The Cutie Mark Hunters

by Subject 19

First Patient

“So we can’t find this Paradise Lost, right?” Aqua asked.

“She’s a dead end at this point. But we do have the lead with this United Front character,” Fire Whirl stated, running a hoof through his mane. “I need you to take me to the old castle you mentioned last night. If he does know who I am and agrees to meet, I need to have as much of an advantage as I can get. There’s no telling how he’ll react to this.”

The chime to the door rang, bringing the two ponies attention to a new face.

“Hey jackass, did you not see the sign? We’re busy!” Fire shouted at the newcomer.

“Uh, there was no sign anywhere,” he replied hesitantly.

Fire slowly turned his head toward Aqua, giving her an annoyed look. “We are in the middle of something big and you don’t put up a closed sign? Or even lock the damn door?”

“Oh shut up,” Aqua hissed. “I could use a client who isn’t an ass like you.”

Fire gave a soft chuckle. Something about that mare just felt right. They had a weird dynamic, but they fit well together. “Fine, I’ll go pester your brother or something while you deal with him.”

“Or you could stay and help me. Consider it payment for me helping you.”

Fire Whirl let out a long groan. “Fine,” he said, conceding to her request.

They walked over together to formally greet the potential client.

“Hi, I’m Dr. Aqua Light and this is Fire Whirl,” the doctor introduced pointing towards the pony sitting on the chair by her desk. Fire gave the pony a nod, looking completely disinterested.

“Uh, yeah hi. I’m Shadow Rift and I was wondering if you could help me.”

Aqua’s eyes lit up like a filly opening her presents on Hearth’s Warming. “Of course we can help you! What do you need help with?”

“Well, I’ve been having a bit of a slump lately. You see, my parents… well they died when I was just colt. It just seems that with everything that’s happened to me in the past year, I just can’t stop thinking about them. It’s wearing me down mentally.”

“Do you think you’re depressed?” Aqua questioned him.

“Ding ding ding! How very perceptive of you doctor!” Fire teased.

“Fire, would you stop! That's very rude,” she glared at the orange pegasus.

“Ugh, fine,” he groaned.

Shadow shifted, obviously a little uncomfortable with the bickering going on. “Is he a doctor too?”

“No, he’s another client I’m helping. Part of his recovery involves helping other ponies, so he’ll be helping me help you!” Aqua explained.

“Oh, uhm ok I guess,” Shadow mumbled.

“Here, take a seat over on the sofa and I will be right with you.”

“Alright,” he said, slowly trotting over to sofa and lying down.

“Would you like some coffee or tea or water while you wait?”

“Some water would be nice,” Shadow replied timidly.

“Just give me the whole pot!” Fire hollered at her.

“No, you had too much coffee already!”

“I’ve only had two pots, I’m due for my third,” the black haired pegasus countered.

“First off, I think you have a serious problem and second, I didn't ask you, I asked Shadow! Now shut it!”

“You say problem, I say insatiable thirst.”

The doctor looked over at Fire and shook her head as she walked away. She walked in the kitchen to grab a glass of water for Shadow.

“So, Shadow, while we wait for the dear doctor, tell me a bit about yourself,” Fire insisted, merely trying to pass the boredom.

“Well I won the best young flyers competition a couple years ago and not too long ago I won the Iron Pegasus Gauntlet.”

Aqua walked into the room. “You were in the Iron Pegasus Gauntlet?” she asked, handing him a glass of water.

“Yeah! Got first place in it!”

“That’s awesome!”

“Yes, very impressive,” Fire Whirl said dismissively. “Now how about we get to the part where he tells us what’s wrong with him?”

“You're being an asshat, now say you're sorry!” Aqua ordered.

“I don’t apologize.”

“You know what, just ignore him. Now what seems to be the problem, Shadow?”

“Well, you see… my parents died when I was very young. I was just five years old. There was this accident at the Cloudsdale weather station.”

Aqua walked towards the chair in front of Shadow and sat down as she took out her notepad and black pen to take notes. “Hmm okay, so were you placed in foster care?”

“Yeah I was up there until I turned 18 and could live on my own.”

“Did you like your foster parents?”

“They did the best they could with what they had. I was one of seven. They were kind ponies I’d say.”

“Hmmmm interesting,” she mumbled, as she wrote some stuff down on her notepads.

“I liked the part where his parents died. But he needs to work on the buildup. Make me feel something for his parents,” Fire whispered to Aqua, making sure Shadow couldn’t hear him.

“Fire Whirl! That is very rude! Now say you're sorry!” she yelled at Fire

“Say sorry for what?” Shadow asked, confused since he hadn’t heard Fire Whirl’s remark.

“He said something very rude and now he needs to say sorry.”

“clarifilteria” He mumbled to himself in his own personal language. “Sorry,” Fire sighed half heartedly.

“It’s fine I suppose,” he said.

“Do you want to know what he said” Aqua asked.

“I will beat you to death with those glasses of yours if you tell him,” Fire quietly hissed at the doctor.

“Well he has to know Fire!”

“Shut up and just drop it.”

“Fine i will drop it but this is not over yet,” she hissed at him.

“Yes it is,” he growled back. Aqua glared back at him but didn't say another word.

“So how can you two help me?” Shadow asked the doctor.

“Well, I have a gift, and Fire, before you say anything, just shut it. I can communicate with ponies that have passed on.”

Fire Whirl held back a fit of laughs, trying not to burst out at her claim.

“Fire, I said shut it!” She yelled, throwing her notepad at him. Once her orange companion had stopped his laughing, she continued. “I just need something that belonged to them and I can try to get in touch with them.”

Shadow nodded and dug into his bag to find a necklace of his mother and a pocket watch of his father's. “There you go. Will that work for you?”

“This is perfect, thank you Shadow,” Aqua replied, taking the two items from him.

“Pray tell doctor, how will you communicate with the dead? You’re not a unicorn, you have no spells or magic.”

“All earth ponies have some magic inside of them. Most of the time this gives them superior strength or form of connection to the earth around them. For me though, my magic gives me certain psychic abilities!” Aqua gleefully replied with a big grin.

“I’ll be right back, I need a fresh pot,” Fire told them as he trotted off to the kitchen.

Aqua just glared at the back of Fire’s head as walked out of the room. “Fine we don’t need him anyway.”

“I heard that!”

“You were supposed to hear that, stupid!” Aqua turned back to face Shadow, who was still laying down on the couch. “So let’s see if I can get ahold of your parents shall we?” Aqua took the pocket watch and the necklace off the table as well as her crystal. She leaned over the table, held the crystal over the things that Shadow gave her, and whispered some words. She felt a cold wind come to her.

“Shadow, did your parents have a black and red mane?” she looked at Shadow for a second then turn to look beside him.

“My mother had the colors in her mane, why, what do you see?” he asked curiously.

“I can see your mom standing beside you right now”

“What about my father, Doctor? Is he here too?” Aqua looked at the other side of Shadow and saw his father sitting beside him on the couch and nodded. “Your mom and dad love you very much.” Aqua saw a tear rolling down his cheek. “Your mom says don’t cry, she hates when you cry.” Shadow nodded and wiped away his tears.

“Mom, Dad I miss you.” He felt something on his shoulder, turned to Aqua. “Is one of them touching my shoulder, Aqua?”

“Yes, your father put his hoof on your shoulder.”

Shadow laid one of his hoof where he felt his father’s . “Thanks dad.” With that his parents disappeared. “And thank you for helping me, Doctor Aqua Light.”

“You’re welcome, Shadow,” she said, leading him to the front door.

Once Shadow had left, Fire Whirl entered the room. “Took you long enough. Now we can get back to work.”

“Do you have to be mean to me?”

“As long as it keeps being fun, yes.”

“You’re an asshole you know that?”

“I’m looking for answers. What you or anyone else thinks of me is not my concern.”

“But it will be once you get your answers.”

Fire simply grunted in response. “We’re leaving for the Castle of the Two Sisters tomorrow. Be prepared.”

“Alright, let's get some sleep then.”

Comments

[Blackdust]

I better be mentioned in here... Also, https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/685522/haha-#comment/4273702 who is that?

[Subject 19]

7675526
Randy Marsh from south park

[Blackdust]

7675550 Ah. Thank you!

[Subject 19]

7675552
Thank you for leaving a like!

[Blackdust]

7675558 How you know I leave a like...?

[Subject 19]

7675570
I have a good eye

[Blackdust]

7675575 Shoot. Ok, you got me! But i mean it, I better at least be mentioned somewhere in this story... I am part of the first three to found the group after all... I just hate being a leader...

[Subject 19]

7675577
I'll find a place for you

[Blackdust]

7675579 Huzzah!
orig10.deviantart.net/9747/f/2012/174/9/0/the_fun_has_been_doubled__by_sonsal300-d54kesn.jpg

[Blackdust]

So when's the next chapter?

[Subject 19]

7952238
It's been on hiatus. I'll start work on the next chapter in a day or two. Expect a new chapter in around a few weeks. I'll try to get back into the story

[Blackdust]

7952291 Okie dokie lokie!