"Geez. You know, Kat, you could stand to be a little more organized." Tails said.
"Nonsense. I have my own system and know where everything is when I need it." Katrielle said.
"Sure." Jexi said rolling his eyes.
"Miss Layton!" Ernest said running into the office.
"What? Are people finally queuing for my services?" Katrielle asked.
"As wonderful as that would be, no. I won! A pair of tickets to the exclusive prescreening of the new film "A Naval Advance: No Sub For Love." I was thinking we could go together. And not for a work thing." Ernest said. "Its a Maverick D. Rector film. You would love it." Ernest said.
"Well its not really my cup of tea, Ernest." Katrielle said.
"Oh…" Ernest said discouraged.
"Come on, Pinstripes. Keep at her." Sherl whispered.
"Hmm. Oh! I also have a coupon for their new durian flavored popcorn." Ernest said.
"Popcorn you say? I'm in!" Katrielle said.
"That worked?! Really? Sherl said in shock.
"Wonderful. Its being shown tonight at the Saveloy Theatre." Ernest said.
"Okay….we'll go this evening." Katrielle said.
"That's fine for them...but how do we get in?" Continella asked.
"Leave that to me." Odd said.
It was later that evening where the group stood in the lobby dressed in their best.
"Seems things worked out all right." Lacy said.
"Odds connections to cinema landed us seats in the same movie. Lucky." Yang said. "Now we wait for Kat and Ernest."
They waited there for a bit before the two walked in with Katrielle dressed in black and white. "Ah...there you are." Katrielle said. "Glad to see you weren't waiting too long."
"Thanks, so where's Sherl?" Chopper asked.
"No dogs allowed inside so he's waiting outside." Ernest said.
"Wouldnt that count for Chopper too?" Hikoyo asked.
"I'm not a dog!" Chopper said.
"Anyways, anyone feel excited for this movie?" Hope asked.
"I do. I've always wanted to see a Romantic Movie with my Darling Gray." Juvia said.
"Sounds good." Gray said.
"Ah...so you are here as well." a voice said as Emiliana stood behind them.
"Emiliana...so you're here for the movie too?" Hope asked.
"Indeed. Even I need a break from my profiling work." Emiliana said.
"Ah...It all has become clear. You're here for the durian flavored popcorn too!" Katrielle said.
"What? No. I don't even like popcorn." Emiliana said.
"You don't?" Hope asked.
"No." Emiliana said. "Look, if your finished teasing me, the VIP's are here."
"VIP's? But isnt that us?" Odd said holding a ticket.
"Uh...you might wanna a get a closer look." Weiss said.
"Huh?" Odd said before looking. "SVIP's?" he said.
"Which means somewhat very important people." Emiliana said.
"Guess fame is fleeting." Sunset said.
"But...I don't get it. Who is more important than us?" Odd asked before they saw a crowd of people flocking outside.
"Them apparently." Tsuyu said as seven limousines pulled up. Opening up, seven figures walked down the red carpet, one of them being Lowonida, two other women and four men.
"Everyone of them looks very well off. Who are they?" Katrielle asked.
"You have to be better informed. They are known as the Dragons. Specifically, the Seven Dragons of London. They control the economy through riches derived from media, finance, transport. Basically...the seven richest people in all of London." Emiliana said.
"Wow…." Hope gaped.
"Of course, some come from wealthy families. Its only in the last ten years have they become so well known." Emiliana said. "And its not just london, many of the worlds are said to have their eyes trained on these seven multi millionaires. I mean, you already know one of them."
"We do?" Sonata asked.
"Its Lowonida, Sonata." Peko clarified.
"Oh…" Sonata said.
"Why hello there. You are the famous Sonata Dusk right?" said an older looking short man dressed in yellow. "I do say, your last film did wonders."
"Thanks uh…" Sonata said.
"Phineas T. Bartone." he said. "I'm the one who's throwing this little shindig."
"Oh, you a movie guy?" Akane asked.
"He's one of the Dragons. And he owns the theatre." Emiliana whispered.
"Oh." Akane smirked nervously.
"Come to think of it, weren't you and that other girl banned from a number of film lots?" Bartone asked.
"They were." Odd said.
"You know what I see...a couple of top notch fans if I live and breath." Bartone said laughing.
"Huh?" Korra asked. "You think were fans?" she said before Akane elbowed her.
"Shut up and go with it." she whispered.
"I mean… of course we're fans. We have lots of movies we like." Korra corrected.
"Well hope you enjoy." Bartone said as the people started flocking inside.
"This should be extremely interesting." Hope said as they went inside to watch the movie.
After Mr. Rector had given a short speech about the film itself, the movie itself started. A little later into the film, the actor and actress were clinging to each other on a sailing ship in the middle of a storm.
"We're gonna die!" the woman said before the ship suddenly transformed. It was soon they stood on a large submarine as the storm cleared. The two looked at one another and started to kiss. But before their lips locked, the scene cut out leaving many people disappointed.
"What the hell?!" Akane said.
"Nooooo! The kiss! Its been cut off!" Juvia said shaking gray.
"Ack, Juvia! Stop, please!" Gray said.
"What happened? It was almost as if right before the two kissed… the scene was stolen." Hope said.
"What's happened to my film? The big finale! The kiss scene! Someone has stolen it!" Rector said as the people were being sent home.
"Well...guess we're gonna have to find the missing film." Jexi said. "Or at least the scene."
"Im still trying to wrap my head around who would steal the most important scene from a movie." Hope asked.
"It was all perfect. I had spent months getting it all perfect. Without the final kiss scene, the movie as a whole does not fit well together." Rector said.
"Oooh. He's really taking this badly. He must have shot that scene several times before getting it right. Now...wonder if he cut it out himself." Sherl said walking in.
Clue: Perfectionist.
"Sherl?" Hope asked.
"No one else is here. No reason for me to stay out in the cold." Sherl said.
"Either way...I think we should go up to the projector and check things out. Maybe we'll find a clue up there." Odd said.
"Are you sure they'll even let us up there?" Mahiru asked.
"I'm given all of ya permission." Bartone said.
"Does that count as permission?" Odd asked.
They headed up to the projection box as they looked around.
"I'll check the machines." Odd said.
"Hey!" a voice said as the projectionist came in. "Keep your hands off Albertina and Rosiland." he said.
"Albertina and Rosalind? I dont see anyone here besides us and you." Sonata pointed out.
"Nut job alert. This guys named his equipment." Sherl said.
"Yes. It is a nice job. Surrounded by wonderful machines and working hard to make sure each one is performing at its upmost efficiency." he said.
"My. This guy cares more for the machines than the films." Ernest said.
Clue: Machine-freak
"Um, i have a question for you, Mr…?" Hope asked, not knowing the mans name.
"Fraymes. Seymour Fraymes." he said.
"Fraymes. You were up here with the machines, right? Did you witness the last scene of the movie getting cut off?" Hope continued.
"We were in here preparing. Me and the Major." Fraymes said.
"The Major?" Hope asked as a black bird stood on him.
"Wow. I do believe that's a myna bird. A talking bird." Katrielle said.
"A bird that talks? Like thats possible…." Hiyoko scoffed.
"And yet, we can hear Sherl fine…" Fuyuhiko muttered quietly.
"Hello, I'm the Major! Major myna! Major myna!" the bird squawked.
"He really does talk." Katrielle said.
"Myna birds do. Dogs on the other hand…" Sherl said.
Clue: Myna bird
"So do you normally let him out of his cage?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yes. I allow him to fly free in the box a lot, just to keep from being caged up." Fraymes said.
"I see. That's rather interesting." Jexi said.
Clue: Allowed to fly free
"Well I think we've got as much info as we're going to get from here." Carla said. "Odd, surely there's something you know."
"I wish. I know of Rector's films and this was the first and only romance story he's ever done. A lot different from his normal style." Odd said.
"Really? What movies does Rector usually make if not Romance?" Sunset asked.
"Mostly action oriented but those didn't really do well in the box offices. This was a sudden shift for him." Odd said.
"So he used to do action movies but switched to a different genre. Maybe he wanted to make more money with a different style of film." Hope deduced.
"Hmm. Maybe I dunno." Katrielle said.
Clue: Romance story.
"Now Odd, do you also remember if the film was checked or not?" Katrielle asked.
"Yeah. I remember him talking with the editor before the film started. After they argued for a bit, I remember them saying the film has absolutely no issues before and the last scene was present in it." Odd said.
"So why was the final scene missing from the movie then?" Ibuki asked.
"Yes. Before the screening...hmm." Katrielle pondered.
Clue: Film just before screening.
Katrielle then smirked. "Yes, I think I've solved this little mystery." she said. "Gather everyone into the projection room."
"Why?" Jexi asked.
"Because it makes it more exciting." Katrielle said.
Later in the projector box, everyone was gathered.
"Okay Kat, lay it on us. Someone stole the final Scene from A Naval Advance: No Sub For Love. But how and why would anyone steal a movie scene?" Mahiru asked.
"The real result will be more of a surprising. Because the truth is always stranger than fiction. If I had to pick a culprit...it would be...you over there!" Katrielle said pointing to Major myna.
"Ah! Not me! Not me!" the myna said.
"It was the Major! I mean the myna! I mean Major myna. When the film was being loaded into the projectors, you did a major myna poo on the film reel." Katrielle said.
"What?!" Bartone asked in shock.
"Gross!" Ibuki recoiled.
"Ha! And I guess his poo hit the all important kiss scene." Bartone said with a chuckle.
"But that should be wiped off easily." Lacy said.
"Yes, which is where the second guilty party comes in. Seymour Fraymes. The machinery was all recently upgraded. He couldn't bare having it soiled by bird poo, even if wiped off. So to protect his machines, he cut out the infected scene all together." Katrielle said.
"So Fraymes would risk ruining one of Rector's perfect blockbusters just for a couple of bits of new equipment for the theater?" Hiyoko asked.
"It makes sense for him. The guys a total machine-freak. Recall the moment we tried to inspect the machines, he didnt want anyone touching them." Hope recounted. "He was very protective."
"Yes. Though its going to be hard to make it stick with the major denying everything." Katrielle said as the group face faulted.
The next night, the group was soon watching the movie once more before they saw the kiss about to happen. As the kiss happened, a similar couple took place of the actors as they kissed and the movies ended with many of the people applauding.
"Now that is how you end a movie." Yumi commented.
"But where did that scene come from?" Ernest asked.
"Mr. Rector. It was a scene he shot with his lover when he was still a cameraman. Apparently the movie was a nod to his own love affair so the scene blended in seamlessly." Katrielle said.
"It was such a moving scene." Juvia said.
"Now...if only I could feel such an emotional kiss." Katrielle said walking off as Ernest blushed.
"Oi, Pinstripes. What are you thinking about?" Sherl asked.
"Oh, its nothing!" he said as the two bantered as Katrielle giggled a bit.