The crime seemed so simple.
So simple, yet it was a surprise that a pony had performed such a feat. Simplistic in its nature in a way that it can be done with ease, but that ease was not established, nor condoned. It was just something that one does not do, for there was rarely such a crime in the peaceful happy-go-lucky town of Ponyville. With that in mind, the ponies wondered endlessly. Why would they do it, what were their motives? Who was it, was it someone from here? Where did they go, who will stop them?
"I will!" shouted Pinkie Pie, happily trotting alongside a displeased-looking Twilight Sparkle. "I'm just the one who can stop them!"
"Pinkie, you need to understand. You're not a detective, this is something the professionals can handle, it's no laughing matter," said the hopeless and exhausted Twilight, calmly walking with the pink pony beside her.
"But I AM the professional! Don't you remember the time we solved that mystery on that spooo-ky train?" Pinkie asked with glee, her lively tone brought up with the feelings of excitement that stirred within her.
Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie calmly walked together in the brisk-like weather. The air felt like razor blades, and the leaves rustled in the screeching wind, crunching under pressure. However, this wind was warm, making for a sharp bittersweet feeling as it struck. The dirt path they walked upon was dry and lifeless, their hooves making clopping noises with every step. A distant river that ran beneath Ponyville sounded, swishing crashes that originated from its speeding currents, audible only due to the silence of the town. Pinkie insisted that they walk to Sugarcube Corner for investigation, yet Twilight felt uncertain. As the conversation had gradually picked up speed, she felt more and more unsure of the plan Pinkie had proposed.
"Yes, Pinkie. I remember."
"Then I got to do it! And you can be my sidekick again! Another mystery will be solved by Detective Pinkie Pie, and her trusty partner in dective-ness, Twilight Sparkle!"
The discussion both the ponies partook in was nothing short of spontaneous. Earlier that very day, Pinkie caught the floating gist of the news around the frantically-ecstatic, yet gloomily quiet Ponyville. She had raced, doing laps around the town, thinking of what can be done to undo the ghastly crime that took the town by storm. Recalling the distant memory of Twilight and herself investigating the criminality that happened aboard the Friendship Express, Pinkie conclusively decided upon visiting her old partner in justice for solving yet another case. Although she was excited for another adventure with her dear friend Sparkle, she could not help but have an unmistakable feeling of discomfort rising in her gut.
"No, Pinkie. I know how much you'd love to solve mysteries, but this is just something that's out of our reach," she grumbled with a sigh.
Pinkie slowed her trotting and began to walk, matching the consistent pace of her current companion. "But, Twilight, I rushed straight to you as soon as I heard the news!" she jumped ahead, stopping her dead in her tracks. "I just know we can solve it together!"
The day had been lively and filled with blithe sunshine. The birds had been chirping and chirping, the woodland critters had happily wandered and roamed under the glowing radiance of the sun. But, within hours, the day had an unwelcome change of setting. Minutes after the crime took place, the blissfully unaware ponies had then saddened with the news, and were put in an utter depressing slump. Crimes such as this were not common, and it had quite an effect on the citizens of Ponyville. The skies turned a dull dark shade of grey, and a sea of clouds littered the skies until not a speck of light showed. The dejected pegasi did not want to clear the skies in such an event, and the weather worsened as a result. A non-severe storm was predicted to come later in that very day, though there were showed no signs of it at that moment. Equestria felt silent.
Twilight flinched. Her expression turned to one of vexation, and she grew a bit peeved "I said no! Take a look around us, Pinkie! This isn't the time for a merry little crime-solving, this is serious!"
"But..." Pinkie stole a glance at Twilight once more, then directed her attention towards the ground. She returned to her spot beside Twilight, and began to gait again slowly, staring down.
"I'm sorry, Pinkie," Twilight softened, letting out a deep sigh. "But this just isn't a job for us."
Raising an eyebrow, Pinkie turned herself towards the mare beside her, frowning. "Twilight, I know that if we tried, we could solve it.”
Twilight glared at her, focusing at her eyes with great emphasis, carefully considering the possibilities. The feeling of negativity began to show itself more and more with every passing moment. She genuinely had no clue as to what to say next to the hopeful pony pleading before her. Twilight soon found herself lost in thought for what seemed like an eternity, thinking in absolute silence. The wind struck her continuously, causing a waver in her thought cycle.
“You still there?” Pinkie asked in an echo. Twilight yelped in surprise and scrambled a bit, gathering herself together. She put herself in a tranquil state of mind once again, and took a deep breath.
"Pinkie..."
"Come on, Twilight! I just know we could do it!" she grabbed her hoof in a speedy flash, and looked up to stare directly into her eyes, still pouting.
Once again, Twilight considered. She thought that there was no reason not to. There was no harm that could come from it, but then again, they could get in the way of the ones who should really be solving the crime. She wouldn't risk the safety of the ponies to amuse her, would she? Twilight came to an unsatisfying decision. Pinkie would be displeased, but it was for the best.
"No. That's my final answer," Twilight made a sour expression and shook her hoof until Pinkie came free. "I'm going home, there's a storm that's supposed to be coming soon. You should hurry, too."
Pinkie arose to her hooves sloppily, looking severely disappointed. "Okay, Twilight..." Said Pinkie, beginning to turn the other way. A few brief moments passed, and Pinkie took a quick look at the small, disappearing figure that was a frowning Twilight. From afar, it seemed she was waving a hoof in goodbye. Pinkie followed her example and did the same, grimacing as well.
Never before had the way to Sugarcube Corner seemed so long to Pinkie Pie. As she moped along the dirt path, thinking thoughts of despair, she pondered the possibilities of the future. Maybe she didn't have to solve the mystery, but she knew she could. She was not joking, Pinkie felt that she had what it took to figure out exactly who caused the horrible crime. Maybe she could solve it on her own! Yes, that's exactly what she'll do! She doesn't need a partner, she can do this! That'll show Twilight she could solve it!
Pinkie Pie suddenly sprang to life, thinking up the first step she would need to take in order to solve the crime.
…
Back at her tree home, Twilight Sparkle situated herself for relaxing under the light rain that was to come. An informative book was in her hooves, and she was curled up in her bed under the sheets without a care in the world. The lights were off, only a dim desk lamp shining in her room. Everything was nice and tidy, and Twilight felt quite content as a result. Spike was downstairs, most likely finding something relaxing to do under the rain as well.
Still, Twilight felt slightly uncomfortable with the uneasiness that had just taken place on the way to Sugarcube Corner. Filled with concern, she wondered if she had said the wrong thing to Pinkie. She was so excited, so happy, and maybe it would have been harmless fun. Twilight considered Pinkie a rather sensitive pony, who may not take things well if she got the wrong impression.
A few minutes passed, and the rain began to pour in an extreme pace. Twilight finally felt at ease as she began to read, it was a ni-
BOOOOM! interrupted the window.
Twilight flinched and widened her eyes in surprise, looking up and clenching the book tighter.
"Hph, Tphilight!" the window said, full of bright enthusiasm.
"...Pinkie?"
"Ithme! Phnkee!" the window revealed its hidden identity.
A faint smile crossed Twilight as her expression turned bittersweet. She was a bit happy to see Pinkie in such seemingly high spirits even after she rejected her offer, but she didn’t know what was she doing at her window in such weather.
The window let out a slight screech as Twilight pushed it open with a single hoof. An abundance of wind rushed in, filling the room with uncomfortable pressure, raindrops sprinkling the two considerably . Pinkie was sprawled out all over the glass, looking flat as a pancake. She pulled herself out of this state and fell to the bedroom floor, squirming a bit, then she arose to shut the window she had entered in.
The wind stopped.
"I found a clue, Twilight!" Pinkie shouted straight-away, unable to contain herself, "I was just at Sugarcube Corner andwentSTRAIGHTtosomethingtheymustadroppedIdontknowthoughIcameherecausemaybeyoucouldlookatit!"
"...Can you slow down a bit, Pinkie...?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion, totally mystified.
"The pony who did it left a NOTE! They must have dropped this note, and I came here to ask you about it, Twilight!"
Within seconds, Twilight's expression turned to one of disappointment. Her eyes drooped, and she heaved down with a powerful sigh. She arose from her bed and left the book in her place, turning to the ecstatic Pinkie Pie before her with a troublesome sentiment. And she blinked, thinking of what to say next without hurting her.
"Pinkie, I..." she gulped, "I don‘t think we can do it, I'm sorry."
"Oh, but Twilight, this will lead us straight to the culprit! We'll solve the mystery faster and better than anyone else!" Pinkie pouted.
Twilight sighed once more, and finally gave in, seeing as there was no way she could convince the happy hyperactive hopping pony otherwise. "Okay, Pinkie, I'll look at the note, but we won’t be solving this crime, okay?"
Pinkie Pie gleamed in response, nodding vigorously. "Oh, thank you, Twilight!"
Both ponies calmly strutted down the stairs and made their way to a table where they could examine the letter properly under the thriving amount of light, prominent due to the darkness in the other rooms of the home. Spike lay on the floor, sleeping away as the drops of rain fueled him further into his pleasant dreams. The curtains were closed to keep out the vapid grey from showing itself in the peaceful treehouse.
Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie found a relatively flat, wooden table in which Twilight kept books on, though all presence of books seemed absent at that moment. Pinkie spread the small note across this table, and both ponies pressed their faces closer to it, inspecting it thoroughly.
"Before we read the note, I think it would be a good idea to go over the details of the crime.” Twilight said to Pinkie wondrously.
"Oh, oh, good idea! Should I go over it, or will you?" Pinkie questioned, full of energy and anticipation.
"I'll try to go over it, Pinkie. But if you want to add anything, you can go right ahead, okay?" Twilight answered cheerfully. "I don't have all the details of the crime, but I'll try with the best of my ability."
…
It occurred on a night filled with darkness, the clouds serving as a blockade from the bright, sparkling moon that was beyond them. Ponies were sound asleep in their homes, and Ponyville seemed void, utterly empty. The night was the kind where possibilities were endless, because the innocent townsponies were unprepared for anything that was to come their way. The haunting ambiance of the dreary little town was set for a disaster.
A pony dressed in all-black made their way across the deserted streets, careful and cautious to make sure nobody was watching. From head to hoof they were concealed in the charcoal-colored apparel, the clothes tightly wrapping around their skin. Their navy-blue spectacles sparkled subtlety in the ominous moonlight, overflowing with ambition. The mystifying pony in all-black looked like a natural-born creature of the night, camouflaging with ease within the shadowy scenery of the town. With them they carried a final dissolution in their ingenious guise - What was slung over their shoulder was a plain, stygian-tinted portmanteau - large enough in size to fit a pony in all its entirety. Their destination lay far in town, Sugarcube Corner. Swift and furtive were their movements, they themselves wary of any possible spectators.
Like a slithering snake, they entered Sugarcube Corner effortlessly, making no noise doing so, for someone had carelessly left a window open on the first floor. Inside, faint snores were audible from the floor above, where the unaware ponies slept untroubled. Although nothing could be seen in the pitch-black vision brought on by the darkness of the night, the absence of light was not a problem to the stranger in black, for they knew exactly where their objective lied.
Making their way up, they flung their portmanteau bag off their shoulder and into their suited hooves, where they began to open it, calmly, casually. After making their way up the stairs, they slipped into a room, where the snoring grew louder and louder with each nearing step. The mysterious pony in all-black approached what lied ahead of them, and brought their sack closer and closer to the source of quiet snoring. Swiftly, they raised the bag into the air.
Then, there was silence.
Fleeing the way they entered, the pony rapidly made their escape, leaving behind a small note, hidden well in the toybox of the room.
Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake were taken by the stranger in black on that night.
…
“Did that sound accurate, Pinkie?” Twilight asked, sighing contently, having finished her short, brief analysis.
Pinkie Pie was engaged in pushing closer into the note, until her scowl was pressed directly on it. Her eyes were filled with pure determination and focus.
“Pinkie…?”
She abruptly looked over at Twilight questioningly.
“Huh…?”
“Were you listening?”
“Yes! There was an pony that they say was in a black scaaary-kinda suit that came into Sugarcube Corner and stole Pound and Pumpkin Cake in his eee-vil bag!”
Twilight was taken aback by her response, she didn’t know she had been listening. “You got it all, then?”
“Yup!” Pinkie replied, eager to investigate more.
Twilight primed to suggest evaluating the note, but a sudden depressing thought struck that had astoundingly not occurred to her before. Her face became sullen.
“Pinkie… What about Mr. and Mrs. Cake…?”
The feeling of discomfort erupted within Pinkie. The cheerful smile that she wore came off, and what was exposed was an expression filled with gloom. Her eyes drooped, and she brooded towards the ground in sorrow.
Thunder clashed outside, the rain growing additionally intense. The clouds blackened into a darker color.
She shook her head as she spoke, blinking slowly. “Oh, it’s awful, Twilight. They didn’t know what to do, they panicked for hours, trying to do everything they could to find them.”
It was then when it transpired to Twilight that this is something she had to do. Her mind raced, thoughts deafened out, deferred by the ever-pouring rain. She questioned herself as to why she didn’t accept earlier. Lives were at stake, and they wouldn’t stand by and do nothing. Pinkie may not be the most serious pony she knew, but she was smart, and they would work well together if they tried their hardest. It was decided. It was for the best.
“Pinkie…” Twilight said, now trying for a more upbeat appearance.
Pinkie looked back up as well to look eye-to-eye. She still had on a grimace, and thoughts ran through in her head at top-speed. Now that she thought about it, Twilight was right. The situation is too serious for only them to handle, and they should not mess with something important. Her frown worsened.
“You were right, Pinkie. This IS a job for Detectives Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle!” Twilight flashed a dazzling grin. “It’s time to take matters into our own hooves, and solve the case!”
Pinkie exploded.
“Oh, thank you thank you thank you!” wholly changing her previous demeanor, she lunged up. She squeezed Twilight close to her, binding her hooves together. “I know we’ll be able to solve the case, I just know it! Let’s save them!”
Twilight, in all her entirety, became a deeper shade of purple. She muttered her words breathlessly, still trying to appear happy as can be. “…Can you… Let go… Pinkie…?”
Pinkie Pie chuckled softly, nodding. “Sorry, Twilight!” She released her tight grip, and Twilight fell to the floor. Scrambling to get back up to her hooves, she mimicked Pinkie, also letting out a chuckle.
“Now, let’s get started and read that note!” Twilight exclaimed, beaming.
Spike‘s smile spread wider. He was snoring quietly in the background, still sound asleep merrily.
Both ponies were full of joy, and prepared for whatever was to come their way.
The future seemed bright.
They turned their attention back to the note that remained before them even throughout their entire resolution. Upon closer inspection from the two, the note was nothing more than four simple sentences written on a miniscule, torn piece of paper.
“It’s a riddle!” Cried out Pinkie Pie after skimming it, beginning to hop delightfully around Twilight.
Pinkie was correct. Together, the four sentences formed a riddle.
“I am swift, fast, unstoppable.
Though Ponyville is above all mindful.
I’m still sure this note will be found.
Despite hidden well beneath their tears.”
“What does that mean…?” Twilight asked herself, thinking aloud.
“If we figure it out, maybe it will lead to another clue!” Pinkie countered with glee.
“Do you have any idea of what it means?” Twilight asked again, but this time her question directed to Pinkie.
“Ponyville is above all mindful… And they are fast and unstoppable…” she whispered under her breath.
She stopped hopping and trotted happily back over to Twilight. Again she pushed her scowl towards the note, thinking fiercely. Her left eye twitched as she gazed at the small note with application.
“What is swift, fast, and unstoppable?” Pinkie asked Twilight contently, still staring, and proud of her sudden realization.
Looking puzzled, she pointed out, perplexed “That’s a big question, Pinkie. Anything could be fast and unstoppable.”
“What is Ponyville above that is fast, and unstoppable?” She inquired another question, growing more and more enthusiastic.
Twilight snapped right away in understanding. “A river! We heard a river today that was coming from under Ponyville!”
Still smiling, Pinkie nodded rapidly.
Twilight was impressed beyond belief, overjoyed for her friend’s discovery. “You could be right, Pinkie!”
Standing tall with a prideful grin, Pinkie felt fulfilled. But, another realization struck, and she blinked, “If that’s what the first two sentences mean, then what do the last two mean?”
Her feelings turned to ones of deep thought as Twilight tilted her head diagonally, conjuring a hushed “Hmm”. She herself was at a complete loss for what the rest of the riddle meant, though she undoubtedly had an idea of what it meant at first glance.
“Tears… That’s referring to… Mr. and Mrs. Cake?”
Pinkie stiffened at the mention of their names, obtaining a sudden serious expression. She took a short nod.
Twilight again contemplated, pondering further. “If the first two sentences have a connection, this one should too. If the third sentence refers to being found when hidden well, and the fourth refers to tears…” She stressed her thoughts additionally, “Tears can be relating to the water in the river, so… Something is hidden well in the river…?”
“That’s it, Twilight!” Uttered Pinkie with the utmost conclusive satisfaction.
“The riddle is solved! I guess that just leaves…- When we’ll be leaving for the river?”
“Yup!”
Silence swooped over both the ponies as hopeful inference of the future swam through their over-bursting minds.
“But… We can’t go right now, the rain is pouring too hard.” pointed out Pinkie.
“That leaves tomorrow, or later today.” Twilight responded sternly. “But, I think you should stay here until the rain lightens up, Pinkie. It’s not a good idea to go out in this weather.”
Pinkie turned her head toward the window. Beyond the curtain and the glassy shield, the storm was brewing more furiously. She looked back to Twilight and nodded with an expression of enthusiasm.
At the quiet treehouse, both the ponies partook in amusing trivial activities to pass the time.
“Checkmate!”
“No, Pinkie. I can move this piece here.”
“Ech, mmm…”
But slowly, the pouring began to deafen in sound, until the rain brought only gentle little taps on the roof of the house. The day now seemed to liven with every passing moment, the sun shining slightly through the curtains that blocked the windows. Not too long passed since the solving of the riddle, but still the ponies were ready to embark on a crime-solving adventure.
The glaring sunshine bounced and reflected off the shallow puddles of rain littered all throughout the town. Ponies stepped out of their homes with reluctance, breaking these puddles with their steps, and scattering the water in them in every direction. The chilled air blended with the heat from the sun to create a comfortable mix that brought on the most joyous feelings. The sky above was now cloudless, and it faded into a defined blue and orange, for nightfall was coming soon.
Faint mutters and silent conversations could be heard in Ponyville, and the bugs and animals chirped and emitted various noises. Twilight and Pinkie again walked in the brisk-like weather, side by side, ready and prepared.
“Do you know where the river could be?” Twilight asked. “We could try and listen for it, but it’s gotten to be a bit too loud now.”
“Just follow your gut!” Pinkie stuck her head in towards her stomach. “See?”
“I don’t think I do.”
“Arentcha thirsty?”
“A little…?”
“Follow where you think you can find the water for your tummy!”
“I… Feel like going that way…” Twilight pointed a hoof forward. “And… That way” She tilted it to the left.
“You got it then, Twilight! Let’s go that way!”
As they calmly walked, passing the houses of all different shapes and sizes, passing uneasy, helpless and afraid ponies, scared and unwilling ponies, their surroundings turned a gloomier color. The blue dispersed from the sky, and what was left was a darkening red that coated, enveloped, drowned the yellow ball of light. The blathering died down until it was merely nothing, and ponies were no longer present in the streets.
“Are you sure the ‘gut’ thing was a good idea?” Twilight asked, unsure of what she just did.
“Yup! We’re almost here, and you can hear it!”
From afar, a sound of running water could be heard.
The ponies kept at it. The river was farther than both thought it would be, going seemingly past Ponyville, and a little into its outskirts. They were now walking through an almost empty field of grass, surrounded entirely by darkness, with the light of the town now shining dimly in the distance.
“Is that it…?” Twilight finally pointed out, collapsing onto all four of her hooves in exhaustion.
“Hm, I think so.” responded Pinkie.
They stood upon a tall cliff. Beneath them, a miniature waterfall poured a large abundance of water down into an ever-flowing river. This thin river below was nothing out of the ordinary, though still slightly strange, because all around this one source of water were only fields of grass. The river ran not too far, only about a quarter of a mile at its maximum.
“How do we get down there?” asked Twilight.
“We jump!”
“Wha-no!” Twilight interjected, but it was too late. Pinkie had jumped down into the river, hooves blazing and with a wild laugh. A booming “SPLASH” sounded through the empty fields.
“Come on, Twilight! The water’s a little co-old, but it fe-els great!” She said under gritting teeth.
Above, Twilight let out a sigh, but still put on a futile smile.
SPLASH!
“Hi!” Pinkie giggled. A smirk crossed Twilight’s face, and she rolled her eyes.
“We’re in, b-but now what do we do?”
“The note said something was ‘hidden well’, so something has to be in here somewhere!”
And hidden well it was. In all its quarter-mile span, they searched nearly every nook, cranny, anything that appeared to be suspicious. Nothing was found, for it seemed to be a normal river.
“I think we must be doing something wrong, Pinkie. What else did that note say?”
“That Ponyville is above all mindful, something is hidden well beneath tears?” Pinkie responded.
“I think I understand…” Twilight said unsurely, struggling in her thoughts “What’s above this river…?”
“The grass?”
“Maybe, but I don’t t-think so, Pinkie…” Twilight continued “…Above all… Mindful… Minds are ’above all’ the main things that control all of us, right?”
“Yup! Keep going, Twilight!”
“The main thing that controls the river… Is the waterfall?”
“You’re probably right! We d-didn‘t check the waterfall?”
“We didn’t?”
“I guess not!”
Swimming to their destination, fighting the frostiness of the river, both Twilight and Pinkie arrived beyond the waterfall. Both they stood comfortably in front of the wintry stream, protected by a veil of rushing water from the chilliness of the outside. Though, the water below didn’t reach far up their hooves, being only a few inches high. They faced a solid, ordinary-looking dirt wall.
With a reluctant, but mutual nod, they knew exactly what must be done next.
“Ow!”
“Oww!”
“Don’t minds have something protecting ‘em, Twilight?” Pinkie Pie winced with slight pain, rubbing and grasping her head.
“They do. What could we use to get past the dirt wall?”
“Oh, oh, I got it!”
Pinkie tackled the dirt wall once more, and in she fell onto an unfamiliar floor that felt somewhat like wood.
Inside the thick layer of dirt behind the waterfall was a compacted room that dug into the side of the cliff. The floor of this room was made synthetically of wood, though the ceiling and walls remained seemingly untouched, still retaining their dirt form. Pinkie couldn‘t make a single thing out, for there was no light that glowed within this room; it was pitch-black. The room emanated a foul musty stench of rotting wood that made the two ponies want to spontaneously gag.
“Rarity wouldn’t like this room…” Twilight said behind Pinkie nonchalantly, making a grab to cover her nostrils.
“You bet!” the floor let out a cracking-kind-of-noise as Pinkie giggled and stepped back up onto her hooves.
“Are you sure it’s safe to go in there?” She muffled through her hooves, wincing.
Pinkie considered the statement, staring off far into the void of darkness for a brief moment. The cave seemed to continue on forever.
Turning back to Twilight, she made a solid bittersweet expression. “No, I don’t think so!” her demeanor flipped, “But... We need to go in.”
Now bowled over and taken aback, Twilight made a stern nod to proceed.
Blackness enveloped Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle, pushing them down on their unpleasant expedition through the endless cove. Now far away, almost in another realm, the outside world called with roars of the pouring waterfall, the ominous though inviting moonlight; ever-so calling the outside world was. Inside the cave, restriction forced itself moreso with every step, blocking what was left of the outside. Neither felt safe, both wanted to back out; to escape to the freedom of the outside.
Though not far inside, both were not adjusting well to the unwelcome change of scenery. Neither knew in which direction to go other than straight forward, for there seemed to be no other routes to take. And in that forward line they continued, beginning to feel more afraid with each passing moment.
“Pinkie? Pinkie, are you there?” shouted a familiar voice to another.
“Don’t worry, I’m here!” replied an additional voice in desperation.
“We can’t get separated here, we’re almost there!” said the voice, running and grabbing well onto the source of the other voice, holding them close. The floor let out a screech of pain,
CRCK!
“Sorry. I’ll be more careful, Twilight,” sighed the second voice in exhaustion.
Pressing forward, moving farther and farther away from the small circular hole that signified freedom, wading recklessly through the waters of danger, on they continued.
Though, no longer did they desire to.
“We must be doing something wrong, this cave isn’t ending,” echoed a voice.
“But there’s nothing else the note said!” restlessly added a second.
“We-”
CRCH!
“I… Didn’t make that sound, did you?”
“Nope…?”
A third voice chimed in.
“Stuck?” inquired the third voice in a tone that contained no reimer emotion.
“Yes!” answered the second.
“Pinkie!” said the astonished first.
“Yes?”
“What are you doing?!”
“Running!”
Sure enough, Pinkie was running further into the cave.
“Come on, Twilight! It came from this way!” projected the second.
Although it could not be seen, Twilight rolled her eyes like she never did before. Seeing as she had no choice, Twilight ran top-speed after Pinkie, vigilant for possible obstacles.
Despite the recent oddity that occurred within their exploration, the mares pushed on. Though, both began to feel paranoid of the possible return of the voice, and what it may bring with. They pondered and pondered the possibilities and details of the inexplicable third voice, hoping strongly that it won’t return.
“Twilight, who do you think made that spoo-ky voice?”
“I… I don’t know. I think whoever made it is at the end of this cave.”
“And we’ll stop them!”
She shot a swift fruitless glance towards the other voice, piercing through the darkness.
“Yeah,” she shut her eyes, “We’ll stop them.”
It now occurred to them that silence was not an ally, but instead looming foe. In such a cavern, they expected to hear a sign of life, a sign of wilderness, but none of that existed in the cave they roamed. It was entirely synthetic, unnatural, and it forced upon a strong feeling of unpleasantness. None of it felt right, and being inside felt foreign.
Even such, hours it seemed they walked, ran, snooped, sneaked, hid through the cave. The hole, now far behind, decreased slowly in size until it became only a pebble of portentous light. As time passed, both hopelessly delved into the promises of something that could aid their journey, to reach the end faster.
“Twilight… Can’t you just use a spell to take off the dirt above us and light up the really dark cave…?”
“Great idea, Pinkie!”
Twilight made a gruff grunting noise, attempting to lift the dirt ceiling above. However, much to her dismay, nothing happened.
“Huh?”
“Huuuh??”
“My magic doesn’t work, Pinkie…”
“That’s... Not good…”
Still, they ventured forward. But, as they hoped to near the end, drawing closer and closer, their hope for saving the day yearned for escape, moving further and further, running away, screaming for its freedom.
“I’m tired, Twilight…”
“Me too, Pinkie…” said Twilight restlessly, “But we’re almost there.”
“…”
“Pinkie…?”
“We’re so so far away from that hole we went in, we can’t see it anymore, but I think it’s morning now, Twilight…”
“Morning…”
“…”
Twilight’s mind ran in circles. She began to get frustrated with herself.
“This was a trap, Pinkie.” Twilight muttered with a heavy breath “They’ve got us, and we can’t get out.”
“A trap…?”
“Look around! Do we seem close to getting to the end?”
“I don’t know-”
Twilight interrupted, “No, we don’t!”
“Twi-”
“We’re stuck!”
Suddenly, the mystery pony’s voice rang like a ringtone in her head. “Stuck”, they had said. Again, even in her sleepless state of mind, she contemplated the symbolism of the voice. It could be referring to its literal term -that both her and Pinkie were stuck and helplessly trapped at the mercy of the endless cavern- or that something was stuck in something else.
Something stuck. Somewhere.
“Don’t worry, Twilight. We’ll get there soon…” Pinkie brooded without a speck of hope.
“Pinkie…” Twilight began with growing wonder, “All this time…” she continued, pouring enthusiasm, “We haven’t inspected the walls?”
“We… We haven’t?” Pinkie was stunned at such an obvious fault they had made.
BANG!
The entire cove rumbled as Twilight flung herself into a wall, feeling around for anything that didn’t feel like plain dirt. On the opposite wall, Pinkie now followed her example. For a small period of time, they searched in pure silence, until Twilight began to dig into the wall with her hooves, rather than searching only its surface.
“I got something, Pinkie!” she reached her out her hoof, and in it she held a ripped electrical wire. On it’s end, sparks flew loose, faintly lighting up the darkness of the cave. “Dig into the middle of the wall, Pinkie! There’s electrical wire stuck inside the walls!”
With definite obedience, Pinkie followed her instructions almost automatically, reaching far into the wall. She pulled her hoof out of the dirt, and in it she held a near identical copy of the wire as the one on the other side. It let out sparks similar to that of Twilight’s.
“Oh, I got it!”
On the opposite wall, Twilight gazed upon the sparks emanating from the wires in awe. In her mind, she speculated what these wires could signify, and what could be done with them. Only one thought stuck out, and she placed the entirety of her hopes onto that single thought.
“Let’s put them together” Twilight said somberly “I’m not sure what else we could do…”
Again Pinkie obeyed, coming closer to the opposite sparking wire, as Twilight did the same.
STRCK!
A rumbling engine-like sound began to growl distantly. The whole cave lit up in an absolute bright yellow, eliminating the blackness that once roamed and filled the cavern without an end. Above Pinkie and Twilight, the ceiling was revealed to have been littered with sloppily-drawn arrows. Below both mares was solid dirt, continuing almost since the cavern began, unobtrusively switching from the former rotting wood. Mushy and damp were the fragile dirt walls, easy to hold, store, and keep any object in place. Inside these walls was a nearly endless line of black-colored wire, which led to a generator far behind the two ponies. Fluorescent lights and bulbs shabbily hung beside the array of arrows, and as a result, the conclusion of the cave was now visible.
“Look there!” Pinkie wearily pointed a hoof forward, “The end’s still so far away!”
Again Twilight was in awe. Had they not pulled out the wire, they would have continued for another half-a-day until they hit the end. Although she was forced to strain to see, the end was now seeable seemingly as nothing but a plain dirt wall.
“Yeah…” she said in discontent, “I’m glad we figured this out before we got that far…”
“Yup!” Pinkie added “We did it, Twilight!” her appearance turned fatigued “What do we do now...?”
Twilight took a lengthy glimpse above, running her eyes through the streaks of arrows.
“I think we need to follow the arrows.”
“We have to go all the way back?” Pinkie asked desperately, longing rest.
“Yes…” Twilight replied with dissatisfaction. “We have to, Pinkie… We’re so close.”
They bonded and left the two wires, making a turn towards the outside.
Stressfulness was not an issue on the trip back, but rather was drowsiness. Both sought after their cherished sleep, but nonetheless proceeded for the safety of Pound and Pumpkin Cake.
As they followed the assortment of arrows, both began to gradually doze off after a sleepless night. Their movements were sluggish, and their destination lay close, but yet so far.
The musty smell, bit by bit, became an intruder to their nostrils. The heavy stench began to inflict a minor headache upon the two almost simultaneously.
Each pony shivered as the freezing air turned chillier and chiller, making each wish for having sealed the hole on the end of the cave in their initial arrival.
Their hooves, covered in thick goopy mud from digging into the walls of dirt, created a feeling of unpleasantness within the two, generating a feeling of filth.
They had enough, they wanted to end their journey, their “solving of the case”.
But they had already arrived.
Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle stood hand-in-hand above a hole marked with a blatant blood-red “X”. Staggering to do so, both began to scratch away at the apparent red dirt with their grimy hooves. Unlike the rest of the cave’s floor, the marked dirt was soft and squishy, almost a breeze to dig through.
“What do you think is under here, Twilight?”
“I’m not sure… But I hope it will help us.”
As hopeful as they were, both Twilight and Pinkie silently questioned why they were being led to an “X”. But, following along was the only option available.
Soon enough, they reached an object concealed within the dirt. It was a small, simple brown box with a lid.
“It’s… A box?” Twilight uttered, staring down at it with doubt.
Pinkie slothfully lifted it up into her hooves.
“Yup!”
With a nod, Twilight took the box from Pinkie and peered inside.
“It’s some kind of device… And… I think there’s a paper stuck to it!”
“Take it, Twilight!”
The device was composed of a messy tangle of differently colored wires. It could have been anything, though it did look slightly strange. She peeled the white paper off the device, and behind the paper hid a timer that read “15:00”.
BEEP!
Counting down, the timer abruptly began to tick.
“It’s… A BOMB?!” Twilight flung down the box containing the device in shock.
Nothing could have prepared Twilight for the astonishment she had just received. In front of her lay a ticking time bomb, ready to blow, ready to ruin everything. Their entire journey they had felt so close to saving the day, saving lives, and here lie a threat to not only their missions, but themselves.
“A… Bomb?” Pinkie inquired, perplexed.
Giving into her reflexes, Twilight Sparkle ignored the time-bomb and hastily looked over the paper she had just then peeled off.
“To save those who are valuable
Those who are cold
Those who are tired
You must find the power within.”
“It’s another riddle!” she yelled.
“A riddle?”
“Yes! Here, read it, quick!” Twilight attempted to hand the sheet to Pinkie, but she struggled in her execution, fighting the looming enemy of sleep.
In a frenzied effort to clutch the paper, Pinkie barely succeeded, wobbling to sustain her stance. She skimmed it as Twilight did, and tossed it down.
“I think I know exactly what it means, Twilight!” she shouted frantically.
Meanwhile, the purple pony stole a fleeting look at the device in the box. It read “14:28”.
“We’re going too slow!”
“Twi-”
“We’re too tired…”
“Twili-”
“Look at the time!”
“I know what the riddle means, Twilight!” Pinkie finished.
“Ah…” Twilight tried to relax, “What does it mean?”
“The power! There’s something that’s turning on the lights in the cave, right?”
“That’s it, a generator!” Twilight exclaimed “But where?”
For a moment, silence.
“ I don’t know, Twilight…” Pinkie said in sorrow.
Again Twilight took a momentary glance at the bomb. It read “12:29”.
“We have to get rid of the bomb! We don’t have enough time to find it!”
“But we’re stuck in the cave, Twilight!”
“Then… We need to think…”
For an additional moment, there was nothing but silence.
“The note said ‘those who are valuable, those who are cold, those who are tired’, right?“ she paused briefly ”I don’t think it’s just talking about Pound and Pumpkin Cake, it’s talking about us, Pinkie!”
“Yup…”
Another look at the timer. “10:10”.
“I’m so tired, Twilight…”
“…Don’t give up yet. We need to think, that’s the only way we can do this, Pinkie.”
“I don’t think I can…” Pinkie began to nod off, dropping to the solid dirt. Her eyes felt heavy, thirsty for their shutting.
“No!” Twilight rushed to the pink pony.
She was sound asleep.
“Okay…” Twilight muttered, trying to dismiss her friend’s sudden untimely nap “Those who are cold… Valuable… Tired… To find the power within…”
“9:49”
“But this makes no sense! Nothing in the riddle tells where the generator is!” she hollered at herself.
“9:40”
“Nevermind the riddle, I need listen for the generator!” she continued.
With the utmost effort, she listened for the source of the rumbling sound, coming from a generator seemingly far away.
“I can’t… It could be anywhere.”
“9:20”
“Cold… Valuable… Tired… Find the power within…” again she repeated.
“Wait…”
She cogitated back to Pinkie’s ideology, remembering what Pinkie said about the previous riddle. “What is swift, fast, and unstoppable?”, she had said. But if one thought about it in the sense of the new riddle, they would find the relation in those words, and that of “valuable, cold, tired”
“What is valuable, cold, and tired?” she answered” We are! Pound and Pumpkin Cake are valuable, me and Pinkie are tired!”
“But…”
“That’s it…”
“8:40”
“We are! We’re right next to the generator!”
“8:35”
Anxiously Twilight tunneled away at the ground and walls surrounding the X. Desperately she pushed and stomped at the walls and ground, hoping to uncover a hidden room, or simply the generator itself.
Sweat poured like a fountain from her forehead. She was falling asleep, she was getting tired.
“5:10”
“I need help…”
In a sprint, she hurried to the resting pony.
“Please, Pinkie, I need you!”
Shaking her violently, Twilight’s eyes began to droop from exhaustion
Aggravated, she shook her own head rapidly in an attempt to stay alert before continuing.
But trying to wake Pinkie was useless, for she was in a deep slumber.
“3:35”
Rising and bobbing side to side, Twilight made her way back to the left wall she had left a considerably large curve in. Listlessly she resumed her distressed digging, her eyes falling ever so slowly.
Much to her surprise, the wall suddenly collapsed.
Falling to her hooves, she now gazed upon a compact room that held a rumbling generator, and next to it, a diminutive basket. In the basket were a sleeping Pound and Pumpkin Cake, sheltered with a snug white blanket.
“They’re here!”
“2:45”
Urgently, Twilight inspected the basket sparingly, only making sure the two baby ponies were safe.
Another small note stuck from the side of the blanket. Without hesitation, Twilight snatched it and brought it to her face.
“The bomb is ticking, but there’s nothing you can do!
Stuck in this room, but your doom was planned from the very beginning.
To think, defeating the unicorn with the best magic in all of Equestria.
Listen to your Pink Friend next time.”
“If you really wanted to defeat us, you wouldn’t have left this note…” Twilight replied to the riddle.
“1:58”
“Ticking… Room… Doom… Magic… Pinkie Pie…” she relayed the information to herself aloud.
Twilight never thought harder. Her thoughts zipped around and around in her mind, trying to take in and absorb the final message delivered to her.
Then, it was clear.
“0:51”
“Magic works in this room. Pinkie suggested we try magic in the cave, but it didn‘t work...”
Starting for a immediate run, Twilight leaped out of the room, but carelessly tripped on the remainder chunks of the dirt that had fallen from the hole.
She was too tired to get up.
“0:38”
Mustering all remaining strength left in herself, she crawled to the box and hurled it into the generator room.
TDDD!
With a thud, the bomb rolled out of the box, on it showed to Twilight:
“0:20”
She had not seen the timer since it last read 10 minutes. Time was running out, and now the importance of her urgency was understood.
Her vision blurred as she was now up, returning to the generator room.
“0:12”
Making her first step back into the room, she fell once again. The pressure brought on by standing was too intense for her to handle, but she was now inside.
Her magic worked.
“10”
“9”
“8”
“7”
In a dazzling light, Twilight’s horn shined vividly. She squeezed her eyes shut, and fought the urge to sleep as she conducted the spell.
“6”
The bomb was now surrounded in a glowing purple veil.
“5”
“4”
The bomb was gone.
Twilight was fast asleep.
…
Full of lethargy, Twilight began to leisurely pry her eyes ajar. Upon realization, she spread them wide-open, for she was now in an entirely different environment than her last. The brilliant sun beat down on her as she rested cozily in her own bed, under her comfortable blanket, now returned to her serene treehouse. Her hooves were now spotless, and her headache now departed; no longer did she feel cold or tired. Beside her was a concerned Pinkie Pie and Spike, looking down at her with extreme application.
Though not fully awake, Twilight could somehow feel that the mission was a success. Yet half-awake, she felt the warmness of others reassure her in pleading that her hopes were fulfilled. Skeptical at first, she had accepted the mission on account of lives at stake, and those lives were now saved. Accomplishment filled her, and while she faced risks far beyond that she ever faced before, she was a hero.
Although the crime was severe, what was stunning to her was the mysterious time-bomb and the riddles. Somebody had toyed with them as if the entire crime was an elaborate setup for something large, something huge. The culprit had not revealed themselves, but both her and Pinkie had been so worn out that the crime-solving itself became more of an endurance test.
All these thoughts speeded through her mind as she now began to open her eyes wider, and look over to those intent on observing her.
“Oh, she’s awake!” Pinkie cried out.
‘Phew…” Spike playfully pretended to wipe sweat off his forehead.
Twilight opened her mouth, but found it hard to speak. In spite of everything, she was still exhausted.
“Pinkie, Spike…” she started, but took a deep breath, “How long was I asleep…? How are Pound and Pumpkin Cake…? How did I get here…?”
“You were asleep for 6 hours, I think...” answered Spike.
“Oh, Pound and Pumpkin Cake are great! Mr. and Mrs. Cake were so glad to see them again!” continued Pinkie, full of energy, “And, I woke up, and I saw you asleep, too! So I took you home!”
Overjoyed, Twilight sat up further up in her bed to aid her speech.
“We did it then, Pinkie?”
“Yup, we saved them, Twilight!” she answered, thrilled as well.
Twilight’s expression sagged slightly. “We didn’t solve the case, though… Who was it that caused this...?”
“Oh, case, schmase!“ Pinkie waved a hand, “That’s for another time! Right now, we just saved the day!”
“Yeah, I… Guess we did!” she gradually started to beam.
“Next time, take me along, will ya?” Spike suggested cheerfully, laughing.
Both the ponies laughed alongside the dragon, and they all did so in unison.
“Don’t worry, Spike! With detectives Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle, we’ll solve any case!” Pinkie ended with delighted glee.
