Bloodhound: The Mare in the Mirror

by Mind Jack

A Light in the Dark

Bloodhound stood over the casket, feeling numb.

Whoever had prepared Sprout for the funeral had done a good job. She was in her favorite blue dress. Her mane didn't have a single hair out of place, and her smile made it look like she was peacefully sleeping. Bloodhound half expected her to roll over and say good morning.

"Houndsy?"

Bloodhound snapped back to reality. Her mother was softly prodding her on the shoulder, looking worried. "Sorry. Am I holding up the line?"

Fireball's concerned frown only grew deeper. "The funeral is over, Houndsy," she said gently. "It's time to go home."

Bloodhound glanced over her mother's shoulder, seeing the now-empty funeral home, save for a single sympathetic-looking stallion attendant. "Oh my. I had no idea I was here so long."

Fireball looked like she wasn't sure how to handle this. "Are you okay, Bloodhound?"

Bloodhound hesitated, then shrugged. "As okay as I can be, I suppose."

"I know a couple of good grief counselors from my service years," Fireball offered. "I could arrange an appointment, if you want."

Bloodhound shook her head. "No… no need for that." Her heart hurt, but she really didn't feel like having it opened up and picked apart.

Fireball looked like she wanted to argue, but didn't. "How about we go get something to eat? That always makes me feel better."

Bloodhound sighed, but smiled weakly. "That sounds like a great idea."

---

Bloodhound woke up, pulled on a sweater, and changed the feed and water bottles on the side of Rudy's tank. She didn't take him out for pets or treats. She'd recovered a little, but she still couldn't bring herself to do that.

She grabbed her saddlebags and made her way downstairs. Thankfully, the manor had been left to Fireball, so the two of them weren't out in the cold.

It had been around a week since the funeral. Bloodhound hadn't left the house since, but eventually, she had to. Without Sprout, the awkwardness between her and Fireball was just too much. The house was unbearably quiet and cold, and Bloodhound couldn't take it.

Fireball was in the dining room, reading the newspaper. She looked up at Bloodhound, blinking in surprise at seeing her with her bags. "You're going out?"

"Yes. I'm going to see a friend." Bloodhound looked down, not meeting her mother's eyes.

But she could still see Fireball grin. "That's great! I'll be heading out today as well."

Probably to get plastered. "That's lovely to hear. I hope you have fun." Bloodhound turned and left without another word.

It was a chilly day, but with a clear, pretty sky. Bloodhound boarded a carriage. "Downtown, please," she told the driver.

Her destination was a building bearing a large sign, which read Buck Your Biceps, in big red letters

The smell of this place had never been Bloodhound's favorite, but the mixed scent of protein shakes and the sweat of the various ponies using the exercise machines was a combination she'd gotten used to.

A couple of her acquaintances gave her polite greetings, which she returned as she made her way to a door at the back. She knocked politely.

Buck Up opened the door. She was a big earth pony mare, with plenty of muscle rippling under her purple coat. Her short, neat red mane was bound in a purple headband. She smelled like she'd been lifting weights for hours, which was perhaps appropriate for her dumbbell cutie marks. Bloodhound could smell some kind of leafy vegetable on her breath.

Upon seeing Bloodhound, she grinned widely. "Houndsy! You missed your last couple appointments. I was starting to get worried."

"Sorry, Bucky," Bloodhound said, not meeting her eyes. "There was a death in the family. Mom. I needed time to recover."

Bucky winced. "Sweet Celestia, ya could have told me that earlier. I'm really sorry for your loss. Sprout was a good mare. You're always welcome here to blow off steam if you need to."

Bloodhound nodded. "I would have said something earlier," she explained as she was led to a treadmill. "But I was also dealing with broken ribs, and didn't really have the energy to send a letter."

"Jeez! What happened?" Bucky asked with clear concern. "Sounds like a home invasion."

Bloodhound, being distracted by trying not to trip and be catapulted off the treadmill, was actually able to answer without breaking down. "Mom died right in front of me. I had such a bad asthma attack that I needed CPR, which wrecked my chest."

"Well, I'm just glad you're hale and healthy now," Bucky replied uncertainly. She wore an awkward smile that made it clear she wasn't quite sure how to handle tragic news like this. She cleared her throat. "Most folks would give up on personal training after something like that. You're stronger than you look. Do you mind if I ask what happened to her?"

Bloodhound stumbled a little, but Bucky supported her from behind and got her trotting again. "We aren't entirely sure," Bloodhound admitted, not meeting her eyes. "The coroner said that he found nothing in her system that could have caused those symptoms."

Bucky immediately stood straighter. "I know that look. You think you might know?"

Bloodhound hesitated, but nodded.

Bucky waited a few seconds for an explanation. "Are you gonna tell me?"

Bloodhound really didn't want to say what had been on her mind since Sprout's death, but she knew Bucky wouldn't take no for an answer. "As I thought back, I recognized some of the symptoms of…" She took a deep breath. "...Scorpider venom."

A look of realization crossed Bucky's face. "You're blaming yourself."

"What if it was my fault?" Bloodhound argued. "What if I didn't tighten the lid on Rudy's tank enough? What if he got out, or she tried to tighten it herself, and he bit her? I'm too unsure of myself to ask the police about it, but my brain won't stop asking itself… what if it was my fault? I haven't had the courage to check the cage. I'm scared of what I'll see."

"No no no! We are not going down that rabbit hole." Bucky stopped the treadmill, and then stopped the startled Bloodhound from running right off of it. "You and I are gonna go back to your house and make sure nothing is wrong with Rudy or his tank. Then you can get that weight off your shoulders, alright?"

Bloodhound sighed. "I… suppose."

"Hey! What did I tell you about being all unsure?" Bucky chastised.

Her caring rebuke did make Bloodhound smile a little. "You're right. Yes, that is a good idea. Thank you, Bucky."

Bucky grinned and gave her a playful whip with her tail. "Atta girl. Let's get a move on."

---

Bloodhound's room had gotten slightly messy. In addition to her brief hospital stay, she just hadn't had the motivation to do anything beyond feeding Rudy and the Fire Nation.

Bucky kicked a sweater out of the way. "Jeez. I've got some work to do getting you back where you were."

Bloodhound blushed. "Well, that’s why you're my life coach."

"And I'm happy to do it!" Bucky shot back with a teasing grin. "Now come on. Let's look at this cage."

Rudy had been asleep when they came in, but the slight jostling of his cage woke him up. He stretched his eight legs, but didn't get up. He just looked up at them curiously.

Bloodhound couldn't help smiling at him as she checked the locks. "It's okay, Rudy. We're just making sure your cage is sealed up well." You're a good boy. Surely you wouldn't bite her. Bucky is almost a stranger to you, and you're not scared or hostile.

"It looks like all the locks are good and tight," Bucky observed. "There aren't any holes in the screen that he might have stung through. So I think your conscience should be clear."

Bloodhound let out a small sigh of relief. She felt the stress leave her shoulders. "Thank you for being here for me, Bucky. I know it was silly, but I really needed help."

"Hey, it's what you pay me for, and I'd have done it even if you didn't pay me. That's what friends are for." She glanced at Rudy and shuddered. "What you can't pay me enough to do is take care of one of those things. Why do you even have him, anyway?"

"Rudy? I've been milking him for venom to deliver to Canterlot General Hospital. It's a volunteer position. They intend to make it into antivenom." She blinked, then made a squeak of alarm. "The hospital! I finished their order ages ago and I've yet to deliver it!"

"Want some company while you make the delivery?" Bucky offered.

"I'd appreciate it," Bloodhound replied as she opened her fridge. "Thankfully, Scorpider venom doesn't expire. So it should still be…" She trailed off as she looked into the fridge, a frown of confusion crossing her features.

"Houndsy? What's wrong?" Bucky asked.

Confusion turned to realization. Bloodhound took several steps back, falling on her rump hard enough for her glasses to almost fall off. She pointed wordlessly at the refrigerator.

Bucky examined it. The racks of venom vials were all completely full, except for one spot. "So you forgot to do one order. Can't you just milk him now, before we leave? I could just step as far away from that thing as possible while you do it."

"No." Bloodhound's voice shook from shock. "I finished the entire order. I know I did. I placed the last vial in the rack just before the party."

"What? Then where did…?" The exact same realization hit her like a truck. "Oh. Oh no."

Bloodhound trembled as she stood, straightening her glasses. "The symptoms match, and one of my venom vials is missing. We need to go report this to the Guard."

Bucky stood next to her to help brace her. "Think your mom would mind if we borrow the family carriage? I'll drive."

---

The office of the Canterlot Guard was a grand, imposing building, made of granite and gilded with gold. After a hectic ride, the two requested an urgent meeting. After filling out some paperwork, they fortunately were brought to the back offices rather quickly.

The officer who met with them was a big, square-jawed mare with a seafoam-green coat and a crew-cut, pale blue mane. She looked extremely bored. The nameplate on her desk read 'Sergeant Starfish’. She had a grizzled look, like she really needed some sleep. Bloodhound could smell subtle notes of soil and fertilizer on her. "So, you're here to report a murder?" she said with an odd note in her voice.

Is she… hopeful? "A possible one," Bloodhound admitted. She explained their findings in her fridge, and her knowledge of the symptoms. "So, you see, we were hoping the Guard could investigate."

Starfish huffed. She rolled back in her chair to rifle through a filing cabinet, pulling out and opening a single manilla file. "Bamboo Sprout. Cause of death: Unknown illness of the stomach. No foul play suspected."

"But these are new details!" Bucky argued. "Surely this is a good reason to at least look into it further."

"The case is closed," Starfish said firmly. "We don't need civilians scaring everypony by second-guessing our investigations. Not to mention you have inherent bias."

"But… but…" Bloodhound stammered weakly.

"Go home," Starfish ordered. "Take care of the mother you have left. Leave the detective work to the professionals."

Bloodhound opened her mouth to argue, but closed it and nodded slowly. She got up and slowly walked out of the office with her head down. Bucky glared at Starfish for a moment before following her.

They barely made it to the waiting room before Bloodhound broke down. She sat down, head in her hooves, and cried. Bucky said something, but she didn't hear what it was. It was over. She was no closer to finding out how her Mom had died than before she found that the vial was missing. She felt crushed. Now I'll always wonder if it really was murder. Who in Equestria would kill her? She didn't have any enemies!

"Houndsy? Is that you?"

The voice was familiar, but before Bloodhound could look up, she was again pulled into an involuntary hug that almost re-cracked her ribs. "It is!" Aphrodite said cheerily, wrapping her wings around her just to further ensnare her in the painful embrace. "What are you doing crying in the middle of a police station? That's not the place for it."

"Erm… We're here to report a murder, ma'am," Bucky explained, looking utterly confused. "She's crying because the Guard turned us away."

Aphrodite gasped, and suddenly Bloodhound was forcibly snuggled into her chest. This was a little more comfortable than the outright hug, but now her mouth was muffled by fur. "You poor thing! After so much tragedy already too. Who died now?"

As Bloodhound was still silenced by snuggles, Bucky answered for her. "No one new. We think Bamboo Sprout may have been murdered."

Bloodhound suddenly fell to her back as Aphrodite released her in shock. "Wait, what?"

When she'd recovered, Bloodhound brought her up to speed. As Bloodhound spoke, Aphrodite's expression went through several changes. It started with sadness at Bloodhound explaining how she'd been blaming herself, then went to horror at the missing vial of poison. Finally, when she spoke of the guard office, Aphrodite looked angry. Her wings were flared out, her nostrils flared, and her eyes filled with grim determination.

When Bloodhound finished, Aphrodite said three words: "Come with me."

She stood up. Bloodhound almost wasn't quick enough to keep up as she led them back into the Guard offices. "Where are you taking us?" Bloodhound asked nervously.

"To somepony who can help," Aphrodite replied. "Like I said, you need somepony to help you get your hoof in the door."

The hallway she brought them to was small, rather cramped, and had an unfortunate smell of improperly mixed cleaning chemicals. The wallpaper was faded and torn in places. A sign on the ceiling read: Headquarters of the Canterlot Watch.

Aphrodite knocked on a door at the end of the hall. "Merri? You here? Got some ponies who need your help."

She backed them up a little, before the door burst open. The mare on the other side had the biggest, most excited smile that Bloodhound had ever seen. Her mane was pitch-black, tossed elegantly over one shoulder to match an intricately prench-braided tail. Little black freckles dotted her snow-white coat. Her cutie mark was a simple magnifying glass. "Good morning!" She greeted in a smooth accent that Bloodhound couldn't quite place. "Please, come into my office! I'm Constable Merrilight!"

Bloodhound and Bucky took the two chairs in front of an old, beat-up desk that looked like it had been bought at a yard sale. Most of the tiny office was packed wall-to-wall with filing cabinets, and the desk was so covered in papers that it may as well have also been a filing cabinet. Merri shook both their hooves with the vigor of a pony who loved her job. "Constable Merrilight! First head of the Canterlot Watch!"

"Canterlot… Watch?" Bloodhound asked in confusion. "Are you part of the Guard?"

Merri's smile wavered for just a moment. "Sort of! The Watch is a new experiment. A civilian police force, that's far more flexible than the Guard!"

"Do you have any actual authority?" Bucky asked suspiciously.

"Well of course we do!" Merri replied, surprised.

"Is there actually a we, or is it just you?"

Merri narrowed her eyes and frowned. "Do you want my help or not?"

"W-we do!" Bloodhound said before Bucky could give another snarky reply. She shot her a look of warning. Bucky only shrugged in response.

Merri's overly-wide smile returned. "Great! So, what's on your mind, and how do you know Mrs. Aphrodite?"

Bloodhound swallowed nervously. Should I tell her? I barely know her. Bucky is right. She does seem a little strange. "Um… I… um… Well, you see…"

"I'm a friend of Bloodhound's late stepmother," Aphrodite explained. "Houndsy discovered evidence that she may have been murdered, but the Guard turned her away."

"Yes, that's the gist of it," Bloodhound said with a blush. "Sorry. I'm not the best speaker. Instead of chirping beautifully like a cricket, I tend to scream incoherently like a cicada."

"Think nothing of it!" Merri assured with a wave of her hoof. "Now, tell me everything."

Bloodhound's throat was honestly getting kind of sore from retelling the story and her theory multiple times, but she did anyway.

Merri's smile somehow got even wider as she nodded. "Excellent! A lovely mystery!"

"The food and drinks consumed that night are still in our refrigerator," Bloodhound informed. "I'm sure you could test them somehow."

But Merri didn't seem to be paying much attention. "Yes! Yeeeesss!" She was rubbing her hooves together like she was trying to start a fire. "Absolutely! I'll take your case!"

Bloodhound's mood immediately brightened. "Oh thank you so, so much! You have no idea how much this means to—"

But she blinked, and suddenly Merri was gone, the door was open, and the sound of galloping hoofsteps echoed down the hall. "I… I never told her where I live."

"That's Merri for you," Aphrodite chuckled. "We'd better catch up with her. I had some business here, but it can wait."

---

They caught up to Merri as she struggled to get her gold-buttoned, black watch coat off a coat rack that was too tall. Then they made off for Bloodhound's.

Fireball wasn't home, so Merri pulled the wine bottles and the contents of the food tray into clear plastic bags. "I'll get these to the lab immediately!" she proclaimed.

"Thank you!" Bloodhound replied eagerly. "Do you want to investigate my room, where the missing venom was?"

"Hm?" Merri looked at her, confused. "Oh. I'm not trained to investigate crime scenes."

Bloodhound and Bucky stared at her, mouths agape. It took several seconds for Bucky to find her words. "What… you… what!? You're the head of the Watch! How are you not trained to search crime scenes!?"

"My job is mostly administrative…" Merri mumbled, looking hurt.

"Like she said, the Watch is an attempt at a civilian police force," Aphrodite explained. "Really it's just her and one deputy right now. Buuuuuut…" She grinned like a shark, similarly to the smile she had at the party. "Houndsy here is pretty good at this kind of thing. She showed me at the party."

Bloodhound suddenly felt like she was a very juicy mouse in front of a bunch of hungry hawks. "Erm…"

"Eh?" Merri turned to her. "What's she mean?"

"Oh yeah!" Bucky said with a smile. "That thing you did to find who stole all that protein powder at the gym! I remember."

"Show her!" Aphrodite encouraged. "Do Merri!"

Bloodhound sighed. She took a momentary sniff, and glanced over her. "You grew up poor, but came into money. You have a dog and a cat at home. You're passionate about your job, despite being totally unappreciated. You've never lived outside of Canterlot, but recently went on a vacation out into the countryside."

Merri was taken aback. "How in Celestia's—!?"

"Houndsy's got a strong nose, and she's good with details," Bucky said with a chuckle.

Bloodhound couldn't help a sigh. "You smell of a certain discount bakery in the business district, but not of a recent trip. For it to have become part of your scent, you'd have had to be a regular for years. The polish on your uniform buttons is floral scented instead of orange or lemon, which are common cheap varieties. Your uniform is extremely cheap, and not much work went into designing it, but it's clearly been well-taken-care-of. You stepped in some kind of feces in the last few days, and have been desperately trying, but not succeeding, in washing the smell of it off."

She was out of breath after that tirade, and so was Merri. But then that smile from the office slowly spread across the watchmare's face.

Then she lunged.

Bloodhound cried out. At first, she thought she'd been stabbed. It was only when she looked down at the silver deputy badge now pinned to her sweater that she realized she kind of had been.

"Welcome to the Canterlot Watch!" Merri announced proudly.

"What!?" Bloodhound sputtered, still shocked at having a pin shoved into her chest. "But I haven't gone through any training! I'm also biased and connected to the case!"

"That's fine!" Merri assured, waving it off. "The Watch is so new, and so minor, that there are technically no laws that officially apply to us yet!"

"I doubt the courts and the princesses will see it that way!" Bloodhound argued feebly.

"I doubt any of them will care as long as we catch a murderer!" Merri shot back.

"She makes a fair point," Bucky admitted. "I kinda doubt that the Princess will side with a killer if we prove it well enough."

"You have been looking for a good job," Aphrodite pointed out coyly.

That gave Bloodhound pause. They all had really good points. Could I really be good at this?

The talks with her mom and mother the day before the murder crossed her mind. She always sabotaged herself. She needed to be more confident. That bolstered her resolve. Regardless, she had to steel every ounce of nerve in order to nod.

Aphrodite smiled proudly at her. Bloodhound braced herself for another painful hug, but none came. "Ahem. Yes. Right. Let's get going then." She straightened her glasses nervously.

Rudy hissed at them as they entered. "Sorry, Rudy-tootie," Bloodhound soothed. "I know you're not used to big crowds. But they're here to help."

Rudy didn't speak Equish, but her tone soothed him enough to get him to curl up and go back to sleep.

"Probably a bit late to search for hoofprints on the carpet," Bloodhound guessed. "Maybe the fridge itself?"

"I see you keep your refrigerator padlocked," Merri observed. "Do you keep the key in here?"

Bloodhound shook her head, producing her key ring from her floofy mane. She looked doubtfully at the lock. Could I have been wrong? Could I—? "Hey! What are these scratches?"

The lock mechanism had scratches all over it! "I just bought this lock last month!"

"Let me see that!" Bucky instructed. She gently nudged Bloodhound out of the way, looking closely. "Growing up, before I started my gym, I used to be a little bit of a rascal. I may not be a master detective, but I'd bet half my back-left leg that this lock got picked."

"That's not exactly news," Merri pondered. "If they didn't have the key, they would've had no choice but to pick or break the lock."

"Picking a lock takes time," Bucky said. "They'd have needed to get away from the party for a bit."

Bloodhound brightened. "Aphrodite! You were there at the party! Did anypony leave at any point?"

Aphrodite frowned in thought. "If I remember right, we all did. Lace went looking for a mirror to fix her mane. Flip started looking queasy, so we sent her to find a place to throw up. Plus I had to excuse myself to the bathroom for a while, so I'm not sure what else might have happened while I was gone."

"You were there too, Bloodhound," Bucky reminded. "Do you remember anything strange?"

Bloodhound flinched. "I'd rather not think back to that night."

"Ms. Bloodhound, you have to!" Merri scolded. "If you don't, and this truly is a murder, the killer will most definitely walk free!"

That gave Bloodhound pause. "I… I suppose you're right."

"We're all here for you, Houndsy," Aphrodite consoled.

Bloodhound took a deep breath. "Alright. Give me a moment to think."

She went over the night in her head. Nothing stuck out as particularly related to the murder during the party. As she got to the moment of death, her breath hitched, but she steadied herself. The last moments of her life were spent trying to make me see myself as stronger than I am.

Something about that sentence made Bloodhound frown. Wait. See myself. The mirror. Just before she died… "I think I remember something!"

They all perked up, leaning in eagerly.

She had thought it extremely vital when it first hit her, but now that she'd announced it out loud, and they were all staring at her, she got a little flustered. "Well… it might be nothing…"

"Any detail can be important!" Merri proclaimed. "Come on! Spit it out!"

Bloodhound cleared her throat. "Well, just before she died, I was looking in the mirror. We had left the door open behind us. It was only for a moment, but I thought I saw something in the doorway behind us."

"What was it?" Bucky asked.

It took a moment for Bloodhound to get over feeling it must have been a silly trick of the light and admit what she'd seen. "A pony. Or, well, the silhouette or shadow of one, peeking into the room we were in. Like I said, I only saw it for a moment, so I didn't get much detail." If only I'd paid more attention, I might know what it was that I really saw.

Bucky, seemingly able to read Bloodhound's mind, whipped her in the rump with her tail, snapping her out of her self-hate and making her give an embarrassed pout.

"And who else but the killer would have cause to be away from the party and peeping on you?" Merri concluded. "In any other circumstances, it might be coincidence. But we have evidence of a murder weapon being taken, and a potential killer."

"But that isn't possible!" Aphrodite said, brow furrowed, playing with her mane in thought. "All of us were either in or around the bathroom. Lace and I helped Flip get there so that she could clean herself up."

Bloodhound frowned, humming thoughtfully. "Maybe it really was just a trick of the light."

Merri looked like she wanted to argue, but before she could, there was a loud, urgent knock at the front door.

Confused, Bloodhound went to go answer it, only to find an unfortunately familiar face on the other side of the door. "Sergeant Starfish! Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Not here for you." Starfish wrinkled her nose in distaste at just seeing Bloodhound. "Merrilight! Get your plot out here!"

Merri poked her head out, her chin resting on Bloodhound's mane like she was peeking through a red bush. "Ah! Fishy! Good to see you!"

"Cut the pleasantries. We have work to do. There's no time for you to be dashing off chasing murders in disease deaths."

"Actually, we found—" Bloodhound attempted to say.

"Quiet," Starfish interrupted in a bored tone. "I didn't ask you. You can go back to your fancy tea sets and galas and let those of us who've actually trained do the real work."

Bloodhound had to shake her head to clear the confusion that statement caused. I've never been to a gala in my life!

She actually had to hold Bucky back from slugging the guard. "Hey! You do not talk to her like that!

"Now, now, everypony! No need to get uncivil."

Aphrodite had stepped between Bucky and Starfish, holding her wings out to keep them further apart.

Starfish blinked in surprise. Suddenly her bored bravado left her, and she looked nothing less than eager to please. "Lady Aphrodite! My sincerest apologies!"

"I wouldn't address your apology to me, Sergeant," replied Aphrodite. "After all, that insult you just gave was to the daughter of Fireball Whiskey."

Bloodhound had never seen a pony's life flash in front of their eyes before. The emotions on Starfish's face went from surprise, to confusion, to realization, and finally, to alarm. She threw herself at Bloodhound's hooves. "Ma'am! I'm sorry, ma'am!"

I really need to ask Mother exactly what her military service was. "Um… think nothing of it. All is forgiven."

Starfish let out a sigh of relief, looking embarrassed as she stood up off the floor. "Right. Thank you. Ahem. Anyway, I require Constable Merrilight's assistance, if you can spare it."

Bloodhound glanced back at Merri just in time to see a look of mischief fade into a smile. "Of course I'll come. But you should know, I did take the liberty of deputizing Miss Bloodhound for the purposes of her investigation. Her skills have greatly impressed me."

Starfish's glare could have withered the beauty of Princess Celestia. But it fortunately vanished as she sighed. "I don't even want to mention the ethical and legal issues with you letting her work on her own case. But as long as you do the paperwork for it, and deal with the fallout, I don't get paid enough to care. You can bring her along." She turned and started to leave as Merri did a little victory hop.

Bloodhound stopped Merri before she could follow. "What are you doing?" she asked in a hushed tone. "We need to investigate here."

"Trust me!" Merri whispered back. "Helping the Guard out will earn us much-needed resources for solving your case. Starfish may be a pain, but she takes care of those under her."

"She's right," Aphrodite agreed. "Doing this could give you the means to catch Bambi's killer."

Bloodhound looked to Bucky, who could only shrug. "I guess they sound like they know what they're talking about." She grinned. "Besides, I'll still be there to make sure you're alright."

Bloodhound smiled warmly back. "That makes me feel infinitely better."

"Unfortunately, I had better go for now," Aphrodite said with an apologetic look. "I'm already a bit late for some personal business."

"I understand," Bloodhound assured. "Thank you for your help."

"Aww. You're welcome Houndsy." She opened her arms for a hug.

"Ah! Sorry! I had better catch up with Starfish!" My ribs just healed! I am not risking them again!

With no more reason to hesitate, Bloodhound, Bucky, and Merri trotted after Starfish, who was waiting in a carriage out on the road.

"So," Bloodhound said to Starfish nervously. "What exactly will I be helping with?"

Starfish snorted. "You've got some serious luck. Though whether it's good or bad, I can't say."

Bloodhound suddenly felt on-edge. "What do you mean?"

"Your first little job for us is one of the rarest ones in all Equestria," Starfish replied. "You get to help solve an actual murder."

---

Comments

[Berserker88]

A whole plethora of new characters in this one, who I can assume are all going to be mainstays. We've got my OC, Bucky, who you wrote very well as a friendly and supportive life coach, yet also being tough on her when she needs it and having a protective streak too. Merri is honestly not what I expected, but her enthusiasm for the job is endearing and Bloodhound could always use more ponies who appreciate her talents. It makes a good contrast to Starfish, who is infuriating in how dismissive she can be, yet not wholly without reason and willing to bend a little, albeit mostly to save her own skin. They should make for a nice dysfunctional team as they investigate this "actual" murder, which I suspect is very much connected to the original one.