get in without drawing attention to ourselves, but Private tells us you can get in”
Raiden nodded “I could get you guys in; you all can disguise yourselves as my busboys or something. That way you guys can get in…though…”
I sighed “What do you want Raiden?”
“Just a small request” He said assuredly “I don’t think it’s too drastic”
Fluttershy ironically was the one who asked this “What exactly do we need to do?”
Raiden’s eyes turned to Rainbow who was trying very hard not to be noticed by him. His yellow eyes eyed her up and down until I got the hint.
“You want to have Rainbow be your date…” I said as it dawned on me
Dash sprang into the air “What!? You want me to- No way in Equestria!!”
Raiden tilted his head in confusion “What’s the problem? Most mares would kill to have a date with me”
Dash got within inches of Raiden with her nostrils flaring. “Listen you stuck up jerk! I’m sure you’re used to mares fondling you left and right! But I’m not!” She then flew out of the trailer in a rainbow colored blur.
The shades on Raiden fell “Well…that was unexpected…”
I shook my head bemused “You’d have to figure this would come eventually”
Raiden shook his head “What happened? I would’ve thought she would want that…”
I got up from my seat “I’ll go talk to her…”
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Dash was sitting outside with her head looking at the ground. I walked up to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. She looked over and realizing it’s just me returned to staring at the earth.
“What was that all about Rainbow?” I said looking at her “Why’d you lash out at Raiden like that?”
Dash sighed “You remember when I said my dad was gone…?” She looked over at me “Well…he didn’t die…”
“What happened Rainbow?” I asked hoping to help my friend.
“Dad never wanted to have me in the first place…when I was had well…he left…”
“Your mom was single?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. Then it dawned on me “You’re worried that Raiden will be like
your dad…”
“Yeah” Dash admitted “When he was out there singing that song I was enthralled…he was so amazing and I felt my heart want to burst out of my chest. Then…I remembered that my mom said that’s what happened when she met dad…” Dash was crying at this point.
I pulled her in and she pressed her muzzle to my shoulder. I let her tears fall on my trench coat. I was in big brother mode at this point. I gently rubbed Rainbow on the back and let her sob on me.
“I was teased a lot in school” Dash said still sobbing “Whenever I wouldn’t date a guy they would call me a filly fooler…”
“But the real reason that you don’t date” I said gently “Is because you’re afraid that you’ll end up like your mom”
“She was going to be a huge athlete…” Dash cried “She gave up her dreams to have me…” She pounded me on the chest in frustration. “That jerk took that dream away from her…”
“Shh…” I said into her ear. There was nothing romantic about this whole business. Dash just needed somepony to listen to her problems. I was like a big brother listening to her crying like this. This must’ve been a huge blow to her pride but she didn’t care. She just wanted somepony to care…
She pulled away and wiped her eyes “Sorry…I must look like an idiot…”
I shook my head “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for…but Dash, I really think you should give Raiden a chance. He may be irresponsible but deep down he has a good heart...”
Dash hung her head “But…what if I screw things up?”
I patted her on the head “Then know you got friends that are willing to pick you up when you’re downtrodden”
Dash smiled and punched me in the chest affectionately. “Thanks Private…you’re an awesome friend”
“I’m sorry if you thought of me that way…” I heard a voice say behind me.
I turned around and there was Raiden. His yellow eyes looked over at Dash apologetically. He walked to her and bowed
his head “I shouldn’t have been so…sorry I’m not good at this stuff…”
I chuckled “Just ask her out you idiot”
Raiden smiled and looked at Rainbow Dash “Your name is Rainbow Dash right? Well…would you join me for the Ball of the Bells?”
Dash looked hesitant at first. But then she sighed “Only if you don’t get me flowers or anything too…fancy”
Raiden smiled wide “Awesome! I’ll start getting this ready right now!”
_______________________________________________________
Twilight and Fluttershy walked on either side of me. “While Raiden and Rainbow are getting ready for their night out we’ll investigate the assassin angle”
Fluttershy looked over at me “Um…Private…thanks for comforting Rainbow Dash like that”
I looked over at the butter yellow Pegasus “Have either of you heard her story?”
Fluttershy shook her head “No, I’ve known her ever since flight school but she’s never told me about her dad”
I felt Twilight brush against me “Either way Private, you helped her out and that’s what matters”
Fluttershy smiled at me “It was very kind of you Private”
I flushed in embarrassment “Stop it you guys you’re making me blush” I shook my head and refocused “Either way, I’m gonna make a call to Forceps”
I went to a nearby payphone and made a call to Forceps’ morgue. Fluttershy and Twilight were gossiping about Rainbow and Raiden outside. I rolled my eyes and listened for the ring.
“You’ve reached the Ponyville town morgue, this is Forceps”
“It’s me Private, what do you have on the body?”
“Let’s see ere…early sixties, female, shot in the head twice with a .44 caliber pistol. I’d say it was used by a Pegasus by the way the aim was off the first time”
“Anything you can tell me about who killed her?” I answered “I already know it was used by a Pegasus”
“Well I talked to Foundra; I noticed an odd symbol on the bullet casings we found at the scene. They were custom made by some foreign company”
“Can you trace any professional assassins that bought those bullets?” I asked my mind already at work.
“We got one match, an assassin in Canterlot by the name of Fliptrip. He lives at an 1121 Krios Lane”
“Thanks Forceps, I’ll head there now. Keep me posted if you find anything else”
___________________________________________________________
I banged on Fliptrip’s door with my hoof “Open up it’s the police!”
The house was a small one story house designed to blend in with Canterlot’s bigger buildings. I looked over at my partners “Fluttershy, you take the roof in case he tries to fly away”
“I won’t have to hurt him will I?” Fluttershy said meekly.
I sighed “No just hold him long enough for me to put hoof cuffs on him if he tries to fly off”
Fluttershy nodded and slowly flew up to the roof of the house. I motioned for Twilight to hug the other side of the door. Her horn was aglow, ready to cast any spell that was needed. I pulled out Blackbird and turned to buck down the door.
Suddenly a green streak burst through the straw roof. I looked up to see a green Pegasus flying away with a screaming Fluttershy holding onto his tail.
“Fluttershy!” Twilight and I shouted as we ran in pursuit. I couldn’t shoot down Fliptrip if I wanted to avoid hitting Fluttershy.
Fluttershy held onto Fliptrip’s tail for dear life trying to balance herself with her wings. I shouted up at her “Fluttershy! Find some way to pull him down!”
Fluttershy’s eyes blinked as an idea formed in her head. Suddenly her wings were glued to her sides and she became a dead weight on Fliptrip’s tail. The two fell like a pair of bricks from the top of Canterlot Castle.
Twilight’s horn glowed and she caught Fluttershy right before she could fall. Fliptrip however…hit the ground in a rather uncomfortable way. I ran to the guy and started putting hoof cuffs on him “Fliptrip, you’re under arrest for the murder of Featherduster”
Fliptrip’s brown eyes looked up at me “I didn’t kill Featherduster! Somepony else did!”
______________________________________________________
I entered the interrogation room at Canterlot’s detention center. Fliptrip sat in a rather dignified manner. I never expected an assassin to be so…refined.
“You understand why you’re here?” I said after taking my seat across from him.
“I do, you want to know if I killed Featherduster” Fliptrip said simply “I did not kill her”
“That’s a pretty bold statement” I said with my eyebrow raised “The question is…who would want a nanny dead?”
Fliptrip spoke his testimony in a very refined and professional manner “I got a call from Blitzwing, the head of the Loftwing family, who says he didn’t want his granddaughter to inherit the family fortune. So he hired me to…take care of her…”
“You would kill a filly?” I said trying to hide my anger.
Suddenly his brown eyes widened “His granddaughter is a filly?!”
“You didn’t know? He must’ve told you his granddaughter was a young child”
He shook his head “No, he didn’t tell me that I would be killing a child…now that I think about it he must’ve known I’d refuse if I knew”
“So you weren’t the one I saw in the alley that night…”
“What alley?” Fliptrip said very confused
“Okay start over” I said waving my hoof dismissively “After you got the call then what?”
“I was given an address of her current residence” Fliptrip said trying to recall every detail “It was very cloudy that night so I used the cover to hide myself…but the I remember getting hit by something and next thing I know I was lying on the top of a nearby building”
“What gun were you going to kill the daughter with?”
“A .44 caliber revolver…loud but I knew it would end it quickly. I’m not an assassin that lets his victims suffer. But…”
“But what?”
“When I came to…the gun was gone”
“So you didn’t kill Featherduster…” I said firmly
“No, but somepony else did” Fliptrip said simply “I can think of only one pony that would though…”
“And who is that?” I asked leaning forward.
“His name is Krackle; I heard he got arrested this morning for selling greens…and not the good kind. I remember him bragging about some big and simple job he got before I left the bar to do the job”
________________________________________________________
“Look I ain’t talking until my lawyer gets here!” A frost blue Pegasus spoke indignantly.
“You’re lawyer will get here when he gets here…” I said annoyed “You have plenty of time. Here’s how it’s going to work…I ask the questions and you answer them, simple right?”
“Who the hell do you think you-“He was cut off when I smacked him onto the table with my magic. He struggled but couldn't get up under the invisible hold I had on him.
“Mr. Krackle I don’t believe you were paying attention…” I said my voice low
“I ain’t sayin nothing! You can’t do anything to me!” He growled “I’ve faced worse then you ya little chicken shit!”
“A .44 caliber pistol was found at your home that belongs to somepony else. You took it and performed the assassination yourself to frame Fliptrip! Now one question remains...who hired you? Tell me who hired you and I won’t sell your balls to the nearest dragon…”
“You can’t do that! I have right you know! Nothing you can do can convince me!” He growled
I let go of my magic and smirked evilly “You’re right…there’s nothing I can do…”
Suddenly he began to sweat profusely “What…what are you talking about?”
I turned to the nearby door and opened it. In entered sweet little Fluttershy smiling cutely. I nodded to her “Madame Fluttershy…tell Krackle how much of a bad boy he’s been…”
_______________________________________________________
Twilight and I stared thought the one way mirror. Twilight looked over at me “I’ve heard about the power of the stare but…to see it in action”
“Just be thankful you aren’t on the other end” I said staring at the scene like one would a carriage accident.
Fluttershy exited the interrogation room smiling happily “Did I do good?”
I looked over at the whimpering blubbering ball that was Krackle. Maybe she did a little too well after all he did manage to get him to confess to his crimes. As well as some rather... embarrassing details about his school life.
I looked over at Fluttershy “What did you find out?”
Fluttershy cleared her throat and spoke “He was hired to kill Scootaloo as well…the poor thing. He killed Featherduster after witnessing her kidnapping the poor dear in the first place”
“That puts him at the scene of the crime” Twilight said nodding “We have our culprit”
“But do we have a mastermind?” I said looking over at Fluttershy “Did he say who hired him?”
“No, he got the job from a distorted voice at a pay phone” Fluttershy shrank a little “I’m sorry…”
I shook my head “You did good Fluttershy…there’s only one way we can find out who killed Scootaloo”
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Twilight, Fluttershy and I explained to Rainbow Dash what happened.
“Two assassins and a kidnapping?” Rainbow exclaimed “Man this case is more messed up then the one at Cloudsdale!”
I nodded “The only way we’re going to found out who hired the assassin that killed Featherduster is if we go to the family directly”
Rainbow smiled “I guess it’s time we followed this fox” She suddenly put on shades “To its hole!”
YEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
“You are not ending this chapter on that joke!” I shouted at Rainbow Dash
“Haven’t you ever heard of a running gag Private?” Dash whined
“THAT”S A GAG!?” I exclaimed indignantly.
All three of them laughed. Somewhere a certain Pink Pony was freaking out that a forth wall joke was said without her around.
Wait…what the hey am I talking about!?