On this bright Wednesday midmorning Manic Moon was walking through town on his way to Town Hall. He was asking himself what the Mayor Mare could possibly want from him. She already thanked him yesterday, and a public celebration wouldn´t require a meeting between the two of them. Maybe she would give him some kind of gift for his actions against the dragons. Some extra bits would be pretty helpful. He could buy a second property in Ponyville and start his own bar, maybe hire some ponies as waiters and a cook. He would call it "The Moonlight Bar " and everypony in town would come to taste his awesome drinks, eat delicious food and chat with their friends. He would be both the owner and bartender. And with the money he would make he could ensure Zelda would have a opportunistic future. Manic kept on daydreaming, until he noticed he already passed the town hall and had to walk back.
"Stop with the day dreaming and concentrate, Manic! Whatever it is the Mayor Mare wants from you must be good. You just saved the town and beat down a group of rampaging teenage dragons! Hmm... doesn't sound quite as impressive when I say it out loud." he said to himself. After a little walk back he finally arrived at Town Hall. Manic Moon entered the big building in the center of Ponyville and quickly found what he was looking for. In the front room sat a pale green mare with and orange mane and a court hammer for a cutie mark.
"Welcome Mr. Moon. My mother is already awaiting you." Swift Justice said with a smile.
"Thank you. I hope I´m not too late. I got a little bit sidetracked by my thoughts, and lost track of time." Manic said while he scratched the back of his head.
"No, you are just in time. My mother has been looking forward to this meeting the whole day. You can enter right away." she said with a comforting voice.
"Ok, I will." Manic answered and entered the office. The first thing he noticed were the big shelves full of book, scrolls and other documents. Seems like being the mayor of a town was a lot of work, but Manic would bet that it was payed pretty well too. He saw the Mayor Mare behind a big antique desk, writing down a letter. She noticed the sound of the door and looked up to see the demon pony and smiled.
"Hello Mr Moon. How wonderful that you could manage to come. Have a seat, please." she said happily and pointed to a chair in front of her desk.
"No big deal. It´s not like I´ve got much to do right now. I´m still searching for a job in town. So free time is the last problem I´ve got right now." Manic answered and sat himself on the chair. She laid the letter to the side and looked at him in an understanding way.
"I see Mr. Moon, and to get straight to the point, that is exactly why I asked you to come by today." the Mayor Mare said. Manic looked confused at her. He imagined a lot on his way to the town hall, but this took him totally aback.
"Ahm.... I´m sorry, but I don´t think I fit into an office job. But I....." he was about to say, but she cut him off.
"No, no, no, no! Mr. Moon, I don´t want to offer you a job in my office or anything like that. My family and I are able to manage Ponyville pretty well on our own." she said and chuckled. Manic was blushing a little bit.
"Oh. Ha ha ha! I´m sorry. I should have let you finish speaking first." Manic said.
"It´s okay. Not everypony is made for a job in bureaucracy. Hi hi hi! But there are ponies who are made to protect other ponies, just like you did yesterday. The next time Ponyville is under attack, I wish for there to be a group of ponies to protect the inhabitants of this town." she said and looked hopefully at him.
"I can´t imagine that things like this happen very often in a little town like Ponyville." he said, hesitating.
"You would be suppriesed. In the past year alone we were attacked by a big purple dragon, a swarm of ravenous bugs, and an Ursa Minor. Not to mention the other crazy things that happen around here nearly every week. It started with crazy unicorn, who terrorized the whole city, followed by pony-napping diamond dogs, and then there was that one time with the God of Chaos himself, mashing around with the reality like we know it. Most of the time the Elements of Harmony take care of these things." she wanted to go on, but Manic Moon had to ask.
"Who?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"The Elements of Harmony. That´s Twilight Spakle and her friends. They are some kind of protecters, chosen by destiny to represent the different parts of friendship." she answered.
"Aha. Very interesting." Manic said and nodded, but in truth he didn´t understand anything of this.
"Well, most of the time they fix this problems in town, but they are often on journeys for Princess Celestia and out of reach, too far away to know about our problems. So I was hoping to build something like a town police. Ponies who could help in moments of need, ponies who everypony in Ponyville could talk to if there are problems. But to start something like this we first need a leader. Somepony who can show the other members of the team how to fight and teach them what they should do in dangerous situations." she said and her eyes were once again fixed on him. He knew what was coming next.
"I was hoping that you would be this leader." she finally said.
"What? Me? But I´ve never done something like that before. I´m just a normal bartender." he answered.
"I´m sorry if I say so, but you´re far from normal Mr. Moon. The way you beat these dragons was better than any royal guard could have done. With you as Sheriff, everypony in Ponyville could sleep peacefully at night." she said.
"I don´t know. It´s a damn lot of responsibility. This would put the safety of every pony in town in my hooves." he said.
"Of course you would get outstanding wage, everything needed would be payed by the town and you could also choose the other members of the town police by yourself." she offered in her best seller voice. Manic was thinking about it for a while. Finally he made his decision.
"Ok, I´m doing it." Manic said with a grin. Mayor Mare couldn´t hold back her delight about this. She shook his hoof and smiled from ear to ear.
"I´m so happy to hear this. We´ve already built a little police station at the edge of the town. Like I said, I was hoping to find somepony for this job for quite a while now. There should be everything you need to keep Ponyville safe. Uniforms, weapons, cells and much more. You can talk to my daughter outside. She will give you everything you need for now." she said, still smiling.
"Wow! Looks like you ponies were pretty desperite for a leader." Manic said a little overwhelmed.
"You could see it that way. Yes. Once again thank you for doing this Mr. Moon." she said and shoke his hoof again.
"It´s an honor. I promise I will give my best to protect this town." Manic said. He turned around and left the office. Back in the anteroom Swift Justice gave him everthing he needs.
"These are the keys for the police station and every room in it. And here are the profiles of every pony in town who would be willing to work as a police pony." she said and gave him big key ring and some papers.
"Thanks miss. I will do my best to make some good police ponies out of them." Manic said and put everything in his sattle bag.
"I´m sure you will. Right now Ponyville is able to pay you and 3 more ponies on a weekly basis. So you should choose wisely. Oh, I nearly forgot. There is something more I´ve got for you." she said and opened a drawer of her desk.
"This is a present for the first police officer of Ponyville." Swift Justice said and gave him a shiny, new golden star. The word " SHERIFF " was written in gold letters on it. Manic looked at it in awe for a moment than packed it in his bag with everything else.
"Thank you again. Now I´m even more convinced to do this than before. This town will be the safest place in all of Equestia." Manic Moon said and saluted. Swift saluted back and smiled.
"There is no doubt about that. He he he!" she said. Manic left the town hall and walked right to the police station.
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The last building at the town edge, just like the mayor said. It really looked completly new and untouched. Manic took the keys and opened the front door. He entered the police station and not for the first time this day he could only watch with big eyes at his new workplace. In the center of the building was a big room with desks for every police pony and separate room for the sheriff. But that wasn´t all. In the back of the station was also a shower room, a locker room, an interrogation room, four cells and a giant stockroom.
In the stockroom he found some interesting tools and weapons. For example, a nightstick with an attachment for front hoof or a powder that burns in the eyes. Even something that looked like a ring for the horn of a unicorn. Probably to stop the use of magic. He also found a carriage with a built-in cell for the transport of prisoners. And finally he got to the unifroms he and his team members would wear. Pitch black vests, with matching hoove gloves and saddle bags. He tried on one of them, and it fit perfectly. He could move without any limitations, even flying was no problem. He took his sheriff star and pinned it on the left chest of the vest and looked at himself in one of the mirrors in the locker room.
"WOW! Look at me! I´m a picture perfect example of authority. I can´t wait to see Zelda's face when she sees me like this." he said with a proud smile, but suddenly it vanished and he looked pretty sad.
"I wish you could have seen me like that too. I..... wish you could have seen all of this. This is all we ever dreamed of." Manic said with a sobby voice. The picture of a beautiful female changeling princess with sparkling blue eyes and a wonderful, light blue mane appeared in his mind. He pressed his forehead against the mirror and tears ran down his face.
"You..... you would be so proud of us. They accepted us here. They treat us like one of them, like..... like normal ponies. Zelda found 3 new friend on her first day of school.....She reminds me of you every day. How she can get the best out of everypony......how she can make your day shine by just smiling at you.......just......like.......you........ I miss you Light.......I miss you so much." he sobbed and sank down the mirror, burying his face into his hooves.
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Later that day, Zelda was walking back home from school. She couldn´t wait to hear what her father had to say. The whole day she was wondering what great present he might get for defeating those mean dragons. Maybe their own castle or free muffins with honey. That would be so awesome. When she finally arrived at home she just threw her saddle bag in a corner and ran through the house, searching for her father. She found Manic Moon in the kitchen, sitting at the dinner table and studying some documents. He looked up as he heard the sound of her hoof steps.
"Hello my little angel. How was your school day?" Manic said with a weak smile. Zelda could see how tired he was.
"Good, but.... what´s wrong daddy?" she asked concerned. He layed his hoof on Zeldas shoulder.
"It´s nothing really. Just a long and tiring day. I´ve got great new. The Mayor Mare gave me a job." he said with a warm smile.
"Uh! Uh! What is it? Are you the new sport teacher of the school or the bodyguard of the mayor? No, I know! You are the new new mayor of Ponyville right?" Zelda said while she jumped up and down.
"Oh hell no! I would never work as mayor, but the bodyguard idea was pretty close. I´m the new sheriff of Ponyville." he said, striking a heroic pose.
"Wow! That´s so cool. Where do you work? Do you get weapons? How are your colleagues?" she asked with big eyes.
"Slow down a little bit Zelda! One question at a time. First of all, there is a new police station at the edge of Ponyville, maybe we can visit it tomorow after your school is over. Second, yes there are weapons, but you're not allowed to play with them. About your last question, that´s what I´m trying to decide right now. This are the candidates of my future team members. I´ve got to decide which three of them are the best for the job." Manic said and pointed at the papers on the table.
"Can I help you?" she asked and looked at the all the documents.
"Aren´t you just looking at the pictures and picking the ponies who look nice to you?" her father asked back.
"And how were you doing it before I arrived?" she answered and looked at him with an all-knowing smile. Manic Moon looked away a little bit embarrassed.
"Good point. You win. We can look together for who will be the best for this job." he answered. Zelda sat on herself on the chair next to him. Together they searched for hours, but at the end they found three good ponies for the Ponyville Police.
"Looks like we´ve got some winners. Lavender Shine, Crimson Tide and Caliber Ballistics. Looks like a good team to me." Manic said and stretched his back.
"And what are you doing now?" Zelda asked.
"I´ll send a letter to everyone of them. If they are ready to work everything else will be set up by the Mayor Mare." he said and stand up.
"But I guess first we deserve a little reward for our hard work. How about some ice cream?" Manic asked. After that Zelda zoomed into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
"Looks like a YES to me. Ha ha ha ha!" he laughed and followed her.