Back in Equestria, at the crack of dawn, Clarion Call finally came upon the worn-down shop he had been searching for. He wiggled the knob, but the door was locked.
"Hey!" he shouted, pounding on the door. "Haggle, you in there?! Open up!" There was no answer. He grinned. "Good thing I tagged the place," he thought as his horn flickered to life and he teleported inside.
He observed the room full of dusty, disorganized wares, carelessly piled atop one another. "Yeesh," he hissed. "This place has seen better days. How am I gonna find it under all this junk?"
"Junk, you say?" an elderly voice said behind him as a light fixture clicked on illuminating a gray-coated pony with a braided, light blue mane and a small pair of glasses clutching the top of his muzzle. "That's more than a little rude, seeing as how you've broken into my shop before I've opened it for the day."
Clarion turned toward the shopkeeper and said, "Yeah, well, I'm trying to keep a schedule here."
"Clarion Call!" The shopkeeper gasped, taking a step back, a scowl on his face. "How dare you show your face in my shop after everything you've stolen from me!"
"Sure, it's awkward, I get it." Clarion rolled his eyes. "But this time I'm actually willing to pay you for something, so calm down before you give yourself a stroke."
"Your money is no good here, thief!" The shopkeeper shook his head. "Leave my shop this instant. And rest assured, I'll be reporting this to the Royal Guard as soon as you do!"
"Oh, hey, look at that!" Clarion exclaimed, pointing toward the wall behind the shopkeeper, upon which had been nailed Clarion's very own wanted poster. "Didn't realize they were passing those out! That picture's really out of date, though. I've lost a little weight since then. Thanks for noticing by the way."
The shopkeeper stomped his hoof and shouted, "Get out!"
Clarion sighed. "Fine, here you go, jerk." He produced a rather large sack from his saddlebag, suspended in the air with his magic, before tossing it onto the floor between the two ponies. The heavy sound of countless, shifting metal pieces denoted that the bag's contents were gold bits.
"That's compensation for everything I've ever stolen from you," Clarion said. "I've got two more bags, and if you help me out, you'll get all three."
The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow. "We'll just see about that..." He prodded at the sack until the top fell open. He practically salivated as he saw the sheer amount of money in the bag. "Keep talking."
"'Atta boy, glad to see you haven't changed! I'm looking for the Alicorn Amulet," Clarion said. The old stallion to jerked his head up and raised his brow.
"Can't say I was expecting to hear that." the shopkeeper said.
"I've been tracking the thing across Equestria," Clarion said, "and the last piece of info I got led me here. If you've still got it, I'm buyin'."
"Something so valuable..." The shopkeeper tilted his head. "And to think you'd actually be willing to pay for it! What do you want it for?"
"Power," Clarion said. "I know, I know, 'power is a means, not an end', etcetera, but I'm working on something that's top secret, very hush-hush, so don't get nosy! All you need to know is that your contribution will make you a very rich pony."
"Seems as though you have at least some idea of what it does, then." The shopkeeper stroked his chin. "Well, that particular item has already been sold to somepony else, and even if it weren't, I can't imagine a scoundrel like yourself using a relic like that for anything pleasant."
"Who'd you sell it to?" Clarion asked.
The shopkeeper raised his hoof and shook his head emphatically. "Terribly sorry, but it's against store policy to share that sort of information."
Clarion Call produced a second sack of bits, just as large and the first. He unceremoniously tossed it between them. "Bag number two for the name."
"Trixie Lulamoon." The shopkeeper snatched up the bag quite quickly.
"I've heard of her, travelling magician or something," Clarion said. "Shouldn't be too hard to find. Anyways, think fast!" Immediately, the third sack shot out of the saddlebag and landed in the shopkeepers compulsively outstretched arms. He collapsed under the sudden weight.
"In exchange for what?" the shopkeeper asked as stood up and adjusted his glasses.
"I was never here," Clarion said. "You didn't see me, you didn't talk to me, and you definetely didn't hear me ask about the Alicorn Amulet. Capiche?"
"Fair enough." The shopkeeper grinned. "Thank you for your business, and please come again."
***
Twilight Sparkle's parents came upon the large, stone door, which was promptly opened. Spike had been waiting for them. "Glad you're here," he said, the bags under his eyes reflecting his recent lack of sleep. "Everypony else is already inside."
"Thank you, Spike," Twilight's mother said, embracing the baby dragon tightly. "It was very kind of Princess Celestia to let us use the Castle Ballroom to come together like this." Her father nodded as they entered the grand chamber. Inside were numerous cots, chairs, and a wide variety of food and drink. The Apples were there: Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, and a Apple Bloom.
Magnum and Pearl, Rarity's parents, were seated near them, Sweetie Belle at their side. Scootaloo sat between Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. A stallion who resembled Rainbow Dash sat among them.
A few feet away were Pinkie Pie's parents, Cloudy Quartz and Igneous Rock, as well as her sisters, Marble, Maud, and Limestone. With them sat the Cakes, whom Pinkie had been staying with in Ponyville, and their two infant children.
"I think we should say 'hello' to the Apples first," Twilight's father said to his wife. "It was Applejack who disappeared with Twilight." As they approached the other families, the doors swung open yet again, and Princess Celestia walked into the room. All conversation stopped, and all eyes turned toward her. Everyone waited with bated breath.
"Let me begin by saying that it is an honor to meet all of you," Celestia said as she approached them. "Your loved ones have aided my sister and I time and again, and they are all exemplary heroines. I offer you my deepest condolences on the recent news of their disappearance."
"Have your guards found anything?" Spike asked.
"Very little." Celestia bowed her head. "Though we do have more information to work with than we had at first. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were last seen in Las Pegasus, as we initially believed. The griffon they were travelling with, who goes by the name of Gilda, is also missing."
Carrot Cake frowned. "Was this 'Gilda' involved?"
"We've found nothing to indicate that," Celestia replied. "Rarity and Fluttershy were spotted heading into diamond dog territory the day before yesterday, following one of them for reasons unknown."
Spike clenched his fists and said, "I bet they kidnapped them!"
Princess Celestia shook her head delicately. "The Diamond Dogs allowed my soldiers to explore the entirety of their mine, but we found nothing. Spot, the one they were travelling with, testified that Rarity and Fluttershy did, indeed follow him to the mines, but that they departed shortly thereafter, heading back toward Ponyville. We've found no evidence to contradict that testimony."
"What about Twilight and my big sis?!" Applebloom shouted.
"All we know is that somepony tampered with the train they were riding," Celestia replied. "The cart they were in was disconnected from the rest of the train at the front and back, but nopony we've come across witnessed what, exactly, happened. There is no trace of the cart itself, and no clues at the scene to help us. We found everypony who had tickets placing them in that cart bound and gagged near the train station, but none of them were able to identify their attackers."
"Tell me, Apples," the Princess said, "did you notice whether or not the cart they boarded had been empty?" All three family members shook their heads.
"I see," Celestia replied, lowering her head. "What's more, the Zap Apple order that came from Princess Cadence, which actually requested the presence of all of Twilight's friends, had been intercepted by an unknown party, and altered." Everyone gasped.
The stallion with the rainbow-colored main stood up. "So basically, my daughter and her friends vanished without a trace from three separate places. What could that mean?"
"I fear that this may have been an organized effort to deprive Equestria of the Elements of Harmony, or perhaps a personal vendetta against Twilight and her friends." All heads sank as the family members whispered amongst themselves. "Spike?" the Princess asked.
Spike nodded and said, "I did what you said, I took the Elements of Harmony out of the library's display case and hid them."
"Good, do not tell anypony where they are," Celestia replied.
She then addressed everyone in the room. "Rest assured, we are devoting as many resources as possible to this investigation." She lifted her head and spoke more forcefully. "What's more, those six ponies are among the most resourceful I've seen. I have great confidence that wherever they are, they are unharmed. We will do everything in our power to bring our girls home."
"Thank you, Princess," Spike said. His voice was quivering. The others extended similarly-phrased gratitude.
"In the meantime, I encourage all of you to remain here, together. This is likely going to become a more difficult process as our search continues, and I believe that it will be beneficial for all of you to have each other to lean on." All heads nodded, and all ponies turned to look at one another, smiling weakly.
"What about Shining Armor and Cadence?" Twilight's mother called out. "Will they be joining us?"
Celestia glanced to the side. "I do not know. They haven't left the scene of Twilight's and Applejack's disappearance since the investigation began. Shining has been working himself to the bone trying to find clues. He... is not handling this well, and Princess Cadence is doing everything she can to help him."
Princess Celestia bid them all farewell, and exited the ballroom. Away from the view of others, she exhaled deeply and wiped a tear from her own eye.
***
"Shining, you really should take a break others take over," Princess Cadence said, laying her hoof on her husband's shoulder. "The Sun's starting to set, and you've been wandering up and down this track for the better part of the last two days. What are you even looking for?"
"Clues," Shining replied as he glared down at a section of the tracks, his jaw clenched and his horn aglow.
"So let's allow the other soldiers to take over for a while and head back to our tent. You need to get some rest," she said.
Shining continued to shine the light of his horn down on the tracks as he slowly moved forward. "The others don't know what to look for. I do."
"And don't you think it's about time you told me what you were looking for?" Cadence asked.
"Yeah." Shining sighed. "I'm sorry I've been so short with you." He turned to gaze into her eyes. "I'm just worried."
Cadence locked him in a quick embrace. "We both are."
"As for what I'm looking for, do you remember those wanted posters that were being passed around the Kingdom?" Shining asked.
"Yes, I think so..." Cadence replied, tapping her chin. "The ones about that unicorn, Clarion Call?"
Shining Armor nodded and said, "Exactly." He turned his focus back to the train tracks. "He and I served on the same squad in the Royal Guard, back before I was promoted to Captain, and before he was dishonorably discharged and arrested."
Cadence gasped. "Arrested?"
"Yeah." Shining Armor nodded. "When I knew him, he used his magic to create these sorts of two-way windows that allowed for communication between locations that were really far apart. The guy was a total jerk, and I never really liked him, but that ability came in handy."
"I'd imagine it would," Cadence replied, following him along the tracks.
"But that wasn't all he could do," Shining said. "Eventually, we found out that he could place a sort of magical mark anywhere he wanted. He could teleport to any of those marks at any time. He had been using that to commit countless thefts."
"Right, I remember that now," Cadence replied.
"And I was the one who apprehended him." Shining stopped to focus more closely on a single spot before shaking his head and continuing on. "After the warrant was issued for his arrest, I was tasked with bringing him in. While tracking him, I had figured out how to use my own magic to detect those marks of his."
"After that," he said, "all I had to do was figure out the next place he'd rob, which wound up being a rare diamond exhibit at the Trottingham Museum."
"I waited by the mark he had placed until the museum closed for the night, and trapped him with a barrier spell once he showed up. He went to prison, but wound up escaping three years ago. It was on the night that Nightmare Moon returned. He took advantage of the chaos. He hadn't been seen since."
Cadence was now walking alongside her husband. "Didn't Princess Celestia seal away his magic?"
"She did," Shining Armor replied, sparing a glance up at her. "But he was seen using it again a few weeks ago."
"And you think—"
"Yes," Shining Armor said, "I think that when three pairs of ponies, all in completely different places, and all vital to Equestria's defense, disappear without a trace on the same day, it's extremely likely that Clarion Call is involved. I'm going to search every inch of this track until I find his mark."
Princess Cadence frowned. "Shining, that's going to take a very long time."
"It takes as long as it takes," Shining Armor said flatly.
Cadence shrugged. "If all you're looking for is his mark, why not search the other two locations?"
"Come again?"
"The hotel room or the area around the diamond dogs' lair," Cadence said. "Those areas are much smaller than the length of this track, and if your theory is correct, you'll still find what you're looking for."
Shining grinned. "Babe, you're a genius." He gave her a peck on the cheek. "Why didn't I think of that?"
"Because you've spent the past two days in a constant state of panic and refused to sleep," Cadence replied gently.
Shining Armor scratched the back of his head. "I get it. I'll get some rest before we head out. It isn't fair to Twily if I do this half-flanked."
***
Two guards stood on either edge of the bridge connecting the sidewalk to the entrance of the great hall which contained the magically sealed vault of the Elements of Harmony. It was midnight, and though they were exhausted with everything that had been going on, the guards were ever-vigilant.
"I never like standing guard here so late at night," the guard on the right said.
"No kidding." The guard on the left nodded. "This area's so poorly lit, and it's so quiet here." He shuddered. "The slightest sound always makes me want to reach for my sword."
Suddenly, the sound of a snapping twig a few yards in front of them caught their attention. The guard on the left snorted. "See?"
"Actually..." the guard on the right said, peering into the darkness. "I think somepony's there." The other guard looked more closely as well, barely able to make out some sort of shadowy figure standing at the edge of the darkness.
"Look at how tall that thing is," the guard on the left said. "That's definitely not a pony, and it's really making me feel uneasy." His knees shook.
"What's your business here?!" the guard on the right said. A pair of eyes opened, glowing and featureless. Both guards started breathing heavily. The sight was making their skin crawl.
"Turn back!" The guard on the left perspired. "Turn back and get out of here or we'll throw you in the dungeon!" The glowing eyes tilted to the side.
"You heard him!" The guard on the right whimpered. "You can't be here!"
"You have until the count of three before I draw my swor—" the guard on the left was cut off as the figure darted out from the darkness straight towards him, moving so fast that both guards could only perceive his now-visible head as a gray blur, the rest of his body covered by a long, black coat.
As it closed in, the guard was slammed against the wall by an invisible force as a wave of pressure crashed down on him, pushing his lips apart, exposing his teeth, and blowing back his mane. His attacker had not physically touched him.
His armor was completely shattered as he screamed in pain, bruises now covering the entire front of his body. The street lights exploded, sending a cloud of sparkling glass shards showering in every direction. Only the moonlight illuminated the single claw that shot forth to grasp the guard's neck, pinning him against the wall.
The guard, wide-eyed and pale, was losing air. His vision was blurred, but he still managed to wrap his hooves around the thing's arm, applying as much pressure as he could. The glowing eyes, now only inches from the guard's face, illuminated a large, disgusting smile filled with pearly-white, asymmetrical teeth of varying sizes.
The other guard, having been knocked flat on his back by the pressure emanating from the creature, his armor now visibly cracked, watched helplessly as his comrade gradually loosened his grip on the monster's arm.
Finally, the poor stallion's legs fell, hanging lifelessly at his sides. The strange creature released its own grip, and the guard's limp form fell to the floor. Not even acknowledging the other guard, the monster slammed its palm against the door, causing it to break and fall inwards. It entered the hall and began to walk towards the other end.
The guard struggled to support himself on his elbows and turned to observe the thing that had gotten past them. The moonlight shining through the stained-glass windows offered a clearer view of the creature. Tall and thin, with arms and legs of a great length that was disproportionate to its torso, the creature's posture while walking was unmistakably elegant, a slight swagger punctuating each step.
"What is that thing?!" the guard whispered, feeling more at ease with each inch the creature put between them. Its head drifted back and forth, eyeing up each of the historical events depicted in the windows. It stopped in front of the vault door, which was said to contain the Elements of Harmony.
"That's it," the guard whispered with a grin. "Just try and force it open, monster!" The being did just that, slamming its palm against the surface as it had done to the entrance. The figure was immediately consumed by a bright light. It jolted backwards, stumbling away from the door, screeching in pain as the light enveloping it grew brighter. Though the guard was happy that the beast had been immobilized, the unusual sound it was making threatened to rupture his eardrums.
He covered his ears with his hooves and waited for reinforcements to be drawn to the activation of the failsafe. Unfortunately, after about a minute had passed, the containment field burst, and the creature returned to its upright position, as if nothing had happened to it at all.
"That just isn't possible..." the guard said, his mouth agape. Again, the creature slammed his palm against the vault door, only this time, the door collapsed, and the monster was unharmed. "He's immune to it now?" the guard thought, breathing heavily. "This is really bad. Just what in the hay am I dealing with?!"
The creature reached into the exposed vault and removed a box that was adorned with gems. The guard could hear the creak of metal hinges as the box was opened, and subsequently thrown to the ground. The Elements of Harmony were not contained within. Before the guard could react, the creature dashed back down the hall and was upon him. Anxiety overtook him again as this unknown monster leered down at him. He felt as though its very gaze was pressing him into the ground.
"Where are the Elements of Harmony?!" a deep voice growled, the tone of it making the guard feel as though his very bones were vibrating inside his body. He trembled under the monster's gaze.
"They've... they've been hidden..." the guard said. "I wasn't told where, I'm sorry!" He had no idea why he was apologizing.
The monster straightened its stance, leaning away from the guard, who at this point was suffering from an extreme case of nausea. That was when a large, rough, leathery foot was dropped upon his throat. A squad of Pegasi soldiers arrived a few moments later, finding two fallen guards, injured but still alive, two shattered doors, and a lot of questions.