//------------------------------//
// Part III, Chapter 8 - The High Tide Case - Part III 
// Story: Fitting In Is Hard To Do 
// by origami 
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The situation in Van Hoover was evolving in a very up and down manner.  The detectives that were supposed to stake out the griffin's office had observed no activity whatsoever when they arrived.  Sending in somepony to scout the office, they discovered that practically all of the important materials and personal belongings had been removed.  An investigation revealed evidence of concealment spells that, based on size of the footprints, were meant to conceal both the carts and the ponies pulling them.  All that was found in the office was the furniture and empty filing cabinets.

As the investigation into the office took place, the police station received a communication from the Griffinstone.  That communication was a major bombshell.  The description that Old Bill had provided was one that matched a griffin crime boss named Sharpclaw.  He was wanted in Griffinstone on a number of charges, with most of them related to extortion and financial scams.  Now that they had a definite name for the griffin, they would have to put the effort into finding him.  With his office vacated and no known address for Mint Eagle anywhere in the city, Old Bill and his partner Peach Fuzz had nothing to go on.

"It's not all bad, Bill" Peach said in an attempt to reassure the stallion.  "We have his name now.  That means we can put wanted posters out and have the public helping us."

Bill gave a shake of his head.  "It's not gonna be that simple.  With all the stuff we got from Griffinstone on this guy, he's bound to have allies in practically every city and town in Equestria willing to help hide him, or even get set up with a new alias in another city and hurt even more ponies than he already has."

Peach looked Bill in the eyes, a slight hint of determination in them.  "He won't have that support net for long.  We have the identities of several ponies that he has ties to.  We bring them and in get the right amount of pressure on 'em, and I just know one of them will crack and give us a clue to where he either is or where he's going."

Bill looked at her with a sympathetic smile.  "I really wish it was that easy," he told her, "but it won't be.  All the names we have are all likely to be low level thugs that just get orders and aren't told anything more important.  Sure, we might get one that squeals a little more and coughs up a bigger fish than they are, but even they are likely to not have any really useful information.  I'm afraid by the time we get someone with anything iron clad about him, he'll already be long gone and we'll have to pick up the trail from cold again."

Peach wanted to counter his argument, but he was right.  She had seen too many cases in the past where her efforts to work up the chain of command and get the top dog in some criminal organization had taken months to put together.  In that time, the griffin could've moved on to someplace like Klugetown, or some other place where they cared nothing about criminals.  Peach eventually let out a exasperated sigh and let her head hit her desk without any effort to prevent it, her skull making an audible thud as it contacted to surface.

Bill, despite seeing his partner's demeanor, elected to keep trudging on.  After all, long shot odds would occasionally come in.  Who would know until they tried?

"C'mon Peach" he called for her.  "I'll buy you a coffee, and a good cup of it.  Not this stuff the station has us put down our throats."

She turned her head far enough to look at him out of the corner of one eye.  "And one of those raspberry danishes that i absolutely love?"

Bill had to let out a chuckle.  "Of course."

Peach got up from her desk with a smile and spring in her step.  Free coffee and food?  What more could a mare ask for?





Inside a small apartment in one of the forgotten corners of the city lay the mare known as Scarlett Penn.  She had woken up moments ago, but currently had no real job.  With the police watching Sharpclaw's business here in Van Hoover, she would have to either find another job to help keep her apartment, or she would have to follow Sharpclaw to wherever he was moving to.  She let out a breath at the latter thought.  No doubt the griffin felt spooked, and was trying to keep himself from being implicated in the current criminal activity.

She thought back to last night and remembered a note that the griffin had gave to her.  Finding the note and opening it, she read the contents to herself.

Scarlett,

With things going belly up, I'm going to have to enact a contingency plan.  I'll send Mercury by in the morning with instructions about where to go and what to do.  Don't keep him from getting to the others for too long.

-Sharpclaw

The mare let out a sigh.  Mercury Flyer.  He was a pegasus stallion maybe the same age as herself.  He served as a messenger for Sharpclaw and would deliver correspondence to different ponies in Van Hoover and some of the surrounding towns where the muscle lived.  He was naturally athletic, and even had a chance once at becoming a Wonderbolt. 

Unfortunately, he suffered an accident that caused such severe damage to his wings, he wouldn't be able to fly to the degree he would need to to be a stunt flyer, which cost him his chance at joining the elite pegasus squad.  With little choice of career path, he chose to become a private courier, and ended up with Sharpclaw after he had to take out a loan to finance the deposit on his apartment.  Not long after that, Sharpclaw had him on a tight leash.

A grumbling interrupted Scarlett from her thoughts, and quickly she decided a breakfast was in order.  Going through he foodstuff, she found her best choice for breakfast to be oatmeal with a glass of milk.  She sat down and ate quietly, wondering what would happen with Sharpclaw and herself.  She hoped that whatever happened, it would work out for the best.

A knocking at the door interrupted her thoughts.  She got up to check the door, and was greeted by Mercury Flyer himself.  While she was happy to see the colt, he didn't look so happy.

"Sorry to do this to you Scarlett," he said to her, "but Sharpclaw gave me the orders.  The operation is moving to Las Pegasus."  He then hoofed over a bag of bits; the amount that would cover a one-way ticket to the city.  "I'll be by later to help with whatever luggage you have.  Right now, I need to deliver messages to several other ponies so they can get their affairs in order."

Scarlett just gave a nod to Mercury and the stallion headed for the downstairs.  After she had closed her door, she began stomping her hooves in a fit of anger.  "Las Pegasus?!" she thought to herself.  "I hate that friggin' place!"

The mare had a few reasons to despise the place.  First was the fact that the constant party atmosphere would rob her of her beauty rest.  Second was the fact the lighting in the majority of the buildings was not flattering for her coat color.  And then there was the last reason; she had been held up for her bits and the local guards would not bother investigating it.

Having lost her appetite upon hearing the news, Scarlett took her bowl and disposed of the contents in the garbage.  Placing the bowl and spoon in the sink, she sat back down at the table and considered her options.  

She could simply use the train ticket and travel to another city and just break ties with Sharpclaw, but he would eventually catch up to her and have his goons drag her back to do whatever menial job he had for her.

There was also the option to remain in the city and just give Mercury the bits back, but she ran the chance of the VHPF or royal guard detachment putting out a warrant for her, and Sharpclaw showing up to personally escort her to the train station with her ticket in claw.

Ultimately, her only option was to simply comply and go to Las Pegasus.  Resigning herself to her fate, Scarlett grabbed a pair of her saddlebags and headed to the train station for her ticket.





Old Bill and Peach Fuzz were currently in the office of their supervisor Gum Hoof.  The old stallion was going over the information that he had just been given by the two detectives.  After reviewing it, he brought a hoof to his temple.

"So, you found a griffin crime lord named Sharpclaw and elected to stake him out?" he asked the two, who nodded.  "I do agree that that was probably the best course of action," he said to the two, "it should've been done sooner.  The report the officers doing the stakeout gave said that there was evidence of concealment spells on the street out front of that office, and all the files and important documents were moved from there to another location."

"As it stands, the only information we have to go on is what you've collected on the griffin and his office already, which isn't as much as I would've liked, and whatever research we can do on the property owner.  I can safely assume that the griffin doesn't actually own this property, as it would be something tied to him that would leave a paper trail, but also because he would have to handle selling it.  As you know, transfer of retail property must take place in pony at the hall of records in front of a certified notary."

Peach and Bill both nodded.

"We'll have to find the pony that does own that office and investigate them for whatever their involvement is.  For now, I want you two to-"

Gum Hoof was interrupted by a knocking at his door.

"Come in" he called to the pony outside.  The pony opening the door was a mare, and in her hoof was some papers.

"We have a name for the pony that owns that office the stakeout was watching" she told Gum.

"Perfect timing" he said as he took the papers from her.  "Thank you."

The mare smiled and nodded, then slipped out and closed the door.  Gum Hoof looked over the paperwork and gave it to Bill and Peach.  As they looked at it, Gum gave a quick summary.

"The pony is a stallion named Prime Lot.  He has an office in another part of town.  We also have his home address as well.  I want you two to go visit his home first.  Knock and ask if you can speak with him.  If he's not there, go to the office and look for him there.  If nopony answers at either of those places, we'll get a warrant signed so we can search both.  With the evidence of a griffin crime lord operating out of property owned by this pony, it shouldn't be difficult to obtain one.  Dismissed."

Bill and Peach looked at Gum and gave a nod and walked out.  As they walked, Bill and Peach discussed a strategy.

"That stallion is likely working to skip town right now," Bill said to Peach, "so we need to work fast.  You take his home address, and I'll go check the office."

Peach gave a nod.  "Okay.  Unfortunately, that griffin has probably already skipped town, but that secretary most likely hasn't.  We should get posters out and have the guard watch the train station so we can grab her before she skips town too."

"That's a very good idea," agreed Bill.  "but for now, we just get her for questioning.  I have the feeling she would be easy enough to squeeze for the info we want.  We should make sure the guard post here has sent that information about Sharpclaw to the other guard posts and police forces in Equestria.  It'll improve our odds of catching him AND hopefully warn ponies about doing business with him."

Peach nodded and the two set to work.





Scarlett had gotten all of her affairs in order.  She had settled her rent with her landlord, gotten the ticket to Las Pegasus, and packed her few belongings into her saddlebags.  All that was left to do was dispose of the items in her fridge, which only amounted to a small block of cheese and about two glasses worth of milk.

She was about to sit down to eat when knocking at her door interrupted her.  Based on how hard it was and how fast the knocking came, she could tell it was about something serious.  Walking over to the door and checking the peep hole, she saw it was Mercury, who looked very worried.  Quickly she opened to door a crack to speak with him.

"Scarlett," he said to her, "you need to let me in!  Please!"

The mare just gave a nod and undid the chain on her door, allowing the stallion to come inside.  Closing and locking the door, she turned to face him.  "What's going on?" she asked him.

"There's posters out for you" he told her.  "They want you for questioning about Sharpclaw!"

Scarlett went pale.  The police had found out about Sharpclaw already?  How had the griffins relayed that info so quickly?  The last that she'd heard, they were all still bickering with each other over bits and who was in charge.

Mercury brought her focus back on the situation.  "We don't have too much time" he told her.  "Pack your bag if you haven't and get ready to leave."

Scarlett gave him a nod and went to check her bag.  Once she was sure that everything was ready, she turned to face Mercury and suddenly had an idea.  "How much time do we actually have?"

"I have no idea," he answered, "but we can't dawdle."

"Is there enough time to eat quick?"

Mercury wanted to admonish her for thinking of something so frivolous, but then his eyes met hers.  He had never really looked at them before, but they were quite stunning.  He was suddenly hit with feelings he hadn't felt since his school crush, and his focus shifted slightly.  "I-I suppose a quick snack wouldn't hurt" he said a bit hesitantly.

Scarlett nodded and grabbed a second plate and glass from a cupboard.  As she split the cheese and milk between them, a stray thought crossed her mind.

"I've been on worse first dates."





Old Bill stood outside the realty office owned by the stallion Prime Lot.  It was now three in the afternoon, and the office looked to be temporarily closed.  Trying his luck, Bill gave a few swift knocks on the front door of the building.

"Nopony home?"

Bill turned and saw his partner approaching him.  She didn't look very happy.

"I take it that he wasn't home?" Bill asked her.

Peach shook her head.  "No.  He's skipped town for sure.  Landlord was there.  Said he got a letter about a sick relative and had bags packed.  Paid a month in advance and said he was probably moving in with them and would come back for his things once he had a new place."

"Sounds about right" Bill agreed.  "We'll have to get a search warrant for the apartment."

"Taken care of" Peach told him.  "Captain's speaking with a judge now.  Also getting one for this place too."

"Can I help either of you two?"

Bill and Peach turned to face a mare approaching them.  While she was dressed in business clothing, she had a beige coat, purple eyes, auburn mane and tail, and a house for a cutie mark.  Her mane was styled into a beehive hairdo.

"Possibly ma,am" Bill said as he introduced himself and his partner.  "I'm detective Old Bill, and this is my partner Detective Peach Fuzz.  We're with the VHPF and here to investigate a matter concerning property owned by a mister Prime Lot."

The mare looked at the two with puzzlement.  "A matter concerning one of the properties?  I certainly hope this isn't a tax matter?"

Bill shook his head.  "No ma'am," he answered,"but we're may have to look into that part potentially."

The mare was even more confused, and was also becoming a bit defensive.  "I handle the finances and tax documents for our business, and I can assure you that I have correctly filed all tax matters with the revenue office and all information is correct to the best of my knowledge."

"I'm sure it is, ma'am," Peach interjected, "but we're not here for anything like that right now.  Could we have your name please?"

The mare calmed herself down and gave Peach an answer.  "I'm one of Prime's business partners.  My name is Cape Cod."

"Thank you" Peach told the mare.  "We're not here on a matter related to taxes.  Our reason for being here is related to a case we're working on that involves a griffin criminal."

Cape Cod looked rather surprised.  "A griffin criminal?" she parroted.  "What does a griffin criminal have to do with Prime's property?"

"We believe that Prime was providing an office space not far from the docks as a front for this criminal to operate a loan extortion scheme."

The confused look on Cape's face turned to shock.  "Prime is doing business with a loan shark?"

"Possibly," Bill answered, "but we need to investigate and find evidence to confirm it before we can actively press charges against him.  Do you happen to know where he is?"

The mare still had a shocked expression on her face when she answered.  "He said he had a sick relative to tend to in another city.  He never said which one."

Bill and Peach looked at each other, then Bill turned to look at Cape again.  "It doesn't look good, ma'am," he said, "but if you let us check his office, perhaps we can rule out any wrongdoing and eliminate him as a suspect."

Cape, though still in shock about the news, gave a nod.  "I'll let you into the office.  The main office was his.  All the documents pertaining to our properties are there."

"Can we consider this your consent to search the property?" Peach asked.

Cape gave a nod.  "Yes, you may search the property.  Please, try not to interfere with the business too much."  Bill and Peach both gave a nod to the request, and the three went inside.





Scarlett and Mercury finished up with eating and the mare grabbed her bags.  Mercury checked the hallway and then stepped back inside very quickly and quietly.

"I think the police are here and are questioning your landlord" he told Scarlett.  "Pretty sure I overheard your name being dropped."

Scarlett felt a pit form in her stomach.  She did not want to be caught by the police.  They might've said they wanted her for questioning, but they would eventually charge her with being an accomplice, and that would mean jail time.  No way a mare like her, that cared much for her appearance and detested being physically violent, would last in prison.

"What do we do?" she asked Mercury.

Without a thought, Mercury went right to the window.  "We're gonna have to go out through here" he told her.  "Make sure the door is locked, and then get over here.  We'll go out the fire escape and to the road behind the building.  Chances are they don't realize that you know about their posters yet, so we might have a chance to get away without much trouble."

"Okay," Scarlett nodded, "but then what?"

Mercury looked at her with nervousness.  "Unfortunately, the train is a no go.  By now, they'll have posted guards at the station and will be on the lookout for you.  Our best bet would be to get you out another way."

Scarlett looked rather nervous.  "Sky chariots?" she asked, unease apparent in her voice.

Mercury shook his head.  "They'll be checking those too" he replied.  "I think our best bet will be the docks.  We could try to bribe a ship captain for safe passage.  Once we're out of the city, we can head for Las Pegasus from somewhere else."

Scarlett gave a nod.  She really didn't want to go there, but she knew that Sharpclaw would either send some ponies after her, or he would personally come collect her himself.  Without much choice, she gave a nod and followed Mercury out the window.





Old Bill and Peach Fuzz were back at the station house, both going through boxes of files that came from both Prime Lot's real estate office and his apartment here in the city; the search warrant for the apartment arrived shortly after they had returned.  As they went through the files, they were given a great deal of insight into the inner workings of the relationship between Prime Lot and Sharpclaw.

According to the information, Prime and Sharpclaw went back a ways.  Sharpclaw's earlier business ventures had apparently financed Prime Lot and his business, giving him the capital to buy a great deal of the more run down properties in the city.  In exchange, Prime gave Sharpclaw an office to use as a front for no rent charged.

Besides that arrangement, Prime also allowed the usage of a warehouse space for file storage.  While there was no paper trail to indicate it, Bill and Peach were both sure that the files from the office went there.  They'd have to scrape up an address from the paperwork they'd gotten at Prime's office so they could get a search warrant for that.  Considering that it was connected to the realtor, it would not take much time at all.

"Bill, take a look at this" Peach said to him as she hoofed over a paper.  Bill took it and looked at it.  The paper had a series of names on it, as well as some dollar figures beside each name.  A crude ledger.

"It looks like a ledger," he told her, "but what is it for?"

"I'm guessing it's the loans he gave out.  Probably who he gave them to and how much it was for."

Bill looked over the names.  For some reason, the name Mint Julep jumped out at him.  He couldn't place it at the moment.

"Here's something else" Peach said as she handed Bill another paper.  "This one's talking about taking collateral to a safe house in the Crystal Empire.  What do you think that means?"

"Not sure" he answered.  As he reviewed it, he came across another unusual sentence.  "If all fails, pin on the bug?"

Peach looked with confusion, not having an answer readily available.  Bill set it off to the side and rubbed at his temples.  "I could use a coffee" he announced to his partner.  "Want one?"

"Yes, please!" she replied enthusiastically.  Bill walked over to the coffee maker and poured two cups.  When he returned to Peach, she was looking through some more files.

"I think we can probably put tax evasion on Prime Lot" she told Bill as she showed him a paper.  Bill took it and looked it over, seeing it was another ledger, but this one had dates instead of names.

"What's this supposed to be?" he asked Peach.

"Best guess?  It's keeping track of rent on the office" she told him.  "However, since the amount fluctuates each month, it's probably a cut of profits from the ponies that Sharpclaw is extorting."

Bill looks over the paperwork and sees what Peach is says.  He nods to her in agreement.  "Yeah, there's no way he's keeping something like this on the books, and from the look of it, he's got bits stashed somewhere."

"Or," Peach counters, "he could have another pony running a laundering operation to cover up the source of that money."

Bill is about to question it when she slides him another paper.  This one is for a business that lists Prime Lot as an investor.  The amounts invested each month are equal to the amount Prime receives from Sharpclaw.

"Well," Bill says to Peach, "I would say we have a few charges we can add to Prime Lot's budding rap sheet, wouldn't you say?"

Peach just gives him a nod.  "I'll get a new poster for him out right away."  With that, Peach stands up and trots out of the office.  Bill lets out a breath as he dives into the pile of papers, hoping to find answers for some of the questions still lingering in his mind.





Scarlett and Mercury had been skulking along various back alleys and moving to the dockside area of the city.  Mercury had went and got a refund for Scarlett's original ticket to leave Van Hoover by train.  Combined with the bits he had, the two should be able to get to another town or city and then head to Las Pegasus from there.  As they got closer to the actual docks, Mercury turned to face Scarlett.

"I want you to lay low here for a moment" he told her.  "I'm going to go find a ship captain and try to buy us safe passage out of here."

"Okay" Scarlett replied, then moved to hide behind a set of shipping crates.

Mercury gave her a smile and turned to step out from behind the crate.  Walking over to one vessel, he saw the captain, or at least who he assumed was captain, a unicorn stallion, going over some paperwork; most likely the cargo manifest.  As Mercury got closer, the clopping of his hooves caught the captain's attention.

"Can I help you?" the captain asked with an appraising look.

"Possibly" replied Mercury.  "I have a... delicate situation.  My marefriend and I really want to get married, but her family doesn't approve of me.  They're unicorns purists and I'm a pegasus, so, you know how that can go?"

The captain doesn't verbally respond, but does nod his head in agreement.

"Anyway," Mercury continues, "They're so against it that they're trying to split us up.  We were gonna head to the train station, but they're already waiting for us, and the same goes for the sky chariots.  I wanna buy passage out of the city so my beloved and I can get married in Las Pegasus.  Once it's done, then we can plan our next move together.  So, can I pay you for passage out of the city?"  As Mercury finishes the sentence, he holds up a bag of bits, giving his hoof a slight shake so the metal coins clink together to give the captain an idea of how much the pegasus before him is willing to pay.

Unfortunately for Mercury, the captain shakes his head no.  "I'm sorry, lad," he tells him, "but I have no free cabins on my ship right now, and I can't put you and your marefriend up in a cargo hold either.  We have to have a safety officer aboard to make sure we follow regulations, and he answers directly to the ponies that answer directly to the princesses in Canterlot, so he may as well be answering directly to them."

Mercury looked deflated.  The captain put a hoof on his shoulders and offered sympathy.  "I know what it's like to have a forbidden love" he told Mercury.  "Once upon a time, I had a special earth pony filly in my life.  She loved me as hard as she loved me, if you catch my drift."

Mercury just gave a small laugh and nodded.

The captain continued speaking.  "We tried to elope, but her parents separated us.  Of course, it would've helped them more if the little trysts between my filly friend and I didn't bear the fruit of passion.  He's my first mate now, and gonna make a fine captain someday.  When she and her family found out, well, I had to make an honest mare of the girl.  Ain't regretted one day of it."

"I wish I could help you out, but I simply don't have the space."

Mercury gave a nod, and then asked if the captain knew of any other ships that might grant them passage.  He gestured further down the docks to another ship similar to his own.  Mercury thanked him and walked over to where Scarlett was hiding.

"He won't let us aboard his ship," he told Mercury, "but he said there's another vessel further down that might have rooms to buy passage from.  Come on."

Scarlett gave a nod and the two slinked back into the alleyway, working down towards the ship in question.  Once they got close enough to take a look and check the situation, the two ponies felt pits form in their stomachs.

At this end of the dock was the station for the dock master, the pony in charge of coordinating all the ships coming into and departing from the city.  The pony, a rather bulky mare, was speaking with two VHPF officers, both pegasi.  They were showing the mare a wanted poster, likely the one for Scarlett.

"Horseapples!" Mercury cursed as he ducked out of sight.  He looked at Scarlett with apologetic eyes.  "The police are here and showing your poster to the dock master.  Now the ship captains will be watching for you.  We're gonna have to think of another way out of the city."

Scarlett looked at him fearfully.  No train, no sky chariot, and no ship.  The only way out was on hoof, and those hoofpaths would be watched by the police.  The mare and stallion were caught like a mouse between a cat's paws.

Mercury saw the look on her face and offered her some small amount of hope.  "Don't be scared" he said to her.  "I'll find us a way out of this."

The look and kind words made Scarlett feel better about the situation, and she smiled back at the stallion, who looked away slightly and blushed.  Scarlett hoped that meant that he felt something for her like she did him.

"Oi!" came the voice of a mare.  "You lot behind the crates!  Get out here before the bobbies come back there for ya!"

Mercury cursed under his breath again.  He had to step out and leave Scarlett.  "I gotta go out there and try to distract from the situation.  Please stay here and out of sight.  If I don't come back soon, wait an hour and sneak back down the alleyway.  My apartment is over on Chincoteague Street, big orange building, C2.  You should be able to hide there safely."  He passed her a key and gave her a smile, then turned and stepped out from behind the crate.

"You tosser!" the dock master berated him.  "Why were you hiding out behind those crates?"

Mercury looked her square in the eyes as he answered her.  "I needed a quiet moment and nopony was back there."

The police ponies looked at Mercury for a moment before giving each other shrugs and producing wanted posters.  One was for a realtor named Prime Lot, and the other was for Scarlett.  "We're looking for these ponies" the one officer told him.  "Have you seen either of these two?"

Mercury took a minute to look over both posters.  He made sure not to linger on either of them for too long, or else the police ponies would get suspicious.  "Nope" he finally answers.  "I've seen the stallion in the newspaper ads, but never in person.  I'm not sure who the mare is."

The answer appears to be good enough for the two ponies, who simply tell him to keep an eye out and tell them if he sees either pony in the posters.  As he turns to walk back to the alleyway, the dock master stops him.

"What do you think you're doin'?" she asks in an accusing manner.

Without skipping a beat, Mercury replies "I left my things over there."

"Well, I'm gonna make sure you collect 'em and get on your way."

Mercury started to get nervous, though he didn't show it.  He didn't have a way to signal Scarlett to tell her to start skulking off now, so unless he could think of something, she was a sitting duck.

"What's yer problem, colt?" she asks him, once again in an accusing way.  "Somethin' over there ya don't want me seein'?"

"Yeah, a wanted mare" he thinks to himself.  Shaking his head, he tells her there's nothing shameful and starts walking back towards the crates.  As he does so, he notices a pebble on the ground.  Taking a chance, he kicks at it with his hoof.  The rock sails through the air and hits the wall just above where Scarlett is hiding.

Unfortunately, this piques Scarlett's interest, and she dares a glance over the crates.  She's met with not just the sight of Mercury and the burly mare heading towards her, but two pegasi police officers following behind the pair.

"Quiet moment, my flank!" the dock master announces loudly.  "This stud's hidin' a filly back there!"

Mercury panics and runs for Scarlett, yelling for her to run as well.  He hears wings and dives out of the way, causing the one police pony to swoop right by him.

"Stop!" the other police pony shouts, but Mercury is already airborne by this point.  He flapped his wings as hard as he could, but his injuries were acting up on him, reducing his speed to slightly faster than the police pegasi.  He might've had a chance to get away, but a sudden jolt of electricity stopped him.  As he seized up and fell, he was caught in a magic field and brought gently back to the ground.  "Darn it!" he cursed mentally.  "They have unicorn guards backing up the pegasi searching for Scarlett and that stallion!"  As quickly as he touched ground, he was just as quickly arrested.

Scarlett would've seen the unicorns and warned Mercury about them, but as soon as she heard him shout run, she turned and bolted back down the alley.  Ducking past random garbage cans and empty fruit crates, she made her way to the end of the alleyway with full intent of finding a crowd somewhere and getting lost in it.

As she emerged from the alleyway and went to look around, a massive jolt of electricity caused her muscles to seize and knocked her to the ground.  Before she could recover, a police pony was on top of her, applying hoof manacles to her forelegs and a magic nullifying ring to her horn.  "You are under arrest" the police pony said to her as she passed out from the sensation of being stunned by a unicorn spell.