//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 "Out of the Past" // Story: Equestria Noir Season 2 Case 16 "True Noir" // by Jacoboby1 //------------------------------// Equestria Noir 2 Case 16 “True Noir” By Jacoboby1 and The Incredible Werekitty Chapter 1 “Out of the Past” The smell of cigarette smoke and broken dreams entered my nostrils as I stepped into the bar. It was a swanky place, filled with joes and jills eager to either drink or dance their problems away. Business ponies trying to find a new way to make money now that the war had passed, soldiers hoping to find comfort to forget what happened over in the griffon lands, or just folks hoping for a good time. I was none of those people. I was Case File, private eye, and I was on a job. But that’s not to say I couldn’t enjoy a little bit of pleasure on the side of business. Instead of downing the whiskey the bartender provided I carefully sipped from it. That got his attention at least. I looked over to him, gaze firm as I said, “I was hoping you could help me, sir. I’m looking for a dame.” He smiled and went to wiping down one of the glasses. “Aren’t we all?” “Looking for a specific doll,” I said, as I reached into my trenchcoat and pulled out a picture, showing it to him. “Name’s supposed to be Redlight, ever heard of her?” “Know her? Try lookin’ behind you,” He said, gesturing to behind me. I turned around and time just seemed to stand still. Her short mane was like a fiery beacon, and fell in waves around her face. Her intense blue eyes were like chips of sapphires, and they hit me like a pair of hammers, when they met mine. The feathered collar of her golden dress framed her face, providing a backdrop for that red red hair, and contrasting with her cream colored coat. That dress clung to her like a jealous lover, and glittered in the lights of the bar, and shimmered with every movement. Her voice was in the medium range, but she knew how to use it. The sound of it was sultry, though the song was rather unconventional. When you speak I hear silence Every word a defiance I can hear, oh I can hear… _____________________________________________________________ Perspective: Private Eye “So you and Applejack may or may not be cousins?” I asked Pinkie as I sat in the office. She laid down on my couch smiling as usual. “Yeppers, “ She said happily. “Though to be honest we didn’t exactly figure out how we were related. But, hey, who cares about that? Family sticks together no matter if it’s blood or just love that causes us to stick.” “I can agree with that,” Private said, “though I gotta wonder how your family will react.” “Aww, I’m sure Maud will love Applebloom. Limestone can be rather mean but she means well. And Marble...well I really think her and Big Mac would get along considering how quiet she is,” Pinkie said with a shrug. “I’m starting to see Big Mac’s, ‘type’,” I said with a chuckle. “Anyways, it was nice talking to you Privy, but I gotta go meet up with Rarity. We’re going to see about getting cheerleader outfits so we can cheer Dashie on this week!” Pinkie said with a smile as she headed out the door. “She’s really putting herself into this relay race,” I said thoughtfully, “I just hope she doesn’t do anything rash.” “She doesn’t strike me as the type to learn from mistakes too often.” I looked up and saw my new apprentice, Evenstar, coming in, sporting goggles to protect his Bat Pony eyes. He put down a stack of old case files and began filing them back in. “One of these days, somebody is going to invent a better way to store these,” He grumbled. “Hey, I had to put up with sorting my own files for over a year now,” I replied. “Least you can do is help out.” “I was really expecting a big case ya know, intrigue, nobles getting trounced, conspiracy and all that jazz.” Even snarked. “You watch too many movies,” I said with a chuckle. “Most of the time, cases around here aren’t all murders, most of the time it’s ‘who stole mah apples’ or ‘what happened to the corn cakes’.” “Fluttershy becoming a bat pony, and Pinkie Pie?” Even guessed. “See, you’re learning already.” I said back. Before Even could say anymore the door opened causing the bell to ring. Standing there was a middle aged Mare with short bushy brown hair a light blue coat and brown eyes. She sported a cutie mark of an open textbook. She looked over and said at me worriedly, “Are you Private Eye? Is this the detective agency?” She asked. “You did see the sign right?” I replied, “Yes, I’m Private Eye. This is my assistant Evenstar.” She looked over at Even, and her eyes grew wide for a second on seeing his bat pony features. “Oh, uh, well I didn’t know you…” “Can we help you lady?” Even said, trying as best he could to keep the edge out of his voice. “Right, um…” The mare said, and looked back at me. “My name is Typer,I’m afraid, there has been a terrible murder… You know the Ponyville History research building?” “That rundown, underfunded place just on the outskirts of town?” I asked. “Yes. I was a temp who worked there, under the owner, Historic Exhibit,” She explained. “He was… murdered…” Immediately all jokes and pretense moved away as we heard that word. I got out my notebook quickly and said, “Where and when?” She sat down on the couch and looked over at me, trying to get her thoughts together. “I was his secretary, honestly I was just taking the job so I could help support my daughter who’s going to a school up in Manehatten. Historic was a... strange fellow, always away on some business venture or finding…” “Finding?” Even said, “Doesn’t sound like a pencil pusher for old files.” “Historic got into reading some old files from Manehatten,” Typer said, “And after watching that documentary about Treasure Seeker...he became obsessed with looking for something called the ‘Medalia del Sol’.” “Treasure Seeker?” Even said, “You mean the stallion who runs around looking for lost gold and treasures of old Equestria. A guy who thinks he’s Daring Do but really is just an arrogant pretentious tool?” “Yes… My daughter described him like that…” Typer said, shocked at how Even put it. “Our next generation,” I snarked. “So, you say he was looking for a… Medalia del Sol?” “Yes, have you heard of it?” She asked. “Only rumors,” I said with a shake of the head. “Apparently, the medallion was supposed to be a gold and jeweled encrusted medallion that was made by some of the first jewelers of Equestria. Said to be part of Princess Platinum’s treasury, but I thought it was lost for centuries.” “Historic was obsessed with that Medallion, he would have me drag out all the files on it for weeks and weeks,” Typer explained. “Then one day he called me up, told me to bring some authentication texts on EW2 documents. Apparently he ‘found the gold’ or something. But when I arrived it was late last night… I came up and… heard the gunshots… two of them… I screamed when I heard them, and then when I came to my senses I was inside… and he was…” There was a silence after that, as she held her hooves to her chest, clearly worried about all she had witnessed. “Did you tell the police…?” Even asked, coming up and sounding gentler than he normally did. “I did, but they… want to rule it off as a robbery gone wrong… the detective they put in charge of my case won’t listen to me…” She said sadly, “Told me I was ‘too close to the victim’. I didn’t do anything wrong, I just… I just…” “And the detective they assigned…?” I asked. “He was a brown pegasus, with gold hair and a very…” She began. “Clippers…” I said, shaking my head. “C’mon Even, we’ll take it from here.” “You know the guy?” Even asked. “Oh yeah, oh so very well…” I said, shaking my head. ________________________________________________________ The office had seen plenty of better days. The desk’s veneer was peeling, and was absent in places, and it groaned under the piles of files that were stacked upon it. Old rusty filing cabinets lined one wall, and a grimy window lurked behind the threadbare office chair. There was no telling what color the carpet had been in its heyday, but now it was kind of a mottled beige. The only bright spots were the bloodstains and the yellow police tape. Police officers, and forensic technicians crawled all over the place, gathering evidence, and the files that were on the desk. Even and I walked up to the police tape, and saw Clippers ordering around the uniforms. “Inform Chief Insight that his case is little more than a simple robbery gone wrong, probably done by that false drabby witness.” He said in that way that makes you wanna punch him. “But, wasn’t she the-” One of the uniforms tried to say. “She was obviously lying, robbery gone wrong, end of story. Now find and arres-” “There won’t be any arresting,” I said as Even and I entered the office, ducking under the police tape. “YOU!” Clippers yelled. “Get out, this is my investigation!” “Sorry, Clippers, but I can already tell you’re going to screw this one up,” I said, rolling my eyes. “It’s CLIPARD!!” He yelled. “I told you that a million times! Anyways you can’t be in here, I’m under orders from Chief Insight to handle this investigation.” “That you want to make into a robbery gone wrong,” Even said, looking around. “When the safe over there is intact, the perpetrator ran without taking anything even after Typer screamed and that there was nothing in here of value beyond some old papers?” “Who is this? Some stray?” Clippers growled. “Sorry, boy, but the grown ups are talking.” “I’m sixteen, that’s grown up enough to use your brain,” Even snarked. “You might wanna try that some time…” While Clippers was fuming from the comment...Even and I hoofbumped. “YOU TWO!” He yelled at the uniforms. “Get them out of here!” “Sorry sir,” One of the uniforms said, “He’s allowed to be here, as a special agent of Celestia. He can aid in solving any case he desires… and… well...a lot of us on the force respect him.” “YOU SHOULD BE RESPECTING ME!!” Clippers yelled. “I’m the official detective here!” He then turned to me. “You may have gotten into a case this time, but I’ll inform Chief Insight about this!” “Go ahead,” I said. “Tell Insight how you tried to take the easy way out in a case. Then tell him I took over, I’m sure that’s gonna put him in a great mood.” Clippers fumed, and stomped out of the office swearing up a storm. Several of the uniforms laughed at that. One of them came up to me and said, “Bout time somebody stood up to Clippers. We’re at your disposal sir.” “Don’t start going up in arms just yet,” I said. “I don’t want internal affairs on any of you for causing trouble. Just tell us what happened Officer…” “Hoofcuff,” The uniform said, “We had Doctor Forceps look over the body before Clippers yelled him out for ‘seeing what isn’t there’ or something.” “Geez, how did this guy get to become detective?” Even said, rolling his eyes. “Grandpa was a Captain,” I explained, then said to the red earth pony officer, “What did Forceps find out?” “Two shots,” Hoofcuff explained, “One to the chest and one to to the forehead.” “If this was a robbery gone wrong, the shot to the chest would’ve been enough,” I said, going over to the body. Historic was a dark blue pony with a salt and pepper colored mane. He was bent over the desk in front of him, bleeding from both bullet holes… Even looked at the body, and gulped nervously. “You gonna be okay?” I asked. “Yeah, yeah I’ll be okay, saw enough horror movies…” Even said nervously, “Just… hard when it’s in real life…” I turned back to Historic and saw something under the desk. He must have been hanging onto it before he got shot. It was a small safe, laying there open with some blood stains on it from Historic. I pulled it out from under the desk, and opened it slowly. Inside was a journel, one of those older ones that was leather and bound with a strap. I set it on the desk, Even looking over my shoulder. I opened it slowly and read, “This is the Journal of Case File, Sergeant 1st class, and private detective…” “A diary?” Even said, picking it up. “Somebody tried to kill him, over a diary?” “It looks old, real old,” I said looking at it. Even rifled through the pages a little, “Wait...this is dated...This is from the tail end of the 940s. Right after EW2” He said, looking it over. “And this guy writes like one of those old Noir detectives. Listen to this,” “Most wives turn on the water works when shown pictures of their husband stepping out. But not this dame, this dame wanted payback. So what’s worse? That I pitched woo with a client? Or that I invoiced her for services rendered after…” “Hehe, sounds like Fenlock after drinking too many shots of whiskey, gets all the Noir cliches.” I said with a laugh. “Maybe there’s something here on that medallion…” Even said thoughtfully. “We can’t exactly take it from evidence…” I said. “Don’t worry chief,” Hoofcuff said, “As far as everyone here is concerned, the journal is just one of the old relics. It’s not evidence yet.” “So we can borrow it?” Even asked. “Hey, your mentor here helped put away some of the worst this kingdom has to offer. It’s the least we can do.” Hoofcuff said with a smile. “We’ll take it back to the office and see what we can find.” ___________________________________________________________ Even and I set down the journal on my desk, and Even carefully opened it with a pair of tweezers, didn’t want something this old to break or tear. Even carefully read it aloud, he’s got a surprisingly good reading voice. To add to the mood, I dimmed the lights and closed the curtains to make sure nobody else saw what we were reading. I used my magic to move a desk lamp over to help Even read it… a perfect atmosphere for a Noir tale… Honestly the only thing missing was some jazz music and a bottle of bourbon. “June 18th 947,” Even began, “The day began like any other day, pulling myself out of my chair with a fine bottle of Fillydelhia’s finest whiskey, a dry throat, and a head that rang louder than a grouchy dragon’s roar. So, I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone, one shot to slay the dragon and quiet it at the same time.” ______________________________________________________________ I opened the window to gaze out towards the streets of Manehatten. So many little ponies running around going this way and that. Honestly I wished they could go this way and that a little quieter. But I couldn’t exactly yell at them to do so, don’t have a lawn to yell at kids to get off of. I downed a little more of the stuff when the door opened, revealing Boo Betty my secretary/babysitter/nanny. She was an old horse, with hair that had long turned silver, a bright yellow coat and gold eyes that had seen better days. She rolled her eyes at the sight of me with the bottle again. “Why even have an apartment when you just plop over here?” She groaned, usin’ that unicorn magic of hers to yank the bottle out of my hoof. “Least I’m never late for work,” I replied dryly, trying to get my shirt and tie in order. “So what gives? You don’t usually harp about the drinking until at least two hours from now.” “Well, turns out we have a client for once. I’d like you to at least not seem like a drunk.” She replied, using her magic to swipe the glass too. “Let’s try to make this month’s rent.” She proceeded to use her magic and I looked at myself in the mirror. Tall, handsome maybe at one time before the war took everything. Dandy brown hair, and a coat as blue as a baby’s bonnet. I sighed and sat at my desk, awaiting the client to come in. Just another day on Manehatten, that was until this one came in, with a case that would change my life. Wearing some fine looking white shoes over her pink colored coat along with a fine dress, I could tell this girl did not belong on the streets of the city. She belonged more in Canterlot, wooing some dandy feller with a college degree and gossipin’ with the noble folk. She held herself rather nervously. I could tell this is her first time, then again it says a lot about a person who does come in here more than once. I gestured for her to have a seat at the chair opposite me. She sat down in it and said, “I’m Chandelier Light, I hope this isn’t a bad time.” “Don’t think nothin of it, little lady,” I said with a shrug, “Name’s Case File, and I would say you came here for more than just my secretary’s coffee. So, what brings you knockin’ on my shingle?” “Well, see I recently got married to my wonderful husband,” She explained with a dear smile that most newly weds carry. “I told him we should honeymoon up here, not just because it’s a beautiful city...but for another reason. I was hoping to find my sister, Redlight. There was bad blood back home and she ran off years ago with dreams of being a showpony here in the big city, maybe even hitting Bridleway.” “She didn’t send you a postcard, wire, or anything with a return address?” I asked. She shook her head. “No, can you find her mister? My-my mother is sick and she...doesn’t have long..” She took out a hanky and wiped her eyes a little. If I didn’t know better I’d say she just missed her sister and wanted to see her. But I guess that’s the romantic in me. “Of course he can help,” Boo said, “For fifteen bits an hour plus expenses.” She smiled at Boo’s brazen attitude then reached into her purse, and pulled out a small photograph. She held it for a second, “Could we keep this quiet like? Like I said there was bad blood back home and if Red heard from a stranger that I was looking for her..well…” I stood and said firmly, “Mrs Light, if I’m anything, I’m descrete.” She nodded and gave the photo to me...and when I took it in my hoof and saw the dame for the first time… all I could think of was… what a beautiful doll. _____________________________________________________ I started looking around in every bar and performance hall I could find. Not one of them had seen this beautiful doll. Honestly all I had to go on was the idea of this Redlight doll becoming a showpony. Stranger things have happened in this town. My last stop took me to one of the fancier swing places in town...the Goldilock The place was swank, with wood and brass shining in the electric lights, a long polished bar with cushioned stools standing before arched shelves filled with a treasure trove of various liquors. Across from the bar were leather booths, where patrons went for a little more privacy, and maybe to have some bar food served to them. Toward the back was red velour chairs situated around cosy bar tables with little lanterns as their centerpiece. At the very back was a stage, with red velvet curtains trimmed with gold bullion. Whoever had this place built had money to burn. I was sure the drinks weren’t going to be cheap, and neither was the whiskey. Would be quite the few steps up from my usual rotgut. Honestly I was hoping for my favorite performer Satchmo would be playin’, but no such luck. But on the stage tonight was Muimbaji, a sweet little zebra girl. One of the many refugees from EW2. Sure some didn’t like a zebra singin’ up there at first, but one song from those golden pipes of hers and everybody’s hearts melted. I walked up to the bar and ordered a drink, I wasn’t about to let the old shrapnel get the better of me from all this walkin’. Soon Muimbaji would step off after finishing her little number. Instead of downing the whiskey the bartender provided I carefully sipped from it. That got the bartender’s attention at least. I looked over to him, gaze firm as I said, “I was hoping you could help me, sir. I’m looking for a dame.” He smiled and went to wiping down one of the glasses. “Aren’t we all?” “Looking for a specific doll,” I said, as I reached into my trenchcoat and pulled out a picture, showing it to him. “Name’s supposed to be Redlight, ever heard of her?” “Know her? Try lookin’ behind you,” He said, gesturing to behind me. I turned around and time just seemed to stand still. Her short mane was like a fiery beacon, and fell in waves around her face. Her intense blue eyes were like chips of sapphires, and they hit me like a pair of hammers, when they met mine. The feathered collar of her golden dress framed her face, providing a backdrop for that red red hair, and contrasting with her cream colored coat. That dress clung to her like a jealous lover, glittered in the lights of the bar, and shimmered with every movement. Her voice was in the medium range, but she knew how to use it. The sound of it was sultry, though the song was rather unconventional. A song of all of us, becoming one... “Where have you been all my life…”