> Fading Lilies
>  by Nirtha
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	There was a sudden knock on the door and my head turned towards it with a shocked expression, much like a deer in headlights. I stepped forward and kicked my hoof back, slamming the door shut. I felt my lunch churning in my stomach. I could still feel the warmth of it searing through me. I would have enjoyed that aspect of it, if not for the present circumstance threatening to pull it right out of me. 
I cantered into the kitchen and searched for the tiny silver key that would have fit the lock of the door I had just shut. I needed it secured. I didn’t know who was at my door, but whoever it was, I didn’t need them snooping around my home. I pulled open drawers, rummaged, and slammed each shut with a frustrated thud. I couldn’t find it.
“Blast it all!” I hissed under my breath. 
The knocking continued. Somepony was keen to get in, but why? Why would anypony be visiting at such an hour? It was well past midnight and the sun was nowhere near ready to show itself.
“Hold your horses!” I called out to the mysterious pony at the door.
“For what?” the familiar voice called back. “I’m freezing my flank off out here, you know.”
“Swift?” I asked, surprised. I don’t know why I was. Swift Wing had a tendency of showing up unexpected. I guess I was just getting a little too paranoid back then. It was a trivial fear really. It’s not like anything could go too horribly. If worst came to worst, I could just leave-- again.
“Lily?” Swift Wing called back, mocking my shock.
I sighed and allowed myself the relief of a brief pause. I had overreacted. Though I still wasn’t comfortable with leaving the door unlocked, I felt confident that I’d be able to avoid letting Swift Wing in. I cantered over to the door and pressed my hoof down on the handle. The door released its hold against the frame with a gentle click.
Before he had a chance to step inside, I stepped out and shut the door, forcing Swift Wing to take a few steps back. It was dark, and I could just barely make out the shape of his figure in the depths of the night. The lampposts were put out. They were all shut off just before midnight to avoid encouraging anypony wondering the town at night.
There were rumors of strange happenings floating around. All of Ponyville was now speaking of strange loss of memory. They all had stories of walking through the streets and blacking out, only to wake up at home with no recollection of the previous night, or even how they got back. It was sending fear through the citizens, and even some subtle enjoyment due to the new pony tales arising. I thought it was sick really, that ponies could find enjoyment in hearing these tales. They laughed away as if they thought it was a joke, but I knew better. Of course I knew better. Who would know better than I?
Even if there was no truth to what these ponies said, these ponies clearly believed it. Why laugh at a ponies imbalance? There were ponies out there losing their lives, ponies losing their minds, and then the rest of them, those ponies making jokes out of it all. They disgusted me. They disgusted me almost as much as I disgusted myself.
“Are you alright, Lily?” Swift Wing asked, pulling my conscience away from the depths of my thoughts.
I looked to the frame of his face. His eyes just barely reflected the light that was concealed behind my curtained windows.
“I’m fine.” I assured him with a lie. “Why do you ask?” I ventured, hoping he wasn’t noticing anything strange.
“You’re just quiet,” he told me. “I guess that’s not all that strange, considering it’s you I’m talking to.”
“I’m sorry. I never mean to ignore you. I don’t even realize when I’m drifting off,” I told him.
“Was this a bad time?” he asked.
“No, it’s alright,” I insisted. “I need some time away from my own solitude.”
“Alright,” he said he was trying to analyze me through the darkness, but I also knew that he wouldn’t achieve anything with the attempt. He would see even less of me than I did of him. His eyes were never as keen as my own -- at least, not in the dead of the night.
“Sometimes I wonder what’s going on in your head,” he told me. “You seem to think so much. You must be a genius. I bet if I could get inside your mind, I’d just be scared off.”
I forced a laugh. It would have been funny had it not been for the truth of it all. If he could get in my mind, it would indeed scare him off. It wouldn’t just scare him away from my thoughts; it would scare him away from my life. I often thought it would have been best for him that way.
“How is work treating you?” I asked him, wanting a new subject as quickly as I could get one.
“It’s been busy,” he informed me. “We’ve been getting a lot of ponies in with stories on these memory losses.”
“Oh?” I asked.
“One mare came in just yesterday with a story of her own. She said she just blacked out. Her story was that she was getting groceries and that everything went away after that. She woke up at home and came straight to us. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but she did say she’s been dizzy ever since.”
“That’s a lie!” I said in outrage before I could stop myself.
“What?” Swift Wing asked with a tone of utter confusion.
“Well,” I thought quickly, “you know how all of these ponies are. They’re all over the place, making up stories. It’s almost like these tales are a trend of some sort. I bet this mare was pretty young, too.”
“She was,” Swift Wing admitted.
“Well, if you want my opinion, these ponies are only coming to you for attention,” I told him.
“You know I always value your input, but I can’t really rule anything out. It’s my job to hear them out. I agree that this is all probably just a bunch of rumors that’s now just going downhill. It’s crazy how much commotion you could start with such a small prank, but it’s not my place to really decide. I could easily say that it’s all just a long drawn series of made up stories, but I won’t get paid unless I follow protocol.”
Though I let him believe we were in agreement, we weren’t. I knew that it wasn’t all rumors. I also knew that a prank was most certainly not the origin. It was safer to leave him ignorant to the truth, safer for the both of us. I wasn’t willing to put us into jeopardy, not when it wasn’t necessary.
As for the lying mare, she was just one of many. Of all the stories arising, there were more fake than real. Everypony wanted to be part of the whole ordeal -- everypony but the true victims. I was horrified to learn of all the commotion to arise. I wasn’t sure what it would entail. On one hoof, it would bring more interest to the matter. That would lead to more investigation and media attention. On the other hoof, so many fake stories arising would just make finding the real ones harder. That would just drown the real evidence with wasted time and doubt of any truth to the situation.
Thinking of the whole ordeal was putting me on edge. How could ponies be so senseless? How could they be so trivial as to use trauma of ponies around them to create a spotlight to shine on themselves? It was all so foolish. They were bigger wrongs than those of my own sins. They really weren’t, but they were.
“Equestria to Lily, you there?” 
I felt a slight breeze created by the wave of Swift Wing’s hoof against my cheek. I blinked a few times and looked at him. My vision was beginning to sharpen, along with my other senses. I could hear his heartbeat now.
“Yes, I’m here,” I told him, letting out a soft sigh.
“Seriously now, what’s wrong?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just tired.”
“Maybe I should just go home. Why don’t you just come over later? You can take a nap or whatever and just come over in the afternoon.”
“You know how work is for me. I’ve got that night shift and when I get home I still have to get some work done. Maybe our shifts will cross again sometime soon.”
“I’m starting to think that getting you a job at the station was a bad idea. It’s taking over your life. I don’t even have to work as much as you do.”
“Well, that’s the difference between a detective and a cop, but you’re right. I probably was better off as a freelancer. Still, you know I was busy even before I was down at the station.”
“But at least you let me keep you company while you worked back then,” he told me.
I shrugged. I felt bad, but it was what had to be done. There was more to it than just the amount of work I had to do. With these cases rising, I needed to do as much as I could on my own. I had to detach myself from anypony else when I was working.
“Do you think that there’s a chance that any of these cases are real?” Swift Wing asked me.
“No,” I lied.
“So you think everypony is just lying?” he asked.
“Well everypony’s story is about as vague as it can be. Nopony has any evidence. None of these cases seem to have a connection to each other, other than the memory loss. They all just come in saying they blacked out. Honestly, the whole start of this situation seems a lot more medical than anything. We’ve been checking everypony for traces of any sort of chemical or drug material and there hasn’t been anything. Now we just have dozens upon dozens of ponies coming in saying that they’ve got the same issue.” Frustration was clear in my tone as I went on about the cases. “I don’t think everypony’s lying, but I know some are, and I don’t think anypony has taken this as simply as it should be taken. So somepony had a bit of a memory loss. Is this really all that new?”
“Alright, well we aren’t on duty right now, so what do you say we just let it rest for now?” Swift Wing suggested. “I’ll let you get some sleep and I’ll see you when I see you.”
“That would be best,” I agreed. “Get home safely, Swift. You still should be careful during these times. Go straight home.”
I didn’t believe that anything would attack him per say, but I didn’t want him around if anything did get attacked. If he noticed something strange or suspicious while wandering these parts, I knew he would look into it, and possibly take action. I wasn’t comfortable with that.
“I will,” he assured me. “Just as soon as I stop by the station and make sure everything is locked up.”
“What?” I asked. “You’re not serious.”
There had been a few cases in the past where Swift Wing had left the station in a hurry. Whenever he did, he would often forget to lock a few doors. It was fine if he left a door or two unlocked on the inside, but if the front door was left unsecured, there could be trouble.
“Don’t worry about it,” Swift Wing told me. “I barely just left the station and it isn’t far from here. I’ll be in out and at home in no time at all.”
I sighed. “It’s in the opposite direction of where you need to go,” I pointed out.
“It’s really no big deal,” he said.
“Just give me the keys and I’ll take care of it for you,” I said, with a slightly demanding tone.
“I just said it’s no big deal,” he repeated.
“Well I need to look around anyway,” I said. “I have to take a look around Sugarcube Corner. I tried going during the day, but Mrs. Cupcake asked me to leave. I was disturbing her customers. A detective having a look behind a bakery isn’t the best for business. This would be the best time for me to look, so I might as well lock up the station for you.”
“Well I could just go along with you,” Swift Wing said.
I couldn’t let him do that. He needed to stay out of this as much as he could. The fact that he was a cop made this hard enough for me to deal with, but to have him accompany me to actual investigation was out of the question.
“You know I have to take care of work on my own. Taking you with would be against protocol. We could both lose our jobs, and I don’t know about you, but I really need mine right now. I just got this house.” 
“I know, I know. I just thought maybe you’d look over it for once. I don’t know why I did. You’re not one to break away from any formalities. Sorry I even brought it up. It was a selfish idea.”
“I’m sorry,” I said sympathetically. “I promise you, next week I’ll make some time to see you.”
“Sounds good,” Swift Wing said, immediately cheering up.
I heard him rummaging through a pocket. The jingling of the keys was enough for me to catch them between my teeth without needing to see them.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, holding the keys between my teeth.
“See you around,” he said before walking away.
I went back inside to find my cloak. It was a little chilly outside. I wrapped myself up and pocketed the keys before heading out again. I felt a jabbing pain in my stomach as I headed for the station. My last meal wasn’t sufficient enough. 
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It was only a ten minute walk between my home and the station. It was cold outside, but I didn’t mind in the slightest. I walked up the stone stairs to the door of the station, my hooves clacking against the cold cement steps. Of course, I found the door to be left unlocked. I let out a sigh. It was lucky Swift Wing bothered to think twice about the door while he was out. Still, I would need to go in and have a look around to make sure that everything seemed to be in place.

I took a step inside, making sure to open the door slowly enough as to avoid the creaking of the hinges. My hooves poked out of my cloak as I trotted. I examined the main entrance of the station before stepping inside. So far, everything seemed to be in place. Once I felt confident enough that I was alone, I took a step inside and took a better look around as I trotted to the back of the building. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.

I pulled my hood back. My black mane fell out in heaps, standing out against my silvery coat. I made my way to the large office at the end of the hallway. There were twelve desks, six on each side of the room. I assumed that this would be the only room that would have been left unlocked since it would have been the only one that Swift Wing would have been using. I paced to the back of the room and back to the door a single time, analyzing each desk for anything suspicious. I noticed nothing.

Just as I was locking the door, ready to leave the station, I heard hoofsteps coming from just down the hall. My head jolted back and I held my breath for a moment, silencing myself and straining my ears for more sounds. I could just barely hear the shuffling of somepony quietly but quickly making their way to the door.

I cantered down the hall, leaving my keys in the door and trying my best to step lightly but knowing that speed would be more important in this case. I wasn’t careful in my entry. They were bound to already know I was there. The shuffling changed direction, as if the intruder didn’t know which way he, or she, were going. Or perhaps the intruder was just playing with me, trying to scare me.

“Who’s there?” I called out, slowing down to a cautious trot.

There was another change in direction.

“Show yourself!” I demanded, but there was no response other than the confused shuffling of hoofsteps just around the corner. I stopped.

“Swift Wing?” I asked. “If that’s you, you can stop now. Nopony likes being spooked in the middle of the night. This would be a new low, even for you.”

The shuffling stopped and there was silence. My body tensed as I waited for a response. There was none. It wasn’t Swift Wing. Swift Wing always broke into laughter as soon as he realized that he had gotten anywhere near scaring me. A simple startled stare would have been satisfactory enough for him. Whoever this pony was in the station, they were not meant to be here, at least not during these hours.

“I’m coming out now,” I warned. “I want your hooves in the air!”

I could hear the front door open and immediately broke into a gallop. Rushing out the door, I dug my hooves into the ground and skidded to a stop, just barely avoiding the steps before me. I saw nothing as I turned to look to my right and my left. I could run in any direction, in hopes of finding the intruder, but with every turn I took there would be more turns to come, lessening my chances of finding the pony. It would be nothing more than a game of luck, and I wasn’t willing to play.

I reluctantly took a step back inside, still straining my ears for any sounds that might have lead me in the intruder’s direction, but all was silent. All I could do now was go back inside and check for anything out of the ordinary, but I already did that. I looked around the entrance hall, this time checking each drawer of the front desk. Nothing was wrong. I placed my hoof on the mouse of the computer, wiggling it to see if the computer would wake up. As far as I could tell, it was off. I ducked my head below the desk just to be sure. The little light that would have been green to indicate that the computer was on, or at least orange to say it was asleep, was also off.

The intruder wouldn’t have had the time to shut the computer off in a rush. If he had already turned it off, I wouldn’t be finding anything. There were other ponies up to the task of going through these things to see if anything had been previously meddled with. All I knew was that the computer would serve me no purpose in finding anything of what they were looking for. I myself wouldn’t have been able to tell what was touched or used, unless…

I trotted away from the desk and around the corner, following the black cord. I sighed when I realized that my theory led me nowhere. The computer was still plugged in. What else was there to check? I walked to the back of the building again, only this time I had my eyes peeled for anything and everything. I tapped each door as I walked past, checking to see if any would open.

It was when I nearly reached the back that I found my own door open, swung all the way up against the adjacent wall of the frame. I stepped into my office, feeling a pang of embarrassment. Had I forgotten to lock my office? I scratched through my memory of the previous night. I thought for sure that I locked it, but now I couldn’t be sure of anything at all. There was evidence against my own memory right there. It was possible that the intruder knew how to pick a lock, but that would be another assumption that I wasn’t at liberty to make. There were too many unknown variables.

I analyzed the room; the floors, the shelves, the desk, even my chair. Everything seemed to be in order, everything but one small thing. In the center of my desk, resting on top of my calendar, was a tiny cardboard box. I opened it up, carefully. Inside was my own detective’s badge. I stared at the gold metal piece that had “Ponyville Detective” engraved at the top. I was the only official detective of the district, so it couldn’t have been anypony else’s badge. Even so, I checked the pockets of my cloak. I found my wallet and opened it up. My ID was sitting in its place, the picture of my solemn face was looking right back at me, but there was no badge.

My heart sank. Was I being blackmailed? How had anypony managed to get to my badge? The fact that somepony managed to get that close to me was putting me on edge. I wasn’t one to let my guard down. Of course accidents happen, even I lose track of myself at times, but had this pony just been at the right place at the right time? Did they know me well enough to tell when I was at my weakest? The last thought didn’t make sense. Nopony knew me that well, and I couldn’t possibly be that readable.

I noticed a slip of paper resting below the badge. I took the badge out and quickly placed it back where it belonged before venturing to take the slip of paper. I was hesitant to turn it over. Expecting threats or demands, I turned it over to read:

Hey Lily

Reading my own name on the little note sent my fears into overdrive. I calmed myself, waiting for my hooves to stop shaking before reading on. I was horrified. What if this intruder knew something? I thought back to the cases I had been dealing with. I tried recollecting every name of the officers that had any involvement with my cases. For the most part, Swift Wing seemed to take on any new information if I wasn’t present at the office. When I dealt with things myself, I was sure to do it alone, but I would need to be sure to ask Swift Wing if he ever accepted or asked for anypony’s help.

I stopped myself from thinking any further. Before trying to come up with possibilities, I needed to fully take in the information before me. I went on to read the note:

Sorry I kind of just took this from you. I was just borrowing it. I didn’t think you would mind, but I also didn’t 	think I would have to give this back directly..so yeah. I’m leaving you a note and hoping you’ll forgive me, or at 	least forget, by the time we see each other again. 

Swift Wing


I sighed in relief once I read my friends name. All of the possibilities that had been sending my thoughts to chaos vanished in an instant, but were soon replaced with irritation. How in Equestria had Swift Wing managed to get my badge, and why would he even need it? I was growing angry at the fact that he had gone to so much trouble to return it to me. If I had caught up to him without realizing who he was, I could have lost control. I shook the thought out of my mind. Nothing of the sort happened and there was no use in thinking up what was avoided.

I tossed the box, along with the note, into the trash can below my desk. I let the relief sink in once again, brushing aside all current feelings of irritation. Those feelings could wait until morning. There was no way I was going to forget that night’s incident as Swift Wing hoped I would. Without another thought on the matter, I headed for the door and tripped over an open drawer of my desk.

I reached my hooves forward to catch myself. I managed to land softly enough, but my back leg rubbed against a corner of the open drawer. I rolled onto my back, wincing. It was only a minor breakage of skin, but it had been so long since I hurt myself at all. The pain was unexpected; I almost forgot what it was to feel pain at all.

“By Celestia,” I moaned as I rolled back onto my hooves and stood.

I kicked the drawer shut before examining my leg. There was no blood, but there was a shallow, nasty gash near my hoof. I let out another sigh. It was not my night. All I wanted to do at that point was to go home, but I still had more to do. Sugarcube Corner wasn’t going to go anywhere, but any evidence left behind could.

I didn’t waste any time in getting my keys from the door I left them in and locking up. I locked the back office, my office, and the front door of the station before leaving. I cantered- nearly galloped--down the streets. I was determined to get through with my work as quickly as I could. It would be nice if I could fit in a good dinner rather than a small snack. It had been too long since I had the time for a decent meal.

My hunger had already gone past the simple grumbling. I was now dealing with a constant burn. I could only hope that my work would be distracting enough to get my mind off of the hunger. If only it hadn’t been the other way around. It took far too long for me to notice the new twist of the night. When I did realize what was going on, I froze in my tracks.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered under my breath as I walked towards Sugarcube Corner.

The entire building was being fenced off. Short, wooden posts were struck into the ground so that the yellow tape, reading “CAUTION KEEP OUT” could be wrapped around the vicinity. Two officers were patrolling the area. I galloped over.

“What’s going on?” I asked, reaching one of the officers, who didn’t even realize I was approaching up until I called out to him. His lack of focus ticked me off.

For a moment, he looked shocked to see somepony out so late, but the expression was quickly replaced with a stern look. “This area is closed off. Nopony is allowed in the area until further notice.”

I pulled out my wallet and flipped it open, revealing my badge. “Private Lily. I just came here from the station to investigate.”

“Do you know about what just happened?”

“Are you referring to the stories somepony had told of losing her memory in this area?” I asked.

“Look,” the officer sighed. “If you don’t know what’s going on, then I’m not at liberty to inform you of the situation. This area is under strict precaution. I’m not allowed to permit entry to anypony. Orders are orders. You’ll have to put off your investigation. Unless I’m given specific permission allowing you past, I can’t let you in.”

I didn’t say anything. I was too angry to think straight and too hungry to focus at all.

“I’m sorry detective, but you’ll have to come back. Maybe you should talk to your chief about it tomorrow. If you really were assigned to investigate, it shouldn’t be difficult for you to get the permission.”

“I’ll do that,” I said, turning and trotting away.


> Chapter 3 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


I slammed my hooves onto the dark oak of Swift Wing’s desk and leaned over his desk, glaring at him with intent anger. He looked up at me with a slightly confused expression. His white muzzle, which stood out from his blue coat, but matched his hooves and mane, twitched and his brows lifted apologetically as soon as he noticed that I was not there to joke. I could see in his icy blue eyes that he was sorry.

“What in Equestria were you thinking?” I demanded with my purple glare.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said with an awkward laugh. He rubbed the back of his head, his white hoof brushing against the blue ends of his white mane. He really was a horrible liar.

“You scared me half to death!” I lectured. “What were you thinking, sneaking up on me like that in the station when you knew I would be alone, and why in Equestria would you then run off like that?!”

“Woah there,” he said, leaning over in his chair and looking me over with a quizzical expression. “Sneaking up on you? Why would you think I would do that?”

“Don’t play dumb with me,” I said, my tone edging towards threatening. He seemed sincere, and he never really did seem so with a lie, but who else could it have been in the station?  “You left that note in the box under my badge. It was obviously you in the station.”

Swift Wing let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah, but I put that there before I even left the station. Why would you think I was actually in the station when you were there?”

“Who else could it have been then?” I asked.

“Wait, what? So you actually saw somepony in the station?” he asked with concern.

My fears returned instantaneously. “I did. So you can stop playing dumb.” I was beginning to worry, and wonder if it could have been somepony else in the station, but I was sticking to the theory that it had been Swift Wing. It was a simpler explanation—and a less concerning explanation.              

“It wasn’t me, Lily. I swear.”

I looked at him. He seemed to be telling the truth, but as much as I wanted to believe him, I didn’t want to accept that truth. “You know if you were there, you really should admit it,” I said wearily. “Don’t have us go into a useless investigation.”

Swift Wing rolled his eyes. “Do you honestly think that I would put everyone here through that just to avoid a little bit of lecturing from you? We have enough on our plates as it is!”

I dropped my head forward as I let out a sigh.

“Now what?” Swift wing asked.

I stood up and rubbed my temples with my hoof. “I’ll let the chief know. I have to talk to him anyway. The bakery has been blocked off and they wouldn’t even let me in.”

“I heard about that actually,” Swift Wing mentioned. “Not that they wouldn’t let you in, but that it’s under strict watch now. Mrs. Cupcake has been furious. I don’t think I have ever seen her mad before. I didn’t know that she could get mad.”

“Do you know what happened?” I asked.

“A young mare apparently went over to Night Watch’s last night in a panic. I think she was your case actually. The one you were mentioning that had some memory loss. Well, she told the chief that she went back there to try and remember and I guess she noticed something strange.”

“What?” I was shocked; I didn’t know what else to say. If the mare bought the Chief’s attention to something real in this case, I would have to cover it up. Getting that done would be an extremely difficult task now that the whole area was being watched and blocked off to the general public. This was way too much attention for that case in particular. If only I had gone down to the bakery earlier, I might have been able to avoid the whole situation.

“I don’t really know anything else about it,” Swift Wing said with a shrug. “You’ll have to talk to Night Watch.”

Before I could say another word, a mare’s voice filled what was originally a quiet and busy atmosphere. “I know what I saw!” the mare bellowed. “I know what I saw and you need to do your job to figure this out!” The yelling was then finished off with the sound of a slamming door.

I let out a sigh. “Ponyville used to be so peaceful,” I said.

Swift Wing rolled around in his chair and hopped up onto his hooves. “We should go see what’s going on,” he pointed out as he stood. He was almost a head taller than me now that he was up on his hooves. He was a pretty tall stallion, with a little extra muscle mass as well.

I nodded as he walked around the desk and we both trod over to the front of the station. We walked right past the front desk and noticed a red maned mare with a white coat storming up to the front door. I recognized her instantly; she was the mare from one of my cases.

A door on the other side of the front desk opened and Night Watch stepped out. “Mrs. Jubilee, please be reasonable. I am trying to help you, but I can’t do that if you storm off like this.”

Cherry Jubilee pivoted around on her back hooves. “Be reasonable?” she asked in an outrage. “You’re asking me to be reasonable?” She gritted her teeth as she spoke, but then relaxed her jaw to continue on with a shrill tone nearing another yell. “I came to Ponyville for a peaceful vacation, and what do I get?”

“Mrs. Jubilee, you have been getting our full attention since this morning,” Night Watch put in.

“That was a rhetorical question Mr. Watch! Do not interrupt me!”

“Wow,” Swift Wing muttered. “Talk about a drama queen.”        

I kicked his foot as Night Watch gave a reluctant, “My apologies.”

“See here, Mr. Watch,” Jubilee continued as she stormed up to him to stand directly in front of him. Her expression was fierce, but the height difference between her and Night Watch made it difficult to take her seriously. Night Watch was a bit taller than most stallions, about the same height as Swift Wing. Cherry Jubilee, who wasn’t exactly tall for a mare, looked very fragile in comparison, though her hair did put her up to a close height. She went on.

“Since my arrival, I have been hearing nothing but stories of these strange happenings in Ponyville. If I knew about them sooner, I would not have come! I came here requesting protection, and you all brushed it aside as if nothing, but you know what? It clearly isn’t nothing. If it was nothing, I WOUDN’T BE HERE IN THIS STATION.  A day after having my request refused, I actually experienced these-“

“Mrs. Jubilee, we kn—“

“Do not interrupt me Mr. Watch! Right after I was refused, I experienced a memory loss, and since nopony here seems to take that seriously, I decided to take things into my own hooves and check things out, and after all that I had already gone through here in Ponyville, I WAS ATTACKED BEHIND A BAKERY! After all of that, you have the audacity to ask ME to be REASONABLE?”

After all of that, the only thing I managed to keep in mind was that she had been attacked. On one hoof, I was honestly relieved that an attack was the focus of attention. On the other, who attacked her? I was beginning to wonder if she was possibly blowing things way out of proportion. I knew that she wasn’t lying about the memory loss, but an attack just didn’t fit into the equation. It was possible that it was a coincidence, but it was also possible that Cherry Jubilee just wanted us to look more into her case.

I stepped forward. “Mrs. Jubilee, why don’t you let Mr. Wing take you back to my office? I’ll talk to Night Watch and then I can come right over and help you out.” I tried my best to sound sweet. I needed things to go smooth from this point on.

“Finally, somepony with some decency around here,” Cherry Jubilee said, “though I have been trying to find you, Lily.”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Jubilee,” I said, sounding as sincere. “I have been working on a lot of cases these past few days, but if you just let me talk to Night Watch alone for a moment, I will come talk to you. I would like to get this figured out and solved as quickly as possible.”

“Alright, Lily,” Jubilee said before turning to look at Night Watch with a glare. “That’s reasonable.”

Her shoes tapped sharply against the tile surface of the flooring as she walked past myself and Swift Wing.

“Wait a minute,” Swift Wing mumbled, realizing he was supposed to be showing her the way. “Right this way Mrs. Jubilee!” he called after her.

I walked around the desk over to Night Watch, who was trotting back into his office. He took a seat on a chair and rolled himself close to his desk, wedging the arms of his chairs under the desk so that he would stay still.

“She was attacked?” I asked skeptically.

“So she says,” Night Watch said with a sigh. “I need to retire.”

Night Watch’s mane and mustache were entirely grey, and even his dark brown coat had a few grey spots. He wasn’t terribly old, but running a station did take its toll on a pony’s body.

“Don’t say that,” I said. “We need you down here, and we both know you love this job. We just need to get through this rough patch. I’m sure things will blow over eventually.”

It was true that I did respect Night Watch and I did think he was just the pony for the job, but more importantly, Night Watch trusted me. What I needed from a chief now was trust and room to stretch with my position. I didn’t need a new chief to prove myself to. I didn’t have time for limitations.

“What was it that you needed?” Night Watch asked, getting straight to the point. “A briefing?”

“Well, yes, but before that, there is something that I need to tell you,” I said.

“What is that?” Night Watch leaned over and rested his chin on his hooves. He looked worried. “You aren’t planning on going back to work on your own again are you?”

“No, nothing like that,” I assured him. “Though, this might be a little more serious.”

“Is something wrong at home?” he asked, “or with long distant relatives? You don’t have any family in the area, do you?”

“No, I don’t have family in the area,” I said with a sigh, “and this isn’t a personal matter; though, I do appreciate your concern.”

“Alright,” Night Watch said, leaning back in his seat. “What is it then?”

“Somepony was in the station last night,” I told him, “in the middle of the night.”
“What?!” Night Watch yelled, slamming his desk with his hoof.

> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wasn’t sure of how to proceed. Everything was running out of control and no pony knew what was going on. The station was busy enough without having to worry about the mystery pony that had slipped into the station and managed to escape. There was already speculation that the mystery pony had something to do with the strange cases that I was already dealing with. I didn’t consider it likely. I already knew what I was dealing with when it came to the other cases; this mystery pony was something new--something unexpected. I was uneasy. The uncertainty and lack of straightforward, definite answers was causing me to stall. Mrs. Jubilee was waiting for me in my office, but I wasn’t moving. I was standing by the front desk, facing the hallway that would lead me to my own office, but I wasn’t moving. I was hesitating.

“Check everything,” Night Watch was ordering. “I want to know every little thing that is out of place. Check the files, reread all of the files, check for prints. Check the whole station!”

“Y-yes sir,” a mare was stuttering. Her quiet voice barely scratched its way through my own thoughts.

I knew that Night Watch was directing the wrong pony. I couldn’t blame him; it was a complicated and unprecedented situation for us in Ponyville. Not only was the situation new to us, but it was also sudden. Night Watch had just learned that we had an intruder. It hadn’t even been five minutes since I told him. He had immediately slammed his desk and stood up. I tried to tell him more; I tried to discuss things and consider possibilities or solutions, but he hadn’t given me the chance. He just stood up and stormed out of his office. He didn’t even pause for a breath before barking orders at any and every pony that was in his line of sight.

“Chief,” I interrupted, sternly but respectfully. “I don’t mean to give you orders, but you may want to consider talking to somepony else. That young mare you are speaking to is just a secretary. She wouldn’t know how to handle this, or who to go to for that matter.”

Night Watch took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” he said to the mare.

Night Watch might overreact or take things too far, but he always knew when to step back once he realized it. He knew better than to continue on a useless spurt, even if it was one that he started.

“Would you like some help, sir?” I asked. “I could assist in getting everyone together as well as investigate a few things myself.”

“No, Lily, that is quite alright.” Night Watch took in another deep breath and let it out slowly. “Go speak with Mrs. Jubilee. She has been waiting long enough.” I barely heard him continue to say. “Celestia knows that we need her out of our manes today as quickly as possible.” Night Watch raised his voice again, so that he could clearly ask, “Could you send Swift Wing over?”

I gave him a nod and trotted down the hall. My office door was left open just a crack, so I just tapped the door with my hoof and it swung open. Seeing the back of Mrs. Jubilee’s tall red hairdo had me wanting to walk right back out, but that wasn’t an option. Swift Wing, who was sitting in my own chair, looked up at me and gave me a cheesy smile, one that he seemed to be forcing. His eyes were begging that I get him out of there.

Mrs. Jubilee took notice of Swift Wing’s averted gaze and turned her head to look at me. She met my gaze and gave me a sweet but mostly sour smile. I smiled back, doing my best to hide my growing frustration with the pony. I then looked away from her to direct Swift Wing.

“Night Watch needs you,” I told him.

“Oh?” He hopped out of my chair and mouthed a “thank you” as he passed Mrs. Jubilee.

I stopped him before he left with my hoof on his shoulder.

“Really,” I said. “He is asking for you.”

“Why would he think you weren’t being serious?” Mrs. Jubilee asked, sounding suspicious. “Do you all have a tendency of joking around and slacking in your work?”

“Of course not, Mrs. Jubilee,” I assured her. “I am only meaning to stress the importance of the matter. He needs to hurry.” I let my hoof fall and Swift Wing nearly galloped out. I shut the door behind him. “Things are very busy down here at the station lately.”

“I see,” Mrs. Jubilee said, but her gaze warned that she wasn’t really letting it pass.

“Shall we get straight to business?” I asked. “I need to get as much information from you as I can.” I trot around my desk and take a seat. I pulled my chair close to the desk as I spoke. “You said you were attacked?”

“Indeed,” Mrs. Jubilee said, “and it wasn’t by a pony.”

“Oh?” I asked. “Well, Mrs. Jubilee. Do you know what it was?” I opened a drawer and pulled out a small notepad and pen. I didn’t need it, but with a client as nit picky as this one, it was best to fake a little extra diligence.

“What do you mean, what was it? I just told you that it wasn’t a pony.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that. I must have stared at my own client for an entire minute before proceeding.

“Mrs. Jubilee, if it wasn’t a pony, it just makes this whole situation a little more difficult to figure out. If you were attacked by some animal, to be honest, there isn’t much we can do. If this animal was a pet, the best we could do is notify the owner and ask that they keep them on a tighter leash from that point on.”

Mrs. Jubilee’s white coat went red around her cheeks. She glared at me with intense anger. “Do I look like a fool to you?” she asked. “I was not attacked by some PET and it wasn’t some wild animal. This was something worse-—something dangerous. Do you think I would come to you to report some dog chasing me in the middle of the night? I was attacked by a monster!”

I sighed. “Mrs. Jubilee, forgive me, but I am going to need you to elaborate a lot more than that.”

Mrs. Jubilee let out a huff.

“Could you tell me what this monster looked like?” I asked. I couldn’t believe that I was going along with it.

“Like a pony,” she told me.

“Like a pony?” I asked.

She nodded.

“What made this monster different from a regular pony?”

“Its eyes.”

The response caught me off guard. “Pardon?”

“Its eyes. They were red, and they were glowing.”

I let out a laugh. I just couldn’t help myself. “Mrs. Jubilee, can we please be reasonable here.” I took in a breath and managed to hold back the remaining chuckles. “I understand that you have had a lot going on here, but you really need to understand that we cannot help you with a story like that. What do you expect me to do? Request that you receive bodyguards to protect you against some supernatural creature?”

Mrs. Jubilee stood from her chair. “How dare you insult me like this!”

“Sit down, Mrs. Jubilee,” I said fiercely. “If you want my help, you are going to need to accept the fact that I just do not do supernatural investigations. If you want me to find some pony for you—-fine. I can look into that; however, I will not sit here and listen to you speak of fairy tales. You have two options here, Mrs. Jubilee. The first is that you speak with me like an adult and give me a description of this pony that you saw and tell me whatever usable and realistic information you can. The second option is that you leave and forget about the possibility of receiving help from anypony here. Do you understand?”

“Who do you think you are?” Mrs. Jubilee shrieked.

“The only pony that bothered to listen to you, and that was before you brought in your supernatural additions.”

Mrs. Jubilee gritted her teeth and took her seat.

“Now tell me what you can about the pony.”

With a sigh, Mrs. Jubilee reluctantly began her description. “I can’t say much. It was too dark and he hid his face well. He wore a leather, hooded coat.”

“You at least saw enough to be certain that your attacker was male though?” I asked her. “You must be able to do better than that.”

Mrs. Jubilee shook her head. “No, I didn’t see enough. I just heard his voice. His voice was definitely masculine.”

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my hooves. I took in what information I could. “What did he say to you?”

Mrs. Jubilee took in a deep breath and let out a nervous laugh. Her face flushed a light shade of pink.

“Mrs. Jubilee?” I pressed.

“Perhaps I should go,” Mrs. Jubilee said suddenly.

“Before you do, I would highly advise you tell me what he told you.”

“It doesn’t make sense,” she told me. “I probably heard him wrong.”

My curiosity was beginning to nag. I leaned forward rested my chin on my hoof. “I won’t brush what you thought you heard aside. If you heard wrong, so be it, but if you didn’t, it may prove useful. I would like to know what kind of pony you found yourself with.”

Mrs. Jubilee shook her head. “I’m sure I heard wrong.”

I sat back again. “If you aren’t comfortable, you may leave. The best I can suggest right now is that you come back and speak with me again after you’ve gotten over your shock.”

Mrs. Jubilee gave a few quick nods and stood. I was baffled by her sudden desire to leave after putting so much effort into finding time with us. She turned around and put her hoof on the door handle. As she pushed the door forward, I called out to her.

“Mrs. Jubilee.”

She stopped; the door was open only a crack. “Yes?” she asked shakily. The evident fear was concerning me.

“Please refrain from leaving your home after dark. Until everything is sorted out, precaution will be your best friend.”

“Of course,” Mrs. Jubilee agreed, and then she left, closing the door behind her.

I leaned back in my chair and pressed my hooves against my forehead. “What is this?” Nothing made sense. It would be so easy to brush Mrs. Jubilee’s claims aside as nothing more than cries for extra attention and focus toward her own cases, but her fear had me wondering if her new claims were sincere. Could she just be losing her mind? Could it all have been nothing more than imaginings? That was the only explanation that fit, unless somepony out there was coincidentally adding trouble at the worst of times. Whatever the explanation was, I didn’t have the time to focus on it just yet.

I spun my chair and hopped up to my hooves. I left my office and made my way straight over to Night Watch. He was finally resting after an afternoon of running himself mad over the situation of the intruder.

“Did you find anything?” I asked.

Night Watch shook his head. “Are you sure you saw somepony in the station?”

“Well...” I said.

“Well?”

“I didn’t see the intruder, but I did hear him.”

“You heard him?” Night Shade, as if he couldn’t believe his ears. “Sounds could mean anything. How do you know it wasn’t just the wind?”

“I know it wasn’t the wind,” I said firmly. “You know I would never make a claim that I am unsure of.”

Night Watch shook his head again. “Lily, all of these happenings lately have everypony a little off. You may very well be overthinking everything.”

“Night Watch-”

“Lily, please. We didn’t find anything missing and you have no real information that I can work with.”

“Are you sure you checked everything?” I asked.

Night Shade nodded. “We are still double checking a few things and going through a few other tests just in case, but as far as I can tell, nothing is out of the ordinary. If there was somepony in here, you scared him off before he got to anything.”

“I suppose that’s likely,” I said.

“You can get back to your own work now, Lily,” Night Watch told me. “There is no need for you to worry yourself over anything past your own work right now.”

“Thank you,” I said.

Night Watch just waved me out.

I trot back over to my office. I wasn’t sure of what to do next; what I needed was to clear my head, but that would have to wait until I was off duty. For the time being, I decided to add Mrs. Jubilee’s new claims to her case file.

“J” I mumbled to myself. I looked at my drawers mumbling, “J-J-J.”

H-K was labeled on the bottom drawer of the tall cabinet on the wall to the right if you were just entering my office. I opened it and shuffled through the collections of folders, looking for the J tab, which was near the back. I shuffled through the J folders—twice.

“Where is it?” I asked myself in frustration.

I checked the J folders a third and fourth time before going through the rest of the drawer. I looked through the entire drawer twice and then proceeded to look through my desk drawers and then the rest of the cabinet.

Mrs. Jubilee’s case file was missing.




> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After realizing that Mrs. Jubilee’s case file was gone, I panicked. I didn’t panic outright, and no pony noticed a thing, but I definitely panicked. I looked through my entire office, and I even checked at home. I didn’t know where else I could look. I didn’t tell anypony that it was gone. The case file that was missing was one that I needed to be careful with. It was one of the few real claims of memory loss. I needed to keep control of the situation, and bringing that case together with a case of a break in could get out of hoof.

I didn’t understand. How had the intruder reached as far as my office? I would have heard him much earlier if he got that far, so why didn’t I? How careless must I have been to not notice? But I wasn’t being careless. I was looking for exactly what I found, so why did I find it so late? I needed to find the file, and I needed to find it on my own. Unless, no, that wouldn’t be a good idea. Swift Wing was a trustworthy friend, but he also got too involved. It was hard enough to say no to him; how would I keep limits on his involvement if I myself let him in? Still, I needed help. The situation at hoof needed to be put to past as soon as possible.

I was at home, trying to figure things out, trying to make a plan. I had my lights dimmed in my living room, which was empty except for a dark red, suede sofa and a dark wooden coffee table with thin legs that spiraled both at the top, below the surface of the table, and at the bottom, where they touched the floor. There floor was covered in black carpeting, but the walls were all a crisp white. I liked the way my black curtains stood out against the pale walls. 

I was fidgeting with a key in my hooves as I laid on my back on the sofa. I found it just that morning while I was looking for the case file. My stomach grumbled loudly, and I ignored it for the fourth time that day. I was trying my best to shrink my appetite. With all that was going on, I could hardly bother myself with meals. Sometimes, I had a hard time holding them in. I sighed, sitting up to place my key on the coffee table; the door it granted access to was now safely locked up.

My stomach gave out another cry, but so did my doorbell. I picked up the key and placed it under a couch cushion before answering my door. I only opened it a crack, but the light that shone in was enough to make me squint my eyes. It was not a pleasant change from the lighting within my home.

“Sorry to bother you.” It was Night Watch’s voice.

“But you need to hurry up and come with us,” Swift Wing’s voice finished.

“What?” I asked, my voice putting my lack of sleep to sound.

“Mind if we come in?” Swift Wing asked, as he pushed past me.

As he came in, he knocked my door open and I stepped back. I could see that Night Watch was shaking his head.

“Come in,” I told him. “You can tell me what’s going on while I get my tings together.”

“Alright,” he said, trotting into my house and shutting the door behind him.

I smiled. “What is it?” I asked.

To be honest, I was a little uncomfortable. It was the first time that Night Watch had stepped hoof into my home. I could only hope that he had no intentions of using a bathroom. I did not want him looking around or getting curious about any of my locked doors.

“It’s about Mrs. Jubilee,” Swift Wing explained.

“Is she at the station again?” I asked. “Did you tell her I’m not in until late today?”

“She’s not in the station,” Night Watch said; his face was suspiciously solemn.

“She’s in the hospital,” Swift Wing informed.

“What?!” I asked, shocked. “What happened?”

“I don’t know the details,” Night Watch said, “but I need you to find out. This is your case, so I thought it should be you going to see her. I’m sorry to be intruding like this, but I need you to go as soon as possible. I don’t have any of the details, and I have my own work to attend to. I just wanted to come down here personally to make sure that you understand that it is important that you get there as soon as possible. Her condition is critical. Swift Wing will accompany you. You can send him back with news if you have any for me and do what you need to after you’ve finished with your visit.”

I nodded. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the whole situation. I found it hard to believe that whatever happened had anything to do with her case. It just didn’t fit. I was starting to believe that there was something entirely different going on with her. Maybe somepony followed her from her hometown and thought her vacation would be a perfect opportunity to take care of things. I would need to go into further questioning. If there was more to her case, I needed to start from scratch.

“I’ll get going immediately,” I said, grabbing my coat from the coat rack at the left of my door. I swung it over my shoulders and pulled the hood up. “Are you ready to go,” I asked Swift Wing.

He gave me a nod and a smile. “Yep.”

When we got to the hospital, it seemed to be pretty dead. Ponyville was not exactly full of accidents, but beyond that, they even seemed to be pretty short staffed. Yes, it was slow in town, but shouldn’t they be ready for anything? This was a building for emergencies, what if something went down in the city? I sighed and pushed my thoughts past the hospital. I was there for a reason, and I couldn’t waste my energy on complaints for the hospital. We didn’t stop at the front desk, and the receptionist didn’t bother asking us what our business was. Swift Wing had a lot more experience at the hospital than I. His mother had been admitted in the hospital a few years ago. She was very sick and died not many years after being put in. Guilt settled in my stomach like a rock.

“Where are we headed?” I asked.

“Floor seven,” Swift Wing answered. “They were just putting her in, so they didn’t give us a room number when they called, but they said that she would be on the seventh floor.”

Swift Wing looked back at me, but looked to the right, pretending to be interested in the strange art. I didn’t want to meet his gaze.

“Why did they call us so soon?” I asked.

“Mrs. Jubilee asked for you,” Swift Wing told me. “She doesn’t have any family in Ponyville. You are the only one she really knows here.”

It would have added to the guilt, but my connection to Mrs. Jubilee was strictly work related. I wasn’t one to pity a client. If I was, I don’t think I would have chosen the job. It’s hard to help people when all you can do is feel bad for them. That, and I already knew that Mrs. Jubilee had no family in the area. I knew before she came to me asking for help. My thoughts drifted back to possibilities. If Mrs. Jubilee didn’t know anyone in the area, it would be hard to assume that she had enemies. Finding a suspect for her case would be difficult unless I found some very direct clues.

Swift Wing pressed the button at the side of the elevator door and it lit up. I watched the numbers at the top of the lard metal entrance. 5-4-3-2-1-ding.

“Ladies first,” Swift Wing said, in a slightly joking manner.

I didn’t really understand what he thought was so funny about it. When we first met, I honestly thought that he was a little rude. He told me once that he thought that general hospitality towards mares was sexist. When he noticed that I seemed insulted, he asked me, “would you expect me to open a door or offer to carry the luggage of every stallion I saw,” I said no and he went on to say, “well, then that’s sexist. You can’t just use the idea to your own advantage. If you want us to be fair, it’s a two way street.” I went as far as to tell him that I didn’t really think all rights that women demanded were really necessary, but he just laughed and told me that I was in the wrong day and age. I couldn’t argue there.

“What kind of state is she in?” I asked Swift Wing when the elevator stopped and we stepped out.

“I don’t really know,” Swift Wing admitted, “but it didn’t seem like the nurses knew much either. They just said that she’s kind of drifting in and out of things.”

We walked up to the desk that wasn’t very far from the elevator at all. This floor was much stranger than the first. The first level was much homier; the walls were colored and there was some art work. This floor was just white walls, white floors, white doors, and staff in white uniforms. It was a little disturbing.

“We’re looking for a Mrs. Jubilee,” Swift Wing told the receptionist.

The mare looked at him. “Can I get a name?” she asked.

“Swift Wing,” he answered.

The mare shuffled through a few papers at her right. She was constantly moving strands of her blue main from her face as she looked down.

When she finally looked back up at him, she said, “I’m sorry, but Mrs. Jubilee’s room is only allowing entry to one pony, and it’s not you.”

“My name is Lily,” I told the mare. “I believe it’s me that’s allowed entry.” I pulled out my badge to show the mare before adding, “I’m a detective from down at the station, and this is my partner. I need him with me, so if you don’t mind, could you please tell us which room she is in.”

Swift Wing seemed to be glowing with pride. I had never really referred to him as my parter to him. I just hoped he realized that I only said it to get him in. I didn’t want him getting any ideas. I still needed my space when it came to my work.

“Um, sure,” the mare said, seeming just a tad nervous. Nopony ever really seemed comfortable near a detective.

I learned to just accept that our jobs just made us seem a little intimidating. Not everypony was trying to hide something like I used to believe. Well, most were, but not every secret was worth my time, and not every secret really mattered.

The mare continued. “She’s in room 714. Just let me print you out a badge so that they know to let you in.”

“I’m sure that my own badge will suffice,” I told her. “Thank you.”

This time, I led. Swift Wing cheerfully trotted after me as I went down the hall, scanning each door’s number. It seemed that the smaller numbers were at the end. We were still passing 753 when Swift Wing broke the silence.

“So, partner, what’s the plan from here?” Swift Wing asked.

“We aren’t really partners,” I told him. “I just needed you with me and wasn’t sure they would let you join otherwise.”

“I d’know,” Swift Wing said. “I’m kind of like you’re partner right now, aren’t I? We are working together after all.”

“You’re just here to send back some information to Night Watch if something comes up. Just let me do my work, please.”

“Alright,” he whined.

When I finally found the room, I knocked on the door. It was answered by a stallion in a white coat. “You must me Lily,” he said, but he looked unsure when he looked over at Swift Wing.

I gave him a nod, and held out my hoof to the doctor, who looked at it a little disgruntled. I placed my hoof back down.

“I’m detective Lily, and this is my partner,” I said, pointing at my friend, who was grinning at the title, “Swift Wing. I hope you don’t mind that I brought him along.”

“I suppose there isn’t much I can do about it,” the doctor said, but he shot me a strange look. “Just try not to crowd her. She isn’t doing very well right now.”

“I understand.”

Swift Wing gave a few quick nods. “Of course.”

The doctor stepped aside and let us in to speak with his patient, my client. She didn’t bother giving us a glance when we walked over to the foot of her bed. She seemed distracted by the window, as if she was afraid that something was going to jump in.

“Mrs. Jubilee, are you feeling alright?” I asked, trying to keep my voice down.

She finally glanced my way. “Who are you?” she asked.

I turned to the doctor. “Is this normal? Has she forgotten anything else?”

The doctor shook his head. “There isn’t much I can work with. She doesn’t know anypony here. She asked for you earlier. This is new.”

I turned back to Mrs. Jubilee. “Mrs. Jubilee, I’m detective Lily. I was working with you over your memory loss case as well as a recent attack. Do you remember any of that?”

“Attack?” Mrs. Jubilee asked. “I wasn’t attacked,” she told me.

I looked to the doctor again. “Why is she here?” I asked.

“She came in feeling light headed and dizzy. She passed out before we got much information on the situation. She’s been in and out all morning. We’ve been running tests all day. We’ve been having a hard time figuring out what the issue was. She seems to be suffering from significant blood loss, but I don’t know how. There aren’t any injuries to be found anywhere.”

I lost my voice. It wasn’t possible. How could it be possible?

“I-” my voice gave out. “I have to go,” I forced. On my way out, I added, “Please call me if she remembers anything, and if she says anything about what happened, I want you to contact me directly.”

“Alright,” the doctor said, seeming a little thrown off.

Swift Wing followed with questions all the way down the hall, but I answered none. I shut his voice out. I shut everything out. I didn’t even allow myself to consider the possibilities. I knew what they were.




> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I spent the next week in a panic. My head spun circles around situations that I couldn’t accept as possible—even knowing that they were indeed a possibility. The situations were unlikely, but, as much as I hated to admit it, they weren’t impossible; there was clear evidence that my nightmares were becoming reality. If only my case could go back to a problem as simple as a missing file—if only. My own reality was just shy of crashing around me. There was still hope—hardly, but it was there. All I had to do was think ahead of my opponent, stay ahead of the game—that was what it was after all, a game.
Everything that I thought I knew about my cases was now shrouded in doubt. I was sure of myself, I knew what was going on, and I had everything under control; but after realizing the truth behind Mrs. Jubilee’s most recent incidents, I was doubting myself, I was confused, and I needed to start over. Any conclusion that I had already made needed to be swept under the rug. I needed a clean sheet of paper, and I needed to reanalyze every case that I had been faced with, those accepted as well as those rejected.
Once again, I was laying on my back, the small key in my hooves. I let out a deep sigh, staring at the slight glint of sunlight reflecting off of the silvery surface from the slight crack of space between my curtains across the room. My throat was dry. Saliva collected in my mouth, but each time I swallowed, my throat rubbed against itself, leaving a burning sting. It was unpleasant to say the least. I did my best to ignore the discomfort as my mind wandered. It mostly stuck to possibilities, paranoid assumptions, and naïve hopes.
Another sigh.
What was I going to do with myself? I could hardly forgive myself for walking straight into such a shock. As a professional, I should have known better than to let my own confidence get the best of me. But that was what professionals were best at, wasn’t it? Being able to portray an aura of capability, and how would one do that without the confident belief that one really was capable?
My head spun again, only it was not from confusion. I had been cutting myself down on food so much so that I was making myself sick. It was not a wise choice; I knew that, but I also knew that my own health was nowhere near top priority—not in a situation such as the one I was in. I glanced over to the window. My head was spinning, my whole being shook, I was hungry, but Swift Wing would be over any minute; he was accompanying me over to the hospital.
I had asked the doctor to notify me of any changes in Mrs. Jubilee’s memory. If she spoke of any recollections, any strange ideas, or seemed to suddenly grow aware of what was going on, I was to be notified immediately. If any change were to occur, I wanted to be there. I needed to get all of the information that I could from her. There was just one problem; Mrs. Jubilee’s memory had no patterns. One minute she was aware of her situation, the next she was lost. Her nurses had called me three times, and every time, I arrived at the hospital too late. The best solution that I could come up with was staying with Mrs. Jubilee. I couldn’t stay with her forever, but I had decided on spending at least 24 hours at the hospital before calling it quits.
I placed the key under the cushion of my couch and began pacing. The clacking of my hooves seemed to ring in my ears. It was a subtle sound, but my senses were becoming too sensitive. It was as if my body was under high alert. I could hear the buzzing of a fly passing by all too clearly. I could hear the wind chimes jingling ever so gently outside of my window. I could hear my own breathing echoing in my head. I could hear the quick paced heartbeat on the other side of my front door.
Heartbeat?
There was a knock. “Lily?” Swift Wing’s voice called out.
I trotted over to the door and opened it, staying behind my door. Swift Wing stepped in and looked around the door, giving me a bit of a suspicious glance.
“You okay?” he asked.
I nodded. “Just a little tired.”
“Alright, well.” He closed the door and looked around my place. “You know, you keep this place freakishly clean.”
“How is it freaky?” I asked, put off by the oddly random and entirely irrelevant topic.
He shrugged. “I don’t know; it’s just-—unnatural.”
“How is it unnatural?” I snapped, nearly shrieked.
“Whoa there,” he held up a hoof, signaling for me to back away.
I hadn’t even realized that I stepped right up to him when I snapped.
“Sorry,” I said. “I don’t know what got over me.”
Swift Wing lifted a brow. “Are you okay?”
“Of course,” I assured him. “I’m just—tired.”
“Why don’t you get some rest then?” he suggested. “You really should be taking care of yourself before this Jubilee lady. I’m not even sure you’ll get anything out of the mare. She’s completely nuts.”
I almost wanted to laugh at the notion of putting myself first. How could I allow myself such a luxury after a slip like mine? “I’ll sleep at the hospital,” I told Swift Wing.
“While we’re at it, maybe we should check you in, too.”
I gave him a warning glare, but it faded quickly. Swift Wing only responded with his unchanged expression. His face held true concern. He seemed genuinely worried. I was touched, really I was, but I didn’t have the time to waste over such a matter. The hospital couldn’t help me—and neither could Swift Wing.
“A nap will do me just fine,” I said, firmly.
“Alright, alright, but don’t look at me when you start passing out,” he said.
“Swift Wing, if I pass out, the only thing I’ll be looking at are the insides of my eyelids,” I retorted.
Swift Wing responded with an exaggerated eye roll. I gave him a slight smile and went off to fetch my cloak from the kitchen. It was hanging from the chair near the counter, not even ten steps away.
Swift Wing swung the door open as I swung the cloak over my shoulders. The hood fell easily into place, hanging over my ears and protecting my eyes from the harsh light that spilled into my home. Swift Wing held the door open for me. Once I was out, he followed, making sure that my door was secured before carrying on. We walked silently to the hospital. There was a strange air hanging around Swift Wing. I could understand it being due to the fact that we were going to the hospital, but I found it hard to settle with that conclusion. He was getting used to the hospital, and he had gotten over his mother’s tragic passing years ago. He was not a pony to hold onto the past. He could let things go more naturally than anypony else that I knew. Still, he seemed upset, nearly angry. It felt as if he was angry at me.
He kept his eyes glued forward the whole way to the hospital. His hooves barely made a sound as they touched the ground. It was unusual. He was unusually serious; I wasn’t used to this side of Swift Wing. His cheerful self seemed to be long gone, somewhere distant, hiding. But what was he hiding it from? Again, the answer seemed to be hanging heavily on me. I felt like I was the reason. I don’t know why, but I did.
Finding the hospital was simple; finding the elevator was just as easy. When we stepped inside the elevator and the large metal doors closed us in, Swift Wing finally broke the silence.
“Why don’t you take care of yourself?”
His voice was different. It seemed much deeper and painfully serious.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, trying to sound as if I really was confused.
“You’re sick.”
“Sw-”
“I can see it,” he said, coldly. “Your coat is getting thin, your mane looks dull, and are you getting thinner?!”
“So I haven’t had the time to groom myself, what’s the big deal? I’m just lacking a little in hygiene, but you know better than anypony else that I need to get this work done. Who else in Ponyville can figure this out?”
“Figure what out?! You said yourself: it’s just a bunch of ponies coming in looking for attention; it all probably started over some strange medical issue.”
Swift Wing’s nostrils flared.
I could hardly believe what I was hearing, or seeing. Swift Wing had not once expressed this much of a care for how I treated myself. I never saw him angry.
“Take care of yourself,” he said; his tone was threatening.
I gaped at him, speechless, clueless even; I didn’t know how to respond.
The elevator dinged and Swift Wing’s gaze snapped forward again. He walked out without another word. It took me a few moments to recollect myself, but I soon followed him. The mare at the front desk didn’t bother asking for names. We were able to walk right past her without a problem. Swift Wing lead me to Mrs. Jubilee’s room silently. He stopped at the door, letting me in first, but I stopped as well.
“You can go home now,” I told him, my voice low.
“No,” he said sternly.
My face warmed. He looked so angry. It made me nervous. I didn’t like the feeling of his glare—not one bit.
“Go in,” he told me. “I’ll be back soon.”
I gave him a questioning glance, but he kept his cold expression.
“Go in,” he pressed.
I obeyed. I walked in and Swift Wing went his separate way. I had no idea where he was going, but there was no use in wondering. I had other things to worry about—primarily the client laying before me in what could have likely been her death bed. The white, red maned pony looked up to me and gave a disturbingly large grin.
“Helloooooo, Ms. Lily!” she said with a cheerful tone that did not suit her one bit.
Her main was down for once. It was much longer than I would have expected it to be. It was also messy. Strands were sticking up, out, and twisting all around each other. Her smile glittered, unwavering.
“Hello, Mrs. Jubilee,” I greeted, somewhat hesitantly. “How are you this morning?”
“Just swell!” she informed.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
She nodded, much too quickly for my liking.
Her doctor walked in.
“Good morning, detective,” he said as he trotted over to Mrs. Jubilee’s bedside. “The receptionist told me that you arrived. Is there anything that you needed?”
“Did you medicate my client?” I asked, making it clear that I was not okay with it if he did.
“Yes,” he answered simply.
“Was she in pain,” I asked.
“Not terrible pain,” he told me.
“Then why are you medicating her?” I asked.
“She has been delusional,” the doctor put simply. “We need to keep her under control.”
“What do you mean delusional?” I asked.
“She was speaking nonsense throughout the night. At first, she was coming to her senses. She was remembering things, she still is, it seems, but she has been speaking of things that just do not qualify as sane. Not only that, but with her acting as she was, she could have scared our other patients.”
“What was she talking about?” I asked.
“Things that didn’t make sense!”
“I need specifics, Doctor!” I ordered.
“Monsters!” he said, “She’s been saying that bloody vampires are after her!”
Mrs. Jubilee let out a giggle. “Vampires,” she mumbled. “Ha!”
“And this is better?” I asked, holding down all of my emotions as best as I could. This doctor was getting in the way of my interrogation. There was no way that I would be able to work with Mrs. Jubilee in the state that she was in.
“What’s going on?” Swift Wing’s voice broke in.
I was caught off guard by his return, but the sound of his usual cheerful self flooded me with an unexpected feeling of relief.
The doctor and I both looked over at him. He was standing at the door, holding a tray of food. I realized that he wasn’t wearing his uniform. He was dressed casually—light denim jeans matched with a blue t-shirt that matched the streaks in his hair. The shirt brought out his eyes.
“Hello, Swift Wing,” the doctor said. “I was just telling Ms. Lily that Mrs. Jubilee needed to be medicated.”
“We can leave,” I told him. “There’s no use staying. I can’t talk to her while she’s drugged up like this.”
“But I’m lonely,” Mrs. Jubilee whined.
I closed my eyes and sighed. I willed it all away. It all felt like a really bad joke.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Jubilee,” Swift Wing said comfortingly. “We’ll still stay. We don’t have anywhere else to be.”
“What?” I snapped.
Swift Wing gave me a cold glance and shoved the tray of food into my hands. “Eat,” he said.
I gaped at him, again.
“I’m not hungry,” I said.
He shook his head. “Just shut up and eat. I never see you eat anything and you are losing weight.”
I was in shock. Was life not throwing enough curve balls at me without Swift Wing’s sudden personality twists?
“I’m going to feed you if you don’t eat it.”
My eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you kidding?”
“Do I look like I’m kidding?”
He didn’t. I took a seat, and Swift Wing took the small table from over Mrs. Jubilee’s bed.
“We’re just going to borrow this,” he said, lowering its height and placing it before me so that I could put the tray down.
“That’s fine,” Mrs. Jubilee said with a smile.
I stared at my tray of food. He brought me a bowl of chicken noodle soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. I picked up the spoon and stirred my soup. I could feel Swift Wing watching me. It was humiliating. I felt like a child all of a sudden, and I didn’t feel like that for a very long time.
“Why are you stalling?” Swift Wing asked me.
I picked up my spoon and put it in my mouth. I struggled to not to gag. I managed to finish the soup, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage the sandwich. I doubted that it would be as light as the soup. Still, I needed to get through it. Swift Wing wouldn’t allow me not to, and the last thing I needed then was him on my back for my eating habits.


> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you alright?” Swift Wing asked.
“Fine,” I responded, clutching my stomach.
My stomach was burning uncontrollably. 
Swift Wing was looking at me with worry. It made me uncomfortable. I was never fond of having anypony trying to take care of me, and Swift Wing was already pushing it. 
“What’s wrong?” he pressed, ignoring the fact that I just told him I was fine. 
“It’s just a little nausea,” I admitted.It was an understatement but still the most he could hope to hear from me.  
He didn’t look like he was buying it. “I’ll go get a doctor to look at you.”
“No!” I snapped as he turned to the door, immediately having him spin on his hooves to face me again. “I’ll be fine,” I assured him through clenched teeth.
Swift Wing glared at me. “You need a doctor.”
“I just need a break from work,” I said. “I can request a short vacation once this case is dealt with.” I forced the sweetest smile that I could manage. I could only hope that he believed that I would actually look out for myself as I said I would. 
Swift Wing sighed. 
“I’m okay,” I said.
“Fine.”
“You guys make the cutest couple!”
Swift Wing’s white coat flushed a deep red around his cheeks, but I responded fairly calmly, “We’re just friends, Mrs. Jubilee.” 
Mrs. Jubilee was smiling at us from her hospital bed. I was still finding it hard to deal with her on her medications. The odd thing about her situation was that the doctor explained to me earlier that it wasn’t all from her medications. Her reactions were a side effect, but they were more extreme than any case he had seen on the particular medication. He assumed that the heightened reactions were an affect of her previous trauma. 
“You’re a couple,” she chimed. “I can tell. No use keeping secrets from me!” Her voice was painfully shrill. 
“N-um, we’re not a c- haha. We’re not a couple,” Swift Wing stuttered.
I rolled my eyes the slightest bit. This wasn’t the first time somepony made the assumption. Swift Wing was scratching the back of his neck with his hoof. I didn’t understand why he got so nervous when ponies thought that we were together. 
“Don’t you worry,” Mrs. Jubilee told us in a very serious tone. “Your secret is safe with me.” 
Mrs. Jubilee started giggling, and her smile widened. I did my best to ignore it, but her laugh was nothing easy to tune out. Swift Wing was standing next to the chair I was sitting in, looking uncomfortable. I didn’t put much thought into it. He was an awkward pony sometimes. I knew that he had feelings for me in the past. He tried confessing once, but I turned him down. I was in no place for a relationship at the time, nor was I at the current time. I always assumed he got over it though. Part of me wondered if he didn’t, but the rest of me assured that it was just him feeling uncomfortable over the past. I settled with that belief and let my thoughts drift away from him. I didn’t have the time to worry over petty things like relationships or love interests. 
“Mrs. Jubilee, do you remember anything about the attack?” I asked. 
Her giggling subsided, but only momentarily. She then giggled again and let out a cheery, “nope.” 
“Are you sure?” I asked. 
“Yup!”
Swift Wing decided to pitch in. “Do you remember what you were doing before the attack?”
“I already told Lily! I was trying to solve my own case! I was going to be a detective, too, since she’s so lazy.”
I ignored the insult. “What about before that? Did you see anypony earlier that day?”
Mrs. Jubilee thought about it for a few moments, but then shook her head. “I wasn’t with anypony that day. I went to the spa, but they were booked, so I left.”
“Who was working at the spa?” I asked.
Mrs. Jubilee shrugged. 
“Can you call the doctor for me?” she asked.
“Sure,” Swift Wing said, sounding relieved. He was quick to leave us alone. 
Mrs. Jubilee went quiet after that and looked out to the window, looking fearful. 
“Mrs. Jubilee,” I called out to her, trying to get her attention, but she didn’t move. “Mrs. Jubilee?” I tried again. When she didn’t say anything I followed her gaze and tried another question. “Is there something out there?”
I couldn’t see anything outside but blue skies, white clouds, and a few birds flying by. 
Mrs. Jubilee turned to face me again and shook her head. “Nope. No pony out there!”
“It doesn’t have to be a pony,” I pointed out. “What were you looking at?”
“Just the sky,” she told me. 
I tried reading her face, but it was abnormally blank. 
“Are you feeling alright?” I asked. 
She nodded and gave me another one of her highly medicated smiles. I heard hoofsteps nearing the room. I soon realized that there were two ponies walking to the room, and soon after that, I could hear the faint breathing of the two individual ponies. 
“Is everything okay?” a stallion’s voice cut in. I turned to see that the doctor entered the room and Swift Wing was right behind him.
“Can I get a cup of pudding?” Mrs. Jubilee asked. 
“Mrs. Jubilee, you could always call a nurse for food. There is a button right there next to you. It’s on the remote on your nightstand.”
Mrs. Jubilee turned to look at the remote, then back to the doctor. “I know,” she said. 
The doctor sighed.
“Can you get me some pudding?” she asked again. 
“I’ll send in a nurse,” the doctor mumbled as he left. 
Swift Wing had to move to the side so that the doctor could get past him, but quickly trotted over to my side. 
“Are you ready to go?” he asked.
“Aaawwww.” Mrs. Jubilee was smiling wide at us again and Swift Wing blushed. 
“I suppose so,” I answered, ignoring Mrs. Jubilee. 
“Can’t you spend the night here?!” Mrs. Jubilee asked, disappointed. 
“I have to get going,” I told her. “I have a lot to do, but I’ll come back in a couple of days.” 
I left her room, and Swift Wing followed behind me. I trotted straight over to the receptionist’s desk. She was writing something in a notebook and didn’t bother looking up at me, so I cleared my throat to get her attention. 
“Can I help you?” she asked as she looked up. 
“I need you to make sure that Mrs. Jubilee is not given any more pills until I return.” 
“I can’t promise-”
“I have a job to do,” I told her, my voice severe. “I understand that no pony here wants to put up with a whining mare and her absurd claims, but unless you want to have a potential murderer staying on the streets of Ponyville, I suggest you help me do my job.” 
The mare at the desk stared at me, stuttering. 
“I’ll see you in a few days,” I said, turning to the elevators. 
The way home seemed to go by fairly quickly. Swift Wing didn’t speak, and I had things on my mind to preoccupy me. When we reached my home I let Swift Wing in. I felt that I owed it to him after he accompanied me on my trip to the hospital and after he attempted to take care of me. My stomach was still burning, but it was more manageable. I knew that I would need to do something about it, but it could wait. For the time being, I would do my best to show Swift Wing that I was okay, even though I was far from it. I was hungry again. The food he gave me that morning did nothing of course; it only made the situation much worse. 
I had to wait before I could eat. I was hoping that keeping Swift Wing around a little while longer would help distract me from the nagging pains, but as soon as he entered my house, I regretted allowing him in. Without the outdoor breeze, scents stuck. It was making me dizzy.
Luckily, I was able to hide my pains, discomforts, and desires. Swift Wing walked by without noticing a thing. Unfortunately for me, him walking by had me feeling less than indifferent to the situation. The burning in my stomach intensified. I needed to make him leave, but wasn’t sure how. If I let him stay, things could get out of hoof. They would get out of hoof. Swift Wing was the last pony that I wanted to see get hurt because of my own personal problems. 
“You know what,” I asked, speaking low out of fear that my voice would crack form pain, “I think I should just go to sleep now.” 
“Huh?” Swift Wing looked back at me, seeming confused. 
“Well, I’m really not feeling well,” I explained. 
“What’s wrong now?” he asked. “I should probably stay if you’re really that bad. I can make you something to eat if you want.”
Before I even answered, he trotted over to the kitchen and started rummaging through cupboards.
“It’s all empty,” he noted aloud.
“I haven’t had time to shop lately,” I said. 
“I’ll order something then,” he said, trotting over to the living room to find my phone.
“I really think that I just need to sleep,” I insisted. 
“So go ahead and sleep,” he said. “Tell me what you want from Pizza Stable first though. I’ll wake you up when it gets here.” 
“No, I’m fine.”
I trotted over to him and took the phone from his hoof to place it back on the table. He reached back for it, stepping closer. The scent intensified and the sound of his heartbeat was banging in my head. I dropped the phone and jumped back before the burning in my stomach had the chance to get the best of me.
“What was that about?” Swift Wing asked, sounding both concerned and confused. 
I couldn’t speak. I just shook my head. My mouth was watering and I could still hear the beating of his heart. My head was spinning circles. All of my senses were heightening except for one. My vision began to tunnel as the floor beneath me felt like it was sinking. 
“Lily?”
The corners of my sight were dark. I could hardly see Swift Wing as he came closer. He needed to stop coming closer. I tried to tell him to stay away, but I couldn’t speak. My body wouldn’t let me speak. It was too late. It was already too late. I shouldn’t have let him inside. 
“Lily!”
The dark corners spread and everything else became a blur. It was as if I was trying to look up from under six feet of water. 
“Lily!!”
Swift Wing was trying to shake me out of it. I tried to push him away, but I couldn’t move my hooves either. I was going to lose it. I had gone too long avoiding what I needed. I was too stubborn with myself. 
“Lily!”
Everything went black, and all sounds became a ringing. The only thing that told me that Swift Wing was so close was the scent. I could smell his blood stronger than ever and my entire being wanted to respond to that smell. I couldn’t do it. I fought myself as best as I could. I was fighting myself. I was fighting my body’s attempt at momentarily wiping out my consciousness. It was painful. My stomach burned like never before. It was like lava was now churning within me. I tried letting out screams, but they were lost in my thoughts. I could only scream in my mind. 
I was sure that Swift Wing was still shaking me. He was likely losing his mind as I lost control to the monster that was inside me. No, to the monster that I was— that I am to this day. My body rejected my screams, but it couldn’t keep the tears from falling. I felt suddenly cold and alone. I realized then that I could no longer smell the blood. It was a possible side effect of my own fight against myself, but it didn’t make sense. I wondered if Swift Wing left me there on my own. He must have galloped off to get help. I knew that he was looking out for me, but bringing anypony else around me was a foolish thing to do. I only had the willpower to spare one pony, and he was already gone. There was nothing else for me to fight for. 
I shut down — collapsed on my own floor. I couldn’t tell you what happened after that, not even if I wanted to. All I know is that when I woke up, I wasn’t home, and I didn’t get there on my own. 

> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had no idea how I got where I was, but I had a strange feeling that I knew where I might be. I was lying on my side, my legs stretched out in front of me. The tiles beneath me were cold and the air was chilled. It was dark; I could just barely make out the patterns of the stones on the walls. Large white rocks were built into the black brick walls. Each wall had a circle of five stones in the center, and each stone of the circle was engraved with a different mark, only one of which I recognized. It was the one at the top. I had seen it on somepony before, years ago. By years ago, I mean a much longer time ago then you are likely assuming.
The mark was in the shape of a teardrop, but it did not represent tears or water. Within that teardrop was an eye. The other marks were foreign to me. I was able to conclude who they might belong to, not specifically who, but the kind of ponies that they were. I knew what role they played in this. I wondered if I should be worried, but I felt strangely content. For the first time in awhile, I felt strong. I had no burning, no hunger, no dizziness or need to feed. The realization that I must have recently fed had me worried. I had no memory of it, so I had no idea as to how it happened. It was all to likely that I was here because I lost control and did something I shouldn’t have. Not only that, but I must have been seen. 
I rolled over and stood up. I found a door behind me and walked over to it. To my surprise, it turned out to be unlocked. I wasn’t sure why. It was possible that somepony just forgot to lock me in, in which case, walking out would likely make it seem that I was trying to escape. Running away wasn’t the best plan of action. These ponies would find me and running could upset them. My best bet was finding the one pony that I knew I could reason with. If I could explain to her what happened, she might let me go. 
I decided to wait. I took a seat on the ground in the back corner of the room, as far from the door as I could get. There weren’t going to be many options for me when somepony showed up, but keeping the distance would help me feel a bit safer. It was a long wait.
When the door finally opened, a hooded pony stepped in. In a coarse voice, he spoke. 
“They’re waiting for you.” 
Without asking who they were, I stood and made my way to the door silently. I could have asked the stallion if he could explain the situation, but if my assumptions were correct, silence was most certainly golden. He led me away from my chamber and down the stone corridor. The air was chilled to he point that my coat was standing on end. Or, perhaps I was really more nervous than I would ever like to admit. 
The chamber ended at an open spiraling staircase made up of the same gray stones found in both the walls and the floor. I followed the cloaked stallion up the spiraling stairs, careful not to tread to close to him. He could likely sense any uncontrolled emotion that I may have been experiencing. Above the staircase was a much grander room. It was very large, open, and somewhat intimidating. The floor was covered in granite slabs, the walls were painted a rich green, and chandeliers hung down from multiple points of the ceiling. Each chandelier consisted of crystals beaded along hanging strings that curved from the outside into the center. Candles lined the outer circles, and a massive orbs glowed in the centers. 
The stallion did not give me a chance to take in any of the intricate decorations, but instead, kept trotting. He lead me across the enormous room and to the double doors in the center of the furthest wall. The doors were much too high to be considered necessary. The dark wood stood out boldly against the green walls and the golden door knobs shimmered. The stallion opened the doors, and inside I saw nothing at all. It was very dark, but my eyes quickly adjusted. Even so, I could only make out a single silhouette. The silhouette gave me very little to work with. It was only a single hooded pony nearing the doorway. 
“It’s been a long time, sister,” the familiar voice spoke. 
I became both elated and distressed at the very same instant. It must have shown on my face, because the mare seemed to respond to my thoughts. 
“You need not worry,” she said in a hushed tone. 
The stallion beside me shifted, uncomfortable. The cloaked mare sent him off with a tilt of her head. He rushed off with a quick, “Goodnight, my lady.” I was slightly alarmed by the show of respect. I never would have thought that my old friend would reach any sort of status. But to see her cutie mark among those of the Pure Divines proved that she had made her way up in life.
“It has indeed been a long time, Evening Drop,” I agreed. 
“Please, come in,” she ushered. “It’s dark, but you’ll adjust quickly enough, I’m sure. The Divines prefer to avoid light as often as possible.” 
“That’s understandable,” I thought aloud. “I could only wish that I could hide away from the light at all parts of the day. I would keep my own home bare of light sources, but that would give a strange impression.” 
I stepped into the dark room. 
“Do you receive many guests?” Evening Drop asked me. Her tone was curious, but also a tad disbelieving. 
I was a little put off by the question. My confusion was immediately distracted by the creak of the doors closing behind me.  
“You were never one to mingle among a crowd, sister,” Evening Drop went on. 
It was true, but there were many matters that pulled me far from my own comfort. It was a part of my life now. I had to make a living in a new world, and I had to do so through the expectations of the new age. I could not hide away and simply do as I pleased. I needed to keep busy, and I never did like a living that did not make a mark. I wanted to do something for other ponies, whether they knew of it or not. I needed to make amends for the sins I still made, and still cannot hide from. 
“Not many guests,” I explained. “Most visitations are strictly work related.” 
“Most?” 
“Well, I cannot hide from the world at all times.” 
“That is a truth I cannot deny,” Evening Drop admitted. 
After that, she turned around and began trotting to the other side of the room. I followed her. My vision began to sharpen. I could see, at the very end of the room, five chairs, four of them seating cloaked figures. The empty chair, Evening Drops, was at the right hand side of that in the center. I was not sure if I should feel price or concern. I could not imagine it possible for somepony who started with next to nothing gaining a spot at the right hand side of the Divine’s leader. 
“What keeps you, Evening?” the pony in the center seat asked. His voice was enchanting, powerful. 
“She is a friend,” Evening Drop explained. 
“A friend I don’t know of?” the stallion asked. 
“I knew her as a filly,” Evening Drop told the stallion. 
“I cannot recall you ever bringing up a Lily to me before,” the stallion went on. “It is quite a simple name for somepony of our own nature.” 
I flinched at the thought of his comment. Somepony of our nature—of his nature. I didn’t like the reminder that I was the same as him. I knew that it was a truth that I couldn’t deny, but I had spent much of my life avoiding what I was. Lying to myself. Containing myself. Even starving myself. He, on the other hoof, was one of the Pure Divines. Nopony  accepted their true nature as fully as the Pure Divines. They reveled in their own monstrosity. 
“Her true name is Fading Lilies,” Evening told the others.
My heart clenched at the sound of my own name. I haven’t gone by my full name in years. Few knew it. Evening Drop was one of those few, but I was surprised to hear her speak it. She knew full well that I was not fond of it, and that I never wanted to be known by that name. A few years before our separation I had decided to shorten my name to a what it was known as today, and that I never wanted to be known as Fading Lilies again. It was to representational of my deepest hatred for myself and was a symbol for death.
“Well now,” the hooded stranger went on again. “That is more appropriate.” 
I cringed. 
He clearly took notice. “Are you feeling ill?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Then what has you concerned?”
“I’m just wondering why it is that I am here,” Lily answered. 
The hooded stranger chuckled and leaned forward. “We sent somepony over to your home for some simple questioning, but when he found you, you were unconscious.”
“You should consider yourself lucky you were found by us and not somepony else,” Evening Drop stated. 
“I see,”Lily said under her breath. 
“Which brings us to a new concern,” the pony at the center brought up. “We sent someone out under the impression that something was going on. We assumed that everything we heard was nothing but rumor. Your district has been quiet for many years now. The thought that you were overindulging or even careless did not strike us as a likely case, but when our pony returned, he brought more than just you. He brought back news that something was definitely amiss down in Ponyville.”
“I assure you that I have everyth-”
“Quiet!” a mare from the strangers left spoke.
Lily continued, “Do you really think that I-”
“No,” Evening Drop answered before Lily could finish. “We know that couldn’t be the case.” 
The stranger spoke again. “You seem to have a competitor in your district, Fading Lilies.”