“You win officer. If it means that much to you where we were. Appleloosa.” Misty said.
“We fled to Appleloosa.” Sparky commented.
“You two realize we’ll look into this.” Chief Quill said.
“Go ahead.”
“Be our guest.”
Chief Quill gave Sparky and Misty a perplexed look. After Silver-Mane’s visit the two were being shockingly cooperative. I can’t help but feel like something’s going on here. Like Silver-Mane did something. “Thanks for the permission.” Quill said sarcastically. “Ok, that’s it. What in Celestia’s name did Silver-Mane do to you two?”
“Pardon?” Misty asked.
“Before his visit, you two weren’t talking. Now he’s visited and all of a sudden you two are cooperating and answering all my questions. So what the Faust happened between you three? And don’t give me the ‘we talked’ answer. There was clearly telepathy going on.” Chief Quill added.
“Look Chief, even if we did know. We aren’t telling you.” Sparky replied.
“We have the right to keep that information private. As it’s not related to the case.” Misty said with a smirk.
Quill felt ready to snap his pen, but he restrained himself. “Of course you were gonna say that.” He said with a sigh. Without another word, he got up and left the room.
Out in the lobby area, Quill walked over to Switch’s desk. “Switch!” He said.
“Yes sir?” Switch replied.
“Put together a team bound for Appleloosa. According to our guests that’s where they fled to. Have them interview the townsfolk...and see if Betty Pringle is available to go with them.” Chief Quill ordered.
“Did they give you a specific address?” Switch asked. “If Pringle needs to see what the kid’s living conditions were like. She’ll need a specific address.”
“We don’t even know if they’re telling the truth about Appleloosa. For all we know they’re sending us on a wild goose chase.” Quill replied.
“You think we should run that by the foal?” Switch asked.
“Not likely.” Quill replied with a head shake. “Not only is the foal currently stuck in bed, something tells me he won’t appreciate us bringing him into the home he was imprisoned in for three years.”
“Then how will we go about confirming where they lived?” Switch asked.
“We’ll just need to make sure we have photos and ask around.” Quill replied.
“I’ll put a team together.” Switch said. He got up from his desk and went to do just that.
Quill watched him go and he shook his head. “Something doesn’t seem right here.”
“Excuse me. Chief Quill?”
Quill perked up at the new voice and turned to see somepony he wasn’t expecting. It was the captain of Princess Celestia’s Royal Guard, Flash Sentry.
“Captain Sentry. What brings you to the CPD?” Quill asked.
“Princess Celestia wanted me to relay this to you.” He held out his wing, which Quill noticed had a scroll in it. “She suggests you take immediate action and bring the Nobles in for questioning.”
“Come again?” Quill asked with a raised eyebrow. While also lighting his horn to take the scroll from Flash.
“Everything you need to know is in the scroll.” Flash replied simply.
Quill unfurled the scroll with his magic, and saw several attached pieces of parchment. He read the writing on the top.
Dear Chief Quill,
Attached to this scroll is some mail that arrived at Sparkling Medley’s house under an hour ago. Sent by some of the Nobles that signed the petition calling for Sparkler’s descension. If it would not be too much trouble, find out what exactly the Nobles are planning. I shall ensure that these threats are impossible to carry out.
Kindest regards,
Princess Celestia.
Quill proceeded to look at the attached notes...and saw that all the names were indeed names that were on the petition. “You have got to be kidding me.” He sighed. The Nobles just wouldn’t stop. He turned his attention back to Flash. “Thank you for relaying this Captain Sentry.” He said.
“Always happy to help Chief. The Nobles never make it easy do they.”
“No they do not. Why those featherbrains were allowed to amass the influence they have is beyond me.” Quill responded.
“Good luck.” Flash said as he turned and left.
Quill took another quick glance at the notes and nodded. “Look alive ponies! We’re bringing in some Nobles for questioning!”
“So you guys are really moving to Ponyville?”
“Yeah we are. Mom and Nosey are being transferred there so I have to move schools.” Pearl replied. She was out during recess and was talking with her friends in school.
“So? What’s the reason?” Asked one of her friends.
“Sorry. Can’t talk about it.” Pearl replied.
“Aw come on!” Another one of her friends replied. “Give is the scoop girl! You’re moving to the defacto Capital of Friendship, where all the action takes place these days. Surely you can give us SOMETHING.”
“Hehe. Sorry Audrey. My lips have to be sealed here.” Pearl replied apologetically.
Her first friend shook her head. “Can you at least say WHEN y’all are moving? So we know how much time we have left together?” She asked.
“Today’s my last day here Serena.” Pearl replied. “But hey. This isn’t goodbye. I’ll still visit. All the time.”
“And we can always come to you.” The three fillies held it together for...approximately 6 seconds before they all broke down crying and crashed into each other in a group hug.
“I’m gonna miss you girls!” Pearl cried.
“We’re gonna miss ya too P.”
“Don’t forget about us!” Serena cried.
“How can I forget the best friends in the world?” Pearl replied.
They all just stood in the group hug and cried their hearts out for the next few seconds, before their crying stopped and they parted from the hug.
“Ok. Now that that’s over with.” Pearl said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “Let’s move on to another topic. Please.”
“Ok. How about we talk about your mom and Nosey.” Serena suggested.
“Yeah. You think they’re gonna take the next step soon P?” Serena asked.
“They’ve been together since I was two.” Pearl replied with a chuckle. “I’m starting to question if I’ll ever get to call him dad.”
“Maybe you should think about using that brain of yers to think of a way to get Nosey to pop the question.” Audrey said.
Pearl laughed. “Oh Audrey. You should know by now I’m the gal with the plan. I ALWAYS have a plan. I just need to scope out Ponyville and adapt my plan accordingly.”
Serena and Audrey chuckled. “Well, we’ll be waiting for the good news.”
“Yeah! And invites to the wedding.”
“I’ll make sure we can be the flower girls.” Pearl said with a chuckle.
“So, back up. I had thought we were gonna take custody of Kicker once he was out of the hospital?” River asked. “That’s standard procedure.”
“It is.” Nosey replied. “But then we found that he developed a case of PTSD and it was decided that for the sake of his mental health, he’ll stay with Sparkler even while she works to officially adopt him.”
Nosey and River had busied themselves packing the last of the boxes and getting them ready for transport. Meanwhile Nosey had filled River in on everything she missed.
“Poor kid.” River said. “No foal should have to suffer through what he has.”
“I know right?” Nosey commented. “Fortunately the worst of it is now over.”
“How long will he need to recover?” River asked.
“Physically he should be good to go in two weeks...mentally though, it’s impossible to say.” Nosey replied.
At that moment, River’s horn suddenly glowed and shot out some dust. The dust combined and reconstituted into a scroll. The scroll fell onto the box River was at.
River shook herself out of the usual shock and eyed scroll. “Ahoy captain somepony just scrolled me.”
“What does it say?” Nosey asked.
River unfurled the scroll and read
Dear Nosey and River,
Remember how I said you two could have all the time you needed to relocate to Ponyville? Yeah that was before the Nobles started sending threats to Sparkling Medley’s mailbox. The Princess and I are taking care of it but it would be nice if you two could pick up the pace. Me simply telling the Nobles you’ve been assigned there won’t hold them forever...and especially watch out for anything affecting the kid as well. He was caught in the crossfire.
Kindest regards,
Chief Quill
River groaned and shook her head. “Sending threat messages through the mail? What are those featherbrains? Five?” She asked.
“And hold it, did he also mention something about Kicker being threatened too?” Nosey asked.
“It says he was caught in the crossfire. My money is on one of those idiots threatened to take him away from Sparkler.” River replied.
“Ha! It’s hilarious they think we’ll actually allow them to do that. Ya can’t override Family Services with selfish opinions. I know that because Betty told me.” Nosey commented.
“All the same...if we’re done packing we should leave after Pearl gets out of school.”
“Agreed. Better not make Quill a liar.” Nosey replied. Getting back to taping up boxes.
To be continued...