8:00 pm Hearth’s Warming Eve: Royal Canterlot Museum, Precious Gem Display room, Royal Ward, City of Canterlot, Capital City of Equestria.
A light snow falls covering the grounds of the Royal Canterlot Museum which is a block down from the Royal Palace. A single royal museum earth pony mare guard quickly makes her way around the museum checking windows and doors to make sure they are locked before heading to the museum food court to join in on the celebration of Hearth’s Warming Eve. All of the other Museum Guards, Royal Palace Guards and Solar Guard Troopers assigned to guard duty at the museum are waiting for her arrival.
In the center of the room, the purple Sentinel sat in the Precious Gems Display case. In the case was a square princess cut purple gemstone with beveled sides. This large precious Amethyst gem is on loan to the Royal Canterlot Museum from the personal collection of Princess Luna. Like her sister Princess Celestia, Princess Luna has a small collection of precious gems she keeps and has never shown. The Purple Sentinel is one of Princess Luna’s favorite color purple. After some ticklish negotiating executed by her faithful student and nephew Prince Somnus Silverlight, Luna agreed to loan her Purple Sentinel to the museum for a jewel show.
As the royal museum guard finishes her rounds, she turns and heads straight to the food court for the Hearth’s Warming Eve party. Watching from the skylight on the roof of the museum was a pegasi pony mare in black.
As the museum guard moves out of sight the pegasi mare carefully opens the skylight with her front hoofs. She slips into the museum using her wings and quietly flies down landing in front of the purple sentinel display case. After studying the display case for few a seconds, the mare uses her wing to reach into her saddle-bag and obtains a small jack.
She places the jack on a pedestal and begins pumping it with her hoof, lifting the glass square up until it’s high enough to reach under and takes the Purple Sentinel from its resting place. She places the gem into her saddle-bag and takes to the sky. An inebriated Royal guard staggers into the precious gem display room. After missing several pedestals, the inebriated royal guard bumps the pedestal that the Purple Sentinel sat on causing the glass box to fall to the ground. It shattered to pieces setting off all the alarms in the museum as every guard arrived at the scene of the theft.
8:00 pm Hearth’s Warming Eve: Silverlight stable: family room main house, Noble ward, City of Canterlot, Capital city of Equestria.
Meanwhile at the Silverlight Stable in the Noble Ward of Canterlot, gathered around in front of the fireplace, in the family room of the main house, enjoying each other’s company and playing a friendly game of cards for Hearth’s Warming Eve was the Silverlight unicorn family and the two princesses along with Celestia’s royal children.
Normally, on Hearth’s Warming Eve, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would celebrate the holiday with each other at the Canterlot Royal Palace, but since Celestia married into the family the two Princesses have found a whole new family to care about. With the addition of her own children this holiday season, it has become more special to these two long living Alicorn mares and last pure Alicorns.
“Your bet, Auntie?” Somnus reminding her as Luna stares at three of a kind in her magic bubble.
“My last horseshoe.” Luna said tossing it into the pot. A moment, later everything goes wrong as her young niece Princess Blueberry puts down four of a kind beating her aunt’s three of a kind and wins the pot with her last horseshoe.
Slowly Luna gets to her hoofs and walks away from the family card game floating her mug of hot apple cider with her. Somnus looks toward his mother who nods her head as all of her sister’s regalia are given to him, so it may be returned to her. On the balcony, overlooking the snow covered garden of the Silverlight stable stood Luna trying to figure out how she will win back her princess’s regalia with her string of very bad luck.
“Huh?” Luna exclaimed surprised as her princess’s regalia floats beside her in a dark blue bubble. She turns around and standing just inside the door, pretending he’s not paying attention to her, drinking his mug of hot apple cider was her nephew Somnus.
“Thank you Somnus.” Luna said softly kissing him on his cheek and hugging him as he joins her on the balcony looking out over the white blanketed garden.
“There’s no need to thank me Auntie, Hearth’s Warming Eve is all about spending time with those ponies that you care the most about and tending that flame of friendship, that’s the core of Equestria.” Somnus explains as a single tear runs down Luna’s cheek, wondering what she did to end up with a nephew like Somnus.
In the foyer of the main house, Princess Celestia stands looking at a beautifully decorated tree. After Luna left the game, the family started to target her as the next Princess to lose her Princess’s regalia. She knows it’s all in fun that the family would keep her regalia and make her win it back. Before that could happen, Celestia excused herself saying she was going to stretch her legs. Slowly the door leading into the family room opens and out walks a younger Alicorn mare, Princess Aurora, Celestia’s oldest daughter. She walks over to her mother and joins her by the tree.
“How’s the game going Aurora?” Celestia asks looking at her daughter, who is still wearing her own princess’s regalia,
“Well mother, the family has started to target Blueberry for her Princess’s regalia. but it’s not going to be easy. I think Blueberry has father’s skills at playing cards.” Aurora comments as Celestia chuckles. There’s a knock on the front door of the house surprising both Celestia and Aurora.
“I wonder who that could be, mother.” Aurora comments a bit puzzled as they both approach the door to open it.
Outside the door, standing in ankle deep snow on the stairs was a unicorn mare museum guard wearing a scarf, a pair of snow boots and a warm coat. After calling the Canterlot Royal City Watch to the museum, her supervisor wrote a message and asks this mare to deliver it to the Silverlight stable.
She was to give the message to the Royal Investigator Somnus Silverlight. Slowly the front door opens and a unicorn museum guard breath catches in her throat. With a friendly smile on her snout was Senior Princess Celestia Silverlight.
She was flanked by her oldest daughter Princess Aurora Silverlight. Being the lowest pony on the totem pole she has never met or ever seen senior Princess Celestia.
“Your highness?” the unicorn mare voice quavers.
“Yes, how can I help you?” Celestia says kindly.
“My supervisor sent me with this message for Royal Investigator Somnus Silverlight.” The unicorn mare said in awe of senior princess Celestia.
“Then you are looking to talk to my son Prince Somnus.” Celestia replied as the guard gawks in disbelief. She turns and gestures her daughter to go get her brother.
“Royal Investigator Somnus Silverlight, is Prince Somnus? next in line to inherit the Throne of the moon from Princess Luna.” The guard shocked as Celestia has a gracious smile on her snout.
A few minutes after 8:00 pm, Hearth’s Warming eve: common room, Ridge Garden Tavern, Hope Ward, City of Canterlot, Capital City of Equestria.
The Ridge Garden Tavern is a public house in the heart of the Hope Ward. Most ponies after work that lives there frequent this establishment for great food and drink in all of Canterlot. But of late, ponies from the other wards have found this establishment, turning this local business into a hot spot. In all, Canterlot brings many bits to Hope Ward and the Silverlight unicorn family, the supervising noble family of the ward. In the common room of the tavern, sitting in a booth was a white pegasi mare with a blue, white and pink mane and tail enjoying the Hearth’s Warming Eve party thrown by the owner of the establishment.
A moment later, a second white pegasi mare with a purple mane and tail walks into the tavern. On her flank was a pink butterfly cutie mark and hanging from her side was damp well-warn set of saddle-bags. She rudely pushes her way through the crowd passing the first white pegasi who wished her a happy Hearth’s Warming Eve and is met with a sneer.
‘How rude, I just simply wanted to wish her a happy Hearth’s Warming Eve’ the first white pegasi mare thought with a scowl. As a lavender earth pony mare with a rose pink mane and tail, the owner of the Ridge Garden Tavern walks up to the table carrying a mug of hot apple cider in her hoof.
“Don’t worry about her, Star Catcher that mare is pretty rude to all of the customers around here most of the customers leave her alone and enjoy my place here.” The earth pony explains with a southern accent.
“Who is she anyway, Clover?” Star Catcher inquires as Clover sets her mug down on the table and joins her in the booth.
“Kin say I know, she arrived in Canterlot about a month ago, signed my guest book as Cloud Climber, and rented one of my rooms upstairs, she leaves early in mo’nin and returns very late at night, she pays her rent on time so I kin complain. But anyway, are you on duty tonight Star Catcher?” Clover inquires taking a sip from her mug of hot apple cider as Star Catcher uses her wing to place a gunmetal gray helmet on her head and snaps a pair of gunmetal gray horseshoes on her front hoofs again.
“Technically speaking Clover, I am on my dinner break right now. Now I have to return to the Solar Guard Outpost One to pick up some rookie guards and show them the ropes. So yes, I am on duty tonight. Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve, Clover.” A friendly Star Catcher said as she pulls on a string with her teeth that tightens her warm cloak.
“Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve to you too Star Catcher and you be safe out there.” Clover said friendly, as Star Catcher leaves the tavern and heads back to her outpost.
Still a few minutes after 8:00 pm, hearth’s Warming Eve: Royal Canterlot Museum, Precious Gem Display room, Royal Ward, City of Canterlot, Capital City of Equestria.
Meanwhile at the site of the robbery, the Royal Investigator, Somnus Silverlight, assisted by his two sisters, Solar Guard Commander Aurora Silverlight and Royal Coroner Blueberry Swirl Silverlight searches the site for clues. High above the precious gem display room checking the skylight was Aurora. When she finishes she lands and approaches Somnus.
“What did you find up there Aurora?” Somnus inquires floating a notebook and pencil in a dark blue magic bubble.
“It looks like the skylight is how the thief got into the museum, I found one of the windowpanes loose from the skylight.” Aurora explains pointing with her hoof at the third windowpane in the skylight,
“What’s your rough guess of the type of thief, Aurora?” Somnus inquires waiting on an answer from his older sister,
“Can’t say for sure, Somnus. till I get up on the roof of the Museum and look around up there.” Aurora explains floating her warm cloak back on,
“But if I had to guess, Somnus my guess would be pegasi but that’s just my guess.” Aurora comments as she heads outside to fly up to the roof to look around. A moment later, Blueberry arrives after talking with all the guards.
“So what did you find out from the Guards, Blueberry?” Somnus inquiry,
“Not much Somnus. All the guards were in the food court of the museum for a Hearth’s Warming Eve party when the gem was taken. They only discovered the theft after all the alarms went off when the glass broke on the display.” Blueberry explains pointing at the broken glass on the ground with her hoof.
“I see.” Somnus discouraged,
Things start to get worse for Somnus as the front door of the museum slowly opens. In enters the one pony Somnus doesn’t want to see accompanying his mother Princess Celestia, his aunt Princess Luna. Princess Luna made her nephew Somnus promise he would take care of her precious Purple Sentinel.
“Lord Somnus Silverlight! Come before your Princess of the Night!” Princess Luna bellows as Somnus’ mind reels and he stands paralyzed with fear.
“Thy Princess of the Night will not ask again! Lord Somnus Silverlight make yourself known to thy Princess!” Princess Luna bellows louder as scared Somnus quickly threads his way towards his Aunt.
Once Somnus arrives in front of his Auntie Princess Luna, a blue magic hand grabs onto his tail and drags him into a separate room. In that room Princess Luna unleashes her anger and disappointment in her nephew. Lying on the ground was crushed Somnus. For most of his life his Aunt Luna was the one pony he didn’t want to disappoint. For Luna was his heroine for facing and beating the darkness inside her. As Luna started to calm down she said she was sorry for taking it out on him and to demonstrate her sincerity she wrapped her wings around him and hugged him lovingly.