9:00 pm Hearth’s Warming Eve, Canterlot Royal palace, Royal ward, City of Canterlot, Capital city of Equestria, Throne room.
The throne room of Canterlot Royal Palace is unusually quiet for a busy weekday evening but Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have given all their advisers Hearth’s Warming Eve off to spend time with their families. The only groups still on duty were the Princess’s elite guard detachments known as the Solar Guard or the Royal Ward Division commanded by Princess Aurora Silverlight (the overall commander of the Solar Guard Division in Equestria).
Lying on the top tier of the throne was Princess Luna, looking at a small statuette of her cutie mark floating in a blue magic bubble given to her by her nephew Somnus as a Hearth’s Warming Eve gift. A single tear runs down the cheek of this pony of the night, which at one time; was the only pony of the night before the birth of Prince Somnus Silverlight from her sister Princess Celestia. The throne room door bursts open as Somnus eyes rakes the room.
“Your Highness why. Was I not informed of the stolen invitation from you?” Somnus inquires testily (placing his hoof on his aunt’s collar resting on her chest) catching his Aunt Luna by surprise as she looks towards her sister Celestia following behind her oldest daughter.
“Celestia, thy talk too much.” Luna exclaims bothered that her sister told Somnus what happened.
“It was nothing; Somnus, it was an extra invitation from my order of 100 printed, no need to involve the Royal Investigator or the Solar Guard in finding it.” Luna explains casually as Somnus gives his aunt the once-over.
“We found it, your highness!” Somnus said as an edge of impatience creeps into his voice, a strange feeling wash over Luna as her nephew has never referred to her in such a formal manner privately.
“Where was it found?” Luna inquiry
“It was found in the possession of that pegasi mare from the tavern.” Somnus said gruffly as Luna’s breathe catches in her throat.
“Are you accusing thy Princess (placing her horseshoe clad hoof on his chest) Sir Knight of wrongdoing?” Luna said spitefully poking him on his chest.
“I am just following the evidence placed before me.” Somnus comments as Aurora steps between them before anything happens.
“Now Somnus do you really think our aunt would do something like that, I mean you’ve been around Auntie since you were 5 has she ever done something like that before?” Aurora said defusing the situation before it gets out of hand as Somnus shook his head.
“As for you Auntie, if you told us about the stolen invitation before now. Somnus would not be thinking you are hiding something from us.” Aurora explains in a calm and cool voice as Luna’s ears drop.
“Please forgive me for thy error, my dear Somnus. I have told you many times to be honest with me. I guess this aunt of yours should listen to her own advise. Will you forgive me? Somnus. I am very sorry.” Luna said conciliatory as she walks over to Somnus and hugs him.
“All right, Auntie.” Somnus said forgivingly as he returns the hug.
“Now Auntie will you tell us what happened with the invitation that disappeared?” Aurora inquiry as Lune nods her head in agreement, taking a deep breath before she begins to recount the facts.
“A month before the Purple Sentinel showing at the Royal Canterlot Museum I ordered 100 invitations to the show from a local printer shop here in Canterlot, since the printer shop is closed during the night. I asked your mother (point at Celestia with her hoof) to pick them up for me and leave them on top of my desk in my bed chamber. I wrote them out that night after I finished evening court. When I finished, I had an extra invitation left in the box, I thought nothing of it. So I left it in the box and left instructions (pointing at Somnus with her hoof) to take them to the post office for me.” Luna explains as Aurora, Somnus and Celestia follow Luna to her bed chamber.
“(Pointing her hoof at the empty box on top of her desk) The follow night when I was getting ready for evening court, I happened to look into the box and noticed the extra invitation was missing. Wondering if your mother took it from the box, I asked her. She told me no and she had not been in my bed chamber since she dropped off the box the day before. So I figured one of the Royal Servitors might have taken the invitation out of the box without asking. So instead of telling you, the Royal Investigator, (pointing at Somnus with her hoof) that would get the Royal Servitors in trouble. I decided to handle it myself.” Luna said pausing for a moment to catch her breath.
“I spoke to each of the Royal Servitors that I allow into my bed chamber when I am sleeping. They all told me they have not been in my bed chamber at all. I confirmed their story by talking to the two solar guard troopers on permanent guard duty at my bed chamber door. With nowhere else to go, I figured that I might have misplaced it and find it when I am not looking for it.” Luna explains as Aurora talks to the troopers at her auntie bed chamber door while Somnus looks around her bed chamber.
“Auntie? May I call in grandmother? Her magic might be able to give us a clue to the missing invitation and how that pegasi mare came into possession of it.” Somnus inquiry as Luna nods her head again.
Sometime later, a dark blue bodied older unicorn mare with a well kept crimson red mane and tail with a hint of gray arrives at the palace. On her flank was a white shimmering diamond cutie mark. She quickly bows to the four royal ponies in front of her, before hugging them all in turn. This older unicorn mare is Baroness Shimmering Diamond Silverlight the co-head of the Silverlight unicorn family and the grandmother to Celestia’s royal foals.
“Welcome your ladyship.” Celestia said politely
“Welcome thy ladyship.” Luna said politely
“Greetings Grandmother.” Aurora said politely
“Greetings Grandmother.” Somnus said politely
“Greetings you four. You sent for me Somnus?” Shimmering Diamond inquires turning towards her grandson Somnus.
“I did grandmother; I need your magic to reveal some clues to a case I am working on.” Somnus explains as Shimmering Diamond lifts her hoof up and stops Somnus from telling her anymore.
“You know, how I work grandson tell me no more, other than where I need to use my magic at, I’ll do the rest.” Shimmering Diamond explains.
“Very well Grandmother Luna’s bed chamber.” Somnus comments as Shimmering Diamond blinks with surprise with the location her grandson wants her to use her magic on.
“Your Auntie’s bed chamber?” Shimmering Diamond exclaims a bit puzzled as she walks over to Luna and asked her a few questions about her bed chamber, before turning and walking in.
Once inside the bed chamber alone, Shimmering Diamond walks to each corner of the room placing a small magic star in them, before walking out onto the balcony and placing stars on the four corners of the balcony. With that done, she walks to the center of the room and sets off the first part of her spell. Magic lines begin to connect each star together forming an outline of the bed chamber. With that constructed, Diamond begins to construct the items inside the room using the same small stars, forming a complete picture of the room.
“So Luna said she was asleep.” Shimmering Diamond comments as she walked over to Luna’s bed and created a magic replica of Princess Luna.
“Since she sleeps during the day, let set the time from mid-morning to early evening and move the time forward from there and see what happens.” Shimmering Diamond comment (moving two magic dials with her hoof in front of her) as she set the magic time in motion.
As the time progresses nothing really happens in the re-creation, till a few minute before noon. A white pegasi mare with a purple mane and tail lands on Princess Luna’s balcony. She pokes her head into the darken bed chamber and sneaks in. She heads straight to Luna’s desk and uses her wing to steal an envelope with Luna’s cutie mark on it from a box on top of her desk, before leaving the same way she came in. With that, Diamond dispels the re-creation.
She walks over to the desk and picks up the empty box with her magic bubble; she looks it over and notices that on the side of the box it reads:
The quick filly printer shop, noble ward, canterlot.
100 invitations ordered by Princess Luna
To be picked-up by Princess Celestia Silverlight or Prince Somnus Silverlight.
“So it looks like some pony stole an invitation from Princess Luna most likely to the showing of her Purple Sentinel at the Royal Canterlot Museum. I must say that pony is bold to sneak into the Royal Bed chamber of Princess Luna, here at the royal palace.” Shimmering Diamond thought setting the empty box back on top of the desk as she calls in the four ponies from outside.
“So what did you find out, grandmother?” Somnus inquiry
“Well grandson, you are looking for a white pegasi mare with a purple mane and tail. She nabbed the invitation.” Shimmering Diamond comment as Aurora, Somnus and Celestia faces pale.
“What’s wrong with you three?” Shimmering Diamond inquiry looking at Aurora, Somnus and Celestia a bit puzzled.
“That description fits the dead mare from the tavern in the morgue, Aurora; did we search her person before we sent her to the morgue?” Somnus inquiry hopefully talking to his sister, who’s face, is glazed with shock.
“No, we did not. We never thought that pegasi mare might have been the one who stole the Purple Sentinel from the museum Blueberry should have the personal possessions of the mare in the morgue with her.” Aurora explains as Aurora and Somnus turn on their hooves and run down to the morgue.
A few minutes after 9:00 pm Hearth’s Warming Eve, Canterlot Royal Palace, Royal ward, City of Canterlot, basement, and Palace morgue.
The palace morgue is a huge room with three steel tables side by side lit by a very powerful unicorn light spell. Lying on the center table was the body of the dead mare from the tavern covered by a sheet. Finishing up the case file was Princess Blueberry. After concluding the autopsy of the mare the Royal Medical Examiner Lady Seer handed her findings over to Princess Blueberry the Royal Coroner to write the coroner’s report.
“So my guess was right on, auntie she died from the single stab wound from the front to her heart. The blade was a solid 24 inches with a point.” Blueberry comment as her Auntie Seer washes her front hoofs off in the sink and dries them.
“That is correct niece the absence of defensive wounds on her, means she didn’t expect it. So you can conclude that she was killed during the fight at the tavern but there’s still one big question, niece.” Seer explains as she floats her gown off herself along with her mask.
“Why?” Blueberry exclaims
“Right again, niece but that’s a question your brother and sister must answer. Our job is done for now. so I am heading home for the rest of Hearth’s Warming Eve. Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve Blueberry. I hope we will see you at Hearth’s Warming Day dinner at the stable with your mother and aunt.” Seer says as she hugs and kisses Blueberry.
“I’ll try really hard to make it to the dinner with mother and auntie.” Blueberry said promising her aunt Seer as the door flies open into the morgue.
“Auntie! Blueberry! Where are the personal possessions of the mare?” Somnus exclaims followed by Aurora.
“Over there, Somnus.” Blueberry said pointing with her hoof over to a small table with all the personal possessions bagged and tagged from the dead mare.
Quickly Aurora floats the clipboard with the evidence release form on it to herself and steals the pen that Blueberry was using to write the coroner’s report from out of her magic grip. She quickly signs and dates the document on the clipboard releasing the evidence into her care.
“It’s done, Somnus!” Aurora calls as Somnus tears open the bag with the mare’s saddle-bags in them.
He dumps all the items out of the saddle-bags onto the table and begins to search through the possessions. Inside the saddle-bags, Somnus finds a hoof drawn floor map of the Royal Canterlot Museum. The Precious Gem display room was circled in red. He also found a hoof drawn map of the Canterlot Royal Palace. Noted on the map were the positions of both the Solar Guard troopers and the Palace guards at different points throughout the day and night.
Inside a small notebook were the times that the Museum guards made their rounds and how many Solar Guard troopers and Royal Palace Guards would be on duty at the museum during the show. The most unusual things to be found in the saddle-bags where the cheap copies of both his Mother’s and Aunt’s horseshoes that they wear. These cheap copies would fool any pony who has never seen the two princess’s real horseshoes.
“No! It’s not here Aurora!” Somnus exclaimed disappointed
“What?” Aurora exclaims as she turns towards her little sister still sitting at the desk.
“Blueberry, please tell me she had more than what’s on the table over there.” Aurora exclaims.
“I am sorry Aurora but that’s all she was carrying on her.” Blueberry answered as Somnus repacked the saddle-bags.
10:00 pm Hearth’s Warming Eve, streets of Canterlot, Penumbra ward, City of Canterlot, Capital city of Equestria.
A blue bodied earth pony stallion with a blue and white streaked mane and tail walks down the street of the Penumbra ward on his way home with an ironic smile on his snout. As he passes a lamp post, a flying shadow appears behind him as if following him from the Hope Ward.
“Well, Old Score, bang on it, looks like we made a bloody big score from that arrogant sod to think she would show a stranger a huge gem like this, just because she can and the Bobby’s are no better.” Score said with a British accent assuming a posture of superiority tossing the Purple Sentinel in the air and catching it again.
“Well love, It looks like you will be spending Hearth’s Warming Eve with old Score here, (talking to the Purple Sentinel in his upturn hoof) till I can pawn this pretty little bauble away in Fillydelphia.” Score comment as a light gray pegasi mare with an orange mane and tail lands in front of him.
“Who the bloody are you?” Score exclaims as the mare folds her wings to her side
“The mare that’s going to take away that pretty little bauble, love.” The mare speaks with the same British accent as Score’s eyes widen with alarm the moment a dagger appears from under her wings.
“Blast it all!” Score cries out dropping to the street dead after being stabbed by the mare’s dagger. She takes the gem and flies off.