Twilight sparkle, princess of magic, master of every field she has ever studied, and stumped on her latest project.
A recent mystery crisis had left a large chunk of the population of ponyville unconscious right next to the library while she had been up in Canterlot, studying and training in the ways of princesses and she had returned home a week ago to find out that no one knew what had happened.
It was a week later and the unconscious residents were still at the hospital. Of those, both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were included. That raised this to a top priority mission. Not only because they were Twilight’s friends, though that helped, but because they were two element bearers and without them, Equestria’s main defense was helpless.
During her study, Twilight had been over all the evidence over and over, but had yet to find anything at all to explain the phenomenon. She was starting to become rather worried. Of course, that changed when Spike came running up the stairs to her study, earning a glare from Twilight but running in with an old vinyl anyway.
“Twilight, I just found this on the doorstep, it has some squiggles on I and it says it’s about the unconscious ponies!” he raised it to her face and she quickly looked it over, her eyes brightening and her horn lighting up in order to grab it and throw it on the player.
“Okay Spike, thank you for bringing me this, now let’s listen.” She eagerly drew the needle down to the outer edge to where it would start playing and powered the machine on “please give me some answers!”
* * *
(Begin audio recording)
Species: Dragon
Residence: The Ponyville Library
Relatives: Princess Twilight Sparkle's assistant, No other known relatives
Reason for Interview: He was sighted at the scene of the incident beforehand, and was the only one reported not to be found unconscious upon the arrival of the royal guard division
Began 2:34 PM, day after incident
Interviewee’s responses:
"My name is Spike."
"I don't have a last name; I was hatched during a magical aptitude test."
"White."
“I know, Twilight has explained, but it’s still my favorite color.”
"I started to feel uneasy… like a small tingling in the small of my back."
"Just after five PM last night."
"There was a scream and I went to investigate, when I got there, there was a glowing green rock suspended in the air."
"Bon Bon."
"I couldn't see anybody else nearby."
"Stacking books."
"I know her from around town; Twilight sometimes lets me buy sweets from her store if I am especially good."
"A little distant since the coronation, but still mostly the same."
"She has always done what’s best for me, that didn’t change."
"About three feet wide and it was hovering four feet above the ground."
"No, from the bottom."
"Umm, greenish... I'm not that good with colors."
"No, she left for Canterlot yesterday morning."
"No, not that I know of."
"…Isn't that a little too personal? …and no."
"It just sat there, Bon Bon was screaming while it just sat there."
"No, it wasn’t rotating and it wasn’t spinning, as I said, it just sat there."
"I think she was looking at it, yes."
"Smooth."
"About five minutes."
"They started screaming to."
"I have no idea."
"An apple fritter and some milk. I was going to sneak some ice cream, but the last time I did that didn’t turn out well for me."
"Before"
"That isn’t related to this in any way… why would you want to know?"
"Fine… can this not be recorded?"
"Uhh, to grow a mustache… and ride Twilight into battle to rescue my true love."
"No, I’m not answering that."
"Yesterday, to go help Rarity with her household stuff."
"Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, Twilight, and Rarity."
"Two days ago when they had a slumber party."
"Not that I could tell."
"I was sent to my room as always."
"No."
"About three."
"Lyra, Berry Punch, and Carrot Top. But I think Carrot Top’s name might really be Golden Harvest, I’m not entirely sure"
"The same."
"None of those… maybe a glazed look... I can’t remember that bit properly."
"Full on, not the little girly screams they would normally do."
"I tried with Bon Bon at the start, but after that didn't work, I didn't try again."
"She pushed me away but didn't move aside from that."
"No."
"More and more ponies came."
"A lot."
"Between twenty and fifty."
"I knew most of them, but the only ones who stood out were Rainbow Dash, Derpy, and Pinkie Pie."
"No, just those two, and Derpy just made an entrance."
"One of the crashing kind."
"Yes."
"No."
"It might have been because I’m a dragon."
"Nothing but study the books on how to rule, and I don’t think that counts as experimental."
"I’d say about twenty meters."
"No, of course not, Twilight would never do that."
"Another few minutes, the screaming made it hard to tell how long."
"I don’t know… it just didn’t feel right. I may have stared at it a while myself"
"Only from all the noise, never the thing."
"I think Bon Bon’s voice broke and she passed out."
"Maybe a little blood."
“Smelled.”
"That’s disgusting."
"No."
"That’s even worse!"
"No, I didn’t."
"I have never and will never."
"Gemstones of course."
"Yea, I eat pony stuff too."
"Well that’s part of being a dragon… so if that’s why, then partially."
"No. when will this be over?"
"When will it be over?"
"Yes."
"Exactly."
"I already told you I couldn’t tell."
"Where do you get these questions?"
"You need help man."
"Really?! I never thought of that, I guess the color was similar."
"But it wasn’t alive; I thought they could only do alive stuff?"
"No, no aura field."
"I didn’t feel sad..."
"Maybe, now that you mention it that makes a lot of sense and explains the screaming."
"I’m not entirely sure, I was just standing there and then I blinked and was in the holding area."
"It didn’t feel like it… and I woke up standing."
"Epicenter?"
"But that’s where the ball was…"
"I’m telling the truth, I swear."
"But those are fallible and have easy counterspells."
"So where did all of the energy go to from those downed ponies."
"Well, it was delicious, that’s why."
"Oh, nothing at all, just that you may have made a miscalculation."
"True, but not to be started again later."
"The door is locked you know."
"Just an enhancement."
"Sorry."
"For the queen."
"I’m sorry."
"You really do need help."
"I’ll look forward to meeting your colleagues."
"Bye."
(Static plays)
* * *
Twilight asked the obvious question first “who’s the queen?” the last bit of the recording seemed a little off to her, but aside from getting a bit gruffer near the end, she couldn’t place what gave her the uneasy feeling.
“I have no idea, I don’t remember ever doing this…” the baby dragon paced around, nervousness and worry showing on his face as he pondered the question “I really don’t know…”
Twilight halted his own pacing with magic and held him still while she herself started “What do you mean you can't remember it?! This is obviously you, and that means you were there at the incident… what were you at home when I got home for that matter?”
Spike stood there, body immobilized, but mouth still functional “I told you I can't remember ever doing anything like this, and that’s just the responses! What kind of pony only records the responses!?” his exclamation was lessened slightly due to his nearly completely still form.
Twilight went over to the disk and looked at it carefully “no, it’s been made to look like that, now I’m looking I can see that there’s an enchantment on here that is making us not hear the interviewer’s voice! Spike, just give me a minute and ill get it up and running at full speed.
“Annnnnd, done!” Twilight wiped a bit of sweat from her brow with her hoof. The enchantment had been a little harder to fix than she had thought, and the magic made her feel a little sick while she was handling it, but if it could save her friends then it was worth it.
“You got it working?” spike eyed it warily; unsure as to why he couldn’t remember anything from it.
“yes, now, come over here and look listen with me, I’m sure you’re just as curious”
* * *
Species: Dragon
Residence: The Ponyville Library
Relatives: Princess Twilight Sparkle's assistant, No other known relatives
Reason for Interview: He was sighted at the scene of the incident beforehand, and was the only one reported not to be found unconscious upon the arrival of the royal guard division
Began 2:34 PM, day after incident
"Good evening, what is your name?"
"My name is Spike."
"And you’re last name?"
"I don't have a last name; I was hatched during a magical aptitude test."
"Okay then, what is your favorite color?"
"White."
“You do know that white is more that one color, correct?”
“I know, Twilight has explained, but it’s still my favorite color.”
"What was the first thing that you noticed that was odd yesterday?"
"I started to feel uneasy… like a small tingling in the small of my back."
"And when did you start to feel this, uneasiness?"
"Just after five PM last night."
"What was the first major event that happened?"
"There was a scream and I went to investigate, when I got there, there was a glowing green rock suspended in the air."
"Who was it that screamed?"
"Bon Bon."
"Was there anybody else?"
"I couldn't see anybody else nearby."
"And what were you doing before you heard the screaming?"
"Stacking books."
"Did you know this Bon Bon before the incedent?"
"I know her from around town; Twilight sometimes lets me buy sweets from her store if I am especially good."
"And how is she?"
"A little distant since the coronation, but still mostly the same."
"What do you mean by ‘same’?"
"She has always done what’s best for me, that didn’t change."
"hmm, now what did the ‘green rock’ as you put it, look like, and what did it do?"
"About three feet wide and it was hovering four feet above the ground."
"Four feet from the middle?"
"No, from the bottom."
"What shade of green was this rock?"
"Umm, greenish... I'm not that good with colors."
"Was Princess Twilight home?"
"No, she left for Canterlot yesterday morning."
"Was she aware that something was going to happen?"
"No, not that I know of."
"Are you and the princess in an intimate relationship?"
"…Isn't that a little too personal? …and no."
"True… was the object doing anything of interest?"
"It just sat there, Bon Bon was screaming while it just sat there."
"Was it spinning or rotating?"
"No, it wasn’t rotating and it wasn’t spinning, as I said, it just sat there."
"Was Bon Bon looking directly at the object?"
"I think she was looking at it, yes."
"Was the object rough or smooth?"
"Smooth."
"How long after you arrived did it take for anypony else to show up?"
"About five minutes."
"And what happened when they did?"
"They started screaming to."
"… Do you know why they were screaming?"
"I have no idea."
"What had you eaten during the day before all of this started?"
"An apple fritter and some milk. I was going to sneak some ice cream, but the last time I did that didn’t turn out well for me."
"Was that before or after the feeling of uneasiness came about?"
"Before"
"What is your most hidden dream?"
"That isn’t related to this in any way… why would you want to know?"
"Can you please just answer the question?"
"Fine… can this not be recorded?"
"Everything has to be recorded."
"Uhh, to grow a mustache… and ride Twilight into battle to rescue my true love."
"And who is your true love?"
"No, I’m not answering that."
"Okay then. When was the last time you left the library?"
"Yesterday, to go help Rarity with her household stuff."
"Speaking of Rarity and Twilight, who are the bearers of the elements of harmony?"
"Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, Twilight, and Rarity."
"When was the last time you saw them all together?"
"Two days ago when they had a slumber party."
"Did anything seem, odd?"
"Not that I could tell."
"And where were you during their slumber party?"
"I was sent to my room as always."
"Have there been any issues with their friendship since princess Twilight’s crowning?"
"No."
"Hmm, how many ponies came to see what was happening in the next group to arrive?"
"About three."
"Names?"
"Lyra, Berry Punch, and Carrot Top. But I think Carrot Top’s name might really be Golden Harvest, I’m not entirely sure"
"Yes, her registered name is Golden Harvest. Was there anything different about how they reacted to the object, or were they the same?"
"The same."
"Did they look panicked, frightened, or scared?"
"None of those… maybe a glazed look... I can’t remember that bit properly."
"And how would you describe the way in which they were screaming?"
"Full on, not the little girly screams they would normally do."
"Did you try to revive or remove any of them?"
"I tried with Bon Bon at the start, but after that didn't work, I didn't try again."
"How did she react?"
"She pushed me away but didn't move aside from that."
"Did any of them ever change tone or pitch?"
"No."
"So what happened next?"
"More and more ponies came."
"How many?"
"A lot."
"Can you give us a number estimate?"
"Between twenty and fifty.
"Did you know many of them?"
"I knew most of them, but the only ones who stood out were Rainbow Dash, Derpy, and Pinkie Pie."
"Did the other elements who were in town come, and why Derpy of all ponies?"
"No, just those two, and Derpy just made an entrance."
"What kind of entrance?"
"One of the crashing kind."
"And did all of the ponies who came start screaming immediately as well?"
"Yes."
"Do you know why you were unaffected?"
"No."
"Do you have any idea at all?"
"It might have been because I’m a dragon."
"That is our best guess at the moment. Do you know if Princess Twilight was working on anything experimental over the last few weeks?"
"Nothing but study the books on how to rule, and I don’t think that counts as experimental."
"How far did the ponies have to be to see the object and start screaming?"
"I’d say about twenty meters."
"Could this be a failed attempt by Twilight to take the throne?"
"No, of course not, Twilight would never do that."
"How long until anything new happened?"
"Another few minutes, the screaming made it hard to tell how long."
"Did you ever feel like screaming?"
"I don’t know… it just didn’t feel right. I may have stared at it a while myself"
"What was the next major event?"
"I think Bon Bon’s voice broke and she passed out."
"Did her mouth look raw, was there any blood?"
"Maybe a little blood."
“How did you notice it, smell or sight?”
“Smelled.”
"Did you take advantage of her?"
"That’s disgusting."
"Can you answer?"
"No."
"Did you have any urges to eat her when you smelled blood?"
"That’s even worse!"
"Please answer the question?"
"No, I didn’t."
"Have you ever eaten meat?"
"I have never and will never."
"Then what do you eat, you’re a dragon after all?"
"Gemstones of course."
"From this it shows no report of Twilight buying gemstones, you must eat other things then?"
"Yea, I eat pony stuff too."
"Do you believe the gemstones would affect if you were affected or not?"
"Well that’s part of being a dragon… so if that’s why, then partially."
"Do you know when your other residents will wake up?"
"No. when will this be over?"
"You will just have to stay until the quarantine is over and I have finished with my questions."
"When will it be over?"
"When we get our answers. Did it seem like the ponies were dropping in order of when they arrived?"
"Yes."
"At the same time intervals?"
"Exactly."
"How long from when they came?"
"I already told you I couldn’t tell."
"Did anypony else try to do anything to either the unconscious ponies or the object?"
"Where do you get these questions?"
"I just try to think of everything and ask what comes to mind."
"You need help man."
"That’s debatable. Could it have been queen Chrysalis? Reports say that green goo was found nearby."
"Really?! I never thought of that, I guess the color was similar."
"Was the object a changeling transformed?"
"But it wasn’t alive; I thought they could only do alive stuff?"
"Was there any magic coming off it?"
"No, no aura field."
"Was it draining your happiness?"
"I didn’t feel sad..."
"What about the others?"
"Maybe, now that you mention it that makes a lot of sense and explains the screaming."
"What happened after that?"
"I’m not entirely sure, I was just standing there and then I blinked and was in the holding area."
"Did you pass out?"
"It didn’t feel like it… and I woke up standing."
"Yes, reports say that you complied and went along willingly while standing at the epicenter.”
"Epicenter?"
"Yes, of the knocked out ponies."
"But that’s where the ball was…"
"Yes, that was its location according to you."
"I’m telling the truth, I swear."
"We know, we have a lie detector spell on you and you’ve been truthful so far."
"But those are fallible and have easy counterspells."
"True, but you are a dragon so it would take a massive amount of energy to enchant you with one for this length of time"
"So where did all of the energy go to from those downed ponies."
"That is what we are trying to find out at the moment… wait, how do you know energy is gone?"
"Well, it was delicious, that’s why."
"What are you implying?"
"Oh, nothing at all, just that you may have made a miscalculation."
"I’m going to call the guards in now; this session is over until later."
"True, but not to be started again later."
"Goodbye spike, I will see you tomorrow."
"The door is locked you know."
"Buck… what… what is happening to you?!"
"Just an enhancement."
"Hey! Get back from me!"
"Sorry."
"Put me down, why are you doing this?!”
"For the queen."
"…"
"I’m sorry.
"…"
"You really do need help."
"…"
"I’ll look forward to meeting your colleagues."
"…"
"Bye."
(Static plays)
* * *
“Spike?” Twilight slowly turned around to the once baby dragon and her eyes settled on a monstrosity.
“I really am sorry, but I have to do this for the queen, bye-bye Twilight” the last thing she saw was a grotesque green-veined purple-skinned claw reaching towards her face as all the joy she ever remembered was sucked out from her.
