The Alicorn Job

by Tumbleweed

Chapter 4

Twilight fidgeted through another day's worth of classes, and then bolted home afterward to get the nessescary gear. She stuffed her magic-detector into her purse, and picked out a velvety black dress that looked vaguely like something out of a spy movie.

One of the key advantages to being Rarity's friends was a well-stocked wardrobe. Even in the few months she'd known the designer, Twilight had received a new dress or outfit on nearly a biweekly basis-- or even weekly if Rarity was feeling 'inspired.'

Twilight's phone buzzed as she was buckling the straps to her heels. Twilight reached for where she'd left the phone on her nightstand, overcompensated for the heels, and wound up toppling face-first onto her pillows. She closed her fingers around her phone and rolled over, grateful nobody was around to see.

“Hey.” Sunset's voice came over the phone. “I'm outside.”

Twilight sat up and peered out her window-- where, sure enough, Sunset Shimmer stood in a frankly stunning evening gown in a light green. She leaned against the back of a black luxury sedan, and raised one hand in a wave.

“Where'd you get a car?”

“It's not my car.”

“You stole a car?”

“Relax. It's just one of those fancy rideshare deals. I had a coupon. Ready to go?”

“Uh, sure!” Twilight blurted, and pushed herself back to her feet. She managed not to trip over her own feet as she headed down the steps, and with a hurried “bye Spike!” she slipped out the front door and walked out to where the car waited at the curb, German-built engine purring away.

Sunset raked her green eyes up and down Twilight's dress, and smiled. “Nice outfit.”

“Uh, thanks? I wasn't sure what to wear to, you know, a crime.”

“Something you can move in, but still with a low enough neckline that nobody's looking at your face.” Sunset said, perhaps a little too quickly for an ostensibly law abiding citizen. “But, uh, let's keep that between ourselves. Wouldn't want the driver to overhear, right?”

“Oh, uh, right.”

“Now c'mon.” Sunset Shimmer opened up the door and slid onto the black leather seats. “We've got a party to crash.”

---

Blueblood's lake house was a modernist stack of glass cubes, perched above a long wooden dock, which in turn was the home of a gleaming white yacht that looked more expensive than seaworthy.

A simple wave of the invitations (along with the appropriately haughty attitude) was all it took to get past the two men in dark suits at the door, and then it was onto the party. The sun crawled down below the horizon, and the party was tastefully lit by strings of lights suspended between the trees. Waiters in immaculate white shirts and vests cruised through the crowd, dispensing flutes of champagne and intricately-decorated appetizers as necessary.

Sunset slid into the party as easily as a tigress disappearing into jungle undergrowth. She plucked a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, and Twilight gasped softly.

“What're you doing?” Twilight murmured.

“Blending in.”

“But … but you're underage!” Twilight said. “Aren't you? I know time passes differently over there, and--”

“It's just a little champagne.” Sunset offered the tall glass to Twilight.

“You are such a bad influence.”

“Remember why we're here.”

“Well … in comparison, I guess that's not so bad.” Twilight closed her fingers around the neck of the champagne flute, holding it as delicately and carefully as a flask of some volatile chemical (which, in a manner of speaking, it was). Her nose crinkled as she sniffed it, and then, taking in a deep breath, she tilted the champagne back and took a sip.

Twilight immediately broke out in a coughing fit, while Sunset reached over to take up the champagne glass. “I think that's enough blending in for now.” She took a the flute back and looked over her shoulder-- thankfully, it looked like the other guests were too distracted with their flirting and gossip and other social maneuvering to notice.

“Fizzy.” Twilight blanched. She coughed again, thumped the center of her chest, and blinked tears from the corners of her eyes. “I'm fine. Really. I'm fine. Let's, um. Let's get to work.” She reached into her purse and pulled out what appeared (at a distance, at least) to be a simple makeup compact, and flicked it open. Immediately, the little lights within began to beep and blip. Twilight turned one way, and then the other, rotating in place like she was orienting a compass.

“Alright, this way.” Twilight said, and crept around to the back of Blueblood's lake house. Her heels sank into the soft earth as she stepped off the path, but she managed to keep herself upright (despite the occasional wobble). They finally got to the back door, and, after slipping past a bored-looking caterer playing with her phone, made their way inside.

The inside of Blueblood's home was sterile enough to serve as a furniture catalog. It was all stark, modernistic, and entirely unlivable.

“He doesn't have any books.” Twilight murmured, stepping carefully past shelves artfully arranged with an eclectic array of small sculptures and other art pieces. “How can you live in a house without any books?”

“We can worry about that later, Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer peered over her friend's shoulder. “Any word on the amulet?”

“Oh, right, it's this way.” Twilight said, and headed deeper into the house. She headed down a stairwell, and into the study-- or at least what could've been a study if Blueblood had bothered to actually buy some books. The mahogany shelves were piled with more sculptures and other artifacts-- those these were far older (and less fashionable). A carved wooden mask was propped up next to the remnants of a classical bust, which in turn sat on a shelf beneath a curved cavalry saber in a gilded scabbard.

And, at the center of the room, was the Alicorn Amulet. It sat on a small velvet pillow, which in turn rested in a wooden display case-- much like the one it sat in at the museum, though with only a small padlock to keep it in place.

“Jackpot.” Sunset Shimmer grinned, and ran her fingers over the padlock. “I told you this'd be--”

“And here, darling, is where I keep my special collection.” Blueblood's voice carried easily through the house.

“Quick, hide!” Sunset grabbed Twilight and drug her around the corner, back into the chamber of gleaming steel and marble that could ostensibly be called a 'kitchen' if someone had bothered to actually cook in it. Twilight and Sunset ducked around the corner-- though in the polished surface of the refrigerator, they could see Blueblood's reflection-- as well as that of his companion.

To say the tall woman was out of Blueblood's league was an understatement. She stood easily half a head taller than he did, carrying herself with a refined, almost regal air. Her features were more striking than beautiful. She wore heavy gold jewelry around her neck, with matching hoop earrings, while her dress was a multi-patterned affair that would've made Rarity jealous in how it combined traditional African fabrics with modern dress patterns.

She swept her gaze over the room, and nodded a silent approval.

“I inherited the most of this from my great great grandfather, you know. He was one of those 'gentleman adventurer' sorts. Always trekking to someplace new in order to bring back various bits and bobs to prove he'd been there. Very dashing. It runs in the family, you know. I envy him, really, as back in his day there were still things worth discovering. But, I make do with what I can-- what, with the yachts and all. Perhaps we can take a look at one of those, next? We could even go out on starlit cruise … “

The tall woman drained the last of her champagne and then wordlessly foisted the empty glass onto Blueblood. He blinked, and then smiled, taking up the glass. “Oh, right! Something to keep the chill off.” He grinned, and then turned to head for the kitchen.

Seeing Blueblood approach from the study, Sunset grabbed hold of Twilight and dragged her towards the exit-- but they were too late. Blueblood blinked as he caught sight of the pair, and arched one brow. “Well, this is a surprise.”

“Don't mind us!” Sunset Shimmer said. “We were just, uh, looking for the bathroom, that's all.”

“Of course, need to powder your nose, hm? It'll be the third door on the left, there.” Blueblood nodded to a hallway leading out of the kitchen, and then opened up the refrigerator in search of a fresh bottle of champagne.

For lack of any other options, Sunset and Twilight just nodded and slipped down the indicated hallway, ducking into the bathroom in order to regain their bearings.

“Is that a jacuzzi?” Twilight peered to an array of nozzles and drains and such set into the floor. “I don't know if that's impressive or just kinda gross.”

“Both?” Sunset said. “It's probably better if you don't think about it much.”

“Then what should I think about?”

“Uh. Literally anything else? Just play cool.We just need to wait 'til Blueblood takes his date off somewhere else, and then we head back to finish the job.”

The 'pop!' of a champagne uncorking echoed from the kitchen, followed by Blueblood's slightly forced laughter. Sunset couldn't help but think it was a metaphor for something. She cracked the door open and looked down the hallway. Finding it clear, she beckoned Twilight to follow her back through the hallway, and back into Blueblood's study. The room was empty, as Blueblood had apparently whisked the tall and elegant woman off in an attempt to impress her with something else.

“Okay, we got this.” Sunset nodded. “I figure we can just break that little lock if we find something heavy enough … “ she trailed off, and reached for the saber left haphazardly on one of the study's shelves.

“Wait!'” Twilight blurted. “Don't start smashing things! I think I've got this.” One of Twilight's hands went to her hair, and pulled out a simple hairpin. She straightened the little bend of metal between her fingers, and after wiggling the metal back and forth a bit, managed to snap it in two.

“Twilight, are you doing what I think you're doing?”

“There's a well established tradition of lockpicking in the country's most elite technical schools. I … just thought I'd get a head start. It's actually fairly interesting, if you look at it from a purely technical standpoint.” Twilight fit the two broken ends of her hairpin into the padlock, and started twisting them about. “It's kind of like a puzzle. All you've got to do is apply torsion with one hand, and rake the tumblers with the other. There can't be more than three on a lock this small, and--” the padlock went 'click!' and popped open. “There you go.”

“If I didn't know any better,” Sunset Shimmer said, “I'd say you were getting good at this 'crime' business.”

“Don't remind me.” Twilight slid the open padlock away and opened up the display case, revealing the Alicorn Amulet to open air. She reached for the necklace … and stopped short. “Something's wrong.” She said, flatly.

“What is it?” Sunset Shimmer put her hands on Twilight's shoulders and leaned in. “It's not tempting you with promises of ultimate magical power, is it?” She asked, perhaps a hair too eagerly.

“The opposite, actually.” Twilight said. “I … came close to the Alicorn Amulet last time around. It felt a little … tingly. I'm not getting that vibe here.” She set her jaw, and then reached out to pick up the necklace. It sat heavy in her fingers … but other than that, it felt like any other cold lump of metal.

“So you're saying … “ Sunset Shimmer trailed off.

Twilight curled her fingers around the amulet.

“It's a fake.”

Comments

[Manly Man]

Plot twist, anyone?

[Damen]

7681552 there's an emoji for that

[Manly Man]

7681698 I'm kinda new here. Thanks!

[Lurks-no-More]

Ooh. Zecora showing up is complicating things quite a bit. She just nabbed the Amulet while Blueblood was getting more champagne, didn't she?

[FanOfMostEverything]

Well, that's quite the additional wrinkle, especially since these two are in quite the incriminating position right now. Also, I do not like how eager Sunset is about those promises of ultimate magical power. I get the feeling that someone's going to go demonic tongiht; I'm just not sure who...

[The Great Derpsby]

So, it's possible Zecora used the Starswirl Solution: Taking your dangerous magical artefact and/or beast and chucking into a place without magic, hopefully not destroying it or them in the process.

Now I wonder if that's human Zecora, or the one from Equestria... And I also wonder whether Blueblood is aware of all the girls around him being after the Amulet.

[TheDriderPony]

[MrAskAPirate]

I guess Zecora made off with the goods while Blueblood was popping his cork,

Also out of curiosity, why is the jacuzzi gross; just because it's in the bathroom?

[Tumbleweed]

7684064

I was wondering how long someone would take to post that. :)

[Maran]

And Zecora makes off with the Alicorn Amulet as silently as she appeared.

[OmniFox]

That exotic sexy bitch!

[Darkstarling]

“Something you can move in, but still with a low enough neckline that nobody's looking at your face.” Sunset said, perhaps a little too quickly for an ostensibly law abiding citizen. “But, uh, let's keep that between ourselves. Wouldn't want the driver to overhear, right?”

Sunny, your past is showing...

A simple wave of the invitations (along with the appropriately haughty attitude) was all it took to get past the two men in dark suits at the door, and then it was onto the party. The sun crawled down below the horizon, and the party was tastefully lit by strings of lights suspended between the trees. Waiters in immaculate white shirts and vests cruised through the crowd, dispensing flutes of champagne and intricately-decorated appetizers as necessary.

I once talked with a protester who managed to get onto the roof of the House of Commons with nothing but a posh accent.

[Dorath]

“It's a fake.”

So, did Dr. Ravenwood swipe it, did Zecora make the switch while everyone was out of the room, or did Blueblood put up a fake (either for security reasons or insurance scamming)?

7681698
Is that what the Twist ponycon is for?

[Mino Mortigan]

8986113
That's the kind of story that teeters right on the edge of believability. It's not quite absurd enough to seem impossible, but just a little too absurd to be taken without a grain of salt. However, you look like a trustworthy fish, so I shall take your word for it.

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

One of the key advantages to being Rarity's friends was a well-stocked wardrobe. Even in the few months she'd known the designer, Twilight had received a new dress or outfit on nearly a biweekly basis-- or even weekly if Rarity was feeling 'inspired.'

A sign of true friendship.

Twilight's phone buzzed as she was buckling the straps to her heels. Twilight reached for where she'd left the phone on her nightstand, overcompensated for the heels, and wound up toppling face-first onto her pillows. She closed her fingers around her phone and rolled over, grateful nobody was around to see.

Oof.

“Relax. It's just one of those fancy rideshare deals. I had a coupon. Ready to go?”

That's a relief.

Blueblood's lake house was a modernist stack of glass cubes, perched above a long wooden dock, which in turn was the home of a gleaming white yacht that looked more expensive than seaworthy.

Damn!

A simple wave of the invitations (along with the appropriately haughty attitude) was all it took to get past the two men in dark suits at the door, and then it was onto the party. The sun crawled down below the horizon, and the party was tastefully lit by strings of lights suspended between the trees. Waiters in immaculate white shirts and vests cruised through the crowd, dispensing flutes of champagne and intricately-decorated appetizers as necessary.

Ngl, I was worried they wouldn't be let it as the invitations weren't there, but no biggie.

“Oh, right, it's this way.” Twilight said, and headed deeper into the house. She headed down a stairwell, and into the study-- or at least what could've been a study if Blueblood had bothered to actually buy some books. The mahogany shelves were piled with more sculptures and other artifacts-- those these were far older (and less fashionable). A carved wooden mask was propped up next to the remnants of a classical bust, which in turn sat on a shelf beneath a curved cavalry saber in a gilded scabbard.

though these were far older*

“I inherited the most of this from my great great grandfather, you know. He was one of those 'gentleman adventurer' sorts. Always trekking to someplace new in order to bring back various bits and bobs to prove he'd been there. Very dashing. It runs in the family, you know. I envy him, really, as back in his day there were still things worth discovering. But, I make do with what I can-- what, with the yachts and all. Perhaps we can take a look at one of those, next? We could even go out on starlit cruise … “

out on a starlit cruise..."*

The tall woman drained the last of her champagne and then wordlessly foisted the empty glass onto Blueblood. He blinked, and then smiled, taking up the glass. “Oh, right! Something to keep the chill off.” He grinned, and then turned to head for the kitchen.

Shit, he's coming they're way!

“Uh. Literally anything else? Just play cool.We just need to wait 'til Blueblood takes his date off somewhere else, and then we head back to finish the job.”

A space is needed following the second sentence in the paragraph.

“There's a well established tradition of lockpicking in the country's most elite technical schools. I … just thought I'd get a head start. It's actually fairly interesting, if you look at it from a purely technical standpoint.” Twilight fit the two broken ends of her hairpin into the padlock, and started twisting them about. “It's kind of like a puzzle. All you've got to do is apply torsion with one hand, and rake the tumblers with the other. There can't be more than three on a lock this small, and--” the padlock went 'click!' and popped open. “There you go.”

Way to go Twi!

“It's a fake.”

https://m.