He had lived this before.
I dodge a streak of scarlet and gallop hard through the dead mans land. Another , too quick to contemplate, strikes the stallion next to me. He hollers and falls, but I quickly take him up by the collar and drag him by my teeth back behind our lines.
“You’re going to make it…”
He knew what was going to happen.
“It’s bad.” The wounded stallion grunts. I haul him quickly into the field hospital. “I know it’s bad…” he mumbles..
“It that Sargent Doo?” My eyes meet with the speaker, a sand colored unicorn mare with a small red dot on her flank.
“Get… get this letter to my wife and daughter…“ Doo starts.
“It’s not that bad.” I interrupt him, ripping the torn armor from his flesh and patching up the wound. “Just stay calm.”
“They’re pushing back!” Red dot yells, looking outside the cloth flap door. She takes a stance and fires a few bolts of red and white lighting from her horn before quickly taking cover as a hail of flames collides with the side of makeshift building. The explosion nearly blinds me, but I am able to look back after the initial inferno.
Red Dot is a mess, and hit badly. Behind her is a swath of red flames, sand and lighting bolts. “Run!” She screams. I can't move. Her silhouette shows signs of weakness and injury. But no matter how hot the flames, I still stand their frozen in shock.
“Clopson! Run! Get out of here!”
I blinked, once, and the sand colored mare is suddenly a light blue pegasus with a rainbow mane. Her eyes stare deep into mine with that same fear and she yells again,
“Run!”
Clopson awoke in a sweat, he blinked once or twice and the mare in his dreams vanished… but the fires remained. He found it hard to breath and coughed once, falling to the floor from his bed. He set his eyes up towards an open door with nothing beyond but flames and debris. He quickly sought out a window, and after judging the distance, jumped out and landed, hard, two stories below. He gasped for air and heaved as he got to his hooves, wildly looking around. Where was he? What had happened?
Where was Red Dot?
He suddenly remembered. He had left Sherlock and stayed with his old friend for the night… where was she? In horror he turned his head back to the modest shack of a house…which had now turned into a blazing inferno. Was she still in there? He looked for an entrance but could not bring himself any closer then a few yards to the building. The heat was so intense…
He tried to scream for help but found that his throat was raw and his lungs where still too weak. He franticly looked about, trying to find any evidence of her escape…
And there, in the dark, he saw a shadow sprinting into a nearby thicket of trees.
“Red Dot!” He tried to yell, but only managed to rasp. He coughed and fell to the ground, weak and hurt. He tried to calm himself as he looked into the fires… he hoped that she was still okay.
Deduction is Magic- The Final Chapter- Part 1, Murder
“You must be pleased.” Clopson said to Sherlock as he approached the scene. Emergency teams where finishing off the last of the fires in the smoking remnants of the lonely hovel. Clopson was laying down with a blanket about his body inside a medical tent. “Finally have a murder to solve.”
Sherlock seamed his usual self except for one trait. His eyes were a brilliant shade of blue, and were nearly luminescent.
“…No. No I’m not.” Sherlock spoke in a monotone. “And we don’t know anything yet. She could still be alive, and even if she isn’t, there is no indication of malicious intent just yet. We also couldn’t find any hoof prints other then yours and hers, we can;t find any trace of the pony you saw fleeing the scene”
“…so I’m still a suspect aren’t I?” Clopson asked.
“…As a formality, yes.” Sherlock said sadly. He showed an uncharacteristic empathy for his old friend. “Would you mind answering a few questions…”
“Of course.” Clopson nodded.
“What was… or is… your relationship with Miss Red Dot.” He asked.
“Before I was sent back from Afganistalion, I was assigned to her platoon. She was a sniper, and I was a field medic, but we took a liking to each other very quickly. It was not long before we were in a relationship. However, after my injury, I was sent back and we broke it off. I had heard she had moved nearby recently and decided to pay her a visit… we are just friends.” Clopson explained. “Good friends. ”
“Sherlock!” both ponies turned to see Lestrot motioning in his direction.
“Excuse me.” Hooves left Clopson for a minute, only to return with a very grim look to his face.
“… you found her?” Clospon asked.
“Maybe.” Sherlock responded “We still can’t identify the body”. Clopson closed his eyes and a deep breath. “do you… want to take a look?”
“Not really no.” Clopson replied. He was not quite ready to see the body of a deceased friend.
“You may not have a choice.” Both Ponies turned to see a new face on the scene. An earth pony with remarkably similar features to Sherlock, but perhaps a little taller. He stretched out a hoof to shake.
“Mycolt.” Sherlock rolled his eyes. “What are you doing here? Are Celestias intelligence agencies really interested in a case like this…” Mycolt brought his forehoof back sourly.
“Celestia and others.” Mycolt responded.
“I’m sorry, but who is…” Clopson started.
“My brother” Hooves responded with a wave. “But we don’t yet have any evidence. Everything was burned. How would any world power have interest in…”
“We have a source that says she was a contact for Mooriatry.” Clopson saw Sherlock fail to hide a look of surprise and excitement from this fact.
“She wouldn’t fall into that crowd.” Clopson defended his friend.
“We found something!” A pony said in the ashes. He came running towards the detectives. “Letters, they were hidden in the fridge so they didn’t burn.” Sherlock quickly snatched the think yellowed parchment and laid them down on a flat surface…
Red Dot-
23-9 28-10 13-6-27-10 6 21-23-20-7-17-10-18 24-25-6-30 6-25 13-20-18-10
18-20-20-23-14-6-23-25-30
5
“…just numbers.” He said after a moment of study. “Most likely a code.”
“there's another.” said the pony and he showed the next letter, it made more sense, but only barely,
A light upon a string
A door upon the floor
The pens mighty sword
The horse that won the war
“A riddle.” Sherlock commented. “Most interesting.”
“We need both of you to come to Canterlot at once.” Mycolt continued. “This is bigger then just a single murder. There’s a whole crime syndicate that is trying to off any loose ends they have. Celestia needs you at once.”
“And what If I say no?” Sherlock continued.
“Then I will take you by force.” Mycolt continued. “I have a carriage waiting for both of you. All evidence found here will be sent to our labs for analyses.”
“Secret Codes, Riddles, Murder, Conspiracy…” Clopson shook his head and got to his hooves. “Sherlock, do try to contain yourself.”
The door they entered through had a wrought iron door knocker in the shape of a bull with a ring in it's nose. After knocking three times, the door was opened for Clopson and Sherlock, and they walked inside.
The room was circular, with a round table in the middle. Upon the table were papers and files surrounding a statue of the princess herself, and on the walls where murals of heroes long gone, Starswirl the bearded, Commander Hurricane, Princess platinum, Chancellor Puddinghead, and many others from the general time period.
At the table was Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and the rest of the gang waiting for them. Clopson didn't see any guards, but he did see some new faces. He tried and failed to avoid eye contact with Rainbow Dash when he entered the circular room. He quickly looked away as he approached a round table that held many a pony he did not recognize.
“Clopson!” Clopson was tackled by a puff of fluffy pink hair that he recognized all too well. “Oh my gosh are you okay? I heard there was a fire and your friend might be hurt! Well, it might not be your friend but we know it was someone in the fire and this never happens in Ponyville…”
“I’m good Pinkie Pie.” Clopson stopped her and got back to his hooves.
“We’re all very sorry for your loss… and we hope Red Dot is okay.” Twilight added form her seat.
“And that’s our first mystery.” Celestia said. “We have forensic experts on the case right now, however, Clopson…” she turned to the colt. “You will have to help identify the body. We don’t know anyone else who knew her…”
“…That’s alright.” Clopson said numbly. “I’ve seen my share of bodies. Is it here already?”
“Yes. Just in the other room. I will explain the situation with Sherlock while you’re gone…”
“You mean you’ll explain the case against me?” Clopson asked. He knew the ins and outs of these investigations.
“You are a suspect.” Celestia said mater of factly. “Please don’t take it personally…”
“Just say it outright next time.” Clopson asked as he left the room and entered a chamber that smelled of vinegar, alcohol, metal, and other embalming fluids.
“Hey there, you must be the friend.” There was one other pony in the room, excepting of course the charred remains that Clopson tried not to look at just yet. The pony was yellow, had a long brown mane and a cutie mark with the shape of some bones.
“Yes… but I can’t really recognize anything…” Clopson said, looking at what appeared to be ash and bone arranged in a pony like shape.
“My specialty is bones.” She said “Funny story about how I got that cutie mark, but I'll save it for another time. I have a picture of what the pony would have looked like, based off of her skull shape.” She rolled her eyes in annoyance. “However, the skeleton is incomplete. The detectives on the scene couldn’t find one of the vertebra…”
“No, 23 are right.” Clopson chimed in. “Arabic equines only have 23 vertebra as apposed to the usual 24.”
“Oh… I should have known that.” The other pony said in anger.
“No, they don’t teach it commonly. I only know because I had to patch up my share of wounds in that area.” Clopson explained. “Anyway… it seams that I don’t even need to see the picture.” He looked down at the remains in silence.
“I’m sorry for your loss.” The pony tried to comfort him.
“I should get back.” Clopson said. “Thank you.”
“I’ll tell you if anything else comes up. So far as I can tell, the fire killed her. But I haven’t done a full autopsy.”
Clopson nodded and walked back to the original door.
“So, we have already started the investigation…” Celestia stopped herself as Clopson reentered the room.
“… it was her. If you all were wondering.”
“Unfortunately, that means she most likely had ties to Mooriarty.” Celestia said, “Now, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash, you you should stay with Clopson after you walk him out.”
“Yes mam.” Applejack answered as the others nodded.
“I can help.” Clopson said.
“No.” Celestia said. “You lost someone close to you. I’m sure the funeral will be held shortly, and I wont let you miss it.”
Clopson hadn’t thought of that. Though he was still sure that it was just an excuse to keep him out of the investigation.
“... so I suppose they will also be tailing me? Clopson asked.
“Of course.” Dash said. Clopson was surprised by the response. “You need to be with friends after what you've been through.”
“Really?” Clopson asked, halfway skeptical, halfway touched.
“Yep,” Pinkie said. “Can’t let you be all alone can we?”
“Wow... Thanks.” Clopson smiled. He hesitated, looked around the table, and gave in with a sigh. He walked out of the room with the three ponies behind him.
“Shall we get started?” Celestia started.
“First,” Sherlock asked, rudely putting his back hoofs on the table. “You tell me what has terrified you so immensely.”
“Excuse me?” Celestia asked as she raised her eyebrows.
“You are all terrified.” Sherlock said again. “You are playing this very close to your chest with only a select few ponies you trust. Not to mention all of your guards are off duty, which means you suspect treachery.”
She sighed. The room remained silent for a moment. “You are more observant then usual.”
“I've been trying something new.” he said with another smile, his eyes still a neon blue.
“There has been an attempt on our lives.” Celestia continued. “All of us. Individually.”
“Same assassin?” Sherlock asked.
“Yes. And they knew where to find everyone.” She said with her eyes drooped down in shame. “I put them all at risk.”
“We knew the dangers!” Twilight interrupted. “And besides, we got out okay...”
“No. I told you all to look for leads, and I left you all alone.” She said.
“Did you all find anything?” Sherlock asked. The silence was deafening.
“I, I guess I'll start.” Twilight said. She cleared her throat. “After the elements of harmony were recovered, we were tasked to find Mooriarty with the help of Equestria's greatest detectives, as well as the royal guard. I was supposed to find out the origins of these letters... the ones you found at Red Dots home were not the first, in fact, we had already found the letter you found in particular.. but i'll get to that...
I was tasked with finding the origins of the letters...”