For seconds that dragged on like hours, nopony made a sound. Every eye in the theatre was held firmly on the mare in the box. Sly Shuffle was the first pony to react, but not very much. As he stared at his assistant, laying beaten in the box, he stopped everything, letting his cane slowly fall from his hoof and land loudly on the floor. This was enough of a catalyst to set the crowd into a panic, ponies shouting and fleeing the scene. Two ponies, however, simply turned to face each other.
Stumpy spoke first. “Are we going to--”
“Yes.”
“But we don't know--”
“Just do it, Stump.”
“Fiiiiiine... You just want to go up there and help the stupid magician.” Stumpy sighed, both of the investigators rising from their seats. Stumpy edged his way past the few ponies still between himself and the aisle before quickly galloping to the stage. Butterfly, however, simply lifted into the air and flew down ahead of him. Both ponies stepped up to Sly and spoke simultaneously.
“Butterfly Blues--”
“Stumpy Flank--”
“--Private Investigator, at your service.” They both pulled their badges out, Stumpy from his pocket and Butterfly from her bag. Sly's gaze shifted between each of them and the unconscious pony, before finally settling on Butterfly.
“You're... You really are a Private Eye?” He glanced to Stumpy again. “And your coltfriend is too?”
“Not my coltfriend! Let's just get that out of the way right now. And yes, I didn't lie about my job.” Butterfly turned to look at the mare in the box. “Somepony has probably already called the police, so I think it's time to get started here. This obviously isn't Quiet Slumber, so who is it?”
Sly's gaze rested on the mare once more. “It's her... her sister. Lucid Dream. I... I don't know how this could have happened...”
Stumpy had already taken out a small piece of charcoal and notepad, jotting down his notes. “So obviously the secret to this trick is that the sisters switch places somehow... Do you think Quiet Slumber would have seen anything?”
Sly shook his head. “No... The two come and go completely separately. Once Dreamy comes out here, they don't see each other until after the show...”
“Hmm...” Stumpy scratched behind his ear with his quill. “Mister Shuffle, I think you're going to need to explain this trick to us if we're going to find anything.”
“MISTER INVESTIGATOR!” Sly suddenly regained his composure, a look of disbelief directed at Stumpy. “You do realize, of course, that the greatest rule for any magician is to never reveal their secrets? If I told you this, then... Well, I might as well just leave Las Pegasus forever!”
“But... But we need as much information as we can get to--”
“To dirty up my crime scene!” A large red Earth Pony called down to the group on stage. He wore a plain black suit and a cap that covered most of his dark green mane. Trotting slowly down the aisle, he glared at the two investigators. “I don't quite know who you two are, but I do hope you realize that this is a job for the proper authorities. You lot are going to mess things up before anypony gets a chance to preserve the crime scene.”
“Hey, we're professionals! We're not gonna mess up any--”
“And how exactly am I supposed to know that? It's not that difficult to become a Private Eye in some places. Heck, one of my nephews almost passed the test, and he's only six!” The stallion had now reached the stage and stepped up onto it. He lifted his hat off his head and pulled out a badge from inside it. “Detective Henri Mustang, Las Pegasus PD. I think it's about time you lot got out of our way.”
Stumpy and Butterfly looked at each other, then sighed and began to walk out. Before they were too far, the Detective clear his throat loudly.
“That means you too, magic colt.” he said, pointing a hoof first to Sly, then to the door.
“But... But this is my show! I'm involved!”
“Not likely. Every story agrees that you were in plain sight when it happened, so you 're off our list... for now. Just don't think about leaving town or anything. Our list might change when we talk to the crew.”
Sly opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, then sighed and joined the investigators in leaving. “I suppose it's for the best... Please, do find out what happened to Dreamy... I'd hate for whoever did this to get away.”
“Don't worry, magic colt. This is our job. We'll figure out who's behind all of this.” With that, the Detective and several officers began inspecting the scene. Two officers also joined Stumpy, Butterfly, and Sly, escorting them out to the foyer.
As the ponies were left alone in the foyer, they stood silently, each considering what to do. After a couple minutes, Stumpy spoke up.
“Listen, Sly...” he opened his notepad once more, scribbling some more notes. “Butterfly and I have both worked our share of cases with the police. One thing I know I can trust any police with is picking the wrong pony as their suspect. So I want to stay here and help, once the cops finish their preliminary investigation.”
“Oh, thank you, Mister Flank. Are you staying somewhere tonight?”
“Er... No, actually. Butterfly and I were going to leave after the show. I guess that's not really happening anymore.”
“Then please, both of you, stay in the suite here at the Mareiott. Usually it is terrifyingly expensive, even for somepony of my standing, but the hotel allows me to give it to special guests free of charge.”
Butterfly raised an eyebrow to Stumpy, then turned to Sly. “I think we're going to have to--”
“YES. WE WILL STAY IN THE SUITE.” Stumpy quickly interrupted her, nodding a bit too intensely. “I mean... It would be our pleasure to take you up on that offer. But... Where will you be tonight?”
“Ah... I live not far from here. Just off the strip, actually. I will return to my home, and see you both tomorrow morning. I suppose it is about time to take my leave...” Sly bowed his head to his companions, then turned and exited the foyer. Butterfly glared at Stumpy and began speaking once they were alone.
“You... We don't need a suite!”
“While that is factually correct... We just got a free suite!” Stumpy pumped a hoof in the air. “We are gonna be living it up tonight!” He laughed heartily, jumping around like a foal on Nightmare Night. Butterfly's face landed neatly in her hoof, and she simply stood silently shaking her head.
“How on earth did you ever become a professional at anything, you stupid little foal...”
The two began recounting what they had learned during their brief investigation. Moments later, a bellcolt entered the foyer. The professionally dressed unicorn cleared his throat to gain the other ponies' attention.
“Pardon me, sir and madam, I have been sent here at the request of Mister Shuffle. I have brought you the keys to the suite on the seventh floor. I hope it is to your liking.” He levitated over two keys to the ponies, each on a small ring with a tag labeled “Mareiott.”
“The keys aren't numbered?” Stumpy asked, examining his key.
“Duh, Stump. If they numbered them, then anyone who found a lost key could just go burglarizing the room.”
“Oh, right... That makes a lot of sense actually... So what's the number of the suite?”
“Ah, sir, our suites are all identified with an 'S' before the number. So yours is number 'S700.'” The bellcolt pulled out a pamphlet for the hotel, and unfolded it to show a map. “You can find the elevators on either side of the ground floor. If that is all, I will take me leave.” He handed the pamphlet to Stumpy and turned to leave.
“Ah, wait...” Stumpy tucked the pamphlet away, and produce a pair of coins from his wallet. “Thanks for your help!”
“Thank you sir, it was my pleasure.” The bellcolt tucked the bits away in his own pocket, gave a small bow, and exited the room.
“Well...” Butterfly spoke up, placing her key into her bag. “Might as well go see our room, eh Stump?”
Stumpy shrugged and the two began the journey to their room. They crossed the large ground floor, through the casino full of ponies wasting away their bits trying to make a fortune, with those lucky or skilled enough to succeed sprinkled throughout. Occasionally they would pass a pony weeping or cheering, and many were beginning to lose their sensibility to drinking. Soon the pair had arrived at the large bank of elevators and ascended to the seventh floor. The suite was easy to spot, located down a short hallway away from the other rooms on the floor. Opening the door, both ponies stood still, jaws dropping lower the longer they stared.
The room was enormous, larger even than Stumpy's home in Ponyville. It opened into a living room, with two large sofas, a pair of chairs, and a large glass coffee table. The floor was made of solid mahogany, with several soft rugs around the room. In one corner, there was a counter separating the living room from the kitchen. The kitchen had a small refrigerator, stove, and oven, as well as a coffee maker and cups on the counter.
On each side of the living room was a door leading to an identical bedroom. Each had a dresser, nightstand, and large queen-size bed. They were also connected to bathrooms, tiled in what appeared to be marble. Each also had a large, curtained window, as did the living room, looking out the windows, one could see a clear view of the Las Pegasus strip and all the other hotels along it.
“....Hey Stump?”
“Yeah?”
“I'm glad we took the suite...”
Mareiott Hotel, Las Pegasus
Main Theatre Backstage
The dressing room was unusually full of ponies. Twenty minutes to curtain, and nearly half the crew was packed into Sly Shuffle's room, all talking at once. The star, on the other hand, sat in front of his mirror, rubbing his temples with his hooves, sunglasses laying across the table to his side. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not to him. He was a perfect performer. His shows went off without a hitch, four nights a week, every single week.
“... and now she's running around like a chicken with...” “... I can't deal with them if they won't listen...” “... now the dress is missing, and we won't...”
“SHUT UP!” Sly finally snapped, slamming his hooves down to the floor as he shouted. “I have been performing here for three years. Not a single show has ever had a single problem, we are not starting now!” He stood up, grabbing his glasses and putting them on. “Thomas, get Sand Bag a glass of orange juice. It should calm her down. Two Step, just get angry. They respond to authority. And Dreamy, darling...” He paused, placing a hoof around the shoulders of the teal coated mare he was beginning to address. “... Check your sister's garment bags. The two of you are always mixing them up.”
The gathered ponies looked back and forth between each other, before quickly nodding and dashing out of the room. Sly sighed and shook his head, a small smile forming on his lips. As big of a pain as they could be, he loved the whole insane bunch of them. He picked up the long black cane leaning next to the door. Showtime was nearly upon him, and he needed to be prepared.
Mareiott Hotel, Las Pegasus
Main Theatre, Row P Seat 14
The orange stallion looked around the audience he had somehow wound up in. He wasn't used to crowds this big. The closest he had ever come was the few times he had been in courtrooms back in Ponyville, and it wasn't even close to the same scale as this. The seat to his right sat empty, its occupant having stepped out to use the restroom. He sighed, checking his watch and waiting for the show to begin.
His name was Stumpy Flank, an ecologist turned Private Investigator from Ponyville. The reason he sat in the theatre was currently seated to his left. An old high school friend had won four tickets to the show, but only had use for two. So Stumpy and his close friend Butterfly Blues had been invited along, provided they made it to Las Pegasus in time. Now Stumpy sat, very out of place, in the large theatre, repeatedly checking his watch while his two present companions chatted away beside him.
“... And then Blossom decides to go down the slide, without realizing that I was still sitting at the bottom of it. I don't think I have to tell you how that turned out...” The stallion chuckled, recounting one of their foalish adventures to his date. Stumpy sighed, tuning out the story that he had heard so many times before. He noticed something shifting to his right, and turned to see Butterfly sitting down as the lights began to dim. A voice, being projected through magic, spread through the large room.
“Fillies and Gentlecolts! The Mareiott Hotel welcomes you to our main stage, and tonight's performance by the one and only Sly Shuffle! We would like to remind you that there is to be no food or beverages within the theatre, and to please keep the aisles clear during the performance. We would also like to caution you that the performance contains several smoke and pyrotechnic effects, and anypony who fears they may have an adverse reaction should alert an usher immediately. Thank you, and enjoy the most famous Earth Pony in Las Pegasus: SLY SHUFFLE!”
The room had, by this point, become nearly completely dark. The sole light was a spotlight aimed at the center of the stage, a large book sitting in the light. After a few silent moments, a light blue colt, no older than six or seven ran onto the stage, leaping through the air, enjoying himself. As he noticed the book, he stopped, tilting his head curiously at it. He stepped up to the book, leaning down to inspect the cover, then shrugged and began to open the book. As the cover flipped open and hit the stage with a loud tap, there was a bright flash of light and large cloud of smoke, and suddenly there stood Sly Shuffle, smiling wide and twirling his cane around his hoof. As the audience burst into applause, Sly simply waved, his smile getting somehow even wider. The audience soon quieted, and Sly began to speak.
“Good evening, Las Pegasus! I am your wonderful host for the night, Sly Shuffle. But I'm sure you already knew that, didn't you?” He paused for the usual few cheers and whistles, before continuing. “Now, I would like to request that one of the lovely mares out in the audience join me on stage for just a moment.” As he finished his sentence, the hooves of mares throughout the crowd shot into the air.
Stumpy glanced to his left and right, noticing that both mares in their group had a hoof in the air. He leaned to the right, whispering quietly to his friend.
“Seriously, Butters? What do you expect to happ--”
“You!” called Sly, pointing to a mare near the center of the audience. “The blue pegasus with the dazzling yellow hair! Come on down here, feel free to fly!”
Butterfly looked around, checking to make sure she wasn't mistaken, before standing and quickly flying down to the stage. As she lands, Sly stops spinning his cane and gives her a quick bow.
“Thank you for your assistance, my lady. May I ask your name and occupation?”
“Butterfly Blues, I'm... a Private Investigator.” It wasn't a lie, she was one. She simply decided not to mention her position as Vice President of one of Equestria's largest logging companies.
“Ah, beautiful and intelligent! I think I made the right choice with you, Miss Blues. Now...” Sly tapped his cane on the stage and a panel moved away, revealing a deck of cards which Sly picked up and handed to Butterfly. “Now, my dear, once you make sure this is your average, everyday deck of playing cards, I would like you to shuffle them as thoroughly as you like. When you are done, no rush, hand them back to me.”
Butterfly examined the deck, looking for any oddities. When she was certain there were none, she began shuffling the deck to the best of her abilities, finally handing them back to Sly.
“Ah, thank you Miss Blues. Now, if I could trouble you to pick a card, any card. Make sure I don't see it, but feel free to show the audience if you like.” Sly spoke while spreading the deck open face down for her, giving the audience a grin as he finished. “Then simply place it back in wherever you like.” She picked a card out from near the bottom of the deck, examined it, and quickly turned it out to the audience. With that, she placed the card back in the deck, now around the middle.
“Once more, thank you for your time, you're almost done up here. All that is left is for me to find your card.” As Sly spoke, he grasped the deck firmly in hoof, before throwing it into the air above them, the cards scattering above them. He then spun his cane upwards, clicked a button on the side to extend a sharp point on the end, and stabbed through one of the many cards. Lowering it down to the ground without checking it, he smiled at Butterfly.
“Now Miss Blues, I know what your card is. But would you please inform the audience what it was that you chose?”
“It was... The Ace of Hearts.”
“Of course it was, my dear, for you...” he lifted the cane with card attached, removed the card, and handed Butterfly the Ace of Hearts, hole straight through the center. “... have stolen Sly Shuffle's heart.”
The audience burst into applause, cheers, and whistles as Butterfly took the card, blushing furiously. Sly gave her a large smile, a quick bow, and allowed her to step down off the stage. She did so, quickly taking her seat once more.
“Thank you, thank you. Another round of applause for my lovely guest Miss Butterfly Blues!” After another round of cheering from the crowd, Sly continued. “Now, for my next trick...”
Mareiott Hotel, Las Pegasus
Main Theatre, Offstage Right
Sly stretched out his legs and cracked his neck. It was time to begin the finale, and as the smoke cleared from the stage, he slowly stepped back into view.
“Well everypony, I'm sad to say it's almost time for us to take our leave. But we have one more feat to show you, and it's going to be the best yet! For this, I'm going to need the help of my lovely assistant, Miss Quiet Slumber!” A teal-coated mare nearly identical to the one who had been so worried before the show now stepped onto the stage in a sparkling silver dress, pushing something in front of her. It was, essentially, a large box on wheels. The bottom was open, with just a wheel and leg in each corner. On top of this was the frame of a box with a large cloth spread across the top of it. When the box reached center stage, Sly grabbed the cloth and pulled it off quickly.
“Now, as you can see, we have a box.” He walked between the legs of the box as he spoke, first front to back, then left to right. “This isn't a trick box. No fake walls, no fake bottom.” He stuck a hoof through each side of the frame, then knocked on the bottom, which resonated with the sound of solid oak. “Now Miss Slumber, if you would?”
The mare smiled and nodded to Sly, then hopped up into the box. Sly grabbed a corner of the box and began walking in a circle, rotating the box around for all to see.
“Throughout history, there have always been ponies who wonder: What if I had a horn? What if I never had my wings? What if I could fly? Of course, these are questions that give way to art and literature and music and all sorts of things, but they can never really be tested...” He stopped as the box took its original orientation. He picked the cloth up off the ground and tossed it over the box, blocking the mare from view. “... Well, it seems they can never be tested. But is that really true?” Sly raised a hoof to catch the cane being tossed to him from offstage. He began walking around the box once more, this time banging his cane against each corner as he reached it.
“What if an earth pony could become a pegasus?” CLANG “Or maybe a unicorn?” CLANG “Our very civilization is founded on the idea that we are three distinct groups that work together to make things happen.” CLANG “But maybe, just maybe, we aren't so different after all...” CLANG “I mean, just look at Miss Slumber now!” He quickly pulled back the cloth once more, revealing its contents for everypony to see.
Inside the box was something that caused the entire theatre to fall silent. Quiet Slumber, or so it seemed at first lay in the box, except there were three major differences. First, this pony was not an Earth Pony like Quiet Slumber, but instead a Pegasus. Second, small shards of glass lay scattered by her forehooves. And third, the pony was unconscious, bruises covering her body, a pool of blood forming beneath her.
