Chapter 3
“Requiem”
“A toast to the lovely Miss Moongale for a simply stunning performance”
We all cheered in response as we sat around a table at one of the finest restaurants in all of Trottingham. Moongale’s performance was met with overwhelming praise from the audience. Many stopped her on her way out to congratulate her on her performance. Fancypants was generous enough to treat us all to his favorite restaurant. This toast was simply one of the many that we’ve given to Moongale this evening.
The singer flushed in embarrassment “You’re all too kind”
Rarity spoke up “Darling we cannot give you enough praise for what you’ve done! I’ve never seen anypony perform as you did tonight”
I smiled at the blue singer “You’d better get used to it they’ll cheer for you all- Spike!”
Spike was about to take a sip from my champagne glass. I snatched it with my magic before he could take even a whiff of it. Spike looked at me like I’ve just stolen a ruby cookie “I was only going to take a sip!”
“You know you’re too young to be drinking any alcohol Spike!” Twilight scolded to the young dragon “Private was right to take that away from you”
“Aww come on! You guys get to drink all this fancy stuff!” He then looked to me for appeal “Come on Private just one sip!”
I waved my hoof in a chastising manner “No Spike you listen to Twilight on this one”
Rarity and the others were holding back chuckles at our display. I looked over at Rarity who was finding it hardest to contain her giggles. “What’s so funny?”
Rarity giggled a little then spoke “Just the way you treat Spikey-wikey, you are like his parents and it’s simply adorable”
Both I and Twilight turned scarlet at this. Spike folded his arms and grinned a little “So dad can I have a ruby when we go home?”
I glared at the dragon “You keep this up and I’ll send you to your mother for a time out young man!”
We all laughed at this display of parenthood toward the young dragon. It was then that I noticed a unicorn stallion enter the restaurant. He was my age with a long brown mane and a light brown coat. He was wearing a fancy suit jacket and he had a cane that was obviously used for show. His blue eyes were trained on Moongale. We all stared at our new arrival as he approached. He finally spoke after about two minutes of simply staring at Moongale “It is you…I couldn’t believe it when they said your name but…here you are”
Moongale stared at the stallion for a bit but then recognition showed on her face. She got up from the table and walked to the stallion. “Roland? Is that you?”
“I didn’t think you would recognize me after all this time” He smiled at her “It is me, Moongale”
Moongale let out a joyous cry and hugged this new arrival. She then turned to us and gestured with her hoof to him “Everypony, this is Roland. He was a friend of mine in high school”
Fancypants looked over at Roland and recognition crossed his face as well. “Roland?! As in Roland, sole heir to the house of Hunter?!”
Roland smiled “And you must be the legendary Fancypants. I must say your ponytarion works are quite extravagant”
Fancypants smiled in turn “I thank you for the compliment my dear boy, Will you be joining us this fine evening?”
Roland shook his head “Sadly I simply came to speak with Moongale. We have much catching up to do” He smiled at Moongale who smiled in turn. The two unicorns walked out together.
Twilight looked over at me “You know him?”
I shook my head “Not personally but I know of him. My dad did some work with his dad about a decade ago. The Hunter house is not exactly a very…reputable place. I’ve arrested many of their associates back when I was on the force”
“What kind of dirt are we talking about here?” Twilight whispered so as to not interrupt Spike answering some of Fancypants’ questions about dragons.
“Murder, extortion….anything that you could get away with by being of the upper crust they would use to their advantage. I wonder what Roland wants with Moongale” My eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“Maybe they really are friends and they’re just catching up?” She said hopefully
“For Moongale’s sake I hope you’re right”
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“He asked you to what now?” I asked over the phone. I had been talking with Moongale for a while now. The current topic of our conversation: Moongale’s talk with Roland.
“He asked me if I wanted to leave the theater and expand my career”
“Isn’t that a good thing? Wouldn’t you want that?”
“Normally I would” she sighed for a moment “But I don’t know if I want to…I don’t want to disappoint him”
“Him? You mean Roland?”
“No Private, the angel, I feel like I’d be abandoning him”
“Surely he would understand…” I said playing along with this. I wondered if this “angel” was the stallion I saw in the top box. It was no coincidence that he was there just like the note said he would.
“You did not see his eyes after the performance…he seemed so lonely…I wanted to meet him but I couldn’t find him after the show”
“You be careful Moongale…he could be dangerous”
“I understand Private; you’ve dealt in cases like him before. But I can handle myself. I’m not a little filly anymore”
“I just hope you know what you’re getting into…”
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“An absolute outrage!” Raustam shouted waving yet another piece of paper. Tomorrow was the second performance of the opera and Raustam got another call from the Phantom. To say that he was happy about it would be like saying ponies don’t eat hay. Twilight and I were paying witness to this event. Everypony else had gone to tour Trottingham but I wanted to keep an eye on Moongale.
Ponder shouted at Raustam “You saw the overwhelming praise of last night Raustam! You cannot deny the logic of the Phantom’s demand. Madonna is finished”
The green gentlestallion (I use that term loosely) shouted back at the director “I will not be bullied around by some unseen thug! Moongale is an understudy! Nothing more! Madonna will resume her role as Leonada tonight and that is final!” He stormed off to his office.
I looked over at Twilight “Why is Raustam so hell bent on keeping Moongale off stage?”
Twilight tapped her chin in thought “Maybe he has some sort of agreement, a bribe perhaps?”
“Maybe” I said looking over at a swearing Ponder “Either way the audience and the Phantom won’t be too happy with what is about to go down. I just hope nopony gets caught in the crossfire…”
“Have you talked to Moongale about this at all? She seemed rather upset all week long”
“She’s having a moral dilemma” I said simply “Roland wants to expand her career beyond this theater but she feels compelled to stay because of the angel of music she keeps talking about”
Twilight then looked over at me with wide eyes “Private, I just had a thought”
“What is it?” I said my own grey eyes getting wide.
“What if the angel and the phantom are the same pony?”
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“Phantoms, lost lovers, and a mysterious note” Fancypants said as we sat in our private box as ponies started filing in on the second night of the performance. The place was practically packed to the brim. Fancypants chuckled next to me “I must say this whole trip is turning into quite the romp”
I looked over to find Roland walking to a seat next to me. The gentlestallion's blue eyes betrayed nothing. “May I speak with you Private? Alone?”
I looked over at the gang then back at Roland. I got up and the two of us ventured into the hallway. He stopped and his blue eyes looked at me sternly “You’ve known Moongale for far longer than I have. I want your advice about something”
“Sure” I said warily “What is it?”
“You see Private, as I’ve watched her in rehearsal this week I’ve developed some old feelings for her…”
“You’re acting like she’s my sister and you want to ask her out” I observed
“To put it frankly that’s what I want” Roland said “She has no parents of her own now and I would like to know if you would object to her entering a relationship with me”
“Why ask me?”
“Because you and her are like brother and sister by the way she talks about you” Roland smiled “I have found myself drawn to Moongale, I would like to take her from here and make her into something special”
“To be frank Roland” I said bluntly “It’s not me you should be asking permission, its Moongale herself”
He looked at me like I’ve just said the moon was made of cheese. (Theory disproven by Princess Luna herself) “But she is a mare; she must have somepony to give her away”
“She’s not an object Roland, she’s a pony just like everypony else” I narrowed my eyes “And don’t you go around saying otherwise, she’s my friend and I would never want anypony to harm her or mistreat her”
His eyes narrowed in turn “Very well, then I shall speak to her myself on the matter. We should get back to our seats…”
We both glared at each other as we returned to our seats. The curtains slowly rose and the narrator spoke the familiar opening. Many in the audience were returning from last night hoping to see Moongale again. What they got was a fully restored Madonna…they were not happy.
The purple mare started singing on stage and she was met by boos and shouts from the audience. One by one ponies started throwing garbage and random objects at her. She swore at the audience and mocked them for “Not understanding true talent”
I was tempted to throw something myself but caught myself when what I was about to throw was revealed to be Spike. I set the young dragon down as the crowd got more chaotic and destructive…and that’s when it happened.
Out of nowhere a body shot down toward the stage floor. It stopped halfway in its descent…it was Raustam hanging in a noose.
Pure chaos followed, ladies started fainting and ponies panicked as many of them have never seen a dead body before. I had so I kept my cool during the entire venture. It was then I noticed a pony in the top box…the Phantom was making a run for it. I turned to my companions “Fleur! Rarity! You two go and get the police!” I turned to Spike “You make sure nopony goes near that body”
“On it Private! Hey has anypony seen Roland?” We all looked around and saw no sign of the stallion.
Twilight then looked over the balcony of our box and shouted “He’s down in the crowd! He’s going after the Phantom!”
I looked down and sure enough there he was, pushing his way through the crowd to get to backstage. I looked at Twilight and Fancypants “Come on! Let’s follow him!”
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My two companions and I entered backstage to find Ponder lying on the ground. I nudged the director and he slowly gained consciousness “Detective! He took her!”
I grabbed the stallion by his shirt with my magic “Who took who!? Speak up!”
“The Phantom! He came and took Moongale!”
My grey eyes grew with a newfound determination “Where did he take her!?”
Ponder managed to free himself from my grip and pointed to a door marked private. “That way! It leads to the catacombs under the opera house! I’ve long suspected he lived down there! If Moongale is anywhere she’s down there!”
Fancypants opened the door with his magic “Then we don’t have much time, who knows what the Phantom has in mind for the poor girl”
I nodded with determination and pulled out my revolver “Let’s go”
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I led the way as the three of us descended into the catacombs. Our horns glowed like flashlights, lighting the way into the dark and damp tunnels. “How far could these go?” I pondered aloud.
Twilight held her light along the walls of the tunnel “These were built years ago during the griffon wars. Used mainly as escape tunnels to avoid the bombings”
“Now it’s being used as a hideout for a very different kind of villain” Fancypants spoke as he trotted alongside me. His magic was on his sword just in case.
“Either way that Phantom isn’t going to do anything to Moongale on my watch” I said looking around.
BANG!!!!
“That was a gunshot!” Twilight shouted.
I nodded and ran toward where I heard the sound. I pressed myself to a corner and loaded my gun. I then jumped out from behind my cover and aimed at…Roland?
The unicorn stallion looked up at me; he was trying to stop his left front leg from bleeding with a hoof. “Thank Celestia you’re here Private!”
All three of us ran to Roland and Twilight ran her horn to check for any serious injuries. I looked at Roland “What happened?”
Roland glared off in the opposite direction where we came “It was the Phantom! I saw him take Moongale deeper into the catacombs and he shot me when he saw me”
Twilight looked at me after her examination was complete “He’s alright; the bullet didn’t go very deep”
I nodded “He’ll still need medical attention” I looked over at Twilight “You and Fancypants take him topside and call an ambulance”
“What about you?” Twilight said looking at me concerned.
I cocked my gun with my magic “I got a friend to save”
Fancypants looked at me “I will protect them with my life Private”
I nodded at the gentlestallion “Hurry, don’t worry about me”
Fancypants lifted Roland onto his back and started to walk out. Twilight stopped before following him and then kissed me on the lips. Her violet eyes showed her concern “Be careful…”
I ran a hoof along her cheek and kissed her back “I will Twilight…I promise”
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I ventured deeper into the caverns. I came across a small canal and a small boat was there. I stepped into the boat and used my magic to make the ship go. I rowed the boat along the canal. That’s when I started to hear the music…
It was a strange duet alright; I recognized Moongale’s beautiful soprano voice was complimented by a powerful baritone voice I didn’t recognize. I could only guess it was the Phantom…but why would he sing with his captive?
Those who have seen your face
Draw back in fear…
I am the mask you wear…
That was Moongale…I’d recognize that voice anywhere. The baritone voice sang along with her…
It’s me they fear…
That tone…so sad…so longing
Then both voices sang in one single motion.
My spirit and my voice
In one combined!!!
The Phantom of the Opera is there!
Inside my mind…
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I finally came to end of the canal long after the duet ended its song. I got out of the boat and ascended some steps to find the Phantom’s lair. It was a rather large and decorated room for a recluse. An entire side of the cave wall was replaced by a large pipe organ. There sitting at the organ was the same pony I saw in the top box. His horn glowed a soft brown and the keys pressed themselves to create as soft melodic melody.
He turned upon hearing my hoof steps. I held up my gun at him “Don’t move Phantom!”
His face was expressionless, at least from what I could tell from the part of his face not obscured by the mask. He spoke in a smooth baritone voice “If you are looking for Moongale she is asleep now”
“Let her go now!” I shouted not wanting to play any games
“She is not my prisoner Private…”
My grey eyes changed to a puzzled expression “You know my name…”
He nodded slowly “I know of Leopony, he spoke highly of you as a student. I had hoped to meet you and Moongale under better circumstances however…”
“Why did you kidnap Moongale? Ransom? Lust?”
He shook his head violently “I was only trying to protect her! You must keep her safe Detective!”
“I plan to do that! But you’re coming with me!”
He smiled strangely “I wouldn’t be a Phantom if I came quietly…” Suddenly he dropped a small black ball and a bright flash of light came to my eyes. I shielded them and when I looked again…he was gone.
I looked over at the large four poster bed and saw Moongale there “Moongale!” I ran up to the bed and there she was, sound asleep on the bed. I shook her “Moongale wake up!”
Her blue eyes slowly fluttered open. She looked up at me “Private? What are you doing here?”
“Rescuing you!”
She then sat up and looked over to where the Phantom was “He was here…all this time he was under my nose…”
“You know him?!” I exclaimed
She smiled “He was…my angel of music…”