Personas of Harmony

by EricStarstorm

Chapter 12: Missing Evidence

Twilight and her friends met up in the barn again the day after Fluttershy's rescue. It was time to go over the case again, and the ones who hadn't gone into the other world needed to be brought up to speed on what had happened during the trip. This in mind, Fluttershy was standing to the side where everyone could see, Angel sitting on her back. She summoned her Arcana card, and Angel jumped up, shattering it with a swift karate chop. With that, Naravirala appeared in all her glory.

"By Celestia's beard, she's ADORABLE!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Who's a good kitty? Who's a good--"

"Ahem." Fluttershy looked at Pinkie with distaste.

"Oh...uh..." Pinkie sat down again. "Sorry."

"Why did Angel break the card, exactly?" Twilight asked.

Fluttershy shrugged with her wings. "I tried summoning Naravirala when I was at home by myself earlier, and he smashed the card himself. He seemed to enjoy it."

Angel nodded vigorously. He jumped into the air and mimicked a few karate maneuvers.

"So...yer gonna have Angel summon Naravi-whats-'er-name fer ya?" Applejack asked. "Is that safe?"

"It should be if he stays close to me," Fluttershy replied. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Ah suppose. So long as he don't get no Persona of his own." Applejack rolled her eyes. "The li'l varmint makes enough trouble as it is."

"On to more pressing matters," Spike interjected. "This incident isn't too good for the investigation."

"Oh...right," Twilight said, her expression turning bleak. "Fluttershy's very happy with her job...meaning we've lost the one connection we had to link the victims."

"If I may," Rarity said. "We may still have hope."

"Whatcha gettin' at?" Pinkie asked.

"We know that the killer has access to the other world. He--or she--probably knows just as much as we do, if not more, about it."

Rainbow Dash scoffed impatiently. "We knew that already. What's your point?"

Rarity glared at Rainbow. "If you would let me, I'd explain. Now..." She turned back to the group. "Given the murderer's knowledge, they may have been able to figure out that we entered it before. I imagine that the killer targeted Fluttershy due to her knowledge of the other world. That, or the killer was hoping that we would stay away from the investigation once one of us was put in danger because of it." She turned to Fluttershy, her expression turning slightly pensive. "And we all know what happened next."

"Hmm...I suppose that is a strong possibility," Twilight said. "There's no other way this could possibly make sense."

"Well, that's good...but it doesn't really tell us anything new, either," Spike said with a sigh. "We may have stopped a murder, but we're no closer to catching the guy than we were when this all started."

"Let's not worry about it just yet. Rainbow Dash, how long do we have until the next kidnapping?" Fluttershy asked.

Rainbow Dash thought about it for a moment. "Uhh...six days, I think. I'll double check later, just to be sure...but whenever it is, it's the big storm."

"So we get anoth'r break, then?" Applejack asked. "Ah feel like we ain't doin' enough fer this case."

"We're doing what nopony else can," Spike pointed out. "Nopony else has Personas. If not for us, the victims would be helpless."

"That's what bugs me! Y'all've investigated the murders more'n Lookin' Glass ever could, and ya even managed to stop one! It just don't feel right that whenever the rain passes us by, we do nothin' but wait fer the next incident."

"What do you think we should do, then?" Rainbow asked.

Applejack opened her mouth to say anything, but no words came to her. She looked thoughtful for a moment.

"We ALL want to solve the case, AJ. But we can't just go worrying about it non-stop! All work and no play makes Dash a dull pony."

"When you say it like that, it just makes you sound slothful," Rarity scolded. "What she MEANS is that we shouldn't use up our energy on matters that are better left to the police. If we do that, we will get in their way, and we will have less energy to do what we ARE capable of."

Applejack sighed deeply. "Ah guess so..."

"Well, with that in mind, let's just enjoy our time off!" Twilight said. "Just remember...six days."

---

Twilight and Spike decided to talk to Looking Glass and Siren before anything else--after all, it couldn't hurt to stay in the loop, even if the group wasn't actively participating. They began to head to the bridge, where Lotus had died.

"You know he probably won't have found anything, right?" Spike asked. "He might not even know that Fluttershy was kidnapped. Y'know, since she came back so soon."

"You know as well as I do that we have to be thorough," Twilight replied. "Even if there's nothing to find, we have to look wherever we can."

"Hmm...should we tell him about the kidnapping if he doesn't know?"

"I feel like he'd know about it. There had to be a witness, wouldn't you--"

Twilight was interrupted as she bumped into another pony. She took a step back in surprise and embarrassment as the other pony turned to face her. He was a unicorn about her age with a light-grey coat and a white mane and tail. Oddly enough, his cutie mark was a single black dot.

"Well, hey there!" the stallion said, beaming. "Sorry I was in your way. I get distracted easy."

"Oh, uh...no problem!" Twilight replied sheepishly. Looking at the stallion, she could've sworn he was familiar. "Have we...met before?"

"Well, everyone knows you." The stallion's smile never wavered. "But I don't think we've met in person. Name's Bright Side!"

"It's good to meet you...I'm Twilight Sparkle."

Bright Side tilted his head quizzically. "Why do ya still introduce yourself to people, if ya don't mind me asking? Pretty sure everyone in Equestria knows your name."

"It just feels natural, I guess."

"Did you just move here or something?" Spike asked. "I don't think I've seen you around here before."

"Well, you're on the right track! Spike, right?" Bright Side asked. Spike nodded. "I moved out here from Las Pegasus. Been meaning to for a while, y'know. I know that my timing coulda been a lot better, but hey, I'm not about to let a couple of murders slow my roll!...Don't mean to sound insensitive or anything."

"That's all right," Twilight replied.

"But...speaking of those murders. Sure is weird about that girl vanishing yesterday, huh? What was her name...Fluttershy?"

"How do you know about that?" Spike asked.

"The walls have ears, little man! Rumors that she's the killer are spreading like wildfire. But...not many people actually believe she did it, y'know. I mean, look at her! Poor girl's afraid of her own shadow." Bright Side's expression darkened a bit. "I'm thinkin' she was kidnapped. Celestia knows why, but the two that died were kidnapped before their bodies showed up."

"Have you talked to the police about this?"

"Where do you think I heard it from?" Bright Side chuckled. "Well, hey, I gotta split. Maybe we'll bump into each other again sometime, yeah?"

Twilight nodded. She felt the familiar warmth of a bond forming. "We'll...see."

With that, Bright Side turned to the direction he was originally facing and walked off.

"Well, he was certainly a character," Spike muttered. "Just what was with his dialect?"

"Something about him seemed...weird," Twilight said. "Why did he seem familiar?"

"Maybe you've seen somepony who looks like him before? He has the same coat color as Mr. Waddle, down at the old folks' home."

"Mr. Waddle lost his mane years ago." Twilight sighed. "I'm probably just imagining things. Let's go hear the detectives' side of the story."

---

Twilight and Spike found Siren and Looking Glass on the bridge over the river again. They were just leaving to go to Fluttershy's cottage, but they stopped to talk to the two. After a short conversation, Siren mentioned that Fluttershy was under suspicion.

"You're joking, right?" Spike asked.

"'Fraid not, little guy," Siren replied. "Fluttershy's sweet and timid and all, but there's no concrete evidence that gives her an alibi. Given her sudden disappearance yesterday, that makes her a suspect."

"We just plan on asking her some questions," Looking Glass added. "Princess Celestia is a firm believer in 'innocent until proven guilty.'"

"But...Fluttershy is working on the case with me!" Twilight exclaimed. "How is that not proof enough?"

"Your Highness." Looking Glass gave Twilight a determined glare. "I have faith in your friend. Unless she can prove she's innocent, however, we have no way of knowing that it wasn't her who did this."

"What if she can't remember? Would you believe she's guilty then?"

"That won't be an issue." The detective swelled with confidence. "I have a spell that allows me to probe a pony's memories. I'm sure you've mastered several spells of that nature yourself, Princess."

"Well...could I do that myself?"

Siren shook her head. "You're great friends with Fluttershy. If there's any chance that you could falsify information, it'd be a huge lapse in judgment to take it. Nothing personal, of course."

Twilight sighed. "I suppose that's true..."

Looking Glass's expression became gentle, but serious. "The only thing I desire is to find the truth, Princess. I'm sure you can sympathize with that notion. To find it, we cannot leave a single stone unturned."

"Don't worry, I understand."

Siren smiled gently. "I'm sure Flutters is innocent. She...just happens to be the prime suspect right now, is all."

Spike crossed his arms. "If she's the murderer, then why would she come back to town after less than a day? Even if she did think it was a good idea to come back, wouldn't she at least wait till the heat died down?"

"That's what we wanna know, kiddo."

"Rest assured, I will not let your friend be wrongly accused," Looking Glass said. "To accept a false pretense simply to find a way out would be unacceptable."

Twilight smiled. "So what will you do when she's proven innocent?"

"IF she's proven innocent, our next lead will be the memory of her disappearance. Whether she's the one or not, it will provide some insight."

"In that case...can I come to see it? You know, since I'm working on the case with her and all."

"Of course, your Highness."

---

After a ten-minute trip, the ponies and dragon made it to Fluttershy's cottage. Fluttershy was eager to help in any way she could, so she gladly let them all in.

"Now, Fluttershy..." Looking Glass closed his eyes. "In order to prove your innocence, I must probe your memories. Are you all right with that?"

Fluttershy seemed surprised. "But...can't you just ask me questions?"

"We could...but we have no way to be certain that your answers aren't lies."

Fluttershy grew pensive. "B-but...I wouldn't lie about..."

"Fluttershy..." Twilight turned to her friend pleadingly. "I know you have nothing to hide. The police are doing nothing more than what they have to, I promise."

"We want to believe you're not the one," Siren added. "But we just need a little bit of your time and cooperation to prove it."

"You've got nothing to lose, Fluttershy!" Spike exclaimed. "It'll help us all out."

Fluttershy hesitated for a moment, apparently taking some time to think it through. When she was done, she nodded. "It's not going to hurt...is it?"

"It might feel a bit strange," Looking Glass admitted. "But it won't last long. I'm only going to access where you were during the first two kidnappings and the time of your own disappearance."

"Yes, sir."

Looking Glass closed his eyes and touched his horn to Fluttershy's forehead as it started glowing. He stayed like this for a full minute before withdrawing, his eyes full of confusion.

"What'd you see, Chief?" Siren asked.

Looking Glass shook his head. "Fluttershy is not the killer."

Fluttershy, Twilight and Spike collectively sighed with relief.

"However...there are no memories of your own disappearance. Or anything directly before it."

"Wait, what?" Spike asked. "What in the hay does THAT mean?"

"It means that your memories were removed."

"Come again?" Fluttershy asked. "I mean, I can't remember that myself...but doesn't that mean I just forgot?"

"Allow me to explain with a simple analogy." Looking Glass cleared his throat. "It's like losing a file in a file cabinet. If you lose a file, it is likely still in your office somewhere--just in a place where you cannot access it. However, if somepony takes the file...then no matter where you look, you will not find it in the room." The detective's eyes grew sharp. "I am certain of this: Whoever kidnapped Fluttershy also forcibly removed her memories of the event."

"Is that possible?" Twilight asked. "I've never heard of anypony doing that."

"Seeing and displaying memories are one matter, but altering and removing them is entirely different--it's on a much higher level. Despite this, it isn't unheard of--some murderers in the past have used the same technique to preserve their identities in the eyes of witnesses."

"So we're dealing with a high-level unicorn." Twilight then realized something. "Looking Glass...do you think it's still possible that the killer did this to silence Fluttershy or keep us out of the case?"

"The latter is possible, but the former is highly unlikely. If the murderer wanted to silence Fluttershy, they simply would have removed her memories of the case as a whole."

"So we've narrowed it down, then!" Siren said happily. "We don't know for sure if that's why the killer got Fluttershy, but it's a start!"

"That, and we know that whoever this guy is, he's a unicorn," Spike added. "At this rate, we'll catch that killer in no time!"

Twilight smiled. She felt her bonds with Siren and Looking Glass grow stronger as they stayed silent for a moment.

"Well, that in mind, we'll get outta your hair," Siren said to Fluttershy. "Thank you so much."

Fluttershy smiled and nodded. "It was no trouble at all."

The two detectives left the cottage. Twilight thought about what had just been established for a moment.

"So all we have to do now is work out which unicorn in town knows that spell," Spike said. "This case is a cakewalk now!"

"I wouldn't go that far," Twilight interjected. "Yeah, we know he's a unicorn...but there's still a lot of loose ends. How they know about the other world, for starters. Why they went after the first two victims, too."

Fluttershy's smile faded. "Oh, my...but the police don't know about the other world. How will they...?"

There was a moment of uneasy silence in the room. Twilight sighed deeply. "We've made some headway now...but this case is far from over."

---

That night, Twilight was summoned to the Velvet Room in her dreams. That familiar feeling of waking sleep overtook her as she looked around, waiting for the inside of the chariot to pop up.

"Welcome back," Igor said as Twilight finally gained her vision. "Your progress today is impressive."

"Thank you," Twilight said with a nod. "...How did you know about it?"

"We can see your memories, remember?" Margaret asked.

"Oh yeah."

"There is something I wish to mention." Margaret opened her book, and a Magician Arcana card appeared above it.

"A Magician card?" Twilight's brow furrowed in confusion. "But...I'm a Magician. What's that all about?"

"You have broken new ground with this. You have created a bond of the Magician Arcana."

"...You mean with Bright Side?"

Margaret nodded. "While it is not unheard of for guests in the Velvet Room to forge bonds with their own Arcana, it has so far only been done with groups. Much like the classroom that you share a bond with."

"Forging a bond with one of your own Arcana--a single person--is somewhat rare. It has not happened to another Velvet Room guest for as long as I can remember," Igor added.

"But why is that important?" Twilight asked.

"Should this bond become genuine, asserting it to Merlin will yield...interesting results." Igor conjured a spectral image of Merlin. "Because Merlin is also of the Magician Arcana, we do not know what asserting the bond will do. One would guess that it would increase Merlin's magical capabilities...but there is no way to be sure."

The spectral image of Merlin shrugged sheepishly and vanished. Twilight couldn't help but giggle a bit at the sight. "So...what do you suggest I do about it?"

"Well, there would certainly be no harm in it," Margaret said. "Whether you assert the bond or not, it will still increase Merlin's power."

"Your approach to this matter is entirely up to you," Igor said, waving his hand mysteriously. "I simply felt it prudent to let you know of the effects that this may have. I will refrain from calling you here again until it becomes necessary. Farewell."

Comments

[ZeroChill]

aaand Twilight Sparkle and Bright Side are going to hang out more often. I don't want to say any more in fear of causing you to have to find a new idea to work with.

[shinigamisparda]

Now this is interesting. Forging a link with the same Arcana the user is? I'd really like to see where this goes. And Bright Side's cutie mark is just a black dot? I'll be honest, I'm a bit afraid of what that might mean.

[Jlargent]

So basically someone mind raped Fluttershy?

[Ghrathryn]

4145204

Sounds like it, which suggests either a unicorn or a changeling is the one responsible, unless there's someone that's figured out how to cast spells without a horn. Unfortunately the information doesn't really narrow the suspect field that much, though if this is like Persona 4, I'd imagine anyone Twilight forms a bond with is unlikely to be the one they're looking for so it's probably not a named character.

[Another Nopony]

4146874
Well, unless we take Golden into account.

[Grahf]

I like the Idea of the Dominant Link. It would be awesome if they did that for Persona 5, cause I like the idea of keeping your starting persona and it just gaining more power and abilities based on your bonds.

[EricStarstorm]

4175868 You have a point, but the nature of the forces at work in the other world are very different from the magic that Equestria is used to. In addition, the knowledge of other worlds as a whole isn't shown to be public knowledge. While it is true that Celestia would probably believe Twilight, the odds of someone who isn't in on government secrets--i.e. Looking Glass--believing something like that are much lower. As for Celestia...well, in my opinion, no novel-length MLP fanfiction is truly complete without at least one visit to the princesses, so I'm going to address it eventually.

[Stonecrop Sedum]

Bright Side can't be the killer...it would be too obvious.

[seeker of truth n]

You know I like your story and all it is but i have one problem with this and that is they automatically assume it's a he when for all the know it could be a female. I don't know i think I'm over reading it. Its still a good story but read into that a lot.

[rantu1324]

6341434
Actually statistics show that very few women become serial killers only around 5% of serial killers are women and most of the ones that are prefure to use poison as their weapon of choice