Soon after they found the body, Fluttershy and Apple Jack went to report to Twilight. It was obviously a surprise to most of them as they assumed they were safe after the last meeting.
But now that that was proven wrong, Twilight didn't waste any time in getting everyone together in yet another meeting.
But this one was bound to be tenser than the ones that came before.
"Let's not waste any time here," Twilight said firmly as she set eyes on the two mares together with her in the room. "I want to know where everyone was at any time. I'm not leaving any questions unanswered!" She said strictly before she looked over to the yellow pegasus with a serious look. "Fluttershy, you're the last one I saw with her. Speak up."
"A-After I finished my last task in storage I did my walk around the castle.. I didn't even know there was still someone infected among us..." She answered quietly, looking away as she said it.
"Ah don't think anyone knew..." Apple Jack said before showing an upset face. "Wait, does that mean Dash was innocent..?"
Everyone got quiet for a bit, sharing the same look Apple Jack did before the silence was broken by Twilight. "I'm afraid she was... It would take some time for someone new to be infected and even more for them to act on it..."
More silence followed before Apple Jack quietly started again. "Ah can't believe ah killed one of my best friends..."
Fluttershy nodded in agreement, sharing the same destroyed face. "I feel horrible... I've been such an awful friend..." She said as she looked down at her hooves, before showing an even more upset face.
It wasn't long until they were cut off by Twilight. "Let's not talk about all of that now. We can do that later. What's important now is that we find the one who's really infected and get them out of here."
"But what if we're wrong and we throw out someone innocent again..?" Fluttershy asked quietly again.
"Uhm..." Twilight struggled to find an answer but eventually continued. "I just need the right evidence this time. And the only way to get that is to answer all of my-"
Before she could finish, she was interrupted by Apple Jack. "And ours."
"What?"
"We'll answer your questions if you'll do the same for ours." She said knowing what her next words would be. "Ya always ask us but we never get your side of the story. It's like you're hidin' something."
"I'm not!" She started before starting to defend herself. "You know just as well as me how bad of a lier I am. I could never-"
She got interrupted again. "So you wouldn't want to be the one answering questions! Probably 'cause you'd have to lie!" Apple Jack finished. "That's it ain't it?"
"It's not!" Twilight denied again. It soon became a back and forth between them mostly filled with accusations and finger-pointing. But they were soon interrupted by the other mare in the room.
"Can everyone stop yelling!?" The pegasus said more loudly before continuing in more of a quiet tone after getting their attention. "I-I think we should do one thing at a time. But I agree with Apple Jack that you should answer us too, Twilight."
The two stayed quiet for a bit before showing a slow nod. Twilight decided to start again. "Okay, Fluttershy. Let's start over. Where were you, when and what were you doing? Also, how long were you and Rarity together?"
Twilight listened closely as the pegasus started again. "I finished my task in storage before heading to the library to meet you for a new one. I met up with Rarity on my way there and after I got my new task, I stayed with her until we split at one of the rooms and I continued my way. I eventually got to the garbage dump where I saw Apple Jack and continued my way with her until we found the body."
As Fluttershy finished, Twilight started again. "Is that all?" The pegasus gave her a quick nod before the alicorn continued. "Did you see anything suspicious from anyone here before the incident?"
"I don't think so..." The pegasus quietly responded before looking over to her other friend. "But Apple Jack did leave the dump while I was there. We found the body right after..."
Hearing what she said, Apple Jack quickly explained. "Ah said ah had to go to the other room to continue my task. You even saw the garbage bag I brought back."
"Oh, right..." She muttered back, looking away.
"Hmm..." Twilight hummed before she spoke again. "Anything else?" Fluttershy shook her head so she continued. "Apple Jack, I'd like your side of the story now." She said as she looked over to the earth pony.
"Ah'd be happy to tell ya, but there's nothin' much to say." Apple Jack answered. "Ah did my tasks and made my way from room to room around the castle." She finished.
Twilight tilted her head a little before she spoke up again. "Can you be more specific? We need all the information we can get." She said as she looked back at her friend more seriously.
Apple Jack slowly nodded before continuing. "Ah guess ah can try." She said as she started again. "Ah started again where ah left of and after walking back and forth for a while from room to room, ah took a quick break. That's when ah saw Fluttershy walk into the dump. Ah left and went to another room soon after."
She took a second to pause before she continued, looking like she had remembered something important. "Ah remember walking in there and feeling the bag was heavier than usual. When ah looked in to check, ah saw a screwdriver and multiple screws in there, along with a vent that had its screws missin'"
"Yea, that is suspicious..." Twilight muttered before looking over to Fluttershy. "Do you know anything about that Fluttershy?"
"I-I..." The mare stayed quiet for a bit before continuing. "I don't... When you told me to check the rooms I didn't think I'd have to look at every vent. And the one I saw at the dump wasn't touched at all."
Apple Jack tilted her head, looking slightly confused. "How did ya know there was a vent at the dump?"
She shut quiet again before answering. "I-I moved some boxes and saw that. I just remembered when you brought the vents up."
"Ah see..." Apple Jack said before showing Twilight a grin. "Now, mind tellin' us where you've been?"
"Of course," She quickly answered before continuing. "Like the days before, I stayed in the library to read up on new possible cures. I thought I found one when Fluttershy and Rarity showed up at my door, but after they left it turned out less impressive than I thought. I kept reading, with not much success, until heard from you two what happened."
"You never left that room?" Fluttershy asked confused. "You must've been out at least once for food or something..."
The alicorn just shook her head. "I didn't. I had everything I needed right there." She looked satisfied and finished what she said before. "That's all I have to say. I hope that's enough for you Apple Jack."
"Ah'm mainly just wonderin' what happened to the vents around the castle. The screwdriver made me think it was somethin' Dash couldn't continue, but it could've also been some kind of sabotage from one of ya."
"Funny how you bring sabotage up," Twilight said bluntly. "Sounds like you're looking for things to accuse other people off."
The earth pony looked back at her before starting to talk back. "Look who says it, ya literally just accused me of somethin'!" She yelled at the alicorn before finishing. "Also ah didn't accuse anyone. Ah just suggested somethin'"
"But you did allude to us being involved in that, which is basically accusing but said differently."
As the two got into a heated argument again, Fluttershy stayed quiet as she just watched them throw accusations at each other. Tears slowly filled her eyes as the accusations started getting more directly linked to being infected.
Before they could call each other infected one more time, they were interrupted by the pegasus. "It's me! I did it!" As her yells reached the two mares, they shut quiet and looked over to the pegasus who was now in full tears. "I'm infected..."
The room stayed quiet for a whole ten seconds, with only their friend's quiet sobs to be heard, before Twilight broke the silence. "I-Is that really true...?"
The pegasus responded with a quiet nodded. Twilight looked over to Apple Jack who had the same shocked face.
"But Twilight..? Ya said an infected couldn't admit that they were..." The earth pony asked as Fluttershy got quieter too.
"I said it's hard to get them to confess, not impossible." The alicorn explained before looking over to Fluttershy. "What made you confess? I'm sure it wasn't easy."
The pegasus stayed quiet for a bit before giving her answer. "It wasn't... But I couldn't bear see another one of my friends, that I know are innocent, to be killed for no good reason at all. I wanted to say something at the start but couldn't make myself do it... I'm sorry..."
More silence followed before Twilight spoke up again. "I see... But we're going to have to throw you out now, you know that."
"I know..." The pegasus nodded. "But I'm okay with that... I deserve it after being such a terrible friend to everyone..."
Twilight looked over to Apple Jack before receiving a nod from her. They walked over to the balcony together and looked down at the remains of Ponyvile together before Twilight spoke again. "Ready Fluttershy?"
The pegasus looked down before quietly nodding. Twilight levitated her over the balcony as she got the force field off and let go of her friend, before quickly getting the force field back up.
Fluttershy didn't even attempt to fly or save herself in any way as she let herself fall down the castle. As she looked down and saw her inevitable death down below, a small smile appeared on her face.
The happiness that her remaining friends would be safe, accepting the punishment for what she did before.
She soon reached the ground and had the infected ponies give her her quick but deserved death. With the infected now officially gone, the remaining friends in the castle could continue their days in peace.
And even though there were a lot of deaths and mistakes made, they still had it in them to look forward to the future.