Chapter 4: The Magnificent Malefactor
Much of the afternoon was spent in trying to find their way to the part of the city that held the Zoo. Fluttershy looked up at the sky, noticing how pegasi were bringing forth thick clouds, soon covering the grayish blue and cooling the surface of the ground. As time passed, venturing generally in a southward direction, they found a brick-walled acreage with an iron gate, in a proud and stoic serif bearing the heading "Fillydelphia City Zoo". A wind billowed a coldish gust, bringing with it some leaves, and the gust made a ghoulish sort of howl as it passed by a forlorn ticket booth. Fluttershy made a slight whimper in reaction, as Rainbow Dash walked up to the large iron gate, which stood closed. Inspecting the latch, it was chained with a large riveted padlock.
"Macintosh, do you think you could buck the lock?"
"'Don't reckon so, Dash. Metal's 'much different from apple trees."
"Fine then." Dash jumped upwards to clear the gate, and suddenly felt her wings go limp, and she plummeted to the ground in front of its black bars. "Ooff!"
Small metal spikes faded from a vague pink glow at the top edge of the fence, going dull and lifeless as they had been before.
"It must have some kind of no-flying spell around it." observed Rarity.
"So that the birds won't escape." surmised Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash gave the old gate a kick in spite, which rattled loudly with a chilling clatter.
"Well how are we supposed to get inside now?" she sounded quite irked.
"Dunno, especially if you can't fly over and unlock it, Dash." said Spike. She gave him a ever-so mischievous look.
"What?"
Spike flew over the gate and landed on his rump with a *thud!*.
"Ow! Big Mac!" he exclaimed in protest at being thrown. Macintosh shrugged, with a look that seemed to suggest that Spike should have had a better idea sooner.
"Now go find a key, Spike!" said Rainbow, trying to sound helpful. Spike looked around and saw crowd fences, more brick walls and festive murals painted all over, that looked like they had been quite badly weathered without maintenance. The wind howled again, and it sent chills down his spine.
"And go through this creepy zoo all alone? There's probably monsters in here for all we know!" he ran back to the gate. "Dash, Rarity, you can't just leave me!"
"You're right." consented Rainbow Dash.
Before any complaint or other ideas were made, Fluttershy found herself tossed over the fence as well, being able to catch herself with her wings. Although she landed gently, her constitution was anything but. She ran back to the gate, her hooves pulling at the bars like it was a prison.
"Eek! Why'd you throw me? I'm scared of creepy zoos!"
"You're good at talking to animals, maybe some of the stuff in the cages can help you guys out." replied Rainbow Dash. She was wearing some sort of smirk that suggested she had confidence in Fluttershy.
"Don't worry Fluttershy, you can do it." encouraged Rarity.
"Giggle at the ghostly!" said Pinkie Pie, bouncing excitedly.
"…Okay…" Fluttershy slowly walked and joined Spike. They walked through some of the pathways, not speaking and simply trying to remain calm and focused, despite the contrary efforts of the haunting wind and long shadows cast by leaf-shedding trees in the fall afternoon. The masonry was painted purple but the light of the afternoon made it appear a more sickly and unappealing shade.
"This doesn't look like a very nice zoo." commented Fluttershy. Spike walked up to one of the cages and saw that it was empty, fog-like shadow preventing anything to be seen beyond a few feet into the enclosure's space.
"It doesn't look like it's just closed, it looks abandoned." said Spike, returning to the pathway. Fluttershy looked into a different enclosure and found an alligator, sitting quietly in a small pond. It didn't look it was particularly enjoying the enclosure, nor displeased with it. More than anything the reptile seemed somewhat mellowed in an unfortunate kind of way. Fluttershy sympathized with it but she wasn't sure why. Spike jumped up and onto the fence enclosure to see what Fluttershy was looking at, then saw the gator.
"'Looks like a big version of Gummy."
"He isn't very happy." elaborated Fluttershy.
They continued down the path for a longer while yet, seeing more enclosures that were mostly empty and further reinforcement that the zoo looked like it had been neglected for some great amount of time, until they came to a central-looking building. Although there was a smiling face pained on the door, it did nothing to console the depressed sort of vibe from almost every corner of the zoo. Fluttershy felt oddly drawn to the building, as if it were much like her home cottage, except in a state of neglect. Spike ran ahead of Fluttershy and knocked on the door.
"I wonder if anyone's home." said Fluttershy. A deep and slow voice came from within.
"Hello? Is someone there?" Spike stood back from the door, and Fluttershy walked up beside him. The door opened slowly and there before them in orangish light from the office inside, was standing a reindeer, with a discouraged but questioning look on his face.
"Oh, visitors. Can I help you?" his voice had an odd clarity to some of the harsher sounds in the words, but still rung an honest simplicity.
"Do you run the Zoo?" asked Spike, immediately to the point.
"Yes I do." replied the reindeer. He seemed to ignore the opportunity to be offended at the frankness, for the sake of having contact for the first time in a while. "However things have taken a turn for the worse of late." he said sullenly.
"Oh? What's wrong?" Fluttershy asked, concerned.
"As you can see," he gestured to the ghastly failing zoo. "My business has lulled in popularity."
"Do you think you might be able to let our friends in?" said Spike, cutting him short.
"Let your friends in? Can't they come in by themselves? -Oh dear, I think I may have forgotten to open the front gate again." The reindeer walked at a brisk pace through the winding pathway back to the front entrance, Fluttershy and Spike attentively following.
Rainbow Dash and Rarity were sitting on one side, on the other Big Macintosh was standing and watching Pinkie Pie run in a small circle, apparently chasing a leaf. Pinkie Pie was the first to notice their approach, which made Macintosh take notice. The reindeer procured a key, unlocked the padlock and swung the gate wide. Dash and Rarity looked up at the creaking of the swinging fence, and there their eyes saw the reindeer figure. He was ivory-brown and seemed somewhat old, rendered older by the poor local lighting. Fluttershy and Spike walked out on either side of the aged figure.
"Who's this?" asked Rainbow Dash. Spike was about to open his mouth but the reindeer spoke over him.
"My name is Yukon." he said neutrally. His face didn't seem particularly enjoyed. Pinkie was hopping around until she started to examine Yukon closer at the mention of his name, as if there was something wrong with how he said it.
"I'm sorry about the gate. These days I've started to forget all sorts of things… But it's just as well." he motioned to the lacklustre appearance of the entrance and the facility. "Nopony wants to visit the zoo these days. I think it's because the animals aren't as happy as they used to be." Fluttershy nodded in assent of the notion. He continued, the voice unwavering in a slightly mournful repose. "Because I still have to pay the bills, some of the animals and exhibits I've had to sell to other zoos."
"Laugh." commanded Pinkie Pie, in a rather laughably serious tone. The others looked at her in an odd fashion, regarding how she had interrupted Yukon in such an oblique way. His look went to hers in an equally odd fashion.
"Pardon me?" he said, sounding equally confused and nervous.
"Laugh." repeated Pinkie Pie, sounding silly-serious again. The looks of the others returned to Yukon to see his reaction. He seemed like he was thinking very hard and trying to say something, but then resigned himself and gave up, admitting aloud,
"I've forgotten how."
Pinkie Pie and Rarity gasped. Spike, Fluttershy and Macintosh not knowing what to think simply looked on, perplexed.
"You've forgotten how to laugh? How horrible!" said Rarity. Yukon slowly nodded but his tone was unchanged.
"I don't remember what used to make me laugh, and I fear that my poor mood rubs off on the animals. If that is so, it might be why no one really wants to come to the Zoo."
"That makes sense, lots of communicating with animals is how you act around them." corroborated Fluttershy.
"I'm sorry Yukon, but we've got problems of our own, and we were wondering if you knew anything about "MBE"." interjected the multicoloured pegasus. "A guy from the Brisky Barrel said you might know something."
"Rainbow Dash! Have a heart, this poor soul needs help." ordered Rarity in surprised protest to Dash's argument.
"Problems with MBE?" said Yukon, his interest picking up. "What do you want to know?"
"They took our friends." replied Macintosh. Yukon stood quietly thinking, and the aura of his ponderence cast a silence upon the others, although Pinkie Pie seemed far more concentrated on thinking about something entirely different. The others were patiently waiting for Yukon's response.
"I don't know anyone in MBE who would do that below my rank… but I think I might have an idea of who would above." Some shroud of shrewdness snuck into his expression, in a chiding hope and fear regarding his sadness. "But first I would be so grateful if you could help me laugh again."
"NO PROBLEM!"
Pinkie Pie seemed to pop at the opportunity. Before anyone could consent to Yukon's suggested terms, Pinkie jumped and pushed all of them into a tighter circle involving Yukon.
"Jokes!" she declared their first attempt to be.
"I don't think jokes will help." he glowered.
"Aw, c'mon Yukon! Everypony loves a good joke." suggested Rainbow Dash. "A pegasus, a unicorn and an earth pony all walk into a bar,"
She paused, and Rarity looked at her, intrigued.
"And?"
"And you'd think they would've been more careful!" Dash chuckled. Spike laughed and Big Macintosh smiled with a quiet chortle.
"I haven't got any jokes and I ran out of ideas. Whelp!" excited Pinkie Pie. Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash gazed at her in amazement. Dash burst out laughing.
"BHA HA ha ha ha! Pinkie Pie, you're such a kidder. Pinkie Pie, out of jokes!" she rolled on the ground almost teary-eyed at the perceived jest. Rarity and Fluttershy were smiling as they shared in Rainbow's hilarity, until they saw Pinkie Pie. The humour seemed misplaced and their smiles faded; Pinkie Pie stood with her expression (in its laughably odd configuration) unchanged. Rainbow's chuckling ceased.
"Pinkie Pie, are you really out of jokes? Nothing about laughter at all?" she said, puzzled and starting to become worried at the sudden twist of the partious pony.
"Yup!" she said, sounding quite unusual, yet somehow retaining her happiness.
"Oh…" said Yukon morosely. "I thought that you might be able to help."
"Oh dear, poor Yukon." said Fluttershy despondently.
There was an awkward silence, mostly cast by the bizarre sayings of Pinkie Pie, who sat patiently waiting and looking at Yukon, her smile creeping back into its giggly form.
"All you do is laugh, Pinkie!" protested Rainbow Dash. "What do we do now?"
Some kind of odd guttural hiccup sound came from Yukon.
"What did you just say?" he said, surprised at himself. The group looked at him curiously. "All you do is laugh, Pinkie? What'll do we do now?"
Rarity slowly nodded, her expression puzzled at Yukon's unusual consideration evoked in his voice. Yukon repeated the words, putting emphasis on the words' placement individually, his eyebrows furrowed in a deeply considerate and bizarre position.
"Oh dear, poor Yu-kon.
All you do is laugh, Pin-kie.
What do we do now."
He said it again, tapping his hoof with each syllable.
"Yukon?" asked Dash.
"The five-seven five!" he said emphatically, with a strange hitherto unheard emotion of joy. "You said a haiku, indeed! Wonderful ponies!"
"Hoo?" Spike's eyebrow peaked at the oddness of the reindeer all of a sudden.
"Hi-who what?" questioned Rainbow Dash.
"Haiku, a kind of poem!
Using special different things
To make contrast; beauty!" he replied.
"You said, I recalled;" Yukon gestured to Fluttershy,
"Wordplay, my joy, my heart!" and then Rainbow Dash.
"What I have missed!"
"I said a Haiku? I didn't mean to…" replied Fluttershy. Yukon exhaled abruptly, his smile growing all the grander. He did it again, with a slight wheeze and squeal of happiness. Again he wheezed, and then burst forth in raucous laughter. Pinkie Pie joined in, and so did Rainbow Dash, being the sort of laugh that one suddenly finds themselves laughing at how hard they're laughing. Rarity began laughing at the absurdity herself.
"No intent at all?
My gladness a mistake they say,
Declare all the mirth!
Magnificent all
You fine ponies helped me,
And by accident!" he heartily bellowed all the more with a tremendous rich guffaw.
Spike joined in, losing interest in why they were laughing. Big Macintosh chuckled in a loud warm way, and Fluttershy joined in with her own titter.
"Nice work, Fluttershy! I knew you could do it!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy was befuddled at her compliment.
"What?"
"There's no kind of laugh I don't know how to figure out! I knew you'd be able to say something that'd loosen him up!"
"But… I?-"Fluttershy managed to utter before Yukon interrupted, the boil of his new-found happiness fading to a simmer.
"Thank you for your help,
But I will not disregard
Your personal plea.
Do, I invite you:
Stay in my home for a meal
The night warns us haste." he gestured to the skies, which were starting to turn fouler. The tiniest speck of rain landed on Fluttershy's nose, making her jerk backwards in surprise. Another few droplets made the others realize the condition of the weather.
"Come, make swift our pace
Shelter our friendship with hearty soup
And cease urgency."
Yukon locked the gate and began down the road. His voice somehow then both matched his ever-so-partially cryptic speech, as well as his non-normal form of his large majestic and complex antlers. A gust of wind picked up and began pushing against them. Yukon and Macintosh weren't in the slightest inhibited, but the suddenness of the air buffeted Fluttershy and Rarity, who arranged themselves behind Macintosh like a shield. Rainbow Dash flew ahead and began manipulating the air's course to divert the errant weather. A blustery cloud of leaves flew past, brushing against them all as they fluttered and spun on their way.
"Aah! My mane!" shouted Rarity, finding herself accosted by the prickly bits.
"Distress not, my good friends,
House and home is not that far
Comfort shall greet you." encouraged Yukon. His voice although mellow and smooth, cut through the noise of the wind like a blade.
Due in only a few minutes walking, they came upon a small-looking log house near the brick wall of the Zoo. Its chimney vented a wispy gray smoke into the billowing sky, and its windows were lit with a cozy-looking candle-light. Yukon directed them inside, where they stood in the entrance looking quite flustered and reduced before the amiable warmth of the cabin, which looked bigger on the inside than the outside.
"Welcome and merry
My charity to pay you
From my sorry owns.
Dearest! My myst'ry!
Solvéd by these excellent
Guests of our greeting."
"Yukon!" said a sweet higher voice. A much smaller reindeer with equally smaller antlers came out from a doorway. She entered into the entranceway and took stock of the accosted assembly of friends before her. "Hello! Who are these?"
"These splendid beings
Recalled my honour, truth be!
Deserve thanks, my sweet."
"Thank you! You have no idea what it means to a reindeer to lose their poetry." said the doe.
"I'm sure we don't." quipped Spike.
"Thank ye kindly for yer hospitality." said Macintosh.
"It is no matter.
Come, warmed selves by the fireplace,
Cause great change in minds."
Yukon and the doe guided them in front of a large stony hearth with large sections of log inside. Yukon used a firepoker and pushed some of the bits into more fitting places to make it burn more evenly. The six began relaxing at the easily accessed warmth and dryness it generated, and Yukon sat on a large cushioned chair.
"Identity unknown;
Pray, I haven't heard your names
Since discovered."
In a merry song and dance, Pinkie Pie introduced those present in a manner Yukon appeared to never have seen before, and it entertained him greatly, him laughing most of the way through it.
"Thank you Pinkie,
For restoring my laughter,
Never I'll forget."
"What were you all doing at the old Zoo anyways?" asked the doe.
"We were looking for information on MBE." said Rarity directly. Yukon's smile faded ever so slightly.
"A digestion calls,
My dearest Cari, might we
Have present supper?" said Yukon in a pleasant manner.
"Certainly, Yukon. Soup is almost ready." said Cari, and she departed the fireside room with a jolly spring in her strides. The stag looked and waited patiently until she had left the room entirely. He leaned closer to the group, his tone shadowy and cautionary.
"Warning I direct:
Danger may find your pursuit
Of the M.B.E."
Sleeping on the floor was not something Twilight nor Applejack found very comfortable. Indeed the carpet was plush enough, but the tiniest tremor caused by the carriage's wheels riding over the rail's seams occasionally was enough to disturb their attention enough to make them wake up, resting only in small instances between. Annoyed by how it continued to happen, Applejack was the first to decide to sleep standing up, leaning gently against one wall. Twilight did the same nearby, and their patchy rest of a night wore on. The most major intrusions upon their rest were the ghoulish wailings of the infrequent whistle, or whenever a sharper turn was rounded (which justified Applejack's resting against the wall).
The first morning's light struck as if a lamp had been switched on. The train sped out of a tunnel, bearing the full brunt of the first moments of sunrise directly onto the window that Applejack was leaning against, and its brilliance hit Applejack's closed eyes with a surprising flash.
"Ehrk." she said, winking and blinking with the sudden brightness attacking her eye. She leaned away from the window and took stock of her prison transport. Nothing had changed, and it remained just as confining and resentfully well-furnished as before. She looked out the window and saw now with the morning light, that it was double-paned, with the obtrusive blurring glass on the outer layer. Inbetween them was a layer of icy frost, which told her how cold it must have been inside, as well as how well insulated the car was. At least in that regard, she thought it better than being in a cold cage. Twilight woke shortly after her.
"Morning, Applejack." said Twilight impartially.
"Mornin'."
Twilight yawned. Her mane was slightly unkempt from the less-than-ideal night, and she sat down on the floor.
"Zoroko said we'd be arriving this morning. If 'Montclair Mansion' is anything like this train, I hope there will be at least books to read." she said, sounding quite bored.
"'Specially ones you could use to get us out of here." replied Applejack. Although it was meant as an idle retort, the practical suggestion rang in Twilight, through her original intention to simply want a better way to spend the time being a kidnapee. As soon as Applejack had said it, a very quiet *sssssss* sound was heard, and the whistle tooted quickly three times. A very soft screeching noise suddenly became quite prominent, and Twilight covered her ears.
"We must be stopping." she observed, trying to keep the noise out. The windows went dark and the distant chugging of the engine slowed and began to echo. With a soft *phud* the train came to an apparent stop, immediately followed by the two guard unicorns from before opening the door, with the third gesturing to them.
"Let's go." he said, again trying not to sound brutal.
Twilight looked at Applejack, who gave a slightly resentful looking consent of a replying glance, and the two mares followed the unicorn. They were then closely followed by the other unicorns through an empty-looking passenger car with dozens of empty seats, then through the exit door onto a platform. The train was lodged in one of three platform berths in a large quartz-looking cave with a chandelier in it, and the unicorn guided them through large, finely-decorated paneled doors. Just past the doors they stood and waited in a hallway of a magnificently decorated gallery, covered by every inch in either a red-stained wood or some kind of soft velvety fabric with a lustrous sheen to it.
"So where is this 'Montclair'?" asked Twilight.
"Quiet." replied the guiding unicorn guard.
Soon enough, a large and well-built diamond dog dressed in a dark gray vest, entered through the door that they had just come through. He swung and placed a large black hat underneath his arm and began removing gloves from his paws. He moved past without either of the mares being able to make much detail out of his canine face, and he said in a callous tone only,
"Come." as he continued to walk. The guard began again, Applejack and Twilight behind him, and the other two guards behind them. They entered into the space of the gallery and up a grand staircase, above which sat a gloriously appointed chandelier that looked just as wonderful as perhaps one of the ones in the Royal Palace of Canterlot. On the opposite side of the gallery was a tall steepled glass window that showed a wonderous blue lake set below sharp snow-capped mountains. At the top of the stairs it opened into a large rotunda filled with glass cases and varieties of exhibition-like furniture holding all sorts of shiny trinkets and jewels, but they moved through it quietly and quickly.
The commanding atmosphere of the diamond dog that led them did not seem to lend himself to any sort of curiosity or even an out-of-place word. On one side of the rotunda it went down a long hallway furbished with many splendid and artistic paintings with beautiful frames. Some of them Twilight recognized from art books, but couldn't recall any by name. The large diamond dog opened a door on one side of the hall, and the unicorn led them inside. It was a tall room, easily enough to be a loft, or perhaps two stories high, with an enormous window just like the gallery showing a similar view of the sapphire glacier lake and clear white mountain-scape. On one side of the room there were two beds with tall bedposts and curtains, and on the other a wide bookcase filled with tomes that seemed just as varied as Twilight's library.
The unicorn then left through the door which the diamond dog was still holding open. The dog then entered in and shut the door behind him. Applejack and Twilight gazed at his face, a shrivelled apparition just short of bulldogishly ugly, which bore little to no emotion whatsoever.
"Montclair bids you welcome, my ponies. This is the guest room, you shall remain here for the entirety of your stay. At any time you may ask for something you wish, but it will be either my or Montclair's discretion if you will get it. Food will be provided from the kitchen at normal meal times." he said coldly.
"When do we see Montclair?" said Twilight. She wanted to sound demanding and impatient, but the sophistication and elegance of the manor had surprised her, which dulled her intention somewhat.
"Presently." replied the dog.
"Who are you?" asked Applejack.
"My name is Baws. I am Montclair's second-in-command and I oversee his organization on his behalf. If that is all, I hope you will have a pleasant morning."
With that, he turned and exited the room without giving pause or space for any other words to be said. Twilight looked at Applejack, and their eyes met with equal agitation at their situation.
"Mr. Montclair."
"Ah, apprentice. I trust your trip was productive?"
"Very. I've retrieved the Elements."
"Oh? Well then, I should very much like to attend to that soon. Thank you for your effort, Baws."
"They're in guest room two, 'courtesy of the gentledog thief.'"
"That was their introduction? I would have preferred to have introduced myself completely, Baws."
"Apologies, sir."
"No matter. I shall see to it immediately."
Twilight was inspecting the bookshelf and Applejack was looking out through the window. There was a balcony that extended out from it, but all access was obviously not permitted, with there being no door and the glass being the only protection from the quite obviously bitter cold just outside the warm feel and look of the interior of the mansion. Beyond the lake's edge the mountains jutted upwards, bordered either against the sky or the smooth curvature of a thin distant railroad track that hugged the water's shore. The track looked like it followed the length of the shoreline until it came to nearly the exact opposite side of the lake, which then turned away from the mansion, disappearing around a bend into a valley of the rocky range.
From the door two knocks were heard, and in entered a different diamond dog than before. His face was polite, curt and ever so slightly rugged, and looked far more mature than any diamond dog Applejack or Twilight had seen before. He was dressed in a sleek and smooth looking suit, with an orange crystal mounted in the collar, and a thin straight cane that gave more stability, with a carved handle held in his paw. He said nothing, and Twilight ventured closer. Applejack finally turned to give more direct attention.
"Good morning, my dears. I am Wolfe Montclair, an honourable gentledog thief and I welcome you to my home." he said while bowing rather low, in an elegant and courteous voice, with an accent that resembled Rarity's own.
"Why are we here, Montclair?" said Twilight, more effectively conveying her impatience from before. Montclair seemed to pause quite curiously at her question, as if he had not anticipated such a reaction. However his suave poise returned as quickly as it went away, and replied.
"I know that there is no fooling you Miss Sparkle, so we shall come right-to-the-point." it somehow bothered Applejack how he rolled the R. "Please follow me."
He walked them back down the hall and into the rotunda, slowly travelling and touring them around the room while the two unicorn guards escorted them. Baws seemingly had disappeared, likely into a different room down the corridor.
"You might recognize some of these items, Miss Sparkle." he pointed with his cane to a gold-framed painting of a night scene of some mountains and stars with thick brush strokes. "Van-Goaht's Stars at Night, the original in fact." Twilight did recognize it, but the presentation made her rather irked by the act. "Or perhaps this," he gestured to a painting of a silver ball with a pair of wings crafted out of it. "The Orb of Gryphus. Priceless item indeed, to be sure." Twilight's silent chagrin of Montclair's trophies continued to grow. Applejack was annoyed even more so, despite her not understanding the nature or identity to virtually all of the beauties and intricacies, preserved and kept in glass and on pedestals. Montclair's look of curiosity at some unsaid unprediction flared for a sliver of a moment as he looked at their reactions over his shoulder, before returning his sharp yellow eyes forwards.
"I know what you're thinking, Miss Sparkle, and you're right. I am a thief, and the fact that these things do not rightfully belong to me is despicable, in certain respects." Applejack thought to herself "Ye mean 'at all times.'"
"But permit me to justify myself, if you will. I am a gentledog thief, and I would like to define that: I do not take these out of any necessity, by any means. I do it because it is a hobby of mine; because it is fun."
"Fun?" Twilight responded, disbelieving.
"You would not believe how many beings there are out there who are so contented to have their lives lived in the service and protection of rare items such as these," he moved his paws covetously over a glass case containing a group of pearl necklaces. "To have them locked away, to think so highly of them." His paws then gestured dismissively towards the same case. "I liberate their self-indulgent mindset by deconstructing it and show them their folly. So many pride themselves in their security, and I show them the mistake of their hubris. It is a service."
"Stealing someone's things is a service?" she said indignantly.
"Oh by no means is it really truly stealing… borrowing, rather." he had moved towards a large box containing three immaculate identical large-masted sailing ship models. "You see," he indicated a small placard below the frame of the box. "Every component of my collection has identification," Twilight leaned closer and read the first line, which said in a very splendid calligraphy "THE UNICORNs THREE".
"As well as a date on which the original was made, the date on which I stole it, and the date on which I intend to return it. Address and personage information I keep in good order as well, so that I know precisely where and who to return it to."
"You return them?" said Applejack. Her repose was quite turned in response.
"Of course. The service is sinister if the property is not restored in due to the owner. The time for which I keep them varies, depending upon the state of the owner or how they regard their possession. Sometimes they do not miss it because their wealth is so exceeding that they are happy enough to simply have it replaced. (You see I make a point of only stealing from those who can afford the loss.) Those who do not miss them, are opportunity for further pursuit until they learn a lesson in humility." It was hard to tell if Montclair felt he was being self-righteous in those words, or if he genuinely disliked the minds of those whom he stole from.
"How long do you keep them for?" said Twilight.
"Ten years is standard fare." he took a few steps and leaned forwards with his paw to his chin, admiring the stylistic strokes of a small handsome bust of the head of Commander Hurricane. "Exceptions apply regardless- I once had it happen that a mare died before I was able to return her portraiture by Rembroni. So I had it immediately donated anonymously to the Museum which she had Willed the rest of her collection to. -I have since made a point of being more accommodating to when I should like to return my acquisitions." his voice was clear and sincere, and whatever qualms Twilight had with his actions, were somehow muted by the noble air that surrounded the so-apparent honourable diamond dog.
"So why do ye need us?" asked Applejack. With a gleam in his eye, he had them follow to a large round empty case in the middle of the room. On top was a small picture and worded page held by a tiny frame, and Montclair began describing the hollow vignette.
"This case is to hold the pinnacle achievement of my career." Applejack and Twilight independently thought it very wrong to regard any sort of series of crimes as a career. Montclair used the cane to point to the paper.
"Once upon a time, my magnum opus I sought to be the Royal Crown Jewels." The picture suddenly became clear to Twilight and Applejack both; the picture was of the crowns and breastplates of Celestia and Luna. Applejack took to examining the hollow trophy case while Twilight continued to read the paper.
"They wear them at all times when they are awake, and the only time they are removed is either when they take a bath or occasionally when they go to sleep. It was not long into the process of doing research for such a heist that I realized that it is a fool's errand to try and approach the personages of the Princesses with criminal intent." He placed a regretful paw over his eyebrow, obscuring himself as he faced away. "I was a wolf howling at the moon for much of my career until that day..." he turned to face them again, the remorse removed from his expression. "Therefore I aimed at something far more modest."
From a door on the side of the trophy case he procured a gleaming pearlescent crystal ball, which had a spiral-like crackling pattern emanating from the core, shaped like a twisted and twirled six-pointed star. He opened the case and placed it on the pedestal, pulling a tuning fork from his jacket, striking it against the wood of the trophy case's edge.
"The Gem of Euphony." he gently pressed the fork against the very top of the superb sphere, and it made a ringing sound that was pleasing to the ear. Applejack raised her eyebrow at the presentation, repeating him phonetically.
"The Gem of You-fone-ee? Why do you need us if-"
"Oh, ha ha!" Montclair interrupted her with a chuckle. "No, this isn't the real Gem, this is a forgery so that I can use it to replace the real one." he put away the tuning fork, the sound having faded. "The Gem of Euphony is an ancient Equestrian artifact, a symbol of the Great Magic from which the world was constructed. Of course, this magic has long since been refined and perfected in the discovery of the power of the Elements of Harmony, that much I'm sure you are aware, Miss Sparkle." Twilight nodded cautiously; she understood the Elements well enough, but ancient history was ancient history and this was the stuff of old books she had never touched before.
"The Elements of Harmony are the stronger, more stable, better understood, majority of what the Gem of Euphony used to be capable of. Now it is largely a powerless jewel," there was something odd about how he eyed the Gem as he spoke. "It is like comparing a rusty rod of pig-iron to a polished steel chain. However it is a protected symbol and held in secret. The fame would not be much from its procuring; the main thing is the challenge and the possibility that it can be done; Miss Sparkle, Miss Applejack."
"You haven't answered the question yet, Montclair." replied Twilight.
"The Gem is indeed held in secret, and the most effective way to discover its location is through a very old spell that is wieldable by the representatives of the Elements of Harmony. By the consultation of some Magi (who shall remain anonymous), I was able to glean for myself what were the most essential Elements for this spell to work, which are the Elements of Magic, and Honesty: Magic in order to produce the effect, and Honesty to ensure that it is not tainted by misinformation or lying." Twilight and Applejack looked at each other.
"You are the exemplar Element of Honesty, aren't you Miss Applejack?"
"Yeah… -!" Applejack had instinctively responded to Montclair's guile charisma, and her default modality of mind prevented her from making any attempt to deceive.
"How do you know that about us?" responded Twilight.
"I have my sources; which are very able indeed in procuring intelligence from the Royal Archive. –However, there still was some difficulty in the acquisition of information regarding you, Miss Sparkle. It is not the easiest thing in the world to be accessing data of the personal protégé of Princess Celestia. For that reason, I shall be interviewing you later in order to be verifying the authenticity of your Honesty in order for the spell to work."
"When do we get to go home?" said Applejack, not liking the conversation very much anymore.
"You shall be returned home with the greatest expediency upon the revelation of the Gem's location."
"What if we don't want to?"
"Then you shall be my guests as long as you don't." he said, his voice taking an intolerant turn. "While I am a patient and gracious host, I do not like my hospitality being taken advantage of, if planning on staying here for an extended period of time was among your possible considerations."
The three stood for a moment in silence. Montclair inhaled sharply and began again.
"This has been quite a large amount of information to digest, I gather. Guards please?"
"Mr. Montclair?" responded one of the unicorns.
"See them to the dining hall for breakfast. And have a replacement hat found for Miss Applejack, I think she might be missing hers." The guard ushered them on their way. Applejack looked back in an awkward repose as Montclair continued to stand silently beside the trophy case, with a humble smile writ on his lips.
"Have a good day, my dears." he said finally, as they exited the rotunda.