"Dad, dad, look! I found the last Easter egg!"
Henry Spencer looked at his young son over his newspaper, not quite hiding a smirk, "Oh? You think so, huh?"
He sat in the kitchen of his humble home, the light of late afternoon lancing through the windows as a ceiling fan sputtered vainly overhead.
The 9 year-old paused, looking back down at his latest prize with a puzzled expression.
"I... I think I did...?"
"Tell me, Shawn, how many eggs have I hidden the past three years?" Henry asked, his soft, scratchy voice belying the strength and authority of the man himself.
"Umm..." Though he was now less confident in his accomplishment, Shawn nevertheless persevered in defending it, "Three years ago I found 6. The year after that it was... 7. And last year, it was 8. You always hide one more every year! And This is the ninth egg!"
A single bushy, blond eyebrow approached Henry's already receding hairline, "Well, it sounds to me like you found a pattern! Congratulations!"
Shawn grinned and started to pump his fist in celebration, but was stopped as Henry continued.
"Now, hold on there, don't start celebrating yet. There's one more question I want to ask you..." The old cop motioned for his son to move closer as he leaned down, "What makes you so sure I'd stick to a pattern?"
"Well I... I-I... uhhh...!" The poor kid started with enthusiasm, but then stuttered to a stop as the realization hit him. Shawn had seen the pattern, but never confirmed it with his dad... he'd simply assumed it was true.
"And, more importantly, what makes you think you found every egg I hid the past three years?"
Now on the verge of tears, Shawn plopped his prize back in the basket at his feet.
"But daaaaaaaad," he whined, "It's two weeks past Easter! And you always said that-..." A new thought made him pause.
Henry could practically see the gears turning in his son's head. It was a sight that he both welcomed and encouraged in Shawn, especially when it would inevitably lead to the confirmation of a new life lesson he was trying to teach the boy.
"... you always said that I couldn't stop looking until I found them all or..."
"Or?"
"... or until time was up. But you never told me what the time limit was."
Grinning, Henry tussled Shawn's hair with one hand as he picked up his coffee with the other, "So...?"
"So, you weren't hiding more eggs! I was just finding more of them before the two week time limit was up every year!" Shawn yelled out, beaming with pride at his deduction.
The elder Spencer chuckled and nodded, then suddenly got serious, "Listen up, Shawn. Sometimes, things look like they're part of a pattern. And, sometimes, they are," He took a sip of his coffee as Shawn bit down on one of his chocolate eggs, "But, it's always important to make sure that you're seeing the right pattern... if there even is one at all."
The young boy nodded sagely for a moment before frowning, "Wait... but then..."
Shawn blanched as his father grinned.
"I always hide the same number of eggs. You just haven't found them all, yet."
With a sigh, Shawn turned to grab a new egg from the basket, but his hand was met with a bone-chilling cold. He tried to yank it away with a yelp, but was unable to... something had taken his hand in a vicious, painful grip and was dragging him into the increasingly ominous-looking container.
"Dad, help!"
Henry sat there, a mocking, frozen grin on his face as he watched his son slowly get pulled into the black maw.
Despite his cries and struggles, Shawn's head eventually entered the dark passageway just as the hell-basket sprouted various rows of pointy, dark teeth.
CROSS ME AND DIE!
The words rang in his ears as the teeth came down on his neck.
------------------------------------------
"GAAAAAAAAAAHHHH-OOF!"
Shawn's breath was knocked entirely out of him as he belly-flopped from his bed onto soft carpeting. He sat up, breathing hard and sweating. The silk sheets were tangled in his limbs and he held his small pillow in a death-drip. For a moment, Shawn sat in the darkness, waiting for the shakes to leave him so he could try to stand.
The rapid thumping of hooves on wood preceded the slam of his door being violently forced open. Rainbow Dash burst into the room, floating in the air with front hooves up in what Shawn could have sworn was a boxing stance.
"Don't worry, Shawn! Rainbow Dash is here to save you!" She yelled and looked around, trying to spot whatever enemy had been assaulting her drinking-buddy, "Get out here, monster, so I can buck you into outer-space!"
Wait... what did she say?
Dumbfounded, Shawn could only stare as the pegasus shadow-boxed in the air before seeming to realize that there was nothing in the room to fight.
"Must have run away." she muttered, then landed to approach Shawn, "You okay?"
Looking up at her from his sitting position, Shawn opened his mouth to respond when several new sets of hoofsteps announced the arrival of Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and, surprisingly, Twilight.
"Rainbow Dash, what happened!? Is Shawn okay!?" Twilight rushed to stand next to her cyan friend, who stepped to the side to give her some room to look Shawn up and down.
By this point, the room was starting to get a little crowded, with the rest of his new friends and several guards now occupying the same space.
Finally finding his voice, Shawn spoke up, "I-It's okay, guys. It was just a nightmare." His subsequent attempt to laugh the whole thing off was ruined by his voice, which was still a little shaky.
The look in Twilight's eyes told him she didn't believe it for a second. And, perhaps, calling what he'd just seen a simple nightmare might be a bit of a stretch. It had been so very real... more so because it had been a memory, rather than an actual dream, right up until the demon basket ate him.
That voice. It had sounded so very familiar, as if he'd heard it somewhere before. It was strange that he couldn't place it. Voices were easy for him, much easier than names or numbers had ever been.
I suppose getting decapitated by a picnic basket would be a little distracting...
Shawn gulped and felt around his neck, half expecting to find bite-marks or an open wound. Fortunately, he found it intact.
Come on, Shawn... you're not in a Freddie Krugger movie. If anything you're in a cartoon.
"I tol' ya not t'eat so many pancakes right a'fore bed." Applejack's offhanded comment broke through his thoughts.
Looking around, Shawn could see that the curious guards and maids had gone back to their other duties, leaving him in the sole company of the six ponies he'd arrived at the castle with.
"I don't blame him at all. Those pancakes were fantabularific! It's no wonder he ate too many!"
"Pinkie, you ate even more'n he did."
"Yup! Don't blame him oooooone bit." the pink mare replied with an infectious ear-to-ear grin.
"Right..." Shawn untangled himself from the sheets, being careful not to expose any of his dangly bits hiding beneath the basic robe he'd been forced to wear to bed, "Is there any chance I'm going to get any more sleep tonight?"
"Tonight?" Twilight smiled wryly at him and shook her head, "Sleep any longer and you're going to miss lunch."
As if the whole thing had been choreographed, Rarity chose that very moment to shove aside the drapes, bathing the room in brilliant mid-afternoon light.
Shawn, pupils dilated and eyes watering, tried to cover his face with his pillow. However, it was cruelly yanked away from him by Pinkie Pie, who threw it across the room and forcibly pulled him to his feet.
"Come on, sleepy head! You know what they say, the early bird gets the cupcake!"
"It's the early bird gets the worm, Pinkie." Twilight interrupted the pink pony's sing-song saying with a roll of her eyes.
"Well that doesn't make any sense! Why would anypony want to eat an icky, slimy worm instead of a delicious cupcake? Besides..." Pinkie Pie paused to suddenly grin widely at Twilight, "I've heard it both ways!"
The series of facial spasms that Twilight suffered at that moment were so ludicrous in their expression and range that Shawn couldn't help but wish that there had been a poet nearby to document them. Suffice to say that they eventually culminated in an intense glare directed at him.
"This is your fault." she growled through her teeth.
"Wow..." Shawn whispered non-too-quietly to Pinkie as he held Twilight's gaze, "It's like getting snarled at by a Chihuahua: harmlessly adorable... yet inexplicably terrifying."
"Yup! That's our Twilight!" Pinkie shouted enthusiastically while nodding sagely, then leaned up and clutched the back of his robe's collar with her teeth. Somehow, this did not deter her ability to speak in the slightest as she pulled him out of the room and toward the kitchens.
"Now, come on, the best cure for nightmares is a good breakfast! Well, I guess in this case it'd be a good lunch. Speaking of good lunch, did I ever tell you about the time I invented chimicherrychangas? The hardest part was coming up with the name. I mean, who could possibly decide between chimicherry or cherrychanga? Well I couldn't! So I didn't!"
Twilight stood there, listening to the fading auditory torture and trying to hide a self-satisfied smirk as she watched Shawn get dragged down the hall by his robe. Having recognized the danger, but hungry enough to still risk it, Rarity and Applejack followed at a distance.
Patient pony that she was, Twilight waited politely for Rainbow Dash to wipe the tears of laughter from her eyes and get up before heading down to the kitchens with her.
--------------------------------------------
"How are you still talking!?"
In a last-ditch, desperate effort to get it to stop, Shawn had actually shoved an entire fresh-made chimicherrychanga into Pinkie's mouth as she stopped to take a breath. As so many poor, unfortunate souls before him found out, this only served to briefly delay the inevitable.
"And then Bon Bon said that cucumber cake isn't actually a thing, but that's only because she's never tried to make cucumber cake. And I knew cucumber cake had to be good, because a cake made out of a word as fun to say as cucumber would have to be fun to eat!"
He looked helplessly at Twilight from across the table, but she only smiled and continued eating her own lunch, a mixture of grasses, fruits, and flowers that were almost as colorful as the creature actually eating them. Sighing, he looked up at the ceiling and tried to tune out the chatter.
"So... what next?" Shawn asked.
Twilight's ears perked up and her horn glowed as an actual, honest to god, checklist appeared over the table.
"Well, after lunch we're going to meet up with Captain Aegis and Lieutenant Gladius to report what happened last night." she chirped.
"Oooooh... is that... does that really need to happen? I feel like maybe we could keep that one between friends?"
"We went over this, Shawn. That Diamond Dog that attacked you and Rarity is still out there somewhere, and hiding behind some very powerful spellshields... If I can't find even a trace of him with my magic, neither will the Royal Mages, which means we're going to need the help of the Guard to track him down."
"... you know I only understood about half of that, right?" Shawn sighed again and put his face in his hands. The amount of responsibility he'd suddenly been saddled with was, in his honest opinion, way out of his league. He was used to working with maybe one other person... now he had an entire police department, six national heroes, and two immortal princesses to deal with and keep in the loop. Though he'd never say it, he was feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Twilight looked worried over his lack of energy.
"Are you feeling alright?" she asked.
"Yeah... just... didn't sleep well last night."
"The nightmare?" She pushed as she leaned forward over the table.
A feeling as if he'd forgotten something important nagged at Shawn as he brooded over his oatmeal.
"I guess... I don't know..."
"-ong and that's when the cake exploded!" Pinkie Pie finished her latest story by slamming her hooves onto the table, causing every dish to jump. In particular, Shawn's bowl, which slowly drooped off his face and to the floor, leaving a trail of gunk in its wake.
"Oh, dear..." Fluttershy, who had been sitting next to him, reached over and tried to use a napkin to sop up some of the mess.
Shawn sat there, quietly ignoring Twilight's failed attempts to not giggle and letting the oatmeal drip from his face, until a large, pink tongue wiped about half of it off.
"Hmmm... needs more sugar." Pinkie Pie chimed.
Rarity, who had gone to the kitchen to grab coffee for the group, chose that moment to come back into the small lounge they were all sharing, cups in tow. Setting them on the table, she took her seat next to Twilight and was opening her mouth to say something when she noticed Shawn.
"Ah... Shawn... you got a little something on your face there, darling."
The only human in the room let out a disgruntled grunt, downed his cup in one gulp, and proceeded to stand up.
"I'm going to go shower."
"Well, don' y'all take too long. We got ourselves a meetin' with cap'n Aegis in an ahour." Slowly sipping her own coffee, Applejack waved as Shawn walked back to his room.
---------------------------------------------
"You did what?"
It's amazing what a long shower and a cup o' joe can do for one's mood. For instance, Shawn was feeling perfectly chipper as he adjusted his immaculately pressed, though somewhat discolored, vest. He would have preferred something more comfortable, but the only other clothing option he currently had was the robe... and he felt like that might not make the best professional impression.
Shawn looked back at the Cap'n, who was sitting behind his desk and throwing him a look that spoke of a perfect mixture of incredulity and horror.
"That's the long and short of it, Captain." Twilight finished.
It had only taken her about 15 minutes or so to detail the events of the night before, retelling the tale she heard from Shawn and Rarity to the best of her ability. Shawn had volunteered, but Twilight had insisted, rather forcefully, that she be the one to tell it. It was almost like she didn't think the Cap'n liked him.
Still speaking to Shawn, Aegis continued, "Let me see if I got this right... You broke into Amberlock mansion,"
"Broke in is a little harsh," Shawn interrupted, making air-quotes at the first two words, "I was just taking advantage of the princess's invitation to make myself at home."
"In the castle, Mr. Spencer. You were invited to make yourself at home in the castle."
"Well, then, she should have been more specific."
The mares, including the one Shawn now recognized as Lieutenant Gladius, looked back and forth between him and the Cap'n.
"Alright... fine. It's not like the Amberlock family will complain." Aegis sighed and continued, "So, you... made yourself at home... and ran into a hostile Diamond Dog."
"That's right, Captain. And if Shawn hadn't acted as quickly and decisively as he did, we might not have escaped unharmed." Rarity jumped in, clearly trying to stick up for the beleaguered human.
Shawn thought that was a little strange. The unicorn had refused to say more than a few words to him all morning. Not like the night before, where she had berated him almost non-stop about risking his life needlessly while he stuffed pancakes down his throat. Well... he couldn't figure out the female members of his own species, so it should come as no surprise that he couldn't figure these ones out either.
Lieutenant Gladius, who'd kept her peace so far, spoke up, "It was brave of you, Mr. Spencer. But you wouldn't have gotten into that situation if you'd just asked for some backup before going to search."
"I... wait... I can do that?" He asked.
"Of course! The princesses ordered that the resources of the Guard be at your disposal during your investigation. So, if you're going to go investigate something, please be so kind as to let us know ahead of time..."
Before Shawn could reply, not that he'd had anything particularly witty to say anyway, the Cap'n broke in, "Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here. Until princess Celestia says otherwise, I'm still in charge of this case... but the lieutenant's right. You're not from around here, Mr. Spencer. Maybe you could get away with these kinds of shenanigans back where you're from, but I run a tight ship here. If you're doing something, you need to keep me informed."
Hmm... maybe some things are just universal... or interdimensional in this case, I guess. It was exactly the kind of thing the chief used to say to him back home. For all the good it did her.
Twilight fidgeted beside him. Shawn could tell she felt responsible for letting him run off on his own... Rarity hadn't been the first, nor the last, to berate him for his rashness last night.
"If I may, Captain," Twilight waited for him to nod before continuing, "We did find out something important..."
Seeing that she had the two guard ponies' full attention, she looked back to Shawn, expectantly.
"Huh? Oh, right... I know how that pony was killed. And I think I know who's involved."
The Lieutenant's eyes widened, while the Cap'n's narrowed.
"And?" Aegis prompted.
"Well, first, let's go talk to that witness."
----------------------------------------------------------
They made their way down one of the many gilded hallways of the castle. Tapestries depicting ponies in various states of joy and leisure hung every few feet, while large stained glass windows threw splashes of color on the plush, red carpeting that covered the floors.
The Cap'n, as was his wont, walked ahead, followed closely by his Lieutenant. Shawn and the rest hung back, following along about as quietly as that particular group of ponies was physically capable of. That is to say, not very.
"I don't get it... If you already know who did it, why are we even talking to this pony?" Rainbow dash asked as she floated along beside Shawn.
"I said I know who may have been involved, not who exactly did it... but finding one's as good as finding the other."
"How so?" Twilight piped in with her own question.
"Think of it this way... solving a crime is like solving a puzzle. Except you don't have all the pieces or a picture to tell you what it's supposed to look like at the end." Shawn mused.
"Sounds more like something Twilight would be into." Dash quipped with a roll of her eyes.
"Well, I do like puzzles..." Twilight's shy smile spoke more to the truth of that than her words.
"Well," He continued, "Right now, I have a pretty good idea of what the puzzle's supposed to look like... but I don't have all the pieces yet, so I'm really only guessing. Also, someone may have spilled ice-cream on some of them, so we may need to get some cardboard and a marker and-"
"Aaaaand you've officially stopped making any sense." Dash interrupted him.
"That's only because you can't grasp the genius of my analogues."
"Analogies, Shawn." Twilight's correction was automatic.
"I've heard it both ways."
"Genius is one word fer it..." Applejack muttered with a sigh, to sniggers from from the other mares.
Shawn crossed his arms and looked down at her, "You are awfully frumpy today. I thought you farmers were supposed to be jolly or something."
Whatever Applejack was going to reply was cut off when the Cap'n stopped in front of one of the many doors that littered the hallway. He knocked, surprisingly politely, before opening it and motioning for them to head inside.
The guest room was essentially a carbon copy of the one Shawn himself had been staying in. A massive four-poster bed dominated the central space, while a low table and several cushions sat in front of a lit smokeless fireplace. The curtains were drawn across the glass doors that normally lead to the balcony, leaving the room with a dim, somewhat depressing atmosphere. Several pieces of luggage, including a strangely shaped package, sat in the corner.
And on the bed sat the saddest looking unicorn he'd ever seen in his life.
The mare had clearly neglected her personal hygiene for the last couple of days, letting her coat and mane become matted. Rarity spasmed in outrage at the sight of her, only pausing when she got a closer look at the mare herself.
"Lyra!?"
The teal pony looked up, apparently noticing them for the first time. She startled at the sight of Rarity and the others, hopping off the bed and running straight into a hug from the fashionista. Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie were quickly there as well, not long before tears began leaking afresh from the corners of Lyra's eyes.
It didn't take a psychic to tell that this wasn't her first cry today... and, judging by the bags under her eyes, last night.
"You girls know this pony?" The Cap'n stepped back, respectfully giving them some space.
Twilight, who was hanging back from the exchange, nodded, "She's from Ponyville. It hasn't been that long since I moved into town, so I don't personally know her that well, but... it's a pretty small community. We all see each other every day, even if we're not all close friends." She paused and looked on with sad eyes, "Those four have known her a lot longer than me."
Aegis grunted and motioned for the Lieutenant to step out with him. Shawn started to go with them, but was stopped by a look from the stallion.
"I've asked all the questions I can think of already. It's your turn to take a go at it. Just... give them a moment and take it easy, okay?"
"Wow, Cappy... I didn't take you for the sentimental type." Shawn tried a grin, but it came out lopsided and awkward.
Damn ponies are making me sappy.
The atmosphere in the room was growing more touchy-feely by the second, and Shawn was trying his best to hide his discomfort. Even Rainbow Dash, who had previously been floating uncertainly over the group, had been pulled into the mass hug.
Aegis returned the smile, to an open, disbelieving stare from his subordinate, "Saving them's the easy part, you know. It's the part that comes after that's hard."
The Lieutenant's horn glowed and the door closed, shutting out the only source of natural light in the room.
"Huh..." Shawn stared at where the Cap'n had been for a long minute before turning around.
Twilight had finally been pulled into the group as well, while the teal unicorn's tears finally dried up. Lyra popped her head up out of the middle expectantly, squinting at Shawn's form in the dimness that had retaken the room.
"Bon Bon?" she called out uncertainly as Shawn stepped into the light of the fireplace.
Her eyes grew wide with fear as she recoiled, "D-D... D-D-Diamond D-Dog!"
Shawn narrowed his eyes, Now that's an interesting reaction.
"Shhhh, hush. It's okay, dear. He's not a Diamond Dog. He's a friend." Rarity stroked the terrified mare's mane.
"I think I'm more of a marshmellow bear, myself." Shawn took one final step forward and and stopped, just out of arm's reach of the group.
Lyra calmed down substantially once she saw the complete lack of concern in the faces around her, most of her fear being replaced by outright confusion.
"W-What are you?" She stared, open-mouthed.
"'What'? Really? Why does everypony say 'what'? I'm a 'who', not a 'what'... I swear, the first pony to ask me who I am, gets a hug..." Shawn immediately regretted the rant when Pinkie Pie stood up excitedly.
"Ooo! Me! I can do that!" She cried, then cleared her throat as she walked right up to him, "Who are you?"
"Uhhh... not really what I had in mind, but okay..." Shawn stepped forward past Pinkie and put out his hand, "Name's Shawn Spencer, alien detective. I'm here to figure out what happened in that alley. Nice to meetcha!"
To her credit, Lyra blanched but still managed to bump her hoof against his outstretched fist, offering him a thin smile in return for the big grin on his face.
"N-Nice to meet you too... Shawn. I'm Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings." She was gaining confidence by the second.
Good... I thought I was going to have to deal with another Fluttershy for a moment.
Shawn heard a distinct huff from behind him and turned to see Pinkie Pie sitting on her haunches and offering him a very pointed glare.
"What?"
"Where's my hug?" she huffed again.
"W-... are you serious?"
"I don't joke about hugs. Or candy. Or cupcakes. Or friends. Or-"
"Okay, okay, I get it... fine..." Very gingerly, Shawn stepped forward and leaned down, awkwardly putting his arms around the pink pony's neck, "There, happy?"
"Mmmmm... nope!" She exclaimed as she suddenly stood up on her hind legs, lifting him up with her shoulder into a powerful bear-hug.
Shawn was pretty sure he felt his ribs creak in protest, though that sound might have been covered by the squeaking wheeze his lungs emitted before he was set down on his ass right next to the group. Lyra, obviously familiar with the party mare's antics, had the grace to cover her snort of laughter with a hoof. Which, Shawn noted, was more grace than Rainbow had displayed all day.
Well, at least she's relaxed now. I guess my ribs are a small price to pay for that...
"Okay, now I'm happy." Pinkie chirped as the rest of the mares followed his unwilling example and got comfortable.
"Right," Shawn wheezed out as he crossed his legs, then took several deep breaths, "Let's get started."
Lyra immediately stiffened at the reminder of his purpose, looking down and... pretty much anywhere but his face.
"I already told the Lieutenant everything I saw... I don't know what else you could want." she stated plaintively.
"Oh, don't worry about that. I just wanted to hear it myself. And, who knows, I might hear something the El-Tee missed." he tried to smile reassuringly, but Shawn got the feeling the presence of the other mares was doing a lot more for Lyra than anything he could have possibly said or done. It certainly was a smart move on the Cap'n's part to send them in first.
And he wasn't technically lying... he'd had a chance to go over the written statement with Twilight the night before, but there was nothing quite like going over it with the person, or pony, face to face.
"Oh... alright. Well... like I told Miss Gladius, I looked up and saw-"
"Whoa whoa, wait a sec. Let's start from the beginning."
"What? What do you mean?"
Smiling, Shawn put his elbows on his knees and looked closely at her, "Actually, maybe I can do that for you."
Dash poked Lyra's shoulder excitedly, "Just watch, this is cool."
Shawn's gaze focused on the strangely shaped package in the corner, then to her cutie mark, which he assumed was the instrument for which she was named.
"You're an instrumentalist. A lyre player, right?" He asked.
She nodded.
Shawn thought the baggage was probably significant, "You're here for a big event... something that's going to happen soon. I'm guessing you got invited to play?"
Eyes wide, she nodded again, "At the Grand Galloping Gala, yeah..."
"Solo?"
"I wish," she laughed, "I'm part of a quartet. We've been rehearsing."
"But you don't know the other players. Not personally, anyway."
"Th-that's right!" Lyra was looking around at the other mares, who only smiled encouragingly, "How did you know that?"
"If you did, there'd be more than six ponies here." Shawn paused and tried to look her in the eyes, but she fidgeted and looked away again.
"You were out on the town playing tourist, since you don't really get too many chances to visit the big city," he continued, "When it happened."
Shawn waited for her to nod again. It came slowly.
"I have to ask, Lyra... what made you look up?"
"Ex-excuse me?"
"The colt went out a fifth story window... what made you look up at just the right moment to see him fall?"
Lyra blanched, but seemed to get a hold of herself, "I... was lost. I didn't bring my map with me, like the director told me to... I thought I could just, find my way, you know?" she smiled sadly, "I was walking down the alley when I heard the window break. I looked up and... I saw..." Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes and she stopped, breathing hard.
Once again, Fluttershy and Rarity came to her rescue, wrapping her in tight hugs as she sobbed quietly.
"Shawn... maybe we shou-"
"Almost done." He interrupted Twilight's worried whisper, "Lyra? Can you answer just a couple more?"
Wiping at her eyes, Lyra cleared her throat and answered, "Y-Yeah..."
"Right. Now, you said you were already in the alley when you heard the noise, right?"
"About... halfway, I think?"
That made sense to him. The window the body had fallen from was almost at the very end of the alley towards the city wall. Her view of the event would have been impeccable.
"Tell me, when the colt... fell... did you notice anything... weird about the way he did it?"
Lyra's eyes widened for a moment and she looked at the floor, "N-No... I looked up and saw him and he... he j-just j-jumped." she stuttered.
Huh... that's interesting.
"Last question..." He paused and made sure to look directly in her eyes again before asking, "Did anything happen after he fell?"
Once again, Lyra's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak several times, before seemingly giving up and simply shaking her head. That's when he saw the marks on her neck.
"Right, then... thanks, Lyra." Shawn said as he stood up to go, "And... don't worry..."
Nodding, Lyra pressed her face into Fluttershy's mane as the gentle pegasus stroked hers.
Rarity looked up at him and motioned with her horn, "You go on ahead, dear. I think somepony should stay with her for now."
Shawn stepped out of the room, followed closely by Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. He noticed the Cap'n and the Lieutenant conferring quietly by one of the stained glass windows further down the hall. The two guard-ponies noticed them and trotted over.
"So?" Aegis asked, "Did you get what you needed?"
Twilight shook her head and lamented, "She didn't say anything that wasn't already on the statement."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that, Sparks." Shawn piped in, "In fact, I'd say that she said everything that wasn't on the statement."
The purple unicorn looked on in confusion as the Cap'n looked at each of them in turn.
"What do you mean? Ms. Sparkle, what does he mean?"
"It means that someone's threatened your witness, Cappy. If I were you, I'd post a couple of guards outside her room until this is all over."
Applejack looked back at the door worriedly, "On secon' thought, Ah think Ah'll stay here, too." she declared as she went back to sit just outside the room, "Ya'll go on ahead and give your report to the princesses."
Rainbow Dash sat herself right next to the farm pony, to a surprised look from Applejack, "Well, somepony's gotta keep you company out here. Twilight and Shawn can fill us all in when they get back, right?"
Twilight looked conflicted, glancing back and forth between Shawn and her friends.
"We'll need at least one of the representatives from the Elements there, Miss Sparkle." The Cap'n intoned diplomatically.
With a last look at Dash and Applejack, Twilight nodded back at the Cap'n, "Alright, let's go."
-------------------------------------------------
They were back in the lounge that the princesses had used to break the news of the murder to Twilight and her friends.
The Cap'n sat near the door, his Lieutenant at his right hoof, as it opened to admit the two resplendent princesses. Celestia looked as immaculate as always, with that benign, knowing smile that seemed to be the default expression of her face. Luna, on the other hand, looked as tired as Lyra had. Quite possibly because it was barely late afternoon and, from what Shawn understood, that was essentially the equivalent of the wee morning hours for the night princess.
The two of them each took a cushion in front of the fireplace, Celestia motioning for Shawn, Twilight, and the guard ponies to take a seat in front of her.
"And the rest of the Elements, my student?" Celestia directed the question at Twilight, who swallowed audibly.
"With Lyra, princess. They stayed behind to comfort her and... protect her."
"Protect her?" Luna asked, looking almost affronted, as if the very idea that somepony would be harmed in the castle was insulting.
"Not to worry, princess, I've already sent for a squad to be stationed at her door and rerouted some of the pegasi patrol routes to cover her window. Nothing's getting in there to harm the witness." The Cap'n was as straightforward as ever... though, for once, Shawn could honestly say he was glad for it.
Celestia's smile disappeared for a brief moment as she looked directly at him, "Shawn? Can you explain to me why one of my little ponies needs to be kept under guard in my own castle?"
Shawn paused, then stood, "Sorry... I like to move when I do this."
The princesses looked at each other uncertainly before Celestia nodded at him. Twilight shot him a pleading look.
He flashed his nervous partner a smile as he started, "Now this is a story all about how some colt's life got flipped, turned upside down. And I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there, I'll tell you all about how this pony took his trip through the air."
"I-Is... is he singing?" Cap'n Aegis quietly asked nopony in particular.
"In quaint, little Ponyville, born and raised. At her instrument, Lyra spent most of her days. Chilling out, practicing, relaxing all hardy when she got invited to this Canterlot party. When a couple of dogs, who were up to no good, started makin' trouble in the neighborhood. She witnessed one little crime and the doggies got scared and they said 'You say one word to anybody and you're dead!'"
"Shawn...?" Twilight called to him questioningly.
"She called out for help but by the time it came near the merchant colt was dead and had a few scratches right here," Shawn pointed at the side and back of his neck, "If anyone'd looked they'd see she has the same marks, too, but they all thought 'forget it, she's just feelin' blue!'"
"Shawn!" Twilight yelled, her furious glare causing him to stop as much as her tone.
"Man... it took me the whole way here to come up with that..." Shawn whined.
"Just give us your conclusions. Without the singing." The Cap'n was also glaring daggers at him, while the princesses looked on in silent disapproval.
"Geez, tough crowd..." Shawn muttered, "Fine."
He stopped to take a deep breath and continued, "When I saw that pony laying out on the street, several big things stood out to me. First, why would he jump from the fifth floor of a building with at least 8 or 9 floors if he was trying to commit suicide? If I was really trying to kill myself, I'd want to give myself as much of a chance as possible of not waking up a cripple."
Every set of eyes in the room was glued to him as he started to pace, "Second, why did he break the glass instead of simply opening the window? I know for a fact now that those windows do open from the inside."
"Well, he could have tripped and fallen through before he got a chance to open it..." The Lieutenant pointed out.
"True, but if he had fallen through the glass, some of the shards would have fallen on top of him when he fell." Shawn's mind flashed back to the scene as he walked around the body, trying to avoid stepping on any glass, "But there weren't any. Not one... which means he either busted the window open before he 'fell', or someone else did it while trying to drag a kicking, screaming earth pony to the window. And after they did it, they threw him out. Remember how far his body was from the building? If he just fell through the glass or even jumped, he would have landed next to the wall... not halfway to the building next door."
The Cap'n grunted in acknowledgement, "I knew something about that was bothering me..."
"But you set it aside, because you had a witness claiming 'suicide'." Shawn replied, "Except Lyra didn't call for the guards right away. Judging by the way Twilight and her friends reacted to just hearing about a suicide, I'm guessing Lyra was too traumatized to even speak for a while after that. And since it happened deep in the alley, nopony ran into her."
"Which would have given whoever threw the merchant out the window enough time to get downstairs and find her!" Twilight exclaimed.
With a nod, Shawn continued, "Right. She was right there. There's no way they could have not seen her. And they probably knew there was no way she didn't see them. I saw it in her eyes when I went to talk to her... she was was scared, and trying to hide something from me the entire time, especially when I started asking questions about what happened after the 'suicide.'"
Celestia frowned and looked anxiously in what Shawn assumed was the exact direction of Lyra's room. It was a little eerie how the princess could just tell where the unicorn was.
"And that brings me to the final piece of corroding evide-"
"Corroborating, Shawn."
"Corroborating evidence." he glanced at Twilight gratefully, "The scratches on Lyra's neck. I first saw those same marks on the merchant, but I thought they came from the glass when he hit the ground. Except Lyra has them, too, and there's no way she was standing close enough when the window broke for the glass to have made those. Something big, with claws, grabbed both of those ponies around the neck. Probably the same thing that chased me through the mansion. Last. Night!" Shawn's speech slowly built to a crescendo, culminating with the last two words being shouted to a totally quiet room.
"So... you are saying that a pair of rogue Diamond Dogs killed one of my little ponies?" Celestia asked slowly and deliberately.
For once, Shawn heard something other than an undercurrent of mirth in the princess's voice. It was faint, probably hidden by hundreds of years of practice... but it was there. Raw, righteous fury. He supposed that even in this strange land the sun had two sides to it. At times, it was a lifebringing sphere of warmth... but, just as easily, it could be a harsh ball of fire and wrath. Even Luna backed away at her sister's low, dangerous tone.
"Uhhh... no, actually."
The princess, and the rest of his audience for that matter, looked up at him in confusion.
"I'm pretty sure those Dogs weren't rogues," He recalled Twilight's comment about the spellshield, "They obviously had resources. And..." Shawn paused, grimacing.
"Please, say what you mean to say, Shawn Spencer." Celestia said with her ears folded back.
"... I'm pretty sure that merchant wasn't their first victim. Or their last..." he finished.
Silence returned to the room, until the Cap'n saw fit to break it.
"Well... horseapples."