The CMC are sent back in time by moving statues, and with help from Detective Lyra Heartstring, defeat the statues and get back home.
One-and-a-half years after the dissapearance of Lyra and Bon Bon, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are sent back in time by a moving statue to Ponyville 70 years in the past and meet Lyra Heartstrings, who is now a detective trying to defeat the statues. With her help, they try to stop them and find a way to get back home.
Based off the Doctor Who episode "The Angels Take Manhatten" plot-wise. A sequel to "Blink"
It is the middle of summer at Ponyville, with the sun shining brightly across the cloudless sky and tempratures getting hotter by the day, many of its citizens are off enjoying the day, except for The Cutie Mark Crusaders.
At the crusader's club house, the crusaders are inside trying to figure out what talent to tryout next.
"Do any of yo' have any ideas?" asked Apple Bloom looking out the window at the beautiful and slightly warm day. She turns to see Sweetie Belle staring at the ceiling with boredom and Scootaloo reading a book, ignoring her. Apple Bloom just sighs, defeated. She walks up to them and notices Scootaloo intently reading an old novel called "Melody Heart and The Case of the Moving Statues". Apple Bloom is intrigued at what she is reading. "Hey Scootaloo, what are yo' readin'?" asked a curious Apple Bloom to her pegasus friend.
Scootaloo lowers the book to talk to her friend. "Oh, just something Dash recomended I read, she says it's like Daring Doo, but with a detective." she explains. "According to Dash, this is the only book in the 'Melody Heart' series that the Ponyville library has, although she only read the first chapter."
"Let me read it." Apple Bloom interjects, she takes the book and starts reading where Scootaloo left off.
After recieving a tip from the mayor about the dissapearance of several mares at the abandoned concert hall, Melody Heart decides to investigate, especially after also hearing rumors of unicorn statues moving when nopony is watching them.
Melody begins her walk to the concert hall, unsure of what she'll face when she gets there, but it is her duty to solve this puzzling case and bring the marenapper to justice. Along the way she suddenly spots a mysterious filly standing in the middle of the road-
"I"M THIRSTY!" exclaims Sweetie Belle, interrupting Apple Bloom. She puts the book down.
"Well, it is mighty warm today, so howsabout ah go down to may house and bring yo' apple juice?" offered Apple Bloom. "Make that two!" chimed Scootaloo.
"Okay then, three apple juices it is!" announced Apple Bloom as she walks out of the clubhouse. "I'll be back!"
"Okay." answered Scootaloo as she picks up the book and continues where she left off.
Along the way she suddenly spots a mysterious filly standing in the middle of the road. This filly has a blank flank with a light yellow coat and a red mane with a large pink bow on it. Melody slowly approaches the filly who appears to be crying.
"Why, hello there you poor thing." said Melody walking up to the crying filly in a motherly voice. "What are you doing here?" she asks.
Outside in the fields of Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom is making her way back to the farm house to ask Granny Smith for some of her apple juice. Along the way she encounters her brother Big Mac bucking an apple tree. She doesn't interact with him, although she finds it strange that he is wearing a yellow feather on his ear, and continues walking.
While walking she begins to have this uneasy feeling as if somepony or something is stalking her. She suddenly hears a twig snap behind her and she turns around to be met with a strange sight; A statue of a unicorn mare wearing a toga and covering her eyes with her hooves.
Apple Bloom cautiously walks up towards the statue, never having seen it before nor not knowing where it came from.
"Ah don't know, one minute ah was walkin' home and the next ah's here." explained the filly through her tears. Melody picks up a slight country twang in her voice, a twang that's strangely familiar to Melody.
"What do you remember before you got here?" asked Melody, rubbing the filly's back for comfort.
"Ah saw a statue, a peculiar lookin' statue, ah turned mah back to tell mah brother about it, and next thin' ah knew, ah was standin' here." explained the filly, still crying. Melody is stunned, she's heard of these statues before.
"What's your name?" asked Melody, wanting to know who she belongs to so she can take her home, and maybe get more information on these statues.
The filly takes a deep breath. "Apple Bloom, my name is Apple Bloom." admitted the filly. Just as she reveals her name, the sound of thunder booms across the night sky as the rain begins to fall.
Melody is in shock at what she heard. "Apple Bloom? Where do you live?" asked the detective, not believing in what she is hearing.
"At Sweet Apple Acres, with mah older sister, mah brother and mah granny." she explains.
"It...can't...be..." said a stunned Melody. She then faces the filly to see that it is indeed Apple Bloom, one of the members of The Cutie Mark Crusaders, a member of the Apple family and a pony she hasn't seen in over a year since she got here. She then puts her hooves on the filly's shoulders in order for her to look into her eyes. "Do you know who I am?" asked Melody to the filly.
The filly just saddly shakes her head.
"My name is Heartstrings...Lyra Heartstrings, and I think I know what that statue is and how you got here." explained the mint green unicorn detective, revealing her true name.
"Sweetie Belle, we have a problem!" announced a shocked Scootaloo to her friend, dropping the book.
"What is it?" said a bored Sweetie Belle, not putting too much attention on her.
"It's very hard to explain," said Scootaloo. "and I have trouble believing this too, but Apple Bloom somehow ended up in this book!" she exclaims.
"What?" responded Sweetie Belle flatly.
"Just look!" Scootaloo exclaims, shoving the book in front of Sweetie Belle's face. "Same description and everything!"
Sweetie Belle takes the book and reluctantly reads the page to humor Scootaloo, only for her eyes to widen. "You have got to be KIDDING me!" she exclaims.
"Scootaloo, wait up!" exclaimed the filly unicorn to her friend, galloping after her across the fields of Sweet Apple Acres.
Scootaloo sees her friend Sweetie Belle fall behind, so she stops and waits for her to catch up."We have no time, we need to see Twilight and see if she can come up with a spell to get Apple Bloom back here!" urged Scootaloo as Sweetie Belle catches up.
"I know, but I still have trouble believing that Apple Bloom somehow ended up in that book!" stated an exhausted Sweetie Belle, pointing to Scootaloo's saddlebag that holds the book, Scootaloo was about to respond but they then hear the sound of a twig snapping.
70 years ago...
In the middle of the dark and rainy Ponyville streets, Lyra is holding Apple Bloom tightly, comforting her.
"Lyra, what's going on? How did ah end up here?" asked a scared and lonely Apple Bloom. Lyra was about to answer but is interrupted by the sight of a carriage heading towards them. The carriage stops in front of them as an Earth pony stallion, wearing a trenchcoat and fedora steps out, he has a white coat and grey mane, with a hammer and sickle as a cutie mark. Lyra knows instantly who he his.
"Vodka, what are you doing here?" spat Lyra, holding Apple Bloom even more tightly.
"The boss wants to see you," explained a grinning Vodka, he then sees the filly. "and the blank flank too."
"Tell your boss that I'm going to have to decline his request." stated an annoyed Lyra. Vodka just chuckles.
"The boss told me that you'll say that," grinned the stallion, he then opens the carriage door to reveal Lyra's friend Bon Bon gagged, her legs tied and with a black eye. "So he thought that this will give you more incentive to see him." he explained, unfazed by the sight. "Now get in before you catch a cold from the rain detective."
Lyra thinks about it for a minute, before silently and reluctantly agreeing. Both Lyra and Apple Bloom get in the carriage, followed by Vodka. They are then driven off to another part of town.
"What in tarnation is going on? Where am ah?" said a scared Apple Bloom, demanding answers.
"You're in Ponyville," answered Lyra while removing the gag from Bon Bon's mouth. "But I believe that more important question is WHEN are you."
"What?" said a confused Apple Bloom.
"That statue didn't just transport you to another location, but it transported you to a diffrent time, 70 years to be exact." explained the mint green unicorn.
"How?" Apple Bloom is more confused than ever.
"That statue wasn't an ordinary statue," stated Bon Bon, "It's a living being, a hunter, who preys on random ponies, sends back in time and then feeds of their potential energy while the victim is doomed to live a full life in the past." she explains with seriouness while being untied by Lyra.
"I've been sent back in time?" stated Apple Bloom, slowly beginning to cry from what she's heard. "Ah's gonna be stuck here?"
Just then, the carriage stops and Lyra, Apple Bloom and Bon Bon are ordered out. The three step out to be met with the sight of Fluttershy's cottage.
"Fluttershy's cottage?" asked a confused Apple Bloom.
"Not yet it isn't, right now it is the home to the most influencial stallion in Ponyville." stated Lyra.
The three are forcibly escorted inside the cottage by Vodka. Once inside, they are met by white coated Earth pony stallion with a black mane, wearing a business suit with a wormwood flower as his cutie mark. "Why hello there, welcome to my home." politely greeted the stallion.
"Cut the manure Vermouth, what do you want!" spat Lyra to the stallion.
Vermouth just smiles, "Oh Lyra, hotheaded as usual I see, how about we take this conversation to my study and maybe we can straighten things out." he explains. Vermouth walks towards his study, while the three reluctantly follow him. Vodka and two guards also follow them.
Once inside Vermouth's study, the three take their seats in front of his desk while Vermouth goes to his bar. "Any drinks? Non-alcoholic for the filly of course." asked Vermouth while pouring himself a glass of cider. The three say nothing, Vermouth quickly finishes his drink and sits behind the desk.
"Why are we here?" asked Bon Bon, getting impatient.
"I'm here to offer you deal." explained Vermouth. "Something that's right up your alley."
"What is it?" spat Lyra.
"As you two may know, I'm an antiques collector, always trying to find the most rarest, unique and valuable objects from the past, and you two happen to be experts on a particular antique that I want." stated the stallion, unfazed by Lyra's attitude towards him.
"And what is that?" asked Bon Bon.
"Thousands of years ago, during the reign of Discord, chaos was the law of land and as a side-effect, caused several normally non-sentinant objects to become alive, statues from the Canterlot statue garden being one of them, after he was defeated and sealed away, most of the statues returned back to normal, but a few managed to escape, and became the creatures of legend and fairy tales, creatures so frightening and scary, that they even give Celestia nightmares. I'm talking about the Weeping Angels." the sound of thunder booms outside as he says it. Lyra and Bon Bon are in shock, while Apple Bloom is confused. "I want a Weeping Angel in my collection, and I want you to help me capture one."
Lyra just gets angry. "Those creatures will never be a part of your collection, they would rather snap your neck, and trust me, if they feel that their potentional victim won't give them enough substanance or have a low tolerance for the victim, they WILL not send you back in time, they will KILL you with their stone hooves." Lyra then gets up and leares at Vermouth.
Vermouth remains unfazed. "I guess that's a 'no', no matter, I already captured some of them myself without your help, so you're useless." He then gives the nod to Vodka and two guards, who are standing by the door. "Take Lyra and her friend here to the statue in my room, and take the blank flank here into the basement." Vodka and the guards agree, the guards foricibly takes Bon Bon and Lyra while Vodka grabs Apple Bloom by her mane and drags her out of the room.
"YOU'LL NEVER GET AWAY WITH THIS! THE ANGELS WILL NOT LET YOU!" yelled Lyra before being forced out of the room.
"LET ME GO!" yells Apple Bloom to Vodka as they reach the top of the stairs into the dark basement.
"Sorry blank flank, boss' orders." smirked Vodka as he takes Apple Bloom and pushes her down the flight of stairs. He then takes out a matchbook and throws them down the stairs after her. "Oh, and I suggest you use those matches if you want to live to see the morning." chuckled the stallion as he walks out and closes the basement door behind him, leaving Apple Bloom alone in the dark.
In the middle of Ponyville, in a dark, empty, and rainy street, both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are standing together, looking around and confused.
"Now what!?" asked Sweetie Belle to Scootaloo, not knowing what to do next.
That is all Apple Bloom could see after finding herself locked in the basement. She gets up and picks up the book of matches that Vodka gave her before locking her in. She then takes a match by her mouth, strikes it on the matchbook and uses the now lit match to find a room filled to the brim with crates and antiques. She turns around to see behind her, only to be met by a frightening sight; a unicorn statue with a scary face and showing its sharp teeth.
Apple Bloom screams, dropping the match, and causing the room to decend back into darkness. Her screams are then cut off as the statue gets her.
In Ponyville, it is still dark and raining as Sweetie Belle is trying to figure out what to do next and Scootaloo is reading the book to see where Apple Bloom and the detective went.
"Great!" exclaims Sweetie Belle, "First Apple Bloom gets transported here, then a statue attacks us and now we're alone, wet and lost!"
"That wasn't an ordinary statue, according to the book, they're called the weeping angels and they send their victims back in time while feeding on their energy." explained Scootaloo, face buried in the book. She then spots what she's looking for. "I found something! Apple Bloom and Detective Melody Heart have been taken to a cottage outside of Ponyville near the Everfree forest owned by the notorious antiques smuggler Vermouth."
"But there's only one cottage in that location, and Fluttershy lives there, or did, haven't seen her there in three months already." stated Sweetie Belle.
"Well, according to this book, it belonged to Vermouth, so we're going there." explained Scootaloo. She takes the book and puts it in her saddlebag. Scootaloo then gallops off towards the direction of the cottage while Sweetie Belle sighs and reluctantly follows.
At Vermouth's cottage, Lyra and Bon Bon are forced into a bedroom by two guards and each of them are then tied up to a chair. The mares struggle as Vodka walks in with a smile on his face. "There is no use in struggling you two, nopony is going to save you now." Vodka then goes over to a large curtain covering up a corner of the room, he pulls on a rope causing the curtain to open and reveal a unicorn statue, chipped, tied in iron chains and bolted to the floor.
"You captured a weeping angel?" said a stunned Lyra.
"Of course I did, lost several of my workers, but it was worth it." announced a smug Vermouth, entering the room just as Vodka leaves. "I'm using this one to lure the statues here, I have another in the basement, the blank flank is getting to know it very well as we speak." continued Vermouth, refering to Apple Bloom.
"No wonder those things have been swarming Ponyville," snarled Lyra. "You've been torturing one of their kind and that statue is screaming, screaming across time and space!" continued Lyra, starting to feel a little sorry for the chipped statue. "That explains why there is a statue in Ponyville 70 years from now, it heard its cries of pain across time."
Vermouth just smacks her face with her hoof. "Nopony questions my methods!" yelled the stallion. "Besides, once I have all of them, not only will I make a fortune, but I could also use them to intimidate Celestia to give the kingdom to me." he explains. "They are the creatures she fears the most after all."
"What are you going to do to us?" asked Bon Bon, concerned about Lyra and herself.
"Let the statue here kill you nicely." answered a smilling Vermouth.
In the living room, Vodka is on the couch reading a fashion magazine. "My brother is going to love these designs." he states to himself. His thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door, he goes to the door only to be met by a young green pony mare, with an umbrella and a pie.
"Ann?" asked Vodka, "What are you doing here? The boss is a little busy at the moment and can't be bothered."
"But we planned t'have dinner here tonight! Mah Ma worked hard t'bake this here pie!" explained the mare in her country accent, wanting to be let inside. Vodka can smell how delicious that pie smells.
"Look, I'm sorry, but something business related came up and your coaltfriend can't see right now, but my boss promises to make it up for you with a nice fancy dinner in Canterlot." explained Vodka, trying to keep his boss' marefriend calm. "Now, give me the famous Apple family pie and come back tomorrow." he ordered.
The mare does as she is told, she gives Vodka the pie. "Tell yer boss Vermouth, that his sweet li'l apple pie loves him." she says while walking off. "I will Ann, and tell your Ma' that she's a great baker!" waved Vodka. Once he's sure the mare is out of sight, he closes the door and goes to the kitchen to serve himself a slice. "That Apple family sure know their pies!"
At the same time, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are behind the cottage next to the back door. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle turn the doorknob to find that it is not locked. They quietly sneak in, finding themselves in the kitchen, seeing no signs of anypony around. While Scootaloo slowly ventures out of the kitchen and into the dinning room, Sweetie Belle picks up the smell of a delicious pie, she looks up to find a pie sitting on a kitchen counter.
"Don't even think about it filly." said a voice. Sweetie Belle turns to see an angry Vodka, with pie filling covering his muzzel and holding Scootaloo tightly. "Nopony eats Ann Smith's pies except me and the boss!"
Sweetie Belle just stands there nervously, caught and not knowing what to do.