//------------------------------// // Morning After // Story: No Bucks // by 71NYL-5CR4TCH //------------------------------// All around the peaceful town of Ponyville, peaceful little ponies began to rise with the sun, its glimmering light filling the sleepy village. Most of the citizens of this quiet community were blissfully unaware of the events which had transpired the night before. Many of the witnesses still laid in there bed, eyes wide open, hoping, praying, for the relief of sleep, even as the sun rose. Outside, the air was cool, and fresh, and except for a small percentage of the community, the day started normally. Included in this small percentage were 2 police ponies, and a yet-to-awaken princess. After the dark brown police stallion freed his partner, Peacekeeper, from the clutches of his princess, they had quickly shut the cell and made sure it was locked up tight, staring at the sleeping alicorn from the 'safe' distance of the other side of the bars. "Hey, um, thanks for helping me out in there, Roger. I don't know what she was planning on doing me, I'm just lucky she was out when you found me." Peacekeeper scratched a the tile floor with her hoof, "But still I hope she's ok." "Mmm-hmm," the dark brown stallion, Roger, nodded gruffly, "How'd she get her hoofs on you before you could radio about any danger? And who brought her in?" "Hey guys, I heard you talking from outside, everything ok in...SWEET MOTHER OF CELESTIA WHAT HAPPENED IN HERE?" The training mare shouted, now just returning from the station after a fruitless attempt to chase down her recruit. "That's what I wanna know, Law." Roger replied, looking back to Peacekeeper. "Just what the hell went down here last night? And why is the evidence locker missing, with cocaine spread all over the place?!" "I don't know Roger. As for who brought her in, she brought herself in. I don't know where Outpost was, he was supposed to be standing guard, but I haven't seen him since he went outside. Have either of you?" "Nope," Roger replied. "Not a sign," Law added. "Well, where ever he is, I hope he's ok." ----------------------------------------- At Pony Joe's Outpost was eating a celstia-damn doughnut and it was celestia-damn delicious. Suddenly, a small purple dragon burst through the door, looking about, before meeting eyes with the shop owner, Pony Joe. "Joe! Have you seen Twilight at all? She said she was going out last night, but she never came back, and the Rainbow Dash came to the library trying to find her, saying she was under some kind of spell!" Joe shook his head solemnly, "Sorry, Spike. I didn't see Twilight at all for my shift last night. Maybe you can ask that nice officer over there for help. If she's missing, I'm sure her friends and the police can track her down lickety-split!" He added reassuringly. Spike nodded before heading over to the table with Outpost sitting behind it. He heard the entire conversation, but he really had no desire to go back to the station and be chewed out by Roger for leaving his post. It was such a stupid job, just standing out front waiting for something exciting to happen, and when it finally did, the situation walked itself right into the celestia-damn station! No fuss! "Um, excuse me, officer? I was wondering if you could help me find Princess Twilight?" Spike asked nervously. "Last I saw she was back at the station, kid. I'm sure she's in custody right now, and they're working through everything they can." "Really?! Oh what a relief! Which way is the station?" Spike asked, relieved the Twilight was ok. Outpost took another bite of his doughnut before answering, "Just go down toward the market, and then take a left at the town hall. It's about a block down that road. If you hit The Crystal Empire, you've gone too far." Spike raised his eyebrows at the last bit, assuming it to be a joke, and replied, "Ok, thanks officer!" before running off. Pony Joe stared at Outpost as he took another bite, starring off into space, "Uh, officer? Why did you tell him to go the opposite direction of the police station?" Outpost swallowed, "There are things not meant to be seen by the eyes of children..." ------------------------------------- Back At The Station "...and that's all I know." Roger was rolling around laughing while Law tried to retain her composure, only an occasional, suppresed giggle leaving her mouth. "So...so let me get this straight...Princess Twilight screamed for you to 'give it to her', and then...and then called you 'baby', and...and then knocked you out with her ass?!" Roger asked through howling laughter. "Don't say it like that! She swung at me but missed, tumbled over the desk, and her rear happened to collide with my head, and yes my head hurts very much, thank you for asking." Peacekeeper stated, annoyed. "Oh lighten up, we haven't had a case this funny since...well ever! Aha..." He quieted, wiping away a tear, "Still, we need to know what to do with the princess. And princess or not, ingesting of cocaine, theft of police property, destruction of police property, and...ASS-aulting an officer..." Law giggled, "are all very serious crimes. Ordinarily she'd be placed under arrest and put in lock-up, but she's already taken care of that for us. Still, she has to be awake and read her rights for us to officially 'arrest' her, so..." Roger's head shifted towards Law. "Oh buck that!" Law stated, backing up, "Why do I have to wake up the princess and tell her she's under arrest?!" "Because Peacekeeper has already spent plenty of quality time with the princess, and I'm your superior, so chop-chop!" Law groaned before picking up the cell key with her mouth, "Fine...but you too better be there to help me if things get hairy..." "We'll be right here." Peacekeeper assured. Law carefully, quietly, opened the cell door and trotted inside, passing the key back to her fellow officers. They'd be able to lock the cell faster than she could, if she was sprinting out of it. Law had experience waking up some of the ponies in lock-up. Normally it was Berry, the town drunk, and Law would wake her up loudly but generally politely, only to be met with the groans of Berry's usual hangover. She'd pay her public intoxication fine, and leave, muttering "see you next week." Sometimes it was real criminals, an occasional thief or some stallions who'd gotten in a fight. She always make sure to wake them up with no restrain, screaming and dragging her nightstick across the bars making loud 'clanging' noises. But this...this was Princess Twilight! The beloved town librarian, never broken a law before in her life, never smoked, very rarely drank and always in modest portions...what had gone so wrong for her to end up here, cigarette dangling from her lips and cocaine powdering her nose? Regardless the circumstance though, the law was the law, and she had to be read her rights and cuffed. Proper protocol stated that a magic inhibitor ring was to be placed around the horn, but the one at the station was cheap, and she doubted it would have much of an effect on Twilight past her blowing it up and leaving them with nothing at all. "Um...Princess Twilight?" She asked quietly, it's time to wake up now..." Law gently prodded at her flank before she felt a slight shifting. Twilight's blood-shot eyes burst wide open, and Law screamed.