Game of Shadows

Chapter 6

“The trail”

Sugar Cube was now with princess Celestia in her room. They sat across each other on two chairs.

Princess Celestia then said, “So one of my guards was fillynapped.”

Sugar Cube nods and said, “The thing is the unicorn who fillynapped cloudy sky has a connection to plants. I studied the traces of poison on the rag and wine glass and the white powder. They are all the same herb. If I can find the pony who owns this kind of herb and on top of that is a unicorn I can narrow my list of suspects.”

Princess Celestia nods then said “Alright but what about the wedding should we cancel it?

” Sugar cube then said, “Can we?”

She sighed and said “I think if we cancel it it will cause more problems then it solves not only would it make Crystal heart look weak it will see me as a failure to keep those in Canterlot safe.”

Sugar Cube nods and said, “Did you talk it over with Crystal heart?” Celestia then said “I did she told me that she and her husband plan on getting married no matter what. She thinks I can keep her safe.”

Sugar Cube sighed, “Then we have no choice we increase security but the problem is Death knows what he’s going to do. No matter what, he will be at that wedding. Well there is another thing I wanted to talk to you about it; we found the bag of five hundred bits the one that the changeling mentioned in Cody’s house under his bed.”

Princess Celestia replied “That’s funny you know something? Lord Silver says five hundred bits were stolen from him.”

Sugar Cube asked, “He’s just claiming this now?”

She nods and said “the excuse is he had the bag in a vault and he just notice it was gone.”

Sugar Cube spat “How convenient.”

Princess Celestia then said, “He could be telling the truth?”

Sugar Cube then said, “I think it’s too convenient only those who are not in favor of Lord Silver’s bill are being targeted.”

Princess Celestia then said, “Do you think we can keep crystal heart alive?”

Sugar Cube nods and said “Don’t doubt yourself were going to save every pony. I think I can find my mysterious unicorn by tomorrow. I am going to go to the records office and find every unicorn who owns herbs or has access to plants once I find the unicorn who possesses the herb to make the poison found in shadow mane’s glass and the rag and the sandwich then I will find my culprit. Thank you again for your seal.”

Princess Celestia nods then said, “Do you need help?”

He looked back then said “You have a bill to try to stop I’ll stop the assassinations.”

Princess Celestia nods then said “Good luck Sugar Cube."

He nods then leaves.

Sugar cube was now at the bank. It was late in the night when he enters the small building. The floor was made of clean grey stone and there was small oil lamps lighting everything and two giant windows. Then he trots to the front here he finds a mare behind one of the desks she was tired writing down something with her horn behind her desk. She was dark grey with blue eyes and a short crop of black mane cut around her ears and a braid fell behind her back and her tail was braided as well her cutie mark was a open scroll and a quill going through it.

He went up to her as she looked up and said “Can I help you?”

Sugar Cube asked, “I have a question do you keep records of the stocks of shops and those who own them?”

She nods and said, “Of course this is where we store the files and records of every shop in Canterlot.”

Sugar Cube replied “But of course that also means that you have the records of every plant bought and sold in Canterlot as well.”

She nods again and said, “So why are you so interested?”

Sugar Cube then said, “Well I’m going to need every herb, flower, and garden shops inventory what was bought and sold. I will also need to document every pony who works or owns these shops.”

She replied, “Do you have permission?”

Sugar Cube took out Princess Celestia’s letter with a seal then places it on her desk.

He then said “This seal is from princess Celestia herself.”

The clerk sighs and get’s up then muttered, “You know you’re asking a lot.”

Sugar Cube apologized, “I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

She looked back and said “I guess while you here you want some coffee?”

He nods then said, “Thank you, it’s going to be a long night.”

By that morning Sugar Cube feigning off sleep sorted the files all over the floor first they were sorted by what they sold. Some only sold flowers others herbs and plant sand ones that sold both. Then he sorted those owned by unicorns. Then the final portion with the herb he was looking for he smiled as he lifted one scroll.

He smiled and said, “I found my suspect. His name is Root age fifty, mane brown, coat green, eyes green, and a cutie mark of an herb with a cross through it. He has been in Canterlot all his life worked at a shop named the age-old plant. He’s a master of medicinal herbs.”

The clerk who was sleeping woke up at her desk then said, “You found all that out?”

Sugar Cube then placed that file in his cloak and put the rest of the files neatly in a pile.

She said “thank you.”

Sugar Cube then took a bag of bits and placed them on her desk.

He replied, “It should be me thanking you.”

She smiled and said, “Alright time for me to solve this case.”

He then took his mug of coffee drowned the rest of it then he paced it on the clerk’s desk and left the building.

He found the shop on the far left side of Canterlot. The shop was small. He opens the door and is hit by the humidity the place had herbs grew everywhere in pots that lined the building they all had labels. Sugar Cube was sweating bullets by the time he made it to the front desk here the unicorn named Root with his brown coat his  green eyes, his green mane was a tangled mess and so was his tail,  and he had a cutie mark of a herb with a cross through it. He was watering a large herb that grew on his side of the desk.

Sugar Cube yawned then Root put down his watering can then said, “So I guess you’re here for something to help you sleep?”

Sugar Cube then said, “No I came here to see if you have an herb called oleander?”

Root chuckled, “Sorry don’t have it.”

Sugar Cube then took out the file from his cloak and said, “It says here on your file you worked for Lord Silver as his Gardner correct?”

He nods then said, “For ten years then I quit.”

Sugar Cube replied “Just last year.”

He nods and said “I ran this shop and did some work for lord’ silver’s flowers and hedges in his garden. Then he lowered my pay and I left.”

Sugar Cube then said, “His manor you know its layout?”

He nods then Sugar Cube said, “Alright then well I have a question for you. Where were you three days ago between the times of 8 and 12? You see a unicorn named Dark Chocolate had his house broken in to and his clock was smashed. Where were you?”

Root then said, “I was here”

Sugar Cube replied, “Your lying, the chef who buys some of his spices form here recognized your voice when he was going throw some scraps out. I talked with him earlier.”

Root looked up then Sugar Cube said, “That’s not all, the mud left behind at the scene had traces of root and twigs from various plants and herbs only found in shops like this and yours is the only one with the ones identified, Hawthorne, sage and aloe. I checked the records of what you have in stock.”

Root replied, “So you’re going to look through my shop.”

Sugar Cube then said, “I’m going to princess Celestia now to get a warrant. When she gets the approval I’ll be back with more guards and were going to go through your entire shop for the poison known as oleander.”

Root replied “Then arrest me , yes I gave the poison to Cody I stole the bits from lord silver and even helped Cody plan to kill lord Shadow mane and helped him kill Iron hoof to get Diamond heart as well.”

Sugar Cube asked, ”When did you steal the bits and how?”

Root then said, “I know some spells I locked his door and unlocked his safe and took the bits to use for my scheme.”

Sugar Cube asked “What would of you gain form Shadow mane’s death?”

Root then said “Not just shadow mane but those damn earth ponies you think it’s only bankers? I had a brother die in that rebellion lead by Crimson and his followers. He protected his village saved dozens of fillies and mares and now the earth ponies are being rewarded for their barbarism and getting treated with social privileges because they fail to keep up with paying for the land and farms they were loaned to by us.”

Sugar Cube then said, “What about a pony named cloudy day do you know where he is?”

Root replied, “No I don’t know a pony named cloudy day."

Sugar Cube replied, “Your lying you spoke to the changeling currently in Cloudy day’s form.”

Root then said, “I was the one who kept tabs with him nothing more. I don’t know who actually hired him. I was told by another clocked pony to always wear clock around him and have him watch you and Butterscotch.”

Sugar Cube shouted, “What about an assassin named death?!”

Root shakes his head and said, “I don’t know such an assassin.”

Sugar Cube replied, “Why crash Dark Chocolate’s clock and leave that message for me.”

Root then said, “To warn you not to get involved that’s all the pony who was clocked who came with me with the changeling told me to leave you a message when you caught Cody and I did, I followed his final order.”

Sugar Cube shouted, “So I’ve been chasing you this entire time! But you said there’s another unicorn involved the one who gave you the changeling?!”

Root nods and said “Yes there’s another pony involved but I never saw his face . We never spoke after that meeting and that was two weeks ago the day after I stole lord Silver’s bits and it happened here in this very shop. He wants to see you fail as much as I do.”

Sugar Cube then went behind the counter took hoof cuffs from his cloak and said, “You’re under arrest for two counts of accessory to attempted murder and one count of destruction of property and one count of theft.”