//------------------------------// // Realization! // Story: The Basement // by D5ky //------------------------------// A generic rooster crowed as the first rays of morning brokethe horizon, showering over Ponyville to wake its inhabitants, some more begrudgingly than others in their awakening. Of course, Twilight in particular wasn’t affected until hours later, when the cascade of sunlight coming through her windows had finally bested her. Yawning to herself, she got up from her bed, a faint smile still on her face from last night’s partying. After all this business with Pinkie, Cheese, and the Basement, she had really needed a night of fun ease away the growing unease she had felt about it. ​Her stomach growled slightly in declination, making Twilight blush a bit. “Maybe drinking that much root beer wasn’t such a good idea... I'd better tone down on the stuff,” she snickered as a funny thought came to mind, “otherwise I might be in the same boat as Celestia and her love for cake.” She didn’t dare call it an obsession, for fear of disrespect towards her old mentor. ​Suddenly, the door to her room opened, and Spike poked his head inside, a look of worry on his face. “What was that about Celestia and cake?” ​Twilight waved a hoof dismissively, “Oh, it’s nothing Spike.” She yawned again. Thinking back, she hadn’t returned to her castle until very late last night, so she felt a bit sleep-deprived. But that wasn’t something a little nap between royal duties couldn’t fix, right? ​Speaking of royal duties, I missed a lot of appointments yesterday. I'd better work harder today to pick up the slack… even if it means putting my research on the Basement on hold for a while. The princess glanced back over to her assistant, “What time is it anyways?” ​“Almost Noon,” Spike deadpanned. ​Twilight’s eyes shot open, her pupils the size of pinpricks, before she teleported off of her bed right in front of Spike’s face, “Oh, no! Did I miss something today? Any appointments or court meetings?” ​Spike blinked at her in surprise, since her reaction to missing appointments now was a complete turnaround from last night’s. He wasn’t sure if should be concerned or not. He put his arms up to hold the purple alicorn at bay, “Whoa, Twilight, don’t worry! You know today’s schedule. You don’t have anything for another hour, so you haven’t missed a thing.” ​Twilight felt her left eyelid twitch, before facehoofing herself, “Oh, right. Now I remember. I have an appointment with the Overseer of the Equestrian Crown Jewels today at one.” She silently nickered to herself in annoyance, I haven’t paid much attention to my schedule since I learned of the Basement. I'd better rectify that soon as well. She glanced at Spike’s face, the little dragon wearing a concerned expression. “Um, Twilight? Are you okay?” At his question, Twilight subconsciously winced while keeping a stoic demeanor. She wasn’t sure if she was fine herself, what with constantly jumping back and forth between the Basement, but that was only a technicality issue. But for sure, she didn’t want Spike asking too many questions for fear of him learning about the Basement. Twilight quickly him a reassuring smile, “It’s okay, Spike. I’ve just been a bit… er, stressed lately.” Inwardly, the mare silently hoped her work towards perfecting her comforting smiles, like Celestia’s, had paid off. ​To her satisfaction, it seemed to work. After a moment of consideration, Spike nodded before smiling, “Okay, then. How about you get ready for the day? Lunch is almost done, and I’ll have it ready for you by the time you come down.” ​Twilight smiled at the little drake, even if she had to consciously ignore the fact that she was eating lunch instead of breakfast. She hated waking up late, since that left less time for her to do things in the morning. “Thank you, Spike.” ​“Yeah, no problem!” Spike closed the door, leaving Twilight to the sound of his footsteps traveling down the outside hallway. ​Once Spike was out of hearing distance, she sighed to herself, “Maybe one day I’ll have to tell Spike about the Basement, but hopefully I won’t ever need to.” She began making her way towards the bathroom for a shower, “There’s something more to that ‘place’ than everyone’s telling me, or maybe they just don’t notice it. Either way, I don’t want Spike getting caught up in something like this.” _________________________________ ​An hour, and a hefty lunch to make up for missed breakfast, later, Twilight and Spike found themselves in one of the castle’s sitting rooms. Twilight made herself comfortable on a couch, a little coffee table in front of it, with two arm chairs sitting on the other side of it, while Spike stood at attention off to the side, ready to let the appointment begin. ​After finding a dignified position to sit in, Twilight looked to Spike, “Okay, this appointment is with the Overseer of the Equestrian Crown Jewels, correct?” ​Spike nodded, “Yup. Would you like me to send him in?” ​“Yes, thank you, Spike,” Twilight smiled, watching the little dragon waddle out the door. ​Moments later, an earth pony stallion walked through the door into the sitting room. He had chestnut colored fur, as well as a white mane tinted slightly in blue. He was dressed much like the typical Canterlot noble, a formal vest and fancy tie, though the way he carried himself as he trotted forwards to the princess showed that he was not at all like those haughty, snout-to-the-air snobs. He carried a more respectful manner in his gait, to show he wasn’t trying to impress anyone. His cutie mark was clearly visible; a perfectly cut diamond. ​When the stallion reached Twilight, he stooped into a bow. “Princess Twilight, it’s an honor to make your acquaintance. I am Clear Cut, the Overseer of the Equestrian Crown Jewels.” ​Twilight smiled politely, “No, the honor is mine, Mr. Clear Cut. Celestia must hold you in high regard if she trusts you to watch over the crown jewels.” ​Clear Cut chuckled at that, “Oh, she does, among other things.” ​Twilight gave a snicker, before gesturing towards an arm chair sitting across from the couch she sat on, “Please, take a seat.” ​Clear Cut complied, sitting himself down on the seat, upright and alert. ​At that moment, Spike entered the sitting room again, carrying a tray with him. On it was a steaming teapot of tea, as well as some other small treats, “I got the tea!” ​As Spike set the tea tray on the coffee table, Twilight thanked him, before pouring herself a cup, as well as offering Clear Cut a cup, which he graciously accepted. Spike poured himself a cup as well, before sitting down on the couch next to Twilight. ​Twilight sipped her tea, with a small sigh at the sharp taste, before looking back to her visitor, “Now, Clear Cut, what business brings you to Ponyville?” ​Clear Cut nodded, muttering mostly to himself, “Straight to the point, I see. I like that in a ruler.” He smiled, taking another sip of tea, “Very well, your Highness. You see, as the Overseer of the Crown Jewels, I wish to let the public see more of our country’s prized treasure. I wish to put the gems out on display in Ponyville’s local museum, so the locals here may get a chance to see them for themselves. ​“However, I am not here to ask for your permission to let the gems be put on display, as Princess Celestia has already approved of it.” Clear Cut’s expression drooped slightly, more grim than before. “The reason I came to you today is of another matter, one of the gems’ security.” ​That piqued Twilight’s interest, “Their security?” She tapped her chin in thought, “You’re worried that the jewels might be stolen when they are put out for display?” ​Clear Cut nodded, taking another sip of tea. “Are you aware of the thief known as Silent Snatch?” ​Twilight nodded slowly, “Yes. In fact, Princess Celestia sent me to the Castle Everfree to look for any sign of him there.” ​“Then you must know of his infallible tactics thus far,” Clear Cut said. “Breaking and entering without creating a single opening to get where he needs to, suddenly appearing out of thin air, yet without tripping a single security spell or magical ward. Tracking spells following his footsteps before they suddenly come to a halt outside a doorway. And let us not forget his famous calling card; ‘Come find me at the End.’” He took a sip of tea again, before sighing, “His methods are constant, yet no one has figured out how he manages to do things like this. Many ponies think this is a form of magic that has never been heard of, while other believe that he is simply skilled at theft. ​“But this is why I have come to you, Princess Twilight.” Clear Cut set his cup down on the coffee table, clearing his throat, “I was hoping that you might personally help us to prevent any theft that Silent Snatch might make. With your expertise in magical phenomena, as well as your experience with… er, our country’s troubles,” He nervously chuckled at that, making Twilight sigh inwardly in annoyance, “It’s my opinion that you would no doubt be able to help capture the Silent Snatch in the act, should he ever come near the crown jewels.” ​Twilight nodded in understanding, The Silent Snatch… it would be very challenging to try and catch him, or prevent him from stealing the jewels, seeing as none of the royal guard were able to do it. But just maybe, my friends and I will be able to pick up the slack. A certain changeling invasion came to mind, Come to think of it, we seem to do that a lot. ​Putting aside that thought for a later conversation with her Prince/Captain brother, Twilight gave Clear Cut a smile, “Very well. I will see what I can do.” ​Clear Cut beamed, before giving her a slight bow from his seat, “Thank you, Princess. I have no doubt that the jewels will be safe with you around to help guard them.” ​Satisfied, Twilight took another sip of her tea, “I look forward to it. It will be interesting to find out just how this Silent Snatch has been able to commit these nationwide thefts. When do we start?” ​“We will need to meet again to come up with a plan. Perhaps noon tomorrow at the Ponyville Museum?” ​Twilight glanced towards Spike next to her, who had already pulled out a scroll with the next day’s schedule. After inspecting it for a moment, Spike nodded in confirmation, “Yep, looks like we have the time.” ​Twilight smiled, turning back to Clear Cut, “We will be there on time and with a strategy in mind.” ​Clear Cut nodded in gratitude, before hopping off the arm chair, “I cannot thank you enough, Princess. I must go and inform my subordinates of this.” ​Twilight nodded to the stallion, “You’re welcome, Clear Cut. You may return anytime to speak with me if something else comes up concerning the jewels." ​Clear Cut gave one final bow and turned to walk out of the sitting room. ​Once the door shut behind the earth pony, Twilight hopped back onto her hooves, glad that this appointment had gone smoothly. ​Spike was right behind her, curiosity written across his face, “So, wait, Twilight. How are you going to catch someone like the Silent Snatch? From what everyone says about him, isn’t he supposed to be uncatchable?” He pulled a newspaper from nowhere, holding it up for Twilight to see. It was that morning’s issue, yet the elusive thief had still made the front page. “Everyone’s even going so far to say this guy isn’t even a pony! They’re saying he’s actually a ghost!” ​Twilight rolled her eyes, “Spike, how many times have I said it? Ghosts aren’t real. Even if they were, the Silent Snatch isn’t a ghost. For one thing, specters would leave traceable hoof prints on the ground.” For a moment, Twilight paused in thought, Although, nopony’s hoof prints could suddenly end in midair, unless the thief is a unicorn who can teleport. But that isn’t the case, since none of the wards in place detected any magic being used in the room. ​Clear Cut’s words echoed through her mind.“Breaking and entering without creating a single opening to get where he needs to, suddenly appearing out of thin air, yet without tripping a single security spell or magical ward. Tracking spells following his footsteps before they suddenly come to a halt outside a doorway. And let us not forget his famous calling card; ‘Come find me at the End.’” ​Twilight frowned to herself, The tracking spells followed his trail until they stopped outside a door. From the sound of it, it sounds like this guy just disappeared when he walked through it… ​…unless… ​Twilight’s eyes shot open in realization, “Oh, no! It couldn't be that, could it?” ​Spike yelped a bit at her sudden outburst, “It couldn’t be what, Twilight?” ​Twilight ignored the little dragon, muttering to herself, “Suddenly appearing out of thin air, without teleportation to set off an alarm from the wards, and then disappearing through a door again?!” She shook her head, “I can’t believe it! Why didn’t I see it sooner?!” She took off in a gallop to get out of the castle. ​Spike shouted after her, “Twilight! Where are you going?” ​“To find Pinkie Pie!” Twilight replied, before slamming the door to the sitting room behind her. To herself she thought, She’ll know what to do. ______________________________ ​Pinkie Pie bounced along happily through the streets of Ponyville, cheerily humming to herself, “Mm-hm-hm! Gonna eat lunch with my friends! Mm-hm-hm! Lots of berries I shall blend!” She stopped humming to gasp, all while still bouncing, “Ooh, that was a good rhyme. I’ll save that for the next time everypony starts singing at the drop of a hat.” She giggled to herself, “But that’s silly! Why would anyone drop their hat? Obviously anypony who actually wears a hat wouldn’t let it drop on the ground, because then it wouldn’t be as fancy as it was before when it was on their head!” ​Soon the pink pony pronked all the way to her desired location, an outdoor café where two of her bestest friends in the whole wide world were waiting. She called out to them in sing song fashion, “Oh, RARITY! FLUTTERSHY!” ​The two in question turned to see Pinkie Pie bouncing towards them. Rarity waved her over, “Hello, Pinkie, darling! It seems you’ve accepted our invite for lunch.” ​Fluttershy quietly added, smiling, “I’m glad you could make it, Pinkie.” ​Pinkie hopped into a seat at the table, “Well, I couldn’t just say no to the invite. After all, I spent all of yesterday with Twilight, so there’s plenty of Pinkie to go around to all of my friends!” ​“Well, that’s good to hear, darling,” Rarity smiled. “We were just about ready to order.” ​“Ooh, I know what I want!” Pinkie chimed, "I want a super-delicious-yummerific-" Her eyes suddenly went wide as her tail began to twitch uncontrollably. Uh, oh. Twitchy Tail, with the spasm tingle! That means- ​“Alicorn incoming! Hit the deck!” Pinkie shouted as she pulled a green camo helmet out of nowhere, plopped it on her head, and dove under the cover of the café table. ​Rarity’s and Fluttershy’s eyes went wide, “What?” ​Their inquiry was answered when a magenta blur came sailing out of the sky, hitting the dirt hard and sending a plume of dirt skyward upon impact. Moments later, the dust settled, revealing a gasping Twilight standing in a mini crater in the ground, as well as a stunned Fluttershy and Rarity, who were covered head to tail in dust from the impact. ​Twilight’s expression looked frantic, but she winced slightly as she saw her friends covered in dirt, “Whoops, sorry girls. Have either of you seen Pinkie Pie around?” ​At that moment, said earth pony slipped out from under the table into a perfect guard salute, “Private Pinkamena Pie, reporting for duty, Ma’am!” ​Twilight ignored the pink pony’s antics for once, “Pinkie, can I speak with you privately? It’s an urgent matter about…” She glanced back at Rarity and Fluttershy, who were still a bit stunned from the explosion of dirt in front of them, “… er, you-know-what.” ​“Oh, you mean the basement?” Pinkie blurted, “Sure, lead the way, Twilight!” before bouncing away from the table giddly. ​Twilight simply facehoofed, “So much for subtlety.” She glanced back towards Rarity and Fluttershy, giving them a sheepish look, “Sorry about that! I’ll see you girls later!” The alicorn then turned away, following after Pinkie. ​Meanwhile, Rarity and Fluttershy blinked in surprise, before glancing at each other in confusion. ​Rarity looked at her dust-covered self, “Er, if it’s all the same to you, Fluttershy darling, I think we should postpone lunch until we clean ourselves up.” ​Fluttershy sneezed (adorably), blowing a little dirt out of her nose, “*choo!* Um, agreed.” ___________________________________ ​Twilight glanced towards Pinkie as they walked abreast each other through Ponyville’s roads, speaking quietly, “Pinkie, we have an emergency concerning the Basement.” ​“What is it?” Pinkie whispered back. ​“Have you heard of the Silent Snatch?” ​Pinkie gasped loudly, forgoing any acts of silence unlike she had before, “Oh! You mean that meany-pants thief who takes peoples jewels like the Royal IRS?!” She instantly dropped her voice down to a whisper, “Yeah, what about him?” ​Twilight fought the urge to facehoof, ignoring the odd looks other ponies were giving the duo due to the pink one’s outburst. Instead she just nodded, “Yes, Pinkie.” She glanced around to see if anyone was close enough to hear her, “You see, I think the Silent Snatch is using the Basement to steal.” ​”WHA-“ Twilight instantly shoved her hoof into Pinkie’s open mouth with no mercy, a bemused expression on her face. ​Pinkie blinked at the action, giggling sheepishly as she withdrew Twilight’s hoof from her mouth, “Hehe, oops. I mean WHAAAAT!” ​Twilight rolled her eyes in amusement at the fact that Pinkie could mute her screams without making them a whisper. Of course, that didn’t last long, before both hers and Pinkie’s tails started twitching. ​Twilight’s eyes widened as both mares shouted, “Twitchy tail!” Both of them instantly looked upwards, only to find nothing up above them but open sky, not even a cloud visible. But Twilight suddenly became aware that a few ponies were watching her, all the while her tail was still twitching. ​A nervous bead of sweat rolled down Twilight’s face, as she quickly hid her shaking tail behind Pinkie’s body, Uh oh, I can’t let anypony see my tail twitching too! Everypony already knows about Pinkie Sense, but what’ll happen if they see that I can suddenly do it now too?! What do I do?! What do I do?! ​“Psst, Pinkie.” Twilight whispered, “How do I make the twitching stop?! I can’t let anypony see that I have Pinkie Sense too." ​“Twilie Sense,” Pinkie corrected. ​“Whatever. What do I do?!” ​“Start dancing.” ​“What?!” ​“Do it!” ​Without a second question, Twilight the alicorn princess got on her hind legs and began doing an impromptu tap dance. To her relief, her twitching tail instantly halted, just in time as a cyan-rainbow blur came screeching out of the sky, slamming onto the ground before them. ​Rainbow Dash perked her head up, “Oh, hey Pinkie Pie, Twilight… um, huh?” She raised an eyebrow at the alicorn, “Um, Twilight? What are you doing?” ​Twilight blinked for a moment, not even realizing until then that Pinkie’s tail had stopped twitching, as the falling object predicted had been Rainbow Dash herself. Twilight stopped herself short, before falling back onto all fours again, a sheepish smile on her face, “Oh, um… nothing?” ​Rainbow blinked in confusion, before shaking her head, “Well, whatever helps you sleep at night. Anyways, catch you girls later.” With that, the pegasus took off to the air again, since that small visit/pass-by had turned out weirder than she had thought. ​Twilight simply sighed as Rainbow left, glancing back at Pinkie, “Seriously, the way to counteract Pinkie Sense is dancing?!” ​Pinkie bounced as she nodded, “Mm-hm!” She giggled, “Now, what were you saying about a thief in the Basement?”