//------------------------------// // 2: The Candlemakers // Story: Featherfall // by SapphireStarlightPony //------------------------------// Chapter 2 The Candlemakers Evergreens blanketed in snow whisked past the window. Between them Featherfall could see a snow-covered valley, sparkling in the morning sun. Featherfall blinked as the scene blurred and shook her head trying to clear it. The warmth of the coach and steady rumble of the tracks beneath threatened to lull her to sleep. “The victim is a candlemaker,” Foresight said, too busy skimming through the local authority's brief to take note of his partner's inattentiveness. "He's called Waxworks. Found him about an hour ago.” “Anything else?” Featherfall asked with obvious disinterest. She knew the briefs were little more than placeholders designed to summon more senior detectives to a crime scene as quickly as possible. Foresight quickly skimmed to the bottom of the page. “No.” The pegasus rolled her eyes. And they called him Foresight... Foresight peered over his partner's shoulder, taking in the rustic countryside. Log cabins with smoke coming out their chimneys promised warmth, family, and fresh homemade pastries. Hearth's Warming Eve was just around the corner. “It's a nice place. It's a pity we don't come out here more often,” he said, mostly to himself. Featherfall lifted her head from the sill and turned a weary, blood-shot eye toward him. “Pity usually doesn't bring us places, Fore." The stallion wrinkled his nose in distaste. “You're awfully cheery today. Usually you're eager to get out of Crackshot's meetings.” “Sorry, you're right,” she said. She hung her head and felt her ears droop. “I was just thinking of home. My aunt and uncle are candlemakers you know.” “I didn't,” he said. “The first time they came to visit was around Hearth's Warming was...” Featherfall trailed off, looking for the right word. “Bad?” Foresight offered. Featherfall shrugged her wings. “Strange...” It had been a happy experience at the time, albeit very confusing to the young pegasus. With the manor bathed in bright, twinkling lights and the smell of warm cinnamon buns baking in the kitchen the young filly's mind was on one thing: Hearth's Warming Eve! Poised to strike at the top of the stairs she spread her little wings, nose pointed at the door. Torch raced past with a doll hanging from his mouth, jeering as he ran. Her older sister, Shimmer, was in hot pursuit. “I'm going to banish you to the moon!” she howled. “Nightmare Moon will eat you up!” “Frosty! Catch!” Torch shouted. He flung the doll over the banister, out of Shimmer's reach. Frosty; that's what they used to call her. Without a moment's hesitation she leaped over the banister and caught the doll in her teeth. Frantic flapping ensued as she struggled to stay aloft. The doll sprang to life in her jaws, forcing her head back toward the balcony where Shimmer's horn was aglow with fiery magic. Frosty pulled back, but Shimmer's magic was strong. Too strong. She could see her sister's eyes widen in horror at the soft sound of tearing fabric. In the course of a few seconds the doll was nearly rent in twain. Frosted Lights felt it go limp and let it drop to the ground. “Oops...?” Frosty smiled sheepishly. Shimmer just growled. The little pegasus barely caught a glimpse of orange magic as Shimmer's telekinetic strike buried itself into her soft belly. Strength fled her limbs and her eyes watered up. Vertigo. She closed her eyes tight, unable to will her wings back to life. The sound of tiles cracking and popping beneath her must have carried to the kitchen because when she opened her eyes again her mother, Merry Lights, was standing over her. “S-sorry?” Frosty offered weakly, then coughed. Her belly still ached from the blow. “Shimmer punched me...” The pegasus filly could feel gravity abandon her as her mother's magic lifted her into the air. She hung there, turning helplessly. Instinct compelled her to stretch her wings as she looked down at the floor below. When the inspection ended Frosty dropped back to the ground and landed daintily on her little hooves. Merry fumed and started shouting straight away. “This is why there is no flying allowed in the house! You could have been seriously hurt and just look what you've done to our nice tile floor! Your aunt and uncle will be here any minute and this is their first impression of our household.” Frost looked away from her mother's burning eyes. “Frosted Lights. Look at me when I am talking to you!” The little pegasus looked up with tear-streaked eyes. “Frosty,” she corrected. Her mother's eyes seemed to bulge out of her head. “Are you back-talking me young lady?” “My friends call me Frosty,” she said. “Frosty?” Merry echoed. “Yeah!” Torch cheered from his vantage point on the balcony. “Frosty the Snowmare! She's gonna be the best in all Cloudsdale! Did you see how she caught that thing midair like that?! Awesome! She's gonna be the best flyer on the Hearth's Warming crew!” A glare from Merry silenced the enthusiastic colt and elicited a little snicker from Shimmer. Merry straightened her posture, doing her best to look instructional. “Weather duty is hardly becoming of a young lady. Now, go to your room.” Frosty was not about to go down without a fight. “But it was an accident!” “No flying in the house. Room. One hour.” Merry had her hoof pointed at the stairs. This was not a battle the pegasus would win. She slunk up the stairs with her head hanging. The door closed behind her in the grip of her mother's magic. A short time later she heard a whisper coming from it. “Psst, Frosty.” “Torch?” she asked in disbelief. “What are you doing? You'll get in trouble!” “I know,” he whispered back. “But... thanks for not ratting me out.” “Hey, what are you doing?” another voice asked. Frosty put her ear against the door. It was Blaze, her oldest brother. “I was just checking on her, honest!” Torch protested. Blaze grumbled. “You know the rules. She's being punished. No talking.” Torch stamped his hoof. “Yeah, well, Shimmer knocked her out of the air. How come she's not being punished?!” “Didn't you take her doll?” “I...” Torch fell silent. Frosty slumped onto her bed after she heard them both go. Her punishment was commuted by the arrival of her aunt and uncle. She hurried out the door and was the first to meet them. One of the servants had already replaced the broken tiles. It was their job to answer the door as well but she could see visitors through the window. “Well aren't you precious?” Cheery asked when Frosted Lights emerged onto the front porch. “Absolutely adorable.” The pegasus beamed. “I'm Frosty,” she chirped. “Of course you are! Isn't she cute?” Cheery grinned at her husband. "Just think about it! Somepony to clean around the house and if they had a foal as cute as this! Candle sighed. “We're not getting one. It's demeaning. Now please, don't bring it up again in front of Merry and Dawn.” Cheery frowned. Her bags floated across the porch and landed in a heap before the little pegasus. “Please take these to our room.” Frosty stared at them, dumbfounded, as her relatives brushed past her into the house without further explanation. Answering the door came with more responsibilities than the young pegasus had expected. By the time Frosty had finished her new-found duties the dining room was bustling with the activity of servants and family. Servants were bringing food in from the kitchen while Frosty's brothers and sister were opening their gifts from Aunt Cheery. Frosty could see her father and Candle out on the balcony smoking cigars. “Now Merry, where is your youngest?” Cheery was asking. Merry looked hesitant. “She'll be along shortly...” Frosted came up behind them and found a little package with her name on it sitting on the floor beneath Cheery's chair. Her eyes lit up. A present! Shimmer had one just like it, and was daintily removing the ribbon with her telekinesis. “Uhm, Merry? Who is that?” Cheery asked, looking down at the little blue filly struggling with the ribbon. Merry followed Cheery's eyes down to the local commotion. “Oh, there she is. Frosted Lights say hello to your Aunt Cheery.” Frosty looked up at her aunt just long enough to wave and shout “Hi Aunt Cheery!” Cheery's eyes widened as her ears drooped. She flashed a questioning glance at Merry but Merry averted her eyes without answering. Frosty sensed something was wrong. “I can open it, right?” “Uh... well... uh... yes?” Cheery said, meekly. The little pegasus took the ribbon in her teeth and yanked it off. The package spilled open and something metal tinked onto the tile floor. Frosty snatched it up. It was long and slender, with a gold-inlaid handle and a glittering ruby affixed as decoration. For a moment silence reigned as Frosty stared at her gift in mute incomprehension. Finally her face brightened. “It's a sword!” she cheered. Hopping up on her hind hooves she fenced with the air, advancing on Torch. Shimmer groaned. “It's a horn file, stupid!” “It's a sword!” Cheery corrected. “...And it can be used as a horn file,” she added miserably with a searing glare at Merry. “Okay kids, put away your toys it is time for dinner!” Merry sang, desperate for a change of venue. The rest of the week passed with little incident. Lights and the toys and the treats dominated the pegasus filly's thoughts and the strange gift was almost forgotten. Who could blame one so young to overlook one dark blot, so easily washed out by the bright lights of Hearth's Warming? But the lights faded, and the horn file remained... The train slowed as it pulled into the station. Featherfall was on her feet before the tell-tale hiss of steam. When it came the doors unlocked and she hurried out onto the platform, glad for the brisk winter air. It was revitalizing. A beat up wooden sign, in need of a new paint job, hung over the door to the candle shop. Waxworks Wicks, it said in flecks of red. An officer stopped them at the door. Beyond him, Featherfall could see the victim, he was badly burned. The nauseating medley of charred flesh, lavender, roses, and mint made her stomach turn. “Magical Crimes Unit,” Foresight said, floating his badge before the officer. “I'm Agent Foresight, and this is Agent Featherfall.” “Iron Shield,” he said. “Glad you made it out so quick. Seems pretty cut-and-dry though. Not sure why the MCU needs to be involved...” “We like to follow up on any case involving the Summer Sun Celebration,” Foresight explained. "Waxworks was on the list. What've you got?” “The officer gestured them inside. “That's the victim, Waxworks. His clerk reported the death this morning. She seems clean. Wife's missing. Clerk says one of the warehouse colts from up the road has been hanging around a lot. Thinks they might've been having a fling. Two and two, this one's just another case of love gone bad if you ask me.” Foresight stopped cold. “The wife is missing? That wasn't in the brief...” “Fancy that,” Featherfall said, rolling her eyes. She plucked a feather and began taking notes. “What is the name of the warehouse?” Iron Shield pulled out his notes. “201 Divine St. I was just about to head up there.” “Mind if we tag along?” Foresight asked. The officer seemed uncertain. “We're not here to take your case,” he said. “Just due diligence. This isn't the first mare on our list to go missing this week.” He could read between the lines. The MCU wouldn't be on scene if there weren't a chance of them taking the case. But there was very little he could do to stop them. “Alright, it's just up the road.” The warehouse was busy. Stallions everywhere loading up boxes into carts for distribution. A supervisor spotted the trio as the entered and was quick to head them off. He had an anguished look about him. “We just need a few minutes of your time,” Iron Shield said, sensing the coming storm. “Hearth's Warming is five days away and I'm a half-shift behind!” the supervisor wailed. “This is our busiest season! Do you have any idea the pressure we're under?!” Iron Shield straightened up to full height and looked down at the supervisor. “We've got a murdered stallion up the road and we're going to follow through. Now, one of your workers has been implicated. You're going to point him out to me or we'll shut the whole line down until we make sure we've got our suspect. Got it?” The supervisor nodded wearily. “Now, we're looking for somepony called Lucky Break,” Iron Shield explained. The supervisor's eyes lit up. “Lucky Break? Couldn't be him.” “What makes you so sure?” Iron Shield asked. The supervisor pointed up at the office overlooking the factory warehouse floor. “He's in there; busted leg. Been there all night.” “We'll have a talk with him. Thank you for your cooperation.” Iron Shield nodded stiffly. The frustrated supervisor lumbered away, pausing to give the officer a sneer once his back was turned. Lucky Break was seated at a desk, his left hind leg in a cast. It was apparent by the look of him that he could not have been Waxworks' killer. The bedraggled stallion looked barely capable of lifting his hoof, let alone killing somepony. He looked up at the officers and then visibly sank into his chair, hanging his head despondently. “This is not my day,” he said. He lit up a cigarette and took a long drag from it. “Does your boss let you smoke in here?” Featherfall asked, pointing a hoof. He took another drag and blew it out across the desk, rustling some papers. “Ain't my boss anymore. Fired this morning. Free as a bird!” “What do you do here, Mr. Break?” Iron Shield asked. He leaned back in his chair, eyeballing the cop with some suspicion. “We ship candles.” One of the boxes from the warehouse floor had been left by the door with the lid askew. Featherfall pulled it off and set it aside, freeing a pleasing medley of floral scents. Lucky Break sat up straight, craning his neck to see what she was doing. “I dropped that when they told me I was canned. Careful of the glass,” he warned. Iron Shield continued his line of questioning. “And why were you dismissed?” Featherfall sifted carefully through the broken glass and chunks of wax until she found a sizable piece with label still intact. To her surprise it wasn't a Waxworks' Wicks logo. Summershine Candles, Canterlot's Finest. Lucky Break shrugged. “They found out I was having a fling with Moonsong. Thought I might be letting slip company secrets. But what kind of secrets would I know anyway?” He was quickly becoming belligerent. “I just load the bucking crates into the carts! Half the time I don't even know what's in 'em!” He pounded his hoof on the desk, now shouting every word. In the moment of silence that followed Featherfall became aware that the bustle of the warehouse floor had ceased. Peering out through a slat in the blinds she saw all eyes were on the office. “I understand your frustration. We just need to ask a few more questions and then we'll be out of your mane,” Iron Shield said. “Fine, ask away. I ain't got nothing better to do. Not 'til I get my last paycheck. Then I'll be down at Silver Arrow getting hammered til Hearth's Warming.” Featherfall nudged Foresight. “I think we should go...” she whispered. Foresight waved her off. “When was the last time you saw or heard from Moonsong?” The fires went out in Lucky's eyes. When he opened his mouth was barely above a whisper. “...what happened to her?” “Mr. Break...” Iron Shield started. “What happened to her?!” the earth pony howled. “Boss lady's coming,” Foresight warned. Featherfall drooped visibly, much to her partner's confusion. "Here it comes," she muttered. Iron Shield was desperate to calm Lucky Break down. He rested his hooves on the stallion's shoulders and pushed him back down into the chair. “She's gone missing; her husband's been murdered. Now if you want to help us find her-” The office door swung open and a unicorn mare burst in. Her pelt was snowy white in stark contrast to her soft orange mane, streaked with yellow. Her mark was a flame accented with bright blue sparkles. For just a moment she looked around at the surprised faces. “Well? What's going on in here?” she snapped. Her eyes rested on Featherfall. Her lips tugged back into a disgusted sneer, her words dripping with vitriol. "Frosted? What are you doing here?” “You!” Lucky Break flipped the table over and hobbled toward Shimmer with wrath in his eyes. “You had them killed! Didn't you?!” “Officer?” Shimmer inquired calmly, looking to the injured earth pony clawing his way across the floor in her direction. Her telekinesis easily kept him at bay, only adding to his blind rage. He roared his fury, splintering floorboards beneath the onslaught of pounding hooves. It was such a pitiful sight that the other three just looked on in dismay. “You did this!” Lucky wailed. “This whole damn company's going belly up so you had them killed! Murderer! Murderer!!” “Officer!” Shimmer barked, indignant. Iron Shield snapped into action. Lucky Break was quickly restrained, sobbing on the floor in a hobble. Once the belligerent was secured Iron Shield turned a baleful eye on Featherfall. He pointed a hoof at Shimmer. “Why does she know you?!”