He hides his wires since there was still live electricity running through them.Nancy tilts her head at him and he said. "Don't want to shock you"Nancy nods and meows as if she understands and curls up on his lap. I chuckled seeing the look of shock on Mr. Dusk’s face. "Ummmm"
"Yes?" I said as Nancy purred.
"Shouldn't you get your cat back?" He asks me,I nodded and called Nancy over, she hopped back on my lap. Mr. Dusk falls asleep and I take notice that he was sparking. I figured it was because of the wires, I hoped that he would get some new front hooves soon. I yawn after a few minutes and fall asleep. Some time later I wake up and see Mr. Dusk trying to exit the train, specifically by trying to break a window.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"We're starting to lose time."
"Hold on." The train stops as we got to Canterlot. "Come on." I said as Nancy hops in my bag
"Okay" He replied and we left the train.
"Where is the robot?" I asked him since the only reason we are in Canterlot is because he said it was here.
"I can't sense it anymore." He said. I nodded as I walked around looking around, while we were walking I notice the look of sadness on my client’s face. "Is something wrong sir?"
"I feel useless" He said.
"You are not. No pony is useless. "
"How am I usefull now?" He asks me as he glances at the spots where his arms once were.
"You still have your brain don't you?" I asked him with a smirk.
He nods. "Yea"
"Then you are still useful. As long as the Phantom is you he should think like you." I said referring to the mask the phantom makes to look like the pony he took it from and also gain the memories of that pony.
"Okay" He said as he started thinking, after a minute he replied. "I would destroy the castle to weaken the government of Equestria"
"Then lets head there." I said. We headed to the castle and found it in bad shape. There was nothing but a cave now and we could see the Princesses Celestia and Luna away from it badly injured. I looked shocked seeing this while Mr. Dusk runs knowing that the royal guards are looking for him.
As I was searching for the Phantom or the robot I hear Mr. Dusk yell. "OH GOD!"
"Mr. Dusk?" I said.
"Good news I found the robot bad news there is no sign of the Phantom anywhere" He said as I got over to him.
"That's good at least. " I said and found him petting the robot like a dog.I chuckled seeing this and the robot starts saying something in beeps and boops.I look at Mr. Dusk. "Do you know what he is saying"
"Hush Ms. Mare." He said to me. I be quiet even if I never like to be told hush. To the robot he said "Aww sorry to hear that."
"So what did it say?" I asked.
"The phantom treated him like crap." He said.
"That is indeed sad, does he know where Phantom is? " I asked.
Mr. Dusk shook his head. "No"
I nodded. "He's no help to us then."
"Wait..." He said as the robot started to make more boops and beeps. I listen quietly so he can listen to whatever the the robot was saying. When Mr. Dusk suddenly yelled. "NO!"
"No what?" I asked.
"The phantom is going to blow up all of Manehatten"As he said that I heard true concern in his voice.
"We must get there now" I said. "You must have some sort of spell or machine to take us there in a blink of an eye." Mr. Dusk points me at a purple robot with two tail like arms."What does it do?"
“Flies fast." He answered and climbed in,I nodded and climb in."Hold on to something.”I held onto a bar after he said that and we start flying at supersonic speed.I held on tight as I hear Mr. Dusk yell. "AWW YEAH!" It made me chuckle.
"Are we there yet? "I asked.after several minutes later.
He nods as the robot lands."Yes" After we get out he locks it. ”Lets find him now." I said with a determined look in my eye.
Mr. Dusk nods. "I agree, My town will.... I mean Manehatten won't be leveled.
I nodded. "I feel the same way. I grew up here as a filly."
"I'm the mayor"He said.
"You are?" I said flabbergasted. He nods telling me yes. "You really are something." I said as we walked and found Phantom setting up the bombs. "We need to hurry and stop him."
He looks at the ground. "Yea sadly you have to."
I glare slightly at him. He has been helping me since we left Ponyville and now he is not going to help me at all. "Aren't you going to help?"
"Can't the wires would detonate the bombs automatically" He explained.
I nodded and took off my saddle bag. "Can you watch Nancy for me then?" I didn’t want to risk her getting injured this time. Who knows if Phantom would try to shoot at her.
"Sure." He says as Nancy hopped out of the bag and stood by him.
I knelt down and looked at Nancy. "Be good and stay with Mr. Dusk." She meows and I run towards Phantom.
Phantom looks at me. "Finally"
"You should stop running if you wanted this to end finally. I suggest you deactivate the bombs." I demanded.
"If I don't?"
"Then you would have to face me." I smirked knowing that he would not give up easily. I figured I would be nice enough to give him a chance to give up.
"Then come at me and watch out for land mines."
"I will." I ran towards him, watching for landmines.He looked surprised as I was pretty good at dodging them. Once I got close to him I punched him in the face.
He skids a little. "It was stupid of you to leave Dusk with your cat."
"Why?" I asked. He turns his watch a little bit as I look over to see Mr. Dusk starts attacking Nancy. Nancy cries in pain and starts clawing at Mr.Dusk. I try to get the Phantom's watch knowing that would make him stop hurting my pet but as Phantom was keeping his watch away from me. Nancy hurried over to my hooves, wanting me to protect her. They both come at me as I covered Nancy. I take a few hits and I start hitting them back but they both were good at blocking. When I try again to get the watch Phantom goes to punch me and I block them.
Phantom suddenly sounding like my father, his voice I knew from anywhere. I figured copying voices must be one of his talents. "Just give up."
I knew my father would never say that so it didn’t bug me one bit. "I wont." I got forced to the ground and Mr. Dusk and Phantom stomp on me. I try kicking them and I ended up hitting Mr. Dusk. "Im sorry Mr. Dusk." I said and get up and hit Phantom to get the watch
Phantom grabs my neck and I struggle to get free of his grasp. He holds it tighter as Mr. Dusk grabs the watch. Phantom lets me go and I rub my neck. He then starts beating Mr.Dusk. I go to help Mr. Dusk and Nancy decides to get back into this fight and jumps on Phantom and starts scratching him.Phantom grabs Nancy and tosses her away, she lands on her feet.
The next move Phantom made was when he drags Mr. Dusk by a wire closer to one of the bombs.I kick Phantom to get him to let go of Mr. Dusk. He lets go of him and I punch him, I then take notice that Phantom had gotten his watch back from Mr. Dusk and uses it to starts the bombs with his watch then runs.I chase after him thinking if I get the watch it could stop the bombs.
"SHOULDN'T YOU SAVE YOUR OLD HOME!?" He yelled.
I got closer to him. "If I get the watch then I can turn off the bombs."
"NO YOU CAN'T" He said yelling again.
"How can I disarm the bombs then?" I asked.
"Manually" Phantom replied, I sighed and raced to the nearest bomb to defuse it, hating that I had to let Phantom get away.I look over and see Mr. Dusk with his front hooves on now defusing bombs very quickly which surprised me since I thought he said if he got close to a bomb he would set it off. We both soon finished defusing all the bombs. I wondered when he got his arms back, it was most likely during the time when he stole the Phantom’s watch.
"There we go." Mt. Dusk said as he looked at me.
"We must catch Phantom now." I nodded
"Yea" He replied.
"Lets go." I started walking and when Mr. Dusk didn’t follow I looked at him and he finally spoke after a second.
"I'm useless"
I glare at him. "Stop saying that."
"I'm just a body with wires even my brain is wires"
"You're more than that, now come on." I said sternly. After I said that he finally follows, while we were searching for Phantom I take notice that ponies looked scared at me. "He must be wearing my mask again.." I muttered looking at the ground. Nancy hopped on my back and Mr. Dusk suddenly runs off. "Where are you going"
"Just stop being on this case" He said to me.
"I wont!" I tell him, once I take a case I will not just leave it willingly.
He sighs. "The more involved you get the more he hurts me mentally."
I raised an eyebrow. "How?"
"He's at the Rainbow factory where I lost my first wife." He tells me.
I have heard of the Rainbow Factory before rumors said that it pegasi who couldn’t fly end up there where their blood gets turned into rainbows or something along those lines. Also him having a wife, I did not know that before, its like with every step I walk with him here is like I’m taking another step to learning about his life. "Oh, I really am learning a lot about you aren't I? Well I can't get to the rainbow factory anyway since I am not a pegasus."
He crosses his hooves. "I can get you in"
"I wont be able to stand on the clouds." I replied.
He then informed me. "The floor inside the factory is solid steel"
"What about the ground outside the factory? Isn't that clouds?"
"Yea but I am a Pegasus and I can walk on clouds so I can basically air lift you till we get inside the factory" He then said.
I nodded. "Okay. I do have one more question."
"What?" He asked.
"You said the more involved I get the more he hurts me mentally. you never answered me how that is."
"He can make you live your worst nightmares"He answered, it made me think that he could probably do the same to him.
"We'll see about that." I said. He nods and picks me up and starts flying.I look around seeing only white clouds."How long till we get there?" I asked.
"Pretty long." He answered.
"Oh okay" I answered.
"It's sad."
I nodded. "I suppose so." We soon got to the Factory and I hear Mr. Dusk crying. Nancy looked up from my bag and quietly meowed.I look at him crying but I say nothing, honestly thinking he was going to stop soon but he continues. "Are you alright Mr. Dusk." I asked when I couldn't take the crying anymore.
"No" He answered.
"Would you like to talk about it." I asked and then he started to tell me what was on his mind.
"I lost my first wife because of this Factory" He answered.
I nodded remember when he told me that earlier. "Sorry for your lost then."
He nods. "This is why I asked you to leave the case."
"I see" Mr. Dusk flies inside still holding me as there was the sound of machines and yelling ponies everywhere.
Hearing the noises I look at him as he places me on the cold steel floor.. "I always thought that this place was just a legend."
"Its real, this used to be my lab"He tells me.
"I'm starting to think you have a lab everywhere." I said looking around trying to keep my cool as I hear yelling ponies. We then hear the Phantom over the PA.
"Will Dusk and Ms. Mare Come to the machine room for 1 last battle?"
I rolled my eyes hearing him over the PA system . "Who does he think he is, a supermarket clerk."
"Ummm that how the owner talks to his workers here he meets them face to face if they fuck up badly, lets go and kill him" Mr. Dusk tells me.
I shake my head. "I don't kill ponies. I take them to jail."
“Okay.” He stated.
I nodded "Lets get Phantom for once and for all. I'm tired of this game of cat and mouse." We start walking. I let Mr. Dusk take the lead after I started walking the wrong way towards the workers lounge instead of the machine room. When we got there we heard the sounds of machines running, Mr. Dusk kicks the door down as we see the Phantom. He currently was looking and speaking Like Mr. Dusk. The room was was metallic grey in with a thin walkway over the machine we been hearing and the only room that where pony's screams can be heard. I ignored the screams not wanting to hear them.
"It's time to end this" He said.
I nodded. "It indeed is."
"Then bring it." Phantom says and draws his sword.
I look at Mr. Dusk. "May I borrow your sword once more?"
Mr.Dusk nods. "Sure." He gives me his sword and I say my thanks to him. I turn my attention back to Phantom and ran towards him with the sword in my hooves,I go to slash him and he blocks it. He then nearly slashes me and it barely missed me. When I tried to knock the sword out of his hooves he kicks me.
I look over to Mr. Dusk. "Will you be helping me?"
"The thin walkway prevents help." He tells me.
"Your a Pegasus you could fly." I stated as I ran towards Phantom and slashed him."So get your sorry flank over here and lend me a hoof." Mr. Dusk flies over as I swing the sword at Phantom but my opponent had aimed his block so the sword would fly out of my hooves causing it to fly towards Mr.Dusk and he sadly gets his left hoof cut straight off. "You okay?" I asked him.
"No" He answered.
"How am I suppose to know, you are a robot after all." I go kick Phantom but he dodges.
I try again and got him, I then try to punch him in the gut but he blocks it and slashes at me with his sword.I dodge and look to see where the sword I was using went after it had flown out of my hooves and I see Mr.Dusk holding it with his remaining hoof. I look at Mr. Dusk. "May I have that back."He tosses the sword towards me, I catch it and swipe it at Phantom hitting him, I go to hit him over the head with the blunt side of the sword to try to knock him out to finally end this fight but he somehow blocks it.
When I tried again he blocks again and asks. "How are you good with a sword?"
"I'm not, I'm a fast learner." I said and he slashes at me, causing me to get a small scrape.
"Just give up.” Phantom says.
"I wont." I slash at him and we keep going several times as we each blocked each others attacks. When I went to punch him hoping he wouldn’t see that coming he grabs me and punches me hard in the face. “Ow!” Phantom then holds me over the edge of the walkway that we have been fighting on.
“For Equestria Ms. Mare?” He said I say nothing in response as I look over seeing Mr. Dusk shutting down the machine and I try to get out of Phantom’s grasp. He punches me several times in the face as I tried to use my hooves to block. He suddenly drops me over the walkway. I I scream and Mr. Dusk catches me. "Nice catch, Thank you."I told him.
"No problem" He replied with the Phantom following us.
I turn to Mr. Dusk. "Do you have a plan?"
He nods."yes"
"Spill it" I said.
“Sadly It involves ghost so I can’t or else it won't work.” Mr. Dusk tells me.
I looked confused but I nodded. "Fine then" He lands in the cell chambers of the factor and sets me down. "Scary." I said looking around seeing dead corpses of ponies everywhere. They didn’t really bother me much since I have seen plenty of dead bodies in my time as a detective.
I take notice of Mr. Dusk crying and I wait to see if he will stop. He probably had a bad experience here of some kind. "Are we going to be moving?"
"This is where the plan happens"
"Then start it."I said wanting to know what the plan was before hand but I had to trust Mr. Dusk and his ghost friends. I notice Phantom land and the ghosts of all the ponies he killed surrounds him, they close in and latches on as he struggles. I look over at Mr. Dusk seeing that he was just watching. I turn back to Phantom and there was no sign of him."Where did he go.."
"To hell." Mr. Dusk answered me.
I nodded"Then this case is over?"
"Yes how much do I owe you in bits?” He asks.
"I have no set rates you pay me how much you feel it is necessary. " I tell him and he gives me a bag which looked like it contains one million bits. I had no clue he had this much on him and I don’t believe I have been given this much for a case in my life. I look at the bag in my hooves and looked at Mr. Dusk."Umm this may be a bit much."
He shook his head smiling. "No you solved my case and helped me get closure."
I raised an eyebrow. "I did?"
"Yes. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't come here in the first place." He nods.
"Well alright then sir."I replied and Mr. Dusk took me back to solid soil. I checked making sure my bag was still secured tightly to me as I check on Nancy as she slept in it. I smiled and headed to Manehatten bank to deposit this money. Before I could even enter the building I saw a stallion dressed in a black suit. He held out a badge towards me.
“Miss Mare. I’m with the Equestria Defense force. I will be taking the money you got from Prince Dusk. It will be used to rebuild the cities the robots destroyed and such.“
I sighed. “I have no choice in this do I?”
“No you do not. Now I suggest you tell me where Dusk is as well.”
“Find him yourself” I said coldly, he didn’t respond and took my bag of bits and walked off. As he walked off I heard a familiar noise of the Tardis. I had no clue where it was coming from since I saw nothing of the blue box, the only thing I saw was the wind carrying a piece of scrap paper. There was red ink on it like the others I have been finding. Maybe I finally have enough to solve my puzzle.