//------------------------------// // Chapter six- Downtown Deceiet // Story: The Canterlot Caper // by Silvermyr //------------------------------// Chapter six- Downtown Deceit Twilight and Bon-Bon left the small house and entered into the pleasant warmth that awaited them outside. They had caught the train just half an hour after they last spoke in Carousel Boutique. As soon as they arrived, they took Coco to the castle, where she would stay for a while. It was pretty apparent that the young designer had seen enough of The Circus for one lifetime. After this, Bon-Bon had gone to the mayor of Canterlot and asked for all records of Trixie Lulamoon and Suri Polomare. A long and infuriating bureaucratic grind later, they had been allowed to look at them for one day only, and they were not allowed to remove anything from Canterlot Town Hall. By the time they had compiled and sifted through the information it was already dark outside, so Twilight and Bon-Bon decided to wait until the following morning to begin investigations for real. They couldn’t afford to make some stupid mistake just because of exhaustion. Now however, after a night of rest, they were ready and willing to begin fighting the Circus for real. ”Alright, time to take the initiative,” Bon-Bon said as she put on her shades for the strong sunlight. ”So you will go to Trixie’s apartment, and I will go to Suri’s. We meet back here once we are done.” ”Okay,” Twilight said. ”Be seeing you.” The two split up. Twilight made her way from the upper district where Bon-Bon’s agency was located. Her target was an apartment on Peony Lane, a small street between the lower and middle district. It was the type of place one would expect to run into Trixie. Not a bad address, but by no means classy. Twilight briskly trotted down Princess Platinum’s Promenade, one of the largest streets in the city. After about twenty-five minutes, she took off from the main street, and was swallowed up the surrounding shops and service buildings. The display windows beckoned her with all types of merchandise; from food to jewelry. A couple of ponies were out and browsing the wares or walking to their jobs. She received her fair share of respectful nods and small bows as she went. After crisscrossing between streets and alleys for twenty minutes, she arrived at her destination; fifteen Peony Lane. The house was a pretty large, three-story building, built from white stone and had an onion shaped, golden roof, like most of the houses in Canterlot. Twilight looked up at the windows. Trixie might be sitting behind one of them this very moment. She quickly trotted closer to the building, out of sight from the windows. Twilight entered a clean-looking stairwell and started heading upwards. She entered into a cleaned corridor with about ten doors. Trixie’s apartment was directly to her left. She put up a barrier behind her, encasing the doorway and herself. She knew Trixie was good at escaping, but now the only escape route was blocked off. She put on a smug grin and knocked. There was no answer. She knocked again. Still nothing. Twilight frowned and let her magic prod at the lock. It was protected against magic, naturally, but she was an Alicorn. Some ordinary locksmith’s spells did not stand a chance against her magic. With a small flicker of light, the lock clicked open. Twilight did not really know what to expect, but this was not it. She came into a corridor with a door directly to her left, and there was absolutely nothing there. The walls were painted white, without any picture or painting to brighten them up. The floor was covered with a thin layer of dust, and there was nothing that revealed that anypony had ever walked on it. She took a tentative step forward. It echoed in the empty apartment.”Where is she? This is her home, isn’t it? So where is she?” Twilight asked loudly to herself she went. So much for taking the initiative. She came into a combined kitchen and living room with a large window on one wall. An old table was the only piece of furniture. There was one more door there. Twilight opened it and looked into another completely empty room. She swallowed. The echo of her hoof steps was the only thing she heard, and the silence made her uneasy. ”You know, you really should just leave us alone, Miss Sparkle,” a calm voice came from behind her. She spun around and saw somepony in a long cloak standing outside the window. She blinked in surprise and looked again. No, she had not mistaken. Somepony was standing outside a window on the second floor. He wore a Fancypants mask over his face. ”Ah, forgive my rudeness, of course it’s Princess Sparkle now,” the cloaked one corrected himself. Twilight acted quickly. She lit up her horn, and appeared on ground outside. As she spun around she shot a powerful blast of magic at the pony. He was gone. Twilight could clearly see the windowsill he had been standing on, but he was not there anymore. ”It would be very tragic if we were forced to take desperate measures with your friend, I’m sure you agree?” The voice came from behind her again. She turned around and saw the masked pony at the top of a roof. She kept her sight upon him and teleported behind him. As soon as she materialized she saw the pony galloping along a clothesline. Twilight took to the air and shot another beam at the running pony. He leaped to the side, jumped off a wall, crashed through a window and disappeared into a house, all in one fluid motion. Twilight just fluttered for a moment. Who could he do that? His dexterity and balance must be off the charts to just improvise a move like that. Twilight dove for the ground and ran into the house. She looked up at a worn stairwell and saw a door open. The pony dashed out and began to run upward to the roof. Twilight set after him. She roughly tackled somepony on the way up and dashed out on the roof. She saw her quarry three roofs ahead of her. Again she was amazed. That was fast even by Rainbow Dash’s standards, and this guy did not have wings. She locked on the pony and teleported. As she materialized, she saw the cloaked figure jumping off the roof. She leaped after him, and used her wings to dampen the fall. She heard the sound of running water a moment too late. She fell past the cloaked pony and fell down in cold water. ”The canals!” She thought as the stream gripped her body and dragged her away. She looked up through the water and saw that her target, had landed safely on a thin clothesline over the water. She gulped down a mouthful of water and panicked for a second, her wings and hooves flailing wildly before she gained enough control over herself to touch the bottom of the canal and shoot herself upwards. She broke it in a cascade of water and coughed frantically. The cloaked one stood quite some distance away and looked at her. This time though, it was not he who had moved, but she. The water pulled her away fast. She prepared a spell, but lost concentration. Before she knew what had happened, she was under the water again. She looked through the water surface and saw a black and red bird fly overhead. This time she did not breathe, but kept her eyes opened. It was uncomfortable, but she could see the contorted shapes of clouds over her. He horn lit up and she felt her body leave the water. She fluttered erratically as she dried the water from her eyes and coughed. Once she had oriented herself she dashed back towards where she had fallen. The cloaked one had vanished and the clothesline swayed indolently. She landed on the neighboring roof and looked at the place where he had stood. Her glance fell on something. A small, tightly bound scroll hung from a thread. She frowned and levitated it towards her. The seal that held the scroll was bright red and had a symbol stamped into it, made up by three question marks, one straight and two angled so they split the seal in thirds. Where their shared dot should be, there was a small ”C” instead. She broke the seal and read. Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle. We are The Circus. Hello. As you probably have likely understood by now, you being so clever, we have indeed kidnapped your friend Rarity (total knockout, by the way; even sweeter than when I saw her last). She is unhurt for the moment, but it is up to you whether she remain that way. Stop chasing us, if you please. Else there will be consequences. I will contact you soon, and you will learn what we want in order to release her. Don’t worry, it’s not money. Sincerely, The Equilibrist, The Illusionist, The Tamer, The Escape Artist, The Clown, The Wizard, The Bearded Mare, and everypony else under our employment. Post Scriptum: Rarity is buried alive. ***** Rarity felt dazed, part by the drug she had been given, part by the chaotic maelstrom of fear and confusion that raged in her head. She had legitimately been kidnapped. How had this happened? Why her? Where was she? Would she ever be found? Would The Circus just leave her to rot in this… wherever it was? After Topsy showed her what was in the coffin, he had let her eyes close and spun her around for a few minutes. Once she got so dizzy she didn’t know up from down, she had been moved away somewhere. She was unsure about the passage of time, but it felt like they moved for more than an hour. Once she woke up, she was here. Rarity could not see the hoof in front of her, and she was freezing. She had tried to walk a little to keep warm, but the place was so small she could hardly take two steps before she bumped in the opposite wall, three if she took small trots. The walls, when she bumped into them, were made of rough stone and the air was cold, stale and smelled of mold. There didn’t seem to be any door, nor could she feel the roof. She couldn’t exactly explain it, but something told her she was underground. There was something with the chill in the air and the way it refused to warm up. It made her think of the time she was trapped among the Diamond Dogs. That knowledge made her even more afraid of her situation. If her suspicion was correct, then there was a crushing weight of damp earth just above her, just waiting to fall down and bury her. She was not hungry though, something she was thankful for. That meant she was not in any danger of starving yet, even if she knew it was a temporary respite. She would be hungry soon enough, and that would make her situation even more unbearable. ”What if they never come? What if they forget? How long does starvation take? Will I ever be found? What if-” Her constant thought was interrupted by a few pebbles of soil falling down on her brow. Her heart froze in fear. ”No!” she whispered to herself in a panicked voice. ”The roof is… HELP! PLEASE, SOMEPONY HELP!!!” ”Don’t worry, Rarity, I’m here,” Rarity’s heart leaped with joy and disappointment in equal measure as she recognized Ditzy’s goofy voice. Suddenly a dim light shone down on her. She looked up. Almost ten ponylengths above her she could see Ditzy peeking over the edge of a circular hole. One eye looked at her, the other one on a wall. Behind her was the almost, but not entirely, dark sky and some tree branches. It looked like it was early night. ”Al-l-low me-e,” the slithering, stammering voice of Topsy ”The Twister” Twitchy came from above her. He appeared beside Ditzy and threw a rope ladder down in the hole. Rarity realized where she was; she was caught in an old well. She began to climb immediately, eager to leave the cramped space. Topsy reached a hoof down in the hole and helped Rarity out with ease. She could feel his hoof twitching. Rarity stood at the edge of the hole and looked around. Too well did she recognize the twisted undergrowth of the Everfree forest. She quickly dismissed running away. Even if she somehow could outspend two pegasi, where one was a former Wonderbolt, she would be lost in the middle of Everfree forest at sundown. ”Please don’t run now, Rarity,” Ditzy said. She was not mocking or sarcastic, just begging in all honesty. Rarity turned around and saw her sitting on a fallen tree by a small, fold-able table. Her veering eyes were filled with unease. On the table there were a couple of hayburgers and cups. ”If you do, then we will have no choice but to capture you again.” ”Humph. Do forgive me, but I’m not exactly inclined to obey my kidnappers just out of kindness,” Rarity said indignantly. ”But I know when to fold. I won’t run.” She tried to put all dignity she could muster in her last declaration. Ditzy looked a little happier at that. ”Come, have something to eat.” She gestured towards the food. Rarity warily approached. She took up one of the burgers in her magic and began to eat. She did not sit down though. A lady could not lay down on the grass, after all, and every second of stretching her legs was welcome after the cramped space in the well. With a small rustle, Topsy appeared beside Ditzy. He looked at Rarity with his mismatched eyes and a somewhat calm look, despite his twisted smirk. Rarity was surprised. This was the first time Topsy did not seem entirely mad. ”I wanted to ap-pologize,” Topsy said with a much more stable voice than usual. ”About the c-curare. Sorry, Rarity.” He bent his neck. Rarity was caught off guard by that. ”Ehm… alright?” she replied sheepishly. She scolded herself immediately after the words left her mouth. An apology was not enough, it was not ”alright” in the slightest. Rarity opened her mouth to speak her mind, but was interrupted by Ditzy. ”Please don’t be mad at him,” she pleaded. ”I know he is a bit strange, but he is not a bad pony, really, he isn’t.” Rarity was caught off guard again. How was he not a bad pony? He had gone berserk with a twister during a stunt show, kidnapped her, and Celestia knows what else. She closed her mouth and gave a dignified ”humph”. ”You s-see, I have this t-talent,” Topsy said casually. The slithering voice made Rarity look at him. Something about that voice and his appearance made her want to keep her eyes at him at all times. ”I h-have an affinity for s-storms and… winds. They s-speak to me. Always whispering, always l-longing…” Topsy sat silent and stared down in his cup, still with the weird smirk on his face. Apparently, he thought that his little speech would clarify everything. Ditzy looked at the multicolored stallion beside her with caring eyes. ”What do they tell you now?” she asked softly. ”They tell me to unleash the f-fury of the storm, to LIVE!” his voice broke into falsetto at the last word. For a moment his entire face lit up with joy, before he visibly calmed down again to his normal demeanor. ”To harness them, to feel alive again. I nev-ver feel so much alive as in the mid-dle of a twister…” ”Shh, I’m here. Don’t listen to them, listen to me instead…” Ditzy said with a soft voice. Topsy diverted his eyes from the space he had been staring at and looked at Ditzy. Rarity looked at the two Pegasi, and suddenly felt a small twinge of sadness for them, despite everything. ”Is that why you used that dreadful anesthetic instead of a hypnotic?” Rarity asked as she took a sip of water. ”Because I made Der- ahem, Ditzy cry?” Topsy nodded, and gave her a look that might pass for approving. ”The winds-s silence when she is close. When she is near, I can hear my own t-thoughts again…” he looked away with a dreamy expression. ”The other m-members of The C-Circus help to some extent, but not like D-Ditzy. She is like… like water on a fire… I can’t-t stand seeing her unhapp-py…” "He didn’t do anything, the voices did." Ditzy had said. Rarity took another bite of the hayburger and looked at the mailmare. ”Ditzy, is this why you really joined The Circus?” she asked slowly. ”Because you could calm his… talent?” Rarity would have preferred the word ”insanity.” Ditzy nodded energetically. ”At first it was just to feel useful for once, but I wouldn’t have joined fully if it weren’t for him. He needs me, more than anypony. To him, I am not klutzy, or a… criminal,” Rarity noted that Ditzy winced at the last word, ”but a friend. A true, true friend.” ”Not-t a friend, a neces-s-sity,” Topsy interrupted. ”W- without you, I would have let the winds take me l-long ago… I love the winds…” Ditzy stroked Topsy’s green mane. ”I’m always here, friend,” she said with a goofy smile. Rarity did not have the heart to interrupt them, so she focused on finishing her hayburger and drink. As she ate, she realized she was not exactly afraid of the two ponies. Ditzy was still Ditzy, after all. She was scared of the well, but not Ditzy. Not even Topsy frightened her when he was like this. Rarity went back towards the well, and started to walk around the dark hole. She had to stretch her legs as much as possible, else she would probably go insane after another session in the ground. A silent flutter told her that Topsy flew over her and landed on a rock, probably to make sure she did not escape. ”It’s time… to prepare,” he declared calmly. She looked at him again. His creepy smirk was back, but he had actually closed his eyes for once. He tilted his head back and seemed to listen to something only he could hear. Suddenly, Ditzy came fluttering down from the sky with a large cloud in her hooves. She placed it in the air beside Topsy, who opened his eyes and stroked the cloud. Rarity stopped and watched. She had never seen a pegasus do that before. He wasn’t sculpturing or thinning the cloud, he just stroked it like Fluttershy would a pet. Suddenly, he began to flutter about erratically. His twitches had been a lot calmer now than when she saw him the first time, but now they picked up again. He fluttered about the cloud, punching it here and there and ripping out small pieces. Rarity noted that the cloud quickly became smaller and darker. Topsy grabbed the cloud in both his hooves, and dove to the ground. The moment before he crashed, he altered his path so he flew just a hooflength over the grass while dragging the small cloud along it. How he could fly with such control with his twitches was anypony’s guess. The cloud began to rumble angrily as electricity built up. Rarity suddenly realized what he was doing; he was building the smallest thundercloud she had ever seen. Around and around he flew, and the cloud got darker and darker. Then he pulled up, and held in his hooves a pitch black, crackling mass. ”Shh,” he whispered to the cloud. The cooing sound was not unlike the hiss of a snake. ”C-cal-lm d-d-down hehehehehahah,” he laughed with a half choked sound that should be impossible to make. Then he flew off. Rarity looked to Ditzy again. ”Is there anything I can say that would make you let me go?” Rarity asked in a resigned voice. The well scared her, and her time was running out. Ditzy shook her head. ”No, but you won’t have to stay in the ground for very long. Things have gone better than expected,” Ditzy said happily. ”I promise, it won’t be to bad. You will sleep through most of it…” Rarity shuddered as she looked towards the hole, and continued her fast-paced walking. The remainder of her time passed far quicker than she thought. ”Time’s up,” Ditzy finally said. Rarity startled and began to think up a half-mad escape plan. She dismissed it and went towards Ditzy with her head hung. She did her best to remain calm despite knowing what awaited. Clatter caused her to look up, and she saw two small glasses at the table. Between them stood a flask of whiskey. Rarity looked at the flask in utter surprise. It was a very nice brand, and probably cost more than her monthly income. Ditzy uncorked the flask with a loud ”pop”, and poured up a generous amount of golden liquid in both glasses. She spilled almost half of what she poured. ”Oops,” she said sheepishly. Rarity realized somewhere in the back of her mind, that Ditzy by spilling that whiskey probably wasted enough money to buy herself a brand new mail uniform. Ditzy then brought up a small bottle, dipped a syringe in it and sprayed some of the contents in one of the glasses. ”Here,” she nudged the glass with the hypnotic towards Rarity and a little more of the whiskey spilled. ”To good friendship?” Ditzy asked as she raised her glass. ”To good friendship,” Rarity said without enthusiasm. They clinked the glasses together and drank. The whiskey was wonderful, Rarity had to admit. A warm, dazing feeling spread from her belly out in her body. It was not at all like the horrible curare, this was a warm and snug feeling. Rarity just wanted to lay down, curl up into a small ball and doze off. She did not even notice that she fell into Ditzy’s waiting hooves and was brought down in the well shaft again. Topsy came flying back after a few minutes, empty hoofed. He hugged Ditzy and then they both flew off. ***** Sweetie Drops knocked at the door decisively. Easyglider’s lane, just a couple of blocks from Hurricane’s Alley, one of the three main streets in Canterlot. It was a pretty decent address, if quite far away from both the train station and the airship docks. The building was a hotel, indicating that this Suri Polomare had no place to live yet. ”Well, I will have a cozy prison cell for you…” She thought as she knocked again. ”Yes, yes, I’m coming, m’kay?” came an annoyed voice from the room. Sweetie Drops heard the lock click and the door opened. She looked into the comely face of a pink earth pony with purple hair. She had kind, brown eyes, and a turquoise scarf tied around her neck. She could probably look rather attractive, but her face was twisted in an annoyed look. ”Yes?” she asked tiredly. ”Are you Suri Polomare?” Sweetie Drops asked. ”Yes, who is asking?” The earth pony responded. ”Officer Sweetie Drops, Equestrian police,” Sweetie Drops answered. Better not to say she worked for the highest crime fighting instance there was. She would rather keep that trump card until the interrogation. ”I guess you know why I am here?” The mare looked like Sweetie had thrown a bucket of ice cold water in her face, but hid it in the blink of an eye. ”I have no idea what you are talking about, m’kay,” Suri responded with a relaxed smile. ”She is a good liar, this one,” Sweetie thought. She had learned to read lies very well as an agent, and this pony managed to get just the right blend of indignation, curiosity and surprise in her voice when she spoke. Her face was mostly straight too. If not for the short moment of fear when Sweetie said who she was, she might have even fooled her. ”Come with me, if you please,” Sweetie said with an authoritative voice. The face of fear was back again, and this time it did not go away. Suri swallowed, grabbed a key from a small hook and went out the door. Sweetie could clearly see her legs shaking a little. ”Good, let’s get to the police station and have a small talk, shall we?” Sweetie asked with an approving smile. She nudged Suri to go first, and she did. Together they went, not to the police station, but to the castle. Sweetie was not about to let The Circus break Suri out of the ordinary prison. The castle dungeons should still be safe though. And, for that matter, most criminals became a little intimidated when they were brought to the castle itself. Suri was no exception. She went slower and slower as they neared the castle, until she practically stopped before the gates. Sweetie stopped too for a moment. She wanted Suri to really take in the sheer size of the castle. ”Go on,” she said after a few seconds. ”Or shall I call the guards?” Suri began to walk again, much quicker than before. Once in the castle, Sweetie got two guards to flank Suri while she lead the way to the cellars. The detention floor was a relic from a time in history where crime was much more common than nowadays, and so, were almost never used. The white stone that made up most of the castle was present here too, but it was hardly smoothed at all, giving the detention floor a much harder feeling than the rest of the castle. It was also significantly colder and quieter. There were hardly any guards down here normally. Sweetie Drops broke off from the main corridor and entered a circular room. In the middle stood a small table and, all around it, a wall of metal bars that divided most of the rooms into individual cells. ”You may leave,” Sweetie told the guards. They both looked at Suri with venomous glances and left. ”So, Suri, are you absolutely sure you don’t know why you are here?” Suri looked around at the barred doors with an anxious expression. Then she shook her head. ”No, m’am,” she said. Sweetie could easily pick up the worry in her voice. ”I should tell you though,” Sweetie Drops said with low voice and conspiratorial smile. ”The punishment for organized crime is… pretty severe. Lying to an officer is bad too… but I’m sure you already knew that, right?” Sweetie noted with pleasure that Suri seemed just as shocked as when she was found in her apartment. ”What do you want?” Suri asked with roving eyes. ”You know what I want,” Sweetie said with a neutral voice, but triumphant heart. Suri seemed broken. It had been far easier than she expected, but, hey, she wouldn't complain. ”Who is in The Circus, where do they live, and where is Rarity?” Suri licked her lips and looked at Sweetie. ”I… I can’t tell you, m’kay? The will… kill me…” She said the last words in a very small voice. ”They won’t harm anypony again if you tell me what you know,” Sweetie said with an assertive voice. ”I promise, I will capture them, and put them all away for good. You will be put to trial as well, but helping me bring down The Circus can probably lessen your time in jail.” Suri looked horrified at the mentioning of jail, but did not break eye contact. ”Are you sure you can catch them? They keep their identities hidden even from each other. I only know two names, and not where any of them live…” ”Two names are good enough,” Sweetie said. With those names, she could probably get to the others. The problem with The Circus was that the inner circle was extremely secretive, but once you pierced that shell it should be easier. ”And Rarity?” ”I was not there when they took her,” Suri said with a low voice. She glanced anxiously over her shoulder. ”So I don’t know who did it, but they talked about burying her close to the north-western edge of Everfree forest, nearby a ravine… but you must hurry. If The Circus misses me, they will move her, m’kay?” ”Bury her?” Sweetie said with a voice that did not betray the fright she felt. Had they killed Rarity? Why would they do that? ”Buried alive,” Suri said with a shudder. ”Their favorite tactic for keeping prisoners from trying to escape.” ”Very well, I will look into it immediately. But first you will tell me the names you know,” Bon-Bon said. ”The Tamer and The Escape Artist,” Suri said. Bon-Bon felt as if she had been scammed. Of all names it had to be the only two she already knew? Why? What was the odds of that? ”The Tamer is a former stunt flyer, Topsy Twitchy, nicknamed ’The Twister’. He’s got a very special appearance, like-” ”I know,” Sweetie said, annoyed. ”Go on.” ”Ahh,” Suri paused for a moment. ”The Escape Artist is a blue unicorn named Trixie Lulamoon, m’kay? Very spirited and boastful. She refers to herself in third-pony.” Suri looked at her with nervous eyes. ”Very well,” Bon-Bon said again. If nothing else, the information she already had was correct, so maybe what she said about Rarity was true as well. ”I will leave you now, but there will be a guard posted at the entrance at all times, so you will be safe,” Bon-Bon said as she unlocked one of the cell doors. ”And, more importantly, you will not escape,” she thought silently as she locked Suri in the cell. ”You save Rarity now, won’t you?” Suri whispered. ”She is a fillyhood friend…” ”Leave it to me,” Sweetie Drops said and conjured up her trademark shades.