//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: The Alicorn Pearl // by keithsterling //------------------------------// It 00:00 hrs silent Alarm triggered, Canterlot Central Bank, Financial District, City of Canterlot, and Capital City of Equestria. The Financial District of the City of Canterlot is where all the credit bits pass through at any given time whether it be from one of the huge corporations or individuals who want access to their funds via their mini-computer bracer or MCB. The Canterlot Central Bank is the largest financial institution in Equestria with trillions of assets in bits. Because of that, the institute has one of the toughest security protocols on the Canterlot Matrix. It’s only second next to the top secret security protocols of the Grand Royal Palace and the residence of the Royal Family. In the main Canterlot Central Bank branch, located in the financial district, a group of five pony anthros work on the ceramic-titanium vault door of the bank. A wireless hacking node is plugged into the keypad. A sequence of ten numbers continuously runs through the combinations trying to break in, but it takes time as the hacker is using a custom MCB. Before long the vault door springs open and ponies run into the vault. They make a beeline to a single safe deposit box and break it open. Inside the box was a large pink pearl called the Alicorn Pearl. 1000 hrs the following day, Burglar alarm-silent investigation, Canterlot Central Bank, Financial District, City of Canterlot and Capital city of Equestria. The area surrounding the Canterlot Central Bank is swarming with the Canterlot Military Police Department personnel from CMP Peacekeeper, the beat cops ,to CMP Detectives the investigators of crimes. They intensely search the crime scene for clues trying to figure out what caused the silent alarm to go off late last night. Inside the bank, near the vault area, a dark blue unicorn stallion anthro with a gray mane and tail wearing the navy blue nano-suit of a CMP Peacekeeper kneels in front of the keypad. He’s running diagnostics on the bank security protocols trying to figure how they broke into the bank network. This stallion is Detective Black Shadow, a CMP computer specialist in the CMP Cyber Crime Division. At the same time, inside the vault looking at the broken safe deposit box, was a lavender colored unicorn mare anthro with a sky blue mane and tail also wearing the navy blue nano-suit of a CMP Peacekeeper. This mare is Royal Investigator Alysia Ara Silverlight, a CMP detective from the CMP Detective Division. “Alysia! I got it!” Black calls as Alysia runs outside followed by an earth pony anthro (the bank manager of the branch). “So how did they get in?” Alysia inquired as Black removed the wireless node from the keypad. “They used an exploit program to find a weakness in the security protocols of this keypad and spiked it. This caused it to activate the automatic repair protocols to fix it, in turn, the vault door opened allowing access to safe deposit boxes.” Black explains as Alysia examined the keypad. “Can you tell who did it, Black?” Alysia inquires as Black stood back up “Not yet Alysia, not until I get back to the computer lab and send the signal through the hacker library for a match.” Black explains as a beautiful 5ft 5in gold colored pegasi mare anthro with a black mane and tail walks into the basement of the bank wearing the navy blue nano-suit of a CMP Peacekeeper. This pegasi mare is Detective Lilly Shining Star, an AV specialist in the CMP technical service bureau. “Did you find anything on the surveillance system, Lilly?” Alysia inquired as the pegasi mare shook her head. “There was nothing on the surveillance system; Alysia a virus was injected into the surveillance system network it knocked out all the cameras at the time of the theft. But it’s a long shot. I’ll run the crystal date cube through my system and try to recover what I can from the video. Maybe we can get a clue of the thieves.” Lilly explains as she held a dime sized square glass cube between her fingers. “All right, both of you head back to CMP Technical service bureau and see what you can recover.” Alysia orders as Black and Lilly went back upstairs to leave the bank. It 1130 hrs a week earlier, Canterlot Grand Royal Palace, Princess Celestia Silverlight bed chamber, Private living area, Royal Ward, City of Canterlot and Capital City of Equestria. Sitting in a small treasure box on a small table in the center of Celestia’s bed chamber was a 16 inch round pink sea pearl called the Alicorn Pearl. Standing next to the table resting her five fingered hand on the box, was Celestia. She was adorned in a cobalt white sleeveless leaf slightly below the knee dress and gold wedge sandals. She was speaking to her granddaughter Princess Alysia Silverlight who’s lips twitched. She was adorned in a white & black sleeveless fit and flare dress and black gladiator sandals. “I trust you with my second most treasured possession, Alysia. My Alicorn Pearl. It took me forever to find just the right color pearl for my collection. so this jewel is very rare and worth about 10,000 or more bits, I will be unable to find another one ever.” Celestia explains as Alysia started to chew on her lip nervously. Slowly, Celestia close the box in front of Alysia. “Till the more secure display case is finished at the Royal Canterlot Museum, you must deliver this treasure box to the Canterlot central bank for safekeeping. I already made arrangements with the bank president of the Central bank to store this jewel in one of the safe deposit boxes in the vault.” Celestia explains as Alysia’s stomach begins to knot several times, watching her Grandmother pick up the box and walk over to her. “Y-e-s,yes grandmother.” Alysia answer, her voice edged with tension as she raises her shaky hand to receive the small treasure box from her grandmother Celestia. “Oops!” Celestia exclaims as the small treasure slips out of her hands and falls to the ground, quickly Alysia dives for the box. “Huh?” Alysia exclaims puzzled as the small treasure box floats in mid-air in a yellow magic bubble as her grandmother releases great gales of laughter As Alysia stares at her grandmother’s bare sandal clad feet in front of her, she realizes that her grandmother was playing a trick on her and she had no intention of letting it fall to the ground. “GRANDMA!” Alysia said in a cool and icy tone of voice, as she tries to grab hold of her grandmother’s ankles with her hands. But Celestia is one step ahead of her and leaps backward well out of reach of her granddaughter’s grasp. “Grandma that is not funny!” Alysia said testily as she dusted herself off and got to her feet. “Of course it’s not funny, grandchild It’s downright hilarious.” Celestia said amused with her granddaughter’s reaction. “Besides, did you not hear me Alysia. I said ‘I trust you’.” Celestia said reassuring as she handed her the treasure box. “But papa.” Alysia said still a bit worried as she took the treasure box from her grandmother’s hands. “Is that what you are worried about Alysia. The purple sentinel theft several years back? Well then?” Celestia remembering as her granddaughter shook her head. “If you think I am going to hold you responsible for my jewel being stolen perish the thought granddaughter. It took the end of the Crystal War to finally recover it after so many years. When it was found in the treasury of the Crystal Empire and it was returned to your Grand Aunt Luna those two ponies of the night had made-up for that.” Celestia explains as she hugs her granddaughter before sending her to take the treasure box to the bank. It 0900 hrs that morning, the gaming floor, Eternal Eclipse Casino and resort, Greenback ward, City of Canterlot and Capital City of Equestria The Eternal Eclipse Casino is a multi story hotel and casino that dominates almost three whole blocks in the Greenback ward in the City of Canterlot. Pony morphs of every level of society frequent this establishment to win that coveted pot of gold in the numerous games of chance in the casino. Sitting at a machine on the gaming floor was a well-off blue earth pony stallion with a blue and white streak mane and tail. He was attired in a short-sleeve solid polo shirt and classic flat-front pants. A pair of casual slip-on shoes were on his feet. He reaches up and pulls down the lever of a slot machine. The reels of the machine spin once then twice then three times. On the third spin the reels click once with a picture of an apple followed by two more apples. The stallion’s hopes raise, but is soon dashed as the last reel stops on a picture of cherry. He reaches into his pocket to insert another coin into the machine. Before he could, a five fingered hand covers the slot. The hand belongs to a beautiful white unicorn mare morph with a green and red streak mane and tail. She was attired in a black sleeveless lace fit and flare dress with black pumps on her feet. In her other hand she was balancing a round tray with empty drinking glasses. This unicorn mare is casino cocktail waitress Adelle Glory. “Franco, you told me you were done for the night and you were on your way home.” Adelle said testily as she finishes her last shift at the casino at about midnight last night and he was still sitting at the tables’ playing cards. “I never asked you to keep an eye on me, Adelle. besides I had a feeling this machine was going to pay off.” Franco said obsessed as he yanks her hand off the slot and inserts the coin again. But once again the machine didn’t pay off a jackpot like he wanted. “If I was not your girlfriend I would not care what would happen to you. But I am, Franco do you know how much you are in debt to the casino with these feelings you get. You have good paying job at the Canterlot Central Bank and bits I make here at the casino as the head cocktail waitress and shift manager allow us to live in very a comfortable townhouse in the luminosity ward.” Adelle explains as a pegasi mare flies up to her and informs her that one of the other girls just called in sick. She and four other cocktail waitresses were going to be working the tournament going on today at the casino, now she must quickly resign a new cocktail waitress to cover the tournament before the first card is dealt. As Adelle turns back around, Franco, her boyfriend has disappeared from the slot machine. She figures he headed home to get a quick nap, before he heads over to his job as the bank manager of the Canterlot Central bank branch in the financial district. ]It 1200 hrs that same day, hallway between the employees break area and the gaming floor, Eternal Eclipse Casino and Resort, Greenback Ward, City of Canterlot and Capital city of Equestria. Walking down the hallway on her way back to the gaming floor, after taking a short break in the employee break room, was Head Cocktail Waitress Adelle Glory. She was going over her shift’s schedule on her Mini-Computer Bracer. The afternoon shift is the busiest of the whole day with more ponies coming to the casino. Currently she is very short staffed on the gaming floor as the card tournament is still going on in the poker room. As she reaches the middle of the hallway she is slammed against one of the walls by an ash gray colored earth pony stallion wearing a navy blue sport coat and pants. “Lorenz what going on?” Adelle inquiry nervously as he is joined by two charcoal colored earth pony stallions like him wearing a navy blue sport coat and pants. One of the charcoal colored earth ponies is sporting a gray fedora on his head. “His Lord is none too happy about your boyfriend racking up more debt to the casino and not paying it back.” Lorenz comment as Adelle’s eyes widen in alarm. “If you were not the most popular cocktail waitress at the casino this warning would end in bloodshed.But his Lord instructed us not to leave a mark on your body. So count yourself lucky Miss Glory for if your boyfriend doesn’t pay up next time you will not be so lucky.” Lorenz says threatening as Adelle sat on the floor; a chill runs up her spine. In that very moment, a decision was made by Cocktail Waitress Adelle Glory that would change the life of her and her boyfriend forever. Inside a hidden pocket in her cocktail waitress uniform she retrieves a small business card. A few years back she was accused by a high born ex-boyfriend of stealing a large sum of bits from him. He was so well connected to a corrupt noble family in Canterlot; she had little hope of being cleared of the charges against her. At a different casino she worked at, a patron she knew very well, gave her a business card. The patron convinces her that there no harm in talking with the unicorn lawyer the business card belongs to. On the day of the trial as she waited in the court house lobby, the sense she got from everyone in the building was she was going to be charged with the crime of robbery and sentence to the Canterlot City Prison. This was outcome she dreaded because she could no longer work as a cocktail waitress at any of the casinos in Equestria for rest of her life. As the trial time drew near, everything changed in the court house when Lady Serena Silverlight arrives as her defense attorney. ~back to the Present~ “At the time of the trial. I didn’t know my defense attorney was the aunt to the Royal Foals of the rulers of Equestria and she made her career proving the innocence of ponies accused of crimes by the many corrupt noble families in Canterlot in the end, I was cleared of all the charges and an ex-boyfriend of mine was force to admit he fabricated the whole incident to get even with me for break-up with him. After the trial, Lady Serena Silverlight slips away from all the news crews and returns to her office at her law firm.” Adelle thought as she brought up her vid-phone on her MCB and dialed the number on the old business card. It rings once and a moment later the holographic head of an impressive looking dark blue unicorn mare with a well styled crimson red mane spring to life in front of her. “Golden Dawn Law Firm. Lady Serena Silverlight speaking. How can I help you?” Serena said friendly as she blinks with surprise upon seeing the holographic head of Adelle spring to life in front of her. “It’s me Adelle Glory the cocktail waitress from the Blue Moon Casino. Can I speak to you Lady Silverlight about something important. I now work at the Eternal Eclipse Casino and Resort in the Greenback ward. The casino is owned by Lord Bruno Darkmore.” Adelle explains fearful as she begins to weep. “Yes of course Miss Glory come to my office on your next day-off. You should know the way to my office.” Serena said as Adelle shakes her head in agreement. “I’ll be there tomorrow it’s my only day-off. Because of my popularity with the patrons of the casino, Lord Darkmore doesn’t allow me any other day-off. But that day.” Adelle explains “All right, about what time?” Serena inquiry “After 10:00 am, That’s when my boyfriend heads to work and doesn’t return home till 4:30.” Adelle explains “Ok after 10:00 am, sounds good. I think I know what you want to talk to me about, Miss Glory. So I am going to ask my oldest niece to join us at the firm. She will be very interested in what you have to say.” Serena explains as the breath catches in Adelle’s throat. “The Grand Princess of the Sun Aurora Silverlight will be at the meeting with us.” Adelle exclaims as Serena shakes her head.