//------------------------------// // Darkest // Story: Death Note: Equestria // by Nonagon //------------------------------// 21 *Darkest* Even without obtaining ownership, a pony’s memories of the Death Note will return as long as they are touching the notebook. Regaining ownership of a Note will cause the memories to return permanently. Only the whole Note will suffice for this; it cannot be a piece or a page. Fluttershy’s imprisonment, day 6 Twilight Sparkle’s imprisonment, day 4 "Why now?" Rainbow Dash griped, pacing back and forth across the inside of the barn. "Not that I don't like spending time with you," she added, throwing a glance at Applejack, who was sitting quietly nearby. "But of all the times for her to be late, why did it have to be now?" Applejack shrugged. The orange mare was unusually quiet, keeping her movements to a minimum. "These things happen," she said. "You just gotta live with them." Dash stopped. "That doesn't sound like..." She trailed off as the barn door creaked open. A grey pegasus poked her head nervously inside. "Derpy! About time you showed up." "Um... hi, guys," Derpy said, bowing apologetically as she walked in. Her saddlebags drooped with weight, and a small sack rested on her back. "This was heavier than I think... thought." "It's all right, missy," Applejack reassured her as Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Now, you mind telling us why you asked the two of us here?" "Um." Derpy rummaged in the bag on her left, then her right, eventually producing two envelopes. One was plain and orange, the other light blue and covered in stickers. "I brought you letters," the mailmare mumbled through the paper in her mouth. The pair took their respective envelopes. Rainbow Dash stared down at hers incredulously. Surrounded by tiny pictures of clouds and party balloons, the words ‘for Dashie’ were scrawled on the front. "Is this... is this from Pinkie Pie?" she gasped. "Uh-huh." Derpy nodded happily. "She wrote one for every pony in Ponyville." Applejack smiled sadly. "Well, ain't that just like her," she sighed. "Couldn't let us go without one last goodbye." Slowly, though, the smile began to fade from her face. "Hold on a second," she said. "Did you say everypony in Ponyville? As in every pony?" "Yeah. You shoulda seen the bag. It was..." Derpy tried to demonstrate, but couldn't quite stretch her front hooves far enough apart. "It was big," she finished. The earth pony frowned. "That don't add up," she said, tapping her chin. "On one hoof, Ah could see Pinkie pulling something like this off. She did like to be prepared for anything. But keepin’ up with hundreds of letters... that’s just plain morbid. And bless her soul and all, but Pinkie was always more of an 'in the moment' kind of gal. So why would she..." Applejack paused. "Rainbow! Are you listening to me?" Rainbow Dash shook her head. She'd already messily ripped her envelope open and had sat down with the paper within, smiling warmly as she read. "Oh, Pinkie Pie," she sighed, clutching the paper to her chest. "You are so random." She looked up at Applejack. "What's yours say?" "Well... Ah..." Applejack looked down at the envelope in her hoof. "Maybe later," she said, tucking the paper behind her ear. "Now doesn't feel like the right time." "Aw, come on. I'll let you read mine." "Dash, that's personal," Applejack snapped. "Besides, don't you realize what this means?" She approached her friend and pushed her letter down, gazing into her eyes. "Why would Pinkie Pie put all this effort into writing these letters if she wasn't expecting to die?" The two mares stared at each other, shock settling onto their faces as the meaning of Applejack's words sunk in. The creeping horror was broken, however, by a nervous cough. "Um." Derpy shuffled in place as the others turned to face her. "This wasn't just a delivery," she said. "I kinda need your help." Applejack nodded first. "Sure. Whatever you need." Derpy pulled the sack off her back and opened it, spilling more letters out onto the ground. Her saddlebags followed suit. "These are the letters where I can't work out where they go," she said. "I sorted them by stamps, so I sorta know what city they go to, but I don't know these names. You guys know Pinkie best, so..." "We'll do our best." With a tug on her mane, Applejack pulled Rainbow Dash towards the assorted letters. Curiously, she picked up an envelope from one of the saddlebags, breaking into a smile as she saw the name. "Shucks, that's mah cousin! These must be for Appleloosa. Don't worry, Ah can get these addressed for you all proper-like in a jiffy." Rainbow Dash pulled letters at random from the larger sack in the middle of the floor. "I don't know any of these names either," she said. "Red Cross... Sunburst... Fancy Pants? Looks like a mix of Cloudsdale and Canterlot. I’ll see if I know any of these, and Twilight can help with the rest, when..." Her smile fell a little. "When she gets back." Something near the corner of the bag caught her eye. "Hey, what are these?" "Those ones don't have stamps," Derpy explained as Rainbow Dash pulled out a small bundle of pearly-white letters held together with twine. "I think they're gonna be the trickiest." Applejack trotted over to Dash's side as she examined the letters. "'For Celestia'?" she exclaimed while Rainbow unwound the twine. "Ain't that the easiest? Why don't you just ask Spike?" "I did," Derpy said, looking puzzled. "He sent the one for Princess Luna, but this one kept coming back." "Weird." Dash set the top letter aside and shuffled through the others. "'For mom'... 'for dad'... 'for big sis'... 'for little sis'." She looked up at Applejack. "Hey, how much do we know about Pinkie's family? Do they live anywhere near Ponyville?" Applejack started to shake her head, then stopped. “Ah... don’t rightly know,” she admitted. “Pinkie said she used to live on a rock farm. Ah always assumed she meant a quarry. But the only places like that ‘round here are the big industrial types.” She scratched her head. “Think the Cakes would know?” “Not sure. But it can’t be far away, or Pinkie would’ve stamped it.” Rainbow peered at the notes suspiciously. A sly grin crept over her face. After weeks of watching a deadly battle of wits unfold, this kind of mystery was far more her speed. “Want to open one?” The others gasped. “Rainbow Dash! That’s just all kinds of not right!” Applejack shouted. “I’m not allowed...” Derpy mumbled, shuddering. “Oh, come on,” Rainbow Dash argued. “If Pinkie’s best friends don’t know where she’s from, what makes you think her bosses will?” She looked back and forth between her companions. Applejack’s face was resolute, while Derpy’s was starting to slip. “Think about it. You know what Pinkie’s like. She probably just turned up one day. Do you wanna spend hours and hours looking through the library to find some trace of her, or do you want to open up the one clue we have right now? What’s worse, a letter arriving open, or a letter not arriving at all?” The farmer shook her head. Derpy, however, slowly nodded. “I guess... it’s the only way,” the mailmare mumbled. “Don’t tell Mr. Brown, okay?” Rainbow Dash grinned triumphantly. “Two to one, AJ. Straight from the mailmare’s mouth.” Applejack frowned deeply. “All right,” she said at last. “Ah’ll go along with your plan. But under protest. Ah’ll open it,” she added quickly as her friend picked up the ‘for dad’ letter, snatching it out of her hooves. “Let’s mess it up as little as possible, all right?” Picking up a thick piece of straw from the ground, she slid it inside the fold of the envelope and tore it open in one swift movement. She pulled out the neatly-folded letter within and read the single line printed on it. Then she read it again. After the third time, she lowered the letter to the ground for the others to see, her face awash with confusion. Pinkie Pie had written just three words. I forgive you. The three ponies looked at one another. Without speaking, each of them picked up another letter. Derpy expertly slitted open ‘for big sis’ with the tip of her wing. “I forgive you,” she read aloud, her eyes crossing as she frowned. “Ah forgive you,” Applejack echoed, holding open ‘for mom’. Solemnly, she took off her hat. “Ah don’t... Ah never... Dash, you all right?” Rainbow Dash had turned pale. She slowly lowered the letter in her hooves. “I picked up the wrong one,” she breathed. “This... this is the letter for Celestia. It says exactly the same thing.” --- “Augh!” A dark blue guardpony grimaced as a length of bandage magically wrapped around his leg. “I said don’t touch me!” he grunted, squirming away from the unicorn who was trying to attend to his injury. Straw Bolt sighed. His rapidly diminishing party had come to rest at a sandy outcropping near the river, just south of what they’d discovered too late was a manticore den. “Grindstone, hold still and let Gift Wrap do his work,” he ordered. “Sir, I’m fine!” Grindstone pushed the protesting medic away and climbed to his hooves, suppressing a wince as he put weight on his injured leg. “Look, it barely scratched me. I can stand, I can walk. I’ll be fine.” “Is that so.” Straw Bolt approached the earth pony, looking him up and down. Without warning he charged forward and gave the smaller guard a shove, knocking him down. “That’s what I thought,” he continued sternly as Grindstone whimpered. “You can walk, but can you run? Can you fight? If we reach our destination and find a horde of golems waiting for us, what use do you think you’ll be then?” Grindstone looked up, eyes watering. “S-sir...” “Your enthusiasm is appreciated. If you want to help, I suggest you channel some of that bravery into a desire to recover as soon as possible.” The guard captain turned away. “Gift Wrap, escort Grindstone back to Ponyville. Make sure that he gets proper medical attention and rejoin us as soon as you’re able. Do not attempt to reenter the Everfree on your own. Is that understood?” The unicorn saluted. “Understood, sir.” There was a pause as Gift Wrap helped his partner up, and they started the long trek back to town. Straw Bolt watched them go, worry creeping through him once again. “And then there were six,” he muttered. “Too many injuries. We shouldn’t be having this much difficulty.” Behind him, Zecora nodded grimly. “The forest is angry,” she said, “for the balance is torn. It thrashes in fear to dislodge a clay thorn.” “At least six is a lucky number,” Quicksilver quipped. Straw Bolt ignored them both. Instead he turned to their host, who had been patiently towering over them from the river throughout this exchange. “Thank you, sir,” he said, bowing. “Without your help, our losses could have been much greater.” “Oh, it was nothing,” the river serpent said, waving a hand dismissively. “Manticores are just darling little pussycats, really.” The remaining guards glanced at one another. From the neck down their savior was an impressive, fearsome sight, covered in wickedly sharp scales and rippling muscles. Above the neck he was still impressive, but in a different way. Despite his aquatic nature, the serpentine reptile sported a mane that one could lose a cart in, as well as an enormous and bizarrely mismatched moustache; half was the same golden orange as the hair on his head, while the other side ended in a clashing purple swirl. The river serpent couldn’t seem to stop twirling this between his fingers as he spoke, smiling cheerfully all the while. “Nevertheless, we are grateful,” Straw Bolt continued, keeping his face carefully neutral. “If there’s any way for us to repay you-” “It was nothing,” the river serpent repeated. “I love helping ponies. You’re just my favorite little quadrupeds.” He peered down inquisitively. “Love the uniforms. Very fetching. You must be from the city on the mountain, hm? What are you doing in our little neck of the woods?” “We’re chasing a golem who’s kidnapped a filly from Ponyville,” the captain answered. “It’s a creature made of clay that seems to travel through underground channels. Have you seen it?” At the mention of the word clay, the dragon huffed. “I always knew those brutes were trouble,” he said. “One of them trampled right through my garden the other day. Right through it. Just look at the mess!” The river serpent dove beneath the waters, then emerged seconds later with a handful of mud. “Such horror! The petunias were coming in exquisitely, and now they’re ruined!” There was an awkward pause as the terrifying, carnivorous monster wept openly over a lump of mud. Even Straw Bolt found himself shifting uncomfortably, his well-practiced featureless expression slipping. “The golems,” he prompted. “Oh, yes.” The serpent tossed the mud aside, instantly regaining his cheery demeanor. “You’ve come too far if you’re looking for them,” he explained. “There’s a trickle half an hour upstream that drains out into a ravine. Those horrid creatures come in and out of there. I avoid it because it’s bad for my back, but you should have no trouble following them.” Straw Bolt bowed again. The others followed suit, causing the sea dragon to blush. “We thank you for your kindness, good sir,” the guard captain said. “You may have helped us save another innocent life.” “Oh, you flatterer, you.” The dragon waved as the ponies and zebra picked up their supplies and prepared to leave. “Good luck, my little ponies. And you tell that gorgeous little unicorn to visit any time, you hear?” --- Colgate sat listlessly in the base's kitchen. Her head drooped against the table, an untouched mug of coffee growing cold beside her. Bon Bon came in and out at seemingly random intervals, never rousing the policemare's attention. Her eyes glazed over as they stared at a small stratoscreen that she'd taken from the main chamber, set to mute as she watched the same dull news program repeat hour after hour. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. Catching Kira was supposed to be an adventure; seeking clues, chasing criminals, final showdowns with dramatic, heartfelt monologues on both sides. She'd entered into this program with a fire in her heart and a song on her lips; now, hours drifted by like awful dreams. And Twilight Sparkle - top student in Canterlot, savior of Equestria, number one best friend in all the world - was being locked up for mass murder. In a way, she's lucky, Colgate reflected. Of the two of us, at least she's locked up down here by choice. The noise grew later in the afternoon as Rainbow Dash returned from her visit to Applejack. She and Jazz settled down near Colgate in the kitchen as, over a bowl of gummy snacks, the older unicorn attempted to teach his pupil Horse Code. "Up-down-down-up, up-up, down-up, down-up-down..." Rainbow Dash muttered continuously, pushing candies around in an attempt to spell out a particular name. "You're focusing too much on the letters," Jazz advised. "Don’t just copy, learn patterns. Let it become natural." Dash groaned, putting her head in her hooves. "This is just dumb," she moaned. "You already know this. Why can’t you just put her name in and see what comes up?" "And take away your motivation?" Jazz said, smiling thinly. "Horse Code is the only language Minty understands. If you want to research your friend, you can do it with your own hooves. Do you want to learn how to do that, or should we give up on this right now?" "I'll learn the code," Dash sighed. She idly picked up one of the candies and began to chew on it, glancing towards Colgate's stratoscreen. "Hey, Colgate. What's the thing with Peachy Pie?" Colgate blinked slowly. In her virtually comatose state, she'd barely registered as the young Peachy Pie had walked onto the screen. She raised her head and prodded the screen, allowing sound to vibrate out from the stone. "Please, whoever you are," the filly was saying, "please give my sister back." She’d been dressed up with a bow in her hair, and held a photograph of Sunny Days shakily as she sat in a chair far too large for her. "She's my favorite sister and we all miss her so, so much..." "Aww," Dash sighed. "That's just heartbreaking." "It's designed that way," Jazz said, raising his voice as Peachy Pie continued to plead. "A broadcast like this isn't an attempt to reason with the foalnapper, but to tug at his emotions. If whoever has Sunny Days sees her as a living pony instead of a commodity, he may be more inclined to release her, or at the very least keep her alive." "Which is stupid," Colgate grunted. "If stuff like this was won by acting cute, there wouldn't be a crime anywhere in Equestria." She swiped at the stratoscreen again, lowering the volume. "Whoever took Sunny isn't interested in playing games. This isn't the work of some weepy stallion who's going to give up at the sight of some hurt feelings. We're dealing with soulless monsters who'll do whatever it takes to get what they want. Programs like this are just Crew Cut exploiting that poor filly for a rise in his stupid, stupid ratings. And it's embarrassing." Dash frowned. "Hey, Colgate?" she said tentatively. "You all right?" "All right? Of course I'm all right. Of bucking course I am." The policemare snorted. "I deal with this stuff all the time. I mean, it's my job, isn't it? It's... it's what I'm for." Dash and Jazz glanced at each other. Before either of them could say anything, however, Peachy Pie faded from the screen and a new title took her place. "Kira Watch!" proclaimed a hopeful voice, eliciting a further groan from Colgate. "Bringing you the latest gossip and updates on the self-proclaimed defender of justice, sponsored by the Kira Neutrality Movement." "Hey, wait!" Rainbow Dash said as Colgate raised a hoof to turn the screen off. "This might be important." "It's just propaganda," the unicorn grunted, but she sat back just the same. With the undeniably catchy jingle of a news program, an airborne camera swooped unsteadily around a long desk before coming to rest in front of it. Three ponies sat behind it, one of them sporting armor, another a headset, the third a purple and swelling bruise that a dusting of powder hadn't quite been able to cover up. Colgate winced at the sight. "Good afternoon, everypony," the mare in the middle said, flashing an obviously manufactured crystalvision smile. "I'm Lead Angle, reporting live on the latest Kira news. With me today are Silver Shell, Canterlot prison specialist, and Ace, professional tennis player and co-founder of the Kira Neutrality Movement." Colgate gulped. Ace's eyes seemed fixed on something off-camera, glowering at an unseen corner of the room. The policemare felt her heart rate rise, while a dead weight settled at the pit of her stomach. She glanced at her companions. Both of them were watching the screen, paying no attention to her. So this is how it ends, she thought. Guilt flooded through her, causing her to visibly shrink. I should have known it would come to this. Ace has fear on his side. He was able to turn hundreds of ponies against fighting Kira in a matter of days. He'll tear me to pieces. My career... all our work... my friends... all for one stupid punch! "Our top stories," Lead Angle said, lifting some papers in front of her. "After a mysterious three-day pause, Kira has once again resumed his executions of criminals. What could this delay mean? After that, an analysis of the latest prison riots, and then an interview-" Colgate's empty chair spun once, twice, and then fell over. Rainbow Dash glanced over, then shrugged. "I've seen better." The blue unicorn skidded to a halt as she entered the base's main chamber. Her hooves felt lighter than air, all worries momentarily forgotten. "Harpy," she breathed, charging towards L. "I just heard-" "There have been no more deaths since your incarceration," L said calmly. She spoke into her microphone, staring at her wall of screens with a strange intensity. Spike sat nearby, looking blankly into space. "You know we cannot ignore this fact. You are Kira. Confess, Twilight." Onscreen, Twilight Sparkle lay on the floor beside her bed. She twisted and writhed at the detective's voice, as though in pain. "L, I can't," she gasped. "You don't understand. I've never been alone for this long before. You have to let me out!" Her voice rose into a screech at this last word. "That was not our arrangement," L said. "The only way to end this is by confessing." "I'm not Kira!" Twilight screamed. She raised her head and glared into the nearest camera. "Look into my eyes! Do I look like I'm lying? L, you have to believe me!" L started to reply, but was cut off as Colgate pulled the microphone away from her. L quickly flicked it off as it was dragged away. "You can stop this now," Colgate said. "Twilight's innocent. Kira's returned." There was a pause. The green mare subtly rolled her eyes. Colgate followed her gaze, seeing a report spread out on the desk between them. It clearly highlighted a list of recently deceased criminals. The policemare's eyes widened. She stepped back, the weight in her stomach returning full-force. "This report arrived earlier this afternoon," L told her. "It means nothing. It only proves my initial argument correct. Kira has been preparing for this moment." Colgate felt numb. “You can’t be serious,” she said, though deep down she already knew that L was. “Of course.” L pulled her microphone back towards her and looked back at Twilight’s whimpering form. “The message changes, but not the meaning. If Twilight believed that this display would clear her name, she was sadly mistaken. It has only linked her more closely to Kira.” "But... but..." Colgate stammered. She looked at the form in the next chair over. "Spike," she said weakly. "Why didn't you tell me?" The dragon grunted. "I didn't want to get your hopes up for nothing." "You can't..." The policemare ground her hooves against the floor. "You can't really believe..." "I don't know what to believe any more." Spike crossed his arms and turned away. Colgate stared. Her mind screamed once, then fell silent. Slowly, as if in a trance, the blue mare turned towards the door. She stumbled over to the trapdoor lever and pulled it down, waiting for one of the others to call her back. They never did. Struggling beneath the weight of her heavy heart, she pushed open the doors and climbed her way out of the base. --- The streets of Ponyville seemed longer than Colgate remembered. Without thinking, her hooves took her on her usual patrol. Up and down main and side streets, circling around the town hall before looping over to the north square, then heading back down through the market. She did this circuit three times, only focusing on the ground in front of her. Nopony stopped her to talk as she went by. Though the market was busy at this time of week, she made her way through it unimpeded. Twice she thought she heard her name in the dull chatter around her, but she kept her head down. They’ve probably seen Ace’s new program by now. If not, they’ve heard about it. News travels fast. Colgate grimaced. She shook her head and kept her gaze low, letting her body be carried by muscle memory alone. What will it be? Death threats? Pickets at the station? An inquiry about my activities over the past week? It was then that Colgate decided to do something that she’d been putting off for far too long. Despite the sheer number of buildings that had gone up in Ponyville in the past year alone, only two bars had successfully established themselves. With the overabundance of soft ciders and other sugary drinks, alcohol as a whole had never really caught on, and any new establishment hoping to lay claim to this untapped market soon fell into decline. Still, there were enough ponies with a fondness for liquor to allow the two places that had managed to find hoofholds a steady stream of income. One, Mountain Dew’s, was a dark and atmospheric place popular with pegasi hoping to drown their sorrows in umbrella-topped glasses. The other was far more welcoming, and far more familiar to Colgate as she approached the double doors. While the number of ponies in The Brass Tap was the same as always, the bar was unusually quiet as Colgate entered. The bright and airy pub was somber, full of silent meditation instead of the usual laughter and tall tales. A musician played the fiddle in the corner, but her heart didn’t seem to be in it this evening. The wide room was divided in two; a selection of cozy booths and tables on the right, the left a more casual area with couches and a clear space for dancing. Colgate walked the line between these two sides to the bar at the end, feeling the eyes of familiar ponies land on her before quickly returning to their drinks. She shook out her mane angrily. Let them stare. While I still have my dignity.   A pair of empty stools were waiting as Colgate approached the bar. She pulled herself into the nearest one, finally raising her head. A familiar face looked back at her quizzically. “Taps,” the policemare muttered, “get me a drink.” “Sure thing, Colgate.” The tan bartender smiled carefully over the counter. “What’ll it be? Glass of water? Cranberry juice?” Colgate looked up. Something burned darkly in her eyes, something that was not interested in playing games. “A,” she enunciated forcefully, “drink.” Brass Taps froze. Her smile began to crack around the edges. “A nice wine?” she found herself asking automatically. “Hard cider? Or something a little stronger?” “Don’t care.” Colgate groaned and leaned over the counter, resting her head on her hoof. “I just know if I’m not drunk in less than an hour, something’s even more wrong with the world than I thought.” Twenty minutes later, she asserted that the state of the world was not as bad as she had feared. --- The hours ticked by. Twilight Sparkle continued to refuse the comfort of her bed, choosing to stretch out on the floor beside it. She alternated between weeping and sitting silently, her eyes closed more often than they were open. "How do you feel?" L asked at one point. "My friends are dead," Twilight snapped back. They did not speak again after that. Dinner came and went. A packaged meal slipped through a hole in Twilight's door, which the unicorn ignored. Shortly afterwards, a cloaked pony appeared on the screens on L's left, loosening some of the bands around Fluttershy's neck to allow her to eat from a bowl of chopped vegetables. Afterwards Fluttershy whispered something to the cloaked pony, who unbound her legs and led her to the corner to use the bathroom. Once that was dealt with, the pegasus meekly allowed herself to be restrained again, whispering a brief "Thank you," to her captor. A few minutes later, Bon Bon entered the main chamber with a plate of melon slices drenched in syrup. She left this by L's side, along with a tray of damp napkins, and gently shooed Spike in the direction of the kitchen. With a glance back at her ward, she left the detective on her own. L's body moved mechanically. She sucked and chewed on each slice of melon slowly, returning it to her hoof several times to drag it through the syrup that drenched the plate. All the while, her eyes never left the screens. Around the third slice, something happened. Twilight Sparkle sighed. She stood up and looked around the room, as if observing it for the first time. She approached the meal that had been left out for her, but then kicked it gently away. She stretched, shaking out her bedraggled mane, and then continued to stand, looking at nothing. "Where are my friends?" she asked aloud. After a moment’s pause she said it again, drawing the sounds out more slowly, musically. “Where are my friends?” Then, with a slow walk across the room, stepping and swaying in time with unheard music, she began to sing. “Why am I trapped in this place of light where I may end up lonely for years? Is the only way left now to end this fight to become the thing Ponykind fears? There must be some way I can clear my name and take back all the doubts in my mind. Friendship’s the magic that can end this game and leave all of this darkness behind. My heart is pure and my mind is clear and I must have been crazy to volunteer because Kira is winning as long as I’m in here... You were my best friends forever, the best team I’ve ever known. And if we’re meant to work together, then why am I alone?” Twilight looked down, sighing deeply. At the same time, Fluttershy looked up. The pegasus strained left and right as far as her bonds would let her, then relaxed. With the same musical inflection that her friend had used, she spoke. “Where are my friends?” Then, softly swaying to a melody that only she could hear, she began to sing. “Why am I here where the walls can speak when I know that I’ve done nothing wrong? Why won’t they tell me what answers they seek, and why have they kept me so long? Do my friends know that I’ve vanished? Does Twilight care I’m gone? And if I end up dead or banished will they give up and move on? My heart is pure and my will is strong but this torment has gone on for much too long and how can I fight when the guardsmen can’t be wrong? Twilight, I’ve held on for you and hidden broken bones, but if our love is really true then why am I alone?” L waited for more, but the music seemed to have stopped. --- A mug halfway to her lips, Colgate paused. She was drunk. She could feel that she was drunk. It hadn’t taken much; she’d always been something of a lightweight, especially compared to some of her rowdier friends. The hard cider moved sluggishly through her system, clouding her senses and softening the grief leaking through the widening cracks in her armor. But something was different. For the first time, Colgate was drinking alone. Wearily, the policemare looked around. She’d relocated to a nearby table for comfort. Less than a month ago, she’d had more than fifty ponies under her command, ready and willing to do whatever it took to stop Kira. Now, all the familiar faces were avoiding her gaze. She sighed and stared down at her mug. Without really knowing why, she spoke. “Where are my friends?” she asked, using a musical intonation that she wasn’t familiar with. And suddenly, words began to spill out. “Why am I here where it all began when the memories drive me to drink? Chasing the shadows of some master plan that has made it a crime just to think? The closer we get, the further we fall and every advance brings more death. How am I meant to keep giving my all when a new lover falls with each breath? My heart is pure, but my hooves are tied, I’m losing a game played with cheats and lies, and it falls to me every time somepony dies... We’ve all done dark and callous deeds and turned our hearts to stone so if I’m the hero Ponyville needs then why am I alone?” Colgate stopped again. She looked around. The music that had possessed her was fading away, but it was leaving strange echoes in her head. “If Harmony can save us,” she whispered as the last strands vanished, “then why are we alone?” A few heads had turned. Colgate couldn’t see fear or anger in their faces, only concern and curiosity. She smiled in return. “Hey,” she called. Without the music to guide her, her voice was starting to slur. “Wanna hear a story?” --- Bon Bon entered the base’s main chamber with a tray just as Twilight and Fluttershy began to whisper in unison. “If Harmony can save us, then why are we alone?” L’s chair was empty. Her plate of melon slices lay unfinished by her microphone. "Bon Bon, save my seat," the detective announced, slinging a small bag over her shoulder. With a sharp glow, her horn vanished. "I'm going out." "All right, dear." Bon Bon nervously dusted off the array of crumbs that had built up on the mint pony’s chair. "Where to this time?" L pulled the trapdoor lever, then looked back. "It's time for the second most powerful force in Equestria to come to the rescue of the first." ---   “I met her right here, you know,” Colgate slurred. “Right at this bar. Right at this table.” Despite her sitting position, the policemare weaved back and forth slightly as she spoke, her fifth mug of hard cider half-empty in her hoof. “About a week after I moved here, back when this place was smaller. I got a noise complaint and came to check it out. Brass Taps was trying to close up, and some crazy mare was refusing to leave.” She waved in the general direction of the barkeeper, who nodded. “That was the first time I saw Berry. She was sitting right where I am now, singing the Winter Wrap Up song at the top of her lungs. And it was, like, literally the middle of summer.” The cluster of ponies that surrounded her nodded encouragingly. Any regular to the establishment had already listened to this tale countless times, sometimes willingly, but this would be the first time hearing it from the other mare’s perspective. “So I run over to see what’s up, and as soon as I touch her she falls asleep, right on my shoulder. Couldn’t get another word out of her, so I had to drag her all the way back to the station for the night. I stayed in the bed in the other cell, just to keep an eye on her.” The policemare laughed, a hint of a smile breaking through her somber expression. “She used to joke that we hadn’t shared two words, and already we were sleeping together. “Next morning, I get woken up by this quiet little knocking at the door. I get up to answer it and there’s the cutest little unicorn filly standing there, looking up at me with big puppy-dog eyes, wondering why her mommy didn’t come home last night. Didn’t take long to work out what had happened. I woke Berry Punch up to try to shout some sense into her, but she was too hungover to understand what was going on. And then she...” Colgate’s voice started to crack. “She... didn’t even know who I was, and she offered to cook me b-b-b...” The blue pony finally broke down, tears slipping into the mug in front of her. Three ponies by her sides put supportive hooves on her shoulders and mumbled reassurances to her. From across the table, a low voice broke through the fog of tears. “An alcoholic with a heart of gold, then?” Colgate held her breath for a moment before continuing. “She was an idiot,” she sighed. “Always meant well, but she couldn’t do anything right. She’d always be planning for some new job or something nice for her family, but then she’d blow everything on cider and end up worse than she started. An’ I don’t blame you,” she yelled towards Brass Taps. “You run a perfectly legitimig... legit... a nice place. Jus’ Berry didn’t know how to look after herself.” “But you did,” the pony opposite remarked. A vague blur on the other side of the table lifted a mug to its lips thoughtfully. “Maybe you were meant for each other.” Colgate shakily lifted her own mug so that she could angrily slam it onto the table. “We weren’t dating,” she insisted loudly. “That wouldn’t be right. Not for me, not for either of us. I’m a policemare, and she’s... she was a drunk.” Colgate took a long sip of her cider before continuing. It stung her throat. “But... sometimes, if she’d had a bit too much, I’d take her home and spend the night with her. Just to, you know, make sure we was safe. And sometimes, if we’d hired a foalsitter, we’d go back to my place instead. And she kept needing help financically, and Berry Pinch kept having trouble at school, and...” She gulped. “I guess we ended up spending a lot of time together.” “And did you love her?” A hush fell over the bar. The ponies around her held their breaths as Colgate sat stunned, unable to fully register the question. She mulled over the words for what seemed a very long time. When she spoke again, her voice was small. “I don’t know.” She stared sadly into space. “I know she was bad for me. I know so long as she kept drinking her life away, things would never work out between us. But...” The other pony finished for her. “But that has nothing to do with love.” Colgate mulled on this for a while, swilling her mug back and forth in her hoof. Suddenly she threw her drink aside, spraying cider across the floor. The pony who she’d splashed shrieked. “It doesn’t matter,” Colgate growled. “She’s gone. She’s gone because I wasn’t there for her.” Rage shook her. “She’s gone ‘cause Kira took her from me. And now, that stupid Ace is gonna take away my one chance to catch the one who killed her.” The ponies around her looked at each other. “What do you mean?” somepony asked. “You know,” Colgate grunted. “On that stupid show he’s funding. He hates me. He wants to shut us down. And I...” She made a noise that was half cackle and half sob. “I gave him exactly the excuse he wanted.” A bright pink shape - she was gradually coming to recognize it as Cherry Berry - leaned over to whisper to her. “Sweetums, Ace didn’t say anything bad about you,” the mare said, far louder than she needed to. “He just said what happened was between you and him and nopony else. What was that about, anyway?” The policemare froze. She tried to move, to speak, but her brain seemed to have finally given up. “I’m tired,” she said, the words coming out as a half-whisper. The pony opposite reached out and patted her hoof. “By the looks of you, you’ve been working yourself to the bone,” he said. “Y’all need some rest.” Colgate tried to protest. She tried to say that hadn’t been what she’d meant. She tried to express that it was the weight of guilt - lying, hiding, spying, kidnapping, torture - that was weighing her down, not the strain of actual effort on her part. She tried to say that she was afraid the fire in her heart had changed, no longer the bright blaze of determination but a slow, painful smoldering in her chest that would only consume all it touched. She tried to plead with the ponies surrounding her, to say that she was helpless to stop the horrors happening around her, that she was no longer in control of her world. Above all else, she tried to say that she was sorry. However, all that managed to come out of the intoxicated police pony’s mouth was a garbled “Bleugh.” As she tried to rise from her seat, her sleep-deprived body finally gave out on her and she stumbled, crashing to the floor. A pair of strong hooves gripped her. Colgate tried to mumble a protest, saying that the floor was awful comfortable all of a sudden, but she was gently lifted and steadied against somepony’s side. “You get home now, miss.” Then, another voice, unusual yet somehow familiar. “I’ve got her.” A smaller hoof pressed against her back. After that, all fell strangely quiet. --- Fluttershy’s imprisonment, day 7 Twilight Sparkle’s imprisonment, day 5 Light burned Colgate's eyes. She squirmed as sunlight slipped through a crack in her curtain, trying to blot out what seemed to be the cause of the searing ache in her head. She groaned, buried her face in the mane of the earth pony in front of her, and tried to put off dealing with her hangover for a few more minutes. Hold up. Something's off. Colgate frowned, attempting to drown her aching head in sleep once more, but some out-of-place detail nagged at the back of her mind. She tried to trace the events of that day so far, but found herself coming up short. Sunlight! Of course, that was it. She'd grown accustomed to sleeping underground, relying on her own body rhythm to wake up at the right time. The presence of sunlight was throwing her off. Why wasn't she at the base, again? No... no, that's not it. Colgate flexed her legs, trying to work some life into her barely-awake body. She idly stroked the mane of the pony she was snuggling with. So much of the previous day seemed like an alcohol-fueled haze, or a dream... had it been a dream? How much of it had been a dream? Hard to tell. Maybe a little more sleep would answer that. The policemare shrugged and squeezed her eyes shut. Her slow breathing was in perfect tandem with the pony in front of her, in and out in unison. She could almost feel that their heartbeats were the same. She planted a gentle kiss on the base of her partner's neck, then ran a hoof through her short and pointed mane before giving in to her drowsiness completely. Wait a minute. Berry doesn't have a short and pointed mane. And is a lot larger. Also, OH SWEET CELESTIA- Colgate leaped from the bed with a shriek, sending the covers flying. She landed in full flight mode, all trace of sleepiness forgotten as she gaped at the figure on the bed. "What..." "Oh, you're awake." The mint green pony turned to look at her, brushing a stray hair away from her face. "I woke up some time ago, but I didn't want to disturb you." "Uh, I, I..." Colgate staggered against the wall, then staggered a second time as the full weight of her hangover hit her. "Ow..." "Allow me." In one swift movement L rose from the bed, her horn erupting from her skull with a sickly green glow. Another pulse of light wrapped around Colgate's head, cancelling out some of the pounding between her ears. "Hangover cures aren't quite my specialty, but that should soothe your pain some." "I... I... thanks," Colgate muttered, clutching at her head. A couple of spots still danced in front of her eyes, but it was much easier to think and talk. She levelled what she hoped was a baffled stare at L, whose emotionless gaze had suddenly become even more surreal than usual. "What... what the hay happened last night?" "I took you home," L said flatly. "You needed some support. I would have asked Bon Bon, but I didn't wish to make her uncomfortable." Colgate's jaw dropped. "Make her uncomfortable?" she gasped, stunned. "What about me?" "You slept better last night than you have in weeks. You've been keeping yourself bottled up for far too long, Colgate. You need to relax, or you risk another breakdown." "...Oh." Colgate looked at the ground. "Look, I know my behavior's been-" "Which is why," L interrupted, "the offer of some time off is no longer a suggestion. It is an order. You will replace Locket as caretaker at Fluttershy's cottage. Contact with the base will be restricted to emergencies." It took a few seconds for Colgate to process this. When realization hit, it hit full force. "L, I can't," she protested. "Things are worse for me than ever right now. Giving up is what Kira would want me to do. Ponyville needs-" "What Ponyville needs," L said, cutting her off again, "is a policemare of sound mind and body. Wearing yourself out with worry is the opposite of what Ponyville needs to trust you right now. Use your time to better yourself for their sake. Go on patrol, visit the spa, sleep with mares, do whatever it takes to get your head back in the right place. Because it's not just Ponyville that needs you. Under Kira's rule, all of Equestria needs you." The green mare drew a little closer. "And, despite what you may think, I need you, too." "...I guess this isn't open for debate." Colgate sighed again. Now that she was beginning to calm down, L's words were starting to make a lot more sense. I never should have forced myself through this. I would be offering the same advice if I was in her place. Just... think of it as paid vacation. "Correct." L stepped back. "Now, I believe some breakfast is in order." "...Yeah." Colgate pushed her bedroom door open. She shook her head once in a vain attempt to get the last echoes of her headache to leave her, then led the way down to the kitchen. "Colgate, one last question," L said as they descended the stairs. "Yeah, what is it?" "Do you think of me as a friend?" On the last step, Colgate stopped. She turned back and looked up at L. The mare was staring at her with the same blank expression, as innocent as a foal asking why the sky was blue. Colgate gulped and turned around, facing the detective directly. Her eyes narrowed. She took a deep breath to clear her mind, then started to speak. "L, listen here. "You're a sick pony. A sick, deranged, deluded, and a whole bunch of other words pony who needs a lot more help than she's getting. I appreciate what you're doing for me, but I know you always have ulterior motives for everything you do. Yes, this makes you very good at your job. I respect you as a detective, and as my superior. Maybe, when all this is over, I'll come to respect your methods. But I've seen what you've done to Twilight. I've seen what you think of the ponies you work with. So understand this, L. No matter what we do together, no matter what you do to impress me, I will never, ever be your friend." The two unicorns stared at each other for a few seconds more before L nodded. She took a few more steps downstairs, passing Colgate. "Do you like pancakes?" "Do I..." Colgate facehoofed. "I think you should leave," she said. "I'll make my own breakfast, thanks." "That's just as well. I can't cook." Without prompting, L trotted back to the front door and pushed it open. "The arrow is almost gone, Colgate," she said before stepping out, her horn retreating back into her head. "This darkness will pass, sooner than you think. Then the healing can begin for good. Oh, and there's something for you on the table." With that, the detective vanished into the blinding sunlight, letting the door swing shut behind her. Colgate waited for a moment before making her way into the kitchen. As promised, there was an envelope lying on the kitchen table, next to a fresh box of pancake mix. Colgate picked up the letter, her eyes widening as she recognized the writing on the front. She magically unsealed it, taking her time so as to not make a single rip, then slid the letter out and read it slowly. Once she was finished, she skipped breakfast and went straight to Fluttershy's cottage, at first galloping, then slowing down to enjoy the sunshine. --- Dear Colgate, Well, Romana really. But all your friends call you Colgate, and I’m your friend, so it would be weird to call you anything else. Is it okay if I keep calling you Colgate? It is? Yippee! If you’re reading this, that means I’m not around any more. I guess that’s kind of sad. I know you’re going to want to figure out what happened to me, but really, that’s not all that important. What’s important is how you live your life after today. Colgate, you’re the best police pony Ponyville’s ever had. I bet everypony in Ponyville has a story about how you’ve helped them, and I know lots of colts and fillies who want to grow up to be guards because of you. I’ve thrown five police-themed birthday parties just this year, plus one where I’m not sure if it counted because those dancing stallions kept taking off their armor. Everypony loves you because you love everypony. So instead of stressing yourself out over silly old me, I want you to put all your energy into keeping the rest of Ponyville safe and happy. Never stop being you, because you are the best pony anypony could ever hope to be. Oh, and I included a map of my secret stashes around Ponyville. Hope it helps. Sorry about all the trespassing. Your bestest friend forever, Pinkie Pie Next episode: A changeling?