//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: The Change 
// Story: Personas of Harmony 
// by EricStarstorm 
//------------------------------//

	"How're we doin' down there?" Applejack asked into the well.

"It's really heavy!" Rainbow Dash replied, her voice echoing up the stone column. "Whoever this is really should've eaten less alfalfa!"

"Now ain't the time for jokes." Applejack's voice was stern, but she couldn't mask her concern. She turned to the small crowd of waiting ponies. "Don't y'all worry none! Rainbow Dash'll get this pony out lickety-split! She's got even more upper body strength'n I do."

Naturally, this didn't help ease the crowd's tension very much.

A few more seconds passed before Pinkie, Twilight, and Spike appeared on the scene. "I brought her," Pinkie announced, still in her somber tone. The presence of a royal figure seemed to calm down the other ponies a bit, but it still wasn't much.

"All right. Somepony fill me in," Twilight said calmly.

"Th' body was found 'bout twenty minutes ago," Applejack explained. "Dash is tryin' ta get 'em out so we can ID the victim."

"Trying, my flank!" Rainbow interjected. "I am SUCCEEDING!"

Applejack rolled her eyes. "She's also puttin' on a brave face, as ya can see."

"Looks like we can't really do much until the body is out of the well," Spike said quietly.

Pinkie Pie couldn't bring herself to look at the well. "I...I need to go let Fluttershy know...be right back." She turned around and dashed away.

"Make way!" Rainbow yelled. She finally made it out of the well, beating her wings furiously. In her hooves was the body of a brown pony with a grey, combed-back mane, a red tie with a dollar sign on it, and three moneybags for a cutie mark. Many ponies recognized him instantly as the tomboyish pegasus gently put him down.

"Filthy Rich...?" Applejack's voice was filled with disbelief. "Who in the hay would wanna kill Filthy Rich?"

The crowd was distraught. Filthy Rich had been a respected member of the community ever since he inherited Barnyard Bargains from his father. Despite not being very popular with children, he had many adult friends--earned with charisma, no less, rather than wealth.

Twilight walked over to the body. "There's no way this was an accident or a suicide. A grown stallion doesn't just fall into the well, and Filthy lived a very happy and social lifestyle. There's no doubt about it...this was a murder."

This caused the crowd to murmur amongst themselves. Murder was very rare in Equestria, and even when it did happen, many of the cases were considered accidents. In fact, this was the first murder that many of Ponyville's citizens had seen in their lives.

Rarity pushed her way through the cluster of ponies, holding a scroll with her telekinesis. She made it to Twilight after a few seconds, and Twilight noticed the smeared makeup on her face. "I...took the liberty of writing a letter to Princess Celestia," she said softly.

Twilight put a gentle hoof on her friend's shoulder and handed the letter over to Spike, who blasted it with a plume of green fire. "It'll be okay, Rarity," she replied.

"My apologies." Rarity rubbed fresh tears away from her eyes. "I just...haven't been around death in such a long time."

"I think it's the same for all of us," Rainbow Dash said, averting her eyes from Filthy Rich's remains.

Pinkie returned, this time with Fluttershy in tow. As the latter noticed the body, she covered her mouth and tried not to vomit. "S-sorry I'm late," she said in her quiet little voice. It was all she could manage without gagging.

Spike's eyes widened as his cheeks puffed out. He belched out a scroll with Celestia's royal seal on it. Twilight caught it and opened it.

"'Citizens of Ponyville,'" Twilight began, addressing everyone in the area. "'This news is greatly distressing. As I'm sure many of you know, murders in Ponyville are nearly unheard of. However, I beseech you to remain calm. Ponyville's safety is in the very capable hooves of Princess Twilight Sparkle and the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony. I will, however, send the best detective at my disposal to assist with the investigation: a one Officer Looking Glass. You may be wondering what you can do to help--and that is to continue with your normal routines and lives, while also not letting your guard down. I will provide assistance personally if it becomes absolutely necessary, but I am confident that it won't be. Sincerely, Princess Celestia.'"

Naturally, any words that came from the Princess's mouth put the ponies' minds further at ease. It wasn't long before they began to disperse.

"I can't imagine how they're gonna break this to Diamond Tiara," Spike sighed. "She may be a bully, but...nopony deserves this."

"All right, I'm mad now!" Rainbow suddenly yelled, surprising everyone else. "This murder not only ended Filthy's life, but it also left a lot of other lives damaged--or even ruined! I am gonna make this killer PAY!" She accented the last word by slamming her two front hooves together.

This also made Applejack glare with determination. "Yer right, Dash. After we mourn Rich's passin', it'll be time fer action!"

"Let us make it official, then." Rarity stepped forward. "We'll make it a vow--we'll find whoever killed this stallion, even if we must search all of Equestria. Or even beyond Equestria!"

The group nodded, and each put a hoof foward--or a claw, in Spike's case--and placed them on top of one another's. Something occurred to Twilight, as if she had just realized something...but she couldn't place it. "We'll start investigating this right after Filthy's funeral," she announced.

"So what do we do until then?" Rainbow asked.

"Officer Looking Glass will be here soon, I bet. We'll let him take charge for the moment."

"I should go," Rarity said. "I believe I'll have to do a lot of explaining tonight."

Applejack sighed. "We should ALL go fer now. I think I speak fer all of us when I say we should get some rest."

Everyone agreed. They all said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.





That night, Twilight felt a vaguely familiar feeling as she slept. She was awake again, but still asleep at the same time. Just as she had been during her previous dream.

As if in confirmation, she found herself in the Velvet Room. It was the same as when she had left it--she was even standing in the same spot. The inside of the chariot was still completely blue and padded with leather.

"This dream again?" she asked herself.

"I assure you, my guest, that this is no dream," Igor said.

"Then...am I insane?"

"Perhaps a bit, but your state of mental health is completely irrelevant."

"Then...what exactly is this?"

"The Velvet Room exists on a different plane of existence," Margaret explained. "A plane that exists both within the conscious mind and within the physical world...and yet it exists in neither at the same time."

Twilight shook her head. "I don't get it."

"Though this plane does exist in both of these realities, it cannot be accessed from either by just anyone," Igor replied. "I have summoned you here because you are now bound by a contract."

"Wait, really? I don't remember signing anything."

"You did not have to. Your vow amongst your friends to catch the killer...that is the contract that allows you access to the Velvet Room. And...I also see that the change I foresaw has already begun."

"The change was the murder?"

"Part of it, yes. The other part, you must explore on your own. Rest assured, however, you will discover it soon."

"How can you possibly know all of this? And...what is the other part?"

"I cannot answer those. If I were to do so, it would directly influence your path. We residents are only allowed to do this if the guest is in mortal peril, and even then our assistance is limited." Igor's smile grew. "Only you can decide where your journey will take you."

"From this point on, you can enter here of your own will," Margaret said. "Once your contract is resolved and your journey reaches an end, our services to you will be complete."

"Well...okay...but why?" Twilight asked. "Why can I come here just because of a promise? That makes no sense at all. Tons of ponies make promises!"

Igor closed his eyes knowingly. "Yes, but your contract leads you to a path towards the truth. That is why you were chosen."

Twilight thought for a moment. She thought she understood, or that she would in time. "So...you said you had services to offer me. What exactly are they?"

"For us to explain that, you will have to travel down your path for a bit longer." Igor opened his eyes again. "I apologize for keeping you here for so long. For now, it's nearly time to wake up. The next time you come here, it will be your own choice, rather than by my summons."

Before Twilight could say anything more, the Velvet Room faded into the shadows again. She lost consciousness.