//------------------------------// // Alternate Chapter: Fluttershy's Murder // Story: Nightmare's Heir // by johnnycajxrt //------------------------------// I then went to go see Rarity to let her know what was happening. As I walked into the visitation area, I noticed them over in the corner. I walked over and waved to Rarity. I then turned to the other four ponies, “Hey guys, can you give Rarity and I a minute? We need to talk alone about what I heard from the lead detective on the case.” “Alright, c’mon girls, let’s go back into the lobby,” Apple Jack said. “Good luck Rarity, we know you’re innocent, you could never do something like that to your best friend,” Rainbow Dash said as she left.. “I hope you’ll be okay in there Rarity, I’ll come visit you every day,” Fluttershy said. “I’m going to get my party stuff ready for your welcome back party,” Pinkie Pie said. After the ponies had left, I turned to Rarity and told her everything that Detective Phelps had told me about the case, as expected, she raise the same objections I raised, and I responded the same way that Detective Phelps had. She seemed dejected after I told her everything, but she stayed strong because she needed to for her friends. “Rarity,” I said finally, “I know this is a tough time right now, but I promise it will get better. I’m a prince, I have some sway, and I expect once Aunt Celestia starts to trust me again, I’ll be able to get a pardon for you even if you get convicted of this.” Me and your friends know that you could never do something like this, and their case against you is pretty weak. So don’t expect to be convicted, and I will personally make sure that for the short time you are incarcerated, you will have no trouble while you wait for your trial and almost definite acquittal. “Alright Miss, your time is up, it’s time to head back to your cell,” A guard said to Rarity. “Rarity, stay strong and you’ll get through this; we’ll come see you tomorrow,” I said as she was taken away. The other four ponies had apparently gone home, as it was getting late and visiting hours were over. As I walked out of the police station, I was grinning widely. I had the total trust of at least four of them, and had eliminated the strongest of them. It was only a matter of time before the throne was mine and Celestia received the same punishment as I did two hundred years prior. I went back to the library so I could get some sleep for the night, making plans to speak to Fluttershy the next day to hopefully convince her to join me against Celestia. Even though I had eliminated one of the elements, I didn’t want to take any chances with the things responsible for my banishment. I walked in to find that Spike had already gone to bed and the library pitch black. I turned on the light and walked over to one of the bookshelves I had reorganized the night before. Looking over the titles, I saw one that caught my eye, “History of the Royalty of Equestria”. Wanting to know just how much of me had been taken out, I pulled it off the shelf and started reading. After about a half hour of searching through, I found the time around my banishment. I read through the chapter and only found a few mentions of an uprising, but that it had been put down after a few days. No mention of my name, the casualties I had inflicted, or even the fact that I had injured Celestia. Inscensed, I picked up the book and flung it across the room, it hit the wall with a thud and knocked a picture frame off the wall. It hit the floor with a loud crash. I froze, hoping that didn’t wake up Spike. After a moment, I relaxed, then walked over to where the picture had fallen and picked it up. I laughed when I saw it; it was a picture of Twilight’s family, judging from the way everypony was dressed, it was the day of Shining Armor and Mi Amore Cadenza’s wedding. What made me laugh was that when the frame had shattered, one of the pieces of glass had sliced into the picture and had cut Twilight in half. I cleaned up the glass and put the destroyed picture in a drawer, then went over to the couch and went to sleep. The next morning I was awakened by Spike when he inadvertently knocked a row of books off the shelf and one of them hit my flank. “Spike, what are you doing?” I asked groggily. He didn’t answer, merely giving a shrug while continuing to what appeared to be reorganizing the library. I decided to leave him to it and go grab some breakfast at Sugarcube Corner before going to see Fluttershy. As I walked in, Mrs. Cake greeted me and took my order. While I waited for the muffin to finish baking, I asked about where Pinkie Pie was. “She’s already at the police station to go visit Rarity, she’s been bouncing off the walls all night waiting to go see her when visiting hours started that she kept the twins up. Which, in turn, kept Carrot and I up all night.” She replied with a hint of irritation. Before I could respond, Mr. Cake came out from the back with a tray of fresh muffins. He took one out and passed it to me. I thanked him and walked out of the bakery and headed towards Fluttershy’s house. As I approached the small cottage I kept a close listen to see if the Cutie Mark Crusaders were still there, but as I opened the gate and walked into the yard, I saw that they weren’t. I smiled and broke into a trot until I reached the door. I knocked, and after a minute or so, Fluttershy answered, making sure to keep her animals inside. “Oh, hello Francois, what can I help you with?” she asked. “I was hoping I could talk with you for a bit before you went to the police station to see Rarity. May I come in?” “Um, okay, come on in and sit down. I wasn’t planning on leaving for awhile though.” I walked inside and sat down on her couch like I had the previous day. I waited while she finished feeding her indoor animals. When she finished, she walked over next to me, sat down, and allowed Angel to jump onto her back. “So what did you want to talk about Francois?” she asked as the rabbit settled down. “I’ll make this quick, you’re obviously busy with your animals. I have a few questions for you, but you have to swear on my mother that nothing said here will leave here.” “I promise, you can be completely candid with me,” she replied. “Alright then, how do you feel about Princess Celestia? Do you really find it fair that the power over the sun and moon is in the hooves of one pony? Especially one as tyrannical as her?” “Tyrannical? What do you mean? She’s been nothing but good to us!” “Good how? By forcing you and your friends away from your homes to take care of somepony she couldn’t take care of a thousand years ago like Discord? Or how about making you go all the way up a mountain to make a dragon leave, despite how scared you were?” “How did you…?” “I read Twilight’s friendship reports. She had them hanging up in the library. Answer my questions please,” I said, starting to get annoyed. “I’m perfectly fine with the way that Princess Celestia is ruling Equestria.” “Are you sure about that? Twilight thought the same way and look what happened to her.” “What did you say?!” she repled, surprised. “You heard exactly what I said.” “Francois, I think it’s time you left. Now!” “I’m afraid I can’t do that Fluttershy, you know too much now!” I said, climbing off the couch and blocking the front door. She turned around and tried to run, but I grabbed her tail in my magic and held her in place as I grabbed a nearby stool. With one swing I knocked her unconscious, but I didn’t stop there, I continued to hit her over and over until there was nothing but a bloody mess where there should have been a yellow pegasus. When I finally realized what had happened, I turned and ran out of the cottage to the river so I could wash the blood off me, then get the hell out of town before anypony realized that Fluttershy was missing.