A Night at the Movies

by Mr Movie Magic

Prologue: How It All Began

A message from Mr. Kino, who was known to everypony in Applewood as “Mr. Nicky.”

Meine fellow board members,
It is with a heavy heart that I come before you today. Prof. Menlo was mein tutor und mein mentor. He has taught me everything that I know. He was a great inspiration. Sadly, I’m afraid, as difficult as it is for me to admit, that that pony no longer exists. He has crowned himself as the king of his corporate empire. Greed resides in his heart und he has hurt many ponies, myself included. I hadn’t wished to see what he has become, but now meine eyes are opened und I have seen what he has done. We mustn’t allow his tyranny to grow. I understand that a petition was written to have Prof. Menlo removed from the Applewood Academy. You have come und asked if I would sign mein name. At first, I didn’t want to, but for the good of Applewood, for the good of everypony, und for the good of mein Freund, I, Kino, “Mr. Nicky,” sign mein name to this petition to have Prof. Menlo removed from the Applewood Academy
Ich danke Ihnen.

---

Mr. Kino’s was the deciding vote. It was not an easy decision. He wished that he didn’t have to do this, but he wasn’t given any other choice.

Elsewhere in Applewood, Prof. Menlo knew of the accusations and the charges that were being held against him.

“Accusations are what they are,” he would grumble. “There are two sides to every story. Clearly, they don’t wish to see my side. Everypony is locked in a battle royal against each other. I’m simply trying to unite us!”

That last comment was far from the truth in the eyes of Applewood Academy’s board members. From their point of view, Prof. Menlo had no intentions of uniting the studios of Applewood to relieve the tensions among them. As a matter of fact, no disputes between them had ever been brought to the Academy’s attention. “He’s greedy! He wants the profits for himself!” the Academy’s board members declared.

Prof. Menlo played his cards very well as no such evidence had been found. It wasn’t until one fateful night that the needle was found. A night guard at a studio found Prof. Menlo’s cronies sabotaging studio equipment and were apprehended on the spot. The professor was brought to court where he denied everything, saying his two employees were acting on their own terms and not on his.

The truth always comes out. Prof. Menlo was found guilty. Mr. Kino’s testimony was the final piece of the puzzle. He came out and announced that the professor had pulled the rug out from under his hooves. Mr. Kino had been running a successful chain of nickelodeons, hence his nickname, Mr. Nicky. Prof. Menlo found his chain to be a threat to his company and ransacked the little theaters.

“You’re playing in the big leagues,” Prof. Menlo said. “You don’t need that chain. Just stick with me. I’ll make you rich beyond your wildest dreams.”

It didn’t take the press long to print the latest scoop, “Prof. Menlo to Be Removed from Applewood Academy.”

Before he was stripped of his membership, Prof. Menlo called a meeting with the board, including the young Mr. Kino. The board members attended to “play along” with him. Nothing he could say or do would change their minds. Mr. Kino attended to hear the professor speak and to see him shine with the little fire that remained in the once-respectable genius.

It was a rather splendid luncheon the professor hosted. He was on his best behavior, but everypony could see the rage seething in his eyes. The board members just went along with him. After the luncheon, everypony unenthusiastically thanked their host as they stood up to leave. Mr. Kino was the last to make ready to depart.

“Nicky,” Prof. Menlo began, “may I have a word with you?”

It was a little weird. Any other day, Mr. Kino would have been fine talking to Prof. Menlo, but after everything that had been going on, he didn’t feel too comfortable.

“Uh, okay,” Mr. Kino replied.

“I know we’ve had our differences,” the professor started. “I did what I had to do and you did what you had to do. You had the moxie to stand up against me.” He patted Mr. Kino on the shoulder. “Despite our falling out, I was wondering if you could help me with one last invention? For old time’s sake.”

It couldn’t hurt, Mr. Kino thought to himself. What’s the worst that could happen?

Mr. Kino followed Prof. Menlo to the stage. There stood an innocent-looking camera, loaded with a reel of film.

“I’ve been working on a new kind of camera,” explained the professor. “I hoped you could be my subject.”

Mr. Kino looked with curiosity at the physics text books on the table. Odsbodkins. What use would the professor have for natural philosophy books? He replied to the professor, “It is a camera?”

“Kino, my friend, it is more than a camera.”

Prof. Menlo stood Mr. Kino between the camera and a white backdrop. Putting on a dark pair of goggles, Prof. Menlo started the camera. A bright light began to glow. The shutter began to click faster and faster like a locomotive picking up speed. The mechanics began to whir as the film rolled faster. Mr. Kino stepped back cautiously, uncertain of what was going to happen. There was a bright flash of white light. Neither Prof. Menlo nor Mr. Kino were seen or heard from again.

The ponies who enjoyed a night at the movies claimed to have heard strange things at the movie palace. Some even said that they had seen a mysterious shadow on the wall. Soon, the Applewood Reporter printed that the theater was haunted. Prof. Menlo's camera and all his reels of film were locked away. With all the hauntings and odd goings-on, ponies turned to catch a picture at another one of Applewood's fine movie palaces. But this one theater never lost its ghostly reputation. Nopony dared to go inside.

One hundred and twenty-three years later...

Author's Note:

Hope you're enjoying the story! As usual, your questions and comments are always welcome. Positive feedback and critique, please. Thank you and enjoy the rest of the story!