Phantom of the Gala

Prologue

Prologue

“Lot 664,” the auctioneer, Photo Finish, said, “a poster from this house's production of Hannibal.” The white maned earth pony was in the old Canterlot Opera House with a couple of other ponies. Since the opera house had burned down years ago, they decided to auction of the little knickknacks they could find in the rubble. “Do I hear 10 bits?” Photo Finish asked. No pony flinched to put up their number. “Fine, five?”

“Five!” a sea green unicorn called out.

“Five,” Photo Finish said. “Six? Seven? Maybe even eight?”

The sea green unicorn put her number down. “Eight!” someone shouted. Everypony looked and saw an elderly purple dragon in a wheelchair.

“Eight it is,” Photo Finish announced. “The Hannibal poster goes to Spike de Dragonne.”

Photo Finish's assistant brought Spike the poster. Spike gave it to his assistant to hold.

“Lot 665, mares and gentlecolts,” she started, “a music box in the shape of a barrel organ. On top of the box is a monkey figure in robes playing the cymbals. This item is still working,” she told them. She then cranked the lever on the side and it started to play music. “Starting at 20 bits. No? Fifteen, fifteen bits.”

“Fifteen!” Spike called out.

Photo Finish looked at the dragon. “Again?” she asked.

Spike nodded and gave her the fifteen bits. They handed him the music box. “A collectors piece indeed,” he said. “Everything exactly as she said.” He cranked the handle. “She often spoke of this. The velvet lining, and everything.”

Photo Finish cleared her throat. “Lot 666, the chandelier in pieces,” she said. “Some of you may recall the strange affairs of the Phantom of the Opera, the mystery never fully explained. We are told that this was the same chandelier that was in the famous disaster. We have restored it so it looks somewhat brand new,” she told them. She then laughed. “Who knows, we may even scare off the ghost of so many years ago with a little light, gentlecolts?”

She gave the signal and the chandelier turned on. It was as if it was still hanging on the ceiling. This made Spike remember the days when it actually was hanging on the ceiling...