Chapter 1: "A Long Day In Paradise."

It's funny how things seem to work either in your favor or against it.

Of course some days, there's a middle to it. Fate decides that today will just be a day. Some good, some bad. But not really too much of either.

The day I came back from Nawlans, having solved yet another case of equal unnatural occurrence and circumstance, I was almost immediately thrust into another case. And it was a case I had no choice but to take.

I had wanted to relax, spend time with Heartland and get back to my research. But fate had other plans.

Fate had decided today, was going to be the day that changed everything.

Morning Meir Manor, 1:05 pm

I stood frozen in the doorway as I blinked, not sure if I had heard the princesses words correctly. "I...I'm sorry. What did you say?"

The princesses exchanged looks of sorrow as they looked back to me. "We are sorry, miss Meir. Your parents have gone missing. We were informed an hour ago, by a guard over at The Science Institute." Celestia explained.

"As soon as we heard, we rushed over here to tell you!" Luna exclaimed.

I was surprisingly calm given the circumstance. Oh, yes of course I was worried, and I knew I had to find them, but my parents were the smartest scientists there were, and they knew how to take care of themselves. I wasn't going to start panicking, but I knew I had to find them. And I knew to do that, I would need to ask the princesses what they knew so far.

Amazing. Just gotten back from one case, and I'm already questioning somepony. And it's the celestial princesses, of all ponies.

Today's going to be a long day.

Questioning (Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Can explain more about my parent's disappearance)

Well this was certainly something. Never thought I would get to do one of my infamous questioning sessions on the rulers of Equestria. I'm just glad that the only things our fair princesses were guilty of was their midnight snacking habits. (Which, come to think of it, I don't think they had any idea that I knew about that. Huh.)

We gathered in the living room. Heartland brought in some tea while we all discussed the situation.

The first question was obvious: "Did the guard say what my parents were doing before they vanished?" I asked, taking a seat in my chair.

Celestia nodded. "He said he had been told by a mare, who runs a hotel resort alongside her husband in The Emerald Keyes. I believe her name was Tropical Breeze."

"The Emerald Keyes? Really?" I asked, surprised. My father had taken me to visit an old colleague of his in The Emerald Keyes, when I was a filly. A scientist, who he worked with on some big discovery I was too young to understand. We hadn't gone back in years, but I never found out why.

So....why go there now? And why take mom? I had a bad feeling about all of it.

"Miss Meir?"

I looked up, coming back from my thoughts to see Luna with her hoof on my shoulder. "Are you alright?"

I smiled at her as I shook the thoughts from my head. "Yes, um...sorry about that, I'm fine, just.....reminiscing."

"Oh? You've been to the Keyes before?"

"You could say that." I explained as I got out of my chair.

I stopped to look out at Ponyville. It was a beautiful sunny day, yet the chill of winter was lingering in the air. "And now, it seems I'll be going back." I said out loud.

"Mind If I tag along?" another, very familiar voice rang out from the lobby outside the living room.

We went out to go check and I saw a familiar mare standing in my front doorway, with a wide, cheerful smile on her face. My eyes widened as I saw who it was. A cream colored unicorn mare with a caramel colored mane and half moon spectacles, smiled happily at me as she shut the door behind her. The lab coat she had draped over her shoulders, was loose and untidy, as it swept behind her.

"Dr. Seastone?" I gasped.

She rolled her eyes. "Like I said before, just Seastone works fine, Meir." she laughed.

I ran forward and wrapped my arms around her as she did the same. She let go of me, only to pull me in for a second hug, squeezing my face against hers as she kept smiling. "Long time, no see, Meir!" she laughed joyfully, squeezing our faces together even tighter. I laughed as I hugged her back. "Indeed, it is....Seastone." I said happily.

We all settled back in to the living room, as Heartland (who had not expected three huge names in Equestrian society to visit today) was busy preparing snacks and refreshments in the kitchen.

Dr. Seastone took a seat next to me, as Heartland brought in a fresh pot of tea, then went to go prepare the snacks. She took a sip, before we started our conversation. We had quite a bit to catch up on.

1 Hour later

The princesses had to return to their duties, but they wished me luck in finding my parents, before they left. Me and Dr. Seastone settled back into the living room as I told her about my last case in Nawlans.

"Whoa. Voodoo? Really?" Dr. Seastone asked, amazed.

"Yep. Curses, Rituals, the works."

"Damn it. I wish I had been there. But, no, I was needed at the annual science conference in Appleoosa. Lame." Seastone complained, grumbling to herself in disappointment. "What I would've given to have helped you out with that case. Taking on an evil voodoo cartel? Man, that woulda been awesome!"

I was flattered naturally, but I was secretly glad Dr. Seastone hadn't been there.That case had been dangerous, and I couldn't bare to have put another one of my friends at risk. Still, I had to admit it was great to see Dr. Seastone again. After Mareiposa, she had been swamped with some huge project the Institute had going on. Apparently, she had been rather bored with it.

I suppose attending and working on a secret project for the Science Institute is different then saving the world. But, I don't know.

I would've liked to have seen the project myself. But, a secret is a secret I suppose.

We sat and talked for quite a bit, mostly about what we had both been up to since Mareiposa. But eventually we got to the elephant in the room: The Keyes and my missing parents.

Seastone's happy smile wavered a bit. "Sorry, to hear about your parents, Meir. The Institute is in a riot over it, as soon as I heard I did some digging on my end. And I think I found something."

I sat up in my chair, fully alert. "Really? About why they were in the Keyes?" I asked, anxiously.

Seastone nodded as she took out a folder from her lab coat, and handed it to me. I opened it and saw several files that described a secret project that had been run by Dr. Simon Cobalt.

"Wait. THE Dr. Cobalt?" I asked.

"Yep." Dr. Seastone confirmed, leaning back in her chair and putting her hooves behind her head. "Genius, Billionaire, Philanthropist and CEO of Cobalt Industries. He and his wife run the whole Keyes, now. Turned it into a huge resort. Best vacation spot, bits can buy, if you believe the brochures."

"Last time I was there, my father and Simon had been friends, working on a project. Maybe they're related?"

"Maybe. Do you think its connected to their disappearance?"

I put a hoof to my chin in thought. "I don't know."

I smiled as I took a sip of my tea, placing the cup back on it's saucer. "But, I guess we're heading back to find out."

"Whoo! Vacation, baby!" Seastone exclaimed excitedly.

With that, I was thrown into my newest case. My parents, arguably the most important figures known to Equestrian science and the mare and stallion that raised me, supported me through med school, and basically made it so I never needed to worry about anything as a filly or even as an adult. They were geniuses. They knew how to take care of themselves.

But this whole business with this secret project in the Keyes. A project that was so important, that both my parents had flown out to work with Simon Cobalt, a scientist that my father hadn't spoken to in years, to work on it. I had a bad feeling about all of it.

In a way, I suppose, Dr. Seastone was right. Though it wasn't a vacation, for sure.

But, Celestia knows I was in desperate need of one.