“Do you have any statements for the press at this time?”
“Did Erebus do your job again?”
“Is it true you have—”
Rainbow Dash kicked the door shut behind her, cutting off the vultures and their questions. It wasn’t so much that they were there, reporters came with the territory. No, the problem was that they beat her to the scene... again. Then there were the featherbrained questions, how was she supposed to have a statement yet? They got there first, she should be asking them for a statement. That thought brought a smile to her lips; maybe she would try that next time.
Her smile faded as she recalled just how little she actually knew. Not thirty minutes ago the messenger had pounded on her door, waking her up from a particularly pleasant dream. The letter had been little more than an address, the name of the officer responsible, Rumble, and ‘You’re going to want to see this for yourself.’
Waking her up in the middle of the night, a cryptic message, and being beaten by the press; with three strikes against him, Rumble had better have found a Harmony blessed gold mine.
Shifting under the heavy brown coat draped over her, Rainbow turned her attention to the warehouse she’d just entered. She wasn’t particularly impressed. In the past years she’d conducted a number of raids on similar buildings, and there was nothing that made this one stand out.
“Commissioner Dash. Ma’am.”
She turned to the light grey pegasus wearing a cheap suit and clip on tie. He put a foreleg to his temple in salute. “Rumble! What’s so Harmony blessed important that it couldn’t wait until morning?”
The younger pegasus stood up straighter, but still maintained his nearly giddy smile. “Trust me, ma’am, you won’t be disappointed.”
Rainbow Dash frowned, but nodded for him to lead the way, still not sure she believed him. She followed her newest officer through what turned out to be a literal maze of crates, boxes, and storage shelves filling the warehouse. If it hadn’t been for the arrows somepony taped to the floor she’d have been more lost than the time Twilight tried to explain how time travel worked.
The pegasi began to pass pairs of unicorns as they made their way through the maze. She wasn’t surprised to see the eggheads there, it was a crime scene after all, but each new couplet she passed caused Dash's brow to raise just a little more until she finally confronted Rumble. “Kid, this had better be good or you’re going to be the one explaining to Armor why we have half the eggheads working over-time.”
The junior detective once again failed to respond in any meaningful way, continuing to lead the commissioner deeper into the warehouse. The pair turned the last corner and Dash stopped dead in her tracks.
It took her a moment to process just what she was seeing, biting her own wing to make sure it was all real and not a dream. Seven ponies of varying colors were hoof bound and leaning against the nearest of the vats with two royal guards standing over them. About to speak to her escort, Rainbow stopped, her eyes locking on the only stallion bound in chains instead of rope.
He wore a black shirt under a previously white jacket—now stained in vibrant multi-colored streaks. Similar stains covered him from his lolling head to the top of his shoulders. A goofy smile stretched his rainbow stained lips. His eyes fell on Dash and the smile widened, pulling his lips apart to reveal rainbow colored teeth. Mirth melted into silent terror, only to slip back to a loose distraction as his attention was drawn away to something else.
No pony had ever accused Rainbow Dash of being particularly intelligent, she had eggheads for that. No pony would call her cultured, but she didn’t need to be. No, Rainbow Dash was fast. Years of stunt flying taught her how to analyze a situation in a split second and make a judgement call. A life time of pranks, and the influence of a few good friends, taught her creativity. No, Rainbow Dash wasn’t smart, but she was very clever.
The sight of that stallion brought with it joy and trepidation in equal measure. She had learned very quickly that finding a pony in a compromising situation was hardly enough. She would need something to link him to it. Fighting the smile threatening her muzzle, she asked, “Please, for the love of Harmony, tell me we have something?”
Rumble didn’t hesitate, producing a clear bag with a small, flat, grey stone. She took one look at the stone, and for the first time in a long time, a genuine smile cracked her lips.
Rumble asked, “Does a confession work?”
“Heeheeheehee.”
Everypony winced, ears instinctively folding against the high pitched laughter. All eyes were drawn to the mare responsible. She stared at the ground, her face hidden behind a puffy cloud of blond mane.
“Hahahahaha.”
The mare’s entire body shook with laughter as her head tilted back.
“Heeheeheehee.”
The bindings around her legs fell in a heap at her hooves. Before anypony could react, she was up, broad wings flaring out from her sides.
“SURRRPRIIIIISE!”