//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: A Job Well Done // Story: The Magician's Secret // by MLP Sparkle Star //------------------------------// After that weird visit with that stallion, I had a strange feeling about him. Either I was questioning things or I was worried about him. Maybe both. It seemed strange that he was that rude to me even though I had been nice to him before. Very weird... I called a pony to come and help me with the refrigerator since I had food I needed to put away. He said he'd come in about an hour so I decided to try to fix up the house a bit. I know it didn't have any heaters or central heating since it was below freezing in the house. And it was forty-nine degrees F outside. I started with the furniture placement, attempting to at least move my couch. I pushed it and shoved it with my hooves, elbows, and knees in all. I moved it but scratched the floor in trying. But I got it where I wanted it to go. I trotted into the kitchen in a happy mood since I just moved the couch, checking my food to make sure it was still good. My corn dogs were already thawed out as well as my pot pies (which were leaking out of the box). That guy needed to come ASAP. I checked the fridge and saw the leaches and maggots again. It grossed me out to the point I literally almost puked. He finally came about 30 minutes after I dusted and swept the floor. Though it really wasn't of use, at least the house looked a bit better than before. He knocked on my door as I ran to open it. He had an orange mustache with slicked back, greasy hair. he wore a light blue suit with a utility belt attached, carrying his hammer with his wings. "Are you Miss. Snow?" He asked with the straightest face I'd ever seen. I nodded. "I am a new detective here in Canter-" "Great. I'll need you to sign here and here for me to fix your fridge." I knew he didn't like his job by the way he interrupted me. He just wanted to get it over with. "Okay?" As I signed, he looked around my home, seeing there needed to be work done. He sighed as he got out a checkbook. "Do you want to get this whole house fixed? If so, it would cost about twelve hundred bits for this massive amout of damage. We'd also have to spray your house for parasprites and maybe termites by the looks on the wood." "Uh, I just moved here... I won't be able to pay." "Well then, I'll do it for you. It'll give me something better to do than this lame job." "Really? That's wonderful! How much?" "Free." "Great!" "I just don't want anyone to live in a house like this." He headed towards the kitchen to see all of my food in bags on the floor. "So, fridge and freezer not working, eh?" "Well, it's more like leaches and maggots but yeah. They don't work either." "Alright." He started marking a calender. "This should take about 2 days." "2 days?!" I exclaimed. "But, I need a place to stay! What if I helped you?" "No can do. You have no personal experience with leaches nor maggots. Just rent a motel room while I'm working and I'm sure you'll be fine." He began to grab a bag of some kind to clean out the leaches and maggots, wearing gloves. I started walking to a near motel that was only ten minutes away. It was a bit old but not much. In fact, it was connected to the castle! So, I could visit the library whenever I needed or even the kitchen to see what foods their making. I don't know where to even begin! I walked into my new motel room, bringing my foods and clothes along with me. The room was sort of a luxary. Indoor hot tub, water bed and a normal bed (for unicorns since we have horns), carpet, and a kitchen. Obviously they want to make their guests feel at home (even if some of us don't have hot tubs). I lay my bags down on the floor as I put my food in the fridge. I looked around here and there to make sure there weren't any maggots and there wasn't. I don't know why I did this but I wanted to make sure. I had glanced out of my window to see two ponies arguing. This made me think of the weird stallion next door. "What could he be hiding?" I decided to check out the library to see if anything would pop up about a blue cloak with stars and bells on it. Surprisingly, there was many. Some were myths or marestales while others talked about why the cloak had stars and bells. Very inspirational. I looked under some of the book shelves and found an old book with ancient ponish. Not old ponish but close to it. The writing looked sloppy and not very well done. It read, "I don't want anyone to know about me and my past. Even though some may write reviews about me, they aren't true. Just because I help ponies-" It was cut off right there. odd I thought. If he didn't want ponies to write about him, then why become a master wizard of all time? Something very odd is happening and I want to know what... ~~~~ In the afternoon, I heard a knock on my motel room door. How did anyone even know I was even in the room? I answered the door and it appeared to be a guard. "Hello, Detective." He said with a hurried look. "The princess needs to see you." "Okay?" Very, very strange. I followed him since he was a guard after all. Walking through the castle, I see many Hearthswarming decorations everywhere, streamers, trees, ornaments, and even an ice sculpture of a snowpony. We made it to the throne room as I see Celestia and Luna with agivated looks at me. I had no idea what was going on but I knew it was bad. "So, Detective," The princess of the sun spoke. "You took a book from our library without a cover or name, huh?" Oh no... "Uh, yes. But I am doing research." "For hwone? We didn't send any genitives to search for something lately." Lunar princess mentioned in her Equestrian voice. "I am doing a case about Starswirl the Bearded, ma'ams." I said, being calm. "Do you know what happened to him over a thouasand years ago?" They both looked at each other before looking back and shaking their heads. "I can't say we haven't." Celestia said, frowing. "But if this is your research, you are welcome to take any clues. We would like to know what happened to him also."