“Nothing,” Shining reported, “We’ve searched every inch of the Palace, Inverno is gone.”
“And so is Professor Signature,” Cadence added. By now, the three of them along with the guards of the Palace have looked everywhere they could think of, but they had no luck in finding the colt, nor the elderly Earth pony.
“Where could he have gone to?” Twilight asked aloud. “Has this happened very often?”
“No,” Cadence shook her head, “This is the first time he did something like this. Plus, I have no idea where he might disappear…” suddenly, the pink alicorn had a thought. No, a memory from last night, when the Professor mentioned figuring out a way to make it up to Inverno for being too harsh on him.
“Cadence?” Twilight asked, waving a hoof in her face.
“Sorry,” she shook her head, “I think I might have an idea what happened to him. I think Key Signature’s disappearance must be a clue as well.”
“You mean he’s taken the kid?” Shining asked, quickly coming to the same conclusion as his wife’s. “But how could he, when we have guards at the door to make sure that the little guy doesn’t walk out of here.”
“How do we know if that isn’t what happened?” Twilight questioned, and presented a very good point. The three of them rushed to the entrance of the Palace, where they could hear laughter.
Upon arriving, they found two, very happy drunk Crystal Guards, passing a green bottle back and forth.
“Attention!” Shining jolted the guards up sloppily. “What is the meaning of this?”
“Why hello, Mr. Sir,” one guard slurred, “Glad yous came ta join zhe party,” he lifted the bottle up to the Prince, “Try zhe wine.”
“Who gave you this?” Shining demanded.
“Uh… shome old guy,” the other guard responded with a hiccup. “He had a whitey little guy too.”
“WHAT!?” All three sober ponies exclaimed in shock.
“Sush!” the guard with the bottle said, “The crystal, uh… carrot is trying to sleep.”
Both drunken guards chuckled while both Shining and Cadence were giving them the death glare.
“You two,” Cadence stepped forward, taking the bottle away in her aura, “Are going straight to the barracks until you sober up.”
“B-But,” the other guard said, trying to reach the bottle, “the party.”
“NOW!” the couple roared. Both guards muttered something, but gave them sloppy solutes and started to stumble away.
“We have to find him,” Shining said, “They must still be in the Empire somewhere.”
“Agreed,” Twilight nodded, “And we must do it quickly, because if we don’t-”
“They’re going to tear him to pieces,” Cadence finished Twilight’s sentence. She added, “Looks like somepony is going to get fired.”
_*_
The sound of a train whistle pierced through the air, “What was that?” Inverno asked.
“By the sound of it, I think it must be the train,” Professor Key said, “Which means that the orchestra must be here.”
“Orchestra?”
“It’s part of the reason why I’ve brought you out here,” the elder stallion explained. “The Royal Philharmonic is coming here to the Empire to showcase some of the greatest works to music since its disappearance in a concert.”
“You mean we get to see new music?” Inverno inquired with a hint of excitement in his voice.
“That’s being performed live? Of course,” he said, putting the colt onto his back. “You’ll be hearing this music at its finest from several points of musical history.”
“Like what?”
“Like…” the Professor looked around to find any poster of this upcoming concert. He spied one that hangs on the wall of a book store. He trotted over to the poster so he could read what it says. “Ah, here we go. They’ll be performing a movement from one of Buch’s concertos, Moztrot’s Fortieth Symphony (that’s a good one)… Oh! Beethooven’s Fourth Movement of his Ninth Symphony! Horseshoepin’s Nocturne in C# Minor, Tchaicoltsky’s 812 Overture, and Strotvinsky’s Rite of Spring! Oh-ho! You are in for quite a treat today.”
“Hello?” a head popped out of the doorway, they glanced over to find a sky blue stallion. “Oh, hello there,” he said, stepping out of the shop. “Visitors to the Empire I assume?”
“In a way, yes,” Key lied, “I was just telling my grandson about the concert today.”
“Oh,” the blue Crystal pony nodded, giving them a warm smile. “In that case, welcome to the Crystal Empire,” he lifted a hoof to the Professor, “Name’s Book, as in Book Binding.”
“The pleasures all mine,” the elder Earth pony shook his hoof. “This tuckered out fellow is Winter,” he craned his neck to the colt on his back, “Say hello.”
“Um… Hello?” Inverno gave the blue stallion a little wave.
Book nodded, “Nice to meet new visitors,” he said, gesturing to the store. “Would you like to come in? I got brand new books of old tales of the Empire, and foal stories that’s perfect for your grandson to read.”
Suddenly, the Professor tensed up, “Um…” he leaned over to whisper in Book’s ear. Although soft, Inverno could still make out: “Please don’t mention anything that has to do with sight. My grandson is blind you see, and is very sensitive about it.”
“Oh,” Book suddenly looked embarrassed before turning to the colt, “I’m very sorry about that. Uh… I-I also have some truffles that my marefriend is selling.”
Key Signature was about to turn down the offer until he spotted some armored Guards from down the road, which looked like as if they were searching for somepony.
“That sounds pleasant actually,” he said. “I suppose we can step inside for a moment.”
“Great!” Book smiled, “Come on in.”
When they entered the store, although as small as it was with a counter at the other end of the room, it was filled the floor to ceiling with books, scrolls, and hoof-made candy. The individually wrapped candies were in glass jars in various sizes and shapes. All around there were books that were new as well as ancient scrolls, each with a price tag.
“Take your time,” Book said, picking up a book from behind the counter, “And let me know if you want anything.”
The Professor set Inverno down next to the rows of books. Thinking that he should play along with being blind, Inverno closed his eyes and tried to feel around with his hooves. He felt his way over to where the counter was, in which he heard Book’s voice saying: “Need something little fella?”
“Not really,” he said, “Although, I was wondering about something.”
“Go ahead.”
“I’ve heard about something here in the Empire.”
“And that being?”
“Is it true that Sombra has a foal here?”
When things got too quiet, Inverno opened his eyes and saw through the black lenses Book looking unnerved.
“Where did you hear that?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” Inverno shrugged, “Somepony said something about a colt here that was Sombra’s.”
“Kid, I know you’re new to the Crystal Empire, but we don’t talk about him.”
The young unicorn tilted his head, “Why not?”
“Because,” he replied, “We don’t want to talk about the beast in the Palace.”
“What do you mean beast?”
Book looked around the shop before turning to the colt, “I don’t wanna scare ya,” he said in a soft voice, “But there’s a colt name Inverno, whose father was the wicked unicorn that enslaved us. I myself haven’t seen him, but it’s said that whenever night falls, we had to lock our doors and windows because he may come out at night and eat anyone who’s out.”
Inverno was taken completely off guard from what he’s hearing, “Why would he do that?” he questioned.
“I’ve heard he has his father’s teeth,” Book told him, “That they’re sharp enough to eat other ponies.”
The hidden unicorn was starting to feel both insulted and disgusted that such a rumor about him was being told. Why would he do that, when he’s been eating the same way everypony else has been eating?
Then a question illuminated Inverno’s mind, “How do you know if this is even true?"
“My, my, you certainly ask a lot of questions,” Book pointed out, completely ignoring the colt’s question. “Why don't I get your grandfather over here?” Before Inverno could object, Book Binding called out for Key Signature over.
The professor trotted over to the colt and once again puts him on his back, “I’m very sorry that we have to leave so soon,” he said, “But we got things to do today and I- we don’t want to be late.”
“Alright,” book gave an understanding nod, “I hope you two will enjoy your time in the Empire and have fun at the concert.”
“We will,” Signature said as he trotted out the door, before a couple of Crystal Guards came in.