(40) Investigation Check
Story’s POV
Outside Canterlot City Mall
Monday, 5:18 PM
Everyone, except for Fluttershy, was gathered outside in a partitioned section of the mall’s lot where the industrial dumpsters were stationed. Sunset wanted us to meet in private but Rarity refused to leave the mall until she talked to the hunting store. This was the compromise. None of us were thrilled with it, but there wasn’t much room to complain.
The trash was picked up recently so we had hoped the dumpsters lacked the kind of stench you’d expect. It didn't. So, in a desperate attempt to avoid it, we tucked ourselves opposite said dumpsters and did our best to ignore the rusted metal and tasteless graffiti sprayed around it.
From our group circle, Sunset stood separate from the rest of us. She arrived with the help of Shining Armor and his car. That was the first time I met Shining and he was willing to help Sunset talk about Twilight. However, Sunset sent him to meet up with Fluttershy inside since she was watching Applebloom and Button Mash alone.
Applebloom knew all of the girls and Fluttershy’s family and mine were friends, so Button knew her too. We didn’t want either listening in on us. Although, a few of us also didn’t want Fluttershy in case things got really bad. No one was angry at her and no one wanted her caught in the crossfire.
Sunset took control of the conversation from there. She filled us in on Twilight’s condition with a matter-of-fact form of speaking. She looked hurt the entire time but her tone never waivered. Even when all of us went from worried to mortified when we learned what Twilight saw. The Nothic.
“She was so certain that’s what had caused it,” Sunset wrapped it up. “It was in her mind, she said, taking the form of Midnight Sparkle and distorting it. From what Twilight told me, she heard a few of our characters in the background. Mine and Rainbow Dash’s, at least. Twilight couldn’t make out everything they said, but she was sure our characters were trying to fight it off. And it sounds like they won. For now.”
“Our characters were fighting it?” Rainbow grabbed at her arm. “I mean, I sorta assumed they were doing their own thing in there, but are they in danger? Are they trying to go through the game without us?”
Applejack looked at me. I had this distant look as I stared forward. “Say, Story? Them headaches you’ve been havin’. Ah saw two of ‘em, but yer brother said one got so bad, ya had ta pull over. D’ya think that freak monster from yer game’s cousin’ ‘em?”
“I’m sorry, headaches?” Sunset turned at me, making the two of us flinch. “You’ve been having unexplainable headaches all day?”
I gave out a grunt and a nod. “Yeah. Four times. And even though they’re gone for now, I’m seeing things from my game. Like visions. Maybe like Twilight was.”
I watched Sunset’s eye twitch before she started glaring. “Your game’s magic has gone off all day and you didn’t bother to tell us?!”
“Nooo~” I hummed, starting to glare back. “I had headaches all day. The visions started a half hour ago. And I didn’t see a Nothic when my head pounded. Just pain. A lot of pain. Next, you’ll want me telling you about every splinter I get.”
Her glare deepened. “No, not splinters. But a heads up when you’re about to run like a coward would be nice.”
“Better than a witch who keeps quiet about how they screw others over,” I spat back.
“Alright, you two, let’s calm down,” Rarity got between the both of us and made sure neither of us got within range of the other. “Today has been stressful for everyone and it’s not even sundown. And, unfortunately, arguing about each other’s baggage will not make this any better.”
“Rarity, you don’t get to play mediator,” Sunset turned to her next. “I know your phone was on. I know you saw me calling. We talked ten minutes before I called back. And you didn’t pick up! None of you did!”
Rainbow Dash moved up, taking Sunset’s anger. “If you’re gonna be mad at anyone, be mad at me! I’m the one who convinced Rarity not to listen to you. She wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to be there for Aloe and Lotus after what you told her and I pushed her into it. I‘m the reason you couldn’t reach us. Not her.”
“No, Rainbow Dash, you’re not.” Rarity shook her head. “I was the one who decided to ignore your calls and messages. And it was my choice not to check between Lotus’s house and the mall. And I am sincerely sorry for that, Sunset. Both to you and Twilight from the bottom of my heart. I should’ve been more mature.”
Sunset took a few shaky breaths, considering their words. “...I needed you there. I needed any of you. Twilight needed you. I get that your friends are in trouble, and when I told you that you shouldn’t go, I didn’t mean we were going to ignore them. I could have worded that better. What I meant was that something will always stop us so long as their game’s equals are in danger.”
Rarity frowned. “And I understand that now Sunset. I get where you’re coming from. Except, that’s still not enough. They’ve been gone since Saturday morning. Trapped somewhere for over two days without food or water.”
Quickly, Rarity started running through what she found while out with Rainbow and Fluttershy. What they learned from the video and Missing Person report. It was bullet points at best, but I assumed it was everything we needed for now.
“I wanted to try and follow up Fluttershy’s crossbow lead with the hunting store,” Rarity concluded. “I guess there’s a few reasons as to why, but more than anything I assumed that if magic changed two things in town, maybe they were related to one another.”
“Everything does trail back to the Redbrands,” I added involuntarily, earning a nod from Rarity and a curt glance from Sunset.
Still, Sunset let out a breath and tried keeping calm. “I get why you did what you did, Rarity. I do. And again, I wasn’t trying to pull you away from them. I just wanted us to focus on what will actually save them. Not just that, but also what he said.” She jerked a thumb at me instead of looking at me. “About everything tying back to the Redbrands? That’s something to be worried about too.”
She looked across all of us. “Threatening the town authority? Kidnapping, extortion, and loading up on weapons? Murder? We’ve never dealt with that before. And Canterlot City has rarely had anything that major. It’s a quiet town. But still, all of those things are capable of happening. And because it can, that means the game can make it a reality. And about Lotus and Aloe? In the game, the twins were taken by those Redbrands. What if the same happened here?”
“But it didn’t!” Rainbow shouted.
“We don’t know that for sure,” Sunset shouted back. “And I hope you’re right. We have enough problems as it is. It’s another reason why I wanted to focus on the fire tower and City Hall. City Hall those problems seemed tangible. Like something we could check without it benign dangerous.”
“There are supposed to be zombies at that fire tower,” Rainbow Dash protested. “How is that any less dangerous than a gang?!”
“You really think zombies are dangerous?” Pinkie shooed the worry away with a smile. “Haven’t you seen movies? They’d never be able to catch us so long as we don’t trip over a root or something.”
Sunset shook her head. “It’s like I said. The game changes fate in plausible ways. There’s no such thing as zombies so that wouldn’t carry over. It would only focus on details that can make sense.”
Applejack realized something. “You were thinkin’ we’d check out what makes the fire tower important, as a test run. Weren’t you?”
She nodded. “Exactly. If zombies are the only problem, it would be okay for us. To ease into preparing for these problems.”
“But, we don’t have time to prepare,” Rainbow stressed. “They’ve been trapped for days in a basement. They’re starving down there! And Story said he saw them shivering too. Who knows how long they have!”
Sunset looked back at me. “Those visions?”
“Yeah. It was only for a few seconds, but it happened when I looked at their pictures from Rarity’s phone. They looked bad.”
Sunset saw my expression. Whatever she thought of me aside, she knew Rainbow Dash was right. She relented. “Okay. Okay, you’re right. If they’re on a timeline, then...I see your reasoning. And, maybe going slow isn’t the right option here. They might not have enough time for us to play it safe and it’s better to act now rather than later. In that case...”
She took another second to calm herself before walking over to me and holding out her hand. “Story? Since we don’t have much time, and innocent people are in trouble, do you think you can actually stick around? Until they’re safe, at least?”
I tightened my jaw. “Yeah. I'm gonna do better than yesterday. That I promise. And once they're safe, we go right back to hating each other.” I took her hand.
“Deal.” Sunset barely shook hands. One squeeze and she pulled away from me and looked over the rest. A formality. “Whoever has character sheets, get them. Next, does anyone know the closest place to set up for the game?”
“What?” I blinked. “No! Did you ignore what Rainbow Dash said?! We don’t have time for that! You guys might have a solid two hours minimum before you save them.” I held up two fingers just in case the gargling was getting in the way. “Especially if we need to play out your characters like it’s a normal game. And after that, we’d still need to track down the real girls and save them. If that wasn’t enough, we don’t know if we can even play without Twilight. There’s no time!”
“It’s the only way forward,” Sunset stayed resolute. “Maybe, if you were with us from the start, we wouldn’t be forced to—” “Hey, knock it off. He’s right.”
Rainbow stepped beside me, catching me off-guard. “You kept telling us we can’t change what’s going on ourselves. But we did! Rarity pinned down what happened to Aloe and Lotus. She’s the one that got the police and everybody searching in the right place. That was Rarity who pulled that off. Fate got changed. She did that!”
Sunset’s words caught in her throat for a second, but a moment later she shook her head. “Nothing has changed, Rainbow Dash. They still haven’t been found. And they won’t be until the twins from that game are saved.”
“And why not?” Rainbow challenged. “They didn’t vanish! Story saw them. They’re in a basement. Or a cellar. Or somewhere. They aren’t gone and we can get them.”
If only I could’ve watched a little longer, I chastised myself. That’s when Pinkie’s hand landed on my shoulder. She must’ve seen the grief spread all across my face. And the grin she shined towards me helped clean it off.
“Ah think she’s onta somethin’, Sunset,” Applejack told her. “Them girls are out there. And you said this Dunamancy only works in a way that makes sense, right?”
Sunset sighed and nodded. “Yes. Like I said, in a plausible manner.”
“Well then, plausibly, those girls are still stuck,” Pinkie Pie pointed out. “If the Dunamancy put them there, all we gotta do is find them and get them some nice food and cozy blankets. Like a slumber party! And it’s not like they’re gonna get yoinked around into a new basement each time we find them.”
Sunset groaned. “No, it wouldn’t throw them elsewhere. But something will always stop us.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?” I shrugged. “The game whisked them from home and trapped them. If we find the basement, we get them out. If we can’t get them out? We call it in and the police get them out!”
“Exactly,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “There’s nothing that’ll stop us from saving them. Fluttershy said the hunting store would know. And if they don’t, they know a bunch of hunting groups. We’ll ask them. There’s a way to do this. We just have to try!”
“And if that doesn’t work?” She demanded, glaring at Rainbow Dash. “What if we spend all night trying and it really is too late? That means we bet all of this on some attempt to defy fate.”
“It’s better than doing nothing and giving up on them,” Rainbow argued. But Sunset simply shook her head.
“For the last time, I don’t want to give up on them. Going into the game is the answer. And that’s what I’ve been telling you all.”
“I mean, I really wanna check on Glemerr and our characters too,” Pinkie admitted, her upbeat mask cracking for a moment. “But like Story said, the game would take too long! All play and no work will make you lose your smirk.”
I shot her a look. “Was that supposed to be a reference?”
She giggled bashfully. “My bad. I guess I still have movies on the brain.”
“Girls, we don’t have a choice.” Sunset frowned. “I’m telling you that we cannot save them unless fate has been reversed. And now, we’re wasting valuable time arguing this.”
I took a breath and stared Sunset in the eye. “And I keep telling you. We don’t have time for that.”
“Unfortunately. That doesn’t change anything,” she retorted. The venom in her voice towards me alone wasn’t missed. “It’s the only answer. The end.”
I sighed. “To save them; right? And what would happen if we didn’t?”
She huffed. “You know I don’t have an answer to that. Something will stop us. Maybe our tires pop. Or, the cellar is stuck, and breaking in brings down the house. Maybe the Redbrands are involved and they’re in worse trouble than we thought. Anything could happen that keeps destiny from being stopped!”
“So then, the reverse would be true, yeah? You can promise that they’re safe?”
Sunset opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Not immediately. “What do you mean?”
Everyone was looking at me. I stepped to the side and addressed all of them. “Right now, they’re stuck underground. They’re cold, hungry, dehydrated. They’re alone. They have been for days. This is an emergency and the worst could happen at any moment. So then, my question, Sunset, is this. Are they even in real danger?”
She stared at me like I was an idiot. “What are you talking about? Of course, they’re in danger! I never said they weren’t! Which is why we need to move fast, or else—” “Or else what?”
I stepped forward. Sunset did the opposite. “Or else it’s too late? Or else we might not be able to save them? But why would that be, Sunset? If their fate is just like the game, then that means their fate is linked to the characters in the game, right? The same game that’s on pause?”
Sunset again tried to reply to me. I raised my brow, waiting for it. But nothing came. She closed her mouth for a second.
“Story.” Rarity stepped forward instead. “We are not about to walk away, nor can we keep wasting time. Even having this argument is wasting the time we could be spending on the lookout.”
“Oh, I agree. This is a huge waste of time.” I snapped my glare right back at Sunset. “But someone humor me for a second. Because I still don’t understand something. Their fate is tied to the twins and their mother. That, we confirmed through the crazy visions leaping into my eyes. However, one difference is important here. Mostly, the mom and twins aren’t starving. They’re held hostage. You know this as fact. Ricven confirmed that with the charmed Redbrand.”
“Yer right,” Applejack muttered. “Those bandits aren’t starvin’ ‘em. They wanna keep ‘em as leverage over the craftsmen. But Aloe and Lotus aren’t bein’ held fer ransom er anythin’.”
“No. They aren’t.” I shook my head, watching as Sunset was actively trying to come up with a new argument. “Rarity proved that. They willingly left their house and went somewhere no one else was present. Even if they were kidnapped, like the game, someone would have come forward with a demand by now. Nobody has. No one knows where they are. Meanwhile, the characters are much safer right now.”
Everybody reacted to that last sentence with confusion and surprise. But not the kind that I was hoping for. Gargling, I noted. Crap.
The girls had no way of knowing, but at this point, the Redbrands lost. They held no power over Phandalin anymore. I knew because I prepared ‘what ifs’ throughout the campaign depending on what the party did or did not accomplish. This was one of them. What would happen if the party and Redbrands killed each other?
The Redbrands were now a third of their original forces and the two captains, Anbera and Stalwart, were captured or dead respectively. No one was there to keep them together. Glasstaff had no interest and the third captain, the doppelganger Platick fought, never commanded the Redbrands directly.
With the Redbrands handled, Glasstaff would turn their dead into a small army of skeletons. He would then quickly leave Phandalin, not attacking the village. He knew the full force of the kingdom would chase a necromancer capable of killing a town to the ends of the earth. It was better to disappear.
However, Mirna, Nilsa, and Narra were no longer being held captive. The remaining Redbrands don’t care anymore due to the party’s actions. Instead, those girls will just be trapped there over the next week with minimal food in their cells. And since the Redbrands fled, that meant people from Phandalin were safe to come and break them out. They would be saved one way or another.
That was their fate. However, no one in Canterlot City has any idea where Lotus and Aloe are and they’re on limited time. There’s a good chance they might not make it if we don’t act fast. Fate was different.
“Sunset.” I watched her stare back. “You’re so certain fate is linked. But the game’s on hold. Those three girls kidnapped by the Redbrands are there and their fate is unknown. And they’re in this stupid Schrodinger's Cat problem and will stay there until the party opens that box. There will be this permanent question mark on whether or not they are safe until it is determined fact.
“We could play the game right now.” I stepped forward again. Sunset didn’t back up. “Or, we could play in a couple hours. Heck, we could hold off playing until next week. It doesn’t matter. Those twins and mother will be in the exact predicament anyway.”
Suddenly, it clicked for her. Sunset saw the argument. I watched the light behind her eyes settle. “The fate of the game can be delayed. Our world can’t. Life keeps going.”
Applejack stood up straight. “What does that mean fer us? Does that mean if we just stop playin’, all the problems work themselves out?”
Sunset bit her lip. “That’s one way to put it.” All of us instantly understood her meaning. “But we can’t let everything work out as it is now. The Redbrands, Principal Celestia, Aloe and Lotus, the Field Baron. There are still plenty of things happening in the background that we don’t know about. Aren’t there?”
She looked at me. I grit my teeth and nodded. I couldn’t reveal to them what the game would do next, but the chill visible on Sunset’s spine told me she understood.
“After school tomorrow, we’ll go back to playing,” I told them. “But tonight? We have other problems. Problems we need to fix.”
“Fine. You made your point.” Sunset looked at the others. “And Rainbow Dash, you’re right too. We have to try. We can’t avoid them until we play. There’s no time anymore. We have to hope this idea all of you want to try works. So, Rarity? The hunting store. What’s your move?”
“Well, firstly.” Rarity looked at the two of us directly. “Applejack? Story? You two need to get Applebloom and Button home. And Story, do you think you may be able to convince your family to let you search with us until we find them? It might go well into the night.”
At that, I relaxed. “I think so.” I pulled out my phone. “Telling my mom about the Missing Persons report should be enough. She might even help. And a medical professional on stand-by is huge.”
Sunset hesitated for a second before she asked me something stupid. “About that. You never answered me back then. You didn’t tell them, right? About the—” “You mean, did I lie to my family like you wanted?”
The tone shift made an awkward flinch shockwave across the group. But Sunset seemed unaffected and narrowed her eyes. “I never said that.”
“No, you didn’t. It was just implied. Kinda like the barn,” I spat. The anger fell out of me before I could stop myself. She stopped looking at me. I couldn’t tell if she was remorseful or not.
“If that’s what you’re really asking me, then no. I didn’t. They keep asking me why I was ups—distant and I keep avoiding it.”
From the corner of my eye, Rainbow Dash looked like she was about to say something, but Applejack cleared her throat. “Alright y’all, we’ve spent enough on this. You guys all get a head start on that store. And let Fluttershy know someone’s comin’ fer our kin. In the meantime, Story and Ah will catch up when we’re done. Got it?”
Rainbow was hesitant, but when Rarity took her hand, she took the hint. “Yeah. Alright, just. Don’t take too long. Okay?”
Sunset looked over to Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie, when we pass the food court, can you stick with Fluttershy? Even though Shining’s with her, I want all of us to stay buddied up at the least.”
Pinkie’s grin stretched wider while she gave a mock salute. “I’ve been practicing all day for this job! Pinkie “Buddy” Pie has it all under control.”
At that, AJ and I watched the others take off back towards the mall. A few seconds after they were out of sight, Applejack gave me a soft frown.
“You know the two of ya shouldn’t be strikin’ at each other like that. Tensions are high enough as it is.”
“I know.” I huffed and stared at my phone. “I know. I don’t mean to keep bringing things down. I’m just mad. You know why too.”
Applejack nodded in agreement. However, right as she was about to tap ‘Call,’ she lowered it and looked at me again. “Story, Ah know y’all ain’t droppin’ this anytime soon. Ah’d be shocked if ya did. But do ya not wanna consider findin’ some peace down the road?”
Not you too. “Applejack. Would you ever want to make up with someone who made you lie to the police and then used nonsense to convince you it was okay? When you’ve only known them for two weeks?”
Applejack gave it some thought for a few seconds. “It wouldn’t be easy. And I wouldn’t bother the next day. Probably not that next week. But Ah wouldn’t look forward ta hatin’ them forever.”
I wanted to scoff and write her off as a better person than me. Instead, I felt my shoulders sag even more. “Yeah, well. Maybe it’d be easier to forgive if she apologized. As in an actual apology. Not muttering sorry while handing me the phone.”
Applejack again nodded. “Yeah, Ah think yer right. And, this ain’t an excuse, but maybe the reason Sunset isn’t apologizin’ is fer the same reason you walked. She’s more steamed than a hog in a sauna.”
“Yeah. You’re probably right.” I stared down at my phone. Mom’s contact was sitting there, with the call button staring back at me. “So...What would you do in my place? If you wanted to warn Applebloom and Granny Smith about magic they didn’t know about.”
Applejack considered my words for a moment. She even started looking at her phone. After a few seconds, she nodded along to herself, hit ‘Call’, and waited for the other side to pick up.
But before they did, she answered. “We mighta only hung out once beyond these games, Story. But Ah think you know exactly what Ah would do. Once the fires have been put out, a’ course.”
A second or two later, the other side picked up and she started focusing on the call. Meanwhile, I looked at Mom’s contact. I think I do. Thanks, Applejack.
I started the call and braced myself for Mom to answer.
Rarity’s POV
Canterlot City Mall’s Hunting Goods Store
Monday, 5:30 PM
The four of us made good time jogging through the mall. The crowds had thinned since we were between the afternoon and evening rush for today. That made it made it easier to spot Shining and Fluttershy in the food court so that Pinkie Pie could join them as we passed.
The rest of us carried on into the store itself. It was one of the larger stores in the mall with window displays on either side depicting scenes of basic camping experiences. There were four mannequins in total across the two displays. All of them, including the child mannequin, were dressed head-to-toe in the kind of apparel you would expect from game hunters.
It’s the same outfit for all four of them, I noted to myself as we jogged inside. The child mannequin even had the same sized outfit as the regular ones, only tucked and folded. I can even see different outfits past the entrance. It’s almost violently lazy.
The inside of the store was better by comparison. Scattered about in a tasteful distance were displays one could interact with. There were grill sets and coolers in a backyard setting, a hunter’s blind you could step into with a couple of fake deer stands around it. Then, there was the fishing section.
There were some fishing pole stands beside several accessories that I’m sure a fishing enthusiast would recognize, but that wasn’t what made me come to a stop. It was the small pyramid of wall décor talking fish in front of the setting.
“Oh, Rarity! Rarity, I see someone at the counter,” Rainbow called out, waving me over. “Come on, we can ask her!”
“I. Erm, hold on a moment.” I stepped forward and looked at the pyramid of decorations. They were set up on this oddly sized, wooden pedestal. Normally, pedestals like this would only be a foot or so in length and width and close to eye level with the customer. We had a few pedestals at the boutique for some light accessories.
However, this pedestal had custom dimensions. It was about the length of a small table and three or so feet deep with a small cabinet built in. On top was a half dozen wall decorations in their boxes and a ‘try me’ decoration in front of them all.
“What’s wrong?” Sunset rejoined me at the pedestal.
“These toys,” I told her. “They look precisely like the one in Aloe and Lotus’s video. It might’ve come from here.”
“Are they new?” Sunset walked up and took the box from the top of the stack. “Because if so, I don’t know too many people who would want these things.”
At that point, Rainbow Dash stepped aside as a woman in a dull red apron came out from around the shelves to greet us. She had a name tag that read “Coin Toss” and cleared her throat a little to gain our attention.
“Hello girls,” she said, folding her hands together. “So sorry, but could you put that one back up top? We’d appreciate it if you took a box from the shelf instead of the setup here.”
“Oh, sorry.” Sunset placed it back. “We’re not looking to buy one. My friend here said she recognized it and we’re trying to find out who it might belong to.”
Coin Toss gave a short chuckle. “Yeah, good luck on that. Just about every fisherman in town has one of these things. It became a whole trend with them about a month or two back.”
“Are you the only store that sells them?” I asked.
“Locally, sure.” She shrugged. “You could buy one online, I guess, but the company that produces them drags their feet about deliveries. That’s why we got them in bulk.”
“You wouldn’t happen to know someone who lives in a log cabin that purchased one of these, would you?”
“Why?” She narrowed her eyes. “Because I’m pretty sure I’m not allowed to list every customer and their shopping habits. Especially to people who don’t shop here regularly.”
Understandable. I took out my phone and began to open it. “It’s not about finding the person, to be honest. It’s about finding some friends who have gone missing. Here, look at this.” I passed my phone over. “This is the local Missing Persons page.”
I quickly ran over who Lotus and the others were and the key details about their disappearance. Coin Toss’s demeanor quickly turned from suspicious to concerned in a matter of moments as she scanned over their faces.
“The only lead we have is a video they made playing with one of these fish decorations. The house they were in seemed like a hunter’s cabin, and it was our only lead. Have you seen any of these ladies before?”
“Uh...No, I haven't. Sorry.” Coin kept staring at them, trying to rack her brain. I believed her. “And I’m sorry to hear about your friends. If there’s any way I can help, I would, but I’m pretty sure I’d remember any of these three coming in.”
Sunset started to nod to herself, already beginning to resign. Rainbow Dash wasn’t done though. “What about the guy with the fish and the cabin? Do you know anyone like that?”
“Like I said, most of the fishing types in town have these things. And I’m also pretty sure there’s, like, dozens of cabins outside a’ town. I can’t help with that alone. Again, I’m sorry.”
Sunset shook her head. “It’s alright. We knew that it was a bit of a longshot going in.”
“Now, wait a second.” I gave Sunset a small look. “Darling, I would not be so insistent to come here if the Missing Person’s page was all I had to go off of. Like I told you, we have a video.”
I turned to Coin Toss next. “Could I see my phone back? I’d like to show it to you if you have the time.”
Coin did so and stuffed her hands into her red apron pocket. “By all means. My manager and our regulars are outta town for the next day or two, so I’m in no rush.”
“They’re out of town?” At that, Sunset blinked. “What for?”
“Hunting trip. They left last Wednesday. Something around twenty people in total.”
“Wednesday?” Sunset blinked. “Why Wednesday?”
“Got me.” Coin Toss shook her head. “Maybe that’s when people’s schedules lined up? Or when the hunting grounds had some rooms available? The lodge gets booked often enough, I heard. That could’ve gone into it.”
“Here.” I passed the phone back. “This is the video in question.” We watched her review the video, spotting the fish immediately and throwing up an eyebrow at the voice. Then, when it got to Aloe, she looked around the screen a little before she ‘spoke’.
“Let’s get ta fishin’!” The gruff voice sounded out, making the woman snicker for a second.
“Eheh. Alright, didn’t expect this to be their last message.”
Sunset looked at me. “That was the video?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “It’s what you see in the video, not what they’re saying.”
“Well, except for the fish, I’m not seeing much.” Coin rewound the video back and forth. “I don’t know whose house this is. I agree it’s probably a hunter, but that’s it. If the guy had a buck or something mounted in the background, it’d be easy to figure out. The Hunter’s Lodge Association keeps a good record of every buck, duck, and set of horns worth mounting.”
“I see.” Sunset seemed a little off-put as she leaned back.
I pushed on. “Do you know anyone else that may be able to help? Someone who might know the owner? Or, better yet, that association! How can we best reach them?”
The woman shook her head while handing me back my phone. “You won’t. Everyone who manages the HLA is on that trip too. I can try calling the lodge they’re staying at, but I don’t think the connection out there’s that good.”
“If the connection’s so bad, how’d they book the trip in the first place?” Rainbow asked.
Coin only shrugged. “I didn’t book it. Maybe it was email or something? The only reason I know the phones are bad out there is because my manager said so. Still, I can try.”
Sunset avoided looking at me, but I could spot the pained expression on her face. “Yeah. It’s a long shot.”
But something will always stop us. Sunset’s words rang in my ears when I saw her face. That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?
I racked my brain for a second. We learned from the store that the fish toys came from here. We also learned about the hunting trip and this HLA. How did that fit into what we already knew?
There were a few things in common with the game. First was the people missing. Then, there was the matter of a hunting lodge the family was trapped in being a hunter’s cabin here. Finally, the village of Phandalin knows that the family was taken, and likewise, Canterlot City knows about Lotus and the others missing from the report.
As for what was different, the Redbrands seemed to have no part in this. Aloe, Lotus, and Cherry’s disappearance wasn’t being used for extortion. They also were not stolen from their homes. They left willingly. Lotus and the others had been trapped since Saturday, while the twins and mother were gone for longer.
Is there anything else? I wondered. Any other details that haven’t been accounted for?
There was perhaps the father’s death, but that was before the events of the game. Plus, Lotus lost her father years ago. The only thing that would apply to would be Aloe’s father, but he’s in no danger.
Not the father. Not the Redbrands or extortion. The hunting lodge is answered, so too is the condition, and the girls themselves...
…The grandfather!
“Ms. Coin Toss.” I again retrieved my phone and went back to the missing person’s page. “Do you know about any elderly men that have a toy fish and live in a cabin? Perhaps with some resemblance to Cherry Blossom or Lotus Blossom? Maybe even went on that trip?”
“Elderly men?” Rainbow blinked.
“Uh...Let me see ‘em again.” She handed me back my phone and I switched it to the Missing Person report once more. “Looks like her, huh? Give me a second.”
“Do you have an idea who it is?” Sunset asked me.
“I think so.” I nodded. “Think about the video. How did they set it up?”
I mean,” Rainbow hummed. “You said Aloe didn’t make videos so Lotus used her phone instead. And Story saw Aloe with her phone too to prove it..”
“Not that.” I shook my head. “I don’t mean literally. I mean, how did they get into the cabin to make it? If the owner left on Wednesday, they wouldn’t leave their house unlocked for days. Cherry Blossom would probably have a key or something. She had to have known whoever owned that house.”
“An elderly person that looks like—” I saw the look in Sunset’s eyes. “You’re thinking about the grandfather.”
I grinned victoriously. “I think that’s their grandfather’s house. Lotus’s grandfather, specifically. If her grandfather went on a hunting trip, he may need someone to house-sit for him. Cherry Blossom makes a quick trip and maybe, spur of the moment, Lotus and Aloe decide to tag along. They find the fish toy, make a cute video, and then while they’re exploring the house, maybe they wind up in the basement somehow?”
“Wait.” Coin Toss stood up straight. “Cherry. Cherry...Cherry Wood?”
“Cherry Wood?” We turned back to face her. “Is that the grandfather’s name?”
“I mean, maybe?” Coin considered it further. “He’s not too much into hunting. Moreso just fishing. But, I mean, yeah...The more I keep looking at this lady, I’m seeing a few things in common.”
“Would you know his address?” Rainbow asked.
“Uh, no?” She gave Rainbow an odd look. “I’m an assistant manager, not his assistant. That said, I know where he works.” Coin gave my phone back to me and walked over to the fish toy that was in front of the pyramid of boxes.
Then, she picked up the display and adjusted a dial on the back of it before setting it back down. Right after, she clicked the button. The fish ‘flopped around,’ just like in Aloe’s video before turning to us and opening its mouth to speak.
“The Talkin’ Wall Bass! Presented on a display stand made here in Canterlot City by yer’s truly; Cherry Wood! Buy a fish, then look up Cherry’s Woodwork! Let’s get ta fishin’!”
It was a gruff voice. The same gruff voice from Aloe’s video. “Let’s get ta fishin’,” I murmured. Then I gave out this exasperated laugh. “Let’s get ta fishin’! That’s it! That’s the same voice! Let’s get ta fishin’! We found it!”
“You found the fishing?”
From behind us, Applejack and Story were starting to walk over from the entrance. It had been something over ten minutes since we left the parking lot. They finished their calls by now.
“No, the voice that said it.” I grinned at them. “It’s from a man named Cherry Wood. He’s the one who owns the cabin! It’s Lotus’s grandfather!”
“Grandfather?” Story blinked. “But the grand—” he caught himself once he spotted Coin Toss amongst us. “I mean, how? If they were at their grandpa’s house, why would they be reported missing?”
“He’s likely not there,” I told him. “He’s out of town.”
Sunset looked back to Coin Toss. “Does this Hunter’s Lodge group have a website or something? You said we can’t reach them because they’re on the trip, but it has to have pictures or something, right?”
Coin Toss nodded. “They do. Wait here, I’ll go grab a business card from the checkout.” And with that, the assistant manager stepped away.
“Nice call Rarity,” Rainbow congratulated. “How’d you figure it out?”
“In hindsight, I should have thought of that much earlier,” I admitted. “The grandfather’s the one who told our characters about it in the first place.”
“I remember.” Sunset nodded along. “He said he was a carpenter. And that the whole village helped keep the Redbrands from figuring out who was related to the kidnapped family.”
Then, Sunset looked to Story. “It might be garbled if you tell us, but does anyone in Phandalin know the grandfather? Someone that we can connect easily in real life?”
“Oh! What about Sildar?” Applejack tried. “Apparently, he an’ Vareén paid a trip ta Phandalin ‘fore the game. And we know Sildar’s Ms. Cheerilee. Does he know?”
Story shook his head. “Sorry girls, but I don’t think this is the right angle. I kind of made up the grandpa on the spot. I saw Twilight trying to find a reason for Vareén to be invested, so I made up Grandpa Ruppert.”
“You just made up a character in the middle of the game?” Sunset glared. “That was after we told you how serious this game had become, and you did it anyway?!”
“That’s how I’ve always done it,” he said, the stress rising in his voice. “Like sixty percent of the time, DMs make up small details on the fly! That’s how DMing works!”
“You cannot keep doing that,” Sunset told him. “It might’ve worked here, but it won’t always!”
“Okay, I get that,” Story started. “However, I cannot make a census for every community you guys visit and a schedule for every random jobber walking the streets. Some cities have thousands of people in them. Phandalin has around two hundred alone.”
Sunset huffed. “I didn’t say map out a whole town’s worth. Just the people we’re going to interact with.”
“And I’m supposed to know who you interact with?” He deadpanned. “You realize you’re asking me to predict what you’re all going to do, right? Including Pinkie Pie?”
Sunset again tried to reply but relented the same moment Coin Toss came back. “Touché.”
“Here ya go.” She passed the business card to the closest among us; Rainbow Dash. “And here’s a second one for Cherry’s Woodwork. He made that podium thing all those wall fish are on top of. He left a pack of these when he brought it in.”
“Woah, is this a wooden business card?!” Rainbow Dash held it up so the rest of us could see it. The name Cherry’s Woodwork was lasered onto the surface in a pinkish hue as well as a name, address, and a simple design of a tree framing the side of it. “Okay, that’s kinda cool.”
Coin Toss smirked “I mean, he’s a woodworker. I assumed he’s got plenty of scrap wood for this kinda thing.”
Rainbow passed it around to the rest of us. “You know, after we save Aloe and Lotus and get everything handled, we should have some of these made for the Sonic Rainbooms! Imagine how cool it would be to show off these things! What do you think?”
A few of the others chuckled at the idea, but I tapped at my chin for a moment. You know, I’m not entirely against that. AFTER we save the girls, of course.
“Wait. Did you say Rainbooms?” Coin Toss blinked, her expression becoming unreadable for a second. “I’ve heard of that name.”
“Oh yeah?” Rainbow’s grin doubled. “I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised. I mean, it’s only natural people would start recognizing us at this point. We’re as good a band as we are detectives.”
There were a few eye rolls and smiles following that, but Coin Toss didn’t join in. Instead, she seemed somewhat agitated at Rainbow Dash. “I didn’t realize you were that group. I take it that girl with the light pink hair from Sunday is a part of you all too?”
“What, you mean Fluttershy?” Rainbow nodded along. “Yeah, she’s our friend too. She’s the one that was asking about the crossbows.”
“...Yeah. Yeah, so that was one of you,” Coin Toss said to herself. “Gotcha. So then you’re that group from Canterlot High.”
“Uh, yeah, that’s us,” Rainbow Dash answered, spotting a look from Sunset. “Huh, what’s up?”
Sunset was about to shake her head, but Coin Toss turned to look as well. The two of them fell into a short-lived staring match for a second before Coin started scanning us carefully. Our smiles were gone by this point.
Only after Coin Toss finished whatever she was looking for did she speak. “Tell me, there’s six of you in all, yeah? That’s what I heard last.”
“I mean,” Rainbow began, spotting Sunset staring back at her with a focused gaze. “Well, there’s, um—”
“Yeah, you’re right. There’s only six,” Story interrupted. “You know, like the number of colors in a rainbow?”
Coin Toss zeroed in on him and again studied him. It was difficult to spot, but I could see Story trying not to show any concern while he met the lady’s gaze.
“Uh, right! Like he said,” Rainbow said awkwardly. “Yeah, there’s totally only six of us! There’s nobody else that’s part of—” Applejack put her boot over Rainbow’s sneaker. Not hard enough to hurt her, but just enough to make her stop talking.
“Uh-huh.” Coin folded her arms. “You realize that there’s seven colors in a rainbow?”
Story let out a nervous chuckle, but tried playing it off. “...Okay, fine. You got me.” He raised his hands in mock surrender while Coin raised an eyebrow. “You’re right, there’s seven. We know that, but the name was just so good, you know? And, originally, right? The idea was that the seventh color was the fans. It’s an inclusive kinda thing. I know, I know, that sounds corny. We’re in the middle of workshopping it. You got any advice?”
She didn’t take the bait. Instead, she shook her head and spoke pointedly. “I heard your group had six girls in it.”
“Oh. E-Erm, well. That’s. A little rude.” Story gave a side eye to the clerk. “I mean, rumors like that get on my nerves. Yeah, I get it, most of the group is girls. But what does that make me at that point, scrap metal? I’m still here.”
Once more, Coin Toss didn’t buy it. She just kept staring Story down, ignoring every act he tried. At that point, she was trying to figure out who among us would be easier to talk to next while we were trying to find a good moment to excuse ourselves from the store.
Although, to his credit, Story had one more trick. He sighed, stared the lady down one more time, and cleared his throat. “Anyways, we need to get going. We gotta find our friends and we don’t wanna waste too much of your time. I mean, I can only imagine how busy you must be with that delayed inventory that came in recently.”
In that instant, Coin Toss’s focus was dead set on Story again as she stared in surprise. “How do you know about that?”
Story let himself smirk and after clearing his throat again, gave a perfect mimicry of Coin’s voice. “That’s what I heard last.”
She blinked a few more times, but before she could reply, Story wrapped it up. “Alright, we’re outta here! Thank you so much for all the help, miss! I’ll put a great review online later. Have a good one!”
When his face was turned away from her, he looked like he was about to lose it while eyeing as many of us as he could. We quickly got the point and fell in line behind him, leaving the store.
On the way out, I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder. Neither could Rainbow Dash. But we walked faster when we noticed Coin Toss staring us down. And we didn’t stop until we were out of eyesight. She didn’t follow us out. But even when we broke the line of sight, all of the soulless eyes of those deer stands watched us go for her.
The second we crossed back into the mall, Story became a nervous wreck. Applejack held her hat over her face and Sunset and Rainbow Dash were watching to see if she was coming after us.
“Okay,” Story wheezed. “I didn’t misread that, did I? That lady was weird.”
“No, you read correctly,” I told him. “She was perfectly fine up until Rainbow Dash mentioned the Rainbooms.”
“Yeah. Good catch on that Sunset,” Rainbow told her. “I’m assuming none of us are ever going back there, right?”
“No. None of us are,” Sunset told us. “And Story, that lie didn’t work.”
“No, not at all,” he admitted. “However, she only thinks there’s six of you, not seven. So she either doesn’t know about Pinkie or about Twilight.”
“Probably Twilight,” Applejack guessed. “She only became part a’ the group a week or two before you. Plus, ain’t nobody forgettin’ Pinkie Pie.”
Sunset nodded. “Speaking of Pinkie, let’s find her and Fluttershy. Once Applebloom and Story’s brother get picked up, we need to get out of here. While we’re at it, I’ll check in on Twilight.”
“Agreed,” said a few of us. We all started towards the Food Court at once, but this time with all of us looking in every direction for anyone staring back with a purpose.
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Hmmm..... is Coin Toss.... wait a minute...... YOU'RE NOT!!
STOP IT!! RIGHT NOW!!!!
Can't blame your distraction. Heh.^^'
Find it funny the group think they’re delaying fate when actually they’re helping it along.
The drop of story telling how ricven heard about the twins and now rarity doing the same is a nice subtle touch.
I work with these dumpsters and, no. They will still smell even if they're empty.
11846027
Thank you. Glad I'm not alone in that. XD
11845858
Not What? What's wrong?
11847370
Thank you for pointing that out. I can't really smell too well, and I don't really hang around them dumpsters, so I wasn't too sure how bad the smell was. I went ahead and fixed it.
11847868
You know exactly what's wrong, and I just need to wait for everyone else to figure it out!
Just blazed through this, gonna go back and reread all of it again to pick up on the finer details