Chapter Five
Whistle for the Wind
Trial Part 1
Fact #1: Monoponi File V: “The victim is Adagio Dazzle, the Ultimate Songstress. Time of death is approximately between 2:00 AM and 5:00 AM Wednesday morning. The victim possesses multiple injuries to the head and two laceration wounds to the neck. Toxicology shows no poisons or substances of any kind in her system.”
Fact #2: Body Condition: “The body is covered in blood, soaking the clothes. There is a large contusion on the forehead, suggesting a strike with a blunt object. There is a severe puncture wound to the back of the neck, at the base of the skull. A large piece of glass was found embedded in the wound. Both carotid arteries were slashed open. A few pieces of bloodied confetti were discovered sticking to the victim’s leg.”
Fact #3: Glass Shard: “A shard of glass found embedded in the head of the victim. There are a few numbers written on it: ‘11037.’ The numbers correspond to the sample number on the Ares rock sample case in the museum.”
Fact #4: Printed Note: “A typewritten note discovered in the pocket of the victim, printed off the museum printer. It reads ‘I know what you did. Meet me at the museum theater tonight, at 2:30 AM.”
Fact #5: Bloodied Confetti: “Strings of bloodied confetti found on the body of the victim. Similar pieces of confetti were discovered on the floor of the church foyer.”
Fact #6: Sunset’s Monopad: “Sunset’s Monopad was discovered in the library, on the first floor, taped to the underside of the archive door.”
Fact #7: Sunset Shimmer: “Sunset Shimmer has been missing since some time after 7:45 PM Monday evening. No sign of her has been found anywhere, save for her Monopad being discovered near the archive door. It is possible she is deceased.”
Fact #8: Monoponi’s Ruling: “According to Monoponi, if Sunset Shimmer is still alive, then she will not be punished unless she fails to make it to the trial before it ends.”
Fact #9: Blood Trails: “Trails of blood were discovered on the first floor of the library, leading out onto the promenade and to the museum.”
Fact #10: Museum Blood Stains: “Stains of blood were found across the museum, including streaks leading out the door to the promenade from the theater, and a massive pool in the theater itself. The pool is thin, the blood underneath smeared on the carpet.”
Fact #11: Handwritten Note: “A handwritten note found on the floor of the museum theater. It reads: ‘See the stars.’”
Fact #12: Broken Telescope: “One of the telescopes on the museum observatory balcony was discovered with its mirrors broken. There were a few torn bits of paper and duct tape inside.”
Fact #13: Rarity’s Account: “According to Rarity, she, along with Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo spent all of Tuesday morning searching the entire ship for Sunset Shimmer, after they discovered she was missing. She found no trace of Sunset anywhere. She spent most of the afternoon in her cabin, worrying anxiously, and attempted to search again that evening. She ran into Adagio and frantically begged her to tell Rarity where Sunset was. She said Adagio was also distraught, and apologized for throwing Sunset into the pool Monday afternoon. She and Adagio searched together to no avail, and Rarity retired at 11:00 PM.”
Fact #14: Ares Sample Case: “The rock sample case for the Ares missions was shattered. On the display for the case is the number 324110379899. The last four digits of this number are also present on the case, and the first three were discovered on a piece of glass on the floor.”
Fact #15: Ares Rock: “A rock taken from the Ares sample case, allegedly originating from the planet Ares. It is heavily stained pink with blood.”
Fact #16: “Scootaloo’s Account: “Scootaloo claims she spent Tuesday morning searching with Rarity, then went to find Adagio and asked her about Sunset. She spoke to Adagio that afternoon, and said Adagio claimed to be worried about Sunset too. She wasn’t sure she believed Adagio, so she spent the rest of Tuesday searching for Sunset. More than once she spotted Applejack ‘acting sneaky.’ Before she went to bed, she went to the church for a late night prayer session, to pray for Sunset’s safety.”
Fact #17: Prayer Mat: “A prayer mat found underneath the desk of the museum director’s office. It is heavily stained with blood. The securing strap had several other straps tied to it, knotted up to form one long rope. Two strands of purple thread were discovered on the rope. They match the shade of Rarity’s skirt.”
Fact #18: Rarity’s Clothes: “Rarity’s skirt was frayed. She claims it was due to catching it on a corner while searching for Sunset yesterday, and she hadn’t been able to repair it due to her thread going missing. She hadn’t changed due to her other skirts being dirty.”
Fact #19: Printer Log: “The log of the printer in the museum director’s office. It shows two documents were printed, on Monday at 11:55 PM and Wednesday at 4:30 AM.”
Fact #20: Sacred Athame: “A sacred knife from the black altar in the church hall. It has a small spot of blood on the underside of the handle. It was allegedly discovered in Sunset’s cabin by Applejack.”
Fact #21: “Applejack’s Account: “According to Applejack, she was the one who discovered Sunset was missing. She confronted Adagio about Sunset and there was a brief confrontation. She said Adagio denied all involvement, and claimed she was just as worried about the missing Sunset as the others were. Applejack refused to believe her, and chose to subtly track Adagio for the rest of the day.”
Fact #22: Incense and Wax: “A substantial smell of incense was present in the church, far stronger than usual. The smell is strongest around several puddles of melted wax found on the floor near the door to the foyer.”
Fact #23: Waterlogged Rug: “One of the rugs in the church foyer was soaked in water. The rug had also been moved from its standard location and was pressed up against the wall with the hallway leading to the church restrooms.”
Fact #24: Bucket: “A metal bucket, with the words ‘property of ship’s theater’ stamped on the bottom. It was discovered in the ladies restroom of the church, with a few droplets of water inside.”
Fact #25: Music Room: “The music room was disturbed. Many of the instruments had been moved around. Two shekeres had woven strings of linen and cotton tied to them. There was also a single long string of cotton approximately twelve feet long discovered curled in a pile in the corner of the room.”
Fact #26: Sunset Shimmer’s Cabin: “Sunset Shimmer’s cabin was discovered unlocked Tuesday morning. Inside there were several bloodstains on the floor and the bed. One of the bedsheets was missing. Sunset’s backpack was left behind. A bloodied pipe wrench was on the floor. On the pillow was scrawled two letters in blood: ‘AJ.’. ”
Fact #27: Diamond Tiara’s Account: “Diamond Tiara claims she led a search for Sunset Tuesday morning, then spent the rest of the day by herself. She says she went for a walk after midnight and saw both Scootaloo and Applejack wandering around.”
We emerged from the elevator into the courtroom. Monoponi liked changing up the place for every trial, and this one was no different. The room was lit up with spotlights like a stage performance for a music act. The walls were covered in pictures of red gemstones, ocean waves, and bizarre looking lizardy things that must’ve been Adagio’s siren form. They were ugly, vicious looking, with razor sharp teeth and beaks that looked like they could chomp me in half without even trying.
One part of the room was decorated differently, however. A section of wall directly behind Sunset’s podium was lit up with its own spotlight, and colored in yellows and reds to give it the impression of a setting sun. Even as I took it in, I noticed the light over it dimming ever so slightly, getting darker and darker as time went on. Like... like it was monitoring Sunset's life. Hang in there, Sunset!
I took my usual spot at my podium, grateful to have something to lean against. I wished I was brave enough to ask Monoponi for a chair, but he’s scary. He’s vicious. And he took my leg. I don’t dare. Besides. If I keep the trial going long enough, Sunset’ll come back. That’s what really matters. That’s what I have to focus on. I have to save Sunset. I can stand as long as I need to. Bring it on.
Glancing over where Adagio used to stand, I saw a portrait. She looked way nicer in the portrait than she had a right to. That innocent little smile was pure lies. I knew I was right to distrust her. And to think, for a short time I actually accepted her as a friend. You know I regretted throwing that away at first? I blamed her for my murder of Pinkie. I tried to use her as a scapegoat. Didn’t work, obviously. Messed up any chance at friendship too. Whatever. She’s dead. It doesn’t matter anymore.
Sunset’s portrait haunted me, though. It was scary. Maybe it didn’t have the same blood-pink X that all the other portraits did, but if anything, that made it even scarier. We didn’t know if she was alive. The big question mark on it felt like it was making fun of her, like Monoponi was having a giant laugh at our expense.
Well I’d show him. The Great and Powerful Trixie will succeed in this trial!
“Welcome back to the lovely courtroom, my dear passengers,” Monoponi said as he posed atop that gaudy throne of his. “Since your usual trial leader is missing, do you need a refresher on the trial rules? Hmm?”
“No, Monoponi,” Tiara groaned, holding up a fist like she was going to flip him off, though she thought better of it at the last minute. “We’re not stupid.”
“Upupu, you keep telling yourself that,” Monoponi replied, holding a hoof to his mouth. “Very well. I shall allow you to get started. Just remember: this is a trial for Adagio Dazzle’s killer. I will not put up with excessive delaying tactics just because you morons are worried about Sunset Shimmer! So if I feel like the trial is taking too long, I’ll call it and force you to a vote! Understand? Good. Get on with it, then.”
“I suppose we’d better start with figuring out a cause of death,” Rarity proposed after a brief moment of silence. “There were many wounds on the body.”
“Ah took a good long look at it mahself when we found it,” Applejack replied, rubbing at her chin. “Ah know she had her neck cut open.”
“And there was a piece of glass in the back of her skull, too,” Scootaloo said, cringing. “Like someone drove it in there.”
“Well it had to be the neck wound, right?” Tiara said, holding out her hands. “I mean, both her carotid arteries were cut open. That means she must’ve bled out, right?”
Rarity shook her head, and bit at her lip. “I’m not so sure. There was also a huge bruise on her forehead. What if that killed her?”
“Uuugh, how’re we going to know which one did it?” Scootaloo groaned, throwing up her hands in frustration.
I grinned cheekily, and fluffed my hair with a flourish of my hand. “Trixie believes for us to know what killed her, we need to determine the timeline of events. There was too much evidence spread across several areas. The Monoponi file doesn’t list a time of death either. Trixie suspects without that, we can’t figure out the cause.”
“You’d better take that shit-eatin’ grin off your face right now before Ah smack it off,” Applejack growled. “Ah ain’t gonna put up with you bein’ an ass.”
I arched an eyebrow, my grin spreading. “Oh? Trixie believes we just had a talk about this prior to the trial. Still threatening disabled people, she sees.”
“Seriously, Applejack, lay off of Trixie,” Scootaloo said, glaring up at the farmer. “She’s the one we’re all counting on to solve this.”
“Ah know that. And that’s why Ah don’t want to put up with her bein’ an ass.”
Rarity raised her fingers and snapped them for attention. “Ahem! The only one being an ‘ass,’ as you put it, is yourself! Please spare us all the trouble and only open your mouth when you have something to contribute.”
Applejack seethed, her face turning beet red, but she wisely shut her mouth.
“Now then,” Rarity continued, giving me a friendly smile. “You were saying, Trixie? We need to establish a timeline.”
“Indeed!” I said. “Trixie thinks we should start with this.”
Fact #4: Printed Note: “A typewritten note discovered in the pocket of the victim, printed off the museum printer. It reads ‘I know what you did. Meet me at the museum theater tonight, at 2:30 AM.”
“Trixie found this note in the victim’s pocket. It places her in the theater.”
Scootaloo frowned at the evidence hovering on the holographic display. “Huh. That’s weird. Why’d we find her body in the library then?”
“She was dragged there, darling,” Rarity answered.
Fact #9: Blood Trails: “Trails of blood were discovered on the first floor of the library, leading out onto the promenade and to the museum.”
“Trixie and I found these trails proving it.”
“Hmm,” Applejack frowned as she considered that. “Seems mighty strange for the culprit to drag her body like that and leave blood all over. Most of our other culprits have been smarter than that.”
“Forget about that for a minute,” Tiara interrupted with a snap of her fingers. “I want to know what the heck the note means. ‘I know what you did’? Did what?”
“Aint that obvious?” Applejack retorted as she dialed up something on her own Monopad.
Fact #7: Sunset Shimmer: “Sunset Shimmer has been missing since some time after 7:45 PM Monday evening. No sign of her has been found anywhere, save for her Monopad being discovered near the archive door. It is possible she is deceased.”
“Adagio’s the one who kidnapped Sunset. Ah think it’s pretty clear whoever killed Adagio did it ‘cause of that.”
“No, no, I won’t accept that,” Rarity replied immediately, slapping her palms onto her podium. “Adagio was just as worried about Sunset as the rest of us.”
“Uh huh. Sure. And Ah’m the Queen of Prance,” Applejack snorted. “Did y’all forget how she broke two of Sunset’s ribs in front of all of us? And Ah heard she even dumped Sunset in the pool after screamin’ at her about how she hated her!”
“Yes, I am aware of those events. I was there for both times,” Rarity replied with a shake of her head. “But I also spoke to Adagio yesterday. She apologized for the way she reacted. She was distraught. Heartbroken! She cried into my shoulder, for goodness’s sake!”
“Just means she was good at convincin’ you to buy her bull,” Applejack countered. “Ah watched her all day yesterday. Ah saw her cryin’ and lyin’ and pitchin’ a fit to y’all and Ah didn’t buy it for a second.”
“Trixie agrees with Applejack,” I said abruptly, interrupting further dispute. “She also believes Adagio was responsible for Sunset’s disappearance.”
Rarity sighed and reached out to me, squeezing my hand. “Darling, please, we’ve talked and talked about this. I know you didn’t get along with Adagio, but you didn’t speak to her yesterday. You didn’t see the tears on her face. You didn’t hear the fear in her voice. She was terrified for Sunset.”
“Was she?” Applejack said. She glanced over at me with a curious expression, then looked back at Rarity. “Or was she just scared someone would figure out her murder scheme before Sunset actually died?”
Diamond Tiara tapped a pen on her podium. “Hey, hey! Look, who cares whether Adagio’s the one who kidnapped Sunset? Sunset’s dead. Forget about her. We need to figure out who killed Adagio and why.”
The smirk I’d worn so far vanished off my face. “Tiara, Trixie refuses to believe Sunset is dead! And she will argue with you for as long as she needs to convince you of that! She’s also convinced the reason Adagio died was because of Sunset’s disappearance. That’s what the note must mean. There’s no other reason someone would kill Adagio.”
“What about being afraid of her cause she was a siren?” Scootaloo pointed out. “I mean, we were all walking around with weapons for self-defense. We were obviously scared.”
“Perhaps,” I allowed, “but Trixie thinks that is insufficient motive. Maybe if Adagio attacked them, Trixie could see a case of self-defense, but not outright murder. And this was murder. Someone clearly lured Adagio to the museum theater to kill her.”
“Okay, okay, fine, we’ll accept that for now,” Tiara grumbled in response. “So she was lured to the theater. What then?”
“Well, the note says to arrive at 2:30 AM,” Rarity replied, peering down at her Monopad. “And the Monoponi file, meanwhile, says she died between 2:00 AM to 5:00 AM. So she likely died after that.”
“Trixie agrees with that,” I said, thrusting out an arm to send my cloak flying. “It is a safe presumption.”
“So how’d things go down in the theater then?” Scootaloo asked. “I didn’t look in there.”
“Well,” Rarity said, “there was a large pool of blood on the floor. It stained the carpet, and there was a drag mark out from it, suggesting the body fell there and then was dragged out afterwards.”
“Huh. Makes sense to me,” Tiara admitted with a nod. “So then we’re sure she died there?”
I exchanged a look with Rarity, who frowned. “Trixie isn’t sure of that yet,” I said. “We know her body was there, but it’s unclear if that’s where she died.”
“Wha--then what was the point of establishing she was there then?!” Tiara retorted, her hands squarely on her hips.
“Because it’s a fact we can be certain of,” I responded simply. “In order to solve a case like this, we have to work from the facts. That’s how Sunset did it.”
“Grrrr…” Tiara mumbled something under her breath, then set her arms down. “Okay. So we know she was there. Now what?”
“Now I think it’s time we brought up something I found there, if that’s okay, Trixie,” Scootaloo said.
I smiled at her. “Go ahead, please.”
Scootaloo dialed up evidence on her Monopad. “When I checked the museum I found this.”
Fact #14: Ares Sample Case: “The rock sample case for the Ares missions was shattered. On the display for the case is the number 324110379899. The last four digits of this number are also present on the case, and the first three were discovered on a piece of glass on the floor.”
“There was glass scattered everywhere,” she added. “And not just that. Look at this.”
Fact #3: Glass Shard: “A shard of glass found embedded in the head of the victim. There are a few numbers written on it: ‘11037.’ The numbers correspond to the sample number on the Ares rock sample case in the museum.”
“This piece of glass had the same numbers on it. Meaning it came from the museum.”
“That’s right,” I said, still smiling. “Good job. Trixie is proud of you.”
A faint blush came to Scootaloo’s cheeks as she scratched the back of her head. “Hehe, thanks.”
“So what smashed the case then?” Tiara asked, holding up a hand questioningly. “Was it Adagio? Was she and the culprit fighting?”
“She did have that nasty wound on her head,” Applejack mused, rubbing at her chin. “Ah know. The culprit smashed Adagio’s head in the case, and that’s what broke it!”
“No, that’s wrong!” I retorted instantly, calling up the proof I needed.
Fact #2: Body Condition: “The body is covered in blood, soaking the clothes. There is a large contusion on the forehead, suggesting a strike with a blunt object. There is a severe puncture wound to the back of the neck, at the base of the skull. A large piece of glass was found embedded in the wound. Both carotid arteries were slashed open.
“If Adagio’s face was smashed into the glass, she would have cuts all over it. But she didn’t. The only lacerations were to her arteries. Meaning whatever struck her had to be a blunt object, not glass. And there’d be blood on the glass. But there wasn’t.”
“Whu--awww, shoot,” Applejack muttered, snapping her fingers in annoyance. “You’re right. Ah dunno how Ah missed that.”
“So then what broke the case?” Rarity wondered.
I hummed, going through the evidence. “Trixie isn’t sure what broke it, but she does think she knows why.”
Fact #15: Ares Rock: “A rock taken from the Ares sample case, allegedly originating from the planet Ares. It is heavily stained pink with blood.”
“She thinks this rock might be what struck Adagio in the head.”
Tiara scoffed. “You sure about that? Yeah, it’s covered in blood, but so what? It’s not like Adagio’s face was covered in it. Did that wound on her head even bleed?”
“Uhh…” I muttered dumbly, scrolling back through the evidence to check the condition of the body. “...nnnooo?”
“Wow. So you’re saying the culprit smashed her head in with a rock, and somehow the rock got blood all over it,” Tiara continued, “without making the wound bleed. Yeah. Sure.”
But I’m sure I’m right, I thought. So I refused to back down. “Trixie is certain that the culprit used the rock. What else could the culprit have used to strike her?”
“Gee, I dunno, maybe a baseball bat?!” Tiara cried, pointing with both fingers at Scootaloo and Applejack. “These two were carrying bats around.”
“No way!” Scootaloo retorted. “You saw the bats this morning. Monoponi took them away from us. They weren’t covered in blood.”
“Well, duh, of course not. Even if the wound bled, which we know it didn’t, you could’ve washed off the bat.” Tiara held a hand to her mouth and laughed in a way that set my teeth on edge. “Ohohoho! Easy, right?”
“But then why would the rock have blood on it?” Rarity countered, her arms crossed over her chest.
“Who cares?” Tiara said with a shrug. “Unless someone can prove the rock was involved, it doesn’t even matter!”
Grinning savagely, I shouted, “Trixie will tear your argument asunder!”
Fact #10: Museum Blood Stains: “Stains of blood were found across the museum, including streaks leading out the door to the promenade from the theater, and a massive pool in the theater itself. The pool is thin, the blood underneath smeared on the carpet.”
“We know the rock was involved because it came from the broken case, the same case from which a shard of glass was taken and embedded in the back of Adagio’s head. We also know the rock was bloody. Trixie posits that the rock was bloody because the culprit deliberately coated it in blood by rubbing it in this pool. The pool was thin, so if the culprit was going to do that, they’d smear the blood all over, just as much as dragging a body out would.”
Tiara’s jaw fell to the floor as she about doubled over from disbelief. “Wha--what?! But, but, you can’t know that!” she protested. “What would be the point?”
“What indeed?” I replied. “Trixie doesn’t know, but it’s the only logical conclusion. The rock was involved in the murder. Perhaps the culprit struck Adagio over the head, which Trixie thinks is likely, and wanted to confuse matters by covering it in blood.”
“Couldn’t it have fallen into the blood after the culprit used it?” Scootaloo suggested with a confused frown.
“No, darling, if it had, there’d be an obvious splatter,” Rarity replied. “And we didn’t see one. Other than the smears, the pool was uniform, and no blood was spilled anywhere except the floor.”
“Okay, okay, fine, so let’s say that’s what the culprit did,” Applejack said, holding out her hands. “But Ah’m not seein’ a reason why. Ah mean, we don’t even know what killed her. Are you sayin… oh!” She snapped her fingers. “That must be it. What if the culprit wanted to confuse the cause of death!”
“How would that confuse anything though?” Tiara said.
Applejack’s eyes flashed with irritation. She reached up to pinch her hat for a moment before responding, “Because, Tiara, there ain’t no cause listed on the Monoponi file. Meanin’, we don’t know if it was the blow to the head, the glass wound, or the neck wound that killed her.”
Rolling her eyes, Tiara replied, “But I thought it was obvious. It has to be the neck wound. Nothing else could’ve done it, right?”
“Well what if it was the glass though?” Scootaloo said. “I mean, that glass was shoved in pretty deep.”
Rarity shook her head, her brow creasing from her intense frown. “No, Scootaloo, I don’t think the glass could’ve done it. Trixie, the glass was embedded in a puncture wound, yes? But the wound wasn’t ragged.”
“No, it wasn’t,” I agreed. “Trixie clearly recalls the wound was smooth. So the glass must’ve been implanted after the wound was created.”
“But Ah don’t understand. If it was a smooth wound, what could’ve done it?” Applejack asked.
Rarity stared at her, stunned, before abruptly laughing. It started as a quiet little giggle, burbling up until it burst into full guffaws like a blown oil well. “Ohohohoho A-a-applejack, you gave yourself away, didn’t you?” Her laughs instantly halted as her face twisted into an ugly sneer. “You’re the one who kidnapped Sunset! Adagio figured out what you did, didn’t she? So you had her killed to cover up your crime!”
“Uh, what’s that now?” Applejack replied, her face rippling with confusion. “Ah don’t follow.”
“Yeah, Rarity, what’re you talking about?” Scootaloo added.
“Trixie believes she’s talking about this,” I answered.
Fact #26: Sunset Shimmer’s Cabin: “Sunset Shimmer’s cabin was discovered unlocked Tuesday morning. Inside there were several bloodstains on the floor and the bed. One of the bedsheets was missing. Sunset’s backpack was left behind. A bloodied pipe wrench was on the floor. On the pillow was scrawled two letters in blood: ‘AJ.’
“That’s right, Trixie,” Rarity said, her sneer growing as she heaved with fury, froth beginning to form at the edges of her mouth. “AJ. As in, Applejack. Drawn in blood. And only one person’s blood was at that scene. Sunset Shimmer’s! No wonder you didn’t bother to search for Sunset yesterday. You already knew where she was! What did you do with her?! If you killed her I’ll end you myself!”
“What?” Applejack breathed, recoiling back from the madwoman Rarity had transformed into. “What in tarnation are you on about? Ah have no idea where that message came from!”
Wait, really? "But it was plain as day on the pillow," I said. "You really didn't see it?"
Applejack's face bloomed a brilliant pink. "Well... Ah didn't look at the pillow. Ah saw the knife on the edge of the bed first, and when Ah saw that Ah figured there weren't nothin' else to find, so Ah left."
“Don’t lie to me! I am so sick of your lies!” Rarity ranted, her hair askew, her makeup running. Her sneer had become demented, infused with insanity. “We know where Sunset is. Trixie and I found her Monopad during the investigation.
Fact #6: Sunset’s Monopad: “Sunset’s Monopad was discovered in the library, on the first floor, taped to the underside of the archive door.”
She pointed at the display, her finger quivering like crazy. “I have been hoping, desperately, that this means Sunset is alive. That this means she’s okay, and she’s just trapped in that archive room. So you tell me, Applejack, and you tell me now. What did you do with Sunset?!”
“Ah didn’t do a damned thing!” Applejack railed back. She thrust her arms up in the air, knocking off her cowgirl hat in the process. “What possible reason would Ah ever have to hurt Sunset Shimmer? You’re nuttier than a fruitcake on Hearth’s Warmin’ Eve if you think Ah’d ever hurt her.”
“No, nononoononono, I refuse to accept that,” Rarity railed, her whole body shaking as she moved her accusatory finger towards the farmer. “Y-y-y-you had to have hurt her. Yy-y-you knew what I felt for her and you were j-jealous!”
“...what?!” Applejack’s eyebrows shot up to the top of her head as her face twisted up, utterly nonplussed. “What the hell are you talkin’ about?”
“Wait, you have a crush on Sunset?” Tiara interrupted, gaping at Rarity. “You?! What? When did this happen?”
“Uh, she’s had one for a while,” Scootaloo said, eying Tiara. “I don’t think she realized it, but she’s been into Sunset for a long time now. I’ve seen it in the way she looks at Sunset. She looked at her like… like how I looked at Rainbow Dash. Even when she was with Applejack, she still looked at Sunset like that.”
“T-t-that’s besides the p-point!” Rarity cried. Her makeup was thoroughly ruined, her hair completely undone. Her clothes were a mess of sweat, running down her face in rivulets. “I-i-it doesn’t matter when it started. What matters is, A-Applejack was jealous!”
“Oh mah sweet lord,” Applejack snorted some laughter of her own, shaking her head in disbelief. “Are you for real, Rarity? Even if Ah knew you felt somethin’ for Sunset, and Ah didn’t, Ah wouldn’t be jealous unless you acted on it. Even then Ah wouldn’t’ve hurt Sunset. She was mah friend too, even if we butted heads from time to time.”
Rarity balled up her fists and slammed them down on her podium once, twice, thrice. “Just tell me, please!” She doubled over onto her podium, tears streaming down her face as she broke into sobs. “Just tell me… please… please tell me Sunset is okay… please…”
I reached over a hand to lay on her shoulder reassuringly. She briefly glanced up at me, sniffled, then went back to crying. “Applejack, if you know something, you should tell us,” I said, turning to the farmer.
“But Ah don’t! If Ah did, Ah would,” Applejack answered. “Ah swear Ah would. Besides, Ah thought you agreed with me that Adagio kidnapped Sunset.”
“Trixie does agree with you, yes,” I responded with a slow shake of my head, “but that doesn’t mean Trixie is right. Trixie could be wrong.”
“Well you ain’t! Ah didn’t kidnap Sunset!” Applejack sighed, slapping a hand to her forehead. “For pete’s sake, don’t y’all remember the last trial? Don’t you remember how guilty Ah felt when Ah even considered killin’ someone? You think Ah’ve got the fortitude to kidnap Sunset, lock her away, and kill someone else on top of that?”
I stared at her for a moment, considering her, before nodding. “No. Trixie does not.”
“Thank you!” Applejack said as she bent down to scoop up her hat, placing it firmly back on her head. “Ah’m glad one of y’all has some sense.”
“B-but,” Rarity quailed, her face a disaster from all the tear stains and ruined makeup. “B-but i-if you didn’t hurt Sunset, t-then, why…” She stood up straighter, still glaring dark daggers of hatred at the farmer. “Maybe you didn’t. But you still could have murdered Adagio.”
“And how is that?” Applejack replied, locking eyes with the seamstress. “You’d better have a good explanation how.”
“Simple,” Rarity said. “You used this.”
Fact #20: Sacred Athame: “A sacred knife from the black altar in the church hall. It has a small spot of blood on the underside of the handle. It was allegedly discovered in Sunset’s cabin by Applejack.”
“You claimed to have found it in Sunset’s cabin, but that could have been a bald-faced lie,” she added. “Maybe the message left on Sunset’s pillow wasn’t from Sunset after all. Maybe it was from Adagio!”
“Really?” Applejack said flatly with a roll of her eyes. “This is what you’re blamin’ me for. You’re thinkin’ Ah’m a big enough fool to point you in the direction of a clue that could implicate me, and give you the murder weapon at the same time? Ah thought you had a brain, Rarity!”
“W-wha-I, that is,” Rarity stammered, recoiling back as if she’d been slapped. “Y-y-you could be feeling guilty! Yes! That’s it! You’re feeling guilty and you wanted to make solving this mystery easy for us. That’s it, exactly.”
Applejack slapped both hands to her face this time. “Ah don’t believe this. Trixie, can you please tell Rarity how stupid what she just said is?”
“Trixie wouldn’t describe it as being stupid, but Applejack does have a point,” I reluctantly admitted, smiling apologetically at Rarity. “Monoponi’s rules forbid easy mysteries. If Applejack was the guilty party, then giving away clues to us would’ve caused him to execute her.”
“That’s right!” Monoponi chirped. He leaned forward on his throne, leering at us with those yucky, freaky sharp teeth of his. Seriously, what kind of horse has sharp teeth?! Not for the first time I wondered if Sunset’s were like that in her pony form. Do ponies eat meat? What kind of meat do they eat? Do they like chick--
“--aand oooooh would I enjoy executing little miss farmer girl over here. I missed my chance with her sister, but you’d better believe I have something extra special planned if I ever get the chance. We’re talking brutal pain here,” Monoponi said, holding his forehooves to his cheeks. “Ah, I can picture it now!”
“T-then, you… you didn’t hurt either of them?” Rarity spoke up, shame tainting her every word.
“No, Rarity, Ah didn’t. Ah promise,” Applejack said.
“Oh…” Rarity withdrew into herself, and let out a shuddering breath. “I was so certain…”
“Don’t worry, Rarity, Trixie still believes you were onto something with the knife,” I said, reaching out to pat her shoulder again. I called up the image of the knife again to demonstrate. “It has a keen, smooth edge, perfect for creating the sort of puncture wound inflicted on Adagio.”
“But what Ah don’t get is, why did I find it in Sunset’s cabin?” Applejack inquired, scratching at the back of her head. “It wasn't there the day before.”
“What ‘black altar’ did that knife come from again?” Tiara asked.
“There’s some kind of pagan altar in the church,” Scootaloo replied, holding a hand to her chin as she looked up at the ceiling. “For some sort of goddess of the night, I think. I’ve never seen one like it before. But a sacred athame is for use in rituals, to cut up herbs and plants.” She cringed. “Or, um, for some… a blood sacrifice. But that usually just means slitting open the tip of your finger or something. I don’t mess with stuff like that, and neither do my Aunts. This one, I don’t think it was made for that. I think it was made for the good kind of use.”
“Huh. Interesting how you know so much about it,” Tiara said, a smug expression slowly forming on her face. “Almost like you’ve used one before.”
“I have,” Scootaloo shrugged. “I told you, my Aunts are neopagans. I’ve helped them with a lot of rituals.”
“Reaaaally? Hmmm…” Tiara pointedly stroked her chin, exaggerating her expression. “Oh. You know what’s funny? I saw you wandering around last night, after midnight. Why was that?”
“You, uh, you did?” Scootaloo said, a bead of sweat forming on her brow.
Fact #27: Diamond Tiara’s Account: “Diamond Tiara claims she led a search for Sunset Tuesday morning, then spent the rest of the day by herself. She says she went for a walk after midnight and saw both Scootaloo and Applejack wandering around.”
“Yeah,” Tiara replied after calling up her own account for us to see. “I did. I saw Applejack too, but that doesn’t matter. Funny how I saw you out there, and then just a couple hours later, Adagio dies.”
More beads of sweat appeared on Scootaloo’s brow. She reached up to wipe off with her hand. “Are you accusing me? Seriously? Why would I kill Adagio?”
“Because you can,” Tiara said, bringing out her fingers to count off on. “Because you were scared of her. Because you could get away with it. Shall I go on?”
“What? I can’t get away with it!” Scootaloo said, leaning back, a nervous laughter bubbling up in her chest. A scared smile spread across her face. “I-I have that profile thing, remember?”
“Uh, no, dumbass,” Tiara snorted, “Monoponi told us last trial that doesn’t matter. Jeez, he yelled at us and everything.”
“Right! I-I-I knew that! Ahehehe!” Scootaloo took a step back, her whole body beginning to shake. Her eyes darted about between all of us. “But that doesn’t mean I’d do it!”
Tiara leaned forward, propping up her head on her hand. “Oh? Then what were you doing out last night, hmm?”
“What were you doing?” Scootaloo retorted, her smile dropping away, replaced by heated anger. “You said you were out too.”
“Like I told Trixie, I was out on a walk. I couldn’t sleep.”
Scootaloo glared back. “So what kept you from killing Adagio, huh? Anyone could’ve used that knife. It was sitting out on the altar.” Cocking her head to the side, she suddenly grinned. “Hey, you know, it could be a red herring. You could’ve used your sword to stab Adagio in the head.”
“Trixie is afraid that’s not possible,” I said straight away. “The size of the wound and the placement on Adagio’s head makes using a sword unwieldy. And ridiculous. If she was using a sword, Trixie would think it’d be easier to run her through.”
“I could barely swing that thing around anyway,” Tiara said, holding up one bicep to point at it. “You see this? I’m not that strong, Scootaloo.”
Applejack turned to face Scootaloo, frowning down at the shorter woman. “Scootaloo, Ah don’t know why, but something’s smellin’ fishy about what you’re sayin’. What exactly were you doin’ out last night again?”
“Huh?! I uh, I uh…” Scootaloo pulled at the collar of her shirt, using it to fan herself. “I was praying for Sunset. Remember Trixie? I told you I was.”
Fact #16: “Scootaloo’s Account: “Scootaloo claims she spent Tuesday morning searching with Rarity, then went to find Adagio and asked her about Sunset. She spoke to Adagio that afternoon, and said Adagio claimed to be worried about Sunset too. She wasn’t sure she believed Adagio, so she spent the rest of Tuesday searching for Sunset. More than once she spotted Applejack ‘acting sneaky.’ Before she went to bed, she went to the church for a late night prayer session, to pray for Sunset’s safety.”
“Okay. Ah believe you went to pray for Sunset,” Applejack said, still frowning. “That makes sense to me. But somethin’ still don’t seem right. Like you’re not tellin’ us everythin’.”
“S-sure I am!” Scootaloo insisted, a sheepish grin spreading across her face as she took another step back from the farmer. “I went to the church, I prayed, and I went back to bed. That’s it.”
Applejack’s lips thinned. “No. No Ah don’t think so. Now Ah’m sure you’re lyin’ about somethin’. Ah don’t know what, but you’re not tellin’ us the whole truth, Scootaloo.”
“She’s not?” Rarity looked up from her podium. She’d made a few attempts to clean off her face, but it was still a mess of tear stains, makeup, and snot. Gross, grody snot. Ugh. “Scootaloo, you, you didn’t actually kill Adagio, did you?”
“No! No way! I wouldn’t do that!” Scootaloo shouted, throwing up her hands in anger. “She was kind of creepy, and I wasn’t sure I liked her much anymore after she kicked Sunset’s ribs in, but that doesn’t mean I’d kill her! Jeez you guys.”
“Then what’re you hiding, huh?” Tiara demanded, reaching out with her hands like she was trying to grab for Scootaloo’s arm despite the distance separating them. “What aren’t you telling us?”
“Nothing. I’m not hiding anything,” Scootaloo replied.
The two of them continued to argue back and forth while I took a moment to check the time on my Monopad. Damn it. We’ve already been here over an hour. I glanced behind me, at the yellow and red wall. To my dismay the light had dimmed considerably, less than half as bright now. Sunset… Sunset hang in there. You can free yourself. You’ve got to! Stay alive! Please!
“Ahem!” I called out for attention, interrupting them. “Scootaloo, Trixie also wants to know what you’re hiding. If you didn’t kill Adagio, then Trixie sees no reason for you to stay silent. You’re only making yourself look bad.”
“S-so what?” Scootaloo said, crossing her arms and looking away from the rest of us. “I didn’t kill Adagio. So it doesn’t matter.”
“Oh for heaven’s sake, Scootaloo,” Rarity groaned, falling back against her podium. “Why won’t you tell us?”
“Because it doesn’t matter!” Scootaloo turned so her back faced us. “It doesn’t, okay? Move on. There’s better things to talk about.”
Diamond Tiara glanced at the rest of us, then flicked a middle finger Scootaloo’s way. “You know what? I don’t believe you. If you won’t tell us, I’m going to vote for you as Adagio’s killer.”
My eyes widened in fright. “N-now now,” I said, a nervous grin spreading on my face, “let’s not be hasty. T-Trixie isn’t convinced Scootaloo hurt anyone.”
Rarity pushed herself up enough to look Tiara’s way, then gave a lacklustre nod. “I suppose I’ll have to as well. Scootaloo knew what the athame was. She was wandering about last night close to the museum and the library. I’m sorry, Scootaloo, I truly am, but if you don’t tell us what you’re hiding, what else are we supposed to think?”
“Rarity!” I blurted, whirling on the seamstress. “You can’t vote for Scootaloo. Trixie doesn’t think she killed Adagio.”
“Ah’m becomin’ convinced she did, though,” Applejack said. She fixed a cold gaze on the younger woman, who had started to tremble. “She’s hidin’ somethin’ bad. And Ah can only think of one thing. Unless she had somethin’ to do with Sunset.”
Scootaloo spun on her heel at that remark, fury etched across her features as she held up a quivering fist at the farmer. “I didn’t have anything to do with Sunset! And I didn’t kill Adagio either, okay?”
“Welp, I’m satisfied, then,” Tiara said, sneering at Scootaloo. “Hey Monoponi! We’re ready to--”
“Wait! Wait, please!” I screamed. “Trixie refuses to vote. We can’t vote. We’re still waiting for Sunset to arrive. If we vote now we will be killing Sunset!”
“Sunset Shimmer is already dead!” Tiara railed back. “How many times do I have to say that?”
“No she is not!” Rarity retaliated, her face twisting up into a fresh course of rage. “I refuse to accept that. If there’s even a chance she’s still alive, we need to give her as much time as we can.” She turned to me and nodded. “My apologies, Trixie. I cannot believe I forgot about that.”
“Trixie understands,” I said with an attempt at a smile. “It is easy to forget things in the chaotic mess that is a trial.”
“Well, Ah’m willin’ to give her more time,” Applejack said with a firm nod, “but Ah want this matter settled. Scootaloo, tell us the truth. Now.”
“Uugh! Fine!” Scootaloo sighed, and fell against her podium. A look of profound shame took hold over her features. “I’ll tell you.” She let out a heavy sigh. “I get angry. A lot. You’ve all seen it. You’ve seen how angry I get whenever I see someone’s dead. And Sunset, she’s been looking out for all of us, even when most of us doubted her. She’s a good person. When she went missing, I was so furious. I-I tried to channel it into searching for her, but…”
She let out another sigh. “Last night, when I went to pray, I… I lost it. I completely lost my temper. I went into the music room and smashed instruments around, knocked everything over, and left it a mess. And when I left I was so ashamed, so mad at myself that I wandered into the museum and lost it again. I smashed open the case with my bat. That’s… that’s why I pointed it out to you this morning Trixie. Because that was me.”
“Ohohoho, so you’re the one who went around breaking things on my ship!” Monoponi interrupted, glaring at Scootaloo with his oversized eyes. He pointed a forehoof at her. “You’re lucky both things became involved with a murder, because otherwise I’d have to punish you for that!”
“Wait, both things?” Tiara inquired, arching both eyebrows. “I thought the murder happened in the museum. What’s the church got to do with it?”
Monoponi’s eyes widened till they took up his entire face before he jammed both forehooves into his mouth and rapidly shook his head like a broken bobblehead toy.
“So you didn’t have anythin’ to do with the murder,” Applejack said after pressing her knuckles to her chin, “you just lost your temper. Ah guess Ah can understand that. Ah have a fiery temper mahself. Ah didn’t know you had anger issues though.”
Her eyes misting up from shame, Scootaloo buried her face into her podium. “I don’t like talking about it. I haven’t lost my temper like that since I was a teenager.”
If Sunset were here, she’d hug Scootaloo about now. Or would if Monoponi would let us leave our podiums. Stupid fluffy-horse thing. I attempted a sympathetic smile. “Trixie thinks we can all understand losing your temper due to stress. This killing game is awful for everyone.”
“Indeed,” Rarity said, the energy she’d regained swiftly evaporating, leaving her a flustered mess laying on her podium. “I am so tired of dealing with this. I never asked to be taken aboard this ship.”
“None of us did,” Tiara snorted, shaking her head with a sigh. “Jeez though, Scootaloo. Tell us next time you do something stupid like that. Don’t make us threaten to vote for you.”
“There’d better not be a next time,” Scootaloo growled. “This better be the last trial.”
“I thought Flash’s trial would be the last one,” Rarity muttered, “and we all saw how that went.”
Applejack set her hands down on her podium and leaned forward. “Alright y’all. So we figured out what Scootaloo was hidin’. Ah’m not sure that clears her of suspicion just yet, but Ah’m ready to move forward. What do we know about the church?”
Okay, Trixie. Time to bring up that little bit of evidence you’ve been holding close to your chest. “We know that a prayer mat was taken from the church,” I said. “Trixie found it underneath the desk of the museum director’s office. It was covered in blood. It was likely used to drag the body.”
Applejack eyed me. “How d’you figure?”
“Because,” I answered, “the prayer mat’s strap had been altered.”
Fact #17: Prayer Mat: “A prayer mat found underneath the desk of the museum director’s office. It is heavily stained with blood. The securing strap had several other straps tied to it, knotted up to form one long rope. Two strands of purple thread were discovered on the rope. They match the shade of Rarity’s skirt.”
“Normally, these prayer mats come with a single securing strap, like a sleeping bag, to tie them up. But this one had several other straps tied to it to make a big rope. Trixie doesn’t see a reason to do that unless the culprit used it to drag the mat around, which would only be necessary if there was a body in it. By making a larger rope, the culprit would make the strap stronger, more durable, and the body easier to carry.”
The farmer pursed her lower lip, then nodded. “Alright. Ah can see that. But… wait a durn minute.” She narrowed her eyes as she glared at the evidence brought up on the display, then looked up at Rarity, who immediately flinched back. “Rarity. You want to explain this?”
“E-explain w-what?” Rarity stammered. She let out a high pitched giggle. “I-I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Tiara peered down at her Monopad, then an ugly smirk graced her face. “Ohoho, I think you do, Rarity! What’s up with the threads, hmm?”
Rarity blinked, a wide anxious toothy grin spreading across her face as she glanced between the rest of us repeatedly, like watching a tennis match. “I, uh, I don’t know how those got there,” she said. She swallowed with a noticeable gulping sound.
“Really?” Scootaloo grunted. She’d looked up from her podium with her features clouded by anger, and more than a little hurt. “Really. Then why’s your skirt messed up? I can see it from here.”
Rarity tucked the loose part of her skirt between her knees, hiding the frayed spots from view. “N-no no, you must be mistaken. I-I wouldn’t wear a damaged skirt.”
“Rarity,” I scoffed, “you already told Trixie you damaged your skirt yesterday. She recorded it for evidence.”
Fact #18: Rarity’s Clothes: “Rarity’s skirt was frayed. She claims it was due to catching it on a corner while searching for Sunset yesterday, and she hadn’t been able to repair it due to her thread going missing. She hadn’t changed due to her other skirts being dirty.”
“Trixie!” Rarity squealed, casting me a frustrated look. “Why are you telling them that?”
“Because Trixie wasn’t sure she believed you then,” I said, “and she’s not sure she believes you now.”
Rarity reeled back as if I’d slapped her. She gaped at me, her eyes widening in horror as she spluttered, “B-b-b-b-but we found the missing thread! It was used in the music room!”
“Oooh? And what did you use it on, hmm?” Tiara asked, her smirk widening. “Do tell.”
“Rarity, you were arguin’ pretty hard for mah guilty earlier,” Applejack said, her voice heavy and filled with a mixture of emotions. “Was it because you were coverin’ up your own? Is that why there was a note on Sunset’s pillow? Did you put it there?”
“What?” Rarity gasped, her voice going quiet. “No. No, nononono, you cannot be serious. You cannot be accusing me!” She held her hands up to her chest, her face twisting in offended outrage. “What possible reason could I have for killing Adagio?”
“Same one as the rest of us,” Applejack retorted. “Revenge for Sunset. You already admitted to havin’ feelins for her. And you were there both times Adagio did somethin’ bad to her.” She pointed an accusatory finger at Rarity. “Ah wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if you killed Adagio.”
“But, but, no!” Rarity screeched, tears streaming down her face once more, washing away what little was left of her makeup. “How many times must I say I don’t think Adagio had anything to do with Sunset? I believed her when she told me she was worried for Sunset. We even searched for Sunset last night! I-I told Trixie that!” She reached for her Monopad, her hands shaking and slick with sweat as she tapped enough to bring up the evidence.
Fact #13: Rarity’s Account: “According to Rarity, she, along with Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo spent all of Tuesday morning searching the entire ship for Sunset Shimmer, after they discovered she was missing. She found no trace of Sunset anywhere. She spent most of the afternoon in her cabin, worrying anxiously, and attempted to search again that evening. She ran into Adagio and frantically begged her to tell Rarity where Sunset was. She said Adagio was also distraught, and apologized for throwing Sunset into the pool Monday afternoon. She and Adagio searched together to no avail, and Rarity retired at 11:00 PM.”
“Really.” Applejack calmly took off her hat, set it down, then resumed glaring at Rarity. “Ah find that a bit funny, seein’ as Ah was keepin’ an eye on Adagio. Ah don’t recall ever seein’ you with her.”
Fact #21: “Applejack’s Account: “According to Applejack, she was the one who discovered Sunset was missing. She confronted Adagio about Sunset and there was a brief confrontation. She said Adagio denied all involvement, and claimed she was just as worried about the missing Sunset as the others were. Applejack refused to believe her, and chose to subtly track Adagio for the rest of the day.”
“Ah can bring things up too. Just because you told Trixie that don’t mean you weren’t lyin’.”
Scootaloo pushed herself off her podium to stand up straight, her arms crossed over her chest. “I saw Applejack sneaking around, but I never saw you after the morning, Rarity.”
“Neither did I,” Tiara said. She tapped a finger to her chin, her smirk full of malice. “So, that’s three different people who didn’t see you, and the only person who could support what you’re saying is dead. I think that makes things pretty clear, doesn’t it?”
“No it most certainly does not!” Rarity shrieked, slamming her palms down on her podium. She whirled on me, her lips pulled back showing her teeth, snarling like a wild animal. “How dare you of all people accuse me, Trixie?! I befriended you. I remained your friend when no one else save for Sunset would. I forgave you for murdering Pinkie Pie! And this is how you repay my friendship?”
“Trixie isn’t accusing you,” I replied simply, causing Rarity’s anger to evaporate on the spot, replaced by confused shock. “Trixie simply wishes to find the truth. And it is suspicious that threads from your skirt were found on the prayer mat. All she wants to determine is why.”
“B-b-but you said you didn’t believe me!” Rarity stammered, both hands raised to pull at her untidy hair.
I resisted the urge to laugh, because wow. I really wanted to laugh. But that would be bad. “What Trixie meant was that she wasn’t sure she believed you about the missing thread. She’s yet to be convinced that you killed Adagio. And Trixie will not vote unless she’s certain.”
“Okay.” Rarity breathed, lowering her hands. She took hold of her left arm and stroked it several times to try and calm herself. “Okay. I can deal with this. I can explain this.”
“No you can’t,” Tiara retorted, shaking her head. “Like I said, no one can corroborate your claim. No one saw you. Threads from your skirt were found on something used in the murder. And you had plenty of motive.”
Rarity scowled at Tiara. “Weren’t you just as convinced of Scootaloo’s guilt a few minutes ago?”
“No,” Tiara said with a bark of laughter. “I was just using that to get her to tell us what she was hiding. But you? You I could believe, especially after you wigged out on Applejack earlier. That was pretty suspicious.”
“And anyone could’ve used the athame,” Scootaloo added. “Anyone.”
“Ah’m sorry, Rarity, but… ah hell, no, Ah’m not sorry,” Applejack said with a loud snort. “You’re smellin’ of all kinds of lies right now. Ah don’t believe what you’re sayin’.”
“But what about Sunset?” Rarity retorted, desperately trying to keep her calm about her now that she’d recovered it. “All you have is a thread. That’s not proof! Just because we’re split down the middle on this doesn’t mean we have to vote now!”
Everyone else, myself included, groaned as one. “Oh now you’ve done it, Rarity,” Applejack moaned. “And here Ah thought we’d avoid it this time.”
“What?” Rarity blinked owlishly. “What did I--oh. Oh no.”
“Oh yes!” Monoponi said gleefully, springing up from his podium. “If you’re split down the middle, there’s only one way to solve it! And that’s with a lovely musical back and forth scrrrrruuuum debate!” His horn lit up, summoning up that awesome techno music, the only good thing about these debates. Monoponi held a hoof to his mouth. “Upupu! Now, let’s get this started with our very own morphenomenal trial grounds!”
“Sunset’s right about how stupid that sounds, you know!” Scootaloo cried as our podiums rose up in the air, splitting apart in a set of two and set of three respectively, leaving me as Rarity’s sole defender.
DID RARITY KILL ADAGIO DAZZLE?
BEGIN!
Scootaloo started the debate with a shouted, “Those threads on the prayer mat were from your skirt, Rarity!”
“Just because there were threads of the same color does not mean they’re from my skirt!” Rarity retorted.
Tiara thrust out an arm dismissively. “But your skirt was frayed!”
Rarity stood up straight and said, “It was frayed because I caught it on a corner while searching for Sunset!”
“None of us saw you talkin’ to or searchin’ with Adagio last night,” Applejack pointed out.
“So what if no one saw us together?” Rarity said, while glancing my way. “It’s a huge ship. Did you really keep eyes on Adagio the whole time?”
Applejack rolled her eyes. “Well, no, but that don’t mean you searched with her!”
“Nor does it mean she didn’t search with her,” I interjected with a dazzling smile. “Which makes it irrelevant.”
“No it doesn’t!” Tiara objected, throwing both hands onto her hips. “No one can corroborate her claim! That means she’s suspicious!”
“But that only holds up if someone was watching her the entire time,” I retorted. “And Applejack just said she wasn’t. Therefore, Trixie says it’s suspicious, but not proof.”
“But what about the athame?” Scootaloo asked. “Anyone could’ve used it! That means Rarity could’ve taken it.”
“Exactly,” Rarity sniffed, “Anyone could have used the athame. That doesn’t implicate me at all.”
“Then what about the message blamin’ me in Sunset’s cabin?” Applejack asked, spreading out her hands.
Rarity shook her head. “I don’t know where that message came from, but I can assure you I didn’t fake it.”
“And how can we be sure you didn’t fake it, huh?” Tiara said, her glare at Rarity intensifying.
“Trixie was there,” I said. “She can assure you Rarity’s reaction was authentic. She did not fake the message.”
“So then if the threads weren’t from your skirt, Rarity, where did they come from?” Applejack said.
“I don’t know where they came from,” Rarity said. “That’s the point! It wasn’t from me.”
“But can you prove they’re not from your skirt?” Tiara said, snickering under her breath.
“No, she can’t prove that,” I answered with a roll of my eyes. “You can’t prove a negative. Sunset taught Trixie that.”
“Grrr,” Applejack growled, slamming a fist on her podium, “but you still have a motive, Rarity! Your feelings for Sunset!”
“My feelings for Sunset are not a sufficient motive for murdering someone I don’t consider responsible for Sunset’s disappearance!” Rarity countered, casting her gaze up to the ceiling. “Honestly, how many times must I say that?”
“So what was the reason Adagio died, then?” Scootaloo wondered.
“Trixie doesn’t know the reason yet,” I said. “Which means she refuses to vote. And if she refuses, we all refuse.”
Apparently saying that signified the end, because our podiums descended to the ground. “Thank goodness that’s over with,” Applejack muttered.
While the others made sounds of agreement, I glanced back at the Sunset wall, and my heart stopped. My breath stuck in my throat. The light ceased its languid pace and abruptly accelerated, like the engine of a sports car, fading faster and faster until I could barely see it at all.
And then it faded entirely. The light was gone.
And with it, my hope for Sunset’s survival.
