//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 "Best of Friends, Worst of Enemies" // Story: Equestria Noir Case 4: Skies of Cloudsdale // by Jacoboby1 //------------------------------// Chapter 6 “Best of Friends, Worst of Enemies” “Grimwing has a daughter!?” Rainbow said her jaw dropping to the clouds we we’re standing on. “Yeah, and not a legitimate daughter” I said sitting down outside of Grimwing’s compound. “But Texem was going to blackmail Grimwing to get more time to pay off a dept” “Poor thing” Fluttershy said looking at Grimwing’s home. “He must be so lonely without his daughter to talk too” Rainbow frowned at Fluttershy “Only you would feel sorry for a mobster Fluttershy…” the cyan pegasus then turned to me. “So why would Texem resort to this?” I didn’t want to say my theory. I made a promise to Spitfire I wouldn’t tell Rainbow about it. I decided to only tell mostly the truth. “Let’s just say Texem’s income was shrinking fast” Rainbow tapped her hoof in thought “So Grimwing killed Texem to cover up the whole word about his daughter getting out?” Fluttershy shook her head “No, Private said Grimwing was shocked when he saw those pictures. It was the first time he’d ever seen his poor daughter in a long time” I looked at Fluttershy smiling “I never would’ve pegged you as detective material Fluttershy” Fluttershy let out a squeak and blushed. I could tell she wasn’t used to being complimented by stallions like me. Rainbow sighed and looked at me “So what now?” I turned my head down the street “We reinvestigate the crime scene with this new knowledge in mind…” _________________________________________ We returned to Texem’s office just as Celestia’s sun was setting. We climbed the stairs and my eyes grew wide at the sight. The cop I had guarding the crime scene was laying on the ground knocked out. I ran to him and took a look at him. He was knocked out cold and there was a spilled coffee mug over on the floor. I smelled the coffee and smacked it aside “Dope…somepony broke into the crime scene” Fluttershy looked over the officer “He’s not hurt badly…oh who would do something like this?” Rainbow nodded knowingly “Our culprit” We entered the office to find it trashed, books were on the floor and papers were everywhere. The desk was overturned and claw marks were everywhere. Fluttershy examined the claw marks on the desk “These claws belong to a griffon alright” Rainbow picked up some papers “Looks like he was looking for something that Texem had” Fluttershy looked over “Could it be the pictures?” It was then that I noticed it…one of the pictures on the wall was where it was when I saw it earlier. Everything else was overturned but this picture was put back where it was. I walked to the picture and levitated the picture off the wall. Behind it was a small safe with claw marks all over the dial. “I think I found what he was looking for…” I said as my two pegasi companions looked at the safe. “How do we open it without the numbers though?” Rainbow said giving the dial a few experimental twists. I gently pushed the pegasi aside “You underestimate me my dear Rainbow” I reached into my trench coat and levitated out a screw driver and some bobby pins. “You can pick locks?” Rainbow said her voice taking on a look of admiration “Remind me to call you whenever I get locked out” It took five minutes to get the safe open but when it did I found something strange inside. There was a small package and a stack of papers. Rainbow picked up the package while I looked over the papers. “They’re docking ledgers” I looked at Fluttershy “Papers that tell you what cargo you have on an airship…and it says it has…” I suddenly turned to Rainbow who was about to smell the package. “Rainbow don’t inhale that!” She looked at me and dropped the package like it suddenly caught fire “What is it Private? A bomb!?” “No…Magieth, it’s a highly addictive halogen drug. Had you inhaled it you probably would start seeing pink elephants everywhere” I said picking up the package and holding it in front of me. “This is a sample of what is on Texem’s airship…Texem was selling drugs on the side!” Rainbow looked at me wide eyed “The griffon is probably going to go after the drugs! We have to stop him!” I nodded and looked at both of them “I’ll head to the dock…you two fly and warn the cops about what’s going to happen” Rainbow shook her head “I’m going with you!” I frowned at her “Dash you have no experience handling criminals. I admire your loyalty but I’m better off going this one alone” “I’m not leaving you hanging!” Fluttershy put a hoof on her friend’s shoulder “Rainbow…let’s listen to Private” Rainbow looked ready to protest but saw the earnest look in Fluttershy’s eyes and relented. “Fine…but I’ll never forgive myself if you get hurt” I smiled “It’s all part of the job” _________________________________ I entered the now deserted airship hanger. It was night time and all the staff had turned in for the night. I pulled out my revolver and loaded it. I didn’t want to have to kill the griffon but anything could happen in a gunfight. Sweetie Belle’s case proved that more than anything. I heard scuffling near a batch of cargo next to a large docked Airship. I aimed my gun at the boxes and shouted. “Police! Put your claws in the air!” The griffon that emerged was bigger than me but obviously my age. She looked at me with disdain in her eyes. That’s right I said “she” because this griffon was the same one in the photographs. She glared at me “I didn’t think anybody would find me so fast” “You also think that bomb of yours could stop me…Gilda?” Her wings spread in anger “How the heck do you know my name?!” “Daddy says hello…” Her yellow eyes grew wide “You talked with my father?!” “Of course I did…how else would I have figured out why you had Texem killed?” “And why would I have some dumb pony killed!?” I was quiet for a second and then I spoke…”Connection…” “What?” She said looking at me with raised eyebrows. “You knew that Grimwing was your father…but he wouldn’t acknowledge you…all those years of looking for him and you discover he’s a mob boss. You realize he wasn’t going to let you into his life unless you proved yourself. So when you heard about Texem and his blackmail you thought it would be the perfect opportunity to connect with your father” Gilda looked at me; her yellow eyes filled with rage “He never once tried to contact me! I was his only egg and he wouldn't even acknowledge I even existed!” “So you decided to prove yourself again…by stealing the drugs that Texem was selling on the side” “He isn’t going to use them anyway” “But your actions had an unfortunate side effect…Spitfire was in the room at the time of the murder. The cops almost arrested her as the culprit. Your actions got your old friend Rainbow Dash on board…” Gilda looked at me with different eyes…eyes of guilt “Dash…?” “Yes Gilda…Dash helped me with this case…she doesn’t know I’m about to arrest you” Gilda’s eyes returned to fury “So not only does she humiliate me she also has to rat me out?!” “You can go out two ways Gilda…in hoofcuffs or a bag” I cocked my gun “Your choice” “I’ll go with C, none of the above!” Suddenly she threw as small sphere at me. I blinked and it exploded in my face. I flew back and smashed into a nearby box. I shook my head trying to focus. I looked up to find Gilda smiling. I tried to pick up my gun with my magic but my horn only let out small grey sparks. My magic was disabled somehow. “Anti-magic bombs…designed years ago for arrogant unicorns like you” Gilda said grinning evilly. “I don’t need magic to take you out!” I pushed forward and outright tackled the griffon. She had size but I had flexibility and combat training. I started wailing on her with my hooves but she then reached up and clawed me across the muzzle. I tried to cover the wound but then Gilda delivered a swift punch to my muzzle and I was flown back. I fell on the ground with a thud and looked up at the griffon above me. I glared up at her “The cops are already on their way…you can’t out fly them…” She glared back at me “No…but I can get rid of you…the one who foiled my one chance for somebody to care…” She reached down and grabbed me by the neck. I struggled and kicked in the griffon’s grip but she was far too strong. She reached over and pressed a button and the hanger floor opened to reveal a long way down. “Don’t do this Gilda…” I said in between breaths “You’re…not a…murderer…” “No…but the ground sure as hell is…” She dropped me…and there was nothing I could do to stop my fall. I fell… _______________________________________ I looked up at the sky so I wouldn’t have to look down. Was this it? Was I going to die? I watched a small dot move in the sky; Gilda was going to get away. I couldn’t use my magic to slow my descent and Nopony was going to save me. Suddenly I thought of Twilight…of the things I never said to her…the things I wished I said…just of her…If I had any regrets in life...asking her to leave was one of them. It was then that I saw it…a blue streak heading towards me…mother? Was that you? Are you coming to take me home…? I missed you so much…your blue coat…your rainbow mane…wait! She had an electric blue mane not a rainbow mane! “PRIVATE!!!!!” Rainbow said as she dived for me. Her hooves were out in front of her to increase her dive speed. “RAINBOW?!” I shouted as I saw her diving for me. “Hang on Private I’m almost there!” I shook my head “Don’t worry about me! Catch Gilda!” I said pointing my hoof to the slowly disappearing dot in the sky. Rainbow shook her head “I’m not going to let you die!” “Don’t be stupid!” I shouted back “If she gets away more ponies are going to die! My life isn’t worth it!” “It is to me Private!” She shouted at me tears in her eyes from the strain. “You’re my friend and friends don’t abandon friends to die!!” I just stared at her…friend? There was no wonder why Rainbow bore the Element of Loyalty. She was willing to risk a criminal getting away to save the life of a friend. “Dash…” I said looking at her with new eyes. “Hang on…” Dash suddenly concentrated on a particular point…I could see a small barrier forming in front of her. Was she doing what I think she was doing? The boom that followed answered my question. I closed my eyes as Rainbow suddenly zoomed to me and grabbed me in her hooves. I slowly opened them again…the ground was below me but I was moving not towards it but away from it. I looked up to see Rainbow’s smiling face looking at me. “I never leave anypony hanging” I looked around “Dash! We’re flying!” “This is what we pegasi we’re made for!” Dash shouted as we ascended. I extended my arms out like wings of my own and shouted to the wind. “Yahoo! Too infinity and beyond!” Rainbow smiled and looked up “There she is!” She pointed with her nose at Gilda who was trying desperately to fly away from Dash. I reached into my trench coat and pulled out a mini revolver that I kept for emergencies and looked at Dash. “Can you get me close enough?!” Dash nodded “What are you going to do?!” “Clip a bird’s wings…” I said as I stuck the revolver in my mouth. Gilda was an agile flyer but she was no match for Rainbow Dash’s speed. We got closer and I closed my eyes in concentration. Suddenly I flashed back. ________________________________________ “Remember Private” Fenlock said sitting next to me “A gun is like a lady…you treat her right and she’ll give you all she’s got. Trust her, and you’ll see miracles occur” ____________________________________________ I smiled and thought “Sing for me baby…” Dash brought me neck and neck with Gilda I turned my head to her. I opened my eyes and aimed. I pulled the trigger with my tongue. The bullet fired just as Gilda was reaching the highest point in her flap. The bullet sailed through both of her wings. The Griffon screeched in pain and lost control of her flying. She crash landed onto a nearby cliff. Dash landed me on the cliff and I pointed my gun at Gilda “Gilda Grimwing…you are under arrested for the assassination of Texem and Crosshair, the possession and selling of illegal drugs…and the attempted murder of me…” Gilda looked at me but simply whispered as she fell unconscious “You notice me now daddy…?”