6
*Reunion*
The conditions of death will not be realized unless it is physically possible for that pony and it may be reasonably assumed that the pony would carry the actions out.
The brown-coated EBI agent emerged from the alley as Twilight Sparkle and her friends prepared to leave Ponyville’s spa. He knew for a fact that he’d been waiting for almost exactly one hour and forty minutes, even though he never wore a watch; the only clock he needed was the one printed on his flank. This uncanny sense of timing had played no small part in securing his spot on the investigative team, and he made sure to use it at every opportunity.
The agent pretended to browse through a flower stall, keeping one eye on Twilight Sparkle from behind his thick sunglasses. The three ponies chatted a few seconds more before splitting up and going their separate ways. A shadow flickered overhead as fellow agent Auster Craft started after Fluttershy, making stealthy leaps between stray clouds. The brown pony turned away from the flower stand and started to follow Twilight Sparkle, but the white unicorn she’d been with practically leaped into his path. “Why, darling!” she cried, strutting in front of him. “What do you think you’re doing, wearing a coat like that in this weather? Please, you must let me help you find something more appropriate...” Rarity pressed herself against the surprised EBI agent’s side and whispered in his ear. “...Ray Painter.”
The unicorn jumped, edging away from this strange pony and avoiding her gaze. “You must be mistaken, Ma’am,” he stuttered. “My name is Alias Hill. I’m a watchmaker visiting from Hoofington.”
“You’re still using that silly name? Well, now I’m certain it’s you. Anypony else would have come up with something more believable by now.”
Ray Painter tried to push past the white unicorn, but she cut him off and backed him into the alley he’d just left. Over her shoulder he caught sight of Twilight Sparkle disappearing around a corner and growled in frustration. "Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to..." He stopped when he finally caught sight of his assailant's face. It hadn’t been clear from a distance, but up close...
Her hair. Impossible. Her eyes. It can’t be her. Her cutie mark! But she’s-
“Eyes off my flank, Painter.”
The way she told him off for staring at her flank! Ray realized his jaw had dropped and hastily closed his mouth. "Diamond Edge?"
"It's Rarity now, darling. Simply Rarity. I felt it was a more appropriate name for the world of fashion. This lifestyle is far less hazardous than my... our previous occupation.” The mare smiled and glanced backwards, pushing the stunned stallion further into the shadows of the building beside them. She concentrated on her magic and cast a quick soundproofing spell around the two of them, a trick she hadn’t had to use in years. "My, you haven't changed at all. Always on the job, still oblivious to the things that really matter. Now, I'm only going to ask you this once, and I expect the truth." She leaned in and stared into the shocked EBI agent's eyes. "Why are you following my friend Twilight?"
Ray’s breath quickened. He visibly paled, and a wave of heat washed over him. Then just as quickly the feeling passed and a professional coldness washed over the stallion once again. His eyes narrowed. “Miss, I’m going to have to ask you to move aside,” he said.
“Now just a minute,” Rarity huffed, flicking her tail to block Ray as he tried to push past her. “That is very rude. We haven’t seen each other in years. The least you could do is provide me with some answers.” Ray remained resolutely silent, a frown forming on his face. Rarity felt a glimmer of doubt spark in her; she hadn’t been certain what to expect after speaking to him, but this cold unfriendliness wasn’t it. “All right, let me guess,” the white unicorn tried. “You’re on the hunt for a pony named Kira?”
Ray’s face gave him away. His jaws clenched and his gaze shifted downwards momentarily. Rarity laughed, trying unsuccessfully to alleviate some of the tension between them. “Come now darling, it’s not that difficult to figure out. There’s certainly no other reason the EBI would have any interest in Ponyville, unless the policies have changed since I left. And you’re following Twilight Sparkle? Old Storm Seeker must have a screw loose. The girl isn’t capable of jaywalking, let alone mass murder.”
Though his instincts were telling him to rush after his target, Rarity’s words made the agent pause. “You know Twilight Sparkle?” Ray asked, refusing to let his glare shift. “How much have you told her?”
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Rarity said. “Nopony in Ponyville knows who I am. As for Twilight, I haven’t let anything slip about you. Only that you’re madly in love with her.”
The mare smiled sweetly, expecting Ray to turn bright crimson. Instead his scowl only deepened. She felt her confidence begin to crumble underneath his glare. “You think it’s okay to joke around like this?” the brown pony growled, an edge of fury starting to creep into his voice. “After all this time? After all you...” He ground his teeth and looked to the side. “I think you’ve wasted more than enough of my time, miss... Rarity. Good day to you.”
The agent pushed past Rarity more forcefully, shattering her silencing spell as he stomped through it. The white unicorn followed, her face a mix of shock and confusion. “Ray, wait.” The pony didn’t stop. “Ray, I’m sorry.”
The stallion halted. Rarity fumbled for words, saying the first thing that popped into her head. “You should visit me at the Carousel Boutique.” She cringed, but kept going. “When you’re free, I mean. I meant what I said about your coat. I’m sorry, but you stick out like a sore hoof. I could help pick out some new clothes for you.” She smiled and tried to force what was left of her resolve into five more words. “I’ll keep my door unlocked.”
Ray’s ear twitched. He waited a second longer before galloping out of the alley, turning sharply in the direction of Ponyville’s library. Rarity put a hoof to her chest and leaned against the nearest wall. Well, Twilight was right about one thing, she consoled herself. I was a fool to think that single-minded unicorn would ever notice me on his own. But... I thought he would be happy to see me. Rarity sighed and looked skyward. How could his feelings have changed so much?
The more she thought about it, the less sense it made. “The Ray Painter I know would never treat a lady in this way,” Rarity said aloud. She rose up, scratching her head thoughtfully. “In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him become so angry. What could have happened to make him so absolutely livid?” She stared off into the distance, then struck a dramatic pose. “I will not let this end this way!” she cried, feeling her resolve return to her. “I will not rest until I discover the cause of this dreadful attitude!”
From around the corner, the flower pony from the stall stuck her head into the alley. “Look, lady,” she said, “I’m sorry that your coltfriend left you and all, but could you go and have your personal revelation someplace else? I’m trying to run a business here.”
“Oh... of course.” Rarity blushed sheepishly and walked out into the street. Twilight and the secret agent were now nowhere to be seen. “Of course,” she mused quietly, “I’m in absolutely no condition to go chasing stallions right now. I feel positively traumatized. I must look a complete mess!” She patted her immaculate mane carefully. “Do I feel a split end? Oh, heavens! Well, only one thing to be done.” A smile playing about her lips, Rarity trotted back in the direction of the spa.
---
"Isn't this just amazing?" Pinkie Pie bounded up and down in her seat, drawing stares from the other patrons of the restaurant. "I mean, every day is amazing, don't you think? But this is just so super-duper awesomely amazingly fantastic that I don't even-"
"Pinkie!" Twilight almost yelled from across the table. This restaurant was different to the one they’d visited last time, – it was a large, well-lit place painted in garish reds and whites that claimed to serve authentic Zebrican dishes, but in reality only sold thinly-disguised Ponyville specialties – but the looks they were getting were exactly the same. For this reason she had chosen a small, circular table near the corner of the room, hoping in vain that this would lead to less of a spectacle. "Are you going to start doing this every time we go out?"
"Nopey dopey! Only the super-special fun times!"
Twilight sighed and shook her head, but smiled just the same. Her trip to the spa yesterday had reminded her of something she’d nearly forgotten in her obsession: friends are the best stress relief. Unsettling as the pink pony was, it was hard to stay stressed with Pinkie Pie’s carefree chatter in her ears.
She could see the EBI agent following her out of the corner of her eye. He'd taken his own seat at a table near theirs and appeared to be reading a menu, his eyes unreadable behind his dark glasses. For a second Twilight regretted the decision she'd made last night; with the eyes of the shinigami she would have been able to learn his name easily. But no, she stood by what she'd said back then: This isn’t just about avenging Moondancer. It’s about making sure that what happened to her doesn’t happen to anypony ever again. Changing the world isn't something you can do overnight. It could take months, or years. If I'm going to create a world without crime, I need as much time as possible to do it in, and as long as possible to look after it to make sure it doesn’t go back to the way it was. So thank you, Byuk, but I can’t give away years of my life just like that.
“Are you having a flashback, Twilight?”
Twilight found herself jolted back to the present by a bubbly pink pony. “Um... no.”
“Really? Aw. Flashbacks are fun. They’re like movies, except you can talk over them without ponies throwing popcorn at you.” Pinkie Pie looked momentarily disappointed, but instantly bounced back to her normal self. "So, what's kept you busy this time, Twilight? Rarity says you've been overworking yourself. Have you been hitting lots of books? I tried hitting a book once, and my legs got really tired after just twenty minutes. It was a great workout!” Twilight smiled and opened her mouth, but the pink pony seemed lost in her own world. “Ooh, or are you practicing a new spell? Like a really big one that’s making you tired, like wings or teleportation? Or both at the same time? That’s like a spell within a spell, like... I don’t even know what you’d call that!”
"No, nothing like that," Twilight broke in before Pinkie Pie could continue guessing. "I've been studying enchantments cast on everyday, non-magical objects." Technically, this was true. "It's a lot more difficult than I expected, but I think there's a lot of potential in their use. With the right enchanted tools, earth ponies and pegasi would be able to use certain kinds of magic."
"That sounds fantastic! I’d love to be able to use magic."
At the next table over, Ray Painter was having difficulty keeping up with his target’s conversation. Not only was the pink pony hard to follow at the best of times, but his thoughts kept drifting back to... her. He frowned and tried to clear his mind, but the thought remained. “Focus, Alias,” he said under his breath. “You’re a professional.”
There was no time for emotions here. In their place, Ray Painter forced himself to look only at the facts. Eight years ago, Diamond Edge – master of disguise and the best of Storm Seeker’s agents – had been drawn away from the EBI under the most prestigious of summons: she’d been chosen to study under Copper Coil, a detective of almost mythic proportions. She’d disappeared down to Coltifornia without a second thought, and for months on end they’d heard nothing from her aside from the occasional immaterial letter. Then, in the long winter of that year, the report had come.
Ray ground his teeth. How in Equestria did Diamond Edge end up here? he wondered. I’m surprised Copper Coil didn’t have her hunted down. Has she been living in Ponyville happy and carefree all this time, after what she did? He caught himself snorting in frustration and tried to return his attention to his target. What do they call her here? Rarity? Why does that name sound so familiar...
The unicorn’s musings were interrupted by a loud scream from outside. A large grey earth pony with an eyepatch burst into the restaurant, gripping a large knife between his teeth. A thin leather harness hung around his neck, from which a large selection of knives of all shapes and sizes dangled. Surprisingly, his cutie mark was a plank of wood. "Eaeeoanee, ekk oww!" he yelled.
There was utter silence in the restaurant. Finally one of the standing waiters approached him. "I'm sorry sir, but-"
The grey pony twisted his head and hurled the knife, which ripped through the unlucky waiter's shirt and pinned him to the wall. “I said, everypony get down! This is a robbery!” Finally comprehending, ponies began screaming and diving under tables. The grey pony unrolled a large burlap sack from his side and threw it to the ground, pointing at a nearby waiter. “You, in the shirt! Bring me all the money in the safe and the register. You!” He kicked at a pony hiding under a nearby table, who was clutching her two foals in terror. “Give me anything valuable you’re carrying. And if anypony tries anything funny...” He drew another knife and twirled it round in his mouth, cackling. “Oooh aww oah egg ik!”
Underneath her own table, Twilight observed the stallion carefully. Based on his speed and the angle he was taking across the room, she judged they had a minute or two before he reached them. Careful not to make any noise, she reached out with her magic and pulled the Life Note and a pencil from her bags. She opened it and wrote a note across both pages in large print, holding it up so Pinkie Pie could see.
Don’t worry. I’ll grab him.
Nodding to her friend, Twilight started to rise, her horn glowing.
“Don’t do it!” a voice hissed. Twilight paused and saw her stalker frantically waving at her from under his own table. He gave a quick glance to make sure the grey pony wasn’t looking, then expertly dove across the floor to join them. “I recognize that pony from the news. His name’s Flat Iron, and he’s wanted in Fillydelphia for attempted murder. He won’t hesitate to kill you if you attack him.”
Twilight started to sit back down, and Ray inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t sure of the exact policy, but letting his target get killed in a knife fight would probably land him in hot water with his superiors... not to mention Diamond Edge. Momentarily distracted by that thought, what Twilight said next took him by surprise. “And why should we trust you?”
“Twilight!” Pinkie Pie broke in, thankfully remembering to whisper. “He’s trying to help!”
“We don’t know that. He might be Flat Iron’s partner.”
“Partner?” Ray and Pinkie echoed in unison.
“That’s right.” Twilight gave the brown pony an accusing stare. “I’ve been studying criminals. They often work in pairs. One of them poses as a customer and scouts the place out before the other one robs it. That way he’s got somepony waiting to back him up if something goes wrong. I’ve seen you skulking around town lately. What were you doing, looking for places to rob?” Her horn started to glow threateningly. “Answer me!”
Ray felt himself turn pale, which only seemed to anger the mare further. Pinkie Pie was staring at him with a mixture of fear and awe. He thought furiously. Getting into a fight with a target would only put an even bigger black mark on his record, and, if this unicorn was as powerful as he’d been led to believe, several onto his body as well. At this point he really only had one option. “Fine,” he sighed, reaching into his coat. Besides, he consoled himself, if either of these two was Kira, they would have killed Flat Iron with a heart attack by now. From a hidden pocket he pulled out his badge and card, holding them up for the other two to see. “I’m with the EBI. This is my identification.”
Twilight pretended to examine the badge closely, but only paid close attention to the name and picture. Ray Painter... with the EBI? Looks like L has his hooves in many pies. “Thank you, sir,” Twilight whispered, the light from her horn fading. “I’m sorry for doubting you. I hope whatever mission you have in Ponyville is a success.”
A light went on in Pinkie’s head. “You’re a secret agent?!” she screamed happily, completely forgetting about the situation in her excitement.
“Hey! What’s going on over there?” Flat Iron dropped the bag he was going through and stormed over to the trio’s table. Ray Painter quickly pocketed his badge, but Twilight wasn’t as quick with the Life Note. In one quick movement the earth pony reached down and ripped it away from her, throwing it open on the table. “Don’t worry,” he read in a slow voice. “I’ll grab him. Hah!” Flat Iron cackled madly. “Little pony, you’ve got some nerve. Maybe somepony needs to teach you a lesson.” He reached around to grab his next knife, then stopped. The blade fell from his trembling lips and clattered to the floor between his front legs. “M-m-monster!”
“A monster?” Byuk turned around excitedly, but to his puzzled disappointment couldn’t see any monsters. He looked back at Flat Iron, who was backing away frantically. The pony was staring right through him... no, right at him. “Oh.” Byuk pointed at his own face. “You mean me?”
“Get away!”
A thrown knife flew straight and sure towards the god’s eye, but then to Flat Iron’s horror passed right through him, burying itself in the wall behind him. Byuk only chuckled and floated a little closer. Another blade passed soundlessly through his wing, leaving no mark but cracking the window to his right. To those watching it was a strange sight; the grey pony pulled knife after knife out of his harness, then threw them wildly at empty air while yelling in terror.
"Oh, I get it," Byuk said as he reached the table. The Life Note still lay open to the same page. "You touched part of the Death Note when you picked up the book, so now you can see me. Clever."
"Get away from me!" screamed Flat Iron, not paying attention to the god's words. He felt around for another knife but to his horror found he had none left. In a panic he rushed for the door, knocking chairs and tables aside in his haste. Seconds after he ran outside there were loud cries and a crash.
Slowly, patrons of the restaurant started to emerge from beneath their tables. Twilight quickly got to her hooves, grabbing the Life Note and shoving it back in her saddlebags. Already a siren could be heard approaching the scene. Ponies crowded around the exit, preventing them from seeing outside.
In the excitement Ray Painter slipped away, disappearing into the crowd. Pinkie Pie watched him leave, a smile growing on her face. "Oh my gosh, Twilight! There's a secret agent in Ponyville! Do you know what this means?" She turned back to her friend, but Twilight had already vanished in a puff of light.
---
"Let me guess, a party?"
"Almost certainly. Very astute, Byuk." Twilight tossed an apple to the delighted god and made her way up the steps inside the library. "I can only imagine what kind of stunts she'll pull to bring this one together. It should be fun."
"That was pretty lucky, huh? That robber grabbing the Life Note like that. You might have been killed otherwise."
"No, I was never in any danger." Twilight had reached the top of the stairs and pressed her ear to Spike's door. "I planned for all this to happen." Satisfied that the room was dragon-free, she opened the door and crossed over to Spike's box. To her delight, a new scroll was visible on the top of the pile. "This should explain everything." She unrolled the scroll, her grin widening with every word.
Dear Lady Luna,
I have carefully analyzed the new data of Kira's murders, and I have made the following observations.
1. Kira does not know the extent of his own powers. It is therefore likely that he came upon them by accident or was given them as a gift, and are not natural to him.
2. Kira can control his victims for a certain amount of time before death. The duration of this time is currently unknown.
3. The victims are controlled subconsciously, not directly. None of the victims displayed any behavior that was unusual for them up until the point when they died or killed themselves.
4. Kira can cause victims to exert themselves to their fullest, stretching the limits of what is normally physically possible.
5. A failed experiment will cause the victim to perish right away, preventing Kira from controlling their actions or time of death. The method for performing these more specific killings may be more complicated than the original, causing occasional failures.
6. Kira is sticking to a distinct pattern in his killings and does not try to conceal his actions. This tells us that he does not care that we know about his new abilities, or more likely, that he wants us to know. To this end, we must consider the possibility that he is knowingly feeding us false information.
Please continue to send me these reports and I will update you if I make any new developments.
"Perfect." Twilight held up the page for Byuk to read. "I was a little worried when the police records didn't show anything, but now it looks like L's done all my work for me."
"I see. So you were using him to judge the results of your experiments for you?"
"Exactly." Twilight rolled the scroll back up and returned it to the box, closing her eyes as she thought. "I wrote several other instructions in the Death Note which L would certainly have commented on if they'd come to pass. I wrote that one pony would die of a heart attack in Cloudsdale in one hour. Since he was an earth pony and locked in prison, there's no way he could have gotten there in the space of one hour. This tells me that even though I can push a pony to their limits, the Death Note is still bound by what's physically possible to do.
"Another pony I told to draw L's face on the wall of his cell. Even though this was physically possible, he couldn't do it because he didn't know what L's face looks like. So a pony can only do things that they would already be able to without the Death Note’s influence.
"And one more pony was supposed to kill another prisoner, followed by himself. Even though he was willing and capable of murder, he died of a heart attack anyway. Because of that, I’m guessing the Death Note can’t directly cause more than one death with a single name.” Twilight smiled triumphantly. “And here’s the best part: because I didn’t try to hide my actions, L thinks I’m trying to mislead him. He’ll be constantly second-guessing his conclusions every time this comes up. He does all the work, and I get all the answers.”
“Clever. But what does that have to do with the robbery today?”
“Come with me and I’ll show you.” Byuk followed Twilight down to her room and watched as she pulled the Death Note from her desk and began flipping through it. “Come on, where was it...”
Page after page was full of names, most with a short description written beneath them. Byuk scratched his head. “I don’t get it. If you’re only killing twenty-four ponies a day, why do you need to write so many names?”
“I’ve been planning executions for a few days in advance. After all, how would it look if I ended up in the hospital for some reason and the deaths suddenly stopped? Also, I’ve stopped limiting myself to twenty-four. That experiment has run its course. Ah, here we go.” Twilight laid the book down on her desk and pointed to one entry proudly.
Flat Iron, heart attack
At noon, enters the Waters of Zebrica restaurant in Ponyville and attempts to rob it. He sees a horrifying monster and runs away in panic, then is struck by a passing cart and breaks his leg. One hour later, he dies of a heart attack.
“I got tired of waiting for L’s results,” Twilight explained, “so I decided to run another trial a little closer to home. Since I didn’t know how the others turned out I wasn’t sure it would work, but if it didn’t the worst that would happen is Flat Iron would have a heart attack right away. What this taught me is that the Death Note resolves situations in the most natural way. I didn’t specify that Flat Iron would see you; we could have been interrupted by a monster from the Everfree, or he could have imagined one. But under the circumstances, it made the most sense for him to see the horrifying monster that was already in the room with him. Um... no offense.” Byuk waved a hoof dismissively. “I took Flat Iron’s name from the newspaper, a source L thinks I’ve stopped using, and I left enough time for the local news to do a report on the situation before he dies. There’s no evidence that Kira had any involvement in this before that point.”
The god frowned. “That’s a pretty big loophole. Most of what you wrote didn’t have anything to do with the pony’s death. The Death Note wasn’t meant to be used in this way.”
“Are you saying I should stop?”
“Oh, no. It’s just not how I would have done it. And confronting the EBI agent like that? Was that part of the plan as well?”
“Of course. How else was I going to learn his name?” Ray Painter, you’re mine now. “It would look suspicious if I tried this more than once, so I got as much information from the experiment as I possibly could.”
Byuk laughed. “Twilight Sparkle, has anyone ever told you that you are a very clever pony?”
“Only the cleverest.” Twilight beamed. “Overall, I’d say this was a very informative day, don’t you think?”
---
Ray Painter made a note as the final light went out in the library's window. The sun had long since set, but Twilight Sparkle had stayed up very late before finally retiring. She's very committed to her studies, the agent noted. And she’s very protective of her friends. Interesting, but not unusual. I’m not sure what L sees in her that I don’t.
There was still another half hour until his relief. Nestled comfortably in the shadows across from the library, Ray found his thoughts wandering yet again. Something doesn't add up. Diamond Edge approached me. She must know that we know what she did. She could have easily disappeared. But even so, she came to me. Nopony else, me. He shook his head. Is it because we used to be... involved? Is she trying to get to me through that? What does she want from me?
Minutes ticked by slowly, and Ray became more and more lost in his thoughts. When another pony approached silently out of the shadows, he nearly jumped before collecting himself. "Hello, Ray," fellow agent Searchlight whispered. "Another quiet night?"
"Same as always," the stallion replied. Searchlight came more fully into view, illuminating a sunshine-yellow unicorn wearing a dark suit that matched his own, minus the ever-present sunglasses. Ray tried to sum up his thoughts, but seeing another agent brought Diamond Edge's words back to him. In the more rural Ponyville, their tailor-made clothes really did stand out as unusual. He sighed inwardly and concentrated on his report. "The little dragon went to bed shortly after sunset. Twilight Sparkle stayed up until ten-thirty before retiring."
"Noted. I'll take it from here." Ray stood up and the smaller unicorn took his place, giving him a lasting glance before settling down. "You all right, Ray?" Searchlight said in a more informal tone. "You seem a little stressed. Something bothering you?"
Ray shook his head, then paused. "Maybe. It might be nothing," he lied. "Probably just nerves. Chasing Kira, and all."
The yellow unicorn nodded slowly. "Stay safe, Ray," she whispered. "Sleep well."
Without another word Ray Painter slipped away into the darkness. Instead of heading back to their safe house, however, he found his legs carrying him in a different direction. Across the town, visible in the mental map he'd laid out for himself, he could already see his destination: a large, round, brightly-coloured building, covered in flags and banners.
Diamond Edge. Rarity. Whoever you are now. The stallion tightened his lips into a grimace. I'm going to get some answers out of you.
---
The Carousel Boutique was completely dark as Ray Painter approached it. While the streets of Ponyville were empty and silent, his instincts confined him to shadows and alleyways as he made his way there. He approached the building as he might an unexploded bomb, quietly and cautiously, ready to spring back at any second in case of a trap. He tensed up as his hooves touched the front porch, then seemed to relax as he came up to the door. The boutique was still and silent and he momentarily wondered if the white unicorn had forgotten her offer, but the door swung open at his touch. "Come in," a feminine voice whispered. He took a step inside.
The boutique looked very different at night. The large first floor was lit by only a few candles, shrouding most of the room in darkness. Ray Painter walked towards the light, tension rising with each step. The door shut soundlessly behind him and a white unicorn appeared at his side. "So, Ray Painter," the mare purred. "It's been a while."
"Not long enough... Rarity." Ray maintained his stiff posture as the other pony walked around him. "I'm assuming you had a reason in inviting me here."
"Just to talk, Ray. I'm so glad you came. I was starting to worry I'd have to find you one night and drag you here myself." Rarity smiled. "Have you eaten? I know how busy your days must be. I prepared a few things, just in case."
Ray narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Is she trying to poison me? he wondered. That would certainly be her style... but what would be the point? "Not since lunch," he answered honestly. "I haven't had much of an appetite. There was a robbery at the restaurant. It put me off food for a while."
"Oh, yes, I heard about that.” The mare nodded sadly. “It's strange, Ponyville isn't usually so violent. A sign of the times, I suppose."
"I suppose." Rarity's attitude was far too casual, too familiar. It was making Ray feel uncomfortable. "Your friend Twilight almost tried to go after him. It seems she is capable of acting out when the situation calls for it."
"Do you think you'll be following her for much longer?"
"I do not wish to divulge that information."
"Oh, Ray, you don't need to be so formal with me." Rarity took a step closer to him. A powerful scent washed over him; lilac, perhaps? She circled around Ray Painter, examining his outfit with a critical eye. “Very professional, very chic, but not very appropriate for such a small town. And did you wear those glasses all the way here? I’m surprised you can still see. Here, let me get those for you.” Before the brown pony could object she leaned forward and plucked the sunglasses from his face, then almost dropped them as she burst out laughing. “Oh, my. I’d almost forgotten about your eyes.”
Ray frowned. “And just what’s wrong with my eyes?”
“Oh, nothing, dear. You have lovely eyes.” In truth, Ray Painter’s eyes seemed mismatched compared to the rest of his body. They were wide and strangely angular, almost rectangular, with thick, well-defined eyebrows. His pupils were a cold, metallic grey and almost completely filled his eyes, leaving only a thin sliver of the whites visible. “It’s just terribly obvious that you’re half Neighponese. Ponies here do tend to get up in arms about foreigners. Why, you should have seen them when a zebra moved into the forest!”
“I was born in Canterlot,” Ray muttered, snatching his sunglasses back and tucking them into a hidden pocket in his coat. “I’m hardly foreign.”
“I know, darling. I’ll make sure nopony judges you.” Flicking her tail at him playfully, Rarity gestured to a small table she'd set up near the stairs. "Do you think you could manage to something eat now?"
The stallion maintained his guarded expression. She wouldn’t bring me all the way here just to kill me in her front room, he decided. Besides... I am hungry. “I don’t see why not,” he said.
The white unicorn looked delighted. "Please, sit down. I'll be back in a moment." Brushing past him more closely than she needed to, she vanished again into the darkness. Ray looked from side to side, doing his best to stay calm. He took a seat.
A minute later Rarity returned, levitating one plate in front of her and balancing another on her head. "Practice makes perfect," she explained, setting the two down. Despite his misgivings Ray couldn’t help but marvel at the dish: a large, fluffy pastry, dotted with green. "Sugar clover loaf, my mother's recipe. I don't often get a chance to make it."
“It looks... wonderful,” the agent admitted. “It’s good to see that you’ve been keeping yourself... busy.”
“Yes, I have, haven’t I?” Rarity smiled and fanned herself. She broke a small piece off her pastry and daintily nibbled on it, which Ray Painter took as a cue to take a larger bite out of his. He rolled it around carefully in his mouth; there was nothing unusual in it that he could detect. Had the circumstances been different, he would probably have praised it as delicious. “Some of my designs are becoming quite well known in high society, you know,” the mare continued as Ray swallowed. “Why, in certain circles I’m considered the absolute height of fashion. I’ve even had offers to set up my own chain in Canterlot. Of course, I would never dream of abandoning my friends and family, but it’s quite flattering-”
“Rarity, cut the manure.” Ray Painter put on his coldest expression as he cut the fashionista short. “You had a reason in inviting me here, and it sure as hay wasn’t to talk. Out with it.” He gritted his teeth. “For once in your life, tell me the truth.”
Rarity was quiet for a second. "Ray, I missed you." She looked up and smiled sadly. “That’s all there is to it. I miss talking to you, I miss being by your side. I miss being able to tell somepony about the past. I know it’s been a long time, but I hoped...” She toyed nervously with the end of her mane. “I hoped, if you’re not attached, I mean, that we could...”
"Pick up where we left off? Is that what this is about?" Ray snorted in bewilderment, then again in anger. "Is that what this whole setup's been about? Candlelit dinner, perfume, old memories, a lost lover returns? Just like that? What kind of trashy novels have you been reading?" Rarity flinched as though physically struck, but Ray kept going, a years-old dam bursting inside of him. “Is that the kind of stallion you think I am? Do you think I’ll come crawling back to you at the first sign of interest? Well, I’m not just some stupid colt for you to use. Not any more.” He bristled indignantly. "Look, Rarity. You're dead to me. If things were different, maybe I could overlook the years you’ve been gone. But there’s no chance in Equestria of me forgiving what you did.”
Rarity appeared to be on the verge of tears. The sight gave Ray a kind of cold, primal satisfaction. “Everypony makes mistakes,” she sniffed.
The agent laughed humorlessly. “A mistake? Is that what you’re calling it?” he snarled. “Living peacefully in Ponyville and leaving everypony else behind to clean up your mess, was that a mistake too? I’m surprised Copper Coil didn’t hunt you down himself.”
“What?” On top of misery, an edge of confusion was starting to slip into Rarity’s voice. “What are you talking about?”
“Did you really think we didn’t know?” Ray rolled his eyes. “We received a full report as soon as the case was over. Or were you expecting there to be no survivors?”
“W-what?” Rarity straightened herself up in her chair. “Darling, that’s not the reason I left at all. I have no idea what you’re referring to.”
“Oh, really?” Ray’s lips curled into a sneer. “It was during the hunt for the Nectarine Mafia down in Coltifornia, wasn’t it? Copper Coil sent you to investigate a group of hit-ponies working for the mob. Then you, like an idiot, led them right back to his base. Or maybe,” the stallion growled, “it was intentional. Then, when Coil’s life was in danger, right when he needed you most, you ran away and left him to die!” Ray stomped a hoof on the table, his voice rising into a shout as he finished. He sat back, seeming almost a little surprised at his own outburst. “And don’t call me darling,” he added.
Rarity trembled. “Th-that’s not what happened at all!” she stammered.
“Forgive me if I don’t believe you.” Ray folded his front legs across his chest. “I checked the documents myself. All of them were signed by Copper Coil himself.”
“But why... why would he...” Rarity stared at the tablecloth with a mixture of horror and bafflement. She bit down on the edge of her hoof thoughtfully, frowning in incomprehension. Suddenly she gasped, and her eyes widened. “Of course!” she exclaimed. “It’s because...” Her face fell and her voice became hollow. “It’s because he didn’t want anypony to look for me.” She looked up sorrowfully at the stallion across the table. The faint candlelight cast long shadows over his face. “Ray,” she said quietly, “have you been carrying that story with you for all these years?” The stallion nodded slowly. “I see.” She sniffed. “Then I suppose you feel you have no reason to trust me. But as an old friend, if nothing else, would you at least permit me to tell my side of the story?” When the agent said nothing, she continued.
“Some of what you said is true. But there’s one important detail that you didn’t know: Copper Coil never existed. He was a false identity, a name that a very different pony liked to assume sometimes.” Remembering, Rarity broke into a small smile. “That pony was L.”
“Impossible,” Ray interrupted. “L is already considered the world’s greatest detective, and Copper Coil a close second. There’s no way that a single pony could account for both of them.”
Rarity shrugged. “I didn’t believe it at first, either. But then I saw him work. He was an absolute wonder; brilliant, calculating, perfect. I was in line to become the next Sideline, you know. If things had been different, I might still be with him now. But... I was careless." She sighed and closed her eyes. "During one particularly tricky business, my name was leaked to members of the Nectarine Mafia that I was trying to infiltrate. But they didn’t follow me back to our hideout, and I certainly didn’t run away. L believed that the Nectarines had a pony in the EBI, and he couldn’t risk my being traced back to him. So eventually, he convinced me to go into deep cover somewhere he thought nopony would ever look... he sent me here.
"The nice couple who owned this boutique took me under their wing. They had only just moved into the area from Canterlot, so the story was that I was their daughter Rarity returning from a vacation in the south. Dear Pearl ran the shop very differently than I do, making only simple, affordable shirts and dresses. They were functional, but severely lacking in imagination. She even had a whole wall devoted to socks. Socks! Oh, can you imagine!” Rarity shook her head and let out a chuckle. Ray remained silent. “I helped her as best I could, hoping to add a dash of style to the ensemble. That's when I rediscovered the art of the dress, and started to settle into the life I have now.
"In the end, L found a different way to get to the Nectarines and had the whole family arrested at once. I understand most of them are still in prison. It would have been safe for me to return to L after that, but by then... I had a sister.” She smiled at the memory. “Nopony expected it, another foal at their age, but we were all overjoyed when Sweetie Belle was born. That’s when I realized I couldn't bring myself to go back to the wild and dangerous life I'd had before. Magnum and Pearl had treated me as their own daughter, and I knew they couldn’t support another foal on their own so close to retirement. And I couldn't leave behind... all this." Rarity gestured to the room around her in a large, sweeping motion. "I realized then that I wasn't meant to spend my life hiding in the shadows. I wanted to make clothes that were meant to be seen and admired, not hidden in darkness. Designing is what I live for.
“The rest anypony from around here can tell you. When Magnum and Pearl finally retired they gave the boutique to me, which I am eternally grateful for. Sweetie Belle sometimes lives with them, sometimes with me. She’s only ever known me as Rarity. I’ve lived in Ponyville ever since. I wanted to formally announce my resignation, but L was very firm about that. He told me that once I'd vanished, there was no going back. If I was to keep my life as Rarity, then Diamond Edge had to stay... deceased." She bowed her head sadly. “I was devastated, of course. There were so many good ponies I was leaving behind, and... I never got to say goodbye.” She stared at the agent pleadingly. “You don’t know how much I wanted to speak to you all, just one last time.”
Ray gave a slow, sarcastic clap. “A lovely story,” he said. “But you’ve had years to think of a lovely story.” He leaned forwards. “Tell me this, then. If it was L’s idea to send you into hiding, then why did he tell us you’d betrayed him?”
“I think I know.” Rarity tugged on her mane and swallowed nervously. “L believed that there was a pony in the EBI who had turned me in. If they ever found me, it would be very bad for both of us. Because of the way information is shared, if anypony in the EBI found out where I was, it might be leaked back to the spy. I thought I would be safe if I simply disappeared. But L once told me that, the laws of this world being what they are, nopony is ever truly gone so long as...” She bit her lip and hesitated before continuing. “So long as there’s somepony out there who loves them.”
Ray snorted. “Ridiculous.”
“Maybe. But sometimes I think L knows us better than we know ourselves.” Rarity leaned forwards. “Think about it. If I had simply stopped writing to you, or if you heard that I had died, would you be satisfied?”
Ray looked to the side and ground his teeth. After several long seconds he spoke. “No.” He sighed deeply and grunted. “No. I wouldn’t believe that you were gone. I would have assumed that you were hiding.” He grimaced. “Because I loved you.”
“I know.” The mare nodded. “I talked to L about you, sometimes. I told him about our adventures. That’s how he knew. He said it sounded like we deserved each other.”
“No.” Ray glared. “It’s you two that deserve each other. You like to play with emotions as much as he does. You’re as bad as he is, maybe worse.” He looked at the ground again. “And you’re a liar, too,” he added as an afterthought.
“Ray, this is the honest truth, I swear,” Rarity insisted. “I promise you, I had no idea this would happen. I’m so, so sorry.” Ray Painter maintained his stubborn expression. “Ray, look at me.” Slowly, the agent lifted his head to meet Rarity’s gaze. “Do you remember the last thing I said to you, before I left for Coltifornia?”
“Of course I do,” Ray snapped. “It’s practically burned into my brain. You promised me that one day, we’d leave the agency and run away together. That we’d find a little house in the country, just the two of us, and have more children than we could count.” He shook his head. “You always loved to tease me.”
“No, Ray,” Rarity said gently, yet desperately. “I meant it. Every time, I meant it.” She leaned forwards. “Ray, look at me. Look me in the eyes and tell me that I’m lying. I promise you, I would have done anything to see you again.”
There was a long silence between the two ponies. At the end of it, Ray Painter rose out of his chair. His expression, long hardened by anger and regret, was finally starting to crack. “I think...” He let out a long, slow sigh. “I don’t know. I need some time to think.” He walked slowly across the room to one of the stages by the wall and sat on the edge of it, letting his head hang. Rarity watched him go. She smiled faintly, then leaned forwards and blew the table’s candles out.
Exactly ten minutes and thirty seconds later, the brown unicorn felt another shape sit down beside him. “I’m sorry,” Rarity whispered.
“I’m sorry too.” Another long pause. “But then, eight years is a long time to believe something.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t seem right. A lot of things in this world don’t seem right.”
“I agree.” The white unicorn shuffled a little closer. “But is it so hard to believe that there’s some good left in it after all?”
For the first time that night, Ray smiled. “No,” he said. “I think that I could live with that.”
For a few minutes the two unicorns simply sat together in silence. After a while, Rarity turned to look at her former coworker. “You know,” she said, “there was another reason I asked you to come here.”
“Really. And that was?”
“I only mean...” A mischievous smile playing over her lips, Rarity moved the rest of the way and whispered into the brown pony’s ear. “Why don’t we get you out of those clothes?”
Ray’s mind went blank. “Uh.”
“I have some absolutely fabulous designs for casual wear I’ve been meaning to try. Something stylish, yet unobtrusive. All I need are a few measurements.”
He sat back and turned this over in his mind. The penny dropped and he laughed. “You never change, do you?” he said. “I know you do that on purpose.”
“I’m sure I have no idea what you mean,” Rarity replied, stifling a giggle. She rose and gathered some tools at the end of the stage, turning on a spotlight to illuminate it. As Ray followed her she busied herself with needles and tape measures, still chatting about clothes. “Of course, we’ll have to work sunglasses into the design. You’ll have noticed most ponies in these parts don’t wear clothes at all, but they’re not so uncommon that you’ll stand out. Discretion is no reason not to look fabulous, don’t you agree? Oh, but let’s not get carried away. Measurements!” The white unicorn finished in a singsong voice, floating several strings and tape measures towards her. Ray Painter stepped up onto the stage. He moved to shrug off his coat, but Rarity stopped him. “Please, allow me.” The faintest trace of magic lifted the edge of the black garment and began to pull it away. “Tell me, how has the EBI been since I left?”
“Oh, very little has changed. Until these last few months life was very quiet. Indigo Screen died, but not because of any field work; he choked to death on a bagel.” Rarity chuckled as she tugged at his jacket. Ray Painter gulped, trying to focus on his story and not the fact that a gorgeous unicorn was undressing him. “Cherry Ale retired to spend time with her husband. She’s living in Manehattan now with two foals. Otherwise, our department is virtually the same.” He held his breath as the garment lifted away from his body. Rarity folded it neatly and laid it down on a nearby chair. “And you? You certainly seem to be in your element. Is dressmaking all you do?”
“It was at first,” Rarity admitted. “When I settled here, I thought that my adventuring days were over. But then Twilight Sparkle arrived, Nightmare Moon returned, and I became the bearer of the Element of Generosity.”
Ray spluttered. “You’re that Rarity? The Rarity?”
The mare blushed. “Please, don’t make a fuss. None of the ponies around here ever do.”
“I... I’m in awe.” Ray Painter blinked. “The stories of the Elements of Harmony are legendary, even to us. Storm Seeker has the team go through friendship training once a month now because of you. In Canterlot alone I’ve met three families who’ve named their daughters Rarity. Of course, I guess I couldn’t expect any less from Diamond Edge.” He grinned. “You should have told me that from the start, you silly mare.”
Rarity paused, then laughed. “Yes, I really should have, shouldn’t I?” Ray’s tie joined his jacket on the chair. “I’m sorry. It’s surprisingly easy to forget, sometimes.”
“Can’t imagine how.” The stallion gestured downwards. “Do you need my shirt as well, or...?”
“Oh, allow me.” To his surprise Rarity bent forward and, instead of using magic, began unbuttoning his shirt with her teeth. A soft cry caught in his throat as she made her way down, her lips brushing the hair on his chest in a soft trail with each successive button.
“D-Diamond...”
The white unicorn looked up. “Yes, my love?”
Both ponies froze. The word hung between them, filling the growing silence. She hadn’t meant to say it, and he knew she hadn’t meant to say it, but the way it had slipped out felt... natural. Right. “I... I was just thinking.” The agent cleared his throat, realizing how close their faces were. “It doesn’t feel like it’s been eight years. It seems like you’ve hardly changed.”
Rarity paused to consider this. “You’re right. You’re mostly the same, too.” She put her front hooves on the stage, drawing herself up to the stallion before her. “Maybe a little rougher around the edges, but still you, all over.” She blushed. “Still ruggedly handsome.”
“You’re as beautiful as ever.” Ray’s voice softened. She could feel his warm breath against her lips. “Still my sparkling Diamond,” he whispered.
“Still my shining Ray.” Slowly, both ponies leaned towards each other. Rarity began to close her eyes.
“Big sis?”
The two unicorns broke apart, biting their lips and looking away anxiously. “Sweetie Belle!” Rarity cried, instantly shifting into big sister mode. “What are you doing out of bed?”
“I heard noises and couldn’t sleep.” The filly blinked rapidly, her sleep-addled brain not really taking in the scene before her. She was a little older than Ray had expected, the tip of her horn reaching up to her sister’s chin, but still maintained an air of childlike innocence about her. “Can I have a glass of water?”
“Of course, dear.” With surprising speed the white mare zipped into the kitchen, returning with a full glass. Sweetie Belle was staring at the strange stallion on the stand, who was smiling uncomfortably. “Sweetie Belle, this is Alias Hill, an old friend from Hoofington. He’s going to be staying in Ponyville for a few days.”
Ray Painter nodded, silently wondering why an unbuttoned shirt somehow looked more compromising than nothing at all. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, little miss.”
Sweetie Belle’s expression turned to one of puzzlement as the reality of what she’d walked in on started to sink in. She opened her mouth to speak but Rarity hurriedly cut her off. “Now, it’s very late. Why don’t we get you tucked up back in bed, hmm?” She looked apologetically back at Ray as she ushered the filly upstairs.
When she returned a few minutes later she found Ray waiting for her on the edge of the stage, having removed his shirt on his own and folded it neatly on top of his coat. “You know, nice as it is to hear my old name, you should really get used to calling me Rarity. Especially around Sweetie Belle.” Rarity sighed. “I think I’m going to have to have a long chat with her tomorrow. About us, I mean. I’m not sure how much to tell her.”
“You’ll do fine.” Ray Painter stepped down from the stage and nuzzled the mare affectionately. “You know, if you ever have foals of your own, you would make a great mother... Rarity.”
The white unicorn smiled. “Maybe when all this is over... Alias Hill.” She paused, then burst out laughing. “You do realize you’re stuck with that ridiculous name as long as you’re in Ponyville? I always told you to think of something better. Well, I hope you’re happy.”
The agent smiled. “Very.” Without any further hesitation he pulled the mare of his dreams in for a kiss, one which she returned passionately.
---
Dear Princess Luna,
Sideline has arrived safely in Ponyville. She watches everything, but never says anything. It’s... honestly kind of creepy. Ponies seem to feel better knowing that she’s here, though.
In the past few days I’ve been approached several times with reports of “ponies in black” walking the streets of Ponyville, and I’ve heard a couple of complaints from ponies who think they’re being followed. Are these agents of Kira? Should we be concerned?
Your faithful servant,
Romana