//------------------------------// // Culprits Revealed // Story: Rarity and the Phantoms of the Midsummer Theatre // by Catrina37 //------------------------------// Ch. 9: Culprits Revealed After the crooks were caught, the Mane 6, the Knight, Megan Discord, Coco, the Performers and Princess Celestia confronted the three vandals for their actions. “So you three were behind the riot and Discord’s frame-up!” Twilight said, “But Rarity, how did you know Suri, Wind Rider and Svengallop were behind this?” “It’s all in the cards, Twilight,” Rarity said, “We got these business cards from Ahuizotl’s goons after they took them from Svengallop and Wind Rider. When I smelled one of them, it is scented with Juniper Phoenix, Wind Rider’s favorite cologne. Masquerade, the owner of the costume, described the customer who bought two clown costumes and a witch pony costume to be a Pegasus wearing a pilot’s jacket, the kind Wind Rider wears.” “My card took me to the Shining Star Talent Agency, where Svengallop use to work,” Megan said, “When Talent Search showed me Svengallop’s picture, I recognized him as the Earth Pony clown on the scaffold and from his early act.” “The Prancy’s business card took me to the department where Suri worked,” Thorne said, “When I got there, I noticed a pair of scissors were missing. Miss Biz told me that Suri was absent the night of the reopening.” Rarity levitated something out of Suri’s cloak, sowing a pair of scissors with purple thread and a rope bit. “These are the same scissors that were used to rip the costumes and the rope to the sandbag that nearly fell on Coloratura,” Rarity said, “The purple thread is from the diamond costume I made her, and the rope bit is from the sandbag.” “But Rarity,” Coco said, “We saw you in a growling match with Suri. She wasn’t the one who planted the snakes in the popcorn.” “That growling match was merely a distraction,” Rarity said, “While she and I were going at it, Svengallop was given enough time to plant the snakes without being seen. Then, while he and Wind Rider put on an act, it gave Suri enough time to cut the costumes.” “How do you know I’m the one who planted the snakes?” Svengallop asked. “Your hoof is yellow from the butter of the popcorn,” she said. Svengallop looked and his hoof and noticed the yellow powder. “But then why did we find Discord’s prints and no pony else’s?” Applejack asked. “I can explain that,” Trixie said showing her wooden legs, “Those three stole the wooden legs I was going to use for my next act.” “Indeed. With Wind Rider flying while planting the foot prints, he would make it look like Discord snuck in back to wreck the costumes,” Rarity said. “But Zesty confirmed that Discord did it,” Coco said. “That is where the witch pinky costume comes in,” Rarity said as she showed the costume, “Suri redesigned it to look like Zesty and pretended to be her. With her confirming Discord caused the riot, he would be set up.” “But why would you three do all this and frame Discord?” Celestia confronted them. “Because Rarity and her friends ruined our careers and lives!” Suri shouted, “After you turned Coco against me, she quit on me and told Prim Hemline who really made my designs. I was blackballed from the fashion industry! I had to get a job at the knitwear department at Prancy’s to earn a living! KNITWEAR!” “Hey! You’re lucky a knitwear department would take the likes of a cheater like you in!” Rarity said. “Well after your detective skills got me dishonorably discharged, I got a job at Prancy’s as their window washer,” Wind Rider said, "The best Wonderbolt in Equestrian History reduced to washing windows with low pay!" “That’s more than you deserve for framing me and hurting the team by getting rid of Spitfire!” Rainbow Dash said. “As for Discord, Svengallop had a grudge against him,” Suri said. “It was thanks to him, I was out of work completely!” Svengallop yelled, “After I was fired by “Rara”, I went back to Manehattan to find my next cash cow…er…client. Then Discord shows up and reveals the same image that exposed me in Ponyville for the city to see. Talent Search fired me from the agency soon after! I had to get work as a janitor on Wind Rider’s cleaning team to support myself, where I met him and Suri. We talked a bit and found out we have common enemies.” “When we read about the Midsummer Theatre Revival, we saw it as our chance to get revenge,” Wind Rider said, “We wreck the Theatre and Discord would get the blame. He and Rarity would know what it’s like to have something of yours ruined. Besides, Discord's the same guy who sold us out to a certain red centaur! I'm sure we all have a grudge against that!” “That was your biggest mistake: holding your grudges and going through with your revenge plan,” Zesty said, “By doing so, you wound up hurting ponies and ruining something so many have worked so hard on.” “Besides, Rarity and Discord didn’t ruin your lives; you ruined your own lives!” Twilight said, “Suri, you cheated Rarity and Coco out of their designs after how nice they were to you; Wind Rider, you try to cheat Rainbow Dash out of her dream to be a Wonderbolt by framing her to preserve a record; and Svengallop, you used Coloratura for gain rather than treat her like a friend.” “If you haven’t done such horrible deeds, you never would have lost some possible friends,” Celestia said, “Now how should I best punish you three?” “I have a suggestion, Princess Celestia,” Megan said. "Really, Megan? What is it?" Celestia asks. With her hands, Megan motions for Celestia and Twilight to come over and huddle up so that she could quietly tell them her suggestion. Twilight and Celestia do so, and the three huddle up. In a whisper, Megan tells them her suggestion. Her idea was obviously a good one, because it earned OOOO's, giggles, and nods of approval from the two mares. When they were done, the three broke formation, and Celestia moves towards Suri, Wind Rider, and Svengallop to confront them. "Suri Polomare, Wind Rider, and Svengallop. You punishment has been decided," Princess Celestia said. The three ponies nervously gulped.