The Twinkle Conspiracy
‘Nock, Nock, Nock’
“OK, what’s the emergency?” She said as she opens her front door after somepony continued to bang on it as a pony possessed. Moondancer wasn’t in the best moon to receive guests as she was in the middle of power leveling her Enchanting skill further.
She had just crossed over level 40 and was miffed she had to stop now.
“Well hello to you too grumpy pants. You know we don’t always have an emergency when we come over.” Minuette said as she sauntered into the room with Twinkle and Lemon in tow. She hopped over to one of the counters and pilfered some of the cookies she had been baking to level up her cooking skill and gain some Buffs for her enchanting project. She had just taken the pot roast out of the oven and the place smelled both sweet and spicy. Relaxing any pony that came in.
Moon Dancer slowly raised an eyebrow at her friends. Predictably Twinkle broke first at the uncomfortable stare.
“Yes, we have another emergency.” She admitted while waving her hands in the air in defeat. Moony smugly looked at Minuette making her mutter “Don’t you even start” Before forgetting her irritation in the face of cookies.
“So what’s have you girls gotten up to this time?” Moondancer said while fished out lemonade from her fridge for her friends. She did enjoy her friends’ company even if they were interrupting her work. Thankfully it didn’t backfire and explode as the last one had. Soot was no a good look for her.
Minuette leaned over her couch as she tossed some cookies over to the rest of them. “Ok, here’s the sitch. Twinkle shine is under suspicion for theft, grand larceny, and corporate espionage.”
Moondancer spits out her drink across her table in a spit take that splashes across Lemon's heart's face and covered her in juice. “Sorry, did you say Twinkle Shine? Our Twinkle Shine. The girl who can’t even watch a horror movie without running out of the theater is being investigated for theft. This Twinkle Shine?” She pointed at twinkle who only grumbled that she wasn’t that bad, and was promptly ignored.
“Ha got you their Twinkles. But yeah seriously. She hasn’t been arrested yet but unless the police get another suspect soon, they’ll arrest her.” Minuette said as she tossed a clean towel to Lemon Heart who was magically cleaning the juice off her outfit.
Moon Dancer rubbed her head in her hands as she tried to wrap her mind around the issue. “Details? Please”
“Um well, a lot of inventory has been going missing lately from the store. Lots of salt and some other spices have been going missing in large quantities. The manager of the store accused me of taking them since I’m usually the last one in the store at night. And now I’m afraid ill lose my job and going to jail.” Twinkle shine nervously wringing her hands as she explained her predicament.
It broke Moonie's heart to see her like this. Would a hug make things better? She wasn’t sure. Should she offer more food? Mabey. Should she blow up the store? No that wouldn’t solve the issue. She settled on a hug instead.
“Doesn’t your family own the business?” Moon Dancer asked in confusion as she thought of the problem.
“Yah, but it's not an entirely family-run business. Too few of us to do that. So, stealing from the company counts as corporate sabotage not nicking five bits from moms’ purse.” Twinkle mumbled into her shoulder.
[ Quest Alert – Framed Stars- Twinkle Shine is being framed for a crime she didn’t commit. Prove her innocence before the guard comes to arrest her.]
Objective 1 – Prove Twinkle Shine's innocence.
Objective 2 – Find the true culprit
Objective 3 - ???
Reward: Massive increased Rep with Twinkleshine.
Increased rep with Minuette and Lemon
???
“Alright girls, I’ll help however I can,” Moondancer said. She was more than a little intrigued by the mystery of it all. If there was ever a time that Twinkle needed her then this was it.
At the Slated Caramel
After a long conversation between the gang and Twinkle, they managed to make a shaky plan that could potentially find the real Culprit.
The shop/restaurant closed every night at 8pm, after the dinner rush. They were not a late-night establishment and most of their business happened either at breakfast, lunch, or just after schools let out. They sold all kinds of sweets candies and other pastries. Speaking from experience they could all reasonably say that the food there was some of the sweetest they ever had.
To learn more about the business Twinkle had started working at the shop along with her cousin Gum Drops a few months ago. She didn’t suspect anything to be wrong at all. The Cooks were kind of snappy when they got busy but the weight staff were all nice ponies who she talked to and even the manager was a nice stallion most of the time. He honestly seemed sorry to have to let her go but he didn’t have a choice. She was the only option to fire he had.
In the end, her family had heard from him about Twinkle being fired. They were, confused. They didn’t want to believe that their shy but hardworking Twinkle Shine could do any wrong. But they also couldn’t ignore the facts. In the end, they had to believe in the evidence. They were very disappointed in her and while they were going to give her the benefit of the dought, their hands were tied.
She was the last pony in the shop every day. The Times that merchandise went missing coincided with the days she was the last one to lock up. The theft also only started a few weeks after she had joined the company.
In the end, their plan was both simple and tried and true.
A stakeout.
In a pair of bushed overlooking the shop, Moondancer and Twinkle Shine were hidden behind the foliage. A small picnic blanket was spread out so that they didn’t get dirty and a small plate of cookies was being munched on between them.
It was a bit much but Moony figured she could just toss the lot of it into her inventory and clean it up later.
She had found that keeping her friends out by stuffing lots of stuff into her hair was extra funny.
“How long do you think It’s going to take before someone comes. It’s getting really uncomfortable here. These Branches are really pokie.” Twinkle tried to make herself more comfortable but only succeeded In getting more twigs into her hair.
“It’s a stakeout. They're not supposed to be fun. Just be happy I thought to bring some cookies.”
“I know, and thank you for that. I need something sweet to get over all this stress. I tell you when I find out who’s framing me I’ll give them a Kacha, Wapaw, Pwachaa!” Twinkle mimed doing a few punches before losing balance when the twigs in her hair pulled her back.
Chucking Moony reached back to help her untangle herself from the bramble. “Just like you said you would show Iron Hide after he stole our cupcake? Or that griffon who shot spitballs at you?”
“Hey, those two were a lot bigger when you got up close to them. I am a fragile flower, I can’t let this cute little face get smashed in.” Twinkle tried to defend herself but knew that she was just too much of a coward. She talked a good game but when it came down to actually confronting people she was paralyzed.
Spotting movement at the edge of her vision Moondancer motioned for Twinkle to quiet. The shop was dark and deserted however there was a tall figure that had pulled over a storage cart next to the shop's docking bay.
They couldn’t see who it was but the pony pulled out a key and opened the back door of the shop then turned on the lights inside.
“Dang it, I can’t get a good shot Moony. We need to get closer.” Twinkle shine said as she pulled out a camera. It was a holdover from the time they needed to do a biology project together and had used to it take multiple pictures for their project. But it would also work just fine to take a picture of the perpetrator.
“If we get to close well be spotted, We need to take a picture with the person red-handed. Give me a second I think I have just the thing.” Moondancer said as she tossed her trash into her main and inventory.
Anticipating that they would need to do some sneaking around at some point Moondancer practiced two skills at home.
[Sneek –level 4 While hiding from a target you are less likely to be spotted.]
[Illusion magic – Level 5]
It had been totally last minute and she had to dump a few extra points into INT and WIS just to make sure she had enough magical energy to cast the spell. But she had managed to learn the invisibility spell.
It had been sequestered inside one of the many books she had liberated from the castle of the two sisters.
Studying those books was fascinating and fun while she either trained or did other things. Sometimes the information she got was useless, frivolous, or just plain wrong, But every now and then she would get something like a restricted spell or lost knowledge and insights.
While Celestia's school for gifted unicorns was still the best institution to learn magic in the world. They weren’t going to be teaching an invisibility spell to a class of hormonal teenagers with too much time on their hands.
“Hold still Twinkle,” Moony said as she lit up her horn. The odd sensation of an egg being broken over her head made them both shiver for a moment but then they saw that their bodies were disappearing.
“Holy Smokes Moony, where the heck did you learn an Invisibility spell? I thought only special forces and street performers knew how to use it?”
“Don’t pick at the membrane too hard Twinkle. It’s a thin coating of illusion magic that’s making us transparent. However, if you bump into something the illusion will be broken. It’s also not perfect so don’t move too fast or you’ll cast an outline. Let’s just take the picture and leave.” Moon dancer said as they snuck closer to the cart.
Along the way, Twinkle shine couldn’t help but mess around with the spell and wave her limbs about to see the cool wavy effect it had on the air. The spell broke halfway to the cart and Moony had to reapply it fast before the Thief saw them.
If Twinkle could see Moony now then she would have looked away in shame at the glare she was shooting at her.
They soon snuck over to the side of the building and peered into the windows.
Inside Moon dancer could see a Tall and thin Yellow stallion with a stereotypical black hoodie and joggers. He didn’t seem to be nervous at all and was instead hoisting various buckets of things onto a dolly.
She could hear a gasp from beside her. “I take it you know who that is?” Moony softly asked.
“Yes, it’s Gum Drop, He was hired at the same time I was. But we had different shifts, so I never got to talk to him very long. I guess he tried to take stuff from the store only on his off days? But why?” Twinkle shine said as she peered over the window.
Gum Drops was so engrossed in stealing as many buckets of ingredients that he didn’t bother looking around.
Sneaking around him was doing wonders for Moon’s sneaking ability and invisibility ability, However, she didn’t want to be stuck here for longer than she needed to.
“Twinkle, Just take the picture of him and the cart, We can figure out the why later,” Moony whispered over to where she assumed twinkle was standing.
After a moment Moon dancer heard a click and saw a flash as the flash from the camera illuminated the inside of the building and once more when it took a picture of the cart.
Only too late did Moony realize that the flash would alert Gum Drop of their presence. Already she could see the stallion inside become more agitated and confused.
He reached into his sweater and pulled out a pair of Brass Nuckels before placing them on his hands. Brandishing them as he put down the merchandise and walked towards the door.
Moon dancer wasn’t scared of him. She knew plenty of spells and the gamer's body would make sure that she would be healed by the next day at the latest.
But she wasn’t alone. Twinkle was here with her and Twinkle didn’t have the stupidly overpowered ability to be a game character. She was very much vulnerable and was about as strong as your average baker.
Biting her lip and thinking quickly Moondancer reached forward blindly and grabbed a hold of the invisible Twinkle. Only holding back her strength so that she didn’t pop their invisibility.
Relying on her stealth skill and illusion she slowly, almost painfully slowly dragged Twinkle behind some bushes. Her instincts wanted her to either Fight or flee but she clamped down on them with her gamers mind.
She gently pushed Twinkle behind a thick shrub near the window even as Gum Drop got closer. She could hear his dull skittish steps as he walked around the building to their location.
Just as they were about to reach the bottom of the shrub a stray twig pocked Twinkle shine and popped her invisibility bubble. Cursing internally Monon dancer thought fast.
Reaching for Twinkle's hand she willed the layer of illusion magic around her to start encompassing Twinkle. She needed to be close, very close for this to work.
MoonDancer pressed Twinkles face to her chest. Wrapped her arms around her head and tangled their feet. Pressing her middle as close to her friend as she possibly could as she stretched the illusion spell to its max.
For a couple of tense minutes, they stayed still as the stallion walked around the grounds, twitching and squirming every time he got close. Eventually, he must have figured that either the flash didn’t have anything to do with him or the pony that made the flash was long gone.
He soon went back into the store, loaded up the ingredients, and took off down the road.
Only when she was sure they were alone did Moondancer let the spell drop and release Twinkle.
“That was a little too close for my taste, did you get the pictures Twinkle?” Moon Dancer said as she dusted herself off.
Twinkle was still laying down on the ground with the camera heald tight, Her face was flushed and her breathing was ragged as she stared off into space.
“TWINKLE?” Moondancer yelled as she tried to snap her friend out of it.
“Uh, oH, What? YES, I got the pictures were all good.” Twinkle shine said as she hoisted the camera in front of her and shakily smiled. “I’ll bring the pictures to the manager tomorrow.”
Moondancer was relieved that they acquired the picture. She was sure Gumdrop would still cause a mess of things later, but at least now Twinkle wasn’t going to get taken away kicking and screaming by the guards.
Ok, she would admit that was a bit of an exaggeration. They would probably have just levied her with a massive fine. But that was still an injustice against her friend that she wanted to be rectified.
“Hey, moony can you take me home now? I think I really need a shower after wallowing in the dirt all day. I just can’t believe that Gum Drop was the one framing me all this time. Why would he do this Moony? And just the ingredients? I mean yeah we have the highest quality ingredients we can get but why would any steel that? It’s like steeling lamp posts or carriage wheels. Who even buys stuff like that?”
“I don’t know Twinkles, I just don’t know.”
The two of them stopped by a photo store really quickly to get the pictures developed for them. It took only a few minutes for the pictures to be made and stamped with the CSA stamp of approval stating the pictures had in no way been altered.
It was when they reached Twinkles apartment that Moony got a notice that her quest had been completed.
The next day.
Arriving early at the Salted Caramel Moondancer, Twinkle and Minuette walked through the front door to the glares and dirty looks of the employees. They all knew Twinkle shine and had worked with her for months. So the trio could understand the feeling of betrayal.
However, that didn’t stop Minuette and Moondancer from flanking either side of Twinkle in a show of solidarity.
Twinkle shine appreciates the support as she marched over to the manager of the shop.
The manager was a tired gray old stallion who looked like he should have retired years ago. But old Note Pad was a stubborn stallion who believed that an ideal day was a day wasted. He had spent all of two weeks in retirement before applying for the job of store manager. He was a hard-working stallion who valued hard work and hated slackers. Since Twinkle was an exceptionally hard worker when it came to baking it broke the poor stallion's heart when he had to let her go.
When they came closer the stallion got up out of his seat and gave a small smile as he spotted Twinkle.
“Shine! It’s good to see you again filly, How are you holding up? OY you bunch, if you got the time to be rubbernecking you got the time to clean, Vamoose!” Note yelled out at the employees that were pretending to do their work while listening in. “Ah, a bunch of children I say. Now what brings you back, I would think that little business a week back would have soured your mood!
Twinkle gave the old stallion a hug then pulled out a manila folder that held the pictures we had developed. “Well, thanks to the hard work of my friends here I got proof that I wasn’t the one taking the inventory.”
The stallion's eyebrows shot up to the stars as he quickly opened the folder and looked over all the pictures that had taken the night before. It clearly showed Gum drop dressed out of uniform and like a thug sneaking into the store and stealing ingredients before carting them off.
“Why that no good dirty rotten varmint. I knew it was fishy when Branch manager High Drop insisted that you had to be the thief. Opportunity my wrinkly ass. That no-good snake must have figured his son was the culprit and was trying to cover it up! Don’t you worry non, hun, I’ll get this over to the Officer in charge of the case.”
Twinkle shine looked absolutely relieved. It was like both a hundred pounds had been lifted from her shoulders as she simultaneously lost all her energy. “Thank Celestia. I love this job. I didn’t want to lose it.”
“Oh don’t you worry hun. You weren’t going to stay fired anyway.” Note said as he placed the pictures back in the envelope.
“What do you mean sir? I thought that she was being charged with serious accusations here.” Minuette asked in confusion.
“In a way dear, I’v been around the block more than I care to admit and I know how to set a decent trap. We took Twink’s Keys here the day the accusations were levied and made user they were high enough that any judge in court would have to throw the case out on principle. But they were high enough that whoever was stealing them would return to steal again. Proving that Twinkle was innocent. You didn’t think we were just going to sit around doing nothing, were you?” Note Pad said with a cunning smile as sharp eyes as he ordered coffee and tea for the group of them.
It was a confusing case but moony had to admit it would have worked.
Just as the coffee reached their table Moon Dancer received a notice her quest was complete.
[Framed Stars Side Quest complete- You have proven your friend's innocence, found the guilty party, and shown winkle that she wasn’t nearly as alone in this as she believed.]
[Objective 1 – Prove Twinkle Shine's innocence -pass
Objective 2 – Find the true culprit- pass
Objective 3 – Find out what the ingredients are being used for – Fail ]
[Reward: Massive increased Rep with Twinkleshine ]
[For reaching 50 REP with Twinkleshine you gain Bakers touch]
[All reputation gains with lovers of confectionaries increased]
[Increased rep with Minuette and Lemon Heart]
[+5 INT and WIS Stats.]
[Level 1 Dungeon key acquired. ]
[Perception check roll – User can run a perception check to notice important items or information. ]
[Ring of Might- A ring worn at the base of the horn that doubles the users base STR]
[1000 Exp]
[1 Gatcha token]
It seemed the game was being very forthcoming with rewards today and she was excited to look over all of these rewards. But for now, she decided to dismiss all of these notifications and focus back on her friends.
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Great to see another come out!
keep up the good work