//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9: Reunion 
// Story: Professor Layton and the Equestrian Silence 
// by Crystal Blue 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 9: Reunion

The locomotive drew majestically into the station of Canterlot. Applejack dismounted first, followed by her brother and the towering human. It didn’t take long for the professor to pick Twilight out from the rolling waves of cantering ponies, her lavender body being surprisingly conspicuous.
“Ah, there we go!” Suddenly, the orange mare accompanying him bolted towards the same target, almost knocking over Layton and several passers-by in the process. Twilight had barely turned to notice the obvious top hat (complete with a snoozing Owloysius on the hat’s brim) before Applejack made a diving tackle.
“Twi! I knew you’d get help!” The apple farmer was smiling and slightly breathless, but that nothing in comparison to the mare she was trampling.
“Apple... jack... you’re *cough* crushing... me...”
“Oh, a mite sorry.” Up stood AJ, scooping her trusty cowgirl hat from the station floor. She proceeded to help up her unicorn friend.
“It’s okay. Good to see you, Professor. I see you got my note.”
“Indeed. Owloysius is having a rest for the moment. Catching the train in motion must have been exhausting for him.” The professor couldn’t help but notice the amount of commuter ponies throwing looks at his bipedal figure, ranging from quick glances and open-mouthed gawks to mumbles and gossiping. Undeterred, he gently lifted the dormant bird from his hat and passed him into Twilight’s magic.
“Well, there’s still the Princess’ request to visit, but first I’ve got someone I’d like to introduce you to, Professor.” The mare motioned over to a nearby potted shrubbery which was shaking unnaturally.
“I would say your friend is quite the timid pony, Twilight.” He wore a gentle smile, before walking gingerly over to the shrub and bending his knees to match the plant’s height.
“It’s okay,” softly spoke the professor. “I am a friend of Twilight Sparkle and Applejack.” At the mention of these names, the shrub sported a pair of brilliant blue eyes. Suddenly the foliage spoke, very, very softly.
“...R-really?” The voice was female, that much could be told.
“Yes. My name is Professor Hershel Layton.” The bush squeaked with a quiver.
“I’m... I’m...” Hershel could here Twilight groan from behind him, but he persisted.
“It’s okay, miss. Take your time.”
“I’m... Fluttershy...”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Fluttershy.” The timid creature began to emerge from the shrub. She had a flowing mane and tail of a gentle pink colour, and a body of a well-matching yellow. She sported a pair of feathered wings and her cutie mark consisted of three pink-and-blue butterflies.
“I would say, Miss Fluttershy, that you have a talent for looking after creatures.” Fluttershy raised her head and made a glancing look at the professor’s eyes, before looking away again.
“Yes.” She replied with a smile.
“Do you enjoy tea, Fluttershy?” proposed the professor.
“Oh, yes, I love tea. I like sweet teas the best.”
“Ah, I know the ideal tea for you.” Layton reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a small leaf, a pair of similar-looking berries and a tea strainer. “Macintosh, may I have two of the bottles, please?” Quickly enough, the hulking red stallion pulled out two canteens from his saddlebags and passed them to the professor. Pretty much everyone noticed Big Mac’s blushing cheeks when he cast a glance at the nervous pegasus on the station floor. The professor emptied one canteen onto the plant.
“Twilight, could you heat up this bottle for me, please?” On command, the gifted unicorn fired a spell at the other, full container, which was wisely stood on the floor, while Layton popped the ingredients into the empty bottle. Twilight levitated the boiling water to the ingredient bottle, emptying it completely, before swirling and swishing it around. Layton placed the strainer on the now empty bottle, which received a beautiful tasting liquid to it.
“Here you go, Fluttershy. It is a recipe I obtained whilst in a town of illusion.” The winged pony took a sip of the bottle and a beaming smile ran across her face.
“Oh, this is the sweetest tea I’ve had forever! I must get the recipe from you.” The professor could help but chuckle at the timid one’s shell-shedding.
“Haha, of course. But at this moment, we have more pressing concerns. Princess Celestia awaits us.” The group of ponies (accompanied by a human and an owl) headed from the station, down the main road towards the towering castle. On the way, the mass passed a stadium, espying a couple of well-built earth stallions heaving in large speakers. Overseeing them were three ponies.
A cream earth pony with two-tone blue hair and a strong fashion sense was keeping a smooth eye on proceedings wearing a never-ending happiness. She was flanked on her left by a tan-skinned pegasus stallion with a well-trimmed moustache, a lopsided short black mane and a red, eight-branched, flat-edged star for a cutie mark. To the cream pony’s right was a light pink pony with medium-length blonde hair and a short-skirted red blouse. She wore blue ocean waves as her cutie mark.
“Easy, my boys!” The cream mare called out. “We don’t want you doing a number on yourselves now, do we?”
“Are you okay, miss?” The professor, intrigued by the scenario, felt it just to approach. The mare’s eyes and smile widened quickly.
“Oh, my, you are DARLING, you handsome thing! You may not be a pony, but I do know style when I see it. Ow! I am Sapphire Shores! A pah-leasure making your acquaintance!”
“Professor Layton, charmed,” Hershel tipped his hat.
“Oh, how rude of me. Allow me to introduce my fellow musicians. This stunning stallion here is Pony Flow.” The pegagus nodded, a stray section of fringe flopping down over one eye. “And this beautiful mare here is Ash Neigh B.” The pony in question smiled.
“It is a pleasure to meet you all.”
“Say! I do believe you’ve got a good head under that hat. Maybe you could help me out here.”
“I shall endeavour to help, Miss Shores.”

Puzzle 026

“Our concert tonight is gonna be se-e-ensational! We’ve got some great musical talent, but the stadium wants to charge outrageous amounts of money for the tickets. It made me less than happy, but I can’t for the life of me remember how much. I’d thought I’d chip in to cut the price of the tickets.
“Now, the stadium is 50 rows high and 80 seats wide. I’m giving the stadium 50,000 of my finest bits to cut the prices, and I aim to reduce the tickets prices my beautiful fans pay by 25%. How much was the stadium planning to sell each ticket for?”

“I believe I have your answer, Miss Shores.”
“Please! Call me Sapphire!” The professor smiled, before taking Sapphire through to the answer.
“Oh, my...” an astonished Pony of Pop replied. “That is truly outrageous! Oh, I need to sit down before I faint...” Without a moment’s hesitation, Layton grabbed the tea bottle and gave it to Sapphire, prompting her to take a sizeable gulp of the sweet beverage.
“Oh, sir, you are full of surprises. Such a tasty flavour! Ow! Now I’m ready to show those stadium bosses just who is the diva!” With that, Sapphire Shores, Pony Flow and Ash Neigh B. vanished inside to go to war against the unscrupulous stadium owners.
“Let us continue to the palace, shall we?” The mildly mismatched movement milled to shadow of their grand destination.
Entering the palace was of no problem, what with Twilight being well-known and liked among the guards and staff. Although they were informed of the dapper non-equine guest to the palace, the only ones to keep nonchalant were the guards. The remaining staff couldn’t help but notice the biped as he paced the regal halls. Finally, the group reached the open throne room doors, a memorable sight to them all.
“Hmm...” Layton found it amusing that the puzzle that Princess Celestia had placed on the double doors still remained. Twilight took the lead.
“Princess Celestia!”
“Twilight Sparkle, my prized student!” The princess wore a look of relief, barely holding back the tears that would belie her affection. The young unicorn dashed to her royal teacher. Nuzzling each other like mother and child, they separated again, smiles on their faces. Celestia turned to the professor.
“Thank you, Hershel, for bringing my student back to me.” Layton tipped his hat.
“It was the least I could do, your Highness. I would believe, though, that is not the only reason for our summoning.”
“Very well deduced, Professor Hershel Layton.” Standing at the door was the slender and shadowy figure of the Night Princess. Fluttershy couldn’t help but wince slightly. Twilight couldn’t help but greet her.
“Princess Luna!”
“Twilight Sparkle,” the familiar formality of Luna’s tone began. “It pleases us that thou ist safe.”
“Thank you, Princess.”
“Back to the matter at hand,” Celestia inserted herself into the conversation again. “Professor, I may have originally thought that your intellect was one of a kind. But a recent... arrival at the palace would say otherwise.”
“Well, many intellects rival my own, your Highness. Of whose arrival do you speak?”
“Maybe you could tell me.” The Princess stood aside, revealing a small boy, dressed in a blue jumper and hat.
“Professor!”
“Luke, my boy. It seems that I taught you well.” The professor’s mouth curled up at the corners, beaming with pride. Luna gasped at this.
“You... know this child?”
“Know me?! I’m Professor Layton’s apprentice!”
“Luke,” Layton half-whispered, so not to draw the attention of the younger princess. “It would not serve a gentleman well to raise his voice at royalty.”
“Oh... sorry, Professor.”
“It’s quite alright. I would like to introduce you to the Princesses Celestia and Luna. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, allow me to introduce you to a close friend of mine, Luke Triton.”
“It’s so lovely to meet you, Luke,” greeted Celestia with a chuckle.
“Charmed,” Luna’s attempt at a cordial welcome fell a little short of warm. “You must forgive one’s lack of social graces, Luke Triton. A thousand years away from home will have that effect on anypony.”
“Ey?” The boy seemed confused. The professor spoke up again.
“I will explain later, Luke. Let’s just say it was a regrettable time for Princess Luna, best discussed somewhere away from the open.” Luke nodded, accepting, while the professor turned back to the princess on the podium, shortly accompanied by the younger sister. “I believe this is much more than mere coincidence.”
“Why do you think, Professor?” asked the sovereign of the sun.
“Why would someone want to kidnap both Twilight Sparkle and Applejack?”
“The Elements...”
“That was precisely my line of thinking. A mere supposition, though it is the most likely of reasons. I would take it that Miss Fluttershy here is also a representative of one of the Elements.” Fluttershy perked up just a touch, but still timidly.
“Oh, yes... there are six of us...”
“Then I only count three thus far. Who else are we missing?”
“Well,” continued Twilight, “there’s Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Rainbow Dash. I haven’t heard from them for a while.”
“Hmmm... Do you know where they went?”
“Rainbow’s gone to Cloudsdale,” replied Applejack. “They’re up there preparin’ weather fer the plantin’ of the summer crops.”
“You mean to say,” Luke blurted out with just a modicum of restraint, “that there are ponies that can control the weather?”
“Yer darn’ tootin’, little fella! When storms are needed, they bring ‘em. When the sun’s needed, the clouds are moved or bucked. Why? Don’t you have any humans controllin’ the weather?”
“Uh, not really...” Applejack was caught off-guard by this new information.
“Well, how about Miss Pie and Miss Rarity?” The professor continued.
“Pinkie is supposed to be working at Sugarcube Corner,” Fluttershy added, a little more confident. “Rarity was visiting Canterlot to promote a new fashion line.”
“In which case, we should locate Miss Rarity first.” No sooner had the words escaped his lips than a barrage of hoofsteps echoed down the hallway. One of the guards in the rush stopped at the gaping doorway.
“Your Majesties. We have a situation in the corridor to the castle ballroom.”
“We will be there immediately,” Celestia replied, taking command. “Twilight, Hershel, with me.” The two obeyed. “Luna, protect the others.”
“It shall be done,” the deep blue alicorn responded in military fashion.