//------------------------------//
// 17 - Analysis 
// Story: Prince of Errors 
// by David Silver 
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"It's not good." Twilight rolled a hoof. "She actually dumped off a full box of 'evidence' and it's all from her! Even the blood is a match. She... took blood from herself to validate a non-existent pony..."

Rarity nodded softly. "Pinkie was trying very hard to talk to me about a royal friend of hers, but she never brought him around, no matter how much I insisted she could. I mean, darling, she said she would, then acted as if she already had. It was very confusing."

Applejack nudged her sister forward. "Apple Bloom's been told about it too, tell 'em."

Apple Bloom looked nervous a moment, glancing around. "Uh, well... Pinkie said she could get a pony that could make sure I wouldn't get in trouble."

Applejack smirked lightly. "Didn't work, did it?"

Apple Bloom sagged. "No..."

Applejack leaned to set her head on a hoof, the arm propped on the table. "Granny saw right through her. But that's three ponies she's gone on about that supposed friend ah hers."

Rainbow shrugged. "Huh, surprised she didn't talk to me about it. She's usually pretty eager to share stuff with me, even crazy stuff. Now I'm kinda curious..."

Fluttershy raised a hoof. "Maybe she just... needs a new friend?" All the other ponies looked to her. "Just an idea..."

Rarity looked to Rainbow. "Maybe this is all some amazing prank that we're just not 'getting'. You two understand each other; maybe that's why the dear hasn't tried it on you yet. Why don't you try bringing it up with her? Be casual, maybe you can work something out."

Twilight perked at the idea. "That's a great plan. See if you can't get a different angle on this, Rainbow."

Rainbow huffed softly with a flick of her tail. "Yeah yeah. If this is just some kind of crazy prank, I'll get a confession out of her. I'll let you know when I talk to her." She took off without waiting for any additional words.

Fluttershy lifted her shoulders. "What if she's... just being Pinkie?"

Applejack pointed at her sister. "I told her not to involved mah sister in any of her crazy shenanigans again. She promised. This ain't right."

Twilight lifted a hoof. "We're not here to lay accusations on her. She isn't even here to defend herself. I just want to compare our experiences and consider how to react. If this is just... a Pinkie thing... maybe it'll blow over. Hopefully, Rainbow will dig up something."

Fluttershy waved a hoof lightly. "What if she isn't lying?"

Rarity cocked a brow "How would that even work? I mean, really, a pony that nopony but her can see? It's more fanciful than even we typically deal with. It seems far more likely that this is all some strange acting out on her part. I just wonder what prompted it. Is the poor dear in some kind of emotional furor? Does she need our help?"

Twilight rubbed at her mane gently with a hoof. "I didn't consider that... If she's hurt and calling out for help in this curious way, I'd want to be there, as a friend... Has anything happened around her that could have caused this? Anypony from her farm hurt or missing?"

Rarity lifted her shoulders. "Maud was by just the other day with a delightful shipment of gems; so she seems fine."

Applejack hopped down to her hooves. "That's one Pie down, but she don't have no small family. Ah'll swing by their farm and check in wit' 'em. Ah admit, kinda hopin' there ain't nothin' to find out there."

Twilight nodded. "Of course, though it would explain some of this. Good luck, and keep us informed."

Applejack saluted and marched off to play her part.

Fluttershy was looking towards Apple Bloom, who seemed far less nervous with her sister gone. "Excuse me, Apple Bloom? Could I have a moment?"

Apple Bloom perked up with a jump. "Oh! Sorry, was spacing out a moment there." And trying to not be noticed by her larger sister. "What can I do fer ya?"

"It's about Pinkie's friend. What did she say, exactly?" Apple Bloom began to look nervous again. "I promise." Fluttershy put a hoof to her chest. "I won't tell your sister a word if you don't want me to. This is more about helping Pinkie."

Apple Bloom glanced to the other adults in the room. "They have to promise to, or ah ain't talkin'."

Rarity held up a hoof. "Not a word... Unless Pinkie hurt you? Did she hurt you?" She cocked a brow. "Hard to imagine, but if she did, please tell us."

Twilight nodded softly. "That seems a safe promise to make. Go on, we're listening."

Apple Bloom shuffled in place a moment before letting out a weary huff of air. "Me an' the girls did somethin' a might stupid and I got hurt real bad. Applejack still doesn't know that part... somehow..."

Fluttershy raised her hooves to her snout. "Oh my... You look alright now, at least?"

"Ah'm fine, promise." She smiled gently. "While I was all laid up, Pinkie stopped by. She said she had a friend that could make sure Applejack never found out, and to not worry about it. It was a real relief... at the time."

Twilight cocked a brow. "But you just said Applejack still doesn't know that part, so what happened?"

Apple Bloom turned towards where the Apple Farm was. "Granny happened. She, uh, saw through it or somethin'? 'cause she was ready for me when ah got back and she grounded me and got Applejack mad, but Applejack still has no idea what really happened, and I don't figure Granny does neither. They just know... somethin'. Ah ain't even sure what it is, but it got me grounded either way."

Fluttershy reached for the filly, getting stroking her mane. "Thank you for trusting us enough to share that. We appreciate it."

Apple Bloom smiled gently. "Now, ya promised, no tellin' Applejack! Still, uh, Pinkie didn't tell me to do nothin' stupid. Ah was already laid up when she showed up, an' there ah still was. She didn't change nothin' in the end. So don't be mad at Pinkie. The way I see it, all she did was not keep me out of trouble that I put m'self in."

Rarity let out a happy sigh. "It's a relief, really. To even imagine our beloved Pinkie could cause harm to a foal, it was dreadful, and delightfully set aside. Still, just to be crystal clear, I don't care if it was Princess Celestia herself, if anypony hurts my little Sweetie Belle, I hope she comes and tells me about it."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. "Yes, no matter how scared you might feel, know that we would help you. We're your friends too, even if we are a bit older... So, please, trust us."

Twilight softly coughed. "Actually, being slightly distant, we might have a better perspective on things than even your family, but at least we'll listen, and we would want to know about something like that. Anyway, that's not what happened, and I'm glad. I am curious how you got hurt, but... I have a feeling you're not ready to talk about that part yet."

"It wasn't Pinkie," assured Apple Bloom. "She wasn't even around durin' that part. That was my fault. You'd think gettin' mah cutie mark woulda meant the end of trying stupid things, but..."

Rarity laughed gently. "You can't stop a crusader that easily, I should imagine. Please be mindful of Sweetie in your little 'adventures'... And don't hide it! I'd rather cry at her bedside than have her being hurt a secret, please..."

Fluttershy smiled at Apple Bloom. "Well, that was helpful. Pinkie did... something, and Granny Smith should know what it was." She placed a hoof at her cheek as she leaned off to the side against it. "But what? Did Pinkie just try to make up an excuse and got caught telling a tall story?"

Twilight hopped from her chair. "Well, somepony should go ask her. Thinking about it won't get us the answer in this situation."

Apple Bloom squeaked. "Promise! You made one, don't go forgettin'  now."

Twilight put a hoof over her chest. "I won't tell her what you said, promise. I just want to hear what she thinks happened. We need to get all the perspectives to unlock this mystery."





The prince was seated on a bench. Lyra was just next to him. It amused him that he, a former human, was sitting like a pony. She, the actual pony, was casually sitting in a human fashion. Bon Bon was nowhere in sight.

"Hey."

Lyra looked over at him, only noticing him the moment he began talking. "Hey," she replied, raising a hoof that had been draped across the back of the bench. "What's up?"

"Do you like humans?" The prince perked an ear, expecting confusion.

Instead Lyra looked suddenly awkward. "Oh, um... Dude..."

The prince tilted his head. Instead of causing confusion, he was faced with it himself. "I didn't mean to offend."

"It... isn't that, exactly. I mean, sheesh... How did you even hear about that?" She sat up straight, peering at the prince oddly.

He wasn't sure how to respond... "Would you believe it was just... a rumor?"

Lyra's eyes darted wildly. "They're talking about that? Here?! Aw shoot... I thought..."

He could see her breathing hard and increasingly upset, though he was still befuddled as to why. "Not here in Ponyville."

"Oh! Oh... Thank Celestia... So... What can I do for you? You like humans too?"

"Love them." He wasn't sure exactly how true that was, but he felt confident he had more appreciation for them than the average pony. "Their wriggly fingers are the best." It was nice having those.

"Yeah," she sighed out dreamily. "So... did you hear about my human?"

The prince cocked a brow. Lyra had a human? "Do tell."

"I shouldn't... I mean, I don't have him anymore. I mean, I never really had had him. You can't own a creature, right? Not the ones that can argue about being owned anyway." She let her hooves flop against the bench. "We were a thing, for a little while, but I was stupid, real stupid."

"I had a human once." He was a human. That counted, right? "He had those wriggly fingers and he loved to play stupid games, but he was pretty bad at talking."

"Not like you." Lyra smiled at the prince gently. "You were good for him, I bet... Where is he?" She glanced around as if the human could be hiding anywhere.

"Close." That was technically the truth, right. He sat up onto his haunches. "I'm good at talking?"

"You're talking to me, right?" Lyra offered a hoof towards him. "Speaking of which, I'm Lyra Heartstrings, nice to meet you."

He reached a hoof, clopping it against hers. "Prince of Errors."

"That's a great name!" she gushed, laughing as she said it. "What kind of prince is that?"

Dare he try his luck? He dared. "I have a horn." He pointed to it.

"Yep, unicorns have those. I have one." She pointed up at her own.

"I also have wings." He pointed back at them.

"Yep, pegasi have those. I don't have those." She shrugged softly. "Looks kind of fun though, flying around. I'm pretty happy with magic though."

She had completely missed the connection between the two. The prince smiled awkwardly. He had expected that... "Magic's pretty great, right?"

"So long as you're careful! Magic's... easy to make a mess with... I kinda messed up my human something fierce with it... He's not mad at me, but he's also not a human anymore, technically... I still feel awful." She put a hoof to her face. "You're a pegasus though, so all you have to do is not make a storm on accident."

He smirked at that, going quiet.

Lyra casually sat back in her seat, slowly forgetting she was engaged in a conversation. "I should write him a letter... I wonder how he's doing..." Some small kernel of the conversation remained, gently reminding her of her old human friend.