> The Lovely Bones: Afterlife of a Murdered Pegasus
>  by Doctor Perseus
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Dashie and Stormy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Lovely Bones


Afterlife of a Murdered Pegasus



Chapter 1: Dashie and Stormy


"Get off of me!" ordered the 8-year-old Rainbow Dash. Her 5-year-old brother, Sunkick, was laying on her back and holding on tightly.
"I don't feel like it!" he said with a snarky grin. Rainbow bucked and bucked until the small yellow pegasus flew off her back. He knocked the dust out of his red mane as he stood up to go another round. 
"That's enough, you two," said Rainbow's 14-year-old sister, Stormflower. "Do you want me to tell Mom and Dad about the way you've been acting when they get home?"
"Stop being such a killjoy, Stormy!" Rainbow snapped.
"Don't call me Stormy. That name is so degrading."
"Stormy! Stormy! I'm saying it! Stormy! Stormy!"
Stormflower flew at the cyan pegasus and wrapped her in a headlock. 
"Give her a punch for me, sis!" cheered Sunkick.
"There's not going to be anymore punching, okay?! Just calm down!" snapped Stormflower. Rainbow struggled against her sister's grip but the teenage pegasus had more than enough strength to hold her down for a while. Rainbow eventually stopped and Stormflower let her go. 
"Do you know when they're going to be back?" Rainbow asked.
"I'm not sure. Dad told me that something big had happened and that he was needed to look into it right away," Stormflower replied as she patted the dust off her pink coat and purple mane. 
"What does Daddy do again?" asked Sunkick.
"He's a detective. You know. Ponies who go around and investigate so that they can catch bad guys."
"Oh. Cool! I want to be a detective when I grow up!"
"Good luck with that dream!" teased Rainbow. 
"Shut up!"
The two young pegasi began fighting again and Stormflower broke them up. 
It wasn't until an hour later that their parents, Thunder Storm and Caroline Dash, returned home. Thunder had been gone for three days now and Caroline had gone to meet him earlier that day. The three children were extremely happy to see their father again.
"Did you catch any bad guys?" asked Sunkick as Thunder picked him up. 
"One," Thunder replied.
"What did he do?" asked Rainbow.
"A bad thing."
"Well that explains a lot!"
"I'll tell you when you're older."
"Dad! You're always saying that!"
"I won't be saying that forever. Besides, it's time for you and your brother to head on up to bed."
"What about Stormflower?!"
"She's older than you and thus she has the right to stay up later. Don't worry, Dashie, when you become older you'll have more privileges to enjoy. But you're not grown up yet so it's time for you to go to bed."
Rainbow groaned but ultimately gave in and went upstairs. Caroline carried the tired Sunkick to his room while Rainbow trudged off to the room that she shared with Stormflower.
"So what happened?" Rainbow heard Stormflower ask.
"Are you sure that you want to know?" Thunder asked. "It was a really horrific crime."
"Dad, I'm fourteen years old. I think I can handle it."
"Okay then. Let's go into the kitchen and talk."
Rainbow wanted to hear more about what the bad guy did but she knew that her father wouldn't have told her anything about it. She simply climbed into bed and waited. 
Stormflower came up a couple hours later. Rainbow was still wide awake. Stormflower fell down on her bed and got into a comfortable position.
"So?" Rainbow asked.
"So what?" asked Stormflower.
"What did Daddy tell you?"
"He...he told me about what the bad guy did."
"And...what did he do?!"
"I...I can't say."
"What do you mean that you can't say?!"
"I just can't, Dash. I just can't. It was...horrible."
Rainbow could here sniffles coming from the other side of the room. Stormflower was crying. Rainbow hopped out of bed and approached her sister's bed. 
"Come on, sis," she said as she patted Stormflower on the back. "There's no need to cry! I'm here!"
Stormflower turned over to face her younger sister. She smiled and wiped the tears from her face.
"Yeah. You are here," she choked.
"And I always will be! Don't you ever think otherwise!"
"Could...could you sleep with me tonight?"
"Sure! If it'll make you feel better!"
Stormflower made room in the bed and Rainbow climbed into the sheets. The two sisters hugged each other and held each other close.
"I'll always be there for you, Stormy," said Rainbow.
"And I'll always be there for you, Dashie," said Stormflower. 
> It's a Date
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2: It's a Date


It had been over ten years since the night Rainbow's father came home with news of a horrific crime. By now the 18-year-old Rainbow Dash had forgotten completely about the crime and had not asked her parents or sister about it since. She now lived in the town of Ponyville, a little ways away from Cloudsdale, and had several really good friends. 
This particular day was extremely hot and Rainbow Dash was now resting at a cafe with her friends, Twilight Sparkle and Applejack. 
"Too hot for ya?" asked Applejack.
"Somewhat. I could do a lot of practicing if I wanted to," Rainbow replied.
"Sure you could," said Twilight sarcastically.
"Are you trying to imply something there, Sparkle?!"
"No. Nothing at all."
The three ponies laughed and each took sips from their drinks. 
"We could really use some rain right about now," said Applejack. "We've had nothing but hot and dry weather for five days straight!"
"It could be worse," said Twilight.
"Ah guess you're right. So, Rainbow, is anything new or interesting happening in your life at the moment?"
"I don't think so...oh wait! I almost forgot!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"What is it?" Twilight asked.
"My big sis is coming to town next week!"
"So we finally get to meet the famous Stormflower," said Applejack.
"Stormflower. Why does that name sound familiar?" Twilight asked.
"She's written several books on gardening and such," said Rainbow.
"Now I remember! I have one of her books back in the library!"
"Yeah. We're really close."
"Then how come none of us have met her in all the time that you've been in Ponyville?" asked Applejack.
"She travels around a lot and is really busy. We sent letters to each other to see how our separate lives are going."
"Don't you have a brother too?"
"You mean Sunkick? Yeah. He still lives in Cloudsdale with my parents."
"How come we didn't see them when we were in Cloudsdale?"
"They were on vacation."
"Vacation?!"
"Yeah. Vacation. Is that so shocking?"
"Uh...well...no. I don't reckon it is."
"Then don't act like it is. Hmm...now that I think about it, I haven't really talked to anypony in my family for a while. The five of us should really get together again soon."
Just then Rainbow felt something big and fluffy grab her. She turned around to see Pinkie Pie standing right behind her.
"Hey Pinkie Pie," said Twilight.
"Hi Twilight! Hi Applejack! Hi Rainbow Dash!" said Pinkie in her overly hyper voice.
"How are you doing?" asked Rainbow.
"I'm doing great! Spectacular even!"
"What's gotten you all happy and such?" asked Applejack.
"I was looking through some papers yesterday and I came across something that got me excited!"
"What was it?" asked Twilight.
"Nothing really. Just some old papers that made me really happy. By the way, Rainbow Dash, are you free tomorrow?"
"I don't have anything planned. Why? Do you want to do something together?" asked Rainbow.
"Yes. I really want to get together with you tomorrow. We're going to have so much fun!"
"What are we going to do?"
"I can't tell you that, silly filly! That would ruin the surprise!"
"I hate surprises."
"I love surprises!"
"Oh well. Sure. I can hang out with you tomorrow. Where are we meeting?"
"Sugar Cube Corner at...around noon."
"Okay. I'll be there!"
"Great! It's a date! See you girls later!"
Pinkie then trotted happily down the road. 
"At least somepony's happy during this awful heat wave," said Twilight.
"Yeah," said Applejack.
"I wonder what surprise she has for me," said Rainbow. "I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow. Heh. Knowing Pinkie it's probably going to be one hell of a surprise." 
> A Terribly Rainy Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3: A Terribly Rainy Day


Stormflower sat calmly at her table by the front window of the cafe. It was raining heavily outside and the cafe was now nearly packed to the brim with wet and shivering ponies. Stormflower munched on a corn cake as she read through the most recent letter that she had received from her younger sister.
"Dear Stormflower," she read. "I'm extremely hyped about you coming to visit me in Ponyville. You better make sure that you're rested because the second you arrive in town I'm going to challenge you to a race! You also better be ready for a party because Pinkie Pie is going to throw you one no matter what you say! Anyway, I hope things are good for you. Have you heard from Mom, Dad, or Sunkick recently? I haven't. We should all get together and do something. It's been years since the five of us have done any sort of family activity. I really miss you, sis. It's been a while since we've seen each other face to face. But that's all going to change when you come and visit me in Ponyville. We're going to start hanging out more often. Remember what we promised each other all those years ago? I said that I'd always be there for you and you said that you'd always be there for me. I thinks it's time that we started fulfilling that promise again. Anyway I love ya, Stormy, and I'll see ya in a few days. Love Rainbow Dash."
Stormflower smiled as she stuffed the letter back into her bag. She took another bite out of her corn cake and leaned back in her chair. She had heard about Rainbow's friends from her letters but she didn't know much about them. However, out of the five main friends that Rainbow liked to talk about, the one that stood out to most to her was Pinkie Pie. It was the name. It sounded so familiar. Where had she heard that name before? Whatever. She could think about it later. She turned towards the clock and saw that it was nearly four o'clock. 
"Shit! I'm late!" she uttered as she jumped up from the table. She grabbed the corn cake and threw it into her bag. She could finish it on the train. She squeezed her way through the crowd of wet ponies and ran out into the rain. It was certainly a heavy downpour. She eventually made it out of the rain and into the station. "Made it! And with five minutes to spare!"
She walked towards the train and presented her ticket to the conductor. He nodded and she got on. She found a window seat in the third train car and sat down. She then reached into her bag and pulled out the corn cake. Giggles escaped from her mouth at the thought of surprising Rainbow. She had told Rainbow in her last letter that she'd be arriving in Ponyville the following week, but in reality she was going to be in town the day after tomorrow. She smiled at the thought of Rainbow squealing with surprise and wrapping her up in a giant bear hug. The train began to move and Stormflower reclined herself back in the chair.
The train wasn't packed today. There were only about ten to twenty ponies in Stormflower's car total. Rain continued to pound on the windows as the train made its trek through the green countryside. It was hard to believe that a lot of Equestria was experiencing a series of hot and dry days. Stormflower closed her eyes for a few seconds and opened them to see that a strange stallion had taken a seat across from her. He wore a prim and proper suit, a polished top hat, and had a small beard extending from his chin. His head was facing the floor but he soon looked up to face her.
"Is there something on me?" he asked. Stormflower realized that she was staring and quickly looked away.
"No. Sorry. You...you just look like somepony I know," she replied quickly.
"Yeah. I understand. Everypony has their own doppelganger. You look like somepony I know also."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You look like the author of a book my wife reads all the time. What was it called again? Oh! 1001 Ways to Keep Your Plants from Dying."
Stormflower chuckled a bit and shuffled into a more relaxing position.
"I'm no doppelganger. I wrote that book."
"You're Stormflower?"
"Yes. Have I disappointed you in some way?"
"No! Not at all! It's just funny to run across a celebrity on a common civilian train."
"I'm no celebrity. It's not like I'm a member of the Wonderbolts."
"You're pretty famous around the parts I come from."
"And where do you come from exactly, Mr-"
"Cross. Edgar Cross."
"Well it's nice to meet you, Mr. Edgar Cross."
The two ponies shook hooves and reclined back in their respective seats.
"So where do you come from?" asked Stormflower.
"I work on a rock farm with my wife," Edgar replied. "I have...er...had three children but they don't live with us anymore."
"What did you mean by when you said that you had three children?"
"It's not really a story I prefer to talk about."
"Sorry! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings in any way!"
"Don't worry yourself about it. I should have just said that I have three children and left it at that."
"Did you lose one of them?"
"Yeah. My youngest child. She was so sweet. So full of life. I only wish that I had been more protective of her."
"What...exactly happened to her...if you don't mind me asking?"
"She was murdered."
"Oh...I'm terribly sorry for your loss."
"Thank you, dearie. She didn't deserve it. It was a horrible crime. At least they caught that bastard and locked him away for good, though I do wish that Princess Celestia would just go and have him executed already!"
"I thought there was no death row."
"There isn't. Not for a long time. I'm just saying that I wish he'd be executed. That's what he deserves."
"How long ago did this take place?"
"Around ten years ago. It's been a very hard decade for my wife and I."
"What about your two other children? Are they alright?"
"Huh? Oh yes. They're doing splendidly. The oldest is off playing music in Canterlot and the middle child is now living in a small town a little ways from here (I keep forgetting the name)."
"Well if they're happy, shouldn't you be happy too?"
"Don't get me wrong, Ms. Stormflower! I'm incredibly happy for my children! It's just that-"
"It's hard to let go and move on."
"Exactly my point."
"That's completely understandable."
Edgar fell silent and pulled his hat over his eyes.
"I'm sorry, dearie, but it's been a long day and I'm extremely tired," he groaned.
"I don't mind. I could use a bit of sleep myself," said Stormflower. Edgar smiled, chuckled, and slowly drifted off to sleep. Stormflower closed her eyes and laid her head back, her head swarming with the happy memories of her cyan sister. 
> The Favor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4: The Favor


The sun had already begun to set by the time Rainbow had finished reading the newest Daring Doo book. She closed the book, a satisfied smile printed on her face, and placed it back on a nearby shelf. She stretched her legs and wings as she stood up from her seat and walked towards the door. 
"Are you leaving already?" asked Twilight. The unicorn walked down the stairs and approached her pegasus friend. "That was some pretty fast reading there."
"Yeah. I'm a fast reader when it comes to Daring Doo," Rainbow bragged. "Who knows? I might even become a faster reader than you!"
"In your dreams!"
The two friends laughed and Rainbow gave Twilight a friendly shove. 
"So where are you off to now?" Twilight asked.
"Nowhere. I'll probably walk around a bit before hitting the sack," Rainbow replied.
"Would you mind having company?"
"Huh? Do you want to come walking with me?"
"It's only sunset and I don't really have anything else to do at the moment. Would you mind if I came walking with you?"
"Uh...well...no. I'd be fine with it."
"Okay!"
Twilight used her magic to open the door and Rainbow walked through the threshold. Twilight followed and closed the door behind her.
Though the days were hot, the nights were enjoyably cool. There weren't many ponies out so walking around town at twilight was enjoyable. Rainbow and Twilight walked through the calm and quiet streets of Ponyville until they came to rest by the cafe in which they had had lunch earlier. 
"Hi Twilight. Hi Rainbow Dash," cooed a quiet voice. Rainbow and Twilight turned to see Fluttershy standing next to them. She was accompanied by Zecora. 
"Hey Fluttershy," said Rainbow. "What are you and Zecora up to?"
"We were just talking about a strange animal that Zecora saw outside her hut last night."
"What did you see?" Twilight asked as she turned to face the zebra.
"I do not know for it was dark, you see," Zecora replied. "But it made a sound that resembled that of a bee."
"An animal that sounds like a bee? That is strange," said Rainbow.
"I'm going to visit Zecora's hut tomorrow and see if I can find any traces of it," said Fluttershy. 
"If you do find anything then can I examine it also?" asked Twilight. "Discovering a new species would be really exciting!"
"Sure. No problem."
"Well I must be going for I want to get home before the rooster starts crowing," said Zecora. 
"I better be off too," said Fluttershy.
"Okay. See ya later!" said Rainbow. The yellow pegasus and the zebra then disappeared among the assortment of houses and buildings. "I'm starting to get a little tired too."
"Well I guess I better head back to the library then," said Twilight.
"Why...why don't you walk with me back to my place? Besides, I need to ask you something."
"Okay then. No problem."
The two friends then began walking towards the outskirts of town. On their way to Rainbow's house they passed by Sugar Cube Corner.
"What is it that you want to ask me?" Twilight asked.
"I wanted to ask if you could-" Rainbow froze. Twilight noticed that Rainbow was looking up at something. There was a light on in one of the upper rooms of Sugar Cube Corner. An oppressing shadow was situated in the window. "Who...who is that?"
Twilight looked up at the window and squinted her eyes. She couldn't tell who it was. The shadow had long, straight hair and it gave both Rainbow and Twilight a sense of uncertainty. The shadow then disappeared and the two friends looked at each other. Suddenly, the window flew open and Pinkie Pie stuck her head out. 
"Hey down there!" she called. Rainbow and Twilight sighed with relief. Pinkie's hair was puffy as usual and a large smile was implanted on her face. 
"Hey Pinkie!" Rainbow called. "Were you just standing by the window a few seconds ago?"
"Nope!"
"Is there anypony else up there with you?" Twilight asked.
"Nope! It's just me and Gummy!"
"Our eyes must have just been playing tricks on us!"
"You should tell your eyes to stop doing that. That's not really nice."
"Yeah. I'll give my eyes a good talk or two once I get home!" chuckled Rainbow.
"I'm really looking forward to tomorrow, Rainbow Dash!"
"Yeah! Me too! Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow!"
"Yes you will!"
Pinkie then retreated back into her room and slammed the window shut. Rainbow and Twilight giggled happily and continued on their walk. It wasn't until they had just reached the inner outskirts of Ponyville that they started talking again.
"So what is it that you wanted to ask me?" Twilight asked.
"I was wondering...if you could ask Princess Celestia...for a favor on my behalf," said Rainbow.
"What kind of favor?"
"Twilight, do you know what glow stone is?"
"Of course. Crystal-like stones that emit a bright and soothing light 24/7. Why do you ask?"
"And how...common is it?"
"It's extremely rare. The only place in the world that you could probably find it for sale is Canterlot. What's with the sudden interest in glow stone?"
"Well...it's been a long time since I've seen my sister face to face...and I want to get her something really special since I haven't been able to provide her with a really good birthday present in a while."
"Okay. And?"
"And her favorite type of stone is glow stone. She's always wanted at least one type of object in her possession that's made of glow stone. I was just wondering if...maybe...you could ask Princess Celestia if she could...have a glow stone object made for my sister."
"You want me to ask Princess Celestia if she can have a glow stone product made for your sister?"
"That's what I said, isn't it?"
"I...hmm...I don't know, Rainbow Dash."
"Could you at least try?! I mean...I barely have any dough on me at the moment and I just thought that, due to us representing the Elements of Harmony, we could get Princess Celestia to pull a couple strings."
"Well...you're not asking for something selfish. I...I guess...I could try asking the Princess about it."
Rainbow turned around and wrapped Twilight up in a giant bear hug. 
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You're the best egghead friend a pegasus could ask for!"
Twilight giggled awkwardly as Rainbow put her down. The two friends found their gazes interlocked with each other's. Rainbow slowly backed away and reached into a bag that she had on her back. 
"Here," she said as she handed Twilight a piece of paper. "This is what I want it to look like. I hope it isn't too much."
Twilight examined the piece of paper and smiled.
"This looks really nice, Rainbow Dash. I have a feeling the Princess will be able to pull a few strings for you," said Twilight. Rainbow smiled happily as they arrived at her house. 
"Well, here we are," she said.
"Yeah. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then!" said Twilight as she began to walk away.
"Yep!"
Rainbow flew up towards the entrance of her house and was about to enter when she turned around. She could see Twilight slowly trudging her way back to town.
"Hey Twilight!" she called. Twilight turned around and looked up to face her cyan friend. "I wasn't just complimenting you because you accepted to ask the Princess for me! You really are a good friend!"
Twilight smiled and waved goodbye. Rainbow followed suit and disappeared into her floating house. Twilight put her hoof down and started heading back to town. She had the urge to tell Rainbow something. Something important. Twilight didn't know what it was that she wanted to tell the pegasus but she had a pretty good idea. She wanted to run back and tell it to her but she shook the thought away. She had all the time in the world to tell Rainbow Dash how she felt. It's not like this was her last chance or anything like that.
> Cupcakes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5: Cupcakes


Rainbow Dash woke up early the following morning. She wanted to get in some extra flying practice before she had to go and meet Pinkie Pie that afternoon. She stretched her wings and legs and took off into the morning sky. The sun had just barely risen above the horizon and the air was still somewhat cool. Rainbow relished in the feeling of the wind lapping against her coat and mane. Her wings cried with delight as she sped through the air at near super sonic speeds. It wasn't until the sun was already fairly high in the sky that she returned to the ground for a break. She sat down within the shade of a tall tree and closed her eyes. The air around her was hot but the somewhat cool aura of the shade made it at least habitable. 
"Hey Rainbow Dash!" said an extremely excited voice. Rainbow opened her eyes to see a small brown pegasus filly standing a few feet away from her.
"Hey Scootaloo," she breathed.
"I've been watching your moves all morning!"
"You have? Don't you have friends to hang out with or other, more exciting, things to do?"
"No. Not really. Apple Bloom's busy helping Applejack and Big Macintosh around the farm and Sweetie Belle's on a trip to Canterlot with Rarity."
"Huh. I forgot Rarity went to Canterlot for a couple days. How long has it been since she left?"
"Around two days."
"Hmm. I guess the excitement for my sister coming to visit made me forget all about that."
"You have a sister?"
"Yeah. Have I not mentioned her around you?"
"I've never heard you mention a sister."
"Hmm...I guess I don't talk about her as much as I think I do. Her name's Stormflower. She's around six years older than me."
"Stormflower...I think I've heard her name before in class."
"Wouldn't be surprised. She's written several books on gardening. She has a fair amount of fans."
"I remember now. Ms. Cheerilee mentioned us to her once when we were learning about plants."
"That sounds like it was a really interesting lesson."
"Trust me. It wasn't."
The two pegasi laughed and Rainbow sat up a bit. 
"Why don't you come out of the sun and come sit next to me for a little bit?"
A huge smile formed on Scootaloo's face and she eagerly ran up next to Rainbow and sat down. They leaned back on the trunk of the tree and sighed.
"Can we spend the whole day together?" asked Scootaloo anxiously.
"Sorry Scoots. I promised Pinkie Pie that I would go and hang out with her at Sugar Cube Corner this afternoon," Rainbow replied. Scootaloo hated the nickname "Scoots" but she didn't mind when Rainbow used it. She simply shrugged it off and sighed happily. "I'm free tomorrow though."
Scootaloo looked up at the elder pegasus, her eyes now glistening with excitement.
"R...really?!"
"Sure. I don't have anything extremely important planned for tomorrow."
"Could...could you teach me how to fly?"
"You don't know how to fly yet?"
Scootaloo looked down at the ground. 
"No," she breathed. 
"How come?" asked Rainbow.
"I don't know. I guess I'm just worried that I'll screw up."
"You're a pegasus! Flying is your nature! Don't worry, Scoots! I'll have you flying through the sky before you can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"
"Where the hay did you get a word like that?"
"I saw it in a book somewhere and liked it."
The two pegasi laughed again and Rainbow patted Scootaloo's head happily. Suddenly the clock tower began ringing. It was noon.
"Damn! I'm late for my meeting with Pinkie Pie! Catch you later, Scoots!" said Rainbow as she stood up.
"See you later then!" said Scootaloo with a smile. Rainbow winked at Scootaloo and took off. She made it to Sugar Cube Corner in less than a minute. 
"I wonder what surprise Pinkie has in store for me," said Rainbow as she walked through the front doors. "Maybe she has an awesome prank planned for somepony!" It was just then that she noticed that she was the only pony in the store. The entire place seemed empty. "Hello?! Pinkie Pie! Is anypony here?! She walked into the kitchen to see Pinkie Pie standing by the oven. She was wearing a white apron, a tall chef's hat, and two large oven mitts. "There you are!"
"Oh! Hey Dashie!" said Pinkie as she bounced over to her friend. The pink earth pony gave the pegasus a quick hug and then bounced back to the oven. 
"So what's the surprise, Pinkie? Are we going to be pulling pranks on anypony? Or are we going to-"
"We're baking cupcakes!"
Pinkie then presented Rainbow with a giant tray of decorated cupcakes and placed it on a nearby counter.
"Cupcakes? Really? This was your big surprise?" asked a somewhat disappointed Rainbow.
"Well...you could say that it's part of the surprise," replied Pinkie with a sneaky grin.
"So there's more?! What else is there?!"
"You're going to have to wait and see!"
"Come on, Pinkie! You know how I hate surprises!"
"I said that we're making cupcakes! I'll tell you the real surprise once we get past phase one!"
"Okay then."
Rainbow reached for an oven mitt but Pinkie quickly slapped her hoof.
"Ow! What the hell was that for?!" Rainbow snapped.
"Before we make cupcakes, I want you taste one of the cupcakes that I made," Pinkie replied as she pointed at the tray of cupcakes on the counter. It was then that Rainbow noticed that all of the cupcakes had an icing picture on them that looked like that of a cutie mark. The main cupcake was chocolate while the icing was dark blue. Each cupcake had the image of a bronze spatula cutie mark painted on it with icing. 
"Those certainly look interesting."
"But don't they look just delicious?!"
"I do admit that I am pretty hungry. I skipped breakfast this morning to get in some extra flying practice."
"Well if you're hungry then eat you silly filly!"
Rainbow shrugged her shoulders and grabbed the nearest cupcake. Sure, a cupcake wasn't exactly the healthiest first thing for somepony to eat during their day but it was definitely better than nothing. It was as Rainbow drew the painted pastry close to her lips that she realized just how hungry she was. Her mouth craved for the delectable taste of the sweet treat and her tongue just begged to be covered in its sugary goodness. Then, in one swift movement, she stuffed the whole pastry into her mouth. It was amazing! One of the best cupcakes Rainbow had eaten in a while. She swallowed the pastry and proceeded to eat another. The second cupcake went down as quickly as the first. Rainbow then reached for a third and prepared to devour it.
"Wow Dashie! You sure were hungry! I actually didn't expect you to eat more than one!" said a surprised Pinkie Pie.
"Why would anypony just eat one of your cupcakes?" asked Rainbow. "They're all so good! So, what do we do now?"
"Now...I prepare to make more cupcakes and you, my little Dashie, take a nap!"
"A nap?"
Rainbow was confused. She didn't feel tired, even after all those hours of flying.
"Pinkie, I don't feel tired. And besides, how does me taking a nap help you make cupcakes? I thought the both of us were going to make cupcakes," said Rainbow.
"Just wait. In a few seconds you'll be sleeping like a dragon!" said Pinkie gleefully. Rainbow was still confused. Then it hit. A strange feeling. Rainbow's eyelids suddenly became heavy, her limbs became weak, and her sight became blurry. The third cupcake fell from her hoof and hit the floor with a soft thud. 
"Pi...Pinkie. What...what's...happening?" 
"Goodnight, Dashie!"
The world began to spin and Rainbow fell to the ground. The last thing she saw was Pinkie's blurred figure standing over her, then she blacked out. 
> Joan Silver
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 6: Joan Silver


It was still raining hard when Stormflower's train reached the station. She got off and walked towards the ticket counter to buy another ticket for the later train. Edgar Cross got off too and walked by.
"It was really nice meeting you, Ms. Stormflower," he said. "Where are you off to from here?"
"I'm going to visit my little sister. I haven't seen her in a while," Stormflower replied. 
"Cherish your loved ones, dearie. Because sometimes they can just disappear."
Stormflower nodded and Edgar Cross disappeared into the waterlogged town. 
She bought a ticket for the three o'clock train and found an empty seat on the platform. She pulled out a piece of candy from her bag and began munching on it when an orange stallion walked up to her.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked.
"Not at all," Stormflower replied. She scooted a little bit to the left and the stallion sat down at the right end of the bench. 
"It's...Stormflower isn't it? The author of 1001 Ways to Keep Your Plants from Dying?"
"Yes. That's me."
"I've never read your books before. My sister's the one with the green hoof in the family."
Stormflower chuckled and finished eating her piece of candy.
"So what type of work do you do?" asked Stormflower. Her eyes trailed down to his cutie mark, which was that of an open book, and then back to her own, which was that of a flower surrounded by thunderclouds. 
"I don't have a job at the moment. I just read...a lot."
"Ever considered becoming an author?"
"Nah. I can't write for shit...oh...pardon the language."
"I don't mind."
"Huh. I do wish to become a teacher one day."
"Well why don't you try to become one right now?"
"I'm horrible with foals. Every foal I've come across either attacks or insults me."
"Maybe you need to practice being around foals more often."
"Maybe. My name's Joan by the way. Joan Silver."
"Nice to meet you, Joan Silver." 
"So. Where are you off to now?"
"I'm going to visit my little sister."
"Oh. Where does she live?"
"Now why should I tell you that, Mr. Silver? I've only just met you."
"True. Can I at least know her name?"
"Her name's Rainbow Dash."
"Hmm...Rainbow Dash. That name certainly does sound familiar."
"Yeah. So where are you off to?"
"I'm traveling to the town of Ponyville to meet up with an old friend of mine."
"Huh. That's funny."
"Why is it funny?"
"Oh...uh...no reason."
"That's where Rainbow Dash lives, isn't it?"
"Yeah...maybe."
The two ponies laughed and leaned back in their seats. 
"Are you going to be busy during your time in Ponyville?" Joan asked.
"Possibly. I'm not sure about what kind of schedule my sister has planned for me," Stormflower replied.
"Well, when you've found some free time, why don't you look me up? I'll be staying in the Hay and Stay Hotel."
"Hmm, tempting. I'll have to think about it."
"You do that. Well have a nice day, Ms. Stormflower. I'm going to go and get something to eat before the train gets here."
The orange pony stood up, bowed to Stormflower with a smirk, and walked away. Stormflower smiled and sat back in her seat. She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Yes, the future seemed very bright. 
> Pinkie's Surprise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 7: Pinkie's Surprise


Rainbow Dash moaned slightly as she slowly regained consciousness. She opened her eyes and gave out a loud yawn. 
"What hit me?" she moaned. She tried to stretch her legs...but she couldn't. It was then that she noticed that she was strapped to something. She was on what seemed to be a large slab of metal that was attached vertically to a wall. Ropes bound her to the metal slab by her legs (which were all spread out), her torso, and her head. Her wings, however, were free. She flapped her wings and tried her best to free herself from the bonds. But it was to no avail. She examined her surroundings to see that she was in a room that was completely dark. "Where...where am I?"
Suddenly, a series of excited giggles broke the silence. A single dim light hanging from the ceiling turned on, illuminating only a small circular space a few feet away from where Rainbow was trapped. Pinkie Pie emerged from the darkness and she was pushing a small moveable table. 
"Goodie! You're finally awake! Now we can get started!" said Pinkie as she came to a halt. 
"Pinkie, what's going on? I thought I was going to help you make cupcakes?" Rainbow asked.
"You are helping. Man, Dashie, you were asleep for a long time. It's already nighttime! I expected you to only eat one cupcake, which should have knocked you out for only a couple hours, but since you ate two that was enough to knock you out for the entire afternoon!"
"What are you talking about, Pinkie? What the hell's going on?! I can't move!"
"Well duh! You can't move because you're tied down. I didn't think that you needed to be told that."
"Pinkie! What is all this?!"
"Well you see, Dashie. I ran out of the special ingredient that I need to make my cupcakes, and I need you to get me some more."
"Um...how can I help you get your special ingredient when I'm tied down like this?"
"Duh! You being tied down is the only way in which I can get the special ingredient!"
"What exactly is this special ingredient?"
Pinkie giggled and pointed at Rainbow Dash with a smile on her face.
"You, silly!" she chuckled. Rainbow's eyes opened wide and, for several seconds, neither of them made a sound. Rainbow's eyes eventually returned to their normal size and a smile formed on her face. Then she began to laugh. It was an obviously forced laugh but it was a laugh nonetheless. 
"Whoa!" said Rainbow. "You really got me there, Pinkie Pie! I mean, tricking me into thinking that you're going to turn me into a cupcake?! That's rich! I wish I had thought of something that clever! Okay, Pinkie, if you could just-"
"Aw thanks, Dashie! But I'm sorry to say that I haven't pulled any pranks today so I can't accept your compliment," said Pinkie. Rainbow's smile vanished and her ears fell. What was this? Pinkie was definitely taking this prank too far and it was getting pretty sick. 
"Come on, Pinkie Pie. This isn't funny!"
"Then why were you laughing?"
"Because that's what somepony's supposed to do when they've realized that they've been tricked, right?!"
"But you haven't been tricked. I'm telling you the full truth."
This couldn't be happening. Pinkie couldn't be serious. Rainbow's eyes began to water up. 
"Come on, Pinkie! You can't do this! I'm your friend!" she pleaded. Pinkie laughed, this time it was much colder and darker.
"I know you are and that's why I'm so happy that you're here! We get to spend your last moments together. Just the two of us!" Pinkie replied. The pink pony pulled something out of the covered table and placed it underneath Rainbow's bound body. It was a large, rusty, metal tub. "That's used to collect the blood and...whatever other liquids come out of you."
Pinkie giggled happily and disappeared back into the darkness. Rainbow listened carefully as the sound of the pony's footsteps echoed throughout the room. 
"But...but when the other ponies notice that I'm missing, they'll come looking for me. They'll notice all of the clouds piling up! You'll be found out!" Rainbow said. 
"Dashie. There are plenty of pegasus ponies in Ponyville to take care of a few clouds," said Pinkie's voice from the darkness. "Nopony will find out about what happened to you. They'll just assume that you found that super special somepony or that you just ran away because you've failed constantly at joining the Wonderbolts. Besides, exactly how long do you think I've been doing this?"
"PINKIE PIE! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW! THIS ISN'T FUNNY ANYMORE! PLEASE! STOP THIS PRANK NOW! YOU GOT ME, OKAY?! JUST PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF CELESTIA, FUCKING STOP THIS MADNESS!"
Tears began rolling down Rainbow's face and the footsteps stopped. 
"Rainbow Dash," said Pinkie's solemn voice. Rainbow looked up to face the darkness. "I told you. This isn't a prank."
There was a bright flash of light and Rainbow closed her eyes for a few seconds. When she opened them, she was horrified by what she saw. It was a large room with walls made of grimy, greenish bricks. Several large lights hung from the ceiling. The heads of previously deceased ponies hung from the walls, the victims including Gilda the griffin, Trixie the unicorn, Derpy Hooves, Twist the filly, and several others. Entrails and other bodily organs hung from the ceiling and walls like party decorations. The walls and floor were caked with dry blood and a variety of other liquids. Several small tables and chairs made up of pony and animal bones were scattered throughout the room and, to top everything off, a large banner hung from the wall on the opposite side of the room. The banner read Life is a Party with the words written in blood. 
"Do you like it? I made it myself. Sure it took a long time to finish but I think the final product turned out excellent!" said Pinkie happily. It was then that Rainbow noticed what Pinkie was wearing. She was wearing a dress made out of the skinned cutie marks of her past victims. The dress also had a series of pegasus wings stitched on the back. Hanging from Pinkie's neck was a necklace made up of unicorn horns. "I think this dress really suits me. Don't you think? I would wear it in public...but I don't think the other ponies would like it."
Rainbow was in shock. This had to be a dream. A horrible, horrible dream that she was having. Maybe she hit her head while she was flying and was laying asleep in a hospital bed. Pinkie Pie couldn't be this cruel. She knew Pinkie...didn't she? Tears were now streaming down Rainbow's face like mad and she began fighting against the bonds that held her to the metal slab. None of them budged. Pinkie approached the cloaked table and pulled the cover off. There, on the table, sat a variety of knives, needles, and other sharp operating instruments, as well as a large medical bag. Rainbow's eyes fell on the knives and she began to panic. 
"Oh sweet Celestia HELP! SOMEPONY HELP ME! PLEASE!" Rainbow cried. 
"Nopony's going to hear you," said Pinkie as she tossed the sheet into a far corner of the room. "We're in a secret underground room that connects to the basement of Sugar Cube Corner. It's completely sound proof. That means that there's no chance for anypony to disturb us while we play. Isn't that great?!"
"Please...Pinkie Pie. I'm your friend! Don't do this to me! Please! I won't tell anypony if you let me go! I promise! Please just let me go! Don't kill me, Pinkie! Please!"
"Dashie. I know all too well that eventually you'll let something slip and I'll have to go away forever. Forever's a long time, Dashie. I'd never be able to have fun with any other ponies ever again. Do you know how much that would sadden me? No. We can't go back now."
"Please...don't."
"Come on, Dashie."
"I'm never going to fly again! I'm never going to become a member of the Wonderbolts! I'm never going to see Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, or any of the others ever again! I promised Scootaloo that I'd teach her to fly! I...I'm never going to see my sister or the rest of my family ever again."
"I'm sorry, Dashie. I didn't know that you had so much planned. It's just that...your number came up and...I just went ahead and brought you down here. I should have waited. Oh well. Who knows? I might even get a chance to play with your sister."
"DON'T YOU DARE LAY A FUCKING HOOF ON HER!"
"Okay! Okay! No need to get all wound up!"
"Pinkie...if you're going to kill me...can you at least do it quickly? I don't want to suffer."
"Aw! But if I do it quickly then we won't be able to have any fun together! No! I promise to take it nice and slow!"
"Oh sweet Celestia!"
A river of tears was now flowing from Rainbow's eyes. Pinkie rolled her eyes and slammed her hoof on the metal table. Rainbow tried to break free from her bonds again but, once again, it was to no avail.
"Okay. Let's begin!" said Pinkie as she picked up a scalpel from the table. "Now let's start things off by taking care of those cutie marks."
Rainbow gasped and her eyes widened. Pinkie was slowly walking towards her. The scalpel sat happily in Pinkie's hoof. This was it. She was going to die. 
> Escape
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 8: Escape


This couldn't be the end. It just couldn't be. Rainbow watched as Pinkie slowly drew closer. She looked over at her left hoof and noticed something. The bonds on her left hoof were...loosening. She couldn't believe it! Pinkie was close now. Rainbow focused all of her strength into her left hoof. She shook it violently and repeatedly. Pinkie knelt down and aimed the scalpel at Rainbow's right cutie mark. Rainbow gave one last tug and the rope broke loose.
"What?!" exclaimed a shocked Pinkie. Rainbow grabbed the loose rope and brought it down on Pinkie. The rope slashed Pinkie across the face and she dropped the scalpel onto the floor. As Pinkie tried to regain her senses, Rainbow managed to break off the other bonds. The last bond she broke was the one around her torso. She jumped down from the metal slab and ran for the exit. "Dashie! Come back!" 
Rainbow didn't turn around to see if Pinkie was following her. She needed to get out of there. She ran down a hallway leading out of the room and eventually found herself running into a wooden dead end. She looked back and could see Pinkie's shadow at the end of the hallway. 
"Stay away from me! You're not going to kill me!" Rainbow called. She pounded on the wooden wall and it slid to the left. Rainbow ran through the new opening to find herself in the basement of Sugar Cube Corner. She looked back and saw that the hallway leading into Pinkie's torture chamber was hidden behind a moveable bookcase. Rainbow turned away from the hallway and ran up the stairs. She burst through the doorway that lead out into the main shop. "Mr. and Mrs. Cake?! Are you here?!"
Nopony answered. Rainbow looked around. She could hear Pinkie's voice echoing from down in the basement.
"Dashie! Come back! I haven't gotten a chance to play with you yet!" she called. Rainbow quickly closed the basement door and slid a heavy table in front of it. Pinkie wasn't going to be getting out of there for a while. She needed to tell somepony. But who? Twilight. Twilight had connections to the Princess! If the Princess found out about this then Pinkie would be caught and arrested by morning! It was her best shot. Besides, it's not like Pinkie was going anywhere. Rainbow ran for the exit of the shop and ran through it. 
Night had definitely fallen over Ponyville and now there were hardly any ponies outside. Rainbow ran down the road and towards Twilight's house. She tried to fly but, for some reason, she couldn't. She rounded a bend and saw Applejack walking calmly down the road. The earth pony looked up to see her pegasus friend running down the road, a look of horror on her face.
"Hey Rainbow!" she called. "What's the matter?"
"Sorry but I can't talk right now, Applejack!" Rainbow replied as tears slowly rolled down her face. Rainbow ran past Applejack and, for a second, Applejack's right hoof brushed against Rainbow's right wing. Applejack stood there, dazed and confused, as her cyan friend disappeared into the darkness. 
Rainbow soon arrived at Twilight's house and began banging on the door.
"Twilight! Twilight! Let me in!" she called. The door slowly opened and Rainbow rushed inside. The pony who had opened the door stepped aside and turned on the light. "Listen, Twilight! I know this is going to sound crazy but Pinkie Pie-"
"Is a total psychopath who kills ponies and turns them into cupcakes?" responded a familiar voice. Rainbow turned around and gasped for standing by the door was not Twilight but Gilda!
"G...Gilda?" 
"In the flesh."
"But...but how?! How can you be alive?! I saw your head plastered on the wall of that...that horrible room!"
"That's just it, Dash. I'm not alive. Pinkie killed me. She caught me while I was leaving Ponyville and she drugged me. Once I woke up she spent the next hour and a half tearing me apart and causing me so much pain that I was practically begging for death. Eventually...she finally killed me. You know those cupcakes that you had at your party several months ago? I was in them."
"But...but how can you be dead and standing right here?!"
"Haven't you put two and two together yet, Dash?!"
"What...what are you talking about?"
"Dash, you never escaped the basement."
"What?"
"That one rope never came loose."
"No."
"Pinkie tore your cutie marks off."
"No."
"She tore your wings off."
"No!"
"She cut you up, disemboweled you, and tore you apart like a piece of meat."
"NO! IT CAN'T BE TRUE! I'M ALIVE! I KNOW I'M ALIVE!"
"If you don't believe me...then look for yourself."
Rainbow turned around and saw that she was no longer in the library. She and Gilda were now standing in the middle of Pinkie's death chamber. The metal slab that Rainbow had been tied to was covered in a sea of blood. The tub below the slab was full to the brim with various bodily fluids. The medical bag on the table was full of fresh, bloody organs and the knives and needles on the table were covered with fresh blood. She looked over in the corner of the room to see Pinkie Pie sewing something together. She was covered in lots of blood and was still wearing her skin dress. Rainbow slowly approached the pony to see what she was sewing.
"Just a few more stitches," she said. Gilda walked up next to Rainbow and put one of her claws on one of Rainbow's hooves. "And...perfect! There you are, Dashie! Good as new!"
Rainbow screamed at the sight of what she saw. Pinkie stood up, revealing that what she had been sewing together was the mutilated corpse of Rainbow herself! The skin, eyes, and hair had been sewn back together, stuffed with teddy bear stuffing, and had been cleaned off. The dummy Rainbow Dash's face was also forced into an overly happy smile. Pinkie hugged the Rainbow dummy and kissed it on the cheek.
"Now we can be together forever, Dashie!" she cooed. Tears began rolling down Rainbow's face at the sight of her corpse-turned-taxidermy toy. Gilda turned towards Rainbow Dash and sighed.
"I'm...I'm sorry, Dash. It seems that even you weren't able to escape from Pinkie's madness," she sighed. Rainbow backed up, a river of tears flowing down her face. 
"NO!" she cried. "NO! NO PINKIE NO! YOU'VE KILLED ME, PINKIE PIE! YOU'VE KILLED ME! NNNNNNOOOOOO!"
Rainbow continued to shed tears and scream in horror as she and Gilda disappeared from this world and flew off to the endless land of the dead. 
> Stormflower in Ponyville
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 9: Stormflower in Ponyville


The train let out a large cloud of steam as it pulled into Ponyville station. It came to a smooth stop and ponies began filing out of the carriages. Stormflower walked out onto the station and looked around her. She had never been in Ponyville before but it looked like a nice town. She turned right and saw Joan exiting a carriage. He turned towards her, winked, and disappeared into the crowd of ponies. Stormflower chuckled and walked out of the station. 
"Dashie told me in a past letter that her house was just on the outskirts of town," Stormflower said to herself. "I just wonder which direction it's in." She began flapping her wings and ascended several feet into the air. "Ah! There it is!"
She took off towards the cloud home in the distance. She reached it within the span of a couple minutes and landed in front of the front door. She knocked on the door three times and waited. Nopony answered.
"Hmm. Well it is early. She must be busy sleeping," she chuckled. She knocked on the door again and again until she finally gave up. "I guess she isn't home."
"Hey!" called a voice from down below. "Rainbow Dash! I'm ready for my lessons!" Stormflower looked down towards the ground to see a small brown pegasus filly. "What the hay? You're not Rainbow Dash!"
Stormflower lowered herself to the ground and approached the filly.
"So you're looking for Dash too?" she asked.
"Yeah. What do you want with her anyway?!" 
"I'm her older sister, Stormflower. I've arrived in Ponyville a bit early to give her a nice surprise."
"You're Stormflower?!"
"Yes. It looks like my sister has mentioned me to you. I hope what she said was good."
"It was. She told me about you yesterday. Hmm...you two don't really look that much alike."
"Yeah. So how do you know my sister?"
"She's my hero! The name's Scootaloo!"
"So she has fans? That's nice. Well it was nice meeting you, Scootaloo."
"Are you heading off somewhere?"
"I want to find my sister and say hello."
"Why don't we both look for her together? She promised me some private lessons today."
"Lessons? Why kind of lessons?"
"Uh...private ones."
"Okay then. So where should we start looking for her?"
"Well...the last time I talked to her she said that she was meeting Pinkie Pie at Sugar Cube Corner."
There was that name again. Pinkie Pie. Where had she heard that name before? Stormflower shook the thought out of her head and looked back down at the young filly.
"Okay," she said. "Lead the way. I'm new around here so I don't know where everything is."
"This way! Just follow me!" said Scootaloo. Stormflower began to fly upward but she noticed that Scootaloo was walking to town instead of flying there. She lowered herself back down to the ground and walked after the pegasus filly. Strange. A pegasus filly who preferred walking? A light bulb turned on in Stormflower's head. Those private lessons suddenly made more sense.
The two pegasi walked calmly through the streets of Ponyville. Stormflower noticed a few heads turning her way and she blushed. She had never been in a town where she was recognized so easily. They were just passing through the middle of town when Stormflower bumped into somepony.
"I'm sorry!" she said as the pony in front of her fell over. "Let me help you!"
Stormflower helped the unicorn pony up.
"It's no problem," said the unicorn. "I wasn't watching where I was going and-"
The unicorn looked up at Stormflower and a wide smile appeared on her face. 
"It seems I'm well known around these parts."
"Yes you are! My name's Twilight Sparkle. Can I call you Stormflower?"
"Sure."
"I've read all of your books and I find them all really informative. I'm also really close friends with Rainbow Dash."
"So another pony who knows my sister. Scootaloo and I were just looking for her."
"That's funny. I was just about to do the same thing."
"You haven't seen her either?" Scootaloo asked. 
"Not since the night before last."
"We were just going to see if she was at a place called Sugar Cube Corner," said Stormflower.
"Yeah. Pinkie Pie should know where she went."
The three ponies then continued on their quest to find the missing pegasus.
They arrived at Sugar Cube Corner within the span of a few minutes. An orange earth pony approached them.
"Howdy, Twilight!" she said.
"Hey, Applejack," said Twilight. "Are you looking for Rainbow Dash too?"
"Actually yes. Ah was just about to go ask Pinkie about that and...who the hay are you?"
Stormflower chuckled and extended her hoof.
"I'm Stormflower, Rainbow Dash's older sister," she replied. Applejack smiled and shook Stormflower's hoof.
"Ah knew there was somethin' about ya that looked familiar. I've seen ya on many different book covers."
"Can we talk about all of this later?!" snapped Scootaloo. "I want to find Rainbow Dash!"
"Okay! Okay!" said Stormflower. "No need to get your wings in a bundle!"
The four ponies then walked into the store. As soon as they entered, however, Applejack's face instantly became bright green.
"Are you okay?" Twilight asked. Applejack shook her head, ran over to a nearby wastebasket, and threw up the contents of her breakfast. "I'll take that as a no."
"Ah...ah don't know what's wrong," Applejack coughed. "Ah just...suddenly feel...really sick."
"You should head over to the clinic. I think you might have come across some type of food poisoning."
Applejack nodded in agreement and walked out of the store. 
"That was strange," Twilight continued.
"How so?" Stormflower asked.
"I've never seen a pony get sick so quickly."
"There must be an illness out and about."
"Maybe."
"So where is this Pinkie Pie?"
"I'm right here!" said a high pitched, cheery voice. Stormflower turned right to see a happy pink pony with a large, wild mane staring happily at her. 
> The Afterlife
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 10: The Afterlife


Rainbow Dash slowly opened her eyes. She didn't feel weak, stiff, or even tired. She just knew that she had woken up from a well-needed snooze. She was laying down in a familiar bed. It was her bed. She was back in her house. Had it all been a dream? Was it possible? Rainbow slowly climbed out of bed and walked over to the window. She pulled open the curtains and was greeted with the welcoming glow of the morning sun. 
"It was just a dream," she cooed. "I'm alive! Everything's fine! Pinkie's still my friend and I'm alive!"
"Nice to see that you're awake," said a familiar voice. Rainbow looked back and saw Gilda sitting on the edge of the bed. Rainbow's face instantly fell. 
"It...wasn't a dream...was it?"
"I'm afraid not, Dash. Take another look."
Rainbow turned back to the window and looked outside. Once her eyes adjusted to the outside light, she noticed that a large cloudy dome seemed to envelope the whole town. The bright light coming through her window wasn't that of the sun but that of a medium-sized yellow-white orb dangling from the very top of the dome. There was nothing beyond the dome. She knew it. There was no Canterlot, no Appleloosa, no Manehattan, and no Cloudsdale. There was just Ponyville and its surrounding landmarks such as her own home, Sweet Apple Acres, part of the Everfree Forest, and several other different places. Tears began rolling down her cheeks and she began sniffling.
"I know it's hard, Dash. This whole thing is probably more tragic for you than it was for the rest of us. Pinkie was your friend, a close friend, and she betrayed you," Gilda continued. Rainbow wiped the tears from her eyes and turned away from the window to face her old friend.
"I...I thought I knew her so well. I never expected her, of all ponies, to be capable of such horrible acts," she choked.
"We all fell for it. All of us."
"How many has she killed?"
"You were her 101st victim."
"How...how long, exactly, has she been doing this?"
"From what I've heard from the others I can assume that she started doing this about...a little over a year ago."
"She's killed 101 ponies within that time span?!"
"She's a busy pony."
"Where...where are the others?"
"They're all here. Everypony who has been killed by Pinkie Pie ends up here."
Gilda stood up, walked over to the front door, and opened it.
"Welcome to the afterlife," she said. Rainbow walked over to the door and looked out. It was like Ponyville but much quieter and less populated. She could just make out the shadows of ponies and animals walking amongst the empty homes and buildings. "Welcome...to the rest of eternity."
Rainbow flapped her wings and lowered herself to the ground. Gilda followed her to the ground and stood next to her.
"I might as well explore this new world," Rainbow cooed. Gilda patted her on the back and the two friends walked on into the town of the dead.
It was weird, being dead. It didn't feel very different from being alive. Well, she couldn't feel any type of physical pain. But she felt a whole lot a emotional pain. The pain of being dead and knowing how she got there just ate away her insides with no mercy. The pegasus and the griffin eventually arrived at Sugar Cube Corner. The store looked bleak and lifeless in the foggy light of the never-ending morning.
"Come back to look at the scene of the crime?" asked a snarky voice. Rainbow turned around to see a dark blue earth pony standing next to her. He had a dark blue mane with indigo highlights and sharp, violet eyes. Rainbow then noticed his cutie mark. It was that of a bronze spatula, the same image Rainbow had seen on the spiked cupcakes that Pinkie gave her. "I see you recognize my cutie mark. Yeah. I was in those cupcakes that you ate."
If Rainbow were still alive then she probably would have thrown up right then and there. She felt sick but not in a physical sense.
"So...you were killed by Pinkie too?" Rainbow asked.
"Obviously. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."
"When were you killed?"
"Around two weeks before you were. I was victim number 100."
"I'm sorry. How long have you...uh...how long did you live in Ponyville?"
"About three years. I was always a background pony. We never met."
"I'm sorry about you dying."
"Yeah. I am too. The name's Ridley by the way."
"Ridley? That's a strange name."
"But it's definitely not as strange as Rainbow Dash."
The two ponies laughed and Rainbow felt her face. This was the first feeling of happiness she had experienced since her demise at the hands of Pinkie Pie. The ponies stopped laughing and looked up at the shop.
"It's hard to believe that so many cruel and unspeakable acts took place just underneath that innocent little shop," Ridley continued. 
"Yeah," said Rainbow. Rainbow looked around the somewhat foggy town and sighed. "I thought the afterlife would look more beautiful than this."
"I understand. I was disappointed too," said Gilda. The griffin turned to Rainbow and gave her a friendly shove. "You know, Dash. There is something we spirits can do to make things around here more...eventful."
"And that is?"
"We can look and see what's happening back in the world of the living."
"Really?! How?!"
"You just think of a place you want to see and you'll see what's happening at that current moment."
Rainbow turned away from Gilda and looked up at Sugar Cube Corner. The pegasus then ran through the entrance of the shop. Gilda and Ridley followed her. 
The inside of the shop was illuminated by a few endlessly-lit lights and had a somewhat calming aura . A few spirits, including Twist, were sitting silently in the shop. The ponies and animals inside the shop turned towards Rainbow and waved sadly. 
"I want to see what's happening in this shop back in Equestria," said Rainbow to Gilda and Ridley. Suddenly the shop began to change around them. The lights became brighter, happier and more lively ponies appeared out of thin air, and the sound of laughter and talking reached their ears. It had worked. Rainbow turned around to see that Gilda and Ridley had followed her. She then tried to get the attention of the ponies in the shop, but nopony looked at her.
"They can't see you," said Gilda.
"Can't see you, can't feel you, and can't hear you. We're simply ghosts in this world," said Ridley. Rainbow looked around the shop and then she saw them. There was Twilight, Applejack, Scootaloo, and...Stormflower.
"Sis," Rainbow croaked as she slowly approached her sister. She reached out her hoof in an attempt to at least feel something from her sister. Her hoof went straight through Stormflower, and the older pegasus didn't feel a thing. "Damn it!"
Rainbow swung her hoof through the air and it proceeded to phase through Applejack's head. Then...Applejack reacted. 
> The Taste of Rainbows
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 11: The Taste of Rainbows


Rainbow Dash watched in shock as Applejack's head turned bright green following the inter-dimensional meeting of their auras. Applejack ran over to a nearby wastebasket and threw up. 
"Did...did she feel me?" asked Rainbow.
"It looks like you made a connection with her," said Ridley.
"How?"
"As a spirit, you touched her as you passed on," said Gilda.
"I...I remember. I was running and then her hoof brushed against my wing."
"That's pretty nice, Dash. You have a physical connection to the living now as well as a spiritual one."
Rainbow smiled and watched as Applejack left the shop to get some medical help. Rainbow, Gilda, and Ridley then turned their attention to Twilight, Stormflower, and Scootaloo.
"So where is this Pinkie Pie?" Stormflower asked.
"I'm right here!" said Pinkie Pie as she bounded over to Stormflower. Rainbow instantly felt a surge of anger go through her spiritual body. There she was. The pony who was her friend. The pony she thought she knew. The pony who murdered her, turned her corpse into a dummy, and killed 100 others. Rainbow swung her hoof at Pinkie but it simply phased through. "I can see that you've heard of me!"
"Yes. I'm Rainbow Dash's older sister, Stormflower. She's mentioned you a lot in her letters."
"I remember you! Dashie has told me all about you! She even mentioned you the last time we spoke!"
"You call her Dashie too? That's funny."
"Pinkie," said Twilight. "Do you know where Rainbow Dash is?"
"Hmm...not really," Pinkie replied with a smirk. Rainbow scowled. "The last time I saw her was when she helped me make some cupcakes yesterday." Pinkie then produced a large tray of cupcakes. Rainbow felt sick again. The cupcakes were cyan in color, both the cake and the icing, and there was a cutie mark painted on each cupcake. It was her cutie mark. "Do you want to try some? Lots of pony sweat and blood went into the making of these cupcakes."
"Knowing you, Pinkie, I'm sure there was plenty of that," Twilight chuckled. Twilight and Scootaloo each grabbed a cupcake and began to eat the sugary treats. "I'm guessing it was Rainbow's idea to have her cutie mark on the cupcakes."
"Yep!"
"I think it makes them cooler!" Scootaloo exclaimed as she took another bite. Rainbow's eyes began tearing up again. They were eating her. Her friends were eating her. Then Stormflower grabbed a cupcake.
"Don't eat me, sis," breathed Rainbow. Stormflower looked at the cupcake for a few seconds and placed it back on the tray.
"What's wrong?" Pinkie asked. "Do you hate cupcakes?"
"No! It's not that at all!" replied Stormflower. "It's just that...for some reason...I really don't want a cupcake at the moment."
"Okay...I understand."
"More for us!" said Scootaloo as she took a second cupcake. 
"Hey, Twilight."
Twilight looked at Pinkie as she took another bite out of her cupcake. 
"Yes?" she asked.
"Does your cupcake taste like rainbows?"
"What does that mean?"
"Does you cupcake taste like rainbows? That's what it means."
"Uh...it tastes sugary...and sweet. What is a rainbow supposed to taste like?"
"Exactly like that!"
"Oh...okay...I guess they do taste like rainbows then."
"Yes they do!"
Pinkie then proceeded to laugh and the three confused ponies joined in. Rainbow grew even more angry. She wanted to kill Pinkie. She wanted to kill the murdering pink pony right then and there.
"It makes you mad, doesn't it?" Ridley asked.
"Of course it does! My friends are eating cupcakes made out of me and they're conversing with my killer, completely unaware of the fact that I'm even dead!" Rainbow snapped. Rainbow looked at her happy sister and lowered her head. "She arrived earlier than I expected. Huh...ironic isn't it? I've been waiting to see my sister for so long and vice versa and she arrives in town following the day of my murder."
"Yeah. Life sucks," Gilda awkwardly chuckled. 
"Yeah, well, the afterlife isn't looking all that spectacular either."
"You'll get used to it. This town of the dead actually looks and feels pretty nice at some points," said Ridley. Rainbow sighed and the three spirits turned their attention back towards the others.
"Well I guess I better go get settled in," said Stormflower as she nodded at the bag on her back. 
"Where are you going to be staying?" Twilight asked.
"Probably with Rainbow Dash. If only I had the key to her house. Then I wouldn't have to wait to find her before being able to get into her house."
"Oh!" said Pinkie. "I think Dashie left it here yesterday." The pink pony quickly ran upstairs and then ran back, a small red key hung from her mouth. "Here you go!"
Pinkie tossed the key at Stormflower and she caught it.
"Why would Rainbow Dash leave her house key here?" asked Stormflower.
"I don't know. She left in quite a hurry."
"Oh well. I'll make sure to give it back to her when I see her later."
"I guess I'll see you later," said Twilight. "Why don't you come to the Ponyville Cafe this afternoon and have lunch with me and some of Rainbow Dash's other friends at around one o'clock? I'm sure the others would like to meet you."
"Sure. In the meantime, I'll try to find Rainbow Dash. I hate it when she does stupid crap like this. Disappearing and not even bothering to tell anypony where she's run off to. I'm going to give her a pretty good scolding."
"That reminds me! An old friend of mine just arrived in Ponyville today!" Pinkie exclaimed. 
"Really? I haven't heard you mention an old friend before," said Twilight.
"I forgot all about it. My mind was caught up with other things."
"Like cutting up and killing innocent ponies?!" Rainbow snapped. 
"So who is this old friend of yours?" Twilight asked.
"It's a surprise!" Pinkie replied. The pink pony then trotted up the stairs and disappeared.
"That is one strange pony," said Stormflower.
"You'll get used to her," Twilight chuckled.
"Well I better go and get settled in. Nice meeting you, Twilight. Nice meeting you, Scootaloo."
Scootaloo smiled and walked out of the store. Twilight walked over to a nearby table and Stormflower walked out of the store. Rainbow turned away from her leaving sister and looked at Twilight. The unicorn mare looked so innocent and trusting. She had no idea that one of her closest friends was a killer and that another one of her closest friends was now stuffed animal being hidden upstairs in Pinkie's closet. Rainbow shook her head and the vision of the world of life disappeared. The foggy and somewhat dim Sugar Cube Corner returned and Rainbow sighed. 
"Do you feel any better?" Gilda asked.
"No," Rainbow replied. "I only feel worse."
"Things will get better. You'll see," said Ridley.
"I highly doubt it. Pinkie's just going to continue killing other ponies. It won't be long before Twilight and the others find themselves stuck here with us."
"Do you want some time alone?" asked Gilda. Rainbow turned back to the griffin and nodded sadly. She then flapped her wings and took off into the sky. "I wish I could do more for her."
"All you can do is be a supportive friend. Come on, Gilda. She hasn't even been dead for 24 hours. You need to give somepony some time to heal and cope," Ridley stated.
"Yeah. I guess you're right."  
> A Very Small World
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 12: A Very Small World


The weather was extremely hot by the time Stormflower arrived at the Ponyville Cafe to have lunch with Twilight and the others. She found a large table outside that was protected under a large umbrella and sat down. Twilight arrived a few minutes later and she was accompanied by Applejack and Fluttershy. 
"You must be Fluttershy," said Stormflower as she greeted the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy nodded and sat down on the far side of the table.
"She's a bit shy," said Twilight.
"I can see that."
"So did you find Rainbow anywhere?" asked Applejack.
"No. That pegasus has just up and vanished into thin air."
"Strange," said Twilight. A waiter walked up to the table and presented them with their menus. 
"Are you ready to order your drinks?" he asked.
"I'll have an iced tea," said Stormflower.
"Same," said Twilight.
"Just water," said Applejack.
"Lemonade," cooed Fluttershy. The waiter nodded and walked back into the cafe.
"I wonder where Pinkie Pie is," said Twilight. 
"Didn't she say that she was bringing a friend of hers?" asked Stormflower.
"I think so."
"Hey girls!" cried the familiar voice of Pinkie Pie. The four mares looked at the pink pony as she sat down in between Twilight and Fluttershy. 
"So where's this friend of yours?" asked Applejack.
"Right here!"
Pinkie pointed at a stallion walking towards them and Stormflower's jaw dropped slightly. It was Joan Silver!
"Oh you've got to be kidding me!" she breathed with a stunned smile. Joan smiled as his eyes fell upon Stormflower. 
"Girls. This is Joan Silver. We were really good friends when we were foals!" Pinkie exclaimed.
Joan gave a polite nod to the mares and sat down in the empty seat between Stormflower and Applejack.
"Well, Pinkie, I must say that this is a very small world," he chuckled.
"Why's that, Joanie?"
Stormflower couldn't help but giggle at the sound of the name.
"I met Joan on the train ride here," she said.
"Well ain't that something," stated Applejack.
"So, where's the famous Rainbow Dash?" Joan asked. The five mares looked amongst each other and smiled awkwardly. "Is there something wrong?"
"We can't find her," said Twilight. "It's almost as if she disappeared into thin air."
"Nopony's seen her," Applejack continued. "I asked a lot of ponies today after my trip to the clinic."
"Speaking of that, are you feeling better?" Stormflower asked.
"Just fine. Them doctors said that there was nothin' wrong with me."
"I'd beg to differ after the way you threw up back at Sugar Cube Corner," said Twilight.
"Ah dunno. Maybe it was somethin' that ah ate for breakfast."
"I guess."
"Shouldn't you report this?" Joan asked.
"Report what?" asked Stormflower.
"Rainbow Dash's disappearance."
"I'm sure she's fine. She's probably gone off to some private place to practice her flying tricks. She used to do that a lot when we were younger. Well, either that or she's fallen asleep in a tree somewhere."
"I wouldn't be too laid back about this. Ponies have disappeared before to never be seen or heard from again."
"Yes but that would never happen to Rainbow Dash. She's too smart for that."
None of them noticed that, at that moment, Pinkie smiled sadistically. The memories of her private night with Rainbow Dash came back to her as Stormflower and Joan continued to discuss the topic of Rainbow's disappearance. They'll never find her. They'll forget about her eventually. She, Pinkamena Diane Pie, would never be found out. Dashie would belong to her forever. 
The waiter returned with Stormflower, Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy's drinks and proceeded to take Pinkie and Joan's orders. Stormflower began sipping her iced tea slowly and calmly. Dashie was alright. She had to be. She would turn up soon...wouldn't she?  
> The Seventh Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 13: The Seventh Day


It had been a week since anypony in Ponyville had seen or heard from Rainbow Dash. By this point, everypony was starting to get really suspicious about the whole disappearance. A lot of ponies, including Stormflower, kept trying to convince themselves that maybe Rainbow Dash had gone off somewhere to visit somepony she hadn't seen in a long time. But many, including Applejack, knew that something was up. Each night Applejack would lean out her bedroom window and look out into the night sky, expecting to see the cyan pegasus racing across the sky in a shower of exotic colors. Where had Rainbow been racing off to that night? Something had been wrong. She knew it. She was running from something...or somepony. 
It was the early morning on the day marking Stormflower's seventh day in Ponyville. She had agreed to meet Joan at the Hay and Stay Hotel for breakfast. She walked into the hotel and saw Joan sitting at a small table in the dining room. She grabbed an apple from a bowel provided by the hotel and sat down at the table.
"So how's the hotel?" she asked. "Is it nice?"
"Don't try to avoid talking about the subject that everypony's talking about," said Joan with a snarky grin.
"And that would be?"
"Rainbow Dash."
"I...I'm sure she's fine."
"It's been a week since anypony's seen or heard from her. Doesn't that sound a bit fishy to you?"
"Well-"
"It should. Why would somepony just up and leave town without leaving any type of note or telling anypony about it?"
"I...ugh...I don't know. This is definitely not like her."
"I think something's terribly wrong."
"Well what do you think has happened?"
"I...I have an idea but I really hope that I'm wrong."
"Tell me!"
"I don't want to worry you."
"Oh do stop bullshitting me and just spit it out! What do you think has happened to my sister?!"
"I think she's been ponynapped."
"Ponynapped?"
"Yeah. That would explain why she just suddenly disappeared into thin air."
"I highly doubt that Rainbow Dash would be dumb enough to get herself ponynapped."
"The ponynapper could have used a sedative of sorts. I know a little bit about stuff like this."
"Really? Have you had experience in ponynapping somepony?"
"No! Of course not! My father was a detective. He used to tell me all about the crimes he used to solve. Beatings, ponynappings, drug abuse, rapes, murders. He told me all about that stuff."
"My father was a detective too. He never told me much about the crimes he solved because I refused to talk about any of them."
"Why?"
"Well...when I was 14 my dad told me about a particular crime that he had to investigate into, this was at least ten years ago. I don't remember much about the details of the crime but I remember being absolutely disgusted. I remember asking him to never tell me anymore stories like that and he promised."
"Do you remember what type of crime it was?"
"I think it was...murder."
"Must have been a pretty gruesome one to get you spooked out like that."
"Yeah. Like I said, I don't remember the details but I'm glad that I don't."
The two ponies fell silent and Stormflower took another bite out of her apple. 
"Have you mentioned Rainbow Dash's disappearance to your family?" Joan asked. Stormflower chuckled and shook her head.
"Of course not. I don't want to worry any of them," she replied. 
"Didn't you say that your father's a detective? He could help look for her!"
"I said that he was a detective. He retired from that job around three years ago."
"Well that's a shame. But, anyway, you should at least tell them about what's happened."
"Joan, there's no evidence pointing to Rainbow Dash being ponynapped!"
"A good ponynapper knows how to clean up evidence."
"Ugh! Okay. I'll send them a letter. It's just that I don't see Rainbow Dash as somepony who could easily be ponynapped or...uh...never mind."
"What were you going to say?"
"Nothing!"
"I knew it! You are afraid! You're not only afraid of the possibility that she's been ponynapped! You're also afraid of the possibility that she's been murdered!"
"Don't say that! I know she's alive and well! I know she is!"
"Are you sure?"
"Are you wishing that something bad did happen to my little sister just so you can say that you were right?!"
"Of course not! I'm just looking at the facts and the possible scenarios."
"Hmm. Maybe you shouldn't be a teacher. Maybe you would be better off as a detective."
The orange stallion chuckles, stood up, and stretched his legs.
"Are you busy tonight?" he asked.
"Not really. I'm going to visit Twilight for a little bit later but after that I'm free," Stormflower replied.
"Then how about you go on a date with me?"
"Doesn't this count?"
"No."
"I don't get you. How can you go from talking about the possible ponynapping/murder of my sister to asking me out on a date?"
"I just think that, with everything that's going on, you need a little bit of fun."
"Okay. What time? What place?"
"Edge of Sweet Apple Acres. Seven o'clock."
"Alright then."
Joan smiled and walked out of the room. Stormflower finished eating her apple, chucked the core into a nearby wastebasket, and calmly left the hotel. 
Pinkie Pie watched the Hay and Stay Hotel from a distance as Stormflower walked out. She scowled a bit at the pink pegasus and hid away in a nearby alleyway. Things were not going according to plan. Nopony ever seemed to focus on the missing ponies for too long. Stormflower didn't seem to be the problem. She looked content with coming up with a simple scenario to explain Dashie's disappearance. The problem was Joan, sadly. He was feeding thoughts to Stormflower's brain. He was making her examine this disappearance to little too closely. Too close for Pinkie's liking. Joan didn't have a number like the other ponies and creatures in Ponyville. He and Stormflower were the only ponies in the town who were somewhat safe from the possibility of Pinkie killing them. But, if time called for it, she would have to kill them. She couldn't be found out. There were too many ponies to play with. Too many cupcakes to make. Pinkie gave a dark smile and walked deeper into the alleyway.
"Yes," she breathed. "If time calls for it then Stormflower and Joan shall die."  
> Lonely in Death
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 14: Lonely in Death


As the days passed, Rainbow Dash found herself preferring to be alone rather than talk to any of the other victims. There was a small hill near the edge of the barrier that overlooked the entire town. Rainbow liked to go up there and spend her time watching her friends and family back in the world of the living. Aside from Stormflower, she found herself watching Twilight the most out of everypony else. There was something about that unicorn that made Rainbow miss her dearly. She didn't quite know what it was and yet she knew all too well what it was. 
Rainbow sat on the hilltop, looking up at the everlasting orb of light, and closed her eyes. She thought of seeing Twilight and, upon opening her eyes, the hilltop was replaced with that of Twilight's library. Twilight was laying on the couch. She was rubbing her eyes and groaning out of frustration.
"Where are you, Rainbow Dash?!" Twilight mumbled. Rainbow approached the unicorn and tried to give her a friendly shove. As usual, her hoof phased through Twilight's body. 
"You may not know it, egghead, but I'm right here," said Rainbow with a smirk. Twilight rolled over onto her side and sighed loudly. 
"Twilight!" called Spike from upstairs. The little dragon ran down the stairs and approached the tired Twilight. "I just...what happened to you?"
"I'm just tired, Spike. I'm trying to find out just where Rainbow Dash flew off to."
"I just got a letter back from the Princess. She says that she's going to have that glow stone thing made for you."
"At least there's some good news."
Rainbow looked down at Twilight and smiled.
"You kept your promise," she breathed. Twilight smiled too and gave a loud yawn.
"I guess I'll just let you get some rest," said Spike as he walked back upstairs. The scene faded away and Rainbow slowly returned to the hilltop. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She felt like crying but decided against it. She had already done enough crying for the time being. 
"I wonder what Scoots is doing," she said. She closed her eyes and suddenly found herself in the middle of a medium-sized bedroom. Scootaloo was laying down on her bed. Autographed pictures of Rainbow Dash were taped to the walls and several little toys and sports equipment lay scattered throughout the room. Rainbow approached the side of the bed and smiled. She wished that she could alert the young filly of her presence, but she knew that to try would not bear any fruit of success.
"I hope Sweetie Belle comes back soon," Scootaloo said to herself. "Then she, Apple Bloom, and I can continue crusading."
Rainbow looked around the room and then looked out the nearby window.
"I recognize this place," Rainbow said out loud. "It's...it's the orphanage." Rainbow looked down at the young filly and lowered her head. "How did I not know that Scoots was an orphan?!"
Scootaloo climbed out of bed and looked out the window. Her eyes widened and she quickly rolled up the window and looked out.
"Hey! Stormflower!" she called out. Rainbow looked out the window. Stormflower was walking along the road that ran in front of the orphanage. 
"Scootaloo? Is that you?" Stormflower called back.
"Yeah! This is where I live."
"I never would have suspected you of being an orphan."
"Nopony ever does. I don't mind. I never knew my parents."
"Say, are you doing anything at the moment?!"
"No."
"How about you come down and I help you out with those private lessons that my sister promised you?"
"Do you mean it?! I don't want to waste your time!"
"You're not! Trust me! I have a couple hours to spare!"
"Oh...well...okay then!"
Scootaloo closed the window and raced out of the room. Rainbow looked out of the window and watched as Scootaloo met up with Stormflower outside. 
"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise, Scoot," Rainbow breathed. The room disappeared and Rainbow returned to the hilltop.
Anger slowly began to build up inside of Rainbow. She knew who she wanted to look at now. Rainbow closed her eyes and opened them. She was now standing in Pinkie Pie's bedroom. The door was locked, the window was closed, and Pinkie Pie was laying on her bed. Rainbow felt a feeling of anger and sickness course through her body as her eyes fell upon the pink killer. She was doing it again. Pinkie had the Rainbow dummy out and was now hugging, kissing, and talking to it. She liked to do this at least once a day.
"How are you doing today, Dashie?" she asked. The dummy remained silent, as expected. Pinkie laughed as if the dummy had responded to her. "Oh, Dashie, you're so funny! I'm glad that we can spend so much time together now. Baking cupcakes with you was one of the funnest things that I've ever done!"
"Yeah. I'm sure you thoroughly enjoyed ripping apart my body, future, and life you fucking cunt!" Rainbow screamed. She usually did this whenever she visited Pinkie. It didn't take away all of her anger for the pink menace but it at least made her feel somewhat better. 
"So what do you want do do today, Dashie?"
"Rip your head off and feed it to Gummy."
"You want to hug me some more? Okay!"
"And when I hug you I'm gonna snap your neck and break every bone in your pathetic body!"
Pinkie began hugging and fondling the dummy when she suddenly froze in place. Rainbow was slightly confused for Pinkie had never done this before. Suddenly another voice rang out and it was similar to Pinkie's.
"I'm sure you're so proud about what you've done!" snapped the other voice.
"I am! Thank you very much!" Pinkie replied.
"I hate you."
"That's sad because I love you! It's because of you that I was able to start playing with the other ponies!"
"Where the hell is this other voice coming from?" Rainbow asked out loud. "Why does it sound so much like Pinkie's voice?!"
"You're a horrible pony, Pinkamena! You're horrible! You're no better than...him," said the second voice.
"Yes I am! I've been able to do so much more than he ever could!" stated Pinkie.
"Yes you have but has that made you a better pony?! I think not! You've done horrible things, Pinkamena! You've killed so many innocent ponies! And now you've gone and killed my friend, Rainbow Dash!"
Rainbow was incredibly confused. Who was this other pony? Why did they sound so much like Pinkie Pie? 
"Just shut up and go back to where you belong! You're weak! That's the difference between you and I! I'm strong and you're weak! I've been able to do things that you couldn't even dream of!" Pinkie snapped.
"More like things I chose not to dream of," said the voice. 
"Go away!"
The second voice faded away and Pinkie took several deep breaths. She then turned back to the Rainbow dummy and hugged it.
"Sorry you had to hear that, Dashie! I promise to never yell in front of you again!" she cooed in a babyish voice. Three knocks emanated from the door and Pinkie quickly slid the Rainbow dummy under the bed. "Who is it?"
"It's me!" said the voice of Mrs. Cake. Pinkie bounced across the room, phased through Rainbow, and opened the door. 
"Yes?"
"I was wondering if you could babysit the babies tonight. Mr. Cake and I are going out for dinner."
"No problem! I love playing with those bundles of joy!"
"Probably not as much as you'd enjoy cutting them up," said Rainbow with a scowl. Pinkie then left the room with Mrs. Cake and the scene reverted back to the hilltop. Rainbow groaned and laid herself back down on the ground. 
"You ready to talk yet?" asked the voice of Gilda. Rainbow gave a head movement that resembled that of both a shake and a nod. "Is that a yes or a no?"
"It's a maybe."
"Do you want me to leave?"
"No."
"Then I'll stay."
Gilda walked up next to where Rainbow was laying down and brought herself down to the ground.
"Gilda," Rainbow uttered. "Do...do you look at what's going on back in Equestria often?"
"Not really," Gilda replied. "I don't really have anypony back in Equestria who would mind finding out that I was dead."
"You were pretty horrible, no offense."
"None taken. I know I was a stuck up bitch. I've come to see the error of my ways. Getting tortured and killed can do that to somepony."
Rainbow laughed and rolled over to face Gilda.
"Do you ever miss life?" she asked. Gilda rolled over to face Rainbow.
"Yes and no," replied the griffin. "I guess I would be satisfied here if there was more to the afterlife than just this bleak and quiet town."
"There must be more. There has to be a more beautiful and gorgeous place beyond. I know there is. Beyond those clouds. Beyond that fake sun. I know there's an endless world of bliss just waiting for us!"
"And you believe that we're going to make it there someday?"
"I know we will, Gilda! I know we're going to make it there someday. Even if we have to wait until the end of Equestria. I know we're going to find our way there eventually."
Rainbow and Gilda sat up. They looked at each other for a few seconds before giving each other a big hug. 
"I've missed you, Dash," Gilda said as her eyes began to water up.
"I've missed you too, Gilda," choked Rainbow. Suddenly something caught their attention. They looked towards the cloud dome and saw that something was standing on the other side. It was a shadow. A strange shadow. A welcoming shadow.
"What the hell is that?!"
"I have no idea!"
The shadow stayed there for about a minute before disappearing. As it disappeared, it raised one of its upper arms and waved at Rainbow and Gilda on the hilltop.
"Well that was strange," said Ridley as he approached the pegasus and the griffin. He was accompanied by Derpy.
"Maybe there was somepony out there trying to break through!" Derpy guessed.
"Come on, Derpy. We all know that there's nothing outside that dome."
"Or maybe there is," said Gilda. Rainbow and Gilda looked at each other and smiled.  
> Departure and Arrival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 15: Departure and Arrival


Stormflower raced towards the library as fast as she could. She had spent too much time teaching Scootaloo how to fly and now she was late for her visit to Twilight's house. She arrived at the library just in time to see Twilight locking the door. Spike stood next to her and he was carrying two small bags. 
"Are you going somewhere?" asked Stormflower.
"Yes. Spike and I are going up to Canterlot for a little bit," Twilight replied.
"For what?"
"There's something important that I need to look into."
"Hey Twilight. I'm sorry about being late. I was busy with Scootaloo and I lost track of time."
"It's no problem. I was too busy today to visit anyway. Besides, there must be something else you could do to entertain yourself while I'm gone."
"Well...I do have a date tonight."
"Really?" asked Spike with a grin. "So who's the lucky stallion?"
"Joan."
"Joan Silver?" Twilight asked.
"The very same."
"Alright then. Well Spike and I will be back in a couple days at the most. See you then!"
Stormflower nodded goodbye and watched as the unicorn and the dragon headed off to the train station.
"I might as well head over to Sweet Apple Acres," she said as she turned away from the library.
Sweet Apple Acres looked calm and relaxing in the evening sunlight. Stormflower approached the bordering fence and sat down. 
"Are ya looking for somethin'?" asked a young voice. Stormflower looked over the fence to see a yellow-coated, red-maned earth pony filly. 
"I'm waiting for somepony. You're...Apple Bloom right?"
"Correct. How do ya know about me?"
"Your friend, Scootaloo, has told me a lot about you."
"You know Scootaloo? How?"
"I met her when I arrived in Ponyville a week ago. I'm Stormflower, Rainbow Dash's sister."
"Oh! I remember you now! Scootaloo has mentioned ya to me a couple times already."
"She tells me that you, her, and another filly named Sweetie Belle are determined on getting your cutie marks."
"Yep! Our goal is to try every talent known to ponykind so that we'll eventually earn our cutie marks!"
"Well I wish you the best of luck."
"Howdy, Stormflower," said Applejack as she appeared from behind a set of trees.
"Hey Applejack. I haven't seen much of you since my first day here."
"I've been busy."
"With the orchard?"
"Sort of. I've mostly been busy thinkin'."
"About what?"
"Rainbow."
"Yeah. I have to admit that even I am getting a bit suspicious. Maybe Joan's right. Maybe something bad has happened to her."
"Did I just hear what I thought I heard?" asked a voice from behind Stormflower. Stormflower jumped and turned around to be confronted by Joan. She nearly slapped the snarky stallion but she resisted. "Did you just say that I was right?"
"Yes. Is that something to gloat about?!" Stormflower snapped. 
"Sorry if I frightened you. I didn't expect a pony such as yourself to be so jumpy."
"Yeah, well, a lot of weird things have been happening recently."
"Is this that special somepony that you were waiting for?" asked Apple Bloom with a devious grin.
"As a matter of fact he is."
"Okay. Well y'all go and have fun!"
Apple Bloom chuckled childishly as she disappeared into the trees. Applejack rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"It'll be a very awkward day for me when ah finally find my special somepony," Applejack chuckled.
"Well we better be going. I've got some special reservations," said Joan.
"Reservations? Where?" Stormflower asked.
"You'll see."
Applejack smiled and waved at the two ponies as they walked towards town.
"At least somepony's gonna to have a fun time tonight," sighed Applejack as she walked back into the orchard. 
> The Filly, the Date, and the Train
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 16: The Filly, the Date, and the Train


The Barnaby's Fancy Restaurant in the afterlife was just as quiet as the one back in the world of the living. Hunger wasn't really present in the afterlife but the spirits of the dead still found it enjoyable to eat the endless amounts of food that appeared in the food-supplying locations of town. Rainbow Dash arrived at the restaurant with Gilda and they were joined by Ridley, Derpy, and Derpy's friend, Clockwork. That sat down at a large circular table and a series of plates covered with food appeared out of thin air. 
"This is really strange," said Rainbow as she took a bite out of a large sandwich before her. "I don't feel hungry and yet I really want to eat something."
"That's kind of how things work around here," said Clockwork. "You're not hungry until food is placed in front of you. Once the food is gone your hunger vanishes with it."
The group remained silent as they munched on their respective meals. The taste of the food was so amazing that Rainbow couldn't think of any words to describe it. Once her sandwich was gone her hunger disappeared almost instantly. 
"Pretty much any food you want appears here," said Ridley.
"All except cupcakes for obvious reasons," said Gilda. The group chuckled awkwardly as the empty plates before them slowly disappeared. Rainbow looked off towards a far off corner of the restaurant and noticed a little filly sitting by herself. She had a gray coat and a grayish-white mane. She looked to be around Scootaloo's age. 
"Who's that?" Rainbow asked as she pointed at the filly. The others looked at her and then turned back. 
"Nopony knows," Ridley replied.
"None of you have thought to ask her what her name was?"
"She avoids everypony. She doesn't talk to anypony. Doesn't hang out with anypony. She just stays quiet and hides away in dark corners," said Gilda.
"She has to talk to somepony. I mean...at least one pony."
"Nope. Nopony has ever had a conversation with her. She just refuses to talk," said Clockwork.
"Some of the ponies think that she was Pinkie's first victim," Derpy whispered.
"Really? Her first victim?" Rainbow asked.
"I think she's just shy. Probably ten times more shy than your friend, Fluttershy," Gilda chuckled. Rainbow nodded her head in agreement and turned back to the filly. The filly looked up and turned towards Rainbow. Her gaze was cold and full of sadness. Rainbow watched as the filly slowly stood up and walked out of the restaurant. 
"Strange."
Rainbow and the others got up from the table and walked out of the restaurant. Rainbow began flapping her wings and levitated a few feet into the air.
"Where are you off to now?" Ridley asked.
"Home," Rainbow replied as she took off. The others shrugged their shoulders and continued on their way. Rainbow arrived back at her house and fell down onto her bed. There was no sleep in the afterlife. There was no need for it, though, Rainbow still liked laying down on her bed from time to time. The memories of waking up after a long nap made her smile. She missed those days. Those days of being alive. Those days of living in a world where everything was changing constantly and the unexpected could happen at any moment. "Too bad the last unexpected thing I experienced was death."
Rainbow rolled over onto her side and sighed again. She decided that it was time to check up on the others again. She wanted to see what Stormflower was up to. Rainbow closed her eyes and then opened them again. She was laying down in the middle of Barnaby's Fancy Restaurant. Ponies from all over town and beyond ate luxurious meals at the tables. Rainbow looked over at one table and saw Stormflower sitting at it. She was with somepony. It was that stallion, Joan Silver. Rainbow approached the table and sat in between Stormflower and Joan. 
"I didn't even know that Ponyville had a restaurant like this," said Stormflower.
"Me neither. Pinkie Pie told me about it," said Joan.
"Thanks for taking me here."
"No problem. It's the least I could do for you at the moment."
Rainbow liked Joan. He was a pretty witty stallion and he made Stormflower happy. She only wished that she could meet him in person rather than spying on him from the afterlife. 
"So, for a while we've just talked about my family," Stormflower continued.
"And?" asked Joan.
"And I think it's about time you told me a little bit about your family."
"I've told you about my family."
"You've only mentioned your father. You must have other ponies in your family."
"To be honest...not really."
"What do you mean?"
"My mother left several years ago. She was going through a depression of sorts and she just couldn't handle it anymore. One day my father and I just found a farewell letter from her taped to the front door. We haven't heard from her since."
"How old were you when she left?"
"She left eight years ago so I was around...sixteen years old."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't worry yourself about it. My father and I were able to take care of ourselves...though...I do still miss her a bit."
"Is there anypony else in your family?"
"Not really. My mother's side of the family completely lost contact with us after she left. My paternal grandparents died when I was very young. My dad does have a sister but we rarely hear from her."
"Where does she live?"
"Up in Canterlot. I don't know what type of work she does. I think she has a job in music like Pinkie's sister."
"Pinkie's sister? I didn't even know that Pinkie Pie had a sister."
"Yeah. She's about three years older than Pinkie. Her name's Irena."
Rainbow was just as surprised as her sister. 
"It seems Pinkie Pie has more secrets other than the fact that she's a complete and utter sociopath," said Rainbow.
"Did you know Irena as well as Pinkie?" Stormflower asked.
"Not really. Irena was a very quiet pony. She liked to keep to herself and just play her music. It really surprised me when I found out that they were sisters."
"So there weren't many ponies in your community that were around your age?"
"Huh? Where did you get that from?"
"It makes since because, from what I've calculated, you're at least seven years older than Pinkie Pie. The only reason I can see a teenager hanging out with somepony seven years younger than them is because there wasn't anypony else to hang out with."
"You're pretty good at deducing things. Maybe you are the one who should become a detective."
"It's a gift."
"Anyway, Pinkie and I lived in a very small community. There wasn't really anypony else to hang out with. At first, we started hanging out because there was nopony else to hang out with but we became good friends over time."
"Where did you two live?"
"We lived on a rock farm."
"A rock farm? That's funny. I met somepony on one of the trains who told me that he lived and worked on a rock farm."
"What was his name?"
"I...I can't remember. It was well over a week ago. I can't believe I forgot his name. Uh...well...it's not important."
"Who knows? Maybe Pinkie and I know him."
"Maybe."
The two ponies laughed and each took sips out of their respective wine glasses. Rainbow smiled and stood up. She felt that it was time to give them back their original privacy. The scene faded away and she was back in her room. 
"I wonder how long it will be before they become hitched," Rainbow laughed as she climbed out of bed. She walked over to the window and looked out towards the fake sun. "I wonder what Twilight's doing right now."
Rainbow closed her eyes and opened them. She was now standing in the middle of a train compartment. Twilight and Spike were sitting across from each other. Twilight was reading a book about the history of Ponyville and Spike was eating his way through a box of cookies.
"Hey, Spike," said Twilight. Spike turned his attention towards Twilight.
"Yeah?" he asked as he finished eating a cookie.
"Have you noticed any...strange disappearances in the last couple months?"
"Let me think...not really."
"Are you sure?"
"Well...there was that one pony. What was his name? Oh! I remember! I think his name was...Ridley."
"Ridley? I've never heard that name before."
"He wasn't really outgoing. I remember that he used to always be at Sugar Cube Corner at the same time each day. Pinkie Pie was the only pony there who knew him. I remember talking to him once. He was a pretty cool guy."
"Did he disappear?"
"Yeah. It was around...three weeks ago. All of a sudden he stopped coming to Sugar Cube Corner. I didn't know where he lived and I couldn't find anypony who knew him. I asked Pinkie and she guessed that he probably moved away."
"I'm calling bullshit on that one," said Rainbow.
"That's probably what happened," said Twilight. "But I think I'll look more into this Ridley pony to see if he really did move away."
"Okay. Do whatever you want. By the way, why are we heading up to Canterlot?" Spike asked.
"I need to talk to the Princess about Rainbow Dash. I have a feeling that something awful has happened to her. I'm also going to check out some old Ponyville police records."
"Police records? What for?"
"I tried to check them out in Ponyville but the Mayor told me that those documents are recorded and kept in Canterlot. I'm going to see if any other strange disappearances have happened recently."
"Why? What are you hoping to find?"
"I'm hoping that I'm not going to find anything. If I do find something...then...we might as well assume that there could be a dangerous ponynapper or serial killer on the loose."
"Serial killer? Why would you think that?"
"Anything's possible, Spike. Who knows? Maybe it's just a stupid feeling that I have. I just want to check and see if I find anything."
"Good luck with that."
Rainbow smiled and she slowly returned back to her room. She fell back down on her bed and took a deep breath. 
"You are amazing, Twilight Sparkle," Rainbow said happily. 
> The Letter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 17: The Letter


Sunkick arrived back home to find the house completely empty. He had spent most of the day with his friends and now he was incredibly tired. Before heading off to his room, he decided to look through the mail and see if there was anything for him. His eyes soon fell across a small lavender envelope with Stormflower's name on the cover.
"Hmm...a letter from Stormflower," he said. "Haven't heard from her in a while." He quickly opened the letter and began to read. "Dear Mom, Dad, and Sunkick. I'm currently in Ponyville trying to visit Rainbow Dash. However, Rainbow Dash doesn't seem to be in town. She has up and left town mysteriously and neither I nor anypony in town knows where she could have gone. I was wondering if any of you had seen Rainbow Dash anywhere. Please reply as soon as possible. Hoping you are all well. Love Stormflower."
Sunkick scanned over the letter several times before placing it down on a nearby coffee table. This was certainly strange. Rainbow Dash was missing? Where could she possibly be? He had to tell his parents about this straight away...but he didn't know when they'd be coming home. Sunkick sighed with an annoyed tone and fell down on the couch. He was just about to look over the letter again when he got a peculiar feeling. A feeling that one gets when they know that they're being watched. Sunkick looked up and looked around the room. Nopony was there.
"Hello?" he asked. He looked for something. Any type of sign that would suggest that somepony else was in the house. There was no sign. He looked towards the kitchen and saw something. There was a spot of air in the doorway connecting the kitchen to the living room that looked oddly cloudy. Sunkick stood up and slowly approached the spot of air. He came to a halt about three feet from the spot of air. He focused on the spot and cocked his head slightly. "Now what is this?"
Suddenly he heard something. It was faint and was hardly loud enough to even be picked up by Sunkick's ears, but he heard it. It sounded like a voice. A very confused and surprised voice. He didn't understand what it had said. He didn't even know if he had even heard anything. Maybe he was losing his mind. No. He had heard something. He was sure of it. He decided to play along with his possible insanity.
"Could...could you speak up? I didn't hear you completely the first time," he uttered. He waited several seconds but then the voice returned. It was still faint and quiet...but he could understand what it said.
"Can you hear me?" it asked. Sunkick couldn't believe his ears. Somepony was talking to him and yet he couldn't see them. It was as if the voice was coming from inside his head but he knew that it was coming from an external source.
"Yes, I can hear you. But you're very faint."
"I can't believe it! You can hear me!"
"Who are you?"
"Don't you recognize my voice?"
"Your voice is really faint. I'm lucky enough to even make out some of the words that you're saying."
"It's me, Sunkick."
"Who?"
"It's...Rainbow Dash."
Sunkick shook his head. This was impossible. How could Rainbow Dash be communicating with him like this? Had he and her somehow formed a telepathic link? Nah. That stuff only existed in storybooks.
"Rainbow Dash?" he choked.
"Yes," said the voice. "It's me. Your big sis."
"How can I be so sure that you're really my sister?"
"When we were really young, you told me that you really wanted to become a detective like Dad was at the time. I also used to call you Sunny but you hated that name."
Sunkick's eyes grew wide. This was her. This was Rainbow Dash. 
"R...Rainbow Dash? H...how?! How are you doing this?! Are you that puff of smoke right in front of me?!" he asked.
"Yes...I'm right here, Sunny. I'm right here," Rainbow replied. "I'm putting my right hoof right against your left cheek."
Sunkick nearly jumped. He felt something. His left cheek suddenly became extremely cold. Almost as cold as ice. The air around him became really cold and he began to feel somewhat sad. 
"You...you're crying. Aren't you?" he asked. 
"Y...yes," replied Rainbow.
"How are you doing this, Rainbow Dash? How?!
"It's...it's because I'm-"
Suddenly the door burst open and Sunkick turned around. Thunder and Caroline walked in. 
"Hey son," said Thunder. Sunkick instantly felt the air warm up around him and the cold spot on his cheek went away.
"Rainbow Dash!" he cried as he turned back. The cloudy air was gone. 
"What about Rainbow Dash?" Caroline asked. Sunkick walked over to his parents and pointed at Stormflower's letter. "What's that?"
"It's a letter from Stormflower. Rainbow Dash has disappeared."
"What?!" asked a surprised Thunder. He grabbed the letter and quickly ran through it. Once he was done, he looked at Sunkick with a worried expression. 
"Honey," said Caroline. "What's wrong?"
Sunkick looked at his parents and said, "Mom. Dad. I think we need to visit Ponyville as soon as possible." 
> Changes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 18: Changes


It had been four days since Rainbow Dash had made contact with her younger brother and yet she was still confused about the whole experience. How had he been able to hear and feel her? Was it possible that some ponies could interact with the dead? It must be for Rainbow couldn't think of any other reasons as to how Sunkick had been able to hear and feel her. 
Rainbow looked back into the world of the living to see that many things were happening all at once. Sunkick, Thunder, and Caroline set off two days ago for Ponyville and would be arriving shortly. Rarity and Sweetie Belle finally returned to Ponyville and the Cutie Mark Crusaders began to meet in their clubhouse again. Twilight and Spike went to Canterlot and visited Princess Celestia. Twilight had looked through Ponyville's police records and had discovered that a series of ponies had mysteriously disappeared over the course of the previous year. She talked to the Princess about this and the Princess agreed to send a small group of investigators to Ponyville to look into the disappearances of Rainbow Dash and the others. Stormflower became more anxious about the whereabouts of her younger sister and found herself getting together with Joan more and more. Rainbow found herself spying on a couple of their meetings to see how things were going. 
"If there's one good thing that comes out of all of this, it's the fact that my sister will probably get married sometime soon," Rainbow had said once to herself. Applejack began hanging out with the others again though she was still worried about Rainbow. Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, had grown incredibly paranoid and spent most of her time locked away in her room, talking to the Rainbow dummy. 
"I'm not going to let them find you," she would say. "You're all mine and nopony else's."
Occasionally the second voice would return to scold Pinkie but she would force it back to wherever it came from. The only place that remained the same was the afterlife. Nothing changed there. The weather remained the same. The ponies remained the same. Everything just refused to change. Rainbow would spend a lot of time flying over the town, just trying to feel as happy as she did in life, but this bleak and simple afterlife wasn't enough to fulfill her desires.
Rainbow and Gilda were sitting on top of the hill, which they decided to call the Overlook, and were simply looking out over the town. Rainbow looked towards the edge of town and noticed the strange filly again. She was walking off towards Sweet Apple Acres. 
"I'm going to get her to talk to me one day," said Rainbow.
"Good luck with that," Gilda smirked.
"Wonderful day isn't it?"
"I don't mind if you want to look back into the living world right now."
Rainbow nodded and closed her eyes. She opened them again to find herself standing at the Ponyville train station. Stormflower was standing on the platform and she was accompanied by Joan.
"So your family is coming?" Joan asked.
"Yeah. It'll be nice to see them again...if only we were meeting under better circumstances," Stormflower replied. Just then, a white unicorn appeared right next to Stormflower. She had a vibrant, blue mane and a pair of shaded glasses on. The unicorn turned towards Stormflower and smiled.
"I know you! You're Dash's sister," said the unicorn. 
"That would be correct."
"Nice to meet ya! The name's Vinyl Scratch. I know Rainbow from around town."
"It seems everypony in this town knows my sister."
"Yeah! She's one cool pony. She even helped me out of a jam once."
"Really? What did she do?"
"It's a long story. I'll tell ya later."
"Uh...okay. So are you waiting for somepony too?"
"Yeah. My friend, Octavia. She's been working up in Canterlot for several months but she's finally coming back to town for a little bit. I'm really stoked to see her!"
"My brother and parents are coming to visit."
"More of Dash's relatives? Nice."
A train whistle echoed from the distance both Stormflower and Vinyl cocked their heads in anticipation. Rainbow laughed slightly at the sight of her big sis and old acquaintance. The train eventually arrived at the station and came to a stop with a long hiss. Ponies began filing off the train and Vinyl disappeared into the crowd to find Octavia. Stormflower began looking through the crowd for her family.
"Do you see them?" Joan asked.
"Not yet," said Stormflower. "Wait...there they are!"
Stormflower began waving her hooves frantically in the air. Three happy pegasi emerged from the crowd and approached Stormflower and Joan. 
"Stormflower! It's so good to see you again," said Caroline as she gave her daughter a big hug. Stormflower then proceeded to hug her father and younger brother.
"Now who is this?" Thunder asked as his eyes fell on Joan.
"This is Joan Silver. We've been seeing each other for a little bit," Stormflower replied.
"So when's the wedding?" asked Sunkick. 
"Oh shut up!"
The two siblings shoved each other and laughed. Rainbow looked on with saddened envy. She wanted them to see her so badly. 
"Stormflower! Sunkick!" she called out. Nopony reacted. Then she noticed that Sunkick's ears twitched slightly. He had heard her at some degree. She knew that he did. Sunkick turned towards the spot where Rainbow was standing and focused his eyes. 
"Well it's really nice to meet you, Joan Silver," said Caroline as she shook the stallion's hoof.
"Likewise," said Joan. Thunder then approached Joan, accidentally bumping into Sunkick and disrupting his concentration. 
"I hope you're treating my daughter well," he said. 
"Don't worry, sir. I'm treating your daughter very well."
"Good colt. Because if you do anything to hurt my daughter I'll have to break you."
Joan gulped and Stormflower rolled her eyes. 
"So have you heard any news about Rainbow Dash?" Sunkick asked.
"No. Her friend, Twilight Sparkle, went up to Canterlot to look into it more," replied Stormflower.
"Look into it more? What does that mean?" asked Caroline.
"It means we may need to start a ponyhunt soon."
"Why don't we get out of this station? It's pretty crowded," Thunder suggested. The group agreed and they slowly wormed their way out of the station. Rainbow followed them. 
They walked out of the station and Stormflower turned her head to see Vinyl hugging somepony. 
"I'm guessing that's Octavia," said Stormflower as she pointed Joan over towards Vinyl. Joan looked at Vinyl and Octavia but his eyes quickly panned over to a gray pony standing next to them. It was a female earth pony with long white hair and sharp blue eyes.
"Holy shit," Joan breathed.
"What is it?"
"Just give me a minute!"
Stormflower watched as Joan ran over to greet the pony. The mare saw Joan and they instantly hugged each other.
"Now who's that?" asked Thunder.
"I have no idea," Stormflower replied. Joan walked back towards them. He was followed by Vinyl, Octavia, and the mysterious mare.
"Sorry I ran off like that," he said. "Stormflower, this is Irena."
"You mean Pinkie's older sister?!"
"The very same."
Irena stepped forward and shook Stormflower's hoof.
"This is...quite unexpected," she uttered. 
"So what are you doing in Ponyville of all places?" Joan asked.
"I've been working with Octavia for a while now."
"Yeah. We met after one of my shows and we've been playing music together since," said Octavia. "She wanted to come along with me back to Ponyville in order to get a chance to see her sister."
"What are you doing here, Joan?"
"I was visiting Pinkie Pie too," Joan replied.
"So who's this?"
Stormflower blushed slightly.
"Her name's Stormflower. She's the older sister of a friend of Pinkie Pie's. We've been seeing each other for a little while," said Joan.
"Ah," Irena breathed. "Well it's really nice to meet you."
"Likewise," said Stormflower awkwardly.
"Come on, Irena! I want to show you and Octavia to your rooms!" said Vinyl.
"Okay! See all of you later," said Irena as she ran off after Vinyl and Octavia.
"This world just seems to get smaller and smaller every single day," Stormflower exclaimed.
"Too small for my taste," Joan chuckled. Rainbow smiled and the scene faded away. 
"You look happy," said Gilda.
"Things are looking pretty good back in Equestria," said Rainbow.
"Has anypony figured out that you're dead yet?"
"No. They just think that I'm missing."
"When the truth comes out, that's when the shit hits the fan. All that happiness and serenity is going to go away like that."
Gilda snapped her claws and Rainbow lowered her head.
"I know Gilda. I'm not looking forward to the moment when they find out the truth," Rainbow breathed. 
"Who knows? Maybe when they learn about your death they'll eventually trace it back to Pinkie Pie," said Gilda.
"The odds of that happening are very slim. But there's always a chance."
"And once that pink bitch is dead we'll probably finally reach that place beyond this damn dome."
"Possibly."
Rainbow looked back down towards the town and saw the mysterious filly walking back from Sweet Apple Acres. The filly looked up towards Rainbow and their gazes met for a few awkward seconds. The filly was the one to break the connection. She turned away from Rainbow and disappeared into a nearby building.
"Who are you?" Rainbow asked as she gave a loud sigh.  
> The Investigator
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 19: The Investigator


Aaron Crop was a unicorn pony that most ponies preferred not to piss off. He had a long, vicious track record of fights, beatings, and often bloody disputes. However, he was also extremely talented in the area of solving crimes, mysteries, and getting answers from ponies. He was a tall black stallion with a black mane and dark blue eyes. He had a strong, muscular figure and a deep, booming voice. Aaron was the first pony to step forward to take on the Rainbow Dash hunt. Twilight wasn't very keen of Aaron but, by this point, she was at least glad that somepony was willing to look further into the case. 
Twilight found herself sharing a train compartment with Aaron on the trip back to Ponyville. The head investigator slowly nibbled his way through a green apple as Twilight explained the details to him. He was only halfway done with his apple by the time Twilight had finished her explanation.
"Did you get all that?" Twilight asked. Aaron turned away from the apple and looked at Twilight sternly.
"Of course I got all that," he stated. "What do you think I am? Deaf?"
"No. I was just making sure that you didn't miss any of the details."
"Don't worry. I'll find your friend or her corpse sooner than later."
"Please don't talk like that!"
"Talk like what?"
"Talking as if she were already dead!"
"Ms. Sparkle. If there's one thing I've learned from all these years of solving crimes, mysteries, and et cetera, it's that it's always best to assume the worst so that you're not too disappointed when the worst scenario turns out to be the eventual outcome."
"I try to stay positive when it comes to things like this."
"And that's all fine and dandy. Just work the way you normally work, I'll work the way that I normally work, and we'll both get through this. Okay?"
"Fine."
Twilight had to admit to herself that she held some form of respect for the blunt investigator but she still didn't completely like him nonetheless. Aaron was calm and collected. He was positive that he would have this case wrapped up before the month's end. There were many different scenarios to come up with. This Rainbow Dash could have simply run away. Maybe she was struck by lightning and fell into a river. Maybe she got lost in a storm. She could have even been ponynapped or murdered. Aaron didn't like to think about the possibility of murder but he had seen enough death in his life to know that that was a highly possible outcome. 
"Tell me, Twilight," he said as he took another bite out of his apple. "Did Rainbow Dash have any enemies?"
"Enemies? Not that I know of," Twilight replied. "Everypony pretty much loved her."
"Come now. There is nopony out there who is loved by everypony. Trust me, I know."
"Well...she had this friend a while back, a griffin named Gilda. She and Rainbow Dash had a falling out after Gilda began being rude to everypony in town. But she was just a jerk. I wouldn't see Gilda coming back to ponynap or...or kill Rainbow Dash."
"Still, she's a possible suspect. Were there any others?"
"There were these pegasi up in Cloudsdale but they were just bullies."
"It's best to assume that even the most unlikely pony can be a suspect. What were their names?"
"Let's see...there was Dumb-Bell, Hoops, and...Score."
"Got it. Anypony else?"
"There was a unicorn a while back named Trixie who Rainbow Dash had a short quarrel with. But she was just a braggart and a showoff."
"Possible suspect. Any others?"
"Let's see. There was Princess Luna when she was Nightmare Moon, but she's returned to normal, and then there was Discord, but he's currently a stone statue. I honestly can't think of any other possible suspects."
"That's good enough. I'll look into the ponies you mentioned and see if they have anything to do with your friends disappearance. Don't worry about them possibly lying. I have a talent for getting the truth out of ponies."
"I don't doubt that."
The two ponies fell silent and Aaron returned to munching on his apple. 
"Can you tell me who were the last ponies to see Rainbow Dash?" Aaron asked.
"Pinkie Pie and Applejack. Applejack was technically the last pony to see her. She told me that she saw Rainbow Dash running down the road. She seemed to be incredibly afraid of something."
"What about this Pinkie Pie?"
"Rainbow Dash went over to Sugar Cube Corner and they baked cupcakes for a few hours."
"Who spends several hours just baking cupcakes?"
"Pinkie Pie. That's who."
"That sounds a bit fishy."
"Wait. You can't be suggesting that Pinkie Pie's a possible suspect!"
"You'd be amazed by the identities of many killers I've faced in my life. A fair amount of them turned out to be family members or close friends with dark agendas. For all we know, this Pinkie Pie could be Rainbow Dash's killer."
"Pinkie Pie, a killer? That's highly illogical. Trust me, Mr. Crop. Once you meet Pinkie Pie you'll immediately feel stupid for even thinking of such a possibility."
"I never think of stupid possibilities, Ms. Sparkle." 
> A Hunt Begins
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 20: A Hunt Begins


Sunkick awoke early the following morning. He trudged his way out of the bed he was occupying in Rainbow Dash's house and made his way outside. The air was slightly refreshing and the sun was cloaked behind a veil of dark clouds. Sunkick lowered himself to the ground and began making his way to town. He had to go and speak to Twilight Sparkle. Stormflower had told him the previous night that Twilight had finally returned to Ponyville and she had brought along a small group of investigators to look into the case of his missing sister. He needed to inform them of his contact with her. It could prove to be very important in the grand scheme of things. 
There was hardly anypony out at the moment, for it was somewhat early in the morning, but Sunkick didn't mind. At the moment, he wasn't in the mood to be caught up in a large swarm of ponies. Sunkick strolled down the road until he noticed something. Somepony was watching him. Out of the corner of his eye he could see her. She was sitting over on a nearby bench. She was a pink pony. Her hair was long and straight and her eyes were dark and sunken in. She had yet to realize that she had been discovered by her prey so she continued to stare. The stare gave Sunkick the creeps. There was definitely something wrong with this pony. He wanted to turn around and bluntly ask her why she was staring at him but he decided against it. He took a deep breath and slowly began walking again. He turned his eyes forward and focused on getting to Twilight Sparkle's house.
It didn't take him long to arrive at the small library which served as the home for Twilight Sparkle. Sunkick walked up to the door and stopped. He turned his eyes away from the door. She was still there. The pink pony had followed him. What the hell did she want? Sunkick gulped and knocked on the door. He waited anxiously as the pink pony continued to eye him from behind a nearby tree. The door opened and the lavender unicorn known as Twilight Sparkle answered.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Twilight? Twilight Sparkle?" Sunkick stuttered.
"That's me."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Sunkick. Stormflower probably told you about me already."
"Oh! I remember! Well. It's nice to finally meet you. You know, you have more of a resemblance to Rainbow Dash than Stormflower."
"Yeah. Can I come in?"
"Sure!"
Twilight stepped aside and Sunkick entered the library, his eyes still glancing back towards the tree that concealed the pink pony. 
"Do you want something to eat or drink?" asked Twilight.
"Sure. I'll take anything really," Sunkick replied. Twilight nodded and disappeared through a nearby door. She returned a few moments later with a tray of toast, orange juice, and fruit. 
"I hope this will suffice."
"Definitely."
Sunkick eagerly began eating some toast as Twilight sat down across from him.
"So what did you want to talk about?" she asked.
"Firstly, I need to tell you that somepony was following me here," Sunkick choked.
"Who?!"
"Some creepy pink pony."
"Pinkie Pie? Why would she be following you?"
"I have no idea. She was extremely creepy. I mean with that straight, mangled hair, that dark stare, and especially those clouded, sunken eyes!"
"That doesn't sound like Pinkie Pie at all. She's normally very vibrant and welcoming. Maybe she's sick."
"Last time I checked she was hiding behind a tree outside."
"Hmm. That's certainly strange."
Twilight walked over to a nearby window and looked out. The tree sat calmly outside with no signs of anypony standing behind it.
"She must have left then," Twilight said as she walked back to her seat. "I wonder why."
"Anyway...I need to tell you something else," Sunkick continued.
"What else?"
"It's hard to explain but...a few days ago I think I made a telepathic connection with Rainbow Dash."
"Telepathic connection? How? You're a pegasus. The only ponies in history who could pull that off were unicorns, albeit very powerful unicorns at that." 
"Trust me, I'm still finding it hard to believe. I remember being alone in the living room. Suddenly I felt like I wasn't alone anymore. Then I saw this blotch of air that looked abnormally cloudy. I approached it and I began hearing a voice from inside my head, but I could also physically hear it! It was a pretty faint voice but I could hear it nonetheless. Then she touched my cheek and my cheek became really cold. The air around me also became really cold. It all disappeared once my parents broke my concentration."
"Strange."
"I think my sister is in a lot of trouble, Twilight!"
"I would think so!" said a booming voice. Twilight and Sunkick turned towards the staircase. Aaron was standing there, a curious smile etched onto his face.
"Have you been spying on us this whole time?!" Twilight snapped.
"Yes. Ponies tend to open themselves up more when they're talking to anypony other than an investigator."
Aaron casually walked over to them and sat down beside Twilight.
"So what do you think?" Sunkick asked.
"I'd say that we need to start our hunt as soon as possible. I also want to look into this Pinkie Pie character more. From what you've said, Sunkick, I can deduce that she's hiding something. Maybe even the fact that she's killed-"
"Enough! I will not have anypony, even an investigator such as yourself, talk badly about any of my friends! I know Pinkie Pie. She would never hurt anypony even if somepony tried to make her do it! I know her!" Twilight snapped. 
"If you know her so much then can you explain why she was stalking Sunkick?"
"We don't even know if it was Pinkie Pie! Anypony could have been following him!"
"Exactly how many pink ponies are in this town?"
"A fair few I would say."
"She's still a possible suspect. I'm going to be visiting her later today."
"I'm coming with you!"
"Fine then. Just don't try to stop me from doing my job."
Aaron took an apple from the tray and walked back up the stairs. 
"Well he's a friendly character," said Sunkick with a smile. Twilight chuckled and slightly shook her head.
"He may be a blunt brute but at least he's determined to solve this case and find your sister," Twilight said.
"Let's just hope that she's alive when he finds her."
The unicorn and the pegasus fell silent. Upstairs, Aaron sighed and slowly closed the guest room door. 
> The Killer and the Detective
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 21: The Killer and the Detective


Pinkie Pie ran as fast as she could away from Twilight's house. She slowed down to a simple trot when she got out of eyesight of the library. She looked in a nearby window and, upon noticing her straight hair, quickly fluffed it up. More ponies were arriving in town. This was definitely not expected! Pinkie kicked the ground angrily and began making her way back to Sugar Cube Corner. She arrived back at the store shortly and was still fuming when she made it back up to her room. Pinkie was quick to lock the door and close the windows. She walked over to her closet and peeled open a secret door in the closet wall. The Rainbow Dash dummy fell out and Pinkie grabbed it. 
"It's okay," Pinkie said soothingly. "They're not going to catch me, Dashie. You don't have to worry about that."
"I hope they do catch you!" said the voice.
"Why won't you just leave?!"
"I can't leave! I'm stuck here forever! You're never going to be able to get rid of me, Pinkamena!"
"Just shut up and leave me be! Let me have my fun!"
"No!"
"Why not?!"
Suddenly there was a series of knocks on the bedroom door. Pinkie quickly stuffed the Rainbow dummy back into the hidden compartment, opened the windows, and unlocked the door. Irena was standing there. 
"Morning, sis!" Pinkie chirped happily. "You're here earlier than I expected!"
"Is everything alright, Pinkie?" Irena asked.
"Of course! What could possibly be wrong with me?"
"I thought I heard shouting."
"You must be half asleep, big sis! I was being as quiet as a mouse!"
"You being quiet? That'll be the day."
"I guess you're right. Remember what Bella-"
The pink pony fell silent. Irena's eyes began to water up a bit but she quickly wiped the forming tears away.
"Yes...I remember what she used to say," Irena replied sadly. The gray earth pony turned away and walked down the stairs. Pinkie followed her awkwardly, a nervous grin plastered on her face. "So...what are your plans for today?"
"I don't have any plans," Pinkie replied. "Did you want to hang out?!"
"Are you interested?"
"Of course! You're my big sister! I'll always have time for you!"
"I'm sorry for what Pinkamena and I have done, Irena," said the voice. Pinkie smacked the side of her head and stumbled back a bit.
"Are you okay?!" asked Irena as she helped Pinkie regain her balance.
"Of course! Nothing wrong here!" Pinkie replied. The sound of crying began emanating from upstairs. "The babies must be awake!"
A few minutes later, Mr. and Mrs. Cake walked down the stairs with their infant offspring sitting happily in their arms. 
"Morning, Pinkie Pie. Morning, Irena," said Mr. Cake as he placed Pumpkin Cake in her high chair.
"Good morning," said Irena. "I'm sorry. Did Pinkie or I disturb them?"
"Don't worry yourselves. You two didn't have anything to do with them waking up," said Mrs. Cake. Pinkie was about to say something when there was a series of knocks on the front door. "Now who would be here this early?"
Mrs. Cake placed Pound Cake in his high chair and walked over to the door. She opened it and sighed. She stepped aside and in walked Twilight and Aaron. 
"Twilight!" said Pinkie nervously. "How...how nice to see you this early in the day!"
"I hope we're not intruding," said Twilight. "It's just that-"
"We have a few questions for a certain Pinkamena Diane Pie," said Aaron bluntly. Pinkie gulped and gave a huge smile. 
"That's me!" she said.
"Is there a place where you could talk to us in private?"
"There's a study just down the hallway over there," said Mr. Cake.
"Alright. Let's go."
Mr. Cake led Twilight, Pinkie, and Aaron to the study. The three ponies filed in and Mr. Cake closed the door. Pinkie sat down in a chair in the center of the room while Twilight and Aaron sat down on a nearby couch. 
"Don't be too blunt, Mr. Crop," said Twilight.
"Just let me do my job," Aaron grunted. The black unicorn turned towards Pinkie and pulled out a notepad and quill. He levitated the notepad and quill into the air and cleared his throat. "So, how are you doing this morning, Ms. Pie?"
"Super!"
"Have you been out at all this morning?"
"Let's see...nope!"
"Okay. Now are you aware of the mysterious disappearance of the pegasus known as Rainbow Dash?"
"They've caught you!" laughed the voice. Pinkie tapped her head slightly and shook her head.
"No? You haven't heard of the disappearance?"
"What? Oh! Yes I have! Sorry. There was something in my mane," Pinkie replied nervously.
"Do you know when Ms. Dash disappeared?"
"No."
"She disappeared around twelve days ago. Is it not true that prior to the day of her disappearance you invited her to come here to Sugar Cube Corner?"
"It's true. I invited her to come and spend the afternoon with me."
"And what did the two of you do?"
"We baked cupcakes!"
"For an entire afternoon? You didn't go out for a walk or visit anypony else? You just baked cupcakes for an entire afternoon?"
"Yep!"
"Cupcakes aren't that difficult to make. I would assume that the two of you were able to make a lot of them within the allotted time you two spent together."
"Uh...yeah! We made a lot of cupcakes!"
"Do you still have any of these cupcakes left over?"
"Well...no...sorry. Did you want one?"
"No thanks. I'm not very fond of cupcakes."
"I feel sorry for you."
"Don't be. Anyway, what did Ms. Dash do when the two of you decided to call it a day?"
"She just left."
"She just left?"
"Yep! We said goodbye to each other and she just left."
"Interesting. Tell me, was there anypony else in the shop while you and Rainbow Dash were together?"
"No. The Cakes were out."
"So the two of you pretty much had the place to yourselves?"
"Pretty much."
"What time did Ms. Dash leave?"
"It was really late. It was already nighttime. I don't remember the exact time."
"Did she tell you where she was going?"
"No. She just left."
"Was she afraid when she left?"
"Huh?"
"Was she afraid when she left?"
"No. She was happy."
"That's strange."
"Why is it strange?"
"Your friend, Applejack, mentioned to Twilight that she saw Rainbow Dash on the night she disappeared."
"Huh?! Is this true, Twilight?!"
"Yeah, Pinkie. Sorry that I forgot to tell you. I've been really busy of late. Applejack told me that on the night Rainbow Dash disappeared she saw her running down the street. Applejack said that Rainbow Dash seemed to be running from something that had obviously frightened her," Twilight explained. 
Pinkie was stunned. This was impossible. Rainbow Dash couldn't have run past Applejack. Pinkie had been busy playing with Rainbow Dash during that point in time. Could it have been her ghost? 
"You're going to get caught!" the voice laughed. Pinkie wanted to yell at the voice and tell it to shut up but she knew that she couldn't. Nopony else could hear the voice. Her yelling at what seemed to be nothing would make her look incredibly suspicious. She couldn't risk it so she held her breath.
"I...I don't know what could possibly have frightened, Dashie," Pinkie said nervously.
"Tell me, Ms. Pie," Aaron continued. "Are you sure that you didn't go out this morning?"
"Yes. I haven't been out at all this morning."
"We have a source who told us that you were following him this morning on his way to Twilight's house."
Pinkie bit her lip. He had seen her after all. She should have used a disguise.
"That's impossible. I only got up a little while ago," Pinkie choked.
"Are you telling the truth, Pinkie?" Twilight asked.
"Of course I am! Why would I lie?"
"That's exactly what I was thinking," Aaron said. "Why would you lie?"
"I'm not lying!"
"Don't worry. I believe you."
"You...you do?"
"Of course. Why would a friend of Rainbow Dash, a pony who had all of her trust, have anything to do with her disappearance and possible ponynapping/murder? Why would a nice pony such as yourself take time out of her early mornings to stalk random ponies throughout town? You look like the last pony in this town who would be responsible for Ms. Dash's possibly horrific fate."
"E...exactly!"
"That's all for now, Ms. Pie. I promise that I will find your friend."
Aaron stood up and Pinkie shook his hoof. He's lying, she thought. He still suspected her. She knew it. He wasn't letting her off the hook. He was just trying to lower her guard. Aaron pulled his hoof away from Pinkie and nodded. Twilight gave Pinkie a quick hug and the two mares followed Aaron out of the room. 
Irena and the Cakes were halfway through their breakfast when Twilight, Pinkie, and Aaron returned to the kitchen.
"We are done here. Good day to you all," said Aaron. Twilight waved goodbye to Pinkie, Irena, and the Cakes and followed Aaron out of the shop. 
"So?" Twilight asked Aaron once they were a good distance from the shop. 
"She's hiding something. I have a feeling that she wasn't giving us everything that we needed to hear," Aaron replied.
"You still suspect her?"
"Yes. In fact, I suspect her now even more than I did earlier this morning. I'm going to be returning to Sugar Cube Corner pretty soon."
Pinkie watched Twilight and Aaron from her bedroom window. This was not good. She couldn't keep this up for much longer. 
"It's over. Just turn yourself in already. Please! I've had enough with watching you hurt others!" pleaded the voice.
"Shut up," Pinkie growled. Twilight and Aaron disappeared from sight and Pinkie quickly closed the blinds. She walked over to her closet and pulled the Rainbow dummy out. "This is going to be a tough choice but I have no other options. Time is running out quickly. If these detective wants to find Dashie...heh...then I might as well give her to him." 
> How the Hunt Ended
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 22: How the Hunt Ended


Rainbow Dash watched quietly from the afterlife as the search for her corpse dragged on back in the world of the living. Now it was exactly three weeks since the day she had disappeared and the entire town was on high alert. Rumors spread like wildfire and some ponies even began debating on whether or not Rainbow was even alive anymore. Stormflower, Sunkick, and their parents had now made Rainbow's house their permanent-temporary residence for their time in Ponyville. Aaron and his fellow investigators worked like clockwork in their quest to interrogate everypony in town. Even Zecora got a visit from the brute unicorn. Missing posters appeared throughout the town and Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity began meeting together more often. Applejack began to fall back with her work on the farm and began taking long walks around the town. Stormflower gradually became more and more depressed as time progressed and she turned to Joan for comfort. Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle began crusading for their cutie marks again but Scootaloo seemed out of it most of the time due to Rainbow's absence in the town. Irena, Vinyl, and Octavia began giving small performances throughout town to help everypony feel better, though the uplifting effects of their music didn't last long. 
Only one pony in the town was officially happy through and through. Pinkie Pie sung happily to herself each night as she snuck down to her killing chamber to pack everything up in a series of boxes. It pained her to pack up all of her hard work but it was necessary in order to prevent her from being found out. Rainbow found herself spying on Pinkie a lot from the afterlife. Pinkie was now Rainbow's third viewed pony right behind Twilight and Stormflower. Rainbow was still angry at the pink pony but something about her killer constantly confused her. That voice. What was that voice? Who was speaking to Pinkie? Rainbow wondered this as she watched Pinkie bury her boxes of death under a patch of apple trees in Sweet Apple Acres. The trees would take care of the evidence, Pinkie thought as she finished filling in the hole. Nopony would find those boxes. Now there was one last thing to take care of. 
As usual, things refused to change in the afterlife. The Ponyville of the dead remained in its silent, calm, somewhat foggy state. The only thing in the afterlife that Rainbow found interesting was the mysterious gray filly. Who was she? What was her story? Rainbow had tried to approach and talk to the filly several times but she always seemed to disappear just before Rainbow could reach her. 
"You're not going to get anything from her," Ridley would say. "We've all tried."
"Well I'm not going to give up so easily!" Rainbow would reply. 
"Don't waste your breath, Ridley," Gilda would say to the blue pony. "It's a lost cause."
Rainbow was now sitting on top of the Overlook again. She was alone this time and was happy for that. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anypony at the moment. She raised her head at the sight of the mysterious filly heading off towards Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow wanted to chase after her but she decided against it for she had already done it two times that day. She put her head back down and closed her eyes, her mind focusing on that of her happy-go-lucky murderer.
It was the night of the three week anniversary of Rainbow Dash's disappearance. It was extremely late and most ponies, if not everypony, was asleep by this point. Well, at least one pony was awake. She was quietly slipping amongst the buildings, hugging the shadows and evading the light. She had to be careful for it would look bad for her if she were seen sneaking throughout town this late at night. A somewhat heavy black bag was hung over her back. It was time to say goodbye to Dashie forever. It was time for the truth to come out. Dashie was dead. The search would end, the investigators would head back to Canterlot, everypony would eventually get over her death, and Pinkie Pie could get back to playing with more ponies. It was about time too for she was almost out of her secret ingredient. 
Rainbow opened her eyes and appeared deep within Sweet Apple Acres. The trees rose high into the nighttime sky and the night lights of Ponyville lit up the sky from the distance. She looked around until she saw her. There she was, sneaking her way to the dumping ground. The spot where Pinkie had buried her dark treasures was not too far from this spot. Pinkie placed the black bag on the ground and leaned against a nearby tree. After taking a few minutes to breathe, the pink pony got up and got to work. She pulled the Rainbow dummy out of the bag and sprawled it out on the ground. She reached into the bag and pulled out a series of rags. Pinkie quickly wiped the dummy down to get rid of any possible hoofprints. Rainbow watched as her killer proceeded to cover her vandalized body with small mounds of dirt, apples, and tree leaves. 
"There. There should be no trace of me left on this dummy," Pinkie whispered happily to herself. She reached down towards the dummy to kiss it but she pulled away at the last second. A couple tears fell from Pinkie's eyes but she quickly wiped them away. "What is this? I'm happy! Why am I crying?!"
"It's not you who's crying," said the voice. Pinkie rolled her eyes and shook her head violently.
"She's dead! Dashie is dead! She's been dead for three weeks! Get over it you weak little bitch!"
The voice didn't respond. The only thing that Rainbow and Pinkie heard was a series of muffled cries and sniffles. 
"Who are you?" Rainbow asked, as if the voice would respond. Pinkie shook her head again and the cries slowly faded away. Pinkie grabbed the black bag and rags and quickly ran off into the night. Rainbow looked down at the dummy constructed from the remains of her body and silently cried. She placed her hoof on the exposed cheek of the dummy and looked into its lifeless eyes. It was too much. Rainbow began crying madly again. She fell to the ground and curled up into a ball as she began a long period of uncontrollable sobbing. She didn't know how long it lasted but she eventually regained her composure and stood up again. She looked back at the dummy and walked around it. It looked so lonely, just laying there under a thin layer of dirt, apples, and leaves. Rainbow thought of heading back to her place in the afterlife but she decided against it. Somepony would come across it the following morning but that was several hours away. She couldn't bear to leave it alone for it to await its ultimate discovery. "Don't worry, Rainbow Dash. I'll wait with you." Rainbow sat down next to where the dummy lay and looked up towards the starry night sky. "I'll wait here with you."
Applejack woke up early the following morning. She trudged her way out of bed and headed out of the house. She looked out amongst the seemingly endless orchard of apple trees and suddenly realized that it had been ages since she had just simply taken a stroll through it. She shrugged her shoulders and began her trek when she noticed somepony standing by the front gate. It was that investigator from Canterlot that Twilight had told her about. He wasn't looking at her but rather at the orchard. He casually nibbled his way through a red apple and smiled coldly as the light of the sun slowly began to creep its way over the horizon. Applejack approached the black unicorn cautiously. 
"Can ah help you?" she asked. Aaron looked at the farm pony and smiled. "Let me guess. You're here to interrogate me."
"No. I'm just looking for somepony to talk to," Aaron replied.
"Well why come here? There are plenty of other ponies in town to talk to. Hell, you're practically living with Twilight at the moment!"
"I'm not living with her. I'm just using her home as my temporary headquarters while I search for your friend."
"Don't ya try to use your fancy Canterlot talk to confuse me! I may be a farm pony but I'm no dummy!"
"I never said that you were. You seem irritated. Did I interrupt something?"
"Nah. I was just goin' to take a walk around the orchard."
"Well why don't we?"
"What? You want to walk around the orchard with me?"
"Why not? It's a nice morning for something like that."
"Alrighty then. But no detective tricks. Ah got my eyes on you!"
"Good to know."
Applejack opened the gate and Aaron casually walked inside. The two ponies then headed off into the trees.
They walked in silence for a while. It wasn't until they had been walking for a good ten minutes that they decided to start talking to each other again.
"So you take care of this entire orchard?" Aaron asked with an impressed grin.
"Well it's not just me. Ah have my brother, Big Macintosh, my sister, Apple Bloom, and old Granny Smith to help me out. My friends also help me out when they get the chance," Applejack replied.
"Did Rainbow Dash help you out a lot?"
Applejack chuckled.
"Yeah, when she wasn't busy napping or practicing to become a member of the Wonderbolts."
"From my time here in Ponyville, I can see that you, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and the others are all really close."
"Yep! We're all one big happy family!"
"To be honest, I'm kind of jealous of you mares."
"How so?"
"You're all so close to each other and you all go out of each other's way to help each other. I haven't really been the friend type."
"You don't say?"
Aaron gave Applejack a polite shove and the two ponies laughed. Aaron looked past Applejack and suddenly stopped in his tracks. 
"Applejack," he breathed.
"Yeah?" she asked.
"Rainbow Dash's mane consists of the six colors of the rainbow, right?"
"Yeah. Why do you ask?"
Aaron pointed towards a nearby tree. Applejack looked and her eyes widened for wrapped around the edge of the tree was a rainbow-colored tail.
Rainbow looked up at the sound of footsteps approaching. This was it. The truth was to come out. She had been discovered. Applejack and Aaron quickly ran up to the tree and instantly came across the Rainbow dummy.
"Rainbow!" Applejack croaked. Aaron leaned down and examined the body. He knew she was dead from the moment his eyes fell upon the skin. He didn't realize the state in which the body was in until he noticed the stitch and cut marks on the body and the overly happy face of the corpse. "Mr. Crop, is she alright?"
Aaron turned back to the anxious farm pony, his face nearly as green as grass and his eyes sunken in with horrific disappointment.
"I...I'm sorry, Applejack. She's gone. She's been gone for several weeks now," he replied sadly. 
"It...it can't be! No! NO! RAINBOW!"
Applejack fell to the ground and crawled her way towards the body. She placed her hoof on the corpse's chest. There was no heartbeat, there was no breath, there was just...nothing. Rainbow stood up and watched as her close friend broke down into a mess of dirt and tears. 
"RAINBOW! NO! RAINBOW! OH SWEET CELESTIA WHY?! WHY?!" cried the orange earth pony. Rainbow couldn't take the sight anymore. She returned to the afterlife as Aaron reached over to try and comfort the broken Applejack. 
> The Filly's Friend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 23: The Filly's Friend


Rainbow Dash opened her eyes to find herself back on top of the Overlook. She felt horrible. Tears were forming in her eyes again but she quickly wiped them away.
"Is this how I'm going to feel from now on?" she asked herself. "Am I going to always be constantly sad?"
"I don't think so," said an unfamiliar voice. Rainbow turned around and nearly jumped into the air out of shock. The young filly was standing just a few feet away from her. Her face was almost emotionless but it had a tinge of sadness. "We all learn to move on eventually."
"You...you're talking!"
"Yes. I know how to talk."
"How come you haven't talked to anypony before this point?"
"I have my reasons."
"Could you explain them to me?"
"Maybe later. Right now I want to introduce you to someone."
"Don't you mean somepony?"
"No, because the friend I'm going to introduce to you isn't a pony."
"What?"
"Follow me, Rainbow Dash."
The filly beckoned Rainbow to follow her and the cyan pegasus agreed out of pure curiosity. Today was certainly a day of change. First her body was finally discovered back in Equestria and now the mysterious filly is talking to her. Rainbow followed the filly away from the Overlook, through the outskirts of town, and over to Sweet Apple Acres. They walked in silence for several minutes until they reached the edge of the cloud barrier at the very edge of Sweet Apple Acres.
"So where is this friend of yours?" Rainbow asked.
"Be patient," said the filly. "She's coming."
Rainbow watched as a shadow slowly appeared on the other side of the dome. She had seen that shadow before. It had appeared to her, Gilda, Ridley, and Derpy back at the Overlook over two weeks earlier. The shadow became clearer and clearer until it was right outside the dome. The shadow phased through the dome and assumed the form of a creature that Rainbow had never seen before. The word human floated into Rainbow's mind and she thought that it was the perfect name to describe the creature before her. It was a young girl with white skin, sandy brown hair, and blue eyes. She was wearing a blue jacket with a red vest and white shirt underneath. Rainbow giggled slightly at the sight of the girl's bright yellow pants. At first, the girl appeared as a mere apparition but soon she was as solid as Rainbow and the filly. 
"Who...who are you?" Rainbow asked.
"Salmon, like the fish," replied the girl with a smile. Rainbow cocked her head in confusion.
"Your name is Salmon? That's an odd name."
"Salmon's my last name. My first name is Susie."
"Susie Salmon. That's still an odd name."
"Well, I wouldn't consider Rainbow Dash to very a very normal name either."
Rainbow chuckled and both the filly and Susie laughed. 
"What are you doing here?" Rainbow asked.
"I'm here for almost the same reason you are, Rainbow Dash," Susie replied.
"What does that mean?"
"I'm dead, like you. I was fourteen years old when I was murdered on December 6, 1973."
"You were only fourteen?"
"Yes. I was murdered by a man who lived in my neighborhood. Tell me your story."
"Uh...well...I was eighteen years old when I was murdered by my friend, Pinkie Pie, on July 10, 1001."
"Your story is so much more tragic than mine. I was only murdered, you were betrayed as well as murdered."
"Yes."
"Do you still hold your anger against your friend?"
"Of course. She was my friend and she betrayed me. Now I'm trapped here in this bleak afterlife."
"Don't worry, Rainbow Dash. There is a world of unimaginable and indescribable beauty waiting for you and the others just outside this dome."
"Is there a way to break through?"
"Not from the inside. It's very difficult to break through this dome."
"Why are you here? Where are you from?"
"I died in another world, very different from yours, a long time ago. The afterlife has no boundaries. We can mingle with people and creatures from many different walks of life. I was called here a long time ago by her."
Susie pointed at the filly and the filly blushed. 
"Who are you?" Rainbow asked as she looked down at the filly.
"You'll find out in good time," the filly replied. 
"Why all of the secrets? How come I can't learn now?!"
"Because you are not ready," said Susie. "You must grow more. This world must expand more. The truth must not be hidden for much longer."
"What are you saying?"
"You have to face the aftermath of your passing back in the world of the living. You have to help console your family and friends in any way you can. You have to help them learn the truth behind your death. Within time, as you attempt to fulfill these goals, you will learn the truth behind the creation of your murderer."
"Is...is there another reason to Pinkie's madness that just her need to kill?"
"That is for you to find out, Rainbow Dash. For now, return to the world of the living and face the aftermath that all of us departed must face."
Rainbow looked back at the filly only to see that she had mysteriously disappeared. She turned back to Susie just in time to see the mysterious girl vanish behind the dome of clouds. Rainbow fell to the ground and took several deep breaths. 
"Face the aftermath. Help console my family and friends. Aid them. Learn the truth," Rainbow sighed. "I guess I'll have to do this if I want my questions answered."
Rainbow took another deep breath, closed her eyes, and flew back to the world of the living. 
> Revelations and Secrets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 24: Revelations and Secrets


Rainbow Dash found herself standing in the middle of a nearly empty hospital room. The room was completely white and a simple hospital bed lay in the center. Something was on the bed but it was covered with a sheet. Rainbow gulped. She knew what was under that sheet. She turned back towards the door and heard a series of footsteps fast approaching.
"Face the aftermath. Face the aftermath," Rainbow uttered as the door flew open. Aaron was the first to enter. He was followed by Stormflower, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Sunkick, Thunder Storm, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Caroline. "Here it comes."
"Why did you bring us here?" asked a confused Stormflower. Pinkie slid into the back of the group and out of everypony's eyesight.
"I...I just needed to tell you that I found Rainbow Dash earlier this morning," Aaron replied. There was a series of relaxed sighs. 
"Thank Celestia!" Caroline said.
"Where is she?" asked Thunder Storm.
"She...she's right there," Aaron replied as he pointed towards the cloaked hospital bed. "I'm...extremely sorry."
It was then that the truth slowly began to sink in. Their smiles of relief disappeared quickly and were now replaced by sad expressions of horror. 
"No...no...it can't be!" choked Stormflower. Thunder Storm began to approach the bed but Aaron got in his way.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. It's not a pretty sight," Aaron sighed.
"Get the fuck out of my way!" said Thunder as tears began to fall down his face. Thunder pushed Aaron aside, ran up to the bed, and pulled the sheet off of the bed. A series of horrified gasps echoed through the room. "No....no Dashie no!"
Thunder grabbed Rainbow's corpse's head and stared into it's lifeless, smiling face. He then collapsed next to the bed. Caroline ran over to Thunder and held him in her arms as she too broke into an uncontrollable sob. Stormflower and Sunkick held each other and cried into each other's arms. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity also broke into a stream of tears. Rainbow turned towards Pinkie, who was standing awkwardly in the back of the room. 
"You can cry now," Pinkie whispered to the voice crying within her. A stream of tears rolled out of Pinkie's eyes and she fell against the wall behind her. Aaron stood awkwardly in the middle of the room of crying ponies, his face lowered in an emotionless expression of sorrow. Rainbow backed away towards the edge of the room and watched her friends and family continue to mourn over her death. She too was about to break down into a fit of sobbing.
"It's a horrible feeling, to lose somepony that you love," said a familiar voice. Rainbow looked down and saw the filly standing next to her. "It's funny how we don't realize how much we love something or somepony until they're gone. No...it's not funny. It's tragically sad." Rainbow cocked her head in confusion as the filly looked up at her. "Pinkie's tears are genuine."
"They can't be. How can she feel sorry for purposely killing me?" Rainbow asked angrily. 
"How can you be so sure that Pinkie Pie was the pony who killed you?"
"Now what the hell does that mean?"
The filly chuckled and disappeared. The room began to crumble away around Rainbow and suddenly she found herself standing in the middle of a bleak field of dirt and rocks. A small house stood off in the distance and two ponies were walking through the field, away from the house.
"Now who is...no...it can't be," Rainbow breathed as her eyes fell on the two ponies. One of the ponies was a small pink pony with a bouncy, vibrant mane and the other was a small gray pony with a gray-white mane. "It's...it's Pinkie! It's Pinkie...and that filly!"
Rainbow slowly approached the two ponies and realized that this Pinkie Pie was much younger than the one she knew. This Pinkie was at least seven years old. 
"Where are you taking me this time, Pinkamena?" the filly asked.
"I thought I told you to not call me that anymore! The name's Pinkie Pie from now on!" exclaimed the seven-year-old Pinkie Pie.
"Whatever. So, Pinkie Pie, can you tell me where you're taking me?"
"To a party!"
"Another party?"
"Yeah! I made a new friend a few days ago and he loves parties just as much as I do!"
"What's his name?"
"Rufus!"
"Rufus? I've never heard about him before from Mommy or Daddy."
"He's new around here. I came across him a few days ago and we've been best friends ever since!"
"So that's where you've been disappearing off to these last few days?"
"Yep! He really wants to meet you, Bella!"
"Now you've given me a nickname too? Fine. Bella it is. So this Rufus really wants to meet me?"
"Yeah! He told me that he really likes to make new friends!"
"Have you told Mommy or Daddy about him?"
"No. He says he only gets along with fillies like you and me. He doesn't like adults very much."
"He sounds shy."
"I think he is pretty shy. He says that he's sad because hardly anypony comes to his parties. He's lucky if he's able to get even one guest!"
"That's sad."
"Yeah. I think the two of us being at his party will make him feel happy."
"Well I do like helping you make other ponies smile."
"Well come on, sis! Let's hurry up and meet up with him!"
"Okay!"
The two fillies broke into a run and Rainbow chased after them.
"It's a shame that I couldn't get Irena to come with us," said Pinkie. "She told me that she was too busy with her music to go to any parties."
"Well I guess that means more cake for us!" Bella said happily.
"There he is!"
Pinkie pointed off in the distance towards the edge of a nearby forest. Two ponies, a gray one and an orange one, were standing in the spot that Pinkie was pointing to. 
"Wait...who's that with him?" Pinkie asked. The scene suddenly faded away and Rainbow found herself back in Sweet Apple Acres. 
The pegasus picked herself off of the ground and noticed the filly known as Bella sitting a few feet away.
"You," Rainbow breathed. "You're-"
"Pinkie's little sister, Bellamina," the filly replied. 
"How...what was that?"
"Us spirits of the dead can look into the past as well as the present. We cannot, however, look into the future...though some powerful spirits have been able to do so in the past."
"So what I just saw was something that happened in the past?"
"Ten years ago to be exact."
"Ten years ago."
Rainbow felt a sudden shock in her head. She knew something important had happened ten years ago. But what was it? Then she remembered. The night her father returned home from a certain investigation. Stormflower had learned about the crime but she, Rainbow Dash, had been too young to learn about it at the time. Could that past event with Pinkie Pie and Bellamina somehow be connected to that memory of her father?
"Is it possible?" Rainbow asked herself.
"I can see that you have a lot of questions," Bellamina continued. "I bet you're wondering about what exactly happened that day ten years ago."
"Yes. What happened?"
"You'll find out in due time."
Then she was gone. Rainbow kicked the ground angrily and stormed out of the orchard. She was a sly one, that Bellamina. She certainly had a fair share of secrets. Like the fact that she was friends with an otherworldly spirit named Susie Salmon, the fact that she knows that spirits can look into the past, and the fact that she's Pinkie Pie's little sister. 
"I'm going to discover your secrets, Bellamina," Rainbow stated. "And, in the meantime, I'm going to help my friends uncover Pinkie's secrets!"  
> After the Funeral
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 25: After the Funeral


Rainbow Dash's funeral was held on the four week anniversary of Rainbow's initial disappearance. Everypony in town showed up and even ponies from out of town came such as Celestia, Luna, Shining Armor, and Cadance. Rainbow, herself, watched over the funeral from the afterlife along with Gilda, Ridley, and Derpy. The sky was filled with mounds of grey clouds and the entire vibrant life of the town seemed to have been replaced by a grim overcast. The main service lasted for at least an hour and a half with Rainbow's family and friends walking up and saying a few words of mourning. Rainbow listened keenly when Pinkie Pie came up to talk. She spoke for several minutes in a saddened voice that was enough to make even Rainbow believe that she was genuinely sorry. But she knew this was a scam. Pinkie wasn't sorry. She was the happiest pony there. She had gotten away with murder...and this was not the first time she had been able to do this. However, as Rainbow watched the pink pony talk and occasionally cry, she couldn't help but feel that Pinkie was actually incredibly saddened by what she had done. 
After the main service, a memorial dinner was held at Sugar Cube Corner. A majority of the ponies walked up to Rainbow's coffin to say their final words to the cyan pegasus before walking off to the dinner. Scootaloo was the last pony to visit the coffin. Her eyes were glistening with tears and her lips were quivering like mad. Rainbow walked next to the young filly and patted her with her wing, as if attempting to physically comfort her. Scootaloo tried to say something but she couldn't force the words from her lips.
"I'm sorry, Scootaloo," Rainbow uttered. "I'm sorry that I failed you."
Scootaloo raised her head and looked down at the corpse's dead face. 
"I...I miss you, Rainbow Dash," she choked. "I...I'm always gonna miss you. I hope you're happy now and...I hope I grow up to become just like you."
Rainbow smiled at the saddened filly. Scootaloo turned away from the coffin as a group of morticians closed the coffin and wheeled it away. She walked over towards Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, who were waiting outside the shop. 
"Scootaloo," Apple Bloom breathed.
"I really don't feel like talking right now," said Scootaloo as she gloomily walked past her two friends. Rainbow sighed sadly as she approached the shop with Gilda, Ridley, and Derpy.
"It's tough to face, isn't it?" Gilda asked.
"Yeah," Rainbow replied.
"You're one special pony, Rainbow Dash," said Ridley.
"Why do you say that?"
"Well...you're the first victim of Pinkie's whose body was actually discovered. You've gotten a proper burial unlike the rest of us. You were also the first pony to get that filly to say anything."
"Her name's Bellamina."
Rainbow had told Gilda and Ridley earlier that Bellamina had talked to her. She had yet to tell them about Susie Salmon and the fact that Bellamina was Pinkie's little sister.
Rainbow looked and saw Stormflower and Joan standing together in the shop. Rainbow walked towards them. Gilda shoved Ridley bluntly and they, along with Derpy, returned to the afterlife. Rainbow walked up to her sister, who was still crying a little bit. 
"So...what are you going to do now?" Joan asked.
"What are you going to do?" Stormflower asked back.
"I dunno. I was thinking of heading back home but...I don't think I should leave you at a time like this."
"Joan, I don't need you by my side all the time."
"It's not that I think you need me, though I think you kind of do, it's that I want to be here with you."
Joan then kissed Stormflower on the cheek and she blushed. She wiped the tears from her eyes and gave Joan a small kiss back.
"Thank you, Joan. You've been really supportive these past couple weeks," she said.
"It was no problem. So, are you leaving Ponyville?" he asked.
"At first, I wanted to leave Ponyville but now I think I'm going to stay."
"You are?"
"Yes. Somepony murdered my sister. I'm not going to stop until I find them."
"I understand. Well...I'm going to help you."
"You are?!"
"Yes. That is if you want my help."
"Joan...I definitely want your help."
Stormflower hugged the orange earth pony again and they strolled off into another part of the shop. Rainbow's eyes fell on Twilight, who was standing with Applejack and Aaron.
"Aaron, you do realize that we have a serial killer on our hooves?" Twilight asked the detective as Rainbow approached the small group. 
"What are you talkin' about, Twilight?" asked Applejack.
"I looked at Ponyville's police records while I was up in Canterlot. I discovered that, for over a year, ponies in town have mysteriously disappeared. Nopony really noticed because these were mostly ponies that nopony really gave any thought about."
"That's terrible!"
"Yes, but our killer has crossed the line now," Aaron stated. "He, or she, has killed somepony that is known extremely well. I've deduced that the killer lives somewhere in town and we must be making them nervous."
"How can you guess that?" Twilight asked.
"When you read the reports, didn't you realize that the bodies of the missing ponies were never discovered?"
"Now that you mention it, yeah!"
"Why would the killer suddenly leave one of her victims' bodies out to be discovered? They're nervous. They were afraid that we were catching up to them so they dumped the body out in hopes that the investigation would end there. But they were incredibly wrong! Twilight, have you...examined the body?"
"Not really. I don't think I have the stomach to."
"You may or may not have realized this but Rainbow Dash's body has been completely emptied of all internal parts."
"What?!"
"The killer drained your friend of all internal organs and fluids and turned her into a taxidermy doll. That's why the face was stuck in that creepy smile."
"But...why would somepony do that? How could somepony do that?!"
"I suspect that Rainbow Dash has a special place in our killer's heart. To the killer, Rainbow Dash was a trophy of sorts. Whatever they do to their other victims, I can assume that when they're done there isn't anything of the victim left behind."
"Are you saying that our killer is...cannibalistic?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
"Sweet Celestia!" Applejack breathed.
"I can also assume that, if we don't find this killer, then everypony in town is at risk of being killed."
"Where do we start looking?" asked Twilight.
"We start at the beginning. We look back at July 10 and see what Rainbow Dash did and who she talked to."
"Well we know three ponies she came in contact with."
"Yeah. Scootaloo, Pinkie Pie, and myself," said Applejack.
"Yes. We'll start with you three," Aaron breathed.
"Aaron, you can't be suggesting that you seriously suspect Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Scootaloo," Twilight scoffed.
"We have to start somewhere, Twilight. I'm not officially saying that any of them are guilty. I'm just looking for a place to begin my murder investigation."
"I'm fine with being investigated, Twilight," said Applejack. "As long as it helps track down Rainbow's killer."
"If we're careful and we do this right, we'll eventually find the bastard or bitch that did this and bring them to justice!"
"Fine. At least it's a place to start. We may not have been able to save Rainbow Dash, but at least we'll be able to save some other pony from the same fate," said Twilight. Rainbow chuckled happily and walked away from the trio. She had only walked a few feet when she came across Sunkick, sitting alone.
"Can you hear me, Sunkick?" Rainbow asked. Sunkick's ears moved. He turned his head towards the spot where Rainbow was standing. "Can you hear me?"
"I...barely," he replied.
"At least we have a connection."
"I really hope I'm not going insane!"
"You're not! For some reason, I can talk to you from the afterlife."
"I...I...I can't believe you're gone, Dash!"
"I'm sorry that I let you down, Sunkick. I'm so sorry."
Tears began rolling down Rainbow and Sunkick's faces. Rainbow hugged her brother and he reacted to her cold, dimensional touch. 
"Who was it?" he whispered. "Who killed you?"
Rainbow brought her mouth close to Sunkick's ear and said, "Pinkie Pie."
Sunkick looked to where Rainbow was standing and shook his head a bit.
"I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that," he said.
"Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie killed me."
"You're really quiet. I can't hear you."
"PINKIE PIE! IT WAS PINKIE PIE!"
Sunkick shook his head again. The connection was broken. Something was interfering. Sunkick felt Rainbow's presence go away and he anxiously looked around the room for it. 
"She's gone. What happened?" he asked himself.
"Hey," said an unexpected voice. Sunkick looked across the table to see Scootaloo sitting there. "You're Sunkick, right? Rainbow Dash's brother?"
"Yeah. That's me."
"I'm Scootaloo. I've known Rainbow Dash for a while now. Your sister also knows me. She's helped me out with some private lessons these past couple weeks."
"What type of private lessons?"
"Flying lessons."
"You must have been close to Dash."
"In a way. I looked up to her but I don't know if she really saw me as anything more than a little fan."
"You were much more than that, Scoots!" said Rainbow sadly.
"Do...do you want to hear a secret?" Sunkick asked.
"What kind of secret?" Scootaloo asked back.
"A weird one involving Rainbow Dash. Nopony else knows about this aside from Twilight Sparkle and Aaron Crop."
"Okay. I'm interested."
"I think Rainbow Dash has established a telepathic connection with me from beyond the grave!"
"What? Really? How?"
"I don't know. It's a very weak one, though. It's very unstable and I can barely hear her when we talk. But she's still here. I know she is. She's watching over us as we speak."
"Rainbow Dash."
"I'm going to try and use this ability to my advantage."
"How?"
"Come on! You look like a smart filly! I can use this ability to find out the identity of Rainbow's killer!"
"Oh! Why didn't I think of that?"
"Everypony's sad right now. Sadness doesn't help the thought process."
"So are you just going to wait for the connection to be made again?"
"Yes and no. I'm going to try and make the connection stronger but, in the meantime, I'm going to do my own investigation in the murder case."
"Can I help you?"
"You?! But...it could get messy."
"I've been messy before."
"It could get dangerous."
"I was nearly turned to stone once."
"It could get-"
"I'm helping you! Stop trying to come up with excuses!"
"Well...I guess you can help me."
"Yes! Don't worry Sunkick! We're going to find the pony who killed Rainbow Dash and get them arrested!"
"Right! And we're not going to stop until we find him or her! For Rainbow Dash!"
"For Rainbow Dash!"
Rainbow smiled and walked away from the table. Three investigation teams. Stormflower and Joan, Twilight, Applejack, and Aaron, and Sunkick and Scootaloo vs. Pinkie Pie.
"This should be interesting," said Rainbow softly and she returned to the world of the dead. 
> The Lost Sister
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 26: The Lost Sister


Stormflower figured that the best place to start was with Scootaloo. She woke up early the morning following Rainbow Dash's funeral and set out to search for the young pegasus. It didn't take long for her to locate the filly beneath a large tree on the edge of town.
"Scootaloo?" Stormflower asked. Scootaloo turned towards Stormflower and smiled.
"Morning," she responded. Stormflower approached Scootaloo and sat next to her.
"The weather is nice today."
"I guess."
"You're sad about Rainbow Dash, too, I see."
"Of course! I looked up to her! She was my hero! Now...now she's gone."
"I heard that you're going to help my brother look into this."
"Please tell me that you're not going to scold me about it!"
"Don't worry. I'm not here to scold you."
"Thank Celestia."
"I'm here to ask you about Rainbow Dash."
"Huh?"
"You were one of the last ponies to see her alive. I just want to hear about what you two did together on...that day."
"We weren't together for very long. I watched her practice a few moves that morning until she came down to rest. I approached her and we talked."
"What did you two talk about?"
"Nothing really worth noting."
"Did you talk about the lessons?"
"Of course. That's when she said that she would teach me how to fly. By the way, thanks for trying your best to teach me these past couple weeks."
"It's no problem. I have a feeling that's what my sister would want. She would want you to learn how to fly and she would want me to teach you."
"I guess."
"Is that all you talked about?"
"We talked about you for a little bit. She was really excited about you coming to Ponyville."
"Yeah. Anything else?"
"No. She then left to visit Pinkie Pie and that's the last time I saw her."
"She wasn't acting strangely or-"
"No. She was normal."
"Huh. Looks like Pinkie Pie is the next pony I need to talk to."
"We're going to find them, Stormflower."
"Huh?"
"We're going to find the pony who did this!"
"Yeah. I know we are. Say...how about we have another lesson this evening?"
"You sure that you want to? I mean...it hasn't been that long since...since we all found out about Rainbow Dash."
"I'm still sad, yes. But...but my sister wouldn't want me to stay sad forever! She would want us to move on with our lives. However, saying it is a whole lot easier than actually doing it. Though it will be difficult, I'm going to try my best to do so! We should all try our best to move on. But, I feel that I'll never have complete closure until I find out who did this."
"I'm with you on that one. Okay, we'll meet here, under this tree, this evening for the lessons."
"Great! See you later then!"
Scootaloo gave a small smile and ran off towards town. Stormflower felt a smile form on her face too but it quickly disappeared. Then she felt it. A peculiar breeze of cold air. Stormflower shuttered a bit but the feeling of uneasiness was slowly replaced by a feeling of familiarity. Stormflower examined the surrounding area with her eyes and breathed the cold air into her lungs. 
"You're here aren't you?" she asked. "Sis, you're right here with me."
From the afterlife, Rainbow Dash looked straight into her sister's face. 
"Yes," Rainbow replied. "I'll always be there for you, sis."
Stormflower smiled again. She didn't hear Rainbow's words but she had felt her presence.
"If only we could communicate, Dashie. Then I wouldn't have to go through all of this interrogation bullshit," Stormflower chuckled. Rainbow chuckled too and placed her hoof on Stormflower's shoulder. It, of course, phased through but Stormflower felt something nonetheless. It was a faint feeling but she could just picture her cyan sister standing in front of her. "Stay with me."
"Always," Rainbow said. Stormflower then walked through Rainbow's spiritual body and headed towards town. Rainbow followed her quietly. The two sisters were together and they recognized each other's presence happily. They couldn't talk to each other but they could feel each other, and that's all that mattered. 
It didn't take long for Stormflower to arrive at Sugar Cube Corner. She entered the shop quietly to find it empty except for a familiar gray pony.
"Morning, Irena," said Stormflower as she entered. 
"Morning," Irena sighed. Irena was sitting at a table by herself. Stormflower sat next to her and Rainbow sat at the other end of the table. 
"Is Pinkie Pie here?"
"No. She's running some errands with the Cakes."
"Oh."
"She should be back soon."
"Okay. I can wait until then."
The two ponies sat in silence for a few passing minutes. Rainbow smiled, rolled her eyes, and said, "Well say something already!"
Stormflower felt a sharp blast of cold air fly through her mane. She chuckled and nodded at the empty seat that contained the spirit of her sister. 
"So...I've heard that you and Pinkie grew up on a rock farm," Stormflower said. Irena turned towards the pinkish pegasus and nodded her head. "Was it nice?"
"About as nice as a rock farm could get. They're not exactly the happiest places in the world," Irena replied gloomily.
"I can see that you didn't really enjoy your time there."
"Not really. It wasn't until I moved to Canterlot that I actually began to feel happy."
"Come on, now! You must have some fond memories of your childhood there!"
"I do...but...I also have some pretty bleak memories."
"Was it really that gloomy?"
"At first, it was just boring. It wasn't until...the accident that everything suddenly became gloomy."
"The accident? What accident?"
"You mean you don't know? I assumed that Joan would have already told you due to the fact that you two are already pretty close."
"He's told me a little bit about his childhood on the rock farms but he's never gone into vivid detail."
"It's understandable. Neither of us really like to talk about what happened. I can understand Pinkie not talking about it because I think she's blocked the memory."
"It must have been a terrible accident."
"It was horrible. I still don't know what really happened on that day ten years ago."
"Ten years ago. Joan told me that his father investigated a crime that took place ten years ago."
"Did he tell you what the crime was?"
"Murder, I believe."
"Yes. That's the accident."
"What happened, Irena?"
"Ten years ago...Pinkie Pie...she...she witnessed the murder of our sister, Bellamina."
Stormflower fell silent and Rainbow's ears twitched. This was it. She was going to learn about what really happened that day.
"There was...another sister?"
"Yes. I was the eldest, Pinkie was in the middle, and Bellamina was the youngest. I was ten, Pinkie was seven, and Bellamina was six."
"She was only six? That's horrible!"
"I was never told the details of the murder, due to me being ten at the time, but I know that it was pretty horrible. We couldn't even see Bellamina's body when she was buried. I think it must have been too...damaged for us to look at."
"And Pinkie witnessed this? I never would have guessed. She always seems so happy and upbeat."
"Like I said earlier, I think she blocked the memory from her mind. She knows that Bellamina died but she doesn't remember how. It must have been a truly horrible memory. Heh, you know, if it weren't for Joan then Pinkie probably would have been murdered too."
Stormflower and Rainbow's ears twitched at the same time.
"What?!"
"Joan's the one who alerted his father and the other police ponies about it."
"But...but how did he know what was happening?"
"I never found out the details. Joan never talks about it either. In fact, I think he's blocked out the memory too."
"What reason would he have to block out the memory? It's not like he witnessed it or anything."
"Maybe he feels that it's his fault."
"Why would it be his fault?"
"I'm not sure. It's not like I could look back and see what exactly happened that day."
"But you can," stated a familiar voice. Neither Stormflower nor Irena heard this voice but Rainbow did. She turned around and there was Bellamina herself, standing there with a sad smile on her face. "It's time for the story to continue."
Rainbow watched as the shop slowly disappeared. She was now standing back in the field by the rock farm. She was standing on the edge of a thick forest and two ponies were standing a few feet away. Rainbow recognized one pony as the 14-year-old Joan Silver. The other pony, however, was a mystery.
"Just who exactly are you?" Joan asked.
"I'm just a newcomer. There's no need to be rude," stated the gray stallion. The stallion had a dirty gray coat, a messy brown mane, and a pair of eyes that were so bloodshot that it was impossible to detect any color in them other than red. The stallion was also incredibly skinny, has a cutie mark that consisted of three red balloons, and he looked to be around nineteen years old. The seven-year-old Pinkie Pie and the six-year-old Bellamina approached the two stallions happily. 
"Hi Rufus!" said Pinkie happily. "Hi Joanie. I didn't expect to see you here! Are you coming to the party too?"
"Party? What party?" Joan asked.
"The party that I have planned," said Rufus calmly.
"What's the occasion?"
"It's a friend party! I'm helping Rufus out with it!" Pinkie replied.
"What are you doing here, Bellamina?" 
"Pinkie brought me here, and I think my name's Bella now," Bellamina replied happily.
"Another famous Pinkie Pie nickname?"
"Yeah."
"It's nice to meet you, Bella," Rufus said as he extended one of his hooves. "I'm Rufus."
Bellamina extended her hoof and shook Rufus's hoof. Their eyes met. Rainbow could instantly tell that Bellamina was feeling incredibly awkward and vulnerable. Their hooves drew apart and Bellamina took a couple steps back. 
"So are you coming to the party, Joanie?!" Pinkie asked happily.
"I'm not in the mood for a party," Joan replied. "By the way, Rufus, is that your cabin out there in those woods?"
"Of course. That's where the party's taking place," Rufus replied happily.
"You're having a party in that little cabin?"
"It's not a really big party, as you can see. You're welcome to come if you want to."
"I told you that I'm not really in the mood for a party."
"Awe!" Pinkie groaned.
"Don't be sad, Pinkie! I'll...I'll come to the next one!" 
"I hope you do, Joanie. I look forward to seeing you at one of my...future parties," Rufus said. Both Rainbow and Joan shivered at the sound of Rufus's voice. "Anyway, Pinkie, are you and Bella ready?"
"Yes we are!" said Pinkie gleefully. 
"Great! Follow me."
Rufus turned around and started walking into the forest. Pinkie skipped after him and Bellamina followed calmly. Bellamina turned back to Joan and their eyes met for a few seconds. The gray filly then turned away and continued walking. Joan also turned away and began walking out into the field. Rainbow turned towards Pinkie, Bellamina, and Rufus and followed.
The trio soon arrived at a cozy wood cabin in the middle of the forest. Rufus opened the door and let the two fillies inside. Rainbow simply phased through one of the windows. The interior of the cabin was welcoming and friendly. Colorful rugs colored the floor, paintings of fields and beautiful areas hung from the walls, and a series of photos were situated on a table covered in brightly colored cupcakes. 
"Are these all of your old friends?" Pinkie asked.
"Yes. I don't see them anymore...but I hope to see them again someday," Rufus replied.
"I hope I get to meet them!"
"Don't worry. I'm sure the two of you will meet them really soon."
Rufus looked down at Bellamina and the gray filly smiled awkwardly. Rainbow looked out the window behind her and noticed something. There, sneaking his way through the trees, was Joan. 
"Smart guy. I would have done the same thing," said Rainbow. Joan hid himself next to the window and peered inside on the party of three. 
"So, are the two of you in the mood for a cupcake?" Rufus asked. 
"Oh yes!" Pinkie exclaimed. Bellamina nodded her head. Rufus reached over to the table and handed both Pinkie and Bellamina a cupcake. 
"It's a new recipe. I hope you both enjoy it."
"It looks yummy!"
Pinkie and Bellamina turned to each other and each took a large bite out of their respective cupcakes. They chewed their sweet pastries and swallowed. 
"It tastes...kind of...salty," said Bellamina. 
"That must be the special ingredient," said Rufus.
"What's the special ingredient?" Pinkie asked as she took another bite. 
"Hazel."
It was at this moment that Rainbow, Joan, and Bellamina's eyes all suddenly fell on the same picture. It was the photo of a male unicorn pony who looked to be around nine years old. A series of words were written at the bottom of the photo. The words read: Hazel: Friend Number 36. 
Bellamina gasped and both Rainbow and Joan's eyes widened. Rufus smiled hungrily as both Pinkie and Bellamina blacked out and fell to the floor. 
"Now the real party can begin," Rufus chuckled happily to himself. Rainbow turned back to Joan. Joan slowly backed away from the window.
"I've got to get help! Now!" his whispered to himself as he turned around and disappeared into the trees. Rainbow turned back to Rufus as he walked past Pinkie and Bellamina's bodies and over into the corner of the cabin. He grabbed a handle hidden under a rug and pulled. A doorway opened up, leading down into a dark basement. The scene then disappeared and Rainbow found herself back on top of the Overlook.  
> A New Lead
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 27: A New Lead


"I...I'm terribly sorry," said Stormflower as Irena looked towards the floor. Strange, Stormflower thought. This story seems all too familiar. An image floated into her mind. The image of a light brown stallion with a short beard, a suit, and a hat appeared. Could it be? Could they really be the same thing? "Excuse me, Irena, but...what's your father's name?"
"Huh? Why would you want to know that?" Irena asked.
"It's just that...I think I might have met him before."
"His name's Edgar Cross."
Stormflower's eyes widened. It was him! That stallion she had met on the train all those weeks ago had been none other than Pinkie and Irena's father! 
"Well this is certainly an incredibly small world. Uh...thank you for talking with me, Irena."
"No problem."
Stormflower stood up and exited the shop. She needed to find Joan. 
It wasn't long until she came across Joan, bumming around town like he usually did. 
"Morning, Stormflower!" he said happily as she approached. 
"Can we talk...alone?" she asked.
"Sure."
Stormflower and Joan walked behind a nearby booth where nopony could overhear them.
"What do you want to talk about?" Joan asked.
"Why didn't you tell me about Pinkie and Irena's dead sister?" Stormflower asked bluntly. Joan was taken aback by the surprise question. He cleared his throat and looked Stormflower straight in the eye.
"It's...it's not something I prefer to bring up."
"Irena told me about it. She told me how Bellamina was murdered ten years ago. She told me that Pinkie witnessed it. She also told me about how Pinkie would have been killed too...if it weren't for you."
Joan's eyes widened a little bit but they quickly returned to normal. 
"Yeah. Everypony keeps saying that. The one thing is that...I don't remember any of it," he confessed. 
"What do you mean?" Stormflower asked.
"I try to remember what happened that day...but I'm never able to. It's like there's something in my mind preventing me from remembering what happened. It's almost as if that day didn't even happen. But I know it did. I was at her funeral."
"I'm not angry with you for not telling me. I understand. Irena told me that Pinkie's blocked the memory from her mind too."
"Yeah. Sometimes I wonder if she even remembers that Bellamina was murdered. I think she just remembers that Bellamina died."
"Joan...I want to visit Pinkie's childhood home."
"What? Why?"
"I want to find out about what happened that day ten years ago. Irena was too young to know all the details and you and Pinkie barely remember it. Edgar Cross was there. He should remember everything."
"Right. When do you want to leave?"
"Are you coming with me?"
"Of course! We're in this together. Remember?"
"Yes. We are. I'd like to leave as soon as possible."
"How about tomorrow morning?"
"Sounds reasonable."
"Okay. It's settled then."
Meanwhile, Twilight, Applejack, and Aaron were walking through the trees of Sweet Apple Acres. They walked in silence until they came across a taped-off area. 
"Is this...where you two found her?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah," Applejack replied sadly. The three ponies ducked under the tape and approached the spot where the body had been found. "So what are we lookin' for?"
"Traces. The killer must have left something behind. Some piece of evidence that we overlooked," Aaron replied. They proceeded to examine the area, lifting rocks, moving leaves, and swiping dust. "This killer sure is clever. They made sure that they left nothing behind."
Twilight has just moved a small pile of leaves when she noticed something. It was a little piece of black plastic. It could be nothing, but it could also be extremely important. 
"I think I found something!" she announced as she caused the black plastic to levitate. 
"What is that?" Applejack asked.
"It's a piece of black plastic. It looks like something that would be the part of-"
"A garbage bag!" said Aaron as he examined the floating evidence. "The killer might have carried the body out here in a bag! This could be part of that bag! Let's take it!" Twilight nodded and used her magic to place the evidence in a small plastic bag. Aaron then turned to Applejack. "Perhaps you could tell us again about what you saw that night?"
"Don't ya think that I've told ya enough times already?" Applejack asked.
"No."
"Okay then. Ah was walking back to the farm. It was pretty late and there was nopony walking on that street besides me. Ah looked and saw Rainbow running towards me. She seemed to be afraid of something. I asked her if anything was wrong and she said that she didn't have time to talk. She then ran past me, my hoof bumping against her wing in the process, and she then disappeared into the night. That's what happened."
"That story confuses me every time I hear it," Twilight admitted. "I wonder where she was running to."
"Or running from," Aaron continued. "The killer may had been chasing after her."
"That's impossible. Ah saw nopony else on that stretch of road that night," said Applejack. 
"Curious."
"Applejack...what if...what if she were already dead?" Twilight stated.
"What do you mean by that, Twilight?"
"I've read a good chunk of books in my life. Some of them have been about death and the afterlife. Some ponies claim that the spirits of the dead wander here in the world of the living for a little bit before passing onto into the afterlife. What if Rainbow Dash were already dead and what you saw was her spirit, running off towards the afterlife?"
"Ah...well...that could explain how she seemed to disappear into the darkness," said Applejack.
"I'm not one to believe in stuff like ghosts and all of that nonsense," Aaron chuckled. 
"Still," Twilight continued. "It's something to look into. Let's go to the spot where Applejack ran into Rainbow Dash and see if we can...feel anything."
"That's your plan? Trying to connect to the afterlife?"
"There's no harm in trying!"
"Well...alright. I guess there's no harm in that."
Meanwhile, over by Rainbow Dash's house, Sunkick was laying on the ground, watching the clouds move through the sky above him.
"What are you doing?" asked a familiar voice. Sunkick sat up and saw Scootaloo skipping towards him.
"Just watching the clouds," he replied.
"Why?"
"Because I feel like it. Do you want something?"
"Yeah. I want to see if you can make contact with Rainbow Dash."
"It's not that simple, Scootaloo. I can't just summon her. She comes at random and, even then, the connection isn't all that great."
"Could you at least try?"
"I have tried. I've tried numerous times. She doesn't come when I call her."
"Could you try one more time...for me?"
"Fine."
Sunkick sat up and closed his eyes.
"Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash. It's me, Sunkick. Are you there?"
The air remained warm and there were no sounds other than that of Scootaloo's anxious breathing. 
"Nothing?" she groaned.
"Nothing," he replied as he lay back down.
"Darn!"
Suddenly, the air grew cold and Sunkick froze. Above him, there appeared the shadowy form of a young pony. Sunkick wanted to scream but he was too frightened to do so. 
"Ask your father," said the shadow. "Ask your father about Bellamina. Ask him about ten years ago. Ask him."
The shadow then disappeared and everything returned to normal.
"Are you okay?" Scootaloo asked. Sunkick sat up and stared and the young pegasus.
"I...I've got to ask my dad about something," Sunkick replied. 
"Ask me about what?" asked a familiar voice. Sunkick and Scootaloo turned around to see Thunder Storm standing just a few feet away. 
"Dad!"
"Yes?"
Sunkick jumped up and ran over to his father.
"Do you know somepony named Bellamina, and, also, what happened ten years ago?" Sunkick asked.
Thunder's eyes widened but he then sighed and patted his son on the shoulder.
"I guess you're old enough to learn. She, however, isn't," he replied. Scootaloo crossed her arms and pouted. 
"Fine! I'll go!" she said as she trotted off.
"So, Dad, what happened?" Sunkick asked.
"Where did you hear the name, Bellamina?" Thunder asked.
"I...don't remember where I heard it exactly. I...I think I heard Stormflower mention it."
"I guess she remembers after all."
"Huh?"
"You probably don't remember, due to the fact that you were only five at the time, but ten years ago I had to help investigate a murder case. It was on a rock farm. Some sick bastard had kidnapped two ponies and had butchered one of them. The pony killed was named Bellamina and she was only six years old. I...I honestly don't remember the other pony involved. I remember seeing the body all cut up and...and I was so full of rage that I actually thought of killing the murderer myself."
"Who was the killer?"
"I don't remember. All I remember is that he was practically the personification of evil. When I got home, I told Stormflower about the crime. It sickened her too. I didn't tell you or...or Dashie about it due to both of you being too young to learn about such a crime." 
"I understand."
"Sorry if I seem a bit nervous. You just caught me off guard with that question."
"It's alright. I just wanted to ask you about it because I didn't fully understand what I had heard Stormflower say."
"Okay. Well...I hope I was able to answer your question."
"Don't worry. You did."
"Good. Well...I'll see you later."
Thunder gave his son a big hug and calmly walked off. Sunkick made his way into town where he soon came across Stormflower, Joan, and Scootaloo. 
"Sunkick!" said Scootaloo. Sunkick approached the three ponies. 
"What did you ask Dad about?" Stormflower asked.
"I asked him about a crime he had to investigate ten years ago. The one he told you about. You know, the Bellamina Murder," Sunkick replied.
"I...I remember! Man, I forgot all about that!"
"So your father was investigating it along with my father? This is a very small world indeed," Joan said with a smile.
"Sunkick! They're leaving town tomorrow!" said Scootaloo.
"What? Why?" Sunkick asked.
"Joan and I want to look more into Bellamina's murder. I have a strange feeling that her murder has some connection with Rainbow's," Stormflower replied.
"Can...can I come with you?"
"Huh?"
"Please. I want answers just as much as you do!"
"I...I guess."
"Well if Sunkick goes then I go too!" Scootaloo snapped. "We're partners!"
"Since when?!"
"Since yesterday," Sunkick replied.
"But...you're too-"
"I don't think it'll be a problem, Stormflower," said Joan. "Let the filly come along."
"Okay, Scootaloo. You can come along with Joan, Sunkick, and I."
"Yes!" Scootaloo cheered. "When do we leave?!"
"Tomorrow morning."
"Awesome!"
"Have you mentioned this to Dad yet?" Sunkick asked.
"Not yet," Stormflower replied.
"Well you better. I don't want Dad to wake up tomorrow, find us gone, and think that something's happened to you and I too."
"Don't worry. I'll talk to him later today once I'm done with Scootaloo's lessons."
"More flying lessons?"
"Pretty much."
"Okay."
"Well I guess Joan and I will see you two later then."
"See ya!" said Scootaloo as Stormflower and Joan walked away. Scootaloo gave Sunkick a polite nudge and he smiled. "We're really gonna do it!"
"Do what?" Sunkick asked.
"We're really gonna avenge Rainbow Dash!"
"We can't be one hundred percent certain that this will lead us to Rainbow Dash's killer, but it's a good lead nonetheless."
"Right! Well I'll see you later, Sunkick!"
Scootaloo then trotted down the road happily. Sunkick turned around and found himself staring straight into Pinkie Pie's face. Her eyes were dark and sunken in but her hair was still vibrant and fluffy. Then, for several seconds, Sunkick saw something. He felt himself leave his body and fly straight into Pinkie's eyes. He then found himself standing in the middle of a dark room. In the middle of the room, there stood Pinkie Pie. She looked normal except she was incredibly sad.
"Please! Please help me!" she cried. "She's going to kill. She's going to kill again!"
Then the vision ended and Sunkick found himself back in his body. 
"Is something wrong?" asked the Pinkie on the outside. 
"No," Sunkick replied quickly as he shivered a bit. "Nothing's wrong at all!"
He then turned around and broke into a run. Pinkie watched as the yellow pegasus disappeared amongst the other ponies in town. He could become a problem, she thought. All these ponies were turning into big problems. Stormflower, Sunkick, Twilight, Aaron, and all the rest. They were all problems. Problems are meant to be dealt with! Pinkie chuckled darkly as she turned around and began making her way back to Sugar Cube Corner.
"Yes," she said gleefully. "Somepony's time is almost up."  
> The Spot
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 28: The Spot


Rainbow Dash walked out towards the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. For some reason, she had the need to speak to Susie Salmon again. She hadn't seen and heard from the human spirit since the day her corpse was discovered back in the world of the living. She had tried several times to speak to Bellamina but the little filly definitely knew how to get around. She would only appear when she wanted to and she would then disappear when she felt that she was no longer needed. Rainbow soon reached the very edge of Sweet Apple Acres and pressed her face against the cloud dome. It felt like the surface of a polished window pane. 
"Are you there, Susie? It's Rainbow Dash," said Rainbow. There was no response and no shadow. Rainbow groaned and laid back on the ground. 
"So what are you doing out here?" asked a familiar voice. Rainbow sat up and saw Gilda walking towards her.
"Gilda?! Did you follow me out here?!"
"Obviously."
"Why?"
"You've been acting strangely, Dash."
"It's only been about a month since I was murdered by one of my closest friends. I think I have the right to act a bit strange!"
"Okay! Okay! No need to get your feathers in a twist! I'm just here to talk!"
"I'm not in the mood to talk."
"To me."
"Huh?"
"You're not in the mood to talk to me. You're not in the mood to talk to anypony else...except Susie."
Rainbow gulped.
"Susie? I don't know any Susie," she lied.
"Bullshit! I just heard you asking for her a few seconds ago! Don't go and lie to me, Dash!" Gilda snapped.
"I...I'm telling the truth."
"Dash, you're a horrible liar."
"Heh...I guess you're right."
"Damn right I'm right! Now who the hell is this Susie?"
"To be honest, I don't know her very well. I've only met her once."
"She can't be from here. I know every single Pinkie Pie victim trapped here and not one of them is named Susie."
"Her full name is Susie Salmon. She's a human being."
"A what?"
"A human being. They're...difficult to describe."
"Try to describe her."
"Well...she has no fur or feathers, she stands on her hind legs, her skin is really white, she has sandy brown hair but it's only really on her head, and she wears a strange assortment of clothes."
"Where is she from?"
"She's from another dimension. She was murdered, just like us."
"Strange. How did you meet her?"
"Bellamina introduced me to her."
"I don't get it."
"Get what?"
"Why did she open up to you, of all ponies? Of every single pony and creature that ended up here after being murdered by Pinkie, why is it that you were the first pony to make verbal contact with her?"
"I...I honestly don't know. She's a...mysterious filly."
"How come this Susie Salmon has only talked to you and Bellamina?"
"I don't know that either. But, you know, you've actually seen her before."
"I have?"
"Remember that day, several weeks ago, when we were on top of the Overlook. While we were there, a mysterious shadow appeared on the other side of the dome."
"I remember."
"That was her. That was Susie. She was trying to break through."
"How come she didn't come all the way through?"
"The dome's difficult to break through. One simply cannot walk in and out at will."
"Obviously."
The two friends laughed and Rainbow stood up. 
"You wanna go and get something to eat?" she asked.
"Sure. I could use something savory right about now," Gilda replied happily. They began making their way out of Sweet Apple Acres when Rainbow suddenly felt extremely weak. "Dash...are you okay?"
The world seemed to spin around her. Rainbow tried to grasp a hold on what was happening but she couldn't. She then fell to the ground. The ground collapsed beneath her and she fell into a void of endless darkness. Pinkie appeared in the darkness. She looked like the normal Pinkie Pie, except her face was showing nothing but extreme sorrow. 
"I want this to end! I want this to end!" Pinkie cried. "I'm sorry Dashie! I'm sorry Ridley! I'm sorry Gilda! I'm sorry everypony!"
The sad Pinkie then disappeared and was soon replaced by Sunkick, who was laying down on an invisible surface. 
"Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash. It's me, Sunkick. Are you there?" he asked. Rainbow clawed her way towards her brother but, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't reach him.
"Sunkick! I'm here! I'm here!" she cried. Sunkick then disappeared and Rainbow fell further. The voice of Applejack then began echoing from far beneath Rainbow. 
"This is where ah saw her," said the voice of Applejack.
"You're positive?" asked the voice of Aaron Crop.
"Yes! Ah remember it clearly!"
"So, do either of you...feel anything?"
"Well...there's definitely something," replied the voice of Twilight Sparkle. "But it's incredibly faint."
"But it's there! Ah know it is!" stated Applejack.
"Whatever you say," Aaron chuckled. Rainbow looked down and saw Applejack appear below her. She looked as if she were searching for something. "Do you feel anything stronger yet?"
"Ah think I feel somethin'. It feels like...like a train is about to come running past."
Rainbow found herself flying down towards Applejack like an out-of-control comet. The orange earth pony was approaching fast.
"Applejack. Twilight," Rainbow said as she prepared for the impact, closing her eyes in the process. There was a soft thud and a feeling of intense pressure fell over Rainbow's entire body. The air around her became extremely hot and a rocky surface appeared beneath her backside. 
"Applejack! Applejack!" cried the voice of Twilight. Rainbow opened her eyes. The lavender unicorn was standing above her. Aaron Crop was standing a few feet away. The blue, somewhat cloudy skies of Ponyville were situated high above them. 
"Twilight?" Rainbow asked. Rainbow looked into Twilight's eyes and saw, not herself, but Applejack staring back at her. Rainbow suddenly noticed the absence of her wings, her new cowboy hat, her orange coat, and her flowing blonde mane. She was Applejack, or rather inside Applejack.
"Is she okay?" Aaron asked. 
"She seems fine," Twilight replied. "What happened, Applejack? You just suddenly collapsed."
"I...don't know," Rainbow replied. Rainbow suddenly noticed that Twilight was incredibly close to her. A series of earthly feelings flooded back into Rainbow all at once. They were mostly physical earthly feelings but one feeling seemed to overtake Rainbow like a disease, lust.
"You're talking funny. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'll be fine. Just give me a moment."
Rainbow tried to stand up but she realized that she hardly had the strength to do so. She looked up at Twilight and began to analyze the unicorn in every way she could think of. She was intelligent, helpful, kind, snarky, and...attractive. As she slowly became weaker and weaker, she realized that she didn't have much time left in the body of her dear friend, Applejack. Rainbow grabbed Twilight's head and pulled it closer.
"Applejack?" Twilight asked. "Are you-"
"Just stop talking," Rainbow cooed.
"Applejack? What's-"
"What did I just say, egghead? Just stop talking."
Before Twilight could say anything else, Rainbow brought Twilight's face into hers and they locked lips. Aaron nearly dropped his apple as he realized what was happening. Twilight's eyes widened and then, suddenly, her vision changed. Applejack disappeared and was now replaced with a cyan pegasus with a rainbow-colored mane. A tear rolled down Twilight's face and her eyes closed as she enjoyed this moment of bliss with the spirit of the friend that she loved so dearly. 
"Oh my!" said Aaron teasingly as a wide smile formed on his face. Rainbow and Twilight separated their muzzles and stared into each other's eyes. 
"I don't want to go," Rainbow whispered.
"I don't want you to go," Twilight whispered back. The last of Rainbow's strength faded away and she was quickly pulled back into the afterlife. Twilight saw her go. The cyan pegasus disappeared and the orange earth pony came back into her rightful place. Applejack shook her head and looked at Twilight.
"Uh...Twilight. Are you okay?" Applejack asked. Twilight slowly backed away and helped Applejack up.
"Yeah...I'm just fine."
"That was quite a surprise, Applejack," said Aaron.
"Huh?" Applejack asked.
"I mean with you kissing Twilight and all."
"What the hay are you talking about? I never kissed Twilight."
"Don't lie to me! I just saw you two kiss! If it had lasted a few more seconds you two probably would have started tonguing each other."
"What?! Twilight! What the hay is he talkin' about?!"
"Applejack didn't kiss me, Aaron," said Twilight, who currently appeared to be in shock.
"What are you talking about, Twilight?" Aaron asked.
"Rainbow did. Rainbow Dash kissed me. She was there. She was inside Applejack."
"That's impossible! Dead ponies don't come back and possess the living! That's just a bunch of shit from those pointless ghost stories!"
"Applejack, do you remember what happened?"
"Barely. Ah remember standing up and looking at the sun. Suddenly, ah felt really weak and ah collapsed. Ah remember feeling really cold and, for a second, ah think ah saw an eagle perched over me. Then everything warmed up again and, the next thing ah knew, you were standing over me. It was strange."
Twilight suddenly felt an intense pain rocket through her brain. Two separate images popped into her mind. One was an incredibly depressed Pinkie Pie. The other was a small mound of dirt somewhere in Sweet Apple Acres. The pain went away.
"We need to go back to Sweet Apple Acres!" Twilight announced.
"Why?" Aaron asked.
"Something's there! I know there is! I just know it!"
Meanwhile, in the afterlife, Rainbow opened her eyes to find Gilda standing over her. 
"Dash! You're back!" she cried as she wrapped her arms around the still dazed pegasus. "What the hell just happened?!"
"I...I think I went back to the world of the living for a little bit," Rainbow replied. "What did you see?"
"Well you starting walking kind of weird and then you fainted. I tried waking you up and then, for a few seconds, you changed into an orange earth pony. Then you changed back to normal and woke up. Wait...did you just say that you went back into the world of the living?!"
"Yeah. I fell through a void of darkness until I found myself in my friend Applejack's body. It was weird. I didn't have enough strength to stay there long so I was quickly pulled back."
"This is the first time that I've ever heard about something like this happening!"
"Maybe Ridley was right. Maybe I am a very special pony."
Gilda gave Rainbow a hard shove and hugged her again. 
"Okay! No getting full of yourself now!" she chuckled. Rainbow smiled and kindly shoved her friend back.
"Come on. I could really use the taste of something good right about now," said Rainbow.
"Yeah. Me too."
The two friends laughed and continued on their way. As Gilda thought about what to eat, Rainbow thought about Twilight Sparkle and that great moment of happiness that they had shared with each other. 
> One Cool Summer's Morning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 29: One Cool Summer's Morning


Stormflower, Sunkick, Joan, and Scootaloo woke up early the following morning to catch the first train out of town. The four ponies waited silently at the train station as a cool morning breeze swept through the town. Twilight met up with them at the station to see them off. 
"So where exactly are the four of you off to?" she asked.
"The rock farms," Joan replied.
"The rock farms? What's there?"
"Answers," Stormflower replied.
"Could you be a little bit more specific?"
"It's a long story but I feel that a certain tragedy that took place ten years ago at the rock farms has something to do with Rainbow Dash's murder."
"So you all have decided to form your own investigation team?"
"Yep!" replied Scootaloo happily.
"Well. Be careful. If there is a connection between Rainbow Dash's murder and this tragedy then the killer could be waiting for you at the rock farms."
"We know the risks," said Joan.
"And we're all willing to take them," Stormflower continued. "I...we just want to find the truth."
"I understand," said Twilight soothingly. "I do too."
A train whistle echoed off in the distance and Stormflower, Sunkick, Joan, and Scootaloo prepared to leave. 
"Well here it comes," said Joan happily. 
"We'll be back in a few days at max," Stormflower said as she turned to Twilight.
"Be careful...and good luck," said Twilight. 
A few moments later, the train pulled into the station and Scootaloo quickly ran into the nearest train car. Stormflower and Joan smiled at each other and followed the excited filly into the train. Sunkick hesitated for a moment and turned back to Twilight. He took in a large breath of air and stared the lavender unicorn straight in the eye.
"You've seen her, haven't you?" he asked. Twilight's eyes widened slightly and she sighed. "You've made contact with my sister. I can smell her on you."
"Y...yes," Twilight replied. "I...I saw her yesterday. She temporarily took over Applejack's body."
"Twilight...why can I sense her?"
"Huh?"
"How come I can sense Dash's spirit? How come I can talk to her when she's here with us?"
"I guess...I guess you have a sixth sense."
"A sixth sense?"
"Yeah. Something that allows you to make contact with the deceased."
"But why has it suddenly appeared now? How come I suddenly have this ability?"
"Maybe you've always had this ability. You just never had the need to use it until now."
Sunkick sighed and smiled. Scootaloo leaned out of one of the windows of the train car and banged her hoof on the side. 
"Come on, Sunkick! The train's leaving in like two minutes!" she snapped. Twilight and Sunkick laughed. Twilight then approached the yellow pegasus and hugged him.
"Be careful, okay?" she whispered.
"I will," he replied. Sunkick turned towards the train and began to enter the train car when he turned back to face Twilight one last time. "What did she say? What did Dashie say to you when you saw her?"
"She...she said that she didn't want to go."
Sunkick sighed again, turned away from Twilight, and walked into the train car. He found a seat next to Scootaloo and looked out the window as the train slowly began to depart from Ponyville Station. 
"Goodbye!" Twilight called as she waved her right hoof in the air. Stormflower stuck her head out of her window and waved goodbye along with Joan. The train eventually became nothing more than a speck off in the distance and it was at this point that Twilight finally left the station. She walked silently for a few seconds until she bumped into somepony. "I'm sorry! I wasn't looking and...oh hey Pinkie Pie!"
Pinkie Pie looked at Twilight with a huge grin plastered on her face. Irena was standing next to her. 
"Morning Twilight!" said Pinkie joyfully. "Where are you off to?"
"I'm heading back to the library. I need to discuss a few things with Aaron."
"He's still in town? I thought that he would have left after they discovered Dashie."
Twilight stared at Pinkie awkwardly. Something was off about the pink earth pony...but she couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly. 
"Yeah...he's still in town. He, Applejack, and I are looking into Rainbow Dash's murder," Twilight continued. "We're going to find the pony who did this and make sure that they get what they deserve."
"Well we wish you the best of luck in your investigation, Twilight," said Irena.
"Yeah!" Pinkie said with an overly-happy smile. "Best of luck!"
"Thanks," said Twilight.
"Say, Twilight. I saw you coming from the train station. Did somepony leave town?"
"Yeah. Stormflower, Sunkick, Joan, and Scootaloo just took the morning train out of town. They'll be back in a few days so don't worry."
"Where exactly are they headed?"
"Stormflower said that they were going to the rock farms to look into some tragedy that happened ten years ago."
Pinkie and Irena instantly fell silent and lowered their heads.
"I guess I can't blame them for being curious," said Irena. 
"Do you two know about this tragedy?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah. The tragedy she mentioned involved our family."
"What happened?"
"Our sister was-"
"She died," Pinkie said suddenly. Twilight turned to Pinkie as her eyes widened. 
"You...you had another sister?" Twilight asked.
"Bellamina. She was one year younger than I was. She was six when she died."
"How did she die, if you don't mind me asking?"
"She just died. I don't really remember how."
Something was off. Twilight knew it. Pinkie was hiding something. 
"Excuse me," Pinkie continued. "But I have some chores to do at Sugar Cube Corner so I'll see you two later!"
The pink pony smiled sadly and raced off in the direction of Sugar Cube Corner. Irena sighed and turned towards Twilight.
"Pinkie doesn't remember how Bellamina died because she witnessed her death," she said.
"What?" breathed a stunned Twilight. 
"Bellamina was murdered and Pinkie witnessed it. I was never told the details of the murder but I know that it was incredibly...graphic."
"I can understand why Pinkie must have blocked it all out. It must have been an incredibly frightening event."
"Yeah. I remember when I first saw her after the murder. Her eyes were wide, her hair was straight, her mane was dirty, and she hardly spoke. She was in a shock-like state for several weeks. We took her to the hospital where doctors and nurses cared for her 24/7. Then, one day, she just returned to normal."
"Just like that?"
"Yeah. It was the strangest thing. One second she was silent and grim and the next second she was happy, vibrant, and ready to throw another party. She seemed to have forgotten about Bellamina's death altogether. My parents told her that Bellamina died but they never told her how. They told me to never tell Pinkie the truth behind Bellamina's death. I think they just thought that Pinkie would be better off not knowing the truth."
"That makes sense. Have you ever...tried to tell her?"
"Sometimes, but I'm never able to. Either I don't have the will to do so or she interrupts me and changes the subject. She really doesn't like talking about Bellamina or what she went through a decade ago. I think she remembers bits and pieces of her time in the hospital but that's about it. The death of Bellamina, the investigation, and most of her time in the hospital were just wiped from her memory in one fell swoop."
"Honestly, I think that's for the best."
"Yeah. I guess it is."
Meanwhile, Pinkie ran up to her bedroom in Sugar Cube Corner and locked the door. She shut the windows and sat on the edge of her bed. For several minutes, she sat there with a grim look on her face. Then she began to cry. 
"Stop it!" she snapped. "You're making me cry!"
"I can't! I miss her too much! I miss them all too much!" cried the voice.
"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!"
Pinkie fell back on her bed and curled into a ball. Tears strolled profusely down her face and soaked their way into the sheets of her bed. 
The uncontrollable sobbing eventually came to a halt and Pinkie slowly calmed herself down. This was bad. She was losing control. Everything was falling out of place. The noose was tightening around her neck with every passing second. There were too many variables working against her. Rainbow Dash's family, the investigator, everypony else in town, the weak spirit within her, and possible forces from beyond the line of life and death. She reached under her bed and pulled out a small box. She opened the box and pulled out a silver switchblade. She cradled it in her hooves and opened it. She grabbed it with her mouth and swung it about for a couple seconds. She chuckled sadistically as she took the switchblade and put it back in the box. The familiar urge was coming back. It had been far too long since she had had her last play date. The time was close. 
"Please stop!" the voice within her begged. "Please stop this madness! Just...just stop!"
"No," Pinkie whispered happily. "I will never stop. They will never catch me. I'll kill them all. Stormflower, Mr. Crop, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Sunkick, and all the rest! I'll kill them all! I'll have my fun with them! The time is close dear little Pinkie Pie! Pinkamena has a few get-togethers to prepare for!" 
> A Meeting of Lost Souls
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 30: A Meeting of Lost Souls


Gilda and Ridley whispered confused comments to each other as Rainbow Dash led them towards the empty Sweet Apple Acres farmhouse. 
"So...what exactly are we here for?" Ridley whispered to Gilda.
"I know about as much as you do," Gilda whispered back.
"Are you two done murmuring back there?" asked Rainbow with a smirk. Gilda and Ridley awkwardly cleared their throats and took a couple steps away from each other. Rainbow opened the door to the farmhouse and let the confused pony and griffin inside. She led them upstairs into an empty bedroom. Rainbow sighed as she entered. It was Applejack's room. Rainbow held the door open as Gilda and Ridley filed in. "I want you two to meet somepony."
"Okay then. Where are they?" Ridley asked. It was at this moment that a dark shadow moved across the window and something landed in front of Ridley. Ridley jumped into the air and then fell back. "What the hell was that?!"
"Did I scare you?" asked a somewhat shy voice. "Sorry about that."
Gilda and Ridley looked towards the source of the voice. It was the filly known as Bellamina. 
"So I finally get to meet the infamous Bellamina," said Gilda as she looked at Bellamina and then looked back at Rainbow. "It's about time that you introduced me to her."
"This little meeting was actually her idea," Rainbow admitted. Ridley got up and cleared his throat. He smiled at the young pony and sighed.
"So...who are you exactly? Why have you been so quiet all this time? Why was Rainbow Dash the first pony that you decided to talk to?" he asked.
"My you have a lot of questions. A lot of questions that I don't have an interest in answering," Bellamina replied. 
"Well...why not?!"
"I'm just not in the mood to answer those questions. I have my reasons for being quiet. Do you really need to know them?"
"Yes!" Gilda snapped.
"Why don't I just go ahead and introduce you to Susie?"
Rainbow smiled and Gilda stepped back a bit. The curtains on the window began to flutter as a dark shadow slowly began edging its way towards the house from the dome of clouds. The shadow soon took the form of a human girl and glided its way into the room. The shadow solidified and, now, Susie Salmon stood before them.
"It's been a while since I've been here," Susie said.
"So this is what a human being looks like," said Gilda as she walked around Susie. 
"You look disappointed. Were you expecting something more...outrageous?"
"Nah. I'm not disappointed. You're certainly unique. That's enough for me."
Susie gave a few giggles as Gilda walked over next to Rainbow. The human girl then sat down on the floor and crossed her legs. 
"Well...are any of you going to sit down?" Susie asked. Bellamina sat next to Susie and gave a small smile. Rainbow sat across from Susie and Bellamina and Gilda and Ridley sat next to Rainbow. "That's better."
"So...what are we going to do?" Ridley asked awkwardly.
"Why don't we just talk? That seems to be the appropriate thing to do at the moment," Bellamina stated.
"Okay then. So...what are we going to talk about?"
"Who knows? Let's just start off with a question and just continue on from there," Susie replied.
"How did you two meet?" Rainbow asked. Bellamina and Susie looked at each other and then turned back to Rainbow.
"I was alone for a long time," Bellamina explained. "I was here long before any of you showed up. Susie eventually arrived out of the clear blue one day. Since the day I met her, I've never really had a need to talk to anypony else."
"Is that your reason for being so quiet?" Ridley asked.
"It might be the reason...or it might not. You decide."
"Why can't you just make sense like other ponies?" asked a slightly annoyed Gilda.
"I don't have to make sense. We're dead after all. Is there really a need to go searching for the secrets of others?"
"I have a need to do so," said Rainbow. "There are plenty of secrets that I still want to uncover."
"That makes sense," said Susie. "You've yet to let go of the life you left behind. I was just like you after I was murdered."
"How were you murdered exactly?" asked Ridley bluntly. Ridley instantly began to blush and began to wave his front hooves frantically. "Sorry! I didn't mean to ask that! It just slipped out!"
"Don't feel bad about that. I'm not offended. It's not a really happy story, though."
"Our death stories aren't exactly gumdrops and lollipops either," said Gilda. Susie laughed and cleared her throat.
"I can still remember that day like it was yesterday. Maybe it was. Time has no true stability in the place I call home now. It was December 6, 1973 and I was leaving school. Ray Singh had just asked me out and I was incredibly happy. I was taking a shortcut through the cornfield that was located next to my school. I was walking when I came across...him."
"Your murderer?" Rainbow asked.
"Yes. George Harvey...but I prefer to call him Mr. Harvey. He lived in my neighborhood, though I didn't know him very well, and I had seen him talking to my parents on several occasions. He began talking to me and, eventually, he lured me down into a hut he had built underneath the cornfield."
"You went underground with him? Why?" Gilda asked.
"I didn't really want to go but I thought that to refuse to go down with him would be rude. I only wanted to stay for a few minutes. Once he got me down there things immediately began to get...awkward."
"Awkward?"
"That's the best way I can describe those few moments I had with him underground before he made his move. It didn't take long for him to attack and overpower me. He then proceeded to...rape me."
"He raped you?" Ridley asked as a bulge began forming in his throat.
"Yes. That particular part is fuzzy to me now but I think that's for the best. After he was done, he brought a razor to my throat and killed me."
"Just like that?" Rainbow asked.
"Yes. Just like that. With one swift movement of a knife, I was gone."
"I wish our deaths had been like that," Gilda said sadly.
"That pink bitch had to torture us first," Ridley snapped.
"Yes. Bellamina has told me your stories," Susie said softly.
"I don't remember my time with Pinkie. All I remember is my escape," said Rainbow.
"I think it's good that you don't remember your death. A memory like that is not worth dwelling on."
"Do you dwell on your death memory?"
"Honestly, no. I may still remember it but I have no need to dwell on it any further. I've moved on, my family's move on, and Mr. Harvey has received his judgment."
"So he was caught?" Gilda asked.
"No. He was never caught. My sister, Lindsey, almost got him caught. He escaped the judgment of Earth but couldn't escape the judgment of the world beyond. He eventually slipped off a ledge and fell to his death after an icicle fell on his head."
"Serves him right!"
"I guess. At first I was angry with him, but now I feel sorry for him."
"Why would you feel sorry for your killer?"
"Think about it. It must be an incredibly sad existence, to live as a murderer. To live as a person, or pony, who can only feel happiness and joy by causing pain to others. Some people and ponies accept their curse and grow to enjoy it. Some, however, loath their uncontrollable lust and seek to destroy it. Mr. Harvey was a poor soul indeed. He had an itch that he could never successfully scratch, no matter how many times he attempted to get rid of it. Pinkie Pie is also a killer that I feel incredibly sorry for. You should feel sorry for her too."
"Why should we?!" Ridley snapped. 
"My sister isn't the pony who killed all of you," said Bellamina. Rainbow, Gilda, and Ridley turned towards the gray filly.
"What did you just say?" 
"My sister didn't kill you. Somepony else did."
"Wait, who's your sister?" Gilda asked.
"The pony you all despise. Pinkie Pie is my older sister."
"What?!"
"You mean you don't know? I assumed that Rainbow Dash had told you."
Gilda and Ridley turned towards Rainbow. The cyan pegasus gave a forceful cough and laughed awkwardly.
"You knew? Why didn't you tell us?!" Gilda asked.
"I...I don't know. I guess...I didn't see the reason to tell you that at the time," Rainbow replied nervously. 
"Well it would have cleared some things up for us," said Ridley as he gave Rainbow a light shove. Gilda snorted and turned away from Rainbow. 
"So what exactly did you mean when you said that your sister isn't the one who killed us? Pinkie Pie killed us all!" Gilda said angrily.
"I know my sister. Pinkie Pie isn't the pony that killed you...and yet she is," said Bellamina.
"What do you mean by that exactly?" asked Rainbow.
"The Pinkie Pie who was your friend, Rainbow Dash, the Pinkie Pie who was my sister, the Pinkie Pie who loved to make everypony smile is not the Pinkie Pie who murdered you."
"What do you-"
"It'll all make sense soon enough."
"Listen to the voice," said Susie. "Listen to the voice and it'll all make sense."
Then they were gone. Both Bellamina and Susie disappeared into thin air. There was no sound, no flash, and no smoke. They had simply disappeared.
"I hate it when they do that!" said Rainbow angrily. Suddenly, Rainbow felt a massive tug behind her naval and was flung into an abyss of darkness. She wanted to scream but she couldn't emit any sound whatsoever. Rainbow peered into the endless darkness and a saddened Pinkie Pie soon appeared.
"D...Dashie?" stuttered Pinkie as Rainbow found herself landing on an invisible surface. The pink pony ran towards her and wrapped her up in a big bear hug. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry for what I've done! I'm sorry! I know I'm a horrible pony! I never meant to hurt anypony! It was her! I would never do anything like she has done! Please, Dashie! Please don't hate me!"
Rainbow shoved Pinkie away from her and cocked her head. What was this? This was completely out of whack. Who was this Pinkie? Where were they? How had she traveled to this dark abyss? Questions continued to float through Rainbow's mind and Pinkie raced forward for another hug. 
"Pinkie...why?" Rainbow asked with a somewhat confused tone. "Why did all of this have to happen? Why did you kill me?"
"I'm so sorry, Dashie! I know that you probably hate my guts right now! I hate myself too! I wish none of this had ever happened! Oh! If only I had never met Rufus! If that had never happened then Bella would still be here! Everypony would still be here!"
Pinkie slowly began to disappear as she curled up into a ball of tears and sorrow.
"Pinkie," said Rainbow as sad pink pony disappeared. Rainbow felt the ground fall out from beneath her and she fell down into an endless pit of darkness. Then she hit something. She felt a massive jolt rush through her body as the darkness disappeared and was replaced by the interior of a train car. Rainbow looked and saw Stormflower and Joan sitting next to each other. She approached them and, as usual, they didn't react to her sudden appearance. A few rows back, Sunkick and Scootaloo were sitting next to each other. Rainbow smiled at Stormflower and then walked back towards her brother.
"How long will it be until we reach the rock farms?" asked a bored Scootaloo.
"I don't know. I've never visited them before," Sunkick replied. As Rainbow approached him, she could tell that he could sense her presence. "Dash."
He sat up and looked around the car. Rainbow stopped right next to where Sunkick was sitting and brought her face up next to Sunkick's ear. The connection wouldn't last for long. She had to tell her brother what needed to be said at the moment.
"It was Pinkie Pie," she said. Sunkick's ears twitched as he turned to where Rainbow's face was. "It was Pinkie Pie."
Sunkick's eyes widened. He could hear her voice clearly. It was still a whisper but he could still make it out nonetheless. 
"Pinkie Pie," he breathed. 
"I love you, Sunny."
The connection then broke and Rainbow felt another tug behind her naval. She flew up through the ceiling of the car, up into the sky, past the stars, and back into the dimension of the dead. Gilda and Ridley were waiting for her back in Applejack's room.
"What the heck just happened?" asked a surprised Ridley.
"You just disappeared for a moment there!" said Gilda. Rainbow regained her balance and took a few deep breaths.
"Sorry," she said. "I..I just had a message to send."
> The Forgotten Gift
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 31: The Forgotten Gift


The sun had already begun to set by the time Twilight decided to call it a day and go home. Spike had gone out to the Everfree Forest with Fluttershy to help out Zecora and Aaron was busy having a meeting with his fellow investigators so Twilight basically bad the library to herself. Owlowiscious was perched in his usual spot as Twilight trudged through the front door. 
"Who," he said as Twilight fell down on the nearby sofa. She groaned silently to herself and closed her eyes. There was a pain in her head that refused to go away. It had something to do with Sweet Apple Acres. She was sure of that. 
"Rainbow Dash," she breathed. "What are you trying to tell me?" She placed a pillow underneath her head and tried to get some sleep. She had spent most of her day walking through the apple orchards with Applejack and now her hooves were practically killing her. Then the pain in her head came back. It didn't last long but it was still painful enough to warrant a loud groan from Twilight. She wasn't experiencing this pain for nothing. Rainbow Dash was trying to tell her something and somehow Twilight was going to find out what the message was. "It'd be nicer if you could tell me without these random shocks of pain."
A small bird-like call echoed from upstairs. Twilight sighed as she looked up towards the top of the stairs. Since Spike wasn't there at the moment, the task of feeding his pet phoenix, Peewee, fell on her shoulders. She climbed off the sofa and walked over to a cupboard to get Peewee's food when the doorbell rang. She gave another sigh, walked over to the door, and opened it. A blue pegasus pony with a bag slung over his back and a mail carrier's hat stood in the doorway. 
"Special delivery for Twilight Sparkle," he said as he reached into his bag and pulled out a medium-sized box. 
"Doesn't Derpy Hooves deliver the mail?" Twilight asked.
"She did but she hasn't shown up for work for several months now."
Then she remembered. The list of missing Ponyville ponies she had examined during her time in Canterlot. Derpy Hooves had been one of the ponies on the list. 
"Right," she breathed.
"Anyway, just sign here," said the mail pegasus as he presented Twilight with a clipboard and a quill. Twilight used her magic to sign her name on the order form and the pegasus placed the box at her feet. "Have a nice day, Ms. Sparkle."
"You too."
The mail pegasus walked away as Twilight shut the door and picked up the box. She wondered what it was as she brought it over to the coffee table. She was about to open it when Peewee's hungry cries echoed from upstairs. 
"Right. Almost forgot the phoenix," Twilight said with a smile as she walked over to the cupboard. She picked up the can containing Peewee's food and walked upstairs to feed the baby phoenix. It only took her about a minute to give the food to Peewee and she was soon downstairs opening the mysterious package. "Now let's see what we have here." 
Twilight untied the last knot and the top of the box opened up. An eerie greenish glow emanated from the interior of the box as Twilight peered inside. She gasped as she realized what it was. She used her magic to bring the object out the box. She placed a pillow on the coffee table and slowly lowered the object onto said pillow. 
It was circular and about half the size of a bowing ball. It emanated a dim, green light that seemed to make Twilight feel comfortable and safe. An image was engraved on the front of the object. The image consisted of three pegasus ponies sitting on a cloud together. The largest of the three, which was situated on the left side of the image from Twilight's point of view, was a mare with a pink coat and a purple mane, the pony on the right side was a colt with a yellow coat and a red mane, and the pony in the center was a mare with a cyan coat and a rainbow-colored mane. Each of the ponies had one word engraved above them. The word Stormy sat above the pink mare, the word Dashie sat above the cyan mare, and the word Sunny sat above the yellow colt. Twilight giggled and smiled as she examined the picture. The sight of Rainbow's vision brought to life made a single tear fall from Twilight's right eye. Her attention was then drawn to a sentence engraved on the very top of the glow stone art piece. 
Twilight looked at the sentence and read, "For all the moments we shared together and all the moments we will share together."
She immediately had the urge to cry tears of sorrow and happiness but she quickly chose not to. She felt that she had already cried enough recently. Her thoughts then trailed off to an image of her presenting Rainbow's gift to Stormflower and Sunkick. The mere thought of this future moment made Twilight smile with glee. A series of knocks emanated from the door and Twilight quickly placed Rainbow's gift back in the box. 
"Just a second!" she called as she hid the box underneath the couch. She walked over to the door and opened it. An extremely happy Pinkie Pie greeted her. 
"Good evening, silly filly!" she said.
"Pinkie Pie! I thought you had to babysit the twins this evening."
"Nah. The Cakes didn't go out tonight so, with my night now being free, I decided to come over!"
"Well come in then!"
"Don't mind if I do!"
Twilight stepped aside as the pink earth pony bounded into the library. She found a seat across from the couch and sat down. Twilight walked over to the couch and laid down. 
"What happened to you?" asked Pinkie as she noticed Twilight's exhausted features.
"I've been busy today, Pinkie," Twilight replied. "I spent practically the entire day walking through the apple orchards."
"Getting some exercise?"
"Not exactly. I'm looking for something."
"What exactly are you looking for in an apple orchard? You're not going to find much. Well...you'll certainly find a lot of trees, leaves, apples, and dirt but that's about it."
"I'm not searching for any of that stuff."
"Oh...well...what are you searching for?"
"I honestly don't know. All I know is that there's something there that I desperately need to find. Something that could help answer a lot of questions that have been buzzing through my mind recently."
"And what type of questions are buzzing around in your mind?"
"Questions about Rainbow Dash and who killed her."
Pinkie gulped. This is getting bad, she thought. Twilight is certainly a pony to feel threatened by. She's smart, cunning, and could probably find out any secret if she's given the right tools. She might have to die soon.
"No!" cried the voice. "Don't hurt Twilight! Please! You've already killed Dashie! Can you please leave Twilight and the others alone?!"
"Pinkie...is something wrong?" asked Twilight. Pinkie realized that she had been staring off into space and she quickly shook her head. 
"Nothing's wrong! I...I just spaced out there for a second!" she replied quickly.
"I'm going to go make some tea. Do you want any?"
"Sure! Make sure to add lots of sugar to mine!"
"Why am I not surprised?"
Twilight stood up and walked into the kitchen. A familiar urge began to flow through Pinkie's body. It has been too long. The time was ripe. This wasn't for the cupcakes. This was to satisfy the unsatisfiable hunger. Pinkie slowly rose from her seat and walked towards the kitchen. She peered inside and saw that Twilight was busy getting the tea ready. Her back was facing Pinkie and the pink pony smiled greedily at this moment of great timing. Nopony was around, Twilight was busy, and Pinkie was too hungry to control her lust anymore. She slowly approached the lavender unicorn. Her eyes turned towards a nearby collection of kitchen knives. A large ten inch blade caught her eye. She slowly walked towards it. The knife was just beyond her grasp when, suddenly, a ghostly cyan pegasus appeared before her. 
"Pinkie...why?" asked the ghostly Rainbow Dash. "Why did all of this have to happen? Why did you kill me?"
Pinkie slowly backed up into the wall behind her. Twilight turned around upon hearing the noise to see a frightened Pinkie Pie staring at nothing.
"What's wrong, Pinkie?" Twilight asked as she approached the scared pink pony. 
"Why did you kill me?" Pinkie heard the ghostly Rainbow Dash ask. "Why did you kill me? Why did you kill me? Why did you kill me? Why did you kill...us?"
Rainbow Dash then exploded into a sea of other ghostly ponies. They all appeared before her. Ridley, Gilda, Twist, Trixie, Derpy, and all the others. Pinkie closed her eyes and opened them again. Rainbow Dash and the others were now standing right in front of her. Their eyes were full of red anger and their faces were disfigured and rotting. Blood dropped from their slowly decomposing bodies and covered the floor. 
"Why did you kill us?" they asked. "Why did you kill us? Why did you kill us? Why did you kill us? Why did you kill us, Pinkamena Diane Pie?"
Pinkie let out a soft yelp and lost consciousness. Twilight held onto her pink friend as she fell to the floor. 
"Pinkie! Pinkie! Pinkie Pie!" Twilight cried. "Oh my Celestia! Pinkie Pie!"
Just then, a giant shock of pain rocked through Twilight's head and she fell back from the unconscious body of Pinkie Pie. Twilight closed and opened her eyes to see a ghostly apparition of Rainbow Dash standing before her. 
"What?" Twilight groaned as she slowly became weaker and weaker. The ghostly Rainbow walked over to Twilight and knelt down in front of her. Then she said something. No sound came out of Rainbow's lips but Twilight could make out the words clear enough.
"Pinkie Pie," Rainbow mouthed. Twilight gave one last groan of pain as her eyes rolled up into her head. She then fell back onto the kitchen floor and blacked out. 
> The Grave
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 32: The Grave


The sky was already glowing with the dark purple shade of post-twilight when Stormflower, Sunkick, Joan, and Scootaloo's train arrived at its final destination. The four ponies walked out of the train and through the small station. 
"Remember this place?" Joan asked as they walked past the platform.
"Yeah," Stormflower replied. "This is where we first met."
The ponies fell silent as they walked into the calm, lantern-lit town. They soon came across a carriage connected to three tall, muscular stallions. Joan walked up to the head stallion and pulled out a bag of coins.
"Where to?" asked the head stallion.
"Edgar Cross's rock farm," Joan said.
"That'll be three bits each."
Joan handed twelve coins to the head stallion who proceeded to toss them into a small satchel hanging over his back. Stormflower, Sunkick, Joan, and Scootaloo then boarded the small carriage and they were off.
Scootaloo yawned as the carriage left the the town and entered the dark uncertainty of the surrounding wilderness. The only light sources in the area now were the lanterns dangling from the exterior of the carriage. Stormflower looked outside and could just make out a large grassy field bordering the trail. There were few trees and most of them were thin and had no leaves. The grass soon disappeared and was replaced with that of a plain of dirt and rocks. 
"Are we almost there yet?" Scootaloo asked as she leaned against Sunkick. 
"We should be there soon," Joan replied. The orange stallion looked out the window of the carriage and sighed.
"Are you okay?" Stormflower asked.
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. It's just that...it's been so long since I was last here."
"Really?"
"Yeah. On the day you met me, I didn't come to the station from town. I came to the station from another train. Like you, I had to wait at that station while I waited for the next train to take me to Ponyville."
"That makes sense. So how long exactly has it been since you were last here?"
"I'd say around five years or so."
"Where have you been all during all that time?" Sunkick asked.
"All over the place. I've had a large variety of jobs and have been able to make a small fortune for myself."
"That explains why you were able to stay at the Hay and Stay Hotel for so long," Stormflower deduced.
"Exactly."
Lights began to pop out from the darkness and Stormflower could just make out the outlines of medium-sized houses in the distance.
"So those are the rock farms?" she asked.
"Yeah. There's tons of them out here. It's basically a spread out town," Joan responded.
"I prefer places like Cloudsdale, Ponyville, and Canterlot," Sunkick stated. "This place is too...lonely for me."
"That's understandable."
Sunkick looked down and saw that Scootaloo had fallen asleep against him. He chuckled and patted the young pegasus on the forehead. Stormflower smiled and leaned against Joan, who blushed slightly. 
The carriage soon came to a smooth halt. The four passengers exited the carriage. Scootaloo was sound asleep on Joan's back.
"Have a nice night," said the head stallion.
"You too," said Joan. The stallions then turned around and the carriage disappeared into the darkness. Stormflower looked ahead and could just make out a two-story house at the end of a long dirt path. Lanterns stood on the edges of the path and formed an eerie trail of floating lights. A large grain tower stood several feet from the house and the outline of a dense forest stood off at the very edge of the plain of rocks. "Well, are we going to go greet them or stay out here all night?"
Stormflower cleared her throat and they began making their way down the pathway. Gravel crunched underneath their hooves and Stormflower gulped at the sight of the dark shadows and outlines glaring at her from the distance. It was at least a seven minute walk to the house and by the time they had made it to the porch Stormflower was shaking slightly. Joan knocked on the door and, after a few seconds of silence, the door flung open.
"Well I'll be!" exclaimed Edgar Cross as he stood in the doorway with a massive grin on his face. "If it isn't Joan Silver and Stormflower!"
"How have you been, Mr. Cross?" Joan asked. "Sorry to drop in on you like this but we, as in Stormflower and I, wanted to visit you and we didn't have much time to send a notice."
"Don't be sorry! Joan, you and any of your friends are welcome here any time! Please come in!"
Joan stepped aside and let Stormflower and Sunkick enter the farmhouse first. Before Stormflower entered, however, her eyes fell upon the outline of a large, rounded stone sitting out at the edge of the front yard. The rectangular, rounded shape of the stone was enough to tell Stormflower what it was. She turned away from the stone and headed into the house.
It was warm and welcoming inside the childhood home of Pinkie Pie. A small fireplace sat at the edge of the living room and a series of couches and chairs were scattered amongst the other furniture.
"You can go ahead and put the young one upstairs in the green room," Edgar said. Joan nodded and disappeared up the stairs with the sleeping Scootaloo. Stormflower and Sunkick sat down on a nearby couch and Edgar sat in a chair across from them. "Well I have to say that it's a pleasure to see you again, Ms. Stormflower."
"It's nice to see you again too. This is my brother, Sunkick, and the filly that Joan just took upstairs is named Scootaloo," said Stormflower.
"It's a pleasure to meet them too. So how have things been for you since we last met? How is your sister doing?"
"My sister?"
"You know. The one you told me that you went to visit."
Stormflower and Sunkick turned to each other and sighed sadly.
"She's actually part of the reason why we're even here in the first place," Stormflower replied.
"Really?" Edgar asked.
"Yes. You see...my sister, Rainbow Dash, was...she was-"
"Murdered," Sunkick interrupted. Edgar sat back and fell silent. 
"I...am so sorry for your loss. If you remember, I too know what it's like to lose somepony you love," Edgar sighed. 
"I remember. You're daughter, Bellamina," said Stormflower.
"How...how did you know her name? I don't recall mentioning it to you."
"Your eldest daughter, Irena, told it to me. I know your two remaining daughters, Irena and Pinkie Pie. I met Pinkie Pie upon my arrival to Ponyville over a month ago and I met Irena when she came to visit several weeks ago. She's still there."
"Did...did Irena tell you-"
"Well Scootaloo's asleep and I think it's time for all of us to hit the hay," Joan said as he came downstairs. "So, Mr. Cross, where's Mrs. Cross?"
"What? Oh...she's visiting her sister. She should be back by tomorrow afternoon."
"Excellent. I've been dying to try one of her famous pumpkin pies ever since I agreed to come back here with Stormflower."
Edgar turned to Stormflower and Sunkick and smiled.
"How about we continue this conversation tomorrow over breakfast?" he asked.
"Sounds good I guess," Sunkick said awkwardly as he stood up.
"Joan, how about you show Stormflower and Sunkick to their rooms?" 
"No problem," Joan said with a smile. Sunkick followed Joan up the stairs and Stormflower began to follow when she stopped and turned back to Edgar.
"Tell me," she said. "Is that rectangular, rounded stone sitting out in the yard what I think it is?"
"It is," Edgar replied. "That's where we buried her ten years ago."
"That's all I wanted to know for tonight. I guess I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight, Mr. Cross."
"Goodnight, Ms. Stormflower."
Stormflower turned around and proceeded up the stairs. Edgar sat back down in his chair. A tear rolled down his face as a wave of old memories came roaring back into his mind. 
> A Warning to Follow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 33: A Warning to Follow


Pinkie Pie, the identity of the darkness. The two soundless words continued to pound against Twilight's psyche as she drifted in and out of her everlasting slumber. Her mind had turned into jelly and now she was floating on the brink of a complete loss of sanity. She tried to grasp a hold of her surroundings but the familiar pain and the calming Rainbow Dash apparition were always there to pull her back into the darkness. Pinkie was there, waiting for her. 
"Do you get it now?" the pink pony would ask.
"No," Twilight would reply sadly.
"The game won't get started until you understand, you silly filly!"
Pinkie would then disappear and the cycle would repeat over again. It was getting incredibly old by this point. Twilight wished to wake up. She wished to gain control of her mind again. The darkness needed to disappear. 
"Why would you do this to me, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked as she floated in the empty chamber that was the hollow innards of her slowly decomposing sanity. The apparition appeared and walked through the dark air as if there were some form of spiritual platform underneath it.
"I simply implanted the thought within your mind," the Rainbow apparition said with a saddened smile. "It's a warning, egghead. Stop floating about and listen to it!"
"No...I can't accept the warning that you've given me!"
"It's time to wake up. You know she did it."
"What proof is there?"
"There's plenty of proof. You've just got to know where to look for it. The evidence is waiting for you. Go and seek it out. It's waiting amongst the apples, under the earth. Look for it there. The dummy tells it all."
"Why are you talking like this? This certainly isn't like you."
"I'm not her, remember? I'm an idea implanted within your mind. Listen to my shouts. The shouts that rocket through your mind. Heed to the warning. Find the proof. You can do it, egghead."
Twilight's eyes flew open and she sat up. She was a little dizzy but the feeling of confusion slowly drifted away. She was lying down in a hospital bed. The air was incredibly cold and the bed groaned as she moved about in it. She yawned silently as she pulled herself out of the sheets and onto the cold floor. A loud snore reverberated throughout the room and thus caused Twilight to officially wake up. She looked over at a nearby chair and saw Aaron leaned back, fast asleep. She smiled, shook her head, and gave the stallion a hard shove. He awoke suddenly and gave a long yawn.
"Well it's nice to see that you're finally awake," he said as he stood up.
"What...what happened?" Twilight asked. Aaron led Twilight back over to the hospital bed and sat her back down.
"That's actually what I wanted to ask you."
"Huh?"
"Your little dragon friend, Spike, arrived home last night to find you and Pinkie Pie lying down, unconscious, in the kitchen of your home. He fetched help and I raced over here as soon as I heard about it."
"Where is Spike?"
"He fell asleep in the lobby. I'm sure that Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity are out there with him."
"What about...Pinkie Pie?"
"She's still unconscious. She's about five rooms down."
"Is she okay?"
"Her vitals are normal and so are yours. You both seem to be completely healthy. So what happened, exactly?"
"It's...hard to describe."
"Well try your best."
"Okay. Pinkie Pie came over and I went to make some tea for the two of us. While I was making some tea I heard something behind me. I turned around to see Pinkie Pie backed up against the wall. She was frightened by something. She then lost consciousness and, right after she blacked out, I began feeling an incredibly pain in my head. I then saw an app...hallucination of sorts and blacked out myself."
"That's it?"
"Pretty much."
"Tell me about this hallucination. What did you see?"
"I...don't remember."
"Bullshit. I don't like liars, Twilight Sparkle. You better tell me the truth."
"I saw...Rainbow Dash."
"Rainbow Dash? Interesting. What did she do?"
"She approached me."
"That's it?"
"Yeah...that's it."
"She didn't say anything or-"
"No! She didn't say or do anything! She just approached me and I blacked out! Why does it matter anyway? It's just a hallucination! They don't matter!"
"I believe it does matter. Didn't you just recently have a...spiritual encounter of sorts with Rainbow Dash's spirit?"
"I thought that you didn't believe in any of that bullshit."
"I don't...at least not officially anyway."
"I've already explained the entire encounter to you and Applejack anyway. Rainbow Dash replaced Applejack temporarily, she...kissed me, and then she disappeared. That was the entire encounter in a nutshell."
"Maybe there's more to this nutshell than what meets the eye."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Maybe this kiss you two shared was more than just a demonstration of affection. Maybe...it was something much deeper."
"Like what?"
"I dunno. Maybe a way to implant an idea or something."
Twilight gulped. She smiled and gave Aaron a friendly shove. 
"It was just a kiss," Twilight lied. "Nothing more."
"Whatever you say," Aaron said with a suspicious glare. 
"Can I go out and visit my friends now?" 
"I guess. As long as you're not feeling woozy or anything like that."
"I'm not."
"Okay then, but I'll be following right behind you...just in case."
Twilight nodded and made her way to the door. She walked out into the hallway and looked down towards an open doorway. Pinkie was standing in the doorway. Her mane was straight and her eyes were sunken in. Twilight shivered at the sight and quickly turned towards the lobby.
Something's wrong, she thought. Something is incredibly, horribly wrong. 
> Scene of the Crime
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 34: Scene of the Crime


Stormflower awoke to the strong aroma of blueberries. She pulled herself out of bed and trudged her way down the stairs. Sunkick and Scootaloo were in the kitchen downstairs munching their way through a stack of blueberry pancakes.
"Did you two sleep well?" Stormflower yawned. Scootaloo nodded her head as she continued to scarf down her plate of pancakes. "Those smell delicious!"
"They are! Have some!" Sunkick said as he pushed a plate towards Stormflower. She looked at the pancakes and, though the smell was definitely mesmerizing, she found herself absent of any type of an appetite. 
"Sorry...I'm not hungry."
Sunkick and Scootaloo shrugged and continued to eat. Stormflower examined the pancakes and assumed that Mr. Cross was the one responsible for making them. She smiled and walked out a nearby door to examine the rock farm as a whole.
A refreshing breeze was blowing through the air. The plain of rocks and dirt seemed more welcoming to Stormflower in the daylight than it had when they had arrived that night. A series of light-gray clouds filled the sky which gave the entire area a somewhat grainy aura. Stormflower walked out towards the edge of the front yard and soon found the stone she had seen the night before. She approached the stone and knelt down a few feet in away from it. A small mound of dirt was situated directly in front of the stone and a series of words were engraved in the stone's weathered surface.
"Bellamina," Stormflower read. "April 4, 985 to June 5, 991. A beloved daughter and sister. May this young spirit rest in peace."
Stormflower stood up and patted the top of the gravestone with her hoof. It felt cold and rough under her hoof. She then pulled her hoof away from the stone and turned in the opposite direction. She scanned everything within reach of her eyesight until her eyes fell upon two stallions walking alongside each other in the distance. 
"So where exactly are we going?" Joan asked as he and Edgar walked across the field of rocks.
"You've been asking a lot of questions. I think the appropriate place to answer these questions would be at the place where it happened," Edgar replied.
"Trying to leave me out, eh?" asked a familiar voice. Joan and Edgar turned around to be confronted by Stormflower's snarky face. 
"Stormflower!" Joan exclaimed.
"You know, you two could have waited for me to wake up before going off to talk about secrets."
"It's not like that."
"Whatever. So where are you taking us."
Stormflower's eyes seemed to cut through Edgar's soul as he cleared his throat awkwardly. 
"I'm taking you two to the place where it all started," he replied nervously.
"You mean...the place where Bellamina died?"
"Yes. It's still there, even after all these years."
The three ponies fell silent and made their way into the dark forest that stood on the edge of the Cross Rock Farm.
Stormflower didn't care much for the interior of the forest. Hardly any light penetrated the leaves which resulted in them walking into an area shrouded in simulated nighttime. The walk seemed to go on forever until they reached what appeared to be a rundown shack. The shack was constructed of wood that was incredibly weathered and damaged. It also had a series of shattered windows and a doorway without a door. Joan began to approach the shack but Edgar held him back.
"It's not safe to go in there. It could come crashing down on you," he said. Joan nodded and stepped back. 
"So this is where it happened," Stormflower sighed.
"Yes. Technically it took place underneath it."
"Underneath it?"
"Yes. There's a door in there that leads down into a fairly large basement. That's where...he killed her."
Stormflower instantly thought back to what Sunkick had told her about what their father had told him about the killer.
"Excuse me, Mr. Cross, who...who was the killer?" she asked. Edgar looked back at Stormflower and then turned back to the shack.
"I still don't know much about where he came from or why he did what he did. All I know is that his name was Rufus and that Bellamina was not his only victim."
"Are you telling me that this Rufus was a serial killer?!"
"Yes. He was a serial killer. Thankfully, he's locked up now in an underground prison."
Stormflower instantly thought back to a conversation she had had with Twilight and Aaron shortly after discovering the truth behind Rainbow Dash's horrible fate.
"So...what can you tell me about my sister's killer?" she had asked.
"It's hard to determine exactly who killed her," Aaron had said. "This is one smart killer."
"I've looked up some recent Ponyville police records," Twilight had said. "It seems that several ponies, mostly background ponies who aren't really known, have been disappearing. I can only conclude that these ponies suffered the same fate as Rainbow Dash."
"So...we have a serial killer on our hooves?" Stormflower had asked.
"Yes...it appears that way," Aaron had replied grimly. 
Stormflower flashed back to the present. The air was starting to get somewhat chilly within the dark confines of the forest and she was beginning to wish that she was back in the grainy calmness of the farm.
"Are you both ready to head back?" Edgar asked suddenly.
"I guess," Stormflower replied. "Are you ready Joan?" The orange stallion didn't reply. He simply stood there, refusing to turn his gaze away from the shack a few yards away. "Joan?"
Joan's mind began to buzz like a be. Visions of lost moments and forgotten sorrows trailed back into his thoughts and wormed their way through his psyche.
"Where are they?! Where are they, Joan?!" asked a gruff voice.
"They're there! They're underneath the cabin!" replied the frightened voice of a young Joan. Joan began to shake. His vision became incredibly fuzzy. "Oh Celestia! Oh sweet Celestia! No! NO! IT'S ALL MY FAULT! I SHOULD HAVE NEVER LET THEM GO! OH NO! BELLAMINA! BELLAMINA! I'M SORRY!"
"Joan?" Edgar asked. Joan's eyes rolled upwards and he fell back. "Shit!"
Edgar caught the falling Joan as Stormflower gasped. 
What happened?!" she asked, though the answer was already in her head.
"He's passed out for some reason. Come on! We need to get him back to the house!"
"Right!"
Stormflower helped place the unconscious Joan on Edgar's back and they carefully made their way back to the house. Stormflower turned back for a moment and glared angrily at the rundown shack that was once a scene of complete horror.
It's all connected, she thought. Everything started there.  
> What Pinkie Witnessed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 35: What Pinkie Witnessed


Rainbow Dash was alone...again. She sat silently on top of the Overlook as she scanned the boring and gray scenery of the undead Ponyville. She closed her eyes and thought about a series of recent events. The revelation of her death, her connections with the world of the living, the ongoing investigations, and the past of Bellamina that was slowly being revealed to her as time progressed. Her thoughts then trailed off to the depressed Pinkie Pie, locked away in the dark void. Rainbow found her encounters with this Pinkie strange...but comforting. Could the Pinkie Pie that she had known and had been good friends with still exist in some plane of reality? Was it possible? By now, Rainbow was starting to get the pieces to the puzzle but she had yet to make them fit. The mare that had killed her over a month ago was Pinkie Pie...and yet it also wasn't Pinkie Pie. She tried to comprehend the matter at hand but she decided to stop trying to fit everything together for the moment.
A sudden wave of familiarity rushed over Rainbow's body like a cold wind. She was gliding down through something that felt like cold gelatine. She opened her eyes to find a scene slowly forming around her. It was time to receive the next piece of the puzzle.
The scene eventually came into clear view and Rainbow found herself standing in the middle of a bleak basement consisting of a dirt floor, stone walls, and wooden ceiling. A table covered in a white cloth stood off to the side of the room and in the center of the room there stood an operating table...with somepony strapped to it. The table was perched at a vertical angle and an unconscious Bellamina was strapped to it, with her legs sprawled out and two straps wrapped around her torso and forehead. Sitting next to the wall, in the direction Bellamina was facing, there sat a cage. Inside the cage there lay an unconscious Pinkie Pie. Rainbow gulped. This scene was all too familiar. She had seen it somewhere before. 
There was a series of groans and the two fillies slowly woke up. 
"What...happened?" Pinkie asked. She soon realized that she was in a cage and began banging on the bars. Bellamina too realized what state she was in and tried to break free of the bonds. 
"Sis...what's happening?" Bellamina asked nervously. 
"I...I don't know! Rufus! Rufus! Where the hay did you go?! What happened to the party?!"
A chilling laughter echoed from the darkness. Rainbow, Pinkie, and Bellamina turned towards a dark corner of the room to see Rufus slowly emerge. A sadistic smile was carved into his face and a long lab coat stretched over his body. A loud screeching sound pounded against their ears as Rufus dragged a large, rusty, metal pot across the floor. He situated it underneath the spot where Bellamina was strapped and turned towards Pinkie.
"It's time for the fun to begin," Rufus said. He followed his statement with a crazy laugh that seemed to send physical shivers through Rainbow's body.
"What is all this?" Pinkie asked again. "What happened to the party?"
"What are you talking about, Pinkie? This is the party."
"What?"
"The cupcakes we had were just an appetizer for what is to come. I'm so happy to have two friends at this party with me! This means I can have fun with one of you and save the other for later!"
"Why...why am I strapped down?" Bellamina asked. Rufus turned towards Bellamina and stared straight into her eyes. The mere expression on Rufus's lustful face managed to scare Bellamina to tears.
"Aw...don't cry yet, Bella. The fun has yet to start!"
Rufus walked over to the cloaked table and removed the cloth, revealing a series of medical instruments as well as a large medical bag. A cold shock sprung through Rainbow's body like fire. Memories began flooding into her mind like a raging river. The basement of bones and corpses, the table of medical tools, and Pinkie's dress of skin, horns, and wings. 
"Rufus...please let Bella go!" Pinkie pleaded. 
"I can't do that, Pinkie. If I do then we won't have any fun!" Rufus replied with a dark chuckle. He turned back to Bellamina and proceeded to slowly lick the tears from her cheeks. "Why don't we go ahead and start?"
Rufus walked over to the medical table and tapped each instrument with his hoof. He turned back to Bella and looked down at her cutie mark, which was that of a paintbrush. 
"Do you like art, Bella?" he asked as he placed his right hoof on top of a scalpel. Tears were streaming down Bellamina's face and her only response was that of a couple hiccups. "Come on, Bella! Answer my question! Do you like art?"
"Y...yes. That's...why my cutie mark...is a paintbrush," she hiccuped. "I...like to...paint."
Rufus picked up the scalpel and turned towards Bellamina.
"I'm sorry to tell you that...this party won't have that many colors. There's probably going to be a lot of red though."
Both Pinkie and Bellamina's eyes widened. Rainbow wanted to turn away but some force was making her watch. Rufus smiled as he clasped the scalpel in his mouth. He slowly approached Bellamina until he was right next to her.
"Please! Please, Rufus!" Pinkie pleaded. "Don't hurt my sister!"
Rufus looked back at the crying Pinkie Pie and smiled, his face now resembling that of a bloodthirsty monster.
"No pain...no game," he chuckled as he turned back to Bellamina. He aimed the scalpel carefully and proceeded to stab it into the young filly's thigh. Bellamina screamed in agony, Pinkie pressed herself against the bars of the cage, and Rainbow cringed in fear. Rufus was quick to make the perfect incision. Once he had cut a circle into Bellamina's thigh, he drove the scalpel back into the cut and proceeded to peel off the cutie mark on Bellamina's right flank. Bellamina continued to scream and cry as a rush of intense pain rocketed through her body. Rufus finished peeling the piece of skin off and presented it to Bellamina happily.
"Got your cutie mark!" he said with a chuckle. A pain shot through Rainbow's head. 
"Hey, Dashie! Look! Got your cutie mark!" giggle Pinkie's voice from within Rainbow's mind. Rainbow backed away towards the wall and watched as Rufus proceeded to cut off Bellamina's remaining cutie mark. 
"Please...no more!" Bellamina begged. "No more!"
"But we've only just begun!" Rufus pouted as if he were a little foal not ready to leave a friend's house. He tossed the scraps of skin into the large medical bag and returned to the table. He placed the bloody scalpel down and presented a large needle to the two fillies. 
"No!" Pinkie cried. "Please!"
Bellamina screamed and cried some more as Rufus slowly approached her with the needle.
"Since you don't have wings or horns, it looks like I get to cut straight to the harvest!" Rufus proclaimed happily. Another pain shot through Rainbow's head. Visions of her wings getting chopped off, nails getting driven into her hooves, and an electric shock rocketing through her body flooded her mind. Rufus smiled again as he drove the needle deep into the center of Bellamina's chest. A mysterious fluid drained into Bellamina's body from the needle and, once the needle was emptied of the fluid, Rufus pulled it out. 
"I...I want to go home now," Bellamina cried. 
"Pinkie...I want to go home now," echoed a voice from inside Rainbow's head. Rufus shook his head and reached for a large, sharp knife. 
"We can't go back now. Don't worry. In a few seconds, you won't feel anything below your neck. That way we can have more fun together before you have to go, Bella," he said. Bellamina tried to break free of her bonds but she soon lost control of her entire body, aside from her head. Rufus approached Bellamina with the knife and began making deep incisions in her belly. Pinkie tried to close her eyes but couldn't as she watched her sister get butchered right before her eyes. A mixture of bodily fluids drained into the pot below Bellamina and Rufus began whistling a happy-go-lucky tune as he proceeded to empty Bellamina of her intestines, chop off her legs, and pretty much remove the entire lower half of her body. Both Pinkie and Bellamina threw up and Rufus simply giggled at the sight. Rainbow wanted to throw up but, due to being dead, had no feeling of doing so whatsoever. But she still felt incredibly sick, though. 
"Where's my daddy?" Bellamina asked as she slowly became weaker and weaker. "Where is my daddy?"
"He's not here right now," Rufus replied sternly as he proceeded to pull Bellamina's stomach out of the gaping hole in her body. The pot was now almost completely full of bodily fluids and the medical bag was full of Bellamina's internal organs. Pinkie cried at the sight of her younger sister getting mutilated. Rainbow turned to Pinkie and also began to cry a stream of warm tears. "Why, it looks like we're almost done!"
Rufus began to make another incision when, suddenly, there was a loud crash from upstairs. Rainbow, Pinkie, and Rufus looked upwards as the hidden trap door leading to the basement was flung open. Five large stallions charged into the basement. One stallion, which resembled that of an older Joan Silver, charged at Rufus and knocked him to the ground. 
"You motherfucker!" yelled the stallion as he punched Rufus three times in the face. Two of the other stallions grabbed Rufus and pinned him to the ground, allowing the other stallion to stand up and examine the scene. "Dear Celestia!"
The stallion approached the butchered Bellamina and nearly lost his lunch at the sight of her.
"Where's my...daddy?" Bellamina asked. "Where is...my daddy?"
The stallion placed a hoof on Bellamina's blood-soaked face and stroked it.
"It...it's going to be okay," he said. "It's me...Mr. Silver. I'm here to save you. It's...all going to be over soon. You're going to see your daddy again."
One of the other stallions smashed open Pinkie's cage and pulled her out.
"It's alright, Pinkie," he said. "It's all going to be okay."
"No!" Pinkie cried as she tried to break free of the stallion's grasp and run to Bellamina. "Bella! Bellamina! No! Don't die! Please don't die!"
Just then, a familiar voice echoed from upstairs. 
"Dad?!" called the anxious voice of the 14-year-old Joan Silver. "Did you find them?! Please tell me that they're okay!"
Joan then appeared in the opening and ran down the stairs.
"Joan! Don't look!" Mr. Silver ordered. But it was too late. Joan had already scanned the room with his eyes. At first, he was happy at the sight of a healthy Pinkie Pie...but then he saw Bellamina. 
"Bellamina?!"
"Don't look, son."
"Bellamina?!"
"Please...don't look any further!"
"BELLAMINA!"
Joan fell to the ground as a rush of pain, guilt, sadness, and anger raced through his entire body. The dying Bellamina looked at Pinkie. Pinkie looked at what remained of her sister.
"I'm...sorry, Bella," Pinkie said as she continued to cry. A weak smile formed on Bellamina's face as she proceeded to cough up a river of blood.
"It's...okay...Pinkie," she croaked. "I...forgive...you. I...forgive...you...and...Jo-"
Then her eyes rolled up into her skull, one last breath escaped from her butchered lungs, and she was gone. 
A wave of silence spread throughout the room. The only sound that remained now was that of Pinkie and Joan's crying. Rainbow looked on at the destroyed corpse of Bellamina, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. Joan then kicked the wall behind him and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Oh Celestia! Oh sweet Celestia! No! NO! IT'S ALL MY FAULT! I SHOULD HAVE NEVER LET THEM GO! OH NO! BELLAMINA! BELLAMINA! I'M SORRY!" he screamed. Mr. Silver ran to Joan's side and hugged him tight. Another pain shot through Rainbow's mind as she examined the scene as a whole. 
"Do you remember now?" asked a familiar voice. Rainbow turned to the darkness to see a saddened Bellamina and Susie Salmon standing there. 
"Bellamina," Rainbow breathed. "I...I...I'm so...sorry."
"Do you remember now?" Susie asked. Rainbow gasped as the two spirits slowly began to rot before her. Cuts appeared on their bodies, their eyeballs fell out of their skulls in rivers of blood, and pieces of their body began to rip apart like wet paper. "Do you remember now?"
"Do you see the connection now?" Bellamina asked as her head popped off. Rainbow screamed as a wave of memories crashed into her like water cascading down the side of a cliff. The cutie marks, the wings, the shocks, the harvesting, and...the final strike. Her last moments with Pinkie Pie came back to her in one fell swoop. Rainbow fell to the ground as the basement slowly faded away into darkness. Bellamina and Susie returned to their normal forms. The pegasus, the filly, and the human were now standing in a void of darkness.
"Why...why did I have to remember?" Rainbow asked with a cringe of emotional pain.
"Facing the truth. Facing your death. You are almost ready," Bellamina said.
"You and everypony else...is almost ready," Susie said with a grim smile.
"Ready for what?" Rainbow asked. 
"I think you know."
With that, Bellamina and Susie disappeared and Rainbow found herself sitting back on top of the Overlook. Rainbow scanned the undead Ponyville with her eyes one final time. She then placed her face into her front hooves and wept. 
> Time to Act
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 36: Time to Act


Pinkie Pie eyed the small cafe from a distance. They were waiting for her there. Her friends were waiting for her there. She could see them sitting outside. There was Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Spike, and...Aaron. She snarled angrily and kicked the dirt beneath her. The mere presence of the investigator angered her to no end.
"I can't wait to be rid of you," Pinkie said to herself as she glared at Aaron from a distance. The sun had already begun to set and the town of Ponyville was cloaked in an orange aura of comfort. Pinkie looked towards the bag that hung over her back and smiled devilishly. She couldn't wait to give Aaron her present. She turned back to the cafe, took a deep breath, and bounded towards the external dining area.
"Here she comes," said Rarity as the pink earth pony sat happily in an empty chair between Aaron and Fluttershy.
"Are you feeling better, Pinkie Pie?" Spike asked.
"Of course! I couldn't feel any better, even if I tried!" Pinkie replied gleefully. Twilight examined her friend cautiously. Something was definitely off about her. Come to think of it, something had been off about her for a while now. The mood she gave off was sort of mixed. It seemed, however, that Twilight was the only one to notice this change. That's what it seemed until Aaron turned to Twilight and gave her a quick wink. She sighed calmly, knowing that she was not the only pony there getting mixed vibes from the pink pony.
"I'm starving," Fluttershy exclaimed in her usual, shy voice. "I haven't eaten anything all day."
"Why not, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.
"I've been busy with Zecora recently. We're still trying to find that animal she came across over a month ago."
"I remember," Twilight said. "You told me and...Rainbow Dash about it."
Everypony at the table fell silent. It had only been a few days since Rainbow's funeral and the dead cyan pegasus was a touchy subject amongst the Mane 5, and just everypony in town in general. Rarity cleared her throat loudly in order to end the saddening silence.
"Well, Fluttershy, I have to agree with you. I too am quite starved at the moment," she said with a nervous smile. 
"Well let's stop bullshitting around and order already," Aaron said bluntly as he looked down at his menu. Twilight giggled slightly. She had grown a certain friendly affection and respect for the blunt Aaron Crop. Everypony else at the table nodded and proceeded to look at their own menus.
Several moments later, everypony was enjoying a nice assortment of drinks under the soothing glow of the evening sun. Everypony ordered a cold drink aside from Aaron, who ordered coffee.
"Coffee in the evening?" asked Twilight with a raised eyebrow.
"Coffee is good at any time of the day in my book," Aaron replied with a snarky grin. Pinkie took a sip of her pink lemonade and looked down at the small satchel lying on the ground next to her seat. She wanted to give her present to Aaron now but she knew that she had to be patient. She had to wait for just the right moment.
"So how's your examination of that garbage bag sliver going for ya?" Applejack asked. Aaron took another sip of coffee and nodded. Pinkie's ears propped up and she immediately turned to face Applejack.
"What garbage bag sliver?" Pinkie asked.
"A few days ago, we were examining the spot where Rainbow Dash's corpse was found and we found a small piece of black plastic," Twilight replied.
"Black plastic?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yes. A piece of black plastic that no doubt was part of a garbage bag."
"A bag used to carry Rainbow Dash's corpse out to the orchard to be dumped," Aaron continued.
"So...have ya found anythin' yet?" Applejack asked.
"I'm almost done. I should get down to nuts and bolts of that piece of evidence by tonight."
"You mean...by tonight...you could possibly find out the identity of Rainbow Dash's killer?!" asked Spike.
"If there's a hoofprint left behind."
Suddenly, there was a loud crash and everypony looked to see that a waiter had accidentally bumped into a confused stallion.
"Please excuse me, sir!" the waiter gasped.
"It's alright," said the stallion. "No harm done."
Pinkie realized that everypony was looking away from her. This was her chance! She quickly reached into her satchel and pulled out a small flask of white powder. This, however, was no ordinary white powder. She cackled inside her mind as she quickly uncapped the flask and poured the powder into Aaron's coffee. The powder instantly dissolved and disappeared within the dark brown contents of the cup. Pinkie smiled and threw the flask back into her satchel. Everypony turned away from the waiter and the stallion, unaware of Pinkie's deadly deed.
"That sure woke me up," Twilight chuckled nervously.
"Yeah," Aaron said as he turned towards his cup of coffee. Pinkie waited in anticipation. This was it!
Twilight turned towards Pinkie and Aaron and felt a familiar pain in her head. At that moment, a familiar voice called out to her from the depths of her mind.
"Don't let him drink that coffee, egghead!" called Rainbow's anxious voice. Twilight looked at Aaron and saw his lips slowly drawing closer and closer to the cup of coffee. Pinkie gave a small smile of delight as she waited for Aaron's sudden death. Twilight had to act fast. She looked at Aaron, the cup, Pinkie, and the table. The table. That was it! Everything seemed to happen at once. Twilight felt that familiar sharp pain rocket through her skull as a surge of magical energy escaped from her horn. The table glowed white for a millisecond before flying up into the air and falling to the ground several feet from the cafe.
"What the fuck?!" cried Aaron as Pinkie's pink lemonade splashed on his face. The cup of deadly coffee simply fell to the ground and was absorbed into the earth. Seconds later, the grass that had absorbed the coffee withered into a patch of gray strands. 
"What in tarnation?!" cried Applejack as the table landed on the ground several feet away. Everything then fell quiet. The other customers at the cafe, as well as the Mane 5, Spike, Aaron, and the waiters, all stared at the broken table lying on the ground. Fluttershy was curled up in a ball on the ground, Rarity was snarling due to her mane now dripping with the water from Applejack's cup, Pinkie was screaming in anger and disappointment on the inside, Applejack and Spike were just shocked, Aaron was cursing under his breath, and Twilight was putting on her best dumbfounded expression.
"Is everypony alright?" asked a concerned waitress.
"Don't worry," Twilight replied quickly. "I think everypony here is fine."
"My mane!" cried Rarity softly.
"Almost everypony, I guess," Applejack sighed. Spike leaned towards Twilight slowly.
"Twilight, did...did you do that?" he whispered. The unicorn turned towards Spike with a stern look on her face.
"I did no such thing," she lied. Spike mouthed okay, nodded his head, and leaned back. 
"I think it's obvious that we're going to need a new table and a new round of drinks then," Aaron chuckled.
"Right away, sir," said the waitress as she disappeared back into the main cafe. Pinkie looked back at the satchel, which contained the empty flask, and nudged it angrily.
"And it looks like I'm going to need a new plan in order to take care of my little...problem," Pinkie said under her breath. 
> Aaron's Last Discovery
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 37: Aaron's Last Discovery


Following Rainbow Dash's funeral, Aaron had moved his investigation and workplace to Sweet Apple Acres. There was a medium-sized room located on the second floor of the barn that Applejack had lent to Aaron for his investigative activities. His fellow investigators visited him from time to time when they weren't busy examining the orchard or interrogating the ponies of Ponyville. Some of the investigators had returned to Canterlot and now, aside from Aaron, there were only three other investigators in Ponyville. None of them, however, were as dedicated to finding the killer like Aaron was. 
The night sky was lit up with a sea of sparkling stars as a dim light emanated from the barn. Aaron's fellow investigators had decided to call it a night and were now heading off back to the Hay and Stay Hotel. 
"See ya in the morning, Mr. Crop," said a white pegasus investigator. Applejack stood outside the barn door and watched the investigators pass through the front gate and head off back to town. The orange earth pony then walked into the barn and up the stairs towards Aaron's office. She opened the door and saw Aaron and Twilight examining the piece of the garbage bag.
"It's getting late, Twilight. I think you should head off to bed," said Aaron. Twilight looked at the black unicorn and shook her head.
"I want to stay up and help you. We're so close," she said.
"You've been a huge help, Twilight, but, since we're so close, I think I can take it from here."
"Ah agree with Aaron on this one, Twi," said Applejack. "Ah was just about to hit the hay myself."
Twilight looked at Applejack and then turned back to Aaron. Aaron gave a polite nod and beckoned Twilight towards the door. She gave a sigh of defeat and began to walk out.
"Aaron," she said as she reached the doorway. Aaron turned towards the door to face the lavender unicorn. "Thank you...for everything you've done."
Aaron had the urge to smile but he resisted. He simply cleared his throat and gave a quick nod.
"It was no problem," he replied quickly. Twilight chuckled and proceeded out the door. Aaron was now alone in the room with Applejack.
"You're gonna find the one who did it...aren't ya?" she asked. Aaron sighed and looked at the anxious earth pony.
"This piece of plastic will either become definitive evidence or a piece of shit to be thrown into the garbage. I'll make sure to tell you the answer by tomorrow morning," Aaron replied. Applejack nodded and began to back out of the door.
"Goodnight then."
"Goodnight, Applejack."
The door closed with a soft click and now Aaron was alone. He turned his attention back to the piece of plastic and began to slowly make his way to the nitty-gritty of it.  
Minutes turned to hours and the air quickly took a turn for the chilly. The barn got pretty cold but Aaron didn't mind. He liked being cold, especially during summer. Being cold, for some reason, helped him concentrate more. It removed all distractions and made him focus on what was important. He was getting close now. Something was hiding underneath the layers of dirt and microscopic filth that sat happily on the surface of the plastic. Something was there, waiting to be uncovered. Aaron was so focused that he didn't even notice the barn door downstairs slowly creaking open.
"Almost there...just a few last pieces of crap to remove," Aaron said under his breath as he used his magic to carefully clean off the plastic. Then he sensed it. Something was definitely on there. He reached into a nearby bag and pulled out a special powder used to identify hoofprints. He sprinkled it onto the plastic and it began to react actively to whatever was hidden on the dirty surface. Some of the particles absorbed the dirt and turned dark brown but most of the particles formed into a nice, clean circle. The white particles then began to change color. "This is it!"
The particles turned from white to bright pink and a strange, pink liquid began forming on the plastic. In a few seconds a bright pink circle sat on the surface of the plastic, looking up at Aaron. The smell of cotton candy began to fill the air and Aaron took in a big whiff. He had smelled this smell before. It had been a lingering aroma that was constantly emitted from a certain pink earth pony. Aaron's eyes widened and he let out a quiet, but deep, sigh.
"So...it really was her all along," he said sadly. "It's sad, really. This is going to break Twilight's heart."
Aaron's ears propped up at the sound of creaking floorboards. Aaron breathed slowly as he turned around towards the closed door. Somepony was out there. He was sure of it. As the footsteps drew nearer, he quietly shifted his way over to the side of the room and crouched behind a stack of cardboard boxes. He peered through the cracks and waited for his unexpected visitor to open the door. 
Seconds passed and the creaking sound soon came to a stop. Aaron fell silent. He scanned the room for a weapon of sorts to defend himself but, sadly, found nothing. Then...the door opened. The doorknob emitted a soft click and the wooden barrier slowly slid open without giving off a single creak. A somewhat intimidating figure entered the room. It was a pony dressed in a completely black outfit. Black mask, black cape, and black jumpsuit. The only things that weren't black were the completely white eyes peering through the eye slits in the black mask. Something hung from the pony's mouth. It was a baseball bat with nails sticking out of it. 
"Shit!" Aaron swore under his breath as his eyes fell on the nailed baseball bat. The pony hummed a strangely happy tune as it scanned the room with its deadly eyes. Aaron turned towards the door and began to quietly crawl his way towards the door while remaining hidden behind the boxes. The pony looked at the evidence table and examined the piece of black plastic. Aaron was now right next to the door. He looked at the pony to see that it was still examining the black plastic. He quickly stood up and began making his way out of the door.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" asked a dark voice. Aaron turned around to see the pony charging at him, the nailed bat at the ready. Aaron was never really good at magic but at least he was able to pull off a decent levitation spell. The attacking pony soon found a tower of boxes falling on top of them. Aaron turned around and made a quick dash for the exit. He wished that he could fight back but he would stand no chance against an armed pony when he himself was unarmed. The pony fought its way out of the cardboard boxes and ran after Aaron. Aaron was already downstairs by this point but that was no problem. The pony gripped the nailed bat in its mouth, took aim, and chucked the weapon at Aaron. Aaron was almost at the exit when he felt something sharp and blunt smash into his side. 
"Fuck!" Aaron yelped as he fell to the ground. Aaron looked at his side to see the nailed bat carving into the right side of his body. Trails of blood began trickling onto the ground and Aaron couldn't help but groan and curse with pain. "Fuck! Fuck! Shit!"
"Nice vocabulary there," teased the pony as it made its way over to Aaron. It was at this point that Aaron realized that his attacker was female and he had a pretty good idea about who was under the mask. The pony was now towering over Aaron. She grabbed the bat with her mouth and yanked it out of Aaron's body. Blood splattered all over the front of the pony and onto the ground around Aaron. Aaron continued to curse as he looked at the series of large, jagged, bloody holes in the side of his body.
"Why don't you just...go ahead and remove that mask already...Pinkie Pie?!"
The mare laughed as she removed her mask. A straight-haired, sunken-eyed Pinkie Pie stared down at Aaron. 
"I have to admit that I'm both disappointed and relieved by this. I expected you to put up more of a fight but, right now, I'm not really in the mood for a tiresome fight. I want you out of the way as quickly as possible. If only my earlier plan had worked. You should have died of poisoning earlier today during our little get-together at the cafe. Oh well. Now that you know that I'm the killer, I have no choice but to kill you now."
Aaron began to cough up blood.
"You fucking cunt. You stupid fucking cunt. If you think I'm done fighting...then you're incredibly mistaken," Aaron said with a bloody smile. At that moment, a series of barrels flew through the air and smashed into Pinkie. The nailed bat flew out of Pinkie's grasp and landed several feet away. Aaron began crawling his way to the exit. Pinkie got up and ran for Aaron. A pitchfork flew through the air and managed to cut Pinkie's cheek.
"Ow! Asshole!" Pinkie screamed as she picked up her nailed bat. 
"Please stop!" cried the voice from within Pinkie's mind. "Stop it now! Let him live and turn yourself in!"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Pinkie brought the nailed bat down on Aaron. The nails drove into his back and the black unicorn screamed in agony. Pinkie pulled the bat out and brought it down again and again and again. Soon there was a pool of blood rising out of Aaron's back and Aaron had lost feeling in the lower half of his body. Aaron tried to levitate something else but Pinkie had had enough. She grabbed Aaron's horn with her hooves and began to bend it. Aaron screamed louder and louder as the horn bent more and more. Pinkie quickly took a small mound of hay and shoved it into Aaron's bloody mouth.
"Could you be a good victim and stop screaming? I think it would be rude to wake up Applejack and her family at this hour. Now...let's see how far this horn will bend," Pinkie said sadistically. Pinkie continued to bend the horn more and more until there was a loud snap. Aaron's eyes widened as the horn was quickly pulled out of the top of his head. Pinkie examined the horn and tossed it off into the darkness. Aaron couldn't move. He was going into shock. Pinkie smiled as she rolled Aaron onto his back. "Does that make you feel better?"
"Fuck you!" Aaron said as blood bubbled up from his mouth. Pinkie slapped Aaron and then proceeded to stab the nailed bat into his stomach. Aaron slowly grew weaker and weaker with every passing second. The pain was intense and tears were streaming from his eyes. Pinkie then walked away for a few seconds and returned with an axe in her mouth. She placed the axe down and looked at Aaron's bloody rump.
"I may hate you...but I think your cutie mark is pretty nice," she said. Aaron's cutie mark of a shield with a magnifying glass on it stared back at Pinkie through a layer of blood. Aaron looked up at Pinkie with disbelief. This was it. He was going to die. Pinkie Pie, of all ponies, would be the one to kill him. She would probably destroy the evidence upstairs. He had failed the others. He had failed Twilight. He had failed Rainbow Dash. "Tell Dashie that I said hello!"
Pinkie picked up the axe and began to raise it over Aaron's head.
"I'll see you in the pits of hell, Pinkamena Diane Pie!" Aaron croaked. Pinkie's eyes flashed and she prepared to swing the axe downward. Just before the axe fell, Aaron watched as a second, ghostly Pinkie Pie appeared from the darkness. She approached Aaron and kissed him on the cheek. 
"I'm sorry," she said as tears rolled down her face. "I couldn't stop her. I couldn't save them. I couldn't save you. I'm sorry."
The last thing Aaron felt was the spiritual sense of ghostly tears falling onto his neck. Pinkie then swung the axe down. There was a small explosion of blood and Aaron Crop was dead. 
> Stormflower Alone
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 38: Stormflower Alone


Joan woke up with a searing pain in his forehead. It quickly went away though and he gave a loud yawn as he pulled himself out of bed. He was back in the guest bedroom that he was staying in at Edgar's farm. The door opened and Sunkick entered. He was followed by a somewhat elderly gray mare with a neat gray mane, half-moon yellow spectacles, a black and white striped collar, and a cutie mark of three rocks. She was pushing a moveable table with toast, eggs, and orange juice. 
"Good," sighed Rachel Cross. "You're awake!"
Joan smiled as Sunkick and Rachel approached him.
"How are you feeling?" Sunkick asked. Joan sat back down on the bed and scratched his head.
"I'm fine. Woke up with a few pains though but they're gone now," Joan replied. Rachel pushed the table up next to Joan and smiled. "It's been a long time since I last saw you, Mrs. Cross."
"Oh yes. It's certainly been a long time indeed. It's a pleasure seeing you again, Joan. Now only if Irena and Pinkamena would drop by for a visit every once in awhile," she said.
"What happened to you yesterday?" Sunkick asked. "Stormflower and Mr. Cross didn't give me much of the details."
"I...I just had this pain in my head and I passed out," Joan replied.
"That's it? You just passed out?"
"Pretty much."
"Well that's disappointing," said a voice from the doorway. Scootaloo entered with her head cocked at an angle. "I expected there to be more to it than just a pain in your head."
"Did you want it to be something more?" Joan asked.
"I dunno."
"Where's Stormflower?"
"I haven't seen her since last night," Rachel replied.
"Same here," said Sunkick. "Maybe she's still asleep."
"It's pretty early. I wouldn't be surprised if she is. She did stay up pretty late."
"I'll go check up on her."
"I'll come with you!" said Scootaloo. The two pegasi then disappeared down the hallway. 
"She was really concerned about you," Rachel said as she turned to face Joan.
"I'll have to apologize to her later for making her worry," Joan said with a slight chuckle.
"Damn it, Stormflower!" echoed Sunkick's voice from down the hallway. Joan and Rachel ran out of the room and down the hallway towards Stormflower's room. They walked in to find Sunkick and Scootaloo, but no Stormflower. The bed was made, the window was closed, and Stormflower's bag was gone. Sunkick was standing next to the bed, reading a note that had been laid on the pillow. "This is so like her! Running off without telling anypony!"
"Where is she?" Joan asked. "Where's Stormflower?"
Sunkick turned towards Joan and Rachel and sighed.
"She's gone. She's gone off to talk to a certain pony," Sunkick replied.
"Who?"
"Bellamina's killer."
Meanwhile, many miles away, Stormflower was sitting comfortably in an empty train compartment. She was still somewhat sleepy due to having woken up at around four in the morning. She munched her way through a bag of crackers as the train rolled through the lush countryside. The dead plains and dark forests of the rock farms had been left far behind her. She felt bad about leaving Joan, Mr. Cross, and the others on such short notice but she felt that she had to do this by herself. Something was telling her that this killer, Rufus, was the key to everything. Maybe he could prove useful in revealing Rainbow Dash's killer's identity. Who could prove more handy in finding a serial killer than an actual serial killer? It was a long shot but Stormflower was willing to try. 
Stormflower gave out a loud sigh and thought about the death of Mr. Cross's daughter, Bellamina. Was she really going there just to find Rainbow's killer or was she going for another purpose? Could it be curiosity. Curiosity about seeing the colt who went out of his way to kill innocent young ponies? Stormflower wasn't completely sure about her reasoning of seeking out the filly killer but something was telling her that this was the right thing to do at the moment. 
"Maybe this...meeting with him will help me move on in some way," she said to herself. "But how? How will meeting Bellamina's killer help me find Rainbow's killer in any way? Is this all just one pointless goose chase? Am I just going because of what Mr. Cross told me? No. There has to be more to it. That shack was telling me something. I couldn't sense it completely then but I do now. Joan sensed it. His lost memories are starting to return to him. This all can't be just one large coincidence. I'm positive that it's all connected. Bellamina, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and all the murders in between. They're all connected. They have to be. They just have to be." An image of Rainbow Dash appeared in Stormflower's mind and a tear rolled down her face. "I'll avenge you, Dashie. I'll avenge you."
Stormflower looked out the window and examined the changing landscape passing by outside. She then sighed and closed her eyes. 
"I should be in Canterlot in a few hours," she said as she gave a big yawn. She then drifted off to sleep as the sound of train wheels rolling on train tracks reverberated throughout the compartment.  
> Massacre in the Morning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 39: Massacre in the Morning


Applejack awoke to a calm and quiet morning. Big Macintosh and Granny Smith had headed into town and Apple Bloom was downstairs, eating her way through a box of cereal.
"Mornin', Applejack!" said the young filly happily as Applejack trudged down the stairs. 
"Huh? Oh...mornin', Apple Bloom," Applejack replied. 
"Ya look like you're thinkin' about somethin'."
"Ah am. I'm headin' to the barn to see if Aaron's awake yet."
She turned away from her kid sister and strolled out into the front yard, towards the barn. It was surprisingly cool this morning but Applejack didn't mind. She took it as a lovely sign that summer was almost over and that autumn would be arriving soon enough. This relaxing feeling she felt quickly went away as she approached the barn. Something was troubling her. The barn seemed to give off an eerie feeling. She approached the doors and hesitated. Something inside of her told her to not open the doors. It told her to turn around and walk away. She shoved the feeling aside and pushed open the doors. 
Applejack nearly screamed bloody murder at what she came face-to-face with inside the barn. Just a couple feet from the entrance to the barn, where Applejack was standing, a pitchfork had been stabbed into the ground with its prongs facing upward. The bloody, decapitated head of Aaron Crop was impaled on the prongs of the pitchfork. The eyes had rolled up into the head, showing nothing but white, and the mouth hung open, allowing the bloody, cut-up tongue to hang outwards. Several feet behind Aaron's head sat an even more horrific sight. A series of ropes had been tied around the rafters upstairs, and these ropes were connected to the hind legs of Aaron's headless, upside-down body. The body was hanging a good three to four feet from the ground and a long stream of blood was slowly pouring out of the open neck. A thick pool of blood several feet wide was situated below the suspended body. In the pool of blood, there lied an axe and Aaron's horn. Aaron's body had been slashed open, allowing many internal organs to droop outwards, and blood was splashed all over the walls of the barn. The horrific stench of blood entered Applejack's nostrils and she instantly turned towards a metal bin and lost the contents of her stomach. 
"Sweet...Celestia!" she coughed as she looked back at the horrific scene. Her eyes watered up as she took a closer look at Aaron's head. "Aaron."
"Is he awake?" asked Apple Bloom as she rounded the bend. Applejack instantly pushed her sister away, jumped through the barn entrance, and slammed the doors behind her. "What's wrong?"
"Apple Bloom! Go to town! Get help! Somethin'...somethin' bad has happened to Aaron."
"Is...is he alright?"
"Honestly...no. He's not alright."
"Is he...dead?"
"Apple Bloom, go to town right now! Get the other investigators! Get Twilight! We need them officials down here immediately!"
Apple Bloom nodded, turned around, and ran towards town.
Meanwhile, Twilight had also woken up early and was now walking through town, towards Sweet Apple Acres. She was anxious to see if Aaron had truly discovered the identity of Rainbow Dash's killer. She was passing by Sugar Cube Corner when she noticed Pinkie Pie talking to one of Aaron's fellow investigators, a white pegasus named Brutus.
"So where are you headed off to now?" Pinkie asked happily.
"To the farm. I'm going to check up on Aaron and see if he made any progress last night," Brutus replied. Pinkie scanned the pegasus with her eyes and smiled. 
"I like your cutie mark."
"Huh?"
"Your cutie mark. I like it. It's really cool with that whole three question mark-thing going on!"
Brutus looked down at his cutie mark, which indeed consisted of three question marks, and chuckled as he pushed his black hair out of his eyes.
"Thank...you," he responded awkwardly.
"So what are you two talking about?" Twilight asked as she approached them.
"Morning, Twilight! I was just telling him how awesome his cutie mark is!" Pinkie replied with a large grin. Twilight looked at Brutus and smiled.
"Are you heading off to see Mr. Crop too?" Brutus asked.
"Pretty much," Twilight replied. "I'm anxious to see-"
"If he really did find out the identity of Ms. Dash's killer."
"Yeah."
"Nathan, Iago, and I are just as anxious as you are, Ms. Sparkle. But it seems that Nathan and Iago aren't as anxious as you or I since they went off to have breakfast at the cafe first."
"They did, did they?"
"Yeah. Either that or they went there to spy on your friend, Rarity. Personally, I'm leaning more towards the latter on that one."
"I feel the same way."
"Twilight! Twilight!" called a familiar voice. Twilight, Pinkie, and Brutus looked to see Apple Bloom running towards them.
"Apple Bloom? What's wrong?" Twilight asked.
"Somethin' has happened! At the farm! Somethin' bad has happened to Aaron!"
Twilight and Brutus turned towards each other, looked at Apple Bloom, and then ran off towards Sweet Apple Acres. Pinkie and Apple Bloom were right behind them.
They arrived at the farm shortly to find Applejack sitting awkwardly in front of the barn. It was apparent that she had been crying.
"Applejack? What's happened?" Twilight asked. Applejack looked at Apple Bloom and shook her head. 
"Apple Bloom can't look," she uttered. Apple Bloom began to complain but Applejack stared her down with cold, saddened eyes. "Pinkie Pie...please take Apple Bloom into the house."
Pinkie nodded, patted Apple Bloom on the shoulder, and began leading her back to the house. Nopony there noticed Pinkie look back at the barn with a dark smile on her face. 
"Applejack, what has happened?" Brutus asked. Applejack stood up and looked back at the barn.
"Let me warn you. What you're about to see is...completely and utterly horrible."
The earth pony then turned around and pushed open the barn doors. Twilight gasped and nearly threw up. Brutus ran up to Aaron's decapitated head and looked it straight in the eye.
"Aaron!" he gasped as he ran up to the head. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Fuck!"
Twilight backed up, away from the barn, and began to cry. She then began to say, "He's...he's..," but she couldn't continue. Applejack sat down next to Twilight and the two mares leaned against each other in saddened support. Brutus walked out of the barn, after inspecting the massacre within, and shut the doors.
"Ms. Sparkle, is your dragon assistant awake?" Brutus asked as he attempted to remain calm and collected.
"Spike? He's usually not up this early...but I think there's a chance that he might be," Twilight replied as she attempted to hold back a certain amount of her tears.
"You two head inside the house. I'm going to go have Spike send a message to Canterlot. The Princess is...going to want to hear about this."
Brutus then flapped his wings and took off into the sky. Twilight and Applejack simply remained seated against the gate, the image of Aaron's dead face burned into their minds. 
> The New Arrival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 40: The New Arrival


Aaron awoke to find something warm patting him on the shoulder. He opened his eyes and found himself being observed by a creature that he had never seen before. A peculiar name then popped into his head.
"Human," he breathed. The female human looked down at him and smiled.
"My name's Susie Salmon," said the human. "Your name is Aaron Crop."
"I know what my fucking name is."
"Of course you do. I assume that you also know that you're dead."
Aaron instantly jumped up and examined his surroundings. He was standing in the middle of the Apple family's barn. Everything was quiet and the air had an odorless hue to it. Susie was standing next to him. The girl seemed to give off an otherworldly glow that made Aaron feel warm inside. That's when the memories of the previous night came back to him. The definitive evidence, Pinkie Pie, and everything that had happened. Aaron fell back down to the ground.
"Damn it!" he said angrily. He shook slightly and appeared as if he were about to cry. Susie knelt down next to the unicorn and patted him on the head. 
"It's alright if you want to cry," she said. Aaron looked up at Susie and smiled.
"I'm not a crier."
He stood up again and shook his head. The shaking stopped and he looked back at the human girl with a stern face.
"Who are you exactly?" he asked. Susie stood up and beckoned him to follow her. He nodded his head and the two proceeded to walk out of the barn. Susie beckoned Aaron towards the orchard and he obeyed. The two walked in silence for a few minutes before Aaron cleared his throat politely. "Am I going to get an answer?"
"I'm a victim, like you," she replied. Silence fell among them again. Aaron cleared his throat and Susie turned to him.
"Are you always this quiet?"
"Sometimes. I like the quiet, occasionally. It allows me to think."
"Where are we exactly?"
"Why don't you tell me where you think you are and I'll tell you how close your guess is."
"You certainly like being cryptic."
"I don't think it's fun to have all the answers spoiled at once. I like to see them slowly unravel with the progression of time."
"Well I'm...dead. So this must be the afterlife. But...it doesn't feel complete."
"Correct, Mr. Crop. This is a certain region of the afterlife."
"Is there something else waiting for me out there somewhere?"
"What do you think?"
"I...I'm not sure about what to think anymore."
"Let me put it this way. Do you want there to be something more than just this?"
Aaron looked around and examined the grayish, somewhat foggy landscape of the apple orchard of the dead. He then looked up at the cloud dome and sighed.
"Yeah. I guess I do want something more than this."
"Then it exists. It waits for you on the other side of the dome."
"You've seen it haven't you, Susie Salmon? This...better place."
"I know you'll be there someday. In fact, I believe your day of arrival will be here soon enough. You'll pass on to the next level with everyone...I mean...everypony else."
"There are others?"
"Of course. This town, this gray town of the dead, is home to all of those who have fallen at the hands of Pinkamena Diane Pie."
"They're all here?"
"Yes. Wandering around town without anything left to do really except look back on the world of the living and wish vengeance upon their killer."
"Pinkie Pie...that cunt."
"Pinkie Pie? What did she do?"
"What are you talking about? You just said her name a few seconds ago! Pinkie Pie is the pony who killed all those ponies! She killed Rainbow Dash! She killed...me."
"No...I'm sure that Pinkamena is the one who killed you. Pinkie didn't have anything to do with it."
"What's that supposed to mean?! Pinkie Pie and Pinkamena are the same pony!"
"Are they now?"
"Huh?"
"Are they really the same pony? Is Pinkie Pie really the murderer? I know otherwise."
"What are you going on about?"
"You'll find out soon enough. I suggest heading off into town to talk to Rainbow Dash and the others. I'm sure you have a lot to talk about."
And with that, Susie disappeared. Aaron stood in silence for several seconds. He gave another saddened sigh as a single tear rolled down his face. He closed his eyes and thought about what Susie had said. She sure was a strange creature. What could she have meant by her cryptic messages? How could Pinkie Pie be innocent and be the killer at the same time? That possibility alone was a living contradiction! Aaron stomped his hoof on the ground hard and turned in the direction of town. He walked through the trees until he emerged on the path leading away from Sweet Apple Acres.
Rainbow Dash, Gilda, and Ridley were walking to Sweet Apple Acres. That had an urge to talk to Bellamina and Susie again.
"Do you think they'll be there?" Ridley asked.
"I'm not sure," Rainbow replied. "I hope they are."
"Wait a second," Gilda suddenly said. "Who the hell is that?"
They stopped in their tracks to see an unfamiliar stallion approaching them. They all took a closer look and recognized him. Aaron Crop approached them awkwardly. His face was full of hidden sadness and his eyes looked glassy and almost emotionless. Aaron came to a stop in front of Rainbow, Gilda, and Ridley and sighed.
"Rainbow Dash," he breathed.
"Aaron Crop," said Rainbow. They all stood in silence for a few seconds as the pieces slowly fell into place. "She...she got you too? Didn't she?"
"Yeah...caught me by surprise. It's a shame. I had just found a piece of definitive evidence that could prove that Pinkie Pie was your killer. I can only assume that she destroyed the evidence after she killed me."
"How...how are you taking it?" 
"How am I taking in the fact that I'm dead? It's pretty rough, to be honest, but...that strange girl helped me feel somewhat better."
"What girl?" 
"Susie Salmon. She's called a human, I believe."
Rainbow, Gilda, and Ridley turned towards each other and then looked back at Aaron. 
"You've seen Susie?" Gilda asked. Aaron looked at Gilda as she awkwardly cleared her throat. "Oh...sorry. I'm Gilda and this is Ridley."
Ridley nodded at Aaron and the unicorn nodded back. 
"Sorry about the whole...death thing," Ridley said. Aaron chuckled and gave a small smile.
"You don't have to be sorry. It's not like you killed me right? Though, I'm kind of confused about that topic myself," he said.
"You're confused about who murdered you? It's obvious that Pinkie Pie killed you!" Gilda snapped.
"Susie doesn't seem to think so."
"Huh?" Rainbow asked.
"I said that to Susie and she says that Pinkamena killed you and I but Pinkie Pie didn't. How does that make any sense? Pinkie Pie and Pinkamena are the same pony! But then, she went on to question the fact of whether or not Pinkie Pie and Pinkamena are even the same pony. I tell ya, that human girl is quite a character."
Rainbow fell silent. She thought back to all of her meetings with Bellamina and Susie. They had always been hinting a subtle fact to her. Pinkamena Diane Pie was her killer but did that instantly mean that Pinkie Pie was her killer too? It was a strange thing to question. How could your killer also be innocent of your murder? Then Rainbow thought back to the depressed Pinkie Pie sitting in the middle of the dark void. What did this all mean? Were there two Pinkie Pies? Was it possible? How could it even be possible?! Rainbow sighed and shook her head. 
"Are you alright, Dash?" Gilda asked. 
"Don't worry, Gilda. I'm fine," Rainbow replied. "I'm just trying to line the pieces up."
"Do you believe in that other afterlife, Rainbow Dash?" Aaron asked. Rainbow looked at Aaron and cocked her head. 
"What do you mean?"
"Susie told me that a better world lies beyond those clouds. It's waiting for you and I. Do you believe in it?"
"Of course. I know there's something out there better than this dull town. There has to be."
"Good because I believe in it too."
Rainbow smiled. She then walked forward and gave Aaron a hug. It was awkward but it was also enjoyable. The two ponies separated and continued to look at each other. 
"Does anypony want something to eat?" Ridley asked. "I could use something tasty right about now."
"Yeah," Aaron replied. "Something tasty sounds pretty fucking good." 
> Stormflower in Canterlot
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 41: Stormflower in Canterlot


Stormflower awoke to the sound of her train coming to a grinding halt at Canterlot Station. She quickly got off the train and made her way towards the front gate leading into the city. She stood in awe as she examined the wondrous city that stood before her. She hadn't been to Canterlot that often but she was always amazed when she visited it. Her amazement quickly disappeared as her thoughts returned to the matter at hoof. There was only one mare in this city who could lead her to the stallion she wanted to speak with. 
"Oh, Princess. I hope you can help me," Stormflower breathed as she made her way towards the castle. 
It was early evening and the sky was beginning to glow with a warm, orange hue. Canterlot Castle glistened in the evening sun as Stormflower approached it. A series of guards stood in front of the castle. They stared the female pegasus down with great intensity as she approached them.
"Good evening," she said, hoping to win them over by being friendly.
"What is your purpose for visiting the castle?" asked one of the guards sternly. Stormflower was tempted to roll her eyes but she decided against this action.
"I need to speak with Princess Celestia. It's important."
"The Princess is unavailable at the moment."
"My name's Stormflower. Perhaps some of you have heard of me?"
"Aren't you that author whose written those gardening books?"
"That's me!"
"Sorry. Having a few books under your belt doesn't give you special treatment."
"Please! This isn't just some random visit! I'm here because of an investigation!"
"An investigation of what, exactly?"
"The murder of Rainbow Dash. Perhaps you've heard about that?"
"I believe I have. We've all heard about it."
"Rainbow Dash was my younger sister. I'm here because I want answers. I need to find her killer."
"With all respects, Ms. Stormflower, it's not your job to investigate this. It's the job of the police to look into crimes such as this."
"What's wrong with trying to learn the truth?"
"What exactly does the Princess have that can help you with your investigation?"
"Information about a certain stallion. A stallion who committed a series of heinous murders ten years ago. I believe the murders he committed and the murder and disappearances taking place today are connected."
"Just who is this stallion, exactly?" asked a warm voice. Stormflower looked behind the guards as they turned around. Princess Luna stood in the gateway, examining Stormflower with curiosity.
"Princess Luna," Stormflower breathed.
"Who is this stallion that you speak of, Ms. Stormflower?"
"All I know of him is that he committed several murders ten years ago, he's locked away in an incredibly secure prison, and his name is Rufus."
A few of the older guards shuttered at the mentioning of the name while the younger guards looked on in confusion.
"I've heard my sister mention that name before, though I never heard the full story behind it," Luna explained.
"Please. I need to speak with Princess Celestia," said Stormflower. Luna cocked her head as she thought about the matter at hoof. She then nodded her head and beckoned Stormflower towards the castle. Stormflower smiled and followed the Princess of the Night through the gateway.
The interior of Canterlot Castle was quieter than Stormflower had expected it to be. There seemed to be a grayish hue in the air that made everything...depressing in a sense. 
"Honestly, I expected this place to be a bit livelier," Stormflower admitted with a smirk. Luna chuckled and nodded.
"Yes. Things have been like this since the funeral," Luna explained. A bulge formed in Stormflower's throat. She wanted to cry but she decided to hold back the tears. There was a time and place to cry and she had not arrived at this point yet. The alicorn and the pegasus soon arrived at a pair of large white doors. "This is it. My sister is inside."
The doors slowly opened and Stormflower nodded at Luna before entering. 
The bedroom of Princess Celestia was just as gray and depressing as the rest of the castle. Stormflower instantly knew that something was off and she could easily deduce the reason behind this. Celestia stood by the window. She still emanated an aura of power and grace but something else was emanating from her. An aura of sadness. An aura of fear. An aura of...regret. 
"Princess Celestia?" Stormflower asked. Celestia turned around to face her guest. 
"Stormflower. Rainbow Dash's sister," she said. Stormflower nodded. Celestia tried to smile but found that she could not. "I remember seeing you at the funeral. I don't believe we were formerly introduced."
"No. I'm sorry that I didn't greet you, Princess. I had-"
"Other things to think about. I understand completely."
The two mares fell silent as they proceeded to stare at each other with saddened expressions.
"Tell me. What is it that you want to request of me?" Celestia asked. Stormflower cleared her throat but still felt the bulge return.
"I...I need you to lead me to a certain...stallion," she replied. Celestia cocked her head and slowly approached Stormflower.
"And who exactly is this stallion?"
"A monster."
"A monster?"
"Yes. Ten years ago, he killed many innocent young ponies. His name is Rufus."
Celestia shuttered upon hearing the name. Her eyes glistened with the tears of past sadness.
"Yes. I know exactly who you're talking about. It's not easy...to forget about what he did," Celestia said. "Tell me, why do you wish to find him?"
"I just...want to talk to him."
"Why would you want to talk to a monster such as him?"
"I believe...I believe that there may be a connection of sorts between his crimes and Rainbow Dash's murder."
"You think so?"
"Yes. For some reason, this feels right. I feel that...I need to speak with him."
"I must warn you. He is not a pleasant pony to have a conversation with. Most of what he says is pretty...disturbing."
"Princess. A few days ago, I saw my sister's body, defiled and turned into a taxidermy puppet. A fucked up serial killer with disturbing words is nothing compared to that."
"I understand. I shall schedule an appointment with the prison for you to have a meeting with him tomorrow. You can stay in the castle tonight. It is no problem for Luna or I."
"Thank you, Princess."
"Come. I will show you to your room."
Celestia began making her way out of the room but she came to a stop next to Stormflower.
"Your sister really cared for you. Do you know that?" she asked. Stormflower looked up at the Princess and smiled.
"Yes. I know that very well," Stormflower replied.
"I do hope that you enjoy the final gift that she had prepared for you."
"Wait...what final gift?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
Celestia smiled as she began making her way down the hallway. Stormflower, though confused, followed suit. The sun set underneath the horizon as the doors to Celestia's bedroom slowly closed. 
> Taking the Helm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 42: Taking the Helm


The murder of Aaron Crop was the talk of the town by the morning following the brutal discovery. Fear and uncertainty swept through the streets and many ponies began to question the loyalties of their own friends and family. Sweet Apple Acres was practically shut down as the Apple Family found themselves as the target of the town's suspicions. 
"It just seems strange doesn't it?" they would say. "Is it possible that a member of the Apple Family is the killer?"
"No!" others would say. "It's unthinkable. The possibility of Applejack or any of her family members being the killer is as likely as the possibility of Pinkie Pie being a mass murderer!"
Pinkie Pie hid away in her room and watched as suspicion and questions tore the town apart from the inside-out. The weather schedule took a turn for the worse and now the town was caught in a dark, gray shroud. A lot of the weather ponies refused to work, partly due to depression based around Rainbow Dash's death and partly due to the fear that one of their own friends could be the killer. There were many questions floating about the air, but one thing was certain: the killer was a Ponyville native at least. 
Twilight and Spike sat glumly on the train station platform. They had received a note from Joan a little while ago stating that he, Sunkick, and Scootaloo would be returning to Ponyville. The gray morning hue didn't make the unicorn or the dragon feel any better.
"How are you holding up?" Spike asked.
"Not really well, Spike," Twilight replied. "Our world is collapsing around us. There's a killer in our midst and who knows who will be next to die? Rainbow Dash...Aaron...I feel that there must have been a way to save their lives."
"Before Rainbow Dash's disappearance, there wasn't even any knowledge of a killer in Ponyville."
"I know. That's what sickens me the most. That many ponies fell at the hands of some sick monster and none of us even noticed."
"Do you think that they're ever going to be caught? Rainbow Dash and Aaron's killer?"
"I'm not really sure, Spike. I was definitely more optimistic about it a couple days ago. But now...everything has fallen apart."
"Don't give up, Twilight! I believe you can catch the pony who did it! I know you can!"
Twilight chuckled and patted Spike on the head.
"Thank you, Spike."
She looked away from Spike and looked towards the pillar of train smoke in the distance. An image of Pinkie Pie slowly appeared in Twilight's mind. Then she remembered the Pinkie Pie that she saw in the hospital. The one with the straight hair and the sunken eyes. She shivered at the thought. She remembered Aaron's suspicions of Pinkie Pie. And then there was the strange visions she had experienced. Could it be possible? Was...was Pinkie Pie really the killer? She couldn't be. Twilight felt the sudden urge to throw up. The mere thought of the possibility of one of her friends being a mass murderer made her sick to her stomach.
"Are you sick, Twilight?" Spike asked. "You look a bit...green."
"I'm fine. This weather isn't doing anything good for me," Twilight replied. Her mind then floated back to an image she had received mentally following her encounter with Rainbow's spirit. A mound of dirt located somewhere in Sweet Apple Acres. "Something's there. I know there is."
"Huh?"
"Oh! Sorry, Spike! I was just thinking out loud!"
A train whistle echoed from the distance. Twilight and Spike watched as the train slowly chugged its way into the station. It came to a halt with a loud hiss and a series of ponies disembarked. Sunkick, Joan, and Scootaloo were one of the first to get off.
"Is it just me or are things a lot more depressing around here?" Joan asked as he approached Twilight.
"It's not just you. Trust me," Twilight replied. "Where's Stormflower?"
"She went off by herself in order to find a certain somepony," Sunkick replied.
"Who?" 
"A murderer locked away in a prison."
"Is it the same killer who murdered Pinkie Pie's sister, Bellamina?"
Joan's eyes widened as he asked, "How did you-"
"Irena told me about it after you four left."
"Oh. Well, yeah. Stormflower's gone off to talk to Bellamina's killer."
"For what reason?"
"Answers, I guess. She's trying to find the connection between Rufus's crimes and Rainbow Dash's murder."
"Joan...there's a reason why everything's depressing around town, even more so than how things were following Rainbow Dash's funeral."
"What is it then?"
"There's been another murder."
"WHAT?!" asked Sunkick, Joan, and Scootaloo together.
"Who was it?" Sunkick asked.
"Aaron Crop," Twilight replied sadly.
"That investigator that you were working with?" Joan asked.
"The very same. Applejack discovered him yesterday morning in the barn. His body was-"
Twilight looked down at Scootaloo and fell silent. A look of annoyance formed on Scootaloo's face.
"Come on! You can tell me the details!" Scootaloo protested.
"No, Scootaloo," said Sunkick. "You're too young to hear about graphic deaths."
"That's what everypony says!"
Scootaloo then turned away from the group and ran off towards Sweet Apple Acres.
"Scootaloo!" Spike called.
"Let her go," said Twilight as she looked at Spike and Sunkick. 
"Kind of over-dramatic," said Sunkick.
"I don't think this is the only thing she's upset about," said Joan. Twilight nodded.
"Yeah. She completely worshiped Rainbow Dash," she explained.  
"It must be tough, losing an idol like that."
"It's tough for all of us."
"But we'll get through it!" Sunkick exclaimed. Twilight, Joan, and Spike nodded in agreement. "How are my parents doing?"
"Alright. They've bummed around town and have gotten to know the locals. They're still grieving though," Twilight replied. 
"I should probably go see them."
Twilight, Sunkick, Joan, and Spike made their way out of the station. 
"I'm going to head off to Sugar Cube Corner," said Joan. "I want to visit Pinkie and Irena."
Joan headed off towards Sugar Cube Corner and Twilight, Sunkick, and Spike made their way towards the cloud home that was once owned by Rainbow Dash.
They were halfway there when they ran across a familiar white pegasus.
"Brutus!" said Twilight.
"Morning, Ms. Sparkle. I'm just heading over to the crime scene," Brutus replied. "I've taking the helm as leader of this investigation."
"At least somepony's still willing to try and solve this case."
"Yeah. None of the other investigators would take the leadership position. I think they're all afraid that they might end up like Aaron if they did."
"Are you afraid?" Sunkick asked. Brutus sighed and shook his head.
"I'm not sure. A part of me certainly is but a larger part of me really wants to solve this case. I don't want Aaron or Rainbow Dash's deaths to go unpunished."
"Me neither. We will find the killer," Twilight said.
"Definitely," said Sunkick. Spike looked at Twilight and Sunkick, smiled, and nodded his head. Brutus smiled and gave a quick nod. 
"So what's everypony nodding about?!" asked a familiar happy-go-lucky voice. Everypony turned to see Pinkie Pie standing about a foot away from Brutus. 
"Hey Pinkie Pie," said Twilight awkwardly. Sunkick looked at the pink earth pony and felt a sharp pain rush through his body. 
"Nice morning isn't it?"
"I guess," said Spike. "I think it could look nicer."
Sunkick's vision focused entirely on Pinkie's body. His bones turned to jello and his body felt like it was a bubbling vat of pudding. He then felt himself leave his body and fly straight into Pinkie's mind. 
A dark void of nothingness awaited him. The air around him was cold and yet his insides were burning up. A saddened Pinkie Pie emerged from the darkness. Sunkick looked at her and cocked his head.
"Pinkie Pie?" he asked. Pinkie Pie turned around and Sunkick screamed. Half of Pinkie's face was missing. Blood was flowing from the gaping hole in the front of her head and tears were streaming out of her one, remaining eyeball. 
"I'm rotting on the inside," she said with a gurgling voice. "She's killing me. She's killing everypony."
Sunkick backed up as the half-faced Pinkie walked closer. Her body slowly began to fall apart. Skin tore off, blood seeped from new cuts in her body, and her hairs turned gray and brittle. 
"Get the hell away from me!" Sunkick yelled. He turned around and ran deeper and deeper into the void of darkness. He then found himself in the middle of a room consisting of nothing but walls made up of gray stones. There were no windows and no doors. A single light hung from the ceiling, which created a circle of light in the center of the room. Sunkick watched as Pinkie emerged from the darkness. She was covered with blood, only it wasn't her own. Her hair was straight and a sadistic smile was etched onto her face. 
"Hello there!" she said happily. "Have you come to visit me?"
An axe materialized in Pinkie's mouth and she slowly trudged her way towards Sunkick. The half-faced Pinkie emerged from the darkness and also began making her way towards him.
"Get away! Get the fuck away from me!" Sunkick ordered as he tried to find some way out of the room. It was no use. He was trapped.
"Why would you want to leave?" asked the two Pinkies. "Why don't you stay and play with us? Forever...and ever...and ever...and ever."
Suddenly, a bright light flooded the room and the two Pinkies screamed. The light burned their bodies and reduced them to piles of ashes. Sunkick looked as a third Pinkie Pie appeared from the light. She looked sad but she gave off an aura of happiness and comfort. 
"Sunkick," she said as she extended one of her hooves. Sunkick was somewhat skeptical about whether or not he could trust this Pinkie but, seeing as she was the only way out of this room, he really didn't have a choice. He approached the glowing Pinkie and grabbed her hoof. There was a flash of light and the dark room disappeared. 
Sunkick then found himself standing on the edge of a hill overlooking Ponyville. Pinkie was standing next to him. It didn't take Sunkick long to realize that something was off. Ponyville seemed grayer and foggier than normal and a large cloud dome extended over the surrounding area like a curtain.
"What is this?" Sunkick asked. He looked at Pinkie, expecting a response. The pink pony looked down and sighed.
"This is where they all end up," she replied.
"Huh?"
"This is where they go...when they die."
It was just then that Sunkick heard a series of footsteps from behind him. He and Pinkie turned around to see a young, gray filly running towards them. She came to a halt about ten feet from where they were standing.
"It's you...it's really you!" the filly said with a hopeful tone. Tears slowly began pouring from Pinkie's eyes.
"Yes, Bellamina. It's me," she replied. Bellamina smiled and looked at Sunkick. 
"Sunkick. We've met before."
Sunkick looked at Bellamina in shock. Was this the Bellamina? The filly that had been murdered ten years previously? How could they have met before? Another series of footsteps began emanating from the bottom of the hill. Bellamina looked at Pinkie and then disappeared. 
Three ponies and a griffin ran up the hill towards Sunkick and Pinkie. They came to a halt when they realized who was waiting there for them. Sunkick's eyes widened. There, standing a few feet away, was Rainbow Dash and Aaron Crop. They were accompanied by a stallion and a female griffin whom Sunkick had never seen before.
"S...Sunkick?! P...Pinkie Pie?!" Rainbow gasped. Aaron, the stallion, and the griffin glared at Pinkie angrily. Pinkie looked down towards the ground and wept. 
"Dash," Sunkick breathed. Everything fell silent. Rainbow began to approach them but Aaron pulled her back.
"You fucking bitch!" Aaron snapped as he glared at Pinkie angrily. Sunkick looked at Pinkie to see that she was crying a practical ocean of tears. 
"I wish...that I never remembered...that day," Pinkie said as she looked up.
"What?" Sunkick asked. Suddenly, Sunkick felt something take a hold of his shoulder. 
"Susie!" Rainbow gasped. Sunkick looked up to see a strange, female creature looking down at him. The creature turned to Pinkie and grabbed a hold of one of her shoulders.
"Pinkamena is breaking the link. It's time for you two to go back to where you came from, for now," Susie said sternly.
"No! Susie! Please! Sunkick!"
Rainbow pushed Aaron aside and charged towards Sunkick. Sunkick tried to run towards Rainbow but found Susie's grip to be too strong to escape.
"RAINBOW DASH!" Sunkick cried as he extended his front hooves. Rainbow jumped towards him. Their hooves were about to touch when the world around Sunkick faded. Rainbow, Aaron, and their friends disappeared, Susie disappeared, and Pinkie disappeared. The ground beneath Sunkick collapsed and he fell down into the never-ending pit. Sunkick then felt a sharp pain and his eyes shot wide open. 
"I wish the weather ponies would at least give us some happier weather so that we wouldn't feel as shitty as we do right now," said Brutus with a smirk. Sunkick looked and saw that he was back in the  Ponyville that he knew, standing with Twilight, Spike, Pinkie Pie, and Brutus.
"At least it's not as hot as it was a month ago," Twilight said.
"Are you okay, Sunkick? You look a bit...off," said Spike. Sunkick looked down at the dragon and nodded.
"Don't worry," he replied.. He looked at Pinkie and suddenly thought about the bloody Pinkie from his vision. "I'm...just fine." He gave a forced chuckle and began to slowly back away. "I'm going to go check on my parents."
Twilight watched as the yellow pegasus took off. She instantly got that feeling that told her that something was off...though nowadays it wasn't that strange since she got it almost every day now.
"I better be heading off then," said Brutus as he gave a polite nod to Twilight, Pinkie, and Spike. He then began walking off towards Sweet Apple Acres. 
"I guess I'll be seeing you around, Twilight!" said Pinkie happily as she trotted off towards the center of town. Spike looked up at Twilight and cocked his head.
"Why do I get the feeling that things are getting...stranger?" he asked.
"That's because that's exactly what's happening," Twilight replied ominously. 
> Rufus
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 43: Rufus


Stormflower woke up to a ray of morning sunlight piercing through her bedroom window. It had always been her dream to spend a night in Canterlot Castle, but she wished she could have been in Canterlot for another reason rather than coming to visit a pony who once had a career of murdering children. Stormflower pulled herself out of bed and walked towards the door. She opened it to find herself confronted by a pair of guards.
"Did you sleep well, Ms. Stormflower?" asked the pegasus guard. 
"Yes, I did," Stormflower replied awkwardly. "What are you-"
"We're here to make sure that nothing happened to you while you sleep."
"Well, thank you very much but I don't think that was necessary."
"These are dark and strange times. You, of all ponies, should know that."
Stormflower sighed and nodded. 
"The Princesses will meet you at the front of the castle in about an hour. That is when you will go and talk to the prisoner."
"Thank you."
The guards nodded and trotted away. Stormflower closed the door and headed towards the bathroom to get herself ready. 
An hour later, Stormflower was making her way down to the front entrance. The aura in Canterlot had a happier hue to it than the rock farms but it was still somewhat grayish. She spotted Celestia and Luna waiting for her by the front gate and she quickly made her way towards them.
"Good morning, Ms. Stormflower," said Luna happily. 
"Good morning, your majesties," Stormflower replied as she gave a quick bow. 
"Are you ready to talk to him?" Celestia asked. Stormflower nodded. Celestia then beckoned Stormflower to follow her. 
Stormflower followed Celestia and Luna to the edge of Canterlot, where a small pub was located. The pub was mostly empty, save a few unconscious ponies and a bartender.
"Morning, your majesties," said the bartender. 
"Good morning, Sal," said Celestia and Luna together. Sal looked at Stormflower and examined her with his abnormally large eyes.
"So this is the one you told me about?"
"Yes," Celestia replied.
"She doesn't look like the type of pony who would want anything to do with old Rufus."
"It's not wise to judge ponies by their appearances," said Stormflower. Celestia smiled and Luna giggled.
"Too true, Madame. Too true."
"Pardon me, but I'm confused. I thought Rufus was held in a maximum security prison? This is just an old pub."
"Like ponies, you should never judge places by appearance."
Sal walked over to a nearby door and opened it. He beckoned Stormflower inside. Stormflower turned to the Princesses and they simply nodded. She gulped and followed Sal into the next room.
The room behind the door was empty except for a single chair, a dusty table, a single window, and a peculiar, glass box standing in the middle of the room. The box was big enough to allow at least two ponies inside. Sal approached the box and opened one of the sides.
"Well, here it is," he said. Stormflower examined the box nervously.
"What is that?" she asked.
"It's the visitor's entrance. You get in the box and I send you down for your conversation."
"How long do I have?"
"The limit is three hours, though I highly doubt that you'll be able to last that amount of time with him."
"He's really that bad to be around?"
"You know what he's locked up for, right? Ponies like that aren't right in the head. This pony has a lot to say and none of it is pleasant to hear. Are you sure that you want to go through with this?"
Stormflower walked into the glass box and tapped on the interior wall.
"Damn right, I am!" she said confidently. Sal smiled and closed the door. 
"Good luck," he said as he walked over to the side of the room. A red button popped out of the wall and Sal proceeded to press it. The entire box shook and began to lower itself into the ground.
"An elevator," Stormflower breathed. "Of course."
The box disappeared under the floor and a single light turned on above Stormflower. At least three minutes passed before the box finally came to a stop at the bottom of the shaft. The door flung open and Stormflower exited. She was now in the middle of a concrete room lit up with white lights. She turned and saw that one of the walls was made entirely of magically-enhanced glass. A single cushion was placed about a foot from the glass wall. Stormflower approached the cushion and sat down. The room on the other side of the glass was almost completely dark. Just then, a guard's voice echoed from a speaker. 
"Prisoner #874 entering the visiting chamber," said the guard. A door in the other room opened and a shadowy figure entered. Stormflower gulped.
"This is it. Don't be afraid. Be strong. Be strong for Rainbow Dash," she said to herself as the door in the other room closed shut. Stormflower watched as the shadowy figure trudged its way over to the glass wall. Soon, the figure was completely bathed in the light emanating from Stormflower's room. The figure was a stallion with a gray coat, a cutie mark of three red balloons, a skinny structure, a light-blue patient's outfit, and matted brown hair that covered his entire face. The only parts of his face that Stormflower could make out were his two bright, red eyes. Stormflower shivered as an eerie chuckle began emanating from the speaker above her. The stallion sat down on his respective cushion and proceeded to stare Stormflower down, refusing to blink at all.
"You...you're Rufus. Aren't you?" Stormflower asked. The stallion nodded and chuckled again. Silence fell between the two ponies. Stormflower didn't know what to say next. She simply beckoned for Rufus to say something.
"It's not often that I get visitors," he said with an almost lustful tone. "I've missed talking to other ponies."
"You don't talk to others much?"
"Why should I? The ponies in here are not the ones I wish to speak with. They're either strict and stern or mad and completely impossible to understand. I miss my friends."
"There's a reason why you're in here, you know."
"Oh? And I'm supposed to assume that you know the reason why I'm locked in here like an animal?"
"You're a monster. I know what you did ten years ago. You kidnapped, tortured, and killed children. As far as I'm concerned, I'm glad that you're in here."
"You sound like a bitch. Did you know that?"
Stormflower fell silent. This was certainly not going the way she wanted it to.
"Look, I'm not here to play a game of twenty insults. I'm here to ask some questions."
"Really? I have some questions for you as well."
"I'm asking the questions here! You just give me the answers!"
"Tell you what. How about for every question you ask me, I get to ask you a question as well? Is that fair?"
"What if I refuse?"
"Then we sit here in silence until our time runs out."
Stormflower groaned. There was no other option. She would have to play his question game if she wanted any answers from him.
"Alright. I guess it sounds fair enough."
"Goodie. Well, mares first."
Stormflower wanted to ask him about Pinkie Pie, but another question popped into her mind.
"Why...why did you do it? Why did you kill all of those innocent children?"
Rufus rolled his eyes, sighed, and said, "Many ponies have asked me that question. Not one of them has been satisfied with the answer."
"Try me," Stormflower challenged.
"I wanted to play with them and ultimately make them feel happier than I could ever be."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"See! I told you that you wouldn't be satisfied!"
"Okay, fine! I'm not satisfied! What do you mean by that, exactly?"
"Ah! Remember! You ask me a question and I ask you a question."
"Okay then. What's your question?"
"Do you masturbate?"
"What?!"
"Do you masturbate? It's a simple yes or no question."
"What the fu...of course not!"
"Are you sure that you're telling me the whole truth, Stormflower?"
"How...what...huh?!"
"The guard told me your name, by the way. I just decided to tell you that so that you wouldn't waste any of your future questions on that. Now, Stormflower, do you masturbate?"
"NO!"
"You're lying."
"No I'm not! Why would I masturbate? I have no reason to do such a thing!"
"Hmm...okay then. I guess I'll take that answer, for now."
Stormflower had the sudden urge to break through the glass and kick Rufus right in the groin. How dare he ask her such a question! Well, the others did warn her about how screwed up he was. She might as well continue his game so that she could get some answers.
"What did you mean by what you said earlier about making them happy?" she asked.
"This world is a fucked up place, Stormflower," Rufus replied.
"Yeah. No shit."
"Anyway, this world is a sad and depressing place. Lots of the ponies I helped had some pretty depressing lives. I merely wanted to play with them and make them happy. You see, I've had a really sad life. I just wanted to make them feel happy forever."
"Butchering and killing isn't the right way to make a child happy."
"What do you know? You have quite some nerve to challenge my logic. From my point of view, you're just some random bitch who's appeared out of the clear blue to ask me a series of questions about my choices in life! Why the fuck are you here anyway?"
"I'm taking that last statement as your next question."
"What? Oh...dammit! Hmm...nice work. You're pretty sleazy yourself, Stormflower."
Stormflower sighed. She was thankful that he slipped up. At least she was two questions away from another question that probably involved topics that she preferred to not discuss.
"I'm here because my younger sister, Rainbow Dash, was murdered."
"Oh. My condolences."
"Bullshit. Anyway, I'm here because I want to find her killer, and what better place to get info about finding a killer than from an actual killer?"
"Interesting. You're certainly more intelligent that what you appear to be. But you're still pretty bitchy."
"Tell me, Rufus. Do you remember two young fillies by the names of Pinkie Pie and Bellamina?"
"Do I? Of course I do. Bella, the last pony I played with. I would have gotten to play with Pinkie Pie too if that pony hadn't ratted me out."
"Joan Silver."
"That's the fucker! He ruined everything! Everything was going perfectly! Then he had to come along and destroy it all! So many young, sad ponies out there! All of them unable to be cured by me! It's all his fault! If I ever get out of here, I'll make sure to play with him next!"
"Well too bad! You're in here for life! You might as well accept that fact!"
"I wonder what Pinkie Pie is doing now."
"She's doing fine."
"Really? How is she? What's her life like?"
Rufus leaned in closer to the glass wall. A lustful gleam appeared in his eyes. Stormflower gulped as she prepared to answer.
"She lives in a bakery with a nice family now. She doesn't remember anything about you or what you did to Bellamina ten years ago," Stormflower replied. Rufus leaned back and pouted.
"Fucking cunt. She couldn't spare a few brain cells to remember me?" he snapped. 
"No. Nopony would ever want to think about what you did."
"Oh spare me the riot act, Princess. I've heard it enough already."
"My sister was disemboweled and turned into a taxidermy puppet. She was killed in an eerily similar way to the way you killed your victims. Tell me, is there a chance that, maybe, Pinkie Pie is the killer?"
"Hmm...that's very...interesting. It seems that our dear, little, pink friend may remember me after all."
"Huh?"
"It seems there may be somepony out there continuing my work. I would assume that the best candidate for my successor would be none other than dear little Pinkie."
Stormflower stood up and looked back at the glass door. Something was telling her that that was all she needed to hear.
"Uh...thank you. That's all I needed to hear for now," she said. She turned around to leave when Rufus banged on the glass.
"Hey! I still get to ask you one final question!" he snapped. Stormflower gulped and turned around.
"What is it?"
"Your sister is gone. Is there anypony else left that you truly care about greatly?"
Stormflower looked at Rufus with surprise. She had expected another sexual or disturbing question. She wasn't really prepared for this. Suddenly, five ponies materialized in Stormflower's mind.
"My parents, my brother, Joan Silver, and Scootaloo," she replied. Rufus glared at her.
"You're in love with Joan Silver," he sated darkly.
"Yes...yes I am."
"Enjoy your little fuck sessions with him while you can. I may just get out of here one day. And if I do, he's number one on my list."
"Well, you'll have to get through me first, asshole."
Rufus gave one last laugh as Stormflower turned around and walked back into the glass elevator. The door shut and the elevator rose up towards the pub. 
Celestia and Luna were sitting quietly in the pub when Stormflower returned.
"How did it go?" Luna asked.
"I hope to never talk to that psychopath ever again," Stormflower replied.
"She actually lasted longer than I thought she would," Sal admitted.
"Never judge a pony by their looks," said Celestia happily.
"So did you get your questions answered?" Luna asked. 
"In a sense. I'm not sure about a lot of things at the moment but there is one thing that I know for certain," Stormflower replied.
"And what is that?" Celestia asked.
"I need to return to Ponyville as soon as possible."
> The Birth of Pinkamena Diane Pie
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 44: The Birth of Pinkamena Diane Pie


Rainbow Dash and Aaron sat on the Overlook by themselves. Gilda and Ridley had headed back to town for a bit but would be returning shortly. 
"How are you holding up?" Aaron asked. Rainbow sighed and lowered her head. "I see. What do you think that was all about, anyway?"
"I'm not sure. I've made contact with Sunkick before but it's never been like this. His spirit has never come to visit me before!" she replied.
"It looks like his sixth sense is getting stronger."
"I thought you didn't believe in any of that sixth sense stuff."
"Being murdered does a lot to a pony. I see the world in a completely different light now."
"If only Susie hadn't come."
Rainbow clenched her teeth. She began feeling a vat of rage bubbling inside her. Why did Susie have to come and interrupt her reunion with her brother? Why were Bellamina and her always so secretive?! Why? Just why?!
"I can see that you're pretty pissed off," Aaron chuckled. Rainbow gave another sigh and relaxed her muscles. 
"I shouldn't be lingering on feelings like that. I'm sure Susie has her reasons," said Rainbow.
"She's quite the character."
"Definitely."
"You didn't seem all that angry when Pinkie Pie appeared."
"There was something off about the Pinkie Pie we saw. She seemed...sad."
"It's probably just an act."
"It doesn't make any sense. How did Pinkie appear here as well? The Pinkie I see in the world of the living makes me feel angry and scared. The Pinkie that we just recently saw made me feel...happy."
"Happy?"
"Yeah. She was sad but she had this somewhat happy aura to her. It's like I was seeing a friend whom I haven't seen in many years. It was strange. It's almost as if there's more than one Pinkie Pie in this picture."
"What if there is?"
Aaron stood up and stretched his legs.
"I'm heading back down to town. I guess I'll catch you later," he said.
"Alright. See you later," Rainbow sighed. Aaron then walked down the hill, leaving Rainbow by herself. 
Everything fell silent once more and Rainbow rolled over on her back. She watched as the clouds in the dome swirled around and around like cake batter until she heard somepony approaching. She sat up to see Bellamina walking towards her.
"I think it's time for the last part of the story to be told to you," she said. Rainbow stood up and nodded. 
"It's about time. I want to understand what's going on," she said. Bellamina smiled and looked towards the cloudy sky above. Rainbow closed her eyes as something cold wrapped around her. Her eyes then flung open and she found herself in a hospital room. A seven-year-old Pinkie Pie was lying down in the hospital bed. Her eyes were glassy and lifeless and her face was completely devoid of emotion. The door to the hospital room flung open and in walked a ten-year-old Irena and a fourteen-year-old Joan. 
"She's still the same," said Irena as she sat down next to the bed.
"I wonder when she'll wake up," Joan pondered as he looked into Pinkie's eyes. Irena looked at Joan and smiled. 
"Thank you, for being there for my parents and I."
"It's no problem. Bellamina was my friend. I still can't believe that she's gone."
"Yeah. Me neither."
"It's been three months already. The doctors say that this isn't a coma and yet she's still so...distant."
Joan and Irena looked at the silent Pinkie. Her hair was straight and her eyes continued to look straight into nothing.
"Joan, do you think she'll ever return to normal?" Irena asked. Joan sighed.
"I can't really be sure about anything. It's unpredictable when she'll revert to the way she was," he replied. 
"It looks like there won't be any more Pinkie Pie parties for a long time."
"Yeah. I guess not."
"Party?" Pinkie asked. Joan and Irena nearly jumped out of their seats. 
"Pinkie Pie!" Irena gasped. Pinkie looked at Joan and Irena as a massive grin formed on her face. Her hair suddenly reverted to its fluffy, bouncy state and a stream of color seemed to flow into her like a river. Pinkie jumped out of the covers and wrapped her sister and friend in a huge hug.
"How are you two doing? What's this about a party? Can I help? I always love helping out with parties! We'll have to invite everypony we know! I can't wait to tell Bella about it! She's going to be so happy!"
Joan and Irena exchanged confused glances.
"Pinkie, how are you feeling?" Joan asked.
"Great! I've never felt better!" she announced. "Where's Mom and Dad? Where am I? Where's Bella?"
"Pinkie," Irena breathed. "Bellamina...she's...she's-"
"Sleeping!" Joan lied. 
"Huh?" Pinkie asked. 
"She's asleep. We'll take you to meet with her later! You're in a hospital right now, Pinkie. You just bumped your head on something!"
"Oh. That makes sense. I guess that explains the pain in my head."
"Right! Well, Irena and I are going to head off and tell your parents that you're awake!"
"Okie-dokie-lokie!"
Joan pulled Irena aside and pulled her ear close to his mouth.
"I think it's best for now that we not tell Pinkie about Bellamina," he whispered. "At least until she's had a little bit of time to recover."
"I guess," said Irena. Rainbow watched as the scene faded into a blur of blotchy colors. Everything soon came back into focus. She was now standing in Pinkie's bedroom in Sugar Cube Corner. A 16-year-old Pinkie Pie entered the room. She looked like she had just come from a huge party. 
"That was fun!" she said. Gummy was sitting on her bed, looking at her with his emotionless face. Pinkie suddenly cried out as a sharp pain shot through her skull. "Ow! What the hay was that?"
Pinkie tried to make her way over to her bed, but another pain shot through her head and she blacked out. 
The scene faded and now it was the morning. It was several weeks later and Pinkie Pie was in bed, though she looked horrible. Her hair was messier than usual, there were large bags under her eyes, and she looked sick to her stomach. She suddenly jumped out of bed and ran over to a nearby wastebasket, where she lost the contents of her stomach.
"What a nightmare!" she gasped. Rainbow suddenly received a quick image of Pinkie being surrounded by a crowd of rotting ponies. "When is this going to stop?!"
The scene faded and now it was the middle of the night, three days later. Pinkie was lying in her bed and was tossing and turning like mad. She then let out a frightened yelp as she woke up. Tears began rolling down her cheeks and she proceeded to weep.
"No! No! Dashie! No!" she cried. Pinkie wiped the tears from her eyes and looked over at Gummy, who was sound asleep. "This has gone on for long enough! I'm going to visit Twilight tomorrow and see if she can help me out with these nightmares!"
The scene faded and Rainbow was now standing in Twilight's library. Twilight was busy reading a book about the history of Equestria when there was a knock on the door. 
"Coming!" she said. Twilight closed the book and walked over to the door. She opened it to be confronted by a weak and tired Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie Pie. You look...tired."
"Be honest with me, Twilight. I look horrible," she said. She trudged through the door and fell onto one of Twilight's cushions.
"What's the problem?"
"I've been having horrible nightmares for several weeks now! I thought I could control them but they just keep coming back!"
"Nightmares huh? I think I know a spell that can help you out with this whole nightmare problem of yours."
Twilight walked over to a nearby bookcase and pulled out a purple book. She flipped through the pages until she came across a particular spell. 
"Okay, Pinkie. Come over here," she said. Pinkie stood up and approached Twilight. Twilight's horn began to glow. "This should stop your nightmares."
Twilight placed her horn on Pinkie's forehead and there was a quick flash of light. Pinkie flew back and hit the ground. 
"Pinkie!" Twilight cried. Pinkie suddenly returned to the vibrant, happy pony that she normally was.
"Thanks, Twilight!" she said as she stood up. "I feel a whole lot better now!"
"That's great! Okay. Try to sleep well tonight. If you still have nightmares, then come back to me."
"Okie-dokie-lokie!"
The scene faded and now Rainbow was back in Pinkie's room. It was late evening and it was several days later. Pinkie trotted into her room happily.
"No nightmares for six days! I'm loving it!" she said as she fell back on her bed. Suddenly a sharp pain shot through her skull. Pinkie twitched violently on the bed as her head vibrated with pain. "No! NO! R...Rufus! Please...don't hurt her! Don't kill her! Be...Bella! Bellamina! No! No! NO!"
The pain went away and Pinkie sat up. Tears began rolling down her cheeks. She remembered. She remembered everything about what had happened almost nine years previously. Rufus, Bellamina, and what had happened in the cabin in the woods. 
"It's sad, isn't it?" said a voice from within Pinkie's head. The voice sounded a lot like Pinkie Pie's only it was colder, sterner, and somewhat seductive.
"Who the hay said that?!" Pinkie asked as she wiped the tears away.
"It's me, Pinkie. I'm Pinkamena Diane Pie."
"But...that's my full name!"
"Exactly. I am you, and yet I am not."
"Where are you?"
"I'm inside you, deep within the confines of your sugar-coated mind."
"Excuse me, but you're kind of causing a bit of pain in my head so could you please just go?"
"Sorry, Pinkie. But I can't do that. Your friend's spell allowed you to remember what that fucker did to our sister all those years ago."
"Twilight?"
"Yes. I should thank her sometime. Her spell may have gotten rid of your nightmares, but it's brought back the memory of Bellamina's death and thus I'm here to give you comfort."
"I have friends to give me comfort! I...I don't need you!"
"Too bad. It looks like we're stuck together for life, Pinkie Pie."
The scene faded and Rainbow was now standing in Sugar Cube Corner. Pinkie Pie was sitting at a table with Twilight and a past Rainbow Dash. 
"So what have you two been up to recently?" Twilight asked. Past Rainbow giggled and exchanged a devious glare with Pinkie. 
"We've been able to pull a few more awesome pranks on some unsuspecting ponies!" Past Rainbow replied.
"It's been really fun!" Pinkie giggled. 
"You two and your pranks," Twilight sighed with a smile. The three ponies then laughed.
"They look so happy," said Pinkamena. "Too happy. They think you're stupid, Pinkie. You're just a joke to them." Pinkie tried to ignore Pinkamena but her influence was too strong. "Why don't we just kill them to shut them up?"
"NO!" Pinkie cried as she punched herself in the face. She fell back and Past Rainbow and Twilight rushed to her side. 
"Are you alright, Pinkie Pie?" Past Rainbow asked. 
"Huh? Don't worry. I'm fine."
"What was that about?" Twilight asked.
"Nothing! Nothing at all!"
The scene faded and now Rainbow was back in Pinkie's bedroom. Pinkie was walking in circles, a look of fear was etched onto her face. 
"I want you to go away, Pinkamena!" Pinkie snapped. "You want me to do horrible things to other ponies! I won't do them! No matter how loud you scream, I won't do them!"
"Think about how much fun it will be!" Pinkamena said.
"Cutting ponies up isn't funny! It's sick!"
"Aren't we all sick on the inside? We can only find true happiness if we allow ourselves to delve into that...mad side."
"Shut up, Pinkamena! Go away and never come back!"
"Where am I supposed to go then? I exist inside of you! You cannot escape me and I cannot leave you! We're bound forever, Pinkie Pie."
"No!"
Pinkie fell back on her bed and began to cry a river of tears.
"Oh. Don't be so sad, Pinkie Pie. How about this? Why don't you kill an easy target and I'll make the pain in your head go away?" Pinkamena suggested.
"No. I'll never kill another pony," Pinkie replied.
"Then perhaps a small animal? Fluttershy cares for a lot of animals. I'm sure she wouldn't notice if one of them went missing."
"No! Stop it! Leave me alone!"
The scene faded and now Rainbow was standing in Sweet Apple Acres in the afternoon. Pinkie and Applejack were standing under a shaded tree.
"Thanks for helping me out today, sugarcube," said Applejack.
"It was no problem, Applejack!" said Pinkie happily. 
"I'm gonna go and get us some lemonade."
"Goodie!"
Applejack smiled and headed off towards the house. 
"Is there anything around here that you would want to kill?" Pinkamena asked.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Pinkie snapped. Suddenly, one of Pinkie's hooves came up and smacked her in the nose. "What? I didn't do that!"
"Nope! I did! I'm growing stronger, Pinkie Pie. Soon, you won't have a choice in this matter."
The hoof came back and Pinkie dodged it. She jumped up and tried to gain control of herself.
"Stop! Stop, Pinkamena! Stop!" Pinkie pleaded. She was so busy arguing with Pinkamena that she didn't notice a nearby rock. Pinkie tripped on the rock and fell headfirst into the side of a tree. Pinkie's eyes rolled up into her head and she lost consciousness.
The scene faded once more and now Rainbow was standing in the dark void. Pinkie was there as well. 
"What's going on?" Pinkie asked. Just then, another Pinkie emerged from the shadows. This Pinkie had straight hair and a scary smile on her face.
"We meet in person at last, Pinkie Pie," said Pinkamena. 
"What?!"
"The time has come. Your show is over. It's time for me to take the reigns."
"No! I won't let you hurt my friends!"
"Oh, Pinkie. Don't look at it like that! Just think of it as a party. We're going to be throwing lots and lots of parties. I am so looking forward to playing with the ponies of Ponyville! See ya, Pinkie Pie!"
Pinkamena then disappeared, leaving Pinkie alone in the dark void.
"No! Pinkamena! Come back! You can't leave me here!"
A square opening appeared before Pinkie and both Pinkie and Rainbow looked through it. It was Sweet Apple Acres but from a first-person view, Pinkamena's point of view. Applejack approached Pinkamena and handed her a glass of lemonade.
"That's a nasty cut, sugarcube. What happened?" she asked.
"Oh nothing! I just tripped and fell!" replied Pinkamena. 
"Applejack! That's not me!" Pinkie cried. 
"So, I'm planning on throwing a party soon. Would you be interested in coming?" Pinkamena asked.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Applejack replied.
"No!" Pinkie cried.
"And so it begins," Pinkamena chuckled under her breath. Pinkie continued to scream and cry as she was slowly pulled deeper into the dark void. The scene faded away and Rainbow found herself back on top of the Overlook.
Bellamina was waiting. She had a serious look on her face.
"Do you understand everything now?" she asked.
"Pinkie Pie...she was never the killer after all," said Rainbow.
"No, in a sense. Her awakened memories of my murder led to the creation of Pinkamena Diane Pie, within Pinkie's mind."
"So, what, is she just an alternate personality?"
"Yes and no. She's an alternate personality with a bit of magic involved. Twilight's spell awakened those dark memories within Pinkie, and the negative energies of those memories mixed with the magic of the spell. Thus, Pinkamena Diane Pie, a crazed, psychopathic killer, was born."
"I still can't believe it. Poor Pinkie. She's probably suffered more than all of us."
"The time is close, Rainbow Dash."
"Huh?"
"The time is close for everything to finally come together. The final passing of you and the others, the revelation of Pinkamena's secrets, and the judgment that awaits Pinkie and her dark twin. The end is near, Rainbow Dash. We all best be prepared when it arrives."
"The end. Oh how I hope it's a happy one."
> Blood, Dirt, and Bones
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 45: Blood, Dirt, and Bones


Sunkick stood next to the fence bordering Sweet Apple Acres, examining the dark shadows cast by the trees. Yellow tape bordered the exterior of the barn and a small group of investigators were busy examining the crime scene within. Applejack stood on the porch of the house. She looked at the barn sadly as she slowly approached the fence.
"It's nice to see that everypony's gone now," she sighed as she approached Sunkick.
"What do you mean?" Sunkick asked.
"A lot of ponies in town are assumin' that somepony in the Apple family is the killer!"
"That's bullshit! Oops! Pardon my language!"
"Don't worry yourself. It is bullshit...but I understand why we're under suspicion."
"Applejack, I haven't known you or your family for that long but I can honestly say that none of you are killers!"
"Thanks. It's nice to here somethin' like that from somepony durin' a time like this."
"No problem."
"Not tryin' to intrude here but what are you doin' here, Sunkick?"
"I don't know. I just...have this feeling that something's here, hiding amongst the trees."
"And what would that be, exactly?"
"Who knows? Definitive evidence maybe?"
"Aaron had definitive evidence...then the killer went and destroyed it."
"Have you thoroughly examined the orchard?"
"Yes. Twilight and myself examined the original crime scene with Aaron quite a lot."
"Why don't we take another look?"
"Huh? What for?"
"I just...have this feeling. It's hard to explain."
"Alrighty then. Let's make this quick. I don't want anymore of those investigators gettin' anymore suspicious of me."
Sunkick and Applejack remained silent as they walked through the trees of the orchard. The sun was beginning to set and now the landscape was covered in a bright, orange glow. Sunkick couldn't get the images of what he had seen earlier that day out of his head. What did it all mean? Sunkick could easily make one conclusion about the whole event but he didn't want to accept it. It couldn't be true. Of all the ponies who could be potential killers, Pinkie Pie would not even qualify to be on the list. Then again, there were a few curious things that were pointing the blame towards her. 
"We're here," said Applejack. Sunkick's train of thought was disrupted but he didn't care. This is what he came for. 
The place where Rainbow Dash's body had been discovered was practically barren now. Old police tape lied sprawled on the ground and piles of dirt and rocks were scattered all over the place. Leaves covered the ground and all possible evidence that could have existed there following the initial discovery were wiped out by this point. Something was telling Sunkick that there was some secret hiding nearby, either tangled high in the trees or buried beneath the earth. The pegasus took in a deep breath of air and scanned the scene with his eyes. There was hardly anything to go on besides this feeling but there had to be something, there just had to be.
"Let's not stay here too long," said Applejack. "I don't prefer being at this particular spot for very long."
Sunkick nodded and turned back to the scene. The memory of that day made Sunkick cringe with sadness. The look of Rainbow Dash's corpse following its discovery. It made Sunkick sick to his stomach. Just then, there was a rustling in the trees. Sunkick and Applejack turned towards a nearby bush to see a lavender unicorn emerge from the shadows.
"Twilight?" Sunkick asked. Twilight Sparkle looked up at the two ponies and jumped.
"Whoa! I didn't expect to see anypony out here!" she gasped.
"What are you doin' here, Twilight?" Applejack asked. 
"Looking for something."
"What is this somethin' exactly?"
"Well...I'm not sure. I just-"
"Had a feeling?" Sunkick finished. 
"Yeah. How did you-"
The unicorn fell silent and chuckled.
"Right," she continued. "Your sixth sense."
"What sixth sense?" Applejack asked.
"It's hard to describe but I've had several encounters with Dash's spirit," said Sunkick. Applejack fell silent.
"Rainbow."
Twilight and Sunkick looked at each other awkwardly. Suddenly, Sunkick felt a familiar chill run down his spine. He watched as a dark shadow appeared several feet away from him.
"Follow me, Sunkick," said the shadow. Sunkick had heard that voice before. It didn't take him long to remember. He had heard it earlier that morning, when he had visited the afterlife with the ghostly Pinkie Pie.
"Bellamina?" he asked under his breath. Twilight and Applejack looked towards the spot that Sunkick was staring at, only to see nothing.
"Are you okay, Sunkick?" Applejack asked.
"Do you...sense something?" Twilight asked. Sunkick gave a quick nod as he followed the shadow of Bellamina into the trees. Twilight and Applejack trotted after him. 
"You are searching for something, yes?" Bellamina asked.
"Yes," Sunkick replied. "Are you taking me to what I want to find?"
"You could say that. I cannot lead you to the pit of sin but I can lead you to a scrap of it."
"What do you-"
The shadow disappeared and Sunkick found himself standing in a small clearing. It didn't take long for Twilight and Applejack to catch up to him.
"What did you see?" Twilight asked. Sunkick took another deep breath as he turned back to face the two mares.
"Can you smell it?" he asked.
"Smell what?" Applejack asked.
"That rusty smell. That deadly smell. That smell of death and mutilation."
Twilight and Applejack took deep breaths and found their nostrils brimming with the odor of death. They recognized the scent well. They had smelled it the previous morning when they had discovered Aaron's corpse.
"It smells like...blood," Twilight gasped.
"And rotted skin," Applejack continued. Sunkick suddenly found himself drawn to a particular patch of earth. This patch was different from the other parts of the ground. It was a lighter color and looked as if it had been stirred up more. He began making swift digging motions in the ground. Twilight and Applejack watched as Sunkick dug vigorously into the ground. Then he hit something.
Sunkick found a piece of cardboard staring back at him from the earth. He dug further until he managed to unearth a medium-sized box. The box was big enough to hold a foal and looked as if it had been buried for quite a while. A horrible smell was emanating from it and a single name was written on the box in marker. The name read Twist.
"Twist?" Sunkick asked. Twilight gulped.
"Twist is the name of a young pony who went missing a while back. She was a friend of Apple Bloom's. She's on the list of missing ponies that I examined in Canterlot," she explained. 
"It can't be," Applejack choked.
"There's...only one way to find out," Sunkick said as he looked at the mares nervously. He slowly pulled the dirty tape off of the box's lid and pulled the flaps open. What they saw within the box horrified them. Inside were the skeletal remains of a young pony. A small cluster of rotten, internal organs were placed neatly within the reconstructed rib cage of the skeleton and a jar of spilled blood was placed next to the skull. Remnants of red, frizzy hair stuck out of the top of the skull. "Fuck!"
Sunkick jumped back as the smell of death completely overwhelmed him. He gagged violently as both Twilight and Applejack lost the contents of their stomachs.
"Will this ever end?" Applejack cried. Sunkick suddenly felt something cold touch his shoulder. He looked to see the rotting face of Bellamina looking back at him.
"You must be strong. There is more to find," she said as she disappeared. 
"This isn't it," he said.
"What?!" asked a sickened Twilight.
"There are more boxes. There are more bodies. They're buried somewhere within the vicinity of this area!"
"We better go warn Brutus!" Applejack said. 
"I'll do it! You two stay with...the corpse," Twilight said. Twilight disappeared into the trees as Sunkick and Applejack sadly looked down at what remained of Twist the filly. 
> The Midnight Stroll
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 46: The Midnight Stroll


It was close to midnight when Stormflower's train finally pulled into the Ponyville station. She trudged onto the platform and began making her way towards Rainbow Dash's house. She would have flown there but she found herself too tired to fly so she just stuck with walking. Ponyville was quiet now. The moon shone brightly in the sky and the streets of the town were illuminated by either the dim lights from single windows or the burning lampposts that bordered the sides of the streets. Stormflower looked up at the moon just in time to see Princess Luna flying through the sky with her fellow soldiers to keep watch over her nightly dominion. Stars twinkled happily in the sky as Stormflower made her way down a long, dark alleyway. The sound of giggling began emanating from the darkness and Stormflower gulped.
"Is anypony there?" she called out. The giggling stopped and two ponies emerged from the darkness. One was a green unicorn mare and the other was a cream-colored earth pony mare. 
"I told you to wait until we got home!" snapped the earth pony.
"Sorry," said the unicorn. "Wait a sec. I know you!"
Stormflower took another look at the two mares. She had indeed seen them somewhere before.
"You were at the funeral," she breathed. The two mares looked at each other and then turned back to Stormflower.
"I'm Bon-Bon, and this is my...uh...friend, Lyra," said the earth pony. 
"You're Rainbow Dash's sister right?" Lyra asked. The three mares fell silent. Stormflower sighed and nodded. "Stormflower is it?"
"That's right," Stormflower replied. 
"I'm really sorry about what happened to Rainbow Dash. I didn't know her that well but she was a pretty cool pony. She helped me out of a few jams here and there."
"How's the rest of the family holding up? Your parents and brother are here as well, aren't they?" Bon-Bon asked. Stormflower nodded.
"They're...fine. We're all healing from what happened," Stormflower replied. She then let out a loud yawn and scratched her head. 
"Well you seem tired. We all best be heading back to our houses. It's not safe to be out this late with a murderer on the loose."
"Then why are you two doing out so late?"
Stormflower gave a snarky smirk and Bon-Bon blushed.
"She got you there, Bon-Bon," Lyra laughed. 
"Oh shut up!" Bon-Bon replied. The two mares then passed by Stormflower and disappeared into the darkness. Stormflower made her way out of the alleyway and began walking towards the street that led to Rainbow Dash's house. 
It wasn't long until Stormflower came across another pair of mares. Luckily, she knew this pair quite well. Fluttershy and Irena were standing under a lamppost, Angel was sleeping on Fluttershy's back.
"Been helping out Zecora again?" Irena asked.
"Yes. I lost track of time. I best be getting Angel back home," said Fluttershy. 
"Hey girls," Stormflower yawned.
"Stormflower," said Irena as she turned to face the other pegasus. "You're back."
"Where did you go?" Fluttershy asked.
"Canterlot. I had a...specific errand to run," Stormflower replied. 
"So your train came in late?"
"Yeah."
"How are my parents doing?" Irena asked. An awkward silence fell among the mares. Stormflower cleared her throat.
"They're doing fine. Everything seemed to be in tip-top shape at the farm."
"That's good. I haven't visited them in a while. I really should visit them; me and Pinkie Pie."
A knot formed in Stormflower's stomach. The name of Pinkie Pie was becoming darker and darker to Stormflower with every passing day. 
"Where is Pinkie Pie at the moment?" Stormflower asked.
"Sleeping probably," Irena replied. 
"So...what exactly are you two doing out at this time of night?"
"I was busy helping Zecora with Angel, but I accidentally lost track of time. I was just on my way home when I bumped into Irena," Fluttershy explained. 
"I've been having trouble sleeping recently. Nowadays I just go out for midnight strolls to pass the time," Irena replied.
"It's really dangerous to be out at this time, Irena. Especially with a killer on the loose," said Stormflower.
"I know."
"You're lucky that you were found by Fluttershy and me. If Aaron or one of his investigators had found you then you'd have a lot of suspicions drawn to you."
Fluttershy and Irena sighed sadly at the same time.
"You didn't hear about it?" Fluttershy asked.
"About what?"
"Aaron was murdered two days ago," Irena replied sadly. 
"What?!"
"Applejack found his butchered body in the barn, that's where he was working. He had been examining a piece of evidence that could have potentially revealed the identity of Rainbow Dash's killer. I guess the killer got to him before he could reveal his findings."
"That's not all," said Fluttershy as she turned towards Irena. "You heard about what Twilight, Applejack, and Sunkick found this evening right?" Irena nodded as Fluttershy turned back to face Stormflower. "They found a box containing the remains of a young filly named Twist."
"You're kidding!" Stormflower gasped. 
"Sadly, I'm not. Sunkick is positive that there are more bodies to be discovered."
"I guess we've found the killer's dumping ground, Sweet Apple Acres."
"Poor Applejack. By tomorrow morning, half the town's gonna think that either she or one of her family members is the killer," Irena sighed.
"I know Applejack isn't the killer. My suspicions are drawing towards another certain pony."
"Who would that be?"
Stormflower gulped again. She couldn't tell Irena that she suspected Pinkie Pie, her younger sister, of being the killer. 
"I'll tell you later."
Stormflower walked past Fluttershy and began making her way down the road. 
"Where are you off to now?" Fluttershy asked.
"Home. I really need some sleep. I bet that I'm also going to need to do a lot of apologizing to Sunkick and Joan tomorrow for disappearing out of the blue," Stormflower replied with a smirk. 
"I guess I'll see you later then," Irena said awkwardly. Stormflower nodded and turned away from the two mares. What happened next was something that none of the three mares was prepared for. 
A dark shadow jumped from a nearby alleyway and charged at Stormflower. Stormflower turned to see a pony wearing a black jumpsuit and black mask running towards her. Something shiny hung from the pony's mouth. By the time Stormflower figured out what the object was it was too late. There was a swift motion and Stormflower felt a sharp pain emanate from her neck. Fluttershy and Irena screamed as Stormflower fell to the ground; a river of blood was spewing out of the gash in her neck. The attacker stood over Stormflower triumphantly. Miraculously, the neck wound wasn't fatal. It was painful and bloody but Stormflower was still able to hold onto life with a firm grip. The attacker prepared to make their final strike. 
"NOOOOOO!" screamed Irena as she charged at the pony. Irena jumped between the attacker and Stormflower just as the knife came down. There was a soft thud and Irena found the knife buried deep into the right side of her chest. Irena grabbed onto the killer and managed to punch them square in the nose. "No more death! No...more...death!"
Irena then fell to the ground as she coughed up a huge blob of blood. The killer looked at Stormflower and Irena, looked up at Fluttershy, turned away, and disappeared into the darkness. Fluttershy ran up to Stormflower and Irena and did her best to stop the bleeding. She needed to get help but she couldn't leave them. Angel, now awake, examined the scene and then turned to Fluttershy.
The rabbit's look seemed to say something along the lines of: If there was a time to scream your fucking head off, now's the perfect opportunity! 
Fluttershy focused all of her fear and anxiety into her vocal cords and screamed. 
"HELP! SOMEPONY HELP! THERE'S BEEN A STABBING! THEY'RE ABOUT TO DIE! SOMEPONY HELP!" she yelled into the night. It didn't take long for the ponies in the nearby buildings to come out and examine the bloody scene. Both Stormflower and Irena lost consciousness as the nurse ponies arrived to take them to the hospital. 
> Bedside Present
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 47: Bedside Present


Twilight awoke with a cold sweat running down her back. The dream she had just awoken from had not been a pleasant one. She had been trapped in a dark room filled with the bodies of dead ponies. In the middle of the room there had been a blood-covered Rainbow Dash holding the decapitated head of Aaron. 
"Do you still deny it?" they had said to her. It was when Rainbow Dash had exploded into a cloud of rotting flesh that Twilight finally woke up. 
"You okay, Twilight?" asked a familiar voice. Twilight looked to find a concerned Spike looking down at her. "You were screaming in your sleep."
"I was? I'm sorry," she groaned.
"Bad dream?"
"You could say that. What time is it?"
"Seven o'clock in the morning."
Twilight pulled herself out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. 
"I'll make you some breakfast while you take your bath," Spike said.
"Thanks, Spike," Twilight yawned as she shut the door. Spike made his way downstairs where he began work on a batch of pancakes.
Spike had just finished a set of pancakes when there was a knock on the door. He quickly ran to the door and opened it.
"Good morning, Rarity," Spike said happily.
"Morning, Spike. Is Twilight awake yet?" Rarity asked. 
"She's upstairs taking a bath. She should be out soon so you can just wait if you want to."
"No problem."
Rarity entered the library and Spike shut the door behind her.
"Do you want some pancakes?" he asked.
"No thank you. I already had a bite to eat earlier," she replied.
"How long have you been awake?"
"Since five in the morning at least. I just couldn't sleep. There was a loud ruckus last night."
"What kind of a ruckus?"
"Well...Storm-"
"Hey, Rarity," said the tired voice of Twilight Sparkle. The lavender unicorn descended the stairs and approached her friend. Her mane was still straight and damp from the bath she had just taken. 
"How are you feeling, Twilight? You look a bit...out of it," Rarity stated.
"I am out of it. Too many bad things have happened recently. Rainbow Dash, Aaron, and now there's that burial ground at Sweet Apple Acres! I'm almost at my breaking point!"
"Here you go!" Spike said as he placed a plate of pancakes in front of Twilight. She smiled and began to slowly consume one of the pancakes. "So, Rarity, you wanted to see Twilight about something?"
"Yes," Rarity sighed. Neither Twilight nor Spike liked Rarity's sudden, depressed tone. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news but...something else has happened."
Twilight nearly choked on a bite of pancake.
"WHAT?!" she snapped.
"Was it another murder?" Spike asked as he nibbled on his claws.
"No...but it was an attempted murder," Rarity said.
"An attempted murder?" Twilight asked as she slowly regained her breath.
"Yes. Stormflower returned to Ponyville last night. She ran into Fluttershy and Irena and, as she prepared to head off to Rainbow Dash's house, the murderer attacked her."
"Is she okay?"
"She's alive...but it was a nasty attack. The killer sliced her throat open."
"How is she still alive?!"
"The killer may have cut her throat but they failed to cut her windpipe. That's what kills you if your throat's slit. As long as the windpipe is intact, you have a chance to survive."
"So she just barely made it out of there! Incredible!"
"There's more. The killer attempted to finish Stormflower off but Irena got in the way. The knife was driven deep into the right side of her chest."
"Irena...what's her condition?"
"Surprisingly, she's in a better state than Stormflower. Irena regained consciousness a couple hours after the attack. Stormflower, though, is still unconscious. The doctors had to perform some minor surgery on her neck in order to save her life. She was bleeding quite profusely."
"But she's alive?"
"Yes. She should wake up pretty soon."
"Where did you hear about this?" Spike asked.
"I heard it from Lyra. She and Bon-Bon actually ran into Stormflower immediately before she ran into Fluttershy and Irena. Lyra directed me to the hospital and Fluttershy filled me in on the rest."
"Fluttershy," Twilight breathed. Twilight sat there and thought about how horrible is must have been for Fluttershy to witness such a brutal attack. "Is she, Fluttershy, still at the hospital?"
"Yes. She's waiting to see Stormflower and Irena. I tried to see them but the doctors and nurses wouldn't let me."
"Why don't we go there now? Maybe they're letting visitors in now."
"I'm not sure but it's worth a shot."
"Good. You coming, Spike?"
"Yeah. I want to see if they're alright," the dragon replied. They were about to leave when Twilight instantly remembered something. She walked over to the couch and reached underneath. She pulled out a small cardboard box and placed it in a satchel (which she proceeded to place over her back). 
"What's that?" Rarity asked.
"A gift for Stormflower," Twilight replied.
"You're giving Stormflower a gift?" Spike asked.
"It's not from me. It's from Rainbow Dash."
Spike and Rarity exchanged uncomfortable glances before following Twilight out of the library.
This had to be one of the most active mornings Twilight had experienced in her entire time in Ponyville. Almost everypony was up and about, talking about the attempted murder of Stormflower. Lots of ponies were making their way to the hospital but found their path blocked by a militia of Canterlot guards. 
"By orders of the Princesses, nopony shall enter this hospital until further notice!" announced a unicorn guard.
"Oh dear! How are we going to get in now?" Rarity groaned. 
"I think I know a way," said Twilight with a deceptive grin. There was a bright flash of light and suddenly Twilight, Spike, and Rarity were standing in a hospital hallway. 
"Good thinking, Twilight!" Spike exclaimed. 
"Strange, I expected some type of magical barrier to be put in place to prevent any unicorns from teleporting in."
"Then why did you try teleporting inside in the first place?"
"Just for the hell of it. Fortunately there wasn't a barrier."
"Excuse me, but what are you three doing in here?" asked a stern, familiar voice. Twilight, Spike, and Rarity turned around to see none other than Brutus standing behind them. 
"Brutus," Twilight said with a guilty look plastered on her face. 
"The Princesses have forbidden anypony else to enter this hospital unless it is an absolute emergency."
"Please, Brutus. I'm a friend of Stormflower and Irena. I just wanted to make sure that they're alright. I also want to make sure that my friend Fluttershy isn't too traumatized by the event."
"Rules are rules, Ms. Sparkle. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to ask you and your friends to leave."
"Come on, Mr. Brutus. Can you let this slide for just once?" cooed Rarity as she gave Brutus a look that would make any stallion's knees buckle. 
"I...well...I'm sorry! You must all leave! Now!"
Brutus turned away from Rarity and beckoned her, Twilight, and Spike out of the hospital. Twilight sighed with defeat and was prepared to leave when a familiar figure appeared before them.
"Come now, Brutus. You can at least let my student check up on her wounded friends," said Princess Celestia.
"If you say so, your majesty," Brutus replied as he gave a quick bow. Twilight smiled as Celestia winked at her. Brutus disappeared down a nearby hallway and Twilight, Spike, and Rarity sighed with relief.
"Thank you, Princess," said Twilight.
"It was my pleasure, Twilight. Stormflower and Irena are not able to be visited yet but you can wait in the waiting room with the others who have already arrived," Celestia replied. The Princess then led Twilight, Spike, and Rarity down the hallway and into a fairly large waiting room. Fluttershy was there and she was accompanied by her pet rabbit Angel, Sunkick, Scootaloo, Princess Luna, Thunder Storm, and Caroline.
"Twilight!" Fluttershy exclaimed. 
"Hey Fluttershy. How are you feeling?" Twilight asked awkwardly. 
"I'll be fine...I hope."
"She's still a bit shaken from what she witnessed," said Luna.
"I'll bet," said Twilight. She then turned to face Sunkick, Thunder Storm, and Caroline. "I heard that Stormflower's going to be okay."
Caroline's eyes were puffy and red. It was obvious that she had been crying recently. Both Sunkick and Thunder Storm had stone-cold looks. Twilight didn't need to ask how they were feeling because it was pretty obvious. Sunkick exhaled deeply and turned to face Twilight.
"I...I can't believe that I almost lost another sister," he said. 
"I heard it's because of Irena that she was able to survive the attack," said Spike.
"She was so brave. I would never have been able to do what she did," Fluttershy admitted. 
"We owe her a huge debt. She prevented our family from suffering anymore grief," said Caroline. Thunder Storm patted her on the shoulder and then turned to Twilight.
"Are you still continuing your investigation?" he asked.
"My participation in the investigation has been somewhat rocky since Aaron passed away," Twilight replied. She fell silent. She hadn't thought about Aaron for a little while. She then remembered that his funeral was the following day. The discovery at Sweet Apple Acres and the attack on Stormflower and Irena had made her forget about it.
"Somepony better find the bitch or bastard that did all this. They've killed my Dashie and have tried to kill my Stormy. The investigators better hope that they find the killer before I do, because if I find them first then there won't be anything else left for the investigators to clean up."
"The killer will face justice. No evil goes unpunished."
A nurse pony entered the room with a grim look on her face.
"You can see her now, but she's still unconscious," she said.
"Thank you," said Thunder Storm. The small group then walked through a nearby door that led into Stormflower's hospital room. 
The room looked a lot like the room Twilight had been in following her little episode with Pinkie Pie. Stormflower looked calm and peaceful tucked into the white sheets of the hospital bed. A series of fresh stitches were sewn into the front of her neck but, aside from that, she looked like she was simply sleeping. Sunkick, Thunder Storm, and Caroline sat next to Stormflower and occasionally patted her head. 
"Sister, we better go check on the crowds," Luna suggested. 
"Of course. We will visit Stormflower once she awakens," said Celestia. The two princesses exited through the doorway. 
"You can also visit Irena if you want to," said the nurse pony.
"Thank you," said Twilight. She turned back and looked at the unconscious Stormflower surrounded by her remaining family. "Come on. I think we should give them some time alone."
Spike, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Scootaloo nodded as they followed Twilight out of the room.
"Is she going to be okay?" Scootaloo asked.
"I believe so," Twilight replied. It didn't take them long to reach the room where Irena was staying. They walked in to find Irena talking to Joan. "Joan?!"
"Hey, Twilight," Joan said glumly. 
"What are you doing in here?"
"I came to visit Stormflower and Irena. I tried to visit Stormflower but I wasn't able to. So I came to talk to Irena."
"You're allowed to visit Stormflower if you want to. She's still unconscious, though."
"Her family's in there with her," said Scootaloo.
"I better give them some time alone then," said Joan.
"How are you feeling, Irena?" Rarity asked. Irena groaned and fell back on her bed. There was an seemingly-endless amount on bandages wrapped around Irena's chest. There were a few red spots here and there but she appeared to be alright. 
"I've been better but at least the pain has gone down," she replied. 
"That was a really brave thing that you did," said Spike and Scootaloo together.
"Thanks. It was instinct really. I needed to protect Stormflower from the killer and it appears that I was successful. This wound was totally worth preventing another death in this town."
"Do you remember anything about the killer?" Twilight asked. 
"I know about as much as Fluttershy knows. It was a pony wearing a black jumpsuit and a black mask. I couldn't even make out the eyes. It could have been anypony for all I know."
"I wish there was a way that we could identify the killer."
"Hey, Irena. Didn't you punch the killer in the nose?" Fluttershy asked.
"I believe so," Irena replied. 
"Maybe we should look for ponies with broken or bruised noses!" Scootaloo suggested. 
"That could work," said Joan. "I'll go suggest it to the investigators."
Joan then nodded goodbye to Irena and ran out of the room. 
"So what were you two talking about before we came in here?" Rarity asked. Irena chuckled and smiled.
"The usual. He asked me if I was okay and told me that if I wanted anything all I'd have to do is ask him. He'll probably tell the same thing to Stormflower when she wakes up," she replied. Twilight looked at the satchel hanging over her back and began making her way out of the room. "Where are you off to?"
"I have something that I want to give to Stormflower," Twilight replied as she left the room.
Sunkick, Thunder Storm, and Caroline were still sitting next to Stormflower when Twilight entered.
"Twilight," said Sunkick. Twilight walked up next to Stormflower and pulled the box out of the satchel. She placed it on the table standing next to the bed and then patted the unconscious pegasus on the head.
"What's that?" Thunder Storm asked.
"A gift," Twilight replied.
"A gift for Stormflower? Thank you, Twilight," said Caroline happily.
"Don't thank me. It wasn't my idea to have this gift made for Stormflower," said Twilight with a saddened look on her face.
"Who's the gift from then?" Thunder Storm asked.
"Rainbow Dash."
The three pegasi fell quiet as Twilight gave a polite nod and left the room. 
> Friend or Stranger
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 48: Friend or Stranger


Pinkamena Diane Pie was unaware that the spirits of two of her past victims were watching her as she cleaned the dried blood from her injured nose. Rainbow Dash and Aaron watched as their killer nervously tried to make her nose look as normal as possible. Rainbow could just make out the whimpers of Pinkie Pie from within Pinkamena's demented mind. 
"So we can look back whenever we want?" Aaron asked.
"Pretty much," Rainbow replied. 
"Irena's got a good punch. I'll give her that," Pinkamena stated as she snapped her nose back into place.
"I still can't believe that you stabbed Irena. You nearly killed our sister! You tried to kill Dashie's sister!" Pinkie snapped.
"She was an idiot to intervene. Stormflower will get what's coming to her. While I'm at at, I might as well plan to take care of Sunkick as well."
"Will you ever stop?!"
"No. It's too much fun."
Suddenly, a loud knock emanated from downstairs. Pinkamena pressed her ear against the bedroom door as she listened to Mrs. Cake answering the front door.
"Ah, Twilight. How are you doing, dearie?" asked Mrs. Cake from downstairs.
"I've been better," replied Twilight. "Is Pinkie Pie home?"
"She's probably still asleep. I haven't heard anything from her."
"Did you hear about what happened last night?"
"No. It must have been big though. The entire town is up and running."
"The killer attempted to kill Rainbow Dash's sister, Stormflower, last night."
"Oh my!"
"Irena saved her life but was injured in the process."
"Dear Celestia! Are they alright?!"
"They'll live. Stormflower's still unconscious though."
"That poor pegasus."
"Don't you think it's weird?"
"Huh? What's weird, dearie?"
"The entire town is up and about...and yet Pinkie Pie is still asleep."
Silence fell amongst the two mares downstairs. Pinkamena swore under her breath and felt a cold chill run down her spine. She looked back towards the spot where Rainbow and Aaron were standing.
"Is somepony there?" she asked.
"She can sense us?" Aaron whispered to Rainbow.
"No...but I think Pinkie can," Rainbow replied. 
"That...is strange," Mrs. Cake admitted downstairs. Pinkamena quietly opened the door and made her way downstairs. Rainbow and Aaron followed.
"Good morning!" Pinkamena chirped as she approached Twilight and Mrs. Cake.
"Ah, Pinkie Pie! Twilight and I were just talking about you!"
"Were you now? I hope they were good things!"
Twilight and Pinkamena's eyes met. Twilight shook slightly; it was almost as if she could sense the darkness that sat behind those wide, gleaming eyes.
"I think she's catching on," Aaron said with a grim smile.
"I just hope she doesn't get too obvious about it," said Rainbow. Twilight awkwardly cleared her throat and faced her friend with a forced smile.
"I was just asking Mrs. Cake if you were up or not," she responded.
"Well I am now! What do you want to do?" Pinkamena asked. Twilight didn't respond. She simply examined Pinkamena's face carefully with her eyes. "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
"Not that I can see."
"Are you looking for something on my face?"
"I'm not sure."
Silence fell among the mares until Twilight decided to abandon her examination.
"I better be going. The town has gone completely mad," she said. 
"Over what?" Pinkamena asked. Twilight's eyebrow rose slightly. 
"You didn't hear about it?"
"Did I hear about what?"
"Something happened last night. The killer attempted to kill Stormflower and managed to injure both her and Irena in the process," Mrs. Cake said.
"I...Irena?"
"Yes...Irena was stabbed. She's alright, though," Twilight continued. Pinkamena gave a forced sigh and began allowing some of Pinkie Pie's tears to flow from her eyes.
"Thank Celestia she's alright!"
Tears began flying out of Pinkamena's eyes like rain. Mrs. Cake gave her a hug and Pinkamena returned the favor, nearly breaking Mrs. Cake's lungs in the process. Twilight wasn't buying it, though. It was too tearful, too forced, and too not Pinkie Pie. The pink pony standing before her was giving off a particular aura but it had nothing to do with parties and candy. It involved sugar and sweets but it had something hiding amongst its sugar-coated lies. Something dark and twisted was located deep within the folds of that cotton candy mane. Twilight was sure of that. She felt guilty that she was mentally accusing her friend of murder but, in a way, she somehow knew that the pony crying before her was not Pinkie Pie. It had her name, her voice, her body, and her personality in a sense, but it still wasn't her. 
"You can go see her now if you want to," Twilight said. "I'm sure the Princesses will let you in to see your sister."
"Right! I better visit Stormflower too while I'm there. I want to make sure that she's okay as well," Pinkamena said as she wiped away her tears. Something flashed in Pinkamena's eyes and Twilight noticed it. She didn't know what it meant but she knew that it didn't mean anything good. 
"Her family's visiting her right now. You might want to give them some time alone, Pinkie Pie."
"Oh...right. Well, I'll see you later then, Twilight!"
Pinkamena then dashed out of the store and ran off towards the hospital. 
"There seems to be something off about you, dearie," Mrs. Cake stated. "Is everything alright?"
"Honestly, I'm not fine, Mrs. Cake," said Twilight sadly. "And, to be honest, I don't think Pinkie Pie's completely fine either."
Twilight turned around and slowly walked out of the store. Rainbow and Aaron were about to follow her when something familiar grabbed onto their tails. They looked back to see Gilda standing behind them, a look of awe and fear was etched into her face.
"Gilda?!" Rainbow gasped.
"Is something wrong?" Aaron asked.
"You two are going to want to see this," Gilda replied. A familiar pull overcame them and, in a flash, they flew back towards the Ponyville of the dead. 
> Visions of Another Afterlife
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 49: Visions of Another Afterlife


The amber glow reflecting off of the ground was the first thing that told Rainbow Dash and Aaron that something was definitely off about their little town of the dead. The grass and dirt shimmered with a golden hue and the cloud dome that surrounded the town was shifting and moving a lot more than it normally did. The false sun hanging up in the sky began to move back and forth, creating a movement of shadows on the ground that gave the town an almost twilight feel.
"What the hell's going on?" Aaron asked.
"That's what everypony else is wondering," Gilda replied. "It's been like this for a couple minutes now."
"It means something," Rainbow breathed. "I just know it does. 
Ridley ran up the side of the hill and proceeded to look in awe at the assortment of golden, flickering colors.
"This is one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen," he said. 
"I have to agree on that one," Aaron chuckled. Suddenly, a mysterious whooshing sound began reverberating through the air. It sounded so familiar and yet so foreign that nopony could figure out what it was. Rainbow looked towards the edge of the cloud dome a few yards away from her and, for a second, saw something rush past it.
"What was that?!" she asked. Aaron, Gilda, and Ridley turned to face the cloud dome. It was at this moment that part of the clouds were brushed aside. For a few seconds, they caught a glimpse of a single tree standing in the middle of a golden field of wheat. The tree was tall, healthy, and had a limitless amount of green leaves hanging from its infinite branches. The clouds closed up again but were separated a few seconds later. The tree was closer now and its leaves were fluttering in a seemingly-powerful wind. The leaves broke free from the branches and transformed into little, blue birds. The birds flew towards the cloud dome as the clouds sealed up once again. 
Rainbow, Aaron, Gilda, and Ridley waited for something to happen. The clouds began moving again and the sound of thumping and chirping began emanating from the other side of the dome. 
"It looks like you have some other foreign visitors," said a familiar voice. Susie Salmon appeared next to Rainbow Dash. Her body was glowing with a crisp, amber light which made her seem to be something that can only be described as being not a solid but not a liquid or gas either. She was just there, existing in a form that only true spirits can appear in. She walked towards the cloud dome and pressed her hands against it. Instantly, a large opening in the clouds appeared and it reached all the way into the clouded sky. A sea of blue birds flew through the opening and began flying around the false sun that hung above the town. A vast, golden wheat field stared back at Rainbow, Aaron, Gilda, and Ridley from the opening. Rainbow tried to walk out into the field but found that, even though the clouds had temporarily been pushed away, a barrier of sorts still remained. "You'll be there soon."
Rainbow looked as the massive tree in the distance slowly regrew another set of leaves. Small, shadowy figures appeared in the distance. Rainbow could just make out the forms of other human spirits, similar to Susie.
"Who are they?" Rainbow asked.
"The others," Susie replied. "Those other souls who were slain by the same man who murdered me."
"They're all there."
"You and the others will be there soon as well."
Rainbow took another look and saw that there were more figures popping out of the wheat. She couldn't make out their faces but she knew that they all varied in size, shape, and appearance.
"Creatures from different planes of existence. Souls who have found their way to the true afterlife that awaits those who deserve it," Susie continued. 
"How much longer do we have to wait?" asked an excited Gilda. Looks of longing and happiness were now etched into Rainbow, Aaron, Gilda, and Ridley's faces. The true happiness and calmness emanating from the field of wheat beyond the barrier made them long for Heaven even more.
"When the tortured soul is freed and the dark soul is judged, you shall all receive your long-awaited gift."
Aaron, Gilda, and Ridley were somewhat confused by Susie's statement but Rainbow understood it perfectly.
"We won't be free until she dies, will we?" Rainbow asked.
"Until they both die, you mean," Susie corrected. The opening in the clouds slowly began to diminish along with the amber light emanating from all sides of the dead Ponyville. Suddenly, five transparent images appeared on the other side of the barrier. The images were that of Twilight Sparkle, Sunkick, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Pinkie's dark twin Pinkamena Diane Pie. "Everything is on their shoulders now. Let us hope they fulfill their parts in the process of your true passing."
Susie then disappeared in a flash of golden light, the transparent images faded into nothing, and the cloud barrier sealed up again. The false sun stopped moving and the flock of blue birds orbiting it exploded into an aura of multicolored sparks. 
"So what do we do now?" Ridley asked. Rainbow turned away from the barrier and sighed. 
"We wait and try to help to the best of our abilities," she replied. Suddenly, something caught her eye. She looked behind Aaron to see the image of a familiar, yellow pegasus watching them. "Sunkick?"
The image disappeared, leaving Rainbow with an empty feeling in her stomach. 
> The Message Made Clear
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 50: The Message Made Clear


Sunkick's eyes shot open. He was lying down on a patch of grass across the road from Sweet Apple Acres. He didn't remember how he ended up there. In fact, he hardly remembered anything he had done following leaving the hospital earlier that afternoon. A pain in the back of his skull caused him to groan slightly as he sat up. His vision was a little blurred but it cleared up within seconds. He tried to remember what had happened that afternoon but all he could remember were vague images: a single tree in a field, a happy griffin, a glowing female creature, a straight-haired Pinkie Pie, an unconscious Stormflower, a cardboard box, and Scootaloo sitting next to him in a train car. A familiar chill ran down his spine, though this didn't signify the arrival of a spirit. This signified the return of a memory. A recent memory that had escaped his focus for reasons that not even Celestia herself would be able to figure out. 
He could remember sitting in that train car with Stormflower, Joan, and Scootaloo. That familiar chill had returned to him and the muffled voice of Rainbow Dash had given him a message. For some reason, he had forgotten about the message. Now it was back in his mind and was as clear as a glass lake. It had been a fairly short message but only two words stuck out to him.
"Pinkie Pie," he breathed. That's what she had said. Her message had something to do with Pinkie Pie. What could she have been saying? Was she telling him to do something for Pinkie Pie or...was she saying that Pinkie Pie was her killer? Sunkick didn't want to think about the latter but that was slowly becoming the realistic conclusion. His recent spiritual trips to the afterlife and his visions of the sad Pinkie hiding away in the dark void were pretty much spelling it out for him: Pinkie Pie was the killer. "I don't want to believe it...but...is it really true?"
"Whatcha doing?" asked a familiar voice. Sunkick turned to see Scootaloo sitting next to him.
"Oh...hey Scootaloo."
Sunkick looked across the road towards Sweet Apple Acres. Yellow police tape was stretched across the fence and a group of investigators were standing in front of the barn where Aaron was murdered. Sunkick and Scootaloo looked up towards one of the upstairs windows of the farmhouse. Apple Bloom was looking out of the window. She looked incredibly sad. She saw Sunkick and Scootaloo and waved; they followed suit. The group of investigators looked up at Apple Bloom suspiciously which caused her to recoil back into the room. 
"I feel sorry for her," said Scootaloo. Sunkick nodded and sighed with agreement. The Apple family definitely wasn't doing so well at the moment. The recent murder and discovery of the boxed up bodies had caused work at the orchard to come to a grinding halt. Applejack and her family were practically prisoners in their own home as most of the town, including some of the investigators, were casting suspicion on them. "You don't think the killer's one of them; do you, Sunkick?" 
"No. I know for a fact that the killer is not one of them," he replied.
"You know? Does that mean that you know the killer's identity?!"
"I'm not sure. Hopefully the discovery of the bodies will shed some more light on the killer."
"Aren't you going to say it?"
"Say what?"
"That I'm too young and that I shouldn't be worrying myself with stuff like this."
"No."
"Really?!"
"You may be young but I think, in a sense, you're kind of mature and brave for your age. I don't see any reason to hold back some of the details from you. Just don't expect me to go into any type of graphic details."
Sunkick was met with a warm hug.
"If I had a brother, I wish he were you," she cooed. Sunkick could only smile and hug her back. He hadn't known the filly for that long but he still felt a sort of connection to her. She pulled away from him and jumped into the air. It took Sunkick a moment to realize that she was flying. She wasn't that high, though. She was only levitating about one to two feet off of the ground, but Sunkick was still impressed. "Stormflower's lessons have helped me out a lot."
"I'm sure she'll be happy to see that you're improving," he said.
"If only Rainbow Dash could see me fly."
Sunkick sighed. The name of his sister was pretty much followed by a wave of awkward sadness nowadays. Tomorrow it will have been one week since her funeral. It was incredibly ironic since Aaron's funeral was also tomorrow. Sunkick wanted to chuckle at the irony of the situation but this wasn't the type of irony that he found to be chuckle-worthy. 
Then he heard it. That familiar, happy-go-lucky sound that nowadays made his hairs stand up with fear. An oblivious, humming tune that signified the arrival of a certain pink mare. And, sure enough, there she was, trotting her way down the road. 
"She hasn't seen us yet!" Sunkick whispered to himself. He quickly grabbed Scootaloo and hid her and himself behind a large bush. Pinkie Pie came to a halt in front of the gate leading into Sweet Apple Acres. The door to the farmhouse opened and out walked Brutus and Applejack.
"Thank you for your time, Applejack," he said as he approached the gate. 
"Have ya found more of them?" she asked. Brutus lowered his head sadly and nodded.
"Loads. It's an earthly sea of bodies. It sickens me that so many ponies could be murdered and it's not until now that their disappearances have been noticed."
"Smart killer, ah guess."
"Or dumb town."
"What did ya just say?!"
"Sorry...I had no right to say such a thing."
"Damn right you didn't! Aaron may have been an ass at points but at least he didn't insult my town!"
"I apologize."
"Good day, Brutus."
Applejack snorted angrily and made her way back to the farmhouse. 
"What's got her bitch switch turned on?" Brutus asked himself. 
"Hi there!" said Pinkie happily. Brutus jumped slightly but became relieved at the sight of the pink earth pony.
"Oh. Hello, Ms. Pie. How are you doing?"
"I'm doing great! You don't have to call me Ms. Pie! Just call me Pinkie Pie or Pinkie! Whatever floats your boat!"
"Okay, Pinkie Pie. I better be on my way."
"Okie-dokie-lokie!"
Brutus passed through the gate and walked past Pinkie Pie. Sunkick and Scootaloo watched as a dark smile appeared on Pinkie's face. She turned away from Brutus and looked towards the orchard. 
"What was that face about? I've never seen Pinkie Pie smile like that before!" Scootaloo whispered. "That was a scary smile. It seemed almost...almost-"
"Pure evil," Sunkick finished. Pinkie turned away from the orchard and continued on her way. 
Just as she passed the bush concealing Sunkick and Scootaloo, she snickered, "That poor bastard is nothing to worry about."
Sunkick and Scootaloo were blown away by Pinkie's comment. It didn't even sound like it had come from Pinkie Pie. The tone was different, the voice was almost different, and it was definitely not something Pinkie Pie would normally say to herself. 
"What did she mean by that, Sunkick?!" Scootaloo whispered as she and Sunkick emerged from the bush. Pinkie had already become a speck in the distance. Sunkick remained silent. Scootaloo looked up at him with a confused and slightly scared look on her face. "Sunkick?"
He was certain about it now. The message was perfectly clear. It was a hard truth to accept but he had no choice but to heed his dead sister's warning and make haste. There were many questions in Sunkick's mind at the moment but one thing was certain: Pinkie Pie was the killer and, if he didn't do something, there would be more boxed up bodies to dig up from Sweet Apple Acres. 
> The Funeral and the Visitor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 51: The Funeral and the Visitor


It was raining heavily as Aaron Crop's body was lowered into the muddy earth. Nopony had been able to see the body due to its incredibly damaged state, not that there were that many ponies at the funeral to begin with. The only ponies to attend the funeral were Twilight, the Princesses, the Mayor (who was in charge of the funeral), Thunder Storm, Joan, Spike, Brutus, and a couple others. It was no surprise to Twilight that nopony was interested in coming out of their homes. The hole was soon filled in and the guests slowly made their way back to their respective homes. Twilight remained, looking down at the fresh mound that now represented Aaron's permanent residence. 
"You okay, Twilight?" Spike asked as he knocked the rain away with his umbrella.
"I'll be fine, Spike," she replied sadly.
"I'm going to go ahead and head back to the library. Are you coming?"
"I won't be long."
Spike nodded and headed off into the drenched town. The gray sky and depressing atmosphere made everything seem darker than it really was, even though it was ten in the morning. Twilight looked as Joan approached her. 
"Hey there," he said.
"How are Stormflower and Irena?" she asked.
"Irena's going to be released from the hospital tomorrow. Stormflower, on the other hand, has not yet woken up."
Twilight looked past Joan and saw Thunder Storm standing several yards away. He looked at Aaron's grave, sighed, and walked away. 
Joan noticed that Twilight was looking at Thunder Storm and said, "He came to pay respects because Aaron died attempting to find Rainbow Dash's true killer."
"I can understand that," Twilight responded. 
"What are you going to do now?"
"I'm really not sure. We keep finding new horrors, ponies are still being murdered, and yet the killer is still walking free. Things are not good."
"Are you going to quit the investigation?"
An image of Rainbow Dash appeared in Twilight's mind. An emptiness began boiling inside of her.
"At times I want to, seeing as how it keeps getting ponies hurt and killed, but then I think of Rainbow Dash and I'm reminded of the fact that ponies are going to keep getting hurt and killed unless the killer is finally found. I want to stop at times...but I know that I can't. I have to keep pressing on. For me, for Rainbow Dash, for Aaron, and for everypony else. Those victims deserve justice. The killer deserves judgment."
Joan nodded and looked out upon the rain-sodden town.
"Do you realize that today it's been exactly a week since Rainbow Dash's funeral?"
"Yeah...I do."
The two ponies fell silent. Twilight noticed the Princesses each give her a polite nod before walking away.
"Do you think it's safe for them to be here, the Princesses?"
"The killer's not going to go after them. You'd have to be a complete idiot as well as a psychopath to go after them."
"I guess you're right."
Silence fell among them again. Brutus walked up and stared at them for a moment.
"Is there something that you want to say, Brutus?" Twilight asked. Brutus simply shook his head and walked away.
"Doesn't have that much to say today, does he?" Joan asked. "I remember him blabbing on and on at the hospital yesterday about how he's going to find the killer and bring him or her to justice. I personally think it's all talk."
"I think he's trying. He's not as truly determined as Aaron but he's trying."
"Do or do not. There is no try."
"Where did that come from?"
"Some science fiction book I read a while back. I don't remember the exact book but I remember that a really wise character said that line and it's always stuck with me."
"Interesting."
Twilight turned away from Joan to see Sunkick walking towards them.
"Hey, Twilight. Hey, Joan," he said. Twilight could definitely tell that something was on his mind.
"What's up?" Joan asked. Sunkick lifted his head and stared at Twilight. 
"Is something wrong?" Twilight asked. The pegasus remained silent. He looked as if he wanted to say something and yet did not have the strength to do so. 
"I...I gotta go," he said. And with that, Sunkick took off into the clouded sky. 
"What was that about?" Joan asked as he watched Sunkick disappear into the clouds. Twilight got a familiar pain in her skull. The image of Pinkie Pie appeared in her mind again. 
"He's accepted it, egghead," said the ghostly voice of Rainbow Dash. "Why haven't you?"
"I don't know," Twilight said, confused about whether she was responding to Joan or the Rainbow Dash within her mind. "I just don't know."
Meanwhile, Scootaloo was sitting against the windowsill of her bedroom at the orphanage watching the raindrops slowly glide down the exterior of the glass. There was a knock at the door and the head of the orphanage, a unicorn named Judith, entered.
"Scootaloo, you've got a visitor waiting for you down in the entrance room," she said. Scootaloo turned around to face Judith. 
"I'll be right down," she replied. Judith nodded and retreated out of the room.
Scootaloo thought about Sunkick as she made her way down to the entrance room. She hoped that it was he who was visiting her on that dull, rainy morning. A wave of fear instantly rolled over her as she saw not Sunkick but Pinkie Pie smiling at her from a nearby chair.
"Morning, Scootaloo!" she said happily as she skipped over to her. A basket dangled from her mouth and an incredibly baggy, yellow parka covered her body.
"Pinkie Pie...what a surprise," Scootaloo said awkwardly. She knew something was off about Pinkie Pie but Sunkick had forgotten to give her all of the details. He had said that he would tell her later. Scootaloo looked to see that a somewhat-large, cardboard box was sitting next to the chair that Pinkie had previously been sitting in. "What's in the box?"
"Pastries! Mrs. Cake has me going throughout Ponyville and giving ponies free pastry samples to cheer them up!"
"That sounds nice."
Scootaloo suddenly felt a cold chill rush up her spine. She looked around to see that she and Pinkie were completely alone in the room.
"Would you like to try one?!"
"I...I guess."
"Oh goodie!"
Pinkie placed the basket on the ground and reached into the folds. She then pulled something out and presented it to the young filly. Scootaloo found herself staring at a delectable, chocolate cupcake.
> Leverage
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 52: Leverage


Sunkick arrived at the house of his deceased sister to find himself alone once again. He didn't even bother going inside. He took one look into the empty cloud home and recoiled back outside. It was still raining and he was drenched from head to hoof. He didn't care though. His mind was racing with too many thoughts. He should have told Twilight and Joan about Pinkie. He should have...and yet he didn't. Why didn't he? Something had held him back. Some force that had been pulling at his gut, telling him not to tell them at that particular moment. He looked out and could just make out the outline of Sweet Apple Acres in the distance. He had heard that more bodies had been discovered, at least fifteen. He had to tell somepony. He needed to talk to somepony. He wanted to talk to Rainbow Dash.
"Dash...can you hear me?" he asked. He had never tried to contact the dead before, for usually it had been the other way around. Maybe this was the time to give it a shot. "Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash." He lifted his head towards the heavens and closed his eyes, allowing the spiritual energy in him to flow. He felt the lukewarm rain glide across his skin as he focused on the image of his cyan sister. "Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash." His spine was tingling now and the air around him was steadily growing colder. "Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash." Everything fell silent and all Sunkick could hear now was his own heavy breathing. "Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash." Then it hit him. A wave of cold that made every bone in his body shake with delight. It wasn't a burning cold but a relaxing cold. He could sense her. She was there. "Dash?"
His eyes flew open as he lowered his head. He tried to keep himself from fainting from happiness. There, standing before him, was Rainbow Dash. She almost as solid as a living pony, though she was somewhat transparent. A happy and somewhat surprised smile was on her face.
"Sunkick...can you hear me?" she asked. Tears began building up in Sunkick's eyes. It was at this point that he realized just how long it had been since he had seen her. Even before her death, he hadn't seen her that often after she had moved away from Cloudsdale. Seeing her again made him realize just how much he truly missed her, then and now.
"D...Dash," he croaked. He slowly walked towards her until he was within breathing distance. He reached out one of his hooves and pressed it against the front of her chest. He could feel her! It was almost as if she were still alive! "Rainbow Dash!"
He jumped forward and wrapped his arms around Rainbow. She was surprised at first but quickly returned the favor. Sunkick could tell that she had only expected him to hear her rather than also seeing and feeling her. 
"You can see me! You can feel me! I can feel you!"
The brother and sister fell silent and spent at least two minutes crying into each other's shoulders. They eventually parted, though Sunkick was still crying slightly. It was almost as if his sister were back...but he knew that this wasn't true. Though she appeared somewhat solid to him, she still existed in another plane that was far from his reach, even if he did have a sixth sense.
"You've found out haven't you? You found out that Pinkie Pie was my killer all along," she sighed. Sunkick felt a pit form in his stomach. He still couldn't believe that Pinkie was the killer. "Don't blame her."
"Huh?"
"Don't blame Pinkie. The Pinkie Pie you've seen isn't the real one. The real Pinkie Pie, the true and good Pinkie Pie, has been locked away for a long time."
"Do you mean in a prison of sorts? Is that Pinkie Pie a clone?"
"No. Let's just say that some things happened to Pinkie. This all started ten years ago with the murder of Pinkie's sister, Bellamina."
"Bellamina...I've seen her."
"I remember. That day you appeared in the afterlife with Pinkie Pie."
"What was that all about?"
"From what I can tell, you have extraordinary powers, Sunkick. Powers that allow you to see and interact with things that most ponies can't. You can contact the dead and, in some cases, see into the minds of other ponies. I'm guessing that the real Pinkie Pie called out to you from inside Pinkamena and tried to show you the truth."
"Pinkamena?"
"Pinkamena Diane Pie. That's Pinkie Pie's full name. Me and the others have started referring to the dark twin as Pinkamena."
"Makes sense. That sure sounds like a dark name."
"Sunkick, you have to tell somepony about her."
"I tried earlier today...but something stopped me."
"You still had doubt in your suspicions of Pinkie Pie. But I hope you believe what I say fully."
"Of course I do, Dash. I would never doubt you."
Rainbow smiled and Sunkick looked down. 
"Sis, I'm...sorry that we didn't talk that often. I wish we had hung out more when you were alive. If only I could wind back the clock and do it all over again! If only there was something I or Twilight or Stormflower or the real Pinkie Pie could have done!"
Rainbow placed a hoof on one of Sunkick's shoulders. He looked up to face her eye-to-eye.
"Don't blame yourself, Sunkick. What's done is done. I don't like it but I'm dead now. Me and all the others. Our lives were cut short because of a deadly chain of events. This started with a killing spree and it has continued on as a killing spree."
"We have to stop it! I have to stop her!"
"Tell somepony, Sunkick! Justice needs to be served. Pinkie Pie even thinks so."
Sunkick thought back to Pinkie Pie sitting in the middle of the void. He had never seen a pony look so miserable.
"The pain needs to end, Sunkick," said Rainbow as she pulled her hoof away. 
"What's going to happen to you, Dash? What's going to happen to Aaron and all of the others?" Sunkick asked. Rainbow gave a small smile and looked towards the heavens.
"We'll be free."
It was a vague answer but Sunkick understood it clearly.
"Will...will I ever be able to talk to you again when this is all over?"
"Of course. I'll always be here for you, Sunny. I'll always be there to watch over you, Mom, Dad, Stormy, and all the others. Don't think that just because we're dead that we're completely gone. Sometimes you may not see us...but we're still there."
The air slowly began to heat up and Rainbow began to gradually fade away.
"I need to return to the afterlife for now. Don't forget about me, little brother!"
Both Sunkick and Rainbow smiled at each other.
"I won't. That's a promise, Dashie," Sunkick replied. Rainbow laughed happily as she faded away into the afterlife. The sound of the rain returned and the air became incredibly humid and muggy once again. Sunkick felt a mountain of happiness rise inside of him. He needed to talk to somepony. "Twilight."
He extended his wings and took off. 
He was flying over the town when he got the sudden urge to visit Sugar Cube Corner. It just seemed like the right thing to do. He landed in front of the store and walked inside. It was completely empty aside from a familiar pink earth pony.
"Hi Sunkick!" said Pinkie Pie happily as she walked towards him. A large basket hung from her mouth. Sunkick gulped. This was her. His sister's murderer, Pinkamena Diane Pie. Pinkamena smiled as she placed the basket in front of Sunkick. She reached inside and pulled out a large, red cupcake. "Here! Try it! I made it myself!"
For a second, Sunkick was tempted to bite into the cupcake but his eyes instantly trailed over to a table behind Pinkamena. The ghostly shadow of Bellamina was sitting there. Her two white eyes glared at Sunkick from the darkness. She shook her head as she said, "I wouldn't eat that cupcake if I were you."
She disappeared as Sunkick pushed the cupcake away.
"Sorry," he said. "I'm not in the mood."
"Pity," said Pinkamena as she stuffed the cupcake away. 
"Is anypony else here?"
"Nope! The Cakes are out and nopony seems to be in the mood to trudge through the rain so it's just you and me...alone in the shop."
This was getting incredibly uncomfortable and Sunkick could tell that Pinkamena was sensing this. She knew that something was off about him. Sunkick and Pinkamena's eyes meet in a deadly exchange of stares. Her eyes looked cold and black and the image of the true Pinkie Pie appeared before Sunkick, locked away deep within the darkness. Pinkie looked towards Sunkick and his entire body froze.
"I'm sorry, Sunkick. I'm so sorry," she said. Suddenly, Pinkamena's appearance began to change before Sunkick. She looked darker and scarier, her eyes began to sink in, and her hair began to straighten out. 
"I was right," she said in a voice that could give a ghost the creeps. "You do know."
Sunkick barely had time to react as the pink pony lunged at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and slammed him to the ground. Pinkamena climbed on top of Sunkick and pressed her hooves against his neck, though she didn't try to strangle him. She simply cocked her head and smiled.
"How...how did you know?" he croaked. Pinkamena giggled gleefully.
"I have a sixth sense too, so to speak. Being created from the energies of magic and dark memories, I have a way of...examining other ponies. Pinkie should have kept her mouth shut. That pretty much sealed the deal."
"So it's true. There really are two of you!"
"I guess you could say that."
"So I guess you're going to kill me now, right?!"
Sunkick was more angry than scared at this point. All he wanted to do was reach up and snap Pinkamena's neck. The pony crouching on top of him was nothing like the original Pinkie Pie. She was cold, manipulative, and heartless.
"Please!" she cackled. "If I had wanted to kill you, you would already be dead!"
"Huh?" he choked. She removed her hooves from his neck and got off of him. Sunkick stood up as Pinkamena strolled over to the front door to the shop and closed it. "If you're not going to kill me...then what are you going to do?"
"Nothing. I'm going to let you leave."
"Are...are you saying that you want me to turn you in?"
She laughed again.
"Fuck no! I'm letting you go because I have a way of keeping your mouth shut about my dirty little secret."
"And that is?"
"Let's just say I have a certain little pegasus under my possession."
"You don't mean-"
"Yep! Scootaloo really enjoyed the cupcake I gave her. Knocked her out almost instantly! It wasn't that difficult sneaking her body out of the orphanage."
"You fucking bitch! Let her go!"
"No way! She's my golden ticket to keeping you quiet. She's the leverage in this situation, so to speak. If you utter one word about my secret to anypony, I'll make sure to cut up that little cunt like flower petals. Her death will be on your shoulders. Will you really be able to handle that?"
"If I remain quiet...then you'll just continue to kill more ponies!"
"I won't kill anymore fillies if you remain quiet. I'll stick to adults and older teens. Besides, even if you do tell anypony, I'll escape. I'll kill Scoots and make it out of town before Brutus or any of his other idiots arrive to arrest me."
"Why are you doing this? Why not just kill me?"
"Because I'm in a good mood today and it's fun toying with ponies' emotions. Watching you all cringe with sadness and despair is such a delight!"
"You'll get what you deserve, Pinkamena! No crime goes unpunished!"
"Pinkie's told me that enough times...and yet here I am. Over 100 murders already under my belt. It's your choice, Sunny. Talk and allow Scootaloo to die or shut the fuck up and let everything blow over...for now. It's your choice."
Sunkick growled. What could he do now? His eyes drifted over towards a knife sitting on the counter. Could he do it? Could he...kill her? The ghostly shadow of Bellamina appeared again. She was sitting at another table but her white eyes were still staring at him. She didn't have to say anything. He knew he couldn't kill Pinkamena. He didn't even know where Scootaloo was being kept! She could be hidden in a shed, in a basement, under the shop, in Pinkie's bedroom, or even in a box under the earth. She could be anywhere!
"You'll pay for this, Pinkamena! I swear on my life that you will pay for this!" he snapped.
"Try not to be too much of bastard to me from now on, Sunny. I might stop being nice and just kill both you and Scoots anyway," she giggled. Sunkick growled again as he turned around and left the shop. 
As he left, Pinkie Pie's voice rang out from inside Pinkamena's mind. She cried, "I'm sorry, Sunkick! I'm so, so sorry!"
"I know, Pinkie. I know," he said as he walked out of the store, leaving Pinkamena to cackle with delight. 
> Breaking Barriers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 53: Breaking Barriers


The following week brought along gloomier, rainier days. Pinkamena was out and about more often but spent some time alone in her bedroom arguing with Pinkie Pie. The investigation at Sweet Apple Acres came to a standstill due to the constant rain but more and more bodies were beginning to be uncovered from the loosening, muddy earth. Sunkick spent countless hours in his room at Rainbow Dash's house thinking of some way to tell somepony about Pinkamena without tarnishing Scootaloo's chances for survival. Whenever he left the house, Pinkamena was there to watch him. He could always see her lurking behind trees, sitting in buildings, or peeping through a lush bush. She was always there, waiting for him to snap so that she could kill her little hostage and make off to another town or city to continue her bloody crimes. Stormflower finally awoke from her seemingly-endless sleep but she was still too weak to leave the hospital. Joan visited her often and continued their relationship within the safety of the hospital. Twilight was beginning to lose hope but something was always there to keep her alert and daring enough to continue. Applejack visited the library constantly and found solace in one of the few ponies that didn't suspect her of murder. Scootaloo's disappearance was quickly noticed by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle and fear of another murder began to sweep through the town. It was only a matter of time now before the suspicions would be strong enough to cause an arrest of the Apple Family. The Princesses tried to calm down the panic in town but, due to other national matters, had to leave town three days following Aaron's funeral. 
Rainbow Dash watched sadly as the world she left behind proceeded to crumble. She had felt so happy after talking to Sunkick but now she just felt empty...almost as empty as she had felt when she had seen Pinkie Pie turning her corpse into a puppet. The afterlife had basically returned to its dull normalcy following the disruption of the dome and both Bellamina and Susie had fallen silent. Rainbow returned to being like she was towards the beginning of her afterlife: alone. She avoided contact with the others and spent a lot of time sulking around Sweet Apple Acres instead of lying on top of the Overlook. 
It was now exactly a week following Aaron's funeral and Rainbow was walking through the empty Sweet Apple Acres farmhouse. She remembered the countless days she had spent in there with Applejack, eating apple products, talking with the others, and just lying about. She missed life but she missed the other afterlife even more. That endless wheat field with the single tree of bird leaves seemed to constantly call out to her from beyond the gray clouds. She wanted to break through and join Susie in an afterlife of eternal happiness. She wanted the others to come with her and experience it all too...but this dream seemed further away now than had been earlier. The dark prophecy lingered in her mind. She and the others would not move on completely until Pinkie Pie and Pinkamena were dead and Twilight, Sunkick, and Applejack would each have a hand in this. Sunkick had already figured out Pinkamena's secrets but he was now caught in her grasp because of her possession of Scootaloo. Poor Scootaloo. Rainbow had visited her many times, though the young filly had never been able to sense her presence. 
Rainbow exited the house, turned towards the sky, and closed her eyes. When she opened them she was standing in a dark room with a single, yellowish light dangling from the ceiling. Scootaloo was lying on the cold, cement floor a few feet away from her. The room was around the size the death chamber that had once existed underneath Sugar Cube Corner. It was basically empty aside from a bowl of half-eaten pastries and a metal bin that had been placed there for Scootaloo's waste. Scootaloo didn't know where she was or why she was here. She couldn't even deduce the fact that Pinkie Pie was the one who had kidnapped her. Whenever Pinkamena visited her, she always wore her black outfit and spoke in her Pinkamena voice. She now only spoke in her Pinkie Pie voice when she was around other ponies aside from Sunkick and Scootaloo. Rainbow had watched her tease Sunkick from a short distance away.
"You've been a good boy. That little cunt lives to breathe another day," she would say as she passed by Sunkick in town. Rainbow hated Pinkamena but most of her anger turned to sadness at the thought of Pinkie witnessing all of this.
"Pinkie Pie," she breathed as she looked around the darkened room. Scootaloo may have been unaware of her surroundings but Rainbow knew exactly where she was. She was in a tiny shack that stood on the outskirts of Ponyville. It was located in the Everfree Forest, somewhere between the entrance and Zecora's house. She wanted to tell Sunkick this but her connection with him seemed to be broken. It must be the depression or the instability of the afterlife. It would take a spiritual miracle now for Rainbow to talk to her brother at the moment. She took one last look at the weakened Scootaloo before heading back to the afterlife. Aaron was waiting for her.
"You've gone to check up on her again?" he asked sadly. He knew about Scootaloo's predicament and felt just as powerless as she did. "How's she doing?"
"She's not dying but I'm still worried about her. Pinkamena could break her deal with Sunkick at any moment and kill her. Or Sunkick might snap and tell somepony."
"Or Pinkamena might kill him."
Rainbow had thought of this but she didn't like to. Pinkamena had killed her and had attempted to kill Stormflower. Sunkick dying or getting attacked would be too much for their parents. Thunder Storm and Caroline were already on the edge of the iceberg when it came to this. They were already making plans to head back to Cloudsdale. However, something told Rainbow that Pinkamena wouldn't kill Sunkick.
"I don't think she's gonna kill him."
"How can you be so sure, Rainbow Dash?"
"I dunno. I think Pinkie might be reaching through."
"What do you mean?"
"Pinkie might be regaining some control. Pinkamena could have killed Sunkick in the bakery but she didn't. Pinkie might have had a role to play in that."
"Maybe."
"Even if Pinkie does have a hold over Pinkamena, it won't last long. It's a race against time. Sooner or later...Pinkamena will probably go after my brother and Scootaloo."
"And the rest of Ponyville would be next on the list."
"There has to be a way to help them!"
"The time is near," said a familiar voice. Rainbow and Aaron looked to see Bellamina standing a few feet away from them.
"What do you mean?" Aaron asked.
"The time of judgment. There's going to be one last death in Ponyville and it's going to happen very soon."
"Pinkamena," Rainbow breathed.
"And Pinkie Pie along with her."
"Are Twilight, Sunkick, and Applejack going to kill her?"
"I cannot be for certain. I just know that the time is near and that they will play a role in the chain of events leading to her death."
"How can you be so certain that it's almost time?" Aaron asked.
"The signs are obvious. The weakening of the dome, Pinkie's mental hold on Pinkamena, Sunkick learning the murderer's identity, and the breaking of the barriers."
"The breaking of the barriers?" Rainbow asked.
"Yes. The barriers are breaking. The mental barriers, the spiritual barriers, and all of the others. Can you two feel the pull?"
Rainbow fell silent. She could feel something. It was faint but it was if some invisible force was tugging on her insides with a light pull. She turned to Aaron and he nodded.
"What does this mean?" Aaron asked.
"It means that it's about time for you two to make another trip to the world of the living together. This will be the trip that decides everything. Use your time wisely."
The world began to slowly fade around them as two pony images appeared before them: Sunkick and Applejack. Aaron was confused but Rainbow knew exactly what was happening. The barriers between her and her brother were broken, thanks to Applejack. The cyan pegasus took a deep breath as she and Aaron fell through the spiritual earth and flew towards their vessels in the world of the living. 
> The End Begins
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 54: The End Begins


Sunkick cautiously walked through the sodden roads of Ponyville as he looked for his pink blackmailer. Hardly anypony was outside, as usual, but Sunkick felt off. He was feeling something that he hadn't felt for a little while: complete loneliness. Normally, Pinkamena was there to spy on him and give him unwanted company but today was different. He didn't feel like he was being watched nor did he feel like somepony was following him. Had Pinkamena slipped up? Did she not know that he was out and about? Or had she given up on him and had gone on to kill Scootaloo anyway?
"Scootaloo has to be alive. She just has to be," he mumbled to himself. Should he go and tell somepony about Pinkamena while he had the chance? What would happen? Yeah she would be arrested and locked up but what about Scootaloo? Sunkick was positive that Pinkamena would never reveal Scootaloo's location and she would die of starvation if Pinkamena were to be caught now. Maybe Rainbow Dash knew something about Scootaloo's whereabouts. But even this possibility seemed stale at the moment for Sunkick hadn't been able to contact his sister since his last meeting with her. At the very least he had to talk to somepony. He just needed to talk to somepony. "Twilight."
The pegasus made a quick dash towards the library. He watched carefully for any sign of Pinkamena but something was telling him that she wouldn't be showing up. He was about to make it to the library when he felt a wave of cold rush over him. His wings turned to jello and he fell to the ground, face-planting in a pile of mud. The world around him began to fade away. The last thing he saw was a lavender unicorn rushing towards him.
He was now standing in the void of darkness. Pinkie Pie was standing a few feet from him.
"Sunkick," she breathed. Sunkick fell silent. "This is it. It's time for my twin and I to face our judgment."
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"The final destination. Pinkamena's time is almost up. My time is almost up."
"Pinkie Pie."
"Sunkick, I'm terribly sorry for everything that's happened to you and everypony else. If only that memory had stayed forgotten."
"Don't blame yourself, Pinkie Pie. This is all Pinkamena's fault."
"But she is me! A darker me. She's the evil inside me made real."
"You're not evil, Pinkie Pie."
"Everypony has evil inside of them. Some act upon it more than others. I never wished to act upon any sort of evil intentions. Pinkamena...she's another story. She was born from a combination of magic, sadness, regret, horror, rage, and lust. She's everything I'm not and everything Rufus was."
"Rufus."
The name of Bellamina's killer made Sunkick groan with anger. It had all started with him. It was his original murderous rampage that led to this. Sunkick desperately wanted to bash Rufus's head in with a blunt object.
"What happens now, Pinkie?" he asked. Two faint pony images appeared in the darkness: Rainbow Dash and Aaron.
"They are coming," Pinkie Pie replied. "They are coming to help you and the others end this cycle of bloodshed."
"Is...is it all really almost over?"
"Yes. I've been able to gain a mental hold over Pinkamena temporarily. I've given her the idea to remain home all day. She has no idea that you even left Dashie's home."
"Can she hear us?"
"No. I've managed to block her out temporarily. You don't have much time, though. I hope Dashie and Aaron hurry up. I can't control Pinkamena for much longer."
"What are Rainbow Dash and Aaron supposed to do?"
"You'll see."
A wave of warm air smashed into Sunkick and the dark void vanished. His eyes opened and he found himself lying down on a sofa, a wet towel was placed on his forehead.
"He's awake, Twilight," said a familiar voice. Applejack was sitting a couple feet away from him. Twilight was trotting into the library with a concerned look on her face. 
"What...happened?" Sunkick groaned.
"You just collapsed outside. I thought you were sick so Applejack and I brought you in and cleaned you up," Twilight replied.
"How are you feelin'?" Applejack asked. 
"Somewhat better," replied Sunkick as he sat up. He was happy to be in the library. It was a lot warmer and cozier that the rainy Ponyville outside. 
"Is something the matter, Sunkick?" Twilight asked.
"You could say that."
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"I...I can't tell you yet."
"What do you mean you can't tell me yet?!"
"It's...complicated."
"Sunkick...do...do you know the identity of the killer?!" Applejack asked. Sunkick looked at the concerned earth pony. He wanted to tell the truth but he knew that it wasn't his place to do so. Rainbow Dash and Aaron had something to do with the revealing of the harsh truth. 
"No," he lied. He could tell that neither Twilight nor Applejack bought this but they remained quiet due to his recent fainting.
"Have you seen or heard anything from Scootaloo?" Twilight asked. Sunkick remained silent. He simply shook his head. Lying to Twilight was getting more and more painful with every passing second. It was then that he noticed the temperature in the library slowly getting lower. Applejack seemed to notice this too. "Are you okay, Applejack?"
"It's gettin' colder in here. Don't ya notice it?" Applejack replied. Twilight shook her head. She seemed to be the only one not affected by the temperature drop. "Do ya feel it, Sunkick?"
"Yeah. I can feel it too," he replied. Twilight looked back towards the kitchen and gave an awkward chuckle. 
"I'm going to make some tea. I think we could all use something to calm our nerves," she said as she stood up.
"Good idea."
Twilight disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Sunkick and Applejack alone. 
"Somethin' is happening. I know that for sure," Applejack uttered as the air got cooler and cooler. "You know what it is, Sunkick. I know you do."
Sunkick looked at Applejack with his sad eyes. He gave a slight nod and grimaced. 
"The truth is hard to face, Applejack. But it's not my place to speak it," he said. "The end is near. I can feel it. This is all going to end today!"
Before Applejack could respond, a wave of cold rushed over her and Sunkick. 
"What's...happenin'?!" she asked. 
"You made contact with Rainbow Dash."
"Huh?"
"You came in contact with Dash's spirit as she passed on into the afterlife. That gives you a link to her spirit that's almost as strong as mine. It's no wonder the barriers are breaking. Us being together at this time of spiritual commotion is enough to let them break through."
"What in the name of Celestia are you talkin' about, Sunkick?!"
"I'm saying that in a few seconds our bodies are going to be borrowed for a little bit."
It was at this moment that Applejack's eyes rolled up into her head and she passed out. Sunkick took a deep breath as his soul left his body and phased through the ceiling of the library. He grabbed a hold of Applejack's spirit as they flew up towards the land of the dead. They watched as a cyan and black blur rushed past them. Applejack tried to scream or speak but no sound came out of her mouth. Sunkick simply smiled and held onto her. Another wave of cold rushed through their spiritual bodies as their link to the world of the living temporarily disappeared. One final jolt rocked their bodies as they came to a halt inside of an empty, gray bedroom. 
Applejack was speechless. She had no idea what had just happened but Sunkick remained calm. 
"Looks like we're going to be here until we swap places again," he sighed. Before Applejack could ask Sunkick about what had just happened, a strange figure appeared out of thin air. Sunkick had seen the figure before. He instantly knew that she was a human being and he soon remembered that her name was Susie. "Susie Salmon."
"Sit," she said as she sat down on the floor. She looked at the stunned Applejack and smiled. "I will explain everything."
> The Final Meeting
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 55: The Final Meeting


Twilight returned to the library to find Sunkick and Applejack sprawled on the floor. 
"Applejack?! Sunkick?!" she cried as she rushed to their sides. She tried to wake them up but their bodies were as cold as ice. "Come on! Wake up! Wake up!"
She needed to get help immediately. They could be dying or...no! They weren't dead! She knew they weren't dead! She gave a sigh of relief as their eyes slowly opened and warmth quickly returned to their bodies. The unicorn wrapped them up in a giant bear hug as they regained their senses.
"Twilight?" Applejack asked.
"Thank Celestia you're alright! For a second there I thought that you two had died or something!"
Applejack and Sunkick looked at each other for a brief moment before pulling themselves off of the ground. 
"Are you feeling better now?" Twilight asked. Sunkick looked at her but his face seemed different. It looked more mature and stern than it had previously looked. Applejack also looked different. It was hard to describe but it was if they weren't themselves. "The tea should be ready soon. I'll go check on it."
"Oh fuck the tea! We've got more important matters to discuss!" Sunkick snapped. Twilight was taken by surprise. Something was definitely wrong. She looked at the earth pony and the pegasus and examined them closely. 
"Applejack. Sunkick. Is everything alright?"
Applejack smiled and laughed a bit. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes. She approached Twilight and came to a halt just a few inches from her. Twilight could feel a different aura emanating from the orange pony. It was different but also familiar. Applejack drew her face close to Twilight's and vice versa.
"Everything's just fine, egghead," Applejack giggled as she locked lips with Twilight. The kiss must have lasted for only three seconds but it felt like an eternity of bliss for Twilight. When their lips parted, Twilight found herself staring into a familiar, cyan face. She looked to where Sunkick was standing only to see a black unicorn smirking at her. 
"R...Rainbow Dash. A...Aaron," she breathed. 
"Nice to see you again, Ms. Sparkle," Aaron teased. Tears began forming in Twilight's eyes. She was speechless. What could she possibly say? Her dead friend and dead investigation partner were standing right in front of her. She didn't know whether to feel happy, sad, frightened, confused, or just shocked.
"Cat got your tongue, egghead?" Rainbow asked. The pegasus was smiling but it was a sad smile. A casual tear made its way down her cheek every few seconds. Twilight eventually broke out of her trance and grabbed Rainbow in a big hug. Rainbow smiled and closed her eyes as she hugged her friend back. 
"Don't I get a hug?" asked Aaron as Twilight and Rainbow parted. Tears were now rolling down Twilight's cheeks. She smiled sadly and gave Aaron a huge hug. She was still in shock as the black unicorn pulled away from her. "I know this is a lot to take in, Twilight, but you've got to listen very carefully."
Rainbow walked up to Twilight and wiped the tears from her own eyes and then from Twilight's. Twilight regained some form of control as Rainbow gave her a comforting look. 
"Are...are you here to tell me who killed you?" she asked. Rainbow nodded and looked at Aaron.
"Why don't you do all the talking, Rainbow Dash?" Aaron asked with a snarky tone. Rainbow looked at Twilight and stroked her cheek with her hoof.
"The truth hurts, Twilight. The pony who killed Aaron, me, and all of those other ponies is...Pinkie Pie," Rainbow sighed. It was too much. Twilight began crying her eyes out again. "Hey, hey, hey. I'm not done explaining all the details yet." Twilight wiped the tears from her eyes as she beckoned Rainbow to continue. "The Pinkie Pie who loved and cared for everypony, the Pinkie Pie who was our friend, is not the same Pinkie Pie who killed me."
"What do you mean?" Twilight choked.
"You see, a little over a year ago Pinkie began having terrible nightmares. She went to you for help. Do you remember?"
"Yeah. I cast a simple spell to help clear her mind of the nightmares she had been experiencing."
"Well that was the beginning. Pinkie soon regained the memories of Bellamina's murder. The magic from your spell mixed with the anger, sadness, horror, and despair brought on by that memory and soon Pinkamena Diane Pie was born."
"Pinkamena Diane Pie? Isn't that-"
"Pinkie Pie's full name? Yes. That's just the name we've given to Pinkie's dark twin."
"Her dark twin?"
"It's confusing but you'll understand in a moment," said Aaron. Rainbow cleared her throat and continued.
"Pinkamena is basically a darker version of Pinkie Pie. She's an alternate personality of sorts, but she's an alternate personality with a soul and a will. She slowly began to eat Pinkie from the inside out. Eventually, Pinkamena gained full control over Pinkie's body, shoving Pinkie's spirit deep into her own subconscious. Pinkamena is the one who killed me and the others, not Pinkie Pie," Rainbow stated sadly.
"I...I can't believe it," Twilight gasped. "It's all my-"
"Don't you dare say that it was all your fault! You were trying to help Pinkie! If you hadn't cast that spell then Pinkie would have been driven mad by her nightmares! There was no other way!"
"But still, I helped create...Pinkamena."
"It's not your fault, Twilight. This all began ten years ago when Pinkie witnessed Bellamina's murder. It's Bellamina's murderer, Rufus, that's to blame and nopony else."
"Sunkick knew about Pinkamena...didn't he?"
"Yes," Aaron replied. "He's known about it since the day of my funeral."
"If Sunkick knew about it...then why didn't he tell anypony?"
"Pinkamena knew that Sunkick suspected her and in order to keep him quiet she kidnapped Scootaloo to use as leverage," Rainbow replied.
"Scootaloo! Is...is she-"
"She's alive. Listen to me, Twilight. Pinkie Pie currently has a hold over Pinkamena but it's not going to last forever. Once Aaron and I return to the afterlife, I want you to do two things. One: you need to send Sunkick and Applejack to rescue Scootaloo. She's being held in a shack just a little ways off the right side of the trail that stretches between the entrance of the Everfree Forest and Zecora's house. You've seen it before when you went to help Fluttershy and Zecora that one time."
"I remember."
"Two: I need you to confront Pinkamena and...and-"
"You're going to have to kill her," Aaron finished. Twilight and Rainbow fell silent. Was she really hearing this. Were Rainbow Dash and Aaron actually asking Twilight to murder somepony?!
"I can't. Even if she is a monster...Pinkie Pie is still in there somewhere," Twilight uttered.
"I don't want Pinkie to die either but, as long as Pinkie is alive, Pinkamena will always be a threat," Rainbow said sadly. "Me and the others won't be able to pass on completely until all the loose ends are tied up."
"What...what's going to happen to Pinkie Pie?"
"Hopefully she'll gain an afterlife of peace."
"And Pinkamena?"
"She'll get what she deserves," Aaron grumbled. He walked over to Twilight and patted her on the shoulder. "I'm sorry that we're asking you to do such a task and I'm sorry that I went and got murdered like that."
"You don't have to apologize, Aaron. I...I know what I have to do now. I have to end this. It all ends today."
Twilight looked at Rainbow, their saddened eyes met in a lustful gaze.
"This is the last time that I'm ever going to see you, isn't it?" she asked. Rainbow sighed.
"For a while, yes. I'll always be watching over you and the others. Then, one day, we'll be together again."
"We'll be together for all of eternity."
"You should see what's waiting for us, Twilight. It's beautiful."
"There's...something I wanted to tell you, Rainbow Dash. I wanted to tell you this the night you asked me to ask Celestia about Stormflower's gift but I chickened out at the last second. I-"
"I know, egghead. You don't have to say it."
"But I want to! This is my last chance to tell you this! Okay. Here it is. I...I...I-"
"Spit it out already!" Aaron snapped.
"I love you, Rainbow Dash!"
Tears began streaming out of Twilight's and Rainbow's eyes.
"I love you too, Twilight Sparkle," Rainbow said happily. 
They stared into each other's smiling faces for several silent seconds until Aaron said, "You know, this is where you make out."
The two mares nodded and locked lips once again. This kiss was much longer and much more enjoyable. Aaron took a few steps back and smiled as he watched the two lovers express their true feelings for each other. Twilight didn't know how much time had passed during the kiss but she still felt sad when their lips parted. 
"It's almost time to go," Rainbow said.
"I can feel it. The afterlife is pulling us back," said Aaron. 
"I know what to do," said Twilight as she turned between Rainbow and Aaron. Rainbow gave Twilight one small kiss on the cheek as she took a sad step back.
"Until we meet again, Twilight Sparkle," she said. Twilight smiled.
"Until we meet again, Rainbow Dash and Aaron Crop."
Aaron gave Twilight one last hug before walking to Rainbow's side.
"And one more thing," he said.
"What's that?"
"Tell Brutus that he has a successful career ahead of him as long as he doesn't keep shoving his head up his ass every now and then."
Both Twilight and Rainbow laughed and Aaron chuckled warmly. Rainbow and Aaron closed their eyes and looked towards the heavens. Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, Applejack and Sunkick were staring back at her. 
"Goodbye," she breathed. It took a few seconds for Applejack and Sunkick to awaken from their trance.
"Are we back?!" asked Applejack as she looked around the library.
"It appears so," replied Sunkick. He noticed Twilight's saddened face and sighed. "You talked to Rainbow Dash and Aaron, didn't you?"
"Yeah," she replied.
"What did they say?" Applejack asked.
"They told me where to find Scootaloo and what to do about Pinkamena."
"Pinkie Pie."
"Susie explained everything to Applejack," Sunkick said.
"Who's Susie?" Twilight asked.
"It's a long story. So where is Scootaloo?"
"She's in a shack in the Everfree Forest. It's just off the right side of the pathway between the entrance and Zecora's house. I need you two to rescue her."
"You can count on us! Wait...what about Pinkamena?"
Twilight sighed and looked out through the rain-covered window.
"Leave Pinkamena Diane Pie to me," she replied grimly. 
> Truly Alone
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 56: Truly Alone


Pinkamena watched as the raindrops slowly slid down the exterior of her bedroom window. The room was dark aside from a few gray shimmers of light from outside. Her eyes followed each raindrop with great precision. For a few moments she felt at peace with herself. No sadistic thoughts, no lust for bloodshed, and not even a chuckle brought on my the misery of others. She was just...neutral. Even Pinkie Pie had disappeared deep into her subconscious. The voice of her happy-go-lucky twin had faded away into nothing only recently. It was strange. She had been crying, begging, and scolding for over a year and now is the time that she decided to go quiet. She gave her head a soft tap and exhaled.
"Pinkie? You there?" she asked. Nothing but silence. She sighed and rolled over onto her back. The bed felt soft underneath her. She didn't want to leave. She just wanted to stay there and relax. Relax for an eternity. What was wrong with her? She sat up and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was straight, her eyes were dark, and her face was curved into a peculiar smile. She didn't understand this. Was she happy, sad, or nothing at all? She felt her face only to discover that she wasn't smiling...but her reflection was. The Pinkamena reflection continued to expand her smile until it resembled that of a murderous psychopath. Pinkamena wasn't disturbed though. She had done and seen far more gruesome things than that of a creepy smile. "You're going to have to try harder than that in order to scare me."
The Pinkamena reflection changed. It eventually morphed into an image of Pinkie Pie.
"You look sad," said the Pinkie Pie reflection. "Have you finally begun to feel guilt?"
"Bah! Of course not! I love doing what I do! Why would I ever feel guilty about what I've done?!"
"Maybe it's not you then. Maybe she's slipping back."
"Now that's a laugh! I've suppressed her greatly in the past year! She'll never return! Pinkamena Diane Pie is here to stay! Pinkie Pie is history!"
"How can you be so sure? The world is crumbling around you and yet you are too stubborn to notice."
"Fuck you!"
"Now that's not a very nice thing to say!"
"I don't fucking care! I'll say whatever I please!"
"I feel sorry for you. Cursed to only find happiness through other ponies' suffering and pain. It's quite a sad existence indeed."
"You're one to talk! You're stuck in a mirror!"
"I can be anywhere, Pinkamena. Wherever you go, I'll be there to greet you."
"Who are you?! You look like Pinkie Pie and yet...you're not her."
"You're right. I'm not Pinkie Pie."
"Then what are you?!"
The reflection changed. Now Pinkamena was staring at a ghostly image of a zombie-like version of herself. The hair was strewn, the skin was rotting, the eye sockets were empty, and the teeth were as black as tar.
"I'm nothing, Pinkamena. I'm the nothing that you created," replied the Zombie Pinkamena. Pinkamena simply laughed and threw her pillow at the mirror. The pillow bounced off and Zombie Pinkamena chuckled. "Are you trying to avoid me?"
"You don't scare me. I'm the monster here! I'm the killer! I've done things that most ponies would never dream of doing!" Pinkamena boasted. "You're nothing compared to me!"
"I am nothing and yet I am everything."
"What?"
"You didn't hear me? I'll say it again. I am nothing and yet I am everything."
"Are you just spewing bullshit now?"
"Yes and no. I am nothing and yet I am everything."
"You can stop saying that now. It's getting really fucking annoying."
"I am nothing and yet I am everything."
"Shut up."
"I am nothing and yet I am everything."
"Shut up!"
"I am nothing and yet I am everything."
"SHUT UP!"
"I am nothing and yet I am everything."
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
"We are nothing and yet we are everything."
"SHUT THE...wait...what did you mean by we?"
"We are nothing and yet we are everything."
"There's only one of you."
"We are nothing and yet we are everything."
"What the fuck are you babbling about, you fucking zombie?!"
"We are nowhere and yet we are...EVERYWHERE!"
The image faded and now Pinkamena was staring at a seemingly-endless sea of rotting ponies and animals. Zombie Pinkamena smiled. Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Aaron, Gilda, Ridley, Trixie, Derpy, Twist, and all of her other victims glared at her with their rotting faces. Their eye sockets emanated hate and mockery, their bodies ripped and teared with sorrow, and their blood poured with lust and sadism. Pinkamena watched as a familiar, gray filly climbed on top of Zombie Pinkamena's head: Bellamina. She didn't look like a zombie but half of her body was missing. She glared at Pinkamena angrily.
"I want my sister back!" she snapped. Pinkamena jumped off of the bed and ran towards the mirror.
"Well you can't have her back you spoiled brat!" she snapped. Suddenly, a long-haired stallion with piercing red eyes appeared in front of the crowd. "You!"
"I'm so very proud of you, Pinkie Pie!" Rufus said gleefully. "I'm so glad that somepony was brave enough to continue my work!"
"Go away! I hate you!"
"Why do you hate me? We're both the same, Pinkie, or should I call you Pinkamena? Poor Pinkie Pie disappointed me. She never followed in my footsteps and I never got to play with her. But you, Pinkamena. Heh, you are my greatest accomplishment! We both live and breathe death. We both bring sadness and pain for our happiness. We are one in the same, Pinkamena Diane Pie. Which only makes me sad when I realize that...you're going to die. Everything that you've done has been for nothing. Pinkie Pie is going to win, your victims are going to be avenged, and I'm going to be one disappointed psychopath."
"SHUT UP!"
Pinkamena turned around and kicked the mirror with her hind legs. The glass shattered and the eerie voices of her victims, sister, and creator were silenced. Now she was alone. She was truly, and happily, alone. They were gone...but they also weren't.
"We are nowhere and yet we are everywhere," they had said. Pinkamena let out a shrill laugh and fell back on her bed. A flash of lightning lit up the room as Pinkamena heard the door downstairs open. "Somepony's here!"
She didn't even bother to fix herself up. She quickly ran out of the room and down the stairs towards the shop. When she arrived in the shop, her heart stopped. She found herself staring at a serious and grim Twilight Sparkle.
"Hello Pinkamena," she snapped grimly. Pinkamena's muscles grew tense as her eyes flashed between Twilight and a nearby kitchen knife. "I believe we have some particular topics to discuss."
"Yes," Pinkamena sighed as she edged towards the knife. "I believe we do."
> The Shack in the Forest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 57: The Shack in the Forest


Sunkick and Applejack ran madly through the rain and towards the entrance of the Everfree Forest. Sunkick's heart was nearly pounding out of his chest. He knew where Scootaloo was. He needed to rescue her. He was glad that Applejack was there to help him for he was uncertain of what kind of horrors he would find hidden away inside an old shack owned by Pinkamena. The Everfree Forest loomed in the distance as they approached.
"This sure ain't the type of day to go into the forest," Applejack admitted.
"It doesn't matter! We need to save Scootaloo!" Sunkick breathed.
"Ah know that! Just how are we going to spot the shack in this rain? It's already dark enough in the forest as it is!"
"It shouldn't be too difficult. Twilight said that Dash told her that the shack was just a little bit off the right side of the pathway. We should be able to find it without much trouble."
"Ah hope you're right, Sunkick."
Sunkick nodded as they entered the forest.
The gray light of the rainy day instantly disappeared as they entered the woods. It wasn't incredibly dark but it was still hard to see objects that were too far away. There were no strange sounds emanating from the trees today. There was only the sound of raindrops hitting the wet soil. It wasn't until they came to the midway point between the entrance and Zecora's house that they decided to stop.
"Do ya see anythin'?" Applejack asked. Sunkick peered into the drenched forest. He could hardly see anything. He looked back at the earth pony and shook his head.
"Nothing. The rain's too thick," he replied sadly. Just then, he heard something. It wasn't a voice or the sound of a spirit calling. It was crying. The sound of a young filly crying. "S...Scootaloo?" There was a gasp. Sunkick smiled and turned to Applejack. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Applejack asked. Sunkick focused and closed his eyes. Once he saw nothing but darkness, a ghostly image of Scootaloo appeared. 
"Scootaloo. Can you hear me?"
"S...Sunkick? Is that you?" the filly asked.
"Yes it's me. Are you alright?"
"I'm cold...and hungry...and dirty."
"You don't feel like you're about to die, do you?!"
"No...I don't feel like I'm about to die. Sunkick, it's so dark."
"Listen. Applejack and I are coming to get you out of wherever you are! Just keep talking to me and I should be able to find you."
"Okay."
Sunkick opened his eyes and looked deep into the forest. As Scootaloo proceeded to talk about hoping to get back to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, Sunkick felt something pulling him in a particular direction.
"This way," he said.
"Are ya sure?" Applejack asked as she began to follow him.
"Positive."
Sunkick and Applejack walked deeper and deeper into the forest. They walked for nearly seven minutes until the outline of a small building appeared in the distance.
"That must be it!" Applejack exclaimed.
"Let's hope so," said Sunkick. They ran towards the shack and came to a halt a few feet from it. It was pretty big for a shack and was made up of a mixture of wood and steel. It was obvious that this shack had been around long before Pinkamena had begun using it. They scoped out the exterior walls until they came across a simple door. Sunkick tried to force his way in but it was to no avail. "Shit! It's locked!"
"I can handle this."
Applejack turned her back to the door and kicked it in with her hind legs.
"Nice!" Sunkick exclaimed.
"Years of apple buckin', partner," said Applejack. Sunkick chuckled as he ran through the open door. 
It was pitch black inside but it didn't take long for Sunkick to find a light switch. A dim, yellow light popped on and Sunkick and Applejack found themselves in a somewhat-large room half-buried beneath the earth. It was empty except for a small bowl, a metal bin, and a weak pegasus filly.
"Scootaloo!" Sunkick cried. He ran to her side and turned her around. She was conscious but very weak.
"You found me," she said with a smile. 
"You know who kidnapped you, right?"
"I...I don't remember. It's all a blur. The last thing I remember before appearing in here a week ago was being at the orphanage. I heard that I had a visitor. I went downstairs, thinking it was you, and...that's it."
"You don't remember who visited you or who brought you here?"
"No."
"Did your kidnapper ever visit you?"
"Several times but they always wore a mask and their voice was muffled slightly. It certainly wasn't the voice of any pony that I knew."
Sunkick looked at Applejack and sighed.
"How are we going to prove that it was Pinkamena now?" Applejack whispered. Sunkick and Applejack decided to not let Scootaloo know the full truth about Pinkie Pie/Pinkamena just yet. 
"Twilight's going to get in serious trouble if she ends up...finishing her off," Sunkick gulped. It was then that Sunkick noticed something in the corner. It was a piece of the floor that looked different from the rest of the floor. The entire floor was concrete except for this one part, which was made of metal. "Hold on."
Applejack took a hold of Scootaloo as Sunkick walked over to the piece of foreign floor. Upon inspecting it, he discovered that it was a tiny trap door. He opened it up to find a medium-sized cardboard box. He pulled the box out of the hole and examined it. Three words were scribbled on the box in marker. It read My Prized Objects. Sunkick turned to Applejack and gulped. He looked back at the box and pulled the top open. What greeted him was not the most horrible thing he'd seen but it was still pretty disturbing. 
Inside the box sat a dress made entirely out of skinned cutie marks and pegasus wings. A necklace made out of unicorn horns was tucked neatly in the corner. A folded banner with the words Life is a Party printed on it in blood sat underneath the dress. The final object in the box was a picture of Pinkamena standing next to a butchered pony dangling from a vertical slab of metal. A sentence saying My first victim, Berry Punch was written on the bottom of the picture. Sunkick turned back to Applejack and sighed.
"It looks like we've found our definitive evidence," Sunkick said sadly. 
> Pinkamena's Final Stand
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 58: Pinkamena's Final Stand


The atmosphere in Sugar Cube Corner was extremely intense. Pinkamena tried to edge her way towards the kitchen knife but Twilight kept her eyes on her constantly, refusing to even blink or look away. 
"I know what you are," said Twilight. Pinkamena stopped and smiled. A nervous chuckle emanated from her lips.
"Do you? Do you really?" Pinkamena teased.
"Yes. You're not the real Pinkie Pie. The real Pinkie Pie, my friend, has been locked away deep inside of you. You're a dark shadow of her."
"Oh I'm more than a dark shadow, Twilight Sparkle. I'm a living being. I'm just as real as Pinkie Pie."
"I know, but she's better than you."
"Excuse me?"
"She's better than you in every possible way. You're nothing compared to Pinkie Pie, Pinkamena Diane Pie."
Pinkamena slammed her hoof on the counter and Twilight jumped a bit.
"Shut up! You don't even know what you're saying! I'm better than Pinkie Pie! I'm much better than her! I've been able to do things that she never would have been able to do!"
"Yeah. Pinkie Pie would never do any of the stuff that you've done."
Pinkamena's smile grew. Her eyes turned towards the knife and then darted back to face Twilight.
"It doesn't matter. Sunkick broke his promise. And now I'm gonna kill you, I'm gonna kill Scootaloo, and I might just go and kill him before I leave town," she said gleefully. Pinkamena's straight hair fell over her face. Twilight could only make out her dark, sadistic eyes now. She took a step towards the killer as her breathing became heavy.
"You're wrong, Pinkamena. You killed many ponies, attempted to kill me and a few others, and have driven this town to near insanity. It ends here, Pinkamena. You either let Pinkie Pie return, or I will have to kill you," Twilight snapped. Pinkamena cackled again as she continued to glare at Twilight through her long, stringy hair. 
"You're gonna kill me?! You're gonna kill...me?! HA! Try your best, Twiley! Don't worry...you'll reunite with Dashie soon enough!"
Pinkamena grabbed the knife and began making her way towards Twilight. Twilight took a step back. 
"This ends here," Twilight breathed.
"Come and confront your fate," Pinkamena snarled. Then there was silence. Twilight and Pinkamena stared at each other as the rain tapped on the ceiling above them. Twilight's breathing became heavy. The kitchen knife gleamed in the dim light of the shop. Pinkamena's eyes seemed to emanate a black light. Seconds moved by like hours and a drop of sweat trickled down Twilight's cheek. "DIE!"
Pinkamena charged at Twilight, the knife held firmly in her hoof. Twilight dodged the attack and hid behind a nearby table. She used her magic to levitate a nearby chair. The chair flew through the air and nearly hit Pinkamena. Pinkamena charged again. Twilight got up and levitated the table in front of her, using it as a shield. Pinkamena drove the knife into the table. It nearly came all the way through. Twilight pushed the table forward. Pinkamena fell backward as the table, with the knife still impaled in it, flew over her and smashed into the counter, causing an avalanche of pastries to fall out of the glass display. 
This was her chance. Twilight charged at Pinkamena and grabbed onto her. Pinkamena fought back with great force. She snarled, swung her hooves, and attempted to bite Twilight several times. It was almost primal in nature. Pinkamena kicked Twilight in the stomach and threw her into a nearby corner. She then jumped on top of Twilight and began choking her. Twilight gasped for air as her trachea began to close.
"Just let death come to you, my lovely friend," Pinkamena chuckled. Twilight looked up into the eyes of Pinkamena. They glared down at her with pure hatred. Her face was completely psychotic. There was a large smile on her face, her teeth looked as sharp as knives, and her pink coat took on a grayish hue. Twilight groaned. She was beginning to black out. 
"No," she choked. "I'm...not...dying!"
Twilight brought one of her hooves up and punched Pinkamena straight in the jaw. The pink killer stumbled back as Twilight kicked her in the face with one of her hind legs. Twilight got up to face Pinkamena again. Twilight coughed and breathed for air fiercely. Pinkamena growled as she wiped the blood off her face. Her nose was slightly broken and some of her teeth had been knocked out. She turned back towards the table Twilight had thrown to see the knife handle sticking out of it. She turned around and broke into a run. Twilight's horn began to glow and Pinkamena found herself floating in the air.
"Let me go!" she screamed. Twilight smashed her into the floor, brought her up, and smashed her down again. Pinkamena looked up at Twilight, her breaths were slow and heavy. "It will never end! I won't allow it to end!" Pinkamena broke free from Twilight's magical grip and flung herself at Twilight, wrapped her hooves around the unicorn's head. "See what I have seen!"
Twilight screamed as her horn began to emanated a blood-red light. Then a series of horrific images began flashing before her eyes. A skinny stallion disemboweling a young filly, Pinkamena ripping Trixie's horn off, Pinkamena tearing off Rainbow Dash and Gilda's wings, Twist's cutie marks getting torn off, an axe coming down on Aaron's neck, an army of rotting corpses staring at her from behind a mirror, and an endless dark void. The images wouldn't stop. Twilight tried to break free but Pinkamena was holding on tight. 
"No! Make it stop! Make it stop!" Twilight pleaded.
"You don't like my memories? I spent a lot of time making them!" Pinkamena teased. Twilight closed her eyes but the images wouldn't go away. Blood spilling on the floor, organs getting piled into a large medical bag, and Aaron's head getting impaled on a pitchfork. They wouldn't stop. "You created me, Twilight Sparkle! I thank you for that! You brought on all of this! Just because you used a spell to help Pinkie with a nightmare problem! This is all because of you, my purple little bookworm!"
"No! Get out of my head! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
Then the images stopped. Two ghostly images appeared from the darkness. One was a little gray filly and the other was a creature that Twilight couldn't identify. 
"You cannot win, Pinkamena," said the filly. 
"You!" Pinkamena snapped. 
"You will die by your own hoof."
"Shut up, Bellamina! Pinkie Pie is gone! I will never die! I will always win! You cannot stop me!"
"Can we?" asked the creature. Twilight suddenly identified the creature as being a human being named Susie Salmon. Susie walked toward Twilight and Pinkamena.
"Get away!"
Twilight took this opportunity to grab Pinkamena and knock her down. The darkness, Bellamina, and Susie faded away as Twilight found herself and Pinkamena falling down a flight of stairs. They had somehow appeared right next to the basement door and Twilight had managed to knock it open. Twilight hit the bottom of the stairs hard but managed to pull herself deep into the darkness. Twilight silenced her breathing as she listened for Pinkamena. Then she heard her.
"Twiley!" she called with a high, psychotic voice. "Come out, come out wherever you are! Come on! I want to play with you! I want to see what your insides look like!"
Twilight remained silent. She didn't dare cast an illumination spell yet. She simply sat there and listened. The footsteps of Pinkamena reverberated throughout the dark basement. It was so tense that Twilight wanted to scream. Then the lights came on.
Twilight was blinded for a couple seconds but she recovered just in time to see Pinkamena rushing towards her with a large blade in her hooves. Twilight dodged the attack and ran down a nearby hallway. 
"Do you like my big knife?!" Pinkamena teased as she gave chase. "I kept it down here to save it for a rainy day!"
Twilight ran and ran. She didn't dare look back. She needed to find something to fight Pinkamena with. Some strange force drew her to a nearby bookcase. She used her magic to move the bookcase aside, revealing a smaller hallway. She ran down the hallway until she came to a somewhat-large, empty room with greenish brick walls and a dirty concrete floor. The floor was caked in the remains of washed up, dried blood. It was a dead end. There was nowhere to go. 
"Damn!" Twilight swore under her breath. She could hear Pinkamena approaching. 
"I see that you've found my old working chamber! It used to look so much better when all of the decorations were still in place!"
Pinkamena slowly entered the room. The blade was aimed and at the ready. Twilight backed up. She tried to levitate the blade out of Pinkamena's hooves but found that her magic had been greatly weakened by the other-worldly connection. Pinkamena laughed as she made her way towards Twilight.
"I look forward to cutting you open," Pinkamena said as she charged towards Twilight. Twilight tried to dodge the attack but the blade managed to graze one of her legs. Blood began pouring out of a gash in her front left leg. She stumbled back and tried to pick herself. Pinkamena brought the blade down again but missed. Twilight used some of her magic to smash the handle into Pinkamena's nose, breaking it entirely. Twilight suddenly found herself trapped in a corner. "Let's have some fun!"
Pinkamena raised the blade again. Twilight tried to control the blade but her magic was too weak. 
"Rainbow Dash," she said under her breath. "Rainbow Dash! Pinkie Pie! Bellamina! Susie! Gilda! Trixie! Twist! Aaron! Somepony help me!"
Pinkamena laughed as she brought the blade down. Then...she froze. Pinkamena looked at her hooves. Something had stopped her. A rotting, griffin claw was wrapped around her hoof. Rotting, ghostly images of Rainbow Dash, Gilda, Aaron, Bellamina, and several others began appearing around her. Pinkamena backed away into the center of the room and began swinging her blade madly. Twilight looked but saw nothing there except for Pinkamena.
"We meet again," said Rainbow Dash.
"In the place you killed us," said Gilda.
"Does it feel good to be home?" asked Trixie.
"I can't eat muffins anymore because of you!" snapped Derpy.
"You took my horn!" Aaron snapped.
"I never got to go to school again!" Twist cried.
"It hurt so much!" cried Berry Punch.
"My sister's better than you!" Bellamina exclaimed.
"Face us!" Ridley ordered.
"It's time for the final loose end to be taken care of," said the human named Susie. 
"You disappoint me," said Rufus.
"GO AWAY!" Pinkamena cried as she swung the blade at them. She cut them up, sliced their bodies, and caused them to bleed profusely, but they refused to go away. "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!"
"Let me through!" Pinkie Pie demanded.
"NO!"
"This is the end!"
"NO!"
"FACE THEM! FACE ME!"
"NOOOOOOO!"
Twilight took this opportunity and charged at Pinkamena. Pinkamena barely had a second to react as Twilight rammed into her. She flew across the room and smashed into the wall. Her eyes rolled up into her head and she blacked out. 
Twilight ran up to the unconscious Pinkamena and pulled the blade away from her. She picked up the blade and aimed it at her body.
"This is it...the final loose end," Twilight breathed. She tried to force herself to bring the blade down but, no matter how much she willed it, she couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to stab another pony. Pinkamena began to regain consciousness. Twilight backed away. She kept the knife aimed at the pink pony. Pinkamena stood up and looked at Twilight.
"T...Twilight?" she asked. Twilight tried to force herself to attack Pinkamena but her body wouldn't move. Pinkamena began walking towards her. Twilight then noticed something funny about her. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, her coat had become a brighter shade of pink, and her hair wasn't as straight as it had been. Pinkamena then flung herself at Twilight and...hugged her. "TWILIGHT!"
Twilight dropped the knife. She didn't know what was happening. She suddenly got a vision of Pinkamena sitting in the middle of the dark void. The rotting corpses of her victims were dancing around her.
"NO! LET ME OUT OF HERE! LET ME OUT OF HERE!" she cried. Then Twilight understood. The pink pony hugging her wasn't Pinkamena...it was Pinkie Pie!
"Pinkie?" Twilight asked. Pinkie pulled away from Twilight and nodded her head. A few tears fell from Twilight's eyes as she smiled. "I...you...we...Pinkamena-"
"Twilight...I'm so sorry," she said. Twilight fell silent. She could tell that Pinkie wanted to say something. "I'm so...so sorry! I've killed so many ponies. I've brought on so much pain."
"That wasn't you, Pinkie. It was Pinkamena."
"But she is me! We may be different souls and wills but we used the same body. This body...this body was used to slaughter innocent ponies. It was used to cut them open, saw and sew them up, and bake them into...pastries!"
"It wasn't your fault, Pinkie. I-"
"And it wasn't your fault either, Twilight. You tried to help me. It's not your fault that your magic ended up creating a monster. No...this all stems back to my sister's killer, Rufus."
"Pinkie-"
"Twilight...tell the others that I'm sorry. Tell them that I'm so terribly sorry!"
"We can tell them together."
"No...we can't."
Pinkie walked past Twilight and picked up the blade.
"Pinkie...what are you-"
"I can't face this world anymore. The things Pinkamena used my body for. The pain others have suffered at these hooves. All the bloodshed and sorrow. I...I can't face it. And nopony will ever be safe as long as Pinkamena Diane Pie and I still exist. Dashie and the others that have died at our hooves will never find peace until the final loose end is taken care of."
"Pinkie Pie."
"Twilight. You were a good friend. You were like a sister to me. Even when I was trapped inside Pinkamena's mind, I still enjoyed watching you through her eyes. I enjoyed the conversations we had together and the times we spent hanging out. I just wanted to say that I love you, Twilight. Tell Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Spike, and all of the others that I love them as well. Once again, tell them that I'm sorry. It's time for me and Pinkamena to pay for what we've done. Once again...I'm...so...sorry."
Pinkie raised the blade and aimed it towards her body.
"PINKIE PIE!"
The blade came down and went right through Pinkie's chest like it was wax paper. Pinkie fell to the ground as blood began to pour out of her mouth. Twilight ran to her friend's side and tried to carefully remove the blade. She couldn't, for it was in too deep. Twilight cradled Pinkie's head in her arms as the life began to drain out of her pink friend. Tears were now streaming down Twilight's cheeks. Pinkie raised one of her hooves and weakly stroked one of Twilight's cheeks.
"Hey...Twilight," she choked. Twilight looked down at her friend. Pinkie gave a small, but noticeable, smile and winked. "Don't...forget...to...keep...smiling. Tell...the...others...to...keep...smiling. Never...stop...smiling. Never...ever...ever...stop...smiling."
"I won't stop, Pinkie," Twilight cried. "I'll keep smiling...we'll all keep smiling!"
"I...guess...it's...time...to...go...and...see...Dashie."
"Tell her that I said hello."
"I...will. I'll...make...sure...to...throw...a...party...in...your...honor."
"Thank you, Pinkie."
"Goodbye...Twilight."
"Goodbye, Pinkie Pie."
Pinkie smiled as she gave her last breath. Her eyes slowly closed, her hoof fell back onto the ground, and her chest became still. Pinkamena Diane Pie was dead. Pinkie Pie was dead.
> The Beast
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 59: The Beast


Rainbow Dash, Aaron, Gilda, and Ridley looked towards the cloudy dome sky as it began to swirl violently. Thunder roared and lightning bolts shot down from the clouds. A large wind began blowing throughout the town and all of the spirits froze and watched as the world around them began to change. The false sun began to swing rapidly in the sky. There was a loud crack as it broke free from its spiritual bonds and fell towards the ground below. It smashed into Sugar Cube Corner, leaving nothing but a burning crater in its wake. Luckily nopony was inside the store when the sun fell. The ground shook violently as large cracks began appearing in the dome.
"What the hell is going on?!" asked Gilda. Rainbow smiled as she looked at the crumbling world. 
"I think it happened," she said.
"What?" Ridley asked.
"I think Pinkamena Diane Pie is dead."
The three ponies and the griffin fell silent. A few tears began forming in Rainbow's eyes.
"Dash?" said Gilda as she approached her friend, placing a claw over one of her hooves. "Are you okay?"
"Pinkie Pie," said Rainbow. Suddenly, a massive burst of light lit up the world like a firecracker. The light was emanating from the center of town. 
"Something tells me that we need to go see what's causing that light," said Aaron. They all nodded in agreement and made their way towards the light.
By the time they had arrived in the center of town, everypony else had already arrived. A massive pillar of light was shooting out of the ground. The earth beneath the pillar was split wide open, revealing a never-ending, black crevasse. Everypony watched in awe as a figure slowly floated up from the depths of the crevasse. The light pillar vanished as the figure was laid on the grassy earth. Everypony gasped at the sight of the new arrival. It was a pink mare with extremely vibrant, fluffy, pink hair. 
"Pinkie Pie," Rainbow said as the pink mare opened her eyes. She slowly sat up and stared and the group surrounding her. Tears formed in her eyes and she began crying. She curled up in a fetal position and placed her hooves over her face.
"I'm sorry everypony!" she cried at the top of her lungs. "I'm so, so sorry. I know you all hate me to the core right now but I just want you all to know that I'm sorry!"
Some of the victims began advancing on Pinkie but Rainbow, Aaron, Gilda, and Ridley surrounded the new arrival. Some of the ponies in town had heard about the complex creation of Pinkamena Diane Pie and how Pinkie Pie was innocent in regards to their deaths. Some of the ponies, however, had yet to hear the details and were now fuming with hatred at the sight of the pink earth pony.
"What are you doing?" snapped one pegasus stallion. "You're protecting the one who killed us!"
"It wasn't her!" Rainbow snapped back. "There are two Pinkie Pies!"
"What is this nonsense?" asked a unicorn mare. "How can there be two?!"
"It's true!" yelled Trixie. "Rainbow and Aaron told me all about it! This Pinkie Pie is innocent!"
Rainbow instantly gained a huge amount of respect for Trixie the magician. She could remember clearly the day Trixie had arrived in Ponyville bragging about her magical talents. Now she was here defending Pinkie Pie. Death sure had a way of changing a pony. 
Half of the ponies and creatures in town nodded in agreement with Trixie's statement but some were still skeptical.
"Why haven't we heard about it then?" questioned an earth pony mare. 
"News travels slowly in the afterlife," said Ridley with a nervous grin. Pinkie looked up to face her four protectors. She stood up and pushed her way past Aaron and Gilda. She looked at the crowd of Pinkamena's victims and wiped away her tears.
"Here you all are," she said. A new wave of tears was beginning to emerge from her eyes. "Gathered together. Here to witness the arrival and punishment of your killer." 
Some of the suspicious ponies began advancing but Aaron and Gilda stood them down. 
"Let her speak!" said Derpy as she flew in to help the protectors. Derpy looked at Pinkie and gave her a quick hug. "It's good to see you again, Pinkie Pie. You're so much more enjoyable than Pinkamena!"
Pinkie smiled as Derpy turned back towards the advancing crowd.
"Ten years ago. That's when this all started," said Pinkie. "I was a mere filly at the time. So full of hope. So full of happiness. So...gullible. I befriended a certain pony who I never should have met. A stallion named Rufus. I can remember us having certain things in common. We loved parties and we loved to bring happiness to others; though, as I later found out, Rufus had a much darker way of doing this. I decided to introduce my sister, Bellamina, to him. That's when everything went wrong. Rufus led us to his secret cabin and that's where he did it. That's where he butchered and killed my little sister right before my eyes! The event was so traumatic that I just blocked it out of my mind. A little over a year ago, nine years of blissful forgetfulness, I began having nightmares. Horrible nightmares. Nightmares that were a million times worse than anything you could imagine...aside from what Pinkamena used me to do. I went to my friend, Twilight Sparkle, for help. She used a simple spell to cure me of my nightmares...and it worked. That is, until the memory came back. I remembered everything. Rufus, Bellamina, and everything that happened in that cabin. I was in shock. That's when she was born. She started off as a voice in my head. A voice that often said horrible things. But then she became louder, more powerful, and more...bloodthirsty. She grew so powerful that all it took for her to gain control of my body was a knock to the head. And that was it. I was locked away deep within the black depths of my mind while Pinkamena Diane Pie, my dark twin and your killer, took control. That's how it began. It began with Berry Punch and moved on to the rest of you. Pinkamena stopped at nothing to fulfill her dark fantasies. All the while, I was forced to watch from behind her soulless eyes. Forced to watch as all of you, the ponies that I love, were betrayed and tortured by a monster posing as somepony you trusted. You've all suffered at her hoof. You've all suffered because one stupid little filly was dumb enough to trust a skinny, red-eyed, murderous bastard! You've all suffered because I made a stupid mistake. Pinkamena killed you all, Rufus killed my sister, and my sister was led to her demise because of me. I am guilty of starting this horrible chain of events. I wouldn't be surprised if any of you still hate me after all of this. I just want to let you all know that I'm sorry. I was sorry when Pinkamena took over, I was sorry when she killed all of you, I was sorry as she killed Rainbow, killed Aaron, and kidnapped Scootaloo, and I was sorry as I killed her and myself. I am sorry and will always be sorry for what has happened."
The crowd was silent. Pinkie's face was now oozing with tears. Some of the ponies in the crowd had also broken into silent tears. Rainbow walked up to her pink friend and hugged her tightly. 
"I forgive you, Pinkie Pie," she said. 
"I forgive you, Pinkie Pie," said Aaron, Gilda, Ridley, and Derpy together.
"I forgive you, Pinkie Pie," said Trixie, Twist, and Berry Punch. Slowly but surely, an echo of that one message began reverberating throughout the entire crowd. Pinkie smiled and cried as she looked at the crowd of Pinkamena's victims. She then turned back to Rainbow and hugged her. Rainbow cried as she hugged her friend. That familiar scent of cotton candy rolled through her nostrils. She didn't realize how much she had missed that smell until now. 
"I forgive you, Pinkie Pie," said a familiar voice. Pinkie turned away from Rainbow to see Bellamina standing a few feet away.
"Bellamina!" Pinkie gasped.
"It's been a long time. Hasn't it, sis?"
Pinkie nodded and ran towards her sister. The two sisters ran towards each other and met in a tearful hug. A huge smile formed on Bellamina's face. Rainbow had never seen the filly look that happy before. At most she had seen a sarcastic smile or a devious smile. But this was a smile of pure and total happiness. A smile only brought on by the end of a long ordeal of sadness and despair. 
That's when the earth broke again. A large pillar of light shot out of the ground behind Rainbow, Aaron, Gilda, and Ridley. The crowd backed away as the light shot higher and higher into the sky. This light was different. While Pinkie's light had been white, beautiful, and welcoming, this light was red, frightening, and dark. A figure pulled itself out of the dark crevasse. The light disappeared as the figure pulled itself up onto the grassy earth. Rainbow felt the world around her grow cold. A second Pinkie Pie had emerged from the darkness. This Pinkie was redder than the original Pinkie. She had long, straight pink hair and dark, guiltless eyes. 
"Pinkamena Diane Pie," said Rainbow. "The cupcake killer."
Pinkamena stood up and examined her surroundings. She looked at all of her victims and then turned to Pinkie and Bellamina. An evil smile appeared on her face and she laughed at the sight of their surprised faces. Her laugh faded as she charged for Pinkie. Aaron got in the way but Pinkamena simply pushed him aside. Pinkamena ran up to Pinkie and came to a halt right in front of her. Pinkie pushed Bellamina behind her as she looked into the eyes of her dark twin. 
"You did this," Pinkamena snarled.
"I had no choice. The death and suffering could not continue," said Pinkie.
"That was not your choice to make!"
"Oh yes it was. You've had enough freedom, Pinkamena. Now it's time for all of that to end. Here they all are. Every single pony and creature that you ripped life from. Every griffin, every rabbit, every pegasus, every unicorn, every stallion, every mare, and so forth. You destroyed them, and now it's time to pay up."
Pinkamena looked at the crowd and laughed again.
"Hello again, my little cupcakes!" she cackled. The crowd shuddered at the mention of the word. "Look at you all! You have me trapped like a rat in a maze! And yet you are still afraid of me! I can see it in your eyes! You fear me! You'll always fear me!"
"No," said Rainbow as she stepped forward. "I'm not afraid of you, Pinkamena. I was afraid, then angry, and now...I'm just sorry."
"Hello, Dashie! How has death been recently?!"
"Pretty good. Now it's over. Your massacre has come to an end. Now it's time to face the light, Pinkamena Diane Pie."
Pinkamena was about to say something when the ground began to shake. A large explosion ripped through one side of the town, throwing buildings into the air like playing cards. The earth opened up like a plastic bag and a massive creature arose from the depths below. The creature instantly spread fear throughout everypony who saw it, even Pinkamena. The creature was hard to describe for it kept changing shape and form. Two things that remained consistent were the fire emanating from its many limbs and its eyes, which burned with endless vengeance and power. 
"It's come to collect. The Beast has come to collect and judge," said Bellamina. The Beast continued to grow. It grew so much that it expanded beyond that of the breaking cloud dome. The dome began to shatter and collapse like a breaking window. Fires began erupting from around the feet of the Beast. An endless black void was situated on the other side of the cloud dome. Once the dome had completely collapsed, all that was left was the gray town floating on a small piece of earth. The remaining town began to burn and crumble as the Beast continued on its path. It looked down towards the crowd and pointed one of its sharp fingers.
"PINKAMENA DIANE PIE!" it screamed. It's voice was so terrible that neither Rainbow nor anypony else could come up with words to describe it. "YOUR TRIAL AWAITS!"
Pinkamena cursed at the monster, took one last hateful look at Pinkie Pie and Rainbow, and took off into the burning wreckage of the town. The Beast continued on its way. Its eyes set in the direction that Pinkamena was headed.
"It's going to crush us!" Gilda screamed. Suddenly a light appeared in the darkness. The edge of a wheat field appeared next to the floating town. The ghostly image of Susie Salmon appeared above the crowd, her arms were spread wide open.
"Follow me! It's time to be free! Heaven awaits!" she said as she flew towards the growing wheat field. Rainbow, Pinkie Pie, Bellamina, and the others ran after her. Rainbow watched as the buildings of the dying town burned all around her. The ground crumbled away beneath her hooves and bursts of fire shot up through the holes. The Beast continued making its way through town as the defiant screams of Pinkamena echoed through the air. Rainbow tried to fly but found that her wings were being held still by some spiritual force. Aaron ran close behind her along with Gilda and Ridley. Bellamina kept close to her sister. 
"We're gonna make it! We're gonna make it!" Pinkie chanted. Bellamina looked up at Pinkie and nodded. The wheat field grew closer and closer. The world became silent as Rainbow focused on one simple goal, reaching the boundary. She looked back to see that the town center had fallen down into the dark abyss. Only around a third of the original town remained. The barrier was coming up fast. "This is it, Bellamina!"
Everypony closed their eyes as they passed through the spiritual barrier. 
> Heaven
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 60: Heaven


A wave of refreshing warmth rushed over Rainbow Dash's body as she and the others passed through the boundary. She opened her eyes to find an endless valley of wheat welcoming her. Large mountain ranges bordered the sides of the valley and seemed to extend towards the end of creation and beyond. A single, large tree stood off in the distance. Its branches reached towards the cloudless sky as if they there the arms of countless souls. A brilliantly-bright sun cast a wonderful light down on the valley. Rainbow looked back to see the dying Ponyville withering behind what seemed to be a glass wall. She approached the wall and placed her hoof on it. It felt like cold glass and, no matter how hard she pushed, she couldn't break through. 
"You can't break through," said Susie. It was at this moment that Rainbow noticed that she, Aaron, Gilda, Ridley, Pinkie Pie, and Bellamina were the only ones there. The entire crowd of ponies and creatures had disappeared.
"Where is everypony else?" Aaron asked.
"They've gone on. On to their own personal heavens."
"Are you saying that there's not just one Heaven?" Gilda asked.
"Oh there is one Heaven but it's different for everyone, everypony, and everything else. I'm sure you'll come across the others again."
Rainbow looked back just in time to see Pinkamena, now bloodied, burnt, and crying, banging on the glass. She appeared to be screaming but Rainbow couldn't hear anything. The Beast appeared in the background and reached for her. Pinkamena disappeared in a ball of fire and the glass wall melted down into a small puddle of water. The water then expanded into a stream, which grew into a river, which grew into a lake, which grew into an ocean. Rainbow turned back towards the valley of wheat and then back towards the ocean.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Susie asked.
"Incredible," said Aaron.
"Indescribable," said Pinkie and Bellamina together. Rainbow turned away from the ocean and approached Susie.
"Why couldn't I go back?" she asked.
"Did you want to do back?" Susie asked.
"No way!"
"Then there's your answer. Why would Heaven let you go back to a world that you had no desire to go back to in the first place?"
"Can...can we still look back?"
"Do you mean back to the world of the living?"
"Yeah."
"Of course."
Susie pointed at the ground. A circular opening appeared in the dirt. Rainbow looked through to see that she was looking at the exterior of Sugar Cube Corner. She could see Twilight, Sunkick, Applejack, and Scootaloo sitting outside. Brutus and another investigator were walking out of the shop carrying a large, black bag. Rainbow had a good idea what was in that bag. Another investigator began questioning Twilight as the hole closed up.
"You can take a closer look later," said Susie. "Now, I believe you have an eternal afterlife to explore."
Susie then pointed towards the tree, which seemed to be somewhat closer than before.
"What's beyond that tree?" Pinkie asked.
"The rest of eternity."
The group walked in silence for what seemed like eons. But it was an enjoyable walk. The air was cool and warm at the same time, the sounds of autumn breezes, forest streams, and chirping birds echoed throughout the field, and small woodland critters ran amongst the stalks of wheat. Rainbow even saw a wolf playing with a pig at one point. 
"What happened to Pinkamena exactly?" Pinkie asked. Susie's face became cold and stern.
"She was taken to be judged," the human replied.
"Judged? By who?" Aaron asked.
"The Judge of course. The Beast is simply a collector. The Judge determines the fate of shady souls. The Judge decides whether or not the soul deserves immediate damnation or some time to repent and heal in Limbo."
"What do you think will happen to her?" Pinkie asked.
"Why are we supposed to care? She's a killer. She deserves damnation," said Gilda.
"I wouldn't wish that on anypony, even somepony as evil as Rufus or Pinkamena. Maybe they do deserve it...but damnation must be a horrible fate."
"It is. I've seen glimpses of it," said Susie.
"How?" Ridley asked.
"I've seen unfortunate spirits pulled into the fiery depths. It's not pleasant."
"How can you see anything that horrible from Heaven?" Rainbow asked.
"You can see anything from Heaven if you're willing enough to go exploring."
Then they were there. The trunk of the tree loomed over them like a skyscraper. Rainbow looked beyond the tree to see that an endless amount of cities, towns, valleys, oceans, deserts, prairies, mountains, and many other wondrous places were looking back at them.
"Heaven is infinite," said Susie.
"Heaven is infinite," Bellamina repeated.
"Heaven is forever," said Rainbow, Pinkie, and Aaron together. It was then that Rainbow noticed a girl sitting next to the tree trunk. She was a human, like Susie, but she looked different. She had darker hair, darker skin, and a weird assortment of clothes.
"Hello Holly," said Susie.
"Hey, Susie. Bringing some new friends in?" asked Holly.
"Obviously."
"I guess I'll see you around then."
And with that, Holly disappeared. She was then replaced by a male human around the age of sixteen. He was thin and dressed in lavish clothing resembling that of a prince.
"Hi Susie," said the boy. "New arrivals?"
"Yes," said Susie.
"I guess I'll see you later then. Same place?"
"As always."
The boy smiled and disappeared.
"Who was that?" Aaron asked.
"Eustace Clarence Scrubb. He's a boy from England who was killed in a train crash in 1949. I've taken a liking to him and his friends. You'll meet them soon, no doubt. Just think about it, soon we'll all be singing countless songs and dancing with the Narnians," Susie replied happily.
"What's England?" asked Gilda.
"Who are the Narnians?" Pinkie asked. Susie laughed.
"It's a long story," she replied. Rainbow looked out upon the world that stood before her.
"What do we do now?" Rainbow asked. 
"Now, we live. We live in complete happiness for all eternity. We live in a world with no sad endings, no suffering, no anger, and no incomplete stories. Your lives have only been the first chapter, now it's time to enjoy the rest of the book. The book that will never end."
"The book that will never end," Pinkie sighed gleefully. She looked down at Bellamina and patted her on the head. She then turned back to Rainbow and smiled. Rainbow looked at Aaron, Pinkie, Bellamina, Gilda, Ridley, and Susie. She thought back to everything in her life and all of her friends and family. She then began looking forward to the day in which she could enjoy the eternal happiness with them; enjoy living through the pages of the book with no final chapter.
"Heaven," Rainbow said as she spread her wings wide, preparing to take off. "We finally made it."
> The End
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 61: The End


It was a cloudy day in Ponyville when Pinkie Pie was lowered into the earth. The entire town came out to watch the funeral. The aura of the funeral was a combination of sadness, relief, anger, confusion, and shock. Everypony by this point knew the truth about Pinkie Pie being the murderer but only a few knew the complex truth behind it. It wasn't until Twilight Sparkle came to speak that everything made sense. She spoke of the Rufus murders ten years previously, Pinkie's nightmares, and the accidental creation of Pinkamena Diane Pie. By the time Twilight had finished talking, nearly the entire town was in tears. Irena spoke next and she was joined by her parents, Edgar and Rachel Cross. Twilight stood next to Stormflower and Joan as Irena spoke. Stormflower could only feel sadness at the thought of how Edgar and Rachel were feeling. They had lost not one but two of their daughters in a period of ten years. That would be enough to destroy any parent. 
Lots of ponies talked about Pinkie Pie. Most tried to avoid the topic of Pinkamena Diane Pie though it was unavoidable. By the end of the funeral, Pinkie Pie was seen as a victim rather than the murderer which Twilight felt was the right way to feel. Pinkamena Diane Pie was now seen as a different pony entirely. Everypony fell silent as Pinkie's coffin was shut and lowered into the ground. Her gravestone read: Here lies Pinkie Pie, a loving friend, sister, and companion, April 1, 983 - August 24, 1001; Here lies Pinkamena Diane Pie, the Cupcake Killer, June 1, 1000 - August 24, 1001.
Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity sat in silence in Sugar Cube Corner following the funeral. They could only think about the horrible truth and the sadness that overcame them. Within the span of little over a month, they had lost two of their friends. Twilight couldn't find any words to say to her remaining friends. She wanted to say something but she hurt too much inside. Applejack was still in shock, Fluttershy was using all of her strength to hold back a flood of tears, and Rarity was just speechless. Twilight excused herself from the table and walked outside. The clouds had begun to clear but it was still gray and dark outside. Suddenly, a familiar pegasus approached her.
"Mr. Storm," said Twilight as the father of her deceased friend approached her.
"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about your friend," he said.
"Go ahead. I know you want to say it."
"Say what?"
"You want to also thank me for finding Rainbow Dash's killer."
"I do thank you but I didn't want to say it due to her killer being...well...Pinkie Pie."
"Pinkie Pie wasn't the killer. I think I explained that quite clearly. Pinkamena was a different spirit than that of Pinkie Pie. I'm positive of that."
"I'm sorry. I really am."
"Thank you. I hope Pinkie Pie is happy now, and I hope Pinkamena got what she deserves."
"I can only assume that they both got was they deserved, eternal peace for Pinkie and eternal punishment for Pinkamena."
"I can't imagine it any other way."
Thunder fell silent. He turned away from Twilight and looked towards the sky.
"So what are you planning on doing now?" Twilight asked. 
"I'm thinking that it's about time for my remaining family and I to head back to Cloudsdale," he replied.
"Is Stormflower coming with you?"
"I'm not sure. My guess is that she has other plans."
"Would these plans involve Joan Silver by any chance?"
"I would figure as much."
"They really do care about each other. I've seen it in the way they've looked at each other. Joan stayed by Stormflower's side as much as he could while she was in the hospital."
"I know. I'm not against Stormflower's choices. I just hope she doesn't cut herself off again like she did before all of this happened."
"Things have changed, Mr. Storm. Some changes have been bad, but some have been good."
"What about you, Twilight? What are you going to do?"
"I'm still not sure about that."
"You better think about it. If there was ever a time to think about the future, it would be now."
Thunder then gave a polite nod and walked away to join Caroline. 
Twilight tried to find Irena and her parents but they seemed to be lost in the crowd. She eventually made her way back out of Sugar Cube Corner. The air was cool and crisp. Autumn was definitely on the way. Twilight took long deep breaths of refreshing air as she walked through the empty streets of Ponyville. The town was almost like a ghost town now. It wasn't that surprising. Most of the ponies in town were at the funeral anyway. She had just began making her way back to Sugar Cube Corner to see if she could find Spike when Stormflower appeared. She was alone.
"Hey Twilight," she said glumly. Her eyes were somewhat sunken and she still bore the scars left behind by the attack.
"Stormflower, how are you feeling?" Twilight asked.
"I've seen my better days."
"I think we all have."
"Ain't that the truth?"
"Have you seen Irena yet?"
"Yeah. I've talked to her, Edgar, and Rachel."
"How are they holding up?"
"Better than I expected. It helps them knowing that Pinkie Pie died in order to protect the remaining ponies in Ponyville."
Twilight thought back to Pinkie Pie dying in her arms. She knew that memory would haunt her until the day she died. 
"Yeah," Twilight breathed. "She died a heroine."
"I just can't believe all of this. All because of that bastard," Stormflower snapped.
"Rufus?"
"Yeah. He started all of this. I can only hope that he stays locked up in that prison forever."
"Me too. So...what happens now?"
"Huh?"
"What are you going to do now? It's over. This is finally over. The murderer has been found and...taken care of, all of the bodies have been unearthed, and there's no more murders to worry about. What are you going to do now, Stormflower?"
"I've been thinking and I'm going to leave town soon."
"You're leaving too? Are you going to Cloudsdale with Sunkick and your parents?"
"No, but I plan to visit them more often from now on. If there's anything that this has taught me, it's that I need to cherish every moment that I have with my family. If I could rewind time and meet Rainbow Dash one last time, I would tell her just how much she meant to me."
"She's always going to be with us. She's never truly gone."
"I know. Sunkick told me about your conversation with her."
"He told you?"
"Yeah. I'm glad that you got to speak with her one last time. Sometimes, I can feel her watching me, looking out for me. It's not as good as seeing or talking to her but at least it makes me feel better."
"I understand. So, what are you doing exactly?"
"I'm leaving town with Joan."
"Not a really big surprise there."
Stormflower laughed and smiled for a few seconds.
"I'm thinking about starting a life with him. I have a feeling that he's gonna propose to me any day now."
"He better. You two are really good together."
"Joan and I probably won't be gone for that long though."
"What do you mean?"
"I might be coming back for something."
"What would that something be?"
"Scootaloo."
"What about her?"
"I...I'm thinking about adopting her."
"Really?!"
"Yeah. Do you not agree?"
"No! I think it's an excellent idea! Well...as long as Scootaloo is up for it."
"I hope she is. She's a great kid and she's grown so close to Sunkick. I feel that I've bonded a bit with her over those flying lessons and the time we've spent together. Besides, I think after what she's gone through, she needs a family to take care of her."
"Scootaloo's a tough kid, but I can see what you mean."
"I can just picture it now. Joan, Scootaloo, myself, and maybe another little foal just enjoying life together in a nice house in the country."
"That does sound nice. Just starting a family and settling down. Sounds perfect after something like this."
"Twilight, I just wanted to say thank you."
"For what? Helping take down Pinkamena?"
"Well that and...thank you for delivering Dashie's gift to me."
"It was no problem. I felt that I should deliver it to you after everything that's happened."
"I'll keep it with me always. I know Dashie would want me to do that."
"Yeah. She probably would."
"What about you, Twilight? What are your plans?"
"Your father just asked me that recently. I'm honestly not sure at the moment. Right now, I just want to focus on my studies, relax in Ponyville, and put this whole experience behind me."
"Sounds like a plan."
Twilight and Stormflower turned towards the sky as the clouds began to clear overhead. 
"It's starting to clear up," said Stormflower. "Maybe it's a sign that things are going to get better."
"I can only hope so," said Twilight.
"Those investigators will be leaving town soon. At least that's something to look forward to."
"Yeah. I guess we better be heading back to Sugar Cube Corner."
Stormflower nodded and began following Twilight back to the shop.
"I still can't believe that it's all over with," Stormflower sighed.
"It certainly feels nice knowing that this is finally the end," said Twilight. The two mares stopped and looked towards the sky as the clouds began clearing up. Sunlight broke through the barrier of clouds, illuminating Ponyville with a golden hue.
"Yeah," Stormflower said with a smile. "It certainly does."
> Epilogue: 10 Years Later
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Epilogue: 10 Years Later


Twilight Sparkle stood on the train platform as the train pulled into the station. The sun was shining brightly and the temperature was just right. Twilight couldn't believe that it had already been almost a complete decade since she had last seen Stormflower in person. They had sent postcards and letters back and forth between each other but their paths had yet to cross until this point. Twilight could only think about the past ten years as the train emitted a large blast of steam.
Twilight had progressed greatly in her magical studies. She often went on trips to faraway countries and distant lands to continue her training. Spike often accompanied her and he had since grown into a very strong and intelligent young dragon. He wasn't too big to fit in the library but he was big enough to give anypony a bone-crushing hug. Due to her experience with magic, Twilight also helped Cheerilee occasionally at the school to teach the unicorns magic and teach all of the foals about the history and workings of magic and so forth.
Sweet Apple Acres began to make big business in the years following the murders and became a popular tourist attraction for ponies seeking knowledge about the secrets behind the Cupcake Killer. Applejack married a stallion named Cob and she now had three children, Hank, Isaac, and Elaine. Apple Bloom found a talent in the fashion industry, ironically, and went on to become Rarity's apprentice. 
Rarity's fashion business had also gained a lot of attention and she eventually moved to Canterlot with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. Fluttershy became a caretaker for exotic animals and even discovered a new animal, with help from Zecora, known as the three-horned ferret. 
Irena continued her music career for a couple years with Octavia and Vinyl before returning to help out her parents on the farms with a small fortune in hoof. She still played music today and often traveled to hospitals and orphanages to help cheer ponies up with her music.
Stormflower married Joan soon after leaving Ponyville and soon returned for a bit and adopted Scootaloo. Stormflower, Joan, and Scootaloo traveled to many places throughout Equestria and Scootaloo eventually found a talent for dancing, which led to her giving performances in various places throughout the country. The family eventually settled down in a small house in the country, a couple towns over from the rock farms, and Stormflower gave birth to twins, Roger and Lauren. Stormflower also wrote two books based around the Cupcake Murders. One was about the murder of Rainbow Dash and the following investigation while the other was based around Sunkick and his sixth sense. Sunkick made a small fortune in contacting the dead and helping families move on from traumatic experiences. He moved in with Stormflower's family around three years previously. 
Rufus, meanwhile, was killed by another prisoner around one year after his conversation with Stormflower. The town of Ponyville moved on from the Cupcake Murders but the dark history still lingered in the town. Brutus became a head detective though he was often compared to Aaron, which was usually the best way to annoy him.
Twilight's mind raced with these thoughts as the train came to a halt. She waited several seconds until a familiar face appeared from the steam. Stormflower hadn't changed that much in ten years, though her mane was somewhat shinier and longer. She was accompanied by Joan, Sunkick, Scootaloo, and now seven-year-olds Roger and Lauren. 
"Hello, stranger!" exclaimed Stormflower as she rushed forward and gave Twilight a big hug. Twilight laughed gleefully as she proceeded to hug Joan, Sunkick, Scootaloo, and the twins afterwards.
"Can you perform some magic for us?" Lauren asked.
"Yeah! Mommy's always telling us about how good you are at magic!" said Roger.
"Now, now, kids. Don't badger Ms. Sparkle," said Stormflower.
"It's alright," said Twilight. Her horn glowed for a few seconds as Roger and Lauren found themselves floating in the air. The twins giggled gleefully as they soared like young birds. Twilight then set the twins back down, which led to them groaning with anticipation for more.
"How have things been?" Sunkick asked.
"Pretty good. The town's been recovering from that hurricane we got last month."
"I heard about that. Pretty costly," said Joan.
"Well, not too costly. Thankfully, Applejack and Rarity have lent some of their money to repair the damage."
"Have you heard from Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle recently?" Scootaloo asked. Twilight looked at the teenage pegasus and smiled. She could still see the tough, young filly that idolized Rainbow Dash 24/7. 
"Yeah. I've heard about them in Rarity's letters. Sweetie Belle's begun a singing career and is working with Octavia and Vinyl now."
"Irena's old group?" Stormflower asked.
"The same. Speaking of Irena, have you seen her recently?"
"Yeah. We visited her, Edgar, and Rachel just last week. She's doing really well."
"That's nice to hear."
"So, heard anything from the Princesses recently?" Sunkick asked. The group began making their way away from the station and towards the library as the conversation continued.
"Not really. I've been traveling a lot recently but I haven't been to Canterlot since February, I think."
"We visited there recently for a book signing," said Stormflower. 
"Your book on Sunkick has really taken off, eh?"
"Yep!" said Sunkick. "The Sixth Sense: A True Tale of Spirits and Encounters!"
"You just can't stop reciting that title, can you?" Joan teased.
"What? It's an excellent title!"
"I guess."
"Is there something you have to say about my book?" Stormflower asked with a smirk. Everypony began laughing but the laughing stopped as soon as they found themselves standing next to an iron fence. The graves of the Ponyville Cemetery glared at them from the other side of the fence. 
"They're in there, aren't they?" Roger asked. "Aunt Dashie and the Cupcake Killer."
"Yeah...they're in there," Joan replied. The twins then zoomed into the cemetery. Lauren used her wings to fly over the fence while Roger, being an earth pony, had to take the long way. "Kids! Not this again!"
Joan raced after them while Sunkick and Scootaloo rolled their eyes.
"They're always doing this," said Scootaloo. Twilight gave an awkward chuckle and turned to Stormflower. A neutral look was plastered on her face.
"You okay, Stormflower?" Twilight asked.
"Huh? Oh...don't worry. I'm fine," Stormflower replied. Before Twilight could ask anything else, Stormflower walked past her and followed Joan and the twins into the cemetery. Twilight, Sunkick, and Scootaloo followed quietly. 
They soon caught up to Stormflower, Joan, and the twins. They were standing in front of a pair of headstones. The one on the right was Rainbow Dash's and the one on the left was Pinkie Pie's/Pinkamena's. 
"Cool! Dead ponies!" Roger said. Joan patted his son on the head and pulled him away from the stone.
"Don't forget to show some respect, kiddo," he said. Sunkick sighed and Twilight turned to face him.
"I don't hear much from her anymore," Sunkick said. Twilight instantly knew that he was talking about Rainbow Dash. "We talk sometimes but, recently, the connection has been pretty loose."
"Maybe you're just losing your need to talk to her," Scootaloo guessed.
"I guess...but I don't want to lose that need."
"We don't want to lose anything we hold dear. Sometimes we don't get a choice in the matter," said Twilight.
"But, what we can do is live, move on, and work for the best," said Stormflower as she turned around. She reached into her bag and pulled out the glow stone gift that Rainbow Dash had had Twilight order a decade earlier.
"You still have it."
"I said I'd keep it with me always, and I meant it."
Stormflower turned back to Rainbow Dash's grave and presented the stone as if Rainbow Dash were standing there to witness the action. She then placed the gift back in her bag and began walking away from the grave.
"Come on, kids," said Joan as he led the curious twins towards the exit. Scootaloo followed after them. Twilight and Sunkick were about to leave when they suddenly saw the ghostly images of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie standing behind their respective graves. The ghostly ponies didn't say anything. They simply smiled at Twilight and Sunkick and disappeared. Twilight wiped a tear from her eye and turned to face Sunkick.
"Come on," she said. "We don't want to get left behind."
Sunkick nodded and they proceeded to follow the others out of the cemetery as the sun dipped behind a small, gray cloud. 

The End