Death Note: Equestria

by Nonagon

Initiation

The God of Death must not tell ponies the names or life spans of individuals he/she sees. This is to avoid confusion in the pony world.

Life. This world is full of life.

The god drifted over Ponyville, carried as though on a faint breeze. Everywhere she went, the scent of life was all around her: unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies, all dreaming peacefully. The taste of them filled the air, overpowering, sickening. Her bony wings flapped once as the sun sent its first golden rays over the distant peaks, drawing her to a halt. She sighed. Another fruitless search. Oh well. I should return. She will be expecting me. Slowly, the god rotated in midair and started back the way she had come.

Somewhere in the distance, a rooster crowed. From all around, the sounds of life changed as Ponyville started to wake up. Beneath the god’s hooves a weary blue unicorn stumbled out from inside one of the smaller buildings, yawning loudly. The shinigami leered contemptuously and flapped her wings again, putting more distance between her and the fleshy being below.

Equestria is disgusting.

Colgate felt a chill pass over her as she started her way back to the base. She shivered, making a mental note to make sure she was stocked up for the coming winter. The unicorn yawned and stretched, allowing the morning sun to warm her aching muscles. “Come on, Colgate,” she muttered. “Brand new day.” She forced herself into a lively trot towards the park.

At the park’s entrance Colgate met Twilight, who was looking much more refreshed after last night. She’d packed light, putting only a few essentials into her saddlebags. She’d taken extra care in concealing the Death Note, shrinking it down to the size of a matchbox and weaving it into the hairs in the middle of her tail. Despite its otherworldly properties, the killer notebook seemed to respond normally to magic. “Good morning, Colgate,” Twilight said. “How are you feeling?”

“Sleepy.” The blue pony smiled and yawned loudly. “Don’t know about you, but I had kind of a rough night. Still, it’s good to see you’re feeling better.” The pair began to walk into the park. “Where’s Spike?”

“Still in bed,” Twilight answered. “He had a rough night too. When I tried to wake him he could barely get his eyes open. I already got the directions to the base from him last night, so I figured I’d let him sleep in.” She kept her eyes fixed in front of her as she spoke, not looking in Colgate’s direction. She decided not to mention the state she’d found her little assistant in: passed out on the floor surrounded by ash, many of his belongings missing or charred around him. When I get home, I think he and I need to have a long talk. “Do you know if Rainbow Dash is coming?”

“Not until this afternoon, if at all.” Colgate shook her head. “The nurse said she might be held up for awhile.”

When the two unicorns approached the circular grove of trees, a blue earth pony was waiting for them. “Hi, guys,” Locket said quietly as they came near. “I’ve been stomping, but... maybe I’m not stomping hard enough?” She caught sight of Twilight and gave her best attempt at a friendly smile. “Nice to meet you, Twilight,” she said, extending a hoof shyly. “Properly, I mean. I’m Locket.”

“Nice to meet you too, Locket,” Twilight said warmly, shaking the proffered hoof. The blue pony failed to hide a wince at her touch, and refused to look her in the eye. Wow, she’s sensitive, the unicorn noted. I wonder what L sees in her? Behind her, Colgate stomped twice and the hidden trapdoor sprang open. The earth pony blushed and led the way down into the darkness.

While the two blue ponies were relatively somber as they entered the base, Twilight was as jumpy as a schoolfilly. “Oh, wow!” she exclaimed, her eyes widening at the complex arrays of desks and screens. “All this was underneath Ponyville the whole time? That’s so cool!”

Jazz stood in his usual spot next to the giant abacus, but stepped forward to greet the trio. He’d swapped out his checkered jacket for an older green one with white stripes running in a plaid pattern, and a rare smile graced his face. “Greetings, Twilight Sparkle,” he said. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Oh my gosh!” Twilight ran past the older pony and stared in wonder at the massive device in the middle of the room. “Is that a mark five analytical engine with crystal compatibility?”

Instead of being impressed by the young mare’s knowledge, a look of faint irritation passed over Jazz’s face. “Yes,” he said more gruffly. “Her name is Minty. I am her operator.” He gave the slightest of bows. “My name is Jazz. It seems we’ll be working together for the time being.”

“She’s beautiful,” Twilight sighed, her eyes sparkling.

From the far end of the room there was a cough. L sat in her usual chair, Bon Bon by her side. A plate of half-eaten candied fruits lay on the desk beside her, next to a stack of paper nearly an inch thick.

“L.” Colgate trotted over to the seated mare’s side. Twilight followed, at a slower pace. “You’re looking well,” the blue pony said darkly.

L nodded. “Bon Bon made me take a bath,” she said. She glanced over her shoulder at the creamy mare, and something unreadable passed between them. “And she got soap in my eyes,” she added.

Bon Bon laughed. “Hush, you,” she said, tousling the unicorn’s mane. “We have guests.”

“Indeed.” The mare turned her penetrating gaze back to Twilight. “Twilight Sparkle. I’m certain I don’t need to tell you the dangers of joining us. Are you prepared?”

“Yes.” The unicorn nodded. “I am.” You have no idea how ready I am, L. Are you? She smiled brightly up at the detective, her eyes sparkling. “For my friends, for the Princess... and for Equestria.” I’m going to kill you.

“Then let’s begin.” L turned sharply away and gestured to the papers on the desk. “You have a lot of catching up to do.”

The morning passed slowly. They started with a tour of the base, allowing Twilight to choose her room and eat a sickeningly sugar-filled breakfast. After a brief demonstration of Minty’s capabilities, she was sat down in the corner of the main chamber and given a pile of documents to go over at her own pace.

Twilight skimmed over the pages she’d been given. For the most part they were purely factual, lists of names and dates with short descriptions in the more unusual cases. There was nothing in here that Twilight didn’t already know, having planned or experienced most of it firsthoof, and L didn’t seem to be withholding any information from her. Still, she went over each page slowly and carefully, pretending to be absorbing the knowledge for the first time. In place of that, she spent her time watching the ponies around her.

Though she’d been seated facing towards the wall, the reflective stratoscreen in front of her allowed Twilight a fair view of everything that was going on behind her. Her eyes landed on Byuk. Despite his obvious excitement he’d been mercifully quiet all morning, choosing to follow the unicorn from a distance rather than lurk directly behind her. He now hovered over the giant abacus and stared down towards L, a faint grin on his face. You can see her name, can’t you? Twilight thought bitterly. You could end this conflict right now, if you wanted to. There’s no rule saying you can’t. But no, that would spoil your precious game. She rolled her eyes. Of all the gods from all the worlds, I had to get the one who wants to play fair...

At the base of the abacus stood Jazz. The stiff way he held himself combined with his complete lack of motion made him seem more like part of the facility than a real pony. Do I know him? Twilight wondered. He seemed to recognize me. Of course, a lot of ponies recognize me. Maybe he worked at one of the schools in Canterlot.

On the far side of the room Locket sat in front of her own set of stratoscreens, each tuned to a different news station. That seems to be her function, Twilight noted dryly. It could be that’s all she’s good for. Now that I think of it, I’m sure I’ve seen her around Ponyville all the time. But until she introduced herself, I had no idea who she was. Maybe that’s why L keeps her around.

Towards the middle of the room Colgate paced back and forth. She looked nervously from side to side, occasionally biting her lip. This isn’t the kind of life you expected, is it? Twilight thought sympathetically. Don’t worry. Your heart’s in the right place, even if you’re working for the wrong side. You’re still my friend, no matter what. She sighed. Maybe I can save you. But no promises.

From the direction of the entrance there came a loud knocking. Colgate glanced over at a screen set into the wall beside the door, then telekinetically pulled the lever that released the trapdoor. A few seconds later a wall-eyed pegasus flew into the base, fresh from her morning mail route. She gave a cheery wave and settled into a chair next to Locket. Ditzy Doo... no, Spike said to call her Derpy Hooves now. Is that her alias? Or did she change her name? These titles are confusing. Twilight shook her head. The question is, what’s she doing here? Even Locket has her uses, but Derpy is... derpy. Maybe L’s just desperate for help after all.

In the corner of the room nearest Twilight, L and Bon Bon sat together. The detective sat sprawled in her usual position, going over her own thick stack of documents and making notes in the margins. From time to time she would levitate a piece of candied fruit to her mouth and suck on it for awhile before spitting the now-sugarless lump back onto the plate. Each time she did this, Bon Bon would dart forward and dab gently at her mouth with a napkin. The sight brought a smile to Twilight’s lips, one that she quickly suppressed. Quite the motherly type, she noted with forced detachment as the cream-coloured mare sat down again. I guess it’s safe to assume she’s the legendary Sideline. Not quite what I was expecting. And speaking of not what I expected...

L. Twilight shook her head in irritation. It didn’t make sense. The cold, calculating, brilliant detective that she’d been facing up until this point didn’t match up with the slovenly mare-child in the other corner. Something doesn’t add up here. There’s something I’m not seeing. Maybe it will make sense when I see her in action.

Mentally shrugging, Twilight returned to her work and turned to the next page in the report. She stared at the text for a few seconds, blinking. Really? She’s just going to tell me this? She glanced up at the green detective, who seemed to be ignoring her. Okay, I know I can safely react to this. “L...” Twilight stood up and turned towards the mint unicorn. It wasn’t difficult for her to look hurt. “You spied on me?”

Colgate froze. Locket gasped and then hunched over, pretending not to have heard. Even Jazz blushed and looked slightly to the side. L, however, was as static as always. “Yes, Twilight, we did,” she replied, not looking up from her papers. “You were the primary suspect in our investigation. We took the necessary steps to determine your level of involvement.”

“But... but you...” Twilight raised the stack of papers in front of her face and read from them. “You had me followed? You put cameras in my home? You watched me while I was...” Memory returned and the unicorn felt her face flush bright red. “...sleeping?” she squeaked.

“That is the kind of work we do,” L answered. “Finding Kira is our number one priority. Sometimes, other rights have to be put aside for us to reach that goal. If you truly wish to remain with us, I ask that you learn to accept that with some haste.”

“Twilight...” another voice broke into the conversation. Twilight slowly turned to the third unicorn in the group. Colgate hung her head, deep shame written on her face. “I’m sorry,” the police pony breathed. “I’m so, so sorry. But Harpy seemed so certain, and I really wanted to clear your name, and...” She sniffed, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “And we did a terrible thing.”

“It’s okay, Colgate.” Twilight trotted towards her friend and pulled her into a hug. The blue pony leaned heavily against her. “I’m not happy about this,” she continued, “but I’m not mad either. You did what you thought you had to do, and I forgive you. Thank you for standing up for me.”

“Thanks, Twilight.” Colgate smiled. “At least some good came out of it. We know for sure that you’re not Kira.”

“Possibly.” L finally put her papers down and turned her piercing gaze towards the pair. “I am not yet altogether convinced.”

“What?” The blue pony raised her head, her eyes narrowing. She pulled away from Twilight and stared accusingly at the detective. “You mean after all that’s happened, after all we’ve seen, after all she’s been through, that you still suspect Twilight?”

“Correct. Twilight Sparkle remains the pony who most strongly matches our current model of Kira. And while Diamond Edge’s methods were questionable, she was correct in divining that the circumstances regarding Sharp Star’s death are suspicious.” L put her hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “It is not very likely,” she admitted. “There is only a ten percent, no, closer to five percent chance that Twilight Sparkle is Kira. But that is still five to ten percent higher than any other pony we’ve investigated.”

Colgate edged closer to her friend and glowered. A low growl sounded in the back of her throat. L stared back, her expression immovably placid. Twilight found her gaze drifting back and forth between them. They’ve been arguing over me this entire time! she realized. But what do I do? Think, think... Slowly, she reached down and took Colgate’s hoof in her own. The blue pony blinked, surprised. “Let’s not argue,” Twilight said gently. “Arguing is what drives ponies apart. We can’t afford that right now. And L,” she continued, turning to the seated pony, “I understand if you’re suspicious of me. I hope that by working with you I can get closer to clearing my name. I’d just hate for any misconceptions to hold us back while we search for the real Kira. So please, both of you, can we not fight about this so long as we’re working together?” She smiled hopefully and looked back and forth between the two unicorns.

There was a reflective moment of silence, broken by a yell. “L!” Locket’s voice rang out across the room, panic evident in her tone. “Um, I’m really, really sorry for interrupting, but there’s something on the news that you really need to see.”

The detective let out another sigh. She glanced at Twilight again, then swiveled around and turned the nearest stratoscreen to the Ponyville news. A trembling pink pegasus stood on his own in an otherwise empty newsroom, reading from a piece of paper held high in front of his face. “I-I would l-like to take the opportunity t-to remind everypony watching,” he stammered, “that everypony in this station is being held h-hostage. Every one of us faces d-death if we do not comply with Kira’s demands.”

From behind the camera, the station manager nodded and smiled encouragingly. While the rest of the technical crew were having trouble keeping themselves together, Crew Cut had to restrain himself from cackling with glee. That’s right, Highlight, really sell it! he cheered internally. This will get ponies watching for sure. If we play it right, this windfall will raise our ratings one hundred percent! ...no, one hundred and twenty percent!

In the base, the seven ponies crowded around the stratoscreen. Twilight frowned, pulling herself into a chair. What demands? she wondered. I didn’t send any demands to anypony. This has to be a joke or a fake.

Beside her, Colgate’s amused snort summed up her feelings accurately. “Ignore it,” the police pony scoffed. “This is just Crew Cut trying one of his stupid publicity stunts. I’ve had to lecture him before about honesty in the media.”

“Quiet,” L ordered. “Until we can verify that that is the case, we must assume that this threat is genuine.” Her eyes lit up with interest for the first time that day. “Which would be very, very interesting,” she mused.

Onscreen, Highlight was slowly holding up a cheap recording crystal, his body language suggesting he was afraid it might jump up and bite him. “Th-this first crystal named several criminals who were to be killed by Kira. In the time since we r-received this recording, every single one of them h-has died of heart attacks.” The pegasus gulped. “It also left s-specific instructions to play the second crystal at exactly one minute to noon on this day. We have not listened to or altered the recording in any way. We will play it n-now.”

Highlight nodded frantically to another pony off-camera. As he started to run to the side, the screen faded to black. Twilight checked her watch; nearly one minute to noon. “Do you really think this is real?” she asked aloud. “I know if it’s fake, it’s in really bad taste.”

Colgate fidgeted. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I don’t think even Crew Cut would stoop this low.”

L nodded. “But if they are telling the truth,” she concluded, “this is definitely something that only Kira could do.”

Twilight frowned. But how? That could only mean that... that somewhere in Equestria... She quickly clamped her mouth shut to cut off a gasp.

There’s another Death Note.

There was a click. Crackling, grainy sound began to play. In place of an image, the word Kira faded onto the screen in blood-red letters. There was a cough, and then a deep, echoing voice began to speak. “Hello, everypony,” it boomed. The method of distortion was not as sophisticated as the one that L used, but it was effective; the result sounded imposing and unnatural. “I am Kira.”

“If this recording is being played at the time that I asked for, then a bad pony is about to die. Please turn your screens to the Canterlot Gold news station.”

“We can do better than that,” Crew Cut muttered. He waved his hooves at the crystal operators behind him. “Hey! Bring up Canterlot Gold!”

Kira’s name disappeared from the screen and was replaced by a news report from Canterlot. The reporter Sensation Shine stood in the middle of an otherwise empty street, holding a microphone up to her face. “This tragedy is just one of many happening throughout Equestria these past few weeks,” she said gravely. She opened her mouth to continue, but whatever she meant to say next was lost as a tremor ran through her. Her determined expression was replaced by one of terror, and her lips moved soundlessly for a moment before she collapsed to the cobblestones.

Locket squealed and put her hoof to her mouth. “I knew her,” she whimpered. “I got her autograph the last time I was in Canterlot. She was a good pony. She was a good pony...”

The screen cut to black. Kira’s name once again appeared. “Sensation Shine was a bad reporter,” the disguised voice boomed. “She spread anti-Kira sentiments and encouraged ponies to stand up against Kira. To stand against Kira is to stand against justice. Her punishment is death.”

Twilight trembled in fury. What is this idiot doing? she seethed. Did he just kill an innocent pony for saying bad things about me? That’s not what I do! That’s not what I stand for!

“There is another pony who is deserving of the same punishment. She too has spread lies and slandered the name of Kira. Everypony, please turn your screens to the Ponyville Amber station.”

Amber? That’s... Twilight froze. Her eyes widened. Oh no.

The blood-red name vanished a second time. A new scene replaced it, this time interrupting the middle of the midday weather report. Sunny Days stood in front of a large map of Equestria covered in felt suns and rain clouds. She had turned very pale, but was otherwise unharmed. She stood stock-still for a few seconds before turning and bolting offscreen.

Derpy, who had hidden her eyes behind her hooves, peeked out at the sound of running. “Is the little weather girl okay?” she asked in a trembling voice. Nopony answered.

When it became apparent that nothing more was going to happen, the screen cut to black once more and returned to Kira’s name. “By now there should be no doubt in your mind that I am Kira,” the deep voice said. “I have a message to share with Equestria. I hope that you will listen and understand it.

“I am not an evil pony. I only wish to create a world where justice prevails, where the good ponies of Equestria can live safe and free. If you are a good pony, if you love justice and believe in the values of love and tolerance, then you have nothing to fear from me. I will cherish and protect you from those who would do you harm. Please, don’t think of me as your enemy, but your friend.”

Colgate stomped angrily. “This is pure propaganda,” she growled. “We have to stop this broadcast, right now!”

“It’s too late,” L said calmly. “We have no means of contacting the hub station. By the time we reach them, the broadcast will have ended.”

“However...” The voice darkened. “There is no place in this world for those who do not believe in justice. Anypony who tries to stop me is stopping this new, perfect world from taking form. Those who try to catch me will be swiftly and rightfully dealt with. This is why I ask that the governing agencies of Equestria work with me, not against me. Instead of wasting your lives trying to catch me, help me bring a peaceful Equestria into the light. Broadcast the names and faces of criminals so that I can bring justice to them. Do not try to hide yourselves, and do not try to protect the wicked. There are none who can hide from the eyes of the Gods of Death!”

L fell out of her chair.

Bon Bon screamed and rushed to the detective’s side, shoving the others out of the way. “Harpy, are you all right?” she breathed, cradling the unicorn’s head in her hooves. “Harpy, speak to me!”

“G-Gods of Death...” A long shudder ran through the green pony’s body. She stared upwards, her eyes wide and her lips trembling. “Are we really meant to believe in Gods of Death?”

“It’s just a name, L,” Twilight said, steadying herself in her seat. “It doesn’t mean anything.” She stared down at the fallen pony in equal parts shock and confusion. Except it’s not just a name, she reminded herself. It’s a message.

The noise from the stratoscreen had stopped. There was a sound like heavy breathing, then a pause. “Oh! Um, and one last thing. I would like to invite all the friends of Kira to come to the front of the Ponyville hub station for a celebration. Attendance isn’t mandatory, but I hope that everypony who’s available will come out to show their support. That’s... I think that’s all. Have a nice day, everypony!”

With a final click the screen fell into complete silence. Instantly L leaped up from the floor and swung herself into her chair. Her expression returned to its naturally blank state and she stared around at the others as though nothing had happened. “Colgate, you are about to suggest something,” she barked.

“Uh...” The blue unicorn blinked a few times, then sighed and settled into a more serious state. “For whatever reason, Kira’s just tried to stir up a flash mob. Nothing good can come of this. It’s my responsibility to get down there and put a stop to this before somepony gets hurt.” She turned and started towards the door, then paused and glanced over her shoulder. “Unless you’d prefer that I stayed in the base?” she said acidly.

L shook her head. “No. By all means, go.” She looked away and levitated another candied fruit towards her. “Frankly, I’m surprised you’re still here.”

With a thinly-disguised look of disgust, Colgate galloped towards the door and out of the complex. Locket watched her leave with a worried expression. “Shouldn’t we go with her?” she asked.

“No.” L took a tiny bite of a sugar-coated slice of peach and turned back to the stratoscreen. “Colgate needs this right now. Let her do her job while we do ours. If a crowd does gather, there are sure to be news cameras. We can observe the proceedings from here.”

In the small clubhouse on the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, three fillies lay sprawled in front of their own stratoscreen. As the word Kira faded from the treated stone for the final time and the screen fell into blackness, the tiny pegasus pulled herself to her hooves and looked around expectantly. "What do you think, guys?" Scootaloo asked. "Should we go?"

Apple Bloom looked uncertain. "Ah don't know," she said. "This is big, serious business. Maybe we shouldn't get involved."

"Aw, come on!" the orange filly cried. "We've been called out! Everypony's going to be there. Sweetie Belle, you're coming, right?" She nudged the young unicorn, who was staring blankly into space. "Hey. Sweetie Belle?"

"Huh?" Sweetie Belle blinked. Her mind was far away. Something was wrong with the big ponies, she was sure. Mom and Dad had taken her home and put her in bed very early last night. From their faces she could tell that something was wrong, but they wouldn't say what. Ever since then lots of ponies had been staring at her when they thought she wasn't looking. She'd heard a lot of whispering around her as she'd made her way to the clubhouse that morning, and she was sure she'd heard her sister's name a few times. Uncertainty and confusion were laying heavily on her young mind. Is there something they're not telling me? Is everything okay? Is Rarity okay? Is my big sister okay?

"Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo poked her, finally snapping the filly out of her trance. "Wow, you were like a million miles away. Everything all right?"

"Um... I'm okay." Sweetie Belle blinked a few times to clear her head. She decided to not trouble her friends with her worries until she had a better idea of what was going on. "What were we talking about?"

"I was asking if you were coming to Kira's party at the hub station."

"Ew, no." The unicorn wrinkled her nose in disgust. "My sister says Kira's a very bad pony. I don't want anything to do with him."

"What? How could she say that? Kira's awesome! He protects the weak and punishes the evil. Just like Batmane! Only real!"

"I don't care." Sweetie Belle shook her head. "He's still a bad pony. I say we don't go."

"And I say we do." Scootaloo nodded and turned to the third pony in the group. "Down to you, Apple Bloom. What do you want to do?"

"Well..." The earth pony filly scratched her head thoughtfully. "Ah don't know if Ah'm the best pony to ask, but... mah big sister says that since Kira came along, ponies don't go scrumpin' in our fields as much as they used to. So Ah guess that's... a good thing?"

Scootaloo smiled and stretched out her stubby wings triumphantly. "Two to one! Let's go." She looked back. "You sure you don't want to come, Sweetie Belle?"

The little unicorn sighed in defeat. "I'll go," she said. "But only because you two are going."

"Good enough for me." The fillies picked up their helmets, and seconds later were on their way into town.

The Ponyville hub station was an impressive sight from the outside. The circular, windowless building stretched over four stories tall, rivalling the town hall in terms of size, and was decorated with pillars and arches painted in all colours of the rainbow. A gigantic stratoscreen stretched across the wall over the main entrance, currently showing footage from the newsponies gathered outside. The building's construction had resulted in a whole new district springing up about it, and the large, empty area in front of it was now known as the North Square. More than fifty ponies had already gathered in this area as the Cutie Mark Crusaders rolled up, with countless more arriving alongside them. Scootaloo carefully parked the wagon in an empty corner and the trio made their way into the crowd.

The atmosphere was tense. Ponies stood tightly packed together, speaking in hushed voices and furtive glances. "This isn't what I expected," Scootaloo admitted as she led her friends through the crowd. Ponies gave the fillies worried glances as they passed. "This isn't a party. It's more like a... a..."

"A secret meeting?" Apple Bloom suggested. "A waiting room? A crime scene? A funeral?"

The pegasus gave her friend a sideways glance. "What are you, a dictionary?"

"Hey!" Sweetie Belle interrupted, a smile springing to her face. "It's miss Colgate!" She pushed her way towards the building, pausing slightly to let her friends follow her.

At the entrance to the hub station, Colgate pounded angrily on the heavy front door. "This is the police!" she yelled. "I need to speak to your manager! You have to let me inside!"

"S-sorry, lady," came a muffled voice from inside. "I can't do that. Orders!" There was some hushed discussion. "If Kira doesn't kill us, Crew Cut will!"

Colgate ground her teeth in irritation. I could probably kick this door in if I tried, she thought, but it sounds like there are a few of them inside. I wonder how many I can knock out before it becomes police brutality... She hid her angered expression as she caught sight of a tiny unicorn making her way towards her. "Girls!" she cried as the Cutie Mark Crusaders came into view. "What are you doing here?"

"We're here for Kira!" Scootaloo yelled, pushing her way to the front. "What's going on? Isn't this supposed to be a celebration?"

Colgate shook her head gravely. "No, girls. This isn't a party, it's a trap. You all need to go home, right now." Seeing Scootaloo's defiant expression, something inside of her snapped. "And who do you think you are, supporting Kira? Your mother must be very disappointed in you, young lady."

"Hey!" A burly stallion with a wide moustache and headband broke away from the crowd and stomped his way up to Colgate. "You say something bad about Kira?" he huffed, knives in his eyes.

“Yes. Yes I did.” Colgate returned the stallion’s glare with equal intensity. “Good ponies have died because of Kira. How dare you come here to support him!”

“Oh yeah? As if the police have been doing any better!” The stallion snorted and gave Colgate a shove, knocking her against the door. “Where were you when my cousin was being terrorized by some knife-wielding maniac at a restaurant last week, huh? Huh?”

Before the police-pony could respond, another pony joined in the shouting. “And where were you when the town drunk was holding up Davenport’s store?”

“And where were you during those awful murders yesterday?”

“And where were you when those fillies were kidnapped by a golem?”

“I was right there!” Colgate screamed. This quieted the crowd down for a second. Hearing the commotion, several of the camera-ponies pushed their way forwards and focused their lenses on her. She bristled furiously. “Look, I can’t be everywhere at once. Thanks to the Kira investigation, I haven’t had the time-”

“The Kira investigation!” The moustached stallion guffawed. “Seems to me like Kira’s the one who’s been doing your job for you. Seems to me like we’re better off without you!” He reared up and gave her another shove, sending her slamming into the heavy wooden doors a second time. The impact knocked the wind out of her, sending her tumbling to her knees. The crowd cheered, launching into a stream of taunts and jeers. A few of the more industrious ponies started to ask around if anypony had thought to bring tomatoes.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders huddled together near the base of the building. They watched as Colgate pulled herself up to her hooves, only to be pushed down again by the pony with a moustache. “This ain’t right,” Apple Bloom mumbled.

Scootaloo shook her head. “Not cool,” she agreed. “I don’t care if it is for Kira. Seriously not cool.”

Sweetie Belle’s lip trembled. Colgate had been the one to help her out of the forest after the golem incident, who’d held her and made sure that she was okay. Seeing the moustached pony knock her to the ground a third time sent a rush of fear and anger flooding through the filly. “What would Rarity do?” she whispered.

Rarity would stand up for her friends.

Determination lit up the young unicorn’s face. She stepped away from her friends and took a deep breath, then yelled as loud as she could. "Kira's a bully!"

The ponies immediately surrounding her went silent. "Huh?" The moustached pony looked away from Colgate and stared contemptuously down at Sweetie Belle. "Quiet, little filly," he said. "Big ponies are talking."

"No!" the little unicorn huffed, her voice growing in volume. "Kira's just a big, dumb bully who pushes other ponies around to get what he wants."

More ponies were starting to stare. Scootaloo fidgeted as her friend's loud voice brought more attention to them. "Sweetie Belle, be quiet," she whispered, nudging her friend with her hoof. "You're gonna get us in trouble."

Instead of answering, Sweetie Belle stood up a little straighter. Before anypony could react she leaped into the air, landing daintily on the moustached pony’s back. He nearly bucked her off but hesitated, unable to bring himself to strike a little girl. "Real friends care about what their friends think," she continued. To her delight she saw several of the cameras in the crowd point towards her. Her image now appeared on the giant screen on the station itself, broadcasting her words clearly across the square. "Kira never asked what we wanted. He just started killing and told us that we had to be okay with it, or else! And now he says that if we don't help him, he'll start hurting us, too! No real friend would do that. Kira's just trying to scare us into helping him. Just like a bully does!"

The moustached pony twisted his head around. “This is nothing like that!” he yelled.

“Oh yeah?” Sweetie Belle turned and pointed to her two friends, who were standing uncertainly by Colgate’s side. The police-pony had righted herself and was looking up at the filly proudly. “Scootaloo thinks that Kira’s a good pony. I think he’s a bad pony. But even though we don’t agree, it doesn’t mean we’re not friends any more. Right, Scootaloo?”

The little pegasus looked around hesitantly, but then stepped forward and beamed up towards her friend. “Yeah!” she agreed. “We’re not going to let a difference of opinion come between us.”

“That’s right!” Apple Bloom joined in. “What kind of pony would pretend to be your friend, only to hurt you when you do something he don’t like? A bully! Like Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon!” From towards the back of the crowd there came a loud and petulant sigh, closely followed by another, slightly quieter one.

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle concluded. She turned back to survey the still-growing assembly sternly. “So why are you all really here? Do you really think it’s a good idea to pick on a nice pony like miss Colgate? Or is Kira turning all of you into bullies too?”

All across the square, ponies shuffled and looked down at their hooves. "I'm only here because I was afraid not to come," one mare admitted.

Beside her, another pony looked at the ground. "Me too," she agreed.

"Hey, isn't she the sister of the one who killed Pinkie Pie?" a stallion near the back yelled.

The little unicorn blinked. "Huh?"

All around her, the world appeared to grind to a halt. The voices surrounding her faded. Gears clashed painfully inside her head, unable to process the one thought that now seemed to fill her entire universe. Rarity killed...?

Sweetie Belle

The last thing Sweetie Belle was aware of was that she could no longer breathe. Then her legs gave way beneath her and she found herself falling into darkness.

There was absolute silence in the crowd for a moment as the filly toppled over. Her body gave the tiniest of thuds as it hit the ground. The moustached pony craned his neck to see what had happened, not immediately comprehending, then let out a shrill shriek and bolted away into the crowd. Following his lead, a mare screamed, then another, and in seconds the whole crowd was in panic. Ponies staggered back and forth, pushing against each other. Those at the edge of the crowd fidgeted and stomped in place, nopony wanting to be the first to break away.

Colgate gritted her teeth and galloped into the crowd. The two remaining Cutie Mark Crusaders stood by in shock. "Sweetie Belle?" Scootaloo mumbled. She took a tentative step forward and prodded her friend's body with her hoof. "Sweetie Belle, get up." She knelt down and started to push on the little unicorn with her front legs. Behind her, Apple Bloom trembled violently in place. "Sweetie Belle, get up!" Scootaloo screamed. "You have to get up! You have to get up!"

The nearest camera-pony gritted his teeth. A tear ran down the side of his face, but he steadied himself against the moving crowd and secured his camera across his shoulder. He trained it carefully on the three fillies, zooming in as the little pegasus gave up pushing and wrapped her friend's body in a tight embrace. "Murderer!" she screamed into the air, overpowering even the panicked shouts of the crowd. "Murderer!"

Fluttershy dropped her pencil.

The yellow mare stared at her screen in slack-mouthed shock. She was alone in her spare bedroom, the only place in her tiny house without little animals filling every corner. A cheap stratoscreen lay propped up against the wall across from her. On the desk before her was a black notebook, open to the first page.

Murderer.

As the pegasus filly screamed, Fluttershy found a memory bubbling unstoppably towards the surface. She watched helplessly as her mind's eye jumped backwards, beyond her control, and settled on a night several weeks in the past.

It had been a night like any other. She'd bathed and fed all the animals who lived with her, woken up the nocturnal critters who sometimes had a hard time getting out of bed, then settled down and prepared for a long night's rest. There had been no sign that anything was amiss. In retrospect, there was nothing that she could have done.

Nothing at the time, anyway.

She'd been woken by a loud clattering from downstairs. There was a sharp cry, and several of the animals in the front room started to yell in panic. At record speed she'd roused herself and rushed downstairs, not even bothering to turn on any lights as she ran. She’d burst into her front room at top speed, only then pausing to light an emergency lantern by the door. The noise had grown louder, surrounding her with all manner of shrieks, hoots and tiny squeaks. “What’s wrong?” she’d called, trying not to sound panicked. “Little critters? Angel? What’s happen-”

That’s when she’d seen the mess.

It wasn’t very much. Beds and food trays had been kicked roughly aside, forming a path of disorder from her open door to the kitchen, marked by a trail of individual dark hoofprints. She could make out the silhouette of a pony going through her cupboards in the next room, but this wasn't what caught her attention. In the middle of the floor lay a tiny lump of red, not much bigger than a hoofprint, crushed beyond recognition. But around the edges, barely illuminated by the flickering light of the lantern, there were untouched traces of pure, pearly-white fur.

The ensuing scream had caused most of Ponyville to wake up in a blind panic. In fact, there were even stories of a haunting cry that had echoed round the streets of Canterlot that night, and a sharp-eared pony in Fillydelphia had found herself trembling violently for no discernible reason.

She’d chased that thief all night, following him out her back window and across the plains around Ponyville, and even a little ways into the Everfree Forest before finally losing sight of him. And all the while as she’d flown, she’d never once stopped screaming. “Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!”

Murderer.

Fluttershy shook her head, bringing herself fully back to the present. The screaming from the stratoscreen continued. “Mer,” she mumbled, holding back tears, “am I a murderer?”

“No, Fluttershy,” an icy voice hissed. “It was the right thing to do.” A set of pearly white claws reached down and picked up the pencil from where it had fallen. The god held it in front of Fluttershy, who obediently took it in her mouth. “You must be strong, little pony,” Mer continued, whispering into the pegasus’ ear. “Remember what I have taught you. There can be no hesitation. There are only those who would aid you, and those who would stand in your way.”

Still trembling, Fluttershy nodded. “Is the world a better place now?” she asked.

“Yes, Fluttershy.” A claw traced its way down her mane. “Thanks to you, the world is a better place.”

At the base, Twilight felt her blood run cold. Too far. This is too far. She turned in place and started for the door.

"Everypony, stay here." Something had shifted in L's voice, but it wasn't anger or fear. "If we rush in unprepared, we will only share that poor filly's fate."

Locket raised one of her hind legs and pointed in panic; both of her front ones were being clung to desperately by Derpy. "Then what do you want us to do? What about Colgate? We have to get her out of there!"

"How many times must I remind you to not worry about Colgate?" L shook her head. "Only a few ponies in Ponyville are familiar with her real name. She should be safe from Kira's effects. Indeed, if Kira is somehow able to kill her, she will have narrowed down our range considerably."

Fluttershy's eyes burned.

Everything she saw glowed a faint red. Her vision had improved greatly, though she couldn't tell to what degree. There were no outward signs that anything was different, but as soon as the shinigami’s hoof had touched her eyes, everything had changed. She stared at the propped-up stratoscreen intently, constantly looking from pony to pony, pencil at the ready between her teeth.

Above the heads of everypony she saw was a name and a number. Countless dozens flickered in and out of focus on the screen as ponies turned away and towards the camera. The numbers were nonsensical to her, long clusters of around ten digits that shifted and changed with no obvious pattern. Mer had said that the shinigami measured time differently to ponies, so only a god of death would be able to make sense of the countdown. The names, however, were written in a clear, flowing script, a series of glowing white lines floating just above each pony's ears. Her eyes flicked from name to name, constantly searching.

The camera had drifted away from the two fillies still bawling over their friend. Instead it was following the blue unicorn who her loyal followers had been mocking earlier. “Everypony, stay calm!” the police-pony shouted. “Stop moving before anypony gets trampled! Please, don’t panic!” She turned and pointed straight at the screen. “You! Get those cameras out of here!” The camera-pony said something unintelligible, but the unicorn brushed it off. “Kira can rot in Tartarus for all I care! Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage already?

An icy cold breath skimmed along the back of Fluttershy’s neck. “There is still time,” Mer whispered. “This mare will ruin everything. You must stop her.”

Fluttershy’s eyes narrowed. She stared at the furious policemare with an otherworldly intensity. Her name was spelled out clearly in front of her. Romana. Not Colgate. Romana. She leaned forwards and pressed the tip of her pencil against the notebook.

Roma

A loud crash made her jerk her head upwards. The camera had jumped away from the blue pony and up towards the giant stratoscreen on the building above the crowd. A gigantic plume of smoke rose from the center of the screen as it loudly cracked in half, sending shards of the treated stone raining down onto the ponies below. Screams filled the air once more. Then a bolt of bright green light lit up Fluttershy’s screen for a split second, and the entire image turned to black.

Fluttershy gasped. “Oh dear,” she mumbled, tapping the screen gently. When the live feed from the north square failed to return, she turned the screen off and stood up shakily. She trotted over to her shelf and picked up a pair of binoculars. They had been given to her by Twilight for her last birthday. The unicorn had meant for them to be used for birdwatching, and Fluttershy hadn’t had the heart to remind her that there wasn’t a bird for miles around that wouldn’t come directly up to her willingly. She pulled the strap around her neck and took off out of her window, soaring as fast as she dared in the direction of Ponyville.

As the pegasus flew, she took a moment to reflect on the events of the afternoon so far. Everything was going so well. I hope Kira will be proud of me. But... what could have cracked the screen and broken all the cameras like that? She tried to think of where she had seen a bright green light like that before. Was that... a fireball?

Spike stepped over the smoldering remains of the hub station’s door. The trio of ponies who’d been guarding the main lobby were now cowering behind the desk at the far end of the room. He took a step towards them, eliciting squeals of fright from all three. “Where is Crew Cut?” the little dragon growled. Simultaneously, three hooves pointed to the left.

It took Spike less than a minute to find the main studio. As soon as he walked inside, Crew Cut pushed his way in front of him. “Just what do you think you’re doing here?” he demanded. “This is private property! You have no authorization-”

“Give me all the crystals that Kira sent you,” Spike interrupted. His words had changed in tone, sounding more like a growl than a normal speaking voice. “And any copies you made, too.”

“Or what?” The earth pony raised himself up proudly, standing a full head and shoulders over the baby dragon. “I should have you thrown out right this minute. Highlight! Deal with this miscreant.”

Spike roared. The noise echoed loudly around the soundproof room, sending the remaining ponies diving behind desks and equipment. A plume of black smoke leaped out from the back of Spike’s throat, completely enveloping Crew Cut and bowling the large pony over. The little dragon coughed and wiped his mouth on his arm. “That could have been fire,” he grunted. “Argue with me again and it will be.” He cocked his head to the side and looked at the shocked station manager’s flank. “I see your cutie mark is a megaphone. That’s appropriate. You seem like a real loudmouth.”

The brown pony backed away in fear. “Highlight!” he yelled desperately. He turned around just in time to catch his brightly-coloured assistant leading the rest of the technical crew in a mad rush out the back door. He looked back at Spike and gulped. “You don’t understand,” he tried. “We’re under orders. Kira will kill us if we don’t do what he says!”

Spike snorted. “If you don’t do what I say, I’ll kill you right now.” He took another deep breath. Crew Cut paled and galloped towards the technician’s booth, letting out a frightened whinny as he ran. Spike grinned. “And while you’re there,” he called, “get me a camera.”

L ran her hoof up and down the side of the stratoscreen. “Well,” she observed, “that appears to be the end of that.” She turned the screen off and swiveled around to face her companions. “Shall we discuss this?”

They were not a pretty sight. Twilight Sparkle sat morosely in her own seat, audibly grinding her teeth together. Bon Bon had taken the finished tray of candied fruit and retreated to her kitchen, while Jazz had taken several steps towards the safety of his abacus. Derpy was crying, and on the floor beside her Locket was stroking her mane comfortingly. “How can you be so calm?” the blue mare asked. She looked up at the seated detective. “A little filly just died in front of us. How can you be so calm?” For that matter, why do I feel so calm?

L looked around the room. “Huh,” she muttered, apparently to herself. “It looks like it really does take a genius to handle bad news well.” She sighed and focused her attention on the pair in front of her. “The filly died well. She stood up for her beliefs and provided us with valuable information. Though it wasn’t her intent, she died specifically so that we could carry on this investigation. There will be a time to mourn for her later. Right now, we should honor her by carrying on regardless.”

Twilight Sparkle spoke up. “Sweetie Belle.” She looked up at L. “Her name was Sweetie Belle. She was Rarity’s little sister. And...” She choked down a sob. “And she will be avenged.”

If this news meant anything to the detective, she didn’t show it. “Good. Firstly, I believe it would be prudent to analyze the unusual elements of this broadcast.” She levitated over a nearby quill and piece of paper and began to scribble down notes. “Specifically, I would like to determine as soon as possible whether the weather filly has expired. Either the crystal was mistimed or she has not died at all. Both options would tell us a great deal about this new threat.”

She’s still alive, Twilight thought. He can’t kill Sunny Days. And I know why. One of the rules of the Death Note that I never thought I would have to remember.

When the same name is written in more than one Death Note, the book that was filled in first will take effect, regardless of the time of death.

I wrote her name on the night of the golem attack, which means she still has about... She did some quick mental calculation. Twenty days left to live. Twenty and a half, to be exact, since I wrote it at night. More importantly, this means... Her stomach lurched at the thought. This means that there’s another Death Note somewhere in Equestria. But how? Why? What kind of pony could have picked it up? Her eyes flicked to Byuk, who was still floating over the abacus with the same knowing leer fixed on his face. There will be time to work that out later. For now, I need to keep this to myself. If L thinks there is only one Kira, it will be easier for me to get to the fake before she does. And when I find him, I’ll either find some way to use him, or I’ll kill him. She gritted her teeth. Either way, he’s going to suffer.

L’s voice broke into her thoughts. “What do you think, Twilight?”

Twilight slowly turned to stare at the detective. The green pony’s face was completely, unreadably blank. However, the level of intensity behind the stare gave Twilight pause. Gazing into the mare’s amber eyes, something clicked. She knows. Darn her.

The purple unicorn leaped from her chair and landed with a solid stomp. “I think it’s likely that the Kira in this broadcast is a fake,” she announced.

“Huh?” Derpy stopped her weeping and looked up at Twilight. “But... but he killed,” she protested.

“He may have a similar way of killing,” Twilight affirmed. “But that doesn’t mean it’s the same pony. For one thing, his motivations are completely different. Up until now, Kira’s never killed anypony except those who’ve committed crimes and those who’ve tried to find him. Going from that to attacking anypony who says bad things about him is too much of a stretch. In fact, the whole thing sounded more like a message from a fan defending Kira than a message from Kira himself.” She turned back towards L. “You were thinking the same thing, weren’t you?”

“Correct.” L nodded. “I believe that the true purpose of this broadcast was not to speak to the public, but to speak to Kira. It is likely that there is some kind of coded message hidden within it, one that only those with the powers of Kira would understand.” She bit down on the edge of her hoof thoughtfully. “The words ‘Gods of Death’ seem particularly suspect. I believe it is highly likely that that is some kind of code.”

It is, Twilight realized, but you’re focusing on the wrong part. It’s the eyes of the Gods of Death – the fake Kira went out of his way to mention the eyes. Does that mean that he has the eyes of the shinigami? Such a pony would be a powerful ally... or enemy.

Behind them, one of the other large stratoscreens on the desk flickered to life. “...and midnight blue. That should do it.” There was a blur of motion as the camera was set down, and then Spike came into view to a backdrop of an empty studio. “Hi, everyone,” the little dragon said. “I really hope that screen is still turned on.”

“Spike!” Twilight clapped a hoof to her mouth. Maybe it was her imagination, but her assistant’s voice sounded different than it had last night. It was deeper, harder, a little closer to a grown dragon’s voice than the childish tone she was used to. Something else was off about him as well; maybe it was the way he held himself, the tilt of his head, or the more serious expression on his face, but for reasons she couldn’t put her hoof on, Spike looked older.

Onscreen, the little dragon continued. “I came here as soon as I saw the news,” he explained. “I’m sorry I put myself in danger, but I couldn’t just do nothing. I got rid of the cameras and got both the crystals that Kira sent from Crew Cut. He says he didn’t make any copies...” The little dragon turned to the side and hissed, resulting in a barely-audible squeal from off-camera. Twilight felt a tremor in her chest. “...and I believe him. I gave both of the crystals to Colgate. She’s outside, writing down the names of all the ponies who turned up. I think she’ll be there awhile.” He looked to the side again, then edged closer to the camera. “And Twilight, if you’re watching this...” He trembled, his voice momentarily returning to its former high-pitched tone. “Could you come and pick me up? I... I want to go home.” He straightened up and saluted. “If you don’t get this message now, I’ll see you soon. Spike, over and out.” There was another blur and the screen cut to black again.

L waited a moment before gesturing to Twilight. “Go on, then,” she said gently. “Go and get him.”

“A-are you sure?” Twilight looked back at the detective. There was a strangely flat smile on her face. “Are you sure you’re okay with me just leaving?”

“Spike specifically asked for you to take him home. I’d say he’s earned that at least.” She shrugged. “I will finish up here. In the meantime, I suspect the two of you have a lot to talk about.”

Twilight blushed. “Yeah... I guess we do.” She turned towards the pair on the floor. “Will you two be okay without me?”

Derpy had stopped crying, but still leaned heavily against Locket. The blue mare nodded. “We’ll be fine, Twilight. Go home. Spike needs you.”

Twilight smiled sadly and started towards the exit. “I’ll be back tomorrow,” she called over her shoulder as she left.

The door closed behind her. Jazz, being the closest to the door, rolled his eyes and released the trapdoor for her. “Everypony forgets the first time,” he muttered.

Rainbow Dash sped through the air, leaving a multicoloured trail of light behind her. She grinned, relishing the feel of fresh wind on her face for the first time in 24 hours. From the hospital grounds it took her less than a minute to reach the north square. She braked sharply over the square, sending the last glittering droplets of water from her freshly-bathed body scattering into a brilliant halo around her. “Never fear, everypony!” she called, basking in the glorious nature of her arrival. “Your friendly neighborhood Rainbow... Dash is... here.”

The square was nearly empty. Colgate had organized the remaining thirty or so ponies into a small queue and was speaking to them one at a time. The detritus in front of the hub station had been removed, as, apparently, had both of the station’s doors. Rainbow Dash glided down to the ground, looking around in confusion. “Where’s the danger?” she asked aloud. “The news said that there was danger!”

“Good afternoon, Rainbow Dash.” The pegasus turned around to find Twilight Sparkle entering the square behind her. “It’s good to see you’re feeling better. How was the hospital?”

“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash leaped the distance between them and tackled her friend into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she whispered, squeezing the unicorn with surprising tenderness. A second later she backed away and coughed. “Where’s the crowd?” she asked, back to business as usual. “I saw on the news that there was a panicked crowd that needed saving.”

Twilight tried not to smile. She’d long ago learned that Dash’s tender moments were rare, meaningful, and never to be mentioned again. “It’s okay, Rainbow,” she answered. “The crisis is over. Everypony’s stopped panicking now.”

“Really?” Dash’s wings drooped a little. “But I came here as fast as I could. I was gonna be all heroic and stuff.”

“Don’t worry, Rainbow Dash.” Twilight patted her friend on the shoulder. “If you want to help, you can talk to Colgate. She’s still busy writing down names.” The unicorn started towards the large building. “I’d like to talk more, but I have to go find Spike. He’s the one who managed to calm everypony down in the end. I hear it was quite the impressive sight. See you later!”

Twilight trotted away, leaving Rainbow Dash behind in a state of increasing confusion and embarrassment. “Spike was more heroic than me?”

In all the excitement on the ground, nopony noticed the lone cloud slowly drifting around the square not too far away.

Fluttershy lay sprawled on the fluffy surface, hidden from view from below. She held her binoculars up to her eyes, training them on every pony who passed by below. She took note of the glowing lines above each pony’s head, appearing and disappearing depending on whether or not she could clearly see their face. Every pony had the same set of lights: one group of flowing lines that formed a clear name, and, beneath that, a constantly-shifting and incomprehensible number. Every pony but one.

Her gaze was drawn to her as soon as she entered the square. A purple unicorn, her cutie mark a cluster of stars surrounding a single, larger star. Her mane was dark, with twin stripes of pink and purple. And floating just above her head was a name – just a name. She had no number.

Twilight Sparkle.

Fluttershy grinned. “Yay!” she whispered. She smiled up at a patch of sky that appeared, for all intents and purposes, to be unoccupied. “Come on, Mer,” she said. “Let’s go home.”

The yellow pegasus turned and leaped off the cloud, quickly and silently gliding into the distance. A few seconds after she left, a force like an invisible sledgehammer exploded the cloud into hundreds of tiny pieces.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned an important lesson about loyalty. In times of crisis like this, we will often come across ponies whose views run completely contrary to our own. Sometimes they’re strangers, sometimes they’re neighbors, and sometimes they’re our closest friends. It can be shocking and even hurtful to find out that they’re in favor of something you don’t like, or vice versa. But even though you believe in different things, it doesn’t mean you have to be enemies. In fact, a healthy rivalry over beliefs can help to strengthen a friendship instead of breaking it. The most important thing is to always stand by your friends and never abandon them, no matter what.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

Next episode: Photo Finish!