My Little Investigations: Marehunter

by Metool Bard

De Nature Walk (T)

December 14, 9:20 AM
Canterlot Castle
East Garden
***

After finishing our breakfast, Spike and I met up with Shining Armor and Kibitz in the main hallway. As we walked to the East Garden, I told Shining everything about Mare-Do-Well and her exploits. There were some parts here and there that he already knew about, such as the attack on the Wonderbolts and the events surrounding the Ghastly Gorge Gauntlet. But for the most part, this was all news to him.

"I gotta say, Twilie. It's amazing how you can remember all that off the top of your head," said Shining sheepishly. "This is really a lot of stuff to keep track of."

"Don't worry, Shining. I've got ya covered," said Spike, taking furious notes on his notepad as he rode on my back. "Uh, Twi? How do you spell 'ponunculus?'"

I suppressed the urge to groan. Although Spike is a handy assistant, I keep forgetting that vocabulary is not one of his strong suits. He should really start reading stuff other than those Power Ponies comics every once in a while.

"P-O-N-U-N-C-U-L-U-S," I said as slowly as I could.

"...L, U, S. Okay, got it," said Spike, giving me a thumbs up.

"Um, Your Highness. Are you certain that Mr. The Dragon is fit to be our notetaker?" inquired Kibitz.

Spike turned to Kibitz and snorted. "What's that supposed to mean, huh?"

"Easy, Spike," I said, clearing my throat. "I assure you, Kibitz. Spike here has a strong attention to detail. I trust him to keep track of every step of our investigation. Isn't that right, Spike?"

"Yeah," said Spike, giving Kibitz the evil eye.

"I-it was just a question," whimpered Kibitz, wiping his brow with his handkerchief.

"Alright, settle down, you two," said Shining sternly. "We can't afford to get sidetracked by petty arguments."

"This is an outrage! You cannot do this to me!"

"Ma'am, I apologize, but you have to understand that..."

"What I understand is that you have taken what's rightfully mine!"

"B-but we gave you back your camera."

"I'm not talking about the camera, you fool!"

Somehow, I knew this was going to happen as soon as Shining made that statement. Right in the middle of the East Garden, two ponies were busy bickering. Well, it was more like one pony was accosting the other. The pony being accosted was a member of the Royal Guard with a red plume on his helmet, and the pony yelling at him was none other than Photo Finish. I was hoping I wouldn't have to deal with her until later, but I suppose that would've made things too easy.

"What's going on here, Holy Lance?" asked Shining.

The Royal Guard turned to us, and his pupils dilated. "P-Prince Shining Armor, sir!" he said, giving Shining a salute. "I-I did not expect you to be here, sir."

Shining sighed. "At ease, captain. You don't need to do that anymore."

"O-oh, right," said Holy Lance, awkwardly clearing his throat. "My mistake, sir."

"I take it you two know each other," I said.

"We should," Shining chuckled. "Twilie, this is the current captain of the Royal Guard, Holy Lance."

"Ah, right. Of course," I said with a thoughtful nod. I know I should probably know his name, what with me being a princess and all. But honestly, I'm not that familiar with the Royal Guard. Sure, my brother used to be their captain before he married Princess Cadence, but I never got to know them personally like he did. Heck, I don't even have my own royal escort, unless you count my cabinet. So actually, it makes sense that I don't know his name.

"Ah, Princess Twilight," said Photo Finish, bowing before me. "Thank goodness you're here. Please, talk some sense into you Royal Guard! He won't return my photos to me!"

"Ms. Finish, we've already been over this," said Holy Lance sternly. "Those photos could contain valuable evidence relating to the attempted assassination of the prince."

"Nonsense! They contain nothing of the sort!" huffed Photo Finish. "I should know! I took them! And I only take pictures of fine beauty! Pictures of elegance and grace! Pictures that have, de magicks~!"

"Sounds to me like you've got your hooves full, Holy Lance," Shining observed.

"Hmm? Oh, n-not at all, sir," said Holy Lance, saluting Shining once again. "Everything's under control."

I, found that hard to believe. It's time I intervened.

"Ms. Finish, I'd like to ask you a few questions," I said.

"Only if you return my photos to me," said Photo Finish firmly.

I sighed. "Ms. Finish, you know I can't do that. Holy Lance is right. Those pictures could contain clues regarding what happened at the Gala last night."

Photo Finish scoffed. "Princess Twilight, I am no forensic photographer; I am an artist. As such, those pictures should be worthless to you."

I can see Photo Finish's point, but I'm sure even a great photographer like her could capture something on film unintentionally. Besides, this raises an important question.

"Alright, Ms. Finish," I said. "If those photos don't have anything to do with the attack on Prince Blueblood, what were you taking pictures of?"

Photo Finish's face turned a bit pale. "Th-that's none of your business," she said.

"We're going to find out one way or another, Ms. Finish," said Shining sternly.

"You will find out when I release those photos to the public," Photo Finish retorted. "I will not tolerate my work being spoiled like this!"

I smirked. "So, you were attending the Gala on official business, were you?"

"Yes, of course I was! Why do you think I want my photos back so badly?!" snapped Photo Finish.

"Strange," said Kibitz, adjusting his spectacles. "You didn't bother to inform Princess Celestia or anypony else about this."

Photo Finish swallowed. "I-I have my reasons for that," said she. "Am I not entitled to some privacy?"

That's quite ironic, coming from her. You know, seeing as her job is to shove ponies into the spotlight.

"So, you have a new model, I take it?" I said.

"Oh, yes," said Photo Finish, calming down a little. "And without giving too much away, she is the best model I've had yet. She truly has, de magicks~!"

"Hang on, hang on. How do you spell that?" asked Spike, still scribbling in his notepad.

"Never it mind, Spike," I sighed. "So, you were taking pictures of her here at the Gala."

"Yes," said Photo Finish. "I was taking pictures of her and nothing else."

"Were you out here in the East Garden?"

"Oh, nonononono. Not here," said Photo Finish, seemingly repulsed by the idea. "We needed a background much more, inspired."

"Which would be?" inquired Shining.

"Out there," said Photo Finish, pointing to the underbrush. "We were in a secluded area where we wouldn't be bothered by anypony. And as you know, the garden this time of year is perfect for capturing, de nature~."

She's not wrong there. For whatever reason, the castle gardens are at their peak by the time the Grand Galloping Gala rolls around. It's all quite serene and peaceful, if you don't try to befriend the wildlife like Fluttershy did. I can imagine the gardens making an excellent backdrop for a photo shoot.

Suddenly, something clicked in my brain.

"Captain Holy Lance?"

"Y-yes, Your Highness?" asked Holy Lance.

"Where was Prince Blueblood's body found?"

"Right over there," said Holy Lance, pointing in the exact direction Photo Finish was pointing. "I can take you there if you want."

I furrowed my brow. It's just as I suspected. Prince Blueblood was attacked in the more secluded part of the East Garden, where there weren't many witnesses. That explains why the attack went unnoticed until it was too late. But that begs the question: What was he doing there? I'd have to ask him once he had the strength to talk. But for now, we've got to check out the scene of the crime.

"I think we're done for now, Ms. Finish," I said. "However, I may have some questions for you later."

"That's fine by me. I'm not leaving until I get my photos back," said Photo Finish.

Holy Lance sighed. "Ma'am, be reasonable. Prince Blueblood's life is more important than your little scrapbook."

"I'm telling you right now, good sir. Those photos will not benefit you in the slightest," said Photo Finish firmly. "All you're doing is potentially damaging my career. Mark my words, I will take this to Princess Celestia if I have to. You won't get away with this."

After telling Holy Lance off, she bowed to me. "That being said, I am willing to share with you any information I can regarding this incident, Princess Twilight. I do hope you catch the one responsible."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," I said, giving Spike a shrug. It seems that Photo Finish's ire is directed solely at the Royal Guard, meaning she might be more cooperative with me. That's good to know, although I have to wonder what all the secrecy is about.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm needed elsewhere," said Photo Finish. After an unnecessary dramatic pause, she added, "I go!"

And with that, she dashed off as quick as a wink. Don't ask me what business she could possibly have elsewhere, seeing as she's refusing to leave the premises.

"Finally," said Holy Lance. "I thought I'd never be able to get rid of her."

"Didn't you say you had everything under control?" inquired Shining Armor, arching an eyebrow.

Holy Lance blanched. "W-well, I did. I-I just didn't think she'd be so stubborn, sir."

"Let me worry about Photo Finish, captain," I said. "For now, take us to the scene of the crime. I need to confirm a few things."

"O-oh, yes. R-right away, Your Highness," said Holy Lance, clearing his throat and regaining his composure. "Please come this way."

He started off into the underbrush. When he was out of earshot, Spike turned to Shining.

"He seems a bit skittish to be captain of the Royal Guard, doesn't he?" he asked.

"I'm guessing it's because I'm around," said Shining with a shrug. "He was really honored when I made him captain in my stead, and he vowed to live up to his title's prestige like I did."

Spike snickered. "So, he was embarrassed by you seeing how poorly he handled talking to Photo Finish, huh?"

"Probably," said Shining. "Don't underestimate him, though. I wouldn't have made him captain if I didn't think he was up to the task."

"Duly noted," I said as we followed Holy Lance into the underbrush.

***

Once we arrived, I could tell that the Royal Guard spared no expense at preserving the crime scene. They had already made a tape outline of Blueblood's body, and a strong protection spell was cast around the area, preventing any critters from tampering with evidence.

"So, this is what you've found so far?" asked Shining.

"Yessir," said Holy Lance. "There were a few hoofprints in the area, including the prince's. However, we're not sure which ones belong to the assailant."

I stroked my chin in thought. "How many sets of hoofprints did you find?"

"Four so far."

My brow furrowed. "That doesn't make sense," I mused. "I could be wrong, but by my count, there were at least five ponies out here last night. There was Prince Blueblood, Photo Finish, her model, Derpy Hooves, and Mare-Do-Well's impostor. Somepony's hoofprints are missing."

"Keep in mind, both Derpy and Mare-Do-Well can fly," said Spike. "Maybe Mare-Do-Well's impostor used her wings so that she wouldn't leave any trail."

"I do believe you're correct, Spike," I said. "But just to make sure, we're gonna need casts of all the hoofprints here."

"Consider it done, Your Highness," said Holy Lance with a salute.

"Right. Now then, let's move on," I said, venturing into the forest.

"Um, Your Highness?" said Kibitz. "I don't mean to be rude, but isn't the crime scene over there?"

"I don't think there's anything to be found there that the Royal Guard wouldn't have discovered already," I said. "Bear in mind, Mare-Do-Well wears a full-body suit. That means she wouldn't leave any evidence behind unless her costume was torn."

"And for the record, we haven't found anything like that," added Holy Lance.

"W-well, that's all well and good, Your Highness," said Kibitz skeptically. "But why do you want to know where Photo Finish was?"

"I have a feeling that Photo Finish might be hiding something," I said. "I'm not quite sure what that something is, but it might have to do with the photos she took."

"Yeah, she did sound pretty determined to get them back," said Spike, still writing furiously in his notepad. When he took a break to look up, he quickly tapped me on the shoulder. "Hey, Twi! Check that out!"

He pointed with his claw. When I looked where he was pointing, I could see what he was so excited about. A few meters away from the crime scene, there were three small holes in the ground. Taking a closer look, I saw that they were about a centimeter wide and less than a millimeter deep. I smiled.

"Good eye, Spike," I said. "These markings could've only come from Photo Finish's tripod-mounted camera."

"Meaning, what exactly?" asked Shining.

"We're about to find out," said I. "Shining, if you could, stand over here and pretend you're taking a picture."

With a shrug, Shining did as I asked.

"Now then, what can you see?" I inquired.

"Not much of interest," said Shining, tapping his chin. "I mean, I can kinda see the crime scene from here, but it would probably be at the edge of the viewfinder."

"I see," I said. "Spike, take a note of this. This might be important later on."

"I don't see how, but alright," said Spike, jotting everything down in his notepad.

"Captain Holy Lance, are the Wonderbolts still deployed in the area?" I asked.

"Yes, Your Highness. They're under the command of Lieutenant Commander Soarin' due to Spitfire's absence," said Holy Lance. "He said he's under orders from Captain Spitfire to help with the investigation."

"Tell him I want an aerial schematic of this area," I ordered. "In the meantime, keep on the lookout for anything suspicious."

"Yes, Your Highness," said Holy Lance with a salute.

"You really think that's gonna help, Twilie?" asked Shining Armor.

"We'll see," I said. I've read enough detective novels to know that most clues don't make sense when you first come across them. But in the end, they always do. Which is why I'm not leaving any stone unturned.

"So, what now, Twi?" asked Spike.

"Let's go check in on Prince Blueblood," I said. "If he has the strength to talk, I've got more than a few questions for him."

Spike drew in a sharp breath through his teeth. "This, is not gonna end well," he muttered.

"What're you talking about?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, remember when Rarity said that Blueblood was a royal pain?"

"Of course. What about it?"

"I don't want to know what dealing with a royal pain feels like."

I sighed and shook my head. "Suck it up, Spike. We're gonna have to do a lot of things we're not comfortable with if we're gonna solve this mystery and help Mare-Do-Well."

"I know, I know," said Spike. "But I've still got a bad feeling about this."

"I'm gonna have to go with Spike on this one, Twilie," said Shining. "I've talked to Blueblood plenty of times. He's not an easy pony to get along with."

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained, Shining," I said. "Besides, he has to show respect to me. I'm a princess, after all."

"For your sake, Your Highness, I hope that'll be enough," said Kibitz with a sigh of his own. "He's in the castle infirmary. This way."

With that, he led us back to the castle. Honestly, I don't get it. Yeah, from what I heard from Rarity, Blueblood was quite obnoxious. And it seems Shining Armor and Kibitz have their own problems with him. But he's still a prince, and Celestia's nephew at that. Surely, he can't be that bad.

...

Can he?

Comments

[YoshiOfADown]

Surely, he can't be that bad.

Famous last words.

[Adam95F]

The mystery gets more complicated!

[Mystic Deadman]

Whoever preserved the crime scene needs to learn how to forensics.
You don't lay down a chalk outline. That contaminates the scene.

[Metool Bard]

4574449 Oh. Whoops. Thanks for catching that. I'll just go and fix it now.

[theNDinspector]

You captured Photo Finish Perfectly, no pun intended...or was it?

[Ri2]

Is Spike's middle name 'The?' Or is that his last name?
Blueblood's life is more important than pictures? Since when?
Has Twilight never met him before? She practically lived in the palace...

[Metool Bard]

6189612

Is Spike's middle name 'The?' Or is that his last name?

Spike's surname is "The Dragon," at least according to the episode Equestria Games.

Has Twilight never met him before? She practically lived in the palace...

You mean Holy Lance? Well, just because Twilight has met the Royal Guard before doesn't mean she took the time to really talk to them. You have to remember that Twilight was not a very social pony growing up.