The report, easily a dozen pages thick, lay on Celestia’s deck like the world’s worst paperweight. Pulled together by Frolicksome Medowlark, who had been left behind in Neigh Orleans to conduct an accounting of the guard, was not hopeful. By his estimation at least seventy five percent of the guard was corrupt in some capacity, and it was going to take a good deal of time and effort to reform it.
Celestia sighed, mentally chastising herself again for letting the situation in the city to get this out of control.
Her office- or her public one at least- was a plain, sparsely furnished affair, suitable for work and very little else. It was one of the reasons she disliked spending a large amount of time in it. But the sparseness helped her focus and was the sole reason she hadn’t attacked it in a flurry of mad decorating.
In the midst of these thoughts, a knock on her office door pulled her away from the reports and bad news that laid before her.
“Come in.”
Princess Cadance entered.
“Celestia.”
Cadance’s expression was clear. She wanted to talk.
“Please don’t tell me that I’ve neglected other cities under my charge as well.” Celestia smiled sadly.
“No, it’s nothing like that. It’s about Skitch-Sketch.”
“I’m guessing this has to do with what you observed during your infiltration of Bayou Runner’s compound?”
Cadance nodded. It had been their plan from the minute things had gone south in Ponyville. It hadn’t taken the Princess of Love long to infiltrate the manor house, finding and replacing a servant who was unsure of the crime lord.
“When she was making her speech on Bayou Runner’s table…” Cadance bit her lip for a moment before continuing. “I could feel her anger and hatred just flowing off her when she spoke about Nouveau Riche.”
Celestia frowned.
“Unfortunate, but not unexpected. Her treatment in the press hasn’t exactly sung her praises.”
“That’s an understatement.” Cadance frowned. “As much as what she said at the time might have been an act, well...we both know that ponies have limits. And with all that she has gone through, I fear that the breaking point may be fast approaching.”
Celestia couldn’t argue that. And yet, if she acted too obviously, it would just feed the nobility’s paranoia that Skitch-Sketch was somehow controlling her. But, perhaps there was another option…
“I seem to remember that Riche was involved in a lawsuit a few years ago.”
“Ahh yes. The banking dispute.” Cadance nodded. “He lost that, as I recall.”
“Correct. Great Writ represented the plaintiff, by my memory.”
Her trademark ethereal smile played across Celestia’s lips.
“I think I have another case for him.”
- - - -
“That’s the next headline?” Nouveau Riche asked.
The offices of the Canterlot Chronicle were cramped, existing in that state of organized chaos that came from the newspaper business. For Riche, the Chronicle was the perfect paper to invest in. Big Quill’s reporters were rather...enthusiastic in regards to uncovering their unique brand of the truth.
The fact that he was friends with the owner helped too.
Big Quill nodded, sliding the rough for tomorrow’s front page across the table, a cigar clenched in his teeth. The centered photo depicted Skitch-Sketch, pulled from a stock file. And the headline tied everything together.
Ex-Human Unleashes Monsters Upon Ponyville!
“Good. If we keep up the pressure, even Ponyville won’t want to keep her around.”
“Whatever you say Riche.” Big Quill shrugged, brushing some dust from his pale yellow coat. “Truthfully, I’m going to miss it when she eventually is gone. Creature from beyond time and space makes for good copy. My subscription numbers have doubled since I started running stories about her.”
“Well, ain’t this just quaint.”
Riche and Big Quill twisted towards the door, where a dark blue coated stallion leaned against the doorway. Fine leather saddlebags rested on his back, and he wore the dark gray jacket of a lawyer.
Nouveau Riche’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the pony, his lips twisting into a dismissive sneer.
“Great Writ. What do you want?”
The lawyer sauntered over to the desk, casually examining the rough of the page.
“Now this is an impressive little bit of journalism. Very...professional, depending on your definition of the word. To bad that ya’ll won’t be publishing it.”
Ignoring the shocked sputterings from the two ponies, Great Writ pulled a thick stack of papers from his saddlebags, dropping it atop the page rough.
“This is an injunction, barring you from making anymore libelous statements against my client.”
“Your client!” Riche sputtered. “She can’t even afford a down payment on her house! How in Equis can she afford your fees?”
“I don’t discuss my clients with the ponies that they’re suing. All you need to know is that this is part of a defamation of character lawsuit that we’re bringing against both of you personally, as well as the newspaper as a whole. Unless….”
“Unless what?” Riche ground his teeth.
“You give my client her house back.”
“Absolutely not!”
“Somehow, I was expecting that.” Great Writ shook his head, turning and making for the door. “Very well. I’m gonna enjoy whipping you in court all over again.
- - - -
Trixie took a step back from the doors of the Civic Theatre, wiping the sweat from her brow.
The brass plaque set next to the door glittered in the morning sun, the light playing off the black raised letters of its new name.
The Crescent Starshine Lulamoon Memorial Theatre.
“I did it mom.” She smiled sadly. “I caught your killer.”
The feeling of a friendly foreleg resting on her shoulder alerted her to the presence of Jambalaya, the old stallion giving her a friendly hug.
“It’s beautiful Trixie. She deserves it.”
“Thanks Jam.” She took a deep breath. “But, I’m not done yet.”
“Ya sure you want to do this ma cherie? It will not be an easy road to walk.”
“I don’t want anypony else to go through what I did.” Trixie shook her head. “I’m not backing down.”
“Alright then.” He nodded, beginning to walk away. “But I think that you’ll need some help.”
“You volunteering vieil homme?”
“Me? No, no, no. I am far too old, as you say.” Jambalaya chuckled. “But many a creature has passed through my restaurant. Let’s see who we can find. There was this minotaur who showed up a few weeks ago….”