//------------------------------// // Chapter Three: Homicidal Measures // Story: Revenge is Magic // by Moon-Chan //------------------------------// "Roseluck!" A mare's annoyed shriek rang out from nearby. "Where are the sugar martinis Lily and Caramel ordered fifteen minutes ago?" A sand-colored, exhausted-looking pony came into view, balancing a wide plate with snow-white martinis on her head. "I'm so-sorry Daisy," she panted. "We ran out o-of sugar, so I went to Sug-Suagrcube Corner to buy some more..." The mare the exhausted pony claimed as Daisy narrowed her leaf-green eyes until they were little more than slits. "You cannot keep our sister and her coltfriend waiting, Roseluck." Her voice was cold and merciless. "Now, to make up for it, you will go out there, serve them their drinks, and offer them a dessert buffet." Roseluck sighed, but began walking towards the table her sister and her sister's coltfriend were. They picked a beautiful spot behind the three sisters' flower shop; the area had millions of blooming flowers, and an overhanging willow tree provided shade. Both ponies' faces and manes were pattered by shadows. They looked up when the rose-based Earth mare approached them. The verbal-abused Earth pony attempted to carefully set the alcoholic drinks down on the table from where the tray rested on her head. At the last second, Roseluck was distracted by a sudden flurry of dogs barking, and turned her head sharply in the direction she heard the noise. With a clatter, the tray and both drinks fell where it was balanced between Roseluck's head and the table. Most of the sugar martinis got onto Caramel and Lily, and they stood up quickly, disgusted. It only got worse from there. Daisy and her snobby friends happened to be walking around the corner at that exact moment. Of course, Roseluck was in plain view of them all. The rosey-maned pony looked each of them over. In the middle, Daisy, her spring green mane noticeable from a long distance; Carrot Top, her ever-orange colors glowing, standing to the left of Daisy; Berry Punch, her mane messier than ever, obviously on a drinking-spree and standing to the right of Daisy; and Bon Bon, her mane and- wait... Where's Bon Bon? Roseluck wondered, glancing at each of the ponies in turn multiple times to make sure she hadn't missed the candy-loving Earth pony among her older sister's gang. Bon Bon wasn't anywhere in sight. It really didn't matter to the youngest flower pony if she was there or not; Bon was always the quiet type-the only sound that came out of her mouth was always gruesome laughter when the oldest sister made a cruel joke or insult. "Another fail for you, Dozeluck," Daisy spat at her younger sibling. The others laughed; Rose blushed in embarrassment, but otherwise took no notice of them. They all sat down at a large table near the back of the flower shop. 'Dozeluck' was one of Daisy's favorite nicknames to call Roseluck, mostly because she was tired all the time, resulting in many spills of drinks. Many times, the drinks were spilled on her own sisters. Great Celestia, how much Rose hated being treated as the average pile of disgusting, ignored garbage. She may be the youngest, the most immature, and the pony with the least friends out of everyone in Ponyville; but it didn't mean she could be addressed as a low-class servant. It seemed Lyra Heartstrings was also missing. She was known known to neglect her friends, so Roseluck wouldn't have been surprised if she ditched her older sister's gang. That may have also explained why Bon Bon was missing. Well, you could never be sure with the two of them. It was growing darker, after all. They could have been asleep for all the Earth pony knew. "Go get us some drinks, lousy," Daisy demanded, sneering cruelly at the youngest flower shop worker. "Lily Valley, come join my friends and I." The other sister walked over and sat down next to her sister. Caramel appeared to have left already. Probably to go groom his fur, Roseluck thought to herself, trying not to laugh aloud when she visualized it, walking into the flower shop through the back door to prepare drinks for the four snobby ponies. The back door led to a small, dark room. The flooring, walls and ceiling were dull gray tiling. Along the walls were long shelves, filled with cups of all sorts-from shot glasses to water bottles-that held any beverages Roseluck's sisters and their friends ordered. Just below the shelves were long, granite counters. There were fruits, vegetables, ice, and many other ingredients one would require to make such beverages. There was a large metal fridge in the back corner that held only endless bottles of Vodka, whiskey, wine, and other alcoholic drinks. There was also another door in the room that faced the front of the flower shop. Through that oak door led to the most bright and colorful room one would ever lay eyes on. Flowers of all types-tulips and roses to blossoms and daisies-filled the room up so much you could barely see the walls or floor, which were both bright yellow. A pastel pink counter was in the middle of the large room, a cash register sitting on the corner. Next to the counter was a pile of multicolored gift bags. In the space by the windows in the very front of the shop were a variety of glass vases. But right now, Roseluck's business was not with the actual flower part of the shop. Her business and future lay in the dark, depressing room behind it. She had been waiting for this day for a long time, and earlier, she had gotten the chance to steal something she desperately needed from the nearly abandoned store at the barren edge of Ponyville. She walked over to the counter, opening a cabinet beneath it. She pulled out a vial large enough to fill two shot glasses. The substance contained within it was a violent purple color. Rose got four martini glasses out and set them on the counter, humming a tune that sounded like death itself. She filled the four glasses to the brim with Vodka, then opened up the vial. Immediately, thick black smog rose out from the top. Roseluck grinned. It was perfect. She carefully poured half the liquid into one glass, then the other half in another. The alcohol started swirling in the glasses. She slid the four alcohol-filled martini glasses onto a circular tray, then slid that onto her head. She pushed open the back door again and walked outside to the table where the four other mares sat, chatting and laughing. This time, Rose didn't spill any of the drinks. Instead, she carefully set them down in front of each pony. She purposely put the swirling drinks in front of Lily and Daisy. Then she walked away, around the corner of the flower shop. Ten seconds passed. Berry Punch took a huge gulp of her Vodka. One minute passed. Carrot Top sipped at her alcohol. Three minutes passed. Daisy's voice. "A toast, to being the most popular Earth ponies in all of Ponyville!" The clinking of glasses, then more sips. Satisfying gagging noises followed, and Roseluck peeked around the corner to find both her sisters on the grassy ground, holding their hoofs to their throats and choking. Carrot Top was staring in horror, but Berry Punch seemed too drunken to notice it, and continued to relax at the table, taking in mouthfuls of alcohol every two seconds. Roseluck trotted back over to the large table where Lily and Daisy were sprawled below. Their eyes were glazing over already; they didn't have time to say anything. They were both dead. Carrot Top seemed to have fled, and Berry was fast asleep with her head on the mahogany table. Perfect. The youngest flower pony dragged her deceased sisters through the back door of the shop, their tails clamped by Rose's teeth. Upon entering the dull room, she noticed some kind of peace had risen. Now she could finally live in peace, with nobody to bother her, let alone treat her like a servant girl. Wait. She remembered the sight of Carrot Top fleeing. The orange Earth pony was no fool. She knew it was murder, and her first and only suspect was Roseluck. She needed to get out of here, and she needed to flee as soon as possible. She could leave, but she had to hide the evidence first. Luckily, there wasn't much. Rose moved quickly. The poison vial was put into the crammed fridge at the very back. Hiding her victim's bodies wasn't going to be an easy task like hiding the tiny vial was. She looked around frantically for anything that might help her in her getaway. Her eyes rested on the flower shop door. The flower shop. Nopony would ever think to look for evidence to a homicide in a cheery, flower-filled room that always lifted your spirits. Thank Celestia there was no blood involved in poisoning others. Once again, Roseluck dragged her victim's by the tails into the flower shop. She ran to the windows to look outside. Not a single pony wandered the streets in view. That was pure luck for the murderer, as anyone who was walking by could turn their heads and see through the transparent windows into the flower shop, no matter how far away they were from it. Without thinking, Roseluck dragged her sisters by their tails to the back of the counter. There were cabinets there, vases and watering cans in them. Dragged again, inside the room-type area that the counters created. There were hidden cabinets there. She opened one. There was nothing inside it. Rose roughly shoved her victim's bodies into the cabinet. A few sharp, sickly cracks. Some bones had broken, but there was no blood. With all the broken bones, the two bodies could easily fit-twisted and dead-in the one small cabinet. There was only one more step in her plan. If it flawed in even the tiniest bit, she would be calling jail her new home. Flee.