Lessons in quirks

by Mike84

Chapter XXXIV

Twilight and Rainbow Dash were heading for the town hall. After the first shock on the green Rainbow Dash had made sure to take on what she considered Twilight's earlier challenge concerning the weight of the moneybags. She could lift the bag but flying with such a weight held between her teeth was extremely tricky. So she had satisfied her ambition to show that she could do it by flapping a short distance while holding the bag. But even she had to admit that with the head dragged down and the rear stuck up as a result of frantic flapping to stay airborne this was not only 'not cool' but also nothing that any pegasi was likely to perform over a long stretch or time. Now Rainbow's jaw was aching. Twilight had ultimately teleported the bag into the library where she and Rainbow Dash then headed, neither of them saying anything on the way. At the library they had been received by a baby dragon under serious distress about the unscheduled popping up of a heavily filled bag of golden bits. Twilight had told Spike in few curt words about the origin of said moneybag.

"We got to bring it to Town Hall", Twilight decided. "But I don't think we should cause any more confusion by letting it pop up there and explain later." She gave Spike an apologetic look.
"Rainbow, could you carry it there?"
Rainbow nodded: "You got any backpack or something for it though?"
"Of course. We don't want everypony to see us carrying that around."
"Yeah, that too", Rainbow Dash said, cutting a face and rubbing her jaw.

As they headed on to the town hall they both fell silent again. Rainbow Dash was champing at the bit to say something but she had seen a look on Twilight's face, a sinister mixture of anger and brooding, that she found to be almost a little intimidating. She sensed that Twilight was in one of her moods in which some small thing could make her snap with anger and Rainbow Dash knew that this was something to be avoided even if it meant biting her tongue to avoid asking questions or saying something that Twilight might take the wrong way. She did grant herself the question though whether or not such moments of Twilight had become any scarier since her becoming an alicorn and a princess. Rainbow Dash caught herself thinking of Princess Luna in one of her creepy moments.

She was positively relieved when, turning round a corner, she spotted Applejack and Pinkie Pie heading towards them. The silence was going to be broken without her being responsible for it and without her being the only lightning rod for Twilight's potential fits of anger. Rainbow Dash's relief melted away however as she saw the face of Applejack bearing the unmistakable prospect of more ill news.
Whether or not Applejack had noticed Twilight's look Rainbow Dash couldn't say, but Applejack was too straightforward and what she had to say was obviously too important for her to be intimidated by any looks.

"Twilight! Rainbow!" she called, cast a quick look around as if to verify that nopony else was around before she said with a slightly toned down voice: "Ah think Miss Cheerilee has been attacked by whoever got Mr. Rich!"
Twilight goggled at Applejack and Rainbow Dash's aching jaw dropped.
"Miss Cheerilee? Applejack, are you certain?" Twilight asked aghast.
"Certain as can be from your description, Twi." Applejack confirmed. "Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo found her straying around near Sugarcube Corner. She doesn't remember a thing after last evening and she is all messed up and blue."
"Where did you leave her?" Twilight asked.
"We didn't leave her", Applejack said, sounding a little offended. "Brought her to her home. The kids and Big Mac are with her."

Twilight seemed about to walk right past Applejack, but the eart pony barred her way with one leg and shook her head a little: "Better don't, Twilight! She is really worn out, but Ah think having her students and Big Mac there is helping her. We did ask her of course, but she really doesn't remember a thing from yesterday evening to waking up not long before the fillies found her."
Twilight gave Applejack an angry look and Rainbow Dash half expected for the snap she had dreaded to now unleash at Applejack. Applejack however didn't budge, returning a serious but not unfriendly look and Twilight finally gave in.

"What is it, sugarcube?" Applejack asked, needing no further hint that something was wrong on Twilight's end as well.
"Miss Cheerilee", Twilight mumbled. "But that doesn't make any sense at all!"
Applejack gave Rainbow Dash and the obviously heavy bag on her back a look. "Bad news from Zecora?" Applejack asked Rainbow Dash quietly.
"That too", Rainbow Dash said. "The good news is we found some of Mr. Rich's money. Bad news is we found it wrapped up in Frank's sleeping bag."

Mayor Mare was no longer in the town hall. Inkhorn was holding the fort. She was busy writing, with piles of paper towering up on her desk onto which she was apparently copying the contents of folders piling up in another corner.
"If I ever get lonely I'll make sure to get myself arrested", Inkhorn said grumpily without looking up from her work as she heard Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie enter her office.
"I wouldn't remember when last time I got so many visitors on a single— oh, err Princess Twilight, begging your pardon. I meant no disrespect."

The grumpiness of somepony working unscheduled overtime or lack of reference to her regal title were the very least of Twilight's concerns at the moment and she didn't dally with any courtesies but instead levitated the moneybag out of the backpack on Rainbow Dash's back and onto Inkhorn's desk where it landed with an audible clinking.
"Sweet Celestia!" Inkhorn shouted, dropping the pen and jumping up.
"We found that in Mr. Blanket's tent. We think it belongs to Mr. Rich. He should be informed about this."

Inkhorn's eyes flickered between the heavy money bag and Twilight as she visibly tried to order her thoughts.
"Mr. Blanket's tent you say? So it was him after all!" Inkhorn looked upset.
"No!" Rainbow Dash blurted out. She had held her horses for quite a while and had kept herself quiet when Twilight had recounted in some more detail about the events since their parting at the library to Applejack and Pinkie Pie. The direct conclusion of Inkhorn, a conclusion which Twilight had carefully avoided in her report, made her give up the restrained.
"That doesn't make any sense! Frank... Mr. Blanket that is, himself asked me to pack up his tent. What's the chance he'd do that if he knew there was a bag of stolen money wrapped up in his sleeping bag? Had he known about this, it would be like delivering himself! This is the most obvious framing one could imagine!"

Inkhorn fell back a few steps towards the open window at this outburst from Rainbow Dash. A thrush had landed there and tilted her head slightly as if in wonder what all the commotion was about.
"But who would frame Mr. Blanket?" Inkhorn asked matter-of-factly.
"The real thief of course!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
"And who would that be?" Inkhorn inquired.
"You think we wouldn't be putting that thief onto your desk if we knew?" Rainbow Dash asked frustrated. "But we know for a fact that it can't have been Mr. Blanket! He couldn't have done it!"
"Calm down Rainbow!" Twilight said. It seemed like Rainbow Dash's outburst just now had cured her of her own grimness. In any case her tone and expression now resembled a lot more the calm matter-of-fact attitude shown by Inkhorn.

"I take it you have been making your own investigations, Your Highness", Inkhorn said. "But during the hearing tomorrow things need to be explained very clearly. I was pretty sure Mr. Blanket was here just because of the old town-law and that the hearing tomorrow would be mostly a formality. But this...", she pointed at the big bag on her desk, "...may change everything."
"I understand", Twilight said. "Will a pony be in charge of well... the charge against Mr. Blanket in the hearing tomorrow?"
Inkhorn nodded. "Featherscribe will. He will be informed about this. I'll be on guard here for the night, but not attend the hearing tomorrow."
"Featherscribe in charge of the charge?" Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Same as you he wants Frank out of here as soon as possible!"
"Rest assured, Miss Dash...", Inkhorn said sharply, "...that Featherscribe is legally trained and his integrity and sense of justice will not be infringed by any wish to avoid work or take any bonus naps."

The dig at Rainbow Dash's well known napping habits was clear, but before she could say anything in return they were interrupted by a little voice from the door.
"Uhm, hello. Did you all come to visit Frank too? Is everything alright?"
"Fluttershy?" Twilight said surprised. "I had no idea you were here."
"Rarity is here too. When we were going home we both decided to pay Frank a visit. I mean, it must be horrible to be locked up and..."
Inkhorn sighed and rubbed her forehead with one hoof. "Please, no more laments about our cruel legal system!" she moaned. "Some ponies are paying to get treated in hotels like Mr. Blanket is treated here by us!"
"I am very sorry", Fluttershy mumbled intimidated.
"And like I said, getting arrested seems to be a good way to get many friendly visitors."
"Do you hear that, Dashie? We are friendly! Maybe we should celebrate a prison party and—"
"Not on my watch!" Inkhorn said flatly, interrupting Pinkie Pie's enthusiasm.
"How unfriendly", Pinkie Pie sulked.
"So, can we go up and see him?" Twilight asked.

Inkhorn made a helpless waving gesture. "You know the way. Just don't start partying up there! I got so much stuff to go through. She made a gesture at her desk and at the same time levitated the big money bag out of the way. It gave an audible clink when put on the ground.
Fluttershy's eyes widened.
"Will you write to Mr. Rich so he can pick this up?" Twilight asked.
"I will, but we may have to keep it as evidence until after the hearing tomorrow. I assume Mr. Rich is going to attend too."
Given his earlier state Twilight was not quite sure if Mr. Rich was going to, but she just nodded and turned for the door.
"Uhm, Twilight? Is that a bagful of money?" Fluttershy asked as Twilight was passing her on the way to the stairs leading up to the storeroom.
"We'll tell you upstairs", Twilight said.

"Hello", Frank greeted them as they ascended through the hatch with a cheerful smile. "Had I known of all the benefits, nice lodging and accommodation and especially the wonderful company I might have committed some misdemeanor for real to... what's wrong?"
Frank had noticed the utterly unhumorous expressions of Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, the confused look of Fluttershy and the at least not as cheerful as usual expression of Pinkie Pie.
Twilight sighed. It only occurred to her now that she hadn't seen Frank since his arrest which seemed oddly long ago with all that had happened since. With the promise the others had given in the library Twilight was wondering if Rarity and Fluttershy had told Frank anything at all or if he had no clue what the state of things was. Twilight however wanted to get to the most crucial point right away.

"Frank, we have found one of the money bags stolen from Mr. Rich's house."
"You have?" he asked surprised. "But... that's a good thing, isn't it?"
"In your sleeping bag when we struck your tent!" Rainbow Dash said.
For a moment Frank looked perplexed but then when the message sunk in his look for the very first time turned to one of utter horror and he became very pale.
"Mr. Blanket?" Rarity called outraged.
"No, I have not taken any money of Mr. Rich or anypony!" he called. "Princess! Rarity! Rainbow Dash! Everypony, I have not!"

"How do you think a bagful of that money ended up hidden in your sleeping bag?" Twilight asked, trying not to sound like she was accusing him but at the same time unwilling to reassure Frank right away, now that the seriousness of things she had learned about in the last few hours were dawning on him.
"I have no idea", he said. "It must have been put there after we left."
"Who would hide money in your sleeping bag, Mr. Blanket?" Rarity asked sharply.
Frank twitched a little as if the return from 'Frank' to 'Mr. Blanket' as an address was a strong abuse.
"I don't know", he moaned. "I can only guess. The real thief I think. To frame me!"
"And why would the real thief expect the money to be found in your sleeping bag?"
Frank made a helpless gesture. "I don't know. But really, I still don't even know where in Ponyville I'd have to look for Mr. Rich's house, to begin with."

"Give him a break, Rarity", Rainbow Dash said. "Frank himself asked me to strike his tent. It wouldn't make much sense for him to do that, expecting us to find the booty of a recent burglary there, would it?"
"No, I think not", Rarity admitted with a softer tone.
"In the hearing tomorrow that may not help much though if we don't have any clue at all who the real thief may be", Twilight pointed out. "Do you have any... enemies, Frank?"
The colt shook his head immediately. "None that I'm aware of. But Twilight, isn't that amount of golden bits motive enough for a thief, so chances are I just conveniently ended up as a suspect and the thief would use some of the booty to increase the suspicion? You said 'one of the money bags' so I take it that more than one was stolen?"
"Six total" Twilight said with a nod.

Frank uttered a little whistle. "One out of six may be an acceptable price if it helps making everypony look another way for the thief."
Nopony said anything for some moments.
"This is not everything", Twilight said. "It appears that whoever attacked Mr. Rich also attacked Miss Cheerilee."
"Miss Cheerilee?" Rarity cried. "What brute would do that? What happened to her?"
Twilight quickly repeated what Applejack had told her before.
"Poor Cheerilee", Fluttershy sighed when Twilight had finished. "Whoever would do that to her?"
"Ah think she was beginning to feel a little better by the time Ah left", Applejack said in a comforting tone. Fluttershy seemed even more shocked than any of the others had been by the news of the attack on Cheerilee.

"There is absolutely no clue at all who may have done it? No suspect whatsoever?" Frank asked helplessly.
"Other than you?" Applejack asked bluntly.
"Applejack!" Twilight called giving her a stern look. "I told you Frank can't have done it! Nopony could have without the use of magic! And the loss of memory of Mr. Rich and Miss Cheerilee would probably involve some very vicious magic!"
Applejack nodded slowly and muttered an apology, but otherwise appeared rather tight-lipped.

"Honesty", Frank mumbled quietly. He looked down at the floor and scratched it with one of his hooves. "You know, I understand if this appears strange to you", he said, not looking at anyone.
"I got not much more to tell than that I didn't do this. I can't say I took this very seriously with even the mayor telling me she didn't believe I had done it pretty much in the same breath. With one of the money bags found among my stuff and me not being able to say anything other than that I haven't ever seen, much less touched a bagful of money in my life, I see how this would look suspicious. But as for Miss Cheerilee...", Frank raised his head in a sudden jerky motion, there was a sudden furious sparkle in his eyes and his voice had become very sharp, "...I really don't see how anypony in their right mind could think of me as attacking other ponies like that! I can't use magic any more than you can, AJ! And most certainly I would not use that kind of magic even if I could!"

Frank gave Applejack a look that bore an uncanny resemblance to Fluttershy's stare. The tension became almost tangible and Applejack backed away a step with a look rarely to be seen on her face. But suddenly Frank seemed to deflate, the fury passing as suddenly as it had come up and he seemed to shrink as he mumbled: "I'm sorry. I don't want to... but really, I didn't steal the money and
most certainly didn't attack Miss Cheerilee or anypony else."
He was trembling slightly and for a brief moment Twilight had to think of his reaction after the confrontation with Diamond Tiara the previous evening. Same as then he quickly regained his composure.

Frank took a deep breath, let his look wander past everyone and when he spoke up, his voice sounded again as calm and humble as if his previous outburst had never happened: "I'm really thankful to all of you for your kindness, help, support, generosity, trust and everything. But we met not even two days ago. I will stand the hearing tomorrow. But if you are uncertain; if you think I did this; I understand. There is nothing and there never was anything for me to ask of you—"
"Are you kidding?" Rainbow Dash shouted, sounding almost angry. "You really think we would drop you like a hot potato all of a sudden? I'll be there tomorrow and tell them you yourself told me to strike that tent! It's so obvious framing nopony in their right mind can fall for it, right?"

Twilight knew that she would be there and she was still certain about Frank's innocence, but she waited, wanting to see the reactions from the others uninfluenced by her own.
"I'll come!" Pinkie Pie called cheerfully. "Maybe they will all get an epicfunny there telling them you didn't do it!"
The word 'epicfunny' earned Pinkie confused looks from everyone but Frank and Fluttershy who nodded and said quietly: "I'm with you."
"I shall be there", Rarity declared with a somewhat pompous air. "Maybe the hearing will clear all this up at last!"
Applejack didn't make any pompous statements but nodded in silent agreement.
"I will be at the hearing of course", Twilight said. "I've been to Mr. Rich's place and there are plenty of clues that no pony without magic could have done this without being noted."
Twilight hesitated for a moment, then she said quietly: "Maybe, just maybe there is even a pony who might be a suspect."

"Really?" Frank asked surprised. "Who?"
Twilight shook her head and would have liked to bite her tongue.
"No. Too weak a suspicion. I shouldn't have said anything."
"Twilight thinks that she is more likely to have done it than you are", Pinkie Pie said happily.
Twilight sighed: "Yes, I'm not the suspect I was talking about now, Pinkie."

"Are you ready?" a voice sounded from the stairs. Unnoticed by anyone, Inkhorn had come up.
Twilight was surprised about this interruption. "Why? Is something wrong?"
"Now I suspect actual jails got regular visiting hours rather than guards there having to constantly keep an eye on the door while dealing with paperwork!"
"I'm not going anywhere", Frank assured.
"You better don't!" Inkhorn said gruffly.
"Anything else, Frank?" Twilight asked.
Frank shook his head slightly, looking a little taken aback.
"Just thanks again, all of you, for everything."

Inkhorn ushered them all out of the storeroom. As she closed the latch while the others were waiting below, Rainbow Dash whispered to Twilight: "What has bitten her?"
Twilight shrugged and whispered back: "Irregular work day, I suppose."
She let her eyes wander over to the paper covered desk of Inkhorn and had a sudden inspiration. Turned to the others she said: "Please wait below. I got one more question to Inkhorn."
When Inkhorn got back into her office, Twilight followed her.
"Yes, Princess, what else can I do for you?" she asked in an official tone that didn't lessen Twilight's impression that it must have been a really irregular day indeed.

"Your work includes matters of registration, right? You know all citizens of Ponyville and got them registered, right?"
"That is correct."
"I need to look somepony up there."
"Princess Twilight, surely you are aware that these information here are official and confidential?" Inkhorn said pointing at a shelve full of folders and scrolls.
"Yes, but this is important and of relevance for the case tomorrow!"

Inkhorn eyed her. Twilight gave a silent sigh. She hated playing this card, but now she felt she had to: "Also I am Twilight Sparkle, a princess of Equestria and require information for the sake of this investigation on behalf of the citizens of..."
"Okay, of course. What do you want to know, Your Highness?"
"Do you know a unicorn resident of Ponyville named Swallowtail?"
Inkhorn shook her head. "I know of no pony by that name."
"Does he appear in the list of residents?"

Inkhorn levitated a folder out of the nearby shelve and held it as if she feared it was about to be snatched from her hooves as she leafed through it.
"No", she said after a few moments while levitating the folder back to its original place. "There is no pony in Ponyville, unicorn or other tribe, by the name of Swallowtail. Is that everything Princess?"
"Yes, thank you very much!"
And with that, Twilight stormed out of the office and rushed down the stairs.

Author's Note:

Last edited on December 13th 2015.