Danger in the Dust

by AizakkuHorooee

Chapter IV

During the trip back to Lightning Dust’s, I’m still in shock about the letter being forged.

“Seriously who would forge a-”

I end up flying into Lightning Dust, hearing her grunt giving it away. An envelope of her own glides to the ground as she tries to regain her bearings. However, I also see Fluttershy by her side.

“Lightning Dust? What’s going on?”

“Aita! I need your help! Discord’s been framed for forging the letter I got!”

“WHAT?!?” I yelp.

“He’s been taken to Canterlot Castle for interrogation. With your magic, you, Lightning Dust and I should be able-”

I interrupt Fluttershy by grabbing her and Lightning Dust so they can go with me as I teleport to Canterlot Castle. Once there, I can hear deep chatter going on in the distance. I gesture Fluttershy and Lightning Dust to follow me, then dash to the source of the chatter. Right next to the door, I can hear the guards’ conversation with Discord clear as day.

The first voice I hear is Discord’s. ...You don’t think I would do this, right?

I hear a thud on what seems to be a table. We’ll see about that, says a guard with a tenor-like voice, with an accent from down under. You have the powers to send the letter to Lightning Dust and replicate every trait about the U-Fly printing press.

Interesting, so U-Fly has a press to write their letters. Gonna have to put a pin in that.

Just because I do have the power doesn’t mean I would use them for my own selfish needs.

Your friend, Fluttershy, had a sour encounter with her though, right? another guard asks, who has about as deep a voice as Discord’s. That’s not very selfish to do that under those pretenses, but it’s still a considerable offense.

But I promise you guards, retribution is ONLY observed for the worst of the worst. We’re dealing with a pegasus starting a stunting career; her misdeed was YEARS ago. Do you really think I would have anything against Lightning Dust?

Lightning Dust was reported to’ve received the letter at five after five. Where were you then? asks a third guard with a vocal range between the first two.

In Chaosville of course; that’s where I live!

After about a fifteen seconds of indistinct deliberation between the three guards, the tenor guard talks to Discord. Listen, if you could prove you didn’t forge that letter, we will let you off the hook. Enlist the help of anypony you need to get the job done. Otherwise, we’ll have no choice but to toss you in the slammer.

But how could I get the help I need?!?

Upon hearing Discord’s question, I take the cue for me, Fluttershy and Lightning Dust to enter the interrogation room.

“You have us,” Fluttershy replies.

Discord turns around immediately bear hugs Fluttershy. “Oh thank goodness you came, Fluttershy! I’m in a bit of a jam here,” he says before teleporting out and back in, now inside a preservatives jar. “I was just hoping somepony would help me out, but I never knew it would be you.”

Once he gets out of the jar as he explains his situation, he notices me and Lightning Dust. “Oh, that’s what this is about. I know we haven’t properly met, but Fluttershy can’t do this alone. You must be Aita, the changeling Princess Twilight adopted after that disaster in the real world. I must ask: have you watched anything clue-based in your hometown?”

“I watched one… that was how I was able to figure out I was getting Sim Hive for my birthday. And I’m willing to put those deductive skills to the test to clear your name, Discord, in defense of my new friend, Lightning Dust.”

“Well, if you’re gonna play that game, break a leg, Aita,” says Lightning Dust. “I know you got this.”

I nod, teleporting in a dress from home. It’s a replica of the dress Rarity initially wore when she took Rainbow Dash in as her client, fitted for me. The dress in question is a trench coat colored a mix of rose and brown, complimented with a similarly colored - but darker - hat, a bowler to be specific. Both the coat and the hat have slightly lighter bands around them, the band on the trench coat in front of my wings to secure the outfit.

I also teleport in a notepad and quill to take notes. “And I know too. Discord is going to be not just my client, but ours. Teaming up with Discord’s best friend and the one of mine most relevant to this case is all the motivation I need. Now as I can imagine, Lightning Dust, you got the forged letter at home.”

“Obviously; I was still unpacking.”

I write the location name of the crime scene down on the notepad, then write Discord down as prime suspect. Then I take a note on the second page about the printing press at U-Fly, which might be useful later. Finally, I close the notepad so we can proceed.

“Then that should be our first destination,” Fluttershy declares as I write.

---

On the train back to Ponyville, my motivation reaches a point where I start thinking in my head pretty clearly.

Now, Fluttershy, Discord, Lightning Dust and I have a long road ahead of all of us. The letter in question is invalid anyway, so we have more time than Rarity and Rainbow Dash did with Wind Rider. Of course this isn’t nearly as easygoing, since this is a more serious offense, the criminal in question posing by mail as a professional moving company, rather than a single pegasus… but no matter the case, us ponies were up to the challenge for our client. Klutzy he may be, he is an innocent draconequus all the same.

“WHAT?!? SERIOUSLY?!?” Discord shouts, hearing that last sentence of my inner monologue.

“Oh, um, whoops. It’s the bowler, isn’t it? Was I too caught up in the moment?” I think I was.