Noon

Day 3, 10:05 a.m.

The angry mob had dissolved. Most ponies returned to their homes; a few sought refuge under nearby trees or in shrouded alleys. With no water and no end to their harrowing ordeal, hope could only get them far. Even with Twilight’s gamble, it didn’t feel like a viable solution. Even if she were to fail and turn in her credentials, it would only leave the citizens with one less smart pony to solve the mystery. On a grimmer note, even if she managed to track the culprit, there was no guarantee of the water coming back.

The three friends remained at the water tower, the blistering heat rearing its ugly head once more. Despite the tower casting its shadow over them, sweat trickled down their faces like a sprung leak. Twilight realized she was back to square one but saved her friendship with Fluttershy. As she looked at the tower, covered in a thin black veil due to its position behind the sun, she couldn’t believe she followed the wrong trail. There are a thousand ways to perpetrate a crime.

“Twilight,” Applejack said. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we can’t waste time on dead ends. Ponyville needs that water yesterday.”

“I know that,” Twilight replied, slightly annoyed. “But I can’t waste time framing the wrong pony. There must be something else.”

Deep down, however, Twilight understood the urgency of picking up the pace. Less than eight hours remain before the deadline. If two days of hard-line investigation yielded no results, what were the chances that eight hours would?
Her gaze turned to the hose; one end was dangling from the edge of the platform. The first time she saw the hose, she quickly dismissed it.

“Applejack,” she said. “I’ve always wondered about the purpose of that hose.”

“Nothin’ much,” Applejack answered. “There’s a pipe connected to the tank. Maybe it’s for fillin’ her up.”

“Makes sense,” Twilight said amidst skepticism. “I’ve seen Mrs. Cake fill it before.”

“What are you thinking, Twi?”

“Nothing, really. It’s just that this tower reminds me of the Ursa Minor.”

“Oh, that?” Applejack chuckled. “Mighty impressive how you dealt with that big bear.”

“Come on, AJ,” Twilight said, blushing. “It wasn’t that impressive.”

“But it is,” Applejack insisted, her words accompanied with proper hoof actions. “You lifted that tank, filled it with milk, and fed the Ursa with it. I don’t know anypony else with as much magic skill as you.”

“You’re giving me way too much credit,” replied Twilight sheepishly. “I’m pretty sure there are other unicorns—”

An abrupt silence followed Twilight’s trimmed words as she sported the look of disbelief. But it didn’t last long.

“Uh, Twi? Are you okay?” said Applejack, eventually turning to her friends when no response came. “Was it somethin’ I muttered”

Spike shrugged. Fluttershy shifted her gaze to the ground. They weren’t quite sure either, but they didn’t need to wait for long to find out.

“Of course!” said Twilight out of the blue. “Why didn’t I think of this earlier?”

“Um, Twilight?” said Spike, grossly worried.

Twilight continued shouting for joy. “It all makes sense now!”

“Hey!” said Spike with a louder tone. “What ‘makes sense’ now?”

Twilight cleared her throat and explained the reason for her elation. “We already know that there’s no way the tank can be emptied in one night, right?” she said.

“Yeah,” Applejack said, still confused. “I think you already said that a dozen times.”

Twilight chuckled confidently before saying: “But what if the culprit moved the tank?”

“Twilight,” Applejack replied. “The tank’s heavier than our barn. How can anypony possibly move that?”

“With magic.”

Twilight’s friends exchanged looks of confusion, but it didn’t take long for logic to set in. After all, with magic, the only limitation is the user him or herself. Anypony could put their backs into a simple levitation spell if they tried hard enough.

“But Twilight,” said Fluttershy. “I agree with Applejack. I don’t know anypony as skilled in magic as you.”

“Levitation spells are basic for any unicorn,” Twilight replied. “All you have to do is to focus on what you want to move. The heavier the object, the more magic required.”

“Do you know who could do such a thing?” asked Fluttershy.

“None yet,” said Twilight. “But at least we’re getting somewhere. And I have a feeling this will change everything for the better.”

To prove her theory, Twilight magically went up to the platform a second time. Standing on almost the same spot as yesterday, she looked high and low for clues she might have missed. In a stroke of luck, she did: a faint but visible line covered in a layer of dirt inches from the tank’s base. The line of dirt only went halfway around the platform. On the other side, the edge of the tank sat dangerously close to the edge. Having gathered the evidence she needed, she returned to her friends on the ground in a flash.

“What did you find, Twilight?” Spike asked.

“As I thought,” Twilight answered confidently. “The tank has been moved. Somepony must have used magic to either drain its contents or replace it with an empty one.”

“But who has magic strong enough to do that?”

Only unicorns whose talent is general magic have a better chance at pulling off such a feat. Thanks to that, however, Twilight’s list of suspects was narrowed down to one unicorn she knew too well.

“Trixie,” Twilight muttered.

“Umm…Trixie?” asked Fluttershy.

“If there’s another unicorn who has the potential, it’s gotta be ol’ Great and Powerful,” Twilight chuckled.

“Makes sense,” Spike agreed. “Now we just have to find her.”

“That’s the problem, Spike,” Twilight said. “I don’t know if she’s in Ponyville right now. Applejack, Fluttershy, do you know?”

The two only returned silence, with a dash of helplessness. Since the Ursa Minor fiasco, Trixie had all but been a pony non grata in Ponyville. In fact, it took mentioning her name for Applejack and Fluttershy to recall her. Silently, Twilight sifted through her mental list of unicorns but nopony seemed to fit the bill. Rarity had been one of the staunchest complainants, Snips and Snails would’ve been too stupid to pull this off, and the rest didn’t have enough screen time to be profiled as suspects.

Just as it seemed that this better route would be another dead end, a random flyer kicked against Twilight’s face despite no breeze blowing. Was it carried here by the jet stream? Nevertheless, she soon found out that the flyer provided the answer she needed.

“Hmm,” Twilight said, reading the flyer intently. “Come one, come all. The Great and Powerful Trixie returns to Ponyville for her summer tour. See new tricks up her hooves in front of Town Hall at high noon.”

“Well, that’s mighty convenient,” Applejack said, suspecting a bad feeling.

“Too convenient,” Spike added.

“I think so, too,” said Twilight. “But this is our only shot at confronting Trixie. Get the others to meet up at Town Hall before noon. Time to pay an old friend a visit.”

Day 3, 11:55 a.m.

Twilight’s earlier victory seemed to have done a number on Trixie’s audience size. Roughly a fifth of the ponies present during the confrontation only showed up to watch the magician’s summer tour. The mobile stage blanketed the entrance to Town Hall, complete with all the stage décor as the crowd remembered it and more. Various gems dotted every nook and cranny of the stage but the kitchen sink. Combined with the sun’s intense glare, some ponies would be glad just to finish the show with their vision intact.

Joined by the rest of her friends, Twilight chose the nearby bridge to watch the performance without riling up the crowd with her presence. Not a moment later, the unicorn with one account of fooling Ponyville appeared on stage. Much to Twilight’s surprise, not one boo came from the crowd. At this point, they would rather think of something else other than the water crisis. Trixie’s entertainment, in hindsight, seemed like the perfect distraction; although it consisted mostly of elementary tricks.

The show didn’t last long. After 15 minutes, the crowd dispersed as Trixie’s stage packed up with the pull of a lever. This was Twilight’s cue.

Day 3, 12:10 p.m.

“Trixie,” Twilight said, trotting over to the magician’s wagon. “Can I borrow you for a minute?”

Just like in previous encounters, the sight of her arch-nemesis left a bad taste on Trixie’s mouth. “Ugh,” she replied. “The Great and Powerful Trixie must travel to her next performance posthaste. I cannot be bothered by such…disturbances.”

It was a rude answer, but nothing less of Twilight’s rival. “Don’t worry,” Twilight said. “I’m sure your next performance can wait. Can’t be ‘Great and Powerful’ if you work yourself to the bone, right?”

The suggestion tempted Trixie. She had been traveling for days, mostly on hoof, towing her wagon and spreading fliers. “Fine,” she replied but still wary of Twilight’s intentions. “But make it fast. The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t wish to stay in this backwater town for as long as necessary.”

Twilight saw the need to keep the debacle with Fluttershy hidden from Trixie’s perspective. At this point, she may have just chanced upon Ponyville’s sorry state. Quickly accusing her of the town’s plight without clear evidence will simply put her as the victim rather than the suspect. Nevertheless, Twilight’s eye for detail quickly noticed a few subtle hints. First, while everypony sweated under the blistering heat, Trixie didn’t seem unfazed. Second, her smooth mane and tail was a far cry from the messy coiffeurs the locals had to endure for the past few days without water for bathing.

Third, and arguably the most “subtle,” was the array of gems cladding the stage. Twilight was taken aback by the glare it produced, but proceeded to ask anyway. “What’s up with the new and improved stage, Trixie?” she asked while shielding her eyes with her hoof.

“Like it?” boasted Trixie as she flipped her mane. “The Great and Powerful Trixie needs a new look for her greater and powerful-er performances. Gems are in this season.”

“Yes, but from this perspective you overdid it,” Rarity remarked, also while shielding her eyes from the blinding glare.

“Nonsense!” Trixie cried boastfully. “You can never overdo something that can become greater and powerful-er.”

“Is ‘powerful-er’ even a word?” Rainbow Dash whispered to Pinkie Pie.

Anypony can find “greater” in any dictionary, but “powerful-er” will surely make any lexicologist cringe. This newfound source of confidence, however, has everypony wondering. With no answers so far, Twilight continued pressing for info “So, Trixie,” she said. “Where did you get all these gems? Rock farming?”

“Come on, Twilight,” replied Pinkie Pie skeptically. “The pay may be good, but it’s not that good.” Despite this remark, Trixie remained tight-lipped.

“Judging by your silence,” said Twilight. “I assume it’s from some illicit activity.”

Trixie’s rebuttal was swift but not cunning. “Why should the Great and Powerful Trixie tell you where she received her sparkling rewards?”

Twilight showed her a proper rebuttal. “Why shouldn’t you? No reason to hide anything if you bought those gems legally, right?”

As the interrogation went on, her friends began showing serious doubt. How did the quest to take back Ponyville’s water ended up in a discussion about Trixie’s blinding platform? They felt that now wasn’t the time to talk about it.

“Applejack,” said Rainbow Dash. “This is getting us nowhere. Why is Twilight talking about gems when we should be getting our water back?”

“We just have to trust Twilight, y’all,” said Applejack, doubtful but hopeful. “Right now, she’s the only one that can open this pickle jar.”

“I’m afraid have to agree with Rainbow Dash,” Rarity replied regrettably. “I know gems are in this season, but gems won’t quench our thirst.”

“If you have any other ideas, I’m all ears, Rarity,” replied Applejack.

“I’m just saying, darling,” Rarity said. “Twilight should get straight to the point now.”

Suddenly, Fluttershy gave her take on the matter. “I believe in Twilight,” she said with great resolve. “Let her work at her own pace.”

Applejack let out a sigh of relief. Fluttershy, who had seen Twilight’s methods firsthand since yesterday, was in the best position to tell everypony that everything’s going to be fine. The investigator’s eye for detail may mean deviating from the point at hand, but prior to her failure yesterday, this method pulled her through every single time.

“F-Fine!” cried Trixie, flustered. “I got them from a gem dealer. Happy now?”

“Strange,” Twilight said. “You can simply mine the gems instead of buying them variants. But I digress. Where was your last show, Trixie?”

“Baltimare,” Trixie answered casually. “Much better reception than what the Great and Powerful Trixie received here.”

“Maybe because you’re not so well-received here at all,” mumbled Rainbow Dash.

“When was your last show?” Twilight asked.

Before Trixie could answer, Twilight’s fears suddenly materialized. “Hold on,” she said. “Trixie senses something amiss. Why are you asking me all these questions all of a sudden?”

This didn’t bode well for Twilight. She hasn’t gotten anything relevant out of Trixie yet. Maybe she picked the wrong pony again; maybe this was another dud. Despair was slow to sink in, but she stayed calm. “Well, you know,” she replied. “We haven’t seen each other for a while.”

“You seriously believe that the Great and Powerful Trixie is already friends with you?” said Trixie in indignation.

“Now wait a minute,” said Twilight in a panic. “I never said anything about—”

“Well, heed this, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie warned, growing more furious. “As long as memories of my humiliation are still fresh, I will never, ever be your friend!”

“Geez, grumpy much?” said Pinkie Pie.

After wearing the harness to her mobile stage, Trixie began walking back to where she entered. Having failed to achieve a breakthrough, Twilight slumped in shame and braced for a worse fate than not having friends. However, Rarity was quick to react to a faint glint in Trixie’s saddlebag.

“Wait!” cried Rarity, pointing her hoof at the glint. “I recognize that glint!”

Trixie suddenly lost her nerve. She quickly unstrapped herself and attempted to make a run for it. But a few steps later, Twilight caught her hooves with a quick spell that restricted her hooves. As Trixie kissed the parched ground, the force hurled a few gems and a big hunk of sapphire out of her saddle. Bewilderment hit Rarity almost instantly.

“I knew it!” cried Rarity in indignation. “That glint came from True Blue.”

“True Blue?” replied a shocked Twilight. “The gem we returned to the Diamond Dogs?”

“What else could it be, Twilight?” said Rarity, having calmed down a bit. “But what is Trixie doing with True Blue?”

Twilight turned to Trixie with her game face on. “Okay, Trixie,” she said. “You’re gonna tell me what you’re doing with True Blue. Spare no detail.”

Author's Note:

If you haven't played Case 1 of My Little Investigations yet, True Blue is the huge sapphire gem Rarity discovered near the Diamond Dogs' lair. It was stolen in an evening heist, resulting in the scene of the crime the next day.

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