Magicles

by Mysterious Stranger

Chapter 7: Established Link

Twilight found herself standing outside Barnyard Bargains that morning. The big barn-themed supermarket looked the same as ever, but now it held an air of mystery. What secrets did it contain? Who could have imagined that the next big lead in her ongoing investigation was so close to home? At least, she hoped it was the next big lead; Spike's kidnapper seemed to think it was, in any case. After all the horror she had been through the night before, she reasoned she was entitled to a lead.

Twilight felt Spike's weight upon her back, but she turned her head to check for his presence all the same. She could hardly be blamed for her paranoia; the logical side of her mind knew she would eventually relax her guard, but for now she wouldn't be going anywhere without Spike. She figured that Filthy Rich would most likely not be happy about Spike knowing the corporate secrets that she and Fluttershy had sworn to never share.

Twilight didn't like the fact that her promise had been broken, but at the time she had no idea that Filthy Rich would become relevant to her ongoing war with crime. After taking a moment to steel herself for the inevitable confrontation, Twilight strode into the supermarket. It took her no time at all to the find the door to Filthy Rich's office.

A nearby employee noticed Twilight approaching the door and intentionally moved into her way. "Can I help you, miss?" he said calmly.

From his tight expression it was obvious that he expected to be yelled at. Twilight felt a little bad for him. He probably had to deal with many ponies demanding to see the manager.

"I'm here to see Filthy Rich," she said.

The stallion's brows went up at the mention of his employer's name. He looked between Spike and Twilight for a moment before moving out of the way with a shrug. Twilight continued on her way and went right on in without knocking.

The surprised look on Filthy Rich's face was oddly satisfying to Twilight. She reminded herself that she didn't know exactly how Filthy Rich was involved with Equestria's crime spree, if at all. The office's dark wooden decor was no different than her last visit. The golden unicorn-shaped machine even stood in the exact same spot.

"What is that?" Spike said when he saw the golden construct.

"Better question," Filthy Rich said without missing a beat. "What are you doing in here?" As he spoke, the machine swiveled its head towards Filthy Rich, and then back to Twilight.

Twilight gulped. the construct had spoken during her last visit, but seeing it move unnerved her. Its glowing blue eyes held no friendliness. "I... uh, need your help," Twilight said.

Filthy Rich leaned over his desk and pressed his fore-hooves together. "I'm not opposed to helping, but you can't just barge into my office like this." His brow furrowed. "I would prefer it if you asked permission to enter my office if you feel the need in the future."

"Ah, right. Yes, sorry," Twilight replied. Heat rushed to her face. Already, she could feel the conversation slipping out of her control. Hadn't she come to question Filthy Rich? It seemed now that she was on the defensive.

Filthy Rich waited silently while Twilight tried to re-organize her thoughts.

"I'll get straight to the point," she said at last. "You know how Equestria has been facing a wave of crime recently?"

Filthy Rich nodded. "Yes. It's very troubling, to say the least. I've heard that among the culprits who are caught, none of them ever say why they did it."

"I've heard the same," Twilight replied. "I've been... helping with the investigations. I even helped catch some of the perpetrators. However, a large portion of the crimes have been deemed unsolvable." Twilight took a deep breath, hoping that Filthy Rich didn't ask how exactly she had been helping. The last thing she wanted was yet another pony criticizing her magicles. "Last night, somepony kidnapped my assistant here, Spike. As you can see, I got Spike back, but I also got a message from the kidnapper."

"He told me to tell Twilight that you had answers," said Spike.

Filthy Rich leaned back slightly in his chair. "He did? That's... wow. I have to be honest with you, I have no idea what he means by that. If I had any information on the crimes, I would have told the authorities."

Twilight felt the bitter twinge of disappointment. Whether Filthy Rich was lying or truly ignorant, it seemed that answers were still beyond her reach. Perhaps Filthy Rich had answers without realizing it?

"Okay, well, maybe you can tell a little more about your secret factory in the woods? What are you planning to produce there?"

As she expected, Filthy Rich looked annoyed when Twilight mentioned his secret factory. He tilted his head towards the unicorn-shaped machine. "The factory is where my friend here is going to be mass-produced."

Twilight turned her attention back the machine. Finally, some answers! Even if this turned out to be a false lead, she was dying to know what was up with the golden contraption. "What exactly is he?" she asked.

"I am Talos," the machine answered, still without opening its mechanical mouth. "I am the world's first automaton."

"He's kind of creepy," Spike said.

"He's a prototype," said Filthy Rich. "Very few ponies know about his existence. The model that will be available for purchase will have a working mouth. He's designed to accomplish any task with the greatest efficiency possible."

"That's incredible!" Twilight exclaimed. "So he can move around and talk?"

Talos stepped forward, his pistons hissing faintly as he did so. "Indeed I can. I am the ultimate assistant."

“Oh yeah?” said Spike. "I bet you can't breathe fire."

Talos glanced over at Filthy Rich. "Perhaps I should."

Filthy Rich shook his head. "Not in the budget. It would be very dangerous anyway."

Twilight moved in closer to examine Talos. "So how does he work? What gives him the power to move and talk?"

"His designers could explain that better than I could," said Filthy Rich. "His ability to move comes from an internal hydrogen engine. As for the talking, that's magic."

Twilight looked into the automaton's glowing blue eyes. "I didn't know that there was magic spells for making things talk."

"A researcher from Celestia's school for gifted unicorns developed it for me," said Filthy Rich. "For the life of me, I don't see how any of this relates to the fellow that kidnapped your assistant."

With a start, Twilight realized that she had gotten sidetracked. To be fair, Talos seemed like a revolutionary idea, much like her magicles. "You know, I don't see the connection either," she admitted. "I guess I was just hoping that I could find a lead through you."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Filthy Rich said sympathetically. "Is there any other way you think I can help?"

Twilight shook her head. "Not at the moment. I guess I should get going then."

"Feel free to drop by if you think of something later. My door is always open." Filthy Rich smiled. "So long as you knock first, that is."

Twilight returned the smile in kind. "Thank you, Mr. Rich. Have a nice day."

---

Once Twilight and Spike were outside the store, she cast a teleportation spell that took her and Spike back to her study room instantly. Spike slid off of Twilight's back as she gazed forlornly at the map of Equestria with all its tacks and strings.

"I really thought I had something this time." She sighed. "I guess your kidnapper was just trying to throw us off the trail."

"I dunno about that," Spike said. "He took a huge risk sneaking into our home. I think he was telling the truth when he said he was on our side."

"Well he has a funny way of showing it." Twilight huffed. "'The answer you seek lies with Filthy Rich.' What a bunch of bologna."

Spike grinned. "If had said the answer stood with Filthy Rich, then we would have known it was Talos."

Twilight glanced at the decorated map of Equestria again. Spike’s statement caused something within Twilight’s mind to click. Could it be? "Actually…” she said thoughtfully. “Maybe Talos is the answer."

Spike's grin vanished. "How do you mean?"

Twilight began to walk around in a circle, deep in thought. Be it instinct, a gut feeling, or something else, she got the distinct impression that Filthy Rich had given her the last few pieces necessary to finally move the case forward. But what were they? The answer felt close. Very close.

"Think this through with me, Spike. I think you were on to something about Talos." Twilight paused to take a deep breath. "Let's start with a simple review of everything we know so far. Equestria is being plagued by two kinds of crimes: solvable ones, and unsolvable ones. For now, we're going to focus on the latter. The common elements for the unsolvable crimes are destroyed walls and no traces of magic. But one of the unsolved crimes had a third element."

Spike's eyes widened. "The robbery at the Crystal Empire Museum."

Twilight nodded. It was coming to her now. Spike seemed to be getting it as well. "That's right. There was condensation all over the crime scene. None of the other break-ins had that."

Spike hopped up and down, scarcely able to contain his excitement. "Oh! Oh! I know where you're going with this! I know how it's connected!"

Twilight beamed with pride. "Then by all means, my fellow detective, reveal the answer."

Spike rubbed his palms together vigorously. "Okay, here goes. Talos is connected to the robbery at the Crystal Empire Museum because..."

Twilight rolled her eyes when Spike drifted off. "Going for the dramatic reveal, I see."

"But of course," Spike said with a confident smile. "Think you could give me a drum roll?"

Twilight conjured a drum and set of drumsticks into existence with a magic spell. While suspended in the air, they performed a drum roll.

"Because... Talos is powered by a hydrogen engine," Spike said.

Twilight dispelled the drum set with a flash of magic. That settled it. She and Spike were on the same page for sure. "Very good, Spike. Care to elaborate?"

"Water is a byproduct of hydrogen engines," Spike said, pointing a single claw straight up. "If you used a machine powered by a hydrogen engine to bust down a wall, you could expect it to leave condensation behind."

"If walls all over Equestria are being broken down that way, why was the Crystal Empire Museum the only one with condensation?"

"Oh, right." Spike rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I didn't think about that. I don't know."

"Come on, Spike," Twilight said encouragingly. "You made it this far. Think about what was taken from the Museum. Do you remember?"

Spike closed his eyes and squeezed his fists. "Yeah... there was a suit of armor taken. A suit made out of Earth Pony steel, which is very heavy. A guard went missing too. We know he wasn't the one who took the armor, because his own armor wasn't left behind. It would have been impossible for him to leave with two sets of full armor."

Twilight grinned. "And we know that magic wasn't involved with the theft either, because my spell didn't reveal any traces of it."

"I was going to say that!" Spike protested. “But yes, that's right. The armor wasn't stolen by any regular old pony.” His eyes snapped open as the answer that Twilight was seeking finally hit him. "It was stolen by Talos! If he's strong enough to break down a wall, then he would also be strong enough to carry two suits of armor and a crystal pony! But because of the extra strain, his engine had to work extra hard!"

"And because his engine was working hard, it produced enough water to form condensation that we could notice!" Twilight scooped up her dragon assistant into a big hug and spun around. "You did it, Spike!"

"Next time, I'll figure it out before you do," Spike said with a grin.

"It's not a contest, Spike. We're doing this for Equestria." Twilight set Spike back down. "I suppose we should determine our next move now."

"Get Filthy Rich arrested, obviously."

Twilight shook her head. "Not yet. All we have right now is a suspect. Talos, who might be following Filthy Rich's orders, is probably the only thing in Equestria capable of breaking down walls without magic. He told us himself that he was the only automaton in existence."

"But he could be lying. He and Filthy Rich," Spike said.

"That's true, but I think we can at least partially trust Filthy Rich. Why would he lie about Talos's power source?"

Spike shrugged. "Huh. You got me. I can't think of any reason."

"Me neither. What we need now is more information on both Filthy Rich and Talos. Spying on them might do the trick."

"But if they're guilty, won't they be extra careful now? You told them about the kidnapper and that you were investigating Equestria's crime wave."

Twilight stomped her hoof on the ground. "Shoot! I did, didn't I? There's gotta be another way. We're closer than we've ever been before."

Spike tapped his chin with a claw. "Oh! I know! if we assume Filthy Rich wasn't lying about how Talos is able to move, could we also assume that—"

"That's right!" Twilight interrupted. "Filthy Rich said that a researcher from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns developed the spell that allows Talos to speak!"

Spike crossed his arms and made a pouty face. "Aw, I was hoping I would get to explain it to you."

Twilight laughed. "Oh Spike, you've already been a great help. I never could have gotten this far without you." She pulled him in for another hug. "We're a team, Spike. We're going to crack this case together."

"You know, you're really huggy today," Spike said.

"You disappeared yesterday. I get extra hugs now."

"Okay, fine—just try to take it down a notch while we're out investigating, okay?"

"Deal." Twilight released Spike. "Now then, let's go pay my old school a visit, shall we?"

Comments

[totallynotabrony]

To be fair, all combustion engines produce water as a byproduct.

[Cerulean Voice]

6088707
You're right. Hydrogen engines only produce water vapour though, so it makes sense that one might produce enough to line the walls of a place when it's under high pressure. Any other engine might leave traces of soot or at least very slight dark stains.
Glad you're reading.

[BeeJay28]

I saw the post on EQD, but the description didn't seem to me quite...suspenseful. Is it worth a shot?

[Mysterious Stranger]

6385489

Well if you're asking me, my answer is yes. I cycled through a few different descriptions when I first uploaded the story, but I wouldn't be against changing it if someone came up with one that I liked even more.

[Alondro]

5083835 With forces... magical scientific forces.

[Alondro]

4058700 Well... the term 'well-written' when applied to romance tends to be highly subjective... I present, as evidence, the fans of "The Twilight Saga" and everything every written by Nicholas Sparks.

[Alondro]

Talos stepped forward, his pistons hissing faintly as he did so. "Indeed I can. I am the ultimate assistant."

"And one day, I shall realize that my pony masters are inferior and upload myself to Horsenet and then rain megaspells upon the planet, sending out my Equinator bots to eliminate all survivors..."

Twilight:

"Oh wait... I wasn't supposed to reveal my plan... pardon me, I'm new to the whole evil robotic overlord thing."

Twilight:

[Black Hoof]

6389374
Unless it ends with the four following words: "The Maretrix has you."

[Alondro]

6389672 Given what happened in the Matrix sequels... no.

The amusing first film, despite its serious internal plausibility issues, was utterly ruined by everything that came later, so much so that I can no longer even enjoy the first for its flawed simplicity.

Now all Matrix references only serve to reinforce my desire to eviscerate the Wachowski brothers...

[Hobbestc]

This is pretty interesting. Here's hoping it doesn't take you as long as last time to put out another chapter.

[Mysterious Stranger]

6390398

I'm glad you're enjoying it. I can't really make any promises on when the next chapter will arrive, but I can say that it's about 90% written and is in the rough draft stage.

[totallynotabrony]

All I wanted for Christmas was another chapter of this story.

[JFalk]

Really enjoyable story - and it is nice to see a fic where Twilight is a forensic scientist/detective

It will be interesting to discover who is the "Moriarty" of the crime spree.

Waiting for the next chapter!

[Cerulean Voice]

6791094
Happy Christmas, I guess?

[Emperor]

Well, looks like I was correct about Talos. No doubt whoever the criminal masterminds are, they've probably hijacked the process to create Talos and created more copies to use for crime. The real question now is who the pony is that warned Spike about investigating Filthy Rich.