Death Note: Equestria

by Nonagon

Generations

A maximum of six Death Notes may be owned by ponies in the Pony Realm at one time.

Life. This world is full of life.

For a short time, a new star appeared in the sky that night. It twinkled just below the moon, unnoticed by all but the most dedicated astronomers, growing steadily brighter over the next half-hour until all at once it plummeted from the sky. A small object wreathed in flames descended from the heavens, traveling at speeds fueled by terror alone. It came to a halt at the northern edge of the Everfree Forest, disappearing into the trees with a crash that sent up dark clouds of cawing, awoken birds.

Silence shortly fell again, save for the faint hissing of a cart-sized crater in a clearing that had not been there previously as the ground around it steamed and sputtered. A nearby tree split and tumbled over, as though it had been struck by lightning. Falling ash began to collect seemingly in the air above the crater, forming a pattern that almost, if one were to look at it from the right angle, resembled fine hairs and broad shoulders. Then all at once they dropped, drifting apart passing through space that again appeared empty. Yet even if the source of this commotion could not be detected by mortal means, its effects on the air could. Steam rippled and there was a faint wind, as though a large animal were sniffing for something.

Two hooked, taloned footprints gouged themselves into the forest floor, and then two pairs of invisible wings were spread and Sidoe lurched up into the air.

Equestria was silent once again.

 
“Dead?” the smaller colt spoke first. “That’s impossible. L can’t die.”

“I’m afraid he can,” Warm Quilt answered solemnly. “I heard the news from Wysteria just minutes ago. Although L fought well, in the end Kira was able to slip past his defenses and strike him down. It’s a tragedy that saddens us all.”

“It can’t be.” The colt sat back. He was small, blue and pudgy, with a short-cropped orange mane and prominent front teeth. His voice was naturally loud, although he kept it down so as not to disturb the pegasus sleeping in the corner. His cutie mark was a large pair of scissors. “He said that he’d come back for us,” he said, still in shock.
 
“That will never happen. I’m so sorry.” Warm Quilt wiped an eye. “But I’m afraid we haven’t time to mourn. I think you’ve already realised what needs to happen now.”
 
The larger colt, who had been staring only at the desk this whole time, finally looked up at her. He was considerably taller than his partner, as well as far skinnier, with a yellow coat and a long teal mane that fell across his face. Beneath his mane, his right eye drooped blindly in its socket, surrounded by a patchy burn that traced its way across his cheek and neck and spread in branches down his back. His cutie mark was a googly-eyed snail. When he spoke, it was slowly, as though he needed to concentrate on every word individually. “You want us to take his place.”
 
“One of you, yes.” She sighed and looked back at her hooves. “I know that this isn’t how any of us wanted it to be. I’d hoped that I would never have to push you out into the dreadful world so young. But the chain must not be broken.”
 
From the far corner came a whisper. “They’re not ready.”
 
It was as if a cannon had gone off. Both the colts flinched and hunched down in their seats, trying to shrink themselves as much as possible. From his threadbare chair in the corner, the stallion who had spoken opened one eye. He was built like he was made from bricks, down to the colour of his dusty coat and mane. Like Warm Quilt, he had lines of premature grey running through his mane, and deep wrinkles formed perpetual dark bags under his eyes. His mouth was locked in what seemed to be an unbreakable scowl. His voice croaked, and when he spoke flakes of ash fell from his lips like spittle, adding to the sooty grunge around him. He slouched heavily forward in the chair, his head still resting against the side, but he kept his one yellowed eye focused on the two colts in front of him.
 
Warm Quilt kept most of her composure, although she did allow herself a small sigh. “Thank you for your input, Inferno,” she said. “I will try to bear that in mind.”
 
The smaller colt shook off a shiver. “B-but he’s right,” he said, putting on a brave face. “We can’t be L. We’re not ready. We’re not ever gonna be ready. We’re just not that smart.”
 
“The others make fun of us,” his friend added. “They say we shouldn’t even be here. They beat us in all their tests, every time. How can we be L?”
 
Warm Quilt paused. She opened her mouth, clearly about to launch into a well-practiced speech, then hesitated again and began anew. “Boys, you know that I have never lied to you,” she said. “I am not about to start now. You may have heard that you were chosen to come to this facility simply to see what would happen to you. The truth is that you were not chosen at all. You fell into our hooves more or less by accident, and we cared for you in the best way we knew how. That does not mean, however, that there was no place for you here. You have found your places, and you have filled them both wonderfully.”
 
She gave a smile to each of the colts in turn, ignoring the glare that Inferno was shooting her way. “It’s true, your test scores have been a little on the low side,” she said. “But in the single year that you’ve been here, you’ve shown more growth than some colts and fillies who were born and raised within these walls. It may seem like I’m asking a lot of you very soon, but the truth is that when the L before you began his journey, he was no older than either of you are now.” She grinned again as their eyes widened. “Whether you believe in yourselves or not, you are L’s chosen successors. He believed in you, and his spirit will be watching over you, even now that he’s gone. It’s not simply necessity that one of you will be appointed the next L. It is destiny.”
 
The smaller colt cleared his throat. “Could... could both of us be L together?” he asked. “We’ve always been together, ever since we got here. It would be weird to set out on my own.”
 
“I’m afraid not.” Warm Quilt shook her head. “There are rules that need to be followed. I cannot break them, not even for you. L was supposed to choose his own successor, but as he cannot be here, that responsibility now falls to me.” She looked between them. “The next L will be...
 
“Shells.”
 
The taller colt perked up. “Me?” he said.
 
“Him?” the smaller one echoed.
 
“Yes.” She turned her attention fully to the burned colt. “But you will not be alone. In the morning, report to the second floor. A team of our best ponies will be waiting to assist you, and you’ll finally be able to meet Wysteria face to face. Your current caretaker will be given Sideline status and will meet you there.”
 
“Wow,” Shells said. Then he said it again, as though trying the word out.
 
“But... but Mammy!” the smaller colt whined. “Why him? I’ve done better in all our tests, right from the beginning. And I took those extra credits you asked for, and he’s half blind, and-”
 
“That’s enough, Shears,” she said. The words were gentle, but they were enough to snap his mouth closed. “Shells will solve this puzzle slowly and carefully, taking his time. This is not the hour for ambition or hasty judgements; patience is what will allow your friend to defeat Kira. What we need is dependability, and,” she added as Shears opened his mouth again, “don’t think your absences from this facility haven’t gone unnoticed.”
 
His face fell and he looked down, defeated. “Wow,” Shells said once more, sounding increasingly pleased with the sound of it.
 
“Now, back to bed, you two. You both have big days tomorrow.” Warm Quilt stood up, and the two colts did the same. She ushered them towards the door, planting quick kisses on their unprotesting foreheads. “Goodnight, my little ponies,” she whispered.
 
“Goodnight Mammy,” they echoed back mechanically. Then both were gone.
 
Warm Quilt stayed at the door a moment longer, while behind her Inferno rolled his front half towards her. He stared at her as she returned to her desk, then spoke in a cracked, gravelly voice. “That was a crock of manure.”
 
The mare ignored him, moving on to her filing cabinet and rifling through it. She removed several files and shuffled the contents around, laying a few of the contents on her desk just long enough to magically stamp them. “All of the older candidates are in fragile stages of integration,” she eventually said. “There was no one else.”
 
“Sounded like there were.”
 
“From other programs. None of them have nearly the same training as these two.”
 
“So sending out morons is better?”
 
“Lyra blossomed under pressure. They will too.”
 
“You’re gonna get them killed.”
 
Warm Quilt paused, just for long enough for Inferno to see it, and the stallion rolled over and went back to sleep.

It was after midnight when Princess Luna returned to Canterlot. She swept down from the sky without even a glimmer of warning and landed soundlessly on the balcony of the Solar Tower, cloaked in shadows as well as cloaked literally. By the time the guards near the doors had raised and lowered their lances in surprise, she was already pushing past them and descending through the marble corridor to her sister’s room.
 
“Your majesty, Celestia has given orders not to be disturbed,” one of the guards said, running along behind her and struggling to speak over her rapid pace.
 
“She has no authority over me,” Luna retorted without slowing. She didn’t care for the unnaturally deep voices the royal guards put on; she thought it made them sound boorish. Her own night guards had no need for such formalities.
 
“Your majesty, are you well?” the other guard asked, catching up. “There were many concerns following your disappearance.”
 
“I raised the moon, did I not?” She stormed ahead, her billowing cloak preventing either guard from passing her. The end of a staircase and a path of red velvet led her to the doors of Celestia’s bedroom. She threw these open, breaking the lock in the process, and stared within.
 
The bedsheets were unruly, but empty. The fireplace had been lit, but Celestia was gone. Luna took a step inside, then turned back to the guards as they stood to attention behind her. “Did you know of this?” she demanded.
 
The guards watched her face for a moment before answering. “Yes, your highness,” they admitted in unison, looking guiltily away.
 
Luna silently seethed, but decided that these two were not worth getting angry over. “That is fine,” she said in a measured tone. “It is good that you are keeping up appearances.” She whirled away and stalked towards the bed. “It does not matter, anyway,” she said. “When my sister does return, this will tell her all she needs to know.”
 
She threw back her cloak. From a deep pocket within it floated out a stalactite covered in ice, about the length of her own horn. A chilling wind filled the room as the heat was sucked from it, extinguishing the fireplace and sending the guards reeling back. Luna dropped the spike onto Celestia’s bed, covering the sheets in a thin layer of frost, then turned and swept back into the hallway. “Close this door,” she ordered, then took care to smile when the guards didn’t immediately obey. “Do not fear. It is harmless.”
 
Hiding shivers, the pair slammed the golden doors shut. “Your majesty, what is that?” one of them asked.
 
“Part of a prison. A memento from an old friend.” She turned away. “I must return to my quarters. I have fallen behind on my work.”
 
“Princess,” the second guard said cautiously, “we must know. Is there a threat against Equestria?” Then he spoke a question that no ordinary guard would know to ask. “Has one of the Titans been released?”
 
Luna paused, her hoof halfway to the first step. “No,” she answered calmly. “They are asleep. All was as my sister and I left it, twelve hundred years ago.” Then she walked forward again, her voice echoing back down the tower as she left. “But I want Celestia to know that I looked.”

“What now?” Rainbow Dash asked.
 
Nopony else answered, but all six who were present pondered the question. One by one, they’d awoken and brought themselves back to the base from all corners of Ponyville. Jazz remained in the middle of the room, only his back half visible as he stuck himself inside of Minty, sliding intact crystals into the abacus and reassembling the wooden struts. The rest of them sat around a table, unfinished pancake breakfasts growing cold in front of them. Colgate and Rainbow Dash were side by side, having made the trip from the hospital together; Colgate had a bandage around her head, while Rainbow sat awkwardly with her casted leg stuck straight out. Across from them were Spike and Locket, both looking sleepless for their own reasons.
 
At the head of the table, Twilight Sparkle stared contemplatively around at the rest of them. They looked worn-down. They looked exhausted. She couldn’t blame them; in fact, she was sure she looked much the same. Sleeping in the cottage had been a very different experience than being in her own room or the oppressively dark dorms of the base. Even after freshening up as best she could, she was sure that she still smelled like mice, and a strange taste was clinging to the back of her throat. But even after the ordeals of the past few days, they were all here. They were still her team. They were still willing to fight. And that thought gave her a little warmth inside.
 
In the middle of the table was a locked black box.
 
“I mean, it’s over, right?” Dash continued. “Both Kiras are dead. We have both the books. That means the killings have to stop, right?”
 
“Maybe.” Colgate rubbed her eyes. “So L was Kira... I can’t believe I never saw it. I’m such a fool.”
 
“Do we know it was her?” Locket asked quietly. “I can imagine her playing us like that, but... I almost don’t want to believe it.”

“It was her,” Colgate answered. “As far as we can tell, the dust around her note was from some kind of illegal soulforce spell. We’ll have to test it to be certain, but it’s the only way to explain why it fell apart as soon as she died. And if that’s the case, she had to be the one who put it there.” She rested her head on the table, narrowly missing a patch of syrup. “I’m such an... idiot!”

“She fooled all of us,” Spike said, a growl in his voice. “You weren’t dealing with a normal criminal. This was all just a game to her. None of us could have seen it coming.”
 
“I did,” Dash said with a degree of smugness.
 
Twilight squirmed, feeling a knife twist in her stomach as her friends slung mud at the memory of her adversary. “Was she really evil?” she asked hollowly. “After all... she saved my life. After all she’d done, it would have been easy for her to let me take the blame for being Kira, while she got away looking like a hero. All she had to do was say nothing. But instead, she stuck up for me. Why would she do that?”
 
This gave the others pause. “Maybe... maybe her conscience got the better of her after all,” Colgate said. She smiled faintly and looked to Twilight. “After all... you were different. Even after all the awful things she did to you, you didn’t let yourself stay just another piece. You stuck with her and became her friend. And once she had a taste of what that felt like, I don’t think anypony, not even the greatest of monsters, would be so heartless as to kill their own friends.”

“If you think about it,” Spike continued, missing Twilight’s suddenly strained expression, “if L hadn’t done that, then Applejack would have killed Twilight instead after she escaped, and we would never have learned the truth. I guess it was friendship that saved the day after all.”

“That’s right.” Colgate smiled a little wider, but it faded when she noticed that Twilight wasn’t joining in. “Either way, I guess she thought killing Applejack would be enough. She didn’t try to tie up loose ends until it was too late. Her arrogance was her real mistake.”

“And then she and Big Mac killed each other at the same time,” Twilight concluded. It did make sense, she supposed, if you were looking for answers. She doubted she would have come to a different conclusion in Colgate’s place.

“Yeah.” Colgate frowned. “The only question is... how did Applejack manage to learn L’s real name?”

Silence fell again for a minute as they fruitlessly pondered this. “But it’s not over, is it?” Spike said, returning to the main question. “Byuk and Mer are still out there.”

Colgate nodded. She’d been the last to learn of the gods’ existence, but was taking the news remarkably well. “Yeah,” she said. “I’ve been thinking about that. And... what this means for us.” She sighed and straightened up. “Look... I don’t want to turn this into a big speech or anything. I know how those tend to turn out. But the main thing is that there are new problems that we need to address, and the first among them is that just by owning these notebooks, each of us is in more danger than we’ve ever been in before. And that’s because, in the eyes of the Gods of Death, we’re first in line to become the next round of Kiras.”

She looked around the table. This had woken the others up more efficiently than a round of espresso. “Everything I’ve heard about Mer makes her sound like a monster,” she continued, “and she’s supposed to be the good sibling. One way or another, these two are not going to stop until their game is finished. They’ll stop at nothing to get these notebooks back, and we’re the only ones who know where they are.”

This produced a somber moment. “But then where are they?” Locket asked. Her voice was soft this morning, even for her. “If this is so important to them, why isn’t Mer trying to bargain with us right now?”

“That’s exactly what worries me,” Colgate answered. “I think she knows that wouldn’t work, not while we’re all together. Thanks to Applejack, we know that she’s not completely invincible; dragonfire at least works on her, and other magic might, as well. Now that Twilight’s restored, if she confronts us directly we might find a way to hurt her, or even capture her.” This bit of praise almost sounded like optimism until Colgate’s face fell again. “And that means that they’re still out there, planning something smarter. Knowing them, that means that sooner or later, they’re going to come for us.

“They might threaten our families. They might threaten our friends. They’ll definitely threaten our lives. They’ll catch us when we’re alone, when we’re afraid, when we won’t know any better. If even Applejack, the most dependable of all ponies, could be convinced to work for them, then I dread to think what they could do to us. There’s no one at this table who hasn’t lost someone to Kira, so I feel awful for saying this, but...” She sighed. “Maybe we’ve done enough. We’re not working for L any more; we’re just a bunch of ponies. Maybe it would be for the best if we surrendered this box to Celestia and went our separate ways.”

Twilight thought quickly. Luckily for her, Rainbow Dash unwittingly came to her defense. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” the pegasus said, scooting back as far as her leg allowed. “You’re talking about giving up?” She flexed her wings angrily. “We’ve got them on the run! This could be our chance to end this once and for all, and you want to give this over to somepony else and let them finish the job?”

Colgate winced. Twilight grimaced sympathetically; she knew that bringing the topic up at all must have been hard for her. “I think Rainbow’s right,” she stated. “Even if we lock these Death Notes in the most secure vault in Equestria, if word ever gets out that Celestia has Kira’s weapon, that’ll just bring in dozens of new candidates who’ll do anything to get them back. Remember, after touching the books, we’re the only ones who’ll be able to see Byuk or Mer coming. No matter what defenses Celestia employs, if anyone without the Eyes tries to guard the books, an invisible, intangible shinigami could easily slip past them. There’s no way to spread that power around without exposing more ponies to the death-curse if either book is destroyed.” She was particularly proud of that lie.

“That includes Apple Bloom,” Locket added, still not looking at anyone. “And Derpy, and all of us, and... I don’t even want to think about who else might have touched these.” She shook her head. “Even if she was on the wrong side... L was right. We can’t risk giving these to somepony who might destroy them. We have to keep them safe, until all of us are gone.”

“Right.” Twilight grinned briefly at her. She saw one small flaw in this plan, given who was sitting at the table; she pictured Spike in hundreds of years, a grown dragon in a mountain somewhere, still guarding two tiny books in the middle of his hoard. This suited her just fine. “Besides,” she continued, “we already know that several pages have been removed from one of the books. Knowing Mer, she could have hidden a few more away somewhere in case of an emergency like this. Until we get proof that their feud is over for good, we need to assume that there could be another Kira already in the works.”

“...You’re right.” Colgate nodded. “But what I said is still true. The rules have changed. We know what we’re really up against, and Mer knows at least some of our names for sure. Against something like that, no one should feel like they have to stay any more. If it comes to it, I can carry on this investigation on my own.”

Twilight reached out and touched her hoof. “You won’t have to,” she said. “I’m staying with you. I’ve talked this over with Fluttershy, and... she understands. We’re both behind you all the way.”

“Me too.” Spike reached out as well, but couldn’t reach. “All the ponies I care about have been put in danger already. My staying won’t change anything, and we’ve come too far to stop now. We can’t let those two get away with playing games with lives.”

Colgate smiled gratefully at them both. Rainbow Dash started to extend a leg as well, but the policemare stopped her. “Rainbow, I have to draw the line with you,” she said. “You got thrashed two nights ago. Your leg’s broken and you’re still covered in stitches. You should be at home resting.”

“I can rest here,” Dash snapped, forcefully resting her hoof on top of the others’. “You know what else happened yesterday? Applejack died. She was murdered because of this stupid game, and nothing you say will make me stop until the ones responsible are brought to justice.”

Twilight considered making her own plea for her friend’s health, but decided against it. I might need her later on. She’d just come back here on her own, anyway. “We’ll bring out a bed for you,” she interjected before Colgate could continue the argument. “But you’ll have to promise to listen to us and not move too much. How are your wings?”

She gulped, instantly realizing that that might have been insensitive, but Rainbow Dash shrugged it off. “They’re fine,” she answered, stretching her wings out demonstratively. “I just lost some feathers. I can still fly. I just won’t be going fast anytime soon. Not that I would anyway, with... that.” She glared down at the four-wheeled contraption that she was supposed to clip her cast into when she walked, then looked up at Colgate again. “Besides, if you can stay here with a head injury, I don’t see why I can’t join in.”

“Oh... don’t worry about that.” Colgate brushed her bandage. “It’s a minor concussion, that’s all. They gave me some pills for it. And...” She sighed. “They said to lay off the magic for a while.”

Twilight winced. “Sprain?”

The policemare nodded. “Sprain.” They shared sympathetic smiles before slowly feeling their gazes pulled towards the one pony at the table who had yet to speak.

Locket stared down at her plate. It started to dawn on Twilight that even though she’d heard the mare speak, she’d barely registered her presence; she seemed distracted, ghostlike, not entirely there in more than once sense. Gradually, though, the team’s lone earth pony seemed to become aware of the growing number of eyes on her. She glanced furtively around, as though looking for a place to hide, then slumped forward in defeat. “So Big Mac was Kira?” she said hollowly.

Twilight felt a lump in her throat. Even though the mare wasn’t looking at anyone in particular, she still felt as if the words were being spoken directly to her. “Yeah,” she answered quietly.

Locket nodded. “And Bon Bon... None of that was real?”

“She was a changeling. She lived to feed on others.”

“Fine.” She stared down with a faraway look. “I guess I’m out of a job now,” she eventually said. “I might need a new place to stay.”

“There’ll always be a place for you here,” Colgate said.

Another pause. Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. “Yeah, um... no offense, but why are you here?” she asked. “Weren’t you with the guards? And what happened to Apple Bloom?”

“I was wondering about that too,” Spike added. “But no one else said anything.”

“Oh! Um...” A little colour came back to Locket’s cheeks. “I’m sorry. I should explain.” She took a deep breath.

“A little while after Big Mac and Colgate left, some guards came in and took Apple Bloom and I away. They brought us to the police station and put us in a cell together. After awhile, they brought Rainbow Dash in and put her in the other cell, and we talked through the bars to figure out what had happened.” She gestured towards the pegasus, who reddened slightly. Twilight had heard her side of the story after visiting her in the hospital last night, and she’d apparently decided not to mention the part about getting captured and locked up. “I remember she was bleeding in a few places. Eventually, some doctors came and they took Rainbow Dash away in an ambulance. Then around sunset this really big guard came in and let us out, then he practically dragged Apple Bloom and me to the mayor’s office to talk about her future. Actually, he did most of the talking. And it was mostly shouting. Then he let us go.” She exhaled deeply as she finished her story. “I never found out why.”

“That would be Straw Bolt keeping his end of the deal,” Colgate said with relief. “When I heard the two older Apples were dead, I asked him to make sure she had somewhere to stay when he met me in the hospital. By the time he saw you, he’d probably gotten a letter from Celestia denying his request to lock us up. I’m not surprised he was angry.”

Twilight felt an inner rumble of unease. She was still uncertain about her decision to leave Apple Bloom alive; it seemed cruel to put her through any more after all she’d been through. Besides that, she was a liability. Outside of this group, only she and Luna knew about the existence of the Death Notes. She shuddered inwardly as she found herself wondering whether it might be better if the filly were too traumatized to ever speak of it. In this game, loose threads seemed to have a habit of not staying loose for very long. “What’s going to happen to her?” she asked.

“They sent out a bunch of letters to her relatives to see who can look after her. They want to get somepony to move to the farm if it’s possible. It’s all quiet, since they want to keep the media away from her. In the meantime she’s living with a friend. Some little pegasus. Scooteroll or something.”

“That’s... good.” Twilight forced a smile. “I don’t think I’ve met Scootaloo’s parents before. What are they like?”

Locket shrugged. “Nondescript.” She sighed. “And... I’m staying. Big Macintosh asked me to look after her. I should at least stick around until I know she’ll be all right.”

Rainbow Dash let out a whoop, then immediately winced and clutched her front. “All right!” she cheered more quietly once she’d recovered. “We’re back in business! Now who’s ready to catch some gods of death?”

“Ahem.”

All looked to the middle of the room. Jazz wriggled his way out from inside the abacus, brushing off his crumpled jacket, then levitated a procession of wooden bars into place. The last wall of the construct reassembled itself in a blue glow. Jazz looked it over once more, satisfied, then directed his attention to the table. “I’ve replaced Minty’s core memory crystals,” he said. “Public data will be recovered once she’s started up. Everything we’ve input on our own, however, has been lost. In the meantime, all functions have been restored. And with that, I will be taking my leave.”

Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped. “You’re leaving?”

“Naturally.” He marched across the room, brushing the last crumbs of dust off of himself, and lifted up a small suitcase near the wall of desks. “My loyalty was to L, not to this investigation. Now that she has been proven... not what she claimed to be, my responsibilities lie elsewhere. There are others in Canterlot who have need of my abilities.”

“But... we need you.” Dash struggled her way out of her chair, ignoring her harness and simply hovering with her leg dangling. She shot over to Jazz, prompting a look of irritation from him as she blocked his way. “Come on, you’re our tech guy! You can’t just walk out when we’re this close to winning. You’re part of this team! We’ve all gone through this together! Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“It does.” He pushed her aside. “But staying alive means more.”

“Dash, he’s right,” Twilight called. “We can’t force him to stay. He has his own life to live. For all we know he has a family to think of.”

“Now, wait a minute.” Colgate followed him with her eyes. “This isn’t that simple. Jazz, both you and Bon Bon were working with L before any of us arrived. For all we know you were in on this as well. I’m going to have to ask you a few questions.”

“That won’t be necessary. If you search L’s written logs, you’ll find evidence of my arrival three days after the investigation began. I have colleagues who can account for my whereabouts before that. I was only ever an extension of Minty to her, and I can assure you, her betrayal was as much a shock to me as it was to any of you. And even if that were not the case, if I had any interest in those infernal notebooks, I could have easily stolen them during the night. No offense, Spike.” He bowed his head towards the little dragon. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a train to catch.”

“But...” Rainbow floated unevenly after him, her casted hoof inches from the ground. She came to a halt as he pulled the lever for the trapdoor. “But what are we going to do?”

In front of the iron doors, he stopped. “Miss Dash?” he said, looking back. “I was wrong about you. Until recently, I had been thinking of your lessons as pastimes, as a form of desperation on your part. I did not believe that you had the potential to master the skill. But while it is true that you lack telekinesis, training, patience, discipline, micromanagement skills, precision, a fast memory, aptitude with numbers, basic social graces, cleanliness-”

“Get on with it,” Dash deadpanned.

“-or, really, any qualifications at all,” he concluded, “what you have is loyalty.” He reached out and touched the middle of her chest. “I understand that now. To you, loyalty was not simply about staying where your friends are. It means doing whatever it takes, be it following them to places you would never go, performing tasks you were never meant to do, or even betraying them to keep them safe.” He took a step back, smiling. “Your dedication to your friends gives you the single-mindedness to overcome any obstacle, if it means helping them. In that state, you are as much a machine as Minty is; no fears, no distractions, only the goal. You are by no means the mare I would have chosen, but you have proven yourself the mare for the job. You are Minty’s operator now. I’ve left her instruction manual on your bed. Look after her.”

Rainbow Dash broke into a sad smile, while behind her Twilight mouthed the words of that speech to herself, trying to commit it to memory. “I’ll miss you, old-timer,” she said, then frowned. “Wait, you mean there was an instruction manual this whole time that you never-”

“I’ll miss you too, my favorite student,” Jazz interrupted. Then he leaned forward, whispered a few words into her ear, and then turned away, walking through the iron doors and out of her life.

Dash did her best to stay composed as she fluttered back to the table, although Twilight caught a glimpse of something glinting in the corner of her eye. The pegasus unsteadily rounded the others and dropped heavily back into her chair. “So... I guess I’m the egghead now, huh?” she said, grinning at Twilight.

“But if you’re the egghead,” said Locket, completely missing the in-joke, “then who’s going to be L?”

The others stared at her. “What?” Spike said.

“And who says we need an L?” Dash seconded, leaning across the table.

Locket shrank in her seat. “Oh... I... I just thought...”

“No, she’s right,” Colgate sighed. “We need an L. It’s common knowledge now that L is the one pursuing Kira. Among the anti-Kira crowd, he’s literally a comic book hero brought to life. If word ever gets out that he died, or, Celestia forbid, that he was Kira, public faith in the police would evaporate. Even if Kira never comes back, we’d end up with an even worse mess than we have now.”

There were a few murmurs of assent, some grudging. “Is there any way we could find out where she came from?” Locket asked, to Twilight’s delight. “Bon Bon said that she and L grew up in a school together. There must be somepony else. She couldn’t have been the first L, right?”

“Maybe,” Colgate answered. “Given how secretive she was about her identity, I don’t know if we’ll be able to find anything. Besides, we might not have time. If things go south again, the police will only listen to us if they think L’s still in charge. Sooner or later he’s going to have to make another public appearance.” She sighed. “It looks like, for the time being... one of us is going to have to take her place.”

“Hey, now we’re talking.” Dash wrinkled her nose. “I mean, the last L that school gave us was just changeling food. She didn’t have any friends to threaten and she turned into Kira anyway. Do we really want another detective that easily turned to the dark side?”

 Twilight felt a knot building in her throat. This is my moment. “Lyra told me once that the new L is supposed to be chosen by the old,” she said, the knot tightening as she thought back to that night. “Maybe I’m sympathizing with her too much, but... it’s sad that she had to break the chain that way. Maybe the next L would have been somepony better. We’ll never find out who she would have chosen.”

“Aw, come on, Twilight.” Spike smiled at her. “If she was here right now, I think we all know who she would have picked.”

“Yeah,” Dash joined in. “I mean, let’s face it, there’s only one of us here right now who could possibly do the job.”

Twilight perked up. “You think so?” Too easy.

“Well, yeah,” Colgate teased. “Who was it who kept this team together? Who was it who always had time for everypony, no matter how bad things got? Who’s one of the best students Canterlot’s ever had to offer? Who was it who was able to match wits with Kira from the beginning of this game all the way to the end? Seriously, if there was ever anypony who was practically born to be Equestria’s next hero, she’s sitting right here at this table.”

“...You’re right. And I agree.” Twilight smiled back at her. “Colgate... I think you’ll be a fantastic L.”

There was a moment of silence. “What!?” Spike, Rainbow and Locket exclaimed almost in unison.

“What?” Colgate gasped a second later. “Twilight, we were talking about you!”

“I know. And it means a lot to me that you trust me that much,” Twilight explained. “But I can’t be L. Like it or not, Lyra was my friend, and I couldn’t dishonour her memory by pretending to be her. If I tried to imitate her, I’d just feel like I was wearing a dead mare’s mask. Even this place is starting to give me the creeps.” She looked around, releasing an unexpected shudder. She had to admit, she was getting good at telling these half-truths. “But you? In the first place, you’re a policemare, which makes you the only one here who’s even remotely qualified to do this. Without your skills, this whole operations falls apart. But more importantly, no one would ever figure it out. A lot of important ponies know who I am; if I tried to impersonate her, sooner or later I’d drop some mannerism that would identify me. I wouldn’t be able to help it. But so long as you used her microphone and never showed your face, nopony would ever be able to tell.”

The policemare chewed her lip uncomfortably. “But... but I’m nothing like her!” she protested. “We never agreed on anything. And you were the one who outsmarted her in the end.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Twilight said. “All I did was try to be her friend. All I can offer is to be the same to you.” She leaned forward emphatically. “You can do it, Colgate. Be the L that Lyra never could be. Trust in others. Keep us safe. Beat the real Kiras without hurting anyone else in the process. You’re the only one who can. I believe in you.”

Colgate hesitated a moment longer, but relented when she felt the eyes of the others on her. She gulped. “...All right, I’ll do it,” she said. “But on one condition. Twilight, I want you to be in charge of finding a way to keep the Death Notes safe. If we can’t risk anypony else finding out about them, a regular vault won’t do. We need something that means none of us can get to them behind the others’ backs, but no one outside of us finds out we’re even guarding anything.”

“That I can do,” Twilight said, saluting. Inward and outward, she smiled. Just as planned. Having a friend in charge will be way easier than running both sides myself. While she’s chasing after ghosts, it’ll leave me free to track down my real enemy. Besides, L’s most wanted suspect taking her place immediately after she dies? Why don’t I just write “Murderer” on my forehead? This way will throw any investigators off the scent.

Locket’s ears pricked up. “Listen,” she said.

Twilight continued, only half-hearing her. “I’ve had some ideas already,” she said. “I’m thinking some kind of box, probably enchanted, with six different keys-”

“Hey, shut up!” Locket snapped. She pointed upwards. “Listen.”

They waited for a moment, each straining to hear. “I don’t hear anything,” Rainbow Dash said loudly. Spike shushed her; he was starting to hear it too. Every few seconds from the world above there was a pop, like an impossibly large balloon bursting, and then a crackle of distant, magical fire.

Colgate was on her hooves first, rushing for the door. Twilight was fast after her, followed by the others, Rainbow Dash again abandoning her brace and flying carefully behind. In single-file they charged up the stairs, emerged blinking through the still-open trapdoor, and then burst from between the trees to gape upwards at the sight before them.

Rockets were shooting from distant Canterlot. At regular intervals a flash of red would burst from one of the towers, growing and burning as it flew, leaving a trail of red sparks in the sky behind it. At its peak, each firework exploded in a blinding flash and a bang that, now that they were on the surface, caused each member of the group to flinch and clutch their ears. In Canterlot the noise must have been deafening. After each explosion, lines of multi-coloured fire were left in the sky, gradually forming words.

The display lasted more than a minute; soon, they were forced to retreat back into the shelter of the trees, covering their ears and eyes against the painful blasts. When the explosions stopped, it was a few seconds more before Rainbow Dash poked her head out, gesturing for the others to follow. They emerged again, squinting towards the distant lights. High above Canterlot, a message was written in the sky in fire, pointed towards Ponyville but possibly visible from all over Equestria. Although the first letters were beginning to fade and the tiny dots of pegasi could be seen already dispersing the magically-charged dust, it was still possible to clearly read:

“K?” Rainbow Dash echoed, shading her eyes against the light. “Does that mean... Kira?”

“And who’s Citrus Green?” Locket asked. “I know I’ve heard that name before...”

“It’s the friend part that worries me,” Colgate added with a glare. “Who would go to all this trouble just to condemn somepony to death?”

A message? Twilight wondered silently. Even as it hurt, her eyes widened to take the words in. Every colour of the rainbow blazed back at her, filling her with light. Could it be... they don’t hate me? Could I really still have friends?

“So... Colgate?” Spike tapped the policemare’s leg. “What do we do?”

“...Um.” Colgate looked down at him. She bit her lip and looked up at the sky again, looking increasingly panicked. “Uh...” She glanced desperately to Twilight for help, only to find that she, too, was looking at her expectantly. “Well... we should... um...”

With exaggerated motions, Twilight took a deep breath and held a hoof to her chest, then exhaled, swinging her leg away. Colgate copied her, taking another deep breath just for good measure, then smiled gratefully. “Okay,” she said, her thoughts gathered. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”

She turned to Rainbow Dash first. “Dash, fire up Minty. I need you to get me all the information you can about fireworks, Citrus Green, and any pro-Kira movements in Canterlot recently. If there’s a new organization starting up then we need to stamp down on it quickly, and their first target might be the one who leads us to them.” As Dash saluted, she quickly turned to the next pony in line. “Locket, you’re our eyes and ears. Get to the north square and see if you can learn what ponies are saying about this. The sale of that many fireworks must have started some rumours in the Canterlot crowd. Spike,” she continued, barely pausing for breath, “go with her and get to the hub station as quickly as possible. You’re the only one of us Crew Cut will listen to. Tell him that L forbids him, under any circumstances, from running news segments about this. The last thing we want is more fuel for this fire.”

They collectively stared for a moment longer while Colgate tapped her hoof. “Well, what are you waiting for?” she said. “Go!”

“All right!” Rainbow Dash cheered as loud as her stitches allowed and punched the air. “We’re back in business!” She turned and dove down the stairs, coming to an uncomfortable halt as she slowly pushed open the heavy doors while staying airborne. Spike nodded quickly and leaped astride Locket, who blushed before starting a gallop back into Ponyville.

Colgate proudly watched them go. “Twilight, you’re with me,” she concluded, turning back to her. “While they’re working, we need to figure out a long-term plan. If a god of death does come our way, we need to figure out how to contain it. We also need to start going over L’s remaining notes in detail, as far back as possible.”

“You want to find out where she came from,” Twilight confirmed, struggling to hide her grin. “If we figure out what allowed Byuk to get to her, it might prepare us for future encounters.”

“Exactly. I hope your studying skills are as good as they were in school.” Colgate lowered her voice. “And once we’ve made a start on that... there’s something else. We need to talk about Sunny Days.”

Twilight gasped. “You’re heard something?”

“I’ll explain later. One thing at a time.” Colgate started down the stairs. “Coming?”

“Just a minute.” Twilight waved her down and looked up at the fading fireworks one more time, watching the word friend slowly being dismantled.

Perfect.

She giggled. The absurdity of the day bubbled up in her and before she knew it she was laughing, clutching her side and leaning against a tree for support, covering up her mouth with one hoof in case Colgate heard her. She waited until she heard the iron doors slam shut and then let loose, belting out suppressed howls of laughter until she slowly rocked herself to the ground.

It was almost too easy without Lyra around. All this talk about Mer was keeping her entertained; it was funny to see her friends get so hung up on this invisible danger while they unknowingly ran tests on her ashes. As long as she kept Byuk and Fluttershy’s notebook away from the group, they were never going to see a shinigami again, much less capture one. No, she had much better plans for the team’s efforts, and this new ally of hers seemed a good place to start.

Thank you, friend. She grinned up at the glow one last time. In a few days, I’ll have Fluttershy start the execution of criminals again, giving us a new Kira to chase after. And thanks to you, I think I know whose name is going to be on the top of the list. She raised herself up. And while we’re chasing her, I’ll be slowly guiding us in the direction of the one who really does play games with ponies’ lives. The one who’s really responsible for this conflict, and the one thing keeping me from returning this world to order. L’s maker. She looked back thoughtfully. I wonder if you have a name?

With this last thought, Twilight retreated into the depths of the base, already remaking her plans anew.

Dear Princess Luna,

Our quest to capture Kira has been met with both success and failure. Largely thanks to Twilight Sparkle, a traitor within our midst was uncovered and both of the Death Notes have been obtained. Unfortunately, this victory came at the cost of several lives: those of Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Harpy Chords, a young mare who had worked close to L from the beginning. Additionally, those truly responsible, the gods called Byuk and Mer, have made their escape.

While it may be frustrating, L has requested that all information about the existence of the Death Notes be kept private. As only those who have touched the notebooks can see gods of death, we are the only ones who will have forewarning if they decide to return. Twilight will keep them safe, both from the gods and those who would take them for their own ends. We do not yet know whether another Kira will be able to rise, but we will continue to work for L as we seek out a way to end this nightmare once and for all.

I wish you all the best in your own endeavors, whatever they may be.

Your loyal servant,
Colgate.

Next episode: The secret of the chips revealed!