//------------------------------// // 021 - Murder on the Apollo Express // Story: Songs of the Spheres // by GMBlackjack //------------------------------// Those who explored the multiverse had begun to formulate a small map of it, composed mainly of two areas – the ‘east’ multiverse, and the ‘west’ multiverse. The pony worlds and those closely associated occupied the east, and the largely human worlds related to Earth Tau’ri were in the west. There were a handful of universes that seemed to fall somewhere in the middle, such as the Static, but for the most part everything was either east or west, and moving things larger than the Mirror Portal could accomodate from east to west and vise versa was rather difficult. So if anyone wanted to fly to another galaxy in the east multiverse, there was only one ship that could be asked, a total monopoly. Luckily O’Neill was an amiable sort who loved to hand out favors, especially when the Apollo wasn’t needed elsewhere and after he convinced Link that they really had no leads. He also had to remind the green-clad hero that Ba’al couldn’t be involved in this one, since it was the space ponies of ‘Equis Cosmic’, and ponies were immune to the Goa’uld infection. It took some time to accomplish this. The mission? There was an odd, regular signal coming from a dwarf galaxy a fair distance away. The Apollo would take the trip there, investigate, and then return. A handful of pony scientists had come along for the ride, as well as a handful of people interested in another galaxy, or some who just wanted to take a ride on a spaceship like it was a cruise. Twilight and her friends came for a mixture of all the above reasons, most choosing to view it as a sort of vacation. The first day of the voyage was nearing its end, and many passengers were in the mess hall having a bit of a celebration. Rarity was sitting with Link and a surprising passenger, Mlinx. “Mlinx, dear, what are you doing on this ship?” “…Looking for a break,” he said, sitting back. “You know Fef?” Rarity’s expression soured. “How could I not?” “She’s given us a bad name. There are enough people in the Elemental Nations who hold it against us that it’s becoming a problem. For me, at least. The rest can just take it, but, well, I wasn’t exactly the most welcomed anyway, and Fef was my friend…” He clenched his fist. Rarity put a hoof on his fist, keeping him from punching a hole through the table. “Hey, hey, Mlinx. It’s okay. You needed to get away for a while, and that’s good for you. You’re going through a lot right now. Take the moment to relax, okay?” “…Right,” Mlinx said, sighing. “That is what I’m here for. I hope that galaxy is beautiful.” “Won’t see it until we get there,” Link said, gesturing at the window. “Nothing but hyperspace for the next few days. As beautiful and radiant as this world’s sparkly pattern is, the novelty wears off after a while.” Rarity glanced out the window at the hyperspace pattern – a largely green and blue alternating swirl with patterns of pink and purple stars spread throughout. “Is every world’s hyperspace pattern unique Link?” “No, a lot of pony worlds close to yours have the same one. Some don’t have any at all. Can’t travel faster than light in those.” “Some worlds have more or less magic… Some have some or no hyperspace…” Rarity furrowed her brow. “I wonder what happens if there is a world with absolutely no magic. Or a world where life is impossible.” “Probably should get out of there as fast as possible.” “Would you have time though? Twilight has observed that our internal magic levels slowly fall when in a low magic world, but if the change was jarring would there even be a moment to return?” Link shrugged. “That sounds like a question that needs to be answered by ‘experimentation’ or something.” A passing diminutive reddish-brown unicorn overheard the word ‘experimentation’ and looked to the group at the table. “Hey, what experimentation?” Rarity shrugged. “Wondering what would happen in a universe with no magic at all, and Link here says we’d have to find one to see what would happen.” The unicorn smiled. “Well you would have to do that to be certain, but you could probably use analysis to figure it out ahead of time.” He extended his hoof. “Name’s Diesel, I’m Captain Shockwave’s assistant.” Rarity shook it. “Charmed. I’m Rarity, this is Link, and Mlinx. We aren’t exactly scientists, while I presume you are?” Diesel nodded. “All of us here – Shockwave and Cream. We found the signal years ago while drifting around the galactic rim and it has eaten away at our sanities not knowing what’s out there. I hope it’s friendly aliens, personally.” “I hope it’s a resort,” Mlinx added. Diesel chuckled. “Sure, why not! Anyway, about your little question. I may not be that knowledgeable on the subject of transitional physics, but from Twilight’s brief I read on the subject, I can surmise that so long as you are able to physically act within the confines of the new universe you find yourself in, you will be able to leave before all your magical properties revert to nothing. The big question is if you do let all your magical properties revert to nothing, what’ll happen to you? As observed previously, things tend to ‘shift’ to accomplish the same function in whatever universe they’re in – for instance, the ‘magic’ on Earth Tau’ri is very different in nature from the magic in most pony worlds, and yet the magic spells work as advertised, even if they are a bit harder to cast on Earth Tau’ri. The hyperdrive accesses a different sub-plane of existence in every universe, but it manages to do so with ease, as if the universe tweaks the device slightly so it will still work if it can. But in the places with no hyperspace at all, the drive just does nothing. Would your bodies survive? Wou-“ “Dear, dear,” Rarity said, holding up her hooves and chuckling slightly. “You’re overloading our tiny little minds with your knowledge!” “Oh, sorry. I do tend to do that. Talk and keep talking without thinking.” “I have no idea what he was really talking about,” Mlinx said. “I zoned.” Link shrugged. “I think I got it.” “Thank you,” Diesel said. “I’d recommend talking to Twilight about that,” Rarity said. “Or maybe even Pinkie, if you can catch her in a listening mood. They’d be able to keep up with you.” “Right, right.” Diesel smiled. “See you around then! Nice talking to you!” He trotted off, a skip in his step. Rarity blinked. “…I didn’t mean for him to go, but I guess he really wanted to talk science. I was a bit curious about him, actually…” Link shrugged. “Some people have a one-track mind.” He yawned. “Speaking of, my mind is currently egging me on to sleep. It was a pleasure, as always, Rarity.” Rarity smiled. “Likewise. Have a good night!” Link left the table, reducing the number of occupants to two. Rarity put her hooves on the table. “So, Mlinx, I’m sure you have some stories to tell!” “Not really. You know my place in the tribe. Let’s not talk about that.” Rarity frowned. “…All right, if you insist. I’ll tell you one of my stories. Oh, there was this one time I was foalnapped by some hopelessly incompetent Diamond Dogs, now that was somehow both a horrible day and a great day. It started when I was looking for gemstones with Spike – I was probably using him a bit unfairly, if I’m being honest with myself. See, he had quite the crush on me. I think he still does, though it’s significantly less than it was prior and he generally doesn’t act on it anymore. But I was fully aware of it back then, and I told him it would be dashing to go out and help me dig up gemstones. Little did I know that there were Dogs about…” She told her story for the next twenty minutes or so, allowing the rest of the mess hall to fall into the background of her perception. Mlinx, to his credit, paid rapt attention and laughed at all the right moments. It was, all in all, an enjoyable experience. “…And that basically wraps it up. The moral? Well, there were several, but the one I got is that a lady can use her words to get out of any situation.” She chuckled. “Weaponized whining and complaining. That’s a trait Lieshy had. She could dance circles around everyone with her speech.” “You two still friends?” Mlinx shrugged. “She talks to me sometimes, but she no longer lives with us. She bunks wherever Toph does at this point. She admitted to me a few days ago that she doesn’t hold us demons very highly anymore… I’m all right, but-“ He shook his head. “And here I was saying I didn’t want to talk about this.” “Mlinx, it’s okay. We all have problems and we need to work through them. I understand that.” Mlinx nodded. “I… Think I’ll turn in now, follow Link’s example.” Rarity glanced around. “I do suppose the hall is starting to clear out… Good night, Mlinx. See you tomorrow for another day of traveling through empty space.” Mlinx chuckled. “That you will.” He stood up and walked out, leaving Rarity at the table. After a minute of quiet contemplation. Rarity got up, intending to approach the table her close friends and O’Neill were sitting at, but another pony caught her eye: a cream-colored earth pony sitting at the edge of the hall, her nose in a book. Curiosity piqued, Rarity trotted over. “If you don’t mind my intrusion, what is it that you’re reading?” The pony looked up from her book with a smile on her face. “It’s a mystery novel, Murder on the Pony Express. The great detective Renee is traveling with a mail caravan across the Zebrican desert in pre-war Equis when somepony is gruesomely murdered. All signs point to the homeless stallion, but I think it’s the caravan leader at this moment.” Rarity blinked. “Why, that sounds like a fascinating read! Such an good name for a detective as well!” “It is a great book. I think the name’s foreign, or made up to sound foreign. My name’s Cream, by the way. Here with Captain Shockwave to find the source of the signal I found.” “So you’re Cream! I’m Rarity, just here for the ride. Don’t have any scientific background at all.” Cream smirked. “That shouldn’t mean anything. If you have enough cunning and skill, you can move up quite far. I don’t have any secondary education, actually, but I’ve proven myself to be more than skillful. Helps that I’m an earth pony mage, a pretty rare skill set.” Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Earth pony mage? I have run into a couple of those in my travels, but besides other versions of Pinkie I’ve never really gotten a close look. How exactly do you cast magic?” Cream laid her book down next to her and held up her hooves. “Unicorns use their horns to cast magic, and pegasi channel their power through their wings. What most earth ponies don’t realize is that their hooves aren’t quite like wings or horns – they’re just focal points of magic that flows throughout their entire body. To cast magic as an earth pony, you need to dance.” To demonstrate, Cream stood up on her hind legs and waved her front hooves around in a series of semicircular patterns. The tips of her hooves began to glow a soft green as magic collected around them. She pressed them together, creating a simple floating ball of light in front of her. “Definitely more difficult than using a horn, but there’s something invigorating about it.” “That’s amazing!” Rarity declared. Cream smirked. “I practice. There’s technology that can help you cast as well – Shockwave was never able to use her wings, so she has a pair of boots that can cast magic spells for her.” “You are a talented mare, Cream.” “I can also etch designs into solid objects and channel my magic into that which allows me to mold materials into highly specific shapes. It’s the main reason I’m with the Captain, I can create technical parts on the spot should they be needed.” “I stand corrected, you are a very talented mare.” Cream shrugged. “No, really?” She picked up her book. “Anyway, now that I’m not engrossed in my pages I can see that the place is clearing out. I think I’ll continue reading in my room until I pass out.” “Good night then!” Rarity called. “I will probably not fall asleep until the AM hours given how exciting this book is,” Cream commented, trotting out of the hall. Rarity finally mmoved to the table with her friends and O’Neill. “Well, tonight has been an interesting one filled with delightful conversations! I’ve told stories, heard others, and met new ponies! I think I know everyone on board now, except that Captain Shockwave. No idea where she is.” “Reclusive bird,” O’Neill said. “Doesn’t like people.” Flutterfree shook her head. “Why’s she a captain then? Even if she does just run a science vessel, she still has to deal with the ponies she commands.” “I don’t know,” O’Neill said. “As I said, reclusive bird.” Rarity shrugged. “I’d just like to meet her, is all.” She heard the doors to the mess hall open. “Oh! Maybe she’s decided to pay us a visit!” “Ah… no,” Starbeat said, walking from the main door to the food dispenser. “Just here to get my dinner and go.” She rubbed her right hoof, where a metal band was affixed. “Can’t be around a lot of people, you know how it is.” Pinkie shook her head. “You don’t need the band, Starbeat.” Starbeat levitated a tray of food over her head. “It’s there to tell me when I click, and to warn everyone else of the same, Pinkie. It’s for my sake as well as you all.” “It makes you look like a convict,” Nova said. “It’s the prison known as life…” Starbeat sighed. Shaking her head, she decided to come over, pulling up a chair. “I guess I can sit for a while.” She munched on one of her carrot sticks. “So, why you all hanging around this late? Almost everyone else is cleared out.” Twilight shrugged. “I don’t know. Just feel like talking tonight, I suppose.” Pinkie grinned. “We. Are. Wild. Party. Animals!” Flutterfree rolled her eyes. “We sure act like that sometimes.” Starbeat raised her eyebrows as she sipped some of her drink. “Do elaborate.” Nova snorted. “Go to a Pinkie Pie party and behold, the depths to which all of us will stoop.” “I’ve started spiking the punch every few parties!” Pinkie grinned. “Things get fun!” “Wait, you have?” Nova blurted. “That… certainly explains a lot.” Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Really, dear? You didn’t notice?” Twilight raised a wing. “I didn’t either. You do have an eye for detail, Rarity.” “I suppose I do…” O’Neill shrugged. “I don’t think it’s that. Intoxication should be obvious, methinks.” Rarity raised an eyebrow. “…’methinks’?” “I can speak fancy if I want.” “No, no you can’t.” Starbeat chuckled, chewing on a piece of bread. “Seeing all of this is always a little weird to me. Just ponies talking.” O’Neill snorted. “Hey, you’re not the grown man talking to a herd of colorful equines.” “True… I guess I was trying to say… Well, I don’t know, actually. Here I am trying to express a sentimental feeling that isn’t a form of romance and I’m tripping over my words. Heh.” Twilight put a hoof on her back. “It’s okay, we understand.” Starbeat looked right into Twilight’s eyes. “Aw, thanks Twi-“ Her hoof-bracelet started beeping like a car alarm, albeit quieter. She yelped in alarm, lashing out with her hoof, hitting Twilight across the face. Starbeat took several steps back, pulling her tray with her. “S-s-sorry! I, I didn’t mean to!” Twilight rubbed her face. “Ow. It’s okay.” Starbeat flushed, pressing her ears against her head. “I need to go. Thanks for letting me eat with you all. Bye.” She teleported away. Flutterfree shook her head. “…We need to find a way to help that mare…” “She’s the expert on the mysterious Beat Force,” Rarity reminded them. “She’s her own best hope.” Flutterfree sighed. “She’s becoming a recluse by necessity. It’s not healthy for her.” “Neither is what just happened.” Pinkie sagged onto the table. “Okay, now I’m just sad.” “New topic then,” Nova said. “I hear Daniel’s been working hard to forge tighter relations with the Binaries?” O’Neill nodded. “Yep. Quite the ordeal, apparently. Furry bundles that lack any semblance of trust…” They talked about random things for another hour or so, bonding as a group as ponies generally did and one old man generally didn’t, but was forced to anyway. Eventually, however, they began to yawn and grow tired. The lights above them flickered for a moment. Pinkie stretched her hooves. “I’m going to take that flicker as a suggestion that we’ve kept the lights on in here a bit too long. To bed everybody!” The group of six friends walked to the area of the Apollo where the quarters were. O’Neill gestured toward the door that held the guest quarters. “This is where we part ways. See you in the morning.” Twilight nodded, pressing her hoof to a console to open the door. Her bright smile vanished instantly. “…O’Neill?” O’Neill looked over her into the guest rooms hall. “Yes – oh.” Rarity put a hoof to her mouth. There was blood in the hallway, seeping out in large quantities from under a door to one of the rooms. Rarity couldn’t help but wonder who was behind that door. Not Mlinx, his blood is blue… Starbeat? Diesel? Is there anyone else on this level? O’Neill’s instincts kicked in. He jumped past the ponies and took out his master keycard. The door slid open, revealing a gruesome sight. A certain earth pony who had spent the evening reading a book was splayed on the ground, unmoving, her eyes wide open. Her jaw hung slack, her neck was bent too far back, and the bottom of her throat was slit right open, dripping deep red blood onto the ground. It was still flowing, pouring on to the ground. It was very recent. Rarity screamed, but couldn’t look away. The eyes were looking right at her, so lifeless – without the spark. But this was much, much worse than the neandroponies. At least the neadroponies had life in there. These eyes… They had nothing. She realized that her screams had drawn everyone in the area to the scene. Mlinx, Link, and Diesel were close by, Shockwave and a Tau’ri crewmember were to the left keeping their distance, and Starbeat was poking her head out of her room, hoof over her mouth. O’Neill called the bridge. “Get the camera feed for the passenger hall, stat!” “C-cream?” Diesel finally managed. “Wh… What happened?” “She’s been murdered,” O’Neill said, leaning down and shaking his head. “Cut to the throat. Very recent…” Rarity forced herself to look down at Cream’s body with a more analytical eye. She realized with some pain that she hadn’t actually seen a dead body yet on their adventures; at least not this close. She now understood what Corona was talking about, how it changed things. How it drove itself into your mind. Had Twilight seen this on Ba’al’s ship that day? Had she ignored it? Pushed it out? She noticed her breathing increasing rapidly. She held her hoof to her chest, calming herself. Now would not be the time to completely lose it. Diesel was apparently fed up with the silence. “You!” he shouted, pointing at Mlinx. “Your people are aggressive warriors! You did this!” Mlinx, instead of backing up, moved closer to Diesel and glared. “I did no such thing, unicorn.” Shockwave stepped forward, getting a closer look herself. “Anders,” she said, pointing at the Tau’ri crewmember. “You have a very large collection of knives.” Anders, a burly bald man, squinted. “Are you accusing me?” “Just putting information out in the public eye,” Shockwave stated, trying not to look at the body. O’Neill got a call back from the bridge. He cursed. “There was a video blackout.” “What? How can you have a video blackout?!” Diesel demanded. “Power surge,” Pinkie explained. “I mean, some of us saw the flickering lights right?” Rarity looked further into the room, her eyes falling upon a book lying pages-down on a small bed, very very close to the end of the story. She couldn’t explain why, but this angered her more than anything else about the situation. This mare didn’t get to finish her story! Celestia knew what else was just ended here! “Pinkie,” Rarity said. “Hat. Now.” Pinkie nodded, pulling a wide-rimmed fedora with a pink bow lining out of her mane. Rarity placed the hat on her head, stepping to the front of the group. Everyone sensed she was going to do something, taking a step back. She levitated the book off the bed and to her face, reading the next page. “…The caravan leader did do it.” “Rarity, what ar-“ Mlinx began. “Not Rarity... not right now at least,” she said, voice abnormally devoid of its usual pompous flair. “I am Renee. And I’m going to solve a crime.” She turned, back to the crime scene. “Twilight, Nova, Flutterfree, Pinkie, and O’Neill couldn’t have done it, since we’ve all been together for the last few hours. Since this is extremely recent, it means that the person who… did it would have to be someone in this hall at the time, or a teleporter. O’Neill, Mauve’s the only teleporter not present. Could you get him?” “He couldn’t do this,” O’Neill said. “He faints at the sight of blood. If you need another alibi I’m sure the folks in engineering can provide one. He usually falls asleep there.” “Fair enough. Assuming that checks out, only people here at the time could have done it.” She looked at Shockwave, Diesel, Anders, Mlinx, Starbeat, and Link. “You six are the suspects. I’m the detective. Twilight, be a dear and keep tabs on the six of them. O’Neill and I are going to step in here and examine the crime scene.” Twilight tore her gaze from the blood. “Right! Right! You heard her! Everyone, back to your rooms. Don’t leave. Me and my friends will be watching.” Mlinx pointed at Renee. “You can’t be serious, Rarity.” “I have to be impartial, Mlinx,” Renee said. “Go to your room and wait.” He clenched his fists and stormed off. Renee looked to O’Neill, adjusting her hat before stepping over Cream, carefully entering the room. O’Neill closed the door behind them. “…You okay?” “No,” Renee said. “You’d think we’d have seen this by now, but no. You tell so many stories of war and death that you were personally involved in. That happens a lot less over here in the east. Hearing about death and seeing it are two very different things.” She placed the book back on the bed, open. “I shouldn’t have moved that…” O’Neill folded his arms. “Are you sure you’re qualified to do this?” “This is not the first time I’ve taken the guise of a fictional detective. I did fairly well last time.” She took out a smartphone and started snapping pictures of the room. It was small, containing only a bed, a light, and a small closet – no bathroom, that was down the hall. “Nothing strikes me as obviously a clue.” She leaned down to look closer at the body. This time, she kept herself under control, though she knew she was just bottling up emotional turmoil for a later violent discharge. Now was not the time to lose her cool. The wound across the neck was a slice from something sharp – presumably a knife or blade of some sort. There were no other signs of contact – no bruises, not even a messed up mane. There clearly wasn’t a struggle at all. It was quick. That was something, at least. Renee looked around the room closely again. The bed wasn’t made, signaling that Cream had probably sitting in it, reading. Her closeness to the door suggested she got up to answer it, and probably got sliced right as she opened it. She’d have gone quietly, since the cut went for the neck. Nothing else was disturbed. Renee turned back to the door – realizing it wasn’t closed all the way. She leaned closer and noticed the wall to her left was dented. She nodded slowly, taking a few steps back and taking one final look around the room. “Well?” O’Neill asked. “Someone either knocked on the door or she heard something. She went to open the door, got a blade of some kind to the neck, and fell where she is now. The only clue in here? A dent in the doorway, made by something hard. A hoof slamming into it wildly, or a carapace.” O’Neill looked at the dent. “That’d have to be a pretty hard hit.” “If I’d just… done away with somepony, I would have run away fast enough to hit a wall head-on. Ponies have the strength, and I’m pretty sure demons do as well.” O’Neill leaned against the back well. “So, our suspects. What are you thinking?” “I’m thinking that, first of all, that camera blackout is a bit too convenient. That’s our other clue. My current bet is on Shockwave. As Captain of a science expedition, she’d be able to work her way into your system, not to mention have the hoof required to make that dent. I hear she has magic boots, maybe they could have helped. Furthermore, she knew Cream in the past, giving her a possible longer-term motive.” “Anders has technical experience,” O’Neill offered. “He’s certainly possible, but I’m finding it hard to construct a situation where he creates that dent. Burly as he is, he’s still a normal human. Unless he’s got a Ba’al symbiote in him. Twilight can check that. Other than that, I don’t really have a read on him yet.” “The others?” “I don’t believe for a second that Mlinx, Starbeat, or Link could have done this, but they’re still suspects, and they might know something. I suppose Diesel could have done it, but he didn’t strike me as the type. Keep in mind, I’m probably wildly wrong about these initial judgments, if I know anything the real culprit or motive is unexpected. For all we know Cream isn’t as innocent as we previously believed.” O’Neill nodded. “That’s enough for me, you know what you’re doing. You’re on investigation.” “We should have a look at that camera blackout in detail first,” Renee said. “It’s the other part of this mystery.” “That information will be in Engineering.” “Let’s head there then,” Renee said. “I think we’ve gleaned all we can from here.” She opened the door and did a quick examination of the outside, finding no hairs, cloth, or anything else interesting at all. She closed the door behind them, finally allowing the body to leave her sight. She let out a breath, looking around at the hallway in general. Twilight was the only one there. “Where’d the others go?” “To sleep,” Twilight said. “We’ll take turns keeping watch.” “Does Pinkie know any… You know.” Twilight glanced to O’Neill. She whispered in Renee’s ear. “She doesn’t know who, but she knows you need to do this.” She leaned back. “You sure you’re okay, Rarity?” “No,” Renee said. “And it’s Renee, right now. Tell Pinkie thanks.” “I will.” The two parted ways. Renee and O’Neill went wordlessly to Engineering, where there were more than a few Tau’ri running around in a mild panic. Mauve was sleeping soundly next to a computer terminal, somehow tuning out all the commotion. “Report!” O’Neil demanded. “There was a virus!” one of the engineers said, furiously typing on a keyboard. “It was a Sombra virus. It’s been in our system for days!” “What was it doing?” “Trying to access the Asgard Core!” Renee looked at O’Neill. “…Asgard Core?” “Secondary computer system where the big secrets are kept,” O’Neill answered. “Why would you need two computers? Why not just put the bigger secrets in the old one?” O’Neill coughed. “That’s… Classified, actually. A non-classified answer is that the technology was gifted to us by one of our allies and that we’ve just not fully integrated the systems yet.” Renee raised an eyebrow. “Will this classified information be important to the investigation?” “Investigation?” an engineer asked. “A pony was murdered,” O’Neill answered. “And no, I don’t think it will. And this is not the first time Sombra’s tried to breach an Asgard core…” “So we have three options. The… killer was either working with Sombra, knew Sombra was going to act and took advantage of it, or just got lucky. Either way it means we no longer have to limit our suspects to people and ponies with technical expertise, since she was involved. …Could she be on the ship?” “That’s possible, but unlikely,” an engineer said. “The virus was acting autonomously. It still is, actually. Programmed to make our lives annoying down here in engineering. It knows its not getting into the Asgard Core so basically it’s throwing a fit now. Sorry General, this is going to cause more than a few systems to be buggy.” “Hyperdrive?” O’Neill asked. “That’s been quarantined. Shouldn’t be anything dangerous. It clearly doesn’t want to destroy us, just be a pain.” “Keep me posted. And not with a post-it note this time, got it?” “Got it.” O’Neill turned to Renee. “What now?” “We have the doctors examine the body overnight while we get some sleep. I’ll question them in the morning. We all need some rest, and any guilty party will stew and get nervous. There’s nowhere to run, and performing more murders won’t help them at all. I believe we can afford to take a night.” O’Neill called for the body to be taken out of the room and studied. “Good. See you in the morning, General.” “You too, Renee.” ~~~ Renee stood in front of a door, Twilight at her side. “First suspect,” Twilight said. “Yes,” Renee confirmed. “Diesel. He’s not high on my ‘guilty’ list but he’ll likely know more about Cream and what reasons people would have to… off her. You’re here to make sure nobody tries to attack me. Insurance.” “Right,” Twilight said, gulping. “Twilight… You can handle a knife. Don’t be nervous.” “I’m just worried it’s one of the people we know… Or, really, anyone here… I’ve talked to them all, they all seemed like nice people. I know that’s not a good indicator anymore… Still.” “I know Twilight. I know. It’s hard. But someone had to do it. Necks don’t get cut by nobody.” Twilight shivered, looking away from Renee. Renee took in a breath and knocked on Diesel’s door. “Diesel?” Diesel opened the door. His face was tear-stained and his eyes heavy. “Oh. …Questions?” “Yes, that’s right.” “Come on in then.” He backed up, climbing onto his bed, allowing the two mares more space to shuffle in. “So… What first?” “Cream,” Rarity said, speaking the name with as little emotion as possible. “Tell me about her.” Diesel shook his head. “She… was a good pony. Talented in the art of magic, brilliant in the cutting of circles, and had intelligence despite her lack of schooling. She was a quiet daydreamer with a lot of ideas and a penchant for shining bright. She-“ “Diesel, you don’t have to be afraid to tell me of her bad qualities as well.” Diesel paused for a moment. “She… She wanted to be on top. She wasn’t exactly power-hungry, but she would do all she could to outshine everyone. It was almost like she observed ponies and determined what she could do to show them up. Everyone who didn’t praise her was a competitor. You… You don’t think she angered someone, do you?” “Very possible,” Renee said. “Anyone on your team could be jealous of her success.” “Including me.” Renee nodded. “But we don’t need to go there just yet.” “I did not feel jealous, nothing of the kind! I di-“ “Stop lying,” Renee said. “Everypony around a mare like that would be jealous in one way or another, even slightly, or subconsciously. Not to the point of murder, no, but to the point of resentment? Easily.” Diesel looked at the ground, ashamed. “…Right. Sorry.” “It’s okay. I’m actually expecting everyone to lie to me a little bit.” Diesel nodded slowly. “Describe your relationship with Cream to me.” Diesel took a breath. “Well, we worked together. That… That was about it.” “Her competitive nature didn’t cause any problems at all?” Diesel shrugged. “I guess I’m just used to it a this point. At first, yeah, things were rocky, and everypony butted heads, but once she was given a berth and the ability to shine everything just locked into place. It does seem a little unfair, now that I think about it…” Renee adjusted her hat, contemplating what she’d just heard. “Give me a specific example of her desire to ‘show ponies up’.” Diesel frowned. “W-well, a few years ago I was working on a better matter oscillator, and she came in every day seemingly to help me improve, but days after I released my oscillator she released hers which was just slightly better. And that was not the only time she got away with something like that…” “Sounds like she was a manipulator.” “Of sorts? I don’t know, all I know is that she was effective and pulled her weight, even if it was at the expense of the rest of us. You could ask Shockwave for her view on this as Captain. I can’t recall any moments off the top of my head where Cream challenged her, but… I don’t know.” Renee nodded. “Moving on to more in-the-present questions, describe what happened last night after you left the dining hall?” “I came up to my room. Before I went in I caught up with Shockwave, talked a bit about the mission. She was distant, as usual. Then I went to sleep. I was woken up by an infernal beeping a little later, and before I could get back to sleep you screamed.” “Right. One more question. Who do you think did it?” Diesel raised an eyebrow. “That demon. You know what his kind is capable of, and his room is the closest to hers.” Renee nodded. “Both Mlinx and Starbeat are close to her. The rest of the nearby rooms were supposed to be filled by me and my friends.” “…Right. Don’t think Starbeat did it, she just looks too innocent. …Do you need anything else?” “Not at the moment. I may question you again later. Good day, Diesel.” ~~~ Anders folded his arms. “Before we get into this, I have to say something before you use your detective skills to put it in a bad light.” Renee glanced at Twilight and back to Anders. “This about the knife collection?” “Yes.” He took a box out of the small closet, unfolding it, revealing dozens of beautifully crafted knives. “When I went to bed last night after the murder, I checked my case. All my knives were there. This morning…” He opened the case, revealing several spots where knives were missing. “Someone’s stolen them.” “You do realize this looks like you trying to hide evidence?” “I know. That’s why I’m being upfront with it.” He sat down on the bed. “And if I really wanted to hide, I could rearrange the knives to make the chest look full and only ditch one of them.” “The fact that you’ve thought of this means you’re clever enough to obfuscate an innocent response.” Anders shrugged. “Take it as you will. Just being upfront. Someone’s trying to frame me, and they got into my room somehow. It’d have to be one of the unicorns or that Link guy.” “Right…” Renee put her hoof to her chin. “To the actual questions now. How did you know Cream?” Anders shook his head. “That mare was more than a little crazy. When I showed her how to use the controls to her room she seemed upset that I had to show her, and felt the need to demonstrate her absolute mastery of the system. She honestly looked a little silly, and she knew I thought this. I had to worm my way out of an awkward conversation. She avoided me after that.” “I’ll mark that as ‘barely any contact’. Describe last night.” “I came here after my shift, wondered for the millionth time why my room is in the guest quarters hall, and went to sleep. I didn’t notice anything until you screamed.” “No beeping noise?” “No. Why?” “Just checking for consistency. Anything else?” “Well as I said before I checked to make sure all my knives were here before I went to bed, and when I woke up some were missing. They are probably the ones that would fit the wound.” “And you think one of the unicorns or Link did it?” “It’d have to be, they had to get to my room and I know the camera feed was functional all night. Unless the others can turn invisible, or something. I don’t think Link did – he’s a good man, if a bit pushy. I can’t imagine why he would anyway. …Unless he thought she had some evil in her, or something. But if you find out she had an evil thing in her, you probably shouldn’t charge him.” “I’ll keep that in mind,” Renee assured him. ~~~ “You know what I think?” Mlinx blurted. “I think this is bullshit!” Twilight gasped. “Mlinx!” “Don’t like the word? Tough break! That’s what happens when you question friends like they could be murderers!” Renee took in a breath. “Mlinx, I have to talk to everyone.” “Oh, you going to give Link the same treatment? Your little green hero in shining armor?” “Yes.” “Good. You’ll love to hear what I have to say about him.” Renee blinked. “W-what?” “I leave the dinner, right? After you finish telling your story, I head over to these rooms, but I run into Link first. I swear, I saw him talking to someone, but when I looked there was no one there. He claimed he wasn’t even talking, but that’s a lie. I figured maybe he spent twenty minutes in the bathroom or something, but that doesn’t make much sense when there’s a bathroom right here. He was doing something, something instead of going to his room like he told us.” “…I take it you think he did it?” “He’s got that time-stop sword thing. He could easily do it quickly, before she could do anything. He could break into any room and do anything he wanted and not leave a trace of himself!” “Capability does not ma-“ “Oh look at that!” Mlinx pointed. “Defending him! I knew it. Great objectivity, Rarity.” “Renee.” “Whatever.” He folded his arms. “I was supposed to get away from all this fighting nonsense. Looks like it's actually everywhere.” Renee pressed forward. “Describe your relationship with Cream.” “Still? Fine! She openly insulted my race in the one conversation I had with her! There’s your motive!” “…Describe last night.” “I came right here and went to sleep – unlike Link – and then I was woken up by a beeping noise. Before I got back to sleep you screamed, had your little existential crisis, and forgot where your loyalties lie.” “My loyalties lie with the truth.” “I bet if you somehow discovered that Twilight over there was guilty you’d cover it up. That’s what you did with ‘Nova’ right? Didn’t she steal a ship from the Tau’ri, and after the whole invasion everyone conveniently decided to be quiet about it?” Renee stamped her hoof. “That’s enough Mlinx!” “I can’t agree more.” ~~~ “Captain Shockwave,” Renee began. “That’s me,” Shockwave said with only a modicum of emotion in her tone. “Tell me about Cream.” “She was a good crew member who didn’t work well with other ponies. You’ve probably figured this out from Diesel.” “Why do you think that?” Shockwave shrugged. “Cream more or less replaced his position as my assistant. Proved herself to be more resourceful. I know he resents her for that.” “That’s not what he said…” Shockwave furrowed her brow. “…I don’t think he’s a killer, if that’s what you’re implying. Even if there was bad blood, they were still a team. My hypothesis is Anders. He is clearly a psycho trying very, very hard to seem like a well-adjusted man. Even if he turns out not to be, I wouldn’t trust him.” Renee took this under advisement. “So, how was your relationship with Cream?” “I was her Captain. I gave her the position of my second after she proved herself resourceful and useful enough to outweigh her lack of proper teamwork, which is an overrated skillset anyway.” “Did she ever try to… compete with you in anything?” “Definitely,” Shockwave admitted. “We quickly reached an understanding. That’s to say, I made her realize that I took credit for everything she did anyway being her Captain, and that making me look bad in front of the crew was a one way ticket to getting transferred. After we hammered this out, she gave me no trouble, focusing her efforts on the others, biding her time until she would be Captain.” “…She was ambitious?” “I believe so. She probably had some plan in place to depose me.” Renee raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. I hear you have a pair of magitech boots?” Shockwave pulled a heavily locked chest out of her closet. “Here they are, under lock and key. Haven’t worn them the entire time we’ve been on this voyage. I can pop it open, if you want.” “Please do,” Renee asked. After entering a complex code, Shockwave popped the top off, revealing a small screen in the lid of the box and two boots packed in tight foam. The boots were made of a strange clear fabric glowing with green circuitry. “See? Not stolen or anything.” She closed the box. Renee nodded slowly. “Describe last night.” “I was here all day. Talked to Diesel before heading to bed, went to sleep, then you screamed and woke me up. Simple.” “Did you hear a loud beep?” “No,” Shockwave said. “Though if there was one I might have just been far away.” “That will be all then.” ~~~ Starbeat rubbed the metal band on her left hoof nervously. “So… Er… Hi!” “Hi,” Renee said. “I’ve got some questions for you.” “I, er, bet you do!” Renee raised an eyebrow. “…You okay?” “N-no. Not at all. Somepony’s died Rarity do you think I should be okay?” “Renee,” Renee said. “S-sorry.” She rubbed her band again. “How do you know Cream?” “There’s, uh, no way at all… I just…” she shivered. “I… She tried to f-flirt with me once and it made me extremely uncomfortable…” Renee raised an eyebrow. “…Really?” “Really. It was… Jarring. App-pparrently the ‘disorder’ just ‘t-turned her on’, or s-something.” “Any other reactions with her?” “N-no! I av-voided her after that! I’m not crazy!” “Starbeat, calm down, okay?” Starbeat gulped. “Right. R-right.” “Describe last night to me.” “Came here, went to my room, closed and locked the door, went to bed. Then you screamed and I poked my head out.” Renee narrowed her eyes. “Starbeat, two other people heard your bracelet there go off.” “O-oh. Yes.” She sighed. “Ok-kay I wasn’t actually asleep. I couldn’t sleep. I… I… Cream knocked on my door and I shut it in her face the moment she gave me the eyes, okay?” She whimpered, covering her head in her hooves. Renee nodded very slowly. “…Who do you think did it?” “I don’t know! Nobody seems like a killer! Maybe it was some sort of other party?” “Very unlikely,” Renee said. “Oh…” ~~~ “Link.” “Renee.” “You’re the first one to get that right.” “I pay attention.” “How did you know Cream?” “Not at all. I was barely aware she existed before tonight. The only time I ever observed her doing anything was when she was, I believe, flirting with Starbeat. It was very unsolicited.” “When was this?” “Yesterday morning.” “Anything else?” “She was reading a book the entire time I saw her in the mess hall, and that’s that.” Renee nodded. “Right. Link, from the point when you left the mess hall, describe what happened last night.” Link shrugged. “I went to my room, fell asleep, and woke to you screaming.” “That’s a lie,” Renee said. “What?” “A witness places you away from the scene roughly twenty minutes after you left the dining hall.” “Bathroom, didn’t think that was needed.” “On a completely different deck separated from this hall?” “It was a-“ “LINK!” Renee yelled, pointing a hoof at him. “You DO realize what happens if you keep lying, right? You DO realize what it means!?” Link stood upright in his chair, a bit startled. “I’m not-“ “You are turning yourself into the number one suspect! Darling, please don’t do that!” She was trying her best not to make her watering eyes obvious. Link fell silent. A new voice came into the room. “Link, Link, Link, you are stubborn about your secrets.” Link’s shadow shifted and a little imp appeared out of it. She took a seat on Link’s shoulder, waving at Twilight and Renee with her hair. “So, here’s the deal, I’m Midna, I’m a secret, and I live in Link’s shadow. What were we doing before we went to bed? Why, we were talking to the Ba’al prisoner stored away in the brig! You don’t know he exists because you’re not supposed to. You can confirm with O’Neill that we were supposed to be down there and were not doing anything murderous. But we also can’t tell you what we were talking to him about for your own safety. It has nothing to do with this case, of course.” Renee and Twilight glanced at each other, surprised. “…I’ll accept this,” Renee said eventually. “This doesn’t exonerate you, but… It sure makes you seem a lot less untrustworthy.” Link folded his arms. “I…” he looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t. “…Just ask another question.” “Did you hear a beeping last night?” “No.” “Yes,” Midna said. “I was lying awake, unable to sleep. It was a little hard to hear through the walls, but there it was.” Renee raised an eyebrow. “Interesting… Who do you think did it?” “Shockwave or Diesel,” Link said. “They have a personal connection with her. They should be the primary suspects.” “Thank you. That’ll be all. And Link? I am sorry.” “…It’s fine.” Renee took off her hat and looked at him, shaking her head. “No, it’s not. I may have had to do it, but it wasn’t okay.” Link sighed. “I understand.” “That’s better.” ~~~ O’Neill looked at Twilight and Renee. “So, who do you think it is?” “There’s no conclusion yet,” Renee said. “I’m almost certain Link is innocent, but the rest all have some form of motive, unusual response, or evidence. Shockwave and Diesel because they knew her before, Anders because of his mysterious knives, Mlinx because he was very defensive in getting me off his case, and Starbeat just acted guilty. She also lied to me.” “You really think Mlinx would do this?” Twilight shook her head. “I don’t think so. We can’t exactly exonerate him, but I think he’s just mad we’re considering him at all.” “I think so too.” Renee looked at O’Neill. “Have you read Anders’ file?” “Not a single charge against him besides that one time he got drunk,” O’Neill answered. “He wasn’t drunk last night,” Renee nodded. “So, someone tried to frame him by messing with his knives, almost certainly. Mlinx could not have done that; he has no magic and never left his room for certain. That leaves Shockwave, Diesel, and Starbeat.” “I find it hard to believe Starbeat did it…” Twilight said. Renee shook her head. “I see her being startled by Cream at some point or other during the minute of blackout. I see a click happening with Cream again, and Cream being ‘into’ it enough to terrify Starbeat into lashing out with magic. She then uses her magic to toss Cream into her room, clean up the hall, and run back into her room. I just have no idea why she would wake up, or what would prompt the meeting…” “Cream herself?” O’Neill suggested. “Possibly.” “Alternatively,” Twilight interjected, “Shockwave is actually tired and jealous of her subordinate, and possibly annoyed at her flirtatious tendencies. She also acted like she cared the least out of all the people we interviewed. And she has those boots that can probably do just about anything, easy…” she choked. “…Murder weapon.” “Yes. The… murder weapon,” Renee said, going over the idea in her mouth. “The cut is a bit too clean for me to think Starbeat did it, but I’d also think Shockwave would have a more creative and clean spell in those boots…” “What about Diesel?” O’Neill questioned. “He was legitimately distraught, but I suppose he could be faking,” Renee said. “He certainly has the most motive out of anypony involved, being shown up by Cream. He specifically left out details involving that Cream replaced his position, and tried really hard to portray her in a positive light.” “So we’ve reduced from six suspects to three,” O’Neill said. “That’s something, at least.” “Indeed it is. Now, what we need to consider is that dent in the wall. One of them had to hit it with their hooves extremely hard. Since Cream didn’t struggle, it means they hit it themselves. Diesel’s hoof is too small to make the dent, but Shockwave and Starbeat can. Hitting it that hard would likely leave a bruise or a sore spot.” “I didn’t see a sore spot on anypony,” Twilight said. “Shockwave could have been wearing her boots, though-“ Renee’s eyes suddenly widened. “No… No no no…” “No what?” Renee left the room quickly. Glancing to each other with confused expressions, Twilight and O’Neill followed. They decided to scramble after her, see where she was going. She galloped across the ship back to the guest rooms, which Pinkie happened to be guarding. She looked at Renee with a sad look. This only made Renee feel worse. She pulled her hat as low as she dared. She knocked on one of the rooms. Starbeat opened it. “Yes…?” “Starbeat, your hoof band was on the right hoof yesterday.” “…Y-yeah! I just, well, put it on another hoof today!” “Can you take it off for me?” Starbeat stopped trying to smile. She lit her horn, removing the band and placing it on a nearby shelf. She held out her hoof, showing the previously-covered mark. Tears were streaming down Starbeat’s face. “I… I… I didn’t mean to…” Renee held Starbeat’s sore hoof, looking at it, eyes covered. “Starbeat… Give me an excuse. Tell me where you got this sore.” “Rarity, stop it! I did it! I shouldn’t have been trying to protect myself!” She grabbed Renee’s head and made her look her right in the eyes. “Look at this! This is me! I’m sick and need to be locked away!” Renee shook her head. “Starbeat…” “I walked out of my room, okay? I felt compelled, driven! Knocked on her door, the thing started beeping, and I lashed out. I don’t know what I was thinking before or after; it all seemed like a dream! I ran back to my room and tried not to think about it, and then you screamed a little while later! That’s what happened!” she extended her hooves. “Take me away already!” “…That’s a confession,” O’Neill said. “I’ll call security.” Renee held up a hoof. “Not done yet. So, you took Anders’ knives?” “What? His knives are missing?” “…Someone took them to frame him.” “I didn’t! I cast a spell on myself to force sleep after you started the investigation!” “…I believe you,” Renee said. “Which means something weird is going on. Has the Beat ever compelled you to do something before a click before?” “No, but it went beep, that means it was involved!” Renee walked to the band, picking it up and looking at it. “There’s a button on the inside here.” “Yeah? It’s a test button for the alarm, but it’s designed not to be able to go off while I’m wearing it…” “Someone who could figure out how it functioned could make it go off,” Renee said. “Starbeat, is there a way to check this thing’s record for how many Beat surges it detected?” Starbeat nodded slowly, wiping her face. She lifted it in her magic and twisted the band a bit to the side, hitting a button on the outside. A holographic display shot up. “As you can see, there were three surges yesterday-“ her jaw dropped. “I only see two,” Renee said. “That last beep wasn’t really a surge. Someone wanted you to think it was.” O’Neill folded his arms. “But how could she have been compelled to do what she did?” “Nova knows a complex compulsion spell. An advanced spellcaster could know how to do it. And there just so happens to be a pair of boots on board that can probably do just that.” Starbeat blinked. “I… I was conditioned?” “I believe so.” “WHAT KIND OF SICK FREAK-“ “Starbeat, calm down, okay? I have to question them first. Stay in your room.” Starbeat nodded slowly, her face a visage of something much more hateful and vicious than a few moments ago. Renee, O’Neill, and Twilight left her behind. Renee shot a look at Pinkie as she passed. “You made me think…” Pinkie shrugged. “I don’t know, Renee, I just knew you were going to accuse her.” “…Fair.” Renee arrived at Shockwave’s room and knocked. “Shockwave, is there, by chance, a way to look at the spell history of your boots?” Shockwave sighed. “So, I’m a suspect now, am I? Yes, there is. It’s even got extensive data on magical levels, use, and charge. The last spell will have been cast last week at a quarter to six on a computer to duplicate the motherboard.” She pulled out the box, entered the combination, and turned on the built-in screen. She pressed ‘history’ and the most recent spell was… …’Condition.’ Shockwave stared at that in disbelief. “…What? Who would…” She examined the logs more closely. “No, no I didn’t…” Renee lifted one of the boots out of the box. “These are too small for your hooves.” “They’re adjustabl-“ Shockwave blinked. “Oh. Diesel? I didn’t think he had it in him… Unless…” “Unless what?” Shockwave shook her head. “Nothing. Just go confront him with the evidence, it should be enough at this point.” Renee pointed her hoof at Shockwave accusingly. “If you don’t tell me what, I can still be made to believe this is all an elaborate ruse on your part.” “Fine. Don’t reveal this to my government though. Cream regularly broke interpersonal relations protocols, flirting in secret with many of the crewmembers. Myself included. I don’t think there was a pony on that ship who hadn’t been in a ‘relationship’ with Cream at some point or other. It is possible Diesel took her inevitable betrayal harder than most, if it happened. I’m not sure, she was good at keeping it mostly secret from me.” Renee nodded. She turned to O’Neill. “I think we have our culprit.” They stepped out into the hallway. Starbeat wasn’t in her room – she was beating on Diesel’s door. “OPEN UP!” Diesel did. “You’re supposed to be-“ Starbeat threw him out of the room and into the hall. She marched toward him, eyes narrow, mouth twitching. “You… You…” “She’s clearly the murderer!” Diesel called to Renee. “Stop her!” Starbeat moved to kick Diesel again, but Twilight kept her back. “Starbeat, no. Okay?” “But he-“ “We know.” Diesel blinked. “Know what?” Renee tossed the boot to the ground, landing right next to Diesel’s own hoof. “That.” “…Are you seriously accusing me of-“ “You had a ‘relationship’ with Cream. She, being the pony she is, cut it off recently, probably stealing yet another one of your ideas in the process. It may even be related to this expedition we’re on. Maybe even took credit for finding that signal alone – she did, after all, claim that it was the signal she found when I talked to her earlier. You decided you had enough of her ‘reign of terror’ so you stole Shockwave’s boots while she was sleeping, used them to compel Starbeat to walk to Cream’s room, and I think you activated the beeping and used your own magic to cut Cream’s neck from a distance. I’m not sure how far Compel went, maybe you had Starbeat do that with her own magic without letting her realize.” “You don’t-“ “You’re the only one who was woken up by the beep besides Mlinx, and his race has excellent hearing. Not to mention your room was further away from hers than Mlinx’s.” Diesel narrowed his eyes. “Explain the camera blackout then.” Renee narrowed her eyes. “Even with that inconsistency, we’ve got you made Diesel. You did it. You didn’t want the camera to be off. You wanted everyone to see Starbeat do it so there wouldn’t even be an investigation. I don’t know if the Sombra Virus screwed you over intentionally, or you just got unlucky. It honestly doesn’t matter. You realized the camera wasn’t working so you switched tactics, trying to blame Mlinx and taking Anders’ knives, so I could have evidence pointing to others. But you killed Cream, and unless you can provide me some reason to think Shockwave is framing you right now, you’re pinned.” Diesel glared. “I want a lawyer.” “Good enough for me!” O’Neill said. “Can I call security now?” “Yes you can,” Renee said. Shockwave glared at Diesel. “You’re going to try to take me down with you out of spite.” “Of course I am. You let her run free. The way you turned a blind eye is going to be exposed.” Shockwave glared at Renee with contempt. She turned tail, walked back to her room, and slammed the door. Renee let out a long, stressed breath. “Okay… It’s done then.” Starbeat looked at the ground. “Yes… It is… …I wanted to kill him, I really, really did. Am I… Not as innocent as I think I am?” “There’s a potential for darkness in all of us,” Twilight said. “Even the best.” Renee looked towards Mlinx’s room. He was poking his head out. Renee was sure he, too, was looking at her with contempt. His expression may have been hard to read, but sometimes you just knew. Renee wasn’t happy that she’d figured it out. ~~~ Shockwave stared out the main window at what was producing the signal. It was a pink star with a high concentration of magic that kept sucking more magic in, creating a strange fractal pattern that radiated radio signals into space. It had been burning for billions of years and would be for billions more. Shockwave wordlessly left the bridge. Renee, Pinkie, and Twilight stayed, staring at the pink fire. “So…” Twilight said, not taking her eyes of the spectacle. “…This is what we came all this way for.” “Not worth it,” Pinkie said. “It’s just a strange star.” Renee adjusted her hat. “All of this just for a sight to see. …Had this journey been easier, this may have been a beautiful end. Now it just seems… pointless.” Twilight turned to Renee. “You keeping the name?” “I think so. Renee. Dimensional traveler. I originally thought I’d keep it to honor Cream, but… Well, she wasn’t that great. But she was a mare; a mare who wanted to read a story. A story that she never completed.” She pointed a hoof at herself. “I am Renee. I am an incomplete story.” Pinkie smiled. “I think that’s a good reason for a name.” “Better than most of you. Corona, Nova… Nothing poetic there at all.” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Nova has something to do with Stars.” “Of sorts.” Renee sighed. “This… This was our first real death wasn’t it? Right in front of us, that we were forced to confront.” Twilight frowned. “I think I saw some on Ba’al’s ship, but… I was focused on Corona and human Pinkie.” Pinkie coughed. “That was actually me.” “…You do change places still? Where do you get the spell?” Pinkie grinned. “A good magician never reveals her secrets!" “So are you actually human Pinkie or pony Pinkie?” “A mystery I will never reveal. Does it really matter anyway?” “Not really, I suppose. Just feels… weird,” Twilight admitted. She sighed. “We’re avoiding talking about it, you know.” Pinkie shrugged. “I’ve seen lots of things already. I… While I’m bothered it isn’t really going to affect me.” Twilight frowned. “It’s bad, but not unbearable. I’ve been preparing myself for this moment. Flutterfree is handling it well, actually. Nova’s not.” Renee looked forward, a tear rolling down her cheek. “I’m not either. Her eyes were looking at me Twilight. I… Like you, I knew this was going to happen eventually. We were going to see this. But I… I couldn’t prepare. She’ll be in my head forever.” “Others will join her,” Pinkie said. “…Probably others that you know better.” Renee nodded. She pulled her two friends into a hug. “Don’t you two go anywhere.” “Never,” Twilight said. “Not planning on it!” Pinkie echoed.