A pony of particular interest (Patreon)

 The Lieutenant Double Time watched as the suspect he'd just finished processing left his station in my Equestria dreamscape. He was part of a special task force that had descended on Manehattan this evening and had raided dozens of locations. It was all part of a large operation orchestrated by the Royal Sisters and the Court in Canterlot. 

  
  What had initially begun as an investigation into a break-in of Celestia's office had turned into a much broader operation to break the power of the Associations in the city.  

 
  Double Time didn't really care about that at the moment. What he worried about was processing the great herds of ponies that were being brought in as result of the raids and get them properly booked before they were sent to various holding cells. His station was one of a couple dozen that had been temporarily set up in the main mess hall of the 19th Royal Artillery which was based just outside Manehattan. This was the base had been hastily converted into the headquarters for the operation. Normally only a small garrison was permanently assigned to the base. But in last 24 hours its population had swollen. Now field tents covered the parade grounds and the barracks were at full capacity.

   
  The base stockade was only being used to hold important suspects, but it was already reaching full capacity. A concern was that suspects from known crime herds, commonly called Associations, were not placed in detention areas with suspects of different Associations. The last thing they wanted was fights and riots breaking out amongst the suspects. To increase holding capacity several of munition magazines had been emptied in advance of this operation. These were being used as impromptu holding facilities. Each magazine was assigned to members of different herds. 

  
  At the moment the system was working but to ponies like Double Time who were handling the processing they wondered when the flow of incoming suspects would end, and would they run out of holding space before then. 

  
  "Next!" He called out. "Bring the next suspect forward!" 

  
  He was already began pulling out a set of new forms when he heard the shuffling clop of hoofs and the clink of chains. The lieutenant looked up to see a young earth pony mare slowly approaching his desk. There was a temporary line where the suspects were suppose to stop and stand during processing. The bowler wearing, chocolate brown mare came to halt on the line. 

  
  Double Time had settled into a routine that seemed to be the most efficient method of dealing with the onslaught of cases. Like all processors the lieutenant had two guard ponies that stood to either side of him. The stallion started process again for what seemed like thousandth time that evening.   
  "Name?" He asked the mare.  

 
  "Heartbreaker." Said the suspect. 

  
  "All one word or two?" The unicorn's pen danced across the form. He also noted her gender on the paperwork. 

  
  "One word." Said the mare. 

  "Date of birth?"

 
  "Not sure Governor. My mum was never good at keeping track of things like that. I've always gone with September 23 1002CR." 

  The stallion grunted and jotted this down. "Address?" He continued. 

  "Right now it's the Falling Leaf Hotel, 245 Willow Blvd, Room 326. Don't have a permanent address at the moment." 

  The stallion sighed and noted this information. Then he looked at the corporal standing to his right.  "Please search and remove the suspects personal belongings." He looked at Heartbreaker. "Don't move."

 
  The mare nodded as the pegasus mare stepped forward and started searching her. She removed Heartbreaker's satchel and placed it on the desk. She then searched the pockets of the mare's vest and the inside of her bowler before returning it to her. The pegasus looked at the earth pony.  

 
  "You're going to have remove those steel clad fighting boots dear. You can't go into holding with those on. I am going remove your hobbles so you can take them off. Don't do anything stupid!"

 
  As if to emphasis this point the other guard at  Double Time's station unslung and cocked the carbine he was carrying. Heartbreaker looked at carbine and rolled her eyes. 

  
  "Yeah, yeah. I'll be a good filly. Hey! You're going record that those belong to me aren't ya? Because when I get released I want them back!"

 
  "Don't worry. They'll be recorded, and if you get released they'll be returned to you then." Said the lieutenant. 

  After reluctantly removing her boots Heartbreaker was hobbled again. With that accomplished Double Time started emptying the contents of the satchel and examining the items found on the mare. As they did this he noted the items found.

   
  "A coin purse with 7 bits in it. One curry brush. One mane comb. One hotel room key number 326.  One Small folding knife. What? Wait! How in the Tartarus did they miss that when they arrested you?!"

 
  "Maybe because they were busy, clumsy, or just stupid governor!" Replied Heartbreaker with a smirk on her face. 

  The lieutenant just stared at her for a moment before resuming his cataloging of items. "One bookie stub. One carton of...." 

  "Excuse lieutenant! May I see that stub?" Said a voice from behind Double Time. 

  
  This caught everypony off guard. The stations were set up so you couldn't get back behind them without approaching the stations head on. They even had netting hung above them to prevent flying, and the entire mess hall was supposedly now warded to prevent teleportation.

   
  Double Time spun around and found himself looking into the pale silver, or maybe ice blue, perhaps light green eyes of a unicorn mare. Her coat was deep violet, or was it midnight blue? Maybe just black, or perhaps a deep, deep, red? He couldn't tell for he found his eyes constantly sliding off her as if she was visually slippery to look at.  Perched on her head were some type of goggles with chased frames and strange swirling iridescent lens. She had some form of web gear on her, but like everything about her it was difficult to stay focused directly on her. 

  
  Regaining his composure as an officer Double Time addressed the mare. "Who are you and how  did you get back there?!" 

  "My name is Last Thing." The mare was only a few feet away but her voice had a peculiar quality to it. As if she was speaking from some distance away in an auditorium. The mare levitated a gold medallion with a scale engraved on it and a small, garishly colored billfold with a document bearing the Royal Seals of Celestia and Luna on it. "I am Scale Bearer assigned to Royal Court. I've been assigned to the Manehattan operation. Now may I see that stub please." 

  Double Time nodded his head and passed it over to the mare. He'd been briefed that there would be Scale Bearers assigned to this operation, and Scale Bearers were not ponies to trifle with.  Last Thing examined it for a second then she lowered her goggles and looked it again. She then lifted them from her eyes again and addressed the lieutenant.

   
  "lieutenant. This is a pony of particular interest to this investigation. She's to be transferred to Canterlot immediately. She will be placed into my custody, and I will oversee her transfer. Do you understand?"

   
  The stallion looked uncertain. "This is very unorthodox. I will need to have my commanding officer okay and..." 

  "Your commanding officer has already been briefed, and my time is very precious." She said this with a slightly annoyed voice.  Last Thing levitated a document from her web gear and set it on it the lieutenant's desk. 

  
  "Would you and the two guards who are witnesses please sign this article stating the suspect has been transferred into my custody. Then put that document in your file for the suspect."

 
  As instructed Double Time and then his two guards signed the document. "Okay we'll put this into file. Do you...." 

  Last Thing was gone and so was Heartbreaker. The three ponies looked frantically around the room for a couple seconds. There'd been no flash of teleportation and even with all the ponies in the room they should've been able to spot them leaving. Nothing. In frustration the lieutenant yelled at the next suspect standing in line for processing. 

  
  "Hey! did you see where the mare in front you went?"

 
  The stallion standing there grunted. "What mare? I've just been standing here forever waiting for you to get your shit together. So are you going to book me or not?"

 
    Double Time shivered slightly and then regained his aura of an officer. "Fine! Next! Step forward!" 

 To be continued.