//------------------------------// // Part III // Story: Perceptions // by Panoramic Toast //------------------------------// As night descended onto Ponyville and Twilight Sparkle finally made her way into the warm embrace of her bed, the doors of the library creaked open ever so slightly, allowing the entrance of a unicorn covered in dark robes and a dark mask. With a sleek dagger by its side, the unicorn continued to creep through the library, inching its way up the stairs. Upstairs, Twilight continued to toss and turn in her bed sheets while Spike laid content in his small basket of a bed, snoring loudly. The robed pony approached the two and carefully hovered its knife over the sleeping baby dragon. The unicorn lifted its head over Spike for a final glance before thrusting its knife downwards. The masked pony couldn’t see the bubble of air lodged in Spike’s throat, nor could it comprehend the meaning as a flickering trail of green flames shot up in a fiery belch, grazing past the edges of the knife and setting fire to the edges of the masked pony’s cloak. The pony stumbled backwards, diverting the knife from its target and clipping off the burning piece of fabric before putting out the flames with a simple frost spell. Twilight Sparkle and Spike jumped from the sudden noise. Spike elicited a gasp while Twilight lept out and telekinetically tossed Spike aside. “Who are you?” Twilight yelled at the cloaked pony. It said nothing. “What are you doing here?” she asked. It was then that Twilight noticed the knife. The masked pony thrust the knife forward, aiming towards Twilight’s throat. Twilight jumped to the side as the knife grazed the back of her mane. Twilight shot off a concussive blast towards the pony who sidestepped out of the way. The masked pony shot back the knife, forcing Twilight to sloppily dive forward, barely dodging it as it whizzed past her head. Twilight landed against on her sides. As she slid against the wood, she watched her movements as she moved forward to attack. The masked pony ran forward, positioning the knife in front of its body and passed by a book shelf. Still on the ground, Twilight shot a blast towards the back of the shelf, sending an explosion of wood in all directions as the shelf fell towards the masked pony. It acted quickly and faced the shelf as it was about to strike and shot a fiery beam of magic from its horn. The shelf was soon transformed into nothing but ashes.   Just enough time, Twilight thought to herself as she blasted the knife away from the unicorn’s telekinetic grip. The knife slid across the ground, gaining the intruder’s attention. Twilight grabbed hold of the knife with her magic and tossed it towards herself, away from the masked pony. With the knife safely by her side, she faced the intruder with a fierce glance. “I’ll ask one more time, who are you!” Twilight had expected the pony to back down or try to escape; it made the most logical sense for a pony in that situation. Twilight’s eyes widened as the masked pony instead began charging straight towards her. Twilight held the knife firmly in front of her as a million thoughts blazed through her mind. Do I have to kill her? I’ve never tried kill a pony. Maybe she’ll stop! No, she’s desperate. She’s going to try and ram me on the slim chance that she can take me out. A single thought trailed through her mind: survival. If she died, the elements of harmony would be no more. If she died, Spike would be left alone and devastated. If she died, she’d never be able to see her parents, her big brother, the princess, or her friends ever again. If she died, she’d never be able to solve this case. Twilight held firmly against the masked pony and lunged forward with the knife in front of her. The masked pony continued on its mad assault as the knife grew inches from its neck. A glow began to surround the pony as the knife grazed along the side of its neck, sending trickles of blood along the blade. The masked pony vanished in front of her as the knife stabbed through nothingness. Twilight heard a cracking sound behind her like that of a whip and turned to see the masked pony running towards the door that led to the balcony. The masked pony quickly shot a bolt of magic that ripped the door off its hinges and through the now present night sky. Twilight tried to run after, just past Spike, who was cowering in the corner. The masked pony ran onto the balcony and lept from the balcony. Twilight ran towards the pony but could only hear crackling and a flash as the pony teleported away. Twilight stood for a moment, just over the ledge as her heart continued to beat wildly. She then realized that she was still holding the knife and dropped it onto the balcony as she slumped against the ledge, trying to regain her senses. “What’s going on?” a voice yelled from below. Twilight Sparkle lifted herself up and looked across the balcony where a small crowd stood, dressed in night time clothing. “Get....help! Need....police!” Twilight yelled across the balcony in between breaths. The initial shock and adrenaline had faded away, leaving her in a state of mental and physical exhaustion. It only took a few minutes before the police arrived, forced to barge their way through a growing crowd of spectators. No doubt the sight of Twilight breathless and the door ripped from her balcony had caused quite a stir in the little community. When they arrived, Twilight told them everything that she could, keeping a close eye on Spike, who was still shivering. An intruder in the night that tried to kill both of them; what reason would they be his or her target? Twilight already knew the answer. The investigation. The only question was who. It had to be a unicorn, Twilight thought. Inkblot? Possible. He should know by now that I stole the page. If he’s linked to the notebook, no doubt he’d want to cut off any possible trace of evidence. However, he’s a shut in with a hobby for writing mediocre literature, not really the material for a nighttime assassin. Lillypop? Equally as unlikely. There’s no evidence that she knows anything of the notebook other than what I was told. Still, I can’t rule either out completely. A thought struck her. The police department. They know that I was had ownership of the notebook. They know my location. They know everything about the town. Whatever was in that notebook, they don’t want me to find out.   As police ponies passed by, she felt a sense of fear creeping down her shoulders. I’m not safe here, she thought. Spike! I need to get him somewhere safe and keep my investigation as thorough and inconspicuous as possible. I need to act quickly. I can’t arouse any suspicion. Beads of sweat ran down her forehead. I can’t suffer a mental breakdown. Not here. Not now. Too much is riding on this. Calmly, Twilight wore a gentle yet fake smile and called for Spike. He came slowly, still shivering from fright, but less so than before. Quickly, she made her way to the table and packed her letter from Celestia and the certificate of authority into her saddlebags, gently hoisting the bags over shoulder. Cautiously, Twilight walked between officers, numbering about ten in total, careful not to look them in the eye. She made her way to the door where she was approached by the five ponies that she called her best friends. For a brief moment, she wanted to tell them everything. No, she resolved. I can’t let anyone else get involved. None of them will be safe if they know too much. I’ll have to approach this calmly and carefully. “Twilight!” Pinkie yelled as she threw Twilight into a tight hug. “I was so worried about you! Is everything alright? Are you going to be okay? Was it a monster?” Rarity pushed Pinkie aside and gave Twilight a sad look. “Darling, you look absolutely dreadful! Are you going to be okay? Do you know who attacked you?” “Tell us, and I’ll teach that punk a lesson!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed punching her forelegs through the air. Applejack walked closer. “If there’s anything that we can do to help, just let us know. You ought to rest. You look mighty tired.” Can’t rest. I have to be vigilant, Twilight thought. “I’ll be fine,” Twilight lied. “However, I imagine Spike must be exhausted. I have some business to attend to; can anypony take care of Spike until I return?” Rarity rushed past Twilight, throwing her hooves around Spike. “My poor Spikey Wikey!” she yelled as she hugged him. She turned to Twilight. “You take care of whatever you need to. I can certainly take of Spike. I can’t imagine how scared he must be, the poor thing!” Scared was hardly the word to describe him as his body went limp in Rarity’s hooves. He’ll be safe with Rarity. They don’t want him. They want me. Twilight nodded. “I’m sure Spike would be just fine that. Thank you very much, Rarity. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have somthing to tend to.” “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Fluttershy objected. With a simple nod, Twilight Sparkle continued onward as the morning sun began to make its way over Ponyville. After a short walk, she eventually made her way to the Ponyville Police Precinct. It wasn't as packed as Twilight had thought it would be. There were still several officers at her home plus the officers that patrolled during the night. They won’t attack in broad daylight. I’ll be safe for now. At the front desk, a short unicorn mare sat, her hind legs slumped over the desk as she filed her hooves. She faced Twilight with the utmost apathy. “What do you want?” Twilight cleared her throat and pulled the letter from her saddlebags. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I’m on official business at the behest of the princess. I need to access your official records.” She still hadn’t told Celestia about the ordeal, she realized. No doubt she’d try and stop Twilight from investigating further out of fear of her safety. She couldn’t stop now, not after they threatened her life as well as Spike’s. The mare blinked. “Okay. Third room down the hall.” With a nod, Twilight made her way down the hall and found a room entirely encased in darkness, the door wide open. Twilight leaned in and flipped the switch, activating a light bulb on the ceiling.  A torrent of dust made itself visible against the encroaching light. The room was filled from wall to wall with drawers and filing cabinets, some open and some shut tight. There were folders and papers flung and laid carelessly across the room, making it a challenge to simply cross the floor. Twilight began going through the room, examining for anything that stuck out. It wasn’t long before she found a found a cabinet that had been recently open labeled Case Files. Carefully, Twilight opened the cabinet and examined its contents. Inside, she could find several folders alphabetically organized. She went through each, skimming the titles for anything that could be useful. When she made her way to the B’s, she saw something that made her come to a stop. Towards the back of the section was a folder titled Bubble Puff. Behind it, a folder labeled Bubble Puff Suicide Investigation. Twilight pulled out the two folders and examined the contents. The file for Bubble Puff was nearly empty, containing only a handful of files relating to the location of his house and some physical features. One stack of papers in that folder stood out most to her. On it, behavior notes was scribbled across the top. On it, text was hastily written across the page. 11: P.M. The subject is making his way to a restaurant a block from his home. Subject appears to be unaware of my presence. Twilight flipped through it to find similar notes: notes about eating habits, reading, places that he walked. They were dated and marked with the utmost precision. What in Equestria were they looking for? Twilight flipped to the last page. Subject has made his way back from Lillypop’s home in the Everfree. Will continue to monitor the situation. Twilight looked through the rest of the folder, unable to find anything more. She went back and checked the dates. Two months. They were monitoring Bubble Puff for a whole two months before the file cut off. Why? Why were they studying him? There’s no mention of the notebook, so what could it be? Twilight jumped as a sound came from behind her. “You’re not afraid are you? A pony breaks into your home in the dead of night and tries to kill you, and you simply keep investigating.” Twilight quickly turned around and faced Sammy James. “What are you doing here?” Twilight asked, hiding the files behind her. Sammy James walked closer, never looking Twilight in the eye. “There’s no point in hiding that folder that you were viewing. I already went through it earlier.” “Earlier? Wait....why were-” “I was conducting my own investigation,” he said, cutting her off. “No doubt you’re thinking the same thing. ‘Why were they investigating Bubble Puff a whole two months before the actual suicide? Why isn’t there anything else documented?’ To answer that question, I did some research and found out that they did a massive purge of low level information right after Bubble Puff’s suicide was discovered. You’ll find all sorts of things missing in there.” “Is there any way to recover it? Were they all destroyed?” she asked. He shook his head. “There is one way. All information is stored at different levels. Information like the one that you found is open to everyone. There’s one level higher that extends to certain officers. I’m hoping that I can find a way to gain access to it. I have quite a few friends in high places. Any information that is scrapped is automatically moved up for preservation, meaning that if it’s not here it’s either with the second or third level storage.” “Third level?” “The third level, Sammy James began, “extends only to senior level officers. All information, even those that are deleted from the first and second levels, are accessible from the third level. Unfortunately, the only one here with that level of authority is the chief himself.” “I should be able to access it,” she argued. “I have royal authority on this investigation.” “That won’t be enough,” he said. “Even if he grants you access to it, there’s a strong chance that by the time you’re granted access, he’ll have to files transferred or destroyed. The chief may be rude and uncaring, but don’t drop your guard for a minute.” “Then how can I get access to this information if it’s so heavily guarded?” He gave a small grin. “Leave that to me. I checked earlier, and most of the officers are just now making it back from the night shift. Silver Chain most likely won’t be here until lunch, so I’ll have plenty of time. Still, we can’t meet anywhere in public or act too close. We don’t want Silver Chains to get too suspicious.” “How will we meet then?” “Don’t worry about that. I’ll find you,” he assured. “Okay,” Twilight nodded. “I’m grateful, but this seems too odd. Why are you helping me? More importantly, why are you opposing your boss so directly? What’s in this for you?” “For me? I want justice. I’ve been on the force for nearly six years. When I first joined, Ponyville P.D. was a shining beacon of hope for a lot of towns out there. We were swift and thorough. We solved cases and got things done. That’s the reason that I decided to become a police officer. Right after I joined, the police chief died under unspecified circumstances and Silver Chains was brought in to replace him. He never even worked here to begin with. He was some big shot from Canterlot who bought and bribed his way up the chain of command. When he took charge, the entire force changed. It wasn’t about solving crimes or making the community safe anymore; it was about self indulgence and trying to put on a pretty face for the public. It was like....everypony just stopped caring. I want to set things right. I want to get to the bottom of this.” “Alright,” she reluctantly said. “It looks like I don’t have too many options. I’ll trust you. I’ll keep looking into this. What are you going to be doing?” He turned to face the door. “I’m going to find those missing documents. Be careful.” Without another word, he left. Twilight continued to search. She looked into every cabinet and searched through every relevant folder, trying to find even the slightest lead. She eventually came across a folder labeled C.E.H.S.I. She opened it up to find a spreadsheet of times and dates. Towards the bottom of the page there was a line of text. The latest shipment of patients was shipped from Ponyville to the Central Equestrian Home of the Suicidally Inclined earlier today. Location: 2213 Edmare Street, Canterlot. That place, she thought. It’s the same place as the picture in Silver Chain’s office. Is there a connection? It was common knowledge that each town had a member in charge of suicide prevention, so it made sense that he would keep records. Still, something wasn’t sitting right with Twilight. She could remember the old stallion from the picture, gazing in the camera with eyes that were hiding something. She closed the folder and placed it back into the cabinet. She hastily made her way out, shutting off the lights and exiting the station. Only one way to find out. She soon found her way to the train station, way across town, and boarded the next train heading for Canterlot. Cozily, Twilight adjusted in her seat while more passengers boarded. She still doesn’t know, Twilight thought once more. Even now, she had yet to tell the princess what had occurred the night before.  I can’t tell her now. I can’t let her stop me. As the train shook and the ponies on board finally took their seat, Twilight began lean against the window and drifted to sleep. ***************************** Some time later, Twilight awoke as the train pulled to the stop. Twilight walked out, hurriedly. She wanted to leave before any of the crowd. Just as she was making her way through the doors, her heart stopped. Across from the tracks stood none other than Princess Celestia, bearing an unreadable face and surrounded by her royal guards. How did she know? Twilight had been extremely careful. How could this have happened. That’s when it hit her. In the back of her mind, she already knew the answer of how: Spike. Maybe if I’m careful, I can avoid drawing her atten- “Twilight Sparkle!” Celestia’s voice commanded firmly. She had no choice now. Slowly, she made her way off the train and towards Celestia. In the distance, she could hear the hustle and bustle of Canterlot as voices rang from all across the city. Celestia still bore that unreadable face as she inched closer before coming to halt. “P-Princess...I-” Twilight was interrupted by Celestia rushing forward, wrapping her forelegs around Twilight’s shoulders. “Thank goodness you’re okay,” she exclaimed, holding Twilight tighter. “Umm...” Twilight awkwardly stammered. “What’s going on? Why are you here? Are you going to punish me for not telling you about the attack!? Are you going to force me to give up the case!? Please don’t do that!” Celestia pulled herself away and raised a hoof, silencing her. “I came here because I just received a letter out of the blue telling me that my student and her assistant were almost killed. When I learned that you already boarded the train, I had to see you to make sure that you were alright. So, Twilight, I ask you one question: are you alright?” Twilight sighed in relief. “Yes.” Celestia nodded and smiled. She began walking, motioning Twilight to follow. “Twilight Sparkle, you are one of the most talented and brilliant unicorns that I have ever seen. Have I ever told you this?” Twilight blushed and rubbed the back of her neck. “However,” she continued, “you need to put more faith in others.” Twilight’s eyes widened. “You mean you’re not going to force me to drop the case?” She shook her head. “No. As much as I’d like to keep you safe, I can tell how much this case means to you. Once you set your mind to something, you always see it through to the end. Besides, I already said that I wouldn’t have given you this case if I didn’t have complete confidence in your abilities.” “Twilight smiled. “Thank you so much Princess. I promise I’ll get to the bottom of this.” “I know you will,” she replied as she came to stop. “All I ask is that you stay safe. I don’t know what drives you to search for answers in Canterlot, but I know that you have a reason. Whatever the case may be, never hesitate to ask for help.” She smiled. “I won’t. I promise.” “Excellent. Unfortunately, duty calls. I must be getting back to the castle. If you require, I can dispatch the royal guard to escort you to your destination and keep you safe.” Twilight shook her head. “Thanks, but that won’t be necessary. I’d prefer to keep a low profile.” “Understood,” she said with a nod. “Watch yourself, my student.” With that, Celestia walked away with her guards in tow. Twilight walked away and took the time to examine her surroundings. Canterlot was as huge as ever. It almost made her feel nostalgic as she walked past the familiar restaurants and the snooty ponies in their expensive clothes and hats. The city was very lively today, she noted as ponies walked around her. One young colt almost ran into Twilight as she examined the street signs, navigating her way around the busy ponies and lively buildings. Soon enough, she found herself at an intersection with a bridge in the background, leading to Canterlot Castle. In the center of the intersection, was a large stone building that towered at least 10 stories high. Central Equestrian Home of the Suicidally Inclined,  the sign above its revolving glass doors read. Twilight Sparkle entered.