Chapter 5
“Killer King”
I ran to a nearby phone booth and dialed the number for the detention center. If my hunch was correct then I didn’t have much time.
After two rings I finally got an answer “Canterlot Detention Center, this is Officer Frisk speaking”
“Officer this is detective Private Eye!” I shouted into the receiver not bothering for normal social protocol. “Has Shining Armor been released yet?”
“Yeah we just let him out, said he was going to meet his wife”
“I know this is going to sound crazy but you gotta stop him!” I said
“Are you alright Detective?”
“His wife won’t be soon! The Shining you released will get replaced by the imposter soon!”
“What imposter?” the pony at the other end asked, I could just see his eyebrows rising. I didn’t have time for this.
“It’ll take too long to explain! Contact Shinebadge and tell him I sent you! Tell him to send a squad to Shining’s wife’s house as soon as possible!”
“Can I at least ask why before you take off?”
“There’s an imposter! He’s the one who killed Sharpblade! Shining is innocent and he’s going to be swapped with the imposter at some point! If we don’t do something soon Cadence may become the next victim!”
“I understand detective! I’ll get a squad together personally!” he said firmly
“Hurry!” I said as I hung up. I ran as fast as I could towards Cadence’s house. The rain that was a drizzle turned into a downpour. I ignored the rain and focused on the task on hand. If I didn’t hurry Cadence was defiantly going to become the next victim. Twilight would never forgive me if I let that happen. It’s funny how despite all this happening I’m still thinking about Twilight of all things.
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I arrived at the couple’s house just as the sky turned to darkness. I knew I had little time. I didn’t even bother waiting for the squad Frisk promised. I just drew my pistol out of my trench coat and bucked the door down.
“Private!” Cadence said as I came in my gun raised. Next to her was Shining who looked shocked at my appearance. “What are you doing here and why did you kick down our door?” She asked indignantly.
I pointed my gun at Shining. “Back away slowly…”
Cadence looked at me then at Shining “Shining…what’s going on?”
Shining looked at me indignantly “First you accuse me of murder and now you break into my own home?!”
I glared at him “Where’s Shining Armor?”
Cadence looked at me wide eyed “Private what is going on?!”
Shining returned my glare “I’m right here in case you’re blind!”
“You aren’t Shining Armor…” I said my voice low and dangerous.
Cadence stepped in front of me “What are you talking about!?”
I looked at Cadence “The Shining Armor standing behind you is an imposter”
Shining looked at me wide eyed “I’m the real Shining Armor! What kind of joke is this?!”
“You aren’t him…” I said darkly “Now step aside!”
Cadence held her arms wide to protect her pseudo-husband “Private what are you doing!? This is my husband!”
“Then have him prove it!” I said looking at Shining right in his blue eyes. “What was the message Cadence told me to give you?”
Shining returned my glare “What does that prove?!”
I smiled “You don’t know it do you? The Shining Armor I know would never forget what I told him…”
Cadence slowly turned and looked at her husband this time with suspicious eyes “Where did you ask me to marry you?”
Shining suddenly backed away from the mare “Cadence you can’t seriously be listening to this guy over me!”
“What did I say the night we learned we were going to have a baby?”
“I uh…” was Shining’s response
“What is my middle name? What baby names did we decide on? What’s my favorite color?” Cadence started firing question after question at the imposter. Suddenly what I was looking for reared its ugly horn. That’s right, horn. Shining’s horn glowed a bright green instead of the violet he’s known for. Cadence was thrown aside by the spell that Shining fired she crashed into a nearby table and fell unconscious. I kept my gun trained on Shining-I’m-Not.
I glared at the imposter “Show your true colors Changeling!”
Pseudo Shining's voice almost seemed to buzz as he spoke. “So you found me out…clever little pony…” Before my very eyes the guard captain’s skin melted off him replaced by a black almost insect like exoskeleton. The thing standing before me had long insect like wings and holes in its legs, its dark blue colored mane was hanging loosely down its side. It grinned at me with long sharp teeth and its green eyes betrayed the evil it held within. “I underestimated the tenacity of your kind…”
“Who the hell are you?” I said keeping my revolver pointed at the monster.
“I am Zazz…a lieutenant in Queen Chrysalis’ army…and you are a dead pony…” His long curved horn glowed a sickly green and I felt a force throw me across the room. I landed on the ground in the living room and groaned at the pain. I got up and pointed my gun at him. I was ready to shoot if I had to.
“So you figured you would finish where your sick queen started?” I said aiming right for the thing’s head.
Zazz laughed “You think me a mere dog? I planned to succeed where my dear queen couldn’t” he said dear in a mocking tone.
“So you thought you would get rid of what obstructed the first invasion…” I said looking at Cadence who was lying unconscious on the floor.
Zazz grinned “Our queen was foolish to target this land during such a lavish event…I opted for a more subtle approach. I planned have the two lovebirds either jailed or killed. But I underestimated just how far you were willing to go to get what you wanted pony…”
I grinned “You underestimated a lot of things just like she did, like your own disguise. You failed to put on what Shining was wearing when you went in to kill Sharpblade…”
The changeling frowned “Your kind are starting to irritate me”
“Oh I’m just getting started you bug eyed freak!” I shouted back. “Your horde isn’t here to save you! Changelings are worthless on their own…”
I felt the blast that came from the monster’s horn and slammed into the wall. I shook my head to refocus and found the changeling right in front of me. I suddenly felt tightness around my throat. I gasped for air as I was lifted off the ground. I couldn’t focus my magic so my gun fell to the floor useless.
The changeling before me grinned “What was that you called me? Worthless without my horde? You underestimated the power we changelings have…”
I was going to swear at him but it came out as a choked grunt.
“Such a foul mouth you have Private Eye…and so much sorrow within you…” His horn started glowing and I felt a sensation in my horn. That sensation turned into searing pain as I felt something crawling inside my head. It was like somepony stuck a worm inside my brain and it was crawling all over it. I managed to yell in pain.
“Get…out…of ….my …head!” I said in between chokes on my throat.
I felt something crawl in my head, I knew it was him. I tried every attempt to block what magic he had but my lack of oxygen was making it hard to concentrate let alone put up a defense from this mind probe.
“Oh…is this love I smell…and laced with sorrow as well…my favorite brand of love…” the thing grinned at me. “You lost love once…and now you’ve found it again from a different source…”
“S…shut up…”
“So pathetic…you have love before you, enough love that my kind would kill for. Yet your fear is what keeps you away from it…” It said with a voice as cutting as acid. I swear I was going to kill this monster! “Maybe I should act where you couldn’t…”
“What…are you talking…about…?” I said my fury rising to a dangerous point.
The thing chuckled and before my eyes the insect exoskeleton was replaced by my own grey coat. My grey eyes met my own grey eyes mine laced with shock and it’s laced with evil. Pseudo-Private grinned evilly “I’d be more than happy to take your place…I’ve seen everything, your memories, your hopes…your love. I can easily replace you…”
“You…wouldn’t….” I said my grey eyes seeing red
“Oh I would, Twilight will be so happy to see I am finally willing to return the feelings she harbors for me”
“You…bastard…”
“Oh we will create sweet love…sweet sweet love that I will look forward to feeding on for years to come…”
Suddenly a blast of blue hit the changeling square in the jaw. The spell on me broke and I gasped for air. I fell to the floor in a heap. When I could see again I saw Cadence firing spell after spell at Pseudo-Private. Her violet eyes were filled with a fury no being would want to see in an enemy. I stared at the Alicorn with wide eyes which were filled with a fury a mother bear would have for protecting her cubs.
She glared at Pseudo Private her horn aglow. “Your kind sickens me! Love is not something that can be created like food! Love is a precious gift for all of Pony kind! Now see how much fury love can bring…” Her horn fired a beam of magic at the monster. Pseudo Private shouted in pain and the disguise fell away. The monster flew against the wall and landed on the ground dazed.
I knew I had one shot at ending this thing once and for all. I ran to my revolver and picked the weapon up in my mouth. It was hard aiming with my mouth I don’t know how earth ponies do it but I was close enough. I aimed the weapon at the monster and fired twice. Both bullets pierced the beast’s head and it fell to the ground limp.
“It’s….over…” I fell over; adrenaline and lack of oxygen don’t really mesh well. I fell to the ground and Cadence ran over to me just as the police entered the building. Cadence lifted my head in her hooves as I slowly opened my eyes. “Did I get it…?”
“You did it Private, the changeling won’t bother us anymore…” She smiled at me, her violet eyes showing concern for my well being. She was going to be a great mom. I returned her smile.
“I just need a nap is all…I’ve had a very rough day…” I closed my grey eyes and drifted to sleep.
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“You did well by us again Private, though I was hoping to congratulate both you and Twilight this time…” Shinebadge said almost begrudgingly
I looked up from the couch where I was sitting. After my short nap I felt a little better, though the mention of Twilight didn’t help. “Just me this time…”
Shine looked at me with those hard blue eyes of his and asked. “What happened in there Private?”
I shook my head “With all due respect sir I’d rather not talk about it…”
Shine looked at me then nodded. He knew me well enough to not push the issue further. “If you ever need somepony to talk to Private just give me a shout. You’re a damn good detective and I don’t want to lose you twice” With that he walked out to talk with more of the officers.
I looked over at Cadence who was embracing the real Shining Armor. They found him in a dumpster not far from the house. The couple didn’t care that it was pouring rain and ponies were present. They just held each other tight and said words that were not meant for my ears. I envied them so much; they didn’t have to hide anything. They didn’t have to worry about getting hurt by one another or lying to each other. They were just so much in love with each other it didn’t matter what happened. They had each other and that was all it mattered.
I got up from the couch and started walking out. I stepped out into the rain when I heard Cadence calling me. She and Shining walked up to me both smiling.
“Thank you so much Private” Cadence said smiling at me “You’ve really helped us”
Shining smiled and put a hoof around his wife “You’ve given us a future to have together. Thanks a lot man”
I tried to smile “No problem…”
Shining smiled “We’ll send you the money as soon as-“
I cut off the guard with my hoof raised “Just send the money when you can, don’t worry about paying me” I pointed to Cadence who smiled “Spend the money you have on your future…”
Shining smiled and nodded with understanding “I will”
I smiled at both of them encouragingly “You guys are going to be great parents I can feel it”
The couple smiled at each other then Cadence looked at me “What are you going to do Private?”
My smile faded “I’m heading back to Ponyville…there’s something I need to do…”
Cadence’s horn was about to glow again as I turned to walk away. Shining put a hoof on her shoulder and shook his head. Shining understood that I needed to do what I had to do alone.
I didn’t like what I was about to do. My heart was saying that this was wrong and how could I even think of doing this to her. But my head won out against my heart most of the time, and I started my trek to the train station. I had to do this, if not for Twilight’s sake then for my own.