//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: The Carousel Boutique Expansion Project 
// by A Fistful of Apples 
//------------------------------//

I was out getting supplies for Twilight and me, and I took so long because I was chatting with Pinkie Pie at Sugarcube Corner. When I got back to the library which Twilight and I live in, I found the note she left for me, and I read her journal. Well not all of it, just what she told me to read.  I'm not sure what's going on, but whatever it is, it doesn't seem good, and Twilight's the boss so I got to do what she says. She told me to keep a log of what I see and hear, "just in case" so I started doing that too.

I went straight to Carousel Boutique, since I thought that's where Twilight would have gone to, even though she just came from there. When I arrived, it turned out I was right. Rarity had just returned as well, and I hadn't missed anything. At that moment, I was sure I was a very lucky dragon, getting a front row seat to Twilight discovering the truth behind some big mystery. Twilight is the smartest pony in Ponyville, and she'd definitely figure things out. I couldn't believe Rarity was actually doing something wrong. There's probably something else going on here.

"It's good to see you Spike," said Twilight. Rarity just smiled. It didn't look like a happy smile though. 

"I just asked Twilight here what she found out," said Rarity. She didn't look at me, as usual, but instead just stared straight at Twilight. 

There was a pause, and I could practically see the gears in Twilight's mind turning. When she didn't speak up for several moments, I spoke up for her.

"What are you thinking, Twilight?" I asked, hesitant. I was beginning to wonder if maybe Twilight should leave things alone. 

There was another pause. 

"Rarity, why are things such a mess?"

Rarity frowned.  

"I'd rather not say."

"Things being so messy...these things usually bother you. I think they still do."

I could see Rarity's frown deepen. Her eye twitched slightly, and she rubbed the back of her front right leg nervously. 

Twilight took a deep breath before she spoke again.

"I know you've always had a problem with keeping things orderly. All your friends know that. And I know nopony but Fluttershy has seen you since you started construction on your boutique. When she did see you, she said you seemed a bit frazzled. I think you've been trying to work through your problem."

"What problem?" I asked.

"This isn't confirmed I don't think, and I'm not a doctor, but I think Rarity has something called Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder. It would explain a lot of her behaviour."

"Even if that's true, there's nothing wrong with trying to fix one's psychological problems, Twilight," I said. 

"There is if you can't do it on your own. And clearly, Rarity can't. That's why everything is such a mess. She's been trying to fix her problems all on her own, without any guidance. Instead of being preoccupied with order, she's letting everything get as disorderly as it wants, and it's eating her up inside!  Isn't that right, Rarity?"

Rarity nodded, her head movement jerky. She was glaring, and I started to worry for our safety. It was starting to sound like Twilight was saying Rarity was crazy.

I took a few calming breaths. "But...what does any of this have to do with Sweetie Belle? Isn't that the problem you're supposed to be solving?"

There was the briefest of pauses, as Twilight gathered her thoughts. She was so fast, anyone who didn't know her as long as me would assume she didn't need any time to think at all, but just knew it all already.

"Rarity had to take care of Sweetie Belle without any prior warning. Because she'd been trying to allow things to happen without her interference, she went ahead and accepted the responsibility of caring for Sweetie while her parents were away. But Sweetie's quite a handful, she's always getting into things she shouldn't and causing a mess. I bet it was hard for you, Rarity."

Rarity remained silent.

"And I guess eventually, you couldn't take it anymore. But what did you do?"

I gasped. "Are you saying Rarity is the reason Sweetie Belle is missing? That she did something to her own sister? That's crazy, Twilight! I don't believe it!"

"Suppose that I'm right on at least one point, that Rarity has this problem, and she's been trying to work through it herself. We also have to take into account that nopony has seen Sweetie since the day before yesterday, except for Rarity. If you read my journal Spike, you should also know about the evidence on that table, the breakfast stains, and the most recent construction.

"Rarity's obviously not mentally healthy. She should have gone to see a doctor as soon as things weren't getting any better, but she didn't. She just isn't thinking clearly anymore. It's not -" Twilight stopped speaking. Her eyes widened. 

"You...you...oh Rarity."

"What? What is it?!" I asked.

"You killed her," said Twilight. It was almost a whisper. I was low enough that I could hope I misheard. There was no way, it couldn't be true.

"That's why that basement wall is the most recent addition. That's why it's already plastered up. You couldn't have anypony find her, so you hid her body in the wall!"

"No," I said. I wanted to throw up. The room felt like it was spinning. I let my legs fall from under me, and buried my face into my hands. It couldn't be true. I didn't want it to be true.

"And," continued Twilight, still speaking in a low voice. "To help remove suspicion from you, you went to me. Why would the killer be the one to ask for help in solving their own crime? Well, it didn't work. I'm afraid I'm going to have to go to the authorities and tell them. I hope I'm wrong, and when we remove that wall, there's nothing there. But I don't think I am."

"Yes," said Rarity. "I did it."

I felt tears falling down my face. The love of my life had done something...like this. How could this have happened?

"But," continued Rarity. "You've missed a few things."

"Oh?" said Twilight. I could tell from her voice that even through all this, she was interested to learn more.

"I suppose you couldn't be expected to know. I did not bury Sweetie behind a wall to hide a dead body, I buried her behind the wall as a method of removal. She was alive when she was put there, and so was placed out of my way." 

Twilight's legs were trembling in anger as she spoke. 

"She's still dead."

"But Twilight!" I shouted, getting a bit hopeful. "If she was alive when she was put there, maybe she's still alive?! Maybe we can still -" Twilight shook her head.

"Knowing Rarity, that wall was built air-tight. Sweetie would have suffocated by now."

It was like I was hearing the news for the first time again. I liked Sweetie. She and her friends were fun to hang out with sometimes. At that point another thought crossed my mind. How would Apple Bloom and Scootaloo react to this? I didn't want to think about it.

"There's more," said Rarity.

"More?" asked Twilight. "How could there be more?"

"I didn't set you on the case just to help remove suspicion. I also told you to make sure I wouldn't get caught."

"What are you talking about?" asked Twilight. "You have been caught!"

"Because I was trying to get over my problem by not cleaning up and making things neat and orderly, I couldn't very well spend too much time cleaning up the crime scene. That just wouldn't do. But at the same time, I knew if I left it as it was, I would be found out. So I did a little tidying up, but not too much. And to see if I did a good job, I told you Sweetie was missing and for you to find her. You're the most clever pony in town, excessively clever if I may say so, and I knew if you couldn't figure out what happened, nopony could. And if you did, I'd find out what needed to be patched up so I wouldn't be caught by anyone else. In this way, I wouldn't get caught with the least amount of personal interference with the crime scene. So I followed you around all day, as you asked questions and snooped around my boutique. You showed up here again with all the pieces you needed, and just put them all together now. And what luck, you explained the process to me here! You even wrote it down! After this is over, I'll have to go and get that journal of yours."

"You won't get the - "

It happened faster than I could ever expect. If I had blinked at the wrong time, I would have missed it. Rarity had lunged forward, and stabbed Twilight in the neck using her horn. Twilight lunged back, but it was too late, she was already hit. She collapsed. I screamed.

"Twilight!" I shouted. I ran over to her, putting my hands on her wound, trying to stop the bleeding. "How could you?!" I shouted, looking at Rarity. She was smiling.

"She served her purpose," said Rarity. "It doesn't matter what you do Spike, she will die. I know anatomy pretty well you see, the only way she'd survive was if you yourself knew any good healing spells. But even if you did, you're not a unicorn and so can't cast them."

"If I got her to the emergency care centre," I said, trying to pick Twilight up. She was too heavy, I could barely move her.

"It would take too long. She would die on the way."

I collapsed, Twilight's weight being too much for me. I couldn't stop crying, and I could hardly see anything through the tears. It felt like I was choking. I wanted to die.

"Are you going to kill me too?" I asked. I tried to keep the hope out of my voice. At that moment, all I wanted was to stay with Twilight. She was more than my boss, she was my best friend, as close to me as family. I loved her, and I was willing to do anything to stay with her.

"Not yet. You're not done," she said. She took a step forward, and I reflexively moved back, pushing myself against Twilight, who was now making a terrible gurgling sound, probably trying to speak. 

"What do you need me for?" I asked.

Rarity smiled. "To tell the rest of the story, of course!" I didn't understand. She must have noticed, because she continued to speak without me asking what she meant. "After Twilight left the library, I went in and saw that note she left you. She told you to keep a record. Well, I want you to keep a record too. You should write down what happened, and then, I'll kill you."

Twilight's gurgling had finally stopped. I looked over at her. Her eyes were still, and lifeless. I buried my face into her fur, hoping this was all just a bad dream. I don't know how much time passed, but when I realised I wasn't going to wake up from a horrible nightmare, I just nodded. I would do what Rarity said, and I would see Twilight again. There wasn't any fighting it. I'm just a baby dragon, and Rarity has already killed two ponies. I couldn't hope to overpower her, and with my stubby little legs, I couldn't outrun her either.

So I did as I was told. And wrote down what happened here. I don't know why Rarity wants to have this all written down, and I don't really care. I just hope Twilight will forgive me.