Night had long passed. In the basement at 221 B Boulevard, Phillip sat at a table loaded with bottles, microscopes and other laboratory equipment. He loaded some of the ashes that he'd collected onto a microscope slide and placed it beneath the microscope, examining it intently. Selecting one of the many bottles of chemicals from the table, he filled up an eyedropper with the clear liquid and squeezed out a drop onto the sample. The ashes hissed and bubbled, letting out a faint aroma of burnt toast. Phillip turned to a large notebook which contained his study on different types of tobacco ash (the result of two and a half months of research and experiments).

Hmm. Blue Camelback cigarettes. Same brand I used to smoke.

There was a knocking at the door. Phillip headed upstairs and opened the door. Twilight was standing outside.

"I think I found what Monopoly is after," she said, holding up a geological survey of the Everfree Forest that she'd found. Several sections had been underlined in red ink. "That area that he's trying to get, including Fluttershy's property, has a vein of silver underneath it."

"As expected," Phillip nodded. "Suggest you get some rest. I'm going to need all of you sheilas' help tomorrow."

"All right," Twilight said, turning to fly back to the library. "Good night, Phillip."

"G'night," he called after her. Shutting the door, he retreated back into his living room and laid on the couch.

Plan for tomorrow, he thought. Find stores in area that sell Blue Camelback cigarettes. Have the girls probe for information while I search Monopoly's room for more information. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There's always another clue. Always...

He froze, his eyes snapping open violently. His head snapped up, turning towards the Everfree Forest. This time, his tail didn't shiver: his whole body did, a feeling of icy cold gripping him like a wendigo's embrace.

Fluttershy.

He leapt up from the couch, tore through the door and raced towards Fluttershy's cottage, moving faster than he had in years.

Sitting on the couch in her living room, Fluttershy looked up from her book as there was a clattering from somewhere in the house. "What was that sound?"

Angel, who was dozing heavily, did not react. Fluttershy waited, but she did not hear anything more, so she simply shrugged it off. With a content sigh, she returned to her book.

"Oh, it's so nice and quiet," she sighed happily.

"Not for much longer," a voice behind her snarled. Gasping in shock, Fluttershy looked up to see a black-furred pony wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, as well as a mask that covered the lower half of his face and a set of dark pants standing behind her. Beneath the hood, a pair of bright green eyes glared sinisterly at her.

Fluttershy stared in mounting horror for moment, then turned to run. Immediately, the intruder leaped on her, pinning her to the ground.

"Now listen up," he snarled into the whimpering pegasus' ear, his reeking breath in her face. "You're gonna talk to Monopoly tomorrow. And you're gonna sell. Right?"

"Please..." Fluttershy begged.

Suddenly, the intruder cried out in surprise: Angel, having been awoken by the struggled, had leapt onto the back of his head and started pounding on him as hard as he could, squeaking loudly. With a snarl, the pony seized Angel with one hoof and threw him against the wall. Angel slid to the ground and didn't move again.

"Angel!" Fluttershy cried out in horror.

"Your turn," the intruder growled, seizing her. He slammed her against the wall, then threw her to the floor. Seizing her by the hair with one hoof, he started slapping her in the face with the other.

He paused for a moment, tilting her face to force her to look into his eyes. "You're going to sell your property. In fact, you're gonna sell all of it."

"Please stop," Fluttershy whimpered. "I'll do anything."

"Wrong. You'll do anything, and then I'll stop." With a low, sinister chuckling, the pony pinned her down and pulled a knife out of his pocket. Fluttershy began to sob, shaking. No, no, no, please, please don't let this happen...

Her thoughts were interrupted by a whirring noise. They looked up to see something flying right at the intruder, who didn't duck in time. The object struck him right in the face, knocking him off of Fluttershy. The object, which Fluttershy realized was a boomerang, banked in midair and flew right back into the hoof of its owner.

"Fluttershy, move!" Phillip shouted, leaping onto the intruder. Fluttershy rolled out of the way and went to check on Angel while the two fought each other.

Phillip seized the other pony around the back of the neck and repeatedly brought his face down onto his knee. As he pushed him back up, he pulled back the hood of his sweatshirt, revealing his dirty blonde mane. The intruder glared at Phillip and slipped out of his grasp, shoving him back. Immediately, he grabbed a knife out of his sweatshirt and tossed at Phil, who twisted to avoid it. The knife flew past him and stuck into the wall with a loud thump like a heartbeat, eliciting a startled cry from Fluttershy. The attacker swung wildly at Phillip, who dodged to the side and sent a roundhouse kick to his face, knocking his enemy to the ground. Before he had a chance to get back up, Phillip pounced on him.

"Don't you ever hurt her," he growled in a voice like thunder. "Or anypony else in this town. Not in my town. Do you understand?" The intruder's eyes widened in horror as he stared up at the raging storm before him.

Phillip drew back a hoof and punched the pony beneath him in the face, sending him sprawling to the floor. Lifting him back up, Phillip punched him again: the intruder's nose broke with a loud crunching and blood sprayed out of his face. Growling, Phillip punched him again, and again, and again, grunting fiercely with every blow. The intruder stopped struggling, flinching with every blow.

"Phillip, no!" Fluttershy shouted. Phillip paused and looked up at Fluttershy cringing in the corner, wide-eyed in terror.

"No more violence," she begged softly. "Please?"

He glared down at the disgusting semi-conscious vermin beneath him. It was what he deserved for trying to do what he did...for hurting her...

But the frightened, sky-blue eyes brought him to the realization of what he was thinking, of what he was doing. He shook himself out of whatever state he'd been thrown into, regaining control of himself with a slow breath. Stepping over the feebly groaning body beneath him, he walked over to Fluttershy.

"Are you okay?" he asked, examining her face. There were tears running down her badly bruised and slightly bloodied face and he did not envy the headache she must be having, but she was not seriously injured. She began to sob again, clutching him in a hug. Stiffening in surprise, he patted her on the back reassuringly, checking on Angel over her shoulder. The rabbit was groaning, rubbing his head as he regained consciousness.

There was a noise behind them and they both spun around to see the black-clad intruder running away out of the open window. He disappeared into the trees of the Everfree Forest.

"He's getting away!" Fluttershy cried.

"It's all right," Phillip said, picking up one of the knives. "I've got him. And Monopoly."

Author's Notes:

Something unexpectedly dark for a change; it's rare to see Phillip actually lose control like this. But he's closing in on the trail...