"Girls! Calm down." Twilight shouted above the deafening clamor. "I'm sure this is just some sort of joke. You know how out of hand she can get sometimes."
"B-but. We all saw it with our own eyes." A quiet response from Fluttershy, who seemed ready to pass out at any moment.
"The prisoners will keep volume to a minimum!" A gruff voice spoke from the other side of a magically reinforced cell.
"This simply can't be right. She can't be dead, she's an Alicorn." Rarity spoke quietly in disbelief.
"I don't think long life prevents murder Rarity." Applejack spoke in her normal drawl.
"M-mmurder?" Fluttershy questioned, meekly.
"Yes, Fluttershy. Murder." Rainbow dropped the quieted tones they had been using. "And they say one of us did it! Whoever did better come clean right now or Celestia help me..." Rainbow stopped, her wings drooping low as she realized the name she had just spoken.
"Well it certainly wasn't me!" Rarity interjected followed by a chorus of "I couldn't have" and "I didn't do it" from the rest.
"Wait! If none of you did it..." Pinkie concentrated for a moment. "That must mean I did!" She gasped in shock, along with everyone else. "No wait, I can't have done it. I would remember. What a puzzle, if nobody did it than how did it happen?"
"Pinkie!! Don't scare us like that! It's obvious that someone here isn't telling the truth." Twilight spoke, eying everyone warily.
"Ooooohhhhh.” Pinkie spoke in realization.
"The prisoners will be quiet!" The group was shouted at once again.
The door to the room opened and an additional two guards escorted Shining Armor in, joining the other three standing watch over the prisoners.
"Twilight, come out of the cell right now." He spoke calmly to cover his feelings about what had occurred.
The magical glow surrounding the cell bars sputtered out and the door was opened, Twilight stepped out and away from her friends as the security measures were put quickly back in place.
"It's good to see those wings Twi." Shining said warmly, his commanding demeanor dropping slightly.
"How could you think of my wings at a time like this? Celestia is dead!"
"Woah, calm down sis. Luna told me that if an Alicorn commits murder they would instantly loose their wings and power. This clears your name Twi, I thought you would be a bit happier."
"How can I be happy when my friends have been accused of murder?!" Twilight asked, still un-comforted by the fact that she was no longer behind bars. "How are you so sure one of them did it?"
"Discord and Luna were off on business in the gryphon kingdom, we have sensors that specifically pick up changelings or teleportation magic, and your 'friends' were the only ones inside this otherwise impenetrable castle."
"With all the guards what if it was one of them?"
"Impossible, all the guards have sworn a magically binding oath. They couldn't harm either of the princesses even if they wanted to."
"Then... Then it really was one of them." Twilight looked over to her friends, her faith in them shattered.
~~~
A short while later:
"How did you get here so fast?" Twilight asked Shining as they sat in a private room. He technically should be in the Crystal Kingdom with Cadence.
"Cadence and I received a message on the gravity of the situation and immediately began pooling our magic. With our combined powers she managed to get me within a mile of the palace with a teleportation spell."
"Do you know how dangerous teleportation without sight of your destination is? You could have gotten yourself killed!"
"I supplied a near perfect memory of where to drop me, it's the view I got from my chamber window back when I was captain of the Canterlot guard. But no more of this, I need you to concentrate Twi. Do you remember anything suspicious about yesterday?" Shining questioned.
"No, I..." She paused, the whole day speeding by in her mind. " Applejack and Rarity were getting along..."
"Didn't you tell me they got over their differences?"
"Well, yes, but it was something different today."
"Maybe they both found something they didn't mind talking about? Anything else?"
"When Rainbow Dash gets agitated she tends to flare her wings. Today she was doing it quite a bit."
"The Wonderbolts have a show today. The pegasi we sent to search her house found the ticket. Apparently she gave up her chance to see them in action when she was called here instead. That seems to be a good enough reason for being a little agitated.
"Hmm... Well pinkie.. Never mind its nothing."
"If you thought of it it might be something."
"Pinkie's sixth sense..."
"What about it?"
"She didn't predict anything, an event like, like this..." Twilight broke down and started crying.
"Shh. It's ok Twi. I need you stay calm here." Shining wrapped himself around Twilight to to comfort her. "So Pinkie either didn't sense what was going to happen... Or she didn't tell anyone. Do you have anything on Fluttershy?"
"No, she's almost always quiet. She never does much of notice."
"Thanks Twi, don't worry I'll get to the bottom of this and separate the good friends from the betrayer..."
~~
The next morning:
"Princess Twilight, come quickly." Flash Sentry spoke as he burst into her chambers.
Stunned and slightly disheveled Twilight rose up, following him at near gallop.
Arriving at the makeshift interrogation room she was stopped by another guard.
"It's the one thing we didn't take precautions against... Celestia help us."
Twilight was allowed past, forcing open the door to view the shocking scene inside. Three ponies lay upon the floor, clutching their heads. Seeing that her brother was one of them she rushed over to his side.
"Shining! What happened?"
"T...that demon." He pointed a hoof to the corner of the room before bringing it back to his head, rocking gently on the floor.
Twilight looked over to a figure that was quietly sitting in the corner, a bag over their head. Two more guards sat there to keep her contained.
"I... I'm so sorry Twilight. I d.. didn't mean to." The yellow pegasi spoke.
It couldn't be! "Fluttershy?"
"Y... Yes?"
Twilight grabbed for the hood covering her face.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." One of the guards spoke.
Twilight pulled her hoof back, heeding his advice.
"What did you do Fluttershy?" Twilight questioned, receiving nothing in response.
"What did you do to my brother?!" Twilight yelled, dark magic swirling up in her rage.
Fluttershy gave a startled gasp, feeling the change of power in the room.
"Princess Twilight! Please calm yourself." Flash Sentry entered the room and stood by her side. "Please someone explain what happened here if she will not."
"The demon's glare..." One of the incapacitated guards groaned out.
"Fluttershy?" Twilight spoke quietly, but with a knife’s edge hidden in her tone. "Did you use the stare on them?"
"They had so many questions, and they scared me. I just wanted to hide but I couldn't."
"Did you?"
"Maybe just a little..."
"A little? Fluttershy! You have grown colts half out of their wits calling you a demon!"
"Ok, maybe a lot..."
Twilight looked back to the three colts who were still writhing on the floor from the pure anguish Flutershy's gaze could cause. Twilight looked back, making up her mind. "Stand aside." She spoke to the two Guards holding Fluttershy still.
Twilight reached forward and pulled the hood from Fluttershy's head, everyone in the room averted their eyes. Twilight didn't, she could see the sorrow in Fluttershy's eyes.
"I'm sorry, but this is for your own good." Twilight's horn flared up with dark magic yet again, flinging a spell directly into Fluttershy's face. A milky white glaze crossed over her eyes as Twilight's spell took Fluttershy's vision.
Fluttershy let out a scream and cowered in the corner.
"The blindness will only last a few days, but it's the only good way to prevent you from harming anypony else... Somepony, escort Fluttershy back to her cell."
As the guards cleared out and took their injured along Twilight slumped to the floor, sitting beside Shining. They were the only two left, as Twilight had chosen to look after him for now.
She let a soothing wave of energy out from her horn, letting Shining know he was safe.
"Twi, I want you to... No, I need you to take care of this for me. That stare..." He shuddered.
"I can't, they’re my friends."
"That's why you’re the one that has to do it..."