//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Pippin' Ain't Easy // by Rust //------------------------------// Chapter 4 Comfortable in her favorite chair at the Golden Oaks Library, Princess Twilight Sparkle sneezed. Her freight-train of a reading pace now decidedly de-railed, a moment was taken to rub at her eyes, which had been working overtime since the wee hours of the morning. She glanced outside the windows. The sky was as blue as an ocean, slashes of pale white clouds cutting through the troposphere. Tiny pinpricks could be seen dancing through this, pegasi about their aerial business. It really was a beautiful day out. She could feel stirrings in her feathers — like an itch that normal scratching would never satisfy. Twilight glanced down at her book again. A Theory of Chrono-Spatial Interactions with the Subatomic Realm; a novel by Starswirl the Bearded. She exhaled loudly, blowing up her bangs. Perhaps she could afford a small lull in her reading. The book would always be here, after all. Who would check it out, with its musty, dusty pages and moldy spine? She sneezed again. “Bless you,” said her chair. She mumbled, “thanks.” Yes. She could do with some fresh air. A reasonable amount — it was best to learn to trot before one canters, as the saying went. Twilight set her book down, repressing the sudden surge of maternal anxiety, and crossed the room to throw open her front door. She blinked owlishly in the bright sun. Twilight Sparkle then froze in place, one hoof already on her stoop. Wait, what? The door was slammed, the day forgotten, the book scorned. All her attention was focused on her favorite, plush chair, which not ten seconds ago had been polite enough to exchange words with her. “Hello...?” she tried. “TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” it boomed back in reply. “EQUESTRIA HAST DIRE NEED OF THINE ASSISTANCE. WILT THOU ANSWER THE NOBLE CALL? WHAT SAYEST THEE!?” Twilight’s right eye twitched. Oh, no. She recognized that voice. This could only mean that once again she was about to be sucked up into yet another escapade of misguided enthusiasm, nonsense, and exorbitant property damage. “Princess Luna. Stop being my chair.” But mostly nonsense. Her favorite upholstered furniture piece abruptly exploded. Stuffing rained down from above in a gentle snow. Princess Luna now stood in its place, looking rather abashed yet adorable in what appeared to be a trenchcoat and fedora. She scuffed a hoof on the floor, whining, “But We like it when thou sit upon us!” Twilight sighed. “Luna, that’s creepy. What have we been working on lately?” Luna mumbled something under her breath. “What was that?” “Not being creepy... but We have dire need of your services!” protested Luna. She stomped her hoof firmly to the ground. “A mystery has made itself known to Us, the solution of which may yet shape Our great nation! You have been keeping up with the most current of events, aye?” Twilight resisted the urge to sigh at the princess’ exuberance. Luna meant well, she really did, but sometimes she meant too well. But the prospect of a challenge for her mind to attempt was too tempting to completely brush off. And besides, she did love a good mystery. “Yes,” she nodded. “The library has a complete record of all the major newspapers printed for the last five years.” Five years being the very day she first set hoof in the place. Has it really been that long? “Then you are aware of the perilous position the criminal underworld is now facing?” Luna queried. At Twilight’s suspicious nod, she continued, “Crime is perched upon a cliff, and We have an opportunity to deal it the worst blow since, well, forever. The Don of Dons is now dead and buried, and if his successor is apprehended before control can be regained, the entire enterprise will collapse without leadership.” “Organized crime in Equestria could be wiped out overnight,” Twilight breathed, her eyes widening as her mind began to churn. While far from being hoofed the reigns of power, the wings at her sides denoted her status as royalty. Was this a test to see if she could handle more responsibilities? “Will you help Us, Twilight Sparkle?” Luna said. There was only one thing she could say to that.