The Kingpin

by ocalhoun

Accusations

Chapter 12 – Accusations

Between the spring in his step and his poorly concealed smirk, the butler couldn't have looked more pleased. “And here we are back in the foyer.” He eloquently gestured to the door with a hoof. “On behalf of Mister Rich, I bid you farewell, and good luck to you in your search.”

Twilight glared at him. “Thank you, Sir. You have been very helpful.”

“And I trust the Rich name has now been successfully cleared of any wrongdoing?”

Twilight glanced over to her partner. “Did you find anything, Pinkie?”

Pinkie trembled on the spot, her eyes wide, her tail thrashing, and her mouth a thin line that seemed to be holding back an incredible pressure. Still, though, she said nothing.

“I suppose that means you're clear.” Twilight gave the butler a perfunctory nod. “Come on, Pinkie, we have more investigating to do.”

With an obscenely polite bow, the butler opened the big wooden door.

Struggling to not roll her eyes, Twilight accepted his invitation and left the house behind. Pinkie followed closely.

The road back to the library had never seemed so long. That house had been Twilight's last hot lead. Now, she'd have to retrace her sources. Maybe she could find Rainbow Dash again, or perhaps she could find some way to scare the Cakes into talking.

Pinkie bounced along beside her, mouth still closed tight. Her face was turning a shade of purple that could only have looked healthy on Twilight.

Her order of silence! Of course! Twilight paused her walk for a moment to slap herself in the face. “You can talk now, Pinkie.”

No prior experience could have prepared Twilight for the ensuing verbal tsunami.

“Giraffe! I can't play the piano! Rug-rug! Ba Sing Se doesn't mean Penetrable City! Burritos locos! Twilight, do you have any ideas I can borrow? I promise to give them back! I'm all out! The sum of the angles of a triangle is always one hundred and eighty! Cute little kitties! I once knew a colt with a wooden tail! Trap door! Being beaten over the head with a slice of orange wrapped around a gold brick sounds like...”

Twilight held her hooves over her ears. She should have known better than to force Pinkie into bottling this up.

“...hopscotch for cripples! But no hot sauce please! FREEDOM! Piles and piles of bits and candy! The screw-type propeller was invented by–”

“PINKIE!”

“Yes, Twilight?” Merciful moments of silence followed.

After a few calming breaths, Twilight smiled. “Are you done yet?”

“Gamma radiation! A little yellow newt in a bowl! Pie.” Pinkie stood still for a moment, blinking.

Birds chirped in the distance.

“Yep, I'm done,” Pinkie said with a smile and happy eyes.

“Good.” Twilight began walking again. “Now we can start–”

“Twilight!” three little voices cried out in unison.

“We have a job for you, Twilight.” Scootaloo hopped off of her scooter, the very image of solemnity. “It's important.”

“I'm afraid I'm already engaged with a client now, Scootaloo.” Twilight turned to skirt around the trio of fillies.

Apple Bloom blocked her path again. “Ah think you'll find it's related.”

“Ooh! Ooh! What is it?” Pinkie was bouncing again, her eyes huge.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo glanced at each other, but Sweetie Belle blurted it right out, “They stole our candy!”

“Who stole your candy?” Pinkie glanced around with her eyebrows arched. “Was it somepony you know? Seventy-seven percent of candy thefts are perpetrated by somepony you know.” Her eyes latched onto Twilight. “Aha! Was it Twilight?”

All three crusaders stared at Pinkie with blank faces.

“All three of you know Twilight, right?” A corner of Pinkie's mouth turned up into a smug grin. “That means that there's a seventy-seven percent chance that Twilight did it!” She turned to face her partner down, and her grin turned menacing. “So, what do you have to say for yourself, thief?”

“What do I have to say for myself? What do I have to say?” Twilight stomped a hoof down. “Ugh! Pinkie!”

“Yes, Twilight?” Pinkie blinked a few times, fluttering her eyelashes, and her smile became sweet and innocent.

Twilight's scowl remained unmoved. “First of all, I was with you the whole time! And secondly–” she stomped again –“if you ever accuse me of a crime again while you're on duty, you're fired!”

Pinkie shrank back a little. “Oh... okay.”

Twilight looked down to the three fillies blocking the path. “So, who do you think took your candy?”

Scootaloo moved in close to Twilight. “We think it's the same ponies you're after.”

“Oh, and why do you think that?”

Sitting back on her haunches, Sweetie Belle grinned. “Because we took it from Sugarcu–”

“Shut up!” both of the others cried out in unison, shoving their hooves into Sweetie Belle's mouth.

“Right.” Twilight nodded thoughtfully. “And Sugarcube Corner pays for protection.”

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom glared at Sweetie Belle, finally taking their hooves off of her after a moment of silence.

“And what else can you tell us about it?”

The two of them glared at Sweetie Belle some more, but no more outbursts were forthcoming. “Ah think that's about all we've got to say about that,” Apple Bloom concluded.

“Fine.” Twilight shook her head and teleported herself and her partner past the trio of fillies. “But if you happen to remember anything else about it, be sure to–”

“We'll find you.” Scootaloo turned and walked away. The other two followed.

“Are we gonna catch the thief?” Pinkie asked.

Twilight glanced at her. “Of course.”

“Um...” Pinkie stood completely still for a moment. “How?”

A wide, malevolent grin spread across Twilight's face. “We're going to set a trap.”

Comments

[ocalhoun]

4959688
Really!

[Starlight Shine 27]

But what about the secret door?! Tell her, Pinkie!!!

[DilemmaFactor]

AAAAAAAH THE TRAP DOOR PINKIE

[Daemon Wolf 22]

Dammit Pinkie, you shouldn't have tiraded like that!

They were SO. BUCKING. CLOSE. But nooo, Twilight had make Pinkie shut up and then she forgot about it. You foals missed it by THAT MUCH!