//------------------------------//
// Stirrings 
// Story: Dazzle: A Jack Pipedraw Story 
// by DeejayShuffle 
//------------------------------//

Beginnings

I sat in my large leather chair, surrounded by my dingy office, staring at what used to be my desk. Now it was just a reminder of what my life has become. Upon the decimated thing lay nothing but piles of paperwork, empty liquor bottles, and bits of unsmoked tobacco leaves. I had little time to sadly dwell on my state of being though, as a call came through to my phone. I stared at the thing with nothing but contempt, wondering what duties were requested of me on the other side of the line. After contemplating what to do for a few brief seconds, I picked up the phone.

"Hello there Mr. -uh- Pipedraw is it?  Yes, Mr. Pipedraw, my name is Rarity, and I have a case that requires solving impromptu, very urgently. Are you able to take a case on such short notice?" Before I could event think to respond, the mare broke into hysterics and took upon herself to tell me her entire story. "Oh Mr. Pipedraw, you have to help me, you just have to! Every other private eye in the phone book told me he couldn't do a case on such short notice! I'm hoping so badly that you'll would be the detective to answer my plea for help; seeing as you're the last private eye listed in the phone book! I just can't solve this myself, I have no time! All my other friends still require their accommodations and dresses for the show, even though they won't be modeling! Even though I have some detective experience, I simply can't make the time required to solve this mystery!"

She was dramatic, that was for sure. "Whoa. Slow down miss. Take it easy. I can help you, just calm down a bit, and we'll be fine." I heard her let out a long sigh, and began to talk again.

"Okay. I'll try to calm down. I'm very sorry, it's just that I need your help so desperately!"

I swear that I could hear her eyelashes flutter over the phone, but maybe it was just my imagination. Regardless, I didn't appreciate being charmed by some stranger. "Look miss Rarity, I'll help you, just stop the hysterics and charming alright?"

"Aww," Rarity said in a let-down voice, "was my charming really that obvious?"

"Painfully." I said.

"Well anyways, I greatly appreciate you accepting my case, especially on such short notice. Can I see you by, say, tomorrow morning? I' located at the Carousel Boutique in Ponyville." She said.

Sweet Celestia, Ponyville!? If I was gonna make it to Ponyville by tomorrow morning, I was gonna have to catch the red-eye in 10 minutes. Crap. I was in for a long night. "Yeah, sure I can make it. I'll just need to catch the red eye in 10." I said.

"Ah, I see. Well, we can discuss all the fine details when you arrive, just so that I don't keep you from your train ride any longer." Rarity said.

She was right. If didn't have anywhere to be, she probably would have talked to me until I was nothing but bone. "Thanks ma'am. See you tomorrow. Take care."

"You too darling!" Rarity said in a cheery tone. 

I hung up the phone with a resounding click, and began packing my things. It was nothing special, just my pipe, a few bottles of whiskey, some crime-scene kits, and other meaningless junk I might need during this case. If I was going to get tickets to the red-eye in 10 minutes, I was going to have to pull some strings.

To get my fabled ticket to Ponyville, I was going to have to find some way to get a ticket at this hour. Determined, I saddled my luggage, put on my coat and hat, and headed out into the frosty night.

It seemed as though every winter around here lasted longer with each each year, or maybe it was just a function of me getting older. Regardless, it was freezing out, and I could see my breath in front of me as it slowly began to mingle with the light frost coming down. Blazing on through the cold, I tore through block after block, seeing as it was all abandoned in the dead of the night.

In my hurry, I failed to see a large and rather muscular stallion standing in the street, waiting for people like me to pass by so that he could shake them down for bits. Naturally, I bumped into him, and he looked down at me with a wide toothy grin.

Fang implants. This guy was a punk for sure. Not wanting to deal with his shenanigans at this hour, I told him to beat in a gruff tone.

Apparently he wasn't one to be messed with though, as he coldly uttered, "Just for that, i'm gonna charge you double. Happy now, moron?"

Frustrated, and running out of time, I dispensed with the pleasantries and pulled out my Colt .45 revolver and aimed at his head. "I am, as a matter of fact, but shake me down, and neither of us will be happy."

"Okay, Okay. Be cool man, be cool. I won't hurt you." He uttered as sweat began to drip down his mane.

"Darn right you wont. Now scoot." I motioned behind me with my pistol, and he happily obliged.

With that taken care of, I only had... 3 minutes to get to the train station! Oh sweet Celestia, this was going to be close! With a newfound reason to run, I ran like the wind, finally making it to Baltimare station a minute to spare. Incredibly panicked, I ran inside, and looked for my train.

I quickly realized that my train was the needlessly girly one covered in vomit-bright pink and candy detailing. Way to be subtle there. Realizing that the doors were beginning to close, I completely forgot to find a ticket of any kind, hopped the turnstiles, and barely squeezed through the train's doors before the shut with a resounding click. Phew.