Town of Ponyville

by Reeve

Day 8

Day 8

It’s over… It’s finally over…

The serial killer is dead, it seems she killed the wrong pony and cornered herself. I’m not sure how to even begin describing everything that happened today, I suppose finally being able to reveal who the killer was would be a good start. It’s completely maddening, I even met her on my very first day here, I wrote about her in the very diary after she came to visit. I never did get around to asking Fluttershy what the name of the librarian was, once the murders started happening it completely skipped my mind.

Trixie was her name; the librarian of Ponyville was the serial killer all along. Some might think we finally caught her as a result of expert investigative work, but the truth is it was just dumb luck. Her final victim last night was Fleetfoot, I don’t know if that had been who she planned to target, but Fleetfoot had arrested her last night and at some point during the night Trixie decided to make her the last victim, not that she realised it at the time I’m sure.

It was Spike who discovered Fleetfoot this morning dead at the office. He had probably gone straight there to see if anymore victims had been reported in, ironic actually. Of course Trixie hadn’t stuck about, and she might still be running free were it not for something I contributed. It would appear keeping diaries is common practice here in Ponyville, I found Fleetfoot’s and it told us what we needed to know. Somewhere along the way between the sheriff’s office and the library, a whole mob had formed and by the time we arrived we were ready to take Trixie into custody without much trouble.

The one thing I still find bizarre is that she never tried to fight or argue, she never denied anything, in fact she followed us to the office rather calmly. Spike searched the library for any evidence, while he couldn’t find the murder weapon or any documents that might shed some light; he did come across a strange list of past dates and locations from all across Equestria. I didn’t get to see it very long so I couldn’t make much sense of it, Spike said he would examine it closer later. While the last town meeting, or at least what I seriously hope to have been the last, was set up, I ran to Fluttershy’s to tell her the good news.

She was still in very bad shape, but she refused to stay put any longer. I could see there was no arguing with her so I just did my best to help her get to the square. There were actually two other deaths last night, a guy called Caballeron who was apparently an associate of Applejack’s Family, the whispers were that he was killed by Applejack herself, so everypony agreed not to pay him any heed. The other death was that of the tailor Rarity, the one who Soarin had accused yesterday of being involved in Rainbow Dash’s death.

This was a slightly more interesting affair, as the local school teacher broke down into tears and confessed to the murder. She alluded to having reason to believe Soarin had been telling the truth and that Rarity had been practicing dark magic, some ponies didn’t believe her, and plenty were suspicious as to where she learned this information and how she got a hold of the gun she used. But Spike stepped in and revealed that Rarity had indeed been practising dark magic, he had discovered it yesterday while investigating her.

He said that while Cheerilee’s vigilante actions were illegal, she was in the right when she targeted Rarity. With that pretty much everypony was willing to turn a blind eye to what she had done; I think most of them were horrified by what they had done to Soarin as a result of Rarity’s deception. With those two deaths cleared up all attention was turned to Trixie as she was brought up to the gallows. She confessed to each one of the murders, showing absolutely no emotion towards being caught or what fate awaited her. Spike probed her with questions, like what had she done with the murder weapon to which she just responded that she disposed of it.

She refused to go into any more detail on that and wouldn’t answer any more of Spike’s questions like why she had suddenly started taking lives, or why did she target the ponies that she did. Lots of questions that I too was interested to know the answers too, but Ponyville didn’t care. She had admitted to the murders and that was good enough for them to sentence her to death and finally be rid of her.

Trixie died just like the others, hung by the neck. One thing that still really bothers me is the moment right before the stool was kicked away. It might have been my imagination, but I could have sworn that for the briefest moment she stared directly at me. I really can’t be sure, but when I think back to when I though our eyes met, I can feel that damn itch in the back of my mind, worse than ever before. It feels like it’s spreading throughout my whole brain, making me feel dizzy and causing me to see…

Stuff.

But it’s over now. It’s over and the rest doesn’t matter. Spike mentioned afterwards that with his job done he would probably be heading back to Canterlot soon, he definitely sounded pleased to be able to put Ponyville behind him. He also mentioned that he had called for two response teams to deal with Rarity and Shining Armour, although now one of them wasn’t required. Since they were due to arrive tomorrow he asked me if I could direct them to Shining’s house, he said he was trusting me with it as I was apparently one of the few sane ponies in this whole town.

I spent the rest of the evening with Fluttershy in her cottage, she’s very drained. While today may have been a victory for the town, it was a hollow victory for Fluttershy; she had already lost everypony close to her. She did mention that I was pretty much in tip top condition, and even if my memories did take their time coming back, or not at all, I would now be able to start a proper life here in Ponyville.

I suppose I like the sound of that, but it doesn’t feel right me being able to live a normal life while she’s left all alone to mourn all the friends she’s lost. If this is the start of a new life for me, I want Fluttershy to be there with me, she’s the only true friend I’ve got. I only got back to the flat a little while ago, some ponies are out celebrating in the streets, many are locked up in their homes quietly mourning everyone who died. I heard that the town would probably be burying the bodies tomorrow; they’ve all been in cold storage up until this point.

No doubt Trixie and probably Rarity and some other ones won’t be given proper burials, they’ll be lucky if the town doesn’t chuck their corpses into a ravine somewhere. I’m going to get some sleep, today has been pretty draining and I think I feel the itch returning.

---

Diary of Spike

Tuesday 15th November

Trixie, librarian by day, serial killer by night.

I admit, I probably never would have thought to question her; I didn’t even know this town had a library. It was Fleetfoot’s death that set us on the right path, I discovered her this morning, stabbed just like all the other victims. I was setting about the usual process, examining the crime scene for anything that could identify the killer, hair, hoof prints leading too or away from the building, stuff like that. That was when the new mare arrived, once she had gotten over seeing the body she came up with the idea of checking for records of who Fleetfoot had jailed last night.

There was nothing of the sort around the office, but the mare thought to search her house. I didn’t know what kind of official documents she expected to find there, but what I didn’t realise was she was referring to Fleetfoot’s diary, and sure enough it was right there in black and white. Fleetfoot had arrested Trixie. Rainbow Dash’s deputy, or spy or whatever she was, Scootaloo showed up, I explained what we had discovered and asked her to lead us to the library.

As we walked there, she mentioned it some other pony who asked where we were going, they mentioned it somepony they knew and very quickly we had a mob following us, just short of wielding pitchforks and torches. Not that we needed them all, I was expecting a fight to break out but Trixie was pretty docile for somepony who had just been caught after murdering several other ponies. She came back to the jail with us without any fuss and there I questioned her for a bit while the new mare ran off to tell Fluttershy the news.

She admitted to the murders but wouldn’t answer any of my other questions, just remained stoic. I searched the library for the murder weapon or anything that might shed light on a motive, like a diary or something, after that mare put the idea in my head. There was nothing of the sort, but I did find an odd list of different towns and cities across Equestria alongside dates spread back over the last several years. I told the new mare I didn’t know what to make of it, but I had a slight idea. I had previously hypothesised that the serial killer either knew a lot about pony anatomy or they were well practiced.

Was it possible that this list was proof that Trixie had been killing for years, perfecting her art? At the moment it’s just a thought, I won’t be able to find out until I get back to Canterlot and check the archives. Once I was done the town were readying their daily meeting, looks like it was their last for a long while too. Another two bodies surfaced up, the first being an agent of the mafia, dead as a result of infighting. If Applejack’s ponies are turning on each other now, I don’t think anypony’s going to be too concerned. The second was the witch Rarity; I guess we won’t need that team of mages after all.

It was killed some vigilante who confessed to the act during the meeting. While she didn’t go into specifics, she seemed to have reason to believe Soarin was telling the truth yesterday before his untimely death. Of course nopony believed her until I stepped in and revealed what I had learnt about the dress maker. After that everypony seemed a bit more forgiving to the teacher. Once that was all out of the way, Trixie was brought up to answer for her crimes.

Again she admitted to murdering the ponies, and again I tried to grill her for information. Still she refused to answer, I don’t understand the point of that, she knew the town was going to kill her, what was there left to gain from staying silent? I really didn’t want to see her die there and then; I know I’ve said that about all the ponies who have been executed, but I know there was still way more we could have learnt from her.

But nopony else cared, she had tormented them for long enough and they wanted payback. One minute she was the phantom serial killer, feared by all of Ponyville while she systematically picked them off one by one, the next minute she was another limp body hanging from the gallows. With that it was over, my job here in Ponyville was at an end. This place still has problems, the mafia being a big one and the fact that most of the ponies living here are backwater idiots being another, but they weren’t my problems.

Maybe they’ll hire another sheriff who cares enough to actually try and fix things about here; maybe they’ll elect a mayor who knows what they’re doing and gives a damn about other ponies. Maybe Applejack won’t be able to fix all the damage that has been done to her increasingly little Family, all things that I’ll probably never find out. This is my last night here at Sugarcube Corner; I’m getting the first train back to Canterlot as soon as the sun’s up. I asked the new mare to point the armed squad in the right direction when they come to confiscate Shining Armour’s weapons.

I never did get her name, but then I don’t think anypony ever did. I wonder if she’ll ever recover from the injury that landed her here in the first place, I hope so, she was definitely one of the few ponies here I could see myself liking. And with that I hope to never write another diary entry from Ponyville again, if shit goes down here a second time… I’ll pass the case on to someone else.

---

Diary of Applejack

Tuesday 15th November

It is finally over, the murderer, Trixie has been put to death. She was caught, not by me or the efforts of the Family, but by Spike the investigator and the newcomer of all ponies. She confessed to her crimes, and as much as I would have loved to have dealt with her myself in private, the rest of the town was determined to hang her and I was willing to take what I could get.

This may have been the darkest week in Ponyville’s history, I don’t think anypony has made it through without losing someone they knew or cared about. And where does the Family stand after this week? The organisation that has held Ponyville in its grips for generations, the one that I was elected to lead before all this started, where does it stand?

It stands on the precipice of destruction. Not only did we lose a number of our best agents, my own brother perhaps being the best this Family ever had, the whole town saw us get into a fist fight with the sheriff’s office. The opponent may have lost, but we still bled and everypony saw it. We may still be standing, but that won’t mean a thing if ponies here realise that they don’t need us, and they certainly don’t need to be afraid of us. Rainbow Dash’s job will be completed by those she left behind, and the Family will crumble until only memories remain.

I can’t let this happen, I can’t be the one to allow everything my family built to be destroyed. Even if it has lost me almost everything I cared about, I have to restore it, I have to make everypony realise that the Family is still strong, and I know just where to begin…

Spike’s leaving tomorrow, good riddance, but he’s called in some other officers to take Shining Armour away. That won’t do, he still has to pay for what he did to Mac. Things are pretty precarious at the moment, the town might still be willing to send a few more ponies to the gallows, as much as I’d like to make a spectacle of it, I’m going to have to carry out the deed very carefully. Luckily I have a patsy in mind who will take the heat for what I’m about to do…

My only concern about what I’m about to do, is that it might end up being the final nail in the coffin that turns Applebloom away from me. Do I really have the strength to get vengeance for Big Mac, knowing I could lose the only one I have left? But can I let it go, miss my chance to have the final word in this murder mystery and risk allowing decades of work to be destroyed?

I did kill Caballeron last night, I wasn’t sure if I would or not, but after I had pulled all his teeth and cut out his tongue, I knew he wouldn’t be much use to the Family. But even as I worked, and now as I think back, I’m left wondering if Rainbow Dash was the one in the right the whole time. Am I really the monster she saw me as? And if so, is decades of work really worth saving if this is what it’s turned me into?

It’s getting late, if I’m going to go and deal with Shining Armour, it has to be soon. Strange, in all my years of service to the Family, I have never had as much doubt over any job as I do now.

---

Diary of Cloudchaser

Tuesday 15th November

Well, today was certainly interesting. Four ponies died, and by the looks of things they all got what was coming to them. First there was one of my recent clients, Caballeron. A shame really, he seemed like such a nice guy, paying for our lunch like a true gentlestallion. Of course he told me all his dirty little secrets so I know that he was in bed with the Family as much as he was in bed with me that night, so it’s probably good that he’s gone.

Next was the town jailor, Fleetfoot, the latest victim of the now not-so-mysterious serial killer. I’m pretty sure she was some kind of sadist the way she was said to treated her prisoners, and the fact that her death lead to the capture of the serial killer, I’d say it was a win-win situation. As for the serial killer herself, turns out it was Trixie, the town librarian. I barely knew her, she seemed like such a loner so it’s hardly a surprise she turned out to be the psycho who was killing everypony off. Of course she got what was coming to her, making her the third pony dead today.

The fourth was a bit more awkward, it was Rarity. As devastated as I was when I heard, I quickly learned there was a lot my ‘dear friend’ had not been telling me, like her study of dark magic and witchcraft, or the fact that Soarin really had been controlled by her and he hadn’t just lost his mind. She was killed off last night by Cheerilee of all ponies; I never thought she had it in her to do something like that. When she first admitted to it I assumed she had finally snapped and retaliated after how Rarity and I used to treat her in school.

It gives me shivers to think that I was so close to somepony like her; she was clearly unstable, forcing Soarin to kill Rainbow Dash just because he dumped her. I hate to think what she would have done to me if she knew half the stuff I had down behind her back. So that’s the four ponies who died today, pretty much all of them deserving their fate, what’s more is that with Trixie finally dead things can get back to normal around here.

Business has been hard this last week with everypony so spooked, but now that that’s a thing of the past I might actually be able to start making a proper living again. Heck, I might even be able to make a bonus in the coming days, I’m sure there’s quite a few ponies who needed a little comforting after all the loss they’ve suffered. So in conclusion, the guilty ones are dead, and I might come out of this whole ordeal on top, I do love being me!

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Diary of Cheerilee

Tuesday 15th November

Today has been harrowing, but it’s all over now. Rarity’s gone, the serial killer is gone, we’re safe now.

I honestly didn’t expect to be writing todays entry after how I left things last night, and indeed my confrontation with Rarity wasn’t nearly as easy as I expected. I was able to enter the boutique using the key I had taken from Sweetie Belle’s bags, I had hoped I could get in and carry out the deed without Rarity waking up, unfortunately she was already well awake. She was right there in the middle of the shop, looking like she was ready to pounce on me.

It seemed she had been waiting up Sweetie Belle to come back. She began demanding to know why I was there and what I wanted, but when she noticed the key I had just used things got bad. She lashed out at me, throwing anything she could lay her magic on at me, screaming and demanding to know what I had done to her sister. I lost my temper at that; I shouted back that her sister was safe, far safer than she would be with her.

I wiped out the gun and told her what I had learnt from Sweetie Belle, Rarity was shocked and furious, but she quickly calmed herself. She began trying to talk her way out of it, saying that Sweetie Belle didn’t have a clue what she was talking about, after all how could she know something like that? She also said that I wouldn’t shoot her, that I was much too good to do something like that. I could read between the lines, I knew what she really meant was I was too weak to shoot her, and a part of me believed her.

Rarity was clever, using the lights in her boutique to hide the glow of her horn, but by pure luck I noticed it and realised what she was up to. I was able to throw myself out of the way of all the needles she had floated up behind me, a few managed to nick me as they shot right through where I had just been standing. As I hit the ground, instinct took over and I pointed the gun straight at her, firing without aiming.

The bullet hit her squarely between the eyes and she dropped like a sack of bricks. The next while was a bit of a blur as I ran from the boutique and made my way back home, Scootaloo was waiting for me as I entered the house, she could tell from the look of me something terrible had just happened and she demanded to know what. I couldn’t even bring myself to lie, I told her and waited for her to call me a monster and run away, but she didn’t do any of that. As I lay snivelling on the ground she just came over and hugged me, saying that I did the right thing under difficult circumstances and that she could never hate me for that.

Sometimes I forget just how much she’s grown up. The truly difficult part came several minutes after when Sweetie Belle came in, she had been asleep when I got back and I had been freaking out over how I was ever going to tell her what I had done. Before I could say anything however, she just said that she had spoken with Rarity and she knew what I had done, she finished by saying she needed some time before she walked out of the house.

Scootaloo said she’d keep an eye on her and make sure she was okay; the sun wasn’t even up at this point so it was still dangerous to be alone. The rest of the morning I spent lying on the sofa, overcome with guilt. The truth was I still didn’t know for a fact that what Sweetie Belle had said was true, if it wasn’t I was nothing more than a cold blooded killer, if it was… well then I was still a cold blooded killer, only I had the moral high ground.. When the town meeting was called, I knew I had to come clean and face the music.

Neither Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle were at the meeting which worried me, but Mrs Cake told me they were both in Sugarcube Corner talking out whatever had happened. When Rarity’s death was inevitably brought up I completely broke down, I must have seemed so pathetic, sobbing like a foal while admitting to the murder of one of the most respected members of the town. I tried to explain that she had been responsible for what happened to Rainbow Dash, but I dared not reveal where I got my information for Sweetie Belle’s sake.

As a result hardly anypony believed me and were already screaming for my death. Imagine my luck when the investigator from Canterlot steps in and reveals that he found evidence to support my claim. He stated that what I had done was illegal, but considering the circumstances it wasn’t the most pressing matter. I was pretty much let off the hook after that, Sweetie Belle had been right and I was being allowed to live, it was as if there was an angel looking after me.

I wonder if what I had done would have been as easily forgotten if the serial killer hadn’t also been caught this morning. It turns out the killer slipped up by killing the town jailor Fleetfoot, allowing Spike to identify her as the town librarian Trixie. Honestly I was taken completely by surprise, I visited the library often and while I wouldn’t say I was close with Trixie, I always found her to be a friendly enough mare who I could always have pleasant conversations with. I was sure there was some sort of mistake, but she openly confessed to all the murders as well as the attempted murder on Fluttershy.

She refused to explain any motive, but pretty much everypony was satisfied enough to see her hang. And hang she did, the horrors of this week dying with her. I returned to my home to find Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle waiting for me there, Sweetie Belle told me that she understood why I did what I did, and while she couldn’t forgive me for it, neither could she hate me for it. I offered to let her stay here with us after that, she was still in Ponyville for about another week before she was due to head back to Canterlot, she accepted my offer quite gratefully.

Things are awkward between us, I’m not surprised, but we’re both attempting to make it work, at least until she has to return to Canterlot. We spent the rest of the evening here in the house, Applebloom came over to visit and together we all quietly celebrated the end of such a horrific week as well as mourned the ones we lost. I know Scootaloo is particularly upset over Rainbow Dash, I am as well, I always appreciated how close she was with Scootaloo, and despite my concerns when they started working together, I did like her.

Applebloom just left half an hour ago, and Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are both asleep. The day’s been stressful for everyone; we’re all a bit tuckered out. I’m going to bed now too, tomorrow is the first day of everything getting back to normal.

---

Diary of Scootaloo

Tuesday 15th November

Cheerilee killed Rarity, I stayed up all night going through a list of horrible possibilities that might occur while she was out, and that was the one that cropped up the most. When she came in this morning, shaking like a leaf, I knew exactly what she had done. It was hard to hear, but I knew she had done the right thing and I made sure she knew it too. I was more worried about Sweetie Belle, she had fallen asleep a while before Cheerilee got back, but I couldn’t have slept even if I’d wanted to.

When she appeared in the room and said she had spoken to Rarity my heart stopped. She sounded so empty when she said she needed time to think, I didn’t want to leave Cheerilee, but I was worried about what Sweetie might do. Cheerilee was cool with me going after her though; I think she knew that Sweetie Belle was the more pressing case at that time. I followed her all the way across town; I stayed back and kept my eyes peeled for any killers who might try to jump her.

I knew exactly where she was going; I’d walked the same route many times going to visit her. When she got to her sister’s shop I expected her to go in, but she just sat outside it and stared. I waited for a while, but once the sun was up and she still hadn’t budged an inch I decided it was time to go over and talk to her. She was really torn over what happened, she loved her sister but couldn’t accept what she had done to Rainbow Dash and Soarin.

She said she knew what Cheerilee had done was probably the right thing, but she just wished there had been some other way. We left the shop after a while; I noticed somepony making their way in the direction so I knew it wouldn’t be long before the body was discovered. We went to Sugarcube corner and I bought her a vanilla milkshake, I always preferred chocolate but I knew vanilla was her favourite. We talked a bit more about what happened, but she was more concerned about herself.

Not in the self-centred way, I mean she was concerned about the way she could hear the voices of dead ponies. I told her that I honestly didn’t know how it was possible but that she should go see someone in Canterlot about it, somepony who knows a lot about magic and stuff. I knew she wasn’t keen on the idea, it had taken a lot for her to tell me and Cheerilee the truth but I still think she was afraid of being labelled a freak and being locked up or something crazy.

When the town meeting finished we overheard some ponies talking about how the serial killer was finally dead, a part of me was afraid they had killed Cheerilee, thinking she was the killer. But Sweetie Belle told me she was still alive, she said she just knew it in her gut. I really don’t know how Sweetie Belle’s power works but I was definitely willing to trust her on that. We rushed home and waited for Cheerilee to return, which she did thankfully.

Her and Sweetie Belle talked for a bit first, during which Cheerilee offered to let her stay here with us which she thankfully accepted. After that Cheerilee filled us in on what happened during the meeting and confirmed that, yes, the serial killer finally was dead. Turns out it was somepony called Trixie who lived in the library; I never really went there so I didn’t know her. We were happy, although there was still plenty to be sad about.

Applebloom came over and Sweetie Belle told her the truth about what she could do. I was tempted to come clean as well about what I had been working on with Rainbow Dash, but I didn’t know where I stood in all that now that she was gone. Was I supposed to take over and finish the job myself? Applebloom didn’t disown Sweetie Belle either which really helped her confidence, after we all tried to make her feel better about her abilities, I even asked if she could talk to Rainbow Dash for me and Applebloom wanted to hear from Big Mac.

It was nice, all of us there together, it felt like things were finally right for the first time in a long time, and while we had all lost so much, we knew the bad times were finally over and things would start looking up soon. We made plans for Sweetie Belle’s final week here in Ponyville and discussed what we’d do after that. We talked about me and Bloom going up to Canterlot to stay with her for a bit, Cheerilee even suggested that I could try and get into higher education like Sweetie Belle. Honestly it still doesn’t really appeal to me, I never was very academic, the only reason I did any good in school here was because Cheerilee helped me so much.

Applebloom suggested that I train for the Wonderbolts; I did like the sound of that. I knew Rainbow Dash used to want to join them when she lived in Cloudsdale; she was even friends with the captain. Applebloom mentioned that she was thinking about doing something education wise, which took us all by surprise since she always seemed so satisfied living here and helping about on the farm. I hope nothing bad has happened between her and the Family. She left a little while ago and Sweetie Belle just fell asleep, I’m going to hit the hay now too. We’re all going to go out tomorrow morning for a picnic, so I want to be rested up enough that I can practice my flight moves.

Comments

[Fictional Fanatic]

5973188 Nothing besides simply believing that the story will be received in a great way when writing it. I know it doesn't make much sense, but when I write, it seems that it mostly depends on my personal mood and how much of myself I pour into the story. It is the only way I can explain it. Know yourself and your readers when you write. Know that some only enjoy certain elements and play those elements, don't try to imitate others, write by your own style and simply do it.

[Lunaria]

5973188 Could be the format. Diary form stuff might simply not be as interesting for people as something more hands-on. (Though, I personally think it can work.)

The plot is also one that tries to mirror a game, which could have something to do with it. People who have played mafia/warewolf/etc know what it's about. A story like this is like the game, but without the playing part, ergo it's a lesser experience by default. And since people know the format/rules of the game, the plot becomes terribly predictable.

Making a Danganronpa inspired fic like your previous one was does not quite host the same type of problem. Firstly since the game already was leaning heavily on the visual novel side. But also because you expanded on it with a quite unique setting. In contrast, this outing is more "true" to the source material, and sadly, I don't think that is for the better. I enjoy it though.

Also, getting featured on the frontpage drags in views. Which, IIRC, happened with your last two fics. :P