//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Conflict Of Interests // Story: The Magician's Mantle // by DEI Caboose //------------------------------// The excruciating ringing of the bells on his alarm clock rattled the slumbering Shining Armor from his sleep. He cracked an eye open towards the insistent dinging of the clock and forced it to stop with a crack of his horn. Groaning as he turned onto his back, Shining somewhat regretted his decision of temporary residence; the three-star hotel he found himself in, just down the street from the police precinct, left a lot to be desired to say the least. He held no doubt that the grand suite of the famed hotel Fillydelphia Oculus, where he was originally slated to stay, would have been a far more joyous place to rest his head for the night than his current whereabouts. The decision had been sudden; Shining wanted to be within walking distance of the police station so that he could continue with his work at the earliest convenience. If he had chosen the far more prosperous hotel to stay the night he would either of had to settle with having less sleep so he could get ready on time, or turn up to the station late every day. Neither was a viable outcome. His guard hadn't been too keen on the idea though, and had elected, with Shining’s permission, to travel to the hotel to reside in comfort and then regroup with their leader in the morning. Rolling out of his single bed, Shining shook as the freezing room temperature overcame him. The insulation was poor, his blankets were thin and the building as a whole was almost as cold as it was outside, with the cracked and splintered walls making barely any difference at all. The sheets he had nestled in had provided little relief, and without the warm embraces of his wife, Shining found the night to be much colder than most. He withheld a longing sigh as an image of his wife’s smile flashed in his sight. Shining always missed Cadance when he had to venture out into the world for some reason or another. Despite the persistent rumours that the two had only become involved for political purposes, or held little in common with one another; Shining loved his wife more than anything, and he seemed to only come to love her more the further apart they were. He, and Candace too if he suspected correctly, had high hopes that one day they could expand their circle out a bit, maybe with a new addition or two. With a big dumb smile on his face brought on by his thoughts, Shining commenced with his morning routine with enthusiasm. As much as he wished to think about Cadance for the time being; he had a job to do. He needed to head down to the station as soon as possible, the police analysts had assured him and the Commissioner that they would have an answer for them both regarding the forensic tests they had conducted on the fertiliser discovered at the fires, and also on the envelope from a certain vigilante Shining had come into possession of last night. Trixie practically wailed as she turned over in her bed, veering back to her prior position immediately upon being met with an agonising pain within her chest. Trixie steadied both herself from twitching and her heavy breathing, heaving as she forced herself to sit up into a straight position with her back leaning against the wall of her caravan. She had thought that she would have been over the worst of the trauma from the injuries she had received yesterday, but apparently time had only caused her pain to grow; at the moment her chest held a rather large bruise upon it, and even the air touching it caused Trixie to wince back with a squint. She had come to the conclusion swiftly after yesterday's commotion that running into a burning building with no plan and no prior experience was quite possibly the dumbest thing she had ever done, and the list up to that point had been fairly extensive. But nothing so far on that list had resulted in Trixie coming as close as she did last night to… Trixie shook the thought away, unintentionally causing herself some minor pain yet again from her worsened scrapes and cuts. This was not working. Mare-Do-Well. It was stupid and insane with a rather miniscule expectation of success. Trixie refused to look at any of this with an uninformed and unreliable vision of optimism anymore. She could have been killed last night, if the floor of the burning building had given out even a second earlier than it did Trixie would not have been here to contemplate any of this. It was irresponsible, reckless, moronic, idiotic and quite frankly the bravest thing she had ever willed herself to do. It was also a naïve course of action that she should have considered much further than she had. This whole plan was to ensure that Trixie’s fame would be rekindled; her flame reignited so to speak. There were times perhaps where Trixie could see herself making a real difference; prompting a real change and superior methods of action, and she had saved a certain few Fillydelphian citizens who could attest to that fact. But Trixie was becoming impulsive; far too impulsive for her liking, and it had nearly cost her dearly. This needed to stop. One week; she had been at this for one week and she was bedridden because of it. Mare-Do-Well needed time, planning and care to get it focused and back on point. Trixie needed to rethink all of this, rethink all she had committed herself to. Her superhero persona in its current form would, if left unchecked, only result in more harm than good if Trixie didn't alter some things quickly. There was no point to any of this if the only option presented before was inevitable failure. The cape would need to be hung up for a few days; and depending on Trixie's decision. Perhaps for good. “Morning Capt- Marshal. Sorry,” greeted Commissioner Book with an upwards nod and raise of his mug full of coffee. Shining rolled his eyes as he slumped through the building’s doors in a still sleepy daze. “It's fine…” he dulled out with a sigh. Commissioner Book slouched into his chair. Shining had been expecting to find his acquaintance within his office, instead he found Book upstairs within a large room filled with desks and a large number of the station’s staff located within; all set to work on their own individual assignments. The stale smell of cigarette smoke and varnished wood hung in the air as Shining sat besides Book on a wooden chair that had been placed out for him near an open space at the edge of the room, facing a large glass board bolted onto the wall. “Sleep well?” Book asked with nonchalance, sipping his coffee once more. “As well as can be expected,” replied Shining with a snort, lounging in his seat with a welcomed sense of relaxation. The Commissioner checked his watch, and read the hour as being 9:00am. “Looks like you're just in time. Lab analysts should be up to report on their findings in a minute or two, if they have results, then we'll set out knocking on some doors and getting some info,” Book explained with a shake of his greying moustache. “Let's just hope they have good news,” Shining said stoically, inwardly praying that the results would be in their favour. Reflecting on the two pieces of evidence they had collected, Shining suddenly turned to Book with a frown as a darkening thought came to mind. “That letter from Mare-Do-Well,” Shining said, catching Book’s attention. “What about it?” Book asked inquisitively. Shining’s frown contorted up and down. “You think she was telling the truth? About seeing the pony who's starting the fires?” he asked with a hint of denial in his tone. Shining had debated with himself whether or not he should believe what the letter had stated; that there was a stallion suspected to be responsible for all of this. He had been unwilling to come to a solid conclusion himself; seeing as it would mean having to abide by the words of a vigilante. His conflicted opinions prompted him to seek advice from the more experienced Commissioner on the matter. Book had been battling similar internal thoughts. “Truthfully? I have no idea,” Book stated unsurely. “The thing with witness statements is that you can't take everything at face value, no matter how true it seems or how much it's supports your own arguments. Ponies lie, they forget, they exaggerate, and sometimes they just make things up for whatever reason. Maybe there was a stallion there, maybe he was the one who's been doing all this. The only thing we have to go on is Mare-Do-Well’s word, and quite frankly that's not enough. We get proof? Then it's an avenue worth pursuing.” Hoofsteps were heard upon the stairs, and Shining and Book turned to find a lime earth pony mare in a white lab coat entering the room. Spotting her two superiors, the mare timidly began to approach, a clipboard held firmly in her hoof. Book turned back to the board in front of the pair as the mare stood before them. “For the moment, let's just focus on the fertiliser and whether or not it can be linked back to anywhere and anypony. That'll at least be something we know to be true,” Book finished with a wave of his hoof, while Shining nodded in agreement at his side. It may not have been the answer Shining was hoping for, but he was just glad to have an answer at all. Shining looked behind the lab coat wearing mare; who was currently reading silently from her clipboard, and instead he focused on the glass display. It was adorned with fourteen pictures that showed the remains of various fire-damaged buildings, spread around in a circle with a picture of a pile of a brown gravelly substance in the centre of it all, linked to the other pictures by various lines drawn on with a pen. Shining assumed that the brown dirt-like stuff was a sample of the fertiliser collected as evidence, and the photos around it were the fires suspected to all be linked together. The sight of the ruined homes, businesses and property, and the implications of their damage was enough to make Shining’s blood boil. “Hi, Commissioner, Captain- Sorry, Marshal,” began the mare awkwardly, who averted her eyes upon seeing Shining face palm at her mistake. “My name is Brain Teaser, I'm the chief forensic examiner,” she said with a stiff curtsy. “I looked over both the envelope and letter you received, and the fertiliser collected at the Northwood fire. We examined them as best we could but I'm afraid we've got both good news and bad news.” Both stallions threw their heads back with groans, as did the various detectives who had recently joined the briefing; as most were actively involved with the investigations it concerned. Shining turned to Brain Teaser with a scowl. “Bad news first,” he stated swiftly, wanting to get the worst of it out of the way first. The mare nodded and shifted her glasses as she re-read her clipboard once more. Her buned purplish mane flicked about as her head shifted from her audience back to her papers repeatedly. “Bad news; the envelope and letter gave us nothing to go on regarding Mare-Do-Well’s identity. No prints, fibres, unique features; nothing. The only magical residue we could find on both belonged to you, Marshal, and Detective Case.” From within the crowd, Hard Case cursed. Wanting to lighten the mood as quickly as she could, Brain Teaser didn't waste any time in relaying the good news to her associates. “Good news though is that we were able to match the fertiliser we found with several brands available right here in the city; which includes local manufacturers and imports.” Teaser looked to her notes, while her audience came to adorn enlightened smiles at the news. “Closest matches by company are; Orange’s Produce, those are imports from Manehattan. Luck’s Organic, which is Filly’ based. Herald Co., also Filly’ based, and everyone's favourite Apple Family's Homebrand, also Filly’.” Shining raised an eyebrow at the final entry on the list. Being acquainted with the Apple family as he was, he was somewhat surprised to find that they were among the listed potential suppliers, though he was certain they were just a probable match for the fertiliser and nothing more. Commissioner Book stood up at Shining’s side once Teaser had finished with her exposition, with him deciding to take the initiative and get his officers back to work as quickly as possible. “Good work, Teaser. Alright, eyes on me,” Book paused and waited for the collected group to turn their attention upon him and finish with their own conversations. “This is the biggest break we've had all month, so we're going to get to work and find out which of these four are supplying our perp’s. That means interviews, examination, taking inventory and a lot of combing through files. It's gonna be long and it's gonna be hard, but we're going to get it done and we're going to do it by the book.” Book rolled his eyes as a collective chuckle rung out, but rather than encourage it he just waited for silence to resume. “I'm going to assign teams within the hour; you are to write to or head down to local company offices and start asking questions until ponies start giving you answers. You know what you're looking for; unusual transactions, thefts, missing stock, even suspicious employees. Whoever is starting these fires is getting their fuel from one of these four companies, it's probable that they may also work for them.” Shining was open to all suggestions and likely theories, but he hoped and pleaded that this would not the case in this instance, at least concerning the Apples. If it was... He didn't know how the Apples as a whole would take it. “Now in regards to Mare-Do-Well,” Book began again, ceasing the muttering that had briefly began to commence amongst the curious and perky detectives. “It's a shame the letter didn't reveal anything, since I know how eager you all are to get her in a cell.” A unanimous cheer of affirmation was the only answer Book needed. “But, you all know how important it is that we do this right. Don't lose your heads and don't take chances. At the moment, however much some of you may disagree; Mare-Do-Well is not the major issue. These fires however are destroying property, they are claiming lives and they need to be stopped as do the ponies causing them. We will solve both in time, but ask yourself, who do we need off the streets more?” A disgruntled, but ultimately agreeable murmur of response was Book’s reply, though evidently some of the collected ponies were more decisive than others. Shining himself knew where he stood on the matter; Mare-Do-Well was undoubtedly a problem that needed to be stopped, but as it stood, she was nothing more than an interference to the practices of the Fillydelphia police and city council. This arsonist? They needed to be caught, sooner rather than later. Now came the issue of action. Shining had no intention of just sitting in the police department waiting for an answer from an up and coming detective; he was a pony who worked best on his hooves, and he knew that he would be much better use to the investigation if he was actively participating in it than if he was just sat on his flank waiting for somepony else to do it for him. Shining was here in the first place to get results, and results he would most certainly achieve. Waiting until Book had finished briefing and dismissing his personnel, Shining approached him with a smile, not wanting to interrupt the now busy stallion any more than what was necessary. “Commissioner Book,” Shining said respectively, catching Book’s attention from his standing position. “Yes, Marshal?” Book asked, with minor but evident impatience in his tone, wanting to commence with his own tasks. Shining thought about what he would say; about what he should ask to do and whether or not he was even the best stallion to do it. He quickly reached a decision on the matter, and voiced it timidly. “With your permission, I'd like to go interview the local Apple family,” Shining asked professionally but with firmness. Raising an eyebrow, Book responded curiously. “That would be a bit unorthodox. Mind if I ask why? Generally, having the Royal guard around is just a formality to keep the mayor happy.” Ignoring the quip, Shining scratched his mane. “I was never much of a backseat-guard,” Shining said, before quickly moving on to his explanation. “I'm actually a close friend with one of the Apple family’s cousins. Might make it a bit easier for them to open up to me,” Shining stated slowly and with an air of uncertainty, unsure that Book would allow it. The Commissioner was predictably suspicious at the request. “With respect, Marshal, I get your point, but you're not exactly a detective,” Book said knowingly. Shining, despite his best efforts, was disrespected by the statement, however true it may have been. “And with respect to you, Commissioner, I feel like the Apple’s will respond better to a family friend than a prying detective.” Both stallions stood tall and still. Both realised the truth in the others observations, but both also realised that the work needed to be done and somepony had to do it, and it may as well be the best pony suited for the task. Blythe Book, despite his hesitation, gave in to his Prince’s request. “It is an irregular thing to ask, Marshal, but this is an irregular case,” Book stated calmly, but with a steady frown. “Go, question the Apples, find out everything that you can about where the fertiliser came from and who they sell it to. The moment you suspect anything or anypony, send a letter.” Relieved at the Commissioner deciding in his favour, Shining bowed, turned and started to trot away, heading in the direction of the stairs in order to meet his personal guard on the ground floor, wanting to be on their way at the earliest possible convenience and complete the job he had been assigned. “And, Marshal?” Hating with a foreleg frozen mid-step, Shining turned back towards the Commissioner who had barked out for his attention. He met eyes with the still frowning Book. “Don't let your feelings for the Apples soften your approach.” Shining too frowned in response, once again not liking how he agreed with Book on his statement. “Of course, Commissioner,” was Shining’s final word before he was out the door, with the Commissioner returning to his office to start organising his forces. Shining kept his frown even as he left the station. Fillydelphia was proving to be far more taxing on his thoughts than he initially anticipated. The inharmonious sounds of steps upon the gravelly path rung out and seemed to echo off of the barren trees that littered the frozen green environment. The company of royal guards marched along the earth in formation while Shining paced at their front. The group, composed of five stallions and four mares, trotted along swiftly and orderly, their breath clouding the air on account of an occasional exhale being released. Shining looked up at the snow peaked Foal Moutain that leaned overhead; the jagged rocks upon its side growing ever smoother the further up they climbed to its peak. The sun today was effectively non existent; invisible behind a wall of clouds that shielded the sky, leaving Equestria shrouded in a dull grey and darkened mist. Stumbling upon an uneven patch of earth, Shining turned his gaze back down the path, and after scaling a small upturned hill on their journey, Shining and his group watched as their destination forced itself into their view the higher they climbed. If the day was brighter and the circumstances less severe Shining would have taken solace as he set sight upon the green-painted farmhouse, instead he only felt an overlying sense of dread; dread at what he would find upon asking his questions and upon receiving his answers. The Apples were spread far and wide and Shining had befriended many of them over the years, the most notable of course being the branch that resided in Ponyville. Shining knew the Apples to be decent and good, and there was no doubt in his mind that the same characteristics were inherent in their Fillydelphia relatives. Or at least, Shining hoped that was the case. With a crack of his neck, Shining continued on his way, the parade of guards marching at his rear. Upon passing the white picket fence that surround the farm, Shining halted his guards with a shout, who proceeded to stand still despite the onslaught of chilling frost and blistering wind. Shining's hooves clacked on the ground as he approached the house, the wooden porch creaking under the weight of his large size and heavy purple-adorned armour. He swiftly tapped upon the door several times, not wanting to delay in the slightest. In his eagerness to leave, Shining had only been briefly able to review the FPD’s file on the resident Apple family; which had been retrieved from storage due to the recent development in the fires case. His main goal was to learn their address, but aside from that, he also gathered that the family consisted of seven; a mother, two daughters, a son, and a set of filly twins. The father had been listed as deceased. There was however nothing that immediately jumped out to Shining as being suspicious, aside from the odd misdemeanour or two and a reported burglary at some point in the past. Nothing suggested to Shining that the Apple’s involvement in all of this was anything less than inconsequential. But admittedly, he had only looked briefly. Peering through the hazy glass, Shining spotted the image of a pony approaching; the orangish coat and lime mane contrasting against the darker colours of the house's interior. The door opened inwards with a click, and Shining managed to hold a smile in an effort to appear more welcoming. The neckerchief wearing Apple Pie was undeniably befuddled when she met eyes with the recently promoted Prince Shining Armor, and voiced her confusion in an unsteady welcome. “Captain Armor? The heck are you doing ‘ere?” Pie asked in a mix of inquiry and worry, clearly assuming the worst of the situation. It wasn't like she expected the Prince to show up for a social call after all. Shining ignored his incorrect addressing as Captain, and instead bowed his head, his smile holding unfaltered. “Good morning, Ma’am. I'm sorry to disturb you so early but I'm currently working with Fillydelphian Police Department and I'm afraid your farm came up during an investigation I'm helping out with,” Shining motioned with a hoof as Pie started to recoil at his words. He quickly attempted to reassure her in response. “Now before we get ahead of ourselves, how about I just explain what's going on. I'll ask you some questions and in return I'll answer yours. Deal?” Apple Pie’s nerves were hardly calmed by the ultimatum; it wasn't as if she could refuse the Prince’s offer even if she wanted to. She would still play the part of a good host however, despite her evident worry and reluctance. Pushing the door further open, she faced Shining with a forced blank expression. “You wanna come in? It'll have ta just be you though, house ain't big enough to fit all your boys and gals.” Shining agreed, the house was indeed rather small and he felt that by obeying Apple Pie’s wish he would only succeed in further earning her trust. Dismissing his guards so they could walk about the farm at their leisure, Shining followed Apple Pie into her home, turned left and took a seat upon an armchair indicated to him by his host. He took in the site of the coffee table positioned to his front, pulled up against another chair, which was covered in a plethora of papers and notes. Apple Pie took the seat opposite the Marshal, clearly still uncomfortable about the whole situation and started to pile the notes together in an effort to occupy herself. “You want tea or anything? Something stronger maybe?” Pie asked with her eyes downcast. Shining laughed the offer off as casually as he could. “No, thank you. I'd rather just get out of your mane as fast as I can,” he replied with a gesturing hoof, still holding his smile strong. Finishing with her papers, Pie looked to Shining in a slouch. “Okay, Sir. What's this all about? Don't lighten the blow just tell me how it is,” Pie said with a front of respect. Shining bit his lip, pondering how he would relay the information in a way that wouldn't sound accusive. He subconsciously reflected upon the Commissioner’s words to him before he decided to speak. ‘Don't let your feelings for the Apples soften your approach.’ “Ms…” Shining paused upon realising he hadn't yet asked the mare her name. “Pie, Apple Pie,” was the automatic reply. “Ms. Pie, you produce and sell your own brand of agricultural fertiliser, don't you?” “Apple’s Homebrand, yep.” Shining was about to ask his further questions, but Apple Pie’s stunned interruption cut him off. Her tone was noticeably more upbeat than it was prior. “Wait! That's why you're here? ‘cause of our fertiliser?” Nodding in affirmation, Shining once again tried to ask his questions, only to be cut off once again, much to his growing irritation. Apple Pie’s genuine smile halted his annoyance however. “Heck! Why didn't ya just say so from the get-go? Bout time the cops got back to us about that!” Pie exclaimed, with a renewed sense of relief. Shining was suitably surprised by the mare’s outburst, having no reason to anticipate it and growing only confused by it. “Sorry, Ms. Pie?” Shining said in effort to retain some stability over the conversation. Apple Pie turned to him with a hardened grin, while Shining was eager to get to the bottom of all of this. “Do you mind explaining that part to me? About the cops getting back to you? I'm a little in the dark,” Shining said, attempting to sound credible. Pie’s face scrunched up at Shining's confusion. “Wait, you don't know?” she asked with a glare. “Know about what?” Shining replied dimly. Rolling her eyes, Pie explained drearily, clearly having expected to receive a different kind of response. “I reported the theft of two crates of fertiliser about a month and a bit back, cops never did anything about it other than hassle ma mother with letters and asking for signatures. Then you come round asking about it and getting ma hopes up ‘cept you don't… Captain? You listening?” Apple Pie’s eyes narrowed once more as she set sight on Shining, who was now scribbling relentlessly into a notebook previously housed within his armour. His horn alight as he held a quill firm. He looked up at Pie with a prompting hoof roll. “Sorry could you continue? I need to write this down,” he said, his eyes wide like a colt in a candy factory. Her eyes only narrowed further at the request. “Ah ain't sayin one more thang until you tell me what in Equestria is goin’ on. Why you so interested in ma fertiliser all of a sudden?” Realising that he would only be able to proceed if he had the Apple’s full cooperation, Shining closed his notebook and leaned forward, his stoic expression returning as he explained. “I guess you have a right to know seeing as how it concerns your business,” Shining said in understanding. “Ms. Pie, I hate to tell you this, but we have reason to believe that the fires that have been happening recently- You have heard about those right?” “Course, been all over the papers.” “Great. Those fires were all started using a fertiliser as fuel, and have been appearing, that we know of, for over the past month and a bit back, right around the time-” “Right around the time some varmint ran off with two crates of our fertiliser,” Pie shakily finished, running a hoof through her curly mane. Shining gave the mare some time to process, but was eager to continue, especially when the information he seeked was within arms length, he just needed to be a little more prompting. “We were able to match a sample of your brand to some of the fertiliser left over at one of the fires, and I decided to come along mainly because I'm sure Applejack would appreciate it if she ever found out.” Pie laughed despite herself. “Heh, forgot you two were friends. Cousin sure as heck would be out for blood if she found out some jack was using her stolen stock to burn buildings,” Pie said as she leaned back and reminisced. The news was certainly unexpected, if slightly troubling. This whole situation was maddening. She had reported to the police that her farm had been burgled, and she had practically been laughed out of the station; two crates of manure based fertilizer apparently wasn't worth the time and effort in finding, and now she’s found out that whoever robbed her has most likely had a hoof in all these fires that have been going on. Apple Pie was sure those cops won't be laughing when she told the Prince everything he wanted to know. “Alright, Captain. Ask your- Wait ain't you Marshal or somethin now?” Pie asked with a dazed look. “Have Ah been calling you the wrong thing this whole time?” Shining chuckled, once again ignoring the gesture, instead wanting to get back to the problem at hoof. “It's fine. Would you be willing to answer a few questions? Anything you say, even the smallest little thing, might be able to help us catch whoever it is that's doing all this.” A swift nod of agreement was Pie’s response. “You betcha, whatever you want ta know. Shoot,” Pie said as she mentally braced herself. Shining resumed with his notes, writing his questions down and pondering how to phrase them. “On the night of the theft- it was at night right?” “Eeyup.” Shining blinked, but resumed asking the question. “That night, did you see anything suspicious? Anypony lurking around who shouldn't have been there?” Pie once again chuckled unexpectedly. “Ah take it you didn't read that report Ah filed, did ya? If ya had you would have known that Ah caught the miscreant in the act and chased him off the property. He was a fast son of gun; used his wings to push himself ahead of me. Strong too, seeing as how he was able to outpace me while dragging a cart full of two stolen crates. Ah lost him in the trees and Ah wasn't gonna risk following him; Ah was home babysitting mah filly sisters that night and there was no way in hell Ah was gonna leave them alone with an intruder on the farm.” Shining copied down everything that was said, his quill scratching its way into his paper with every strike upon it. Once Apple Pie had finished, Shining immediately asked the next question on the list. “You didn't by any chance get a good look at him did you?” Shining asked with hopefulness. Apple Pie grinned. “Idiot must have had a screw loose. It was dark, so Ah can't be to sure about his colour, but Ah tell ya, his hooves alone were noticeable enough, won't be a sight I'll be sure to forget.” Shining, unconsciously filling in the blanks and connecting the dots, grew cold, already suspecting that he knew what the answer to his next question would be. “His hooves, what made them jump out to you?” “Looked like they'd been burned to a crisp, real wrinkly and pale.” Shining cursed under his breath, and scratched the words into his notebook with a growl. He could not be too sure of why he was angry; because it proved that the same stallion had been present at both incidents? Because it undermined his suspicions of Mare-Do-Well since it establishes that she had been telling the truth in her letter? Because it proves that Mare-Do-Well was doing a better job so far at identifying this pony than the police tasked with doing it? ‘Ignore it. Ignore it. It's not important. This is important,’ Shining decreed to himself, taking a breath to relax his tensed muscles. Who cares? Who cares if Mare-Do-Well was right; that she had been telling the truth? Without that letter Shining wouldn't have been able to form this link in the chain. If anything he should be thanking her. “You have no idea how helpful this has been, Ms. Pie, thank you,” Shining praised, while Apple Pie visibly grew relaxed at his words. He still had questions left to ask however, one having just come to mind. “Would you mind heading down to the station for a bit? To talk to a sketch artist so we can get some idea of what this guy looks like? Plus there might be other questions the detectives might want to ask that I can't think of. Is that okay?” he asked with a smile to emphasise his request. Apple Pie looked unsure, her previous doubts returning. “Ah don't know, I've gotta get these papers filled out and mom will be home soon and she might get worried and-” Her rambling was cut off at Shining's insistent. “I know that it's a bit of a bother, but it would be a big help to us in finding this guy. I'm sure we can compensate you for any loss or-” “No, no that's alright, Marshal,” Pie relented with a sigh. “I'll be happy to help. As long as you promise me that you catch this crook before he hurts anypony else!” Shining neck straightened as he spoke with conviction. “With your help, Ma’am, I guarantee it.” Apple Pie once again relaxed at his words, running her hooves along her face as she reflected upon this course of action. “Right, that's that then,” she said with a nod. “Anymore questions before we head out? Anything pressing?” Shining couldn't think of anything of much importance, but spoke simply on the off chance he received any credible information. “Nothing big,” Shining said as he flipped through his notebook, settling on an incomplete page of notes. “Anything happened around here recently? Any strange ponies? Carriages? Any neighbors? They might have seen something. You never know what might be related or helpful.” Pie leaned back with a contemplative expression, running a hoof along her chin as she reflected upon the previous month, reminiscing on anything that seemed to be out of the ordinary. “Nothin’ much has happened since the theft, things are often pretty quiet around here. There's a mare who's just started living out by the edge of our land though, odd gal but she seems alright, if a little on the quiet side.” Shining continued to take notes automaticity in response. “This mare, she been here long? Maybe she saw something?” Pie shook her head. “Couldn't have, only been living here about a week; she's a traveling magician or something.” Shining’s cheeks twitched, his grip on the quill hardening. “You have a name for this mare?” “Yep. Trixie, or The Great and Powerful Trixie if you want to be dramatic.” Shining shook viscerally, and a furious scowl etched itself out along his mouth as he let lose a short but feral snarl. “Where did you say this… Trixie was living?” The water bubbled within the pot and the excess steam produced flowed into the air and up the hastily created vent to the outside, floating out of her home like smoke from a chimney. Trixie could not help but sniff the mixture of vegetables that sat within the boiling water, the scent serenely wafting off her admittedly simple, but nevertheless desired lunch. Carefully pouring the concoction into a bowl, Trixie shifted her way over to her desk and gingerly rested herself upon the chair presented. She used her magic to switch off her stove and to place the used pot to the side; ready to clean it off at the lake by her camp. The day so far had been simple; simple and painless, just how Trixie wished it to be. She read her books, perused her notes and generally just enjoyed the break she had allowed for herself. Without a hint of the obtrusive Mare-Do-Well or her constrictive magic shows clouding her ever pleasant thoughts. No. Instead Trixie used her time to think; to reflect upon her time and her journey so far across the land of Equestria. So much had happened in so little time. Her previous destination, Hollow Shades, was just a leap over the Foal Mountain overhead; sweetly nestled in the undergrowth of the perpetual forest, and Trixie must admit that being there was a far more pleasant experience than she had remembered it as being. The height of the mountains that surrounded the town resulted in it hardly ever receiving any sunlight; a fate only worsened in the winter when the days were shorter to begin with. This was made up for however in the town’s utilisation of the environment to provide for them where the sun could not. The trees would glow to provide light and warm; due to them being specifically enchanted to be that way, food was grown within mountain caves by a specialised farming method, and even the weather itself was a mystery to Trixie; as it was constructed in a way far unlike anything she had even seen before. They were completely self-sufficient, without the need of Equestria or the Princesses to provide for them. Cut off, alone, but happy. Trixie had found it easy to relate to. Reliance on others was a feeble prospect of self-preservation. If you were unable to make it alone, you either had to force yourself to succeed or die trying. Giving up was not an option. Trixie had found that out the hard way. Being the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well may be reckless, stupid and shortsighted on Trixie's part, but she could not deny the reality, however much she wanted to. Being a hero; being seen the way she was, feeling the way she did when she put on that mask. Doing that just made her feel good. It made Trixie happy. Was it the rush? The thrill of adventure? The prospect of success? The inevitable conclusion of either love or failure? There were so many possibilities, so many things that Trixie did not yet understand. And Trixie wouldn't figure any of it out if she gave up so easily. She had made her decision. Mare-Do-Well may have been dumb, but it was her dumb idea. She would face the dumb consequences, and would revel in the dumb rewards. Some tinkering was still needed here and there, but the plan was solid, and Trixie refused to give up on said plan simply because of one crazed pony with a pyromaniacal personality. There was always going to be challenges to be faced, it had just taken Trixie this long to realise it. This pony, whoever they were, needed to be stopped, by her or somepony else. The fact of the situation is that it ultimately doesn't matter who ends up stopping the pony, what only mattered is that they are stopped. And Trixie could be that pony, because Trixie refused not to be. If somepony had to do it, it may as well be her. Her bowl clanked upon her desk with a empty ding, and Trixie steadily rose from her seat. A few more hours of sleep would do her some good; Equestria’s guardian of harmony needed to recuperate and required her beauty sleep after all. The thoughts of slumber were shattered however, as a drumming upon the door forced Trixie to turn her head towards it. Identifying the sound immediately as being different from the usually softer greeting of her friend Apple Leaves. “Trixie Lulamoon? This is Marshal Shining Armor! We need to talk.”