Murder at the Rarity Boutique

by Coyote de La Mancha

Chapter 19: A Matter of Memory, Silver, and Dust.

Naturally, Twilight was no stranger to the Star Swirl wing of the Canterlot Archives. And, since her entering the place during her first time travel mishap, she had happily not only read every scroll and book in the place, but organized them, as well.

Well, after all. It was a library.

She’d expected to find herself in some secret, heretofore unrevealed room or hall of the Star Swirl wing. But now, looking around herself, she realized that this was not the Canterlot Archives at all. In fact, if she wasn’t mistaken, she was still in the palace. Somewhere deep down. She could feel the powerful, ancient magic surrounding them all.

The cutie mark of Star Swirl the Bearded showed prominently on the ancient banner facing the hall’s one set of double-doors. It was covered, along with everything else around the quartet, with a thick layer of dust. The long hall was lined with small alcoves, each carved out from the living stone that surrounded them. Each alcove contained some artifact, some object that Star Swirl had apparently gathered for study during his travels across Equus and to other worlds. A small placard next to each object explained what it was, and any other notes the ancient magician might have felt it wise to impart. And covering each display was a single sheet of glass, also emanating powerful enchantments with which Twilight was wholly unfamiliar.

Here, behind glass frosted with additional glyphs, an ancient oil lamp rested, tarnished and old. Next to it was a small golden scroll covered in a beautiful, calligraphic script alien to any culture on Equus.

There, behind thick, leaded glass, a jade idol of a crouching demonic figure leered, glowing dull green in its alcove’s shadow. The placard beside it showed a single word in Star Swirl’s tidy script: Envy.

And further down, what appeared to be a paintbrush of purest silver, its brushes a midnight black. The card next to it identified the previous owner as a creature called Rapunzel.

Meanwhile, across the hall, a portrait of a beautiful young stallion dressed in exquisite finery was displayed. But the painting showed several slashes across its canvas, forever marring what was no doubt some ancient painter’s masterwork. The placard in its alcove attributed it to Lord Grey, but whether that was the portrait’s creator or its subject was unclear.

Twilight stared around herself in excited fascination. She’d spent close to half her life in the palace, and there were still places within it, sources of fascinating knowledge, that she had never seen. Never even heard about!

She’d have to address that oversight, she realized. Once she’d finished studying everything in this newly-discovered wing, of course.

The other princesses, meanwhile, were already moving forward, away from the doors, wearing identical frowns of concern.

“It has been so long since we were here,” Celestia said. “I haven’t even thought of this hall, or its contents, for ages.”

“Nor I,” Luna agreed. “Not since he last departed our world, though for me less time has passed.”

“What are we looking for, anyway?” Twilight said. “Star Swirl’s weapon? His books never mentioned his making a weapon…”

“That’s because he never made one,” Celestia said.

“And here, we find our fears realized,” Luna added.

The empty display case, like all the rest, was surrounded by wards etched directly into the wall’s smooth stone. The four ponies stared at the empty display case in dismay. Whatever stand or descriptive placard the artifact might have had with it had also been taken, leaving no clue as to its nature.

The glass, once broken, had apparently been knocked out of place shard by shard, placed in the alcove itself to delay detection. Which might not even have been necessary, really. The dust on everything around the four ponies testified to its lack of visitors.

Well, except for their own hoofprints, and what might have been those of another pony some time before, entering and leaving through the massive door behind them.

“But, this is impossible!” Twilight exclaimed, looking around them all. “How could this have happened?”

Luna frowned at the broken display case, and then the door itself. “None of the wards have been tampered with,” she pronounced. “Yet, if our thief had the means to slip past them so easily…”

“…why bother with stealing only this one artifact, much less breaking the glass that barred their way?” Celestia finished for her.

Blueblood, for his part, simply stood with one hoof on his forehead, eyes closed.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Um, Blue?”

“Aunts of my heart,” Blueblood asked without moving, “what are the protective measures for this wing?”

“Well, in addition to the usual anti-teleportational matrices, the main door has galvanic wards to repel would-be intruders,” Luna said. “Each display, in addition to possible personalized constraints, also has lethal warding in the event of someone violating their confines.”

She looked away adding, “Brutal, I will confess. But with some of the artifacts contained here…”

“And we’ve been working on having that changed,” Celestia quickly added in response to Twilight’s horrified stare. “We have access to magical constraints we that didn’t when the wing was first built, after all. But because of the power levels of creatures who might seek these devices, research is still ongoing to find something powerful enough to thwart them, yet still nonlethal to ponies…”

“Yes, of course it is,” Blueblood sighed. Looking at the youngest princess, he asked, “Twilight, what are the security measures implemented during an open palace event? You know, one where there are crowds, possibly foals, and so forth?”

Twilight blinked, turning her attention away from her elders. “Oh. Um. Well, ever since Luna came back, most of the palace events have been pretty family-friendly. So first off, there are extra guards posted in different places throughout the palace, since all the harsher protections are shut down en masse to avoid any accidental, um…”

Her voice trailed off as the princesses stared at one another.

“Oh,” Celestia said. “Oh, dear.”

“But,” Luna interjected, “but they’re all replaced with temporary nonlethal ones, are they not? Or guard ponies are posted along otherwise forbidden sections?”

“You’d think so,” Celestia said, looking around. “But it may be that the palace guards simply assumed we were taking care of such matters.”

“Nopony can think of everything,” Blueblood pointed out, “not even you. But this makes sense, and I think we’re all lucky that our thief only took… ah…”

He looked at his aunts uncertainly.

“…what did they take, exactly?”

---

There was a flash of Luna’s blue magic, and the four friends were back in the throne room.

“The silver object you’ve described isn’t exactly a weapon, in and of itself, any more than an arrow is a weapon without a bow to launch it,” Luna explained. “It is, however, quite deadly when activated, being able to pierce flesh, wood, even steel.”

“It’s called a bullet,” Celestia added.

Blueblood frowned. “Like a sling bullet?”

Luna nodded. “Similar in concept. But far more devastating.”

“The weapon that launches it is called a revolver, after the part of the mechanism which turns during its operation,” Celestia continued. “It was gifted to Star Swirl during one of his escapades to Gaea, the world where humans dwell. Like many of the artifacts he brought home from other worlds, Star Swirl insisted that the weapon be guarded with the utmost security, and that nopony but him touch it. Even us.”

Now, it was Twilight’s turn to frown. “Humans?”

“Bipedal beings, with circumstantial correspondences to ponies,” Luna shrugged. “But their involvement is unlikely. While pony magic is primarily concerned with manipulation of matter and energy, theirs deals almost exclusively with manipulation of the more intangible elements. Probabilities, matters of the mind, and so forth. It is also weaker than our magic, and far rarer.”

“So, who gave it to him?” Blueblood asked.

“A human hero,” Celestia answered. “While human magic doesn’t lend itself well to dimensional travel, such travel was Star Swirl’s forte. Star Swirl said that the human who gave him the weapon always wore a mask to conceal his identity, and that he was the last of his kind. But he always used bullets of silver, both as a calling card and as a reminder of the high cost of taking a life.”

“While the weapon itself is non-magical, silver is still effective against certain evil magical creatures, even on Gaea,” Luna added, “And it was in this capacity that he and Star Swirl both found it useful in their adventure together. In any case, the human hero’s first encounter with Star Swirl was also his last. He retired afterwards due to wounds sustained, giving one of his revolvers to Star Swirl in memory of their experiences together.”

“Very well,” Blueblood nodded. “How does it work, and what does it do?”

“The revolver is curved at an angle, and operates through mechanical pressure against a triggering mechanism within the angle’s vertex,” Celestia explained. “The bullet is slung out through a tube via the use of focused explosive force. The revolver can fire six times before needing a recharge.”

“And it’s been fired once by our murderer already,” Twilight nodded.

“And once by Star Swirl,” Celestia added. “He was testing the weapon and its abilities.”

“And… once after that,” Luna broke in reluctantly.

Celestia looked at her sister, surprised. “Oh?”

“I, um, may have been curious about the weapon shortly after Star Swirl’s departure,” Luna admitted, studying the ceiling.

Celestia stared.

“It was hard to use, and terrifyingly loud,” Luna went on, becoming more uncomfortable by the moment. “Once I was able to manipulate its trigger point, it went off quite unexpectedly. It startled me. So, well, I put it back.”

“I… see,” Celestia nodded slowly.

Blueblood studied the sisters for a moment, then ventured, “So… three times?”

Celestia cleared her throat, clearly uncomfortable.

Luna did a double take, then stared disbelievingly with an open-mouthed grin, hooves on hips.

“Thou brat!”

While Celestia took her turn in ceiling studies, Blueblood considered the sisters again.

“So, four times?” he offered, smiling. “Four times going once, four times going twice…? Fine. Four times. So, then. Aunt Luna, you’d mentioned it was difficult to use?”

“Oh. Yes,” Luna said, pulling her attention from her sister (who promptly stuck her tongue out at her in a very non-monarch way). “You see, I determined that I would try the weapon in the way it was intended. But the trigger is housed within a small hoop of metal. So it was incredibly hard to manipulate with hooves.”

“But far easier with telekinesis,” Blueblood nodded. “Especially telekinesis which is far more precise than it is powerful.”

All three princesses gave him identical scowls.

“And no, of course I’m not doubting Miss Rarity’s innocence,” he sighed. “But I am mindful of how what I find will be viewed by the prosecution, as well. At least, until I can get a confession.”

“Then, this has been of help to you?” Luna asked.

“More than words can say,” Blueblood bowed. “But for now, please forgive me dear ladies, I must away.”

“Very well, then, away if you must,” Luna agreed. Then, giving a sideways glance to her sister, she added, “Methinks we have much to discuss in any event.”

While Luna struggled to look angry and Celestia continued to study the ceiling with a look of absurd innocence, Blueblood took his leave even as a giggling Twilight vanished in a burst of lavender light.

Comments

[EvilTreerat]

Ah ha. So Spoiled had help. Help that knew quite a bit about something that isn't common knowledge. The case against the prosecution grows....

[FanOfMostEverything]

Quickly, Blueblood! To the Starcave!

Very interesting finer details for this worldline. No ruinous dalliances by Celestia with Good King Sombra, no incursion by Sunset... Yeah, the odds were more stacked against the defense than I realized. Now the question becomes how Blueblood intends to incriminate the actual murderer. And how long Sour Sweet may need before returning home, but that's sadly outside the scope of the investigation.

[The Weaver]

Actually guns have a harder time with steel than most believe. Unless you get armor piercing rounds the generic bullet relies on kinetic force and deforms on contact with anything as tough or tougher. While the force is concentrated with the bullet once it hits the energy spreads out rupturing cell walls (this is also the reason the exit wound is much bigger than the entry wound).

Modern armor is built to disperse kinetic force (and a properly made sword won't be stopped by modern armor except by luck). Properly forged full plate mail armor can stop most small arms; he will get rattled in his armor with impressive bruises. Problem is that kinetic force is not what it was made to protect against and metal fatigue sets in quickly under sustained fire.

Sadly i have yet to see full plate mail in Equestria. No armor we have seen provides enough coverage.

Though... silver. I am not sure how that compares to ordinary bullets. The remaining bullets might be more effect than usual.

[TCC56]

10691373

Though... silver. I am not sure how that compares to ordinary bullets. The remaining bullets might be more effect than usual.

Silver is acceptable for bullet-making - it's reasonably close enough to lead in terms of density - but the real restrictions are that silver is far more rare/expensive and that it has a vastly higher melting point. You can melt lead over a campfire, but silver requires a proper furnace. Silver also has the problem that it has a MUCH higher hardness than lead, which leads to a bunch of problems like not working properly in a rifled barrel and not squashing on impact.

Of course this is also Equestria, so magical properties are also a thing and who knows then.

Plus, I mean, that's the Lone Ranger's gun. Totally a named artifact weapon if there ever was one.

[dshadow14]

The Lone Ranger's gun, Aladdin's lamp, Barbie Rapunzel's paintbrush, Dorian Grey's portrait, and I don't know what the jade Envy statue is. It's like Warehouse 13.

[n3k1dsk1llz]

Was that...an Elder Scroll?

[Coyote de La Mancha]

10965867
Next to the lamp? Not this time; it was a scroll explaining the nature of the lamp, written in early Arabic.