Ponyville Crime: Rune Shredder

by SigmatheAwesome

Case 1: Rune Shredder's 4th Murder

"Well," The orange mare's worn-in coat fluttered in the wind, as she pulled her hat closer to her head. "It was him, alright."

The mare in front of her had her stomach violently mutilated, eyes vacant and glossed, lying on top of a strange splatter of her own blood. Surrounding her was a disturbingly neat, bloody circle. The mare had a terror-stricken expression etched and petrified on her, which sickened Applejack more than the wound. A white unicorn, clad in a stylish coat, walked up, and nearly turned back in disgust.

"See, Applejack," Rarity chimed, fighting back regurgitation. "This is why I deal with the witnesses and you the evidence."

All of a sudden, a pink pony lurched out of one of the forensics’ toolkits. "And I make sure that not even a smidgegram of stuff is unchecked!"

"And yet y' never seem t' be able t' find out who th' Rune Shredder is." Applejack's mocking of Pinkie's inability to catch this murderer, despite being able to tell who someone is from a coathair, didn't seem to break her spirits.

When Pinkie covered the dead mare with a sheet of material, Rarity sighed with relief. "Any witnesses?"

"Ah think there's a few." Applejack replied, fighting the increasing wind for possession of her stenson hat. "Y'all in charge a' that, remember?"

Rarity paused, mane whipping in the wind. "But I haven't received my report yet, and I was expecting that they gave it to you by accident." Another pause. "Again."

Applejack checked her pockets. They were as empty as the corpse's life-force. "Nope."

With convenient timing a stallion unicorn galloped up, carrying a sheet of paper. "Here's the list of witnesses, Investigator."

The white mare took hold of the paper with her magic, and, thanking the officer, scanned the sheet with confusion. "There's only one witness." She checked the other side to make sure that her claim was true, and then looked back at the singular name. "A Ms. Romana Minuette."

Applejack tilted her hat. "Well, Ah'll go have a lookabout fer anythin' that can lead to-" She halted as she saw her pink colleague dose off. "Pie, stop fallin' asleep."

Pinkie woke up suddenly, hardly able to keep herself upright. "Wha...? Oh, sorry. I must've had a late night."

"Don't let it happen again, alright?" She replied in a demanding tone, before reverting to her normal voice. "Anyways, Ah was saying Ah'll look around fer anythin' that can lead us t' this madpony fer once."

"And I shall interview Ms Minuette," Rarity added. "And soon we should have enough to find and convict this villain." She looked at what hadn't been covered from the crime scene, which was mostly the circle. "Particularly after the last three's evidence combined."

The orange Earth pony scraped her hoof on the cobblestone. "An' I guess Lulamoon will deal with the magic-y stuff again, right?"

Rarity smiled calmly. "It's not like I can, Applejack dear."

"Don't call me 'dear', Gemstone." Applejack only used Rarity's surname when she was being a might irate. This only made the unicorn's smile widen. "But yeah, it's her job."

"Well, tell me how it goes." Rarity said, as she turned and let her coat flutter in the wind. "I look forward to catching this monster."

---

Rarity walked up to the dental care facility. It was a two-story building, like most in Ponyville, and had a large toothbrush adorning the top of the thatch roof. It only made sense that the dentist (and rumoured time-traveller, which was based off her cutie mark only and had no solid ground) lived in the second story. She approached the wooden door, which was covered in various dental plans and prices, and knocked on it loud enough to be heard from the second story.

"We're closed!" A voice, seemingly friendly, chimed out. "Unless you're not here for an appointment."

"No, I'm not." Rarity replied in a voice that could be heard through the door. "I'm Investigator Rarity, Ponyville Crime Team."

A window from the second story opened. A (very tired looking) blue pony looked down. "Oh, hey there. Come on in."

Rarity thanked the mare and pushed the door open. As she walked calmly through the first floor, the dentist's office, she spotted the gleaming equipment of the trade. In the dark lighting, the whole setup looked a bit nerve-racking, and Rarity managed to look away before bumping into the desk. Eventually she made it to the second floor, where she was greeted by the same mare offering tea.

"Romana Minuette, I presume?" Rarity said, noting the disturbed furniture. Only slightly, but still enough for her keen eye to pick up.

"Please, just call me Colgate." She said, stirring her milk with a spoon coated in a brilliant blue aura. "Sorry, the place is a bit of a mess. So, how can I help?"

Rarity smiled as she stirred her own tea with her pale blue aura. "I'm Chief Investigator Rarity, and I was just wondering if I could ask you some questions."

"If it's about the time-traveller thing, it's only a ru-"

"No no no no no!" Rarity said with a chuckle. "It's about last night."

"Oh." Colgate's smile dropped, then returned in a slightly strained form. "Sure."

Rarity gestured to the couch, and they both took their places. "It's to my understanding that you actually witnessed the event."

"Yeah, I don't really want to remember that." The blue mare was rubbing her foreleg over her other's elbow. "But I can tell you what I can without breaking."

"Very well."

"Well," Colgate started. "I was sitting about there-" She pointed to the window, the same one she had opened before. "- Late at night. When I saw Junebug walking through the street, I was surprised. She's normally asleep by nine or so."

Rarity listened with intent, which the blue unicorn didn't notice.

"I was going to call out to her, when a cloaked stallion suddenly appeared behind her. And I mean 'suddenly appeared'. That guy was fast." She shifted uncomfortably. "One of his hooves started glowing, and when it hit Junebug-" Colgate faltered.

Rarity placed a hoof on her back to comfort her. "It's ok, Colgate. In fact, you've helped us more than anything else we've found before."

Colgate smiled weakly, tears streaming from her eyes. "Y-you're welcome..."

"But, I have one question, though." Rarity sipped her tea before continuing. "You say this figure is a stallion. How can you tell?"

Colgate paused for a long time. "I never thought of it being a mare... Something that... horrific... has to be a work of a stallion."

Rarity sipped her tea again, finishing it off. "Thank you for the tea, Colgate. I must be on my way now."

Colgate nodded. "You must be busy, I presume."

Rarity made her way outside. In front of the dentist's was the tent that covered the victim, fluttering slightly in the breeze. Rarity sighed, and walked on.

---

Applejack knocked on Junebug's door. Its response was to open slightly.

She pushed it the rest of the way open, surprised at the lack of misplaced furniture. In fact, there were almost no signs of disturbance.

"Freaky..." She continued searching her home, finding nothing wrong in any of the rooms. There was a hastily written note on the door to her room, though.

Sunflower,

I'm working late tonight, won't be back until after midnight.

Look after the kids for me.

Junebug.

"Excuse me?"

Applejack spun around to see a pale-yellow earth pony stallion with a fire-red mane. Around his hooves were two fillies of similar colours.

"What are you doing here?"

Applejack took her hat off. "Ah'm Detective Applejack, Ponyville Crime Team."

Sunflower looked nervous suddenly. "Sunflower. Did something happen to Junebug?"

Applejack looked at the fillies with equal nervousness. "Uh... Mind if we talk outside?"

The stallion gestured to the fillies to head elsewhere, and then followed the mare outside.

"What happened?"

Applejack gulped. "Ah'm sorry, but... Junebug was..."

"Murdered?"

Applejack nodded solemnly. Sunflower swore and kicked the wall.

"How?"

"You've heard of th' Rune Shredder, I presume?"

Sunflower's eyes widened like dinner plates. "Oh... Don't tell me..."

Applejack looked down. "I'm afraid Ah can't lie..."

Sunflower kicked the wall a few times in anger. "That madpony doesn't know what pain he's causing families like mine..."

Ah suspect he doesn't care... Applejack thought to herself. "Ah'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Sunflower..."

"I understand. I'll tell the girls." Sunflower started to enter the house, when Applejack placed a hoof on his shoulders.

"Ah'm proud of ya, Sunflower." She replaced her hat. "Most stallions would've been on the ground, bawling like mad."

Sunflower managed a grin. "I feel like doing that, but thanks." He walked into the doorway before turning. "Good luck with your investigation, Detective."

---

"Ugh, I must be getting sloppy..." Pinkie said while lifting up a strand of her own hair from the crime scene.

"That must be a pain to you." The azure mare said, holding a complicated device near the body. A stream of paper with various jagged lines spewed out the bottom and into a box that the mare had in place. "Try to get more sleep."

"Okie dokie lokie, Trixie." Pinkie continued sifting through the evidence, taking out what was obstructive. "What have you found?"

"The same." Trixie looked at the sheet. "High-level network latent magic residue found in runes, a light sprinkle of positive energy from an unidentified source-"

"-And a similar scatter of negative energy?"

"Don't interrupt me, but yes. No traces of standard magic residue, however."

"So that means?"

"What we've already deduced since the second victim." Trixie placed the readings on the table. "It's not a unicorn."

"So what is it?"

"Latent magic is found in all ponies. Its how pegasi can fly and earth ponies do their thing."

"Do their thing?"

"It depends on their talent. Anyway, positive energy is found in all ponies, as is negative energy. Standard magic, like what I'm using to hold this scanner, is exclusive to unicorns and the Princesses."

"But what if," Pinkie started. "A unicorn used her latent magic instead of her normal magic, for making this rune?"

"That's impossible. Even if the unicorn would try that, it would come out as a mix of latent and standard, known as rune magic. This rune is just... latent magic."

Pinkie's tired gears processed the info. "So, no unicorns?"

"No unicorns." Trixie smiled to herself. "Which means I'm not guilty, nor is a third of Ponyville." She turned to the earth pony. "How's the sweep?"

"Hairs of mine keep falling out. I should've brushed it this morning, but I forgot."

"I doubt you could brush that huge fuzzball you call a mane." Trixie muttered to herself, only to have Pinkie suddenly look at her upside down.

"I've done it before! It actually kinda shifts when I br-"

"How are you standing on the roof?" Trixie asked calmly.

Pinkie paused, and then fell on her head.

"Ow..."

The tent doors flew open. A spectral maned pegasus entered. "Hey guys, how's it going?"

"Investigator Rainb-"

"Dashie!" Pinkie leapt up and gripped the pegasus in a tight grip, grounding her.

"Pinkie..." Rainbow managed to say. "You're crushing me..."

Pinkie immediately let go. "Anyway, nothing new has turned up."

"Damn." The pegasus looked over the scene. "No new scans?"

"I'm afraid not."

"What about the rune shape or something?"

Trixie's ears perked up. "Oh, that's different. This rune is the rune for 'destruction', sometimes translated to 'destroy'. This make the four so far 'open', 'gates', 'corrupt' and 'destroy."

"Sounds bad. Does it fit any known runes?"

"No, unfortunately." Trixie placed a spell tome, with photos slipped between the pages, on the table with a thud. The table, being a simple foldout one, nearly collapsed. "Anyway, Investigator Rarity has gone to talk to the witness, and-"

"Woah woah woah." Rainbow interrupted. "Did you say 'witness'?"

"Yes, but I don't see how-"

"We've never had a witness for this creep. This is perfect!" Dash hoofpumped. "And before you say anything, one is better than none."

"I wasn't going to-"

"I guess I have to tell the family about her?"

"Ya don't have t' tell her husband and kids." Applejack replied, pushing the tent flap aside. "Ah was checking her place."

"Did ya find anything, AJ?"

"Only a note telling the family she was working late." Applejack sighed. "I wonder where-"

"There you are, Applejack!" Rarity called, short-cut purple mane fluttering slightly. "I've got some news."

---

"... And thus we have a basic appearance."

Rainbow Dash, lying on the couch that was designed for guests, sighed. "We never had a gender on this guy, and anypony can wear a cloak. Hell, Rarity, you make cloaks in your spare time."

Applejack hung her head, defeated. "So, we're still at square one."

"Not necessarily." Rarity added. "I know for a fact that stallions prefer to... do unspeakable things to mares before they kill them. I assume that means that this killer being a mare is more likely."

"But sometimes they don't rape 'em before they kill 'em." Applejack added. "Remember Trot the Ripper?"

"He was an exception. He was mentally ill."

"This guy could be too."

"If he is even a guy." Rainbow added. "RS could be a mare for all we know."

"But mah point is that we're still stuck on nothin'."

Rarity placed her head on her desk. "I guess we are... Wait."

"Huh?"

"Trixie. She could compile the magic tests; get an estimate on the latent signature of the pony."

Rainbow Dash sat up immediately. "That's a brilliant idea!"

"Ah'll let her know." Applejack stood up to leave. "Don't forget to add a witness report, Rare."

"I won't."

***

"Lyra, I have a report for you." Rarity lifted a sheet in a blue aura, which shifted to gold as the unicorn took it.

"Cool, who's it for?" She scanned the list, and her eyes widened. "Is this a joke?"

"No. We actually have a witness for the Rune Shredder."

The six or so ponies around the room gasped. Lyra beamed.

"About bloody time, I was getting annoyed at the lack of work." She set the list down, and the white unicorn left her to her devices.

Bon Bon looked over from her desk, which was adjacent to Lyra's. "Finally, you can actually do something on this guy."

"I know, right?" Lyra pulled over her computer and started typing. "Just gotta add this to the database, then print out a hardcopy, and then I'm done."

***

Rarity and Applejack shared an office. It was spacious enough for them to both work. Behind Rarity there was a huge window, with a sliding door and a balcony. Many times, Rarity and Applejack simply sat on the balcony, looking over their hometown, trying to rid themselves of stress. It was also a haven for Applejack, as Rarity didn't allow her to smoke indoors.

Currently, Applejack was outside, Rarity inside organising her desk as usual.

Applejack sighed, a cloud of ash spreading out. "This is getting harder..."

The door opened. Rarity took a step out, and breathed in some fresh air before taking a spot next to her. "Do you ever think about this?"

"What?" Applejack questioned.

"About why ponies murder each other. It doesn't make sense." Rarity sighed, then levelled a playful glare at Applejack. "I also wonder why some ponies poison themselves with those cigarettes."

Applejack chuckled, taking her cigarette out of her mouth. "They're not as poisonous as you think. Equestria finally found a plant that works for these things without adding rat poison and stuff."

"But still, it's a filthy habit."

Applejack grinned evilly, and moved the cigarette threateningly close to Rarity. Rarity shrieked and kicked it away, knocking it to the ground. Applejack frowned.

"Ah was busy with that."

"Don't do that again!" Rarity composed herself. "I enjoy being clean, thank you very much."

Applejack chuckled. "Whatever, Rare." A moment of silence passed. "But, Ah have thought why ponies kill each other. So far, all I have is emotions."

"But why would this Rune Shredder kill? He has no motive, no reason to kill random ponies."

"Well, we'll find that out eventually."

Author's Note:

Edit 21/02/2013: Fixed the title from '3rd' to '4th'.

Comments

[SigmatheAwesome]

Here's how the story's being organised: Each chapter will be an entire case, unless it's:
1) A really big one which may span 2 chapters
2) An interlude that has no crimes within it, though these'll be a chapter at most.
3) The finale. Because everpony needs a finale.

[Eli]

The only crime here is for you not to continue this masterpiece!

I just love the cigarette scene, the chemistry between Aj and Rarity was so undeniably endearing!

Waiting eagerly for the next chapter