All that had accompanied Fluttershy for the past several kilometers was the sound of her own hooves grinding against the gravel pathway that led her return back to Ponyville. It had been like this all morning now. She would trot down the pathway a great distance, only to become winded and have to take a break soon after. She was never a very physical pony.
It was this thought that led her mind back to her friends, Rainbow Dash in particular. She had left them for nearly three months. Three months she had abandoned them. No fun memories, no laughter, and no parties. What was it all for? Other than some pictures taken of a few rare animals, what had she gotten out of this impulse trip? No doubt, she appreciated nature, but this trip could have been saved for better time.
Everyday since she had left Ponyville, she had been travelling with a group of rather...strange ponies. Most of them seemed like the average pony; eager, willing to help somepony in trouble, and excitable. There were others, though, that seemed quite distant from the group. They had certain ticks that set them apart from the rest of the ponies. Fluttershy had felt uneasy around them, and she wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was the fact that they stared at her just a bit longer than most other ponies would?
She rolled her tired shoulders as she walked along the dusty road, and released a sigh. She wore several saddle bags on her back, and they carried all the essentials she had brought along with her on the trip; food, water, sleeping materials, and a toothbrush with a small picture of a butterfly on it.
Not only did leaving her friends like this make her upset, but she had arranged for someone else to take care of Angel for once. To her surprise, Angel Bunny seemed to come down from his temper tantrum quicker than usual when he realized that Spike would be his babysitter. She assumed that they had gotten along well enough the first time, perhaps they would have even more fun now!
That was in the past, however. Now, she walked along the bumpy, gravel pathway back to her hometown, and she couldn’t be happier. Even the weight of several saddle bags strung across her worn back couldn’t ruin her mood.
She was coming home, and soon, she would be with her friends once more.
***
The yellow pegasus could have sworn she had a pack of butterflies in her tummy. Curse these butterflies, she thought to herself, a gentle grin overtaking her features as she stepped past the old, familiar welcome sign to Ponyville:
Welcome to Ponyville! Nicest Town in Equestria!
Pop. 538
Around the more official writing, there were many scrawlings of days gone by, various greetings from ponies that Fluttershy had not heard of in her life. These ghostly greetings from the past rose the hairs on the back of her neck, and she couldn’t put a hoof on why. She kept trotting along, shaking her head to rid herself of the thought. She was home now! Why wasn’t she more excited? Well...she had been...until she saw the sign. A feeling of dread had overcome her the moment she walked past it. She felt cold all over, and wasn’t sure why.
She shivered and lowered her head, I’ll just keep walking...she thought, hoping to calm herself. It took her a moment to realize it, but she now stood nearly at the center of Ponyville. Coming back to herself, she took a look around. It seemed exactly the way it had been when she departed. Ponies were trotting out of their homes at a speedy rate, heading for the town center. Fluttershy blinked, thinking to herself for a moment. Ah...it must be a welcome back party, or maybe somepony’s birthday I missed? She wasn’t sure what, but she figured it would be best to find out soon.
The yellow pegasus cantered forward, her excitement building at the sight of so many ponies she recognized. Flitter, Mr and Mrs Cake, Octavia...and suddenly Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy blinked, finding herself stopped in her tracks, face-to-face with her pink, party-loving friend.
“Oh my, Pinkie, you startled me,” Fluttershy gasped, having jumped back a few feet at the sudden surprise. Pinkie only stared back at her in return. “D-Did I say something offensive...?” Fluttershy asked meekly as she found herself hiding behind her pink mane, an action that seemed almost reflex at this point.
That stare … just the way Pinkie was looking at her made her slightly uncomfortable.
“P-Pinkie...are you okay?” Fluttershy nearly begged, wanting the awkward encounter to end.
The party pony blinked, and suddenly snorted out a giggle.
“Course I’m fine silly-billy,” Pinkie said enthusiastically, before springing forward and grasping her squirming friend in a tight embrace. “We all missed you so much, shy!”
“I...uhm...thanks...I missed you too,” Fluttershy sputtered, not sure how else to respond. “Where are the rest of the girls?” she asked quietly, giving her friend a reassuring smile.
“Oh, I’m sure they are all waiting for you at the party,” Pinkie said. Suddenly, a look of shock, and then abrupt sadness overcame the usually carefree party pony.
“What’s wrong, Pinkie?” Fluttershy whispered, a worried tone drifting from her words.
“It was supposed to be a surprise party...now it'll be anything but!” The forlorn mare said, burying her head in her hooves.
***
It was not long before the pair of friends had arrived at the party, or at least what seemed to have been intended as the spot for the party. Aside from a few banners and streamers strewn about, there was not much decoration in the square to speak of. Here and there stood a yellow banner with pink lettering and butterflies, each one reading the words “Welcome Home Fluttershy!”
There were a few tables scattered around the party, visible as large gaps in the sea of ponies that stood chattering in the square. Each table had a variety of snacks and drinks on it for attendees to enjoy. What attracted Fluttershy’s eye the most, however, was not as simple as the aesthetics for the party. Every few feet stood another rather official looking pony wearing dark glasses and heavy-looking black barding that had the letters ‘PVPF’ emblazoned on it. Some spoke loudly into radios on their barding, while others stood talking to party-goers who seemed to become much more sober in their attitude when engaged by these intimidating looking officials.
Fluttershy had been distracted by the strangers, to say the least. Her face turned a vibrant tinge of scarlet as she felt herself ram headfirst into a party goer. After offering many subsequent apologies, she opened her eyes, seeing clearly who it was she had collided with. Before her stood a mare with a bright orange coat, a light blonde mane, and three apples on her flank. Her look was topped off by a signature brown hat.
"Fluttersha', it's fine. Tarnations, ah thought ya were gonna start cryin' girl," The orange earth pony spoke, her words slurred slightly by the unique twang in her accent.
Easily noticing her own overexcitement, Fluttershy was quick to redeem herself.
"Oh my, I'm sorry, Applejack ... I didn't mean to apologize so much..." The pegasus mumbled, looking over her hard-working friend. She had not laid eyes on her since her departure, and she was thankful to have the opportunity to see her again.
"Say, I saw ya wanderin' up here with Pinkie. Where'd she get off to in such'a hurry?" Applejack questioned, casually tipping back her hat with a hoof. The excited, candy-fueled pink earth pony had zoomed away from Fluttershy's side the moment the timid pegasus had waded into the large crowd, and hadn't been seen since.
"Oh my ... I never noticed she left ... well, she's probably just off getting punch," Fluttershy stated in a quiet tone.
The two mares proceeded further into the party, getting the occasional eager greeting from a passerby. Many of the ponies in the crowd were socializing, holding drinks in hoof as they chatted about the latest gossip floating around Ponyville. The pair came to a stop shortly outside the main grouping of ponies, glancing around at the mild decorations, contrasted only by the excitement that seemed to envelop the event.
"So, Applejack," Fluttershy began gently, a smile crossing her lips at the thought of her friends. "Where are the others? I haven't seen them at the party just yet."
Applejack grimaced at this, and touched a hoof to her chin absentmindedly.
"Hmm, if ah'm rememberin' correctly, Twilight's still back at the library with Spike, and Rarity an' Rainbow are on their way here from the bo' tique," Applejack recollected in a rather matter-o-fact tone.
Fluttershy was slightly surprised at this. She was surprised not only by the fact that so many ponies seemed to be interested in welcoming her back to Ponyville, but also at the fact that her friends seemed rather late to the occasion. It was unlike her friends to be late to such an event, but the yellow pegasus merely passed this off as them having other obligations to attend to before coming to welcome her back. It wasn't like she had wanted such a big welcome anyway.
"Oh! Well, we should go look for them ... I wouldn't want to make them search for me..." Fluttershy whispered nervously. The last thing she wanted right after coming back to Ponyville was for somepony to be upset with her for her inconsiderate attitude.
***
It wasn't long before the two mares had bumped into Pinkie Pie once more. The excitable pink earth pony was relating a story about the funniest thing that had happened at the punch fountain in what seemed like fast forward. She was stopped only when a newcomer had managed to hoof there way into the conversation.
“Heya Twilight, super awesome party, huh?” Pinkie shot in return, beaming at her bookish friend.
Twilight cringed at the greeting from her friend, but nodded nonetheless.
“How was the trip, Fluttershy?” The purple unicorn quizzed.
The young pegasus was unable to hold back a tinge of redness that appeared on her cheeks. She wasn’t at all used to this attention, and was taking quite a while to adjust to being the focus of everypony’s mind.
“Oh, it was lovely,” Fluttershy replied with a smile. “I saw a lot of beautiful flowers and cute little critters...” she said thoughtfully, digging her hoof at the dirt below. “Oh...uhm, I had a question...if that’s okay...” she muttered quietly. This prompted a chuckle from Applejack in particular.
“Ya don’t need permission ta talk ‘round us, Shy. What’s on yer mind?” she replied, giving a warm smile to Fluttershy.
"I was just wondering what the PVPF is..." Fluttershy mumbled, her voice trailing off slightly.
“It means ‘Ponyville Police Force’, Fluttershy,” Twilight interjected. “It was a group established only about a week after you left. Nopony said anything more about the group other than that it exists because of ‘recent complications’. I was curious myself up until this point.”
Twilight gave a tired sigh, pressing a hoof into her temple and massaging it gently.
“All I know is that it had to have been something serious for the princesses to have implemented it,” she muttered.
“Anyway, that is beside the point. We're forgetting why we are here, to celebrate Fluttershy’s return! Did you see anything interesting while you were away, Fluttershy?”
The shy pegasus gave a gentle giggle in return.
“Oh yes, plants, animals...all sorts of things. There were also quite a few scrolls and tomes on the subjects,” Fluttershy said thoughtfully. Twilight seemed to instantly light up at the mention of reading.
“Scrolls? Do tell!” The purple unicorn spoke excitedly.
The party continued for a good while, with much discussion of Fluttershy's trip consuming most of the band of friends' time. Not long after their discussion of tomes, Rarity and Rainbow Dash had joined the concession. Rarity, who was never one for quiet entrances, had a red carpet rolled out just for her. When questioned on the topic, she revealed that she felt her grace and beauty needed to be matched by appropriate carpeting.
The friends soon became tired as night approached them, and each bid the other a hearty farewell before going their separate ways. The only two that decided to remain together were Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy.
“Well, that went better than I expected!” Twilight chirped enthusiastically as she trotted alongside her feathered friend.
"Yeah ... I just wish I had gotten the chance to talk more with Pinkie Pie. I promised her that she would be the first person I talked to when I came back from my trip," Fluttershy mumbled glumly.
"Well, she is Pinkie Pie, you know. She'll be over it in a matter of minutes. Plus, didn't you get to talk to her before you came to the party?" Twilight asked gently, giving her quiet friend a smile as they walked together.
"Yes, but it doesn't feel the same, Twilight. I feel like I might have offended her somehow..." Fluttershy replied as the pair of them stopped in front of Twilight's library.
The library looked much the same as it had before Fluttershy left on her trip. It was the same massive tree filled with windows and a door, carved out to be a home to the librarian of Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle. As the two ponies stepped through the door into the library, a light sound of chimes followed their entry before the door swung shut behind them.
"Ah, home sweet home," Twilight chimed, "You know, I actually did some research, and I found some books about foreign critters that you might like to read over after such an exciting trip."
"Oh, that would be lovely," said Fluttershy, "I could use a good quiet book after such a loud party..."
Soon enough, Fluttershy had a set of saddlebags strapped on, and each one was filled to the brim with books on various subjects, anywhere from animal husbandry to cute critters in a foal's tale. As the two of them stepped towards to door for Fluttershy to take her leave, however, a loud knock came from the other side.
Twilight, taking the initiative, stepped towards the noise. Ugh, who could it be knocking this late in the evening? she thought to herself, pushing the door open with a hoof. Outside stood a stern looking mare wearing familiar dark barding with ‘PVPF’ printed boldly on the front of the uniform. The police mare tilted her glasses down on her face, eyeing the two inside.
“Good evening. I think we need to talk. There’s been a murder in Ponyville,” she said simply, stepping forward into the dimly lit library, the door closing firmly behind her.
"I'll ask again. Have either of you set hoof near the observatory today? I don't care if you were meeting somepony, or if you just popped in to take a shit."
The abrasive police pony had been quick to antagonize the two friends, asking them question after question right after having been permitted entry to the tree home. She had been sure to formally introduce herself before harassing them too harshly. Her name was Spearhead, and she was a Sergeant with the Ponyville Police Force.
"We were at Fluttershy's return party all evening!" Twilight Sparkle shot back. She was growing irritated by the rude and insulting behavior that the police pony held. She was standing her ground between Sergeant Spearhead and Fluttershy. The latter was huddled beside a bookshelf, sobbing into her pink mane.
The Sergeant, however, was becoming tired of asking the same question time and time again, yet still yielding no new results.
"Look, the fact of the matter is that a pony is dead. My job is to find out who did it, and why," Spearhead growled, stomping a hoof against the wooden floor.
"Well, you still haven't told us who it is that was killed. Would you care to grace us with that information, or is it 'classified'?" Twilight spat venomously.
The beige-coated mare inched towards Twilight, as the two mares stared each other down during a prolonged silence.
"It's. Fucking. Classified," Spearhead intoned, her face now mere inches away from Twilight's. "Just because you're the Princess's personal bitch doesn't mean you get to subvert authority. Now sit down, and let me ask the questions."
Twilight took a seat, and Fluttershy took one beside her. Spearhead's questions were what one might expect, she asked them about their whereabouts, witnesses, "Do you know this pony?" and other such things. Unfortunately, none of the questions seemed to help the investigators get any closer to finding the murderer.
Eventually, after many long-winded explanations and detailed descriptions of who and what they had seen, the disgruntled sergeant left the library in a rather irritable mood, slamming the door behind her violently.
It took Twilight a few moments to coax Fluttershy out from behind her study desk, but eventually the two friends bid farewell and parted ways for the evening.
***
Twilight didn't sleep. Not even a wink. The whole night, all she could think about was the murder, the police mare, and the observatory.
"Why the observatory?" she pondered, "Were they trying to steal something? Or were they just really anxious to try the new telescope?"
Twilight found herself pacing over the problem in the wee hours of the morning. She tried to keep her noise down to avoid waking Spike, but the natural "clip clop" of her hooves soon got the better of her, and the dragon awoke with a loud yawn.
"T-Twilight?" The baby dragon called in a rather groggy voice, rubbing his eyelids as he hopped down the stairs. "What are ya doin' up so early?" He asked, his voice carrying a tone of curiousness as he inspected his rather frazzled looking mentor.
"Thinking," Twilight responded simply, stopping in place and pressing a hoof to her chin as she inspected the ornate ceiling of the wooden library.
"About what...?" Spike asked quietly, scratching the back of his head with a claw. Not long after, his mentor had resumed her pacing along the same path she had been when he arrived.
"That police mare that showed up last night. Sparehead or whatever..." Twilight mumbled, now fixing her gaze on the floor in front of her as she trotted to and fro.
"P-...what? Police mare?" Spike sputtered incredulously, his eyes widening. What had Twilight done to attract the police to the library of all places? Surely she couldn't have done anything serious enough to involve law enforcement.
"Yes, a police mare ... she said that there had been a murder last night. Apparently it was near the observatory just outside of Ponyville," she responded, again stopping in her tracks. This time she stared out the window near her desk, her eyes narrowing as she watched the empty street outside.
"Murder!?" Spike gasped, falling back onto his rump in surprise. It wasn't the fact that somepony had been murdered that surprised him, it was the casual, almost care-free attitude with which Twilight had mentioned such a thing. Murder was something that hadn't happened in ages, not that he had heard of, at least. He had read about death in wars and famine in many of the books that Twilight kept around the library, but had never heard of such a thing happening in Ponyville. This village seemed far too peaceful for such a thing. The very idea put the young dragon on edge.
Twilight's response was as cold as it was intimidating.
"She said that she wouldn't tell me who was murdered. I think I need to see the princesses about this. Personally."
***
It wasn’t long before Twilight had left the library in search of her friends. She had spent most of the morning informing them all of where she was going, and what she wanted to know. The only one of her friends that she would allow to come with her, however, was Fluttershy. Her pegasus friend was the only pony who had been with her aside from the other various police agents, and Twilight figured that it would be best to have somepony to back up her word.
A few hours after leaving her home, she sat beside Fluttershy. The two of them had boarded the single available train bound for Canterlot. All about the car they sat in, various ponies were milling about their business. Talking to friends, cuddling a lover, playing little games. The sight of this made Fluttershy miss her dear friends, causing her to sink lower in her cushioned seat.
"Um, Twilight?"
"Yes, Fluttershy?"
"That pony at the observatory, do you think he'll be alright?"
"You mean the one who was murdered?"
"Um, yes."
"Fluttershy, he's dead. Or, she's dead, or... somepony is dead."
"I- I know that. But will they be okay?"
***
The entire trip to Canterlot still loomed before the two of them, and conversation didn’t have much to offer. After about an hour and a half of riding, however, the pair of the arrived at the gleaming, golden gates of the city of Canterlot. The capital of Equestria, as with all other places, had apparently amped up the security.
While the Canterlot guards still acted as a military force, they now only held dominion over the royal palace, and the boarders of the golden city. A group of the guards clad in shining barding stood in front of the gates, which stood open at an angle. Inside, the two mares could see that a new group had taken the security of Canterlot into its hoof.
The Canterlot Police Force, or ‘CLPF’.
Officers stood all around the train dock, organizing the outbound crowd into lines, patting them down and inspecting them for any unwanted or illegal objects and weapons. Off to one corner, a pair of police stallions had a mare and her foal backed into the corner as they read over her passport information. One of them chuckled heartily at something the other had said, apparently frightening the mare and her child.
The train pulled to a stop beside the dock with a hiss, the doors to each car sliding open and allowing the occupants to file out.
"Please await instruction from your dock operators," a dull voice announced over a loudspeaker as everypony began filing out of the train cars.
Twilight looked all around the station, unable to make much sense of things as she heard shouts over the outbound crowds as they moved slowly towards the cars. As she scanned the area, a distant yell was repeated, this time, however, it was painfully close to her ear.
"Elements! Priority access! Move along!"
The stallion's shout rang sharply in her ear. She rubbed at it with a free hoof before replying.
"I'm not deaf! You could have asked nicely!"
The police stallion, apparently recognizing his rudeness, blushed the faintest hue of red before apologizing repeatedly, and stepping away from her and Fluttershy.
"Some ponies..." Twilight grumbled to herself, walking past him and towards the platform's exit gate.
Fluttershy, however, remained completely silent as she followed behind the haughty librarian mare. Her entire return to Ponyville had been confusing and frightening, and now the next thing she knew, she was being dragged along to Canterlot to bother the princesses. At least I could cheer up the bear tigers, Fluttershy thought, thinking back on her trip.
"Twilight?...Not to be rude or anything ... but uhm ... is it really a good idea to bother the princesses?" Before the lemon-coated pegasus was able to finish, however, Twilight cut her off.
"Look, Fluttershy. This is important. Somepony died over all this," she shot in an irritable tone. "I don't know how, or why, but I'm going to find out, and you are going to help."
This served as more than enough to shut the timid mare up.
***
The streets of Canterlot were ... organized. Everything seemed to work like clockwork since the last time Twilight or Fluttershy had been here. Sure, the citizens were somewhat unpredictable, but the police forces guarding the gleaming city functioned almost like robot-ponies. A silly concept, Twilight thought to herself, but it was hard not to imagine it given their behavior. On nearly every street corner there was a mare or stallion dressed in the intimidating CLPF barding, several clunky gadgets and devices strapped to their sides or in saddlebags. Every now and then they would change places, swapping positions with a partner on an opposite corner.
Another thing the mare-pair noticed was that all of them had sun glasses. Not a single one lacked them, and they all blocked out their eyes, adding a certain fine touch to their intimidation factor. Their eyes could somewhat be tracked, however. Every now and then their head would turn, looking in the direction of somepony they thought was suspicious or out of place. Occasionally, an officer might reach out, stopping a citizen and speaking words that Twilight and Fluttershy were unable to hear over the low murmur of voices that filled the tidy streets.
Despite this, the two mares pushed on with their journey.
A crackle of static came from a nearby officer as the two of them passed,
"10-13M *ppzzhhht* ... Reports of a suspicious earth pony in the market district ... units be advised ... *ppzzhhhtttt*..."
So the Canterlot police forces were looking for someone as well. That has to mean that the murders aren't just in Ponyville, Twilight thought as she kept walking, trying to ignore the continued radio chatter emitting from a passing officer.
***
If the security in the city was oppressive, it was a killing choke-hold upon approaching the palace. Every few feet there stood a large carriage baring the CLPF icon, each with several steel boxes inside baring what Twilight and Fluttershy could only guess were more 'containment weapons'. The bridge to the palace itself was barricaded with heavy sandbags, police stallions and mares all standing around them, checking over maps that had been laid down on collapsible tables and stools. There was even a sort of mobile water-cooler with plastic cups included.
As they approached, an older looking mare with significantly more stripes on her barding than her co-workers spotted them.
"You there, stop!" she ordered, stepping towards the pair and holding out a hoof defiantly. "What is your business here, if any?"
"We are here to see the princesses," Twilight responded simply, her head tilting in confusion. Surely this pony knows who I am...? Despite how arrogant that sounded in her head, she kept her mouth shut.
"A lot of ponies come here to see the princesses, girly. Only a few of them actually have good reasons. Take a hike, pipsqueak."
Twilight blinked in confusion. She gave a gentle sigh, trying to elaborate.
"My name is Twilight Sparkle," She added, giving a soft smile to the older mare.
"And my name is get," the officer responded, grunting.
"Get what...?" Twilight asked, an eyebrow raising at the odd name.
"Lost!" the mare shouted, growling at Twilight before turning to head back to the group of police ponies.
Twilight simply grumbled in response. She was in no mood to put up with such stubborn behavior from her so called protectors, and was just about to give that mare a good talking to when a gentle voice spoke from behind her.
"Now, Broadside. You remember what I told you about aggressive behavior, yes?"
Twilight froze in place, the voice of Princess Luna as stunning and commanding as ever. The night princess stood tall, her regal blue mane shining and gleaming with white stars, clashing heavily with the bright afternoon sunlight.
"Shit..." the police captain muttered under her breath, turning to face her superior. "Uhm, yes ... sorry your highness ... I was just conducting a uhh...loyalty check! That's it, a loyalty check!" the older mare reported eagerly, waving a hoof to add emphasis to her point.
"Not necessary, captain. This is Twilight Sparkle, my protege," the princess informed her with a nod of her head.
Before the captain could retort, however, a crackle burst from her radio.
"*Pzzzhhhhttt* ...Uh, control... we have reports of a uhh... *pzzzht* ...break and enter by an earth pony. Assistance requested, advise. *pzzzhhhtttt*"
The aging police mare grunted, pressing a hoof to her forehead in irritation.
"I'm sorry princess...I've gotta run, duty calls and such..." she spoke with a defeated tone in her voice. She lowered her voice to a whisper, leaning down to Twilight. "You're lucky..." she muttered, before turning and cantering off down a side street, two officers soon following after her.
The night princess gave a soft smile as the police captain hurried off, before turning her gaze to her pupil.
"Come, my student. I am sure we have much to discuss..." she spoke softly, walking in the direction of the palace with her pupil, and Fluttershy, close in hoof.
"Um, Twilight, I thought you were Princess Celestia's student," the yellow pegasus whimpered, curious over the princess's word choice.
"My sister grew too busy to teach," Luna explained, "Royal duties are taxing nowadays. She asked for me to take over Twilight's studies."
"Oh..." Fluttershy mumbled, lowering her head nervously. She felt somewhat ashamed for not knowing this beforehand, and she could not tell why.
***
The Canterlot Palace was almost dead silent. Most of the attendants and aides were out performing duties elsewhere, or helping with the CLPF in the pursuit of crime. This left the castle holding only a few dozen security agents, a chef, and two maintenance ponies, princesses not included. Rather than detract from it, the quiet, calm feeling of the palace seemed to add to the wonder of being inside it. It was almost relaxing to be here in such an ancient structure. It seemed to bubble over with the knowledge of days gone by.
The throne room into which Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Princess Luna stepped held only an unoccupied throne that either princess would use depending on whether it was night or day in Equestria. Each window depicted a historic scene in vibrant color, most of them baring images of ancient villains that had been defeated by either the princesses, or the elements of harmony. Through these detailed scenes, sunlight gleamed, filling the chamber with a warm, glowing feeling that resonated in the very soul of anypony who stepped inside.
"Where is Princess Celestia?" Twilight asked curiously, her head tilting and delivering a gentle smile to her newer mentor. She had been re-assigned to Princess Luna during Fluttershy's absence. This had been a very shocking decision for Twilight, but upon elaboration she agreed, and was now studying under the princess of the night to further develop her skill in higher, and more dangerous magics.
"She is attending an important remembrance event in Hoofington. On this day about five hundred years ago, a band of soldiers died to protect the small village that would soon become Hoofington," the princess responded. There was a deep tone of sadness in her voice, and it occurred to Twilight that the princesses might have actually been there to witness such a thing. No doubt such historic events would have more of an emotional impact on them than ponies living today.
Twilight's mind was abuzz with suspicions, however. Why would their day-bringer leave the capital immediately after hearing of a murder in one of her cities? Surely the princess would have cancelled her trip despite the event, and gone to Ponyville to help calm her citizens?
"Why did she leave, though?" Twilight asked. "Isn't this murder more important?"
The night princess gave a sigh, before explaining.
"It took quite a bit of convincing on my behalf, but I do not want the fallen heroes of Hoofington to be forgotten. Celestia has always attended that event, and I will not allow this day to be any exception. Her attendance is considered one of the greatest honors."
"Couldn't you have gone in her place?" Twilight questioned. Although she couldn't explain it, she felt rather disappointed in the princess of the sun for not being more dedicated to a murder, of all things. Twilight couldn't help but feel slightly disrespected at the idea of Celestia leaving right after somepony had died.
"Like I said, my dear Twilight Sparkle, it is a tradition for her to attend. I would have gone myself if not for this horrible occurrence."
This explanation didn't exactly satisfy the purple mare. If it was any other day, the princess would have gone to Ponyville first thing, Twilight thought.
Fluttershy stepped forward, half-hiding behind her pink mane.
"Well ... why aren't you there now?" she asked gently, her confidence growing after being in the room with the princess for an extended amount of time.
The night-bringer apparently found Fluttershy's assertiveness amusing, as she gave a quiet chuckle before answering.
"I do have other things to attend to as a monarch, dear Fluttershy."
***
"It just doesn't make any sense, Fluttershy," Twilight mused as the pair sat on the train, which wobbled slightly as it passed a rocky mountain on its way back to the rural village of Ponyville.
"Why would the princess even consider leaving Canterlot in a time of crisis? Her ponies will think she is abandoning them."
"I don't think it is as serious as you think, Twilight," Fluttershy responded quietly, sitting on the soft cushioned bench next to her purple friend. "She was just attending a memorial..."
Twilight continued to turn the situation over in her mind, re-thinking every aspect of what she had learned from this trip to Canterlot. She did admit that the princess had a reason for leaving, but it still didn't seem much like Celestia to just vanish into thin air without making a speech, or at all informing her citizens. Ponies would be worried, asking why their day-bringer had left without even so much as mentioning the murders. Though it was more disrespectful than strange, Twilight still had her suspicions of it all.
Fluttershy, however, was more concerned with the problems that would come in the future. Would more ponies be hurt? Who would be the next pony to fall victim to one of these seemingly random and senseless murders? More importantly, what kind of pony would have the will to take the life of another? The thought frightened the lemon-coated mare, and she tried to push it from her mind, focusing on what the pair of them were going to do once they returned to Ponyville proper.
Eventually, the colorful train tugged itself into the Ponyville station once more, letting out an audible hiss as the doors slid open once more. There were only a few passengers on the train other than Twilight and Fluttershy. Twilight gave a small noise of surprise as a blue-coated mare with a rain cloud cutie mark bumped past her.
"Oh, sorry," the mare apologized quickly, before dashing off and out of the station. She seemed in quite a hurry, and was toting several saddlebags filled to the brim with complicated looking equipment.
"That's...okay?" Twilight returned in a dazed manner, unaware that the mare had already ran out of sight by the time she had replied.
Twilight scratched at her head, gazing out in the direction the mare had fled. Though there were only a few passengers sharing the train with Twilight and Fluttershy, there had been quite a few ponies waiting to board the train to where ever it was heading next. The blue mare was lost in an endless sea of ponies, about a tenth of them with the same color coat as she had.
"Twilight?" came a concerned voice from behind the unicorn, "Are you okay?"
Twilight pulled her gaze away from the crowd, and turned back to Fluttershy. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just a little confused, is all."
"The big city does that to me, too," Fluttershy mused, as she and her friend waded through the crowd and away from the Friendship Express. "Maybe Rarity could possibly arrange us a spa day? It always helps me unwind after a stressful day."
"Yeah," Twilight spoke thoughtfully, her eyes seeming misty and distant as the crowed cleared, and the pair of friends stepped down off of the platform. "I think I'd like that, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy's eyes lit up in excitement.
"Oh, how wonderful!" She exclaimed, wrapping her forehooves around the purple unicorn. "We'll have so much fun, it'll be a perfect day off!" It wasn't normal for Fluttershy to be this eager and excited, and Twilight had to admit, it amused her.
***
The two friends spent the remainder of the day relaxing. Their first stop was at the spa Fluttershy had mentioned. They were presented with several different relaxing therapeutic treatments upon Fluttershy's insistance that 'Rarity sent us'.
Near the end of their treatment, just as they were about to clean off from a mud bath and leave, one of the attendant ponies who had done their massages trotted over, smiling.
"Did you enjoy yourselves, ladies?" She asked enthusiastically, beaming at each of the mares.
"Oh, yes. Very much. It was very nice," Fluttershy complimented the attendant mare, before gathering up her things and heading out the door.
Just as Twilight was about to follow her friend, a hoof prodded her flank. Twilight recoiled slightly, and turned to face the spa pony.
"Your receipt, madam," said the blue spa pony.
She handed Twilight a small piece of paper. A very modest sum of bits was totaled at the bottom, and it had a peculiar smudge of lipstick in the left-hoof corner.
Twilight nodded, and stashed it in her saddlebags, levitating out a small bag of bits in the process.
“Oh, I can’t wait to try on the dresses, Twilight! Rarity is so wonderful at dressmaking...”
Fluttershy and Twilight trotted along one of the many quiet roads that spiderwebbed throughout the entire small village. The afternoon was beginning to wind down, the sun’s light casting the countryside in an orange glow that warmed anypony it touched. Here and there walked a few ponies finishing up their daily business, only a few of them still remaining in the market district. Twilight cast a warm smile at her unusually excited pegasus friend.
“I know, Fluttershy. I still remember the dresses she made us for the Gala. I’m sure these new ones will make us the life of the party,” Twilight returned.
The two mares had scheduled Rarity’s Carousel Boutique as the final stop of their afternoon of relaxation. It would give them time for Twilight to catch up on things with Rarity, and the both of them to try on their special order dresses.
The doorbell gave its familiar chime as the pair stepped inside the quiet shop. Taking the initiative, Fluttershy introduced the two of them.
“Rarity? It’s me and Twilight. We’re here to try on dresses...”
A sound of unprepared scuttling and ruffling came from the back room, followed by a rather distraught Rarity hurrying into the main shop.
“Oh my, I apologize. I thought you would be at the spa a tad longer than this!” Rarity offered, trotting over to meet them at the door.
“Here’s the spa receipt, Rarity. Thank you so much for paying,” Twilight spoke, digging the flimsy paper out of her saddlebag before handing it over to her unicorn friend.
“No need for thanks, darling. It is the least I could do for two of my best friends. The dresses are over on the display figurines. You two go and see them while I handle this,” Rarity said, giving a ‘shoo shoo’ motion in the direction of the dresses as she stepped over to her desk to handle the payment. Twilight and Fluttershy trotted over to the dresses on display at Rarity’s insistence. Both dresses were airy and free-flowing, fitting for an inside or ballroom environment by their color schemes.
“Oh, these dresses look wonderful, Rarity, thank you so much!” Twilight praised, unable to look away from the eye-catching garments.
"Twilight, darling, did you ask for the special treatments, or were you gifted them?"
“Huh...?” Twilight asked, confused by the sudden change in subject.
"The lipstick on your receipt, dear. You didn't ask for any special treatments, did you?" Rarity shot back, a more urgent tone in her voice.
“No...” Twilight said slowly. The lipstick didn’t seem like anything unusual to her, why was Rarity so upset?
"Oh my...Twilight darling, do you understand what that mark on your receipt means?"
“I just thought it was decorative,” Twilight replied.
At this, Rarity turned away from her desk and trotted over to the pair of them at the modeling station. She gave Twilight a serious look, resting a single hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.
“This lipstick mark, it is from Lotus. It means she likes you, Twilight.”
Twilight blinked. So Lotus liked her. What was there to be upset about?
“Well, the princess did say I needed to make more friends, Rarity. Maybe this is a good thing,” Twilight said, a gentle smile crossing her features.
“No, Twilight. It means she like likes you,” blurted Rarity, a deadpan look on her face.
Twilight stared at her friend for a moment before she registered what it was she was saying.
“W-what? That’s ridiculous,” Twilight sputtered, stepping back from Rarity. She felt a warming sensation crawling into her cheeks at a fast pace. A very different feeling was crawling someplace lower, but she pushed that aside for the moment. “No, this can’t happen, Rarity. I’m not even sure I like mares!”
At this, Rarity nearly exploded with excitement.
“You mean you’ve been considering it, and you didn’t tell moi?! Darling, I’m your friend, I can help you with these things!”
“RARITY!” Twilight’s irritated voice bellowed.
A stern silence seemed to suck the air out of the room as the two friends stared at one another, clearly on opposite ends of the emotional spectrum.
From a few feet away, the timid pegasus spoke up for the first time since announcing their arrival.
“I think it would be kind of nice to have a gay friend...”
***
Wrong...wrong wrong...wrong wrong wrong. Wrong.
This is all so very wrong. Why would any mare have feelings for me?, Twilight thought as she trod along the dusty road back to the Ponyville Library. The feeling of butterflies tickled inside her belly every time she thought about it, but it’s just not something she was ever into. Previous relationships had all been so simple.
It had all been the same, really. Kissing instead of hugging or shaking hooves. Saying “I love you” without ever really meaning it. It was all filly stuff done for attention among peers. This, though. It felt different. Mainly because it was a mare. Partly because she hadn’t spoken two words to Lotus before now. It just felt so...adult.
This wasn’t something she wanted to be thinking about right now. There were more important things at hand, and she couldn’t afford to spend her time thinking about crushes and dates. Then again, she had promised herself at least one day off from worrying. Maybe this relationship business would be good for her? It would give her somepony other than Spike to vent at every day. Uh...maybe that was the wrong way to look at things.
I have to trust them, she told herself.
Not long later, she found herself faced with her front door as usual. She gave a sigh, pushing it open with her forehead.
I just need some sleep, that’s all, Twilight thought to herself as she wobbled into the empty, dark library.
What you need is restraint, Twilight Sparkle.
Yes...restraint...wait, that isn't what I sound like...in my head...is it?
Twilight blinked, staring around at her library only to find it devoid of books. Or walls. Or floors...a ceiling...or any discernable form of matter in general, really.
“W-what...?” the confused unicorn uttered, suddenly finding her voice.
It was then that she appeared. Tall and graceful as ever, the dark blue alicorn stood proudly, staring down at Twilight Sparkle, a certain glimmer of stars and space reflected in her eyes.
“Princess Luna!” Twilight gasped, instinctively lowering her head in a bow.
“Your thoughts betray you, Twilight Sparkle. Never would I have imagined a mare like yourself delving into the worlds of lust and love,” Luna said, a soft chuckle chasing her wise-spoken words. The area around the two mares began to grow chilly, snow blurring the edges of Twilight’s vision everywhere she looked.
“I...p-princess, I’d never...”
“It’s a natural part of our world, my dear pupil. All of us are curious, and want to explore. You know this, Twilight Sparkle. Curiosity invokes learning, and learning makes better ponies. Better ponies means a better Equestria,” the princess finished, smiling down at her student, before waving a hoof dismissively at the subject.
“Regardless, this is beside the point of our meeting. You must remain quick and sharp, both mentally and physically,” the princess began. “At this stage in your magical development, I wouldn't expect much resistance gaining access to your thoughts, but by the time I am finished training you, you should be able to see other ponies thoughts yourself,” she concluded.
“What if I don’t want to see other ponies thoughts...?” Twilight asked nervously, looking around the apparent dream world around her. The visions she saw were blurred at best, but it seemed real. It felt real. Inside of her head it was real, as far as she was concerned.
“All great leaders must do things they do not want to, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna began, the slightest quiver in her voice barely audible. “If you are to take on power, it will be your responsibility to watch the dreams of your subjects for the betterment of Equestria,” the night princess completed with a curt nod.
The studious purple unicorn felt the breath fizzle from her chest. Well, I guess there are worse ponies than Princess Luna who could train me. What do I have to worry about?
“The only thing you should worry about is procrastination and laziness, my student,” Luna noted. Twilight felt her stomach roll as she was reminded of the princess’s power. “Let this serve as a prologue to the training that will come in your future. Be prepared, Twilight Sparkle. The next time I come to you, it will not be in your sleep,” the princess noted, the tone in her voice sending a shiver down Twilight’s spine. “For now, try not to let your mind stray from what really matters,” the princess warned, her eyes narrowing as she stared down at her pupil.
With that, the blurry void of snow surrounding them increased its whirl. She took a step back, raising a foreleg to shield her eyes as she felt the cold wash over her, blinding her in a thick haze of the purest white.
***
Dear Diary,
I can’t really think of anything to write today. Well, I can, it’s just...really hard to explain. My vacation...trip...whatever ponies would call it, was definitely a great time. I find it hard to fully enjoy reflecting on it given what is happening in Ponyville. Sure, I had a great time with Twilight and Rarity today, but things are different. These new ponies in their armor, with their radios...they’re so scary. I miss the way things used to be. It was a lot less noisy.
Twilight and I had a great time at the spa, though. There weren't many of those police ponies around. Maybe they were off harassing Berry Punch about her ‘special brew’ again? I feel like things get easier when the PVPF isn't around. I think they are causing more problems than they are solving.
I miss my other friends, and I haven’t reserved any time to spend with them. I really hope they aren't mad at me. Everypony seems so busy these days. Rarity is overstocked with dress orders, Sweet Apple Acres is overflowing with apple shipment orders, and Rainbow Dash has been training more than ever. She really wants to keep her image up for the Wonderbolts, and I’m so happy for her.
Pinkie Pie...well. She IS Pinkie Pie, after all. She’s busy setting up parties for every filly and colt in Ponyville that ever has a birthday. I’m pretty sure that she marks her calendar a few years in advance for anypony’s party.
I know all of this change is natural, but the murder isn't. It’s scaring me, and rumors are starting to fly around about who could have done it. I can’t imagine a pony that would willingly hurt somepony else. Things have always been so peaceful in Ponyville, and this is an unwelcome change. I hope it all ends soon.
Fluttershy opened her mouth, dropping the quill with a sigh. She lifted her hooves, trying her best to rub the blur from her eyes as she struggled to stay awake and read over her words. The writing looked alien to her, and she hoped that what she wrote would be intelligible when she woke tomorrow.
She stood up from her desk, gently flapping her wings and hovering over, landing gently atop her soft bed. Her eyes drifted shut as she curled up into a ball in the bed, not bothering to pull the covers over herself as a cold breeze wafted in the window. Outside, gleaming white crystals had begun to fall from a light cloud cover that had been assembled earlier that day.
Her breath came steadily as she drifted off to sleep. She didn't even twitch an ear at the scream that echoed in the distance, masked by wind and wolf howls tearing at the night.
***
"I don't understand. How the fuck does stuff like this happen?"
Spearhead gave a growl as she stood at the edge of Everfree Forest. The entire area had been taped off as a police investigation, and the entire reason for that was lying mangled and torn right at her hooves.
A stiff-looking grey unicorn trot up beside Spearhead, his stack of paper cutie mark fitting his physique and attitude quite well. He held a dented metal clipboard in his matching dull grey magic as he spoke up to his superior, pushing the horn-rimmed glasses that sat on his snout up ever so slightly with a free hoof.
"Name's Berry Punch, boss. Contrary to what we originally guessed, it wasn't alcohol poisoning that killed her," the snooty unicorn began, chuckling at his own words as he stared down at the corpse beneath him. Most of the crumpled body had been reduced to blood and giblets, but enough remained to clearly identify who it was that had died.
"Yeah, I guessed that," Spearhead shot back with a grumble. "Do you have anything of use to me, or is this just another waste of police time? I can call the janitor right now if we don't need this puddle anymore."
"Well, we did get one conclusive piece of evidence from this. It's an earth pony that did this. No unicorn or pegasus could bend a pony's spine like that unless they pushed themselves into blacking out," he said with a curt nod to his superior.
A short pause sucked the air away from the two ponies before Spearhead spoke up.
"That's fucking stupid. I'm an earth pony, and there's no way I could do this," she said, sliding a hoof down her cheek. "Go get me some actual evidence before you bother me again, Fast Fyle. I want names, dates, descriptions...you know, some damn evidence?" She shot with a sneer at the snooty pony. "I don't need your ignorant prejudices contaminating this investigation."
The hardened sergeant gave a sigh as she banged her forehead against her hoof repeatedly.
Two in two days...yeah, no, a unicorn has to be doing this shit. Nobody but a dildohead could pull this shit off. I wouldn't put it past Fast Fyle...nah...
Spearhead groaned, shaking the thoughts from her head as she turned away from the liquefied corpse.
"Well...time for another five thousand word report on the wonders of murder...and here I thought I was done with creative writing class..."