Father of the Night 30: Connecting the Dots.


                                            =Father of the Night 30=


                                            > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4wGaHEKtJE

                                            >You and the rest of the parents wait outside near the schoolhouse fence as the kids walk out.

                                            >Heh...parent, you're a parent now.

                                            >Finally ready to join the ranks of the other dead-eyed wonders out here.

                                            >Luckily you didn't have a nine to five.

                                            >Bruce comes trotting out of the schoolhouse with his friends, all of them laughing and giggling to one another.

                                            >He spots you, waves goodbye, and comes up.

                                            >"Hi Dad."

                                            "Hey sport."

                                            >It felt good that he did that.

                                            "Ready to go home?"

                                            >He walks out through the gate past you. "Actually, I need to see Twilight about something."

                                            >Eh?

                                            "What?"

                                            >He continues to trot along, leaving you no choice but to follow him.

                                            >"Just business."

                                            >What?

                                            "Business?"

                                            >He stops and looks back at you with those stern eyes you've seen underneath a cowl.

                                            >"Business."

                                            >Ah.

                                            >Cape business.

                                            "Riiiiight...I getcha."

                                            >Bruce turns back and continues walking.

                                            "What kind of business."

                                            >"Just going over a few things."

                                            >The two of you head through town, past the fair site and town hall, around the bakery, and to Twilight's library.

                                            >The windows are open on the warm summer day and you can hear Twilight calling out for Spike to help her with this or that.

                                            "Just going over a few things?"

                                            >Bruce nods.

                                            >Well at least it'd be quick...


                                            >You are not a clever man.

                                            >Here you had figured that a simple meeting about "business" between these two would last a few minutes at most.

                                            >What you had forgotten to factor in was that this was a meeting between Bruce and Twilight and was therefore already going to run long.

                                            >At least that was the thought you had had an hour or so ago.

                                            "Are you two anywhere close to done yet?" you ask.

                                            >>Bruce and Twilight turn and look at you from the other end of the room.

                                            >"We'll be done when we're done, sir."

                                            >"You can't rush this, Anon."

                                            >You groan and slide your hand down your face.

                                            >You just HAD to get the smart one, Anon...

                                            >Twilight wheels herself up to a screen projection of the Kingdom and points stuff out to Bruce.

                                            >It had been a long and hard road, but Twilight had regained a surprising level of mobility. Even now she's gotten remarkably skilled at using her magic to drive her wheelchair around the library.

                                            >Bruce joins Twilight up at the screen and they chat.

                                            >"These robberies just make no sense...all these items are totally unrelated!" she says.

                                            >Bruce scratches his chin. "And all of them happened in different cities, not even ones connected by railway at that."


                                            >"If this is a part of some puzzle, it's lost on me." Twilight says.

                                            >"But it -does- need to be looked into, I'll go out tonight and spend the next few days checking up on these leads."

                                            >Whoa now.

                                            "Is that a good idea?"

                                            >Bruce and Twilight look back at you.

                                            "You just got out of school, Bruce. Is it really a good idea to be gearing up for a night out already?"

                                            >You were hoping he'd listen but-

                                            >"These crimes are recent, dad. We need to hurry or the trail will go cold and we'll be left with nothing."

                                            >There was that word again...

                                            "I don't like this, Bruce...it feels too different and since the last "different" thing sent you out a window..."

                                            >Bruce nods. "I'll pack a parachute this time."

                                            >Was that a joke? You hope not, otherwise he needed a LOT of work.


                                            -Late that night-

                                            "One lump or two?"

                                            >"Two if'n ya got it."

                                            >You drop the cubes into the tea and head back out into the living room as the TV cycles through the Equestrian National News.

                                            "I didn't know you liked sweets so much, Miss Applejack." you tease.

                                            >AJ huffs and sips her drink. "Not like I'm Pinkie Pie or nuthin', two lumps is enough."

                                            >You chuckle and sip your own.

                                            "Thanks for coming over tonight, AJ. Waiting is the hardest part."

                                            >"Specially alone, I reckon."

                                            >You nod.

                                            "You reckon right..."

                                            >You glance up at the clock. It's 2:30 in the damn morning.

                                            "He should be back by now..." you mutter with a sigh.

                                            >AJ pats your leg. "C'mon now, the trains are probably just runnin' a little late."

                                            "Hope you're right, A-"

                                            >A heavy door opening cuts you off, the sound of booted hooves following it.

                                            "Bruce!?"

                                            >He comes trotting out from the kitchen, still in his suit and looking as grim as ever.

                                            >Still, your heart calms down the second you see him safe.

                                            "Hey buddy...how'd it go?"

                                            >He just grumbles in response and goes into the fridge.

                                            "That bad, huh?"

                                            >He sighs and closes the door, coming over to the two of you and removing his cowl.

                                            >"I just...don't get it."

                                            >"Don't get what, sugarcube?"

                                            >"These crimes." he says hopping up onto the couch. "They're all...just so random. Ponies stealing things that make no sense being stolen."

                                            "Well what'd they steal?"

                                            >Bruce rubs his forehead. "Several cubic tons of water from Manehatten, sugar from the fields around Trottingham, and the entire supply of musical instruments from Stalliongrad."

                                            >You let that run through your head for a minute.

                                            >"What." you and AJ say in unison.


                                            >"I know!" Bruce shouts frustrated.

                                            >Yeesh.

                                            >You reach over and pat him on the back.

                                            "Hey now...it's alright Bruce, you'll get it."

                                            >"It might not come fast or easy, but yer gonna get it!" AJ says.

                                            "You're clever and you've got the best help out there, there's no way you can't."

                                            >Bruce is silent for a while before he sighs and nods.

                                            >You and Applejack smile at each other, you'd been practicing the whole "Hand off motivational speech" thing.

                                            "Besides, it's not like there's a rush to figure it out."

                                            >You had met Celestia before. And while most "gods" you could consider meeting seemed like dicks to you, you can honestly say that Celestia was one of the nicest people you'd ever met.

                                            >But boy did she like proving you wrong.

                                            >No sooner had the words left your mouth than the newscast that had been about some sports team fuzzed over with static and changed to a warehouse with dozens of tanks of water, hundreds of stacks of sugar, and a huge pile of musical instruments on it.

                                            >"Helloooooooo Equestria~."


                                            -Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6wrZ6P6-wU -

                                            >The voice sounded like a sick old Manticore, throaty and strained.

                                            >The three of you all pay rapt attention as the camera slowly pans across each of the items and the person manning it speaks.

                                            >"Now...I know you've had some, er, "problems" in the last few months. That Big Bad Bull and those little gangs to the south...and, I think I know why that is."

                                            >"The Batmane..." he rumbles.

                                            >Bruce bristles besides you.

                                            >"You see, The Batmane thought this world needed...a new -kind- of hero to defend all those little ponies out in it from all the...NASTIES it had to offer. D-don't we have Princesses and Elements for that?"

                                            >You hazard a glance over and see Bruce glaring directly at the screen.

                                            >"And that's...where -I- come in...See, I'm here up in Goatham City with all this...crap. You may ask "Well, why Goatham? It's not Canterlot, or Manehattan or anywhere like that." and you're right, it's not...but it -is- close to the biggest Parasprite nest this side of the Kingdom... and-" the voice gasps" -would you LOOK at all this stuff that could attract all of them?"

                                            >Dude...

                                            >"And, if The Batmane...should happen to be listening?"

                                            >You look at Bruce as the cameraman freezes.

                                            >"...Bring an umbrella."

                                            >The camera gets thrown away and begins to static over, leaving you, Bruce, AJ, and probably all of Equestria to just here one thing.

                                            >"AAAAAAAAAHEHEHAHAHAHOHOHOHOHOHOHOOHHAHAHEHAHWAHWAHWHAHAHAHAHAHEHHEEHAHAHAHHOHOOHOHOHAHAHAHAHAHAHOOHOOHAHWHWHWHAHAHAAHAAAAAAAA!"