//------------------------------// // Defacing the Night // Story: How to Tell Your Friends You're Dating a Changeling // by Infinite Carnage //------------------------------// When all was said and done, Question Mark had come to recognise that it had been a good day. Despite their brief run in with Trottingham’s finest, they had survived their round robin journey around the city with little incident. Rainbow was seemingly happy with how everything went as well, and Scootaloo was over the moon the entire way. The hardened walls the filly had placed around herself were starting to crumble, and the detective could finally ease his way through to the otherside. Yet he could not shake the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Another part of himself that he wanted to remain buried deep below had been unearthed, and he knew he wouldn't be able to walk things back so easily this time. He sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror, fixing up his bow tie the best he could. He enjoyed wearing formal attire, but he detested dinner suits. The kind the elite of pony society would wear constantly. To him it always seemed overly snobby, and they never quite felt right on his form. Still, this kind of outfit was to be expected at an event like this, so he begrudgingly complied. Unbeknown to him, Daedalus had remained at his side, making silly comments about his taste in fashion. To the king it was all a distraction from the tense atmosphere that had descended upon them. He hated it, and hated being still stuck on this slow voyage into the unknown. Outside of a few key jumps, Daedalus had witnessed the entire day play out. He had enjoyed watching them act so happy and boisterous, but detested the lack of development between these moments. Something big was coming, he could feel it in his rickety old bones. It was the anticipation of it all that was killing him, and at the rate things were progressing, he was certain he would be trapped for the entire gala as well.  Question’s bedroom door creaked open, and a familiar voice called out. "Yo, Quest, everything cool in there?" "Just sorting my tie. You?" "Finished with me and Squirt. We're ready when you are." "That was fast," he remarked with genuine surprise. "Yeah, well, Rare kinda made these dresses with speed in mind. She knows how much I hate putting these things on. Might as well make it quick." "Fair enough." As Question looked into his mirror, he noticed a cyan hoof still at the door, almost hesitant to enter. "You can come in, you know? I'll be seeing you in a minute anyway." "Y-yeah," she stammered, inching her way inside. He knew she hated dressing up as much as him, perhaps more so, but nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to see. Rainbow Dash was wearing a silky black gown that flowed down her body. Tiny sparkles and sequins were sown into the fabric, and a silver trim was stitched along its edges. She wore a headdress that was near identical to her outfit at the gala, but was now a matching silver. She had even styled her mane slightly, fashioning it similar to Spitfire. As the typically boisterous mare finished shuffling inside, she looked over herself again, her discomfort apparent. “She called this ‘rainbow in the dark?’ I don’t usually like black, but I kinda get it. It looks cool for the most part.” As she rambled on, Question Mark found himself unable to reel in his doe-eyed stare. He was transfixed by her, and soon enough his marefriend noticed his gazing. "Wh-what?" She questioned him, her cheeks stained red. "Nothing, you just look really beautiful right now." His mind ran off pure instinct. His words caused Rainbow Dash’s blush to grow brighter. "Not that you don't look beautiful normally, it's just-" “Daaaaaaw,” announced the collection of ponies around Rainbow Dash. The cyan mare buried her head in her hooves, as her muzzle was now almost entirely red. She was so embarrassed she wanted to die. She knew she would be hearing about this for the rest of her life. Initially, the six of them had sat at equal distance from one another, but as her story had continued, the group had progressively moved in closer. Now as she tried to hide away from her friends, they instead brought her into a tight group hug. Cooing and teasing her along the way; everypony except Twilight. She had remained away from the others, jotting notes and trying to keep herself as distant as possible, refusing to allow any more emotions to cloud her judgment.  “Ya like dressing for your coltfirend, RD?” AJ spoke right in her ear. “Shut up!” She fired back quickly. “Can I see the dress?” Fluttershy whispered in the other. “No!” “Are you embarrassed darling?” Rarity teased further. “I hate you all.” “No you don't! You love us like we love you!” Pinkie Pie countered exuberantly, lifting all five mares upward in one bearhug. Her usual stiff smile then shifted into a more perverse one. “But you love your coltfriend a little bit more, huh?” “Just kill me…” “Alright, girls, she’s had enough,” Twilight spoke up. Begrudgingly, the bundle of mares released their hold on their prisoner. Rainbow flopped to the ground in shame, still hiding her face. “Don’t be shy,” Flutter whispered softly as she nuzzled her closest friend. “It’s very sweet that you would dress up for him.” “It was for the event,” Rainbow muttered softly. “And did you of all ponies just tell me not to be shy?” “RD, I know you’re lying through your teeth, and I reckon Twi knows as well.” Rainbow poked her head upward as she looked at Applejack in confusion. She turned to Twilight who allowed herself a small smile. “You forget, but I do my research!” The purple unicorn announced proudly as she pulled out a flyer. “As you’ve been telling us your story, I had Spike collect reference material related to where you went. It says on the flyer for the event, that the dress code is formal or smart casual. Meaning you went the extra mile for the show. So while yes, you would have been required to dress up, you could have easily gotten away with something much more to your taste.” “And I reckon you left that part out to your coltfriend cause you didn't want him thinking you were trying to be extra sweet that night. Am I wrong?” It didn't seem possible for Rainbow Dash to blush any harder, but low and behold, she transformed into a deeper scarlet. Even Twilight was unable to resist joining in with the giggling at her expense, but she quickly reeled herself back into her neutral expression. “It has to be said though, this stallion has an excellent taste in fashion,” Rarity announced proudly with a flip of her mane. “He certainly has an eye for talent.” "Well of course you'd say that, it was one of your dresses," Dash snapped back, momentarily recovering from her embarrassment.  “And his daring side,” Rarity continued, unperturbed. “Breaking into one of the Princesses' palaces just to grant the wish of a young filly. A soft and intelligent soul on the surface, but a maverick underneath.” “Mhm, I’ll have to add that to the report to Celestia,” Twilight grumbled loudly, fixing Rainbow with a harsh glare. “C’mon, Twi. It was a spur of the moment thing. Like you haven’t broken into loads of places since we met.” Twilight chose to ignore that comment. “She’s got you there, Twi,” AJ joined in.  “A-a-anyway,” Twi spoke up loudly, hoping to prevent any further derailment from the topic at hoof. “While that story was nice, it has revealed a bit more about this changeling in question.” “How so?” Rarity asked. “Well, it shows that yes, this changeling does have another side to himself. He has the capability to lie. And that also means he has the potential to manipulate too.” “That is true,” Shy agreed sadly. “You too?” Rainbow questioned her oldest friend. “I’m sorry, Rainbow, but Twilight is right about that point. Look how he manipulated those guards, could he have done it to other ponies too? To you?” Everypony went silent at Fluttershy’s simple question. The reserved mare found her own blush as well at the sudden attention. “Though I hope he hasn’t. He seems nice.” “Well I think you’re all being really silly,” Pinkie spoke up. “I’m going to regret this,” Twilight said with a sigh. “How are we being silly, Pinkie?” “Well, duh, yeah he can trick other ponies. But he didn’t hurt those guards, did he? And why did he do all that anyway? To make sure Scootaloo had the best super duper birthday party ever! Why would a bad pony care about another pony’s birthday like that?” The inquisitive unicorn found herself pause at Pinkie’s question, but not in the typical way the party pony would always stump her. It was a fair question. While Rainbow’s coltfriend had lied, he indeed did it for unselfish reasons. Yet even now, she found a counter to Pinkie’s conundrum. “Could he have not done all that to get closer to Scootaloo? You can not rule out the possibility of this changeling playing the long con here.” “I mean, I guess, but isn’t Scootaloo liking Dashies coltfirend a good thing for everypony? If Scoot likes him, then that’s even more of a reason for Rainbow to like him. If you were dating a pony, wouldn't you want their family to like you lots as well? Isn’t that just natural? That’s not evil you goof.” That time, Twilight had to concede to Pinkie. Yes, her logic was sound, she could not use that argument to establish a direct link to malicious intent. While she herself lacked practical experience with romantic relationships, there is nothing sinister about wanting ponies close to your romantic partner to like you as well.  “You are right, Pinkie.” “And I must say, Twilight, after all this discussion, all we’ve established is that this changeling character is capable of lying. But aren’t we all? Applejack excluded, of course.” And again, Rarity had delivered another fine point. Twilight’s stack of cards had suddenly collapsed under the weight of her flimsy argument. If this was a courtroom, she would have been torn to shreds about now. There was nothing definitive she could gleam, only a character portrait from Rainbow’s perspective. As she had suspected, even after Dash’s story was over, she would need more data to truly decide on her next move. However, there was one card Twilight could keep close to her chest for now; she had figured out who this pony was. Rainbow had held back his name, yet not his occupation. There was only one detective living in Ponyville, and the timeline of events fit too well. He had come to town just after the wedding, and no other ponies had moved into town since. He was quiet and reserved, she recalled seeing him in the library before, making only brief conversation as he browsed the place. Nothing about him had seemed that strange or striking before, and that’s why his disguise was perfect. Just another ordinary stallion. Still, there was the slim possibility she was mistaken, so she would have to hold her tongue for now. “Twi, you still in there, hun?” Applejack's familiar drawl drew Twilight from her meditative state. “Huh?” “You brain went all loopy,” Pinkie appeared behind her, swirling her hoofs around her own ears. “You just kept staring at the floor.” “Sorry, it's been a long day.” “Do you think we should take a break?” Fluttershy asked the group. “Ordinarily, I would agree,” Rarity cut in. “But I believe that this matter must be sorted here and now.” “Yeah, I can’t spend the day worrying you’re gonna lock my coltfriend up for existing.” “Yes, let’s continue,” Twilight said, clearing her throat. “So to review; you all went to Trottingam on this trip for Scootaloo’s birthday. Spent the day in the city, ate at a restaurant and had cake, opened presents, and returned to the hotel to get ready. Yet I recall you mentioning the small event at the alleyway?” “Yeah…” Rainbow sighed sadly, her ears folding backwards. “Did you not inquire further?” “Nah, not then anyway. He clearly didn’t want to talk about it, and we were all so focused on the city and Scoot, it just didn’t seem like the right time.” “So did anything of significance happen on this museum trip then?” “Boy, did it ever,” Rainbow perked up. She sat up in her seat as she found her second wind. “Alright, get yourselves comfortable, cause it's gonna be a long one. This is the case of the midnight vandal!” The trio had arrived just in the knick of time. After another incident with the hotel staff resulting in a cake nearly exploding on all of them, they had been forced to make another quick retreat. Daedalus walked on ahead up the steps leading to the museum. It was not the largest he had seen, not the grandest either, but it was still an impressive sight indeed. Despite its renovations, it had kept its gothic architecture, but it had been decorated with banners and other assortments for the night ahead. As to be expected of a gala, it was a gaudy affair. The building was now open to everypony again, however, its honored guests would receive the first tour around the refurbished museum. Its guest list was a collective group of pony citizenry, and even a few foreign dignitaries to boot. Question Mark recognised a few of the ponies ahead of them. The most obvious were the Wonderbolts, Spitfire and Soarin. The captain and her wingpony were must haves for any event like this, and it was always a chance to arrange a new booking or two, so neither pony would ever say no. Then he saw a light yellow face he had become very familiar with; Lens Turner. A kooky pegasus reporter who believed in aliens living in the sky and lizard ponies dwelling deep below the earth. Stil, she was unnervingly good at her job, at times beating most detectives to the mystery behind a crime. Her penchant for conspiracy often led her down the path of looking at angles most wouldn't consider. Standing before the museum doors was one Baron Feit. Question had never met him, but knew of him well enough. His family line was often credited with the founding of Trottingham, and ever since those days of old, they had pumped much of their wealth into its development. To some they were borderline royalty, and as the de facto head of the household, Mr. Counter was practically a king. By all accounts, he was a reputable stallion, and yet there had always been something seedy in his family’s legacy. Namely the fact that nopony could trace exactly how they came into their fortune in the first place.. The others were a mystery to him, but judging by their attire it was clear who they postulated to be. A mix of nobles and gentry, topped off with servants, rich families, artists, a few other reporters, and museum staff who kept everypony in line. The only notable admission from this list was royalty itself, which for an event such as this one was very peculiar indeed.  "Rainbow," Question Mark muttered to his date who strolled up beside him. "You wouldn't happen to have any insight as to why the princesses are absent." "Dunno," she admitted. "Maybe they hate art too." “I imagine there’s a lot of things they don’t actually like, but there is typically a more important reason to miss an event like this. Half their job is public appearances.” “I mean, it’s basically night, yeah? So this is Luna’s territory I guess. Twi mentioned something about Celestia making less evening appearances cause of her sleep pattern becoming stable for the first time in a thousand years. Luna doesn’t make a lot of appearances anyway.” He could not help but concede to her point. It made complete sense when Rainbow put it that way, and yet still, he maintained that inkling there was something more to all of this. Both looked behind them to find Scootaloo bringing up the rear. She had lagged notably behind, barely putting in any effort to keep up with the pair.  “C’mon, Squirt, we gotta arrive some time,” Dash teased. “I guess,” the filly replied solemnly, letting out a sigh. Her enthusiasm for the event was still at an all time low, yet she had been dragged along regardless. Free food was still free food after all. “Cor, there’s trouble!” The three of them spun in place to face Lens Turner who was rapidly approaching them. “Didn’t know you were coming to this thing.” “Hello, Lens.” Despite his stiff greeting, he returned the hug the mare offered him. “How’s you?” “I’m well, all things considered.” “I can see that,” she muttered, looking Rainbow up and down. “An element as your date? You're moving up in the world.” “H-he’s not a date,” Dash blurted out quickly. “He’s just a plus one. Showing us around the city.” “Whatever you say,” she giggled. “Anyway, strange seeing you is all. I’ve had a weird feeling in my gut since this morning. Something’s going down tonight, I just know it.” Rainbow found a strange nerve fray within her as she watched Lens Turner act so playfully towards her coltfriend. She held her tongue as Question gave her little back, yet it still made her uneasy. She considered drowning out the chatter and moving on ahead, but was interrupted by a pair of familiar faces. “Rookie! What brings you out here?” Spitfire called out, strolling towards the group, Soarin not too far behind. “Nice hair by the way.” “H-hey Spitfire,” Rainbow nearly squealed. Despite now being on first name basis with the mare who was destined to be her future captain, she still found it difficult not to fangirl whenever they met. “Squirt here got tickets from her folks. Were tagging along.” “Art fan, huh?” Spitfire asked, throwing a lazy eye towards Scootaloo. Ordinarily she would have flat out denied it, but the little filly was currently too occupied with being in the presence of one of the greatest wonderbolts of all time. She shook uncontrollably as she stared at Spitfire in addulation. Rainbow gently picked her up and placed her on her back. “Sort of,” Rainbow answered for her, smiling bashfully.  “Well it’s good to have somepony we actually know,” Soarin spoke up. “These things are always so boring.” “But we try to keep that to ourselves, right?” Spitfire said, side-eyeing Soarin who nodded in response. “Speaking of, we should really be getting inside.” Question spoke up, motioning for everypony else to follow. They headed back up the steps, chatting amongst themselves until they rejoined the larger group out front. Baron Feit was flanked by two hired guards, decked out in black attire with matching sunglasses and unreadable faces. The Baron was quite the opposite; a deep purple suit, a goatee and a wide grin. His coat was a dark grey, with a short blonde mane that was swept to the side. “Welcome everypony,” his voice boomed out. “This has been a long time coming. For too long this city's finest collection of art and history has had its doors firmly shut. No more! With my family's funding, and in coordination with our fine monarchs, this museum is open to all!” His enthusiasm was quickly infectious. His announcement was met with thunderous applause, even by those who seemed less interested in the building itself. Yet Question could not help but even more confused as to the lack of royal presence at this event. If the Princesses had a hoof in the rebuilding efforts, why would they not attend the opening night? “All of you have either been invited or bought your ticket to get this special preview of our exhibits before the rest of the public. Behind these walls will be many of the wonders of old, and numerous additions added to its splendor. I sincerely hope you all enjoy the work and effort of every pony who worked together to bring this grand museum back to life.” “Shame none of them could afford a ticket,” Lens dryly muttered under her breath. “So without further ado… welcome back to the Trottingham Museum or Art and History!” He stepped to the side as the massive doors creaked open. Everypony clambered through as they split off in all directions. Each one of them was greeted by the skeletal remains of an elder dragon, positioned at the centre of the foyer. Scootaloo gasped as she stared up at it. If one was able to clone the filly twenty times over, then her collective forms would barely make up its leg. It made the time when Spike became a huge monster seem like a mild tantrum in comparison. The museum was built like a maze. A quick glance at the map showed eight different hallways sprouting from the entrance, and then crossing with one another towards every exhibit imaginable. Just looking at it hurt Rainbow’s brain, but Question was quick to put things straight. “If we follow the path to the left, it takes us straight through every part of the museum.” “Yep, leads all the way to the final exhibit too,” Lens emerged beside them. “The return of the museum's most prized paintings. They’ve all been on loan since the closure, but they’re safely home now.” “Let’s take it slow then,” Question suggested. “We have plenty of time till the final exhibit.” “Yeah, and Squirt?” Dash motioned to the filly, and then to the elder dragon. “I betcha there’s way more bones like that in this place.” For the first time since the night began, Scootaloo looked visibly excited. And so gradually they made their way from exhibit to exhibit, marvelling at the paintings, sculptures, fossils and antiques or era’s long since in the past. For Daedalus this was mostly blasé, for he had seen much of it all before, and lived a fair bit of it too. Still, for a moment it was nice to travel down memory lane, walking amongst creatures and kin he wished he could interact with more. At some point during their wandering, Daedalus zoned out. He only came to his senses again when he realised they were on the last leg of their journey. Stepping into a spacious room, the four of them were greeted to a wide selection of artwork from across known history. Renaissance, industrial, classical, all era’s were given their moment to shine here. Yet on the far wall one painting that stuck amongst them all. “Hey, we saw that one earlier, “ Rainbow quickly pointed out. It was the same image of Luna from the tower. None of them had paid it much heed the first time they saw it, it appeared so vividly real, almost as if the princess herself was staring right back at them.  “That portrait is over a thousand years old and in remarkable condition,” Question commented aloud. “It must have been kept under watchful eye.” “It was Celestia’s prize for some time, or so they say,” spoke up a dry and gruff voice behind them. “It’s good to see it back.” Turning to face this new stranger, Question Mark found a weathered old griffon in a dusty blue uniform. There was a tiny smile that edged at the corners of his beak, a hint of mischievousness behind his eyes. His feathers were a dark grey with hints of white and yellow at the edges. He seemed mellow for his kind, unnaturally so. The detective's experience with griffon’s had been nothing short of passionate affairs. They were like to strike you, hug you, kill you or even try to sleep with you at the drop of a dime. They certainly were never subtle about their intentions. “Prize? What do you mean?” “After Luna’s defeat, Celestia had nearly everything about her sister confiscated from the public forum. Art to Luna being one of them. Not to destroy or ruin her memory mind you, but to protect it. Took nearly two hundred years before it was slowly released back into the wild.” He scratched the bottom of his beak as he looked the detective up and down. “You got a good eye there.” “I wouldn’t say that, I would have thought it was a fairly obvious point to make.” “Bah, you’d think so, wouldn’t you? But the folks that come here don’t have the same appreciation for a bit of culture.” He walked towards the painting, bringing with him a broom gripped in one wing. He was clearly a janitor here. Question was unsure if he should follow, remembering he was supposed to accompany Scootaloo and Rainbow. As he turned to regard them, he noticed they had already moved on, chatting with Spitfire and Soarin who had just arrived. Lens had snuck off again as well, something the detective had become accustomed to whenever it came to working with her. So he joined his new acquaintance by the portrait. “Names Gulliver. Yours?” “Question Mark.” “Odd one, but all you ponies have strange names.” He sighed to himself, suddenly looking sad. “Forgive an old coot, feel a bit out of place is all.” “Your first day?” “Heh, no. Quite the opposite, Been working here thirty plus years. First day back though, and it's been quiet. Usually always something to do, so I’m here waiting to get called on. Just thought I’d come take a look at these returning beauties.” He turned from the paintings and scowled at the crowd. “You see these folk?”  Question turned as well, looking over the small crowd. He was shocked by this, but it seemed that they had worked their way around the museum faster than they thought. The gathering was still humble, at best there were only a fraction of the guests at the final leg of the tour. Rainbow and Scootaloo were still conversing with the wonderbolts, while Lens Turner was slowly walking back inside, notably more shifty than before.  He looked over those he did not know. A stuffy stallion stood in the very corner, scowling and trying to make himself look as important as possible. He fixed his pricey suit, barely focusing on the art at all. He seemed to be scanning for somepony else. Only a few feet from him, a mare in a dark hoodie stared angrily at Luna’s portrait. Question was surprised by her attire, he would have thought she’d be turned away at the door. Two elder gentlecolts stood at the entrance way, seemingly eyeing the paintings for their detail, but not in the way Question had. Something seemed off with their intent. And then there was one last pony, a pink mare with a curled blue man in a stunning black dress. She had seemingly no interest in the art itself, and more so in showing herself off. “An eclectic group for sure,” Question muttered. “Putting it gently,” Gulliver grumbled. “None of these show ponies have an ounce of appreciation for what's before them.” “And what is it in your eyes?” “The same thing you saw: history. You see the detail in the little brushes, the meticulous nature of its form. To all these folk, it's something to muse at and say you’re now ‘cultured.’” “Well I’m not sure I’d noticed anything close to the brushwork. I suppose I just have some respect for our long history.” “Well, have a closer look.” He lent in closely, his voice becoming a whisper. “You may notice something interesting.” The detective was unsure of the implication, but felt there was a hidden intent behind his words. Yet he also had little reason to deny the request. Just as he started to take the image in further, the host for the evening made his unexpected return. “Gulliver, any trouble?” Baron Fiet strode in from the right, weaving between guests as if he had done so all his life. “Quite the opposite, Baron. Waiting for something to do.” “I know that feeling well,” he chuckled. “You’ve always been like me. Can’t rest even for a day.” “I nearly clawed the walls in my house while the place was shut down.” “Can’t say I blame you.” He took his focus off the griffon and floated it the detective's way. “Forgive me, I don’t recall your name on the guest list? Mister…?” “Mark, Question Mark.” He held out his hoof and bumped it against the Baron’s. “I’m more of a chaperone tonight for the young Miss Scootaloo.” “Scootaloo?” He tapped his hoof on the floor as he thought it over. “Ah! I remember now. The filly of Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood? Were they unable to come?” “I'm afraid so. Scootaloo was sent the tickets and myself and Miss Dash are accompanying her instead.” “Such a pity, I had hoped they would all come together. I’m a big fan of her parents, and I was hoping to propose a deal on some artifacts.” One thing had stuck out for the detective was the admission that the tickets had been sent to all of Scootaloo’s family. Meaning her parents had not bought them and sent them to her thinking it was actually a good treat. Meaning they either lied in their letter to the filly saying it was a gift, or she simply could have misunderstood their intent. This line of thinking only led to more questions. Why refuse the invite? Why send Scootaloo alone? What was this deal?  “But no matter, I always love meeting new pony’s. What is it you do, sir?” “I’m a detective by trade. Mostly small consultation work these days.” “Goodness, I see. Well I feel safer already.” He grinned wildly. "Are you enjoying the art?" "It's quite the collection." "Gulliver always had a knack for finding fellow art lovers. I dare say he might know more about these paintings than me." "You're too kind, sir." Gulliver bowed respectfully. "I'm just a hobbyist though. No more." "A pity, really. I dare say you would give better tours than the actual guides." "Then why not?" Question cut in. "If Gulliver is such an expert, what stops him from rising to the position?" "An unfortunate affliction, I'm afraid." The Baron grinned again. "He hates most everypony else." "Ah," was all the detective could muster. Both the Baron and the janitor shared a laugh.  "Well, if you both excuse me, I'll be doing a once over of the room before moving on. Let me know if you need anything." He nodded towards his boss who returned the gesture. As the janitor went out of earshot, the Baron spoke again.  "I take it you're not here for any other reason?" "Pardon?" "No covert investigations of any kind?" "Not that I'm aware of." "Good. There should be no disruptions for tonight," the baron muttered softly. "Everything must be perfect." The change in Counter's form was immediately apparent. His expression darkened, his shoulders tensed up, his body language was akin to a man who was about to get away with the perfect crime. Question found himself tense up as well. The way the Baron now looked at him would suggest he was reading him, studying him, trying to solve a riddle with no answer. At the detectives best guess, he suspected the Baron did not believe his claim of being only a chaperone, and why a pony would be so fixated on that point had only opened a can of worms labeled suspicion in Question’s mind. He was not the only one to notice. Daedalus had remained a constant listener since they had stepped into the room. He knew stallions like the Baron well. Men who wore masks from morning to noon, even among their family. They were ponies so trained in the art of lying it was second nature by now. They knew nothing else.  "I see I am not too late," called out a deep, yet feminine voice from across the room. Both stallions switched their focus to a mare with a dark coat and silver dress that was walking slowly towards them. She had the air of a noblemare, a very old one at that, and yet she looked deceptively young. Her mane matched her dress, her eyes were two gorgeous golden orbs that were the only thing that betrayed her youthful look. They showed wisdom, pain, experience beyond her lifetime. Counter smiled and took her hoof in his own, laying down a gentle kiss upon it. “Miss Noctis, what an unexpected pleasure,” Fiet bowed before her. “I did not see your name on the guest list either.” “Do not fret, Counter. It has been many moons since I last wandered into this fine place. I suddenly found myself the time. Why not come here?” “And were happy to have you. You’ve been enjoying the exhibits so far?” “Very much so, yes.” She looked over his shoulder and spied Question Mark. “And who may you be?” “Question Mark, just a chaperone.” He replied as he nodded at her. “I’m not familiar with you, Miss…?” “Noctis Moon. I’m not surprised you’ve not heard of me, good sir. I keep to myself.” She stepped around Counter, and Question noted his look of disdain as she left his side. He stayed planted where he was, looking over the gallery of guests around him, his bitter expression not easing up for a second. Daedalus eyed her as well, suddenly under the impression he had seen her someplace before. Noctis looked at the painting that had become a strange fixture to the detective’s day. “I always feel haunted by this piece. Its sadness, its history, it's like looking through a window of time for me.” “You relate to it in some way?” “I suppose you could say that. Yet it does not seem the same as when I last looked upon it.” “Can’t say I have much experience with it,” he confessed. “I know those emotions in this painting though.” “Oh?” “The fear, the guilt of what you’re about to do. A crime you know in your soul is wrong, but you feel yourself on a damned road to follow it anyway. There’s nothing quite like it as the anxiety rots your brain.” “Spoken from experience?” He ignored her question as he studied it again. For the first time, something started to feel off, like it was all too new. Restoration was common, and for a painting this old it would have to be a necessity, yet an old familiar feeling was beginning to press upon him. There was something more to the painting than he was seeing. Daedalus could feel it too staring down the portrait as it looked back at him. Then the lights went out. Instantly there was a din of noise as ponies suddenly screamed in shock and panic. Question stumbled backward in surprise, narrowly avoiding colliding into anypony else. Ordinarily in this period of time, after the initial surprise had worn off, a unicorn or two would have lit the room back up with their horns. But nopony had the chance to do so, as after what could have been no more than ten seconds, the lights came back on. The room had dramatically shifted, nearly everypony still present was in a slightly different position than before, the only exception was Noctis who was still beside the painting. Just as he noted her though, the detective's eyes brushed across the portrait and was unable to leave it. Not long after, the rest of the room took notice of the sudden new addition to the visage of Princess Luna, “WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS!?” The Baron’s voice rang out across the hall. Upon the visage of Princess Luna was a fancy moustache. Somepony had defaced a priceless work of art. As the severity of the situation dawned upon Question Mark, he knew the evening had only just begun.