A Pegasus Horn

by Ignimbrite

Unofficial Investigation

The next day, Sunny Skies and Moonlit Night arrived by train in Ponyville to investigate the issue.

Celestia and Luna would have sent regular undercover investigators, but considering the nature of the rumors, they decided it would be best to check it out themselves. That said, the nature of the rumors also meant that it would be best to remain incognito, hence the disguises.

Moonlit Night went off to the schoolhouse to see if she could find this supposed alicorn colt, while Sunny Skies went to the newspaper office to meet the other subject of the rumor.

Moonlit Night got to the school right as recess was finishing up. She had to hurry to see them before they went in. When she got there, everyone was still running around. Some of them were playing tag, some were on the swings, and a couple were on a seesaw.

She also noticed that several colts had decided to revive Tookball, the ancient game named for the legendary warrior who knocked an enemy king's head into a rabbit hole with his club. She smiled at the memory.

Those were the days.

The bell rang, and all the kids started filtering back inside. As the last few headed in, she smiled, this time at the evidence that the article was simply made up. None of the colts even had the right fur color.

As she turned around, she didn't hear a pair of voices.

"Come on Obsidian, class is starting."

"They're just gonna keep bringing up that stupid paper again."

Feldspar and Kind Face tugged Obsidian's hoof out from behind a tree.

---

Sunny Skies, meanwhile, was having a bit of trouble getting into the newspaper office.

"If this is about that rumor the other paper put out, then Mr. Stone isn't seeing you."

Time to try the big guns.

"I'm an official investigator from Canterlot. The Princesses don't like the defamation any more than Mr. Stone does, so they sent me to investigate."

"Do you have any proof of that?"

"Of course." It was a good thing she remembered to pack the badges and official papers in her saddlebags. She twisted her head around to pull them out of... nothing?

She looked around, realizing to her dismay that she had left her saddlebags on the train. "I... don't have my badge with me..."

"So you can't prove it."

"I could call the official royal guard for backup."

"And we'll be happy to comply once they get here, until then..."

Sunny Skies found herself back outside the office. This wasn't going well at all.

---

Moonlit Night was wandering around the town, keeping an eye out for any foals outside the school.

Checking the time, she realized school was going to be letting out soon, which meant another chance to check for any foals she might have missed.

She trotted back over in that direction. A full gallop might look suspicious, but she had to at least try to hurry if she was going to make it there in time.

By the time she got there, the kids were already scattering off in different directions, making it impossible to tell how many had left the premises already.

Perhaps the best option would be to ask the teacher directly. She walked up to the schoolhouse, still keeping an eye out for that colt, and stuck her head inside.

"Hello?"

Cheerilee looked up from the papers she was grading. "Oh hello. Can I help you?"

Moonlit Night stepped the rest of the way inside. "Perhaps. This might sound a bit odd, but hast th... have you, by any chance, seen an alicorn colt around town?"

Cheerilee's expression immediately hardened. "No, there aren't any alicorn colts around town, and if you're trying to spread rumors about any of my students..."

Moonlit Night held up a hoof. "Do not worry about that. We are simply trying to find the source of the rumor. We have little reason to believe it could possibly be true."

"We?"

"... My... associate and I. She's investigating a different part of town. We were... hired by the princesses."

"Well, unless you can demonstrate proof of that..."

There was a knock at the door, and a dark gray pegasus walked in.

"Oh, excuse me. I was wondering if Obsidian and Feldspar were still here."

Cheerilee's face softened for the newcomer. "They just left."

Moonlit Night looked questioningly at the pegasus. "Is this Obsidian the alicorn colt from the newspaper articles?"

Just outside, the remaining kids on the playground were surprised to see a dark purple unicorn flying out the school's front door with a pair of hoofprints on her flank.

---

Sunny Skies waited behind some bushes. Close of business was in a couple minutes. All she had to do was remain quie...

"HIYEEEEE!"

"AAAAAGH!" She jumped at least five feet straight up, her wings spasming uncontrollably, and landed back in the bushes. "Pinkie! What are you doing here?"

"I'm restocking my emergency balloon caches. Bye Celestia!"

Sunny Skies froze as Pinkie Pie vanished into the bushes, looking around to see if anyone had overheard their conversation. Fortunately, there was nopony around, so her cover was still intact.

She resumed waiting in the bushes.

After a few minutes, Mr. Stone stepped out. He looked around, then stepped forward. As Sunny Skies was about to follow him, he spoke, seemingly to nopony in particular.

"I've met reporters like you before. Considering what the last two of them did to my kid, you should probably turn back now."

Sunny peeked around, but couldn't see anypony other than him shanding there. She then noticed his horn glowing.

In a matter of seconds, the pegasus was hovering face-down over an open trash can.

"Oh horseapp..."

---

They met back up in the center of town.

"How did it go?"

"I didn't see any alicorn colts around town, and one of the ponies visiting the teacher bucked me out when I tried asking her." Moonlit Night looked to the still-sore spot on her flank. "You?"

Sunny Skies shook a banana peel off her head. "I couldn't get past the secretary. Apparently the Mr. Stone doesn't like the rumor either."

They were on their way back to the train station when a pegasus filly and unicorn colt walked up. They were followed by a number of the foals from the school.

"Does that make Feldspar a princess too?"

"No."

"Can you move comets?"

"No."

"What if it's just that your alicorn powers haven't grown in yet?"

The unicorn turned around with his eyes blazing, stomped his hoof, and involuntarily raised his wings.

"FOR THE LAST TIME... I. AM. NOT. AN. ALICORN!!!!!"

He stood that way for a moment, just breathing, then his head, ears, and wings all dropped, and he turned around and continued on.

The filly lifted her wing as far as she could over his back. He returned the favor as they walked off, his other wing dragging on the ground.

The rest of the kids slowly and quietly went off on their separate ways.

Sunny Skies and Moonlit Night, meanwhile, stared at the two, eyes wide and jaws on the ground. It is uncertain exactly how long it was that they remained that way before speaking.

"He hath thy wings."

"He has your voice."

They looked at each other.

Princesses never faint. It would be unbecoming, undignified, almost a scandal in and of itself.

It was a very good thing that they were both in disguise at the moment.

Comments

[Snowfyre]

The pacing feels much better :D
Also highly amusing XD

[Snowfyre]

[tsaukpaetra]

Wow. F-minus on the investigation of Celestia and Luna. Why are they being veritable stooges here?

[Ignimbrite]

11652188
Looking back, I think I did go overboard on the silliness without taking into account how much of it was at their expense. I should have planned out their parts in the story better.

[Status L]

The sisters probably don't know about Siamese twins or [insert weird medical term here] chymeras.