Bloodhound: The Mare in the Mirror

by Mind Jack


A Peek Behind the Curtain

"Pecan and maple," Bloodhound guessed.

Flip threw her hooves up. "I give up! I can't fool her!"

Bloodhound, who was blindfolded, blushed. "What can I say? The nose knows."

They had been devouring stacks of pancakes and waffles for quite a long time, until their hunger had been quenched, and it was time to attend to their boredom.

"But how does it know eleven syrup combinations in a row!?" Flip demanded.

"Houndsy is just that good," Bucky replied with a grin.

Flip grumbled under her breath, passing a smirking Fireball another two bits for the lost bet. "Trick wouldn't let you be this mean to me, Whiskey."

"Aw. I'm sure she'd be proud that the wise, old archmagus is coming down to fool around with us mortals," Fireball teased.

"Who's Trick?" Bloodhound asked.

Flip looked at her with a furrowed brow. "You haven't heard? It was all over the newspapers. A huge scandal."

Bloodhound gave a sheepish grin. "I don't really follow politics." The name did sound familiar, but she couldn't recall where she'd heard it.

"Ah. I suppose that's understandable." Flip had a brief, haunted look. "Coin Trick was my sister. She was caught… performing some actions that greatly offended the nobility. As a result, our parents disowned her. She… isn't around anymore."

Bloodhound winced. "Oh… Oh I'm so sorry."

"It's alright." Flip nodded thanks to a waiter who poured her a fresh cup of coffee. "It was a tragedy, but I'm slowly recovering. We're in the same boat, eh?"

Both Fireball and Bloodhound nodded sadly. Bucky gave Bloodhound a comforting hug.

"Oh come on!" Flip urged. "No long faces here! You lot look sad enough to drive me back to drink. Celestia knows the old me would probably be collapsed in a ditch somewhere."

Fireball frowned. "Flippy, I know you've made a lot of mistakes, but you really shouldn't talk about yourself that way."

"Bad decisions," Flip corrected. 

Bloodhound frowned. "What?"

"I didn't make mistakes. I made bad decisions. There's an important difference." Flip leaned back in her seat. "A mistake is something you don't see coming. Often, it can't be helped. I was aware of how my drinking affected me and those around me, but I kept doing it. My big epiphany came when I realized that most of what was going on in my life was my own damned fault. I made my own bad decisions, but I could start to make good ones. It's not easy, and the temptation is still there, but that self-awareness helps a lot."

It reminded Bloodhound a lot of her own self-sabotaging situation, trying to make something of herself. Maybe if she can make such a drastic turnaround, I can too.

Flip's watch beeped. "Gah. Sorry. I have a prior engagement. Don't worry. I'll pay on my way out. You and I should speak more, Bloodhound. I recall you and I are having similar problems. Perhaps you'd like to have tea at my estate this weekend?"

Bloodhound grinned. "That sounds lovely!"

"Fantastic!" She stood, stretching her back like a cat. "I'll see you all later then." Before she left, she looked over her shoulder and smiled. "It's good to have new friends."

As she went through the front door of the restaurant, a surprising figure passed by her on the way in: a guard stallion, in full armor. He walked right up to their table. "Ms. Bloodhound?" He asked, looking at Bucky.

Bucky blinked. "Uh… no? I'm Buck Up. I'm just a personal trainer." As if to demonstrate, she flexed one of her muscular forelegs, pointing at it pointedly with her other. 

Fireball looked like she was going to rip him a new one, but Bloodhound spoke up before she could. "That's me, actually."

He gave her an envelope, which had been stamped with a yellow, sun-shaped seal. "You're to see Princess Celestia first thing tomorrow, before morning court. Please arrive in full uniform, and bring the signed orders contained in this envelope."

Bloodhound's eyes shrank to pinpricks. "E-excuse me!?"

He shrugged. "I don't write up the orders, ma'am. I just deliver them."

With that he left them all stunned and slack-jawed. 

Fireball was the first to recover. "My baby is moving up in the world!" Her grin was the biggest, and proudest, that Bloodhound had ever seen.

Bloodhound was unable to speak, as she was on the verge of a panic attack. 

Bucky put a comforting hoof on her back. "Breathe, Houndsy. It's probably just Watch business. You'll be fine."

"Fine! Yes! Fine!" Bloodhound squeaked. "I'm just a humble entomologist, probably going to explain our progress in solving crimes to the ruler and goddess of my homeland! Yes I'm absolutely fine!"

Bucky rubbed her back gently. "Yes, you will be. I doubt you'll be alone, and Fireball can help you learn the protocols for meeting with the Princess."

Fireball nodded. "Absolutely."

That at least helped lower Bloodhound's stress levels until she was no longer at risk of fainting. "Alright. Yes. You're right. I can do this."

Fireball smiled at Bucky. "You're good at this. You have any foals of your own?"

Bucky shook her head. "No. But I do want some someday."

Fireball's friendly smile turned into a smirk. "Well… Houndsy is single."

Bloodhound's stress levels spiked right back up, her face turning as red as her mane. "MOTHER!"

"What?" Fireball said with a laugh. "I'm just being a good parent!"


After dropping off Bucky, and going over some surprisingly simple rules to follow when addressing Celestia, Bloodhound was subjected to possibly the only words that could have terrified her more than her mother trying to set her up on a date.

"Alright. If you're going to be in law enforcement, I'm going to have to teach you some self-defense."

Bloodhound groaned. "But Motheeeerr…"

"But nothing. My biggest priority is keeping you safe. Don't worry. This won't be like last time."

"Thank you. I would rather not traumatize another poor recruit."

"Hey. I paid his therapy bills. And I gotta hand it to you, falling over and crying like that was impressive psychological warfare. Now listen up. I'm gonna keep things simple. Pick up that chair and hit me with it."

Bloodhound glanced at the heavy, wooden chair that Fireball had dragged from the dining room to the backyard. "Erm… I don't think I can lift it."

"Sure you can. It's all in technique. Give it a try, and I'll correct you if you do it wrong."

Bloodhound reluctantly opened her mouth, trying to grab the back of the chair in her teeth, but Fireball stopped her before she could lift it.

"You're gonna crack your teeth like that," she warned. "Like this."

She stood on her back legs, grabbing the chair with a bend in her forelegs just above her hooves. Using her chin for leverage, she used her whole body to lift the chair above her head, now only using her back legs for support.

Fireball set the chair back down, falling back to all fours. "There. Now you try. Use all your muscles when you lift, not just your forelegs."

Bloodhound tried it. To her surprise, she was able to mimic Fireball with ease, hefting the heavy chair over her head. "I'm doing it! I'm really doing—"

She fell over backwards, hitting the grass with a thud. "—it."

Fireball laughed and helped her up. "Don't get your clothes too dirty. The washing machine is on the fritz, and the repair company is giving me the runaround. Go take your sweater off, and we can practice more."

They practiced until late in the evening. By the time Bloodhound went to bed, she was exhausted, sore, and more confident than she'd been in a long time.


Canterlot Castle. It was among the most beautiful structures in the world; a symbol of the golden age that Princess Celestia ruled over.

Bloodhound had only been here once or twice, and she'd never actually gone inside. She had only been to the walls, riding on her mother's armored back as a filly.

Merrilight bumped her as they approached the guards at the front gate. "Chin up! Princess Celestia loves me!"

"As I recall, last time you met, she remarked that you had a 'somewhat creepy charm,'" Starfish reminded. The guardsmare was clearly tense. She did not look happy about this meeting at all.

Crossed spears barred their paths. "Halt. State your business," said one of the rather intimidating white unicorn stallions guarding the front gate.

Bloodhound produced her envelope, and Merrilight and Starfish produced similar ones. Bloodhound was happy to step back and let somepony else talk, but Merrilight looked irritated when it was Starfish who did. "Official business with the Princess."

They leaned around her to look at Bloodhound and Merri. "You on babysitting duty for the Toppies, Sergeant?" 

"Toppies?" Bloodhound said in confusion, before her eyes drifted up to her uniform's top hat. "Oh."

"Actually, it's the other way around!" Merrilight said cheerily. "The Guard needed our help."

One of the guards laughed. "Doing what? Growing turnips? Sewing buttons? Go home, civvie. The princess has no need for your fake police force."

Bloodhound was taken aback by the sheer rudeness. "Fake…?"

Before either of them could respond, Starfish approached to whisper something to them. 

Both stallions immediately looked spooked. "Er… no offense, Ms. Whiskey," said one.

"We didn't mean anything by it," the other agreed. "Say, weren't you here with somepony else?"

"Yoo hoo!"

Merrilight had already pranced past them, and was waiting partially inside the castle. "For the 'real' police force, you're not very observant!"

Both of the guards had their hackles up and their spears raised in an instant, but again, Starfish stopped them. "None of us want the paperwork we'd need to do if we arrested her, and the princess is waiting for us."

The two guards relaxed, nodding agreement. They didn't argue further, but they did grumble under their breath, and one spat at them as they passed.

Bloodhound was so disturbed by what had just transpired, it took several steps into the throne room before her pre-princess-parlay-panic peeked it's pesky peepers into her mind. Stay calm, Houndsy! She's just a goddess, with a history of banishing others to space. Surely she's as kind and benevolent as the stories make her sound.

Princess Celestia was absolutely as regal as the stories made her sound. She was taller than any creature Bloodhound had seen, with an alabaster coat, and a long, multi-colored mane that shifted around like a mirage, despite there being no wind to move it.

Despite her divine appearance, her smile was kind and friendly as she stood to greet them. "Starfish. Merrilight. I'm pleased to see you. I assume your friend here is the 'Constable Bloodhound' I read about in your reports?"

"Yes, your—" Starfish began.

Celestia held up her hoof. "I'm sure she's perfectly capable of introducing herself, Sergeant."

Bloodhound cleared her throat. Then she gulped nervously, and was forced to clear it again. "Y-yes, your highness. My name is Bloodhound. I-I'm afraid I don't know what my rank is."

Starfish raised an eyebrow at Merrilight. "Did you not tell her?"

Now it was Merrilight's turn to look nervous. "Our ranking system is somewhat… unfinished. Technically, we're both constables."

Celestia frowned in disapproval. "Yes. That's part of what I wanted to discuss today. I'm told you've been taking advantage of the evolving nature of the Watch to exploit some rather disturbing loopholes."

Merrilight blanched, and Starfish turned to her with a smile. "Yes. You've been doing that quite a lot lately."

"Well… those loopholes are technically the law," Merrilight defended, forcing a smile that didn't shield her fear quite enough. "And they remove obstacles that can get fairly annoyi—"

Celestia stomped her hoof. It wasn't quite enough to crack the marble underneath it, but it was enough to send a deafening *BANG* echoing through the throne room. 

All three of them flinched. Bloodhound immediately hid behind Merrilight.

Celestia took a deep breath. "I know the system frustrates you, Merrilight, and I agree. That's why I signed off on the formation of the Watch. But that does not give you carte blanche to trample all over that system whenever it suits you. From now on, whenever there's doubt in who has jurisdiction, or what you're allowed to do, send a missive to me, and I'll clarify it. Clear?"

The lecture reminded Bloodhound a lot of the ones her Mother used to give, albeit it was much more kind and understanding, and her voice had much less anger than it did disappointment. 

"Crystal, your highness," Merrilight said in a bitter tone.

Starfish was grinning like it was her birthday, and she'd just been granted a baronet.

"Now," Celestia continued. "From your reports, I understand that you've come across a very disturbing crime. Murder is so rare in Equestria, that I wanted to receive an update in-person."

Starfish started to speak, but Merrilight interrupted her. "Actually, Bloodhound has been the one to find many of the clues. Perhaps she should address the princess."

Starfish grit her teeth for a split second, but relaxed when Merrilight whispered something to her that Bloodhound couldn't hear. "Eh. You're right. Go on, Houndsy."

"M-me? But…"

Celestia, seeing her hesitation, gave her a soft smile. "Bloodhound Whiskey, right?" 

"Er… technically, yes, but I just go by Bloodhound. Sort of like how guard ants are just warrior ants who—"

Starfish cleared her throat. 

Bloodhound smiled sheepishly. "Uh… yes, that's me."

Celestia nodded. "You must be Fireball's daughter, then."

Bloodhound blinked. "You know my mother?"

"I know all of my guards," Celestia replied. "Including my most infamous instructor. Please, tell me what you know of the case."

Bloodhound did her best to describe what she knew. She stuttered a lot, and went into several tangents about insects and arachnids in order to clarify her points.

Celestia listened patiently all the while, smiling a little at her tangents, actually putting a hoof to her lips in shocked sorrow when she heard how Bloodhound was involved, and her jaw absolutely dropped when she mentioned that they believed the two murders had the same culprit. "This wasn't in your reports, Merrilight."

"Sergeant Starfish instructed me to inform nopony, to avoid public panic," Merrilight replied. 

Celestia pursed her lips, eyes haunted. "Two murders, here in Equestria…" she murmured. "You're sure?"

"It sounds like a stretch, but I saw the lockpick marks on Bloodhound's fridge myself," Merrilight replied. "And with the similarities in the deaths, it seems too much to be coincidence."

Celestia nodded, lowering her head, and giving a long, sad sigh. "From now on, all three of you are to report anything involving this case directly to me. This case is priority number one, above any others you're working on. Understand?"

All of them nodded.

"Good. And do your best to not let any word of it escape. You were right to think this could cause a panic." Celestia looked somewhere far past them, lost in thought. "For now, you're dismissed. I want this killer caught before they kill again."

They all bowed in acknowledgement. Bloodhound really wasn't sure how long she should hold the bow. It was only when Merrilight tapped on her shoulder that she realized that her companions had already gotten up to leave. She quickly stood herself, and they hurried out of the throne room.

"Where to now?" she asked as they passed the two rude guards. 

"Follow me," Starfish ordered. "I've got a good place. We're going to put our heads together and try to find some kind of break in this case."


The first thing Bloodhound noticed about the morgue was how chilly it was. She really wished she'd brought along a sweater. 

Of course, it was creepy as well. So few suspicious deaths happened in Equestria that the place was severely underfunded. The lights flickered, and there clearly wasn't a janitor on-staff.

The lack of crime in Equestria also explained the tiny evidence room just off the main morgue, in which all three of them sat. 

Cold Case, the same mare who had brought in the toxicology results before, now brought in two files. "Here ya go. The beginner's guide to these two dead bodies. AKA the full autopsy reports."

"Thank you, Ms. Case," Starfish said with a nod. "Stick around. Just in case we have questions."

"Take a nap in a morgue drawer, got it," Cold said as she left the room.

Starfish rolled her eyes. "She likely won't be much help." She passed the folders to Merrilight and Bloodhound. "Let's start with what we know, and try to work our way toward what we need to know. Bloodhound, you recognized the symptoms of scorpider venom in Bamboo Sprout. Maybe if you tell us more, we can figure out how it was delivered, and concealed in toxicology."

"It's an… odd type of venom," she explained. "Basically, anything it touches starts to bleed. It's not quite an acid. It's unique. I had it because I was milking Rudy to make antivenom for a local hospital, since the venom itself is a key ingredient."

"How many of the suspects knew that?" Merrilight asked.

"It's entirely possible that all of them did." Bloodhound hugged her fluffy tail thoughtfully. "Mum loved to brag about my work with insects, even though I never made any bits from it."

"Hm. That doesn't narrow it down," Starfish mused.

"But it does tell us one thing," Merrilight pointed out. "The venom had to have been ingested. I remember from Bloodhound's story that she vomited blood, and if it had been a gas in the lungs, Bloodhound would have been killed too."

That was incredibly disconcerting. But something bothered Bloodhound beyond her own mortality. "Then how was it concealed?"

"Perhaps a dose of antivenom?" Merrilight suggested. 

"I didn't have any at home," Bloodhound replied. "I just provided the venom. They turned it into antivenom at the hospital. Even if I did, that still doesn't explain the second death also not having any trace of poison."

Starfish gave her a skeptical look. "You have a venomous pet, and no antivenom for it?"

Bloodhound scowled at her. "Excuse you! Rudy is very well-behaved. And we live not far from the hospital. If I was bitten, I'd have plenty of time to get there."

"How long does it take for the venom to become lethal?" Merrilight asked.

"Around five-to-ten minutes," Bloodhound replied. 

"So it was something she ate or drank very shortly before going with you to the dressing room," Starfish said thoughtfully. 

"Did we test any of the food present?" Merrilight asked.

"I had Cold run what we could find," Starfish replied. "No traces of poison."

All three groaned in frustration. 

Merrilight's ears perked up. "What about the powder we found in Matchstick's crime scene?"

Starfish checked the file. "Huh. Odd. Apparently Cold couldn't actually tell what it was. She notes it might have been something custom-made. No trace of it was found in him or his vomit, despite what Bloodhound smelled. So we actually have no proof it's even what killed him."

"Maybe we should focus on the one big piece of evidence we have?" Bloodhound suggested. "The ledger, with the names."

"I've been over it backwards and sideways," Starfish replied. 

"Maybe there's something hidden in it," Merrilight replied. "Maybe with invisible ink? I'm fond of spy movies. They use that a lot."

"Don't be ridiculous," Starfish said with a scowl. "What possible reason could there be to use invisible ink?"

"It couldn't hurt to check," Bloodhound replied. 

Starfish rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll check. I have a spell for it, so it's not too much trouble."

Starfish retrieved the ledger. Bloodhound and Merrilight crowded around her as her horn lit up blue, and a purple light was cast on the page.

They all stared at the result.

Fireball Whiskey

Crystal Crown

Coin Trick

Brass Badge

Spiderweb

Penny Pincher 

The names glowed a bright purple. They were written in two columns, each lined up with one of the others. Fireball was lined up with Coin Trick on top, Crystal Crown with Brass Badge in the middle, and Spiderweb with Penny Pincher on the bottom. 

Bloodhound, obviously, had eyes for only two of the names, and very teary eyes at that. As she turned to the door, she actually spun with enough force to knock one of her companions over. She wasn't sure which. She wasn't even paying attention. 

She was crying, but not sobbing. Her teeth were clenched, and her breathing heavy. She wasn't sad. She was furious. 

Why was her mother in this book? Suddenly, all the changes in Fireball's behavior made sense. She was feeling guilty. Had she played a role in her mum's death?

Was she the killer they were searching for?

That thought almost stopped her in her tracks, but she pushed on. She wanted answers. She needed answers, and right now, Fireball was the only one who could give them.

Thankfully, a taxi carriage was right outside when Bloodhound left the building, and she boarded before Starfish and Merrilight could catch up.

She was headed for home.