Twilight scratched her head. Her students crowd around her to look at the latest clue that Carmen had sent. There was a moment when none of them said anything.
“What does it say?” Spike asked, trying to see what they were looking at.
“You would need a pearl of wisdom for submerging this clue, Detectives.” Sandbar read aloud. “Okay, so it’s about a pearl, but where is she going next?”
“Ugh!” Smolder ran her claws over her head, “Why must these clues be so hard! How are we supposed to figure out where she’s going next from a clue like that?”
“Now, now,” Twilight told her. “Let’s not get discouraged here. We just need to think this rationally about it.” Turning towards the chalkboard, her horn glowed and erased the previous clue off. “Okay so, let’s take this clue apart piece by piece.” She wrote out the clue on the board. “Maybe the best way to deduce where she’s going and what she’s going to steal next, we need to take this slow.”
Gallus frowned. “You would need a pearl of wisdom… There isn’t any artifact or royal object that has pearls involved, right?”
“Not in Equestria as far as I’m aware,” Twilight said. “Unless you count Celestia’s earrings she wore on occasion… but I don’t think that’s it.”
“Why’s that?” Yona asked.
“Think about what she’s stolen so far – the Bloodstone Scepter and now Thorax’s Throne. The only thing those two have in common is that they belong to their respective leaders.” As she spoke, Silverstream looked down at the fractured pearl around her neck. “So, assuming that Carmen might be going after the treasures of world leaders, the only thing I could think would match the clue would be-”
“Auntie Novo’s Pearl.” Silverstream finished the sentence.
Ocellus craned her neck around, “How do you know?”
“Partly because it’s the most important pearl to us Hippogriffs and Seaponies, and partly from the other half of the clue. The word ‘submerging.’ I guess it only makes sense if the pearl Carmen is talking about isn’t out of the water. Which means she’s heading towards Seaquestria!”
“I mean, that makes the most sense,” Spike commented.
“Okay, but how do we know if that’s possibly the right answer?” Gallus questioned. “I mean, we got it dead wrong the last time.”
“Perhaps it isn’t,” Twilight said, “but on the other hoof, I’m reminded of a famous quote from Sherlock Hooves. ‘When you have eliminated the impossible, that whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.’ And this time, I think Silverstream might be correct.”
“Great! So, we know where’s she’s going and what she’s going to steal.” Sandbar clapped his hooves. “What do we do now? Seaquestria’s really far away. It would take days to get there by train.”
Twilight smiled, “Not if you know how to teleport at long distances. And luckily, I know how. But the trouble is that I could do it one at a time. Silverstream, since you have a piece of the pearl, I think I’m going to need your help when we get to Seaquestria. Spike, you and the others stay here and keep an eye on the computer to see if Carmen says or does something. When she does, send a message to me immediately.”
“But what about the clue?” Ocellus pointed out. “Should we answer it correctly when she asks?”
After thinking of it, Twilight replied, “Maybe this time we should answer correctly and see what happens. Hopefully she may not even go near the pearl, but we’re still going there just in case.”
Offering her hoof to Silverstream, her student took hold, and in a flash, the two were gone.
“Slverstream, hon, what are you doing back here so early?” Queen Novo asked, swimming over to her niece. As soon as they had martialized on the beach of Mount Aris, Silverstream used her shard of the pearl to turn her and Twilight into seaponies. They hurried underneath the waves, hoping that they weren’t too late. Thankfully they were let inside of the undersea palace when Silverstream asked to see her aunt. “And Princess Twilight, I thought you were-”
“Teaching Summer School, yes, I know.” Twilight interrupted, “But this is an emergency.”
“For what, dear?” Novo tilted her head. “What’s wrong?”
“First, do you still have your pearl?”
Novo blinked, “Why yes, I still have it in my possession?” For a moment she looked overhead to the enormous jellyfish that floated over her throne. She raised an eyebrow. “Why? If you’re planning on stealing again-”
“No Auntie, but that’s why we’re here,” Silverstream said. “Someone is going to try to steal the pearl.”
“Now hang on, what are you talking about? Who’s going to steal it?”
“A rather skilled thief,” Twilight told her. “All I can say is that because of her, the Bloodstone Scepter from the Dragon Lands and the Changeling Throne have been taken. We believe that the pearl is her next target. We’re here to prevent that from happening, but we can’t do it alone. Will you help us?”
Novo turned to her niece. “Silver, is this true?”
She nodded.
After a beat, she called out, “Guards! Summon General Seabreeze. Have more guards securing the pearl. Get the navy position over Seaquestria and have the army be positioned around the palace.” She turned to her niece, “C’mon honey, let’s go catch a thief.”
“It’s almost been an hour now,” Gallus paced about. “Anything yet from Carmen?”
Yona glanced over at the computer screen. “Nothing yet.”
Over by a desk, Spike had a note prepared, ready to send to Twilight. Along with some blank parchment in case something unexpected happens.
Meanwhile, Ocellus had been going about the library picking out a series of books. Smolder, who was bored of waiting went over to her to ask, “What are you doing?”
“I’m gonna see if I could get one step ahead of Carmen.” She said, placing the books on a nearby table.
“How are you going to do that?” Sandbar asked. “We don’t know what she’s up to.”
“Not quite.” This got everycreature’s attention. Ocellus flew over back to the history section, her wings humming while she searched the shelves. “Twilight said that Carmen tends to work off from a theme. So far, the only thing that is connecting it all is that they’re all symbols or objects of power. The Bloodstone Scepter is used to establish who is the Dragon Lord. Us Changelings used to have an anti-magic throne before it was destroyed and replaced with something different that shows who we are now. The pearl that she’s going to steal is in possession of the Hippogriff queen that has the power to transform and link land and sea.”
“Okay…?” Smolder raised an eyebrow. “And your point?”
Ocellus smirked, “Think about it, she’s going after objects that all have to do with power, right? So logically, if we look up all objects around the world that is powerful (be it symbolic or otherwise), it will narrow down the search and, in a way, help predict what she might be going after next.”
“Huh,” Spike blinked, “That’s actually really clever.”
And then, from the computer, came a chime. They looked, and it was Carmen.
Carmen:
Time is nearly up, Detectives! Have you solved my next clue yet?
Spike picked up the note and immediately sent it with his dragon fire.
“Yona thinks that thief will be caught,” Yona said in a hopeful tone. “Surely Hippogriffs would catch her in act.”
A moment later, Spike burped up a dripping wet note. It was short and it told Spike to answer the question correctly. So going over to the keyboard, he typed out.
Illuminators:
Queen Novo’s Pearl in Seaquestria.
Instead of getting a reply from Carmen, the computer showed another animated scene.
Although done in a hurry, the Seaponies had gathered with spears to defend their national treasure. On the surface, every boat the Hippogriff navy had was keeping their eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. Below, patrols swam around the entrances to Seaquestria with sharks. Meanwhile, the great palace had two rings of security – one that surrounded the palace, and the rest inside the throne room where everyone has their eyes on the giant jellyfish.
At her throne, Novo was flanked by guards, her general, her niece and Twilight. She sent the message to Spike and was hoping that they were correct this time.
And then, a guard came swimming in with urgent news: “My Queen! Something strange is approaching from the South!”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know. It’s like a giant lobster and it’s heading this way.”
“I’ll go see,” General Seabreeze placed a war helmet on his head. “Stay at your posts and don’t let that pearl leave your sight!”
Outside, the patrol saw the thing approach. It was as long as a while, had claws like a lobster, and bright red with seemingly one yellow eye peering out. Of course, they send out their sharks to attack. But the thing was too big for its jaws to bite at.
In a moment, the General looked out and saw what was approaching. The patrol turns to him asking what that is, “It’s a submarine, an underwater ship of iron and steel that allows someone from the surface to travel under the waves.”
“Sir, what do we do? Should we go after it?”
“No.”
This surprised his patrol. “But sir, the thief is right there!”
“Maybe, but from what Twilight has told me, Carmen is a cleaver one so chances are, us leaving our post is exactly what she might hoping for. Well, we’re not going to.”
“Then what do you suggest?”
The General smirked, “Just you wait,” he then picked up a shiny bit of sea glass.
Carmen’s submarine was getting closer and closer, but then, at a certain moment, the general flashed its reflection towards the sub’s direction. And suddenly, beneath the machine two enormous whales rose up with a pair of Seaponies guiding them. The vessel, try as it may, was caught from underneath and was forced to head towards the surface. Within a moment, the submarine was forced above the water, marooning in place while the naval ships above circle it.
Seabreeze smiled, “Got her.” He then turned to the guards, “Stay at your post until I give all clear. I have a feeling we may not be out of this just yet.”
It was a curious sight to see a submarine stranded over two whales. By the time Twilight, Silverstream, and Novo had come to the surface and transformed, there were some curious bystanders from the beach who have gathered to see what was going on. The navy did its best to keep them at by while the three of them climbed on the vessel. Up front where the yellow dome-shaped window was a shadow of the thief. At the top was a circular door and wheel that locked it in place.
“So then,” Novo turned to Twilight, “Shall you do the honors?”
Twilight’s horn glowed, her aura gripping on the wheel and turning it hard until it came loose. The airlock unlatched with a noticeable pop, and she was able to pull it open to a ladder and another door. Climbing down into the cramped space to the heavy door before them. Unlocking it, Twilight pushed it open to show a control room, a chair with its back against them, and a noticeable red hat.
“Carmen Sandiego,” Queen Novo walked forward, “As monarch of both the Hippogriffs and Seaponies, I am placing you under arrest.” But the chair didn’t move. Suspicion rose as she took hold of the chair and turned it around. The only thing they found was the hat sitting on top, a boxy T.V. monitor with a camera, and a decorative golden cup beside it.
On the screen was the pixelated Carmen, clapping. “Bravo Detectives!” She said, “I was getting worried I might be too smart for any of you to play.”
“What is this?” Novo demanded, “What kind of a coward are you that you couldn’t be here to steal a national treasure from us?”
“With all due respect, Your Highness, but I wasn’t talking to you.”
Silverstream walked forward in front of the camera. “We stopped you, have we?”
“Like I said, I won’t steal if you correctly answer my clue, and you did! So don’t worry, I’m dropping the pearl and will be going for my next crime.” Carmen smiled, “So Detective, are you ready for my next clue?”
“Where are you?” Twilight asked.
“Oh, come now, where’s the fun if I gave it all away? Don’t you worry, you’ll know exactly where I am at the very end the game. Now, are you ready for my next clue?”
Twilight nodded.
“Good. This time since you’re here, I’ve decided to give you a little something.” She said, pointing her head towards the cup before the screen went static.
It was surreal to see the events unfold before their eyes in this pixelated form, but the students and Spike have seen everything, including their friend in real-time picking up the cup.
Then it dissolved into a close-up of the object. It was a decorative, golden chalice that had eagle wings. But it was clear that this was meant to be ceremonial as there were so many holes in it. Silverstream twisted the cup this way and that is where they saw that on the inside of the cup was the following inscription:
Your chances of success Bore as much as a leaky cup.