//------------------------------// // Part V // Story: Mind Games // by flutterdashforever //------------------------------// Applejack lay on a thin mattress that she had put against the wall at Rarity’s boutique, just under the, now dried, symbol. She had left Rarity’s body where it lay. Twilight had cast a spell over it that would prevent it from beginning to decay. Applejack wasn’t asleep; she was lying on her back, staring up at the roof. She was thinking hard but exhaustion was beginning to dull her brain. This whole thing felt wrong somehow. It didn’t feel like the work of some random pony who just walked in by chance, nor did it feel like some kind of fashion meeting gone wrong, it somehow felt more sinister than that. Applejack almost chuckled at that thought; more sinister than cold blooded murder, that was a new one. Twilight had told her to go and tell the others about what had happened. Applejack had said that all she wanted to do was sleep and that she would tell them tomorrow, let them stay in blissful ignorance for a while longer. It had been a lie of course; Applejack had no intention of sleeping, she didn’t think she would ever be able to wrestle her mind in to some kind slumber ever again. Perhaps killing whoever was behind this would bring her peace but she doubted it. Applejack rolled over and looked at the symbol in blood, it had to mean something, whoever had drawn it had wanted them to see it. It was probably meant to scare them. Applejack stood up and walked over to the dresser, she was more and more convinced that the note was a big piece of this puzzle; whoever had given Rarity that note had been in the boutique ten minutes before the murder. Applejack unfolded the now crumpled piece of paper. Something was beginning to click in her memory, that paper looked familiar, it was high quality stuff, the highest one could buy, ordered in from Canterlot. Applejack frowned, there was only one place in Ponyvile that she had ever seen this kind of paper before; Twilight’s library. “Oh, hey Applejack, how are you doing?” Applejack raised a hoof and waved away the friendly pleasantries. “Twilight I need to talk to you. that note we found at Rarity’s place; it’s written on paper that’s only found in Canterlot or your library. What aren’t you telling me Twi?” Twilight looked surprised. “Is it? I swear I’m not keeping anything from you, I'm just as surprised as you are. I only use that kind of paper for important assignments and for my letters to the princess. I certainly didn’t write that note.” Applejack relaxed her posture. “No, you didn’t, you think you know who might have, though.” Twilight shifted between her hooves. “No, it’s nothing.” “Twilight, out of all the stupid, ignorant, obvious and, above all, least creative denials I’ve heard that would have to rank at least on the top ten.” “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “Ooh, and she knocks out the competition with a perfect ten out of ten. Look, cut the crap, do you want to help me solve this or not?” “Alright but you have to promise not to jump to conclusions.” “I’ll say what’s right no matter how quick I work it out.” Twilight sighed but knew that this was the best she was going to get. “A couple days ago I found Rainbow Dash in the library, she was in my personal stuff; where I keep my special paper. Anyway, before I could say anything she left.” “Was she carrying anything?” “I don’t know, she didn’t know I saw her and she hasn’t mentioned it since.” “I see, well, I think that’s the best lead we’ve gotten so far, I’m off to Rainbow’s, I should probably tell her about Rarity anyway. See you later.” It occurred to Applejack on her way through Ponyvile that she didn’t actually know where Rainbow lived. Many ponies had their own opinions; some said that she had a cottage a few miles out of Ponyvile, some said she didn’t have a home and just slept on clouds but the most popular opinion was that she had a cloud house somewhere and the reason nopony knew about it was that she had cleverly thought not to tell them lest legions of missionaries and door-to-door sales ponies come after her. In the end Applejack decided that she would check Fluttershy’s place. With Rainbow having the feelings she did and all it was quite likely that she’d be spending as much time there as she feasibly could. Besides, if Rainbow was at Fluttershy’s then it would give Applejack the perfect opportunity to tell them both about Rarity’s death, and she would only have to break her own heart in the telling once. Applejack changed directions and began to head for the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. “Oh, hello there Applejack, what are you doing here?” “I’ve… got some bad news.” Applejack scanned Fluttershy briefly. “Oh good, Rainbow is here. Mind if I come in?” “Um, of course. How did you know Rainbow was here?” “Just a feeling.” Applejack walked in to the small sitting aria and saw Rainbow Dash on one of the couches. Cupped in her hooves was a small, dainty cup of what was almost certainly tea. Rainbow Dash gave her the ‘you tell anypony and I swear to all that is pony that I will rip out our living organs and fill them with molten apple gravy’ look. Applejack made herself comfy and let silence rain while she collected herself for what she was about to do. Fluttershy sat down on the double seat, beside Rainbow. It was Fluttershy who broke the silence. “Um, you said you had bad news, what’s happened?” Applejack looked up at the sweet yellow pony. She then turned her attention to Rainbow and studied her face closely. “Rarity’s dead.” Fluttershy gasped and fell sideways on to Rainbow. Applejack thought briefly of Twilight’s reaction, the thought made her bitter. Fluttershy was sobbing in to Rainbow’s shoulder but all the blue pegasus did was look straight at Applejack. “If this is some sort of twisted joke then stop it.” Applejack just sighed. “It’s no joke, Rainbow, I don’t joke about stuff like this, especially not to Fluttershy.” Rainbow looked crestfallen. “Oh… what…what happened?” Oh great, here it came. Applejack sighed as her heart seemed crack in two. “She was killed.” Applejack had meant only to keep any extra emotion that would make the situation worse out of her voice but it came out cold and bleak. Rainbow looked stunned. “What, you mean she was murdered?” A scathing retort jumped on to Applejack’s tongue but she held it back, knowing it was only her own sadness that was causing her to act this way. “Yes, in fact, I’m chasing the killer.” Applejack stopped and studied Rainbow properly. She was tense and still held Fluttershy in a tight embrace. Her eyes were shocked and sad but as the minutes dragged on, they began to betray something new; guilt. At last, once Fluttershy’s sobbing had calmed a little, Applejack spoke. “Rainbow I need you to take me to your house, I need to have a talk with you.” “Why? What about? Why do you need to see my house?” Applejack sighed but she was starting to get the hang of this; when she had tried to lie or do anything deceitful before now she would fail miserably but now she knew that that was because she had been thinking about what she wanted her body to do specifically not what she wanted other ponies to read from her behaviour. Now she lied openly and perfectly. “I just need somewhere to talk to you that we won’t be overheard. I don’t want anypony freaking out and I think you might be able to help me find the killer.” Rainbow nodded, convinced. Ok, I live just a little way away from here. I haven’t told many of the ponies from Ponyvile where I live so don’t go spreading the news, I don’t want those missionaries to find out where I live.” (See? The most popular opinion is quite often the correct one and now you know why we never actually find out where Rainbow lives.) Applejack nodded. After stopping off briefly at Twilight’s library to have her cast the spell that would allow Applejack to walk on clouds, the two were entering Rainbow’s house which was indeed built of clouds. “So Applejack, what’s this all about?” Applejack strode in to Rainbow’s living room and began to poke around. She saw nothing out of the ordinary so she moved on the kitchen, methodically searching through. “Applejack, what the hell are you doing?” “Just poking around, this is a nice place and I haven’t seen it before. So tell me, what were you doing it Twilights library.” Rainbow was beginning to get suspicious so her tone was a little clipped when she said, “You’ll have to be more specific.” Applejack turned and looked directly at Rainbow, studying her eyes and her posture. She was sad still but not as sad as she should be and there was definite guilt. “A few days ago, Twilight saw you going through her stuff, that’s where she keeps her good paper and some of that paper was used to write a note to Rarity. Whoever wrote that note was there ten minutes before the murder so you can forgive me if I’m a little confused as it would seem that, apart from you and Twi, there aren’t many ponies who’ve got access to that kind of paper.” Rainbow stepped back raising her hooves. “Whoa, back off! You don’t think I did this do you?” Instead of answering, Applejack turned and began to look through the kitchen again. After a while of nothing, she gasped. Rainbow walked over and saw that Applejack had found a long knife covered in dried blood in one of her drawers. “Care to tell me what you’ve been chopping with this?” “Oh dear.” Said Rainbow, very quietly. “Look, I swear I had no idea that knife was there! You’ve got to believe me!” Applejack tilted her head. “Why did you kill Rarity, Rainbow?” “I didn’t!” “Well I’d be a lot more inclined to believe that if you’d tell me what you’re so guilty about.” “I’m sad! Rarity was my friend, why would I kill her?” “I was hoping you’d tell me that.” “But I didn’t!” “Rainbow! Stop this! Look, if you’re innocent here then please, please tell me the whole story.” Rainbow’s eyes teared up and her face looked like she was in some kind of great pain. “Well wouldn’t you be guilty! If you were completely taken by somepony and they fancied somepony else? Wouldn’t you lie awake at night tormented by the fact that you would never get to be with her? I didn’t kill Rarity but I’d be lying if I said my first thought wasn’t that she was out of the way now and I could finally be with Fluttershy. That’s so wrong though! She was my friend and all I can think about is how this benefits me.” Tears were running freely down Rainbow’s cheeks now but she made no effort to remove them. “I’m the worst pony in Equestria.” Applejack stepped forward and wrapped a comforting foreleg around Rainbow’s shoulders. “No you’re not, you’re just struggling with how time moves. The reality is that Rarity is dead, if that gives you the chance to be with Fluttershy then, well, at least something good came of all this crap.” Rainbow sniffed. “So you don’t think I did it?” “No. You’re a little uncouth and thick as a plank sometimes but you didn’t kill anypony. Tell me, though, what were you doing in Twilight’s library that day?” “Oh, that.” Rainbow almost smiled. “She said the new Daring Doo book wasn’t in but I didn’t believe her, I thought she might be keeping it so she could read it first so I decided to look through her stuff.” “And did you find it?” “No. Turns out she was telling the truth.” “Well, you two have that in common at least.” “Thank you for believing me. But who put that knife there? It’s not mine and I don’t think anypony’s been in my house lately, like I said before; there’s only a few who even know where it is.” “I’ll figure that out but it’d be better if I took the knife, I need to have Twilight run some tests on it. Before I go, do you have any tea?” “Um, yea, top shelf second to the right.” “Thank you.” After a cup of tea, Applejack took her leave. Rainbow flew her back to the ground but just as she was about to fly away Applejack spoke. “Rainbow.” “Yea?” “It was always you, she never had a crush on Rarity.” “What?” “Fluttershy, she saw Rarity as a friend, she loves you Rainbow.” Rainbow managed a small smile. “Thanks, Applejack.” “Later.” Applejack made her way slowly back to Twilight’s library. She had gotten next to no information from Rainbow. All she knew for certain was that Rainbow wasn’t the killer, other than that, she had no good leads to follow. She smiled, grimly. So Rainbow Dash had an incentive and evidence against her but she wasn’t the killer. Drat, so close. Thought, Applejack. Eventually, she reached Twilight’s library, she needed to get the knife looked at. “Hey Applejack, did you find anything out?” Applejack pulled the knife out of a saddle bag and gave it to Twilight who held it up in a magic nimbus and turned it this way and that to examine it properly. “You found this at Rainbow’s place?” “Yes.” “So she’s the killer?” Twilight looked shocked. “Why would she do that?” “No, she’s not the killer, whoever the killer is though, they’re good, they knew that Rainbow has a crush on Fluttershy and that she would do anything to be with her, they also knew that Rainbow knew Rarity had a crush on Fluttershy.” “Can we talk about this inside?” “Ok.” Once they were both seated Twilight said, “So you think the killer went to all those lengths to frame Rainbow? Why?” “I don’t know but Rainbow didn’t know anything about that note, I still think that’s our best lead.” “Hey girls, what are you talking about?” Applejack looked around and saw Spike, standing in the library doorway. He had a look of curiosity on his face. “Hey Spike,” said Applejack, cheerfully. “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you for a couple of days.” “I’ve been out as much as I can.” He made a face. “What with Twilight and Pinkie spending so much time together I had to leave or be subject to hearing them moaning and saying—” "Spike!” Twilight cut him off sharply, flushing bright red.” Applejack chuckled quietly, then she had an idea. “Hey, Spike?” “Yea?” “Have you seen anypony suspicious in the library lately?” “Not really, why do you ask?” Applejack’s heart lurched, he didn’t know about Rarity, well she would tell him later, right now she needed a coherent answer and she wasn’t going to get one after he found out. “Oh, it’s probably nothing but we found this note at Rarity’s place that said, ‘I’ll be there at six,’ and we were wondering who wrote it. It was written on some of Twilight’s good paper so there aren’t many ponies it could be unless somepony stole some.” “Oh, that note,” sad Spike, cheerfully. “I sent Rarity that note.” Authors notes: New chapter! Sorry this one is a little shorter than the last but I felt that it needed to end here as this is the last feasible stopping point and if I kept going the chapter would probably get to be about sex thousand words long so yea, bit of a no no. Hope you liked this chapter and I'll have the next one up as soon as I can.