Pony Watch

by AppleBandit

Chapter IV: Cops and Barons

Twilight shuffled through the streets of Ponyville slowly. Rainbow Dash was on her way to the hospital, thankfully, but that wasn't the forefront of her mind. Granted, she was concerned, but the disappearing pony was a neat trick. It was one she was very familiar with when it came to magic. A shadow of oneself, sort of like a reflection in the mirror. The kidnapper had magic on their side, which was going to make this especially tricky.

She felt her mind laden with even more of a burden as she came to the Watch house and saw a mob of people standing around. It didn't look like the violent sort though, rather an orderly mob milling about. Twilight waded through them and came to the door to open it up.

The Watch house was full of patrons from the bar. Ponies of all shapes, sizes and colours were standing around, some speaking to the other officers. Rarity sat behind the main desk, a quill floating in front of her and scribbling furiously as papers were piled next to her from the other ponies frantically taking down statements. Twilight looked around with her eyes glazed over, stumbling through the crowd.

She climbed up the stairs and entered her office, shutting the door behind her. Spike was still up, rubbing his head and grumbling to himself before he looked up and noticed Twilight. Quickly, he ran from his bed and hugged her around the leg. With a tired smile, she pat him on the head as he pulled away and frowned.

"It's a mess down there!" he exclaimed. "One minute it was quiet as can be then the next it's full of ponies sounding like they're trying to tear the walls down!"

"Yes, there was another kidnapping," Twilight said moving to her bed and flopping down on it. "Sergeant Rainbow Dash tried to apprehend the suspect, but she wound up getting injured."

"I-Is she going to be okay?" Spike asked.

"I believe she will be. She says the only thing she hurt was her pride, but the doctors are going to give her a look over and let us know."

"What about you, Twilight?" he moved to her side and hopped up onto her bed, resting a worried claw upon her shoulder.

"I saw the kidnapper in the bar," Twilight said dryly. "The cloak looked like it matched the cloth we found at the last crime scene. I'm certain of it. But I was too wrapped up in my own little world to even be bothered to say a word."

"It's okay Twilight," Spike said trying to comfort her. "For all you know, it could have just been a pony in a black cloak. I mean, that's a thing, right?"

Twilight placed her pillow over her head and groaned. The noise from downstairs was grating, but what grated her most was her own mind that refused to shut down. She could have stopped the kidnapping from ever even happening. She could have prevented this. Rainbow Dash wouldn't be injured, another pony wouldn't be missing and there would at least be a lead on the case that got more monumental by the second.

She turned in her bed and put the pillow next to her. Spike hopped down as Twilight did the same and moved to the door of her office. From it she stared down at the ponies sitting about from the bar and gave a sigh. She moved down the stairs half way and cleared her throat.

"Everypony!" she shouted. "Please, let's have some quiet! Please, thank you. Now I know a lot of you are astounded by what just happened, but I assure you we will be looking into the matter. Unfortunately my officers need their sleep for an investigation in the morning. If you believe you have something relevant to the case, please give your details to Corporal Rarity at the desk, beyond that go home and be with your loved ones. They need you. Constables Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, Corporal Derpy, you may go home once you're done with that last statement. Corporal Rarity, I'll want that report before you leave tomorrow morning."

"Captain, what about Sergeant Rainbow Da-" Fluttershy had been cut off from the door slamming. She turned a worried glance to Derpy who shrugged a bit and got back to work.

Downstairs had quieted to a mumble as Twilight drug herself to bed once more and lay staring out the window next to it. Spike, lay in his bed as well, looking towards her for a moment before he turned over and wrapped himself up in his blanket.

"Goodnight Twilight," he said, but received nothing but empty air. Looking towards the ground, he huffed through his nose and settled into his pillow.

**********

"You have all done well," Trixie said from her darkened hood as she stood proudly behind the podium before the crescent moon banner. "We have the last capture we need. By tomorrow, this town will be in a shambles until our knights in shining armor ride into town to save them all."

A hoof was raised and begrudgingly met with Trixie's exasperation.

"Who?"

"Shadow Three and Four you dolt!" Trixie snapped. "They're supposed to be the most savvy ponies when it comes to sales this side of Equestria. I have no doubt they'll dupe everyone tomorrow and we'll have everything we need. With phase two complete, all that would be left is Shadow Six delivering to us the food stocks of Equestria. Then on to phase four at the Summer Sun festival five days from now when we summon Nightmare Moon back to this world and take our rightful places by her glorious side!"

The remaining two shadowy figures cheered as Trixie put her hoof to her head. In retrospect, that speech would have been far more impressive had it been done in front of a group and not two other ponies. Perhaps next time she decided to form a cult it would consist of more members for the maximum desired effect.

**********

Spike rolled over in his bed and glanced up towards Twilight's. He blinked, taking note she was already gone. Frantically, he looked around the office to see through the pale light of morning if he'd overslept or not. His eyes landed on the clock on Twilight's desk and squinted to read it. The hands said it was seven in the morning, a full hour before she'd needed to be downstairs.

Springing from his bed, he looked around nervously for anything that she might have left. He finally spied a note just sticking out of a book on the desk. He picked it out of the book and slid into the office chair for a moment.

"Dear Spike," he read aloud. "I have gone to the shops early this morning to get something. Do me a favor and head down stairs and wait for myself and the others to arrive."

Spike set the note down and looked to the door. He hadn't met the other members of the Watch nor had he been downstairs. He'd never had the need to. He rubbed his head, curious to know just what she'd wanted from him. He moved to the door and peeked down the stairs with trepidation. Twilight had been acting so distant and strange last night, what on Equestria could she possibly be planning for him? The door creaked open a bit further as he made his way down the stairs.

As he took it step by step, the front door of the Watch house opened and in came Fluttershy, trotting along. She didn't trot for long however as the sight of Spike half way down a step and staring at her caught her attention. There was silence as they both stared and made no intention to move. Spike finally made the move and settled down onto the step he'd been in the middle of trying to get to. The silence took a turn for the awkward as they both continued to stare. Finally Spike gave a slight wave.

"H-Hullo," he said. "I'm Spike."

Fluttershy's eyes went wide as Spike watched a smile creep along her face slowly. Awkward turned into uncomfortable before there was a sound like air slowly leaking from a balloon. Spike brushed as his scales for a moment until it happened. Before he could even make another move she was flying towards him and suddenly on top of him. He collapsed down onto the ground with Fluttershy right above him.

"Oh my gosh! I've never seen a creature like you, what are you?"

"A baby dragon?" Spike said, now well and truly scared.

"Oh my! I've never met a baby dragon before! I mean, you just don't see them that often, you know? I usually know all of the critters around here, but you, I mean you're just, wow! You're amazing! And you talk! This is wonderful!"

Spike couldn't help but feel his ego start to swell from the praise. His fear was quickly replaced with confidence as his arm went back behind his head and he started inspecting his claws. His whole body took a much more relaxed look, despite being beneath the pony.

"Well what can I say?" he asked with a sly grin. "We dragons are just so impressive after all."

Fluttershy was prepared to gush more, but the squeal of the front door opening caught her off guard as well as the awkward gaze given by Applejack. Ah, there was that awkward feeling again. Spike shuffled out from beneath Fluttershy and smoothed out his scales as Fluttershy turned from Spike blushing furiously.

"Sugar cube, I know ya'll like animals, but don't ya'll think bringing 'em to work an' pinnin' them down is just a little weird?" Applejack asked pointing her hoof to Spike.

"Oh, but Sergeant, it's a talking baby dragon named Spike!" she protested.

"Hiya!"

This elicited a look of surprise from Applejack. "Well butter mah biscuit. He really does talk. Where'd ya'll come from?"

"I came here with Captain Twilight, except for the most part I hung around upstairs and cleaned up the place.

"How come I didn't see you last time I was up there?" Applejack asked, curiously.

"I dunno, I sleep on floor behind the desk."

"Now that I think about it, I do recall hearin' a light snorin' sound. Thought th' Cap'n was jus' stuffy though."

Spike chuckled as Applejack turned her gaze to the clock. Almost half an hour had gone by and she had begun to wonder where her fellow Sergeant was. Behind her, the door opened as Corporal Derpy and Constable Pinkie Pie walked in. She knit her brow, taking note that the mood had shifted a bit from the last time she were in the office. Silently, she tried to figure out what exactly happened during the previous day she'd had off that was making everyone so somber.

That was when the door opened once more and Captain Twilight Sparkle walked into the room. Everyone got to attention out of respect, to which Twilight responded with a dismissive wave of her hoof. On her back were two saddle bags that sagged from their contents. As she walked before the desk, Applejack noted she too looked forlorn and exhausted. Not that it was all that different from any other day, but it seemed worse somehow. As the bags floated to the side and onto the floor, the sound of metal and wood knocking together could be heard.

"Sergeant, get everyone in order," Twilight said flatly.

Applejack nodded, calling the group to fall in and then to attention. She spun and gave Twilight a salute. Saluting her back, Twilight stood before them as Applejack trotted over to the front of the line where she belonged. Twilight looked to all of them before her eyes turned to the ground.

"Sergeant Applejack, I'll go ahead and get you up to speed with what happened yesterday," Twilight began. "Last night during a staff outing another kidnapping happened at the very bar we were in. I even bumped into the kidnapper but didn't do anything about it. As a result Sergeant Rainbow Dash flew after what we believed the kidnapper was, but now we believe it was all a distraction. Because of this we believe we're dealing with multiple kidnappers as well. Now last night, before Sergeant Rainbow Dash got herself hurt, Corporal Derpy made the observation that there was a cart leaving the scene."

Applejack frowned suddenly, but said nothing as Twilight continued.

"She said she couldn't identify it other than a cart being pulled away in the darkness, however in the frantic nature of last night she didn't have time to chase it down to question it. Luckily, she did have a chance to see where it was going. That leads me to today. I realize I've been training you all up to be proper officers of the law, but we're going to have to go from the crawl phase to the run phase a bit quicker than I wanted. I've just gotten back from a local smith and retrieved a few things."

With that the first saddle bag slid open and up floated a handful of smooth black wooden sticks. Each one had a grip for the teeth and they each had a sheen about them. Floating over to each of them, they all took hold as Twilight nodded.

"Those are your new truncheons," she said. "Hopefully we won't be needing them though. Now, our second matter of business, Spike?"

The baby dragon wandered over in front of the group nervously. He gave a small wave before the second saddle bag was opened and out of it floated a breastplate and helmet. They were both his size, but beyond that there was something rather different about the breastplate. There was something attached to it. This made the group in front of Twilight stare at it intently as to figure out what seemed off.

"You all by this point have had the chance to meet my assistant Spike. Due to last night's accident however, I cannot afford to merely keep him as assistant to myself. Therefore, by the power of my withheld office, I hereby conscript Spike into the Watch and grant him the rank of Lance Constable. With this title, Lance Constable, you are entitled to the following: One iron breastplate with sterling outer shell which you will keep shiny at all times. One copper and iron helmet which you shall wear in times of duty so as not to get your melon squashed. One Sapper Mk II truncheon that was lovingly crafted by our local smith, Smith. And one manual which you will read front to back twice over until you practically breathe the words."

Spike was in awe as he held all of the pieces together in his claws, trying to find the words. Surely he couldn't be conscripted into this dangerous game just like that, could he? Twilight continued on.

"Now, the oath shall be taken," she said as the Watch came to attention, chests puffed out and a salute given. "Raise your right hand and state your name."

Spike did exactly as he was told.

"Lance Constable Spike, do you swear to uphold the laws set down by our Princess Celestia here in this town of Ponyville? Swear unwavering fealty to its citizens? Swear that even under penalty of severe bodily harm or death that you shall protect them from all threats of an unlawful nature? Swear that even should a manticore swoop down with slavering jaws and horrid gnashing teeth upon you that you shall stand tall and fight for your town, your Princess and your honor?"

Spike gulped at the grim oath he was suddenly finding himself taking. "I-I do."

"Good, now, as you can tell, Lance Constable Spike had a badge attached to his breastplate, all of you will be getting badges with badge numbers. Something I noticed Captain Midnight wanted to implement but never got around to doing. Mr. Smith has told me that he's willing to give each of you a star and number to wear proudly on your breastplate. All you need to do is see him and he'll attach them to your breastplate. You will each go out on patrol, making sure that you stop by to get those done except for you Corporal Derpy, you're coming with me to where you saw that cart stop last night."

"Yes ma'am!" Corporal Derpy shouted and saluted.

"Lance Constable Spike, you're to get into uniform and begin your first duty of the Watch by sitting at the desk and assisting citizens who may wander in. When you're not doing that, you're to be cleaning this place up. When you're not doing that, you're to be reading your Watch manual, am I clear, Lance Constable?"

"Crystal, ma'am!" Spike shouted and saluted clumsily, obviously not used to having to call her by anything but Twilight nor holding several pounds of stuff in one arm while saluting.

"Very well, fall out," she said as she made her way towards the door, shooting Derpy a look for her to follow.

The Watch filed out of the Watch house and into the street en masse as Derpy lead Twilight in the direction of the building she'd seen the cart moving towards. In the meantime Sergeant Applejack turned back towards both Constables Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie and rubbed her chin briefly.

"I realize th' Cap'n wants us to go on a patrol, but it don't feel right with Rainbow Dash in th' hospital," she said with a soft sigh.

"I know! I really wanna see her!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"It wouldn't hurt if we did that now, would it?" Fluttershy asked. "I mean, it would only be for a little bit, then we could get our badges and go on patrol."

Applejack pondered for a few moments before turning her eyes back up to the town of Ponyville. It seemed much more quiet than it usually was, a steady decline she'd noticed since the first kidnapping a month ago. Hardly a soul on the streets, barely anyone running the stalls that dotted them and the ponies that were out were dashing from one building to the next. Applejack nodded and beckoned the other two to follow her.

"I think we've got enough time."

**********

Berry Punch stirred on the chilled stone beneath her. Stretching herself out, she felt her joints crackle and her muscles sting from the rough night's sleep she'd somehow managed to get. Her eyes fluttered open and adjusted as best they could to the dim light that poured from a small window in the corner of the basement room as well as what filtered through the bottom of the door at the end of the room.

There wasn't much else to the room besides the door and the window. The rest of it was bars, stone and the other ponies that had been captured. As far as she could tell she was number six, and while she couldn't identify the others, the one she'd met last night was in the process of digging at a corner of the bars.

"How's it coming, Lyra?" she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"It's coming," she muttered as the spoon dug beneath the bars surrounded by a dull blue glow. Berry looked down at the corner where it seemed the stone was weakest. She saw what the pony was doing, digging down in between the rocks to loosen at least one stone in the hope that the others would come loose as well. She rested herself down next to Lyra, staring at the work she was doing.

"Think it'll work?" Berry Punch asked desperately.

Lyra simply grunted in response, though it seemed more dismissive. Taking the hint, Berry Punch sighed and looked towards the dirty window in the corner and spaced out, diving back into her mind. Before she could delve very far however, she saw shadows pass by the window and stop. Her eyes widened as she scooted back quickly and started tapping on Lyra's back. The mare grumbled and turned her attention towards the window as well, her mouth dropping and the spoon making a clanging noise against the rocks.

"Everypony, wake up!" Lyra shouted as the others sleepily looked up. She shot a hoof towards the window excitedly. That was when they heard the muffled sound of the door being knocked.

**********

Twilight and Derpy banged on the door again impatiently. Twilight looked around the property, taking in every bit of the large house before them. Her purple eyes ran along the roof and down the gutter run offs. Every bit of the home seemed out of place for some reason; it seemed moneyed. Her eyes then fell on the window beside the door. Two candles sat in it, melted to the lip they both sat on. She looked over to the other windows that she could see and found nothing. Another curiosity.

The door soon opened, Twilight snapping her eyes back forward to take in the sight of a very posh looking pony. The stallion greeted them with a bright smile and adjusted the garish red tie with a dollar sign proudly displayed upon it. Twilight began to silently make her own judgment of the stallion, the foremost of these judgments being this had to be the most foppish pony she'd ever met.

"Ah yes, the Watch," he muttered with a voice that could be described as sounding distinctly bored. "What can I do for you fine mares, today, hmm?"

Twilight was already prepared to arrest him simply on principle but instead straightened herself up and cleared her throat. "Yes sir, I'm Captain Twilight Sparkle and this is Corporal Derpy Hooves, we're here on an investigation."

"An investigation?" the stallion gasped. For a moment Twilight could swear it was genuine fear until his visage turned to a smile and he offered a hoof inside. "Anything I can do to help this fair town, please do come in!"

"Thank you, and your name, sir?" Twilight asked as a notepad and quill produced themselves from a small pouch that clung to her breastplate, floating before her.

"Filthy Rich, but please, you just call me Rich," the stallion replied and began laughing the sort of laugh only a moneyed individual can gain. There was nothing to it besides a sort of vapidity. It made Twilight cringe slightly.

"Right then Mr. Rich, my Corporal here tells me there was a cart at the scene of a kidnapping last night and that cart came here to this residence."

Twilight watched Filthy Rich carefully as the news sunk in. She narrowed her eyes trying to watch for any sort of reaction. The lines of his face didn't twitch or move, his eyes didn't even bolt around the room. Either he was good at this sort of thing, or there was something more going on here.

"Of course, that was an Apple family cart," he said with a grin.

Twilight knotted her brow. "Apple family? As in Sergeant Applejack's family who runs Sweet Apple Acres?"

"Oh yes, they make the cider in town. I pay them quite handsomely for barrels of the cider that they make for my private stock."

"So that was a delivery of cider last night," Twilight stated, scribbling a few things down in her notebook.

"Correct, true a little late but I'd imagine with the way you work your Applejack she barely has enough time to perform her duties on the farm and help out her family."

Twilight glowered at Filthy Rich for a moment before turning her eyes back to the notebook and scribbling a few more things in it. Clapping it shut, she floated it back into the pouch and smiled to Filthy Rich.

"D'you mind if the Corporal and I have a look around, Mr. Rich?" she asked.

The two stared at one another for a few moments, silence passing save for the poking of items that Derpy had taken to doing while the questions were being asked. She was already looking around, though it seemed less for evidence and more for what to nick and later claim that she had no idea how any of it got into her breastplate. The staring match finally broke when Filthy Rich gave another of those hollow laughs and shook his head.

"I don't see why not, Captain, be my guest," Filthy Rich said with a smile. Nodding, Twilight moved to Derpy who'd already gotten a rather expensive looking item in her hooves and knocked it out of her grasp to take her around the house for a look.

Twilight noted that the house was exactly what she'd expected it from the outside. Full of expensive items that looked like they belonged more in a museum than inside of someone's home. Paintings by prominent pony artists such as Charles Moneigh and Pablo Pegcasso littered the walls of one room Twilight believed to be a study. She had to focus though, this wasn't a sightseeing tour, this was an investigation.

Each room was gone over painstakingly by Derpy and Twilight, more so by Twilight, as Derpy was still in the process of finding things to accidentally put into her breastplate. So far, though, nothing seemed to scream of suspicion.

They'd soon gone through the upstairs and were on their way back down before Twilight spied a door they hadn't passed through. She canted her head having not seen it just beneath the stairs and pushed it open. Below was a darkened staircase that lead to what looked like a basement. Twilight strained to see before her horn lit up to light the way. She turned back to Derpy and waved for her to follow her down.

The air was thick down in the basement and cobwebs of all sorts spanning the ceiling. Derpy stayed close to the glowing horn until the darkness was pushed away by the dim light of day coming through dirty window slits. Twilight's horn powered down as the two officers looked around. It seemed like nothing but crates and barrels. Tucked away in the corners of the room seemed some tables and chairs that upon closer inspection, Twilight noted, had no dust lining the tops. She canted her head and turned to look back towards the barrels Filthy Rich had claimed to receive last night.

Her hoof ran over the rough wood top, only to come back with no dust on it. She looked between the barrel and the furniture for a few moments before her eye caught something just ahead of her in the dim light. A section of the stone wall before her seemed...off. That was the best way for her to describe it. Her mouth opened to say something but instead she took a few steps towards it.

It was like the wall, but this specific portion had been painted over for some reason. Granted, she was in a rich pony’s home and what they did with their paints and their stones was their business but it didn't make it any less out of place. Her hoof ran along the rough stone wall slowly, moving to what looked to be an indentation. She dug a little into it, now running her eyes along what looked like a solid line dug into the stone.

Just behind the wall the desperate cries of the ponies were unheard thanks to the stone simply echoing their voices back. They pleaded and banged on the iron bars trying to get someone on the outside to hear them. The cacophony of voices bounced about the room before suddenly one of them threw a rock right towards the oak door and hit it squarely.

Twilight recoiled from the wall as the knock was right in her ear, her face having been planted against the stone a moment ago. She was certain she'd heard something up to that point but the knock simply confirmed it. She began to feel along the wall around the entrance, trying to see if there was some trick to opening the wall. Her hooves slid about the coarse stone hoping to find one loose or perhaps a lever. All she got though, was a clearing of the throat behind her.

She turned to lock eyes with Filthy Rich who stood at the bottom of the stairs with a bit of a grin and Derpy who was disposing of wingfuls of items back into their boxes with a sheepish grin on her face. Filthy Rich didn't seem concerned with the pegasus though, more on Captain Twilight who stood before him.

"How unfortunate you had to find that," he said, gesturing towards the wall.

"What is going on here, Mr. Rich?" she asked with a frown.

"Unfortunately I can't let you leave," he said with a grin sliding across his face. Twilight lowered herself a bit as Derpy reached with her wing to the shiny new truncheon she'd received. "At least not without telling you about that little gem."

Twilight's eye twitched as he let out another hollow laugh. "What?"

"This home used to be an illegal cider running house, Captain," Filthy Rich said with a grin. "That room back there was where they kept the still and all of their ill gotten gains back in those days. Long since abandoned, though sometimes the place settles though and you can hear things moving back there. Gets creepy sometimes -- especially when I'm down here trying to find something."

Twilight straightened herself up and looked Filthy Rich over searchingly. The story was like dairy in the sun, it stank and it was completely off. She shifted a bit on her hooves before looking to Derpy who'd slid the truncheon back into its loop. Twilight then gave Filthy Rich a curt smile and nodded stiffly.

"Well, I suppose that just about does it for our investigation, Mr. Rich," she said and offered a hoof to allow him up the stairs first. They made their way up the stairs, closing the door behind them and enveloping the basement back in its dim light.

*********

The ponies desperate crying and shouting had calmed significantly, getting tired from expelling so much energy. Only Berry Punch and Lyra continued beating against the bars and shouting, their throats tight and dry from doing so. Soon they too were quiet as the shadows returned to their window. The six of them stared up at the window with hopeless gazes before Berry Punch took another rock off the ground and tossed it from her mouth up to the thick window.

"No, come on!" she pleaded, trying to find another rock. The sound of the door shutting upstairs and the sight of the shadows disappearing made her drop it though. She fell to the ground in a heap, eyes locked onto the window as she breathlessly mouthed the word "no" again. Her head slowly moved to the ground as her eyes slid shut. She felt her cheeks turn hot with tears as they slowly slid down her stained cheeks. She whimpered softly, not certain if her heart could sink any lower than it already felt.

Lyra placed a hoof on her back for a moment before turning back to the corner of the prison she'd been working on. Floating the spoon back in front of her, she picked and dug at the stone once more. The other ponies wept quietly and hugged one another, their chance at salvation having just walked away.

**********

Twilight frowned as she and Derpy walked away from the house and back into the sunlight. Twilight watched the ground rolling beneath her feet as they wandered back onto the street. Her mind mulled over what'd just happened, thinking about everything she'd seen.

"Well," she said. "You were right about where the cart went. We'll have to make sure tonight we spend extra time along that patrol route, maybe even have a sentry posted. One thing's for sure though, that Mr. Rich is suspicious."

"Well he is rich, Cap'n," Derpy said. "They've got their own set of rules and laws they abide by."

"Doesn't make him above common laws though," Twilight stated with a nod. "You've got tonight's watch, correct?"

"Yes ma'am."

"I'll want you posted on a cloud somewhere nearby and watching the streets carefully. The second you see someone or something creeping around in a black robe you scream bloody murder and knock them on their flank."

"Shouldn't we be doin' this proper like?" Derpy asked with a facetious grin.

"We've got no time for proper I'm afraid. We can't afford another kidnapping. Just make sure whoever you nick off the street isn't too hurt and can be questioned."

"Yes ma'am," Derpy said giving a sloppy salute.

Twilight rolled her eyes back forward, only to see Sergeant Applejack moving down the street ahead of them.

"Sergeant!" she called as Applejack stopped and turned towards them.

"Howdy Cap'n, how'd the investigation go?"

"Rotten, but we may at the very least have a lead," she replied. "What do you know about Filthy Rich?"

"That old fussbudget? He does business with my Granny Smith when zap apple harvest time comes. He also buys up a few barrels of our cider."

"Yes, we discovered this after we took a look around his basement and found some fresh ones," Twilight said.

"Fresh? Last night fresh?" Applejack asked.

"Sergeant, do you know something?"

"Not that I was keeping it from ya'll or nothin', but my brother came in late last night after makin' cider deliveries."

Twilight narrowed her eyes a bit. "Your brother."

"Yes ma'am, Big Macintosh, he makes the deliveries and does much of the work on the farm while I'm here."

"Is there a way we can bring your brother in to see if he saw anything?" Twilight asked.

"Shoot, I reckon I can pull him away, no sweat," Applejack nodded firmly.

"Good, go do that now and bring him back to the Watch house, Sergeant," Twilight said as she turned to Derpy. "Corporal, get up on a nice perch somewhere and see what you can see. Keep an eye out over the town, eh?"

As Derpy saluted and flew off into the sky, Twilight turned and trotted off down the street. A nagging feeling at the back of her head told her this was going to get far more interesting than it needed to be. If only she had seen the subtle hint of smoke just on the horizon to know how correct she was.

Comments

[Tomi]

You gave Derpy the cast of Nobby Nobbs, what has she done to you to deserve that. I just cant imagine her needing a signed note from Celestia that says she is indeed of the pony race. One other thing to note is if Sam Vimes is Twilights role then she would have left the house but would have sent Derpy to get all the watchpony's and a warrant from Canterlot (pessimism says the mayor is bought by F. Rich), while she waits in the shadows.

And for a last note Good chapter, keep them coming.

[AppleBandit]

2662131

Because some men just want to watch the world burn.

Addendum to your further notes: The characters are but the aren't the archtypes. It's a bit of a blend. They're themselves and the characters they're portraying but in the end they're their own characters that are growing within the story.

[meerkat8472]

Why in the heck didn't Twilight ask Rich to open the damn door, she's a cop she has that right. Sheesh.

[G S tol Kriaal]

looking around though it seemed

There should be a comma after "around"

2665406 Yes, that was rather silly of her

[AppleBandit]

2679967

Thanks for the catch!