The Epiphany of Pinkamena

by Vyven

First published 7th of August, 2012

Pinkie Pie comes face to face with a wanted criminal, but things go awry for the robber...

A wanted robber escapes the royal guards and stumbles upon Pinkie Pie, who invites the criminal into her home. But little does the criminal know, that under the pink, happy surface, lies a bloodthirsty killer. What fate will this bring upon the Mane six?

Manifestation

I robbed the Ponyville Bank, running to avoid confrontation with the royal guards hot on my trail, running on a wounded hoof. I spot a shed not too far, and I hide in there with the rain beating heavily on the roof, in high hopes that the royal guards wouldn't check here to find me: I was a fugitive now, a wanted criminal, wanted for repeated charges of robbery, ponynapping, battery, and unfortunately...First Degree Murder. A murder that I wasn't intent on doing, I never killed anypony in my life. In the midst of my thoughts, I hear hoofsteps, and a pink face peers in at me. "Hiya! What'cha hiding in here for? Is there something exciting in here? All the excitement is eating cupcakes!"

I shush the mare and drag her behind the shed. "So, here's what's gonna happen: You're going to let me lay low here at your place, and you're gonna do what I say. Got it?" The pink pony smiles, "Is this a game? I love games! What's this game called?" Groaning over her playful nature, I go along with it, "This game is called Secret. You play the game by seeing how long you can keep the robber hidden. You be the innocent civilian, and I be the robber, sound good?" She nods, and I smile, "Good, now let me in your place!" Pinkie Pie unlocks the door, "Okie Dokie Lokie!" Agreeing, she pushes the door open, allowing me access. She follows, shutting the door behind her. As I look around, smelling the sugar-stained air, the pony can't help but notice my limping. "Uh oh...you're hurt, what did you do? How did you do that? Is it bad? Is it bleeding? Is it broken?" She pesters me with questions, "Oh no...I...sprained it."

"Well, I know what'll make you feel all 'batter'...cupcakes!" She giggles and snorts at the pun she made, "I'm Pinkie Pie, just so you know. I don't wanna play this game if we don't know each other's names!" I quickly think of a fake name, "Oh, uh, my name is.....uhhh...." I look at my tan coat, and instantly, I get an idea to fool the mare, "Brown Bark." Pinkie then laughs, "That means we're not strangers anymore! Yay!" Suddenly, knocking rattles on the door, Pinkie shoves me into the pantry and answers, eyeing two guards in clad gold armor, getting soaked in the rain, but remaining perfectly unbothered. "Good evening, Pinkie Pie. We're looking for a fugitive who was seen robbing the Ponyville Bank. He has a tan coat, brown mane and tail, about 4 feet tall, hazel eyes, have you seen anypony like that pass
by here?"

Pinkie Pie's mind accepts this event as part of the game, "Can't say I have, shiny sirs!" The guards look at each other, then return their stern stares at Pinkie, "Very well. If you see anypony like we described, we'll be out here patrolling the perimeter. If you see anything, you know what to do. Thank you for your time." The guards leave and Pinkie shuts the door, she opens the pantry, and pulls me out, "How'd I do? Huh huh huh? How many points do I get? Are those guards playing the game too?" I nod, "Yyyyyeah...they're playing too, and you get 10 points." Pinkie squees with joy, "Yay! 10 points! So since we're playing this game, and you're the bad pony, and I'm the pony that says 'I'll keep an eye out for him,' what are you wanted for in the game?"

Pinkie still thinks it's a game, and I use this to my advantage, I pretend to think about 'fake' charges, "Let's see....uh...robbing a bank, like that guard guy said, battery, um, ponynapping...yeah! And...uhm..." Pinkie eyes light up, "Whatwhatwhatwhatwhat? And what?" I once again pretend as if I came up with another one, "...murder. That's a good one!" Pinkie's smile suddenly transforms into a grim looking face, this worries me, I prepare to grab the knife concealed by my tail, "Did...you say...murder...?" Pinkie Pie's pupils shrink, but she shakes her head and rushes upstairs, she hurriedly opens a bottle of medicine and tosses a pill in her mouth, gulping it without any water. I quickly follow her to make sure she doesn't pull anything off that'll get me caught.

"What was that you just took?" Pinkie places the medicine back on the dresser, "These are my 'no-bad pony' pills." Not understanding, I inquire further, "What do you mean? You mean it's something for....ADHD or something?" Pinkie shakes her head, "No, it's to keep the bad pony from coming out." I take the medicine bottle up and read the label, "I'm still not following you..."

Prescription for: Pinkamena Diane Pie
Take 1 pill every 6 hours, increase dosage if needed.
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

"Pinkamena Diane Pie? I thought you said your name was Pinkie Pie." She nods, "That's my full name, but I'd prefer to be called Pinkie Pie, it's easier to say and it's not a mouthful." I look over the label again, then back at Pinkie Pie, "What's Dissociative Identity Disorder?" Pinkie scratches her head, "No clue. I think the doctor said something like multiple personality disorder." It makes sense now: "To keep the bad pony from coming out" and No-Bad Pony Pills. DID is a serious
health issue, but that depends on what the other personality is like, and the fact that she said the pills are to keep the bad pony from coming out...I don't want to know what she means by bad pony...she almost flipped when I said Murder, which concerns me even more. I shake it off, it's probably nothing too serious, besides, everypony's definition of bad is different. But don't ponies with DID have triggers that make them flip? If that's true, then I need to be careful around this mare
not to set off any of her triggers, whatever they are.

"So...mind if I ask what triggers this 'bad-pony' to come out?" Pinkie Pie sits down on the floor and proceeds to explain, "Well, first off, I think you already know what one of them is, please don't say the word, I shouldn't even think about the word. Another one is when I'm emotionally being pushed, lack of sugar in the body, and the sight of sharp objects...that is the BIGGEST trigger." I nod, hanging onto every word she says, "So, when you say emotionally pushed, what do you mean?" Pinkie Pie smiles, "I mean when I start feeling intimidated, SHE comes out..." I look around the room as if it falls silent, then fix my gaze back on her, "Who comes out?" Pinkie Pie shudders, "Do I really have to say her name?"

"Well, gosh, if she's really that awful, you don't need to. I just wanted to know the triggers so I know what to avoid while I'm hanging around you." That explains why I didn't see ANY kitchen knives or scissors whatsoever, Pinkie Pie smiles, "Brown Bark? If she does somehow come out, then you've really really really gotta leave as soon as possible. You're nice, and I don't want you to get hurt..." I chuckle inwardly, a mare like her wouldn't stand a chance if she DID flip, I'm armed and she's
not, which makes hiding out in her home a whole lot easier. I press her on to tell me more about her other personality, however whenever the topic about it comes up, she becomes too shaken to talk about it.

A thunderclap causes the house to rumble, and the rain pelts the house adamantly. Looking out the window through the dribbling water, I see guards littering the street, they really want me captured, and they won't rest until I am. I bunk up with a blanket and a pillow on the floor, slipping my knife under the pillow in case of an emergency, and Pinkie Pie hops over me, plopping on her bed. I begin taking note of her personality for safety measures: Happy, cheerful, hyper, active, energetic, and playful. Memorizing those traits I close my eyes, "Nighty-night, Brown Barky-ite!" Pinkie falls asleep as well as I do.

------------------------

The rain soundly beats on the window, it's been storming ever since last night. I cautiously peek out the window, and to my demise, the guards are still there. "Good morning!" I see Pinkie's reflection in the window, and as I draw my knife, I stop myself, remembering what triggers her to flip. "Why so jumpy? Are you hiding something? Is it a present?" I quickly put the knife away, "Uh, no." Pinkie Pie pouts, "Aw, poopie..." Her ears shoot up, and she fetches a cupcake from a plastic tray, giving it to me. "I made these myself! You'll like it!" I take a bite from the frosted pastry, my focus still fixed on her, "This is really good!" Pinkie's grin widens, "I'm glad you like it!" I can't stop thinking about her other personality, and I can't help but ask her, "Did you take your medicine?" Pinkie Pie nods, "You can have another cupcake if you want!" She takes one and begins eating it, thank Celestia, she's good about taking her medicine when she's supposed to, I have nothing to worry about, and I place my knife under my pillow. "Hey....can we just leave my blanket and pillow here on the floor? So we don't need to move it until I head my way?"

"Of course! This game is really fun! But shouldn't you be going home?" I rub my neck, "Well...I thought that to make the game more fun, we should make it more realistic. I 'hide out' here until those guards, that are playing this game too, leave, and I can make my escape." The pink mare giggles, "This is so much fun! I like this game!" I smile at her, she's so naive and easy to fool, she has no idea that I really am a wanted criminal. The money I took is as good as mine, and it's all thanks to her! I set my pouch down and I go over to take a cupcake, munching on it as Pinkie Pie inquires about the pouch, "What's in here? The 'fake loot'?" She giggles, and I peek at her over my shoulder, "Yep, it's the fake loot alright." I finish my cupcake, and limp as I turn around, "Is it okay to have another? I'm hooked!" Pinkie nods happily, she notices me limping as I turn back around, "Is your hoof still sprained? That must be one bad sprain if it's lasted this long!"

I nod, "Yeah, it's getting better though, so don't worry." I look down to see that my coat covers the wound up, making it hardly noticeable, no wonder she bought it. I see her poking at my money pouch and I quickly take it from her, she looks at me confused, then her expression straightens into her usual smile, "Oh, fake loot...got it!"

"Don't touch it, okay?" I say to her, shoving it onto the top shelf in her closet, it barely sits still on the little amount of room it has up there because of all the stuff. Just as it starts rolling off, I push it back up and adjust it until it sits still, then I close the closet door gently. "Don't touch." Pinkie Pie beckons, "Okie Dokie Lokie! No touchie!" She chortles and leaves her room, "Where are you going?" I ask as I ensue Pinkie Pie, "I'm going to go make another batch of cupcakes! You can help me if you wanna! Do you wanna? Do you wanna? Do you?" I smirk, "I'd like to, but I have no idea how to cook." Pinkie Pie's smile simpers, "Oh, it's easy! I'll show you!" I abnegate some more, "But I'm your guest, I'm afraid I'll ruin your perfect cupcakes by mistake somehow, and I don't want to take that risk." Pinkie snickers, "Oooookay! Suit yourself! You'll be missing out!"

I follow Pinkie Pie downstairs, and take a seat at the table, watching her. "Maybe if I watch you cook, I can help you next time." Pinkie Pie gasps as she sets a cupcake pan out, "Really?! That would be fantabulous!!!" I snicker at her happy, carefree nature, watching as she takes out a mixing bowl, a whisk, flour, sugar, and eggs. She pulls out these additional tin containers, and I can't help but question her, "Mind if I ask what's in those tins?" Pinkie Pie peers over her shoulder and hides each tin as they're opened individually, "The secret ingredients. I can't tell you what they are though..." After placing the ingredients into the bowl, she ensconces the tin containers until the lids are back on, and they're put away. Pinkie Pie then quickly covers the ingredients in the bowl with flour. After 45 minutes of watching her, she is now putting the frosting on the cupcakes, she takes two out, gives one to me, and we take a bite. "Mmmmmm! Delicious! Thank you!" Pinkie Pie agrees, smiling at me delightfully.

When I make the escape, I might nab a few cupcakes to take with me...lost in thought, Pinkie Pie announces that it's time for her to take her medicine, I trust her enough to let her go alone, but I still listen for her. Going up the stairs, Pinkie Pie trots along into her room, she looks for her medicine bottle, which she could've sworn she left on the dresser. She opens the closet, but spots the bottle on the floor behind the dresser, back there in a spot she can't reach, so she obtains a hanger, the money pouch falling and hitting the floor, money dispursing from it all over. Pinkie Pie quickly pulls the medicine bottle out with the hanger, opens the bottle, and can't help but look at the shimmering bit on the floor, she sets the bottle down to look at it closely, "Wow, that looks really-real realistic! But it's like Brown Bark said, it's fake loot! As part of the game!" She picks the bit off the floor, "I mean, if it wasn't real, I wouldn't be able to do this!" She puts the bit between her teeth and attempts to bend it, but the bit resists against the force she puts into bending it. "Huh, that's funny...this must be high-quality
fake loot." She takes a bit out of her piggy bank and does a comparison check...both exactly the same. Pinkie then reflects, remembering what the guards said, she quotes what they said, "...brown mane and tail like Brown Bark has, tan coat like Brown Bark has, Hazel eyes...robbed a bank..." She hyperventilates at the realization that there's a criminal in her home, she reaches for her pill bottle, but accidentally knocks it over, spilling the pills across the dresser and on the floor. She shakily reaches for a pill, but...

Meanwhile downstairs, I stand and approach the staircase, "Everything alright up there? What's taking so long?!" No response. I reach for my knife, but realize I left it under my pillow upstairs...where Pinkie is. The stairs creak with every step I take, I approach Pinkie Pie's room and cautiously peer in, trying my best to stay out of sight. I see Pinkie Pie, standing there looking into the closet, the pills scattered everywhere, a twitch from Pinkie catches my eye. I sigh and enter the room, "Pinkie, what's going on up here?" Pinkie's head jolts upward to the sound of my voice, "...and why are these pills all over--" I stop as I notice the stolen goods on the floor, "Don't tell me you disobeyed me and touched my fake loot pouch. I told you not to!" Pinkie stands there unresponsive like a statue, staring into the closet, "...liar...theif..." Pinkie says with a hoarse voice. Detecting something really wrong here, I notice my pillow between me and Pinkie. I nervously reach for the pillow, flip it over, and...the knife...it's gone! "...looking for this?" Pinkie finally turns to me, holding the knife up, her pupils shrunk, and her mane and tail deflated......is this the other personality that I should beware of? My heart is thumping against my chest, my only weapon of defense in the hooves of what I was trying to keep from coming out.

"Secret. It was a fun game...now I'd like to invite you to play mine..." She places the knife in her mouth and approaches me, I back out of the room slowly, holding up a hoof, "Now Pinkie Pie--" she twitches, raising her voice, "Pinkie Pie isn't here! Pinkamena at your service." I shake my head, "Whatever, Pinkamena, you don't want to do this. I bet you've never killed anypony before." Pinkamena lets out a disturbing laugh, "Oh, I've killed over a dozen ponies before, it's a real cinch once you get used to it." She swings the knife, cutting the hoof I'm holding up to her. I jerk my hoof away, and put my mouth over it, "Awwwwww, did that hurt? Cause I'm just getting warmed up!" She swings the knife at me over and over, I continue to dodge as she is right in front of me the whole time, no matter how quickly backwards I walk. The knife cuts one of my legs and my chest, she suddenly dives at me, I quickly stand on my hind legs to avoid getting stabbed, but just like that, she
leaves the knife sticking in the floor, shoves me backwards, and I tumble down the stairs. Pinkamena heads down the stairs after me, and I'm basically crawling away, she gets on top of me, and smiles a wicked grin, a grin I've never seen before in my life, "...let's play..." Pinkamena uses the handle of the knife to hit me directly in the center of my head, everything becomes blurry, my head hits the floor and I pass out...

---------------------------------------

I wake up in a dark room, can't see a thing. A large wooden shackle immobilizes my head and front hooves, I try moving, but I hear what sounds like chains every time I move. I jump when a hear a massive metal door screech along a pair of rails as it opens and the luminous moonlight vanishes as it closes back up, the lights flicker on: The place is as clean as clean can be, rusty metal buckets line the stone brick wall, I see a cart covered up with a tablecloth, then I see...Pinkamena,
sitting in front of me breathing heavily in excitement, staring at me. "Hi!!!" She says as her head tilts to one side. "Wha--where am I? Why am I in these shackles?" Pinkamena panting heavily once more, with a huge grin on her face, "It's all part of my game we're playing. I played your game, so now you play mine." She brandishes my knife, raises it above her head, and in one swift motion, she impales the knife into the wooden shackle, "This is yours. Thanks for leaving it under the pillow for me, but I no longer need it." She turns to go to the cart and wheels it beside me. "What is that? What is that?! What are you doing?!" She whips the tablecloth off, revealing a scalpel, scissors, chisels of three different sizes, a wood planer, a saw, a hammer, a dozen 6-inch nails, and a small box of empty syringes with a few vials, each filled with different fluids.

On the cart's bottom shelf: Three or four rather large batteries with jumper cables laying on top. "Wait, you're not gonna--! That's a crime!" Pinkamena answers with a laugh, taking the scalpel, "Here's how you play my game, I'm the surgeon, and you're the patient." She vanishes out of my sight behind me, and I feel the scalpel cut through my skin and makes an incision around my cutie mark, I scream helplessly in pain, "One for me..." Pinkamena says as she cuts the flesh holding my skin in place. I pant from yelling, Pinkamena appears to my right, I see a dozen cutie marks tacked to the wall. She adds mine to her collection, and approaches my rear right side, out of view, "...and one for...well...me!" The scalpel once again carves into my skin, just like the other cutie mark, my shouting continues, a tear escaping my eye. Pinkamena appears in front of me, laying a bloody scalpel on the cart, and flapping my own cutie mark in front of me. She suddenly
stops, a look of interest strikes her face and she begins rubbing my face as a mother would to her child, rubbing along my cheek in a slow up and down motion, working her way under my chin, then down my neck, stopping where the shackle is, then moves back up. "So...so silky smooth..." Intrigued by my coat, she puts her cheek against mine, and begins caressing my face as her cheek rubs against it, "Something you don't find...on a pillow...a blanket...a sweater...a dress. So many
possibilities..."

Leaving me at a loss for words due to fear, she strongly presses her muzzle against my cheek, inhaling the scent of my coat, she shudders orgasmically as she exhales near my ear. Her tongue suddenly travels inch by inch along my cheek, then licks her lips, clicking her tongue, "Doesn't taste as good as it smells..." she vanishes behind me, and I can feel her rub her cheek against my side, "Mmmm, your coat...is so beautiful, so soft, smooth...it's something I wanna feel every day..." My panting becomes more frequent, "What are you talking about?! Let me go!" I suddenly feel Pinkamena's warm breath on my side, she's kissing my skin, and giggles, "...I want it. I want it now..."

She suddenly grabs the scissors and the scalpel stained with my blood, she violently slices along my back with the scalpel, my bellowing even more louder, shredding my throat as the pink mare then peels the skin up and begins cutting with the scissors, as she pulls the skin upwards to continue cutting, aside from the enormous amount of pain, I hear what sounds like fat being pulled apart from meat, my screeches very easily drown it out. I kick my legs furiously and try to move away from the mare simultaneously, but as I pull away, the shackle gets stopped, a chain protruding from the floor is also holding it in place, but I attempt to fight against it, entertaining Pinkamena as she draws near, I twist myself and the shackle around, Pinkamena giggles as she chases my unprotected body around with a knife, I keep going until the chains can twist no more.

As the pink pony catches up, I quickly try to jerk past her, kicking her away as I'm now pivoting the chains the other way,
doing my best to keep my body from being tortured anymore, but it doesn't last long. Pinkamena grabs my head and holds it, looking me in the eyes with a sadistic smile, "Silly Brown Bark...that's not how we play my game!" She holds me in place as I try revolving again to no avail, "...sing for me..." She slaps my red flesh, pushing more screams out of my throat. She pulls her hoof up with my now dry flesh sticking to it, it rebounds back into it's place, Pinkamena giggles and slaps it again. Once she's done playing with it, she grabs the scissors and finally separates the strip of skin from my body. Pinkamena holds it up to me, blood dripping from it, "Y-You...just cut...just cut...my skin...off...!" Pinkamena rubs the strip against her cheek, closing her eyes and indulging in it's feel against her face, making cooing sounds as she becomes captivated.

"Why? Why would you do this to me?!" Pinkamena's eyes shoot open and get fixed on me, "You
wanna feel?" She says, she begins rubbing the strip against my face, blood dripping from it onto my cheek. Making her way to the shelf beside her collection of cutie marks, she takes a blue bottle, and turns to me, "The Prince Blueblood Collection...this is perfect for you..."

"What the hell does cologne have anything to do with the fact that you're butchering me?!" I shout out angrily at her, but she's completely unmoved, "Oh, this is no cologne...I shaved you, so this needs to go on..." Pinkamena lets out a devilish laugh as she uncaps the bottle, I try twisting the chain again, but she catches my tail in her mouth, "Uh uh uh! Not how you play, Brown Bark...I won't be allowing any of that anymore..." She remembers my knife sticking out of the shackel,
so she works her way around me to the knife while holding me in place, "Mind if I borrow this? Thank you! You're too kind!" She takes the knife in her mouth and begins edging around me back to my rear end. Wrapping a foreleg around my hind leg, she uses the knife to slash the tendons in my legs, weakening them before letting them free.

Moaning in pain, I try to take a step, but all they do is twitch, making them mostly unresponsive, I can no longer move them. "There you go! That's how you play!" She tosses the knife, adding it to her own roster of tools, she picks the blue bottle back up, takes my tail into her mouth, and pours the after shave onto my flesh. A scream, almost ear-splitting, escapes my mouth, "What's that? Too much? I'd say so! You used the whole bottle silly-bean!" She tosses the bottle behind her, picks up the skin she cut off and adores it, rubs it against her cheek like a teddy bear, "Now I can feel you forever, Brown Bark..."

The pink pony places it down, then jumps in surprise. "Oh dear! We need to perform surgery!" Pinkamena exclaims, she obtains a large block of 4x4 wood and rope and vanishes behind me once more. I hear the hollow thunk of the wood as she sets it on the concrete floor, I feel her position something cold and hard under my stomach, followed by the sound of cranking, my hind haunches get lifted into the air as the metal hoists me up, and my frail hind legs dangle. She approaches the tools on the cart, taking a syringe and a clear fluid, "Mares and Gentlecolts...this is going to be SO MUCH FUN..." She sets the vial down, and a drop of the clear fluid runs down the needle, the fluid squirts out, she flicks the needle, then turns to me.

"You might wanna hold still, otherwise, it'll only be more painful for you..." Pinkamena holds my eye open and aims the needle at the pink flesh at the base, the needle penetrates my eye, and I close them, moaning in pain, my hind legs twitching in mid-air, I feel the fluid rush into my system, and the needle retracts. Pinkamena discards the syringe, "That's so you don't pass out..." Pinkamena returns to my rear, the block scrapes the concrete as she lifts it, securing my legs in place as she ties the block to them with the rope, she makes sure the rope is snug, I hear thick, heavy metal get dragged along the floor, "What is that?! What are you doing?!" Pinkamena smiles, "...what I like to call...demolition a la Sledgehammer." The bones in my hoof snap noisily as the metal object impacts it, screams of anguish leave my mouth, filling the room. I hear her rear up for another swing, the hoof of my hind left leg snaps just as loud as my other one.

Tears streaming down my cheeks like waterfalls as I tear my throat apart from screaming and crying. "PLEASE!!!!!! Please please please please...!!! Please let me go!!!" I utter words through my sobbing. Pinkamena shushs my pleas by hitting and breaking the bone in my leg above the block of wood. "One more!!!" Pinkamena breaks the other leg
in the same spot, teardrops hitting the floor, beginning to form a puddle, the rope securing the block of wood in place loosens, the block clunking as it hits the floor, Pinkamena plays with my broken hoof, the agonizing waves of pain shooting through my body as the broken part of my bone rubs against where it was once attached within my leg, "Yep, it's broken alright! You were really hungry, Brown Hoof! Four servings of the Demolition a la Sledgehammer, nopony would EVER order
that many!"

The wound in my front hoof begins bleeding from my heart beating so fast. The pink mare notices, and attempts to light a fire in the nearby fireplace. Once lit, she places large Firewood Tongs in the open flame. She returns to me and unlocks the wood shackle binding me in place, and I crumple to the floor. She tosses a rope over a rafter in the ceiling, makes a lasso loop which is then placed around me under my front legs. As the rope gets pulled over the robust rafter, the loop tightens around me with the rope grinding against my exposed flesh on my back, I weakly let out a scream of agony as I'm lifted into the air and the rope spins me around, allowing me to circumspect the entire room. As I spin, I dangle near the wall, meat hooks lining the wall catch my eye, then Pinkamena stops me from spinning with her free hoof by one of my crippled hind hooves, the hoof twists around, making a sound similar to crumpling paper as I feel bones grind in my hoof, exploring the flesh around it, I utter a scream despite the rope keeping most of the air out of my lungs, Pinkamena giggles, "You don't have a bone to pick with anypony, do you?"

I beg the DID patient to let me go, she lowers me down some more, "But you like Pinkie Pie's cupcakes...remember?" Suddenly, I feel something poke my back, and the pink mare approaches my side, I squirm as Pinkamena steadies a meat hook, thrusting the point into my back, I yelp, and Pinkamena continues with her dialoging, "...you said you liked them, that you were......hooked..." She lets go of the rope and the meat hook sinks into my back, with one of my ribs supporting my weight on the hook near my spine, I screech loudly, my sobbing takes my anguished scream's place as I dangle from the hook, and the rope around me slides off after being cut.

Pinkamena trots over to obtain a few metal buckets, placing them on the floor beside her. "Now....the fun REALLY begins..." She takes the wood planer, and positions it above my stomach, with one quick motion, I watch as strips of my skin eject from the blade of the wood planer, I scream, but not as loudly as last time, my throat muscles are too weak, Pinkamena is enjoying watching blood dribble down my stomach and my legs, I panic as more and more of my red flesh is exposed, I can't even begin to fathom what's happening. I wish I was arrested instead. "Are you having fun, Brown Bark?!" The blade suddenly gets caught on bunched up skin, she hits the rear of the planer, and causes it to soar through. I howl in pain, and Pinkamena imitates a howling wolf, laughing the whole time, "SOMEPONY HELP ME!!!!!!! HEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLP!!!!!"

"No-one can hear you, sweetie..." Pinkamena continues, "...so we can keep playing. Don't you just love the Everfree Forest? Where nopony dares to come in?" Pinkamena takes a cupcake, and shoves it in my mouth, "You like the flavor, don't you?" She rubs my throat, causing me to swallow, Pinkamena covers her hoof in my blood, and licks it clean. "These cupcakes are to DIE for, aren't they?" She tosses the wood planer back onto the cart, takes two of the 6-inch nails, places one of them aside while the other is aimed at my front right hoof, I struggle, and in result, the nail misses and cuts my skin. She aims it again, this time, she gets closer to her mark, however it isn't where she wants it: The nail digs under my skin, prying some of it off as the nail pierces back through the skin. Revolted, I shriek, "Hold still..." Pinkamena holds my hoof in place and impales my hoof directly in the center, she then takes the hammer, and hits the nail, forcing it through until the point pops out the other side of my hoof.

Suddenly, I faint from the amount of sheer pain. Pinkamena once again prepares another syringe, injects me with
adrenaline, and I gasp out of my sleep, back into reality that I wish was a dream. I hang there in torment, large portions of my coat gone, my hind legs each broken in two spots as well as the tendons slashed, and a nail in my hoof, oh Celestia, how I wish I took the chance to turn myself in...

"Alrighty then..." Pinkamena takes the other nail and goes around to my other side, she proceeds with piercing the nail into my other hoof, she spots my wound, peels the coat back from it, then tilts her head, "...this isn't my handiwork. I will not accept handiwork from somepony else other than me!" Pinkamena then angrily takes the Firewood Tongs out of the fireplace, the claw part glowing bright orange. My eyes widen as she opens the tongs and positions them so they close on my hoof wound. The blood dripping out of it sizzles, my wound getting seared shut, I scream in pain once more, tears flowing down my cheek still. "Now to get down to business..." She takes another syringe, but this time, fills it with Pancuronium, staring at me with a twisted smile, "Relax, Brown bark, it's time to relax..." She injects fluid in my neck, and my muscles begin failing, my ability to breathe begins slipping away, and my head droops.

Drool seeping from my mouth, the pink pony then takes the scalpel and begins cutting the flesh in my chest open, squishing wet sounds accompany the blade as the flesh is pulled apart, and my internal organs are revealed. I moan like a zombie in pain, all I can do is hang there paralyzed as my organs are removed one by one. "Let's do a little grocery shopping...shall we? Let's see..." Pinkamena tears my kidneys out and tosses them into a bucket, she then takes my pancreas and thinks to herself, "I don't need a pancreas--ah!!!" Tossing the pancreas into a bucket, she pulls my liver out, "I just LOVE liver!!! This is a keeper, I know what I'm having for dinner tonight!" She tosses it onto a platter, blood splats
everywhere as it lands, she reaches in again and pulls my spleen out, "I guess I could experiment with this on the stew I'm making tonight...use it to make the marinade...mmmmmmmm....your liver will serve as a wonderful side dish..." She places it next to my liver on the platter, and rips my stomach out, "Gee, Brown Bark, you don't have to lose your stomach over this!" She giggles and twitches at her joke, then tosses it into the bucket.

The small intestine gets pulled out along with my large intestine, Pinkamena separates them by cutting the small intestine away and tossing the large intestine into the bucket, "This makes wonderful jerky, you know! Fry it in seasoning, dehydrate it, and you're good for a whole season!" She bundles it up and puts it aside, reaching in yet again, she catches me passed out again, using more adrenaline on me, I wake up and notice most of my organs inside the tin bucket, I panic as Pinkamena's hoof reaches in my chest cavity, pulling a pancreas and a gallbladder out, "You know, I'm doing this because I don't need organs, not for what I'm making for dinner tonight...that succulent meat is what I'm going for..." I grimace, I try to throw up, but my stomach is in the bucket. She takes my bladder out, "Hmmmmm.....nah." She says, tossing the bladder into the bucket, she stares at me after realizing the remaining organs, "Well, Brown Bark, I had fun. I'm so glad you could play my game! It's been nice knowing you." She fetches a ladder and sets it up beside me, grabbing the scalpel and working her way up to the top until she's over my head. With her scalpel, she begins slicing my scalp off, revealing my skull, she hops off the ladder, returns with a chisel and hammer, and starts breaking through the skull, the chisel hits my brain, causing my body to twitch violently, she throws the tools onto the floor, grabs the brain with her bare hoofs and tears it out, my eyes darken as my life drains away from my body.............Brown Bark is dead.

"Did you have fun, Brown Bark?" She plays with the brain, and impersonates Brown Barks voice, "Of course I did, Pinkamena! You really know how to host a good game! I had fun!" She laughs as she tosses the brain into the bucket, climbs down the ladder and puts it away, she then reaches in for the lungs and the heart, she discards the lungs and smiles at the heart, placing it gently into the bucket. "Well, it's time to get what I mainly need..." She takes Brown Bark's body off the
meat hook, picks up the saw, and begins dissecting Brown Bark's body on the floor, blood oozing out into a puddle. She cuts the head off, then the legs, cuts the abdomen into pieces, then she gets a giant tin container and squeezes the blood out of every single piece, she gets well over a gallon, including the blood she cleaned up with a sponge. She dips her hoof in, and licks it clean, "I just love drinking a good 'Bloody' Mary..." She cackles, nudging the head next to her, "Get it? Bloody?"

She faces the disembodied head and begins cutting and peeling the skin and the flesh off, gouging the eyes out with a rusty soup spoon...all that's left of Brown Bark is his skull, she collects up the body parts after cleaning the skull off, and begins peeling the skin off of each piece, she turns Brown Bark's skull around to face her and continues peeling, deboneing each piece and placing them in their separate pouch sitting beside the pouch of organs. She stares at the skull as if it's giving her an odd look, "What? I gotta have my protein." She continues her work, gathers up the pouch filled with a cut up body, she places the skull on the shelf with the other ones and pets it before she seals up the room, and prepares to head home...

A few hours later, the guards standing outside are greeted by Pinkie Pie, who is holding a batch of cupcakes. "Goooooood afternoon, shiny sirs! Can I interest you in some cupcakes?" The guards smile and agree, they eat the cupcakes, leaving them in awe at the taste, "Magnificent! The best cupcake I've ever had so far! Thank you!" Pinkie bows to them, turns and leaves. Bringing the platter back into her house, she tosses it aside like a frisbee, pulls a pan out of the oven filled with browned meat, potatoes, carrots, and celery soaking in broth. "My, my...you smell delicious Brown Bark...my friends will enjoy you..."

Influence

Two days have passed since Brown Bark's murder, the royal guards have scanned the entirety of both Ponyville, Canterlot, and the neighboring towns. Captain Shining Armor was running out of places to look, and began to stock the streets up with flyers and posters, he refused to give up, Shining Armor will not abnegate his search and capture of Brown Bark. The Cutie Mark Crusaders noticed the drastic increase in security just as the citizens did. Homes, cellars, attics and basements were thoroughly searched, everypony was fearful as a result of not knowing whether or not Brown Bark was still in town. Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle, departing for the newstand, are caught up to by the CMCs.

"Hi, Twilight! What's going on here?" Apple Bloom asked, and Twilight recognized that look in their eyes, "Oh no, please tell me you three aren't planning to solve this case..." Twilight clutched, and the three fillies boasted, "Yeah! We're gonna find Brown Bark and turn him in!" Pinkie Pie twitches, and pops a pill in her mouth in response. Twilight protested, "No. It's too dangerous for you three, Brown Bark is a criminal that needs to be brought to justice, and it's apparent they're serious about catching him." Upon approaching the news stand, Twilight Sparkle takes up a newspaper, giving 3 bits to the stand owner before stepping aside with Pinkie Pie to observe the paper at the front cover news:

PONYVILLE EXPRESS
SEARCH FOR THE 'VANISHED ROBBER'

Twilight disparagingly rolls her eyes, "Oh please...the Vanished Robber? Oh well...let's see what they've found so far..." Twilight reads on.

'Investigations are being called out to find the Vanished Robber, Brown Bark, but each returning very little findings, except one.' Intrigued, Twilight read on. 'One investigation has been returned to the Royal Guards, claiming they have found a vacant building in the Everfree Forest, empty, expansive, and filled with buckets, surgical tools, and 17 cutie marks pinned to the wall.'

Twilight looks away from the article, choking with digust, "Those poor ponies...I hope Brown Bark receives what he deserves..." The Crusaders desperately try and get a good look at the article, but Twilight obscures the view from them and continues reading, biting her lip in suspense.

'They believe this building to be the hideout of the Vanished Robber, yet the presence of the surgical tools and cutie marks have yet to be explained: Did the Vanished Robber have an accomplice? This is currently under investigation.' She disheartenedly separates the article from the rest of the newspaper and gives the rest to the CMCs, but they object, "Why cain't we see? We're all big ponies!" Apple Bloom remarks, but Twilight Sparkle shakes her head, "Girls, this article isn't
something you regularly read, it's about something that actually happened here in Ponyville, and it's too graphic for any of you to see! I understand that you want to read it..." Twilight places the folded up article in her saddle bag and preserves her dialog, "...but I don't think Rarity, Applejack or Fluttershy would approve of me letting any of you see something so severe." She gathers them up with her forelegs and embraces them, "Promise me, that you will not investigate this. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to any of you. Promise." She nudges them austerely, and the three fillies sulk, "...we promise."

Twilight Sparkle's usual felicitous smile appears on her face as she releases them, "Excellent. Thank you." It wasn't until then that Twilight noticed something peculiar about Pinkie Pie: She was quiet, lost in thought, Twilight nuzzles Pinkie, and the pink mare shakes her head, "Hm? Huh?" Pinkie Pie's eyes peer into Twilight's, "Pinkie Pie, you're being really odd...is something wrong?" Twilight queried and Pinkie answers with a simple nod, "Yeppers! I'm abstitootally great!"

"Hey, guys!" A voice rings through the air, in which Twilight recognizes, Rainbow Dash halts to a stop between Pinkie Pie and Twilight, being careful not to trample the Crusaders, "Did you hear about what's been going on? They found a weird building in the middle of the Everfree Forest! It's the talk of Cloudsdale!" Twilight raises an eyebrow, "I never would have taken you for one who reads the newspaper, Rainbow Dash." The winged mare shrugs, "Nah, everypony in Cloudsdale
won't stop yapping about it, you can imagine how I would have no choice but to listen..." Pinkie Pie chimes in, "Hey, where's Fluttershy? I thought she was with you." Rainbow Dash waves a wing at her, "Nah, shes at her house. I knocked, but she's too scared to come out." Twilight's train of thought begins running...poor Fluttershy. She must've heard the news and is now too frightened to leave her cottage, Twilight contemplates going to check up on her, but she knows she's okay, so it might not be necessary to do so...then again...maybe it wouldn't hurt...

Rainbow Dash claps her hooves in Twilight's face, "Helllllloooooooo? Anypony home?" Twilight glowers at her, "What?" Rainbow Dash smirks, "If you're gonna think, don't do it while you're staring at me...it freaks me out!" Twilight chuckles, "Sorry Dash, just got lost in thought, that's all." Her stomach growls, and Twilight rubs her stomach, "Ugh, I forgot to eat breakfast...well, I'm afraid we're gonna have to cut this a little short, you guys." Pinkie Pie's eyes light up, "How about we go with you? Can we go with you? I know you want us to go with you!" Twilight smiles and agrees to let Dash and Pinkie join her. "What about us?" Sweetie Belle's face shines as well as the other crusaders, "You...wouldn't be interested in what we'll be talking about..." The crusaders beg to go with, and Twilight disapproves, "No, girls. You have to go home...all this hype is making me hungry..." Applejack's voice shouts out, startling the ponies, "There ya are, Apple Bloom! Ah've been lookin' everywhere for ya!" Applejack eyes her friends, "Howdy Twi. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie. Come on home, Big Mac is worried 'bout ya." She places a foreleg around Apple Bloom, and the small filly lets out a groan, but Applejack brow beats her, "Y'all can play with yer friends tommorrow when the place ain't so hectic."

Twilight fully agrees with Applejack, and she sees her country farm friend off, she then turns to Sweetie Belle, "As for you, we'll take you home." Sweetie Belle pouts, but Scootaloo is lost in awe walking beside her idol.

--------------------------------------

After dropping Sweetie Belle off, Twilight pondered long and hard as to what to do with Scootaloo. She disdainfully faces her, "Scootaloo, I guess you can come with...." Scootaloo hops with joy. "But what about my friends? How come they can't come with?" Twilight stares at her, "Because...it's too risky to show all three of you what me and Spike have been up to lately, ever since Brown Bark was declared the most wanted criminal..." Pinkie Pie tilts her head, "What do you mean, Twilight?" Twilight clears her throat, looks around and leans in to whisper. "Me and Spike have devised an investigation of our own, a study, rather...I asked Princess Celestia, not even she knows where Brown Bark is." She takes out the folded article, and unfolding it, she shows it to Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, "...I have a hunch that there's important details about this case that the investigators aren't telling us. Me and Spike are SO close to finding something, I can feel it in my horn!" Rainbow Dash takes the article from her, and looks at her as the page wilts in her hooves, "So what's the catch? Why are you telling us?"

"Because I want you to keep my investigation a secret...if word lets out about it, the media is gonna swarm the library." Pinkie Pie's eyes widen, "Does Princess Celestia know you're up to this?! I'll be really sad if she punishes you for hiding this under her muzzle...but that would make it itch. I guess like a feather...I don't like itchy muzzles." Twilight nods, "As a matter of fact, she does. She's supporting it and strictly ordered not to release any information to the press until the investigation is complete. You cannot tell anypony. Any of you." The mares and the filly agree to keep it secretive, and she beams a smile at them. "Great. Now, let me order a sandwich, and we'll be on our way to the library. Spike is waiting for us." They approach Twilight's favorite restaurant, she orders a sandwich, places money on the counter, and awaits while the sandwich is being constructed. Pinkie Pie can't help but ask, "So what'cha get so far?" Twilight faces her, "I'll explain when we're more secluded." She takes up the sandwich and the group walks away.

Reaching Twilight's library, she surreptitiously unlocks the door with her companions by her side, she then knocks on the door in morse code, then Spike answers the door, his eyes go wide, "I-I'll go hide the stuff--!" Twilight abruptly stops Spike with her magic, "Spike, they promised to keep it secret. It's fine." Nodding, he allows them entry and what Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash see is something they can't fathom: The Library is cluttered in paper, maps on the table with strings taped to them, marking routes, newspaper clippings of all of Brown Bark's committed crimes, notes written in Twilight's writing, and stacks of books based on investigating.

"As of right now, the Citizen's Center was kind enough to let me borrow Brown Bark's file, I solely believe that we can find where he went based on his personality traits, his last in-town transaction, and use the maps to pinpoint his sightings ever since the date of his recent crime. That's what all of these strings indicate." She points at the strings all over the map on her table, she opens up a folder, "Look at all of this, a birth certificate, proof of citizenship, his criminal background. It turns out his real name is Strong Stomp, an earth pony, wanted for ponynapping, battery...all of the information about him that we need is right here!" Spike adds in, "Him being a citizen of Ponyville makes it much easier to find what we need...the idea that the building in the Everfree Forest was his hideout is..." Twilight finishes Spike's sentence, "Preposterous. How would Strong Stomp manage to make it that far completely unnoticed? Why has nopony seen him ever since 2 days ago? And mainly, what happened to him? Was he captured by a second-party? He could be hiding in somepony's basement right no--no, they checked every single one, so if they did that, then it has to mean that he isn't in town...but what if he isn't, what if something happened to him?" She hits her head in frustration, "This doesn't make any sense! The homes of the ponies that were searched, the owners can't possibly hide anything once THAT happens..."

Pinkie Pie sulks in guilt and Rainbow Dash takes notice, "Pinkie, what's wrong with you?" Pinkie begins sobbing, "I-I had no idea, you were looking for him, Twilight." Twilight tries calming her down, "Why? Why are you crying, Pinkie Pie?" Her welled-up eyes meets Twilight's, "I saw him before he vanished..." Twilight dumbfoundedly reacts, "Why didn't you tell anypony? Do the guards know?" Pinkie Pie sniffles, "I thought he was just somepony who wanted to play a game called Secret...he tricked me, Twilight." Twilight desperately places her hooves at Pinkie Pie's sides, begging for more answers, "Tricked you into doing what?!" Pinkie wipes the tears from her eyes, "...into hiding him." Twilight gasps and Spike speaks up, "This is good! I think we have the answer we need to know where to go from here, Twilight!" She nods, "Where did you hide him? How long did you hide him?" Pinkie Pie stops crying, "I hid him at Sugar Cube Corner, I let him stay the night, I thought we were playing a game..."

Twilight uses her magic to levitate a notepad and quill, she jots down notes, "Can you tell me what he said to you?" Wiping more tears off, she lifts her head up, "He said something about fake loot..." Rainbow Dash tilts her head, "Fake loot? What the hay does that mean?" Twilight signals Rainbow Dash to be quiet, but Pinkie Pie answers her question, "The fake loot wasn't fake after all...it was the money he stole from the bank...he had it in this pouch--" Twilight anxiously asks her,
"What did he do with it? Do you remember any physical features you noticed about him? Did you see him leave at all?" Pinkie tries her best to keep up with Twilight, "The money pouch, he put it in my closet, I remember him having this pretty bad sprained hoof, and did he leave.....did he?" She scratches her head trying to remember, "...no, I don't know if he left or not..." Twilight blinks at her, "You...don't know or you can't remember?" Pinkie shakes her head, "I mean when I figured
out that the money was real, I blacked out...I don't remember anything after that..." Twilight's face fills with fear, and the notepad falls to the floor, "...you mean you didn't take your pill....?!" Pinkie Pie quivers, "I tried to! But I accidentally spilled them trying to get one!" Pinkie's tears return, and Rainbow Dash tries to get her head around everything, "Pills? What pills? Pinkie takes pills? For what?"

"My split personality disorder." Twilight knows what 'blacked out' means...Pinkamena surfaced, and must've done something to Strong Stomp. "Pinkie Pie, thank you very much. The information you gave me fills in a very large gap...but that building in the Everfree Forest...what does it have anything to do with this case? You said he had a sprained hoof? How badly was he limping?" Pinkie wipes her tears once more, "On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say 7." Twilight writes more notes, "A limp THAT bad is no sprain, he either broke it or sliced it...we need to find out which one...but how....?" Spike taps Twilight's leg, and she greets him with a stare, "Would there, by any chance, be any blood spills if it was sliced? So we can get a blood sample?" Spike asks, and Twilight rubs her chin, pondering the possibility. "There might...if there is, we can run some tests...Spike, does the medical history say anything about what his blood type is?" Spike cocks an eyebrow, "Medical history...?"

"Yes, it should be in his file...we have both ends of this case covered up...now we're going to find out just what Pinkamena did with Strong Stomp..." Spike gathers the file in his claws and sifts through the papers, eventually reaching a tan paper with the Ponyville Medical symbol marked at the top, "This is it! Okay. Blood Type...blood type..." Spike repeats himself as he scans the paper, pointing a claw, "Blood Type: O Positive." Twilight cheers, "Great! Let me get the kit then we'll
have Pinkie escort us to Sugar Cube Corner, sound good?" She faces Pinkie with a reassuring smile, and the pink mare agrees. "You're right..." Scootaloo says, "...this is boring, so I'm gonna go home...catch you later Rainbow Dash!" Dash sees the filly off as she leaves through the door. "Remember the promise you made, Scootaloo!" Twilight calls out to her.

---------------------------

At the Sugar Cube Corner, Mr. and Mrs. Cake await eagerly for another customer, the bell rings as the door opens, "Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner!" Their eyes lose excitement when they see Twilight and Pinkie Pie. "Oh, good evening, Twilight Sparkle. How may we help you?" Twilight politely answers, "May I have your permission to look around?" The Cakes blink and look at each other before returning their stares to Twilight, "O-Of course."

"Spike and Rainbow Dash, I need you to look around outside Pinkie Pie's room for blood, dried up or not. Pinkie Pie, show me to the closet, I want to see this 'loot'." She follows Pinkie Pie up to the closet, steps into the room and points to the closet, distancing herself from it. Twilight opens the door and sees the money pouch, with bits spilled onto the floor, just the way Pinkie Pie left it. "We need to return this to the Bank, but after we get the blood tested...if we find any..." She shovels the money back into it's pouch, seals it up, and nudges it against the wall, the money insdie chiming with a chink as it hits. "Twilight! I found something." The two mares hurriedly leave the room and meet with Spike, holding up a chunk of something, "Spike......that's wood bark..." Spike squints at it, then tosses it behind his back, "Looked a lot like blood. Sorry Twilight. I guess it 'barked' up the wrong tree." Everypony stares at Spike, "Worse. Joke. Ever." Rainbow Dash laughs. "Okay, it was a bad joke, but A+ for effort, right?" Twilight shakes it off, "Check the walls, the floor, every spot you can think of."

As Rainbow Dash approaches Twilight and the others, a small speck on the wall catches her eye, she looks at it closer, seeing it has a dull hue of red, "Twilight, I think I found what you're looking for..." The lavender mare jostles her way past Pinkie and Spike, pardoning them as she examines the speck...indeed, it was blood. Twilight takes a cloth out of her saddlebag, and tries to break the speck off into a small crumb. Twilight then furnished herself with an index card in her saddlebag, she instructs Pinkie to look away as a sterilized needle is then pulled out. She breaks the blood crumb into two parts, placing them on their own ends of the index card, then soaking them in the antibody solution, shortly after stirring them until they are nothing but a smear. Twilight surveys the smears carefully, and the crumbs of blood vanish. Twilight then studies a small list, and a smile stretches on her face, "O Positive...Strong Stomp was here..." Twilight puts the kit away, telling Pinkie it was okay to look, "H-How do you know aside from the fact that Pinkie told us?" Twilight boasts, "The clumps of blood dissolved in the antibodies, according to the list I was referring to, that's what O Positive type blood does."

"So how are we gonna figure out what Pinkamena did with him?" Twilight thinks, "Maybe that building in the Everfree Forest can give us answers..." Spike begins to panic, "Twilight, I don't think the investigators will let us in--" Twilight's hoof covers Spike's mouth, "They will if we have a friend's permission." The group leaves and give the Cakes gratitude on the way out. They depart towards the Everfree Forest, staying inconspicuous to the passing ponies, they were on the verge of finding answers. Charging through the Everfree Forest, they skid to a stop, Rainbow Dash bouncing off of Pinkie Pie's tail as they spot investigators swarming a stray building, "This is it!" Twilight exclaims as Rainbow Dash stands up, "Gee, I wonder what gave it away..." Twilight ignores Dash's sarcasm as they approach the building, a detective wearing a khaki colored coat is seen leaving the building, adjoining with Twilight, "Ah, good evening Ms. Sparkle." Twilight nods a hello, and Rainbow Dash tilts her head, "Wait...you know each other?" The detective's gaze falls upon Dash, "Yes, me and Twilight have been working on a classified matter around the press' surveillence. I am Carlyle Westhoof, Ponyville's finest detective."

It's fine Carlyle, these are friends of mine, they're with me. So anyways, what did you find?" Carlyle snickers, "I was just about to ask you the same thing, Ms. Sparkle. The surgical tools have been used recently, however that's as far as I could get in this investigation, sadly." Blood? Could it be...? "Carlyle, I found a blood sample at Sugar Cube Corner, it tested O Positive. We found out that Pinkamena has something to do with Strong Stomp." Twilight began to explain Brown Bark's
identity and Pinkamena, and the detective nods, "I understand. So if I allow you inside this building, will you test the blood I've found?" Twilight nods, "Of course! If that blood tests O Positive, we'll know what Pinkamena did to Strong Stomp." The detective opens the metal door, following behind the group, the putrid odor hits their nostrils, and Rainbow Dash spots the source of the stench coming from a bucket full of decomposing organs, the detective, speaking while he holds his jacket
over his muzzle, explains, "The royal guards said to leave it as it is evidence of a barbarous act. I tried getting them to at least cover it up, but their behavior of being duteous towards Princess Celestia prevailed..."

Twilight looks around the large room, she admits to herself that it's well-cleaned, she inspects the surgical tools, seeing that they were indeed scattered about as if used just recently...but no blood to test. "O-Oh sweet...Celestia...please tell me those were used for...meat only..." Spike quivers in front of the meat hooks, and Twilight adjunctively sides with Spike and pokes at the hook, some of them being more rusty than the others. "Perhaps I should have informed you of the detail
about the skulls that have been found." Twilight decides it can wait as she fixes her gaze on a dry, bloodied looking meat hook, she takes out her cloth and scrapes the blood off onto the cloth, far more quantity than what she attained at the Sugar Cube Corner. She begins working with the sample, and once the test is done, she becomes puzzled, "This blood, isn't O Positive..." She looks at her small list..."It's AB Negative..." Rainbow Dash utters words, "C-Check a different hook!" She
flies over and examines each one, she comes across a hook, dead in the center of the wall, in which a flake of blood clings to her hoof. Dash brings the flake to Twilight, and everypony remains suspenseful.

"Got him! O Positive! O Positive...!!!" Twilight looks at the hook, her excitment dies down, "Oh sweet Celestia, O Positive...Pinkamena hung Strong Stomp on that hook..." Carlyle adds a possibility, "But how can we be certain it was him on this hook?" Twilight faces the detective, "Carlyle, Pinkamena didn't re-surface for months, but Pinkie told me she blacked-out when she realized why Strong Stomp was there, and nopony has seen him since two days ago...Carlyle, it's the only
possibility I can think of that makes sense...there was no other pony that Pinkamena attacked other than Strong Stomp, that HAS to be HIS blood on that hook!" Carlyle nods in agreement, "Yes, it makes sense now! Ms. Sparkle, I do believe this case is solved." Twilight jumps for joy, hugging the detective, as well as her friends, "Shall I report to the Ponyville Express?" Twilight nods, "Princess Celestia DID say not to release any information until it was solved, so yes please." After all the
excitement dies down, the group realizes the stench lingering in the air, Spike coughs and covers his nose, "Can we please leave now?" Rainbow Dash begs Twilight, "Please Twilight! I don't know what's worse, the smell, or these stupid flies..." She swats at a fly and Twilight, unable to handle the smell for much longer, drags her friends out of the building, the group and detective Carlyle inhale and pant, shutting the door behind them. "Sweet, merciful, fresh air!" Twilight speaks in between pants.

---------------------

All the countless hours of reading, writing, studying and investigating have finally paid off, Twilight, her friends and Carlyle West have cracked the case. The Ponyville Express released their next paper as soon as the details were given, copy after copy was sold, and Spike barely managed to get one for Twilight. Spike enters the library, toting the paper in his claw and extending it to Twilight who then looks up from her book and levitates the paper to her. Spike collapses on the floor
exhausted, "Thanks for getting the paper for me, Spike. I appreciate it." Spike gives her a thumbs up, and Twilight sets the paper over her book, reading the front page story:

PONYVILLE EXPRESS
'VANISHED ROBBER' MYSTERY SOLVED!

'The vanished robber, Brown Bark, his true identity being Strong Stomp, was pronounced dead after Detective Carlyle West discovered the gruesome act in the stray building found 3 days ago. Any further details as to what was contained in that building is too violent to be provided, the building which was not Strong Stomp's hideout. It is still unclear as to who murdered Strong Stomp, Detective West states that he was unable to detect any info on that mat--.'

Twilight's reading becomes disrupted by abrupt knocking, and Spike lays too fatigued to even drag himself. "Don't worry, Spike, you just get some rest." The knocking continues impatiently, "One moment, I'm coming!" Twilight answers the door, and immediately is greeted by Fluttershy's solid hug, "Twilight! I'm so happy to see you!" Twilight hugs the pegasus back, "I heard you kept yourself in your cottage the entire time, what caused you to come out? You heard the news, didn't you?" Twilight can feel Fluttershy's nodding on her shoulder, "Oh yes! But I wonder who murdered Strong Stomp..." Twilight pats her back, "Hey, all that matters is you're okay, don't think about that..." Fluttershy pulls away with a smile on her face, "Okay. I'm just so happy it's all over. What about you? Aren't you happy?" Fluttershy asks with her usual gentle, above-whispery voice, "Why wouldn't I be? Now that the Royal Guards are clearing out of the streets, things can be back to normal, back to the way things were before Strong Stomp made the news." Fluttershy nods and turns to leave, "I-I should be getting some food for Angel, the poor dear is starving...I might come back though, if you aren't busy, that is....but if you have plans for tonight, then--" Twilight interrupts Fluttershy, "Oh no, not at all! You can come by for a visit later if you want to, and hey, we'll even celebrate. I'll go ask Pinkie if she'd like to setup a..." Twilight thinks, "...whatever-she's-gonna-end-up-calling-it party...not that she's really going to give it a title like that, but we'll see."

"Oh, okay. I'll see you then." Fluttershy waves at Twilight and flies off as the door closes. "So...a party, huh?" Spike utters words, still laying on the floor, "Do you.....need me to take you to your bed?" Spike waves his arm, signaling a 'no,' "...just let me lay on the floor like this for a few more minutes and I'll be good to go." Spike rests his cheek onto the floor, and Twilight smiles, "I'm going to go invite everypony...I know Pinkie Pie is going to be thrilled to accept my offer to set up a party."

-------------------------------------

After going around inviting Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack, Twilight strides to Sugar Cube Corner, making haste to ask her because of the sunset. She raps on the door, and the one mare she's been needing to see answers the door, "Twilight! I'm so glad you're here! You've been needing to ask me something, right? That's what I heard from Fluttershy anyways, so of course you're going to ask me something, it's why you're here! Am I right? Huh huh huh?" Twilight beckoned Pinkie to stop, "Yes, I want to celebrate that the case has been solved, and I want you to throw a party. Do you accept?" Pinkie Pie hops up and down, "Yeah! I'll throw a party! What are we celebrating? Oh wait, you told me already, nevermind! Don't tell me again! Okay, I'll throw a Hooray-the-case-is-solved-and-Fluttershy-came-out-of-her-cottage-from-hiding party!" Twilight grins, "We're holding it at the library, sound good?" By then, Pinkie Pie is already holding party supplies on her back, "Okie Dokie Lokie! To the library! Hey, everypony should have a transition screen, how come transition screens don't exist? Well, they do, but only on TV, they should make them for real life, because if my transition screen were to exist, it would be bright, pink, poofy, and magical--" Pinkie Pie gasps, "--and it'll have the word MAGIC in it to add pizzazz! Pizzazz. Pizzzzzzzzzzzzzazzzzzzzzzzzz." She giggles, "I like that word, it sounds funny! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzazzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Pizzzzzzzazzzzzzzzz." Twilight can't help but crack a smile to Pinkie Pie's personality, good old Pinkie Pie.

As Twilight and Pinkie Pie pass by an alleyway heading towards the library, a hoof flies out and knocks Pinkie out, which then pulls Twilight into the alleyway. Her screams muffled, the stallion roughly shoves her against a wall, being pinned shortly after, "Ah...I know you, you're Twilight Sparkle, the mare that runs the public library..." He says as he rubs her flank, she squirms and struggles, casting a forcefield, but she grimaces when it gets broken, "Don't try and cast that spell, It
won't work..." 'Only unicorns could break that spell...' Twilight thought, her rapist is a unicorn as well as she is. Her erratic thoughts come to a halt when she jumps as his hoof slips between Twilight's legs, she couldn't shake him off, couldn't scream, and despite her wasted efforts, she continued to struggle until she was worn out.

Suddenly, Twilight feels the rapist get pulled off of her and thrown to the ground, a struggle sounding behind Twilight, who is leaning against the wall wearily. She hears a mare giggle followed by the rapist yelping in pain, Twilight turns to look, despite her fatigue, to behold not Pinkie Pie, but Pinkamena sitting on the pony's back with a knife lodged in his chest, Twilight gasps and Pinkamena turns to look at her, "Oh, was that you under this stallion against the wall, Twilight? I was
beginning to be hopeful to having two playmates instead of just this one...and I guess you could say I was jealous that this one already had a playmate, but I didn't think it would be you..." Pinkamena twitches, causing her to pull the blade upwards and the stallion yowling in pain, "P-Pinkamena! I-I wasn't...he tried to rape me!" Pinkamena's smile vanishes, "Rape? You mean you weren't his playmate?" Twilight shakes her head furiously, "No! It's so disgusting that anypony would try and do such a thing!" She shivers in disgust, and Pinkamena returns her gaze to the stallion laying under Pinkamena whining in pain, Pinkamena then wrenches the blade out of his chest, she begins whispering in his ear, "...if it's a playmate you want, you should've asked me..." She then playfully kisses his cheek before dismounting him.

Twilight Sparkle stands there in an abhorrent fright as Pinkamena's silhouette rises from the still body and approaches her with knife in mouth. "P-Pinkamena...what have you done?! You killed him!" Twilight outcries to the pony, but she continues to advance towards Twilight, sounding her usual disturbing breathing, "What do you mean 'what have I done?' You were watching me play with him...." she rubs the blade with her hoof, cutting it and lapping up whatever blood drips out while keeping her eyes on the frightened Twilight, "Sometimes....the road to silent, eternal happiness is one....cut....away..." Pinkamena rubs the blade up and down Twilight's throat, and the lavender mare's thoughts are jarred by fear, "...you just gotta know where to stick the blade in..."

"Pinkamena, you don't want to do this, you don't want to kill m-me...I'm on your side..." Pinkamena snickers, and pecks a kiss on Twilight's lips, pushing the handle of the blade with her tongue into her friend's mouth, "...if that's true..." Pinkamena shoves Twilight to the side of her would-be rapist, Pinkamena's hoof wraps around Twilight's shoulder and her cheek rests against Twilight's, "...then show me. Show me that you can be as fun as me..." The rapist, bleeding prolifically from the chest, tries crawling away, and Twilight, with the knife in her mouth, gets pushed closer by Pinkamena. "P-Please don't kill me, I'm sorry!" Pinkamena nudges Twilight, and an angry expression appears on Twilight's face, "Sorry? You're sorry?! An apology isn't going to excuse you from trying to do something so vile to me!!!" Twilight suddenly draws closer to the rapist without Pinkamena's shoving, Twilight feels rage boil inside her and the pink pony cheers her on, "Show him how we play, Twilight!" Twilight leaps on top of the pony, but is knocked off as the stallion frantically stands to run. Twilight swings the knife, cutting off a portion of his tail as well as his thigh, causing him to stumble into the side of a dumpster.

Twilight shoves the pony onto his back, mounts him again and proceeds stabbing him over and over, a few in the neck, and in the chest. The rapist lays motionless under Twilight, she continues stabbing until Pinkamena approaches her side. She eyes all of the stab wounds, and grins, "Well, well, well! You play just as good as I do!" The knife slips out of Twilight's mouth, her thoughts reeling at her. What have I done? I committed a murder, that's what I've done! What am I going to do?
I killed somepony. What will I do if they catch me? What will Princess Celestia do if she finds out what I did?! Banish me? Imprison me?! Exile me from Ponyville??!! I will NEVER do this again! But...what if...what if Princess Celestia orders a warrant for my arrest despite how regretful of this I am? No...

...Princess Celestia CANNOT know about this...I turn to Pinkamena, "...Pinkamena? Keep it a secret...please..." Pinkamena smiles, "Twilight, shouldn't you be asking that after we take care of the body?" Twilight, now aware of the dead body's presence, panics, "You--! What do you usually do to hide the body?! What is it you do to hide the body well enough so nopony EVER finds it?!" Pinkamena snickers, "...I cut them up, cook them, then eat them..." Twilight blinks, "C.....come again...?!" The pink mare laughs, "I eat them. But I always pick out the bones before cooking the raw! Lots and lots of protein!" Twilight, now daunted, panics once more, "Oh my--! Gah! That's cannabalism! I refuse to eat a dead body!" Pinkamena giggles, "Why? Lose your interest? You and the others have done it before." Twilight shakes her head, "Are you insane?! I've never eaten a dead body before, never in my life have I done such a thing!"

"Oh really? That stew Pinkie Pie made 3 days ago...where do you think I got the meat?" Twilight's eyes lower to the ground, "Three days ago? The day when Strong Stomp--OH SWEET CELESTIA!!!!" Twilight holds back her stomach, "YOU MEAN TO SAY YOU SERVED ME AND THE OTHERS STRONG STOMP IN A STEW??!! I think I'm gonna be sick..."
Pinkamena laughs hysterically, "You gotta admit, that stew was delicious!" Twilight stops gagging, "...the carrots were well steamed, and the meat was nice...and tende--HEY!" Twilight and Pinkamena stare at the body, it was true, Twilight took part in eating Strong Stomp. She didn't want to eat the body, but she didn't want Princess Celestia to realize her deed either. She sighs, "...alright. Please help me cut it up..." She sinks her face in her hoof, then helps Pinkamena drag the body to a secluded area...into the Everfree Forest. They enter the building, and the putrid smell greets them, Twilight begins gagging again, but Pinkamena walks in, sniffing the air, "I think I left something in here that needed to be thrown out..." She spots the bucket of organs, carries the bucket outside, and digs a hole in the ground, dumping the organs in, and burying them. Juices at the bottom of the bucket causes the odor to remain, Pinkamena takes a water hose and targets the bucket, spraying out the juices, then shutting the valve off.

"Now then, shall we?" Pinkamena guides Twilight in, and shuts the door. The two mares proceed cutting up the body with a saw, and Twilight occasionally taking a break whenever she was tempted to throw up. After about two hours, the body now deboned and blood squeezed out, they place each piece into a pouch, "That blood...what do you do with it?" Pinkamena looks up at her, "...It depends what I'm in the mood for, but mainly, I just drink it..." Twilight pretends she didn't hear her answer, "Are we almost done?" Pinkamena tosses the saw aside, "Yep! All done! You carry the meat, and I carry the blood." Pinkamena props the pouch full of meat on Twilight's back, "So much meat....I-I don't think I should eat anything other than healthy..." Pinkamena japes Twilight over the matter, "Meat IS healthy...in a way. You gotta take a break from those salads and pack yourself up on protein, a vitamin you need."

"No, a vitamin Rainbow Dash needs..." In denial, Pinkamena turns to Twilight with the blood sloshing in the leather pouch, and tilts towards her, "A lot better than eating half-stale bread behind steel bars...but what do I know? I saw it in a movie once." Pinkamena turns and motions Twilight to follow, checking around making sure nopony is looking in our direction, they would grow suspicious if they saw us leaving the Everfree Forest with full leather pouches. Twilight contemplated the pouch full of pony meat, although whatever is seen in the movies isn't real, Pinkamena has a point...Twilight would very much prefer to eat a pony rather than be placed under arrest by the alicorn she praises the most. The two mares draw near to where they need to go, slipping against the walls, Pinkamena makes a break for it into
the shade being casted by a lantern hanging on the side of the house across from where Twilight is, and just as Twilight prepares to meet up with Pinkamena, she spots a glimpse of her telling Twilight to stay where she is. The pair of royal guards pass by, carrying parts for tents, they must be shutting down their patrol unit due to the recent news.

The guards vanish out of view, Twilight peers around the corner and runs to reunite with Pinkamena. "This way..." she whispers, and Twilight follows her towards Sugar Cube Corner, observing the surroundings one last time, she opens the door and the two make haste in their entry, quickly shutting the door and locking it. Twilight sighs in relief, both scared and happy, scared for the possible consequences if anypony finds out, and happy that she has the help of a friend to cover up
her deed.

Little do the two know that Carlyle West kept an eye on them from a distance, his suspicions piqued. "Ms. Sparkle, what makes you think you and your friend can cover up the crime you've taken part in?" He mumbles to himself, placing his notepad in his jacket and a smile forms on his face, "...you are now my investigative subject, no doubt about it. THIS will make a good front page story when you and your friends take the fall."

Demonization Part 1

Author's Notes:

Hey everybody! Regarding my absence, yes, I lost interest in the story and bigger things were happening in my life at the time. But seeing the positive feedback I've been getting, I feel ashamed that I have abandoned work on this story, and I will aim to give it the proper ending that it deserves instead of an ending of my neglect. Thank you all for reading, and I hope I can make up for my absence with any and all future chapters!

THE EPIPHANY OF PINKAMENA CHAPTER 3: DEMONIZATION PART 1

Twilight was standing in pure darkness, all alone, trotting and calling out for somepony when she sees Pinkamena standing there...waiting for her. ".....what's wrong with me...? I never had a belief that I would end up murdering out of cold blood...and it occurred while the Royal Guards were letting their keen eyes rest...I can't believe it's almost been a week since I murdered somepony. Nopony suspected a thing, and it concerns me to no end, like a never-ending horror story...what will Princess Celestia think of me? What will my friends think of me? ...my family..." Pinkamena chimes in, "What do you mean what's wrong with you? You did what nopony else would have done...well, other than me...you overcame your fears and conquered them..." Pinkamena looks past Twilight, the lavender mare turning to see...herself? "No! This is not what I wanted, Pinkamena! When my friends and family all find out what I've done...when Princess Celestia finds out, my life is over and everything I worked for will be gone! All because of YOU." The moment Twilight turns around, Pinkamena stabs her...over and over again while hanging from a meat hook, laughing uncontrollably...covered in blood...the building in the forest turning black and white when suddenly, Pinkamena stops stabbing. "He had what was coming to him, you know. Thieves deserve pain, liars deserve suffering, and swindlers deserve death." Somehow, despite the multiple stab wounds, Twilight is still alive and well, "But Pinkamena...what if I can't protect you? There are forces out there that are MUCH greater than me, and they won't stop until you're dealt with in some way..." Tears begin rolling down Twilight cheeks, "I failed you. As a friend. I am so sorry, Pinkamena."

"No. You didn't. You could have told it a different way so that I would be punished, but you didn't. I may be painted in an insane light by you, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and...Pinkie Pie...but none of you let that effect your opinion of me, and I couldn't have asked for better friends. I'll protect all of you, if you protect me in return, and if you won't protect me, then protect Pinkie Pie, at least." The meathook holding Twilight's body up as well as her stab wounds all vanish, and she floats back onto her hooves. "I don't understand...we all thought of you as some sort of demonic entity...and yet..." Twilight is met with a gentle smile, "It doesn't sometimes, but when this is all over, it'll all make sense. I promise."

---------------------------------

Twilight is awakened by Pinkie Pie shaking her, all of her friends sitting around her bed, gasping with relief. "Twilight!" She shakes her head, looking at each and every one of them with Pinkie's face being the last one, "H-Huh? Why are you all here? What happened?" She says, rubbing her aching head as Fluttershy speaks, "You've been asleep for 3 days, we were all so worried about you..." Twilight lifts an eyebrow, "What do you mean I've been asleep?!" She asks, and Pinkie Pie mounts her on the bed and gets in her face. "You were asleep for 3 days. WE THOUGHT YOU DIIIIED."

"3 days...?" A flower vase next to her catches her eye with a 'Get Well Soon' note clinging around the neck, with Princess Celestia's signature highlighting it. Princess Celestia...it would break her heart if she found out her best student committed a murder...but 3 days with nopony having suspicions of me...that's another story. "Are you alright, sugarcube?" Applejack grabs on to Twilight's hoof. "I am now, I just had a terrible dream, I don't remember what it was about, but I'm fine now. Thank you all for coming." She holds her hooves out, signaling for her friends to give her a hug, when a familiar voice chimes in. "I see you're awake now, Ms. Sparkle."

Carlyle West surfaces from behind the door. "Oh, Carlyle! It's good to see you! You didn't have to come visit me." Twilight gets abruptly interrupted by Carlyle's chuckle, "Oh, but I did, Ms. Sparkle. After all, you are my newest investigative subject. I wouldn't pass this opportunity up for the world! Ms. Twilight Sparkle - Faithful student, or Bloodthirsty Murderer?" Twilight felt like she hit a brick wall when she heard the words leave his mouth. Rainbow Dash's usual competitive glare slightly appears, "What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?! Twilight would never murder anypony! Is this about the Strong Stomp case?" Carlyle shakes his head, his grin being preserved on his face, "Ohhh, but she did. I bore witness to it. And the Strong Stomp case? Oh no no, it's much more than that...Ms. Sparkle isn't the only one, all of you are my investigative subjects."

Panic begins to fill Twilight's heart, her friends facing her, then back at Carlyle. "Murder? There ain't no way, Ah think yer barkin' up the wrong tree, bucko." Applejack protests, as well as the other 4 while Twilight sits silently. "Perhaps you should check up on your facts, Appleja--" Carlyle's selfish speech is interrupted by Rainbow Dash colliding her forehead with his, causing him to stumble back against the wall. "Who the hell do you think you are talking to my friends like that?! You have no proof, so if I were you, I would shut my pie hole!"

Twilight looks down at her bed sheet, "Funny how you think you know me, Carlyle. When you see me, you probably think I'm just an average bookworm who happens to be Princess Celestia's student. But in reality, I'm more than that, I know you more than you know me. You're awful about drawing your conclusions before fleshing them out. Yes, I did murder somepony, but it was in self defense, the stallion tried to rape me..." Twilight hops off the bed and approaches Carlyle, slightly intimidating the so-called expert professional, "...for once in your pathetic life, think about others instead of yourself and the job in which the only requirements are to be as much of a liar as you would be if you had that lawyering job that you failed at horribly. You may be successful, but you're also a terrible liar. I was willing to call you a friend, but now that I see who you really are, I want nothing to do with you. Now that I've gotten that off my chest..." Twilight points at the door disgruntled, "...I suggest you leave."

Carlyle West, looks at the others before standing up, straightening his khaki coat, wiping the blood from his nose, and takes his leave without another word. Upon exhaling, Twilight felt that in that one breath of air, all of her worries vanished. Rainbow Dash was right, Carlyle has accusations with no evidence to provide, if he files a lawsuit against her or her friends. He might try to get Rainbow Dash with an assault charge, but when Princess Celestia hears the details, the charge will be denied. Her triumphant thoughts are halted by Fluttershy's soft voice behind her. "So...you murdered somepony...? I'm sorry to ask, if you don't want to answer...that's fine." Her voice getting quieter, she squeaks when Twilight sighs. "Yes, I did, and I won't lie about it. It's good that I protected myself, but bad that it was at the cost of a life...I'm sorry."

"Fer what? You did what you had to, to protect yerself, Twi. We ain't gonna judge ya fer that, we're just glad nothin' worse happened to ya!" Applejack says in a pleasant tone, with Rarity adding onto it, "As a matter of fact, you probably did every mare a favor by erasing that bilge rat filth from the streets...ehm, whatever you did with him, darling. But you'll spare me the details, right?" Rarity smiles, "So cheer up darling, we're all glad that you're awake." Pinkie Pie hops on top of Twilight, "Let's have a par-tay! A Welcome-Back-Twilight-because-we're-glad-to-have-you-back party!" Rainbow Dash giggles with excitement, "And the way you told that deadbeat investigator off was SO....AWESOME! I mean...I'm the one that hurt him pretty good. I hope it was enough to get him to realize who he just made an enemy out of." Twilight responds with a smile and a nod. "Thank you. All of you, but we can't rest easy yet. Knowing Carlyle, he will stop at nothing to try and get evidence. We'll just have to watch our backs from now on."

Pinkie pouts, "Awwwwwww, you mean there isn't gonna be a party? Bummer!" Rarity pats her on the back, "But why should we let that dirtbag's intentions ruin our usual everyday life? It's just as you say, Twilight, he has no evidence." Applejack steps forward, "But Ah wonder...if he had no evidence, why the hay did he still show his face to accuse you? It don't make sense...even a few shots o' apple pie moonshine ain't gonna help me figure that one out." She asks, and Twilight shakes her head. "I don't know. He's either overconfident, or he's plotting something." Rarity shrugs, "So he's smart? Big deal, YOU'RE smart too, Twilight...and honestly, if you think he's going to try and take us all down, I would like to hear some of that smart-talk right about now..." Rarity says, pacing a bit.

"Right. It IS scary that Carlyle is a college graduate, but his biggest weakness is that ego of his. Revisiting the question of why he was here, if I were in his coat...I probably would have shown up, not to intimidate us, but to see how we would react, and then plan his next moves based on those emotional reactions. No offense Fluttershy, I'm just wanting all of you to be on the same page...but since you were the only one that kept yourself distanced, he probably learned that you're a bit shy, and want nothing to do with conflict." Twilight then points to Rainbow Dash, "And you. While I don't exactly approve of what you did, if I were Carlyle trying to plan my next few moves based on his psychological standpoint, he'll most likely try to take you down first." Dashie crosses her arms proudly, "Good. I'd like to see him try."

"No, Rainbow Dash, that's NOT good. He not only saw that there's no way he can turn us against each other, you reacted the strongest, and as a result, you'll be the easiest for somepony like him to pick off before he goes after the rest of us. His second target will be Fluttershy." Twilight gets interrupted by Applejack, "Wait, hold on a second, Twi. Pinkamena is the one that committed that crime a few days ago, so why wouldn't he go after her first?" She asks, and Twilight clears her throat, "That's one of the things Carlyle wants us to think so all of our focus goes toward Pinkie Pie while he takes care of us behind our backs, one at a time. That's his plan. So my suggestion, is that we play off of his game plan...make him think we're not checking behind our backs by doing something that he'll THINK is suspicious, and therefore, make him play into OUR hooves. Don't keep an eye out for each other, just proceed with your daily lives as usual, I'll let you know of any red flags that start popping up."

Carlyle, who was just in the next room listening through the wall, smirks with a bloody handkerchief being held to his nose. "You underestimate me, Ms. Sparkle...you may have figured out most of my plans, and you may know how most of my thinking works, but you and that Pinkie Pie are both my targets now. You'll all be imprisoned by the end of the week, one way or another." He mumbles to himself, trotting down the hallway to the elevators and pressing the button. The Mane 6 exit the room after receiving permission for Twilight to be checked out, and the last thing they see of Carlyle is him giving them a wink and a smile as the elevator door shuts.

A letter arrives at Twilight's doormat the next day, it's from Canterlot, presuming it to be from Princess Celestia, and as much as she wants to scan the area, she simply turns and heads back inside her home instead. "Dear Twilight Sparkle, some urgent matters have arisen that I cannot disclose in this letter, and I would like to discuss them with you alone at 8pm sharp tonight. Yours truly, Princess...Luna'? Princess Luna never writes anything to me..." One last line at the bottom catches her eye, "...P.S. Please destroy this letter after reading. I trust you'll know a good way of doing so.' Princess Luna...did you do something...what do you want to talk to me about that's so...secretive?" A knock on the door breaks Twilight's concentration before Rarity's muffled voice hits Twilight's ears. "Oh, Twiiiilight! Are you home?" The door opens and Rarity trots inside, "Ah! Okay, so I had this RADIANT idea for a dress, and I would like your input on it! Are you alright? You look a bit sullen, dear. Cheer up, those frown lines are not a good look for you."

"I'm...not frowning. I was thinking, very hard. Princess Luna wrote me a letter, and she wants to speak with me about something." Twilight says, and Rarity places her sketch of the dress down, "About what?" Twilight takes the letter and shows it to Rarity, "I don't know, but if it's serious enough in nature for her to write a letter to me, then I guess it's worth listening to." Rarity gives the letter back, and Twilight turns the letter into charcoal before blowing the dust into the fireplace, watching it burn and become one with the embers, "Do you think it has something to do with that Strong Stomp fellow?" Rarity asks, and Twilight nods, "Possibly. Only one way to find out--" Another knock at the door, and upon answering, it's Carlyle. Twilight frowns and immediately shuts the door on him, "Ms. Sparkle, open the door, please! I want to speak with you about the other day. I was way out of line, and you're right, I have no evidence and I was wrong to accuse you and your friends. I'm sorry."

"And why should I believe you after you showed up like that with no proof to showcase? I know you're up to something, Carlyle, so I'm not buying it. Leave me alone, Carlyle." Twilight orders him, and he silently does as he's told. Twilight then turns to Rarity and whispers, "Always question his motives, no matter what he says to you. That stallion is a snake, and he'll make it seem like he's interested in you when really, he wants to destroy you." She speaks normally again. "Now, show me that dress you're excited about, Rarity!"