Hitch walked around in his office littering and loitering were both at an all time high, it was a crime wave the likes of which Maretime Bay had never seen before. Littering had gone from five complaints a day to eight and loitering had increased by twenty present from ten calls a week to twelve. Normally that would be cause for a stronger police presence, but something new had started happening. Somepony or something had started stealing things and causing all kinds of trouble. They weren't just stealing from the ponies of Maretime Bay, but also the pegasi and unicorn visitors, even more confusing were that even the animals were having things stolen from them. The things that were disappearing were odd and all over the place, salad tossers, a yellow picnic blanket, pink tail and mane dye, entire seagull nests, even a pegasus' phone.
Hitch passed in front of the map, not quite sure what he was missing. I could be all different culprits, but that would mean that there were multiple professional closeted kleptomaniacs that were just now coming out. He sighed rubbing temples. "What is this truly a professional thief, It looks like Hitch has finally met his Moriarty. This will doubtless require all of my skill and ability, to solve. All of my training has lead me to this point to rise and over come this challenge. I will catch you vile criminal, even if I must forego my snack breaks. I will not rest while on the clock to catch you." There was a soft tapping on the door. "Yes I'm coming." He opened the door and looked around, nobody was there. He turned back around and the entire police station was full of white bunnies. They were going through his filing cabinets and desk drawers. Several were taking time to draw bunny graffiti over all the surfaces.
"Hey! What do you all think that you're doing?! Stop it this instant!" He demanded. All the bunnies in the room froze and looked at him. Their little black eyes grew wide for a second, before a single bunny in the hoard hopped toward him as all the other bunnies started tapping in a three tab beat. "Uh." He looked down at the bunny. It pointed at him. "Me?"
It nodded then looked to the other bunnies. They all continued to tap their paws three times in unison. It hopped away and grabbed a map of Maretime Bay and brought it over pointing to a small area to the north west, past the apple farms. Then it pointed back to him.
"You want me to go there?" The bunny nodded. "Why what's out there." One of the bunnies hurled a wad of paper at his head from his desk. He opened it up. "The stolen goods!" He looked at the bunny mob in his room. "You know where it is" They all nodded. "Quickly lead me to it!"
The bunnies mob lead him out of the town several dozen of the younger bunnies had taken to riding on his back or head while the others completely surrounded him. It took nearly an hour for them to arrive at a small cave that lead down into a deep dark tunnel. "Uhm the stolen goods are all down there?" He asked the bunny just pointed down into the cave to answer him. "Do I really have too? I mean can't you bring the stolen things up here to me?" The bunny shook it's head side to side then pointed back down in to the cave. "Yeah I guess not, well it's time for me the sheriff of Maretime Bay, one of the ambassadors of earth pony kind, and one heck of a handsome stallion, to go down there and rescue all the stolen property and return them to their proper owner." The bunnies started clapping. "Yes I shall brave this cave I shall travel to the deepest darkest parts of it. I will crawl on my belly, climb sheer cliff and descend the deepest ravine in this cave to get them back." The bunny mob around him erupted into cheers. "Yes this I Hitch Trialblazer swear to do an not return until it is done."
"That's great now why are you giving a speech to my bunnies in front of my house?" A mare with a propeller hat, a purple and white mane and tail, and pupilless purple eyes."
"Your house?" Hitch asked stepping back.
"Yeah I'm really into natural architecture. Now why are you here?"
"There were some stolen items from Maretime Bay."
"Stolen you say, that little rascal I knew he wa-" She sighed. "Alright well come in come in. Let's get this taken care of." She led him into the cave which immediately became bright and cheery with a pock-a-dotted pink and orange carpet. "Anyways you should find the stuff you're looking for in that room over there." She gave him a look. "Are you good with animals?"
"Of course I am they love me. It's actually a little annoying at times, but I've learned to live with it."
"Huh guess it is time, anyway yeah you should find all the stolen stuff in that room there, when you get it before you go I'd like to give you something." She pointed to a plain oak door.
"Time for what?"
"Just get you're stuff, oh and be careful he's a rascal, so don't drop you guard." She walked off.
"Thanks?" he said before going over to the door and carefully opening it. Inside was a room that shouldn't have been that large in the middle was a bunny resting on a pony mannequin the yellow blanket was wrapped around it like it's coat and the seagull nests had been dyed pink and glued to make the tail and mane. resting on the mannequin was a bunny taking pictures and texting. "Excuse me Mr Rabbit, but those items are stolen items." The rabbit sitting on the pony just waved for him to go away. "I'm not leaving without those things." The bunny glared at him from over the cell phone and Hitch gave him his best smile. The bunny grabbed a carrot stub threw it at him. "Excuse me that is not okay." Hitch moved in to pull get the items from the bunny who continued throwing carrot stubs at him and running around playing keep away with the hoof phone.
"What is going on in here you t-?" Screwball gasped at the mannequin. "Angel Bunny the CXXV! What is that?" The bunny hopped up to her and then made the ta-da gesture. Hitch quickly snapped the hoof phone. "Hitch in place of taking those other things can I just pay the owners to replace them. Please?"
"I mean that's up to them but why?"
"That-that's my mom." She gulped. "I actually have something of hers that I'm supposed to give to you. She showed him a book. A very very old book. "Come sit with me. I think you'll want to here some stuff about her." She led him back to her couch, before giving him the book.