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// Chapter 13: The Aftermath 
// Story: Sherclop Pones and the Adventure of Pinkie's Cupcakes 
// by A Sherlockian Brony 
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Despite my previous entry, I will, nevertheless, give a brief summary of the events so that my readers may understand the following events that occurred after the one in which he had witnessed—

As it has been long known by—well, everyone, Twilight Sparkle—perhaps the most memorable and most prominent member of the Mane Six, had been wise to trust her feminine intuition to reveal that her brother—the honorable Captain—his wife was, in fact, being posed by a Changeling! But it wasn’t just a Changeling, it was their leader herself! As we had later ascertained from Myclop Pones, her name was Queen Chrysalis. Ms. Sparkle had liberated the real bride—the Princess of Love herself—from the forgotten caves below Canterlot and united her with Her Highness’ soon-to-be-husband. Doing so had then the direct consequence of ridding the fiendish Changelings by the use of their combined magic. In which was the previously noted pink swirly aura in which Pones and I had seen immersing the city. 

The aftermath is relatively wholesome—the damage inflicted by the attack had been easily repaired by the magic of the good Captain and Her Highness, little to no casualties had been reported, and with the Changelings gone, ponies had begun to prepare the ACTUAL wedding. But that is what the public generally knows. What I am about to enter is purely confidential information in which Myclop Pones desperately desires nothing but for it to not revealed to the media if we wished to not be involved in a scandal. But I had decided to take up a pen and write this extraordinary experience, I had made a promise with the Caballus Club that I shall publish this particular adventure when the time is just ripe where absolutely no scandal shall arise upon doing so. 

When the Changelings had been ridded off, we had proceeded to enter the castle and found it in a tip-top condition, like there had been no attack at all! And yet, ponies had only just begun to recover themselves. Here we had ascertained on what had happened by questioning a stallion that appeared to be one of the groomsmen.

The bride had turned out to be a Changeling Queen, stole the groom’s love to gain power in which she shall use to overthrow the Equestrian Monarchy.  We then headed for the abbey section of the castle—in which the wedding had been supposed to take place—in order to ascertain the fact by ourselves. My mind was too busy in comprehending what I had just witnessed, that I had not the time to put questions concerning the disappearance of Rainbow Dash, nor how her case evolved to that of a potential murder—then from that to the potential murderess to be a Changeling, then from that to an all-out Changeling attack upon the capital. I had felt that they were somehow connected to one another—but what was that connection? It all seemed dark to me! 

But as we wondered through the halls, we had been approached by a stallion in an official black attire. He then asked us if we were indeed Sherclop Pones and Dr. Watcolt,, to which we apprehended. Upon doing this, the stallion had given the former a letter—a letter in which dictates Pones to go to Buck Mall, to which he, with an expression in which one makes when bracing for an impact, obliged. I had intended to follow, but the official had refrained me from doing so, saying that the business is purely confidential. Pones, right before he followed the stallion, apologized. They then left me, standing cluelessly in the middle of Canterlot Castle. It was at this moment that the questions in which I had desired to put to Pones had come back—

How could partaking upon a case of a disappearance evolve to a coup? It just didn’t make sense! And what happened to the actors of that case? Where was the real Pinkie Pie—the one who had not been posed by the Changeling, and whom I theorized to be the murderer—where is she? Did she run off and is currently in hiding? Where is she, then? Where was Derpy Hooves? And most bafflingly, where is Rainbow Dash? Whatever in Equestria happened to them?

Then, what could be the possible explanation behind Pones’ grief—he was clearly upset of something. Most importantly (well, to me at least) who is “the Professor?” During the time below the basement of Sugarcube Corner, the Changeling there answered Pones’ question if their exterior source was indeed the Professor. An exterior source in what? Then the question in which he had put to the scared Changeling in which we had pinned down in that alley…it bothers me. What does it—the Professor was behind the attack? I thought it was the Changelings! How could he control such beings—he must surely be an all-powerful being to bend them to his will. But what was his motive for doing so? What kind of twisted individual would wish the destruction of Equestria? This begs the question—who is the Professor? Is he some sort ancient entity like Nightmare Moon or Discord—or is he something else entirely—something much worse. I shiver at thought of it.

These mysteries had been overwhelming just to think. I then, decided to attempt to clear them myself, independent from my friend’s assistance. My first step, I planned, was to confirm what the stallion had told us, then, from there, I would reason backwards (like what would Pones do in my situation) in order to find the connection between these absurd points. I then continued the journey to the abbey. 

After ascending numerous staircases, drew up my old rank in order to get an official pass, I had finally arrived at the vast and magnificent Canterlot Abbey. As I admired it, I tried searching for any traces of evidence that may corroborate with what we had ascertained—sure enough, there were the downed banners, the faint traces of a fight, charred marks and all that sort of stuff. I then spotted a Royal Guard and had once more inquired what had happened—he said the exact same thing we had learned earlier.  I then thanked him and continued to walk aimlessly about the abbey. I came up with a dozen theories on what could be its connection with the case in which Pone and I partook. But after each theory seemed more absurd than the last, and had piled up in an inexplicable mess, I conceded in the attempt. I puffed up my cheeks in frustration. But as I did so, I had chanced to glance up and found a Pegasus mare with a sky-blue coat and mane of fantastic colors hovering above me as she had replaced the broken-down banner. Imagine my surprise when I had identified her to be the missing pony in question—the famed athlete—it was Rainbow Dash!

I stood flabbergasted, and stared gapingly her, as a dozen questions for an explanation of her presence had filled my head. Impossible, I thought. She had paid no heed to me, however for someone had called her name. The voice had a striking familiarity in it—in which I had recently associated it with murder and cupcakes. It was the voice of Pinkie Pie!

I traced its origin and found the pink mare waving an enthusiastic hoof to Ms. Dash in an energetic fashion, motioning for the latter with a “come here” gesture. Rainbow Dash then did so. She flew right past me and had immediately walked alongside Pinkie Pie, as the latter walked in the familiar “Pinkie Pie Fashion” of giving a playful hop in each step.  I—I was truly—at a loss of words. How could they act as if nothing sinister had happened back in Ponyville, where the foul suspicion of murder had been detected? 

Then, even much more to my surprise, the two mares had not come alone—in fact, the Mane Six were there! There was the mare whom the Monarchy’s continued existence gave its pledge too—Twilight Sparkle, accompanied side-by-side with her juvenile Dragon—Spike, dressed in a ring-bearer’s attire. There, too, was the industrious Applejack—the ever so kind Fluttershy—the generous Rarity. Then who soon joined them were the previously alluded mares—Ms. Pie and Ms. Dash. It had appeared that the centre of attention was Ms. Sparkle, for they interposed questions such as—

“How did you know she was a fake?” and such. 

But as they chatted and joked about, I had merely stood petrified as I stared at them with a gaping mouth, unable to believe on what I had been seeing before me. Perhaps I had been staring a bit too long—and I knew it, for one of the young mares—Pinkie Pie, had grown conscious of my presence. 

“Hey,” said she, acknowledging it. “have you been standing there the entire time?” She had said this in a rather joking approach, letting out a giggle.

This had caught Ms. Dash’s attention, and she turned to me. She looked at me with a certain kind of expression of surprise. Perhaps the sight of a one-winged Pegasus such as myself staring in utter bewilderment had slightly startled her.

“Hey,” said she, approaching me with a slight expression of concern with a hoof lifted. “You okay there, bud?”

I had opened my mouth to speak, but words had failed me, and instead stammered incoherently as I waved a quivering hoof at her (rather rudely, I confess) with words such as “you” and “missing”

Rainbow Dash had slightly tilted her head with a sympathetic expression, as if encouraging for me to speak more clearly. 

“Um, what?”

But more incoherent words merely came out from my mouth, as I was unable to define my position. As I attempted to do so and Ms. Dash in turn failed to understand, Pinkie Pie had joined in, curious as to what was going on. She looked from one to the either of us.

“What’s with all the stammering?” 

I turned to her and stared at her in even more bewilderment. After some various attempts, I had been finally able to state a somewhat clear question. 

“You—” said I, turning to the athlete as the latter gave an inquiring look. “—you’re supposed to be—” I paused. –“missing!”

Rainbow Dash frowned, while Pinkie Pie, despite still retaining a beaming smile, looked as confused as much as her friend. 

“Missing?” said the former, leaning her head forward. “Why should I be missing?”

My mind flashed back to green circular carpet.

“You’ve been murdered!” 

Ms. Dash had been taken aback by this. So much so that she had taken a few steps back, as she looked at me with a bewildered expression. It had been her turn to fail at words.

Perhaps it appeared to be such an absurd situation in which she and I found ourselves in, for Pinkie Pie, whom had perhaps thought this was all some sort of joke, laughed good-humoredly.

“Ha, good one!” said she, wiping a tear from her sky-blue eyes as she glanced at her friend. Perhaps she had detected the matter to be one of seriousness, for there had been a slight change of her usually bubbly demeanor. 

Then she turned to me, retaining a smile, hoping perhaps that I had not been serious. “Who did it, then?” said she, participating in the "joke." 

I looked at her gravely, with my eyes scanning her form from top to bottom, as to reassure myself that she had been indeed right there in front of me.

“You,” 

I directed a quivering hoof at her.

It was Pinkie Pie’s turn to be taken aback, with a frozen look on her face, as she had been unsure on how to respond.

She and Rainbow Dash had exchanged looks before turning to me with expressions that seemed to question whether or not I had been sound in mind.

“Say what now?”