//------------------------------// // Case Five, Chapter Eight: Hunting // Story: Ponyville Noire: Tails of Two Private Eyes // by PonyJosiah13 //------------------------------// The rain continued to pour down mercilessly outside Billy Bull’s Gun Shop, pattering against the sidewalk and the front of the shop. Twilight and Phillip exited the shop, Twilight casting a shield spell to repel the rain as they rejoined Flash, Bumblebee, Prowl, Trace, Red, and Daring. “Somepony did purchase a gun not long ago,” Phillip reported. “A .357 Magnum revolver and a box of ammunition. Blue unicorn, red hair, green eyes, cloud cutie mark. That’s all we could get out of them.” “Twilight, can you try the spell again?” Flash asked, pulling his cap down over his face to try to stave off the rain. “Find out where he is?” Twilight’s eyes widened and she cringed. “Oh, no! I left the map and the salt back at the precinct!” “I can do a tracking spell,” Trace offered, then frowned. “No, wait, there are too many ponies walking around.” “Wait,” Twilight said, her eyes brightening with an idea. “I do have the changeling’s magical signature. If we could combine that with your tracking spell…” “You think that could work?” Trace asked. Twilight smirked. “I’m the valedictorian of the Royal Academy of Magic Class of 1948. This is foal’s play.” Her horn sparked with its signature lavender tinge, small blue-green stripes dancing within its color. Trace nodded and closed his eyes. With a small grunt of effort, he lit up his horn, casting the tracking spell. Glowing hoofprints appeared on the sidewalk beneath their own hooves, all of them overlapping with one another. Twilight cast her own spell, generating a small glowing ball of green energy that floated down onto the ground. As soon as the ball touched the concrete, all of the glowing hoofprints disappeared, save for one set that proceeded north along the sidewalk. “You can drop the spell, Detective Evidence,” Twilight announced, breathing a little hard from the exertion of maintaining the tracker spell and the rain shield. “I’ve got it from here.” “Go Twilight!” Bumblebee cheered. The group walked down the sidewalk, following the trail of glowing hoofprints with Twilight in the lead. Trace walked alongside her, his police badge bouncing against his chest; ponies in their path quickly stepped aside to allow them to pass. Overhead, a trio of weather ponies in yellow vests flew through the clouds. “So how do we find the changeling once we get to the end of the trail?” Bumblebee asked. “I do know a few spells that might help reveal them,” Twilight said. “I’d think somepony carrying a .357 Magnum in their pocket might be a bit hard to miss,” Daring Do commented, flying over the group. “Those things are powerful enough to drop a manticore in one shot.” “That also means that they’re dangerous, doubly so from being a changeling,” Red commented. “We’ve got a freak that can transform to look like anypony or almost anything, and they feed on emotions.” “You’re all talking about the changeling like it’s...some kinda monster,” Flash said, holding his wing up close to his mouth as though he was about to start chewing on it again. “Are they?” Prowl let out a little growl. “What do you know about changelings, Sentry?” she asked. “I know that they can use an illusion spell to look like another pony,” Flash said. “I know that they survive by feeding off of emotions, like love. I know that they fought for King Sombra during the Crystal War when he allied with Queen Chrysalis and that most of them were captured or killed after Chrysalis tried to attack Princess Cadance’s and Prince Armor’s wedding in 1944. And I know that we're supposed to be allies with them now that King Thorax is in charge." “You ever see one for yourself?” Prowl growled. “Easy, Sarge,” Bumblebee said bracingly. “N-no, ma’am,” Flash admitted. “I have,” Prowl snarled. “In the war.” A small tremor ran through her body, and a distant look filled her eyes; everypony instantly knew that Prowl was no longer there on the sidewalk, but back in the snow-covered fields of the Crystal Empire’s southern lands. “Windigo Valley, Nineteenth of the Moon of Hunters, 1943,” she recited. “My wing was assigned to a FOB, performing recon and SAR flights for the Army. My squad had landed on a routine flight to scout out some woods. The Master Sergeant got separated from the rest of us for twenty minutes, but he seemed fine when he got back. “But then the next night, two of our wing members were found dead, one stabbed to death, the other with his throat slit with his own knife. Over the next month, more and more of our ponies turned up dead or just vanished. Everypony was on edge all the time: we stopped trusting each other, kept glancing over our shoulders and sleeping with one eye open. By the end of the Moon of Frost, half of the original members of the wing were either KIA or MIA.” Prowl had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and was now shaking slightly. Her eyes were wide, focused on nothing, and shining with fear. “Eighth of the Moon of Snow, 2214 hours,” she reported, her breath coming faster and faster. “I was on post, patrolling the northern boundaries of the base. I hear a noise in an alleyway a few feet ahead and go to look. I find...body...it’s Quick...he’s dead, is he dead? Not moving...Sarge is there...just standing there. His eyes. His eyes are wrong He...oh shit, oh shit! Changeling! Changeling! It’s coming right at me, shoot it, shoot it, missed, it’s on me—” “Prowl!” Bumblebee said, stepping forward and grasping her shoulders. “Prowl, look at me.” Prowl’s wide yellow eyes focused on Bumblebee’s blues. “Breathe, Prowl,” Bumblebee said. “Breathe. Look at me. The swings at St. Megan’s. Uncle Honeydew’s candy shop.” “Song Stream Reservoir,” Prowl said, speaking along with him, her breathing slowing as she spoke. “Greenleaf Nursery. Third bench from the statue of Stinking Rich at the park. Thirty-two West Wind Street.” She closed her eyes, breathing slowly and deeply. “You’re okay,” Bumblebee said quietly, hugging her. “I’m okay,” Prowl whispered, hugging him back. She sucked in a deep breath and nodded, releasing him. “Thanks.” Shaking herself back to seriousness, she turned to Flash. “This changeling is not a pony,” Prowl said. “It’s a freak who could go feral and start sucking out all of everypony’s emotions.” She nodded at Phillip and Daring. “You two saw what that’s like.” The image of the goon that the changeling had pounced on at the Apple Pie suddenly flashed before Daring’s eyes: she could still see him laying on the floor, staring catatonically with a thin line of drool leaking from his mouth. She flinched, then scowled. “Like I said, I don’t give a damn if it’s a changeling or a dragon or a ninja pirate zombie,” she declared. “It’s our biggest lead to taking down Monopoly and the rest of the gang bosses in this city, and we need to find it. Let’s go.” Twilight took the lead once more and they continued down the sidewalk, following the changeling’s trail. Flash walked alongside Prowl, occasionally glancing up at her. As they turned a corner onto another street, he looked up and said, “So all changelings are bad?” “I haven’t met a changeling who didn’t try to kill me,” Prowl growled. “So how many changelings have you met?” Flash challenged. Prowl started to answer, but stopped, her mouth hanging open slightly as she pondered. “And, you know, it’s kinda unfair for you to say that another creature is a freak just ‘cause they’re different,” Flash said. “I mean, there are still lots of ponies that think thestrals like you are bloodsucking vampires. Plus, you eat bugs. You can see why that’s kinda weird, right?” “He is kinda right, sarge,” Bumblebee said slowly. Prowl still said nothing. “Just saying, I don’t think it’s fair for you to think of him as a monster when you don’t even know him,” Flash said. “I can’t just get over something like that, Sentry,” Prowl growled at him. “And I’m not asking you to, ma’am,” Flash said gently, taking a small step back. “I’m...I’m just asking you to give him a chance.” Prowl frowned at him for a few moments more, then grunted and looked away. “We’ll see,” she said. “The trail’s getting fresher,” Twilight announced, her head down as she watched the trail of glowing hoofprints, which led across the street. She stepped off the curb to follow them. “He can’t have passed here more than five minutes—” “Look out!” Trace shouted, grabbing Twilight’s tail and yanking her back onto the sidewalk. A car streaked past, close enough that the spray from its tires splashed Twilight in the face. “Watch it, lady!” the driver shouted at Twilight as he sped past. Twilight exhaled and shook her head, pushing her sopping mane out of her eyes. “Thanks,” she said. “Well, that building looks familiar,” Red said, frowning across the street. The glowing trail led right up to the front door of a seven-story building of glass and steel. The windows were tinted, allowing nopony to see inside. Two Cerberus security guards stood outside the front doors, staring down in confusion at the glowing tracks. The sign over the door read “Monopoly Investments.” “Doesn’t Monopoly work here?” Prowl asked. “His offices are in there,” Trace confirmed. “And that’s his car outside.” He nodded towards the Silver Phantom parked at the head of the parking lot. “If our armed changeling is headed in there…” Red said, the implication hanging in midair. “Twilight, you stay out here,” Phillip instructed her. “This could get hairy fast.” Twilight nodded. “Be careful,” she warned. “We’ll be fine,” Flash said, laying a hoof on her shoulder briefly. The two of them smiled hesitantly at each other for a moment, then Flash followed the others across the street to the front doors of Monopoly Investments. As they walked towards the doors, Daring glanced up, then smiled quietly. "Should've known," she muttered to herself, so softly that only Phillip heard her. He glanced up as well, but his only comment was a soft grunt. The glowing trail stopped at the doors of Monopoly Investments. The two security guards both looked up at their approach. “Police business,” Trace announced to the guards outside. “We’re searching for a suspect. We need you to lock this building down. Nopony in or out.” “Does that include them?” one of the guards, a bulky green earth pony, growled at Phillip and Daring. “Package deal, asshole,” Daring replied coolly. “Give us a description of the perp,” the other guard, a unicorn with a blue beard and green eyes, said. “We can lock down the building and search for you.” “Negative,” Trace replied calmly. “You lock the building down, we search.” The unicorn frowned at them for a few moments, then nodded. “No reason we can’t be cooperative,” he said, stepping aside. His coworker reluctantly followed his lead. “Thanks,” Trace said, leading the way into the building. The lobby of Monopoly Investments was wide and opening, with polished granite flooring and marble columns. A massive portrait of Monopoly himself was on the wall behind the receptionist’s front desk, fixing all visitors with a welcoming if slightly smug smile. “How much do you think he paid the artist to take off thirty pounds?” Daring commented, examining the picture. Phillip smirked, and Bumblebee and Flash both had to cover their mouths stifle their giggling. With a loud whine, a PA system over their heads crackled to life. “Attention: for your own safety, this building is on lockdown due to a search by police officers. Nopony is to enter or exit the building. All security guards to the doors.” At the command, other security guards moved towards the exit doors and took post, blocking any movement through them. “Nice to get some cooperation,” Red muttered. He walked over to the front desk. “Has anypony entered this building in the last five minutes or so?” he asked the wide-eyed receptionist. “They would’ve been wearing a coat or something.” “Um…” the receptionist stammered. “A unicorn mare did come in here a few minutes ago. They said they had a meeting with Mr. Income on the fourth floor. They were green with light orange hair and had a blue rain jacket.” “Thanks,” Red nodded. Trace lit up his horn and the glowing hoofprints reappeared on the floor, fainter than before. They led to an elevator at the end of the room. The group squeezed inside and Prowl hit the button for the fourth floor. The doors slid shut, and the elevator started upward. “So what do we do when we find the changeling?” Daring asked. “If Monopoly knows who it...he is, they won’t want them leaving.” She frowned. “Wait, or is it she now? I’m confused.” “If we have to fight through the guards, we fight through the guards,” Phillip grunted. “Priority will be getting the changeling out.” “Agreed,” Prowl nodded. With a ding, the elevator halted on the fourth floor and the doors opened into an office space lined with cubicles. Trace started to step out, but paused, frowning and looking at the floor. No hoofprints appeared. “They didn’t get off here,” he remarked. “So where?” “Top floor,” Daring said. “He’ll be going after Monopoly.” “She’s right,” Red commented. “That has to be why he came here.” Trace hit the button for the seventh floor. The elevator doors closed again, and the elevator trundled upwards. With a final ding, the elevator doors opened to reveal a large hallway with green and gold carpeting. Glowing hoofprints appeared on the carpet before them. “Let’s go,” Trace said, stepping into the hallway. Suddenly, he grunted in pain and clutched his head; his horn fizzled, sparked, and went out, causing the trail to disappear. “Trace?” Red said, his voice rising in concern as he rushed to his partner’s side. “I’m okay,” Trace said, shaking his head. “But I’m out of magic.” “Then we’ll have to find him the old-fashioned way,” Red said. “All of you spread out. Question anypony you see and pat them down for the gun.” “Yes, sir,” Prowl said. The group split up, with Prowl following Trace, Bumblebee following Red, and Flash following Phillip and Daring. Phillip led his two companions down the right hallway, past a couple of office doors, and around a corner. Before them stood a doorway with two Cerberus security guards standing outside. “No entry,” one of the guards, a tall unicorn mare with red hair said as they approached. “Mister Monopoly is working in there.” “Is he alone?” Phillip asked. “Yes,” the mare nodded. “Keep him there until we’ve cleared the building,” Phillip said, his stomach twisting at the thought of having to protect somepony like Monopoly. “Will do,” she nodded again. At that moment, the door opened and a familiar blue earth pony with a blonde mane wearing a white suit and tie poked his head out. “Ah, Mister Finder, Miss Do,” he said disdainfully, looking at the detectives like they were a stain on his hoof. “I was wondering what all the noise was about.” “Sure you’re being kept from your important business,” Phillip growled. “As a matter of fact, I am,” Monopoly replied with no change in tone. “I am preparing legal defenses against the barrage of investigations that I am being attacked with. Would you care to guess how much it has cost me?” “You care to guess how much we care?” Daring spat back. “Seven hundred twenty thousand and three bits since the fiasco at Phoenix Housing,” Monopoly continued as if she had not spoken. “And it is all because of your meddling and accusations. You are costing my business and my investors hundreds.” “Well, maybe if you weren’t a criminal, you wouldn’t be in legal trouble,” Daring snarked. “Funny how that works, isn’t it?” Monopoly scowled at her. “I’m sure that’s something that you would know a lot about, Miss Do,” he said coldly. The cursed brand flared with pain, causing Daring to nearly cry out. She bit down on her lip, raising the branded hoof off the carpeted floor, breathing heavily and glaring at Monopoly. “Are you okay?” Flash asked, stepping towards Daring. “I’m fine,” Daring grunted, fighting through the pain. She glowered at Monopoly. “You’d better call up the best lawyers your blood money can get,” she snarled. “You’re going to need them.” “Let’s just go,” Flash urged, taking Daring’s foreleg and guiding her up the hallway. Monopoly scowled after them. “A word of warning,” he said. “You are not the first ponies to inconvenience me. And you will not be the last.” Daring gave him the Flying Feather as they rounded a corner. Monopoly grunted and slammed the door shut. “You really shouldn’t aggravate him,” Flash scolded Daring. “We’re not here to pick a fight.” “Don’t lecture me, kid,” Daring snapped at him. “Ease off, Daring,” Phillip said firmly. Daring sucked in a breath, held it for a moment, then slowly let it out. “Sorry,” she muttered. “It’s okay,” Flash said. “Besides, what’s he gonna do? Sit on me?” Daring snarked. Flash and Phillip both snorted quietly. Phillip suddenly paused, his ears swiveling backward. He raised a hoof to his lips, signalling the others to be quiet. Flash and Daring both went still, watching him. "Monopoly's speaking to the guards outside," Phillip whispered. "'You know what they're here for...find it...bring it to me...'" He grimaced. "Not good." "We gotta find him, and fast," Flash confirmed. The trio walked on down the hallway, passing beneath a loose grille for an air duct. A janitor wearing a green jumpsuit walked around a corner into the hallway ahead of them, carrying a mop in a bucket behind them. He jumped slightly at the sight of them. “Stop there, sir,” Flash ordered him. “We’re doing a search of this floor. I’m going to need to pat you down.” “Um...all right,” the black-bearded light yellow unicorn stallion said, stepping back. “Please turn and place your front hooves on the wall,” Flash instructed. The stallion turned and obeyed the instruction, spreading his hind legs slightly. “I’ll make this quick,” Flash said, quickly patting the janitor down. He shook his head once he finished. “Nothing,” he reported. “Wait,” Phillip grunted, his nostrils flaring as he breathed in through his nose. He stepped in close, leaning in towards the janitor’s face, and sniffed. “Black Bear Tobacco,” he said, frowning. “G’day, Mint.” The janitor’s eyes went wide, and he started to stammer out a denial. Daring glanced into the mop bucket, then reached in and pulled out a plastic bag. Inside was a .357 Magnum revolver. The stallion looked at the gun, then sighed. “Just leave me alone,” he sighed. “You thought you could solve everything by just walking in here and killing Monopoly?” Daring asked, shaking the gun in front of him. “What choice did I have?” the changeling snapped back, his eyes reverting to their natural solid blue for a moment. “I blew any chance of anypony trusting me when I lost control at the Apple Pie; nopony would take the word of a changeling! But Monopoly, he has to be stopped. If he’s gone, the mob loses their money. If he’s gone—” “The mob’ll just find someone to replace him, and you’ll end up dead or in jail,” Daring cut him off. “You wanna go down in history as the bad guy here?” “I’m already the bad guy,” the changeling said, his head hanging. He turned to face the window behind him, his rain-streaked reflection studying the group with eyes that shone with emotion. “I’m a changeling.” “Does it matter that much?” Daring asked, her tone still hard, but now slightly softer. The changeling nodded slowly. “Years ago, when I was just a hatchling, my life was peaceful,” the changeling explained. “We all lived in a small hive outside of Baltimare. We lived among the ponies, collecting love, and using it to feed each other and our children. It was...it was perfect. “But then Chrysalis started uniting all the hives into one, killing all the queens who didn’t follow her.” He shuddered. “Changelings started attacking more and more ponies openly, sucking out all of their love instead of just feeding on a little bit at a time. My hive’s queen fell fighting her, and I was one of the few survivors who fled.” He hugged himself. “I went from town to town, finding work where I could. I never hurt anypony...but I knew that if I was ever found out, everypony would only see a monster.” He wiped his eyes with a hoof. “When I came here, I found work at the Foal Free Press. I thought...I thought maybe I could do something to try to fix this city a little,” he continued. “There’s so much suffering in this world, I thought...I could maybe make it stop. I spent years investigating the mob, following the money, making contacts everywhere with my disguises…” He let out a little sob. “And I blew it all because I couldn’t control myself. I hadn’t had a decent meal in days, I was hungry and scared, so I…” More tears began to fall and his voice fell away. Flash stepped forward, hesitated, then started patting the changeling awkwardly on the back. Daring looked at him for a moment, her expression downcast and thoughtful, then stepped forward as well. She laid her right hoof on the changeling’s shoulder, exposing the still-burning mark. “I know it sucks,” she said. “I know it’s not fair to have ponies judge you for something you are, rather than who you are. But what matters more than your past is what you are doing now. And what you can do right now is let us help you.” “But…” The changeling sniffled and turned towards her. “But I’m…” “You’re a changeling,” Daring said. “You’re not a monster.” She looked him in the eyes and managed to smile. “Let’s do the right thing.” The changeling sniffled once more and nodded. “Okay, let’s get out of here,” Flash urged. "Wait a minute," Phillip said, holding up a hoof. "Monopoly and the guards will probably try to stop us if we leave. How are we going to get around them?" Daring studied the changeling for a few seconds, then grinned. "I've got an idea," she said. The glowing red sign labeled "EXIT" hung from the ceiling a few feet ahead of them. Flash, Daring, and Phillip walked forward at an urgent pace, eyes panning from side to side as they headed for the door to the stairs. "Where are the others?" Flash asked. "Not now," Phillip muttered. The door to the stairway approached. Phillip reached out and pressed against the metal. "Hold it," a voice called from behind. The trio turned to see four security guards standing behind them. The one who had spoken was the same red-haired unicorn who had been standing guard at the door. "Monopoly wants to speak with you before you go," she declared, glaring at Phillip. "Busy," Phillip grunted, turning back towards the door. "He can make an appoint—" Several distinctive clicking noises interrupted him. He turned around slowly to see all four security guards aiming pistols at him and his two companions. Both pegasi had tensed up upon the revelation of the guns. "He insists," the mare growled, coolly aiming her .38 right between Phillip's eyes.