//------------------------------// // Confrontation: Prince Blueblood (T) // Story: My Little Investigations: Marehunter // by Metool Bard //------------------------------// December 14, 11:57 AM Canterlot Castle Infirmary Wing *** When we got back to the infirmary, I realized that everything was a lot quieter than when we first checked up on Blueblood. However, it wasn't too quiet. There was just a peaceful atmosphere around the place that most infirmaries have. I take this as a good sign for two reasons. One, it means Blueblood has calmed down. And two, I don't have to worry too much about watching my back for anything unexpected. To further prove my point, we saw that Blueblood was simply enjoying a fancy luncheon set up on a tray. I could hear Spike drooling at the magnificent spread, and honestly, I don't really blame him. Blueblood's lunch was more like something you'd give somepony for breakfast in bed rather than anything you'd find at a hospital. Then again, we are in Canterlot, and he is a prince. This kind of thing is more or less expected. "Good to see you've calmed down, Your Highness," said Kibitz. Blueblood looked up from his meal and raised a hoof, signifying that he wasn't done chewing. When he finally swallowed, he looked at me and smiled. "Ah, Twilight Sparkle. Nice to see you again," he said, wiping his lips with his napkin. "Have you made any progress in your investigation?" "Some," I said. "Actually, I was wondering if I could ask you a few more questions about last night." Blueblood tilted his head. "I already told you everything, Twilight Sparkle. I discovered a foe, we fought, and I lost. What more is there to say?" "A lot more, actually," I said. "Keep in mind, none of us were there. We need you to describe what happened in full detail, or at least as much detail as you're able to remember." Blueblood tapped his muzzle with his hoof. "Well, I do hate to be disturbed during my royal luncheon, but this is a rather delicate situation," he mused. "I suppose I could make an exception in this case and indulge you." "Glad to see you've got your priorities straight, Blueblood," said Shining with a sneer. Blueblood let out a haughty snort and ignored Shining's comment. I guess he was keeping his temper in check for Celestia's sake; otherwise I can't imagine him taking too kindly to that insult. "Let's just get on with it," I said. "Spike, you ready?" "Huh, wha?" sputtered Spike, hastily wiping drool from his mouth. "Uh, yeah. Sure thing, Twi." I giggled despite myself. "We'll take a break for lunch after this, I promise," I said. "For now, we still have work to do." "Gotcha," said Spike, opening up his notepad. Blueblood raised an eyebrow. "You seem to take this insubordination rather well, Twilight Sparkle." "I, don't really consider it insubordination," I said with a shrug. "Spike's just hungry. Besides, I do believe we have more pressing matters to attend to, don't you?" "Oh, right. Of course," said Blueblood, clearing his throat. Okay, I have to make sure that Blueblood doesn't go on any unnecessary tangents. I've noticed that he seems quick to criticize my conduct as a princess, and I can sense that it's going to really grate on me after a while if I don't do something about it. Not only is it irrelevant to the matter at hoof, but to be frank, I find it rather insulting. Which is why I think it's best that I keep Blueblood's testimony focused. Should be easy enough. In theory, anyway. *** Testimony: The Epic Duel *** "It all started at around eight o'clock, just when the Gala was in full swing," said Blueblood. "I was just mingling with everypony and minding my own business when I heard a sound from the forest. Thinking it was some rogue wishing us harm, I ventured into the underbrush. Sure enough, there in the forest was a dangerous rapscallion completely obscured in shadow. I confronted him, and it was clear that I was the superior opponent. However, the rascal cheated. He used some sort of spell to disable my horn, and then knocked me out. When I woke up, I was in this very bed." I get the feeling that Blueblood's ego is exaggerating a few parts of this story. I'm not saying he can't hold his own in a fight; I can't prove that one way or another. But against a foe like Mare-Do-Well or her impostor, well, it's not that simple. Of course, it's going to take a lot of doing to get Blueblood to admit that. Well, here goes nothing. "You claimed before that you couldn't see your opponent all that well," I said. "How, then, did you figure that you were the better fighter?" Blueblood smiled. "You can tell a lot about an opponent from their fighting style, Twilight Sparkle," said he. "This rogue relied entirely on cheap tactics. Sneaking around; staying in the shadows; that sort of thing. Had he been a match for me, he would've had the dignity to fight me head-on." I can already write this off as Blueblood blowing hot air. Brawn alone does not determine the outcome of a fight. If anything, his opponent was just being smart. I'll need to focus on something else. "So you said you heard a noise coming from the forest, and thus automatically assumed that it was a foe," I said. "You know as well as I that no one goes into that forest during the Gala with the exception of the Royal Groundskeeper," said Blueblood simply. "It couldn't have been the wildlife, either." "Do you think you could describe this sound for us, Your Highness?" asked Kibitz. "Well, I distinctly heard talking," said Blueblood, stroking his chin. "And there was also a clicking noise. But not the kind of clicking you'd hear from insects. It was a lot more, mechanical. Probably some kind of weapon, if I had to guess." That was just the opening I needed to take his ego out of the equation. I smirked and tapped my forehead smartly. "Blueblood, what would you say if I told you that I could tell you exactly what that noise was?" I inquired. Blueblood blinked. "I'd say good for you, Twilight Sparkle. You've figured out the obvious." "I in no way dispute that," I said. "But it appears we're not exactly on the same page here." "What do you mean by that?" asked Blueblood. "I mean that sound you heard could not have been the assailant." "Ah!" Blueblood flinched. That revelation certainly hit a nerve. "Wh-whatever do you mean by that, Twilight Sparkle?" said Blueblood, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow. "I know what I heard! It had to be our foe; I know it!" "That's a lie," I said bluntly. "You know as well as I do that what you heard was nothing more than Photo Finish and Coco Pommel holding a photo-op!" "I-impossible! I saw no such thing!" "Maybe you didn't see them, but they certainly saw you." "And how, may I ask, do you intend to prove that?" "With this," I said, showing Blueblood the photos. "See this last photo here? I have it on good authority that this white pixel at the edge of the photo is your horn." Blueblood looked at the photo and squinted. "I don't see anything of the sort." "Look closer," I said, pointing with my hoof. "Notice how this white speck has a black aura around it?" "Vaguely," said Blueblood with a shrug. "It still could be anything." "Well, you said before that your horn was disabled by some sort of magic," I said. "Tell me, what form did this magic take?" Sweat was trickling down Blueblood's face. "I-I'm not sure. I-it happened so fast, I couldn't tell." "Allow me to jog your memory then," I said, showing him the fourth photo. "Does this black wisp over Ms. Pommel's head look familiar?" "I-I... Yike!" Blueblood recoiled again. Now we're getting somewhere. "So, you've seen this before," I stated plainly. Blueblood sighed. "Y-yes. Th-that is the magic the ruffian used to disable my horn." "Which brings me to my final point," I said. "You didn't really expect to get attacked, did you? You just wanted to know why Photo Finish was holding a photo-op in the middle of the Gala!" Blueblood blushed profusely. "W-well, you see, th-that's not the only explanation. M-maybe I just wanted to make sure they were safe! Th-there was a ruffian in the forest, after all!" "Okay, now you're just grasping at straws," said Spike, folding his arms. "Twi already figured you out, Prince Blueblood. You can't lie anymore." "I-I'm not lying!" roared Blueblood. "I did duel that assailant!" "Pardon me, Your Highness, but the photographic evidence says otherwise," said Kibitz, displaying the remaining three photos. "If you truly did battle this foe, Ms. Finish would've captured it on film. Especially if you were using magic to illuminate the shadow, which you never appeared to do at any point. I must say, it's quite unbecoming of a prince to lie so brazenly." Blueblood had no retort for that. Instead, he let out a dejected sigh. "D-don't you think this is embarrassing enough?" he grumbled. "The most prestigious event in Equestria, and I spend the majority of it unconscious! Not only that, but I wake up next to a *ahem* civilian of all things! This has to be my most humiliating experience as a prince!" Just as I thought. His ego was interfering with his ability to tell the truth in his testimony. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, we should be able to get a better idea of what really happened. "Take it easy there, Blueblood," Shining Armor scolded. "You don't want us to tell Celestia that you've been misbehaving again, do you?" Blueblood's eyes bugged out. "You wouldn't dare." "That all depends on whether or not you decide to cooperate, Blueblood," I said firmly. "After all, you yourself said that this was a delicate situation. Ergo, you should be truthful with me so that I can find your attacker." Blueblood paused for a moment before clearing his throat. "I, suppose there's some truth to that," he conceded. "Alright, Twilight Sparkle. I'll tell you the full truth. But please, don't let what I say leave these walls." I sighed. "I'm not going to lie for your sake, Blueblood. Not with so much at stake." "Oh, right. Of course you wouldn't," Blueblood mumbled. "Perhaps you're a better princess than I give you credit for, Twilight Sparkle." It took turning yourself into a hypocrite to realize that? Ugh, whatever. I've come to the conclusion that Blueblood's a lost cause. If he wants to uphold the legacy of his ancestors, fine. That's his prerogative. I just think he's going about it the wrong way. "Just tell us what really happened, alright?" I said. "Right, right," said Blueblood with a nod. *** Testimony: What Really Happened *** "It's just as you say, I'm afraid," said Blueblood. "I was curious about Photo Finish's seemingly random photo-op being held in the forest. When I went to ask her what was going on, a mysterious force overtook me from above. I can't say which direction it came from; it was all a blur. I fought back the best I could, but the enemy disabled my horn, so my options were limited. Of course, you know the rest." So instead of a noble hero, Blueblood was just a curious onlooker. I don't see how there's any shame in that; I'd probably do the same thing if I was in his horseshoes. But while he is being truthful, I still feel that his testimony was incomplete. Time to fill in the blanks. "You keep saying that some sort of magic disabled your horn, preventing you from using magic," I said, knitting my brow. "Any idea what kind of magic it was?" "All I remember is that it was black and sinister," said Blueblood gravely. "Most likely, the rogue was using some form of dark magic." "I see," I said, stroking my chin in thought. "Tell me, did you happen to hear anything when you were attacked?" Blueblood scrunched up his face and rubbed the side of his head. "I-I'm trying to remember. I-I think there was some kind of melody, but it was barely audible." Hmm. That's three times I've heard this story. It doesn't seem possible, but deep down, I don't think this is a coincidence. I straightened up and tapped my forehead smartly. "Blueblood, I think I know what kind of magic was used to disable your horn," I said. Blueblood blinked. "You do? But, I barely even remember it. How were you able to figure it out with such a scant description, Twilight Sparkle?" "To be honest, I haven't," I confessed. "It's just a hunch. But considering what we've been dealing with, it's still very likely." "Hunch or not, it's better than nothing, Twilie," said Shining Armor. "What's your take?" "I think the magic that was used on Blueblood was none other than Pan's Music Code." Blueblood tilted his head. "Pan's what?" "Pan's Music Code is a method of casting magic through music," I explained. "So far, I've heard three separate accounts of it being used at last night's Gala. There's Ms. Spitfire, Ms. Hooves, and now you. The problem is that it hardly qualifies as dark magic." "But the magic in the photo is clearly dark magic, Twi," said Spike, pointing at the photo in question. "I know that, Spike," I said. "But you have to understand. Since Pan's Music Code is derived from song rather than arcane energy, it can be combined with other forms of magic. Nevertheless, you have to be a really powerful minstrel mage to pull something like that off, and I don't think Mare-Do-Well fits the bill, nor does her impostor." "What makes you say that, Your Highness?" inquired Kibitz. "Let's look at the aerial schematic again," I said, taking it out. "There are four sets of footprints that were recorded at the crime scene. There's Blueblood, Photo Finish, Coco Pommel, and Derpy Hooves. What's missing is the hoofprints of the attacker. Now, the best explanation for this is that she used her wings to fly above the ground. And that means her structure is based off of a pegasus, not a unicorn. Ergo, it would be impossible for her to have control over that kind of magic." Spike scratched his head. "Well, what if she's an alicorn ponunculus? That's possible, isn't it?" "No, that can't be it, either," I said, shaking my head. "You can't create a ponunculus based off of an alicorn. It's impossible. The ponunculus's core is simply not designed to generate that much raw magical energy." "Well then, I'm stumped," Spike sighed. I gave Spike a reassuring smirk. "Don't worry, Spike. There has to be some reason for this," I said. "We just haven't found it yet." "Well, where are we gonna find it, Twilie?" asked Shining. "Your Highness!" Before I could answer, a white unicorn with a black mane, wide-framed glasses, and a pen and ink bottle for a Cutie Mark rushed in. "Ah, Raven," said Kibitz, adjusting his spectacles. "I take it Princess Celestia has some news for us." "Um, yes. There are two items to report," she said, flipping through her own notepad. "First and foremost, Princess Twilight. We just got a request from the Manehattan Police Department. They claim that four civilian ponies are investigating a crime scene at your behest, and they wish for confirmation." Hmm. It sounds like Octavia's group has stumbled onto something big. It that's the case, it's possible that this is where Mare-Do-Well's doppelgänger is hiding out. While there's no way to say that for certain, I can't take that chance and bring her investigation to a halt. "Spike, take a letter," I said, clearing my throat. "Oh, allow me," said Raven, her pen already hovering inches away from her own notepad. I turned to Spike, and he simply shrugged. I guess he's okay with it. "Right. Thank you," I said, beginning again. "'To Whom it May Concern: I do hereby confirm that Ms. Octavia Melody, Ms. Vinyl Scratch, Ms. Rarity, and Ms. Fluttershy are indeed investigating a matter of great importance at my request. Please do not impede them. Best regards, Twilight Sparkle; Princess of Friendship.'" "Very good, Your Highness. I'll send this out as soon as I'm able," said Raven. "Oh, and before I forget, Princess Celestia wishes for you to have lunch with her in the Royal Dining Hall. She says it's imperative that she speak with you." I can't say I was expecting this. Ever since I became a princess, Celestia no longer felt the need to check up on me (at least I think that's when she stopped checking up on me; it might've been before that). If she wants to talk to me, it must be something important. "I'll be right there," I said, bowing to Blueblood. "Thank you for your testimony, Blueblood. It was most helpful once you started telling the truth." "Y-yes, well, there's no harm in a little white lie, now is there?" said Blueblood with a nervous chuckle. I think my friend Applejack would staunchly disagree with that statement. "No comment," I said. "Get well soon, Prince Blueblood. C'mon, guys." With that, we followed Raven out of the infirmary. Well, on the plus side, I think we have a clear picture of what happened to Blueblood last night. However, I haven't forgotten that he wasn't the only one who was attacked that night. After meeting with Celestia, I'm going to need to pay a visit to the dungeons and get Pine Talon's story. ... Actually, now that I think about it, this might be a good opportunity to get some more information. Sure, Celestia's not hiding anything from me (she'd never do that), but she was in charge of Pine Talon's trial. I probably should learn more about this tengu assassin before interviewing him. Plus, she also knows a lot about all sorts of magic. Maybe she has an explanation for the phenomenon in the photos. I'm sure she'd be willing to help if I just asked. Still, I can't help but wonder what she wants to see me about. I just hope it's nothing bad. Bad news is the last thing we need at this juncture...