Company of Myself

by midashguy

Beginnings

"Ok rookie, lets see what ya got. I want you to attack me." Search told Arigos.

"What? Why?" Arigos asked quizzically.

"I need to see how well you do in a combat situation. If you can't, then there's no real point in any of this, is there?" Search said, a hint of malice in his voice.

"Ok, fine." Arigos muttered. He could tell that they we're going to get along swimmingly.

Arigos lunged at Search, and was shocked that he wasn't where he was three milliseconds before. Arigos turned his head, just in time for his face to meet Search's hoof. Arigos let out a short gasp. Search quickly followed up the first hit with a jab to Arigos's ribs. Arigos was not expecting it and just of a moment, just one moment, his changeling disguise faltered. The average pony might have missed it.

Search doubled back till he was almost up against the wall. Arigos looked him over for a second. In Search's eyes, his very old looking eyes, he found no fear. No fear, but something that made Arigos wince. Hatred. He saw in that ponies eyes an anger that unnerved him. It was not blind rage, it was the kind of anger that was sharpened like a knife. A determined hate that burns all in its path.

Arigos could guess exactly what that anger was directed at. Him, his kind, all changelings probably. It had only been a few months since word of the changeling invasion at Canterlot spread, and with it all sorts of rumors about changelings. It turns out that ponies can be quite xenophobic.

Arigos noticed Search's horn starting to crackle with magic. Uncontrolled magic at that. If he we're to let that loose in his direction it would rip him to shreds. There was only one way he could get out of this alive.

"Wait! I mean nopony any harm." Arigos exclaimed, as he dropped his disguise entirely

"Oh really? Well then I guess we can all just be friends" Search mocked.

"Listen, I was abandon by my kind. I was different so I was rejected when I was little. I have done nothing wrong." Arigos pleaded.

"So what? Am I suppose to believe you? You could be lying through your teeth."

Arigos raised one eyebrow, "Would a criminal walk willingly into a police department office?"

"No..." Search responded, uncertain.

"I'm just trying to survive a crazy world full of crazy ponies. The worst crime I could be accused of is being behind on my rent." Arigos joked.

"Just one question.... Was there ever a REAL Starstrider?" Search said accusingly.

"No, it was just a persona that I have been using. My names Arigos, Its a pleasure to meet you formally."

"Intent's gonna want know about this." Search informed him, powering down his horn.

"Well...I suppose, but I prefer to keep my secret a secret ok? Changelings are not everypony's favorite thing right now." Arigos warned.

"Ok so we tell the commissioner only. Good enough for you?"

"I guess." Arigos conceded.

"Well," Search said with a big sigh, "lets go tell him."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Great Sombra's Ghost!" Good Intent swore. In all honesty, he was taking the news fairly well.

"Its ok sir, he's friendly." Search told him.

"You are making it sound like I'm a dog." Arigos said rolling his eyes.

"Search I want you to detain him at once!" Intent shouted.

"Sir, if he was a threat he would have been detained already. I can vouch for him. He's with us." Search confirmed.

Good Intent lets out an exasperated sigh. "I can't trust him, not yet, but I trust Search. If he says your fine. I will have to assume your fine. However, let it be known. I will be keeping an eye on you."

"That's fine by me." Arigos said.

Intent picked up a file from on top his desk, and gave it to Search. "This is your first case, I don't want you screwing it up. Search, show him how this all works, and try to keep him alive. Good luck to you both."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once the duo had made it to the crime scene, which was a local park that Arigos recognized, Search started reading the file.

"A Ms. Little Pepper, pegasus mare, age forty-two, restaurant owner. Death by magic induced heart attack. I'm going to rule out suicide right now, because she isn't a unicorn therefore can not use magic." Search explained.

"Well, lets start looking at her restaurant, seems like a good place to start." Arigos said.

"Indeed, you catch on quick." Search told him.

The duo walked two blocks down the street and found the victim's place of work. As they walked in, a stallion behind the counter welcomed them. "Welcome to the Pots Restaurant! How may I help you two fellas today?"

"You seem quite cheerful for someone who just lost their boss." Search said, showing him his badge.

"Service With a Smile. She would have wanted us to keep our spirits high and keep feeding the ponies of this city." He said.

"Well I don't suppose we could ask a few questions?" Arigos inquired.

"I don't see why not. how can I help you?"

"First, do you know anypony that had a grudge against Ms. Pepper?" Search asked.

"Just about ever other restaurant owner in the city. She was a kind mare, but when it came to competing with other businesses, she was ruthless." the pony behind the counter admitted.

"What do you mean?" Arigos asked.

"When ever another place had a lunch special, she would do everything in her power to top it. She would make sure our prices could not be beaten, and made sure we had the best food to serve."

"Just one question," Search said, noticing the pony behind the counter was an earth pony, "Are any of the ponies that work here unicorns?"

"I don't think so...actually our cook, Sugar Drop is. Why?"

"Where is she right now?" Search asked, not answering the stallion's question.

"In the back, why?"

"Just need to ask her a few questions..." Search said, his voice trailing off as he trotted to the "employee only" door. Arigos followed right behind. They soon found who they we're looking for. She was a mare with a light green coat, and a teal colored mane.

"Miss Drop?" Arigos inquired.

"Hm? Can I help you?" She asked.

"Actually, you can," Search said," Were you involved in the murder of Little Pepper?"

Comments

[MaskkettheDemoicAngel]

DAAYYYYUUUM!! ^_^ ^__^ my head hurts in real life so this was a bit hard to read(the pain was bugging me) BUT I DID IT and it was amazing

[Bootsy Slickmane]

Honestly, Search accepting Arigos as friendly seemed a bit too easy, but we don't know Search very well yet. This could just be the kind of trusting stallion he is. I did like the defensive line about walking into a police station.

I really like the idea of this, and I could see this turning into a great series. I'll have to keep an eye on it and hope you write more soon.

-A Self-Doubting Writer

[Morphy]

Surely the case can't be that easy to solve? Still, it's rather interesting to see how a bigger city works with no Royalty to handhold the citizens-- not to mention it probably takes days by train to get to Canterlot to petition anything so the reason to go better be a good one. Search better be thankful for Arigos since he's got no magic. One zap and he'll be pushing up the daisies next to Miss Pepper too. (You'd think the police would have something to deal with criminals, or drug-crazed ponies that can take you out with a thought or fly off while you are stuck watching them. Maybe that's the purpose of the rookie, a meat shield for the senior detective, heh)

I am a little concerned how quickly Arigos was accepted, but drawing it out just to come to the same conclusion would merely pad the story out several thousand words. I would accuse myself of being too efficient in story telling in my RP and limited writing as well-- especially when I just want to get to the action/exciting parts of the story.

As for Arigos himself, will we get any detail on how changelings work in your Midaverse? So far it's apparent he cannot sense emotions telepathically, which seems to lead to a difficulty in gaining pony's empathy which would then turn into friendship and ultimately love, that which a changeling is supposed to feed on. Now whether changelings need love to survive as in life or death, or merely function to power their magic while food nourishes the body, has yet to be determined. I'm also hoping Search will get curious and pry some history out of Arigos to fill in the blanks after that painfully terse prologue.

[midashguy]

3331962 I always thought that Changelings used love like a power-up, it makes their magic stronger and such. Also, I felt as though if I were to drag out the whole fact Arigos was a changeling, it would take forever and be rather pointless.