//------------------------------//
// Chapter2: The Missing Apple 
// Story: Mystery in Equestria 
// by EndlessKnight980 
//------------------------------//

Kindle sat at his desk. His hooves kick up. He was messing with a violin when Fireball walk in. She had a her Seattle bags full of food. Kindle hit a sour note. She jump. Kindle laugh a little. 

“Do you have to do that?” she ask.

“I need to practices.” he said hitting another sour note. Fireball jump again. She grip her teeth. She just had to make it another case. Kindle had bet her that she couldn’t go four cases without hitting him. 

“Just one. MORE case. JUST. One more. CASE.” she said as he hit more sour notes. 

“You know I’m going to break that thing over your head.” she said as he put it away. He walk over an pull a bright red apple out. He bit into it.

“They shore know how to grew a tasty apple.” he said taking another bit. Kindle sat down in his chair again. He look at the violin case. Pon3 and her roommate gave it to him. The DJ love that he found her favor record. disk. Thing. It was really a simple find. They had left a bag at the train station. The DJ pony handed him the violin as payment. He floated the violin out again. He hit another sour note.

“That it. I’ll be at the bar if you need me.” She yell heading for the door. The door flew open. Smashing into the side of Fireball head. She slam into the wall. Kindle held in the laughter. A light brown filly was standing in the doorway. 

“Hello.” she walk in. Kindle put the violin down. He sat up in his chair. 

“Hello” she said again. 

“Yes over here.” he wave her over.

“What can I do for you today?” he ask. She look a little lost.

“I was looking for the P I. I was told I could fine her here.” Kindle face hove. 

“Fireball. This once yours.” he call to her.

“I’m sorry. Normal I would take your case. But we have a little bet going on.” he walk around to her.

“Fireball?” she was out cold.

“Well. I guess I will take your case. I’m Kindle Wood.” he said putting a hove out.

“I’m Apple Jack.” she said.

“Well miss Apple. How can I help you?” he ask. She whisper in his ear. Kindle turn and look down at Fireball. He bent down slowly and grab her with one hove. 

“FIREBALL I NEED YOU!” he screaming as he slap her face. A few minute later she wake up. Kindle sit there smiling with a fat lip. He won the bet. Fireball walk over. 

“Ok. Let start looking at the school.” she said. Kindle giggle at her fat nose. 

“Ya that good and all but.” Kindle started to say. Fireball came face to face with him.

“But your going to go anyway.” she said putting a hove under his chin. 

“Well. When you put it like that.” he said smiling. 


--------------(school house)------------

Fireball was talking to the teacher. Kindle was watching from a distance. He didn’t like children. They were always making trouble and getting into things. Having one missing for two days was not some he like tho. Two little filly walk over to Fireball. She look down at them and point at him. They walk away. Kindle watch as she walk back. Apple Jack following her. Kindle smile. It was good to let Fireball take the lead on this one.

“Rawr.” Kindle jump into the tree above him. He look down to see the two little filly and Fireball laughing. 

“You can come down now.” she laugh. 

“I’ll come down when those little monsters are gone.” he yell. They laugh again. 

“Ok girls. If you find out anything about Apple bloom. Come fine me. Off you go.” she said. The two filly ran off. Kindle lower himself and drop to the ground. 

“Alright then. Let get going.” he said fixing his bow tie. He follow Fireball. 

“So. What dose this filly look like?” he ask. She told him what she look like.  They stop at the edge of the ever free forest. 

“Right. Lady. I’ll be heading in alone.” They look at him. Then laugh. 

“Listen. I can’t protect you if we’re attack. There still a lot of bandits in there. This is not up for debate.” he said walking it. He was just going to go in meet with Zecora find the filly and walk her out. What could go wrong? Damn why did I think that.

Zecora had move back into her house. After the whole kidnaping thing. The bandit normal attack at night. Most were gone. But there were small group still around. Kindle saw arrows sticking from the doors. He knock in code that they had set up. The door open. A spear stuck into him. He sigh.

“Every time. Can’t I come here once without getting stuck by something.” he said walking in. Zecora pull the spear out.

“Sorry immoral. They been attacking us for hours now.” She said. 

“Then Apple Bloom is here?” he ask.

“You’re here for me?” The little filly step out from under a large pot. Kindle step back.

“Yes. But stay there please.” he put a hove out. A rock flew through the window.

“They back.” Zecora said. Apple Bloom hide under the pot again. 

“Right. Time to take care of this.” he said opening the door. Arrows flew. Sticking him all over. He close the door. He sat down and pull the arrows out one at a time. They could hear bandits cheer. 

“I’ll be fine. I can’t die.” he told Apple Bloom. She was watching him. He grunted as he pull another arrow out. She watch as his wound heal. 

“Child. Why don’t you try to get some sleep.” Zecora told her. She sigh and head down under the table. Zecora look over to Kindle. He remove the last arrow. 

“I knew you feel pain.” she said. Kindle look over to her. 

“I’ve can block it out. Beside. I live so long without feeling. It good to feel anything. Even pain.” he told her. He smile.

“What is it?” she ask. 

“It nice to talk about it. Fireball never want to hear it.” he said.

“We can talk more. When the Bandits are not attacking.” she said with a wink. Kindle smile. He walk over to the window. They had the place surrounded. 

“Can I barrow this?” he ask grabbing the spear. She nodded yes.

“I’ll be back in a bit. Watch these for me.” he said taking his cloth off. He left his bow tie on. He teleported out of the room. Apple bloom crawl out from under the table and pot. 

“Zecora. I’m I going to have stay here tonight?” she ask.

“I don’t know child. I don’t know.” she said look down at her.

----------------(Ever Free forest)------------

Kindle counted the bandits. There were 23 of them. All earth pony’s. he smile. This was going to be easy. He floated the spear up. He sent it through the air. It stuck into a tree by a bandit head. Kindle jump out sending a Borassus of Fireballs. Most of them making contact. The Bandits yell and charge with sword and dagger drawn. Kindle sent a large gust of wind at them. This slow the bandit down. He quickly sent a wave of water from the ground at them. Sending them back. 

“Come on it just one pony. Get up and kill him.” he hear one yell. They all ran at him. Kindle smile. He cast an ice spell and stop. He laugh. He walk over to the tree with zecora spear. Pulling it out and walking back to her house. He knock on the door. Zecora open the door.

“I return it to you as promise.” He said passing the spear to her. She pass a bag of his cloth to him. Apple Bloom ran out and grab his leg. 

“Thank you Mr. Kindle.” he wanting to move so bad. But he let her hug it.

“Alright. It time to get going. Before it get to dark.” he said pushing her off lightly. 

“Do not forget. I am here Kindle Wood.” she said with a wink.

“Don’t worry my dear zecora. I’ll be back to continue our chat.” he said. 


----------------(outside the ever free forest)--------------

Fireball look at the sky. It was getting late. Apple Jack was worrying more about Apple Bloom. 

“Don’t worry. Kindle will find her.” she told her. Apple Jack let out a small sigh.

“I can’t imagine what we all do if something happen to her.” she told her. 

“Our ears are burning.” Kindle said walking out. Apple Bloom sleeping on his back. Apple Jack ran up to him and look over Apple Bloom.

“Don’t worry. She was tier of walking.” he said. He felt something wet run down his side. His first thought was pee.

“Get her off. Get her off. Quickly, quickly.” he said floating he to Apple jack. He look over and saw her drawling. He let out a sigh of relieve. 

“Thank you so much. All your apple will be free from now on.” she said carry Apple Bloom off. 

“Well that went better then last time.” Fireball said laughing a little. Kindle wipe the drawl. 

“It lest it not the cake twins again. Last time we ever baby sit.” he said pulling his cloth out of his bag. He found a little piece of paper. He open it. 

“What that?” she ask. He quickly folded the note and put it in his pocket.

“Nothing. Just a thank you note.” he said smiling. 

“Fireball. Tell the guards that there frozen bandits by zecora house.” he said walking away. She rolled her eye. He always gave her the grunt work.       

-------(Kindle Privet Investigator)-------

Kindle walk into the office. He wanted to sit down and take a break. He flip the light switch. The light flash on and burn out. He sigh. Now he had to fix them. He lit his horn and walk to the closet. He open the door and grab the lightbulb. He close the door. Not seeing the eyes looking at him from across the room. He floated the old bulb out and screw the new one in.

“Were is it?” Kindle jump and turn. A brown earth pony with a bow tie. 

“O you scare me.” he said a hove over his heart. 

“Were is it?” she ask again.

“Were is what?” he ask.

“My violin.” she said. That when he remember. She was the DJ pony roommate. Kindle smile. 

“I left it over here.” he said walking over to were he left the case. He floated it up onto the desk. 

“I’m getting pretty good.” he laugh and pull it out. He began to play it. He play a sweet song.

-----------(outside Kindle Privet Investigator)-------

Fireball stop as she hear the music coming form inside. Some pony was playing the violin. She didn’t know who it could be. She walk over to the window and look in. Her eye started to twitch. 

“That son of a bitch. I’m going to...” she said. She kick the door open a ran at him. Both pony’s jump. Fireball ran over grab the violin out of the air and smash it over Kindle head. He fell to the floor with lump on his head. 

“That will teach you.” she said holding the neck of the violin. She look to her right. There was a brown earth pony in a bow tie. Her mouth was open. She had tears in her eyes. 

“What wrong with you?” she ask. She bent down and pick up the small pieces of the violin.