Family means a lot to anypony. They provide the support to keep you strong when you're weak. They give you warmth when fear chills you to the bone. They give you something worth living for when you feel worthless. They give you love. So much love that it's possible for you to lose rational thinking.
Hatred and anger exists in all. They provide power and initiative, giving one the urge to exact revenge and achieve justice, whether it is you or a loved one that his harmed. It's ironic that such negative emotions stem from love itself.
Applejack, a farmer from Ponyville, is a prime example of a pony who possess all of these emotions. Her love for her family is equal to no pony. Therefore, the limits of her rage is potentially unlimited.
Before Applejack one day, inside the darkness of the family barn, was a most horrific sight. Her emotions left her nearly blind, but she saw everything. The colors pink, yellow, and red. She saw her friend Pinkie Pie with a knife, her little sister Apple Bloom, and blood all around them. It was the most traumatizing thing Applejack ever saw, leaving her to say but one thing.
"APPLE BLOOOM!!!"
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February 12, 1:00 PM
Ponyville Hospital
Waiting Room
I've never seen Applejack like this. I can't really blame here though. Her sister almost...ugh...
One day passed after the terrible events that happened at the barn of Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight Sparkle and her friends all visited Apple Bloom with Applejack that morning, but they all had to leave eventually. After a few hours, the only two left was Twilight and Applejack themselves. On the other side of the waiting room, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, two very close friends of Apple Bloom, were also waiting to hear something.
None of them were allowed to see Apple Bloom due to the doctor's request, and the fact that they couldn't get any updates on the filly's condition tore them all apart.
"I really don't know what to say, Applejack." Twilight said. "Maybe I just shouldn't talk at all."
"It's fine, sugarcube. The silence here is killing me too." Applejack said. Tears were filling up the mares eyes as she began to talk again. "Th-the doctors all told me that she doesn't have much longer. And here I am sitting out standing out here babysitting those two over there." Applejack said, referring to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.
"Don't talk like that. I sent a letter to Celestia as soon as you told me what happened. We should be expecting some of Canterlot's best doctors to be coming through those doors any time now!"
"Aww, shucks. They better."
Ponyville has always been such a peaceful and quiet place. Twilight thought. Who would've thought that...that her of all ponies...doing such a thing to Apple Bloom
Doubting the situation, Twilight decided that it was time for her to ask Applejack some important questions. She knew it wasn't the best time to ask, but she had to get to the bottom of it all.
"Applejack...the pony you saw. Are you sure it was..?"
The tears kept coming down her face, but Applejack also began to grow angry. "Yeah. Without a doubt. Pinkie Pie was stabbing my little Apple Bloom! I'll never forget it! I'll never forgive her!"
"That's still really hard to believe. She's been arrested, but nopony in town actually believes it." Twilight said.
"Believe it, sugarcube. Pinkie tried to kill her in cold blood!"
Pinkie Pie? A killer? I've seen her cry when I bit the head off of a gingerbread pony. Although, that could've been because she wasn't the one who ate it. Twilight thought.
"There's no room for doubt. She tried to kill my little sister!"
"How are you so certain? I mean...Pinkie Pie?" Twilight asked.
"How many times do I have to repeat myself? I saw the pinkest pony I've ever met in my barn and...UGH! How can you not believe me!"
Angry that Twilight wouldn't believe her, Applejack walked out of the waiting room, hoping to enjoy some fresh air outside.
"Applejack, wait!"
Twilight followed Applejack outside, hoping to calm her friend down. As soon as they went outside though, they began to hear an odd sound. Once that slowly got louder and louder.
"Is that a bee or something?" Applejack asked.
Well, it's definitely not a robot frog. Twilight thought. She then began to listen to the sound carefully as well. "Wait. I think that's a siren?"
Just as Twilight noted, she and Applejack had heard the sound of a siren, which got louder and louder. They looked out at the horizon and saw that something was also coming closer and closer to them as the sound got louder.
A large, red vehicle, which looked like a large metal platform, filled with police ponies, was being pulled toward the hospital by several police pegasi. At the front of the vehicle was a small, but grown up red pony that was leading the team.
"Move your plot, pal! Canterlot police coming through!" The red pony said to a pony who nearly got run over.
She didn't recognize him at first doing the cop being in a crowd and moving fast, but as he got closer and was able to be heard, Twilight realized exactly who was coming.
"That's Star Cestus!" Twilight said.
"Ain't he that big cop guy you said was involved with Rarity's trial a few months back?" Applejack asked. "He doesn't look that big to me. What's he doing in Ponyville?"
After spotting the hospital, the vehicle was put to a complete stop after the pegasi stopped pulling, though it was a harsh stop. As quickly as it stopped, three ponies, all three looking being doctors ponies, jumped off and ran inside the hospital.
"Alright, the doctors are in! Too Sweet Apple Acres!" Cestus said.
As quickly as they stopped, the police ponies ran off as they head to their next destination: the crime scene. It looked almost as if nothing had actually happened.
Uhh...Twilight? What just happened?" Applejack asked.
"From the looks of it, I think the doctors I asked for have just arrived." Twilight answered. "But why the police escort? What are Canterlot's police force doing here in Ponyville?"
"Maybe they heard about Apple Bloom and want to take Pinkie in."
Oh no. That might actually be it. Twilight thought. "You should probably stay here with your sister. I'm going to go check out things out."
Without giving Applejack a chance to object, Twilight spread her wings opened and took flight, chasing after the police, with the hopes of learning why they were in Ponyville, leaving Applejack behind.
"Sugarcube, wait!"
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February 12, 1:15 PM
Sweet Apple Acres
Outside The Barn
Well, there they are. They sure got active in a hurry. I hope this won't be too serious. Twilight thought.
Wasting no times to ask questions, Twilight spotted Star Cestus and flew to him. There were already police ponies from Ponyville that were investigating the scene, but Twilight saw that Cestus's squad had quickly taken it over.
"Alright, guys. This is the case that's been haunting us for months." Cestus said to his officers. "As soon as we get caught up with what's already known by the townsfolk, I want you all to check every nook and cranny for evidence. I'll knock out all of you if so much as a cookie crumb is left unchecked!
"YES SIR!"
Given their order, the officers dispersed to get caught up to speed by Ponyville's police. As Cestus's speech was finished up, Twilight took the chance to talk to him.
"Cestus..." Twilight . "I'm sorry, but considering the circumstances, I'm not sure whether or not it's good to see you again."
"Ahh! Princess Fat ca--err, I mean...Twilight Sparkle. It's always good to see you again. But...your right, today is probably not the best day."
This is actually similar to when we first met. I came to see Star Cestus when Rarity got arrested for attempted murder a few months ago. We had a rocky start, but I'm happy that we were able to part ways on good terms. Twilight thought, remembering her first encounter with her new friend. "So Cestus, what's Canterlot's police commissioner doing in Ponyville."
"Actually...it's Inspector Cestus now." Cestus said, which was followed by a sigh. "After what I did a while back, I got demoted. But hey, it's better than getting fired."
I'm not surprised that he got in trouble, but I am that he didn't lose his job. Oh well, he's a good pony. Twilight thought. "Anyway, so what's going on here?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm not ready to spread information like that around yet."
"Not even to a princess like myself?" Twilight asked. Oh geez. I just played the royalty card again. That's how we had a rough start the first time
While still unsure about it, because Twilight was a princess as well as a friend, Cestus quickly decided that there wouldn't of been any harm in telling Twilight as she basically outranked him anyway.
"Alright, but first, give me a hand here. I heard information goes around fast in a place like Ponyville. What can you tell me about the crime that happened yesterday?"
"Okay, let me think." Twilight said. She then thought carefully about what she remembered to give Cestus the proper information. "According to my friend Applejack, she saw my other friend Pinkie Pie in that barn with her little sister, Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom was stabbed several times and is being treated at Ponyville hospital. It's really tragic."
"Yes, Princess Celestia told me to bring those doctors along because you asked for them." Cestus said. "So if she was stabbed, I'm assuming the weapon was a dagger?"
"Correct. The police found the dagger when...hey, wait! How did you know it was a dagger? Everypony else guessed it was a knife."
Cestus sighed as Twilight asked her question. "It's because this isn't the first innocent. Before I say anything, will you promise to keep this to yourself? We want to wait one more day before we make this information public knowledge."
"O-of course. What happened?"
Cestus looked around to make sure there weren't anypony else around, as he wanted to be very careful. "Over the past six months or so, there has been three recorded murders."
"TH--TH-THREE MURDERS!!?" Twilight shouted for the world to hear, much to her embarrassment. Fortunately, there were no locals nearby at the time.
"Yeah, it's pretty bad, pal. On average, there's only like a single case of first-degree murder in Equestria every five years or so, which is pretty stunning in the eyes of other nations. But we've been after the first serial killer Equestria has had in like decades.
A serial killer? In Equestria? Now I understand why he wants to keep quiet about it. If word gets out that there's such a dangerous pony in Equestria, the chaos would be insane. Twilight thought. "Let me guess. You think that what happened here is connected to your killer."
"Right. There have been two key factors that linked the three murders before together. First, is the weapon used. A custom made dagger. They were found during each investigation and each one were identical to the other. If our reasoning is correct, then this dagger should be a match as well."
I actually hope it isn't a match, because I think I have an idea as to what the second key factor is. Twilight thought with dread. "Tell me. What's the other thing that's linked these cases together?"
"Well...in this case, as well as the three I just mentioned..." Cestus said, not liking what he had to say next. "Your friend, Pinkie Pie, has been the main suspect since the first murder."
It was just as Twilight feared. Not only did Pinkie get accused of trying to kill Apple Bloom, but unlike the case her friend Rarity was involved in several months ago, Pinkie was accused of committing three actual murders. Even if the police, and even Applejack, think that Pinkie did it though, Twilight refused to accept it as a possibility. It was just impossible to her.