> Sherlock : Miss Shimmer's Secret
>  by AzelTheMantis
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Pony on 221B Acre Street
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 1: The Pony on 221B Acre Street


The Princess Summit had come and gone and all the dignitaries had gone back home. It was a special occasion as it was the first summit to feature all four princesses – Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance and Princess Twilight Sparkle. The venue for the special event was Cadance’s castle in the Crystal Empire, a beautiful place which was won back from King Sombra a few months back.

Twilight Sparkle was the latest addition to the princess lineup and she hadn’t gotten an official title yet which greatly bothered her. She conveyed her uneasiness to the other princesses who assured her that she would find her purpose soon. Though Twilight still had doubts, she decided it was better to just go with the flow.

She and her friends – Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Spike were invited to stay for the night at the castle. With some newfound confidence and hope, Twilight Sparkle soon resigned to her chambers, hoping that the future would hold bright promises.

However, things took an unexpected turn when a cloaked unicorn broke into the castle near the break of dawn and made off with Twilight’s crown. Despite Twilight’s best efforts, the unicorn managed to escape after she jumped through a portal in a mirror which connected to another world. A devastated Twilight quickly rounded up the other princesses and told them of their plight.

Before long, the chamber which housed the mirror was sealed off; the only ponies who were allowed to enter were the princesses and Twilight’s friends.

“What? An intruder? But how?” Cadance asked herself. This was the first time their castle had been breached during her and her husband’s reign so it caught her by surprise.

“If my assumptions are true, the guards should have noticed the unicorn before she entered my room”, Twilight still couldn’t figure out how the unicorn was able to easily avoid all the guards.

“She must have some sort of help from somewhere”, Applejack pitched her guess.

“Applejack’s right. I mean, there are always some evil forces at work somewhere”, Rainbow Dash said.

“If that is the case, we must find out whoever masterminded this devious act”, Luna said, stomping the floor with her front hooves.

“Why don’t we just follow the unicorn?” Twilight suggested. She and the others had seen the unicorn enter the portal so it was probably safe to follow suit.

“I’m afraid it’s not as easy as that, Twilight”, Celestia begrudgingly replied.

“Why is that, Princess?” Twilight asked the white alicorn.

“The mirror is a portal to another world that even I don’t even know about”, Celestia explained.

“Another world? I don’t understand”, Twilight scratched her head with her hoof in puzzlement.

“Who was that unicorn anyway?” Spike asked.

“Yes, dear sister, who was that?” Luna turned to Celestia. The next moment, all eyes were on Celestia.

“I was afraid you might ask me that”, Celestia sighed, “The pony who took your crown was my former student, Sunset Shimmer”, she replied.

“What!?” the others exclaimed in surprise. Celestia kinda expected the reaction since she never actually told anypony new after Sunset Shimmer went away to fulfill her own desires.

“It’s true. She was my student before Twilight came along”, Celestia added, “She grew furious when she realized she couldn’t get what she wanted soon enough so she turned cruel and dishonest and before long, she abandoned her studies and she strayed away from everypony she ever knew”.

“Huh? Then why would she steal my crown?” Twilight asked.

“And what has it got to do with the portal?” Rainbow Dash inquired.

“Sunset Shimmer must’ve a good reason to take such a risk to do this so I have no definite answer and as for the portal, I believe that whatever world lies beyond the portal, it is Sunset Shimmer’s home now”, Celestia replied with a sigh of disappointment.

“Home? Why would anypony make another world their home?” Pinkie asked. The others were a bit puzzled as to why Sunset Shimmer would just head towards a strange world just like that.

“You see, this portal only opens up every thirty moons and the last time it opened, Sunset Shimmer went through it and stayed in the other world to truly break the bond we used to have”, Celestia said, “I had kept it in our castle in the hopes that she might return and after Cadance took over the Crystal Empire, I had it moved here”.

“So, sister, let me get this straight”, Luna was the first one to talk, “Sunset Shimmer escaped to another world after turning her back on you just so she could spite you more?”

“That’s despicable!” Cadance exclaimed.

“And stealing my crown must have been one of her ways at getting back to you”, Twilight deduced the situation.

“I believe that is one of the main reasons but I have a hunch there is a much more sinister force at work”, Celestia said, closing her eyes in deep thought, “We need some help to find out if there’s something more to this”.

“Like what, Princess? I mean, isn’t it pretty obvious that Sunset Shimmer only did this to get revenge?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I’ve been thinking about that too but even though she is a gifted unicorn, Sunset Shimmer would never take such a risk like this, especially if she’s working alone”, Celestia told them her assumption, “Like I said, we need some help”.

“Some help? Not to be rude but I’m certain all of us can get to the bottom of this on our own”, Spike said.

“I’m sorry Spike but we haven’t got much time”, Celestia said with a look of concern on her face, “The portal will close in three days and we can’t risk losing our window of opportunity”.

“So, what help do we need, Princess?” Twilight asked. 

“He’s an old friend. Actually, he’s more of your friend, Cadance”, Celestia smiled at the pink alicorn.

“My friend?” Cadance asked before she realized exactly who Celestia was talking about, “You mean him?”

“Yes, him”, Celestia replied with a nod. Cadance instantly squealed with glee while the mane six and Luna looked on with confused expressions.

“Uh...pardon my interruption but who exactly is “him”?” Applejack asked.

“Sherlock Hooves. One of the best minds to ever grace this world”, Celestia replied with a hint of pride.

“Best minds ever? Really?” Twilight asked enthusiastically. 

“Princess Celestia’s right”, Rarity sighed, “He really is one of the best minds ever”.

“How would you know?” Rainbow Dash inquired her.

“Because, he’s my cousin”, Rarity replied with a groan. Twilight and others instantly knew that Rarity wasn’t that all pleased to her the name.

“Cousin?” the other gasped.

“Why didn’t you tell us about him before?” Fluttershy asked.

“It wasn’t important”, Rarity simply turned away. She didn’t want to have anything to do with Sherlock.

“Now, now, girls. Your friend must have a good reason not to talk about him so please don’t pester her about it”, Celestia interceded on Rarity’s behalf when she saw that the others were about to bombard her with questions.

“So, can I please send for him right now?” Cadance said excitedly.

“I don’t know why she’s so enthusiastic about meeting him”, Rarity whispered to Applejack.

“What’s wrong with him?” Applejack asked back.

“He’s narcissistic, sarcastic, rude and he..he..”, Rarity was about something more but she was stopped by Celestia.

“And he’ll be the one to solve whatever lies beyond what we know, as he always does”, Celestia said, smiling before she turned to Cadance, “You can send for him now. We can’t waste anymore time”.

“Okay”, Cadance said, rushing out of the room to send for some messengers who would contact the detective. She was keen on meeting Sherlock Hooves, especially after not having heard from him for years now.

The last time she and Shining Armor saw him was at their wedding. He gave them that rare smile before he left as quickly as he arrived. She and her husband would never forget him. He was a foalhood friend, one with which they shared many memories.


A few minutes later, in front of the residence of Sherlock in 221B Acre Street at Canterlot


"Here we are, 221B", a royal pegasus guard said as him and his partner stood in front of the small, two-storeyed building.

“Should we knock?” the other pegasus guard named Flash Sentry asked his partner, Triple Threat. The two were new guards so being chosen by Princess Cadance to escort an old friend of hers was a real privilege.

“I guess you should”, Triple Threat simply shrugged.

Flash hesitatingly knocked on the wooden door and after a few seconds, approaching hoofsteps could be heard from the inside.

“Why, hello there. Can I help you two young lads?” an elderly mare asked kindly as she opened the door.

“Good morning, ma’am. We’re here for a one “Sherlock” or something”, Triple Threat replied.

“Oh, Sherlock? He’s here alright. Go up the stairs and enter. I reckon he’s still in his room”, the mare told them with a warm smile which kinda lifted the spirits of the two guards.

“Thank you”, Flash nodded as the two prepared to head upstairs.

“Would you two fancy some tea? It’s awfully early in the morning”, the mare asked.

“Thanks but no thanks. We’re not going to stay that long”, Flash politely replied. He and his partner felt a lot better after being given such a warm welcome. If that was any indication of things to come, getting Sherlock to come with them was gonna be a breeze.

The upper room was beautifully decorated with some antiques here and there, not to mention the medieval-esque paintings as well as the wooden furniture. It seemed like quite a cozy place to live in according to the two pegasi.

“There’s no door here. Should we just enter?” Flash asked Triple Threat, not wanting to accidently intrude.

“I guess we have to, being under royal orders and all”, Triple Threat simply replied. The next moment, he noticed somepony sitting on a recliner, reading the news, “Look, there’s somepony”.

“I’ll talk to him. It must be Sherlock”, Flash told Triple Threat before he moved closer, “Ahem...Sir?” he asked the pony sitting on the recliner.

“Is it rather hard to knock?” the pony asked, not even gracing the duo with a simple glance. He had a deep, intimidating voice that would have been able to break all the mental barriers a pony might set up to protect himself from feeling much inferior.

“Uh...yes...sorry about that. May I ask you a question? Are you Sherlock?” Flash asked, sporting a nervous smile.

“That depends. Who in the bloody hell are you two?” the stallion, a cream-colored one with a black mane and scarf stood up with his back turned to the two visitors. As he stood up, Flash and Triple Threat could see his cutie mark – a magnifying glass with a single glint at the top rim. They could also notice the absence of horns and wings, indicating that the stallion was an earth pony.

“I’m Flash Sentry and this is Triple Threat”, Flash replied, a bit surprised that the pony could know that they were two without even looking at them, “We’re here under orders of Princess Cadance who requests your presence at the Crystal Empire”.

“Princess Cadance you say?”, the stallion faced the two with a scowl which seemed to unnerve the two pegasi a bit, “Tell me, what problems are there this time?” he asked Triple Threat. 

“Umm...somepony stole Princess Twilight’s crown”, Flash Sentry replied.

“I wasn’t speaking to you; you’re too sleep-deprived from last night’s duties for my liking. Plus you lose points for having an accidental physical contact with Shining Armor’s little sister”, the stallion said, giving Flash Sentry a small glare.

“What? How did you know that?” Flash asked. It was true. He did bump into Twilight the day before and he had a sleepless night due to all the commotion. Triple Threat on the other hoof, was alert as he wasn’t part of the night-shift.

The stallion took a small breath before he answered, “There’s some purple hair on your left wing which obviously belongs to Twilight Sparkle, that is, taking into account the fact that the hue and saturation of the color is the same as that of hers and you’ve yawned three times ever since you arrived which meant that you had a long night and judging from the armor you’re wearing and from the headlines on this newspaper, it is pretty clear that you spent the whole night at the castle in the Crystal Empire without any sleep”, Sherlock finished, much to the amazement of Flash Sentry and Triple Threat, “Come on, even a blind pony could see all the clues right in front of him”.

“He’s the real deal”, Triple Threat whispered to Flash Sentry who nodded an answer. All those hints about a pony who could know everything just by a simple observation was proven true by that deduction.

“Sir, could you tell us your full name again?” Flash Sentry wanted to make sure they had the right stallion.

“Sherlock. Sherlock Hooves”, Sherlock replied with a smirk.

> A New Case
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2: A New Case


Cadance was waiting impatiently outside the chamber which housed the Crystal Mirror. She paced around, anticipating the moment in which her old friend would appear. Her patience was starting to wane and she was pondering the whereabouts of Sherlock Hooves.

Shining Armor had also been informed about the awaited arrival of Sherlock but due to his duties, there was a huge chance that he might miss seeing him. He and the detective used to be at odds in their earlier days due to their polarizing characters but thanks to some help from Cadance, they created a strong friendship between them although according to Sherlock, it was more of an alliance rather than full-blown friendship.

The pink alicorn turned her head towards every hoofstep she heard in the distance, hoping that Sherlock would finally make his appearance. The nearby guards only gave her puzzled looks as she looked around wildly, like a rabbit that was lost in the Everfree Forest. 

Inside the chamber, Princess Celestia was telling the ponies and her sister about Sherlock’s family despite Rarity’s wishes. The white unicorn never had a liking to her cousin ever since she met him. In spite of all the good things he’d do, he was always jeering her or teasing her and finding a way to piss her off was rather easy. It was more hate than love standing between the two of them.

“Did you know Sherlock’s brother Mycroft Hooves is the leader of the Equestrian Secret Service?” Celestia asked the mane six who responded with surprised gasps.

“Secret Service?” Twilight asked with a wide smile.

“Hey, if it’s secret, how come we know about it?” Pinkie asked, scratching her head.

“He doesn’t mind it, Mycroft I mean”, Celestia explained, “Why, he’s even better than Sherlock at solving crimes and mysteries”, she said with a hint of genuine pride. 

Ever since Mycroft Hooves took the job as head of the Secret Service, there had never been an invasion or attack from the outside as long as he was on duty. He would give her all the reports from the borders about any kind of hostility that might pose a threat to Equestria. In short, he was one of the most diligent and most trustworthy ponies.

Rarity smiled a bit at the mention of that name. Unlike Sherlock, Mycroft used to care for her like he was her bigger brother. Whenever he visited Ponyville, he was sure to bring her a gift or something and he never failed to make her smile.

“If he’s better, then why didn’t you call for him?” Rainbow Dash asked on behalf of the others.

“Because the last time I placed him off-duty, there was a Changeling Invasion which nearly destroyed our castle in Canterlot”, Celestia recalled the attack of the changelings during Cadance and Shining Armor’s wedding.

She had given Mycroft the day off and as a result, the wedding was almost ruined. Fortunately, they were able to fend off the attack and she had vowed never to disrupt Mycroft’s duties ever since.

“That’s a good reason”, Twilight commented.

“Sherlock should be arriving any minute now and I have a hunch that he’ll probably know everything that’s happening before he even sets a hoof into this room”, Celestia smirked. She knew that if things were still the same for Sherlock as it was thirty moons ago, he would be able to crack whatever was going on before long.

Thirty moons ago, on the night Sunset Shimmer left for the other world, nopony knew about her escape until Sherlock arrived. He traced her hoofsteps which even she could not notice despite using her magic.

Soon, he deduced that Sunset Shimmer had entered the portal inside her chamber. Unfortunately, nopony was able to follow her as the window period had passed. She could still remember the promise Sherlock made to her when he said he was going to get to the bottom of why she would leave.

That was one of the reasons why she made the guess that something sinister was going on once again. It was because of Sherlock’s promise, a promise which she believed, was going to be fulfilled soon enough.

“Sister, do you know what world lies beyond the mirror?” Luna snapped Celestia back to reality with her question.

“Wha...oh, I’m sorry I have no idea. I believe I might cause some imbalance due to the transport of magic through the portal so I haven’t tried it”, Celestia hastily replied.

“Aww...I really wanted to see what was behind it”, Pinkie groaned. She was so looking forward to making friends with whatever kind of creatures which lived at the other end of the portal.

“So, how are we goin’ to get Twilight’s crown back?” Applejack asked.

“If going through the portal causes an imbalance, then how are we even gonna be able to go through it?” Flutershy added.

“The imbalance will only occur when there are one too many ponies going through the portal”, Celestia said, making everypony else groan in disappointment.

“But I suppose Twilight and Spike can enter the portal, don’t you believe so, sister?” Luna asked Celestia. Twilight and Spike fixed their eyes on Celestia with eager looks on their faces and hoping that the white alicorn might say “yes”.

“Well, yes, I do believe only Twilight and Spike can go through it”, Celestia replied, unsure of what might happen since Sunset Shimmer had already gone through the portal before.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Spike pushed Twilight towards the Crystal Mirror.

“Wait! Shouldn’t we wait for Sherlock?” Twilight asked the two princesses. She had heard of the earth pony during her foalhood and had met him once when she was about to be signed into Celestia’s special school.

“Well, I think we should”, Celestia said, “Although we must not waste any time. The portal will close in three nights so we must use all time we have”,

“Or else we’ll have to for another thirty moons”, Luna added.

“Guess we’ll have to do this without Sherlock”, Twilight sighed. She was really keen on meeting him especially after she heard such praise coming from the mouth of her mentor.

The next moment, the mane six huddled together for a group hug as they wished Twilight and Spike the best and gave them goodbyes and good lucks.

“Be safe, alright?” Applejack gave her a nod.

“You bet!” Twilight nodded back as she faced the portal, “This is it, Spike”, she said to her companion, “Are you ready?”

“Yeah!” Spike exclaimed before the two jumped into the portal, preparing to face whatever world that was going to welcome them.


Meanwhile, just a few corners away from the chamber


“You guards disgust me. Drooling during night shifts, sleeping on the job. I wonder why the princesses even bother to recruit such slobs”, Sherlock said aloud to nopony in particular.

Flash Sentry and Triple Threat stood by his side while the earth pony kept on rambling about the small workload and the shabby discipline of the royal guards. Luckily for the two, Triple Threat had two pairs of earplugs and they weren’t able to hear Sherlock’s monologue.

“There’s Princess Cadance”, Flash Sentry told Triple Threat when he saw the pink alicorn pace around outside the sealed-off chamber.

“What?” Triple Threat asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Take your earplugs out, I think he’s finished talking”, Flash Sentry signaled his buddy when he noticed Sherlock was not moving his lips at all.

“Thank Celestia, it’s finally over”, Triple Threat heaved a sigh of relief when he removed his earplugs.

“Good job, you two. Thank you for escorting Sherlock”, Cadance thanked the duo who nodded before they quickly went away, wanting to take a good rest after all the commotion and shit that had happened in the last few hours.

“Hello Cadance”, Sherlock greeted his old friend with his usual expressionless and cold stare.

“Good to meet you again, Sherlock”, Cadance said awkwardly. She had expected a warmer greeting and by some chance a hug but it looked like all she could settle for was a weird talk.

“Fine....you may”, Sherlock groaned when he saw Cadance’s half-disappointed look. He had never been one to give in to such speechless pleading but since she was instrumental in helping him crack an old case, he couldn’t help but allow her to give him a warmer welcome.

As if on cue, Cadance gave him a huge hug as she wrapped her hooves around the neck of the slightly larger pony. Sherlock gave a sigh of boredom before he placed his cream-colored hoof over her, “You owe me one”, he whispered.

“Aww...come on, give me a smile”, Cadance moved her hooves closer to both sides of the earth pony’s face, trying to force a smile.

“No chance, Candace. No chance in Tartarus”, Sherlock brushed her hooves away gently before they finally broke contact, “So, Sunset Shimmer stole Twilight’s crown and made away with it?” his voice returned to its normal serious tone.

“That is true. Though I won’t ask you how you knew about that”, she giggled. She had known him well enough to know that she shouldn’t ask him how he knew about things he shouldn’t know or else he might go full “Monologue” mode again.

“Thank you”, Sherlock bowed as the two of them entered the chamber in which Celestia, Luna and the rest of the mane six were waiting for his arrival.

“Ah! Sherlock, you finally arrived”, Celestia was the first to greet him.

“Let’s cut to the chase, we haven’t got much time”, Sherlock simply said before he stood in front of the mirror. Cadance and Celestia knew his mind was going to work again. It was only a matter of seconds before he spouted all his observations.

“Sister, don’t you think he’s not the least bit courteous?” Luna whispered to Celestia after she and the others noticed his slightly odd behavior. She had at least expected him to bow before he went to work.

“Shh...don’t disturb him”, Celestia hushed her, much to Luna’s surprise. She tried to ask some more questions but she decided to keep it to herself.

“Uh...Sherlock?” Rarity stood behind the detective with a nervous smile.

“Rarity”, Sherlock turned to take a look at his cousin.

“I see you’re still...ahem...wearing the scarf I made for you”, she adlibbed when her sight fell on the black scarf she gifted him at his birthday.

“Yes, have I properly thanked you for it?” Sherlock asked back, holding the scarf with his left hoof.

“No you haven’t”, Rarity almost shouted but she managed to control herself. Sherlock never thanked her for anything in his life nor did he give her a single comforting word, “Are you going to....?” she asked with some hope that Sherlock might have changed over the years.

“Don’t press your luck”, Sherlock merely turned away, much to the surprise of Rarity and the others. So much for Sherlock turning over a new leaf.

Pinkie wasn’t able to take it anymore. Sherlock was a rude pony and she was determined to make him apologize for it.

“Hey, you meanie!” she quickly stood in front of the stallion, “Why didn’t you thank Rarity for her gift?”

“Be gone. I don’t have time for jokes, I’ve work to do”, Sherlock replied coldly while Pinkie stared at him in disbelief.

“A joke? Rarity made that for you and you call it a joke?!” Pinkie yelled, scaring Fluttershy and making her hide behind her other friends.

No answer came from Sherlock. He was trying to tune out all the noise the annoying pink pony was making. He couldn’t care less about Rarity let alone her friends.

“Pinkie, you should really calm down”, Rainbow Dash tried to pull Pinkie away from Sherlock but her hoof was roughly brushed away.

“Hey! I’m talking to you!” Pinkie yelled again. Sherlock couldn’t take it anymore. His mental volcano had finally erupted and it was sure as hell gonna burn this pony.

“What in Equestria is wrong with you!?” Sherlock began his rant as Rarity gulped; knowing what was about to come next, “Whatever broken rift or bond between me and Rarity is none of your concern even if you have some so-called personal alliance with her and these other wretches. I swear, you must have some mental disorder or lack of brain cells to bring out that kind of ignorant behavior. Why don’t you go and see a shrink? Better yet, get the hay out of here, rid the world of your cancerous existence and let me work in peace!!!” he yelled right in Pinkie’s face.

Nopony said anything for a few seconds. Before long, tears formed in the corner of Pinkie’s eyes and her mane completely deflated. As strange as that was, it did nothing to quell the frustration inside Sherlock.

Without saying another word, Pinkie rushed out of the room.

“Pinkie! Come back!” Applejack yelled as she and the others pursued their runaway friend.

“I hope you’re feeling good inside”, Rarity growled.

“I’m feeling awesome”, Sherlock sarcastically said as he watched the mares leave the room.

“Was that really necessary?” Cadance asked. She was no stranger to Sherlock’s outbursts whenever he was frustrated or enraged but this one was unlike any other.

“As necessary as you asking me that question. Let’s get back to the problem in hoof”, Sherlock simply said, pretending like nothing had happened.

“I demand you go and apologize”, Luna stood before him. She wasn’t just going to let him get away with that act especially since it happened right in front of her.

“Celestia?” Sherlock turned his attention to the older sister instead.

“Sister, please calm down”, Celestia told her sister. Luna gave her a surprised look before it was replaced with another rage face.

“Calm down? He’s disrespectful and he dared to say all those things in our presence”, she countered, “He is not going anywhere unless he promises to give the pink one an apology”.

“Sherlock, you’re going to apologize, are you not?” Celestia asked the stallion who simply shrugged, “He’ll apologize”, she gave Luna a nervous smile who wasn’t amused one bit.

“He better”, Luna growled as she turned away, not wanting to even look at Sherlock Hooves.

“Okay, I’m done”, Sherlock said, “Your guess was right. Sunset Shimmer did have some help”, he told Celestia.

“What kind of help?” Cadance asked.

“I am not sure but whoever they are, they have knowledge of this castle and they possesses at least one blueprint of it”, Sherlock told them, “And they probably also know about the positions of the guards and their routine. Not to mention the secret passages as well as the absence of magical alarms inside Twilight’s bedroom”.

“How did you...” Celestia was about to ask but she remembered the old rule, “I mean, then it must mean somepony who knows the innards of this castle clearly is working with Sunset Shimmer”, Celestia deduced.

“That is correct”, Sherlock said, “I want the names of everypony who has worked here when I return”, he added.

“When you return? Where are you going?” Cadance raised an eyebrow.

“I’m going to interrogate Miss Shimmer”, Sherlock replied without showing any expressions or emotions. He took a step towards the portal, preparing to go through it.

“Wait! You might cause an imbalance of magic inside the portal”, Celestia warned him.

“I am pretty sure that will not happen, considering that I do not possess any physical magic at all”, Sherlock said, moving closer and closer, “However, the portal will only sustain my travel so you will have to prevent any other pony from doing so lest there will be unwanted consequences”, he gave them one last warning.

“Be careful”, Cadance said with concern in her voice.

“I will be”, Sherlock gave them all an assuring nod before he jumped right in, bracing himself internally for whatever that awaited his arrival. He was going to meet Sunset Shimmer again and he was sure as hell gonna fulfill the promise he made long ago.

However, something made him feel a bit uneasy or was it someone?

> Canterlot High
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3: Canterlot High


It was all clear and beautiful near the educational institution known as Canterlot High School. Every student was looking forward to preparing for the Fall Formal which was coming up soon and the excitement in the air was palpable. That was, until a smack could be heard in front of the main entrance.

"Owww", Twilight Sparkle, now a human rubbed her head after she bumped into the see-through door, "I should've used some magic", she groaned as she slumped to the floor.

"Uh...I think that may be a bit hard", the purple canine near her said. By some weird means, Spike had also been transformed and unlike Twilight, he was now a little dog, not that he was complaining though.

Twilight hadn't anticipated the transformations so she had a hard time figuring out how to walk on two legs. She was shocked by her new bipedal form but slowly she managed to get the hang of it which was a bit of an overstatement to be honest.

"Huh!?" Twilight asked herself when she touched the top of her head, "Where's my horn!?" she yelled, frantically searching ever part of her cranium for the extension.

"I guess horns and wings don't come with this form", Spike chuckled nervously. He wasn't feeling as uncomfortable as Twilight was since he was used to getting around on all fours.

"We better find the crown quick", she told her canine companion, "I don't think I could stand another hour looking like...like...this!"
With that, she tried to stand upright, only to find herself uncontrollably staggering backwards. Just as she was about to fall down the steps behind her, two arms grabbed her, preventing her from making an unpleasant contact with the concrete floor.

"That was a close one", Twilight took a deep breath as her savior helped her get to her feet, "Thank you", she turned to face whoever had caught her.

"Thank me for what?" the tall figure asked, "For saving you? Please, I was merely stopping you from crashing rather unceremoniously right on top of me".

"Huh?" Twilight took a better look at the stranger. He was definitely taller than her and he appeared to be the male species of whatever creature she was. He had curly black hair and he wore a brown trench coat and he had a black scarf around his neck.

"Miss Sparkle, I would very much find it more comfortable if you learned to control yourself before you proceed", he told her with an unimpressed look on his face.

"I guess I should", she smiled nervously before she realized something, "Hey! How did you know my name?" she asked accusingly.

"Why wouldn't I? You gave it to me yourself back when you were enrolled into Celestia's school for gifted unicorns", he replied with a half-smirk.

"Sherlock?" Twilight's eyes widened in surprise before her mouth curled into a smile. The famous Sherlock Hooves was standing right in front her. And not only that, it was obvious that he was there to help get her crown back.

"It's been a while since we've met, little sister of Shining Armor", Sherlock said, giving her half of his attention as he continued to observe the behavior and movements of the nearby students.

He had just arrived nearly a minute ago and he was already accustomed to his new body, being able to walk properly without falling over and being able to grip things with the new appendages on his upper limbs.

"Little? Just because you're three years older than me doesn't mean you get to call me little", Twilight retorted while smiling. She was actually having a conversation with one of the best minds in the world; in short, it felt like she was in nerd heaven.

"Three years, a month, fourteen days and six hours", Sherlock corrected her.

"He's real, Spike", Twilight whispered to Spike excitedly. It was a dream come true for her, meeting a real crime solver up close and personal.

"Um...pleasure to meet you, sir", Spike chuckled nervously. He didn't know why but he felt unnaturally uneasy around Sherlock Hooves.

"Wish I could say the same", Sherlock muttered under his breath. In an instant, he shifted his focus back to the place they were in. Everything looked like it was the same as Equestria except for the fact that this realm was dominated by advanced primates which was his primary assumption when he first saw them.

"This is a large place. I wonder what it is", Twilight said on purpose, wanting to hear another precise observation from Sherlock.

"You know you could figure it out yourself", Sherlock sighed while Twilight blushed in embarrassment, "It's not a castle, it's an educational institution", he told her.

"Do you mind telling..." Twilight was about to ask before she was interrupted.

"Canterlot High School", Sherlock pointed to a banner above the main entrance. Twilight's cheeks reddened even further. She really wished she had her horn right now so she could cast some invisibility spell but unfortunately, Sherlock managed to see through her attempt at hiding the reaction.

"Shouldn't we head inside? We need to get the crown as soon as possible", Spike said in order to snap Twilight out of her brief state of embarrassment.

"Yeah, Sherlock, d-do you mind helping us find my crown?" she asked politely so as not to make it seem like she was ordering him around.

"Boring", Sherlock simply replied much to Twilight and Spike's disappointment.

"Please, we can't do this on our own", she pleaded, standing in front of him to gain his attention.

"You and I both know you can", Sherlock turned away. He never liked having help or being a mere second fiddle to anyone. No, all he wanted was the main credit, no sidekick business, just pure credit for everything.

"Please, since we're the only ones from Equestria, we have to stick together", Twilight made one last attempt at persuading the detective, "Couldn't you at least do this once?" she said with puppy eyes. By some strange reason, Sherlock couldn't help but take a small glance at her.

"This...this is strange", Sherlock mumbled to himself. It was the second time he had experience something like this, which is, having the urge to do what somepony asked. First it was his mother, then it was Cadance and now it was Shining Armor's little sister.

"Huh?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Fine...I'll do it. Just stop pestering me with trivial matters", Sherlock gave in, knowing he had no choice but to admit defeat, "Whatever bloody mess that made me do that, screw you", he silently cursed whatever mystical force that caused him to agree to Twilight's demand.

"Um...okay", Twilight said awkwardly as Sherlock opened the door for her.

After taking a deep breath, Twilight took a better look at the interiors of the school. Students were running around here and there doing their usual things. Twilight and Spike stared in awe at seeing such advanced species while Sherlock merely gave a yawn of boredom. All he wanted to do was have a little talk with Sunset Shimmer, nothing more.

"This is so grand", Twilight squealed, looking around in every direction and not even taking a clear look at the hallway in front of her.

"Watch your path, Twilight", Sherlock warned her without even giving her the smallest glance.

The next second, Twilight bumped into a blue haired boy rather hard and the two of them fell to the floor after the collision. Both were a bit shaken but otherwise unharmed in any manner.

"Told you", Sherlock said while he continued to observe the actions of the creatures in front of him, making a mental note at almost every turn of his head. He needed to make sure he had all the information he needed before he could make a move.

"You okay?" the boy asked politely, helping Twilight get to her feet.

Twilight nodded her answer, standing straight while staring at the boy as he walked away. The place truly seemed like a school although it was a whole lot bigger and way more sophisticated than any school she had ever known in Equestria.

"It appears Sunset Shimmer is here", Sherlock told Twilight and Spike as they walked down the hallway in the pretense they were actually one of the students. For them, a blown cover would mean they would have no chance in hell at getting the crown back and getting Sunset Shimmer to spill the beans.

"Huh? How? I mean, I don't see her anywhere", Spike looked around him, searching for any signs of the amber unicorn-turned-human he had seen the night before.

"That jock's discussing with his friend about the actions of a certain crimson haired friend of ours while that photographer holds some pictures of her which were obviously taken recently and to top it all off, that girl with the blue jumper is talking about her slim chances of being crowned Princess of the Fall Formal as long as Sunset Shimmer is around", Sherlock ended the brief monologue with a disgusted tone.

"Wow, Sunset Shimmer really must have some kind of problem with everyone here", Twilight deduced. Judging from Sunset Shimmer's actions the previous night, it was safe to say that she was somepony willing to do anything to get what she wanted, probably making her all the more harder to beat.

"That's a good assumption, Twilight. But in actuality, Sunset Shimmer is only the root", Sherlock corrected her after he eavesdropped on the conversation of a nearby group of eco-kids, "It appears everyone here has some sort of animosity towards one another".

Amidst the somewhat hate-filled atmosphere, Sherlock and the duo of Twilight and Spike managed to find their way to a more secluded area, away from all the bustling noises and the students.

From what he saw and heard, Sherlock stuck to an assumption that every wrong thing in the school was instigated by Sunset Shimmer in some way. Though he hated hanging onto such a tangible fact, it seemed like the only logical reason as to why anyone didn't even bother to scout them out since they were undoubtedly new to this school.

"Finally, peace and quiet", Twilight heaved a sigh of relief as they stopped moving forward.

"It appears the office of the head of this institution is located a few rooms away", Sherlock said, holding a map of the entire school and studying every nook and cranny which he could utilize later.

"Where did you get that?" Spike asked Sherlock. He didn't see him carry the map before so he was wondering where he got it from.

"Did you steal that?" Twilight asked as well. A hint of accusation could be heard in the way she inquired the taller human.

"Doesn't matter", Sherlock replied without even gracing the duo with a simple glance. He needed to make sure he had knowledge of how things worked around the school he was in before he would be able to make a decisive move.

Twilight Sparkle was about to ask again when she heard some voices around the corner. She slowly crept forward, careful in case she was about to intrude in some private conversation or something. It might lead to her coming as rude or nosey so she wanted to avoid that, especially when she was near Sherlock.

"You really are pathetic. No wonder your best friends are stray animals", a familiar voice echoed in the empty hallway. Sherlock quickly shifted his attention to the source with a scowl on his face.

He slowly walked forward, standing behind Twilight who was fuming after seeing the sight before her. A denizen of the world who closely resembled Fluttershy was being berated by a crimson-haired girl. She didn't know why but she felt she needed to intervene, probably because the girl reminded her of one of her closest friends.

"Don't", Sherlock whispered, placing his hand in front of Twilight when he saw that she was about to dive right in and give the crimson-haired girl a piece of her mind.

"But can't you see what's happening?" Twilight protested while pointing at the scene in front of her. She gritted her teeth in anger but she controlled herself, deciding to let Sherlock make the call.

"I'll handle this", Sherlock simply told her before handing her the map and walking forward and between the two girls, "That'll be enough, miss", Sherlock said to the offending girl who shot him a puzzled look.

"Who in the world are you? Huh? Her boyfriend?" the girl crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at the intruder. The other girl immediately shied away as she blushed at the mention of the word "boyfriend".

"The question is: Who are you?" Sherlock placed his index finger on her forehead which the girl quickly brushed away.

"Yeah, that's right", she smirked, "You should know better than to confront me. Do you even have any idea who I am?" she asked proudly.

"I have twelve but I'm gonna go with the most logical one and say you're Miss Sunset Shimmer", Sherlock replied, unimpressed by the superiority complex the girl possessed.

"You bet I am and if you're gonna keep up that rude attitude we're gonna have a problem", Sunset Shimmer shot a glare at Sherlock who wasn't fazed one bit.

"Your attempt at making that hollow threat is so hilarious I forgot to laugh. Try harder, you might just make me flinch", Sherlock said with his usual expressionless stare. Sunset Shimmer was starting to feel a bit weirded out by the situation but she managed to keep a straight face. Then it came to her.

"The Great Sherlock Hooves I presume?" Sunset Shimmer said in an unimpressed tone.

"Don't try to flatter me, it won't work", Sherlock replied sternly, "I suggest you start giving me answers or I'll have to force it out of you".

"Oh really? Do you even know what I am capable of? I can make you fall before me just like that", she snapped her fingers for emphasis. Despite Sherlock being a cold-hearted and slightly sociopathic individual, she knew that he could still be cracked like everyone else. Besides, there was nopony who knew him like she did.

"I'd love to see that", Sherlock said sarcastically. He didn't want to admit it but he was really keen on hearing about what kind of pony Sunset Shimmer was probably working for judging from her past actions, "Tell me, who are you working with?"

"Dream on, Sherly. You're not getting anything from me", Sunset Shimmer scoffed at Sherlock's question.

"I was expecting that", Sherlock said with a bored sigh.

"What?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"That a quintessence of failure would come up with a weak reply like that", Sherlock replied indifferently, not even giving a single buck about what Sunset Shimmer might say.

"That's rich coming from somepony who's always gonna live in the shadow of his brother's success", Sunset Shimmer shot back with a smirk on her face. Sherlock was a bit surprised by the mention of his personal life.

Yes, although he never admitted it to anyone, he had always had this fear that he might never have the success his brother, Mycroft Hooves had. Mike was the Hooves family's golden colt, a stallion suited for success while he was just an afterthought.

"Struck a nerve didn't I?" a grin of devious delight came across the face of Sunset Shimmer. She had anticipated that somepony like him was gonna show up sooner or later so with some "special" assistance, she was prepared for any situation.

"Don't press your luck", Sherlock growled before he controlled himself, "I must say though, I do admire your disregard for the opposite's emotions".

"It's none of your business, thank you very much. I'll deal with you later. See ya, losers", Sunset Shimmer walked away with her head held high. One way or another, Sherlock was going to pay for interrupting her conversation with Fluttershy.

Well played, Miss Shimmer", Sherlock mumbled before he turned to Fluttershy, "Do you know her?" he asked bluntly.

To his surprise, Fluttershy quickly turned away and cowered while trembling. Apparently according to Sherlock, she must've been a bit intimidated by the exchange between him and Sunset Shimmer. Sherlock shrugged before he signaled Twilight and Spike to come and try to strike a conversation with Fluttershy since she probably knew a thing or two about Sunset Shimmer and what kind of effect she had on the school.

"Why'd you let her off like that?" Twilight asked Sherlock, surprised that the detective had dismissed Sunset Shimmer.

"Don't fret about it, try to get some information out of her", Sherlock quickly changed the subject as he pointed at Fluttershy.

"Are you alright?" Twilight asked the pink-haired girl. Fluttershy slowly took a peek at Twilight and after she saw the friendly smile on her face, she stood up although she was still shaken after being berated by Sunset Shimmer.

After a few seconds, Fluttershy merely nodded, not even daring to talk to Twilight face to face.

"For the love of", Sherlock groaned. Things were gonna go much slower and harder than he expected and working slow was one of the few things he wanted to avoid. After all, a good detective always has the answers as soon as possible.

"Can you tell me your name?" Twilight asked calmly as she didn't want to accidentally scare the shy girl away.

Fluttershy muttered some inaudible syllables while she slightly turned her head away. Twilight sighed as she realized it was just like the first time she had met her world's Fluttershy in Ponyville. She couldn't even introduce herself properly and she could only speak normally when she saw...

"Spike", Twilight suddenly had an idea. The next moment, Spike quickly rushed next to his friend after hearing his name. He didn't speak though as Twilight told him that it might be really weird if everyone knew he was a talking dog.

"Aww...who's this cute little fellow?" Fluttershy instantly squealed as soon as she saw the purple dog before she patted his head, "Is he yours?" she asked while she caressed the canine in her arms.

"Umm...kinda", Twilight said with a nervous smile while Spike raised his eyebrow. For her, it was really strange to address her most trusted assistant as a mere pet in this world.
Suddenly, the school bell blared all around, indicating to everyone that lunch-time had arrived already. Before long, the hallways were filled with students all wanting to get to the cafeteria as soon as possible.

After exchanging formalities, Fluttershy told the trio about why Sunset Shimmer heckled her. She had found a crown a few hours back and she gave it to the principal of the school. Later on, Sunset Shimmer heard about it and demanded that she gave it back to her since it belonged to her but she told her that she didn't have it. That was when Sherlock barged in and made Sunset Shimmer go away.

"And where's the crown now?" Twilight asked.

"I gave it to Principal Celestia", Fluttershy replied causing Twilight to exchanged puzzled glances with Spike.

"Principal Celestia?", Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow while eyeing Sherlock who merely gave her a shrug, "Is she the ruler here?"

"I guess you could say that", Fluttershy said.

"So, where is the chamber where this Principal Celestia resides?" Twilight asked the girl. She was a bit surprised at the mention of the name but she figured Sherlock might have a plausible explanation to all of this as he was silent all the while.

"Third door on your left", Fluttershy replied with a smile, "Oh and you might wanna tuck him inside your backpack. That's what I do since there's a "no pets allowed" rule", she added as some chirping and some meows could be heard from her backpack.

"Okay, thanks again", Twilight said, placing Spike inside her backpack before she turned to Sherlock, "Uh...Sherlock, you coming?" she asked the detective who hadn't moved one inch.

"You go and try to find a way to get your belongings back", Sherlock said after his brief state of eerie silence, "I'll accompany Miss Fluttershy as I have some questions I need to ask", he told her before he turned to Fluttershy, "If that is alright with you".

"Of course, we can talk in the cafeteria", Fluttershy replied, a bit uneasy sticking with a complete stranger but he did stood up for her so she needed to be as hospitable and friendly as possible.

Sherlock, on the other hand, didn't share the same mentality. The last thing he'd want to do in this strange world was ally himself with the denizens. Since his knowledge of what Sunset Shimmer was capable of here in this world was bleak, he needed to expand his mind for more ideas and plans so he could know whoever was behind all of this.

"Okay, I'll catch up with you two later", Twilight said, a bit disappointed that Sherlock decided to tag along with Fluttershy. However, on the plus side, if she did manage to get her crown back from the principal, they could focus all their attention on Sunset Shimmer which meant some great deduction skills from Sherlock.

Sherlock and Fluttershy had hardly left the corner when they bumped into an old friend of Sherlock.

"Sorry, Miss Shy. It's all my bucking fault", the red-haired boy said as he held his head, in the pretense that he had actually made contact with the two.

"It's okay", Fluttershy replied and gave him a smile.

"Carbine Hubson", Sherlock said with a low growl when he heard and noticed the boy more clearly.

"Whoa! Sherlock?" Carbine gave a surprised smile as he recognized his old classmate.

"I assume this is the place you said you were going to a few years back", Sherlock said. He recalled Carbine telling him that he had overheard Celestia talk about a portal to another world on the day of Sunset Shimmer's disappearance but he had never expected the red unicorn stallion to actually enter the portal.

"That's right, ol' sport. Been living a bucking good life over here and making friends with the lads and the lasses in this school", Carbine replied, smiling and placing an arm over Sherlock.

"Do you know him?" Fluttershy asked Carbine. She had no idea that Carbine had a friend like Sherlock who knew both him and Sunset Shimmer.

"Hell yeah, did him a favor once and returned it too. Been mates ever since", Carbine gave her a huge smile while Sherlock simply groaned.

"You followed Sunset Shimmer and used her as an excuse to get here, didn't you?" Sherlock asked accusingly.

"Well, I see you're still using your Uncle Ned", Carbine chuckled, "And yes, but can you blame me? After all, she's a..."

"Yes, yes, she's your neighbor and you wouldn't want anything to happen to her. Or are you just infatuated by her?" Sherlock asked with a smirk as he deduced that Sunset Shimmer and Carbine were living together in this world.

"Now, hold on there, mister. I am not in love with Miss Shimmer. I'm just sticking with her, you know, Equestrian to Equestrian", Carbine retorted, crossing his arms while trying to hide the obvious blush on his face with a crooked smile, "Anyway, how'd you get here, ol' chap? I reckon you're not alone".

"That you assume right, old friend. I'm with Twilight Sparkle and her assistant Spike. We're here to retrieve a crown and interrogate Sunset Shimmer, nothing more", Sherlock told him his plans.

"Twilight's here too? What the buck, mate? Why'd she have to come here?" Carbine asked as his smile turned upside down.

"The crown belongs to her. And yes, she's a princess. It happened not too long ago", Sherlock said quickly before his friend could ask him another question.

"For buck's sake, she really did it", Carbine chuckled, "Too bad I wasn't there to witness it".

The next second, a faint ringing could be heard from Carbine's pockets. While Sherlock gave him a puzzled look, the red-haired boy pulled out a shiny black slab from his pocket which was vibrating in conjugation with the god-awful ringing.

"What in Equestria is that?" Sherlock asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a phone. Typical means of communication around these parts", Carbine said with the knowledge that Sherlock and Twilight were probably gonna find things awfully strange around the school, "It's a rather neat gadget. I'll tell you all about it later".

"You better", Sherlock echoed Luna's reply to him a few minutes earlier. If this meeting with Carbine was any indication, he had a lot to look into, a whole freaking lot.

"Hello...", Carbine answered the phone before he gave an annoyed groan, "For the last time, mate, you've got the wrong bloody number! And you will not, I repeat, you will not kill me let alone find me!" he yelled, turning off the phone hastily, "Bucking Bryan Mills", he mumbled as he placed his phone back inside his jeans.

"Misunderstanding, I presume?" Sherlock narrowed his eyes.

"One of many. Beg your pardon for that", Carbine said with a nervous chuckle.

"Where'd you get the money for that?" Sherlock asked.

"About that...let's not talk about that heheh", Carbine replied, "Well that's a whole lot of "that"s".

"So, I assume you think we'll be able to get the crown back while simultaneously interrogating Sunset Shimmer", Sherlock said with a rare hint of uneasiness, mainly due to knowing how much of a task it was going to be to get Sunset Shimmer to talk.

"Well, I don't know about the "getting crown back" part but I sure as hell know that you're not gonna get shit out of Sunset Shimmer", Carbine replied honestly.

"Nothing's impossible for me", Sherlock said bluntly and with a strong hint of confidence.

"That's your problem then, not mine", Carbine shrugged, "Anyway, how's my grandma? She's still good and kicking, yes?"

"Mrs. Hubson's still alive. Though I'm not overly fond of her taste in music", Sherlock replied. Miss Hubson was her landlady who lived alone and despite her gullibility, she was a kind pony who cared for her like he was her kin.

"That's a relief heheh. It was really good that I had moved out before I got trapped in this place", Carbine wiped a drop of sweat off his brow, "So, have you got a place to crash?"

"I don't intend on staying for long", Sherlock said, remembering what Celestia said about the three-day window period.

"I'll take that as a no", Carbine smiled before he prepared to walk away, "You want some cider from Miss Jack? They're really awesome", he told his friend.

"Cider? I didn't know you indulged", Sherlock asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It doesn't beat some Thelma Ritter but it sure as bloody hell got a bucking kick heheh. I'll see you later, mate", Carbine laughed a bit before he went away.

"Tell me everything you know about him and Sunset Shimmer", Sherlock said to Fluttershy who hastily nodded. If Carbine was here too, that could mean only two things. One, either he was in cahoots with Sunset Shimmer or two, he was there to keep an eye on Miss Shimmer, damage limitation to be precise.

On the way to the cafeteria, Sherlock continued thinking about the situation he was in just a few minutes ago. Sunset Shimmer's body language suggested that she wasn't under the influence of any mind-altering drug or mentality-changing spell. It appeared like she was acting on her own accord so Sherlock stuck with an assumption that she was manipulated by somepony a few years ago.
The question on Sherlock's mind though was: 

What kind of sick bloke would mastermind all of this?
> James
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


 Chapter 4: James 


As usual, the bustling students were temporarily reorganized in a somewhat straight line in the cafeteria where they were all queuing up as it was lunch time. Business went by as it did any other day as one by one, the students moved ahead orderly, that is, until the arrival of a certain semi-pissed detective.

Sherlock Hooves mindlessly shuffled through the queue, completely ignoring the puzzled and annoyed looks the students shot at him as he kept cutting through, a concerned and a bit embarrassed Fluttershy following him close behind, hoping that Sherlock might get out of this intact.

Twilight Sparkle had taken a bit too long for Sherlock's liking so he decided it was best to have a bite or two while waiting for the princess. Although he initially desired to have a brief interrogation of Miss Shy, it seemed as though he had to sit through the entire lunch time but it didn't bother him much as it meant he would be able to get out more details from the pink-haired girl.

"Sherlock...um...s-shouldn't we get in line?" Fluttershy timidly asked the detective while they kept moving through the line.

"Waste of time", Sherlock replied bluntly without gracing her with a glance while moving forward. "Hey"s and "Huh"s could be heard from the annoyed line but Sherlock easily tuned them out in the pretense that they hadn't the faintest idea of his existence.

Fluttershy merely gave a sigh of boredom. It was no use trying to warm up to Sherlock especially after that altercation with Sunset Shimmer. But who could blame him? Being at odds with Miss Shimmer was one of the dumbest things someone could do.

"I'll have an apple", Sherlock told Granny Smith. Groans could be heard from the line of students behind in almost immediately.

"An apple? Really? That's the reason why you cut forward?" an annoyed rainbow-haired girl commented.

"Your problem, not mine", Sherlock simply shrugged before he took the apple and made a beeline towards an empty table.

Quietly, Fluttershy followed the cynic to a table while she held a fruit salad. Whoever he was, Sherlock sure had a talent for causing trouble and getting out of it easily.

"Um...can I ask you a question?" Fluttershy asked timidly.

"Yes", Sherlock replied as he took a bite out of the apple he was holding, savoring the taste. Fortunately, as he had observed the habits of the nearby beings, he had no trouble holding the fruit with his hand before consuming it, a problem which most ponies wouldn't be able to cope with easily.

"Is Twilight planning on running for the Fall Formal Princess?" Fluttershy asked with some concern.

"That's two", Sherlock looked at her straight in her cyan eyes.

"What?" Fluttershy was genuinely puzzled by the reply.

"You asked two questions", Sherlock turned his head away as he finished the apple, taking the time to look for any signs of his companion and her assistant.

"Oh...I guess I did", Fluttershy gave a nervous giggle while she blushed a bit, "Maybe he does have a sense of humor", she thought as she stared at the supposedly cold and calculating boy.

"Fall Formal...nothing more than a glorified pageant where everyone showcases how extravagant and narrow-minded they are. I mean what is the use of a presentation without a demonstration. Does the event signify anything important or noteworthy for the winner? In my opinion, it's just an unnecessary and pathetic excuse for a ball", Sherlock mumbled in a tone just loud enough for Fluttershy to hear.

"T-That's not true", Fluttershy frowned after she heard the words from Sherlock's mouth.

"I'm always right" Sherlock ended on a confident tone when he noticed Twilight heading towards them, "So, let's get on to the real business here", he suddenly said, "What do you know about Sunset Shimmer?"

"Uh...I don't think I-I should say something bad about someone else. I-I might hurt their feelings", Fluttershy timidly replied.

"Honesty always hurts. Just tell me what you know", Sherlock said adamantly.

"W-Well, she's not that nice and...she likes to shout at people a-and...", Fluttershy stammered.

"And she's the most intimidating person you have ever met. She was also the Fall Formal Princess for three straight years and there hasn't been anyone who's been able to touch her. Thank you for your cooperation", Sherlock deadpanned. Fluttershy merely responded with a puzzled look on her face, "Now, is there something I don't know?" he asked again.

"Umm...she also has two friends who seem to help her out a lot", Fluttershy replied after she remembered something.

"Accomplices? This rather interesting. Who are they?" Sherlock quickly inquired.

"Snips and Snails. They're only following Sunset Shimmer's demands", Fluttershy replied.

"Too bad...I was hoping for more of a challenge", Sherlock said with a sigh of boredom, "Well, what about Carbine?"

"I-I don't actually know him that much. He occasionally hangs out with Sunset Shimmer and the two boys. He frequently locks himself in the Art Room", Fluttershy said, this time without any hesitation or fear.

"Yes, he was known to be quite artistic back in the day", Sherlock placed his head on the palm of his hand, "He won't be causing trouble that's for sure. No, Sunset Shimmer's the main problem...but who is she working with?" he asked himself.

"I-I don't know if this might help but..." Fluttershy said as she pulled out a small piece of paper from her backpack, "..I found this near the crown", she gave the paper to Sherlock.

"Random, useless clue", Sherlock commented, tossing the paper away.

"Huh? How'd you know?" Fluttershy asked as she grabbed the paper.

"Did you even read it? "WILY DEER HILLS" it says", Sherlock groaned, "There's no such place in existence here or in Equestria. And any of those horned four-legged creatures wouldn't venture to higher ground unless they've gone barmy. This is a totally useless clue".

"I thought it might mean something" Fluttershy said lowly, placing the paper back inside.

"Oh hey, you two" Twilight greeted the seated duo but she was greeted back by silence. Fluttershy was back to her intimidated state while Sherlock was cooling down after his latest rant.

... ... ...

Twilight waited and waited for a squeak from either one but nobody said anything for an awkward ten seconds.

"Ahem...I've got some good news and some bad news", she smiled sheepishly.

"Spill it", Sherlock said as he pulled out a newspaper from outta nowhere and read it.

"The good news is Sunset Shimmer won't get the crown at all. It's in safe hooves...er...hands", Twilight quickly corrected herself.

"That's good news. Though I'm not sure how that is good in any way I know", Fluttershy smiled a little as she ate her salad, "And the bad news?" she asked.

"The bad news is we can't get the crown either, am I right?" Sherlock replied before Twilight could say a single word.

"Well I guess you are", Twilight replied, smiling nervously.

"I'm always right", Sherlock repeated, displacing his attention to the newspaper in front of him.

"Umm...T-Twilight? Are you planning on running for the Fall Formal Princess?" Fluttershy asked the princess.

"I guess I have to. I mean, it's the only way to get the crown", Twilight told her.

"These plans say otherwise", Sherlock replied as he placed a small note in front of Twilight, "And they have more probability to get us the crown just in case you are wondering".

"Let me take a look at that", Twilight quickly grabbed the note. A brief reading later, Twilight sheepishly smiled before he returned it. "I...I don't think it's a very...ahem...good idea", she said, trying her best not to sound like she was trying to offend Sherlock, "Especially the "borrowing" part".

"So, you can't steal your own stuff back? I misjudged you, Miss Sparkle. You're too cautious for my liking", Sherlock said, "And I thought you wanted to save Equestria".

"I-I do but this...this is against my morals. I'm sorry but I can't", Twilight replied sternly. Sherlock merely gave her an indifferent look before he retrieved the note.

"Maybe I'm forcing my ideals on you a bit too much", Sherlock admitted, "Very well", he sighed, "You will get your way..."

"Thank you. I promise you, I will try everyth..." Twilight said excitedly before she was stopped mid-sentence.

"I wasn't finished", Sherlock growled.

"Sorry"

"Anyway, as I was saying. If you don't manage to get your crown back at the event, I will carry out my plan whether you or anyone else like it or not", Sherlock finished on a serious note.

"I understand", Twilight nodded, "I will get my crown back", she announced before she ducked her head down, taking a latching bite onto the apple in front of her before she began eating it like an equine.

Fluttershy and Sherlock gave her surprised looks while they ate their own lunch. A few seconds later though, Twilight noticed what was wrong and she instantly placed the apple down before eating it properly.

"I don't think you should run for the Fall Formal Princess", Fluttershy voiced her concern.

"Why not?" Twilight asked.

"Well..I-I...I think..." Fluttershy stuttered a bit when she tried to warn Twilight about Sunset Shimmer.

"The Fall Formal is Sunset Shimmer's playground. You have little to no chance of overthrowing her", Sherlock replied on Fluttershy's behalf.

"Huh? But I thought you said everyone here thinks Sunset Shimmer is a troublemaker. That alone should be able to get me some votes, right?" Twilight countered.

"I didn't say that. I said Sunset Shimmer was the root of all the problems here", Sherlock answered before turning to Fluttershy, "Isn't that right, Miss Shy?"

"W-Well...I'm not sure but...ever since Sunset Shimmer and Carbine arrived, every friendship ever made between different students and groups had been broken. I can't directly blame her though; no one has any proof of it. They all just blame each other for the fractures", Fluttershy explained.

"Maybe that's why everyone's sitting at different places and not even communicating with others", Twilight said as she looked around, referring the other students present at the cafeteria.

"You'll have to convince all of them to vote for you if you want to be Fall Formal Princess", Fluttershy told Twilight.

"Well, what're we going to do?" Twilight asked while Fluttershy secretly placed some dog treats inside Twilight's backpack for Spike, "Sherlock, it's your call. But no stealing, please".

"Run for the bloody crown", Sherlock bluntly told her.

"That was pretty straightforward", Twilight smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, Twilight", Fluttershy said, earning the princess' attention, "Do you know anyone named Carbine Hubson?" she asked.

"Carbine Hubson?" Twilight arched her eyebrow before she remembered, "Oh yeah, I remember", she replied, "He foalsitted...I mean...babysitted me while I was younger for about a week. He was a pretty swell guy to hang with".

"Yes, yes, he was your main company a decade ago while Cadenza was ill, we get it", Sherlock said out of boredom, placing the newspaper of Twilight, "Read the headlines", he ordered.

"Um...okay..." Twilight shrugged before she began to read it, "Fall Formal in Two Days", she read aloud, "What's so important about that?" she asked Sherlock.

"The window period. We either get it right the day after tomorrow or we're never going to succeed and I will not be labeled a "FAILURE"", Sherlock asserted.

"I do know that, Sherlock. So, should we get moving?" Twilight asked as she stood up from her seat. Fluttershy had finished her lunch already so they were reading to head off.

"You are", Sherlock replied, "I need to have a little word with Carbine and if possible, Miss Shimmer", he said the latter's name with a hint of disgust.

"What? After what happened, you're still going to try to talk with Sunset Shimmer?" Twilight was obviously surprised by Sherlock's plans.

"In order to make this easier for you", Sherlock told her, "Getting information out of Carbine will be a breeze. Miss Shy will accompany you and tell you what you need to know about the Fall Formal".

"Huh...is that so? Well, thanks a lot for helping me out, Fluttershy", Twilight gave the pink haired girl a smile.

"Um...you're welcome...", Fluttershy replied, not sure whether she should be happy that Twilight was nice to her or guilty that she was probably leading the poor girl to the same fate a certain girl met at the Spring Fling.


Some minutes later


"What!? You just told him stuff just like that!?" Sunset Shimmer yelled right at the face of a red-haired boy. Snips and Snails were close by, covering their ears with their hands.

"What're you so uptight about, Shimmer?" Carbine asked indifferently, "I only told him we stayed together above the bakery", he shrugged.

"You don't get it, do you?" Sunset Shimmer facepalmed, "Now he knows he can get to me using you, you...douchebag!"

"Wow, that really hurt", Carbine said sarcastically, "Look, I don't give a buck about what you might do to him but you ain't layin' a finger on Twilight, you got it?" Now it was time for Carbine to be on the offense.

It was true. He really had gotten attached to the unicorn even though their time together was short. If it was anything, he had somewhat looked at Twilight as if she was his sister.

"As long as she doesn't stick her nose into my business", Sunset Shimmer chuckled devilishly, "Anyway, you left this at the art room", she handed him a notebook, "So, who exactly are you writing this...love letter to?" she smirked.

"If it's all the same to you, we'll shut up about this", Carbine growled, snatching the notebook, "It's for someone special to me".

"You have a girlfriend?" Snails asked while Snips shot an inquisitive look.

"Hell no! Just because Miss Shimmer dated Flash doesn't mean you need to assume that I have a girlfriend as well", Carbine quickly denied.

"I have to admit though, I never knew you could write something so sweet", Sunset Shimmer said with grin, "Really makes me wonder who would catch your attention that much to make you write those".

"Like I said before, it's someone special", Carbine replied, annoyed, "Anyway, Sherlock's gonna meet me soon, you three better make yourself scarce", he advised.

"And...?" Sunset Shimmer asked one last time.

"And I won't tell the bloody guy anything that'll make him "get" to you", Carbine groaned.

"Good", Sunset Shimmer smirked, turning around and leaving with the Snips and Snails before long.

Sherlock wasn't gonna be a major factor. Nope, Twilight was more likely to interfere with her plans and expose her. She needed to get rid of her and she needed to do it fast. Fortunately for Twilight, this wasn't Equestria. This was Sunset Shimmer's domain and she probably wasn't going to last long in this environment.

As for Sherlock, HE had already informed her everything she needed to know not long ago. She had no need to worry about him.

HE already promised that Sherlock was gonna die.
> Moving The Pieces
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5 : Moving The Pieces


Sherlock mindlessly walked down the hallway, searching for Carbine and more importantly, Sunset Shimmer. Clutching a note on his left hand, he kept on going until the Art Room came into view.

With a tug, the door of the Art Room swung upon, revealing a messy room with different colours of the rainbow splashed on the walls and on the floor which were fortunately covered in large sheets of paper. In the middle of all the colors was a red-haired boy giving the detective the worst poker face ever.

"Hey! Sherlock!" Carbine shouted at close range, "Knew you'd come although I never reckoned you'd show up a tad earlier, ol' sport".

"We've no time for this" Sherlock bluntly said, whacking the paintbrush out of Carbine's hand, "Who's been sending Sunset Shimmer these?" he asked as he shoved the paper from Fluttershy's backpack right at his face.

"No bloody idea", Carbine replied, "Although I have a hunch that it's from..."

"The same pony who helped Sunset Shimmer break into the Crystal castle undetected, I know. Just tell me who the hell has she been meeting?" Sherlock finished.

"Guess you fancy getting everything outta me now heheh", Carbine chuckled nervously, "Alright, Sunny's been texting somepony every single day ever since we got here. Everything we had, every bloody crap we done, it's all planned by whomever she's been talking to. And everything always works out".

"Interesting. It appears Miss Shimmer has an accomplice that has more knowledge about this world than I initially thought", Sherlock admitted, placing his head on his hand.

"I've tried asking her about it but she keeps shoving the fact that I'm only where I am because of her right at my face" Carbine added, "She's right though. I wouldn't have lasted a freaking day in this place without her friend's plans".

"Let's backtrack a little bit", Sherlock interrupted while he sat on a chair, "You have said that everything you did had been planned out by her aid. I believe you meant the previous two Fall Formals, Spring Flings and the falling out of the school unity"

"Spot on, old chap", Carbine smiled, "I'm not entirely sure how but ever since the other lads and lasses got separated from each other, she quickly rose to power".

"What about last night? I take it you do know what happened"

Carbine's smile slowly faded away. He hadn't anticipated that Sherlock would be asking questions regarding the events of the previous night.

"..I...I...I'm not gonna lie...", Carbine's spirit rapidly dropped, "I knew she was going to do something dumb as soon as the portal was opened again and when it did open, I didn't follow her and warn Princess Celestia even though I could have".

"Yes, burn yourself inside for that mistake", Sherlock coldly replied, getting up and preparing to leave the Art Room.

"It's because of her" Carbine lowered his head.

"Sunset Shimmer?"

"No"

"Really? You still don't harbor any intentions of reconciliation with her?" Sherlock asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a bloody impossible task, mate. Can't just go swooping in say you're sorry. Nope, can't work that way", Carbine replied, barely managing to force a small smile.

"Still, you're all to blame for Sunset Shimmer getting her hands on the crown in the first place" Sherlock slowly turned his head away, "I know you won't aid us so I suggest you don't stand in our way"

"Take care of Twilight. She may not share the same feelings but I sure as bloody hell don't want anything bad happen to her" Carbine pleaded.

"I don't plan on letting any harm befall the princess. However, she chose her own path. I won't stir her away but I won't be held accountable for any wrong decisions she might make...like running for the Fall Formal Princess", Sherlock said without any emotion as he exited the room.

"Yeah, I know right? Hehehe", Carbine chuckled before he realized something, "Fall Formal Princess? Oh shit..."





The little brother of Mycroft slowly plodded lazily towards the gymnasium which was, from what he had heard, was the place where he could find Princess Twilight Sparkle. With the plot thickening at every new information it stored, his mind raced to find out what or who exactly Sunset Shimmer was in cahoots with.

Just as he was about to open the doors of the gymnasium, a student holding stacks of clothing crashed right into him, much to his annoyance. Fortunately for Sherlock, his face barely managed to miss the aluminum handle right next to him.

"Oh...I'm terribly sorry, I didn't see you there", an almost familiar voice immediately apologized as he tried to regain his composure from the crash.

"Really? With all those dresses blocking your view, I sought and failed to find a reason why you wouldn't expect a collision", Sherlock grumbled, annoyed.

"I guess you are right. I really should stop walking around handling more clothes than I can handle", the girl, whose hair was an all too familiar blue said.

Sherlock blinked twice as he stared at the girl he bumped into. It wasn't her, was it?

The same makeup, the same hairstyle and the same blue eyes. Even if he tried to resist being fed the reality, he had to eventually accept it. He had just bumped into his own cousin, Rarity.

"Beg your pardon, mister", Rarity said with a nervous smile as she waved a hand in front of Sherlock's face to get his attention, "But do you mind taking a step back? You're standing on top of one of my dresses"

"This...this is an unexpected turn of events", Sherlock said as he slowly turned his back, much to Rarity's confusion, "No, it's impossible", he told himself, "Is it not?"

He was once again swallowed by his thoughts about the current situation. How could he be so stupid? If he had met humans who were obvious counterparts of the ponies in Equestria, why hadn't he figured that he was going to meet Rarity of all ponies eventually?

It wasn't as if he was scared or terrified of her, it was just that...he felt...remorseful even though he would never show it.

This Rarity probably hadn't faced the same treatment he gave to his while he was younger and immature. She was undoubtedly more polite in his presence, a clear indication that she might have not met his counterpart in this world.

"Uh...pardon my interruption but I haven't seen you around here, have I?" Rarity suddenly asked, snapping the detective out of his thoughts.

"I'm new" Sherlock replied as he helped pick up an eerily familiar black scarf from the small pile of clothes on the floor, "This..." he muttered, holding the scarf and fixing his gaze on it.

"Oh, what a coincidence!" Rarity chimed, "Your scarf looks just like the one I made for my cousin", she commented.

"Cousin?" Sherlock quickly turned to her.

"I made it especially for him", she replied, admiring the scarf, "Come to think of it, you do remind me of him in a way. Do you mind telling me your name?"

"I...My name is..." Sherlock hesitated a bit before he decided she deserved an answer, "Just call me Sherly".

"Okay, good to see you, Sherly", Rarity nodded with a warm smile on her face while she picked up the last dress that was on the floor, "I would love to give you a tour of the school but as you see, I am a bit occupied", she giggled before she turned to leave, "I do hope you enjoy your time here".

"We share the same sentiment, Rarity" Sherlock said in an almost inaudible tone as he watched the girl leave.

A small smile formed on his almost expressionless face as he began pondering about what kind of person his counterpart might be. Considering the attitude of this world's Rarity, it appeared that either his counterpart had a working connection with her or she had never met him before. Either way, he was a bit happy to know that his assumption from before was true.

After taking a few moments to return to reality, he peered through the door of the gymnasium after he heard some balloons popping some seconds before. From the corner of his eye, he could see Sunset Shimmer and two small boys, presumably the accomplices Fluttershy had mentioned before leaving the gym through a backdoor. With a slight push of the doors, he entered the gym.

For some reason, those that were present, including Twilight had their attentions diverted to Sunset Shimmer so they didn't notice his entrance right away. That didn't bother Sherlock much though as he resorted to using the time to analyze the decorations hanging everywhere. A work, which he deduced, could only be done by a professional decorator or party planner.

"Hey! Sherlock!" Twilight waved at him as soon as she noticed the detective, "So, did you meet Carbine? What did he tell you?" she asked even before she approached him.

"Everything's planned", Sherlock replied softly.

"What?" Twilight arched an eyebrow.

"Sunset Shimmer is getting her hands on the crown one way or another", he promptly told her.

"Wha-at?!" Twilight yelled out loud before she quieted down, "I thought you said we had a chance at getting it back", she said.

"That was before I found out everything's fixed and planned for Sunset Shimmer", he replied with a heavy sigh, "We can't even steal the crown. Whoever Sunset Shimmer's working with would probably see it coming".

"You're not giving up, are you?" Twilight asked, "We should at least try. I've already signed up".

"Do what you want. I already told you I'm not going to interfere with your methods"

"But you also said you were going to help me"

"I would if I was positive Carbine was lying but he was not. The only thing we can do is let the others do it for us"

"Let them do what?"

"Change the plans. We're constants, they're variables", Sherlock replied, pointing at a pink haired girl and another girl wearing a hat just a few feet away, "Get them all together to form one giant constant that even Sunset Shimmer can't use. In order words, brush up your knowledge and find something useful or this mission is done"

"That won't be too hard", Twilight chuckled nervously.

"Believe me, it will be", Sherlock looked at her straight in her eyes, "Head for the library, I'll meet you there", he added.

"What're you going to do?" Twilight asked.

"You wanted my help, didn't you?" Sherlock asked back.

"Err...okay then..." Twilight said with a sheepish smile before she left the gym.

Sherlock stopped before he let out another heavy sigh. Organization wasn't one of his strong points and it had sucked that it was the one thing he needed to make sure the hand of luck pointed at them. Winning over the students was an almost impossible task for him. He had barely managed to make friends with just Shining Armor and Cadance before and doing the same to a whole mass of strangers was completely out of the question.

However, he felt a bit relieved that Twilight Sparkle was with him especially after he heard all about the friends she had made in a place she had barely been to before. If there was one thing he could bet on, it was that the princess would find a way to do the same to the students.

"What was Sunset Shimmer doing here?" he asked the girl wearing a hat, "I'm guessing she was foreseeing the decorations in this place".

"Yeah...you're right, she was" the girl replied with a hint of anger at the mere mention of the name, "And what about you, mister? Can't say I've seen you 'round these parts", she asked with a smile.

"Sherlock Hooves. I think there's no harm in saying that I am here for the Fall Formal", Sherlock replied.

"Well, the name's Applejack and this here's Pinkie Pie", the girl said happily, pointing a finger at the pink-haired girl standing next to her who gave Sherlock an enthusiastic wave, "Dunno if someone else had done it before but welcome to Canterlot High", she extended her hand for a handshake.

"I've already got my share of welcomes around here", Sherlock said bluntly, making Applejack awkwardly place her hand down, "I will admit though, the decorations in this place are average...for something made by a bunch of apes".

"Was that a compliment? Cause it sure doesn't sound like one", Applejack scratched her head.

"Of course it was, silly!" Pinkie suddenly said, standing between the two, "OMIGOSH! If you're new here then we should totally have a party to welcome you here! It is gonna be so epic and great and off the charts! What do you say? Huh? Huh? HUH?" she got right in Sherlock's face in an instant, the detective slowly moving back.

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather avoid having another "unpleasant" conversation" Sherlock told her after a few moments of unusual hesitation. Although he was able to handle the "Rarity's counterpart" situation easily, it felt a bit awkward for the famed detective to talk to a counterpart of the pink pony he had mercilessly berated.

"Another? You met Pinkie before?" Applejack asked, raising her eyebrow.

"And I'd rather enjoy it if you don't ask me questions regarding that, Applejack", Sherlock quickly added.

"I think grumpy pants needs a party! ASAP!" Pinkie whispered a bit loudly in Applejack's ear.

"I think he's just feelin' the ol' anxiety. You know, new day, new school. Every darn one of us had it, didn't we?" Applejack assumed.

"Do you mind ceasing your blather?" Sherlock asked the girls, annoyed at the diversion of the attention.

"Oh sorry, is there somethin' you want, Sherlock?" Applejack asked politely.

"There's a high possibility that you might not have the answer but what I'd like to ask you is: Do you have any idea as to how every student got separated from one another?" Sherlock asked, looking at Applejack straight in the eyes.

"Uhh...Honestly, I'm not sure, I mean, you've gotta ask everyone to get the answer" Applejack replied as she shrugged.

"How about I just ask you? I know you have some animosity targeted at a rainbow-haired girl", Sherlock inquired.

"Rainbow Dash? How did you?...She ruined my sale by not showin' up like she was supposed to", Applejack answered in a tone of rekindled frustration and anger.

"She notified you in person?"

"Err...not exactly...she texted me but still, she should've shown up" Applejack crossed her arms. Sherlock could see that she felt uneasy at giving the answer, probably because of her lack of confidence in it.

"Yes...she should've", Sherlock mumbled, remembering the few important words he heard coming from the said girl back at the cafeteria, "And she would've", he added under his breath.

"WOW! How did you know Applejack and Rainbow Dash totally hate each other? Are you a psychic like your friend?" Pinkie Pie asked excitedly. Sherlock merely facepalmed himself.

"Of course, I'm psychic! How else would you explain the bloody trench coat?" Sherlock replied before he exited the gym in a hurry.

"That explains that", Pinkie gave a huge smile.

"He was bein' sarcastic, sugarcube", Applejack told her.


+++++++


"Sorry mister!" a rather stout boy apologized after bumping into the much taller boy. Sherlock rolled his eyes after seeing how clumsy the boy and his friend were.

"And they're Sunset Shimmer's accomplices? Give me a break", Sherlock said to himself as he entered the library, "Another erasable variable" he thought.

Something caught his eye though, making him steal one last glance at the duo before they disappeared behind a door. They both had the devices Carbine showed them earlier and he felt a bit of regret not taking the time to ask Carbine more about what they were capable of.

Shaking his head, Sherlock entered the library right in front of him. It was quite a marvelous place, for library that is. A large equine statue stood in the middle of the circular shelves of books.

He arched an eyebrow, however, when he saw Twilight with a stack of books on her head and arms.

"What are you doing, Twilight?" Sherlock asked the princess from behind. Twilight was visibly startled and as a result, she dropped the books she was carrying, followed by a reprimanding "Shhh" from another female human.

"Just...gathering knowledge about the school like you asked" Twilight replied, picking up the books she dropped.

"I never knew the school was centered on the study of Advanced Quantum Physics for Dummies" Sherlock sighed as he held up a book.

"Err...I only planned to read that in case I get bored heheh", Twilight smiled sheepishly before she took the book from Sherlock.

"Looks like we may have to spend the night in this world after all" Sherlock said, obviously annoyed by the stated fact.

"Where'll we sleep?" Spike asked from beneath the pile of books.

"Oops...sorry, Spike", Twilight apologized as she removed two books which kept the purple dog hidden.

"Here" Sherlock replied, "We'll spend the night here. We can't afford to waste our time searching for other places".

"That's a good point and plus, we get to read all the books here! Can you believe our luck?" Twilight said excitedly, almost too excited for Sherlock's liking.

"I absolutely can't" Sherlock groaned before he grabbed a random book, "I'll be in the upper levels reading this..." he added, checking the title, "...The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes?"


Some hours and several books later


"And then the masked man grabbed Sherlock while Watson watched on in disbelief and..." Sherlock muttered to himself as he read the book.

The sun had disappeared for a good four hours and apart from the occasional flipping of pages, not a single peep could be heard from the girl and her dog.

Engrossed in his story, Sherlock wondered if the book had actually been based on his own life especially when he read about Sherlock Holmes' family. But he dismissed the idea quickly after realizing the story was written well over a century ago.

"Sherlock? " the detective could hear Spike's voice coming from near the stairs, "Twilight's found something ".

"Are you sure it's not related to anything remotely quantum physical? " Sherlock asked with a slight hint of annoyance. 

"I'm pretty sure it isn't that" Spike insisted. 

"Fine" Sherlock groaned, "I'll be down"

With that, Sherlock followed the purple dog down the stairs to the second floor where Twilight sat, giving her attention to a book on the table in front of her.

Judging from the cover, it appeared to be one of those so-called year books which recorded the events of a school's year.

"I do hope you found something relevant" Sherlock said, standing behind Twilight. 

"Sherlock, take a look at these" Twilight told him as she showed him some photos from the year book.

Different groups of students hanging out together and participating in school activities. The most noticable things absent were Sunset Shimmer and Carbine Hubson.

"Which year is this?" Sherlock inquired as Twilight flipped the page to reveal a familiar group of friends. 

"Probably way before Sunset Shimmer arrived" Twilight assumed after noticing the age of her friends. 

"Keep that" Sherlock pointed at the book,"There's a possibility it will prove useful later".

"Okay" Twilight nodded before she yawned, "I...should get some sleep" she added. 

In an instant, the princess fell asleep on the table, a purple dog curled right next to her.

Sherlock watched the sleeping figures for a few minutes ro make sure they were alright.  Slowly, he headed for the stairs but something made him stop in his tracks. He walked back stealthily towards Twilight before he sighed heavily. 

"You owe me one, Shining" Sherlock muttered before he removed his coat and placed it over Twilight. 

After making sure his companions were both comfortable, Sherlock sneaked back upstairs to finish his book.