//------------------------------// // Case Ten, Chaper Two: An Ancient Lead // Story: Ponyville Noire: Kriegspiel—Black, White, and Scarlet // by PonyJosiah13 //------------------------------// “Did Shakesmare write anything about being bored?” Daring groaned as they exited the bar and trotted down the street. Phillip scowled. The rain had not let up in the slightest over the past hours, and the poorer roads of the Everfree District were now covered in thick puddles. A van cruised down the street past them, tires hissing in the water. Turning, Phillip glared at the smoking chimneys of the tobacco refinery a few blocks behind them, water dripping from the slanted roofs. “Couldn’t get any of them to say anything,” he muttered darkly. “You think they know why we’re looking for her?” Daring asked. “Probably not,” Phillip said. “But they know the cops are looking for her, and that’s making them nervous.” “We need to rethink our strategy,” Daring said. “Or maybe you need to ask for some help,” a voice said behind them. Both detectives turned to see a dark purple earth pony clad in a yellow-gray suit and fedora trotting towards them, grinning beneath his silvery-blue mustache. “Night Waltz,” Daring scowled, already turning back. “Nice to see you. Fuck off.” “You’re looking for Blue Rose,” Night Waltz smirked. Phillip paused. “How do you know that?” “Word travels faster down some grapevines than others,” Waltz said. “Listen, I can take you to her, and I can guarantee that she’ll talk to you.” Phillip and Daring both stopped and looked back at him. His smirk seemed to broaden; it made Daring feel like she was having slimy water poured down her back. “Why are you helping us?” Phillip asked warily. The smirk faded a bit and Waltz shrugged. “Because I’m getting paid by the same pony who’s paying Rose to talk to you. Look, you gonna take this offer or not? I’m not getting paid to stand around in the rain waiting for you to make up your minds.” Phillip and Daring both looked at each other, then pressed their heads together. “You know we can’t trust him,” Daring hissed. “I know,” Phillip whispered. “But we’re not getting anywhere like this. We have to find her fast. This could be our best chance.” Daring scowled at Waltz, who was cringing at the water soaking into his suit. “Fine,” she grunted. “But let’s keep one hoof on our holsters.” “Agreed,” Phillip nodded. They separated and turned to Waltz. “Right. Take us to Rose,” Phillip said. Waltz’s smile broadened again. “Great. Come with me.” He led them back up the street a few feet to a bright red freshly waxed Pontifact Series 26 convertible, the canvas top shielding the seats from the rain. “How about you climb into the back seat there?” Waltz offered, opening up the back door. “Premium leather, keep you warm, dry and comfortable.” “How about you stick your dick in the tailpipe?” Daring snapped back. “We’ll fly, thanks.” “Suit yourselves,” Waltz shrugged, climbing into the driver’s seat. The convertible grumbled to life at the first turn of the key and smoothly pulled into traffic. Daring grasped Phillip beneath his forelegs and took off, following the convertible from a discreet distance. “You know, maybe we should have trusted him a bit more,” Phillip muttered, blinking as raindrops fell directly into his eyes. “Fuck that,” Daring grumbled, following Waltz’s convertible around a corner. Waltz stopped in front of a bar that squatted on the end of a single block. The loudly humming neon sign over the door displayed a glowing green four-leafed clover, with the name “McNeighley’s” beneath it in flickering gold. Phillip and Daring both exchanged glances as she hovered in midair, then slowly descended to land upon the sidewalk. “This is the place,” Waltz declared, exiting his vehicle and trotting up to the door. “C’mon in; you’ve got to try their chocolate s’mores float.” He opened up a door with a bell that jingled loudly and trotted inside. As one, Phillip and Daring plucked the revolvers from their shoulder holsters and flicked open the chambers, visually confirming that their weapons were loaded and ready. Satisfied, they reholstered the guns and trotted inside, trying to ignore the sweat that was now running down their cold necks. McNeighley’s proved to be a large tavern with several round tables set beneath green and gold colored lanterns dangling from the ceiling. A large bar with three bartenders stood in the corner with racks of liquor behind it, a weaving set of lights illuminating bottles that spanned every color of the rainbow and beyond. A sign over the door depicted a stallion bedecked in the green, orange, and white Mareish colors trampling a cartoonish rendition of Princess Celestia, with the caption “Join Up, Rebels! A Free Mareland for Mareish Ponies!” A band of two griffons and two ponies was set up in the corner, performing a rendition of The Pony from the Daily Mail on guitar, banjo, and accordion. Only a few ponies were milling about at the tables, with a trio shooting pool in the corner. All of them looked up as Daring and Phillip entered, eyes narrowing suspiciously as the song abruptly halted. “It’s all right, everypony,” Night Waltz declared, trotting up to the bar and gesturing to one of the bartenders. “They’re with me. Here: have a round on me.” He slapped some silver coins down onto the bar. The bartender studied them for a moment, then nodded and started filling mugs and tankards. This seemed to satisfy at least some of the bar’s attendees, for they returned to their business, though Daring and Phillip both could sense their furtive gazes on the backs of their heads; the resultant sensation was akin to a pair of lame deer walking through a dark forest, hearing the wolves growling from behind shadowy trees. Keeping their heads high and not looking around at anypony, the two proceeded to the bar and sat down on the stools; to show any weakness would invite an attack. One bartender had slid what appeared to be a chocolate milkshake drizzled with caramel into Waltz’s hoof at his gesture, though Daring could smell the alcoholic cream within the drink. Waltz took a long sip of the drink with a satisfied sigh. “Want one?” Waltz offered. “It’s damn good. And, I assure you, not poisoned.” A raging thirst had been building in Daring’s throat for the past hour and a half, and she would have been lying if she said that the smell of the confectionary wasn’t tempting, but anything from Coin Toss and the Mareish Mob was not something she wanted in her stomach. “No, thanks,” she growled, turning away and facing the band. “Oh, every bird upon my word is singing treble—I’m a rebel!” the quartet sang the chorus. “Every hen and jay is laying hoof grenades over there, sir, I do declare sir, “And every old cock in the barnyard stock sings triumph for Sinn Féin, “And it wouldn’t be surprising if there’d be another rising, said the pony from the Daily Mail.” A chorus of laughter and hoots rose from the other attendants. At that moment, a tall, pale blue griffon trotted out of a back room up to Phillip and Daring. “The boss will see you now,” he grunted to them. “Sorry for the wait; he had some business to finish up.” Phillip and Daring stepped off the stools and followed the griffon towards a back door. “Hey, Finder,” Night Waltz called, not looking up from his drink. He stirred the shake for a moment, then added, “Coin’s not as bad as you think; he’s a damn sight better than Silvertongue, or Whitestone. Give him a chance, all right?” Phillip grunted in response and he and Daring followed the griffon through the back door. They proceeded through a narrow hallway and the griffon gestured them through another door. The two entered a small room with a long table and several chairs. A Mareish flag in bright orange, green, and white was tacked up on the wall. Sitting on the opposite side of the table from them were two ponies. One was a white unicorn with long, luscious blue hair, fidgeting on the seat and blinking suspiciously at them; she wore a black dress that hugged her curves and her cutie mark was a blue rose. The other was a green unicorn with a bushy red beard, sitting straight-backed in the chair and tossing a coin to himself in his magic. The cutie mark of a pair of gold coins, each embossed with a four-leafed clover, made him instantly recognizable. “Still lashin’ out there, I see,” Coin Toss nodded. “What do you want?” Daring snapped. “All lured to meet you, too,” the local boss of the Mareish Mob declared dryly. “Take a seat? Want a drink?” “We want to know why you’re helping us,” Phillip stated flatly, keeping his eyes on Blue Rose, who continued to fidget like a filly that had been sent to the principal’s office. “It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Daring scoffed before Coin Toss could reply. “He wants us to help deal with Whitestone and Zugzwang so he can take over.” She glared at the smaller unicorn. “And I promise you that when that happens, you’ll be next,” she growled. Coin Toss didn’t move except to blink, continuing to toss the bit to himself, then grunted. “I’ve known you were never eejits, but you’re off the mark, here, lass,” he finally stated. “I’m helping you because I want this war to stop.” He leaned forward and placed his forelegs on the table. “Ponies are dying. Innocent ponies. All because two wankers think their metaphorical dicks are bigger.” He sighed. “I’ve fought for Mareland and her independence all my life; I know what it means to do anything necessary for causes bigger than yourself,” he stated, eyes on Phillip. Phillip didn’t react in the slightest, while Daring’s scowl deepened. "Duty," he continued. "It means something. It's why I respect you and the cops helping you; you know what duty means. And sometimes, duty calls us to war." As in, your secret, illegal "resistance" to get Mareish independence? Daring wanted to say, but somehow held her tongue. “But this...this fight between Whitestone and Zugzwang, with all the innocent ponies getting caught up in the middle of their shit...this isn’t a war,” Coin shook his head. “This is insanity. And it’s got to stop.” He nodded to Blue Rose. “So when I heard that you were looking for her, I thought I could offer this as a wee olive branch of sorts, just so you know where I stand on things.” “Bullshit,” Daring snarled. “You want us to owe you a favor.” “Daring,” Phillip cut her off flatly, his eyes now focused on the mare, his expression one of somepony who has decided on their course of action. She scowled at him but retreated. Phillip approached Blue Rose, who straightened up in her chair. “Let’s start by being honest with each other,” he nodded to her. Blue frowned at him, then her body was surrounded by green flames. When they faded a moment later, the unicorn mare had been replaced by a changeling. It had a white coat and blue wings that shone like Buzz’s, but its body was shaped more closely like the heavily armored chitinous monsters that, a mere seven years ago, had been posted on every billboard across the country. “Better,” Phillip nodded. “Now, tell me what happened last night. Tell me about Granite Tablet.” Blue Rose licked their lips, then shrugged. “I should’ve known it wasn’t just another score when that mare approached me in the bar with the payment,” the changeling admitted, its voice a high-pitched buzzing hum. “She told me the kid was a friend of hers, that he deserved a surprise after working so hard.” They sighed. “I mean, that’s the usual fare; a few hours of my time, I get some money and some love.” “Who hired you?” Phillip asked. “I don’t ask for names in my line of work,” Rose replied. “An earth pony mare. Black coat, with twisted purple hair. Cutie mark of a bowl of candy, or something like that.” “Black Licorice,” Daring muttered, her shoulders tightening. “So anyway, we chat for a bit about his job, the professor he works for, then I take him up to the top floor of the Midnight Oil, and we fucked,” Rose continued. They snorted and appeared to roll their eyes, though the lack of distinct pupils made it difficult to be sure. “Lot of talking and not much action; didn’t get paid nearly enough for it. He was so small, that I had to fake an orgasm to keep him—” “Did not need to know that,” Daring interrupted. “Sorry,” Rose shrugged. “So, after all that, I headed home and went to bed. Next thing I know, that unicorn with the mustache is offering me three times my normal fee just to come in and talk.” She frowned at the mob boss. “Can I go now? Changelings aren’t meant to stand out too much.” “Is there anything else you can remember?” Phillip asked. “What car did the mare drive? Who was she with? Anything like that?” Rose just shrugged. “Didn’t see her come in or leave, didn’t see her with anypony. I was just having a drink when she approached me and handed me the coins.” Phillip sighed and thought for a moment. “Did you and Granite talk about Professor Tome?” “Yeah, we talked about him a bit: sometimes clients just wanna talk a bit, helps ‘em to loosen up,” Rose said, resting their chin on their hoof in thought. “He talked about these rings he was studying; apparently they were taken from some archeological dig in the Everfree Forest. I think it was a temple to Nightmare Moon?” They shrugged. “Anyway, the professor told him that he’d managed to figure out how these rings worked and he was wearing one all the time; also said that he’d gotten paranoid as fuck for some reason, was worried about cultists or some shit coming after him for it, said he was being followed and watched. Said that if anything ever happened to him, all he’d have to do is find the High Priest’s ring.” “Wait, what rings?” a clearly confused Phillip asked, brow furrowed. “What do you mean, how they worked?” “They were used by some kind of cult,” Rose explained. “I guess they let you read their minds or something? They were called the Braces of…” They frowned in thought. “Fuck, it’s some weird-ass ancient name...Hayler?” Daring’s eyes brightened. “H’eylr?” she asked. “Yeah, that,” Rose nodded. “Apparently, the professor never took that thing off. Kept going on and on about finding the High Priest’s ring.” Daring grinned. “We’ve got a shot,” she said to Phillip. “Glad I could help,” Rose commented. They looked at the two detectives, nostrils flaring. “Wow…” they murmured. “What?” Phillip asked. “The love between you two...that’s some tasty stuff,” Rose commented. They shook their head, blinking. "Sorry; I was just thinking I could feed the youngling and myself for a moon or two for a few minutes with you two." Rose tilted their head to the side a bit and batted their eyelashes, lip thrusting out in a small pout. "What do you say? Help a hungry changeling?" “Not interested,” Phillip deadpanned. “You sure?” Rose purred sensually, standing up and striding towards them with a practiced sway in their hips. “Changelings can have both parts, you know; I could do things to you that—” “Tempting. But no,” Daring replied. “Thanks for the tip, don’t leave town. C’mon, Phil.” “I hope that you find him,” Coin Toss called after them as they exited. The two proceeded down the hallway and through the bar, ignoring the glares of the other patrons and Waltz’s smirk, and exited into the rain. “These rings,” Phillip stated, lowering his head. “What are they?” “H’eylr was a cult that worshipped Nightmare Moon; they were based in this area around 300 AE,” Daring explained. “I remember reading about them some years ago, when I was doing research into ancient treasures on another treasure hunt. Their members wore rings as identifiers; it was said that the rings allowed the cult leader to read their thoughts and dreams, to see through their eyes. It ensured that there’d be no traitors; that, and something about inviting Nightmare Moon into their souls or some shit.” “And you think that if the professor’s wearing one, we can see where he is,” Phillip stated. “If we find the High Priest’s ring,” Daring explained. “You know this is a long shot,” Phillip said. “Do you have any other clues?” Daring replied. “I’m working this lead. You gonna help me or not?” Phillip stared at her for a beat, then grunted. “This’ll keep until we find something better.” “Great,” Daring nodded. “You mentioned earlier that Twilight’s on a date.” “Yeah,” Phillip replied. “She and Flash are at Sweetcream Scoo—GAAAAAH! DARING, SLOW DOWN!” When Phillip and Daring entered Sweetcream Scoop’s Ice Cream Parlor and Arcade, they were instantly greeted by a flood of noise and scents, many different voices overlapping with the rock n’ roll music from the jukebox in the corner. The smell of chocolate milkshakes and cooking burgers and Prench fries filled their nostrils, reminding them both that it was almost lunchtime. A sherbert green unicorn mare with an orange and strawberry mane rushed over to them on rollerskates. “Table for two, sweeties?” she asked with a wink. “No, thanks,” Phillip stated, ignoring his stomach’s gurgling protests. “We’re looking for Flash Sentry and Twilight Sparkle.” “Over this way,” the mare announced, skating over towards the back corner of the restaurant. Twilight Sparkle was currently sitting at a booth near the arcade. Across from her was Flash Sentry, and sitting in the booth next to her was a stuffed cat toy that was nearly as large as her. Only a few feet away stood a table with an attendant and several trinkets and stuffed animals on display, and a row of pinball, skeeball, and other arcade machines. A small group of teenage ponies was currently playing air hockey, the clacking of the puck mixing with their shouts and laughter. Flash looked up in surprise as they approached. “Phil, Daring! What’re you doing here?” “Looking for you,” Phillip replied. “You two know about Professor Tome?” “No,” Flash shook his head. Phillip and Daring gave them a brief overview of what they had found out. When they finished, both ponies were frowning pensively. “Are you sure that you can trust Rose?” Flash asked. “Her, maybe,” Daring acknowledged. “Waltz and Coin, fuck no; I couldn’t trust them any further than I could throw an oil tanker. But, then again, H’eylr isn’t very well known, so I doubt she just came up with it off the top of her head. And again, this is the only lead we’ve got so far.” “Would prefer if we had something more solid,” Phillip replied. “The Rings of H’eylr…” Twilight mused, lighting up her horn. With a flash of purple light, a familiar book appeared in the air in front of her, entitled “Ancient Artifacts and Totems” in dark red letters. Daring scowled at the book as Twilight flipped through it. “Yes, here it is,” she announced after a moment, holding the book open on the table. On one page was a drawing of two bracelets, each large enough to fit around a fetlock. One had a plain metal exterior, but there were runes embossed on the interior. The other was solid gold and had several jewels carved to look like eyes placed onto the exterior. On the other page was a drawing of several ponies, adorned in hoods and pallid masks with closed eyes drawn on them, worshipping a large statue of Nightmare Moon. Standing in the midst of the crowd was a pony in sweeping robes decorated with stars and eyes, their face covered by a mask with three eyes. Adorning one raised foreleg was a solid gold bracelet. “The Cult was founded around its first High Priestess, who declared that she was a gateway to Nightmare Moon’s favor,” she read from the paragraphs. “The cultists believed that letting Nightmare Moon into their minds and souls would grant them her favor, and help her wake up from her sleep in Tartarus. The plain exteriors were meant as a disguise to protect cult members, even from each other; the High Priest's identity was kept secret as part of the cult's traditions.” She frowned, her hoof scanning the rest of the page. “Ah: it was eventually found that the rings were linked to a mind reading and control spell with the High Priest’s band as the center. The current priest was chased out of town before they had time to go to the temple.” She thought for a few moments, then closed the book. “I’d need to see the professor’s notes on the rings,” Twilight mused. “Depending on how they work, I might be able to establish a connection to his without the High Priest’s ring.” “And we should search the crime scene again,” Flash stated, rising. “Maybe there’s something we missed.” “Don’t mean to interrupt your date,” Phillip stated, raising a hoof. “Forget it,” Twilight brushed it off. “There’s a stallion who needs our help. Let’s go.” She and Flash both stood up as Flash reached into a saddlebag and started placing some bits on the table. “No, Flash, let me pay,” Twilight protested. “It’s no issue,” Flash replied. “You paid for our last date, and you spent so much winning me this,” Twilight said, gesturing to the stuffed cat that was now riding atop her shoulders. “I should pay, I’ve got a budget for it.” “No, I—” “Just split the bill and come on!” Daring snapped at them. “Faust, you’re already acting like a married couple.” Blushing deeply, Flash and Twilight both placed some bits on the counter and followed Phillip and Daring out the door. Flash waved at Sweetcream as they exited, who gave him a wink in reply. “Trolley,” Phillip stated, dashing towards the approaching vehicle that was trundling up the street. “Oh, fine,” Daring sighed, following reluctantly. “C’mon, you two.” “We’re coming!” Flash called, grasping Twilight’s hoof so that she wouldn’t fall behind and sprinting after them. Twilight had retrieved Professor Tome’s notes from his home, but another search of the scene revealed only some minor trace evidence. “Yeah, he wore that thing all the time now,” Granite Tablet confirmed for them under questioning. “As soon as he figured out how it worked, he was sure that some cultists would be after him for it. I called him every synonym for paranoid I could think of, but he insisted on it; kept telling me that if the cultists took him, it’d be a way to find him.” He paused for a beat, glancing around as if to make sure no one else was listening, then admitted, “I did...actually think I saw somepony hanging around the home a couple of times. The night before last, I saw a dark car parked in front of the house for an hour, but it vanished when I left for dinner.” “Did you see the plate?” Phillip asked. “I think it was C-D-3...something. I didn’t get the whole plate,” Granite shrugged. “I think it was a dark blue or purple color. I just told myself I was being silly.” He sighed and his ears flattened against his head. “Maybe if I’d taken it seriously…” “This isn’t your fault,” Phillip reassured him. “Kind of is,” Daring muttered. “Ow!” she added a moment later when Twilight, Flash, and Phillip all jabbed her at once. After a brief stop at the police lab and the DMV headquarters, and a drive-through for lunch, the group had now settled at 221 Honeybee Bakery. Phillip was at his experiment table, studying the evidence from the crime scene and checking DMV records, occasionally speaking into the telephone that he'd dragged over. Twilight was sitting on the sofa, surrounded with books from her home, with several journals and notebooks floating around her like seagulls circling a garbage tow. Down in the basement, Daring and Flash were currently working on the heavy bag hanging in the corner. “You really think that these rings are useful?” Flash asked, holding the bag as Daring pummeled it. Daring shot into the air, spreading her wings and twisting in midair as her hooves snapped out thrice, pummeling the bag hard and nearly knocking Flash onto his backside. “I’ve seen enough to know that a lot of these old legends have some grains of truth to them,” she panted, holding the bag for him. “And the professor seemed to think that it worked. If nothing else, if we find the ring, we’ll find him.” Flash took a step back and settled into a stance, raising both hooves. He started out with a simple jab-cross-hook combo, his hooves ramming into the bag with efficient power. Daring shoved the bag at him to simulate a charging attacker and Flash jumped back, stumbling slightly. “Use your wings to dash, like I showed you last week,” Daring suggested, resetting. “And remember, move to the side. If you move back, they’re just going to follow you.” Flash nodded and returned to his stance. He performed the three punch combo again, and again Daring shoved the bag at him. This time, as Flash dodged to one side, he snapped his wings out to keep his balance and propel himself faster. As soon as he landed, he lashed out with a roundhouse knee strike that drove into the bag like a jackhammer. “There you go,” Daring nodded, grinning even as the power of the blow rippled across her chest. “One thing I don’t get,” Flash said, grasping the bag to practice knee strikes. “How come we can’t just arrest Scarlet or Whitestone? I mean,” he paused for a moment, then performed a roundhouse kick that went into a driving elbow strike. “Scarlet’s out in public, and everypony seems to know that Whitestone’s on the Silver Talon, so…” “Concentrate on breathing with your hits,” Daring interrupted, scowling. “And it’s not that simple,” she replied as Flash started attacking the bag in earnest. “Ultimately, there’s no solid proof against Scarlet: with lawyers as good as hers, my word won’t count for much. And even if we know Whitestone is on the Silver Talon, the trick is finding the ship. I mean, you’d think that the corvette that she took with her when she defected from the North Griffon Royal Navy would be pretty obvious, right?” She shook her head. “But no. She’s got it disguised somehow. Our Navy’s been prowling the Maresippi and Horseshoe Bay for years, and nothing.” “Huh,” Flash grunted, pausing briefly to catch his breath before returning to his barrage of attacks. “How do you hide a ship?” “One thing at a time, kid,” Daring said, bracing herself against the bag. “I think I’ve got something!” Twilight called from upstairs. Flash and Daring both paused in their exercise and returned upstairs to find Twilight standing in the center of the sitting room, having pushed most of the furniture back to create a wide space. She was currently drawing a circle in white chalk around herself as Phillip watched. "I might have a lead," Phillip said. "But this is more important." “I’ve reviewed Professor Tome’s notes on his experiments,” Twilight explained as she drew runes and intricate designs within and around the circle. “He was very thorough; he could’ve written an entire research paper on it! I think I can create a connection to the ring from here; it should let us see where he is. All of you, quick, stand around the circle, here, here, and here.” She pointed to three smaller circles that were connected to the larger spell circle. Phillip, Flash, and Daring took the assigned positions around the circle as Twilight stood in the center. She took a breath, then lit up her horn. “I need your mental power and some of your magic to make this work. Focus on the professor,” Twilight said as the rune circle began to glow a faint purple light. “Picture him clearly in your mind.” Daring shut her eyes, emptying her thoughts until all that remained was the picture of Dusty Tome that she had seen. She could perfectly imagine his gray coat, the point of his brown beard, the indistinct lines on the book that was his cutie mark. “Hic sumus, hic es,” she heard Twilight chanting, a low hum behind her syllables; Daring could see the purple light behind her eyes increasing. “Te video, te video…” “It’s working!” Flash cried. Daring opened her eyes and stared in amazement. A faint image of Dusty Tome was appearing in front of them, flickering and shimmering; the professor’s face was creased in fear, eyes darting back and forth. Twilight’s horn was alight was power, her eyes glowing as well, gritting her teeth as she fought to keep the spell going. “Keep the image,” Phillip ordered, his eyes wide with disbelief. He stepped closer, leaning in towards the professor’s foreleg. An iron bracelet adorned his fetlock. But even as he stepped forward, Twilight suddenly cried out in pain and collapsed. The magic rune faded and the illusory professor disappeared. “Twilight!” Flash cried, dashing to her side and helping her up. “I’m okay,” Twilight panted, shaking her head. “It works, but...I need something to focus the spell. Something specific.” Daring frowned. “We need to find the High Priest’s ring.” "And we need some help," Flash replied. “So let me get this straight,” Prowl said, rubbing her forehead with a hoof. “You think that this professor is wearing an ancient ring, and you think that in order to find him, you have to find an artifact that may or may not be in a dig site in the Everfree Forest.” Flash blinked slowly, looking around the cafe where Prowl and Bumblebee had been having dinner before being interrupted. “Um...well, when you say it like that…” Prowl let out a long sigh, her wings stretching in agitation. “Do you have any proof of this?” she asked. “I managed to work with Professor Tome’s notes and performed a variation of the Geminugus Invocation to connect to it,” Twilight explained. “The mental projection did indeed prove that Professor Tome is alive, and he’s wearing one of the bands; it wouldn’t have worked otherwise, if my understanding is correct.” “But you’re saying the only way we can see where he is is if we have the High Priest’s ring,” Bumblebee said slowly, going over his notes. “Yes,” Twilight nodded. “The Ring will act as an energy conductor that will amplify the power of the Geminugus Invocation, bridging the normal thaumaturgic disruption that comes with distance between mental energies--” “Wait, wait…” Bumblebee said, his eyes wide as he stared at the scrawled notes. “Go back to that part about thermogenic…” Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. “The point is, I have proof, seen with my own eyes, that Professor Tome is alive, and he is wearing a Ring of H’eylr, and that the best way to find his location is to find the High Priest’s ring.” “This is an incredibly long shot,” Prowl stated. “I keep saying that,” Phillip muttered, rolling his eyes. “That temple’s been abandoned for centuries; there’s no way to tell if that ring is still there, and if it still works,” Prowl pointed out. “Look,” Daring snapped. “I’m following up on this, whether you help me or not.” “What about Trace and Red?” Bumblebee asked. “Trace is working on other leads,” Phillip explained. “And I’m pretty sure Red is still laughing at you,” he added to Daring, who gave him a Flying Feather without turning around. “Hey, I’m up for it,” Bumblebee cheerfully declared. “It’ll be like Hayana Pones!” Prowl rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Okay, fine. But if Captain Oak catches us, I’m pinning everything on you,” she declared, nodding to Daring. “Works for me,” Daring shrugged. “Now, come on: rain’s finally letting up, but we’re losing daylight.” She turned and exited the diner, with Phillip, Twilight, and Flash following. Prowl got up with a sigh. “This is not what I had in mind when I took the oath,” she muttered, putting some bits on the table and following Bumblebee started to get up, then quickly dived back onto the table and wolfed down the last few bits of his hayburger. “Way frmeh!” he called as he hurried after the others.