Champions of Celestia

[Samurai Equine]

@Ocean Wavedream, @Kujamih

This revelation suddenly leaves Samurai shook to the core. "Nani?! Celestia tells half truths sometimes?! Masaka..." Samurai is beside himself. He almost forgets to answer Dr. Clue's question. "... ... .... Eh? Oh. The investigation. Hai, hai... Hmm... It's your investigation, Doctor. I am not the detective here. But if you want, I can talk to one suspect while you talk to another."

[Dr. Clue]

"Ok, well we were just talking to Duster Lawn and she said that she delivered the cake to Celestia's chambers, but since she carried it using levitation and the cover remained on the entire time, she couldn't be sure if the cake was there. I'd say let's go question the cooks some more," Dr. Clue said, leading the way.

Edited March 1, 2022 by Ocean Wavedream

[Evil Pink One 13,001]

@Ocean Wavedream @Samurai Equine

Kuya followed Dr. Clue as he mumbles,

"You're in trouble now. You should've given the pizza while you had the chance." 

[Samurai Equine]

@Kujamih, @Ocean Wavedream

Samurai nods. "Understood, doctor. You interview the Chef, and I'll talk to Duster Lawn." Seems Samurai misunderstood what Dr. Clue wanted.

@PawelS

Samurai takes a moment to find Duster Lawn. "Ms. Lawn? I want to talk to you about Celestia's cake some more, if you don't mind. Also... What did you disclose to my comrades? I wasn't here for that." Samurai says, needing an update.

[Evil Pink One 13,001]

@Samurai EquineEquin

" No funny business with my mare okay." Kuya gave a stern look towards samurai

[Dr. Clue]

Dr. Clue entered the kitchen again. "Alright, one of you said that Celestia returned the empty platter herself. Describe in detail exactly what happened. Did she return the cover for the platter too? What did she say when she returned the platter?" Dr. Clue questioned.

[Evil Pink One 13,001]

@PawelS

Kuya would wait outside and  end up wondering the halls. He was getting bored at what's happening since it seems their investigation is going nowhere.

He'd let his pony sense lead the way for him.

Pony Sense.

" I wish it'd be evening soon so I can meet up with Duster Lawn..." He sighed.

[Mango Eve]

Mango, who had seen enough magic tricks in her stage time to know that the key to spotting what is really going on is not to get distracted and keep her large orange eyes on the prize, interjects to ask the older stallion cook, "Also, did you put the cake in its covered tray personally?" she scrutinises his response carefully to see if the tense stallion might be lying (I guess.. insight?)

[Silly Druid 6,146]

@Samurai Equine

Samurai interviews Duster Lawn. She tells him what she told Dr. Clue earlier (I'm not going to repeat it here, you can read the earlier posts) and is ready to answer more questions.
 

@Ocean Wavedream

The chef explains the situation. "I didn't say the Princess returned it personally, Her Majesty usually doesn't honor us with her presence here in the kitchen. She sent a guard to return the plate and the cover, and question us about what happened. The guard related to us that she said it was empty."
 

@Kujamih

Pony Sense (d5), result: 4. Success!

You walk around through the castle halls aimlessly. Then you arrive in front of a simple looking door, and you have a feeling that you should open it...

(That's not what Pony Sense is meant to do, but you wanted to use it so badly that I can make an exception here.)
 

@abrony-mouse

"I did not. The maid arrived with her trolley, and she had the plate and cover with her. She put the cake there using her magic."

Intellect (d3). Result: 1. Failure.

You can't tell if the chef is telling the truth here.

Edited March 9, 2022 by PawelS

[Samurai Equine]

@PawelS

The decorated asian pony takes a seat and listens to Duster Lawn, recapping all the details.

"Hmm... All right. I guess that answers that. I doubt I'd be able to feel a cake if I was levitating it as well... But I do have some questions, if you don't mind. Let's start easy... First of all, do you remember what the serving plate and cover looked like? Second, when you delivered the cake, was Celestia present or absent? And last question... You said you were absolutely certain the cake was in the kitchen when you arrived to deliver it. What makes you so sure it was there?"

Edited March 9, 2022 by Samurai Equine

[Evil Pink One 13,001]

@PawelS

(how does pony sense work? I thought it was like pinky sense?)

He'd open the door  since his gut instincts(pony sense) told him too. And he was bored and the door tickled his curiosity...

What could go wrong? And if it did go wrong... Kuya would've taken it anyway as long as it take the bore out of him.

" What's inside door number one!" As he opens the door... That is if it wasn't locked.

 

[Dr. Clue]

“Hmm, how much time passed between the cake being finished and it being delivered? It is possible that something happened to it during that time? Did you notice anypony other than the Duster Lawn enter the kitchen between the cake being finished and it being delivered?” Dr. Clue asked the chef.

roll intellect to check for lies.

Edited March 10, 2022 by Ocean Wavedream

[Silly Druid 6,146]

@Samurai Equine

"The plate and cover? They are... decorative. I'm not sure how to describe them, If you want to see them I can show you, we have a spare set in the utility closet. Second question, the Princess was absent when I delivered it, that's how we usually do it, so the cake waits for her when she goes back from performing her duties. As for the last one, I'm sure it was there because I levitated it to the plate myself." Duster Lawn explains.
 

@Kujamih

You open the door. It's not locked. Behind it is a small room with lots of stuff in it: cleaning utensils, containers with unknown contents, gardening tools, and so on.
 

@Ocean Wavedream

"It was about an hour, it was standing here." The chef shows a currently empty shelf to Dr. Clue. "The cooks enter and leave the kitchen all the time, so somepony could enter during that period. But I've seen Duster taking the cake with her magic, so I don't see how's it important what happened earlier. You think it was replaced with a fake, or an illusion or something?"

Intellect (d5), result: 5. Critical success!

You're absolutely certain that the chef is telling the truth.

[Evil Pink One 13,001]

@PawelS

" Wawawaaa.... Might as well snoop around here..." 

Kuya would roam around the small room... Try to spot anything out of the ordinary and if none, would roam around the halls once more...

[Samurai Equine]

@PawelS

Interesting info. "I see... So when you got to the kitchen, the cake was visible and not yet covered. Thank you for the offer. I would appreciate seeing that spare set, if you don't mind." Samurai says, letting Duster lead the way.

[Silly Druid 6,146]

@Samurai Equine @Kujamih

Duster Lawn leads Samurai to the utility closet. To their surprise, they see that the door is open and Kuya is inside, apparently searching for something...

[Dr. Clue]

"The cake wasn't covered before Duster Lawn delivered it, right? Only when she delivered it did she cover it, right?" Dr. Clue asked the chef.

roll intelligence and investigation.

[Evil Pink One 13,001]

@PawelS @Samurai Equine

Kuya was also shocked to meet up with samurai and duster lawn.

"Samurai! I see you've met the lovely mare Duster lawn." 

Kuya would approach and continue to marvel at Duster Lawn.

" I was quite bored and lonely without you. Always thinking of you, wishing that the time would hasten, so I could finally meet you and surely destiny wishes so, since here you are with me." Kuya would gently grab her hoof and kiss it.

" I hope my good friend Samurai has not hinder you in anyway, fair mareden(maiden)." 

 

[Samurai Equine]

@PawelS, @Kujamih

... !! "Kuya!" Samurai stands upright and points at his friend, surprised to see him in the utility closet. "Don't tell me it was YOU who stole the cake! That can't be right... We're nakama, aren't we?" Samurai is an honorable pony, but clearly not the smartest pony.

[Evil Pink One 13,001]

@Samurai Equine

" HAHAHAHA, wait... You might be on to something!!? Wait I was with you the whole time remember!?... Or maybe you were in it with me the whole time! An accomplice from my horrible deed!? HAAAAHAHAHAHA!" Kuya played along with his buddy.

[Samurai Equine]

@Kujamih, @PawelS

"Eh?!?! Oh no! It must be true~! Celestia-hime, please have mercy on us." Samurai panics at first. Then he pulls out a paper fan and bops Kuya's head with it. "Urusai!! That's obviously not true." Its a paper fan, so it didn't hurt in the least bit. Samurai turns to Duster. "Comedy duo~!" He does a silly pose and bows. In Japone, this might get applause and/or laughter.

He turns back to his friend. "Why were you in the closet?"

[Evil Pink One 13,001]

1 minute ago, Samurai Equine said:

@Kujamih, @PawelS

"Eh?!?! Oh no! It must be true~! Celestia-hime, please have mercy on us." Samurai panics at first. Then he pulls out a paper fan and bops Kuya's head with it. "Urusai!! That's obviously not true." Its a paper fan, so it didn't hurt in the least bit. Samurai turns to Duster. "Comedy duo~!" He does a silly pose and bows. In Japone, this might get applause and/or laughter.

He turns back to his friend. "Why were you in the closet?"

Did you not hear my ballad to Duster lawn? I was bored and couldn't stop thinking about her. And ended up seeing this door... I felt a twitch in my body, so I checked what's inside...at first I regretted it... But seeing Duster lawn again? Was worth it." She gazes again towards her.

"And besides. I guess my gut senses didn't lead me astray, since you ended up going here too Samurai. Then something must be up in this room..." 

[Silly Druid 6,146]

@Ocean Wavedream

"She covered it when she took it on her trolley. We don't want to reveal Celestia's meals to everypony in the corridors." The chef explains.

Intellect (d5), result: 2 / Investigation (d5), result: 2. Best result: 2. Partial success.

You're pretty sure that whatever happened to the cake was after Duster Lawn left the kitchen.

@Samurai Equine @Kujamih

The maid listens to your conversation with a smile on her face. "Nice to see you again, Kuya. So, why are we here again?" Duster Lawn looks a little absent-minded, and she seems to have forgotten the purpose of her and Samurai's visit to this place.

Edited March 12, 2022 by PawelS

[Dr. Clue]

"Huh, looks like I will have to go question Duster Lawn some more..." Dr. Clue mumbled to herself. She exited the kitchen and decided to meet up with the others again. She found them both talking to Duster Lawn in a closet for some reason.

"Alright Duster Lawn, I got some questions for you. You knew that you had the cake when you got it from the kitchen, but you said that you weren't sure if you still had it when you arrived at Celestia's quarters. because you left the cover on. Are you saying that something happened along the way? What could have happened along the way yet made you decide to deliver it anyways? If you had thought that something had happened to the cake would you have delivered it anyways? And if not, then that would suggest that the cake was delivered and somepony broke into Celestia's quarters and ate her cake. So, what happened?" Dr. Clue asked.

[Samurai Equine]

@Ocean Wavedream, @Kujamih, @PawelS

It seems the friends have all gathered together again. Samurai nods at Dr. Clue's questions. "What do you say, Clue-hakasei? Perhaps we should ask Duster Lawn to retrace her steps from the kitchen to Celestia's chambers. If she walks that path again, she might remember a vital clue that she forgot. I was thinking of asking her to do that before everypony got here."