Once Twilight and Rarity had recovered, the group minus one convened inside the cottage. Rainbow Dash had, upon waking, stammered an excuse and flew away.
Applejack looked out the window. "Ah never thought Rainbow Dash'd be spooked of anything."
"It is understandable." Sanguine had settled to the floor, wings up to let Rarity take measurements. "Reactions like that are among the reasons I hide." She looked around the group, reviewing the introductions that had just been made. Fluttershy was indeed the town vet; Rarity ran a fashion boutique; Twilight Sparkle had introduced herself as the town librarian - to amused reactions from her friends, there was probably a deeper story there; Applejack ran some sort of farm; Pinkie Pie was a "smile ambassador" whatever that meant; and the no-longer-present Rainbow Dash was some sort of athlete on top of making sure the skies were clear today. Sanguine's full name had gotten a darker look from Applejack the moment she had read it from Celestia's letter; only Fluttershy's request that the group reserve judgment until they heard Sanguine's full story prevented more than a look.
But Applejack's look had not gone away. "So let's hear it. How DOES a pony get that sort of cutie mark?"
"Some bandits smashed up my home town and were threatening to kill us foals if the adults didn't pay a huge ransom. So I took a shard of one of the windows they smashed and..." She shuddered.
"Celestia said it was more than 'some' bandits." Twilight evaluated Sanguine with a critical eye, mirroring Applejack's suspicion.
Sanguine continued in hushed tones, "It didn't matter how many. They were hurting my friends, a-and I saw how to make it stop. When, when it was finally over...the townsponies, everyone I'd grown up with, didn't know what to do with me. I still don't know what to do with me. So they sent for Princess Celestia." She examined the floor at her hooves, and continued in near-monotone. "She came in person to lay judgment, and I thank her for her mercy. So long as I live I am a danger to other ponies, but her first order to me was to forbid me to take my own life." A hint of energy returned to her voice. "My talent is actually killing by neck strikes. I've wondered why it's so specific."
"Well, that part makes sense, at least," Twilight rattled off. "There've been so many others, your cutie mark had to struggle to be unique."
Five pairs of eyes blinked.
Apparently Twilight could just whip up academic lectures at the drop of a hat: she did not even pause at her friends' and Sanguine's surprise. "It's been theorized, and all evidence to date supports the theory, that every cutie mark is different from every other cutie mark that is, has been, or will be. There haven't been any large studies on this, so it hasn't been formally proven - but if it is, well, Sanguine had a lot of competition back in the early days of Equestria."
Silence descended as the crowd processed this, until Applejack broke it. "Celestia told you about back then?"
Twilight shook her head. "She doesn't like to talk about it, but there are some historical accounts. When I asked, she just said she hoped those days were over for good, that nopony would ever again have to kill."
Applejack frowned. "How bad're we talkin'?"
"Well...that is..." Twilight sighed, looking down and pawing the floor. "A picture's worth a thousand words? Imagine rivers of blood, fields of pony flesh from I don't know how many bodies - and the survivors, LAUGHING about it as they went at one another. I'm glad the picture was silent; some of the bodies looked like they were still scream-"
"Twilight!" At Pinkie's shouted warning, Twilight looked up. Fluttershy was cowering, Rarity looked like she was on the verge of dry heaves, and Sanguine's expression was unreadable. Even Pinkie Pie's hair had lost some of its curl.
Twilight looked sheepish. "Err. Sorry. But you get the point."
Only Applejack seemed unaffected. "How'd you lose it out there if you'd seen it before?"
"W-well...it's one thing to see it in a book. It's another to run into it face to face, especially when you suddenly realize it."
"Fair 'nough." Applejack backed off. "Anyway. So y'say there've been a lot of killers in th' past?"
"When...they were needed. Which was ages ago." Twilight looked down, her voice quieting a bit. "Sanguine. Your cutie mark is fairly new, right? In the past year or two?"
Sanguine nodded. "Five weeks ago."
Twilight winced. "I think we may be partly to blame." At the gasps and looks of surprise, Twilight continued, "Think about it. All these adventures we've had? And it's not just us: ever since we came together, there've been more incidents all over Equestria. A lot of ponies have been blaming Luna's return, or King Sombra's defeat, or Discord being around - if somewhat on our side - or a bunch of other things we did. I'm not surprised that, somewhere, lethal measures were actually needed to protect everypony; I just hope it's just the one case."
Sanguine perked up. "I'd heard tales. So you really are the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony?"
"Were." Pinkie shrugged. "The Tree of Harmony wanted them back. It didn't even ask for a receipt for the returns!"
Sanguine giggled, then caught herself. She examined her chest and hooves, then broke out in laughter so hard Rarity backed away from measuring her.
Pinkie listened carefully - yes, that was indeed laughter, and not faked. "Wow! I didn't think I was THAT funny!"
"Ahaha, ha, heh." Sanguine finally recovered, but was unable to wipe the smile off her face. "Sorry. It's just...I haven't had anything to laugh ABOUT since my cutie mark showed up. I needed that. Thank you."
"No problemo! Five weeks without a laugh is unnn-healthy!" Pinkie smiled.
"Anyway," Sanguine continued, "I'd heard you ran across some kind of spell that can remove cutie marks. Is it possible...?"
Twilight shook her head. "It swaps cutie marks. Somepony else would get yours. I have to say, I can't imagine most ponies dealing with it as well as you have. And it isn't a complete transfer, it-"
Sanguine held up a hoof. "I get the point. Bad idea. Sorry for asking."
Twilight shrugged. "Don't apologize. If I were in your position I'd leap on any possible cure."
"A cure, for being me." Sanguine's head drooped.
Twilight mentally kicked herself. "...sorry. I could've worded that better."
"No. It's exactly what I have thought, more times than I want to count." Sanguine sighed. "Even my name."
"Yes, I've been meaning to ask." Rarity began packing her measuring tape and notes away. "Why did you keep it?"
Sanguine looked up, not comprehending. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Because it causes you misery, my dear. Oh! You need a makeover, and not just your coat." Rarity placed a hoof on Sanguine's chest. "In here, too."
Sanguine blinked. A moment later, she asked in utter seriousness, "You want to dress up my internal organs?"
Rarity grimaced. Sanguine had sounded a little too comfortable with the thought of ending her life in creative ways. "No, no! I refer to a makeover of the soul! Tch, Celestia sent you to Fluttershy to find inner peace - and maybe she knew about those timberwolves too, the timing is JUST like her - but if I may, I would like to take a crack at helping you gain peace with who and what you are."
"Sure, why not?" Sanguine offered in the same resigned voice. "Umm, I think I need to get your permission, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy grinned. "Permission granted! I would trust my soul to Rarity any day!"
"Splendid!" Rarity sidled up next to Sanguine. "Can somepony walk with us, hiding her other side until we get her to my boutique?"
"Oh! I will!" Pinkie Pie lined up on Sanguine's far side. "Leeet's go!" After guiding Sanguine out the door, Pinkie gestured at the fallen timberwolves and looked back over her shoulder. "By the way, who's going to clean up all this firewood?"
Fluttershy looked out the door, looked at the letter, and allowed herself a chuckle. "Sanguine, come back here after you're done at Rarity's. I'll leave it until then."
As the trio trotted off, Twilight tilted her head at Fluttershy, so she showed Twilight the letter. Twilight facehoofed. "'Firewood problem.' I need to remind her to be a little less mysterious, don't I?"
Applejack read over Twilight's shoulder. "Ayup. I'd've volunteered, but looks like princess's orders. Ah'm bettin' that week's just in case there're any others about."
Fluttershy shook her head. "I'm pretty sure it was just the one pack. Umm. I should go apologize to Rainbow Dash, but I need to make sure everyone's accounted for..."
"I'll fetch her. I have a feeling I know where she went off to." Twilight stretched her wings. "But first - Applejack, a word?" She trotted out the back door.
"Hmm? Sure." Applejack followed her, closing the door once they were outside. "What's up?"
Twilight furrowed her brow, trying to come up with the right words.
"...it's about there bein' a murderer about, ain't it?" Applejack ventured.
Twilight nodded.
Applejack sat against the wall of the cottage. "Look. Y'can't blame me fer bein' a mite worried, Twi'."
Twilight winced. "Applejack. This was clearly forced on her. Listen to her, she doesn't want to kill-"
"It ain't Sanguine ah'm worried about," Applejack interrupted.
Twilight's train of thought threw a gear, hopped the rails, and skidded to a glorious trainwreck. "Huh?" was the only way she had to sum it up.
"Th' six o' us know better," Applejack explained, "'specially since we got the full story, but if word got out? Y'all know how gossip spreads: removin' some details, exaggeratin' others. Twilight. Murder is THE worst thing a pony can DO, in many ponies' eyes, an' rightfully so. Mass murder 'specially. In all yer studies, ya ever see a picture o' a lynch mob?"
The wrecked train of thought sprang back to life, like a zombie. Twilight looked ill.
Applejack knew that look all too well. It was times like this that being Honesty helped: Twilight might sometimes doubt Applejack's facts or logic, but never that she believed what she said. "Ah'll take that as a yes. An' Sanguine there'd probably let it happen, 'less that cutie mark o' hers is on autopilot or somethin'. Either way, we'd have blood on th' streets."
"Good thing we all promised to keep it a secret." Twilight sighed.
"Technically ya didn't," Applejack pointed out. "Ya had somethin' other'n words in yer mouth at th' time."
Twilight gave Applejack an annoyed look.
Applejack ignored it. "But there's wantin' t' keep it an', well...look. Ah think Celestia might possibly be wantin' ya to think like a princess on this, not just as the same ol' Twilight Sparkle, 'master librarian'. Jus' promise me ya'll think about ways t' contain it if th' secret leaks, alright?"
Twilight nodded. "Alright. Anything else?"
Applejack put hoof to chin, thinking. "Yeah, actually. Speakin' o' autopilot, ya got any way t' defuse a cutie mark gone haywire in case endin' those bandits wasn't exactly somethin' she did of her own free will?"
Twilight boggled. "You're just full of cheerful thoughts today."
Applejack shrugged. "Best way t' make sure nothing goes wrong involves thinkin' o' what can, and plan against it."
Twilight smiled. She admired Applejack's ability to stay calm even when discussing potentially non-hypothetical apocalypses. "I'll see if my library has anything about it, though I really don't think her cutie mark can take control. But first, I've got a pegasus to calm down."