//------------------------------//
// The Set-Up 
// Story: Sick and Twisted 
// by RustyTheBrave 
//------------------------------//

	“Now Twilight,” Fluttershy said patiently and soothingly to her violet friend, “She’s not going to bite you, isn’t that right, Nelly?” Fluttershy asked a tiny garter snake that was wrapped around a positively petrified Princess Twilight Sparkle. Her whole body was rigid with fear, and her outstretched leg, around which the reptile was coiled quite comfortably, shook ever so slightly.
Despite Twilight’s terror, the little snake shook her head reassuringly, and Fluttershy smiled at her friend, “See, Twilight? She’s not going to-” at that moment, several things occurred: Nelly flicked her tongue, tasting the air, and Twilight’s voice erupted from her throat with a scream of pure, unadulterated terror.
“GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF!” Twilight wailed, shaking her hoof around like it was on fire. Fortunately, Nelly possessed rather good sense and loosened her hold enough to go flying through the air, where she was promptly caught by a worried-looking Fluttershy.
“Twilight!” Fluttershy shouted, causing the panicking alicorn to stop running in circles, “Twilight, that was a definite improvement, um... ” the yellow pegasus looked at the clock, while Nelly curled up dizzily around her hoof, “It looks like that was almost ten whole seconds, and you didn’t even throw her all that hard.” Nelly looked like she begged to differ, but she settled for flicking her tongue again.
Twilight took several moments to catch her breath, and gave Fluttershy an apologetic look, “I’m sorry Fluttershy, it’s just...  I really can’t deal with snakes at all. They’re so... ” Twilight shivered, “Slithery, scaly, and ectothermic...  Well, I mean,” Twilight added hastily as she spotted Fluttershy’s increasingly crestfallen expression, while the snake managed to look mildly offended, “no offense to Nelly there, I’m sure she’s a lovely...  lovely snake but-”
“Twilight!” A familiar cry called from outside, rescuing Twilight from the awkward conversation. “Twilight!” Spike called again, sounding out of breath as he ran towards the door, waving letter in his claws. Fluttershy quickly zipped down to open the door for him, and he entered the room at a dead run, gasping for breath.
“Spike?” Twilight asked, concerned. Spike was exceptionally dutiful, but for him to have run all the way to Fluttershy’s cottage set off alarm bells in Twilight’s head. “Spike, what is it? Is there something wrong?” Unable to reply, Spike continued gasping, and wordlessly handed Twilight the letter, shoving it at her so forcefully it practically went up her nose.
Twilight took the letter with her magic, while Fluttershy worked to drag Spike to a couch, where he lay, muttering about ‘too many hills’. It bore the royal seal, which Twilight broke to open the scroll before she began to read aloud.

Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,

A dire situation has arisen in Canterlot, and the implications of these terrible events cannot be denied. Princess Luna has taken dramatically ill, but there is no sign of sickness, and I fear this may be an attempt on my sister’s life.

Twilight and Fluttershy both gasped audibly, while Spike, who had already been gasping, continued to do so. “An attempt on her life?!” Fluttershy said worriedly, “Who would do such a thing?” Rather than answer, Twilight continued to read, her gaze more sharply focused, her face a mask of worry.

Your expertise on magical phenomena would be most helpful in this instance, as the doctors’ results have been inconclusive. Please, Twilight, my sister’s life hangs on a thread, and this illness reeks of some unnatural intent. A carriage will be provided upon your response, to get you here with all possible speed.

Princess Celestia

Twilight flipped the letter over fruitlessly, looking for more details, but the back of the letter remained stubbornly blank. Twilight summoned some paper, ink and a quill from her saddlebags. She had intended to take notes on her recovery from her ophidiophobia, but she felt the need to respond outweighed her original intent for the supplies.
Her response was a short affirmative, and a request for more information, but by the time she was done, Spike had recovered enough to send the letter along. “I’m going back to the library,” Twilight told Fluttershy, who was still looking extremely worried, while she unceremoniously slung Spike over her back with her saddlebags.
“Wait,” Fluttershy said suddenly, sounding strained, “Twilight, um... ” Twilight paused to listen to her friend, but Fluttershy abruptly seemed to change her mind, “Um, nevermind, it-it was nothing.” Twilight, her mind on other things, teleported away, leaving Fluttershy in her house, distraught, and still wearing a snake. “Oh Nelly,” she said softly, “What am I going to do?”
Princess Twilight Sparkle arrived at the Canterlot Palace with an almost scandalous lack of pomp, though a few trumpeters gave a rather muted fanfare. Her mind on the job, Twilight completely failed to recognize the fanfare, and the poor trumpeters had to follow her some distance to complete their duty. She strode through the halls, which were devoid of any of the usual servants, nobles and other dwellers of the castle. In their place, there seemed to be an unusual number of Royal Guards pacing, looking around, or standing guard extremely attentively.
It made sense, Twilight realized, and her mind supplied a distant memory of Equestrian emergency protocol. In the event of an emergency, Twilight recited to herself mentally, any and all auxiliary staff are to be moved away from the Palace proper to their designated evacuation positions. While she doubted the staff had been evacuated from Canterlot itself, their absence sent another chill of worry through Twilight’s already jittery gut.
She had initially made her way to the main throne room, only to find it empty. A guard who had been patrolling nearby informed her that Princess Celestia was currently in Princess Luna’s chambers, so Twilight made her way in that direction. Several minutes later found Twilight approaching the chambers of Princess Luna, where she was stopped by the Night Guards. Instead of the usual two door guards, four of the fearsome Night Guards stood ready as Twilight approached, their spears crossing the entrance to deny Twilight access, pulling her up short as she halted her urgent forward momentum. “No entry,” the guard on the left said flatly, while the others gave Twilight equally stony looks. 
Twilight blinked in surprise, “But I have to go in there, Princess Luna needs my help!” she said urgently, attempting to walk forward once more, only to have the other two spears leveled at her. Intimidated, but determined, Twilight lifted her head, “I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, am here on behalf of Princess Celestia to help heal her sister, and you stand there-” Twilight broke off as the door opened from inside.
“Let her pass, Nocturne,” a soft voice said firmly, with a hint of chastisement. Far from assuaged, the Night Guard who had spoken to Twilight kept her spear in place, her bat-like wings half-spread. “Now.” The voice added, with a tone of finality, and the Night Guards finally relented, lowering their spears and bowing to let Twilight pass.
Twilight passed through the door, and almost walked into Princess Celestia who looked down at her with the most weary expression Twilight had ever seen. “Twilight,” Celestia said warmly, “It’s good to see you,” the gesture was genuine, but Twilight felt something else behind her old mentor’s words. 
“It’s good to see you too, Princess,” Twilight said with a smile, “It feels like ages since the coronation. Hard to believe we haven’t seen each other these past two months.”
Celestia smiled, “Yes, it does seem like a while, I suppose.” The conversation was forced, but it seemed to relax Celestia, and Twilight felt it taking the edge off her nerves. Still, Celestia wasted no time leading Twilight through Princess Luna’s chambers.
Twilight had never seen Princess Luna’s personal chambers before, and she felt like a stranger walking through them, though she had lived most of her life in the palace. Dark tapestries studded with silver threads hung on the stone walls, depicting peaceful night scenes. The rug in the antechamber was similarly black with silver stars, like a patch of night spread across the floor, and Twilight had the mildly disconcerting feeling of falling whenever she passed over it.
Everything in Princess Luna’s chambers was a shade of dark blue, purple or somewhere in between, highlighted with brilliant lights and colors sketched out with metallic paint, threads, or other media. A fire was burning hotly in the fireplace, and there must have been another in Luna’s bedroom proper, for as the ebony doors to Luna’s sleeping chambers were opened soundlessly, heat washed over Twilight.
This room was lit entirely with archaic tallow candles, which cast a flickering yellow glow over the dark room, while the roaring fireplace in the corner of the room added an angry, orange element. As it was during the day, Luna’s shutters were closed, and the room smelled of sickness and smoke so strongly Twilight felt her stomach rebel slightly.
There, on the black velvet bedding of an elegant ebony and silver four-poster bed, lay Princess Luna. But this was a Princess far removed from the intimidating and puissant figure of Nightmare Night. Her coat was sweaty and matted, her mane dim and starless, and she seemed to be stuck in some sort of nightmare, her face contracted in pain even as she slept.
Twilight approached cautiously, and found herself the focus of several sets of eyes. Up above, several Night Guards hung from the ceiling, while others around the walls regarded her suspiciously through slit-pupiled eyes. A fresh wave of stench brought Twilight’s attention back to Luna, and a Night Guard approached immediately with, Twilight was embarrassed to note, what seemed to be another bedpan. She stepped back out hurriedly, while Luna’s attendant performed his duty.
Back in the antechamber, Princess Celestia watched and spoke softly to the retreating Twilight. “She’s weakening,” Celestia said sadly, causing Twilight’s head to whip around. She had forgotten Celestia was there, in her worry over Princess Luna. “She’s normally so strong. Seeing her like this is... ” Celestia couldn’t finish her thought, instead settling for shaking her head.
Twilight cast her gaze back into the bedroom. “The doctors have no idea what it could be that’s causing this illness?”
Celestia sighed, her body sagging with the action. “None. The symptoms are so broad and indeterminate, they can’t pinpoint what it might be. She had been running a fever for a few days, but that wasn’t too worrisome. She was still performing her duties just fine.” She looked up to the floor. “Then she started having the headaches and seemed to be out of sorts for periods of time. Then, just last night, when she failed to wake up to raise the moon... ”
“I didn’t think it was this bad,” Twilight spoke softly, her voice barely above a whisper, yet still easy to hear in the relative silence of the antechamber. “About what you said in the letter... ”
Celestia expression changed, taking on a more serious look. She met Twilight’s eyes, and for a moment, she felt like the Sun Princess was peering into her very soul. “I feel that this illness may not be of natural cause.”
“You... you don’t think that somepony might have made Princess Luna ill intentionally, do you?” The last words were uncertain and sounded weak. “I mean, who would want to hurt her?”
“I have no certain answer to that question, Twilight. Sadly, the number of suspects is growing larger by the moment. Nopony is exempt from suspicion... even me and you.”
“You can’t be serious,” Twilight spoke, this time loud and clear. “Princess, you know I would never—”
Celestia looked pained, and was unable to meet Twilight’s gaze. “The investigation will have to prove that.”
“Princess, I swear that I would never, ever—”
“Twilight, please!” Celestia spoke, her voice shaken with stress. “I know. Believe me, I know. However, we cannot rule out anyone in this. It’s the way the justice system works. As I said, not even I am exempt from suspicion.”
Twilight shook her head slowly and turned towards Luna’s bedroom. “Then... what should I do?”
Celestia looked back to the bedroom where Luna lay. “What you do best, Twilight. Research. Investigate. Look into possible spells that could cause illnesses. Rare poisons that could be placed into foods. I would help, but I am afraid that I cannot leave Luna’s side.” She walked towards the doorway. “For once, I must be selfish, Twilight. I... I cannot bear to be away from Luna while she is like this.” She swallowed hard before continuing. “My personal staff are seeing to the day-to-day operations for now. Hopefully, that won’t be necessary for too long.”
“I... I’ll do all I can, Princess.”
“I know you will, Twilight,” Celestia whispered. “Thank you. You have complete access to the archives, and are open to questioning anypony who you think may have a connection to this. As a princess of Equestria, in times like these, you are given legal authority to conduct investigations relating to this case.”
“Do you have any idea where I could start?”
Celestia closed her eyes, a troubled look crossing her mind. “There... are some leads that I might have.”
“Leads?” inquired Twilight.
“Luna... received a dress recently from an anonymous admirer. While this isn’t uncommon, it was delivered about a week prior to her sudden illness.”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “You think someone might have done something to it? Enchanted it, or exposed it to some kind of poison or bacteria?” Twilight’s mind began racing. “It’s plausible. Not the most conventional means of poisoning, considering a dress isn’t normally inhaled... unless it was sprayed with perfume or something... ”
Celestia shook her head. “I’m not sure. I’ve had my guards seal it up and put it in a safe room for now. I would suggest wearing some safety gear before you look at it, though. I don’t want you to risk falling ill as well if this dress is indeed the reason behind Luna’s condition.”
Twilight nodded. “I brought along paper, quills, and several books on illnesses. I’ll get right on this, Princess... ” Twilight dug into her saddlebags, only to pause and frown. “Odd, I thought I packed some extra paper in here... ”
A sudden burst of light went off between the two alicorns. Twilight cried out in alarm while Celestia reeled back, nearly falling over. Several guards were in the room immediately, spears and swords in their teeth.
Celestia’s eyes blinked rapidly as she recovered from the blinding light. Her expression darkened as she lay her eyes on the source of the sudden chaos. “You... ”
“Oh, well hello to you, too, Celestia. Glad to see your sunny disposition hasn’t changed since we last talked.”
Twilight took a step back as her eyes fell upon none other than Discord. The draconequus was sipping a glass of what appeared to be orange juice through a silly straw, a pair of thick-rimmed sunglasses resting on his snout. He had a bored look about him, but what grabbed her attention the most was the bundle cradled in his other arm.
“Spike?” Twilight gasped. Her magic reached out and took the dragon from Discord. She examined the young dragon, who looked dazed, but otherwise fine. “What did you do to him?”
Discord turned to Twilight, then shrugged. “Beats me. I guess he’s not used to chaotic teleportation... ” He tapped his chin in thought. “Then again, we did end up in Horseshoe Bay for a few minutes.”
Twilight grimaced.“Not my fault,” Discord spoke, raising his arms in defense. “Teleporting is always weird for me this time of the year.”
Celestia stepped forward, her snout inches from Discord’s. “What are you doing here?” Her tone lacked any of its usual gentleness, and the temperature in the room rose noticeably.
“I’m here to help, isn’t it obvious?” Discord replied as he lowered his sunglasses to meet her gaze. “After all, Twilight is a friend of Fluttershy’s. A friend of Fluttershy’s is a friend of mine.”
“You want to help me?” Twilight asked, arching an eyebrow.
Discord nodded. “Luna’s always been more exciting than Celestia. It’d be a real bummer for me if she were to retire from her royal duties... ” He leaned in close to Twilight and whispered loudly. “Nighttime was so dull when Celestia was in charge. Even though I was a statue, I still had standards.”
Twilight pushed his head away. “Why should I trust you?”
“Because, Luna being ill stirs up chaos. I know chaos,” Discord answered simply while smiling. “I’m the best bet you’ve got to solving this.”



“Oh come on, it was priceless!” Discord said with another chuckle, as Twilight trotted through the streets of Canterlot with Spike bouncing on her back, who gave Discord wary looks from time to time. “You and Celestia had the most delightful expressions, you have to admit.” Discord’s presence had cleared the streets, as the usual inhabitants were prudent enough to give the spirit of chaos a wide berth.
“I still have to agree with Celestia. You’re up to something,” Twilight added with a frown. “Since when have you ever wanted to help anypony?”
Discord rolled his eyes at the alicorn. “Since Fluttershy, I believe.” He floated in front of Twilight as she continued her trek down the road into the residential districts. “So, about that dress... ?”
Twilight lifted a box up before him, sealed tight with several wards to contain whatever possible dangers lurked within. “Right here. I’m not going to take any chances until I get some answers first.” She looked over her shoulder to Spike. “Did you bring pack my saddlebags with those books from the archives”
Spike flashed her a smile and patted either bag on her side. “Yep, just like you asked.”
“Good work, Spike,” Twilight said with a proud smile. “I have to admit, for once Discord did something good by bringing you with him.”
“Right here, you know... ” Discord grumbled. He took the box in his own magic, and studied it with a scrutinous gaze. “Hm... so, this dress is what made Luna sick?”
“I’m not sure. We’re going to speak to the Royal Steward and see if she can tell us anything more about it.” Twilight took a turn down a side street, and began looking at address numbers. “Ah, here we are. Right, Spike, come with me. Discord, stay here, and don’t cause any trouble.”
“Yes, mother,” Discord sighed, pulling a paddle ball out of thin air and smacking it without so much as batting an eyelash. “Take your time.”
Twilight made her way up to the small, two story abode. She raised a hoof and knocked on the door several times. The door knob lit up with a faint, white glow, and an elderly unicorn stallion greeted Twilight.
His eyes widened upon taking in her appearance. “Princess Twilight Sparkle, I wasn’t expecting—”
“Mister Bright Duty, I have some questions for you, if you don’t mind,” Twilight cut him off. She saw him pale a bit, and softened her tone. “Forgive me, but... it’s in regards to this dress that was delivered to Princess Luna a few days ago.”
The elderly stallion studied the box floating in Twilight’s magic, eyes lighting up in recognition. “Ah, yes, I recall that dress being delivered to her Majesty no more than a week ago.” He nodded slowly. “I... let me think... it was dropped off by a pegasus. A mare, I believe.”
Twilight nodded. “Did you notice anything odd about the dress or the pony who delivered it?”
“The dress?" The steward asked in surprise, "No, no, completely harmless as far as I can tell. I put it through the standard poisons and curses detection procedure as soon as I received it.”
Twilight frowned, “Are these detection spells up to date?”
The stallion frowned as well, and Twilight sensed that she had crossed a line. “Your Highness, I assure you, my spells are routinely improved. I have the best minds in Canterlot advising me. After all, it’s for the Princesses’ safety.”
“Of course, forgive me. It’s... well... ” Twilight hesitated. “Princess Luna has been rather... ”
The stallion’s expression became worried. “Is something wrong with the princess?”
“Um... no, she’s just, it’s... ” Twilight trailed off, caught between trying to maintain a royal secret and what she's already said.
“Embarrassing?” The stallion asked knowingly, Twilight looked to Spike, who merely gave her a confused smile. “Good heavens, what has our Princess of the Night done this time?” the stallion sighed, chuckling a bit. “I hope she hasn’t done some foolhardy spell at one of her private parties again.”
“Yes,” Twilight replied, a relieved smile forming on her lips, though the solution brought its own bouquet of questions, “It’s a rather complicated matter.”
“My word,” Bright Duty chortled some more. “Well, do let me know if I can be of further assistance. While I don’t doubt her Highness’ wisdom, she can be a bit rash in her decisions sometimes.” He waved a hoof. “Right, well, I imagine you’ve got more important matters to attend to. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“Yes, actually. You mentioned a pegasus mare had delivered the dress. What did she look like?”
Bright Duty nodded. “Oh, yes. Forgive me. It was actually Lady Rainbow Dash who delivered it. She seemed to be in a bit of a hurry, though, so I couldn’t really exchange any greetings with her.”
“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight shared a look with Spike. He seemed just as confused. “Are you sure?”
Bright Duty laughed. “It’s hard to mistake that mane for somepony else’s, your Majesty.”
Twilight suppressed a sigh. “I see, well, that will be all. Thank you again, Mister Bright Duty.”
“It was my pleasure, Princess Twilight." Bright Duty said with a bow, "Good luck in helping the princess.”
Spike and Twilight turned around, making their way back towards the street. “Well, at least we know now that the dress is sa—”
The two paused as their eyes took in the scene before them. Several moments of silence passed before Spike spoke softly. “Twilight... what... ?”
There stood Discord, decked out in the regal dress that had been intended for Luna. “Well?” He put a hand on his hip and batted his eyelashes. “What do you think?”
Twilight had no words. Discord frowned, and pulled gently at the hem of the skirt. “Oh, it’s the color, isn’t it?” He sighed deeply. “Blue never was my color. Neon orange seems to fit me better.” With a snap of his fingers, the blue ball gown had transformed into a hideous, bright orange. “There, now Sapphire Shores will die at the next Grand Galloping Gala when she lays eyes on my amazing—”
“Discord, turn it back, now,” Twilight demanded. “You’re ruining important evidence!”
“Alright, alright,” Discord grumbled. He snapped his fingers once more, the dress once more blue and no longer on him. He stashed it back into the box.
“How did you get that from her, anyway?” Spike asked. “She just showed it to the stewards a minute ago.”
Discord just shrugged. “You’re asking me? Heck, I don’t even know how I do the things I do half the time.” He cracked his knuckles and stared at the box with a rare look of seriousness. “So, the dress was nothing more than a red herring after all.” He folded his arms together and turned the box over a few times. “There’s no return address or anything on here, either. Sounds a might fishy if you ask me.”
Twilight sighed as the spirit of chaos produced a red herring and sniffed it before tossing it aside. “We did find out who delivered it, though.”
“That’s right,” Discord smirked. “Little Rainbow Dash playing courier? Seems a little strange, does it not?”
“You’re one to talk,” Twilight countered. “I still don’t know what your game is, but if you’re willing to help, fine.” She took the box containing the dress from him. “Come on, Spike, let’s get to the train station.”
“No need,” Discord said as he floated in front of her. “Why take a train when you can take... ” He slapped an engineer’s hat onto his head and picked the two up with his magic, “The Chaos Express!”
The two were plopped onto his back as he lifted off into the air, his body extending to at least three times its normal size. Twilight’s ears twitched. “Why do I hear music?”
Discord let out a loud chuckle. “Hold on, Atreyu!”
“Twilight, I want to get off,” Spike whimpered. 
The music grew louder as the trio took to the air, Spike and Twilight hanging onto Discord’s mane tightly. “The Neverending Stoo~oory! The Neverending Stoo~oooory!” Discord sang, his pitch off with the tune. “Come on, you know the words!”
“T-the Neverending Story... ” Spike and Twilight whimpered as Canterlot became a distant speck on the mountainside.



As soon as Discord landed in Ponyville Square, Spike hopped off, kissing the ground repeatedly. Twilight took a few wobbly steps as she attempted to regain her bearings.
Discord stretched his back and limbs. “Well, wasn’t that fun?”
“I’m going to throw up... ” Twilight mumbled weakly.
Discord snorted out a laugh. “Oh, you’ll get over it. You just need to exercise your wings a bit more. As for our little dragon... ”
Spike was now shedding silent tears and hugging a rock.
“On second thought, I’m not going to go there... ” Discord said to himself. He instead helped Twilight steady herself and grinned. “Right, so, Rainbow Dash. All we need to do is find a tacky looking cloud house.”
Within minutes they spotted Rainbow Dash’s house, floating a little ways north of town. The trio made their way through town, Twilight barely registering anyone who greeted her. As the cloud house grew closer, Discord grunted in amusement.
“You have to wonder, how did she ever afford a rainbow waterfall. That must have cost her a small fortune.”
Twilight shook her head and flexed her wings, only to grumble as she failed to lift off the ground. With a sigh, she picked up Spike in her magic and teleported to the front of the cloud house.
Spike patted her on the back. “Don’t worry, Twi. You’ll fly one of these days.”
“I could have helped,” Discord added.
“No!” the two replied, eyes wide with fear.
Discord rolled his eyes and knocked on Rainbow’s cloud door.
“Yeah, yeah, just a sec’” came the voice of the pegasus within. A few seconds later, Rainbow Dash opened her door and took in the sight. “Twilight? Spike?” Her eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed as she glared at the draconequus. “Discord?”
“Hello, Miss Rainbow Dash, have you heard the word of Celestia yet?”
Rainbow Dash frowned. “No, what is it?”
“Murder!” Discord shouted.
“What?” Rainbow Dash reeled back. “W-what are you talking about?” She looked to Twilight. “Twi, what’s going on here?”
Twilight looked to Discord with a disapproving frown. He slumped and huffed. “Fine, spoil-sport. Ruin the fun.”
“Right,” Twilight began, returning her attention to her friend. “Rainbow Dash, something serious has happened to Princess Luna.”
“P-Princess Luna?” Rainbow Dash repeated. “What’s wrong? Is she alright?”
“No, I’m afraid she’s not alright,” Twilight looked around, as though expecting somepony to be eavesdropping. “Can... can we go inside and talk about this?”
“Sure,” Rainbow Dash took a step back, opening the door fully for the three to enter. “So, what’s wrong?”
“Rainbow Dash, were you in Canterlot recently?” Twilight asked, looking around.
“Um... ” Rainbow Dash’s ears flattened. “Yeah, I was.”
“Why?” Twilight asked carefully as she noted her friend's change in body language.
“I... I was visiting a friend.” Rainbow Dash said unconvincingly, looking away.
“A friend?” Twilight repeated. “Who?”
Rainbow Dash chuckled a little. “Oh, you know...  a friend. You probably never met them.”
Spike tapped Twilight on the shoulder. She looked to him, and he just nodded.
“Rainbow Dash... we heard from the Royal Steward that you were seen in Canterlot Palace a few days ago, delivering a box addressed to Princess Luna.”
“What?” Rainbow Dash took a step back. “Yeah, well... well I was not! They have to be lying!”
“Rainbow Dash, please, just tell me what is going on.”
“I was not at the palace! Seriously, I am not—”
“Rainbow Dash, Princess Luna is deathly ill, and I need to find out why!” Twilight shouted.
It was so silent, one could have heard a pin drop. On a cloud.
A loud slurping broke the silence, and the two mares and dragon looked to see Discord drinking a glass of chocolate milk through a silly straw.
“Oh... ” Discord looked to his drink. “Don’t mind me. I was just thirsty.”
Twilight just glared at him, then looked back to Rainbow Dash. Her tone softened as she took in her friend’s appearance. The pegasus was now on the verge of tears. “Rainbow... please, what’s going on? Why were you in Canterlot? Really?”
“I... I can’t.”
Twilight reached out with a hoof. “Why not?”
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I just can’t.”
“Rainbow Dash, right now, you’re suspected of attempting to poison the princess. I don’t want to believe it was you who has made her ill, but... ”
For a long time, there was silence, then Rainbow spoke softly, looking down at her hooves, “I got a note at work the other day,” Rainbow began. “It had no idea who gave it to me, but it said there was a package I had to deliver to the palace. I didn’t think anything of it, I mean... there was no name or anything. Besides, I’m not a delivery pony!” She frowned. “Then... then I saw an envelope attached to the package. I opened it. It had a picture of Gilda and I, back when we were in Junior Speedsters camp together...  when I pulled it out... ” Rainbow’s voice cracked on the last word, and she took a shaky breath. “W-when I pulled it out, the picture fell apart. Somepony ripped it in half, right through Gilda and I.”
“Rainbow... ” Twilight whispered as her friend began to sob. “Oh my gosh, why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I was scared, Twi!” Rainbow Dash answered. “I thought somepony was going to... going to do something awful to Gilda and... I know she was a jerk the last time I saw her, but, she’s still... ” She broke down at that point, crying openly before her friend. “I just didn’t know what else to do!”
While Twilight comforted her friend, Spike looked to Discord and made a shooing motion with his hand. For a moment, it looked like Discord was going to object. Spike pointed to Rainbow Dash, then mouthed the words ‘Out’ to him.
Discord shrugged, and left the house without a word.
Rainbow Dash must have noticed, since she gave Spike a small smile. “Thanks, Spike... ”
“No problem,” Spike said softly. “So... do you know anything else about that package? What time you found it? Anything suspicious?”
“Nothing,” Rainbow replied. “Though, Applejack told me something weird the other day.”
“She did?” Twilight took a step back from Rainbow Dash. “What did she say?”
“Something about someone stealing a lot apples from her in the middle of the night. I mean like, a few bushels of them. I don’t know the details, she was busy with setting up her stand. She looked pretty bothered by it, though. I asked her about it, but she wouldn’t say anything else.”
“A few bushels?” Twilight shook her head. “And Applejack hasn’t done anything about it?”
“Like I said, weird,” Rainbow Dash added with a nod. “You think she would have chased them down and hogtied them or something.”
Well, it was something, and right now, Twilight needed any clues she could find. If this was a part of some crime spree in Equestria, she wouldn’t rest until she had gotten to the bottom of it.
“Thank you, Rainbow Dash. I promise I’ll figure out who is behind all this. We found out that dress was nothing harmful, but we had no other leads to go off of.” Twilight gave her friend a quick hug. “I’m sorry if I scared you at all.”
“No, it’s alright. I understand.” Rainbow sniffled a bit. “Just... let me know when you find out who hurt the princess.”
“I’ll will. Hopefully I can figure this all out before too long.”
“I know you will,” Rainbow said with a smile, wiping away a few tears. “Nopony is smarter than you, Twi.” 
Twilight’s smile grew. “Thanks.”



Twilight, Spike, and Discord sat at the small cafe near town square, taking a break for a quick lunch. Discord looked rather annoyed, seeing as he had to settle for hay fries and a daisy sandwich, since the cafe was “fresh out” of exploding banana cream pies.
“Horrible service if I ever saw it,” Discord mumbled while twirling a glass of tea with his finger. “So, Applejack, huh? Never took her to be the kind to attempt regicide.”
“Discord!” Twilight hissed, looking around. She settled down when she noticed no one had heard his comment. “Be careful with what you’re saying! We don’t want anypony to panic!”
“Yes, yes, you ponies are quite prone to that already. I’ll stop for now.” He leaned back in his chair and literally zipped his lips shut.
“So... what are we going to do, Twilight?” Spike asked. “Rainbow didn’t sound like she was behind anything.”
“No, she didn’t. I suppose our next move will be to talk with Applejack.”
“You... you don’t really think she did it, do you, Twilight?”
Twilight shook her head, “I’m not saying she did, Spike, but we have to talk to her.” Twilight frowned and looked over in the direction of the orchard, “There’s a lot of weird things going on, and I can’t shake this feeling...  like they’re all connected somehow.”	
Sweet Apple Acres was particularly beautiful that summer. The scent of apple blossoms drifted on the breeze as Twilight trotted up the road with Spike on her back, and Discord floating beside her, playing solitaire perpendicular to the ground, in complete defiance of physics. “I wish you wouldn’t do that,” Twilight said irritably to Discord, “It unnerves everypony we walk past,”
“Well, maybe they should broaden their horizons then,” Discord said primly, with a smirk at the annoyed alicorn, “It’s not my fault if they’re simply too narrow to appreciate a bit of fun.”
“Well it wasn’t fun when that physicist fell over in a faint,” Twilight returned. It had been quite a scene, and Twilight had had to stop the town from dissolving into hysterics with some calm explanations.
“Oh have it your way Captain,” Discord said, snapping the cards away, before replacing them with a set of dominoes. He proceeded to play against himself, on a table that was also perpendicular to the ground. He remained entirely oblivious to Twilight’s frustrated groans, or the annoyed and amused look he received from Spike.
As they arrived on Sweet Apple Acres, a rhythmic thudding noise drew them towards a familiar orange pony. Applejack looked exhausted, much as she had very early on in their friendship when she had refused help from anypony. Yet she still stubbornly kept kicking trees, filling baskets, looking frustrated, at least until she caught sight of Twilight. “Twilight!” Applejack called, lowering her hoof from giving another kick to a tree that, Twilight silently noted, was absolutely devoid of apples already.
She walked up to Twilight, and caught sight of Spike and Discord. “Mighty good t’see you too Spike,” the farmer said warmly to the little dragon, ignoring Discord for the moment, “Looks like you’ve grown a bit even,” Applejack said, while Spike grinned, straightening slightly. “But what brings y’all out here?”
Twilight’s smile dimmed, “Well, that’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Can we go inside?”
Applejack grimaced, “Ah really should get back to work, we’ve got a lot of apples to buck, and out of season too.”
Twilight nodded, “I know, it looks like you’re really busy here, but this is really important Applejack.”
Applejack sighed and nodded, “Alright, come on then,” Applejack led the trio back to the house, where she washed the worst of the sweat off in the rain barrel. To the side, Twilight noticed another barrel marked with a rather ominous skull and crossed-bones.
“Applejack,” Twilight said slowly, “What’s that?”
“Huh?” Applejack said, flipping her mane back out of her eyes and putting her hat back on. She looked over at where Twilight was pointing, “Oh, that’s some pesticide, you know, for them varmints that can’t be reasoned with nice-like.” At Twilight’s surprised look, Applejack went on, “You know, like ants, wasps, beetles, that sort of thing...  Ah never do it when Fluttershy’s around, she’d probably talk them inta going elsewhere,” Applejack admitted, “But they gen’rally come back, and we’ve got a farm to run here.”
“I understand,” Twilight said seriously, “But it seems dangerous,”
“Oh a bit,” Applejack said as she led the trio inside the house, “But we manage. ‘sides, we’re really careful out here, ain’t never had an incident. Now,” Applejack said as they walked into the dining room. “What’s so urgent then?”
“Oh not much,” Discord put in over Twilight’s attempt to speak, “Just you know, fate of Equestria in the balance, danger and intrigue, boring things like that.” He looked at his nails as if excessively interested in them, “You’d think you ponies would have gotten used to it by now, but every time there’s a little disturbance, you all get so bent out of shape.”
At Applejack’s alarmed expression, Twilight clarified, “We think Princess Luna has been poisoned, or given some sort of disease.”
“What?!” Applejack burst out, “Princess Luna poisoned?! Or sick?! Of all the...  who coulda done such a thing like that?”
“That’s what we’re trying to find out, Applejack,” Twilight said soothingly, “but we’ve only got one lead, and that ended in a dead-end,” she ignored Discord’s bark of laughter at the rather grim and unintended pun, “So we’re asking around about any strange things that have happened.”
The way Applejack’s open face solidified into unhelpfulness at that set off alarms in Twilight’s head. Still, she tried, “Have you...  had anything weird happen lately on the farm?”
“Ah can’t help.” Applejack said flatly, looking away.
“Can’t?” Spike asked curiously, baffled, “Why not?”
“Don’t ask me that Spike,” Applejack said flatly, while Discord politely gave Spike a golf-clap, “Ah can’t tell you anythin’ about anythin’, so drop it.”
“But the Princess is in danger!” Twilight put in urgently, “Anything you say could-”
“Ah said no!” Applejack said, standing abruptly, looking angrily at Twilight, “Now if you’ll excuse me,” Applejack said, lowering her hat to blot out Twilight’s gaze, “Ah’ve got some apples to buck. You can let yerselves out whenever you like.” Twilight winced as the door slammed, while Spike just goggled at where Applejack had been standing.
For a few moments, the three just sat there in the Apple family kitchen, listening to the clock tick. Twilight was completely at a loss, and shocked at her friend’s reaction. She rose from the table, prompting Spike to look up and Discord to look over from where he was turning the numbers on the clock around backwards.
“I’m going to go talk to her again,” Twilight said firmly, “I don’t know what it is that’s got her so worried, but I’m going to find out.” A soft sound made her turn, and Twilight caught sight of Applebloom looking around the corner, her eyes wide and unusually anxious.
“Twilight... ” Applebloom said a little shakily, “Ah need to show ya something. An’...  an’ Applejack doesn’t have to know.”
Twilight, more than a little alarmed, nodded and turned to Spike, “Keep him out of trouble,” she said with another nod to Discord, who was starting to fiddle with the clock more intensely. Spike saluted, and tugged on Discord’s tail meaningfully, distracting the chaotic visitor sufficiently to break him off from his project.
Applebloom led Twilight out of the house, around the back, to a small shed surrounded in carpentry tools. The door was unlocked, as most of the doors were on the Apple family farm, and when Twilight opened the door, wood shavings swirled around her hooves. The shed was dark, as it was little more than a space to store tools. Everything was perfectly organized, and generally clean aside from some sawdust here and there.
Every tool had a place, some of them quite sharp and alarming, but Twilight’s gaze was drawn to the chisels. They ran the gamut from small, detail chisels for shaping small pieces up to large blocks of sharp metal that were used for splitting logs. But in the middle, one chisel was missing. Twilight assumed it was being used, but it seemed eerily out of place, and Applebloom distracted her from her musings. She tugged gently on Twilight’s mane and pointed to a shrouded, door-shaped object against the back wall, where it was illuminated by a thin shaft of light peeking through the slats on the shed.
“That was my door,” Applebloom said quietly, biting her lip a little and looking around, “And...  well just look, Twilight.”
Twilight, a little puzzled, took the shroud off the door with her telekinesis in a single motion. As she saw the door itself though, her heart stopped in her chest, and the shroud fell to the floor.
There, in the middle of the otherwise solid and serviceable door was a message carved clearly and neatly in the wood... 


Silence is golden.


“That’s why ah can’t tell you anythin,” a tired voice behind Twilight said wearily, “Ah just can’t.” Twilight turned, and there was Applejack, framed in the doorway. Applebloom was nowhere to be found. “Ah shouldn’t have even told Rainbow about the apples, but that was before ah found that. So don’t ask me about it Twi, just don’t.”
Twilight bit her lip, but nodded and walked towards her friend. She gave Applejack a quick hug, surprising the conflicted farmer, “We’ll fix this,” she said softly, “You’ll see.”
“Ah just... ” Applejack swallowed hard, and nodded slowly. “Thank ya, Twilight. For... y’know... ”
Twilight shook her head slowly. “Why would somepony steal your apples and make such a threat?” She spoke softly. “Applejack, is there anypony that you might have upset that would do such a thing?”
“No. Ah... ” Applejack frowned. “Landsakes, Twilight, I ain’t never done wrong by anypony intentionally, you know that!” Apple Bloom had since walked up beside her older sister. Applejack had wrapped a foreleg around her, holding her close to her side. “First Sugarcube Corner’s kitchen caught fire, and now this... ”
“What?” Twilight started. “When did that happen?” Twilight asked. “How did I not know about it?”
“Oh... ” Applejack sighed deeply. “Shucks, it wasn’t anything too serious. Pinkie was takin’ care of an order when one of the stovetops caught fire. She sounded a little spooked by the whole thing, too. Something about the order going missin’ after she put the fire.”
Looks like Twilight had another stop to make. “Thanks for telling me what you could, Applejack.” She gave both of the two sisters a small smile. “I’ll make sure whoever did this is brought to justice when we find them. I promise.”



“So, we have an apple thief with a knack for leaving threatening messages on doors... ” Discord stroked his goatee while humming in thought. “Yeesh, makes you wonder if the Pear family in Fillydelphia has it in for the Apples or something.”
“There’s a Pear family?” Spike asked, following behind Twilight as they made their way back into Ponyville.
“Of course. They’re actually distant relatives of the Apples, but the two had a bitter split about two hundred years ago when there was a disagreement on which fruit made for a better cobbler. Needless to say, the Apples did better in business since the split.”
Spike narrowed his eyes. “You’re lying.”
Discord shrugged. “I thought it made for a good story.”
“Quit fooling around, you two,” Twilight said. “Things have just gotten more serious. Now we have someone threatening my friend’s little sister. The sooner we figure all this out, the sooner everyone can stop worrying.”
“What would anypony want with a bunch of apples, anyway? How many did Rainbow Dash say they stole? A bushel? Two bushels?”
“It sounded like a bit more than that, but there’s no way of knowing for certain. Applejack might know, but we can’t ask her.”
“We can’t?” Spike cocked his head to the side. “Why not?”
“It’s... I can’t say, Spike.”
Spike frowned. “Twilight... ”
“Spike, trust me on this one. It’s for the best.”
Discord rolled his eyes. “Hmph. Sounds like somepony’s keeping a secret from the rest of the investigation team.”
“For the record,” Twilight began, whirling around to face the draconequus, “you, Discord, have been more problematic than helpful so far! What’s the point of offering your ‘help’ when all you do is cause trouble?”
Discord frowned. “Well... ” He leaned forward and lowered his neck so that he was eye to eye with Twilight. “For starters, I visited Fluttershy yesterday. She had some rather unpleasant news to share.”
Twilight’s ears drooped. “Fluttershy, too?”
Discord nodded. “It was part of the reason I showed up in Canterlot, really. I figured you would be as good a pony as any to go to for help.”
“What happened? Is she alright?”
“Physically?” Discord waved a hand. “Yes. Mentally, though? She was pretty shaken.” He stood back up to his full height and floated ahead. Twilight and Spike followed by his side as he continued. “She told me that she saw somepony stealing a few toads from the creek near her house a few days ago. She called out to them and told them to let the toads go.”
“Toads?” Twilight’s muzzle scrunched up. “What would they want with toads?”
“No clue,” Discord replied. “All I know is that the pony told Fluttershy if she tried to stop them, she would be losing more than a few toads next time.” The expression on Discord’s face was grim, not a trace of humor to be seen.
“Why... but... ” Spike shook his head. “Who would want to do something like that to Fluttershy?”

As the trio of investigators approached Fluttershy’s cottage, Twilight immediately noticed something was wrong. No animals were running around outside, no birds were flying in and out of the window. It almost looked like Fluttershy wasn’t home at all, but there was smoke rising from the chimney.
“I wonder what’s up?” Spike asked, once he had noticed. Even Discord seemed subdued by the sight, which was something of a calendar event. He had been busily rolling his eyes over his body, attempting juggling tricks of varying levels of difficulty until they had come in sight of the cottage. His usual mildly amused smirk was dampened, and there was an intensity about him that was quietly disturbing.
“I don’t know,” Twilight said honestly, her tone laced with worry as she sped up her pace, “But this looks bad.”
Twilight and the others approached the cottage urgently, where the silence was the most noticeable. Fluttershy’s cottage was usually a happy anarchy of birds, mice and other creatures moving and squeaking around as the amiable yellow pegasus cared for them. Now the building was a sad shell of its usual welcoming self.
Twilight approached and knocked, while Discord floated nearby, and Spike sat silently upon her back. There was no answer for a moment, then just as Twilight was about to knock again, the door pulled open, revealing a very disheveled Fluttershy.
From the redness around the yellow mare’s eyes, it looked like she’d been crying, though she smiled at the group, “O-Oh hi Twilight, Spike, Discord...  It’s g-good to see you all, um... ” Fluttershy trailed off, breaking her eye contact, “I, um...  I’m k-kind of busy so... ”
“Fluttershy,” Twilight said gently, “Can we come in?” Fluttershy looked like she’d like to say no, as a flicker of fear danced behind her eyes, but she stepped aside to let the group into her house.
Fluttershy’s cottage was usually full of sound; everywhere there were creatures squeaking, chittering, chirping or otherwise making noises as they scuttled, flapped, slithered and fluttered through the house. Now, however, the house was empty, aside from one very distressed pegasus and a rabbit who looked entirely too cross to leave.
Angel, as per usual, gave Twilight and the others (especially Discord) a very annoyed look, as if they had interrupted something incredibly vital. But this time, there was a little glimmer of worry in the bunny’s usually irascible countenance. “Hi, Angel,” Spike said warmly, breaking the tension in the room, “What’s up?”
The words seemed to break something in Fluttershy, who just started sobbing. “What did I say?” Spike asked in bewilderment, while Discord and Twilight rushed over to Fluttershy, who continued to cry as her friends moved over to comfort her. Twilight, who was mildly surprised to see Discord genuinely distressed, held and comforted her friend for several minutes until the pegasus sniffled and choked back the last of her tears.
“I-I’m sorry e-everypony,” Fluttershy said weakly, “I just...  I couldn’t... ” Her voice broke again, “I couldn’t keep them...  I had to send them all away and, oh Twilight, I just don’t know what to do!” Bewildered and concerned, Twilight held her friend, while Discord sat nearby, his expression unreadable.
“So Fluttershy went and sent her little animals away,” Discord said with a rather more somber tone in his voice, “But why? I know those toads were taken, but honestly, was the threat that serious?”
Fluttershy bit back some tears, sniffing, and nodded her head sharply, “A-after that...  after the toads w-were kidnapped... I... I wanted to find you and tell you, but... ” She shuddered and released a sob, “I found... I found the chicken coop outside my cottage destroyed earlier today.”
“Oh no,” Twilight gasped. “Were the chickens okay?”
“Yes,” Fluttershy sighed weakly. “I knew it wasn’t safe for my animal friends to be here anymore, so... so I had to send them all away.”
At that point, Angel hopped onto her lap and patted her gently. Fluttershy scooped him up into her forelegs and held him close. 
“Why would anyone want to steal toads?” Spike asked quietly. “I mean... can’t you get like... warts and stuff from them?”
“Oh no, that’s not true at all,” Fluttershy spoke, her tone a little less sad for a moment. “But you should always wash your hooves after handling a toad. They have glands on their skin that secrete chemicals that can cause irritation to the skin or eyes... but... those toads... ” Fluttershy frowned. “They’re such good little toads, but they were Equestrian Bogskin Toads. Their poison glands have a very strong toxin in them.”
“How strong?” Twilight inquired.
“Um... well, I’ve never thought to try... but I know a full grown bear can get sick from trying to eat one.” Fluttershy frowned. “Poor Harry was sick for weeks.”
“How many toads were taken, Fluttershy?”
“All of them. Probably... ten of them? Maybe more? I know one of the females just had some tadpoles earlier this spring, but they grow up so fast,” Fluttershy whimpered, her mood dropping once more. “O-oh, I hope they’re okay. Honestly, they... they never tried to hurt anypony. I-I don’t know why somepony would steal a poor little animal.”
Twilight rubbed her chin with a hoof. “So... we’ve got a supposedly harmless dress, a lot of apples... and now toads... ”
“Huh?” Fluttershy quirked an eyebrow.
Twilight shook her head. “Fluttershy, there’s been some strange things going on around Ponyville lately. I think whoever stole your toads might be connected to the other events I’ve heard about.”
“It’s nothing bad, is it?”
Twilight wasn’t sure if telling the already distraught pegasus about Princess Luna’s condition was a good idea. She bit her lip, then looked to Spike and Discord.
The draconequus seemed to get the hint. “Hopefully, no. We’re still trying to figure everything out, Fluttershy dear.” He placed a lion’s paw over her shoulders. “For now, just worry about taking care of yourself and Angel.” He produced a cup of chamomile tea, still steaming, and a plate of cookies. “I’ll be sure to stop by again soon.”
Fluttershy gave him a weak smile. “Oh, Discord, thank you.” She pulled him in with her forelegs and hugged him briefly. “You’re such a good friend.”
Discord’s cheeks reddened as Twilight and Spike watched the scene with grinning expressions.
“O-okay, okay, enough,” Discord said, though his attempts to free himself from her embrace were half-hearted at best. Eventually, she did let go, a smile now on her face. “Um... stay safe, okay? Don’t worry, Twilight and I—”
“Ahem?”
“... and Spike will straighten things out. You’ll see.”
Fluttershy nodded. “Thank you. I think Angel and I will be alright for now. Just please be careful, okay? I don’t know what somepony wanted with those toads, but I don’t think they had any good intentions.”
“Well, good intentions or not, they destroyed your chicken coop. I’m not about let anypony get away with that,” Twilight said, a look of determination on her face. “Come on, boys, we have some work to do.”
“Aye aye, Princess,” Discord said with a mock salute.
Spike waved farewell to Fluttershy, and the trio made their way out of the cottage, heading down the road leading back to Ponyville.
“I don’t like this,” Twilight thought aloud. “Stealing apples is one thing, but toads? Very poisonous toads, at that?”
“What are you thinking, Twilight?” Spike asked as he caught up to her and Discord.
“I’m not certain, yet. I need more information. Looks like we’ll need to do some research at the library. I’ll make a checklist of materials to look up, and we can split the workload between the three of us. Right, we’re going to need—”
“Twilight! Twilight!”
The trio looked up at the sound of a young voice. Not too far ahead of them was a familiar orange and purple blur accompanied by a distinct buzzing sound. The blur came to a screeching halt in front of Twilight, panting heavily and dripping with sweat.
“Scootaloo?” Twilight asked. “What has you in such a rush?”
“I... just... talked to... ” the young pegasus filly took in a few deep breaths of air before continuing. “... Sweetie Belle. She... was... .really upset about something.” She pulled off her helmet and shook her mane a bit, beads of sweat flying off. “I was trying to find you. I stopped by and talked to Apple Bloom, and she said you’re doing some kind of detective work. She saw you heading this way, so I thought maybe you were going to talk to Fluttershy.”
Twilight glanced over to Spike and Discord, who shrugged in response. “What’s wrong with Sweetie Belle?”
Scootaloo looked down and bit her lip. “I... can’t say.”
Twilight suppressed a frustrated groan. “Why not?”
“It’s... Sweetie Belle made me promise not to tell,” Scootaloo fidgeted a bit. “Apple Bloom and Applejack have been acting funny, too.” She looked up to Twilight and frowned. “Do you know what’s going on, Twilight?”
Twilight walked forward, stretching a wing and placing it over Scootaloo. “Not yet. I think we’re getting close to something, though.”
“So... will you go and see if you can talk to Sweetie Belle and Rarity? I’m really worried... she hardly talked to me. Rarity wasn’t much better. She was really irritated, and looked angry about something. She was pretty grumpy when she asked me to leave.”
“That doesn’t sound too out of the ordinary for her... ” Discord commented offhandedly.
“Hey!” Spike snapped.
“Knock it off, you two.” Twilight warned. She met Scootaloo’s gaze once more, and could see the worry in the little filly’s eyes. “I’ll do what I can, Scootaloo.”
“Thanks, Twilight,” Scootaloo said. “Well, I gotta get going. I have some homework I got to get finished for tomorrow.”
With that, Scootaloo slapped her helmet back on and buzzed off towards Ponyville.
“Do all pegasus foals’ wings buzz like that?” Discord asked.
“Not sure, but it does work as an early warning to get off the road,” Spike replied.
Twilight shook her head at the two, and continued onward, trying her best to stave off the encroaching headache that was starting to form along her temples. All of her friends seemed to be suffering from some misfortune or problem of some sort. That, along with Luna’s current condition, was creating a rather frustrating day so far for Twilight Sparkle.
“So, what do we know so far?” She asked aloud.
“Um... ” Spike ticked off his claws. “Princess Luna’s really sick. Somepony sent her a dress with no return address on the box. Let’s see... somepony took a lot of apples from Sweet Apple Acres... ”
And left a threatening message on Apple Bloom’s door...  Twilight added silently.
“Somepony has a thing for toad-napping,” Discord continued. “Pinkie Pie had a bakery mishap, and apparently Rarity and her little sister are hiding something that even pegasus fillies can pick up on.”
“None of it adds up to anything, though. I feel like we’re just going on some sort of wild goose chase,” Twilight groaned. “Ugh, this would be so much easier if Princess Celestia could help us.”
“Yes, because Ms. Sunshine has the answers to everything,” Discord grumbled. “Look, for all we know, Luna just caught a really nasty virus, and the doctors are just too simple-minded to realize it.”
“I highly doubt that a group of Equestria’s best doctors were unable to pick up something like a virus.”
“Alright, fine, let’s assume the doctors are right, and that it’s not something Luna just picked up from a bathroom sink. What is it, then?” The draconequus floated before Twilight, his arms folded. “My hunch is that we’ll find the answer in town, here. That dress wasn’t the culprit, but I feel like it’s still got some answers for us.”
Twilight’s horn lit up, and she summoned the box with the dress in it out of thin air. “You think so? I mean, it was scanned thoroughly for anything that could harm Princess Luna. What else could we possibly get from this that we don’t already know?”
“Think, Twilight... who knows more about dresses than anyone else you know?”
Twilight paused. Discord’s lips curled into a smirk as her eyes widened, and the answer hit her like a brick wall.
“I am such an idiot sometimes... ” she grumbled.
The trip back into town brought the trio of investigators past Sugarcube Corner. She hadn’t stopped by the place when she had initially arrived to Ponyville, seeing as it was on the other side of town for her, but her trip to Carousel Boutique revealed just how much damage the kitchen fire had done.
Ponies were hauling new building materials into the confectionery. Both Carrot Cake and Cupcake were standing at the entrance to their store, downcast expressions marring their features.
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Cake,” Twilight greeted with a sad smile.
“Oh,” Cup Cake looked to the alicorn and sighed deeply. “Hello, Twilight.”
“I heard about the fire from Applejack.” Twilight frowned as she watched the repair ponies make their way indoors. “It sounds like it was taken care of before most of the kitchen was damaged. Still, I’m really sorry that it happened.”
“We’re just glad nopony was hurt. Pinkie Pie managed to get the fire put out before it did too much damage. We... we should have the shop up and running, good as new, within a week or two at most,” Carrot Cake replied.
“Is Pinkie here right now?”
“Oh, sorry, Twilight." Cup Cake said with another worried look towards the bakery, "She took the twins with her to the park. I think she needed to take her mind off of everything that happened.” Cup Cake shook her head. “She keeps blaming herself, but these things happen, you know? We’re just happy she wasn’t hurt.”
“Well, let her know I said hello, will you?” Twilight said with a nod. “If you need anything from me or Spike, let us know.”
“Oh, sure, ignore the guy who could probably fix this mess with a snap of his fingers... ” Discord groused as they made their way through town towards Rarity’s house.



As Carousel Boutique came into view, Twilight could already tell something was amiss. Usually there was a sign in the front that bid welcome to customers, declaring the fashionista’s establishment open for business. Even during her busiest times, Rarity had always maintained an ‘open door’ policy.
Now, however, there was a white piece of paper taped to the door with the words, ‘Closed until further notice. Sorry for the inconvenience.’
Even Spike seemed to notice the red flag before him. “Whoa, Scootaloo never said it was this bad.”
“What are you talking about?” Discord asked.
“The only time I’ve ever seen Rarity put up a closed sign was when one time when she made these really... uh... ” Spike paused. “... well, she made some dresses that weren’t... really her best work. One of the big names in Equestrian fashion saw them during a show she put on, and... he didn’t like them.”
“Ohhh,” Discord chuckled. “Fluttershy told me about that time. I think she had a bird’s nest in her mane.”
“That’s only the tip of the iceberg,” Spike chuckled, while Twilight strode up to the door and knocked politely. 
After a few moments of no answer, Twilight knocked again and called out, “Rarity! Rarity it’s me, I need to talk to you!”
“I didn’t know your name was ‘me’ Twilight,” Discord said with his usual smugness, “How very minimalist of you.”
Twilight ignored him while Spike tried not to laugh, and she called out again, “Rarity! Open the door!” Much to her surprise, the door was wrenched open and she was dragged inside. 
Carousel Boutique was a mess, in more than the usual creative fashion when a deadline was looming. When usually the mess of Rarity’s art was confined to her work room, now bolts of fabric were strewn about. Dresses were askew on their hangars, and everywhere there were various dressmaking tools scattered about, from tape measures and scissors to pin cushions and sewing needles.
“Hm, you know, looking at this place is giving me inspiration. I better take notes... ” He snapped his fingers, producing a large, frilly, pink feathered quill and a notebook small enough to fit in his palm. “Idea number four hundred thousand twenty-one: turn entire town into yarn. Sic a litter of giant kittens on said town.” He chortled to himself and made the quill and notebook disappear. “Hah, I’ll save that one for a rainy day.”
Twilight shook her head and tried not to think of what the spirit of chaos was implying, instead focusing on her friend standing before her. “Hello, Rarity. Um... ” She took in the unicorn before her and paused. Rarity’s mane was a mess of stray curls and split ends. The bags under her eyes were a telltale sign that she had not slept for at least a day.
“I’m dreadful, aren’t I?” Rarity sighed despairingly. “Oh, I do apologize for the mess, Twilight. It’s... ” She bit her hoof and looked around the boutique before continuing. “... s-some rather unpleasant things have happened recently, and as you can see, it’s been affecting me greatly. I... it... I can’t really talk about it.”
Spike was by her side immediately. “Do you want me to make you some tea? Maybe a nice bowl of oats? I could clean up for you, if you want!”
Rarity spared a moment to give Spike an exhausted, if not appreciative, smile. “That’s quite kind of you, Spikey-wikey. If you wouldn’t mind being a dear, I could do with a nice cup of tea.” She looked to the floor and added solemnly. “Celestia knows my frazzled nerves need it.”
Spike gave her a quick salute and made his way towards the kitchen. Rarity returned her attention to Twilight, then cast her gaze to Discord. “Twilight... may I ask what he is doing here?”
Twilight gave her a sympathetic look. “He’s helping me.”
Discord was now decked in an outfit that would have fit the classic Equestrian detective, Sherclop Holmes. He placed a large pipe in his mouth, and began blowing bubbles. “Hmmm. Indubitably.”
Rarity let out a frustrated snort from her nose. “Well, you had best behave, or I’ll be sure to inform Fluttershy of any misconduct.”
Discord pulled a magnifying glass out of thin air and leaned in towards her. “So, Rarity. What exactly has been bothering you so much that you would be forced to create this wonderful scene of chaos before us?”
Rarity’s frustration seemed to drain out of her all at once, being replaced with a more timid, apprehensive look. “I... ” She once more glanced around the room. “I don’t know if it would be in the best interests of Sweetie Belle and I to discuss that.”
“Rarity,” Twilight began softly. “A lot of odd things have been happening in Ponyville as of late, and to be honest, some of it is scaring me. I don’t think I would be lying either if I were to say that they may be linked to Princess Luna being ill, either.”
“The princess is ill? My word, how dreadful. Oh, I hope she doesn’t have anything serious.”
“I’m afraid it is, Rarity. None of the doctors Celestia called for could draw a conclusion on the cause, and... to be honest, I suspect that there was some foul play involved.” Twilight’s expression hardened. “As of right now, Princess Luna is in limbo between life and death.”
Rarity’s eyes widened, and she slumped to the floor. “I... I had no idea it was... oh, and Princess Celestia must... ” Rarity closed her eyes. “To have something happen to your younger sister... ” The corners of her eyes began to leak tears. “I-it’s not something an older sister ever wants to endure.” She looked back up to Twilight and spoke. “Is... do you have any idea what may be the cause of it, Twilight? Surely there’s a way to help Princess Luna, is there not?”
Twilight simply shook her head. “I have more questions than answers right now, Rarity. That’s why I want to talk to you.” She studied Rarity for a moment, then spoke. “You’ve been crying, haven’t you?”
“W-what?” Rarity looked up. “Crying?”
“Rarity... what happened? Something must have... made you so stressed out.”
Rarity closed her eyes, and Twilight gasped when a thin trail of tears began to run down her cheeks. “It... it has to do with Sweetie Belle.”
“Sweetie Belle?” Twilight repeated as a chill ran down her spine. “Why her?”
“I wish I knew. I-I really do. It’s just... ” Rarity shook her head. “I can’t say.”
“Rarity, please, talk to me. I’m your friend. I have the authority to investigate whatever has been going on around Ponyville. If somepony did something—”
“I... I was asked to do a dress. An anonymous commission. They’re not too uncommon, some ponies prefer to not draw attention to themselves, and... and a lady never pries.” She wiped her eyes. “I found a box of very specific crystals and fabrics to use on my front porch with a bag containing... a very healthy sum of bits in it. They had given me instructions, design sketches, and even measurements. Whoever commissioned this dress very well could have done it my themself, but I always appreciate business. Still, I was curious about who would request such a dress and give such a large amount of money for it. I would never have charged what they gave, but... ”
Twilight watched as Rarity rubbed her temples with either of her front hooves. “So, what happened?”
“Well,” Rarity began slowly. “I had finished the dress a few days ago, just like the letter had asked me to. Considering the payment amount, I was more than happy to put aside my own projects for the time being. So, I had the dress ready, and was waiting for somepony to pick it up, just like the letter had also stated... ” Her voice drifted off at this point.
“Rarity... ?” Twilight spoke softly.
“I... don’t know what happened, but I assume somepony must have snuck into my boutique and knocked me out,” She said, pausing as Twilight gasped softly and Discord raised an eyebrow. “I awoke later that day with a pounding headache, a large lump on the back of my head,” Rarity parted her mane to reveal a red bump on her head about the size of a chicken egg, “and... and of course, the first thing I did was call out for my sister. She had been upstairs, and I feared the worse when I heard no reply. S-so... so I ran upstairs, and... and when I got to her bedroom, I... ” Rarity hiccuped as tears began to run down her cheeks once more. “I-I found my little sister t-tied up, crying, wearing a blindfold with a sock stuffed in her mouth with a note taped to it.”
Twilight gasped, and both of Discord’s eyebrows shot up, where they stuck to the ceiling, “She... what? Oh my gosh, w-was she hurt?” Twilight asked, her own voice shaking now with deep concern.
“Aside from some marks from the rope, no, thank the stars.” Rarity sniffled, then shivered as she continued,  “The note, though... ”
“What... what did it say?” Twilight dared ask, caught up in her friend’s story.
Rarity swallowed hard to clear her throat of sobs, took a deep breath to steady her nerves, and looked to the ground as she spoke, her voice even and emotionless. “It said, ‘Curiosity killed the cat.’”
Twilight’s eyes widened and her jaw went slack. “That...  oh Rarity, that’s awful! Oh my goodness... ” Twilight pulled her friend in for a hug, “I’m so sorry... ”
Rarity let out a few shaky sobs as she whispered. “Tw-Twilight, I’m so scared. The dress was gone, and Sweetie Belle’s room was destroyed. I... I asked her who did that to her, but she said she never saw. They must have restrained her and got the blindfold on her when she wasn’t looking. I... she must have been so scared, too. She doesn’t remember much. It’s like she’s just blocking it all out... ”
Twilight continued to hold her friend close. “Rarity, I’m so sorry... I imagine that’s the reason you haven’t said anything yet?”
Rarity nodded. “If anything happened to Sweetie Belle... I... I don’t want to even think about it... ”
“Nopony should have to go through such a thing... ” Twilight glanced towards the stairs leading up to the bedrooms, her face covered in concern. “How is she?”
“Sleeping, thankfully.” Rarity responded, as the tremor left her voice gradually, “The poor dear has been such a wreck; she was afraid to sleep for the longest time, but she just became so exhausted she simply could not stay up any longer.” She shook her head slowly. “I’m just thankful that it’s summer. I cannot imagine having to come up with a reason to give Cheerilee to explain her absence from school.”
“I’m glad she’s able to get some rest... though, I take it you haven’t, have you?”
“No, I haven’t. I probably won’t for a long while, either.”
Twilight let go of her friend and took a step back. She produced the box with the dress with a flash of her magic, setting it down in front of her unicorn friend. “I know you’ve been through a lot, Rarity, but I need your help. Hopefully this will lead me to figuring out some answers regarding Princess Luna. Can you tell me anything in particular about this dress?”
Rarity blinked, confused, and opened the box up. She lifted the dress up before her with the usual reverence she had for any fine piece of clothing. She gazed at the dress with haunted eyes. “This was for Princess Luna, wasn’t it?”
It was Twilight’s turn to be confused. “How did you know?”
“Because, darling, this is that very same dress that I was commissioned to make not too long ago.” She set the dress back into the box. “I suspected it was for some nobility, but... never for Princess Luna of all ponies. The design, while rather beautiful, if I do say so myself, held no indication of being for royalty.”
“Well... it was supposedly dropped off from Ponyville. There was no address on the box, though. Whoever did this didn’t want to leave any trail.”
“Yes, I must admit though, that dress in particular was unique because of the crystals.” Rarity noted. “They’re from the Crystal Empire. Jewelry from the Crystal Empire is said to be crafted by the best gemstone artisans in the land.”
“Whoever did this has a bottomless coin purse,” Discord noted, his expression once more serious, or at least as serious as he could look while sporting a bubble pipe. “Looks like we underestimated our red herring, Twilight.”
Twilight sighed and nodded, “It looks like it,” She rubbed her head as Discord’s eyebrows fluttered down from the ceiling to alight upon his eyes once more. “It’s one more clue but how-”
“Twilight!” Rarity called suddenly, her voice caught between excitement and astonishment. Twilight looked over to see Rarity holding up the dress once more in her telekinetic grasp. Rarity thrust the dress towards Twilight, “Twilight, darling, look!” Twilight stared at the dress, nonplussed. It was a lovely, elegant dress, studded with gems and crystals, the largest of which weighed down the fringe of the garment slightly. At Twilight’s continued incomprehension, Rarity added impatiently, “The gems!” Twilight’s gaze slid across the gems obligingly, but even as she started to wonder what Rarity was getting at, her attention was snagged by one of the largest crystals.
The large, green crystal sparkled with light, but a strange imperfection seemed out-of-place in the otherwise flawless gem. “I think... ” Rarity said quietly as she searched for something, “Aha!” Twilight jumped as a small chisel wrapped in Rarity’s magical glow stuck in a hidden gap between two parts of the gem quite suddenly, chipping the edge slightly with its speed.
To Twilight’s astonishment, the crystal separated into two distinct parts: a top and a bottom, while inside a perfectly concealed compartment was revealed, empty, but extremely ominous.
“What do we have here?” Discord inquired as he peeked over Twilight’s shoulder. “The crystal was a fake?”
Rarity frowned at the draconequus, clearly insulted by the question. “Discord, honestly, do you think I’d let something like a gaudy fake get past my eye?” She inspected the gem further with her eye and nodded to herself. “This gem was hollowed out. I’ve heard of this sort of practice with gems and crystals, but I’ve never done anything like it myself.”
“Why would anypony want to hollow out... ?” Twilight’s eyes widened. “Unless they had intended to put something inside the crystal.” She inspected the dress further, now finding numerous other crystals with similar imperfections. “This... the whole dress is covered with these hollowed out crystals.”
“I’ve heard of nobles using hollowed out crystals to store things within them. Bits most of the time, sometimes small dress and beauty accessories that they don’t want to bother with carrying in a bag.” Rarity lifted her nose in distaste. “Personally, I find the practice to be horrid. It completely destroys the natural beauty and appearance of the crystal.”
Twilight glanced down at the green crystal that Rarity had first shown her. However, he gaze slowly drifted over to the tool she had used. It was a chisel, about six to eight inches in length from the handle to the flat, sharpened, steel tip. The wooden handle was scratched and nicked from years of use, but the steel half looked as though it was still brand new. Clearly, Rarity took care in preserving... 
Wait a moment... 
Twilight’s mind drifted back to earlier that day. A wooden shed on Sweet Apple Acres. A small wooden shelf, lined with numerous sized chisels. Small ones for detail work. Large ones for splitting apart pieces of wood.
A single space in the middle of the vast array of chisels left empty.
A little filly’s door, with a threatening message carved on it.
Twilight took in a slow breath. “I didn’t know you used chisels for dressmaking, Rarity.” Twilight tried her best to look innocent and curious as she lifted up the chisel. “Good thing you had this lying around. We might have never been able to open up that crystal.”
Rarity blinked, then laughed. “Oh, that old thing? Yes, as... ugly... as it is, it was one of my first tools I ever bought when I started using gemstones in my work.” She took the chisel from Twilight with her magic and set it off to the side. “The thing is almost as old as Sweetie Belle, I imagine, but it’s still in pristine condition. Quite impressive if I do say so myself. After all, chiseling and shaping gems is hardly gentle work.”
Twilight nodded in agreement. “Right, I can imagine.” She suppressed a sigh of relief. Good. She should have known as much. Of course Rarity would have some chiseling tools around here: she worked with gems and the like nearly all the time.
“Tea’s ready!” Spike announced as he returned to the main room. In one claw he balanced a tray of tea, in another he held a cup of sugar.
“Oh, thank you, Spike.” She gave him a gentle pat on the head with her hoof. “Such a noble little dragon.” She lifted the cup of tea up and dropped in two spoonfuls of sugar and stirred. “So... Twilight... is there anything else I can help you with?” Her voice was subdued once more. “Do you think that... that whoever did... this,” She waved a hoof at the dress and the surrounding boutique. “Do you think that they might be connected with Princess Luna’s condition?”
“Hard to say, but I think we’re definitely on the right path to finding out now.” Twilight folded the dress back up and placed it in the box. “Thank you so much for all the help, Rarity.” She glanced up to the stairs leading to her and her sister’s bedrooms once more. “Will you two be alright?”
“Yes, I... I think we will,” Rarity answered with a heavy sigh. Her exhaustion caught up to her once more. “I will continue to be strong for her. The poor dear... I... ” Rarity set down her tea and gave Twilight what could only be seen as a desperate look. “Please... Twilight... please find whoever did this. I don’t want to have to live in constant fear for my sister’s well-being. She... she means the world to me... ”
“Something’s wrong with Sweetie Belle?” Spike asked, worry laced in his words. “W-what’s wrong?”
“We’ll talk about that later, Spike,” Twilight answered as she gave Rarity a reassuring look. “Come on, boys, we have some research to do.”
“Thank you, Twilight,” Rarity whispered. “If... if there’s anything else I can do, please don’t hesitate to ask for me.”
“Thank you, Rarity. I think I can handle it from here, though.”
With that, Twilight, Spike, and Discord made their way out of the boutique and headed straight for Golden Oaks Library.
Twilight had a lot of topics to look into, and the sooner she got her research done, the sooner she could put all these problems to rest.