//------------------------------// // Distorted Visions // Story: Equestria Noire // by PonyManne215 //------------------------------// ‘The case that makes you or the case that breaks you. This is one of the most profound mottos for any aspiring police detectives. Looking back, I think that I did well. If there was one thing that I wasn’t proud of; it was that I wouldn’t always be able to save everyone. My partners always told me that I needed to just accept that I’m not Jesus or God. There’s no way that I would be able to save them all. But still…I..I just couldn’t take it when I saw some young men or women cut down in their prime because some murderous psychopath needed to get the edge off. What kind of world has Earth become? Children and high-school kids are raised in an environment surrounded by murder, rape, robbery, and drugs. The scariest part is that they accept it. They have no quarrel and some even participate in it. If I could just do more than catch the bad guy..’ Cole Phelps’ previous day had been very eventful considering he had just arrived not even three days ago. On his first day, he solved a little inconvenience that ended quickly. The second day, however, ended up being a full on chase and brawl. He took a few hits here and there but he managed to overpower them and apprehend the criminals. It turned out, the Diamond Dogs were threatening to hurt Bon-Bon for a ransom. Lyra Heartstrings had to gather the things they needed to stave off the brutes. The whole thing was solved and Lyra, Bon-Bon, and Octavia got around to talking and resolved the tension between them. As for the item in question, the concert ticket was never found. Not much was given on its location or who had obtained it by now. The interrogation that followed after the event proved to be fruitless. The Dogs were unresponsive in any type of techniques. The detective tried all that he could, from appealing to them, playing the two sided personalities, threatening them with a long-term sentence, and finally more..physical means. Phelps did manage to gain one thing out of the perpetrators. He received three letters; FFB. What it meant, he had no clue but he knew he would find out eventually. He kept the single fact to himself and had the criminals hauled away to the Canterlot Castle dungeons. None of the cities apparently had any type of police force except for a neighborhood watch and the Princess’s Royal Guard. He informed Twilight Sparkle of the mishap and she wrote a letter for Princess Celestia to send a detachment of Pegasi to transport them. The rest of the day was spent speaking with Twilight, more specifically scolding her for her abrasive actions. She seemed to be very disappointed in herself when Cole told her of the many things that could have happened since she was following him. But past all of the faults, Cole commended her for being there. Had she not been there, he might have not found the Diamond Dogs and Bon-Bon in time. He congratulated her on her initiative and even told her that he would consider training her as a detective and as his partner. Twilight seemed to be so overjoyed at this, that she fainted. Cole, who was confused and out-right tired, just went home and decided to sleep early. No nightmares were had on this night. Cole slept soundly of a meadow with wildlife and flowing streams. He had finally gotten some deep sleep. Rarity’s Boutique 5:00 AM Cole Phelps, detective and defender of the people, shifted upwards and made his way out of the bed. He went to the bathroom and did his morning routine. He brushed his teeth, relieved himself of bodily fluids, took a warm shower, and dressed himself in the new suit that Rarity had completed for him. The entire outfit itself was black with a blue overtone. It was like the same suit that he had worn during his days as a Homicide detective. The fedora was the same, a blue shade of black, and it had a red lining. His tie was black as well. Most people or ponies in this case, would look him as a macabre or grim type of person. This was mainly due to his outfit, but was also accompanied by the fact that he had dealt with so many morbid crimes. Cole moved to the mirror and rubbed around his face. ‘Looks like the stubble is growing in soon. I need to shave by tomorrow.’ He moved out of the bathroom and towards the door in his given room to go outside. He opened the door and could overhear some raised voices arguing. He moved towards the noise which seemed to be downstairs. He quietly walked down; careful as to not have the floorboards creak and give away his presence, and listened in on the conversation. “Sweetie Belle, how many times have I told you to not cook breakfast yourself? This toast is burnt beyond recognition.” Rarity said in an annoyed voice. “It’s not that burnt..and that’s the milk anyway!” Sweetie Belle’s squeaky and cracking voice replied. “Honestly, Sweetie! This is completely uncouth.” “Rarity, you think everything is uncouth!” “Why..I….you..why I never!” Rarity seemed to be getting angry. “Besides, I thought that maybe I could do your job for a day sis. Can I do it? Can I design clothes for your customers? I already started on that fancy looking one that says ‘FP’.” “…..Did you just say ‘FP’? Sweetie..please tell me that you didn’t mess up the designs I was making for Fancy Pants!” “Oh…I may have cut it a teensy bit..” “Sweetie…” Cole was at the bottom of the steps by now. He was watching as the two feuding sisters were yelling back and forth amongst themselves, apparently not aware of the human. For some reason, as Rarity called her little sister’s name, she turned her head around so that Sweetie Belle couldn’t see. Then, she gritted her teeth together, her eyes looked like they were bulging out of the sockets, and she cocked her head left and right. That was when she saw the questioning glare coming from Phelps. She smiled awkwardly at him and proceeded to calm down. Cole continued to stare at her with his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth ready to say something. She gave a nervous laugh before turning to her sister. “We’ll talk about this later.” “Why Rarity? It looked like you wanted to say something else.” “We have a guest here.” Sweetie Belle moved her head around from Rarity who was blocking her view and saw Cole who tipped his hat at her. “Oh hey, Mr. Cole! I didn’t see you there.” Cole spoke up, breaking his morning silence and lightening the mood. “Hello Miss Belle. Nice to see you so up and early. By the way, what was that about?” He asked. “Oh, I just messed up-” “No not that,” Cole turned his attention to Rarity who had been mute the entire time. “I mean why did your older sister start having..an episode?” “Huh?” Sweetie Belle had never actually witnessed Rarity’s little fits that would break her lady-like appearance. Rarity finally spoke up. “Oh, Cole, let’s just leave that shall we? Don’t you have a ride to catch with Twilight?” Cole snapped at the reminder. He had completely forgotten about meeting Twilight so that they could travel to Canterlot and meet the Princesses face-to-face. “That’s right! Thanks for the reminder,” Cole stepped closer to Rarity so that he was leaning right in her ear. “Watch yourself, Miss. I’ve seen enough nutjobs to know when someone’s gonna go crazy. Keep your cool and don’t do anything to your sister that you might regret.” Cole moved away from the frozen mare and went upstairs to pack his belongings. He would most likely be gone for just a day or two but it wouldn’t hurt to be safe. He walked back inside the room and used the bag that Twilight had given him as a gift in lieu of his excellent police work. He packed the essentials. He packed some clothes and an extra pair of shoes that Rarity had made. They were made of some kind of material that wasn’t leather. When he explained what his black Italian loafers were made of, the posh unicorn fainted. Apparently, they not only hated or allowed the eating of meat, but they didn’t allow the use of animals as clothes either. In fact, the whole idea of using an animal's coat was unheard of and foreign to them. They actually requested him to burn or dispose of his wallet, his gun holster, and his shoes because they were offensive to other animals and were against any form of ethics in Equestria. Normally, he would gladly accept but these were his only things that he had and he wasn’t about to just toss them away at the leisure of some ponies. He zipped the bag up and slung it around his shoulder. He walked backed downstairs and found Sweetie Belle waiting for him. He went down there to meet her and crouched on one knee so that she wouldn’t have to strain her neck to look up at him. “Hey, Kiddo. I’m gonna go for a few days. Watch the place, okay? And if Rarity gives you any trouble, don’t hesitate to call..I mean write me.” Sweetie Belle nodded in response and Cole made his way to the door. The mare in question suddenly appeared, which Twilight explained was teleportation, and she looked at him with an analytical gaze. “I suppose you’re off then?” “Yes, ma’am.” “And you’ll be gone for a short while?” “Right.” “I have to admit, darling, I will miss you. The house is absolutely garish with just Sweetie Belle and I in it. Do come back won’t you?” Rarity pleaded in a gentle tone, batting her eyelashes at him. “…I can’t say no to a face like that. I’ll be back before you know it. Goodbye.” “Goodbye..” Cole Phelps opened the door and walked out, letting the door close itself on his exit. Rarity sighed and shook her head. She would truly miss the detective’s presence and companionship. Over the last few days, he had been the best guest one would ask for, considering Rarity’s standards. He not only cleaned after himself, but he cleaned the Boutique as well. Even if he hadn’t done anything to cause any messes. And when Rarity would gruel days on end over a new fashion line, Cole would suggest some absolutely stunning new designs from his world. He was also a great conversationalist. From talking about events of the day, his history and hers, and fashions, he would also talk to her about literature and poetry. Rarity appreciated the fine arts greatly. They shared many pieces that were renowned in their respective worlds and also pieces that they had wrote themselves. It was peaceful. Something that Rarity had almost no contact with, what with Sweetie Belle running around and her friends always going on adventures. Nopony ever had time to just sit down and talk with her. That was why she would miss Cole while he was away. He was something that Rarity would never think to develop between the two different species. He was her best friend. Ponyville Market 5:45 AM Cole Phelps had just arrived at the center of town. This was where Twilight had designated that they meet anyway. He observed his surroundings as he tapped his feet patiently. The market was starting to get busy. Many customers who wanted the first and freshest products would have to wake up very early in the morning to get their desired items. He took notice of seeing the same ponies come around more than once. ‘Must be a close-knit community. I bet that if one pony knew something, it wouldn’t take long for the whole place to know.’ Still waiting, he decided to grab a little breakfast as he only had a piece of toast on the way out. He walked up to the carrot stand and waited for the shop keep to turn to him. A curly orange-maned earth pony turned to greet her customer. “Hey there, Mister Phelps! What can little old Carrot Top get you on this fine morning?” Phelps perused the said wares, taking notice of the different kinds of carrots. There were spicy carrots, sweet carrots, sour carrots, and so on. They also came in a variety of sizes, from tiny, to small, to medium, large, and extra large. Cole’s stomach growled to emphasize his hunger. He opened up his wallet and pulled out ten bits. Twilight and Bon-Bon had paid him an earnest amount of money, to which he refused but they insisted on him taking it, and he gently placed it on the stall counter. “I’d like a few medium-sized carrots and a large one. Regular please.” “Coming right up!” Carrot Top exclaimed with a captivating amount of energy considering the time of the day. She put the carrots into a bag and handed him his goods. He proceeded to thank her and move to a bench nearby. He sat down and began to chew on the large carrot first. Within minutes, he finished all of them save for one that was half-eaten. The time seemed to go by quickly as he watched the blue jays overhead fly to their destinations. He closed his eyes to listen to the world around him closer. He could hear the breeze gently moving in the air. He could hear the sounds of hooves upon stone. He could hear the sound of someone chewing his last carrot. He could hear content moans coming from said someone. Wait a minute. The detective turned his head around and found Twilight seated next to him, eating his last carrot and quenching her hunger. She burped accidentally and held a hoof to her mouth. She then laughed from embarrassment. “Oh my. Hehe, sorry about that. I was just so hungry though. I didn’t get a chance to eat breakfast and all after spending an hour writing to the Princess and trying to call down a chariot to bring us there. It looks like we’ll have to take the train.” Cole smiled at her, as even though she was a grown mare, she still acted pretty child-like, a quality that Phelps had wished still existed in the kids of his world. “It’s alright, I wasn’t that hungry anyway.” He lied. “So what’s this about a train?” “The Royal Guard couldn’t afford to make it over here on account of their duties so we have to take the train to Canterlot. It should only take us a few hours.” “Sounds good, Twilight. Let’s get moving.” Cole said as he stood up and walked with her to the train station. During the walk there, the human taught the studious unicorn of many new techniques and skills that she could utilize as a detective. He also informed her of his expectations from her as his new partner. He told her of the bond that partners share. Cole told her of how partners were supposed to support each other in their actions, even if they didn’t agree with it. He also informed her of how they should always watch each other’s back and that their lives were in the hands of the other. Finally, he told her that she would have to be willing to lay down her life for him or for the civilians should the need ever arise. Cole promised that he was doing the same. Ponyville Station 6:02 AM The inspirational lecture had transported them to the train station. They approached the ticket booth and bought their proof of purchase for five bits each. Not even two minutes later, the train came into the station. The conductor walked outside and called out to the scattered travelers. “All aboard the train from Ponyville to Canterlot! I say again, all aboard the train from Ponyville to Canterlot!” Cole and Twilight began walking to their seats inside. Cole took notice of how the train looked similar to that of one during the 1800s. He was about to speak about this and suggest some of the better models that were present in the 1900s but decided on his better judgment to keep his mouth shut. He sat down on the red cushioned chair next to Twilight. She looked outside of the window to just capture the town’s essence on their departure. Cole decided to take a snooze for a few minutes. So he tiled his hat downwards so that it covered his eyes. He could hear Twilight saying something to him and he just nodded his head to whatever she had just said. He found quiet peace inside of his mind and the darkness embraced him. Music resounded in his ears. They sounded like something that one would play at a gathering or party. It was soothing. Cole was in a grand hall of some sorts. It looked like a ball room in a five-star resort. The floor was tiled with golden plates and the walls were covered in stain glass tapestries and the curtains were a velvety red. They also had a gold lacing on the sides. There were enormous chandeliers on the ceiling that shined all across the room. He stopped admiring the décor and focused on what was in front of him. On the walls were viewpoints that one would find at an opera house. On the stage at the end of the room, was a large orchestra who was providing support for the lone piano player. They all worked in a fluid motion that seemed so captivating. They all wore black suits with red bowties, like one would find in Hollywood. A lone conductor swung his baton around in rapid movement. To an uneducated fellow, it would look like he was a madman. But in Cole’s eyes, he knew that the orchestrator was bringing together a perfect harmony of music. The room was suddenly being flooded by people. Men wore the same things, black suits with red bowties. They all had their hair styled for this momentous occasion. Their smiles showed off their sparkling white teeth and they all seemed so young and perfect. The whole place felt like a dream or movie. The women were no different. They wore stunning red dresses, white dresses, blue dresses, all colors that displayed their natural beauty. Many of these dresses were sequined. Some of the women had headdresses to cover their face with a tangible black veil. Others just showed their face off to the public. All of the women wore solid rose red lipstick. Their cheeks were flushed with most likely make up. They also had on glittering high heels. Every single woman in the room was slender, like an actress or a beautiful model. The place seemed too surreal. Almost all of the attendees of the function had wine glasses in their hands, topped with an olive or umbrella for that extra effect. They conversed over trivial matters. Cole could not hear all of the chatter but he could single out some such as “That is a gorgeous dress you have on, Miss Ruby.” and “Thank you, you look handsome as ever, Mister Sinclair.” He made his way for the bar and spoke to the keep. “Excuse me, sir. Where am I?” Phelps inquired. “Why, sir, this is your honoring. The governor requested this be put together in honor of your accolades and services. Now might I have your choice of drink?” The waiter asked while cleaning out a wine glass with a fine towel. “Okay..I’ll have a glass of your finest Château Margaux, preferably from 1921.” “Excellent choice, sir. 1921 was certainly a great year for the French estate.” “Yeah it was. My father was in a business that travelled the world.” “Glad to hear that, sir. Here’s your glass.” The waiter poured him a drink out of an aged bottle and handed him the glass. One would not know from a single glance that Cole Phelps was actually experienced in wineries and the good types of it. He swirled the drink around in a circle, making the red and purple fluid itself follow and form a typhoon, and he inhaled the smell deeply. The smell was intoxicating. It consisted of grapes, raspberries, and a few other ingredients. He could practically smell the feet of the fair woman who stomped on the fruits. He took one last smell before drinking a good amount. He knew to not drink all of the wine in a glass in one serving. It had to be cherished and tasted. He swished the drink around in his mouth as the taste registered in his buds, and he gulped. The drink seemed to make the room look lighter and more enjoyable. He walked around the room and gave a knowing nod at anyone who looked his way. He moved in and out of the crowd until he arrived at one of the tables. He took his seat on the golden chair and admired the view. Five figures came into the peripheral of his vision. He craned his head to meet them halfway and grinned. “Ralph, Stefan, Rusty, Roy, and Herschel, how are you guys doing?” Phelps stood up from his seat and gave each of his partners a handshake. “Looks like the Encyclopedia got you this far, huh, Phelps?” Ralph Dunn, Cole’s Patrol partner asked. “Yeah, I guess it did. So I’m guessing you’re all here to enjoy the party?” Cole answered. “Hey kid, don’t let it go to your head. Cleaning up those junkies isn’t the only thing that got you here.” Roy Earle, Vice division, interjected. “Jeez, lay off him will ya? Don’t mind him, Cole, he’s just mad cuz some broad screwed him over the other day.” Stefan Bekowski, Traffic, defended. Almost on cue, a waiter came over with a tray full of drinks. He lowered a glass to each officer of the law and they took it. He bowed in respect and made his way towards the bar. “So Rusty,” Cole started, which was met by an annoyed growl because Galloway didn’t like people to call him by his first name. “Going back to the old habits as always?” Cole asked rhetorically. Rusty Galloway was a heavy drinker and even stopped to do so while they were on duty. He never let it get the better of him though, but Phelps had tried on numerous occasions to convince him to sober up. In Phelps’ mind, Galloway would drink himself to death, very much like the death of Edgar Allen Poe. “Back off, Phelps. Let’s just enjoy the part in peace.” Galloway retorted and brought the drink to his mouth. He e drank all of it in one go and slammed the glass down on the table. “That wasn’t strong enough.” Rusty pulled out of his coat, a large silver flask. On the sides, was imbedded ‘My darling, May. May you always be flowing with the healing waters of whiskey.’ Underneath the inscribed words, was a cross. Rusty took a large drink out of it and wiped the remaining liquid on his lips, followed by a belch. This caused some of the others to either laugh or become disgusted, either of which Rusty Galloway gave no mind. Cole noticed that his partners weren’t wearing the regular suits they usually had, but they had on the clothes of everyone else, as if it was a dress code. He looked down to his own body and saw that he had on the same attire himself. He decided not to question it for now and just enjoy himself. He looked to Herschel Biggs, his Arson partner, who had remained quiet the entire time. “Herschel, you’ve been awfully quiet. What’s on your mind?” The man of the hour was concerned for his last partner. “Well, someone’s gotta be quiet. These kids are all yapping their mouths off. I’m just observing.” “Observing what?” “Observing how long it takes for you to realize that you got a lady waiting for you at the dance floor.” Biggs replied while pointing to a shadowy figure in the distance. “Who is it?” Cole was intrigued. “See for yourself.” And Cole Phelps did just that. He waved a dismissive hand to his men and made his way through the crowd and to the woman in black. He took a final drink of his fine wine and set it down on a passing table. He felt like there were eyes cutting through his back, which was proven true when he turned around and saw his partners raising their drinks at him. He turned back to the woman who was but a few mere feet away from him. The orchestra began to change as a singer stepped onto the stage and began his tune. “I heard that you were looking for me, Miss..?” The woman unveiled her face and smiled lovingly at Cole Phelps. “Sweetie, it’s me. Your wife.” Cole rushed up to her and brought her face to his chest as he embraced in a loving hold. She cleared her throat, telling Cole to disperse as the eyes of the room were on the pair. “I think you owe me a dance, Mister.” She cooed. “By my allegiance to the LAPD, I am sworn to comply.” Cole teased. They held hands as they separated a few feet away. They clasped their hands close together and they began to move forward as one body. Cole’s suede shoes clicked on the floor while Maria’s slippers moved. They would occasionally look left or right to break their gaze from each other. The whole dance was spent looking into each other’s eyes. They moved backwards, left and right, and forward. They jumped every once in a while to make a clicking that complimented their movements. They swayed backwards and forwards. They leaned into each other. They would do twists and turns and other such dances in this passionate courting. Cole and Maria moved away from each other a far distance and then ran back and jumped with Cole carrying her on his hands. As he lifted her she balanced herself in a graceful manner. Finally, as the song concluded, he brought her down to his arms and they kissed, which was applauded by the entire room. Maria was embarrassed and her flushed cheeks became even redder than it already was. Phelps just waved a hand at the crowd and moved with his wife to his table surrounded by friends. He and his wife sat down as the aforementioned criminal apprehenders crowded them. They shook hands and Roy Earle even kissed hers. Cole’s partners had never met his family per say, and the same could be said the other way around. Life was kept strictly professional in their line of work. The time seemed to be going great though. Laughs, cheers, and joyous times were being had. If only Cole Phelps could live like this forever. His wife took a drink from the table but it slipped out of her hand. Cole dived to try and catch it and save them face but he was too late. The glass slipped out of his hands and shattered. Time slowed as the thing collapsed, allowing Cole to watch each shard fly in multitudes of directions. But alas, it came to an end. The ear-piercing crash jolted Cole and he woke up. Phelps’ ears were ringing, like someone had just lit off fireworks or he had just been sitting too close to the loud radio. He rubbed his ears and smacked it a few times to get some hearing but all he heard was a loud-pitched hum. It was giving him a headache. He turned to his friend Twilight who was scrunched up in the corner, crying. He moved his hands out to comfort her but he couldn’t for some reason. It was as if he was strapped to their chair. There was also a pain in his stomach. It felt familiar, like it had happened before. He wasn’t sure what to make of this spectacle when he smelled something. The aroma was non-mistakable. It was the smell of gun residue and smoke. Someone had just shot a gun. He moved his hand for his holster only to find it empty. He searched his entire body with his eyes but found nothing. There was an item shining at his feet though. He looked down and saw it. His nickel-plated Colt handgun was smoking at the end of the barrel. He saw little droplets of blood. He moved his hand to follow the trail as it headed upwards. It lead to his body. He moved his suit and found the source of the pain. He let out a loud pain groan as he tried to stand up. Twilight had finally broken out of her self-loathing when she heard him make a sound. She moved over to him and hugged him, crying into his shoulders. “I-I’m so sor-ry! I d-didn’t mean to h-hurt you!” Twilight’s voice was muffled as she sobbed into his clothes. He put his free hand to her back and rubbed it gently. “It’s alright. Just do me a favor and bring me to the bathroom. I can clean this myself.” His other hand was spent holding the gunshot wound to keep pressure on it. If he didn’t, the hole would continue to bleed and he would die. Then he motioned for her to move somewhere else. “Can you get some antibiotics and maybe some towels? I need something to dress the wound.” He was speaking through gritted teeth as the pain was abominable. Luckily, he could feel that the bullet wasn’t stuck inside of him. It had ripped clean through from one side to the other, ending up wedged in the metal floor of the train. It hadn’t cut through any major organs from what he could tell, and it was basically a clean shot. All he needed was to wrap it and he’d be all better. Twilight had sped off to find a doctor onboard. Cole, dragging himself basically, brought himself to a restroom. He looked to find that it wasn’t too bad; the blood had only stained a small portion of his clothes. It didn’t show up on his inner or outer black suit, just the white dress shirt. He unbuttoned the shirt hastily and began to clean the wound. Not a moment later, Twilight and another voice knocked from the other side. "Where's the fire?" A unfamiliar voice asked. Phelps opened the door and leaned against the wall. “I need some stitches too.” “I can take care of that.” The bearded middle-aged brown colt answered. The doctor opened his medical bag and placed all of the needed items aside. He brought a swab of cotton to his mouth and dipped it in alcohol. He looked at the human to see if he was ready for the sudden sting, to which he said yes, and he cleaned the wound. Cole Phelps had been shot before. When he was tasked with clearing caves of enemies during the Battle of Sugar Loaf, he ordered an entire cave to be set ablaze, unknowingly torturing the injured civilians and children inside. After seeing what he had done, he ordered them to be killed in mercy so that they may not feel the pain. Angered with his commanding officer’s horrid actions, Courtney Sheldon, a private in his platoon, shot him in his back. How he survived that shot, Cole never knew. He did know that the Army regarded him as a hero, which he thought he wasn’t, and gave him a medal. Now reliving the memory, he thought that maybe this was God’s way of punishing him. He winced in pain from the sterilizing liquid but took it. Next came the stitching. He closed his eyes as the doctor began to mend his wounds. Within minutes, the wounds were closed and the bandages were wrapped around him. Cole and Twilight sighed in relief and looked to the packing healer. “How can I ever repay you Doc?” “It’s fine, really. I’m just glad to help an injured soul. Thanks Celestia I got her in a flash. If I went any faster, I might have left a streak of fire in my wake." He chuckled. "It was nice meeting you Miss Sparkle and Mister Phelps. If you ever come into Canterlot again, I ask that you might stop by my office. It’s called ‘Doctor Forest’s Quick Fix Hospital’. I’m writing a book on foreign anatomy and I think you might make quite an article.” “Well, thanks again, Forest. I’ll be sure to do that when I get the time.” Cole shook the colt’s hoof and they returned to their seats. Phelps washed any of the left over blood on his seat and the floor and picked up his Colt handgun. He clicked the safety back on and holstered it again. He looked to Twilight, whose heart had not stopped thumping since the incident. She was still solemn and sorry for what she did. The detective decided to get the story from her and why she did it. He gave a her a stern stare before speaking. “Twilight, what happened?” His words were blunt but still had a caring tone to it. “I..I..” “What? Just say it.” Twilight took a big breath and a large exhale. She began to recount her view of the events that had just transpired. “When you fell asleep, I was talking about the proper way to talking to royalty. I wanted-and still do- for you to be on your best behavior so that the Princesses would be impresses with us. I didn’t want them to think of you as something bad or anything, because you really aren’t. I was also trying to tell you how you should address them but that’s when I heard the muttering. You were talking a bit in your sleep. But anyway, I may have gotten a little upset and smacked you..” She trailed off. She looked to her partner to find daggers being thrown her way. If looks could kill, she would be six feet under right now. She looked down to the floor and continued. “You didn’t wake up from the little ‘call’ and I decided to look through your things. That’s when I saw that shiny metal thingy that you had. It looked like a pipe on top of some box. I was messing around with it, throwing it around and such, then I saw a word on the side. It said safety, so I turned it thinking that it would guarantee out safety. Nothing happened. So I looked down the pipe, which pointed at your torso, and..well..I think you get the rest..” She looked up at him and immediately back down. Phelps gave an over exaggerated sigh. He looked at Twilight and shook his head. “I guess it’s my fault. I should’ve told you what it was so you would’ve known to not mess around with it. And if you’re really sorry about it and it was an accident, I can get over it. Just promise me you won’t screw around with my stuff, okay?” Twilight nodded, still looking at the ground in shame. “Listen here, this thing right here,” Cole explained as he brought his Colt out, still on safety for good measure. “Is a Colt M1911, nickel plated. It has special grips that enhance accuracy and it’s the best thing to have in a gunfight. I can’t even tell you how many times this baby has saved my hide.” He began to recall many of the shootouts that occurred on the streets of LA, whether they be during a case or a simple street crime. Twilight began to eye the thing that she had used to injure her friend. She berated herself for even touching the thing, let alone use it. “What is a gun?” She asked as the technology of Equestria had certainly not reached this far weaponry wise. “Oh, I guess you don’t have these, huh? Basically, in layman’s terms, it’s an endgame, a death bringer if you will. It shoots little metal pellets that will put down anything you need. Basically, if the need ever arises, you point and shoot. That’s all there is to it.” Twilight understood the down toned explanation and made a mental note to never go near it again. The idea of even examining it was out of the question. During this whole debacle, they had not even noticed that they were arriving at their destination. The train whistle blew so loudly that it broke Cole and Twilight’s thoughts. “Hear all, hear all. Now arriving at Canterlot Station. Check your belongings and make you way to the platform. Thank you for riding Equestrian Railways. We hope to see you again.” The conductor shouted. Phelps took his bag off of the rack and Twilight did the same. The injured man thanked God that he did not carry many things or else it might’ve strained his muscles, causing the wound to hurt more than it already did. He was somewhat reluctant to go meet the rulers of this world on account of his newly-received injuries from his rookie partner. ‘Note to self; Never, EVER, let Twilight near my stuff. LET ALONE MY COLT.’ Canterlot; General Vicinity and Castle 9:14 AM They walked along the platform and were met by a group of the Royal Guard. The largest and oldest looking one, who was a white coated Pegasus, stepped forward. He eyed the foreign being up and down. He turned his attention to the Princess’s apprentice. “Miss Sparkle, you and your friend must come with us to the Royal Throne Room. The Princess wishes to meet this..thing.” The stallion spoke in a gruff voice. “Sure thing. Cole, let’s go.” Cole Phelps had meanwhile studied every single mark and feature on these guards. They wore golden armor that very much resembled something out of the Roman Centurions, or at least the ancient peoples of Sparta. They all looked the same, white coat and blue eyes. And they also seemed to have no emotion. If these were the police of Equestria, he wouldn’t mind having one or two watching his back. Cole and Twilight began to walk, but the gunshot wound was acting up again. Phelps put pressure on it but was having trouble walking. Two of the guards took notice of this and walked on both of his sides. They gave him a sort of support to keep him standing. The detective gave an appreciative nod, which the guards answered by shaking their heads. The walk to the Canter Castle was relatively short. The duration of it, however, consisted of uptight and snobby mares and stallions looking at Cole and gasping at his face. Most of them were appalled by his face itself, as it had not hair save for the top of his head. But they did admire his clothing because they seemed very fashionable. Saying that the human was an attention magnet was an under-statement. The citizens of Canterlot began to crowd the human’s destination. More guards actually had to be called in to stave the oncoming horde of onlookers. After much inconveniences and ‘events’, they reached the Canterlot Castle gates. The door itself seemed to open on its own. Inside the building, was a magnificent hall that caused Cole to brighten up. To him, it was like something out of Hamlet or another Shakespearian work. The stonework was remarkable and the tapestries were regal. The murals on the windows were like something from a Catholic Church. The castle itself smelled like flowers, tea, and perfume. For some reason though, when the group would reach an intersection of hallways, Cole felt like someone was watching him from the dark. He knew when he was being watched or followed. A couple of black eyes and bruises taught him that during his first days as a police officer. The long march down the hallway came to a halt as a larger door opened. In this room, was definitely the throne room. Phelps could see two high-backed chairs and they were held in high esteem. They were situated so that the ones who sat on them would be able to see everything in the room. One of them had a sunny look to it and the other had luminescent scenery. The guards abruptly stopped them in the middle of the room and left. Twilight Sparkle and Cole Phelps were the only ones in the room. Suddenly, sounds of hooves came from an unseen doorway. Out of the shadow, came a tall regal looking mare that was as white as snow and as majestic as a lioness. She had a warm smile written on her face as she moved in front of the two investigators. From behind her, another similar looking mare that was as blue and black as the night sky moved forward. When they finally reached the two, they observed and analyzed everything about the human. While the room remained silent, Twilight bit her lip from the awkwardness, while Phelps had studied the two ponies before him. They both wore a crown, which meant that they were royalty, no doubt the Princesses. They had horns which meant that they were unicorns. But something on their sides confused the mythology-read detective. They had wings. Now normally, it was one or the other, not both. So this appearance baffled him. Finally, he was that they had two contradictory Cutie Marks. The white princess had a sun adorning her flank while the dark blue one had a moon adorning hers. Phelps could only deduce that their special talent must have something to do with the weather, more specifically the celestial bodies. The white princess broke the deafening silence. “Hello, my name is Princess Celestia. This is my sister Princess Luna. We are the rulers of Equestria, and our duties are to raise the sun and moon. You are Cole Phelps, if I’m not mistaken?” Cole moved his hand forward waiting for the friendly gesture to be returned. “That’s right, Princess. It’s nice to finally meet you; Twilight here talks about you a lot.” He shot a grin toward the bulgy-eyed lavender unicorn. Princess Celestia closed her eyes and kept that same regality about her. She extended her hoof and they shook. Twilight began to speak up. “Princess, I hope that it isn’t too much if I ask for room close to some doctors.” Princess Celestia gave her student a curious look. “What do you mean, Twilight? Are you hurt?” Twilight looked to the floor once again. ‘Boy, does she really likes floors.’ Cole mused to himself. Twilight’s cheeks began to blush in a pink hue. “It’s not me that’s hurt, Princess..I kind of hurt Cole..” She almost said inaudibly. Princess Celestia looked back at Cole who was scratching his head. He then responded to her curious gaze. “It’s alright, Princess. Just a projectile ‘misfire’.” Princess Celestia decided to not press the matter further and answered Twilight’s request. “I shall accommodate Mr. Phelps with a room near the Royal Medical Team. Luna, have you any say in this matter?” Cole turned his attention to the silent princess of the night. He extended his hand in the same gesture, waiting for it to be returned. “Nice to meet you, Princess Luna. Twilight told me a lot about you too. She said I just missed the Nightmare Night Celebration or something and you were there. I take it that it’s named after you?” The princess kept her unimpressed and almost intimidating look about her. She eyed his hand then his face. He slowly began to put his hand back down when all of a sudden; she brought her hoof up to comply. They shook and Cole gave her a friendly grin. She still looked at him undeterred though. “Why is she so ‘unwelcoming’?” Cole whispered to Twilight. “I don’t know. Just be careful though. She uses the Royal Canterlot Vo-” Twilight stopped near the completion of her sentence when she saw Princess Luna brace herself. Princess Luna took a deep breath and opened her mouth. Cole looked at Princess Luna with a bewildered face and wasn’t sure what exactly was about to happen. Before Princess Luna even spoke, Twilight could feel the strong gust that was about to hit her partner straight in the face. During this crucial moment, she could only think one thing. ‘Oh horse apples.’