Shadows, drawn by the cloud coverage, engulfed the entire city of Canterlot. The sun's heat and delicate light were rejected by the weather control work , several stray, gray stratus blanketed the sky thanks to the dedicated team of pegasi. The strips hovered slowly over the city, ominously traveling through at a sloth's pace. Pockets occasionally leaking sunlight were patched up with additional fluff.

Scarlet clenched her eyes shut, groaning and begging her body to return to the comfort of sleep. Her hoof reluctantly reached to her side, feeling for the clock that buzzed relentlessly in her ears. It flopped onto the alarm, smacking it hard enough to silence the noise. She had time for a final moan before tossing the sheets off, rolling over to the edge of her small bed. The tiny, one pony mattress squeaked with each movements.

Rubbing her eyes helped her adjust to the dim lighting of her room in the gloomy morning. She slipped out of her bed and landed on all fours, stretching out her legs one by one before heading straight to the shower.

The pipes whined as her hoof twisted the faucets, giving her the queue to step inside. The alarmingly cold water sent synapses flooding through her body. She clenched her teeth, waiting to adapt to the bone chilling temperature. She paused for a brief sigh as she finally adjusted, her mind recapping what had happened the other day. Scarlet stepped directly underneath the showerhead and watched her mane and tail droop straight down from the added weight of the water.

'An assignment that dad never finished,' she remembered reading the unmistakable signature. She recalled a time before Conroy's disappearance, right before becoming a full time agent.

'He went to Ponyville for a week, I remember, but,' Scarlet thought while she recalled the information from the case file. 'I have a hard time believing that he found absolutely nothing. Clues, statements, something should be in the file, but it's completely blank.'

She reached for a bottle resting on the floor of the tub. Her body mechanically ran a squeeze of rose scented shampoo into her mane, using her hooves to create a creamy lather. 'The Equestrian Population Census is the only indication of a pony going missing. It's an annual mandatory head count of everypony living in Equestria. Nopony ever left the region without being marked, and as a safety measure, the consensus ensures that the numbers were kept under constant vigil.

'There's no known way to be removed from the list, but the Equestrian Census also doesn't go into complete detail on its own. That's left to the individual cities and towns. If a number from Ponyville dropped without warning, then the city census would have the actual identity. He wouldn't go to Ponyville for any other reason for a case like that...'

Her crimson hair was riddled with leftover suds that clung to several strands after a quick rinse. Scarlet ran a stray hoof down her forelock several times, letting the shower head slowly work its way through her mane. Her coat shimmered as the water reflected the dim lighting of the bathroom, a quick flick of her tail tossing water whichever way it pleased against the tiled wall and the shower curtain. She helped herself to another deep breath when the last of the formula ran down the drain.

The shower knob squeaked to a stop, a soaked Scarlet shook herself dry before pulling the curtain open. The more she considered the available information, the more confused she became about the problem.

'It's too easy. Everything’s laid out for me, I just have to go and get it,' a stray hoof grasped both her toothbrush and toothpaste situated near the sink, and started to scrub away. 'Then why is it classified as an unsolved case? How come he couldn't figure it out?' She rinsed her mouth out, rubbing her tongue along her cleaned teeth in the mirror before returning to her room.

Her fedora hung on her bedpost. She stared at it momentarily before plopping it over her moist hair. 'There's something strange that I'm unaware of. I hope it becomes clear when I head into Ponyville. All of these thoughts are useless right now.' On her nightstand was a small necklace, down the center hung a useable magnifying glass. Tossing it over her head, and quickly grabbing her coat with the file tucked neatly inside, she exited her tiny apartment.

'Steele probably sent the equipment over to Ponyville already,' she shut the door behind her. After the lock clicked in place, she tucked the key into another pocket on her coat, 'I still need to go and visit mom before I take off...'

==========

"The weather has everyone down and tired. That'd explain why it's so packed today," Locks commented in an aggravated tone. "Everyone wants a drink. It's already late in the morning, and I've only had two mugs."

The cafe was stuffed with ponies at the hour, lines of weary colts and droop mares swarmed the small shop. The smell of the roast was powerful, a heavenly aroma for the aficionado. He took a small drink from his cup, disappointed that the dark gold remaining had been completely drained in a single gulp. He placed it back on the table next to his own folder.

"I don't even want to talk to you right now," he joked to the file. "Can't make heads or tails of this insanity. Murder?" Locks looked around for a waiter, "What murder?" The workers scrambled frantically around the shop, unprepared for the compulsive volume of the brunch rush.

The folder went against everything he was told about that dreadful day. Locks couldn't believe it the moment his eyes shot through the text. It completely contradicted everything he was told by the royal family. Everything the Agency had so surely confirmed.

Everything Scarlet and her mother cried for.

==========

Years Ago

"Locks, head up," a colt with a dark blue coat and jaded green eyes ordered.

The savvy intern bolted awake at his supervisor's voice. A pack of worksheets were spread out below him, numerous reports that he had yet to complete. He shook his head and looked up to his boss.

"My apologies, Detective Justis, I haven't had much sleep lately," Locks explained, looking over to his empty white mug in a daze.

"Relax, detective. Let's just consider it a verbal," Conroy pat him on the shoulder. His hoof was strangely cold to the touch. "Go walk around, get some blood flowing through your body. I made another brew in the lounge too, so don't be afraid to help yourself.

As Locks stood up to take the wise suggestion, he caught sight of Conroy heading to the front door. He quickly caught up to his mentor, confused and groggy.

"Detective Justis, where are you going? I don't recall our team having any assignments issued for today."

He turned around slowly, giving Locks a warm smile. His eyes focused intensely on his student, sizing him up for what seemed like an eon, "Locks, let me ask you something. Pony to pony and off the records," he extended a hoof over to another desk on the other end of the main hall.

Two familiar mares stood behind the desk. The pale, white coated pony with deep red hair reiterated a report to the other. The quill froze, suspended by the enchantment the younger Jessica had cast on it. Scarlet reached for it, grabbing it with her mouth and signing the bottom of the document.

Justis stifled a quiet laugh when Scarlet tried giving the quill back to Jess. It stuck to her lips, gripping her muzzle with the help of a potent adhesive. Jessica's devilish grin exploded into a quick round of giddy cackles before fading away towards Steele's office. The document hung in the air before rolling itself up and following in tow. Scarlet tugged at the quill before it finally gave way, spinning through the air. It landed in Scarlet's wastebasket with a hollow clank. She looked over towards Locks and Justis, waving with a nervous, yet radiant smile at her dad before running to the washroom.

"Did you see that, Locks?" Conroy continued.

"See what exactly, sir?"

"Scarlet, Locks. Did you see her smile?"

"Yes sir."

"I'm still trying to understand why she does it," Conroy lied to the young colt.

Locks paused, surprised by his teacher's mood, "Sir, ponies smile when they're happy."

He turned to Locks. "So she's happy, according to you. Makes enough sense. How about you? Are you happy, detective?"

"With regards to what, sir?"

"Your career."

"Well," he thought, "I don't smile like Scarlet does, but that's something I'd consider a personality trait over a problem. However, I do find a certain sense of satisfaction when I work here."

"Sleep here."

Locks looked back to the hall. "Sorry, sir. Detective Justis, is there something wrong?"

Conroy shook his head in response. "No. I'm just letting my mind wander. I'm going to get some fresh air."

Locks had never seen Conroy so scatterbrained before. Justis opened the front door, letting in a freezing winter breeze through the main hall. The older colt looked back into the Agency, spotting a cleaned Scarlet back at work at her desk with the same smile on her face. She looked up at him, and upon realizing that he was leaving, waved him a good-bye with her free hoof.

"Watch the group for me, Locks," Conroy ordered while waving back to Scarlet. "She enjoys it here...Guess that's all that there ever was to it." The door shut behind him with a definitive bang.

==========

Locks was busy working back at his personal desk. Hours had passed since his short chat with Conroy, and the stack of files was nearly nonexistent. His scribbling echoed in the emptied hall, most of the employees already gone for the day, and many of the lights had been shut off. He didn't notice the hoofsteps inching closer to his work space.

"Enjoy your nap earlier?" Scarlet asked him.

"It set me a little behind, and got me in a bit of trouble with your dad," Locks signed another sheet and placed it in a thin compartment in his desk, "but I still got everything done."

"Good. It's late already, and I'd like it if somepony walked with me back home."

Locks cleaned up his area with the impatient mare pacing back and forth near the entrance. "You sure you can't go with Jessica tonight?"

Scarlet shivered at the thought. "Absolutely not. She'd turn it into a date."

Almost on queue, the pony of the hour burst through Steele's office down the hall, her boss immediately following suit. The two frantically rushed past the interns at a blinding speed, the front doors mechanically flung open from Jessica's magic. A sharp, constant tweet carried over from above, rapidly traveling in the direction of the two runners. Scarlet looked at Locks with a curious glance before they chased into the night, following Amethyst's signature alarm.

Canterlot was built resting against a set of mountains; aside from pegasi landing spots in a series of clouds above the grand city, there were only three entrances. Running along the south and east entrance to the region, coming from up in the mountains, was a large river. The winter weather froze sections of the river and slowed the current to a crawl as it dragged down into the land.

A walkway leading to the North eventually came up to a bridge suspended over a large gap, the river running steadily underneath during most of the year. It was an alternative scenic route that lead to the royal lots. An open chariot shining with a golden luster burned across the stone bridge. White pegasi with gold-plated armor pulled the cart in haste, being wary of their precious cargo as they galloped. The sounds of a whistle further down the mountain traced their path, pointing at a spot at the base of the incline on the outer barrier of the city. The colts quickly shouted commands behind them before lifting into the sky, making a beeline for the marked spot.

Amethyst's whistle fell silent, forcing Locks and Scarlet to a halt. The icy air burned at their lungs as they searched for any sign of their missing comrades.

"Locks," Scarlet pointed, "Up there!"

Above the pair and towards the river, they spotted an airborne chariot, coated by the shroud of darkness manifested by Luna's night.

"Princess...Celestia?" Locks guessed by the large silhouette sitting on the carriage. Her flowing mane and large stature were staple attributes of her figure. Locks tore through the hill the princess descended behind, the sounds of voices and the slush of the winter river creeping over the apex. He could hear Scarlet's hooves pounding at the ground right behind him.

A dozen ponies were gathered around a central area, surrounding a spot right off of the riverbank. Steele stood just outside of the circle, talking with the large figure from the chariot. His face was strained and his voice was shaking, failing to mask the painful drag in his tone.

Jessica was eerily quiet. Her smile was absent, and her horn flowed with powerful energy as both a sketchpad and a notepad furiously swung around in the air above her. She darted from pony to pony in a circle near the river bank, pages of transcript and images stacking up as she questioned the swarm with a level of concentration that Locks had never seen before.

Steele caught a glimpse of the two interns, bowing to the princess before dashing over to them. He stood his ground, blocking their path towards the crowd.

"We came when we heard the whistle," Locks reported, Scarlet tried to peek over her boss. Locks spotted hesitation in Steele's posture: he was physically shaking, a sight that didn't fail to stir up his curiosity.

"Scarlet, come with me," Steele ordered her, waving towards the direction of the princess. Celestia stood her ground, her expression solemn yet her form unwavering. Steele and Scarlet hastily made their way over and bowed to the large alicorn, beginning a conversation that was blocked out by the distance between them and Locks.

He used the opportunity to head into the crowd, working his way around several of the larger colts that had scrambled around. Wheels screamed into the night, a bright white carriage sprinting off road towards them.

Jessica was still buzzing, pulling a stationary guard from the Agency aside to interview, giving Locks the room he needed to break through the ring.

A soaked, black mane was drying off on the floor. A trail of flattened, icy grass led from the water's edge towards the still figure on the ground. His eyes were closed, his body motionless and cold. The dark blue coat shimmered in the moonlight.

The scales of justice decorated his flank.

"Scarlet, wait!"

Locks turned around to the source. His younger colleague walked stiffly over, almost ready to break into a full run straight through him. Locks blocked her way into the ring. The guards, Amethyst included, made their way towards the detectives. Scarlet didn't give Locks a single word; she lifted a hoof and tried to pull him to the side to let her through. With a grunt, Locks pushed back, using his legs to anchor himself to the ground.

"Let me through," Scarlet ordered. Her voice was rattled with anxiety, frantically driving out of control.

"Get back," Locks demanded simultaneously.

Steele ran towards the two. A pair of light brown legs wrapped around Scarlet while she shoved Locks harder. They pulled her back gently, a series of weak, shaken whistles sounded with each grunt of the pony behind her.

"No. Let me through," she raised her voice.

The white cart pulled to a stop nearby. The crowd had no choice but to part to allow the stretcher through. In that one moment, Scarlet's sharp eyes caught sight of the cutie mark on the fallen colt.

Her patience vanished. Locks felt something sharply ram into the side of his muzzle. He caught sight of a dozen notes falling to the floor as he plummeted to the floor. Jessica dashed over to help Amethyst pull Scarlet away from the scene.

Voices bled into Locks' ears.

"LET ME GO!"

"HOLD HER DOWN!"

"GET HER OUTTA HERE!"

"I NEED TO SEE HIM!"

The unmistakable sound of a spell erupted throughout the field.

Locks pulled himself back to his feet, his head throbbing with pain. His vision slowly focused back on the scene in front of him. The crowd, the emergency carriage, and Princess Celestia's group had all vanished. All that remained were the Agency's employees.

Scarlet was held back by the combined efforts of Amethyst, Steele, and Jessica, the latter pony getting control of her limbs through her magic. Scarlet's face was frighteningly pale, and tears slid smoothly down her sides. The energy left her body in a flash as the three ponies let go of her. She fell helplessly, like a newborn, onto the grass. Jessica hurried off to gather her scattered notes from the floor before the wind could carry them away. Many members of the security team had taken flight, heading back towards the Agency in a hurry to prepare for the impending investigation.

Her hoof reached up to the fedora suspended on her head. Scarlet stared at the hat now resting in her grip while Locks, Steele, and Amethyst stood by. Her ears sagged, as what resistance she had relentlessly vaporized.

She whispered something into the hat; her eyes clenched shut and her sobs grew in volume. Tears squeezed themselves from her eyes as, in a burst of frustration, she threw the fedora into the sky. It flipped gracefully in the air before landing gently amidst the waterlogged ground nearby.

Amethyst took the initiative and approached the broken mare. Scarlet looked at her for no more than a second before throwing herself into Amethyst's hooves. Steele turned away from the group, staring off into space. Locks stood his ground, silently enduring Scarlet's heart wrenching cries as they drowned out the song of the crickets near the riverbank.

==========

Present

"Here you go sir," a voice alarmed him. Locks blinked, looking back at the waiter.

"Oh. Thank you," he responded quietly, Scarlet's agony still carving away at his heart. He lifted his cup for a sip, exhaling a deep, heavy breath.

"It all points to suicide," Steele's voice echoed from Locks' past. "We turned the scene at the bridge upside down at least a dozen times by now. We didn't find a single damn thing."

"Suicide," Locks repeated, "that's what the higher ups ended up with. What Steele, who personally worked on it, regretfully resigned to." His attention turned back to that hauntingly thin folder. "What could have possibly happened recently to suggest otherwise? What could've changed Steele's mind?" Locks lost himself in his own questions.

"Steele wants me to investigate a potential murder," he started creating his plan, "So I need to think about this from a different angle if I want to find anything." Something finally clicked inside Locks' head, his coffee charged expression confident, but his eyes still tinged with a hint of pessimism.

"Baby steps," he reminded himself while messing with his forelock, "this is gonna be a pain." He chugged the final bit of his mug, leaving behind a hefty tip for the kind waitress.

"Instead of trying to prove a murder...I need to disprove a suicide."

==========

A rapid pounding on the door rattled the lump of mass on the couch under the covers. The aged mare stifled her irritation and pulled her body off of her makeshift bed, dragging her hooves towards the door. Her bloodshot eyes wrenched themselves open to look through the petite peephole placed in the center of the door.

She spotted that ever so familiar fedora hovering above a mess of red mane and a pair of earnest, jaded green eyes. A burst of energy ignited from within the confines of her exhausted form. She scrambled to undo the chained locks that she had recently installed, pulling the door to the side as fast as she could.

Scarlet couldn't utter a single syllable before she was smothered by her mother at the entrance. She felt her mom's older body pull tightly against her neck, affectionately rubbing the back of Scarlet's mane. A smile escaped from the detective's mouth as Mystery Hart broke the hug before hurrying her into their small home.

The inside of the apartment had been recently cleaned. The aroma of brewed coffee radiated from the couch and nearby furniture. The dinner table, a tiny, humble structure, was isolated in the corner of the room near the entrance, complete with two simple chairs. The den, positioned across from the table, consisted of two long, teal colored couches that created an L-shape in front of a moderately sized, unused fireplace. To finish the room off was a coffee table that stretched across the center of the den, filling in the gap between the two couches.

Scarlet felt a warm kiss on the side of her cheek. "Have a seat on the couch Scarlet. You want anything to drink? I can make you a daisy sandwich if you'd like. Would you like tea? I also have some punch leftover from..."

Mystery's voice lost coherency to Scarlet, her gaze working up and down her mother's figure. The vigor she managed to conjure up was brief, the flare of life she displayed beginning to fester back to its normal state. Several weeks had gone by since her last visit- the last case required more attention than Scarlet had initially anticipated. Mystery's mane and coat were sleek and cleansed, the sign of a very self-attentive pony. Her face had been spoiled by Justis' passing, but despite the ragged, tired expression her eyes gave, they seemed to carry a sense of dignity and willpower that Mrs. Hart had managed to keep a firm hold over as the years went by.

A pair of reading glasses hung from a necklace of beads around Hart's neck in a manner similar to Scarlet's magnifying glass. She was an avid reader, evident by the slew of books stacked on a small shelf stashed in the room towards the back end of the apartment. Along the counter near the kitchen, and surrounding the fireplace, were large frames holding pictures of random ponies, civilians that Scarlet had never met outside of those images. The pictures were divided into misshapen pieces that fit into one another.

Mystery often killed time by solving jigsaw puzzles when she wasn't working or reading. She had a tendency to frame the most elaborate ones she had completed throughout her life as a testament to her hard work- as if the puzzle piece on her flank didn't already indicate her talent enough.

Scarlet's eyes focused on Mystery's light pink irises. Her mother's offers of food and drink swam back into her mind, a tinge of guilt hitting Scarlet when she realized that she was drowning out her mother's kindness with her inner thoughts.

"Some tea would be fine mom," Scarlet interrupted Mystery's never ending flow. Her mother abruptly paused, letting the smile on her face widen as her daughter accepted the generous proposal.

"Go ahead and sit down in the den, I'll bring us some tea in just a moment. Hot or cold, Scarlet?"

Scarlet worked her way to the couch perpendicular to the fireplace. "Cold's fine, mom. Thanks."

A choir of clinks and clanks sang from the kitchen, an ambiance that bothered Scarlet's wandering mind. Her visits to her mother were always brief, but they were seldom this monotonous. The pouring of the tea could be heard through the silence, and the lack of any contact between the two made Scarlet too nervous to initiate a conversation.

'This is different from work,' Scarlet thought to herself. 'This is mom I'm dealing with. It's not like I can just go up and talk to her like I do some random pony on the job.'

She jumped in her skin when she heard a glass placed on the coffee table in front of her. It was already perspiring on the outer rim. A simple straw stuck out from the top of the cup to help Scarlet drink it down. A chuckle from her mother came from the other couch, Mystery leaned back and let the cushions gently rub against her sore muscles.

Mystery and Scarlet took a quick sip of their drinks almost simultaneously, the tension forcing sweat to build from underneath Scarlet's fedora. She removed her hat and wiped her head with a spare hoof, her eyes widening when she heard her mother's voice, this time in a focused, more familiar tone:

"How's work? You haven't changed positions, have you?"

"...No mom," she winced at her mother's heavy voice. "I've been working on a case for the last month now," a pause while Scarlet took a sip, "I'm sorry I haven't been around since then. The Agency had me running from Canterlot to Ponyville on a daily basis."

Mystery's brow rose. "Ponyville? This isn't about the mayor murder, is it?"

Scarlet nodded, trying her best not to look directly into her mother's eyes. Hart's sigh of relief eased her body for a brief moment.

"You reckless child, you'll be the death of your mother one day," she sarcastically joked with a smile. She reached for her own glass, drinking nearly half of her beverage in one shot.

"It's just the way of the workplace mom. We're prepared for any violent possibilities during travels to and from dangerous locales."

"Your father bothered me to no end with the same thing. I don't need to be hearing it from you too," she chuckled, recoiling the moment the words came from her mouth. Eager to change the direction of the conversation, she pressed on another point, "...So how did it all end? I read about the story in the paper, but it wasn't too detailed."

Scarlet looked back to her mother in contempt. 'She's trying too hard.'

She didn't wish to prolong her answer any further. "Jessica and I analyzed the blood left at the crime scene in Ponyville. I suggested that we scan it for traces of magical disposition, similarly to tests applied on the body. We found traces of another magical force that didn't match the victim's.

"We had the mayor's attributes, including her personal disposition, down on paper. It's a mandatory process all heads of state need to go through. We had all of the records on hoof back in Canterlot. It didn't take long to find that the disposition in the blood not only failed to match the body, but also failed to match our records."

Mystery's grin shined, a genuine trait that Scarlet was nothing short of relieved to see, "So it was all a set up? A fake murder?"

"Exactly."

"And the motive?"

Scarlet hesitated, "He said it was "to experiment."

"The real murderer?"

"Mmhmm."

"How did you find him? I'd think a criminal capable of something like that would be a little more discrete?"

"Once we realized it was a hoax, we went back to look into what type of magic could potentially lead to such a bizarre impersonation spell. Jessica helped out here mostly. She's a library on all things magic-based." Scarlet took another quick sip of her tea as she got into the meat of her tale.

"Turns out it was a form of black magic."

"Ah. I see. Your father worked on several cases involving black magic," Mysty replied as she placed a half-empty drink on the table.

"Yeah," Scarlet replied. "Black magic is painfully easy to trace to its source because it requires a certain disposition. I'm pretty sure our culprit had very little idea how strongly black magic sticks out to a magically inclined pony. A quick sweep by Jessica, and we found him, no sweat."

Mystery's facial expression turned to worry. "Did he try anything? When you found him, I mean?"

"Of course. I stayed away from the action since my part of the job was over, but Jessica actually led the charge. She's still alive and well, so I assume everything went her way."

"...running headfirst into a duel with a black magic-capable unicorn. That girl must have a death wish."

Scarlet couldn't help but agree. "In any case, the only reason it took us so long to finish was because Steele was too focused on the physical evidence left at the scene. Jessica is simply a scribe, so she didn't help me act on my suspicions about the black magic until after I almost begged her to."

"So it's all over then?"

"Yes mom. The mayor was found in the criminal's house bound up. She was spooked, but nothing out of the ordinary. She's a tough mare- she forced us to put her back in office immediately."

Hart grabbed her glass and chugged the remainder. She hiccupped, covering her mouth with her hooves before continuing, "Sounds like you've had a month to remember."

"The entire agency's guilty of that one. We were constantly on the clock. Celestia herself at one point issued a 'crunch time'. I never knew that it even existed for this line of work before," Scarlet explained.

"You couldn't have been the only ones," Mystery replied, "Ponyville was in a state of panic for the first week after the news spread. They're lucky they had Twilight Sparkle. I can't even say that Ponyville would still be on the map otherwise!" she laughed.

"Mom, that's kinda...not funny," Scarlet's ears flopped at her mother's reaction.

"So," her mom enthusiastically ignored her daughter's response, "I take it you and that Locks-boy are free for the time being? I'd love to see him around again, and it'd be nice if we could all settle down for a dinner sometime."

Scarlet's eyes shot to her mother's drink for a quick moment before returning to her face. "Actually..."

"...Oh. Another one already?"

"Y-yeah. Sorry mom."

"Oh," Mysty peeped out in a tiny, disappointed voice. "Well, you do what you want to do if it makes you happy, dear. If simply talking about your job makes you smile as much as you did during your story..."

Scarlet hadn't even realized it until Mystery pointed it out.

"...then as long as you're happy, I suppose I should be happy, too."

Scarlet finished her drink, the sound of the straw sucking up the remainder of the tea obnoxiously filling the room. After she finished, she grabbed her hat, slapping it back on her head. "I'd love to stay longer mom, but I have to leave already. I was supposed to be stationed in Ponyville by now."

"Ponyville? Again?"

Scarlet nodded while picking up both of their glasses to take them to the kitchen for her. 'It's the least I can do.'

"But dear, I haven't heard a thing from the newspaper. What could've happened? What's the new case about?"

Scarlet paused. It was a direct violation of Agency conduct to speak a single word of her missions to anyone outside of the work force. However, and she had seen it herself, Conroy would always share his adventures with Mysty. Growing up in such an environment shaped her up to never hesitate to tell her mom of the potential dangers she was taking part in.

'Today is different...but what can I tell her?' Scarlet thought while her mother waited for a response. While waiting, Mysty reached under the coffee table. A long, rectangular box plopped on top, a picture of a strong stallion posing on a windy hill. Upon opening the box, Mysty came across hundreds of different shapes and pieces of the picture on the front cover. She began working on it immediately, turning back every few moments, waiting for Scarlet's reply.

"Is it 'confidential', Scarlet?" her mother slurred, teasing the young detective.

"N-no," Scarlet replied. "It's a...kidnapping case. It's very recent, but it's a handpicked mission by the royal family."

"Ah. Kept under the radar, I get it, I get it," she hiccupped. “Well dear, I won't keep you any longer."

Scarlet dropped the dishes into the sink. On the counter next to the faucet was an unusually large bottle of cheap brand whiskey. The cap was on the floor nearby, with a rather large amount of the drink missing from the bottle. A quick sniff of Mysty's glass revealed a powerful odor, one that she wondered how it slipped from her mind for so long.

Scarlet felt the manila folder inside of her coat. She pat it down with one of her hooves before looking back to her mother, who was already working frantically at completing the puzzle in the other room.

'Just hold on for a little while longer. Please.'

"Scarlet," her mother suddenly burst from the other room.

'Oh no.'

"...Serve me some more of that delicious tea before you leave, will you?"

She sighed. "Sure thing mom. How much?"

"Two glasses please, I'm expecting company."

"Company?"

"Why yes. A friend from work is coming over for a nice visit."

Scarlet decided not to say a word, obeying her mother's wishes. 'Just let me solve this case once and for all, mom,' she told herself, 'just let me figure out what happened to dad...and then I'll come home and help you. I promise.'

"A friend?"

"Yes dear, a good ol' friend of mine wanted to come over and see my collection of puzzles."

Scarlet felt uneasy by the idea, but there was nothing more she was able to do about it. The Agency couldn't wait forever, and the more she found out about her father's final case, the closer she could be to finding out the truth.

'Hopefully then, after this is all over,' she looked to her mother, holding a tray with two drinks in her mouth, 'we can start over.'

She placed the drinks on the other end of the coffee table. Mysty's hiccups were becoming more prominent, making her puzzle placement jump in unison. She glanced back at her mother, who looked up for a moment from her work.

"Scarlet, give me another hug."

==========

"You sure you have everything you need, mom?" Scarlet asked as she opened the door.

"A-huh. And thanks for the drinks, honey. Oh, and tell that handsome Locks fella I said hello. Now off you go, my friend should be getting here any minute now."

Scarlet masked her face with her fedora as she shut the door behind her, letting her breath go almost the moment the pressure eased up on her conscience. "Be safe mom, I'll see you when this is all over."

Scarlet galloped away from her house, making a bee-line straight for the Agency. "And company...from work?”

"Mom," Scarlet spoke to herself, "nopony but you works at the cemetery."

==========

"C'mon Scarlet," she whined, reaching out to the gray pony with her hooves, "It's so chilly and quiet over here."

The detective curled closer to the corner of the airborne carriage, on the opposite side of her associate. She tightened her outfit to prevent any unwanted entry that the black coated mare might consider. "Not on your life, Scrawl," she tried to intimidate the unicorn.

"Why are you so icy to me Scarly~? I just need someone to cuddle with."

"NO!"

"Oh Scarlet," Jessica whined with tears in her eyes, "but you let me just a few minutes ago."

The carriage budged as they hit a bit of turbulence. Scarlet gripped the edge of her seat as hard as she could as Jessica inched closer. "I didn't agree to anything! You jumped over and fondled me for no reason!"

"Pleeeeease-"

"NO!!" Scarlet had to scream, getting the attention of the pegasi up front. "Personal space, Jessica! There's a bubble here, and you shouldn't go past it!"

None of Scarlet's rejections seemed to phase the eager pony. After making it to her side of the carriage, Jessica jumped up on her hind legs, stretching out her forelegs as she collapsed right next to the detective, who reacted by curling up as tightly as possible.

"Stay away!” She ordered, edging closer to the opening on the side of the carriage. The corner of her eye caught sight of the clouds hovering at eye level just outside of the gap; the ground was a combination of greens and browns, with dirt roads that, from Scarlet’s perspective, looked no thicker than a sliver of string. Her pupils dilated as the altitude of the carriage dawned on the detective, forcing her hastily towards the center of the carriage.

Scarlet felt a pair of hooves wrap around her neck, the heat of Jessica's breath brushing up against the back of her mane. The pair of appendages caressed her mane and back, easing up the tension she built up from the breach of her personal space.

"When I was a foal, I always loved to pop bubbles," she traced a spare hoof up Scarlet's neck, "It's something I'd prefer never to change." Jessica felt Scarlet quivering, “Something the matter? Your coat is much more pale than usual, love.”

Scarlet struggled to move away, but it had no effect on her flight partner. Jessica imitated a purr as she moved closer to the detective’s ear. “You’re not afraid of flying, are you?”

She shook her head, obliging Jessica in hope that it’d take her mind off of the witch’s assault. “N-Not of heights…or flying. I’m afraid of falling.”

“Falling? Doesn’t sound like much of a difference to me.”

She stuttered, “I-it’s COMPLETELY different, trust me.”

Jessica ignored her comment, resting her head on Scarlet's shoulder, caressing the younger mare as though she were a pet. The detective grumbled under her breath, most likely muttering obscenities at the situation. Embarrassed, but with nowhere left to run inside the tiny carriage, she sat still, as Jessica's plaything.

"Why, of all the ponies that work at the Agency, did Steele send YOU to help ME unpack and associate myself with the town?" Scarlet whined.

"Shh, shh, it'll be okay, my love," Jessica reassured her, kissing the back of her neck.

Scarlet's eyes widened at the sensation. Her face burned red with a combination of shock and humiliation. She jumped to the other end of the cart with a burst of energy, immediately balling up once again in a defensive position. Jessica's frown was short lived, the toothy grin Scarlet associated with the menace returning after a short reprieve.

"What in the world is your problem, Scrawl! Can't you just for a single minute act professional!? Can you once, in our time together at the office, get off my back!?"

Jessica's hooves shot to her chest, gasping as she suffered from an invisible, devastating blow. She fell over on the seat, gagging as though she were on the verge of passing. Sucking in a pocket of air, she whispered over to Scarlet, "How could you? Denying MY love without so much as a sign of emotional distress! Nopony could resist such charm, such skill with my graceful hoof! As I cling desperately to my final breath, you do no more than stare at me with such spite burning in those graceful eyes! Your apathy is the sword that dices my heart to pieces!"

Scarlet's stern look pierced beyond Jessica's act.

"...Too strong?"

Scarlet's stare eased up. She chuckled at the ridiculous play Jessica had put on, "Far too dramatic, Jess. You ever consider a career in acting?"

"Not in the least. Besides, I'm already fully employed."

"True, the Agency keeps us both busy," Scarlet replied, looking down at the floor. Her thoughts took her back to her mother for but a moment.

"Heehee, you silly foal," Jessica responded in that signature, creepy tone. "Who said the Agency was my job?"

Scarlet looked back up at Jessica. Her eyes widened in panic at what was in front of her. Sitting on the other end of the carriage was a tiny doll of a mare. She had a black coat with additional, orange colored fabric, and tiny orange buttons for eyes. It was an unconvincing copy of the pony currently missing from her sight.

She felt a bulge in her coat. In her panic, she failed to notice that her trench coat was now expanded to twice its normal size. Two glowing orbs poked out from the collar, growing as they shot out of the material. Scarlet came face to face with Jessica, her trusty magnifying glass wedged in between Jessica's teeth by the handle. Scarlet felt the rest of her body within the coat, resting on her haunches.

"This is probably the best paying job I've ever had, baby," Jessica spoke through her clenched teeth. She moved closer, her nose touching against Scarlet's .

The detective fell to her side from the sudden surprise, allowing Jessica the room to maneuver herself on top of the helpless mare. She nuzzled Scarlet with her face, humming a beautiful tune all the while to Scarlet's discontent.

"Invading my personal space is a job to you?" a defeated Scarlet groaned.

"The best I've ever had. My only wish is that you'd enjoy this as much as I did. We could have so much fun together~."

"No, no, and no!" Scarlet boomed to divert Jessica's attention away from her reddening face. "It's irritating, it's annoying! I'd wish for just a single day, that you'd cut it out! All the pranks, all the jokes, all of this touchy, feely, uncomfortable nonsense you put me through...why?"

Jessica wrapped her hooves around Scarlet again, this time in an embrace that lacked any of the warm feeling that typically went along with the act. "Because I love you, Scarly~."

"Ugh...please just get to Ponyville faster," Scarlet begged her prison cell.

Time ticked by slowly for Scarlet. Seconds stretched on for minutes as she lay ensnared against her will by Jessica, who had by then moved to her back, leaning in against her. The witch's hooves were still wrapped around her, inside of her coat. She continued to sneak in licks up the detective’s neck, each one creating a new wave of shivers that made Scarlet more than uncomfortable. Miserable, she continued to pray Godspeed to the pegasi up at the front of the carriage.

"Hmm?" Scarlet heard Jessica coo from behind. "Scarly," the dark coated pony prodded at several spots along the base of her neck, "You feel tense. Is there something wrong?"

"My personal space is being completely disregarded by a somepony that’s just a bit too comfortable with crawling around my body."

Jess let out a small chirp of joy at Scarlet's aggravation. "Well yes, there's always that, but there's something else."

Scarlet's eye wandered over to the window outside. "Something else, huh?"

"I know your body quite well," she slithered, Scarlet responding with a chilling shiver. "Your body doesn't get quite so rigid when I do little things like this."

The detective growled. Jessica's eye was sharp, and her demeanor throughout the carriage ride forced Scarlet's defenses to falter. "I took my time getting to the office this morning."

"I noticed," Jessica nodded, still rubbing her hooves along Scarlet's body. "I thought you were sneaking out of our little date. It almost broke my heart, Scarly."

"Knock it off, Jess."

They shared the silence for but a moment before Jessica replied, "So how is Mrs. Hart?"

"You-"

"Come now, I know that there's no one else for you to visit in Canterlot besides Locks, and he was too busy hiding from Steele all day. You need to be more creative with your life, baby."

Scarlet groaned, failing to understand why it was that Jessica refused to become a full time agent. "She's doing fine, Jess."

"Your body says otherwise."

'Damn it.'

Scarlet narrowed her vision on the clouds that swooped on by. The numbers that populated the sky outside were dropping sharply as they descended towards their destination. "I visited her, and we had a drink together."

"A drink? Or a drink?"

"Me the former, her the latter, without my discretion."

"Oooh," Jessica cried, pulling Scarlet ever closer, "That sounds rough, Scarly."

"She still hasn't let go. I'm not sure what to do anymore."

"I assume you didn't tell her about your new job?"

Scarlet gulped, remembering the context of her respective folder. "Absolutely not. She'd explode."

Clouds mingled on by in the world outside, a luscious design and comfort that Scarlet could only dream of. Another stroke of a tongue ran up her neck, which she tried with all her might to ignore, looking back at the sky beyond the window to ease her mind.

It was only for a blink, but the sight of a speedy, cyan colored pegasus zoomed right by, a streak of rainbow flashing right behind in the form of a tail, instantly taking Scarlet's mind off of her predicament.

"...That was...the Element of Loyalty! That means we're close to Ponyville! Thank Celestia!" Scarlet praised, eager to be free of Jessica's grasp, smiling for the landing soon to come.

A voice boomed from the window, "Pardon me ladies, but we'll be arriving in Ponyville in just...a few...min-"

Scarlet's eyes swung open, catching sight of one of the pegasi that was pulling the carriage at the opened section of the window, his eyes as wide as saucers and his mouth ajar. She looked back at her surroundings. The seats were wrinkled and worn from her constant struggle, Jessica was still inside her coat, licking blissfully at the back of her neck, and there she was, sighing in relief with a huge smile on her face.

"I...I apologize. Just prepare for landing," the stallion stammered out before flying back to the front of the cart in a haste.

"WAIT SIR, WAIT!!! I CAN EXPLAIN!"

==========

"What if they don't keep quiet!? Do you realize what this could do to my reputation?" Scarlet barked at Jessica after the trickster wiggled her way, slowly, out of Scarlet's jacket. "The looks I'd get...oh Celestia, and Locks!"

Scrawl was still stretched out against the other side of the carriage, relaxing with a hind leg mindlessly bobbing in the air. Her mane covered most of her face when she turned over to the detective, her carefree demeanor clearly showing how little she cared. "Relax, Scarly. You're making a big deal out of nothing. Besides," Jess purred, "Since when did the great Scarlet 'Laya' Trace care about her reputation? I thought you did the job for the thrill of the hunt, not for a spot in history."

"I enjoy finding the truth, Jessica."

"I'd sure hope so, baby. The look you have on your face sometimes at the office gives me the impression that you get off to this kinda thing."

Scarlet cocked an eyebrow at the unicorn. She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing short of another groan of frustration came out. She neared the open window, the breeze whipping her mane wildly to the sides. She kept a hoof on her head to keep her fedora still. Hoof steps from the other side of the room came up to her side, this time at a respectable distance. Scarlet was thankful that Jessica seemed to calm down for the moment.

"They're preparing for landing. You won't have time to comb out the city landmarks from the ground today, so memorize the locales from up here. I can help point out some major hot spots for you."

'Business Jessica...thank goodness,' Scarlet rambled, glad that her associate finally started to buckle down about the case.

The sound of a magical spell filled the carriage. Scarlet caught sight of a single inked feather floating just outside of her peripheral vision, while a scroll unraveled itself almost simultaneously. She looked back outside of the window to identify the important landmarks.

She recognized the large red roof of the building almost directly in the center of the town: Ponyville City Hall, where she had momentarily visited the month before with Jessica for the mayor murder case. A small blue flag hung at the peak of the construction, hovering over the entirety of the city as its highest point. Several ponies could be seen wandering the plaza that surrounded city hall, much of the buildings made of eerily similar material, but subtle difference in window placements, roofing, and color.

A large area of land stretched for acres just southwest of central Ponyville, beyond a small bridge and over a river. Various amounts of vegetation could be seen even from the height of the carriage. A large red barn house stood out above the plantation as the central point of Sweet Apple Acres. A herd of cattle just further down the pasture were peacefully minding their own business, grazing blissfully as the package from Canterlot soared overhead.

A tickling sensation ran through Scarlet's ear, the extension flickered wildly as her eyes scanned the source of the touch. Jessica's feather jiggled in the air, a flirtatious smile on the other mare that garnered her attention. The quill turned towards the window, pointing southeast of the central plaza.

"There's a central point you may need to keep in mind, Trace," Jessica directed with the feather's end. The building she targeted was fairly similar in design to city hall, albeit scaled down significantly. A reddened flag hung above a building of indigo and lavender design, with golden drapes covering the windows on the first floor.

"Carousel Boutique, Scarlet. Miss Rarity, the Element of Generosity, lives and works there. She may prove to be a valuable asset."

The town grew larger as they swooped over the southern portion. The drop in altitude gave Scarlet a more detailed look at the town. Further north from the plaza was a building that Scarlet couldn't believe evaded her gaze for so long. The roof was decorated with a texture that looked no different than gingerbread, a white border used to imitate a frosty icing. A giant pink, bulbous cupcake erupted from the top of the building, with three large candles poking out from the top. The extravagant building passed them by as they continued their descending path.

"And that interesting little number is Sugarcube Corner, home of one Pinkamena Diane Pie, the Element of Laughter."

Scarlet nodded as Jessica listed off each of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. "Applejack, the Element of Honesty, lives and works on Sweet Apple Acres, and if you head back due South from there, you'll find a cloud home belonging to Ms. Loyalty, Rainbow Dash."

"Understood," Scarlet confirmed the information, the sounds of Jessica's quill dashing madly across the scroll. "Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness, lives on the outskirts of Ponyville, towards the Everfree Forest that lies West of Ponyville."

Jessica's hoof tapped Scarlet's back, causing the detective to jump in place. She coaxed her over to the window on the other side of the carriage, giving Scarlet the view of a forest shrouded in darkness. The sun's rays failed to penetrate the thick foliage, making it hard for Scarlet to discern anything beyond its borders. Poking only several hundred yards from the forest was a tiny hut, almost camouflaged as a large, bulky tree. The river that ran through Ponyville stretched across a small bridge. The walkway to the hut had been wedged between the road that reached towards the barrier of the forest, and the other end of the open valley.

"We're finally here," Jessica pointed almost directly downward. The carriage had stopped moving ahead, opting to descend almost straight down. Scarlet caught sight of a strange structure shaped like a tree. The lights from inside glowed brightly, blinding Trace from the contents inside. She spotted a purple unicorn waiting outside of the front porch just as the carriage landed with a thud. The pegasi in the front called out to the carriage, indicating that it was finally safe to exit the cart.

Scarlet made sure to avoid all eye contact with the winged carrier who had spotted her in such a compromising position earlier, focusing all of her attention on her new command post for the remainder of the mission. She almost didn't notice, in the midst of this, the purple unicorn walking up to both her and Jessica.

"Ms. Twilight Sparkle," Jessica grabbed Scarlet's attention, "It's a pleasure to see you again so soon."

"It's good to see you too, Ms. Scrawl," Twilight greeted in a soft tone. Her glance turned over to Scarlet, who was too busy thanking her fortune that the pegasus stallion didn't say a word concerning the incident earlier. "And you're Detective Trace?"

Scarlet jumped to attention, looking Twilight square in the eye before bowing as a means of respect. "Y-yes ma'am. It's nice to finally meet you face to face," she stuttered. Granted that she was aware of Twilight Sparkle and her numerous exploits, Scarlet had never physically met the Element of Magic before.

Twilight waved them to the door, leading them into her library. "Several ponies from Canterlot came by earlier in the day to deliver all of your supplies, Ms. Trace."

"Please, you can just call me Scarlet, Ms. Sparkle," she replied.

"Sure," Twilight giggled back, "and you can call me Twilight."

"Aww, look, already making friends in her new cozy little home," Jessica awed quietly enough for only Scarlet's ears to pick up. She gave Jessica a quick, venomous look before turning back to Twilight.

"Most of your materials were already placed in the workplace in the suite above the library, so don't worry too much about unpacking. Most of it is already done."

"Oh," Scarlet sounded surprised, "Who do I have to thank?"

Had Scarlet been paying attention, she'd have spotted the impish smirk on Jessica's face. The door to the library swung open, the blinding light forcing Scarlet's eyes closed.

She suddenly felt a blast of balloons, whistles, and confetti wash over her entire body. The smell of sugar and punch flooded her nose, music booming from a set of speakers nearby numbing her sense of hearing to all but one word:

"SURPRISE!!"

==========

"What's all this?!" Scarlet gasped as she peeled off several streamers that had wrapped around her neck and hat. The library was crammed to the ceiling with ponies, some mingling in large circles, others moving to the beat of the song on a makeshift dance floor to one side of the room. A large table stretched across the wall by the door, hundreds of bite-sized sweets were piled atop one another in large, white bowls that littered the surface.

A pair of transparent, giant bowls guarded either end of the tables, full of a sweet cherry punch. A drink soaked ladle took its place hanging off to the side of the bowls. The sugary scent Scarlet picked up was traced to a giant, chocolate cake that towered above the rest of the table, looming over the heads of even the tallest of ponies. The succulent smell of chocolate brought Scarlet further into the room, teasing her sweet tooth.

She flinched as several streamers flew right by her head. Her body spun around, coming face to face with the pony behind the party's construction.

"Surprise! What do you think," a bright, pastel pink pony shouted above the music, snatching Scarlet's attention. Her mane and tail curled wildly around her head, bouncing freely with every move she made. She bounced blissfully in place, reveling in the perfect atmosphere she had created in the library.

The detective gave her a timid smile, somewhat overwhelmed by Pinkie Pie's beaming grin. "It's very well done, it must've been difficult to put together on such short notice." Scarlet continued, "You must be Ms. Pinkie Pie, right?"

"Yup!" She barked back immediately. "It wasn't hard, Twilight told me that you were coming to visit Ponyville yesterday, so I thought I'd throw a party to welcome you!" The sound of popping balloons worked as a queue, the party pony almost leaping into the air with unprecedented jubilee.

Scarlet could only observe as Pinkie turned to the direction of the sound. "Make yourself at home and have some fun!" Pinkie Pie said, "there's plenty of snacks and drinks to go around!"

At Pinkie's hasty leave, a group of ponies gathered around, many of them giving Scarlet a quick greeting with a gentle, unguarded smile. Twilight and Jessica coaxed her along, allowing her the time to reply to everypony. Scarlet fought her way through the waves of friendly faces before finally making it to a table nearest to the staircase, which undoubtedly lead to her workplace upstairs.

She threw herself into a vacant chair, startling a yellow coated pegasus nearby. She jumped at the sound of the squeak, unaware that anypony was even nearby. Twilight casually sat down next to her, making herself comfortable, while Jessica had somehow disappeared into the crowds.

'Jessica doesn't constantly party, but she's even more unstable than normal whenever she makes it to one,' Scarlet thought to herself. 'I'll need to keep a close eye on her.'

"Allow me to introduce you to some of my friends," Twilight started. She waved a hoof over to the bashful mound of yellow on the other side of Scarlet's chair. This particular pony, a pegasus as indicated by her wings, had a long, pink mane that extended to the base of the chair she sat in, her matching tail hung frozen on the ground leading to her seat. Her light blue eyes kept darting to and from Scarlet's jaded green, a whimper almost going unheard thanks to the music pumping only meters away.

"This is Fluttershy," Twilight continued, "She takes care of many of the animals that you'll see running around in Ponyville."

Scarlet bowed her head in respect to another of the six element bearers. "Hello Ms. Fluttershy, it's good to meet you."

Fluttershy responded with a frail grunt in Scarlet's general direction. The tunes helped drown out the awkward silence. The detective eyes softened as if she had been glaring at her beforehand, her hoof retreating a bit to give Fluttershy some much needed room.

"Don't worry about it too much, detective. Fluttershy takes awhile to warm up to new faces, so you'll be fine."

Scarlet sighed louder than she had intended. She gave the quiet pegasus one final glance before looking at the party in front of her. She caught Jessica in the center of the dance floor, her orange hair bouncing and flowing about her body as the song took control of her energetic form.

"Actually, before we continue," she felt for the folder secured in her coat, "can I put something upstairs in my work area?"

"Absolutely. Follow me Scarlet," Twilight ordered as they jumped from their seats. She lead her to the staircase right nearby, the two mares climbing up to the top as the party under them grew louder.

The workspace area doubled as a large bedroom. Two beds rested on either side of the room, with a tiny basket near what Scarlet deduced was Twilights' bed space. A lump was covered by a single blue blanket, rising and falling in sync with a creature's steady breathing.

On Scarlet's side was a hefty sized desk. She pulled out the drawers: Mail scrolls, notepads, quills with ink, and folders full of some of Scarlet's personal files from the Agency were placed neatly inside each compartment. Reaching inside her coat, she pulled out Steele's report, placing it atop the desk before returning to Twilight, who was double checking the basket to make sure its inhabitant wasn't disturbed by the noise.

Scarlet caught the spines running up to the skull of the sleeping mass. "Is that a dragon?"

"Oh," Twilight looked back to Scarlet. Her horn glowed as the blanket on the dragon tucked itself in at her beckoning. "This is Spike. He's my assistant from Canterlot." She smiled back at him, "He's still a baby dragon, so he needs to be sleeping during most of the night. It's the only reason I was hesitant to let them use my house as the party location."

The two ponies walked over to the balcony near the staircase. They could see most of the activity taking place downstairs, though it was difficult to discern anypony through the dim lighting and wild dancing.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't get all of my friends to come to the party today," Twilight's voice caught the white mare's attention, "Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow were all busy today."

Scarlet counted up the names in her head. "I've already had the liberty of meeting Ms. Pinkamena."

"Oh? Pinkie Pie?" Twilight asked her, as if she had never heard her friends full name before. "Then I need no reason to worry about introducing you to her."

Scarlet chuckled, looking back at a mess of black and orange tearing up the dance floor, "Is miss Pinkie a party animal, Twilight?"

"Woohoo!" a shrill, high pitched squeal came from the direction of the sweets. Scarlet watched as a pink blur zoomed back to the dance floor from the snack table, causing several cupcakes to tumble over onto the floor of the library in a frosted mess.

"I take that as a yes?"

Twilight's smile grew as she observed her friends bizarre, erratic behavior. "Pinkie sets up most of the parties here in town. She's the one who gathered everything for your 'Welcome to Ponyville' party."

"Hmm," Scarlet shuffled back off of the balcony she had been leaning on. "I'm...not particularly a 'party pony', Ms. Twilight," she added, "but I have to give credit where credit is due. She must've worked hard to set everything up. She couldn't have had much time since the Agency notified you."

"It's no problem at all." Twilight assured the dazzled investigator.

Another excited howl came from the dance floor. Over the balcony, the two mares spotted the same, brightly colored mass wildly spinning a pair of poor colts in circles, their eyes begging the hyperactive young pony to stop.

Pinkie Pie abruptly hit the brakes on her chaotic dance, her grip vanishing, sending the ponies flying towards the opposite ends of the library. Simultaneously, Scarlet heard the colts crashing against the walls, leaving comical imprints where they had landed after they pooled onto the floor.

Scarlet tipped her hat towards Twilight before heading downstairs.

"She's sweet enough to burn a hole through your teeth," a voice snuck up on Scarlet halfway down the steps". She jerked her head around to come muzzle to muzzle with a familiar black mare with a wicked, mischievous grin.

"A bit too much cake, I'd guess," Scarlet replied, trying her best to ignore how unpleasantly close to her body Jessica was. The jester trotted a few steps ahead of her as they descended the rounded staircase, catching Scarlet by surprise.

"She's the element of laughter. I wouldn't be surprised if 'Pinkie Pie' was always like this," she wondered.

Pinkie had made a hasty retreat to the confections once again. She playfully tossed a cookie straight into the air, leaving her mouth wide open. It passed down her throat in a seamless series of motions, leaving Scarlet and Jessica's eyes to widen as Pinkie chugged a normal serving of punch in no more than half of a second.

A curious look adorned Jess' face as they watched Pinkie giggle her way back towards the dance floor, the other ponies giving her room in fear of becoming her next two dance victims.

"Come on, Scarlet," Jessica teased her as she pulled Scarlet towards the dance floor by her coat. "You can thank her by being more proactive with the party."

Scarlet tried to pull away from her, but it was of no use. Jessica's ambitions overpowered Scarlet’s timid behavior, her vision of the party pony becoming more clear as they drew themselves closer.

A new song had just begun. The bass rattled the floor in a systematic rhythm, giving the dancers on the floor a guideline for their movements. Bystanders, surprised by the twist in the musical styles, found themselves absorbed by the beat.

"Wooo!!" Pinkie's scream dominated the atmosphere. Jessica was heard chuckling ahead, bringing Scarlet's attention back to the pink coated sugar-monster.

In a truly extraordinary display, Pinkie tore through the dancers on the floor, appearing next to a mare, spinning her around crazily before disappearing into the crowd. She appeared from the back end of the floor once more, tossing a colt straight into the air with a thrust. Her shouts vanished yet again, Scarlet's eyes hunting manically for the speed demon.

Jessica's head turned towards the DJ onstage, Scarlet following right behind. Pinkie Pie made it onto the stage in a flash, in a full run straight back into the crowd. She leaped from the stage, the crowd's hooves raised in unison as she was swept across the party.

"How...is she that fast?" Scarlet asked after the series of manic events ended. Pinkie was flung in the air before she landed perfectly on her four hooves. Scarlet looked back up at Jessica. She spotted a twinkle in the mare’s gaze that filled her with a dooming dread.

"Scarlet, socialize with the locals. I have a date with a special someone." Jessica disappeared into the crowd once more.

Scarlet used the opportunity to escape from the swelling crowd, retreating to the table she had seen Fluttershy at. The timid yellow mare had vanished. Her eyes caught sight of the punch nearby, her lips pursed as she made her way over to the drink. As she poured the drink into a nearby cup, she caught sight of Jessica once more, lurking around the other end of the table.

The sorceress looked up at Scarlet, an expressionless face and wide, orange eyes that felt strangely out of place for Jessica's normal demeanor. Jess looked away, staring back at the punch for a brief moment before trotting away in a hurry. Scarlet caught sight of a pulse of magic that discharged from her horn.

"What in the world is she up to? I thought she was looking for Pinkie Pie."

"Enjoying yourself?" Scarlet heard Twilight's voice. She looked over to see the purple mare pouring herself some punch, the cup levitating in the air as she carried it back over to their table.

"Yes," Scarlet bluntly replied. "It's not very often that I attended parties back in Canterlot. Work always kept me away from these kinds of social things."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. Parties happen often, but we understand that some ponies can't make every single one. Even I sometimes get too caught up in my studies to set hoof outside my home."

Scarlet nodded to the comment. Countless nights in the last month were spent analyzing and reanalyzing data from the mayor case, and the lack of rest was beginning to have an effect on her body. She could understand the heavy bags underneath Steele's eyes, and he always appeared angry or upset. 'Maybe the boss needs a break from all of his work.'

"So what do you think so far, of Ponyville?" Twilight asked her before taking a sip of her drink.

"I never had a chance to go look around today, but Jessica showed me around town from the carriage, so I have a vague idea of how everything looks. It's somewhat cozy looking from the outside in."

"So you haven't really walked around town then?"

"Not much. My last trip into town only saw me at City Hall. I'll probably explore tomorrow, just to get a solid feel for the area. I could also go about asking questions to the veterans of town concerning my new case." Scarlet took a decent sized drink of her punch before continuing, savoring the juicy flavor, "I'll probably go and visit Sweet Apple Acres first. I understand that it's one of the town's older establishments. I'm sure there's someone there I can gather some form of intel on."

As Scarlet lifted her drink, she felt a sudden pang in her gut. Gasping, she dropped the punch, spilling it all over the table, the juice splashing over the covers and onto the floor.

"Oh! Are you okay?" Twilight said as she lifted herself from her seat. Scarlet caught sight of Twilight stumbling over her own feet before getting off of her chair. She shook her head to ease the dizzy feeling.

"You felt it too?" Scarlet panted with shock riddling her face, looking at Twilight's surprised expression.

"Yeah. What in the world happened?"

Scarlet's gaze fell on the rest of the party. She couldn't understand what was happening; more than half of the ponies were struggling to stay on their feet. The music continued to play as the dancers on the floor grew weary from the influence of a mysterious force.

She looked back to her drink, reminded of the moment she spotted Jessica at the table. Her expression changed from dumbfounded confusion to absolute horror in seconds. She looked back to Twilight, "How much punch did you drink?"

Twilight shook her head violently one more time before looking back at Scarlet, who was faring worse against the strange feeling. "Not much. Just whatever was," Twilight's eyes widened, "You don't think-"

"That's exactly what I think."

"But...who? How?"

Scarlet felt a strange heat rising in her body. She heard the sounds of something similar to a struggle going on near the dance floor. Fighting against the urge, she lifted her head to see what the commotion was for.

A colt and a mare, both of whom seemed unmemorable to Scarlet's dizzying eyes, had tossed several props and books over on one of the desks nearby. Before the detective could question why, the pair of ponies locked lips with one another in a heated display so sudden that the rest of the party-goers were left speechless. The music was pulled almost immediately.

The agency had a special policy in place, and though it rarely helped, they would fight to the death to uphold it:

"Never allow Jessica near the food," Scarlet whispered to herself, "I can't believe she did it."

"Spike the punch?" Twilight muttered.

"It's not that she spiked the punch," Scarlet added, finally pulling herself to her feet. "It's more about WHAT she spiked the punch with."

Twilight looked back to the couple on her desk. "What!?"

"Twilight, we need to get everyone out of here as fast as we can, before something happens that somepony will regret in the morning."

"No problem," Twilight responded with a shaky voice that didn't ease Scarlet's worry. "Can you even stand? You're not looking too good."

Scarlet fell back onto her hind legs. "I drank more than you did if that's your only glass tonight," she struggled, doing her best to avoid any attention she might gather from any given colt under the influence. "Just get everyone out. I'll...I'll try to go and-"

"Get upstairs detective, you've been too heavily influenced. I can handle it," Twilight sternly ordered, concentrating as her horn pulsed.

Scarlet, finding that she could barely even manage to pull herself up on her own four legs, decided to obey Twilight’s demand. She dragged herself to the staircase as the Twilight Sparkle blared instructions out into the crowd. She heard a struggle take place to separate the new couple, and other than a few moans or groans, and a heavy, uncomfortable feeling bubbling inside of her, Scarlet managed to get herself to the second floor.

"What's wrong with her?" Scarlet growled as she took off her outfit and pulled herself into bed, "What an awful way to end the night."

Minutes passed by as she fought against her body under her sheets. Her coat, hat, and magnifying glass hung on one of the bed's posts, the report shrouded in the darkness of the library. The lights were cut off the moment the final guest left the house.

The stench in the air was a mixture of sugar, sweat, and that raunchy scent oddly familiar to the one she recalled from the Agency before their new assignment.

"She must be testing out a stronger spell," Scarlet muttered, irritated at her coworker. Exhausted from the entirety of the day, Scarlet's mind didn't even process the sinking feeling she had as she fell asleep.

==========

His hooves beat against the stone road as he made his way towards the Western District of Canterlot. The previous day was spent almost entirely at the cafe, and Locks made it a point to stay home that morning and ponder on where his first step should be, away from the hustle of the offices at work. The life of Canterlot was booming in the streets, unicorns were running around on business, while the foals mingled with each other in the streets, practicing their magic that they'd need if they dreamed of being enlisted in Celestia's advanced classes up in Northern Canterlot.

Locks casually ducked when the sound of a discharged spell exploded behind him. An apple shot through the air where his head had been moments before, slamming into the side of the building down the road. A magical aura surrounded it after impact, and with another enchantment, it returned to its natural state: a dull, gray stone that had apparently been pulled from the edge of the road.

"Keep practicing," Locks muttered to himself, relieved to have some of the stress building up in his mind alleviated by the flying fruit.

He had just come back from the Agency. It was noticeably quieter without Jessica and Scarlet around to keep him company, and Amethyst was away on another mission. His conversation with Steele was as effective as he thought it'd be. Glad to have such a straightforward boss, Locks was already on phase two of his outline for the case.

"Mr. Steele, mind if I have a word?" Locks' muffled voice came from outside of Steele's office.

"You may enter," his boss replied back immediately. Locks opened the door to the sound of the air whistling from the hole Jessica had made two days before.

Steele hadn't even bothered to look up from his paperwork. He was busy writing another letter, the seal of the royal family prepped for the delivery. Locks cleared his throat, trying in vain to get Steele's undivided attention.

"Sir, I spent the majority of yesterday trying to create a series of steps to follow through on the case you assigned me the other day."

"Interesting," Steele replied emotionlessly. "I take it you have something for me?"

"No sir," Locks adamantly said. "However, after considering the factors surrounding Conroy Justis' life, I felt like the most effective path I could take to start off my investigation would be to talk to you in regards to his behavior prior to the incident."

"Go on, maggot."

"Well Sir, you and Mr. Justis were on good terms, correct? I thought you might have some type of insight on the situation, especially considering that you and the Princess took on this case momentarily."

"I'm not gonna bullshit it any," Steele boldly spoke, "Conroy and I were close. If there was something wrong with him at all, you could bet your badge that I'd have noticed it."

"So you did notice some strange behavior?"

"Typical crap, Locks. Justis was really effective at keeping it locked up, though. I doubt many of you maggots would've noticed much until...maybe a few days before the incident took place."

Locks thought back to Conroy's behavior during the last time he saw the detective alive. "He did have a strange aura about him that day, but I couldn't really sense anything malevolent about it."

"And that's coming from Detective Locks himself," Steele mocked. "He had a great aptitude in hiding his emotions."

"So you're saying that his behavior somewhat hinted at the incident?"

Locks body was still locked on his future destination. He was already at the border of the Western District. The sounds of magic could be heard all around. In this region of the town was where most of the families lived, and where magic had a tendency to backfire the most. Despite the danger present from the untamed magical potential, very few incidents caused serious injury, and it was rare that anypony was ever sent to the hospital for it.

He passed by a house that lit up every few seconds, the sounds of magical potential being tapped into by the younger ponies. He nodded to himself, looking forward to the future generation of colts and mares that would run the city. Locks could distinctly feel their presence by the magic they fired off, some of them in rapid succession even.

"To be able to manipulate the elements of life around us. Unicorns have so much power behind them," he thought passively before Steele's words replayed in his memory.

"I was worried for him, but get this through that idiotic skull of yours, Locks: I had utmost faith in Conroy's ability to control himself. It wasn't the first time something had bothered him before."

"So why is it that you feel the case to be a murder? From what you've told me...and from what I've seen, and what the reports themselves say, suicide seems to be the most probable. At least, more probable than murder."

"Locks, you goddamn moron."

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Scarlet Trace just solved the mystery involving the mayor murder in Ponyville. Remind me: How did she figure that the corpse was an impersonation?"

"She recorded the disposition of the dead body's magic, and compared that to the mayor's personal records."

"More or less. And what happened?"

"They...didn't match. Sir, what relevance is this to the case?"

"Locks, how long has it been since you've read Justis' records involving the supposed suicide?"

The detective replied, "At the cafe yester-"

"Wrong answer, rookie." Steele reached into a drawer, instantly pulling out a document; a copy of Conroy's records. He slammed it down onto the desk before pulling Locks in by the neck, dragging his face to a specific attribute on the records."

"Look at this, Locks," Steele muttered through clenched teeth. In front of Locks' face was a simple set of values: "Disposition Discharge: <10".

"This...what in the hell?"

"Locks, get back to training class. What happens when a pony dies?"

Locks knew the answer, and as he explained, he began to piece together Steele's implication of the records, "When anypony passes away, the magical disposition in their body gets discharged into the atmosphere."

"And?"

"And this disposition is recycled by natural forces, to be used as raw materials for basic pony magic."

Steele thrust Locks' face off of the paper, causing the young colt to stumble away for a blink before regaining balance. Locks' eyes narrowed as his mind began to spin conclusions about the information.

"Do you understand now, or am I going to have to walk you through the entire process?"

"On average, a typical pony Justis' age would discharge approximately one hundred units of disposition upon death. Ponies with a higher potency for magic tend to discharge more."

"Justis' disposition was one of the highest on record, a trait that helped him get into the Agency no sweat," Steele added.

"Yet when he died, the atmosphere gauged during that time period didn't see a spike of any type of value. The atmospheric magic value only increased by a tiny amount, no stronger than a newborn's disposition."

"Do you understand what I'm trying to say to you, Locks?"

"Yes, sir."

The cobalt detective was deep into the district now, beyond the spells and frantic magic that occupied the majority of the daytime. As he continued, the age of the ponies around him increased, older mares and colts carried themselves with dignity and grace, their hard worked lives garnering nothing but Locks' respect.

"The only time a magical disposition can be tampered with, that I know of, is by the use of malevolent magical influence. According to Steele, Justis never mentioned anything of the sort to him, and they shared nearly everything with one another since they were so close.

"If Justis wasn't inflicting black magic on himself," the very thought sickened Locks, "then someone was tampering with him, with or without his knowledge. If this is true, then the case turns from a suicide, into a murder. That would prove that the case is impossible to assume as a suicide, but...I have no proof to back up any of this information outside of that single record, and using the disposition tracker alone isn't enough to make for a strong lead."

Locks finally turned down the street he'd been following since he left the Agency. As he made his way down the alley to his left, a series of doors decorated the enlarged pathway. Several older mares gave him beckoning looks while they carried on with household chores, or talked amongst one another. He waved back to a few of them as a token of appreciation before focusing on the trail ahead.

"I knew almost everything there was to Justis, and I just couldn't figure it out before we had to drop the case," Steele told Locks as he left the office.

"You guys took on the case almost immediately after his death. I could understand, at the very least, why you'd need to focus on other cases. Crime doesn't wait."

"Indeed, Locks. Also, since it had just happened...I never got to..."

"...Never got to?"

Locks finally approached his destination. A bright red door in the center of the row lay before him. Refusing to hesitate, he raised his hoof and knocked on the door in steady, hardy raps.

"I didn't want to trouble her at the time. I never got the chance after I dropped the case. If there's anypony who knew him better than I did..."

The door swung open. An older mare with light red hair and an ivory coat answered, staring into Locks' blood red eyes.

"...It's his wife."

Author's Notes:

Hello again. Just thought I'd update with the next chapter.
I've had some trouble with the labeling and whatnot, since this is my first piece of work that I've updated to this site. That being said, I'd like to just clarify some things for the future:

*The Mane Six, Celestia, Luna, and Zecora ARE indeed in this fanfic, but they aren't as "main character" as the label leads on. As you can probably already tell, this story mostly revolves around the OCs that were created, namely Scarlet, Jessica, Amethyst, and Locks. Celestia and the Mane Six will have heavy influence over the story progression, but they won't be seeing as much time in the chapters as the OCs.

Reason being mostly because I'm somewhat timid when it comes to approaching preestablished characters, and I get nervous when handling their behavior and whatnot. I'll do what I can to improve on that in the future.

*This takes place within the FiM universe, but not before the season finale in Season 3 (meaning Twilight isn't an alicorn yet). I'd like for this fic to take place at the last possible point before any canonical finality with the Twilicorn, but until Season 4 clears up some of the questions that need answering, it'd be best to just assume this happens before the finale for S3.

Or Alternatively, in a FiM-verse where the Season 3 Finale never happens. Whatever works for you readers :P

=====

With that out of the way, I'd like to thank those of you who have liked the story and given it a read, and I appreciate your commitment. Spread the word around if you can, get others to read it and see how it is. Also, leave comments or criticisms! I, like any other author on this site, love to see comments about the story I've made, and it'd all but encourage me to speed up production on the rest of the content. Thanks in advance for your contributions.

Finally, speaking of content, Chapter 4 should be out relatively soon (within the next 3 days), but after that, it'll depend on how much time I get to work on the story. Again, comments and views help drive me, and I'd definitely appreciate the reviews, if any. I'm hoping I can consistently update one chapter weekly or biweekly, based on how fast I'm able to pump them out, so keep your eyes peeled.

Once I get on that pace, it'll probably update every Saturday, but until that schedule settles in, I'll be doing what I can to release them asap. Again, expect the next one in the coming days.

Thanks for reading guys!

- Garnet Rose