> SHMM: The Phantom Blue Flame
>  by Amereep
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Case
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Collective effort placed into achieving a sole goal, that's teamwork.  Equestria wrote the book on that word using an assortment of crayons for its text and sprinkled glitter across its cover, but over here in Gaia, the word is often a forgotten one from the lack of practice.  You would think that a wide variety of hippopomorphic ponies would be open to the idea of working together, yet many of us are driven by a voice that's insisting us to do things ourselves, no matter how difficult it would be solo.  Call it pride, a test, or just plain stubbornness, but many of us would rather struggle instead of asking for help.

I'm sure you can figure out where I stand on this issue, me being a mushroom mare and all.  I prefer to handle things alone.  Gathering information is simple, straight from the monster pony's mouth, and you don't need to keep a pace where everyone is on the same page.  I can still see the advantages you can get from teaming up with a partner, however.  You get different perspectives, you're reminded of clues, but the best advantage is that you work off each other and provide what the other may be lacking.

I have no complaints at seeking out help from others if it comes to that, but for the pest that I have to put up with...  I remember our first case together, right after she self proclaimed herself to be my official partner.  It started one aft-

Watcha doing, Truffles?

...Tricklebrook, ...who let you into my monologue?

Monologue?  *gasp* Are you telling a story?!

...no.

Oh, let me tell one!  *ahem*  In the vast, deep forest of Hy-

You're not going to tell that story about the time traveling flute boy again, are you?

But it has my favorite fairy in it.

And I swear that you're the very same fairy.

*Humph*

...tell you what, if you let me tell my story first, then you can tell as many stories as you like afterwards.

Really?  Do I have your word on it?

...all of it.

YES!!  Hee hee hee, sucker.

That she is.  Now then, it started one afternoon in the Fernaglaze Forest.  My last case didn't do me any favors at gaining clients, it had the opposite effect actually as everyone wanted retribution.  And just because I proved that she was innocent this one time, it didn't change the fact that she's been a nuisance to them all the time.  With the detective business having scarce jobs and a recent infestation being a large issue at home-

There's just one of me, and I'm not even tenth your size.

-I needed to find some extra work somewhere, so I began searching through the 'want' flyers.  You see, printing newspapers and delivering them individually to everyone isn't a thing found here in Fernaglaze.  The closest thing we have that could be related to a newspaper is a bulletin board found in the village.  There, any creature is allowed to place documentations that detail recent events, upcoming gatherings, friendly reminders, caution warnings, even job postings.  However, there wasn't anything that needed looking into or something seeking a sleuth for gathering information on something.

They never tell you in mystery novels that the need for a detective is often never found in everyday life, maybe if you were connected with law officials, but that's another thing that is scarce around here.  In any case, finding work from the bulletin board was the only option for me, and sadly, they weren't the most desirable ones.

"A job as a vendor assistant, that would be a brain dead experience.  A job at Sandwich Prince, oh Hell no.  A job working with foals, pfft, the pintsize following me is already too much."

I hear a groan above me, "Can we go?" Tricklebrook whines, shifting about as she lays on my cap, "This is sooo boring."

I grunt to her bothersome interruption, "I keep telling you that I need to look for a job, so stop complaining."  I drown out the sound of Brook grumbling something aloud, but the beating of her legs isn't as easy, "Why don't you read some of these flyers?  There's a few stories here that you might find entertaining."

"I already saw them all," I feel her scooting to the rim of my cap, looking over at me, "they had nothing special to show."

I quirk a brow at the faint-glowing fairy hanging her head off me, "Saw?  Show?  ...Tricklebrook, do you not know how to read?"

"C-course I do!" she claims, "I just didn't find anything good to read."

"Really," I doubt, "then this one, here, what does this one talk about?"

"It's... uh..." Brook sees me tapping the flier, noticing the image beside my hoof, "it's about a stallion, a fat-dwarf stallion... with stupid teeth."

"Actually it's about a mouse who turned into a fat-dwarf stallion after eating trimmed shavings that came from a stallion's hoof."

"Well dah, of course it is," she sounded embarrassed, "I just... it just had advanced words that's not suited for my taste.  I prefer to read things like that flier over there.  Now that's a great story."

"That's a recipe for a potion that'll make your eyes glow."

"..." I can't see her, but I can hear Brook making whimpering noises, "...well if you're so smart at reading, then try reading this to me!" she flies to a bulletin that wasn't so much wordy, but rather unique as it's written in cursive.

I'm a little rusty at this fading form of writing, but I can still understand it, "Let's see... it's about... hmm?"  I rub my maple-colored eyes and sharpen the seven points of my celtic knot shaped iris to make certain that I'm not misreading this, "...it's a request to prevent an upcoming... robbery?" I continue down, "'A declaration was made by the notorious thief, Nilafia, earlier today upon Lord Beaumont, declaring that tonight, she will be taking his treasured Cupid's Rose from him.  We request any experienced guards/trappers to come to Castle Beaumont ASAP to prevent this theft from happening.  Further information will be disclosed upon arrival.  Will pay for successful results.'"

"Wait!  They're paying to stop someone!?  Like catching them kind of thing?"

"Seems like it.  Doesn't really surprise me since Beaumont being very protective of that rose has been gossiped by a few in town."

Tricklebrook goes into thought, looking at me after a moment before slowly forming a smile, "...say, if you're looking for a job, why don't we-"

"No."

"But it'll be easy." she flies before my face, trying to maintain a link with my shifting gaze, "You've been able to trap others after they done-dood-it, so trapping them before they done-did-it shouldn't be a problem.  Besides, if you need any help," Brook latches her legs on my snout, "you got the best prankster right here that'll assist you."

"First off, that 'best prankster' title doesn't really say much to someone who's seen through every one of your attempts on them." I throw her off with a rush of air from my nostrils, "And second, no one can catch Nilafia no matter what method they use.  Because Nilafia is a Teumessian."

A Teumessian is a very elusive kind of monsterpony, one that would curse you to forever be 'it' if you were to ever play them in a game of tag.  They're highly intelligent, have swift movement, they're even capable of projecting fire, but they're mostly known for their tricks involving uncanning illusions and devoted secrecy about their identity, showing themselves only to those who've earned their respect.  It's also said that teumessians are fated to forever be uncatchable, and while that might sound like presumptuous superstition, Nilafia has a talent at making this seem like a true fact.

Even in the limelight, Nilafia has maintained those teumessian habits under a persona of a phantom thief.  She's made countless thefts and has yet to give away anything that could identify her physically.  However, what can be identified about her can be found only in the calling cards she's left in place of the things she's stolen.  Each card bore an emblem of a blue flame and a unique limerick that basically mocked her targets.  It may be an insult to injury, but it was thanks to those cards that there's any information about her at all.

It goes without saying that there's a large price on her capture about, but not even a laelap in his prime has any hope of catching her.

"This is a job intended for skilled bounty hunters with the audacity to think that they can do the impossible by catching the uncatchable.  What's more, she's an expert with history that has likely seen it all before, so I bet she has a counter prepared for just about everything."

"Well I bet she'll be unprepared for us!" Tricklebrook tries at persuading me into rethinking this, "And we'll receive payment for it, that's why we're here after all, right?"

I take a moment to collect myself before I attempt to break her nature of being a pest, "Since you need assistance to be informed for your lacking knowledge of deciphering words, allow me to read some of the articles about Nilafia for you, then you may understand how pointless this is," I skim my sight on the many flyers the board has to offer for one that's about Nilafia and hit Brook hard enough with it that it'll bring her yappering to an end, hopefully unrolled for the sake of this little insect's health.  Looking high, looking low, from corner to corner, I step back looking confused, "...huh, there's no articles about Nilafia's latest heists.  Could've sworn there were at least three a few days ago.  ...well in any case, it's best that we find a job that's feasible for us with a favorable success rate at getting paid."

"Come ooooon."

I ignore her cry, she just wants to get out of here and thinks that a fuss will do the trick.  Really, me guarding?  I don't have the physique befitting to be a bouncer.  

Puffing her cheeks, Brook flies on top of my cap and I begin to feel her jumping on my head, "Canwego?  Canwego?  Canwego?  Canwego?"

Perhaps it was the spores being shaken out of my cap that began to make me sneeze, it could've been the desire for some income was drilling into me, or maybe Brook's tactics were more effective this time, but the building stress of the situation was breaking me down until I eventually gave in.  It felt like I was a parent being victimized by their own foal's tantrum, slowly being persuaded into falling for this psychological warfare before finally accepting it.

You're welcome.





After an hour of trotting through the forest, we arrived at the doors of Castle Beaumont.  The castle was built li-

Hey, Truffles.

Yes?

Would... would it be okay if I could tell the story for a bit?

...well, ...considering what's going to happen after my story is done, ...I guess I should pass it off.

Hey yeah!  This would be great practice for when I tell the next story!

...yes, that it would.

Okay, so we arrived at Castle Beaumont some time past noon.  It was a luxury kind of castle, not like the ones you find with walls or a big moat, but a fancy one with columns and arches.  It was made of stone, there were a few towers, and the inside of the castle was even fancier, with carpets and servants and halls and-

Could you at least try to be descriptive for the Ballroom?

Ugh, fine...

As we enter the castle's ballroom, I marvel at the immense size and twitch my ears at the vibrating sounds Truffle's hooves are making on the floor.  I fall back on her cap as I gaze at the mural above us that depicts various monster ponies flying about, watching us go about from up in the clouds.  Being a small fairy, that's nothing new to me, but it feels more bigger than anything I experienced before.

In the center of the wide-open room is a stone podium that displays a glass dome that's covering a shiny jewel with the appearance of a pink rose resting on a red pillow, no doubt the Cupid's Rose that we're here to protect.  Beyond it were the other creatures here that're waiting and conversing about working together as Beaumont, in the fur, paces about up ahead, swishing his violet cloak every time he turns like the biped he is.

Beaumont sees us and gi-

Really?  You're just going to jump over the description of their species and who they are?

Alright, jeez, Ms. Picky.  There was Someone who was a spider-pony, I-never-asked who was a mole-pony, What's-his-face who was a plant-pony, and Beaumont... he was a bulky beast.

*Huffs* Maybe another day.

Beaumont gives us a look of discomfort and then snaps his attention to the large windows behind him, judging the sun's position before snarling in a rough voice, "This will have to do.  Alright, listen!" he commands of all of us, "Before dawn this morning, I received a calling card from the illusive thief Nilafia," he reached into his cloak to pull out the card in question, complete with the blue flame emblem and everything, "As her style, she left a message on it.  It depicts of a hint that I shall read to you now..."


"Upon the moment of nightfall, I'll come for the rose.
Try as you must, you won't see this teumessian coming.
But to give you a chance, with this message I foreclose.
A hint, the location, from where I'll oppose."


I immediately caught the hint that was in the letter.  Every line rhymed with the word 'rose', all except for that second line.  What could it mean?  Could it be informing us that we need a word that rhymes with 'rose'?  Will the word be the clue?  Nose?  Froze?  Grows?  I can only suppose, but there's so many questions from just one hint that needs to be answered.

I turn to my assistant, who's staring at the card intensely, "Truffles, what are your thoughts on this 'hint'?"

"...hm?  Oh, the hint, can't say for sure," she informs bluntly after the pause, "perhaps Nilafia will be coming from someplace dark or a place where creatures are incapable to look at."

Beaumont placed the card back under his cloak, "I have no idea what she's implying, but the rose she speaks of is that one right there, as you can plainly see.  Defend that rose with your life."

"And what 'bout our pay?" one of the other monsters said.

"We'll talk about that after you stop her and after estimating the collateral damage that's been done in the process."

All the hunters make faces that tells that they're not good at restraining themselves.

Beaumont looks out the window again, "I need to make preparations for Nilafia's arrival before sunset, and I implore all of you to do the same.  You're free to proceed in your own way if it'll make a difference in stopping her, but remember, Nilafia is uncatchable.  The very second she grips onto that rose, it's over.  We have no way of taking it back from her if we can't even restrain her.  Be ready before the end of today's sunset."

All of us watch as Beaumont makes his exit out of the room.  The bounty hunters look at each other, "Outside?"

"Yeah, outside."

"I suggest we build the traps near the windows back there."

They leave us, making me and Truffles the only ones left in the room with the rose to watch over.  Those guys are right, it's time to take action and set our own traps, "So how are we going about this, Truffles?"

She doesn't respond, but judging by the furrowed eyebrows, I can tell that she's in deep thought.

"I see that you're struggling." I fold my forelegs, maybe with a cocky smile, "Good thing I'm here to help."

"..."

I sit on her cap, "Now the way I see it is that all we need to do is to make sure that rose won't go anywhere, so here's the plan, we'll get some glue and-"

"Stick to Beaumont."

"Exactly... wait, what?"

I nearly roll off Truffles as she gallops after Beaumont, "If Beaumont wants us to prevent Nilafia's heist from succeeding, we need two things: we need to figure out how Nilafia will strike, and we need to know where he's keeping the rose."

"Where he's keeping the rose?" I can never understand the way she thinks, "But... but it's back..."

"That rose back there is a fake." Truffles slows down as she enters the foyer, looking at all the alternative paths Beaumont could've taken, "Which way did he go?"

"Hold on a second, a fake!?  How can that rose back there be fake?"

She looks at me with that smug look of hers.

I don't make smug looks.  I hardly make any expression.

But you do act smugly.  Acting like you know everything there is to know.

...

Exactly.  So...

Truffles takes in that deep breath of air that she always does before explaining things and telling why the jewel is fake...

...well, go on.  What did I say?

...I don't remember what it was.

*sigh* I'll take over this story for now.

"When one wishes to protect something, they often try to hide it by bringing as little attention to it as possible.  That rose is anything but as it's just out there in the open, intended to be surrounded by headhunters, under glass that can be seen through, and at the center of a ballroom with six dozen giant windows that give a perfect view of the outside world near ground level.  It's just bellowing the rose's presence, and it'll get even louder at night time when the outside becomes dark and the room inside illuminates when the lights turn on.  It's poor foresight on Beaumont's part and it could possibly be understandable with the anxiety he's feeling right now, but that doesn't line up with the fact that he just left the very object he's trying to keep in the protection of a group of individuals that he never background checked, and while that last portion of that comment may come across as a speculation, he never bothered to backcheck us is what's pushing that speculation into being accurate.  Any of the hired hooves could steal that rose right now before Nilafia appears tonight to do it herself, though I suppose it won't matter if any of them steal it or not because this is a decoy Nilafia won't fall into if her experience as an infamous thief is of anything to take into account for.  This entire ploy of misdirecting will only be considered by Nilafia as a primitive form of her mastery in illusional trickery, so unless we take matters into our own hooves, Nilafia will be making off with the rose tonight and we'll be one day closer to poverty."

Despite explaining my logical reasoning to her, Tricklebrook had a vacant look on her face that says she's incapable of registering all of that information.  She eventually shakes her head and returns to her senses, "...are you sure?"

"I'm certain of it.  Beaumont only wanted us to act as the final line for a fake rose, but that's something Nilafia won't fall for, so we need to find and protect the real rose before tonight comes."

Despite the confidence in my voice, Brook turns an uncertain look to one of the castle's maids, a very fuzzy looking one, "...I'm going to ask her if it really is."

"My winded speech wasn't enough for you?  I doubt she'd even confirm it, given the fact of who she works for."

Tricklebrook flies up to the fuzzy maid, "Excuse me," the maid perks up her long ears, pushing the ruffled headpiece she wears in the process.  She bounces in place to turn with a mop in her forehooves, twitching her nose as she focuses on Brook, "that rose that's in the ballroom, is it fake?"

"Yes," she answers without pause.

"Icarus!" our attention swerves to a smaller maid snapping at the one Brook spoke with.  We receive a glare from her before she pulls her coworker to the side, speaking at a lower tone to keep the conversation private, or at least she was attempting to do, "We're not suppose to tell anyone that!"

"But they're our guests, Crystal.  We should be hospitable."

"That doesn't mean we should tell them the truth."

"But they seem nice enough to trust."

"Nilafia could be one of them in disguise!"

"Then who's the other one?"

"I... WE'RE SUPPOSE TO KEEP THE ROSE A SECRET!!"

The Feolera are a jack of all trades, ironic as they're monster ponies with traits that associate to rabbits.  Often found doing simple work such as gardening and scavenging, their appearance is that of your standard earth pony with long ears and a short tail, but that's about what they all have in common with each other as there's a plethora of variations you can find amongst them.  Floppy ears, red eyes, some are even known to have a lion's mane around their neck.  These two examples were mirror opposites in appearance, yet acted like they were sisters.

The big one, Icarus, was about my size, it's kinda hard to tell since she has a body that's covered in poofy fluff, like a black and white, giant furball.  I could partially make out her hooves, but it was her head that could be visibly seen, smiling gleefully through the scolding she's getting from the feolera a head lower than my own, Crystal.  You could tell the proportions of her body on this one without any matted fur, even her cutie mark was visible on her silver fur.  The mark was a chrysanthemum, a flower that perfectly captures her bossy, yet concerned character.

I wonder what Icarus' cutie mark may be.

With all that fluff and her gentle nature?  A pillow.

I rest on a leg and lay a hoof on my chin as these two continue to banter about us, judging whether to trust or doubt our nature for being here.

Tricklebrook flies beside me, "Okay, you were right.  So we just have to find the real rose's location and figure out Nilafia's hint, correct?"

"Uh-huh," I whisper to her, "and I think our big furry friend over there can help with the first portion of that list."

"What makes you think that?"

"The castle's servants are aware of the decoy Beaumont is planning on Nilafia and are keeping it under the rug from everyone else involved, likely under Beaumont's orders, but Icarus appears to be loose-lipped.  She might just tell us everything we want to know, however..." I glare at Crystal, berating her co-worker as I study them, "we need to distance her from Icarus if we want to ask the questions we want without Crystal interfering.  So here's what I'm thinking, you distract Crystal and guide her away to allow me to ask Icarus my needed questions."

Tricklebrook hovers back from me with a bothered look, thinking about what she should do.

"Just buzz about her, maybe steal the feather duster, anything to get her to follow you."

She looks at the two feoleras arguing with a raising brow, then gives a considering look at me, "...I'll question Icarus."

Her decision takes me by surprise.

Tricklebrook flies to them before I can interject, "Excuse me again," they turn to her as she flutters before Icarus, "could you possibly get me something to eat?"

"Sure," Icarus answers with a smile, "I'll get you something from the kitchen.  Come on." she gestures to Brook.

"What?  Bu- wa-" Crystal staggers with her words as Icarus trots off with a bit of a bounce in her rear, completely forgetting of the argument they were having together.

Crystal and I struggle to voice our opinion in this swift moment, but we surrender as Icarus and Brook pass us and around the corner, groaning out our frustration together, "Pest."

"Nuisance."

Crystal shares a glance with me, undoubtedly sharing the same thought I'm having of having to be stuck with each other.

"Hmph!" she expresses at me, walking back to the furniture and continues to wipe it down with a rag.  Dumping the cloth in a bucket of soapy water, squishing it in her forehooves and attends to her work.

It would be a good time to try and shake some info out of her, even if she's not the one I wanted, "So... the rose back there was a fake."

"It might be, it might be not," Crystal tries to persuade me with doubts.

"It's detailed quite nicely.  ...I'm guessing it's glass."

Crystal scrubs harder on a spot, ignoring to acknowledge my assumption's authenticity.

"...plastic?"

"It might be, it might be not,"

I'll take that as a yes, but this won't get me anywhere fast if I need to guess my answers out of her.  I just need something, anything to break the ice off her cold shoulder, "...so, the castle looks nice.  Very welcoming.  What can you tell me about the place?"

"Nothing."

"...how enlightening.  It's no rumor that Beaumont is very protective of that rose, but info as to why is not known to the public.  What makes the rose so important to him?"

"He owns it."

"...I'd never guess.  Well how about telling me how you came into contact with the calling card?  Surely if I was Nilafia in disguise, I wouldn't gain anything useful from something I should already know."

Crystal stays silent, slowing down her wiping as she thinks over my words carefully, "...I suppose it wouldn't, but what's there to talk about?  The card was detected by our nightwatchers and was quickly found pressed up against a tree at the edge of the castle's perimeter.  The master was informed and preparations are being made since."

"They 'detected' a card?  What was it doing?  Shuffling?"

"It was detected by its scent, the card was reeking in Nilafia's aroma from what I've heard," Crystal humphs, "It was smart of her to leave the card there instead of getting closer, I'll give her that, but alerting us that she'll be coming tonight was the worst choice she could've made."

"Well yeah, giving your target time to prepare is a pretty reckless thing to do from her position.  It makes me wonder what she's hoping to gain by doing so."

"I'll tell you what she is going to gain.  The brain and brawn of the castle's defense, our gargoyles."

Despite their features and how they're comparable to a bat or a reptile or even a demon, Gargoyles have closer ties to canines.  With sharp tracking senses and a sturdy frame, gargoyles are loyal creatures with a strong sense of servitude that's only matched by how protective they are with their territory.  They're natural born bodyguards and house sitters, but they're also known to reside in high places such as hills and mountains when they don't have a place to protect.  There are various breeds of them, all with their own unique qualities that strengthens them as well as weakens, so they tend to form packs to support the other's setback.

Crystal makes a smile as she enjoys her bragging, "Karael has already taken all of the info from the board in town and is studying up on Nilafia's methods, and Sandalphon will be fully refreshed at sunset to hunt Nilafia down, all night if need be," Crystal make a cocky smirk at me, "Does that intimidate you, Nalifia!?"

I hold my composure, hoping my unimpressed look would get her to see the error in her assumption, but after a pause with no shifts from either of us, "...if Nilafia's calling card was found by her scent on it, located far at the edge of the forest by nightwatchers, then I assume it was your gargoyles that found it.  If that's true, and if I were Nilafia, shouldn't a gargoyle be here right now to stop me because of my similar scent?"

Her ego begins to deflate, "...well ...it could be ...maybe," a groan vibrates out of her, "...shut up," she grumbles as she returns to rubbing down the decorative shield.

I also express my own groan, seeing as my valid argument hasn't thawed her opinion on me, but it doesn't really matter now, given what she just said will be my next direction.  For now, I should just bide my time until Tricklebrook returns, "Alright, I can see that I'm not going to be getting anything out of you that involves tonight's event," I swear I see a triumphant smile reflecting off the shield she cleans, "so why don't we have a casual conversation about our lives.  I'm sure you've got plenty of stories involving your days with Icarus."

"They're all pretty much similar.  We either fight over something, or she hides behind me and I have to take hold of the situation." Crystal looks back at me, "You can relate, right?"

"No, I'm afraid I can't."

"Oh, come on.  A small fairy accompanying you, a standard-sized Tubequine mushroom mare, in this big world of ours.  Unlike Icarus, that fairy has a perfect reason to turn to you for security."

"Tricklebrook only began to follow me a few days ago.  Her intention for doing so has been to get me to fall for her pranks; it has been ever since we first met," I give my hind legs a rest, sitting to think about my experience, "I'm more of a practice dummy to her than some kind of protective sister.  Just the other day, she was trying to make me sit on some sweetgum nuts."

"I've heard personal experiences that've dealt with similar pranks.  Just be grateful that she didn't substitute the nuts with pudding."

"Yeah, they're pretty foalish compared to many other tricks she could pull instead, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm constantly being targeted by her."

"So you're ridiculed by her pranks on a daily basis?"

"You kidding?  I'm the one individual she has never fooled, but she's determined to change that and has been following me more closely now.  I keep my guard up whenever I'm around her, and now I have to stay on guard all the time with her following me everywhere."

"Then why don't you just fall for one of her tricks?  She'd probably stop following you after doing so."

"Because I find the idea of her never receiving that satisfaction enjoyable."

I KNEW IT!!!

It was never a secret.

"Well, ever thought about pranking her for a change?  Giving back a taste of her own medicine."

"Eh, I don't find pranks to be very humorous.  The work needed for them isn't even worth its cheap laugh as they require you to construct some one time imitation, often resulting in making a mess in the end that'll have to be cleaned up afterwards."

"You could always try a more psychological approach of pranking."

"What do you mean?"

"Confuse her, throw off her expectations, get her to second guess things.  It doesn't take much, sometimes you don't even need anything but words."

"You've used this method on Icarus before, haven't you?"

"It's not well known, but Feoleras love bananas.  Once at a party that Icarus and I were serving in, we were walking and passing out banana juice.  Once is never enough if you find the experience enjoyable, yet I wanted Icarus to focus on her job and not on drinking the very thing that was meant for the guests, so I gave her a cup of olive juice and said that it was banana juice.  After one cringing sip, she was pleased to pass off the real banana juice through the entire party." 

"So playing to her wishes with false information got her to do what you wanted."

"A tad dirty, but somebody has to look out for that dense ball of fuzz."

The conversation prattled on with meaningless information for the case, if I should even call it that.  I never had to prevent a crime before.  A detective's line of work mostly revolves around the past, piecing together events to see a bigger picture that's telling you a story while watching it in the present.  Perhaps that's why noir music sounds so melancholy or that the hero is found in a bar to reflect over themselves, they're too entangled in the past to envision what the future will be bringing them.  Just how was Nilafia going to do it?  I can see a few steps ahead, but nothing too elaborate beyond what Brook could ever create.

*teeth grind* I'll take over the story now.





Meanwhile, I was sitting on a comfy napkin in the castle's kitchen, taking bites out of a cherry while me and Icarus waited for the tea kettle to whistle.  Icarus looked like a fluffy loaf of bread as she rested, however, I hadn't forgotten that I needed to get Icarus to talk.  We needed answers for the case, so I made sure to ask her all the important questions.

"Is the tea ready?"

"No, not yet."

"...how about now?"

"Nope, and it won't be for some time."

"Hm..." I take another bite into the cherry, "...will it be done before Nilafia gets here?"

"Yes it will."

"Hm..." I bite off another piece.

Such riveting storytelling.

I'm getting there.
 
"What's it like living in a castle?"

"It's alright.  Kinda loses its appeal after working here for a few years."

I rub my face in the napkin to wipe the cherry juice off me, "I think I would get tired washing the floor all the time too."

"We do more than just wipe down the place.  We gather wheat to make bread, tend to gardens for the vegetables, wash and change bed sheets for sounder sleeping.  Today, Lord Beaumont thought it would be a good idea to make this place look spotless what with all the visitors today whether they be assisting or breaking an entering."

"Why doesn't he call the sheriff or something?"

"Because he wouldn't have control over the situation.  If he got in contact with any official that a notorious thief is planning to steal something tonight, the castle would be overrunned by creatures that would be following orders of an inspector.  He can be pretty selfish at times."

"So do you think Nilafia is going to steal the rose like she said she will?"

The tea kettle starts whistling and gets Icarus to stand up, "Maybe.  I don't really know her, so I can't say for sure." she pours the tea into our cups, "No one has ever gotten by our gargoyles that weren't invited before, but if she manages it somehow, then she must be something else." Icarus takes a sip from her tea cup.

I take a sip from my measuring cup.  I believe it is time, finally time to ask her the most important question to me.

To you?

To me, "So where's Beaumont?"

I stare Icarus in the eyes as she says to me, "I don't know."

It goes quite between us, briefing for a moment as Icarus takes a sip of her tea, "...are ...are you sure?" 

Icarus scratches her cheek as thinks it over, "Yes.  When Beaumont got Nilafia's card this morning, he devised a plan and ordered everyone to follow his instructions.  I remember him distinctively saying that he'll be going to stay in a hidden room after explaining everything to the volunteers who'll be watching the fake rose."

I lean myself forward, "Where's the room?"

"I don't know, I've never cleaned a hidden room before."

"Does anyone know where the room is?"

"No.  The entire staff never heard of this place either, but that's just like Beaumont.  He's really clever, but he's also very precautious to the point that he doesn't trust anyone but himself for moments like these."

"..." I plop my rear upon sitting back, "...and while Beaumont is in the secret location, he also has the real rose there, right?"

"That's right.  He has a strong attachment to that rose and treasures it almost as if it was his life "

I hang my head over my measuring cup, noticing the disappointed fairy staring back, "...can't you tell me anything that might be helpful?"

"Um... oh!  I guess you could ask Sandalphon for help.  He could find Lord Beaumont lickety-split from just sniffing out his scent, but he's incapable of doing anything until nightfall."

I shake my head at the suggestion.  That information is useless if we're trying to find the rose before sundown.

"...we should be heading back," Icarus reminds me as she pats herself down.

"...kay." I answer, failing to hide my low spirit.  As Icarus walks by, I startle her by flying upon her head and just lay on my stomach.

My actions aren't missed by my ride, "What's wrong?" Icarus asks, sounding almost motherly in her tone.

I sigh, "I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, alri-"

"It's in my nature to pull pranks, I've been doing it for a long time now on everyone, even on Truffles.  It eventually got me into trouble one day for something I didn't do, but she was the only one who sided with me.  I kinda forced myself into her everyday life after that, yet she doesn't try to shoo me away or push me out of her place, but she doesn't seem too happy that I'm always around her, so I wanna try to do something that'll get her to like me."

"I see... so how are you going about doing that?"

"Through helping her in these detective thingies that she does.  Those pranks I pulled on her, she’s seen through all of them with her attention to detail.  It was for giggles to get her to fall for one of them, but now, it's to keep her mind sharp... while also hoping that she'll fall for one of them at some point.  I think she's finding them annoying however, so I'm attempting to help her on one of these cases.  And I mean really helpful, not someone to play as decoy or a standby assistant."

"And that's why you wanted me to say something helpful?  For tonight's event?"

"Hmm-hm.  I suggested to take this job of stopping Nilafia, so it's my job to provide the most work in this case.  It'll surely benefit Truffles' detective stuff... but... it's already looking bad for us if no one knows where Beaumont is hiding.  ...I forced myself into her life, her decisions, her work, and it's starting to look like I'm leading her towards failure."

Icarus keeps me waiting for a response from her, but she comes through with something, "I'm sure that you picked up on it, but Crystal is pretty bossy.  Between me and her, she's the one that makes the final decision on everything."

I nod, showing that I'm listening to her.

"We were searching for a job one day and considered many choices.  This job, us acting as maids... she rejected it."

"Then how did she become one?"

"Well, I knew that this would be something that we'd be good at, so I kept pushing the suggestion on her.  I kept saying, 'You'll like being a maid,' and, 'You'd be perfect at the job,' until she finally accepted it.  It was bad at first, she kept struggling and failing, it seemed like I made her life worse after I coaxed her to do something she didn't want in the first place.  But now, she's very committed to the job.  I even hear her humming from time to time as we work."

"So you're saying..."

"Sometimes we might need a friend to push us in the direction they know we can do.  It might be rough at times, it might not even seem like it'll succeed, but I think it'll work out if you stick with them and strive in what you firmly believe is possible."

It was good advice to take, judging by Icarus' gentle smile.  I kept it in mind when we made it back to Truffles.  I recall her waving the scent on my breath away as I whispered to her everything that happened, even the dead end we met on finding the rose or Beaumont.  However, she did react to the name 'Sandalphon.'  I was left in the dark again on what was going through her mind, typical."

So you were trying to be supportive back then?  ...gosh, now I feel pretty bad for what I'm doing.

What are you talking about?

I'm... um... I-I'm going to take back the story for now.





With the location of the real rose still unknown to us, we had to take a daring risk and attempt to figure out Nilafia's method of approach, and that would mean that we needed to decipher Nilafia's hint in her calling card.


"Upon the moment of nightfall, I'll come for the rose.
Try as you must, you won't see this teumessian coming.
But to give you a chance, with this message I foreclose.
A hint, the location, from where I'll oppose."


I couldn't fathom what the message was hinting at no matter how long I jumbled the thought in my cap, but I knew that the best way to obtain an answer would be by heading for the castle's balcony to get in touch with the castle's security, gargoyles.

I still recall the chilly breeze that hit us as I opened the door to the balcony, foreboding us with thoughts that this trial will meet a cold end.

Walking onto the balcony, I instinctively head towards the rails and lean over them to take in what the viewpoint has to offer.  A decent overview of this property's layout can be seen from up here.  The castle is centered in a forest clearing, giving itself a big open yard from no matter which side you look from.  There's no shrubs or trees to hide behind, no statues or fountains.  There's a stream that leads to a small pond on the east side, but it's too shallow to hide anyone.  This location is sandwiched between two towers, but they're about a floor or two high at this level, and an issue for winged creatures who hang on rooftops shouldn't have trouble with.  A clear sky is approaching tonight, judging by the sun's remaining time.  We have less than an hour to figure out Nilafia's hint.

"It's almost time."

Tricklebrook and I turn towards the voice that's commenting the obvious.  A biped, wearing a leather one piece under a two-piece attire of tattered cloth, covering from being too revealing for this female gargoyle.

Her tail hangs over the railing while she sits against its corner, folding her slim bat wings found on her back in a way where she isn't sitting on them.  She slides her arch feet on the ground, brushing her legs on the trident she's gripping in her claws while she gives us a bored expression, slightly irritated from the furrowed eyebrows under a pair of horns that glide over her head.

"Nilafia will be here within the hour," she spoke in a low, rough voice, "so the two of you better head back if you want to catch her."

I act with caution, choosing my words carefully before interacting with this skilled tracker, "...I assume that you're Kareal.  Crystal mentioned you, saying that you were analyzing Nilafia's methods to get the better of her."

"Aye, and what of it?"

"We were hoping to work with you and try to figure out how she'll infiltrate the castle and block her path to the rose.  Perhaps even work together to figure out what the clue she mentions in her calling card could be."

She studies us, giving a few sniff in our general direction, "...I am a bit uncertain of those things as well, and given the present state of my partner," she taps a bulky petrified gargoyle, no doubt being Sandalphon, with the back of her claw, "I could use someone who's capable of speaking back."

While Sandalphon and Kareal are both gargoyles, they're not the same species of gargoyle.  Sandalphon is a Lapidin, a powerful variant of a gargoyle that's capable of clawing through solid stone with their frightening strength.  They have heightened senses that can pick up practically everything within their sworn territory, even when they're forced into their most vulnerable state, that being when they turn into a petrified statue during daytime.

Kareal, however, is a Lapumit.  Their strength is that they're resilient from the sun's effects and can move freely during the day and night, but their strength and sensory abilities are duller when compared to a Lapidin's.  They often act like daytime guards and rely on weapons such as lances and javelins to make up for their difference in strength.  They're skilled and dedicated like any other gargoyle, but their talent for adapting is what makes Lapumits unique from Lapidins.

"So how do you assume we go about this?"

"How about informing us what you learned in those articles you took from the board back in town.  Who is Nilafia?  What is she like?"

"Have a look," she gestures to a stone wall that's been impaled by a dagger, pinning the articles I mentioned mere moments ago.  I trot over and try pulling out the weapon, but I'm unable to even jiggle it, an inconvenient display of what gargoyle's are capable of for sure.  I just review to the best I can the three recent robberies she's committed: the theft of the Cat's Eye, the Tears of Emanon, and the Black Star, "Nilafia is very talented for infiltrating heavily guarded places that would be dangerous and difficult for any creature to attempt, but she's also a bit of a showboatist.  The three locations in those articles described a pyramid with a hundred life-threatening traps, a labyrinth constructed by a creature with three billion years of knowledge, and a tomb guarded by a small army of deathgazers.  Nilafia not only stole the jewels that were being protected there, but she also activated every trap without ever being discovered by any of the watchers."

I feel Brook's tiny hooves slowly sliding on my cap, soon feeling her tumbling down for me to catch her in my hoof, "Glad to see that you understand now.  Speaking of things that weren't understood..." I refocus my attention on the articles, locating the parts that talk about the calling cards Nilafia left during those heists.  Perhaps they can be comparable to the one at hoof... 


"Tis a pity to lose, but do not cry.
For this teumessian, now owns the Cat's Eye."

"Teumessians are those who carry no fears.
So dear lost one, let me wipe away the tears."

"It pains me to say that I now hold the star.
What does the teumessian say now?  Au revoir."


...hmm...

"A thief fated to forever be uncatchable only has to be careful until they acquire the thing they're after," Kareal continues, "after that, they have nothing to worry about in their escape, but Nilafia makes it look like a victory lap, choosing to prove her prowess by besting every trap without ever blowing her cover.  As if those cards weren't already kicking them when they were down.

"Yes," I raise a brow towards the flyers, "...quite troubling."

"And since no one has ever discovered her in the act, her methods and techniques are an enigma.  No doubt it involves illusions, but of what kind?  Did she disguise herself as one of the guards?  A shadow?  A potted plant?  Or was it something more than just disguising herself?"

"I can only imagine what she can do when she uses those skills to flee if she were ever discovered."

"It wouldn't be a surprise if it made her seem untouchable."

" ...let's focus on his castle's defense.  What would you say your blind spots would be?  Would there be any way someone could pass undetected?"

"I can't say there is.  We have a clear night sky tonight with an overhead view of the grounds that lack any coverage to hide in, gargoyles who become petrified like Sandalphon develop a 6th sense that warns them if their sworn home is infiltrated; so breaching through a wall underground isn't possible, and she can't get the drop on us from out of the air without us detecting her scent.  Even if she disguises it with perfume or something similar, it would be a giveaway of her location due to the abnormal fragrance."

"..." I look at the sun, watching as it begins to set.

So to recap... she can't approach the castle, can't surprise them, and she can't even hide within this castle's territory without alarming the gargoyles... SO HOW DOES SHE INTEND TO GET IN???

This is getting ridiculous.  An elaborate decoy surrounded by hunters, a fortified saferoom hidden somewhere inside of a castle undisclosed to anyone, and around the clock guards with a juggernaut that'll be loose at the moment of her attempt.  Everyone here is fully prepared for Nilafia to appear from anywhere, making this castle feel like it's the perfect defense against her, but they're all so disconjointed of each other that it begins to feel like she's still going to be slipping through without anyone noticing somehow.

Tricklebrook catches herself as I drop her and begin to ruffle my mane in a crazy manner, shaking a few mushrooms out for me to realize that I'm actually beginning to emote.  The expressionless Tubequine, displaying an excessive reaction from the result of her emotions.  Everything about this case... I just can't keep this together anymore.

I don't know where she's coming from, I don't know where she's going, and the only thing that's tying them together is in the form of a greeting card.  If only we could figure out what Nilafia is implying in that blasted hint of hers, I might be able to answer one of them, but ironically to the message's off-rhythmed line, I just can't see how she'll be coming no matter how hard we're trying.

...is it much simpler than what we're making it out to be?

"..." I lay the rim of my cap on the wall, finally surrendering along with the sun's daylight.

"Hey, Truffles... come on..." I hear Brook concerning tone, "Nilafia is coming.  We need to act now!"

Almost on cue, the sound of cracking rumble sounds.  Shedding the stone shell, Sandalphon breaks out of his petrified state, spreading the wings on his back with a frightening roar.  Immediately, he lunges towards the roof of a tower.  Smelling the air for a moment, he leaps into a glide with his large bat wings on his back to another location to smell around there.  About half a minute of this behavior, however, he begins to ease himself and lands on the balcony.  Standing upright on his two legs, he appears like a giant as he looks down on all of us.  It doesn't help that he also has arch feet, but that's part of the intimidation, even if it's shriveling from the awkward expression he's making with a scowling face.

"Sandalphon?" Kareal approaches upon seeing his concerned face.

"...this is unsettling," he cloaks himself with his wings, speaking with a voice that could quiver others on various levels, "I'm not picking up Nilafia's scent anywhere out here."

...out here...

It was at that moment when I was struck by a powerful sensation that rushed over my thoughts.  It was as if all the pressure on my mind was scorched into ashes and blown away in a cooling breeze.

"Truffles?" Brooks asks, sounding worried over the vacant look on my face.

I can barely whisper loud enough for her to hear, "...I know where she is."

"You do!" she begins to lighten.

"And she already has the rose in her possession, the real Cupid's Rose."

"Well what are we waiting for?  Let's stop her before she escapes!"

I express my expiration through a sigh, "And I thought we made a breakthrough with you."

"What are yo-"

"Nilafia is a Teumessian, a creature destined to never be caught.  Without ever revealing her presence despite the many traps she's avoided, she displayed that she's a master in the art of illusions, pushing her evasion skills to where she's practically untouchable.  Predators, traps, not even death seems to hold a chance at phasing her.  She's practically a supernatural entity that can do whatever she so chooses, something I don't see anyone here is capable of countering.  She lives up to a phantom thief in every sense of the title, and if we can't do anything to faze her, then we'll never be able to take back the rose that she wishes to keep."

"But..."

"Brook... there's... *sigh* there's just no point in putting up any kind of resistance to an unwinnable fight."

"..." I empty my mind as I rest against the wall.  This argument was over, but as a soft tone close by begins to get louder, I start realizing that I thought too soon.  Brook's wings are starting to flap faster, making a buzzing sound that blends with a growling coming from her.  My attention pulls to her natural glowing body, getting brighter with a scowling face on the verge of erupting.  She springs higher and I feel her slamming on my cap, "NO!" she stomps my head to the word, "No, no, no, nonononono NO!  We can't stop here!  We need to stop Nilafia and get that rose back!!"

"And just how do you plan to make that possible?" I ask with great doubt in her capabilities.

She flies around and rams her entire body at my cap's rim, "By getting you to move your plot!" she declares, but she's not even budging me an inch.

I groan, "You're pestering me."

"Good!  And I'll keep on pestering you until you change your mind and do something!"

"..." now seems like a pretty good time to take Crystal's suggestion out on Brook.  ...wait a moment...

My mind began to race with the idea and gathered up every attempt that's being made, mentally drawing the lines that'll connect them into a single path that'll change everything.

I snap my head, hearing Brook yelping at being thrown off as I look at the gargoyles scanning over the balcony.  I shout out to them, "Do you two know where Beaumont is hiding?!"

Sandalphon turns to me with Kareal following soon after, "I do, what's your business with him?"

"We'll be lucky if we have five minutes left, so If you want to stop Nilafia and keep her from making off with the rose, you need to act fast and do exactly as I tell you."

Sandalphon's eyes began to glow, glaring at me from the sudden demands I'm asking of him, "Where is she?"

...you know, considering on what's about to happen, I believe it would be better if you took over the story now, Brook.

Really?!  You're letting me tell the best part?!?!

Sure.  You were in the center of the action, and I believe your kind of storytelling is best expressed during these moments.

Alright, but you have to do the boringest part that follows afterward.

The 'boringest' part for a mystery story... how foolish of me.





Minutes later, inside a barren hallway somewhere in the castle, something strange was happening.  A portion of the floor was lifting itself with a figure appearing under it, Beaumont.  The floor opens like a door, Beaumont looks if the coast is clear.  He swiftly walks out of a hidden room and gently lays the floor back down, keeping this basement as secret as possible.  He steps up and kicks his cloak as he sweeps around, suddenly receiving a bump from out of nowhere.  Looking down, he saw Truffles as she stepped back from him and looked up.

"Sorry," Truffles spoke, sounding winded.  She gallops around Beaumont, being watched by him as she continues down the hall.

"Lord Beaumont," he turns, seeing Sandalphon before him.  The gargoyle rests on a knee, "Milord, I have come to inform that there has been no signs of Nilafia within the perimeter of the castle."

"Good," Beaumont's rough voice sounded more relieved than it was when we met him, "but keep up your guard.  She's likely to strike soon."

Sandalphon bows his head in respect, "Sire."

Beaumont casually walks around him in a casual manner.

"By the way, did you happen to find a suit to wear to mine and Karael's wedding?

"Huh?" Beaumont glances back, "Oh, yes, yes, I got a decent looking suit just the other day."

Beaumont refocuses his attention down the hall, suddenly feeling a strong grip around his neck, "There was never any wedding planned," Sandalphon informs the impostor, locking them in his claw.

"..."

"Where is the master, Nilafia?"

"...hm," the rough voice of Beaumont's suddenly changed, now sounding more like a feminine chuckle.  The impostor shifts their head as far as they could in Sandalphon's tight hold, revealing just enough for him to see the corner of their smile, "...do make this entertaining for me."

Beaumont bursts into a white puff of smoke, suddenly making Sandalphon's grip collapse into a fist as Nilafia dashes out from the cloud and down the hallway, leaving behind Beaumont's cloak to flop onto the floor.  No longer disguised as Beaumont, she now appears as a blurry yellow ball with a streaking tail.  It's as if she's a shooting comet, using those illusions to mess with the air around her.  She's completely featureless in that fuzzy cloud, everything except for the glaring red eyes, glowing without any pupils to them.

Refusing to let her off without a fight, Sandalphon roars like a lion and chases after Nilafia like one too, flinging and pushing himself as he digs his claws into the floor like if it were snow.  He makes terrifying progress at catching up to her, Nilafia can see that with a quick glance back.

Nilafia enters the foyer and doesn't hesitate to jump on stair railings, leaping against a column, and launches herself high into the center of the room.  Sandalphon enters to witness Nilafia twirling in the air and throwing leaves ahead of her.  Entering the field, the leaves burst into smoke to hide her presence for a moment, only to dissipate to reveal over two dozen Nilafias in the air.

Upon touching the ground, Nilafia and her copies scatter everywhere.  Some to the other halls, some to the second floor, some for the front door, some even maneuver around Sandalphon and head back the way they came.

The crafty display confuses Sandalphon as he's smelling Nilafia's scent everywhere.  He nearly rips out a roar in anger at losing her, but he suddenly recalls the order he was given.  He sniffs the air again, "...cherries..." he makes an amused smile and continues down a path where eight of the nilafias went.  It doesn't take long before he's on their tails again.

The thudding of their pursuer's steps brings attention to the nilafias.  They divide the pack again and again, but the real Nilafia is starting to realize that she's not fooling Sandalphon, baffling her instead.

"She's coming!" a voice shouts ahead.

Nilafia puts the thought on hold to focus her attention to the small feolerain further down the hall, Crystal.  She just shouted down the hall to her left and now stands firm with a mop in her forelegs, blocking the hall that continues down the path Nilafia's on.  With a fierce look on her face, she intends to block Nilafia and force her to turn at the corner towards a hall prepared to ambush her.

There's no change in Nilafia's behavior, and given Crystal's short height, Nilafia leaps over the maid.  She gives a, 'nice try' look at those down the hall she's avoiding, but she's shocked to see that no one was there.  Upon landing, Nilafia discovers through a series of wobbles that she may've been led to an unorthodox trap that one would pull on her, but not foreign to anyone, a wet floor.  Covered in extra soap water.

Nilafia wastes no time after making sense of things and leaps straight up into the air, twirling her form and coiling herself like a wet noodle on a fork.  As her tail leaves the floor, it pulls a dome of a giant soap bubble from her tail's tip.  Nilafia sees her chaser leaping over the maid as she did, so she quickly dove straight down and cushions herself on the bubble she made.  The bubble pops and springs Nilafia down the hall where another bubble is being formed for her to jump from too.

Sandalphon curls his wings with the limited space he has inside and simply glides over the wet floor.  Upon Nilafia turning down another hallway with a dry path on it, he curves his trajectory and bellows a roar that rattles the corridor.

Nilafia ignores what she assumes is a threatening cry intended to paralyze her with fear, but she receives a surprise when deciphering the message from a figure appearing at the end of the hall where the Ballroom's at, Karael.

From inside the room, Karael shuts the double doors leading in and locks from anyone entering through any way possible;  However, this doesn't change Nilafia's course of action as she continues to run towards it.

Sandalphon pursues Nilafia back on the ground again, "It's over, Nilafia.  Your mythos of being uncatchable will be disproven tonight!"

Looking back at the fast approaching Sandalphon, Nilafia gives a look that says, 'Is that so?'  She speeds up to give herself just a few more seconds from being caught and times everything up just right.  With her before the door and Sandalphon pouncing a finishing capture, Nilafia jumps on the door and springs over Sandalphon in a form of a backflip.

Sandalphon rams the door and quickly turns, stunned at the sight of Nilafia falling into the ground, not on or through, but literally into the ground in the appearance of a black shadow and her red eyes.  Sandalphon spins again as the shadow slithers under the door and spooks Kareal on the other side as Nilafia pops up like a fish in water and continues to escape by heading towards the windows.

As she runs across the Ballroom, her eyes shift to the pedestal in the center of the room.  Passing by the empty stand with nothing on display.

Nilafia leaps up to the window and whips her tail to shatter it.  She jumps outside and sees a giant spider's web prepared to catch her, but a twirl of her body produces blue flames around her to burn the trap apart.  She falls towards a pit dug up recently, but she surprisingly jumps once more despite already being in the air.  Two giant flaps swing up from her sides to snatch her like a frightening monstrosity found only in the darkest pits of Hell-

The insect is describing a Venus Flytrap.

-but Nilafia pops into smoke and lets the wind of the trap closing to blow her upwards, soon changing back and bounces off the nightmarish abomination.  She scurries across the perimeter and vanishes into the forest.  She darts and weaves deeper through the trees for a while until she zips behind a random tree and out of the moonlight.

Clear signs that Nilafia was fatigued is made known through her heavy gasping and suddenly bursting her body into a cloud, to change back into her true appearance.  Her crimson eyes, though exhausted, shine in the shadows over the excitement that just happened and gradually glances to the Cupid's Rose now within her possession.  The contort look she makes at it says it all, something about this entire experience felt very off from her regular heists.  It didn't go as smoothly as it has been in the past.  It was more unexpected, surprising, well timed, almost like she's being read.

"BROOK?" "BROOK?"

Nilafia tenses up to the approaching voice.  She hears the galloping getting closer and she begins to hold her breath as it slows down to a pause. 

"Well?"

"I'm sorry, Truffles," I voice my guilt to her, "but she was too fast.  I couldn't keep up with her."

Truffles stomps a hoof to the ground, and joins me at the unfortunate outcome, "Could've really used that reward on her," she mutters to herself.

Nilafia leans around the tree, trying to listen in on us.

"Did you at least manage to make the exchange?" I ask.

"Pft.  Did I manage..." Truffles mocks the question as she pulls something out.  Nilafia takes a peek and notes of the fake rose in Truffle's hooves.

"So this is the real one?" I fly closer for a better look, "Are you sure?  It looks a lot like the fake one."

"Brook, who was the one that tipped off Nilafia's disguise to Sandalphon?"

Nilafia's eyes widened.

"And who was the one that knew how to tell the difference from her copies?  Who was the one that sent word to mop the floors and how to steer her towards taking that path?  Switching the rose she stole with the fake one was a cinch, she didn't even notice the exchange when I 'bumped' into her."

After everything that's happened over the past minutes, after recalling the empty case where the fake flower once resided, and after everything she just heard from the two of us, Nilafia becomes utterly clueless on what to take as truth anymore.  She keeps eyeing between the rose in her grip and over to the one in Truffles' hoof.  It seems too good to be true, but she recognizes Truffles bumping into her in the hall.  She didn't seem like much back then to Nilafia, but if Truffles was truly the cause for her first difficult heist escape, then there might be a chance that...

"Come on," Truffles proposes, "let's return this and get our pay."

Nilafia panics as we walk off to this fading chance, and just like that, a strong gust of wind blows past us.  The rose in Truffles' hoof is swiped by a figure that quickly leaps up to a tree branch, "So I have you to thank for everything that's happened tonight."

Truffles and I look up to the figure of a mare with bright-yellow fur standing there and looks down at us.  Her fluffy tail, same as the color of her fur besides the white tips at the end, weaves like a paintbrush, wrapping itself around the rose she just stole from us, while the other rose, that's being held in her second tail.  Her third tail is holding her on the branch she's perched on.  Her fourth and fifth tail are wrapping around the tree's trunk.  Her sixth, seventh, and eighth tail are waving close to her cutie mark of a blue flame.  And finally, her ninth tail covers her face like a fan, peering her ruby eyes over her fur, twitching her fox ears as she does.

"You certainly know how to show a vixen a good time with that astute foresight of yours," Nalifia spoke to us in a sultry tone, "I can still feel my chest beating from the thrill you gave me.  Ah!♥~ I haven't felt like this in ages." she hugs one of her tails and begins stroking her cheek across it, "It brings me back to the days where the colts tried to capture my heart.  Of course, a Teumessian is impossible to catch.  Those silly boys never stood a chance at ensnaring me."

Truffles and I give an icy glare at the lounging thief up in the tree.

"Oh, don't look upset," she teases, "I still had a wonderful time tonight, and that there is a merit that not many have done." Nilafia pauses to observe our reaction, which hasn't changed for even a moment, "*sigh* experiences are never enough, they're never satisfied until they get something more physical." she glances at the rose she carried with her all this time.  After giving it a kiss, she tosses the rose, "There." 

We act fast.  I fly up and catch the rose, then Truffles catches me still holding on.

"Treasure it fondly, for it's the closest you'll ever get to acquiring the real Cupid's Rose."

I look at what I'm hugging.  I try to hold it in, but the longer I stare at it, the looser my laughter becomes.

"..." Nilafia returns her ninth tail back over her mouth, staring coldly at the two of us, "...she seems awfully giddy over a replica."

Truffles looks up and identifies the shift Nilafia made to her posture, "...you just realized your mistake."

Nilafia doesn't respond to the comment, she only continues to stare down at us from behind a tail.

Truffles take's her signature breath of air and explains.

Your turn.

"A good thief knows that you have to be three things in order to be a successful robber.  You need to be unexpecting, deceitful, and elusive; and you displayed all three of them through a simple calling card.

Each thief has a certain style to them; yours has always been leaving a calling card after you've stolen something, quite unexpecting of you to send it before the crime this time, but it's understandable since the castle is guarded by two of the most formidable breeds of gargoyles to exist, bringing problems the very instant if you were to ever enter the castle's perimeters.  That message was also very deceitful, three of the four lines ended with rhymes, leading one to assume that the clue you were referring to had something to do with that fourth line that was off.  It was a tough nut to crack, scary enough to make Beaumont take every precaution there was, even to the point where only he and the rose were hiding alone somewhere elusive from everyone's eyes.  If only he knew that line was just a red herring, the hint of your location wasn't connected to that line at all, but there was indeed a vital hint found in the proceeding lines that followed it.  'But to give you a chance, with this message I foreclose. A hint, the location, from where I'll oppose,' and after hearing Sandalphon's statement that he couldn't pick up your scent outside, I found the place mentioned in your message, or perhaps I should say, the place mentioned by you personally.  Scented out and picked up by the formidable Sandalphon, handed over to precautious Beaumont who toiled over its riddle, and then carried to the closed off room that held the rose.  Right from the very start, you were disguised as your own calling card."

"..."

"When I discovered this, I was a little too late as night had already fallen.  With Beaumont holding onto you as the card and him guarding the real rose in seclusion as well, it was all over.  You just had to surprise him, possibly knock him out, and snatch the rose.  Your natural ability to never get yourself caught would make you unrestrainable and your illusionary skills that could increase your evasive maneuvers would make you untouchable.  With a tight grip on it, the rose would forever be unreachable to us.

I honestly thought that there was nothing I could do to stop you now, so why put up a fight to catch you when you're uncatchable?  But with a little bit of encouragement, I realized that there was actually something else that could be done to get it back, and that was by playing with your assumptions and making you doubt your success."

"..."

"When I bumped into you, I didn't make a switch with the flowers, I'm not a swift hooved expert thief after all.  However, I did plan what your likely escape route would be and corralled you with help by forming blockades and traps to gently nudge at your thoughts that maybe, just perhaps, this time you underestimated the caliber of your opponent.  Upon passing the ballroom, you'd likely see that the fake rose was absent from the pedestal.  It wouldn't mean much at the time, but when you made it to the forest and took a moment to recover here after a successful robbery that gave you surprises, only to overhear our conversation about switching the roses during our encounter, your confidence was brushed over with doubt.  After all of the unexpecting close calls that you never encountered before in your heists, your emotions began to influence your mind into assuming that you've been outwitted, sending you back into that confused state.  To pressure you even further, we took our leave, forcing you to make a split second decision, which you answered by swiping the fake rose we held.

Now that it seemed like you had finally pulled off the robbery successfully, you lowered your guard and returned to your showboating ways.  And as we approach a full circle to this retrospect of mine, you mark a successful robbery like you always do by leaving a token that reflects yourself.  It was always calling cards before, but after a night that brought you such excitement, you made it special by willingly tossing the rose you stole from Beaumont to us, the real Cupid's Rose that you believed to have been a fake only a few moments ago."

"..." through the entire explanation, Nilafia maintained her poise.  Watching behind a tail, only squinting a leer from her crimson eyes on each accurate assumption.

"The one you're holding is made of plastic, and unlike gemstones, they can't handle a 'heating passion' of over a thousand degrees, so do treasure it like the delicate flower it represents."

The fake flower in Nilafia's tail is engulfed by a blue flame.  The rose starts drooping as the plastic begins to melt from the heat of her fire.  She whips her tail, flinging the melting memento away without so much of a glance at it, "...ara-ara," she coos in a low voice, "not only have you played with my heart, but you've also messed with my mind?  You're living up to the reputation that mushrooms are known for."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"So now that I'm aware of the trick you pulled on me, ask yourself," her six free tails burst into flames at their tips, "'What is she going to do to me?'"

The display of Nilafia's threatening fury is enough for Brook to hide behind my head for protection.  As for me, I keep my calm, usual expression, "I don't need to question it, because I already know the answer.  ...you'll be doing nothing."

Her flames vanish, maintaining just the posture as her final threat.

"Based on your heists, you were searching for something that went beyond just shiny rocks.  Venturing into dangerous locations, intentionally activating every trap, leaving melancholy cards identifying your species that carries a predetermined fate.  It was pretty clear to me that you were seeking, attempting, and asking for a moment like the one we're having now.  To be taken completely off guard, for the one destined to never be caught."

"...hm," Nilafia eases herself, laying a hoof on her temple and attempts to suppress her muffled laughter, "I was hoping to encounter a challenge for once.  Being bested was something I never expected, but to be read down and taken by surprise from someone who understands me on such a personal level like this... well... that was more of a spicy fantasy of mine.  Be careful for what you wish for, I suppose," she refocuses on me, "Pray tell, if you were intending to meet me in the forest, how were you able to find me in such vast acres so hastefully?  It wasn't like you were shouting to gain my attention."

"The quick answer, I just placed a bug on you," I look back at Tricklebrook who's glowing her natural illuminating body brighter than usual in the dark forest, undoubtedly angry on how I identified her, "I may not have swapped the roses in our encounter, but I did pass her on and had her flail me over while you tired to catch your breath."

"...that little bit of encouragement you spoke of, it was her, wasn't it?" Nilafia muses at Brook, "You're very fortunate to have that fairy as your companion.  You'd never challenge yourself to arrive at this moment if it weren't for her."

Tricklebrook is taken back by Nilafia's remark.  She looks back at me and covers her shock with smugness, "See?  The uncatchable Nilafia acknowledges my value." 

"Speaking of," I turn to Nilafia, who still watches in the tree, "before you were chased out of the castle, Sandalphon grabbed a hold of you by the neck as you tried to walk off.  You may have disguised yourself as Beaumont at the time, but he still caught you, a species who carries a fate of never being caught."

Nilafia covers herself with one of her tails again.

"So how do you explain that, Nilafia?"

"...oh you tease." she waves a hoof with a chuckle, "Making a girl come out and say something so embarrassing, even though you already know the answer." a smokescreen suddenly pops around Nilafia and she vanishes along with it just as fast as I bring the rose closer to me, "Overplayed propaganda." looking to my left, I find her standing next to me, "Teumessians play along with the myth of being uncatchable for their own benefits, it works quite poetically with our theme for using illusions.  It also brings out the bold and committed faces for us to judge, Teumessians really go for those kinds of qualities when it comes to a partner.  They'd be perfect material for you and your kits, but you'd be amazed by how many of them would give up when they're placed in a difficult position.  You could try for centuries without any luck, which is likely where the rumor spawned from." I get a mischievous look from her, "Teumessians aren't uncatchable, we just love to play hard to get." I receive a tap on my nose from her hoof, "...you were wrong."  Nilafia pulls back and engulfs herself within her own flames, cloaking herself and vanishes before it fizzles out.

Brook and I search the area for Nilafia.

"As I said, I had a wonderful time tonight." Nilafia speaks to us from no distinct location we can find, "I say that our time spent together is worth losing the rose for, so I'll yield it to the two of you today.  I do hope we meet again, I'll be more on guard when we do.  Farewell."

Tricklebrook and I stayed alert for a few more moments, "...is ...is she still here?"

"Doesn't seem like it."

"Good," Tricklebrook drops all of her tension, "disembodied voices are kinda creepy."

They really are!

Bouncing Cupid's Rose in my foreleg, I find the very sight of it to be quite stimulating.  This artistic work of craftsmanship that I considered to be impossible to retrieve, is now resting in my hoof.

The buzzing sound of wings slowly drifting around my head begins to impose on the accomplishment.  Tricklebrook leans into my sight, posing like she's inspecting something mildly interesting.  Judging by her smile, she might've seen me making a small smile myself.

"Weeeelllllllll?" she asks, "Aren't you going to say something to me?"

I get a déjà vu feeling that this has happened before between us, but the roles have been switched.

"Thank you, Tricklebrook, for never giving up on me," she says in a mocking voice to represent me. "You inspire me and deserve honey cake for it.  Please stick with me and be my guiding light," illuminating herself a little brighter to exaggerate the meaning of the phrase.

Saying something so sentimental like that?  ...I can't say it.  It's too much for me.

I shift my head, but Brook follows to be in my line of sight, "So?"

I clench my eyes shut, "...thanks."

"Foooorrrr?"

"...for being a pest."

She laughs, clearly enjoying how awkward this is for me.  She sits on top of my cap, "Perhaps now you'll be more open to my suggestions?"

"...I'll consider it," and I start heading back to the castle with the rose in hoof.

Mischievous laughter escapes from her; deceptive sounding, but there's some innocence of it being an act, "So... Nilafia is actually catchable."

"It seems that way."

"And we just got the better of her."

"That we did."

"And we're going to get paid, just enough to satisfy us for at least a week or two."

"If I can persuade Beaumont into it during the negotiations for the service."

"Yeah... so we're going to need another job soon."

I can see where she was going with this, "What do you suggest?"

"Well there's a reward for the capture of Nilafia, and since she's actually catchable, how about we-"

"No."

"Come on!  You said you'd be open to my suggestion."

"I said, 'consider'."

"Well re-consider."

"You really want to start this so soon after our success?"

"Yeah, because it's a great idea!"

"Do you even know how to restrain her?"

"You'll figure out a way."

"Oh, I'll figure out a way."

"You can do it if you put your mind to it."

"Then why don't you show me?"

"Because friends help friends bring out the best in them.  SO DO IT!"

"Do it?  You're starting to sound worse than my mother."

"Oh I'm about to BE your mother!"

And that's how our first case together went.

We returned the rose, obviously, and was paid with a fair, gratified amount.  Beaumont's original intentions were to never pay anyone from the very start.  Playing as the decoys with a convincing act, he was expecting us to fail and make Nilafia none the wiser that she stole a fake Cupid's Rose.  However, after being incapacitated and his precious rose stolen for what seemed for good, the quick return of it was all that was needed to open his wallet.  To this day, I still don't know what his attachment is to that rose, but in time, I bet he'll find beauty in something else.

The maids stayed as maids, the gargoyles still guarded, but even though she was doing it out of the thrill, Nilafia didn't return the things she stole.  She slowed down after that night, but she still remains a mystery to the public's eye.  Maybe she's being wary now that she was bested, or maybe she's hoping for that 'rematch' she was implying before she left.  I have heard some of the things she's stolen are resurfacing in a few places.  Whether this is out of her heart or not is unclear.

As for me and Brook-

We're telling stories.  And now, it's all mine to control!

Ah, that's right, you wanted to tell a story of your own.

And as many as I want.

Right, right.  Well, a deals a deal.  Go ahead, Tricklebrook.

Okay, here we go... In the vast, deep forest of Hy-

By the way, you have about around fifty words left.

What?

Yeah, there's this word limit being implemented for fourteen thousand words, we're about to hit that.

There is?  Wait... YOU KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN!!  Right from the start, you planned to give me the remaining words!

Five more words left.  Make them count.

TRUFFLES!!!  YOU'RE A PIECE OF