Private's birthday party quickly turns into a investigation as Pinkie wakes up with a dead body next to her. Who is this pony? Did Pinkie kill her? Who is this mysterious Time Turner? Who's the strange unicorn that's following Pinkie Pie around? Private is going to need all the help he can get to solve this case. Even outside help...very outside help.
Dedicated to GamermanZendrelix for helping me with this fic. Also dedicated to all the fans who've helped me reach this point. I hope you all will continue to enjoy this series I've grown to love to write. Celebrate Private's birthday with me and how far we've come together. It's thanks to all of you that I've reached this point.
The one downside to living in Ponyville that I can think of is that everypony shares the same alarm clock. That alarm clock is called “Whenever Vinyl wakes up”
Because like clockwork every morning at exactly seven o’ clock you wake up to this.
AAAAWWWW YEAAH GOOD MORNING PONYVILLE!!!!
I opened my eyes drowsily and covered my ears at the roaring bass that came from Vinyl’s house. As much as I enjoyed her waking us up in the morning I was too tired to deal with her. I got up off my bed and stretched my legs. It was then I heard a crash from the kitchen.
I sighed and walked out of my room and into the kitchen. There, trying to reach the top cupboard while trying to keep his wheel chair in place was Tailspin. I frowned and used my magic to get his cereal down “Tailspin you couldn’t have waited five minutes for me to come down?”
Tailspin frowned “I just didn’t want you to work as hard, I could’ve reached it” He said as he rolled to the table and poured the cereal in a bowl.
I looked over at the table and found my breakfast all laid out. The toast was just the way I liked it with butter. Orange juice was poured and even my coffee was just the way I liked it. I looked over at my little brother suspiciously “Okay what’s going on?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about” Tailspin said trying to sound innocent. He was a horrible liar.
“Tailspin what do you want this time?”
Tailspin looked at me, saw that I saw through his ploy, and looked at his cereal “I wanted…well…Private it’s almost your birthday and…”
That’s right, this weekend is my birthday. I’ll be twenty five years old; I’ve been alive for a quarter of a century. I smiled at Tailspin bemused “You did all of this because it’s almost my birthday?”
“I wanted to make sure you didn’t waste time if you had plans” Tailspin said honestly
“Tailspin I don’t have any plans for my birthday” I said as I set my plates down on the table and began to eat “You know it’s just a small celebration every year”
“Yeah but- Private you’ve worked so hard, you just got back from Canterlot two days ago” He took a bite of his cereal and then looked at me guilty. He was about to speak when I made a motion for him to swallow. When he did he spoke “Private you deserve to have a little fun once in a while”
“I do have fun” I said almost too fast
“I meant fun by everypony else’s definition” Tailspin said frowning
I simply smiled and finished my breakfast without hearing another word of conversation on the subject. I just didn’t see the need to celebrate being alive for twenty five years. As much as I appreciated Tailspin caring he was worrying over nothing. If anything I should be worried about Hearth’s Warming. You never know what a ten year old might ask for.
My objective today was simple, get to Twilight’s place and pick up my ordered copy of the latest chemistry books and maybe stay depending on what she’s in the mood for.
It was a rather nice autumn day with the leaves turning various shades of orange. Everypony was clad in jackets and other warm clothing to accommodate for the weather. I never had to worry about cold weather as I always wore my trench coat wherever I went.
As I passed a flower stand I crashed into a running pony. We both fell to the ground in a heap and I rubbed the back of my head. “Watch where you’re going”
“Terribly sorry” I heard an accented voice say as the stallion walked over and helped me up. He was my age by the looks of him with a brown coat and a long wavy brown mane. An orange striped scarf was around his neck and he had a strange cutie mark. An hourglass?
He looked at me with the most energetic blue eyes I’ve ever seen “Um you wouldn’t happen to have seen a…strange looking screwdriver would you?”
I raised an eyebrow at this guy. His voice sounded like he was from Trottingham but the accent was a little different “What kind of screwdriver?”
“Well if you press the doicky on the thingy it spins around and glows on the end and does all sorts of…” He noticed my confused expression “Just if you see it let me know alright”
I slowly nodded; this guy was weird even by Ponyville standards. I watched him walk away with retaining my confused expression. He seemed…out of place somehow. I noticed he had a little trouble walking. Like he didn’t have hooves his whole life…
I was over thinking this; he was probably high on some drug and is seeing me as a pink elephant. I turned and began a brisk walk to Twilight’s place.
Spike greeted me as I came to Twilight’s library. “Hey Private, come on in”
I nodded and walked inside the library. I was about to sit down and enjoy a nice book while Spike went to get Twilight. But then…the feeling came…
You know that feeling you get right before she appears? Like she’s slowly rising in the background behind you like a predator stalking her prey? Yeah, I felt it.
I ducked before Pinkie could fling herself at me in a hug. She landed rather haphazardly on the table and knocked it over. But she somehow recovered from a potentially deadly injury and hopped to me “Hiya Private! I haven’t seen you in like forever! I know we’ve see each other a lot but I really miss being a part of the story! There was this one time whe-“
I shoved a hoof in her mouth “Good to see you too Pinkie Pie” I set my book down and watched as Twilight descended the steps.
She smiled at me “Hey Private, I got those books you wanted for the office”
I nodded and walked to her taking my hoof out of Pinkie’s mouth. She happily followed me as I took the books Twilight gave to me. Twilight looked at me “So got any plans this week?”
I shrugged “Aww nothing special” I then debated whether I should tell Twilight or not. It couldn’t hurt for her to know right? “Well this weekend is my birthday but I haven’t got any plans…”
I really hate it when I open my stupid mouth. Bad things happen when I do when a certain Pink pony is within earshot. Pinkie Pie’s eyes dilated and then she shrieked in delight.
She leapt into the air in surprise and glee “Private your birthday is this weekend!? This’ll be your first birthday in Ponyville! I’ll make you an awesome party to celebrate the occasion! What’s your favorite kind of cake chocolate or vanilla?!”
I shook my head “Pinkie you don’t need to give me a party”
Pinkie looked at me and frowned “No I will give you a party”
I shook my head again “No Pinkie I don’t want you to spend all the bits and energy in doing it”
Pinkie crossed her hooves like a foal after being told she couldn’t have a cookie “Yes party”
I frowned and met her blue gaze with my own grey “No party”
“Yes Party”
“No Party”
“Yes Party!”
“No Party!”
“Yes Party!
“No Party!”
“Yes Party!!”
“No Party!!
“No Party!!
“Yes Party!!
“No Party and that’s final!!!” She shouted her face inches from mine
“Yes there will be a party damn it!” I said slamming my hoof on the ground to affirm the statement.
Pinkie smiled and hopped out “Okay see ya on Saturday”
I smirked and then realized…that little pink prankster!
Twilight and Spike were laughing about the fact I fell for Pinkie’s trick. I sighed and facehoofed in embarrassment. It’s not that I didn’t appreciate Pinkie for wanting to give me a party. I just didn’t feel right having her do something when I didn’t ask for it. I guess I should know better than to try and win an argument with her though.
It was then that I noticed something on the table. It was a strange device about the size of a pen. Upon closer inspection of the object I saw several dials and buttons on the device. I looked over at Twilight “What is this?”
Twilight, who recovered from her fits of laughter at my expense, looked at the object I gestured to “I don’t know what it is. It fell out of Time Turner’s pocket when he left in a hurry”
“Who’s Time Turner?” I asked as I examined the strange tool
Twilight shook her head “I don’t know much about him. He kind of just shows up once in a while. Nopony really talks to him except for Derpy and she doesn’t know that much about him”
My horn glowed as I tried to pick up the object with magic. Suddenly the object came to life and emitted a loud noise that sounded like screeching. I covered my ears and canceled my magic on the device. The light at the end stopped glowing and it returned to its dormant state.
Twilight stared at the device and looked at me “It reacted when you used magic on it. I wonder…” She used her own magic on it and the device literally turned invisible. Twilight canceled her magic on it and stared at the reappeared device “I was just trying to levitate it”
I picked up the device “Maybe it just doesn’t like magic” I shrugged and put the device in my trench coat “If I see Time Turner I’ll give this back to him. What does he look like?”
Twilight’s description matched the stallion I saw earlier. I walked outside with my books in saddle bags and carefully put the strange device in my trench coat pocket. As I walked out of Twilight library I shook my head. This was turning into an incredibly strange-
Wham!
I fell back as Time Turner ran into me. We both fell back on our backs. I shook my head and looked at the strange stallion “You’re Time Turner right?”
It took him a minute before he nodded “Yes that’s me. Time Turner the pony who um…does time”
I simply shook my head and pulled out the strange tool from my trench coat “You were looking for this?”
His blue eyes went wide and he smiled “Thank you so much! You have no idea how embarrassing it is to lose that! Carrying that darn thing around with hooves can be such a chore”
“What do you mean? You just pick it up like this” I said holding the tool in my hoof
He raised an eyebrow and reached to take the tool from me. It fell out of his hoof “Blast!” He said as he tried to pick it up off the ground.
I simply rolled my eyes and picked it up for him “What is this thing anyway?”
“Uh…an invention of mine…” He said but then he suddenly picked it up in his mouth. I couldn’t make what he was saying with the thing in his mouth. I think it was something along the lines of: “Thankyousomuchhaveagreatdaygoodbyenow!!”
With that he took off leaving me very confused. I watched him run off…something was not right about that pony. This coming from the fact I live in a town with Lyra and Pinkie Pie in it.
Saturday rolled around and I was told my party would be at Sugar Cube Corner. It was where Pinkie Pie lived and worked with the Cake family. I never really asked how Pinkie ended up living with them. I guess she threw so many parties with their food they just decided to let her stay.
The place was packed with ponies from all across town. Just as I walked in I was greeted by cheers and shouts from the party guests. I flushed a little in embarrassment at all of this. Suddenly I was yanked into the crowd by Pinkie Pie “Hiya Private! Great party don’t ya think?”
I looked around; the place was heavily decorated with streamers and balloons everywhere. Tables of food were everywhere and a large punch bowl was raided by Berry Punch. Her friend Colgate was trying to keep the drunk away from whatever was in the punch bowl.
Music was provided by the legendary DJ-PON3 herself. She moved with an expert’s grace around her music player. The music was upbeat and catchy to the point I found my hoof tapping absent mindedly to the beat. The music quickly shifted to pure rock when Raiden plugged his guitar into the amp. Vinyl frowned, but shrugged and added her own mix to Raiden’s songs.
Several Ponies were chatting away and waved whenever I looked over at them. I left Pinkie behind and found Rainbow hovering over the dancing crowd waving at Raiden. Raiden gestured that I had arrived and Rainbow landed in front of me.
She smiled “Hey happy birthday Private!”
“Thanks Dash” I said with a nod of thanks “How are things going with you and Scootaloo?”
She flapped her wings in happiness “It’s awesome! She’s really coming along as a flier! Just yesterday she managed to fly for a full ten minutes without dropping”
I didn’t know much about flying but I guessed that was impressive. I simply smiled at my cyan friend "That's great to hear" I turned my attention to Raiden who was currently locked in a musical battle to the death with Vinyl. My smile turned slightly sly “And you and Raiden?”
Her cyan coat turned as red as the red part of her rainbow mane. She rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment “Well I mean we…”
“You two are dating now right?" I asked inquisitively "Has anything happened?”
Rainbow continued to flush “Well last night he…well…I mean it all happened so fast I…kissed him...”
Spring!
Dash’s wings shot up and she tried to flatten them while I laughed. Dash may seem cool and confident but when it came to Raiden she cracked a little. She glared at me as I laughed “If you tell anypony this I’ll kill you!”
“Don’t worry Rainbow” I said smiling warmly “Your secret’s safe with me. I wouldn’t jeopardize losing our friendship”
“FOREVER!!!” Pinkie shouted suddenly appearing beside me. I leapt into the air and slammed back to the ground.
I dusted myself off “Pinkie where did you come from?!”
Dash simply laughed and went to join the dancing crowd. Pinkie tilted her head “Private do I really have to explain where foals come from-“
“You know what I mean!” I retorted
Pinkie shrugged “I just got to make sure everypony keeps their Pinkie Promises”
I sighed; I gave up trying to figure out this pink pony long ago. Then Pinkie’s eyes went passed me and looked at a nearby table. “Somepony doesn’t look like he’s having fun…”
I looked to where she was looking. There sitting there was a unicorn with a long red mane and a white coat. He wore some kind of jacket that covered pretty much his entire body including his cutie mark. Why would he wear a jacket indoors? It’s not that cold.
His eyes, a deep green, were looking at the crowds. He seemed unsure of how to approach others.
Pinkie hopped passed me and ran to the unicorn. She talked excitedly to the unicorn about something. He looked suddenly nervous and avoided Pinkie’s gaze. Pinkie tilted her head and spoke gently to the unicorn. He shook his head and said something I couldn’t hear over Raiden’s and Vinyl's music duel.
Pinkie simply smiled at the guy and pulled him by the hoof into the crowds. At first he looked very nervous and scared almost. But he seemed to relax when Pinkie took his hoof. He was pulled onto the dance floor and the two were lost in the crowd.
I smiled and chuckled. That was Pinkie Pie for you, always eager to make a friend. I decided to indulge in the food and ventured to where Applejack was serving her trademark apple pies. The country mare smiled upon seeing me “Howdy Private! Happy Birthday!”
I smiled and nodded “Thanks Applejack, what have you got to eat?”
She laughed “Can’t keep ya from Apple family treats huh?”
My stomach growled in response. Once you’ve tasted one apple treat your body desires only more. I then felt a tug on my trench coat and looked down to see Applebloom holding a pie in front of her. “Howdy Private! Care to try one of mine?”
I decided to humor the filly and took a slice of pie with my magic. I took a bite in it and regretted it. It tasted awful but Applebloom’s eyes were on me. Darn those eyes they would drive a man to do anything the filly wanted! I swallowed the pie and smiled a little “Uh, try not to use too much sugar next time”
Applebloom nodded and ran to the kitchen for a second try. I looked over at Applejack “What’s up with Applebloom?”
My orange friend chuckled “She’s mighty fond of ya Private. Ever since you helped us get Big Mac out of jail she’s been talkin nonstop bout ya. It’s kind of cute ta be honest”
I laughed a little. I haven’t had a filly develop a crush on me before. It was cute and I was glad it was only simple admiration. The way Cherilee talks about some of the student crushes she’s had to deal with you’d think these kids fight a secret war for us adults.
I accepted some proper apple pies from Applejack and moved on. After finishing up eating I watched Big Mac moving about the party. He smiled upon seeing me and walked over.
“Happy Birthday Private” He said simply
“Thanks Big Mac” I said appreciatively “Enjoying the party?”
He simply looked around and answered with his trademark “Eeyup”
Both of us watched as Lyra and Bon-Bon walked out together into another room. Big Mac tilted his head and then chuckled “Bout time those two got together”
I simply smiled and my curiosity was egging me to ask “Hey Big Mac? You got a somepony?”
“Nope” He said way too quickly
“There’s gotta be somepony you like, big guy like you must’ve attracted your fair share of mares” I asked sipping some punch
He shrugged “Ah don’t really talk to mares much…too shy…” He said his red coat darkening a little as he confessed.
“What are you scared of?” I said tilting my head
“Ah don’t know…that maybe they wouldn’t want a work horse that has to think of his family first? Ah just never gave it much thought before. I mean...what mare would like me?”
My eyes scanned the crowd for prospective mares for Big Mac. Colgate? Too talkative about dental hygiene for a quiet guy like Big Mac. Berry Punch? I don’t know if she’d even see Big Mac with how drunk she gets. Carrot Top? Nah, I think she’s too busy trying to keep her farm going and Ditzy out of her fridge. Cloudchaser and Flitter? Those two are never separated I’d think they would both just try to date Big Mac at the same time. I don't think Big Mac could handle two mares if he has this much trouble finding one.
Then my eyes fell on Fluttershy. She was by herself watching the other ponies dancing. Quiet, shy, kind and caring? Perfect! I looked over at Big Mac “What about Fluttershy?”
Big Mac’s green eyes followed my hoof and he looked at her. His expression slowly brightened upon seeing the butter yellow Pegasus. He looked at me and simply smiled “Eeyup…”
I watched the work horse walk towards her. I left the two with some privacy but before I knew it I was yanked by the leg onto the dance floor. I looked to see it was Twilight that pulled me. She smiled shyly upon seeing me “Hey Private, happy birthday”
I blushed a little and smiled as the music slowed “Thanks, this party is something else”
She laughed a little “That’s Pinkie for you”
I smiled and looked at Twilight in her eyes “So, what did you get me for my birthday?”
She smiled as well and brought her nose inches from mine. “Oh, nothing much…just this…”
She pulled me into a loving kiss. I returned it and ponies stomping around me in approval. I swear I heard Berry Punch shout “Aww now go and make out with her already!!” She passed out after that as me and Twilight flushed in embarrassment at suddenly becoming the center of attention.
The excitement of the party went well into the night…I was happy really. I didn’t really think I’d gain so many friends coming here. But looking at this party…it really puts things in perspective how much one pony can mean to a town.
It was around midnight when it happened. One minute everypony was partying like there was no tomorrow. I myself was enjoying the taste of Twilight’s lips in the back hallway. Vinyl and Raiden were finishing up their epic musical battle to the death. Big Mac and Fluttershy seemed to be hitting it off well…
But the next minute all of that went out the window when the scream was heard…
AIIIIEEEEE!!!!!
Vinyl’s record scratched as the music stopped and everypony looked to where Pinkie came running out of the basement. Her blue eyes were frantic and I ran out to meet her. “Pinkie what’s wrong?!”
Pinkie just pointed to a storage room and I pulled out Blackbird to look inside. When I did…there was a body…
She was an earth pony with a dark purple coat and a long mane of black. Her blue eyes were wide open as a knife stuck out of her neck. She was leaning against the wall of the entrance some boxes of baking powder. Blood drooped out of the wound on her neck.
I looked back at Twilight who followed me into the room. “Get everypony in the main room…”
She nodded and went about calming everypony down. I looked over the body and tilted her head up slightly. “Odd angle for a knife wound…like somepony attacked her from beneath…”
I turned out her pockets and found a license inside “Balboey, 28, Rock farmer…”
At least I could identify her for CSU later. I closed her blue eyes and walked outside. Twilight gathered everypony at the party into the main room. Many whispered frantically wondering what I was going to say. I stood on top of a table and spoke firmly “Everypony, there’s been a murder in the storage room…”
Frantic shouts came about from the crowd. I facehoofed for saying the wrong thing. I tried and failed to get everypony calm. Suddenly Vinyl got back on her stage and turned the volume of her microphone to max. “EVERYPONY SHUT UP!!!!” She shouted into the mike.
I covered my ringing ears as everypony quieted down. Vinyl levitated the mike to me with a smile. I smiled back and lowered the volume to a more manageable level “Everypony I’m going to have to ask you all to remain calm while I investigate the situation. Until then though I’m going to have to ask you all to comply with what I’m going to ask you”
Murmurs of agreement came from the crowd. They were happy somepony was taking charge in this situation. I spoke firmly in my mike “Until this murder is solved I’m going to have to ask everypony to remain in here. Rainbow Dash will make sure everypony stays inside the building. Nopony is to leave until I give them personal clearance”
Some tried to protest being trapped here but Vinyl threatened to silence them with the almighty bass cannon. That got them calmed down.
I continued “I will also ask each of you to be subject to questioning. This isn’t saying that anypony here is responsible for what happened. The victim was a 28 year old earth pony with a violet coat and a black mane. She was found in the storage room and I can determine her death was recent. If anypony has any information, come forward immediately”
I got down from the mike and looked to Vinyl “Thanks for the save”
She smiled; I never really got to know Vinyl much. She was a year younger than me with a white coat and a short spiky blue mane. She almost always wore those odd sunglasses over her red eyes. Right now she lifted them to show those same red eyes. “Listen Private…I think I saw the mare you’re talking about”
I pulled out my notebook “Could you describe when?”
Vinyl nodded and tapped her hoof on her chin “I was feeling thirsty after one song with Raiden. I went to get some punch when I heard shouting coming from the back room. I saw Pinkie arguing with the mare you described about something”
“What were they arguing about?” I asked
She shrugged “I didn’t really pay attention. I was too busy trying to come up with what song I was going to play next. All I can say is that the argument was very heated. Like Pinkie did something unforgivable…”
“Thanks Vinyl” I said smiling “Also thanks again for getting everypony calmed down”
Vinyl smiled and replaced her sun glasses “You seem like the kind of guy who would get things done. Besides it’s interesting to see you in action” She nudged me with a hoof “If you ever wanna be on The Vinyl Scratch! Let me know, we’re always looking for vic- I mean…guests”
I told her I would consider it after the case was done. I moved on and saw Rainbow Dash by the door; she was holding her wings out to make sure nopony passed her. She looked at me and her ears flattened “Hey sorry your party turned out this way”
I nodded “It couldn’t be helped, Dash did you see anything odd tonight?”
She shook her head “No…but I did see Lyra and Bon Bon go into a closet by the storage closet where the murder happened. Maybe they heard something?”
I nodded “You also tell somepony to call Forceps and collect the body. Something seems off about this…”
Dash nodded and went back to guard duty. I walked over to where Fluttershy was comforting a crying Pinkie Pie. I looked at her and my face turned to sympathy “Pinkie…are you alright?”
She wiped her eyes and tried to smile “Sorry your party got ruined…”
I shook my head “What’s important is that we find out what happened…Vinyl said you and Balboey got into an argument…what was that about?”
Pinkie looked unsure at first but Fluttershy smiled encouragingly at her. The party pony looked at me “Balboey was a worker on my rock farm”
“Rock farm?!” Twilight, who was following me the whole time, said astonished “You can’t grow rocks! That’s the most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard!”
“Actually it’s a pretty big business” I said knowingly “Fillydelphia had a lot of Rock Farms when it was founded”
Twilight’s jaw dropped “Private! They’re rocks! Not plants! You can’t grow rocks!”
I shrugged “Well I don’t know much about the practice but it’s a legitimate business”
Twilight babbled on trying to put such a concept as a rock farm to logic. I looked back at Pinkie “How would you describe your relationship with Balboey?”
Pinkie frowned “She was a big meanie pants back in the day. When I got my cutie mark in partying she made a huge fuss over it. Said I shouldn’t do parties and should keep working on the farm! My family was miserable working on that farm! My parties gave them the only happiness they’ve ever known!”
I nodded “So you two got into an argument?”
Pinkie nodded “She said I should come back to the farm. I told her I got a good job working here and my family was doing fine on their own. But then she got furious and started pushing me into that storage room…”
I looked at Pinkie right in the eye. I hated asking it but it had to be asked. “Did you kill her?”
Pinkie shook her head furiously “No! I’d never hurt anypony! My parties were always meant to be fun! She just pushed me and I hit my head on something…when I woke up she…was…” She started crying again.
I hated seeing Pinkie sad…she was the one pony who was happy despite the situation. If she broke down then everypony else would…
I simply put my hoof on her shoulder “Pinkie, I’ll get to the bottom of this okay?”
She nodded and hugged me tight. I hugged her back; as much as she annoyed me I couldn’t help but give into her charm. She was just such a fireball of love and energy that she was just so enjoyable to be around. I broke the hug and she smiled at me “I’m reeealy sorry about the party…”
I shook my head “I’m just happy I got a party in the first place”
Lyra and Bon Bon were not hard to find among the crowd. They always kind of stuck out together. Many ponies speculated they were in a relationship by how often they spent time together. One day it was finally pointed out to them and I was surprised to learn that they weren’t in a relationship at the time. They’ve only recently given the whole dating idea a try. Since then they’ve been seen everywhere together more than usual.
I remember Lyra being the second pony I talked to at Ponyville. At the time she was a witness to a murder and now she was again. As I spent time in Ponyville I got to know the harp player. She had a strange fascination with Humans, fictional creatures that walked on two legs and had digits on their forelegs called…hands. She was a good pony at heart but I couldn’t help but find her strange.
Bon Bon by contrast was relatively grounded. She owned a local candy shop and pretty much did anything that was needed around town. She reminded me a lot of myself at times with the way she puts up with Lyra. She also seemed to have a strange habit of switching what her voice sounded like every month or so.
This month it was something along the lines of a normal equestrian girl “I can’t believe somepony would murder somepony else at a birthday party…” She said as her and Lyra sat on a couch together. She shook her cream colored head “It’s simply awful…”
Lyra looked at me with her gold eyes “We’ll tell you anything you need to know Private”
I nodded as I held my notebook in front of the couple. “You two went into the closet next to the storage room during the party right?”
Bon Bon flushed bright red and Lyra simply laughed “Yeah we did, Bon Bon here was getting a little frisky so I was going to show her what I could do with my ho-“
Her marefriend shoved a hoof into mouth. Bon Bon simply frowned “To get to the point Detective what does me and Lyra getting intimate have to do with the case?”
I spoke simply ignoring Lyra’s comment about horns. “Did you two hear anything as you were entangled in the cords of love?”
Lyra pulled her marefriend’s hoof out of her mouth and spoke. “Well I did hear a yell…and then…I heard this weird clicking noise…I pointed it out to Bon Bon and we looked outside”
“What did you see?” I asked
Bon Bon frowned “We saw a strange looking pony run out of the storage room…he had a white coat and a red mane and the darkest green eyes I’ve ever seen”
“Did you see anything that would’ve caused the clicking sound?” I went on
Lyra shook her head “Nu uh, that was the weird thing. But then we saw Time Turner walk by the room with that weird pen thing of his. We just kind of chalked it up to coincidence and went back to intimacy”
Bon Bon flushed again at how Lyra was so callous. She looked over at me “You think Time Turner would know what’s going on?”
This Time Turner guy shows up right before a murder? Can’t be a coincidence…
“Hey you get back here!!” I heard a voice yell
I looked to the entrance and saw Rainbow yelling at somepony outside. I ran to the door and sure enough Time Turner was making a break for it. He seemed to be tripping over himself a little walking…
I looked over at Rainbow “I’ll catch up with him! You stay here and keep everypony else here!”
Rainbow saluted as I bolted after Time Turner. Time Turner took one look at me and bolted shouting “Allons-y!!!”
I chased after the strange pony into the woodland around Ponyville. I was in hot pursuit of the brown stallion as he made every effort to try and trip me up. I didn’t want to use my gun on him. I could get sued for shooting a suspect on a case.
He looked back at me with those blue eyes of his and yelled “Legs don’t fail me now!” He then picked up speed.
I followed him down the path and shouted “Stop! If you don’t I’ll be forced to use drastic measures!”
“I would honestly prefer not having them used thank you!” He shouted back at me as he kept running.
This guy was being hunted down by me and he was joking around? Who was this guy? I kept running after him as we ventured deeper into the woodland.
Suddenly he ran off the main path and into the bushes. I followed and found myself in a dark part of the woods. Time Turner looked back and saw I was still in pursuit “Bloody hell you’re stubborn! You’re harder to get rid of then a dalek on a destroy and exterminate spree!”
I had no idea what a dalek was so I ignored his comment. “Just stop! I’m getting tired of this chase!”
“So am I!” He said and suddenly he turned around. He reached into his pockets and pulled out his device from earlier. He finally learned how to use his hooves to hold it. He held it in front of me and tapped a series of buttons on it.
A loud sonic vibration emitted from the device causing my ears to ring painfully. I covered them and fell to the ground and watched as Time Turner kept running. I shook my head to get the ringing out of my ears.
I leapt over a bush to close the distance between me and my prey. I kept running and he looked back frantic “Aww bugger all!” He swore as he kept running.
I levitated out Blackbird, I hated doing this but I didn’t see any other…
What the hell is that thing!?
We came into a clearing and there was the oddest sight. It was a box, large and blue with what looked like a door on it. It looked like one of those old police boxes you’d see in Trottingham sometimes. Only I didn’t recognize the characters on the top…what language were they in?
Time Turner used his distance from me to fumble for a key to the box. He managed to get the door open just as I got into the clearing.
“Sorry! This space is not available for rent! Please come back never!” He ran inside the box and was about to close the door. I couldn’t let him do it.
I levitated up a nearby rock and threw it as he was about to close the door. Time Turner slammed the door into the rock and it gave me precious seconds to run in and stick my leg into the entrance. Time Turner looked at me with frantic blue eyes and ran…deeper into the box?
I pushed the door open and…this couldn’t be possible…
The inside of the box was a huge room. Consoles and lights were everywhere around a central control area. Screens displaying various characters I didn’t recognize adorned the walls. I walked and my hooves clanked on the hard metal floor.
The place was spacious…but how was this possible? The box outside was so small it’s…
“Bigger on the inside…” I said slowly
“Then it is on the outside?” I turned around and saw Time Turner smiling down at me from a railing above. “I always love it when they say that the first time they see it”
I looked around at the spacious interior “This is…impossible…”
“Not impossible just improbable know the difference please” Time Turner quipped in that odd accent of his
I chuckled a little; he had an interesting sense of humor. Wait, Private remember why you came!
I pulled out Blackbird and aimed it at the brown stallion. His eyes went wide as he realized he had nowhere to run. I was done playing games “You’re not a pony…”
He simply smiled “I was wondering when somebody would figure it out”
Somebody? Didn’t he mean Somepony? He really wasn’t a pony…
He hopped off the railing and landed in front of me. He looked me with curious eyes “How did you figure it out?”
“You’re shaky on your hooves…” I said pointing to his legs “Were you a normal pony you would have no trouble walking. Even foals can walk from birth…”
He chuckled a little “It’s a pain to have to walk on all fours. Do you realize I have to eat with the same hooves I walk with? Truly fascinating”
I never thought of it that way…I smiled a little. This guy was weird on a whole new- Private damn it focus!!
I put my gun barrel to his face “You aren’t a pony…you hesitated when I called you Time Turner so that isn’t your real name. So I just want you to answer three questions: Who are you? What are you? And what are your intentions?"
His answers came out slowly “The Doctor…The Doctor…Fun!"
I just stared at the stallion before me. He wasn’t lying that I could tell. He didn’t give me much to go on. I think he deserved to be heard out. I holstered Blackbird and he relaxed a little. I held my grey gaze “What’s your name?”
He smiled and answered simply “The Doctor”
“Doctor who?” I asked with a raised eyebrow
“No just The Doctor” He said
“So your name is the Doctor?” I said again
“Yes…or at least that’s what you can call me”
“Fair enough” I said with a shrug. “Names Preventus Phelps Eye, but everypony calls me Private”
“Private Eye…” He suddenly started laughing “The puns! Oh god the puns! They’re everywhere on this world!”
“You got a problem with my name?” I said my eyes narrowing
“No sorry” He said stifling a chuckle “It’s just ever since I got here I’ve heard so many puns. Everypony, somepony, even Ponyville, so many puns!” He laughed again
I simply nodded and decided to move on “So what are you exactly? You didn’t answer me very well the first time”
He stopped laughing and cleared his throat “You see I’m what’s known as a Time Lord. I fly around in this” He gestured to the room “Time And Relative Dimension In Space or Tardis for short. I go around travelling the universe and solve all manner of problems”
“So you’re saying I’m standing in a time machine?” I said skeptically “That’s a lot to swallow Doctor no offense”
“Ah you want proof do you?” He said with a smile “Been meaning to test out her circuits for a while now…” He walked passed me and began pressing all manner of buttons and levers. I felt the room rumble and vibrate. I leaned against a nearby terminal to keep myself from falling on the floor.
When the shaking stopped the Doctor went to the door and held it open “After you”
I looked at him then stepped out. My eyes went wide at what I saw. We were in the middle of a battlefield. Not just any battlefield though “The Battle of the Birches!?”
Ponies clad in green armor clashed with ponies in black armor with symbols on their arms. A long time ago Bermany tried to take over the rest of Equestria under the leadership of a dictator. The result was Equestria War 2. I was watching one of the most important battles of the war unfold before my eyes.
“I would suggest heading inside before we get shot at!” The Doctor said as a bullet hit the Tardis in the chaos.
I ducked my head back inside and slammed the door shut. I looked at The Doctor “You were telling the truth!”
He slapped me on the back “Well now that we’ve gotten that out of the way what’s say we get you back home?”
“Look I still have some questions” I said as he tried to walk away
He rolled his eyes and looked back at me “Look I can’t stay here and explain every tiny little detail…”
“You’re in a time machine!” I pointed out “We got all the time in the world”
“I suppose you have a point” He said with a sigh “Very well what do you want to know?”
“First of all, what exactly is a time…whatever doing here?”
“Time Lord” He corrected “And I’m here looking for somebody”
“Who exactly?” I said curiously
“Not who per say but what” He explained “Are you aware of something called a changeling?”
I nodded “Of course, who wouldn’t after all they’ve done to Canterlot?” I wasn’t going to tell this stranger about my encounter with a lieutenant of their kind. The memory was too dark to venture back into.
He went on “Well, after the whole fiasco at the wedding I started developing an interest in them”
“You were at the wedding?”
“Not at the wedding. I just saw the huge explosion of love shooting out and took some eyewitness accounts”
“How long have you been on Equestria exactly?” I asked curious
He tapped his hoof on his cheek in thought. He then nodded and said “I’d say about a year or so, showed up around the time when that Nightmare Moon did”
That was about a year ago. Hard to believe so much time has passed since then. I remember reading about Nightmare Moon’s attack in the papers. I was still a private detective at the time and for some reason I was glad Luna was back. I can’t explain it but I always had a fascination with the Princess of the Night.
But that still got me curious as to the Doctor’s real objective “So what did you find out about the changelings?”
“Well, using some of my equipment here in the Tardis I managed to pin point where their lair is. I managed to sneak my way into the hive and they didn’t seem to react to me at first”
“Maybe it’s because you’re a Time Lord and not a pony” I pointed out
“That’s what I thought” The Doctor said with a nod “Anyways when I got inside I studied the Changelings as a whole” He walked to a large circular terminal and began tapping switches. A holographic projection of a large underground cavern appeared.
I looked and saw a group of smaller changelings taking orders from larger ones. I recognized Queen Chrysalis sitting in the center. I ran my hoof through the hologram and my hooves passed through it. The Doctor gave me a look “Sorry, bit of a sci-fi nut…had to see if you really could do that”
The Doctor gestured to the changelings with his strange device “At the top you have Queen Chrysalis, essentially like a queen in a bee hive. She’s the only one with true intelligence and the power to plan. Very dangerous, didn’t see her much but I always made sure I was gone when she came”
I nodded “Then you have her lieutenants” I said gesturing to the slightly larger changelings. They were similar in appearance to the queen herself. They were smaller then her though and had less extravagant features.
The Doctor nodded “At the bottom you have the drones. Simple minded workers that only know to eat on love and obey the queen”
“This is all well and good” I said looking at the Doctor “But we could’ve gotten this information out of any text book, what peeked your interest?”
The Doctor pointed his device at one changeling. One of the drones suddenly stopped working and…winced. “You know that point in your life when you question everything you do? Just stop and look at yourself? Well this fella did”
I looked at the Changeling as he looked down. He looked around as a lieutenant came to him. The drone suddenly lashed out at the lieutenant and flew away. My eyes just stared at him “You’re saying one of the drones developed…sentience?”
The Doctor nodded “My hypothesis is that the power of love somehow allowed him to experience emotion as more than just food. With that it had him question everything about himself and one day he just…snapped”
“You’ve been looking for him ever since?” I concluded
He nodded “I’ve tracked him to Ponyville and my search ended there. I was on my way to finding him at the party…when I met you”
This was a lot to take in. Changelings were considered the enemy by many a pony. I myself put two bullets in the head of one of them. But this Changeling…if he could come around…maybe there could be peace?
I nodded “Look this is all well and good…but I need information about Balboey, not some changeling that went rogue”
The Doctor nodded “I know this sounds farfetched…but I detected his signature near Balboey’s body. I think our plights are connected and we just need to find out how”
I looked at the Doctor. He was certainly eager to help this Changeling. I wasn’t about deny the help of somepony who could time travel. Maybe this guy could help? I nodded “Alright Doctor…I’ll let you help me investigate. If it means both of our goals can be accomplished”
The Doctor smiled wide “Alright! Welcome aboard Private! Now we should probably start with finding out what we can about Balboey”
I tapped my hoof on my chin “Well the only place I’d be able to get accurate records of her is the Hall of Records in Canterlot. They have information on everypony”
He chuckled a little at my mention of “Everypony” I gave him a look and he continued “Alright, we’ll just go in and ask”
“One problem” I pointed out “It’s open only to certified policemen and those on royal business” I shook my head “Since I’m neither I don’t think we can get in”
“What time does the place close?” The Doctor asked suddenly moving about the terminals and switches again.
“I’d say about the same time we left. But what does that have to do with-“
“It’s called Time and Relative Dimension in Space” He said with a smile “Now hold onto something this could be a rough landing”
The Hall of Records was lined with shelves and shelves of scrolls. Each one dedicated to a certain family line and recorded everypony who lived and died in Equestria. You could find everypony in your family line all the way back to the first six ponies that walked the earth.
What you won’t normally find is a police box landing sideways on one of the tables. The door burst open and I coughed as I got out of the Tardis smoke billowing out of the machine. “Rough Landing!? Where’d you get your Tardis license!?”
“It’s not my fault!” The Doctor said as he got out “My hooves missed the stoppy doicky!”
“It’s called the brakes moron!” I retorted “Anyways where’d you learn to fly that thing!?”
“It was kind of designed for six to pilot it” The Doctor explained “Not one”
“Even still” I said as I dusted myself off “You really should get a manual for that thing”
The Doctor ignored my comment about his driving skills and looked at the scrolls on the wall “Start pulling out the B Section. We should be able to find her”
I nodded and pulled out the first scroll with my magic. The Doctor looked at me wide eyed as I levitated the scroll into his hooves. I looked at him “What?”
“I completely forgot that you were a unicorn! A unicorn detective! How’s that for novelty?!” He began to laugh as he set the scroll down on the table. He opened it and then gave it back to me “Next”
“What?!” I said looking at him “You didn’t even look at it!”
“Yes I did, temporal physics and what not just toss me the next scroll and keep them coming”
I’ve heard of speed reading but this is ridiculous. For the next two minutes I hoofed the Doctor scroll after scroll and he kept reading them with lightning speed. I even checked to make sure he did read them by asking him to quote lines from memory. He quoted them as if he read them for year.
Finally he stopped “Ah ha! I found her!” He said pointing at a passage in the scroll. He looked at the scroll “Says here Balboey was a rock famer that worked on the Pie family farm. The place was a…rock farm?”
“Don’t ask” I said frankly “It’s better if you don’t think about it”
He shrugged and went on “Says here the family kept the farm going for a number of years. But the youngest daughter Pinkemania left the family to pursue her career as a party planner”
“That’s Pinkie Pie!” I said “She left the family so that she could pursue her love of partying”
“Well it gets a bit sad after that” The Doctor said in a rather somber tone “Says here the farm had suffered an outbreak of cholera shortly after she left. Says here her family had to abandon the farm and her parents retired to the mountains away from the farm. Mostly getting checks sent by Pinkie Pie”
“How does Balboey fit into all of this?” I asked
“She was a farm hand” The Doctor said looking closely at the scroll “She was a very traditional pony who wanted the family plain and simple…sadly she would…that doesn’t make any sense!”
“What?”
“Says here she died 5 months ago! She was killed and her body wasn’t discovered until later!”
“5 months ago…” I said thoughtfully “That’s when the wedding took place!!”
“If she died there” The Doctor said thoughtfully “Then what was she doing at the party?”
“Doctor we don’t have time to wait on you!” I shouted as I waited in the Tardis. We were going to follow up on finding that changeling. If the death took place at the same time at the wedding I had the suspicion our lost changeling had something to do with Balboey’s murder.
The Doctor came out wearing…I just shook my head and said “What the hell do you have on your head?”
He tilted the abomination of headwear on his head and proudly smiled “It’s a Fez, Fezzes are cool”
“Fezzes are not cool!” I retorted
“I beg your pardon!” The Doctor said indignantly
“It looks like you have a giant gumdrop on your head!”
“And I suppose in Ponyville it’s cool to dress like your grandpa?!” He said pointing at my fedora
“Oh you are not dissing the Fedora!” I fired back
“I am because you dissed the Fez! Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep these!?”
“I outta pull out my gun and shoot it off your head it would be a huge improvement!”
“Somebody already did that and I’d prefer it if you didn’t do it! Grandpa!”
“Zit head!”
“Old timer!”
“Wacko brains!”
“Asshole!”
I was about to retort but then relented “Okay you went too far with that one…I know some donkeys who would take offense to that”
“Sorry about that” he said genuinely “I just want to blend in and I want to look good while doing it”
“Is there a way we can compromise?” I said looking at him
He replaced the abomination of headwear with a Stetson “What about Stetsons?”
I looked him for a moment then nodded “Stetsons are cool…”
The Doctor and I huddled in a nearby bush watching Big Mac and Fluttershy in the woodlands around Ponyville. The only way we were going to get the changeling to come out is if we laid some bait. What better bait for a changeling then a young love about to sprout?
Big Mac looked at Fluttershy as they talked about various topics. But they seemed to speak most when they didn’t talk. Big Mac laughed at something that Fluttershy said and the two were about to reach for a cookie on a plate when they touched hooves.
Fluttershy yanked her hoof back in embarrassment and apologized profusely. Big Mac looked at the butter yellow Pegasus and simply smiled. He reached over and took her hoof in his and the Pegasus seemed to relax.
She smiled at him and the two got closer to each other…
The Doctor tapped my shoulder “There!”
I looked over and saw somepony lurking in the bushes. The Doctor pulled out his device and aimed it at the bush “Sonic Screwdriver don’t fail me now!” He pressed a button on it and the sonic blast that emitted seemed to stun the pony.
I scrapped the ground with my hooves and leaped at the now stunned pony. I tackled him and we wrestled in the bushes together.
I finally managed to pin him down and aimed my gun at him “Alright I- You!?”
Lying on the ground was the white unicorn stallion with a red mane that Pinkie danced with at the party. He looked up at me with large green eyes “We…we mean no harm…” His voice was almost robotic.
I kept my gun trained on him “I know what you are…”
He kept his gaze on me “We didn’t mean any harm…we simply wanted to find her…”
“Balboey?” I asked
He suddenly looked flushed and embarrassed “No…somebody…far more special…”
The Doctor looked over at me and looked down at the unicorn “What’s a changeling like you doing running around Ponyville?”
“If you will let us up we will explain” the changeling said looking at us. His green eyes betrayed his hope that we would.
I slowly gave in and got up off him. Fluttershy and Big Mac went away for some privacy while I looked at the unicorn. “Who are you?”
He blinked at the question “What do you mean?”
The Doctor looked at me and rephrased my question “He means do you have a name?”
He shook his head “We do not have what you ponies call names…we are drone number 1,183…we are simply one part of a whole”
I looked over at the Doctor “Sounds like a creed you would say at the beginning of a school day”
The Doctor nodded and tapped his hoof “We’ll call you Swarm for now”
“Swarm?” I said raising an eyebrow “What gave you that idea?”
The Doctor shrugged “Irony, he’s one part of a whole but he’s discovered individuality. I thought a name like Swarm would be poetic”
The Unicorn thought for a moment then nodded “We like the name Swarm. We understand this one’s argument”
I simply shrugged “Okay Swarm…who was it you were looking for?”
Swarm looked at me with those green eyes of his. He then stepped back and fire engulfed him. His white coat turned into the insect like carapace of a changeling. I was a little shocked by this sudden change but then he simply held his head “It is best if we show you…”
Before my very eyes Swarm’s black skin transformed into a bright pink. He suddenly grew a wild pink mane and his eyes turned from sectioned blue into bright blue normal eyes...
I simply looked at Swarm with wide eyes as he transformed back into his unicorn stallion form. His green eyes looked at me as if he confessed a great wrong. He spoke in that same almost robotic voice of his “We were looking for Pinkie Pie…”
The Doctor looked at me then at the changeling “How do you know Miss Pinkie Pie?”
Swarm sat on his romp and spoke “Twelve years ago the hive felt something strange in the air. Somebody performed a sonic rainboom which hasn’t been done in years. We were assigned by the lieutenants to investigate the effects it would have on the pony population…”
“You were spying on us?” I said my voice laced with suspicion
He nodded “Yes, we were assigned to the rock farms which was an always a dark and dreary landscape. We searched but could find no difference in the environment…at least until we found Pinkie Pie”
“What do you mean?” I asked
“When we arrived at her farm we found that there was joy and laughter. Emotions you hardly find at a rock farm. We found them intoxicating so we went to investigate. We found out that Pinkie had thrown a celebration for no particular reason I could discern. Joy just sprouted out of her and we were drawn…”
“I thought Changelings only fed on love” I pointed out
The Doctor shook his head “They feed off any emotion, anger, lust, sadness. But Love is to Changelings like sugar is to ants. They find it intoxicating and can’t resist its draw”
“So you found Pinkie then what?” I asked the changeling
He nodded and went on “We observed Pinkie Pie and reported our findings back to the lieutenant. Unlike other ponies who seek and crave love Pinkie was tossing it around everywhere. She brought joy to others without payment or anything. We did not understand her reasons at first”
He looked up at the sky, his green eyes in a distant place “We watched Pinkie Pie for years…watching her spread joy and happiness to the once dreary farm. We began to question whether or not we should feed upon the love she gave. But after a while we began to feel stronger. Instead of having to literally feed off her we gained strength by simply being around her…we did not understand”
The Doctor spoke up “This can’t have gone on forever. At some point your superiors might have found out what you were doing”
I nodded and looked at Swarm “Have you been watching her all this time in secret?”
Swarm shook his head “No, after five years of watching her, the lieutenants asked us to stop. They said that the emotions we were feeling were not right for a drone to feel…we agreed and decided to stop watching her”
“Why would you agree?” I asked “Didn’t being around Pinkie make you happy?”
Swarm looked thoughtful for a moment. He then simply spoke “We were afraid…”
“Afraid of what?” I pressed on
“We were afraid because Pinkie Pie was chaos. Order rules in a drone’s life, we do what we are told and nobody questions it”
The Doctor shook his head in sympathy “Yet another victim of dictatorship…even here it’s prevalent”
Swarm ignored the Doctor’s comment and went on “We tried to forget about Pinkie Pie. But that only made us work slower and the lieutenants noticed it. The queen decided to assign me a mate so that I could forget…”
“You are assigned mates?” I asked curiously “But shouldn’t you mate with the queen in order to have more changelings?”
“Purely reproductive mating is done only by the lieutenants” Swarm explained “Drones are not allowed to even go near the queen unless he asks. No, I was assigned a mate…number 2183…she was pleasant but…”
“You didn’t love her” I deduced “She wasn’t Pinkie Pie”
Swarm shook his head again “No, despite her best attempts to help us…she couldn’t help us find peace. We ventured to the surface a year after we left. We found out that Pinkie Pie was about to leave her farm to see the world. We…were saddened to see her leave…but then…”
“Then what?” The Doctor asked
“She saw us…” Swarm confessed “She saw us in the woods and she just…smiled. She did not fear us or try to draw attention to us. She just smiled and went on…we did not understand”
I guessed “not understand” was going to be his favorite word. I moved on “So Pinkie Pie knew about you? All this time?”
Swarm nodded “She found out about us. We are not sure how or when but somehow she knew who we were and where. It was like she could sense where we were and she knew us. We cannot explain it”
The Doctor thought for a moment “Maybe Pinkie deduced somebody was seeing her. Over time she just got used to it and when you left she noticed it. When you came back it was like she was seeing an old friend”
“Okay” I said moving on “What happened after that?”
Swarm went on “For four more years we lived as a normal changeling would. We did not inform our mate of our meeting Pinkie Pie again. Over time we became more and more conflicted over this. Half of us wanted to forget about Pinkie Pie and go back to the order we once had. But…the other half wanted to find her…”
“Which you did” I said “At the wedding”
The Changeling nodded “We decided to settle this once and for all. When the time came for us to launch the assault on Canterlot we volunteered to fight as well. We wanted to find Pinkie Pie and conclude this chaos within us”
“Did you find her?” The Doctor asked
He nodded “During the battle we found Pinkie Pie among the chaos. We tried to intimidate her by transforming into her friends. Only it had the opposite effect, she laughed at my changing like that. She even asked me to…” He transformed into Pinkie Pie again to imitate her “Do me! Do me!”
He changed back to his normal form “When we did she just gave us this odd expression” Back to Pinkie Pie “Eh, I’ve seen better” Back to Swarm “Then she grabbed Twilight Sparkle and shot magic everywhere…except at me”
The Doctor laughed “I heard about that, such a humorous picture using Morning Glory in such a fashion”
I gave him an odd look “Don’t you mean Twilight Sparkle?”
“Whatever” The Doctor said “So what happened after the whole love explosion?”
Swarm sat back down on his romp and continued his story “After the battle we were knocked far away from Canterlot. The Queen was quite angry about her failure to conquer Canterlot. She took it out on several drones and we still bear some marks from the experience” He rubbed his side a little. I’m sure in his true form there were probably scars there.
“So what happened to you?” I asked
“We…we realized that love was not simply food. We…felt something here…” He gestured to where his heart was “We realized….we loved Pinkie Pie…”
A changeling falling in love? To say this surprised me was like saying the sky was blue. Part of me still held a grudge towards the changelings thanks to Zazz. I still remembered how sick and eager he was to replace me during the case. But I couldn’t let that color my opinion of Swarm.
The Doctor spoke again “Your superiors probably didn’t like that”
Swarm shook his head “The week after we approached the Queen when she calmed down. We…asked her a question that caused us to want to leave…”
“What was the question?” I asked
Swarm sighed and looked at me with those deep green eyes of his. His answer was earnest; I can imagine this was how he asked the Queen “Can this drone love a pony?”
“That was your question?” The Doctor said “What was her answer?”
“She laughed” Swarm answered frankly “She called us a fool and told us to get back to work…we didn’t go back to work. Since then we’ve been desperately searching for Pinkie Pie. We weren’t able to find it until…” He looked at me “You killed Zazz”
“That was how you found Pinkie Pie?”
“Not so much how we found her, but it gave us courage. To a drone the lieutenants are as gods, you made a god bleed so we no longer feared finding Pinkie Pie” He smiled a little “We never liked Zazz, he was far too cruel a master”
“Thank you” I said smiling “So how did you find Pinkie Pie?”
“We learned that you were staying in Ponyville at the time. Through that we found the town ledger and saw that she lived here. We then crafted this form” He gestured to his regular unicorn stallion form “So that she would not be frightened by our appearance. Today was the first time we spoke to her…”
“At the party, she pulled you onto the dance floor” I pointed out
Swarm blushed, only his blush was a soft green instead of red. I guess it came from being part insect “Yes, when she came to us we were very nervous. But she encouraged us to come out…it felt…wonderful to not have to hide from her”
“You still don’t have to hide silly!”
All three of us looked up to see Pinkie Pie hanging upside down from a tree. I let out a yelp at the sight of her “When did you get here!?”
Pinkie dropped down and landed on her hooves “Well, I was wondering why you were taking so long to find Time Turner. Then I saw you pull Big Mac and Fluttershy aside for something. Then I came out here and saw you talking to Swarmy here” She gestured to Swarm who was blushing even more at having been referred to by his name. “So I came around and listened to the story”
Swarm looked at Pinkie “You know what we are then…” He said sorrowfully
Pinkie hooped to him and smiled “Of course silly! You’re my secret friend that I’ve been waiting forever to meet! I remembered there always being somepony watching over me while I made party stuff. No predators attacked out farms since you came! I’m so happy to finally meet you Swarmy!”
She then embraced the changeling and for a minute the changeling reverted to his true form. He quickly fixed himself and looked at the Pink pony. “You don’t fear us?”
Pinkie shook her head “Of course not silly, I knew it was you when the wedding happened. My pinkie sense told me that you were the same guy who was looking out for me”
The Doctor looked over at me “Pinkie Sense?”
I rolled my eyes “Some kind of precognitive ability that Pinkie has. Supposedly she can predict the short term future- what are you doing?”
The Doctor stopped writing on the notepad he had out “Sorry, something to file away for later study”
I shook my head, he was about to have as much success of figuring out the Pinkie Sense as Twilight.
Swarm smiled a little “We are happy you do not fear us…”
Pinkie smiled in turn “Well Swarmy I’m happy when I make ponies or changelings happy”
I walked up to Swarm “So let me ask another question, what happened after you danced with Pinkie?”
Swarm looked at me then spoke again “We moved about the party for a few minutes and saw Pinkie and Balboey arguing. But Balboey was long dead…we suspected something was up”
“Something is definitely up” Forceps said as he examined Balboey’s body “Her blood was red but after some tests…it isn’t pony blood”
I looked at Forceps, I left the Doctor and Pinkie outside and Swarm was beside me. We were lucky that Forceps worked so late at night otherwise we’d never get the body examined so fast. “Changeling blood?”
“Yep, it’s a female…” Forceps threw some powder on the changeling and Balboey’s violet coat gave way to the black of a changeling. The only real difference between Swarm’s true form and this was shorter wings and a longer horn. She was also a bit more lithe then Swarm.
Swarm and I walked out after that and met up with the other two. Pinkie put a hoof around Swarm’s shoulder for comfort.
Swarm’s eyes laced with sorrow “It was 2183…we knew it was…”
I looked over at Swarm “What exactly happened in there?”
Swarm went on “We saw Balboey argue with Pinkie Pie and push her into the storage room. We ran inside and saw 2183 change into her true form. She told us she was going to kill Pinkie Pie…we told her that we…” He looked at Pinkie Pie and flushed green again. “Anyways she didn’t take it well…she said she would die for her queen…we ran out of there to try and find help but…then we heard a quiet scream…then Pinkie Pie was about woke up...we left in a hurry”
“She committed suicide” I concluded “I thought the angle was odd…”
“Swarmy I’m so sorry…” Pinkie said looking at Swarm with big apologetic eyes “If I didn’t…I didn’t mean to cause…”
Swarm shook his head “Do not blame yourself…we didn’t mean to get you involved…”
The Doctor then spoke up “Something else doesn’t add up…”
I looked at him “What do you mean?”
“I found powder belonging to teleportation spells on the floor in the bathroom after you left detective. Somepony else teleported inside…”
Vinyl was playing the latest tunes on her turntable. She hoped to get the audience calmed down…Private will be back soon. When she did he’ll have his culprit and-
GET THE BUCK OFF MY STAGE!!!!
Everypony in the room turned to see I was standing in the doorway. Beside me was a very pissed looking Vinyl Scratch, wait…two Vinyls!?
The DJ ran to the stage and glared at her counterpart “You knocked me upside the head!”
The other Vinyl glared back “Listen faker! I don’t know who you are but you get off my stage!”
I walked between the two DJs and frowned at the fake one “I know what you are…You never told me that Swarm left the room before the murder…also we analyzed the dust found in the room…”
Pseudo Vinyl backed away slowly, she was about to be found out…
I kept my gaze “Also, the angle was odd on the knife…I double checked and found that the knife was levitated…by a changeling”
Pseudo Vinyl was sweating right now “Why are you blaming me? She’s the fake Vinyl!”
Real Vinyl glared “You smacked me upside the head and I woke up in a garbage can! You’re going to pay for doing that ya bug eyed freak!”
I pulled out Blackbird and aimed it at Pseudo Vinyl “You may as well come out…”
Pseudo Vinyl suddenly leaped into the crowd of ponies surrounding the stage. Everypony looked around for her but couldn’t find her.
The Doctor looked over the crowd “She could be anypony! How are we going to draw her out?!”
I knew there was only one way…I looked over at Raiden “Raiden, play that song…”
Raiden’s yellow eyes grew wide “Private the last time I played that the entire concert turned into a mass orgy!”
“That’s what I’m hoping for rock star” I said smiling “Turn the love in the room to such levels even a changeling can’t stand it”
Raiden nodded slowly and walked to a nearby piano. The crowd looked on the rock star oddly. Raiden’s songs were almost always rock and roll tunes. He rarely had just pure unadulterated love songs in his track list. But there was one song that Raiden held close to his heart.
He tapped the mike that Vinyl placed on the piano and spoke to the crowd “This is a song that I only save for special occasions. A song I think some of you might know”
The music escalated as Vinyl added to the music. I looked over to see couples star to lean into each other. It was working!
Raiden began singing with all his heart into the mike
You’re the meaning in my life!
You’re the inspiration!!
You bring feeling to my life!
He looked up and saw Rainbow walking towards him on the stage. Her smile was wide as the rock star sung the song to her. Her cyan cheeks turned scarlet as he kept singing
You’re the inspiration!
Wanna have you near me!
Big Mac was nuzzling Fluttershy warmly
Wanna have you hear me say it!!
No pony needs you more then I…need…you
Raiden kept playing as the love in the room began to grow. I looked over and saw Spike walking up nervously to Rarity. The little guy got within two inches of Rarity before the white unicorn picked Spike up in her hooves and nuzzled him. Dang this stuff really works!
And I know…
Yes I know that it’s plain to see…
We’re so in love when we’re together…
I felt something on my shoulder and turned to see Twilight nuzzling me. I flushed bright red as the love of my life turned and embraced me. Thank you Raiden!!
Now I know…now I know
That I need you here with me…
Raiden looked on as Rainbow sat on the piano seat beside him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Raiden so flustered around a mare before. He turned to Rainbow and sang the lyrics to her
From Tonight until the end of time…
You should know…
Everywhere I go…
Always on my mind…
In my heart…
In my soul…
Bon Bon was causally trying not to get into the music. She wanted to avoid any more embarrassment before…too late. Lyra pounced on her mare friend and the two began to kiss on the floor. Bon Bon looked up at Lyra blushing furiously. Lyra simply smiled and nuzzled her affectionately. The cream colored mare simply rolled her eyes, there was no stopping Lyra when she got into something.
You’re the meaning in my life!
You’re the inspiration!
You bring feeling to my life!
You’re the inspiration!
I wanna have you near me!
I wanna have you hear me say it!!
No one needs you more than I!!!!
Raiden continued and Rainbow pulled the rock star into a kiss. I was amazed Raiden could play while being kissed by Rainbow like that.
I looked down at Twilight and she pressed her lips to me. All around us couples did the same…except for Swarm…
The unicorn in disguise was looking on all the love in the room. His expression was somewhat somber…then he felt somepony hug him tightly.
He looked over and Pinkie Pie began nuzzling him. His face flushed green as she did. Never before had Pinkie Pie been this close to him. He felt…happy
Raiden broke away from his kiss with Rainbow and sang the song to her
The crowd parted as the song ended. In the center of the circle was a pseudo Berry Punch on the ground her mouth drooling. When the song ended she glared at the ponies around her. I walked to Pseudo Berry Punch and aimed my gun “Show us your true identity changeling!
Berry Punch laughed a very evil laugh and green fire surrounded her. Before our very eyes Berry’s purple coat melted off her to reveal a black insect exoskeleton. Her mane became long and blue, insect like wings sprouted out of the pony’s back. A horn jutted out of the creature’s head and her green eyes opened “Well, it was no wonder you managed to kill Zazz…”
Twilight appeared beside me “Queen Chrysalis! It was you all along!”
The Changeling queen smiled “I must say I’m about as happy to see you all again as you are to see me” She glared at me “And you Detective…I don’t appreciate ponies who go around killing my lieutenants”
Ponies looked at me, I never told anypony what the changeling said or threatened to do with me. Twilight didn’t even know she just looked at me confused. I kept my gaze on the Queen “You killed 2183…you tried to take out Pinkie Pie by having her kill her. But, Swarm stopped her from doing it”
Swarm stood beside me standing defiantly against his former queen. Chrysalis physically bristled at the sight of him. “We convinced her not to kill Pinkie Pie” Swarm said his robotic voice developing an edge “But…you went and killed her to make it look like we killed her”
I nodded “You disguised yourself as Vinyl to convince me to hunt down a culprit. Anypony would’ve said it was suicide that took 2183. But she didn’t commit suicide…you killed her to cover up the attempt at murder. Any other cop would’ve thought Pinkie would’ve had something to do with her death. But you failed to mention Swarm in your fake testimony…”
The Queen laughed “A cleaver Pony you are; now I no longer have to hide in these foul trappings!” She glared at Swarm “Now I can deal with you without having to worry about all this deceit!” She tackled Swarm and before I could do anything she teleported away.
I looked around and noticed the Doctor leaving again. He and I had the same idea I see…
I paced inside the Tardis as the Doctor began working the controls. “Can’t we just go back in time and prevent Swarm from getting captured?”
The Doctor shook his head “There’s too much of a risk of us running into our past selves” He looked rather grim “At best we would simply faint at the sight of each other. At worst there could be a paradox that could destroy the universe”
“A paradox?” I said with a raised eyebrow
“Essentially a hiccup in time” The Doctor explained “And we really don’t want paradoxes, because if we made one we’d get these nasty fellas called Reapers knocking on our door”
From his expression these Reapers were not fellows you wanted to mess with. I trusted the Doctor’s judgment on this one. I walked to him and looked over his shoulder “What are you doing?”
“Getting the Tardis to see if she can’t transport us to the nest” The Doctor said tapping more buttons and levers “If the Queen is like any dictator I know then she’s probably taking Swarm back to the nest to make an example out of him. It’ll take a few minutes for the Tardis to find the nest again”
“Swarm is dead meat if we don’t get there” I said grimly…”Wait did you just call the Tardis a she?”
“Well yes” The Doctor said “You see the Tardis isn’t completely a machine, it’s complicated to explain but she’s partially alive. We are technically inside her body”
I gave the Doctor a look. Despite everything I’ve seen about this Time Lord I found the fact that this Time machine could think like a living organism a little farfetched. Then again I live in a world where a princess raises the sun every day.
I looked around at the Tardis “How long have you had her?”
The Doctor tapped his chin “Several centuries I’d say”
“You can live that long!?” I said my mouth agape
The Doctor smiled and nodded “You see Time Lords don’t have lives like ponies. Every time I “die” I just regenerate into a new body. I get a new face, sometimes a new personality, though I have yet to become a ginger…”
“How long have you…” I fought for the right word “died?”
The Doctor looked rather grim as he said “I am currently on my twelfth life”
“How many times can you regenerate?” I asked “You can’t keep regenerating forever…”
The Doctor was quiet for a moment but then he spoke firmly “I can only regenerate thirteen times. Once I “die” two more times…bye bye Doctor”
I blinked; this guy has died almost a dozen times. I couldn’t even imagine the pain of dying once. I wondered what circumstances led to his eleven deaths. Then the question plagued my mind “But why?”
“Why what?” The Doctor said looking at me
“You’re immortal” I pointed out “You’ve lived for centuries and seen so much. Why not settle down? Live out the rest of your life by finding some lady time lord and having foals? Why die all those times?”
The Doctor got up and looked at me square in the eye. I could see hints of anger that he was trying to hold back. He obviously suffered a great deal and wanted to keep fro lashing out “To answer your first question, I can’t settle down…there are no other Time Lords left”
“You’re the last of your kind…what happened?”
The Doctor shook his head “Let’s just say I had something to do with it. I’m not proud of it but sometimes circumstances dictate actions…”
He then got even closer to me “And the reason I die all those times is the same reason I told my fellow Time Lords when they were alive. They were content to simply watch time, to watch races suffer like some sick movie” He slammed his hoof into a terminal in frustration “So many species! So many lives! Just wasted when we could’ve acted to save them!”
I blinked; I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Doctor so furious at anything. I was seeing a whole other side to the Time Lord.
He kept his blue eyes on my grey ones “I stole the Tardis because I couldn’t sit around any longer. All those centuries ago I chose to steal the Tardis in the hopes of doing something! I couldn’t watch anymore! I…I just…” He let out a breath “Sorry Detective…you were only asking why I do this…”
I smiled a little “Doctor, I can understand perfectly”
“You lived for centuries flying around in a Tardis?” He said trying to lighten the mood.
It worked as I let out a little laugh “No, but I know what you’re coming from. When I was nineteen there was this Donut shop owner that got shot in an alley. Everypony was just watching waiting for the police to arrive. I couldn’t stand waiting anymore so I went to the crime scene and investigated myself. Got an earful from the uniforms who caught me working”
The Doctor laughed “Sounds like we have a bit more in common than I thought”
I nodded and smiled “You keep doing what you do Doctor”
He nodded and went back to work smiling a little. I think he was glad to get his frustrations off his chest.
I walked to a nearby terminal on the opposite side of the room. I wonder…if the Tardis is a living thing I wonder if she could hear me? I closed my eyes and concentrated my magic on-
“Oh don’t be like that Tardis!” I heard the Doctor shout from his terminal.
I deactivated my magic and walked to the Doctor “What’s wrong?”
He let out an exacerbated sigh “The Tardis is being glitchy again! She refuses to activate her space transport gizmo!”
“I had no idea the Tardis could stop you from going anywhere”
“She can, and she’s been doing it ever since we got here!” The Doctor exclaimed “She won’t let me leave this planet, not that there’s anything wrong with this place, but still she won’t let me go off planet!”
I snickered a little “The way you talk to her it sounds as if you are married to her”
The Doctor laughed “No I’m not married to the Tardis, she’s just being stubborn”
“Why don’t you take her out for a night out with some flowers?” I suggested while laughing
“That’s completely ridicu-“He suddenly stopped himself and I could hear several sounds around me coming from various terminals. The Doctor’s eyes went wide “Tardis you can’t seriously be considering it!”
More sounds followed by a clank, the Doctor’s jaw dropped “I can’t believe you’re suggesting it! The last time we did that was under special circumstances!”
“What’s wrong?” I asked smiling “Trouble in paradise Doctor?”
He glared at me “She’s actually suggesting I download her consciousness into another body! She’s actually taking what you’re saying seriously!”
“You mean she can enter a pony body?” I said curious
“Well that only happened once and it was under very strange circumstances” Strange circumstances for the Doctor? I didn’t want to know.
More sounds came from various councils that the Doctor could apparently translate as Tardis speak “Now don’t be like that! You are too appreciated!” More sounds and the Doctor’s face looked indignant “Now that was just plain rude!”
“What did she say?” I said trying to hold back my laughter
“Let’s just say it involved me, a Dalek, and a sponge in a very personal area”
“Essentially she called you an asswipe” I chuckled
“Well she may have used a lot more words then that” more sounds and the Doctor finally groaned “Women! No matter what species they always have to be so stubborn!!” He stomped off to another room.
I laughed; even Time Lords can have women trouble it seemed. Even with their Time machines. I turned my attention to the terminal the Doctor left behind. Thousands of characters I didn’t recognize adorned the screen.
I remembered the Doctor’s Sonic…what was it Screwdriver? Reacted oddly when I mixed magic with it. I wonder what the Tardis will do if I…
My horn glowed seemingly of its own accord. The curiosity as to what would happen gripped me. Or…did something else activate my horn?
I then heard a soft female voice speak in my head
Hello Detective, I don’t really appreciate you sneaking around my systems like that
I fell back in shock. I looked around hoping to find the source of the voice “Who are you!? Where are you?!”
Seven hundred years and he has yet to get anybody with a brain on board! Please I apologize, I’m the Tardis…you are inside me
“You’re saying I can hear you?”
Your odd magic somehow allows us to speak with each other. Don’t ask me to explain it to you or your head will explode. If you see the Doctor again tell him I don't appreciate him pushing the door when it clearly says pull! I don't care if he has hooves or not!
Dear Luna this time machine has a mouth. I guess she got that from listening to the Doctor all these centuries. I smiled at the nearby terminal “So, Tardis I have to ask…why aren’t you letting us travel?”
Because…well it’s a thing I don’t really understand…I just remembered your conversation with my Doctor about his being on his twelfth life. For some reason I felt that I shouldn’t let him leave
I made the connection “You’re worried about him. Is that why he can’t leave?”
For a Tardis, her crew is everything to her. I’ve known far too many of my sisters who’ve transported themselves to the end of time…to die…
“Tardises…can die?”
We can…in fact The Doctor and I are both the last of our kind…
“That’s why you don’t want him to leave. You want to keep him from dying so that…you won’t be alone”
She got quiet for a moment. I could tell she was pondering what I was saying. Finally after a minute she spoke
After his twelfth regeneration I transported the Doctor to your universe alone. I calculated that the chances of him dying again in this universe are relatively small. You have a peaceful planet without much conflict and I hoped him to…how do humans say it, retire?
Humans? No way, those were fictional creatures. Well maybe there is a universe out there that has humans. Maybe they watch a show about ponies like we watch a show about them. I wonder if they’re fan base is also stallions my age?
I’m thinking too far into this. “Listen, Tardis we need your help if we want to help Swarm”
I…I hoped to keep the Doctor from more harm…but I guess conflict follows him wherever he goes…
“You remember what he said” I spoke smiling “He’s doing something; he stole you because of that”
He’ll tell you he stole me. In truth I stole him
“So will you help us?”
I am called Time And Relative Dimension In Space for a reason you know
The Tardis lurched as she came to life. The Doctor came out and cheered happily “Ah ha! That’s a good Tardis! Let’s go help our friend!”
Seven hundred years and I have to argue with him in order to get a compliment!
The Tardis formed itself into existence in a deep underground cavern. It made a strange noise as I stepped out of the machine with the Doctor behind me. “What is that noise anyways?”
“What noise?” The Doctor said looking around at the cavern
“You know the…whiir, whiir whriiirrr or whatever the Tardis makes when she appears”
“I don’t really know” The Doctor said shrugging “I think it has something to do with the brakes or something” He looked around the cavern and held up his Sonic Screwdriver, it gave off a green glow like a flashlight.
My own horn glowed with a pale grey light “Alright, we should be able to find the nest. Swarm is probably there” I pulled out Blackbird and the Doctor glared at me. “What?”
“I don’t approve of that” He said gesturing at my gun “I would really appreciate it if you didn’t have to use it”
“You don’t like my gun?” I said giving him an odd look
“I don’t approve of Firearms no” He said keeping his gaze on me “We can stop Chrysalis without having to resort to using violent means”
I slowly put Blackbird away “Alright, but if the situation calls for it I’m pulling her out”
He moved his device along the walls “Well let’s hope it doesn’t come to that” The Sonic Screwdriver made a beeping noise and he smiled “The nest is this way!”
I followed the Doctor as we ventured deeper into the caverns. There was a strange stench in the air. I looked up and my eyes grew wide. Hanging from the ceiling were hundreds of cocoons of a strange green substance. “Doctor…I think these are victims…”
The Doctor ran his screwdriver over one of the lower hanging cocoons “No sign of any vitals…these haven’t been used in a long time. But Ponies would be put in here before they were…drained”
“No wonder Swarm wanted to find an alternate means” I said looking at one of the empty cocoons “This is sick…”
“They don’t know any other way Private” The Doctor said firmly “But let’s hope Swarm can bring about some changes around here”
We found the nest; it was a large and spacious room. Possibly thousands of changelings covered the walls and ceiling looking down at the center. There, lying on the ground was Swarm, his limbs stuck to the ground with some sticky webbing.
He looked up as Chrysalis advanced on him. She grinned darkly as she looked down on the drone. Swarm was in his true form now, his blue sectioned eyes betraying his fear “Now my children!” The Queen said as she looked at the crowd of changelings “See what happens when one decides to defy me!”
Swarm tried to speak firmly “We did not mean to cause harm to the hive! We only wished to understand!”
Chrysalis slapped Swarm across the face “You will speak only when your queen wishes it drone!” She buzzed her wings in annoyance “You will all see! Love is food for a good reason! It clouds minds and destroys the order of our existence!”
The Changelings growled and buzzed in agreement. Swarm was truly alone on the stage. He held his head “We…we only wanted to understand…”
“There is but one thing you need understand drone!” Chrysalis said slapping the drone again “Is that your place is at the bottom! You’re nothing more than an ant!”
Chrysalis raised her hoof “Now I shall squash you like an ant!”
A bullet fired and almost made a new hole in the Queen’s leg.
I shouted “That was a warning shot!”
The Doctor glared at me “First of all you missed and second of all I thought I told you I didn’t approve!”
“Shut up and help me rescue the love sick changeling!” I retorted
Chrysalis laughed maniacally “Oh this is too perfect. I’ll kill not only this insolent drone but the murderer of Zazz as well!”
The Doctor and I leaped into the crowd of changelings. They lowered and hissed aggressively. I charged the first one I saw and fired a magic bolt at another.
One changeling came up to the doctor and transformed into him. He laughed “Well I must admit I am a handsome devil in this body”
The Changeling looked confused and growled again before trying to pounce on him. The Doctor dodged him and his screwdriver fired at the changeling. Suddenly the changeling was back in his normal form gripping his ears in pain.
“Sonic Screwdriver” He said smiling at his device “What did I do before I met you?”
I dodged and weaved my way through the horde of changelings. I know the Doctor didn’t approve of me using Blackbird, but right now seemed good cause to use it. I pulled her out and hit a changeling in the wing. He fell down and crashed into his brothers.
The Doctor kept firing his screwdriver at the Changelings. Those that got hit apparently got stunned by the Sonics that emitted from the device. The first one he hit noticed I was struggling with two changelings. He leaped up and bit my on the shoulder and drew blood.
I let out a gasp of pain before two more changelings bit me. I yelled in pain as I was pinned on the ground by the insects.
The Doctor looked over at me and his blue eyes became wide. “Private!”
Chrysalis laughed and walked to me “I would suggest you put away your stick Doctor…”
“Don’t listen to her!” I shouted as I struggled against the growing pile of Changelings on me “Get Swarm and get out of here!”
The Doctor looked at me. His eyes were somewhere else…
The Doctor put his sonic screwdriver on the ground. He kicked it away and looked at Chrysalis firmly “Let him go…now”
Chrysalis laughed “How rich! All that bravado and smugness falls away when you’re faced with the prospect of losing your friend!” She smacked me across the face. The Doctor noticeably bristled “You ponies truly are a sentimental and weak race…”
“No…”
“What?” The Queen said looking at the Doctor
“They are not weak; Private knew the risks coming here. He knew what he might have to face, yet he came anyway. You can’t face a man like him or I in a one on one fight. You’re nothing more than a cowardly playground bully hiding behind her thugs!”
“Do you even know what you are speaking of?” The Queen said hissing “You have never witnessed a being such as I!”
“There are always beings like you…” The Doctor said his voice showing a fury I haven’t seen before “You aren’t anything special Chrysalis; it’s no wonder why Swarm decided to rebel…”
Chrysalis bristled and turned back to Swarm. Where there was cowardice and fear was now replaced by defiance and determination. The Queen laughed “You plan to defy me drone!”
Swarm growled “You will harm us! They are not a part of this! We are the culprit! We performed the wrong! If you face anypony! Face us!”
The Queen laughed and walked to Swarm. The Changeling was struggling against the webbing. She smirked “You are merely a pawn…an ant…waiting to be squashed by me…”
“We may be an ant!” Swarm hissed defiantly “But we are an ant that can bite you! Make you see pain!”
“You are nothing more than a worthless drone….”
“HIS NAME IS SWARMY!!!!”
I looked up and saw that a huge canon ball came out of nowhere. It exploded in the Queen’s face and she flew back. She glared as Pinkie Pie leaped into the center of the room with her trademark Party Cannon.
Her Blue eyes showed defiance as well as she fired another cannon shot at the Queen. She dodged the attack but several changelings got caught in the explosion.
The Doctor used this moment to grab his sonic screwdriver and aim it at the changelings on my back. I covered my ears to protect them from the Sonics. The Changelings on me weren’t so smart, they all fell off me and the Doctor helped me up.
We made our way to the center of the room and I used whatever magic I had left to cut Swarm free.
Swarm looked at Pinkie Pie “You…saved us…”
She smiled and hugged Swarm tightly “I couldn’t leave you Swarmy…you are my friend”
“Even if we are a changeling…” Swarm said somberly
“Are you kidding me?” Pinkie said smiling wide at the changeling “You made me laugh so much when you changed into my friends like that. I always like a pony that can make me laugh”
Swarm smiled and before our very eyes he transformed into Rainbow Dash “Can you say best rescue ever?!” He changed into Rarity “Oh we do hope we look festive enough!” Now Twilight “I should read up on this for later” Fluttershy “We mean…thank you so much Pinkie for all you’ve done…”
Pinkie was laughing out loud at this “Oh Swarmy!”
Swarm transformed back into his regular unicorn form. His red mane was long and cascaded down to his green eyes. They looked at Pinkie Pie with pure joy “We have never felt this before…it feels…grand…”
Pinkie smiled and wrapped her hooves around Swarm “Don’t leave me again Swarm…I want to get to know you…”
“Truly?”
“You are my very very very very special somepony after all…” She said with a shy smile “Even if you aren’t a pony…”
Swarm blinked his green eyes and turned his head. Pinkie met his lips and the two kissed rather sweetly.
My horn glowed brightly as I slowly rose from the ground. The Chanting grew louder as a cord of light connected Swarm and Pinkie Pie. The two rose in front of me and a necklace with a blue jewel appeared around her neck. The Element of Laughter? Just like the element of magic from the school with Twilight.
The element appeared around Swarm’s neck as both kept their kiss. The Chanting reached its highest point as I raised my hooves to the sky. A large heart appeared and Pinkie and Swarm outlined it. The power of love had showed itself with these two.
Chrysalis laughed “Love again!? You think you can defeat me with that?! My army at Canterlot was merely a small portion of the whole! You think to defeat an entire hive of changelings?!”
The Doctor smiled “Not defeat Chrysalis!” His screwdriver glowed as he held it to the heart “But free!!” He fired it and the Sonics hit the heart and a shockwave of pink spread out over the whole hive.
The Changelings were not harmed in the blast. Rather the pink power was absorbed into them. Suddenly Changelings started experiencing emotions for the first time. Some laughed, others cried, some even lashed out in anger. All experienced the emotions they fed on for so long.
When it was over I landed on the ground with Pinkie and Swarm finally breaking their kiss. Swarm smiled at Pinkie Pie “We-“He was cut off when he was hit by a blast of green magic from a very pissed Chrysalis.
Chrysalis glared at a nearby changeling “You! Kill him!”
The changeling looked for a moment at the queen. He blinked his blue eyes and then spoke…”Why should we?”
Her green eyes grew wide as Swarm stood his ground to face her “You have no power anymore!”
“NO!” She fired another blast of magic at the changeling “I will not be denied!”
Swarm’s own horn glowed bright green and he fired his own magic at the queen. The two blasts met each other, the Doctor and I held back Pinkie from joining the fray. This was Swarm’s fight.
“You cannot defeat me!” Chrysalis shouted “You are but a drone! A pathetic worthless drone! You cannot hope to defeat me!!”
Swarm stood his ground and kept firing the magical beam. His green eyes opened and he met the Queen’s eyes “I…am…SWARM!!!!”
The Magic suddenly multiplied and the beam overtook the queen’s and she got hit by the full force of Swarm’s magic.
She flew back and crashed into the cave wall. She fell to the ground and into unconsciousness. The Changeling drones then pounced on her wrapping her in the strange green webbing. Swarm collapsed onto the floor from the effort.
Pinkie went and started kissing Swarm all over “Swarmy that was so amazing! You were all like I AM SWARM and then she went zoom and-“She was cut off when Swarm put a hoof on her mouth.
“I…I love you Pinkie Pie…” He said slowly
I looked at the Doctor “He said I…”
The time lord simply smiled “I love it when they say that…”
Swarm got up after Pinkie Pie kissed him for the twelfth time. Dang that girl was excitable even in romance. Swarm looked around at his fellow changelings “My brothers and sisters, for too long Chrysalis has told us we are nothing. That emotions are only something for us to feed upon. But the truth is we grow stronger by experiencing these emotions ourselves! We mustn’t hide from the ponies and feed on them. We need to share the love…for it is a process of give and be given. We give love…we shall gain it in return…”
The Changelings cheered and some cried and broke down from the sheer amount of emotion in the air. They had a few years before they could figure out all that they were feeling. But with Swarm’s help I think they’ll be alright…
Swarm looked over at The Doctor and me “I cannot thank you two enough for all you’ve done for me and my people”
“All in a day’s work Swarm” The Doctor said smiling “You take good care of Pinkie Pie now”
Swarm smiled as Pinkie nuzzled him on the neck “I think she will be taking care of me more so…”
Pinkie hopped on Swarm’s back “Come on Swarmy! I got to introduce you to everypony!”
The couple walked out. I followed just laughing at the sheer craziness of it all.
We left Swarm and Pinkie to meet everypony at the party and explain what happened. Well we left out the part about Time Turner being a Time lord and all that. I met the Doctor in the woods by the Tardis.
He smiled at me “Well I’d better be off Private that was quite an amazing bit of magic you performed there”
I shook my head “I don’t even know what happened. Just that chanting started playing and suddenly I felt I…connected them somehow?”
“Well whatever you did it saved a race from dictatorship” He slapped me on the back “I call that a win Private!”
I laughed a little as the Doctor unlocked the Tardis “Where are you going?”
He shrugged “Since I’m stuck on this planet for a while I think I’m going to explore it a little. Maybe learn its history”
I smiled “Well if you run into my future self say hi to him for me will you?”
He laughed and then reached into his pockets and pulled out a small box “I almost forgot your present; it is your birthday after all”
“You didn’t have to get me a present Doctor” I said
He shook his head and put the small box in my hooves “I’ve had more birthdays then I can count. It’s always nice to get presents from anybody on them”
I simply smiled and unwrapped the present. I looked at the contents with a raised eyebrow “Bow ties?”
“Yeah” He smiled and lifted his scarf to reveal he had a green bow tie and collar on “Bow Ties are cool you know”
I just laughed; this guy was certainly an interesting fellow. A madpony in a box traveling around trying to make ponies lives better...I wonder if that would ever catch on as a TV show?
After the Doctor left the party went well into the night. I sat in my house as the clock showed it was two in the morning. Two hours ago I was officially declared twenty five…
The Party ended an hour ago on a light note. I got a lot of presents despite my hope that Pinkie said in the invitations not to include them. But I guess she didn’t so I got a huge pile I had to dig through.
From Pinkie Pie herself I got a bunch of party supplies. Balloons, streamers, the whole shebang. From Miss Rarity I got another trench coat upgrade, this one had bullet proof enhanced fabric. She said I got shot at way too many times for my own good so she decided to choose function over form. Somehow she still managed to keep its grey color and all the pockets despite the addition of the enhanced fabric.
From Rainbow I got a dumbbell. She said I needed to keep myself physically fit if I was going to keep up with her on cases. I looked at my rather skinny legs and I understood her argument. Raiden gave me a compilation CD of his latest hits, I didn’t tell him I bought all of his albums whenever they came out. He already had a huge ego I didn’t need to add to it.
Fluttershy gave me some books on wolf care. Luca was spending most of his time in the woods but I still needed to look after the wolf. Despite her pet bunny being terrified of the wolf she’s developed a fondness for my noble friend. Luca didn’t give me anything for my birthday though…he was making a lot of effort trying to catch Angel Bunny though…
From the Apple family I got a huge basket of treats. Apple Fritters, tarts, pies, cakes, and even an apple turnover that tasted rather good. Big Mac gave me a simple thank you for hooking him up with Fluttershy. I swear those two were made for each other.
Spike gave me an old Mare-Do-Well comic as his gift. He said he actually liked reading them and he said I should be a super hero one day. My thoughts? Anypony who goes riding around dressed in tights and that hat clearly has issues…
The Cutie Mark Crusaders tried their hands at card making for my gift. The thing was huge! I’ve seen movie posters that were smaller! How the hey did they even get it out the door? It was a nice looking card anyway, not sure where I’m going to put it though. Sadly this did not earn them their cutie marks…so they moved on to trying some other crazy adventure.
Dinky got me a charm bracelet she made in arts and crafts. Her mother gave me; you guessed it, a basket of muffins. When I mentioned The Doctor (under his pseudonym Time Turner) she seemed to get flustered a little…I wonder what their relationship is?
Colgate got me a whole bunch of dental supplies. I felt my blood go cold when she said I should go to her place for an appointment. No matter how old you get a trip to the dentist is always something to dread…
Lyra and Bon Bon got me some of the candy Bon Bon makes for a living. Lyra tried to give me tips about what to do with Twilight during “alone time” That just got her yanked away by her marefriend trying to hide her embarrassment. Those two really do complete each other despite what happened. That and Bon Bon has a nasally voice now for some reason…
I got a few novelty gifts from the other ponies that came to the party. I just stared at the pile and wondered what I was going to do with all of this. I heard rolling and saw Tailspin rolling in his chair towards me. A smile was on his face and a present was in his lap.
He held up a hoof “Before you say how dumb I am for buying you a present…just know I wanted to give you this because you’re an awesome brother”
I laughed “Well when you put it that way…” Tailspin handed me the box and I unwrapped it with my magic.
I looked down at what was in the package…it was a stack of papers. I lifted up the papers and looked at the title
My Awesome Brother…
It was a story…about my life and how Tailspin fit into it. It showed all I’ve done for him and the story about our lives together. I saw him staying at hospital…him making friends…us living at Potso’s. All the while Tailspin’s care was shown for telling the tale. I smiled a little and looked over at Tailspin “Thanks…this is very flattering Tailspin…”
He smiled “You deserve it bro…you’ve done so much for me I just wanted you to see how I felt”
“You’re not half bad at writing either…” I pointed out “A little work and you could turn this into a series”
Tailspin blushed at my praise “It’s just something I do, I don’t know if it’ll catch on”
I smiled at my brother and opened my forelegs. He wheeled over to me and I picked up my brother in a hug. I held my brother to me “Thank you Tailspin…I should write a story about how much you’ve been awesome”
Tailspin laughed a little “Wouldn’t be much to it. All I did was sit on my butt and rolled around everywhere”
We both laughed and Tailspin gave a noticeable yawn. I picked Tailspin up in my magic and walked to his bedroom. Tailspin’s room was smaller than mine. His walls were adorned with posters of various flyers and super heroes. His desk was littered with papers from his various writing ventures. I was careful to avoid stepping on any toys he left on the ground.
I set my brother on his bed and tucked the little guy in bed. He smiled at me “Bro…happy birthday…”
I smiled and nuzzled my little brother “I hope to keep having birthdays…so that I can spend time with my awesome brother…”
Tailspin smiled and his blue eyes closed. I pulled his cloud covered blanket over him. I couldn’t help but look down at his small and brittle wings…if I had one wish in my life…it would be for him to be able to fly and walk like everypony else.
I never told Tailspin that, I didn’t want him to hope too much. But it was a dream I had…some days I would prey to Luna or Celestia that some miracle would happen. That one day Tailspin would jump on my bed his wings and legs restored…
I shook my head; it was a dream that’s all. Tailspin has adapted to living without flying or walking normally. Still…a brother can hope…
I heard the doorbell ring. Tailspin didn’t stir, he had a lot of fun at the party and he was dog tired.
I ran a hoof over his mane and walked to the front door. There was Twilight levitating two items: a small cupcake with a candle on top and a small package with a ribbon on it. She smiled upon seeing me “You left so quickly after the party I didn’t have a chance to catch up…”
I smiled upon seeing her and gestured for her to come in. “I just put Tailspin to bed”
Twilight smiled and walked into my home. She sat down on the couch and set the cupcake on the coffee table. She seemed even more beautiful with the candle light illuminating her. I turned off all of the other lights just to add to the mood.
I sat down opposite her and she smiled. She levitated the rather large package in front of me “Happy Birthday…”
I opened the package and saw a large book. I opened it and saw it was a scrapbook. Each page was dedicated to a particular pony that lived in Ponyville. Everypony had a page including Raiden and even Moongale contributed a page. I looked up at Twilight “What’s this?”
“A scrapbook” Twilight said simply “Celestia said I should make one so that you remember everypony here…I don’t know why she asked though. Then again I don’t think I’ll ever truly understand the Princess…it’s my gift to you”
I levitated the scrapbook onto the table. Twilight levitated the cupcake in front of me “Make a wish Private…”
I knew what I wanted...it was the same wish I wished every year. For Tailspin to be able to walk and fly like everypony. I took in a breath and blew out the candle. Twilight laughed in delight “I hope your wish comes true Private”
I smiled “So do I…”
Twilight set the cupcake down on the table and scooted to me. She looked at me with those beautiful Amethyst eyes of hers “Private…I just want to say I’m happy you’ve stayed with us for so long…I’m happy that I met you”
I pulled her in with my forelegs and kissed her deeply. She matched my tender kissing and pressed her body into mine. I fell backwards and she was lying on top of me. I ran a hoof through her violet bangs as I said “The feeling’s mutual Twilight…I’m happy to have met you…the mare I love…”
“Preventus…” she said my real name with so much love and tenderness. She kissed me on the horn and smiled “I love you so much…”
I pulled her into another loving and tender kiss. I was happy to have this mare as my somepony. So beautiful, strong and brave…I loved her more than life itself…
We stopped kissing for a moment and I just held her in my forelegs. I whispered into her ear “The one present I enjoyed the most…was you Twilight…”
Twilight smiled and pressed her muzzle into my chest “Preventus...don’t let me go…don’t ever let me go…”
I can’t thank you guys enough for all the support you’ve given me. Here’s some shout outs to some fans pretty close to my heart
To narupiv, you were my first follower and you were there from the beginning. I cannot think of a better way to start my career here on FimFiction.Net then with you.
To RainbowBringer33, I enjoyed my conversations with you and I’m happy that you’ve enjoyed the series so far
To GamermanZendrelax, I’m so blessed to have a Whovian among my fans. Thank you so much for your advice on this case. I hope you enjoyed my interpretation of The Doctor. May you continue to be a help when he returns later this season. Also…Potso will be back don’t worry! Stop asking about that damn accordion!
To The philosopher, I enjoyed your humorous comments and I look forward to them every time I post a case.
To averagejoey2000, stay sane dude as I keep making these stories.
To Sour Grapes, I hope you’ve come to enjoy the series despite being a part of it only recently. You’ve contributed quite a bit and I hope you will continue to do so.
To Midnight Dancer, Thank you so much for bailing me out from that chapter in case 9. You saved my life and reputation on this sight. I hope you will find the whole package enjoyable now
Last but certainly not least I cannot express my thanks enough for Darkskyz. This series really kept going because of you. You are always encouraging me whenever I got down. You’re always keeping my spirits up. This series would never have reached this point without you. I just can’t thank you enough…
That goes for all of you. I’m blessed to have such an awesome set of fans. Just remember…Read my stuff and I will provide where I can.
