//------------------------------// // Chapter 18 // Story: In the broad daylight // by Askre //------------------------------// Chapter 18. Scootaloo wasn’t really sure why she ran after fleeing Snow Heart. It was not like they had just bonded overnight even if the mare had helped her last night with her homework. The filly still only had vague memories of the unicorn from her early childhood. Maybe it was because she had seen how happy her mother was to have her old friend back? “Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom caught up with her since the young Pegasus wasn’t on her scooter. “Do ya know what is goin’ on?” “No,” the orange filly answered. “Well yer mom is right behind us, as are two royal guards. Ah don’t know about ya but Ah for one want to know what’s goin’ on here and why Snow Heart was about to hit Tango and then ran off,” the Earth Filly stated. The Pegasus girl glanced back and saw Parasol flying behind them and approaching rapidly. The mare wasn’t looking at her or Apple Bloom; she looked past them towards fleeing Snow Heart. Only slightly further behind was the lieutenant Pegasus and on the ground but closing in was the Unicorn royal guard with Spike on his back. The baby dragon had fallen behind only to be picked up by the white stallion. “Where is she going?” Scootaloo wondered. Apple Bloom glanced around, there was something familiar about the route they were chasing the Unicorn mare. It hit her when they suddenly ran past Sweetie Belle’s parents’ house. The injured crusader was peeking out of her bedroom window and stared wide eyed at the group racing past her home. “I think she’s headed for Mr. Rich’s house,” the yellow filly answered, but as they approached the street Snow Heart suddenly took an immediate right turn away. The two Crusaders noticed that a little too late and didn’t manage to stop themselves until they were in the street leading to Mr. Rich’s mansion. Parasol and the two guards on the other hand were just further enough back to be able to turn and continue the chase without stopping. “Why did she…” Apple Bloom fell silent when Scootaloo pointed at all the royal guards around Mr. Rich’s mansion. “Come on or we’ll lose them,” the Pegasus filly took off to resume the chase. “What the hay is goin’ on around here,” the farm filly complained as she followed her friend. “We won’t find out until we catch up with the others,” Scootaloo told her and ran as fast as she could to catch up at least with the white Unicorn guard. Meanwhile her mother had caught up with Snow Heart. Parasol matched the speed of the running Unicorn so she would be flying just above her. She considered forcibly stopping her friend by tackling her, but decided to try first to talk. “Snow, what is going on?” she asked. There was no response, Snow Heart completely ignored her and was muttering something angrily. Her brow was in a heavy scowl and her muzzle twisted in a sneer. Still Parasol tried to press on. “Snow Heart, you know you can talk to me, please tell me what is going on. Why were you going to hit Tango and what was this all about Silver Axe?” the Pegasus raised her voice. Snow Heart still didn’t listen and ducked into a side street, Parasol barely managed to follow. They had entered one of the few parts of Ponyville that could turn into a bit of a maze with all the buildings around. Wait Snow Heart isn’t familiar with this part of Ponyville, it was built after she left, the Pegasus thought but wasn’t sure if she should warn the fleeing Unicorn. She did want the chase to end and hear some real answers. “Snow… will you please talk with me,” Parasol pleaded and sighed in frustration when still there was no answer. As the yellow mare suspected, the chase was soon over. Snow Heart ran into an alley between two houses that had a wall built between, forming a dead end. The Unicorn skidded to a halt but didn’t turn around; instead breathing heavily she glared at the brick wall. Parasol landed and folded her wings; she glanced back when hearing a heavy thud behind her. It was the Pegasus Lieutenant who had had followed from a higher altitude, once they stopped he dove in to land. “There is nowhere to run now Snow, please, what is going on?” the yellow Pegasus asked once again. “Ma’am, I am sorry to tell you this, but your friend is after all apparently involved in the foalnapping case. One of her accomplices, Silver Axe, has in fact confirmed Diamond Tiara’s words,” the lieutenant informed Parasol. “W-what?” she gasped in shock. “That… I can’t… that just isn’t possible…” “Officer Mulberry also witnessed Officer Tango and Snow Heart talk last night, we have the third confirmation of her involvement,” the stallion added. Parasol fell silent and looked back at her friend who still faced the wall. She wasn’t sure what to say. Right now the Pegasus mare was feeling numb; this was just a bit too much to take in so suddenly. She could only watch as the lieutenant took a step towards the Unicorn, preparing to place her under arrest. Before the Pegasus got too close to Snow Heart, the mare suddenly stomped the ground hard with one hoof. This caused the stallion to halt and Parasol flinched a bit. The Unicorn finally turned to face them, mad glint in her eyes and still the same angry sneer in on her muzzle. “This was all so perfect!” she snapped, frothing at the mouth. “I found an idiot who wanted to make a name for himself in the criminal underground and a stupid mute brute with insecurity issues to do all the dirty work and take the fall when they got captured. I planned for everything!” Snow Heart kicked the wall with her right hind hoof, leaving a crack in it. “I even had a pony on the inside that would sabotage all search efforts until I was ready to allow that stupid brat to be found. But no, these idiots had to be captured the same weekend, forcing me to go to next step too soon and then that stupid mute idiot goes on and blurts everything away!” The Unicorn was growing angrier and angrier with each sentence. The Pegasus lieutenant braced himself for anything, Parasol was now sitting and just staring slack jawed at Snow Heart. They didn’t notice that behind them the Unicorn guard, Spike, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had finally caught up. The four newly arrived could only stop and watch much like them. “But… w-why?” Parasol dared asking when nothing more came from Snow Heart. “Because I wanted that filthy bastard and his obnoxious brat to SUFFER!” the Unicorn snarled. “They wanted to make a villain out of me, FINE. I showed them what I really can do! Diamond Tiara got to see just how badly I really can treat her. If I have to be accused of something, at least now I’m actually GUILTY of something!” Snow Heart snarled and kicked the wall again. “What is she talking about?” the lieutenant asked confused. “An event that was full of both misunderstandings and miscommunications,” Parasol sighed and looked sadly at her old friend. “Snow Heart, stop please, listen to me.” Surprisingly Snow Heart did halt and stared right at the yellow Pegasus. It wasn’t a glare even though the anger was still emitting from the Unicorn. Parasol took a deep breath rose up. “Snow Heart, your biggest fault has always been your temper, it has clouded your judgment often enough. The only one to really accuse you of anything years ago was Diamond Tiara and she was just a much younger filly than she is now. Yes Mr. Rich has coddled her and she hasn’t exactly grown to be a fine understanding girl, but the fact remains that she is still just a young filly used to get her way,” the Pegasus began, she could only hope her friend would listen since Snow Heart’s eyes were narrowing. “Try to remember Snow Heart, yes Diamond Tiara did slip in the living room and yes in your process to try and stop her she was accidentally sent skating even further in causing even a bigger mess. She was upset naturally and did accuse you of trying to kill her. Mr. Rich sent you home after he arrived on the scene not because he believed his daughter like you thought, but because he saw you were about to lose your temper. He knew it was better to give you the rest of the day off,” Parasol continued. “As you know this isn’t a big town and news fly fast. Rumors and gossip began going around but nopony really accused you of anything. Tango never accused you; he came around as a friend to just ask you about what happened. But you were upset and your fierce temper probably didn’t help much either. Mr. Rich never even pressed charges, even though some ponies often seem to remember otherwise.” Parasol watched for further reactions from Snow Heart, she still hadn’t reacted to the Pegasus’s long explanation. The Unicorn looked just as angry as before, she dug her hooves into the ground hard like she was restraining herself. Finally she gave the wall a hard kick with both her hind hooves. The brick wall cracked quite a bit, but the mare wasn’t strong enough to tear it down if that was her intention. The Unicorn snorted and stomped towards others, the lieutenant got ready in case Snow Heart was actually intending to do more than just kick inanimate objects. But she just stopped immediately in front of Parasol, the sneer was gone but she wasn’t smiling either. “Your biggest fault Parasol is how naïve you have always been,” she snorted before glaring at the lieutenant. “Well!? Isn’t the jig up as they say? I am under arrest right?” “Right, private, take her away,” the lieutenant ordered after a slight hesitation, you didn’t often hear the criminal requesting to be arrested. Spike jumped down from the Unicorn guard as the stallion moved forward. The dragon glanced at Scootaloo and Apple Bloom who had both just stared wide eyed and unsure at the whole scene. He stepped out of the way when the guard walked back as he escorted grumbling Snow Heart out of the alley. The mare halted for a moment when seeing Scootaloo, she stopped grumbling and sighed before resuming her walk. The dragon could have sworn he heard her whisper ‘what have I done’. “Huh, that’s interesting,” he mused. “Spike, do ya know what the hay is goin’ on?” Apple Bloom addressed the baby dragon; she had finally shaken the surprise out of her. “Well it seems that Snow Heart had this big convoluted plan to foalnap Diamond Tiara, hired Silver Axe and Paul the Gryphon to do it and had Officer Tango on the payroll as well to sabotage any search efforts, it all went down the drains when Silver Axe actually confessed against her. That’s the gist of it I think,” the dragon told her. “Wait hold on, ya telling me the pony that almost beat mah brother was on our side?” the farm filly blinked. “Yeah appears so,” Spike nodded. They looked at Scootaloo who hadn’t given any input into the conversation. The orange Pegasus wasn’t really paying attention to them. She was staring at her mother who had sat down with her head hung. The lieutenant had already flown away, probably to oversee the imprisonment of the new prisoners. “Uh Spike, maybe we should go check on Sweetie Belle, bet she’s wonderin’ what is going on too since we ran past her home,” Apple Bloom whispered to the dragon when the Pegasus filly rose up and walked over to Parasol. “Yeah we should do that,” Spike agreed. The Earth Filly and the baby dragon then made a quiet exit out of the alley. Scootaloo meanwhile was sitting down beside her mother but didn’t say a word. She wasn’t sure what to say or what to feel, things had happened so fast. The young Pegasus looked up at Parasol when hearing a sniffle. The yellow mare was silently crying but a small sob had managed to escape her lips. Scootaloo’s ears dropped and the filly reached with one hoof to place it gently on her mother’s leg. Parasol looked over and when seeing her daughter, the mare wrapped her front legs around girl in a hug. “Mom, are you alright?” Scootaloo quietly asked as she returned the embrace. “I will be,” Parasol responded. “Is Snow Heart what you meant about what hate could do to you?” the filly wondered. “I…” the yellow mare hesitated and hugged her daughter a bit closer, resting her cheek on top of the girl’s head. “I didn’t really… didn’t have her in mind no. But I guess she does fit with it yes.” “She seemed so nice,” Scootaloo said, thinking back how Snow Heart had reacted to the Crusaders and how she had helped her with her homework last night. “Yes,” Parasol sighed and raised her head again. “She was.” The lieutenant headed towards Town Hall since he knew that both guards would bring Tango and Snow Heart there. He was already half way over when he noticed a Pegasus guard heading towards him from the distance at great speed. He stopped to hover while peering towards the incoming guard. Hm, isn’t that one of the guards I sent north yesterday to search Silver Axe’s cabin? he thought. “Lieutenant Knight! Lieutenant Knight!” the guard shouted when seeing he was headed towards his superior officer. “He seems to be in a hurry and sounds alarmed,” the lieutenant frowned, he didn’t need to wait for much longer, the guard at his speed was soon right in front of him and saluting. “Sir!” the newly arrived Pegasus addressed him. “At ease, private, I take it you found the cabin and have searched it?” Knight asked. One eyebrow rose when the guard cringed and nodded furiously. “Sir, yes sir, we did. Found it. Yes… been flying all night to get back to tell you. We found it,” the private sped out and was shaking. Lieutenant Knight tilted his head and wondered how this guard made it out of boot camp. He just couldn’t imagine what they could have possibly found in the cabin to leave one of his guards this shaken. “Calm down soldier!” he ordered sharply and somehow the private did manage to stop shaking. “Now tell me, what in Equestria did you find there that is leaving you trembling in your armor?” The guard took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second as he prepared himself. Then he leaned closer to Knight and whispered everything to him. The lieutenant found this rather peculiar but as he listened his eyes grew wider and wider. Soon his jaw was making an attempt to reach the ground. “Come with me!” Lieutenant Knight ordered and darted off towards Town Hall with the guard right on his tail. They were very soon there and just arriving as well was the white Unicorn guard escorting Snow Heart. The lieutenant immediately headed for them and landed so suddenly right in front of the two earthbound ponies that the mare jumped a bit back, the Unicorn stallion seemed more used to this kind of entrance and didn’t even flinch. “You!” Knight’s whole attention was on the mare. “Um yes?” Snow Heart responded. Surely she couldn’t be in more trouble than she already was since all her schemes and plans had fallen apart. “Silver Axe, how much do you actually know about your mute lackey?” the lieutenant asked. “What? Honestly, didn’t he tell you all everything anyway? I didn’t know we were going to be doing the interrogations out here,” the mare frowned. “Just answer!” Knight demanded spreading out his wings in irritation. “Fine. Not much honestly, he was mute, lived in a cabin in the woods between the Crystal Mountains and Manehattan. He agreed to play the muscle for Paul for money, that’s honestly all I know about him. Oh sure I first met him few years ago and he allowed me to stay a week until I found my way to Manehattan, but other than that honestly nothing,” the mare snorted. “Did he ever act strange? Was there an area in the cabin he did not allow you to enter?” Knight asked. “Seriously? I mean you caught me already. What is so relevant about these questions?” The mare and the Unicorn guard shared the same confused expression. “Please, Snow Heart. I am in a hurry, answer me,” the lieutenant snapped. “Alright, alright. I didn’t go into his bedroom if that is what you want to know. When I first met him, I wasn’t exactly in a good mood. I was still stewing after the first scene I caused in this town. Didn’t notice anything strange about him because I was too busy feeling sorry for myself, he didn’t seem sorry to see me go when I left,” Snow Heart shrugged. “And afterwards I was rather busy planning for what I’m currently under arrest for.” Knight turned his head towards the Pegasus guard who leaned closer and whispered something to him. The lieutenant nodded and returned his attention to the two Unicorns. “Alright, you take her in. Who did you have replace you guarding the prisoners in the hospital?” the lieutenant addressed the Unicorn guard who blinked then slapped his face with a hoof. “Oh horse apples, we forgot, we were only going to be away for few minutes,” he confessed. “What?! The prisoners are unguarded?” Knight shouted. Without further word the lieutenant took off, flying straight for Ponyville Hospital. The private ranked Pegasus quickly followed. Snow Heart watched them leave then glanced at the Unicorn who was still berating himself for his error. “Am I the only one feeling like I’m missing something here?” she asked. “I mean, I’m the big villain here right? I dared to have a filly foalnapped, had a pony on the inside and everything.” “I have no idea to be honest,” the Unicorn stallion shrugged. End chapter 18. Quicky author's note: Yay I finally gave the Lieutenant Pegasus a name. No he was not a character I forgot a name, he was never intended to have a name, but then I figured ah what the heck. Unfortunately his full name is very unoriginal, it's Golden Knight. If somebody already has a character with that name, please let me know and I'll change it. Oh and by the way, not much left of this story.