SPOILER WARNING: This Ponified episode contains heavy reference to the BBC Series Sherlock's 2nd episode, The Blind Banker. DO NOT READ IF YOU OBJECT TO THESE SPOILERS! Sherlock © the BBC
All MLP Characters © Hasbro. Unofficial names used where real names are unknown.
Back at Baker Street, the three ponies entered the flat. “They'll be back in Chineigh by tomorrow,” Applejack said resignedly.
“No,” Twilight denied. “They won't leave without what they came for.” She removed her coat and scarf, then stacked them on a book crate. “We need to find a hideout, a rendezvous. Somewhere in this message it must tell us.” She consulted the wall of ciphers. Applejack stared at the photos as well, as if simply looking at them hard enough would solve the mystery.
“Well, maybe I should leave you to it,” Soarin' said, breaking the silence.
The two other ponies spoke simultaneously. “Yes, it would be easier to study if you left now.” Twilight agreed, as Applejack insisted, “no, no, you don't have to go…you can stay.” The earth pony glared at Twilight for a moment, then turned to the pegasus. “She's kidding,” she assured him. “Please stay, if you'd like.”
Soarin' smiled, then decided on a topic of conversation. “Is it just me, or is anypony else starving?”
“Oh, Celestia,” Twilight muttered to herself. Applejack, however, welcomed the distraction. A quick check of the kitchen found the fridge empty. She sighed, then checked the cupboards.
In the sitting room, Twilight had cleared a space on the desk to work. She jotted down notes, trying to jog her memory for some detail. Soarin' looked at the wall of photos. “So this is what you do,” he commented. “You and Applejack, you solve puzzles for a living?”
“Consulting detective,” the unicorn corrected crossly.
“Oh,” the pegasus said, nodding.
In the kitchen, Applejack found a jar of food. She opened it, then replaced the lid quickly, trying to seal the vile smell. No, not that.
Soarin' peered over Twilight's shoulder. “What are these squiggles?” he asked.
“They're numbers,” Twilight informed her, annoyed at the useless questions. “An ancient Chineighse dialect.”
“Oh, right, yeah, well, of course I should have known that,” the pegasus answered sarcastically.
“Yoo hoo!” Ms. Matilda whispered to Applejack from the kitchen door. She carried in a tray. “I've made punch, and a bowl of nibbles.”
“Ms. Matilda, you're too kind,” Applejack said gratefully.
“If it was Monday, I'd have been to the supermarket,” the donkey said apologetically, as if this boon wasn't more than enough.
“Thank you,” Applejack said as the landlady left. “Thank you”
At the desk, Soarin' picked up the evidence bag Gilda had left. Twilight almost protested, then decided not to bother. “So these numbers, it's a cipher?” the pegasus asked.
“Exactly,” the unicorn stated, scribbling again.
“And each pair of numbers is a word?”
Twilight stopped writing, surprised. She peered intently at the pegasus. “How did you know that?”
“Well, two words have already been translated here,” Soarin' said. He pointed at two words that had been written next to two pairs of numbers.
Twilight looked at the paper with growing excitement. “Applejack!” she called.
“Hmm?” The earth pony stopped mixing the punch and trotted over.
“Applejack, look at this.” Twilight tore the bag open and pulled out the photo. “Inkie, at the museum, she started to translate the code for us. We didn't see it.” She read the translation aloud. “Nine Mill.”
“Something millions?” Applejack suggested.
“Nine million bits, for what?” Twilight folded the photo and stashed it in her coat. “We need to know the end of this sentence.” She trotted towards the door.
“Where are you going?” Applejack asked.
“To the museum,” Twilight said as she threw on the coat and cinched her scarf. “To the restoration room. Oh, we must have been staring right at it!”
“At what?”
“The book, Applejack,” the unicorn explained. “The book, the key to cracking the cipher! Inkie used it to do this. While we were running around the gallery, she started to translate the code. It must be on her desk.” She ran down the stairs and onto the sidewalk, colliding with two tourists and causing one to drop a guide book as she stumbled out to call for a cab. “Taxi!”
The stallion of the pair complained in Germane to the unicorn, who apologized in kind. She lifted the book up and returned it. The stallion took the book and continued on with his friend, muttering about how Equestrians were. Twilight turned back to the street. The cab had passed on due to the delay the book had caused. “Ugh!” She started to walk, then noticed something. There were lots of tourists out tonight, from many different place, but every group had one very specific book: Canterlot A to Z. A book that everypony would own... a book she'd seen at Blueblood's, Pamby's and in the museum. She turned and ran after the Germanes. “Please, wait!” she called, then switched to Germane. “Bitte!” The pair stopped walking as Twilight neared them. She snatched the book from the stallion. He complained, but she held up a hoof. “Minute!” The pages kept sticking as she tried to flip open to the correct page. Exasperated, the Germanes gave up waiting and left, leaving the unicorn to frantically search the pages.
***
“Yeah, no, absolutely,” Soarin' said. “I mean, a quiet night in's just…just what the doctor ordered. I mean, I like to go out, have a good time, and wrestle a few Chineighse gangsters, you know, generally, but a guy can get too much.” he joked. Applejack laughed, and nodded in agreement.
“Um, should we get takeout?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Soarin' agreed. Applejack went to get the phone.
***
“Page fifteen, entry one, page fifteen, entry one…” Twilight muttered. She read the entry: Deadpony's lane. “Deadpony. You were threatening to kill them.” She recalled the message each victim had received. “That's the first cipher.” She withdrew the picture of the wall, and flipped to the appropriate page. She scribbled down the word on the next number set. “Fore.”
***
Inside Baker Street, Applejack poured punch for herself and Soarin'. There came a knock at the door. “Well, that was quick.” She gave one glass to the pegasus as she went to get the food. “I'll be right back.”
“Do you want me to set the table?” Soarin' asked.
“Um…” Applejack thought for a moment. “Eat off trays?”
“Yeah,” the pegasus agreed.
“Yeah,” Applejack said. She went to get the food.
***
Outside, Twilight continued translating. “Jade,” she said to herself, writing down the next word. So, so far, it was nine million bits for a jade...something.
***
Applejack pulled the door open. A slate grey mare in a hoodie stood waiting. “Sorry 'bout the wait,” she apologized. “How much do you want?”
“Do you have it?” the mare asked.
“What?” Applejack asked, confused.
“Do you have the treasure?”
“I don't understand,” Applejack told her. The hooded mare swung a hoof up and hit the earth pony in the head with a gun. Applejack collapsed, unconscious.
***
Just up the walkway, Twilight was on the last word. “Nine mill for jade pin,” she read. “Dragon den, black…” She flipped to the last entry she needed. “Tramway.” A look of triumph graced her face. Now she just had to tell Applejack.
***
Inside the flat, the light over the table was swinging as if had been hit. The door slammed as Twilight ran in. On the table, two places had been set, but they were unused. “Applejack! Applejack, I've got it!” the unicorn called as she entered the sitting room. “The cipher, the book. It's the Canterlot A to Z that they use...” Her voice trailed off as she saw the windows. The Chineighse characters for fifteen and one had been sprayed onto the two panes: the cipher for deadpony.
***