//------------------------------// // 1. Thinking Outside the Music Box // Story: Clue: Who Killed Home Body? // by DagaYemar //------------------------------// “EEEEEEEEEEEEE!” Peacock Poppycock squealed, clapping her hooves together like a small filly, “Do it again! Do it again!” “Yes, please,” Scarlet Letter said, sliding onto the couch next to Plum Pudding. She trailed a hoof through his mane playfully and gave him her best smile. “It’s such a lovely little toy!” “Err… it’s not meant to be a toy…” Plum started, embarrassed, but he didn’t get to add anything else before Home Body burst into the room. “What happened? I heard a scream!” he shouted, looking around the room for the trouble. Peacock bounced over to his side and pulled him to the little table in the middle of the study. “Home, you have to see what Plum has made! It’s simply adorable!” “Oh very well, one more time…” Plum said. He reached over to a wooden box resting on the table and wound a little spring on the side. The top opened up and a little clockwork blue unicorn rose out from inside, accompanied by the tinkle of a familiar tune. The little unicorn pirouetted a few times before lowering back down into the box. The lid closed with a slow click and cut the music off. Scarlet clapped her hooves happily. “Absolutely divine, Plum!” White Wash rolled her eyes and went back to dusting the curtains with an old feather duster. “Hrmph, seems like a childish thing to me…” “Reminds me of something I once saw in the Princess’s guest room,” Colonel H. Mustard huffed, polishing his monocle, “Why, back when I stood personal guard over-” “Perhaps I’m not seeing it,” Body said, a little confused. “Isn’t it just a normal music box?” “That’s because you haven’t caught on to the trick yet!” Green Mail said with a predatory glint in his eye. He leaned across the table and pulled the music box towards himself, but paused and gave the professor his most charming smile. “You don’t mind, do you? It really only shines on the second run though.” Plum swallowed uncertainly, but one look at the curiosity on his host’s face swayed his mind. “Alright, one more time, but it’s really delicate and…” “Righty-O!” Green said cheerfully, starting to wind the key. “No! Let me play it again!” Peacock said, reaching over and turning it herself. The lid popped open and the music started to play again, but this time a green and yellow pegasus rose out from inside. Body leaned forward and peered into the open box. There was no sign of the other doll anywhere inside. After a few turns the pegasus sank down and the lid closed. “Amazing! But what happened to the other one?” Home asked. Plum straightened in his seat, eager to talk about his work. "It’s just a little device I put together to exhibit a simple transmutation spell encoded on a magic core. The figurine is the same, but its appearance changes each time you turn the key. I put it together to demonstrate the principle to some students, and investors, who…” “You’re just not seeing the possibilities here!” Green interrupted. He came around the table and spoke eagerly to the professor. “I could take this off your hooves for you. Show it to the right ponies, and we could make a real profit!” “That little toy’s worth money?” White asked sarcastically, but eyed the box out of the corner of her eye while she worked anyway. When she thought not one was looking she took one of the candlesticks off the mantle place and slipped it into her apron. “As I was saying, the Princess had something similar,” Mustard tried again, “I recall that it was both crystal and porcelain, and it stood about yea high…” “It’s really impressive!” Home said, completely ignoring the Colonel. Mustard sulked over to the corner of the room and made a show of pointedly ignoring the others in turn. Scarlet tossed her mane dramatically and leaned her head on Plum’s shoulder. “Such a lovely box would make a wonderful gift for a special somepony, wouldn’t you think? I know I would simply love to be given such a thing…” “Uh… well, I…” Plum stammered, taken aback. “No, I want it!” Peacock exclaimed. She rushed over to the snack tray, used the knife to cut out a large slice of White’s World Famous white almond pie, and brought it over to the professor. “You want to give it to me instead, right?” “Wait, I don’t…” Plum started. “Shouldn’t you act more your age?” Scarlet asked archly, nonchalantly snatching the knife off Plum’s plate and hiding it behind her back. “I’m sure he’d rather give it to me, wouldn’t you, darling?” “Well it’s my birthday this weekend,” Peacock huffed, thinking about the weapon she had hid up in her room, “And I think a lovely music box would make a fine present!” “Let me sell it!” Green insisted, leaning uncomfortably close over the back of the sofa. “We could make a tidy profit off this in the local toy market!” All three ponies made a grab for the music box, but Plum got to it first. He leapt off the couch, pulling it protectively close to his chest with his magic. “No! I need this for my lecture next week! I shouldn’t have even brought it out yet! It’s going right back to my room where it’ll be safe!” So saying, he dashed from the study before anypony could speak. “Look what you’ve gone and done,” Home said crossly, “You’ve all upset him. I hope each of you is going to apologize to him right away!” A collectively muttered agreement ran around the room, accompanied by much shuffling of hooves and downcast eyes. When the professor reappeared before supper everypony rushed over each other to make up with him for their behavior, and they all spent the remainder of the night in high spirits. The door to Plum’s room slowly swung ajar and an eye peered through the gap. The purple pony lay fast asleep in his bed, snoring so loudly that the intruder started to feel a little foolish about trying so hard to keep quiet. They pushed the door open the rest of the way and tiptoed inside. The room was a cluttered mess of junk and doodads, clothing and books, half-eaten pieces of fruit and empty luggage. There was such a mess that a casual observer would be forgiven for thinking that Plum had been living here for weeks, rather than having just arrived the other day like the rest of the guests. “Just as messy as his mind,” the intruder whispered to themselves, picking carefully through the mess so as not to trip. It took them almost ten minutes of sorting through the junk before they discovered the music box stuffed hastily under the bed. The thief hefted the box a few times and sneaked over to the room’s only window. Slowly they pulled open the shutter and leaned out. “This is for stealing my spotlight,” the pony whispered, preparing to heave the music box into the night. A second pony shot in through the window hind legs first, catching the first clean on the chin. The first thief back flipped onto a soft pile of clothing, unconscious. The second thief stood and retrieved the rope they had used to rappel down from the floor above, closing the window. “Thanks for opening the window for me,” the second thief whispered as they rolled the first safely under Plum’s bed where they wouldn’t be found until morning, “But watch what you’re doing with my precious music box!” Done hiding the evidence of the first thief, the pony looked around for the box and spotted it lying on the pillow next to the professor’s head. They crept over and lifted it in their wings delicately and studied it carefully, making sure there was no damage to it. They were so intent on the box that they didn’t notice a third thief slowly enter the room, shutting the door and tiptoeing up behind them. The new pony thwacked the second thief in the back of the head, rolled their unconscious form in the only hiding place they could find, under the bed, and retrieved the box. Plum gave a great snore as the pony turned to leave. “Really deep sleeper, aren’t you?” he whispered before hurrying to the door. The door suddenly swung open and caught the thief right in the face. The thief dropped the box and slumped against the door, getting pushed behind it as the newcomer heaved on it to get it all the way open. “Such a mess,” they huffed, assuming they were pushing junk aside to open the door. They blinked as they saw the music box lying innocently on the floor right in front of the door. “Sweet!” The pony picked up the music box, nestling it next to the lead pipe in their foreleg, and walked backed to their room. They couldn’t believe how easy that had been. Who made off with the music box? And here's a map if you need it.