//------------------------------// // Part IV // Story: Mind Games // by flutterdashforever //------------------------------// Applejack knocked gently on Rarity’s bedroom door. There was a sniffle from inside, but the knock went unanswered. Applejack knocked again, harder this time. “Rarity?” “Go away!” The shout didn’t sound angry, just bitter. “Please Rarity, let me talk to you.” At last the door opened, and Applejack caught site of what probably once looked like Rarity. Her eyes were bloodshot and her mane was a mess. “I’m awful sorry, Rarity, I didn’t mean to hurt you so much I just—” She never finished her sentence, however, because at that moment, Rarity leaped forward and clasped her front hooves around Applejack, crying in to her shoulder. Taken aback, but only a little, Applejack patted the pure white coat and said gently. “What’s the matter, sugarcube?” At last Rarity managed to pull herself together enough to stand up straight and give her friend a watery smile. “It’s just” She choked a sob, “I can’t take it anymore, I can’t stop thinking about her, I dream about her and then you told me she doesn’t love me back…” Applejack smiled kindly. “Would you like some tea?” Rarity only nodded and wiped her eyes, ineffectually, with a hoof. After a few minutes, Rarity was sitting on a very comfortable looking chair with a cup of tea held between her hooves. She was looking glumly in to the drink, as though not really seeing it. “When did this start?” Applejack asked, as kindly as she could. Rarity gave a bitter sort of laugh. “Why don’t you tell me? What’s happening to you Applejack? How did you work it all out?” Applejack considered the question, gazing fixedly in to her own drink. “I looked,” she said, at last. “And when you look, you start to see.” Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you’re alright, dear? You haven’t been fully yourself since you got out of hospital.” Applejack saw the fleeting glance Rarity threw at the orange jewel in her chest. “I’m fine, sugarcube, don’t worry about me. I’m more worried about you. When did you decide you needed to tell her?” “That was quite a while ago, although it feels so recent. We were at our usual spar date, this was about a month before we went to fight Discord. We were in the sauna room and she…” Rarity’s cheeks flushed hot but she continued anyway. “She got up and stretched. Maybe it was the steam addling my brain or making her look…. I decided then and there that I just needed to tell her.” Rarity gave the same bitter laugh again. “Five months later…” Applejack nodded. “I just have to ask. The reason she doesn’t like me, why is it? Is it because I’m a mare?” Applejack’s mind whirred, scanning through every memory of Fluttershy she had, remembering them and not just what she did but what it meant. At last she frowned. “She’s gay.” Rarity gave a half choked sob. “I-I see.” Applejack sighed. “She’s in love with somepony else.” Tears were sliding freely down Rarity’s cheeks again. “Who?” “Rainbow Dash.” Surprisingly, in that moment, Rarity managed to pull herself together a little. She squared her shoulders and looked in to her tea again. “I’m glad… I’m glad she has somepony…. Does Rainbow love her too?” “I… I don’t… It’s hard to tell…. I think so.” There was a knock at the door. Rarity stood and trotted over to answer it, straitening her mane as best she could and trying hard to wipe the tears from her eyes. In the open doorway stood Derpy, holding a letter out in one hoof. “Letter for miss Rarity!” Despite herself, Rarity smiled, it was hard not to smile around Derpy, her enthusiasm and everlasting exuberance were just so infectious. “Thank you, Derpy.” After closing the door, Rarity opened the letter and scanned its contents quickly. She frowned a little. “What is it?” Applejack asked, curiously. “Oh, just a letter, nothing important.” Applejack could see that Rarity was lying. Her jaw was set and she still had that same half worried frown. This was something very important. She decided not to press her friend though, after what had happened the last time. The following day, Rarity announced Applejack well enough to go back to her own house. Her bones were fully repaired and there was no sign of any kind of damage on her body. The only reminder of that fated day all those months ago was the orange jewel that was still affixed to her chest. She spent the first day back with her family with reunions and celebrating her return but after that, Applejack began to feel restless again. She spent as much time as she could apple bucking but her legs were still weak, it would take months to rebuild the muscle tone she had lost in hospital. She decided to go and visit Rainbow Dash, partly because she wanted to visit a friend but also because she wanted to know for sure how Rainbow felt about Fluttershy. Applejack trotted past the front gate that marked the start of Sweet Apple Acres, and began to trot down the winding road the led to Ponyvile. It was about half an hours walk and, to be honest, Applejack wasn’t even sure she would find Rainbow in Ponyvile but, as nopony really seemed to know where Rainbow actually lived, it was her best bet. Applejack could hear the sound of birds chirping and the gentle breeze rustling through the branches of the trees that grew by the path. There were a few rogue clouds in the sky, probably just overlooked by the weather patrol. It was then that Applejack noticed a rainbow streak in the air high above. The clouds were vanishing one by one as the rainbow streak zipped across the sky. “Rainbow! Get down here!” After a the rest of the clouds had disappeared, leaving the sky clear once more, Rainbow darted down and hovered beside Applejack. “Hey Applejack. Good to see you out of hospital, you’re looking well.” Rainbow’s eyes widened as her eyes caught the jewel on Applejack’s chest. “Wow, that is so awesome! Twilight told me about that, but she didn’t say just how cool it would look. Maybe I aught’a think about getting mine slammed in to my chest.” Applejack chuckled. “It ain’t worth it, trust me. The hospital hours alone would kill you with boredom.” Applejack thought quickly, taking in Rainbow’s posture, the look in her eyes, the set of her shoulders, and made a quick decision. “Anyway, just thought I’d say hi, I was just heading somewhere.” “Really? Where are you headed?” Rainbow’s tone was nearly nonchalant but it was exactly what Applejack had been hoping for, gotcha. “Oh, I just thought I’d go visit Fluttershy, she’s the only pony I haven’t seen since, well, you know…. anyways, I don’t expect to be there long, just long enough to say hi.” Applejack made as if to wander away. “What a coincidence, I was just heading to Fluttershy’s cottage myself. Don’t suppose you’d mind if I tag along?” Applejack grinned but only inside. “The more the merrier.” “Oh, hello Rainbow, Applejack, what brings you two here?” Applejack smiled. “Oh, I just ran in to Rainbow here who was headed this way and looked as though she could use some company so I thought I’d tag along to say hi. I just figured to visit everypony now that I’m out of hospital.” Applejack saw Rainbow freeze up at the lie. Everypony knew that Applejack couldn’t lie But she just had, and more convincingly than most ponies could. “Oh, nice to see you, how are you feeling?” “Just fine, sugarcube.” “Would you like to come in? I’ve just put the kettle on.” “I’d love to.” After everypony was seated and had tea, bar Rainbow Dash who wouldn’t be caught dead with a cup of herbal tea or indeed any tea that wasn’t primarily just warm milk with sugar, Applejack said, casually, “So Fluttershy, what’s been happening while I’ve been out to the world, anything interesting?” “Oh yes, six new bunnies have been born and some of the birds that hatched a few months ago have just started to try to fly. Oh, you should see them when they try, they look so cute. They remind me of me, when I was a little filly and I was trying to fly…” Fluttershy gazed wistfully in to the past. "Other than that, though, the animals have been a little sedate, I think it's to do with Discord. Ever since he messed the world up so much, all the animals seem a lot more reluctant to come out of their homes. I had real trouble with this bare the other day; he just wouldn't come out of his cave to get his meal, he kept asking for me to bring it in for him, he was continually throwing glances up at the sky, too, as though he thought it was about to start raining chocolate again. In the end I had to just take it in to him. I'm getting a little worried, to be honest, I hope the animals relax soon." Fluttershy continued to chatter on about how many birds had hatched, how many animals were refusing to come out of their homes and suchlike. While Fluttershy had been talking, Applejack had been watching Rainbow. The blue pegasus was watching Fluttershy talk, but there was something more in her gaze, it was softer than usual and she wasn’t fidgeting like she usually would be after sitting still for so long. That was all Applejack needed. After a few more minutes of idle gossip, she finished her tea and excused herself. “I’ve got to get back to the farm but it was lovely to stop and chat. Thanks for the tea by the way. Rainbow, could I talk to you for a second?” Perplexed, Rainbow got up and followed Applejack outside. Once the two were out of earshot of Fluttershy, Rainbow asked, “What’s this all about Applejack?” “How many times have you tried to tell her?” “Tell who what?” Applejack flicked her hair impatiently. “Look you want to get back in there as quick as you can, then don’t play dumb and answer me. How many times have you tried to tell Fluttershy that you have a crush on her?” Rainbow flushed a little but rallied quite well, considering. “What do you mean? I don’t have a crush on Fluttershy. She’s my best friend, that would be really weird.” Applejack made a clicking sound with her tongue. “Well it’s perfectly understandable that you would deny it, you don’t think you’re good enough for her, it’s written all over your face.” Rainbow took several careful steps forward until her muzzle was mere inches from Applejack’s. “Listen carefully; I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about so just drop it.” Applejack stepped back raising her hooves. “Peace, peace. Please Rainbow I just want to help, really. Look just tell me straight, do you have a crush on her or not?” Rainbow looked as though she was going to deny it again but then she slumped when she saw the certainty in her friend's eyes. “What does it matter?” “What’s that supposed to mean?” “Well, it’s obvious isn’t it? You said it yourself; I’m not good enough for her. I don’t stand a chance.” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Go on.” Rainbow sighed. “It’s Rarity.” Genuinely surprised, Applejack asked, “What? What does Rarity have to do with this?” “She has a crush on Fluttershy too, and I think Fluttershy likes her back. It makes sense doesn’t it? Always going to the spa together, always hanging out.” “How did you know Rarity has a crush on Fluttershy?” “It’s not hard to spot, you know, if you’re looking for it. Any way you look at it, with Rarity around, I don’t stand a chance.” Applejack actually saw a tear, hanging unshed from the corner of Rainbow’s eye and it was only at that moment that she saw just how much Rainbow cared. She would do anything for Fluttershy. “I’ll let you get back to your visit, sorry to have trespassed on your time. Oh, and Rainbow?” “Yea?” “Good luck.” With that, Applejack trotted away. She had learned all she had come to learn and more. Tomorrow she would visit Rarity and tell her everything. The following morning started pleasantly enough. Applejack awoke to the sound of birds chirping in greeting of the new day. She got up and stretched, thinking of the day she had planned. She would head straight for Rarity’s, she needed to know the truth. Applejack wandered downstairs and saw that Big Mac had already headed out for the morning. She sighed and walked out the door, she wasn’t hungry this morning , she would eat later. Applejack knew as soon as she saw Rarity’s boutique that something was wrong. She could see even from a distance that all the windows were shattered. Worry beginning to rise, she began to gallop. She burst through the door and looked around. “Rarity? Are you in here? What in tarnation is going on?” Applejack looked down and froze. There, lying on the ground in a pool of blood, was Rarity. There was a nasty stab wound on the back of her neck, this was no accident, this was murder. Applejack felt her heart lurch. Her whole world was falling apart at the seams but there was something else as well. Beneath the torrents of grief was a little voice that whispered encouragement. It wasn’t stopping the pain but merely allowing her to put on a mask over it. After all, how was she going to find whoever did this if she couldn’t keep her head? She would find who had done this and then she was going to kill them. It was a calm thought, with an icy edge. “The only verdict is vengeance.” Applejack was thinking hard, she would probably need help with this, Twilight would be able to help. Applejack though briefly of asking the others but Twilight was the smartest and she would be the only one capable of working this out. Before she went to Twilight, Applejack decided to look around. On further inspection, everything glass had shattered, there was not a window or mirror in sight. Applejack leaned closer and examined Rarity’s body. Her mane was perfectly made and she was wearing her usual make up but there was something else as well, there was this vague sort of singed smell. It was very slight but it was there. Then there was the actual injury. There was a deep stab wound in the back of Rarity’s neck, she had been attacked from behind but the blood was smudged. It looked as though Rarity had tried to staunch the bleeding but there was no blood on her hooves. Applejack looked around and then she saw it, up on the wall, written in Rarity’s blood was a big letter “D.” “Coming.” There was some shuffling from inside but after a minute, Twilight opened the door. She Flushed a little. “Oh hey Applejack, I’m a little busy at the moment and I—” “Oh fore Pete sake! Can’t you two shag later? This is important! Go have a shower, tell Pinkie I’ll need to talk to her later and then move your sorry flank and follow me!” “Is everything ok, Applejack?” “No it is not ok, Twilight, Rarity has just been killed.” Twilight froze. “What?” Tears were beginning to leak from the corners of her eyes. “You heard,” said Applejack, but more kindly this time. “I’m sorry, but if you come and help me we can find out who did it.” It was at that moment that Pinkie Pie came zipping out of the library. “Oh, hey Applejack! what are you doing here?” Before Applejack could say anything, Twilight turned and slumped on to Pinkie, sobbing hard in to her shoulder. “Twilight? What’s wrong?” “It’s-it’s R-Rarity. She’s d-dead.” Pinkie’s face fell. She turned to Applejack for confirmation. Applejack only nodded, sadly. Pinkie laid a loving hoof around Twilight’s shoulders and squeezed her tight. There was something else though, deep in Pinkie’s eyes, bellow the grief and the shock, was that guilt? Why would Pinkie feel guilty? Applejack dismissed this for later consideration, right now she had to get Twilight to the murder scene while the clues were still fresh. “Pinkie, do you think you could calm her down and, once she’s feeling alright, could you bring her to Rarity’s boutique? I’m going to need her help if I’m going to find out who did this.” Pinkie’s face froze and she looked at Applejack questioningly. “What do you mean ‘who did this?’ you mean she was murdered?” “I’m afraid so.” Pinkie nodded slowly. “Ok. Come on Twi.” She gently guided the still sobbing mare inside and shut the door.” Applejack stood in Rarity’s boutique, staring at the symbol on the wall. It had dripped slightly, adding to the eerie , gruesome effect. Applejack had looked around the room several more times but had come up empty hoofed, all she had to work with was what she had already seen and heard. Her mind was chaotic but there seemed to be a centre calm, like a solid rock that refused to be hurled around by a violent sea. Thoughts were swirling around her head and colliding, following new tangents but it wasn’t random, patterns began to emerge until all things seemed connected. These events, they were all a part of something bigger, Applejack knew that much at least. What they were a part of still eluded her but if she was going to figure it out she would need help. “Applejack.” Applejack turned and saw Twilight standing in the door way, she looked bedraggled and her eyes were bloodshot but she had a look of determination about her. “I asked Pinkie to stay out of this for now, I think she might not cope if she saw this.” Twilight had evidently looked around the room, she looked a little nauseated and there were fresh tears in her eyes. She gazed in to Applejack's passive face, as she examined the ghoulish symbol on the wall, dispassionately. At last she broke. “Damn it Applejack! What the hell is wrong with you? You haven’t shed a tear since this whole thing started. I know you two weren’t exactly the best of friends but this is ridiculous, surely you cared a little?” Applejack turned from the gruesome spectacle on the wall and looked straight in to Twilight’s tear filled eyes. “I cared about her more than you will ever know.” Her voice was quiet and filled with menace. “And blubbering about her death won’t find her killer, so you need to pull yourself together, or I need to find somepony else to help me with this. Crying won’t bring me vengeance, crying won’t find whoever did this, crying is for later once this is all over. Now can you pull yourself together for her sake, or can you not?” “You intend to kill whoever did this?” “Of course.” Twilight squared her shoulders and made an attempt to dry her eyes. “Then let’s do this. What have you found so far?” Applejack nodded a curt acknowledgement and said, “Stab wound, looks like a kitchen knife, I found traces of some kind of food around the aria so it looks like the knife had been used for something and whoever it was took it. It doesn’t look planned.” Twilight nodded slowly, thinking back to some of the forensic books she had looked through. It had been an idle curiosity to find out how criminals were caught in Canterlot, but now it didn’t seem so exciting as the books had made out. “Did you find the knife? I could do a spell to find out who held it in the last twenty four hours.” “No, I looked everywhere , there’s not fur, no mane hairs, no hoofprints in the blood. Whoever did this is good, they didn’t leave any practical evidence.” Twilight began to stroll around the room looking for clues. She came to a dresser and picked up a piece of paper that had been lying there. “What’s this?” Applejack turned and looked at the well folded piece of paper. “I don’t know, a letter I guess.” Twilight unfolded it. “I’ll be there at six,” she read out. Applejack trotted closer to Rarity’s body which she had left in place so as not to disturb any clues that might lead to the killer. “Twilight, could you do, I don’t know, some kind of spell that could give me the exact time she was killed?” Twilight flinched a little but waked closer to the corps. After a moment her horn lit up with a bright yellow glow. There was a small wisp of pure energy above the body and then the light faded and died. Twilight was a little out of breath but she managed to say, “About ten-past-six this morning.” “That’s odd.” “Why?” Applejack moved closer and crouched down beside the body. “It was early in the morning and yet her mane was all made up, her makeup is on and fi— oh dear.” “What is it?” “She was crying before she died.” Applejack’s tone was soft, it sounded almost foal-like, as though she were a young filly again and whispering to her mother that the other fillies were mean to her. Twilight lay a comforting hoof on her back. “What else?” Applejack shook her head and pulled herself together. “Well it looks like she was expecting someone. I’d say whoever wrote that letter is the one who did this, it said they would arrive at six and you said she died only ten minutes after that. Given that it was unplanned, it looks like it could be a business meeting gone badly wrong... that doesn't explain the crying though.” Twilight nodded. “And what about that… thing… on the wall?” Applejack stood. “I don’t know but I’m damn well going to find out.” “Where do you think we should start? There’s not a lot to go on here.” “I don’t know but I’d very much like a cup of tea.” “How about you come back to my place? We can have a cup of tea and think about what we found so far.” Applejack gave a tiny smile. “That sounds good.” Applejack sat across from Twilight with a cup of tea cupped between her hooves. She was staring in to the brown substance, her mind racing. It felt like all she was doing lately was thinking. The thing was that things had just started to fall in to place, just as she was getting used to this strange new skill she was thrust in to using it to avenge her… friend. Applejack could feel Twilight’s worried eyes on her, she knew that the unicorn was clever, she was bound to work it out at some point. At last Twilight tentatively broke the silence. “Applejack, what’s happened to you? Don’t say it’s nothing because that’s not true. Ever since you got out of hospital you’ve seemed different, you notice everything. Don’t get me wrong here because you’ve always been one of the best ponies in my life but you weren’t always the brightest. Now…” She trailed off, unable to finish that sentence. “I need to talk to Pinkie. It’s just a feeling but I think I saw something in her eyes when I told her Rarity was dead.” “Applejack, did you hear me?” “Yes, I don’t know what you want me to say, you’re smart, you tell me what you think.” Twilight sighed. “I think I felt it first when you asked me to check if the element of honesty still worked. There was something out of the ordinary, like some kind of power waking up, something that had been there all along but was only then starting to appear in full.” Applejack nodded slowly. “As fascinating as all that is, it isn’t helping me work out who killed Rarity.” Twilight nodded slowly but said, “Alright but once this is over, will you let me do more research and find out more?” “Alright.” There was another long silence as Applejack continued to consider the clues. At last she sighed. “At the moment, the only lead I have is Pinkie. I don’t think she had anything to do with it but I need to know why she looked guilty when I asked her about it.” Twilight sat bolt upright. “You don’t think she knows anything do you?” “I don’t know, that’s why I’m going to ask.” Twilight nodded again. “Alright.” Applejack softened her tone. “When did you two hook up?” “Twilight didn’t look surprised. “It was just after you went to hospital. I wasn’t doing so well and by that I mean I was a complete wreck. I was staying by your bedside twenty-four-seven, not sleeping, not eating. One day Pinkie came to see me, she looked more sedate than usual, she asked me to come to the library with her. At first I said no. I wanted to stay with you but she kept asking and telling me that I needed some time away from the hospital. At last I agreed. Anyway, when we got the library I found that Pinkie had gotten the whole place all neatly tidied up and there was a bottle of really good wine on the table. She told me that she wanted to cheer me up so she had taken care of the library while I’d been away. The wine was good stuff and she had found some really nice, slow music. It was such a sweet gesture, one thing lead to another and…” Twilight trailed off, blushing. “Shag city,” Applejack finished for her. Twilight flushed even more but shook her head. “No, that night we only kissed.” “I see, well I’m glad you two have each other. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to talk to Pinkie now.” “Of course, I’ll go get her.” Twilight walked slowly out of the room and a minute later Pinkie walked in. She looked down, her eyes were filled with unshed tears but there it was again. Applejack saw something in those eyes and it looked a lot like guilt, or remorse or perhaps both. “Hey Pinkie, how are you doing?” “I’m fine.” Her voice was distant but she managed to at least look at Applejack. “Why do you need to talk to me? Do you think I might be able to help you look for clues?” Applejack sighed, there was no easy way to say this. “Pinkie, when I told you about Rarity having been killed, I saw a lot of things. I saw the way you reacted, you were sad, shocked, scared and also, you were guilty, remorseful. I’m going to just going to ask you outright; what do you have to say about all this?” Pinkie’s face froze a little. There was a flash of fear in her eyes. “You don’t think I did it do you?” “No, I saw surprise in your eyes. You didn’t know she was dead, but you do know something.” Pinkie sighed. “We had a fight. I was telling her… well it got pretty serious, it would have come to blows but she walked away. I never meant to get that angry but that was the last time I saw her… when you said she was dead, I realised that I would never get to see her again, never get to tell her I was sorry. I just felt bad that the last things I said to her were in anger.” Tears were running freely down Pinkie’s face. Applejack nodded. “What were you arguing about?” Pinkie shifted position uncomfortably. “I don’t even remember, it was that kind of argument.” Applejack froze, Pinkie had just lied. She wasn’t a good liar by normal standards but to Applejack’s newly heightened senses it was practically screaming. She decided to be gentile. “Are you sure? You can’t remember any details?” Pinkie shook her head. She looked genuinely distraught so Applejack decided not to press the issue. If she needed to know she would find out. Besides, she no longer had any doubt about Pinkie, she was mourning a friend. Authors notes: This chapter came out a little long but there is a good reason; I wrote most of this a while ago and I wasn't really sure how to break it in to chapters but thanks to some advice I got on my last chapter I just decided to put it all out there in one super chapter. I hope you're not too enraged by the path the story has taken, after all, this is a crossover with a murder show and I was always planning to do this. Hope you liked this chapter and will continue reading future chapters.