//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 "Dawn of a New Friendship" // Story: Equestria Noir Season 2 Case 15 "Manehatten Rain" // by Jacoboby1 //------------------------------// Chapter 5 “Dawn of a New Friendship” Field Goal looked at me in utter shock, and backed into the wall behind him. “Wait, no, you guys can’t be serious! I didn’t, that foal can’t be mine!” He yelled. “It has to be,” I said, pulling out some of the baby’s mane in a plastic bag. I used my DNA spell on it, it glowed green, and Field Goal started glowing faintly green. Sign of partial DNA in him. “There’s no doubt about it, you’re the father.” “But, this is insane!” He said, putting his hooves to his forehead. “I’ve never, slept with anypony. Nopony, this just doesn’t make any sense. How can I be the father?! I’ve never even touched another mare since Star Flare and I hooked up…” “Dear, did you ever…” Standard started to suggest. “No! I would never cheat on Star Flare! I loved her more than anything!” He then turned to me. “Look man, you gotta believe me! I’d never...I…” “Yes, you are the father. So that leaves the mother as the murderer…” I said. “But, I..” “Yes, you were loyal to Star Flare, and never touched another mare. But, somepony had to have carried that foal. And somepony had to have done the deed with you in order for it to come to life.” “Just what are you saying Private?” Standard asked. “But, I’m not a batpony.” Field Goal pointed out. “So, how could it be part bat pony? None of my relatives are batponies at all.” I then looked at him in the eye. “How about this? What do you know about Guideline.” Field Goal stopped, then got a bit of a forced smile and said. “Oh, Guideline’s the best, she helped me with everything!” “What is the meaning of this Private?” Standard asked. “What are you doing?” “I’m proving Even’s theory.” Field Goal shook his head, “What? What happened?” “Yes Private, what is going on?” Standard asked. “What’s going on is that Field here can’t remember his sessions with Guideline.” “But, Guideline has been a loyal staff member for years.” Standard pointed out. “What does she have anything to do with this?” “I don’t know exactly, but Even was investigating her just before he was arrested. Even knew something was up with Star Flare. And several other students that worked with Guideline. Field Goal was at the crime scene yet he claims he can’t remember. I’ve seen this kind of magic before, memory modification…” “Somepony messed with my brain...and you’re saying it was Guideline?” Field Goal said, his face a picture of horror. “Guideline..did take a long leave of absence for a while…” Standard said. “I thought it was just nerves from the job…” “Where is she now?” I asked. “She, went out for a walk, said she was going to get some fresh air…” Standard said, horrified. Suddenly the phone rang. Standard picked it up, “Yes? Yes this is the place, no now is not a good ti-oh, yes he’s right here I’ll put him on.” She gave the phone to me. “It’s Officer Yang, she’s saying it’s urgent.” I levitated the phone over. “Yang, we got a situation here, I need you to put-” “There’s no time for that Private! We got a real emergency here!” “Yang slow down, what happened?” I asked. “Even was kidnapped out of his cell! Some of us were on break and when we came back, both of his guards were knocked out and there was a note left in his cell! Also one of the guns on the officers is missing!” Even’s in danger?! What?! “What did the note say?” “It said, ‘Come to his house, alone’. What does that mean Private Eye? I thought you were going to nab our killer.” “Our killer beat me to the punch, and she’s going to hurt Even if I don’t come alone.” “Private, don’t be stupid! Tell us where he is and we’ll-” “Sorry Yang, I gotta do this on my own. I won’t let anything happen to Even.” “But Private, it’s our job just as much as it is yours to look out for him. I’m not as hard nosed as Insight. But I want to keep that boy safe as much as you do!” I sighed, man, Yang can be a bit to handle. “Alright, I’ll give you the address but give me some time. She may try something.” “You think you can handle her?” “No, but I feel I got backup, so that’s something…” ___________________________________________________________ It was quiet when I entered Even’s little home. The moonlight peeked it’s way into the abandoned building. I entered quietly, Blackhawk at the ready. “That’s far enough!” The lights turned on, and standing before me was Guideline, holding a police issue pistol in her magic. The glock was pointed at Even’s head as he sat there, tied to a chair. Judging by the injuries he put up a fight. She smirked, smug in her victory. “Put aside your weapons Private Eye, unless you want this brat to get hurt.” “Forget me Private! Shoot this bitch!” Even yelled. Guideline frowned and smacked Even with the gun. “That’s enough out of you! You talking has gotten me into enough trouble already!” “Alright! That’s enough!” I said, using my magic to set Blackhawk on the floor. “Kick it away!” she demanded. “I’ll just pick it up with magic anyway.” I pointed out. “Do you want to see his brains on the floor!?” She yelled, pressing the barrel to Even’s head. “Fine, just take it easy.” I said, kicking Blackhawk away. “So, it’s come down to this, detective. You’ve been quite the little thorn in my side. Though not nearly as bad as this filthy brat.” “Seems your true colors are showing Guideline,” I said, keeping my eyes on her. “You aren’t exactly the perfect Guidance Counselor everypony said you were.” “Oh no, hardly. Do you realize how irritating my job is?! I have to listen day in and day out to some brats whining about grades or boyfriends! None of them know how hard real life is! All they want to talk about is their problems!” “Kind of your job to listen…” Even snarked. “So, I decided to use my daddy’s old gifts…” She said. “Yeah, you have a batpony father and a unicorn mother. I’m guessing your powers came from the mixture of those two bloods…” I said. “So,” She put her magic around her shades. “You’ve discovered my secret.” She tossed aside her shades, revealing a set of yellow slitted eyes, Even’s eyes went wide. He looked to me, “She’s a…” “Yeah, Field Goal was definitely the father of the foal, so that must mean you’re…” I said, glaring at her. Guideline laughed. “Yes indeed, I’m the mother of that brat.. Everything was so perfect. I discovered my power to influence the minds of those little brats. Once in a while, I would get bored and decide that those little brats should give me exactly what I deserve for putting up with their whining!” “You...oh Celestia…” Even said, a horrified expression on his face. “But Field Goal made the mistake of impregnating me. I couldn't’ kill it because Celestia had that misguided and foolish idea that all life is precious. So I came up with the perfect story. Dear Star Flare would have been impregnated either by Field Goal who loved her, or Even, who was a foul batpony who longed for something above his station.” “Only we stopped you…” Even said. “IT WAS ALL PERFECT!” She yelled. “If everypony would just have fallen in line! Everything would’ve been fine! But you two miserable stallions had to stick your nose into things!” “You do realize you just incriminate yourself.” I said firmly. “I have a witness that could put you out of a lineup. As well as a hairclip that dna will show belongs to you. You’re stuck at the scene of the crime.” She grinned evilly. “Not if you fix everything…” I frowned. Suddenly her eyes grew hugely wide, and I felt my brain being attacked directly. I yelled in pain as voices in my head rang like bells in a steeple. Arrest Even! He did it! You saw him! Guideline is innocent! The witness is lying! OBEY ME!!! “Yes! With this you will incriminate Evenstar! Everything will come out at last! I’ll disappear and nopony will believe you Evenstar!” Even...smirked. “Not unless they hear this..” “WHAT!?” She yelled, Even flicked his ears, and a bug fell out of it. “Snatched it from a friend of mine...I knew from the start you would try to pull something like this...now everypony will know exactly what you’ve been doing to the ponies at my school…” I shook my head as Guideline’s concentration wavered. “No...no everything was to be perfect…” “Not quite…” I reached into my trenchcoat with my magic and pulled out a flashlight, I then shined it right into her eyes. My hunch was right, she was still highly sensitive to light. She screamed in pain as I tackled her, knocking the Glock out of her magic. I glared down at her. “Guideline I’m putting you under arrest for the murder of Star Flare, the rape of who knows how many students, and trying to kill my friend and frame him..” I smiled at Even. For the first time since I met him...Even gave a real smile… __________________________________________________________ Yang and the rest of the force arrived just in time. A pair of cops were dragging Guideline away. At my advice they put a blindfold over her face to keep her from hypnotizing anypony. Even was seeing a doctor to get his wounds patched up from the fight he had with Guideline. Yang smiled at me. “Nice job, we ran the DNA, turns out she really is the mother. She hypnotized Star Flare into thinking the foal was hers? How much of a witch can you get?” “A very nasty one indeed.” I said, looking at Even with some concern. “How is he?” “Eh, Doctors say he’ll be fine. Chief wants him sent to juvie, but somepony sent Even a damn good lawyer. Got all the charges cleared.” She smirked at me. “You wouldn’t have had anything to do with that now would you?” “Nope, just doing my duty.” I said with a smile back. Yang smiled and went to talk with some other uniforms. I looked over and saw Field Goal coming. He looked utterly miserable. “Hey uh, Detective...thanks, for everything.” “No problem,” I said with a smile. “I still can’t believe it, Guideline murdered Star Flare, with my help..” “Hey, it wasn’t your fault.” I said, putting a hoof on the teenager’s shoulder. “You were hypnotized. You didn’t know what you were doing.” “Still though,” He sighed, then asked, “What’s going to happen to the foal?” “Well, she’ll be brought into adoption, I know a good few places she could end up.” I tried to reassure him. He shook his head, “No, I think it’s right if I look after her, man.” My eyes grew wide, “You’re a teenaged jock, and you expect to be able to handle a foal all by yourself?” “Well, something about today has made me realize, I don’t wanna be anypony’s chump again. I want to, at least, do something to help that filly I brought into this world ya know?” He said, earnestly. I sighed. “Alright, talk to Officer Yang, she’ll at least get you started.” “Thanks detective, I won’t forget this.” He said with a smile as he ran off to see Yang. He’ll be alright, I’m sure of it. “EYE!!!!” Me on the other hoof… Stomping over to me with a look that would make even Angel pee his fur, was Insight. He glared at me. “YOU! You are coming to the precinct! Now!” “What? So I can prove you wrong again? Need I remind you it was your shoddy security that caused Even to get kidnapped in the first place?” I said, trying not to sound smug. “You think you’re all that, Private Eye?! This is going to be a disaster! Do you realize how much of an uproar this is going to cause once all those parents find out that Guideline could’ve done to their kids?!” He yelled. “Good, let them find out. Let them find out that it took a batpony teenager to find out what a bunch of Equestria’s finest couldn’t in the name of solving a case quickly, and sweeping it under the rug. If it wasn’t for me, Even would’ve been in juvie, Guideline would’ve been off scott free, and who knows what would’ve happened to the foal.” Insight growled. “If anything, you should be thanking me. Instead of trying to preserve my reputation, I went out in search of the truth. And now Guideline’s in prison, Even is free, and the foal at least has a father to look out for her. So, waiting for that thank you Insight.” He growled even louder. “You think you’re so smart?! You think just because you solve a few cases you get to walk all over me!? You are making me, and the entire Equestrian Police Force look like incompetents! Never mind all the disharmony you are causing! You may have won this round. But one day everypony will see you for who you really are! A smug, lying, immeasurably arrogant brat of a detective who has no idea how to handle his betters!” I allowed my expression to get smug. “You, and a lot of other ponies I met keep using that word, ‘betters’ I don’t think it means what you all think it means…” And with that, I strutted away, leaving Insight utterly enraged. Even came up to me, some bandages on some spots. He smiled, “Thanks Private, really…” “Don’t thank me, it was you who got this case rolling.” I said, smiling. He looked down, “Wish I could’ve saved Star Flare though.” I put a hoof on his shoulder, “Hey, you did better than most. In fact, you did very well, nice trick with the bug there.” “They never think to look for listening devices on hostages do they?” Even said, tilting his head. “Nope, and it’s one of the reasons I’m still breathing.” I said, we both laughed a little. “So, what’s going to happen to you now?” I asked. He shook his head, “I dunno, when parents find out I was involved, it won’t matter that I’m innocent. And, well, now everypony knows where I live, cuz it’s a crime scene.” “You really have nowhere else to go?” I asked. “No, no I don’t.” He said, his wings drooping a little. I… Well, he was good...real good… With, time and training he could… Nah Private you don’t have what Fenlock had… But...he needed a home… I smiled and said, “Come to Ponyville.” “Hicksville?” Even said, tilting his head again. “You can’t be serious.” “I am serious, Even, I’m going to extend an offer to you. I’ll handle your transfer papers, and provide you with a roof over your head, an actual complete roof, if you agree to come to Ponyville and be my apprentice.” His eyes grew wide as dinner plates. “Me? Your...but...I..” “Huh, Fenlock used to say that was my reaction,” I said bemusingly. “But, I’m no detective, I’m just a batpony.” “Yet you solved this case, with a little of my help but still,” I replied. “With some proper training, you could be just as good as a detective as I am.” “I can’t believe this.” He said, shaking his head. “Believe it Even, it’s better than staying on the streets of Manehatten all day.” Even looked down, and said, “Would... I be wanted there?” “Hey,” I said, looking him in the eye. “Yeah, you will. I was wanted there, you’ll be too. Whether you like it or not.” “I...well most of my stuff is evidence…” “Good, means you won’t have to pack much,” I said, smiling. “Come on, we’ll catch the last train… Even smiled wide, and spread his wings to fly after me. He looked down at me, “This is going to be great!” “Yeah, Even I think this is the start of a very beautiful friendship.” I said with a smile. “Casabucka? Man you are old.” Even said with a smirk. “HEY!”