SPOILER WARNING: This Ponified episode contains heavy reference to the BBC Series Sherlock's 1st episode, A Study in Pink. DO NOT READ IF YOU OBJECT TO THESE SPOILERS! Sherlock © the BBC
All MLP Characters © Hasbro. Unofficial names used where real names are unknown.
***
“I bet you get bored,” the cabbie said. “Don't you? I know you do.” Twilight unwrapped her cupcake as the cabbie kept talking. “Mare like you. So clever. But what's the point of being clever if you can't prove it?” The unicorn held the confection up to the light. “Still the addict,” the pink pony said. Twilight brought the cupcake back to face level. “But this, this is what you're really addicted to, eh?” The unicorn began moving the cupcake toward her mouth as the cabbie gloated. “You'll do anything, anything at all, just to stop being bored.” The earth pony mirrored the motion. Just seconds, less than seconds before the fifth game would be over. “You're not bored now, are you? Isn't it fu-”
A bullet smashed through the window, cutting off the cabbie's words as it passed through the killer and embedded in the door frame. The pink pony collapsed, the cupcake falling to the floor with her.
***
Across the way, Applejack lowered the smoking gun. Thank Celestia. She'd done it. Across the way, Twilight approached the window. The doctor quickly got out of sight. By the time Twilight was in a position to see across the way, the only sign another pony had been there was an open window.
***
The cabbie coughed. Twilight turned away from the window and saw her on the floor, blood soaking her cardigan. The stain grew with each beat of the earth pony's heart. The unicorn approached the dying mare. She waved her cupcake in front of her. “Was I right?” she demanded. “I was, wasn't I?” The cabbie's silence drove her would-be victim manic. “Did I get it right?” When the killer remained silent, Twilight hurled the cupcake across the room in a rage. She stepped away, trying to calm herself. “Okay, tell me this. Your sponsor. Who was it? The one who told you about me, my fan? I want a name.”
“No,” the cabbie moaned.
“You're dying, but there's still time to hurt you,” Twilight warned, stepping closer. “Give me a name.”
The earth pony shook her head.Twilight brought a hoof down on the blood soaked patch. The material squelched as she applied pressure. The cabbie writhed in pain, biting back screams.
“A name!” Twilight yelled. A stifled shriek slipped out of the dying mare as the unicorn shifted her weight, brining more to bear. “Now!” She applied even more force, but still the cabbie was silent, except for sounds of pain. She put her full body weight on the one hoof. “THE NAME!” Her eyes blazed; her mane burst into flames.
To the dying mare, the enraged unicorn appeared like something from the darkest depths of Tartarus. “MAREIARTY!” the cabbie screamed. Then she slumped, motionless. Twilight stepped off the corpse. She mouthed the name; another mystery. Outside, getting closer, she could hear the sirens of police cars.
***
Twilight sat on the back bumper of an ambulance. A policepony draped a blanket over her back for the third time in as many minutes. She frowned at it, but didn't bother removing it this time; they'd just put it back on her again. Rainbow ducked under the police line as she trotted over.
"Why do I have this blanket? They keep putting this blanket on me," Twilight complained to the pegasus.
"Yeah, it's for shock," Rainbow answered.
"I'm not in shock!"
"Yeah, well some of the guys want to take pictures," Rainbow said with a grin.
Twilight's frown deepened and she turned away and changed the topic."So the shooter, no sign?"
"Cleared off before we got here," Rainbow admitted. "But a pony like that would have had enemies, I guess. One of them could have been following her, but…" she sighed. "Got nothing to go on."
Twilight looked back at Rainbow and shook her head in disapproval. "Oh, I wouldn't say that."
"Okay," Rainbow said, leaning against the emergency vehicle. "Gimme."
"The bullet they just dug out of the wall's from a hoofgun," Twilight said, switching to lecture mode. "Kill shot over that distance from that kind of a weapon, that's a crack-shot you're looking for, but not just a marksman, a fighter. Her hoof couldn't have shaken at all, so clearly she's acclimatized to violence. She didn't fire 'til I was in immediate danger though, so strong moral principle." She glanced towards the police carts, searching the crowd. "You're looking for a mare probably with a history of military service and-" she paused slightly as she noticed a familiar mare standing beyond the police line. "-nerves of steel…" She trailed off; the other pony looked right at her, and then suddenly glanced away, green eyes avoiding the unicorn's gaze. Rainbow followed Twilight's stare. Abruptly, the detective pony stiffened. "Actually, you know what, ignore me."
"Sorry?" The pegasus blinked. Was Twilight actually saying she was wrong?
"Ignore all of that, it's just the, uh, the shock, talking." Twilight started to walk away.
"Where're you going?" the policepony demanded in surprise.
"I just need to talk about the…the rent." Twilight kept walking.
"Yeah, well I've still got questions-"
"Not now! I'm in shock, look I've got a blanket!" Twilight held up a corner of the fabric for emphasis.
"Twilight-"
"And I've just caught you a serial killer, more or less."
Rainbow thought about it for a second, then nodded slowly. "Okay, we'll bring you in tomorrow. Go on." She smiled as Twilight trotted off. As if she couldn't tell where that line of thought had been going.
***
Twilight balled up the blanket and tossed it into one of the cars as she ducked under the police line.
"Uhm," Applejack began, clearing her throat, "Sergeant Hooves's been explaining…everything. Two cupcakes? Really awful business, ain't it?" Her eyes kept darting up and to the side as she talked. "Awful."
Twilight gave a grateful smile. "Good shot," she complimented.
Applejack blinked, jaw open in surprise. "Yeah, yeah, musta been. Through that window."
"Well you'd know," Twilight said. Applejack's eyes stopped trying to hide as she accepted that she'd been caught. "Did you get the powder burns off your hooves?" Twilight inquired. "I don't think you'd serve time, but let's avoid the court case." The earth pony cleared her throat awkwardly. "Are you alright?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah, course I'm alright."
"Well, you have just killed a mare."
"Yes, I…" Applejack nodded. "It's true…" A macabre smile spread across her face. "But she wasn't a very nice mare."
"No," Twilight agreed. "No, she wasn't really, was she."
"No, and a really awful cabbie." The two laughed.
"That's true," Twilight continued. "She was a bad cabbie. You should've seen the route she took us to get here."
Applejack tried to stifle a louder laugh. "Quit it, we can't giggle, it's a crime scene. Stop it."
"You're the one who shot her, not me." Sergeant Hooves looked at them suspiciously, eyes narrowed.
"Keep your voice down!" Applejack hissed. "Sorry," she told the sergeant. "It's just, um, nerves."
"Sorry," Twilight repeated. They were quiet for a moment as the pegasus walked away.
"You were gonna eat that dang cupcake, weren't you," Applejack asked.
"Of course I wasn't," Twilight said. "Biding my time. I knew you'd turn up."
"No you didn't. It's how you get your kicks, ain't it? You risk your life to prove you're clever."
"Why would I do that?"
"'Cause you're an idiot."
The unicorn smiled at that. "Dinner?"
"Starving." They started walking again.
"End of Baker Street, there's a good Chineighse, stays open 'til two," Twilight suggested. "You can always tell a good Chineighse by the bottom of the door-"
Applejack saw an all to familiar figure step from a car along their path. "Twilight, that's him. That's the stallion I was talking to you about."
"I know exactly who that is." Twilight slowed as the stallion approached.
"So, another case cracked," the white unicorn said. "How very public spirited. But that's never really your motivation, is it?"
"What are you doing here?" Twilight asked in annoyance.
"As ever, I'm concerned about you."
"Yes, I've been hearing about your concern," Twilight hissed
"Always so aggressive! It never occurred to you that you and I belong on the same side?"
The unicorn paused in mock thought. "Oddly enough, no."
"We have more in common than you like to believe. This petty feud between us is simply childish. Ponies will suffer. And you know how it always upset Mummy."
Applejack blinked as Twilight balked at the jibe. "I upset her? Me? It wasn't me that upset her, Shining."
"No, wait, Mummy? Who's Mummy?" The was earth pony was thoroughly confused now.
"Mother, our mother," Twilight explained. "This is my brother, Shining Armor." She glared at her sibling. "Putting on weight again?"
Shining Armor gave a wan smile at the jab. "Losing it, in fact."
Applejack was still trying to process the information. "He's your brother?"
"Of course he's my brother," Twilight said in exasperation.
"So he's not-"
"Not what?"
"I dunno. Criminal mastermind?"
Twilight thought about it for a second. "Close enough."
"Oh, for goodness sake!" Shining Armor protested. "I occupy a minor position in the Equestrian government."
"He is the Equestrian government," Twilight shot back. "When he's not too busy being the Royal Guard and the Seapony Intelligence Agency on a freelance basis. Good evening, Shining. Try not to start a war before I get home, you know what it does to the traffic." She turned on her hoof and walked away.
Applejack remained behind for a moment. "So, when you say you're concerned about her, you actually are concerned?"
"Yes, of course," the blue maned unicorn nodded.
"I mean, it actually is a childish feud?"
"She's always been so resentful. You can imagine the Hearth's Warming Dinners."
"Yeah…No, Celestia no. I better, um…hello again." The grey unicorn who had exited the car was familiar.
"Hello." 'Anthony' barely looked up from his phone.
"Y-yeah, we met, earlier this evening," Applejack pressed.
"Oh!" No recognition entered the stallion's eyes.
"Okay. Goodnight." The earth pony started to follow Twilight.
"Goodnight, Doctor Applejack," Shining Armor said politely.
Applejack caught up with Twilight. "So, dim sum."
"Mmm. I can always predict the fortune cookies."
"No you can't."
"Almost can. You did get shot, though."
"Pardon?" Applejack blinked. She'd shot somepony, not the other way around.
"In Alpacastan. There was an actual wound."
"Oh! Yeah, shoulder."
"Shoulder! I thought so."
"No you didn't."
"The left one."
"Lucky guess."
"I never guess."
"Yeah you do." Applejack noticed Twilight smiling. "What're you so happy about?"
"Mareiarty." Twilight grinned even wider as she said the name.
"What's Mareiarty?"
"I've absolutely no idea." The two continued towards the restaurant.
Shining Armor watched them go with a thoughtful expression
"Sir, should we go?" 'Anthony' asked.
The blue haired unicorn ignored the question. "Interesting, that soldier filly. She could be the making of my sister, or make her worse than ever. Either way, we'd better upgrade their surveillance status. Grade Three, active."
The grey unicorn's horn glowed as he typed on his phone. "Sorry Sir, whose status?"
Shining Armor nodded after the two retreating ponies. "Twilight Sparkle, and Doctor Applejack."
***
Author's Note: I know some of you may be familiar with Pixel Kitties version of the "Consulting Unicorn." Having seen that, I decided to turn it on it's head. This was originally Celestia and Luna as the siblings, until the announcement of Twilight's brother. Then this fell into place.