CHAPTER 11

Well, I somehow managed to get chapter eleven written in two short days and get it posted before a busy weekend. Budder's coming over, and we have to replace a hot water heater, a home heater, paint two rooms and celebrate Halloween. I guess this chapter is a little Halloween gift to you all. So enjoy it, and please send me reviews.

"She WHAT?!" Dash exclaimed. I shrunk back a little. "No...nu-uh! No more of this goin' out alone and getting yourself hurt!"

"Calm down, Dashie..." I said softly. "She had no intention of hurting me, alright?"

"Oh really?!" My marefriend shot back.

"Yeah...I know she's a killer and all, but she only kills bad ponies. She'd never hurt an innocent pony." Dashie still looked like she was about to lose it, and Budder was giving me the worried sick look from the chair she'd been sitting in drawing when I'd finally gotten back to our suite.

"What were you doing hanging out with her like you were friends anyway?" Rainbow Dash pressed. "You should've arrested her and brought her in as soon as you saw her!"

"I was um...I was trying to talk her into coming with me peacefully." I lied. "As weird as it sounds, she did save my life. I was trying to give her the benefit of a doubt, you know, talk to her and see what makes her tick."

"What makes her tick? Dude, she's a killer."

"She's not a bad pony." I stated in Shadow's defense.

"Drake, she handcuffed you to the bed!" Dash shot back.

"So? You have too." I argued sarcastically.

"OUT!" Budder called, throwing her forehooves up and hopping out of her chair, heading for her bedroom. I rolled my eyes.

"She only did that so I couldn't pursue her when she cut out." I explained. "I was so close to convincing her to turn herself in too." That part wasn't a lie, at least. I motioned to a pair of comfortable chairs by a large fireplace in the room. Dash and I sat down, and remained silent for a few moments.

"What makes you think she's a good pony?" She finally asked me.

"I know why she does what she does now." I replied.

"What do you mean?"

"I forced it out of her...her past, I mean..." I began. "Alright...promise you won't reveal to anypony what I'm about to tell you, okay darling?"

"I won't. I promise." Dash nodded.

"Alright...well...you know the missing foal?"

"The one from Filly?" Dash asked.

"The same one." I said back. "I'd thought for a while that her disappearance was what triggered this whole thing. Turns out, I was more right than I thought..."

"The killer is the filly, ain't she?"

"Heh. Good observation. You learned from the best." I chuckled. Dashie gave me a cocky grin. I knew that I owed it to my family to tell at least part of the truth, even if I still couldn't divulge everything.

"Her parents were real evil Mike Foxtrots..." I said. "They were dope slingers, and probably did more than that. According to the police file on them, you can pretty much assume that if you could smoke it, drink it, shoot it up or if it was stolen, they had their hooves in it. Their daughter was nothing but a slave to 'em. She kept house while dear ol' mum and dad took every drug known to ponykind."

"Geez..." Dash sighed.

"You think that's the worst of it?" I countered. "Every time she so much as sneezed, they beat her. They locked her in her room when they didn't need her, and threatened to kill her if she told anypony."

"Are...are you sure she was..."

"Telling the truth?" I finished Dash's question. "Yeah. She has one eye. She said that her mom put out the other one..." I sighed. "Still think all killing is wrong?"

"They would have killed her, wouldn't they?" Dashie asked in return. "Her parents...if she hadn't got them first." I swallowed hard.

"Yep."

"And what about everypony else she's killed?"

"They've either killed somepony or ruined lives..."

"You know how I'm totally against you cussin' a lot?" Dash asked.

"Yeah?"

"This is one totally fucked up case dude..." She commented.

"Don't I know it." I groaned. I looked into the magenta eyes of my marefriend. Like the strange little killer I was chasing around, I was in a dark place too once upon a time. Then this cocky, awesome little mare had trotted into my life and changed everything. She saved me, and I saved her...in two completely different ways, but all the same. "I love you, Dashie." I said softly.

"I love you too, Drake." She returned with a small but indescribably affectionate smile.

"Heh..." I chuckled. "AND I LOVE YOU TOO, SIS!" I called. A few moments later, the door to the second bedroom in the large suite opened, and Budder stuck her head out.

"Love you too, bubby!" She said back, the squeaked a big smile. "Just stop being such a jerk." I knew she was talking about my earlier bedroom comment.

"Heh. Sorry." I replied. "And I'm sorry I ain't been around much...this is one of those cases I have to work alone..."

"Why?" My sister asked, trotting up to me with a questioning look.

"Yeah, I've been wondering that too, Drake..." Dash added.

"It's just..." I began. "Just trust me when I say that this case is very sensitive to some very powerful ponies, and I can't really say anything else."

"Ohhh..." Dash remarked. "I getcha...one of those things, right?"

"Yep." I said. "I want you guys with me, and it's been miserable bein' away from you two." I reclined in the chair. "FIGMO."

"Say wha?" Budder questioned.

"Um...it's army talk." I answered quickly. "It means...um...'fudge it, got my orders'."

"Oh." My sister nodded, sure that the 'F' meant something else, and getting the gist of it.

"You having fun hangin' out with Echo?" I asked. My sister smiled nervously, and I thought I saw her blush a bit.

"Yee." She answered.

"Uh-huh. What have you two been doing?"

"Nothin' much...she has a really cool apartment." Budder said. "She has some really cool video games, and we like a lot of the same music, so it's been pretty cool."

"That's good." I smiled. "Sorry guys, but I'm gonna go lay down for a few hours before I get summoned again." I stood and stretched, suddenly realizing that over the last two days and nights, I'd gotten only about six hours of sleep. I looked at the clock on the wall to see that it was 11am. "I keep it up, and at this rate, I'll be on Luna's schedule in no time..." I commented dryly. "'Night guys...or good day, I guess."

"Love you, bub." Budder said.

"Love you too." I said back, messing up her mane before giving my sister a small hug. "Love you too, Dashie. When this damned mess is over, we're gonna go eat somewhere nice." I paused at the bedroom door. "And all I gotta do is find a foul-mouthed teenage serial killer that's better at hiding than I am at tracking. Ugh...damn these ponies that make me work, don't they know I have a life?" With that, I walked into the bedroom, plopped facedown on the massive bed and fell fast asleep.

A good little chapter, eh? Drake finally stole a few minutes to spend with his family. I will attempt to get the next chapter up within the next five days or so, depending on how much we get done on the house this weekend. The story gets more fast paced and exciting starting with the next chapter, Rusty comes back, and something involving Drake and Luna happens. Now that I've vagued it up really nicely for you, I know you can't wait. In the meantime, send me reviews. Oh, and happy Halloween, a blessed All Hallows Eve, and a magical Samhain to you all! See you next chapter. Thanks for reading, everypony.