"I can't find it!" cried Lyra. "Where is it?"

"Either theft in Equestria has skyrocketed, or we're all scatterbrains. What did you lose?" asked Bon Bon.

"My diary! I write EVERYTHING there!"

"Oh great..."

Suddenly a fast grey blur crashed through the window, spraying glass shards everywhere. Bon Bon and Lyra shrieked in surprise.

Derpy, wearing her amazing detective fedora and pants, posed in their living room.

"Did somepony say "detective"?"

"No," said Lyra, "We didn't!"

"Oh..." said Derpy.

"How could you have heard us if we did?" asked Bon Bon.

Their living room had glass shards everywhere. Lyra used magic to carefully pick them up and properly dispose of them.

Derpy was somehow unaffected by her entrance. She had no cuts or bruises, and was unfazed.

"There's nothing a professional detective like me can help with? Preferably for 200 bits? I want to buy a watch to go along with my hat and pants."

Lyra spoke. "Actually, I lost my diary."

Derpy smiled. "Perfect! And you can pay me if I find it?"

"Well yeah, but two hundred bits..."

"Sounds perfectly reasonable for a missing diary!" Derpy said with a smile, going to the two mares. "Do you know where it might be?"

"It was right here! Somepony must have stolen it!" said Lyra.

Lyra slumped onto the couch and sighed. Bon Bon put a hoof on her shoulder and tried to comfort her.

"Don't worry, I can help find it!" said Derpy.

"You will?" asked Lyra, hopeful.

"Yeah. You wanna come along?"

"Sure, I guess..." said Lyra.

"We'll have this case solved quickly!" said Derpy.

Lyra smiled at Derpy's enthusiasm. "Okay, heheh. Let's get started!"

"Derpy, why am I being interrogated? I have my own journal..." said Twilight.

Lyra shook her head. "Couldn't be Twilight that stole my diary, Derpy..."

"How DARE you accuse me of stealing? What kind of filthy street pony do you think I am?" asked Diamond Tiara, the rich young filly.

"I don't think it was her, Derpy." said Lyra.

Although I'd arrest her for being annoying...

Derpy and Lyra payed close attention to the animal before them. Only a few of these creatures have ever been spotted in Ponyville.

The creature before them was pale, and stood on two legs. He wore a large amount of clothing, with headphones around his neck. He was fairly tall and lean, with blue eyes and black hair, with-

"You know how Mayor Mare feels about Humans, Lyra," said Derpy solemnly, "Take him to the incinerator."

"WHAT?" said the human in surprise, being lifted away by Lyra's magic.

Derpy and Lyra took a break and sat at the local cafe. Lyra had coffee while Derpy snacked on a muffin and orange juice.

"I hope we can find my diary..." said Lyra, saddened.

"I'm sure we will," said Derpy, happily munching on her muffin. "What's so important about that diary anyway?"

"Just general stuff I don't want to end up in the wrong hooves..."

"Okay." said Derpy. Seems pretty vague...

Note Pad was getting slightly more annoyed by this filly apparently taking forever. The two were searching school grounds for her bracelet.

"You said it was red?" asked Note Pad.

"Yeah," said the saddened filly, "I need it..."

"Can't you buy a new one?"

"This bracelet is special to me... I promised somepony I wouldn't lose it..."

"Well you definitely let them down."

The filly sighed and remained sad. Note Pad simply rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses and kept searching the playground.

He went by the swings, checked under the slide and under the sandbox. No bracelet.

He was already getting fed up, and honestly forgot why he was helping this filly in the first place.

"Hello there Violet Dusk!" said a mare. Note Pad didn't look up.

"Oh hey Cheerilee." he heard the filly reply. Violet Dusk was her name apparently.

"Who's your friend?" said Cheerilee. Note Pad figured that must have been him.

"I dunno... He's helping me find my bracelet." said Violet Dusk.

"Well that's awfully nice of him!"

Note Pad concluded the bracelet wasn't here. It was obviously taken.

He got up and turned to face them. "Your bracelet isn't here."

The filly teared up.

"Hey, what am I supposed to do?"

Note Pad saw past Violet Dusk, to two fillies walking side by side. A light pinkish one with a tiara, and a grey one with glasses. Note Pad took a closer look and saw that the one with the tiara was wearing a red bracelet.

"Hey, she has my bracelet!" said Violet Dusk.

Cheerilee went to the small fillies Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

"Hello girls, you seem to have accidentally taken Violet Dusk's bracelet, and-"

"What? No, I found this at the playground! Finder's Keepers!"

"Come on!" said Violet Dusk, "It's mine! Look, if you see my initials-"

"It's MY bracelet! Get your own!" said Diamond Tiara.

"Yeah!" said her friend Silver Spoon.

Violet Dusk started to cry again, and looked to Note Pad for assistance.

Note Pad approached the two filles, an expression far from happy, and got up in their face.

"Do you know what I hate more than liars, cheaters and thieves?" he asked.

"N-No, what?" asked Diamond Tiara, nervously.

"Children." he said, taking the bracelet from her.

Cheerilee was stunned. How could anypony hate foals? she thought.

Note Pad handed Berry her bracelet back. She smiled and hugged him. "Thanks Mister! What's your name anyway?"

"What's your name?" asked the small pale-blue filly. She was a unicorn with an indigo and pink mane, and green eyes. She had white freckles and a small purple bow in the side of her mane.

"Note Pad." said the small light-red colt.

"Oh, I see... Your father..."

"Is nothing like me..." said Note Pad. "Just go away. I already know why you're here. To make fun of me like the others do..."

"I'm not..." said the little filly, nuzzling him, "I like your eyes..."

He felt warm and at ease with her nuzzling.

"Sorry... I'm just so cold..." she said.

"Let's go inside..." he said, "What's your name?"

"Candy Swirl."

"I like that name." he said.

She nuzzled him again, more out of affection than trying to stay warm.

Note Pad's head hurt from the memory. He broke away from the group and walked away without another word. Cheerilee was confused about his behavior.

"M-Mister?" asked Violet Dusk.

"Just leave him, Violet..." said Cheerilee. "I don't think he's in the mood..."

Author's Note: Got started on this chapter as soon as I finished the previous one. Note Pad's past will eventually be fully revealed.

I am not shipping Cheerilee and Note Pad by the way. Cheerilee x OC isn't original enough.

-Sharky's flank brings all the ponies to the yard