Equetria's Detective Reason: Clouds, Memory, and the Detective

by FirestarLeon


Chapter 1

"All I ask is that you do what I tell you. You've been doing this long enough."

"I can't do this any longer. Don't you understand that what your doing is wrong? I came to you for a new beginning, not to be your weapon of choice!"

"You shut your mouth! I have your life in my hooves, and you'll do well to remember that! Just do as you're told and all will be fine. Now look, I've got a second job for you."

"You mean I have to make somepony else's life harder? Great. I'm thrilled."

"Ever heard of the pony, Reason?"
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When I woke up, I was oddly disappointed by the lack of clear skies. Here I was hoping for a blue sky, grassy field. But no. Lucky me gets stuck waking up in a dark and creepy cave. Not to mention this blistering headache. Feels like… like…

"Feels like I got a whole stampede of buffalo to trample on me. Must have really stepped on somepony's hooves." My deep voice echoed off the walls.

I really couldn't see much. I could see a rock or two, and the cave's ceiling. Other than that, it just seems like some dank dark cave with-

A noise interrupted my thoughts, then a flash of movement caught my attention. "What the?" It seemed to be something flying near the ground. "Who's there?"

No answer and whatever it was kept moving. If I wanted to know who or what it was, I'd have to get closer.

"Easy does it." I told myself. My legs were so shaky. I must have gotten in some kind of fight. Though with who or what escapes me. What matters right now is what's moving around in this cave. Speaking of what 'It' was, 'It' is a piece of paper.

"Looks like a piece of shredded notebook paper. Seems like a list. Can't really make out what it says." I told myself. I pocketed the scrape in one of my pockets. Now I can, wait pockets!

I patted my chest, feeling a smooth silk tie and silk coat. What was I dressed up so fancy for?

The pockets may have had a clue. So I checked those. My outer left pocket had that note and nothing else. My right outer pocket had what felt like a pocket watch. And finally both inner pockets had nothing.

Perfect. Just perfect. No wallet to tell me who I am, no clue how to get out. And I think I'm catching a cold in this place. Maybe I could scream and hope someone hears me? No that's not going to help, maybe I could-

"Wait a tick." Putting my left hoof in my pocket and feeling that scrap of paper. "How can you be blowing around in a cave? That can only mean that air is coming in from somewhere. And if there's air then there has to be a way out.
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"Well, so much for that plan. Guess there was a reason I felt like I was trapped."

Looking over the large cluster of rocks, even in this dark place, I could see some kind of burned marks along the sides of the cluster. Somepony made this deliberately. And considering that on the other end of this cave is a dead end, this was the only way out.

I sighed in defeat, "Bloody hay." I bashed my head onto one of the rocks and nearly screamed in pain. My forehead never made contact however. It seems that instead I almost broke my horn. "I'm a unicorn? Huh. Well I'll be."

Yes. It seems I'm a unicorn and my horn isn't going to let me forget it. Judging from the pain, it's going to have a nasty bruise later. I could have sworn that, besides the horn, there was something unicorns could do. But the thought escapes me.

What thought wont escape me, is how am I going to get out? The air couldn't be coming out through these rocks, at least, not with enough force to move that paper like mad. Maybe there's another opening I missed? No. It would have to be small, and even then that vent could be anywhere. Vent? Vent!

I rushed around the perimeter of the cave, it had to be somewhere. A vent of air could mean it leads above ground. I've just got to hope I can fit through when I find it through.
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After some looking I found it. I was in luck too, I could fit through well enough. Just had to be careful I didn't get stuck half way through. Otherwise I'd have a whole new problem. So slowly, gently, I made my way through the vent. No curves, ups, downs, just a clear path ahead. And, daylight! Yes! Yes! Yes! I'm free!
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The sun was setting when I made my way out of the vent. I ended up coming out of some mountain range of some kind. Ahead was a sea of grass. Leading on into farms, and finally at a town. Perfect. I'll be able to get help.

For now though I needed a breather. It felt like that vent lasted forever. Plus it gave me time to have a personal, um, break. When you got to go, you got to go.

Afterwards, I wanted to know what that note said. So I took it out to read it. It was a list, and sadly, one that made no sense to me.

"One: Sweet Apple acres. Two: Meeting. Three: back to Cloudsdale. Apple acres? Cloudsdale? Where are they?" Hugh. More questions, less answers. I just don't get why I can't remember anything. Bump in the head? My head did hurt when I woke up. But who or what hit me then?

"Horse apples. If I had a cutie mark for every time some new question was brought up I'd be considered to have Cutie pox! Wait, my cutie mark!"

I looked at my flank to find that on my white coat, was a cutie mark of a magnifying glass. It matched well with my grey colored tail. But other than that, I'm not sure what it could mean. I could be anything. My first thought would be a lawyer, but there are lots of jobs that have magnifying glasses. And it's my talent, not exactly what I do.

I looked back in the direction into town. It was quite a walk. I didn't know if I'd make it before night fall. That's when I spotted the barn beyond one of the apple fields. It was half way. I could make it there, rest until morning, and then head off into town. Somepony has to know me.

With my decision made, I galloped towards the barn.