//------------------------------// // What Really Happened // Story: Ponies Without a Clue // by GeekCat //------------------------------// “Now, what happened next?,” posed Key Keeper as the lights flicked back on. The others glared at him: all but Rainbow, who blinked her eyes blearily. She leaned over to Pinkie. “Am I actually awake?,” she whispered. Pinkie’s response was to reach over and pinch Rainbow's forehoof. Rainbow yelped, then begrudgingly thanked Pinkie. “How long was I out? Because I just had two pretty crazy dreams. In the first, you and Sugar Belle—" “The lights were out for less than a minute, Miss Dash,” Key Keeper interjected dryly, “And even so, there isn't time to go over your dreams.” He turned to the rest of the group. “In the dark, there were three more attacks, and Twilight discovered a skeleton. We can't solve the mystery of the skeleton, but we can figure out which of us attacked tonight's victims.” He began to pace. “The important thing to remember is that the gems are dark magic. Twilight, what can you tell us about dark magic?” Twilight, who was sitting down, said breathily, “Well…it corrupts the user with prolonged use, but it also feeds off of corruption. Anger and other negative emotions tend to fuel it, and it fuels those emotions. With the gems, if someone felt very angry or sad as they held it, with those emotions towards a particular pony or creature…they might go off.” Key Keeper approached her. “And is that just conjecture, or is there a reason you say they could go off unintentionally? QC never said anything about it, so what do you know?” Twilight squirmed under his glare. Seconds passed before she blurted out, “I attacked QC, okay? It was me!” Seconds ticked by slowly as they stood in the dark Study. The gems pulsed with a sickly light. Twilight's grip on her gem tightened as the same thought echoed in her head again. He's the one who took Spike away. Of course, she tried to tell herself that wasn't at all true—the school administrators had been the ones to take him. But he had found out about Spike, blackmailed her for it, making her think of that moment she saw Spike leaving her over and over and over— And her thoughts seemed so jumbled, the gem growing hotter in her hoof as her anger burned brighter, she was just so mad at QC for what he did—! A beam of magic shot from her gem towards QC. The lights came on. Of course she lied, saying somepony had tried to grab it from her. And she lied again when she saw QC had an illusion up. She knew the others wouldn't understand the results her tools gave anyway. Because even though she had dropped the gem, it still seemed to cling to her mind, telling her QC had blocked it, how dare he, that the job was left unfinished. When they left the room, she glanced down at the changeling suspiciously. Twilight snuck out of the Kitchen through the secret passage as Key Keeper started his story. A simple spell, and she could continue to hear everything said in the room in her right ear. She was only half-focused on listening, though, as her mind was set on finishing the job. As she creaked open the painting in the Study, she planned on how to sneak up to QC. As she thought about this, QC's chassis twitched, his illusion fading. He swiftly got up and left the room. Twilight followed, grabbing the nearest gem- the balloon one- and following him. He was heading towards the Kitchen—to where the others were. Twilight felt a surge of protective anger in her, and she shot a draining spell at QC. It struck his shoulder, the additional magic burning it. With a hiss, he turned around. Seeing Twilight with one of the gems, his eyes widened with fear, and he fled. Twilight gave chase, striking him with spells to mute his voice and drain his magic. Fueled by anger, they all burned him where they landed on his chassis. Twilight lifted the gem with her magic, and this time, the magic struck its target, wrapping around the writhing changeling’s brain. Twilight collapsed, panting. At first, she felt proud. But them, she felt sick, and disappointed in herself. QC was evil, and Key Keeper's story didn’t change her mind on that, but this action made her no better than him. She sat there in shock for a time, but soon realized Key Keeper was almost done with his story. Thinking quickly, she threw QC into the restrooms, the nearest place to hide him, putting the balloon gem on top of the doorframe, and hurrying back to the Kitchen. Twilight's eyes were lowered, downcast. “I don't know if that darkness was in me to begin with, or placed in me by the gems,” she told the group sadly. “But wherever it came from, I gave into it. Like I said, I'm really no better than QC." Fluttershy came up to her, and Twilight lowered her head even more. To everypony's surprise, Fluttershy reached down and tightly hugged her. “Maybe you gave in,” she said, “But you regret your actions now. In that way, you're better than him. He reveled in evil. You regret it.” Twilight sniffed, and began to sob into the pegasus's shoulder. The others all gathered around, giving her their silent support. All but Rainbow, who kept her distance and said, “So…she's the one who did all of this?” Twilight sobbed and shook her head, and the rest of the group protested. Rarity huffed, “Honestly, Rainbow, how could you think this poor mare attacked six ponies—creatures—one who was like family to her—" Twilight blushed and lowered her head at that. “—when attacking just one makes her feel like this? There's no way it was all her!” Key Keeper stepped forward. “You would certainly know that, wouldn't you, Mrs. Rarity Dapperpaws?” Rarity's face paled, turned red, and paled again. “I-I have no idea what you mean to say, Mr. Key Keeper,” she stammered. “Oh, don't you? Who was the next victim of the night? And who was your employee as you and Capper committed your crimes? Dare I say there is some connection there?” Rarity's knees trembled and her lip wobbled. “Coco was a dear friend of mine. I would never want to hurt her, or feel any negativity towards her. How dare you accuse me of such a thing!” She lifted her nose up into the air. Key Keeper smirked for a second. “Oh? The diamond gem Coco was attacked with was attached to her hoof by a very fancy-looking handkerchief.” He stepped into the Study, and levitated the handkerchief out in front of them all. “White silk, with lacy fringes. Perfect for a mare of nobility, am I correct?” “T-there's no way to prove that was mine, though!,” Rarity protested. “The fact that its style matches that of the handkerchiefs you gave to tie the gems to the other victims' hoofs?” “A mere coincidence!” “There's gold embroidery in the corner: RD. Rarity Dapperpaws.” “…Maybe it's Rainbow's?” “Hey! There's no way I would ever carry anything as frilly as that thing. It's yours, so you might as well just fess up!” Rainbow flew right in front of her face as she said the last words. Rarity's lip wobbled, and she began to sob, and mascara-filled tears ran down her face. “I…I didn't want to! I didn't mean to!” Rarity snuck away from the others as they talked with Sugar Belle. She felt bad, leaving behind somepony who was so distraught, but she had to see Coco. Even if she hadn't seen her, there was only one pony Rarity knew who could prepare fish so well, so far from Abyssinia. It couldn't be a coincidence. She rushed into the Kitchen. Coco whirled around in fright when she heard the door open, but visibly relaxed when she saw who it was. “Rarity!,” she cried, rushing forward to give her a hug. Rarity warmly returned it, getting lost in the moment for but a second. But she quickly pulled away, placing her hooves on Coco's shoulders. “It is fabulous to see you again, my friend, but I fear there's no time to catch up. You must leave here, right away! You are in danger!” Coco's brows furrowed in confusion. “Rarity, what do you mean? QC might be…a bit frightening, but I've never seen him hurt anypony as long as I've been here.” Rarity pulled back a little bit. “You…you work for that scoundrel?” Coco nervously rubbed her hooves together. “He hired me after you encouraged me to leave. I know that you didn't want me to get caught in what you and Capper were doing, but I still needed to find a line of work. QC didn't call on me often as a cook, but he tended to pay decently when he did.” Rarity placed a comforting hoof on her friend's shoulder. “I understand, Coco, but you are in danger here! QC brought artifacts of dark magic, and someone used one to attack him! He's losing his memories as we speak!” She brought out the diamond gem she had grabbed before she had left the group. The two mares felt shivers travel down their spines as they looked at its dim glow. “It takes away ponies’ memories, he said,” whispered Rarity. “I don't want you framed for what happened, or worse, get attacked by whoever went after QC.” Coco edged away from the gem, eyeing it suspiciously. “Even if that's the case, Rarity, I can't leave. Not when you're going to stay behind.” She gave Rarity a hard look. “You're doing it again. You're sending the ponies and creatures you care about out of danger, and taking all the punishment for yourself. That's what happened with Capper, and it's happening again.” She marched over to a small Kitchen window. “I'll only leave if you go first,” she announced, gesturing to the closed window. Rarity's ears lowered. “Coco, please. The others will know I've left, but they won't notice if you do. Please just go.” “Not without you!” “Just go!” As she yelled, the gem froze against her hoof, a surge of magic shooting towards Coco. Before either of them could react, the magic had wrapped around her head, and she fell to the ground, comatose. “Coco?,” croaked Rarity, rushing over to her friend. “Oh my Celestia. Coco, I didn't mean to! Please forgive me!” She placed the gem on Coco's chest, pressing her own magic against it, trying to make it undo itself. “Maybe Twilight knows a way!,” she said. Her face quickly fell. “But nopony will believe that I didn't mean to do this. One look at this, and I'll be sent straight into the guards’ hooves! I can't help poor Coco if I'm in prison! And what would happen to Capper?” She tied the gem to Coco's hoof with the handkerchief she kept tucked in her bodice, and then levitated her into a sitting position inside the freezer. “Sorry about this, Coco. You have to stay hidden until this all blows over. Then I'll find some help for you.” As she stood over her unconscious friend, her eyes large and sad, her hoof slipped and fell against one of the hooks. To Rarity's surprise, a secret door opened! She quickly closed the freezer door and entered the passage, hoping it led outside the mansion, where she could bring Coco to safety! …It was the Study. At least she could catch up with the group without them having noticed her absence. Rarity sobbed, “I wanted to say something when you found Coco, but I knew you wouldn't believe me! I know you don't believe me now!” She buried her face in her hooves, wailing. Twilight, still looking weakened and morose, lifted her head a bit higher, her ears perking up. “…Rarity, based on my own experience, I think I believe you.” Rarity looked up. “Really, Twilight?” Twilight nodded, continuing, “Anecdotes are not data, but your story matches mine—how your anger activated the gem, as an expression of that emotion. I'd say your story is truthful.” Applejack nodded, adding in, “Ah can tell when somepony's lyin', and both of y'all told the truth, as far as ah can sense.” Pinkie and Fluttershy agreed. Rarity smiled through her tears. “Everypony… thank you.” Her smile fell into a grimace as she whirled around to glare at Rainbow. “And before you ask, Rainbow, no, I did not attack the others! Because it's just your style to accuse a grieving pony of henious crimes, isn't it?” Rainbow rubbed at the back of her neck, descending to the ground. “No…I-I wasn't going to say anything like that.” She took a deep breath in through her nose. “Key Keeper probably already figured it out, but…I have to confess, you guys.” Rainbow crept into the Lounge silently. The secret passage had looked so obvious to her, and she had been hoping it would lead her to where Scootaloo was. The young pegasus was talking on the phone and taking notes on a piece of paper. Rainbow gripped the lightning-shaped gem in her hoof. She planned to show it to Scootaloo, explain its dark magic to her, and tell her that directions or no, she had to leave. Despite how much she wanted to spend time with this young pony who she cared for so much, Rainbow knew she had to leave before she got caught up in all this danger. She had already destroyed all the folders in the fireplace, so no one could figure out Scootaloo was associated with her. It hurt to think about how if Scootaloo left, she might not see her again. It had been years since they parted, and Rainbow had no idea where Scootaloo lived now, or how to contact her. She shook her head, ignoring the tears that pricked at the corners of her eyes. She flinched as she stood on an older floorboard, which creaked under her weight. Scootaloo whirled around, almost dropping the phone. Scootaloo's face lit up with happiness, and flew over to give Rainbow a hug. Her mouth opened, and Rainbow recognized that she was about to scream excitedly. The thought filled her with bittersweet memories, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. But as sadness welled in her chest, power surged in the gem. Though Rainbow tried to drop it, its magic quickly enveloped the head of the pegasus embracing her. Rainbow caught the crumpled Scootaloo in her hooves, and held her for several minutes in shock, before gently laying her on the ground. She carefully placed the gem on her chest, and the phone in its cradle, all while whispering, “I'm sorry,” under her breath. She repeated it as she flew back down the secret passage, until she caught up with Pinkie. Rainbow kept her head lowered. “I…I think that sadness did it. That's a negative emotion, too. Right, Twilight?” Twilight nodded. Her tears had dried up, now. “Anger, sadness…fear, even…they're all classified as negative emotions, and can have some connection to dark magic.” Rarity huffed as she dried her eyes, “Still, I can't believe you would accuse Twilight of attacking everypony when you knew you had committed your own crime!” Rainbow grumbled, “Like you said, nopony would believe that I hadn't meant to do it. But Applejack can attest to me telling the truth, right?” Applejack stayed silent, her hat throwing her eyes into shadow. “Uh, Applejack?,” said Rainbow, who began to sweat bullets. Applejack sighed and lifted her head. “Ah'm sorry,” she said. “Ah can't act as some beacon of truth when ah haven't been truthful myself.” She walked over to the Billiard Room door, gazing sadly at Sugar Belle. “Ah didn't say it earlier, but…Ah think Sugar Belle was the one QC got my secrets from. She was married to my brother.” As the other ponies murmured among themselves, she continued, “And Ah'm the pony who attacked her.” The others gasped. Applejack waited in the shadows of the Billiard Room. She had wanted to talk to Sugar Belle in private, so had slipped her a hastily-written note. The lights suddenly turning off seemed like the perfect opportunity to slip away from Key Keeper. Emotions were roiling inside of her chest. Memories of how difficult farm life seemed to become after Big Mac had gotten married and left the farm. Of course, she never blamed the happy couple for this, but the work seemed to pile up. And when she had gotten those stallions and her old friend to help her, the guilt ate at her. Applejack knew Sugar Belle had figured it out a while back, even if she didn't say anything. The way she would avoid looking her in the eyes, how she would steer conversations away from farm work… But Applejack invited her in here, and they were going to have a mature, adult conversation about this, and clear up any bad feelings. She took in a sharp breath when she heard the door creak open, and watched as the unicorn came in. “D-did you send the note?,” squeaked Sugar Belle. Applejack stayed quiet, but gave a small nod of acknowledgement. “W-what did you want to s-say?,“ continued Sugar Belle. Applejack didn't know how to start. I know that you know what I did. Do you dislike me? Can we discuss out feelings rationally? Nothing seemed right. She opened and closed her mouth over and over as emotions rose inside of her: The sadness of her brother leaving, the stress of work, the guilt of what she did. Feeling tired, she placed a hoof on the pool table. She was briefly surprised when she touched something that wasn't the green felt…something cold and smooth… As it glowed a bright orange, her eyes widened in horror. Fear rose in her, and a burst of magic shot out towards Sugar Belle. She was unconscious before she could even cry for help. Stunned, Applejack lifted her up onto the pool table, carefully placing the gem on her chest. She didn't understand. She was shocked. She quickly trotted out of the room, headed back upstairs, trying to figure out what had happened. “Ah understand that ma conflicting emotions must've set off the gem. What ah still don't understand is why that gem was there in the first place,” finished Applejack, taking her hat off and holding it to her chest. “Perhaps there is something deeper going on here than we had thought,” murmured Twilight, glancing at the skeleton and shuddering. “Somepony could have seen you write the note, and planted the gem in advance.” “…I think that happened in my case, too,” said Pinkie, acting unusually quiet. Her mane had deflated, and she seemed more grey in complexation. “Soarin is…my fault, I think.” Pinkie left the Ball Room, unnoticed by the sleeping Rainbow Dash. She had seen the light switch earlier, and was planning on turning the lights back on. As she approached the basement door, she heard around door creak open behind her. She whirled around and saw a figure enter the Library, holding something that was dimly glowing pink. Knowing Soarin was in there, she quickly galloped forward, wanting to stop the culprit before they could attack him. But when she entered the door, there was nopony to be found. Feeling equal parts relieved and confused, she stepped towards Soarin, who was futilely dialing the phone, intending to check and make sure he was alright. She stepped on something sharp, and she had to bite her lip to avoid giving a yelp of pain. Suddenly, a bolt of magic shot from beneath her hoof and wrapped around Soarin's head. He was unconscious before he hit the ground. Pinkie ran over to make sure he was uninjured, almost dropping over the butterfly-shaped gem she had stepped on. She gently placed the gem on his chest, and the phone back into its cradle. She ran out of the room, nursing her sore hoof, feeling guilt weigh against her neck. “Pain and shock must have been what activated the gem in your case,” said Twilight, “And somepony must have planted your gem, too.” Rainbow held up a hoof. “Wait, so you're telling me that all of us used dark magic, harming ponies close to us…by complete accident. In each case.” Rarity shrugged. “It does seem unbelievable, but based on my own experiences, and what I've seen from all of you tonight, I'm willing to believe it.” Applejack coughed and said, “Well, aside from the mystery of who planted the gems, we still don't know who attacked the dragon…Spike.” The whole group turned to look at Fluttershy. After a second, she reared back and cried, “I didn't do it!” Twilight pointed out, “You're the only one who's left, Fluttershy. We understand if you didn't mean to attack him…I'll understand.” “But I didn't do it! I swear!,” cried Fluttershy. “The magenta gem was the one used to attack him, right? If it's missing, whoever has it must have attacked him!” “Miss Fluttershy is quite right,” said a calm voice from behind them. “And she is not the only one left.” A sudden bean of green magic struck Rainbow’s right wing, and she gave out a cry of pain as smoke rose from it. The group turned around to see Key Keeper, grinning maliciously, holding the magenta gem, along with the other five, in his green magic. “You were so busy with all your confessing and sobbing, you never noticed me leaving to get these,” he sneered. Rainbow shakily got onto her hooves, gasping with pain as Fluttershy helped her up. Applejack glared at the butler, taking a menacing step forward. “Ah, ah, ah. Stay right where you are, Miss Applejack. If I see any sudden movements from any of you, I'll be forced to break these gems,” he said, giving them a small shake with his magic. “And I think you can already see what happens then.” He gestured to the skeleton and shattered gemstone. Applejack growled and took a step back. The whole group glares harshly at the grey unicorn. “Why are you doing this?,” asked Twilight. “What happened to not wanting such dark things to happen tonight?” Key Keeper gave a dark chuckle. “QC was right about a few things. How weak and gullible you ponies are, for one. Oh, he was still a mad fool, but he was still a useful asset. Once upon a time, anyway.” He shook his head. “But yes, after months of planning, you all only activated your gems by accident. I even had to actively, magically manipulate Twilight through her listening spell to goad her into giving into the dark magic,” he hissed. The group gasped. “It was taking far too long, so for the last three, I had to take matters into my own hooves. I planted the gem in the Billiard Room, because I saw Applejack write and plant that note, and I knew about her conflicting emotions. I planned to take out Soarin myself, but Pinkie was a happy coincidence. I still had to deal with that dragon, though.” Twilight's horn sparked as her glare deepened, but her magic quickly sputtered out. Key Keeper laughed at this. “I wasn't expecting you to find…my ‘predecessor’, as it were, but in doing so, you've used up all your magic. You and Rainbow would have been the only ones quick enough to stop me at this point, so you actually did me a huge favor! More than all of you have already done tonight.” “What do you mean?,” asked Pinkie, her expression one of fury. Key Keeper smirked. “You were invited here by ‘QC'. You thought it was Quivering Chassis, but why? He had also been invited, as you recall.” Fluttershy gasped, taking several hoofsteps back. “You're…you're…” Key Keeper gave a manic grin before her dissolved into green flames. In his place stood a towering, black, insect-like creature, with holes in her legs, green, tattered wings on her back, and a crooked, hole-filled horn on her head that was pulsing with green energy. “Queen Chrysalis!,” the ponies gasped. She gave a manic laugh. “Yes, you fools! I was the one to bring you here! I was the one who instructed Quivering Chassis to get these gems!” She smirked at their confused expressions. “I may as well explain. It's not like you can do anything about it, at this point.” She began to pace, still keeping her eyes fixed on them. “QC was, as I said, a useful asset of mine for awhile. He supplied me with everything I needed after those fools rebelled against me,” she growled. “He kept up his blackmailing operation at my behest, so that I would be able to finance myself to obtain my REVENGE!” She cackled before continuing, “But after some time, he became unstable and sloppy. He discovered these gems a year back, and showed me how they could be used…by using one on Key Keeper. Yes, he was a real pony. QC got clumsy and smashed the gem accidentally. Of course, it was up to me to hide the body.” “But as I dug into the concrete wall of the basement, I realized that QC was becoming not just clumsy, but dangerous for me. So I formed a plan to get rid of not just him, but any loose ends that could pose a threat to me.” She stopped pacing to glare at the group. “The ponies tonight were some of his closer contacts. I wasn't sure how much they knew about QC, or if they even knew anything, but I couldn't take any chances.” Fluttershy, who was quivering in fright, said, “You…you won't get away with this! The Royal Guard will capture you!” Chrysalis smirked. “Why would they come to some random old mansion? Nopony's contacted them.” The group groaned in realization. “But now, everything is finished. We'll stack all the unconscious creatures in the cellar, lock the gems back away in the cupboard, and leave quietly one at a time, never to return. And if any of you even thinks of mentioning this to anypony else, I'll spill not only the secrets you were blackmailed for, but about your actions here tonight.” She smiled, though there wasn't any joy in her eyes, aside from a sick glee. Fluttershy, still shaking, spoke up. “A-and you're just going to escape and do horrible things to more ponies and creatures, aren't you?” Chrysalis laughed, throwing her head back. “Of course! You think you have any way of stopping me?” Fluttershy shivered and took a deep breath through her nose. She planted her hooves firmly on the ground, looked the changeling queen in the eye, and answered, “Yes.” She snapped both of her wings open. The bandages on her left wing were torn apart, and fell away to show a completely healthy pegasus wing. But nopony focused on that right away, because when she opened her wings, a ball of purple energy shot out from her side, flying right into the Chrysalis' chest. The changeling was pushed back as the magic soaked into her body. She let out a furious hiss, showing her fangs, and ran towards Fluttershy. She tripped on her first step and fell to the ground. She had fallen into a deep sleep. Applejack quickly ran over to catch the gems, while Rarity's horn lit up to hold them. They brought them over to the rest of the group, away from the sleeping Chrysalis. All of them turned to look at Fluttershy. Fluttershy stared bashfully at the ground, shuffling the fallen bandages with her hoof. “I…I'm sorry. I'm, um, a plant. A spy.” She looked up at the group shyly. “I really do work for the Equestrian Society for the Preservation of Rare Creatures, but, um, I was called to do this by—" she shuffled her hooves. “It might be easier to show you.” She snuck over to the sleeping Chrysalis, flinching when she let out a loud snore. She grabbed the key ring that was by the changeling’s side, and flew over to the doors, unlocking and opening them. A team of six batponys, dressed in black jackets, stormed into the Hall. They each dashed into different rooms, each bringing out one of the unconscious victims in their hoofs. They laid them onto the tile floor and began checking each victim. The ponies gasped when a regal, dark-blue alicorn entered the mansion, also wearing a black jacket. “What is the status of the victims?,” she called to the batponies. The one inspecting QC stood up straight. “Each is unconscious, but aside from QC, all are uninjured. And even he shall easily recover, Princess Luna,” he reported. At the confirmation of the name that was already in their minds, the group of ponies deeply bowed, nervous expressions on their faces. “Stand!,” commanded Princess Luna. “There is no time for such formalities. While I do know the events of the night, we of the Lunar Guard will still need to question all of you.” While they all shakily got back onto their hooves and another team of batponies entered to examine the gems and put Chrysalis in chains, Fluttershy nervously walked up to the princess. “Um, Princess Luna? Where's-" Luna sighed. “He is currently in a ‘time-out' after those stunts he tried to pull tonight. Him calling the mansion I could perhaps overlook, but actually going up to the door! He is in very big trouble this time.” Cries came from outside the mansion. “Sir, stop!” “Princess Luna said—" “Sir, the perimeter around the mansion—" Luna groaned and rolled her eyes when a grey unicorn—the same one who had earlier appeared on the porch—dashed in through the front doors, running towards Fluttershy. The two quickly met in a tight hug. “Missed you,” he moaned into her shoulder. She giggled. “It's only been a few hours.” “A few hours where I was constantly on edge for your safety. I don't care if Prissy Princess is mad about me trying to check on you, I'm mad at her using you for this.” Luna coughed into her hoof. “I thought I told you to stay outside.” The grey unicorn huffed. “Well, first, see what I just said. Second, you can't tell me what to do! I'm in charge here, just as much as you!” Luna sighed and shook her head. “We are still having a discussion about your behavior tomorrow. Don't expect me to be lenient on finding a punishment.” The grey unicorn rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Fluttershy. He pulled her closer to him, and began leaning in the kiss her. She stopped him with a hoof and shook her head. “No disguises, sweetheart.” Rainbow leaned over to Applejack and whispered, “Sweetheart?” Applejack could only shrug. Their jaws dropped as they saw the unicorn's horn light up and magic cover his body. His skin shivered and shifted like liquid, before finally sliding off, revealing a very different figure underneath. Tall, skinny, and standing on his mismatched hind legs, with mismatched arms at his sides and mismatched horns on his head. “Much better,” he said, stretching his arms and popping his neck. He scooped Fluttershy up in his arms and leaned in again for a kiss, which she gladly gave this time. Luna rolled her eyes, but there was a small smile at the corner of her lips. The other ponies could only look on in confusion. Applejack stepped forward and spoke up, “Ah think we all deserve an explanation here.” The others loudly agreed. Fluttershy pulled out of her liplock, which her partner grumbled about. She blushed and rubbed her hooves together. “W-well, you see, the Lunar Guard had figured out that QC was working for Queen Chrysalis. When a spying spell found out about her plan, Princess Luna thought it would be the perfect time to capture her.” The creature holding her huffed, “I told her that I could go in any time and grab her, but noooo, she had to come up with some convoluted plan.” Luna glared and said, “Discord, you agreed with the plan. You were the one who came up with most of it, and who designed that sleeping spell! You only started complaining about it when we figured your wife would be best at infiltrating the mansion!” Pinkie questioned, “Wife?” Fluttershy blushed and waved at the group, while Discord gave a nod of his head towards her, expression neutral. The ponies‘ eyes widened, and they opened their mouths to ask questions. Luna rose a hoof, and they all closed their mouths. “I understand you still want answers. And you will get them, but you will all need to come with us for physical and mental evaluations, as well as questioning.” The batponies had placed the gems in sealed containers, and the victims on stretchers. All were being taken outside, as well as the tightly-chained Chrysalis. Another group came over to the five of them, and simply gestured for them to follow. Four of them did so, slowly walking out the front doors. Pinkie whispered to one of the Guard, “Psst. Can I take my wagon with me?” The guard raised an eyebrow before saying, “Sorry, miss. It has to stay here for now for the investigation of the mansion, but we will get it back to you.” Pinkie whined, but followed the other four ponies outside. Luna breathed a sigh of relief. “Fluttershy, I must commend you—" She turned only to find the spot where Discord and Fluttershy had been was now empty. She whirled to the front doors, where Discord was trying to sneak out without her notice. “Discord!,” she snapped. The draconequus froze in place, sweating nervously as Luna glared at him. The princess’ expression lightened, though, and she said, “You…despite your conduct, you and Fluttershy were a big help in this matter.” She smiled. “We'll talk about said conduct tomorrow. You two go spend the night together.” Discord opened him mouth, maybe to thank her, but never got the chance to say anything. Fluttershy leaned up to kiss him, wrapping her hooves around his neck, moaning softly. During the second Discord froze in surprise, her hooves began to gently trail down his back. With a moan similar to Fluttershy's, Discord snapped his fingers, and the two disappeared in a flash of light. Pinkie turned to the rest of the group, who all had wide eyes and open jaws. “See, Twilight? Now that's a make out session.”