Sheerluck Hooves

by SkelePone

A Study In Scarlet, CHAPTER FIVE: An Advertisement Brings A Visitor

"What is out of the common is usually a guide rather than a hindrance.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle

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The morning had been fairly tiring for Time Turner.

Running about Canterlot. Interrogating an obnoxiously talkative mare. It was a lot of strain of the Doctor’s fragile psyche.

He felt no desire to interrogate yet another pony, and this time his best friend and the Ponyville drunkard. But he could not just go home and get some sleep, even if it was later in the afternoon. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the bloated face of the murdered stallion covered in blood. The word ‘RACHE’ scraped into the stones.

The more Time Turner thought about the crime scene, the more extraordinary Sheerluck's hypothesis, that the stallion had been poisoned, appear. He remembered how the detective had sniffed the dead one’s mouth, and had no doubt detected something which had given him the idea. But what if it wasn’t poison?

And whose blood was that which was splattered about on the ground? There were no obvious signs of a struggle, nor did the victim have any weapon with which he might have wounded an attacker. As long as all these questions were unsolved, neither Sheerluck nor the Doctor were confident that they would be getting any sort of sleep that night. Sheerluck’s quiet manner told Time Turner that he had already formed a theory which explained all the facts. But he couldn’t even begin to guess what that theory was.

Sheerluck returned to the Hooves household late that night. So late that Time Turner knew for a fact that the detective could not have only been attending his Sapphire Shores show. Sheerluck entered the sitting room where Time Turner was waiting, and as the detective sat down, the Doctor asked how the show had been.

"It was magnificent," Sheerluck replied, as he took a seat across from his friend, "Music is the epitome of what so little is good about ponykind."

“How poetic,” Time Turner commented, studying Sheerluck’s poker face, “What did you do after the concert?”

“I had an advertisement made in the papers.” Sheerluck tossed a copy of The Ponyville Confidential before the Doctor. On the ‘Lost & Found’ page was an ad that read:

‘In Canterlot, this morning," it ran, "a plain gold wedding ring, found in the roadway between the Sweetheart’s and Roseluck Garden. Apply Dr. Time Turner Hooves, between eight and nine this evening.’

“Please forgive my use of your name,” Sheerluck apologized sheepishly, “If I used my own, a few rather unwanted individuals would decide to meddle in our affairs. I hope you understand.”

Time Turner nodded as he read over the ad again. Then realization struck him.

“But we don’t have the ring.”

“That is true. But I have asked the police for a facsimile, and received seven. If anypony comes to call, you can provide one of these fakes.”

“Wow.” Time Turner was impressed with Sheerluck’s obvious plan, “And we wait until the murder comes to retrieve it?”

“The murderer or one of his accomplices. I think he will come himself, though. I have a feeling that he would risk anything to not lose this ring. I believe he may have dropped it while observing the stallion’s corpse, making sure he was dead. After leaving he realized the ring was missing. When he came back to find it, he instead found the Guard waiting. That was when he bumped into your intoxicated friend, riling him up. Then our dear Chatterbox met Carnegie while the stallion was singing and grumping about the understandably grouchy stranger.”

“So you think he’ll see the ad?”

“Oh most definitely. He needs that ring, and he will be searching for it with as much time as he has to spare.”

“But what about Carnegie?”

“We will use Mister Porter as a witness. Not everypony is important enough to interview directly, Doctor.”

“So what do we do when he comes?”

“You have any weapons?”

“Um… no?”

“Bah. Nevermind. Equestrians and your clean habits. I shall take him hoof-for-hoof then. He will be desperate, and could be up to anything. Anyways, go up to your family. Explain to them that they need to be out of the house for a few hours.”

Time Turner nodded in understanding and went to execute Sheerluck’s orders. When he returned, he saw Sheerluck reading a letter that Derpy had left for him.

“Ah yes,” said Sheerluck as he read, “the plot thickens. I have just had an answer to my letter to Great Bridleton. My view of the case is the correct one."

"And that is?" Time Turner asked eagerly.

"I will need to purchase some new strings for my violin," he remarked as Time Turner rolled his eyes, "Now prepare yourself. When the stallion comes, speak to him in an ordinary way. Leave the rest to me. Don't frighten him by looking at him too hard."

“It’s about eight now.”

“Indeed it is. He’ll be here any minute now.”

Using his magic, Sheerluck opened the door slightly and placed a key in the lock on the inside. Derpy and Dinky waved goodbye as they went off to visit Carrot Top, a friend of Derpy’s. Sheerluck took a seat in a chair and Time Turner sat on the sofa as they heard the sound of approaching hoofsteps. Sheerluck turned his chair to face the door as a voice called in.

“Hello? Anypony home?” Called a loud and raspy voice.

“Come in!” Time Turner replied. A look of surprise washed over Sheerluck’s features as he viewed what was definitely not our murderer.

An elderly unicorn mare with a light coat and a white mane entered, peering at the two. Time Turner had honestly been expecting a tall, violent stallion. Not a feeble old mare.

“I’ll be here for the ring. It belongs to my daughter, Sassy. She’s been married for about a year now. Her husband is with the Guard and he’ll be mighty disappointed to return to find his wife has lost her ring. If you need to know, she lost the ring when she went shopping up at the Canterlot Boutique-”

Time Turner produced the fake ring, holding it out to the crone.

“Will this be the ring?”

"Celestia be thanked!" cried the old mare; "Sally will be a happy mare tonight. That's the ring."

"Can I have your address?" Time Turner inquired.

"13 Donut Street. A weary way from here."

“The route from Donut to the Canterlot Boutique does not pass by Roseluck Gardens.” Sheerluck said sharply.

The old mare whirled around and glared at him with her baggy, dark eyes. "The gentlecolt asked me for my address," she said, snidely, "Sassy lives at 3 Mayflower Place."

“And your name is?”

“Diamond Dust. Her’s is Emerald Ore. Husband is Iron Ore. A smart, clean colt, as long as he's at work; but when off-duty, what with the mares and what with the pubs of Canterlot-"

Sheerluck motioned for Time Turner to give her the ring.

“Here’s your ring, Missus Dust.” Time Turner said. The mare levitated it from his hoof and nodded curtly to him. “It clearly belongs to your daughter, and I hope to return it to it’s rightful owner.”

The mare mumbled her thanks and shuffled out of the door, shutting it behind her. Sheerluck Hooves sprang to his hooves the moment the door clicked shut and galloped to his bedroom. He returned wearing his Inverness cape, his deerstalker cap, and a fresh cravat.

“We’re going to follow her,” Sheerluck announced, “it’s very likely she’s an accomplice and will lead us right to the murderer. Ready?”

Together, they trudged off into the chilly night and followed the already distant crone. The continued along until the lights of Ponyville had faded behind them. Time Turner recognized neither Donut Street nor Mayflower Place. The mare had been lying.

Then they both received quite the shock when the mare was suddenly enveloped in green flame. For a gruesome moment the Doctor thought that she too had been murdered by the madstallion on the loose. But horror and shock was soon replaced by revelation as what had previously been a mare exposed itself as an insect-like pony with translucent wings and holey legs and horn.

She had been a Changeling.

Author's Note:

That twist though! Hope you all have enjoyed it so far. Those of you who have read the Sherlock Holmes books have recognized the patterns here. But now this is where the major MLP style comes in, thanks to the Changelings.

Will Sheerluck manage to identify the murderer?
What exactly is going on with the Changelings?
When will we see a Canadian Changeling?
How much longer can Time Turner tolerate Sheerluck's antics?

FIND OUT IN A STUDY IN SCARLET, CHAPTER SIX!
TWILIGHT SPARKLE SHOWS WHAT SHE CAN DO