It almost seems like an ordinary night on the streets of Publicity Park... however, something stands out.

The crowds of traffic have gone silent, and a rather large portion of yellow Police Tape cover the entrance, while a few police cars rest around it.

The men and women in blue come and go, taking pictures and observing the area for any evidence or leads to the crime that took place... a man, lying in a puddle of his own blood.

So far, what could be discovered was a metal pipe and a pocket knife. However, both were searched for fingerprints, yet yielded no results. Blood tests would confirm, however, that the two of them were used as the murder weapons - the killing one being the knife, according to the reports from the medic.

From the distance, a man can be seen approaching the area, wearing a light brown suit, with a Private Detective’s Badge clipped onto the left side of his jacket’s collar. His dark brown hair is fairly short, and neatly combed just barely past his dark bluish green eyes.

As he crosses the police tape, the officers nearby allow him entry upon noticing his badge.

“Ah, Detective Hawke... fancy meetin’ you here, sir! Weren’t you on vacation just three days ago?” one of the officers ask, as the two from the entrance guide their latest guest towards the crime scene.

Jason shakes his head, keeping a stoic, determined expression on his face, before replying, "I do not pride myself in vacations, when there's still so much to do, I'm afraid... though I suppose one could say I'm still technically on my 'Vacation', regardless."

The first officer nods his head and sighs. "I can't agree more... so much goin' on these days, what with the corrupt judge we had to deal with last week."

Jason raises an eyebrow at the guard. "Oh? And why was I not informed of this, exactly?"

The second officer decides to answer for him. "We figured you were still a little preoccupied with that case over in Los Angeles... you know... the one where you had to help that girl find her Attorney friend?"

The first officer gasps. "Wait, you were in LA? Was that Attorney Mr. Wright, by any chance?"

The second one adds, "Or was it perhaps that Prosecutor? You know, that Edgeworth character?"

Jason raises a hand, silencing the two officers. "I was merely there to help Detective Gumshoe collect the evidence, so that their case may end in the truth. Nothing more, nothing less. I simply bumped into Miss Fey while investigating the scene, and she invited me out for tea and... (*sigh*) hamburgers."

The first officer oohs. "Ooh! Were they good?"

Jason rubs his eyes and groans. "The first three were... after the fourth, though, I began to grow sick to my stomach. As for how she managed to eat eight, however, is beyond even my comprehension... and that says a lot, I can assure you."

Finally, the three of them reach the scene of the crime, where Michael Wilks, a 32-year-old male with jet black hair and a dark gray business suit, lies. His body is rested on his left shoulder, and blood trails down from his mouth, his cracked forehead, and his chest, with the blood circling around his shirt. A tear can be seen in the center of his button-up shirt, where a knife wound rests.

The knife rests in his right hand, which is clasped shut.

Jason rubs his chin in thought, before looking over to his right, where a metal pipe can also be found.

"Hmm... mind if I see the evidence?" he asks. The officers are quick to comply, carefully taking pictures before bringing him the items in question.

"Strange thing is, we checked them for fingerprints, but couldn't find a single thing!" the second guard says, dumbfounded.

Jason nods his head, and inspects the items, making sure to glove himself first.

"It would make sense, given the weather. The culprit was likely to be wearing gloves... which at least gives us one clue."

"And what's that?" the first officer asks.

Jason motions towards the body and replies, "That the knife was used by the killer, and then planted into the victim's hand afterwards... so it was less likely a brawl gone wrong, and more-so a direct assault."

"Hmm... but why isn't the victim's prints on his own knife?" the guard asks.

Jason points at the knife's handle and replies, "Because the victim didn't even have a chance to grip it. Yes, it's his knife, seeing how he has a holster in his belt. However, the murderer likely struck him with the pipe to disorient him enough to grab the knife from his belt. However, the first shot wasn't enough to render him unconscious completely, and so he would've retaliated by grabbing the attacker's arm, as the strain in the jacket would reveal."

"Hmm... but if he fought the attacker back, how did the attacker manage to get a hold of his knife?" the second officer asks.

Jason smiles and taps on his forehead thoughtfully. "Simple. He used his right hand to hold the pipe, and attempted to grab the knife with his left one. Michael likely grabbed the attacker's left hand with his right hand, allowing the attacker enough of an opening to strike him in the head a second time, and perhaps even tearing the sleeve even more in the process. It then freed the attacker of Michael's grasp, while also disorienting him tremendously. The third, and final strike, was to get him grounded and paralyzed enough to where the killer can reach for his knife easily, and then finally, end him while he was on the ground, perhaps unconscious due to blood loss and pain."

"Hmm... well, that's a good theory on the ifs and hows... but now, comes the biggest question, correct?" the first officer asks, to which Jason's smile only grows while he nods.

"Precisely... now, we just need to find the who... and to do so, we need to narrow down the why's... for instance, Why 'Michael', and not some other businessman?"

The second officer rubs his chin in thought, before snapping a finger, having an idea. "Oh! Perhaps this could come in handy?"

The officer then brings Jason Michael's Wallet. Inside it would be his ID, a little bit of cash, and a strange, folded note. He also gives Jason Michael's phone. He examines each carefully.

After giving each item a thorough examination, Jason nods his head, confirming his suspicions. "With all of this, I can deduce that the mysterious 'ED' figure was a co-worker for Michael... that, or a business rival who felt threatened with one of his recent promotions... what was he, exactly?"

The first officer looks through his paperwork, before replying, "I believe Michael was the newest CEO for CashCorp Enterprises... no records for an 'ED', however..."

"Hmm... then in that case, we'll have to see through his contacts. The phone's still-" A sudden glimmering in the fountain catches Jason's eye. "... Oh? Hold on a second..."

He puts a glove on before following the glimmering from the moonlight. Rolling his right sleeve up, and securing the rubber glove up his wrist, he reaches in, and pulls out...

("Hmm... looks like our killer might've lost something in his quarrel with the victim... and now, I think I have enough evidence to find the culprit!") Jason thinks to himself, before sliding the ring into an Evidence Bag, and passing it to the officers for safekeeping.

"Alright, then... let us see if we can find-"

"MICHAEL?!" comes the sudden shout of a man outside the gate.

Another pair of officers follow the teary-filled man, as he quickly rushes up to the scene, falling on his knees a few meters away from the dead body. The close proximity allows Jason time to inspect the man carefully.

He appears to be wearing a gray business suit, similar to Michael's. His hair is blonde, however, and he seems to be in his late 20's. His hands are covered with thick gray gloves colored similar in color to his suit, and his left hand's middle finger would have an emerald-embroidered ring over it.

"Mikey... w-why... how could this have happened?!" the man asks, before covering his watery eyes.

The officers look to Jason, seemingly lost on ideas for what to do.

"We tried to stop 'em, sir, but he says he knew the victim, so we figured we could bring 'em to you." the third officer says, before looking at the crying man pitifully. "He says the victim was one of his best friends."

Jason, however, crosses his arms over his chest and raises an eyebrow at the new surprise visitor. "Is that so?"

The man finally stands up, and turns to face Jason. He then recoils in shock, gasping audibly, before stuttering, "D-D-Detective Jason Hawke?! Oh, thank the Spirits of Justice, you're here! I... I'm so glad they put you on the case!"

Jason nods his head, smiling slightly. "Ah, I see my name precedes me... so you're a friend of the victim's?"

The man nods his head, replying, "Y-yes, sir! Edward John Drake's my name... but My friends just call me 'Eddie'! Nice to finally meet ya, Detective!"

("Hmm... so you must be ED, then... that would make you the Prime Suspect... however, it would be too premature to consider him the murderer... especially since his name could've also been forged by another 'associate'... so how do I pin him? Simple... an Interrogation, should he be lying to me...")

Jason places his hand on his watch, and carefully observes it. "So, can you tell me more about your relationship with the victim, perhaps?"

Eddie nods his head and replies, "Oh, gosh! Where do I begin?"

"Well, why not start with how you met at work?" Jason inquires, sounding genuinely intrigued. However, in his mind's eye, he's on high-alert, ready to spot the lies that are sure to come up...

"Well, we met during the Grand Opening, actually! We both were quick to impress the boss, really!

"We might've had a rocky start, but we both got along later on down the road.

"We exchanged numbers, as per Company Policy, and spoke with each other quite often!

"I can't believe he's dead, now... who could've done such a horrendous thing?!"

("Well, surprise surprise! The sender of the letter is, in fact, responsible for this in some way... and now, comes my favorite part of the job...")

"Well, we met during the Grand Opening, actually! We both were quick to impress the boss, really!

"Seems like the two of you were hard workers... that's quite a respectable trait these days, regardless of your position. Even the powerful can oftentimes be seen as lazy, with their benefits handed to them on a Silver Platter."

"Oh, I know! We were both some of the hardest workers! Somehow, he was always one step ahead of me, though... n-not that it was a lasting issue, of course!"

"You sure about that? You both didn't butt heads a lot?"

"W-well... okay, maybe we did butt heads a few more times than I'd have liked..."

("Well, that's clearly a motive for us to work with. Looks like we've got more to squeeze out of this, though...")

"So you did butt heads... I'm guessing that started at the beginning, when he was getting more recognition from the boss?"

"That's right!"

"We might've had a rocky start, but we both got along later on down the road.

"You both eventually got along... you sure there weren't any grudges you held, no matter how big or how small?"

"A-are... are you calling me a liar?!"

"I just want to know every last detail... it's not just you, but all of his friends and contacts will be asked the same questions. Merely a part of my job, I assure you."

"Oh, r-right... of course! W-well, I'm sure I didn't hold a grudge! Why the hell would I? He was still a good friend to me, despite our occasional tussle here and there!"

"I'm sorry, but I have a gut feeling you're hiding something here."

"Oh? Like what, exactly?!"

"Hmm... how about..."

Jason looks back at the evidence of the crime.

"... the fact that you have his number. Why'd you decide to leave a hand-written note to invite him here, when you could've easily texted or called him? It almost seems like you didn't want someone to trace your message to him."

Eddie recoils at this, losing his composure.

"I-I..."

However, he quickly recovers.

"H-heh... how do you know it was my letter, though?! There could be a few other ED's that work there in the office!"

"Hmm, fair point... then how about we check his contacts? I'd happily count them all out for you."

"Let's not forget that all of CashCorp Employees do have each others' numbers, after all!"

Eddie suddenly recoils, and begins to sweat profusely.

"W-WAIT!"

"... Yes?" Jason folds his arms over his chest, tapping on his arm patiently.

"O-okay... I was the one who wrote the letter, and he did call me ED. He was a bit of a prick about it, too, actually... calling me the 'Special' ED because of a simple mistake I made at work!"

"Ah... so you admit to inviting him here, as well?"

Eddie sighs and nods his head.

"Y-yes... I did... b-but I didn't expect this to happen, though! I swear!"

("Ah... more lies, I see... should I confront him about it now, or simply continue pressing on?")

...

("Actually, I'll let him bury himself even deeper into this hole, first. It'll be harder for him to dig his way out, then.")

"So, you both didn't have a good start, and at the end, you still viewed him as a bitter rival... is that correct?"

"... Y-yes... but again, I did not murder him!"

...

("And that's all I needed to hear... now, to squeeze out every last bit of information on him so that they can hear it, too!")

"We exchanged numbers, as per Company Policy, and spoke with each other quite often!

"Why was it a Company Policy to exchange numbers, exactly? That's... quite strange for a company to hold their members to exchange numbers like that."

"I know... some of us actually hated it, too... still do, in fact! I know a few guys who I'd gladly not give my number to! But if something were to happen to one of us, we'd be able to call them and check up... it's how I got here, in fact. He didn't answer the phone, so I came over here, and voila! You guys are here, examining his dead body!"

"... And your company works with... Money?"

Eddie nods his head.

"Yup!"

...

("Well, now... looks like there is some truth in his words, after all... ironically, when it comes to his job, and his money... among other things, if my theory is correct...")

"I can't believe he's dead, now... who could've done such a horrendous thing?!"

Jason shakes his head in disappointment, before assertively pointing his finger at Eddie.

"Edward Drake! What you just said is a complete lie!"

Eddie recoils again, while the police's attention is quickly brought up to the Detective.

"W-what do you mean by that?! A-are you saying what I think you're saying?!"

A sly smile forms on Jason's mouth, before he taps on his temple once again. "As a matter of fact, I am!"

He then glares sternly at Eddie before pointing at him and shouting for the rest of the police to hear...

"YOU were the one that killed Michael Wilks, Eddie... or should I say, ED?!"

Eddie recoils again from his statement.

"Grr... A-ARE YOU MAKING FUN OF ME?! H-HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF BEING A MURDERER!"

The officers immediate grab onto Eddie's shoulders to restrain him.

"Detective Hawke... so you accuse this man of being the murderer?"

Jason shrugs his shoulders and replies, "Not only do I accuse him, Officers, but I have proof to back it up!"

"This is the ring that I found in the fountain! While it may seem like a mere coincidence that it be there, or perhaps that it could've belonged to anyone, I can name off a particular situation that could've lead to him leaving it right there!"

"But how do you know it's his, though?" one of the officers ask curiously.

Jason points at the ring, and replies, "If you look closer, it has the name 'Eddie' written inside it... as in, Edward's nickname."

"Hmm... go on?" the leading officer inquires, after looking at the ring and, sure enough, noticing the small detail up close.

Jason points towards the crime scene and explains.

"When he attacked the victim, he was still wearing his rings... each of which representing an initial of his. On his middle finger, there's an Emerald Ring, while on his ring finger, he'd wear a Diamond one... however, he appears to be missing it all of a sudden... perhaps right after Michael grabbed a hold of his arm! After striking him with the pipe, he jerked his arm back, unknowingly losing his ring in the process! And his gloved hands would've made it difficult for him to feel the ring slipping off, as well!

"But it was a Diamond Ring... not only is it a valuable piece of jewelry, but also a crucial piece of evidence we'd be able to track him by! And so, he had no choice but to go back and look for it.

"It was dark when it happened, though... and not too long ago, but the adrenaline rush from the situation, as well as the time constraints dulling his sense of judgement, made him lose track of where the crime took place, so he was lost for a brief moment, until an idea struck!

"Knowing that his ring was somewhere near the victim, he decided to call Michael's phone, so that he could track it to the body, and hopefully come up with an excuse, should we have already arrived, then possibly attempt to request a few 'final words' to his friend in privacy, before the body would be taken to the morgue... it would grant him the perfect opportunity to grab the ring from the fountain, while the police would respect his wishes, and grant him some space!

"And with that, I've also uncovered the motive behind this... you were angry at him for always stealing the spotlight, weren't you?!"

Eddie recoils once again. His hair, at this point, has gotten far more frazzled, and his cool demeanor all but vanished at this point, with a bitter scowl now in its place.

"And you were the runner up for your company, so you would've been the first to take his place as the CEO of the entire CashCorp Company!"

"You're despicable!" one of the officers shouts at Eddie. "The hell did you do it for, ED?! Money?!"

"No... he's even worse than that, Officer..." Jason begins, before presenting more evidence to them.

"Need I remind you if he wanted money, then he'd have taken it, as well. He didn't want the money... he wanted the power over the company! And if that meant killing the CEO of said company to become the next CEO, then he'd damn well be capable of claiming it this way...

"Or rather, he would've been able to claim it..."

In a finalizing statement, Jason points his finger at Eddie and, with a powerful voice of Authority, shouts.

"IF HE DIDN'T LEAVE SUCH AN EASY TRAIL FOR US TO FOLLOW!"

And with that, the final nail strikes into Eddie's coffin. At the last recoil, he trembles, before flying back in a mysterious gust of wind. His mouth begins to foam up, before he starts to growl... and then, he lets out an ear-piercing roar.

"G.... Grrrr..... GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

At last, his head slumps down his shoulders, while his Emerald Ring slips off his finger, only for an officer to catch it and confiscate it as "Evidence".

Jason straightens his jacket as Eddie gets dragged towards the Police Cars. "Edward Drake, you are under arrest, and have the right to remain silent! Anything you say can, and will, be used against you in the Court of Law!"

"... And may the Spirits of Justice have mercy on your soul, Murderer..." Jason mumbles, before making his way back towards the entrance...

That is, he would've made his way, if an unusually large pair of purple-colored eyes didn't pop out from behind a bush, as if observing him in secrecy.

He rubs his chin at the sight, now completely lost in thought.

("Odd... I thought the park was already checked for wild animals...")

"Excuse us, Mr. Hawke?" the first officer from before calls out from behind him.

"Hmm?" Jason turns to face the officer, who now approaches him with, what appears to be, a book... an all-too-familiar book, in fact.

("Hmm... well, this is a first...") Jason thinks, raising a curious eyebrow.

The officer bows his head respectfully before presenting the book to Jason.

"S-sorry, sir... but you're from Smalltown, so this might be my only chance at this... I... well... my son and I are huge fans, so... w-we were just wondering if... y'know..."

Jason smiles and waves a calming hand his way. "Say no more, officer... it's always nice to meet a fan of my book, no matter where, or who." He then pulls a pen from his jacket pocket and clicks it, while the officer, Bill, opens it to the front cover.

"T-thank you, Detective Hawke! This means a lot to both of us..." he continues, while Jason begins writing a note on the book.

("Your father was a huge help today. May you both keep following The Truth, and may it, in turn, shield you both from injustice! Furthermore, may the Spirits of Justice shine within your family, in the years that follow today, and tomorrow.

~Jason Hawke")

With all said and done, Jason puts his pen away while the officer thanks him one last time, and hurries back to his Police Car. He could see the other officer, of whom was driving the car, roll his eyes and smirk at Bill, before taking the Driver Seat.

Jason then looks back towards the bush, where the strange eyes once were. He approaches it carefully, and kneels to one knee, where he finds something he knows he didn't see before... a letter addressed to him.

As Jason steps out of the Taxi, his eyes drift around the area, before he notices a young woman waving him towards her. After examining the letter carefully, he nods his head in confirmation.

("Doesn't look to be suspicious... however, I mustn't let my guard down... there's still something... off... about her.")

He takes a seat across from the purple-haired girl, and clears his throat.

"So... I take it you needed my help?" he asks, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

She looks up at him, and smiles. "Yes, sir... you must be Detective Jason Hawke, correct?"

He answers with a nod. "Yes, ma'am. Mind if I ask who you are, and where you need my help?"

Clearing her throat, she replies, "You may... though I know it'll sound strange, so I need you to take out your watch, first."

"My... watch?" Jason inquires, while a thought crosses his mind.

("Hold on... she... does she know about the Magatama?!")

"I... saw your last case, and could tell there was something about that watch... something magical." she nods her head, as if reading his mind.

"Hmm... so you're aware of the Magatama in my watch, and what it does?" he asks.

She shrugs her shoulders and replies, "Like you, I merely made a deduction."

"Oh?" He slightly smiles, before folding his arms across his chest. "And what, pray tell, did you deduce?"

She, in turn, grins at him before replying, "It's like a Lie Detector, isn't it? It makes you see the deception within one's heart, and the lies from their words, doesn't it?"

For once, it's Jason that recoils, clearly caught off-guard.

"Gah! H-how did you...?!" he begins, before she shushes him, and smiles warmly.

"Don't worry, it's not that complicated, actually."

He clears his throat, before straightening his jacket once again to regain his composure.

"R-right, then... well... mind if I ask you a few questions, first?"

She relaxes on her chair, and nods her head. "Ask away, Detective Hawke!"

As he readies his first question, he's quick to hold onto his watch.

"Okay, so... what's your name, exactly?"

"My name is Twilight Sparkle."

"Okay, then, Miss Sparkle. What is your Occupation?"

"I have three occupations, actually. One is a Librarian, another is the bearer of a powerful weapon used to protect the innocent from the land that I'm from. The final is a Princess of that land."

("Princess Twilight Sparkle... wait, PRINCESS?!")

"Y-you... you're a Princess?!"

She nods and scratches the back of her head shyly.

"Yes... though only by title. Not lineage."

"R-right, then... my apologies for not knowing sooner, Your Highness!" Jason says with a quick, respectful bow.

She, however, giggles and waves a dismissive hand towards him.

"Please, Jason... there's no need for Formalities. I haven't really been a Princess that long, anyways! Only about a year, actually... and besides that, there's no way anyone here would've noticed."

"And... why is that?"

She takes a deep breath, before looking firmly into his eyes. He's slightly taken aback by the sudden change of demeanor, but braces himself for whatever comes next.

"Because the land I'm from is 'Equestria'... and yes, you couldn't have heard about it because it isn't even from this world. And with that revelation, I'll just cut to the chase... I need your help, because I think there's a Criminal Organization working between our worlds. I've opened a portal into your Office's Safe, since you've never used it before, and only you have access to it. The portal will remain open until I decide to close it, so you can come and go freely, and won't have to worry about missing anything here... but... well, I came to ask for you to help me investigate these crimes, and the first case would happen to be inside my world."

...

("W-what... what the hell did she just say?!")