Sunset had a police badge, but never carried a gun.
Even after living five years as a human, she still struggled with any tasks involving extensive use of her hands. Which is why she was horrible at sewing, her typing speed was under 10 words per minute, and her handwriting was sometimes so illegible it would make a doctor squint.
Pinkie drove the police van, which was probably the second worst person to drive the van. She said that the 7-ton, armored, windowless van painted black with the words “CANTERLOT POLICE” on both sides looked a lot like a party bus. So she started playing Kids Bop music (yeah, “that” kind of party) on the drive from the police station.
Sunset facepalmed and said, “Pinkie, we’re heading out to track down an unknown criminal who may have used Equestrian magic to abduct three children from their family. At least try to be serious.”
The seven girls of the Canterlot had been tasked with tracking down an armed and highly dangerous man—and even with their magic powers on their side, they were not taking any chances. Hence the guns.
Applejack was the markswoman of the group—admittedly, no one was surprised that a country gal like her had a good hand for a pistol. She slipped the gun in her holster, and put on a pair of motorcycle gloves that she used to protect her hands when lifting objects with her super strength. Not that she was a pansy or anything, but you would not believe how many splinters you get after punching through a 4-inch thick wooden door.
Rarity was sitting next to her, polishing her limited-edition dueling pistol with mother of pearl handle. Rarity was a fine markswoman herself, though when she officially became part of the police force, she categorically refused to use the standard-issue revolver. (“That hideous soot-black thing!?” she complained. “But it doesn’t match my shoes~!”)
They pulled over in a ditch near the rear loading dock of an old warehouse downtown that was being renovated into an art gallery slash microbrewery. It was after 10pm, and the construction site was completely empty.
Twilight fired up the listening equipment set up against one of the walls of the van. She launched the police drone out the window. She flew it by remote control over the second floor window of the warehouse.
Sunset walked up to the computer. “Well, Twilight? Get anything?”
“I see a light…I’m picking up radio signals, not a cell phone…a car key fob. Hold on, let me check…” she tapped a familiar rhythm with the keys on her laptop. “…the key fob is connected with a Mare-cedes Benz 2015 S-Class, license plate YHT6770.”
“You can find that out just from the radio signal a key fob gives out?”
Twilight turned around and gave Sunset a smug look. “You underestimate me, Sunset.”
Sunset laughed back. Even now, working in the police force, their friend dynamic hadn’t changed that much from high school.
Except this time, they’re trying to save the world from dangerous criminals—oh wait they’ve been doing that already. So perhaps nothing really had changed. Except for the badges and the guns.
“All right, the key fob is consistent with the suspect’s car. So he’s probably inside. Can you get a view of him?”
Twilight played another rhythm with her laptop keys. “Erm…no…I can’t get a good view inside. He’s probably hidden in an interior room somewhere.”
By now, all the girls were crowded around Twilight, watching the drone camera feed. It fell silent.
“Well. I guess we got no choice but to go in.”
“CANTERLOT PD! OPEN UP!” Sunset pounded on the warehouse door with her fist.
She turned to Applejack, who stood a few inches from the door. They nodded silently.
“Haa…YAH!!” Applejack punched through the 6-foot wide, 100-pound steel doors like a sheet of paper. The seven girls made their way inside.
Rainbow Dash zipped around the open space, leaving a rainbow trail behind her. “Clear! Clear! Clear!” she yelled from various places in the building.
Fluttershy trailed in the back, shining her torch around. It was then she found a cute little mouse, drinking from a puddle. She knelt down onto the mucky warehouse floor. Even she had forgone her usual chiffon skirt in favor of work pants.
“Aww, are you hungry, dear?”
The little mouse squeaked to her.
“Oh…you say you found food? Where?”
“From a human? Can you tell me more about this human?”
The little mouse squeaked and gesticulated violently.
Fluttershy quickly beckoned the girls. They followed the mouse up the stairs, to the second floor. They reached a blind corner. Rarity led the way, beckoning the rest of them silently. She cocked her gun.
The girls silently crept along in a single file, staying around from the moonlight, and avoiding stepping on the puddles. Even Pinkie did not make a sound.
They stopped dead in their tracks when they sounds the sounds of crying.
No, stop…
Stop…please…
“It’s coming from that room,” Rarity said, pointing with her gun barrel. The door was open, and the light was on.
Stop! Help! Please, help!
They did not hesitate a second more. They quietly approached the lit door.
The cries for help got louder.
“Police! Don’t move!”
Fluttershy was the only one that froze up.
The room was empty. All that was left was a bag of fast food with mice nibbles in some of the leftover fries, a torn piece of fabric caught on the door hinge, and a chair with a car key fob and a boom box playing “No, stop, help! Please, help!” in a loop.
Sunset Shimmer kicked the boom box out of anger. “SHIT! We lost him again! Should’ve known it was a bust.”
“What now?” Fluttershy said.
Applejack sighed. “Go home, I guess.”
It was the next morning. A white-haired (but young) woman, wearing a black suit with a blue, star-printed scarf wrapped around her neck, walked into the Precinct 7 office of the Canterlot Police Department.
She was greeted by the receptionist. “Hi, can I help you?”
“Ah, no thank you. I’m here to see Lieutenant Shimmer.”
“Who should I say is calling?”
“The Great and Powe—I mean, Patricia Lulamoon, Assistant District Attorney for Canterlot County. And I know the way to her office, thank you darling.” She walked past the receptionist, her nose slightly upturned.
Trixie had left her days as a magician behind and pursued law, after learning how bad job prospects were for magicians these days (Especially considering that “real magic” was now a thing. Gee, thanks a lot, Shim-Sham).
But, as it turned out, the skills that made her a great magician made her one of the best prosecutors Canterlot County ever had.
But of course, she’d rub that in your face whenever she got the chance. It’s still Trixie. Same old, cocky, self-centered Trixie.
Trixie went inside Sunset Shimmer’s office. She shut the door behind her.
“But you still haven’t located them!” Trixie paced around Sunset’s office, fidgeting with the leaves on Sunset’s indoor plant.
Sunset stood from her desk. “I’m sorry, Trixie. It was supposed to be a good tip. We pursued it last night…turned out it was a bust.”
“The mayor has been blowing my ear off over this. This doesn’t look good on the city’s reputation—three children taken hostage by an unknown character, missing for 72 hours and counting—”
“We have received confirmation two hours ago that they are still alive.”
“But how much longer will there be before they aren’t alive? In case you haven’t noticed, those children’s chances of living aren’t getting any less slim. So you better produce some results, or it’s gonna be on ALL our heads!”
“First of all, Trixie, the father is very unlikely to have any motive for killing his own children. Secondly, we’re trying as hard as we can—”
“Well try harder!” The prosecutor was enraged.
Unfortunately for Trixie, Sunset was even more enraged. “Are you telling me how to run my department!?”
"If it improves your efficiency and brings the perp to justice, YES!"
"You think we've got it made just cause we've got magic powers!? You try sitting in this office for a day! Here! Be my guest! Take a seat!" She pointed. "I'll even adjust the FUCKING lumbar support for you!"
Trixie leaned over Sunset Shimmer’s desk and glared at her. “Look, we may have butt heads back in high school, but we’re on the same side now! And this isn’t even about us—it’s about those three children who are missing their home, missing their family.”
Sunset's face softened from rage to a firm glare. “And I can assure you our department is going to do everything it can to locate these children and bring the abductor to justice.”
Trixie crossed her arms and huffed. The sounds of the big city leaked through the high office window. “Of course. Let me know as soon as you get a promising lead,” she said in a dry business-like tone. She picked up her briefcase and slammed the door behind her.
Canterlot Police Department; Precinct 15, Office of Everfree Special Investigation Unit, 11:20am
“Yes. No, sir, I don’t believe you saw them.” Rainbow Dash hung up the phone and reclined in her desk. She sighed deeply.
“Well?” Sunset Shimmer walked over.
“No promising leads as to their whereabouts.”
“And you, Applejack?” she turned to Applejack’s desk.
“Nope. Nothin'.”
The number of empty double chocolate caramel cream puff wrappers on Pinkie’s desk was enough for Sunset to figure out Pinkie’s luck.
She walked over to Twilight’s desk. “What can you get from the video we got 2 hours ago?”
“Well, the EXIF data shows that it was recorded this morning at 9:26am, so we can confirm the children are still alive as of that time. Fairly nondescript location like the last place. Concrete walls and floor. There’s a window on the top left, but it’s too small for me to get any clues. All I can tell you is that they’re facing north-north-west, probably in a basement.”
“You can get the license plate number of a car from a key fob signal, but you can’t tell where the hell these kids are being held!?”
Twilight simply furrowed her brow. “What’s up with you today?”
“Sorry. It's just that Trixie—I mean, ADA Lulamoon—she’s been blasting my ear off about this case.” She placed her hand on her forehead. It felt moist with sweat. She continued. “Any cell signal data?”
“No, no cell phone on him,” Twilight said. “Last reported location is on the Wondercolt River bridge, heading towards Everfree National Forest. He probably tossed it in the water.”
Sunset crossed her arms and grunted quietly. “Argh. He’s onto us. We might have to start considering the idea that he’s taken them to Equestria to avoid detection. He couldn’t have used the portal at CHS—it’s heavily guarded at all times. It’s possible that if he knows about Equestrian magic, he’s been able to create a portal to Equestria.” Sunset knew that was very possible…from her own personal experience.
“I’ll get in touch with Equestria to keep a lookout. In the meantime…” she raised her voice. “Can I have everyone’s attention? Gather round please!”
The seven girls in the open office gather to the whiteboard in the middle of the room.
Sunset picked up a marker and began writing. “Alright, let’s gather our facts.” She walked up to the whiteboard, and yanked the cap off the marker. “We’ve got three children missing: Snug Light, age 13; her sister, Petunia, age 12; and her sister, Noi, age 8.
“Now for background…” she pinned two photos onto the board. “At least seven complaints have been filed against Snug’s parents for domestic abuse over the span of 8 years…though no convictions were made.”
Snug’s parents vehemently denied that they had any involvement in the kidnapping. Sunset read their memories, and they were telling the truth. Their house, vacation home, and boat were thoroughly searched—no traces of the children had been found.
She pinned the children’s pictures onto the whiteboard. Rainbow Dash winced. Petunia’s Canterlot Middle School’s soccer uniform looked too similar to CHS’s soccer uniform. There was the same pep in her step, captured in the freeze frame. The same gleeful smile. They almost looked…alike.
The mugshots of Snug’s parents from the last domestic abuse charge were oddly flattering—their faces were well groomed, their hair neatly combed. They seemed to have the poise of a wealthy couple. Or perhaps they were simply used to the bright white limelight of the mugshot camera.
Sunset continued. “Now, the three children were last seen in the Paleo family’s garage at 2pm Thursday afternoon, playing in a garage band. They took a break, and the next time the parents came to check on them…they had vanished.
“The children appear to be changing location rapidly. Within three days, three videos were released since their disappearance: each in three different unidentified rooms. In addition, we received a phone call from a citizen that they had been sighted in a warehouse—we raided the warehouse last night, but did not locate the missing children. From cell phone data, we have reason to believe their next destination is the Everfree National Forest.”
“So…what is our next step…?” Sunset thought out loud. “Okay. Fluttershy, Applejack. You two head down to the Everfree National Forest, canvass the area and see if anyone has seen these children. Twilight, do you think you’re gonna find anything more from that video footage?”
Twilight adjusted her glasses and sighed. “Probably not.”
“Okay, then come with me,” Sunset said. “We will go to the Paleo family and give them the latest update. The rest of you, stay on the phones. We never know if we may get something.”
“Remember, the city’s counting on us!” Sunset yelled as everyone returned to their duties. She grabbed her coat and beckoned Twilight. “Ready to go?”