Death Note: Equestria

Chapters

Opposition
Exclusion
Opening
Advance
Reunion
Sweep
Recovery
Branch
Unfold
Vengeance
Aftershocks - Interlude #1
Initiation
Devotion
Snatch
Smolder
Setup
Burial
Breakdown
Darkest
Turncoat
Loyalty
Coalition
Honesty
Condemned
Downpour
Payoff
Victory (part 2)
Embers - Interlude #2
Generations
Laughter
So, What WOULD Have Happened?
So, What WOULD Have Happened? pt. 2
Exposition
Obsession
Sacrifice
Victory (part 1)

Opposition

2
*Opposition*

If a pony uses the Death Note, a god of death usually appears in front of him/her within 39 days after the first name is written.

"Sister."

There was a grunt from somewhere beneath the royal sheets, but no other response. Princess Luna took another step into her sister’s bedchamber, turning on lights as she went. "Sister, I’m re-establishing the Night Court."

"Go ‘way, Luna," Princess Celestia grunted, turning away and pulling her sheets fully over her head. "It’s late."

"It is not late. I’ve only just raised the..." Luna trailed off as a sour smell washed over her. "Sister! Have you been drinking?"

"Um..." There was a long, uncomfortable pause while the solar princess considered her response. "...no?"

"Celestia," Luna sighed, approaching the bed, "We do not have time for this. Ponies are dying. The death toll is currently in the hundreds, and rising every day. Our subjects are scared. They need a strong ruler who can make things right. You can not do this to yourself when Equestria needs you."

"I'm not a queen."

"What?"

Celestia threw her covers off of her and turned to face her sister. Her normally flawless mane was disheveled and her eyes were red and puffy from tears and lack of sleep. "I'm not a queen," she said quietly. "I promised I wouldn't be. Q-queens rule over their subjects. Queens think they're b-better than everypony else. A princess can still be," she sniffed, "one of them."

"Tia..." Luna stepped forward and nuzzled her sister comfortingly. "You are the best princess."

Celestia looked down. "I'm not the best princess." Suddenly she wrapped her forelegs around her sister in a massive hug and started bawling. "I'm terrible!"

Luna struggled to stand, the much larger alicorn threatening to crush her. "Tia, you are drunk. Go back to sleep."

"I t-t-try so hard!" the solar princess wailed. "I try to set such a good example. I go to parties, and-and I call everypony by name, and I don't hurt them like the bad rulers do. But my little ponies keep k-killing each other!" She sobbed onto her sister's shoulder. "It's not f-f-fair!"

"It is all right, sister." Luna was finally able to roll Celestia off of her and tucked her back into bed. "I'm assembling the Night Court tonight. We'll root out the fiends responsible for this, you will see.” The older alicorn gave no response, only sinking morosely into her pillow. Luna tried another tact. “We were even able to contact L, after all these years. If anypony can aid our cause, he can."

Celestia's tears started to dry up. "That's nice," she murmured. "My little detective, just like old times..."

"Get some sleep. I'll talk to you in the morning." Luna turned out the lights and started towards the door.

"Luna?"

"Yes, Tia?"

"Have you heard any word... from the Doctor?"

Luna paused before answering. "No, Tia. Nothing."

"I see." The alicorn sighed. "You foalish boy," she mumbled, "I knew this day would come..." Luna closed the door and the solar princess drifted into restless sleep.

“No, no, no!” Twilight Sparkle shouted, pounding her head against her desk in frustration. “This can’t be! It makes no sense!” She whirled around to glare at the Death Note accusingly. “How can you not be magical?” she yelled at the killer notebook. “You have to be! There’s no other explanation for what you do!” And yet, there it was, entirely unenchanted.

The mystery of how and why the Death Note worked both fascinated and infuriated Twilight. She’d been certain at first that the book was an artifact that tapped into the latent magical energies of all ponies in order to stop their hearts. Time and time again, however, the tests she’d run on the notebook had come out negative. She’d put every part of it under analysis, from the paper to the cover to the ink on the page and even the glue binding it together, but even while actively giving ponies heart attacks there wasn’t a drop of magic in the whole thing. Despite constantly reminding herself to never look a gift horse in the mouth, Twilight’s frustration grew with every test she performed. What was this book? How could it do the things it did? Perhaps most importantly, where had it come from?

This single, unanswerable conundrum was partly responsible for the darkening circles around Twilight’s eyes. She could cope with not knowing how things worked; she’d learned to accept Pinkie Pie’s twitches, Pinkie Pie’s teleporting, Pinkie Pie’s... actually, most things Pinkie Pie did defied explanation. If she could live with her, in time she’d adjust to a non-magical notebook that made no sense. But such a thing hadn’t just sprung out of nowhere. Somepony had made it, somepony with unbelievable power. No sane pony would just throw that kind of power away. Were they out there somewhere, looking for the book? Did they know she had it? If not, what would happen to her when they found out?

“No point worrying about things you can’t avoid,” Twilight muttered to herself halfheartedly. She put the Death Note back in its secret drawer and turned out the light. “For Moondancer,” she reminded herself. Her fears changed nothing. Even if there was a pony with power over life and death out there looking for her, she still had a responsibility to rid Equestria of crime. She kept this thought in her mind as she climbed into bed. I am Kira, was her final thought as she closed her eyes. I am justice.

At exactly midnight, the Night Court gathered. Close to a hundred ponies filed into the Lunar Tower’s main audience chamber. Unlike Celestia’s grand hall, this room was shaped like an auditorium; rows of seats at different heights looked down onto a raised platform at the far end of the hall. A brown pony with a light bulb cutie mark stood on the corner of the stage, setting up a projector. The ponies who filled the room were yawning and sipping coffee, many of them still in their bedclothes. Perhaps without noticing, they’d separated out into three groups: unicorns on the right, pegasi on the left, and the earth ponies in the middle. From her position in the shadows, Luna smiled and shook her head. Even after a thousand years, old pony habits never really went away.

There was a flurry of bows and salutes as Princess Luna entered onto the main stage. "Fillies and gentlecolts!" she announced loudly. "The Night Court is now in session." There was a general mumble of assent and everypony sat down. "I apologise for the late hour, but... you know, tradition." Luna blushed, still struggling to find an appropriate balance of formality, then immediately returned to her authoritative tone. “Since time is of the essence and most of you are unused to keeping these hours, I would like to not stand on ceremony and jump straight to the main issue. Are there any objections?” Unsurprisingly, there were none. “Good. Now, we are here to discuss... Kira."

Luna nodded to the pony with the projector. He pushed a button and the word Kira appeared on the wall behind her. "One week ago, ponies Equestria-wide began dying very suddenly. The numbers started small, but have since risen to close to a hundred a day. The cause of death remains unknown, but popular opinion has attributed the killings to an unknown entity called Kira. So far, the deaths have been exclusive to former or known criminals. I would like to take the opportunity to remind the court," Luna said in a colder tone, "that killing a pony is an act of murder, regardless of that pony’s past actions. My sister was very clear on this: nopony ever has the right to kill another. Let us focus on that." She cast a stern glance around the room. Everypony was staring at her in rapt attention, which pleased her. It reminded her of the old days, back when she’d been just as respected as her older sister. In the wild times, when it hadn’t always been safe to sleep, and Equestria needed a ruler of the night. "I now call upon the Canterlot Health Department. What have you discovered?"

A pure white earth pony near the front of the room stood and bowed to the princess. A large white coat covered his cutie mark. "Red Cross, your majesty, acting head of the Canterlot Medical Board." He turned to address the rest of the room. “Several experts have studied the bodies of those ponies killed by Kira. In every case, the cause of death was identified as a heart attack."

There were a few murmurs of confusion from the rest of the group. "For those unfamiliar with the term, a heart attack is an affliction in which a tear or blockage in a major vein stops blood flow in the heart. Similar afflictions are occasionally seen, but it is virtually unheard of in ponies. However, in all cases no damage to the heart or surrounding tissues was discovered. The flow of blood simply... stopped." Red Cross paused to let this sink in. "There were no signs of toxins or parasites in the bodies, apart from a few who had consumed various street drugs before death. It is not caused by a virus, bacteria or any known poison that we can detect. While we haven't exhausted every option, at this point it seems most likely that the Kira attacks are magical in nature." He bowed again and sat down to some polite hoof-stomping.

"Excellent work, Red Cross." Luna smiled kindly. The earth pony blushed and looked away. "If you find anything else, be sure to let us know. Now, I have also contacted several magical organizations to discuss the possibility of a magical attack. Who represents them?"

There was some discussion from the unicorn section of the audience before a midnight blue pony stood up and bowed towards the stage. "Spell Nexus," he said humbly, "headmaster of Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. I have been in conference with many other experts in all schools of magic. While spells for causing death do exist, there is no known curse in any culture that is said to kill in this manner, and none that can take effect without any contact with the victim. In several cases, the only information any ‘Kira’ would have access to were a face and a name."

The unicorn looked around nervously, and Luna realized that he was frightened. Most branches of magic were thought to be close to being fully comprehended, but here he was in the middle of something not only dangerous, but completely alien to him. "Currently we are researching ancient Zebrican curses,” he continued, “many of which are still not fully understood. It is possible that some of them may be used to harm others from a distance. However, these magics generally require complex and time-consuming ceremonies to perform, as well as a body part or personal effect of the intended victim. Unless we find an exception to this rule, I am not hopeful that we will find our answer there."

"Thank you, Spell." Spell Nexus bowed again and sat down. "Is there anypony else who wishes to speak?" Stunned silence. "Very well. I will turn the floor over to our final speaker. Who represents L?”

Some ponies gasped at the name, while others stared in confusion. A pony in a hooded cloak and saddlebags melded out of the shadows at the edge of the room and walked up onto the stage. The material was enchanted, and well; from every angle the cloak cast dark shadows over the wearer’s face, hiding their true colours. The shape and bulk of the fabric made it impossible to tell whether the pony beneath was male or female, or an earth pony, pegasus or unicorn. The sight made Luna smile. “Sideline,” she whispered as the mystery pony stepped onto the stage. “I know it’s a new pony under that hood, but... it is good to see you again.” The cloaked figure said nothing. Luna faced her stunned audience. “Fillies and Gentlecolts, this is Sideline, L’s personal representative. All communication between us and L will take place through her.”

Sideline gave the slightest of bows towards the audience. From her saddlebags she pulled out a small box, which she unfolded into a tripod and placed into the middle of the stage. A recording crystal was set into the front of the box, and a small stratoscreen on the top. Sideline then took a place next to the projectionist-pony, pulling a sheet of slides from her other bag. The word Kira disappeared from the back wall and was replaced by a highly stylized letter L.

“Greetings, everypony.” The voice boomed over the auditorium, seeming to come from everywhere at once. It was highly distorted and echoed strangely in the huge room, making it impossible to identify. “I am L.

“I apologize for being able to send only my voice to you. I’m sure a face, even a false one, would be more comforting in this time of need. Unfortunately, a full visual transmission carries enough information to be traced, and I cannot allow that to happen.” The more tech-savvy ponies in the audience recognized the lie, but kept silent. Clearly L had reasons for remaining hidden. “I have been monitoring your discussion, and I agree with your conclusions. The method by which Kira murders is unknown to us. Unless new information arises, it is unlikely that we will be able to track him in this way.” This sentence caused a stir, but L ignored it. “If we are to stop these murders, we must be more direct with our approach. We must find Kira.”

This caused an uproar, some ponies laughing, others shouting angrily. Luna cast her eyes over the crowd for a face she recognized. “Captain Straw Bolt,” she called, “do you disagree with L’s statement?”

The captain of the city guard rose, his imposing form silencing those around him. He spoke coldly towards the stage. “L, you speak of Kira as though it were an individual. We do not know if Kira is a group, an organization, or an entirely alien threat. How could such a massive attack be carried out by just one pony?”

“Thank you for your question, Captain. Sideline, slide one.” The hooded pony drew out another slide and the giant letter L was replaced with a complex chart and list of times. “These are the dates and times of death for all of Kira’s victims. Aside from the large clusters in the late evenings, there at first appears to be no pattern. However, on the third day after the killings started, deaths began to occur at all hours of the day. If we compile the data for the deaths throughout the day over the past week, we see this. Slide two.” The image changed to a slightly different chart, with certain sections highlighted in green. “As you can see, the deaths spread out throughout the day appear random, but without exception never occur during standard meal times. After the group killings late at night, the murders stop completely before resuming the following morning. This tells us that Kira functions on Equestrian time and needs to eat and sleep, meaning he is not an otherworldly or supernatural entity.

“My second observation pertains to the feasibility of keeping a larger organization secret. If the magic involved were to require a large number of ponies, hiding their activities would be near-impossible. This schedule would require them to spend most of the day in isolation, something that is easy for one pony, but difficult for a group to pull off without arousing suspicion. Slide three.” The chart disappeared and was replaced by a much shorter list of dates. “These are the times of death for criminals shown live on crystalvision. In every case where somepony was caught in the act of committing a crime, they were each killed within minutes of the announcement. A group of killers would take longer to contact one another, while an individual is able to act right away. You will also note that only half of all crimes reported live end in death. An organized group would keep watch of the news at all times, but a single Kira can’t spend all day glued to the stratoscreen.” L paused. “I have more, but anything beyond this point is pure speculation. We have only one week’s worth of data to work with, after all. However, I have no reason to believe Kira will not continue to follow existing trends.”

Straw Bolt gradually became aware that his mouth was open. He closed it, trying his best not to look impressed. How had this so-called detective managed to pull so much information together so quickly? He must have been working on these charts since the murders started... but no, there were the times of death from just a few hours ago. The captain cleared his throat. “You’re making a lot of assumptions here, L,” he said before sitting down.

“That is correct,” L admitted. “Which is why I intend to test these assumptions at the earliest possible opportunity. Incidentally,” he added after a moment’s thought, “I believe Kira may be in Ponyville.”

There was a general cry of “What? Why?” from the collected ponies.

“Just a hunch,” L answered the group. “It may come to nothing. I intend to test this theory as well. Who here represents Ponyville’s police force?”

A young, sky-blue unicorn stood up from her place at the back of the room and made her way forwards. Her cutie mark was shaped like an hourglass and her hair was striped two different shades of blue. “Romana, representing the Ponyville Police,” she said, bowing to Luna. “...Such as it is. The crime rate in Ponyville has never been high enough to warrant a full police force, so aside from myself all of our officers are, um... volunteers.”

From the speaker there was a sound like rustling paper. “Ah, Romana. A... decent record, under the circumstances."

Romana blinked. "Um... thank you?"

"Just what it says on the sheet. Do you have an alias?"

"In Ponyville I'm sometimes known as Colgate."

"I suggest you adopt that name. You will go to Ponyville immediately and assemble the finest volunteer police force available to you. If my efforts tomorrow prove successful, I will contact you again."

Captain Bolt leaped to his hooves. "This is unacceptable!" he roared. "A team of ponies pulled off the streets? That's insulting! Give the word and I can have ten of my best guards there, within the hour!"

"That won't be necessary, Captain." L's unceasingly calm voice only served to infuriate the guard captain further. "Subtlety will be key in this investigation. There's no point sending in the troops and causing a fuss if we don't have to. Lady Luna, I understand that you have a team of long-distance teleporters in your tower?"

Luna seemed surprised at the question. "Well, yes... they are still in training, but yes, they are here."

"Excellent. Colgate, you will travel via teleportation to Ponyville immediately. Good luck."

The newly dubbed Colgate smiled shyly. "Thank you, L," she said. "I mean... good luck to you too. But, um, why the teleporters? A pegasus chariot would be nearly as fast, and they've been, you know, tested..."

"Two reasons. Firstly, time is of the essence. Unless we can prove otherwise, we must assume that every second counts." There was a pause. "Secondly, because I heard a rumor that distance teleportation gives you two heads. I want to see if it's true. Dismissed!" With that the little box collapsed, folded up into a neat package and fell to the stage, where it was retrieved by Sideline.

Luna stared at the spot where L's voice had come from, apparently just as shocked as everypony else. "I suppose... this meeting of the Night Court is concluded." The lunar princess looked around nervously. "Unless, of course, anypony has anything they wish to add...?"

Colgate slipped out the door amidst a sea of angry voices.

Twenty minutes later, a loud pop echoed throughout Ponyville. Colgate stumbled slightly as she landed in the main square, a little dizzy from the trip. She sat down and frantically touched her cheeks, her mane, her neck – yep, still one head. She shook herself off and trotted towards the old police station. If she worked quickly, she might be able to get a couple hours of sleep in before the sun rose.

The noise of her arrival woke up most of Ponyville. Most simply startled awake, rolled over and fell back to sleep. A few got up to check for emergencies, finding nothing and leaving them tired and cranky the following morning. When Twilight Sparkle woke up, she discovered a grinning demon hovering over her bed. Understandably, she screamed.

"Whoa, shh," whispered the demon, covering Twilight's mouth with a deformed foot. She stared in horror at the appendage, which somehow seemed to end in both a hoof and a set of claws. "I'm not going to hurt you."

They stared at each other for a few seconds. "If I let you go," the demon asked, "are you going to scream again?" Twilight nodded. "Oh." It scratched its chin with its other hoof. "If I tell you who I am, do you promise not to scream when I let you go?"

That would depend on who you are, Twilight thought, but nodded anyway.

"My name is Byuk. I'm one of the Shinigami, what you would call a god of death. I own the Death Note." He took his hoof away from Twilight's mouth. She stared at the god, then at her desk, then back at him. Then she screamed.

"Oh, for..." Byuk rolled his eyes and floated away, hovering through the air without moving his wings.

"Twilight?" There was a loud pounding at the door. "Twilight, are you okay?" a young dragon's voice called out.

The unicorn stopped screaming. Spike sounded scared. Twilight stared wide-eyed at Byuk, who shrugged. Getting a better look at him only made him more terrifying. He was shaped roughly like a large pegasus pony, but... wrong. His legs were far too long and bent at strange angles to the rest of his body, while his wings were far too short and leathery. His coat and mane were pitch black, but instead of flowing downwards the hair stood up straight in thick, spiny tufts. By contrast, his bone-white face was plastered unevenly across a misshapen skull, resulting in a mouth that stretched improbably from ear to ear and huge yellow eyes. He gave what might have been a warm smile, showing at least two rows of wickedly sharp teeth. "I'm okay, Spike," Twilight called, her voice trembling. "I... I was just having a bad dream. I'm sorry I woke you."

Spike hesitated at the door. "You sure you're okay, Twilight?"

"I'm fine, Spike. Go back to bed." She waited for the little dragon's footprints to vanish up the stairs before speaking again. "Are you going to kill me?"

Byuk laughed, a loud, throaty chuckle that traveled down the length of his body. "Kill you? Why would I kill you? This is the most fun I've had in decades!"

"...Huh?"

"I love Equestria! So many lights, so many interesting ponies! And the food... oh, the food!"

"So... you're not mad that I took your book?"

"Mad?" The god of death shook his head. "No, of course not. I dropped it, you found it. Finders keepers. It's yours now."

"Okay, wait. You're just..." Twilight sat up and took a deep breath. She focused Byuk with a more serious look. "What are you, exactly? Why are you here?"

Byuk settled down on the desk and mimicked Twilight's expression. As he moved, the unicorn’s eyes fell to his sides; his left flank bore a cutie mark of a black rectangle, barely visible atop his dark flesh, but the right side was enigmatically blank. "I come from a place called the Shinigami Realm," he said in a more somber tone. "It is a place between Heaven and Hell, overlooking all worlds. It is a place of death.

"At their creation, every god of death is given a Death Note from the Shinigami King. We look down into the worlds below us and see the lives of all things go by. If we write down the name of a living being in a Death Note, their life ends and their remaining lifespan is added to ours. So long as we don’t get lazy, we can extend our lives indefinitely and live... forever.”

“That’s... horrible.” Twilight shuddered. “Why would such a place even exist?”

Byuk shrugged. “I never asked. Why does your world exist? Why does any?” Seeing that the unicorn had no answer, he continued. “The problem with eternal life, see, is finding ways to keep yourself occupied. Say I write the name of an old lady in the Death Note, with just six months left to live. That alone gives me a whole six months when I don’t have to do anything. Six months of boredom. Nothing grows in the Shinigami Realm. There are no animals, no buildings, no food or water. Nothing exists there but us... and the dust of those who came before us. All we have are our windows to the worlds below, places to look down at the lives beneath us, but most Shinigami don’t even bother with these. They play games with whatever remains they can find, gambling with the years of their lives. I think that a lot of them play to lose.

“But then, one of your weeks ago, something wonderful happened. As I walked alone across the plain, I found a new portal that had opened in the ground. I looked inside and I saw... ponies. Beautiful, wonderful, colourful ponies, completely untouched by the hands of the Shinigami.” Byuk started to laugh. “And then... heh... what do you know, in my surprise I dropped my Death Note. It fell right down through the portal, heh heh, and of course I had to go down after it. But before I could find it, who should pick it up but you.

“And you have been busy, haven’t you? Just as I track the Death Note down to the big city, you take it away, bring it here, and then hide it away. I spent three days watching different ponies before I found you, sleeping right under my nose.” He reached down, directly through the wooden desk, and pulled out the Death Note. “I like the hidden drawer. Very clever. Did you make it yourself?”

“Um... no, that came with the desk. I guess it belonged to the old librarian, whoever that was. When I found it it contained some, um, personal books. You know, very... private literature.” Byuk gave her a blank look. Twilight smiled awkwardly. “So... you’re okay with me keeping the Death Note?”

Byuk scratched his head. “Well... I suppose I could kill you and take it back.” Twilight shrank against her bed. “But that would be against the rules. And even if I did, I’d just have to take it back to the Shinigami Realm.” His smile grew a little wider. “I guess it couldn’t hurt to let you keep it for awhile.”

“YES!” Twilight leaped into the air and began bounding around the room with joy. “Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes! Oh thank you Byuk, thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou! I’ll use it well, I promise, I’ll make you proud, I really will!”

“Whatever,” Byuk grunted. Twilight stopped abruptly mid-leap and tumbled to the floor. “I don’t really care how you use it. Just make sure my stay here is enjoyable.”

“Oh, I will. I’ll put on a show like none you’ve ever seen. I will become justice. I’ll be the ruler of the new world!”

“You ponies are weird.” Byuk stretched his wings and began to float upwards. “Only ponies who’ve touched the Death Note can see me, by the way, so I’ll be staying with you. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Oh! One more thing,” Twilight called. The god of death stopped. “You said the Death Note increases your lifespan when you use it. Does that mean I’ve been adding years to my life, too?”

“Nope. That only applies to the Shinigami. The lives you end are simply ended.” One of his eyes rolled downwards. “A lot of lives, too. I’m impressed.”

“I’ve been busy,” Twilight said.

“Whatever. As you ponies say, goodnight.” Byuk lifted himself through the ceiling and disappeared.

Twilight walked back to her bed with a huge grin on her face. Just then, she heard a loud clatter and the scrape of metal against wood. She rushed to the window and stuck her head outside, her jaw dropping at the sight above her. “Have you been sleeping on our antenna?”

“Is that what this is?”

Twilight gasped. “So you’re the one who’s been messing up our signal!”

“Huh?”

“Get down from there! Right now!”

Dear Princess Luna,

I have arrived safely in Ponyville, still with only one head. Currently writing to you from the Ponyville police station, gathering files on potential volunteers. As per your instructions, I will contact the dragon Spike as soon as the sun rises and establish communication via dragonfire. Assuming everypony is as willing to help out as they have been in the past, I should have a sizable force put together by this afternoon. Not as professional as I would have liked, but with teamwork and cooperation we’ve kept Ponyville safe in the past. Plus, with the Elements of Harmony on our side, there’s no danger we can’t stand against.

If it’s not an imposition to ask, and if it’s not a mystery to you too... what did L mean by his “efforts tomorrow”? Is he planning something we should know about?

Your faithful servant,

Romana

Exclusion

3
*Exclusion*

Shinigami do not do, in principle, anything which will help or prevent the deaths in the Note.

"Twilight! Twilight!" Somehow Spike had been the first to wake that morning, and was now beating on Twilight Sparkle's door excitedly. "Come on, Twilight! Big day ahead of us!"

Twilight groaned and looked around for her clock. It was barely after dawn, and she felt like she hadn't slept all night. At least, not after... She shuddered at the memory. Even knowing that the god of death was on her side, she still felt a little creeped out thinking about him. Those teeth... She shook herself awake and rolled out of bed, magically reaching for a comb for her disheveled mane. "Coming, Spike" she said groggily.

As soon as she'd opened the door Spike was literally bounding around her, looking as excited as Pinkie Pie preparing for a party. "Guess what, Twilight! You'll never believe who's in town!"

"Actually Spike, I probably will. What's all the fuss about?"

"Colgate's back!" Twilight stared blankly. “You know, blue unicorn, hourglass cutie mark, hair that looks like toothpaste? You must have seen her around.”

“That does sound like somepony I know,” Twilight mused. “But what’s so special about her?”

“That’s just it! She’s come to put together a police force. She says they’re going to help catch Kira!”

Now that was interesting. Twilight made her way downstairs, dodging away from the overexcited dragon. "How exactly does she plan to do that? I don't think a neighborhood watch is going to help with anything on this scale."

"That's the best part! We've got someone else on our side. L!" Spike put his hands up to his cheeks and gave an embarrassingly fanboyish squeal.

"L?" Twilight laughed. "I think somepony's been reading too many detective novels if they believe that. L's not real, Spike, so don't get your hopes up."

"L is so real." The pair reached the library's kitchen. Over the counter Byuk froze, a handful of candied fruits held halfway to his lips. He shoved them in his mouth before Spike noticed and grinned sheepishly. Twilight tried to ignore him and started to prepare her own breakfast while the little dragon grabbed some gems and sat down. "Colgate said she'd spoken to L herself. He's leading the investigation."

"Spike, that is so not true." Twilight sat opposite him with a bowl of corn chips. “The real L, if he ever existed, lived over twelve hundred years ago. He was supposed to have been this legendary detective, so good that ponies never stopped writing about him. Even if he was real, there’s no way he could still be alive today.”

"Nuh-uh!" Spike insisted. "L was so good at solving cases the princesses gave him eternal life! He's been waiting for over a thousand years, just in case a crime came along that was so big, only he could solve it. And now he's back!"

"Riiiiiiight." Twilight rolled her eyes. "Look Spike, I'm telling you. Whoever this 'L' character is, he's not somepony of legend. He's just some egocentric, overpaid detective who thinks he's too good to push papers like the rest of them."

"Twilight, you of all ponies—” Spike hiccuped and hastily shoved a claw in his mouth.

“You okay, Spike?”

“Fine!” He gulped loudly and tried to steady himself. “Just, uh, just hungry, that’s all.” He popped a cracked ruby in his mouth and tried to force a smile, which twisted into a grimace. “So, did you- HUUUUUUUUURP! ...oops.” In a belch of green flame a scroll materialized over the table, drifting gently down into Spike’s waiting claws. Under Twilight’s gaze he turned pale, no small feat for a creature with scales. “So, uh...” he shuffled in his seat, trying unsuccessfully to hide the scroll behind his back. “How about that weather, huh?”

Twilight tried to keep her voice even. “Spike, is that letter for me?”

“No! I mean, uh...” He quickly rolled the scroll open and scanned the first few lines. “Oh, look at that, it’s not for you, Twilight. How about that? Uh, heh heh...”

“Now that I think of it, you don’t even read the paper. How did you find out about Colgate before I did?” The uncomfortable shuffling got worse. Twilight put on her most stern expression and stared the little dragon down. “Spike, have you been delivering letters to somepony behind my back?”

Spike forced out a final chuckle, but felt his defenses crumbling beneath his caretaker’s gaze. His head fell. “I had to, Twilight! I’m the only dragon anywhere near Ponyville. It’s my royal duty! And I wanted to tell you, but the first letter said I couldn’t tell anyone, not even you. I’m sorry, Twilight.”

The little dragon tried to sink even further into his seat, but to his surprise found a gentle hoof stroking the top of his head. He looked up to find Twilight standing over him, smiling. “It’s okay, Spike. If the Princess asked you not to tell me, it’s not your fault. I was just worried you’d gotten into trouble and felt you had to hide it from me. You’re not in any trouble, are you?”

“Um... probably not. I mean, no.”

“Then there’s nothing to worry about! So, now that cat’s out of the bag, who is that letter for?”

Spike thought for a moment before answering. It would be breaking the Princess’ orders, but... if he couldn’t trust Twilight, who could he trust? “Colgate.”

“Great! That’s settled, then.” The purple mare levitated Spike onto her back and started for the door. “Let’s deliver it right now.”

“But... but what about breakfast?”

“What’s more important, Spike, breakfast or royal duty? We can eat later.” And if this ‘Colgate’ is putting a team together to catch me, I want to be on it as soon as possible. I want to know what she knows.

“Hey, are we going out?” While Twilight grabbed her saddlebags, Byuk floated out of the kitchen and hovered alongside her. Together, the unlikely trio started out the door.

Despite Twilight's chiding, Spike didn't stop talking about L all the way to the police station. "He’s got fourteen different cutie marks that he can switch out whenever he wants. And his eyes glow whenever somepony tries to lie to him. One time this gangster told him a lie that was so big, L's eyes lit right up and wham! Blinded him! And he can breathe fire, too!"

Twilight looked back. "What does that have to do with solving crimes?"

"I dunno. But it's really cool!" Spike continued to ramble while Twilight kept her eyes fixed in front of her. A black shape hovered just behind her, casting a large shadow right into her field of vision. Byuk was proving difficult to ignore. He spun wildly in the air, grabbed objects off the street to examine them, and yelled compliments at passing mares even though he knew they couldn't hear him. Every time she started to tune him out, Spike's excited chatter would break her concentration. This was going to be a long day.

By the time the three reached the police station, Twilight's nerves were nearly shot. Thankfully, the presence of more ponies served to calm both of her companions down. News traveled fast in Ponyville, so despite the early hour a large group had already gathered outside. Some were there to help out, but most had turned up just to see what was going on. Byuk soared overhead as they approached the crowd, chuckling to himself. Twilight craned her neck, but could barely make out the tiny police station through the tightly-packed herd. She tried to force her way to the front, but was quickly cut off. "Back of the line, lady!" a large pony with a mustache snapped as she tried to push past him.

"But I have a letter," she protested, but the athletic stallion had already turned away. She desperately scanned the crowd for a familiar face, smiling as her eyes landed on a certain grey pegasus. "Ditzy Doo!" Twilight cried. The mailmare turned and grinned as she saw Twilight approach, her eyes rolling in opposite directions before coming into focus. "I have a letter for Colgate from Princess Celestia, but I can't get inside. Can you help?"

Ditzy gave a lopsided salute. "Can do, unicron," she said reverently. "You stay here, muffin." For the first time Twilight noticed a tiny filly by the mailmare's side, grey with her mother's yellow mane but sporting a horn instead of wings. Ditzy took the scroll from the waiting Spike and rose into the air. “Gangway!” she yelled, barreling towards the door. Ponies scattered in all directions as she flew; even ponies who hadn’t met Ditzy Doo had heard to get well out of her way when she had a letter to deliver.

Twilight was left with the tiny grey unicorn, who was staring up at her with a faint smile. “Hi, Dinky,” Spike said warmly.

“Hello Spike,” Dinky Doo replied. Twilight bit her lip. Mixed-race children weren’t frowned upon, exactly, they were just... unusual. Even in a town as supposedly progressive as Ponyville, a unicorn foal with a pegasus mother would draw stares. Even now, she could see a couple ponies in the crows giving the girl sideways glances.

Thankfully, Twilight’s thoughts were interrupted by the sudden reappearance of a grey pegasus. “Colgate wants to see you,” Ditzy chirped, then immediately turned around and started clearing a path towards the door. With a few gentle taps and less gentle shoves, the little group made their way inside.

The interior of the police station was just as crowded as the outside. It was a tiny place, little more than a waiting area with two small cells and a single office at the back, and even they were suffering from under-use. Dust covered everything, and there were almost certainly rodents living under the floorboards. A pair of desks had been set up at the far end of the room, behind which two volunteer officers were talking to potential recruits. The sound of ponies shoving and arguing filled the air. Flying overhead was none other than Rainbow Dash, who was trying with little success to direct traffic. “Hey! Eyes in front, buddy! Line’s this way! Keep ‘em moving, everypony! You two, cut that out! Oh, hey Twilight.” She dropped sharply down, narrowly dodging a pair of startled colts as she landed. “What’s up?”

“Just going to see Colgate,” Twilight shouted over the din. “What about you? How long have you been here?”

“Since this morning. I was the first one in the door. Fastest in Equestria, you know?” Rainbow Dash flapped her wings proudly. “With me on the team, we’ll have Kira behind bars in ten minutes flat!”

“That’s great, Dash!” Shoot, Dash too? I thought she of all ponies would be on my side... oh well. Ditzy Doo began gesturing impatiently. Twilight put on a forced smile. “I need to go. See you soon?”

“Definitely.” Rainbow Dash flew back up to the ceiling and resumed shouting orders.

With the mailmare’s help Twilight Sparkle made it the rest of the way to Colgate’s office. “I’m back in line. Um, getting,” Ditzy Doo added as an afterthought. “Coming, muffin?”

“Coming, mommy.”

The two grey ponies began working their way back through the crowd. Spike gave a lingering glance after them. “Cute kid,” he said. “Shame about those eyes.”

“Now Spike,” chided Twilight as she let herself into the office, “you have to learn to look past things like that. I’m sure there’s a very clever pony beneath...” She stopped in surprise as she saw who sat behind the office’s desk, letting the door swing shut behind her. There, poring over a huge stack of papers and looking like she hadn’t slept in days, was...

“Romana?”

“Twilight!” The blue unicorn ran up to Twilight and wrapped her in a hug of almost Pinkie Pie proportions. “It’s so good to see you again! I mean, I’ve seen you around all over the place, but you were always busy with one disaster or another so we never got a chance to talk. And little Spike, too! How’ve you been?”

“Busy.” Twilight gently returned the hug and lowered the excited mare off of her. Spike blushed, but said nothing. “I didn’t even know you were in Ponyville! When did you arrive?”

“Just after you did, silly. I was in charge of security at the summer sun celebration. You know, that summer sun celebration. I had a lot of paperwork to do after that disaster, so much that I ended up staying here permanently to finish it all.”

Twilight thought back. A blue unicorn, hourglass cutie mark... she had seen her around town, she was sure of it. How had she never made the connection? “I’m sorry, Romana, I just never realized. Sometimes I think all the ponies in this town look the same.”

“Don’t worry about it, I think the same thing.” The mare laughed good-naturedly. “It’s Colgate now, by the way. You know, like that old nickname I had back at the Academy?” Colgate flipped her striped mane proudly. “L told me I should take a false name for this investigation, and so many ponies call me that already. It seemed to fit.”

“Whoa, whoa.” Twilight held up a hoof to silence Spike’s growing squeal of joy. “You mean the L? It can’t be the real L, right?”

“I dunno. I’ve never seen him in person. He sounds really smart, though. I’ll fill you in at the briefing.” Colgate paused. “You did come here to join the team, right? You were always the top of the class, you’re probably the best thinker in Ponyville right now. We could really use your help.”

Jackpot. “I’d love to help. Just let me know what I can do.”

“Great!” Colgate reared up and clapped her hooves excitedly. “I got all the paperwork ready for you. We can have you on the force in minutes. Oh! But first, that letter you brought.” She shuffled through the papers on her desk and unrolled the scroll Ditzy Doo had given her. As she read it, her expression shifted from excitement to disappointment to outright sorrow. “Oh...”

“What is it?” Twilight half shouted. A seed of panic started to flare up in her, overwhelming the need for subtlety. “Is there a problem?”

“I’m sorry, Twilight.” In a few seconds most of the energy had vanished from Colgate’s voice. “It’s from the Princess. I can’t let you on the force.”

“What? Let me see that.” Before Colgate could respond, Twilight pulled the scroll away with magic and unrolled it in front of her.

My dear Romana,

The investigation you are helping to run belongs to my sister, and I have no intention of interfering with it. However, there is one request which I would like to make. There is no doubt in my mind that my beloved student Twilight Sparkle will want to join you in your search for Kira. I beg of you, though it will break her heart, do not let her join the investigation. I fear for the safety of those who hunt for Kira, and I do not wish my faithful student to risk her life unnecessarily. Please break this news to her gently, and try to make her understand I am only doing this for her benefit.

Your loving Princess,

Celestia

Twilight stared in disbelief at the page in front of her. The writing was a little sloppier than Celestia’s normally flawless script, but it was still definitely her teacher’s writing. “How could she do this to me?”

“I’m sorry, Twilight.” Colgate debated how best to comfort her friend, settling for a hoof on her shoulder. “I don’t agree, but... I guess it is for your own good, after all.”

Twilight set the scroll down and scowled. “I guess,” she muttered, refusing to look up at the other pony.

“Oh.” Colgate turned to Spike, who was daydreaming about L. He snapped to attention. “I know this is probably a bad time to mention this, but before I forget, could you send my latest report to the Princess? I mean, since you’re right here, and all.” She levitated another scroll off the top of one of the paper stacks on her desk. “Don’t worry, I already made a copy.”

“No problem!” Spike took the scroll in his claws and took a deep breath. Instead of the gentle puff of flame he was expecting, however, he let loose a massive belch of green fire. Some of the papers on the desk were badly singed, though the magical flame went out immediately. The scroll in his hands vanished, only to be replaced by another. This one was different to the others; instead of being sealed by a golden symbol of the sun, this one was held closed by a midnight-black crescent of wax. “Oops.”

“Another letter?”

“That was quick.”

Simultaneously, both unicorns reached for the new scroll. Spike whisked it away from them. “Sorry, ladies, it’s...” He unrolled the scroll just enough for him to read the first line. “It’s not for you. Either of you. Um...” Before either pony could react, Spike ran for the door and rushed out, dodging between and around pony legs as he made his escape.

“Wow.” This turn of events shocked Twilight out of her gloomy state. “What was all that about?”

“We’ll probably find out sooner or later.” Colgate closed the office door. “Look, I’m really sorry you can’t be on the team. I’d let you join in anyway, but if this gets off the ground they’ll probably send somepony to check on us.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s not your fault. It’s just...” Twilight sighed. “Disappointing.”

“Yeah.” Colgate sighed as well. “But, hey, there’s one piece of news I am allowed to share with you.” Twilight looked up. “Apparently Princess Celestia is making a speech this evening. It’s supposed to be a message to Kira, broadcast live on crystalvision. You should watch it. We might learn more about what her plan is.”

A message? That’s bold. “I think I’ll do that. I wouldn’t want to miss out.” Twilight started for the door. “Anyway, I should be going. It looks like you’ve got a busy day ahead of you.”

“No kidding. Oh, and Twilight? If you do come up with anything, let us know. I mean,” Colgate winked, “even a regular civilian can help sometimes.”

Despite the jab, Twilight smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll do all that I can.” She opened the door and disappeared into the noisy throng outside.

“It’s not fair.” Twilight kicked despondently at the ground as she walked back to the library. “It’s just not fair.”

“Hurts to be left out, huh?” Byuk had returned to the unicorn’s side as soon as she’d cleared the still-growing crowd of ponies, seeming subdued by her soured expression.

“It’s just not like her.” Twilight stepped on a pebble, grunted in frustration, and bucked it across the street. “When Nightmare Moon tried to cover Equestria in eternal night, Princess Celestia trusted me to find a way to stop her. When King Sombra returned to reclaim the Crystal Empire, she told me personally to keep him from succeeding. She even gave us the responsibility of vanquishing her oldest enemy. But now? What makes Kira any different?”

Byuk scratched his head. “But, Twilight, you’re Kira.”

“Yes, but she doesn’t know that.”

“And you only wanted to get on the team so you could use their information against them.”

“That’s not the point! She’s not acting like her normal self. She never used to baby me like this.”

Byuk did a slow, lazy flip in the air. “Things change. I’ve seen it happen many times before. The fear of death does strange things to people.”

“What are people?”

“Did I say that? I meant ponies.”

“Who you talkin’ to, Twilight?”

Twilight looked up and inwardly cursed. Without noticing she’d walked right next to Applejack, who as usual had set up her apple stand on the otherwise empty street. “No one, AJ. Just thinking aloud,” she lied quickly. Before her friend could notice, she motioned behind her. “You know, you’re not going to sell anything over here today. Everypony’s at the police station.”

“They are?” Applejack facehoofed. “Well, shoot. Ah’d forgotten about that. Ah was wondering why it was so quiet today.” She plucked an apple from her stand and tried to hand it over. “Here, have an apple on me.”

Twilight waved away the offer. “Oh, there’s no need for that.” As if on cue, her stomach growled loudly.

Applejack laughed loudly. “Heavens to Betsy, that’s one hungry pony! Haven’t you eaten today, Twi?” Twilight shook her head. “Then take three, on the house. You’ve earned them.”

“Well, it would be rude to say no now...” Three apples levitated away from the stand and arranged themselves in Twilight’s saddlebags. “Thanks, Applejack. I can always count on you.”

“That’s what Ah’m here for.” The earth pony beamed proudly. She turned to secure the stand for moving when something at the corner of her eye grabbed her attention. She looked up and laughed. “Um, Twilight...” She pointed. “You missed one.”

Twilight followed her friend’s gaze. Byuk had grabbed one of the apples from her bag and was holding it up to examine it; to normal pony eyes it must have appeared to be floating on its own. She pretended to laugh as well, magically yanking the fruit out of the surprised shinigami’s hoof and shoving it back in her bag. “Thanks. Yeah, that happens sometimes.” Perhaps a little faster than she needed to, she trotted away and turned at the next corner.

As soon as they were safely out of earshot Twilight turned to the god of death and growled. “Don’t you do that again! Do you want to blow your cover?”

Byuk fidgeted. “It looked tasty...”

Twilight summoned the expression she’d put on earlier while questioning Spike. “Look,” she said, slowly and clearly as if talking to a child, “if anypony finds out you’ve been following me, they might connect you to the Death Note. If anypony finds out about the Death Note, they’ll take it away and probably burn it. Then you’ll have to go home empty-handed. Is that what you want?” Byuk scowled and shook his head. “No? Good. So don’t go picking anything up around town any more. We’re lucky Applejack thought it was just a magical glitch this time. We can’t afford to let it happen again.”

“Okay. But...” Byuk gave an eerily wide smile. “Can I try one of those apples when we get back?”

“Back...” Twilight froze in place, gears turning inside her head. “Sure. If you’re quiet, when we get back you can have as many as you want. Sound good?”

“Very.”

Twilight burst through the library door and threw off her saddlebags without slowing down. In seconds she was up the first flight of stairs and climbing fast. Byuk followed her inside at a more reasonable pace. Without bothering to ask he reached into a discarded bag, pulled out a bright, shiny apple, and took an enormous bite out of it. He grunted in surprise and licked his lips, smiling widely. “Mmmmm... juicy.”

Once upstairs, Twilight held her breath as she approached Spike’s bedroom, but when she opened the door the air was mercifully clear. The room was littered as usual with books Twilight had given the little dragon to read, mixed alongside toys and much more well-thumbed comic books. She pushed these gently aside, trying to disturb the room as little as possible despite her haste. "Where is it, where is it," she muttered.

Byuk floated up the stairs, an apple in each hoof. "What are you looking for? These are delicious, by the way."

"Byuk, good," Twilight said without looking up from her search. "Can you stand outside and tell me if you see Spike coming back?"

"Nope."

This got her attention. "What do you mean, nope? You're perfectly capable of—"

"I mean nope. I'm not your pet, and I'm not going to help you."

"Fine! Don't, then! Aha!" Twilight pulled a large box from behind the basket where Spike still slept. Inside were magazines, at least a dozen, many from different publications but all with one thing in common: they all had a picture of Rarity somewhere on the cover. Byuk gagged, but Twilight pushed these aside and pulled out something else: scrolls. Lots and lots of scrolls, each bound with a single piece of thread. "Spike's flame is getting stronger as he grows," she explained, "which means that sometimes his fire is less magical and more actual fire. He can't always control the consistency, so when I give him a letter there's always a chance he'll burn it instead of sending it. After I lost some of my best reports that way I gave him a new habit to remember: before sending a letter, always make a copy." She unrolled the first scroll from the pile.

Dear Princess Luna,

I have arrived safely in Ponyville, still with only one head...

This was clearly from Romana, probably sent early that morning. Most of it told Twilight nothing she didn’t already know, but the final lines made her raise an eyebrow. Was L planning something? Interesting. She carefully tied the paper back up before picking up the next scroll.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned that no matter how many times somepony asks you...

Twilight frowned. This report was from months ago. Clearly, she’d have to speak with Spike about his organizational skills.

Five scrolls later, she found another letter that looked interesting. It was much longer than the others, filled with complex charts and figures detailing times and locations of death. It was the words at the very top, though, which caught her attention:

Dear Lady Luna,

Challenge accepted.

Please inform Celestia that I will arrive in Canterlot tonight in time for the speech. I have already made the necessary arrangements with the crew in charge of the broadcast. In the meantime, please continue to send updated statistics to this location.

-L

Two realizations hit the young mare at once, causing her breath to quicken. L was operating out of Ponyville? And Spike was delivering letters to him? That was almost too close for comfort. Still, at least it confirmed a few things; there was a pony who’d taken the name L working on the case. “No matter,” she muttered. “The difference between you and me now, L, is I know where you live.” Not wanting to push her luck any further, she placed all the scrolls back in the box in as close to the positions she’d found them as she could manage. She returned the box to its place behind the basket and walked around the room once, making sure nothing looked disturbed. As she left she caught sight of Byuk, who was finishing up her third and final apple. “That was my lunch, you know.”

“Don’t care.” The shinigami squirmed in pleasure, licking the last of the juice from his talons. “Apples must be the best thing I’ve ever tasted. Hey, how about this? I’ll stay quiet and out of your way if you buy me more apples.”

“If that’s what it takes, fine.” With a final glance around, Twilight left Spike’s room and closed the door behind her.

Anticipation made the afternoon pass quickly. To Twilight’s annoyance, Spike never returned from his secret delivery mission. In the past this would have worried her, but under the circumstances she let it slide. She took the opportunity to retire to her room and write more names in the Death Note under the guise of studying. There was a seemingly inexhaustible supply of criminals from all corners of Equestria, with more entering and leaving the system every day. However, she noted that the number of arrests in a day was slowly, almost imperceptibly dropping. This pleased her greatly. If she could single-hoofedly lower crime rates across Equestria in little more than a week, how much good could she do in a year? In a lifetime? It made her dream of a crime-free world seem that much closer to reality.

It was nearly dark when Twilight remembered what Colgate had told her before she’d left. Hurriedly she activated her stratoscreen and tuned it to the first news station she could think of. She was just in time; onscreen, Princess Celestia was sitting down in preparation for her speech. Byuk whistled appreciatively. Twilight prepared to scold him for being disrespectful, but what the shinigami said next surprised her. “How long has your princess been alive?”

“How old is she, you mean?” Twilight asked. Byuk nodded. “Nopony really knows. I’m not sure she even knows herself. At least a few thousand years, but some say she’s been here a lot longer.”

The god of death nodded sagely. “That’s a lot of time to cut short. No wonder she’s afraid to die.”

“What!?”

“My beloved subjects,” Princess Celestia began, cutting the pair off, “it is with great sadness that I must now speak to you concerning a matter of grave importance. As many of you are aware...”

Twilight couldn’t focus on the speech. It was basically a repeat of the one she’d given a few months ago, about the value of pony life over all things. “Celestia can’t die,” Twilight insisted. “I mean... she can’t! She’s not just a pony, she’s practically a goddess! She raises and lowers the sun every day! She can’t be hurt by anything! Not even the Death Note could...” She stumbled as logic started to overwhelm her, continuing in a softer voice. “It couldn’t really... kill her... could it?”

“Don’t ask stupid questions you already know the answers to.” Byuk folded his wings and sat down to get a better view. “I just know if I was that old, I’d be terrified of anything that might make me die.”

Twilight turned back to the screen and stared at her beloved mentor with new eyes. To most ponies she would look as magnificent and self-assured as always, but Twilight had spent enough time with the princess to know when something was wrong. There was a slight catch in her voice, a sign that she was holding something back, and while her pastel mane flowed magically in the air it didn’t ripple as though carried on a gentle breeze. And her eyes! She’d tried to cover it up but they were slightly pink, perhaps from crying or worse, and dark bags of exhaustion hung beneath them. There was something hidden in those eyes, something Twilight had never seen in her mentor before.

“Are you afraid, Princess?” she whispered. She nearly held up a hoof to comfort the celestial mare, having to remind herself that it was only an image. “You don’t have to be afraid of me. I know your heart is in the right place. So I’m sorry, but for now...” She closed her eyes. “For Equestria’s sake, let me do what has to be done.”

“You know she can’t actually hear you, right?”

“Quiet, Byuk.”

“That is why,” the princess was concluding, “I will not and can not condone the deaths being orchestrated by Kira.” She paused, and enthusiastic hoof-stomping could be heard from the ponies in the studio.

“And now, a personal message to Kira. However, this message will not be delivered by me.” Celestia gave the camera a more focused look. “Fillies and Gentlecolts, it gives me great pleasure to introduce, for the very first time, Equestria’s greatest detective... L.”

What?

The Princess rose, and a comparatively much smaller stallion walked onscreen to take her place. He was a creamy brown earth pony with a darker brown mane and a smug expression; Twilight disliked him already. “Thank you, Lady Celestia,” L said before settling down to face the camera. “I am the pony in charge of the investigation into the deaths of current and former criminals across Equestria. My name is Caramel... alias L. It is my solemn vow that I will catch the pony or ponies involved in this horrific crime, starting with the leader, the one popularly known as Kira.”

“Catch me? Hah!” Twilight pulled the Death Note closer to her. “If you had any way of tracing the Death Note, you would have done it already. All I’ve done is write names in a book. You can’t prove anything!”

“I’m pretty sure he can’t hear you either.”

“Be quiet, Byuk!”

Caramel had paused, as if anticipating this outburst. “Kira, if you’re watching this – and I’m sure that you are – know that I understand what your motivations for your actions must be. I know the line of thinking that has brought you to this because I’ve felt similar things in the past. But that does not change the fact that what you are doing is...” He paused, fixing the camera with a hard stare. “Evil.”

“Evil?” The word struck a nerve. “You think I’m evil?”

“What you have done is unforgivable,” the detective continued, anger building in his voice. “It is not unimaginable to call it the worst crime in all recorded history. By numbers alone, you are a hundred times worse than even the most terrible murderer you have condemned. I assure you, Kira, these abominable, evil acts will not go unpunished.”

“Evil!?” Twilight leaped to her hooves, magic crackling down her horn. “I’ve saved more lives in a day than you have in your life, you insolent foal!” Caramel said nothing, his eyes bright, a smirk plastered across his face. “You want to see murderers walk free? You want to see all of justice come undone? I will create a world without crime! If you stand in the way of that, you are the evil one!” She grabbed a quill with magic. “All ponies who stand in my way are the evil ones!” She tore the Death Note open and scrawled a name across the entire page.

Caramel

“There.” Twilight realized she was breathing heavily. “Let’s see you stand against me after this. Let’s see if anypony wants to stand against me after this. The whole world is watching, L. What kind of message do you think this will make?” She smiled wickedly. “It’s almost a shame. You gave yourself away too soon. So much for the legendary detective. If you’d been smarter, maybe this could have been fun.” She looked at her wristwatch, then the screen. Caramel had stopped talking. “Five seconds, L.”

“Four.”

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One.”

Caramel’s eyes widened. He let out a yelp of pain and reared up madly, then collapsed. Ponies ran in from both sides of the screen to try to help him. Off-camera Princess Celestia screamed, which dampened Twilight’s spirits a little, but only a little. “Checkmate, L.” With no small amount of satisfaction, she closed the Death Note and put it back on her desk.

“Fascinating...”

Twilight froze. All at once all sound had cut out, and a soft white glow filled the room. Fear rising in her throat, she turned back to the screen. Across the stone sheet was a stylized letter L on a background of pure white. The new voice continued, cracked and distorted beyond all hope of identification. “You really can kill without having any contact with your victim. The data we gathered suggested this was the case, but I must confess I did not truly believe it until now.”

Twilight couldn’t move. This was wrong. She’d won, she’d seen it. He couldn’t have tricked her. This couldn’t be happening.

“Kira, if you truly did just kill the pony you saw on the screen, you should know that he was not L. Caramel was arrested yesterday afternoon on two charges of aggravated assault. This arrest was kept secret, so no official records of it exist. It seems you’ve killed a number of his friends, because Caramel personally volunteered to speak for me tonight. He was well aware of the risks and responsibilities involved. Despite his crimes, he died a noble death. It must hurt, knowing that you’ve just murdered a hero.”

Twilight gritted her teeth and glared. He’s enjoying this too much. I won’t let him twist this against me. You’re the murderer, L, not me. Byuk, meanwhile, was cracking up.

“But Kira, I assure you that I, L, am very real. So, what are you waiting for? Kill me.” Twilight was still frozen at her desk. What could she do? Even if L was this pony’s real name – unlikely – she still had no face to go with it. She tried to swallow her feelings of being trapped. “Well, go on! Do it!” the stratoscreen mocked her. “What’s wrong? Kill me! Heart attack, just like the others, nice and painful! Come on! Kill me!”

There was a long, potent pause. “Well,” L said, satisfaction evident even through the distortion, “it seems you can’t kill me. That is very interesting. You’ve given me some valuable information tonight, Kira. In return, I think I’ll let you in on a secret.

“You believed that this message was being broadcast live across Equestria. In reality, it was only being shown in the area of Ponyville.”

“What?” Twilight couldn’t breathe. Byuk, however, was by this point howling with laughter.

“I had intended to repeat this broadcast in different regions at different times, but it seems that that will no longer be necessary. You are in Ponyville. I admit that the method by which you kill is still a mystery to me, but I’m sure you will be able to tell me about it yourself after I have caught you. Know this, Kira. We know where you are. We are going to find you. And when we do... in a very real way, justice will be served.

“Until we meet again, Kira.”

The image on the screen crackled into static, then blinked out. Byuk could barely contain himself. “Oh, he totally got you, Twilight!” he laughed, crimson tears rolling down his cheeks. “He got you real good!” Seeing the unicorn’s distraught expression, he began to settle down. “Twilight?” She didn’t move. “Hey. You’re not going to give up, are you?”

This startled her out of her shock. Slowly, Twilight’s expression hardened. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth shrank to a tight, thin line. “...Fine.”

“Huh?”

“Fine. I accept your challenge, L.” Twilight strode up to the stratoscreen, apparently still talking to an imagined opponent. “You think that you’re righteous? You think you’re good enough to catch me? Bring it on. I have the Death Note, and I’m closer to you than you are to me. I don’t care if you are the detective of legend, I don’t care if you really are twelve hundred years old. You think you’re justice? I am Kira! I am the god of the new world! I! Am! Justice!”

While the pony pranced and posed in front of the screen Byuk rubbed his hooves together with glee. It’s Kira versus L! he thought. Two brilliant minds pitted against each other... and whoever’s identity is revealed first dies! His eyes sparkled. Now this I’ve got to see!

Dear Princess Celestia,

Are you all right? I know it’s a strange question for me to ask you, but I saw your message to Kira (you were wonderful, by the way) and I wanted to make sure you were okay. It was a terrible thing L did to Caramel, even if it was to help catch Kira. I don’t know if I want to trust him after that.

I was also shocked to learn that Kira is in Ponyville! Please, Princess, I know you’re afraid for my safety, but I can’t in good conscience abandon my friends. I don’t know if I could forgive myself if one of them got hurt because I wasn’t there to help. Please, for their sake, won’t you let me help catch Kira?

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.

P.S.

I’m sorry if this letter takes some time to reach you. Spike has been busy helping Romana, so I may have to resort to using regular mail.

Opening

4
*Opening*

One page taken from the Death Note, or even a fragment of a page, contains the full effect of the note.

The atmosphere in the Lunar Audience Chamber was different than it had been before. Fewer ponies filled the auditorium on this night’s meeting, though what they lacked in numbers they were more than making up for in noise. Instead of breaking into groups based on race, this time the ponies had split into two camps of about equal size, divided down the very center of the room. Princess Luna listened closely to both groups from the shadows in the rafters. From what she could gather, the ponies on the right side still supported L, while those on the left were dead set against working with him. This worried her. She’d learned in the past what discord could do to a group; if this arguing persisted, all the progress they’d made would be undone.

Fewer ponies paid attention as the lunar princess fluttered down to the stage. Sideline had already set up L’s tripodal voice box and was standing by the projector, ready with several slides laid out before her. “The Night Court is now in session!” Luna bellowed, which lowered most of the voices in the hall to a murmur. “L, are you with us?”

“I am here, Luna,” the cracked voice boomed.

“Excellent. Under the circumstances, I would like to open the floor straight away to anypony who wishes to speak.”

Luna groaned inwardly as Captain Straw Bolt rose to his feet. He appeared to have nominated himself the spokespony of the anti-L movement, no doubt simply due to his large size and stature. His wings extended with a loud, metallic screech, silencing the ponies behind him. “L,” he barked at the tiny voice box, “you have a lot of explaining to do.”

“Yes, indeed. You are no doubt wondering how I had divined that Kira was in Ponyville. Sideline, slide one.” Before the guard captain could object, a long list of names and numbers appeared on the back wall. “While trying to figure out how Kira operates, I also went over the question of how he gets his information. Only major, sensational crimes are reported on crystalvision, and any public police records are only updated once the necessary paperwork has been completed. For up-to-date information on recent arrests and criminals currently at large, Kira would have to turn to a different medium. Slide two.”

A new table appeared, showing the names of publications and several columns of times and dates. “I singled out two major newspapers, the Equestria Daily and The Trotter, as the most likely sources of Kira’s information. Both originate from the printing house of Printy Press and Textile, here in Canterlot. I compared the delivery schedules of these papers to the times of death of any criminals they reported on. While larger cities like Canterlot and Manehattan regularly have early releases and special editions, relatively smaller towns like Ponyville get their news on a more regular basis, and not at all on Sundays. No matter what the type or severity of the crime, no criminal reported in these publications was killed until shortly after the respective newspaper had arrived in Ponyville. This is by no means conclusive evidence, but it was enough to point me in the right direction.”

Straw Bolt ground his teeth. “Clever,” he remarked dryly. “But I was referring to that stunt you pulled a few hours ago. That broadcast where you had a pony killed right in front of the Princess.”

“Ah. Yes. That.” L coughed, the distortion making his voice sound like the scrape of metal on metal. Several ponies flinched. “I’m not going to pretend that what I did was acceptable. I’m sure that once this is over I will be on the receiving end of an official reprimand.”

“Was Celestia aware of this plan? I highly doubt that she would have approved.”

Another cough. “No. Lady Celestia believed that Caramel was me, and treated him accordingly. Had she thought otherwise, she would not have introduced him as L and our broadcast would have lost credibility. Lady Luna, have you yet apologised to her for me?”

Luna hung her head. “No, L. I haven’t seen her. She’s locked herself in her bedroom.”

“A pity. I hope that you will speak to her as soon as possible.” Luna nodded. “In the meantime, I think it is best that we focus on the nobility of Caramel’s sacrifice and the valuable information he has bought us.”

Straw Bolt was undeterred. “A sacrifice you orchestrated.”

“Captain Straw Bolt!” Luna stomped a hoof angrily, sending a rumble of thunder around the room. “I personally approved L’s plan before it was put into action. He has not only proved the existence of Kira but given us a location, while your infighting has accomplished nothing. You will sit down now, and we will not speak of this incident again.”

The captain tried to stare the pair down, but he found himself powerless under the gaze of the lunar princess. Grumbling, he fluttered his wings angrily and folded his legs beneath him.

“Thank you,” L’s voice box said in a softer tone, just loud enough for Luna to hear. She allowed herself a small smile. “Now,” he continued in his normal voice, “we need to look to the future if we are to get any closer to Kira. He now knows that we are looking for him, so we must act quickly before he can take countermeasures against us. Firstly, we must look more closely into how Kira kills, and find ways to prevent it. To that end, I have prepared this. Sideline, slide three.”

The pictures of six ponies appeared on the screen behind L. “These ponies are scheduled to appear in either of the two aforementioned newspapers later today: two murderers, three thieves and an arsonist. All fit the profile of those likely to be murdered by Kira. I propose that we alter the information as it appears in print, changing the pictures of two, the names of two, and both the names and pictures of the remaining two. We will then monitor these individuals over the next several days to see if Kira is still able to kill them. Does this sound like an acceptable plan? Yay or Neigh?”

There was some discussion among the assembled ponies. A few raised their hooves and waved for attention. Luna singled one out and wracked her brain for a name. "Lemon Hearts, do you have something to say?"

The young unicorn gasped in pleasure at being recognized. The sight made Luna smile. She wondered if this was how Celestia felt all the time. "Mister L," the yellow filly said loudly, "if we know that Kira needs information about his victims to kill, then why don't we simply shut down all media? If we stop reporting criminals in the news, Kira won't know about them and won't be able to kill them." A few ponies around her nodded their heads in agreement.

"A bad idea," L said. "From what I've learned, Kira is arrogant and has a foal-like sense of justice. I also think that at this point murder has become as natural to him as breathing. If we take direct steps in stopping him from killing criminals, he will simply change his targets to those who have committed more minor offenses. If we cut off the supply completely, he may resort to killing civilians until we give him what he wants. Minor changes are less likely to be noticed, and will give us a better idea of what we are dealing with." Lemon Hearts sat down, looking disappointed.

After she felt the court had had enough time to think Luna called for a vote. "All in favor of L's proposal?" The exact procedures of the Night Court were unclear to most ponies, having not been used in little over a thousand years, so there was a combination of raised hooves, hoof stomps and cries of "Yay!" from across the room. Luna tried to keep track of them all, making a mental note to review the formalities of the Court once this was over. "And all against?" Thankfully, the following movements and cries of "Neigh!" were much fewer, making the vote easy to tally. Luna nodded. "Excellent. The names and faces of these six will be altered in time for the next edition of the paper."

"Thank you, Lady Luna." It was hard to tell, but L almost sounded smug. "However, since I anticipated the full support of the Court in this matter, I have already made the necessary arrangements. The altered newsprints should be being printed as we speak." Before any angry ponies could interrupt he continued to his next point. "My second suggestion is this. As per Captain Straw Bolt's recommendation, I feel that it is time to send trained professionals into Ponyville. Do we have a representative from the EBI?"

A dark blue and rather chubby pegasus rose up and flew down to the front of the room. Luna saw with relief that he'd been sitting somewhere on the far right. "Storm Seeker, sir, representing the Equestrian Bureau of Investigations." He snapped a quick salute. "It's an honor, sir."

"Never mind that. Sideline, slide four." A long list of names appeared on the wall. "Behind me are the names of those ponies in Ponyville who I believe may be or may be working with Kira. I would like as many agents as you can spare to follow them one at a time and report any unusual or suspicious activity."

"All of them, sir?" the pegasus asked incredulously.

“Yes, all of them, in whatever order you choose, until such a time as Kira is captured or the investigation is closed."

"V-very well, sir!" Storm Seeker gave a final salute and started back towards his seat.

Luna looked closely at the list of names. Some of them she recognized. "L, half the Elements of Harmony are on this list," she hissed.

"That is true. I know what you would say, but my decision is final. We cannot afford to leave any stone unturned."

"I guess..." She traced her way down the list, growing increasingly worried with each name. There was no indication of how much or how little L suspected each one; despite the enormous diversity of character, each was written the same way on the page. But how could anypony possibly suspect the fun-loving Pinkie Pie of murder? Was the dutiful Mayor more of a threat than the delinquents she presided over? How would the shy, sensitive Fluttershy react if she discovered she was being watched? “L, I hope you know what you’re doing,” Luna muttered. Her eyes landed on the name of her sister's beloved student. "Oh, Tia's going to have a fit if she finds out about this."

By that morning, Spike had still not returned to the library. Twilight Sparkle forced herself not to worry and set about preparing breakfast. "I'm sure he's just out with Colgate," she said loudly as she walked around the kitchen, only partly talking to the watching god. "She just wants him nearby in case they get another letter in a hurry. Nothing to worry about, nothing at all."

"So why are you worrying?" Byuk sat on the counter, munching on some dried apples he'd found in the cupboard.

"I'm not worrying!" Twilight insisted, a distinctly worried expression crossing over her face. "I just don't like it when he's away for this long. I like knowing where he is."

Byuk considered this. "Are you worried about him because you see him as family, or because you're afraid he's out making plans with L?"

"Because..." Twilight paused and found that she had to actually think about her answer. "Maybe a little of both? I just don't want anything bad to happen to him, that's all." There was a loud knock at the door. Twilight rushed over, breakfast forgotten, and flung the door open to reveal Ditzy Doo. "Oh, hi Ditzy," she said, her spirits dropping. "What's up?"

"I brought you a letter!" The pegasus seemed unnaturally happy as she dug through her saddlebags to produce a tiny scroll of parchment; it had to be a crime to enjoy one's work that much. "And here's your newspapers!"

Twilight accepted both offerings and thanked the mailmare quickly before slamming the door shut and returning to the kitchen. She tore open the little scroll and found Spike's inelegant scrawl inside.

Dear Twilight,

Colgate says I should stay nearby in case another letter arrives, so I'm going to be staying here for the night. I should be back sometime in the morning. Please don't worry about me.

Love, Spike.

Twilight smiled and shook her head. Typical Spike, no sense of how the regular mail worked. He'd probably thought it would arrive in a matter of seconds. She folded the letter up and put it aside, levitating the bundle of newspapers Ditzy Doo had brought towards her. Ostensibly these were to go to the library’s archives, but she’d ended up finding a very different use for them. From her saddlebags by the door she pulled out a thin, white notebook, sat down, and from the top of the pile opened up the latest edition of the Equestria Daily.

Byuk floated over, looking confused. “Hey, that’s not the Death Note.”

“That’s right, it’s not. How did you think I’ve been keeping up with my work without anypony getting suspicious?” She stopped skimming through the paper momentarily to hold up the imposter notebook. “I call this the Life Note. Some of the pages are taken from the Death Note, but only I know which ones. Whenever something related to Kira happens I write it down in here. If anypony asks I just tell them I’m studying Kira because I’m interested in the magic he uses. This way I can write down the names of criminals in public, and nopony will think it looks suspicious.”

“Sounds risky.”

“I thought you liked risk.” An article caught Twilight’s eye. An arsonist, identified by locals as the pegasus Bright Spark, had burned down several half-finished houses at the edge of Fillydelphia. With winter coming and reconstructions after the last great parasprite infestation still incomplete, these losses would cost the city a great deal of time and money and leave several families without homes for another year. The police had provided a picture from a recent mugshot, and were urging anypony with information regarding Bright Spark’s whereabouts to come forth. I can do better than that, Twilight thought. She picked up a quill and scratched a new name in the Life Note. “By the way, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you. How exactly does the Death Note work?”

“How does it work?” Byuk frowned. He appeared to mull the question over. “Magic?”

“I thought so, but it’s not any kind of magic I can detect. Is it some kind of special Shinigami magic?” When Byuk didn’t respond Twilight lowered her newspaper to look at him. The god of death was scratching his head, thinking furiously. Her eyes narrowed. “You do know, don’t you?”

Byuk smiled weakly. “I... never thought to ask?”

This was too much. Twilight rose up and stomped at the ground angrily, bright fires burning behind her eyes. “You don’t know? How can you not know!? You’ve spent your whole life carrying it around and writing in it to keep you alive and you still don’t know how it works? How can you live like that!?”

“It didn’t seem important!”

Before the surprised god’s eyes, the lavender unicorn underwent a remarkable transformation. The flames in her eyes seemed to expand, leaving the pony’s irises completely red and draining the colour from the rest of her body. Anger crackled through her and her mane and tail burst into flame, igniting the very air around her. Even though he knew she couldn’t hurt him, Byuk found himself backing away from this display. All at once the flame went out, and the spent and singed Twilight crumpled to the floor. “Isn’t there anypony who knows?” she asked wearily.

“The Shinigami King might know.”

“Could we ask him?”

Byuk looked at her as if she’d suggested they take a short walk to the moon. He chuckled humorlessly. “I don’t think he’d like that. There’s a reason he doesn’t get visitors.” Utterly defeated, Twilight picked herself up and returned to her newspaper.

Around ten minutes later, the library door creaked open and an exhausted-looking Spike trudged in. “Morning, Twilight,” he said, stifling a yawn.

Twilight looked up. “Good morning, Spike!” She put her papers aside and trotted towards the little dragon. “I got your letter. Were you up all night?”

"Yeah... most of it." Spike slumped against the wall. "I tried to go to bed, but Colgate kept talking about plans. She's really excited about Kira being in Ponyville. You know, I don't think she ever sleeps."

"That's a shame. Anything you're allowed to tell me?"

"I dunno, Twilight. I didn't understand a lot of it. I... sleep..." He drifted towards the stairs.

"Hey, Spike, before you do, could you send a letter for me?"

"Another one?" He sighed, then considered it. "Only for you, Twilight. Or Rarity, if she asked. But no one else."

Twilight smiled. "Thanks, Spike. I'll carry you." She lifted Spike onto her back and brought him to her room, where he puffed away the letter she'd written to the princess the night before. Then they went up to his room and Twilight tucked him into bed, making sure she'd left a window open. "Sleep well, my little police officer," she whispered. Spike mumbled softly, a puff of smoke leaving his nose. After a moment's hesitation she kissed him on the forehead and went outside.

There was silence in the little room for about a minute. But as Twilight listened with her ear to the door, Spike yawned loudly and stretched. There was a tiny scrape and a rustling of paper, then another yawn as the baby dragon returned to his basket. Twilight waited for a full five minutes, counting the timing of his snores, before she was satisfied that her little assistant was now fully asleep. She silently opened the door and looked inside, holding her breath. The box behind Spike's basket had been disturbed. She considered her options. She could keep waiting until Spike woke up and went out again, but that would waste precious time. She would just have to risk it, and hope the little dragon was in one of his deeper sleeps.

Keeping her breath shallow, Twilight took a step forward, then another. Every time her hoof touched the ground she cringed, expecting Spike’s eyes to flutter open. She trod more lightly with each step, and in less than a minute had made it halfway across the tiny room.

“Are you being sneaky?”

Twilight yelped, overbalanced and crashed face-first into the floor. She threw up her hooves and tried to think of an excuse for Spike, but no questions or accusations came. Nervously she opened one eye. The little dragon was still asleep, snoring out puffs of smoke. Gently Twilight picked herself up and turned to face Byuk. “Don’t do that!” she hissed.

“Sorry,” the god said in a tone suggesting he was anything but. At a more sensible pace, Twilight walked the rest of the way across the room and lifted the lid off of Spike's box. As she'd expected there was a new scroll atop the disorganized pile he'd built up. She pulled away the string and unrolled it.

Dear Princess Luna,

Today’s newspapers have arrived at the usual time. The plan is on schedule: the names and pictures of the mentioned criminals are confirmed to have been altered. Awaiting further instructions.

Your loyal servant,

Romana

What? Twilight gasped angrily. She looked nervously at Spike, but he was still fast asleep. They were changing the names in the newspapers? Was that legal? Doing a good job of containing her panic, Twilight tied up the scroll again and put it back where she'd found it, replacing the lid on the box. She started to make her way out of the room when Spike grunted. Twilight froze. He sniffed, snorted, and then-

"BUUUUUUURP!"

A jet of green flame leaped up from the bed, a scroll materializing within it. Mercifully, even though this Spike hadn't woken. Twilight released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and picked up the new scroll, taking it downstairs before opening it.

Dear Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student,

Thank you very much for your concern. I am fine; I have seen many terrible things in my lifetime, and I have survived them all. This will be no different.

After learning that Kira is in Ponyville I had intended to bring you back to Canterlot immediately. However, I was very moved by your letter to me. While I cannot permit you to participate in the investigation, it was wrong of me to think of asking you to abandon your friends so simply. I will allow you to stay in Ponyville to support those you care about. But Twilight, please promise me that you will stay out of trouble and not try to find Kira. Much as it may hurt, I don’t know if I could forgive myself if anything were to happen to you.

Your loving teacher,

Princess Celestia

Twilight sighed. She'd dodged an arrow on this one; if she'd been moved to Canterlot, writing names in the Death Note would have become a lot more difficult, especially if Celestia decided to keep checking in on her. Still, the mare was being unreasonable. It wasn't fair to throw Twilight's words back in her face like that. Oh well, she thought glumly, no point pushing the issue any further. Time to take up some more urgent matters.

The lavender mare returned to the kitchen, picking up the discarded newspapers. The second letter had dulled some of her panic, but the shock of the deception stayed with her. Some of the names in here had been changed. But which papers? Which faces, which names? How many? She couldn't tell, and she couldn't keep going. They would surely be monitoring the results, and walking into their trap would only give them the information they wanted. "Where, where?" she gasped. "How do I find the right names now?" Another realization struck. Wasn't there a rule in the Death Note about false names? She dropped everything and rushed upstairs, slamming her door shut and ripping the Note from its secret drawer. She scanned the rules on the inside cover until she saw one that made her heart sink:

The Death Note will be rendered useless if the victim’s name is misspelled four times.

Behind her Byuk floated through the wall, having taken longer to climb the stairs. Twilight looked at him with downcast eyes. "Byuk," she said, "I think I might have written some names wrong in the Death Note. Will it still work?"

"How many? Let me see." He snatched the notebook up from the table and flipped through it, squinting at the names.

"I don't know. Maybe a few."

The god of death scanned the latest page. "You're still good. All these names were for different ponies, right?"

"Yes. I mean, I think so."

"Then it's not a problem." He handed the book back.

Twilight sighed with relief. "Okay. That's good to know. But I guess I can't use newspapers any more. If they caught me so easily once, they'll surely do it again..." She sat down and tapped her head, thinking hard.

“Why don’t you just stop for awhile?”

The unicorn froze. She opened her eyes into slits, glaring up at the god. “What?” she said acidly.

“You know, take a break for awhile. Relax.” Byuk stretched out onto his back and laid down in midair, drifting slowly across the room. “You already kill more often than any shinigami. Why risk your life over a few more?”

Twilight’s eye twitched. Her face settled into a deep scowl. “Byuk,” she said slowly, “do you understand why I’m doing this?” Byuk opened his mouth to respond, but Twilight cut him off. “Clearly you don’t. This isn’t about fun, and it’s not about revenge. This is about saving Equestria. Do you understand that?” The god nodded hurriedly, but Twilight wasn’t finished. “The world needs Kira right now. It’s short-sighted ponies like L who can’t see that. Giving up is exactly what he wants me to do. If I ever stop punishing the wicked, even for a week, even for a single day, then L wins.” She snorted. “Well, I’m not giving in to him. Not now, not ever. Do you get it now?” she snarled.

Byuk waved his hooves and backed away. “Okay, okay! So you won’t stop. I can respect that.” He breathed a quick sigh of relief as the unicorn appeared to calm down slightly. “But what are you going to do? You can’t look up names in the newspaper any more.”

“You’re right.” Twilight sighed in frustration. “L’s moving more quickly than I anticipated. I can’t afford to be so careless any more.” She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe I've been going about this the wrong way. I can be cleverer than this, I know." Inspiration struck.

After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

“Maybe I just need to make full use of what’s available to me...” Twilight reached into her desk again, stress leaving her face. Pulling out the criminal records book, she ignored her bookmark and opened it to a different section. Smile widening with every passing second, she reached for a quill.

Appleloosa was no longer the tiny town it had once been. Evidently not satisfied with putting together a small township and apple orchard in less than a year, the settler-ponies had simply kept building, throwing up more and more buildings and planting tree after tree. The buffalo who roamed the nearby plains were at first livid over the change, but as each bumper crop of apples was more bountiful than the last the two groups were able to come to a reasonable arrangement. There were even a few buffalo living in town now, and some ponies had run off to stampede with their spiritual cousins across the desert.

But, as the Appleloosans were slowly discovering, not all the effects of the great expansion were good. For all their efforts Appleloosa was very much a part of the Wild West, and cut off from the rest of Equestria the threat of total lawlessness loomed over their heads. Bar brawls were commonplace, ponies drunk on salt and fermented apples tearing the local watering holes apart, and it was a rare day when high noon didn't bring duelling stallions to the streets. Keeping control of such a place was difficult, a demanding job with little pay, but there was one pony who could always be depended on to keep the streets safe. Whenever an argument or a fight broke out, he was there in an instant to smooth things over. Whenever a situation got out of hand, he could put a stop to it just by walking through the door. And if there was ever a criminal or dastardly mastermind on the loose, you could bet your last bit that Sheriff Silverstar would be the one to catch them.

Most of the time, anyway. Presently, the sheriff was taking a nap.

Sheriff Silverstar laid back in his office, catching up on his favorite pastime. The office was new, as was most of the building, and he was growing to like it. At last year’s council meeting it had been decided that the tiny offices he’d been operating out of were now laughably small for a town of this size. He now had a proper police station of his very own, complete with his own room, his own desk, and his own (extremely comfortable) chair. Sure, sometimes he missed laying back on the front porch and watching life go by, but he had an eager assistant to do that for him now. With all the day’s paperwork filled out and all nineteen cells in their little jail filled, there was simply nothing else for him to do.

The town’s clock tower chimed the hour. At the same time, panicked shouts rang out from the station's cells. Silverstar grumbled and considered covering his ears and rolling over, but they did sound serious. He supposed it was his duty to check it out. Brushing a few crumbs out of his moustache, he rolled out of his chair and made his way to the back room. What he saw surprised him. The old drunk Salty was lying unmoving in his bunk, lifeless. This was saddening, but not terribly shocking; the old pony hadn't been a day sober in twenty years. What was surprising was the reactions of those in the other cells. Troublemaker and murderer alike, including some of the roughest, toughest stallions known to Ponydom, all were trembling and cowering in the corners of their cells as far from the body as they could get. "He's dead!" stammered Angel Eyes from the cell opposite, a villainous pony Silverstar had never known to show fear even in the face of the Royal Guard. "He yelled and then he just fell over! It's magic, I tells ya! Magic!"

Before the sheriff could say anything the other inmates began shouting as well. "Ah saw him! T'ain't natural!"

"He's gonna get us, too!"

"Kira's gonna get us!"

"Whoa, whoa." Silverstar held up two hooves, silencing the panicked prisoners. "It was Salty's time, boys, nothing more. You've been spending too much time listening to Call’s tall tales if you believe otherwise."

"What they say is true," boomed a loud voice from the far end of the room. "This was the work of Kira."

Sheriff Silverstar walked down to the end of the row of cells. The final one was three times the size of the others, built to house buffalo instead of ponies. This was one of the agreements he had made with Chief Thunderhooves; if a crime was committed within Appleloosa, it would be dealt with by Appleloosans. Accordingly, when a lone buffalo had been found selling faulty dreamcatchers and fake deer skulls to young ponies on the edge of town, an extension to the station had been built just for him. "You got something to say, Nature's Call?"

The self-proclaimed shaman drew himself up proudly. "I have heard the winds whisper across the plains, and all speak the name of Kira. The sky weeps for those he kills, and the earth trembles at his touch. A god of death now walks this land, and his wrath will be great and terrible.”

“Is that so?” Silverstar wrinkled his moustache. “I’ll be sure to remember that. I’ll also ask you not to start causing a panic, unless you feel like staying in here an extra month.”

“Heed my words, so-called Silverstar!” the buffalo yelled as the sheriff walked away. “Death has found this place! Death will follow you!”

It took little time to deal with Salty’s passing. The old pony had no living relatives or next of kin, nor any real possessions to speak of, so for once all the paperwork was done in a snap. No clear cause of death, but that was often the case with old drunks. Once the cell was cleaned up and the body sent away to the morgue, Sheriff Silverstar felt it was safe to return to his nap. He had scarcely sat down, however, when the bell tolled again and screams rang out from the back a second time. He ran back with more urgency this time, only to stop dead in his tracks. His mouth dropped open. There in the corner lay his old friend and nemesis Angel Eyes, the once-proud face now frozen in a death mask of absolute terror.

When the bell tower chimed a third time and screams rang out once more, Silverstar didn’t bother to check on the cells. Instead he went out to the front of the building, where his apprentice was intently surveying the main square to watch for signs of danger. “Howdy, Junior.” The little colt jumped in surprise, almost knocking off his oversized hat. The sheriff chuckled. “Tell me, you still have those outstanding arrest warrants handy?”

“Absolutely, sir!” Whooves Junior reached into a bag at his side and presented several well-worn leaves of paper. “Are we going out, sir?”

The older pony smiled. He couldn’t put his hoof on why, but having the foal around brightened up his day. The boy was young and overly pacifistic, but he was quick to learn and eager to lend a helping hoof. “Yup. It seems some character called Kira’s been clearing out some cells for us. It would be a shame not to fill them.” Silverstar leaned forward to examine the first page he’d been presented with. “Butch Castle and Sundancer the Kid? With names like those we can expect to have them back by tonight. Saddle up, boy. We’re going hunting.”

And so, not twenty minutes later, an aging sheriff and a tiny colt who wanted to be a doctor galloped out of Appleloosa. No plan, no backup, no weapons but a single apple pie, but that was Silverstar’s way. He had two names to follow, he had a friend by his side, and most importantly, he had the badge of authority. He had justice. No, better than that.

He was justice.

Again and again, the clock tower tolled the hour.

Dear Princess Luna,

Yesterday, I had close to fifty dedicated ponies on my investigative team. Now, we number less than twenty. I believe that seeing a pony die on crystalvision has hurt morale greatly. A friend told me this morning that she doesn’t know who to fear more now, Kira or L. Arguments are becoming more frequent, and I’m worried that soon the team will break down completely.

I’m afraid that part of what’s causing this discord is a lack of direction. I do my best to be a strong leader, but it’s hard to tell ponies what to do without a clear directive in mind. Please, Princess, for their sake, let us have something to do. None of these ponies are trained to deal with the stress of simply watching and waiting. Give us a task, just a small one, if only to keep us occupied. It chills my blood to think of Kira finding victory by watching us tear each other apart.

Your faithful servant,

Romana

Advance

5
*Advance*

If the time of death is written within 40 seconds after writing the cause of death, the time of death can be manipulated, and can go into effect within 40 seconds after writing the name.

“Twilight Sparkle!”

Apples, thought Twilight glumly, filling her bag with produce from Applejack’s stall. Why did it have to be apples? I’ve offered all kinds of fruits, flowers, grasses and hay fries, even gems, but no. ‘Apples, Twilight! Apples!’ I’m going to have to restrict his supply. I don’t eat this many apples in a month, let alone-

“Twilight Sparkle!” The more insistent voice jolted the unicorn out of her thoughts. “I’m surprised at you, ignoring a friend like that!”

“Oh... sorry, Rarity.” Twilight blinked and the fashionista came into focus right next to her, wearing a pouty expression. The purple mare grinned sheepishly. “I guess I haven’t been getting much sleep.”

“Yes, that much is obvious.” Rarity circled Twilight, giving her critical looks. “Which is why I was just stopping by to make sure you hadn’t forgotten about our appointment tomorrow.”

Twilight paid Applejack and tried to keep up with Rarity’s circular pacing. “We have an appointment tomorrow?”

“Yes! I asked you this morning if you wanted to join Fluttershy and I at the spa tomorrow at our regular time, and you agreed. On me, of course. Dear, do try to keep up.”

“I did?” Twilight tried to think back to that morning, but most of her memory turned up blank. “Rarity, that’s really not necessary-”

“Not necessary? Not necessary!?” Rarity grabbed Twilight’s face between her hooves. “Dear, you’re frazzled, dazzled, bedraggled, straggled, your hair and skin are an absolute mess, you look like you haven’t slept in days and you’re suffering all the tell-tale signs of overwork! Believe me, I’ve spent enough nights up working to recognize them. Darling, you simply must relax!”

Twilight looked down at herself. It was true, the last few days had not been easy for her. Ever since Caramel’s fateful - and fatal - broadcast, she’d been spending longer and longer in front of the Death Note, furiously scratching out names. Added to her already-packed schedule of studying magic, this meant she hadn’t found much time to eat properly or look after herself. Maybe I have been overdoing it, she considered. I guess it couldn’t hurt to relax a bit. “I’d love to join you, Rarity.”

“Wonderful! We’ll talk more later, when we have some... privacy.” Rarity shot a dirty look towards the apple stand and marched haughtily away. “See you tomorrow, Twilight.”

“Bye!”

Twilight turned back to Applejack, who was standing next to her cart with a baffled expression. “What the hay did Ah do?”

“I don’t know. You seemed fine to me.” Realization struck. “Has she been like this ever since you two talked about Kira?”

“Why, yes. Ever since...” Applejack’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t suppose she’s still hung up on that, do you?”

“I don’t know. I’ll try to talk to her about it tomorrow.”

“You do that.” Applejack sighed sadly, looking away. “You make sure you do that.”

Minutes after night had fallen, Princess Luna flew over the ramparts of Canterlot Castle. She soared around the Solar Tower once before fluttering to a halt on the balcony where her sister usually stood while lowering the sun. Celestia was nowhere to be seen. The lunar princess rushed inside, catching a glimpse of a striped pastel tail rapidly retreating down a flight of stairs. She followed at great speed, finally catching up to her sister in a narrow corridor. “Celestia!”

Celestia did not even look back. “Luna, I am tired,” she sighed. “Please, talk to me some other time.”

Luna did her best to swallow her frustration. “We haven’t spoken in a while,” she said carefully. “I thought you might want some company.”

“Not tonight, Luna.” Celestia shook her head and continued walking. “I’ve had a very long day and I wish to be alone. Perhaps some other time.”

Luna sighed and looked down. “That is what you said last night as well,” she muttered. Without realizing it she ground her rear left hoof against the floor, leaving a deep scratch in the marble.

This was a disturbing pattern that Luna had started to notice in her sister. Celestia had taken to rising just in time to raise the sun in the morning, pouring herself into her royal duties throughout the day, and then going back to bed just as night fell. This constant cycle left no time for her to speak with her little sister, or anypony for that matter. The lunar princess couldn’t recall the last time they’d had a proper conversation. She's pushing everyone else out, Luna realized. She's filling up all her time with work so she can hide what's really important to her. Just like I did, before... She could barely finish the thought. Before...

"Lady Luna." A voice broke into her thoughts, making the princess jump. She turned to find Sideline behind her. The mare probably hadn't meant to sneak up on her; her enchanted cloak made almost all of her movements soundless. "I'm sorry if I startled you," L's disguised voice crackled from beneath the hood. A tiny voice box was visible hanging around Sideline’s neck. "I suspected I might find you here. May I have a word in private?"

"Oh... of course, L. Come with me." Together, the two ponies made their way back the way Luna had come, arriving at the balcony overlooking most of Canterlot. The dark alicorn’s horn glowed momentarily, and a glittering cobweb of soundproofing magic formed in the air around them. "We can speak here. What did you wish to talk about?"

"I no longer trust the Night Court."

"That is... a very direct thing to say. Sudden, too." Luna pretended to look over the sleeping city before them. "What brought this on? Is Straw Bolt being too much to handle? I can have him removed from the proceedings."

"No, he is fine. Resistance to my proposals is always to be expected. What bothers me is that I am afraid that Kira has access to the information presented at the Night Court."

"You believe there's a spy in the Court?"

"Possibly. As soon as we tried to trick Kira with the false newspaper reports, he switched his targets to ponies already in prison. When I was beginning to put together a pattern of the times when he kills, he began killing one criminal on the hour, every hour. If we continue to discuss our conclusions in so public a manner, Kira will only continue to outmaneuver us."

"The Night Court is hardly public," Luna scoffed. "There's an intensive screening process before guests and applicants can even be considered."

"Nevertheless, information is being leaked. That is why I will no longer be attending sessions of the Night Court. Sideline will return to Ponyville as soon as possible. You may contact me through her if I am needed." The disguised pony tilted her head, as if in confusion; perhaps this was news to her as well. "If you still want to hold the Night Court on a nightly basis, I have no power to stop you. However, I feel that the group's usefulness has run out."

Luna thought about this for a minute. "I don't know if I'm prepared to abandon the Court so quickly," she said. "I told Celestia that we would be the ones to catch Kira. She may worry if she believes I’ve given up on it."

"She need not worry," L insisted. "I will be the one to catch Kira."

"Of course you are." Luna stifled a laugh and smiled affectionately. An unfamiliar sense of nostalgia washed over her. That's such an L thing to say. The voice changes, the methods change, but even after a thousand years, L's still the same. She sighed. It’s good that some things never change.

L continued. “It has also come to my attention that Kira has made some changes to his killing schedule. They were marked on the last report, but no details were given. Would you care to elaborate on that now?”

“Oh... yes. I was going to discuss those at the Court, but... okay.” While she trusted the strength of her own silencing spell, out of habit Luna looked around before continuing. “There were three deaths that occurred out of sequence with the others last night, all within the same hour, and within the next day there were three hours when nopony died. But some of the others...” Luna closed her eyes as she spoke and her voice fell, trying not to think about what she was saying. “One pony carved a suicide note in the wall with his horn and then stabbed himself to death. Another managed to buck down his cell door, not an easy feat at the best of times, then hung himself with his sheets without even taking a step outside. A third was accidentally trampled to death during a prison hoofball game. Normally we would have overlooked these, but they all happened exactly on the hour, in place of a pony having a heart attack.”

“Interesting.” L made strange noises that Luna correctly surmised were sounds of writing, then was silent for a minute. “This raises some interesting questions. It seems that Kira can kill with methods other than heart attacks, and possibly manipulate his victims before death. And now he is testing the limits of that power... How many of these reports have been released?”

“None, so far. Our experts are still trying to gather more data about these particular cases.”

"Shut them down. Shut them all down. If Kira is performing experiments, we must make every effort to ensure that the results of these trials do not reach him. If possible, we must make him believe that he has failed. From now on, within the Night Court and all official reports, those ponies died of heart attacks without any complications or strange behavior. Do I make myself clear?"

"Completely." Luna's head was reeling. Had L just given her an order? Her, Princess of the Night? But, at the same time, what he said made sense.

"Good. I hope to speak with you again soon. Please send the full reports of the deaths to my base in Ponyville. Otherwise, not a word." There was a pause. "It was good to see you again, Princess."

Luna considered giving the mare a hug, but decided it would be a pointless gesture. "You too, L." Sideline turned away, her cloak causing her to instantly blend in with the enveloping shadows. For the second time that night, Luna found herself alone on the balcony.

Byuk groaned as Twilight entered Ponyville’s spa. “This is pointless,” he whined. “I can’t talk to you here, I can’t eat apples, I can’t even feel the water. This is going to be so boring.” Twilight ignored him. A group of young mares strolled by, giggling to themselves, and Byuk’s eyes followed them. “Although,” he mused, “maybe it couldn’t hurt to freshen up a little. I think I’ll go haunt the showers. Ciao.” He drifted sideways through the wall, leaving Twilight rolling her eyes.

"Twilight, this way!" From a door at the end of the reception area Rarity waved at her impatiently. "I've already checked us in, and our tub is nearly ready!"

A few minutes later the pair were relaxing in the spa's large, ornate bathtub. Twilight sighed as she started to loosen up, her muscles aching as she released the tension she’d been building up over the past few days. Gentle and sweet fragrances wafted up towards her, calming her weary mind. Rarity had been right; she did need this.

The white unicorn, on the other hand, was looking more and more stressed by the minute. “Where is Fluttershy? It's not like her to be this late, not without a reason.”

"Um." A large, floral hat came into view above the edge of the tub. "I'm sorry, girls. I had to, um... I had to take a detour."

“Fluttershy!” Rarity practically leaped from the bath and began looking her friend up and down. She was dressed in all kinds of clashing green colours, along with a pair of oversized sunglasses. “What in the world possessed you to put on that ghastly getup? Those colours don't do you the least bit of justice.”

"I know. I mean, I'm sorry. I mean, I'm... hiding."

"Hiding?" Twilight leaned forward. "Hiding from what?

Fluttershy pawed at the ground nervously as Rarity busied herself undressing her. "I think... I think I'm being followed."

The two unicorns took a moment to take this in. Rarity reacted first. "Darling! You have a secret admirer!"

"What?" Twilight shook her head. "Rarity, are you sure?"

"Why, of course! To admire one's love from afar is one of the most romantic displays of affection. Oh, how I envy you two!" The unicorn sank back into the bath, swooning dramatically. Fluttershy followed more slowly, testing the water with her hooves before lowering herself in. "The noble stallion, be-smitten with admiration, has laid eyes on you and fallen in love at first sight! But so great is your beauty in his eyes that he cannot bring himself to approach you and reveal his innermost feelings for fear of rejection. What grand romantic gesture will follow? A single rose, delivered to your door each and every day by a cloaked stranger? A four-piece orchestra singing songs of praise outside your window? Tickets to the next grand Gala, with instructions to seek him out within the crowd? Oh, I cannot imagine how excited you must be!"

By this point the timid pegasus looked positively mortified. "Oh, that sounds... lovely." She sank a little further into the water. "But, um, I don't think it's like that. I'm worried it might be somepony who works for Photo Finish. She wants me to model for her again, and she's written some weird letters to me."

Rarity was undeterred. "Letters declaring her undying love?"

"Not really. I mean... weird letters. Really, really... weird." Fluttershy bit her lip and looked aside.

"Oh, don't worry, darling." Rarity put a comforting hoof on her friend's shoulder. "You'll find the pony of your dreams someday."

"Um..."

"Girls, I think you're missing the point," Twilight broke in. "This still doesn't answer the question of why Fluttershy's being followed. That must be terribly frightening."

The pegaus blushed. "It kind of is, a little..."

"My, Twilight, I'm surprised at you!” Rarity interrupted. “I thought you'd be able to appreciate the romantic gesture, especially with that magnificent stallion following you around."

"That has nothing to do with... what?" Twilight's brain caught up with her mouth. "What do you mean, somepony's following me?"

"Oh, you didn't know? That's strange. He was not the most subtle of ponies."

Twilight grabbed Rarity, panic starting to rise in her. "Rarity, you knew somepony was following me and you didn't tell me!?"

"Well I thought you knew!" her friend snapped back. “Really, darling, have you no eye for stallions at all? He shines like a burning light in the darkness. That mane... that horn..." The unicorn sighed. "Oh, I am so jealous! How did you of all ponies wind up with such an attractive suitor?"

Twilight sat back, thinking furiously. Is this the work of L? There's no way they could have figured me out so quickly. Her eyes landed on Fluttershy, who had closed her eyes and was doing her best to relax. Of course! He doesn't suspect me specifically, he's trying to narrow down the list of suspects. But what can I do about this? I can't keep using the Life Note in public, not with some spy watching me. I’ll have to deal with him, somehow... She caught sight of her friend’s expression. “Rarity, why don’t you talk to him?”

Rarity’s jaw dropped. “Twilight! That is not how a lady goes about these things!”

“Why not? You like him, don’t you?”

“Well, I...” The unicorn blushed. “Perhaps that’s not quite the word I would use, but...”

“So what’s the problem?” Twilight wracked her brain for a convincing argument; surely she’d read enough studies of romance to come up with something. “Rarity, you’ve spent your whole life waiting for other ponies to come to you. But how can you expect them to seek you out if you never reach out yourself?”

Rarity opened her mouth, then closed it. She turned to Fluttershy for support. “Dear, what is your take on this matter?”

“Um...” Fluttershy sank a little further into the water. “I don’t think I’m the best pony to ask, but... if a boy talks to me, and I don’t talk back... he usually doesn’t talk to me any more.”

“Well...” The unicorn turned back to Twilight. “Times are changing, I suppose,” she mused. “I doubt I would be seen as less of a lady if I were to simply, oh, announce my availability. Are you sure you wouldn’t mind, Twilight?”

“Of course not. I’d rather have a happy friend than a stalker any day.” And if she can’t get him off my back, nothing will. “Speaking of friends, have you talked to Applejack at all lately?”

Rarity’s expression soured instantly. “Oh, don’t talk to me about that... barbarian,” she grumbled.

“What happened?” Fluttershy asked, worried by her friend’s sudden shift in tone. “Did you two have another fight? It’s not good for friends to fight.”

“Oh, I know, dear, I know. Normally I would hate to drag out a disagreement for this long. But that pony... Augh!” She stomped in frustration, sending ripples out along the surface of the water. “I still absolutely cannot believe she supports Kira. Siding with such a monster is completely unforgivable.”

“But, Rarity...” She thinks I’m a monster? Twilight swallowed her own anger and reached out to her friend. “You used to be such good friends. Is a difference of opinion really more important than her?”

“Difference of opinion?” Rarity shot her a cold look. “Twilight Sparkle, this is not a difference of opinion. This is a clear-cut case of right and wrong. Now, if this Kira were simply avenging those who were killed unfairly, then perhaps I would sympathise with his cause. But killing burglars? Robbers? Petty thieves? That is not how a civilized pony deals with justice. No, what Kira does is simple, cold-blooded murder, disguised by only the pettiest, flimsiest excuse of moral justification.” The unicorn tossed her mane haughtily. “I absolutely will not tolerate the company of anypony who thinks they can defend that kind of evil.”

Now it was Twilight’s turn to be rendered speechless. Like her friend before her she turned to the pegasus across from her for help. “Fluttershy, do you think Kira’s that bad too?”

“C-could we talk about something else, please?” the winged pony squeaked.

Despite the soothing atmosphere an uncomfortable fog fell across the group, and the rest of the session was spent in relative silence.

“Where is he?”

“Near that alley. Try not to stare.”

Twilight allowed herself a quick glance as the trio left the spa. Sure enough, a light brown unicorn wearing a dark coat and sunglasses was idling just across the street from them, pretending to inspect a flower stall’s wares. From what she could see, she had to admit he did appear to have a certain charm. “Good luck, Rarity.”

“Thank you, Twilight. I’ll remember your advice.”

“This was fun. See you later, girls.” Decked out once more in her clashing coat and hat, Fluttershy quietly slipped away.

Rarity made her way across the street, while Twilight took a sharp turn back towards the library. “Why, darling!” she heard Rarity say. “What do you think you’re doing, wearing a coat like that in this weather? Please, you must let me help you find something more appropriate...”

Twilight allowed herself a smile as she galloped away.

It was after dark when Byuk finally arrived back at the library. As soon as he drifted through Twilight Sparkle's wall he began complaining. "You could have told me you were leaving," he whined. "I spent three hours waiting for you to show up. Do you know how boring it gets when the only pony I can talk to..." He stopped short. Twilight was hunched over her desk, the Death Note open before her. She had no quill; the pages were blank. Her breathing was sharp and ragged, as if she was choking back tears. "Hey. What's up?"

Twilight shivered. When she spoke her voice was low, and she didn't raise her head. "Byuk..." She sniffed. "Am I a bad pony?"

"You're asking the wrong god, little pony. Good, bad, you're the one with the Death Note." Byuk folded his wings and settled down next to the desk. "What brought this on?"

"It's just..." She sighed. "When you were in the Shinigami Realm, writing names in the Note to extend your life, how did you choose who to kill?"

"I chose people whose lives were almost at their end. I didn't get much time in one go, but I tried to interfere with the world as little as possible. I can't speak for the others, though." The shinigami scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I knew a couple who threw sand down to the worlds below and killed whoever it hit. I don't think any of us ever targeted any person in particular."

Twilight looked up. "You keep using that word. What are people?"

"Silly pony. You think pony worlds are the only ones out there?" The god gave a throaty chuckle. "This isn't the first time a god has fallen to another world, you know. Maybe someday I'll tell you that story."

"Maybe." Twilight turned back to the deadly notebook. "Did you ever worry that what you were doing was wrong? That maybe some ponies don't deserve to die?"

"Deserve?" A strange look crossed over Byuk's face, as though the word was unfamiliar to him. "What's deserve got to do with it? Everything dies."

"Even robbers? Even thieves? Even... heroes?" Twilight sniffed again. "I wanted to be justice. But Equestrian justice is based on the punishment fitting the crime. Am I right to condemn all ponies equally?"

"See, I never worried about that. Life, death, it's all the same."

"It's not the same. It's not all the same to me." Twilight closed her eyes. "Byuk... why me?"

Byuk blinked. "Huh?"

"Why me, of all ponies? Why not somepony who would use the Death Note more freely, somepony strong enough to not worry about the consequences? Why not somepony... more like you?"

"You're talking like I chose you." Byuk stretched and walked behind Twilight. "Listen closely, Twilight Sparkle. When I dropped the Death Note into this world, I had no idea that any pony would find it. I only meant to go down, pick it up, and see the sights before going home. If it came to you, it was completely by accident. It could just as easily have landed in the hooves of anypony else. You were not chosen, not by me, not by divine powers, not at all. You were never under any obligation to keep it. Which is why I'm going to give you a choice." Byuk twirled Twilight's chair around, making her stare into his enormous eyes. "At any time, you can relinquish ownership of the Death Note and return it to me. If you were to do this, all your thoughts and memories of the Note would vanish. It would be as though you had never discovered the book at all."

"All my memories..." Twilight's eyes widened. "You would do that for me?"

"I would do that for any pony. It's one of the rules. Of course, any pony you've killed would stay dead." Byuk released the chair and backed away. "Personally, I'd prefer if you don't take that route. Then I'd have to go home, and I wanted to see how this game between you and L plays out."

The name struck a nerve within the unicorn. "L..." Twilight muttered.

"Yes, L. See, that's more like the Kira I know, the one who wants to rid the world of crime."

"To rid the world of crime..."

For Moondancer.

"You're right. I can't let myself be lenient. No crime means no compromise, no matter what. And if Celestia won't punish those who've done wrong..." Twilight rose, passion returning to her voice. "Then I will!" Byuk smiled. Twilight smiled back. "Thank you, Byuk, but no thank you. I don't think I'll be needing to give up the Note just yet."

"Glad to hear it."

"But there is one thing I do need. I need to know the identities of the spies walking around Ponyville. Taking out just the one following me would look suspicious, but if they were all to disappear at the same time...”

“I see what you’re getting at.” Byuk nodded thoughtfully. “And I suppose you want me to do something about it?”

“Would you?”

“Nope.” Byuk cackled and floated up towards the ceiling. “I’m not on your side, Twilight Sparkle. I’m not on L’s side either. I want to see who can out-think the other, and that means no interference from me.” He held up a hoof as Twilight opened her mouth to argue. “But there is one thing I can give you. It comes with the Death Note, in a way, so it wouldn’t be cheating. I don’t think you’re going to like it, though.”

“Whatever it is, I can take it if it helps me get to L.”

“I thought you’d say that.” The god smiled and drifted closer. “A shinigami’s eyes are different to those of most beings. I can see a pony’s name and lifespan just by looking at their face. For a price, I can enchant your eyes in the same way. It's undetectable, infallible, and lasts the rest of your life. If you kept your eyes open, you could learn those ponies’ names in no time.”

Twilight grinned widely, trying to calm her beating heart. “What’s the price?” she asked, barely containing her excitement.

“One half of your remaining lifespan.” Byuk let out another laugh as the pony’s face fell. “If you have fifty years left, you’d have twenty-five. If you have twenty, you’d have ten. If you have two... you get the idea.”

“Right.” Twilight kicked at the ground. “And I guess I’m not allowed to know how long I have until afterwards, right?”

“Bingo.” The god extended his hoof towards her face. “So, my little pony, what do you say?”

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned that good advice can come from all kinds of places that you’d never expect. Sometimes, a pony can get so used to thinking they know everything about a topic that they start to believe they can’t ever be wrong. But if you take the time to listen to those with differing opinions, you might realize you’ve been going about something the wrong way all along. It’s always important to listen to what your friends have to say, because you never know when they’re going to surprise you.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Reunion

6
*Reunion*

The conditions of death will not be realized unless it is physically possible for that pony and it may be reasonably assumed that the pony would carry the actions out.

The brown-coated EBI agent emerged from the alley as Twilight Sparkle and her friends prepared to leave Ponyville’s spa. He knew for a fact that he’d been waiting for almost exactly one hour and forty minutes, even though he never wore a watch; the only clock he needed was the one printed on his flank. This uncanny sense of timing had played no small part in securing his spot on the investigative team, and he made sure to use it at every opportunity.

The agent pretended to browse through a flower stall, keeping one eye on Twilight Sparkle from behind his thick sunglasses. The three ponies chatted a few seconds more before splitting up and going their separate ways. A shadow flickered overhead as fellow agent Auster Craft started after Fluttershy, making stealthy leaps between stray clouds. The brown pony turned away from the flower stand and started to follow Twilight Sparkle, but the white unicorn she’d been with practically leaped into his path. “Why, darling!” she cried, strutting in front of him. “What do you think you’re doing, wearing a coat like that in this weather? Please, you must let me help you find something more appropriate...” Rarity pressed herself against the surprised EBI agent’s side and whispered in his ear. “...Ray Painter.”

The unicorn jumped, edging away from this strange pony and avoiding her gaze. “You must be mistaken, Ma’am,” he stuttered. “My name is Alias Hill. I’m a watchmaker visiting from Hoofington.”

“You’re still using that silly name? Well, now I’m certain it’s you. Anypony else would have come up with something more believable by now.”

Ray Painter tried to push past the white unicorn, but she cut him off and backed him into the alley he’d just left. Over her shoulder he caught sight of Twilight Sparkle disappearing around a corner and growled in frustration. "Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to..." He stopped when he finally caught sight of his assailant's face. It hadn’t been clear from a distance, but up close...

Her hair. Impossible. Her eyes. It can’t be her. Her cutie mark! But she’s-

“Eyes off my flank, Painter.”

The way she told him off for staring at her flank! Ray realized his jaw had dropped and hastily closed his mouth. "Diamond Edge?"

"It's Rarity now, darling. Simply Rarity. I felt it was a more appropriate name for the world of fashion. This lifestyle is far less hazardous than my... our previous occupation.” The mare smiled and glanced backwards, pushing the stunned stallion further into the shadows of the building beside them. She concentrated on her magic and cast a quick soundproofing spell around the two of them, a trick she hadn’t had to use in years. "My, you haven't changed at all. Always on the job, still oblivious to the things that really matter. Now, I'm only going to ask you this once, and I expect the truth." She leaned in and stared into the shocked EBI agent's eyes. "Why are you following my friend Twilight?"

Ray’s breath quickened. He visibly paled, and a wave of heat washed over him. Then just as quickly the feeling passed and a professional coldness washed over the stallion once again. His eyes narrowed. “Miss, I’m going to have to ask you to move aside,” he said.

“Now just a minute,” Rarity huffed, flicking her tail to block Ray as he tried to push past her. “That is very rude. We haven’t seen each other in years. The least you could do is provide me with some answers.” Ray remained resolutely silent, a frown forming on his face. Rarity felt a glimmer of doubt spark in her; she hadn’t been certain what to expect after speaking to him, but this cold unfriendliness wasn’t it. “All right, let me guess,” the white unicorn tried. “You’re on the hunt for a pony named Kira?”

Ray’s face gave him away. His jaws clenched and his gaze shifted downwards momentarily. Rarity laughed, trying unsuccessfully to alleviate some of the tension between them. “Come now darling, it’s not that difficult to figure out. There’s certainly no other reason the EBI would have any interest in Ponyville, unless the policies have changed since I left. And you’re following Twilight Sparkle? Old Storm Seeker must have a screw loose. The girl isn’t capable of jaywalking, let alone mass murder.”

Though his instincts were telling him to rush after his target, Rarity’s words made the agent pause. “You know Twilight Sparkle?” Ray asked, refusing to let his glare shift. “How much have you told her?”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Rarity said. “Nopony in Ponyville knows who I am. As for Twilight, I haven’t let anything slip about you. Only that you’re madly in love with her.”

The mare smiled sweetly, expecting Ray to turn bright crimson. Instead his scowl only deepened. She felt her confidence begin to crumble underneath his glare. “You think it’s okay to joke around like this?” the brown pony growled, an edge of fury starting to creep into his voice. “After all this time? After all you...” He ground his teeth and looked to the side. “I think you’ve wasted more than enough of my time, miss... Rarity. Good day to you.”

The agent pushed past Rarity more forcefully, shattering her silencing spell as he stomped through it. The white unicorn followed, her face a mix of shock and confusion. “Ray, wait.” The pony didn’t stop. “Ray, I’m sorry.”

The stallion halted. Rarity fumbled for words, saying the first thing that popped into her head. “You should visit me at the Carousel Boutique.” She cringed, but kept going. “When you’re free, I mean. I meant what I said about your coat. I’m sorry, but you stick out like a sore hoof. I could help pick out some new clothes for you.” She smiled and tried to force what was left of her resolve into five more words. “I’ll keep my door unlocked.”

Ray’s ear twitched. He waited a second longer before galloping out of the alley, turning sharply in the direction of Ponyville’s library. Rarity put a hoof to her chest and leaned against the nearest wall. Well, Twilight was right about one thing, she consoled herself. I was a fool to think that single-minded unicorn would ever notice me on his own. But... I thought he would be happy to see me. Rarity sighed and looked skyward. How could his feelings have changed so much?

The more she thought about it, the less sense it made. “The Ray Painter I know would never treat a lady in this way,” Rarity said aloud. She rose up, scratching her head thoughtfully. “In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him become so angry. What could have happened to make him so absolutely livid?” She stared off into the distance, then struck a dramatic pose. “I will not let this end this way!” she cried, feeling her resolve return to her. “I will not rest until I discover the cause of this dreadful attitude!”

From around the corner, the flower pony from the stall stuck her head into the alley. “Look, lady,” she said, “I’m sorry that your coltfriend left you and all, but could you go and have your personal revelation someplace else? I’m trying to run a business here.”

“Oh... of course.” Rarity blushed sheepishly and walked out into the street. Twilight and the secret agent were now nowhere to be seen. “Of course,” she mused quietly, “I’m in absolutely no condition to go chasing stallions right now. I feel positively traumatized. I must look a complete mess!” She patted her immaculate mane carefully. “Do I feel a split end? Oh, heavens! Well, only one thing to be done.” A smile playing about her lips, Rarity trotted back in the direction of the spa.

"Isn't this just amazing?" Pinkie Pie bounded up and down in her seat, drawing stares from the other patrons of the restaurant. "I mean, every day is amazing, don't you think? But this is just so super-duper awesomely amazingly fantastic that I don't even-"

"Pinkie!" Twilight almost yelled from across the table. This restaurant was different to the one they’d visited last time, – it was a large, well-lit place painted in garish reds and whites that claimed to serve authentic Zebrican dishes, but in reality only sold thinly-disguised Ponyville specialties – but the looks they were getting were exactly the same. For this reason she had chosen a small, circular table near the corner of the room, hoping in vain that this would lead to less of a spectacle. "Are you going to start doing this every time we go out?"

"Nopey dopey! Only the super-special fun times!"

Twilight sighed and shook her head, but smiled just the same. Her trip to the spa yesterday had reminded her of something she’d nearly forgotten in her obsession: friends are the best stress relief. Unsettling as the pink pony was, it was hard to stay stressed with Pinkie Pie’s carefree chatter in her ears.

She could see the EBI agent following her out of the corner of her eye. He'd taken his own seat at a table near theirs and appeared to be reading a menu, his eyes unreadable behind his dark glasses. For a second Twilight regretted the decision she'd made last night; with the eyes of the shinigami she would have been able to learn his name easily. But no, she stood by what she'd said back then: This isn’t just about avenging Moondancer. It’s about making sure that what happened to her doesn’t happen to anypony ever again. Changing the world isn't something you can do overnight. It could take months, or years. If I'm going to create a world without crime, I need as much time as possible to do it in, and as long as possible to look after it to make sure it doesn’t go back to the way it was. So thank you, Byuk, but I can’t give away years of my life just like that.

“Are you having a flashback, Twilight?”

Twilight found herself jolted back to the present by a bubbly pink pony. “Um... no.”

“Really? Aw. Flashbacks are fun. They’re like movies, except you can talk over them without ponies throwing popcorn at you.” Pinkie Pie looked momentarily disappointed, but instantly bounced back to her normal self. "So, what's kept you busy this time, Twilight? Rarity says you've been overworking yourself. Have you been hitting lots of books? I tried hitting a book once, and my legs got really tired after just twenty minutes. It was a great workout!” Twilight smiled and opened her mouth, but the pink pony seemed lost in her own world. “Ooh, or are you practicing a new spell? Like a really big one that’s making you tired, like wings or teleportation? Or both at the same time? That’s like a spell within a spell, like... I don’t even know what you’d call that!”

"No, nothing like that," Twilight broke in before Pinkie Pie could continue guessing. "I've been studying enchantments cast on everyday, non-magical objects." Technically, this was true. "It's a lot more difficult than I expected, but I think there's a lot of potential in their use. With the right enchanted tools, earth ponies and pegasi would be able to use certain kinds of magic."

"That sounds fantastic! I’d love to be able to use magic."

At the next table over, Ray Painter was having difficulty keeping up with his target’s conversation. Not only was the pink pony hard to follow at the best of times, but his thoughts kept drifting back to... her. He frowned and tried to clear his mind, but the thought remained. “Focus, Alias,” he said under his breath. “You’re a professional.”

There was no time for emotions here. In their place, Ray Painter forced himself to look only at the facts. Eight years ago, Diamond Edge – master of disguise and the best of Storm Seeker’s agents – had been drawn away from the EBI under the most prestigious of summons: she’d been chosen to study under Copper Coil, a detective of almost mythic proportions. She’d disappeared down to Coltifornia without a second thought, and for months on end they’d heard nothing from her aside from the occasional immaterial letter. Then, in the long winter of that year, the report had come.

Ray ground his teeth. How in Equestria did Diamond Edge end up here? he wondered. I’m surprised Copper Coil didn’t have her hunted down. Has she been living in Ponyville happy and carefree all this time, after what she did? He caught himself snorting in frustration and tried to return his attention to his target. What do they call her here? Rarity? Why does that name sound so familiar...

The unicorn’s musings were interrupted by a loud scream from outside. A large grey earth pony with an eyepatch burst into the restaurant, gripping a large knife between his teeth. A thin leather harness hung around his neck, from which a large selection of knives of all shapes and sizes dangled. Surprisingly, his cutie mark was a plank of wood. "Eaeeoanee, ekk oww!" he yelled.

There was utter silence in the restaurant. Finally one of the standing waiters approached him. "I'm sorry sir, but-"

The grey pony twisted his head and hurled the knife, which ripped through the unlucky waiter's shirt and pinned him to the wall. “I said, everypony get down! This is a robbery!” Finally comprehending, ponies began screaming and diving under tables. The grey pony unrolled a large burlap sack from his side and threw it to the ground, pointing at a nearby waiter. “You, in the shirt! Bring me all the money in the safe and the register. You!” He kicked at a pony hiding under a nearby table, who was clutching her two foals in terror. “Give me anything valuable you’re carrying. And if anypony tries anything funny...” He drew another knife and twirled it round in his mouth, cackling. “Oooh aww oah egg ik!”

Underneath her own table, Twilight observed the stallion carefully. Based on his speed and the angle he was taking across the room, she judged they had a minute or two before he reached them. Careful not to make any noise, she reached out with her magic and pulled the Life Note and a pencil from her bags. She opened it and wrote a note across both pages in large print, holding it up so Pinkie Pie could see.

Don’t worry. I’ll grab him.

Nodding to her friend, Twilight started to rise, her horn glowing.

“Don’t do it!” a voice hissed. Twilight paused and saw her stalker frantically waving at her from under his own table. He gave a quick glance to make sure the grey pony wasn’t looking, then expertly dove across the floor to join them. “I recognize that pony from the news. His name’s Flat Iron, and he’s wanted in Fillydelphia for attempted murder. He won’t hesitate to kill you if you attack him.”

Twilight started to sit back down, and Ray inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t sure of the exact policy, but letting his target get killed in a knife fight would probably land him in hot water with his superiors... not to mention Diamond Edge. Momentarily distracted by that thought, what Twilight said next took him by surprise. “And why should we trust you?”

“Twilight!” Pinkie Pie broke in, thankfully remembering to whisper. “He’s trying to help!”

“We don’t know that. He might be Flat Iron’s partner.”

“Partner?” Ray and Pinkie echoed in unison.

“That’s right.” Twilight gave the brown pony an accusing stare. “I’ve been studying criminals. They often work in pairs. One of them poses as a customer and scouts the place out before the other one robs it. That way he’s got somepony waiting to back him up if something goes wrong. I’ve seen you skulking around town lately. What were you doing, looking for places to rob?” Her horn started to glow threateningly. “Answer me!”

Ray felt himself turn pale, which only seemed to anger the mare further. Pinkie Pie was staring at him with a mixture of fear and awe. He thought furiously. Getting into a fight with a target would only put an even bigger black mark on his record, and, if this unicorn was as powerful as he’d been led to believe, several onto his body as well. At this point he really only had one option. “Fine,” he sighed, reaching into his coat. Besides, he consoled himself, if either of these two was Kira, they would have killed Flat Iron with a heart attack by now. From a hidden pocket he pulled out his badge and card, holding them up for the other two to see. “I’m with the EBI. This is my identification.”

Twilight pretended to examine the badge closely, but only paid close attention to the name and picture. Ray Painter... with the EBI? Looks like L has his hooves in many pies. “Thank you, sir,” Twilight whispered, the light from her horn fading. “I’m sorry for doubting you. I hope whatever mission you have in Ponyville is a success.”

A light went on in Pinkie’s head. “You’re a secret agent?!” she screamed happily, completely forgetting about the situation in her excitement.

“Hey! What’s going on over there?” Flat Iron dropped the bag he was going through and stormed over to the trio’s table. Ray Painter quickly pocketed his badge, but Twilight wasn’t as quick with the Life Note. In one quick movement the earth pony reached down and ripped it away from her, throwing it open on the table. “Don’t worry,” he read in a slow voice. “I’ll grab him. Hah!” Flat Iron cackled madly. “Little pony, you’ve got some nerve. Maybe somepony needs to teach you a lesson.” He reached around to grab his next knife, then stopped. The blade fell from his trembling lips and clattered to the floor between his front legs. “M-m-monster!”

“A monster?” Byuk turned around excitedly, but to his puzzled disappointment couldn’t see any monsters. He looked back at Flat Iron, who was backing away frantically. The pony was staring right through him... no, right at him. “Oh.” Byuk pointed at his own face. “You mean me?”

“Get away!”

A thrown knife flew straight and sure towards the god’s eye, but then to Flat Iron’s horror passed right through him, burying itself in the wall behind him. Byuk only chuckled and floated a little closer. Another blade passed soundlessly through his wing, leaving no mark but cracking the window to his right. To those watching it was a strange sight; the grey pony pulled knife after knife out of his harness, then threw them wildly at empty air while yelling in terror.

"Oh, I get it," Byuk said as he reached the table. The Life Note still lay open to the same page. "You touched part of the Death Note when you picked up the book, so now you can see me. Clever."

"Get away from me!" screamed Flat Iron, not paying attention to the god's words. He felt around for another knife but to his horror found he had none left. In a panic he rushed for the door, knocking chairs and tables aside in his haste. Seconds after he ran outside there were loud cries and a crash.

Slowly, patrons of the restaurant started to emerge from beneath their tables. Twilight quickly got to her hooves, grabbing the Life Note and shoving it back in her saddlebags. Already a siren could be heard approaching the scene. Ponies crowded around the exit, preventing them from seeing outside.

In the excitement Ray Painter slipped away, disappearing into the crowd. Pinkie Pie watched him leave, a smile growing on her face. "Oh my gosh, Twilight! There's a secret agent in Ponyville! Do you know what this means?" She turned back to her friend, but Twilight had already vanished in a puff of light.

"Let me guess, a party?"

"Almost certainly. Very astute, Byuk." Twilight tossed an apple to the delighted god and made her way up the steps inside the library. "I can only imagine what kind of stunts she'll pull to bring this one together. It should be fun."

"That was pretty lucky, huh? That robber grabbing the Life Note like that. You might have been killed otherwise."

"No, I was never in any danger." Twilight had reached the top of the stairs and pressed her ear to Spike's door. "I planned for all this to happen." Satisfied that the room was dragon-free, she opened the door and crossed over to Spike's box. To her delight, a new scroll was visible on the top of the pile. "This should explain everything." She unrolled the scroll, her grin widening with every word.

Dear Lady Luna,

I have carefully analyzed the new data of Kira's murders, and I have made the following observations.

1. Kira does not know the extent of his own powers. It is therefore likely that he came upon them by accident or was given them as a gift, and are not natural to him.

2. Kira can control his victims for a certain amount of time before death. The duration of this time is currently unknown.

3. The victims are controlled subconsciously, not directly. None of the victims displayed any behavior that was unusual for them up until the point when they died or killed themselves.

4. Kira can cause victims to exert themselves to their fullest, stretching the limits of what is normally physically possible.

5. A failed experiment will cause the victim to perish right away, preventing Kira from controlling their actions or time of death. The method for performing these more specific killings may be more complicated than the original, causing occasional failures.

6. Kira is sticking to a distinct pattern in his killings and does not try to conceal his actions. This tells us that he does not care that we know about his new abilities, or more likely, that he wants us to know. To this end, we must consider the possibility that he is knowingly feeding us false information.

Please continue to send me these reports and I will update you if I make any new developments.

"Perfect." Twilight held up the page for Byuk to read. "I was a little worried when the police records didn't show anything, but now it looks like L's done all my work for me."

"I see. So you were using him to judge the results of your experiments for you?"

"Exactly." Twilight rolled the scroll back up and returned it to the box, closing her eyes as she thought. "I wrote several other instructions in the Death Note which L would certainly have commented on if they'd come to pass. I wrote that one pony would die of a heart attack in Cloudsdale in one hour. Since he was an earth pony and locked in prison, there's no way he could have gotten there in the space of one hour. This tells me that even though I can push a pony to their limits, the Death Note is still bound by what's physically possible to do.

"Another pony I told to draw L's face on the wall of his cell. Even though this was physically possible, he couldn't do it because he didn't know what L's face looks like. So a pony can only do things that they would already be able to without the Death Note’s influence.

"And one more pony was supposed to kill another prisoner, followed by himself. Even though he was willing and capable of murder, he died of a heart attack anyway. Because of that, I’m guessing the Death Note can’t directly cause more than one death with a single name.” Twilight smiled triumphantly. “And here’s the best part: because I didn’t try to hide my actions, L thinks I’m trying to mislead him. He’ll be constantly second-guessing his conclusions every time this comes up. He does all the work, and I get all the answers.”

“Clever. But what does that have to do with the robbery today?”

“Come with me and I’ll show you.” Byuk followed Twilight down to her room and watched as she pulled the Death Note from her desk and began flipping through it. “Come on, where was it...”

Page after page was full of names, most with a short description written beneath them. Byuk scratched his head. “I don’t get it. If you’re only killing twenty-four ponies a day, why do you need to write so many names?”

“I’ve been planning executions for a few days in advance. After all, how would it look if I ended up in the hospital for some reason and the deaths suddenly stopped? Also, I’ve stopped limiting myself to twenty-four. That experiment has run its course. Ah, here we go.” Twilight laid the book down on her desk and pointed to one entry proudly.

Flat Iron, heart attack
At noon, enters the Waters of Zebrica restaurant in Ponyville and attempts to rob it. He sees a horrifying monster and runs away in panic, then is struck by a passing cart and breaks his leg. One hour later, he dies of a heart attack.

“I got tired of waiting for L’s results,” Twilight explained, “so I decided to run another trial a little closer to home. Since I didn’t know how the others turned out I wasn’t sure it would work, but if it didn’t the worst that would happen is Flat Iron would have a heart attack right away. What this taught me is that the Death Note resolves situations in the most natural way. I didn’t specify that Flat Iron would see you; we could have been interrupted by a monster from the Everfree, or he could have imagined one. But under the circumstances, it made the most sense for him to see the horrifying monster that was already in the room with him. Um... no offense.” Byuk waved a hoof dismissively. “I took Flat Iron’s name from the newspaper, a source L thinks I’ve stopped using, and I left enough time for the local news to do a report on the situation before he dies. There’s no evidence that Kira had any involvement in this before that point.”

The god frowned. “That’s a pretty big loophole. Most of what you wrote didn’t have anything to do with the pony’s death. The Death Note wasn’t meant to be used in this way.”

“Are you saying I should stop?”

“Oh, no. It’s just not how I would have done it. And confronting the EBI agent like that? Was that part of the plan as well?”

“Of course. How else was I going to learn his name?” Ray Painter, you’re mine now. “It would look suspicious if I tried this more than once, so I got as much information from the experiment as I possibly could.”

Byuk laughed. “Twilight Sparkle, has anyone ever told you that you are a very clever pony?”

“Only the cleverest.” Twilight beamed. “Overall, I’d say this was a very informative day, don’t you think?”

Ray Painter made a note as the final light went out in the library's window. The sun had long since set, but Twilight Sparkle had stayed up very late before finally retiring. She's very committed to her studies, the agent noted. And she’s very protective of her friends. Interesting, but not unusual. I’m not sure what L sees in her that I don’t.

There was still another half hour until his relief. Nestled comfortably in the shadows across from the library, Ray found his thoughts wandering yet again. Something doesn't add up. Diamond Edge approached me. She must know that we know what she did. She could have easily disappeared. But even so, she came to me. Nopony else, me. He shook his head. Is it because we used to be... involved? Is she trying to get to me through that? What does she want from me?

Minutes ticked by slowly, and Ray became more and more lost in his thoughts. When another pony approached silently out of the shadows, he nearly jumped before collecting himself. "Hello, Ray," fellow agent Searchlight whispered. "Another quiet night?"

"Same as always," the stallion replied. Searchlight came more fully into view, illuminating a sunshine-yellow unicorn wearing a dark suit that matched his own, minus the ever-present sunglasses. Ray tried to sum up his thoughts, but seeing another agent brought Diamond Edge's words back to him. In the more rural Ponyville, their tailor-made clothes really did stand out as unusual. He sighed inwardly and concentrated on his report. "The little dragon went to bed shortly after sunset. Twilight Sparkle stayed up until ten-thirty before retiring."

"Noted. I'll take it from here." Ray stood up and the smaller unicorn took his place, giving him a lasting glance before settling down. "You all right, Ray?" Searchlight said in a more informal tone. "You seem a little stressed. Something bothering you?"

Ray shook his head, then paused. "Maybe. It might be nothing," he lied. "Probably just nerves. Chasing Kira, and all."

The yellow unicorn nodded slowly. "Stay safe, Ray," she whispered. "Sleep well."

Without another word Ray Painter slipped away into the darkness. Instead of heading back to their safe house, however, he found his legs carrying him in a different direction. Across the town, visible in the mental map he'd laid out for himself, he could already see his destination: a large, round, brightly-coloured building, covered in flags and banners.

Diamond Edge. Rarity. Whoever you are now. The stallion tightened his lips into a grimace. I'm going to get some answers out of you.

The Carousel Boutique was completely dark as Ray Painter approached it. While the streets of Ponyville were empty and silent, his instincts confined him to shadows and alleyways as he made his way there. He approached the building as he might an unexploded bomb, quietly and cautiously, ready to spring back at any second in case of a trap. He tensed up as his hooves touched the front porch, then seemed to relax as he came up to the door. The boutique was still and silent and he momentarily wondered if the white unicorn had forgotten her offer, but the door swung open at his touch. "Come in," a feminine voice whispered. He took a step inside.

The boutique looked very different at night. The large first floor was lit by only a few candles, shrouding most of the room in darkness. Ray Painter walked towards the light, tension rising with each step. The door shut soundlessly behind him and a white unicorn appeared at his side. "So, Ray Painter," the mare purred. "It's been a while."

"Not long enough... Rarity." Ray maintained his stiff posture as the other pony walked around him. "I'm assuming you had a reason in inviting me here."

"Just to talk, Ray. I'm so glad you came. I was starting to worry I'd have to find you one night and drag you here myself." Rarity smiled. "Have you eaten? I know how busy your days must be. I prepared a few things, just in case."

Ray narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Is she trying to poison me? he wondered. That would certainly be her style... but what would be the point? "Not since lunch," he answered honestly. "I haven't had much of an appetite. There was a robbery at the restaurant. It put me off food for a while."

"Oh, yes, I heard about that.” The mare nodded sadly. “It's strange, Ponyville isn't usually so violent. A sign of the times, I suppose."

"I suppose." Rarity's attitude was far too casual, too familiar. It was making Ray feel uncomfortable. "Your friend Twilight almost tried to go after him. It seems she is capable of acting out when the situation calls for it."

"Do you think you'll be following her for much longer?"

"I do not wish to divulge that information."

"Oh, Ray, you don't need to be so formal with me." Rarity took a step closer to him. A powerful scent washed over him; lilac, perhaps? She circled around Ray Painter, examining his outfit with a critical eye. “Very professional, very chic, but not very appropriate for such a small town. And did you wear those glasses all the way here? I’m surprised you can still see. Here, let me get those for you.” Before the brown pony could object she leaned forward and plucked the sunglasses from his face, then almost dropped them as she burst out laughing. “Oh, my. I’d almost forgotten about your eyes.”

Ray frowned. “And just what’s wrong with my eyes?”

“Oh, nothing, dear. You have lovely eyes.” In truth, Ray Painter’s eyes seemed mismatched compared to the rest of his body. They were wide and strangely angular, almost rectangular, with thick, well-defined eyebrows. His pupils were a cold, metallic grey and almost completely filled his eyes, leaving only a thin sliver of the whites visible. “It’s just terribly obvious that you’re half Neighponese. Ponies here do tend to get up in arms about foreigners. Why, you should have seen them when a zebra moved into the forest!”

“I was born in Canterlot,” Ray muttered, snatching his sunglasses back and tucking them into a hidden pocket in his coat. “I’m hardly foreign.”

“I know, darling. I’ll make sure nopony judges you.” Flicking her tail at him playfully, Rarity gestured to a small table she'd set up near the stairs. "Do you think you could manage to something eat now?"

The stallion maintained his guarded expression. She wouldn’t bring me all the way here just to kill me in her front room, he decided. Besides... I am hungry. “I don’t see why not,” he said.

The white unicorn looked delighted. "Please, sit down. I'll be back in a moment." Brushing past him more closely than she needed to, she vanished again into the darkness. Ray looked from side to side, doing his best to stay calm. He took a seat.

A minute later Rarity returned, levitating one plate in front of her and balancing another on her head. "Practice makes perfect," she explained, setting the two down. Despite his misgivings Ray couldn’t help but marvel at the dish: a large, fluffy pastry, dotted with green. "Sugar clover loaf, my mother's recipe. I don't often get a chance to make it."

“It looks... wonderful,” the agent admitted. “It’s good to see that you’ve been keeping yourself... busy.”

“Yes, I have, haven’t I?” Rarity smiled and fanned herself. She broke a small piece off her pastry and daintily nibbled on it, which Ray Painter took as a cue to take a larger bite out of his. He rolled it around carefully in his mouth; there was nothing unusual in it that he could detect. Had the circumstances been different, he would probably have praised it as delicious. “Some of my designs are becoming quite well known in high society, you know,” the mare continued as Ray swallowed. “Why, in certain circles I’m considered the absolute height of fashion. I’ve even had offers to set up my own chain in Canterlot. Of course, I would never dream of abandoning my friends and family, but it’s quite flattering-”

“Rarity, cut the manure.” Ray Painter put on his coldest expression as he cut the fashionista short. “You had a reason in inviting me here, and it sure as hay wasn’t to talk. Out with it.” He gritted his teeth. “For once in your life, tell me the truth.”

Rarity was quiet for a second. "Ray, I missed you." She looked up and smiled sadly. “That’s all there is to it. I miss talking to you, I miss being by your side. I miss being able to tell somepony about the past. I know it’s been a long time, but I hoped...” She toyed nervously with the end of her mane. “I hoped, if you’re not attached, I mean, that we could...”

"Pick up where we left off? Is that what this is about?" Ray snorted in bewilderment, then again in anger. "Is that what this whole setup's been about? Candlelit dinner, perfume, old memories, a lost lover returns? Just like that? What kind of trashy novels have you been reading?" Rarity flinched as though physically struck, but Ray kept going, a years-old dam bursting inside of him. “Is that the kind of stallion you think I am? Do you think I’ll come crawling back to you at the first sign of interest? Well, I’m not just some stupid colt for you to use. Not any more.” He bristled indignantly. "Look, Rarity. You're dead to me. If things were different, maybe I could overlook the years you’ve been gone. But there’s no chance in Equestria of me forgiving what you did.”

Rarity appeared to be on the verge of tears. The sight gave Ray a kind of cold, primal satisfaction. “Everypony makes mistakes,” she sniffed.

The agent laughed humorlessly. “A mistake? Is that what you’re calling it?” he snarled. “Living peacefully in Ponyville and leaving everypony else behind to clean up your mess, was that a mistake too? I’m surprised Copper Coil didn’t hunt you down himself.”

“What?” On top of misery, an edge of confusion was starting to slip into Rarity’s voice. “What are you talking about?”

“Did you really think we didn’t know?” Ray rolled his eyes. “We received a full report as soon as the case was over. Or were you expecting there to be no survivors?”

“W-what?” Rarity straightened herself up in her chair. “Darling, that’s not the reason I left at all. I have no idea what you’re referring to.”

“Oh, really?” Ray’s lips curled into a sneer. “It was during the hunt for the Nectarine Mafia down in Coltifornia, wasn’t it? Copper Coil sent you to investigate a group of hit-ponies working for the mob. Then you, like an idiot, led them right back to his base. Or maybe,” the stallion growled, “it was intentional. Then, when Coil’s life was in danger, right when he needed you most, you ran away and left him to die!” Ray stomped a hoof on the table, his voice rising into a shout as he finished. He sat back, seeming almost a little surprised at his own outburst. “And don’t call me darling,” he added.

Rarity trembled. “Th-that’s not what happened at all!” she stammered.

“Forgive me if I don’t believe you.” Ray folded his front legs across his chest. “I checked the documents myself. All of them were signed by Copper Coil himself.”

“But why... why would he...” Rarity stared at the tablecloth with a mixture of horror and bafflement. She bit down on the edge of her hoof thoughtfully, frowning in incomprehension. Suddenly she gasped, and her eyes widened. “Of course!” she exclaimed. “It’s because...” Her face fell and her voice became hollow. “It’s because he didn’t want anypony to look for me.” She looked up sorrowfully at the stallion across the table. The faint candlelight cast long shadows over his face. “Ray,” she said quietly, “have you been carrying that story with you for all these years?” The stallion nodded slowly. “I see.” She sniffed. “Then I suppose you feel you have no reason to trust me. But as an old friend, if nothing else, would you at least permit me to tell my side of the story?” When the agent said nothing, she continued.

“Some of what you said is true. But there’s one important detail that you didn’t know: Copper Coil never existed. He was a false identity, a name that a very different pony liked to assume sometimes.” Remembering, Rarity broke into a small smile. “That pony was L.”

“Impossible,” Ray interrupted. “L is already considered the world’s greatest detective, and Copper Coil a close second. There’s no way that a single pony could account for both of them.”

Rarity shrugged. “I didn’t believe it at first, either. But then I saw him work. He was an absolute wonder; brilliant, calculating, perfect. I was in line to become the next Sideline, you know. If things had been different, I might still be with him now. But... I was careless." She sighed and closed her eyes. "During one particularly tricky business, my name was leaked to members of the Nectarine Mafia that I was trying to infiltrate. But they didn’t follow me back to our hideout, and I certainly didn’t run away. L believed that the Nectarines had a pony in the EBI, and he couldn’t risk my being traced back to him. So eventually, he convinced me to go into deep cover somewhere he thought nopony would ever look... he sent me here.

"The nice couple who owned this boutique took me under their wing. They had only just moved into the area from Canterlot, so the story was that I was their daughter Rarity returning from a vacation in the south. Dear Pearl ran the shop very differently than I do, making only simple, affordable shirts and dresses. They were functional, but severely lacking in imagination. She even had a whole wall devoted to socks. Socks! Oh, can you imagine!” Rarity shook her head and let out a chuckle. Ray remained silent. “I helped her as best I could, hoping to add a dash of style to the ensemble. That's when I rediscovered the art of the dress, and started to settle into the life I have now.

"In the end, L found a different way to get to the Nectarines and had the whole family arrested at once. I understand most of them are still in prison. It would have been safe for me to return to L after that, but by then... I had a sister.” She smiled at the memory. “Nopony expected it, another foal at their age, but we were all overjoyed when Sweetie Belle was born. That’s when I realized I couldn't bring myself to go back to the wild and dangerous life I'd had before. Magnum and Pearl had treated me as their own daughter, and I knew they couldn’t support another foal on their own so close to retirement. And I couldn't leave behind... all this." Rarity gestured to the room around her in a large, sweeping motion. "I realized then that I wasn't meant to spend my life hiding in the shadows. I wanted to make clothes that were meant to be seen and admired, not hidden in darkness. Designing is what I live for.

“The rest anypony from around here can tell you. When Magnum and Pearl finally retired they gave the boutique to me, which I am eternally grateful for. Sweetie Belle sometimes lives with them, sometimes with me. She’s only ever known me as Rarity. I’ve lived in Ponyville ever since. I wanted to formally announce my resignation, but L was very firm about that. He told me that once I'd vanished, there was no going back. If I was to keep my life as Rarity, then Diamond Edge had to stay... deceased." She bowed her head sadly. “I was devastated, of course. There were so many good ponies I was leaving behind, and... I never got to say goodbye.” She stared at the agent pleadingly. “You don’t know how much I wanted to speak to you all, just one last time.”

Ray gave a slow, sarcastic clap. “A lovely story,” he said. “But you’ve had years to think of a lovely story.” He leaned forwards. “Tell me this, then. If it was L’s idea to send you into hiding, then why did he tell us you’d betrayed him?”

“I think I know.” Rarity tugged on her mane and swallowed nervously. “L believed that there was a pony in the EBI who had turned me in. If they ever found me, it would be very bad for both of us. Because of the way information is shared, if anypony in the EBI found out where I was, it might be leaked back to the spy. I thought I would be safe if I simply disappeared. But L once told me that, the laws of this world being what they are, nopony is ever truly gone so long as...” She bit her lip and hesitated before continuing. “So long as there’s somepony out there who loves them.”

Ray snorted. “Ridiculous.”

“Maybe. But sometimes I think L knows us better than we know ourselves.” Rarity leaned forwards. “Think about it. If I had simply stopped writing to you, or if you heard that I had died, would you be satisfied?”

Ray looked to the side and ground his teeth. After several long seconds he spoke. “No.” He sighed deeply and grunted. “No. I wouldn’t believe that you were gone. I would have assumed that you were hiding.” He grimaced. “Because I loved you.”

“I know.” The mare nodded. “I talked to L about you, sometimes. I told him about our adventures. That’s how he knew. He said it sounded like we deserved each other.”

“No.” Ray glared. “It’s you two that deserve each other. You like to play with emotions as much as he does. You’re as bad as he is, maybe worse.” He looked at the ground again. “And you’re a liar, too,” he added as an afterthought.

“Ray, this is the honest truth, I swear,” Rarity insisted. “I promise you, I had no idea this would happen. I’m so, so sorry.” Ray Painter maintained his stubborn expression. “Ray, look at me.” Slowly, the agent lifted his head to meet Rarity’s gaze. “Do you remember the last thing I said to you, before I left for Coltifornia?”

“Of course I do,” Ray snapped. “It’s practically burned into my brain. You promised me that one day, we’d leave the agency and run away together. That we’d find a little house in the country, just the two of us, and have more children than we could count.” He shook his head. “You always loved to tease me.”

“No, Ray,” Rarity said gently, yet desperately. “I meant it. Every time, I meant it.” She leaned forwards. “Ray, look at me. Look me in the eyes and tell me that I’m lying. I promise you, I would have done anything to see you again.”

There was a long silence between the two ponies. At the end of it, Ray Painter rose out of his chair. His expression, long hardened by anger and regret, was finally starting to crack. “I think...” He let out a long, slow sigh. “I don’t know. I need some time to think.” He walked slowly across the room to one of the stages by the wall and sat on the edge of it, letting his head hang. Rarity watched him go. She smiled faintly, then leaned forwards and blew the table’s candles out.

Exactly ten minutes and thirty seconds later, the brown unicorn felt another shape sit down beside him. “I’m sorry,” Rarity whispered.

“I’m sorry too.” Another long pause. “But then, eight years is a long time to believe something.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t seem right. A lot of things in this world don’t seem right.”

“I agree.” The white unicorn shuffled a little closer. “But is it so hard to believe that there’s some good left in it after all?”

For the first time that night, Ray smiled. “No,” he said. “I think that I could live with that.”

For a few minutes the two unicorns simply sat together in silence. After a while, Rarity turned to look at her former coworker. “You know,” she said, “there was another reason I asked you to come here.”

“Really. And that was?”

“I only mean...” A mischievous smile playing over her lips, Rarity moved the rest of the way and whispered into the brown pony’s ear. “Why don’t we get you out of those clothes?”

Ray’s mind went blank. “Uh.”

“I have some absolutely fabulous designs for casual wear I’ve been meaning to try. Something stylish, yet unobtrusive. All I need are a few measurements.”

He sat back and turned this over in his mind. The penny dropped and he laughed. “You never change, do you?” he said. “I know you do that on purpose.”

“I’m sure I have no idea what you mean,” Rarity replied, stifling a giggle. She rose and gathered some tools at the end of the stage, turning on a spotlight to illuminate it. As Ray followed her she busied herself with needles and tape measures, still chatting about clothes. “Of course, we’ll have to work sunglasses into the design. You’ll have noticed most ponies in these parts don’t wear clothes at all, but they’re not so uncommon that you’ll stand out. Discretion is no reason not to look fabulous, don’t you agree? Oh, but let’s not get carried away. Measurements!” The white unicorn finished in a singsong voice, floating several strings and tape measures towards her. Ray Painter stepped up onto the stage. He moved to shrug off his coat, but Rarity stopped him. “Please, allow me.” The faintest trace of magic lifted the edge of the black garment and began to pull it away. “Tell me, how has the EBI been since I left?”

“Oh, very little has changed. Until these last few months life was very quiet. Indigo Screen died, but not because of any field work; he choked to death on a bagel.” Rarity chuckled as she tugged at his jacket. Ray Painter gulped, trying to focus on his story and not the fact that a gorgeous unicorn was undressing him. “Cherry Ale retired to spend time with her husband. She’s living in Manehattan now with two foals. Otherwise, our department is virtually the same.” He held his breath as the garment lifted away from his body. Rarity folded it neatly and laid it down on a nearby chair. “And you? You certainly seem to be in your element. Is dressmaking all you do?”

“It was at first,” Rarity admitted. “When I settled here, I thought that my adventuring days were over. But then Twilight Sparkle arrived, Nightmare Moon returned, and I became the bearer of the Element of Generosity.”

Ray spluttered. “You’re that Rarity? The Rarity?”

The mare blushed. “Please, don’t make a fuss. None of the ponies around here ever do.”

“I... I’m in awe.” Ray Painter blinked. “The stories of the Elements of Harmony are legendary, even to us. Storm Seeker has the team go through friendship training once a month now because of you. In Canterlot alone I’ve met three families who’ve named their daughters Rarity. Of course, I guess I couldn’t expect any less from Diamond Edge.” He grinned. “You should have told me that from the start, you silly mare.”

Rarity paused, then laughed. “Yes, I really should have, shouldn’t I?” Ray’s tie joined his jacket on the chair. “I’m sorry. It’s surprisingly easy to forget, sometimes.”

“Can’t imagine how.” The stallion gestured downwards. “Do you need my shirt as well, or...?”

“Oh, allow me.” To his surprise Rarity bent forward and, instead of using magic, began unbuttoning his shirt with her teeth. A soft cry caught in his throat as she made her way down, her lips brushing the hair on his chest in a soft trail with each successive button.

“D-Diamond...”

The white unicorn looked up. “Yes, my love?”

Both ponies froze. The word hung between them, filling the growing silence. She hadn’t meant to say it, and he knew she hadn’t meant to say it, but the way it had slipped out felt... natural. Right. “I... I was just thinking.” The agent cleared his throat, realizing how close their faces were. “It doesn’t feel like it’s been eight years. It seems like you’ve hardly changed.”

Rarity paused to consider this. “You’re right. You’re mostly the same, too.” She put her front hooves on the stage, drawing herself up to the stallion before her. “Maybe a little rougher around the edges, but still you, all over.” She blushed. “Still ruggedly handsome.”

“You’re as beautiful as ever.” Ray’s voice softened. She could feel his warm breath against her lips. “Still my sparkling Diamond,” he whispered.

“Still my shining Ray.” Slowly, both ponies leaned towards each other. Rarity began to close her eyes.

“Big sis?”

The two unicorns broke apart, biting their lips and looking away anxiously. “Sweetie Belle!” Rarity cried, instantly shifting into big sister mode. “What are you doing out of bed?”

“I heard noises and couldn’t sleep.” The filly blinked rapidly, her sleep-addled brain not really taking in the scene before her. She was a little older than Ray had expected, the tip of her horn reaching up to her sister’s chin, but still maintained an air of childlike innocence about her. “Can I have a glass of water?”

“Of course, dear.” With surprising speed the white mare zipped into the kitchen, returning with a full glass. Sweetie Belle was staring at the strange stallion on the stand, who was smiling uncomfortably. “Sweetie Belle, this is Alias Hill, an old friend from Hoofington. He’s going to be staying in Ponyville for a few days.”

Ray Painter nodded, silently wondering why an unbuttoned shirt somehow looked more compromising than nothing at all. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, little miss.”

Sweetie Belle’s expression turned to one of puzzlement as the reality of what she’d walked in on started to sink in. She opened her mouth to speak but Rarity hurriedly cut her off. “Now, it’s very late. Why don’t we get you tucked up back in bed, hmm?” She looked apologetically back at Ray as she ushered the filly upstairs.

When she returned a few minutes later she found Ray waiting for her on the edge of the stage, having removed his shirt on his own and folded it neatly on top of his coat. “You know, nice as it is to hear my old name, you should really get used to calling me Rarity. Especially around Sweetie Belle.” Rarity sighed. “I think I’m going to have to have a long chat with her tomorrow. About us, I mean. I’m not sure how much to tell her.”

“You’ll do fine.” Ray Painter stepped down from the stage and nuzzled the mare affectionately. “You know, if you ever have foals of your own, you would make a great mother... Rarity.”

The white unicorn smiled. “Maybe when all this is over... Alias Hill.” She paused, then burst out laughing. “You do realize you’re stuck with that ridiculous name as long as you’re in Ponyville? I always told you to think of something better. Well, I hope you’re happy.”

The agent smiled. “Very.” Without any further hesitation he pulled the mare of his dreams in for a kiss, one which she returned passionately.

Dear Princess Luna,

Sideline has arrived safely in Ponyville. She watches everything, but never says anything. It’s... honestly kind of creepy. Ponies seem to feel better knowing that she’s here, though.

In the past few days I’ve been approached several times with reports of “ponies in black” walking the streets of Ponyville, and I’ve heard a couple of complaints from ponies who think they’re being followed. Are these agents of Kira? Should we be concerned?

Your faithful servant,

Romana

Sweep

7
*Sweep*

Even if you do not actually possess the Death Note, the effect will be the same if you can recognize the pony and write his/her name on the page.

"A costume party?" Pinkie Pie bounced excitedly. "That's exactly what I was thinking too, Twilight!"

"That's great!" Twilight Sparkle responded, trying her best to match her friend's enthusiasm. They had taken up space in Pinkie Pie's loft, where already long streamers and guest lists were starting to pile up. "I've already got tons of ideas. I'd love to help you out in any way I can."

"This is so fantastic!" The pink pony finally bounded to a halt. "Thank you so much for offering to help out. With my know-how and your organization, we can make this the biggest, best party ever!"

“It’s no trouble at all,” Twilight said. “I just figured that since Spike’s always too busy with Colgate to help out at the library, this would be the perfect opportunity to get out and try something new.” The two smiled at each other. Twilight pulled the Life Note towards her and opened it to a bookmarked page. “First things first, location. You’re still sure you want to invite as many ponies as possible?” Pinkie Pie nodded enthusiastically. “Well, Ponyville's a lot bigger than it was last year, so even if we just invite the adults we'll still have at least a few hundred bodies. The library or Sugarcube Corner isn't going to cut it this time. So," she held up a hoof as Pinkie Pie's face fell. "How about the town hall?"

The party pony's eyes widened. "We can do that?"

"Absolutely." Twilight opened the Life Note for Pinkie Pie to see and pointed at some figures she'd drawn. "I already mentioned the idea to the mayor, and she's interested in the possibility. So long as we give her two days notice and clean up afterwards, she says we can use the space however we want.” The pink pony practically buzzed with excitement. “Of course, it’ll still be a little crowded, so we’ll still need to thin the numbers a little. How do you feel about alcohol?”

“Huh?” Pinkie Pie froze, looking puzzled. “A drinking party? But the last time we tried something like that you threw up all over the-”

“Don’t worry, Pinkie, it won’t be like that,” Twilight interrupted, blushing. “I’ll make sure nopony has too much. It’s just so everypony understands it’s a party for grown-ups, so we won’t have too many young ponies filling the place up. Besides, Davenport could use the business.” In a town where ponies preferred their drinks with more sugar than fermentation the brown pony’s latest expansion to his store, Beer, Quills and Sofas, was doing poorly. While a sharp salesman, Davenport had never had much of a sense of supply and demand. “And I thought we agreed never to discuss Applejack’s birthday party again.”

"Well... if you’re sure, Twilight.” A loud ding! sounded from below and Pinkie Pie leaped several feet into the air. “Cupcakes are ready!” she yelled, somehow changing directions in midair and diving out the door towards the stairs.

Twilight smiled. A shadow passed over her face as her Shinigami companion drifted down from the ceiling. “You really don’t want any kids at this party, do you?”

“No, of course not.” Twilight rose and cast her gaze around the untidy room. “I don’t want any children exposed to what’s going to happen at the party. I don’t want to scar anypony if there’s a way around it.”

“So you do have a plan.” Byuk tried to land, but couldn’t find any clear spaces wide enough for his large frame. He settled for hovering over Pinkie Pie’s bed. “At a party, huh? That’s pretty brave. Don’t you think it will look suspicious, something happening at a party you organized?”

"Don't worry, Byuk. I'll let Pinkie Pie take most of the credit for the party. There won’t be a single thing to connect me to this." She trotted over to Pinkie Pie's dresser and rummaged through it. "This party will be the culmination of all the things I've learned over the past week. Finally, I'll get some results. And I guarantee there's no way L will see this coming." From within the drawer she pulled out several small, pink gemstones: basic recording crystals, from when Pinkie Pie had tried her own hand at film-making. "I always said she had too many of these anyway," Twilight muttered, dropping two of the crystals into her saddlebags.

“Are you sure you’ve thought this through?”

“Don’t you trust me, Byuk?” Twilight asked teasingly, sitting back down. “Besides, I have lots of time to work out if I’ve missed anything. Not even Pinkie Pie can set up an event like this overnight, even with me helping her. Between planning, expenses, decorating, invitations and the amount of baking she has to do, I estimate that she’s going to need at least another week.”

Three days later, the party was ready. Countless folding tables and drinks coolers were rolled into the town hall throughout the afternoon, as well as mountains of candies and baked treats. Darkness was beginning to fall when guests started to arrive, at first in ones and twos but soon in large groups. Ray Painter watched the procession from across the square, biding his time. He wouldn't be able to see anything from out here, but he couldn't risk exposing himself by going in alone. He needed a plan.

As night fell and the numbers began to dwindle, Ray decided he could wait no longer. He emerged from the bush he'd been crouching behind and strode swiftly towards the large building, only to immediately collide with another pony he hadn't seen. "Sorry, ma'am."

"Sorry, sir," the other pony said simultaneously. They both froze. "Ray?"

"Searchlight?" The two agents looked at each other. By unspoken agreement they ducked back into the alley from which the mare had emerged. "What are you doing here?"

"My target's at the party. I guess yours is, too." The yellow unicorn flicked her mane in irritation. "Hope nopony saw that."

"Would you two keep it down?" a third voice hissed. "We're undercover, here!" A head stuck peered around the corner from the other end of the alley, followed by another. "Seriously, we've been waiting ten minutes for one of you to go in first."

"Goldeneye?" Ray Painter thought for a moment, then sighed and turned his face upwards. "Craft? Flash? You up there, too?"

There was a pause, then a pair of pegasi dropped down from the rooftops and landed with practiced silence. "You shouldn't yell so much," muttered the larger of the two. "You'll get us in trouble."

Goldeneye and his partner walked into the alley, completing the little circle. Two earth ponies, two pegasi and two unicorns: Goldeneye and Colt Phelps, Auster Craft and Aurora Flash, Ray Painter and Searchlight. Storm Seeker affectionately referred to the group as the Elements of Secrecy, and often insisted that they do the same. (Secretly, each pony thought that their boss was a little obsessed with elements.) Ray felt a smile sneaking up on him. "It looks like the gang's all here."

"You mean it looks like the gig is up," Searchlight fumed. "We're vulnerable if we're all together. There's no way we can look inconspicuous if we're caught talking to each other."

"You think we should split up?" Aurora asked. "If we stagger ourselves, the party's going to be over by the time we're all in."

"No, no," Colt Phelps spoke up. He and Aurora Flash were a few years younger than the others, and both tended to speak out against the older ponies’ authority. "We can make this work. Ponies are a lot less likely to notice a group arriving at a party than individuals. I say we go together, then split up once we're inside.”

“No, no, bad idea.” Searchlight pointed to a poster that had been left out. “It’s a spy party, remember? Because that pink pony somehow put two and two together and worked out that we’re here.” Ray Painter fought to maintain his poker face. “They know we’re here. They’ll be looking for us. We can’t risk losing our cover like this.”

“No, the spy part is why we’ll be safe,” Colt Phelps responded. “Know why? Because everypony is going to be dressed like a secret agent. We’ll blend in like diamondbacks in a coal mine. Well, except for you, Ray.” He paused. “What’s with the getup, anyway?”

Everypony stared. Ray Painter blushed. While the others were dressed in the standard dark coat and tie, he’d traded his for a simple grey polo shirt. Rarity had said it matched his eyes; she’d been a little disappointed when he’d chosen to keep the sunglasses. “I, uh... I just thought it was time for a change.”

“Huh. Well, it looks good on you.”

“Thanks.”

“Anyway. Shall we vote?” After a quick show of hooves, entering as a group won the vote four to two. “Awesome. Ray, got the time?”

“Almost eight.”

“Great. Let’s go.”

The little group made their way across the town square. Goldeneye edged his way next to Ray Painter, eyeing his shirt enviously. “Now that is a fine shirt,” the stallion remarked. “Looks high-quality. Where did you get it?”

“Uh...”

“Just you and me, Ray,” Rarity had begged him. “Please. I know how much it would mean to them, but you can’t tell anypony just yet. Not until it’s safe.”

“Isn’t it safe now?”

“No, my love. Not until Kira is caught. We won’t ever truly be safe until then.” She looked at him pleadingly. “Can’t we keep this a secret for just a little while longer? For me?”

“I’ll tell you later.” Goldeneye frowned, but didn’t push the subject. Ahead of them Colt Phelps reached the door and, taking a deep breath, pushed it open a crack. As one they walked inside.

“SURPRISE!”

The six agents froze. Lights went up, illuminating the whole room. The main hall was completely full of ponies, all wearing black, all smiling, and all eyes on them. Searchlight punched Phelps in the shoulder. “I told you,” she hissed.

“Not my fault. Also, ow.”

A fluffy pink pony bounced over to them. “Welcome to Ponyville, everypony!” she chirped. Unlike the others she had no suit, but for some reason was wearing fake cat ears and had glued whiskers to her face. “Here, have some name tags!”

“Name tags, Twilight?” Pinkie Pie asked, puzzled. “We’ve never needed those before.”

“That’s right, Pinkie,” Twilight responded, not even looking up from her notes. “But if this is a ‘welcome to Ponyville’ party as well as a costume party, how else will the new arrivals recognize everypony when they’re all dressed up?”

“Of course! Twilight, you think of everything!”

The group hastily wrote down their false names while Pinkie Pie continued to chatter. “I saw you guys sneaking around town everywhere and I thought, wow! Those are some swanky outfits! And then I realized that I’d never seen you before, and I know everypony, and I mean everypony in Ponyville! And if I don’t know you, then that means you’re new! But I’m not supposed to throw parties every time somepony new arrives any more because then I’d have to throw like four or five parties a day, and even I can’t do that and it made me so sad that I couldn’t have a party for just you because that would be unfair! But then I found out that you’re secret agents and I knew, I just knew knew knew I had to throw a super-special Pinkie Pie Spy Party just for you because that is so like the most incredible thing ever!”

Please don’t say my name please don’t say my name please don’t say my name.

“Hi, Ray!”

Shoot. Ray Painter took a step forward, ignoring the filthy looks he was getting from his colleagues. “Hello, miss... Pinkie, was it?”

“You remembered!” Pinkie Pie clapped happily. Searchlight and the others took the opportunity to dash away in all directions, leaving Ray alone with the bubbly filly.

“And what are you supposed to be?”

“I’m the Pink Panther, silly! Rawr!” Pinkie Pie gave a catlike swipe and giggled, but was only met by a blank look. “Huh. Doesn’t anypony but me watch movies? Aww, but you’re not in costume at all! What happened to your suit? That would have been perfect for a spy party!”

“Oh... I was just trying to blend in better.” Ray hissed the last three words. “You know, so I wouldn’t stand out. So nopony would know I was here.”

“Don’t worry, silly. That’s why I brought this!” From somewhere she pulled out a large bag. “It’s a spare costume. Just in case!”

Ray Painter opened the sack cautiously. Inside was a black hat, a clip-on tie, a comically large spy headset, and for some reason a cape. He considered his options, then shrugged and started putting the assembled pieces on. To fit the plastic communicator around his head he had to momentarily take off his glasses, which drew Pinkie Pie’s interest. “Ooh, pretty. How do you get your eyes like that?”

Ray Painter sighed. “They’re always like this. I’m half Neighponese, that’s all.”

“You’re from Neighpon? And you’re a spy...?” Pinkie Pie sat back, gears audibly turning inside her head, and a look of childlike wonder came over her face. “Are you...” she whispered. “Are you a ninja?”

Ray’s jaw dropped. “What? I... what?”

“Oh my goodness!” Pinkie Pie gasped, putting her front hooves to her face. “I forgot! You can’t tell me you’re a ninja because that would be breaking the ninja code!”

“Wha... I... I’m not a ninja! I’ve never even been to Neighpon!”

Pinkie Pie bowed low and winked. “Don’t worry, master. I’ve got your back. Hey, everypony!” she yelled, bounding away. “Change of plans! This is now a ninja party!”

Once he’d recovered, Ray wandered away to examine the rest of the room with a critical eye. Everywhere he looked he saw a sea of black suits and bowler hats, along with a few mares wearing seductive cocktail dresses. The middle of the room was full of dancers gyrating to a simple beat, and pegasi hovered and chatted overhead. One costume-less pony with a fruit cutie mark stood by the drinks table, downing a large glass of cheap alcohol. But where was-

“Hello, Ray Painter.”

The agent whipped around, but nopony was even looking his way. “Who’s there?” he hissed.

“Listen to me closely, Ray Painter, and keep quiet. This is important.” The voice crackled slightly, and he realized it was coming from inside his headset. But it’s fake! Isn’t it? “Tell me, do you see the large brown pegasus behind the pillar to your left?”

Anxiety rising, Ray turned to look. There was indeed a huge, muscular colt with long, eye-covering bangs leaning against a wall in a quieter part of the room. “Yes. I see him.”

“Get a little closer. Keep watching.” Ray took a few tentative steps forward while the mystery voice continued to speak. The poor quality of the transmission combined with the noise around him made the voice muffled, hard to identify. “His name is Hoops. Two weeks ago he was arrested in Cloudsdale on grounds of sexual assault. Despite the testimony of the filly he attacked the court decided that there wasn’t enough physical evidence to convict him. He was released ten days ago and immediately fled to Ponyville to escape the girl’s family.”

Hoops, heart attack.
Enters Ponyville’s town hall at 19:45 and stays near the south-west wall. At 20:05 he quietly dies of a heart attack without drawing attention to himself.

The colt coughed once, then his legs buckled and he slid slowly to the floor. From a distance he appeared to be asleep. Ray’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “Kira.”

“The streets of Ponyville are a little safer now, wouldn’t you agree?”

“You’re a monster.”

Twilight Sparkle chuckled. She couldn’t believe how well this was going. She watched the EBI agent out of the corner of her eye, blending in perfectly thanks to her own dark suit and black glasses. Earlier she’d broken a tiny chip off the corner of her stratoscreen at home and planted it into the earpiece of the prop communicator, setting it to the same magical frequency as the recording crystal she now held. A similar setup in the mouthpiece allowed the agent to talk back, responding to a second chip hidden inside her ear. She’d then planted the altered device in one of Pinkie Pie’s emergency prop bags, and the clueless filly had delivered it right to him. Twilight raised her glass of punch to her lips, whispering into the crystal she’d taped to the inside. “Now that you know who I am, here’s how this is going to work. You know that I can kill whoever I want, whenever I want. For the rest of the evening, consider yourself my hostage. If you in any way signal to anypony that I am speaking to you, I will kill them and then you. Oh, and if that’s not incentive enough...” Despite herself Twilight smiled wickedly. “I’ll kill your marefriend as well.”

Ray’s breath caught in his throat. He ducked behind a nearby pillar, trying to drown out the sounds of the party around him. “How do you know about her?” he blurted before he could stop himself.

Perfect. “No questions, Ray. A word out of place and your beloved Rarity dies. Is that understood?”

Ray Painter gritted his teeth. He doesn’t know her name, he realized, relief flooding through him. "Yes," he grunted.

"Good. Here is my first question. If you refuse to answer, or if I even suspect that you are lying to me, I will begin killing ponies around you until you respond." Twilight giggled. "Do you know the names and faces of all the other EBI agents in Ponyville?"

"No." This was partly true; Goldeneye had been a member of the team for only a few months, so he wasn't yet sure if the name was an alias or not. Ray bit his lip, praying that Kira wouldn't call him out on a technicality.

"Very well." The voice did not sound disappointed at the news. Ray clamped his mouth shut just in time to stifle a sigh of relief. "Do you know the name and face of your superior?"

There was no getting out of this one. "Yes," Ray grudgingly admitted.

"Good." Twilight paused to smile at a passing colt, then returned to her drink. "Underneath the drinks table to your right you will find a blank name tag. You will write down your superior's full name on it and leave it underneath the table. If you write down a false name, I will know right away."

As casually as possible, Ray Painter walked over to the drink table. Hoping that nopony was looking, he made his way behind it and ducked under the tablecloth. Sure enough, a discarded name tag was lying near one of the feet, as well as a worn-down pencil. What's Kira playing at? he wondered, picking up the tag and turning it over. The reports showed he needs a name and a face to kill. What's he going to do with just a name? Still, I guess he hasn't left me any choice. He picked up the pencil and scratched down a name onto the tag.

Storm Seeker

I'm sorry, boss. The image of the chubby pegasus leaped into his mind but he forced himself not to show any signs of emotion. "It's done," he hissed into the mouthpiece.

"Good. Now, leave the party through the main entrance. Do not speak to anypony. The cafe directly across the street is unlocked. Go inside and wait in the far corner. At ten o’clock, you may leave." There was a pause. "It's been a pleasure working with you, Ray Painter."

Ray didn't dignify this with a response. Instead he rose up and headed for the door in a straight line, keeping his eyes in front as he walked outside.

One hour passed, very slowly.

Rarity pouted. She tapped a hoof on the floor impatiently, skimming the menu in front of her for the tenth time. "Is there a problem, madame?" the waiter asked.

"No, no problem," Rarity said through clenched teeth. "He'll just be a few more minutes, I'm sure."

Horte Cuisine nodded, then scrunched up his face in irritation as he walked away. Aside from the chef, he and Rarity were the only ponies in the restaurant; virtually everypony else was at the big party in the town hall. He'd drawn the short straw for the lone reservation, so until this fussy unicorn left he was stuck here. How long was she planning to wait, all dressed up like she was going to the Gala? Another hour? Longer?

Rarity sighed. She bit her lip and looked at the clock once again, going over her exact words the other night. Ray had understood that she had meant tonight, hadn't he? With everypony at the party, this would be the one night they could safely go out for dinner together like a normal couple. He'd promised he would come. He promised.

It was nearly nine o’clock. The reservation was for eight. In the EBI, there was a saying that the only admissible excuse for being more than an hour late for anything was a death in the family: specifically, your own. Newer recruits usually believed at first that this was a joke. More experienced agents lived by the rule religiously. Experience had shown that if a responsible pony failed to turn up somewhere, there was usually only one reason.

“Please, Ray,” Rarity whispered, clenching her teeth tightly. She kept up her pouty expression, refusing to let her terror show in front of the waiter. Inside, the gears were spinning rapidly. You know what’s happened, her inner voice mocked her. You knew that this was a risk. You saw how easily Kira killed Caramel. Why, if he even suspected that Ray was following him...

The clock struck nine.

In a flash Rarity leaped from her seat and ran outside, leaving the fuming waiter behind.

With a subtle sweep of magic Twilight picked up the name tag she’d hidden under the drinks table earlier that afternoon and tucked it into her coat. Wouldn’t do for somepony to discover that in the morning. She checked her watch - nine o’clock. Almost time for phase two.

"Don't you think you've had enough to drink?"

Twilight's ears pricked up. In her rush to pick up the name tag she’d taken her eyes off the one pony she was supposed to be watching. She turned to the source of the sound and saw a concerned Colgate wearing a deerstalker standing over Berry Punch, who was leaning unsteadily against the alcoholic drinks table. "Am fine," the purple mare slurred. "Jus' a lil' tipsy. Tha's all." She hiccuped, a goofy grin forming on her face. "Wanna drink, pretty pony?"

Twilight stepped towards the pair. "Why don't we get you home," she said to the drunken pony gently. "It's getting late. Let us help you."

Colgate smiled appreciatively. "Twilight's right. Let's get you tucked up in bed."

Berry Punch perked up at the mention of the word 'bed'. "I like the sound of that," she mumbled, taking a stumbling step forward. Colgate let her rest her head on her shoulder and the purple pony leaned against her in a more intimate way than she would have liked. "You take me to bed, pretty pony." Twilight stepped forward to help, but Berry Punch swiped angrily at her. "Back off! She's mine!"

Colgate frowned, then turned bright red. "I didn't mean-"

"Come on, Colgy." Berry Punch draped a front leg around her friend's neck. "Let's go to bed. I've got some great-” she hiccuped “-great tricks I can show you."

The blue pony smiled awkwardly. "Well, um... uh..."

Twilight tried again to get closer. "You sure you don't need any help?"

"I guess... not." Colgate shifted and took a step forward. "Just so long as we get her home before she makes a mess," she added in a quieter voice. "Thanks anyway, Twilight."

Twilight waved as the pair walked away, then cursed. She’d been depending on Berry Punch’s inevitable collapse as her excuse for leaving the party early. Sneaking back in would be easy, but it would look suspicious if she simply disappeared for no clear reason. Come on, Twilight, think! She looked around desperately. Time was running out. Nopony will notice if I’m only gone for a minute. What I need is some kind of distrac-

“Ninja time!”

Twilight was momentarily blinded as a mysterious flash lit up the room, then plunged it into darkness. When the light came back up a makeshift stage had appeared in the centre of the room, upon which Pinkie Pie in full ninja garb was flailing wildly at imaginary opponents. “Are you ponies ready to ninja party?” she screamed.

That’ll do.

“Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh...

From the valleys of Neighpon

when something weird is going on

through smoke and shade and history

there’s ninjas creeping stealthily!

In the darkness of the night

these shadow-ponies set things right!

Ninjas take on any quest

they can’t be beat, they are the best!

Ninjas! Trained in ninjitsu!

Ninjas! They’re coming for you!

Ninjas! The greatest ponies!

Ninjas! Ninjas ninjas ninjas!”

Pinkie Pie spun around wildly, now wielding a broomstick like a sword. Tiny crystals on the stage glimmered around her, throwing images of black-clad figures into the air. She began to sing more quickly, narrating a story that the tiny figures acted out around her.

“A hundred billion years ago when dino-ponies roamed

the ninja king rose from the swamp and took the ninja throne!

He taught the world ninjitsu and he brought peace to Neighpon

and then he invented cupcakes so his legacy lives on!

With fire breath and super strength he fought the samurai

and everypony’s minds were blown right up into the sky!

He cut them up, he cut them down, he took them by surprise!

So much awesome can’t be seen by anypony’s eyes!

Now ninjas live throughout Neighpon but can’t ever be seen

unless there comes a monster beast or evil space machine!

And as for the great ninja king, he’s with us here to stay

he flew around the world ten times and landed yesterday! Hey!

Ninjas! Trained in ninjitsu!

Ninjas! They’re coming for you!

Ninjas! The greatest ponies!

Ninjas! Ninjas ninjas ninjas!”

Ninjas fly with wings of cloud!

The world moves when they speak aloud!

Their eyes can shoot out laser beams!

They are the ultimate fighting teams!

When lotus blossoms fill the air

your enemies had best beware!

They’ll launch attacks you can’t evade

with shurikens and smoke grenades!”

At this Pinkie Pie drew out a black ball from a hidden pocket in her outfit and raised it high in one hoof. Sensing her chance, Twilight concentrated on the tiny orb and sent out a pulse of magic as the black-clad pony threw it downwards. Instead of the pony-sized puff Pinkie had expected it burst violently into thick black smoke, filling the large room in an instant. Ponies coughed and choked on the thick air until the assembled pegasi were able to create an updraft and blow most of the smoke out of the higher windows. In the rush nopony noticed that Twilight Sparkle had disappeared.

Pinkie Pie grinned sheepishly. “Um... whoops.” Without hesitation she launched back into her song.

“Pirates, robots, dragons too!

Giant moths and glowing goo!

Tentacles and things that crawl,

ninjas will defeat them all!

Ninjas! Trained in ninjitsu!

Ninjas! They’re coming for you!

Ninjas! The greatest ponies!

Ninjas! Ninjas ninjas ninjas!”

Outside, Twilight Sparkle paced in irritation, glancing periodically at her watch. “Come on, come on...” She stared out at the road leading in the direction of Canterlot, peering into the darkness for any approaching figures. “He can’t be late, he can’t be...”

There was a bright flash and a burst of energy that nearly bowled Twilight over and a fat blue pegasus materialized in the middle of the square, looking dazed. She righted herself and cursed, praying that Pinkie Pie’s continuing singing had covered up the sound of his arrival. Long-distance teleporting? Shoot. Canterlot’s not that far. I was sure I’d left enough time for him to run here on his own. She observed the rolls of fat that jiggled on the pony’s face as he looked around. Then again...

Storm Seeker looked up joyfully at Twilight’s approach. He pulled an envelope from underneath his wing and dropped it to the ground in front of him. “I need to take this to my team,” he said breathlessly, a slightly manic look in his eyes. “I think they might be in danger. I have to warn them.”

“I’ll take it to them,” Twilight said reassuringly. “You’ve done a good job. You can go now.” The pegasus stood still for a moment, as if trying to force words out, then abruptly turned and ran in the direction of the Everfree Forest. “Goodbye...” Twilight pulled the name tag from her pocket. “Storm Seeker. You did your job well. I’m sure all your agents are very proud of you.” She tugged the flimsy plastic covering away from the paper beneath, unfolding it to reveal the instructions she’d written in advance.

Storm Seeker
Manticore attack.
At 21:05, arrives in Ponyville with files showing the names and faces of all the EBI agents stationed in Ponyville. He gives these files to the first purple unicorn he sees, then runs to the Everfree Forest and is eaten by a wild manticore.

This particular tag had been made from a page from the Death Note. When Ray Painter had filled the empty space with a name, he’d unknowingly activated the Note and signed away his boss’s life. Twilight smiled faintly as the chubby pegasus vanished into the distance. It left a funny feeling in her gut, one that she tried not to dwell on. She then opened the envelope in front of her and pulled out a small stack of papers, retreating into the shadows of the town hall as she did so.

The picture of a brightly-coloured pegasus smiled up at her from the first page. “I’m sorry, my little ponies.” Twilight stroked the stack of paper gently with her hoof. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I know you’re just doing your jobs, trying to protect Equestria as best you know how. But right now, Equestria needs me more than it needs you. As long as you keep hunting me, the same powers that let ponies like Hoops and Sharp Star go free will continue to rule.” She sighed, drawing the Life Note and a pencil from inside her coat. “In my perfect world, there will be no need for the EBI. Do you know why?” She threw the notebook open with a grim finality and began to write. “Because when I’m done, there will be no more crime.”

When she was finished, Twilight folded up the papers inside the Life Note and closed it. She closed her eyes and, in a flash of light, reappeared inside the town hall.

An hour later, Rarity found herself walking the streets of Ponyville alone, utterly miserable. Ray Painter hadn’t been at the party after all, nor anywhere else she’d looked. She was tired, desperately hungry, and her dress was all but ruined from the dust on the roads. After much aimless wandering she’d ended up back at the steps of Pinkie Pie’s party, which was still going strong. She glanced at a nearby clock tower; it was nearly ten. Sweetie Belle would be wondering where she was. Rarity sighed. Time to go home. There was nothing more she could do but hope.

Aurora Flash, heart attack.
Dies painlessly at exactly 22:00.

Ray Painter had had enough. It was nearly ten o’clock. Close enough, he decided. After all, following a villain’s directions to the letter only ever got ponies killed. There was no way Kira was still watching him, and an extra minute outside could make all the difference. He rose and stretched, legs popping after nearly two hours of sitting still. He pushed chairs aside and made his way out of the cafe to the dark streets outside.

Auster Craft, heart attack.
Dies painlessly at exactly 22:00.

Rarity paused. Just on the edge of hearing, a door creaked open behind her. She turned her head, scarcely daring to let herself hope. And yet...

There! That grey shirt she’d made just for him, those glasses, and for some reason a cape but that wasn’t important right now. “Alias?” Rarity breathed, her eyes widening. In a great rush all the fear and worry she’d been holding onto all evening left her and she ran, unheeding of her surroundings. “Alias!”

Colt Phelps, heart attack.
Dies painlessly at exactly 22:00.

“Alias!”

Ray Painter stopped, lifting his sunglasses to peer through the darkness. A familiar white unicorn in an elaborate dress was racing towards him with a smile as bright as the sun. “Rarity?”

Goldeneye, heart attack.
Dies painlessly at exactly 22:00.

It didn’t matter that he’d missed dinner. It didn’t matter that they lived in different worlds. It didn’t matter that he always wore those stupid shades, even at night. Rarity closed the distance between them at a gallop, rising to embrace her stallion. He was safe. They were together. That was what mattered.

Searchlight, heart attack.
Dies painlessly at exactly 22:00.

The agent smiled as the mare of his dreams rose up to throw her forelegs around him, the woes of the night momentarily forgotten. Warmness filled his heart. Somewhere in the distance, a clock chimed the hour.

Ray Painter, heart attack.
At 20:00, enters Ponyville’s town hall wearing his grey polo shirt and accepts the costume he is given. He speaks only when spoken to and answers all questions truthfully. When instructed, he leaves the party and waits in the cafe across the street. Dies painlessly at exactly 22:00.

He closed his eyes and noiselessly tumbled to the ground. Rarity’s hooves met empty air.

Time froze. “Ray?”

From inside the town hall there was a crash, followed by another, as two pegasi fell from the air and landed hard on the floor below. The music stopped. Screams started. Rarity didn’t hear them. She knelt down and gently nuzzled her stallion. “Ray, get up.”

The body lay, still and unmoving.

Rarity choked. She couldn’t breathe. All the fear she’d felt before returned, multiplied a thousandfold. “Ray...?” She held his face in her hooves and peppered him with tiny, desperate kisses. “No. No no no. You can’t go. We still have so much to do together.” His face was serene, eyes shut, frozen in a look of quiet contentment. “I’ve been making a suit for you to try on, and Sweetie Belle wants to meet you again, and... and...” She gave an unladylike sniff, tears clogging her throat. “And when all this is over, we’re going to find a nice little home in the country, just you and me, and have more children than we can count. R-remember?” No response. “Remember when I told you that? I meant it, every time. I love you, Ray Painter.” Her breath came in harsh, wheezing gasps, her body finally giving in to sobbing. “You can’t d-die!” she screamed, beating at his chest. “You can’t leave me! You promised! You p-p-promised!”

Rarity threw back her head and howled, a wordless scream that joined the other cries and wails echoing through the night. As frightened ponies burst out onto the street, the white mare was swept away in a tide of terrified bodies.

Colgate peered nervously through the small window in the door to her office. The police station was almost full, with nearly as many ponies crammed into it as the first day they'd been open. They sounded scared and angry. The blue pony gulped, trying to calm herself down. "I don't know if I can do this," she whispered.

Spike nudged her leg. "I'm with you, Colgate," he said reassuringly. On her other side Sideline nodded, but as usual didn't say anything.

Colgate sighed. "Okay. Best we just get this over with."

The door swung open. All eyes turned to the trio as they walked out of the office. Colgate looked pale, and her voice cracked as she spoke. "A-attention, everypony." The room fell silent. "As you all know, last night several ponies died suddenly during Pinkie Pie's party. Nurse Redheart has confirmed that they all suffered heart attacks around the same time. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the work of Kira. One of them..." Colgate coughed, trying to cover up the trembling in her voice. "One of the bodies was identified as Hoops, a recent immigrant from Cloudsdale. We weren't able to confirm the identities of the others until just now." She held up a scroll bearing the dark blue seal of Princess Luna. "It turns out Pinkie Pie wasn’t joking about them working for the government. The six other ponies who died at the party were agents of the EBI, sent here from Canterlot to investigate possible suspects in the Kira investigation."

Gasps sprung up around the room as the reality of this sunk in. "So that's why I saw one of them following me!" a young mare near the front cried out, opening the floodgates for a tide of angry and fearful shouting.

"But they all died! All of them!"

"What about the Ponyville police? Don't they trust us?"

"None of us are safe now!"

"The horror! The horror!"

Colgate held up a hoof to call for silence, but it did little to stem the outbursts.

“Why didn’t they tell us?”

“Nopony can stand against Kira!”

"If Canterlot can't protect us, who will?"

A piercing whistle filled the air, finally silencing the assembled ponies. To everypony's surprise the sound came from Sideline, who bowed apologetically and gestured to Colgate. The blue pony blinked a few times, then turned back to face the crowd. "Now, I'm sure we all have a lot of questions. We're all angry and upset that the EBI went behind our backs about this, and it's frightening to see what's happened to them. I'm not going to say don't be scared. Even I'm scared right now. But we need to face the reality of the situation, so that's what this meeting is about.

"The fact is, Kira's no longer just targeting criminals. Anypony who tries to find him, anypony who stands in his way, is now at risk. Unfortunately, that includes us." Colgate looked around the room. Nopony seemed able to look her in the eye. "But I’m not giving up!” she said, her voice growing stronger. “It doesn’t matter what anypony thought about Kira before today, there’s no agreeing with him now. This is not justice. This is murder, the murder of six good ponies who protected the innocent and served Equestria well, and I would prefer to die than stand idly by and let their killer walk free. And despite the danger, I hope that some of you will join me in this quest.”

The police pony took a deep breath, hoping that her words were having an effect. “I don't make this request lightly. Think of your family, your friends, the ponies who would miss you if you were gone. If you leave now, nopony will think any less of you because of it. But if you are willing to lay down your life for this cause, stay, and we’ll bring Kira to justice together. I leave the decision to you."

There was silence in the police station for about twenty seconds. Ponies stood quietly, weighing their options. Then one mare sighed, gave a small nod to Colgate, and quickly made her way out of the building. Another pony followed, then another. Colgate bowed her head and closed her eyes. The volume of hoofsteps grew louder and louder, and a minute passed as ponies filed their way out of the building in silence. When all was quiet again she opened her eyes and groaned inwardly. Where minutes ago nearly a hundred ponies had stood in front of her, she now had three.

"Great. Just great." Colgate made her way over to the remaining trio and sighed. "Rainbow Dash. Can't say I'm surprised."

"Hey yeah." The cyan filly puffed out her chest proudly. "I don't care about any danger. There's no way I'm letting my friends down, no matter what."

"That's fine. I guess there's no talking you out of it." Rainbow Dash nodded. Colgate moved on to the next pony. "Ditzy Doo. I'm surprised you're still here. Don't you have little Dinky to take care of?"

The mailmare tapped her head a few times, trying to get her eyes to focus. When they instead rolled even further in opposite directions she gave up and put on her most serious face. "Little muffin's with Carrot Top," she said, remembering to keep her sentences short so the words didn't get away from her. "I'm staying."

"Are you sure?" Colgate tried to smile. "She would be really sad if you were gone. You should go back to her."

Ditzy Doo opened her mouth, then slowly closed it. "I'm staying," she said simply.

"Well, if you're sure." The police pony sighed and moved on to the last pony. "And... I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

"Linky." She was a sky-blue earth pony with white hair that bunched up into curls right above her eyes. Her cutie mark was a pair of interlocking horseshoes. "It's okay. Nopony usually notices me." She blushed. "Since Green Grapes moved to Appleloosa I haven't really had much to... I mean..."

"It's okay." Colgate put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "We're happy to have you." She turned back towards her office. "Unfortunately, this leaves us with an investigative team of four. Still, maybe it’s for the best. We couldn't do much when we had ten times this many ponies, so I seriously doubt Kira will see us as a threat now.”

"Hey." Spike tugged on Colgate's leg. "There's five of us. You've still got me, remember?"

Colgate smiled. "Thanks, Spike. But are you sure you want to stay, too? Won't Twilight miss you?"

"Nah, she'll be fine without me for awhile. She can run the library without my help. Besides, this is my royal duty, remember? I can't say no to a princess."

Colgate bit her lip. Maybe it hadn't occurred to the dragon that his life might be in danger, or he couldn’t fully appreciate the reality of it; for all his talk, he was still only a baby dragon after all. With a lifespan of at least several hundred years, death would seem like such an abstract, faraway concept. But, much as she hated to admit it, they needed him. Without instructions from the princesses they would be flying blind. "Okay," she admitted, "there's five of us. But that still leaves us-"

"Six, actually."

Everypony looked at each other, then one by one turned to Sideline. Rainbow Dash was the first to speak. "Did she just..."

"Talk? Oh my, no. That would be a terrible breach of her duties." The cloaked pony reached up inside her hood and pushed a small box on a chain into view. "No, my little ponies, I decided it was time for us to speak."

"I know that voice." Colgate took a step forward. "L? Is that you?"

"Correct."

“Really?” Spike’s eyes widened and he began to hyperventilate. “I’m such a big fan!”

The box chuckled, the distortion making the noise sound like crinkling paper. “Yes, yes, there will be time for that later. In the meantime, we have work to do.” L sighed. “Colgate’s assessment of the situation is accurate. Just by remaining here, you all are putting yourselves in danger. The fact that you’ve stayed regardless tells me that you have a strong sense of justice. I hope this means I can trust all of you to listen to me from now on.”

"Hey, wait a minute." Rainbow Dash frowned. “We're risking our lives out here, and you're sitting safe and snug in your little... wherever it is you're hiding! It's easy for you to boss us around when you're not sticking your own neck out for the team!"

Linky was aghast. "Rainbow! You can't talk like that to L!"

“Why not?” the cyan filly snapped. “I don’t care about your so-called reputation. How do we know you are who you say you are? You could be Kira, trying to trick us!”

A hush fell over the group. “I agree,” Ditzy Doo warbled. “Boxes are scary. Boxes aren't a face. It’s hard to trust ponies with boxes for faces.”

"She's right." Colgate said slowly, thinking hard. "L, this has gone on long enough. If you want us to trust you, if we're going to work together as a team, we need to speak to you in person. Why don't you come down to the station and meet everypony properly?"

There was a pause. "Very well," said the voice. “I have prepared for this possibility. The necessary arrangements have already been made. However, I will not be joining you in your little station. Instead, you will be coming to me. I think you will find my working space a little more... well-maintained than yours." The voice chuckled again. "Sideline, lead these ponies to the main entrance. Don't worry, they've all been cleared." The hooded pony nodded and motioned to the others to follow her. "L out. See you soon, my little ponies."

The box crackled into silence. Without waiting Sideline trotted outside, leaving the others in stunned silence. "Well," Colgate said, "I guess we're following her. We don't have much of a choice, otherwise."

"Can we trust her?" Ditzy Doo asked meekly. "Boxes are scary. I don't like the box."

Linky spoke up. “I trust L. Completely.” She followed Sideline outside. One by one, the others followed.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Last night I helped my good friend Pinkie Pie throw a special surprise party for all of Ponyville. We had a lot of fun putting it together and I’m very proud of how it turned out. I learned that sometimes things that seem like improvements can turn out to be disasters; when somepony you know does something challenging so well that they make it look easy, it’s easy to start taking them for granted. It’s important to appreciate the effort that goes into the things your friends do for you, and to trust that a more experienced pony knows what she’s doing. Unfortunately, that’s where my good news ends.

As you may have heard, towards the end of the party six strangers to Ponyville were killed by Kira. Today I learned that they were agents of the Equestrian Bureau of Investigations. Worse, I recognized one of them. I’ve seen him watching me when I went out over the past week. Were you having me followed, Princess? I’m hurt that you don’t seem to trust me.

Your student,

Twilight Sparkle

Recovery

8
*Recovery*

It is possible to write the cause and/or details of death prior to filling in the name of the individual. Be sure to insert the name in front of the written cause of death. You have about 19 days (according to the pony calendar) to fill in a name.

A hush fell across the four ponies and dragon as they followed Sideline across Ponyville. She didn’t seem to be leading them anywhere in particular, taking a wide, looping path that steered clear of any main streets. “I don’t get it,” Rainbow Dash whispered, throwing suspicious glances at the cloaked pony. “L could have shown himself to us at any time. Why would he wait until now?”

“I don’t know, Dash,” Colgate whispered back. She’d found herself at the front of the little group, several pony-lengths behind Sideline, carrying Spike on her back. “Maybe... maybe L was waiting for something like this to happen. Maybe this was his plan all along.”

“You mean he wanted all those EBI agents to die?” interjected Linky, eyes wide.

“I don’t think so. But I think he knew that sooner or later the group would split up, and only the ponies most loyal to the cause would remain.”

“I’m hungry,” Ditzy Doo complained, bringing up the rear.

Silence descended again as the group entered Ponyville’s park. Despite the town’s rapid expansion this stretch of land had remained virtually untouched, and the gently rolling meadow still made a popular playground and picnic spot. The park was currently empty; even though the sun was shining the temperature was slowly dropping, and spots of red were starting to become visible on the nearby trees. "L is out here? This can't be right." Colgate frowned and looked over her shoulder. "Spike, you delivered letters to L, right? You must have some idea where he lives."

"Nope. I just left them under a tree around here, and whenever I came back they were gone. Those trees over there." The little dragon pointed in the direction Sideline was heading.

They watched as Sideline approached a tiny grove of trees and stood in the middle of it. She looked around and stomped twice. There was a pause, then with a quiet click a disguised trapdoor sprung open, revealing well-worn steps leading down into darkness. The cloaked pony carefully made her way down. Colgate hesitated, then followed her into the unknown, the others trailing close behind. As soon as Ditzy Doo crossed the first few steps the door swung silently shut behind them, leaving the group in near-total darkness.

Fortunately the stairs were not long, and the assembled ponies soon found themselves in front of a thick iron door. Sideline rapped out a precise series of knocks on the sheer surface and a loud clunk could be heard from the other side. The doors creaked open, leading into a large, perfectly square room. Bright lights illuminated the four sparklingly white walls, each with its own identical doorway leading to a different part of the facility. Tables and desks covered with papers lined the walls, along with countless stratoscreens of all sizes covering every available surface.

The strangest sight by far, however, was on a slightly raised platform in the very centre of the room: a monstrous wooden structure, resembling a cube three pony-lengths in every direction. Every surface was made up of series of thin wooden bars with beads strung across them, along with no end of buttons, levers and strings. Similar layers filled the inside of the structure, resulting in a criss-crossing mesh of struts, gears and belts too complex to take in all at once. The top edges were covered in tiny pink crystals, each angled towards one of the many stratoscreens scattered throughout the room, and larger purple crystals glimmered from somewhere within the chaotic interior.

“Whoa.”

“Unbelievable...”

“I’m hungry.”

"It's called an abacus."

Everypony jumped at the voice. A magnificent grey unicorn stepped out from behind the enormous device, smiling gently. He looked several years older than the rest of them, with a hard, serious face and a straight black mane that parted neatly on either side of his horn. He wore a bow-tie and stylish checkered jacket that cut off just before his cutie mark, two pairs of eighth notes. "An abacus mark five, in fact," he continued, stroking the corner of the machine with his hoof. "Better known to some as the Analytical Engine. It was developed by Princess Luna shortly after her re-emergence in Equestria and has recently been upgraded with crystal compatibility. This machine can calculate numbers a thousand times more quickly than any other wood-based device, as well as plot graphs, organize charts and measure probability. There are currently only twenty of these machines in existence, with fewer than a hundred ponies trained to use them. This particular model was provided by the Princess herself in exchange for taking on the Kira investigation. It was teleported to this facility piece by piece and assembled with my own hooves." He nuzzled the edge of the device affectionately. "I call her Minty."

Colgate swallowed nervously and took a step forward. "W-what is this place?"

"Not many ponies these days remember, but during the civil war one thousand years ago Ponyville was the earth ponies' first line of defense against the reigning unicorns. The town was ultimately destroyed, and was only recently re-established. This bunker, however, has been maintained in secret in the event that a hidden base in Ponyville might ever be needed. An event, in fact, much like this one." The unicorn’s gaze shifted from one pony to the next, the smile slowly leaving his face. “So you are the remaining faithful. Hmph. You’re a little... younger than I’d expected.”

Colgate’s lip trembled. She bowed low. “Sir, I swear I will serve you and Equestria as-”

“OhmygoshLI’myourbiggestfaneverI’vereadallyourbookscanIpleasehaveyourautograph?” Colgate winced as Spike leaped from her back and knelt before the surprised unicorn, his eyes wide and sparkling with admiration.

"L? Me?" The grey pony snorted. "Hardly. My name is Jazz. I came from Canterlot to assist L by operating the abacus. No, the so-called legendary detective," he pointed, "is over there."

As one the assembled ponies turned. While they'd been listening with rapt attention another pony had entered the room from the left and sat at one of the desks, scribbling words onto a piece of paper. Her ears pricked up at the sound of her name and she swiveled around to face the group.

The chair L sat in was a marvel in itself. Instead of resting on four legs it sat atop a central column, allowing the seat to swivel in any direction. This then splayed out at the bottom into five different rods, each ending with a rotatable wheel. But even more bizarre was the way the pony before them sat on this contraption. Instead of folding her legs beneath her she slouched backwards and let them dangle, her spine bending against the backrest at a seemingly impossible angle. The position looked painful, but the mint green unicorn showed no signs of discomfort as she surveyed the group.

An uncomfortable silence fell. L simply stared, a carefully blank expression on her face, apparently waiting for somepony else to speak first. A mixture of surprise and confusion washed over the group, and even Rainbow Dash, who earlier had looked as though she was building up to an angry outburst, was finding it difficult to find words. At last Colgate rose up and stepped towards the seated detective. “Um... hello,” she stuttered. Having already laid prostrate before the wrong pony, she was hesitant to try it again. “I’m Colgate. It’s an honour-”

“I know who you are,” L interrupted. Her voice was surprisingly soft compared to the harsh static of the voice box, but still carried an air of authority and total self-assurance. “The question is, who else in Ponyville knows who you are?” She gave each member of the group a hard stare in turn, leaving them to interpret this on their own. Her eyes landed on Sideline. “Bon Bon, it’s all right. All these ponies have been cleared. You don’t need to wear that in here.”

After a few moments of hesitation the cloaked mare threw back her hood, revealing a pleasant-looking cream earth pony with her mane striped in pink and blue. “As you wish,” she mumbled, stumbling over her words a little after weeks of forced silence. Before anypony could react she rushed from the room, taking the exit to L’s left.

L gave a passing smile to the mare as she galloped past. “Don’t mind Bon Bon,” she said, turning back to the assembled ponies. “It’s her job to worry about me.”

Ditzy Doo piped up, saying what was on everypony’s minds. “You’re a girl.”

“That is correct. Does that surprise you?” L spun around playfully in her chair. “Referring to me as male is simply tradition. Behind the screen, L is always male. Under the hood, Sideline is always female. That’s the way it’s always been.”

“So, uh...” Spike was still frozen at the irritated Jazz’s feet. He stood awkwardly, disappointment working its way across his face. “You’re not the real, I mean, the first L?”

The unicorn shot the dragon a cold glance. “Do I look twelve hundred years old?”

“Uh... no?”

“So.” L spun around in her chair again. Bon Bon reappeared, now without her cloak and carefully balancing an ice cream cone in a holder clenched between her teeth. “Ah, thank you.” The unicorn levitated the cone towards her and gingerly licked the generous vanilla scoop on top.

Rainbow Dash pawed at the ground in annoyance. “I still think you’re a fake,” she said quietly. “You sure don’t look like a detective.”

“Looks can be deceiving.” L swiveled to the side, revealing her cutie mark: a golden stringed instrument the cyan filly didn’t recognize. “At a glance, this design would mark me as a musician and nothing more. However, there is often much more to a cutie mark than is readily apparent. It represents not just a physical feature or purpose, but also the hidden talents required to fulfill that purpose. Just as playing the lyre takes planning, concentration and precision, so do I use those same qualities when I play ponies for my own benefit.

“The same applies to all of us. Though it’s not obvious, we all end up in the places most suited for our unique talents. Take Bon Bon.” L stroked the the earth pony’s cream flank, which bore the image of three candies, making the mare blush. “Her job is to sugar-coat everything, then wrap it up to keep it safe.” She then pointed to Jazz, who was still standing next to his abacus with a stony expression. “Jazz’s job is to pay attention to tiny details and ensure everything happens in the correct order.”

“So, wait... you can look at a pony’s cutie mark and tell what their secret, hidden talents are?” Rainbow Dash seemed to perk up a little at this. “That’s kind of cool.”

“Quite.” The mint unicorn rolled forward slightly and stared into Colgate’s eyes. The effect was diminished slightly when she took another lick of her slowly melting ice cream. “Colgate. Your job is to watch over time and to watch over others; to maintain order, to maintain vigilance, to keep the peace and fight against chaos. You will keep the false name you have taken and continue your duties in this new location. I look forward to working with you directly.”

“Y-yes sir! Ma’am! Absolutely!” Colgate stood proudly and gave her superior a sharp salute, her anxiety rapidly turning into excitement.

L then turned to Linky, who had remained very quiet throughout this exchange. “Linky. Your job is to make small but vital connections between two seemingly unrelated things. Your blessing and your curse is to remain unnoticed, no matter the circumstances. You will assume the name Locket and you will be my eyes and ears in Ponyville.”

“Thank you, L,” Locket mumbled. She sounded almost relieved, which Colgate found odd, but she didn’t question it.

“Ditzy Doo.” The grey mailmare stared in rapt attention, or at least half her face did. “Your job is to float on high, to divert attention when needed, and to look at situations from angles that others cannot. For your safety you will assume the name Derpy Hooves and continue your job of delivering letters and packages, keeping a watchful eye for any suspicious communications. I have already spoken with your supervisor regarding this change and the necessary arrangements have been made.”

The newly dubbed Derpy Hooves nodded, but her mind seemed to be elsewhere. “I’m hungry.”

“The kitchen is that way.” L had barely finished speaking before the pegasus shot off in the direction of her raised hoof, leaving clouds of bran-scented dust in her wake.

Rainbow Dash hopped from one hoof to the next. “Ooh, I’m next! What’s my special talent? Is it lightning-fast thinking? Or lightning-fast investigating? Or lightning-fast, uh, catching bad guys?”

L looked the filly up and down a few times. “And you... Spike.” She turned abruptly towards the little dragon, leaving Dash frozen in surprise. “You’ve spent your whole life assisting others. Those skills will be highly useful now, in this time of crisis. I ask that you now stay by my side, as you have stayed by the sides of those before me.”

Spike saluted, trying to copy Colgate. “Yes, ma’am!” Part of him felt that he should be more excited than this; after all, he’d fantasized about this moment ever since he’d started reading detective novels. Still, something about the way the unicorn had said it felt off to him; like he was less an assistant and more of an accessory.

“Hey!” The cyan pegasus waved for attention. “What about me?”

“Rainbow Dash.” L stared hard at her for several long seconds. “Your job is to fly around very fast.”

There was a pause. “That’s it?”

The detective shrugged. “I’ve got nothing. Thanks to your highly visual antics everypony knows who you are right now, so there’s no sense in taking an alias.”

Dash gave an exaggerated sigh. “Still think you’re a fake,” she muttered.

“As for myself,” L concluded, “I will remain here at all times. I ask that you all continue to refer to me as male and not describe my appearance to anypony, not even those you trust. Within the confines of the facility, however, you may call me... Harpy Chords.”

Spike gasped. “Is that your real name?”

“No.” The unicorn took a bite of her ice cream, which was starting to drip. “Now, I suggest you all find something to eat. We have a long day ahead of us and it’s best that you get settled in quickly. For safety you will all live here for the time being. Individual rooms are to your left, and the eating area is to your right. Bon Bon will show you the way.” Without another word L rolled away and returned to her writing, taking more frequent licks at her dripping cone. Silently Bon Bon gestured to the others and they followed her out of the room and down a wide passage towards the kitchen.

Away from L and able to analyze what had just happened, a mixture of emotions ran through the group. There was surprise and excitement, but also fear and confusion; the green unicorn was so different to their expectations that it was hard to process that she was supposed to be a legend. There was something deeply, unsettlingly off about her. After all, it might be fun to imagine a pony with so many eccentricities... but could anypony actually live like that? Colgate drew up beside Bon Bon as they walked. “Is she always like this?” she half-whispered.

“Like what?”

“You know... direct. Self-assured. Socially... weird.”

“Oh, no,” Bon Bon replied, shaking her head and smiling. “Miss Harpy is a very emotional pony.”

“Really? I wouldn’t have guessed.”

“That’s the idea. Oh, my.” Bon Bon stopped as she entered the kitchen, putting a hoof over her mouth in shock. The others piled up behind her, each freezing in horror at the carnage before them. The once immaculate and aggressively functional kitchen now looked more akin to a disaster area. The sheer magnitude of what had been done in such a short time was staggering, something the likes of which no mortal pony was ever meant to lay eyes on. Atop a towering monstrosity of crumbs, empty cartons and half-devoured vegetables a wall-eyed pegasus sat happily munching on a carrot, seemingly oblivious to the chaos surrounding her. Something sticky dripped onto Bon Bon’s shoulder and she looked up, trembling violently. Sweet Celestia, how did she even... “Derpy, what have you done?”

“I emptied your fridge.”

Hoofsteps echoed through the royal palace, audible even on the far side of Canterlot. Celestia tore up the steps of the Lunar Tower, wings outstretched, a look of fury burning on her face. She screeched to a halt in front of a set of large ebony doors and burst through, howling. “LUUUUUNAAAAA!”

While Celestia’s bedroom was large and ornate, her sister’s was anything but. The windowless stone walls left little room for anything but a midnight black bed, which was built for an alicorn of Celestia’s size but instead housed a comparatively smaller occupant. From within an ocean of sheets and fluffy pillows the lunar princess cracked open an eyelid. “Wha?”

Celestia stormed across the room and waved a letter in her sister’s face, in tatters from the speed at which it had been dragged through the air. “You used private resources from the EBI to spy on my personal student!” she roared.

“Huh?” Luna held up a hoof to shield her eyes from the harsh light spilling in from outside. “Tia, it’s midday...”

“Listen to me, little sister.” The larger alicorn put her two front hooves on the bed, towering over her younger sibling. “The programs we created were made to protect the ponies of Equestria, not oppress them. The EBI is not your toy to use as you wish. You will never, never use them to spy on my little ponies ever again. Ever.” Celestia lowered her face towards Luna’s and snorted angrily. “Is that understood?”

In her half-awake state, the lunar princess could only nod.

“Good.” Celestia stepped off the bed and folded her wings, looking a little more composed. “I hope that we will not have to speak about this again.” Without another word she whirled around and stomped outside, slamming the double doors behind her with enough force to make the whole tower shake.

Luna blinked, trying to make sense of what had just happened. “They’re my little ponies too, Tia,” she mumbled, pulling a blanket over her head. “I wish you’d remember that.”

Once the investigative team had scrounged together some food, chosen their rooms and given Derpy a bath, they reconvened in the main chamber. The atmosphere was now much more informal than it had been before, Bon Bon in particular looking much more comfortable around the new guests. They sat in a rough circle around a small table set up close to the abacus, with L at the head. Bon Bon stood by L’s side, while Jazz sat further away beside his beloved abacus. L finished up the plate of peanut brittle she was snacking on and passed it to Bon Bon before gesturing to the group. “Shall we begin?”

Directly across from her, Colgate nodded. “Let’s. Tell us what your plan is.”

The detective stretched and began to speak. “Here is what we know. Just before nine o’clock last night the pegasus Storm Seeker, leader of the EBI investigation here, ordered an emergency long-distance teleportation from Canterlot to Ponyville. Ever since then he has been missing, presumed dead. Many of the folders in his office were in disarray and a number of important files have been removed. I believe that, sadly, Storm Seeker was being controlled by Kira and used to bring the names of the visiting EBI agents to him.”

“Wait, wait,” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “You mean Kira can control ponies now?”

“Correct. We know that Kira can influence the time and method of his victims’ deaths, as well as subconsciously control their behavior. The exact limits of this power are currently unknown.”

Colgate frowned. “Why weren’t we informed of this?”

“Kira was performing experiments with prison inmates by altering their times and modes of death, perhaps to determine what feats he is or is not capable of. To keep the results of these experiments from him, all records of unusual activity among victims were destroyed. Outside of myself, Princess Luna and the few ponies who reported the deaths, no one was aware that these experiments were taking place.” L’s face darkened. "Which is troubling, as I do not believe Kira would attempt to control Storm Seeker if he believed his experiments to be failures. Which means that Kira must therefore be somepony who has access to the same information I do. While this is unsettling to me, it does narrow down the range of our search considerably."

Derpy Hooves raised a hoof. "Yes, Derpy?"

The mailmare appeared confused for a second, then her face lit up. "My name is Derpy Hooves," she said, looking pleased with herself. She nodded for a few seconds before remembering her question. "Um. How do you know I'm not Kira?"

Colgate laughed. "Derpy, don't be ridic..." She trailed off, thinking. "That... that's actually a good question. Kira would have a lot to gain by joining the investigation. L, I mean Harpy, why were you so quick to trust us?"

L smiled thinly. "That was never a concern. I had my associate Locket personally investigate anypony on the police force I felt would be useful to me."

Everypony stared at the blue earth pony, some in shock, others accusingly. Locket felt herself turn pale. "You didn't have to mention that..." she mumbled.

"A spy!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "I knew it!"

Spike's response was more level. “You... you were working for L this whole time?” he asked, eyes wide and lips trembling. “And you didn't tell us?”

"I... I was just doing my job..." The blue pony squirmed, unused to having so many eyes on her. "I'm just supposed to tell L what I see. That's all..."

"Enough." L pounded a hoof on the table for silence, her voice flat. "What's done is done. There will be no secrets between us now. It's true, Locket has worked for me in the past, but only on a personal basis. She is not directly affiliated with me or any organizations I represent. Now, if we could return to the matter at hand?" Grudgingly everypony shifted their gaze back to the unicorn.

From underneath the table, L produced a small stack of papers. "Of all the potential suspects in Ponyville, very few would have means of accessing information regarding Kira's experiments. I have selected two of the most likely candidates to look at more closely. Case one: Mayor Mare." She drew from the stack a sheet showing a number of pictures of the good-natured mayor of Ponyville, along with several paragraphs of observations. "She is able to delve into official documents kept hidden from the public eye. With the right tools and her own enchanted books of records, it is possible that she may have been able to view the documents before they were destroyed." Before the assembled ponies could fully react to this accusation L drew out another sheet of paper. "The other candidate is even more interesting. Case two, Twilight Sparkle."

"Whoa, whoa!" Spike jumped up in his seat, waving his arms frantically. "L, are you crazy? The Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic and savior of Equestria many times over? There's no way that can be right!"

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash added, jumping to her friend's defense. "Twilight's just not the type. What gives, L?”

"And yet, the facts line up. Twilight Sparkle lives in a library, and so has easy access to many of the enchanted records books that Mayor Mare does. She is also familiar with communication by dragonfire and crystal technology. On top of that, she is a noted Kira supporter and her studies of friendship have given her a strong sense of social justice."

"No way." Spike shook his head. "I won’t believe it. I've lived with Twilight my whole life. It's impossible that she could turn into a psycho killer without me knowing."

“Where's your proof, L?” Rainbow Dash chided. “Sounds like you're just making stuff up.”

"Oh, I'll give you proof... with these." L gestured to Bon Bon, who ran into the next room. When she returned she carried three small, squirming bags in her mouth. "Bugs," L said with a fiendish grin as Bon Bon laid the bags carefully on the table. "Woodlice for the library, roaches for the mayor's office, and mosquitoes for the outdoors. Undetectable, untraceable, can be planted in seconds and operated from here. These will be ideal for keeping Kira under surveillance."

As the detective spoke Colgate felt her breath becoming sharper. "Harpy, that's illegal."

"Yes, yes it is. But I don't believe that's our primary concern right now."

"What? What is?" Rainbow Dash looked back and forth between the two unicorns in confusion. "What are these things?"

"Crystallized insects," Colgate explained breathlessly. "They look just like the real thing, but they've got tiny recording crystals for faces. When they see or hear anything it's transmitted back to us, letting us..." She gulped. "Letting us spy on ponies. Which, I'll remind you again, is illegal. We could all go to prison just for having these here."

"And what would you have me do, Colgate?" L leaned forwards in her chair and twisted her face into what might have been a frown. "This isn't the academy any more, little pony. There's a killer on the loose, and it's our job to stop her, no matter the cost. You said at the police station that you would give your life to stop these murders. What’s changed since then?”

“T-that’s completely different!” Colgate stammered. “This is about principles. We’re no better than criminals ourselves if we resort to this.”

“No, we’re better than criminals because unlike Kira, we’re doing the right thing. By this point she is the most terrible individual mass murderer in all of history. To not use every possible method at our disposal to catch her is to allow more ponies to die. I will not allow that. There are no lengths to which I will not go to stop Kira, and I expect the same from all of you. History will vindicate us.”

Colgate felt her resolve weakening. “But, to invade the privacy of innocent ponies...”

"I say we do it." Everypony looked in surprise at Spike, who was staring at the squirming bags with a determined look. "Twilight doesn't keep any secrets from me. She's got nothing to hide. I say let's do it so we can prove she's not Kira once and for all."

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “We’ll show you what Twilight’s really like.”

"My name is Derpy Hooves," Derpy interjected for no clear reason.

“Whatever L wants to do is fine,” Locket mumbled.

They all looked expectantly at Colgate. “Is that satisfactory?” L asked.

Grudgingly the blue unicorn sighed. “Fine. But if you’re wrong, and we do all this for nothing...”

“I am seldom wrong.” Satisfied, L sat back and gestured to the bags again. “Once planted, the bugs will work their way through the building to pre-set destinations. When in place, Jazz can control them remotely using signals from the abacus Minty. We will install them this very afternoon and begin monitoring this evening. Derpy, you will take the woodlice to the Books and Branches Library and release them near the front door once Twilight Sparkle has left the building.” Derpy nodded dutifully as one of the bags was levitated over to her. “Colgate, you will perform the same task at the office of Mayor Mare. The mosquitoes will be released strategically and when needed.”

Colgate’s stomach lurched as the second squirming bag made its way across the table towards her. Welcome to the big leagues, she thought glumly. One hour in and I’m already doing espionage.

It was dark when Twilight Sparkle returned to the library. "Spike!" she called out, setting down her bags and turning on lights. "Are you home?" When no answer came she dug into her bag and pulled out a big red apple, taking a huge, juicy bite out of it. "You can wait,” she said aloud, seemingly staring into empty space. “I haven't eaten since lunchtime."

Locket shuffled uncomfortably. "This feels wrong," she said quietly. She looked around at the others watching the screen, half-expecting someone to call her out on her hypocrisy, but no one said anything. Along with her, Spike, L and Bon Bon were watching Twilight Sparkle move around the library. The detective munched on a large bag of caramel-coated popcorn, her eyes fixed in front of her with a peculiar single-mindedness. A cluster of stratoscreens had been set up in their corner of the room, each showing a view from a different woodlouse spread throughout the tree. In the opposite corner Colgate, Rainbow Dash and Ditzy Doo watched Mayor Mare from a similar setup. Jazz alternated between the two groups, using the abacus to switch between bugs and adjust angles as needed. "I mean, more wrong than usual." Locket coughed, but nopony seemed to be listening to her. "Does she always talk to herself like this?"

Spike nodded. "Yeah. She always thinks aloud when she's stressed, or when she thinks I'm not listening."

They watched as Twilight entered the library’s kitchen, changing screens as the view switched to another room. She put down her apple and stacked up a few books lying on the counter; without Spike to clean up after her the books she absent-mindedly left around the building were starting to pile up. She went over to the breadbasket and pulled out two slices. Paused. Brushed a couple of wood chips off the counter and into the dustbin. Paused. Quickly snatched up her apple again and took another bite, staring upwards with a thoughtful expression. She left the room, trotting upstairs, sandwich forgotten. “She just got an idea,” Spike explained. “I usually have to clean up after her when she does that.”

Before entering her bedroom Twilight touched her horn to the wooden door. A tiny spark of light jumped from her to it. “Note: Twilight Sparkle has a magical lock on her door,” L stated, a twinge of satisfaction in her voice.

Instead of walking inside Twilight picked up a book from a stack near her door and continued upstairs. At the top floor she turned out onto her balcony, took a long look at the sky, then opened the book and settled down in front of her beloved telescope. L frowned. There were no bugs out on the balcony, so the only view they had was now of Twilight's back. "Jazz, can you get us any closer?"

The grey unicorn trotted over. He looked over the screens and referred to some notes he'd made about the tree's layout. "Afraid not. There are no woodlice closer to the door and we can’t send out something with wings without risking attracting her attention. It's a clear night, too, so she might be there for awhile."

Twilight adjusted her telescope and looked into the lens. Thankfully there were no clouds, so she had good reason to be outside on a night like this. Currently she was focused on the blank patch of sky where, legend had it, the constellation Ursa Major had once been. Certain older ponies said that on some quiet nights, the Great Bear would climb back into the sky to do battle with Scorpio, the Sun Eater. "Byuk," she whispered without looking up, judging accurately that her words would be lost on the faint wind. "Can you hear me?"

The shinigami loomed over her shoulder. "I'm listening," he said in a quieter voice than he needed to.

"We're being watched."

"Huh?" The god spun around wildly, looking every which way for spies. "I don't see anything."

"Bugs," the unicorn whispered. "Little cameras hidden in the walls. They could be anywhere, so you can't talk to me or pick anything up for awhile."

"How can you tell they're there?"

"I had a plan." Twilight bit her lip, trying to control her anxiety. The wood chips. During the time she'd spent helping Pinkie Pie she'd endlessly studied modern and advanced spy tactics, hoping to gain an edge over the well-trained detective. As soon as she'd read about the recently-developed camera bugs she'd constructed her own defense against them: her own enchanted woodlice, made from parts of the tree itself. If another set of bugs entered the walls they would crawl out and turn back into wood. That had been just three days ago. If I'd forgotten to check... if I'd given Byuk that apple... if I'd decided to use the Death Note right away...

Twilight shuddered. She couldn't think about that right now. "Until they're gone I can't write anything in the Death Note or they'll figure me out. They might be following me as well, so I can't use the Life Note outdoors either. L's too sharp, he'd work out what I was doing. But if the deaths stop now, that would look very bad for me. So I have to convince them I'm not Kira within..." She did some quick mental arithmetic and her heart sank. She'd been so wrapped up in planning Pinkie Pie's party that she'd forgotten to keep up with writing names in advance. "Four days."

"Heh. Good luck." The god sounded more amused than anything else. "Looks like you've been outmaneuvered, huh?"

"Hey, I... I made a mistake, okay? Somewhere..." She frowned. But how? My plan was perfect... no, I don’t have time to think about that right now. “It’s okay. I can still get out of this. No matter how sophisticated these bugs are, they can’t follow me into the Everfree Forest. The weird magical energy there keeps crystals from working properly. I’ll go see Zecora tomorrow to pick up some more herbal teas. Then I’ll be able to come up with another plan.” She took a deep breath to calm herself. “Yes. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“Really?” the shinigami jeered. “Sounds like L’s pulling out all the stops on this one. Maybe you’ve finally met your match.”

Twilight smirked. "I wouldn't laugh too hard, if I were you. I can't talk to you while we're being watched, remember? So that means no more apples."

Byuk laughed once, then stopped. His face fell. "But... but..." He rose rapidly into the air, shaking his clawed hooves in anger. "Nooooooooooooooo!"

An hour passed before Twilight made her way back indoors. Instantly Byuk was back by her side. "Come on, Twilight. Please?" She ignored him, making her way back down to her bedroom. "Please? You're clever, you can work out a way." She arrived at her door. "Twilight, I need apples."

Twilight paused as she opened her door. She took a half-step inside, then turned around. Shadows covering her face, she spoke as quietly as possible. “Byuk? I promise, I’ll talk to you later, but just for tonight... stay out.” Twilight shut her bedroom door in the surprised god’s face and reset the magical lock. She also put a soundproofing spell on it for good measure, then turned to face her desk. Now, this is going to be the hard part.

As naturally as possible, she strode to the desk and unlocked the second drawer. She brushed aside her diary and reached straight down into the hidden compartment. Far away on the other side of a stratoscreen, Spike gasped. “I didn’t know she had that!” he cried. Bon Bon shushed him.

The group stared, transfixed, as Twilight pulled a well-worn book from her desk and carried it to her bed. “Jazz,” L commanded around a mouthful of popcorn, “get me a close-up of that book.” Jazz immediately began pressing buttons and pushing beads, trying different angles to get a better shot. Twilight put the book on her pillow and flipped the text open to a random page.

“Got it!” Jazz announced triumphantly. One of the side-cameras began to zoom in on the book’s cover. “It’s The...” he squinted and trailed off.

“The Strapping Adventures of Lord Cloppington,” Locket finished. Everypony looked at her. “I recognized the cover. I mean,” she started to blush, “I’ve heard of it.”

Spike scratched his head. “I don’t get it. Is that like one of Rarity’s romance novels?”

“It’s... like that, yes,” answered Locket, staring at her hooves.

The image on the screen finally came into focus: a handsome, pure white stallion rippling with muscles stood bravely overlooking a raging sea with an improbably buxom mare hanging off of each foreleg. Lady Esmeralda Moonlight threw herself onto the narrow bed and began to wail, Twilight read, and despite herself began to smile. “Oh, Lord Cloppington,” the lady cried, “I fear I shall not find peace for the rest of my days. How can I sleep, knowing what beast haunts me?”

Lord Cloppington’s chiseled jaw broke into a magnificent manly grin. “Fear not, fair maiden,” he said, “for my secret lair is well-protected against all manner of nightmarish creatures. So long as I am here with you, not even the vengeance-seeking ghost of your younger brother may enter here... without my permission.”

“Oh, Lord Cloppington!” Lady Esmeralda cried, hurling herself at the magnificent stallion. Twilight giggled. She was glad she’d decided against throwing these old books away. It was an absurd novel, not something she’d ever consider reading for the plot, but she was starting to see what Rarity got out of these books. It was nice to indulge in a fantasy once in a while, and after all she’d been through imagining such a perfect stallion made her feel... safe. She rolled onto her back, levitating the book in front of her face, and started to get truly lost in the novel.

“Such a big, strong pony,” purred Esmeralda. Yes, a big, strong pony to look after her... Twilight pulled her sheets over herself and shifted to get comfortable. Someone dependable, to make all her problems go away. She brushed a hoof against her inner thigh. She could so easily forget about the Death Note, about the many eyes on her, about the possible ramifications of what she was about to do, and just lose herself forever in the beautiful eyes of Lord Cloppington...

Spike’s jaw dropped. Locket gasped and covered the little dragon’s eyes. Everypony but L began to turn a deep shade of crimson. Bon Bon giggled and covered her mouth with her hoof. “Who’d have thought, a nice filly like her...”

“Good point.” L swiveled around and called across the room. “Colgate, Rainbow Dash, come and have a look at this.”

“What is it?” Rainbow Dash yelled back as the pair trotted over. “Is something happening? ‘Cause I tell you, our Mayor Mare is boring as OH SWEET MOTHER CELESTIA.”

“Yes, that’s right,” L continued, seemingly oblivious to the shocked expressions on the blue ponies’ faces. “You two have known Twilight Sparkle for a long time. Have either of you ever known her to fantasize about colts in this manner?”

“Guh... uh... no?” Colgate squeaked. She found herself entranced by her friend’s rhythmic motions, horror-struck but somehow unable to look away.

“What?” Rainbow Dash tore her eyes from the screen and blushed as she realized her wings were stiffening. She forced them back down into a folded position. “Well, uh, not really? It’s not the kind of thing you talk about, you know, with your friends...”

There was a long, awkward silence, broken only by the shuffling of hooves and faint rustles and moans from the sound system. Jazz looked pointedly away from the screen. “I don’t really feel comfortable...”

“That’s quite all right.” L waved a hoof dismissively. “It’s late, you should all get some sleep. I’ll continue to monitor Twilight on my own. Derpy, are you all right by yourself?” she called.

“Miss Mare is sleeping!” came a happy reply. “My name is Derpy Hooves.”

“Excellent.” L turned back to the stratoscreen and levitated up another piece of popcorn.

Wordlessly everypony rushed from the room, Colgate carrying a stunned Spike by the back of his neck. Only Bon Bon stayed, her eyes transfixed on the writhing form beneath the sheets. “Remind you of anything?” she whispered in L’s ear.

“Not while I’m in the chair, Bon Bon,” said L, but she smiled just the same.

Colgate emerged from her bedroom yawning and bleary-eyed. Despite the cramped conditions and what she’d endured last night, her cot had turned out to be surprisingly comfortable and she’d ended up sleeping in. The hour would be ungodly early for most, but given her recent sleep schedule she felt well-rested and refreshed. She made her way through the main chamber en route to the kitchen, starting when she saw somepony else awake. “Oh, good morning Harpy.”

“Is it still morning?” The detective took a long sip from a cup of coffee so loaded with sugar it was almost white. She was still in the exact position they’d left her in last night, staring at the stratoscreen with a strange intensity. “I’m sorry if I frightened you.”

“It’s fine,” Colgate laughed nervously. “I just didn’t hear you get up, that’s all.”

“Up?”

“You know, from...” Realization struck. “Have you been sitting there all night?”

“Time waits for nopony. Please, no lectures; I get enough of that from Bon Bon.” The green pony allowed herself to look away from the screen. “You missed Derpy, by the way. She rose even earlier than you to start her deliveries. Very dedicated, that mare.”

“Uh... yeah.” Not for the first time, Colgate started to feel intimidated by the detective’s unceasing stare. “Can I... get you anything?”

L seemed to consider the question. She turned back to the stratoscreen with a thoughtful expression. The current image was a view of the kitchen, where Twilight Sparkle was brewing herself a cup of herbal tea. The unicorn stared at this for several long seconds, either deep in thought or bored out of her skull; it was difficult to tell. “There is one thing,” she said at length. Colgate leaned forwards. “It’s been unfair to Spike to tear him away from his home at such short notice. Perhaps it would be best if we sent him back to the library for today. Could you fetch him for me? I believe he’s still asleep.” Colgate nodded, surprise and sleepiness preventing her from forming an eloquent response. She turned and made her way back down the corridor to Spike’s new room. “And when you’re done,” L called after her, “find Bon Bon. And tell her to bring me a box.”

So it was that twenty minutes later, Spike found himself skipping home at a reasonable hour for the first time all month. He carried a big brown parcel with him, tied closed with a single blue ribbon. He paused at the library’s door. For an instant an image appeared in his head, seemingly burned into his retinas, of Twilight on her back...

No. Spike steeled himself. It didn’t change anything. Twilight was a surrogate mother, big sister, and the best friend a little dragon could ever ask for all rolled into one. No matter what he’d seen, no matter what she did behind closed doors, nothing would ever change that. Nothing. He forced a smile and pushed open the door. “Twilight, I’m home!”

Twilight bounded around the corner, genuine delight showing on her face. “Spike! You’re back!” She galloped across the room and embraced her number one assistant. “I missed you.”

Spike tensed up as the unicorn touched him, but then relaxed. He’d been worried he would feel repulsed or sickened at her touch, but deep down nothing had changed. Same home. Same Twilight. Same everything. “I missed you too,” he said truthfully, returning the hug as best he could around the box in his arms. They broke apart and Spike held the package up. “This is from L. It’s to make up for me being away so much of the time.”

“The real L? Really?” Twilight accepted the box, looking skeptical. “You’ve seen him yourself now?”

“Yeah! He’s really great,” Spike replied carefully. He’d had to be reminded by Colgate several times to refer to L as male outside of the base. “I’m really not allowed to tell you more than that, though.”

“Well, okay.” Shoot. I really need to get onto that team now, Twilight thought as she lowered the gift onto the nearest table. But how can I when they’re watching my every move? Still, at least things can’t get any worse. She lifted the lid off the box. Oh, me and my big mouth. Brain. Whatever.

Filling the box to the brim were row after row of teas - some of Twilight’s favorites, some that she’d never even heard of, and, most distressingly, the herbal blend that she normally went to Zecora’s to get. With this much tea at her disposal, it would be weeks before she would have a legitimate reason to go into the Everfree again. “Spike, this is perfect!” she cried, tapping into the delight she knew she’d be feeling right now under any other circumstances. “Thank you so much!” She raised one of the boxes to her eye. “What in Equestria is Earl Grey?”

Well played, L, Twilight thought as she examined the packages before her in mock excitement. But it takes more than that to catch a pony like me. I’ve learned my lesson. I’m smarter than you. Her smile grew a little wider. I’ve always got a plan B.

Far away, from behind a screen, the detective smiled a special smile of her own.

Dear Princess Luna,

I feel torn. All I want is to do what’s right for Equestria, but it’s becoming less and less clear what the right thing to do is. At the Academy we were taught to never back down from our principles, to stand up for absolute justice even in the face of defeat. Yet having finally been united with L, I have already found myself an accomplice to acts that go against everything I believe in. I find her to be inconsiderate, amoral, and something of a glutton. Under any other circumstances I would not even consider working with such a pony.

And yet, just this morning I witnessed her perform a genuine and thoughtful act of kindness, not even for herself but for a pony she openly distrusts. I am now less certain than ever of my convictions. Maybe sometimes the worst pony is the best pony after all, and maybe sometimes the wrong thing is the only right thing to do.

Your faithful servant,

Romana

P.S. I’m sorry if this sounds more like a report on friendship than the investigation. L has asked that I not disclose her plan until its completion. I hope that is acceptable to you.

Branch

9
*Branch*

The Death Note can only influence a single pony for a maximum of 23 days (in the pony calendar). If the written details of death exceed this limit, the pony will die immediately of a heart attack. This is called the 23-day rule.

With a box in his arms and a large basket balanced on his shoulders, Spike entered the underground base to the sounds of fighting. "If I catch you laying a hoof on Minty again I'll tear off all your limbs!" Jazz yelled towards the ceiling, his normally stoic exterior replaced by a look of outrage. "And I mean all of them!"

From above Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out. "Whatever, old-timer," she called down. "I was just looking. I wasn't gonna break your stupid machine."

Around the arguing pair the base was business as usual. Colgate sat in her corner with her hooves over her ears, muttering to herself as she watched Mayor Mare go about her day. L occupied her usual position at the opposite end of the room, sucking on hard candy. Behind her, Locket and Bon Bon quietly discussed mane-curling techniques. Spike made his way over to the trio, making sure to give the furious Jazz a wide berth as he continued to shout. "Stupid? Minty is a very delicate device! It takes the highest level of precision and elegance to operate her. You wouldn't know elegance if it nipped you on the flank, you foal!"

"Who are you calling a foal, old-timer?"

"Old-timer? Why, you..." Jazz started to prepare a blistering retort, then abruptly seemed to run out of steam. He sighed. "I’m not an old-timer."

L twirled around to face the pair. "Rainbow, old-timer, keep it down. Some of us are trying to work." She blinked and her eyes focused on the little dragon. "Ah, Spike. Welcome back. I trust your stay was enjoyable?"

"Yeah." Spike walked over to his station next to her, shrugged his sleeping basket off his back - he would carry it to his room later - and put down the large box he'd been carrying with him. "I brought all the copies of my letters like you asked. I don't think anyone's touched them."

L stared, her eyes wide. Spike couldn't tell if the gaze was meant to be searching or accusing. "Are you certain?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. I don't keep track of all my stuff at all times, unlike some ponies."

"Spike!" From the opposite end of the room Colgate leaped from her seat and ran towards him, smiling widely. "How's Twilight? Is she okay? Is everything fine with you two?"

"Everything’s great. We spent all day working on an enchantment project she’s come up with. She seemed kind of upset when I told her I was moving out for a while, but I think she’ll be fine. It was nice to spend time with her for once."

"That's good to hear," Colgate sighed with relief. "Hey, Harpy, did you know Mayor Mare cheats on her taxes?"

"Fascinating," L replied flatly. She turned to focus on her own screen. "Let me know if anything relevant happens."

Colgate blinked. "I thought you'd..." Her eyes narrowed. "You don't care about Mayor Mare at all, do you?" she realized. "You just want Twilight. Ever since her name came up, you've been referring to Kira as female."

"Twilight Sparkle is the pony who most closely fits the profile of a potential Kira," L said without looking up.

Spike opened his mouth to argue, but Colgate beat him to it. "After what we saw? Clearly she has her... reasons... for her privacy. Privacy we’ve already violated. Haven’t we done enough?"

"It’s too contrived." L shook her head, cracking a sweet between her teeth. "She kept her room locked up because of some books and her night-time habits? No, that’s too obvious; it’s what she wants us to think."

Colgate scrunched up her face in disgust. "This is not how a proper investigator works," she said. "You're not being objective. You're obsessed."

"That's right, and that's why I'll win."

"Win? This-"

"-isn’t a game? Colgate, do you know how many brave young detectives have stood right where you are now and said those exact words to me?" L's voice was completely flat as she spoke. Onscreen, Twilight Sparkle was arranging a series of tiny crystals inside a disassembled compass. "You see that? She's been working on this project for nearly a day now, ever since Spike arrived yesterday. Strange that she'd spend so much time on this and not with her number one assistant, isn't it?"

"Hey, that's not fair," Spike interrupted. "We worked on that together. We do projects like this all the time."

"Please, she hardly noticed you were there." Twilight seemed to be wrapping up. A magical glow enveloped the little device and all the pieces snapped together decisively. She flipped the newly assembled compass open, smiled, and then slipped it into her saddlebags by the door. "She appears to be heading out. Jazz, activate the mosquitoes."

The road to Sweet Apple Acres was unusually quiet; normally there would be at least one or two ponies out walking at this time of the morning, but now everypony seemed to want to stay indoors. Twilight Sparkle made it all the way to the clubhouse of the Cutie Mark Crusaders without interruption, blissfully unaware of the faint buzzing following wherever she went. Even Byuk had gotten fed up and stopped following her around, so she was mercifully free from his constant whining and pleading as she went.

By comparison, the clubhouse was deafeningly loud. Even from outside muffled shouts and crashes could be heard over a terrible fast-paced soundtrack. At Twilight’s knock the sound cut out and Sweetie Belle opened the door. "Hello, miss Twilight," the young filly said, smiling.

"Hello, girls." Twilight stuck her head inside. The clubhouse was a little more well-furnished than it had been the last time she'd visited; Apple Bloom had thrown together some chairs and a table out of some old boxes. From the far wall a cheap stratoscreen blared out a low-budget action film. Apple Bloom sat boredly watching, her eyes occasionally flicking to the window. Even Scootaloo, who months ago had been fascinated by the moving picture device (and had been the one to insist they pool their pocket money to buy the screen) was now lying on her back in a near-catatonic state. "Good to see you’re keeping busy." Twilight turned back to the little unicorn. "How’s Rarity? I haven’t seen her lately."

"She’s... fine." Sweetie Belle’s smile drooped slightly. "She’s real busy all of a sudden, and she keeps telling me to leave her alone. I think she wants me to go live with mom and dad again..."

"Oh..." Twilight coughed awkwardly, mentally kicking herself for not anticipating this. "So, uh... how would you girls like to try some magic?"

"Magic?" Scootaloo rolled over and looked up boredly. "But Sweetie Belle's the only unicorn, and she can't even zap bugs yet!"

"Can so!" the white filly huffed. "Watch this!" She strained for a couple of seconds and managed to produce a few sparks from the end of her horn. "See?"

"Very good, Sweetie," Twilight said encouragingly. "But actually, I meant a kind of magic that all ponies can use." Silencing the fillies' questions, she reached into her saddlebags and pulled out a short stick with a small crystal embedded onto the end of it. She tossed this gently towards the trio. It flashed once and spun slowly in the air, landing and balancing perfectly on its flat end. "But that's not the best part," Twilight added as the girls stared in wonderment. "There's also this." She pulled out a small, round object, the compass from earlier.

"A compass?" Apple Bloom asked. "Ah've seen those before. Applejack says they work with mahg-net-ic fields, or somethin'."

"Not this one." Twilight flipped open the cover and held it up so the fillies could see. Instead of pointing north the needle was fixed in the direction of the stick in the middle of the floor. As she moved the compass around it changed directions to follow it. "This compass works using enchanted crystals. No matter where you are, it will always point back to the staff here."

"Cool," the Cutie Mark Crusaders said in unison.

"I’ve got a lot of work to do in the library, so I need you girls to test it out for me. To make it fun, you should get lost somewhere and then use the compass to find your way home. Sound like fun?" The three fillies nodded, eyes already wide with possibilities. Twilight smiled mischievously. "You never know, you may even get your cutie marks."

The trio gasped. "You really think so?" breathed Scootaloo.

"You never know until you try, right?" Twilight walked back outside. "Come to the library tomorrow and tell me how it went. Have fun, girls!" She covered her ears as she heard a deep intake of breath from inside.

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS MAGIC TESTERS! YAY!"

In the underground base, the atmosphere was much calmer. L made several long, drawn out sucking noises on her latest sweet before swallowing it whole. “Now this is an interesting move on Twilight’s part,” she said thoughtfully. “I wonder what her intent is here.”

Colgate rolled her eyes. After her outburst earlier she’d refused to return to her station, remaining stubbornly by the detective’s side. Locket and Bon Bon had taken over her spot at the other end of the room. Spike had stayed by L’s side as well, standing on the rim of his basket to see over the desk. “Harpy, that’s ridiculous,” Colgate said. “All she’s done is give a new toy to some fillies. That’s probably the least suspicious thing she’s done so far.”

“Perhaps.” L raised another candy to her lips. She stared for several long seconds at the retreating form of Twilight Sparkle. “Perhaps we should spare a mosquito to watch over the three fillies as well,” she mused. “Just to be safe.”

The blue unicorn breathed in sharply. Her left eye twitched once. Before she fully realized what she was doing she’d swatted L’s candy out of the air, which bounced off one of Spike’s spines, and slammed her front hooves down on both sides of the bizarre chair where the detective sat. “No,” she growled. “We’re not going to do that.”

The other ponies in the room turned to stare. Bon Bon gasped and raised a hoof to her mouth. Only L appeared to remain perfectly calm. “Would you care to explain your position?” she asked without a trace of anger in her voice.

Colgate slowly lowered herself to the floor. “Because it’s crossing a line,” she said, glaring. “We’ve already done enough wrong here today. I refuse to let you invade the privacy of three little girls just for talking to Twilight.” Her frown deepened. “Where will it stop? Will we have to spy on her friends, too? Her neighbors? Everypony she passes in the market? You can’t watch everypony, Harpy. You just can’t.” She lowered her head. “I won’t let you.”

L nodded slowly. She turned to her left. “Spike, what is your take on this matter?”

“Uh...” The little dragon looked from one unicorn to the other, starting to sweat. He didn’t quite follow the debate, but he knew for certain which pony scared him the most right now. “I agree with... uh...” He gulped. “Colgate?”

L nodded again and turned back to the other unicorn. “There’s no reason to work yourself up so much,” she said in the same flat tone. “If you feel so strongly about it, we won’t watch over the three fillies. Does that satisfy you?”

Colgate’s breathing slowed. She looked back to the stratoscreens, feeling herself becoming calmer. The Cutie Mark Crusaders’ clubhouse was still in view. “No,” she admitted. “But it will have to do.”

L spun around. “Back to work, everypony!” she yelled. Locket and Bon Bon simultaneously blushed and turned back to their own screens. “Jazz, take us back to the library.”

Once Twilight had left and the chaotic excitement had died down, the Cutie Mark Crusaders sat in a circle around the magical compass to discuss their plan. "Where do we go with it?" Apple Bloom asked. "We've been all over Ponyville already."

"Ooh!" Sweetie Belle said, raising a hoof out of habit. "We could go to the construction site near the park."

"No, dummy," Scootaloo said. "Twilight said we should get lost, remember? There's no fun if we can just walk back on our own."

"But where, then?" Apple Bloom complained. "Between the three of us we know every bit of Ponyville. It's already the afternoon, so we don't have time to go walkin' out any further."

Scootaloo's eyes lit up wickedly. "I know one place we haven't explored."

There was a pause and then Apple Bloom shook her head. "Nope, that is a bad idea. Mah sis said we shouldn't go there without a big pony with us ever again."

"Where?" asked Sweetie Belle, not catching on as quickly.

"The Everfree Forest!" Scootaloo stood up and stretched out her tiny wings defiantly. "Come on, chickens. It's safe during the day, and with Twilight's magical compass there's no way we can get lost in there!"

"But, uh..." Apple Bloom scratched her head but couldn't find fault with her friend's logic. "I guess if we're out by dark we'll be okay."

"Well..." Sweetie Belle said nervously. "Maybe if we just stay on the path to Zecora's?"

"No, we're getting lost. And then we're getting un-lost! Come on, guys!" Scootaloo picked up her crash helmet from by the door and ran outside, the others following.

A few minutes later Scootaloo buzzed to a halt at the border of the Everfree Forest, parking the trio's wagon safely behind her. "Ready, guys?" she asked excitedly, jumping down from her scooter.

"Ready!" Apple Bloom yelled, pulling off her helmet. Ah'll show mah big sis Ah can take care of mahself, she thought. Ah don’t need a big pony to look after me. Ah am a big pony! Sweetie Belle didn't answer but only nodded meekly, holding the magical compass in her mouth.

"Let's go!" The three ran in, two laughing excitedly.

After a few minutes of running the excitement died down. The three slowed to a quick trot, then a walk. The forest was oddly quiet around them. Whatever strange presence inhabited it at night was gone, leaving only a peculiar emptiness. "Are we lost yet?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Are you kidding?" Scootaloo shot back. "We're still on the path! Watch this!" Without warning she charged off to the right, disappearing into an oddly-coloured bush. After a moment's hesitation Apple Bloom followed, laughing loudly, followed by Sweetie Belle. As the three crashed around in the bushes the little unicorn started to smile. Her fear of the forest was starting to leave her; after all, they could run around and play in it just like they did everywhere else. An impromptu game of tag began, made all the more exciting by the unfamiliar territory and the cover of bushes.

Half an hour and a tumble down a big hill later, the three fillies lay panting and out of breath in a small clearing. "That was fun!" Sweetie Belle declared, a little surprised at herself. "The Everfree Forest isn't so scary after all."

"Yeah! We should come here more often." Scootaloo stood and tried to shake the dirt off her wings, only to find them glued shut by a strange, sticky substance. "Aw, really? I didn't even touch any trees!"

"Speak for yourself." Apple Bloom was covered nearly head to tail in tree sap and clumps of grass, making her look more like a mud monster than a pony. "Ah think Ah fell through a couple forests on the way down the hill." The trio laughed. "Scootaloo, you reckon we're good and lost now?"

"Yeah," the pegasus confirmed. "I don't know about you guys, but I have no idea which way the path is now. Sweetie Belle, you still have the compass, right?"

"I..." the little unicorn had a moment of panic before remembering she'd tucked the device into her thick mane for safe keeping. "That's right! Here." She pulled the compass out and flipped it open.

The surface of the device popped and sparked. The needle spun around rapidly in all directions, seemingly trying to point every which way at once. The trio stared, faces dropping. "Uh-oh."

Twilight tried not to pace. She’d done her best to go about life as usual, but every time she settled down with a book she found herself unable to concentrate. Instead she was trying to keep herself occupied by putting away the books she’d been leaving around the library. Even after a single day without Spike’s help, there was more than enough to keep her busy for awhile. Still, every few minutes her eyes would flick either to her wristwatch or the clock on the wall.

Suddenly a loud pounding started at the door. "Twilight!" a familiar, accented voice called out. "Twilight, are you in there?"

With only a little more haste than usual Twilight ran to the door and opened it. "Applejack! Wh-"

"Have you seen Apple Bloom?" the orange mare interrupted, panic in her voice. "She didn't come home for dinner and Ah'm getting awful worried. Nopony’s seen her or her friends all afternoon. The clubhouse is empty, Scootaloo's mom hasn't heard anything and Rarity ain't answering her door, so..." She stopped and took a deep breath. "So Ah was wondering if you'd seen hide or tail of the three of this afternoon."

"No, not since..." She paused and frowned. A few seconds passed, then her eyes widened. "No, no, no! They couldn't have gotten lost, there's no way they could have gotten lost!"

"What?" Applejack charged inside, putting her hooves on Twilight's shoulders. "Twi', what have you done?"

"I... I gave them a tracking device to test out for me. I told them to get lost somewhere and then use it to find their way back home. I thought it would be safe because there's no way they could get lost with it! The whole point was that it would always point them towards home!" She pushed Applejack off of her and ran over to her desk, tearing through her notes on the enchantment. "No, no, everything went perfectly! No matter where they are, the compass should always point them in the right direction. The only way it could have malfunctioned is if there was some kind of magical interference, and the only place where that could happen is..." Twilight gasped. Under Applejack's astonished gaze she seemed to visibly shrink. "The... oh no."

Her friend frowned, worry turning into anger. "You don't mean..."

"Yeah." Twilight bowed her head meekly. "The Everfree Forest."

Applejack stomped furiously. "Consarn it, Twilight!" she yelled. "How could you be so stupid? If you tell three little girls to get lost, of course they're going to go someplace they ain't allowed!"

"I'm sorry!" Twilight squeaked. "I wasn't thinking. I just thought it would be something fun for them to do. I had no idea this would happen!"

Applejack sighed and glared. "You weren’t thinking," she said darkly. "Fine. Well Ah’m going to get mah sister back. And if you know what’s good for you, yer’ coming with me."

"Hang on." Twilight ran to the kitchen and threw together a quick first aid kit, just in case, then ran back to the door and stuffed the supplies into her saddlebags. "Ready." They thundered outside.

Twilight screeched to a halt as they passed Sugar Cube Corner. "Hang on," she repeated to Applejack. With a flash she teleported up onto the roof and knocked on Pinkie Pie's window. "Pinkie Pie! Are you in there?"

Less than a second later the window sprang open, almost knocking the unicorn off the roof. "Well where else would I be, silly?" the pink pony asked, leaning dangerously far off of the edge.

"Pinkie." Twilight recovered her balance and fixed the filly with a serious look. "The Cutie Mark Crusaders are lost in the Everfree Forest. We need you to organize a search party as quickly as possible and help us find them."

Twilight regretted her choice of words right away as the pink pony's eyes widened. "A search... party?"

"Yes, that's right. We need as many ponies as possible, as quickly as you can get them all together."

"Oh, thank you Twilight!" Pinkie Pie wrapped her friend in a massive hug, somehow managing to not tumble out the window as she did so. "After what happened at my last party I thought nopony would ever want me to throw another party ever again!"

"That's... nice." Struggling to breathe, Twilight teleported back to the ground and looked up at Pinkie Pie. "Remember: lots of ponies, and quickly!" Applejack tapped a hoof impatiently. "Don’t forget, the girls might be in danger! Hurry!" Together they galloped in the direction of the Everfree.

Pinkie Pie sat back, rubbing her hooves with glee. A search party? They could have a jelly bean hunt, and a big game of hide and seek, of course pin the tail on the pony... if only she had more time! She looked around the room desperately, hoping for inspiration. After her last fiasco of a party, what could she use to get so many ponies together in so little time?

Her jaw set. "It’s time," she said to nopony, then giggled at how serious her voice sounded. She reached around under her bed, pulling a large box covered in warning symbols towards her. Her face lit up in a maniacal grin as she read the words scrawled on top of the box.

In case of emergency, break out the glow sticks.

Back at the base, L stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Colgate," she said quietly, “You are acting like you are waiting for something.”

“What?” Colgate released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “What do you mean?’

“Do you believe that somepony is going to blame you for this turn of events?” The detective gave a small smile as Colgate opened her mouth, then closed it. “That will not happen. You were right to refuse my offer to observe the trio. It was unethical.”

The police pony stared. L’s face was as unreadable as ever. Is she serious? Is she mocking me? I can’t tell. She ground her teeth in silent frustration. I... I can’t bucking tell!

“In the meantime,” L continued, “take Derpy and Rainbow Dash and help Pinkie Pie. She will need your assistance."

"Really?" Colgate blinked. "What about Twilight?"

"Three little girls are lost in the dark, scary woods. I believe it's our civic duty to help them, don't you?"

"R-right." The blue pony started to trot away, then paused. "This wouldn’t have anything to do with tracking Twilight while she’s in the forest, would it?"

"Oh, perish the thought. The children are my primary concern." There were a few long seconds of silence between them. "Go on, Colgate," L said more gently. "Time is tragedy."

"...right."

The two ponies paused as they reached the forest's edge. "Oh no!" Twilight cried, spotting the wagon parked by the path. "They did go inside."

"So they did." Applejack pawed at the ground aggressively. "Then that means every second we wait is another second mah sister might be danger."

Twilight nodded. "You're right. Wait, I’ve got an idea." She closed her eyes for a second and her horn lit up, sending bright beams of light into the darkness around them. "Okay, let's go." The pair ran on, crashing through the underbrush as they went.

Applejack kept up a furious pace, ignoring the path completely and plowing through any small bushes or shrubs that got in her way. "Apple Bloom!" she yelled, peering into the darkness ahead. As they continued she became more and more frantic in her shouting. "Apple Bloom! Little sis! Are you out there?"

Conversely, Twilight took a much more cautious approach to her search. She made her way carefully around obstacles to avoid tripping, struggling to keep up with her friend's frenzied speed. "Sweetie Belle? Scootaloo?" she called, though at a much lower volume. She was deathly aware of the danger they were both in; while the light from her horn was allowing them to see, it would also alert any nearby predators to their presence. Something moved in a bush next to her and she jumped in fright, causing Applejack to glare at her impatiently.

Suddenly another sound pierced through the night air: a distant, high-pitched wail, the sound of three fillies screaming in unison. The two mares froze, then began looking in all directions. "Did you hear that?"

"Ah sure as sugar did." Applejack hopped around in a small circle in frustration, then froze and cocked her head to the side. The screams rang out again, a little louder and a little closer than before. "That way!" she yelled, pointing. Without a moment's hesitation she charged towards the noise. "Don't worry, Apple Bloom!" she yelled, panting as she ran. "Ah'm coming!"

With barely a second's pause Twilight took off after her friend, lighting the way as the pair ran. The bright light had a secondary purpose, though: it disguised a second burst of magic as she tore the Life Note and a pencil from her saddlebags. Levitating the two objects along beside her, she flung the notebook open and pressed it against her side both to hide and steady it as she ran. Slowing slightly from the extra concentration, she began to write as quickly as she could. She'd prepared the message earlier and had been practicing in her head all day, so barely thirty seconds had passed when she reached the final word. Allowing herself a split second to look back and make sure what she'd scrawled was at least partly legible, she hurled the notebook off into the forest. With any luck it would never be seen again. She put on a burst of speed and caught up with Applejack, who in her single-minded gallop hadn't looked back once throughout this.

The screams ahead of them grew louder and louder as they approached. It was one of the peculiarities of fillies that they seemed to be able to exhale mountainous volumes of air without pause for minutes at a time; the three had once caught on to this fact and attempted to acquire cutie marks for screaming. They might have carried on all week if Rainbow Dash hadn't been woken from her nap and dropped a thunderstorm on them. Now the noise was serving a useful purpose, guiding the two towards them through the impenetrable darkness.

Twilight did some quick mental arithmetic and realized something strange: while they were moving towards it the sound also seemed to be moving towards them, much faster than the three fillies should have been able to run. She didn't have time to reflect on this, though, as the volume grew to deafening levels and in front of her Applejack skidded to a halt, causing the pair to nearly collide. "Whoa, Nelly," she half-whispered. "Twilight, move!"

"Huh?" As the apple farmer leaped to the side Twilight could make out a faint red glow in the darkness, quickly obstructed by a large tree falling directly towards her. "Eep!" Instinct took over and she teleported away, stumbling slightly as she reappeared several feet away and about three inches above the ground. A massive shape trundled by, paused momentarily at the spot where she had been, then carried on at the same pace. "What in Equestria..."

"Get it!" Applejack leaped from the bush she’d landed in and charged towards the creature, Twilight close behind her. Its long, heavy strides carried it more quickly than most ponies could run, but it was slowed as it crashed thoughtlessly through trees instead of walking around them. Because of this Applejack was able to quickly catch up, brace herself and give the nearest leg the strongest buck she could. To her surprise her hooves actually sank into the creature’s flesh, leaving deep indentations and causing her to stick momentarily before almost falling over. "What in tarnation..." She backed up a few steps, lip trembling and eyes widening in realization. "Yer supposed to be just a story!"

The creature turned to face them, becoming fully illuminated by Twilight’s light. The unicorn’s jaw dropped. This monster was like nothing she’d ever seen, nor even read about. At a glance it resembled an overgrown Diamond Dog, standing on two legs and using two longer limbs as arms. But not only was it many times the size of any canine, but its entire body appeared to be made out of clay; a dark, earthen brown material, covered in many irregular lumps and folds. In place of a face, a huge, glowing ruby was set into the monster’s head. Twilight felt a shudder run through her as the gem faced towards her. Though featureless, she almost felt as though it was looking at her.

Perhaps most significantly, however, in each of the monster’s three-fingered hands it held a tiny, screaming pony: Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo bundled together in its left, Apple Bloom clutched tightly in its right. The latter had paused for breath just long enough to notice the two ponies who had come to rescue them. "Applejack! Twilight" she screamed, waving her one free leg desperately. "Help us!"

The older farmer stomped furiously. "Now you listen here, you... you golem," she snarled, silencing the girls’ screams. "That’s right, Ah know what y’are. That’s mah sister and her two friends you’re carrying, and you can’t have ‘em. You got that? They ain’t yours and you can’t have ‘em. So you put them down right this instant and nopony has to get hurt."

The creature didn’t move. Twilight took a step forward and whispered to her friend. "Applejack, what’s a golem?"

The mare gave her friend a puzzled sideways glance. "How do you not know- Oh, horseapples." As she spoke the golem reached out towards her, wrapping Apple Bloom up in one finger and stretching out the other two to pick up the larger pony as well. Applejack jumped to the side and prepared to launch a kick, flinching when she saw how close her sister was. "Twilight, help me!"

Twilight stared, transfixed, as her friend leaped and dodged around the reaching fingers. There was a strange deliberateness to the golem’s movements; it would reach out quickly and then pause, as if having to think hard before making a move. No, Twilight, think! she scolded herself, snapping out of her stupor. She tried to recall the lectures she’d listened to on combat magic. I’ve never done anything more complicated than a stunning spell... and I don't think that's going to cut it. Maybe if I try a focused beam? Bracing herself, she gathered energy in and around her horn, manifesting as a swirl of bright purple light. At the last second she released the energy, sending a pulse of pure magical force rocketing out in a beam of blinding light.

Instead of cutting through the clay flesh, however, the beam quickly fizzled out as it glanced off the golem’s shoulder. Waves of deep red light sprung from the great ruby and washed over the creature’s surface, cancelling out Twilight’s magic on touch. "That won’t work, Twi!" Applejack yelled, dodging the reaching fingers yet again. "You have to aim for the words!"

Twilight tapped her horn a few times to clear her head. Magical feedback was ringing through her skull, and the effort of the blast had taken a lot more out of her than she would have liked to admit. "What words?" she yelled back.

Applejack pointed. "Are you blind? The words on its- whoops." Taking advantage of the mare’s momentary distraction, the golem wrapped two fingers around her middle and hoisted her into the air. As she struggled it cradled her in its palm, pressing her tightly against her little sister, then gripped them firmly together. Applejack beat her hooves uselessly against the thick clay, leaving indentations but not bending or breaking it. "Apple Bloom, you okay?" she called over her shoulder.

"Can’t... breathe..." the filly gasped.

The golem looked at the one remaining pony before it, then at both its hands, then back at Twilight. It seemed to decide it had all the ponies it could carry and turned away, carrying on in the direction it had been heading. The two fillies in its left hand started screaming again, and Applejack let out a long yell as she was carried away into the darkness.

Twilight’s legs buckled beneath her and she fell, trembling, onto her haunches. She’d failed. In the past it had always taken a villain powerful enough to threaten all of Equestria to make her feel this helpless; now, a monster had simply strolled in and snatched up her friends like it was nothing. Some Element of Magic you are, a voice in the back of her mind taunted. Can’t even protect the ponies she cares about.

Some Kira, a deeper, darker voice joined in. What kind of defender of justice are you if you can’t even protect three fillies?

"This wasn’t... supposed... to happen..." Twilight gasped, struggling to breathe. The light from her horn abruptly blinked out, leaving her in all-consuming, suffocating darkness. "My friends..." She shook her head miserably. "What would Rarity think... what would Pinkie Pie do?” She sniffed, falling back on an old saying of hers. “What would a brave pony like Rainbow Dash do?"

Something sparked.

"Rainbow Dash?" Her head shot up, light exploding from her horn. "Of course! What would Rainbow Dash do? Oh my gosh, it’s so simple!" New life bursting within her, she leaped to her hooves and let a rush of energy flow over her. Concentrating hard on the rumblings from up ahead, she disappeared in a flash of light.

Twilight reappeared a few steps in front of the golem, her hair a little singed from traveling the distance. The monster paused, somehow managing to appear confused without any facial features, then took another tentative step forwards. "Not this time," Twilight said. It's bigger than any earth pony, and it's obviously been treated to stop unicorn magic... but what about pegasi?

With a grunt Twilight focused the energy in her horn again and sent it out in a beam in front of her. This time, however, she looped the magic into a ring around the golem's left arm. Ruby-red light covered the affected area, not letting Twilight’s magic touch the surface. She applied everything she knew about pegasus magic into manipulating the energy she sent out. Pegasi were the masters of the weather; with the right training they could create clouds out of the air, make rain and lightning, and, crucially, control the temperature. It was this latter ability that Twilight tried to tap into as she strained against the elements.

A faint roar sounded as magic shifted the air in unnatural ways, changing moisture levels and superheating the air around the golem's arm. It made no attempt to move itself as Twilight cast, only watching calmly as she exerted herself. At first nothing appeared to happen, save a faint roar and a rush of air. The ring of light grew slowly and steadily brighter.

Then, little by little, the golem's arm began to crack. Heat from the air around it hardened the clay beyond what it was able to take, and chunks and splinters began to fall away from the surface. With a great groaning noise the arm crackled and, unable to support its own weight any longer, snapped off at the joint completely. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo screamed once as they fell, then stopped as the mighty hand hit the ground and instantly crumbled. They stood up and ran towards Twilight, tears streaming down their faces.

Applejack stared open-mouthed at the crippled arm. "Well, Ah... Woo! Twilight, you did it! That was amazing!" As the pony cheered the golem looked down at the escaped fillies and wiggled the stump that was left of its arm. It paused, then looked down at the severed limb. Like a confused child it stared at the stump of its arm, then the fallen limb and back again, seemingly unable to connect the two. After some long seconds it gave a motion resembling a shrug and started forward again. "Twilight!" Applejack yelled. "Whatever that was, y'all need to do it a second time!"

Twilight swayed slightly. Applejack's words seemed to come from far away, and she was having a hard time making out the two fillies who now crowded behind her. Using her magic in such an unnatural way had drained her, both physically and mentally. "Uh..." Twilight shook her head, trying desperately not to fall over. "Right." She raised her horn and tried to summon power into it again. A faint glow came up, much weaker than before.

"We’ll look through here and look through there and look out all around..."

A new sound broke into Twilight’s consciousness. There were the sounds of hooves, and raised voices, and... singing?

"We’ll never stop our searching when there’s fillies to be... Ooh! There they are, guys! They're over there!"

Her concentration broken, Twilight felt the spell fade as she looked around for the source of the noise. The golem, too, halted its advance. Suddenly, bright lights burst through the foliage from all directions. As Twilight gave in to exhaustion and her light spell faded, a new source of illumination lit up the area. There were glow sticks everywhere, around ponies' necks, braided in their manes, or just waved about in the mouth. Pinkie Pie herself bounded through the crowd, leaving a trail of streamers and confetti behind her. Within seconds the clearing was full of colourful, chemiluminescent lights, completely surrounding both Twilight and the golem.

Gasps and shouts rang out from the assembled ponies. Soft colours danced over the clay creature, illuminating its massive bulk and the two ponies in its remaining hand. Accusing eyes stared the monster down from all directions and a cacophony of threats and pleas filled the air. One cyan pegasus broke away from the group and hovered directly in front of the golem’s face. True to her name, she’d chosen one of every colour of glow stick and strung them haphazardly through her mane. “Hey, punk!” Rainbow Dash yelled angrily, directly into the softly glowing ruby. “You put my friends down right now, or else!”

At first the golem didn’t move. It stood stock still, the gem that adorned its face unreadable, simply staring at the pony that floated before it. Then with a slow, gentle motion that brought gasps from all sides it leaned forward, lowered its remaining hand to the ground, and released Applejack and Apple Bloom from its grasp. They tumbled out together, stuck firmly to each others’ sides thanks to the copious amounts of tree sap covering the filly. Then without any hesitation the golem turned around and trundled back the way it had come. Ponies parted to let it pass and it vanished out into the darkness.

Applejack stood shakily. "Yeah, and you'd better run!" she called after the retreating golem. Cheers sprang up from all around, and instantly the tense fear turned to dancing and celebrating. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were whisked away into waiting hooves and Apple Bloom was quickly and painfully unstuck from her big sister. Applejack trotted over to Twilight, beaming happily. "Well, Twi, I never... Twilight?" Her expression faded to one of worry. "Twilight, are you all right?"

Twilight smiled wearily. "All thanks... to my friends." She gave a small sigh of relief before collapsing.

"She's okay!"

Twilight opened her eyes to find Pinkie Pie's face uncomfortably close to her own. She leaped up in surprise and breathed in sharply. "What... what happened?" she asked in a panic. "How long was I out for?"

"Fifteen seconds!" Pinkie Pie chirped. Twilight breathed deeply and looked around, realizing she was still in the forest. Now that the three fillies were safe and sound, ponies were starting to gather together and head back to town. "Look, Twilight! A party! You asked me to throw a search party, remember? And I thought, what kind of party can you have in the middle of the night without punch or balloons or pin the tail on the pony? And then I remembered, glowsticks! So I-"

"Not now!" The party pony was rudely shoved out of the way by an irate Nurse Redheart. "Twilight, dear, let me have a look at you." Before the unicorn could object she was subject to a series of hoof prods and searching glances. When a hoof brushed against her horn it sparked loudly and let out a small puff of steam. "Oh, my." In typical nurse fashion Nurse Redheart poked the offending area again, resulting in a wince of pain from Twilight. "Goodness, that’s quite a bad sprain. Dear, what on earth were you trying to do?"

"I..." It took a few seconds for Twilight to remember. "I um... I modified a fire spell to change the weather in a localized area."

The nurse tutted sympathetically. "Well, no wonder you ended up like this. You were trying to move all kinds of muscles your body simply doesn’t have, magically speaking of course. Just get plenty of rest and don’t try anything too strenuous and it should heal in a few days." Job done, she rushed away to check on the rescued fillies.

Applejack looked over her friend with astonishment. "You mean you really hurt yourself doin’ that fancy trick of yours back there?"

"It was nothing," Twilight said dismissively. They started to follow the group in the direction of the forest’s edge. "It was just a workaround. My magic wasn’t doing anything, so I had to try something I’ve never done before." She paused momentarily to rub her eyes. The powerful resistance the ruby had put up was still leaving a faint ringing inside her skull. "It doesn’t make sense. What kind of creature has defenses like that?"

"Don’t you know?" Applejack asked. "Golems ain’t natural. They’re hoofmade. Somepony has to build them themselves. And that means..." She bit her lip. "That means somepony out there wanted this to happen."

While the pair absorbed this two more ponies approached them from opposite sides, one pink and one blue. "Hey, Twilight?" Pinkie Pie whispered in her friend’s ear, her voice much more somber than usual. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, if it can wait until we’re out of these woods." Twilight looked around and shuddered. "I don’t think I want to spend another minute in here."

From the other side Colgate nodded, an exhausted Sweetie Belle sprawled across her back. "I was going to ask the same thing. Applejack, can you spare a minute?"

"Sure can."

The four ponies continued walking. The golem’s tree-crushing path had led them fairly close to the forest’s edge, and they soon exited out into a moonlit field where the impromptu party was continuing. Somepony had set up a turntable and some speakers and was pounding out music for the glowstick-clad ponies to dance to. The group split up, Pinkie Pie dragging Twilight away by her hoof while Colgate pushed Sweetie Belle in Nurse Redheart’s direction.

Once she felt they were a safe distance away Pinkie Pie stopped and turned towards her friend. "Twilight..." The pink pony leaned in conspiratorially. "Did you put us in an alternate timeline?"

Twilight blinked a few times. "Huh?"

"You know, teleporting spells gone wrong, accidental time travel, stuff like that. I won’t be mad if you did, I just want to know."

"What? That doesn’t even make sense. Why would you think that?"

"Why? Why?" Pinkie Pie fumed, abruptly shifting moods. "Because this isn’t supposed to happen! We were having a nice twisty crossovery mystery, and suddenly there’s a golem? Something’s not right, something’s not right at all." She stared at the unicorn suspiciously. “I know you’re up to something, Twilight.”

“Huh?” the purple mare repeated. What does she know? I have to be careful what I say. Don’t want to give anything away. “What makes you think that?”

“Because I’m your best friend, silly.” Pinkie smiled again and honked Twilight’s nose playfully. “I can read you like a book. A great big pop-up book with lots of pictures and words ten times the size of normal words so itty bitty foals can read them without hurting their itty bitty eyes. And right now that book is telling a very sad story, when it should read more like a non-stop comedy with occasional drama.” She giggled as Twilight’s head reeled. “You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to. Just remember that if you’re in over your head, you can always count on your friends to help.”

Twilight forced out a smile. “I’ll remember that, Pinkie. Thanks.” She waited until the pink pony had bounded away to join in the dancing before sighing in irritation. “Friends,” she muttered. “Can’t live with them...” A warm smile returned to her face. “Can’t live without them.”

Across the field, Colgate was speaking gently to Applejack. "I know this is going to sound strange, and I don’t want you to think I’m pointing hooves, but..." She gulped. Much as she hated L’s approach to the investigation, it wouldn’t be fair to anypony if she lost her objectivity now. "While you two were in the forest, did Twilight do anything... suspicious?"

"Suspicious?" Applejack eyed the unicorn warily. "Suspicious how?"

"Like... saying anything unusual, casting any spells you didn’t recognize, or disappearing, even if it was just for a few seconds."

The earth pony glared. "Jus’ what are you implying, missy?"

"I’m not-"

"Now you listen here," Applejack yelled angrily. Colgate winced, lowering her head as she saw that ponies were staring. "Twilight was right by mah side the whole time we were in there. She’s mah friend and she risked her life doing everything she could to save mah little sis, and we don’t need ponies like you accusin’ her of being up to no good!"

"Sorry!" Colgate squeaked. "I... thank you for your time." She bolted away, allowing herself a small smile of satisfaction. I’ll show you yet, L. I’ll show you.

The two friends reconvened closer to the middle of the field, though far enough from the music that they could talk. "Applejack, I’m so sorry about this," Twilight repeated.

"No, Twilight," Applejack interrupted, shaking her head. "Ah’m the one who’s sorry. For all your not thinking things through, Ah know you never meant any harm. Ah’m the one who lost mah head over it, and Ah shouldn’t ought to have shouted at you like Ah did. But it’s not just that," she continued as Twilight opened her mouth to speak. "Ah wasn’t just mad at you for putting the Crusaders in harm’s way. Ah was mad because Ah thought you cared more about yer experiments than you did for their safety. Even when we were in the forest, every time you slowed down or didn’t shout as loud as me, Ah thought it was because you didn’t care about mah sister as much as Ah did."

The orange mare smiled. "But that weren’t the case at all, were it? While Ah was rushing about and getting nowhere, you stayed calm and thought about what you were doing. And when the right time came, you really gave it your all. So Ah guess what Ah’m saying is..." She paused, trying to put what she’d learned into words. "That just because somepony does something differently to the way you do it, it doesn’t mean they’re worse at it or doing it wrong. And you shouldn’t think you know how somepony feels about something by the way they act, ‘cause everypony has a different way of showing that they care."

Twilight nodded slowly. "Should I write a letter to Celestia for you?"

"Nah, Ah’ll do it. Ah reckon it’s mah responsibility. But there’s one thing you can tell me." Applejack gave her friend a bemused look. "How is it that you of all ponies, who’s spent her whole life studying magic, doesn’t know what a golem is?"

"I was going to ask you something similar. How is it that you seem to know so much about a creature that I’ve never even heard of?"

The pair stared at each other in confusion. Finally Applejack chuckled. "Oh, Ah get it," she laughed. "You’ve only read the unicorn records, isn’t that right?" Twilight’s confused look answered for her. "Ah thought so. Those old magicians never did like to write down anything they weren’t too proud of. See, there’s an old earth pony legend about golems. A long, long time ago-"

"Big sis?"

Applejack hesitated. "Tell you what, come round to the barn tomorrow morning and Ah’ll tell you." She turned around to her little sister and scooped her up in a massive hug. "Apple Bloom! Ah’m never letting you out of mah sight again."

"Um..." Ordinarily the filly would squirm away from her sister’s grasp, but tonight she returned the embrace just as strongly. "Sweetie Belle doesn’t wanna be alone, and we can’t find Rarity anywhere, so... we were wondering if it would be okay if the other Crusaders stayed over for tonight."

"Sugar, you don’t even have to ask."

Seeing the pair reunited, a warm glow washed over Twilight. She smiled and sighed contentedly, allowing herself to relax for the first time that evening. Inside her head, however, an imaginary version of herself rubbed her hooves together with glee and grinned a very different kind of grin.

Just as planned.

Sure, we hit a few hiccups along the way – that golem sure came out of nowhere, and I need a horn injury like I need a nail in my eye. But everypony is safe, I completed my objective and L remains none the wiser. She whistled along with the music and trotted away to join the dancing. Now, all I have to do is wait.

While the rest of Ponyville erupted in music and dancing, one building in particular was still and silent. The Carousel Boutique was locked and barred. The lights were all out, only a single candle illuminating the desk where Rarity sat, hard at work.

The design room was a disaster area. Crumpled fabrics and sketches lay haphazardly around the floor, not even in a state of organized chaos but in genuine disorder. Rarity herself looked even worse; her coat was dark and spotted with dust, and the natural curls in her mane were beginning to unravel. She shuffled the pages on her desk back and forth, reading and rereading each one in turn, muttering softly to herself all the while.

In place of her design books and fabric samples, the unicorn mare now had her work space covered in sheets of paper. Page after page of notes spread all across the surface: names, times, and all manner of observations and queries. Some were written in her own elegant script, while others were marked as documents of the EBI. A stack of newspapers almost as tall as she was lay against the side of the desk, threatening to topple over at any moment.

Finally, Rarity sat back in her chair. She surveyed the notes before her and, for the first time since Ray Painter died, her face cracked into a smile. “I’ve got you, Kira,” she whispered. “I have you now.” Her smile widened as her eyes narrowed.

“It. Is. ON.”

Dear Princess Celestia,

I’m afraid I must report to you a new potential threat to the safety of Equestria. A gigantic creature called a golem has awoken within the Everfree Forest and just tonight attempted to ponynap three fillies for reasons unknown. With a strong community effort we were able to rescue the fillies and drive the creature away, but I fear for the safety of Ponyville if it should decide to strike again. A more detailed report from Applejack will follow soon, but I felt it would be best if I informed you of the situation as soon as possible.

I also learned that doing something special for a friend, it’s important to consider all the possible ramifications of what that gift will do. Somepony may take something in a way that you never expected, and even the best of intentions can turn into a disaster. While you can’t always know what others will think, it’s important to never act thoughtlessly around your friends.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Unfold

10
*Unfold*

Even after the individual’s name, time of death and death condition are filled out, the time and condition of death can be altered as many times as you want, as long as it is changed within 6 minutes and 40 seconds from the time it was filled in. Of course, this is only possible before the victim dies.

You sittin’ comfortably, Twilight?

I’m fine. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to talk to me, by the way.

Ain’t no trouble. Ah owe you, Twi’. Anyways... ahem.

Now, this is the story of the first golem and how it was created. It's a very old story that's been passed down among earth ponies for generations. Granny Smith told it to me, just like her granny told it to her, and her granny... well, you get the idea.

See, a long, long time ago, well over one thousand years, even before Nightmare Moon was banished, there was a civil war between the earth ponies and the unicorns. The humble, hard-working earth ponies were sick and tired of-

Applejack, I've studied pretty much all of Equestrian history. I know all about the civil war, you don't have to explain that part to me.

Sorry, Twi. It's just how the story's always started. Ah guess Ah can skip ahead... lemme think... all right.

So there was one town not too far from where we are now called Salt Lick City. It's all gone now, it was abandoned about eight hundred years ago, but way back then it was a great sight to behold. With no flat land around for miles, the settler-ponies had decided to build their town right in the middle of a swamp. Everypony said it was a dumb idea to build a town in a swamp, but they built it anyway, just to show them. It took four tries and many years, but with love and dedication the settlers were able to carve a whole town out of the swamp, as well as a few acres of farmland. The conditions weren’t the best for growing apples, nor oranges, nor many fruits of any kind. But what they did have was potatoes; miles and miles of beautiful potato fields, stretching all the way to the horizon in every direction. Unicorns and pegasi have a hard time appreciating the work that went into that swamp, but any hard-working earth pony would give all four of their legs to have such a wonderful farmland as Salt Lick City.

Now this little town was pretty far away from anywhere else, so in the early days of the war they were left pretty much alone. Little by little, though, the unicorns started advancing onto their land. With their magic they started stealing the crops of the townsfolk for supplies, and burning anything they couldn't use. The earth ponies tried to fight them off, but they were farmers, not soldiers, and they couldn't stand up to the unicorns' magic.

Now in Salt Lick City there lived one pony named Judas Loam. Judas was an odd pony to most; he was nearly thirty years old, and still didn't have a cutie mark. What was strange about this was that everypony in town, Judas included, knew full well what his special talent was. It was dirt. Ever since he was a foal Judas was most at home in the mud, digging in it, making things out of it, even eating it until his mother caught him. Because of his love for the ground and all things in it he grew up to be one of the best potato farmers the town had ever had, maybe one of the best who ever lived. But no matter how much time he spent digging and plowing and working away in his field, his precious cutie mark failed to appear. It earned him a few odd looks when he went to the market, but on the whole Judas didn’t mind. He spent his days doing what he loved and he didn’t need any mark on his flank to prove it.

When the unicorns started attacking, Judas sat down and thought hard about what to do about them. See, he knew that the ponies in his town were no match for the invaders, and if they tried to drive them out they'd only end up hurt or killed. But he also knew that if they allowed the unicorns to stay, they'd only steal more and more of their crops and get closer and closer until they started attacking the town itself. Judas knew that if that ever happened, everypony and everything he cared about would be in terrible danger. So in secret, he left the town with only a shovel and a week’s supplies and went out into Diamond Dog country. Diamond Dogs live in places where there are a lot of gems, see, and Judas was looking for a very special kind of gem. So he made his camp in a hidden place and started digging.

Most ponies would have given up after just a day or two, but years of working the potato fields had made him tough and used to working in the ground all day. After a full week of digging, he fell into a Diamond Dog tunnel. From there he crept around, avoiding the dogs' patrols and working his way deeper and deeper into the ground. The way was long and he got lost several times in the twisting tunnels, but Judas never gave up. After a full day of walking he finally found what he'd been looking for: the greatest treasure of the Diamond Dogs, a sparkling emerald the size of a small foal.

Unicorns don't like to talk about it, but pegasi and earth ponies are just as magical as they are. While a unicorn casts magic with his horn, pegasi can use their wings-

Applejack...

Oh, right. Anyways...

Now, there's something special about gems that you find deep underground. While you can find all sorts of crystals the size of your hoof on the surface, the deeper you go the bigger and the more magical they become. These days ponies are starting to realize that again, and that's why we have crystalvision; it's thanks to both earth pony and unicorn magic that we can send images around the world. Now, the Diamond Dogs' emerald was one of the biggest gemstones you could find back then, and it was brimming full of the magical energy of the earth. Judas knew that if he was going to stop the unicorns, he'd need all the magic he could get his hooves on. The problem was the emerald was kept under lock and key, and guarded at all times. If Judas had had more time, he might have come up with a better plan. But he'd just spent all day and all night walking through a cave with no food, drink or sleep, so when he rushed out to take the gem he was captured right away.

Now, relationships weren't so good with the Diamond Dogs as they are now, and that's saying something. If it had been anypony else they'd found sneaking in their cave, the dogs probably would have had them killed. But the three who ran the pack - they ruled in threes back then, same as they do now - were so impressed that Judas had made it so far down that they decided to listen to him and find out what he wanted. After he'd had some rest and a little water, Judas told them about the plight of the earth ponies back in Salt Lick City. And with his fancy orating skills, he became the first pony ever to make a deal with the Diamond Dogs. It wasn't pretty - he had to promise them a lot of potatoes, and to make sure nopony trespassed on their land ever again - but when they found out what he wanted to do with the emerald, they were just so darn fascinated that they agreed to let him borrow it for a little while.

The next day Judas walked out of the caves a free pony with the legendary emerald on his back. He was true to his word and sent them almost all the potatoes he had that very afternoon as a first payment, leaving him with barely enough to live on. Then right away he got to work. Out of the dirt and clay around him he built a creature made out of the earth. He shaped it as close as he could to a Diamond Dog to make it look big and frightening to his enemies. Then he set the emerald into the place where its face would be and carved a few runes above it. Once he’d done this, all the energies of the earth flowed out of the crystal and into the creature and brought it to life. He named it Mud and it became the first golem.

Mud was scary to look at, and at first the other townsfolk were frightened of it and ran away. When they learned that Judas Loam had promised the Diamond Dogs several harvests worth of potatoes in exchange for the emerald, they became angry and threatened to drive him out. But that afternoon, the town was attacked by a party of unicorns trying to steal supplies. That was when Mud finally made a move. You see, as well as the life runes, Judas had put some words on the golem's forehead, and they read: I will protect the earth ponies of Salt Lick City from the unicorns. That way, no matter what the golem was doing, defending the town was always the first thing on its mind. It drove the unicorns out of the town and away from the fields, scaring them with its huge size and strength. They tried to fight back, but the power of the emerald protected it from all their magical attacks. In the end the unicorns had to run away with their tails between their legs and Judas was declared a hero. That was when, after years of waiting, he finally got his cutie mark: a shining emerald, just like the one on Mud’s face.

For awhile, it seemed like everything had worked out for the ponies of Salt Lick City. It turned out that the payments they made to the Diamond Dogs every month were less than what the unicorns had been taking, so the town started to prosper again. The unicorn attacks got less and less frequent and eventually stopped altogether; the unicorns figured getting chased by an unstoppable golem wasn't worth a few potatoes. So a whole year of peace went by. Judas Loam went back to his farm and fell in love with a local girl, a pretty young thing named Royal Harvest, and they got married in the summer that year.

But all the while, Mud was left on his own. After the unicorn attacks stopped he didn’t have anything to do. Judas spent a lot of time with him in the beginning, but after he got married he had less and less time to spend just sitting and talking to a golem. Ponies tried to put him to work in the fields, but with his big feet and hands all he could do was crush crops and stomp the ground flat. So he ended up left alone, all by himself, with nothing to do but think. Thoughts came slowly at first, him being only a year old, but little by little he started to question why he was alive. His purpose was to protect Salt Lick City from the unicorns - he knew that because it was carved right there on his forehead. But since the unicorns had stopped attacking, he no longer had anypony to defend. So he started to wonder if he had any purpose at all any more.

In the winter, Mud was left outside on his own, since he was too big to fit into any of the houses. That year there was a wartime argument with the pegasi over weather regulation, so snow rolled in much thicker and faster than it had before. One day there was a big snowstorm that covered up most of the town. It took days to dig everypony out, and in all the excitement everypony plum forgot about Mud. He was left under a big snow drift in the middle of the town until the snow melted. This turned into a problem, though, as the snow worked its way into the runes on his head and shifted them. The hardened clay was softened and worked away by driftwater and the edges of the words started to get blurred. When Mud finally came out of his own accord, he was a changed golem. He could no longer read the words on his head, so he'd forgotten his purpose; he knew deep down that he had to protect the town, but he couldn't remember why or from what.

A few days later, little fillies from the town started to... to...

Are you okay?

Ah... Ah’m sorry, Twi. Jus’ got a little choked up for a moment, that’s all.

We can stop if you want.

No, Ah’ll keep going. Ah owe you that much.

Little fillies from the town started to... to turn up dead, in all sorts of odd places. At first everypony thought that the unicorns had returned and were sneaking into town to take their children away. But then, one day, Mud came out and stomped on one of the farmers right in the middle of the town square. It seemed that without unicorns to direct his anger at, Mud had decided that anypony he didn't like was an enemy of the town. Everypony was afraid, so they turned to Judas Loam for help; he'd built the golem, they thought, so he would know how to stop it. But no matter what happened, Judas couldn't bring himself to help. He'd built the golem with his own hooves and he loved it like his own foal, no matter what. So he only said that Mud couldn't be stopped and they should all do their best to stay out of his way. After all, he wouldn't harm the town itself, only those ponies he took a particular dislike to. So for a little while everypony simply stayed away from Mud and avoided even looking in his direction, afraid that a face full of fear might be interpreted at a threat.

But even then, Mud wasn't satisfied. See, just as Judas Loam loved him like a foal, in his own golem way he loved the earth pony like a father. Once they'd spent all their time together, until another pony had come and taken him away. That pony, of course, was Royal Harvest. In what passed for Mud's mind, she'd come and taken his daddy away from him, and that made him really, really mad. So the next time she passed by in the market, he raised up his arms and chased her out of town. A year ago that might have been enough, but he kept on chasing and she kept on running. She was a sprightly young thing and a lot faster than the golem, but the earth never gets tired and every time she slowed he would always be right behind her. So she ran across the country for a full day and a night, never stopping for rest, until finally she fell down from exhaustion and died before Mud could even reach her.

Now, word of mouth travels faster than any hooves, so it wasn't long before Judas heard about what had happened. He retired to his bed and he cried all night, because he finally understood that he'd done something terrible. Awful guilt about what had happened to his wife and the other ponies filled him, and he knew that something had to be done.

When Mud walked back into town the next night, Judas was ready. He covered himself with a cloak and crept up on the golem, little by little. He carried only a shovel, the same shovel he'd used a year ago to dig into the tunnels of the Diamond Dogs. When the moment was right, he leaped up onto the golem's back and climbed onto his shoulder. Before the golem could react he pounded it across the face with his shovel, wiping out the words he'd written and the runes that had given the earth life. For the last time, the golem fell still. Then he used the shovel to pry the great emerald out of the golem's face. As soon as it was free, all the magic drained out of the golem and it crumbled back into ordinary dirt, gone forever.

Life returned to normal for Salt Lick City after that. The great emerald was returned to the Diamond Dogs safe and sound, and the two groups never troubled each other again. The unicorns had learned their lesson and never came back, and the war ended without a bit of magic seen near the town. But Judas Loam could never live with himself after what had happened to his wife and the other ponies around town. He gave up potato farming and went into the mountains, where he became a dollmaker. That's where he stayed, cold and alone, until the end of his days. And while wars have come and gone, no golem has ever been seen in Equestria ever since.

Applejack took a deep breath as she finished her story. "Until now," she said glumly. "Ah always thought the story was jus' an old pony's tale. Ah never thought it could be..."

Twilight mulled over what she'd just heard. "It's... possible," she said at length. "If you could find the right kinds of gemstones, it's possible that the latent magical energies could be redirected into another body. I don’t know if runes would work, though, and I wouldn't have guessed that you could use it to make something animate, but after what we saw..."

Applejack shook her head. "Ah don't get it," she said. "The whole moral of the story is how ponies shouldn't try to play Faust. Why would anypony want to make somethin’ that would... carry off fillies?" She choked up for a moment. "Ah don't want anything to happen to mah family."

"Nothing's going to happen." Twilight held her friend comfortingly. "If golems are dangerous, then we'll get to the bottom of this. Don't worry, Applejack. We'll be fine, you'll see."

Rainbow Dash studied her opponents carefully. They both stared back, one looking nonchalant, the other frantic. Spike was beginning to crack; she could see it in his eyes. The faint twitches, the tell-tale wrinkles at the corners of his mouth, Rainbow knew all the signs. He wouldn’t last much longer. It was the older, more composed player who worried her. Despite the strain as the game reached its final stages he looked perfectly calm, bored even. The self-assurance he possessed was overwhelming. Jazz knocked impatiently on the kitchen table, gesturing to the pile in front of them. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. He really thinks he can win, huh? Fat chance. Sure, he’s got more game than I thought, but good enough to beat me? Nopony can beat the Rainbow. Nopony!

She picked up a large marshmallow between her hooves, peeled her lips apart and shoved it through to join the sugary, partially-melted mass inside her mouth. She gagged slightly and forced herself not to swallow. “Ten chubby bunnies,” she painfully choked out.

Jazz nodded. Without prompting he took his turn, effortlessly passing a marshmallow between his teeth. “Ten chubby bunnies,” he echoed. Despite the now enormous mass in his mouth the words flowed out clearly, as though completely unobstructed.

Spike clapped in amazement. “Da’s amazinf, Shazz!” he garbled around a mouthful of candy. As a dragon he’d been given a hefty penalty for his disproportionately large mouth, which was now nearly full to bursting. A thin line of white drool slid down his chin with every word but he didn’t seem to notice. “Haow do you do id?”

The unicorn gave a rare smile. “When one spends any amount of time around Harpy Chords,” he said with jaw-dropping precision, “there are certain skills one is forced to acquire. And when one’s larder is stocked in the way that she prefers, there are no end of opportunities to practice these skills.” He looked around the kitchen and scowled. Every drawer and cabinet had been flung open and their contents strewn untidily across the counters, a seemingly unlimited selection of sweets, candies and sugary snacks. With the fridge still empty from the other day’s fiasco, the other two at the table had pressured him to help search the kitchen for anything of actual nutritional value, only stopping when they discovered the giant bag of marshmallows under the sink. “This,” he concluded, “is why I keep my own supplies in my room.”

“It’s crazy,” coughed Rainbow Dash with a minimum of spluttering, determined not to be outdone by a pony easily twice her age. How old is this guy, anyhow? “Doesn’t she ever eat anything healthy?”

“In theory she must, but I have never observed her doing so.” Jazz turned his attention to the third player at the table. “Spike, I believe it is your turn.”

“A’aight.” The little dragon picked up two marshmallows, one in each hand, and drew them nervously towards his face. He puckered his lips and slid them inside, one after the other. By some miracle he was able to keep them in, momentarily struggling to breathe before righting himself. He took a deep breath and stood up on his chair for effect. “Tenny... chu... twenny chubby b-UUUUUUUUUURP!” Spike let out an impressive fiery belch, sending the contents of his mouth rocketing forth in a wide arc. Most of the marshmallows he’d been holding onto slammed into the far wall and stuck, leaving sticky trails as they slid downwards. Worse, the ensuing force of the flame not only bowled over the massive pile of marshmallows in the middle of the table but also roasted them, sending a wave of goopy and slightly crispy goodness crashing across the table and onto the floor. A ribbon-bound scroll winked into existence in front of him, floated gently down, and landed right in the middle of the mess with a faint squelch. “Uh.” Spike looked around and grinned sheepishly. “I lose?”

At the first sign of danger Rainbow Dash had taken to the air, knocking over her chair and saving her from the wave of projectiles. However, the sudden shock had made her choke on her own marshmallows, causing her to cough them up in a sticky mess onto the floor. Jazz’s reflexes had not been as quick; he’d turned his head to shield his face from the flames, but one side of his body was now coated in white and sticky blobs. Despite this, he was smiling as he turned back to the other two. “It seems the game is mine,” he said. He spat his still-intact lump of ten marshmallows onto the table, adding it to the lightly-toasted mass covering the surface. “Now if you’ll excuse me, this suit is very expensive and I need to wash it before it stains.” With a quick flash of unicorn magic, the stallion vanished.

Spike peeled his scroll from the goopy mess on the table, smiled apologetically at Rainbow Dash and rushed from the room. The mare righted her chair and sat down sulkily. “That was cheating,” she grumbled. She followed the trail of white with her eyes from Spike’s chair to the far side of the room. “And I’m not cleaning this up.” She put a hoof in the lightly browned sludge in front of her and drew it to her lips, her eyes lighting up in surprise and delight. “Hey, what do you know. Toasted to perfection.”

Spike arrived in the main chamber, licking the last of the marshmallow goop from his fingers. Across the room the stratoscreens were still showing footage from Mayor Mare’s office, though nopony was paying much attention to them any more. With Rainbow Dash at lunch and Derpy Hooves still on her mail route it had fallen to Locket to keep a cursory eye on her, though her main screen was turned to a local news station. In the nearer corner, L and Colgate sat side by side in what was now their usual positions, eyes fixed on their own screens. It was towards these two that Spike walked, coughing loudly. Neither seemed to notice him as he approached. Curious, he glanced over their shoulders at the screens. The display currently showed Twilight at her desk, different screens capturing her image from different angles. She seemed completely absorbed in a book, not unusual for her. What was unusual was that the book was full of pictures, large and brightly-coloured watercolours showing happy ponies playing in front of a big red barn. "What's Twilight doing reading a little kid's book?" Spike asked.

"It's The Legend of the Earthen King,” Colgate answered. She looked at Spike with an obviously forced smile; the strain of spying on her friend was beginning to show. "She's looking through old earth pony stories for references to golems. I don't think she'll have much luck with fairy tales, but maybe she's running out of options." She sighed and lowered her gaze, for the first time noticing the scroll Spike was holding. "Great, news!" she said, snatching the paper from his outstretched hand. She frowned. "Spike, this is sticky." She sniffed the paper, looking puzzled. “Did you drop this in something?”

"Uh, yeah. I kind of..." Spike blushed and looked down. "It’s a long story."

Colgate rolled her eyes and poked L on the shoulder. "You're a bad influence," she teased. When the detective gave no response to this she unrolled the scroll and quickly skimmed over the page. A huge smile broke out, genuine this time. "Harpy! Look!" She waved the scroll in front of the unmoving pony's face. "We just got the latest report on Kira from Canterlot. Ponies have still been dying of heart attacks over the past few days!"

L blinked slowly. "So?"

"So," Colgate continued, a little taken aback, "since Twilight hasn't done anything in the time we've been watching her, it means that she couldn't have been the one who killed them. Therefore, Twilight isn't Kira."

"Irrelevant," L said. She finally looked up at Colgate's shocked face. "Have you forgotten that Kira can manipulate the times of death? For all we know she could have orchestrated these weeks in advance."

Colgate trembled. She twitched and threw the scroll onto the ground, sending Spike reflexively scrambling to pick it up. "Then this is all pointless!" she yelled. L ignored her. "What's it going to take, huh? What will it take for you to admit Twilight isn't Kira?"

"L!" Locket called, breaking into the conversation. Her gallop across the room slowed to a crawl as everyone looked at her and she blushed at her own outburst. "Um... there's something you should see. It’s on the news right now."

L gave a long stare at her monitor before twisting a dial on the side until the Ponyville local news station appeared on the screen. A mustard yellow filly with a dazzling platinum blond mane was standing in front of Davenport's alcohol/writing implement/furniture store, speaking very quickly into a microphone. Behind her a half-circle of large ponies had surrounded the door, looking around anxiously. "According to eyewitnesses, the pony in question is one Berry Punch, a local mare.” Sunny Days gave a dazzling smile and motioned to somepony off camera. “Lucky, can you tell us what you saw?"

A nervous-looking blue-grey pony walked into the frame. "Well," he said, a little louder than he needed to, "I was just walking by on my way home when I heard shouting coming from inside Beer, Quills and Sofas. I looked inside and I saw Berry Punch yelling and waving a broken bottle around. There was a really bad smell and she seemed a little disoriented. I tried to ask what was wrong but she just waved the sharp end at me and started shouting some more, so I ran out and yelled for help. That was just a minute ago."

"Berry." Colgate stood sharply and started towards the door.

"Colgate," L said coldly, "where do you think you're going?"

"To help my friend!"

"Stay where you are."

The blue mare froze. She turned back to face L, her eyes wide. "What?"

"This is the opportunity we've been waiting for. You are not going to interrupt it." As Colgate’s jaw dropped L looked towards the other team members with her. “Spike, please move to the other station and observe the mayor closely.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Elated at being singled out, Spike gave a quick salute and rushed to the other corner of the room.

"Let's see if we can get closer," Sunny Days was continuing. Despite the tenseness of the situation the filly sounded positively giddy at the opportunity; since these kinds of reports usually went to her older colleagues, perhaps any break from weather reports and market prices was a welcome change of pace. She motioned to the camera and crept closer to the door.

From this range voices could be heard from inside. Over the shoulders of the ponies standing tensely by the door a very drunk Berry Punch came into view near the checkout. The cash register had been kicked over and broken glass crackled beneath her hooves as she swayed back and forth, waving the jagged edge of a broken bottle towards the frightened earth pony behind the counter. "Jus' gimme!" the intoxicated mare slurred, slightly inconvenienced by the bottle stem between her teeth. "You've gotta have somethin' under there. Lemme have it!"

"For the last time, I just don’t have any more beer! Pinkie Pie cleaned me out until Monday." A spark momentarily glimmered in Davenport's eye; even under the circumstances, even in the face of death, some hope still remained. "...wanna buy a sofa?"

Berry Punch waved her head in frustration, making threatening motions with the sharp end of the broken bottle. Colgate started to back up. “I can’t do this,” she stammered. “I’m the chief of police. It’s my responsibility to be there right now.”

“Your responsibility,” L retorted sharply, “is to this investigation. You would do well to remember that. Weren’t you the one who was so eager to clear your friend Twilight’s name?”

For the second time in as many minutes Colgate was rendered speechless. Locket quietly nudged L. "Um..." The mint unicorn shushed her.

“Hey!” Berry Punch gave a sudden lurch towards the front of the store. “Is that a camera?” She took several steps forwards, causing the ponies gathered outside to nervously retreat. “You better not put me on the news!”

“We already are!” Sunny Days called cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to any danger. Several of the ponies around her facehoofed.

Berry Punch stomped furiously, alternately opening and closing her eyes. Colgate’s lip trembled. "Berry, stop," she whispered. "Please, don’t do this."

The purple pony paused, then opened her eyes once more. A mad rage filled them. “I’ll bucking kill you!” she screeched, diving forwards and swinging her bottle wildly. Sunny Days jumped to the side and knocked against the camera, sending it tumbling off the camera-pony’s shoulder and onto the ground. The screen cut to black. The words “Technical Difficulties. Please Stand By.” faded into view.

Locket covered her mouth with her hoof. Colgate whimpered. L stared. Twilight Sparkle turned a page. For sixty long seconds, they waited.

As quickly as it had gone, the screen flashed back into light and sound. “-so awesome! Is it on? Did you fix it? Okay, great!” Sunny Days composed herself and flashed another smile to the camera. In the background four colts were desperately holding the screaming Berry Punch down. “For those ponies just joining us, local pony Berry Punch has been detained after attacking several innocent bystanders while attempting to hold up Beer, Quills and Sofas. Nopony was seriously injured, though witness Lucky sustained a small cut on his shoulder. The police have been sent for, and-”

“She’s dead!”

Words caught in the newsfilly’s throat. “Huh?” She turned, stunned.

The four ponies were backing away from the now still Berry Punch, frozen on the ground with an expression of terror on her face. Two of them turned tail and galloped away. “I didn’t do anything!” Lucky blurted, shaking his head wildly. “I hardly touched her! She just... she just died!”

“W-what?” In seconds all the professionalism drained from the filly’s voice. She stared back at the camera, but for once found herself at a complete loss for words. Without warning her face scrunched up cartoonishly and she began to cry.

For the second time the screen cut to black. L leaned forwards and turned the stratoscreen off. “An interesting turn of events,” she mused. “Does this satisfy you, Colgate?” The police pony gave no answer.

Spike jogged back across the room to join the others. “I watched everything,” he said breathlessly. “Mayor Mare didn’t move the whole time. But... but that was amazing! Right, guys?” He glanced around at the others, stopping when his gaze reached Colgate. “Uh, Colgate? You all right?”

The blue pony was trembling. Her breath came in short, quick gasps and her face was contorted in the same way Sunny Days’ had been, struggling to contain herself. Locket nudged L a second time. "L, I really think you should know..."

"Yes, I am fully aware." The detective spun around to face the blue unicorn. "Colgate, you and Berry Punch were more than just friends, weren't you?"

The others stared in shocked silence as Colgate began to tremble more violently. "You... you knew?" she said falteringly. Her left eye twitched. “You knew the whole time?” She suddenly broke down into sobs, tears flowing freely, and took a step backwards. She spun around and ran towards the great iron door.

"Colgate." L spoke quietly, but somehow her voice carried across the entire room. The blue unicorn paused just as she reached the door, her hoof raised to throw it open. "Colgate, I need to know that I can rely on you. If you leave now, you will no longer be a part of this investigation."

The police pony stopped. Slowly, with many small convulsions and hesitations, she lowered her hoof. Her muffled sobs began to fade. Keeping her head down, she began to trot towards the bedrooms. Locket stepped forward and reached out as she walked past. "Colgate, I-"

"Just give me an hour," Colgate choked out. "Just one hour, that's all I ask."

L nodded. "Of course." Without another word Colgate vanished down the long corridor.

Spike gulped and spoke up in the ensuing silence. "Well, uh... look on the bright side, right?" He forced out a smile. "This clears Twilight's name for sure. I mean, that just happened right now, and look! Twilight hasn't done anything at all!" It was true; throughout all this the lavender unicorn had barely moved a muscle, only shifting her head from side to side to turn pages with her horn. "She's not even near a screen, so she couldn't have even known this was happening. That means that Kira has to be somepony else! Right, L?" The little dragon turned to the detective expectantly.

There was a pause. "It's strange," L muttered, apparently to herself. "Before Kira, crime rates in Ponyville were as low as they'd ever been. But now, with rates everywhere else dropping, more and more crimes are taking place here every day."

"What are you saying, Harpy?" Locket asked. When the unicorn didn't answer she took a step forward and pressed the issue. "Spike's right, you know. I don't think it's possible for Twilight to be Kira."

"Yeah! So we can stop spying on her now, right?" Spike looked up at L, worry showing on his face. "Right, L?"

There was another long pause. Both dragon and pony held their breath, waiting for an answer from the detective. L slowly closed her eyes. "All right," she said at length. "Once Twilight has left the building I will ask Jazz to send out the return signal. The woodlice will return to the place where they were originally dropped. Locket, I will ask you to go and retrieve them after this." Locket nodded. "We will do the same for Mayor Mare's office. Afterwards, we will regroup and come up with a new plan."

L spun away from the screens and stared at the ground. While her face was still set in its usual blank position, Spike felt his triumphant smile slip a little as he looked at her. "Hey, are you all right?" he asked gently.

"I am fine, Spike." L didn't look his way. "If you haven't already, you should finish your lunch."

As if on cue a gasp of horror echoed out from the direction of the eating area. "My kitchen!" screamed Bon Bon.

"Then again, perhaps it would be better if you were to wait."

"Twilight! Twilight!" Byuk bounced up and down in the air as the purple pony entered through the library door. "The bugs are gone! They're all gone! Somepony came while you were out and took them all away!"

A half-smile on her face, Twilight pointedly turned away from the god and laid her saddlebags down by the door. "Are you sure?" she said quietly, drawing a large red apple from her bag. "Because I've got a nice juicy apple here to celebrate with if they are."

Byuk's eyes widened and he licked his lips. "Gimme!" he cried happily, lunging for the precious fruit.

Twilight twirled the apple in the air, keeping it just inches away from the shinigami's grasping claws. "Are you absolutely certain they're all gone?" she teased. "Because if there's even one camera left over, just one tiny bug, then I can't give this to you. And it would be such a shame to let it go to waste..." She opened her mouth wide and drew the fruit closer dramatically.

"No! Don't do it!" Byuk threw up his hooves in desperation. "I... I'll go check! I'll check everywhere!" He zipped over to the nearest wall and stuck his head directly into the wood, looking every which way for traces of the crystallized insects. Twilight chuckled and laid the apple down in the middle of the floor, then trotted over to the kitchen to prepare her own dinner.

A few minutes later the god reappeared in the doorway, munching happily on the apple. He smiled widely, rolling up his eyes in bliss. "I looked everywhere," he grunted between mouthfuls, "and there's no trace of any cameras. Nopony's watching anymore. Oh, I've missed this taste..."

"Excellent," Twilight said with a smile, sitting down with her own garden salad. "It looks like everything went according to plan."

"So you really did it? You tricked L?" Byuk settled down over the counter, licking juicy remnants from his claws. "How? He was watching you the whole time."

"Not in the Everfree Forest." She turned towards Byuk and launched into her explanation, meal already forgotten. "While I was with Applejack I was able to write down two names without her noticing. As far as she knows I didn't do anything suspicious, and since she's the Element of Honesty nopony has any reason not to trust her. After that, all I had to do was wait."

Berry Punch, heart attack.
At 12:00 tomorrow, drunkenly attempts to rob Beer, Quills and Sofas in Ponyville. She is loud and physically threatens anypony who tries to stop her. At 12:10 she has a heart attack and dies in front of the store.

"You made a pony rob a store for you?" Byuk asked in astonishment. "I thought your goal was to get rid of crime, not make more of it."

"Are you kidding?" Twilight snorted derisively. "Have you met Berry Punch? I've lived in Ponyville for over three years now and I've never once seen her sober. She has a string of petty offenses as long as your leg, and the way she treats that foal of hers... ugh! This would have happened eventually. At least this way it actually ended up meaning something.” The unicorn rolled her eyes. “Of course," she continued, "even that wouldn't be enough on its own. Just because I had somepony committing a crime for Kira to stop doesn't mean that L would see it. No matter how loud Berry Punch can be, I couldn't leave it to chance that it would be noticed in time. So to that end I wrote a second name as well."

Sunny Days, suicide.
At 12:00 tomorrow, arrives at Beer, Quills and Sofas in time to witness and report on a robbery. Afterwards she gradually becomes depressed and, 23 days from now, kills herself.

"I had to be careful with this one. I needed to manipulate somepony into putting Berry Punch on the news, but I couldn't get involved myself or kill them right away or L would become suspicious of the whole affair. So I gave Sunny Days as much time as the Death Note allows, 23 days, in accordance with the 23-day rule. That was last night when I wrote it, which means that Sunny Days still has 22 days left to live. By then L's eyes should be off of her and her disappearance will go unnoticed.

“With those two in place, all I had to do was wait.” Twilight closed her eyes and sat back, smiling smugly. “Berry Punch would appear to commit a terrible crime, and Sunny Days would report on it. All I had to do was not watch any news all day and I would be proven completely innocent.”

Byuk’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh, I get it. To L it would look like Kira was reacting in real time to something he couldn’t possibly have prepared in advance. So while you were here reading all day, he would have to be somewhere else watching the news to see it.”

“Exactly.” The unicorn nodded proudly. “A one hundred percent foalproof plan.”

"Interesting." Byuk stroked his chin thoughtfully. "And what did Sunny Days do to deserve to die?"

Twilight blinked and her eyes refocused. "Huh?"

"Well, you're the one who keeps going on about morality," the god said, stretching lazily. "And it doesn't sound like she's done anything wrong or threatened you in any way. So why her?"

"Because..." Twilight's lips moved for a few seconds without making a sound. "Because she was always saying bad things about me on the news. She was misusing the name of Kira, that's it. She was trying to turn everypony against me."

"Well, you did kill her sister's coltfriend."

"Whose side are you on!?" the unicorn snapped, her voice rising in volume. "I did what I had to do, okay? Are you going to keep hounding on me for that?"

"Whoa, whoa." Byuk raised his front hooves defensively. "I was just asking, that's all. It just seemed like a strange move from you."

"I..." Twilight frowned. Her left eye twitched rapidly. "It's L's fault," she said slowly, keeping her voice under control. Don't cry. "It wasn't supposed to be this way. Kira was supposed to be a hero of justice. I was going to keep the good ponies safe from the bad ones, restore good and righteousness and punish those who do wrong. That's all I wanted, to make everything better. But then ponies like L keep trying to stop me." She swallowed hard, keeping her expression in check. Don't cry. "It's because of him that I had to kill those EBI agents. It's because of him that I have to make ponies do bad things. In a few weeks a little filly is going to kill herself, and it will be all his fault. Because if they ever catch me, Equestria will go right back to the way it was. Is that what they want?" Twilight half shouted this last sentence, her stony expression starting to crack.

Byuk drifted a little closer. Something that might have been concern flashed across his eyes. “Twilight, are you crying?”

“Shut up!” Twilight rose from her seat, shaking her head. “Just... just leave me alone! It’s your fault I’m in this mess. It’s your stupid book!” Before the shinigami could react she ran from the room, tearing up the stairs and slamming her bedroom door behind her. She took a few seconds to breathe, trying to fight down the emotions welling up in her. I’m a defender of justice. I’m not a bad pony. I’m not.

She trotted over to her desk and pulled out the Death Note. Though her magic meant that she didn’t have to touch it at all she stroked the notebook tenderly, having missed the feel of its pages under her hoof. Laying it carefully on the desk, she turned it open to the last entry. Page after page of names stared up at her. Each belonged to a bad pony; ponies who killed, ponies who destroyed, ponies who made life worse for those around them. Equestria would be better off without them. She knew this. But Sunny Days...

Twilight laid her head on her desk. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

For Moondancer.

“L.” Twilight gritted her teeth. “This is your fault. I had to do this because of you.” She straightened up and pulled a quill towards her. So much work to do. “Sunny Days will die because of you. Her blood is on your hooves. So for that, I’m going to find you.” Her eyes shone in the darkness. “And I’m going to make you pay.”

Dear Princess Luna,

We've done a terrible thing.

Romana.

Vengeance

12
*Vengeance*

Whether the cause of an individual’s death is suicide or an accident, if the death leads to the deaths of more than the intended victim, the pony will instead simply die of a heart attack. This is to ensure that other lives are not influenced.

Less than an hour after the strange pony had left the library, Twilight was startled by a frantic knocking at the door. She dropped the books she was attempting to stack up and yelped, blushing in embarrassment before cantering over to the door. "Oh, hello there." Twilight smiled warmly at the unexpected visitor. "What's up, Ditzy?"

"Derpy," the mailmare muttered under her breath as she pulled a red-stamped letter out of her saddlebags. "Priority mail for Twilight Sparkle!" she announced, holding the envelope out reverently. It had been stamped several times and with some haste, indicating that it was to be delivered immediately.

Twilight accepted the letter, but was barely able to get a "Thank you," out before the grey pegasus had zipped off down the road. She watched the mare leave with a puzzled expression before shrugging and taking the letter inside. Delicately tearing the envelope open, she discovered a single piece of paper with Pinkie Pie's recognizably haphazard scrawl covering it.

Hi Twilight!

Something really really big is happening at Carousel Boutique! I need you to please come here right away as soon as possible right now. It's really important!

-PP (That stands for Pinkie Pie!)

This was unusual on several levels. Pinkie Pie always preferred to deliver letters by hoof, not trusting the post service to provide the all-important song and dance while doing so. It was also unlike her to make demands; even in the worst emergencies, she would always find the time to ask politely. Twilight sighed and looked upwards. “Coming, Byuk?”

“Are we going out?” The dark god of death swooped down from his perch near the ceiling and read the paper that Twilight was levitating in front of her. “Hey, Pinkie Pie! I like her. What do you think this is, then? Some kind of surprise party or something?”

Twilight opened the door and shivered. A strong autumn breeze was blowing, casting the first hints of winter chill over the town. She picked up her cloak and gave a long, lasting look around the library. “I hope so,” she said simply before stepping outside.

Barely a minute later, a worried Derpy Hooves reached the town's park. She fluttered to a halt in the hidden grove of trees and stomped furiously, diving down the stairs to the base before the trapdoor was fully open. She burst through the iron doors at great speed and rocketed across the room, screeching to a halt just inches away from L's chair and drawing an envelope from her saddlebags. "Priority mail!" she warbled around the paper in her mouth.

L sighed, appearing distracted. She had grown her horn back and returned to her usual position in her unique chair, adopting the cold flatness that seemed to come with it. "Derpy, please do not interrupt your rounds on my account. Any mail for me must go through the proper channels."

"No." Derpy shook her head. She held the envelope forwards anxiously. "Priority mail... for you!"

"What?" The detective leaned forward and frowned, levitating the envelope out of Derpy's mouth and towards her. It was addressed specifically to "L, alias Harpy Chords, the circular grove of trees in Ponyville Park - just leave the letter there." "Who sent this? When did you receive this?"

"I don't know." The pegasus bowed a little out of habit; L's harsh tone made it sound like she was being chastised. "It was in the box when I gotted back."

The other ponies and dragon crowded around as the detective tore the envelope open. She read from the page aloud. "Dear L. Watch carefully. Love, D.E." Her frown deepened. At the bottom of the page were three circles, each a different shade of blue. "I recognize these colours."

"Is it a code?" Colgate looked over her shoulder at the note. "It looks like one of the early crystal codes."

"That is correct." L wheeled herself away from the group and towards the cluster of screens in the corner, still set up after Twilight's period of observation. "Before stratoscreens were released to the public, organizations like mine were the first to adopt crystalline technology. We used it to communicate during emergencies.” She pointed to the paper. “If one of my agents needed to contact me directly, this sequence, cyan, sky blue and midnight blue, was the magical frequency they would use to connect with one of my personal screens. After stratoscreens became commonplace, these codes fell out of use. However, it appears that somepony wishes to speak to me using these codes again." She reached out with her magic and manually set the largest stratoscreen to the correct setting. Instantly an image flashed up on to the screen. "As I thought. Some... somepony is transmitting on this frequency for us to watch." She shook her head. "However, I don't recognize this location."

The image on the stratoscreen was dark, only slowly coming into focus. The camera seemed to be situated on a wall somewhere high up, showing a wide view of a large, circular room. Spike climbed up on a chair to see and gasped. "That's the inside of Carousel Boutique!" he yelled, pointing. “But... why is it empty? And why is it so dark?”

Rainbow Dash spoke up. “Last time I saw Applejack, she said nopony had seen Rarity in a few days. Do you think this D.E. character’s done something to her?” She smashed her front hooves together and cracked her wrists loudly, making Locket wince. “Nopony touches my friends!”

“Easy, Rainbow,” L said calmly. “We were given this message for a reason. For now, all we can do is watch.”

Bon Bon touched L's shoulder. "Harpy, isn't that...?"

"I know. And no, I don't know why." She glared at the screen. Her voice fell to a whisper. "Diamond Edge, what are you doing?"

The streets were unusually quiet as Twilight approached the Carousel Boutique. It was strange, but the relative emptiness of Ponyville was actually becoming normal now; it was strange to think that the atmosphere of a place she'd lived in for so long could change so quickly. Everypony seemed quieter now, more afraid of strangers, less likely to go out if they didn't have to. It disheartened her. Was this her doing? No, she reassured herself, just a sign of the changing times. When all this is over things will go back to the way they were.

Nothing seemed to be the matter with the boutique as Twilight stepped up onto the front porch. Like the rest of Ponyville, it had fallen still and quiet. The door was unlocked. "Hello?" Twilight called as she stuck her head inside. There was no response. The thick curtains had been drawn all around the room, plunging the entire boutique into relative darkness. “I don’t like the looks of this,” she whispered over her shoulder. “Byuk, wait here.”

“What? Why?” the god complained. Twilight gave him a pointed look. Byuk folded his forelegs and sank to the ground with a pouty expression. “All right, fine. Go have your party on your own, see if I care.”

Twilight took a few steps inside, feeling around uncomfortably for a light switch. To her mild annoyance she couldn’t seem to find it in its usual place by the door. She slipped out of her cloak and tried to hang it up, only to find that the coat rack had mysteriously vanished as well. She was left levitating the garment in midair, laying it down after she felt an ache start to build up in her forehead - it seemed the sprain from the golem encounter hadn’t yet fully healed. "Pinkie, if this is another party, I'm not surprised."

With a loud crash the door swung shut behind her. Twilight yelped and turned around, eyes straining in the darkness. The inside of the doorway was now covered in locks and bolts, each of which was magically sliding into place as she watched. There would be no getting out through that door in a hurry. Twilight gulped, an edge of fear and panic rising in her throat. "Um. Hah?" A faint glimmer drew her eyes upwards. Mounted above the door was a large video camera, its lights set to record, the wide crystal lens pointed downwards and into the middle of the room.

A light went on. Twilight turned around and was once again stunned into silence. Far from a Pinkie Pie party, the grand display room was completely empty. The displays and racks of clothing had vanished, the stages taken apart and moved to somewhere else in the building. The posters and paintings had been torn down, leaving the walls bare. Even the decorative chandelier had been dismantled, only a single bare bulb remaining to illuminate the room. Without Rarity’s sense of style covering every surface the room felt stilted, lifeless, unnatural. With mounting horror Twilight realized the curtains hadn’t just been drawn on every window, but sewn together and nailed into the frame.

With barely any noise a door at the far end of the room opened. Hesitantly, a pink pony emerged. Twilight started forward and then stopped, gasping. Surrounded by a faint glow of telekinetic energy, a large pair of shears were being held open and pressed against the helpless pony's throat. Pinkie Pie stumbled towards Twilight, unable to look directly at her. Her hair had abandoned its normally fluffy structure and now lay flat and straight against her skull. "I'm sorry, Twilight," the party pony breathed. "She made me..."

"Pinkie?" Twilight gasped a second time as another pony stepped out, the light from her horn matching the glow around the shears. "Rarity?" Twilight's eyes widened in horror. "W-w-what are you doing?"

"Oh, you should already know that, Twilight Sparkle." The purple unicorn was rendered speechless as Rarity strode casually up beside Pinkie Pie and threw her foreleg around her neck in what might otherwise have been a friendly hug. Rarity’s mouth was set into a cheerful smile, one that did not reach her eyes. "Pinkie Pie and I have just been having a little chat, haven't we, Pinkie?" The party pony could barely mewl out a response, terrified of the cold steel touching her throat. "It seems that you and her were the only ones who knew Ray Painter's real name before the night of that dreadful party. The night when you murdered him." Rarity snarled these last words, causing Pinkie Pie to squeak. "Little Pinkie would never do such a thing, of course, would you Pinkie? But you, Twilight, on the other hoof... you are a different story."

"Rarity, w-what are you talking about?" Twilight stammered. She was keenly aware of the camera over the door recording her every word. "Are you saying... are you saying I'm Kira?"

"I know, it sounds absurd, doesn't it? I certainly didn't believe it at first." The unicorn clambered off of the trembling Pinkie Pie and strutted towards Twilight, keeping enough of her attention on her magic to maintain her connection to the scissors under the earth pony's chin. They were well-polished and sharp enough to cut through gems, and were already leaving a pair of hard red lines where they pressed against Pinkie’s skin. "But after my darling Ray died I took it upon myself to look through all the notes he'd made. I studied every file on Kira, checked over every possible suspect, and it all kept coming back to you. You," she pointed angrily, her face momentarily flickering into a mask of fury, "Twilight Sparkle. You murderer."

Twilight trembled. Her every instinct was screaming at her to save her friend, but with the threat of death so close she didn’t dare make a move. "Why are you doing this, Rarity?" she asked in a quivering voice. "We're your friends. Why would you... why are you..." She broke down into coughs, unable to finish her sentence.

"Because you're a murderer, Kira." Rarity forced herself back into a more dignified posture and took a few steps backwards. "And you're going to prove it." She pointed to the captive pony. "You see, the only way you can possibly save your dear Pinkie Pie... is to kill me."

Twilight blanched. In her rush she’d forgotten about the emergency scrap of the Death Note she kept in her cloak, now laying crumpled on the floor behind her. “Rarity...”

“Oh, one more thing, dearest Twilight. There are two things that you require to kill me, are there not? A face and a name. Well, my face you know, but despite what you may believe, my name is something you do not yet possess.” The white unicorn smiled coyly. “You see, I wasn’t always known as Rarity. Once upon a time, my life was very different than it is now. There were no dresses, no parties, and certainly no friends. Instead I studied espionage and the art of disguise, and served directly beneath the one you call L. In those days I was known by another name, my real name, a name I’ve so often wished I could share with you. That name... is Diamond Edge.”

Rarity waited for a reaction, but the other unicorn seemed too shocked to respond. Her expression turned cold. "So, there you go. You now have all that you require. I’m completely at your mercy. So do it. Kill me, strike me dead with whatever dark powers you possess, or Pinkie Pie dies." She tightened the shears by another fraction of an inch, causing Pinkie Pie to let out another squeal. Her face was contorted into a rare mask of fear, only sheer terror keeping her silent. "Do it, Kira. Do it... and let me go back to Ray happily."

Twilight held her breath to stop her knees from shaking. This isn’t good. Rarity... no, Diamond Edge seems to know more than she should. I need to shut her up, now. Under normal circumstances she could probably have knocked Rarity down with a magic pulse and rescued Pinkie Pie before the mare knew what hit her, but with her magic still hurting from the incident with the golem they were probably about equal in power at the moment. She glanced desperately around the room for anything that might help her, but Rarity had thought of this too; the floor had been completely swept clean, leaving not even a stick or a scrap of cloth that could be used as a weapon.

An unfamiliar sense of helplessness washed over Twilight. She’s too good. With Pinkie in that position I’m completely at her mercy. Her thoughts drifted to the cloak behind her, as well as the scrap of paper that lay within. No. That’s not an option right now.

Experimentally Twilight called up the barest glimmer of magic into her horn, hoping to prepare some kind of blast if the situation came to it. Unfortunately the sudden effort caused a spike of pain and made her wince, allowing a single spark to escape from the very tip of her horn. Instantly Rarity tensed up and tightened her mental grip on the shears. Pinkie Pie let out a yelp and started to cry silently. She felt a thin trickle of blood work its way down the right side of her neck. "Don't you move!" Rarity screamed, her composure all but forgotten. "Not a step, not a word, not a single spark of magic out of you or Pinkie Pie dies, right here, right now. Is that understood?!"

Meekly, Twilight nodded. Focus! I have to stay strong. No matter what happens, I have to keep it together or it’s all over!

Far away, on the other side of a stratoscreen, L ground her teeth and crossed her front legs. "Rainbow Dash, Locket," she barked. "Get to Carousel Boutique right now and put a stop to this."

Rainbow Dash, who had been watching the screen in a state of slack-jawed shock, took a moment to register the order. She shook her head rapidly and gave a sharp salute. "On it!" With a burst of rainbow light she rocketed towards the base's door, thankfully having the presence of mind to unlock the trapdoor before heading up.

Locket reacted more quickly, but hesitated before running off. "Um... are you sure, L?" She looked at the screen once more, then at the ground. "It's a good plan..."

"I see no possible way that this situation can end with Diamond Edge still alive," L shot back at rapid-fire speed. "We need to conclude this as quickly as possible."

"I thought her name-"

"Yes, Rarity! Go!"

Locket squeaked and dashed for the door, following Rainbow Dash's lead. Colgate glared and shifted a little closer to the detective. "Keeping me out of this again, huh?" she said bitterly. "What, are you trying to keep me underground forever?"

"Diamond Edge needs friends and allies right now. The appearance of the police would only antagonize her. We cannot risk harming any of the ponies in that room. The only thing that can save them now is the power of friendship." L spoke all this in the space of a few seconds, keeping her eyes focused intently on the white unicorn on the screen before her. "I'm sorry, Colgate, but this is not the time."

Onscreen, Twilight seemed to have recovered enough to find her voice again. "Think about what you're saying, Rarity!" she blurted out, managing not to cry. "It doesn't make any sense! I would never kill another pony, never! I can't be Kira, I just can't!"

“Yes, you always were a little goody-four-hooves, weren’t you?” Rarity said mockingly. As she paced back and forth her face alternated between cold, calculated calmness and animalistic fury. “Little miss perfect, little miss Celestia’s student, little miss can’t-dance-to-save-her-skin. A lovely little cover. But you can’t hide yourself from me, Kira. Learning that you knew my beloved Ray’s name was just the icing on the cake. I know about your disappearances, your studying that is not studying. I know all about Sharp Star.”

Involuntarily, Twilight’s eyes widened. Oh no. This is bad, bad, bad... I have to make her stop, right now! Pinkie Pie whimpered, drawing Twilight’s eyes to her. But I can’t... “It’s going to be okay, Pinkie!” she called across the room. “Everything’s going to be fine, I promise.” The party pony tried to put on a brave face, but didn’t dare nod. Twilight looked back to Rarity. “Please, Rarity, let her go. We can talk about this later, but please, just let her go!”

Seeing that she had finally garnered a reaction, Rarity smiled a little wider. “I went through all the records I could find,” she continued, ignoring Twilight’s request, “and the very first pony to die of a heart attack was Sharp Star. It seems he killed one of your old classmates... Moondancer, wasn’t it?”

In the distance a faint roaring could be heard, like a massive rush of air. Pinkie Pie’s ear twitched but the two unicorns ignored it. Twilight opened her mouth to respond to the accusation, only for Rarity to cut her off. “I asked darling Spike about the date, and do you know what he told me? The night before you vanished for a week, the very night Sharp Star was murdered, you took a secret trip to Canterlot.” Twilight winced, causing the white unicorn to leer triumphantly. “Admit it, Sparkle! You killed Sharp Star!”

The remaining ponies surrounding the stratoscreen gasped. “Spike, is this true?” Colgate asked.

The little dragon couldn’t immediately answer. He’d been shocked into a near-catatonic state, watching the love of his life threaten both his adoptive sister and favorite party pony simultaneously. Gradually, he forced himself to nod. “She asked me the last time I left the library, on my way back here,” he stammered. “I-I just told her the date... I didn’t think it was important!”

L nodded, looking almost sympathetic. She looked back to the screen, counting under her breath. “Rainbow Dash should have been there by now,” she muttered. “Unless she’s building up speed for something...”

Twilight gulped, fighting to control her breathing. Between Rarity’s accusations and Pinkie Pie’s pain she was very close to breaking down. I can’t hold out much longer. “I’m sorry,” she breathed, head precariously held high. The sound of rushing air was rapidly growing louder. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Moondancer. That was wrong of me. But I promise, Rarity, I really promise, I didn’t go to Canterlot to kill Sharp Star. I really didn’t!”

Rarity said something in response to this, but her words were drowned out as the roaring from outside grew to deafening levels. Her wings whirring like jet engines, a cyan pegasus sent rainbow-coloured streaks flying through the air as she continued her downward spiral around the building. She put on a final burst of speed and angled herself towards the entrance, screaming out a name that was lost on the wind. “Piiiiiinkiiiiiiiie Piiiiiiiiiiiiiie!”

With a deafening thunderclap that echoed around the room, Rainbow Dash collided with the boutique’s door. The whole building shook at the impact, causing dust to drift down from the ceiling. But the bolts held, and the door stayed firmly shut. From outside there came a faint but audible, “Ow.”

Rarity was the first to recover. “You’ve delayed long enough!” she screeched, tightening her grip on the shears once again. “Choose, Sparkle! Kill me now or watch your friend die!”

From behind the door there came a soft flutter as Rainbow Dash pulled herself up and took to the air again. Twilight listened to her leave, panic rising. Oh no. What do I do now? What do I do? She flinched as the massive blades jumped upwards, causing Pinkie Pie to let out another squeal. A red wetness now made its way down both sides of her neck.

“Please, Rarity, you don’t have to do this,” Twilight begged. “It’s not too late. We can still walk away from this. We’re your friends, remember?”

“I’m not your friend, Kira,” Rarity spat. The words struck Twilight like a hoof to the face and she staggered backwards. Her rear hoof brushed against her cloak. “Now stop stalling and do it!” the white unicorn continued, snarling and stomping in fury. “You call yourself a defender of justice? Are you going to let this innocent filly die?”

Twilight flinched a second time. While her emotional self trembled at the blow, something at the back of her mind remained cold and detached. Funny, it remarked, I think the second part actually hurt more.

Behind Rarity, Pinkie Pie’s nose twitched. Her left ear fluttered, then her right, then both of her front knees shook involuntarily. Only Twilight noticed as the filly’s eyes darted back and forth and she began to mouth words. It took the unicorn a few seconds to realize she was counting down. Four... Three... Two...

Twilight turned and dived for her cloak.

With a loud crash Rainbow Dash burst through the window beside the door, showering glass onto the floor. Twilight raised her cloak over her head just in time to shield herself from the raining shards. As the pegasus passed through a large section of the thick curtain tore off the frame and wrapped around her, sending her tumbling to the ground in a disorganized heap. Rarity shrieked. The light from her horn went out, her concentration finally broken, and the fabric shears fell from around Pinkie Pie’s neck.

As often as she tried to forget them, the events of the next few seconds would be burned into Twilight’s memory for a long time to come.

Free from her restraint, Pinkie Pie bounded away from Rarity and towards Twilight. The white unicorn lifted a hoof to trip her, but the nimble pony simply hopped over it. Rainbow Dash struggled and swore in the middle of the room, trying to disentangle herself from the curtain. In a blind panic Rarity grabbed for her shears, opened them wide and telekinetically launched them towards the escaping earth pony. With the nimbleness and precision that came from years of stitching fabrics together, the blades lanced across Pinkie Pie’s throat- and snapped shut.

“Pinkie Pie!” Twilight screamed, though she couldn’t seem to hear her own voice. She ran forward as Pinkie fell, feeling like she was moving through water. Her cloak fluttered to the floor behind her. Her hooves quickly became sticky with the blood rapidly pooling on the floor. A calm voice in the back of her mind coolly noted that there wasn’t nearly as much as she would have expected. She knelt down and cradled her friend’s head in her front hooves, wincing in horror at the size of the gash across her neck. “Pinkie Pie!” she repeated - she couldn’t seem to do anything else - and wrapped the mortally wounded pony in a tight embrace.

“Twi... light.”

The pink pony’s breath was hot against her cheek. Twilight pulled away slightly and stared in amazement. Despite the gaping hole in her throat, Pinkie Pie was somehow forcing air up to her mouth - one last implausible feat for a seemingly impossible pony. Before Twilight’s eyes her hair changed shape, rising seemingly of it own accord before settling into its natural shape; bouncy, bubbly, untameable, just like the rest of her. “Hah.” Pinkie Pie coughed throatily and forced out a toothy grin. “Hah.” With much effort she threw a hoof over Twilight’s shoulder and snuggled close to her, closing her eyes. “Hah.”

Then, with a smile on her face and her best friends all around her, Pinkie Pie finally lay still.

Twilight didn’t really register what had happened at first. She stared blankly, tracing her friend’s face with her hoof. She looks so peaceful. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rainbow Dash emerge from the curtain surrounding her. Her own face was bloody, covered in tiny nicks and scratches from the shattered window pane. She surveyed the scene calmly before turning to Rarity, who was frozen in place with her mouth open in horror. “What have you done?” Dash hissed, putting into the words every ounce of hate and malice Twilight wished she could feel right now.

Rarity finally seemed to come to her senses, stammering and starting to back away. “I... I only...”

“WHAT,” Dash repeated, “have you DONE?” She snorted furiously and stomped at the ground. Raw anger seemed to envelop her, threatening to set the very air around her on fire. “Why did you do that? Huh? WHY?”

The white unicorn began to hyperventilate. “I didn’t mean to! I just...” Her eyes darted to the bloodied shears, now lying on the ground in a sticky red puddle. Quick as a flash her magic enveloped them and they flew to the side of her head, pressing the point against her temple. “I’m sorry!”

Dash’s eyes widened. “Wait. Don’t!”

There was a crack, then a thud.

Footsteps sounded from outside. As the magic on the locks faded Locket kicked open the boutique’s door, gasping for breath. “I’m here!” she panted, staggering inside. “I’m...” She looked around and nearly fainted dead away. “Oh.”

As the sun set, Luna faced east. From her position at the top of the Lunar Tower she felt the energies of the sky change as the glowing sphere slipped below the horizon behind her. With a practiced ease, she nudged her own celestial orb into the sky to take its place. She sighed. This was one of the two times in the day she and her sister were awake at the same time any more. She had tried to break her own schedule to see her sister during the day, but each time she’d been turned away. Celestia simply had no time for her any more. The last time they’d spoken had been when the older sister had burst into Luna’s bedchamber, and that hardly counted as a conversation. The lunar princess grimly lifted her head and finished raising the moon, setting it gently onto the path it would follow for the next twelve hours until it grazed the mountains to the west.

“Luna.”

The dark princess gasped. She turned, scarcely daring to believe her ears. As she did she was surprised by a pair of pearly white legs as her older sister wrapped her in a powerful embrace. “Celestia?” Luna struggled to return the hug. If anypony had been watching they might have called it an awkward sight; instead of caressing the smaller princess with her wings, as was tradition, the solar princess had opted to wrap her forelegs tightly around her sister’s torso. The pairs’ solid, long-legged Alicorn bodies were not built for such an action, but at the same time it provided a sense of closeness that both were rarely able to enjoy. “What brought this on?”

“I love you, little sister.” There was a great sorrow in Celestia’s voice. She burrowed her face into her sister’s starry mane with something approaching desperation. “I love you so much.”

“What?” Something is wrong, very wrong. Luna regretfully pushed her older sister off of her and looked her in the eye. Celestia’s expression was dark and unreadable. “Sister, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”

The pair stayed that way for several long moments before Celestia shook her head. “I’m sorry, little sister,” she murmured. “I can’t lose you again.”

Guessing at the meaning of those words, outrage flooded Luna. “How dare you!” she gasped. “Do you really thing that I would become that creature again because of this?”

Celestia shook her head. “No, Luna, I don’t think that. But I spent a thousand years without you. Every night I had to watch you staring down at me, knowing that I loved you and you despised me, and I don’t want either of us to have to go through that again.”

Luna glared. They’d agreed long ago never to discuss her banishment again. “Is that what you think of me?” she said spitefully. “Somepony who despises you? Sister, this is absurd. We have no reason to quarrel.”

“I know. And I’d like to keep it that way. That’s why, for now, we must go our separate ways.” A page fluttered out from behind Celestia’s wing and made its way over to Luna. “Read it,” the solar princess said flatly. “I’ve already sent my response. He will want to hear from you as well.” For a second her breathing quickened before it was brought under control. “Sister... I’m sorry. But there are things I have to do on my own now. I can’t trust your little detective any longer.”

The lunar princess stared, baffled, as her sister turned and walked away from her. “Sister, where are you going?” Infuriatingly, Celestia didn’t even look back. “What are you doing? What are you hiding from me?” Luna stomped angrily, sending a crackle of thunder across the sky, and slipped into her raised voice. “ANSWER ME!”

The solar princess finally paused at the edge of the tower. “I love you, Luna,” she repeated. “Whatever happens, wherever we go from here, I want you to remember that.” She spread her angelic wings and leaped off the tower, disappearing in a flash of light.

Luna stared at the space where her sister had been, lips curling in frustration. She raised the letter to her eyes and began to read.

Several hours had passed since the incident at the boutique. Less than ten minutes after Locket’s panicked entrance, Colgate and several medical ponies had arrived. Rainbow Dash had been rushed away to be treated for her injuries and the two bodies had been quickly covered up. It had taken three ponies to prise Twilight away from Pinkie Pie and clean her up. They’d dragged her back to the library and, after coaxing her into removing the lock on her door, had put her into bed to rest. She remained that way, unmoving, long after the sun had set.

Byuk hovered uncertainly over the bed, watching over the unicorn below. She’d assumed a position common of young foals, scrunched up in a ball with her head between her legs and her face hidden beneath her tail. Tired of waiting, he spoke up. “Hey.”

Twilight didn’t respond.

“I know you said to wait, but, uh... I peeked.” Still nothing. “Must be hard, huh?” Byuk fluttered uncertainly. He settled himself at the end of the bed and reached out a hoof, not quite touching the unicorn’s mane. “I lost a friend once too, you know,” he said. “Even gods can die, sometimes. I know you think I don’t appreciate death, but I do understand how you feel right now.” Still no response. Byuk slowly withdrew his hoof, feeling foolish. “Maybe we’re not as different as you think,” he tried. “It’s different when you can’t see it coming, isn’t it?”

Twilight finally stirred. “It’s my fault,” she moaned, her voice hoarse from hours of crying.

“Hey, don’t say that,” Byuk soothed. He tried to copy what the police pony had done downstairs and stroked her neck comfortingly. “You couldn’t have known your friend would do something crazy like that. It could have happened to anypony.” He paused, realizing what he’d just said. “Okay, maybe not anypony. But some ponies. Ponies who have crazy spy friends.”

“No.” A hint of irritation creeping into her voice, Twilight raised her head and pushed the god’s hoof away. Despite her bawling earlier her eyes were now dry. “I killed Rarity... with the Death Note.” Before the startled shinigami’s eyes Twilight sat up, still clutching her tail to her chest. “You see, when Storm Seeker gave me a folder showing the names and faces of ‘all the EBI agents stationed in Ponyville’, it also included a file on Diamond Edge.”

Diamond Edge, Suicide.
In response to her lover’s death, she lures the prime suspect to the Carousel Boutique in Ponyville with the intent of exposing them. To do this, at 9:00 this Friday she takes a hostage and forces them to write a letter to the suspect asking to meet at the boutique. At the same time, she contacts the police force in Ponyville and asks them to observe her actions. At 12:50 she confronts the suspect while physically threatening the hostage. A distraction lets the hostage try to get away, but she stops them. Facing her actions, she approaches madness and immediately commits suicide.

“I knew right away that she would have to disappear sooner or later,” Twilight continued, some of her old confidence returning to her voice. “Anypony who used to work for L is too dangerous to let live, especially one so close to me. I was going to have her killed as soon as I found out, but I waited because... well...” She paused momentarily. “Because she was my friend. But after awhile, I worked out that I could get rid of her and turn her death to my advantage.”

She gently stroked the fibres of her tail, her voice taking on a slightly mocking tone. “Two of my best friends are dead now, indirectly because of Kira. I’ve never been so angry in all my life. I need to avenge them, and protect my remaining friends. There’s no way Princess Celestia would stop me from joining L’s team now.”

Byuk was silent for a minute. “That’s cold, Twilight,” he eventually said. “Brilliant, but cold.”

“I know.” The brushing intensified. “In the end, my one mistake was underestimating her. I didn’t anticipate that she would know so much about the case, so I gave her far too much time to talk. When she dropped Sharp Star’s name on me it nearly gave the game away. If Rainbow Dash hadn’t come in when she did, she might have succeeded in unmasking me after all.”

“Hey, wait a minute.” Byuk frowned. “I thought we agreed that you can only take one life per name written down. But Rarity killed Pinkie Pie as well as herself. So your plan shouldn’t have worked, since you caused another pony to die that you didn’t intend.”

The brushing stopped. “Oh, Byuk,” Twilight sighed. “You should really know me better than that by now. I plan for everything.”

Pinkamena Diane Pie, Murdered.
At 9:00 this Friday, is involved in a kidnapping and forced to write a letter to her friend, asking to meet at the Carousel Boutique in Ponyville. At 12:55 a distraction allows her to attempt to escape from her captor, but she has her throat slit by a pair of fabric shears. Dies of blood loss soon after.

“Y-you see?” Twilight said quietly, her voice starting to tremble. “It’s j-just like with Flat Iron. I never specified that the deaths had to be related; these could have been two completely different kidnappings happening at the same time. But because of the way it’s set up, it made the most sense for it to happen this way, so that’s the way the Death Note made it happen.” She looked up at the shinigami, almost pleadingly. “You see? It’s clever, right?”

Byuk sighed, a raw, dusty sound. “You’re worse than a god of death, Twilight Sparkle,” he said. There was no anger in his voice, nor sadness, but the usual childlike sense of excitement was gone. “Pinkie Pie truly loved you as her friend. So did Rarity, towards the end. Didn’t you feel anything for them at all?” Twilight didn’t answer. “No living thing that claims to have a heart, not even a god of death, would ever hurt their own friends.” He began to drift away.

“Byuk, I want to die.”

The god stopped. He turned back around to face her. “What?”

“Byuk, I loved them.” Twilight sniffed, her facade of self-confidence breaking down in seconds. She tried to choke out a sob, but no tears would come. “My friends... my friends are all that I want to protect in this world. They’re loyal, honest and kind, and full of laughter and generosity. They mean everything to me. Without them, life doesn’t seem worth living any more. Don’t you get it, Byuk?” She stared mournfully into the shinigami’s eyes. “It hurts, it hurts so bad. Knowing that they’re gone, and that it’s my fault, it’s tearing me apart inside. All I want is to confess everything and die, die so I won’t have to feel this way any more.”

The god actually trembled. “Then... why? In Death’s name, why did you do it?”

“Because in the end, what I want and what I feel don’t matter.” Twilight gave a final, hacking cough and wiped the teary crust from her eyes. She slowly rolled off the bed and got shakily to her hooves. “It’s like... it’s like what I realized after you talked to me about Sunny Days. Sometimes, a pony has to do bad things in order to do the right thing. Equestria is depending on me. Creating a new world, one where justice prevails and the wicked are punished, that’s more important than feeling good right now.

“When I became Kira, I gave up the right to be a good pony. I’m a terrible creature, Byuk. I’ve done terrible things. I don’t deserve friendship, or love, or happiness. But if the end result of all these horrible crimes is that the world becomes free of crime, that no pony should ever suffer Moondancer’s fate ever again... then I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever it takes, even if it destroys me. Equestria needs me to do it.”

After some thought, Byuk drifted a little closer. He placed a clawed hoof on the purple pony’s shoulder, and this time she did not move away. “You keep talking about what Equestria needs,” he said gently. “But are you sure that this is what Equestria wants?”

Slowly, painfully, Twilight broke into a small smile. She chuckled. “You’re a good friend, Byuk,” she said, nuzzling the god’s foreleg. His matted fur smelled like ash. “But you’re no pony.”

A light knocking sounded at the door. Twilight gave a final smile to her shinigami companion before trotting over and opening the door. Colgate peered inside, wearing an obviously forced smile. “Hi, Twilight,” she whispered. “I heard you talking to yourself. Is everything okay?”

Twilight blushed. She gave the blue pony a nervous look, but couldn’t see anything but concern on her friend’s face. “I’m fine, Colgate,” she whispered back. “I just needed some time. I’m okay now.”

“Good. That’s good.” Colgate smiled again, more convincingly this time. “There’s somepony downstairs who wants to see you. If you’re up to it, I mean.”

Twilight groaned inwardly. Celestia. I should have known. “All right.” She left her room and the pair began to descend downstairs. Now, what would be the best thing for her to overhear me saying right now? “Colgate, I want to join the team,” Twilight said loudly.

Colgate winced. “Twilight, the Princess specifically said you couldn’t.”

“I don’t care what the Princess thinks!” That should shock her. “Two of my friends are dead because of Kira. You can’t expect me to just sit by and watch any longer!”

A new voice spoke up, one that didn’t belong to Celestia. “Yes, I quite agree.”

Twilight froze. They were now low enough to see the whole of the first floor of the library, and her mentor’s characteristic glow was notably absent from it. Instead, this new voice came from a young green unicorn in a chair by the door - not leaning forward like a normal pony, but sitting on her back like a bipedal creature with all four of her legs dangling. “Miss Sparkle,” the visitor continued with a warm smile. “It’s lovely to see you again.”

Colgate rushed to the green pony’s side while Twilight stood still, frozen in surprise. “L,” she stammered out.

L beamed in delight. “Such a clever pony! I always knew you were.” She swung her front legs in a wide arc and rolled off the chair, landing on all four hooves. “I have already been in contact with both of our fair princesses about the events of this afternoon. They agree that you are too closely involved to be left out and that your intellect should be put to good use.” L raised a hoof. “So, miss Twilight Sparkle, I would like to personally invite you to join our little band of thinkers and schemers.”

Twilight could barely contain her excitement as she rushed down the stairs and shook the proffered hoof. I’ve done it. By Celestia and all the great powers, I’ve done it! “It would be an honour, L,” she said sincerely, staring into the mint pony’s eyes. Oddly, she could read nothing in them but cold professionalism. I have you exactly where I want you, L. You’re mine! “I promise, I will do everything... I...” She trailed off as her gaze drifted upwards. “Your... your horn!”

“Hm? Oh, that.” L chuckled. The pair released each others’ hooves and stepped back. “What you saw earlier was a clever party trick, nothing more. I assure you, this horn is genuine.” She tapped the protruding structure proudly. “You should get as much rest as you can tonight. I’d like to move you into the base as early as possible tomorrow morning. Spike will show you the way; he should be arriving shortly. I thought his presence might be comforting to you.”

Twilight could only smile and nod. Colgate leaned forwards. “Now apologise,” she hissed into L’s ear.

L smirked back at her. “My dear Colgate, this is hardly the time,” she whispered back. “Let her enjoy this moment.”

As the three unicorns made their plans below, a dark mass watched from the ceiling with eager eyes. Byuk whistled, impressed. “It really worked,” he said aloud in awe. “She really fooled L. Which means...” He twirled around and clapped his clawed hooves together excitedly. “They’re going to work together! Mortal enemies, working side by side!” A smile neatly split his face in two. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun!”

Dear Princess Luna,

I feel that I finally understand the method behind L’s madness. I do not believe that she has the capacity for love and kindness; I don’t believe that she feels for her fellow ponies at all. To her we are just pieces in the game of life, objects to be used, not cherished. Under any other circumstances I would label her a deeply ill individual and pass her off to the closest available professional.

However, after observing her over the past few days, I think I see why she is suited to this line of work. She is driven by nothing more than her desire to win, no matter what the cost. Nothing personal or emotional motivates her, and that’s what gives her her strength. In this game we are surrounded by death and suffering, the likes of which would cause even the strongest of ponies to hesitate or give up hope. L has no such fears. Nothing can shock or traumatize her, which allows her to carry on without pause where others could not. That is a great power to have, invaluable in the face of Kira.

I have decided to continue in this investigation by L’s side. No matter what terrors lie ahead, no matter what she deems necessary, I will persevere. Today I have seen that none of us are free from the horrors that Kira has brought, and no matter what, one way or another, this madness has to stop.

Your loyal servant,

Colgate

Aftershocks - Interlude #1

13
(Interlude #1)
*Aftershocks*

Rainbow Dash was bored.

Doctor’s orders, as well as several long strips of cloth, were keeping her confined to her bed at the clinic. She was very lucky, Nurse Redheart had told her. Thanks to the position of her hooves as she crashed (flew, Rainbow corrected) through the window, most of the glass had been deflected around her. Still, her time spent thrashing about inside what was, essentially, a bag full of glass shards had left numerous long cuts all over her face and body. While most of these would heal within a few days, very few requiring stitches, the real problem was her wings; it was possible that tiny, razor-sharp fragments had gotten somewhere between her feathers, ready to shift and slice through the fragile stalks at the slightest movement. Nurse Redheart thought that she had found all of them, but just to be on the safe side she was going to groom Rainbow Dash one more time in the morning.

To this end, the protesting pegasus had had her wings bound shut with cloth and then been tucked firmly into bed, so that she wouldn't move and possibly dislodge any remaining shards of glass in her sleep. It was just for one night, but every second of it was torture. The clinic was suffocatingly sterile. Dash felt her wings straining against their bonds as she lay on her stomach, wanting desperately to get out of this stuffy building and fly.

She really needed to fly.

Rainbow Dash was the fastest thing alive. She knew this for a fact. Out there, in the open sky, she could go wherever she pleased, escape from anything that held her down. Pain, fear, regret, heartbreak... in the air, it was so much easier to forget them. So long as she kept moving, everything would be fine. But in here... Dash groaned, straining pointlessly against the fabric. In here, there was no escape. She was trapped, literally and figuratively, her mind forcing her to watch that same scene played out time and time again...

Both the nurse and Colgate had told her there was nothing she could have done. Between them they’d told her six times, in fact. That didn't take the edge off the memory, though. I get it! Dash screamed silently, pressing her hooves against her temples in frustration. I know it’s not my fault. I know I did everything I could. So why do I still feel like I let my friends down?

There was something on the nightstand beside the bed. Nurse Redheart had said that a "strange, cloaked pony" had brought it for her shortly after she'd arrived in the clinic. At first she'd discarded it as a stupid toy. Now, unable to rest and tormented by memory, she dragged the little device towards her. It was an abacus, the kind Jazz would probably call an "abacus mark one;" a simple child's toy, with ten straight bars and rows of large, brightly-coloured beads. A note slipped out from between the bars, written neatly in mouthwriting she didn’t recognize. It gave a simple rundown of how the device worked, as well as a few basic equations to practice with.

Rainbow pushed the tiny balls back and forth with a hoof. "Okay," she muttered. “Simple. Different rows make different numbers. Just like flying. Simple formula, repeated lots of times in different ways." She turned the device on its side, sending all the beads clacking down into the default position. Settling herself down for the long hours ahead, she started to calculate.

It is not easy to be Derpy.

Today was a sad day. Miss Rarity and Cupcakes Pony both went to a better place, and everypony was being sad and crying all afternoon. But then Miss Harpy said to everypony to go home for the night, and so Derpy is happy because Derpy gets to see Little Muffin and Best Friend again. There can be no being sad with Little Muffin, and Best Friend will make the treats that make everything better and everypony can be happy. That is why Derpy is happy as she skips home.

Lights are on when Derpy gets to Best Friend’s house, and Derpy knows that means that Little Muffin is not in bed yet. Derpy walks in without bumping her head on the door and yells hello. Best Friend’s living room is messy, which is strange because Best Friend is a very tidy pony. The tiny unicorn runs over. "Mommy!" Little Muffin runs jumps and big hug. "You came back!"

Smile for Little Muffin. Good smile for little one. "I got a holiday," Derpy says proudly. "One night home with you."

Carrot Top comes from the kitchen. Carrot Top is good pony for looking after Little Muffin. Carrot Top is Best Friend. "Well, look who finally decided to show up," she says. She sounds mad, but not angry. Best Friend never stays angry with Derpy. "This wasn't our deal, you know. I agreed to watch her for a couple of days, not forever. If Sparkler didn’t keep stopping by to help out we’d be in some real hot water right now."

Derpy puts Little Muffin down and gives Carrot Top a big hug. “You’re my best friend,” Derpy says happy.

Best Friend looks angry, but then Best Friend stops looking angry and looks sad. “Yeah,” says she. “Yeah, I am.” Then she stops looking sad and smiles and everything is okay again.

"Mommy, look!" Little Muffin runs back with paper. "I got another letter from Daddy!"

Derpy gasps. “That’s wonderful, Muffin!” Looks at Best Friend. Best Friend smiles again, but it is not a happy smile. “What does it say?”

“Daddy found a new tribe of zebras in Brayzil,” Little Muffin says proudly. “There was a mean old grumpy warthog who was bullying them and making them sad but Daddy chased it away and made everything better because Daddy is the best adventurer in all of Equestria and Zebrica and Neighpon and Prance and everywhere else!” she says in one big breath.

“That’s amazing!” Derpy claps. Little Muffin smiles and claps too. Derpy is so happy to see her happy. “Will you read it to me?”

“Yay!” Little Muffin cheers and Little Muffin and Derpy sit down on the floor together to read the letter from Daddy. Derpy puts a wing around Little Muffin to hold her and keep her warm while she reads. Best Friend smiles again and leaves the room to make treats and snacks and drinks for everypony. Little Muffin scrunches up her face real tight and looks hard at the first line. “Dear,” she starts. “Dinky...”

Little Muffin is a good reader. Little Muffin can read almost as good as Derpy now. But Little Muffin is still very little, so she does not see the mouthwriting is Best Friend’s. Some day she will notice, and Derpy will have to explain that Big Muffin is not making adventures in Zebrica. Instead he is locked up in a bad place in Stalliongrad, where the police are mean to ponies like Derpy and Big Muffins are not allowed to see their little fillies. The rules are a lot worser there, so Big Muffin will be locked up for a very long time. But some day Big Muffin will be free, and then he will come home and there will be no need for the letters and the lies and the old travel books and they will all be happy and together again.

Derpy knows she is not a clever pony. A lot of ponies have told Derpy that she is not a clever pony. But Derpy knows that Kira is making death with bad ponies, and the police think Big Muffin is a bad pony. Derpy does not have to be a clever pony to know that Big Muffin is not safe right now. So Derpy can not rest until the bad pony who makes death with bad ponies is locked up and Big Muffin can come home and be with Little Muffin and make everything better again.

“Mommy, you’re squeezing me.” Little Muffin wriggles and Derpy sees she has wrapped her wing around her very tight. She lets go and Little Muffin looks up, but something is not the same. “Mommy?” Little Muffin asks. “Are you okay?”

Put on a brave face for Little Muffin. Put on a smile for Little Muffin. “Everything is okay,” Derpy says, and kisses Little Muffin on the top of her head. “Everything is wonderful.”

Spike tossed and turned fitfully in his basket.

This was his spare bed, pulled up from the basement, and he was starting to outgrow it; his toes stuck over the lip at the end, and he could practically feel the wooden weave through the thin mattress. Frustrated, the little dragon rolled onto his side once again and stared into the darkness around him. Unfamiliar emotions rolled around inside him. Half-formed thoughts bounced around his head, some screaming, some whispering, none of them saying anything concrete. There was only one thing he found himself able to hold on to. Rarity is a murderer.

It still didn’t seem real. Even after the tears had finally stopped, even after the long walk home, even after Twilight had put him in bed and sung him a lullaby, some part of him was still convinced that this was all some kind of terrible nightmare. He rolled over again and groaned. I have to sleep, he commanded himself. I need to sleep if I want to help tomorrow.

But Rarity is a murderer.

In the end, it was no good. Something throbbed in his chest like a second heart, sending alien pulses of frustration through him. Spike pulled himself from the basket and stretched, feeling a faint ache echoing across his limbs. He tiptoed over to the open window and stared out at the night sky. Clouds passed slowly over Luna’s perpetually full moon, casting long shadows over Equestria below. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, trying to think of something else, anything else, to distract him. For some reason, he settled on his childhood.

On the whole, Spike knew very little about dragons.

He knew that growing up around ponies had changed him. If he’d been born in the mountains or the far oceans, by this age he would be expected to leave the nest and set out on his own. Dragons were supposed to be proud and independent. In the wild he would be searching for his own cave and his own hoard, not worrying about the problems of others. But ponies had changed that. Making friends, being mothered by Twilight, having a real family; the feeling of being with others had overpowered his dragonic instincts. It was stunting him, holding back his natural growth spurts, delaying the rise to maturity. Somehow, the magic of friendship was keeping him artificially young.

Maybe that’s not a bad thing, he reflected. Most dragons didn’t have a proper childhood, at least as ponies understood it. Life was expected to be short and brutal for most hatchlings, and those who were unable to adapt to the harshness of the world seldom lived long. How many grown dragons got to play with toys as a kid? Or talk to other kids their age, or eat fresh-cooked hay fries, or to work with the most beautiful unicorn who ever...

Spike’s face darkened and he turned away from the window. I guess every childhood has to end eventually.

Spike’s box sat in its usual position behind his basket. He pulled it towards himself. L had confiscated most of the letters within, but everything else remained untouched. He’d insisted on bringing it home for the night, even leaving behind his basket for the sake of getting it to the library faster. He lifted the lid and stared contemptuously at the contents.

Magazines. Newspaper clippings. Pictures of Rarity. This was everything the fashionista had ever been in, from full features to casual mentions, or at least as many as his obsessive mind had been able to find. With trembling features he reached down and lifted up the edition at the top of the pile, holding it out the window to allow moonlight to illuminate it. This one was an old edition of Pose! magazine from last year with an image of Rarity featured on the cover. This had always been one of Spike’s favorites, not because of the stunning gown she was showing off but because of her smile: as well as her outfit, the unicorn was wearing a look of pure joy. She beamed up at him from the page, perfectly content, perfectly in her element, perfect in every way. He remembered how happy he’d been for her.

He liked her. No, more than that. He loved her. But it wasn’t love that he was feeling right now. It wasn’t pain that was gripping him, it wasn’t heartbreak that was tearing him up, it wasn’t loss that flooding his every thought. It was anger.

She killed Pinkie Pie.

He breathed in.

A jet of fire lanced out into the night. Not Spike’s gentle magical flame, but real fire, a searing heat that burned almost white as it leaped forth. In an instant the magazine ignited and crumbled into dust, blowing away into the night air. Spike breathed heavily for a few seconds, then closed his mouth and let his arms fall to his sides. Instantly fear and regret returned, along with a feeling of wrongness, the same guilt he felt when Twilight caught him lying or stealing gems from the kitchen. But above all that, overpowering everything else, was a cold, primal satisfaction. Spike balled up his hands into fists and grinned. That felt... good. He reached down and picked up another magazine, not even bothering to look at the cover. There was no time to think, no time to feel. This time, when he opened his mouth, he compulsively let out a roar.

One by one, the pages from the box burned away. As more and more of Rarity vanished from his life the flames grew hotter and brighter, each burst blazing longer than the last. After the very last clipping was gone the box burned too. Then went his comic books, the posters from his wall, the childish adventure stories he’d written about himself. He nearly burned one of Twilight’s textbooks before collapsing onto the floor, completely spent.

Locket had long since given up on sleeping.

She spent an hour rolling fitfully back and forth on her side of the bare mattress before giving up and rising to pace back and forth around her small apartment. She passed the time by counting the number of steps it took to cross from one side of her room to the other. The answer never changed, but for a few moments on each pass it let her take her mind off the question that had been haunting her all evening.

Am I a bad pony?

Locket leaned against the wall and sighed. Of course not, she tried to console herself. I know that what’s happening in Ponyville is wrong. I know that what Kira is doing is wrong. I’m doing everything I can to make things better. Doesn’t that make me a good pony? If anything, shouldn’t just trying make me a good pony?

And yet...

Unbidden, her mind jumped back to the scene at the boutique. Two Elements of Harmony lay dead, and two more looked like they wanted to die. Twilight was sobbing, and Rainbow Dash wasn’t much better. There was blood everywhere. The rational part of her brain knew that such a scene would leave her deeply shaken, but after the initial shock was over a cold stillness had descended and she’d simply stood, unmoving, unable to react. Even hours later, the eerie calmness remained. Why can’t I feel anything? Locket thought angrily. Wouldn’t a good pony feel bad right know? Or sad, or scared, or something? Wouldn’t a good pony care? She groaned in frustration and resumed her weary pacing.

Aside from the bed, the apartment was almost completely bare. Most of the furniture had belonged to Green Grapes, and when he’d moved away she’d insisted he take all of it with him. Appleloosa is a new town, she’d reminded him. You don’t know how long it will be before you can get more. That had been over two years ago, and she still hadn’t managed to replace any of it. The monthly payments she received from L gave her barely enough for rent and food. Of course, that money was only meant to be a gift for services rendered, on the understanding that Locket would support herself between jobs for the detective. The blue pony hadn’t had a real job in a long time.

Almost without noticing, Locket made her way over to the corner where she kept the one other thing that Green Grapes had left behind. It was a small steamer trunk, a gift from her late grandfather and one of the few things she’d ever been able to hold on to. She gently stroked the wooden surface before opening it. On top of the pile inside were letters, both to and from Green Grapes: stories of his adventures in the wild west, details of apple farming, the occasional terrible love poem. The rest were from her, neatly organized and catalogued but never sent; postage to Appleloosa was expensive. Over time fewer and fewer letters had arrived each week, then each month, until she’d been reduced to one-page missives on annual holidays.

Digging deeper into the trunk, Locket felt a tug on her heartstrings as she pulled out a picture of Green Grapes. It wasn’t actually him, but his brother, Sir Colton Vines, who she occasionally stumbled across in the market. Tired of the slight ache inside every time she saw him, Locket had snapped his picture with a friend’s camera and run away. There were only slight differences between the two ponies, ones she knew well enough to ignore when she wanted to pretend.

“Oh, Greenie,” the mare sighed, clutching the smudged photograph to her chest. As usual, she thought back to the last time they’d seen each other, at the annual Hearth’s Warming Eve pageant in Canterlot. They hadn’t spoken much. He never asked how she was doing, and she never brought it up. As soon as they’d been alone he’d dragged her down to the floor, his roughness making up for months of missed contact. She’d called him Greenie; he’d called her Shoeshine. And then...

A slightly glazed look fell over Locket’s face. Only partly aware of what she was doing, she leaned forward again and reached across the row of objects at the very back of the trunk. A long row of books filled the base, each with a cheap cover and a well-creased spine. Something like hunger lit up her eyes as she looked from one title to the next. Six Nights in Manehattan? Too slow. The Prince and Plum Petal? Too dry. Locket’s lips moved wordlessly as she searched, her breath quickening. The Secret Foal? Not right now. Griffon the Brush Off? I don’t think so. Her hoof stopped over one book in particular. She drew it out slowly, subconsciously noting its worn-down cover and dog-eared pages. The Strapping Adventures of Lord Cloppington.

Locket stared at the book for a few seconds. The name conjured images that snapped her out of her fantasy, Green Grapes’ loving embrace replaced once again by Twilight Sparkle sobbing in the boutique. A sudden sense of guilt and disgust washed over Locket and she hurled the book across the room, moaning in aggravation. The picture of Sir Colton Vines fluttered unnoticed to the ground. She sank to the floor, finally finding herself fighting back tears. “I’m a bad pony,” she whispered aloud. “I’m a bad pony.”

A few minutes later, Locket crawled over to the discarded book and picked it up, carefully pressing out the crease where it had landed on its open pages. She retreated back towards the bed and lay down. Half an hour later, she finally drifted off into fitful dreams.

Colgate was still, but her mind was far from restful.

The blue unicorn sat stiffly behind her desk at the police station. A thick binder of official documents lay open in front of her; even during times of crisis, somepony still had to balance the books and do the paperwork. She read over this month’s finance report for the third time, a pencil hanging loosely from her lips. She’d tried to write in her usual way with magic and a quill, but each time she’d tried she’d found herself distracted and ended up dropping the implement onto the desk.

Thanks to her frequent trips between Ponyville and Canterlot, the police pony was used to keeping odd hours. While she had a home of her own in Ponyville, she rarely visited it except for storage. Her office had all the facilities she needed to live comfortably, either inside or within walking distance, and the constant access to her work made her much more efficient throughout the day. She sometimes caught herself wondering why ponies needed homes of their own at all.

Currently, her position was less than comfortable. Her back was stiff and sore, traces of the autumn cold were snaking their way around the room, and a faint itching indicated that at least one family of rats had been making use of the seat in her absence. Colgate didn’t notice any of this, however. She shifted her pencil back and forth in her mouth, her eyes glossing over the same line time and time again, focused only on the events of the past; not recent memories but distant, of her very first day as an Officer of Equestrian Law.

“I, Romana of Canterlot, do solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm that I will well and truly serve the Princess...”

There had only been one ruling princess when she’d made the oath, of course. No doubt the wording had been changed after Luna’s return. She recalled there had been a scramble to update all official documents in the first weeks after that fateful night. Idly, she wondered if this meant her old oath was now invalid.

“...with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality, upholding fundamental pony rights and according equal respect to all ponies...”

Usually, these were easy to deal with. The fundamentals of Equestrian philosophy, “Love and Tolerate,” had been burned into Colgate’s mind since she was a foal. Ponyville was fairly idyllic, but she’d learned that even in the harsher parts of the world, there was rarely a problem that couldn’t be solved through sharing and understanding. At least, that was the way it used to be.

Stop it! Colgate reflexively commanded herself as unbidden images of L and Twilight Sparkle leaped into her mind. I’ve done my best. I’ve been fair and diligent, I’ve done all I can to help others, I’ve given everypony the benefit of the doubt. Nopony will ever say otherwise.

And yet, the world had changed. She couldn’t say when or how it had happened, but she couldn’t deny the change, either. When once ponies had fearlessly turned to their fellow equines in times of need, they were now quick to resort to theft and violence. Battles were fought with weapons, not words. Harmless pranks turned to cruel and unjust games. It was as if a grimness had settled over Equestria, a breakdown in the moral fabric of the world.

“...and that I will, to the best of my power, cause the peace to be kept and preserved and prevent all offences against ponies and property...”

That had to be right. Wasn’t that what this was all about? Keeping the peace? But we’re not, not really. Almost imperceptibly, the faint creases of a frown appeared on Colgate’s face. Every time we provoke Kira, a good pony ends up dead. Meanwhile, every time a prisoner dies, crime rates drop a little more. If anything... Kira’s doing a better job of keeping the peace than we are. She shot the thought down before it could continue any further.

“...and that while I continue to hold office I will to the best of my skill and knowledge discharge all the duties thereof faithfully according to law.”

There. That was the problem. According to law, espionage was wrong. Lying was wrong. Keeping secrets from the government was wrong. Yet to hear L talk, all of these were not only acceptable but actually required in order to uphold the law. The contradiction made Colgate’s head spin. What’s the point of upholding the law if I’m just going to disregard it?

Kira’s actions came back to her. It’s not a fair game, she realized. Kira doesn’t have to play by the rules. I do. That gives him the advantage. She mulled over this. Maybe the rules have changed. Maybe it’s time to start fighting like the rest of Equestria does. Her mind instantly rebelled against this idea. But I can’t do that. Somepony has to care about the rules. It doesn’t matter if I’m the only one who does. The game is meaningless if I don’t play fair.

In her head, the younger Romana nodded proudly. She’d made an oath, and she was going to see it to the end, no matter what. Despite this, she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that the rest of the world had grown up and moved on without her, leaving her behind in her own land of make-believe. Maybe there is no right answer. Maybe there can be no right answer.

Gradually, Colgate became aware that she was chewing on her pencil. She spat it out and shook her head to make herself focus. Come on. Have to finish this before daybreak. She refocused on the page and read the first line again. Her thoughts hesitated, stumbled, then like a broken record found themselves back at the beginning. “I, Romana of Canterlot, do solemnly and sincerely declare...”

When Bon Bon entered the base’s main chamber with a plate of sweets, L wasn’t in her chair.

The plate fell to the floor. Bon Bon’s lower lip trembled as she stared at the empty seat. She never goes anywhere without telling me. She never gets up without telling me. She never does anything without telling me. “Harpy?” the mare called, sounding both afraid and hopeful. The sound echoed in the empty chamber. There was no response. She tried again, nervousness starting to show. “Harpy?”

Within a few minutes the mare’s worry had turned to full-fledged panic. "Harpy?" Bon Bon rushed back and forth around the base. With nearly everypony else gone, the facility had returned the the way it had been when it was just the two of them; empty, foreboding, the hallways at once echoing and disarmingly quiet. "Harpy, where are you?" she called. She has to be here somewhere... oh, she simply has to be here somewhere!

The living quarters were especially ghostly; in their rush to leave, most of the base’s inhabitants had left the majority of their belongings behind. Not used to being alone, this only worsened the effect on Bon Bon as she threw open door after door. “Harpy!” Around halfway down the corridor she ran into Jazz’s room, discovering the older stallion meditating in the middle of the floor. “Jazz,” she breathed. “Have you seen L?”

There was a pause. “No,” Jazz answered without opening his eyes. He’d removed his shirt and jacket, revealing a patchwork of discoloured grey lines that travelled down his back. “I haven’t seen her. But I haven’t heard the main doors open, either, so she’s probably still inside somewhere.”

“Thank you.” Some of her fears alleviated, Bon Bon turned back towards the hallway. She paused and gave a backwards glance before heading out - she’d never seen Jazz without a suit on before - before resuming her rush from room to room, though at a less frantic pace than before. “Harpy?”

"In here." The voice was flat and quiet. Bon Bon paused, not quite believing her ears, before pushing open the door nearest her. This was one of the unused bedrooms, completely empty aside from a regulation cot in the corner. At first she couldn’t detect anything out of the ordinary, and wondered if she’d stumbled into the wrong room. As she peered inside, however, she caught a glimpse of a light green tail peeking out from underneath the bed. She bent down to see a green shape huddled on the floor, facing away from her.

Bon Bon sighed. Faint edges of a smile returned to her face. “I thought I'd lost you.” She trotted inside, letting the door swing shut behind her. “Really, if you're going to go running off, at least have the decency to-”

"I don't know if I can do it."

Breath caught in Bon Bon's throat. "What?"

L half-turned her head towards the earth pony, but didn’t look directly at her. She clutched the large pillow from the cot tightly to her chest, rhythmically stroking and squeezing it as she spoke. “I don’t know if I can do it,” she repeated. "He's too smart. He's caught me at every turn. What if... what if this is the one who kills me?"

The colour drained from Bon Bon’s cheeks. "Darling, you can't talk like that!" she cried, rushing over to the green pony. She knelt down and reached around under the cot, gingerly stroking the detective's mane. “You’re L, savior of Equestria, remember? Hoof picked by the L before you. You’ve done things other ponies can only dream of. You’re the best and the brightest we have. If anypony can stop Kira-”

“You think I don’t know that?” L snapped. “I know who I am. I know what I’m capable of.” She glared at the wall for a few seconds before looking back down at her pillow. “Which makes it even more frightening if Kira’s better than me.”

Bon Bon bit her lip. “Sweetie, Kira is not better than you.”

L said nothing in response to this. Instead she disappeared a little further under the cot, huddling up against the wall. Bon Bon sighed. Out of habit, she looked around to make sure the door was fully closed. Then slowly, careful not to disturb the sheets, she lay down on the floor and wriggled her way under the bed next to L. There was barely enough room for both of them. Her front legs brushed against the detective’s shoulders. “You know what you have to do,” she whispered.

“Bon Bon, I don’t want to fail.”

“I know.”

“You know what happens if I fail.”

“I know.”

The pair lay in silence for a minute. Finally Bon Bon spoke up again. “You really cared about her, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” L replied, her voice suddenly very small. “I thought that if I could just save her, then maybe it would all be worth it.”

Suddenly the events of the evening started to make a lot more sense. “Is that why you sent everyone home?” Bon Bon asked. “So they wouldn’t see you... like this?”

Another squeak. “Yes.” Bon Bon felt L shudder beneath her hooves. To her horror, she heard the unicorn let out a sob. “Is it wrong to want to save lives?” the detective mumbled, tears starting to well up in her eyes. “Can’t I just save one pony, just for me? Is it wrong to want to keep the ponies I love safe?”

The earth pony ran her hooves comfortingly down L’s back, thinking furiously. Not good, not good. We can’t afford another relapse right now. She struggled momentarily before finding inspiration. “Remember Coltifornia?” L cringed but Bon Bon continued. “Remember the SS murder cases?”

“Yes.” L swallowed another sob and disguised it as a sigh. “Diamond Edge was there.”

“That’s right, she was.” Bon Bon’s voice started to take on a soothing, melodic quality. Finally, something my training actually prepared me for. “She helped you. Do you remember what she learned from you?”

The detective sniffed once, but then her breathing became quieter. “To be strong,” she half-whispered. “To do what has to be done. To think of the long term, never the short. To be the pony Equestria needs us to be. And to be brave, no matter what.”

“Yes.” Both ponies now lay completely still. “And what does it mean to be brave?”

L paused. “It doesn’t mean not being scared,” she intoned, almost mechanically. “It means doing the right thing, even when you’re scared. It means standing up to your fears and overcoming them.”

“Well said, Harpy.” Bon Bon’s silky voice washed over them like a blanket. “She learned that from you. And that’s why you’ll win. Do you know why?” L shook her head. “Because you’re the bravest pony. Kira is a coward who hides behind some made-up morality. But you’re the bravest pony of them all.”

Slowly, L started to smile. "You're right." Shuffling slowly in the enclosed space, she rolled over and stared into Bon Bon's eyes. The creamy mare smiled back. "You're always right, you know that? Even I can make mistakes sometimes. But you..." L drew in closer and nuzzled the mare lovingly. "You're always right."

Long overdue for rest, the green unicorn’s eyes finally closed. Bon Bon listened carefully as L’s breathing softened and became more regular. Her instincts told her to get up, tuck her ward in properly, and start cleaning up to prepare for everypony’s return tomorrow. Instead she closed her eyes as well and held the detective a little tighter.

For the first night in a long time, Twilight Sparkle slept soundly.

Author's Note

Coming in Season 2:

Mind games!
Golems!
Fluttershy!
All new villains!
Twilight’s master plan!
And so much more!

Season 1 credits:

Many thanks to all of my wonderful editors throughout this season: Dale, Rapid, New Age Retro Hippie, EvilDocterMcBob and Mindblower. Without your help this series would not exist. If you would like to be an editor for season 2, send me an email below.

Also a big thank you to the lovely Eilish for the cover art, and to Anon3mous for his various fan works.

I do not own Death Note or My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Please support the official releases.

My name is Nine, and this is Death Note: Equestria.

Initiation

14
*Initiation*

The God of Death must not tell ponies the names or life spans of individuals he/she sees. This is to avoid confusion in the pony world.

Life. This world is full of life.

The god drifted over Ponyville, carried as though on a faint breeze. Everywhere she went, the scent of life was all around her: unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies, all dreaming peacefully. The taste of them filled the air, overpowering, sickening. Her bony wings flapped once as the sun sent its first golden rays over the distant peaks, drawing her to a halt. She sighed. Another fruitless search. Oh well. I should return. She will be expecting me. Slowly, the god rotated in midair and started back the way she had come.

Somewhere in the distance, a rooster crowed. From all around, the sounds of life changed as Ponyville started to wake up. Beneath the god’s hooves a weary blue unicorn stumbled out from inside one of the smaller buildings, yawning loudly. The shinigami leered contemptuously and flapped her wings again, putting more distance between her and the fleshy being below.

Equestria is disgusting.

Colgate felt a chill pass over her as she started her way back to the base. She shivered, making a mental note to make sure she was stocked up for the coming winter. The unicorn yawned and stretched, allowing the morning sun to warm her aching muscles. “Come on, Colgate,” she muttered. “Brand new day.” She forced herself into a lively trot towards the park.

At the park’s entrance Colgate met Twilight, who was looking much more refreshed after last night. She’d packed light, putting only a few essentials into her saddlebags. She’d taken extra care in concealing the Death Note, shrinking it down to the size of a matchbox and weaving it into the hairs in the middle of her tail. Despite its otherworldly properties, the killer notebook seemed to respond normally to magic. “Good morning, Colgate,” Twilight said. “How are you feeling?”

“Sleepy.” The blue pony smiled and yawned loudly. “Don’t know about you, but I had kind of a rough night. Still, it’s good to see you’re feeling better.” The pair began to walk into the park. “Where’s Spike?”

“Still in bed,” Twilight answered. “He had a rough night too. When I tried to wake him he could barely get his eyes open. I already got the directions to the base from him last night, so I figured I’d let him sleep in.” She kept her eyes fixed in front of her as she spoke, not looking in Colgate’s direction. She decided not to mention the state she’d found her little assistant in: passed out on the floor surrounded by ash, many of his belongings missing or charred around him. When I get home, I think he and I need to have a long talk. “Do you know if Rainbow Dash is coming?”

“Not until this afternoon, if at all.” Colgate shook her head. “The nurse said she might be held up for awhile.”

When the two unicorns approached the circular grove of trees, a blue earth pony was waiting for them. “Hi, guys,” Locket said quietly as they came near. “I’ve been stomping, but... maybe I’m not stomping hard enough?” She caught sight of Twilight and gave her best attempt at a friendly smile. “Nice to meet you, Twilight,” she said, extending a hoof shyly. “Properly, I mean. I’m Locket.”

“Nice to meet you too, Locket,” Twilight said warmly, shaking the proffered hoof. The blue pony failed to hide a wince at her touch, and refused to look her in the eye. Wow, she’s sensitive, the unicorn noted. I wonder what L sees in her? Behind her, Colgate stomped twice and the hidden trapdoor sprang open. The earth pony blushed and led the way down into the darkness.

While the two blue ponies were relatively somber as they entered the base, Twilight was as jumpy as a schoolfilly. “Oh, wow!” she exclaimed, her eyes widening at the complex arrays of desks and screens. “All this was underneath Ponyville the whole time? That’s so cool!”

Jazz stood in his usual spot next to the giant abacus, but stepped forward to greet the trio. He’d swapped out his checkered jacket for an older green one with white stripes running in a plaid pattern, and a rare smile graced his face. “Greetings, Twilight Sparkle,” he said. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Oh my gosh!” Twilight ran past the older pony and stared in wonder at the massive device in the middle of the room. “Is that a mark five analytical engine with crystal compatibility?”

Instead of being impressed by the young mare’s knowledge, a look of faint irritation passed over Jazz’s face. “Yes,” he said more gruffly. “Her name is Minty. I am her operator.” He gave the slightest of bows. “My name is Jazz. It seems we’ll be working together for the time being.”

“She’s beautiful,” Twilight sighed, her eyes sparkling.

From the far end of the room there was a cough. L sat in her usual chair, Bon Bon by her side. A plate of half-eaten candied fruits lay on the desk beside her, next to a stack of paper nearly an inch thick.

“L.” Colgate trotted over to the seated mare’s side. Twilight followed, at a slower pace. “You’re looking well,” the blue pony said darkly.

L nodded. “Bon Bon made me take a bath,” she said. She glanced over her shoulder at the creamy mare, and something unreadable passed between them. “And she got soap in my eyes,” she added.

Bon Bon laughed. “Hush, you,” she said, tousling the unicorn’s mane. “We have guests.”

“Indeed.” The mare turned her penetrating gaze back to Twilight. “Twilight Sparkle. I’m certain I don’t need to tell you the dangers of joining us. Are you prepared?”

“Yes.” The unicorn nodded. “I am.” You have no idea how ready I am, L. Are you? She smiled brightly up at the detective, her eyes sparkling. “For my friends, for the Princess... and for Equestria.” I’m going to kill you.

“Then let’s begin.” L turned sharply away and gestured to the papers on the desk. “You have a lot of catching up to do.”

The morning passed slowly. They started with a tour of the base, allowing Twilight to choose her room and eat a sickeningly sugar-filled breakfast. After a brief demonstration of Minty’s capabilities, she was sat down in the corner of the main chamber and given a pile of documents to go over at her own pace.

Twilight skimmed over the pages she’d been given. For the most part they were purely factual, lists of names and dates with short descriptions in the more unusual cases. There was nothing in here that Twilight didn’t already know, having planned or experienced most of it firsthoof, and L didn’t seem to be withholding any information from her. Still, she went over each page slowly and carefully, pretending to be absorbing the knowledge for the first time. In place of that, she spent her time watching the ponies around her.

Though she’d been seated facing towards the wall, the reflective stratoscreen in front of her allowed Twilight a fair view of everything that was going on behind her. Her eyes landed on Byuk. Despite his obvious excitement he’d been mercifully quiet all morning, choosing to follow the unicorn from a distance rather than lurk directly behind her. He now hovered over the giant abacus and stared down towards L, a faint grin on his face. You can see her name, can’t you? Twilight thought bitterly. You could end this conflict right now, if you wanted to. There’s no rule saying you can’t. But no, that would spoil your precious game. She rolled her eyes. Of all the gods from all the worlds, I had to get the one who wants to play fair...

At the base of the abacus stood Jazz. The stiff way he held himself combined with his complete lack of motion made him seem more like part of the facility than a real pony. Do I know him? Twilight wondered. He seemed to recognize me. Of course, a lot of ponies recognize me. Maybe he worked at one of the schools in Canterlot.

On the far side of the room Locket sat in front of her own set of stratoscreens, each tuned to a different news station. That seems to be her function, Twilight noted dryly. It could be that’s all she’s good for. Now that I think of it, I’m sure I’ve seen her around Ponyville all the time. But until she introduced herself, I had no idea who she was. Maybe that’s why L keeps her around.

Towards the middle of the room Colgate paced back and forth. She looked nervously from side to side, occasionally biting her lip. This isn’t the kind of life you expected, is it? Twilight thought sympathetically. Don’t worry. Your heart’s in the right place, even if you’re working for the wrong side. You’re still my friend, no matter what. She sighed. Maybe I can save you. But no promises.

From the direction of the entrance there came a loud knocking. Colgate glanced over at a screen set into the wall beside the door, then telekinetically pulled the lever that released the trapdoor. A few seconds later a wall-eyed pegasus flew into the base, fresh from her morning mail route. She gave a cheery wave and settled into a chair next to Locket. Ditzy Doo... no, Spike said to call her Derpy Hooves now. Is that her alias? Or did she change her name? These titles are confusing. Twilight shook her head. The question is, what’s she doing here? Even Locket has her uses, but Derpy is... derpy. Maybe L’s just desperate for help after all.

In the corner of the room nearest Twilight, L and Bon Bon sat together. The detective sat sprawled in her usual position, going over her own thick stack of documents and making notes in the margins. From time to time she would levitate a piece of candied fruit to her mouth and suck on it for awhile before spitting the now-sugarless lump back onto the plate. Each time she did this, Bon Bon would dart forward and dab gently at her mouth with a napkin. The sight brought a smile to Twilight’s lips, one that she quickly suppressed. Quite the motherly type, she noted with forced detachment as the cream-coloured mare sat down again. I guess it’s safe to assume she’s the legendary Sideline. Not quite what I was expecting. And speaking of not what I expected...

L. Twilight shook her head in irritation. It didn’t make sense. The cold, calculating, brilliant detective that she’d been facing up until this point didn’t match up with the slovenly mare-child in the other corner. Something doesn’t add up here. There’s something I’m not seeing. Maybe it will make sense when I see her in action.

Mentally shrugging, Twilight returned to her work and turned to the next page in the report. She stared at the text for a few seconds, blinking. Really? She’s just going to tell me this? She glanced up at the green detective, who seemed to be ignoring her. Okay, I know I can safely react to this. “L...” Twilight stood up and turned towards the mint unicorn. It wasn’t difficult for her to look hurt. “You spied on me?”

Colgate froze. Locket gasped and then hunched over, pretending not to have heard. Even Jazz blushed and looked slightly to the side. L, however, was as static as always. “Yes, Twilight, we did,” she replied, not looking up from her papers. “You were the primary suspect in our investigation. We took the necessary steps to determine your level of involvement.”

“But... but you...” Twilight raised the stack of papers in front of her face and read from them. “You had me followed? You put cameras in my home? You watched me while I was...” Memory returned and the unicorn felt her face flush bright red. “...sleeping?” she squeaked.

“That is the kind of work we do,” L answered. “Finding Kira is our number one priority. Sometimes, other rights have to be put aside for us to reach that goal. If you truly wish to remain with us, I ask that you learn to accept that with some haste.”

“Twilight...” another voice broke into the conversation. Twilight slowly turned to the third unicorn in the group. Colgate hung her head, deep shame written on her face. “I’m sorry,” the police pony breathed. “I’m so, so sorry. But Harpy seemed so certain, and I really wanted to clear your name, and...” She sniffed, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “And we did a terrible thing.”

“It’s okay, Colgate.” Twilight trotted towards her friend and pulled her into a hug. The blue pony leaned heavily against her. “I’m not happy about this,” she continued, “but I’m not mad either. You did what you thought you had to do, and I forgive you. Thank you for standing up for me.”

“Thanks, Twilight.” Colgate smiled. “At least some good came out of it. We know for sure that you’re not Kira.”

“Possibly.” L finally put her papers down and turned her piercing gaze towards the pair. “I am not yet altogether convinced.”

“What?” The blue pony raised her head, her eyes narrowing. She pulled away from Twilight and stared accusingly at the detective. “You mean after all that’s happened, after all we’ve seen, after all she’s been through, that you still suspect Twilight?”

“Correct. Twilight Sparkle remains the pony who most strongly matches our current model of Kira. And while Diamond Edge’s methods were questionable, she was correct in divining that the circumstances regarding Sharp Star’s death are suspicious.” L put her hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “It is not very likely,” she admitted. “There is only a ten percent, no, closer to five percent chance that Twilight Sparkle is Kira. But that is still five to ten percent higher than any other pony we’ve investigated.”

Colgate edged closer to her friend and glowered. A low growl sounded in the back of her throat. L stared back, her expression immovably placid. Twilight found her gaze drifting back and forth between them. They’ve been arguing over me this entire time! she realized. But what do I do? Think, think... Slowly, she reached down and took Colgate’s hoof in her own. The blue pony blinked, surprised. “Let’s not argue,” Twilight said gently. “Arguing is what drives ponies apart. We can’t afford that right now. And L,” she continued, turning to the seated pony, “I understand if you’re suspicious of me. I hope that by working with you I can get closer to clearing my name. I’d just hate for any misconceptions to hold us back while we search for the real Kira. So please, both of you, can we not fight about this so long as we’re working together?” She smiled hopefully and looked back and forth between the two unicorns.

There was a reflective moment of silence, broken by a yell. “L!” Locket’s voice rang out across the room, panic evident in her tone. “Um, I’m really, really sorry for interrupting, but there’s something on the news that you really need to see.”

The detective let out another sigh. She glanced at Twilight again, then swiveled around and turned the nearest stratoscreen to the Ponyville news. A trembling pink pegasus stood on his own in an otherwise empty newsroom, reading from a piece of paper held high in front of his face. “I-I would l-like to take the opportunity t-to remind everypony watching,” he stammered, “that everypony in this station is being held h-hostage. Every one of us faces d-death if we do not comply with Kira’s demands.”

From behind the camera, the station manager nodded and smiled encouragingly. While the rest of the technical crew were having trouble keeping themselves together, Crew Cut had to restrain himself from cackling with glee. That’s right, Highlight, really sell it! he cheered internally. This will get ponies watching for sure. If we play it right, this windfall will raise our ratings one hundred percent! ...no, one hundred and twenty percent!

In the base, the seven ponies crowded around the stratoscreen. Twilight frowned, pulling herself into a chair. What demands? she wondered. I didn’t send any demands to anypony. This has to be a joke or a fake.

Beside her, Colgate’s amused snort summed up her feelings accurately. “Ignore it,” the police pony scoffed. “This is just Crew Cut trying one of his stupid publicity stunts. I’ve had to lecture him before about honesty in the media.”

“Quiet,” L ordered. “Until we can verify that that is the case, we must assume that this threat is genuine.” Her eyes lit up with interest for the first time that day. “Which would be very, very interesting,” she mused.

Onscreen, Highlight was slowly holding up a cheap recording crystal, his body language suggesting he was afraid it might jump up and bite him. “Th-this first crystal named several criminals who were to be killed by Kira. In the time since we r-received this recording, every single one of them h-has died of heart attacks.” The pegasus gulped. “It also left s-specific instructions to play the second crystal at exactly one minute to noon on this day. We have not listened to or altered the recording in any way. We will play it n-now.”

Highlight nodded frantically to another pony off-camera. As he started to run to the side, the screen faded to black. Twilight checked her watch; nearly one minute to noon. “Do you really think this is real?” she asked aloud. “I know if it’s fake, it’s in really bad taste.”

Colgate fidgeted. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I don’t think even Crew Cut would stoop this low.”

L nodded. “But if they are telling the truth,” she concluded, “this is definitely something that only Kira could do.”

Twilight frowned. But how? That could only mean that... that somewhere in Equestria... She quickly clamped her mouth shut to cut off a gasp.

There’s another Death Note.

There was a click. Crackling, grainy sound began to play. In place of an image, the word Kira faded onto the screen in blood-red letters. There was a cough, and then a deep, echoing voice began to speak. “Hello, everypony,” it boomed. The method of distortion was not as sophisticated as the one that L used, but it was effective; the result sounded imposing and unnatural. “I am Kira.”

“If this recording is being played at the time that I asked for, then a bad pony is about to die. Please turn your screens to the Canterlot Gold news station.”

“We can do better than that,” Crew Cut muttered. He waved his hooves at the crystal operators behind him. “Hey! Bring up Canterlot Gold!”

Kira’s name disappeared from the screen and was replaced by a news report from Canterlot. The reporter Sensation Shine stood in the middle of an otherwise empty street, holding a microphone up to her face. “This tragedy is just one of many happening throughout Equestria these past few weeks,” she said gravely. She opened her mouth to continue, but whatever she meant to say next was lost as a tremor ran through her. Her determined expression was replaced by one of terror, and her lips moved soundlessly for a moment before she collapsed to the cobblestones.

Locket squealed and put her hoof to her mouth. “I knew her,” she whimpered. “I got her autograph the last time I was in Canterlot. She was a good pony. She was a good pony...”

The screen cut to black. Kira’s name once again appeared. “Sensation Shine was a bad reporter,” the disguised voice boomed. “She spread anti-Kira sentiments and encouraged ponies to stand up against Kira. To stand against Kira is to stand against justice. Her punishment is death.”

Twilight trembled in fury. What is this idiot doing? she seethed. Did he just kill an innocent pony for saying bad things about me? That’s not what I do! That’s not what I stand for!

“There is another pony who is deserving of the same punishment. She too has spread lies and slandered the name of Kira. Everypony, please turn your screens to the Ponyville Amber station.”

Amber? That’s... Twilight froze. Her eyes widened. Oh no.

The blood-red name vanished a second time. A new scene replaced it, this time interrupting the middle of the midday weather report. Sunny Days stood in front of a large map of Equestria covered in felt suns and rain clouds. She had turned very pale, but was otherwise unharmed. She stood stock-still for a few seconds before turning and bolting offscreen.

Derpy, who had hidden her eyes behind her hooves, peeked out at the sound of running. “Is the little weather girl okay?” she asked in a trembling voice. Nopony answered.

When it became apparent that nothing more was going to happen, the screen cut to black once more and returned to Kira’s name. “By now there should be no doubt in your mind that I am Kira,” the deep voice said. “I have a message to share with Equestria. I hope that you will listen and understand it.

“I am not an evil pony. I only wish to create a world where justice prevails, where the good ponies of Equestria can live safe and free. If you are a good pony, if you love justice and believe in the values of love and tolerance, then you have nothing to fear from me. I will cherish and protect you from those who would do you harm. Please, don’t think of me as your enemy, but your friend.”

Colgate stomped angrily. “This is pure propaganda,” she growled. “We have to stop this broadcast, right now!”

“It’s too late,” L said calmly. “We have no means of contacting the hub station. By the time we reach them, the broadcast will have ended.”

“However...” The voice darkened. “There is no place in this world for those who do not believe in justice. Anypony who tries to stop me is stopping this new, perfect world from taking form. Those who try to catch me will be swiftly and rightfully dealt with. This is why I ask that the governing agencies of Equestria work with me, not against me. Instead of wasting your lives trying to catch me, help me bring a peaceful Equestria into the light. Broadcast the names and faces of criminals so that I can bring justice to them. Do not try to hide yourselves, and do not try to protect the wicked. There are none who can hide from the eyes of the Gods of Death!”

L fell out of her chair.

Bon Bon screamed and rushed to the detective’s side, shoving the others out of the way. “Harpy, are you all right?” she breathed, cradling the unicorn’s head in her hooves. “Harpy, speak to me!”

“G-Gods of Death...” A long shudder ran through the green pony’s body. She stared upwards, her eyes wide and her lips trembling. “Are we really meant to believe in Gods of Death?”

“It’s just a name, L,” Twilight said, steadying herself in her seat. “It doesn’t mean anything.” She stared down at the fallen pony in equal parts shock and confusion. Except it’s not just a name, she reminded herself. It’s a message.

The noise from the stratoscreen had stopped. There was a sound like heavy breathing, then a pause. “Oh! Um, and one last thing. I would like to invite all the friends of Kira to come to the front of the Ponyville hub station for a celebration. Attendance isn’t mandatory, but I hope that everypony who’s available will come out to show their support. That’s... I think that’s all. Have a nice day, everypony!”

With a final click the screen fell into complete silence. Instantly L leaped up from the floor and swung herself into her chair. Her expression returned to its naturally blank state and she stared around at the others as though nothing had happened. “Colgate, you are about to suggest something,” she barked.

“Uh...” The blue unicorn blinked a few times, then sighed and settled into a more serious state. “For whatever reason, Kira’s just tried to stir up a flash mob. Nothing good can come of this. It’s my responsibility to get down there and put a stop to this before somepony gets hurt.” She turned and started towards the door, then paused and glanced over her shoulder. “Unless you’d prefer that I stayed in the base?” she said acidly.

L shook her head. “No. By all means, go.” She looked away and levitated another candied fruit towards her. “Frankly, I’m surprised you’re still here.”

With a thinly-disguised look of disgust, Colgate galloped towards the door and out of the complex. Locket watched her leave with a worried expression. “Shouldn’t we go with her?” she asked.

“No.” L took a tiny bite of a sugar-coated slice of peach and turned back to the stratoscreen. “Colgate needs this right now. Let her do her job while we do ours. If a crowd does gather, there are sure to be news cameras. We can observe the proceedings from here.”

In the small clubhouse on the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, three fillies lay sprawled in front of their own stratoscreen. As the word Kira faded from the treated stone for the final time and the screen fell into blackness, the tiny pegasus pulled herself to her hooves and looked around expectantly. "What do you think, guys?" Scootaloo asked. "Should we go?"

Apple Bloom looked uncertain. "Ah don't know," she said. "This is big, serious business. Maybe we shouldn't get involved."

"Aw, come on!" the orange filly cried. "We've been called out! Everypony's going to be there. Sweetie Belle, you're coming, right?" She nudged the young unicorn, who was staring blankly into space. "Hey. Sweetie Belle?"

"Huh?" Sweetie Belle blinked. Her mind was far away. Something was wrong with the big ponies, she was sure. Mom and Dad had taken her home and put her in bed very early last night. From their faces she could tell that something was wrong, but they wouldn't say what. Ever since then lots of ponies had been staring at her when they thought she wasn't looking. She'd heard a lot of whispering around her as she'd made her way to the clubhouse that morning, and she was sure she'd heard her sister's name a few times. Uncertainty and confusion were laying heavily on her young mind. Is there something they're not telling me? Is everything okay? Is Rarity okay? Is my big sister okay?

"Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo poked her, finally snapping the filly out of her trance. "Wow, you were like a million miles away. Everything all right?"

"Um... I'm okay." Sweetie Belle blinked a few times to clear her head. She decided to not trouble her friends with her worries until she had a better idea of what was going on. "What were we talking about?"

"I was asking if you were coming to Kira's party at the hub station."

"Ew, no." The unicorn wrinkled her nose in disgust. "My sister says Kira's a very bad pony. I don't want anything to do with him."

"What? How could she say that? Kira's awesome! He protects the weak and punishes the evil. Just like Batmane! Only real!"

"I don't care." Sweetie Belle shook her head. "He's still a bad pony. I say we don't go."

"And I say we do." Scootaloo nodded and turned to the third pony in the group. "Down to you, Apple Bloom. What do you want to do?"

"Well..." The earth pony filly scratched her head thoughtfully. "Ah don't know if Ah'm the best pony to ask, but... mah big sister says that since Kira came along, ponies don't go scrumpin' in our fields as much as they used to. So Ah guess that's... a good thing?"

Scootaloo smiled and stretched out her stubby wings triumphantly. "Two to one! Let's go." She looked back. "You sure you don't want to come, Sweetie Belle?"

The little unicorn sighed in defeat. "I'll go," she said. "But only because you two are going."

"Good enough for me." The fillies picked up their helmets, and seconds later were on their way into town.

The Ponyville hub station was an impressive sight from the outside. The circular, windowless building stretched over four stories tall, rivalling the town hall in terms of size, and was decorated with pillars and arches painted in all colours of the rainbow. A gigantic stratoscreen stretched across the wall over the main entrance, currently showing footage from the newsponies gathered outside. The building's construction had resulted in a whole new district springing up about it, and the large, empty area in front of it was now known as the North Square. More than fifty ponies had already gathered in this area as the Cutie Mark Crusaders rolled up, with countless more arriving alongside them. Scootaloo carefully parked the wagon in an empty corner and the trio made their way into the crowd.

The atmosphere was tense. Ponies stood tightly packed together, speaking in hushed voices and furtive glances. "This isn't what I expected," Scootaloo admitted as she led her friends through the crowd. Ponies gave the fillies worried glances as they passed. "This isn't a party. It's more like a... a..."

"A secret meeting?" Apple Bloom suggested. "A waiting room? A crime scene? A funeral?"

The pegasus gave her friend a sideways glance. "What are you, a dictionary?"

"Hey!" Sweetie Belle interrupted, a smile springing to her face. "It's miss Colgate!" She pushed her way towards the building, pausing slightly to let her friends follow her.

At the entrance to the hub station, Colgate pounded angrily on the heavy front door. "This is the police!" she yelled. "I need to speak to your manager! You have to let me inside!"

"S-sorry, lady," came a muffled voice from inside. "I can't do that. Orders!" There was some hushed discussion. "If Kira doesn't kill us, Crew Cut will!"

Colgate ground her teeth in irritation. I could probably kick this door in if I tried, she thought, but it sounds like there are a few of them inside. I wonder how many I can knock out before it becomes police brutality... She hid her angered expression as she caught sight of a tiny unicorn making her way towards her. "Girls!" she cried as the Cutie Mark Crusaders came into view. "What are you doing here?"

"We're here for Kira!" Scootaloo yelled, pushing her way to the front. "What's going on? Isn't this supposed to be a celebration?"

Colgate shook her head gravely. "No, girls. This isn't a party, it's a trap. You all need to go home, right now." Seeing Scootaloo's defiant expression, something inside of her snapped. "And who do you think you are, supporting Kira? Your mother must be very disappointed in you, young lady."

"Hey!" A burly stallion with a wide moustache and headband broke away from the crowd and stomped his way up to Colgate. "You say something bad about Kira?" he huffed, knives in his eyes.

“Yes. Yes I did.” Colgate returned the stallion’s glare with equal intensity. “Good ponies have died because of Kira. How dare you come here to support him!”

“Oh yeah? As if the police have been doing any better!” The stallion snorted and gave Colgate a shove, knocking her against the door. “Where were you when my cousin was being terrorized by some knife-wielding maniac at a restaurant last week, huh? Huh?”

Before the police-pony could respond, another pony joined in the shouting. “And where were you when the town drunk was holding up Davenport’s store?”

“And where were you during those awful murders yesterday?”

“And where were you when those fillies were kidnapped by a golem?”

“I was right there!” Colgate screamed. This quieted the crowd down for a second. Hearing the commotion, several of the camera-ponies pushed their way forwards and focused their lenses on her. She bristled furiously. “Look, I can’t be everywhere at once. Thanks to the Kira investigation, I haven’t had the time-”

“The Kira investigation!” The moustached stallion guffawed. “Seems to me like Kira’s the one who’s been doing your job for you. Seems to me like we’re better off without you!” He reared up and gave her another shove, sending her slamming into the heavy wooden doors a second time. The impact knocked the wind out of her, sending her tumbling to her knees. The crowd cheered, launching into a stream of taunts and jeers. A few of the more industrious ponies started to ask around if anypony had thought to bring tomatoes.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders huddled together near the base of the building. They watched as Colgate pulled herself up to her hooves, only to be pushed down again by the pony with a moustache. “This ain’t right,” Apple Bloom mumbled.

Scootaloo shook her head. “Not cool,” she agreed. “I don’t care if it is for Kira. Seriously not cool.”

Sweetie Belle’s lip trembled. Colgate had been the one to help her out of the forest after the golem incident, who’d held her and made sure that she was okay. Seeing the moustached pony knock her to the ground a third time sent a rush of fear and anger flooding through the filly. “What would Rarity do?” she whispered.

Rarity would stand up for her friends.

Determination lit up the young unicorn’s face. She stepped away from her friends and took a deep breath, then yelled as loud as she could. "Kira's a bully!"

The ponies immediately surrounding her went silent. "Huh?" The moustached pony looked away from Colgate and stared contemptuously down at Sweetie Belle. "Quiet, little filly," he said. "Big ponies are talking."

"No!" the little unicorn huffed, her voice growing in volume. "Kira's just a big, dumb bully who pushes other ponies around to get what he wants."

More ponies were starting to stare. Scootaloo fidgeted as her friend's loud voice brought more attention to them. "Sweetie Belle, be quiet," she whispered, nudging her friend with her hoof. "You're gonna get us in trouble."

Instead of answering, Sweetie Belle stood up a little straighter. Before anypony could react she leaped into the air, landing daintily on the moustached pony’s back. He nearly bucked her off but hesitated, unable to bring himself to strike a little girl. "Real friends care about what their friends think," she continued. To her delight she saw several of the cameras in the crowd point towards her. Her image now appeared on the giant screen on the station itself, broadcasting her words clearly across the square. "Kira never asked what we wanted. He just started killing and told us that we had to be okay with it, or else! And now he says that if we don't help him, he'll start hurting us, too! No real friend would do that. Kira's just trying to scare us into helping him. Just like a bully does!"

The moustached pony twisted his head around. “This is nothing like that!” he yelled.

“Oh yeah?” Sweetie Belle turned and pointed to her two friends, who were standing uncertainly by Colgate’s side. The police-pony had righted herself and was looking up at the filly proudly. “Scootaloo thinks that Kira’s a good pony. I think he’s a bad pony. But even though we don’t agree, it doesn’t mean we’re not friends any more. Right, Scootaloo?”

The little pegasus looked around hesitantly, but then stepped forward and beamed up towards her friend. “Yeah!” she agreed. “We’re not going to let a difference of opinion come between us.”

“That’s right!” Apple Bloom joined in. “What kind of pony would pretend to be your friend, only to hurt you when you do something he don’t like? A bully! Like Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon!” From towards the back of the crowd there came a loud and petulant sigh, closely followed by another, slightly quieter one.

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle concluded. She turned back to survey the still-growing assembly sternly. “So why are you all really here? Do you really think it’s a good idea to pick on a nice pony like miss Colgate? Or is Kira turning all of you into bullies too?”

All across the square, ponies shuffled and looked down at their hooves. "I'm only here because I was afraid not to come," one mare admitted.

Beside her, another pony looked at the ground. "Me too," she agreed.

"Hey, isn't she the sister of the one who killed Pinkie Pie?" a stallion near the back yelled.

The little unicorn blinked. "Huh?"

All around her, the world appeared to grind to a halt. The voices surrounding her faded. Gears clashed painfully inside her head, unable to process the one thought that now seemed to fill her entire universe. Rarity killed...?

Sweetie Belle

The last thing Sweetie Belle was aware of was that she could no longer breathe. Then her legs gave way beneath her and she found herself falling into darkness.

There was absolute silence in the crowd for a moment as the filly toppled over. Her body gave the tiniest of thuds as it hit the ground. The moustached pony craned his neck to see what had happened, not immediately comprehending, then let out a shrill shriek and bolted away into the crowd. Following his lead, a mare screamed, then another, and in seconds the whole crowd was in panic. Ponies staggered back and forth, pushing against each other. Those at the edge of the crowd fidgeted and stomped in place, nopony wanting to be the first to break away.

Colgate gritted her teeth and galloped into the crowd. The two remaining Cutie Mark Crusaders stood by in shock. "Sweetie Belle?" Scootaloo mumbled. She took a tentative step forward and prodded her friend's body with her hoof. "Sweetie Belle, get up." She knelt down and started to push on the little unicorn with her front legs. Behind her, Apple Bloom trembled violently in place. "Sweetie Belle, get up!" Scootaloo screamed. "You have to get up! You have to get up!"

The nearest camera-pony gritted his teeth. A tear ran down the side of his face, but he steadied himself against the moving crowd and secured his camera across his shoulder. He trained it carefully on the three fillies, zooming in as the little pegasus gave up pushing and wrapped her friend's body in a tight embrace. "Murderer!" she screamed into the air, overpowering even the panicked shouts of the crowd. "Murderer!"

Fluttershy dropped her pencil.

The yellow mare stared at her screen in slack-mouthed shock. She was alone in her spare bedroom, the only place in her tiny house without little animals filling every corner. A cheap stratoscreen lay propped up against the wall across from her. On the desk before her was a black notebook, open to the first page.

Murderer.

As the pegasus filly screamed, Fluttershy found a memory bubbling unstoppably towards the surface. She watched helplessly as her mind's eye jumped backwards, beyond her control, and settled on a night several weeks in the past.

It had been a night like any other. She'd bathed and fed all the animals who lived with her, woken up the nocturnal critters who sometimes had a hard time getting out of bed, then settled down and prepared for a long night's rest. There had been no sign that anything was amiss. In retrospect, there was nothing that she could have done.

Nothing at the time, anyway.

She'd been woken by a loud clattering from downstairs. There was a sharp cry, and several of the animals in the front room started to yell in panic. At record speed she'd roused herself and rushed downstairs, not even bothering to turn on any lights as she ran. She’d burst into her front room at top speed, only then pausing to light an emergency lantern by the door. The noise had grown louder, surrounding her with all manner of shrieks, hoots and tiny squeaks. “What’s wrong?” she’d called, trying not to sound panicked. “Little critters? Angel? What’s happen-”

That’s when she’d seen the mess.

It wasn’t very much. Beds and food trays had been kicked roughly aside, forming a path of disorder from her open door to the kitchen, marked by a trail of individual dark hoofprints. She could make out the silhouette of a pony going through her cupboards in the next room, but this wasn't what caught her attention. In the middle of the floor lay a tiny lump of red, not much bigger than a hoofprint, crushed beyond recognition. But around the edges, barely illuminated by the flickering light of the lantern, there were untouched traces of pure, pearly-white fur.

The ensuing scream had caused most of Ponyville to wake up in a blind panic. In fact, there were even stories of a haunting cry that had echoed round the streets of Canterlot that night, and a sharp-eared pony in Fillydelphia had found herself trembling violently for no discernible reason.

She’d chased that thief all night, following him out her back window and across the plains around Ponyville, and even a little ways into the Everfree Forest before finally losing sight of him. And all the while as she’d flown, she’d never once stopped screaming. “Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!”

Murderer.

Fluttershy shook her head, bringing herself fully back to the present. The screaming from the stratoscreen continued. “Mer,” she mumbled, holding back tears, “am I a murderer?”

“No, Fluttershy,” an icy voice hissed. “It was the right thing to do.” A set of pearly white claws reached down and picked up the pencil from where it had fallen. The god held it in front of Fluttershy, who obediently took it in her mouth. “You must be strong, little pony,” Mer continued, whispering into the pegasus’ ear. “Remember what I have taught you. There can be no hesitation. There are only those who would aid you, and those who would stand in your way.”

Still trembling, Fluttershy nodded. “Is the world a better place now?” she asked.

“Yes, Fluttershy.” A claw traced its way down her mane. “Thanks to you, the world is a better place.”

At the base, Twilight felt her blood run cold. Too far. This is too far. She turned in place and started for the door.

"Everypony, stay here." Something had shifted in L's voice, but it wasn't anger or fear. "If we rush in unprepared, we will only share that poor filly's fate."

Locket raised one of her hind legs and pointed in panic; both of her front ones were being clung to desperately by Derpy. "Then what do you want us to do? What about Colgate? We have to get her out of there!"

"How many times must I remind you to not worry about Colgate?" L shook her head. "Only a few ponies in Ponyville are familiar with her real name. She should be safe from Kira's effects. Indeed, if Kira is somehow able to kill her, she will have narrowed down our range considerably."

Fluttershy's eyes burned.

Everything she saw glowed a faint red. Her vision had improved greatly, though she couldn't tell to what degree. There were no outward signs that anything was different, but as soon as the shinigami’s hoof had touched her eyes, everything had changed. She stared at the propped-up stratoscreen intently, constantly looking from pony to pony, pencil at the ready between her teeth.

Above the heads of everypony she saw was a name and a number. Countless dozens flickered in and out of focus on the screen as ponies turned away and towards the camera. The numbers were nonsensical to her, long clusters of around ten digits that shifted and changed with no obvious pattern. Mer had said that the shinigami measured time differently to ponies, so only a god of death would be able to make sense of the countdown. The names, however, were written in a clear, flowing script, a series of glowing white lines floating just above each pony's ears. Her eyes flicked from name to name, constantly searching.

The camera had drifted away from the two fillies still bawling over their friend. Instead it was following the blue unicorn who her loyal followers had been mocking earlier. “Everypony, stay calm!” the police-pony shouted. “Stop moving before anypony gets trampled! Please, don’t panic!” She turned and pointed straight at the screen. “You! Get those cameras out of here!” The camera-pony said something unintelligible, but the unicorn brushed it off. “Kira can rot in Tartarus for all I care! Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage already?

An icy cold breath skimmed along the back of Fluttershy’s neck. “There is still time,” Mer whispered. “This mare will ruin everything. You must stop her.”

Fluttershy’s eyes narrowed. She stared at the furious policemare with an otherworldly intensity. Her name was spelled out clearly in front of her. Romana. Not Colgate. Romana. She leaned forwards and pressed the tip of her pencil against the notebook.

Roma

A loud crash made her jerk her head upwards. The camera had jumped away from the blue pony and up towards the giant stratoscreen on the building above the crowd. A gigantic plume of smoke rose from the center of the screen as it loudly cracked in half, sending shards of the treated stone raining down onto the ponies below. Screams filled the air once more. Then a bolt of bright green light lit up Fluttershy’s screen for a split second, and the entire image turned to black.

Fluttershy gasped. “Oh dear,” she mumbled, tapping the screen gently. When the live feed from the north square failed to return, she turned the screen off and stood up shakily. She trotted over to her shelf and picked up a pair of binoculars. They had been given to her by Twilight for her last birthday. The unicorn had meant for them to be used for birdwatching, and Fluttershy hadn’t had the heart to remind her that there wasn’t a bird for miles around that wouldn’t come directly up to her willingly. She pulled the strap around her neck and took off out of her window, soaring as fast as she dared in the direction of Ponyville.

As the pegasus flew, she took a moment to reflect on the events of the afternoon so far. Everything was going so well. I hope Kira will be proud of me. But... what could have cracked the screen and broken all the cameras like that? She tried to think of where she had seen a bright green light like that before. Was that... a fireball?

Spike stepped over the smoldering remains of the hub station’s door. The trio of ponies who’d been guarding the main lobby were now cowering behind the desk at the far end of the room. He took a step towards them, eliciting squeals of fright from all three. “Where is Crew Cut?” the little dragon growled. Simultaneously, three hooves pointed to the left.

It took Spike less than a minute to find the main studio. As soon as he walked inside, Crew Cut pushed his way in front of him. “Just what do you think you’re doing here?” he demanded. “This is private property! You have no authorization-”

“Give me all the crystals that Kira sent you,” Spike interrupted. His words had changed in tone, sounding more like a growl than a normal speaking voice. “And any copies you made, too.”

“Or what?” The earth pony raised himself up proudly, standing a full head and shoulders over the baby dragon. “I should have you thrown out right this minute. Highlight! Deal with this miscreant.”

Spike roared. The noise echoed loudly around the soundproof room, sending the remaining ponies diving behind desks and equipment. A plume of black smoke leaped out from the back of Spike’s throat, completely enveloping Crew Cut and bowling the large pony over. The little dragon coughed and wiped his mouth on his arm. “That could have been fire,” he grunted. “Argue with me again and it will be.” He cocked his head to the side and looked at the shocked station manager’s flank. “I see your cutie mark is a megaphone. That’s appropriate. You seem like a real loudmouth.”

The brown pony backed away in fear. “Highlight!” he yelled desperately. He turned around just in time to catch his brightly-coloured assistant leading the rest of the technical crew in a mad rush out the back door. He looked back at Spike and gulped. “You don’t understand,” he tried. “We’re under orders. Kira will kill us if we don’t do what he says!”

Spike snorted. “If you don’t do what I say, I’ll kill you right now.” He took another deep breath. Crew Cut paled and galloped towards the technician’s booth, letting out a frightened whinny as he ran. Spike grinned. “And while you’re there,” he called, “get me a camera.”

L ran her hoof up and down the side of the stratoscreen. “Well,” she observed, “that appears to be the end of that.” She turned the screen off and swiveled around to face her companions. “Shall we discuss this?”

They were not a pretty sight. Twilight Sparkle sat morosely in her own seat, audibly grinding her teeth together. Bon Bon had taken the finished tray of candied fruit and retreated to her kitchen, while Jazz had taken several steps towards the safety of his abacus. Derpy was crying, and on the floor beside her Locket was stroking her mane comfortingly. “How can you be so calm?” the blue mare asked. She looked up at the seated detective. “A little filly just died in front of us. How can you be so calm?” For that matter, why do I feel so calm?

L looked around the room. “Huh,” she muttered, apparently to herself. “It looks like it really does take a genius to handle bad news well.” She sighed and focused her attention on the pair in front of her. “The filly died well. She stood up for her beliefs and provided us with valuable information. Though it wasn’t her intent, she died specifically so that we could carry on this investigation. There will be a time to mourn for her later. Right now, we should honor her by carrying on regardless.”

Twilight Sparkle spoke up. “Sweetie Belle.” She looked up at L. “Her name was Sweetie Belle. She was Rarity’s little sister. And...” She choked down a sob. “And she will be avenged.”

If this news meant anything to the detective, she didn’t show it. “Good. Firstly, I believe it would be prudent to analyze the unusual elements of this broadcast.” She levitated over a nearby quill and piece of paper and began to scribble down notes. “Specifically, I would like to determine as soon as possible whether the weather filly has expired. Either the crystal was mistimed or she has not died at all. Both options would tell us a great deal about this new threat.”

She’s still alive, Twilight thought. He can’t kill Sunny Days. And I know why. One of the rules of the Death Note that I never thought I would have to remember.

When the same name is written in more than one Death Note, the book that was filled in first will take effect, regardless of the time of death.

I wrote her name on the night of the golem attack, which means she still has about... She did some quick mental calculation. Twenty days left to live. Twenty and a half, to be exact, since I wrote it at night. More importantly, this means... Her stomach lurched at the thought. This means that there’s another Death Note somewhere in Equestria. But how? Why? What kind of pony could have picked it up? Her eyes flicked to Byuk, who was still floating over the abacus with the same knowing leer fixed on his face. There will be time to work that out later. For now, I need to keep this to myself. If L thinks there is only one Kira, it will be easier for me to get to the fake before she does. And when I find him, I’ll either find some way to use him, or I’ll kill him. She gritted her teeth. Either way, he’s going to suffer.

L’s voice broke into her thoughts. “What do you think, Twilight?”

Twilight slowly turned to stare at the detective. The green pony’s face was completely, unreadably blank. However, the level of intensity behind the stare gave Twilight pause. Gazing into the mare’s amber eyes, something clicked. She knows. Darn her.

The purple unicorn leaped from her chair and landed with a solid stomp. “I think it’s likely that the Kira in this broadcast is a fake,” she announced.

“Huh?” Derpy stopped her weeping and looked up at Twilight. “But... but he killed,” she protested.

“He may have a similar way of killing,” Twilight affirmed. “But that doesn’t mean it’s the same pony. For one thing, his motivations are completely different. Up until now, Kira’s never killed anypony except those who’ve committed crimes and those who’ve tried to find him. Going from that to attacking anypony who says bad things about him is too much of a stretch. In fact, the whole thing sounded more like a message from a fan defending Kira than a message from Kira himself.” She turned back towards L. “You were thinking the same thing, weren’t you?”

“Correct.” L nodded. “I believe that the true purpose of this broadcast was not to speak to the public, but to speak to Kira. It is likely that there is some kind of coded message hidden within it, one that only those with the powers of Kira would understand.” She bit down on the edge of her hoof thoughtfully. “The words ‘Gods of Death’ seem particularly suspect. I believe it is highly likely that that is some kind of code.”

It is, Twilight realized, but you’re focusing on the wrong part. It’s the eyes of the Gods of Death – the fake Kira went out of his way to mention the eyes. Does that mean that he has the eyes of the shinigami? Such a pony would be a powerful ally... or enemy.

Behind them, one of the other large stratoscreens on the desk flickered to life. “...and midnight blue. That should do it.” There was a blur of motion as the camera was set down, and then Spike came into view to a backdrop of an empty studio. “Hi, everyone,” the little dragon said. “I really hope that screen is still turned on.”

“Spike!” Twilight clapped a hoof to her mouth. Maybe it was her imagination, but her assistant’s voice sounded different than it had last night. It was deeper, harder, a little closer to a grown dragon’s voice than the childish tone she was used to. Something else was off about him as well; maybe it was the way he held himself, the tilt of his head, or the more serious expression on his face, but for reasons she couldn’t put her hoof on, Spike looked older.

Onscreen, the little dragon continued. “I came here as soon as I saw the news,” he explained. “I’m sorry I put myself in danger, but I couldn’t just do nothing. I got rid of the cameras and got both the crystals that Kira sent from Crew Cut. He says he didn’t make any copies...” The little dragon turned to the side and hissed, resulting in a barely-audible squeal from off-camera. Twilight felt a tremor in her chest. “...and I believe him. I gave both of the crystals to Colgate. She’s outside, writing down the names of all the ponies who turned up. I think she’ll be there awhile.” He looked to the side again, then edged closer to the camera. “And Twilight, if you’re watching this...” He trembled, his voice momentarily returning to its former high-pitched tone. “Could you come and pick me up? I... I want to go home.” He straightened up and saluted. “If you don’t get this message now, I’ll see you soon. Spike, over and out.” There was another blur and the screen cut to black again.

L waited a moment before gesturing to Twilight. “Go on, then,” she said gently. “Go and get him.”

“A-are you sure?” Twilight looked back at the detective. There was a strangely flat smile on her face. “Are you sure you’re okay with me just leaving?”

“Spike specifically asked for you to take him home. I’d say he’s earned that at least.” She shrugged. “I will finish up here. In the meantime, I suspect the two of you have a lot to talk about.”

Twilight blushed. “Yeah... I guess we do.” She turned towards the pair on the floor. “Will you two be okay without me?”

Derpy had stopped crying, but still leaned heavily against Locket. The blue mare nodded. “We’ll be fine, Twilight. Go home. Spike needs you.”

Twilight smiled sadly and started towards the exit. “I’ll be back tomorrow,” she called over her shoulder as she left.

The door closed behind her. Jazz, being the closest to the door, rolled his eyes and released the trapdoor for her. “Everypony forgets the first time,” he muttered.

Rainbow Dash sped through the air, leaving a multicoloured trail of light behind her. She grinned, relishing the feel of fresh wind on her face for the first time in 24 hours. From the hospital grounds it took her less than a minute to reach the north square. She braked sharply over the square, sending the last glittering droplets of water from her freshly-bathed body scattering into a brilliant halo around her. “Never fear, everypony!” she called, basking in the glorious nature of her arrival. “Your friendly neighborhood Rainbow... Dash is... here.”

The square was nearly empty. Colgate had organized the remaining thirty or so ponies into a small queue and was speaking to them one at a time. The detritus in front of the hub station had been removed, as, apparently, had both of the station’s doors. Rainbow Dash glided down to the ground, looking around in confusion. “Where’s the danger?” she asked aloud. “The news said that there was danger!”

“Good afternoon, Rainbow Dash.” The pegasus turned around to find Twilight Sparkle entering the square behind her. “It’s good to see you’re feeling better. How was the hospital?”

“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash leaped the distance between them and tackled her friend into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she whispered, squeezing the unicorn with surprising tenderness. A second later she backed away and coughed. “Where’s the crowd?” she asked, back to business as usual. “I saw on the news that there was a panicked crowd that needed saving.”

Twilight tried not to smile. She’d long ago learned that Dash’s tender moments were rare, meaningful, and never to be mentioned again. “It’s okay, Rainbow,” she answered. “The crisis is over. Everypony’s stopped panicking now.”

“Really?” Dash’s wings drooped a little. “But I came here as fast as I could. I was gonna be all heroic and stuff.”

“Don’t worry, Rainbow Dash.” Twilight patted her friend on the shoulder. “If you want to help, you can talk to Colgate. She’s still busy writing down names.” The unicorn started towards the large building. “I’d like to talk more, but I have to go find Spike. He’s the one who managed to calm everypony down in the end. I hear it was quite the impressive sight. See you later!”

Twilight trotted away, leaving Rainbow Dash behind in a state of increasing confusion and embarrassment. “Spike was more heroic than me?”

In all the excitement on the ground, nopony noticed the lone cloud slowly drifting around the square not too far away.

Fluttershy lay sprawled on the fluffy surface, hidden from view from below. She held her binoculars up to her eyes, training them on every pony who passed by below. She took note of the glowing lines above each pony’s head, appearing and disappearing depending on whether or not she could clearly see their face. Every pony had the same set of lights: one group of flowing lines that formed a clear name, and, beneath that, a constantly-shifting and incomprehensible number. Every pony but one.

Her gaze was drawn to her as soon as she entered the square. A purple unicorn, her cutie mark a cluster of stars surrounding a single, larger star. Her mane was dark, with twin stripes of pink and purple. And floating just above her head was a name – just a name. She had no number.

Twilight Sparkle.

Fluttershy grinned. “Yay!” she whispered. She smiled up at a patch of sky that appeared, for all intents and purposes, to be unoccupied. “Come on, Mer,” she said. “Let’s go home.”

The yellow pegasus turned and leaped off the cloud, quickly and silently gliding into the distance. A few seconds after she left, a force like an invisible sledgehammer exploded the cloud into hundreds of tiny pieces.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned an important lesson about loyalty. In times of crisis like this, we will often come across ponies whose views run completely contrary to our own. Sometimes they’re strangers, sometimes they’re neighbors, and sometimes they’re our closest friends. It can be shocking and even hurtful to find out that they’re in favor of something you don’t like, or vice versa. But even though you believe in different things, it doesn’t mean you have to be enemies. In fact, a healthy rivalry over beliefs can help to strengthen a friendship instead of breaking it. The most important thing is to always stand by your friends and never abandon them, no matter what.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Next episode: Photo Finish!

Devotion

15
*Devotion*

When a shinigami’s Death Note has been picked up by a pony living in the Pony Realm, it is expected that the God of Death will ensure that the pony who owns the Note uses it.

It was a long and quiet walk back to the library. Spike walked closely beside Twilight, refusing her offer to let him ride on her back. He stared at the ground, keeping his little hands balled into fists as they travelled. Twilight looked his way every so often as they walked, but he would never meet her gaze.

"You look older," Twilight said after a while.

"Really?" Spike looked down at himself, keeping his voice low. "You mean I'm growing?"

"No. Just... older. More mature."

"I guess." A hint of a smile started to return to the little dragon's face. "Thanks."

The pair made it the rest of the way to the library in silence. The door had been left open; in Spike's rush to get to the station he hadn't bothered to close it. He mumbled an apology, which Twilight brushed off. By unspoken agreement they went into the kitchen and sat down at opposite ends of the table.

This was the part that Twilight had been dreading. She coughed, smiling awkwardly to try to break the silence between them. "Have you had lunch?" she tried. "I've got some rubies I've been saving for a special occasion."

"I'm not hungry."

"Oh. Something to drink? Breathing so much fire must be hard on your throat."

"I'm fine." Spike sighed. "Twilight, get to the point. For both our sakes."

"F-fine." The unicorn took a deep breath. "Spike, I saw what you did to your room."

The little dragon kept his gaze fixed on the table. "Uh-huh."

"I want to know why."

"Because..." Because I was angry? Because I got hurt? "Because I'm growing up."

"Huh?" Twilight shook her head. "Spike, growing up doesn't mean you have to burn everything that matters to you."

"Doesn't it?" Spike looked to the side and let out another sigh. “At first I felt bad while I was doing it,” he said. “Like I was burning parts of myself, or Rarity, or even you. But at the same time, I... I liked it. And maybe that’s not such a bad thing.” The little dragon straightened up and looked Twilight in the eyes. “I was stupid,” he admitted. “I thought that finding Kira would be fun, like an adventure game. I got involved with things I didn’t understand. I fell in love with a murderer. And I...” He gritted his teeth. “I helped her.”

Twilight rose out of her seat. “Spike-”

“But that’s not going to happen again!” Spike interrupted. “I’m done with kid stuff. Everypony’s depending on me to be mature, responsible, tough... everything the old me wasn’t. So I’m getting rid of it. I’m starting fresh. I’m leaving my childhood behind.” He grimaced. “I'm nopony's Spikey-Wikey. Not any more. I'm just Spike.” He sighed again. “Maybe after we’ve caught Kira, I’ll join the next dragon migration. For real this time.”

“Oh, Spike.” Twilight circled around the table to the little dragon. “Becoming an adult doesn’t mean you have to stop being a kid overnight.”

“Maybe that’s how you ponies do it.” Spike shook his head and brushed her aside. “But I’m a dragon. Maybe it’s time I start acting like one.”

“That’s not what I mean. Becoming an adult doesn’t mean you stop being a kid at all.”

Spike looked up. A hint of confusion appeared on his determined face. “Huh?”

“Do you know why I keep that old chest full of toys in my room?” Twilight smiled and blushed slightly. “It’s not just for the memories. It’s because sometimes, when I’m sad or bored... and you’re not around... I like to take them out and play with them, just like I did when I was a little filly.” She laughed a little at her assistant’s shocked expression. “And it’s not just me. I bet if you look hard enough, everypony has some part of their childhood that they carry with them all their lives, even the most mature, responsible of ponies. It’s not because they’re immature, or because they don’t know better. It’s because you learn the most important lessons of your life when you’re a child.”

“Huh?” Spike repeated, his incomprehension now apparent. “What do you mean?”

“Things like how to have fun, learning how to learn and invent, and even the magic of friendship. Those things don’t disappear when you grow older. Whenever I’ve gotten stressed or overworked, haven’t you always told me to spend time with friends to relax?”

Spike fidgeted a little. “That’s not really the same thing,” he said.

“It’s exactly the same thing,” Twilight replied. “When it comes to saving Equestria, so-called ‘childish’ things like friendship have always helped a lot more than trying to do everything on our own. Sure, we get older and more responsible over time. But without the lessons we learned as children, life wouldn’t be worth living any more.”

“I... I guess.” Spike looked down at the table, slowly clenching and unclenching his little hands into fists. “This doesn’t change my decision. But... thanks.”

"You'll always be my Spike." Twilight pulled the little lizard in for a hug. To her delight, he returned it. “I always knew that one day you’d grow up and move away,” she said more quietly. “If you still want to leave during the next migration, I won’t stop you. But if you do, just make sure it’s because it’s what you want, not because you feel you have to. Okay?”

“Okay.” Several long seconds of silence passed between them. “Hey, Twilight?”

“Yes, Spike?”

“I miss my comic books.”

Twilight sighed happily. “Well,” she said, “we’ve got the rest of the day off. Why don’t we see if the book store’s still open?”

The dragon smiled. “Yeah,” he replied. “I’d like that.”

Despite his exertions that afternoon, it took Spike much longer than usual to fall asleep that night. He turned down Twilight's offer to read him a story and lay alone in the darkness, tossing and turning in his spare basket. Twilight stood with her ear to the door for a full hour before his breathing finally leveled out and he fell into a peaceful, smoke-spewing slumber.

As soon as she was certain that Spike had dropped off, Twilight made her way back down to her own bedroom and went inside, locking the door soundly behind her. She turned and stared into the middle of the room, allowing the scowl that she'd been suppressing all day to emerge onto her face. "All right," she said. "Talk."

Byuk floated lazily over Twilight's bed. "About what?" he asked nonchalantly, stretching his front hooves behind his head.

"You know about what," Twilight snapped. "There's another Death Note somewhere in Equestria, isn't there?"

"Sure looks that way." The god yawned, seeming unmoved by Twilight's persistent glare. "What? I didn't have anything to do with it."

"So there's another shinigami involved. Great. Just great." The unicorn shook her head and started to pace back and forth across the room. "All right. So how do we find them? How did you find me?"

"By smell." Byuk ran a claw along his protruding, deformed snout. "Death Notes smell like the dust in the Shinigami Realm. I was able to follow that to reach you here. My sense of smell isn't very good, though, so I couldn't be any more precise than somewhere in this town. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t be able to tell you their exact location. But you know, I did think the smell was getting stronger lately."

"So the second Kira's somewhere in Ponyville?" Byuk looked away and nodded, appearing distracted. Twilight smiled. "That narrows it down. What about this second shinigami? If he looks anything like you, he should be easy to spot.”

“Not for you. Unless you touch the specific Death Note he’s attached to, you won’t be able to see him. The second Kira won’t be able to see me, either. Although... if one of us happened to spot the other, there would be nothing stopping him from telling the pony he’s with what he saw.”

“And vice versa, I’m guessing. But you won’t help, as usual?” The dark god only sniffed in response. Twilight rolled her eyes. “Fine. Somehow, I’ve got to find the pair of them before L does. With the amount of subtlety he’s shown so far, I seriously doubt this fake Kira will be able to hide for long. If L learns about the existence of the Death Notes, it would be very bad news for both of us." The unicorn ceased her pacing and looked towards Byuk, who was staring into space with a faraway look in his eyes. “Byuk! Pay attention!”

“Sorry.” The god blinked and wiped his nose on his foreleg. “It’s just... as soon as I mentioned smell just now, it feels like the scent is getting stronger. A lot stronger.”

Twilight had already resumed her pacing. “I’ll need a copy of that recording... something to do with misdirection...” She froze as her brain caught up with her ears. “Wait. You mean it’s getting closer?”

“Yeah!” Byuk nodded excitedly. “In fact, it’s... wait.” He cocked his head to one side and stiffened. “Uh-oh.”

“Uh-oh what?”

“I know that voice.”

Twilight pricked up her ears. She strained to catch whatever words the shinigami was picking up, but the library was silent around them. “What is it?” she half-whispered, suddenly very aware of her own voice. “What do you hear?”

“Mer.”

There was a tap on the window.

A chill seemed to fall over the room. Twilight froze in place, hardly daring to breathe, and slowly turned her head inch by inch towards the window. Compared to the monstrous form she’d been half-expecting after Byuk’s pronouncement, seeing the silhouette of a lone pegasus hovering outside was almost a relief. Only partly aware of what she was doing, she crossed over to the glass pane and swung it open. To her surprise, the face out the window was one she recognized. “Fluttersh-” Twilight stopped. She twitched once. Held delicately in Fluttershy’s mouth was a black notebook.

Twilight grabbed the surprised pegasus with her magic and practically threw her inside, slamming the window shut behind her. Already her head was spinning with too many thoughts to cope with. She grabbed one at random to deal with first. “Did-” Her voice cracked. She coughed and tried again as Fluttershy got to her hooves. “Did you carry that like that all the way here?” she gasped.

“Yes,” Fluttershy said, turning to face her. She held out the notebook in her front hooves and smiled sweetly. “I wanted it to be the first thing you saw. That way, you’d recognize me right away.”

It’s a trick. It... it has to be. But how? “You... you shouldn’t have done that,” Twilight continued, her body still on automatic. “Somepony could have seen you!”

Fluttershy’s face fell. “But nopony did,” she insisted. “Mer would have told me if we’d been spotted. Besides, I thought that getting this to you would be worth the risk.”

Twilight’s gaze fell upon the black book. No. L isn’t involved. If she knew about the Death Notes, I would know. And even if she found... Her brain tactfully skipped over the name. ...the second Kira so quickly, there’s no way she could have prepared a trap so soon. “So that’s... it’s really...”

“That’s right.” Fluttershy nodded. “It’s a Death Note.”

“So you’re...” The unicorn trembled as her brain finally accepted this situation it had been presented with. “Kira. The second Kira.” Fluttershy nodded, maintaining her smile. Somehow, this only served to make the situation even more surreal. “You’re the second Kira,” Twilight repeated. Her face slowly contorted, her lips curling in horror. “Sweet Celestia, you’re the second Kira?”

“That’s right,” Fluttershy confirmed. “And you’re the first Kira.”

“Kira...” Twilight backed away. She felt light-headed. “Fluttershy... Kira... you’re...” Suddenly her hind legs gave out and she collapsed onto her haunches, staring blankly. “How?”

“Oh... oh my!” The pegasus took a step forward, fluttering her wings uncertainly. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Suddenly she gasped, looking up and reddening. “Mer!” she squeaked. “Please don’t say things like that!”

“I agree,” Byuk added, backing away rapidly. “And it doesn’t count as stealing if he never notices it’s gone,” he added in a lower voice.

Twilight looked between the two of them in confusion. Noticing this, Fluttershy blushed a second time. “Oh, I forgot. You can’t see Mer yet, can you?” She held out her Death Note towards the unicorn. “Please, touch this.”

Cautiously, Twilight reached out towards the killer notebook. Unlike her own it was not completely black on the outside; six silvery letters adorned the front in a blocky, unfamiliar language. She brushed the edge of her hoof over the surface, still in a daze. “What does this mean?” she asked.

“It is the name of the notebook’s former owner,” a new voice broke in, spitting the words with thinly-veiled contempt. “It belonged to Geldus, a fellow shinigami.”

Twilight looked up and somehow managed not to jump in fright. A new god of death had appeared beside her, uncomfortably close. A pair of cold yellow eyes bore spitefully into her own. She forced a neutral expression, rising and shuffling in the other direction. “H-hello. Pleased to meet you, mister... Mer, was it?”

Fluttershy coughed. “Um... Mer’s a girl, actually.”

Really? Twilight looked the god up and down. I don’t know how they can tell.

Mer was the same basic shape as Byuk, though a few inches taller; she resembled an enormous pegasus pony, with improbably ragged wings and hooves that extended into dexterous claws. Like her fellow god, she bore the image of a black rectangle on her left flank, though the right was bizarrely blank. That, however, was where the similarity ended.

While Byuk at least had the appearance of a flesh-and-blood being, Mer looked like someone had tried to assemble a pony skeleton and forgotten when to stop. Her torso was composed of several rib cages stacked over and through one another, with a complex network of smaller, thinner bones filling the cracks and forming irregular, branchlike spines down the length of her body. A pair of broad, chitinous plates served as her flanks. Her legs were shaped like long spinal columns that creaked whenever she moved. The only skin visible was on her face, though this was just as unnervingly pale as the rest of her body. Her equally white mane hung in thick, wormlike strands on either side of her head and across her face, each tipped with just the faintest hint of purple.

As the seconds went on, the large god gave no answer to the unicorn’s greeting. She only continued to stare. Twilight gulped. Strangely, the presence of this frightening, looming figure was actually serving to calm her down. Easy, Twilight. You can deal with this. Just take it one step at a time. She turned back to Fluttershy and concentrated on the next most pressing matter. “How did you find us?”

The enthusiastic smile returned to Fluttershy’s face. “I saw your name,” she explained. Twilight’s puzzled expression told her all she needed to know. “I’d guessed you hadn’t taken the eye deal. At first I sent Mer out to find the other shinigami in Ponyville, but when she couldn’t find him I asked her to trade for the gift of the eyes. When I look at a pony’s face with the shinigami eyes, I can see their name and lifespan. But ponies who own a Death Note don’t have a fixed timeline, so you and I don’t have numbers any more. Um... at least, that’s how Mer explained it. So when I saw you at the hub station, that’s how I knew you were the one.” She sighed dreamily. “When I look at you, I can only see your name.”

“So you do have the eyes...” Twilight tried to dwell on this further, but another thought interrupted her. “Wait a minute. So that was the reason for the flash mob at the station? You weren’t looking for the friends of Kira... you were looking for me.”

“That’s right.” Fluttershy nodded. “I hoped that if I put on a big enough show, the real Kira would show up. I would have done anything to find you.”

Twilight’s face darkened. “Then those deaths,” she continued. “You were responsible for them too.” A hint of nervousness appeared on Fluttershy’s face as the unicorn took a step forward. “You killed Sweetie Belle.”

“Of course.” The pegasus didn’t move as Twilight advanced on her. “She was turning everypony against you. I had to do something.”

“No. Fluttershy, I don’t think you’re getting this.” Twilight stepped forward and put her face close to Fluttershy’s. “You killed Sweetie Belle! Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“But... but I thought...” Their situations now reversed, it was Fluttershy who found herself backing away under Twilight’s persistent glare. “I thought it was what you would have wanted me to do.”

Something snapped. Twilight forcefully pushed the yellow mare backwards, an entire afternoon of suppressed rage bursting out of her all at once. “WHAT THE BUCKING HAY IS WRONG WITH YOU!?” she screamed.

Mer hissed threateningly, while Byuk shook his head. Twilight ignored them both. All of her attention was focused on the mare in front of her, who was now cowering in terror. “She was just a sweet, innocent little filly, and you murdered her! How could you do something like that?” Something in the back of her mind warned her that Spike was still upstairs, but she brushed it off; after a day like today, a freight train could run through the library and the little dragon wouldn’t wake. “You’re supposed to be the Element of Kindness!”

Fluttershy’s eyes flicked once to Mer, then back to Twilight. “But-”

“No buts!” Twilight continued her advance, sending the frightened mare shuffling backwards across the floor. Internal flames lit up her eyes brightly as she continued to shout. “Kira is a protector of justice, not a killer! His job is to defend the innocent, not oppress them! How could you possibly think that I would want a filly dead just for saying bad things?”

“But...” Despite being near tears, Fluttershy managed to get a word in as Twilight paused for breath. “But you killed all those EBI agents that one time!”

“That...” Twilight spluttered for a few seconds. “Th-that was completely different! They were a threat to me! It was self-defense! There is no excuse for what you did. No excuse!” She advanced further and bared her teeth. Fluttershy had given up retreating and simply cowered on the floor, openly crying. “You don’t deserve to call yourself Kira,” Twilight spat. “You’re just a murderer.” The pegasus flinched and let out a sob. “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t just kill you right now!”

“Kira, I can help you!”

The room fell silent. Kira? Twilight thought. Is that really how she sees me now? Seeing that the unicorn’s ranting had stopped, Fluttershy’s sobs leveled out to quiet whimpers. Twilight stepped backwards. She lowered her voice and tried to keep steady as she spoke. “Help me? Your ‘help’ so far has consisted of killing innocent ponies, trashing Kira’s good reputation and risking getting yourself caught just to make your way here.”

“But... but that can change now. Now that I’m with you.” Fluttershy raised herself up into a sitting position and sniffed, staring up at Twilight. “You can tell me what to do. If you guide me, I won’t get caught, and I can make up for... for my mistakes.” She seemed about to burst into tears again. Suddenly she grabbed her Death Note between two hooves and thrust it forwards, holding it as far away from her as she could. “Take it!” she cried. “If you don’t think I deserve it, then take it. I’ll still own it, technically, so I won’t lose my memories even if you hold on to it.” She looked up at the shape behind Twilight. “Right, Mer?”

“Right.”

Twilight suppressed a shudder as a breath of frigid air brushed against the back of her mane. She looked behind her, only to come nose-to-nose with the bony shinigami. She shuffled to the side, trying to keep both Fluttershy and the large god in view. The second Death Note drifted out of the yellow mare’s hooves in a wave of magenta light, coming to rest in front of the unicorn. Twilight eyed the notebook suspiciously. “You could have taken some pages out,” she said. “You might be hiding pieces back at your house.”

“I’m not!” Fluttershy protested. She sniffed and lowered her head again. “Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for you,” she mumbled. “Why won’t you trust me?”

“How can I trust you?” Twilight shot back. “The Fluttershy I know would never hurt a filly.” They stared at each other for a few seconds, a barrier between them that hadn’t been there before. Twilight broke the silence by sighing, laying the notebook down beside her. “How did this happen to you?” she asked, more gently. “Tell me everything.”

Fluttershy shuffled back and forth on her hooves. "I guess... it all started about a couple of months ago.

"It was a night like any other. I'd just gone to bed, when I heard frightening noises from downstairs. I rushed down to see what the matter was, when I found somepony who had broken in and was trying to steal from me. But that's not the worst part. Brave little Angel Bunny must have tried to stop him, and the burglar... he..." The mare stopped for a moment to collect herself, lest she burst into tears a second time. "He stomped my precious little Angel to death.

"I did everything I could to catch him. He got away, but thanks to miss Colgate we were able to track him down and bring him back. But... he wasn't punished." Fluttershy sniffed. "He didn't take or break anything, and there are no murder laws for bunnies like there are for ponies. All he got was community service. But I tried being kind to him, I really tried. I helped him when he had to pick up garbage around the park, and I invited him home for tea. He was really nice once I got to know him, and after he understood how much he’d hurt me, I really, really thought he’d learned his lesson." Her face darkened. "But I was wrong. As soon as his community service was done, he ran all the way to Hoofington. He broke into another home, just like mine. And this time... he killed a little filly."

Twilight kept her face still. "Why didn't you tell us any of this, Fluttershy?" she asked. "We could have helped you."

"Oh... I..." Fluttershy lowered her head. "I didn't want you to worry about me. I'm sorry." Twilight only gave her a hard stare. She gulped and carried on with her story. "I tried not to think about it at first. I went on with my life and tried to forget all about it. But then, one day, a miracle happened." Finally, the fearful expression fell from Fluttershy's face and she began to smile again. "I read it in the paper. A wonderful pony named Kira had killed the burglar with a heart attack. That's when I realized that I had been wrong. Kindness isn't always the answer. There are some ponies who can never learn to be nice, no matter what you do. They never think of anypony’s feelings but their own, and they never stop hurting the ones who are smaller than them. Being kind to a pony like that isn’t just pointless, it’s..." She lowered her head and her voice shifted into an unfamiliar growl. "It’s helping them hurt others.

"After that day, I started to have... dreams. Fantasies, even. It's like my mother always used to say to me when she made me take all those flight classes... 'Sometimes, you have to be cruel to be kind.' I think I finally understand what she meant. In order to protect the ones we care about, we can't let the evil ponies walk all over us. We have to stand up for ourselves. We have to show the bad ponies that they will pay for their actions. And in a world too obsessed with being kind, Kira was the only one who was brave and strong enough to protect us from evil. So I found myself wishing, praying, that some day I would be strong enough to do the same thing.

“And then, not that long ago... there was a second miracle.” Fluttershy stopped speaking and turned to the side, smiling up at the shinigami beside her. Some of the coldness left Mer’s face as she stared back. “Mer came into my life,” the pegasus continued. “She brought me the Death Note. I was scared at first, terrified. But once she showed me what the notebook can do, and how much good I can do for the world, I... I couldn’t resist. She helped me write down the first names and calmed me down whenever I got scared. When I wanted to find you, she helped me think of a plan to track you down. I never could have done any of this without her.”

Twilight ground her teeth together. “So this is your fault,” she said, addressing Mer. “You twisted her.”

Mer chuckled. “Twisted? I call it an improvement.” She ran a claw idly through Fluttershy’s mane. “Power over life and death is the greatest gift of all. All living things lust for this kind of power, whether they know it or not. All I did was give her the opportunity to realize her dreams. She wanted to help the world, and I gave her the means of doing so.”

Twilight fought to maintain her neutral expression. No. This is wrong. This is so wrong. “Why her?” she forced out. “You could have given that power to anypony. Why Fluttershy? Of all the ponies in Equestria, why did you choose her?”

Mer remained silent. Fluttershy looked up at the bony figure beside her. “Mer, you can tell her,” she said. “I want her to know the whole story.”

“Fine.” Mer folded up her wings and settled down onto the floor. She gave another contemptuous glance at Byuk before starting to speak. “Thankfully, this tale is a simple one. You see, despite what your monochromatic companion seems to believe, he was not the first god of death to stumble across the pony realm...”

There is no standard size or shape for shinigami. Most eventually settle into bipedal or quadrupedal forms not much bigger than the various living creatures they resemble, but there is no particular reason why this should be the case. Some shinigami are legless beings who come barely up to the waists of their fellow gods, while others easily tower over the mightiest of mortal beings. Then there is the King of Death, who is... another matter.

But even by the loose standards of the gods of death, Geldus was tiny. He resembled nothing so much as an ancient, well-worn doll, with a round head perched on top of a frail and impish body. The way he held himself did nothing to help his stature, folding all his limbs against his body to clutch his Death Note tightly to his chest. Compared to a pony, he would barely have been able to look over the head of a newborn foal. Time, too, had not been kind to the tiny god; he had come close to death so many times that his body was literally falling to pieces. Large chunks of him had periodically dropped off and been inexpertly stitched back on, sometimes in the wrong place. A few of these pieces had rotted away, leaving only scoured, dusty bone behind, and what skin remained on him was unevenly discoloured, turning him into a bizarre patchwork of decay and death.

Like most shinigami, Mer only came to the plains where the windows to the mortal worlds were found when she needed to fill up her Death Note. Geldus, however, seemed to spend all of his time there. He would scurry from one hole in the dust-covered plain to the next, staring down into the various mortal worlds with a peculiar mix of awe and longing. Because of this he was often teased by the other shinigami, and so had become something of a recluse. Whenever another god came onto the plain he would try to hide behind a dune or partially bury himself in the dust, hoping to hide from their scorn. On this particular occasion when Mer drifted onto the plain, however, he stayed perfectly still, staring intently into a hole the larger god didn’t recognize.

Ordinarily, Mer would have paid the patchwork shinigami no attention. This time, however, a rare blend of boredom and curiosity compelled her to approach the little god. She drifted up behind him, touching down on the dust a few feet away. “What are you looking at?” she asked.

Instead of jumping away as Mer had expected, a tiny smile appeared on Geldus’ twisted face. “She’s beautiful,” he whispered.

Mer peered over him to look into the portal. While she didn’t check the shifting worlds very often, she had to admit that this realm didn’t look like any she’d come across before. “Who is?” she asked.

Geldus pointed, not looking up. “Her.”

The surface of the portal seemed to flex and distort as Mer followed his bony finger. Her eyes were drawn deeper and deeper into the unfamiliar world until she was able to clearly make out a single life form below. The being who had caught Geldus’ interest was a yellow, four-legged creature with wings and a light pink mane and tail. She sang to herself as she pranced back and forth across a meadow, delicately picking flowers to put in the baskets at her sides. “What sort of creature is that?” Mer scoffed.

“She’s a pony. A pegasus pony. Her name is Fluttershy.” Below, the creature trotted a little further down the field and sang a few bars of a simple melody, causing Geldus to let out an uncharacteristic squeal of delight. “I want to hug her.”

“You what?”

“I want to hug her. And squeeze her, and cuddle her, and brush her mane.” He sighed happily. “She’s so wonderful.”

“Huh.” Mer peered a little closer. She knew enough about life to recognize that the pony’s motions had grace and poise to them, and her voice had a flowing, melodic quality. But beyond that, she was just like any other mortal being: meat. Meat that would one day die. “Interesting creature,” the bony shinigami said. She lifted a hoof and raised it to her side. “Maybe I’ll kill her.”

“Don’t!” To her surprise, Geldus turned around and pressed his little hand desperately against her leg. His one remaining eye stared up at her pleadingly; the other was a dark and empty socket. “Please,” he said. “Don’t.”

Mer would never admit to anyone why she chose to spare the pony’s life. When pressed, she would later claim that it had been due to nothing more than indifference. But as the little god stared up at her, something in her perpetually scornful expression slightly, almost imperceptibly, changed. She lowered her hoof and looked away. “Why her?” she asked. “What’s so special about this one pony?”

“I’ll tell you,” Geldus answered, the smile returning to his face. He gazed back down into the portal to the pony realm. “She lives in a town called Ponyville, and she’s the bearer of the Element of Kindness...”

Ponies would say that days passed, then weeks, though the shinigami have no such means of measuring time. In any case, it was not long before Mer, for reasons she didn’t care to understand, found herself wandering back to Geldus’ hole for a second time. Then, soon afterwards, a third. The visits became a regular occurrence, much to the miniature god’s delight. Every time she arrived, he would have a new story to tell her about Fluttershy and her friends. Sometimes the equine sextet would be saving Ponyville or even all of Equestria from disaster, but just as often it would be no more complex than a peaceful picnic in the park. Often one of the others would play a larger role in the events, but no matter what happened, Fluttershy was always his favorite. “She’s so adorable,” he would sigh. “I want to hold her.”

Once, he had asked Mer which pony was her favorite. “Everyone should have a favorite pony,” he’d said. “I think who you choose says a lot about your personality.”

Mer snorted. “What does it matter?” she asked. “They’re only meat. You take them far too seriously.” He didn’t ask her again after that.

This arrangement progressed peacefully for some time. At first a few of the other shinigami jeered at Mer for spending so much time with the unpopular Geldus, but as she brushed these comments off the taunting quickly died down. As time went on, however, she started to notice a change in the little god’s demeanor. His greetings weren’t as enthusiastic as they’d once been, and he seemed less eager to talk about his little ponies than before. “What’s wrong, Geldus?” Mer finally asked him after a particularly lackluster hello. “You seem changed.”

Geldus sighed and gestured downwards, not taking his eye off the portal to the pony realm. “Look at her number,” he said simply.

Mer peered down. She’d grown accustomed to focusing on the area of Ponyville, and in seconds was able to locate Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus was gently tending to a kitten’s broken leg as a pair of foals looked on nervously. The number floating above the mare’s head had shrunk. “Not much time left,” Mer observed. “How long do ponies normally live?”

“A lot longer.” Geldus pressed his hands together nervously, the fat, fleshy fingers on one side meshing poorly with the protruding bones on the other. “She’s so young,” he mumbled. “And so healthy. She has so many friends. How could anything bad happen to her?”

Mer shrugged. “Every living thing dies eventually,” she said. “You know that.” Geldus said nothing. He only wrapped his arms tightly around his Death Note and stared.

Geldus didn’t look up as Mer approached him. “It’s today,” he said simply.

“I know.” The bony shinigami took her customary place beside him. “Are you ready?”

“No.” The little god trembled and shook his head. Mer followed his gaze into the portal. Fluttershy was relaxing in Ponyville’s spa with her friend Rarity, the white unicorn. “Why today?” Geldus asked aloud. “She’s so happy. Nothing is wrong. Why today?”

Mer squinted at the number floating above Fluttershy’s head. It had shrunk down to just a few digits. “How long is that in pony time?” she asked.

“Just a few hours.” Geldus looked up at the far larger god beside him. “Will you... stay with me?”

Mer didn’t hesitate before answering. “Yes.”

Side by side, they watched. The white unicorn talked for an hour about the wonderful stallion she was seeing, while Fluttershy listened in silence. After leaving the spa, they parted ways. The pegasus stopped by the house of another friend who lived in a library, but the purple unicorn didn’t answer her door. She then went shopping, stocking up on grains and bedding for her animal friends and picking up some medical supplies that she was running low on. One of the vendors mentioned an annoying groundhog that had been sneaking into her carrot patch at night, which led to an hour-long discussion on garden safety and a promise to return later on in the week. The sun was close to setting when Fluttershy finally left Ponyville and started down the long, peaceful path to her cottage.

“Why?” Geldus rocked back and forth on the edge of the hole, squeezing his Death Note tightly against his chest. Fluttershy now had only a few minutes left to live. “Why, why, why?” Mer lowered her head, but said nothing.

On a turn in the path about halfway to the cottage, out of sight of the rest of Ponyville, a bush rustled loudly as Fluttershy passed it. She squeaked and jumped in fright. Any other time this display might have made Geldus clap his little hands in delight, but now he remained deathly quiet. Fluttershy looked to either side. “Is somepony there?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Flootershy.”

The pegasus jumped again and turned around as a blue earth pony in an elaborate black and white dress emerged from the bush behind her. “Oh! Photo Finish!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

“Flootershy, why do you insist on becoming old?”

“Huh?” Fluttershy took a nervous step backwards. “I-I don’t know what you mean.”

As the pegasus began a slow walk backwards, Photo Finish started to advance. If Fluttershy had been able to see through the artist’s thick, purple-tinted glasses, she would have caught a mad gleam in her eyes. “You have ze spark, Flootershy! You carry ze magics like no other! Your body is perfect! Your face is divine! All I, Photo Finish, wish for is to capture your essence forever in my work!”

As Photo Finish continued to advance, Fluttershy looked around. She was completely alone with this pony who was beginning to scare her. “Um... I’m sorry I didn’t answer any of your letters,” she tried. “It’s just, my friends told me that what you were doing constituted stalking, and, um-”

“But no!” the earth pony interrupted, throwing her front hooves wide. “You refused! Unt one day, your skin will wrinkle and your mane will grey unt all of zis vonderful beauty will vanish into nothing!”

“But-”

“I, Photo Finish, will not allow zat to happen!” The photographer reached into a hidden pocket on her dress. “If you will not allow me to immortalize you in my work...” In a flash she drew out a long, thin blade. “Zen I, Photo Finish, will stop time for you...” The final rays of the sun glimmered on the edge of the knife before the two ponies were cast into darkness. “In anozer way!”

Fluttershy stood still for a second, trembling in fear and confusion. It was only when the earth pony lunged forward that she finally understood her intentions. She screamed and leaped backwards, dodging the thrusted knife by inches, then turned tail and fled for the safety of her home. Photo Finish grabbed her knife between her teeth and gave chase. Fluttershy spread her wings and flapped desperately, but her heavy saddlebags prevented her from lifting off the ground. For a second she considered throwing them off, but instantly abandoned the idea; her animal friends were depending on her to get this food and medicine to them. Seeing the helpless pony’s distress, Photo Finish laughed triumphantly and quickly gained ground on her.

Mer watched the chase with her usual level of detachment. “She’s going the wrong way,” she noted calmly. “It would be safer to run back to town.” She glanced idly at her tiny companion, then did a double-take and stared down at him. “Geldus! What are you doing?”

“Ah. Ah.” Geldus was trembling in fury. He breathed heavily, his body struggling to keep itself together under the strain of the emotions running through it. “Ah. Ah.” Slowly, he prised his Death Note away from his chest and held it open. A quill materialized in his right hand, which he pressed carefully against the page.

“Don’t do it, Geldus.” Mer shook her head, but couldn’t bring herself to touch him. “Don’t do it.”

In the world below, Photo Finish finally caught up with Fluttershy. With a flying leap she knocked the pegasus off the road, sending both of them tumbling across the grass. They struggled momentarily, ending with the artist quickly gaining the advantage over the hysterical mare. She pinned Fluttershy down on her back, spitting her knife into her front hooves while the yellow pony flailed her legs uselessly. By this point, Fluttershy’s life number was down to a single digit. “Do not worry, Flootershy,” Photo Finish said in a surprisingly calm tone. “I, Photo Finish, will save you from ze agony of watching ze magics fade. You will remain young, unt beautiful...” She raised her knife high above her head and whispered her final word. “Forever.”

Photo Finish

The photographer gurgled. She stiffened and let out a final wheeze before tumbling over backwards, the knife still clutched tightly between her hooves. Fluttershy lay still for several seconds, bracing herself for a strike that was never to come. Finally she pried her eyes open and climbed to her hooves, staring in horror at the body in front of her. “Photo Finish?” She tentatively poked the unmoving earth pony. When nothing happened she put her hooves up to her mouth and began to hyperventilate. “Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!”

Far above, Mer didn’t listen to the young mare’s frantic ramblings. She only focused on the glowing number that floated over Fluttershy’s head. At the exact moment of Photo Finish’s death it had exploded outwards, finally settling onto a figure ten digits in length. Based on her limited experience with pony time, Mer guessed that such a timeline would give her several decades of life, maybe even a century. “You did it, Geldus,” she breathed, hardly able to believe it. “You saved her life.” She turned towards the little god and instantly froze up.

Geldus was vanishing. The tips of his fingers were turning into dust before his frightened eye, blowing away to join the endless plains of dust around them. He looked up helplessly, trying not to let his fear show. “Ah,” he choked out weakly.

There’s an ancient rule about the Death Note that all shinigami know. If a shinigami uses a Death Note to kill a living being, that life is cut short and the remaining time is drained from them. But if a god of death intentionally uses a Death Note to give life, not take it, then that shinigami will die.

Gently, Mer reached out and traced the tiny god’s doll-like face. His cheek crumbled beneath her hoof. “She’s safe now,” she whispered. “Fluttershy is safe because of you.”

“Ah,” Geldus vocalized again. The last stumps of his arms fell away and he lost his grip on his Death Note, letting it fall to the ground beside the portal.

Drawing away for a moment, Mer looked around. There were no other gods in sight, as far as her perfect eyes could see. She took a deep breath and leaned forwards. “Rarity,” she admitted. “My favorite pony is Rarity.”

As his final act, Geldus broke into the biggest smile of his entire life. Then he crumbled away completely and was carried off on the wind.

Mer was mostly accurate when retelling this story to Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy, except for one detail. She made sure never to mention the final words she spoke to her one and only friend.

“Once Geldus was gone,” Mer concluded, “I brought his Death Note down to Fluttershy. He died for her, so he would have wanted her to have it.”

Fluttershy nodded. “And I’m very grateful,” she added. “Before then, all my dreams of being like Kira felt like... like foalish little fantasies. But afterwards, I just knew it was meant to be.”

Twilight felt her stoic expression cracking. “You’re... you’re wrong,” she breathed, trying to hold back a scream. “Geldus wouldn’t have wanted this. He would have wanted things to stay the way they were.”

Mer’s head whipped around to stare at the unicorn. “Geldus wanted Fluttershy to be happy,” she snapped. “She wished to be a stronger pony. I granted that wish. Do you dare to tell me that is wrong?”

“Yes!” Twilight retaliated, her voice growing louder. “Everypony has fantasies like that. It doesn’t mean we act on them! She would have been happier if you’d left her alone!”

“But Kira, I am happy,” Fluttershy protested. She took a step forwards. “I know it’s going to be dangerous. But now that I’m strong enough to really help Equestria, I feel much better about myself. And more than anything else...” She blushed. “I’m happy to be with you. Mer helped, but... you’re the one who inspired me.”

There was a moment of silence, quickly broken by the fourth being in the room. “Wait, Geldus is dead?” Byuk broke in, finally catching up. He made a pouty expression. “I saw him hiding behind a dune on my way here. It’s a real shame. I liked the little guy.”

Mer narrowed her eyes. “Liked him?” she seethed. “The reason he always hid from you was because you ‘liked’ to pull his jaw off and taunt him with it, you idiot!”

Byuk laughed. “So? It was funny!” The dark god smiled, but quickly found himself withering under the combined glares of Twilight and Mer. “Okay, maybe not that funny.” The glaring continued. He gulped. “Okay, fine. I’m sorry.”

Now it was Fluttershy's turn to look between the pony and the god in confusion. "Um..." She pawed at the ground and looked up at Twilight. "If you don't mind... if it's okay with you... could I touch your Death Note as well?"

Twilight considered this. No way am I showing you where my notebook is. Wait... "Okay," she said guardedly. "Turn around and close your eyes." Fluttershy immediately obeyed. At Twilight's glance, Mer rolled her eyes and turned around as well. Satisfied, the unicorn turned away from the others and lifted the leg bearing her wristwatch. She tugged rapidly three times on the dial and a thin, hidden compartment slid open. Inside was a sliver of pencil lead and a tiny scrap of paper. She levitated this fragment of a page out and brushed it gently against Fluttershy's side, then returned it to its place and slid the secret compartment shut. "Okay. You can look now."

The pegasus turned around and opened her eyes. She gasped, catching sight of Byuk on the other side of the room. The dark god waved. "Hi. I'm Byuk."

Perhaps because she’d grown used to Mer’s presence, the pegasus showed no signs of fear at the dark god’s appearance. "Pleased to meet you, Byuk." Fluttershy bowed and smiled sweetly.

"Fluttershy." Twilight focused her coldest stare onto the pegasus. Time to get to the heart of the matter. "No more stories. Why did you come here?"

"I wanted to see you..."

"No. That's an emotional reason. If you wanted to spend time with me, you could have arranged something socially. You had a specific purpose in coming here as soon as possible.”

Fluttershy trembled. Her lips moved soundlessly, as if trying to force words out. Suddenly she cried out and threw herself to the ground in front of the surprised unicorn. "Kira, please make me your marefriend!"

"What?” Twilight blinked, her cold stare momentarily vanishing. “My... marefriend?”

"Kira, I... I love you," the yellow pegasus cried. "I would do anything for you. I gave up half my life for the shinigami eyes, just so I could help you better. I don't care if you don't like me back. I don't care if you only want to use me. I just want... to make you happy."

Marefriend... Twilight turned the word over in her mind a few times. "Fluttershy, I'm not... I mean, I don't..." She found herself blushing. "I don't think of mares in that way."

"Oh... neither do I." The pegasus was blushing as well. "But that's not important. You could be a mare or a stallion, or a donkey, a griffon, even a dragon, and I would love you just as much." Her eyes sparkled. "I was so happy when I found out you were Twilight. We’re already friends, and we already know so much about each other. At that moment, I felt like... it was destiny."

"No, Fluttershy." Twilight shook her head. "You're not my friend. You lost that right when you became a killer." Fluttershy's face fell. "Furthermore, there's a number of reasons why us getting together would be a bad idea. Firstly...” She debated for a second whether to reveal her position, then decided to go for it. “As part of my cover, I’ve joined the secret Kira investigation. That means that I’m going to spend a lot of time working closely with L.”

“You’re working with L?” Fluttershy clapped in amazement. “But... but Twilight, that’s perfect! If you introduce me to him, then I could see his real name for you and we can kill him together!”

“No. It’s not that simple.” Twilight shook her head. “L operates out of a well-protected underground base. She already suspects that I’m Kira, even though she can’t prove it, and it took her all of two seconds to work out that there’s another Kira out there. If we show up together, it would be like admitting that we’ve teamed up.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy’s face fell. “But we can still work together, right? Even if I can’t meet him... her?” Twilight nodded. “Oh. Even if I can’t meet her, I can still use my eyes to help you with other things.”

“I don’t know. Spending too much time together would be risky. Even being here now is risky. If you hadn’t pulled that stunt at the hub station, then maybe we could pass it off as friends supporting each other. But thanks to Spike, L has the crystals you recorded for the broadcast. She’ll have already scanned them for traces of hair and hoofprints. She might not be able to match you to them yet, but if she has even the slightest reason to suspect-”

“She won’t find any.” Fluttershy whimpered slightly as Twilight frowned, but continued. “You talk like I haven’t thought this through at all,” she said, sounding a little hurt. “I wore socks while making the recordings, and I scrubbed the crystals clean in boiling water before wrapping them up. I bought all the materials on a trip to Canterlot, and I flew to Cloudsdale just to mail them. I used every trick in the book to cover my tracks. Oh, please, Kira,” she begged, “won’t you trust me, even a little?”

Twilight regarded the prostrate pegasus calmly. Maybe she’s not as bad at this as I thought, she mulled. After all, she was able to find me... and she’s certainly the last pony anypony would expect to be Kira. I don’t have any real reason to doubt her intentions, especially with a god of death backing her story. Even if I can’t use her directly, having a helper with the eyes of the shinigami would be a huge advantage. And if she ever becomes a burden to me, I’ll... She pondered the thought for awhile before deciding. Yes. If I have to, I’ll kill her.

Twilight sighed. “Fine.” Fluttershy looked up, hope returning to her eyes. “Fine. I’ll be your marefriend, Fluttershy. But on some conditions.” She held up a hoof to silence the yellow pony’s squeal of happiness. “First, don’t refer to me as Kira. The last thing we want is for you to give the game away because of a slip of the tongue. From now on, you will always refer to me as Twilight or Twilight Sparkle.”

Fluttershy nodded eagerly. “Of course, Twilight.”

“Secondly, I’m keeping this Death Note.” Twilight levitated Geldus’ notebook from where she’d laid it at her side and floated it across the room, setting it down on her desk. “If I need you to kill somepony for me, I’ll give you clippings from the book, which I will expect you to return to me at the earliest opportunity. Third, you will do everything I tell you to do, immediately and without question. That’s even if I don’t tell you the whole plan, and especially if it doesn’t make sense to you at the time. Understood?”

“Yes, Twilight. I trust you.”

“And one more thing.” Twilight looked around at the two gods in the room. They were both staring down at them, one with curiosity, the other with contempt. "Byuk, Mer, leave us."

Mer snorted. Flaps of bone rose up around her neck. "I don't think so," she growled. "I don't take orders from meat."

"Better do what she says," Byuk advised her. "Believe me, you don't want to see her when she's really angry."

Fluttershy turned to the two gods. "It's okay, Mer," she reassured her companion. "I think... I want to be alone with Twilight right now. If I need you to come back, I'll call your name, okay?"

“Only if she calls your name,” Twilight added.

Mer stared down in frustration at the yellow pony. Byuk smiled awkwardly and tried to drag the bony shinigami away by her leg. She swatted his clawed hoof away, but nevertheless followed him as he drifted away through the wall. "I'll show you around," the two ponies heard as his voice grew further and further away. "Hey, Mer, have you ever tried a pony realm apple?"

The two ponies were left staring towards each other. Twilight sighed. "Fluttershy... this is going to be hard for me. But before we do anything else, there’s something we have to get out of the way. Come here." Without hesitation the pegasus cleared the distance between them, halting just inches away from the object of her adoration. She sat down, smiling up at Twilight. "Do you understand that what you did was wrong?" Twilight continued.

"Huh? Oh, yes, I do." Fluttershy nodded rapidly. "I promise, I won't kill any more ponies unless you specifically ask me to."

"That's not good enough." Twilight gritted her teeth. “Kira’s ended countless lives for far less than what you’ve done. You deserve nothing less than that. If you serve me well, maybe you can one day make up for your actions. But until then... there’s something I want you to understand.” She sighed again and looked down at her new marefriend’s frozen face. "Fluttershy, close your eyes." The pegasus immediately complied. "Do you remember Sweetie Belle?"

"Yes," Fluttershy said. "She said bad things about you. She tried to turn everypony against you."

"I know. But she was also just a little filly. She had two best friends, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, and a family who loved her very much. She loved to sing and draw and help her sister in the boutique. She was obsessed with finding her cutie mark. Sometimes, you used to foalsit for her. She looked up to you and respected you. She was your friend. She was my friend, too. And you killed her. You killed her." Twilight squeezed her eyes shut. A hot wetness made its way down one of her cheeks. "This is for her."

Before the pegasus mare could react or even realize what was happening, Twilight reared up, screeched, and swung her hoof as hard as she could towards Fluttershy's face.

The blow sent Fluttershy tumbling across the room. She cried out softly as she fell, more out of surprise than pain, and instinctively spread her wings to try to steady herself. She collided with the corner of Twilight's bed, causing her to let out another squeak, then came to a complete halt on her side. Her eyes opened and she stared up fearfully at Twilight, who had lowered herself back to all fours and was panting heavily. “Fluttershy,” the purple mare repeated, “come here.”

Hesitantly, the pegasus rose to her hooves. She stumbled forwards and sat down in front of Twilight again, not daring to look away from her. “Close your eyes.” Trembling, she shut her eyes for a second time. Twilight growled and leaned forward, her hot breath sending ripples across Fluttershy’s mane. The unicorn’s voice dropped as she whispered into Fluttershy’s ear. “This is for Sensation Shine.”

The second blow came with even less warning than the first. Twilight wasn’t a fighter, but her near-total comprehension of pony physiology made up for it. As she screamed again, her hind legs pushed against the floor at the same time as her front hoof swung upwards, launching her into an uppercut that connected with Fluttershy’s chin and lifted the yellow pegasus completely off her hooves. The struck pony twisted in midair and landed heavily on one of her wings, eliciting another squeak of pain. Twilight lowered herself to a standing position. The edges of her mane were starting to become unruly. “Fluttershy,” she said again. “Come here.”

Fluttershy let out a tiny mewl as she rolled onto her hooves. Already a bruise was starting to form from where the first punch had landed, and one of her wings appeared slightly out of alignment with the other. Her head was reeling, and the room seemed to be spinning around her. Even so, she managed to put one hoof in front of the other and collapsed into a sitting position in front of Twilight a third time. This time, she did not need to be told to close her eyes. The unicorn gently traced the contours of her marefriend’s face. Even with her limited medical experience, she could feel the chip her hoof had taken out of her jaw. Fluttershy whimpered as Twilight pressed against the injury, but said nothing. Twilight sighed and drew herself closer to Fluttershy again. “This is for Sunny Days,” she whispered.

This time, Fluttershy could feel the kick coming. Still, she did nothing as Twilight turned around, braced herself against the floor, and kicked out powerfully with both her hind legs. It was hardly a buck worthy of the Apple family, but as it caught Fluttershy in the chest it was enough to force the air from her lungs and send her sailing across the room. She slammed against a shelf against the far wall, resulting in a small rain of paperbacks onto her battered body. She choked, gasping for air, as Twilight returned again to her standing position. “Fluttershy,” she said, more quietly than the times before. “Come here.”

Fluttershy couldn’t stand. She could only crawl, dragging herself inch by inch across the floor. She wheezed and gasped for breath, finally collapsing in front of Twilight. “Sit up,” the unicorn commanded. Painfully, she clawed herself into a more upright position. “Close your eyes.” Fluttershy looked up, whimpering. Tears snaked their way down both of her cheeks. “Fluttershy,” Twilight growled, “close your eyes.” Trembling, the pegasus complied. Twilight leaned in for the final time. “And this,” she whispered, “is for me.”

Without another thought, the unicorn took a deep breath, wrapped her forelegs around Fluttershy, and pulled her into a kiss.

Fluttershy’s eyes snapped open. As Twilight’s lips pressed against her own she froze up, afraid to gasp, to move, or even to breathe. She was struck by the impression that she was floating; it took her a second to realize that she was actually being lifted into the air. Twilight’s horn lit up brightly, surrounding them both with a gentle magical glow. A soothing warmness filled the pegasus’ chest, easing her pain and calming her aching lungs. The darkening bruise on her cheek dwindled and faded to nothing, while her crumpled wing straightened and automatically flexed back into place. Even the burning in her jaw faded into nothing more than a dull ache. As the light dimmed and she drifted downwards every muscle in her body relaxed, feeling as though she was melting under Twilight’s touch. A soft sigh escaped her and she slowly closed her eyes once again.

After what seemed like an eternity, Twilight pulled away. She wiped her mouth on her hoof and backed off. “I don’t love you, Fluttershy,” she explained. “I don’t think I can ever love you, after what you’ve done. But I’ll be your marefriend. And together, we’ll defeat L and bring forth a new era of peace and harmony for all ponies.” She paused for effect. The words seemed to be lost on Fluttershy, who was still frozen as if in a trance. Twilight sighed. “You’ll feel some swelling on one side of your mouth for a few weeks,” she added. “That’s normal. Try not to touch it and you’ll be fine.”

“Twilight...” Fluttershy mumbled, still barely listening. “That was wonderful.”

“Hm? Yeah. Fine.” Twilight looked away, feeling a blush come to her cheeks. Was that overkill? she wondered, glancing at the yellow pony’s glazed expression. No. Her response to the punishment was a good indication of her loyalty, but I still need her to trust me as much as possible. The more attached she is, the easier she’ll be to control. “That’s all. You can call for Mer now.”

This seemed to snap the pegasus out of her trance. “Oh! Okay. Mer!” she called, a little more loudly than Twilight liked. “You can come back now!”

As Fluttershy continued to sit, Twilight busied herself around her bed. “It’s probably best if you stay here for the night. In the spare bed,” she added as Fluttershy’s eyes lit up. “I’ll wake you first thing in the morning so you can get home before anypony notices. Afterwards, don’t try to contact me again. I’ll come to you if, and only if, I need you. If you disobey me, or if I even suspect that you can’t be trusted, I will kill you. Don’t think I won’t.”

“You will not do that, Twilight Sparkle.”

The ghostly voice sent a strong shiver through Twilight. She turned around. Mer had floated through the wall and was hovering over Fluttershy, glaring daggers at the unicorn. Byuk had entered behind her and was trying to keep his distance. “I promised Geldus that I would protect Fluttershy,” the white shinigami continued. “I know how much time she had left before picking up the Death Note. Even half that amount would be worth a large number of your years. If she dies before that time, then I will blame you, Twilight Sparkle... and I will write your name in my Death Note.”

Twilight gulped. “That’s against the rules,” she protested. “I have them all memorized. A god of death may not kill the owner of a different-”

“Against the rules,” Mer interrupted, “but not impossible.”

Well, so much for that plan. Twilight bit her lip and stared at the god and pony together. Seeing the way that Mer positioned her legs above Fluttershy, almost like a protective embrace, gave Twilight another idea. “Wait a minute,” she said, thinking aloud. “Mer. Fluttershy’s happiness is important to you, isn’t it?”

“Not to me,” the god answered defensively. “But it was to Geldus. It’s for his sake that I choose to protect her.”

A hint of a grin started to appear on Twilight’s face. “In that case,” she continued, “would you consider killing L?” Fluttershy gasped, but Twilight ignored her. “I know you’re not supposed to tell us her name, but there’s no rule that says you can’t kill her yourself. Right now, L is the one hunting us down. Without her in the picture, Fluttershy and I wouldn’t have to hide any more. We’d be able to live together, and rule the new world together in peace. I think that would make Fluttershy very happy. Right, Fluttershy?”

“Oh, yes!” The pegasus rose up and rushed to Twilight’s side, wrapping a wing around her. She looked up pleadingly at the pale god. “Would you, Mer? If I could stay with Twilight forever, that would be so wonderful!”

Mer stared down at them, her face unreadable. Byuk moved beside her, shaking his head desperately. “Don’t do it, Mer,” he pleaded. “This is the perfect game those two have going! Don’t stop it just because somepony asked you to!”

Silence fell over the room. Mer continued to glare, her eyes boring into the unicorn like drills. After she felt enough time had passed, Twilight sighed. “Fine,” she said. “It was just a thought.” She shrugged Fluttershy’s wing off of her and turned away. “I’ll get some bedsheets out of the cupboard. Try and-”

Mer spoke. “All right.”

Twilight looked up. “All right,” Mer repeated. “I’ll do it.” She floated down and landed heavily on the floor, her legs creaking and flexing beneath her. “I don’t like you, Twilight Sparkle. But if it will make Fluttershy happy, then I will kill this pony for you.” Byuk started to protest again, but Mer’s glare cut him off. “Her death will make no difference to me. L is just another pony. Fluttershy is the only one who matters.”

“Oh, thank you!” Fluttershy broke away from Twilight and ran over to the pale god, nuzzling one of her legs. “Thank you, Mer,” she mumbled, smiling widely. “You don’t know how happy this makes me.”

Twilight slowly became aware that she had stiffened up. She’s really going to do it? The god’s next words snapped her out of her stupor. “When would you like me to do it?” Mer asked.

“Oh... um...” Twilight blinked and thought quickly. “Sometime in the next few days. Not right away. The others would find it suspicious if L died right after I joined the team, and... I don’t want to involve them if I don’t have to.”

Inside the unicorn’s head, her shocked expression slowly morphed into a twisted grin of delight. Could it really be so simple? she wondered. I didn’t really think that would work. But it looks like this shinigami will be the answer to all my problems. Once again, the worst day of my life has turned into the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

L will die.

I’ve won.

---

Dear Princess Luna,

I’m afraid our troubles have been doubled. L has determined that the recent broadcast from the Ponyville hub station was the work of a second Kira masquerading as the first. The new entity, dubbed Kira II, has been shown to be more violent and impulsive than the first, openly killing ponies who are not a threat to him. Fortunately, L believes that this impulsiveness will also make him easier to track. Already we have unearthed some key information that may lead us to the second Kira’s hiding place. Better yet, L is confident that capturing the second Kira will lead us directly to the first. With luck, I will be able to report the arrest of both Kiras to you within a matter of days.

Your faithful servant,

Colgate

Next episode: The golems return!

Snatch

16
*Snatch*

The borrower of a Death Note will not be followed by a God of Death. A shinigami will generally stay with the rightful owner of the Note, regardless of who is holding it at the time.

The morning couldn't come quickly enough for Twilight. As soon as the first rays of the sun peeked through her window her eyes cracked open. The sight of Fluttershy fast asleep in her spare bed quickly roused her. She pulled herself up and winced. Having not had the chance to remove it last night, she’d had to sleep with the miniaturized Death Note still hidden within the fibres of her tail. It had gotten caught in a knot as she’d tossed and turned in her sleep and was pinching her painfully as she stretched. Quietly adjusting it and rubbing sleep from her eyes, the unicorn got to her hooves and out of habit ran a comb through her disheveled mane. Byuk and Mer were nowhere to be seen. Taking advantage of this, Twilight quickly crossed over to her desk and picked up Geldus' Death Note from where she had left it last night. She opened the hidden compartment inside the drawer and slid it inside, filling the space normally occupied by her own notebook. Then she closed it up silently and walked back to Fluttershy, poking her gently to wake her up.

"Twilight?" Fluttershy opened her eyes slowly, letting out a sleepy yawn. She smiled at the sight of her marefriend standing over her. "I'm so happy," she mumbled. "I was worried that last night was just a dream." She stretched and started to pull herself into a sitting position. "Would you like me to cook breakfast?"

"No time for that," Twilight said, lifting the covers off of the pegasus. "The sun's already up. You need to get going."

“Oh... okay.” Still bleary-eyed, Fluttershy raised herself up and hopped down to the floor. She brushed closely against Twilight’s side, then, to the unicorn’s mounting horror, nuzzled playfully against her neck. “I did dream about you, though,” the pegasus whispered, stretching a wing across her shoulders.

“Don’t touch me!” Twilight pushed the startled mare away, stiffening up. “Don’t think that just because I let you stay here it means you can do whatever you want.”

“But...” Fluttershy took a step forward, wavering uncertainly. “I thought... since we’re marefriends now...”

“In name only,” Twilight said forcefully. “Fluttershy, we are not dating. I’ll act like we are around other ponies to justify you fawning over me, but beyond that this is purely a working relationship.”

Fluttershy lowered her head and looked up at Twilight with big, quivering eyes. It didn’t work; in those pretty blue irises Twilight could only see the limp body of Sweetie Belle falling to the ground, again and again. “I understand,” Fluttershy said. “But is it okay if we...” She gulped, wondering how far to push her luck. “Hug? Sometimes?”

Twilight turned away and habitually began remaking the spare bed. “Maybe,” she answered vaguely. “If you earn it. You’ve got a lot of making up to do. After all...” She turned and gave Fluttershy a hard stare. “I don’t usually let murderers live.”

Fluttershy winced. Her face creased up as though she was about to cry, but she kept it contained. Twilight turned away to hide the hint of a smile growing on her face, which just as quickly turned to a hint of a frown. She doesn’t need to know about Sunny Days, she decided. Or Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Besides, those situations were completely different! She glanced back at the pegasus, feeling a spike of anger well up in her. I did those things because L backed me into a corner. I had no choice! Fluttershy had a choice! She killed those ponies just because she wanted to! If I didn’t need her alive...

This final thought served to calm the unicorn down somewhat. Grudgingly, she extended a foreleg towards the distraught pegasus. Fluttershy looked at it in delight and, tentatively smiling, accepted it. Hoof in hoof, the two ponies made their way downstairs.

At the bottom of the stairs, Twilight gave the delighted pegasus a quick pat down to make sure the magic band around her jaw was holding. "Just hurry straight home," she instructed her, ushering her towards the door. "Tell Mer to meet me here tomorrow night. I'll tell her what to do about L then. We won’t be able to see each other for awhile, not so soon after your broadcast. I’ll let you know when it’s safe, maybe in a week or two. Think you can last that long?” Hesitantly, Fluttershy nodded. “Good. For now, just make sure that nopony sees-" Twilight opened the door and her heart leaped into her mouth. "-you..." she finished weakly.

A mint green pony stood just outside the library, her hoof raised to knock. Her horn had once again vanished to somewhere inside her head and she wore a slightly puzzled expression on her face. "Good morning, Twilight," L said. "And... to your friend, as well."

It was as if Twilight’s mind had hit a wall. She physically felt her plan shatter into pieces around her, leaving her in a suffocating mental void. She grasped for words, keenly aware of how every second of silence was making the situation worse. “Um,” she started. Feeling slightly absurd, she tried to feign nonchalance, though a tremor was evident in her voice. “Fluttershy, this is... this is Harpy Chords. She visits the library sometimes. Harpy, this is my friend Fluttershy.” Friend. Just friend. For now.

"P-pleased to meet you," Fluttershy said shyly. She was also blushing, though for a different reason than Twilight. As she extended a hoof in greeting, her eyes flicked upwards. Harpy Chords? she wondered. Her eyes burned. The glowing lights above the strange pony's head shone down at her. But... that's different than the name I'm seeing...

"Lovely to meet you, Fluttershy." L happily shook the pegasus' hoof and gave her a friendly smile. "Any friend of Twilight's is a friend of mine."

Twilight held her breath as Fluttershy and her nemesis shook hooves. When they released each other and stepped back, she found herself almost disappointed. Is that it? Hurriedly she scanned the detective’s face, but to her growing annoyance could detect nothing in her eyes. You can’t think nothing of this. Me having a friend over the night after the second Kira revealed herself should be setting off all kinds of alarms. Are you really going to just let this go? She coughed. "Anyways, Fluttershy, shouldn't you be getting home? You've got a big day ahead of you, I'm sure."

"Oh... of course. See you later, Twilight." With a worried smile, Fluttershy brushed past the strange pony and trotted outside, breaking into a canter as soon as the mare's eyes were off her.

"So, um..." Twilight smiled awkwardly. She tried to release the tightness in her chest, but couldn’t quite manage it. "Do you want to come in?"

"I'd love to." L walked inside, letting the door swing shut behind her. Instantly, her demeanor changed. The warm smile faded from her face and her body stiffened, coming closer to the cold informality Twilight was more used to. "How are you, Twilight?" she asked, her voice dropping noticeably in pitch.

"I'm, um, fine." The unicorn shuffled nervously. What are you up to? If I were in your shoes, I would have had us both arrested by now. Amidst the panic, a thought started to form. Unless...

"Really? That's good to hear." L was scanning the shelves near the door, as if searching for something. "I'm glad that you're handling the deaths of your close friends so well. Most ponies would be completely laid up for days, if not weeks."

Twilight flinched. "I'm... trying not to think about it," she admitted. "This investigation is what's most important to me. So long as I focus on that, I'm okay."

"Is that so? That's nice." L's eyes finally focused on a box on a shelf near the floor. Her eyes lit up. "You have Battleskies!?"

"Um... yes." Before Twilight could say anything else, L had yanked the board game off of the shelf and removed the lid. "I don't play it often. It just came with the library, like everything else."

L turned to her and smiled, apparently a genuine smile this time. "Would you like to play?" she asked.

Twilight examined her opponent's face. Is she serious? she wondered. She just caught her number one suspect in possibly the most compromising situation imaginable... and she wants to play a board game? A few seconds passed, in which L's expression didn't shift in the slightest. "Right now?" Twilight asked. "Are you sure?"

"No time like the present. Everypony else is asleep or busy, and..." For a second Twilight thought she detected a hint of sadness in the detective's voice, though she would later pass it off as her imagination. "And nopony ever wants to play," L finished.

"Well..." Something clicked. This is an interrogation, isn’t it? She’s going to get the information out of me right here. After all, I’m sure she didn’t become the greatest detective in the world by jumping to conclusions. She’ll want to talk to both of us before making any arrests. But... As Twilight pretended to consider L’s offer, a warm glow filled her chest. All the tension started to drain out from her, leaving only a bubbly, tingly elation. But there’s one thing you overlooked, L. Something you had no way of knowing about.

Fluttershy saw your name.

Twilight smiled, genuinely this time. "Sure. I'm always up for a challenge." She levitated up the game box and led the way towards the kitchen. If I teleport, I can easily reach Fluttershy before you do. After that, I can write down your name without Mer’s help after all. Even if you arrest one of us, you’ll die by my hoof in a few days anyway, and nopony will be any the wiser. All I have to do is last one conversation without arousing your suspicions. Wordlessly, Twilight laid out both the game boards on the kitchen table and sat down at one side. L took the seat opposite. The unicorn gave a lasting stare across the table before reaching for her game pieces. “Are you ready, L?”

The mint pony nodded and raised a hoof towards her own board. “Let’s play.”

The origin of the game of Battleskies is generally attributed, incorrectly, to the pegasi. It is well known that it was initially developed during times of civil unrest, specifically the period of confrontation between General Cyclone and General Typhoon in the post-classical era, as a mental exercise for generals before battles. The setting of the lower stratosphere and overall violent nature of the original game certainly gives the impression of a game of pegasus design. However, the first board was in fact created by the unicorn Bright Idea as an exercise in defense against a possible pegasus attack. With that in mind, it’s much easier to see how the battle was meant to be played out on the grid: each turn, a unicorn would shoot a lance of light into the air, destroying one square of protective cloud, and the pegasi would move one of their soldiers one square in any direction. If the unicorns were too predictable in their guesswork they could easily be avoided, but if the pegasi were incautious they would soon end up trapped.

Even after the unrest between the pegasi was resolved peacefully, the game of Battleskies remained popular among the unicorn elites for years to come. It was universally praised, even by the two Princesses, for forcing the players to consider the roles of both attacker and defender. A watered-down version was eventually created and marketed as a game for foals, only the name hinting at its darker origins. Twilight had studied the history and theories of the game in her fourth year at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and had even had the honor of losing a game to Brilliant Idea, the many times over great-granddaughter of Bright Idea herself. The game was often heralded as the greatest test of wits between two ponies, so the young unicorn had dived eagerly into its study and practice.

And she had never once, in all her years, met anypony who was so unbelievably bad at it.

If not for L’s obvious enthusiasm, Twilight would have guessed that the disguised unicorn wasn’t even trying. Her attacks on Twilight’s board were neither the deceptive patterns of an advanced player nor the random guesses of a newcomer, instead progressing in a predictable spiral that the lavender mare’s pieces were able to evade easily. She also declined the chance to move her own forces each turn, claiming that they were “already in the optimal positions.” Twilight begged to differ; using a basic variant of Red Feather’s guessing algorithm she’d already captured three of L’s pieces, and was poised to quickly root out the other two.

This has to be some kind of trick, Twilight thought as she watched the detective stare at the board in deep concentration. Her face was lit up like a foal discovering a new toy. There’s no way the world’s greatest detective could be so terrible at a simple guessing game... could she? She winced as L made yet another completely inaccurate guess. “Miss,” she answered, then fired off another guess of her own. No... she has to be doing this intentionally. But why?

Am I supposed to be going easy on her? Twilight wondered as the green mare pushed another blue token onto her board. Is that it? Does she think that only Kira would try to crush her completely, while Twilight Sparkle would give her a fighting chance? No... Twilight would think that L would want her to play at no less than her best. She started to nod to herself, but then frowned. Or is that what she thinks Kira would think!? Would Twilight not worry about having to prove herself, while Kira would cover her intentions up? Or maybe-

“Twilight,” L interrupted, breaking into her thoughts. “I’m surprised at you.”

“You are?” Twilight gasped. She quickly took a deep breath and steadied herself. “I mean, I’m sorry. I’m sort of out of practice, and I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”

“What? Oh, no, your playing is fine. I was more surprised by your choice of companion earlier. I must confess, I did not think that you would have an interest in pegasi.”

The unicorn opened her mouth, then closed it. Her eyes widened as several thoughts struck her at once. For all her fussing over the second Kira, she’d neglected to consider the other possibly compromising implications of the situation. A pair of mares rushing out of the house in the early morning? Her own look of fear and embarrassment at being “caught”? Fluttershy’s blushing, her hair still tousled from a night of restless sleep...

Twilight turned beet red. "It was just a sleepover!" she gasped, fighting unsuccessfully to control her blushing. "We're just friends! It's something friends do!"

"With those eyes she was giving you? No, I do not think so. I would be most surprised if you thought so, either." The detective chuckled dryly. "You don't have to be embarrassed, Twilight. I share my bed with an earth pony, after all. I just expected, given your natural magical talent, that you would end up with a unicorn like yourself, or even another far-flung relative of the Princesses. Sky eight."

"Oh... um, miss." Twilight bit her lip and levitated another blue marker onto her board. Guess I don’t have a choice. "It's one-sided," she admitted. "Fluttershy admitted her feelings for me, and... I just don't want to hurt her. I don't feel the same way about her, and she knows that. It’s not ideal, but she’s willing to try to make it work, so... I think it’s worth a shot. And we're not... sharing beds." She blushed again. "We're not that close. Farm four."

"You found my eagle." L removed one of her two remaining pieces from her board. "How long have you been seeing each other?"

“Oh, um... not long.” A familiar tremble returned. Oh, curse my inability to lie! Come on, I just have to fudge it a little. “She says she's had these feelings for awhile, but it's only become official during... the past couple of days.” No, that’s too convenient...

“Interesting,” L noted as the unicorn floundered. “So soon after the deaths of her friends?”

Twilight had to suppress a smile. L, you genius! “I think that’s what actually made her decide,” she improvised. “When somepony loses a close friend, it makes them value their remaining friendships all the more closely. They start to think about what life would be like without the friends they have left, and they realize they have to act on those connections or risk losing them forever. I probably wouldn’t have agreed to try if I hadn’t been thinking something similar.” She looked up thoughtfully. “Actually, that would make a good report for the Princess. I’ll have to write that down. Swamp six.”

"Miss." L stroked her chin. "So she is the one who approached you? And her feelings are not fully reciprocated?"

"That's right," Twilight responded, nervousness rising. “Is that... bad?”

“No. On the contrary, it will make this easier.”

Twilight waited for L to elaborate, but the green mare seemed to have fallen silent. I guess it’s official, then, she realized. I’m dating Fluttershy. Oh Celestia, I’m dating Fluttershy... Groaning inwardly, the unicorn ran a hoof through her mane and decided to broach the main issue. Well, they say the best defense is a good offense. Who said that? Sunny Stew? I’ll have to read up on that later. "Look, I know how this must look..."

L raised an eyebrow. “Look?” she said, an edge of coldness creeping back into her voice. “Believe me, Twilight, I could not possibly be more aware of how this looks.”

A chill ran down the lavender mare’s spine, but she ignored it. “Right. So you’re probably not going to like this, and I’ll completely understand if you don’t agree. But... for Fluttershy’s sake, is it possible that you could not tell anypony about this?” Somehow, L managed to raise her eyebrow even higher. Twilight winced. “I know it sounds bad, and if you can’t because it gets in the way of the investigation, that’s fine. But Fluttershy’s been through a lot lately, and I don’t know exactly how things are going to work out between us yet, so I don’t want anypony to get the wrong idea about her if it’s not absolutely necessary.”

L continued to stare for several long, agonizing seconds before slowly nodding. “I understand, Twilight,” she said. “I am no stranger to keeping secrets. I can’t promise that it won’t come up, but if I can, I won’t tell anypony about your relationship.”

A faint lightness seemed to fill Twilight’s chest. “I... thank you, L,” she breathed. “Thank you so much.” Hook, line and sinker. Maybe I’d make a good marefriend after all.

“Think nothing of it. Farm seven.” L leaned forward again and smiled thinly. “Although, I suspect I will not have to keep this a secret if you continue to quake like a schoolfilly every time you two are seen together.”

“Yeah... it’s going to take some getting used to. Miss.” That shot had come fairly close to two of her pieces. Twilight moved her weather pony one square to the left. “Mostly I think it was just seeing you. I mean, the stories say you never let anypony see your face. Isn’t it dangerous to keep coming out in public like this?”

L chuckled. “Another myth I like to propagate. I’ve spent a great deal of time around Ponyville, usually under Bon Bon’s supervision. After all, a familiar face is far less suspicious than an unfamiliar one, even without a name attached.”

Twilight considered this. “That makes sense,” she admitted. “But even so, this is the third time you’ve walked all the way across Ponyville to meet me here. Isn’t that unnecessary?”

Now it was the detective’s turn to pause. “In a sense, yes,” she said slowly. “I could have sent any one of the others to update you on the situation. But speaking to you personally is, I feel, well worth the inconvenience. After all,” she gestured to the boards between them, “if I hadn’t, we wouldn’t be playing this game.”

Twilight looked down at the game. “I guess,” she said, unsatisfied. “Farm seven.”

“Miss.” Inwardly, Twilight groaned in frustration. “But there’s one other thing,” L continued. “Something one has to get close to a pony to understand. You see, Twilight...” The detective’s voice dropped, and for a moment something else could be heard in her flat tone. “I want you to trust me.”

“Huh?” Twilight put her head to the side. “I do trust you, L.”

“No, you don’t. Not yet. Not completely.” L bit her lip and stared with a strange intensity at the game in front of them. “You still look at me as an opposite, not an equal. We find ourselves on opposing sides of the board when we should be working together. If you truly do believe in bringing justice to Equestria, then it’s going to mean working with bravery and unity...” She looked up. “And for everypony to truly be who they claim to be.”

Twilight breathed in. Something familiar and half-forgotten floated across her heart. “L...”

“In any case,” the detective continued, her voice returning to normal, “even without my earth pony disguise, you are the only one not in residence at our base who knows that I am connected to the investigation. Presently barring Spike, of course.” They both glanced upwards. On the top floor, the little dragon was no doubt still fast asleep. “Accordingly, I’ve taken the necessary precautions. If I should die in the next few days, I’ve left instructions that you are to be held accountable. You understand, of course. Cloud two.”

Twilight nodded weakly. “Of course,” she echoed. She probably thinks she’s securing her safety. But it won’t make a difference. Once I reach Fluttershy I can start the countdown at five days, or ten, or the whole twenty-three. Even if I have to wait a little longer, I’ll still win. “Miss. Sky one.”

“Miss.”

The pair fell silent for a few seconds as the detective looked over the board. The purple unicorn shuffled in her seat. “Look... L.” Twilight breathed in. Everything hinged on the outcome of these next few sentences. “I want you to trust me too. And I know you have a lot of reasons not to trust me, so I think it’s important that we get this out of the way.” She looked to the side. “You’ve been good about not bringing this up, directly at least, but, you know... me, of all ponies, getting a new marefriend around the same time you discovered there was a second Kira. I’m sure it hasn’t helped your suspicions of me.” She hung her head. “In fact, if I was in your shoes, I’d say that to call it suspicious would be an understatement.”

“The thought... had crossed my mind.” L paused a little longer before shaking her head. “You are correct, Twilight. The timing is unfortunate, and I am not the type to dismiss such an event as mere coincidence. However... while I cannot claim to know Kira’s mind completely, I do not think that he would take such an unnecessary risk when there are other means of communication that would put him in a far less compromising position. This particular brand of deception is, basically, not his style. It is possible that he is attempting to trick me, but I see no reason to shoehorn him into the equation when a better, simpler answer is waiting in the wings. Cloud eleven.”

Twilight gave a small sigh of relief, and, internally, a much larger one. “Thanks, L. That means a lot to me.” She tried to give the detective a friendly smile, but L had returned to staring at the game board. Twilight looked down as well and frowned. “Um, L? The board only goes up to ten.”

"Does it?" The detective peered down at the painted squares. "Oh, yes. Sometimes I forget. Cloud ten, then. However...” she added, straightening up a little. “As to that other solution I mentioned, I think you’ll find it to be both good and bad news for you. You see, Twilight, while I trust both you and Kira to be clever and discreet, I am not sure that the second Kira has the same capacity for subtlety."

Twilight took a moment to register this, then choked. "You don’t mean..."

"Hit or miss, Twilight?"

"I... um..." The lavender unicorn looked down at the board. "Oh. You... you stung my bumblebee. Well done." She chuckled nervously and removed the piece from the board. "But... is this because of me?"

“Twilight.” The detective’s voice was now stone cold. “It’s time to earn that trust. How much did you tell Fluttershy about the investigation?”

“Nothing! Well...” L’s eyes seemed to pierce through her. “Only that I’m attached to it, and that there’s a pony code named L involved. That’s all.”

“Did she know more than an average citizen would? Is she aware that I am in Ponyville?”

“No! I mean, I don’t think so.”

“Did she seem interested in the case? Did she press you for information?”

“She didn’t! I only told her as much as I did so she would know why we couldn’t spend much time together.” Twilight was now visibly trembling. “L, you’re scaring me. What does Fluttershy have to do with any of this?”

“The crystals, Twilight. The ones that were sent to the Ponyville hub station.” L sat back and folded her forelegs in front of her. “You remember them, don’t you?”

“Of... of course.” Twilight nodded. “Spike gave them to Colgate after I picked him up yesterday.” She felt the tightness begin to return to her chest. “Why? Did you find something on them?”

"No. There were partial hoof and tooth marks, but they could each be traced back to the station manager and his assistant. However, that’s not the interesting part. You see, after you left yesterday, Derpy started to feel better and remembered that she'd delivered a number of packages to the hub station in the week leading up to the broadcast. With her help, we were able to locate the original packages that the two crystals arrived in."

"Really?” Twilight struggled to connect this new information. As she often did when she was stressed, she covered up her panic with logical analysis. “I guess that means you could trace them back to where they came from."

"We did so. The package was mailed from Cloudsdale. Swamp eight."

"Oh. That would point to a pegasus, then." Twilight put a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. "Or maybe that's a misdirection. It could have been a unicorn who knows a cloudwalking spell, or an earth pony who knows a unicorn." She looked at the board again. “Wow. You found my eagle. Lucky.”

“Very.” L nodded. "We considered the implications of a cloud city at first. But you see, the address isn't the crucial part. We analyzed the tape holding the package together and found several different types of animal hair clinging to it. The level of diversity directed us to the home of your friend Fluttershy, where we found matches for every one. Sky two."

Twilight trembled. That... idiot! I should have known she'd mess up somewhere! "You rained on my cumulus," she said weakly, removing another piece from the board. "So you mean... you really think... it was Fluttershy who sent those crystals?"

L nodded. "It would certainly seem that way. Either she is the second Kira, or she was being manipulated by the second Kira into helping him or her. The fact that she approached you suggests the former. I’m sorry that you had to find out this way. City seven."

"You... you zapped my thunderbolt." That means... you must suspect me. Say it. Why won't you say it? "You mean..."

"Yes. I believe she may have been getting close to you in order to infiltrate this group and gain access to me.” L put on a strange half-smile. “Had she waited a little longer, I might have believed she was attempting to connect with the first Kira. However, there was only a very brief window between the broadcast of Fluttershy’s message and her arrival here, during which Rainbow Dash and Colgate reported no signs of you signalling any secret identity. I am convinced that Spike will uphold this testimony. It is more likely that she learned or surmised that you were part of this investigation, and was clumsily attempting to infiltrate it. She possibly connected you to Spike after he famously recovered the recording crystals yesterday, or perhaps simply assumed you would be involved based on your intelligence and standing. Either way, it’s likely that you were being manipulated.”

Twilight gulped. “Fluttershy wouldn’t do that,” she said quietly, disguising her discomfort as horror of a different kind. “She... she wouldn’t.”

The detective continued talking. "We searched her home last night, but Fluttershy herself was nowhere to be found. Now we know why." L chuckled humorlessly again, not looking up from the board. "Not to worry. Bon Bon and Jazz are waiting on the path leading up to her cottage. Based on the speed at which she left this building, they should be apprehending her as we speak. Cloud nine."

"You're going to... arrest her?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, Twilight. I know this must be painful for you to hear. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you not to come to the base for a few days. No matter how good your intentions, we cannot allow for any conflict of interest to interfere with this investigation. I have made a similar request to Rainbow Dash. Spike, unfortunately, cannot be excluded, as we need him for rapid communication with Canterlot." L finally looked Twilight in the eyes. "Cloud nine."

"You... you got my weather pony." Twilight sat back and stared. "H-how did you do that?"

"Oh, it's easy once you start really learning how to play." L swung herself off her seat and landed on all four hooves. "This was fun, Twilight, despite the circumstances. We should play again sometime." She started to trot away, an unusual lightness in her step. “Please send Spike our way as soon as he wakes up. I’ll expect him before lunch.” Without another word she vanished out the doorway.

Twilight sat. She twitched. Her left ear fluttered rapidly, then stopped. As carefully as if she were holding a hooffull of eggs, she stretched a foreleg across the table and turned L’s Battleskies board towards her. The detective’s final piece, her lightning bolt, was positioned one square above and to the right of the very center. Under Red Feather’s standard formula, assuming the opponent never moved, this would be the absolute last section of the board to be reached.

Twilight blinked. Her legs tensed up with energy. She felt a very strong urge to scream, to run, to rear up and smash that tiny cardboard lightning bolt into powder. Instead she put her face in her hooves and sat, completely and utterly defeated.

It took a long time for Sunny Days to wake up.

For a pony accustomed to rising at the crack of dawn, sleeping in so late felt unnatural. But as the first rays of the sun had peered over the tops of the roofs outside and brushed their way over the filly's face, she’d stayed perfectly still. She’d had no reason to set her alarm that morning; the hub station was temporarily closed while Crew Cut arranged repairs to the building, and, everypony suspected, to his damaged ego. Despite her insistence on sleeping in Sunny had found herself automatically rousing, her body insisting that now was the time to get up. In response she’d lain still, her breathing regular as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Without work to motivate her, she felt no compelling reason to get out of bed. She still hadn’t finished the homework Cheerilee had given her, but that could wait. Everything could wait. For once, the sun began its day without her.

Time passed. Sunny Days was marginally aware of her sister Peachy Pie getting up at her usual time, rolling out of the lower bunk on the bed the two sisters shared. Sunny felt her sibling stare up at her for what seemed like several long minutes before silently leaving the room. After that, all was quiet. Hours drifted by in what felt like seconds. Gradually she felt the faint ache in her stomach grow into a roaring hunger, her body loudly protesting at having missed breakfast. Still she did not move. Somehow, finding food didn’t seem all that important.

Nothing seemed all that important any more.

Some time yet later - it was about a quarter to noon, though she had no way of knowing this - the bedroom door opened again. The noise brought Sunny Days back to consciousness, though she kept her eyes closed. She felt herself tensing up, preparing for a verbal lashing from one of her parents for lazing the day away in bed, but none came. Instead the hoofsteps that clopped slowly into the room were softer, lighter, the sound of her little sister. Peachy Pie stood at the bottom of the bed for several seconds before climbing up the ladder separating them. A shadow passed in front of the sun, and Sunny Days cracked one eye open. Her sister's face loomed over her, uncomfortably close. They stayed that way for what seemed a long time.

Finally, Peachy Pie spoke. Her voice was a whisper, and a faint tremor hung on every word. "Why are you still alive?"

Sunny Days opened her eye fully and gaped. She tried to respond but coughed instead, her dry throat catching her words before they could reach her lips. "Uh?" she managed.

"Why are you still alive?" Peachy Pie repeated, a little more forcefully. She climbed fully onto the bunk and sat looking down at her sister, her face showing poorly-hidden sorrow and confusion. She was an inch taller than most fillies her age, almost keeping up with her older sister, so she easily towered over the prone pony. "You were supposed to die. Kira always kills who he wants to kill. Why didn't you die?"

Sunny swallowed painfully and choked out an answer. "I don't know," she wheezed. She tried to think of a guess or an explanation, but her sleep-addled brain couldn’t come up with anything. "I just don't know."

Peachy Pie shook her head. "Why are you alive... when Pineapple is dead?"

"Him?" Sunny Days pushed herself up to her knees, stumbling a little as the sheets fell away from her. "Peachy, he was bad for you. Mom says you're better without him."

"Shut up!" the younger sister snapped, looking away. "Mom never understood. She thought he should have died. She's the one who should have died." The filly's breath quickened and she looked back at her sister, a burning glare now fixed to her face. "You're the one who should have died."

Sunny sniffed and shuffled backwards. "Peachy, don't talk like that," she whimpered.

The younger filly's hoof stomped down onto the mattress beside her. "How did you do it?" she demanded. "Why should you get to live, when Pineapple died?"

The older sister bristled. "Peachy, Pineapple was a bad pony! He hit you!"

"Shut up!" Before she knew what she was doing, Peachy Pie's hoof shot out and slapped her sister across the face. She felt something inside her twinge, but didn't back down. "That never happened! That was just lies! Lies!" The filly's face crinkled, and she started to weep. "Pineapple was perfect! He loved me, and we were happy together! Why did you have to ruin that? Why are you still alive!?"

"But-"

"Shut up! Just... just shut up!" Now fully sobbing, Peachy Pie swung her hooves at her sister again, striking her ineffectually around the head and the shoulders. Sunny fell backwards, more out of surprise and exhaustion than from her little sister's feeble blows, and Peachy Pie leaped on top of her, screeching. "You! Should! Be! Dead!" she screamed, thrashing about with her eyes closed.

By sheer luck a stray hoof struck Sunny Days smartly across the nose, sending a rush of real pain through her and fully waking her up to the situation. She began to struggle as well, raising her forelegs to try to block the smaller filly's wild flailings. "Get off of me!" she cried, giving her sister a frightened shove. The little pony was rolled away, landed sharply on the railing at the edge of the bed, and then tumbled off the bunk to the floor below.

There was a loud thump.

For a second Sunny Days froze, then pushed the last corners of the covers off of her and stuck her head over the edge of the bed. “Peachy, are y-”

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Peachy Pie lay sprawled on the floor, bawling. Sunny Days bit her lip and tried to call down again. “Peachy, I’m sorry!”

“I hate you!” the younger filly shouted back, dragging herself onto her hooves. “I h-hate you! Why didn’t you just die?” She turned and sprinted out of the room, still sobbing and noticeably limping on one of her hind legs.

“Sis, wait!” Spurred into action, Sunny Days clambered down the bunk bed’s ladder and chased after her sister. Led on by the sounds of pained wailing, she ran downstairs and did a panicked circuit of the lower rooms before being interrupted by a polite knock at the door.

The sound of the knock made Sunny stop cold. Between home, school and work she’d grown up with a wide variety of knocks, and had learned to recognize what they entailed. Loud knocks were from friends and relatives, ponies who would bring cheer and joy to the room. Even louder knocks came almost exclusively from Crew Cut, either from excitement or anger - and with him, the two were often interchangeable. The best kinds of knocks were the ones that didn't need to be there at all, from ponies who were so close or so eager to share good news that to have to announce their presence would be redundant.

But quiet knocks never brought anything good. A pony who felt the need to knock quietly or politely was one who didn't want to be there, who was afraid, or who brought terrible news. When Grandma Sunshine had died, Mom had knocked quietly on the bedroom door before coming in to tell them. When Peachy Pie had her first fight with Pineapple, she'd knocked quietly on the door when she'd come back home. So as Sunny Days walked in an almost trance-like state to answer this soft, polite tapping at their front door, she was filled with an unnameable, nightmarish sense of dread.

Waiting outside as Sunny cracked the door open were two blue ponies. Both wore somber expressions, though they tried to force friendly smiles as the filly looked up at them. The first, an earth pony with a snowy white mane, had raised her hoof to knock again and lowered it awkwardly. "Sunny Days?" she asked with a faint catch in her voice.

Sunny tried to keep up a calm appearance. "That's me."

The second stranger, a unicorn wearing a pair of thin saddlebags, stepped forward and raised her hoof in greeting. "I'm Colgate," she said in a more confident voice. "This is Locket. We're here representing Ponyville's police agency. If you have the time, is it all right if we talk to you for a minute?"

The filly seemed to relax a little, though she still seemed uncertain. "I saw you on the news yesterday," she said to Colgate. She opened the door fully and tentatively shook the proffered hoof. "Is this... is this about what happened then?"

"Sort of." Colgate looked around. "Is it all right if we step inside?"

"Um..." Sunny Days glanced behind her. Her sister was still wailing somewhere in the background, but she was nowhere to be seen. "I guess."

The two blue ponies entered. Locket took a long look around. The home was fairly large by Ponyville standards, and well-furnished. Paintings hung on nearly every wall, and the furniture was primarily made from polished oak. It was to be expected, she supposed; the adults of the family were both experts in their fields, and their children had landed high-paying jobs before they were out of elementary school. The sight filled her with a familiar sense of frustration that she tried to suppress. "Where are your parents?" she asked, snapping a little more than she intended to.

The yellow filly had to stop and think about the answer. "I guess they're at work," she said, shrugging it off. Part of her had expected that they would have stayed to comfort their children after yesterday's events, but they were both notably busy ponies. Besides, after getting jobs of their own she and her sister had often insisted that their parents not treat them like foals.

"Huh," Locket added, but said nothing more. Colgate gave her a sideways glance, but also said nothing.

The trio made their way into the living room and sat down on the plush sofas. All the seats were angled towards an enormous stratoscreen in the corner of the room, so with the filly's permission Colgate magically moved some of the seats around so that they could face each other while they spoke. All the while Locket continued to glance around, seemingly ill at ease. By now both of them could hear Peachy Pie, who, while her sobbing had lessened at the sound of the visitors, was still clearly audible as she wept in a far corner of the house. Colgate cleared her throat. “Is that your sister?” she asked, motioning to the hallway. “Does she want to-”

“She’s fine,” Sunny Days interrupted. “She doesn’t want to talk right now.”

The unicorn frowned. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Colgate looked the filly up and down. She did some mental arithmetic and came up short. She knew that Peachy Pie was barely a year older than the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and Sunny Days just starting her final year of elementary school. They’re so young, she mourned. No girls their age should have to deal with things like this. The strain was certainly showing. Unlike the bubbly, energetic Sunny Days she was used to seeing on the news, this young pony seemed strangely subdued. She sat stiffly, staring down at the table separating them. Colgate nodded slowly and tried to begin. "Sunny-"

"Miss Colgate?" the filly cut in.

"Yes?"

"Why am I still alive?"

In the pause that followed, Colgate shifted and started again. "That's what we're interested in finding out," she said carefully. "Nopony else has been able to escape whatever magic Kira uses. That makes you special. If we can find out what kept you safe, that might give us some important clues to help us catch him."

Sunny Days looked down. "Okay," she said quietly.

"So." Colgate went over her mental checklist of questions. With some suggestions from L she'd managed to put together a fairly comprehensive list of possible causes for the filly's survival. She pulled a notebook and pencil from her saddlebags and levitated them in front of her. "I'm just going to start asking questions. If anything stands out as seeming important or unusual, let me know. Do you think you can do that?"

“Okay.”

“Right.” Colgate cleared her throat and looked down at her notebook. “Have you or anypony you know been having any unusual dreams lately?”

“No.”

In the background, Peachy Pie’s sobbing grew a little louder. Locket’s ear twitched. “On average, how many hours of sleep do you get in a night?” Colgate continued.

“Um... nine.”

Locket’s ear twitched again. Every time the unseen filly made a noise, it would provoke another slight movement from her. Colgate glanced at her but tried to ignore it. “Have you met anypony new or unusual in the past month?”

“I meet a lot of ponies at work.”

“Did any of them stand out to you in any way?”

“No.”

Locket was now audibly grinding her teeth. Colgate looked at her, inwardly considering asking her to step outside. “What does your daily diet consist of?”

“Um... cereal, carrots, leftovers.”

“Have you eaten-”

Peachy Pie coughed loudly. In one quick movement Locket rose up and bared her teeth, glaring in the direction of a filly she couldn’t see. "Will you stop making that noise!" she yelled towards the far corner of the house.

The crying stopped. Locket sat down slowly. Sunny Days stared up at her with a mix of awe and fear. Beside her Colgate closed her eyes and held her breath for several seconds before standing up as well. "It's a nice day out," she announced. "Why don't we go to..." She almost said 'Sugarcube Corner,' but caught herself just in time. "To the park? I think some sunshine would do us all a lot of good."

"Okay," Sunny Days whimpered. She stood up and took a few steps, then stopped. “Um... can Peachy Pie come with us?”

Colgate nodded. “Of course she can, Sunny,” she said, rising to her own hooves. “We’ll be waiting outside. Let us know when you’re ready.” With a pointed look towards Locket, she led the way to the front door while Sunny Days crept quietly in the other direction.

Now that she’d stopped moving, Peachy Pie wasn’t difficult to find. She’d laid herself down in the corner of the kitchen and was weeping silently, her face inches away from the cupboard beside her. Sunny Days approached cautiously and stopped several feet away. “Peachy?” she began. There was no response. “Colgate’s taking me to the park. Do you want to come with us?”

“Go away,” her sister grunted back.

Sunny waited a few seconds more, then turned and trudged back to the front of the house. As she approached the front door, she stopped and listened to the voices coming from outside.

“...the hay was that, Linky?”

“Was what?”

“Was that! You can’t just shout at little girls, especially not now!”

“But-”

“But nothing! Lives are at stake! Don’t you see that?”

There was a sound which, had she been closer, Sunny Days would have recognized as a strangled whimper. “I’m sorry,” the pony who may or may not have been named Locket mumbled. “Sometimes I just get... frustrated...”

Colgate sighed. “Forget it. Let’s just get Sunny to the park and get this over with.”

“We’re taking her to the base?”

“No. Just to the park. She’s been through a lot, and I think she’ll open up more if we take her someplace cheerful.”

The two ponies stopped talking, and Sunny Days decided that she had tarried long enough. She pushed open the door and joined the others, not bothering to fake a smile for them. “I’m ready,” she said flatly.

The journey to the park was uneventful. The streets of Ponyville were almost empty, a common occurrence after a crisis. Colgate kept up her questioning throughout, though she disguised it as conversation. “So, what’s it like being a news anchor?” she asked. “Is it a lot of fun?”

Sunny Days turned slightly to look her way as she walked, but didn’t meet her gaze. “It’s okay.”

Colgate remained unwaveringly chipper. “Do you get to meet a lot of interesting ponies?”

“I guess.”

“What’s the schedule like? It must be hard keeping up with school with such demanding work.”

“It’s all right. Cheerilee sends work home, and Peachy helps me.”

Encouraged, Colgate kept up this line of questioning all the way to the park. There didn’t seem to be any useful information, but the filly became a little more talkative as she delved into the specifics of her daily life. Her mother was a successful photographer, and her father performed a duty at the hospital that few ponies could pronounce, let alone describe. It turned out that it had been Crew Cut who was responsible for getting her and her sister jobs at the news station. The higher-ups had initially rejected them because of their youth and inexperience, but, as the station manager had pointed out, when it came to a year-old technology everypony was inexperienced. Against the advice of his superiors he’d successfully launched both their careers, providing a shooting schedule that allowed them to attend school some afternoons. Combining both work and education left little free time, but the sisters had never thought of it as an issue; they both loved their jobs and considered time at the station as much play as it was work. At least, they had until recently.

To Colgate’s delight, other ponies filled the park as they entered it; a few families were taking advantage of the sunshine and had set up picnic blankets on the nearby hills, and a group of colts were playing a game of hoofball. Better yet, an enterprising pony had set up an ice cream stand in the shade of some trees. “Ice cream!” Colgate declared happily. “I think we could all use that right now. Sunny, what’s your favorite flavor?”

A hint of a smile appeared on the filly’s face, but it almost instantly fell through. “No thank you,” she said, looking away.

Colgate’s expression started to look slightly strained. “You sure?”

“I’m fine.”

“Well, I’m getting something. I love the caramel swirls. Let me know if you change your mind, okay?” The unicorn turned to the other adult pony of the group. “Locket, you want anything?”

“Um... a small vanilla, please,” Locket answered, mostly out of politeness. “In a cup!” she added as Colgate galloped away. She turned to Sunny Days, who was staring at the forest in the distance. “Unicorns sometimes forget we can’t hold cones like they do,” she explained. The filly didn’t look her way. As seconds of silence ticked by Locket’s ears drooped. “Sunny?” she said more quietly. “I’m sorry I shouted at your sister.”

“It’s okay,” the filly muttered back. “Everypony gets mad sometimes.”

“It’s not okay. I’m not okay.” Locket gulped. Her eyes flicked to Colgate; the unicorn was still talking to the ice cream vendor. “See, I haven’t told any of my... of my friends yet, but...” Her ear twitched. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Listen.” The pair listened. The sound the older pony had heard, though faint, was getting louder. It was a low, drawn-out scraping noise, like a prolonged crunching or grinding, along with a series of rapid thuds like heavy hoofsteps. At the same time, the ground beneath their hooves began to tremble. “Sunny,” Locket said coldly, “get behind me.”

The filly obediently leaped to the mare’s side, though it seemed pointless; the rumbling seemed to come from every direction at once. “What’s happening?” she asked, glancing around rapidly.

“I don’t know,” Locket answered. “Just stick close.” She looked around warily and tensed up her legs, trying to get a feel for the direction of the vibrations. Other ponies in the park were starting to notice. Some of the parents on the hills were beginning to stand up, and the foals in the field had stopped their game and were looking around in confusion, as though waiting for somepony to tell them what to do. The noise grew to the level of a passing heavy cart, then stopped. A hush fell over the park.

It took a few moments for Locket to fully register what happened next. One instant she was standing guard over a frightened filly. The next she was sprawled on the grass with the wind knocked out of her as clods of earth rained down on her from above. She looked up, gasping, as a pair of giant brown hands erupted from the ground, one instantly enveloping the equally stunned Sunny Days, the other pushing downwards to lift the rest of the massive creature up. The earth ripped and tore, leaving no sign of where it ended and the creature began - save for a glowing emerald larger than a pony’s head that seemed to stare menacingly down at Locket as it rose.

Sunny Days finally came to her senses and let out a piercing scream, which seemed to be the signal for everypony else to do the same. Ponies scattered in all directions, leaving their possessions behind. Colgate reappeared beside Locket, having cleared the distance between the ice cream stall and her faster than she would have thought possible. “Go get help,” she hissed at the downed mare as the golem continued to rise. “Get everypony you can. I’ll hold it off.”

“M-Mama Lillywhite used to tell me stories,” the earth pony babbled.

Colgate cursed internally as the golem managed to lift a leg out of the ground, pushing itself fully up onto the surface. This one was a little smaller than the one she’d seen in the Everfree a few nights ago, but aside from the emerald that adorned its face they seemed virtually identical. It’s okay, she tried to reassure herself. I know these things aren't invincible, and they're smart enough to know when they're outmatched. Somepony will raise the alarm soon, and then we'll be able to stop it. I just have to keep it here long enough for enough ponies to arrive. She braced herself as the clay creature shook the last traces of grass off its shoulders and began to move. It tilted its torso to look down at the pair before it, then started to move to the side.

Colgate leaped around Locket as the golem tried to pass by them, keeping herself between it and the distant forest. Whichever way it turned, she moved to follow it, staring it down. "Now hear this," she shouted over Sunny Days' persistent screaming as the golem planted its feet. "My name is Colgate, chief of Ponyville police, and in the name of Celestia I order you to- whuuu!" In one quick motion a three-fingered hand slapped the unicorn in the side, lifting her off her hooves and sending her tumbling across the grass. Without pausing, the golem took long, loping strides across the field, carrying the kidnapped filly towards the forest.

"Colgate!" Locket cried, breaking out of her trance. She scrambled up and rushed over to the downed unicorn in panic. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Ow." Colgate shook her head and tried to leap to her hooves, only to stumble and land back on the dirt. “Sunny!” she yelled towards the retreating golem, extending a hoof desperately. A scream was the only response.

Locket tried to help the unicorn up. Colgate shrugged her off and pushed herself up, wincing slightly. "I'm fine. It got me by surprise, that's all. It could have hit me a lot harder." She got to her hooves and stared in dismay across the park. Already the golem had almost reached the treeline. "Nothing that big should move that fast," she muttered.

"So what do we do?" Locket couldn't seem to keep still, bouncing from hoof to hoof to alleviate her trembling. "Do we go after it?"

"No." There was a loud crash as the golem reached the Everfree, knocking trees aside to make its way through. Even this noise rapidly faded into the distance. "Last time it took more than fifty ponies to scare one of those things away. By the time we get a big enough group together we'll never be able to catch up. It looks like it should be easy to track, though." She frowned and looked towards a certain grove of trees. "We need to inform L."

"What about the Mayor?"

"The other ponies will be doing that already. We have to let L know what's happened. If anypony will have a plan to get Sunny Days back, it's her." Still shaking, Locket nodded. Together they turned and galloped towards the hidden trapdoor.

Two minutes later Rainbow Dash arrived, but by then the park was empty.

Words started to spill out of Locket as soon as she entered the base. "Sunny Days was just foalnapped by a golem!" she yelled across the central chamber.

Spike and Derpy were the only ones to react to this news. They rushed over to the blue duo, leaving L going over a sheet of statistics on her own. Jazz stood in his usual spot by the abacus with a bemused expression, and Bon Bon was nowhere to be seen. "A golem?" Derpy gasped, fluttering over Locket. "A scary one?"

"Huge and scary!" the earth pony confirmed, nodding her head with her eyes wide. "It tunneled right through the ground and came up beneath us! Then it grabbed Sunny and it ran away before we could stop it!"

Spike gasped. "So that's what that noise was!" he exclaimed. "The whole base was shaking so hard, I thought the place was going to fall apart!"

"It's all right," Colgate said. "Nopony was hurt, and it's only got a few minutes head start on us. If we work quickly, we can get Sunny Days back." She turned to the far table. "Right, L?"

L looked down. She shuffled around some of the pages in front of her, sighing. "I was afraid of this," she said. "Sunny Days not only survived after the second Kira predicted her death, but did so during a widely covered media event. It makes sense that groups other than our own would want to know how she managed to escape Kira's curse." She looked up towards Colgate. "She was taken by a golem, you say?"

“Yes. It vanished into the Everfree Forest. I’m guessing that’s where it came from, as well.”

“What did it look like?” Derpy asked, her eyes wide with fear and wonder.

"Huge!" Locket yelled. She waved her front hooves in the air for emphasis. "It was big and brown and had arms and hands and a big green eye!"

"Emerald," Colgate corrected.

"It's an eye," Locket insisted in the same frantic tone. "It's an eye and a heart and a dream all in one. Mama Lillywhite used to tell me stories..."

Colgate looked at her. "You know the stories of the golems?" she asked. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Of course I know them!" Locket snapped. "The legend of the Earthen King and his dolls of clay and stone. I thought every foal knew them!" She looked around at the others. They were all giving her blank or confused expressions. "Just earth ponies, huh?"

"I know them," L said. "When I was younger, Bon Bon used to tell me old legends to help me sleep." She motioned again to Colgate. "At any rate, were you able to get any information out of Sunny Days before she was carried off?"

"Well... I... no," Colgate stammered. She felt around in her saddlebags and produced her notebook. "She claimed she didn't know how she'd survived. I took some notes about her recent life and schedule, but nothing stood out as being unusual." For a second a doubting fear gripped her. "Why do you need to know now? We can find out more when we get her back. We're going after her, right?"

"No. We are not." L turned back to her papers. "Going after the filly would be a waste of time and energy. For now, we should devote our efforts to seeking Kira directly."

Colgate's heart seemed to stop. The others fell silent behind her. "How can you say that?" she breathed. "How can you just write her off like that?"

"I am not writing her off, Colgate," L said, continuing to scan the documents in front of her. "I am simply being realistic. An individual or organization with the power to create or resurrect golems is one that we do not have the time or the resources to go after. They are no doubt more powerful and well-prepared than we are, and their intentions are more than likely less noble than our own."

"Then that's all the more reason we should go after them!" Colgate shouted. "If they're really all that great and terrible, how can you live with letting an innocent filly fall into their hooves?"

Derpy rubbed her hooves together anxiously. "You shouldn't fight," she said, but the unicorns ignored her.

L sighed again. "Colgate, as I'm sure I've explained before, this is not simply a matter of us and them. There are other forces at play."

"Like what?" Colgate snarled. "Like Kira? Like your precious game?" She advanced on the table and glared up at L, who was still looking over the lists of times and notes. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Colgate screeched. She reared up and kicked over the table, sending papers flying. “Is this all that matters to you? Catching Kira? No matter how many lives you ruin, no matter how many ponies you hurt in the process?” She trembled furiously. “Tell me, greatest detective who ever lived, do all of your cases end with a trail of bodies?”

L rubbed her forehead. For the first time since Colgate had known her, a hint of frustration appeared on her face. “Colgate, think,” the detective said. “We are an investigative team, not a tactical squad. The Princesses know this. News of Sunny Days’ capture will soon reach them, and when it does, they will assemble a team of guards to go after her. There is no need for us to risk our lives in such an endeavor when a larger, better trained and better equipped team will soon be making that journey in our stead. Do you understand now?”

Colgate backed away. Her face fell as the reality of the detective’s words sank in, her anger deepening to a dark weight in the pit of her stomach. Of course there would be other ponies more qualified to look for Sunny Days; it didn’t make sense for their tiny group to be responsible for every bad thing to happen in Ponyville. Feeling the stares of the others boring into her back, Colgate suddenly felt very, very foolish. “I-I’m sorry,” she stammered. L looked on impassively. The policemare gulped. She magically righted the table and picked up as many fallen pages as she could, laying them down in no particular order. “What were you reading?” she asked, eager to change the subject.

“Notes on our current suspect. Speaking of which, now seems an appropriate moment to check on her.” L wheeled herself over to the nearby desk and pushed one of the buttons on a microphone set up in front of a screen. “Sideline, have you completed your examination?”

A voice crackled back. “I have.” The screen flickered to life, and Colgate had the rare experience of feeling her heart stop twice in as many minutes.

In a room with padded walls somewhere within the base, Fluttershy had been tied down to a chair. Thick clasps secured her legs in a sitting position, and her wings were bound to her sides. Even now she struggled faintly against her bonds, but it was clear that she was completely immobilized. A heavy black mask had been tied over her head, covering her eyes but leaving her mouth and nose free. This camera showed her from the front, but within the frame bright lights and other cameras could be seen pointing at her from all directions. Bon Bon was partly visible in the corner of the screen, disguised by her black Sideline cloak. “For the most part she is healthy,” the mare said, apparently speaking into another microphone. “However, I have made some unusual observations.”

“Continue,” L instructed. The others gathered behind L and watched the screen, minus Colgate, who stood where she was with her mouth hanging open.

“Fluttershy’s jaw has been broken recently,” Bon Bon reported. “Not badly, and most likely sometime in the past couple of days. It was patched up with magic soon afterwards, so I can’t say exactly when or how it happened. The internal casting is obviously amateur, but it’s good enough to cover up the injury until it heals properly. She’s also a little sore in the joints of one of her wings, but she’s trying not to show it.”

“Was she attacked?”

“Hard to say. There’s nothing on her hooves or teeth to indicate that she’s been fighting.” Bon Bon looked back and forth before continuing. “There’s one more thing, but... it might be just me.”

Needlessly, L nodded. “What is it?”

“Well... I can’t be sure, but...” The disguised mare’s voice dropped to a whisper. “The air in here feels a little colder than it should be.”

For some reason, it was this sentence that snapped Colgate out of her stupor. She blinked several times and stomped up to L, pushing the others aside. She reached past the detective and shut the microphone off. “L, what is this?” she hissed, gesturing at the screen. “What... what the hay is this?”

L gave her a sideways glance. “This morning you approved the motion to apprehend Fluttershy.”

“To question her, not to tie her up!”

“Precautions. The evidence we gathered in the packages and at the cottage strongly links Fluttershy to the second Kira. Having shown none of the subtlety or self-restraint of the the first, it is likely that when cornered she will begin to use her powers indiscriminately. Without knowing how it is that she attacks her victims, we can’t allow her any degree of freedom or countless lives may be at risk.”

Colgate stared at the trapped pegasus. Though she wasn’t in any pain, Fluttershy’s face was twisted in a mask of terror, and tiny mewls of fear could be heard through the screen. The unicorn swallowed and turned to face the others in the room. “You... you can’t tell me you agree with this,” she said desperately.

There was a mass shuffling of hooves and feet. Spike answered first. “I was against it at first,” he admitted. “But... L’s right. The evidence against her is really strong, and if she really is the second Kira, then we can’t take any chances.”

“But what if she’s not?” Colgate argued, feeling the situation slipping away from her. “Come on, you guys! This is Fluttershy! Do you really think she’s capable of murder?”

Locket nodded. “I’ve seen her when she’s angry. I don’t think there’s anything she isn’t capable of.”

"But... but..." Colgate gestured to the screen again. "But her eyes are covered! She's tied up! That's not safety, that's torture! What level of danger could justify this?"

Surprisingly, it was Derpy who spoke next. "I saw Fluttershy stare at a bullfrog once," she said. "It was scary. I don't want her to stare at me." The pegasus shuddered and looked down.

L put a hoof on Colgate's shoulder. "My dear Colgate, we've already had this debate several times over in your absence. I've already had to convince Spike and Derpy that this was the correct course of action. Believe me, it's for the best. Besides... there are worse places for her to have ended up." The detective looked away. “Believe me, I know.”

Colgate couldn’t muster the energy to puzzle that statement out. She turned to her friends and looked from face to face. There was no anger anywhere, only concern. Nopony was happy about this. Suddenly she'd found herself on the losing side of a battle with no one to argue against. She reached for a chair and pulled herself into it, hanging her head in frustration. "I think I need a lie down. Or a drink." This train of thought seemed to distract her for a moment, leading to her blushing. "On second thought, just a lie down."

"In a minute," L soothed. "There's something I want you to be here for." She turned back to the microphone and turned it back on, flipping another switch as she did so. "Fluttershy," she said. This time her artificial voice could be heard filling up the chamber where Fluttershy was held, echoing eerily through the screen. "Can you hear me?"

Fluttershy didn't respond. She did, however, twist her head as far as she could to the side and struggled harder against her bonds. L seemed to take this as an answer in the positive. "Fluttershy, do you know why you are here?"

Abruptly, the pegasus seemed to run out of energy. She went limp and hung her head, breathing heavily. She sniffed sharply and let out a tiny sob, then whispered two words too quiet to be caught by the camera.

"Fluttershy," L repeated herself. "Do you know why you have been brought here?"

Fluttershy raised her head a little. She spoke the words again, a little louder. Everypony craned forward to hear what she said.

"Kill me."

L frowned. "Fluttershy, you are not in any danger. We are only interested in answers."

"Kill me."

"Fluttershy, who was it who broke-"

"Please, kill me!" Fluttershy shouted.

"-your jaw?" L finished. She sat back, staring at the screen with an unreadable expression.

"Why won't you do it?" the pegasus continued, her voice growing steadily louder. Her neck twisted back and forth in its bindings, as though she was looking for something. "I know you can do it! Please, I'm begging you, you have to kill me before... before I..." She stopped. Her throat clenched, letting out small squeaks of terror. "Please," she whispered. Tears started to leak out from around the edges of the mask. "Please."

A few seconds passed. L reached for her microphone again. Just as she touched it, however, Fluttershy started to wail. Her deafening cries filled the room, far louder than L's synthetic voice. The detective pressed a different button on the microphone and lowered the volume on the screen. "That will be all, Sideline," she said. "You may leave miss Fluttershy alone."

"Very well, L," a voice came back. The black figure vanished from the corner of the screen, and amongst the continuing howls there was the sound of a heavy door opening and closing.

Derpy brushed away the tears building up at the corners of her own eyes. "That was awful," she said. Abruptly she turned and wrapped her forelegs around Locket, who awkwardly tried to return the hug. Spike looked at them with a degree of envy, inwardly insisting that he didn't need a hug himself.

L nodded. "Awful but informative. Something we will all have to get used to in the coming days." She turned away from the screen and looked over her disturbed and trembling force. "Brace yourselves, my little ponies," she said. "It's only going to get harder from here."

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I was faced with one of the many ways that loss can affect a friendship. Losing two of my best friends so suddenly and so painfully has changed all of my existing relationships in ways that would take a lifetime to number. But despite the sadness, I’ve found there are still ways to make some good out of what’s happened. When somepony loses a close friend, it makes them value their remaining friendships all the more closely. Realizing that our friends might not always be there for us helps us treasure the moments we do have together, and brings us closer than we’ve ever been. But even so, this closeness comes at the cost of fear. Growing tighter to my friends has made me all the more terrified of losing those connections for good, one way or another. If another of my friends were to be taken away from me for any reason right now, I don’t think that I would be able to stand it.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.

Next episode: Paperwork!

Smolder

17
*Smolder*

Every God of Death must own at least one Death Note. This Note may not be lent to or written on by a pony.

Fluttershy’s imprisonment, day 1

Night had fallen. The moon had risen. Twilight’s breakfast toast lay untouched on the table downstairs. The unicorn herself sat hunched in front of her desk, a pair of mismatched books open in front of her. Her back was stiff, her throat was dry, her stomach roared. She didn’t notice. She’d neglected to turn on the lights or even light a candle, so her eyes strained in the moonlight as she glared holes in the dimly-lit pages.

What she’d intended to do was plan the deaths of guilty ponies for the days and weeks to come. Between plotting, Fluttershy and keeping up appearances with L, she hadn’t had much time to devote to killings in advance on top of her regular executions. As such, the last of her “safety net” was due to expire at the end of tomorrow. Once she moved properly into L’s base, she knew it would be even harder to find time to herself. But despite this knowledge, she couldn’t bring herself to delay any deaths longer than it took to write them down.

Twilight tore through the Equestrian Justice Records, flipping through the pages at random until she found an appropriate entry. She would scratch out the corresponding name, then pause, her quill hovering over the line below. She would read over the entry again, feeling flashes of rage grip her, and then stare at the offending pony’s picture, counting down the seconds until their painful demise. Then she did it again. And again.

None of them deserved to be spared. None of them deserved to live another day, not another hour, not another second while Kira was in control. Twilight snarled down at the pages as she worked. She was aware on some level that this was counterproductive and that the burning tightness in her chest came from another source, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Knowing what they’ve done, how can I spend another week knowing that these monsters are still out there? she asked herself. For instance, here was a stallion who had beaten his wife until her ribs had cracked. He was being released after she paid for his bail. Just as she had the time before, and the time before that.

Crimson Ore

Here was a mother with a string of misdemeanors who had drunkenly thrown her newborn foal off of a cloud. No arrests had been made because the two witnesses were underage.

Winter Waters

Here was a shameless addict who had stolen much-needed medicine from a country hospital. She had only been charged with theft, even though the loss had ended the lives of two elderly ponies.

“Dark in here, isn’t it?”

Still in a trance-like state, Twilight finished writing the name Silver Chalice before turning away from her desk. “So there you are,” she croaked, swallowing painfully as she realized just how dry her mouth had become. “Where were you when I needed you?”

“With Mer.” A pair of large yellow eyes looked back and forth in the blackness. The dark shinigami fluttered to the floor and cleared his throat. “I tried to show her the apple orchard. I thought she wanted to look around Ponyville. Turns out she just wanted to get me away from Fluttershy so she could yell at me.” The god shuddered. “Gods of Death can’t really hurt each other, but... Mer sure has a way with words when she’s upset.”

“Is that so.” The voice was calm, but it was a forced calm, the unsettling kind that hinted at superequine restraint. "I suppose she knows about Fluttershy by now."

"Yeah. We arrived just in time to see her get... you know. I don't think I've ever seen Mer so angry. I thought she was going to-"

"Byuk," Twilight interrupted. "What were you and Mer fighting about?"

The god looked down. "Nothing," he mumbled.

"Don't give me that," the unicorn snapped. "I've been paying attention to you two. I know there's something you're not telling me!" Twilight rose from her seat and took a step forward, lowering her head threateningly. Her horn didn't light up, but lightning danced behind her eyes. "Now tell me why Mer is so angry with you," she continued in the same drawn-out tone, "or so help me, we'll see how much gods of death can hurt each other."

Byuk bit his lip and gulped. "Look," he said, scratching his mane sheepishly. "You know that Death Note I dropped?" Twilight nodded, her expression not changing. "Well, it's... I mean, I..." He sighed. "It's a shinigami thing, all right? It won't affect you."

“Byuk...”

“Really. If it was a problem, I would tell you, but it’s not. Just trust me on this, okay?” The god looked around the room, desperate to change the subject. "What are you doing in the dark, anyway?"

"The right thing." Twilight backed up and sat down at her desk again. "I always do the right thing. You know that, right?"

The god nodded quickly. "I mean," he clarified, "why don't you turn on a light? You're making me a little uncomfortable."

A second passed. Twilight concentrated for a second and the candles on her desk exploded into flame, sending bright pillars of fire to almost scorch the wall behind them. The unicorn twitched. In the harsh and flickering light, Twilight was not a pretty sight. Her mane was plastered lank and knotted against her skull, and her eyes were clouded and bloodshot. Her hind legs constantly shifted, painfully stiff from sitting still for so long. Her head hung low, every movement causing a dull ache to spread through her. Byuk had seen far worse, but something in his expression must have hinted to Twilight that she wasn't looking her best. "I'm fine," she intoned flatly before the god could open his mouth.

Byuk attempted to smile. "You don't look it," he said. "Seems like you've been through kind of a frenzy. Have you thought about taking a rest?"

The unicorn blinked several times. Muscles around her mouth and neck pulsed and flexed, as if something were trying to claw its way out of her. “Rest?” she hissed, as if the word itself were offensive to her. “Does crime rest? Does L rest? Don’t you dare tell me what to do, Byuk. Don’t you dare. Besides, doesn’t giving advice contradict the rules of your game?”

“I wasn’t!” the god protested. “I just don’t want to see you lose because you’re stressed. It’s no fun to watch you beat yourself up for no reason.”

“No reason?” Twilight laughed, which quickly turned into a hacking, furious cough. “Oh, of course,” she continued with venomous sarcasm. “What possible reason could I have to be worried? It’s not as if the only pony who knows my secret identity is in the hooves of my worst enemy, who is probably torturing the information out of her as we speak! I bet there’s no chance of a group of guards charging in here any minute! And even if things do get out of hoof, I can still keep her quiet with the Death Note, because it’s not like there’s a crazy god out there who’ll make any excuse to murder me if Fluttershy gets so much as a scratch on her! Oh no, wait, that’s exactly what’s happening!” the unicorn shouted. She threw her hooves into the air in frustration. “I don’t see how this situation could possibly get any worse!”

The god backed away, reflexively raising his front hooves. “Hey, don’t take it out on me,” he pleaded.

Twilight refocused. A pair of thin, tightly-bound scrolls dangled from the shinigami’s claws. "Were you hiding those from me?" she demanded.

"Huh? No!" Byuk raised the hoof holding the papers towards Twilight. "Someone slipped these under the door downstairs. I thought you might want them."

In a rush of magic Twilight ripped the two scrolls from Byuk's claws. One was marked with a symbol of Celestia's sun, the other with Luna's dark moon. Twilight unfurled the solar missive first.

Dear Twilight Sparkle, my beloved student,

I am deeply sorry for having taken so long to respond to your inquiry. Certain situations here in Canterlot have made it difficult for me to find time for personal affairs. Thankfully, I have been able to make arrangements that will make life easier for both of us.

My faithful student, do not concern yourself with the golems of the Everfree Forest. My scientists are aware of the issue and are determining the best course of action. At present they are not considered a threat to Ponyville or Equestria. For your own safety, please do not attempt to attack or follow a golem if you see one. Leave them be. The situation is under control.

I so wish that I could tell you about my position, Twilight, but the time is not right. In the future, when you are older and all is right in the world again, I may be able to tell you about the events of the past few days... and of the past. But until that day comes, I simply ask that you trust me, and that you do not worry about me. Do not tell anypony about this letter. I will write to you again as soon as I am able.

Your loving teacher.

Twilight snorted. The celestial mare hadn’t even signed her name. Not a threat? Did she even read my report? Does she even know about Sunny Days? Gritting her teeth, the unicorn threw the first scroll carelessly onto her desk and tore open the second.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

I write to you concerning a matter of grave importance. My Sister, Princess of the Sun and co-ruler of Equestria, has disappeared. She makes her customary appearances at daybreak and at formal events, perhaps to keep the populace from panicking, but refuses to speak directly to anypony and disappears as soon as she is able. She cannot be found anywhere in the city during the day, and does not retire to her bedchamber at night. I grow increasingly concerned both for her personal well-being, and for the safe future of our beloved country.

While she may have chosen to spurn me, I hold out some hope that Celestia may choose to confide in you, Twilight Sparkle, her most faithful student. I understand that she desires privacy, but in times such as these the good ponies of Equestria cannot afford to keep secrets from one another. If Celestia attempts to contact you in any way, it is vitally important that you inform either myself or a member of the royal guard at once.

Understand that I make this request not out of distrust of my Sister, but out of concern. My only wish is to help Celestia bear whatever burden she is attempting to hide from me. I will do anything in my power to keep us from being separated once again.

Your friend,

Luna

Above the final lines several other attempts at a closing had been crossed out, including Your Royal Princess and Your Eternal Guardian of the Night. Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the lunar princess’ attempts to fit in. “Well,” she said, letting out a slightly feverish giggle, “it looks like I’m not the only one who won’t be sleeping tonight.”

Byuk craned his head over the paper. “I guess those two have quite the history, huh?”

“More than you know.” Twilight laid the two scrolls out beside each other. Now that she was back in her element she started to slow down, regaining a little of her lost composure. “The two Princesses have been together for most of recorded history, not counting the imprisonment of Nightmare Moon. It was their bond of love and friendship that defeated Discord five thousand years ago and made them rulers of Equestria. Nopony knows much about their lives before that, but it’s likely that they’ve always needed each other, in one way or another.” She scanned the two letters again. “And it looks like they still do.”

“But now, you can only respect the wishes of one.” Byuk grinned. “What will you do?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” With a flick of her horn, the unicorn placed one letter on top of the other and rolled them up together. “Neither course of action benefits me. If Celestia has some kind of plan, and I can’t count on Luna to put a stop to it, then the best way to gain information will be to keep my teacher’s trust.” She laughed bitterly. “Besides, if these came from Spike, then it’s likely that L’s already been through my mail. I can’t raise her suspicions by not siding with the pony I’ve looked up to all my life.”

The dark god tilted his head and looked at the paper bundle. “So...”

“So this never happened.” A thin smile on her face, Twilight raised the twin scroll to one of her still-blazing candles and set it alight. She held onto it as she passed the pages through the flame, keeping the ashes held aloft with her magic. Once the entire bundle had been consumed she lifted the charred remains and carried them towards the window, pushing it open with her hooves. “You see this, Celestia?” she muttered, staring at the distant lights of Canterlot. She held the ashes out into the night air. All at once she let them go, allowing the winds to carry the remains of the letters away. “This was for you.” She narrowed her eyes, never once looking away from the sparkling towers. “Remember this. It might not happen again.”

Far away, in the distant city, another set of candles burned on a very different desk. As Twilight Sparkle returned to her twin books and her obsessive writing, one of her unwitting counterparts whiled away the late hours filling a very similar role. He sat over a stack of papers as thick as his hoof, a quill almost crushed between his powerful teeth, and wrote away a seemingly endless number of lives. Instead of scrawling the name of each victim individually, however, this pony only had to write the same two words, again and again, to send each criminal to their deaths. Once on every page, right above the dotted line.

Straw Bolt.

The pegasus sighed. He put down his quill and, without looking at the clock, told himself to take a five-minute break. This would be the third such break within an hour, and one of many more throughout the day, without which his paperwork would surely have been done by now. Somehow, the lower the candles burned, the less significant this fact seemed. With barely a glance at the stacks remaining on his desk, the captain of the City Guard rose up and began to pace restlessly around his office. If anypony asked, he was simply stretching his legs; it wouldn’t do for a high-ranking officer to admit that he spent his valuable time questioning the validity of his job.

From a young age, Straw Bolt had known that he was destined to be an officer of the Royal Guard. Justice had always called to him, preferably of the swift and righteous variety. He’d met and exceeded the height requirement before leaving flight school, and had the regulation white coat without the need for dyes or enchantment, though his mane was an unfittingly rustic straw yellow. Even his cutie mark was the image of a golden shield. True, he’d earned it during a particularly rough game of flight school hoofball, but that wasn’t the point. The point was that it was his job - no, his purpose - to protect other ponies, a goal he’d spent his entire life working towards. A goal that this line of work had seemed synonymous with, but was now making impossible to fulfill.

Some parts of the fantasy had turned out accurate, to be sure. His office, for instance, was more or less as he had believed it would be. He had not only a finely-crafted desk and chair, but a whole filing cabinet and set of shelves to himself, which was practically royal treatment compared to the cramped conditions at the barracks. He had awards, a framed written commendation from the Princess herself, and a signed picture of his niece. Beyond that, however, the dream started to fall apart. The ornaments around the room were not gold, as they should have been, but silver. His uniform wasn’t the shining metal he’d admired in his youth, but simple and functional iron plate. Perhaps most significantly, instead of spending his nights plotting how best to keep the ponies of Equestria safe, he’d wound up lining them up one by one and sending them to be killed.

Ironically, these ponies were not even meant to be marked for death; since Celestia had passed the new laws, he hadn’t had to sign an execution warrant in over a year. No, the papers he’d been presented with were release forms. As Princess Celestia had refused to reopen the castle dungeons, the Guard had been incentivised to advance parole dates and shorten sentences for good behavior in order to prevent overcrowding in the prisons. The result was as many ponies leaving on a regular basis as came in, some of whom deserved their release, and some of whom did not. The forms had all been filled out in advance. All it took was the captain’s signature to add them to the enchanted records. Then, one by one, the newly released prisoners would die.

There was, it had to be admitted, a kind of cruel logic to the killings. No pony would ever say that Kira was not fair. He never killed a pony who had served a full sentence for their crime, nor one whose guilt or innocence was still in doubt. But even so, there was no denying the damage that had been done to the very concept of justice in this city alone. Prisoners now lived in fear, more terrified of freedom than imprisonment. On a recent patrol in the western prison an inmate had broken away from the guards and begged Straw Bolt, down on her knees, to not follow through on the early release she’d been promised. She said she’d rather wait another year than go out early, because Kira’s eyes were everywhere, and she wouldn’t last a month if he made her leave.

But he’d done it anyway, because it was his job and because the system would not function if he didn’t. Less than a week later the mare had been released, and two days after that she was dead.

Straw Bolt stared out the window. He looked with distaste at the distance to the street below. Despite being a pegasus, he didn’t like to be too far off the ground; it was hard to get a good look at anything from high up. Unfortunately, there were few buildings in Canterlot that didn’t extend into a tower, whether it made practical sense for them to or not. He blamed the short-sightedness of the architects, as well as anypony else in earshot when he was in a bad mood. In a way, though, his position was a blessing in disguise; the commanders of the Royal Guard occupied an even more impractically high spot in the next tower over. He supposed that was one silver lining to the post he’d been given. He supposed.

In a way, it was nopony’s fault that this had happened. It was with diligence and determination that he’d risen through the ranks, and when the elderly captain of the Royal Guard, Piercing Light, had finally retired, Straw Bolt had believed himself to be a prime candidate for his replacement. But no; the position had instead gone to a unicorn with royal connections several years his junior, and in the administrative shift the pegasus found himself delegated to a branch of the City Guard, a position his leadership skills seemed to have trapped him in. In a matter of days he’d gone from aiding national security to scraping thugs and lowlifes out of the city gutters.

Under different circumstances the lesser captain might have held a grudge, but his unintended rival, Shining Armor, was a difficult pony to dislike. He was both a powerful soldier and charismatic leader, and even Straw Bolt was forced to develop a grudging respect for him. Besides, to his immense frustration, the City Guard seemed to suit the pegasus well. Visually imposing, he had a forceful and often ruthless way of dealing with criminals, and the younger recruits looked up to him as an almost saintlike figure. It had, on the whole, been a very fair decision.

Very, very fair.

Straw Bolt sighed again and resumed his endless pacing, tired of the taunting glow of the Royal Guard tower outside. He resolved to return to his work, then paced for another minute. He knew that one way or another, those forms would be signed; the only question was how much sleep he would have to give up because of it. Fine, he decided, steeling himself. No more distractions. No more breaks. With a heavy heart, he turned back to the flickering candles.

“Captain?”

The large pegasus instantly straightened up. His office door creaked open about a foot and a familiar grey face peered in. On the other hoof, Straw Bolt’s brain hastily added, one must be ever vigilant in case of new dangers. “What is it, Lieutenant?” the captain barked.

Lieutenant Quicksilver squeezed her way into the room, choosing to pass through the narrow gap in the doorway rather than push the door open further. She gave her customary awkward bow and cleared her throat. There had been few females in the Royal Guard, mostly due to the formidable physical requirements - it was a simple fact of life that most stallions grew up larger and tougher than mares - but the slightly less restrictive conditions of the City Guard had made Straw Bolt’s current workforce a little more evenly mixed. “Message from the Royals,” the light grey pegasus said, lifting a letter out from under her wing. The City Guard generally referred to their gold-plated counterparts as the Royals, though some spoke the name with respect, others with bitterness. Quicksilver was among the former. “Important business in Ponyville.”

“Ponyville?” Straw Bolt accepted the document and laid it out on his desk, examining the letterhead. These orders had passed through Shining Armor less than an hour ago. “That’s a little outside our jurisdiction, isn’t it?”

“Apparently not, sir.” Quicksilver stared straight ahead, standing with an obviously forced stiffness. “A filly deemed important to the safety of Equestria was foalnapped by an unknown entity earlier today. She was carried by an artificial life form known as a golem to somewhere within or through the Everfree Forest.”

Straw Bolt blinked. “A golem? I was under the impression that they were the figments of an old mare’s tale.”

Quicksilver seemed a little surprised at this, and failed miserably at hiding it. “Perhaps, sir, but the report appears genuine. As Ponyville has no defensive force of any substance, we have been tasked with locating and retrieving Sunny Days before she comes to harm.”

The guard captain clenched his teeth. He glared down at Shining Armor’s purple seal, ignoring the briefing beneath it. “This is just like him,” he muttered at what he knew from experience was just enough volume for Quicksilver to think she wasn’t supposed to hear him. “As soon as a real crisis comes, he sends us off on some menial...” He paused. “No,” Bolt realized, a little louder than he intended. “This is perfect.”

Quicksilver’s ear twitched. “Beg pardon, sir?” she asked.

Straw Bolt turned towards his lieutenant, a smile creeping onto his face. No faceless monsters and unexplained deaths. No stuck-up detectives and their moral grey areas. Just us, a villain, and one lost little girl. For glory... for Equestria... and for justice. He gave Quicksilver a confident grin. Perfect. “Lieutenant, how soon will we be able to leave?”

“Within...” The grey mare’s lips moved soundlessly for a few seconds. “Two days. We’ll have to find ponies trained in forest navigation, and-”

“Make it one. You find us a team, I’ll order supplies. A little girl needs us, Lieutenant. We leave in twenty-four hours.”

“Twenty...” Quicksilver trembled, then snapped a quick salute. “Yes, sir! I’ll begin immediately, sir!”

“Excellent. Dismissed!” In a single, strangely fluid motion, Quicksilver turned around and squeezed back through the gap in the doorway, vanishing along the corridors of the guard tower. Straw Bolt watched the last tip of her silvery tail slip through the crack before turning away and looking back out his window. In the distance he could make out a few twinkling lights of what he judged to be Ponyville, and beyond that, the devouring blackness of the Everfree Forest. “Sunny Days,” he muttered, only partly to himself. “Don’t worry, kid. We’re coming for you.”

The captain started to turn back to his desk, then paused. He looked back at Ponyville and squinted. From this height as well as this distance it was difficult to see anything clearly, but against the background of the night Straw Bolt could make out one important detail.

One of the distant lights was getting a lot brighter.

At the stroke of ten o’clock, a single house in Ponyville burned to the ground.

The fire spread quickly and burned dimly. By the time the local fire brigade arrived the home had been almost completely consumed. Rainclouds were deployed only for the sake of preventing the fire from spreading to other houses; nothing within was salvageable. Had anypony been asleep inside when the fire had started, they would have almost certainly perished.

However, by some stroke of luck, none of the ponies who lived in this particular house were present when it burned down. The two parents had taken their daughter to the hospital just an hour before to deal with a twisted ankle, which she had attempted to hide from them until they put her to bed. For convenience, as well as not wanting to be parted from their child, they had agreed to stay the night there. Their other daughter, Sunny Days, had disappeared some hours before, accounting for much of their panic and overly protective reaction.

After careful searching, accelerants and several matches would be found mixed among the ashes of the house. While an investigation was filed, no culprit was ever named.

Dear Princess Luna,

It has been a long and grueling ten hours. We have gained no new information from the subject, though L insists that her terrified cries and mumblings are full of information. I cannot say I agree. Now that our subject has finally fallen asleep, I feel that I’ve gained enough confidence to say this one thing.

What we are doing is evil.

I cannot justify it. Even if the unthinkable truly has happened, if Harmony has been truly broken and even the bearer of the Element of Kindness has become an instrument of death, even then I would still not be able to justify this. What we have done to this mare is unforgiveable. But even though under any other circumstances I would recommend, no, demand that punishment be brought down on us, I cannot in good conscience justify that either. My coworkers are children and innocents, and it is not their fault that they have been involved in this.

I don’t know what to do. I admit it. I don’t know what to do. At this point all I can do is follow L, and pray that when she finally leads us to Kira, she won’t have turned the rest of us into monsters like her.

Your loyal servant,

Colgate

Next episode: Rainbow Dash reads a book!

Setup

18
*Setup*

No matter what medical or scientific method may be employed, it is impossible for ponies to distinguish whether or not a specific pony has the eye power of a god of death. Even other gods of death cannot distinguish this fact.

Fluttershy’s imprisonment, day 2

Colgate woke up early that morning, even for her. She recalled that she’d been dreaming, but within moments of awakening the details of her fantasy world were stripped away from her, leaving the unicorn in a muddled and blissful haze. She tried to return to sleep but couldn’t, her already confused biological clock apparently throwing up its hooves in exasperation and giving up. It was nearly an hour before she realized she was lying in the darkness with her eyes open.

Thoughts came, unbidden. Where can we go from here? the blue mare wondered. When all this is over, can I really go back? She frowned and pulled her pillow over her head, but the thoughts continued. Everyone else has something to go back to. After Kira’s caught, L and Bon Bon will just go off on some other adventure. Jazz can go back to his life in Canterlot, Derpy can go back to her family, and Spike and Rainbow Dash still have their friends. Linky... She struggled for a moment. She has a coltfriend, right? She still has a life together with him to look forward to. But what do I have? After all this spying, kidnapping, torture... can I really go back to the way things were before?

Colgate groaned. She clenched her eyes shut and tried to regulate her breathing, desperately searching for the sweet oblivion of sleep. It was no use. All her thoughts, all her memories, it was all leading back to just one, inevitable conclusion.

I can’t do this any more.

It wasn’t a matter of right or wrong. She physically could not do this any more. Her stress levels had been running at maximum for several days too many, and it was starting to take its toll. She felt burnt out from the inside, both physically and emotionally. I need a vacation, she decided. Just for a few days. Just to get my head together. Around now, when L doesn’t need me so much. I’m sure she’ll understand. She does understand pony psychology, even if... Colgate laughed a little. Even if she doesn’t experience it herself.

The more she considered it, the more her confidence grew. “I’ll ask her right now,” Colgate whispered aloud. She crawled out from under her covers and stretched, yawning loudly. “It’s simple,” she continued, mostly to reassure herself. “I’ll just ask. It won’t hurt to ask.” She pushed open the door and stepped out into the hallway, trying to keep her hoofsteps as quiet as possible. Maybe my mother was right, she thought bitterly. I should have been a dentist after all.

The blue pony entered the main chamber to the sounds of wood striking wood. Though the lights had been dimmed, the room was fully illuminated by pulses and flashes from the crystals buried within the central abacus. Beads and levers shifted of their own accord, changing positions several times a second to create the clattering and tumultuous noise. Jazz stood by the machine’s side, staring up at it with a wistful expression. Colgate approached him cautiously. “What’s going on?” she asked over the noise.

The older unicorn glanced in her direction. “Minty is connecting to the central abacus in Canterlot,” he explained. “All relevant public records are being updated and copied to here. Of course, for security reasons, all files related to Kira must be entered manually.”

Colgate looked up at the wooden structure with a new sense of awe. “This happens every night?” she asked. Jazz nodded. “Don’t you ever sleep?”

“I sleep when Minty sleeps.” The grey pony reached out a leg and stroked the corner of the machine, keeping his hoof well away from the shifting beads. “The process takes less than an hour. After that, we can both return to our rest.”

The blue pony nodded and carried on her way to the L’s corner. As she passed around the abacus, however, she could immediately see that something had changed. The rows of screens were still alight with images of the restrained Fluttershy from various angles, but the pony who watched over them was sitting normally instead of in L’s slanted posture. Puzzled, she crossed over to the chair to discover a blue earth pony occupying the detective’s chair. “Linky?” Colgate asked in surprise. “Weren’t you watching Fluttershy’s cottage?”

The seated mare glanced her way, her eyes half-open. “Couldn’t sleep,” she mumbled. “Too much noise.” Both ponies looked at the still-whirring abacus. “Couldn’t sleep here either,” Locket added with a chuckle. “Same reason, I guess.”

Colgate gave a sympathetic nod. “Where’s L?”

“Sleeping. If she sleeps. Maybe she’s just stuffing her face again.” The earth pony let out a hollow laugh. They stared at the bound pegasus for a few seconds in silence. “Colgate?” Locket whispered, barely audible over the sounds of the abacus. “Thanks for being here.”

Colgate gulped. “Why?”

“We wouldn’t be able to do this without you.”

The policemare smiled gratefully, but inwardly winced. Tomorrow, she decided. I’ll ask for time off tomorrow. Feigning interest, she leaned over the desk and examined the notes in front of the screens. After pages of L’s unintelligible scribbles, as well as a few notes which literally read “Unintelligible”, Locket had ended the report with five extremely brief lines.

00:12 - “No.”

00:15 - “I don’t want to.”

00:21 - “No.”

00:22 - “No.”

00:24 - “Okay.”

A dull throbbing echoed through Twilight Sparkle’s head. She stretched feebly and tried to rub her eyes, her legs scraping on the hard surface beneath her. With a grunted effort she lifted her front off the floor and looked around. She was lying beside her desk, apparently having fallen from her chair sometime during the night; she imagined it had been pure exhaustion that kept her from waking. Sunlight streamed through the still-open window, hurting her bloodshot eyes. And the pounding continued - not only inside her head, but at her bedroom door. A brash voice added to the noise. “Twilight? You in there?”

Instantly the unicorn was on her hooves. “Just a minute!” she called. Stupid, stupid, stupid... In a flurry of magic she slammed shut the books left carelessly open on her desk and threw the Death Note into a drawer. She struggled momentarily with the far larger book of justice records, then in her panic simply pushed it out of view beneath the desk. She ran a brush through her mane to make herself a little more presentable, only for it to hit a knot and get stuck. Giving up, she left the implement where it was and scrambled back to the door, unlocking and throwing it open with a single toss of her head. She smiled weakly. “Good morning,” she mumbled.

Rainbow Dash stared. Then she smiled. A small chuckle broke out of her, then another, rapidly growing louder until the pegasus fell onto her side and howled with laughter. Twilight stood patiently, her exhausted mind not fully comprehending what was happening. Then, in bits and pieces, she gradually became aware of the handle of her hairbrush at the corner of her vision. Realization dawning, she took a step back and turned to a mirror on a nearby wall.

Bathed in the light of day, Twilight was no longer a threatening sight. Instead she simply looked... well, messy. Her eyes were gummed and squinted from her sudden awakening, freezing her face in a perpetually confused expression, and a thick layer of drool had darkened one side of her cheek and neck. And her mane... oh, her mane! Half was stringy and plastered to the side of her head where she’d lain, while the other side stuck up, tangled and knotted, in every direction. Dividing the two, her favorite hairbrush was stuck right in the thick of it, jutting out at an absurd angle.

Twilight blinked. She stared a second longer, to make sure that this was really her that she was looking at, then turned back to her hysterical friend. Her cheeks reddened as Rainbow Dash’s laughter rang in her ears. Then, unexpectedly, she began to smile. Her eyes landed once again on the handle of her hairbrush, still caught in the tangles and folds of her mane, and she let out a giggle as well. Then, like a dam being blown into pieces, she let out a similar howl of laughter to the one that was possessing her friend. The pair built off each other and within seconds both of them were on the floor, laughing with relief and at the absurdity of it, feeling a flood of tension drain out of them both.

After nearly a minute of this, the multi-hued pegasus was the first to calm down. “Oh, wow,” she chuckled, shaking her head. “Twilight, it’s, like, two-thirty!”

“That late?” Twilight laughed, shaking her head happily. “I can’t believe it. I really let myself go for a while there. I think...” She paused, brushing a tear from her eye as she got to her hooves. “I think we both needed that just now.”

“Yeah.” Standing up as well, Rainbow Dash lifted up the small bag by her side with her wing. “I brought sandwiches. I guess you haven’t had lunch yet.”

“No, I...” Twilight paused. For what seemed like the first time in weeks, the unicorn reflected on the state of her body, and countless days of skipped meals and half-hearted cooking returned to her all at once. Glad to finally be noticed, her stomach roared impatiently. “I’m starving,” she admitted, and burst into another fit of giggles that Rainbow Dash wasn’t quite able to follow. “Thank you so much for this.”

“Hey, anything for a friend.” Twilight took a step forward, and ended up leaning on her friend as they started down the stairs. Rainbow Dash steadied her, her smile slipping into a more gentle look of concern. “Are you gonna be okay, Twilight?”

“I’m fine.” The unicorn nodded, resting her head against her friend’s shoulder. “I was in a rough place back there, but I think things are starting to look up.”

While the meal was less inspired than what she was used to, Twilight ended up eating far more than her share of lunch. Byuk had reappeared shortly after the pair had emerged downstairs, but after discreetly snatching half a sandwich he seemed content to drift lazily overhead. Once they were finished, the two ponies spent ten unsuccessful minutes trying to get the brush out of Twilight’s mane, eventually giving up and retreating to the bathroom. Rainbow Dash helped Twilight run a bath, then waited patiently in the front room while the unicorn tried to make herself presentable.

Finally starting to feel refreshed again, Twilight left the bathroom to discover Rainbow Dash reclining on the library stairs with a book. Upon closer inspection, the choice of reading material wasn’t one of the pegasus’ treasured adventure novels, but a textbook of advanced physics. “Well, there’s something I never thought I’d see,” the unicorn teased as she approached. “Why the sudden interest in science?”

Rainbow Dash turned a page, frowning. “Jazz said I have to learn some number theory before I can use the abacus properly, whatever that means. I figured this might help. I don’t get what all the fuss is about, though. I mean, numbers are numbers, right?” She squinted at the page in front of her. “I think I’m in the wrong section, though. What’s a quark?”

Twilight smiled, suppressing a laugh. “Did you just pick up the first book on mathematics that you found?”

“Well, yeah. Why, aren’t numbers all the same everywhere?”

With a slight giggle, the unicorn reached out and gently closed the textbook. “Maybe we should get you started on something a little closer to your field.”

And then, just like that, it was three hours later.

After amassing a large stack of books about numbers and counting machines, the two mares had lain down on a pile of cushions in the library’s center. Twilight had at first tried to talk Rainbow Dash through one of Spike’s old textbooks, but the pegasus had brushed her off, saying that she preferred to work things out on her own. Dash then chattered while she read, which Twilight doubted was conductive to learning. She sat close by with a book of her own, idly listening to her friend’s voice and answering questions when they came up. “Do you think the Wonderbolts have to know all this stuff?” Rainbow Dash was currently saying, skimming through a chapter on data sorting. “I mean, there’s tons of math involved in flying. Air speed and velocity and acceleration and all that stuff. But do they have to know it? I do all sorts of crazy stuff when I fly, but I don’t think about the math of what I’m doing. I just do it. One time, I went into a spiral so long...”

Twilight smiled faintly. Her eyes drifted over the pages in front of her, not really taking in the words as she read them. Something in the back of her mind screamed that she should be thinking about Fluttershy and the Death Note, but it seemed a lot quieter than it had been the day before. This is... nice, she realized. How long has it been since I’ve been able to just sit like this with a friend? She allowed herself a small sigh of contentment. I wonder if we’ll still be able to have moments like these... when all this is over...

Suddenly, a gasp sounded from overhead. A deep voice rumbled. “Uh-oh.”

Twilight looked up in time to catch Byuk vanishing through the nearest wall. She turned the other way. Mer was floating into the room from the other side, a deep scowl on her face. The pale god landed and stomped her way over to the two ponies, her bizarre hooves making metallic clanging noises on the floorboards. She came to a halt in front of Twilight Sparkle, bending down to stare into the frightened mare’s eyes. “Where is the Death Note?” she hissed.

What? Twilight held her breath and tried not to move, keenly aware of the presence of the pegasus just a few feet away. Rainbow Dash continued to chatter, unaware of the shinigami’s presence or her friend’s sudden panic. What is she doing here? Twilight wondered, gulping silently. I thought she was supposed to stay with Fluttershy. With a small nod of her head, the unicorn gestured to Rainbow Dash and smiled weakly.

“...a perfect circle. The kids I asked said they couldn’t see because the sun was in their eyes, but that’s kind of a success, right? But then Cheerilee told me...”

Mer turned towards Rainbow Dash and then stared a few seconds before comprehending. “Fine,” she muttered, backing away. She took to the air again and folded her forelegs in front of her. “Make her leave, or I will make her leave.”

A familiar tension gripped Twilight’s body. She squeezed her eyes shut and fought to control her breathing, doing her best to keep an outwardly calm appearance. Bad, bad bad! ...Okay, stay calm, Twilight, she told herself. I can do this. I’ve been in worse situations. I just have to tell one of my best friends to leave in the middle of a study session without being weird about it... oh, shoot! She looked towards her friend and tried to smile. The pegasus kept reading, too engrossed in her story to notice her friend’s discomfort.

“...and I said, ‘What are friends for?’ But I guess she thought I was talking about something different, ‘cause she tried to ask me out to dinner right after. Can you believe that? It came totally out of left field! I mean, less than a month ago I heard Sassaflash was-”

Mer mimed tapping her hoof. Twilight gulped. “Rainbow Dash,” she said, cutting the pegasus off. “Why are you here?”

“Huh?” Breaking out of both her chatter and her reading, the pegasus didn’t immediately understand the question. “What do you mean?”

“Well, it wasn’t for the books,” Twilight continued. “If you’re going to get better you need focused study and practice. But instead, you’ve spent the afternoon talking to me.”

“Well, yeah.” Rainbow Dash put her head to one side, looking slightly offended. “So what? What’s wrong with friends wanting to hang out?”

Twilight clenched her teeth. I’m talking myself into a corner, she realized. Please, Dash, your life is in danger! “Under normal circumstances, nothing,” Twilight stalled. “But...” In desperation, she said the first thing that popped into her head. “Did you come here because L asked you to?”

Rainbow Dash started to respond, then hesitated. “Well...” she said, a little more slowly. “She did mention that she thought you were taking Fluttershy getting... I mean... that you were taking things pretty hard.”

Inwardly, the unicorn smiled. Jackpot. “That’s strange,” she improvised, thinking on her hooves. “She said something similar to me about you.”

“What?” Dash’s brow furrowed. “Why me? I mean, I’m not happy about it, but I’m not...”

“Exactly.” Twilight lowered her head and leaned forward conspiratorially. “Dash, I don’t think it’s our welfare that L’s concerned with. Doesn’t it seem like she doesn’t trust either of us to be on our own?”

The pegasus’ lip quivered. “Why wouldn’t she trust us?” she said, starting to sound hurt.

At her friend’s tone, a pang of guilt shot across Twilight’s heart. “You shouldn’t take it personally, Dash,” she said quickly. “I don’t think L trusts anypony. It’s her job not to. But if she went far enough to hide cameras in my bedroom, I don’t know what else she’s capable of.” Have to end this fast. “You never know, Dash. Maybe she wanted you to come over here so she could safely search your house.”

As this sank in, the pegasus quickly tried to hide a blush. “I... I should go,” she said, jerkily standing up. “I have stuff to do.”

“I understand.” Reaching out with her magic, Twilight pulled a book bag from a nearby shelf and quickly selected two books to put inside it. “Here you go,” she said, standing up and placing the strap over Dash’s neck. “These should keep you going for a while.”

“Thanks, Twilight.” Looking a little jittery, the pegasus made her way to the door and stepped outside. “I’ll see you around sometime.”

“Rainbow Dash?” The pegasus looked back. Twilight smiled sincerely. “Thanks for being here.”

With a final nod, the multi-hued pony spread her wings and rocketed off into the sky. Twilight watched her leave, an uncomfortable sense of guilt washing through her. We’ll do this again sometime, Dash. I promise.

“A pointless display,” Mer said as soon as the pegasus was out of sight. “You should have simply told her to leave.”

“Hey! Just... just give me a second, okay?” Twilight closed the door, then sat down and rubbed her eyes. “Even if suspicion wasn’t an issue, you’ve already taken one friend from me. I’m not letting you make me lose another.” She snorted softly. “I guess I couldn’t expect you to understand that.”

A pair of hooves slammed down on either side of her, making the unicorn jump. Mer snorted frostily into the mare’s face. “Twilight Sparkle, I am not in the mood for games. I am going to retrieve what is rightfully mine. Either you will tell me where it is, or I will tear this building apart looking for it. For your sake, do not make this difficult for either of us.”

There was a pause. Slowly, Twilight raised her head. Instead of the fear she had been expecting, however, the god saw only cold fury. "How dare you," Twilight hissed. "How dare you say that. You come into my home, threaten my friend, demand something that isn't yours, and then you have the nerve to try to intimidate me? Well let me tell you something, Mer. I've spent years staring down monsters a lot more frightening than you. I've banished and killed creatures for a lot less than what you've done. So don't try to push me around, because I have as much power over you as you have over me. After all..." She grinned wickedly. "It's not as if I need Fluttershy alive."

Mer growled, then hesitated. "You wouldn't."

Twilight tossed her mane. "Why not? If you're going to threaten me, I might as well do the same to you. Try to threaten me or my friends again, and I'll write Fluttershy's name in my Death Note even if it's the last thing I do."

The pair glared at each other for a few seconds longer. Finally, Mer broke her gaze and turned away. When she spoke again, her voice was softer and without malice. "It doesn't matter any more," she muttered. "We no longer have reason to quarrel. Fluttershy has given up ownership of the Death Note."

The unicorn's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes." The god nodded sadly. "I convinced her to do it. She turned down my offers to free her; perhaps she believed any evidence of her powers would bring suspicion back to you. She forced herself to wait, in pain, wishing death upon herself. This... is not what I intended. Giving up her identity is preferable to this.” She held up a hoof as Twilight opened her mouth, cutting off the unicorn’s questions. “She remembers nothing. All of her murders, the existence of myself or the Death Notes, even your identity as Kira... all of it has vanished from her mind." Her face contorted in a grimace. "All that remains is the love that she projected onto you. That is something the Death Note cannot change. Without that, I would not have been able to talk her into it."

Twilight bit her lip, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling. "She gave up her memory of being the second Kira... for me?" This... this changes everything!

"Unfortunately." Mer sighed. "Have you touched Geldus' Death Note since last night?"

"Um..." Twilight blinked through her memories of last night and that morning. "I don't think so. I only used mine."

"Then the Note is unclaimed. Good." The bony shinigami settled herself on the ground again. "You were right, Twilight Sparkle. I should not have brought the Note into this world. You ponies are not ready to bear its power. It will only bring you pain." She sighed. "Now tell me where you have hidden it, so that I can return it to the King of Death. As I should have done from the beginning."

"Wait." Twilight began to smile, still chewing thoughtfully on her lip. Her thoughts of L and the Death Note, previously subdued, were now dancing with new possibilities. Plan Epsilon. I always thought it was too risky, leaving too much to chance. But with Mer and a second Death Note, maybe, just maybe... "Fluttershy's memories... are they gone forever?"

Mer snorted. "Do not think that you can outwit us, Twilight Sparkle," she said, some of the temper starting to return to her voice. "Your pony psychology will do you no good. Her memories are not sealed away within her mind, waiting to be unlocked. The Death Note has carried them away, as if they never were. Unless she gains ownership of another Death Note, her knowledge of these events will never return. And I will ensure that that will never happen." She rose into the air again, talons starting to extend from her hooves. "Now do not waste any more of my time. Lead me to the Note so that we may put this painful business behind us."

"Hang on a minute." Twilight looked up at Mer and smiled, both with relief and something else the god didn't recognize. "I can save Fluttershy. But I'll need your help."

Mer's eyes narrowed. "This is another trick," she said. "If you had a means of saving Fluttershy, you would have done so already. Now that she has been released, she will be safe."

"No." Twilight shook her head. "L won't be pacified that easily. Fluttershy’s memories of being the second Kira may have vanished, but the evidence against her hasn’t. Now that L has her in her hooves, she'll keep her locked up and never let her go. But there's a way to save her," she added hastily as Mer's scowl deepened. "We can still make it out of this. But it's going to take both of us working together. All I need is Geldus' Death Note, for just a little longer." She stared into the shinigami's eyes with her most determined expression. Slowly, she raised a hoof out towards her. "Will you help me?"

The god stared, not comprehending the gesture at first. Then she lowered herself to the ground and stepped forward, tentatively bumping hooves with Twilight. Her touch sent a tingling coldness down the unicorn's entire leg. "What is your plan?" she asked.

"Um..." Twilight closed her eyes. Concepts and timelines were still spinning in her head, the implications of Fluttershy's sacrifice still echoing through her. "Give me a few hours," she said. "I have a lot of preparing to do. Meet me at sunset in the woods near Fluttershy's cottage. I'll have the details worked out by then."

"...Fine." Mer rose up and spread her wings. "I will hear your plan then. But if you do not arrive..."

"I will. I promise."

"Promise?" Mer mouthed the word to herself a few times before turning away. "A word for fools and ponies. I do not trust you, Twilight Sparkle. Do not think that this changes that." With a wide sweep of her wings, the god vanished through the library wall and soared away into the sky.

Once the otherworldly wingbeats had faded, Twilight released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She sank to the floor, pressing her hooves against her temples. “Okay, Twilight, think!” she instructed herself. “I have a new plan. I have until sundown to make it airtight. I just have to make sure this makes sense...”

“I don’t get it.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, unintentionally causing her spade to spin in midair. “It’s not important that you understand right now,” she said to Byuk, righting the implement and continuing to dig. She squinted in the fading light at the hole she’d made near the base of a large tree, trying to measure depth. A large bag lay by her side, containing both her own Death Note and the enchanted police records book. “Just let me finish this quickly. Even this close to the border, the Everfree can be very dangerous once it gets dark.”

Byuk scratched his head in confusion. He looked around warily at the forest surrounding them. The clearing they were in was barely large enough for the pony and the two gods to stand together; it had taken a lot of coaxing from Twilight to convince the dark god to stay with her. The ground was littered with tiny, tooth-shaped stones, which the unicorn had to step around as she worked. Through the treeline he could barely make out the lights of Fluttershy’s cottage. Somepony was evidently living there in Fluttershy’s absence, which was why Twilight had insisted they take the long way around.

Mer floated nearby, not looking at either of the others. A thick stack of papers was clutched in one of her hooves, Geldus’ Death Note on the ground in front of her. She spoke quietly. “And if I do as you have asked, Fluttershy will be safe?”

“For the last time, yes,” Twilight snapped. She turned to face the pale god. “Is that so hard to believe?”

Mer frowned. “I do not understand your plan,” she muttered. “This will put you in great danger. I cannot believe that it is as simple as you claim.”

“That’s because I have something you don’t, Mer.” The unicorn smiled, almost sympathetically. “I have faith in my friends.”

The trio stood in silence for a few seconds before Mer sighed. “If you say so,” she grunted. “Then return the Note to me, and we can part ways.”

With precise deliberateness, Twilight bent down and picked up the Death Note in her mouth. She raised it up towards the pale shinigami, who carefully took it with her free hoof. Twilight cleared her throat and spoke. “I relinquish ownership of this Death Note.”

Something shifted. There was no fade out, nor even a blinking out of existence. The moment the last syllable left her mouth, Twilight’s view of Mer changed. It was like the sensation of staring at an image for twenty minutes and only then seeing the frightening face concealed within, but in reverse, and just like that Mer could no longer be seen. For a second the stack of papers and the Death Note hung unsupported in the air, side by side. Then those vanished as well, and with the faintest movement of icy air the shinigami was gone.

“Finally,” Byuk said before Twilight had fully recovered. “I’m not sorry to see the back of her, I can tell you.”

Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated. “I can remember her,” she said at length. “I can’t see her, but I can remember her. At least, I think I can. It looks like my hunch was right. So long as I own at least one Death Note, I keep my memories of all of them.”

“That sounds about right,” Byuk confirmed. “But that makes what you’re doing here make even less sense.” He gestured to the bag and the hole in the ground. “Why are you trying to get rid of your Death Note? You won’t be able to use it if it’s buried.”

“I’m not getting rid of it,” she reassured him, picking up her spade again. “This is just to keep it safe for now. When I want to give up ownership, I’ll use the words ‘throw away.’”

“That’s a little disrespectful,” Byuk mumbled.

“No, Byuk. Listen carefully.” Twilight faced the god and stared into his eyes. “When I want to give up ownership of the Death Note,” she repeated clearly, “I’ll use the words ‘throw away.’ Can you remember that?”

The shinigami’s mouth moved silently. Then, realization dawning, he smiled. “I think so,” he said conspiratorially, nodding. “So all this is...”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Byuk,” Twilight teased, continuing to dig. “If it was that simple, it wouldn’t have taken somepony like me to think of it.”

Fluttershy’s imprisonment, day 3

"Colgate!"

The shout echoed down the corridors of the base, only arriving faintly at the ears of the policemare. She slouched sleepily in the kitchen, nursing the cup of coffee that was her breakfast. Slowly she started to look up, uncertain if she'd heard anything. As the distant voice repeated itself, she brightened up a little and shouted back. "What is it?"

"Fluttershy is talking."

In an instant Colgate was on her hooves. She ran down the corridor, coffee forgotten, and skidded to a halt as she entered the main chamber. The detective was hunched in front of the screens showing Fluttershy's chamber, one hoof resting on the buttons of her microphone, the other wrapped around a cup of artificially-flavored slush. Despite the early hour, Spike and Derpy had also responded to the call and were already standing behind her, the dragon resting on the pegasus’ back so he could see. L didn't react as Colgate leaped into a chair beside her and stared intently at the screens. "What did she say?" the blue pony asked.

"She asked for a drink of water," L replied. "I am waiting to see if she will do it again."

Colgate gaped at her. "You mean you didn't..."

"Of course I sent her a drink," L sighed. "Bon Bon will be arriving with it shortly."

Just as the detective finished speaking, the door in Fluttershy's room swung open and a black-clad pony entered with a bowl. She held it up in front of Fluttershy's face. The bound mare lapped at it cautiously at first, then strained forward and drank deeply. Bon Bon lifted the bowl up to help her drink, then took it away when she was finished. "Thank you," the pegasus said weakly. "I was very thirsty."

L pressed a button on her microphone. "Miss Fluttershy," she said, her artificial voice filling up the tiny room. "Are you ready to talk to us now?"

Fluttershy automatically tried to look around, lowering her head as far as she could and swiveling her ears. When she failed to locate the source of the sound, she whimpered a little and started to speak. "Yes," she mumbled. "I'll tell you anything. Please, I just want to go home."

"Fluttershy, do you know why you are here?"

Amazingly, the bound pony's voice became even smaller. "Yes."

L raised her eyebrows, though the rest of her face remained motionless. "Why is that?"

"Because..." Fluttershy squirmed a little in her bonds. Her breathing changed again, becoming a little more forced, as though she were about to burst into tears. "Please, mister police pony. I don't know how it happened, I just don't!"

Colgate glanced at L, puzzled. When L did not return the gesture she turned to Derpy, who looked back at her with an even more confused expression. "Just answer the question, miss Fluttershy," L continued, ignoring them both.

"Because of... Photo Finish."

Colgate covered the end of the microphone with her hoof. She opened her mouth to comment, but Spike beat her to it. "Photo Finish?" he asked L. "The photographer? What's she got to do with this?"

"On the surface, nothing," L replied. "Photo Finish disappeared from her home in Canterlot several weeks ago and has not been sighted since. A missing pony's case was filed shortly after, but as Photo Finish is prone to sudden disappearances, it was not widely covered."

Colgate stared. "How do you know about this?"

"It's my job to keep track of crime, Colgate. All crime. And unlike you, I have no jurisdiction. Speaking of which..." L gently removed Colgate's hoof from the microphone. "Miss Fluttershy, where do you think that you are?"

"In a police station in Canterlot. Where else would I be?" Fluttershy sniffed. “Please, mister police pony. My animal friends need me, and my friends will wonder where I am...”

Colgate wrinkled up her nose. “Is this seriously what she thinks police stations are like?”

“This is the only mare I know who’s literally afraid of her own shadow,” Spike answered her. “So probably, yeah.”

L looked upwards thoughtfully, then spoke into the microphone again. “Miss Fluttershy. When you were first brought here, you screamed and begged for us to kill you. Then you stayed silent for a full day. Now, you wish to talk. Can you explain this?”

“I was scared,” Fluttershy freely admitted. “I didn’t know what was going on at first. And I thought that if I said something when I wasn’t supposed to, you might... punish me...” She visibly turned pale at the thought.

Colgate covered the microphone again, her face twisted in irritation. “That’s insulting,” she hissed. “And that can’t just be normal paranoia. Who’s been feeding her stories about the Guard?”

Everypony looked at Spike, who shrugged. “How should I know?” he said. “I don’t know anypony who’s been in prison.” Beneath him, Derpy started to speak, then seemed to think better of it.

A loud knocking echoed through the chamber, which caused the grey pegasus to instantly perk up. “The door bell!” she cried excitedly, turning on the spot and galloping towards the entrance. Spike protested loudly as he was carried off, having to grab handfuls of her mane to keep from being thrown from her back. Derpy screeched to a halt and peered at the little stratoscreen set into the wall by the main door. From the grove of trees above them, a hidden camera beamed down the image of two ponies huddled nervously by the trapdoor. “It’s Twilight and Rainbow Dash!” Derpy yelled back towards L. “Can I let them in?”

L paused for only a second before leaning towards her microphone again. “Miss Fluttershy, a meal is being prepared for you. We will continue this conversation after you have eaten.”

Taking that as her cue, Bon Bon rose to leave the room. Fluttershy broke into a fraction of a relieved smile. “Thank you,” she breathed.

With a flick of her hooves L turned off her microphone, then pressed a button on the main stratoscreen that turned all the screens on the desk blank. “Let them in,” she called towards Derpy. As the pegasus opened the trapdoor, L took a long, slow sip from her cup and swallowed loudly. She turned to Colgate, her voice dropping. “Fluttershy’s behavior concerns me,” she said quietly. “Her actions do not make sense.”

Colgate resisted the urge to scowl. “She’s a trapped and terrified pony. What were you expecting?”

“Something more consistent.” L frowned, her brow furrowed in thought. “During her first day of captivity, Fluttershy would not stop crying and talking to herself. She seemed fully aware of the severity of the situation then. But during her second day she was virtually catatonic, and it’s only now that she’s built up the courage to even ask for water. Why?” L took another sip of her drink, for once looking directly at Colgate. “How can she be naive enough to think that feigning ignorance will work, yet committed enough to take it to this extreme?”

While the two unicorns pondered this, the great iron doors creaked open. At first, nopony emerged. Then, with a slight nudge from Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle shuffled her way into the base. She kept her head bowed, not looking anypony in the eye. Rainbow Dash followed, sticking close behind her and looking nervously back and forth. When she reached the stand where the abacus stood, Twilight stopped. Trembling like a foal with her hoof caught in the cookie jar, she raised her eyes towards L. “Hi, everypony,” she said quietly.

“Twilight Sparkle.” L’s voice was louder than usual, but there was no anger in it, only curiosity. “I specifically asked you to stay away from the base. I assume you have good reason for not complying with my request.”

“Y-yeah.” Slowly, Twilight turned her head to take in the other ponies and dragon in the room. “L. Colgate. Derpy. Spike. I’m here because...” She choked. “Because...”

“You can do it, Twilight.” Rainbow Dash spoke softly, but firmly. “I’m here for you. Just tell them what you told me.”

Twilight nodded. She steadied herself and stared at the ground. After several deep breaths, she spoke.

“I’m here because... I might be Kira.”

Dear Princess Celestia,

I have to go away somewhere for a while. Maybe for a few days, maybe... longer. I won’t be able to send you any letters while I’m gone, and I’m very sorry for that. Please don’t worry about me, and trust that I’m in good hooves.

Today, my friend Rainbow Dash helped me remember something that, thanks to Kira, I nearly forgot: your friends will always be there for you. It’s one of the first and simplest lessons I ever learned, but it’s also one of the easiest to lose sight of. Every day, we face lots of situations that we think our friends wouldn’t understand, or would have no interest in helping with. But a true friend will always have your best interests at heart, and even if you don’t see the problem in the same way, there’s no trial in all the world that isn’t made easier by facing it together.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Next episode: The Dollmaker!

Burial

19
*Burial*

A pony who has traded for the eyes of the Gods of Death will lose this power upon relinquishing ownership of the Note. However, the traded half of their life will not be restored.

Colgate’s reaction was instantaneous. “Twilight, you are not Kira.”

“Slow down, Colgate,” L said almost as quickly, putting a hoof on the mare’s shoulder. She put down her cup and swiveled to face Twilight. “Twilight, is this a confession?”

“I... I don’t know. Maybe.” The purple unicorn shifted in place, alternately staring at the ground and throwing guilty glances at her friends. “I don’t think that I’m Kira. I mean... I’m not aware that I’m Kira. But over the past few days I’ve been going over the facts of the case, and... it all adds up. The greatest detective in the world thinks that I’m Kira. Rarity died believing I was Kira. Piece by piece, every part of this investigation has come back to me. I have to be Kira. It’s the only possible answer.”

“No!” Colgate leaped to her hooves, nearly knocking her chair over, and ran over to Twilight. “No. Twilight, don’t let her do this to you,” she panted. “She’s been trying to turn everypony against you from day one. I’ve had to fight her night and day to stop her from destroying your life because of this stupid obsession. You’re not Kira. You can’t be. Don’t give in to her now.” Colgate’s lip trembled. “Don’t do this to me,” she whispered.

While the blue unicorn was talking, Spike slowly climbed down from Derpy’s back. The pegasus barely seemed to notice as he walked away from her, her eyes even more unfocused than usual. The little dragon approached Twilight and put a hand on her left foreleg. “Twilight,” he said quietly, conscious that he was starting to sound like a child again. “You can’t be Kira. We proved it. We put camera bugs in your bedroom, remember?”

“Spike. Colgate.” Twilight smiled and pulled the pair into a warm embrace. “Thank you for standing up for me,” she said. “It means a lot to me. I really mean that. But right now, hard as it may be, I’m going to need both of you to put those feelings aside.” Slowly she released the two, and, one by one, looked them in the eyes. “Look at the facts. Sharp Star, who murdered one of my classmates, was Kira’s first victim. I was one of the only ponies who knew Ray Painter’s name before he was killed. And now, one of my best friends tried to get close to me just hours before being arrested for a connection to the second Kira. If we’re going to catch Kira, we can’t just ignore things like this, even if it hurts.”

Colgate bit her lip, trying to blink back tears. “Twilight...”

“Think of it like this,” the lavender mare continued. “I’m still me. I’m still the same Twilight you’ve always known. But we already know that Kira can get inside of ponies’ heads. What if something’s been twisting me from the inside, turning me into something I’m not?” A tremor started to return to Twilight’s voice. “If... if Rarity was right, if I am somehow responsible for all these deaths, a-all this torment, then I want to know. I can’t carry on with this kind of weight hanging over me, and you shouldn’t have to either.”

From across the room, L’s perpetually calm voice washed over the trio. “So, Twilight Sparkle, what do you propose that we do?”

Twilight took a deep breath. She pulled herself away from her friends and faced L. “I want to be put under observation,” she said. “Not just cameras this time. Make sure there’s no possible way I could do something without you knowing. Every measure you’ve taken with Fluttershy, do the same to me.”

“Plus something for her horn,” Rainbow Dash added. She’d remained unusually quiet throughout this exchange, her expression set in stony grimness.

“Rainbow!” Spike gasped.

“You heard what Twilight said,” Dash barked back. “She knows this psychological stuff better than anypony. I trust her more than anything. So if she says this has to happen, then this has to happen.”

Twilight put a hoof to Spike’s lips before he could argue further. “L,” she continued. “You wanted us to trust each other. This is the only way that that can happen. You know it as well as I do. And if it’s to catch Kira, then I’m willing to give up everything, even my freedom, to earn that trust. What do you say?”

L closed her eyes. She sat perfectly still for almost a full minute, not visibly moving a muscle even to breathe. Everyone else in the room unconsciously copied her, not daring to make even the smallest of movements. When the detective opened her eyes, the chamber echoed with her single word.

“No.”

There was another pause, the tension replaced by confusion. “No?” Twilight echoed.

“Miss Sparkle, do you take me for a fool?” L leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. “This charade is pointless. Even if I believed for one second that you could be Kira without having any awareness of it, this scheme could not be easier to thwart. We all know that Kira can schedule deaths well in advance. Coming here of your own choosing is practically an admission that you’ve made such preparations.”

“So keep me here for longer!” Twilight shouted. “You only watched me for a short while last time. Keep me here for a month, or a year, or however long it takes. Even if ponies keep dying out there, sooner or later something will happen that I couldn’t have seen coming.”

“Aren’t we forgetting something?” Spike interjected. “We already tried this! We watched Twilight for a few days and nothing happened. What good’s doing it again going to do?”

“He’s right,” Colgate quickly agreed. She leaned close to Twilight, who seemed to be having trouble breathing. “You don’t know what she’s done to Fluttershy,” she said in a hushed tone, sneaking glances towards L. “Don’t put yourself through that over nothing.”

To the surprise of all, the silence that followed was broken not by anyone in the middle of the room, but by the quiet pegasus near the door. “Not in the forest.”

Everyone turned to stare. “Derpy!” Spike gasped.

“It didn’t work,” the wall-eyed mare continued. She was clearly struggling to stay calm, though her trembling voice gave her true feelings away. “We couldn’t see her in the forest. Or in the dark that good. There were lots of places she could have done bad things. I didn’t say anything, cuz...” Derpy’s breath caught several times in her throat before she was able to continue. “Cuz she’s a good pony.”

Colgate’s expression hardened. At the number of eyes on her, Derpy lowered her head and shuffled uncomfortably in place. Noticing this, Twilight bit her lip and took half a step towards her, which only caused the pegasus to quickly back up against the wall. “Derpy...”

“I’m sorry!” The mailmare squeaked. She tried to turn away but only ended up spinning in a circle, unable to avoid the gazes of the others in the room. “I have to go to work,” she said, leaping for the lever for the trapdoor.

“Derpy, we’re not mad,” Twilight said quickly, but it was too late. With the quickness of a foal fleeing from an expected punishment, the grey pegasus had vanished out the iron doors.

“That interjection aside, the point is moot,” L continued after a moment had passed. “The fact that it is you, Twilight, who suggested this makes any attempt at incarceration meaningless. If you are Kira, even somehow subconsciously, then you would not have allowed yourself to come here without some kind of plan in place. As that plan would no doubt primarily involve your imprisonment here, I look forward to watching it fall to pieces as the principal element is removed. That will be all.” The detective made a dismissive gesture with her hoof and turned back to her monitor. “Colgate, take her home.”

“Oh, come on!” Rainbow Dash yelled, taking to the air. “You’ve been saying from the start that Twilight is Kira. Now that she’s giving you exactly what you wanted, you’re just gonna tell her to go away?”

“It’s over, Dash.” With a relieved smile, Colgate put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and gently nudged her towards the door. “This is for the best. Let’s go home.”

“I don’t think so.” To the blue unicorn’s irritation, Rainbow Dash flew down to Twilight’s other side, bumping Spike out of the way, and started to push her in the other direction. “Twilight’s staying here. It’s for her own good!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Glaring back, Colgate raised her other front leg and started to push more roughly. Still stunned, Twilight started to feel like a piece of taffy being squeezed. “You know there’s no solid evidence that Twilight’s Kira! You should be trying to help your friend, not lock her up!”

“I am trying to help her!” Dash insisted. She flapped her wings and redoubled her efforts, sending Colgate and Twilight skidding a few inches backwards. “You think I like this? I don’t. But the only way we’re ever going to settle this once and for all is if Twilight stays here!”

“No!” Colgate braced herself against the floor and started to make some headway back towards the exit. The unicorn in the middle was now finding it difficult to breathe. “This will solve nothing! She goes!”

“She stays!”

“She goes!”

“She stays!”

“She goes!”

To the side, Spike sat down and clutched at his head. “I don’t know what to think any more,” he moaned. “Make it stop!”

In the middle of it all, Twilight lowered her head. “Enough!” she screamed, pushing her friends off of her. “L, do you know what it’s like to have something inside your head?” The seated detective didn’t respond to this, but it made Colgate and Rainbow Dash pause. Trembling with fear and desperation, Twilight continued. “I don’t know what’s real any more. So many impossible things have happened in the past week alone that I have no idea how I’m supposed to feel. It’s like ever since Kira showed up I’ve been living in a dream, just getting dragged along for the ride. We all know Kira can control ponies subconsciously. What if that’s what been happening to me all along?” She looked at L with her most pleading expression. “I don’t know. If it was a simple yes or no then maybe I could deal with it, but I don’t know. Please, L. I’m not asking for you, I’m asking for me. I can’t keep living with this uncertainty, always wondering, never knowing if I’m responsible for so much chaos. As long as that fear is in the back of my mind, to me I’m as good as locked up anyway.” Sensing Colgate about to speak, she turned and raised a hoof to stop her. “No. No more arguing. I need this. I can’t live with myself otherwise.”

There was another long, potent pause. Then, as casually as if she were reaching for her cup, L pressed a button on the microphone in front of her. “Bon Bon?” she said.

“Yes, Harpy?” Bon Bon’s voice came back, speaking over the sound of chopping vegetables.

“Prepare a cell for Twilight Sparkle.”

A look from Twilight silenced Colgate’s cry of protest. Bon Bon tried to keep herself calm, but was unable to prevent the sound of surprise from creeping into her response. “Of course, dear. Shall I bring the restraints?”

“Those will not be necessary. Twilight will be staying with us voluntarily.” With another flick, L turned off the microphone and looked back towards Twilight. “You are aware, of course, that if you are placed into my custody, there is no way of knowing how long it will be before you are released. If, that is, you are ever released at all.”

Twilight nodded. “That’s the way it has to be. No matter what happens, I trust you to only let me out once you’re absolutely sure of my innocence... or my guilt.”

“Then we have nothing more to discuss.” The detective made another dismissive gesture. “Rainbow Dash, your presence is no longer required. You may leave.”

The pegasus faced L, still grim. “I’m staying.”

L sighed. “I do not wish to make the situation any more difficult-”

“I’m staying,” Rainbow Dash repeated, emphatically putting her hoof down. “I don’t care about any conflict of investment or whatever you called it. I’m not going to keep sitting around while you’ve got two of my friends locked up. One way or another, I leave when they do.” She nodded proudly, then hesitated. “So, uh, that means I’m here where I can see you, all right? You can trust me. You don’t have to search my house or anything.”

Though her face was already mostly expressionless, L still managed to produce a particularly blank look for the pegasus. “...Given your insistence that your close friend may have something to hide, Rainbow Dash, that’s perhaps the worst possible timing for such a reassurance that I’ve ever heard. Is there a reason you felt you had to bring that up?”

“Uh...” Dash glanced at Twilight. “We, um, I thought you might have seen me as a suspect. You know, trust nopony, and all that.”

L rolled her eyes. “Rainbow Dash, if Kira were a fat, hairy spider sitting in the middle of a web, you would be the moth wondering why her wings are no longer propelling her forwards. The only reason I haven’t already called a team down on your little cloud-house is that I doubt Kira would trust a pony who is so consistently careless with her words.”

“Hey!” Dash flared out her wings and pointed angrily. “You take that back! I am not a moth!”

“Let it go, Rainbow,” Twilight said quietly. “We’ve had enough fighting for today.”

The multi-hued pegasus gave her friend a pained look, laced with a little more distrust than before. Twilight resumed staring at the ground. “In any case,” L continued, “if you are determined to stay, you may as well make yourself useful. Escort Miss Sparkle to her cell. Bon Bon will be waiting for you. You know where they are, correct?”

“Uh, yeah.” Dash squinted and waved her hoof in the general direction of the cells. “Main corridor, then right, yeah?”

“Yes.” L nodded before turning away again. “Incidentally, it is now seven-thirty.”

Colgate winced. She turned towards Twilight, finding her voice again. “I have to go,” she said quietly. “There’s an appointment that I just can’t miss. But I’m not giving up on you, okay? I’ll keep you updated while you’re inside.”

“Thanks. Thanks for everything.” The two unicorns embraced each other again, and it was several long seconds before either could bring themselves to let go. “Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“I’m the one who should be telling you that,” Colgate chuckled, wiping her eyes.

Twilight tried to smile a little as well, but it came out painfully forced. “Come here, Spike,” she said, pulling her assistant into a hug as well. The little dragon barely reacted, apparently still in a world of his own. “I’ll miss you. Look after everypony while I’m gone, okay?”

“‘Kay,” Spike mumbled.

With that, Twilight straightened up. With an audible gulp, she turned towards the corridor opposite the main entrance. She and Rainbow Dash nodded to each other, then made their way to the doorway beyond. Without another word, they vanished into the dimmer innards of the facility.

Silence descended again. Spike sat on the edge of the abacus’ stand and pulled his legs against his chest, staring at the floor. Slowly, Colgate approached L. She kept her movements short and precise, and spoke carefully and quietly. “I honestly thought you were going to make her walk out of here,” she said. “I don’t know if I’m disappointed or relieved. What made you change your mind?”

“Who says I changed my mind?” The detective reached for her cup and took a long sip of the sugary slush within before continuing. “I only wanted to see how strongly she was willing to fight for this. As it turns out, desperately.”

Colgate flinched. She gritted her teeth, allowing some of her anger to creep into her voice. “I would have thought you’d know. You’re the one who pushed her to this.” She lowered her head. “You took a lie and you spread it so thick that an innocent mare’s started to believe it herself. Well, I hope you’re happy.”

L tutted. “I thought you had more faith in your friends than that. Do you really believe Twilight Sparkle would be so easily influenced? No, she came here with a purpose.” As Colgate stared in shock, the green pony took another long sip of her drink and swallowed loudly. “The magician has asked us to draw a card. She’s shown she has nothing up her sleeve and nothing in her hat, and now she’s locked herself in a deadly trap and thrown away the key. It’s a daring display, certainly, but what does she hope to gain from it? The setup utterly defeats the payoff. Am I meant to be surprised when the deaths continue in her absence? All the same, if she believes her plan is going well, she will be less tempted to try something more subtle later on.”

Colgate’s rear left hoof twitched. She moved it and found herself backing away. “Twilight is innocent,” she said. “What’s about to happen is going to be the closest thing to absolute proof that you’re ever going to get. If even that isn’t enough to convince you, then...” She turned away. “Then maybe there’s no hope for any of us,” she whispered.

“Colgate, one moment.” The blue mare didn’t stop, continuing slowly towards the main doors. Regardless, L continued. “I know what you may think of me. However, I want you to understand that I do sympathize with your situation. Having your friends taken from you is never an easy thing to undergo. To that end, I’d like to make you an offer.” Colgate slowed, but didn’t stop. “I do not know how long this period of observation will last. Depending on the outcome it may be a matter of days, but could just as easily stretch into months or even years. Your presence will not be required for the entirety of that time. If at any point you feel you need to spend time away from this facility, I will not object.” The detective’s voice softened slightly. “You’ve worked hard, Colgate. You deserve some time off.”

The policemare paused. She’d reached the iron doors. As though her leg were covered in heavy weights, she reached up and pulled the lever for the trapdoor, then started through the exit to the world above. Just before leaving, she looked back, her face now as placid and unreadable as L’s own. Just loud enough to be audible, she spoke. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”

Once the doors had closed and Colgate’s hoofsteps had faded out of earshot, L began to move again. She put down her cup and hopped out of her chair, landing nimbly on all four hooves. She glanced at Spike, who paid her no attention. Breaking into a light trot, she followed the path Twilight and Rainbow Dash had taken, quickly catching up to the pair. The unicorn was taking slow, tortured steps, savoring her last moments of freedom, and her friend was making no attempt to hurry her along. “One moment, ladies,” L called, and they looked back in surprise. The detective stopped in front of Twilight, touching the very tips of their horns together. Twilight blushed. “One small precaution,” L continued, her horn starting to glow. “Brace yourself.”

Twilight looked up nervously. “For wha-”

Pain. A searing, screeching hole bore itself through Twilight’s mind, as if the front of her skull was being torn apart and reassembled inside-out. Flashes of darkness and light danced behind her eyes, and a great grinding drowned out what would have been her own screams if she was able to move her mouth. In desperation she tried to twist herself away, but her whole body seemed unresponsive. Then, after what felt like the longest six seconds of her life, the sensation stopped. The world snapped back into focus as L moved her head away. Twilight swayed; she couldn’t detect anything immediately wrong with her, but the memory of the pain was lingering long after the event had passed. Shaking her head, she looked down and around in confusion, noticing Rainbow Dash gaping at her forehead. She glanced upwards. Then, as realization dawned, she screamed.

“Just in case,” L said calmly as Twilight desperately rubbed the flat patch where seconds ago her horn had been. “I’ve come to understand that you’re a unicorn of considerable power. At your full strength, I doubt that even Canterlot’s strongest jail could hold you. To ensure there is no possibility of trickery, your powers will be sealed until such a time as I choose to release you. If, of course, such a time ever comes.” She waved a hoof at the bug-eyed pegasus nearby. “Miss Dash, you may continue escorting Miss Sparkle to her cell.”

“Uh... right. On it.” Rainbow Dash reached out a hoof tentatively towards Twilight, seemingly unable to tear her eyes away from her friend’s missing horn. “You, um... you okay, Twilight?” She tried to force out a laugh. “This seems kind of familiar, huh?”

The lavender mare froze. “Wait.” L’s use of the word sealed had sparked something in Twilight’s mind. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then turned towards the detective. “I recognize that spell,” she said, her voice shaking. “That’s Sun Eater’s Devouring Seal. It’s forbidden magic. Very forbidden. Strictly speaking nopony’s supposed to know about it, let alone how to use it. And you... you cast it on me?” A deeply rooted anger flashed through her. Having part of her body stolen was something she’d had the displeasure of experiencing before, albeit briefly, and the loss had been more painful than she cared to admit. Twilight considered herself a rational mare, but having grown up among unicorns, some childish part of her would always believe that without her horn she was no better than a cripple. “I could report this to the Princesses,” she breathed. “You have no idea how much trouble you’d be in.”

L shrugged. “You could do that,” she said, her face and voice not shifting in the slightest. “But I had hoped that you would not. The Devouring Seal could be a great weapon in the wrong hooves, it’s true, but I have always endeavoured to use it for purely noble purposes. As you’ve already witnessed, it can be a useful tool in my line of work.”

Twilight started to snap back at this, then paused. “You mean...” Her jaw dropped. “That’s how you do your horn disappearing trick? You cast that on yourself?” Involuntarily, a tremor ran through her. Though brief, she would describe the feeling of having the seal cast as no less than agony. “How can you stand it?”

L looked away. “It... gets easier with practice.” She shrugged again, but did not meet Twilight’s gaze. “That will be all. Miss Dash, if you would.”

“Oh, uh, right.” As L turned away, Rainbow Dash put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and gently tugged her in the other direction. Before carrying on, however, the pegasus gave a last look over her shoulder. “Hey, L?” she called nervously. “That illegal spell thing doesn’t work on wings, does it?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” the detective yelled back.

The rest of the journey was a short one. Twilight glanced upwards every few seconds, while Rainbow Dash looked everywhere but at her friend as she led the way. A minute later they came across Bon Bon, now without her cloak, holding open a thickly padded door. Twilight walked inside without hesitation, looking around at the white surfaces and wall-mounted cameras that would be her surroundings for the foreseeable future. She turned back to her friend, who still wasn’t looking at her. “Rainbow-”

“This isn’t goodbye,” Rainbow Dash said sharply. “Stop acting like it is.” She turned away and spread her wings, lifting herself up to flutter down the corridor. “I’ll see you later, Twilight.”

Before the unicorn could respond, the heavy door slammed shut. There was a pulse of white magic that echoed around the room, leaving Twilight momentarily disoriented, and a loud clunk as several large and probably enchanted bolts slid into place.

Sighing, Twilight looked around the room. Aside from an admittedly plush cot and a small basin in the corner, there was nothing in her prison for her to occupy herself with. With a resigned shrug, she made her way to her bed and lay down, staring at the blank wall for a while before closing her eyes. “See you later,” she mumbled.

It’s all up to you now.

Floating invisibly above the unicorn, a black and white being looked around and scratched his head. “Never in my life have I been more confused than I am right now.”

Just outside the Everfree Forest, near the trail of fallen trees where the golem had made its escape, twenty armored guards stood in rough formation. They weren't still, but jostled and chatted with each other, acting more like a group of friends than a military squad. They were mostly stallions, with a few mares here and there, and seemed to be an even mix of unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies. Colgate tried her best to look authoritative as she stared them down, though she was easily dwarfed by even the smallest of them. Despite the urgency of the situation, however, she couldn't seem to concentrate on them. Twilight, how could you...

She shook her head. No. Focus on the here and now. Focus on what’s at stake. With that in mind, Colgate tried to look at the rambunctious herd in front of her in a new light. These are the ponies who will save Sunny Days. I need to trust them... because I won’t be going with them.

Beside her, Captain Straw Bolt glanced in her direction, then at the cloaked zebra on his other side. Both nodded. With an impatient sigh, he lifted a hoof. "Attention," he said. His voice wasn't loud, but the ponies in the squad reacted as if it had been a cannon shot, instantly snapping to sharp attention. The enormous pegasus grunted in approval before stepping forward and beginning to speak. "You all know why you're here," he said, "and you all know what's at stake. So I won't waste your time by reminding you of what we're about to do, because I already trust each and every one of you to do the best job that you can." He paused for a moment to cast a stern look over the squad. Not a muscle moved. "Romana, from the Ponyville Police, will brief us."

Colgate bristled. When she’d responded to the captain’s letter, she'd specifically asked that he not call her by her real name while he was in Ponyville. As one the assembled guards turned their heads to look at her, and the young policemare suddenly felt very small. Just focus on Sunny Days. This is for her. With that thought, breathing became a little easier. Colgate straightened up and began the lines she'd prepared. "Within the past week, there have been two attempted foalnappings by golems in and around Ponyville," she began. “The second was successful. In broad daylight, a golem tunneled underneath this very park and carried away Sunny Days, a filly who may be connected to the ongoing Kira investigation.”

This raised a few eyebrows, but Colgate ignored them. “I wish I could tell you more about what we’re dealing with, but all information we have about golems is restricted to those two sightings. We’ve observed that they have a rudimentary intelligence, and will not attack a pony if they don’t have to. Their clay skin is tough, but not invulnerable, and they’re surrounded by a powerful enchantment that protects them from most unicorn magic. If the legends are correct, their weak spots should be the gemstones and runes that give them life, both located on their heads.” Colgate had to pause for a second before continuing. “Based on the same legends, the golems will have a creator who is directing them, most likely a pony. At this point we can only speculate about their character and intentions. Be on guard, and remember that the safe return of Sunny Days is your first priority.”

“Thank you, Romana,” Straw Bolt growled as Colgate stepped back. “A picture of the filly in question has been provided. Learn it well.” From the end of the row, Lieutenant Quicksilver produced a clipping Colgate had taken from the local newspaper and began to pass it around. “Now, some of you may have worked in the Everfree before. You know that it’s not a place to be taken lightly, even during the day. As crystal devices do not function within the forest’s boundaries, if separated we will be using flares for communication. Do not waste them. Also accompanying us will be Zecora of the Everfree,” the captain added, gesturing to his left. “Her knowledge of the local flora and fauna has come highly recommended, and she has assured me that she will be able to keep up with us.”

Zecora gave a polite bow. “I am honored to work with Equestria’s best,” she said in her usual melodic tone. “I will do all I can to assist in your quest. At night these clay creatures traverse round my home; I know some of their paths, I can point where they roam. But the forest is angry, and if you wish to stay, watch your step closely or you’ll soon lose your way.”

Straw Bolt blinked slowly. “Right.” He turned back to his squad. “Prepare yourselves. We move out immediately.” As several of the guards began to load equipment onto their backs, the captain turned back to Colgate. “Thank you for your assistance.”

“It’s nothing. Just my duty. Our duty.” Feeling the first hint of familiarity in a long while, Colgate smiled. “I just wish I could be going with you... but I guess I’d only slow you down.” She looked the captain up and down. Though they worked in very different departments, she’d heard of Straw Bolt mostly by his reputation. After seeing for the first time in the Night Court she’d dismissed him as a stubborn brute, but meeting him in his element, it was easier to see why he seemed to inspire such respect in others. If anypony can save her, Colgate told herself, it’s him. “Celestia’s heart be with you, Straw Bolt.”

The guard’s eyes narrowed. “And also with you,” he responded before turning away. “You’ll need it more than I do,” she heard him mutter. He then raised a hoof towards the other guards, who were now still again and waiting expectantly. “Move out!” Twirling dramatically, the enormous pegasus reared up and charged into the forest, Zecora hot on his trail. With a noise like a passing train, twenty ponies followed.

Colgate stood still for a while, listening to the thundering of hooves fade into the distance. Once the sound had drifted away completely, she started to amble back in the direction of the base. As soon as she’d started, however, her hooves started to become heavy. Her pace slowed almost to a crawl, and her breathing became labored. She came to a halt and held her breath, clamping her eyes shut. Come on, Colgate. Keep it together. Ponies need you.

Keep it together.

Laboriously, she forced herself to put one hoof in front of another. Then she did it again. And again. It became easier as she walked, focusing only on her own breathing and the ground in front of her, willing herself not to think about the place that she was going back to. Something slipped under her hoof and she stopped again, examining what she’d stepped on.

It was a leaf. Red from autumn and still slick with morning dew, it nestled inconspicuously among the grasses of the field. Colgate stared at it blankly. She tried to determine how to feel about this, but her mind didn’t seem to be working right. I didn’t realize it was so late in the year, was all she could come up with.

Stifling a sigh, the blue pony looked around. Most of the trees around her were now covered in red, though the ones across the border of the Everfree were showing up in more inconsistent patches. The sun was shining, though a slight breeze was keeping the temperature down. It’s a beautiful day, Colgate realized. There probably won’t be many more of these for a while. And... She gulped. And the others won’t expect me back for a couple more hours.

Halfway between the hidden base and the golem’s trail, Colgate lay down on the grass and stared at the sky.

On her third day in the darkness, Sunny Days began to dream.

At first, there had been only the terror, and the pain. It had become impossible to orient herself as the golem’s arm swung back and forth, constantly flipping and twisting her as it ran. After the monster had hit the river the world had gone dark, but the constant motion had continued. Even when the clay fingers released her and she landed on rough stone, it was a long time before she realized she'd come to a halt; a long time of screaming, and headaches, and the rushing of wind still roaring in her ears.

Then had come the thirst, and the hunger. Already sore from missing breakfast, the rumbling of her empty stomach helped Sunny Days clear her mind. The darkness was absolute. Her head was resting against a stone wall, but she couldn’t feel anything else in any direction. Although she was no longer bound, she couldn’t seem to move her forelegs properly, and any attempt to lift herself up resulted in a sharp ache through her torso. And so, unable to see or move, feeling only her body stiffen and her hunger growing, Sunny Days began to dream.

She dreamed about food at first. She dreamed of feasts of clover and hay, mountains of candies and cupcakes, an ocean of fruit juice or icy cold water. Then she dreamed about her family, hearing their laughter and their cries, and thought of all the things she wished she could say to her sister. After that, the dreams became simpler. She dreamed of light, of the warmth of her own bed, of a great horned beast watching over her. And all the while, drifting between sleep and wakefulness, she waited.

One day, Sunny Days had a very strange dream. She dreamed that she heard a grinding, like the scrape of stone against stone, and the wall in front of her slid open. A light shone through, a light so powerful and blinding that it burned even as she closed her eyes. A pair of shadows fell over her, one short, one tall, and they watched her in silence for a moment before speaking.

"What's wrong with her legs?"

This wasn’t what the voices in her dreams usually sounded like. Usually they were soft and kind, whispering sweet nothings to her as she slept. This one was loud and nasal, the voice of a young colt with a hint of a Canterlot accent. Sunny instantly disliked it. She frowned and shifted against the cold ground, hoping that this dream would go away soon.

"I think they're dislocated," the second shape replied. This voice was male as well but sounded much older, cracked and ancient compared to the first pony's chipper tone. "Number six should have been more careful during shipping."

“Shame. She’s cute.” There was a pause. A nagging feeling crept up on Sunny that something was wrong, but in her delirious state she couldn’t put her hoof on what. “Oh well. Let’s get this over with.”

There was a sound like hoofsteps, and suddenly something hard pressed against Sunny’s throat, causing her to gasp. The edge of a rough mane brushed against her nose, and she felt hot breath skim the hairs at the base of her neck. The pressure of what she realized was a horn increased, and it became difficult to breathe. Slowly, the thought emerged that this strange dream colt was trying to kill her, that he was killing her, and that she needed to do something or she would die. Weakly, she tried to raise one of her front legs again, but only flopped back down to the ground, defeated.

A minute passed, then another. The young unicorn kept his horn pressed against the filly’s neck, his breath alternately quickening, then softening. Finally he withdrew, leaving Sunny unharmed and her skin unbroken. “Well,” he said, sounding pleased with himself. “That proves it. She’s immortal.”

“No such thing,” the older pony said immediately. “That gift belongs to the Goddesses alone.”

“No? Then try to kill her.”

There was another long pause. Sunny’s feeling of wrongness continued. The pain on her neck was lingering, something that wasn’t supposed to happen in dreams. But... if I’m not dreaming, then...

At last, the older stallion spoke. “I don’t want to.”

“That’s what I mean. She can’t die. Something won’t let it happen. I was pushing as hard as I could, but I just couldn’t get myself to do it. I bet even if we shot a hundred arrows at her, every one would miss.” The colt did a little dance in place. “Do you know what this means? This is bigger than Kira. This could be the biggest thing, like, ever!”

When the older pony spoke again, it was with a growl. “That was a very irresponsible thing you just did. You have no idea what we might be dealing with. If you’d been wrong, she would have died, and all this would be for nothing.”

“Hey, at least I get things done,” the colt argued. "I don’t have to rely on cowards that run away at the first sign of danger."

"Number four did not run away!" the older voice snapped. "His only direction was to find ponies in the forest after dark and take them somewhere safe. Once enough ponies entered the region, he determined that that area was safe. He has done nothing wrong."

"Except lose its arm in the process. And if that's what your creature thinks safe is, maybe you need to put a tighter leash on it. What if it had brought those ponies here?"

The older stallion chuckled. "Oh, there's no chance of that. After meeting you, I doubt any of my children think of this place as safe."

The two ponies fell silent. Sunny Days whimpered, which seemed to draw their attention back to her. "What of her?" the older one asked. "Immortal or not, she won’t last long here, no thanks to you."

"Not my fault. You know I can’t just come here whenever I want." The younger one turned away, and the larger shape followed. "Don’t feed her. But give her some water. I want her to be able to talk. And see if you can do something about her legs."

There were more hoofsteps, this time retreating, and the walls began to grind back into place. The flap of a cloak sent a cloud of dust wafting up to Sunny’s face, causing her to cough. With that, the last illusion of the dream collapsed, and the filly’s eyes snapped open. That was real. That was real. That was real. Through the blinding light - which she now realized was just a simple torch - and the dust from the closing door she saw two figures, one tall and cloaked, the other a unicorn smaller than she was.

“I’m still not convinced that you’ve thought this through,” the cloaked one said.

“Hey, Dollmaker?” the unicorn replied just before the door closed. “Lighten up, will ya?”

With an earthy thud, the wall sealed itself again. Darkness and silence fell on the trembling Sunny Days once more. Then, despite her weary throat, she began to scream.

It took longer than usual to find Derpy Hooves. When she wasn’t on her mail route or at her mysterious second job she could generally be found at her sorting desk, bright-eyed and always ready with a smile. But on this day, Boxy Brown had to search through the entire post office to find her, wearily carrying an overstuffed sack of letters on his back. It was a large weight even for the bulky pegasus, so he was puffing and panting by the time he located Derpy huddled in the back corner of the mail room. “Hey, kid,” he grunted, sliding the overburdened sack off his back. “You okay?”

With some haste the grey pony wiped her eyes and stood up to face her boss. “I’m okay,” she mumbled.

Boxy Brown smiled. He didn’t smile often, but he made it no secret that he had a soft spot for the young mother. Some of her coworkers speculated - unfairly - that this was the only reason she’d retained her position for so long. “I’ve got a job for you,” the postmaster continued, deliberately avoiding looking at the mare’s trembling lips. “If you’re up to it.”

“I’m okay,” Derpy repeated. One of her eyes landed on the sack. “Is that it?”

“That’s right.” Boxy gave a sharp tug at the rope at the top of the bag. Letters of all colours and sizes cascaded out, each marked with a stamp and a single name but no address. “Biggest, most disorganized pile we’ve ever had at once. One for everypony in Ponyville, looks like, plus a bunch I ain’t even heard of. Since you know everyone and I can’t exactly send ‘em back, I figured you’d be the perfect mare for the job.” Derpy’s eyes crossed as she tried to puzzle this out. “Oh, that reminds me.” Her boss rummaged through the top of the sack for a moment before producing a clean grey envelope. He spoke with practiced ease around the paper between his teeth. “When the bag came in, this was right on top of the pile. It’s for you.”

Derpy blinked. “For... me?” She took a deep breath as the meaning of this sunk in. Even after all her years in the postal service, no matter how nice she acted or how many friends she tried to make, not once had anypony ever written Derpy a letter. "Thank you," she breathed, her tears forgotten.

Boxy Brown looked down. “Weren’t nothing,” he mumbled. With trembling lips Derpy leaned forwards, and their noses brushed as she took the letter from him. The large pony blushed, but turned away before she could notice. “Have fun, kid,” he said. The grey pegasus nodded absently. Without another word, Boxy trotted away.

Still trembling, Derpy chewed open the envelope and pulled out the letter within. She read it carefully, tracing line after line with her hoof so as not to miss a single word. By the time she was finished she was crying again, but she had a smile on her face and made no attempt to hide her tears.

Hi Ditzy!

If you’re reading this, that means I’m not around any more. I guess that’s kind of sad, huh? But I know you’re not the kind of mare who lets one bad thing rain on her parade. Life’s a party, and a party is still a party even if one of the guests has to go home.

I put your letter at the bottom of the bag, but I know Boxy Brown will find it for you first, because he has just the sweetest little crush on you. Don’t worry, I told him off in my letter to him. You’re a married mare, after all! Well, close enough. Somewhere in this sack there’s a letter for Written Script, too. I thought you’d like to deliver that to him yourself. Maybe you can take little Dinky with you? It’ll be like a great big family reunion! Will she be able to ride on your back the whole way? I know she loves that, but she’s gotten so big lately. She’s growing up so fast! It feels like only yesterday that she was the teeniest, tiniest, cutest little unicorn in all of Ponyville! Now she’s just the cutest little unicorn in all of Ponyville. She has so much to look forward to! And so do you!

I wish I could be there to see how wonderful your life’s going to be from now on. I just know that one day you’ll get married for real, and Dinky’s going to grow up into a big, wonderful mare just like her mommy. You’re a really clever pony, Ditzy, and everything is going to turn out wonderful for you. I promise.

Oh, and I attached the super-secret muffin recipe you always wanted. You can put anything you want into it. Yes, even oatmeal.

Your bestest friend forever,

Pinkie Pie

Next episode: Gummy!

Breakdown

20
*Breakdown*

Once the victim’s name, time of death and situation of death have been written down in the Death Note, that death will still take place even if the Death Note or the part of the Note on which it is written is destroyed.

It didn’t take long for Straw Bolt’s company to reach the river.

The guard captain cursed as the golem’s trail of felled trees came to an abrupt halt. A swift and shallow river cut directly across their path, and the treeline lay unbroken on the other side. “Check for tracks!” he yelled as the rest of the herd came to a halt behind him. “It must have gone one way or the other. Find it!”

Zecora put a hoof on Straw Bolt’s breastplate before he could step forward. “Beware the shallow waters, my friends,” she warned, “for here many ponies have met their ends. The ground within will support your weight, but to leap without looking is to tempt a dark fate.”

“She’s right, sir,” one of the pegasus guards yelled from the river’s edge, dipping his hoof into the water. “This is sea dragon sand. Solid on the surface, but river serpents and the like can swim through it like it’s nothing. There could be anything waiting down there.”

“...I see.” Straw Bolt frowned thoughtfully. “And what would this mean for our clay foalnapper?”

“The golem, sir? Creature that size, it would sink to the bottom in seconds. Maybe found an air pocket for its passenger.”

“Right.” The captain looked back and forth. The river stretched, clear and tauntingly unbroken, for some distance both ways before turning. Upstream or downstream? No... a wrong choice at this stage could cost us days of backtracking. Days we don’t have. This is going to complicate things, but we have no choice. “Slipstream, you know rivers. Take half the squad and follow the water upstream. I’ll take the rest downstream. Make sure flares are evenly distributed in case we need to regroup. We’re looking for an underground foe now, so keep an ear open for any tremors.”

The pegasus saluted. “Yes, sir!”

As the team began to divide itself up, Straw Bolt sat down for a moment to collect himself. He sighed in frustration. Of course, it wouldn’t be so easy. This isn’t a good start. If this keeps up, this rescue operation could be over very soon.

Fluttershy’s imprisonment, day 4
Twilight Sparkle’s imprisonment, day 2

Overnight, the clutter in L’s corner of the room had doubled in size. Nearly all of the stratoscreens in the chamber had been stacked up around her, covering three desks and stretching across both walls to the left and right. Half showed Fluttershy’s cell from various angles, while the other half displayed Twilight Sparkle. L had been more animated than usual, swiveling back and forth between the two walls throughout the day. In her lap she held a bowl of chocolate-coated candies, which she would suck on individually for minutes at a time before cracking the caramel center between her teeth.

In all her years of police work in both Ponyville and Canterlot, Colgate had only ever had to interrogate anypony once. She doubted that it had counted, as it had taken little more than a stern glance before the filly had broken down and admitted to snatching sweets when Mrs. Cake wasn’t looking. Even so, she’d studied the art extensively as part of her training, more than long enough to recognize a professional when she saw one. Whatever else she had to say about her methods, Colgate would gladly acknowledge that L was such a professional.

“Fluttershy,” the detective asked calmly, “who was it who broke your jaw?” Her delivery was perfect. Her synthetic voice was intimidating without being terrifying; she created an alien, disquieting presence, but was casual enough that ponies felt comfortable opening up to her. If not for the restraints, Colgate would have called it the ideal interrogation.

At least, she would have after the first two rounds. By the fifth, the routine was getting tiring.

"I told you, I fell down the stairs," Fluttershy mumbled. "Why do you keep asking me?" She sniffed and her voice cracked. "I've told you everything I know. Please, please let me go..."

Colgate sighed. "L, this isn't helping. How many times are we going to go through this?"

"Until the truth comes out." L switched off her microphone and turned to face Colgate. She bit down on the candy in her mouth and swallowed it, instantly replacing it with another. "The report on Fluttershy's condition was quite thorough. We can't say exactly how the bone in her jaw was chipped, but it was not from falling down the stairs. Despite the evidence against her, she appears to be truthful in saying that she knows nothing about Kira. So why is it on this point that she remains reticent?" The detective stroked her chin. "It is a mystery."

Colgate couldn't summon the energy to argue. She turned away and stared at the ground, sighing. "You do what you want, L. I can't stop you."

In the middle of the room, Rainbow Dash hovered beside the gigantic abacus. She stared sympathetically in Colgate’s direction, her look of concentration slipping. "Pay attention!" Jazz yelled from below her, startling the pegasus back into movement. Perhaps spurred on by the thought of another pony touching his abacus, the normally quiet stallion was showing a surprisingly fierce side as he led the mare through her first lesson. "No distractions! The operator must remain focused! Eight times four."

Dash leaped into the air, pushing several strings of beads around the middle of the abacus' face back and forth. Satisfied, she pushed a button on the side. A crystal somewhere within the structure flashed, taking in the new arrangement of beads, and the resulting number was displayed on a small stratoscreen near the base. She landed briefly to read out her answer. "Thirty-two!"

"Seven times six!"

Another flurry of movement. "Forty-two!"

"Twelve times twenty-one!" Jazz tapped his hoof impatiently as Rainbow took to the air again. "Come on, come on, hurry up!" he yelled as she hesitated in front of the beads.

"Uh..." Rainbow Dash frowned at the abacus before tentatively moving the beads in front of her. "Come on, this is hard!" she yelled back. "I can't just do that kind of math in my head!"

The older pony swatted in irritation at the pegasus' dangling tail. "Don't use your head, use your hooves!" he ordered. Dash nodded and continued pushing the beads around, though at a slower pace than before. "Don't think about what you're doing. Let the numbers flow through you. Minty will do the heavy lifting for you, if you can tell her what to do. Oh, careful!" Jazz winced as a stray knee knocked against the wooden bars. "More precision! This crash course does not allow room for crashing!"

There was a faint clicking noise as Spike trudged into the main chamber, his unkempt claws scratching against the stone floor. He kept his head down and wordlessly handed a scroll to Colgate, still warm from the dragonfire that had delivered it. The unicorn tried to reach out to him comfortingly, but Spike turned away and pulled himself into a chair. Colgate bit her lip. Spike had fallen into a slump from the moment Twilight had entered her cell, and the report they’d received yesterday had only dampened his spirits further. The little dragon had fallen to a nearly comatose state, barely eating or speaking if he wasn't pushed. Seeing no change in his mood, Colgate looked at the scroll before her with something approaching terror. She unrolled it slowly, holding her breath as she read the words within. “This can’t be right,” she breathed. “I can’t believe it. I don’t believe it. There must be some kind of mistake.”

“Be wary of those words, Colgate,” L cautioned, taking the scroll from the stunned mare. “Those who speak them seldom find them to be truthful.” She scanned the message quickly. “I see. The same as yesterday.” Again, she swallowed her candy and popped another one into her mouth. She glanced meaningfully towards the microphone. “You promised to keep her updated. Do you want to tell her, or should I?”

Colgate bit her lip and glanced around the room. Spike wouldn’t meet her gaze. Rainbow Dash looked back at her for a moment, but was quickly jolted back into her work by a bark from Jazz. A sinking weight boring a hole in the bottom of her stomach, Colgate pulled L’s microphone towards her and pushed one of its many buttons. "Twilight?"

Onscreen, the purple mare's ears pricked up. "L? Is that you?"

"Um, no. This is Colgate." The policemare grimaced as the screen echoed L's synthetic voice back at her, her own words being converted into something she was growing to dislike. "How are you doing in there?"

"I'm okay." Twilight let out a yawn. "I thought I'd be bored out of my mind, but I'm really not. It's actually really relaxing in here, once you get past the cameras and the locked door. It’s nice not having to worry about anything. How are things on your end? Any new developments?"

"Um..." Colgate took a deep breath. She glanced at L's expectant stare, then at the scroll that lay on the desk before them. "A rescue team has been sent for Sunny Days," she stalled. "They seem pretty competent. I’m hoping they’ll get her back soon. I thought you'd like to know that."

Twilight’s head bolted upright. “Sunny Days was foalnapped?” she exclaimed.

"Y-yes. I... I thought you knew. It was all over the news." Colgate lowered her head. "A golem came to the park and dragged her into the forest. I was there. There was nothing anypony could do. I... I never should have brought her there."

"It's okay, Colgate," Twilight soothed, though her own voice was a little shaky. “It's not your fault. Thank you for telling me.” She swallowed hard and looked down at the bed. It’s my fault, she thought. I should have known this would happen. What I’ve done to her is terrible enough, but I never meant for... for her to suffer. Twilight rolled over and looked directly at one of the cameras. "Do you think she's still alive?"

"I..." Colgate frowned and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. "Twilight, don't say things like that."

"Sorry." Twilight shifted her gaze upwards, appearing to stare into space thoughtfully. To her eyes, however, Byuk floated up near the corner of the room. As soon as Sunny Days' name had been mentioned, a mischievous smile had spread over his face. Wait a minute. Now that I think of it... can Sunny Days die? She frowned. I'll figure this out later. Right now, there's something more important. "I'm sure she'll be fine," she reassured Colgate. "But what I was really asking was... since I've been imprisoned, have any new targets for Kira been identified, any I wouldn't have known about before? If so, have any of them died?"

Colgate choked. "Twilight... since we... there haven't..." Abruptly she pushed the microphone back towards L and turned away, pressing her hooves against her temples. "I can't do this," she gasped. "I'm sorry. I can't."

The detective nodded slowly, positioning the device in front of her. “Apologies, Twilight,” she said. While the voice that Twilight heard was the same, even through the distortion it was noticeably calmer. “Colgate is not feeling well at the moment.”

Twilight gave the camera a pained look. “That... doesn’t sound like good news.”

“Perhaps.” L glanced at Colgate again before continuing. “You see, Twilight, while several new criminals have been identified over the past two days, from the moment you were put in custody not a single pony has died.”

There was a long silence. Even Rainbow Dash stopped her frantic movements, and Jazz said nothing to spur her on. Everypony stared as onscreen, Twilight Sparkle began to shake. “So... so that’s it, then,” she mumbled. Even with nothing but blank walls and unmoving cameras to look at, she could practically feel the accusing eyes of her friends boring into her from every direction. It stung more than she had prepared herself for. “You... you all must think I’m...”

“That has yet to be decided,” L interrupted. “You will be held here for further observation until a final decision can be made.”

“Th-thank you.” With a final sniff, Twilight collapsed back down onto her bed.

Colgate ground her teeth together as L turned the microphone off. “You’re just loving this, aren’t you?” she spat.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you-”

“It’s just like you always said, right? Everything points to Twilight. You were right, I was wrong. This is what you wanted, right?” The blue mare stood up and glared at the detective. “Well, are you happy now?”

L sighed. “Colgate, this is not-”

“You know what? Forget this.” Colgate turned and stomped away. “I have some real work to do. The Mayor needs my help preparing for tomorrow. Maybe we can finally lay something to rest properly for once.” She paused in front of the trapdoor lever, looking back at L without looking directly at her. “Enjoy your victory.” Then, still fuming, she left.

There was another long silence. With a gentle nudge from Jazz, Rainbow Dash flew back into her exercises. Bon Bon silently entered the room, surreptitiously topped up L’s bowl of sweets, then slipped away without a word. “Maybe Twilight was right,” Spike said after some time had passed. “Maybe she was being controlled somehow. It doesn’t have to be her fault.”

“No.” L shook her head, never tearing her gaze from the screens. “Twilight is a very intelligent mare. If there was an alien presence in her mind, she would have detected it long before now. Either she is Kira, or she is not.”

Spike looked up. “But how do you know?”

“It’s what I do.”

“No, I mean...” Spike frowned, unsure of how to express himself. “How do you know? You still can’t prove that Twilight’s Kira. There are lots of ways that this could be a setup. So out of all the ponies in Ponyville, why her? Why are you so sure that you’re right?”

L paused. She loudly swallowed her latest candy, but didn’t replace it. “The closer we look at anything,” she said softly, “the more difficult it becomes to be certain of anything. We cannot be certain of the events leading to this point. We cannot be certain that our friends are who they say they are. We can not, even in this day and age, be certain that the sun will rise in the morning.” L sighed. “And yet, this is exactly what my job entails. Being certain. I must have no doubt that my deductions are correct.”

“But what if they’re not?” Spike pressed. “Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. What if, somehow...” He gulped. “You’re wrong?”

“No. I am always right. All that ever changes is the way in which I am right.” The detective turned away and ran her hoof down the side of one of the smaller stratoscreens where the two walls met. For a second the image of Colgate crying behind a tree near the trapdoor appeared on the treated stone, but with another flick L made it disappear. “Spike. You have never seriously considered the possibility that Twilight Sparkle may be Kira, have you?”

“No!” Realizing how this sounded, Spike quickly corrected himself. “I mean, of course I have. I mean... I’ve thought about it.”

“No, you haven’t.” The detective sighed again. She swiveled around, and, for what seemed the first time in days, looked Spike directly in the eyes. “Spike. If you wish to understand, if you truly wish to understand, then there’s something that I want you to do for me.”

“Of course.” The little dragon nodded quickly. “I’ll do anything.”

“Then believe that Twilight Sparkle is Kira.” L nodded as Spike’s eyes widened. “Just for a few minutes. Put aside all your feelings and believe, with as much certainty as you can muster, that the pony you grew up with is guilty of these murders. From there, let your mind take you where it will, and once those minutes are up you can return to thinking and feeling however you like. But during this time, do not merely look at the facts and speculate. Be certain.”

“Uh... okay.” Spike shuffled uncomfortably. “But... I don’t believe Twilight is Kira. How can I go from one thing to the complete opposite just like that?”

“I had thought that you would know, Spike. It didn’t take you long to accept that your precious Rarity was not who you thought she was.” Spike gasped, feeling as if he’d been slapped across the face and heart simultaneously. L turned back to her monitors. “Imagine, then, that at some point in the future we discover Twilight Sparkle in an equally compromising position. Imagine that there could be no doubt that she is Kira, and has been Kira all along.” She narrowed her eyes at the reclining figure on the screen. “What would that imply about her actions these past few weeks?”

Spike recovered somewhat and pulled himself into a nearby chair. He sat facing away from L, folding his arms across his chest, and watched Rainbow Dash weave up and down as Jazz continued to bark orders at her. I don’t get it, he thought. Rarity was one thing, but... I’ve known Twilight literally my entire life. She can’t be a killer. It just doesn’t make sense. Grudgingly, he tried to force himself through the exercise. If L’s right, and Twilight is Kira... hypothetically, he reminded himself. Hypothetically, if Twilight is Kira, then that would mean... His heart skipped a beat. It would explain...

Just like that, all the pieces began to fit together.

In the late hours of the night, a lone stallion crept up to the Books and Branches library and knocked tentatively on the door. It began as a light tapping, but as the minutes ticked by it grew louder, developing into a tree-shaking pounding that threatened to wake every pony in the houses nearby.

But there was no answer.

Fluttershy’s imprisonment, day 5
Twilight Sparkle’s imprisonment, day 3

As usual, Bon Bon’s hooves made virtually no noise as she walked into the base’s central chamber. Even so, L turned to face her before she was halfway to the corner where she sat. Despite them being the only ones in the room, she still whispered when she spoke. “Has there been a response?”

Bon Bon nodded as she approached the seated detective. “Just minutes ago,” she whispered back. Now that they were alone, she nuzzled the unresponsive pony’s cheek and took a place close by her side before continuing. “He sends the usual greetings.”

“Just the important part, Bon Bon.”

The creamy mare smiled softly. “Twilight Sparkle was a candidate for one of their programs; he didn’t specify which one. But she was never accepted. Some kind of intervention led to her being tutored by Celestia herself, which he assured me was purely academic. He provided a list of her schools and teachers, if you’re interested.”

“I know them.” To Bon Bon’s delight, a faint smile was working its way across the detective’s face. “Anything else?”

“Just the usual order to never contact him again.”

“Good. That’s... good.” L sighed. “I had hoped that this was the case. I just had to be sure.”

“I’m glad that things worked out.” Bon Bon planted a quick kiss on the seated mare’s cheek. Instantly, the smile vanished. “Can I get you anything, dearest?”

“That will be all for now,” L said coldly. “You may go.” Uncomplaining, the earth pony slipped back away in the direction of the kitchen, letting her tail trail along L’s side as she went. A second later she had vanished, and the green detective was on her own.

Once again, the base was silent. L sat unmoving in front of the wall of stratoscreens, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two halves at an even pace. Both the ponies she observed were still, Twilight willingly, Fluttershy because of her restraints. The pegasus hung limply in her bonds, occasionally flexing her wings as much as the straps would allow. While parts of her were occasionally released to allow her to eat or use the bathroom, for the most part she had been kept completely motionless for the past five days. While the pain in her muscles must have been building up to something terrible, the yellow mare showed few signs of discomfort. She sat in complete silence, hanging her head in obedient fear.

While Twilight Sparkle had been allowed considerably more freedom, she’d shown no willingness to take advantage of it. She lay on her bed with her eyes closed, drifting in and out of sleep at odd hours of the day and night, shifting positions once every few hours. The only part of her that moved consistently was her tail, which would swish back and forth every so often in nervousness or irritation. Presently, the unicorn was scrunching her eyes up tightly, her tail flicking across the plush sheets of her cot. L levitated up a quill and added a note to one of the countless scrawl-covered sheets that surrounded her. 12:10 - Anxiety?

Twilight would not have disagreed with this diagnosis. She forced herself through her relaxing breathing techniques, willing herself as hard as she could not to move a muscle. I’m calm. I’m relaxed. I’m absolutely-

“Twilight, I’m boooooooored!” Byuk whined. The unicorn gritted her teeth and forced herself not to roll her eyes. The shinigami strutted around the room like a grouchy foal, disregarding gravity to stomp along the walls and ceiling. Twilight begged silently that he wouldn’t jostle any cameras, though thankfully the shinigami seemed to have the sense to avoid them. “Come on, Twilight,” he moaned, his petulant tone forming a surreal contrast with his imposing form. “You haven’t done anything in days. When can we have apples again? This is the worst plan ever...”

Sweet Celestia, he’s worse than Spike during the ruby season! Twilight groaned internally. She did her best to drown out the incessant chatter with thoughts of her own. Think of something else, anything else... On a whim, she returned to a subject that had been bothering her for a while. What about Sunny Days?

Is it possible for Sunny Days to die? If she’s been foalnapped, she could be in all kinds of danger. Anything might happen to her. If she was fated to die a ‘natural’ death before the 23 days are up, then nothing’s stopping her from being killed before the Death Note takes effect. Twilight’s frown deepened. Except this isn’t natural. The Death Note’s influence had already taken effect long before she was foalnapped. If her name hadn’t been written down... in fact, if it hadn’t been written down twice... then none of this would have ever happened to her. She would have lived a normal, carefree life, and would never have been put in any danger. So all this is just an unintended consequence of the Death Note’s curse, which means that whatever happens, the only way she can die is by her own hoof... about fifteen days from now. If anypony were to discover this, it would make things very complicated for us both.

Sunny... I’m so sorry...

“Miss Sparkle.” An artificial voice broke through the unicorn’s thoughts, mercifully silencing Byuk. “How are you feeling?”

“Bad.” Twilight rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling. “It feels like everything since Kira turned up has just been one long nightmare. I keep waiting for myself to wake up. But I never do.”

“An understandable position to be in.” L stared into Twilight’s eyes. There was no fear in them, only stress and tiredness. “Of course, it does not have to be this way. Confess to being Kira, Twilight. You have provided the evidence yourself. For your own sake, do not drag this out longer than you have to.”

The lavender mare sighed. “I can’t confess to what I don’t know, L,” she said. Technically, that’s true. “I’m sorry that I can’t give you what you want. It’s just not that simple.”

“It is that simple,” L snapped back. “You are not a pawn of Kira. You are not being controlled by Kira. You are Kira, and this game of yours is childish. For your own sake, confess, and do not make us drag out this charade longer than is necessary.”

"I can't," Twilight responded, a little surprised at the change in tone. "I would if I could, but I can't lie to you. I can't tell you I'm something I'm not." I see. This is when she starts to press me. I’ll have to make it soon...

"Very well." The voice dropped back to its usual pitch, as if nothing had happened. "That is a shame. If you were willing to be more cooperative, we might have been able to make arrangements for the funeral this afternoon."

"The funeral?" Twilight's eyes widened. "That's today?"

"Correct. The memorial for Rarity and Pinkie Pie is being held an hour from now in the town hall. Your presence will be missed."

"I'm going to... miss it?" Tears started to well up in the corners of Twilight's eyes, and a tremor ran through her as memories resurfaced. Gulping, she forced the feelings down. "Wait... they're being held together? Isn't that a little... you know... in bad taste?"

"Not necessarily. True, immediately after the incident we were unable to prevent gossip from spreading that one of your friends had murdered the other." L did not slow down as Twilight visibly flinched. "However, in the official reports and subsequent news stories, the events have been altered significantly. In the interest of protecting Diamond Edge's identity and the legacy of the Elements of Harmony, we cannot allow such negative influences to persist. As far as the rest of Equestria is concerned, both of your friends were killed by Kira."

Twilight made a noise like she'd been punched in the throat. "Y-you lied to everypony?" she stammered, her trembling beginning to return. "How can you do that?"

"I felt that it was necessary." L put her head to one side. "The pony you call Rarity is one of the most beloved ponies across Equestria. In times such as these, the corruption of one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony would only bring further instability to a time already in great unrest. For the sake of Equestria, it is better that she be remembered as the kind and generous mare that she truly was, not the hurt and vengeful mare that she became."

"Th-thank you." Twilight rolled onto her side and pressed her head against her pillow, allowing tears to leak out onto her face. "I guess... doing the right thing for the wrong reasons is still the right thing. Thank you for doing this for her."

"It was nothing. It did require us to reveal that Kira can kill through methods other than heart attacks, but I suspect that that will be a minor detail at this stage of the game."

The purple mare squeezed her eyes shut. She clenched her teeth together, making an escaping sob mask her trembling of pure fury. You... you illiterate ignoramus! she cursed, using the most scathingly impolite words in her vocabulary. That was completely uncalled for. If ponies believe that Kira killed Rarity and Pinkie Pie, I'll never be able to win them over now. I want ponies to live free from fear of harm, not to live in fear of me! You stupid, stupid...

Her thoughts were interrupted a second time, this time by a different voice. Though it passed through the distortion on L's microphone, this one audibly sounded panicked and further away, backed by a constant stream of shrill squeaks and squawks. "Harpy! I need Fluttershy!"

L stared at the small stratoscreen that had flickered to life in the very corner of the room. A blue pony filled up most of the screen, inexpertly holding a crystal too closely for all of her face to be seen. The detective's brow furrowed in what might have been irritation. With a couple of flicks on her microphone, she turned to face the new screen. "Locket, you know that Fluttershy is not permitted to speak to anypony. Additionally, I instructed you to use this channel only in cases of dire emergency."

"This is an emergency!" the earth pony yelled back. "This crazy crocodile is trying to eat me!"

On the screens to L's right, Twilight sat up and was looking around in confusion. "Who was that?" she asked, wiping her eyes. "Hello? Is everypony all right?"

"Twilight?" Locket's one visible eye widened. "Twilight, is that you? You have to help me! This crazy thing won't stop biting me!"

With a faint sigh, L pushed another series of switches on her microphone. "You can speak to each other now," she said to both ponies. "Miss Sparkle, sort this out, would you?" With that, she pushed another button to remove the distortion effect and sat back.

There was a pause. "Sorry, who is this?" Twilight asked.

"It's Locket. Please, tell me how to-" There was a faint snapping sound, and Locket squealed. "Tell me how to get this thing off of me!"

"I can't see you. What is it?"

"It's some little crocodile, and it's stuck to my tail!"

Twilight's eyes lit up in recognition. "Gummy!" she said in delight. "Well, first off, Gummy's an alligator, not a crocodile. Crocodiles have a more ridged and pointed snout, and-"

"I don't care if it's Discord in a wedding dress, just get it off me!"

There were more sounds of hoofsteps and panicked squealing as Locket spun around in a circle, shaking her tail uselessly back and forth. Twilight couldn't help but giggle at the sound. "Slow down, for a start. You're not in any danger. Gummy doesn't have any teeth."

There was a sudden silence. Locket coughed. "Well... that would explain the name," she said sheepishly, needlessly trying to hide her blush. "So why is he stuck to me?"

"If he's biting, it's usually because he's hungry. Or grouchy. Or sleepy. Or bored. But usually hungry. Are there any little pink cans around? Pinkie Pie usually fed him out of those."

"You mean... oh! So that's what that mushy stuff was!" Locket put the crystal down and trotted off-camera, for the first time revealing a tiny green shape clamped firmly to her tail. A minute later she came back, visibly relieved and now sans-lizard. "You were right, Twilight. I guess he really was hungry. Thank you so much."

"It was my pleasure," Twilight said back, smiling. Now, this could be my chance. Just need to wait for the perfect opportunity... "Anything else you need help with while you're there?"

“Well... um...” Growing increasingly red, the blue pony picked up a long list that trailed down to the floor. “There’s this white cat who keeps trying to eat the smaller animals, even though I told her not to... and the birds keep flying up to places where I can’t reach them... and someone keeps unlocking the food drawers, and I can’t figure out how they’re doing it...” The noise behind her abruptly rose in volume, and Locket slumped to the table where the recording crystal lay. “Oh, I can’t do it!” she moaned. “I should be able to do this, but I just can’t. None of the animals listen to me. They all want Fluttershy. I’m not good enough for them, I’m not good enough for anypony...”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Twilight said quickly as the earth pony’s tone began to grow darker. “Maybe you’re just trying too hard. Animals get scared if you come at them with a bad attitude. Maybe you should take a break for a while, try to relax.”

Locket sniffed. “How?”

Twilight thought for a moment. “Do you know any stories about golems?”

“Sure. The legend of the Earthen King and his dolls of clay and stone. It was pretty popular in my old town.”

Perfect. “I’d like to hear it, if you have a while. L, you don’t mind, do you?”

L turned on her artificial voice just long enough to give a response. “I have no objection.”

Locket raised her head. “Why?” she asked. “I know you’ve studied a lot of old stories, and it’s been years since I’ve heard any of them. Your books would tell it a lot better than I would.”

“Two reasons,” Twilight explained. “First, because everypony who tells a story tells it differently. Even if the essence is the same, lots of little details change between versions, and sometimes the details are the most important parts. Secondly...” She looked down and narrowed her eyes. “One of my best friends is locked up, two more are dead, I’m missing their funeral, and I’m currently imprisoned on suspicion of being the biggest mass-murderer in Equestria. Please, I need to take my mind off things as well.”

“Oh! Um, right.” Locket jumped up and tried to compose herself in front of the camera. “Sorry, I... right.” She gulped. “Well... Mama Lillywhite told me some bedtime stories a long time ago. She was my great aunt really, or maybe my mom’s great aunt, but she was everypony’s Mama. Her special talent was storytelling. Whenever I was lonely or in a bad mood, she’d always have some magical tale to cheer me up.” Locket smiled, sighing. “This was one of the first she ever told me. I don’t remember a lot of it, but I can tell you the basic story. Is that okay?”

“That’s fine.”

“Okay.” The earth pony cleared her throat before beginning. “So, once upon a time, there was this old and powerful pony named... um... hang on...”

“Judas Loam?” Twilight offered.

“No, that wasn’t it. It was... anyway, that’s not important, because nopony called him by his real name. Maybe he didn’t have a real name. He was known as the Earthen King, and he ruled over the earth. While other ponies fought over the sky and land, he lived far, far underground, deeper than the Diamond Dogs, deeper than the darkest depths, deeper than the most daring dream. And he ruled over all that he saw, because he was all alone. All day he would collect gemstones and statues and all the wonders of the inner earth and he would stash them away in his tiny castle in the middle of the world. He didn’t have anypony to share them with, but he didn’t mind, because he’d been alone for so long that he’d forgotten what loneliness was.

“One day, something happened that had never happened before. There was an adventurous young colt who liked to dig, and... Oh! And his name was Judas Loam. One day, he set off on a journey to see how far he could dig into the earth, just to see what was there. He picked up his trusty shovel and got to work. He dug, and he dug, and he dug for so long that he fell right into the castle of the Earthen King. At first he was amazed at how beautiful everything was, but then he realized that he was lost and started to cry. The King heard the noise and came to see what it was, and he found Judas sitting on his biggest pile of gems, just crying away. But instead of being angry, the King held Judas, and... um, yeah, calmed him down until he could talk.

“So Judas told the Earthen King about where he was from. He told him about the plants, and the sky, and all the wonderful ponies who lived in the surface. The King really wanted to see all this, because he’d been away from the surface for so long that even boring, ordinary things sounded strange and beautiful to him. So he picked up Judas in his hooves and he rose up, up, up though the earth until they reached the very top. And then... there was some kind of nauseating song about seeing the sun and the sky for the first time. It was so syrupy-sweet that it made my teeth hurt just listening to it. There was a dance, too. Mama Lillywhite used to really get into it, singing and stomping around all over the room, but I always wanted her to just keep going.

“Anyways. So after they were done exploring, Judas took the Earthen King to meet his family, the humble and hard-working earth ponies. But when they came near, the earth ponies were so scared that they ran away and hid, and even Judas couldn’t convince them to come out and play. So next they went to the castle of the smart and beautiful unicorns, hoping to meet the ponies there. But when the unicorns saw the Earthen King walking down the road, they closed all their gates and locked them tight. So finally they went to the brave and courageous pegasi, who weren’t afraid of anything. But once again, when the pegasi saw the Earthen King coming, they hid in their cloud houses and just wouldn’t come out.”

“Why was everypony afraid of him?” Twilight interrupted. “Was he some kind of monster?”

“No, he was definitely a pony. At least, I’m pretty sure he was a pony.” Locket frowned. “Maybe because he’d been underground for so long, he didn’t really look like a pony any more. But anyways, once they were done searching, the Earthen King was sad because everypony was afraid of him, and nopony wanted to be his friend. But Judas reminded him that he was his friend, and that made the King feel a little better. So together they went to the top of the highest mountain they could find, to be close to the sky, and they made a home there just for the two of them.”

Locket chuckled. The noise sounded strange coming out of her, and Twilight wondered how long it had been since the mare had laughed. “I remember Mama Lillywhite would always try to stop at that point,” she said wistfully. “She’d say it was late, and that was a good place to stop for the night. But my favorite part was in the second half, so I’d always beg and plead for her to keep going.

“So after Judas and the Earthen King had lived on the mountain for... I don’t know, a while, the King started to get lonely. He was happy that Judas Loam was his friend, but after hearing about the hundreds and hundreds of ponies who lived down below-”

Twilight snorted, which caused the blue mare to stumble to a halt. “What?”

“I’m sorry,” the unicorn apologized. “It’s just... that’s completely off. Equestria’s population has never gone below twenty thousand.”

“It’s just a foal’s story,” Locket snapped back testily. “I didn’t even know what a thousand was when I heard this.” Twilight nearly argued that she could count to a thousand by the time she was in magic kindergarten, but wisely kept her mouth shut. “So anyways. The King was lonely, so he decided that since no ponies wanted to be his friend, he would make some ponies of his own. He took parts of the earth, since that was all he knew how to work with, and he made two dolls. One was made of... no wait, hang on. There were three dolls, one made of clay, one of stone, and one of mud. But the mud one didn’t work, because it wouldn’t stay together and kept falling apart. But he took the dolls of clay and stone, and he took some magical crystals he’d brought up from the middle of the earth, and he put the crystals into the dolls and brought them to life.

“Once the dolls were finished, the King showed them to his best friend Judas Loam, hoping they would make him happy. But instead, Judas was afraid of the dolls. He thought that the King didn’t want to be his friend any more, and had made little ponies out of the earth to replace him. So in the middle of the night, he ran away home to his family, leaving the Earthen King all alone with his dolls. When the King woke up the next morning and saw that Judas was gone he was very sad, but he was still so excited about his new friends that he decided to stay where he was.

“At first, the two dolls were like little foals. They ran around everywhere, always looking and exploring wherever they could find. But over time, the Earthen King taught them to sing and dance and do all the things that the ponies in the valleys below could. They did everything he told them to and never ran away, and for a while the Earthen King was happy. But as lifelike as the dolls were, they couldn’t give the same friendship as a real pony could. And with nopony to share with, the King eventually realized that he was no better off than he’d been in the middle of the world.

“So one day, the Earthen King took his dolls and went down the mountain to the place where the earth ponies lived. At first the ponies there were afraid, like they’d been before, but when they saw the dolls they came out to the King to see them. So the King made his dolls sing and dance for them, and the earth ponies were so happy that they let him stay. But no matter where he looked, Judas Loam was nowhere to be found, and at the end of the day he had to return to the mountain on his own.

“The next day, the Earthen King went to the castle of the unicorns, and he made his dolls dance for them as well. But no matter how hard he searched, Judas Loam wasn’t with them either. The day after he went to the pegasi and made the dolls dance for them too, but once again, Judas was nowhere to be found. So the King returned home, wondering if he would ever see his friend again.

“On the fourth day, the King was visited by a pair of ponies, a unicorn of light and a pegasus of darkness. Or... maybe a pegasus of light and a unicorn of darkness. One or the other. Anyway, they said they had heard that the greatest toymaker in all of Equestria lived at the top of the mountain, and they wanted to see what he had made. So he brought out his dolls of clay and stone and made them dance for the two ponies.”

“Could they have been the two Princesses?” Twilight interrupted.

Locket’s eyes widened. “Oh. My gosh. That’s so obvious! There was only one Princess when I was a filly, so I never made the connection.” She paused, frowning. “Or maybe not. See, when the two ponies saw the dolls and what they could do, instead of just being happy their eyes lit up with greed. The pony of light wanted the dolls for herself, so she could show them all over Equestria. But the pony of darkness only wanted the gemstones on their faces, because they were more powerful and beautiful than anything she’d seen before. But to the dolls, the gems were an eye and a heart and a dream all in one, and if the dark pony took them away they would no longer be alive.

“So the two ponies started to fight over the dolls. And as they were fighting, the Earthen King realized he’d made a terrible mistake. This was my favorite part, because this whole section was told in song, a sad song, and it went something like:

“And the ponies argued for a day and a night

‘til the moon turned back into the sun,

and the King tried to leave, but he couldn’t believe

all the chaos that he had begun.

So he gathered his toys, and he gathered his dolls,

and he gave one last call for his friend,

and he knew in his heart that they’d still be apart

but they’d carry their hope to the end.

“No, that’s wrong...” Locket sighed. “I don’t remember enough of the words. I can’t do it justice. Anyway, seeing that he’d ended up doing more harm than good, while the two greedy ponies were fighting he took his dolls and slipped away back inside the earth. It took a whole day for them to realize he was gone, and when they did, they took apart the whole mountain looking for him. But it was too late; he’d already gone all the way down to his castle in the middle of the world, where nopony could reach him.

“And the Earthen King is still down there, watching over us from below. Down in the dark, he’s waiting for a time when ponies are no longer scared and greedy, and he can walk among us as who he really is. But he remembered that Judas had been kind to him, so he sent his two dolls in the form of golems to spread gemstones all over the world as a way of saying thanks. So whenever you find a sapphire or a ruby or an emerald or a diamond, it’s a gift from the King, and a reminder that some things are more precious than toys and jewels.”

Locket smiled as she finished her story. “I used to think it was a happy ending,” she said wistfully. “But it’s not really, is it?”

Twilight was silent for a while as she absorbed this. “You told it very well, Locket,” she said slowly. Already she could picture how the next minute of conversation would go, and sensed the opportunity to finally make good on her plan. It filled her with a sense of apprehension, like preparing to step onto a stage; she couldn’t tell if it was anticipation or dread. “I found a book with a similar story a while back, but there were a lot of differences. For example, in the version I read, the colt that the King made friends with wasn’t a colt at all. It was a filly named Dig Dug. And she didn’t leave because she was afraid; she left because she was growing up, and the dolls only came after she was gone.”

“I don’t care what the book says,” Locket mumbled, a little defensively. “That’s what I remember. Mama Lillywhite never told it wrong.”

“I’m not saying she did,” Twilight continued, her heart pounding. “Everything changes with time. Subtle changes build up generation after generation, and every new speaker makes their own differences because of personal preference or the popular themes and messages of the time. It gets to the point where two ponies can tell the same story, and they come out completely different. Even books aren’t immune to that kind of manipulation. Ponies keep the parts that are important to them, and the rest they just...” The unicorn paused. She took a deep breath, then looked Byuk meaningfully in the eyes. “Throw away.”

The shinigami stared for a second, then grinned knowingly and waved.

And Twilight blinked.

She stretched, yawning loudly, then rubbed at the bags under her eyes. Her cheeks ached, as if she’d been pulling a face for the past week. “I guess you’re right,” she heard Locket say, but the voice seemed further away than it had been a second ago. “Sometimes my mom would read me a bedtime story instead, and we’d get into arguments over how it was supposed to go.” There was a pause. “Hey, that’s funny. The animals aren’t shouting at me any more. They’re all just... listening.”

Twilight smiled. She couldn’t put her hoof on why, but she felt a great deal happier now the story was over. “You see? A little kindness goes a long way. That’s a good lesson to learn.”

“Yeah. Thanks.” Locket smiled as well. “I guess I should get back to work, while everything’s still calm. It was nice to talk to you, Twilight.”

“You too, Locket.” There was a blip as the recording crystal was shut off, and Twilight was plunged back into silence. Still smiling, she rolled off the bed and stretched again, shaking out each stiff leg in turn. “L?” she said gently, still smiling. “You can let me out now. I think I’m done here.”

With a faint hiss, L’s synthetic voice crackled back to life. However, it only hissed static for a few seconds before there was a response. “You know I can’t do that, Twilight Sparkle.”

“You can, and you will.” Twilight looked up into the nearest camera, a new confidence shining from within her. “It’s like you said, this is just a charade. Let’s not drag this out any longer. You and I both know that I’m not Kira.”

There was another pause. “That is not what you said when you first suggested this.”

The lavender mare blushed a little. “I... was in a bad place at the time,” she admitted. “You could have told me I was Nightmare Moon and I probably would have believed it. But now that I’ve had time to rest, I’m feeling a lot better. I know who I am. And there’s no way that I could ever be Kira.”

L frowned. She scratched at her cheek. “The current evidence suggests otherwise,” she said.

Twilight laughed. “Yeah. It’s pretty much the worst frame job ever, isn’t it? The deaths stopping as soon as I’m locked up is way too convenient. Kira’s not as clever we thought if he thinks he can fool us with this.” She looked up hopefully. “But now that I’ve been in here this long, he’s sure to think we’ve taken the bait. While he’s distracted trying to cover himself up, now we’re free to figure out his real plan.”

Another long silence. Twilight’s smile began to slip a little as she waited for a response. “L?” she said uncertainly. “You do know I’m not Kira, right?”

Finally, the detective’s artificial voice rang out once more. “Even an attempted frame implies some connection to Kira. I’m sorry, Twilight, but this was not our deal. You will remain here until we are able to come to a decision.”

“No.” The unicorn’s smile completely disappeared, replaced by a look of desperation. “L, you’re being tricked. You have to see that. You can’t let Kira fool you! And...” Her breathing quickened. “And two of my friends died because of me. This could be my last chance to say goodbye to them. You have to let me go to them, L. You have to let me go.”

“I think not. You knew the risks when you placed yourself in my custody. My decision is final. Unless you make a confession, I have no reason to remove you from your cell.”

“L, I’m not Kira!” Anger flared up in Twilight, but with no power to back it up, it was quickly overwhelmed by fear. If she focused she could feel her magic somewhere inside her, but it felt disconnected, as if buried under a mountain of feathers. For the first time since the start of her confinement, Twilight felt true helplessness fill her. “L, my friends need me,” she said, shakily approaching one of the cameras. “They’ll be expecting me. I need to see them again.” She raised herself up and put her front hooves on the wall, staring straight into the camera desperately. She began to raise her voice. “Don’t leave me on my own in here!”

“Twilight.” The perpetually calm voice silenced the mare’s floundering. “What is friendship to you?”

Twilight didn’t hesitate in her response. She spoke passionately into the camera. “Friendship is the most important thing in the world.”

L switched her microphone off. She listened idly as the hornless unicorn continued to beg for her release, beginning to pace frantically back and forth within her cell. The detective picked up a quill, then put it down again. She spun around once in her chair, taking in all of the stratoscreens around her and the vast, empty space at her back. Again she put a hoof to her cheek, gingerly touching the place where Bon Bon had kissed her, and closed her eyes as she listened to her captive’s pleading voice.

On the surface, three ponies and one baby dragon made their way down the streets of Ponyville in silence. Of the four of them, only Rainbow Dash was not in formal attire; she simply didn’t own anything appropriate. Jazz had a seemingly endless supply of dark suits, though none even close to the young pegasus’ size, and Colgate had pulled a plain and dusty uniform vest from her limited wardrobe. Even Spike had put on a miniature tuxedo, though the effect was slightly spoiled as he’d spilled ketchup down his front during lunch. Dash kept her head down as she walked, throwing glances at the others around her. For once, she didn’t want her rainbow mane to make her stand out.

“Remember,” Colgate whispered as they neared their destination, “they were killed by Kira. Nopony has to know about what really happened.” Twisting the facts made her cringe, but she’d since accepted that in this case at least, it was necessary.

“We know,” Spike echoed, and they spoke of it no more.

The quartet stopped as they reached the main square. The town hall stood before them, grim and strangely quiet. In what seemed a cruel parody of Pinkie Pie’s final town-wide party, ponies had spent days carting tables and decorations out of the building to make space for the crowds to come. In ones and twos, ponies were starting to break away from the surrounding buildings and make their way to the door. Mayor Mare stood timidly at the front entrance, greeting the few early arrivals. From time to time snatches of friendly conversation could be heard, but they would quickly die down. Nopony seemed to feel like talking at the moment.

“Rainbow Dash!”

The pegasus turned at the sound of her name. Barreling down the road towards her was a familiar orange earth pony. For once she’d taken off her hat and had put on a faded grey dress, which was starting to pick up dust as she ran. “Applejack!” Dash yelled in delight as the mare slid to a halt in front of her. “Where’ve you been?”

The orange mare snorted, panting for breath. “Where’ve Ah been?” she snapped, looking like she didn't know whether to hug her friend or strangle her. "More like where have you been for the past week? Nopony’s seen head nor tail of you in days. Ah never thought you of all ponies would try to vanish at a time like this.”

Rainbow Dash fidgeted. “Well... you see...”

“And that ain’t all,” Applejack continued. “This all started when Twilight went off studying for days at a time. Ah haven’t seen her since before... well, you know. Then some strange pony at Fluttershy’s cottage tells me she’s gone to Cloudsdale for some family emergency - didn’t even leave a note, just flew off. And now, with you going AWOL on me as well, it’s like..." She sniffed. Her brother and sister came into view behind her, both wearing black, but they kept their distance. "It’s like... well, it ain't right," she finished. "It feels like we all started drifting apart just when we needed each other the most."

A pail of guilt washed through Rainbow Dash, and her eyes began to water. Before she could begin to cover for herself, however, Jazz stepped forward. "Apologies, miss Applejack," he said, shaking the surprised mare by the hoof. "I'm afraid it's my fault that miss Dash has been unable to attend to her regular duties. My name is Jazz, professor at the University of Canterlot, and currently a tutor to your friend. I thought that keeping her engaged for long hours would help to keep her mind off of more troubling matters; had I realized that her complaints about missing her friends were not merely social, I would have been more lenient."

"Tutor?" Applejack blinked. She stared at the unicorn for a few seconds before understanding. "Dash, you're going to school?"

"Not quite," Jazz continued, pre-empting the pegasus a second time. "Only a few lessons on the side. There are educational requirements for any stunt team beyond the purely physical, after all. In return for a favor from one of my former students, a miss Twilight Sparkle, I've come to Ponyville to assist Rainbow Dash with her studies." He leaned forward conspiratorially. "Now, you didn't hear this from me," he whispered, "but this favor is the reason why miss Sparkle has vanished of late. She's been called to Canterlot on an emergency to deal with some sort of crisis; a stasis leak on an ancient curse, I believe. To prevent any unnecessary panic, I've been instructed to tell you that she's visiting family, but I believe I can trust you with the truth.” He winked. “She sends her condolences, and deeply regrets that she's unable to be here today. Were the situation anything but dire, nothing would keep her from you."

"Well, that's an awful shame," Applejack said back. "Thank you kindly for being honest with me, at least." Jazz bowed and backed away. "I guess it's just you and me, then," she said sadly, turning back to Rainbow Dash.

"And me," Spike muttered.

"And of course you too, Spike." Applejack smiled sadly at him. "How are you holding up?"

"Fine," the dragon said, looking down.

At the edge of the group, Colgate coughed. "I'll leave you to it, then," she said. She tried to smile, which only seemed to accentuate the fact that she looked like she hadn't slept in days. "I gotta... you know, keep the peace. And stuff." She turned away, muttering to herself. "Like there's any chance of that."

Dash frowned and started to call after the policemare, but stopped when Jazz shook his head. The other unicorn backed away and followed Colgate towards the town hall, leaving the three friends on their own. They looked at each other, no one really knowing what to say. "I guess we should head inside, then," Applejack suggested. The other two nodded. Together, they made their way towards the building.

The inside of the town hall was mostly bare. Seats had been provided for those that wanted them, but most Ponyvillians were accustomed to standing. Everything was arranged around a raised area at the far end of the room, on which two caskets lay: one engraved with three balloons, the other with three diamonds. At the sight of these, Rainbow Dash felt what little defenses she had start to break down. She began to shudder, unable to tear her eyes away from the caskets, knowing what was inside. Applejack fared better, only stooping slightly at the sight. "You gonna be okay?" she whispered to the pegasus.

"Y-yeah." Rainbow Dash gulped. "Yeah. I'm fine. It's just..." She sighed as the pair walked up to the rear of the building. "Sometimes I forget that they're really gone. I wake up in the morning feeling like everything's okay, like we're all going to get together for an adventure and they'll be there like they always were. But they're not. It doesn't seem right." She sniffed. "It doesn't seem right that things can feel okay. But I keep going, like nothing’s changed. And that doesn't seem right."

Applejack nodded. "Ah know what you mean, Dash," she sighed. "Ah know what you mean." They reached what seemed an appropriate place and stopped. "Shame it's closed caskets," she noted glumly. "Now that ain't right. Rarity would have wanted everypony to see her one last time. She would have looked beautiful."

Dash suppressed a shudder. Having witnessed firsthoof what had become of Rarity, not having to see her body again felt like something of a blessing. Behind her, Spike felt his eyes well up with tears. Not willing to let his friends see him cry, he covered up his mouth to mask his faint sniffles and crept away. Neither of the pair paid him any attention. "It kind of creeps me out either way," Dash admitted. "Being buried and all. I can't imagine being trapped underground for all eternity."

"Well, there's more to it than that. It's an old earth pony tradition. We grow everything out of the ground, and when we die, we give ourselves back to it as thanks." Applejack glanced sideways at her friend. "Pegasi burn their dead, right?"

"And scatter them to the four winds, yeah." Rainbow Dash nodded. "So that we can always be free. That's the way I want to go. Being stuck in one place forever sounds awful. I can't imagine..." She started to laugh, but stopped instantly. Her voice became hollow. "I can't imagine Pinkie Pie staying still for that long."

"It's what she would have expected." Applejack shrugged. "Just the way we do things. And Ah don't know how unicorns care for their own, but Rarity spent the best years of her life in Ponyville. She always said so. So Ah think she'd have wanted things to end this way; to be put in the ground, in the Ponyville way, together with the ponies she fell in love with."

"Spending forever together with your friends..." Rainbow Dash seemed to lighten up a little at this. "I can see that. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad."

The pair stood in silence for a minute, listening to the sounds of other ponies entering the building. “Applejack?” Rainbow Dash said at last, her voice beginning to crack again.

“Yeah?”

“Is... is harmony dead?” Dash looked at the ground. “I mean... we didn’t just lose our friends. We lost Laughter and Generosity. Does that mean that... that the Elements are...”

“Whoa, shh. It’s okay, sugar cube.” Applejack wrapped a foreleg around her friend’s shoulders and held her as the pegasus held back tears again. “The Elements aren’t going anywhere. They never really belonged to us, anyhow. We just got to carry them for awhile.”

“But... but what if Discord comes back? Or the changelings, or the Nightmare, or-”

“Harmony finds a way,” Applejack reassured her. “Think of it like this. The way Ah see it, Laughter wasn’t exclusive to Pinkie Pie, just like Generosity wasn’t owned by Rarity. They were just the best at spreading them around, and things like that don’t die when their bearers do. Harmony lives on in all ponies, not just the six of us, and when Equestria really needs it, Ah’ll wager we’ll see two new ponies step up to take their place.”

Rainbow Dash glared. “Nopony could ever replace Pinkie Pie.”

“Ah’m not saying they would. Those would be some mighty big shoes to fill. But it’s like she used to say; finding friends isn’t about replacing old ones, it’s about making a new connection with somepony else. You never know who your friends will turn out to be until you finally meet them. After all, how long did we know Twilight for before she led us to defeat Nightmare Moon? For that matter, how often did we talk before that night?”

“That’s... a good point.” Rainbow Dash sighed, then looked towards her friend and smiled a little. “You really think things will be okay, Applejack?”

“Ah know it.” The orange mare nuzzled her friend’s neck and held her a little tighter. “It won’t be easy, that’s for sure, and things won’t ever be the same as they were. But we’ll be okay.”

A few paces back, Colgate sighed and smiled as well. At least that’s one weight off my mind, she thought, relieved. We’ll stand a chance against any more all-powerful entities that try to invade. At least, assuming Kira doesn’t kill the invader first... She shook off this thought and turned away. Over the past few minutes noise from outside had started to grow as more ponies arrived. Her finely-tuned ears picked up something else, though; the level of conversation seemed inconsistent with the thin line of ponies that was trickling inside. It sounds like a crowd’s forming. Her heart skipped a beat. Or a mob. With a final glance at the two ponies ahead of her, she quickly made her way back outside.

What she saw at first didn’t surprise her. As expected, a growing line of ponies in formal wear stretched across the town square, each being greeted by the Mayor in turn before heading inside. Some of them had brought foals, who were accounting for a good portion of the noise from the herd. Their reactions to the event varied from open sobbing to their usual playful chatter; evidently, some of them didn’t quite understand yet that their favorite party pony and the nice mare who ran the boutique were really gone. The thought tore across Colgate’s heart, but she didn’t have much time to reflect on it.

Standing across from the line, however, was what the policemare would have to describe as the most polite protest she’d ever witnessed. A group of around fifty ponies stood closely together, giving nervous yet friendly smiles to the others around them. They didn’t chant or shout, only making quiet conversation and passing out grey leaflets to anypony who approached them. Several had made non-confrontational signs, which read things like “We don’t want to offend anypony” and “Violence will not save us”. Each was marked at the bottom with the letters KNM.

Colgate stormed forwards. “What is the meaning of-” She stopped short as two stallions broke away from the ground and walked calmly towards her. One of them she didn’t recognize, a thin brown unicorn with a square shovel as a cutie mark. It was the second one, a tanned and muscular earth pony, who caused her to freeze in place. “You!”

“Surprised to see me?” The moustached pony smirked and held his head up proudly. He’d put on a professional brown suit and tie, but for some reason had kept his athletic headband. “I’m surprised to see you again, little policemare. I don’t think anypony expected you back after your little hissy fit at the hub station the other day.”

Colgate glared, but held her tongue. Having been pushed around by this stallion once already, the mere sound of his voice was making her hair stand on end. Right, ignoring that... “What are you doing here?” she asked, keeping her voice formal. “This is a funeral. You have no business disrupting it.”

“Disrupting?” The stallion feigned surprise. “Now, where would you get a silly idea like that? The KNM is a peaceful organization. All we’re trying to do is bring a little hope to everypony in this dark, dark time, something that the police don’t seem to think is important.” He pulled a grey page from within his suit. “Brochure?”

“Give me that.” Colgate magically snatched the proffered paper, grimacing as she saw the title. “The Kira Neutrality Movement? What in the hoof is that supposed to mean?”

The stallion grinned. “Tell her, Spades.”

Beside him, the brown unicorn smiled thinly and stepped forward. He spoke quickly and quietly, but his voice was far from unpleasant. “The Kira Neutrality Movement is a fast-growing organization co-founded by my associate Ace and I, with independent chapters opening across Equestria. We currently have more than two hundred supporters across three different cities, and our numbers are rising rapidly. Our goal is simple: in light of our government and law-enforcement agencies showing complete inaction in response to the presence of Kira, it has fallen to us, the common ponies, to protect ourselves by advocating a policy of complete inaction - yes, we are aware of the irony,” he quickly added as Colgate opened her mouth.

“Several days ago, Kira made his first public statement, asking for aid in the murder of criminals. Since then, no figure of authority has issued any statement in response to this, positive or negative. As such, it has fallen to us to make that decision in their stead.” Spades coughed. “Due to the vast potential for power struggles and abuse, we have decided that it is not in our best interests to broadcast the names of criminals, or to assist Kira in any similar way.”

Colgate clamped her mouth shut. The reason we never responded to that message, she argued silently, was because we have the mare who sent it tied up beneath Ponyville. But I can’t tell you that, because news of a second Kira would only make the situation worse. Still, at least some good’s come of this...

“However,” Spades continued as Colgate began to calm down, “we also stand in opposition to any attempt to find or stop Kira.” His smile slipped as the policemare glared at him, but he kept going. “Every attempt to catch Kira thus far has resulted in the deaths of innocent ponies. The killing of two of the Elements was a warning, and an effective one. We believe that so long as we do not pursue Kira, the deaths will be confined to only confirmed criminals. So in the interest of safety through neutrality, it is our duty to take a stand against any organization that attempts to insult or threaten Kira. Erm... sorry,” he finished sheepishly.

Colgate twisted her hooves against the ground in fury. “So what you’re saying,” she said slowly, causing the brown unicorn to squirm, “is that you decided to picket the funeral of two of the saviors of Equestria... just so you could say that you support the one who killed them?”

Spades backed away, rapidly shaking his head. “Oh, no no no, nothing like that. We don’t support Kira, that would be monstrous. But as we have no defense against him, in the interests of preserving innocent lives, we simply feel that it would be safest to simply... stay out of his way. Hence the basis for one of our slogans, ‘For Celestia’s sake, don’t antagonize him!’” He chuckled nervously, but this only seemed to infuriate Colgate further. “A-and if Kira did have reason to take our beloved Elements from us, then we don’t want to appear defiant by standing up for them. We’re just concerned about our safety, that’s all.”

“Cool it, Spades,” Ace said calmly. “We don’t need to defend ourselves to ponies like her.” He turned back to Colgate, smirking at her outraged expression. “Look, we’re a peaceful organization,” he repeated. “We’re not hurting anypony, and we’re not telling anypony what to do. We’re just giving some friendly advice. Like this advice, right now.” He leaned forward and glowered into Colgate’s eyes. “We don’t need you. Kira’s in charge now, and you’ve seen what happens to ponies who stand in his way. So stop this pointless little crusade of yours while you still can, or some non-specific entity may have to make you stop.”

“I can’t believe you,” Colgate snorted back. “How can you just bend over to a monster that killed a little filly right on your back?”

“No,” said Ace, stepping back. “A better question would be, how can you live with yourself? Because if you hadn’t chosen that moment to start spouting your pointless hate-speech, that poor little filly would still be alive.”

The policemare’s jaw dropped, then snapped back into a snarl of outrage. “That is not how it happened,” she growled, her eye beginning to twitch.

“Really? Seems you and I remember it differently. I definitely recall some crazy mare yelling about Kira stopping her from doing her job just before the filly hit the dust.” Ace gestured to the group behind him, not breaking eye contact. “If you ever feel like joining the not-getting-ponies-killed party, you’re always welcome. But in the meantime, maybe you should be a little more careful about what you say.” He turned away, failing to notice the sparks of blue that were crackling down Colgate’s horn. “Because I don’t think anypony would mind if Kira killed you next.”

To everypony else, what happened next was a blur. For Colgate, it was as if time had stopped. Magic filled her vision, a bright, fiery magic that coursed through her limbs and throbbed across her skull. In the blink of an eyelid she reared up, screamed furiously, and landed an earth-shattering punch on the stallion’s face.

Time rippled and snapped. Ace was knocked off his hooves and crashed to the ground, tumbling over once before coming to a halt. Breathing heavily, Colgate towered over him, lines of rage-fueled magic still streaking across her skin. “That’s for Sweetie Belle,” she hissed. Probably shouldn’t have done that, her inner policemare cautioned, a few seconds too late. But sweet Celestia did that feel g-

That’s when she saw the way Ace was looking at her. He gaped up at her from the ground, any trace of arrogance or malice replaced by shock. There was no hate in his stare, only wide-eyed, childlike fear.

And she realized how very quiet it had become.

Her breath slowing, Colgate looked around. Everypony was staring at her. The ponies of the KNM huddled close together, while those in line had frozen where they were. Parents were shielding their foals from her. Afraid. They're not bad ponies. They’re just afraid. Slowly, Colgate lowered herself to a standing position. As her rage began to ebb away, the last of the magic drained out of her system. She looked down at Ace. Now that realization had finally kicked in, he’d covered his face and lay softly whimpering in the dirt. Even him. He’s just afraid of pain. Afraid of loss. Afraid of the world not making sense.

Afraid of me.

Colgate gulped silently. “Get up,” she commanded. Her voice came out calm, naturally authoritative. Ace didn’t move. “Get up,” she said again, prodding the stallion’s side roughly with her hoof. Slowly, he rolled onto his hooves. As he stood Colgate’s horn lit up again, linking his foreleg to hers in a magical band resembling a long pair of hoofcuffs. “You’re coming with me.”

Retaining her composure, Colgate turned to face the remaining KNM. As one they inched backwards under her gaze, the remaining co-founder peeking out from somewhere within the mass. “Go inside or go home,” she said. “I understand what you’re trying to do, but this is not the time or the place.”

With a tug on the hoofcuffs, the policemare began to lead her prisoner in the direction of the police station. Ace took two steps behind her before stopping and spitting out a tooth. The sight chilled Colgate to the bone, but she showed no emotion as she walked her captive out of the square.

Once the pair were two streets away and safely out of sight of any pony, Colgate halted. The blue band binding her to Ace vanished. “Just go,” she said before the stallion could formulate a response to this. “Go home. Visit the clinic if something hurts. Just get out of here.”

Ace backed away. “You... you crazy little...” He spun around and galloped away, yelling over his shoulder as he ran. “This isn’t over, you hear me? This isn’t over!”

Colgate didn’t look back as the stallion ran away. She waited until his hoofsteps had faded to nothing, then stood stock still for another minute afterwards. She barely noticed as her own hooves began to carry her forwards, bringing her to a dark alley between two houses. It was only when she was in complete shadow that her legs started to tremble, forcing her to steady herself against a wall. She collapsed against it, letting the weight fall away from her as she began to cry.

What have I done?

After a brief pause, ponies continued to trickle into the town hall at a steady rate over the next hour. Applejack and Rainbow Dash passed the time by making note of the different characters who’d arrived to mourn their friends’ passing. They were certainly a diverse crowd; looking across the assembled ponies was like a living reminder of all the lives the group had touched on their adventures. At least half of Ponyville had shown up, including a fair number of foals; it was literally impossible to have lived in Ponyville for a year without Pinkie Pie having thrown at the very least a birthday party just for you. Unfamiliar pegasi fluttered nervously, unused to standing on anything that wasn’t cloud. Derpy sat among her fellow postal workers. Fancy nobleponies from Canterlot stood alongside simple farmers from Appleloosa. A group of mysterious ponies in matching suits and sunglasses stood together near the back, not speaking to anypony. There were doctors and vendors, chefs and constructions workers, even a few rare donkeys thrown into the mix.

But more notable to the grieving pair were the ponies who didn’t show up. “Ah was sure one of the Princesses would have come,” Applejack said, sounding annoyed. “They wouldn’t have to make a big deal of it or nothing. But just an appearance would have been nice.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash agreed half-heartedly. She continued sneaking glances at the crowd behind her. “Do you see any of Pinkie Pie’s family anywhere? I always wanted to meet them.”

“Hmm... nope. Maybe they couldn’t make it.”

“Maybe.” Disappointed, Dash glanced at the two Cakes in the next row over. The bakery owners were standing together proudly, the shorter of the two resting her head on her husband’s shoulder. Beside them, Rarity’s parents were holding one another, sobbing loudly. I guess they have twice as much reason to be sad as the rest of us, Dash thought. They’re taking it pretty hard, though, considering Rarity wasn’t even their real... A closer look at their faces cut this thought short. Aw, who am I kidding? They were her parents, though and through. A fake name and history can’t take that away from them.

Applejack sighed sadly, following her friend’s gaze. “Poor folk,” she sympathized. “Magnum and Pearl have more to deal with than most. Ah don’t know how they’re going to make it through for the service for Sweetie Belle tonight.”

Rainbow Dash turned back to her friend. “Are we invited to that?”

“Ah think so. It’s supposed to be just close friends and family.”

“Right.” Dash paused. “How’s Apple Bloom holding up?”

Applejack bit her lip and looked away. Her siblings had taken up a position near the wall, still huddled close to one another. “Quiet,” Applejack said. “She ain’t talking much. Poor filly’s acting just like she did after the schoolhouse fire last year. But she’ll cope.” She sighed. “She’s a tough little pony at heart. Our granny raised her well.”

“Yeah. Hey, speaking of Granny Smith, where-”

“Hey, Dash?” Applejack interrupted, still looking away. “Is Colgate still running that group of yours to catch Kira?”

The pegasus gulped. Sorry, AJ, but I promised L I wouldn’t talk about that, not to anypony. Not even you. “Not really,” she said. “It kind of broke up after those agents died.”

The orange mare nodded sadly. “That’s a shame,” she said. She took a halting step forward. “The last thing Rarity and Ah ever talked about was Kira. Ah was stubborn... we were both stubborn. But she was right, in the end. And Ah never got to...” Applejack began to tremble again, tears springing to her eyes.

The noise level near the back of the room changed. Dash looked back as the main doors closed, and the mayor began to walk to the front of the room. “Hey, I think they’re starting soon,” she whispered, nudging her friend.

To the pegasus’ surprise, Applejack turned and wrapped her in a tight embrace. “No more,” she murmured. “Ah won’t let Kira take any more of our friends away, Dashie. Ah promise.”

Dash blinked. “Only Pinkie Pie calls me Dashie,” she mumbled. Carefully, she lowered her trembling friend off of her. “Forget the future,” she said. “When this is over, we can work out where we go from here. But for now, I just want to remember.”

Though still teary-eyed, Applejack smiled. “W-we had some good times, didn’t we?”

“Yeah.” In front of them, Mayor Mare took her place at her podium and started to organize her notes. “All those parties...”

“The fancy dresses...”

“The crazy antics...”

“The Galas...”

“Saving the world...

The two mares smiled at each other. The Mayor began to give her welcoming speech, but they barely heard her. “For Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said.

“For Rarity,” Applejack echoed.

And for a time, Ponyville remembered.

Near the top of the room, a wisp of coldness clung to the arch of the ceiling. The bone-white shinigami hovered in place, flaps of skin around the back of her neck flaring up of their own accord. She fixed her eyes on the diamond-engraved casket down below, the one holding the body of Diamond Edge, the one who called herself Rarity. “Kira,” the icy god growled, grinding her teeth together. “You failed to mention this. Was this always part of your plan? Is there any other treachery you didn’t feel inclined to reveal to me?”

With a single flap of her wings, Mer rose up through the ceiling and sailed towards the sky. The sun beat down on her between broken clouds, the light passing through her body without warming her in the slightest. For now, I’ll go along with your plan. But you’re not the only one who can play games, Kira. Do you think the suffering you can deal out can even compare to the wrath of a God of Death?

With a mad gleam in her eye and a rare, chilling laugh, Mer spread her wings even wider and vanished into the sky.

Dear Princess Luna,

Our captive pony is still claiming complete ignorance and says she has no involvement with Kira. Despite the evidence linking her to the second Kira’s crystal recordings, given her mental and physical condition I find myself believing her. Recently, the proven deaths from Kira have dropped to nothing and have yet to return. L, as always, suspects a trick, so we will wait a while longer before declaring any kind of victory.

As an aside, a new organization called the Kira Neutrality Movement has risen up in Ponyville, strongly opposing any attempts to catch or even publicly denounce Kira. However, they also take offense to those who try to aid or support Kira, so they need not necessarily be our enemies. Keeping track of the spread and influence of this group would be advised.

No other news.

Your loyal servant,

Colgate

Next episode: Cider!

Darkest

*Darkest*

Even without obtaining ownership, a pony’s memories of the Death Note will return as long as they are touching the notebook. Regaining ownership of a Note will cause the memories to return permanently. Only the whole Note will suffice for this; it cannot be a piece or a page.

Fluttershy’s imprisonment, day 6

Twilight Sparkle’s imprisonment, day 4

"Why now?" Rainbow Dash griped, pacing back and forth across the inside of the barn. "Not that I don't like spending time with you," she added, throwing a glance at Applejack, who was sitting quietly nearby. "But of all the times for her to be late, why did it have to be now?"

Applejack shrugged. The orange mare was unusually quiet, keeping her movements to a minimum. "These things happen," she said. "You just gotta live with them."

Dash stopped. "That doesn't sound like..." She trailed off as the barn door creaked open. A grey pegasus poked her head nervously inside. "Derpy! About time you showed up."

"Um... hi, guys," Derpy said, bowing apologetically as she walked in. Her saddlebags drooped with weight, and a small sack rested on her back. "This was heavier than I think... thought."

"It's all right, missy," Applejack reassured her as Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Now, you mind telling us why you asked the two of us here?"

"Um." Derpy rummaged in the bag on her left, then her right, eventually producing two envelopes. One was plain and orange, the other light blue and covered in stickers. "I brought you letters," the mailmare mumbled through the paper in her mouth.

The pair took their respective envelopes. Rainbow Dash stared down at hers incredulously. Surrounded by tiny pictures of clouds and party balloons, the words ‘for Dashie’ were scrawled on the front. "Is this... is this from Pinkie Pie?" she gasped.

"Uh-huh." Derpy nodded happily. "She wrote one for every pony in Ponyville."

Applejack smiled sadly. "Well, ain't that just like her," she sighed. "Couldn't let us go without one last goodbye." Slowly, though, the smile began to fade from her face. "Hold on a second," she said. "Did you say everypony in Ponyville? As in every pony?"

"Yeah. You shoulda seen the bag. It was..." Derpy tried to demonstrate, but couldn't quite stretch her front hooves far enough apart. "It was big," she finished.

The earth pony frowned. "That don't add up," she said, tapping her chin. "On one hoof, Ah could see Pinkie pulling something like this off. She did like to be prepared for anything. But keepin’ up with hundreds of letters... that’s just plain morbid. And bless her soul and all, but Pinkie was always more of an 'in the moment' kind of gal. So why would she..." Applejack paused. "Rainbow! Are you listening to me?"

Rainbow Dash shook her head. She'd already messily ripped her envelope open and had sat down with the paper within, smiling warmly as she read. "Oh, Pinkie Pie," she sighed, clutching the paper to her chest. "You are so random." She looked up at Applejack. "What's yours say?"

"Well... Ah..." Applejack looked down at the envelope in her hoof. "Maybe later," she said, tucking the paper behind her ear. "Now doesn't feel like the right time."

"Aw, come on. I'll let you read mine."

"Dash, that's personal," Applejack snapped. "Besides, don't you realize what this means?" She approached her friend and pushed her letter down, gazing into her eyes. "Why would Pinkie Pie put all this effort into writing these letters if she wasn't expecting to die?"

The two mares stared at each other, shock settling onto their faces as the meaning of Applejack's words sunk in. The creeping horror was broken, however, by a nervous cough. "Um." Derpy shuffled in place as the others turned to face her. "This wasn't just a delivery," she said. "I kinda need your help."

Applejack nodded first. "Sure. Whatever you need."

Derpy pulled the sack off her back and opened it, spilling more letters out onto the ground. Her saddlebags followed suit. "These are the letters where I can't work out where they go," she said. "I sorted them by stamps, so I sorta know what city they go to, but I don't know these names. You guys know Pinkie best, so..."

"We'll do our best." With a tug on her mane, Applejack pulled Rainbow Dash towards the assorted letters. Curiously, she picked up an envelope from one of the saddlebags, breaking into a smile as she saw the name. "Shucks, that's mah cousin! These must be for Appleloosa. Don't worry, Ah can get these addressed for you all proper-like in a jiffy."

Rainbow Dash pulled letters at random from the larger sack in the middle of the floor. "I don't know any of these names either," she said. "Red Cross... Sunburst... Fancy Pants? Looks like a mix of Cloudsdale and Canterlot. I’ll see if I know any of these, and Twilight can help with the rest, when..." Her smile fell a little. "When she gets back." Something near the corner of the bag caught her eye. "Hey, what are these?"

"Those ones don't have stamps," Derpy explained as Rainbow Dash pulled out a small bundle of pearly-white letters held together with twine. "I think they're gonna be the trickiest."

Applejack trotted over to Dash's side as she examined the letters. "'For Celestia'?" she exclaimed while Rainbow unwound the twine. "Ain't that the easiest? Why don't you just ask Spike?"

"I did," Derpy said, looking puzzled. "He sent the one for Princess Luna, but this one kept coming back."

"Weird." Dash set the top letter aside and shuffled through the others. "'For mom'... 'for dad'... 'for big sis'... 'for little sis'." She looked up at Applejack. "Hey, how much do we know about Pinkie's family? Do they live anywhere near Ponyville?"

Applejack started to shake her head, then stopped. “Ah... don’t rightly know,” she admitted. “Pinkie said she used to live on a rock farm. Ah always assumed she meant a quarry. But the only places like that ‘round here are the big industrial types.” She scratched her head. “Think the Cakes would know?”

“Not sure. But it can’t be far away, or Pinkie would’ve stamped it.” Rainbow peered at the notes suspiciously. A sly grin crept over her face. After weeks of watching a deadly battle of wits unfold, this kind of mystery was far more her speed. “Want to open one?”

The others gasped. “Rainbow Dash! That’s just all kinds of not right!” Applejack shouted.

“I’m not allowed...” Derpy mumbled, shuddering.

“Oh, come on,” Rainbow Dash argued. “If Pinkie’s best friends don’t know where she’s from, what makes you think her bosses will?” She looked back and forth between her companions. Applejack’s face was resolute, while Derpy’s was starting to slip. “Think about it. You know what Pinkie’s like. She probably just turned up one day. Do you wanna spend hours and hours looking through the library to find some trace of her, or do you want to open up the one clue we have right now? What’s worse, a letter arriving open, or a letter not arriving at all?”

The farmer shook her head. Derpy, however, slowly nodded. “I guess... it’s the only way,” the mailmare mumbled. “Don’t tell Mr. Brown, okay?”

Rainbow Dash grinned triumphantly. “Two to one, AJ. Straight from the mailmare’s mouth.”

Applejack frowned deeply. “All right,” she said at last. “Ah’ll go along with your plan. But under protest. Ah’ll open it,” she added quickly as her friend picked up the ‘for dad’ letter, snatching it out of her hooves. “Let’s mess it up as little as possible, all right?” Picking up a thick piece of straw from the ground, she slid it inside the fold of the envelope and tore it open in one swift movement. She pulled out the neatly-folded letter within and read the single line printed on it. Then she read it again. After the third time, she lowered the letter to the ground for the others to see, her face awash with confusion. Pinkie Pie had written just three words.

I forgive you.

The three ponies looked at one another. Without speaking, each of them picked up another letter. Derpy expertly slitted open ‘for big sis’ with the tip of her wing. “I forgive you,” she read aloud, her eyes crossing as she frowned.

“Ah forgive you,” Applejack echoed, holding open ‘for mom’. Solemnly, she took off her hat. “Ah don’t... Ah never... Dash, you all right?”

Rainbow Dash had turned pale. She slowly lowered the letter in her hooves. “I picked up the wrong one,” she breathed. “This... this is the letter for Celestia. It says exactly the same thing.”

“Augh!” A dark blue guardpony grimaced as a length of bandage magically wrapped around his leg. “I said don’t touch me!” he grunted, squirming away from the unicorn who was trying to attend to his injury.

Straw Bolt sighed. His rapidly diminishing party had come to rest at a sandy outcropping near the river, just south of what they’d discovered too late was a manticore den. “Grindstone, hold still and let Gift Wrap do his work,” he ordered.

“Sir, I’m fine!” Grindstone pushed the protesting medic away and climbed to his hooves, suppressing a wince as he put weight on his injured leg. “Look, it barely scratched me. I can stand, I can walk. I’ll be fine.”

“Is that so.” Straw Bolt approached the earth pony, looking him up and down. Without warning he charged forward and gave the smaller guard a shove, knocking him down. “That’s what I thought,” he continued sternly as Grindstone whimpered. “You can walk, but can you run? Can you fight? If we reach our destination and find a horde of golems waiting for us, what use do you think you’ll be then?”

Grindstone looked up, eyes watering. “S-sir...”

“Your enthusiasm is appreciated. If you want to help, I suggest you channel some of that bravery into a desire to recover as soon as possible.” The guard captain turned away. “Gift Wrap, escort Grindstone back to Ponyville. Make sure that he gets proper medical attention and rejoin us as soon as you’re able. Do not attempt to reenter the Everfree on your own. Is that understood?”

The unicorn saluted. “Understood, sir.”

There was a pause as Gift Wrap helped his partner up, and they started the long trek back to town. Straw Bolt watched them go, worry creeping through him once again. “And then there were six,” he muttered. “Too many injuries. We shouldn’t be having this much difficulty.”

Behind him, Zecora nodded grimly. “The forest is angry,” she said, “for the balance is torn. It thrashes in fear to dislodge a clay thorn.”

“At least six is a lucky number,” Quicksilver quipped.

Straw Bolt ignored them both. Instead he turned to their host, who had been patiently towering over them from the river throughout this exchange. “Thank you, sir,” he said, bowing. “Without your help, our losses could have been much greater.”

“Oh, it was nothing,” the river serpent said, waving a hand dismissively. “Manticores are just darling little pussycats, really.”

The remaining guards glanced at one another. From the neck down their savior was an impressive, fearsome sight, covered in wickedly sharp scales and rippling muscles. Above the neck he was still impressive, but in a different way. Despite his aquatic nature, the serpentine reptile sported a mane that one could lose a cart in, as well as an enormous and bizarrely mismatched moustache; half was the same golden orange as the hair on his head, while the other side ended in a clashing purple swirl. The river serpent couldn’t seem to stop twirling this between his fingers as he spoke, smiling cheerfully all the while. “Nevertheless, we are grateful,” Straw Bolt continued, keeping his face carefully neutral. “If there’s any way for us to repay you-”

“It was nothing,” the river serpent repeated. “I love helping ponies. You’re just my favorite little quadrupeds.” He peered down inquisitively. “Love the uniforms. Very fetching. You must be from the city on the mountain, hm? What are you doing in our little neck of the woods?”

“We’re chasing a golem who’s kidnapped a filly from Ponyville,” the captain answered. “It’s a creature made of clay that seems to travel through underground channels. Have you seen it?”

At the mention of the word clay, the dragon huffed. “I always knew those brutes were trouble,” he said. “One of them trampled right through my garden the other day. Right through it. Just look at the mess!” The river serpent dove beneath the waters, then emerged seconds later with a handful of mud. “Such horror! The petunias were coming in exquisitely, and now they’re ruined!”

There was an awkward pause as the terrifying, carnivorous monster wept openly over a lump of mud. Even Straw Bolt found himself shifting uncomfortably, his well-practiced featureless expression slipping. “The golems,” he prompted.

“Oh, yes.” The serpent tossed the mud aside, instantly regaining his cheery demeanor. “You’ve come too far if you’re looking for them,” he explained. “There’s a trickle half an hour upstream that drains out into a ravine. Those horrid creatures come in and out of there. I avoid it because it’s bad for my back, but you should have no trouble following them.”

Straw Bolt bowed again. The others followed suit, causing the sea dragon to blush. “We thank you for your kindness, good sir,” the guard captain said. “You may have helped us save another innocent life.”

“Oh, you flatterer, you.” The dragon waved as the ponies and zebra picked up their supplies and prepared to leave. “Good luck, my little ponies. And you tell that gorgeous little unicorn to visit any time, you hear?”

Colgate sat listlessly in the base's kitchen. Her head drooped against the table, an untouched mug of coffee growing cold beside her. Bon Bon came in and out at seemingly random intervals, never rousing the policemare's attention. Her eyes glazed over as they stared at a small stratoscreen that she'd taken from the main chamber, set to mute as she watched the same dull news program repeat hour after hour.

This wasn't how things were supposed to be. Catching Kira was supposed to be an adventure; seeking clues, chasing criminals, final showdowns with dramatic, heartfelt monologues on both sides. She'd entered into this program with a fire in her heart and a song on her lips; now, hours drifted by like awful dreams. And Twilight Sparkle - top student in Canterlot, savior of Equestria, number one best friend in all the world - was being locked up for mass murder. In a way, she's lucky, Colgate reflected. Of the two of us, at least she's locked up down here by choice.

The noise grew later in the afternoon as Rainbow Dash returned from her visit to Applejack. She and Jazz settled down near Colgate in the kitchen as, over a bowl of gummy snacks, the older unicorn attempted to teach his pupil Horse Code. "Up-down-down-up, up-up, down-up, down-up-down..." Rainbow Dash muttered continuously, pushing candies around in an attempt to spell out a particular name.

"You're focusing too much on the letters," Jazz advised. "Don’t just copy, learn patterns. Let it become natural."

Dash groaned, putting her head in her hooves. "This is just dumb," she moaned. "You already know this. Why can’t you just put her name in and see what comes up?"

"And take away your motivation?" Jazz said, smiling thinly. "Horse Code is the only language Minty understands. If you want to research your friend, you can do it with your own hooves. Do you want to learn how to do that, or should we give up on this right now?"

"I'll learn the code," Dash sighed. She idly picked up one of the candies and began to chew on it, glancing towards Colgate's stratoscreen. "Hey, Colgate. What's the thing with Peachy Pie?"

Colgate blinked slowly. In her virtually comatose state, she'd barely registered as the young Peachy Pie had walked onto the screen. She raised her head and prodded the screen, allowing sound to vibrate out from the stone. "Please, whoever you are," the filly was saying, "please give my sister back." She’d been dressed up with a bow in her hair, and held a photograph of Sunny Days shakily as she sat in a chair far too large for her. "She's my favorite sister and we all miss her so, so much..."

"Aww," Dash sighed. "That's just heartbreaking."

"It's designed that way," Jazz said, raising his voice as Peachy Pie continued to plead. "A broadcast like this isn't an attempt to reason with the foalnapper, but to tug at his emotions. If whoever has Sunny Days sees her as a living pony instead of a commodity, he may be more inclined to release her, or at the very least keep her alive."

"Which is stupid," Colgate grunted. "If stuff like this was won by acting cute, there wouldn't be a crime anywhere in Equestria." She swiped at the stratoscreen again, lowering the volume. "Whoever took Sunny isn't interested in playing games. This isn't the work of some weepy stallion who's going to give up at the sight of some hurt feelings. We're dealing with soulless monsters who'll do whatever it takes to get what they want. Programs like this are just Crew Cut exploiting that poor filly for a rise in his stupid, stupid ratings. And it's embarrassing."

Dash frowned. "Hey, Colgate?" she said tentatively. "You all right?"

"All right? Of course I'm all right. Of bucking course I am." The policemare snorted. "I deal with this stuff all the time. I mean, it's my job, isn't it? It's... it's what I'm for."

Dash and Jazz glanced at each other. Before either of them could say anything, however, Peachy Pie faded from the screen and a new title took her place. "Kira Watch!" proclaimed a hopeful voice, eliciting a further groan from Colgate. "Bringing you the latest gossip and updates on the self-proclaimed defender of justice, sponsored by the Kira Neutrality Movement."

"Hey, wait!" Rainbow Dash said as Colgate raised a hoof to turn the screen off. "This might be important."

"It's just propaganda," the unicorn grunted, but she sat back just the same.

With the undeniably catchy jingle of a news program, an airborne camera swooped unsteadily around a long desk before coming to rest in front of it. Three ponies sat behind it, one of them sporting armor, another a headset, the third a purple and swelling bruise that a dusting of powder hadn't quite been able to cover up. Colgate winced at the sight. "Good afternoon, everypony," the mare in the middle said, flashing an obviously manufactured crystalvision smile. "I'm Lead Angle, reporting live on the latest Kira news. With me today are Silver Shell, Canterlot prison specialist, and Ace, professional tennis player and co-founder of the Kira Neutrality Movement."

Colgate gulped. Ace's eyes seemed fixed on something off-camera, glowering at an unseen corner of the room. The policemare felt her heart rate rise, while a dead weight settled at the pit of her stomach. She glanced at her companions. Both of them were watching the screen, paying no attention to her. So this is how it ends, she thought. Guilt flooded through her, causing her to visibly shrink. I should have known it would come to this. Ace has fear on his side. He was able to turn hundreds of ponies against fighting Kira in a matter of days. He'll tear me to pieces. My career... all our work... my friends... all for one stupid punch!

"Our top stories," Lead Angle said, lifting some papers in front of her. "After a mysterious three-day pause, Kira has once again resumed his executions of criminals. What could this delay mean? After that, an analysis of the latest prison riots, and then an interview-"

Colgate's empty chair spun once, twice, and then fell over. Rainbow Dash glanced over, then shrugged. "I've seen better."

The blue unicorn skidded to a halt as she entered the base's main chamber. Her hooves felt lighter than air, all worries momentarily forgotten. "Harpy," she breathed, charging towards L. "I just heard-"

"There have been no more deaths since your incarceration," L said calmly. She spoke into her microphone, staring at her wall of screens with a strange intensity. Spike sat nearby, looking blankly into space. "You know we cannot ignore this fact. You are Kira. Confess, Twilight."

Onscreen, Twilight Sparkle lay on the floor beside her bed. She twisted and writhed at the detective's voice, as though in pain. "L, I can't," she gasped. "You don't understand. I've never been alone for this long before. You have to let me out!" Her voice rose into a screech at this last word.

"That was not our arrangement," L said. "The only way to end this is by confessing."

"I'm not Kira!" Twilight screamed. She raised her head and glared into the nearest camera. "Look into my eyes! Do I look like I'm lying? L, you have to believe me!"

L started to reply, but was cut off as Colgate pulled the microphone away from her. L quickly flicked it off as it was dragged away. "You can stop this now," Colgate said. "Twilight's innocent. Kira's returned."

There was a pause. The green mare subtly rolled her eyes. Colgate followed her gaze, seeing a report spread out on the desk between them. It clearly highlighted a list of recently deceased criminals. The policemare's eyes widened. She stepped back, the weight in her stomach returning full-force. "This report arrived earlier this afternoon," L told her. "It means nothing. It only proves my initial argument correct. Kira has been preparing for this moment."

Colgate felt numb. “You can’t be serious,” she said, though deep down she already knew that L was.

“Of course.” L pulled her microphone back towards her and looked back at Twilight’s whimpering form. “The message changes, but not the meaning. If Twilight believed that this display would clear her name, she was sadly mistaken. It has only linked her more closely to Kira.”

"But... but..." Colgate stammered. She looked at the form in the next chair over. "Spike," she said weakly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

The dragon grunted. "I didn't want to get your hopes up for nothing."

"You can't..." The policemare ground her hooves against the floor. "You can't really believe..."

"I don't know what to believe any more." Spike crossed his arms and turned away.

Colgate stared. Her mind screamed once, then fell silent. Slowly, as if in a trance, the blue mare turned towards the door. She stumbled over to the trapdoor lever and pulled it down, waiting for one of the others to call her back. They never did. Struggling beneath the weight of her heavy heart, she pushed open the doors and climbed her way out of the base.

The streets of Ponyville seemed longer than Colgate remembered.

Without thinking, her hooves took her on her usual patrol. Up and down main and side streets, circling around the town hall before looping over to the north square, then heading back down through the market. She did this circuit three times, only focusing on the ground in front of her. Nopony stopped her to talk as she went by. Though the market was busy at this time of week, she made her way through it unimpeded. Twice she thought she heard her name in the dull chatter around her, but she kept her head down.

They’ve probably seen Ace’s new program by now. If not, they’ve heard about it. News travels fast. Colgate grimaced. She shook her head and kept her gaze low, letting her body be carried by muscle memory alone. What will it be? Death threats? Pickets at the station? An inquiry about my activities over the past week?

It was then that Colgate decided to do something that she’d been putting off for far too long.

Despite the sheer number of buildings that had gone up in Ponyville in the past year alone, only two bars had successfully established themselves. With the overabundance of soft ciders and other sugary drinks, alcohol as a whole had never really caught on, and any new establishment hoping to lay claim to this untapped market soon fell into decline. Still, there were enough ponies with a fondness for liquor to allow the two places that had managed to find hoofholds a steady stream of income. One, Mountain Dew’s, was a dark and atmospheric place popular with pegasi hoping to drown their sorrows in umbrella-topped glasses. The other was far more welcoming, and far more familiar to Colgate as she approached the double doors.

While the number of ponies in The Brass Tap was the same as always, the bar was unusually quiet as Colgate entered. The bright and airy pub was somber, full of silent meditation instead of the usual laughter and tall tales. A musician played the fiddle in the corner, but her heart didn’t seem to be in it this evening. The wide room was divided in two; a selection of cozy booths and tables on the right, the left a more casual area with couches and a clear space for dancing. Colgate walked the line between these two sides to the bar at the end, feeling the eyes of familiar ponies land on her before quickly returning to their drinks. She shook out her mane angrily. Let them stare. While I still have my dignity.

A pair of empty stools were waiting as Colgate approached the bar. She pulled herself into the nearest one, finally raising her head. A familiar face looked back at her quizzically. “Taps,” the policemare muttered, “get me a drink.”

“Sure thing, Colgate.” The tan bartender smiled carefully over the counter. “What’ll it be? Glass of water? Cranberry juice?”

Colgate looked up. Something burned darkly in her eyes, something that was not interested in playing games. “A,” she enunciated forcefully, “drink.”

Brass Taps froze. Her smile began to crack around the edges. “A nice wine?” she found herself asking automatically. “Hard cider? Or something a little stronger?”

“Don’t care.” Colgate groaned and leaned over the counter, resting her head on her hoof. “I just know if I’m not drunk in less than an hour, something’s even more wrong with the world than I thought.”

Twenty minutes later, she asserted that the state of the world was not as bad as she had feared.

The hours ticked by.

Twilight Sparkle continued to refuse the comfort of her bed, choosing to stretch out on the floor beside it. She alternated between weeping and sitting silently, her eyes closed more often than they were open.

"How do you feel?" L asked at one point.

"My friends are dead," Twilight snapped back. They did not speak again after that.

Dinner came and went. A packaged meal slipped through a hole in Twilight's door, which the unicorn ignored. Shortly afterwards, a cloaked pony appeared on the screens on L's left, loosening some of the bands around Fluttershy's neck to allow her to eat from a bowl of chopped vegetables. Afterwards Fluttershy whispered something to the cloaked pony, who unbound her legs and led her to the corner to use the bathroom. Once that was dealt with, the pegasus meekly allowed herself to be restrained again, whispering a brief "Thank you," to her captor.

A few minutes later, Bon Bon entered the main chamber with a plate of melon slices drenched in syrup. She left this by L's side, along with a tray of damp napkins, and gently shooed Spike in the direction of the kitchen. With a glance back at her ward, she left the detective on her own.

L's body moved mechanically. She sucked and chewed on each slice of melon slowly, returning it to her hoof several times to drag it through the syrup that drenched the plate. All the while, her eyes never left the screens.

Around the third slice, something happened. Twilight Sparkle sighed. She stood up and looked around the room, as if observing it for the first time. She approached the meal that had been left out for her, but then kicked it gently away. She stretched, shaking out her bedraggled mane, and then continued to stand, looking at nothing. "Where are my friends?" she asked aloud. After a moment’s pause she said it again, drawing the sounds out more slowly, musically. “Where are my friends?”

Then, with a slow walk across the room, stepping and swaying in time with unheard music, she began to sing.

“Why am I trapped in this place of light

where I may end up lonely for years?

Is the only way left now to end this fight

to become the thing Ponykind fears?

There must be some way I can clear my name

and take back all the doubts in my mind.

Friendship’s the magic that can end this game

and leave all of this darkness behind.

My heart is pure and my mind is clear

and I must have been crazy to volunteer

because Kira is winning as long as I’m in here...

You were my best friends forever,

the best team I’ve ever known.

And if we’re meant to work together,

then why am I alone?”

Twilight looked down, sighing deeply. At the same time, Fluttershy looked up. The pegasus strained left and right as far as her bonds would let her, then relaxed. With the same musical inflection that her friend had used, she spoke. “Where are my friends?”

Then, softly swaying to a melody that only she could hear, she began to sing.

“Why am I here where the walls can speak

when I know that I’ve done nothing wrong?

Why won’t they tell me what answers they seek,

and why have they kept me so long?

Do my friends know that I’ve vanished?

Does Twilight care I’m gone?

And if I end up dead or banished

will they give up and move on?

My heart is pure and my will is strong

but this torment has gone on for much too long

and how can I fight when the guardsmen can’t be wrong?

Twilight, I’ve held on for you

and hidden broken bones,

but if our love is really true

then why am I alone?”

L waited for more, but the music seemed to have stopped.

A mug halfway to her lips, Colgate paused.

She was drunk. She could feel that she was drunk. It hadn’t taken much; she’d always been something of a lightweight, especially compared to some of her rowdier friends. The hard cider moved sluggishly through her system, clouding her senses and softening the grief leaking through the widening cracks in her armor. But something was different. For the first time, Colgate was drinking alone.

Wearily, the policemare looked around. She’d relocated to a nearby table for comfort. Less than a month ago, she’d had more than fifty ponies under her command, ready and willing to do whatever it took to stop Kira. Now, all the familiar faces were avoiding her gaze. She sighed and stared down at her mug. Without really knowing why, she spoke. “Where are my friends?” she asked, using a musical intonation that she wasn’t familiar with.

And suddenly, words began to spill out.

“Why am I here where it all began

when the memories drive me to drink?

Chasing the shadows of some master plan

that has made it a crime just to think?

The closer we get, the further we fall

and every advance brings more death.

How am I meant to keep giving my all

when a new lover falls with each breath?

My heart is pure, but my hooves are tied,

I’m losing a game played with cheats and lies,

and it falls to me every time somepony dies...

We’ve all done dark and callous deeds

and turned our hearts to stone

so if I’m the hero Ponyville needs

then why am I alone?”

Colgate stopped again. She looked around. The music that had possessed her was fading away, but it was leaving strange echoes in her head. “If Harmony can save us,” she whispered as the last strands vanished, “then why are we alone?”

A few heads had turned. Colgate couldn’t see fear or anger in their faces, only concern and curiosity. She smiled in return. “Hey,” she called. Without the music to guide her, her voice was starting to slur. “Wanna hear a story?”

Bon Bon entered the base’s main chamber with a tray just as Twilight and Fluttershy began to whisper in unison. “If Harmony can save us, then why are we alone?”

L’s chair was empty. Her plate of melon slices lay unfinished by her microphone. "Bon Bon, save my seat," the detective announced, slinging a small bag over her shoulder. With a sharp glow, her horn vanished. "I'm going out."

"All right, dear." Bon Bon nervously dusted off the array of crumbs that had built up on the mint pony’s chair. "Where to this time?"

L pulled the trapdoor lever, then looked back. "It's time for the second most powerful force in Equestria to come to the rescue of the first."

“I met her right here, you know,” Colgate slurred. “Right at this bar. Right at this table.”

Despite her sitting position, the policemare weaved back and forth slightly as she spoke, her fifth mug of hard cider half-empty in her hoof. “About a week after I moved here, back when this place was smaller. I got a noise complaint and came to check it out. Brass Taps was trying to close up, and some crazy mare was refusing to leave.” She waved in the general direction of the barkeeper, who nodded. “That was the first time I saw Berry. She was sitting right where I am now, singing the Winter Wrap Up song at the top of her lungs. And it was, like, literally the middle of summer.”

The cluster of ponies that surrounded her nodded encouragingly. Any regular to the establishment had already listened to this tale countless times, sometimes willingly, but this would be the first time hearing it from the other mare’s perspective. “So I run over to see what’s up, and as soon as I touch her she falls asleep, right on my shoulder. Couldn’t get another word out of her, so I had to drag her all the way back to the station for the night. I stayed in the bed in the other cell, just to keep an eye on her.” The policemare laughed, a hint of a smile breaking through her somber expression. “She used to joke that we hadn’t shared two words, and already we were sleeping together.

“Next morning, I get woken up by this quiet little knocking at the door. I get up to answer it and there’s the cutest little unicorn filly standing there, looking up at me with big puppy-dog eyes, wondering why her mommy didn’t come home last night. Didn’t take long to work out what had happened. I woke Berry Punch up to try to shout some sense into her, but she was too hungover to understand what was going on. And then she...” Colgate’s voice started to crack. “She... didn’t even know who I was, and she offered to cook me b-b-b...”

The blue pony finally broke down, tears slipping into the mug in front of her. Three ponies by her sides put supportive hooves on her shoulders and mumbled reassurances to her. From across the table, a low voice broke through the fog of tears. “An alcoholic with a heart of gold, then?”

Colgate held her breath for a moment before continuing. “She was an idiot,” she sighed. “Always meant well, but she couldn’t do anything right. She’d always be planning for some new job or something nice for her family, but then she’d blow everything on cider and end up worse than she started. An’ I don’t blame you,” she yelled towards Brass Taps. “You run a perfectly legitimig... legit... a nice place. Jus’ Berry didn’t know how to look after herself.”

“But you did,” the pony opposite remarked. A vague blur on the other side of the table lifted a mug to its lips thoughtfully. “Maybe you were meant for each other.”

Colgate shakily lifted her own mug so that she could angrily slam it onto the table. “We weren’t dating,” she insisted loudly. “That wouldn’t be right. Not for me, not for either of us. I’m a policemare, and she’s... she was a drunk.” Colgate took a long sip of her cider before continuing. It stung her throat. “But... sometimes, if she’d had a bit too much, I’d take her home and spend the night with her. Just to, you know, make sure we was safe. And sometimes, if we’d hired a foalsitter, we’d go back to my place instead. And she kept needing help financically, and Berry Pinch kept having trouble at school, and...” She gulped. “I guess we ended up spending a lot of time together.”

“And did you love her?”

A hush fell over the bar. The ponies around her held their breaths as Colgate sat stunned, unable to fully register the question. She mulled over the words for what seemed a very long time. When she spoke again, her voice was small. “I don’t know.” She stared sadly into space. “I know she was bad for me. I know so long as she kept drinking her life away, things would never work out between us. But...”

The other pony finished for her. “But that has nothing to do with love.”

Colgate mulled on this for a while, swilling her mug back and forth in her hoof. Suddenly she threw her drink aside, spraying cider across the floor. The pony who she’d splashed shrieked. “It doesn’t matter,” Colgate growled. “She’s gone. She’s gone because I wasn’t there for her.” Rage shook her. “She’s gone ‘cause Kira took her from me. And now, that stupid Ace is gonna take away my one chance to catch the one who killed her.”

The ponies around her looked at each other. “What do you mean?” somepony asked.

“You know,” Colgate grunted. “On that stupid show he’s funding. He hates me. He wants to shut us down. And I...” She made a noise that was half cackle and half sob. “I gave him exactly the excuse he wanted.”

A bright pink shape - she was gradually coming to recognize it as Cherry Berry - leaned over to whisper to her. “Sweetums, Ace didn’t say anything bad about you,” the mare said, far louder than she needed to. “He just said what happened was between you and him and nopony else. What was that about, anyway?”

The policemare froze. She tried to move, to speak, but her brain seemed to have finally given up. “I’m tired,” she said, the words coming out as a half-whisper.

The pony opposite reached out and patted her hoof. “By the looks of you, you’ve been working yourself to the bone,” he said. “Y’all need some rest.”

Colgate tried to protest. She tried to say that hadn’t been what she’d meant. She tried to express that it was the weight of guilt - lying, hiding, spying, kidnapping, torture - that was weighing her down, not the strain of actual effort on her part. She tried to say that she was afraid the fire in her heart had changed, no longer the bright blaze of determination but a slow, painful smoldering in her chest that would only consume all it touched. She tried to plead with the ponies surrounding her, to say that she was helpless to stop the horrors happening around her, that she was no longer in control of her world. Above all else, she tried to say that she was sorry.

However, all that managed to come out of the intoxicated police pony’s mouth was a garbled “Bleugh.” As she tried to rise from her seat, her sleep-deprived body finally gave out on her and she stumbled, crashing to the floor.

A pair of strong hooves gripped her. Colgate tried to mumble a protest, saying that the floor was awful comfortable all of a sudden, but she was gently lifted and steadied against somepony’s side. “You get home now, miss.”

Then, another voice, unusual yet somehow familiar. “I’ve got her.” A smaller hoof pressed against her back. After that, all fell strangely quiet.

Fluttershy’s imprisonment, day 7
Twilight Sparkle’s imprisonment, day 5

Light burned Colgate's eyes. She squirmed as sunlight slipped through a crack in her curtain, trying to blot out what seemed to be the cause of the searing ache in her head. She groaned, buried her face in the mane of the earth pony in front of her, and tried to put off dealing with her hangover for a few more minutes.

Hold up. Something's off.

Colgate frowned, attempting to drown her aching head in sleep once more, but some out-of-place detail nagged at the back of her mind. She tried to trace the events of that day so far, but found herself coming up short.

Sunlight! Of course, that was it. She'd grown accustomed to sleeping underground, relying on her own body rhythm to wake up at the right time. The presence of sunlight was throwing her off. Why wasn't she at the base, again?

No... no, that's not it. Colgate flexed her legs, trying to work some life into her barely-awake body. She idly stroked the mane of the pony she was snuggling with. So much of the previous day seemed like an alcohol-fueled haze, or a dream... had it been a dream? How much of it had been a dream? Hard to tell. Maybe a little more sleep would answer that.

The policemare shrugged and squeezed her eyes shut. Her slow breathing was in perfect tandem with the pony in front of her, in and out in unison. She could almost feel that their heartbeats were the same. She planted a gentle kiss on the base of her partner's neck, then ran a hoof through her short and pointed mane before giving in to her drowsiness completely.

Wait a minute.

Berry doesn't have a short and pointed mane.

And is a lot larger.

Also, OH SWEET CELESTIA-

Colgate leaped from the bed with a shriek, sending the covers flying. She landed in full flight mode, all trace of sleepiness forgotten as she gaped at the figure on the bed. "What..."

"Oh, you're awake." The mint green pony turned to look at her, brushing a stray hair away from her face. "I woke up some time ago, but I didn't want to disturb you."

"Uh, I, I..." Colgate staggered against the wall, then staggered a second time as the full weight of her hangover hit her. "Ow..."

"Allow me." In one swift movement L rose from the bed, her horn erupting from her skull with a sickly green glow. Another pulse of light wrapped around Colgate's head, cancelling out some of the pounding between her ears. "Hangover cures aren't quite my specialty, but that should soothe your pain some."

"I... I... thanks," Colgate muttered, clutching at her head. A couple of spots still danced in front of her eyes, but it was much easier to think and talk. She levelled what she hoped was a baffled stare at L, whose emotionless gaze had suddenly become even more surreal than usual. "What... what the hay happened last night?"

"I took you home," L said flatly. "You needed some support. I would have asked Bon Bon, but I didn't wish to make her uncomfortable."

Colgate's jaw dropped. "Make her uncomfortable?" she gasped, stunned. "What about me?"

"You slept better last night than you have in weeks. You've been keeping yourself bottled up for far too long, Colgate. You need to relax, or you risk another breakdown."

"...Oh." Colgate looked at the ground. "Look, I know my behavior's been-"

"Which is why," L interrupted, "the offer of some time off is no longer a suggestion. It is an order. You will replace Locket as caretaker at Fluttershy's cottage. Contact with the base will be restricted to emergencies."

It took a few seconds for Colgate to process this. When realization hit, it hit full force. "L, I can't," she protested. "Things are worse for me than ever right now. Giving up is what Kira would want me to do. Ponyville needs-"

"What Ponyville needs," L said, cutting her off again, "is a policemare of sound mind and body. Wearing yourself out with worry is the opposite of what Ponyville needs to trust you right now. Use your time to better yourself for their sake. Go on patrol, visit the spa, sleep with mares, do whatever it takes to get your head back in the right place. Because it's not just Ponyville that needs you. Under Kira's rule, all of Equestria needs you." The green mare drew a little closer. "And, despite what you may think, I need you, too."

"...I guess this isn't open for debate." Colgate sighed again. Now that she was beginning to calm down, L's words were starting to make a lot more sense. I never should have forced myself through this. I would be offering the same advice if I was in her place. Just... think of it as paid vacation.

"Correct." L stepped back. "Now, I believe some breakfast is in order."

"...Yeah." Colgate pushed her bedroom door open. She shook her head once in a vain attempt to get the last echoes of her headache to leave her, then led the way down to the kitchen.

"Colgate, one last question," L said as they descended the stairs.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Do you think of me as a friend?"

On the last step, Colgate stopped. She turned back and looked up at L. The mare was staring at her with the same blank expression, as innocent as a foal asking why the sky was blue. Colgate gulped and turned around, facing the detective directly. Her eyes narrowed. She took a deep breath to clear her mind, then started to speak. "L, listen here.

"You're a sick pony. A sick, deranged, deluded, and a whole bunch of other words pony who needs a lot more help than she's getting. I appreciate what you're doing for me, but I know you always have ulterior motives for everything you do. Yes, this makes you very good at your job. I respect you as a detective, and as my superior. Maybe, when all this is over, I'll come to respect your methods. But I've seen what you've done to Twilight. I've seen what you think of the ponies you work with. So understand this, L. No matter what we do together, no matter what you do to impress me, I will never, ever be your friend."

The two unicorns stared at each other for a few seconds more before L nodded. She took a few more steps downstairs, passing Colgate. "Do you like pancakes?"

"Do I..." Colgate facehoofed. "I think you should leave," she said. "I'll make my own breakfast, thanks."

"That's just as well. I can't cook." Without prompting, L trotted back to the front door and pushed it open. "The arrow is almost gone, Colgate," she said before stepping out, her horn retreating back into her head. "This darkness will pass, sooner than you think. Then the healing can begin for good. Oh, and there's something for you on the table." With that, the detective vanished into the blinding sunlight, letting the door swing shut behind her.

Colgate waited for a moment before making her way into the kitchen. As promised, there was an envelope lying on the kitchen table, next to a fresh box of pancake mix. Colgate picked up the letter, her eyes widening as she recognized the writing on the front. She magically unsealed it, taking her time so as to not make a single rip, then slid the letter out and read it slowly.

Once she was finished, she skipped breakfast and went straight to Fluttershy's cottage, at first galloping, then slowing down to enjoy the sunshine.

Dear Colgate,

Well, Romana really. But all your friends call you Colgate, and I’m your friend, so it would be weird to call you anything else. Is it okay if I keep calling you Colgate? It is? Yippee!

If you’re reading this, that means I’m not around any more. I guess that’s kind of sad. I know you’re going to want to figure out what happened to me, but really, that’s not all that important. What’s important is how you live your life after today.

Colgate, you’re the best police pony Ponyville’s ever had. I bet everypony in Ponyville has a story about how you’ve helped them, and I know lots of colts and fillies who want to grow up to be guards because of you. I’ve thrown five police-themed birthday parties just this year, plus one where I’m not sure if it counted because those dancing stallions kept taking off their armor. Everypony loves you because you love everypony. So instead of stressing yourself out over silly old me, I want you to put all your energy into keeping the rest of Ponyville safe and happy. Never stop being you, because you are the best pony anypony could ever hope to be.

Oh, and I included a map of my secret stashes around Ponyville. Hope it helps. Sorry about all the trespassing.

Your bestest friend forever,

Pinkie Pie

Next episode: A changeling?

Turncoat

23
*Turncoat*

If a god of death has seen a pony at least once before and knows his or her name and lifespan, the god of death is capable of finding that pony from a hole in the Shinigami Realm.

Twilight Sparkle was not by nature a vindictive mare. It wasn’t that she lacked the will or the ability; being blessed from a young age with enough magical strength to turn anypony who bothered her into a potted plant had proven useful during her early days at school. But after a single stern talk from Celestia about responsibility, she’d quickly discovered that most (if not all) of her problems could be solved through the power of books. Whether they possessed vital knowledge, happy distractions, or the ability to be stacked up into an impenetrable fort, these limitless tomes of wonder had always seemed a much better resort to Twilight than taking out her problems on another pony.

At least, until now.

Twilight clenched her teeth, slowly counting down from ten for the twelfth time that morning. She ignored Spike as he stood beside her, once again trying and failing to calm her down. “L,” she said as calmly as she could, “I’m not going to ask you again. Give me back my horn!”

L looked up distractedly. "You're going to stop? That's good to hear." As Twilight scowled, she turned away again.

Apparently overnight, L had dismantled her wall of stratoscreens and scattered them back across the edges of the base's main chamber. She now sat in the opposite corner from the one that she usually occupied, idly watching the local news on mute. She ate gumdrops three at a time from a bowl, always making sure not to pick up more than one of the same colour in each mouthful. Twilight ground her teeth as the candies floated through the air, held up by the glow of the detective's magic. "I can't see why you don't think this is a big deal," Twilight tried. "You know I'm not a threat to you. Why would you keep something like this locked away?"

"Insurance, Twilight. Insurance." L made a sucking noise on her candy before swallowing loudly. "Even if you are free from Kira now, that doesn't mean you won't be in the future. It's your mind that I value, not your ability with magic, and until the true Kira is found I would feel much safer having you bound to me in this way."

"Ugh." Twilight rolled her eyes and sat down, putting her head in her hooves grumpily. She listened to the clacks and barked instructions behind her as Jazz led Rainbow Dash through another exercise with Minty. The pegasus darted up and down across the abacus’ face, her forelegs shooting in and out like pistons as she pushed and pulled beads into place. "When's Colgate getting back?"

"She's still on leave. Given the amount of stress she's been under lately, she's retired to Fluttershy's cottage until she feels capable of rejoining us." L gestured vaguely behind herself without looking back. "Locket will be taking her place here until she returns."

"Oh." Twilight couldn't help her face falling a little. "Her." She glanced back in the direction the detective had waved. Locket perched uncomfortably on a chair near the abacus, looking nervously around as though waiting for somepony to tell her what to do. She seemed terribly out of place in the complex facility, even more so than Rainbow Dash, who was at least doing something. "Fine. I’m sure she’ll be a great help in an emergency."

"Hey, don't be too hard on her," Spike said. "You're only free now because of her. L came up with the plan, but she was the one who talked us into trying something different."

“Really?” Twilight looked back at the blue mare again with new eyes. Locket caught her gaze and looked away, blushing. Twilight watched her thoughtfully, regarding the twin horseshoes on her flank. I guess L keeps her around for a reason, she thought. It’s always the quiet ones, isn’t it? I wonder what her special talent is?

And speaking of the quiet ones... Close to Locket, Fluttershy was sitting at a nearby table, sipping delicately from an oversized cup. Bon Bon spoke to her gently from the other side of the table. The pegasus still seemed to be in a state of shock, only nodding occasionally with a wide-eyed, childlike stare. A small bandage covered her left ear where Spike had cut her. She looked thin and pale, her face gaunt and sunken after a week of captivity.

Spike caught Twilight's gaze and sighed. "You're really worried about her, huh?"

"Yeah," Twilight said. She looked at her hooves. "She's taking this all pretty hard. I should have known that we couldn't just get out of prison and keep going like nothing's changed, but..."

"On the contrary," L interrupted without looking back, "I think she's doing remarkably well. Most ponies would have much more difficulty adjusting after a week of forced confinement, at the hooves of some of her friends, no less. She must trust you a great deal, Twilight."

"Yeah, about that." Spike gave the detective a hard look. "Did you really know that Twilight and Fluttershy were together this whole time?"

"Of course."

"Is there a reason you didn't feel like telling us?"

"Because I made a promise." L finally looked back and, unexpectedly, smiled at Twilight. "That seemed like reason enough to me."

Twilight smiled shyly. "Sorry, Spike," she said. "I would have told you myself, but... there was just never a good time."

"Don't worry about it," Spike said, shaking his head. "It's in the past now." He wrinkled his nose. "Feels kind of weird, though. I mean, you and Fluttershy? What do we even call that? Flutter Sparkle? Twilightshy?"

Twilight was spared some of the ensuing awkwardness as Derpy skipped by, her eyes half-closed and a blissful smile on her face. “Good morning, Derpy,” Twilight said quickly, eager to change the subject. “I see you’re in a good mood today.”

“Good morning, Twilight.” Derpy nodded cheerily and waved. “I’m almost done my big job,” she explained. “I’m saving the best for last. Just one more bag and I get to go to Stalliongrad!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Stalliongrad? That frigid colony up north? Why would you want to go there?”

“Um... no reason.” Derpy looked down, then immediately brightened up again. “Oh, yeah! I got something for you, Twilight!”

“Really? That’s nice.” The two ponies stared at each other for a few seconds. “So... where is it?” Twilight prompted.

Derpy opened her mouth, then paused. She froze in place for a few seconds like a filly who had forgotten her lines, then turned around and ran back into the nearest hallway. Twilight stared after her. "Well, that was weird," she said, then shut her mouth when Derpy returned a few seconds later with a cardboard box on her back.

"This one's for you, Twilight," Derpy said, dropping the package at Twilight's hooves. It was a perfect cube and around the size of a foal, but made very little noise as it hit the ground. "It's from Pinkie Pie."

Twilight's eyes widened. "From... Pinkie Pie?" she echoed.

"Uh-huh." Derpy nodded. "She sent letters to everypony in Ponyville. But not you. She sent you a box." If it were possible, the mailmare suddenly brightened up even further. "Oh! I got one for Fluttershy, too. Just a sec."

Twilight stared down at the package before her as Derpy zipped back to her room. She waited a few seconds as nothing happened, then realized that she was trying to lift the box with magic. Sighing, she picked it up in her hooves and turned it over. It was surprisingly light, and made no noise as she moved it about. Tied to a string on one side was a tiny purple envelope with 'for Twilight' scrawled on top in pink crayon.

Spike, too, appeared to be in awe. "I bet it's something really special," he said. "I saw some of the other letters she sent."

“Hey, is that from Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash ceased her flying up and down the face of the abacus and dropped to the ground, dashing over to Twilight. “Whoa! I just got a letter.”

The others in the room joined Dash in crowding around Twilight. She looked around at each of them in turn, her heart leaping into her mouth. “She wrote letters to... everypony?”

“Yeah.” Spike nodded, then smiled wistfully. “She told me to always keep my friends in my heart, no matter how far away they are. And I plan to.”

“She told me about some awesome stunts she was planning,” Rainbow Dash said. “She said I can use her pranking supplies however I want.”

“She gave me a whole set of stamps for Appleloosa,” Locket said quietly. “I didn’t think she even knew who I was.”

“She sent me a set of advanced mathematical riddles,” said Jazz. “I spent several enjoyable nights puzzling them out. Personally, I wasn’t even aware that we’d met.”

“I don’t understand,” Fluttershy said, looking around. “Why did Pinkie Pie start sending these letters to everypony all of a sudden?”

A cold silence fell across the group. Fluttershy shrunk down as everypony turned to face her, their eyes widening with shock and horror. Even L broke away from her stratoscreen and stared at the confused pegasus, causing her to take a nervous step back. “What is it?” Fluttershy said, fear rising as everypony refused to speak. “Did... did something happen?”

Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped. “You mean... you don’t know?”

“Know what?

It was at this moment that Derpy skipped back into the room, a golden envelope raised proudly in her mouth. Oblivious to the stunned stares of the others, she barged into the middle of the group and held out the letter to Fluttershy. “This one is for—”

“I’ll take that, thank you,” Bon Bon interrupted, quickly snatching the letter away. Before anypony could say anything, she put a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder and whispered into her ear. “Everything’s all right, dear. I just need you to come with me for a little while. Is that okay?”

Fluttershy glanced around nervously, but under Bon Bon’s touch some of the fear fell away from her face. Hesitantly and with several glances over her shoulder, she allowed the creamy mare to lead her away from the group. Twilight and Rainbow Dash started to follow them, but stopped when L shook her head. “Bon Bon can handle her,” the detective said quietly as Fluttershy vanished down the nearby hallway. “She has much experience in helping ponies through bad news. Let her tend to her responsibilities so you can tend to yours.”

Twilight shuddered. “It’s for the best, I guess,” she said. “I didn’t want to be the one to tell her. But how can she not know? I know we captured her not long afterwards, but...”

“Twilight, can we not go back to that right now?” Rainbow Dash snapped. “Just open the freaking box already.”

Refocusing, Twilight nodded. The group’s attention shifted back to the unopened package in front of them. Trying not to rush, Twilight tore open the envelope on the top, getting a feel for using her hooves and mouth again instead of constantly relying on her magic. She pulled out the letter within and read it aloud. “Dear Twilight. I thought you might need this. Lots of love, your most bestest friend in the whole wide world, Pinkie Pie.” She flipped the note over once, but there was nothing else. After the messages her friends had described, it didn’t seem like much of a farewell. “Huh.” She put this aside and looked to the pony who’d delivered it. “What did she send you, Derpy?”

Derpy blushed and smiled. “The best thing in the world.”

Yes, Twilight reflected, that seems to be a running theme. Everypony gets what they want the most. She looked over the package inquisitively, an old birthday habit dating back to when she was very small. What do I want the most? A new spellbook? Something to do with the Princess? No... this isn’t the same as my birthday. What would Pinkie Pie give me if she knew it was the last thing she could ever give me again?

Spike gestured impatiently, habitually sighing to break Twilight out of her trance. “Go on, Twilight, open it!”

Twilight nodded. With a sharp tug of her teeth, the packaging tape tore away from the box. The flaps on top sprung open, releasing a smell of dust. White fluff filled the interior, insulating whatever lay within from jostling. Hooves trembling, Twilight brushed aside this barrier and, as carefully as she could, pulled out Pinkie Pie's final gift to her.

It was a bag of potato chips.

There was another moment of silence. “That’s it?” Locket blurted, then immediately covered her mouth with her hoof.

Frowning, Twilight held up the bag and examined it from all angles. It was a generic brand, apparently genuine and untampered with. “That’s it?” she muttered, shaking the bag up and down. It made no noise but the faint rustle of chips. She tore it open, hoping against hope that there was something else inside, but all that met her eyes was layer after layer of dusted red foodstuffs.

A powerful smell washed out from the open bag. Spike sniffed the air, then stepped back and covered his nose. “Eww! Horseradish flavor?”

“Hey!” Twilight retorted. “I like horseradish flavor.” She looked down again, sighing inwardly. Now that she’d opened it, the bag showed signs of Pinkie Pie’s tampering. It had been filled right to the top, removing the inches of empty space that normally plagued such containers. Instead of being thrown in randomly, the chips were stacked in vertical layers by size and shape, optimizing their use of space and allowing for the greatest number of chips per bag. Twilight pulled one out and examined it. It was a flawlessly cut slice of potato, roasted to perfection with just the right amount of horseradish flavoring baked into both sides. She ate it. It was perfect in every way.

It was, without a doubt, the best bag of potato chips ever. Twilight started to tear up. "This is the worst present ever," she sobbed.

Rainbow Dash stepped forward. "Hey, don't say that," she said gently.

"It's true!" Twilight shook the bag. "You all got exactly what you wanted, and I got this? Is this some kind of joke? Is that what our friendship meant to her, just one big joke?"

"Do not cry, Twilight Sparkle." L lifted up Twilight's head and looked into her eyes. "Pinkie Pie loved you as a friend. It seems to me that for whatever reason, she believed that you would find this bag every bit as meaningful as any of the letters she sent to your other friends. Perhaps it will simply take some time before we see why." Her eyes flicked downwards. "Now, are you going to eat all those yourself?"

Twilight paused. She held the bag a little closer to herself. Cruel as it might have been, this last gift had been for her, and she didn't like the hungry look that L was giving it. "I think I'll keep them for now, actually." She closed her eyes for a second, then sighed. "L, could you..." With a disappointed look, the detective leaned down and applied the tip of her horn to the bag. With a green glow, the tear sealed itself back up. "Oh, Pinkie Pie," Twilight sighed, storing the bag in her chair. "Why did you have to choose now to be random?"

Locket nudged Derpy. Quietly, the two slipped away from the group. Rainbow Dash smiled supportively. "Hey, don't feel bad, Twilight," she said. "Everything Pinkie Pie did was random. Do you know I can't find any history on her anywhere?"

"Really?" Twilight looked up. "You mean she just came out of nowhere?"

"The opposite, actually." Rainbow Dash flicked her tail towards the abacus. "I looked up her official files with Minty. Her family goes back generations, mostly bakers and stuff. But when it gets down to her parents, it says that they... well, that they existed, and not much else. Three fillies, no permanent location, no jobs anywhere after the kids were born. It's like the whole family just disappeared."

"That doesn't make sense..." Twilight rubbed her head. She frowned as another thought occurred to her. "Wait. You were using Minty? You're that far already?"

"Hay yeah." Dash puffed up proudly. "I didn't like it at first — too much nerdy stuff. But once I got into it, it's just like flying a really tight routine. Jazz says I'm a fast learner."

"That's true," Jazz confirmed, nodding. "Rainbow Dash is an excellent student, when properly motivated. That said, her form is inelegant and her rate of errata is far, far above acceptable standards."

Dash glowered at this, but Twilight Sparkle brightened up. She turned back to L. "L, is it okay if we use the abacus for a while?"

L waved a hoof. "Go ahead." She immediately swiveled away and resumed watching crystalvision.

Twilight nodded. "You were right, Rainbow," she said. "This isn't a good time to dwell on the past. The cause of all our problems is still out there, and nothing's going to get better until we catch her." She approached her friend, now smiling. "So how about we put our heads together and find Kira once and for all?"

"Aww, yeah!" Dash flared out her wings and pawed at the ground. "We're back in business now! So what's the plan of attack?"

"Well, first things first." Twilight walked past her friend and smiled up at Minty, her eyes already shining with tables and spreadsheets to come. "Let's see what this baby can do."

Over the next several hours Twilight kept an ear turned to the hallway where Fluttershy had left, preparing to run to her if cries of anguish or despair spilled out. But as long as she listened, the corridor was completely silent.

After the unmeasurable crawl of imprisonment, time flew by like a train on wings. Twilight’s heart soared as she found herself back in her element for what felt like the first time since this whole disaster had started, plotting and calculating with glee. She barely slowed as Jazz made them break for lunch, taking distracted bites in between shouting instructions to Rainbow Dash and making crude but recognizable notes with a quill held awkwardly between her teeth.

Unfortunately, constant speed was not the same thing as constant progress. As the hours stretched late into the afternoon, three words began to crop up again and again that never failed to send their work grinding to a halt, requiring several steps of backtracking and recalculating. When Twilight Sparkle sighed for what seemed the thousandth time that day and opened her mouth, Rainbow Dash’s heart sank.

“This isn’t optimal.”

Twilight stared down at the collection of notes that surrounded her. With Dash’s help she’d placed three stratoscreens together near the abacus, each linked to a crystal at the top of the wooden structure by a thin beam of purple light. One of these showed a series of complex graphs, while the others listed row after row of census data. Spike was meticulously copying these onto separate pages, with Locket helping at a much slower pace. “Let’s swap out the age and finance fields again,” Twilight continued. “Then we’ll need to adjust the age parameters, widen our timeframe, and as for those colours—”

“Oh come on, Twilight!” Dash dropped to the ground heavily, panting for breath. “Even I have my limits. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but every time you want to add something new to your list, I have to climb all over this thing like a freaking squirrel. It’s like trying to do math and gymnastics at the same time.”

“You’re doing fine, Rainbow,” Jazz said idly without looking at her. He sat in a chair at Minty’s base, following his student’s movements with a regular abacus of his own. They’d started their project with him yelling corrections every other entry, forcing the exasperated pegasus to slow down and redo her work, but as the hours had stretched into the afternoon these corrections had come less and less frequently.

“Thanks,” Dash sighed. “We’ve been at this for hours, and now you want to start from scratch just because you don’t like the colour?”

Spike put down his quill. “My claw’s cramping up again,” he complained, rubbing his wrist. On Twilight’s other side, Locket nodded but continued writing.

Twilight winced. For some reason, hearing her friends annoyed was making her a lot more anxious than she was used to. “Sorry, Rainbow,” she said meekly. “I’d help if I could, but...”

“But you can’t. I get it. I need a break.” Dash sat down, flexing her aching wings. “Sheesh. I thought you were just going to do some number-crunching. If I’d known you were going to map out the lives of everypony in Equestria, I would have said to leave it to the professionals.”

Twilight sighed. “Yeah. I’m sorry. I guess I just got a little caught up in... everything.”

Jazz stood up. “Shall I resume my duties?”

“No, I’m going to take a break too.” Twilight tapped Locket on the shoulder and the mare looked up, blushing. “Thanks for the help. You can stop now.”

“Oh... um... thanks.” Locket almost started writing again, then at the last second dropped her quill and scampered away.

Stretching, Twilight looked towards the corner of the room. “L, we’re taking a break, okay?” There was no response. “L?”

In the corner of the room, the greatest detective in Equestria was silent. At some point in the preceding hours she’d turned off her stratoscreen and now stared blankly down at her own lap, her candy bowl half-finished on the table beside her. She gave no response as Twilight slowly approached her. “Um... L? Are you all right?”

“Twilight.” L looked up, smiling faintly. “What have you learned so far?”

“Um... well.” Twilight gulped. “Well. The first thing I did was run an analysis on Kira’s killing patterns over the past couple of weeks, to see if there were any sudden changes. And, well... everything’s different. The numbers and times jump all over the place, like it’s completely random. It’s the total opposite of the organized killings from before I was imprisoned.”

Slowly, L nodded. “As if we’re dealing with a completely different Kira than before.” She lolled back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. “Does this worry you, Twilight?”

“No. I know I’m not Kira.”

L muttered something to herself before looking to Twilight. “The murders have been this way since your imprisonment. The fact that this randomness has not stopped after your release may or may not be significant. It seems...” She paused. “Actually, call for the others. I will send for Fluttershy. She should hear this as well.” She spun away and picked up a crystal on the desk nearby, lighting it up with magic and whispering into it.

A few minutes later, Fluttershy emerged. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face still wet with tears, but she kept herself composed as she entered the main chamber. Bon Bon followed close behind, encouraging and occasionally supporting her. She was looking more haggard as well, her mane ruffled on both sides and her head held lower than usual. She stayed behind as Fluttershy approached the cluster where the others had gathered and faced the pony responsible for her captivity over the past week. She meekly bowed. “Hello... L.”

L smiled. “Harpy, please. Call me Harpy Chords.” She looked towards Twilight. “In fact, I’m going to insist on that from now on. We’re all friends here. There’s no need for formal titles.”

Fluttershy rose. “If you say so,” she mumbled, edging a little closer to Twilight.

Twilight stepped closer, placing herself between her marefriend and the detective defensively. “Are you okay?” she whispered.

Fluttershy whimpered. “I can’t stay here.”

“Three days, Twilight,” L broke in loudly. Her expression had returned to its usual blank, penetrating stare. “During your imprisonment, there were three days between the deaths stopping and their resuming, under very different directions. This was not an accident. It was a message. Kira has gone out of her way to show that we are not dealing with the same murderer as before. The killing power has left its original owner, and has been transferred to... somepony else.”

“But... that doesn’t make sense,” Twilight argued. “Are they still trying to frame us? We know that neither of us are Kira.”

“True. At least... not any more.” L spun around in her chair once. “This is what I think. I cannot claim to hold this as fact, not without further evidence, but this is the theory which best fits the facts we have so far.

“Twilight Sparkle. Fluttershy. Until you entered this facility, you were not yourselves. It is my belief that both of you were possessed by creatures called Gods of Death who granted you their killing powers — or perhaps just a single entity, alternating between the two of you. It used you as distractions for as long as it was able, then abandoned you once it felt you could no longer be of use.”

“Freaky.” Rainbow Dash shuddered. “So all this was just, what, showing off?”

“Something like that. As of now, Kira has stopped hiding behind a single pony and decided to show us her true nature.”

Twilight frowned. “Can something like that even exist? I’ve read about non-corporeal spirits before, but nothing like this.”

“There are many strange and terrible beings in this world, and a great number of them will not be found in any book. Given that Kira’s killing power is already outside our realm of knowledge, assigning her a supernatural status is not particularly far-fetched. After all... this is far from the first time that a ghost has killed.” L gave Bon Bon a quick glance, but it was so fast that only Twilight Sparkle noticed. “It is less clear what she has to gain from this reveal. Perhaps she means...” L sighed. “To scare us.”

“Creepy.” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “But we’re not scared, right?” Fluttershy squeaked, pressing herself against Twilight. Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Okay. But we’re not scared, right?”

Twilight sighed and nodded, but looked uncertain. Locket stared at the ground. Bon Bon and Jazz glanced at one another, but said nothing. Rainbow Dash faltered. “We’re not, are we?”

“I... do not feel fear,” L said slowly. “But this is... a discouraging development. If Kira truly is such a being, then it makes our task many magnitudes more difficult. Even if we are able to track down her new host, there may be nothing stopping her from moving to yet another.” She looked down. “It is certainly enough to make one wonder... if such a creature can ever be caught at all.”

Almost silently, Bon Bon breathed in sharply. Twilight noted this, but didn’t look her way. “You don’t mean that,” she said.

L looked up. Her eyes lingered on Bon Bon before moving to Twilight. “I only mean that our methods will have to change. We will have to be subtle, to get close to the new host without arousing his or her suspicions. Until we find a way to reach the true Kira and destroy her for good, we cannot afford to be as directly confrontational as we have been. That is all.”

The others didn’t appear quite convinced. Rainbow Dash stared at the detective suspiciously, her wings half-raised, and Spike leaned against the nearby desk. Twilight gulped. “Well, I’ve got some other news that should cheer you up,” she said loudly, trying to brighten up her tone. “We found something else during our research.”

Dash looked up, startled. “We did?”

“Yes!” Twilight exclaimed. “Don’t you remember? You did all the calculations yourself!”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I was paying attention.”

Rolling her eyes, Twilight looked back to L. “The obvious murders are spread out so randomly that we can’t get any useful data from them. Criminals reported on crystalvision are generally killed, but never during the same day as their broadcast, which suggests a different schedule than the old Kira, but doesn’t tell us exactly what. But what’s really interesting is when I expanded the analysis to include all deaths. While most rates worldwide have remained stable, the accident rates among certain demographics have skyrocketed.”

L did seem to perk up at this. “Skyrocketed, you say? Interesting choice of word.”

“Yes. Spike, get the finance over occupation report, please.” Spike hesitated, glancing back at the mountain of paper atop his desk. “The blue ones! Go!” Twilight tapped her hoof as her assistant rushed over and picked up a few charts, then smiled gratefully up as he returned. “As you can see,” she said, picking up a pair of pages and spreading them out on the desk, “the rate of accidental deaths has risen by three to five per day in these areas.”

“I noted that as well,” L said. “I expected a slight increase now that the fall rainy season has started.”

“That was my first thought too,” Twilight continued. “But this is sustained well beyond normal limits, and doesn’t match the figures over the last few years. It’s extended beyond the point of mere coincidence. It’s not restricted to any particular region, but for the most part the victims have all been...” She gulped. “Farmers.”

“Farmers?” Spike looked up fearfully. “Any particular farmers?”

“That’s where it gets interesting.” Twilight placed a hoof over the second page. “I looked at families and finances to see if anypony would be benefiting from all these deaths. At first, there didn’t seem to be any connection; very few of them are in the same business, and they’re spread over every corner of Equestria. But eventually... and I need to do some more research to see if this is correct, but... I found that one way or another, every one of these ponies is or was in competition with just one group.” She tapped a line at the bottom of the page. “The Apple family.”

As a group, there was a slow intake of breath as the meaning of this sank in. Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened, then narrowed. Abruptly, she reared up and slammed her front hooves together. "Applejack."

Twilight shifted uncomfortably. "Now, let's not jump to any conclusions," she said quickly. "These are just preliminary results. We need to do a lot more work to confirm this before we can start pointing any hooves—"

"No!" Dash leaped into the air, hovering angrily. "Think about it! Applejack's a Kira supporter. She's been acting weird ever since the funeral."

"She's acting weird because she misses her friends," Twilight snapped. "We're all in a weird place right now."

"It's not like that! Don't you get it?" Rainbow Dash shook her head. "She's the only one left! Kira's been going after the Elements of Harmony, one by one. We've already lost two, and three of us are here. She's the only one who hasn't been dragged into this yet."

Behind Twilight, Fluttershy made herself as small as possible and put her hooves over her ears. "Make it stop..." she whispered.

Twilight glared. "Dash," she said sternly, "calm down. We need to think about this."

"I am calm!" Dash shouted. "And I am thinking! You're the one who's not thinking! If Kira's taken Applejack, then we need to act now!"

L spoke up, silencing the pegasus instantly. "Rainbow Dash, stop. You are embarrassing yourself."

Dash froze up. She slowly floated down to the ground, staring numbly. "Embarrassing myself?" she repeated.

"Yes." L's tone became a little harsher, but her expression didn't change in the slightest. “We are a team of professionals. If you wish to make such wild, foalish accusations, you should at least have something to back yourself up with besides unfounded paranoia.”

Rainbow Dash glared. "Are you seriously telling me that?" she snorted. "After you spent weeks hunting Twilight on nothing more than a hunch?"

"A hunch and a solid speculative case, of which you have only one. Kira's goals are now different than they were at the start of the investigation; she's more familiar with our methods, and will be trying harder to deceive us. Even if this elimination of competition is not a mere red herring, the Apple family has branches all over Equestria. Picking such an obvious target would be folly when there are plenty of equally valid candidates spread from one coast to the other."

"She's right, Dash," Twilight said gently before her friend could respond. "I know at this point it's easy to think that Kira's going after us, but Applejack just wouldn't make a good host. She spends most of her time in the fields or in Ponyville, and a big family like hers would make hiding herself impossible."

"Are you even listening to yourselves?" Rainbow Dash looked around angrily. "One of our friends might be in trouble! Shouldn't we be looking out for her?"

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Locket said. Her voice was quiet, but it cut through the conversation like a knife. "Are you really so jaded that you can't imagine something might be okay for once?" Everypony stared at her. Locket looked down, blushing. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I don't know why I said that."

"Regardless," L said quickly, "what's important now is that we make no rash moves. Now that we know Kira can move from one host to another, she will likely not hesitate to do so again if she feels threatened. It is vital that the new host does not learn that we are on his or her trail until the last possible moment. That means not singling ponies out, and not leaping into action at the first sign of danger.” She turned to Jazz. “Jazz, you may resume your duties. These figures will need further analysis.”

Rainbow Dash sighed in resignation. “I think I’m good to go again,” she said.

L shook her head. “That will not be necessary. Jazz can perform that role far faster and more efficiently than you.”

“...Oh.” Dash frowned. “So what do you want me to do?”

“Anything you like.” L shrugged. “Just don’t be a nuisance.”

Another ripple of anger flashed through Dash, rising high on the afterglow of the first. “Is that what I am to you?” she snapped. “A nuisance?”

Twilight quickly tried to reassure her, but L continued talking. “More like a tool with no apparent function. Your strengths, such as they are, are apparent. But, as you have just made abundantly clear, they have no place within this room.”

Dash felt her breath leave her. She looked around desperately. Her friends were staring at the detective in open-mouthed shock, while the others avoided her gaze. Jazz glanced at her, but his expression was as unreadable as L’s. “F-fine,” Dash said, frustration overwhelming her. “I know when I’m not wanted.”

In a sudden flurry of motion, Rainbow Dash whirled around and soared across the room, slamming her hooves down on the lever for the trapdoor. “Rainbow, wait!” Twilight yelled, but she was too late. With a blur of coloured light the pegasus vanished to the world above, leaving the iron door hanging open.

As the sound of Rainbow’s dramatic exit faded, the pony behind Twilight straightened up. "Um. This might be a bad time," Fluttershy said, "but I can't stay here."

L fixed her gaze on her. Fluttershy whimpered, but continued. "I'm sure this place is very nice. If Twilight can live here, it must be okay. But... I just don't think that I can help you." She bit her lip, looking down. "I don't know what to think about Kira any more. I used to think I supported her, but... if she really did kill... my friends... I just don't know any more. I just don't. I'm not sure if I want you to catch her... but at the same time, I don't want to hold you back by forcing you to watch over me. I just..." She started to tear up. "I just want to go home."

Slowly, L nodded. "I believe that we can find an acceptable compromise," she said calmly. "Wait ten minutes. Find some food for yourself if you like. Bon Bon..." Her gaze landed briefly on Bon Bon, who was listing slightly to the side. "Hm. Locket, prepare to escort Fluttershy home. I will write some instructions for when you arrive. Twilight may join you, if she wishes."

Locket looked up, startled. "Oh, um... okay." She looked at Fluttershy, but neither was quite able to meet the other's gaze. "Um... want to get some food before we go?"

Meekly, Fluttershy nodded. They turned and started towards the kitchen, both looking at the ground. Bon Bon and Jazz drifted away and towards the far hallway as well. "One moment, Twilight," L said as Twilight started to follow them. She beckoned the unicorn close. "How has your relationship with Fluttershy been of late?" she said in a lower voice.

Nearby, Spike fidgeted. "Uh... should I go?" he asked.

"It's fine, Spike," Twilight reassured him. She turned back to L. "We're in about the same place as we were the last time you asked. She's all dependent on me now, and... well, I do really care about her, but I don't know if I feel the same way about her. I think she knows this, but she seems okay with it."

"I see," L said. "And are you... 'okay with it'?"

"I... I guess so. For now." Twilight sighed. "The first time she told me how she felt, I lost control. I really hurt her. If she forgave me after that, then even if things don’t work out in the long run, I at least owe it to her to give it a shot.”

“I see.” L nodded thoughtfully. “And how far would you be willing to take this relationship if it meant protecting her?”

“Huh?” Twilight blinked and stepped back uncertainly. “What are you talking about?”

“Twilight, we are in a very delicate position. Regardless of the events of the recent past, Fluttershy is the one under the most danger of falling to Kira’s influence. However, her love for you appears to be genuine. You may be our only hope of keeping her on our side. Obviously, the more attached to you she is, the easier it will be to get information from her. If you agree to increase your level of intimacy with her, I can arrange for more frequent opportunities to visit her, and possibly—”

“Stop right there, Harpy.” Twilight shook her head. “I know what you’re asking me to do, and the answer is no.”

L sighed deeply. “I do not wish to be difficult. You know I would like to trust you.”

“Then trust me on this.” Twilight stomped emphatically. “I care about Fluttershy’s feelings. Maybe I don’t love her, not in the same way that she loves me, but she’s my friend and I don’t want her to be hurt ever again. To me, breaking her trust by telling her that I love her when I don’t would be just as bad as anything that Kira could do to her.” She glared. “In fact, I’m already pretty ticked that you’ve lied to her about what really happened to Pinkie and Rarity. Maybe it’s ‘safer’ in the short term if she thinks Kira killed them, but she was their friend, too. Don’t you think she deserves to know the truth?”

L shifted uncomfortably and looked down. “I only—”

“And that’s on top of you brushing Rainbow Dash off all the time. Maybe she’s not the pony you would have chosen for this team, but can’t you see that she’s doing her best to help you? You had no excuse to hurt her feelings like that. I mean...” Twilight sighed in exasperation. “Don’t you know anything about friendship?”

L stared at the floor for several long seconds. “I think you should go,” she said, even more flatly than usual. Twilight huffed, then spun around and marched after her friends. Sighing almost inaudibly, L spun around in her chair and levitated a quill and piece of paper towards her.

“Hey, Harpy?” Spike said quietly, tugging on the detective’s leg. “Earlier, you said there was no way Twilight could be possessed without her being aware of it. Does this mean you’ve changed your mind?”

“I haven’t changed my mind, Spike,” L said calmly. She stared after the retreating unicorn. “I only wonder if Twilight Sparkle has changed hers.”

For Fluttershy, seeing the sky again was like finding the ground for the first time. Her face lit up with wonder as the trio emerged from the base. It wasn’t a particularly nice day; the sky was grey and overcast, a prelude to the light showers scheduled throughout the following weeks. But compared to the inside of a blindfold, even a faded glimpse of sunlight was enough to brighten up much of the fear and sadness that had built up in Fluttershy over the past week. Twilight gave her a minute to bask in the sun’s limited warmth before nudging her and gesturing for them to move on.

“Please don’t... you know, try anything,” Locket said as she walked towards the edge of the park, Twilight on her left, Fluttershy on her right. “I mean... you could probably get away from me pretty easily, if you wanted to. But then I’d have to tell L, and she’d probably have to lock you up again. She has ways of hunting ponies down.”

“You don’t have to worry about us,” Twilight laughed. Fluttershy nodded, but didn’t say anything. They walked a minute in silence. “Hey, Locket?” Twilight asked. “How did you get involved with L, anyway?”

Locket blushed. “Oh, you don’t want to hear that story,” she mumbled.

“No, really, I’m interested. You just... seem like kind of a weird choice. No offense.”

“It’s okay. I know I’m... nothing special.” Locket blushed. “It was kind of an accident. I first met L about five years ago. I’d moved here from Vanhoover just a while ago, and I was having trouble finding work. I’d been having a bad day, so I went for a walk in the park, just to... you know, get away from it all.

“I was just sitting on a bench — pretty close to here, actually — when this strange mare came up and sat next to me. Except she didn’t sit normally, she slouched on her back with her legs dangling. I didn’t give it much thought at the time. The weird thing, though, is that nopony else seemed to notice her. I was... kinda used to nopony paying attention to me by then, but nopony seemed to give this mare who looked like she was trying to show off a second glance either. It was like as long as she was with me, everypony just looked through her. She didn’t say anything to me. We just sat there for about half an hour, watching everypony go by. Then, completely out of the blue, she stood up and offered me a job."

Fluttershy slowed down and signalled that she needed to rest; she was still struggling to walk more than short distances at a time. The trio sat down and waited for her to catch her breath. "I wasn't a spy or anything," Locket continued. "I didn't even learn who I was working for until almost a year later. I just walked around town and listened. It's amazing what ponies talk about, even in public, if they think nopony's listening. Once a week we'd meet in the park, and I'd tell her about what I'd heard. I never thought I'd told her anything important, but she always thanked me and gave me some money. A couple of times she told me to go somewhere at a certain time, but when I got there there was never anypony around. She never looked disappointed or anything when I told her what happened.”

"Huh," Twilight said. "That's strange. Why would a world-famous detective suddenly take an interest in Ponyville?"

“I can guess. See, around that time Ponyville wasn't quite as peaceful as it is now. It was still a nice place, but it had some problems, like any small town. There were a couple of gangs that were starting up, and some peddlers selling Moon's Tears. That's bad magic."

"I remember those," Fluttershy said. "Somepony broke one of those open near my cottage, and some little animals got into the shards and got really sick."

"Yeah." Locket nodded. "It wasn't really anything out of the ordinary, the sort of stuff we expected the police to handle. But that was before Colgate came here full-time, and the police ponies before her weren't as... on the ball, I guess. But then L showed up all of a sudden, and in less than a year she got everything completely cleaned up. I think she did some work in Canterlot as well, but I’m not sure."

Twilight pondered this. Inspiration struck. "That was five years ago, right?"

"A little less than five, yeah."

"I see. Just in time for the Summer Sun Celebration.” So it was all Celestia’s doing. When Luna returned, she wanted her first view of Equestria to be a town that was the best it could be...

Fluttershy stood up on thin legs, and the three ponies carried on. Locket continued talking, the confidence in her voice building. "The money was pretty good. It wasn't a lot, but it was a lot more than I was used to. But the real payment was right at the end, just before the Summer Sun Celebration. L told me she had one last mission for me. I just had to go to a restaurant and talk to a pony there. She didn't tell me anything else. And when I got there..." Locket blushed deeply. "I saw the most gorgeous stallion I'd ever seen in my life. And he talked to me, and... she'd set me up on a blind date. That was the most wonderful night of my life." Locket sighed, smiling. "I don't know how she knew. Green Grapes had no idea who she was. He just said a weird mare had asked if he wanted to meet her friend, out of nowhere. He's the best gift she ever could have given me."

Fluttershy smiled. “I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks. We haven’t seen each other much since he moved to Appleloosa, but we still write to each other.”

“It sounds nice.” Twilight tried to imagine what a long-distance relationship would feel like, but failed. The notion of that kind of romantic love still eluded her, even with her so-called marefriend close by. She glanced back at the mark of interlocking horseshoes on Locket’s flank. “So what’s your special talent, after all that? Is it shoemaking or something?”

Locket’s smile faded, and her blush darkened. “Running,” she said briskly, eyes now focused firmly on the ground.

“Oh. Just running?”

“Yes.” After that, they were strangely quiet.

They had to stop twice more to allow Fluttershy to rest before reaching her cottage. When they finally reached the door Colgate took a minute to answer, eventually appearing with a bundle of fuzzy shapes nestled in her mane. Her eyes widened in delight. "Twilight! What are you guys doing here?"

"Um..." Locket pulled out a piece of paper she'd tucked behind her ear and unfolded it, passing it to Colgate. "Fluttershy's moving back in here. L left some instructions for you."

At the same time, Fluttershy rose up and rushed through the doorway to Colgate's side, some of her old energy already returning to her. "Now, Martin Mouse, what have I told you about making holes in ponies' manes?" she scolded one of the tiny creatures attached to Colgate's head. There was a faint, penitent squeak in response. "There are plenty of places for you and your family to live without bothering others. Move it, mister, and don't make me tell you again!"

With a rustle, a line of white mice untangled themselves from Colgate's mane and scurried down her side to the ground. She shook the last traces of fluff off her head, smiling gratefully. "Thanks, Fluttershy. They've been there all day, and I didn't know what to do with them." She glanced at L's letter, then at the two ponies still outside. "Do you want to come in? I was just going to put some tea on."

Locket shuffled in place. "We're really only here to drop her off..."

"We'd love to," Twilight interrupted.

A few minutes later they were grouped comfortably in Fluttershy's front room, sipping from steaming mugs. The pegasus greeted all of her animal friends warmly as they welcomed her home. Colgate stared at Twilight's forehead, frowning. "Hey, Twilight? Why hasn't L given your horn back yet?"

Twilight sighed. "I don't know. I feel like she still doesn't trust me, for some reason. It does mean I probably won’t be going outside much... I guess if anypony notices, I’ll just say I’m running an experiment or something. I'll just have to live with it for now."

Colgate rolled her eyes. "Ridiculous," she muttered. She sat and fumed for a second, until a delighted squeak from Fluttershy snapped her back to reality. She sighed and relaxed again. “Sorry. I’m trying to stress over things less.”

“It’s okay, Colgate,” Locket said without looking at her. “We’ve all been under a lot of stress lately.”

Colgate gave Locket a sideways glance, then turned her attention to the note she’d been given. She alternately nodded and frowned as she read it over. “I guess that makes sense. Fluttershy, you’ve read this, right?”

“Yes.” Fluttershy nodded, absorbed in cuddling a pair of squirrels. “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s fine.” Colgate shook her head, sighing. “I honestly don’t see why L still doesn’t trust you... but if this will keep her happy, then I guess this is a compromise we can live with for now. Is it okay if we use your rope?”

Fluttershy nodded again. Putting down her tea, Colgate rose and rummaged through a drawer nearby. A smile came to her face as she pulled a smaller object out first. “Oh hey, I almost forgot. Twilight, catch!” Without thinking, she tossed the wristwatch towards Twilight, who had to awkwardly scramble to move her tea with her hooves as it bounced off her front. “Oops. Sorry.” Colgate put a hoof to her mouth, hiding a giggle. “We searched your house again while you were detained, and that was on your desk. I thought you might want it. L looked it over, and she said I could give it to you when you got out.”

Twilight put her tea down and picked up her watch, slipping it around her ankle with a well-practiced flip. “Thanks, Colgate. This’ll be helpful underground.” She smiled, but inwardly frowned in puzzlement as she stared down at the device. When did I start wearing this? I remember picking it up, but... why?

Colgate returned to the drawer, this time producing a long, thin length of rope. “There we go. Fluttershy, are you ready?”

“Yes.” Letting her animal friends go, Fluttershy walked over and stood in front of Colgate. At a blue glow from the unicorn’s horn, the rope flexed and writhed along the ground, stretching towards the two ponies. Fluttershy shivered as the end coiled around her ankle, but didn’t move. Colgate muttered something under her breath, and with a pulse of light the rope finished its transformation into a pair of long hoofcuffs, linking the two of them by the ankle with a thin and faintly glowing chain.

Staring intently, Colgate lifted her hoof and shook the chain back and forth. It hummed lightly with magical energy. “There. That should last us as long as we need it to.” She consulted the page Locket had given her again. “Looks like Bon Bon recommended an exercise program, as well. I hope this won’t get in the way of that.”

“She said it wouldn’t.” Fluttershy gasped. “This won’t keep you from your work, will it?”

“No, it’s fine. It’ll be good for both of us.”

Locket cleared her throat. “I guess... we should go.” She swallowed the last of her tea and put her mug down, standing up. “It was good to see you again.”

“Yeah. I guess you have some settling in to do.” Twilight stood as well. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“I’ll be fine.” Fluttershy tried to walk towards Twilight, but quickly reached the limit of the chain and nearly tripped as the hoofcups snagged her leg. Twilight rushed forward to catch her, and the two fell into an awkward embrace. Colgate was pulled forward at the same time, stumbling slightly. “Sorry!” Fluttershy called, steadying herself against Twilight while nuzzling her mane.

“It’s okay,” Colgate said, taking another step closer. “Just something we’ll have to get used to, that’s all.”

The pair held on to each other for just a little longer than anypony except Fluttershy felt entirely comfortable with. Finally, the unicorn straightened up and pulled away, helping her marefriend stand. “Twilight?” Fluttershy whispered. “You meant what you said earlier, right? About Applejack?”

Twilight paused, then nodded. “I think, if I were Kira — if I were Kira — then I wouldn’t have chosen Applejack to be my successor.”

Fluttershy nodded as well. “Twilight... please be safe. Please come back to me.” With sudden quickness she leaned forward and planted a kiss on Twilight’s cheek, then darted back and stood beside Colgate, waving shyly.

The world glazed over in front of Twilight’s eyes. She barely registered as Locket gently pulled her towards the door and pushed her outside, only coming back to reality as a hoof was waved in front of her face. “Come on,” Locket said. “It’s time to go.”

The weather was exactly as it should have been.

Stuck underground, Rainbow Dash had only made occasional jaunts above the surface to stretch her wings and check that Ponyville’s weather was being handled smoothly. As it was, everything had been laid out perfectly according to schedule; given Dash’s propensity for leaving on adventures at the drop of a hat, the rest of the weather team had long since learned to manage without her. Now, Dash shot across the dimming sky, scattering clouds in her wake only to turn around and carefully push them back. She searched high and low for one cloud out of place, one wind too weak, one rainbow misaligned, any sign that Ponyville was worse off without her. Any sign that she was needed.

Coming to rest on the wide bank of an impending drizzle, Dash rested her wings and glared down at the fluffy, compliant surface. With a few well-placed kicks, she allowed water to condense into a puddle in front of her, the fading sunlight shining her sour reflection back at her. “I’ve saved the world before,” she told the shadow of herself in the puddle, trying and failing to make herself feel better. “My skills and talents saved Equestria in its times of need. We would have lost everything if it wasn’t for me. Just me...” She sighed. “And my friends.”

Dash dipped a hoof into the puddle and sipped at the cloudwater, grimacing at the icy cold taste. With another touch the indentation vanished, the waters disappearing back into the cloud. She rose into the air and bucked downwards as hard as she could, blowing a hole straight through the grey surface and sending a ripple across the entirety of the gathering storm. In the world below, all across Ponyville, it started to rain.

Dash looked down and paled. A blanket of familiar, red-spotted trees lay beneath her. In her vain rush across the sky, perhaps by habit or instinct, she’d flown directly to Sweet Apple Acres. A red farmhouse turned up in the corner of her eye and Dash leaped back, hiding herself atop the storm. I shouldn’t be here, she thought, squirming against the fluffy surface. If anypony finds out I came here on my own, they’ll think I... they’ll think...

Unexpectedly, resolve tightened in her. And why shouldn’t I be here? Applejack doesn’t know I’m after Kira. There’s nothing suspicious about visiting a friend. Silently, Dash lifted herself up and swooped down through the hole she’d created, the rain masking the sound of her wingbeats. Applejack trusts me. I trust her. If she’s got something to hide, I’ll know it.

The Apple house was unusually dark. While the family would usually have the house lit up brightly as they played and talked together in the shadow of the storm, now all the windows were dark save one. As Dash circled around the building once, she caught the glimmer of a naked flame in what she recognized as Applejack’s bedroom. Curiosity building, she dove down and hovered closer to the window. As her eyes tried to adjust to the darkness within, she heard a faint sound from within, muffled by the rain: a slight, choked-back sobbing.

As Dash inched closer, the view inside became clearer. She could make out Applejack with her back to her hunched over the desk beyond her bed, a candle illuminating the papers upon it. The orange mare held a hoof up to her mouth, silencing herself as her shoulders shook in regular intervals. Her ponytail was undone, her normally tidy mane splayed out all along her back, and her hat was nowhere to be seen. The papers on the desk came into sharper view as Dash squinted, almost pressing her nose against the glass. They seemed to be a list of something, with pictures beside them. Pictures of faces.

She recognized them. It was made up in the same format as L’s criminal documents.

Dash gasped, then quickly threw up a hoof to silence herself. This turned out to be a mistake, as her leg knocked hard against the closed window as she raised it. If the first noise hadn’t alerted Applejack to her presence, the second certainly did. She backpedaled in the air as the farmer’s head snapped around, her eyes wide with fear. “Rainbow?” the farmer mouthed, then jumped up and ran to the window as Dash launched herself into the sky. Applejack opened the window as a hole appeared in the cloud cover above her, letting a small circle of the red sky shine down on her. Thunder echoed across the sky. All around, the sound of the rain increased from a light hiss to heavy pounding. “Rainbow Dash, wait!” Applejack screamed, but the pegasus was already halfway across Ponyville.

Dear Princess Luna,

Colgate is away on official leave, so I’ve been asked to carry on her reports to you while she’s gone. I hope that’s okay.

Both Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy have been released, but I feel like L still doesn’t entirely trust them. I don’t fully understand her reasoning, but I trust her judgement. She’s started work on identifying potential new candidates for study, but she’s asked me not to make any definite claims about Kira’s nature for the time being. I just wish she would tell us what she’s really thinking. We’ve had some more arguments within the group, and I think at this point it’s only the search for Kira that’s keeping us all together.

I’ll send reports whenever I’m able. I apologise if they aren’t as formal as Colgate makes them. I promise to do my best to keep you informed.

Your faithful servant,

Locket

Next episode: Guards!

Loyalty

24
*Loyalty*

A Shinigami has no obligation to completely explain how to use the Note or the rules which will apply to the pony who owns it unless asked.

Rainbow Dash waited several hours before returning to the base. She curled up atop the highest cloud she could find, shivering violently in the cold. What does a heart attack feel like? she wondered, gasping every time her heart fluttered in agitation. Was that it?! Is this what dying feels like?

By the time Dash’s limbs had stopped shaking enough for her to fly back down, it was nearly midnight. She cleared a small hole in the clouds near the edge of the park and glided the rest of the way to the base, allowing herself to get drenched in the remains of the rain she’d set off. She stomped hard outside the trapdoor, the wet ground allowing her to feel the springy pressure plate beneath her hooves. “Come on, come on!” she grunted, jumping up and down in place.

It was almost a full minute before the trapdoor finally swung open. Rainbow Dash set a new record in her dive down the stairs, and kicked the base’s door open with enough force to rattle the walls on either side. Locket waited for her on the inside, squinting in the darkened room. “Dash!” she exclaimed, taking half a step back. “Where were you? Twilight—”

Rainbow Dash lunged forward and shook Locket’s shoulders, making the earth mare gasp in fright. “Applejack is Kira!”

Locket shrunk down and tried to back away. “W-what?”

“I saw her! She had papers, and...” Dash shook her head. “Where is everypony? Hey, everypony! Wake up!”

“What’s with all the noise?” Twilight Sparkle poked her head into the room, followed by a sleepy-eyed Derpy. She immediately jerked fully awake and rushed forward at the sight of her friend. “Oh my gosh, Rainbow! We were so worried about you!”

“No time, Twilight.” Rainbow Dash rose into the air before the unicorn could get close. “We’ve got problems. Applejack is Kira.”

Twilight stopped short. “Are you sure?” she asked.

“Positive.” Rainbow nodded. “I have proof. I saw her.”

Twilight stood still for a moment, her face frozen as she tried to accept this. At last, she sighed. “We... need to talk to L. I mean... Harpy Chords.” When several seconds passed and nopony moved, she looked around. “Does anypony know where she sleeps?”

Locket shrugged. Derpy shook her head. Rainbow Dash groaned in frustration. “Well, let’s find her! She’s got to be in here somewhere, right?”

The four ponies charged back down the hallway leading to the sleeping quarters. They started by opening every unused door they passed, then paused at the first junction. “This could take forever,” Locket complained. “This wing has to have at least a hundred rooms in it. She might not even be here. Maybe we should just wait until—”

“Wait.” Twilight held up a hoof for silence. “I thought I heard something.” The quartet peered into the darkness around them. At first there was only the faint rumble of Spike’s snoring from somewhere behind them; he’d had to change rooms twice already after the buildup of soot became too much for Bon Bon to deal with. After a few seconds, however, there was a faint magical pop, like a spell being cast. “This way!” Twilight yelled, ignoring both branches and leading the way down the main corridor.

After just a short distance, Twilight came to a halt in front of one of the many unmarked doors. She put her ear against it and heard breathing on the other side. She quickly opened the door, only to be met by a pillow to the face. “Do you know what time it is?” Jazz shouted, wrapped in two layers of blankets on the cot opposite.

Twilight almost glanced down at her watch, but managed to stop herself. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “We were looking for Harpy.”

“She’s in the room opposite.” Jazz floated his pillow back towards himself and settled down again, scowling. “Please, try to refrain from making noise. I sleep on a tight schedule.”

Nodding silently, Twilight backed away and shut the door. As she did so she heard the flash of magic again, this time from across the corridor, and a green light could be seen through the crack under the door. Rainbow Dash kicked this open and flew in, instantly shouting. “L! Applejack is Kira. I can prove it!”

L didn’t immediately react. She lay flat on her back on the cot and stared at the ceiling, her eyes wide and expressionless. Her horn illuminated the room in a sickly green glow. The sheets were partly thrown back, covering only her lower half. Bon Bon lay draped over her like a second blanket, smiling contentedly as she nestled her face against her partner’s neck. Catching sight of this, Locket immediately blushed and backed out of the room. “That is news,” L said at length. No part of her moved but her mouth. “And how did you obtain this information?”

“I saw it,” Dash continued breathlessly. “I went to Sweet Apple Acres. I saw her with a bunch of weird papers. The same kind you have.”

L blinked, the first time she had done so since the door had opened. “I see,” she said. “I believe this merits further discussion.” She nudged Bon Bon, who protested sleepily as she started to stir. “Now, don’t complain. This is an emergency. We need drinks, right now.”

Derpy sat happily at the kitchen table, occasionally flapping her wings in time with a tune that only she could hear. She thanked Bon Bon as a second glass of warm milk was placed in front of her, then picked it up and guzzled it down in one long gulp. She put the glass down, leaving a few drops hanging from her nose, then delicately burped. “Excuse me,” she said quietly, stifling a giggle.

Rainbow Dash ignored her. She swayed a little as she finished her story, a half-empty glass in front of her. The last dregs of adrenaline were finally leaving her body, and foalish as it might have been, L’s idea of a calming drink was having its intended effect. “I stayed in the air for a while after that,” she concluded, choosing to gloss over the “terrified cowering” part of that tale. “I didn’t know if I was going to drop dead any second. And, you know, I didn’t want to give her a lead back to the base if I was. But once I was pretty sure I wasn’t gonna die, I came right back here as fast as I could.”

Midway through the story, Twilight’s hoof had met the middle of her face and stayed there until her friend was done talking. “Oh, Rainbow,” she groaned.

Slowly, L nodded. She had walked somewhat more stiffly than usual on her way to the kitchen, but once she had some liquid in her she seemed to liven up. "It was a noble decision," she said. "Foolish, but noble. Under the circumstances, you made the right decision."

"Oh, no. No, no, no." Twilight shook her head, letting her hooves fall to the table. "You spied on one of your best friends for this? For nothing?"

"Hey, it wasn't for nothing," Rainbow Dash argued. "I told you, I recognized those papers. Only somepony working for Kira would have those."

"Or somepony looking for Kira," Locket muttered. She looked at L's milk with faint envy, having politely turned down a glass of her own.

"And you saw them from across the room? By candlelight?" Twilight groaned again. "Dash, do I have to remind you how big the Apple family is? They have enough photo albums to fill a whole bookshelf. They even have a couple branches in the Guard. Plus there's all the paperwork she has to go through on a monthly basis, and you can't say she hasn't had a reason to be upset lately. Those papers could have been anything."

"I can tell the difference between a spreadsheet and a prison sheet, Twilight," Dash insisted. "I know what I saw. If she hadn't seen me, I could have gotten a closer look. But I guess that chance is gone now."

"Yes... that." L frowned. "This does complicate our situation somewhat. I believe I specified that subtlety would be key in the coming weeks. Revealing yourself directly to a potential target was not the wisest of decisions."

"This is going to be so awkward." Twilight glared. "And here was me thinking you didn't want to involve Applejack in this. Now even if we explain everything to her, she'll still think we suspect her of being a mass-murdering psycho! For somepony who says she wants to protect her, you've done nothing but drag her further into this mess."

Dash gritted her teeth. She tried to formulate a response, but was distracted when L rose from her seat. "Miss Dash," the detective said. "There's one more thing we need to discuss. Could I speak to you for a minute... alone?"

"...Okay." Rainbow Dash stood as well, and followed L as she walked out of the kitchen. "What's this about?" she asked as soon as she thought they were out of earshot.

Instead of continuing to the base's main chamber, L darted down another corridor towards the cells where they had kept Twilight. Dash followed, tilting her head as their pace increased. "Miss Dash," L said quietly, "do you believe that Applejack trusts you?"

"Yeah. With her life," Rainbow Dash answered instantly. "I feel the same about her. Why?"

"Because if your suspicions are correct, it might not be your friend that we are dealing with any more." L stopped in front of a cell door. “Loyalty is more than a mere concept. It binds ponies together, becoming the catalyst for bonds of trust more powerful than any chain. I believe that you know this better than anypony, Rainbow Dash.”

“Well, yeah.” Dash put her head to the side. “What’s this about?”

Instead of answering, L turned to the door and pulled it open, igniting her horn as she did so. Even with her magic helping her, her muscles strained to pull the heavily padded door just halfway open. "These bonds, while powerful, can be broken," she explained, panting slightly. "When they do, a certain kind of energy is released. There's one small test I can do to determine whether this relationship has changed, on either end. We need absolute privacy for this. But on one condition." She leaned against the door. "Rainbow Dash. Do you trust me?"

Dash stared at the detective in thought. "Yeah," she said eventually. "I don't always like you... but I trust you."

L smiled thankfully and nodded. "Then we have nothing to worry about." She motioned to within the cell. "One touch is all it will take."

The pegasus nodded. She walked inside the room confidently. As soon as the tip of her tail passed through the doorway, however, L darted to the side and kicked the door. Despite how heavy she had made it look, it smoothly crashed shut. Interior locks instantly trapped Rainbow Dash inside. "And that was the touch," L said.

"What— Hey!" Rainbow Dash turned around, staring for a moment before glaring at the door. "Hey! You said we were going to talk!"

L didn't answer. She pressed a button beside the handle, then calmly pressed her back against the door and slid down it into her regular slouching sitting position, closing her eyes. Rainbow Dash's voice rose, echoing loudly in the corridor. "Let me out! You can't do this to me! Let me out!" Panic rising, she began to kick at the door, her hooves leaving dents in the padded interior. "L, you traitor! Let me out of here! Let me out!"

"What's going on?" Twilight appeared at the end of the corridor, Derpy and Locket following. "We heard— oh my gosh!" She ran down the corridor, screeching to a halt at L's hooves. "Harpy, what's going on?"

"Wait," L said calmly.

This was enough to make Locket and Derpy stop, but Twilight paused for only a second before charging forward and placing her hooves on the door. "Rainbow, it's okay!" she yelled over her friend's cries from within. She tried the handle, but it held fast. "Talk to me! What happened?"

"Aah!" There was a dull thud as Dash threw herself against the door, managing to bump L forward half an inch. The unicorn simply scooted back and settled down again. "She locked me in here! She said she was going to do a test, and... and..."

"What?" Twilight stared down at the seated detective. "Why did you lock her up?"

"Wait," L repeated.

Around ten seconds passed. Rainbow Dash threw herself against the door time and time again, rattling the exterior, her shouts alternating between panic and outrage. Then a low magical hum began, which Twilight recognized as the white mist that had sealed her inside her own chamber, and when it vanished the noise from within did as well. “That should contain her,” L said briskly, standing up. “Sometimes it takes longer at night.”

A cold dread rising, Twilight tried the handle again. It refused to budge. “Rainbow Dash!” she yelled. “Rainbow!” There was no response. “You can’t keep her in there,” she said, turning back to L. “She gets claustrophobic if she can’t fly. You should know that. How could you do that to her?”

“Quite easily, as it turns out.” L smoothed out the back of her mane lazily. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Statistically, even ponies who implicitly distrust me will fall for that ruse at least one time in three.” She stretched, then turned sharply to the rest of the team. “Now, new rule. From now on, nopony goes near the Apple family. We don’t speak to them, we don’t observe them, we don’t go within earshot of them if we can avoid it. Furthermore, until further notice nopony is to leave this facility without a partner or a camera bug on their person. Is that understood?”

Nopony nodded. “W-what?” Twilight stammered, her head spinning. “What does any of this have to do with Rainbow Dash?”

"Rainbow Dash is lost to us." L started walking again, picking up a fast pace in the direction of the kitchen. "Kira has the power to control ponies subconsciously before killing them, provided she knows their name and face. If the new Kira is a member of the Apple family and has reason to believe that Rainbow Dash is one of the ponies investigating them, which she now does, then your friend could well be under their control right now. Rainbow Dash knows the identities of every other member of this team, barring my own, as well as our current progress into this investigation and the location of this base. Even a fraction of that information would be of enormous value to the new Kira. We cannot allow Rainbow Dash or anypony else to be manipulated into revealing what they know... if she hasn't already."

"What?" Twilight frowned, then found herself groaning in exasperation yet again. "Oh, you can not be serious!" She followed after L, having to break into a trot to keep up with her.

Locket started to walk after the pair, then paused as the remaining pony stayed where she was. "Coming, Derpy?" she asked.

Derpy stood in place, her eyes crossing in deep thought as she stared at the locked door. "I don't get it."

Locket sighed and nodded sympathetically, pulling Derpy's hoof in the direction of the kitchen. "We can't all be clever ponies. Maybe they'll explain it to us." Simultaneously shrugging, the pair hurried after the other two down the corridor.

Twilight struggled to keep up with L, trying to keep track of her arguments and her hooves simultaneously. "First off," she panted, "Rainbow Dash would never sell us out. Kira can only make ponies do things they'd be able to do already, right? Well, Rainbow Dash was named the Element of Loyalty for a reason. She never backs down, not even when any sensible pony would, and she never gives up on the ponies she cares about. She would never betray us, not even if her life depended on it."

"Really?" L remarked. They reached the kitchen and she immediately returned to her chair, Bon Bon waiting for her with more milk and a napkin. "Not even if doing so might save the life of her best friend?"

Twilight couldn't immediately answer this, so she moved to her next point. "That's the other thing," she continued, sitting down. Derpy and Locket entered and silently took their seats as well. "No matter what kind of 'evidence' Rainbow Dash thinks she's found, we still have no reason to suspect that Applejack even is Kira. For one thing, she's honest to a fault. She would never keep something like this from her friends, and she would never do something as dishonorable as killing other farmers to get ahead. She's too stubborn to be obedient, too straightforward to be devious, and perhaps most importantly, way too closely connected to me!"

The room fell silent. L stared, as though expecting Twilight to continue talking. She took a sip of milk, then allowed Bon Bon to swoop in and dab away the resulting moustache with a napkin. Twilight blinked in confusion and went over her last few words again in her head, then froze in realization. "Oh," she said. "Oh. I get it now." She looked at Locket and Derpy in turn, who were staring at her expectantly. "L," she said, "I think I know what you're thinking. Is it okay if I say it out loud?"

L frowned slightly, but her face instantly returned to normal. "You can say whatever you wish," she said.

Twilight sighed. "You think... that despite the test, I never stopped being Kira. Or maybe I did, but that part of me is just hidden, dormant somehow, waiting to wake up. I chose Applejack not because she's a good choice as my successor, but because she's a terrible, easy to find Kira who you can catch easily with my help. That’s why you still haven’t given back my horn. That’s why you’re keeping Fluttershy in a chain. Because once I’ve earned your trust by helping you catch the new Kira, just when you think you’re safe, I'll take my killing power back from her..." She gulped. "And I'll be in the perfect position to kill you myself."

A few seconds passed as the others took this in. Then Derpy snorted. "That's silly," she said.

"Huh?" Twilight looked at her in confusion. "Why?"

"Because you just told us." Derpy sat up brightly in her seat, smiling as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "You can't tell a lie if you tell somepony you're going to tell a lie. It doesn't work. The real Kira wouldn't tell us she's Kira."

Across the table, Locket giggled, then quickly tried to compose herself. This sound, however, was all it took for Twilight to begin laughing as well. "You're right!" she said. "You see, Harpy? If I was just pretending not to be Kira, I wouldn’t tell you this. If I was possessed by Kira but aren’t now, I wouldn’t trust my real self not to tell you this. Therefore, I'm not Kira. Applejack's not Kira. And Rainbow Dash definitely isn't under anypony's control."

L stared at the table. She slid her milk back and forth from one hoof to the other, then pushed it away and stood up. “Twilight,” she said quietly. “Do you believe that some ponies are capable of murder, while others are not?”

Twilight’s smile fell a little. “Of course,” she said. “Some ponies have no problem with killing at all. Others wouldn’t hurt a fly. That’s the way it’s always been.”

“And that is where we differ.” L started to walk away, still not looking at anypony at the table. “I believe that all ponies are capable of the most horrific of acts. There is no reason why a good pony would not become evil if given the right motivation, in the same way that an evil pony might turn to good. Any pony can be swayed by darkness, Twilight.” She finally looked up at the pony she was talking to, and for a moment Twilight thought she could see a glimmer of emotion behind those blank eyes. “Even somepony as brave and wonderful as you.”

When nopony said anything more, L turned away. “It is very late. We will continue this discussion in the morning.”

Twilight started to protest. “But we can’t just leave Rainbow...” She trailed off as L left the room.

Silence fell. "What just happened?" Derpy asked.

Calmly, Bon Bon began picking up glasses and preparing to clean the table. “I’ve known Harpy for a very long time,” she said, "and there’s something you should understand about her. She’s not always correct in her assumptions, not completely. She’s not above making mistakes. But in all this time, I’ve never once known her to be wrong."

Straw Bolt was not easily impressed. It was practically a matter of pride for him; even at times when other ponies around him would gasp in delight or fear, he would take a kind of smug satisfaction in making a show of his own aloofness. On this occasion, however, he made no effort to disguise the size of his eyes or the enjoyment on his face. He would admit it; he was impressed.

The past two days had been, while not necessarily the most uncomfortable the guard captain had experienced, certainly very close to the top of the list. Digging into the rough ground beside the boulder that they sheltered behind had eventually provided enough room for the guards and zebra to sit down without being squashed together, but there was still no room to move or stretch safely. The red glow of the golem surrounded them unwaveringly, keeping the trio constantly on edge. They listened and slept in shifts, eating as little as possible to preserve their dwindling rations.

It was only listening to Zecora that made waiting tolerable. What Straw Bolt had assumed would be a simple fairy tale had blossomed into a story of adventure and intrigue as compelling as any novel he'd ever read. Neither did it come to a halt after a few minutes or even a few hours; even as the sun invisibly rose and set above their heads two full times, the zebra just kept talking. She continued to weave ever more plots and characters into a story that showed no signs of stopping or even slowing down, to the extent that Straw Bolt had a sneaking suspicion that she was making it up as she went along.

But it wasn’t the length of the story that was leaving Bolt stunned and breathless, nor the characters it contained. No, what impressed the guard captain the most was that after all this time, after days of speaking virtually non-stop and telling a story that would leave most pony playwrights breathless, Zecora was still rhyming.

“But sighing, the Quilted Queen shook her pale head. ‘You put far too much faith in your friendship,’ she said. ‘My family rises, while yours cannot stand, and the pain of my love that now spreads through this land will soon sweep up your village and bring it to me. Now stand by my side, or return to the sea.’ But Sibwashie stood tall as the waters rose high—”

For the first time in what felt like far too long, another noise could be heard in the ravine. A dull scraping noise echoed down the chasm, like the sound of stone against stone. In a trancelike state, Zecora kept speaking in a low voice for several seconds more until Straw Bolt and Quicksilver simultaneously nudged her. She quickly finished her rhyme and looked up. A second source of light shone from around the boulder, this one white and flickering. Above the murmur of the stream, two more voices could be heard.

"...all I'm saying."

"But with the claw—"

"Without the claw. That's against the rules. If... hey, number eight’s moved again.”

“Huh. It didn’t knock or anything. Must have seen a bird. Anyway, the claw’s essential. Without it, he’s just an ordinary pony.”

“It’s unrealistic. A real hero shouldn’t need fancy gadgets just to get around. Admit it, when it comes to one on one wings will always beat hooves.”

"All right, fine. I'll concede that in a totally fair, one on one fight without any gadgets or weapons, Daring Do would beat Batmane."

"Thank you. That's all I wanted to hear. Come on, help me lift her."

The voices sounded like those of young stallions, their accents a mix of Canterlot and something the listening ponies didn’t recognize. Quicksilver pushed herself against the boulder and strained to listen as their hoofsteps became heavier. It sounded like they were dragging something. Beside her, Zecora slipped her cloak back around her shoulders. Slowly, Straw Bolt began to spread his wings.

“Okay, this should be flat enough. Sheesh, you’d think they could get one of the golems to do this.”

“Don’t change the subject, dude. I keep telling you, he’s not Batmane without his gadgets.”

“Let it go, man. You lost and you know it. Ah, by the Nightmare she’s heavy.”

“Waste of time, if you ask me.”

“Nopony asked you. If the Dollmaker wants her walking, she walks. End of story.”

“Are you seriously still calling h— Ow!” Close by, there was a thud against the ground. “Oh, come on! She’s like a corpse already!”

“Right, that’s it.” There was another scrape against stone. “Look, we can see you’re awake. Do you want to get better or not? Felt and I are putting the effort in. Maybe you oughta think about that before you start slacking off again. You hear me?” There was a slap.

A roar of wind knocked Zecora and Quicksilver back as Straw Bolt took off. Before they’d even fully registered that he’d moved, a crash echoed through the ravine behind them, followed by a shout. A second crack turned this into a panicked wail, and mere seconds after he’d left Straw Bolt flew back through the mist with a yellow pony dangling from his forelegs. “Run!” he shouted.

The golem turned. In an instant the gentle glow of the ruby on its face turned to a blinding inferno of light that sent fiery illumination through the mist around it. With seemingly impossible speed it reached up and swatted Straw Bolt out of the air as he tried to fly over its shoulder, almost sending him crashing to the ground before catching him by his hind legs with a painful wrench.

“Bolt!” Quicksilver screamed. While Zecora followed the captain’s orders and took off down the ravine, she rose into the air as well and launched herself towards the clay creature. Unfortunately, a lack of coordination after sitting still for so long caused her to miss the golem’s hand and instead collide directly with its face, leaving a deep indentation and slightly shifting the shining gemstone within the clay. She flailed to free herself and escaped with a pop just as two massive hands rose up to smooth the ruby back into place, dropping Straw Bolt in the process. The two pegasi gave each other frantic looks before flying after Zecora. Crashes rang out behind them as the golem began to give chase.

It took just a few seconds for the pegasi to catch up with their zebra companion, who put on a new burst of speed as the guards passed overhead. The darkness in front of them was absolute. They ran and flew blindly, as fast as their stiff limbs would carry them, weaving around boulders and walls as they abruptly loomed up in front of them. The only illumination came from the furious light of the ruby, no longer static but flickering and shaking wildly. Ground-shaking thuds echoed deafeningly behind them, spaced more than a second apart. These would quickly grow louder, then suddenly fall behind; the golem crashed into corners and over stones as it followed on its alien, two-legged gait, unable to match the equines’ nimble movements.

But despite their slim advantage, the trio were quickly beginning to tire. Straw Bolt felt his wings threatening to seize up after the sudden exertion, and an angry tearing in his leg told him that he wouldn’t be running anytime soon. As soon as the river straightened out, they were doomed.

There was only one option. Bolt gulped, glancing down at the filly in his forelegs. Sunny Days hung limply, apparently conscious but immobile, staring upwards in blank incomprehension. The captain gritted his teeth and looked to his right. “Quicksilver!” he shouted. She looked his way and he threw the filly towards her, abandoning the need to be gentle. She gasped and swooped to catch Sunny, wincing as she felt the wind being knocked out of her by the impact. “Up! Up!” Bolt yelled, then dove towards Zecora.

The zebra put up no resistance as a pair of powerful legs wrapped around her torso. She leaped as Straw Bolt lifted, allowing herself to be pulled into the air. She threw back her hood and glanced back in fear; the golem was now in view, and they had lost a lot of momentum. “Quickly, lift us to greater heights,” she hissed, “or this may have been our final night!”

Straw Bolt gaped. “You’re still rhyming!?”

“When an unstoppable evil wishes us dead is the worst possible time to lose our heads!” the zebra yelled back.

The golem thundered closer. Straw Bolt flapped harder, losing more speed in an attempt to gain height. Quicksilver had already faded from view into the mists above. Exhaustion weighed upon him far more heavily than Zecora, slowing their ascent to a crawl as the ruby light came nearer and nearer. He narrowed his eyes. Just a little more...

Just as the pair were almost out of reach, the golem jumped. It was not by any means an impressive leap, barely clearing a foot off the ground at its peak, but it was just enough to allow the golem to snag the tip of Zecora’s cloak with two of its fingers. The zebra cried out as she was yanked downwards, and Straw Bolt had to tighten his grip to keep her from being pulled from his grasp. A second hand reached up towards them as they struggled desperately to get away.

Time seemed to slow down.

No.

A new burst of strength flooded through Straw Bolt just as Zecora undid the clasp of her cloak. The rough material scraped painfully between them as they shot upwards, leaving the golem grasping at fabric and empty air. The light of its gem faded into a dim glow as they cleared the fog, rising high above the twisting ravine before coming to a crashing halt on the tree-studded bank. In the distance, the sun began to rise.

Quicksilver appeared shortly afterwards, running along the edge of the cliff with Sunny Days splayed limply across her back. “Bolt!” she yelled when she saw her captain, who Zecora was examining for injuries. “Oh, thank Celestia!” She ran up and forced herself to come to a halt, stopping just short of embracing him. “I wasn’t sure if you’d made it out.”

Straw Bolt shrugged this off. “Just some torn muscles. I’ll make it back. How’s the girl?”

Quicksilver gulped. She glanced over her shoulder, taking her first good look at their rescuee. Sunny Days blinked back at her. She was pale and trembling weakly, her mouth hanging slightly open. The guards’ complaints about her weight had been unfounded; she was as light as a newborn foal. “Unhurt, but in shock,” Quicksilver reported. “Probably malnourished. I don’t think she’s been drugged, but we won’t know for sure until we get her to a doctor.”

A second later, a low rumble could be heard from the ravine below. Straw Bolt sighed. “Of course, they’re not going to let us just waltz out. Come on, then.” He stretched himself out, wincing as he put weight on his hind legs. “Let’s get out of here before they start getting really angry.”

The flight back to town was uneventful. The pegasi set a slower pace, soaring over the treetops instead of dashing madly, allowing their stiff wings some respite. Zecora rested on Straw Bolt’s back for safety, while Quicksilver cradled Sunny Days in her forelegs. She whispered to the filly as she flew, trying to get any kind of response out of her. “Sunny?” she repeated, minute after minute. “Are you there? Can you hear me?”

After what seemed like far too much prompting, Sunny Days nodded. “Yeah,” she mumbled.

A smile came to Quicksilver’s face. “It’s okay now. We’ve got you. We’re taking you to somewhere safe.”

“‘Kay.”

They didn’t speak any more after that. Quicksilver held Sunny Days close to her chest, not wanting the filly to see her eyes filling with tears. Oh, Celestia, she mourned. What did they do to you?

The quartet landed at the edge of Ponyville without incident, in almost exactly the same place where they’d set off. The town beyond was quiet, just beginning to stir as the morning light hit their windows. Straw Bolt dropped Zecora off and pulled a short flare out from within his armor, tugging at the fuse to ignite it. A mix of magic and fire powder launched high into the air before bursting, sending a bright green flash across the sky. Mission accomplished. Everypony come home.

Nodding to himself, Straw Bolt turned back to Zecora. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to cut this short,” he said. “Sunny Days needs medical attention. If you can give us directions to the nearest hospital, we can—”

“Captain, hold up.” Quicksilver nudged him. “Royals.”

The captain looked up. A pair of gold-plated, stunningly white pegasi were calmly walking across the field towards them, dressed up as if they’d been expecting them. Straw Bolt’s eyes narrowed. To an outsider the pair would have been indistinguishable from any other royal guards (or, for that matter, each other) but after months among their ranks Bolt had learned to tell these two apart from the rest. These weren’t just Celestia’s Royal Guard; they were her personal guards, the ones who pulled her chariot and watched over her during visitations. Seeing the pair on their own filled him with a faint sense of unease.

As the two approached he grudgingly snapped off a salute, which Quicksilver hastily imitated. “Biggs and Wedge of Her Majesty’s Royal Guard,” Straw Bolt growled. “Never thought I’d say this, but you’re exactly the ponies I wanted to see right now.”

Ponies who hadn’t spent much time in either branch of the Guard often didn’t see the point of Biggs and Wedge. Celestia doesn’t need protecting, they argued. She possesses all the undying power of the sun, and the wisdom of thousands of years. If a danger arose that could pose a threat to somepony like her, what use would a pair of even the finest pegasus guards be? However, anypony who attempted to speak to either of the pair, even during their free hours, could soon begin to guess at their true purpose. They didn’t guard Celestia to protect her from danger. They guarded her to protect her from kindness.

The Princess would never leave an engagement of her own accord; there would always be a guard whispering in her ear, gently leading her away from the ponies she was talking to. They charioted her around despite her own love of flight, eliminating any possibility of delay or distraction. It was said that Princess Celestia was a being of absolute love and generosity, and that she would never once let one of her ponies down or turn somepony away. Technically, this was true. If an unauthorized pony attempted to speak with Her Majesty or present her with a gift during her work hours they would be turned away not by the Princess, but by a pair of utterly unmoveable guards with prepared lectures about Celestia’s schedule.

While whether this display was Celestia’s means of governing herself or part of a larger act was up to debate, the simple fact of the matter was that even the Princess needed a little unkindness in her life. In this generation, Biggs and Wedge filled this role with almost admirable antagonism. They were never rude, only stern; they turned down unfair requests that the Princess might otherwise feel compelled to grant, refused well-wishers whom she would waste an afternoon with, gave a reasonable No when a kind Princess might say Yes. Even now, in the wake of a successful rescue operation, the pair stared at the ponies and zebra in front of them with expressions frozen in cold formality.

Legend had it that there were a few ponies who knew the secret to making Biggs and Wedge laugh. Straw Bolt would have traded his pinions to see that happen, if only once.

“Straw Bolt, captain of the Lower Canterlot guard,” Biggs intoned at length, his voice impossibly gruff. “We trust your mission was a success.”

“To the fullest.” Bolt lowered his hoof. He kept his body as straight as possible despite the pain in his legs, trying to remain slightly taller than the pair in front of him. “Sunny Days has been recovered as requested. As soon as she’s been treated, we need to send for reinforcements—.”

“We will take her from here,” Wedge ordered, his voice even deeper than his partner’s. The pair looked sharply towards Quicksilver, who tried and failed not to shrink under their gaze. They gave no further instructions, only waiting expectantly.

Straw Bolt gritted his teeth. He gave a slight shake of his head, stopping Quicksilver as she began to creep forwards. “Our orders are to bring Sunny to a safe location, not leave her with the first uniforms who come our way. If you want to help, you can send the order for a strike team while we take her to the nearest hospital.”

Biggs shook his head as well. “Your orders have been altered. You are to remain in Ponyville until further notice. The rest of your squad may return to Canterlot at their discretion.” He reached back and pulled a well-stuffed pouch from his barding, holding it out. It jingled at his touch. “This allowance has been provided for you. We will escort the pony known as Sunny Days to her destination.”

Wedge walked forward, moving beside Quicksilver. She shivered as he used his wing to scoop Sunny Days from her back, bundling her against his side like a doll. “We assure you, she will be well looked after,” he said in a voice that completely failed to carry any sort of reassurance.

Quicksilver nodded meekly. “It’s okay, Sunny,” she whispered as the filly was carried away. “You can trust them. They’ll look after you.” If Sunny Days heard her, she gave no indication of it.

Straw Bolt regarded the proffered bag of coins with suspicion. Something about this change of plans seemed wrong, terribly wrong, but for the sake of his position he didn’t dare question Celestia’s personal guards. He lowered his head to take the bag, keeping his eyes raised to see if the slightest hint of satisfaction appeared on the face of the pony who held it. It did not. He quickly straightened up and threw the bag over his shoulder, catching it with his wing, then spoke. “That dealt with, we still need to move quickly. When we found Sunny, there were two ponies guarding her, an earth pony and a unicorn. One of them—”

“This will not be necessary.” Biggs and Wedge turned away. “You can submit your report by post through the usual channels.”

“The hay I will.” Straw Bolt lunged forward, catching the pair by their shoulders before they could move away. Fire shot up his right flank as he put all his weight on his hind legs, but he tried his best not to flinch. “Listen, they’re still there, and they might not be for long. Two of their guards are incapacitated, and the one golem guard will be preoccupied. This is our chance to catch those Nightmare-lovers before they try a stunt like this again. I’m not combat-ready, but if we move now I can lead a team right to the entrance to their base. What do you say?”

Biggs and Wedge glanced at one another. Bolt was certain that they practiced this in their free time, just to make it as infuriating as possible. “Your orders are to remain in Ponyville until further notice,” Biggs repeated. “There are no plans for any further actions to be taken. That is all.”

Almost imperceptibly, Wedge wrinkled his nose. “You smell,” he added.

Straw Bolt sighed. “I’ve spent the past fifty hours in a stakeout with three bodies behind one boulder. Believe me, the less said about that, the better.” He shook his head and refocused. “Look, just listen to me. This could be our one chance to bring the ponies responsible for this crime to justice. Does that mean nothing to you?”

“That will be all, Captain Straw Bolt,” Biggs barked gruffly. Both guards shook his hooves off their shoulders. “Kindly do not impede us in our own duties any longer.”

Straw Bolt lowered his head, a growl building in his throat. I could have been your captain, you buffoons. “All right,” he said in a low voice, making sure restrained anger was visible on his face. “But you tell Celestia this. There’s somepony, or something out there called the Dollmaker. It’s what took Sunny Days, it has any number of golems under its command, and very soon it’s going to know that the ones who just threw off its plans came from Ponyville. You tell her that. Then we’ll see whether you’ll be interested in justice!”

The captain had to shout the last part of this, as Biggs and Wedge had begun to walk away, carrying Sunny Days across the field at an unhurried pace. Zecora watched from nearby, glaring after them with disapproval. “Why can our guards be civil, when the brightest can not?” she muttered. “Perhaps you do things differently in Canterlot.”

Straw Bolt snorted. “I assure you, that was not normal,” he said. “I will definitely be including this in my report.” He turned back to Zecora, his expression softening a little. “I’m sorry about your cloak.”

Zecora shrugged, smiling faintly. “I carried nothing in it I could not stand to lose. I would keep my life over it, given reason to choose.” She pondered this for a moment, then sighed. “Sadly, its contents will soon point to myself. Going back to my home may be poor for my health.”

“Good thing you’ve got us to protect you, right?” Quicksilver made a show of brightening up, though she still cast frequent glances towards the retreating royal guards. “As long as we’re in town, we can keep an eye out for you until this thing blows over.”

Straw Bolt nodded. He wasn’t certain whether the order to remain in Ponyville had referred to them both or only to him, but he chose not to bring this up. “First things first. We continue to send up flares every hour until the rest of the team returns. Then we can focus on finding somewhere to stay.”

Zecora smiled. “An excellent plan, my fine pony friends,” she said. Already, another trio of iron-plated guards was emerging from the trees behind them. “Now, if you recall, my tale has not yet reached its end...”

Work turned out to be impossible. After rising late and trying (and subsequently failing) to talk L into releasing Rainbow Dash again, Twilight tried to devote what energy she had to studying Kira’s actions. It didn’t work. Even with Jazz doing his best to assist her, even the simplest forms of data analysis seemed temporarily beyond her grasp. Every time she felt like she was starting to get a handle on what she was looking at, her eyes would shift inevitably back to L.

The detective was multitasking as only she could, crossing her way through a thick stack of names (of which the “A” section took up nearly half) while keeping an eye on three screens simultaneously. The first showed local news, set to mute. The second was one of the cameras from Rainbow Dash’s room. After ripping the padding away from the cell door to reveal unmoving steel beyond, she’d curled up in the furthest corner of the room and barely moved since. The third screen showed rapidly shifting sky, the view from Derpy out on her mail route. Hiding a crystallized louse in her mane had been proven impractical, as the camera rarely pointed at anything useful and most sounds were drowned out by the wind and Derpy’s own heartbeat, but L seemed content to watch the resulting images nonetheless.

It was around mid-afternoon when a loud belch rang out from the direction of the kitchen. A minute later, Spike emerged with a fresh scroll in his claws. He'd been surprisingly calm after learning about Rainbow Dash's detainment; after Twilight had told him, he'd simply said "Again?" and tried to go back to sleep. "Mail's here!" he called, passing the note to the nearest pony before heading back to the kitchen.

Jazz looked apologetically to Twilight. "We're going to have to suspend our activities for a while so we can take in the new data. If you like, we can put that off until you're finished here."

"No, it's fine. We weren't getting anything done anyway." Twilight pushed away a jumble of mostly meaningless notes and stood up, grudgingly walking to get L. Bon Bon had arrived with a bowl of cherry-topped ice cream and was attempting to feed her. Locket sat down in Twilight's vacated seat, unrolling the still-warm scroll. "Death report for Monday," she read. "Total thirteen deaths, four different cities, from estimated midnight to nine-thirty at night..."

Twilight arrived by L's side, looking over her shoulder cautiously. "Anything interesting?" she asked.

"Nothing we haven't already discussed," L replied calmly. She accepted another mouthful of ice cream before glancing up, then quickly swallowed and leaned forward. "Oh. Now that's strange."

"What is?"

"The mail's here."

Derpy's screen turned to reds and browns, then a loud knock echoed through the chamber. After L gave her an expectant look, Twilight ran to open the trapdoor. Derpy bounded downstairs with her mailbags on, holding a letter in her mouth. "Express letter for Rainbow Dash!" she announced proudly, holding it up.

L spun around. "From who? Addressed to here?"

"Nuh-uh." Derpy shook her head. "To her house. But I know she's here instead. I dunno who it's from. Hi, Locket!" She waved.

Locket absently waved back. "Frozen Fronds, F-R-O-Z-E-N, F-R-O-N-D-S. Vanhoover East Prison. Estimated time of death, lunchtime..."

L stretched out a hoof. "Give that here." With only a moment's hesitation, Derpy trotted over and gave the letter to L. The detective immediately flipped the letter over once, examining the writing on the front before tearing it open with her teeth. She pulled out the page within and squinted at the first line. "It's from Applejack."

Twilight gasped. She leaned over and tried to read it, almost unsettling L in her chair. "What's it say?"

L quickly scanned the page, then passed it to Bon Bon and pulled her ice cream closer to herself. Bon Bon held the letter close, coughed once, then slipped into an almost pitch-perfect imitation of Applejack's voice as she started to read. "Dear Rainbow Dash," she said, to the listening ponies' amazement. "Ah tried shouting out your window for almost an hour, but either you ain't there or you're hiding from me. Ah can understand either, but the fact is we need to talk. What you did last night was scary as all heck, and running from me is only gonna make me worry about you more. Remember, sugarcube, Ah'm your friend. Don't think there's anything you need to hide from me."

Bon Bon frowned as she got to the important part. "Ah don't know when exactly you'll get this. If you can, meet me for lunch at my place tomorrow. Ah don't want us to have any secrets from each other, especially not now. Ah care about you, Dash. Ah just want everything to be okay. Your friend, Applejack." Bon Bon coughed again before returning to her normal speaking voice. "This is written very neatly, as well. A lot of time went into this."

There was a stunned pause. Then Derpy clapped. "That was amazing!" she cheered.

Bon Bon blushed. L took the letter back from her, folding it carefully. "Bon Bon's wasted beneath the hood, you know," she said softly. "She can do so many voices..." She smiled wistfully, then returned to seriousness when she looked at Twilight. "Obviously, this has several implications. I believe you can name the first off the top of your head."

"Uh..." Twilight thought for a second, then smiled. "Of course! This means Rainbow Dash isn't being controlled! If Applejack was already inside her head, she wouldn't need to send a letter asking her to meet up."

"This is true." L tapped her chin. "Then again, it could be a ruse to make us think she's not being controlled."

"No, I don't think so," Twilight argued. "The letter was sent to her house, right?" Derpy nodded. "If Kira was trying to trick us, it would require her to know that Rainbow Dash is being detained here, and that Derpy works for us and is aware of this. If she knew that much already, why would she need to write this letter?"

"That is also true." L scooped up the cherry on her ice cream and popped it into her mouth. She swirled it around in her mouth, swiftly knotted the stem with her tongue, then spat it back into the bowl. "Although I would not put it past Kira to attempt such a complex bluff, it is more likely at this point that she is not aware of Rainbow Dash's position." She smiled. "Which presents us with yet another valuable opportunity."

"Locket!" Jazz barked, snapping the mare's attention away from the discussion in the corner.

Locket blushed deeply and continued to read. "T-I-M-B-E-R, G-R-E-Y. ‘The Block,’ Stalliongrad. Estimated time of death, between six and seven in the morning..."

Putting her ice cream aside, L rose up from her chair. "New new plan. Since this Kira has decided to play defensively, we will do the opposite. From this point forth, all four members of the Apple family in Ponyville will be under direct investigation." She flicked off the middle of the screens behind her. "Bon Bon, collect Rainbow Dash."

Barely a minute after Bon Bon had left the chamber, Rainbow Dash burst back in with unsurprising speed. She charged back across the room with her wings spread, snorting fury from her mouth. "L!" she yelled. "I'm gonna make you pay for this!"

"Rainbow, wait!" Twilight quickly leaped in front of the detective and waved desperately. Rainbow Dash failed to stop in time, and the three of them fell into a tumble that ended up sliding under the nearest desk before colliding with the wall. "It was just a test," Twilight wheezed as soon as her breath came back to her, carefully holding her struggling friend's forehooves in place. "We just had to make sure you weren't being controlled."

By the time the trio had managed to disentangle themselves and climb out from under the desk, Twilight had managed to rapidly explain the situation and calm Rainbow Dash down enough that she could stand on her own without needing to be restrained. “I get it,” she said at length, glowering at L. “But you didn’t have to trick me. You could have just asked.”

L shrugged. “It was the most efficient method. I couldn’t be certain that you would be cooperative.”

Twilight frowned. “It was still a mean trick.”

“Yes, I suppose.” To Twilight’s surprise, L looked directly at her and bowed her head apologetically. “I’m sorry for being harsh in my treatment of your friend. There was no need for me to deceive her in that way.”

Twilight lowered her own head. “I’m not the one you should be apologizing to,” she said quietly.

Locket coughed loudly; this time it was Jazz who was staring distractedly at the corner. She let out a satisfied chuckle as the older pony snapped back to attention, then looked down again at the report. “Written Scr—”

Locket froze, but not fast enough. Her sharp intake of breath caused every eye in the room to lock on her. A bead on the abacus rattled expectantly, waiting to fall into place, then stopped. Slowly, Locket turned away from Jazz until she locked eyes with Derpy. The pegasus was staring at her wide-eyed, breath held, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. Twilight and Rainbow Dash simultaneously looked from one pony to another, unconsciously trying not to breathe as well. They weren’t certain what had just happened, and neither particularly cared to guess.

After an uncomfortably long silence, Derpy finally spoke in a very small, quiet voice. “Muffin?”

Locket gulped. Jazz stepped forward and gently tried to take the report from her, but she held on to it fast. “Written Script,” she repeated. Her body trembled, but her voice was strong. “W-R-I-T-T-E-N, S-C-R-I-P-T. ‘The Block,’ Stalliongrad. Estimated time of death... between one and three in the morning.” Her voice became softer. “He died in his sleep. He didn’t suffer.”

Derpy’s eyes were filling with tears. She folded and unfolded her wings, making as if she was going to move and then stopping, still looking like she wasn’t certain of what she was hearing. She spoke again, a tremor now evident in her voice. “Muffin?”

“C-cause of death: heart attack. No unusual symptoms.” Locket lowered the scroll. “Derpy, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

Rainbow Dash started to creep forward. “Derpy?” she asked. “What happened?” Twilight, having long since come to her own conclusions, shook her head and desperately motioned for Dash to step back. The pegasus ignored her. “Who was that guy?”

Derpy didn’t speak. She choked, still frozen, apparently struggling to breathe. “He was her fiancé,” Locket answered for her, casting her eyes at the ground. “Dinky’s father.”

Dash couldn’t keep herself from gasping. “You mean—” She clamped her mouth shut as a sob finally escaped from Derpy’s lips. The grey mare seemed to fold up into herself, shrinking down against the stone floor. “Hey,” Dash said with as much sincerity as she could muster, “it’s gonna be okay. We’re here for you.” She reached out a hoof comfortingly. “We’re gonna get through—”

“Noooooo!” The instant a hoof touched her mane, Derpy shot up and shoved Rainbow Dash with enough force to knock her onto her back. One of her saddlebags sprung open, scattering letters around her hooves, but Derpy didn’t seem to notice. She made a noise that was half snarl and half wail, one eye narrowed in fury, the other wide in fear. “Don’t touch— I can’t— Muffin!” She tried to cry out again before breaking down into a horrendous coughing fit, sending spasms across her whole body.

Twilight glanced at L, who remained placid as ever, before rushing to her friend’s aid. Locket darted forward a second later. They reached Derpy at almost the same time, trying to look comforting while keeping their distance. “Derpy—” Twilight tried.

“Go ‘way!” Derpy whirled away, shaking her head back and forth. She scattered more letters in her wake. “Stop being so nice to me!”

Before anypony present could process this, Derpy stormed over to the iron doors and threw them open, vanishing up the stairs in a flash of grey. There was a thud as she collided with the trapdoor above, then another as she cracked it open through sheer force and sped away into the sky outside.

Rainbow Dash allowed Twilight to help her back to her hooves, still looking stunned. “Wait, let me get this straight,” she said. “Are you seriously saying that the fiancé of Derpy, who couldn’t pull off a crime if she flew headfirst into one, is a criminal?”

“Was,” Locket snapped. She looked down at the death report again. “It says he was arrested for smuggling contraband into the colonies... it doesn’t specify what kind. Possible endangerment of a minor. Minimum five year sentence, recently reduced to three for good behavior. He... he would have gotten out in a few months.” She sniffed, maintaining her posture. “Should we go after her?”

“No need,” L called from the corner, tapping a screen behind her. A violently shaking view of the sky appeared on it. “Her louse is still active. I can monitor her whereabouts from here.”

Slowly, the group turned to glare at L. “She meant to see if she’s okay,” Twilight said coldly. “Are you really going on about that possession and betrayal stuff now?”

L tutted. “Derpy has friends and family for support. We are merely her coworkers. There are other matters which presently need us more. What I meant is that if she finds herself lost or in danger in her state, we will be the first to know.” She twisted her face into what on any other pony would have been a hurt expression. “Why must you always assume the worst of me, Twilight?”

Twilight paused, then sighed. "Sorry," she muttered. "It's just now, of all times... I think we've all made some mistakes in the past few days." She paused. Rainbow Dash was staring at her with a familiar, expectant expression. Her resolve hardened. "You know what? Emergency friendship circle. Right now."

It took longer than usual to explain the concept. Spike and Bon Bon brought snacks when they emerged from the kitchen, and eventually even Jazz was led away from his abacus and made to join the circle seated on the floor. They held hooves and listened to Twilight as she spoke. "Okay, everypony," she began. "Let's face it. We're kind of a mess right now."

She looked around at the faces in the group. Not one contradicted her. "Do you know why that is? Because we don't trust each other. Ever since this game began, Kira's been trying to tear our team apart. She makes us fear that any one of us could be possessed, that at any point any one of us who's been exposed to her could turn around and stab everypony else in the back. Harpy, you said that when Kira revealed her true nature to us, she was trying to frighten us. Well, it's working, but it's not her we're scared of. It's each other."

To her left, Spike shivered. Twilight wrapped her hoof around his claw a little tighter. "Well, no more," Twilight said firmly. "I'm putting a stop to this right now. We're not going to play by her rules any more. If we do, we'll die. Because when the cards come down, we have something that Kira can never have. While Kira has to steal souls to do her work, we have each other. We have teamwork. We have the magic of friendship. And if we let her take that away from us, then we might as well give up right now.

"From now on, we're not going to have any secrets. We're going to look out for each other, not because we're afraid, but because we care about each other. And above all else, we're going to trust each other."

"That doesn't make sense," Spike said nervously. "If any one of us could be controlled by Kira, then how can we trust each other?"

“Because from what we’ve seen so far, Kira can’t control her subjects like puppets. She can only whisper in their ears. If it were anything stronger than that, I don’t think any of us would be alive right now. And I think that’s important.” Twilight looked around the circle again, this time smiling. "I know some of us haven't known each other for that long. Given the choice, there's some of you that I probably wouldn't have chosen to work with on this mission." She avoided looking at anypony in particular for this part.

"But after we’ve lived and struggled through so much together, after we’ve put aside our differences for this one mission and included each other in our problems, we’re not just coworkers now. The bonds between us are stronger than the ones Kira’s trying to slip round our necks. This goes for Derpy too, and Colgate and Fluttershy, and everypony else who’s come across our path. Even if I can’t explain it, I know, deep in my heart, that none of you will ever betray me. Because all of you...” Twilight’s smile widened, and a familiar warmth began to flow through her. Spike. Locket. Rainbow Dash. Jazz. Bon Bon. Even you, Harpy Chords. “Are my friends.”

Not everyone reacted in the same way. Spike and Rainbow Dash beamed with pride, and Bon Bon looked delighted. Jazz, however, seemed shocked at this announcement, and Locket appeared frightened. The biggest change, however, came over L. Her eyes widened, first in horror, then realization, and finally foal-like joy. A warm smile spread down through her face, which never completely vanished until the following morning.

Twilight beamed. "From now on, we're not just a random gathering of ponies with a common purpose,” she continued. “We're a team. A team of friends, friends who know how to work together, friends who would give up their lives to keep each other safe. That's why we'll win, and Kira will lose. Because together, we're so much more than the sum of our parts. We are..." She lifted her head proudly. "The Coalition of Justice."

Rainbow Dash snorted in amusement. "The CoJ?"

Twilight blushed. "Hey, it's... the best I could think of mid-speech."

"I like it," L murmured. "Very goal-oriented. Very righteous." She straightened up. “However, this philosophy may not be well-suited to our methods. Applejack is included amongst your friends, after all, and we cannot presently afford her the same unconditional trust.”

“I know,” Twilight sighed. “Like I said, we’ve all made some mistakes in the past few days. It’s time to correct some of them. Starting with my own.” She let go of Spike’s claw and turned to her right, facing Rainbow Dash directly. “I’m sorry I doubted you earlier,” she said. “I know you can tell a spreadsheet from a prison sheet. If Applejack has something that might have to do with Kira but hasn’t tried to tell us about it, that’s reason enough to suspect she’s up to something. If it’s the worst-case scenario and she is under Kira’s control, then it means Kira’s found a way of getting to her that’s stronger than a subconscious link. You had every right to worry about her being in danger, and I was wrong to brush you off like that.”

Dash sort of smiled. “Thanks... I think,” she said. “I’m confused, though. Do you suspect Applejack now or not?”

“I don’t think it’s as simple as a yes or no. The reason we’re struggling so much is that we still know next to nothing about what we’re dealing with. We don’t know Kira’s true nature, if she even has one, or the extent of her powers, if they even are unique to her. Which means that you were right, Harpy.” Twilight looked at L. “I understand why you use such extreme methods now. As long as Kira has this kind of advantage over us, we can’t afford to hold back. Doubt is what somepony as clever as her can use to slip through the cracks. If we’re going to make a decision, we’re going to commit to it one hundred percent.”

“I’m glad.” L’s smile widened again, this time with visible excitement. “Then you are comfortable with a close observation of your friend?”

“Of course not. But as long as there’s a chance she’s in danger, it’s a gamble we’ll have to take. The same goes for her family.” Twilight looked at others in the circle. “Here's the plan. Spike, you talk to Cheerilee and see if you can watch Apple Bloom at the schoolhouse. Nopony will think it's unusual if you're spotted around there." Spike seemed nervous, but nodded. Twilight started to speak again, but hesitated. She looked at L. “I’m not stepping on your hooves, am I?”

“No, continue,” L said. “I would have made the same recommendation myself.”

Relieved, Twilight kept going. “Tomorrow should be Big Macintosh's turn to sell the latest apple harvest in town. Locket, Bon Bon, you keep an eye on him and see if he does anything suspicious. He’s got pretty sharp eyes, so you’ll need to work together to avoid detection.”

As the two earth mares nodded to each other, Locket with some reluctance, Rainbow Dash began to squirm in place. “What about me?” she asked. “You’re not gonna lock me up again, are you?”

“No, Dash. There’s a test we can do to see if you’ve been controlled. A real one this time.” She turned to face her friend, putting on her most serious expression. “All you have to do is look at me. Dash, just look me in the eyes and tell me that you didn’t tell Applejack or anypony else about us.”

Without hesitation, Rainbow Dash locked eyes with Twilight. “I didn’t tell Applejack or anypony else about you. I promised I wouldn’t.”

Slowly, Twilight smiled. “Unless Kira’s somehow made you not the second-worst liar in Equestria, that’s all the evidence I need. Your time has come, Rainbow Dash. Tomorrow at noon, we’re going to need you more than ever.” Twilight looked at L again. “Harpy, earlier you said that Applejack’s letter was an opportunity. You were going to say that Rainbow Dash should meet with her, aren’t you?”

“Indeed I was.” L leaned forward, still smiling. “If Applejack were intending to share any secrets with you, she would have expressed that sentiment more specifically in her letter. No, any meeting will be an interrogation of you, Rainbow Dash, to see if you are a threat. It seems that it was your friendship that saved you after all. She wishes to know for certain what side you take before she takes any potentially fatal actions.”

“Wait, what?” Rainbow Dash paled. “You mean if she thinks I’m working for you, she’ll kill me?”

“For real this time, yes.” L nodded. “But with the right preparation, I do not think it will come to that.”

“Dash, think about this,” Twilight said as her friend began to panic. “Kira or not, she’s still your friend. She wouldn’t lay a hoof on you unless she had absolutely no other choice. Besides, if you recall, Applejack isn’t the best liar on the block either. If she has something to hide, you’ll know right away.”

“Oh, I get it!” Spike exclaimed. A sly look came to his eye. “So the interrogator... has become the interrogate...ee? Is that a word?”

“Yes, that’s a word,” Twilight reassured him. She turned to the unicorn on Spike’s left. “Jazz. If Rainbow takes a pouch of woodlice in with her, how quickly can you have them set up for one room?”

Jazz considered this. “If you can provide a sufficiently detailed layout of the building beforehand, and your friend makes the drop in the same room where she and Applejack will talk, I can have at least one working camera in place in a matter of minutes.”

“Just enough time, if we’re careful.” She turned back to Dash. “If something goes wrong, we’ll know enough to bust you out, and maybe have some evidence to bargain with as well. What do you say?”

Dash fidgeted. “I dunno,” she said. “I mean, I’m not scared or anything, but...” She kicked at the ground. “I’ll think about it.”

“You had best decide soon,” L said. “We have a deadline. And if you do not go, you may have one as well.” She released Bon Bon’s hoof and tapped her chin thoughtfully as Dash trembled again. “Of course, this is overlooking a fairly significant problem. We still need a convincing reason for Rainbow Dash to have been seen outside her friend’s window that will not lead to further suspicion.”

Locket, who looked as though she’d been sitting on a bug throughout this exchange, snorted. “Isn’t it obvious?” she snapped. Irritation turned to doubt as the others stared at her. Her voice dropped back to meekness. “Well... I mean... isn’t it?”

Everything is terrible. Derpy can only run.

Everything was going so good. Twilight wasn’t Kira and Fluttershy wasn’t Kira and Applejack was Kira but not really and they were going to catch Kira for real and make things okay. Everypony was being nice to Derpy and the words were coming so easy and everything was going to be okay. But now nothing is okay. Everything is terrible because Big Muffin is dead and now nothing can ever be okay ever, ever again.

Derpy runs. She runs and runs until she can’t run any more, and when she can’t run any more she stops running and cries. She cries and cries and it’s like swimming in an ocean of crying, and when she can’t cry any more she tries to keep crying because she has more sadness inside of her than tears. Then she looks around and realizes that she doesn’t know where she is.

It takes Derpy a long time to walk back to town, longer than the time for running and the time for crying put together. The sky is dark now. As she walks she tries to use the words that big ponies use when they want her to feel better, and those words are At Least. At Least Derpy is still okay. At Least Big Muffin wasn’t sad when he died. At Least Little Muffin is still okay. Thinking about Little Muffin makes Derpy’s head hurt so she tries to stop but she can’t stop because she loves Little Muffin so much. Then she realizes that she will have to tell Little Muffin that Big Muffin is dead and she has to stop where she is and cry again.

This is the worst part, because Little Muffin will never see her Daddy again. They will never have any more snacks again or play any more games again and never go on any more train rides again and the thought hurts Derpy so much that she wants to cry and cry and never stop. Because Big Muffin is perfect and Little Muffin will always love Daddy more than a silly pony like Mommy and nothing will be okay for Little Muffin ever again.

Now the sky is really really dark and Derpy keeps walking because she has to keep walking. One of her bags is empty and Mr. Brown will be really angry and maybe yell at her but all she can think about is seeing Little Muffin again. And as she walks she stops being Derpy Hooves, who was a brave pony who had lots of friends and was going to make everything okay, and goes back to being plain old Ditzy Doo.

Best Friend’s lights are on when Ditzy gets to Best Friend’s house, and Ditzy sits and looks and them and does not say anything. She walks up to the door and she hears voices, and when she hears voices she stops again and listens because she can hear Best Friend talking. “I’m going to arrive at the border in a few days,” Best Friend says in the voice that she uses when she’s reading. “There aren’t many post stations up ahead, so I might not be able to write to you for a while. I think this border will be easier to cross than the ones before, because this one is run by warthogs. Warthogs are nice because they eat a lot, so they will be extra friendly to anyone who shares their food with them. They are also very smelly, but never tell one that if you ever meet one.”

Little Muffin giggles, and Ditzy Doo’s heart feels like it is made from one great big rock. She moves closer to the door and then stops. She wants to walk in and smile at Best Friend and hold Little Muffin under her wings one more time, but then they will know something is wrong and she will have to tell Little Muffin that Daddy is dead. She wants to go in so badly, but she is not a brave pony like Derpy Hooves any more. She is only Ditzy Doo, and Ditzy Doo is a bad mommy who tells lies to her little filly.

Best Friend tells Little Muffin that it is time for bed. Ditzy listens and she can hear Little Muffin brush her teeth, and she can hear Best Friend tucking her up in bed. She can even hear a little noise as Best Friend gives Little Muffin a goodnight kiss just like a good mommy should. “Goodnight, Dinky,” Best Friend says.

“Goodnight, Auntie Top,” Little Muffin says.

Then the lights go out and Ditzy is staring at only darkness, and the darkness hurts her eyes. She stares at the darkness for a long time and then she turns around and walks away, and now she is walking even slower than before.

There’s a house right next to the Post Office that Ditzy has never been to. She knocks on the door really quietly, and then she knocks really loudly and almost runs away but doesn’t because even if she isn’t a brave pony like Derpy Hooves any more she is still a little bit brave. The door opens and then Mr. Brown is looking at her. He starts to look angry, and then he stops and he looks sad. “Kid?” he says so quiet that Ditzy can almost not hear him. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m sorry,” Ditzy says, then sniffs because her face is still full of tears. “I didn’t know where to go.”

Mr. Brown looks at her for a long time. Then he steps back and holds his door open for her. “You’d better come inside,” he says. Ditzy steps into Mr. Brown’s house, but she doesn’t look at him or say thank you because she is a bad pony. Mr. Brown puts his head out the door and looks both ways as if he is about to cross the street, and then shuts the door.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Do you think that some ponies are capable of murder, while others are not?

It’s a question that’s been bothering me ever since L brought it up. I used to think that some ponies are inherently good, and that that goodness can never be taken away from them. Now, I’m not so sure any more.

I know my friends aren’t Kira. I know I’m not Kira. I know I’m not Kira. But no matter how strongly I want to believe in goodness, these thoughts keep filling up my brain. What if I was Kira? Would that even be possible? I know I would never kill. I believe that everypony, even the worst of ponies, deserves the chance to be forgiven. But if I had the power of Kira, to kill whoever I wanted, however I wanted, with nopony ever knowing it was me... would I still be such a good pony?

Please respond.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.

Next episode: Tarts! (Of the fruity kind.)

Coalition

25
*Coalition*

The owner of the Death Note may lend the Note to another pony while maintaining ownership. Subletting it to yet another pony is possible, too.

Shortly after the sun rose, Locket, Bon Bon and Spike emerged from the base underneath Ponyville. The mares said nothing to one another as they walked into town, only pausing to wish Spike good luck as he parted from the group and set off on his own. They went on together into the heart of Ponyville, turning at the market district and setting off to the west.

The two earth ponies couldn't seem to meet each other's gazes. Bon Bon had put on her grocery saddlebags, each marked with a lyre clasp, while Locket went bareback. They walked side by side, looking straight ahead. Bon Bon would sometimes look around and smile at the sky and rare ponies that they passed, and Locket would take the opportunity to sneak glances at her. They kept this up until they were well into a sleepy residential district, which smelled like earth and cooking breakfasts. Once she was certain they were out of earshot of anypony, Locket looked towards her partner. "Do you think—"

"Is this your—" Bon Bon started at the same time. She laughed, and Locket blushed. "You first, dear."

"Okay." Locket gulped. "Do you think Twilight's right about everything? About us?"

Bon Bon shrugged. "Harpy seems to trust her. That's enough for me."

"No, I mean..." Locket stopped walking. Bon Bon took another two steps before pausing, looking back curiously. "We're friends, right?" Locket said. "She wasn't just talking out of her rump about that, was she? I mean, I just..."

"It depends, dear." Bon Bon smiled comfortingly. "Would you like us to be your friends?"

"Yes! I mean, yes. It just...” Locket scraped her hoof against the road. “It feels like there's something missing. It reminds me of kindergarten. A pony can call herself your best friend, and you can spend all your time together, but at the end of the day if you don't like the same singer that she likes she'll still kick dirt in your face." She bit her lip and looked to the side. "I've never had a friend I haven't had to earn. Can it really be as easy as holding hooves and saying we're going to stick together? What gives her the right?"

The blue mare glared at the ground, old resentment beginning to rear up from where she'd buried it. When a hoof gently touched her face she flinched, mostly out of surprise, and looked up to see Bon Bon smiling at her. "You're a good pony, Locket," the other mare said. A strangely melodic tone had come into her voice. "I know it's scary, having to depend on others, but it's very worth it in the end. Maybe you're not ready yet to trust everyone, but if you like, I can be your friend, and maybe that can be enough for now. What do you say?"

Bon Bon's smile was infectious. As she lowered her hoof Locket straightened up, a hint of a grin appearing on her own face as well. "I think I'd like that," she said quietly. She walked back up to Bon Bon's side, and the pair continued on their way.

"I was going to ask," Bon Bon said soon after, "if this is your first time doing something like this."

"Properly, yeah." Locket shuddered. "The idea kind of frightens me. I’ve watched lots of ponies before, but never one who... might be watching back. This way feels more... dishonest, I guess." She looked to Bon Bon for support. "It must get easier with time, right?"

"No," Bon Bon said. "It doesn't." She stopped and looked around. "Which of these is the right house?"

Unlike the Apple family, the numerous members of the Carrot clan didn't all live on their homestead. Instead they clustered in multiple buildings in town, each home within view of the one before it in an unbroken chain leading all the way back to the farm. Carrot Top lived fairly close to her place of work, in a small bungalow close to the outskirts of town. The houses here were small compared to the ones closer to the center, leaving plenty of room for personal gardens and tool sheds in their expansive backyards. Locket mouthed the address to herself and pointed to the correct house. The pair started to approach it just as the front door opened.

Carrot Top emerged with a yawn, stopping short as she saw two ponies halfway up her front walk. "Oh, hello," she said, stepping out. "Can I help you?"

"Oh, um..." Locket glanced at Bon Bon, but her partner was staring right back at her. "We're friends of Derp— Ditzy Doo. We were wondering if you'd seen her lately."

Carrot Top narrowed her eyes. She started to sigh deeply as a high-pitched voice rang out behind her. "Auntie Top, I can't find my pencil case!"

"Just a minute, Dinky!" Carrot Top called back. She slid the door shut behind herself and walked forward. "No, I haven't seen her in a while," she said quietly, fear and anger competing in her voice. "Please, please tell me she's not in any trouble."

Locket gulped. Technically, they knew that Derpy was safe. The louse in her mane was still transmitting, and though the images they got were horribly skewed and the sounds indecipherable, they had worked out that she had made it indoors somewhere. Beyond that, even L could only shrug, and seemed too preoccupied to do a full analysis. "We think she's okay," Locket said carefully. "We're just not sure where she is right now. She ran off last night, and we wanted to make sure somepony's looking after her."

Carrot Top frowned. "Well, she's not here, and other than me I don't know if she even..." Her eyes widened. “Oh, Celestia. Tell me you’re not with the police.”

Locket froze. “We are,” Bon Bon cut in. “Miss Doo has been working with us for a while. We care about her very much.”

Unexpectedly, Carrot Top threw back her head and roared in frustration. She turned and stomped furiously, putting a hefty dent in her lawn. “She told me she’d found a second job!” she yelled at the surprised ponies in front of her. “She said she’d put that infernal business behind her! So this is why she always sneaks around me when she visits. This is why she’s reduced me to a glorified foalsitter when I should be working. This is why...” She trailed off as she noticed her guests staring, seeming to calm down a little. “Look, don’t take this the wrong way. Dinky’s a joy to be with. So’s Ditzy, really. But she just has no sense of priorities. A young filly needs a mother who’s there for her, not one who runs away on wild goose chases after a stallion who doesn’t deserve her.”

“We understand,” Bon Bon said gently as Locket tensed up. “We want what’s best for her as well. If you see her, tell her that her friends are looking for her. We won’t take up any more of your time.”

“No, wait,” Carrot Top pleaded as Bon Bon started to turn away. “I’m sorry I shouted. Please, what happened? Why did she run away?”

Locket shook her head. “She won’t be chasing dreams any more. Written Script is dead.”

There was a pause. Carrot Top’s eyes widened again, this time silently. She raised a trembling hoof to her mouth and held it there for several long seconds, then quickly dropped it again when the door opened behind her. Dinky Doo scurried outside, a pair of tiny saddlebags bouncing against her sides, and ran around Carrot Top once before stopping and looking up at her quizzically. “I’m ready for school,” she said, managing to fit several questions into a phrase that contained none of them.

The yellow pony put on an extremely tight-lipped smile. “Let’s go, then,” she said. “We don’t want to be late.” She started to walk stiffly forwards, pausing as she passed the pair on the path. “Thank you for your time. I’ll... I’ll do what I can.”

Bon Bon and Locket stood aside to allow the pair to pass. Dinky gave them a curious look as she walked by, but quickly ran to catch up with Carrot Top. “Who were they?” she could be heard asking.

“Nopony, dear. Hurry up, now.”

The new schoolhouse was several times the size of the old one. At a glance it appeared more formal and professional than the original, painted in blues and whites and lacking the iconic bell tower. Those familiar with the building, however, knew that its construction had been a labor of love. Tiny murals adorned the walls both inside and outside as high as the tallest foal could reach, and fresh flowers always hung from every window.

It was understandably taboo to bring up, but the fire at the schoolhouse had happened at exactly the right time for Ponyville. Overcrowding was just starting to become a problem, and the town’s expansion was threatening to claim the empty spaces around it. The funds and support from the disaster had allowed the town to build the new school right next to the old one, with talk of plans for another up north. The place where the old school had been was a community garden now, though nopony thought of it as such.

Spike arrived shortly before school started and made conversation with Cheerilee on her way in. She was one of three teachers who worked there now, but still unanimously the students’ favorite. After the fire she seemed slower, more tired, as if she was constantly dragging a weight behind her, but this was only apparent outside of class; during school hours she was as bright and chipper as ever. She mentioned a few books that she was thinking of checking out for her lessons soon, but when the dragon began to ask about her students she politely excused herself to set up for the day. Spike let her go and settled down under a tree across the street, finding a relatively secluded spot where he could watch the ponies walking up the path to the school.

Twenty minutes passed, and the foals for the day started to show up. The younger ones were walked by their parents or older siblings, while others came unescorted. Spike idly noted Carrot Top arrive with Dinky Doo, and watched her give the filly a tight hug before almost running in the other direction. A yellow school cart arrived at exactly eight, carrying ponies from the far corner of Ponyville. Scootaloo showed up five minutes late, buzzing along frantically on her scooter. An empty wagon bounced and clattered on the road behind her, coming loose as she parked and hurried inside. None of the ponies there paid Spike any attention. Apple Bloom was nowhere to be seen.

An hour later, Spike caught sight of Zecora leading two ponies into the memorial garden. They were both pegasi, one a silvery grey, the other pure white and one of the largest Spike had ever seen. Curiosity grabbed him and he stood up to follow, keeping a safe distance.

In the middle of the garden was a pool of water, the remains of an indentation where the top floor of the school had collapsed into the basement. Near each corner of the makeshift pond a small sapling had been planted, each more carefully tended than any other plant in the garden. They stretched proudly towards the sky, limbs spread wide. The giant pegasus approached one of these and laid a bundle of daisies at its base. He bowed his head and stood for a full minute in silence. The grey pegasus slowly slipped up to his side, but as she started to lean towards him he turned around and calmly walked away.

No other ponies stopped by either the school or the garden all morning. Spike bought himself lunch from a nearby stall and waited until the lunchtime recess was over, just to see if Apple Bloom would turn up for the afternoon classes instead. But she never did.

At ten minutes to noon, Colgate and Fluttershy walked up to a two-story restaurant near the north square of Ponyville. The policemare checked the note she was carrying once more, then sighed. Fluttershy caught sight of this and frowned. “You don’t have to do this,” she said gently.

“And you didn’t have to join me,” Colgate answered. Technically this was untrue; while Fluttershy wasn’t bound by law or anything stronger than a reluctant promise, she was still chained to Colgate at the ankle. Though the first day had been awkward, the pair had quickly adapted to their new situation, as had the rest of the town; when ponies saw how calmly and how cheerfully the mares strolled together down the streets, they were quickly able to shrug off any suspicions of wrongdoing. “But we both decided to come here. It would be cowardly to back down now.” With a heavy heart, Colgate pushed open the startlingly white fence in front of her and led the way inside.

La Maison Canterlot was embarrassingly out of place in Ponyville, stuck between an ironsmith and a shop that sold novelty cakes. It was made from imported white stone and rose impressively above the buildings around it, topped with an especially gaudy, gold-plated spire. It was considered a home away from home for visitors from Canterlot, as well as a meeting place for ponies who considered themselves high-class enough to live in Canterlot but didn't have the means to move there. The resulting clientele were a caricature of Canterlot high society, ponies too snobby to be caught eating in the "commoner's grounds" of the town they were passing through, and ponies who had confused displays of such snobbery with actual success and power.

Even in the middle of the day, fancy suits and dresses were on full display, and each hat rose higher and grander than the one before it. Even walking through the door, Colgate could feel the condescending gazes of dozens of ponies on her. She positioned herself to shield Fluttershy from their eyes and threw them off with a flick of her mane, stubbornly glad that she'd decided not to dress up for this meeting. In seconds a black-clad hostess was by her side. "Do you have a reservation, miss?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm expecting some... acquaintances." Colgate glanced down at her note again before crushing it into a tiny ball. "They're probably under—"

"Colgate!" a voice yelled across the crowded room. "So good of you to join us!"

Unconsciously, Colgate ground her teeth. She turned sharply towards the source of the voice. Near the far wall of a wide dining room that looked more like a foal’s drawing of high society than an actual restaurant, a pair of stallions in sharp suits sat at a table on a slightly raised section overlooking the rest of the room. One of them waved cheerfully, smiling as though he was greeting a treasured friend. Colgate rolled her eyes. "Excuse me," she said to the hostess, then started towards the waiting table.

Ponies looked away as she and Fluttershy walked by. There were gasps and hushed whispers on both sides, but Colgate ignored them all. Fluttershy winced once or twice, but took comfort in her friend’s confidence and didn’t look around. They climbed the few steps up to the raised dining table, their shared chain clinking lightly on the stone stairs, and Colgate greeted the waiting ponies curtly. "Ace. Spades."

“Colgate.” Ace continued to beam, while his partner watched Fluttershy with a more wary gaze. In addition to their usual outfits, both of them were wearing bands of grey silk around their necks. The table was set for three, lavishly decorated. Upon seeing a fourth pony, an antsy waiter immediately darted through a doorway hidden by a curtain. "I see you got our note."

“Yes,” Colgate said through clenched teeth. “Nailed to the front door of the police station. I honestly didn't think the Kira Neutrality Movement had the capacity for that level of subtlety.”

“Um... good morning,” Fluttershy said quietly.

“Oh, you can’t blame us for that,” Ace carried on, ignoring the pegasus. “You’re a hard mare to get hold of these days. Not the quality I’d look for in a policemare in these troubled times, but far be it from me to question Ponyville’s hiring practices.” He finally turned his gaze to the pony at Colgate’s side. “Who’s the carry-on? Another victim of yours?”

“It’s a trust-building exercise,” Colgate snapped. The waiter reappeared, very nearly showing no sign of strain as he levitated a fourth chair into position. Colgate finally stomped forward and sat down, which Fluttershy took as a cue to do the same. “Fluttershy’s my friend. If you can’t be civil to me, you can at least be civil to her.”

Spades nodded politely. “Good morning, Fluttershy,” he said.

“Oh... thank you.” Fluttershy looked down, but smiled.

All around, the noise of gossipy whispering returned to its usual level of gossipy chatter. The extra elevation added no sense of publicity; now that all the most obvious remarks about the clearly lower-class ponies at the table had been made, the group could feel themselves being actively ignored. Ace whistled into the waiter’s ear, and despite being barely two feet away, the unicorn made a show of dashing to his side. "Fine Dining, four glasses of your finest champagne."

"Two glasses," Colgate interrupted before the waiter could move. She glared daggers at the ponies opposite. "We’re not staying. We’re just here to hear what these two have to say, and then we’re out of here." Fluttershy almost protested, but then looked quietly back at the floor.

“Hey, don’t be like that.” Ace chuckled, though his voice became a little less friendly. “It’s not every day you get to eat at a place like this. They normally reserve this table for visiting nobles, you know. It just so happens that my buddy Spades here has some connections.” He looked back to the waiter. “Four glasses. Leave the bottle.”

“Oh, really?” Colgate raised an eyebrow, turning to the other unicorn at the table as Fine Dining zipped away. Of the pair across from her, he looked much more natural wearing a suit. “You’re a noble now? I would have thought picketing funerals was beneath you.”

Spades bristled at this, but after a glance from Ace he put on a thin smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Not quite, actually,” he said in an incongruously calm, soothing voice. “I’m a financial advisor by trade, one of three siblings who serve the Canterlot elite. My brother helps ponies make their fortune, and my sister helps them keep it. Between and beyond them, it’s my job to move funds from one place to another, as well as... clean up messes, when they occur. They deal in dreams; I keep everything from falling apart.”

“Yeah, that’s my buddy.” Ace smiled broadly, and the pair bumped hooves. “He doesn’t have money, but he’s responsible for a lot of ponies with money, if you get my meaning.”

“I see.” Colgate kept up her glare. “And I’m sure dragging an officer of the law away from her work to try to intimidate her was the best possible use of your well-earned resources.”

Spades allowed his smile to fade. But while he and his partner both prepared to respond to this, the next jab came not from either of them, but from Fluttershy’s hoof straight into Colgate’s side. “What is wrong with you?” Fluttershy suddenly snapped.

“W-what?” Colgate turned, and found her glare immediately crumbling under Fluttershy’s unexpectedly stern scowl. “What do you mean, what’s wrong with me?”

“You told me that we were coming here to deal with a pair of bullies. You didn’t tell me they’d turned you into one as well.” She whirled to face Ace and Spades, cutting off a growing smirk and confused frown, respectively. “And that goes for you two, too. I’ve had enough of good ponies picking fights with each other for no reason. If nopony here can say anything nice to each other, then I’m leaving.” She raised her chained hoof threateningly. “And I’m taking my friend with me.”

The three others looked guiltily at one another. Fine Dining returned, dropping off four expertly-poured glasses of champagne and four menus before slipping soundlessly away. At length, Ace chuckled. “Old habits die hard, I guess,” he said. “But your friend is right. We didn’t invite you here to pick a fight with you. We’re here to make peace.”

“Peace?” Colgate snorted, looking around. “You’ve got some way of...” She bit down on her tongue as Fluttershy scowled at her again. “What kind of peace?”

“What other kind is there?” Her adversary smirked. “Oh, nopony’s saying that we have to be friends. You and I have had our differences, and we’ve both said some things that didn’t reflect well on either of us. But we’re the Kira Neutrality Movement, aren’t we? It’s our job to be promoting peace between all ponies, even if we don’t always agree with them. So in the spirit of harmony, I’d like to make you a deal.” Tentatively, Ace wrapped his hoof around his champagne glass and held it out across the table, his powerful foreleg unaccustomed to handling anything so delicate. “Here’s to wiping the slate clean, letting bygones be bygones. We’ve had our quarrels in the past, but I’m prepared to look past that... if you are.”

Colgate stared at Ace coldly. There was no apology in the stallion’s eyes, only a smug confidence, as though he was daring her to refuse. I don’t have to put up with this, she thought. He’s the one at fault here. Sweetie Belle died because of ponies like him, not me. Why should he deserve my forgiveness? He deserves...

Anger flared in Colgate, but a cold fear shot it down. The band around her hoof seemed to tighten, and without even looking she could feel Fluttershy staring at her pleadingly. No. I can’t think like that. If I condemn him without giving him a chance to redeem himself, then I’m no better than Kira. Besides, he showed mercy to me after I punched him... and I’ll walk through the gates of Tartarus before I let this brute be more forgiving than me. With a suppressed sigh, Colgate lifted her own glass with magic and touched it against Ace’s. A faint ting rang out across the room. “To harmony,” she said.

“Cheers,” Spades added quietly, but he kept his glass to himself.

“Great.” Withdrawing his hoof, Ace threw back his glass and swallowed the champagne in a single gulp. “Now that’s out of the way, we can talk business.”

Frowning, Colgate took a sip of her own drink. Compared to the deliciously thick cider that Brass Taps served, this tasted to her like grape-scented water. “What business?”

“The business of keeping Equestria safe.” Ace’s face became more serious. “Despite what you seem to think of us, our goals in this matter are no different than yours. All we want is to stop ponies from dying. And in the classic Equestrian way, we hope to accomplish this by banding together.” He tilted his chin back slightly, thrusting out the band of silk around his neck. “By giving ponies something to be a part of, we’re bringing back the feeling of security that Kira’s taken away.”

“Yeah, I was wondering about that.” Colgate touched her own throat. “What’s with the collars?”

“Neckbands,” Ace corrected. “Grey, to demonstrate our reasonable middle ground, and—”

“I don’t think that’s what that means,” Colgate interrupted. “You two are definitely wearing collars.”

Ace glared. “And symbolising our commitment, both literally and figuratively, to not losing our heads,” he finished. “And it’s a neckband.”

“Technically it can be either,” Fluttershy said quietly, but if anypony heard her they gave no indication of it.

“Yeah, it’s cute. So what does any of this have to do with me? Do you want me to slip one of those on and show it off?” Colgate crossed her front legs. “Because that’s not happening.”

“Don’t be too quick to say that, Colgate. Consolidation is only the first part of our plan. It’s what comes after that might change your mind.” Ace went back to grinning. “This was never about just running from danger. It’s about ripping danger’s hooves out from under it. Really, do you think a guy like me would be satisfied with just staying neutral to Kira? No, we’ve got bigger goals than that. By the time we’re through, we’re going to neutralize Kira.”

“What?” Colgate felt something like worry flicker across the back of her throat. Beside her, Fluttershy’s ears started to prick up. “What do you mean?”

Ace’s grin widened as his eyes narrowed. “Tell her, Spades.”

With a sweep of dull grey magic, the brown unicorn raised a thin folder from beneath the table. “Our proposal is this,” he began calmly. “Supernatural advantages aside, it doesn’t take a genius to see that Kira is motivated by a desire for justice. And while his methods are questionable, it’s impossible to deny that this attack has effectively demonstrated how flawed our own methods of dispensing justice are. Our prisons are overcrowded, our police are understaffed, and our means of rehabilitation are laughably optimistic. This system of institutionalized leniency has been a major contributing factor in Equestria’s declining social structure, and as long as it remains in place the situation will never improve. So if Kira is so violently opposed to our outdated system of justice...” Spades shrugged. “Why not give him what he wants?”

The folder flipped open, revealing a thin stack of papers with aggressively formal-looking type on them. “This isn’t the same as giving in to his demands,” Spades clarified as Colgate’s expression briefly turned to one of horror. “It’s just common sense. We shouldn’t need a supervillain to have a reason to make Equestria a safer place. It’s our hope that with new, stricter policies in place, crime rates will sharply decline back to where they were in the days of harmony shortly after Princess Luna’s return. If Kira has no more reason to kill, then the deaths will stop. There will simply be no need for him any more.”

“And that’s where you come in,” Ace continued before Colgate could react. The mare sat stunned, staring at nothing. “It’s one thing to talk about these changes, but it takes more than an idea to change the world. Laws aren’t easy to rewrite, and most ponies are on opposing sides of the fence when it comes to Kira. That’s why we need you, Colgate. You have experience in Canterlot and Ponyville, the hotspots of all Kira’s activity, and you’re the closest link the public has straight to the heart of the investigation. Even a written show of support would be a huge help in getting public opinion on our side.”

Spades slid the papers across the table towards her. “I’ve drafted several proposals for reform,” he said. “They’re rudimentary, so your professional input would be enormously helpful. We’re calling for changes to prison policies, sentencing restrictions, police hiring and practices, education while we’re at it, and for an investigation into the possibility — just the possibility,” he quickly added, “of reinstating the death penalty for the most serious crimes.”

The policemare leaned forward and ruffled through the pages. They reminded her of her own work; she’d submitted a similar report sometime last year turning down an offer to send more police to Ponyville, as she felt that the horsepower would be more useful elsewhere. Her throat suddenly felt dry. She picked up her glass again and took a gulp of champagne before speaking. “And you really think the Princesses will go for this?”

“At least one of them will,” Ace answered. “We haven’t finalized any details yet, but Princess Luna seems very interested in our work.”

The ground felt as if it were falling away from under Colgate’s hooves. “You’ve been sending letters to the Princess?” she said weakly.

“Actually, she contacted us. Turns out she’s been jumping through lots of red tape of her own trying to keep Equestria afloat. After the Kira investigation’s hit so many dead ends, she’s eager to explore solutions that won’t involve any more bloodshed.” Somehow, Ace stretched his grin a little wider. “I have to thank you for recommending us.”

A few moments passed in silence. Colgate covered for her sudden light-headedness by slowly draining her glass. It’s a good plan, she realized. Almost too good. So why does the idea make me feel so... She paused to take stock of the unpleasant feeling worming its way through her stomach. ...guilty? Is it because I can’t get over just who it is that proposed this? Or...

“It’s a good plan,” Fluttershy said quietly, cutting through Colgate’s thoughts. “I... I really like it.” She looked up, smiling, as Ace and Spades stared at her in surprise. “I, um... I don’t really know much about prisons outside of some stories, but... do you think the signature of an Element of Harmony would help?”

Spades beamed. “Of course it would,” he said. “In fact, the more you can do to help and promote this, the better.”

Colgate looked weakly at her friend. “You’re really going along with this?”

“Of course. And you should too.” Fluttershy smiled at her. “Even if Kira had never existed, I would still think that this is a good idea. You shouldn’t let old grudges get in the way of doing the right thing.”

The right thing. Of course. Colgate stared down at the pages in front of her again, frowning through tight lips. Of course it is. It’s so obviously the right thing, and yet... The nagging doubt coiling through her body finally worked its way up to her mouth. “One question,” she said quietly. “Suppose you’re right. Suppose we go through with this and things really are sorted out, and Equestria really does go back to the way it was. What happens to Kira?”

Ace shrugged. “If we’re very thorough, and very lucky, he crawls back into whatever pit he came out of and never bothers us again.”

Colgate felt her heart rate rising. She spoke through clenched teeth. “By now, Kira’s killed more ponies than any other individual in all of history,” she said. “Not oppressed or enslaved, but killed. You can fix society all you want, but that’s something that can never, ever be taken back.” She looked Ace in the eyes. “Would you really want to live in a world where somepony can do a thing like that and completely get away with it?”

“If it meant that no more ponies had to die? Absolutely.” Ace returned her stare just as strongly. “And if you really cared about the safety of Equestria, so would you.”

The pair kept up their staring contest for several long seconds while the other two at the table fretted silently. Finally, Colgate grunted. “Fine,” she said. “You want my professional opinion?” With a sweep of her hoof, she knocked her champagne glass off the table. Fluttershy shrieked as it fell, but Fine Dining reappeared and caught it before it hit the ground before zipping back behind his curtain. “Even after all this, you’re nothing but a coward and a hypocrite. You say you come here in the spirit of friendship and forgiveness, and then you talk about building prisons and bringing back the death penalty. This plan of yours will never work, and you know why? Because as long as crime is kept under control by fear, not love, we’ll be no better off than we are under Kira.” She glared. “And I would rather give my life fighting than settle for an Equestria where justice is brought to everypony except the ones who deserve it most.”

There was a pause. Ace sighed, then whistled. Fine Dining reappeared by his side. “Are you ready to order, sirs and madams?”

“Not yet,” Ace told him. “For now, bring me your fanciest hat.”

The colour drained from Fine Dining’s face. “The fanciest, sir?”

“That’s right.” Ace nodded. “The fanciest.”

More slowly, Fine Dining retreated. There was frantic, hushed whispering from behind the curtain, and a few seconds later the waiter emerged with a padlocked hatbox. He placed it on the table and, with the utmost solemnity, produced a key from the depths of his pocket. At the twist of the key the padlock slid open with a heavy clunk, and Fine Dining shielded his eyes as he flipped the box open.

A radiant light shone from within. Ace’s grin widened. Spades nodded approvingly, while Colgate and Fluttershy could only stare. “Yes,” Spades confirmed, “that is indeed a very fancy hat.”

Silence fell again as Ace lifted the magnificent hat from its box. Diamonds and sequins glittered blindingly across the whole of its angular surface, almost completely obscuring the fine black velvet underneath. A trio of blood-red peacock feathers rose up along one side. Its magnificence only seemed to increase as Ace placed it on his head at a jaunty angle, the radiating fanciness making even his clashing headband look kingly. He stood up, winking at Colgate as he walked by. “You know what they say; always know your audience.”

Brimming with confidence, the newly crowned Ace stood at the edge of their table’s raised section. Already his presence was starting to turn heads. “Fillies and gentlecolts,” he announced loudly. Instantly, all eyes in the room were on his hat. “If I could have your attention for just a moment, please.”

Colgate glanced around. Her heart sank. “Ace, stop,” she whispered.

The stallion ignored her. “My name is Ace. Some of you may recognize me as one of the top four tennis players in all of Equestria. Others might know me as the co-founder of the original chapter of the Kira Neutrality Movement, split between Canterlot and right here in Ponyville.” There were far more gasps of recognition from the makeshift audience for the second proclamation than the first.

“Now, I didn’t come here to make any grand speeches or change any lives. I can see you’re all enjoying a delicious lunchtime meal, so I’ll keep this short. My only purpose here today is to bring a short message of hope in these dark times.” Ace smile beatifically. “We all come to establishments like this in order to get away from the messiness of life. Unfortunately, those same drives that bring us together here would also tear us apart in fear. I think you know what I’m talking about.” He gestured behind himself. “Our loyal police have set themselves against a monster that they can’t possibly hope to defeat, and our two Princesses, wise and blessed as they are, have become too wrapped up in internal affairs to support the ponies they have sworn to protect.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Colgate could see ponies nodding. “That’s enough!” she hissed.

“But will we let this divide tear our great nation apart?” Ace didn’t wait for an answer. “No! It’s not discord and conflict that’s saved our nation in the past. It’s up to us, the good and righteous ponies of Equestria, to band together and bring harmony to those who have forgotten it. While others take sides and drive the conflict on, the Kira Neutrality Movement strives to befriend all ponies, no matter what their beliefs. And I’m here to tell you now that you don’t have to fight, and you don’t have to be afraid... because as long as we watch out for each other, there’s no force in all the world that can bring us down!” Ace paused to allow a few ponies near the back to cheer. “If you’re interested in learning more about our organization, some of our literature will be available by the door on your way out. Until we meet again, live safe and free lives, and remember — love and tolerate.”

With a final bow, Ace returned to his seat to a chorus of applause. Enthusiastic applause, Colgate noted. Ace grinned as he reverently placed the fancy hat back in its box, leaning back to allow Fine Dining to hastily slam it shut and lock it. “Thank you, Fine Dining. I may someday call upon this hat once again. That will be all.”

“All right, you’ve made your point,” Colgate snapped as Fine Dining disappeared again. “You want me impressed? I admit it, I’m impressed. You want me scared? Fine. I can do that too. But just because you can use a fancy hat to impress a crowd of shallow wannabes doesn’t mean you can pull one over on me.”

“Oh, that was nothing,” Spades said quietly, smiling into his champagne. “You should see him play tennis.”

“I’m not trying to scare you, Colgate,” Ace said. “I’m just trying to make a point. Whether you accept it or not, this is what Equestria wants. The ponies you’re so eager to protect don’t want to throw away more lives over an impossible dream. They want to live, without fear and without pain.”

While she kept her face carefully curled into a scowl, Colgate couldn’t hide the glistening in her eyes as she stared at Ace. “But that’s not what you’re offering,” she said quietly. “You don’t want trust and harmony. You want a police state.”

“All the more reason you should join us!” Ace spread his hooves wide. “You don’t like our policies? Change them! Make as many suggestions as you like. Help us bring out the harmony that you want to see. But these changes will happen, whether you’re on board with them or not.” He leaned forward. “Carry on your hunt, and the most you have to look forward to is a quick and painful death. But join us... and I can give you Equestria.”

That was the last straw. Colgate stood up sharply. “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you two gentlecolts,” she said, “but there’s nothing I can do for you. You’ll have to find your practical expertise elsewhere.” She turned sharply and tugged on her chain. “Come on, Fluttershy. We’re leaving.”

“Um...” Fluttershy looked longingly at the menu in front of her. “I kind of want to stay...”

“It’s all right,” Spades said quickly. “We don’t wish to make anypony uncomfortable.” With magic he unclasped his grey collar and slowly floated it towards Fluttershy. “For you, my lady,” he said as he fastened it around her neck, “seeing as you... probably won’t be attending our meetings in the near future.”

Fluttershy blushed. “Thank you,” she said. “And... we’ll see.”

The pegasus stood up and rejoined Colgate, walking with much more confidence than she had when she came in. The policemare turned and took another step away, then paused. “Ace, why are you doing this?”

The stallion tilted his head. “I told you, this is business.”

“The hay it is. Ace, you know we’re not friends. You knew before I even walked in here that I wasn’t going to take your offer, and you sure don’t need my signature when you’ve got Princess Luna on your side. We could just as easily have gone our separate ways and never spoken to each other again, and nothing would have changed. So why are you doing this?”

It was a moment before Ace answered. Spades glanced at him, his smile fading. “You’re well liked, Colgate,” Ace said at last. “You’re like me. When you talk, ponies listen. That’s a good skill to have, in times like these. And when a mare like you is put in a position like yours, whoever sides with her has a strong hoof in deciding how the future plays out. Maybe that’s what this is about. But who knows?” He shrugged. “Could be it’s less than that. Maybe it’s nothing more than because no mare’s ever hit me that hard before. Maybe all this is just my way of saying that you’re worth more to me alive than dead after all.”

A dozen blistering retorts sizzled on the tip of Colgate’s tongue. She held them down and gently descended from the platform, weaving her way between gaudy tables towards the exit. A loud voice rang out behind her one last time as she walked away, prompting a final groan of frustration. “Farewell, Colgate. We’ll be in touch.”

Ponies watched the pair with new eyes as they walked out, some with admiration, others suspicion. Before they were quite out of earshot, Colgate heard Ace’s voice again, this time more quietly. “Spades, that was a custom collar... shoot, now she’s got me calling them that, too. This is going to get awkward.”

“I sent the form ordering three hundred more last night. It’s a little late if you want to change your mind now.”

Daylight blinded Colgate momentarily as she left the restaurant, still fuming. She paused at the gate to allow Fluttershy to adjust her new collar, and was about to charge homeward when the pegasus spoke. “Um... Colgate?”

“What?”

“We’re... still friends, right?”

“...Of course. Always.”

Despite the relative quietness of the rest of Ponyville, the market was as busy as ever. The start of the rainy season had served as a reminder for ponies to stock up for the coming weeks, filling their homes with food for when the weather wouldn't be as fair. Bon Bon was taking advantage of this opportunity as well, drifting away from Locket to fill up her saddlebags with produce. The pair never strayed far enough that they couldn't catch sight of one another, and at all times, one of them kept at least half an eye on Big Macintosh.

The large farmer had set up his family's stall in its usual place, an ideal location near the middle of the market that was visible from almost anywhere. Big Macintosh ran the stall calmly and efficiently, smiling politely at his customers but rarely if ever making conversation. Locket tried to keep track of his sales in her head, but there didn't seem much point; nopony bought anything from him that seemed even remotely suspicious, and the only time he seemed to move was to gather more apples from around the back and fill up the baskets on display. For a stallion who may well have been in league with the most powerful mass murderer in Equestria, he sure didn't look the part. Around noon he sat down to eat some apples of his own, not straight from the cart, but a pair he'd put aside and wrapped in a paper bag.

Locket's own stomach rumbled. She and Bon Bon hadn't agreed on a time to get their own lunch, and the smell of fresh fruit and vegetables around her was starting to become tormenting. She sighed and glanced at Bon Bon, who was browsing an asparagus stall and completely ignoring her.

The blue mare gulped. She reached into a thick fold at the back of her mane and pulled out her coin purse, despairing at its sad jingle as she shook it. Her options for lunch seemed limited. She cast her gaze around widely before letting it land on the apple stall. Big Macintosh was taking an order for a yellow pony, not even close to looking in her direction. Well, we agreed early on at least one of us would have to talk to him at some point, she grumbled to herself. She glanced at Bon Bon again. I guess this is her way of saying that it's got to be me.

With practiced nonchalance, Locket sauntered down the road and joined the end of the line for the apple stand. She looked casually up at Big Macintosh, but the stallion still seemed oblivious to her presence. In fact he seemed oblivious to most everything, keeping his eyes half-closed even when looking straight at a customer. There's nothing to notice, she reassured herself. I'm just another face in the crowd. A fly on the wall. Just a background pony.

The line crept forward. It was easy to forget, easy to drift away. Locket tried to focus on her breathing, but then realized that she didn't have to. She was perfectly at ease. She almost didn't notice that she'd reached the front of the line until a deep voice broke into her thoughts. "What can I get for you, miss?"

"Hm? Oh." Locket looked up. Big Macintosh was looking back at her, staring expectantly. Up close he didn't seem quite as content as he had from a distance; he looked less relaxed and more sagging under his own weight, as though exhausted. Still his face showed nothing but polite eagerness, and Locket turned her gaze to the wares in front of her before he caught her staring. "Three... um... red apples, please."

“Red Delicious?”

“Sure, why not.”

"Two bits, please."

Locket cursed silently as the stallion gathered three fruits in front of her. Shoot. Didn't think this through. "Could I get a bag, too?"

"Eeyup. Paper is free, a basket is two bits."

"Just paper, please." She waited calmly as Big Macintosh rolled her apples into a bag for her, then emptied her coin purse onto the counter. Without sparing the farmer another glance, she picked up the bag in her mouth and began to walk away. No problem at all. I don't know why we're even—

"Is this your first time shopping here?"

Ice flooded Locket's veins. She turned slowly, carefully lowering her bag to her hoof. "I beg your pardon?"

Big Macintosh was staring directly at her. "Ah was just wondering if you've stopped by here before," he said. He still held the same polite smile, without the slightest change in his tone or expression. "Ah don't believe Ah've ever sold anything to you."

To her horror, Locket realized that she'd been the last pony in line for apples. As the market swirled around her she was effectively on her own with this hulking murder suspect, and nopony seemed about to come to her aid. "From you, yes," she said, matching his polite smile with one of her own. She started to scrape her hoof nervously on the ground, but quickly caught herself. She could almost hear L's calm instructions in the back of her mind: Whatever you do, don't look eager to leave. "I don't usually come into this part of the market. Carrots are really more my thing... but I've been trying to branch out lately," she quickly added.

The farmer nodded. “So have Ah,” he said. He reached out an enormous hoof. “Ah’m Big Macintosh.”

Locket stepped forward, confining her trembling to her insides. “Locket,” she said, returning her bag to her mouth just long enough to reach out and quickly shake the stallion’s hoof. His leg felt like it could snap her in half without even trying.

Big Macintosh blinked slowly. “Lovely name,” he said. “And... speaking of tryin’ new things, Ah was wondering...”

It was hard to tell, but Big Macintosh blushed. His lips curled, inadvertently pulling a face in an attempt to avoid another; Locket recognized the expression only because she’d made it herself a hundred times before. Her heart leaped into her throat, but she didn’t speak or move until the large pony had found more words. “Would you care to join me on a night out sometime this evening?”

Locket stood stunned. A cream-coloured shape came into view in the corner of her vision, but she tried very hard not to look in that direction. “You mean like...”

“It doesn’t have to be anything special,” Big Macintosh said quickly, which for him, came closer to approximating a normal speaking voice. “Just a little socializing. Ah’ve been... looking for reasons to get away from the farm lately.”

Locket gulped. Her thoughts immediately sprung to Green Grapes... who is in Appleloosa, she reminded herself. If I can keep everything else from him, then... She bit her lip and looked towards Bon Bon, who was vigorously nodding and mouthing the word Yes to her. “I’d love to,” she said, then inwardly flinched. “Is it... okay if I bring a friend?”

Big Macintosh actually seemed relieved at the idea. “That’s fine. Brass Tap’s at eight?”

“Um... sure.” A pair of ponies marched up to the stall beside her, and one began tapping her hoof impatiently. “I’ll... see you then?”

“Eeyup.”

As the farmer looked to his new customers, Locket turned away and strode off with her eyes fixed straight ahead. She didn’t stop until she’d reached the edge of the market and found an empty table, which she sat down heavily in front of. Her lunch spilled out of her bag and onto the polished surface, one of the fruits rolling off and onto the ground. A few seconds later Bon Bon slipped into the seat opposite, smiling excitedly. “Oh my goodness!” she cried. “I didn’t think he’d really...” She trailed off as the blue mare stared past her, her expression vacant. “Locket? Are you okay?” She reached across the table and touched Locket’s hoof, which barely got any reaction. Worry started to fill her eyes. “Linky,” she whispered, her voice full of genuine concern. “Say something to me.”

Locket looked back at her friend. Inside her chest fear and excitement were clashing head to head, but one thought had risen up to completely fill her mind. “He noticed me!”

“This is stupid,” Rainbow Dash muttered to herself as she soared above Sweet Apple Acres, slowly descending towards the red farmhouse. “This is so, so stupid.”

There had been some debate over whether it would be more in-character for Rainbow Dash to arrive early or late. The argument had gone on for so long, in fact, that by the time L and Twilight agreed that she should be exactly on time they were already several minutes behind schedule. It was a quarter after twelve when Dash finally touched down, making her way steadily towards the house. Applejack was waiting outside, leaning against the wall beside her door with her hat pulled over her eyes. Rainbow Dash shuffled her hooves and almost coughed nervously before Applejack spoke. "Ah thought you weren't coming."

"Hi, AJ," Dash said. Her voice came out calm and natural, but even she could detect that it wasn’t the same greeting as always. "How’ve you been?" She stepped forward, telling herself that it was still Applejack who was lying in front of her. Whatever happens, she’s still my friend.

Applejack tilted her hat back and stood up. There was clear sadness in her eyes, but she smiled at Dash as she pushed open the door. "Ah'm fine. Come on in."

Nothing seemed obviously different about the inside of the farmhouse. Dash could hear the faint hum of a stratoscreen from somewhere in the next room over, but otherwise it was no different from any of the other times that she’d visited. Even so, she felt a chill run over her as she followed her friend inside. It was like walking into a manticore’s den, not knowing for certain if a monster was waiting in the shadows.

Applejack led the way through into the kitchen, where two plates had been laid out. As Dash followed behind her she feigned nervousness and powerfully flicked her tail, detaching a sticky ball from within the fibres and sending it flying into the doorframe, where it stuck. Within moments the sphere disintegrated, releasing a combination of woodlice and cockroaches that quickly scattered in all directions.

Far away and underground, a grey unicorn smiled triumphantly. "She’s in!" He lifted a last bead into place and tugged on a lever, and a flurry of indistinct images flickered into view on screens scattered around the room. “I’ll get the relevant bugs into place as quickly as possible,” Jazz continued, rapidly rearranging more beads to give directions. “In the meantime, we should at least be able to hear them.”

Twilight and L both nodded, absorbed in the images in front of them. They sat close together, L quickly scribbling illegible notes onto a sheet of paper, while Twilight frowned at the arrangement of screens.

It took Dash a while to put her hoof on what had changed about the Apple family kitchen. As she nervously took a seat and watched Applejack pull a tray of apple tarts keeping warm out of the oven, she realized that it was that nothing was baking. Normally at all hours there would be at least one thing cooking in the oven, be it pastries for selling, a hearty family meal, or more recently, one of Apple Bloom’s experimental and blackened concoctions. While the treats that Applejack placed on the table between them looked fresh, they were the only food visible anywhere in the kitchen. “Thanks,” she said weakly. “These look good.”

Through the other doorway into the far corner of the house, Apple Bloom could be seen slouching in front of a small stratoscreen with a bored look on her face. "Apple Bloom?" her sister gently called to her. "Why don't you turn that off and go play upstairs for awhile?" Without answering, the little pony stood up and roughly kicked the screen to turn it off, then trudged away in the direction of the stairs.

"Huh." Rainbow Dash frowned. "Is she okay?"

"...Things have been hard for us lately, Dash. She's lost more friends than most." Applejack took the seat opposite Dash. “We thought it would be best if she stayed home from school for a while. She’s not quite ready to be around other ponies just yet. She’ll go back once she’s opened up a little more.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Dash moved an apple tart to her plate, but didn’t eat it. “Wouldn’t it help if she was with her friends, though?”

Applejack looked down. “We all need a little time alone sometimes, Dash,” she said. “Even from our friends.”

An unfamiliar silence fell across the room. Dash felt her heart silently breaking; she knew that by now they should have been chatting loudly and joking with each other, even in a time as dark as this. But the mare across from her just seemed tired, sighing to herself as she stared at her empty plate. Neither moved as they faced each other from across the table. Spike was right, Rainbow Dash thought. This is like an interrogation. All we need is a bright lantern. Question is... who's interrogating who?

Rainbow Dash sighed. "So, um..." She tried to laugh, but failed. "Do you know Twilight and Fluttershy are dating?"

This seemed to break Applejack out of her tired silence. "Twi and Shy? Really? Since when?"

"Since before the funeral, apparently. I think Twilight's more surprised about it than we are." Dash laughed again, this time genuinely. "It just came out of nowhere. It’s a little awkward, but Twilight says she's going to give it a shot, just to see how it goes. Oh, that reminds me, Fluttershy’s back in town. She’d probably love it if you gave her a visit sometime.”

“Ah’m sure she would.” Applejack smiled downwards. “Her and Twilight? Never would have seen that coming.”

“Yeah.” Dash felt her attempts at normal conversation crash against her friend’s subdued tone. “It’s funny how... two friends can... you know...”

She gulped. Everything depended on what came next. They’d gone through a number of possibilities in what little time they’d had, but every other option had been just as much a lie and a dozen times as suspicious. What they’d been left with was the only way out. She could almost hear Twilight egging her on, and feel L’s passive, judgemental stare. But the sad, tired eyes in front of her struck more deeply than anything they could throw at her, and while practicing stock phrases to herself late at night had been one thing, she knew then that she wouldn’t be able to say them now. Not here. Not to her face. Not if her life depended on it.

She couldn’t say that she loved her.

To Locket, of course, it had been the simplest thing in the world. In that mare’s mind there was only possible reason for somepony to hover outside their friend’s bedroom in the middle of the night. She’d almost started to remind Dash of Rarity as she dressed it up, quoting books with sappy titles that nopony else had heard of. Twilight had called the plan “Not ideal, but realistically, the only alternative we have.” Spike had called it “Just crazy enough to work.” L, for some reason, had called it “Easy. Just imagine she’s naked.”

Rainbow Dash glanced up and tried to picture Applejack without her hat. Predictably, it didn’t help. She grappled with herself as the awkward silence grew, searching desperately for something to stall the inevitable questions. Of course I love her, she tried to reason with herself. She’s my best friend. Can’t I just tell her that? But then... no... That’s not the same thing at all. She could feel herself starting to sweat. She’ll want to know how, and why, and... compliments, compliments...

Between the group, they’d managed to pull together a fairly large list of possible contributing factors, each of which had quickly started to blur together in Dash’s mind as she struggled to think of her friend in this way. I mean, yeah, we spend a lot of time together. As friends. And she’s fun to be with, and she likes a lot of the same stuff I like. She’s... got a nice body, if you’re into that. She’s one of the only ponies who can keep up with me, and I can respect that. She’s easy to talk to, she doesn’t push me around, and if there’s anypony in Equestria I would want to spend more time with, it would be her. But... Frustration built up in her until she was half-tempted to flip the table. But what does any of that have to do with love!?

“Dash,” Applejack said quietly. “Let’s not beat around the bush any longer, all right?” She sighed. “We’ve got... stuff to talk about.”

Rainbow Dash gulped. “Yeah,” she said. This is it, Rainbow. All or nothing. “I’m sorry about the other night,” she said hesitantly. “I didn’t mean to scare you or anything. It’s just that I...” Words snagged in her throat. “I...”

Applejack interrupted her. "You got feelings for me, don't you?"

Dash’s voice froze in her mouth. She went from a faint blush to bright red in an instant. "I... uh..."

"Don't lie to me, Dash. You know that doesn't work on me." Applejack looked into her eyes. She was blushing as well, but she was wearing a smile. "We both know there's only one reason why a pony would care about her friend enough to check on her in the middle of the night, but scared enough to run away if she was found out."

"Well, I..." Dash bit her lip. Did she seriously just spring our trap on herself? And... why is she smiling? The thought made her tense up a second time. Oh Celestia. Why is she smiling?

"You don't have to say anything, sugarcube," Applejack continued. "Ah just want you to know that... it's okay. 'Cause the truth is..." She blushed even more deeply. "Ever since the funeral, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."

"Yeah... same here." Dash spoke guardedly. She silently wondered when exactly the horseshoe had drifted to the other hoof. “A lot of stuff’s been changing since then.”

“What Ah mean is...” Applejack tensed up. For a second, the bags under the orange mare’s eyes became more pronounced. “Ah like you, Dash.”

Rainbow tried to shift uncomfortably, but her body didn’t seem to be listening to her. “I like you too, AJ,” she said, all too aware that her voice was sounding hollow.

“I mean, it’s like...” Applejack closed her eyes and frowned, gesturing at nothing with her hoof. “It’s how you’re... and the way you...” She glanced to the side, then rolled her eyes. “Oh, to hay with it.” She leaned forward, putting one hoof on the table and using the other to pull Rainbow Dash close to her, and then powerfully kissed her friend on the lips.

Internal gears clashed as Rainbow Dash’s eyes sprang open, then quickly closed. Oh, she managed to think. Yeah. This way would have been a lot easier.

Twilight felt her jaw drop. By this point Jazz had managed to get two images of the kitchen into focus, one from near the counter and one from the ceiling, splashing a picture of Twilight’s friends kissing across two screens in front of her. “Well, we did think of a bunch of reasons why they would be attracted to each other,” she said weakly. “I just didn’t think Applejack would agree...” She glanced at L, who was giving the sight a look of what appeared to be total disinterest. “I guess you’re used to stuff like this, huh?”

“Hm? Oh, not at all. I’ve never had an opportunity to use the camera bugs before this investigation. Still, every new technology has its upsides.” She picked up her latest cup and slurped loudly from the straw before leaning in, frowning. "No, wait. What's she saying?" Applejack had broken the kiss and leaned in further, whispering into Rainbow Dash’s far ear. L pushed herself away from the desk and swiveled towards Jazz, who, though still hard at work, was having the decency to look embarrassed. "Can you enhance the sound?"

The stallion shook his head, focused on his beads. "Not at this stage, no. There’s still too much interference."

"Um... Harpy?" Twilight blushed. "I’m not sure we really want to hear what's being said right now. I think I can get the gist of it.”

“Really?” L tilted her head. “How?”

“Well, it’s just... Rainbow's turning... really red." Twilight put a hoof to her mouth as she watched her friend’s eyes glaze over. “Really... really red.”

“Interesting.” L mimicked Twilight, running a hoof along her lips. “This is strangely convenient. Perhaps we’ve sparked something after all.”

“Um...” Onscreen, Dash was starting to turn pale. “I don’t think so.”

Applejack finally pulled away, smiling faintly. "That's about the long and short of it," she said. "Ah don't know quite how things are gonna work out from here, but... Ah'm in if you're in. What do you say?"

"...yeah." Though still visibly in shock, Rainbow Dash managed to pull a smile. "It's kind of sudden... for both of us. But if Twilight can be with Fluttershy, then I'd say we've got a shot to make things work."

"Ah'm glad." Applejack reached across the table and held Dash's hoof, which the pegasus gave no objection to. "Ah love you so much, Dash."

Rainbow took a breath, and said what was true to her in her own way. "I love you too."

They stayed there for a while, smiling at one another. Then Applejack blushed again. "Shoot, we ain't even eaten yet." She grabbed a tart from in front of her and tossed it into the air, quickly gulping the whole thing down in two bites. "Heck, Ah've been worryin' about this too much. Ah feel like Ah could eat a cart."

Dash laughed politely. With hooves that were suddenly clumsy she picked up her lunch and bit into it, forcing herself to savor the taste. "Hey, this is good." She shoved the remainder in her mouth and sighed blissfully, speaking through a tide of crumbs. "I keep forgetting how good your baking is. You should do the cooking around here more often."

"...Yeah," Applejack said. "Ah think Ah will." She pulled another tart to her plate and stared at it. "Look," she said. "There's somethin' else we need to talk about. See..."

The pair were startled by a shriek from upstairs. Applejack was up and running before the noise had ended. Rainbow Dash froze with a second tart halfway to her lips, then dropped it and darted after her. She vanished from the kitchen screens and reappeared on one positioned over the front room, visibly restraining herself from leaping out the front door before turning and charging up the stairs after her friend, out of range of those watching in the base.

Applejack was crouched in the doorway of her bedroom, clutching Apple Bloom close to her as Rainbow Dash approached. The filly was hyperventilating, weeping as she held tightly to her sister. "Shh, it's okay, it's okay," Applejack whispered, stroking Apple Bloom's mane. She looked up helplessly at Dash, subtly shaking her head as the pegasus started to step closer.

Rainbow Dash looked around. She couldn't see anything that might have caused this sudden outburst. Should I go? she mouthed, pointing back towards the stairs. Applejack quickly nodded. Dash descended as quietly as she could, walked calmly to the front door, and then sprinted into a cratering takeoff the moment she was outside.

L turned her attention to another screen. Blurs of light and darkness floated across it as a woodlouse wormed its way steadily upwards, starting to pick up noises from the pair on the farmhouse's upper floor. "You'd better let her in, Twilight," she said.

"What?" Twilight looked towards the door. "But she's only just—" A loud chime rang out, followed by several more as Rainbow Dash stomped repeatedly on the base's entrance. Twilight stood and ran to the lever to let her friend in, and the moment the trapdoor opened Dash whirled into the base with speed that was becoming increasingly common on the stairs. Twilight approached her cautiously. "Are you all—"

Dash spun to face her, panting heavily. One of her eyes was twitching. "Water. Now."

In a panic Twilight stepped back and tried to teleport, which felt like squeezing a plastic bubble that refused to pop, stopping when she toppled over and landed on her rump. L held out her cup without looking back, and in a flash Dash ran to her and grabbed it, ripping off the lid. She knocked it back and swilled a mouthful of the contents around in her mouth. Her eyes bugged out and she spat it across the room, narrowly missing Twilight as she ran to rejoin them. She coughed loudly before speaking. "What is this stuff, watered-down molasses?"

L nodded.

Both Twilight and Rainbow Dash paused to see if she was serious, but L didn't look back. Dash made a face, still breathing heavily, then shrugged and took another gulp of the dark sludge. "So, Miss Dash," L said calmly, "what was your friend saying to you when she whispered to you?"

Rainbow swallowed heavily, gagging. "Stuff I never thought I'd hear coming out of her mouth," she said. "I'm never gonna be able to look at her from behind ever again..." She shuddered. "Or get that taste out of my mouth."

Twilight gaped. "Applejack said what?"

"Interesting." L made a note. "When you went upstairs, what did you see?"

"Hey!" Dash swallowed again, shaking her head wildly. "Give me like five minutes, okay? I can't tell you what's going on until I've figured it out myself!"

L swiveled to face her. For once, coldness was visible in her eyes. "We might not have time for that," she said. "Every second counts. Tell me, what exactly did you see upstairs?"

"Harpy, give her some time!" Twilight put a hoof on her friend's forehead. It was damp with sweat. "She’s still in shock. At least let her catch her breath.”

“I don’t see why.” L’s face twisted into a smirk. “It sounded like you were enjoying yourself.”

“Ugh. Don’t even joke about that.” The pegasus shuddered and put the cup back on the nearest desk. “Unlike you, not all of us enjoy sharing spit with mares.”

“Your scars say otherwise.”

Rainbow Dash froze. She slowly twisted around to face the green unicorn, fires burning in her eyes. “Who told you that?” she hissed.

“Nopony had to tell me, Rainbow Dash.” L’s own eyes gleamed, a smile fixed eerily on her face. “In some places such marks are common, if you know where to look.”

Twilight looked puzzled. “Dash, you have scars? You never told us about—”

“Stay out of this, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “It’s not important, okay? Just forget it.”

“They’re little triangular marks on her muzzle,” L continued, seemingly oblivious to the mare’s protests. “One on her chin, one below her eye. Hard to spot unless you know what you’re looking for.”

“You shut your mouth,” Rainbow Dash snarled. “You shut your bucking mouth right now, L!”

“Common injuries sustained when trying—”

“Shut up!”

“—to kiss a creature with a beak.”

A second passed. Twilight’s eyes widened. She snorted, then quickly covered her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have—”

“It was one time.” Rainbow Dash stood perfectly still, trembling in rage. “I was young and we were curious and it was one time. And you had no right to bring that up.” She snorted. “L.”

“Harpy,” Twilight corrected her.

Dash whirled around, violently spreading her wings. “That’s not even her name!”

“No, but it’s what she wants to be called,” Twilight said, trying to keep her voice as level as possible. “I’m trying to respect that.”

“What, so you’re on her side now?”

“I’m not on anypony’s side. Dash, can we please, please, please not fight right now?”

"Ahem." Jazz broke in with a cough. "I've just managed to establish a feed with the top floor."

The screen nearest L flashed twice, then faded into new colours. A louse positioned to show the stairs and upper hallway revealed Applejack still curled up against the doorframe of her room, cradling Apple Bloom close against her. From what little could be heard, it sounded as though she was singing a lullaby. Dash jutted a hoof at the screen angrily. “That’s what I saw,” she said. “Okay? A hurt filly and somepony looking after her. Do you get that?” She shook her mane. “Or do you get anything at all? Do you even understand that ponies are being hurt? Because it’s looking more and more like you’re the only one who isn’t taking any of this seriously!”

L’s smile faded. She looked at Dash with an eerie, almost otherworldly calmness. Eventually she spoke. “What are you going to do, Rainbow Dash?”

Almost without hesitating, the cyan mare twisted away and lifted off, storming towards the exit. “Dash, wait!” Twilight yelled, running after her. “You can’t just—”

The pegasus looked back. Her glare stopped Twilight cold. “What are you gonna do?” she asked. “Lock me up? I’ll even wear one of those stupid bugs if you want. But I’m not staying down here with her!”

L spoke quietly. “It’s fine.” Before anypony else could say anything more, Dash pounded open the trapdoor and disappeared back up to the surface.

Twilight looked around, slightly stunned. Jazz was still focused only on his abacus and a small stratoscreen near his hooves, diligently guiding more cameras into place despite the conflict around him. She looked back to L. “That was uncalled for.”

“It’s for the best.” L shrugged and lifted her cup back towards her. She levitated the top up from where it had fallen and reattached it, brushing off the end of the straw before taking another sip from it. “She clearly wasn’t going to calm down down here. She’ll have a much easier time processing these events in her own space.”

“That’s not what I mean.” Twilight marched back towards her. “What you did was cruel. It’s sounding more and more like you’re trying to get rid of her.”

The detective looked more confused than apologetic. “Was I too harsh? I’m sorry.”

“And stop apologizing to me!” Twilight stomped her hoof. “It’s Dash you should be making up with, not me!”

“Why?” L put her head to the side. “Your feelings are the ones that matter to me.”

Twilight halted. She sighed deeply before pulling herself into a chair again. “Look,” she said after a pause. “There’s a saying... ‘A pony who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice pony.’ Do you know what that means?” She looked at L pleadingly. “A pony has to be judged by how they treat everyone, not just the ones close to them. Friendship is meaningless if you just pick who you like and exclude everypony else. Do you understand that?”

Very quietly, L sighed. She lifted her straw to her lips, but then hesitated and put her drink down instead. “I’m not used to thinking like this,” she said. “I’ve always done my best to give everypony what is best for them. Their feelings towards me were never part of the equation.”

“But it can be,” Twilight encouraged her. “If you look hard enough, there are ways of getting through anything without antagonizing anypony. Stop just saying that you’re sorry and actually start treating ponies nicer, and you’ll start getting along with ponies better in no time. And I know Rainbow Dash would love to be your friend, if you’d just give her the chance.”

“Perhaps.” The detective looked back to her screens. “If it means anything, I am sorry.”

The noises from the abacus, which had slowed down slightly, resumed their usual pace. At length, Twilight sighed. “So you’re really okay with letting Dash go, after what happened last time?”

"It depends. Do you think that she's a threat?"

"Well..." Twilight looked at the screen again. The two Apple sisters hadn't moved. “Those two haven't had time to do anything, and as far as we know Big Mac is completely unaware of this. Unless the third Kira’s been planning a long time in advance, Dash probably isn’t under their control. If they try anything, we’ll know.”

“No. Not the third Kira.” L shook her head. “The Tri-Kira.”

“Tri?”

“The bonds on display are too strong. Such a secret might be kept from the outside world, but not from each other.” L tapped the screen. “If one is Kira, they all are.”

“But then... shouldn’t it be the Quad-Kira?” Twilight argued. “There are four of... them...”

“There were.” Though realization was already starting to dawn in Twilight’s eyes, L turned towards her anyway. “Try to think like Kira, Twilight — I shouldn’t imagine it will be taxing for you. You’ve said yourself that put together, the Apple family are among the most inherently stubborn in Equestria. If you were to persuade them to put on the mantle of killers, how would you go about doing it?”

“Well...” Twilight gulped, trying to beat back the panic that was creeping up on her. “It would take a lot. I’d have to either make an offer they couldn’t refuse, or a threat they couldn’t recover from. Nothing would be worth more to AJ than life, so it would have to be a threat. But we’ve gotten out of tough situations before... knowing them, they wouldn’t cave to just talk. I’d have to make it clear that there was no other choice. I’d have to show that I mean business and wouldn’t tolerate any trickery, and that would mean I’d probably have to start by killing at least one oh my gosh.”

“Correct. Cull the strongest link, and the one least likely to be missed.” L turned back to the screens as Twilight began to tremble. “Granny Smith is dead. In fact, I’d wager she’s been dead since shortly after your imprisonment. Without her, the more impressionable remains are much easier to control.”

“No.” Twilight shook her head. “They couldn’t. There’s no way they could keep that hidden forever. Somepony’s bound to notice.”

“Indeed.” L scratched her head. “This whole setup has a distinctly artificial flavor to it. I doubt the real Kira needed to be herded in this way. No, I do not think the Tri-Kira was meant to rule on any permanent basis.” She squinted at the pair embracing one another on the screen. “Just for long enough.”

Rainbow Dash flew upwards. She’d snagged a cloud from a waiting bank and dragged it along with her, feeling its mass slowly disintegrate as it was pulled through the thinning winds. The air got warmer as she got closer and closer to the sun, heating up the hot blood running through her even further. When at last her wings got too heavy to lift her any further she let go of her cloud, now half the size that she was, and collapsed on top of it to slowly bake in the heat.

The moment she’d regained her breath, sweat dripping from her brow, she raised herself up as high as she could and screamed.

Some things she could deal with. L was just being L; she’d come to accept that that mare was more machine than pony. Twilight, too, had just been trying to help. She shouldn’t have been so angry. But right now, she really needed to be angry at somepony.

The kiss she would forgive, eventually. Applejack’s lips had tasted like... well, what else? The food afterwards had just made the flavor stronger. The idea of it, of having her lips pressed against another mare’s, and Applejack’s of all ponies, twisted inside of her like a sickness. She was nauseated, excited, dismayed, breathless... too many emotions to keep track of. So she didn’t try. She took that thought and let it go, leaving it to drift away with all the other inconsistencies and pains of life that she didn’t have the time or the will to deal with. It was more trouble than it was worth. She didn’t care.

But what tore her up were the words Applejack had spoken to her, the whispers just on the edge of hearing, the confirmation of her worst fears and a call for her to be a part of something she wasn’t sure she could live with...

“Don’t move, sugarcube. We’re being watched.”

Dear Princess Luna,

Our investigation is making steady progress. L believes that she’s identified the new Kira, but after what happened to her last lead, I think it’s important that we find proof before I name any names. Thanks to Twilight Sparkle we have a lot more solidarity within the group, and I’m much more confident in its organization. I’m starting to think that we might actually have a chance of winning this... which worries me. If this is the same Kira that’s managed to fool us every step of the way so far, then how could she make things look this easy?

On a more personal note, I have a date tonight with a pony who might be the most evil mass murderer Equestria has ever known. I know he’s probably not, and I trust my new friends to keep me safe, and I know I’m not worthy of making any requests to a Princess, but... could you keep me in your thoughts, just for tonight?

Your faithful servant,

Locket

Next episode: Answers! For once!

Honesty

26
*Honesty*

Lending the Death Note allows the pony in current possession of the Note to trade for the eyes of the Shinigami, even if they are not the rightful owner of the Note.

“Don’t move, sugarcube. We’re being watched.”

The world spun to a halt. Already feeling like her muscles had turned to mush, Rainbow Dash went completely limp under her friend’s hoof as Applejack whispered in her ear. Any attempt she could have made to understand the situation fizzled out beneath the pressure of warmth on her skin. Nothing made sense any more.

“We gotta make this quick, and we gotta make this look good.” Applejack’s eyes were darting back and forth. “Don’t think about what Ah’m about to say. If we’re goin’ this route, Ah want you to think as hard as you can about us actually goin’ head to nethers.” She purred, obviously artificially, but with urgency. “And if that don’t work, Ah might just have to invite you upstairs when this is done.”

Much as Dash tried to resist it, the ruse worked. The image of her and Applejack crashed right through her confused defenses and planted itself firmly in her mind. She struggled not to pull away as she felt herself turn a deep crimson, taking some solace in the fact that Applejack was blushing deeply as well. “Good,” the earth mare mumbled as the heat between them increased. “Keep that up. It’s the only weapon we have.

“Look, Ah can’t talk now. If you can, meet me after eight at the corner of the southern field. If Ah’m not there, don’t wait for me. Go straight home. Home, you hear?” She looked around again, this time conspiratorially. “And whatever you do, don’t tell anypony Ah said this. There’s somepony on your team you can’t trust.”

Rainbow Dash stopped breathing. She shuddered and tried to pull away, but Applejack’s grip tightened around the back of her head. “Dash, don’t panic,” she whispered, desperation ringing in her voice. “Ah need you. We all need you. And Ah promise, Ah’m doing everything Ah can to make sure you get out of this alive.” She started to lean back, but then hesitated, whispering one more thing. “You’re mah best friend, Dash. Ah’ll never let you go.”

“L, I don’t think you understand,” Locket said. She stomped, nervously but emphatically. “He noticed me!”

L shrugged. She and Twilight were organizing a new wall of stratoscreens showing images from the Apple family’s house, occasionally calling to Jazz for slight adjustments to the bugs. Currently, the two Apple sisters were curled up together on a sofa downstairs, watching a movie. “If Big Macintosh did notice you,” the detective said, “there are two possible reasons for him to have done so. Either he was looking for you, or you did something to draw attention to yourself.” She looked back sharply. “Did you?”

“No!” Locket cried. “I was just another face in the crowd, just like you wanted.” She bit her lip. “Am I... do you think I might be losing it?”

L didn’t answer, so Twilight spoke instead. “Losing what?”

“The thing... whatever it is you hired me for. My forgettable face. What if...” Locket looked down. “What if I’m no good to you any more?”

Twilight Sparkle turned from the screens and stood up. “Hey, don’t talk like that,” she said comfortingly, stretching. “You’ll always have a place with us, no matter who ends up noticing you. Besides, isn’t it a good thing that somepony was taking an interest in you?”

“Not if that pony’s a murderer!” Locket wailed.

“We don’t know that!” Twilight looked around desperately. “Harpy, she’ll be okay, right?”

L sighed. “Truthfully, accepting your target’s offer may not have been the wisest decision. Unlike Rainbow Dash, you are not protected by the bonds of friendship. The fact that your target selected you of all the ponies available to him suggests that he found you suspicious, or may have somehow learned of your position here. Taking Bon Bon with you may be your sole saving grace.”

Locket had paled. Seeing this, Twilight quickly started to speak again. “Um...” She shuffled awkwardly. “I know this doesn’t quite fit into this theory of yours, but... is there any chance that Big Mac just asked her out because he thought she was pretty?” She smiled encouragingly.

Instantly, the colour returned to Locket’s cheeks in abundance. “You think so?” she asked, looking up shyly.

L gave Locket a long, hard stare before turning back to her screens. “No, I do not think that is likely.”

Twilight facehoofed as Locket’s face fell into a scowl. “What she means is—”

“I know what she means,” Locket snapped. She turned away, trying and failing to keep her head from dropping by more than an inch. “I’m... going to get ready. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Locket,” Twilight said, but she stopped talking as the mare stomped away. Locket paused as she left the main chamber, letting out a small sigh before continuing. As she walked in the direction of the kitchen, she heard Twilight’s voice echoing quietly behind her. “Harpy, remember that thing we were talking about earlier...?”

Bon Bon was alone in the kitchen, busily chopping up some of her bounty from earlier in the day. She gave a brief smile when Locket entered and returned her attention to her work. Locket watched her for a minute before speaking. “How can you stand her?”

“Who, Harpy?” Bon Bon looked back. Locket’s expression told her all she needed to know. “Oh, it’s easier than you’d think. I know she’s a hoofful sometimes, but so long as she has a project to work on she’s very easy to keep happy.”

“But...” Locket grouchily pulled out a chair and took a seat at the waiting table. She watched as Bon Bon methodically carved up a head of lettuce, slicing each leaf individually and arranging the pieces into separate bowls. “But she’s horrible,” she argued. “She’s rude, she’s ungrateful, and she thinks she’s better than everypony else. For somepony who’s supposed to be so smart, it’s like she doesn’t even know how to talk to ponies. Where was she raised, a cave?”

“She was raised with me,” Bon Bon answered without hesitation. “We grew up together in a school for the young and talented. I know what you meant,” she added as Locket reddened. “It’s only that I’ve been with her her whole life, even before I took up Sideline’s cloak. Which is... rare. Historically, the real Sideline is rarely L’s partner for life. She usually only lasts a few years before she retires... or gets retired.”

She sighed, but smiled. “But it’s been a good generation for us. We’ve been together for more than eight years, and there’s only been one pony before now who’s posed a serious threat to us. When you spend that much time by the side of the same pony, their little habits start to bother you less and less, and you start seeing more and more of the good pony underneath.”

Locket rolled her eyes. “I know it’s not like she’s evil,” she said. “And I know she can do nice things if she wants to. So when everypony else is scared, why does she always act like it would kill her just to be a little supportive?”

Instead of answering, Bon Bon quickly finished up the head of lettuce she was carving and pulled another towards her. As Locket watched, she smacked the underside against the countertop and pulled out the core. She tossed the bitter root into her mouth and crunched loudly before speaking again. “Have you read many books about L? The novels, I mean?”

“Oh... um... one or two.” Locket blushed. “They’re, um, not my usual reading material. But I enjoyed the ones I picked up.”

“Let me guess.” Bon Bon closed her eyes. “Winds of the Frozen Sea and For Her Dreamless Night?”

Locket’s jaw dropped. “How did you—”

“They’re the only ones with both of us on the cover.” The cream pony sighed and returned to her chopping. “I despise those books. I can never make it more than a few chapters through them. They get our characters completely wrong. And I don’t just mean that they always make L into some sly stallion, oh no,” she added, shaking her head. “It’s deeper than that. They make him... charming.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Not when it’s hurting the pony they’re supposed to be praising. Everyone who comes down here expects to meet somepony cute and quirky. Somepony different, but in a fun way.” She sighed again. “They don’t want a mare who rejects their friendship and still needs a bedtime story to fall asleep. They come looking for a pony to idolize, and instead find somepony to pity. The truth is, she’s neither. That’s why she doesn’t try to reach out to others any more. Everypony who gets this far is so focused on how they’re affected by her character that they never see her as a real, living pony.”

Locket blinked. “She gets you to read her bedtime stories?”

“She has such horrible nightmares.” Bon Bon waved her free hoof dismissively. “I know it’s difficult, but believe me when I say that Harpy Chords does mean well. She’s had a lot of ponies work for her in the past, but always for her, never with her. The fact that she’s even allowed Twilight Sparkle to get so close to her is a huge step forward. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her come that close to making a real friend.”

“What about you?” Locket asked. “Aren’t you her friend?”

“Well...” Bon Bon smiled faintly. “What do the books say about me?”

Locket blushed. “Oh, I don’t think you really...”

“No, I’m curious now. I’m barely in any of the early chapters.” She glanced back, grinning. “I hear you’re good at stories. What do the authors in the Age of Harmony have to say about the great and powerful Sideline?”

“They say...” Locket blushed further, then looked at the ground. “They say that you’re in love with L,” she said after a pause. “In the books, I mean. It’s why you stay with him, despite all his... flaws. But he’s practically married to his work, and even though he’s the most brilliant detective in the world, he never seems to notice you. So you just stay by his side, and you never say anything or make a move, because... because you’re afraid of losing the only relationship you think the two of you can have.”

Bon Bon had stopped chopping. She stared down at her vegetables, the last traces of her smile fading until her face was as expressionless as that of the pony she watched over. Locket gulped. Slowly, she rose and crept over to the other mare’s side, alternately glancing between her and her own hooves. She raised a hoof to rest comfortingly on her friend’s shoulder, then slowly put it down again. “You know,” the blue mare mumbled, “at the end of For Her Dreamless Night, it’s sort of implied that L does know, deep down. He feels something for you too, in his own way, but he never shows it because he thinks it’s the cold, calculating L that you love. In the end, he’s just as afraid of losing you as you are—”

Bon Bon whirled on the other pony, glaring daggers into her startled eyes. “I’ll have you know,” she snarled, then immediately backed down and composed herself. “I’ll have you know,” she tried again with obvious restraint, “that all of those writers have the situation completely reversed.”

The pair stared at each other for several long seconds in silence. Then Locket let out a whimper. Bon Bon looked down and turned back to her chopping board, spearing another slice of lettuce and sliding it into a bowl. “Could you give me a hoof with the rest of the salads?” she asked quietly. “Once I’ve finished today’s dinner, I’ll be free to help you get ready for tonight.”

It seemed like an impossibly long time before eight o’clock arrived. Rainbow Dash tried to spend it napping, but her body wouldn’t listen to her; even her own bed, which could normally carry her to dreamland in a matter of minutes, was proving woefully insufficient. She felt horribly pent up, like a string straining to snap, needing to fly but unwilling to risk drawing attention to herself. Instead she spent her time pacing up and down the stairways of her house, and twice combed herself from head to hoof just in case L had slipped a bug onto her without her noticing.

At two minutes to eight Rainbow’s alarm clock chimed — years ago she’d purchased a solar-powered alarm clock, and she still didn’t understand why none of her friends agreed that this was the best idea ever. She pounded the device off hard enough to knock it through the shelf of cloud it rested on and hurled herself out the nearest window. Just as the bells of Ponyville chimed eight, the pegasus hovered over the edge of Sweet Apple Acres’ southern field.

Applejack was nowhere in sight. Dash descended and peered around anxiously, half-expecting an ambush. Is this the right place? she wondered, fear rising further. Of course, she didn’t think to tell me which corner of the southern field she’d be in...

Just as Dash was preparing to take off again, she caught sight of a head peeking cautiously out from behind a tree. “Rainbow Dash?” Applejack said quietly, looking as if she were preparing to bolt. “That you?”

“Yeah.” Dash slipped quietly up to the tree. “Applejack? What—”

Before Dash could say anything more, she was surprised by a pair of powerful legs wrapped around her in an embrace. “Ah’m so sorry,” Applejack mumbled, her voice cracking slightly. “Ah didn’t know if she was going to kill you. If you hadn’t shown...”

“AJ, stop.” Dash pushed her friend off of her. She glared at Applejack with as much sternness as she could muster, but hesitated for a long moment before speaking. “Tell me what this is about,” she ordered. “No more jumping around it. Because if this is about what I think it’s about... I don’t even know if I can trust you. For all I know, you’re the one who’s trying to kill me.”

Applejack gulped. She backed away and stepped out from underneath the tree, doing a slow, deliberate turn to look around the sky before turning back to her friend. “This is about Kira.”

“I knew it.” Rainbow Dash winced. Some of the feeling left her legs, but she gritted her teeth and stood her ground. “I shouldn’t even be talking to you right now. If anypony finds out about this—”

“If anypony finds out,” Applejack interrupted, “anything that detective of yours can do to you is gonna be the least of your worries.” She groaned and wiped her eyes. “Ah’m sorry, sugarcube. Ah’ve been keeping too many secrets. It ain’t healthy.”

“Then start talking. And this had better be good, because so far, pretty much everypony else thinks that you’re Kira. Heck, even I’m starting to believe it.” Dash paused. Her voice became noticeably quieter. “Are you?”

Applejack didn’t answer at first. She stared at the ground and ran a hoof along the brim of her hat. They both waited, breaths held, as Applejack tightened her lips multiple times in succession. When she finally looked up, her eyes were glistening again. “Would you really believe me if Ah told you Ah’m not?”

Rainbow Dash rapidly decided how to interpret this and began listing questions on her hooves. “If not you, then who? How did you get dragged into this? How did you know that I’m on a team? How much danger are we in? Who can’t I trust? And most importantly, why the hay did you kiss me?”

Applejack blushed. “Yeah, Ah’m... sorry about that,” she mumbled, not looking Dash in the eye. “Mer hates sappy stuff. It was the only way Ah could think of to get her to back off for a minute so Ah could talk to you. You couldn’t see her, but she was hoverin’ over you like a fly to a month-old apple crate.”

“Mer?”

“That’s right. The real Kira.” Applejack turned and started to trudge across the field. “Come on. Ah gotta show you something.”

“No!” Dash said quickly. “You stay here.” She planted her hooves, trying not to look like she was thinking of bolting. Although parts of her were still insisting that she could trust Applejack, something about her demeanor reminded her that she needed to keep her guard up. “I still don’t know that this isn’t a trap. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just fly back to L right now and tell her everything you’ve just said.”

Applejack stopped. “A mare?” she mouthed to herself.

After a reflective pause, Applejack looked back. “Dash,” she said solemnly, “if you’ve ever trusted me, trust me now. Ah can prove Ah’m not Kira. Ah’ve got a lot to tell you, and when Ah do, Ah want to know for sure that Ah’m telling the truth. This could be our one shot at this. Either I spill the beans now and you spend the whole time wondering if I’m on the level, or you follow me and we settle this once and for all.”

Dash hesitated only a moment longer before stepping forward. “Okay,” she said. The pair set off at a quiet pace across the orchard. “Why now, anyway? What makes this any safer than before?”

“Big Mac’s giving us a distraction.” Applejack chuckled grimly. “He’s got exactly the same speech prepared as Ah do. If we’re lucky, the real Kira won’t dare to take her eyes off him all evening. And yet, somehow, Ah think he’s more afraid of his date than he is of her.”

Despite having gone through a brief decline, on this particular evening The Brass Tap’s atmosphere was as cheerful and lighthearted as it had been in months gone by. New clientele had drifted in to replace those who had left, both sides motivated by a need for change in their suddenly confusing lives, and while a certain seat near the bar remained reverently empty, there were no more sad songs or lamentations.

The pub was decorated in autumn colours. A hearth blazed warmly in one corner, with a fiddle player nearby merrily bowing out a tune. Against one wall, a group of ponies was loudly celebrating a game of drunk darts; against the other, a zebra was attempting to teach an unfamiliar grey pegasus how to dance. Everything was bright, loud and cheerful, an open torch against the solemn quietness of the streets outside.

Locket hated it.

She and Big Macintosh sat across from each other at a table in the middle of the room. Both clutched drinks; hard cider for him, soft for her. In the beginning Bon Bon had sat with them, expertly chatting about nothing, but after their drinks had arrived she’d slipped away to meet with others at the bar. While the rest of the pub laughed and celebrated, the pair in the middle drank in silence.

Locket stared at the table. While part of her insisted that she should have been fearing for her life, all she could think about was that this wasn’t like any date she’d had in the past. Big Macintosh’s silence was unnerving her. Ever since she’d first taken an interest in colts, she couldn’t remember meeting one who even seemed capable of keeping his mouth shut for so long, let alone one who would do so by choice. Any discomfort she felt seemed to be one-sided; Big Macintosh appeared perfectly content to simply drink quietly. He alternated between smiling vacantly in her direction and glancing around the room, as though he were trying not to look at something. It’s sort of rude, Locket decided. What kind of stallion takes a mare out if he doesn’t have anything to say to her?

Stretching, the big pony lifted his mug high and drained it. Even this simple motion caused the muscles in his leg to ripple. Locket shivered, then quietly berated herself. For some reason, just being in Big Macintosh’s presence was giving her chills. And, nervous as she knew she should have been, it sure wasn’t coming from fear. She ordered her eyes downwards again, taking a drink to cover any colour coming to her cheeks. I’m on a mission, she reminded herself. I don’t have time to think about stallions, even if they are... She reddened. The silence stretched longer and louder, building pressure underneath her skin.

Big Macintosh sighed contentedly, setting his empty mug down near two others beside him. As the mare opposite him tensed up, he leaned forward and started to speak. “How—”

“I have a coltfriend,” Locket blurted.

They both stopped. The mare reddened further, pursing her lips. Big Macintosh said nothing. “J-just so you know,” she stammered. “I’m not... I mean, I’m spoken for. I... um...” Still nothing. “I know you said this wasn’t... anything special, but...” Surreptitiously, she gulped. He didn’t move a muscle. “Just in case, I... I didn’t want you to think I was stringing you along. Or anything. That’s all. You know?”

Big Macintosh blinked. “Not really.”

“Oh. Well... I do. So... yeah.” The stallion just stared, which only made Locket feel even smaller. She looked desperately towards Bon Bon, wondering if it wasn’t too late to swap places. The other mare was leaning against the bar, chatting with the tan pony behind it. Locket couldn’t see her whole face, but on it she thought she could make out a hint of a smirk. “He’s in Appleloosa,” she added, in case any further questions were coming. “That’s why I’m not with him right now. I... I miss him.”

“Appleloosa?” At this, the farmer put his head to the side. “Maybe Ah know him. Is he an Apple?”

“N-no. At least, I don’t think so.” Locket still refused to look up. “His name’s Green Grapes. He has a brother who lives here.”

“Green Grapes...” Big Macintosh tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Ah might have met him. Yellow pony, good with pies, wears a hat?”

Locket nodded. “Yes,” she said, as quickly and as quietly as possible.

“Ah remember him. He used to do odd jobs for us at the farm. He was a hard worker. Liked the sound of his own voice, though.”

“Yeah.” Locket smiled faintly. “That was him.”

They passed another minute quietly. Bon Bon caught their eyes and brought Big Macintosh a new mug, then slipped away again. “So... you’re not... disappointed?” Locket asked, feeling a little less like she wanted to sink into the floor.

“Nope.” Big Macintosh shook his head, still wearing a half-smile. “Ah’m happy you have somepony. But that’s no reason we can’t still be friends.”

“...Yeah. I guess.” Locket shivered again and took a sip of her cider. For the first time that evening, she felt like she could actually taste it. Silence started to stretch between them again. “I’m sorry if I’m not as... chatty as most mares,” she said before the pause could grow too long. “I guess I’m just... used to letting Green Grapes do the talking.”

The farmer shrugged. “Ah’m sure you just speak when you have something to say,” he said. “Most ponies do the opposite. It gets tiring.”

“Yeah.” Locket smiled. “It does.”

They didn’t speak for a while after that. While she couldn’t bring herself to fully relax, Locket started to find that she didn’t mind the quiet as much.

The moon had risen above the mountains by the time Rainbow Dash and Applejack reached their destination. They were approaching the furthest corner of the orchard, bordering both the Everfree Forest and a muddied river, brown with runoff from further fields. The ground was rockier here, and the trees sparser. Dash didn’t realize at first that they’d arrived, only noticing that Applejack had slowed down. She started to ask why when something up ahead caught her eye. Something shimmered between branches, a strange luminescence that lit up greens and browns. “What...” The light slowly descended out of view, weaving back and forth as it fell. Dash frowned but kept up the same pace by her friend’s side, unwilling to drift either in front of or behind her.

The trees thickened as the pair approached. Seemingly in seconds, they went from walking between small and distant trees to having to navigate around closely-clustered trunks. The light Dash had spotted was nowhere to be seen. She glanced around nervously, her skin crawling as the moonlight dimmed overhead. Something rough brushed against her wing and she yelped, jumping away. Her head knocked against hard bark. Somewhere in the shadows, Applejack vanished.

"Applejack?" Rainbow Dash called, looking around. The way ahead seemed to be getting darker. "Applejack!" She lunged forward, but her hooves collided with another tree. The pegasus backed up and reached around, panic rising, but in every direction she turned an unyielding trunk barred her way. She looked up, but couldn't see the sky. "Applejack!" she yelled again, more afraid than angry. "Let me out!"

"Dash!" An orange face appeared by Dash's side, somehow illuminated, as though the shadows were falling across everything but her. "Don't panic. Ah'm here."

Dash struggled to reach her friend, but something seemed to be holding her back. “Let me go!” she snarled. "What's with these trees? What are they?"

"Dash, we left the orchard almost a minute ago."

Rainbow Dash paused. She blinked slowly and glanced to the side, then did a double take and turned completely around. They were in the middle of a small field, the treeline a comfortable distance away in all directions. Dash gaped, reaching around in the empty air. She couldn’t see or feel anything around her. "But... how did... what?"

Something drifted past her nose. It was a leaf, or at least it looked like one; the object glowed with dim green light, and fell far more slowly than a real leaf would as it floated through the air. Dash reached up to it, but her hoof passed right through it. She looked up again and gasped.

Rising above the two ponies was a canopy of shadows. Tiny leaves hung suspended from transparent branches, unmoving despite the faint wind. They glowed in the colours of the orchard, illuminating one another but darkening the sky above. Every so often one of these would break away and slowly fall, lighting up thick trunks and strong roots that vanished when the leaf reached the ground. This slow cascade filled the field in all directions, revealing a dark and silent grove stretching almost to the edges of the clearing. Rainbow Dash gulped and repeated her question, this time with wonder rather than fear. "So... what's with these trees? What are they?"

"The ghosts of trees gone by." Applejack looked around sadly, but couldn't help but smile. "Folks round here call them willow wisps. They're gentle spirits, and they don't mean any harm. They're just trying to protect the pony they care about."

"From me?" Dash looked around in irritation. "Can't you tell them I'm your best friend?"

Applejack's smile faded. "Not me, Dash," she said softly. "Wisps travel here and there, without cause or destination, roaming the world after spending their lives rooted to it. But they'll all gather together if somepony who loved them in their lifetime dies."

The farmer slowly raised a hoof and gestured downwards. Dash looked at the ground, then looked further down and realized where she was standing. She yelped again and took a leap back.

In the middle of the field were six simple tombstones, traditionally small and laid flat against the ground. Each was marked with nothing but a name and a cutie mark. "The Apple Family plot," Applejack said solemnly. She set her jaw squarely as she looked along the stones, but couldn't help but quiver a little as she glanced over the nearest names. Reverently, she removed her hat and placed it carefully beside her on the ground. "Final homes of ponies who spent their whole lives making this land what it is today. Someday Ah'll join them here, and Ah'll be proud to put mah name beside theirs." She nudged Dash and walked stiffly to the end of the row, clenching her teeth still further as she pointed to the ground beside the last. "Including those who've been taken from us too soon."

The grass here had been turned up, the dirt freshly disturbed. In place of a tombstone, a plank of wood had been pressed into the ground. Drawn crudely but painstakingly on it was a picture of an apple pie.

"Mer came to us during dinner," Applejack continued as Rainbow Dash slowly paled with realization. "Just like the worst of ponies, didn't even have the decency to wait until we were finished. She dropped right through the table and touched us, one by one, so that we could see her. She went to Apple Bloom first..." She shuddered. "She looks sorta like a pony, but she ain't a pony. She's like a pony out of a nightmare. Part alive, part dead, made out of bones and skin as white as bones. A real, actual, God of Death. And she told us, then and there, that we were going to work for her as the new Kira. One of us, all of us, it didn't matter to her. She said she'd give us power over death... and she told us to kill."

Applejack ground her hooves against the earth. She glared, tears springing to her eyes. The falling leaves darkened her features further, illuminating her in nothing but greens and browns. Rainbow Dash almost stepped back; she'd never seen her friend straining so hard to hold emotions down. "You told her no, right?" the pegasus whispered.

"Of course we did!" Applejack all but exploded back at her. "We told her no in every way there is to say the word. But she wasn't havin' it. She said we didn't have a choice. Ah tried to bolt. Ah thought that if Ah could just tell somepony, anypony, about her... maybe we could be saved. But that's when she mentioned you." The orange mare leveled her gaze at her friend. True fear echoed in her eyes. "She threatened you, Dash. She threatened you by name. She said that if any of us tried to cross her, even once, the first thing she'd do is kill all our closest friends. And then, once we realized what she'd done, she'd kill us, too."

Applejack returned her gaze to the ground. Her voice became quieter again, and more strained. "We were so close, too. We had her down to negotiatin’; not real negotiatin’, understand, just stalling. We were trying to get her to answer questions and do favors for us, trying to get something to bargain with and dragging it out long enough to get help. But Granny Smith, she wasn’t having any of it. She wouldn’t cave, not even a little. She looked a God of Death right in the eyes, and she put her hoof down and she told her that come hail and high water, no matter who got hurt or how long it took, there was no force in all Equestria that would make her let her grandkids get turned into monsters.” She took a deep breath. “And then...”

Granny Smith

Rainbow Dash gulped as the orange mare began to weep. “I—”

“She was holding Apple Bloom!” Applejack snarled. “Keeping her close, like when she was a foal, like she could protect her. She was right in the middle of saying... everything would be okay...” Watching her begin to shake was like seeing a mountain collapse. One leg started to quiver, then another, and she slowly descended until she’d fallen to her knees. “Mer didn’t even let us have a funeral. This is all we could give her. Ah never got...” She shuddered violently. “Why do Ah never get to say goodbye?”

Without speaking, Rainbow Dash walked forward and gave her friend a gentle hug, one which was returned with the strength of a vise. Neither of them needed to say anything. Applejack started to make choking noises, cries and wails that she habitually cut off deep in her throat before they could burst out of her. They stayed that way for several minutes, simply holding one another, supporting each other as Applejack finally allowed herself to lament her loss. All around them, ghostly leaves continued to fall.

Rainbow Dash’s shoulder became damp. She did her best not to move, trying only to focus on the cause of her friend’s pain. Then her eyes widened. She let go with her hooves and tried to squirm away, then shoved, but Applejack was clinging to her like a drowning mare to a life preserver. It was only when Dash spread her wings and flapped hard, almost lifting the pair off the ground, that the earth mare let her hooves fall back to the ground. Dash took several rapid steps back, wings still raised as if to flee. “So you took her offer,” she said, trying to sound furious but coming across as scared. “You started killing as the new Kira.”

Applejack tried to assume a full standing position, tears still running down her face. “Dash, it weren’t like that,” she choked. “We didn’t have a choice.”

“Like hay you didn’t.” Dash took another step back. “Your granny died to stop you from turning into this. Are you really going to dishonor her like this?” She stopped reversing and started to lean forward again, fire coming to her eyes. “It’s been, what, six days? How many ponies have died since then? Do their lives mean so little to you?”

Applejack stomped. “We didn’t have a choice!” she shouted. Her voice echoed strangely among the willow wisps. “Mer needed somepony, but it didn’t have to be me. If not us, it would be somepony else doing her dirty work. Those ponies would still have died, no matter what. It was just a question of whether you and Ah would have died with them.” She glared, but this instantly fell into a look of defeat. “Ah chose the only path that meant that you would stay alive.”

Dash continued to glare for a few seconds. Haltingly, she folded up her wings. “If you’re looking for thanks,” she said, “you won’t get any. Maybe you think this is some kind of ‘noble sacrifice’ you’re making. I’m sure it looks that way to you.” She looked down. “And I admit it, I’m... part of me’s kind of glad you made that choice. I’m scared of dying. I know everypony is, deep down, a little, but... this is me we’re talking about.

“Do you know how much it takes to scare a pony who isn’t afraid of anything? I’m scared of something I can’t escape. I’m scared of going someplace that my friends can’t follow. If there’s anything that does scare me... it’s that. But the only reason I’m telling you this is because I want you to know how much I mean it when I say... that I’d rather have let myself be killed than let you become a killer.”

Applejack stared in return. Her trembling, which had just started to abate, begun anew. Gritting her teeth, Dash stepped forward and forced herself to stifle some of her anger. “But at least you managed to do one thing right,” she grunted. “Much as I hate to admit it, some good did come of this. You found me. And if you really do care about what you’ve done, then you can start to prove it by helping us figure out how to beat this thing.”

There was no reaction from Applejack. Slowly, the orange mare looked down. “This might be hard for you to hear, Rainbow,” she said quietly, “but Ah didn’t bring you here to ask you for your help. Ah brought you here to ask you to keep away. Because there’s something else,” she added before Dash could argue with her. “Something that ain’t just selfish. The real reason Ah finally joined up. The real reason for all of this. And the first thing you’ve gotta understand is that there ain’t one Kira. There’s two.”

“Y-yeah,” Dash said guardedly. “We figured that part out already. L thinks they’ve teamed up. So what is it, another God of Death?”

“That’s right,” Applejack confirmed. “But they aren’t allies. They’re enemies.”

Dash blinked. Concepts and theories clashed inside her head and fell to pieces. “What?”

Applejack sighed. “It took a long time to get Mer to tell us the truth,” she said. “For the longest time, all we could ask was why. Why us? Why such strange methods? Why does a spirit from beyond Equestria care so much about killing ponies in prison? When she didn’t give us an answer, we tried to use it to string her along. We didn’t say no to her demands, but we didn’t say yes, either. We managed to hold her off for two days without answering, just by askin’ the same question. Why? But on the third day, after the funeral — Ah wanted to tell you then, Ah wanted to tell you so bad, but she was always watching — she finally told us her story.

“Somewhere above Equestria, somewhere among the stars, there’s a place called the Shinneh— the Shimmy— the Shi-ni-ga-mi Realm, land of the Sh... of Mer and her kind. They’re a kind, peaceful race who live on starlight and the happiness of the ponies in the world below. They stay separate from us, happy to just watch us from the holes in their realm, and live simple, thoughtful lives ruled by peace and harmony.

“But then their world was attacked by a dark and twisted creature called the Storyteller. Its words alone were poisonous to whoever heard them, and it maddened and corrupted all that it touched. Eventually, the monster was defeated by the love of three siblings, two brothers and a sister, named Byuk, Mer and Geldus. They stripped away the Storyteller’s power and sealed him in the brightness of a star, never to hurt anypony ever again. But with the last of his strength, the Storyteller placed a curse on the youngest of the three, Byuk, giving him power over life and death but blackening his heart, transforming him from a kind and fun-loving spirit into a cruel and sadistic God of Death.”

Applejack’s shoulders trembled slightly; it was clear that merely repeating the story was affecting her. “Right away, Byuk was just as evil as the Storyteller had ever been. The first thing he did was kill his own brother, Geldus, just to watch the look on Mer’s face as he turned to dust. Then he escaped through a hole in their realm and flew down to Equestria to cause chaos. You know how so many ponies have died in the past couple of years? Chances are, that had something to do with him.

“Mer looked down on Equestria from the edge of space, her heart breaking as she watched the ponies she loved being torn apart by her own brother. At long last, unable to bear the pain any longer, she went back to the Storyteller and she begged him for the power to defeat her brother. She broke through the seal and took the Storyteller into her heart, transforming her into a monstrous God of Death as well. But she carried her love inside her, and it kept her sane and focused on her quest. So she descended down to Equestria and met Byuk, and she tried to stop him in the only way she knew how. The same way that she’d always beaten him, ever since they were foals.” Applejack gulped. “She challenged him to a game.

“And that’s what this is. That’s what this has always been about. The rules of the game are simple: each God of Death chooses a pony champion, their ‘Kira’, and passes some of their power on to them in the form of a weapon that can kill any pony they choose. The winner is the one who can get the most kills without having their weapon taken and destroyed by the other. That’s why both sides only kill bad ponies; for Mer, it’s about using her powers for good and trying to undo some of the harm that her brother’s done. But for Byuk, it’s so he can kill as much as he wants without anypony trying to hunt him down.

“Mer already lost one round after her Kira was killed, but she was able to save the weapon and bring it to the pony she thought she could rely on the most.” Applejack sighed. “Me.” She shifted uncomfortably. “RD, you know Ah trust you and all, but you can understand why Ah don’t quite feel safe telling you how it works.”

Rainbow Dash forced herself to nod. “Right,” she said. “So where do I fit into this?”

“This is where it gets complicated.” Applejack sighed again. “Mer can see most everything, bein’ a God, but she’s only allowed to tell us a little. There are rules she has to follow, or she forfeits the game and Byuk wins. Just telling us her story used up most of the information she’s allowed to give us. But every few times a pony dies, she’s allowed to give us another hint, either to help us find the other Kira or help us avoid detection. That’s how Ah knew you were onto us. And that’s how Ah know the most important thing of all.” She leaned forward. “The pony that Byuk’s chosen as his champion, the real real Kira, is one of the ponies on the team being led by L.”

Rainbow Dash froze. “That’s impossible,” she breathed.

“But it’s the truth.” Applejack stepped forward. “That’s why we need you. Ah know Kira ain’t a pegasus pony, and... that’s about it. It’s all so dang cryptic. Most of the time we just get bits and pieces that don’t make sense until they’re put together. Big Mac had to take a wild guess about who to use for the distraction by the colour of her mane. Her name’s Locket, right?”

“No. Stop. You... you have to be wrong.” Dash shook her head. “We’ve been checked, all of us. We know that none of us are Kira. I don’t care what any so-called god’s been telling you. She’s wrong.”

“Are you sure, Dash?” Applejack pressed. “Tell me this one thing. Is there anypony on your team who you ever thought might be Kira, even just for a little while, but you later decided she wasn’t? Somepony you look up to? Somepony you think you can trust?”

Dash’s breath shortened. Twilight. “I see what you’re doing!” she cried, spreading her wings and starting to back up again. “You’re not trying to help us. You’re trying to turn us against each other!”

Applejack winced. “Rainbow, have you been listening to a single word Ah’ve said?” she demanded. “Look at mah eyes! Do Ah look like Ah’m lying?”

“Maybe not you.” The pegasus glared. “But what makes you think this Mer character is on the level? Don’t you think this is just a little too convenient for you? What if Mer made up that whole story just to trick you into getting us to fight each other? I mean, pretty much the first thing she ever did to you was kill the only parent you had left. And now you’re going to let her decide the fate of Equestria?”

Applejack flinched as though struck, but stood her ground. “Ah know Mer’s evil,” she mumbled. “The lesser of two evils, maybe, but still evil. She gets urges that she can’t control, and she’s done things that Ah can’t and won’t forgive. But even if her heart’s as black as coal, Ah know that deep down, she’s just a filly doing all she can to bring her brother home. Even if Ah can’t sympathize, Ah can understand. If mah brother had been taken from me, don’t you think Ah’d move mountains to get him back?”

“No,” Dash said flatly. “Not like this. Not when you have to tear other families apart to do it. And believe me,” she added, picturing the last she’d seen of Derpy fleeing from the base in tears, “you’ve already done worse than that. For Celestia’s sake, can’t you see what she’s done to you?”

Shaking her head sympathetically, Dash approached Applejack, who stood stiff as a board as she drew near. She placed a hoof on her friend’s face; there was no reaction. “You’re losing yourself, Applejack. How can you say you want to protect your friends in one breath, and talk about killing like it’s nothing in the next? Can you even tell that’s what you’re doing? Mer’s doing to you just what the Storyteller did to her. She’s used her words to turn you into herself.”

Applejack’s face fell into a glare. “And what do you know about it?” she yelled, knocking Dash’s hoof away from her. “Do you think Ah’m enjoying this? Do you think Ah would be here now if there was any other way? For that matter, if this is some ploy like you think, then why did we have to sneak around Mer just to get here? Ah think it’s you who can’t see the orchard for the trees, Rainbow, so let’s get one thing straight. You can arrest me right now, lock me up and throw away the key, and Mer will lose a second time. But all that’ll happen is the game will start from square one, and you’ll have a brand new Kira to chase all over again. But if we hold out just a little longer, if together we can outwit the real monster behind all this, then the game stops for good and everypony lives.”

Dash snorted. “You think I’m falling for that? What about all those farmers who’ve died, huh? Were they just part of the game as well?”

The farmer blinked. “What?”

“How d’you think we found you? You’ve been killing rivals left and right in fake accidents. What gives you the right to drag them into this?” Dash snarled. “Or are they just bonus points? Since you’re a killer anyway, why not make some money on the side, is that it?”

“Dash, that ain’t us.”

Rainbow Dash paused. “Huh?”

“Dash, that... that ain’t us.” Applejack had paled. “Look, Ah’ll admit it. Ponies...” She closed her eyes and struggled with the words for several seconds before she could speak them. “Ponies have died by my hoof. Okay?” A pair of twin tears rolled down her cheeks. “Ah didn’t want to do it, and Ah hate myself for doing it. When this is over, no punishment could be bad enough. But Ah swear, by the hairs on mah head and mah own Granny’s grave, that nopony at our table has ever killed a farmer for our own gain.”

“B-but...” Dash trembled. “But if not you, then who?”

“Best guess?” Applejack gave her friend a pointed look. “If it ain’t our Kira... it’s yours.”

Both ponies dwelled on this for close to a minute before Applejack sighed again. “Look, Ah gotta go,” she said quietly. “Ah told Apple Bloom Ah’d be there for her if she woke up in the night. Just think about what Ah’ve said, okay?” She looked at Dash pleadingly. “Ah won’t press you for information none, and if you want to get L to come down here and interrogate me, Ah won’t stop you. But promise me you’ll be careful who you tell this to. ‘Cause if Byuk’s Kira finds out that you’re onto her, she might choose that as the moment to make her move. Strictly speakin’, Ah don’t think she needs any of you alive.”

Rainbow Dash gulped. “I’ll think about it,” she said. “I can’t promise anything else. But I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all Ah can ask.” Applejack picked up her hat and placed it carefully back on her head, brushing off a few stray leaves of grass. She turned away and started to walk, then stopped. “And Dash?” she added. “If you do decide to bring this down on us... don’t be too hard on the others. They’re more victims than Ah am.”

Dash nodded, but didn’t look at her. “Whatever you say, AJ.”

Each giving a final, sorrowful glance to the plank that served as Granny Smith’s tombstone, both ponies vanished from the clearing. The ghostly leaves overhead didn’t even ripple as Rainbow Dash rose through them. As soon as they were out of sight, the grove of willow wisps faded back into the night.

Bon Bon let out a surprisingly realistic yawn as she emerged from the pub. “Don’t know about you guys, but I am pooped!” she said loudly as Locket and Big Macintosh emerged behind her. She sounded tipsy, though Locket would have sworn that the mare hadn’t had a drop to drink all night. “I’m gonna head home. I’ve got somepony waiting for me. See you tomorrow, Locket!”

Locket waved shyly as her partner ambled off in the direction of the base. She gulped as the bulk of her partner of another kind approached her from the side. “May Ah walk you home, miss Locket?” Big Macintosh rumbled. Though she’d personally watched him down what had to have been a whole barrel of cider, there wasn’t the slightest tremor in his voice. “It would be a weight off my mind. The streets aren’t as safe as they used to be.”

The blue mare looked back and forth; the roads around them were dark and empty. She shivered. The nights were getting colder. “I’d like that,” she said quietly.

The pair walked silently, Locket leading the way. Though she tried to keep her pace steady, she found herself inching closer and closer to the large stallion, telling herself it was just for warmth. If Big Macintosh minded, or even noticed, he gave no indication of it. After what felt like far too short a time, the pair came to the front of Locket’s apartment building. “This is me,” she said, coming to a halt and turning towards him. “Thanks for seeing me here.”

“It weren’t nothing.” To Locket’s simultaneous embarrassment and delight, Big Macintosh bowed. “Ah don’t get many nights away from the farm. It was nice to spend this one with a mare who didn’t spend the whole time talking my ear off.”

Locket couldn’t help but giggle. “I had a good time too,” she said. “I was worried I wouldn’t know how to act. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone out. Not... because of work, or anything. I just haven’t had a reason to.”

Big Macintosh nodded knowingly. “What is it that you do?”

“Oh... well...” Locket hung her head. “I’m sort of... between jobs, at the moment.” She paused, then sighed. “And by ‘the moment,’” she added in a quieter voice, “I mean for a while.”

“Is that so?” The farmer tapped his chin thoughtfully. “You know, it’s been a rough season at Sweet Apple Acres. By next month, we’ll be needing a lot more hooves to get us ready for the winter. Can you cook?”

“Well...” Locket considered her diet, which until recently had consisted of virtually nothing but dirt-cheap carrots bought in bulk. “I’m a little out of practice.”

“That’s all right. Everypony’s got something they can bring to the table.” Big Macintosh smiled gently. “If you feel like coming down sometime, we’d... Ah’d be happy to see you again.”

Locket blushed, and hoped that the shadow of the building hid her face. “Thank you,” she said, almost too quietly to be heard. She smiled up into Big Macintosh’s eyes. Almost on instinct, she found herself leaning forward. Before she realized what was happening, familiar and gently whispered words began to float past her lips. “Do you want to—”

She froze. A long, heart-stopping moment passed. Big Macintosh was still staring; he didn’t seem to realize that she’d spoken. “Goodnight,” she finished, far more quickly and loudly than she’d intended, and only caught half of the stallion’s reply before she’d vanished inside. She took the stairs two at a time and didn’t stop until she’d reached her apartment on the fourth floor, almost kicking down the door as she opened it and slamming it shut behind her.

Do you want to come upstairs?

Breathing heavily, Locket looked around the nearly bare rooms she called her home. Aside from the clear trails where she tended to pace, the floor was pale with dust. Her bedsheets were badly in need of washing, the mold in her bathroom would soon be celebrating its birthday, and the remains of whatever she’d abandoned in the fridge before leaving for the base could probably now be best dealt with by dragging the appliance outside and setting it on fire. Do you want to come upstairs? she echoed, her inner voice growing mocking. I’d have been better off if I told him to mount me in the street.

Shaking her head angrily, she turned on her lights and crossed over the room to her window. What she saw made her jump back in fright. Instead of leaving, Big Macintosh had simply walked across the street and was now looking up at her brightened room. With a faint whimper, Locket darted back and turned off her lights again, then crept up and peered through a corner of the glass. Big Macintosh stared for only a second longer before calmly walking away, heading in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. If she squinted really, really hard, Locket thought she could make out the shadow of Bon Bon following him, now wrapped in a cloak-shaped blur that seemed to blend into the background.

Locket sat back, calming her heartbeat. Bon Bon said she’d see me tomorrow, she reminded herself. She probably meant I should stay here tonight. I guess that’s... safer. She looked around. All on my own.

Her legs trembled.

In short, sharp motions, Locket closed her threadbare curtains and trotted to the bed. She threw herself down, remaining careful to only lie on her side of the mattress, and reached around for the supplies she’d hidden beneath her pillow. The first thing she pulled out was an old and fading novel, The Legend of O — her emergency book in several senses of the word — and she cradled it close to her for several seconds before putting it carefully aside. Underneath that was a bar of chocolate that she’d been saving for a special occasion, though it seemed superfluous now, and beneath that...

Locket’s eyes fluttered as she slipped a sky-blue envelope in front of her, her own name scrawled neatly on the front. The back flap hung open, the contents ruffled after being shoved hastily back inside. She could feel several kinds of papers pressed against each other within, all in their own way fighting for her attention. She rolled onto her back and held the envelope close to her face, trying to soothe her mind, but it didn’t help. Whenever she closed her eyes, all she could see was red. I’m such a bad pony.

Hi Linky!

Remember me? I threw you a birthday party on your first year in Ponyville! And you asked me how I knew it was your birthday, and I said I didn’t, I just took a lucky guess because I had a one in three hundred and sixty-five chance of getting it right, and even if I got it wrong, hey, free party! And even though you asked me not do it again, I’ve been having super special secret parties just for you once a year ever since! I guess I won’t be doing that any more, and that’s kind of sad, but it’s okay. Know why? Because I think you’re ready to start coming to your own parties again.

You know who’s a super fun, smart, and all around awesome pony? You are! You know who’s the only pony around who can’t seem to see it? You are! I know lots of ponies who would just love to have fun with you and be your friends, and that’s why it always makes me so sad to see you being all Mopey McMoperPants about being all alone. There are lots of ponies who notice you, not just one — and when you only notice one in return, especially one who’s barely part of your life any more, then that one starts to turn into one big, friend-stealing problem.

I’ve attached not one, but two presents for you, but you have to promise you’ll only use them the way I tell you, okay? One is a train ticket to Appleloosa. If you really love Green Grapes and want to be with him, then go and be with him! No more loneliness, you get to make new friends, and everypony wins. But think carefully before you do, because if you really look around, I think you’ll find you have more friends than you think you do. You’ve got at least one right here! Whether you know it or not, there are lots of ponies who care about you and would miss you if you were gone. So I’ve left you some stamps for a letter as well, because if you do find your life here, and you aren’t going to Appleloosa, then you owe it to Green Grapes to write to him and tell him how you really feel.

In Green Grapes’ letter, I told him to expect a surprise from you, maybe good, maybe bad. I’m not worried about what happens next, because whatever choice you end up making, I just know that I can count on you to make the right one.

Your bestest friend forever,

Pinkie Pie

Next episode: A mysterious piece of paper!

Condemned

27
*Condemned*

The number of pages in the Death Note will never run out.

For the first time since she was a little filly, Twilight Sparkle had been sent to her room.

The hardest part of spy work, as it turned out, was waiting. Waiting as the two Apple sisters spent a lazy afternoon together, waiting as Applejack left in the evening to do the work she’d been putting off for Apple Bloom's sake, waiting as the older siblings returned one by one and performed their own, private rituals before going to bed. Endlessly waiting for a sign of life from Granny Smith — one that, deep down, she already knew would never come. Twilight considered herself a more patient mare than most, at least when it came to her own affairs, but it quickly became clear that waiting for somepony else to do something was setting her on edge. As the night stretched on longer and she caught herself fidgeting in her seat more and more often, L had finally turned to her and ordered — not suggested, ordered — that she go to bed.

The setup in Twilight's room was no different than any of the others in the base. It was small and rectangular, almost bare aside from a cot, a lamp and whatever she'd managed to bring with her. She lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, unable to tear her mind away from the screens in the other room.

Sleep wouldn't be coming easily. She'd had the foresight to secure the room next to Spike's, so at least she had the soft, familiar sound of his snoring to distract her from the strangeness of her surroundings. The walls here were made of stone. True, she'd slept surrounded by stone in Canterlot as well, but at least there there were windows and a whole library to keep her company. This felt more like a cell, more so than even her actual padded cell had. Day by day, the whole complex was starting to feel more and more like a prison.

There was little comfort to be found in any of her possessions. She'd already skimmed through most of the books she'd arrived with on her first day, and felt no inclination to pass more time by finishing them off. The bag of potato chips Pinkie Pie had given her lay in the corner, still unopened. Seeing that she wasn’t likely to leave the base anytime soon, these might as well have been the sum total of all her worldly possessions. Well, those and her wristwatch.

Twilight lifted her leg above her head and stared at the device, which was still wrapped habitually around her ankle. The time was close to midnight. Why did I get this? she asked herself. It's not like I don't want it... It's kind of handy to have. But why did I choose that moment? Why so soon after I got back from Canterlot? When I went to the store, I had... some kind of reason... I was looking for... She closed her eyes, frowning deeply. Why can't I remember?

The thought nagged at her. While part of her insisted that it had just been another day, that it hadn't been important, her own paranoia started to spring back full force. She reached out and idly ran her other hoof along the watch’s outer edge, stopping when she reached the tiny nub of the dial. Oh, that was it! This one caught my eye because it has a hidden case, in case I needed to... to... She shook her head. To write something down in a hurry? Was that it?

Habitually, she reached out to the device with her magic, only to meet a now familiar resistance inside her skull. Rolling her eyes in frustration, she instead drew her hoof close to her face and awkwardly took the dial in between her teeth. She tugged three times in rapid succession, and the hidden drawer sprung open. That was it. Now... wait...

Something had been placed inside her wristwatch. Twilight held it up to the chemiluminescent glow of her bedside lamp, squinting into the narrow interior. Hidden in the secret compartment, secured by elastic bands to keep it from moving about, was a folded piece of paper. A thin piece of pencil lead lay on top of it, similarly restrained. Twilight frowned. While she recalled buying the wristwatch for more or less this purpose, she couldn't remember ever actually filling it.

Is this one of L's games? she wondered. Did she put something in here while I was imprisoned, just to mess with me? That's a poor joke. Maybe she was just trying to be helpful? Curiously, she tried to reach into the compartment to scrape the paper out, but stopped short. Her hoof was too big to fit inside the drawer.

"Oh, come on!" she said aloud, once again reminded of her missing abilities; with magic, it would have taken barely a thought to pull the paper from its bindings. In frustration she leaned forward and pressed her snout into the her watch, but still couldn't get close to the page inside. Her tongue brushed against the elastics, but couldn’t shift them. She held her leg high over her head and tried again with her other hoof, pushing as hard as she could into the metal. She smiled in triumph as she felt the very tip of her hoof press against the pencil lead inside. Just... a little... further...

There was a barely audible click as the lead snapped in half. One end remained where it was, pressed against the mysterious paper by a sturdy elastic, while the other came loose and bounced off of Twilight's hoof before falling directly into her eye. "Ow!" she yelled, sitting bolt upright and abandoning her search to rub her hoof against her stinging face. She glared at her wristwatch before sliding the hidden drawer shut. So much for that. What good's a secret compartment if I can't even get at what's inside? Grumbling in irritation, she slid the device off her ankle and placed it next to her lamp, then turned the light off. Just another mystery. I'll figure it out later...

Resigned to rest at last, Twilight slid under her covers and laid her head on her pillow. She nestled down into it, brushing her mane away from her forehead. She was still struggling to get used to it not parting around her horn. I hope we get to the bottom of this soon. I don't know how much more waiting I can take...

The door was set tight against the wall and floor, permitting only the dimmest haze of light to sneak into the room. It was, without a doubt, the darkest place that Twilight had ever slept in. She closed her eyes and forced herself through her breathing exercises. Her brain, ever occupied with logic and mysteries, was slow to let drowsiness overtake it. Even after an hour of relaxation went by, the best she could manage was a restless and uncomfortable sleep.

She would not have been surprised to learn that she was being watched. What she could not have predicted, however, was the nature of the one whose eyes were locked on her sleeping form.

Mer stared down at the sleeping pony with no small amount of distaste. She rolled a pair of small objects around in the claws that extended from her forehooves. One was the crystallized head of the insect she'd plucked from the wall of Twilight's room; they were peculiar, ingenious little things that she refused to admit she was growing a fondness for. The other was a tiny, almost invisible ball of paper, torn from the corner of a certain page.

For the most part, Mer considered ponies to be such predictable, boring creatures. Their minds seemed no more developed than their impish, uselessly biological bodies; compared to a naturally perfect being such as herself, manipulating the helpless little things was starting to become embarrassing. However, a few, as she was slowly discovering, did have their amusing little uses. The little one, for instance, would make such horrible noises when touched — but noises that would bring the others running to her, bizarre as that seemed. The orange one had all sorts of quirks, performing disgusting, meaty displays of kissing and crying at the strangest of times. And as for this one in particular...

Twilight shivered in her sleep as the god of death slipped closer. She didn't react as the paper was dragged lightly along her throat, pressed just hard enough to slip through her coat and brush against her skin. Mer lifted the fragment up. A light blue magic glowed along her extended leg, and a puff of blue flame consumed the paper without any trace of heat or ash. She crushed the crystal in her other hoof to powder and threw it aside.

In the main base, there was a faint crackle as the signal to a small stratoscreen cut out. The image, already displaying blackness, did not change. L glanced at this, then stood up. Leaving Bon Bon to monitor the screens in her place, she crept quietly down the hallway to Twilight's room and stood silently, leaning forward just far enough to press her ear against the door.

There was nothing to be heard. There were no rustles, no magical sparks, no hum to indicate the lantern was turned on. There was nothing to hear because Twilight Sparkle was being forcefully held down by a creature more than twice her size.

Twilight tried desperately to twist away, but none of her limbs would move. Her eyes bulged in the darkness without focusing, straining to make out some sign of movement above her. Despite her blanket she felt cold, like she was bathing in ice. Several words flashed through her mind — sleep paralysis, night terrors, dreams — before she became fully aware of the claws clamping her mouth shut. Her attempted scream withered as something sharp pressed against her throat, just hard enough to hurt. She let a shudder run through her, trying to find some part of her that was free to move, when a voice like silk being threaded through a wound whispered in her ear. "What kind of game are you trying to play, Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight froze. She could feel, though not see, a large head just inches away from her own. Frigid breath on her cheek made the hairs on her face stand on end. "Do you think I am a fool?" the creature continued, contempt ringing in every word. "I have played your game, exactly as you asked, and was led to believe that the one who matters would be freed. So why do your ponies plot and scheme against me? Why does the pony you swore to protect remain in chains? I know that you and your pathetic pony friends are up to something. Do you expect me to believe that your plan was as simple as you claimed?"

"Mmph?" Twilight could barely focus on the creature's words, only enough to know that they didn't make sense. Her analytical subconscious was starting to note hard lines against her skin, like long limbs bent at impossible angles to restrain her legs, somehow at once weightless yet powerful as iron. But much as she tried, her panicked mind couldn’t resolve these sensations into any coherent whole. All she could think about was the sharpness of the claws against her neck, like knives. Like scissors.

“How much do they know?” the creature hissed. “What else do you think you can hide from me?” The claws withdrew from her mouth, but the second set remained pressed to her throat. “And do not lie to me again, little pony. I’m attuned to your poisoned words. Promises mean nothing from a pony so vile that she would murder her closest companions.”

Twilight said nothing. She could formulate no possible response. She only stared upwards, her eyes straining in the darkness, willing herself not to breathe. The face above her shifted, tilting from one side of her to the other, as though examining her. “Or do you remember me at all?” it murmured.

From an unseen source, a dark blue light lit up the space between Twilight and her attacker. She tried not to gasp as a face like a demon's corpse filled her field of view, pale skin coming to rest over a mountain of malformed bones. Its expression was one of rage restrained only by curiosity. And though Twilight would have sworn that she had never seen this monster before, in those giant, alien eyes she detected something not unlike familiarity, as though this monster had seen her before. As though it knew her.

The light only lasted a matter of seconds before fading, flickering briefly from a spectral blue to a more pure white. And in this moment of clarity, one detail caught Twilight’s eye that struck her to her core. At the tips of the creature’s disgusting, wormlike mane, flashes of colour stood out against its pale skin. Purple against white.

Twilight spoke, so softly that she couldn’t hear her own voice. “Rarity?”

The Rarity-demon cackled. “So, you’ve given up the Note,” she said, returning to words that Twilight couldn’t understand. “A coward to the end. Was this your means of escaping me? Did you think that if you could not remember, you would no longer be guilty of your crimes?” The scissor-claws tightened around Twilight’s neck. “All you’ve done is taken away the one thing that stopped me from killing you, any... way... I... want.”

Twilight stared at nothing. The pressure above her was unbearable. Her lips moved, but she didn’t dare speak. Rarity, I tried to save you. I never wanted this. I did everything I could. I loved you, Rarity. I loved you.

After just enough time had passed for Twilight to again start struggling to move, the pressure on her neck lessened. “No, not yet,” the skeletal beast whispered. “We have loose ends to tie.” She lifted herself away from the bed. As soon as she was free, Twilight tried to spring up and make a rush for the door. She got about halfway up before what felt like a paralyzingly cold hoof shoved her back down. Her flailing leg knocked her wristwatch from the bedside table, but she didn’t hear it hit the ground. “We’ll meet again, Twilight Sparkle,” the monster hissed. “I’m done playing your game. It’s time for you to start playing mine. And when I’ve won... you’ll understand why a simple death is too good for you.”

Silence. Twilight listened to the sound of her own heavy breathing, still trying to process what had just occurred. She could see only the dimmest glow of light around the door. Slowly, she started to rise again.

Blue fire lit up the room. With a ghostly shriek, a creature made from bones and ice lunged at Twilight from the ceiling. She had just enough time to scream before a wave of cold and pressure hit her.

The door opened. “Twilight?” L called, poking her face into the darkened room. “Are you all right?”

Shivering, Twilight opened her eyes, then immediately shut them against what felt like blinding light. She began to move, then stopped. She was flat on her back with her covers pulled up to her neck, the sheets pulled taut around her. Her hoof flew up to her throat; there was nothing. She felt nothing.

Dimly, a silhouette came into view above her. “You screamed,” L said flatly. “Is everything all right?”

Twilight squinted, blinking slowly. She glanced at her bedside table. Her wristwatch was exactly where she’d left it. “I’m... fine,” she mumbled, uncertainly. She sighed. “Just a bad dream.”

Rainbow Dash slept less than usual. She'd spent the night in her cloud house, trying very hard not to think too much as she let stress and exhaustion claim her. She awoke as the sun rose, an event she'd only actually witnessed a few times in her life, and lay in bed just staring at the ceiling. After a few minutes of this she groaned and stood up, shaking out her mane angrily.

After drinking a glass of water for breakfast, Dash went to her front door and looked out over Ponyville. She could see the park in the distance, and could almost make out the grove of trees that would be her destination. No point putting this off, she sighed. Just gotta get back and tell L...

...tell her what?

She paused a little longer. The events of last night jumbled together in her head, perpetually replaying out of order and at the wrong volume. As she tried to sort what she’d learned into a coherent message for the hundredth time, a simple warning returned to float to the top of her brain.

“But promise me you’ll be careful who you tell this to. ‘Cause if Byuk’s Kira finds out that you’re onto her, she might choose that as the moment to make her move. Strictly speakin’, Ah don’t think she needs any of you alive.”

Dash shuddered. Suddenly, the distant trees were looking a lot less inviting. I have to tell somepony, she reminded herself. There’s no way I can afford to keep this to myself. But... The prospect of death gave the mare unusual foresight. She tried to play out how the meeting would go, doing her best to anticipate how many ears might be listening in. Obviously I have to tell L, she decided. Not that she won’t just suspect Twilight again, but...

She sighed, then frowned. But how? If I announce to everypony that one of us might be a spy, then the real Kira will definitely know we’re on to her. But if I just choose one or two ponies to tell, and I choose wrong... or if I ask to speak to L alone, and Twili— the real Kira thinks I’m excluding her...

A selection of enthusiastic plans for hidden notes and hoof signals sprung up in her mind, but she quickly shot these down. If the real Kira had managed to conceal herself from L for so long, then she was definitely smart enough to be on the lookout for anything she tried to slip past her. The alternative, though equally impossible, seemed to be her only choice. Dash closed her door and sighed deeply, bracing herself for the task to come. “If I can’t tell anypony about the real Kira,” she said aloud, though her words did the opposite of comfort her, “then I’ll just have to find her myself.”

In other words, she was going to try to do in one morning what the greatest detective in all of Equestria hadn’t been able to accomplish in more than a month.

This was going to take some thinking. At the very least, she could start to narrow it down.

Despite a thorough search of her house, Rainbow Dash was disappointed to discover that a blackboard didn't magically appear right when she needed one. She found a quill and ink, but this seemed hardly satisfactory for the complexity of the task that she was about to embark on. Just as she was about to give up, she was able to locate a box of ancient crayons and paper in an old cupboard, underneath a pile of Rainbow Dash hats and well-loved ticket stubs. "These'll do," she said to herself, brushing aside foalhood sketches of the Wonderbolts and storm clouds before finding a selection of clean pages.

She settled down on the cloud-weave carpet and did her best to get into what she called the "Twilight mindset", pursing her lips into the most thoughtful expression she could manage. When this failed to provide immediate results, she sighed and wrote down the biggest question on the top of her first page.

Who can I trust?

After a moment of thought, in which she pictured endless circles of friends and crowds of adoring fans, she picked up her crayon again and amended this to:

Who can't I trust?

Okay, who are the suspects? Dash rubbed her eyes, trying to think back to Applejack's exact words. Somepony on our team, so that’s one, two... ten total. The real Kira isn't a pegasus pony, which means it's not me, Fluttershy, or... Derpy. She rolled her eyes. Well, no surprise there. Using a different colour for each pony, she wrote down the first three names and then immediately crossed them out. All three, blue, yellow and grey, she laid in a neat row next to the box for later use.

Applejack seemed to think it was a mare, so that's Spike and Jazz out. She did some quick writing and crossing out, then smiled down at her work. Wow, down by half already. This detective-ing stuff is easier than I thought.

Twilight... She would be the tricky one. Dash awkwardly bit her lip around the purple crayon and put a question mark next to her friend's name, resolving to come back to it last. Then there's Colgate... but she's with the police and stuck with Fluttershy. Probably not her. Locket's a little kooky, but in the ‘waah, I wish I was as popular as you’ way, not so much... She considered this. I’ll put her down as a maybe.

That was eight, with six in the clear and two suspects. The pegasus nodded warily, reaching down to her crayon box again. So that just leaves Bon Bon, who spends way too much time in the kitchen to have any room for killing... She laid a pink crayon next to the others in a line beside her. And...

and...

The green crayon never met the paper. It fell from Rainbow Dash’s lips halfway between the box and its destination, tumbling end over end before landing tip-first on the pile she’d assembled. The group began to break apart, the ones on the end starting to roll down the uneven floor in the direction of the kitchen. Dash barely noticed. Her wings slowly contracted tightly against her sides, her jaw slack as she stared at nothing. “No,” she said quietly.

The one pony who treats murder and chaos like her own sick, demented game.

“No.”

The one pony who’s obsessed with catching Kira, no matter what the cost.

“Oh Celestia, please no.”

“Tell me this one thing. Is there anypony on your team who you ever thought might be Kira, even just for a little while, but you later decided she wasn’t? Somepony you look up to? Somepony you think you can trust?” And what was the first thing I ever said to her?

Dash’s lips trembled. “How do we know you are who you say you are?” she echoed. “You might be Kira... trying to trick us.”

She had the brains. She had the motive. She had the identities of every victim on record, sometimes even before they were killed. She knew forbidden, evil magic that not even Twilight would touch. And from day one, she’d done everything she could to keep every attempt to find Kira entirely under her control.

Now shaking, Dash reached down to the green crayon and picked it up again. With grim finality, she wrote one last name at the bottom of the page and then circled it.

Dash sat back, feeling herself panic but managing not to flip out completely. Anger flooded her, then despair. She was hunting Kira, she realized. But... the good Kira. We never mattered; it was all about the game. All that stuff with Twilight and Fluttershy... did she really suspect them? Were they just a distraction? Or... Pure fury raced through her. Did she just think it was funny?

It took a minute for Rainbow Dash to collect herself. She stood still for a moment, grinding her teeth, then shook herself free and straightened up. First and foremost, she needed to think. It couldn’t escape her that she had no proof; all she had was a hunch, one that she herself would admit she couldn’t rely on. Technically both L and Twilight fit the bill... but if it was a toss-up between a clear psychopath and an Element of Harmony, she knew which side she’d put her bits on.

Despite her jittering legs, Dash forced herself to sit down again and fully think her plan through. She couldn’t afford any slip-ups, not when the lives of the entire team were on the line. Instead of solving her original problem, she’d only magnified it; keeping one of the others out of the loop wouldn’t have been too bad, but it was hard to imagine getting others on her side without either L or Twilight finding out. And if one got wind of it, they would almost certainly inform the other, especially given how — Dash ground her teeth — chummy they’d been getting lately. Nopony was going to want to jump back into the accusing game, especially after Twilight’s speech about trusting one another.

As Dash continued to ponder this, fear and fury tightening ever-further in her gut, another chilling thought occurred to her. Assuming Byuk and Mer were playing by the same rules, that probably meant that Byuk’s Kira knew at least as much about the game as Applejack. Most likely more, since she’d been playing for longer. That meant that she would be expecting Applejack to be on the hunt as well, trying to gain allies. And if she had any reason to suspect that Rainbow Dash had been in contact with the enemy...

Dash's subsequent launch from the floor tore a chunk out of the carpet, and her door was flung and left open in blind panic. She crossed the town in thirty seconds and nearly crashed as she raced down to the grove, slipping on the damp grass and getting thrown off-course. She made a final dash to the trapdoor, slid to an abrupt halt, and then knocked as calmly and politely as she could.

When the trapdoor opened she forced herself to walk down the stairs unhurriedly, and mimed a convincing yawn as the iron doors at the bottom opened. It was so convincing, in fact, that she sparked an actual yawn and had to pause for several seconds before greeting the pony waiting for her inside. "Good morning, Twilight."

"Good morning, Dash." Twilight smiled, but it came out slightly strained. "I was starting to worry again. Did you spend the night at your place?"

"Yeah." Dash made her way in, getting herself to yawn a second time. "Sorry I'm late. I just woke up."

"It's fine." Twilight smiled again, a little more genuinely. "I wasn't expecting you for another hour or two, actually."

Subtly rolling her eyes, Dash looked around the rest of the base. All seemed to be business as usual. L apparently hadn't moved since the pegasus had left, still watching over a cluster of screens. Dash tried not to look at her. Nearby, Jazz, Spike and Locket were playing cards at a table. Based on the piles of candied tokens in front of them, Jazz seemed to be winning by a mile. Bon Bon was at the far end of the room with a mop and bucket, cheerfully humming to herself as she washed the floor. Dash sighed and looked to Twilight, who was glancing about distractedly. "You okay, Twilight?" she asked. "You're not looking too good."

"Hm?" Twilight blinked and rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, I'm... fine. Just... haven't been sleeping well."

"Right." Though this shouldn't have been anything unusual, Rainbow couldn't help but notice Twilight's increasingly gaunt appearance, as well as the sunkenness of her eyes. She'd been starting to look like more of her old self after she'd been released from captivity, but it seemed like spending time with L was starting to wear her down all over again. She's starting to look like L, Dash realized with contained horror.

"Good morning, Rainbow Dash," the green unicorn in question said abruptly. She spun around, fixing Dash with a familiar blank stare. While it had once seemed almost endearing, the look now made Dash's skin crawl. "How was your night?"

Dash pursed her lips. "Fine," she said. Stay cool, she told herself. She doesn't know anything. Neither of them know anything, she added, grudgingly reminding herself to stay fair. Between Twilight behind her and L in front, it was hard to keep all of herself still at once.

"I'm glad to hear that." L paused. "I'm... sorry about how I treated you last night," she continued, more slowly. "My words to you were unduly harsh. There was no need for me to delve into your personal life. It will not happen again."

“...Yeah. Thanks.” Dash shifted. The trio at the table were glancing at her, peering over their cards. “Apology accepted. Just... don’t mention it again. Ever.”

She waited, but L didn’t speak again. Neither did she turn away. She kept staring, wearing what might have been a (for her) expectant expression. Dash started to swish her tail as the seconds piled on, going from uncomfortable to thoroughly creeped out. Twilight seemed to share her feelings, making a small, nervous cough. What’s she waiting for? Dash wondered. Does she want me to apologize as well? Or is she expecting me to say... something else?

Just when she thought she could stand it no longer, L spoke again. “In any case,” she carried on just as Dash was preparing to turn away, “I hope that you are well-rested. I have another job for you this evening.”

“What this time?” Dash asked, but L had already turned away and was waving her towards the screens. She looked to Twilight again, who was no longer smiling or looking straight at her. “What’s this about?”

“Rainbow...” Twilight sighed. “This is going to be hard. But you’re going to want to see this.”

Tension mounted as the pair made their way up to the screens, then deflated as Dash got her first good look at them. The Apple homestead was virtually empty; the only sign of life was Apple Bloom, slouched almost motionless in front of a stratoscreen, the same place she'd been when Dash had entered the house yesterday. Two more screens showed a wide view from a pair of mosquitoes on high, covering most of an apple field. Somewhere in the middle of it, specks of orange and red could be seen hard at work kicking shaking trees. "What is it? What am I supposed to be looking at?"

Gulping, Twilight pointed towards one of the screens showing Apple Bloom. "Look at what she's written."

Dash peered closer. The first thing she noticed was that for some reason, the filly was watching a news station; in fact, the same channel that L had on mute in the corner of the desk. But glancing down, she saw something between Apple Bloom and her screen that made her squint closer at the footage. In front of the sofa was a cheap, clunky camera lying on the floor on its side. Next to it was a pencil and a sheet of paper, with sets of one or two words written on individual lines. "I can't read that from here," Dash said. "What is it?"

L answered. "Every time a criminal's face appears, she takes a picture. Then she writes down their name." She tutted. "Everything a healthy Kira needs to grow."

Though she understood what she was hearing, it still took Dash a few moments to put together what the detective was telling her. She took a step back, breathing in. "You mean Apple Bloom is Kira?"

"Unlikely." L shook her head. "Though she notes their names and faces, none of the criminals listed have died, which is in keeping with the current Kira's activities. It is only the day after that victims reported in this way have suffered heart attacks since Twilight's imprisonment. No, this filly is only one third of the Tri-Kira, one of the ways in which they are gathering information." She tapped the page in front of her. "While this may be admissible as evidence of a connection to Kira, it brings us no closer to telling us how the Tri-Kira kills. Which is, once again, where you come in."

Twilight continued. "We think that at some point, all three of them will come together and..." She stopped abruptly, squeezing her eyes shut and looking away. Dash heard her sharply inhale, as though holding something back. "Sorry," she continued, some of the confidence gone from her voice. "We think that at some point, probably on a daily basis, all three of them will come together and deliver their report of who should die and when. With luck, that'll tell us how exactly Kira gets to her victims. We're expecting it to be sometime this evening." She winced, but hid it. "After dinner."

"Wait a minute," Dash said, another thought occurring. "Why tonight? What about last night? You were watching everything that happened after lunch, weren't you? Didn't anything happen then?"

L shook her head. "The answer to that lies in Apple Bloom's page," she said. "Doesn't it seem full, for so early in the day? We observed her continuing this behavior at times last night, and we've run the names from earlier than that. This page covers ponies who were reported on yesterday, as well as today. Additionally, the older sister disrupted her work schedule to spend time with the youngest, and Big Macintosh spent his evening on a reportedly unremarkable night out."

Nearby, Locket blushed. From across the room Bon Bon shot her a wink, which only caused her to sink a little lower behind her cards. She lost the next round of their game, and would lose the next six after that.

Rainbow Dash still looked confused, so Twilight explained it more clearly for her. "We think that they doubled up on... on killing the day before, and then decided to take yesterday off. I don't think I blame them."

Although she already knew the answer, Dash hesitantly found her way to asking another question. "And... what about Granny Smith?" she croaked out.

"All signs point to her being deceased." L flipped back through the notes on her desk again. "A tragedy, really. We believe that her death was most likely a ruse rather than true blackmail, the last laugh of the first Kira. If the real Kira was able to kill without aid, she would not need to entrap ponies into doing her work for her."

Rainbow Dash winced. Wrong.

“But what this means,” Twilight cut in quickly, “is that this is our chance to stop this for good. We’ll put you outside and talk to you by headset while we watch the proceedings from here. As soon as we figure out for sure — for absolutely sure — what gives them their killing power, that’ll be your cue to bust in and put a stop to it. The Apple family aren’t killers; so long as you can take out the source of their power, you should be safe.”

Dash paled. While she couldn't tell what Mer had looked like based on Applejack's limited description, the thought of a God of Death had been running through her mind all night. Anything that had killed a harmless old mare for talking back to her wouldn't think twice about tearing a threatening intruder to ribbons. "W-what if it's something I can't stop?" she said. "I can't fight all three of them."

"Don't worry." Twilight smiled in a way that completely failed to be comforting. "We'll send backup. And we won't send you in unless we’re sure it's something you can handle; if it’s something big or purely magical, we’ll take the time to study it and prepare a counterspell. All you have to do is disrupt the ceremony and get out."

Or snatch up the weapon, more likely, Dash pondered. I wonder which of these two came up with the idea? She looked back and forth between the two unicorns, but this offered no clues. She nodded weakly, though she wanted to scream. "This evening?" she echoed hollowly.

L nodded. "Be prepared." She cracked a hint of a grin. “And if it does come to blows, I have another toy I’ve been itching to try out.”

The pegasus stepped back, suddenly light-headed. Again her time was being cut short, this time with more finality than ever. "I... I don't know if..."

The detective glanced sharply at her, and Dash's words died in her throat. I'm doomed, she realized. If I go, Mer will kill me. If I don't go, Byuk's Kira will think that I know why... and she'll kill me. I can't win. She looked to Twilight, but found no support there. The cursed unicorn was looking at her supportively, and Dash could already hear a dozen variations on "I believe in you" forming on her lips. She briefly considered simply going and not following through, simply staying on her cloud all night, but if she claimed she’d gotten cold hooves it would only mean somepony else attempting the stunt in her place. Scared as she was, she couldn’t send another pony to their deaths.

The trio stayed locked in place for a few moments before Dash sighed. "All right," she said. "When do you want me to head out?"

"After the family has returned. We do not want to risk you being spotted on the approach, and I do not wish to wait for the next rainfall." L looked back to her screens. "You may be there until late. Be sure to have something to eat before you leave."

"...Yeah." Rainbow Dash turned away. Her mind tried to race, but was locked into a pattern of jamming and stalling. Her brain just wasn't built for this kind of marathon plotting. "Twilight, is anypony using Minty right now?"

"Well..." Twilight's face fell a little in disappointment. "I was hoping to do some analysis later, but..."

"You can save it for later. I've got to practice." She shook herself and stalked towards the machine in the middle of the room, starting to stretch out her legs as she called to Jazz. "Hey, old-timer! Ready for another round?"

With a slight smirk and roll of his eyes, Jazz nodded to his companions and rose from the table, laying his cards flat. Bon Bon rested her mop against a desk and slipped into his seat. Rainbow hovered up and began before her mentor arrived, pushing her way through a start-up sequence that was becoming as familiar to her as any flight routine. Minty hummed as her inner crystals began to pulse, opening up access to Canterlot's data banks. It almost felt to Dash as though the abacus was purring with pleasure. Rock farm... rock farm... she repeated to herself, spelling it out letter by letter as she began her search. If I can't figure out how to stop Kira, I want to solve at least one mystery before she kills me.

It was late in the day when Rainbow Dash was finally deployed. Applejack and Big Macintosh were late coming home, spending what Twilight was sure was longer than usual at work and meeting with some hired help to discuss changes over the coming weeks. Nightmare Night was coming soon, and Applejack was keen to start preparations for it early. Apple Bloom skipped lunch, only occasionally standing up and moving about throughout the day. By the time the three Apple siblings reunited, they all appeared exhausted. Still they took the time to talk and smile with each other as they made dinner, all three working together in the kitchen to make their own food and some treats for the market tomorrow.

Twilight could barely watch. Everything she saw seemed forced, like something had hollowed out her friends and was moving them about like puppets. Every noise was muffled by what she was certain by the sound of her own heart breaking. She had to take frequent breaks to the kitchen or just to the other side of the room to calm down, which L allowed without note or complaint. By the time dinner rolled around she was close to needing to leave the room again, but the urgency of her mission allowed her to keep her face and voice steady as she spoke into her own microphone. "Rainbow Dash, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, commander," Dash replied from across town. She was perched comfortably in the middle of a fluffy cloud above Sweet Apple Acres, safely out of sight of the farmhouse. She'd been given a pair of goggles to wear, which connected to a compact crystal-based headset that wrapped around the right side of her head, along with a black stealth suit that was just a little too big across the middle and a tool belt holding three of L's "toys".

Dash occasionally reached back and ran a hoof along the trio of rotund orbs at her side, testing their weight and the strength of the clips binding them to her. The box they'd come out of had been labelled "Smoke and Fire Grenades" but offered no hints as to what they actually did. When pressed, L had simply grinned and given a curt "Just use your imagination."

"Great," Twilight responded. Thankfully, her voice hadn't been given the same disconcerting distortion that L insisted on using even when talking to her allies. "We'll update you as soon as we can. The Apples are just finishing dinner. Don't move unless we say something."

Dash peered cautiously over the edge. The sun had been close to setting when she'd arrived; now, the house below was visibly falling into shadow. Somewhere around the perimeter, Spike, Locket and Bon Bon were waiting to charge in if things got ugly, but they would only come if she really needed them. So long as everything went to plan, she was on her own. So this is it, she gulped silently. Applejack, I hope you have some kind of plan in there, because otherwise I'm dead meat.

Twilight and L sat side by side again, making notes separately as they watched the wall of screens in front of them. Jazz waited behind, ready to shift bugs about as needed. L chewed loudly on what seemed like an absurd amount of bubble gum, which had by now lost all of its coloration and turned into a bland, shapeless mass. "Harpy?" Twilight said at length as the endless chewing and squelching continued. "I know this is sort of your thing, but... just for tonight... could you not constantly eat while we work?"

L paused, her mouth partway open. A thin edge of drool started to slip past her lip, but she sucked it back up. "As you wish," she said. Swishing about in her mouth for a few seconds longer, she focused and blew out a bubble easily the size of her head. With utmost precision, she worked the remaining clump of gum out of her mouth, laid a spare piece of paper on the desk next to her work station, and placed the record-setting bubble on top of it.

Twilight tried very hard not to look like she was going to be sick.

Before the awkwardness could escalate any further, Applejack pushed her plate away and stood up. "Ah think Ah'm done," she announced calmly.

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh added, polishing off the last of a piece of bread. They both looked towards Apple Bloom. Though the filly's plate was still half-full, she'd given up on eating before either of her siblings. With a faint, accepting sigh, the elder stallion rose up and started to gather up plates.

As her brother moved over to the sink, surreptitiously snacking on Apple Bloom's leftovers, Applejack leaned across the table to her little sister. "You doin' all right, sugarcube?" she said quietly.

Apple Bloom looked at the floor. "Scootaloo stopped by this morning," she grumbled. "She says Cheerilee wants me to come back to school again."

Applejack sighed. “Soon, Apple Bloom,” she said. “Ah can’t promise when. But soon.”

Big Macintosh looked over his shoulder as he began to wash up, glancing meaningfully towards the fourth, empty chair at the table. “She ain’t coming?” he asked, the longest sentence he’d spoken all evening.

“Don’t mean she ain’t watching,” Applejack muttered. “Let’s not think about that, alright?”

Abruptly, all three ponies froze. A cold, unsettling hiss filled the room, rising to a threatening growl before fading away. The three Apples were left visibly pale, the conversation struck dead.

Twilight shuddered in her seat. She sound had been something equine, but not; something filled with malice. “What was that?”

“Curious.” L made a note. The noise didn’t seem to have affected her at all, which Twilight had to admit she found sort of admirable. “This lends further credence to the theory that they are under somepony’s control. But there is no level of control that cannot be broken.”

After taking a moment to collect herself, Applejack spoke again. “Ah guess... we’d better get started,” she said.

All three ponies began moving at once. Apple Bloom hopped down from her chair and trotted into the next room, returning with the camera and the page she’d been writing on throughout the day. Big Macintosh left the remainder of the plates in the sink and opened a drawer next to him, pulling out a bundle of lined, blank pages. Applejack took the longest to reappear, walking all the way up to her bedroom. Twilight followed her from screen to screen as she changed rooms, her eyes widening as the orange mare rummaged in her desk and retrieved some very familiar pages. “Oh my gosh,” Twilight gasped. “Those are from the Equestrian Justice Records!”

L peered at the papers clenched in Applejack’s mouth. They’d been folded over once in each direction, reducing the massive pages to about the size of regular note paper. “But detached from the central book,” she noted. “Without that connection, they will no longer update.” She frowned. “Another troubling development. If Applejack was not responsible for the theft of your book, then who possesses the original?”

As Applejack descended the stairs, Big Macintosh took a second trip to the kitchen and opened another drawer. From this one he pulled out a cup full of dice and stubby pencils, which he put down in the middle of the table.

All three ponies returned to their seats. Applejack spoke solemnly, her voice gripped with guilt and resignation. “All right, everypony. Roll ‘em out.”

One by one, the trio reached forward and picked up dice from the cup. The older siblings took three each, while Apple Bloom had two. Twilight leaned forward and spoke into her microphone. “Get ready, Dash,” she said, her heart leaping into her throat. “I think they’re starting.”

“On it.” Dash poised herself to leap, breathing rapidly. Her mind constantly flashed forward to what would come. At the signal, she would leap down, kick through the nearest window — there were probably no curtain traps on these ones — jump into the room, and... and...

How hard could outflying a God of Death be?

Eight dice hit the table. They rolled to a halt, spread out around the broad surface. Applejack looked them over, her lips moving as she counted. “Twenty-one,” she announced, sounding slightly relieved. “Lower than normal. But Ah don’t think this list is gonna cover it.” She sighed deeply. “We’re gonna have to find some more ponies to kill.”

Twilight lurched backwards, almost falling out of her chair. She twisted to the side and started dry heaving, coming within a hair of not being able to keep her dinner down. L glanced almost in her direction, not taking her eyes fully off the screens. “Are you all right?” she asked, a measure of concern coming to her voice.

“I...” Twilight gritted her teeth, tears welling up in her eyes. A tide of nausea rose steadily higher within her. “I can’t...”

“Ocean Velvet,” Applejack said. She was reading from the list that Apple Bloom had brought them. The camera lay on its front, the thin stratoscreen built into the back showing a skewed picture of the offending pony’s face, strongly tinted in the greenish-grey of the stone. “Heart attack.” Applejack rolled her set of three dice again, reading the result by some predetermined code. “Eight-thirty in the evening.”

Apple Bloom pulled her paper towards her and added the details after the first name. Her siblings copies the words out onto fresh pieces of paper, taken from the pile that Big Macintosh had brought. The scratching of pencils on paper filled the room.

Ocean Velvet, heart attack, 8:30 in the evening tomorrow

The words pounded against Twilight’s skull. She took the deepest breath she could. “Harpy,” she gasped, “I’m sorry, and this might make you uncomfortable, but I really need this right now.”

Straightening up a little, Twilight scooted her chair as close as she could to the detective’s and wrapped her forelegs around her in a desperate hug. L flinched, but then relaxed. Twilight pressed her face against the other mare's shoulder, trying to find some comfort in her touch as she would with one of her closer friends. What she felt surprised her; L was cold and sharp to the touch. Even Pinkie Pie, who'd somehow remained about as thin while maintaining similar eating habits, had been soft and plush when squeezed. L, however, felt like a bag of bones. Her shoulder jutted into Twilight's neck as she clung close, awkwardly stifling some of her persistent sniffles.

Applejack spoke twice more. Two more sets of dice rolled across the table. L continued to copy names with her horn, but gently reached up and wrapped one foreleg around Twilight in return. "She must have meant a lot to you," she said.

"She still means a lot to me," Twilight hissed. She shuddered and clung a little tighter. "And I knew that all signs pointed to her being guilty, and I knew that she was probably in danger, but I didn't... I couldn't..." Applejack listed off another name, and Twilight whimpered. "Rainbow was right. Applejack was the only one left. She was the only friend who hadn't been hurt. And now, Kira's turned her into..."

Delicately, L lifted Twilight away from her. She pushed the other mare back into her seat and finally turned away from the screens, looking her dead in the eyes. "Twilight," she said. "There will be time for tears later. If you must leave, then leave. But for now, if you truly wish to help your friend, then I need you to put these feelings aside and focus. Focus, Twilight. At least twenty-one lives may depend on it."

"...You're right." Twilight wiped her eyes and forced herself to turn back to the desk, though she wasn't able to bring herself to look at the screens. "I'm sorry—"

"Do not feel sorry for feeling a certain way," L interrupted. "Only feel sorry for the actions those feelings cause."

There was a long pause while Twilight took several deep breaths. Applejack read out several more names, all in the same strained, resentful tone, and then paused to write down the time and cause of death. She and Big Macintosh filled out new pages, while Apple Bloom amended her own. "All right," Twilight eventually murmured. "Let's figure this out." She pulled herself closer to the desk and picked up her pencil, hesitating to speak before putting it into her mouth to write. "Why are they making three copies of the names? Is this part of the killing ritual?"

"Too early to tell." L frowned again. "It appears that they each need one copy, which suggests that only one is truly required to complete the ritual. But which one? Unless that is a diversion, and the real ritual is happening now..." She leaned back and glanced over her shoulder. "Jazz, any news from the earwig?"

The grey unicorn pulled a lever and began to reshuffle more beads. Underneath the Apples' refrigerator, a unique crystalline bug wiggled its antennae. "It's not picking up anything," Jazz announced. "There’s some residual magic, but it’s too faint to have come from any recent spells. Unless they're working with something so small that we can't detect it, that house is completely magic-free."

"Curious." L tapped her quill against the page in irritation. "If events proceed like this, there won't be any way to tell whether we've witnessed the real ritual until the ponies listed begin to die..."

Desert Eagle, heart attack, 3:00 in the afternoon tomorrow

Applejack finished copying the last name from Apple Bloom’s list and shut the camera off. “Good haul today,” she said without enthusiasm.

“Gang got caught,” Apple Bloom muttered without looking up.

Almost without pause, Applejack picked up the top page from the pile she'd brought downstairs and unfolded it, spreading it flat across the table. Twilight paled at the sight. Her beautiful book was covered in pencil marks, badly creased and slightly discoloured from leaking magic after being torn from its binding. Applejack ran a pencil down the nearest column, alternately putting a circle or cross next to each name. Once she had enough, she went back up to the first name she'd marked with a cross. "Red Dawn," she read out. "Arrested for assault 'n battery." She rolled her dice again. "Five-thirty in the morning."

Twilight's stomach churned. "That's it?" she said as the group returned to writing. "No more research? No extenuating circumstances? They're just going to make assumptions from an out-of-date report?"

"The Tri-Kira was always meant to be a temporary solution, I believe," L answered vacantly. Her quill was moving in double time, sketching out the broad page and noting names and placements. "Within a month or two, the difference would not matter."

"But it does!" Twilight insisted. "Anything could have changed. That pony might have been proven innocent, or reformed, or had an important testimony. Working without the latest information—"

"Twilight, calm down. If we are successful tonight, none of these ponies need necessarily die at all." L looked back to Jazz. "If we compare these pages to those in our database, we might be able to match them to a past version of the Equestrian Justice Records. This should tell us approximately when they were removed from the book. Can you do that now?"

Jazz nodded, already working. "This will take time. Don't expect anything soon."

Listening was torture. Twilight squirmed as she listened to Applejack list off name after name, along with their crimes. Rakeweed, murder. Spirit Tracks, assault. How bad were their crimes? Were they really guilty after all? Given the chance, could they be reformed? Inwardly, she snorted. It doesn't matter! I don't care if they're good or evil, they're still ponies. Determination filled her. Their lives are in my hooves.

After name number twenty-one, Applejack stood up. Without a word, she folded up the records page back on top of the pile and put her own paper on top of it, then picked up the stack and walked towards the stairs. Apple Bloom followed, keeping her head down. Big Macintosh stood as well, but instead walked back to the sink and filled the kettle with a small amount of water. He put it on the stove and set it to boil, not looking directly at it. Upstairs, Applejack slipped into her bedroom and left her door open, while Apple Bloom went into her own. "They're... splitting up?" Twilight said. She gulped as realization hit. "Uh-oh."

“As I suspected...” L leaned forward. "Miss Dash, your targets are moving into separate rooms. Wait for further instructions."

As soon as she was alone, Apple Bloom threw her page onto her desk and sat down in her own chair. She glared down at the words in front of her, then slowly, having to force herself through the motions, put her front hooves together and bowed her head. "Dear Kira," she said, her voice quavering slightly. "Please kill Ocean Velvet the evil pony at eight-thirty tomorrow.” She paused for several long seconds. “Please kill Hailstorm Blitz the evil pony at eleven-ten tomorrow.” Another pause. “Please kill..."

At the same time, Applejack laid her page more carefully on her own desk and reached shakily into a drawer. She pulled out an irregularly-shaped stone about the size of a pine cone, which was blocky at one end but tapered to a point at the other. There seemed to be nothing particularly remarkable about it. Holding it carefully, Applejack went back to her bed and sat down on the edge of it. She leaned backwards until she was almost in L's awkward sitting position, and slowly raised up one of her hind legs. Twilight gasped. Along her friend's inner thigh, normally hidden from view, was a patch of bright red marks like oversized mosquito bites. Twilight whimpered. "Tell me she isn't..."

With a yell, Applejack swung the stone down and impaled her leg with the pointed end. She and Twilight convulsed as the sharp rock punctured her skin, digging deep enough to draw blood. Apple Bloom bowed her head a little more at her sister's cry, but didn't stop her mechanical repetition of names. Applejack pulled the stone out and held it against her thigh for another second, letting blood flow across the tip and collect in rivulets along the rough surface. She then stood and went back to her desk, folding up her leg tightly as she sat down again, and held the stone above the page. Like an outrageously ill-conceived quill, she used the bloodied tip to trace the words already written, leaving red drips and small tears as she went. “Ah’m sorry,” she repeated after each word. “Ah’m sorry. Ah’m so sorry...”

By this point, Big Macintosh’s water had boiled, and he’d poured himself a small mug and started to take it and his paper upstairs. When he reached his own room, he quickly crossed over to his desk and laid his materials down, opening his drawer as well. Instead of a stone, however, he pulled out a small jar of leafy green paste. Powerfully unscrewing the top, he tipped the jar onto its side and allowed a tiny amount of the substance to trickle into his mug, where it quickly dissolved into viscous particles of plant matter. Big Macintosh waited just a few seconds for the water to turn greener, then blew to cool the liquid off and downed the whole thing in two long, painful gulps.

"Three rituals," Twilight breathed. "Three ways of killing. But... which one is the real one?" She looked desperately from pony to pony. Apple Bloom was by now a third of the way through her list. Applejack was far slower, but starting to speed up. Big Macintosh picked up his page and glared at the first name on his list, pulling a disconcerting grimace. Ocean Velvet and Hailstorm Blitz are gone for sure. Twilight trembled. We're running out of time.

"Curious," L muttered. She stopped writing and rested her chin on her hoof. "Why this setup? Is this purely to distract in case we were able to spy on them? Or..." She looked down at her own lap. "What is Kira doing?"

"Still nothing from the earwig," Jazz added.

Twilight felt her breath rising. "It has to be one of them," she said. Both Applejack and Big Macintosh were now at four names each. Can Dash stop all three? No... If she goes for the wrong one first, one of the others might be able to stop her, physically or otherwise. We've got to get this right. "L, which one? Which one do we take out?"

"Strange," the detective continued to mutter. "They didn't list any farmers. Do they do those separately?"

"Harpy, we don't have time!" Twilight almost shouted. She turned and had to restrain herself from grabbing the detective and shaking her. L's face was totally calm. "They're killing those ponies right now! Which one do we go for?"

"Difficult..." L shrugged. "Perhaps we should wait another day before attempting this. We can see if the names listed do expire as predicted, and then—"

"Are you crazy?" This time, Twilight did shout. "I'm not letting twenty-one ponies die! We need to decide this, now!"

Infuriatingly, L only closed her eyes and seemed to sink deeper into thought. Grinding her teeth, Twilight looked back to the screens and looked hastily back and forth. Four names definitely gone. They're obviously meant to be equally valid, she decided. It's... almost how I'd do it. So what's different? Which one's real? Come on! If I would have made a mistake doing this, what would it have been?

"Um... guys?" Rainbow Dash's voice crackled through her headset. She sounded nervous, but also a little hopeful. "Am I jumping, or...?"

Apple Bloom paused. She gritted her teeth and took a few deep breaths before starting again. "And please kill Rakeweed the evil pony..."

Twilight blinked. "It's Applejack."

L glanced up. "Hm?"

"It's... it's Applejack." Twilight leaned forward again, her voice becoming increasingly frantic. "Apple Bloom's made two pronunciation errors, and the jar Big Mac is using comes from their kitchen. Applejack's the real Kira. Apple—" She grabbed her microphone and practically screamed her answer into it. "Dash, it's Applejack! Stop her!"

"Right." Instead of diving, Rainbow Dash spoke again, far too slowly for Twilight's liking. There was a clear tremor in her voice. "What am I aiming for?"

"She's got a rock," Twilight blurted. "She's using it to write. Go! Go!"

The weapon. Dash tensed up. She braced herself to dive, but found herself locking in place. While part of her was screaming at her to come to the rescue of her friend, in an instant Applejack's words flashed back across her mind.

“Ah think it’s you who can’t see the orchard for the trees, Rainbow, so let’s get one thing straight. You can arrest me right now, lock me up and throw away the key, and Mer will lose a second time. But all that’ll happen is the game will start from square one, and you’ll have a brand new Kira to chase all over again.”

But before this thought could fully realize itself, back at the base L leaned sharply forward and spoke into her own microphone. "Miss Dash, do not move. That is an order."

"What?" Twilight yelled. She spun angrily at the detective. "Why the hay not?"

"In fact, you would be advised to leave the area as quickly as possible," L continued. "This is a trap. Kira wants you to go in." She leaned back. "Jazz, send the order for the others to retreat."

"Belay that order!" Twilight shouted. "Dash, get in there! Ponies are being killed right now!"

"Do not do that. Leave." L looked towards Twilight, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Twilight. This setup is too convenient. We can't risk running into another of Kira's traps."

"What do you mean, traps? This is about as inconvenient as it gets!"

"No, it's calculated. Don't you see? Kira set up this ploy knowing that we would find a way to observe it. She will have calculated accordingly. Whatever choice we make, it will be the wrong one." She sighed. "There is nothing we can do tonight. We will have to try again tomorrow."

"No." Twilight shook violently. Tears came to her eyes again. "You can't do this!" She abruptly reared up and shoved L, sending her chair skittering several feet backwards and nearly toppling over. "You can't just sit there and tell me to let more ponies die!"

"They were already dead, before we ever heard of them." Awkwardly, L began to scoot forward again. "Twilight, I know that this is difficult for you to accept, but if you tell your friend to go in there, you will cause us to lose everything—"

She never got any further. In a surprisingly swift motion Twilight reared up again and punched her, this time knocking her right out of her chair. The detective went completely limp under the blow, tumbling to the ground like a rag doll. Twilight slammed two hooves back on the desk and screamed into the microphone. Seven names lost. "Rainbow Dash! Stop her!"

Twilight was thrown off her hooves as L collided with her side. The pair tumbled across the ground, narrowly missing another desk while they flailed at one another. Just as Twilight thought she was gaining the upper hoof, darkness engulfed her vision. A twisting light lanced from L’s horn to the blank patch on her forehead, instantly paralyzing her and sending coldness shooting down her limbs. L squatted over Twilight, their noses almost touching, the only thing visible to her in an endless void. “I am sorry, Twilight,” L intoned, keeping the same calm, collected tone. “And I do mean that. But you are sending your friend to her death.

“Unless new data arises in the next several minutes, we have no evidence that the Apples are killing other farmers. They do not appear to possess the real records book, and may not be responsible for these deaths at all. Kira has led us to them, progressively and deliberately, and this entire sequence has been a performance orchestrated by her. We were meant to see this, and we are meant to be reacting just as you are now. But we cannot afford this.”

The mare’s eyes were growing darker. Twilight tried to lift her legs, but didn’t have the energy; it felt as though all the warmth in her was being sucked out through a straw. L shook her head, leaning even closer. “Remember what we set out to do. Your friends are a trap, and the secret of Kira’s power is the bait. If we expose ourselves by acting now—”

Another shape appeared in the darkness. A grey hoof descended and pressed against the tip of L’s horn, cutting off the beam of light. With a sickening lurch, the room spun back into focus for Twilight. L blinked, her eyes back to their normal golden colour. Jazz stood over them both, wearing an expression of profound irritation. “I have enough trouble concentrating without you two throwing yourselves at each other,” he grumbled. “Is it enough to ask that my employers at least behave professionally?”

L hopped up briskly and trotted back to her desk, not sparing a glance backwards. Twilight tried to rise to follow her, but Jazz wordlessly pressed a hoof against her chest, holding her down. Her limbs still cold and her mind still reeling, she could only lie limply and listen to the sounds around her. What she heard was weak, plaintive sobbing.

Three quarters of the way through her list, Apple Bloom had stopped and found herself unable to start again. Her lips kept moving, but the sounds that were coming out weren’t words. Dampness began to run down her cheeks. Fear shook her and she bit down on the side of her foreleg, trying not to make noise. It didn’t help. She clenched harder and harder until red ran between her teeth, but it wasn’t enough to stop the gasping sobs from rushing out her throat. Soon after she simply gave up and collapsed onto her desk, making noises more cough than cry, struggling to breathe as her eyes soaked the page and her nose started to run.

Big Macintosh, who was by this point finished his task, was starting to climb into bed. With obvious regret, he continued to lower himself into his sheets and put his pillow over his head. Applejack, however, managed to grit her teeth and continue writing for another five seconds before throwing her stone down and charging over to Apple Bloom’s room. She caught the filly just as she was starting to roll out of her chair, cradling her close and letting her coat get sticky with tears and snot. “It’s gonna be okay,” she repeated, as though on automatic. “It’s gonna be okay.”

L watched this unfold with her usual degree of detachment. She barely reacted as Twilight’s subdued breathing slowly rose into a scream of pain and outrage, followed by pounding against the floor as Jazz began to struggle to hold her down. She started to walk toward her chair again, but then stopped. Frowning, she reached upward and rubbed along the underside of her right eye. It came away damp.

Blinking slowly, the detective looked back to the two microphones on the table. Twilight’s had been knocked over at the same time as she had. L levitated it back into position, then leaned out and spoke into her own. “You may come home now, Rainbow Dash,” she said, nervously detecting a tremor in her own voice. “Thank you for making the right decision.”

Dash had taken off her headset. She lay on the same cloud, no longer in takeoff position but curled up, staying as far from any edges as possible. Her own thoughts raced round and round in her mind. If L is Kira, then why is Twilight the one telling me to take the weapon? And if Twilight isn’t Kira, then why...

From the headset beside her, partly muffled as the crystal parts hung into the cloud while the pegasus-made goggles rested on the fluffy surface, filtered through both Twilight’s microphone and L’s static, she could still make out the sounds of furious, almost animalistic screams.

“Okay. I’ll admit, that could have gone better.”

Twilight had called another friendship circle as soon as everyone had returned. Nopony was quite able to look at each other. Jazz was by now sporting a black eye from when Twilight had eventually managed to rise, and a darkening bruise was appearing on L’s cheek. For some reason, Rainbow Dash had slipped between Spike and Jazz instead of taking her old position in the circle, leaving Twilight holding Locket’s hoof to her right. Twilight briefly glanced around at the others, then returned her aggressively calm gaze to the green unicorn across from her. “But we’re going to start fixing that,” she continued, letting no small amount of acid drip into her words. “Right now.”

L sighed. While most of her appeared as placid as ever, her left hoof was wrapped around Bon Bon’s so tightly that the other mare was visibly starting to lose circulation. “Nopony is happy about what has happened tonight,” she said. “But it was not without cause. Now that we have this information—”

Locket groaned loudly, releasing Twilight and Bon Bon and putting her face in her hooves. “We know they’re Kira,” she said. “We’ve known for days now. Why don’t we just, I don’t know, arrest them and search their house? The thing you’re looking for’s got to be in there somewhere, right?”

“There are several reasons why that would be unwise,” L answered. “Firstly, the last time we tried to catch a Kira through imprisonment, we lost a week and gained nothing. Secondly, the Tri-Kira themselves seem to not know what method of killing is the correct one. Even if one knows more than the others, any attempt to interrogate them will still provide contradictory results. Thirdly, we still have no direct link to the true Kira behind this overly complex setup. Remember, before Twilight’s imprisonment we observed two Kiras: one leader, and one follower. The Tri-Kira has been forced into the role of the follower, but unless we find a way to eliminate the leader, capturing these ponies will only bring us to another dead end.”

“You mean we’re back to square one, again?” Spike cried in dismay. “And now we’ve gotta start from scratch to go after some fourth Kira?”

“Not so,” L announced. “An important factor in the Tri-Kira’s killings is randomness. The rolling of the dice means that their work cannot be replicated, even by a pony with exactly the same information; though we will have to wait until tomorrow to confirm this, there is no doubt in my mind that twenty-one ponies will die exactly as written. Otherwise, it would take us half a day to see through the deception. Therefore, these ponies are in some way responsible for Kira’s killings, or at least transmitting information to the real Kira. And now that we’ve discovered their trap, we can choose where and when to spring it — on our terms.”

Realization started to come to Twilight, overriding a little of the anger she’d felt earlier. “I think I see what you’re getting at,” she said. “Instead of waiting for them to kill and letting them go through their rituals, you want to force them into a situation where they have to kill, without giving themselves time to cover themselves up.”

“Exactly.” L nodded. “The true Kira evidently also has the killing power, given the deaths of rival farmers, and will not be quick to give up its secret... to us. Assuming the Apples are unaware of this, however, it is possible that they may drag some answers out of her, or at least show us how they communicate with their master.”

Rainbow Dash had been looking increasingly sick throughout this. Twilight eyed her worriedly. “Dash, are you okay?” she asked.

Dash put on a fake grin. “I’m fine,” she lied. She stared uneasily into Twilight’s eyes; nothing but concern stared back. How can she... I don’t... “Just... the idea of a ‘fourth’ Kira,” she added, managing to put air quotes around the word without moving her hooves. “I don’t think I like it.”

Twilight sighed. “I know, Dash. I know.” She looked up again thoughtfully. “We’re going to need one heck of a plan to pull this off. It’ll have to be something big and dramatic, something that’ll get to them personally. We’ll need a pony for bait who they think they can kill, but actually can’t. We’ll need some serious time restraints, to stop them from worming their way out of it. And most importantly, we need this plan now, because we’ve got to do it before they start killing again tomorrow night.” She noticed Locket nodding absently. “Getting an idea?”

Locket continued to stare into space for a second before realizing that Twilight was talking to her. She instantly blushed, seeming to lose more than an inch in height. “Um... not really,” she said quietly. “I was just thinking that this sounded like a plan I read in... a book.”

“Really?” Spike leaned forward excitedly. “What book?”

“Just... a book.” Locket squirmed evasively. “It’s not important. You keep going.”

“No, you keep going. We could use some ideas.” Twilight put her head to the side. “Is it a book I know?”

“...Yes.” Locket squirmed a little more, but then sighed. She looked dejectedly at everyone’s hooves and feet in turn. “Okay, be honest,” she said. “How many of you have read The Strapping Adventures of Lord Cloppington?”

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today a friend asked me one of the hardest questions I’ve ever had to answer, though she didn’t know she was doing it at the time. She asked me, What is more important than friendship? And the answer is obvious. It’s a life. Saving a life will always be more important than even the strongest of feelings, no matter what the circumstances. But when you’re faced with that choice in real life, even if you’ve known the right answer your whole life, it still feels impossible to choose. Sometimes doing the right thing can mean hurting or losing a friend, and no matter how many times you tell yourself that you were in the right, it doesn’t feel like the right thing at all.

But then this friend of mine asked me another question — though again, she didn’t know it. She asked me, What is more important than life? Because in order to do the right thing, sometimes lives have to be sacrificed. And if lives have to be sacrificed, then what cause could make it the right thing to do? At first I thought that the answer was more life; I know that I would give my life away if it meant that others would live. But then I realized that I was wrong. It’s wrong to quantify life. Reducing living beings and emotions to numbers, where happiness depends on how high those numbers are, is a mindset that leads to some of the darkest parts of pony nature. So what are we fighting for? What force could be so important that it’s worth giving up life, the most important of all things, to find it?

And this may sound crazy, but... I think it’s friendship.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Next episode: Discord!

Downpour

28
*Downpour*

Memories lost by giving up ownership of the Death Note can be regained temporarily by touching a Note, or permanently by regaining ownership of a Note. This can be done up to six times per Death Note.

The rain in Ponyville, which had been going on lightly all morning, grew heavier as Colgate and Fluttershy walked past the post office. They shivered and huddled together, both trying to take shelter under Fluttershy’s umbrella. The chain linking their hooves coiled and dragged between them. The few other ponies who'd remained outdoors were scurrying quickly homeward, leaving the pair on their own as they trekked down the slowly muddying street.

The postmaster's house was unremarkable, built so close to his place of work that at a glance it appeared to be a part of the same building. Colgate knocked politely, then hammered loudly on the door when her first attempt failed to create a response. "Boxy Brown?" she yelled over the still-increasing volume of the storm. "This is the police! Are you in there?"

The door creaked open, and a large brown head nervously peeked out. "Hello, Colgate," Boxy Brown said quietly. "And Fluttershy, nice to see you. You want to come in?"

"If we could," Colgate said, twitching her soaking tail.

The large pegasus hustled them inside. While Fluttershy immediately began profusely thanking their host and shaking herself off, Colgate took a cautious look around. The large front room gave the impression of a fairly standard bachelor pad: a couple of sofas angled towards a large stratoscreen in the corner; a selection of hats and picture frames lying haphazardly about; a lingering smell of dust and old food. It was the house of a stallion who'd never been married and wasn't planning on settling down anytime soon. Something was off, however, and it didn't take long for her to realize what: it was too clean. Not properly cleaned, but subject to a hurried, just-shove-it-under-the-rug tidying-up, as though he'd been expecting some more ladylike guests to arrive.

Boxy Brown seemed quick to confirm this, leaning against the doorframe and wringing his large cap between his front hooves. He seemed shifty, trying to keep a serious expression but not able to look either mare in the eye. Colgate watched him warily, which only seemed to heighten his nervousness. “So, uh...” He grinned cheerlessly. “You’re here for Ditzy, right?”

Colgate nodded sharply, hanging up her umbrella on a hat rack. “Where is she?”

“Upstairs. Sleeping, I think. That’s all she seems to do lately.” Boxy started to edge towards the stairs as Colgate’s expression became colder. “I can, uh, get her for you if you want.”

“Not yet. Let’s talk, first.”

“Right, right. Please, uh...” He quickly turned to Fluttershy as Colgate brushed past him, brightening up as his eyes drifted slightly downwards. "So you're one of, ah..." he said, gesturing towards his neck.

"Oh, yes." Fluttershy smiled back, running a hoof along her silk collar. She seemed marginally more comfortable in his presence, but repeatedly gave him puzzled, concerned looks when she thought he wasn’t looking. "Are you as well?"

"Been thinking about it." The stallion stumbled backwards, inviting the pair further into his home. "I was plannin' on going to one of the meetings this week, but, ah... things got a little complicated." He waved towards his living room, smiling desperately at Colgate’s increasingly dark stare. "Please, sit down. Can I get you anything? I've got a few drinks left in the kitchen."

"Not now, Mister Brown." Colgate led Fluttershy away and took a seat on the nearest sofa, never taking her eyes off the large stallion. Boxy Brown fluttered over to the seat opposite, barely able to meet her gaze.

From somewhere behind herself, Colgate had produced a thin notebook and quill and started to write. "Just the facts. How long has Ditzy been staying with you?"

“Two nights.” The stallion finally seemed to notice the chain linking the two mares in front of him, but didn’t question it. “She said she didn’t want to be alone. She was in a bad state, so I wasn’t gonna turn her away. How’d you know she was here?”

"Her friend Carrot Top found me yesterday and mentioned that nopony had seen her in a while. I asked around, and two of her coworkers mentioned that you'd started acting strange around the same time she vanished.”

“So that’s that, then.” Boxy started to rise, eyeing the notebook nervously. “Look, I’ve got Raindrops covering for her, but it’s not good for both of us to stay holed up in here, so if you could talk to her—”

“We’re not done here,” Colgate shot back at him. Boxy’s rump dropped quickly to his seat. “Keep talking. After Ditzy came to your door, what happened?”

“Well, uh...” He shuffled in place. Fluttershy gave him an encouraging nod. “I brought her inside. She was crying, so I took her to the kitchen and gave her some juice to calm her down. She couldn't really tell me what was wrong, but I figured she'd open up when she was ready, you know?"

Colgate nodded slowly, still writing. "What kind of juice?"

"Apple. That's her favorite."

"I see. And what then?"

"Well... it was late, so I asked if I could walk her home, but she said she didn't want to leave. So I put her in bed and stayed with her until she fell asleep."

Colgate glanced up. "Stayed with her?" She narrowed her eyes. "And is that... all... that happened?"

"Well, yeah." Boxy glanced to the side, looking defensive. "Well, what was I supposed to do? Just leave her there? That wouldn't have been right."

"No," Colgate muttered. "It wouldn't." She looked back down at her page. "And if we were to ask Ditzy about what happened, would her story match yours?"

Instantly, a little colour left Boxy Brown's cheeks. "Well, s-sure," he said, glancing around again. "Why wouldn't it? I mean, she might, you know, she might remember some details that I didn't think were important. But she was pretty stressed at the time, and pretty sleepy. She might not remember it all that well."

"We'll see," Colgate said acidly.

Fluttershy put a steady hoof on her friend’s. "I'm sure everything will add up," she said, but she didn't sound entirely confident in her own words.

Colgate didn’t look up. “Your family doesn’t have the best... history... with mares, does it, Mister Brown?” she continued. “It was just last year that I had to have a not all that pleasant conversation with your brother. In fact, a pretty similar conversation to the one we’re having now...”

Boxy Brown gritted his teeth. “You’ve got no cause to bring Crafty into this,” he said. "What happened with him is none of my business. Besides, I... look, I slept down here, all right?" He held up a worn cushion in front of him. It was slightly stained and covered in long hairs. A hint of anger came into his voice. "See? I've been sleeping on this couch for the past two nights. Is that what you were looking for? 'Cause it's the truth."

"Nopony's looking for anything," Fluttershy said gently. "We just want to make sure everything's okay."

Colgate raised her quill pointedly. "Mr. Brown, how would you describe your relationship with Ditzy Doo?"

"She's... she's a good kid. A little clumsy, but I'm always happy to have her around. I'm pretty fond of... I mean, she's a good worker... she's like a daughter to me, okay?" Boxy Brown was starting to redden. "I just wanted to make sure she was okay. That's all."

"Is that so?" The policemare glanced up. "Because the pair we spoke to had a few other things to say about you. Allegations of... let's see... favoritism, unwanted attention, suspected 'creepiness'..."

The stallion forced a chuckle. "You know how ponies talk."

"Oh, I really do." Colgate snapped her notebook shut. "Now let me make myself clear, Boxy Brown. It's well known that you have some affection for Ms. Doo. An unrequited love — every day so close to you, but always just out of reach. And then, one night, she shows up on your doorstep in tears, completely defenseless, heartbroken by the loss of the one pony who had kept you from being with her—"

"Wait, what?"

"—and you take her inside, up to your bed, and keep her hidden for a day and a half? You can see why some ponies might start to think your intentions weren't entirely noble. In fact, some might say that for you, it was... a golden opportunity."

Boxy Brown had stopped listening. "You mean Written Script is dead?" he asked, unable to hide a small degree of elation.

"Mister Brown!" Colgate snapped. A blue spark momentarily ran along her horn. "I will be asking Ditzy about her time here, and believe me, she's a much worse liar than you. So tell me the truth." She raised herself up, now making no effort to disguise her glare. "Did you in any way take advantage of Ditzy Doo while she was staying with you?"

The last of the colour drained from the stallion's face. "N—"

"Because if you did, I swear to Celestia, if you've hurt even a single hair on that mare's head, then it won't be just me you'll be dealing with. I will bring the whole of Ponyville down on you."

"No! I mean... I mean no. No is what I mean." Boxy Brown backed up as far as he could against the sofa. He looked desperately to Fluttershy, who was staring at the floor. "Come on, Shy! You know I'm a nice guy, right? I mean, we've met, right? You know I wouldn’t do anything like... that, right?"

"I want to believe that, Mister Brown." Fluttershy sniffed. "I really, really want to." Again, she pressed a hoof against the band of silk around her neck. “Because I know what happens to ponies who prey on the weak these days. And I don’t want that to have to happen to you.”

"No. I didn't do anything. I didn't!" He stomped ineffectually on the cushions. "I've always been good to Ditzy. I would never do anything to hurt her. You know that!"

"Really?" Colgate flipped her notebook open again. "Did you kiss her?"

The stallion choked on his words for several seconds before he was able to speak. "On the cheek. But that was it, honest!"

"Was it?" Colgate pressed. Her left eye twitched. “The mare of your dreams, complete putty in your hooves, and you expect me to believe that all that happened was one chaste little kiss? When she turns up exhausted and defenseless, too shaken to put up any resistance, maybe not even understanding what was going on—”

“Don’t you talk about her that way!” Boxy roared. He leaped up and flared out his wings, pointing accusingly. “Ditzy’s different, but she’s not stupid! She’s a strong mare and a good mother and she chooses who she goes to bed with!”

There was a long pause. “I mean—”

“So.” Colgate spat her words. “That’s that, then.”

Boxy Brown shook his head. “No, it wasn’t like—”

“I think we’d like to talk to Ditzy now,” Fluttershy said quietly.

“Agreed.” The policemare stood, walking swiftly towards the protesting stallion. A twisting beam of blue light wrapped around one of his hind legs, then around the leg of the sofa he sat on, forming a pair of artificial hoofcuffs. She expected a triumphant smile to slip across her face, but none came. She had nothing positive to feel. “If you have nothing else to say, we can continue this conversation at the station. In the meantime...” She leaned forward, glaring daggers into his eyes. “Sit tight.”

Boxy Brown shrank as Colgate turned away. “Wait,” he said weakly.

Fluttershy bowed apologetically. “I’m sorry,” she said before following her friend.

“No... please.” The last of the fight went out of Boxy Brown’s eyes. He slumped defeatedly against the sofa. “I’ll tell you what happened.”

Colgate tried to keep walking, but Fluttershy had stopped. They looked stubbornly back at each other as the chain reached its limit, each wordlessly lifting a hoof to tug the other back in their direction. After a few seconds, Colgate released a sigh and turned back to the living room, though she didn’t return to the sofa. “All right,” she said. “Talk.”

Boxy Brown was quiet for a while before speaking. “Look, it’s like you said,” he started. “I’ve always liked Ditzy. A lot of ponies think she’s stupid ‘cause she keeps messing up her eyes and her words, but underneath that she ain’t any different than anypony else. I gave her a chance when no one else would, and I’ve never once regretted it. She’s the best worker I’ve ever had, and just a joy to be around.” He chuckled. “And even you’ve gotta admit, that mare has one unbelievable pair of... I mean...” He faltered as two pairs of eyes narrowed at him. “That is... she’s got a real nice... I really like her mane,” he mumbled.

“She doesn’t owe you anything,” Colgate hissed.

“It’s not about that!” Boxy shouted back. “Anyways. After a while, along came this Written Script guy. He was a real piece of work. Good at making lovey-eyes, but every time he opened his mouth around Ditzy all he ever did was talk down to her, like she was a kid. And sometimes, she would come in extra sick, or limping around... I could never prove anything, but I had my suspicions. The both of them, they had everypony else fooled, but I always knew he was no good. Nopony else knew her like I do.

“Things got worse after Dinky came around. This guy was always saying he was going to marry her, but he never did, even after she had his kid. After he got arrested, I thought she'd finally realize she deserved better than him, but she never did. She just kept moping after this stallion who was never coming back, and it hurt watching her beat herself up over it. I always wished she'd wise up and find somepony who would look after her properly — not, you know, anypony in particular. But somepony.

"And then... yeah, it was like you said. She came to my door, and she was putty in my hooves. She was all over me, crying on my shoulder. I told myself nothing was going to happen, but I thought... I thought maybe this was my chance, you know? To show her that there are stallions out there who respect her, and she didn’t have to settle for some washed-up drug dealer who didn’t care about her feelings.

“And things were going okay at first, but... she just kept breaking down, and I couldn’t get a word out of her, and she wasn’t listening to a thing I said. So... I spiked her juice. Just a little!" he quickly added as Fluttershy gasped. "Just to calm her down. It was... I told myself it was just to calm her down. And... it worked, I guess. It worked a little too well. She just went limp, and she fell over me, and she let me take her upstairs. She..."

Fluttershy had gone very pale. Boxy gulped. "She never said no," he said. "I lay down with her. I said I wasn't gonna leave her alone. She didn't say anything. I kissed her and I told her everything was gonna be okay. She didn't move. She just let me get closer to her. All I was gonna do was hold her. That’s all. I just..." He looked at the ground, his breath becoming slightly labored. "I didn't want her for myself. I just wanted to make her feel better. I didn't mean... I never wanted..."

The stallion took a deep breath, struggling to hold back tears. Colgate felt a deep revulsion well up inside her. She was about to spit at his hooves when he spoke again. "But then something happened," Boxy said. "Something different. Because every time I got close to her, every time I thought I was about to... start something... something stopped me. It was like there was another set of hooves holding me back, just out of sight. Because whenever I touched her, whenever I looked at her, all I could think about was..."

Abruptly, the large pegasus rose. Colgate tensed up, expecting him to make a run for the door, but instead he lunged the other way towards a table in the corner of the room. He quickly reached the end of the magic chain binding him to his sofa, and the legs made a terrible, ear-piercing squeal as he dragged it behind him across the wooden floor. A strange desperation drove him until he reached the table and picked up a picture frame which had fallen on its front. He stared at this with glistening eyes and hugged it close to his chest, then held it out towards Colgate. "Here," he said. "Read it."

Instead of walking across the room, Colgate reached out with her magic and levitated the picture frame towards herself and Fluttershy. As it came closer, she realized that it held not a photograph, but a hoofwritten letter behind glass. She held it up so that she and Fluttershy could both read it, both letting out involuntary gasps as they recognized the familiar, looping script.

Hi Boxy!

Wait, hang on. I've got to use my Angry Pencil.

How dare you! Ditzy's a married mare, you know! Well, almost, but close enough that she might as well be. Even if you don't approve of who she's decided to marry, you should at least respect her decision. If you really care about Ditzy and think she's strong enough to look after herself, you won't try to force her to make a decision and you’ll leave her to choose who she loves all on her own.

Aw, but don't feel bad. It's really cute how you get on with Ditzy, and you know she really likes you too — as a friend. No, don’t say only a friend. There’s no only about it. (I’m using my Happy Pencil again, by the way.) You already have everything you could ever need from a relationship with her. You work together, you play together, and Ditzy trusts you with her very life. So you tell me, Mister Grumpalump, do you really think that making babies with her is going to make either of you happy? Or is it time for you to be happy and find more new friendships, instead of dragging down the friendship you already have?

Don’t break that trust, Boxy. Don’t you dare break that trust.

Your bestest friend forever,

Pinkie Pie

"She was watching over us," Boxy Brown sobbed as Colgate and Fluttershy looked up at him, mouths agape. "Somehow, she knew. She saw what I was turning into, and she put a stop to it, just in time. She was always there for everypony while she was alive, and... and I can never thank her now that she’s gone. I never saw it, but... she was more than just a friend." He shook his head. “She was my guardian angel.”

Colgate resettled her face, gently floating the letter back towards Boxy. “So what happened?” she asked. Although her voice was still stern, a little of the harshness had gone out of it.

“What happened?” the stallion echoed. “What happened is I got myself out of that bed and slept downstairs, and I haven't so much as looked at Ditzy in any inappropriate way since, Celestia strike me down if I'm lying. Since then I’ve just been making sure she eats, and trying to build up the courage to say more than two words to her. Or... just two words.” He looked down, and his voice fell to a whisper. “I just want to tell her I’m sorry.”

Fluttershy stepped forward. "You can thank her by living a good life," she said gently. "Pinkie knew you weren't a bad pony. I’m sure Ditzy knows that, too. You just made a bad decision." She tugged Colgate forward, and the policemare walked close enough to allow Fluttershy to rest her hoof comfortingly on Boxy Brown's shoulder. "Even if you’ve made some mistakes, it’s never too late to turn your life around."

"...yeah." Boxy Brown sniffed. "I thought about skipping town... just to get away from things for a while. But that wouldn't be right, either. Friends don't give up on friends. There's a few ponies in my life I need to apologize to." He looked down. “All the same, if you want to arrest me... maybe that’s for the best.”

Reluctantly, Colgate leaned down and released the magical band securing him to the sofa. "There will be repercussions for this," she said. "Possibly jail time. You drugged a mare and lay in bed with her, and no last-second change of heart will take away the damage you might have done with those actions alone. But we’ll talk to Ditzy first, and see if we can get her take on that night. And I'll try to keep you out of the news. I don't have to like you, but I don't want you to die."

Boxy smiled gratefully. "She's welcome to come back to work whenever she's ready," he said. "But if she doesn't want to... I'll understand. You tell her that."

With some final, whispered reassurances, the two mares left Boxy on his seat and walked upstairs. The door to the bedroom hung slightly open; the inside was dark. “I’ll let you handle this one,” Colgate whispered. “Avoiding one tragedy doesn’t make the other any weaker.”

“Got it,” Fluttershy whispered back. She pushed open the door.

Despite what the cluttered room below would have suggested, Boxy Brown’s bedroom was surprisingly well-ordered. It appeared to double as an office, with a neat desk and set of filing cabinets taking up most of the space near the door. In the far corner was a closet, as well as a bed built for a pony of an unusually large stature. A pair of thick curtains were drawn across the room’s one window, blocking out the sun but not the sound of rain. Peering in, Colgate and Fluttershy could just about make out a pony-sized lump curled up tightly in the middle of the bed, covered head to tail by the thick sheets.

Fluttershy approached slowly, as she would an injured bird. “Derpy?” she said, as loudly as she dared. “Are you awake?” The lump didn’t move. Fluttershy trotted as soundlessly as she could, slowly reaching out comfortingly. “Derpy?”

Colgate stepped in something wet. She flinched and looked down, seeing a thin, cold puddle trickling outwards from the direction of the window. A second later, Fluttershy gasped. Instead of meeting a sleeping body, her hoof had sunk deep into the shapeless mass in front of her. Both ponies realized at once what had happened. Fluttershy quickly pulled back the covers on the bed, gasping a second time as she revealed a bundle of spare sheets and pillows rolled up to look like a curled-up pony. At the same time, Colgate flung open the curtains. The window had been opened and then improperly shut from the outside, leaving it jammed at an awkward angle that allowed the rain to seep in.

Fluttershy trembled as Colgate carefully slid the window fully closed. “Is this bad?” she asked.

“It could be.” Colgate sighed, staring out at the impenetrable grey sky. “It could be very bad.”

Lunch was difficult. The underground base was out of bread again, so Twilight had to make do with two leaves of lettuce to hold together her peanut butter and orchid sandwich; living with L had, among other things, given her more opportunities to practice her improvisational skills. Afterwards, she rested her head on the table and closed her eyes. Though she’d told herself it would just be for a minute, there was a thin sheen of drool on the surface in front of her when she finally jerked awake. When she returned to the main chamber, satisfied if a little guilty, she found it to be completely deserted.

"...Hello?" Twilight took a few tentative steps in. Minty was buzzing contentedly, slowly churning through some internal calculation, but aside from the distant pounding of the rain up above there were no other sounds. "Anypony?" she called out, confused but not letting herself panic. From a corridor nearby she heard a faint, distant thud. With a shrug, she followed it.

The layout of the base was simple — or at least, that was how it appeared, at first. It branched out into three long hallways, splitting and dividing at irregular intervals into further corridors and miscellaneous chambers. On her initial tour, Twilight had assumed that she would be able to map it out with ease. As the days went by and she started to explore further, however, she began to realize that finding any particular room without specific directions was akin to trying to navigate an ancient Discordian maze. The earth ponies who had originally built this place had been architectural geniuses; by some trick of the angles of the floor or possibly an ancient enchantment, hallways in the base didn't seem to line up with one another as they were supposed to, some branches occupying what Twilight’s brain insisted should have been the same space.

After several minutes of what felt like aimless wandering, Twilight finally arrived at an open door leading into one of the base’s storerooms. She peered inside. Rainbow Dash was rummaging through one of a dozen identical crates, lifting up unfamiliar crystalline objects and giving them a cursory examination before placing them none-too-gently aside. Though she'd long since taken off her black suit, she'd stubbornly kept the belt with the grenades hanging from it. She hadn't offered any explanation for doing so, but Twilight hadn't pressed the issue. "Hi, Rainbow," she said, causing the pegasus to flinch and flatten herself against the ground. "Wow, jumpy much?" She smiled as she walked into the room. "What are you doing in here?"

Rainbow Dash gulped. She slowly raised herself up and turned to face Twilight. Her friend was watching her with nothing but calm curiosity; there was no fear or accusation that she could detect. "Just... exploring," she half-lied, gesturing to the room around her. "Jazz said I could take some time off before tonight, so I thought I'd see some more of what this place has to offer."

"Good idea." Twilight stepped a little closer. "So it's going to be tonight, then? How did— Oh my gosh!" Her eyes widened as she got a closer look at what Dash had been handling. "Are those what I think they are?"

Dash looked down at the pile of lumpy objects she'd accumulated. Some smaller ones were all crystal, but most were built from wood or metal carved into animal and mechanical shapes, with round gemstones set into them. "These?"

Twilight sprang forward excitedly, almost pushing the pegasus out of the way as she scooped up the object nearest to her. "I think these are first generation crystal bugs!" she exclaimed. "Made from early crystal mechanisms, bound together by some of the first magics of its kind. Look at the markings! These are genuine Crystal Empire imports, dating back to before the Crystal Hibernation." She sat back, clearly in awe. "Some of these could be over a thousand years old. They should be in a museum."

"Huh." Rainbow Dash prodded one of the devices. “I, uh, wasn’t looking for anything in particular,” she quickly covered for herself. "I was just curious about what other tricks L has up her sleeves. I guess she's been using these things for a long time."

"As soon as they were available, by the looks of it. I wouldn't be surprised if she had a hoof in refining these to the insect models that she uses now."

Despite Twilight's elation, Dash couldn't work up any enthusiasm about her discovery. In fact, it was starting to depress her. Though her search had turned up all kinds of interesting things so far, from ancient tools of espionage to rooms filled with pages and pages of illegible writing, she'd yet to uncover anything that looked like it could be used as an instrument of death.

From all she’d seen and heard from Applejack, one thing had been made clear to her: whether it was L, Twilight, or even some third pony that she hadn't considered, the real Kira — what the others mistakenly referred to as the "fourth" Kira — was one of the ponies in the base with her. That meant that, just like the Apple family, the real Kira must be keeping their God of Death's weapon somewhere close by. If Applejack was right, then the only way to stop the game once and for all would be to find said weapon and destroy it. But with every mysterious artefact that she uncovered, her hopes of getting the drop on the real Kira grew slimmer and slimmer. As long as she didn’t know what the darn thing looked like, she could have put it aside half an hour ago and not even realized.

She hadn't gotten as far as searching Twilight's room yet. She kept telling herself that she would do it soon. Just... not yet.

Finally done gushing over her find, Twilight turned her gaze back in Dash's direction. "Anyway," she said, blushing slightly. "We're on for tonight? Applejack didn't want to wait an extra day?"

"No," Dash answered. "I even asked her if it was a bad time, but she said she'd be happy to meet up later. And no, we didn't talk about anything else," she added, rolling her eyes. "I was in and out in less than a minute. You can check the recording if you want."

"I wasn't going to ask."

"Well, thanks for that," the pegasus muttered. "L watched me as it happened, and she still grilled me about it for ten minutes when I got back."

Twilight took a few steps back. Instinctively, she tried to straighten out some of the mess that Dash had left carelessly around the room, but the inner bubble around her magic once again refused to budge. Grimacing, she started to speak again. "Well, it's good for us, at least. That's one or two more nights of deaths that we don't have to worry about. Though it is strange that the Tri-Kira isn't trying to cover for itself..." She shook her head. "But you can let me and Harpy worry about that. What's important right now is... are you ready for tonight?"

Dash tried and failed to hide a gulp. "I'll be fine," she said. "I mean, I've come this far. Compared to the first time we talked, this is gonna be a cakewalk." I hope.

"Thanks for doing this, Dash." Twilight started to turn away. "I'd love to stay and help you look around, but somepony might start to wonder where I am. It wouldn't be good for both of us to go missing right now. Just make sure you're ready by tonight, okay?"

She’s... not going to stop me looking? Dash’s heart jumped. Does that mean she’s not Kira? What does it mean if she is? "Hey, uh... Twilight?"

Twilight looked back over her shoulder. Dash was staring at the floor. "Yes?"

"If..." Dash gulped, and this time hid it a little more successfully. "If I asked you to look me in the eyes and tell me that you're... that you're not..."

Twilight caught on. "That I'm not Kira?"

"Yeah." Dash nodded, but didn't look up. "Would you be able to?"

"Of course. Easily." She turned around and tilted her head to the side. "Would you feel better if I did?"

"No. I mean..." Dash fidgeted. "You don't have to. I wasn't asking. I just..." She sighed. “You should go.”

Twilight gave her a pained look. “Dash...”

“I’m fine, okay? It’s just paranoia, like you said. I shouldn’t let it get to me.” She waved Twilight away, reaching back into the old insect crate. “Go find L. She’ll probably want to know where you are.”

After Twilight carefully traced her steps back to the main chamber, she found Bon Bon scrubbing generous amounts of soap into L’s favorite chair. “Hello, dear,” the earth pony called as Twilight approached her. “Did you have a nice nap?”

“Huh? Oh, uh... yeah.” Twilight blushed. “Where is everypony?”

“Oh, out and about. Taking measurements, making arrangements, doing odd jobs.” Bon Bon pointed upwards. “Harpy is up there as well.”

Twilight looked at the ceiling. Despite a roof of sheer dirt and stone overhead, she could still hear thunder crack ominously up above. “In this weather?”

“No time like the present.” Bon Bon hummed cheerfully. “You can speak to her, if you like. I think... I know she’d appreciate the company.”

Hesitantly, Twilight approached the base’s entrance. As soon as she pulled the lever for the trapdoor, she heard a river of mud and rainwater begin to flood down the stairs. She started to open the iron doors, but jumped as she felt a hoof on her side. Somehow, Bon Bon had cleared the space between them without making a noise. “If she starts to talk about Los Pegasus,” the earth mare whispered, “stop her. It’s not healthy for her to dwell on the past.”

Twilight nodded uncertainly. “Anything else?”

“Just...” Bon Bon’s smile flickered. “...don’t take her away from me.” With that, she gave Twilight a gentle shove out the door and started at a calm pace back to the chair.

The storm wasn’t as bad as Twilight had feared, but it was enough to leave her spluttering as she emerged onto the surface. She winced again as her attempt at a magic shield died inside her skull, and leaped for the shelter of the nearest tree as the trapdoor slammed shut behind her. Oh, I hope Spike at least remembered to take an umbrella, she thought as she peered out at the dark and gloomy sky. He’s going to be miserable by the time he gets back.

Just as Twilight was starting to consider turning around and diving right back into the base, a new sound broke into her consciousness. A faint melody carried on the breeze, soft and sweet notes piercing through the rain. Curiosity rising, Twilight crept from tree to tree before catching sight of L. The green mare was sitting beneath a tree at the edge of the grove in her usual slouching posture, staring up at the sky. A golden lyre floated in front of her, glowing in the sickly green of her magic. She ran a hoof lovingly over the strings; it was hard to tell if it was her leg or her magic making the music. Twilight stopped just short of her, taking shelter under a particularly leafy branch, and waited before the song had ended before stomping appreciatively. "So you do play the lyre," she shouted over the rain. "I was starting to think your cutie mark was just ornamental."

L smiled. She rested her instrument against her lap and her horn lit up again, casting the translucent web of a soundproofing spell around them. The sound of the rain dropped to a dull hiss, and an additional greenish shield reduced most of the water dripping onto their heads to a fine mist. "Music runs in my family," she answered at last, leaning back and closing her eyes. "At least... I think it does. I think it used to."

Twilight paused for a moment to puzzle this out, then shrugged and sat down by L’s side. "What are you doing out here?" she asked. "It's warmer inside. As well as... you know... dryer."

"I like the rain." L strummed a few more notes, smiling up at the sky. "It seldom rains like this in Ponyville."

"Yeah. Rainbow Dash said this might happen. She put in a request for clear skies this evening, so all the rain that was going to happen tonight has to come down at once. It'll rain hard tomorrow, too."

"I'm glad." L sighed. She rested her lyre against the tree and continued watching the clouds. "When I was young," she said after a long pause, "I was only allowed outside when it was raining. I was sixteen before I saw the sun. When I first caught glimpses of it, back in Los Pegasus..." She chuckled, but then caught Twilight giving her a worried glance. She trailed off, the smile falling from her face. “But you don’t want to hear about my past,” she said dismissively.

“No, I do,” Twilight encouraged her. “We’re friends. It’s okay to share things with each other. It's only that Bon Bon told me...”

L looked at her flatly. “I meant,” she clarified, “that you don’t want to hear about my past because pressing me for information about my identity would only cause me to further suspect you of being Kira.”

There was another lengthy silence. “But...” L looked down. “Thank you for not thinking I meant that.”

Twilight briefly considered arguing for her innocence again, but decided to let the matter drop. “I’m sorry about how I acted last night,” she said once it became clear that L was finished speaking. “You were right. I let my emotions get the better of me. Rushing in blindly wouldn’t have helped anything. And even if that wasn’t the case, I shouldn’t have hit you like that.”

“I accept your apology,” L answered without hesitation. “It would be rude not to. After all, we... both overreacted.”

“Yeah...” Twilight gently rubbed the spot where her horn had been. Dark and cold memories surfaced in her. "That was another one of Sun Eater's spells you cast on me last night, wasn't it?" She groaned as L nodded. "I thought so. Devouring magic is banned for a reason, Harpy. You of all ponies should know that. If you’d lost control, I could have died.”

“There was never any danger of that. Though I suppose you would have more reason to worry about that than most. After all, I’m sure by now you yourself are familiar with the high cost of needing to be in control.”

Twilight frowned. “What do you mean?”

Slowly, L swiveled. She finally locked eyes with the purple mare. “Tell me, Twilight, is there a single force in this world that you haven’t twisted to serve your own ends?”

Silence. The two ponies stared at each other, barely breathing. The rain, though its flow didn’t change, seemed to fade away around them. All was still.

Eventually, Twilight sniffed. “Do you push everyone away like this?” she mumbled.

L’s ear twitched. “I—”

“I’m starting to think you don’t even want friends,” she continued, looking away. She was starting to hunch over, but swallowed hard to keep her voice steady. “You just want little dolls that you can push around and play mind games with. I’ve tried to be your friend, Harpy, I’ve really tried, but all you do is push and push until something breaks. Sometimes I think you want me to be Kira... because it’s easier to punish an enemy than to put the effort into actually having a friend.”

Silence fell again. It was just as long before L spoke, still in the same calm, emotionless tone. “I had a friend, once,” she stated, “a long time ago.”

Twilight waited for more, but L had stopped. She stared up at the rain again, all traces of a smile now vanished. Twilight started to speak, then stopped as well as a grim realization began to rear up in her. Though she suspected that she already knew the answer, she followed through with her question anyway. “What happened to her?”

“We parted ways.” L sighed. “And then she died.”

Twilight took a few seconds to absorb this. “I know what you would say,” L interrupted as she started to open her mouth. “It’s better to have loved and lost than to spend a lifetime alone. But you have to understand, Twilight, that that’s all that friendship can be to me. Something to lose. As long as L exists, he will always have powerful enemies. Being a friend to such a pony can be very dangerous. Do you really think that when all this is over, we’ll be able or even permitted to stay in contact?”

Twilight gulped. “You can still visit,” she tried. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“No, but I am. There’s a high-profile case gaining momentum in the south, and a steady increase in smuggling to the north. Ponyville is too peaceful for me to stay here. As soon as the Kira investigation is resolved I’ll be leaving, probably never to return.” She shook her head. “The time is fast approaching when we will part ways. And yes, perhaps it would be easier for me if you were Kira. Because whether I win or lose, whether we come out of this friends or enemies, once this game is over I will lose you. And then I’ll be all alone again.”

Twilight's breath caught in her throat. The detective had spoken the words completely flatly, but they had arrived with a weight behind them, like a freight train coming to a halt. "What about Bon Bon?" she asked. "You’ll still have her, right?"

"It's her job to keep me happy," L said dismissively. "She thinks it makes me happy to pretend it’s more than that, but our relationship is and can only be a working one." Though she tried to keep herself blank, Twilight caught a hint of sadness and possibly longing creep into the detective's voice. "She only cares for me as much as her position requires her to."

“Then...” Twilight paused. She blinked and silently repeated her thought to herself, just to make sure she’d actually had it, then spoke the words aloud with confidence. “Then quit.”

L froze. “What?”

“Stop being L.” Twilight sat up, her smile growing. “I don’t mean right now; you should wait until this case is over, so you won’t have that on your conscience. But it’s not like you’re the original L, right? You don’t look a hundred years old, let alone twelve times that. And if there’s been more than one L before you, that means that sooner or later there’s going to be one who comes after. So if this line of work means that you always have to be alone, then why not retire? What’s stopping you?”

The detective hesitated. “It’s more complicated than that,” she said at last. “There must always be an active L, and candidates are hard to come by. It’s not enough to have the brain for it. He chose me, just as much as I chose him.”

“Then choose me.”

L let out an amused snort. “And what makes you think you’re worthy?”

“Hey, I’ve solved a few crimes in my time. I’ve got a good story about the mystery of the missing Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness that I can tell you later. Besides, who says it has to be a lifelong deal? I could just take your place for a few weeks every time you need a break. So long as I never show my face, who would know? Or maybe I could just tag along. Instead of just repeating the legends of the past, you could form a new team and start really writing your own. Or maybe...”

Twilight trailed off. L had started shaking. A long, low croak erupted from her throat, and it took Twilight several panicked seconds to realize that she was laughing. “Twilight,” the green mare said, putting on a rare smile. “I’m going to miss you.”

“No, Harpy.” Twilight shook her head. “My point is that you won’t have to. I don’t care how long it takes or how many obstacles we have to get past. No matter how far away you are, I’ll always be there to fight for our friendship. And I can tell you now that I won’t be the only one. Locket looks up to you, Spike adores you, and even Rainbow Dash respects you more than you think. After an experience like this, there’s no way we’re going to let you just disappear from our lives, even if it is a little risky.”

L looked hesitant. Something in her expression started to crack. “Do you mean that?”

“Of course! Look.” Twilight straightened up as much as she could, holding out her forelegs to make the appropriate hoof gestures. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” She beamed. “No matter what happens, I will always be your friend. I promise.”

The detective trembled. She looked down, breathing in sharply, and closed her eyes. When she looked up again, Twilight was struck by the impression that she was looking at a different mare. Some of the perpetually tense muscles in her face had relaxed, leaving her appearing, for the first time since Twilight had known her, genuinely at peace. “Twilight?” she asked, some of the harshness vanishing from her voice; she sounded a little less calm, a little more feminine. “Normally I’m only supposed to let Bon Bon touch me, but... when you hugged me last night, it felt... nice. Do you think...” A hint of colour came to her cheeks. “I mean... if you want to...”

Needing no further prompting, Twilight shuffled forwards, starting to spread her forelegs. As soon as her hoof touched the detective, however, she flinched back in shock. Not only was L’s coat damp and dripping to the touch, she was also cold as ice. “You’re freezing!” Twilight stated uselessly, quickly wrapping the mare in a tight embrace to rub some warmth back into her body. “Why are you still out here?”

“Hm?” L mumbled, resting her head against Twilight’s shoulder. “I hadn’t noticed...”

“Come on. We need to get you in a bath, stat.” Twilight rose up, helping the detective stand on all fours. L quickly grasped her lyre and let Twilight lead her back towards the trapdoor. The magic shield collapsed as the pair walked through it, dumping the accumulated water on their heads and sending them scrambling for the base as the full force of the storm returned to them. The trapdoor sprang open as they approached, then crashed shut behind them as they threw themselves into the safety of the darkness.

Twilight led the way a little more slowly down to the iron doors, careful not to slip on the damp and muddied stairs. “Hey, Harpy?” she asked as they approached the bottom. “Do you keep a Battleskies board stocked down here?”

“Yes,” L answered after a pause. “But no one ever wants to play.”

“Well...” Twilight halted with her hoof on the door, smiling in the dim light. “Once you’re warmed up, do you think we’ll have time for a game before we have to get going tonight?”

“...I think so.” Invisibly, L smiled. “I think I’d like that.”

Rain was not uncommon in Canterlot, though strictly speaking there was not much need for it at all. Clouds were brought to the tip of the Canterhorn on a regular basis to fuel the many rivers that ran around it and across Equestria, so after a good water harvest the storms would often spread to engulf the nearby city. Around five hundred years ago, however, a group of nobles had petitioned for deliberate rain to cover the city on a regular basis in order to keep their white marble towers sparkling. Since then, regardless of how much rain the city received before or after, on the first and third Wednesday of every month the Royal Canterlot Rain would wash the city clean.

Normally, Canterlot ponies considered themselves above the weather, and would carry on about their lives with an unhurried grace. However, as neither umbrellas nor especially large hats were currently in style, the ponies in and around the Grand Palace contented themselves with locking themselves indoors and staring wistfully out of their front windows. The only signs of life were the Royal Guards stationed along the parapets, who remained vigilant even as the rain soaked through their barding and ran in rivers down their backs.

One such pair, Bronze Weight and Liquid Veil, stood guard over the Royal Gardens. This was slightly more literal than either was entirely comfortable with, as a family of exotic rodents was taking shelter underneath the pair, apparently mistaking them for a set of new and slightly miffed-looking statues. Both were unicorns, and although they had spent the past three months at various postings together throughout the castle, neither yet knew the other’s name. They stood only a short distance apart at the bridge between the garden and the palace, each silently concerned with their posture, the time until the rain was due to stop, and whether the other had secretly fallen asleep.

A full hour before the guards were due for their break, both were surprised by a sudden lessening of the rain. Although water continued to fall inches in front of their faces, it no longer seemed to be falling upon them, and a light warmth began to spread along their backs. Bronze Weight came close to breaking his stance, turning his head slightly to the side before catching himself and focusing his gaze straight ahead. His partner, however, was unable to show as much restraint. Liquid Veil glanced quickly over his shoulder and then did a distinctly un-guardly double-take, quickly turning around and backing away into the rain with his head bowed. “My Princess!”

Bronze Weight’s eyes widened. Trying to move as few muscles as possible, he slowly turned to look behind him. A wall of whiteness and sunlight greeted him. He traced his gaze upwards, and his heart skipped a beat as he found himself face to face with the Princess of the Sun. Her wings were spread wide, one curled over him to shield him from the rain, and a growing beam of sunlight illuminated her from above. “Good afternoon, my little ponies,” she said, smiling kindly down at the pair as if they were her most treasured students. “What are you doing outside on a day like this?”

Liquid Veil shivered, but didn’t move. Bronze Weight tried to stop himself mid-gulp and nearly choked. “I-it is tradition for the entrance to the Royal Gardens to be guarded at all times. Uh, Your Highness,” he quickly added.

Celestia chuckled. “Oh, that old rule. I doubt the ponies who thought that one up had our rainy Wednesdays in mind. Still, tradition is tradition.” She stepped back, the sunlight spreading to follow her, and delicately tapped a gold-plated hoof twice on the cobbled bridge.

In an instant, two streaks of white and gold lanced down from the clouds to Celestia’s side. They dropped like stones but landed with the weight of feathers, and Bronze Weight had to hold back a shudder as they immediately snapped to attention. Though he worked with pegasus guards indistinguishable from them all the time, this pair in particular carried an air of cold authority that most guards only pretended to possess. “Biggs, Wedge, kindly relieve these two gentlecolts until the rain lets up,” Celestia continued, still smiling. “I think they've earned a little respite from this weather."

"At once, Your Majesty," one of the white guards — it was impossible to tell which was which — immediately grunted.

Bronze Weight quickly moved aside as the other pegasus stomped forward into his spot. He glanced back at Liquid Veil, but his partner still had his eyes fixed firmly on the ground. "Y-you are very kind, your Highness," he stuttered. "What would you have us do instead?"

The solar princess chuckled. "Well, if you feel you must guard something, the royal kitchens could always use some extra protection. The chefs are making mooncakes today, and you know how ponies are about taking treats that aren’t meant for them." She leaned forward conspiratorially. "Although, just between you and me, I asked them to make a few more plates than we strictly need. I'm sure if one or two went missing while you and your partner were on watch, nopony would be any the wiser."

The grey guard reddened. "Th-thank you, ma'am," he said. "I mean— at once, your highness." Snapping off a quick salute, he broke into a swift trot, which turned into a gallop as soon as Celestia was a safe distance behind him. Liquid Veil, turning a deep red as he realized the princess was now looking at him, shuffled in the same direction before sprinting towards the castle doors.

Princess Celestia waited until both ponies were out of sight before continuing on her way. As her guards were no longer moving clouds to keep her in the sunlight, the rain quickly dampened her coat, though it seemed to pass through her perpetually flowing mane. Biggs and Wedge remained where they were, a family of chinchillas already beginning to regroup underneath them. The princess kept her benevolent smile as she spared a glance behind her, and though her face didn’t flicker, she allowed herself the faintest, most inaudible of sighs.

Instead of clustering about her like moths to a flame as they normally did, the exotic fauna of the Royal Gardens seemed content to let their princess pass unhindered on this occasion. As she walked further and further, the many-coloured flowers of the garden slowly gave way to taller and bushier trees, and then to hedges. Grey statues surrounded the exterior of the royal hedge maze, each vastly different in appearance and meaning. Celestia halted in front of one in particular, slightly apart from the rest.

While most of the statues were dark and weathered from age and rain, this one appeared perpetually new even in the storm. The creature it depicted was unlike any other in Equestria: a goat's head with mismatched horns sat atop a serpentine body, built in patches from any number of vastly different creatures. Unlike once, when it had been as still and silent as any other statue in the garden, its position changed at seemingly random intervals throughout the day, rarely adopting the same pose twice. Presently, it was reclined on a stone deck chair while wearing a broad sun hat and floral Haywaian shirt, grinning off into some imagined sunset. One paw held a tall, umbrella-topped glass, while the other claw was giving an unseen counterpart a hearty thumbs up.

The plaque read: On Vacation.

Celestia stayed still for several minutes, silent and unmoving. The statue did the same. Then, in a thin haze of golden light, a translucent force field appeared around them both.

To a watcher outside the shield, all would have appeared normal. Within the bubble of protective magic, however, the sky appeared to darken. As Celestia watched, the light from her horn slowly growing brighter, the statue began to ripple. Stone flexed and distorted, then began to crack. Bright lights shone out from a blinding interior, growing ever more intense as the rest of the interior of the sphere blackened to a dark haze.

There was a shrill ringing noise.

Then there was another one.

Five rings later, a loud click signalled that the spell had connected. The statue burst apart, scattering stone fragments that quickly evaporated into smoke, and leaving a transparent, shimmering image in its wake: not the true creature, but an image being broadcast from far, far away. Hovering an inch over its pedestal, the appearance of the Spirit of Chaos stretched, peered over sunglasses that had not been there a moment before, and then let out a bitter, disappointed groan.

"Oh. It's you."

Princess Celestia smiled. "How are you, Discord?"

"Oh, don't give me that," the draconequus snapped back. His chair reappeared beneath him as he leaned back, and he pulled off his sunglasses and tossed them carelessly aside. They disappeared upon hitting an invisible barrier several feet away from the pedestal, but to Celestia’s right she could still hear the sound of something going up in smoke. “So, you’re crawling back to me already, are you?” he asked, alternating between concern and scorn with every word. “My, my. It hasn’t even been a century yet. You must be going soft.”

The solar princess sat down. “I was hoping we could talk.”

“Talk? Is that all?” With an indignant flip of his head, Discord turned back to his glass and took a long drink through the straw. The surface of the orange liquid quickly shot downwards, paused and wavered uncertainly, and then changed its mind and rose up again until the glass was more full than when he had started. “The last time you came to me ‘just to talk’ you turned me to stone. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that pattern recognition isn’t my strong point, but I hope you’ll forgive me if I haven’t been too quick to let that particular trick go.” He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “You never just want to talk.”

“I used to.”

“Yes, you did, before you got boring. Now it’s always work this and responsibility that, never any time for play. Where’s the carefree filly I used to know, hm?”

Celestia stood her ground. “She’s still here. And she wants to talk.”

Discord waited a few seconds before sighing again. He put down his drink in midair, which was by now starting to overflow. “Look, Celestia,” he tried, “I know you see my ‘reformation’ as some kind of victory, and if it stops your precious little pony heart from hurting, you can feel free to tell everyone that we’ve patched things up and I’m your friend.” He glowered. “But don’t ever delude yourself into thinking that you are any friend of mine. So please, darling Tia, you can waste your breath all you like, but don’t waste my time as well. What is it that you want?”

“I’m here for your advice.”

The creature paused, mentally confirming that it had heard correctly, then doubled over in laughter. Celestia stared on impassively. “Oh, that is rich,” Discord chortled, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. “You must be cracking up! Perhaps there’s hope for you after all. Shall I make a reservation for you beside the fountain?”

Celestia didn’t move. There was a pause. Discord stopped. “You’re serious.”

“I am. What do you say?”

The draconequus sat back. He quickly grew a large beard and stroked it thoughtfully, his crafty smile returning to him. “All right, Celestia,” he said, kicking his chair away and floating into a standing position. His drink remained where it was, starting to bubble. “It’s been too long since I’ve played this kind of game. I’ll answer three questions truthfully, no more, no less, if — and only if — you agree to answer three of mine.”

Without missing a beat, Celestia returned to her original question. “How are you, Discord?”

“Oh, same old, same old,” the draconequus answered just as quickly. With a snap of his talons, his beard vanished and a ghostly chalkboard appeared floating in the air behind him. One side was marked with a picture of Celestia’s sun, the other, for some reason, by an octopus in a jar. A floating piece of chalk scored one mark under Celestia’s side. “I’m touring the mountains of the Griffin Kingdom right now. It doesn’t have the same view as Canterlot, but the climate is much more bracing. Ponies just don’t have the same tolerance for storms that griffons do.”

“I’m glad that you’re enjoying yourself.” Celestia chose her words carefully. “I hope you’re making lots of new friends.”

“Several. My fellow chimeras are so much more appreciative of my works than your lot ever were. I’m thinking of building a summer home here once I’m finished my travels.” He turned to the side and waved, not bothering to hide the smile that broke out across his face. “Hey, Guntram! Come and say hello to the princess!”

There was a distant rumble. Discord stepped back and vanished from the pedestal, and a second later an expanse of feathery whiteness took his place. The living wall shifted back and forth, perfectly outlining a wide sphere around Discord’s pedestal, until a slitted eye larger than Celestia almost completely filled the frame. It blinked slowly, and a low, ear-splitting screech echoed around the inside of the dome.

“Guntram, Titan of the Northern Hills,” Celestia said kindly. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.”

The colossal mass withdrew, and Discord reappeared back within his frame. “Griffins never stop growing, you know,” he said, “and Guntram here is almost as old as I am. He says I’m handy to have around the house, at least when he can keep a house without knocking it down in his sleep. He spends most of his time now rebuilding things. I tried to make him a more sturdy place myself, but you know how stubborn griffins are.”

“I’m happy for you.” Celestia beamed. “And I’m glad to see you’re continuing to use your powers for good.”

“...Yes, well.” The draconequus coughed, reddening slightly. “It’s not all good, you know. I still indulge in a good laugh every now and again. But I’m not breaking any of your ‘rules’ or playing any games with free will,” he added with an exaggerated sigh. “If I was, you wouldn’t be hearing about it from me.”

“Of course.” The princess nodded. “You can ask a question now.”

“Now, let me think...” Reaching down, Discord plucked the umbrella from his now-steaming drink and bit the top half off, chewing the little bundle of wood and paper like taffy. “Oh, now here’s a good one,” he said, gesturing with the remaining stick. The floating chalk placed a mark on Discord’s side of the board. “I heard a juicy little rumour that some giant clay monsters have been roaming around near Ponyville. Is it true?”

Celestia looked down. She tried to keep up her smile, but it collapsed under Discord’s goading stare. “It’s true.”

“Now that is interesting.” The draconequus spat out the gummied lump of paper umbrella, now several times its original size, and in a blur of activity sculpted it into a bulbous, bipedal shape. “You see, I was under the impression that the pony responsible for those delightful little toys was sealed so deep beneath Canterlot that even his own pets couldn’t find him. You don’t mean to tell me that he’s somehow escaped, do you?”

Had the phrase come from Celestia, Discord probably would have counted it as a second question, but the princess decided not to argue the rules. “I’m surprised that you have to ask things like that,” she said, still looking at the ground. “I thought that you had eyes everywhere.”

“Only most places, and fewer than ever. After all, if I know everything, then nothing can surprise me, and where’s the fun in that?” He tutted. The miniature golem dropped to the pedestal and started to scurry around in a small circle. The stone surface was now covered in a growing puddle of fruity, orange liquid as the frothing glass above it continued to drip. Discord grinned down at his creation, then turned a sympathetic eye to Celestia. “Now, I know the Age of Titans was difficult for both of us. For you, because you had to cope with centuries of chaos and conflict, and for me because I spent all the good parts stuck in your garden. But my dear, sooner or later you’re going to have to realize that you can’t solve all your problems my locking them away for thousands of years. It only backfires on you in the end.”

Celestia’s head shot up. “I learned that lesson a long time ago,” she snapped, “and more than you realize. I’ve answered your question. I’d like to ask my own.”

Discord pursed out his lip, then shrugged. “As you wish.” He tossed the umbrella stick down, bursting the umbrella-golem and causing it to fly out of sight with the sound of a deflating balloon.

The princess took a moment to compose herself before speaking. “What do you think of Kira?” She leveled her gaze. “I think it’s safe to assume that you at least know who that is.”

“Of course. But what do I think?” The chalk made half a mark below Celestia’s sun, then paused. “Could you be more specific?”

“Are you... for, or against him?”

“Now that is tricky.” Discord tapped his chin and leaned backwards, slowly flipping himself fully upside-down before vanishing in a flash and reappearing the right way up. Behind him, the chalk finished its mark beneath Celestia’s side. “You know,” the draconequus concluded, “I don’t believe I have any strong feelings about it one way or the other.”

“No?” Celestia tilted her head to the side. “I’m surprised.”

“Were you expecting me to take his side? This pony-killer of yours is causing a panic, but it’s hardly chaotic. What you’re really asking is a question of order and justice and the difference between right and wrong, and those are things that I normally leave for ponies like you to deal with. Besides, the least fun kind of pony is a dead pony.”

“Yes.” Celestia’s face didn’t move, but for a moment an old resentment burned behind her eyes. “You never were very fond of killing.”

“Indeed.” The creature grinned. “So, to answer your question, I am neither for nor against Kira. A question of order must be answered by creatures of order, and that’s a place a creature like me has no business being in. And no, I don’t know the real identity of this killer of yours, nor do I wish to. So if that was your intended third question, then I’m afraid you’re plum out of luck.” To demonstrate, he pulled a plum out of luck, which was very confusing visually. “Now, my turn. My second question is this.” Discord swallowed the plum whole, then widened his grin a little further. “Why are you so quick to assume that your Kira is male?’

Celestia blinked. “Well... I...” She sniffed. It might have been her imagination, but the air was starting to smell like mangoes.

Discord chuckled. “Oh, I’m only teasing,” he said. “I already know the answer.” A second mark was scored on his side of the chalkboard. “It’s written into your culture. Mares provide and protect, stallions fight and destroy. Female good, male bad. I suppose I could chalk it up to a pointless bit of trivia... but then, most mares I know aren’t old enough to have heard their own language change around them.” He snickered. “And probably have a hoof in its development.”

“The name and designation were chosen by ponies in the media, both male and female,” Celestia said carefully. “They have been adopted purely for the sake of convenience.”

“Yes, that’s quite clear. I only bring it up as a point of interest. You see, the griffins I’ve come across have been much less divided on the matter than your ponies.” With a twist of his hands, he pulled a large, pink moustache into existence. Another flip, and it transformed into a lacy bow. “In the tongue of the Griffin Kingdom, Kira has always been female, and always a force for good. A divine warrior queen, some say. Do you know what they call her here? Ausgleich. The one who brings balance. In fact, I’ve heard of a movement to formally invite Ausgleich to cast her judgement on the wicked of the Griffin Kingdom and territories as well; they seem to think her brand of justice is wasted on ponies.”

Any paleness that Princess Celestia experienced was completely hidden by her perpetually gleaming coat. “I would have no power to stop them from making such a request,” she said. “But I hope that the situation never comes to that.”

“We’ll see.” Discord’s eyes sparkled. “Your turn.”

Celestia closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. It wasn’t her imagination; the smell of mangoes was getting stronger. Putting this aside as much as she could, she spoke her third question loudly and clearly. “What is more important than life?”

There was a long pause. Discord floated in place, for once completely motionless. The shadows around the inside of the dome appeared to darken. The chalk, moving slowly and hesitantly, drew a third and final line on Celestia’s side of the board.

Then Discord laughed. A low chuckle built up in the back of his throat, rising into a harsh cackle, and then burst out as he threw back his head and roared with sadistic delight. Lightning cracked. Thunder boomed. A line of gumdrops launched themselves from behind his shoulder blades and exploded into confetti. Celestia waited patiently.

When he was finished, the draconequus lowered his gaze and looked the solar princess in the eye. He spoke coldly, relishing the sound of every word. “I refuse to answer that question.”

“What?” Celestia flared in anger. “Discord, you said—”

“I know what I said,” Discord snapped back smoothly. “I also know what you said, and you’re not really looking for an answer, are you? You’re looking for validation.” He lapsed into another fit of laughter as the alicorn’s face fell. “My sweet Celestia, you’re as transparent as those silly windows you like to surround yourself with. Let me guess, you’ve locked up some poor, innocent pony in your dungeon, and you just can’t afford to let her stay alive. But — oh my! — that would be against your precious little moral code, wouldn’t it?

“So you came to me, the spirit of chaos and disharmony, pretending to look for guidance. Any pony could give you a heartwarming speech about the greater good, but they wouldn’t really mean it, not if they knew the truth. You thought I would be the only one in all the world who would give you the go-ahead to stick needles through your little pony’s skin until she squeals. Well, I’m not going to give you the satisfaction.” The creature folded his mismatched arms and turned up his nose haughtily. “You got yourself into this mess. You can tell yourself whatever you think you need to hear to get yourself out of it.”

Celestia stared at her ancient adversary in a daze. Slowly, her lips started to tighten. Her wings rustled, settling carefully against her back. She bowed her head again, and started to stand. “Thank you.”

“I’m glad we have this understanding.” Discord smirked. The piece of chalk traced its way back up Celestia’s third line, erasing it from the board. “Since I wasn’t able to answer your question, I’ll let you ask another.”

The solar princess considered this. She stood still for a minute, eyes closed in thought. Eventually she settled on a new question. “When is it acceptable to keep a secret from someone that you love?”

“How should I know? I don’t keep secrets.” The chalk struck another line, then immediately erased it. “Since I wasn’t able to answer your question, I’ll let you ask another.”

Something wet brushed against Celestia’s hooves. She stepped back, looking down in surprise. The orange puddle still growing around Discord’s feet had spilled off the pedestal and was spreading towards her, not vanishing but rapidly filling up the dome with its fruity sweetness. “Who can I trust?” she blurted.

“Who can say? I can’t.” With a smirk, never breaking eye contact with Celestia, Discord reached out and tipped his still-floating glass of juice upside-down. Boiling liquid gushed out, splashing off the edges of the pedestal and flowing into a sticky, mango-scented tide across the ground. Celestia started to back up further, almost reaching the dark edge of the dome, but Discord shook his head. “Ah, ah, ah.” He warped the chalkboard in front of him and held it out tauntingly. The chalk moved up and down in one fluid motion. “Since I wasn’t able to answer your question, I’ll let you ask another.”

Celestia scowled. “What are you doing?”

“You know that even I can’t answer that.” Up and down. “Since I wasn’t able to answer your question, I’ll let you ask another.”

Juice continued to pour out of the glass at an impossible rate. It cooled rapidly as it crawled across the dirt path, but was still unpleasantly warm as it began to swill around Celestia’s ankles, rising steadily higher. She pursed her lips and fixed her adversary with a glare. “What colour is the sky?”

“I don’t believe in the sky. Since I wasn’t able to answer your question—”

“Is gingerbread a biscuit or a cake?”

“I’ve chosen to forget that fact. Since I wasn’t able—”

“Will you marry me?”

“Well, now you’re just not playing fair.”

With an unnecessary double frontflip, the spirit of chaos dove off of his pedestal and into the rising juice. The sticky liquid now rose up past Celestia’s knees, and was starting to suck at her pastel tail. The draconequus waded forward, not disappearing as he passed through his own barrier, but striding onto Equestrian soil. “Since I wasn’t able to answer your question,” Discord repeated, holding his chalkboard in front of him like a shield, “I’ll let you ask another.”

Celestia waited. She saw triumph in Discord’s eyes, a childish glee, the expression he put on whenever he thought that he’d outwitted somepony. No matter how much had changed about him over the many long years, that look of his had never changed. It was the face he’d made for her the moment that they’d first met.

With slow deliberateness, she broke her gaze away and looked at the sky. “No.”

The dome shattered. Golden magic split apart and vanished, letting daylight and the pounding rain back into Celestia’s darkened world. The tide of mango juice crashed away in all directions, beginning to be washed away in a matter of seconds. Discord remained where he was, scowling as the princess leisurely stretched out her legs to allow the storm to wash them clean. “We had a deal,” he growled, tapping irritably at the chalkboard.

“I don’t care.” With the slightest nod of her head, Celestia sent out a pulse of magic that cleaved the chalkboard in half. Behind him, the floating glass exploded, and the flood of juice came to a halt. “You should go home. You’re no longer welcome here.”

The draconequus trembled in fury. “Now you go back on your word?” he hissed, sarcasm hidden beneath a layer of anger. “I underestimated how low you’d sunk, princess. If you had nearly the power that you think you do—”

Celestia met his gaze. “Now you listen to me,” she ordered. Words came out with the force of the sun, and Discord fell silent. “Do you know the real difference between you and me?” she asked. “I’ll tell you. It’s the reason why you’ve never been able to destroy me. It’s the reason why you’ve spent so much of what should have been your life trapped in stone. It’s the reason why a group of fillies, barely infants to our eyes, were able to defeat you. Because you — you, the spirit of chaos, of disloyalty, of disharmony — you, of all creatures, always play by the rules.” She lifted her head proudly and stepped to the side, as if about to turn away. “Now go.”

Discord folded his arms. His legs reversed themselves and he walked backwards to his pedestal, keeping his eyes fixed on Celestia the whole time. “Harmony is broken,” he said as he stepped up, his body beginning to shimmer and darken. “I can taste it on the air. You can play your little game all you like, and I’ll watch eagerly. But no matter who wins, you’ve already lost.” His legs began to darken. Dust and stone swirled around him, slowly coalescing into his serpentine shape. “And maybe we’ll see what else you can break, before the end.”

In a flash of light, Discord disappeared. All that remained was the grey statue in his place, frozen in the same scowling posture he’d left it in. Celestia waited several seconds before turning away. She adjusted her crown and started to walk, but then paused. “Thank you, Discord,” she whispered. She smiled softly. “You always knew how to cheer me up.”

The two elder Apple siblings stood together in the doorway of their home, eyes fixed to the sky above. The storm was starting to break apart. Over the town hall, a growing circle of reddening sunlight flowed down as the weather pegasi branched out in all directions, calming the thundering clouds and herding them to the town’s outskirts until they would be needed again. Applejack shifted her weight uncomfortably from hoof to hoof as the wall of light crept closer, while her brother remained still.

Big Macintosh spoke first. “Are you ready?”

“You know Ah’m not.” The mare gritted her teeth, desperately scanning the cloudscape above. “Where is she?”

“She’ll come,” Mac said calmly. “We kept our end of the bargain.”

“And what if she doesn’t?” Applejack sighed as her brother glanced at her. “Ah know, Ah know. It’s not like we have a choice. But the whole thing falls apart without her.”

“You’ll do your best.” He smiled, but kept his distance. “We believe in you.”

Applejack looked back. Behind them, Apple Bloom was sitting in Granny Smith’s chair, looking blankly into space. She kept watching as the sound of rain got quieter, not moving until the sound vanished altogether. “It’s time,” Big Macintosh said.

As the sunlight reached the farm, Applejack took a step back into the house. “They can wait a little longer,” she said. “Rainbow Dash isn’t going anywhere.”

Her brother gave her a pained look. “We will see each other again,” he whispered.

“Ah want to believe that,” Applejack whispered back. “But we can’t know it for sure. And Ah am not about to make the same mistake our ma and pa made.” She gulped. If Apple Bloom was listening, she gave no indication of it. Applejack took another step inward, and she motioned for Big Macintosh to follow. “Even if nothing does happen to me... Ah still want to give her the chance to say goodbye.”

Dear Princess Luna,

This is it.

Be with us.

Your loyal servant,

Locket.

Next episode: The beginning of the end.

Payoff

29
*Payoff*

Only a God of Death that has passed on their Death Note to a pony is able to kill the owner of that Death Note. This does not apply to other ponies using Death Notes.

“You’re late,” L snapped as Colgate and Fluttershy entered the base. The detective had rearranged her stratoscreens into yet another workstation near the door, and was subtly pushing a board game box underneath the desk with her hoof. “Applejack is preparing to leave her home,” she continued. “Thankfully she too is running late, or we would have mere minutes until Rainbow Dash is set to make her appearance.”

“Sorry,” Colgate muttered as she shook the last drops of rainwater out of her mane. “We had some stuff to take care of after we got your message. Plus, Crew Cut was as uncooperative as ever. He’s expecting compensation.”

“I trust you told him that wouldn’t be an issue.”

“Once we told him who he was working for? Yeah, I think we got the message across.”

Sighing, Colgate took a look around the room. Everypony else seemed to be present. Jazz worked rapidly at the massive abacus, the array of crystals on top shining brighter than she’d ever seen them. Near the far side of the room, Bon Bon and Locket were brushing a sulking Rainbow Dash’s mane, and Twilight Sparkle was dictating something to Spike. “Twilight!” Fluttershy yelled, breaking into a smile larger than any she’d worn in the past few days.

Twilight looked up. “Fluttershy!” she yelled back. “Just a minute, Spike. Remind me to finish this before I leave.” She started to trot across the room, her melancholy expression morphing into a relieved grin.

Colgate looked at L. As the other pony nodded, the policemare leaned down and touched the tip of her horn to the chain wrapped around her ankle. Fluttershy shivered as the chain binding them slid away from her hoof, metamorphosing back into an ordinary rope. “Come right back to me as soon as your part’s over,” Colgate said quickly before Fluttershy could run off. “And always stay in sight of somepony from the team.”

“I’ll be good, I promise.” With a quick nod of thanks, Fluttershy scampered across the room and met Twilight halfway, practically throwing herself on top of her marefriend.

“I’m not worried about that,” Colgate continued needlessly, mindful of L’s position a few feet away. “But if it keeps a certain bossy, overly paranoid pony happy, clearly that’s all that matters.” She glanced towards L, half-expecting a response, but there was none. She sighed inwardly, then turned to face the detective completely. “Have you heard anything from Derpy?” she asked more quietly.

L levitated up a stratoscreen from the top of the nearest stack and passed it to Colgate. The image spiraled wildly and flickered every few seconds, giving only fleeting glimpses of blonde and grey hairs and what looked like passing clouds. “She began flight several hours ago,” L said flatly, looking back to a screen of Applejack and Apple Bloom braiding each other’s tails. “Her louse is still clinging on, but losing power. As far as I can discern, she is alone. Is this your doing?”

“No.” Colgate shook her head. “I never got to see her. And thanks to you, I haven’t had time to put out an alert for her. Let me know as soon as she lands somewhere, okay?”

L nodded vaguely, but didn’t seem to be really listening. She swiveled away and whistled for Jazz, who took several seconds to break from his concentration and look her way. “Jazz, Twilight,” L called, gesturing the pair towards her and giving Twilight an excuse to slip away from Fluttershy’s relentless embrace. “Come here. One more thing to take care of.”

Preparing Twilight took a little more work. L and Jazz stood a short distance away from her and whispered to one another, occasionally throwing glances in Twilight’s direction. After close to two uncomfortable minutes they turned and walked towards her, silencing her questions as their horns lit up in unison. She braced herself as the tip of L’s horn touched her forehead, but the expected rush of pain didn’t come. Instead, her head started to feel heavy, and her eyes glazed over as she was assaulted by magic from two directions; sickly green on her left, pale and translucent blue on her right. When the light faded she glanced up, immediately noticing a purple, conical shape just within her field of vision. Although it was in the right place, it didn’t feel connected, as though somepony had glued a flesh-coloured ice cream cone to her forehead. “This isn’t my horn,” she said.

“Correct.” L nodded. “I have made a small fracture in the Devouring Seal inside your head. Combined with the replica horn that Jazz has provided, this should allow you to perform a small amount of magic, a light spell or picking up a quill at most. This should be enough to disguise your condition for tonight. If you overexert your abilities, the hole will seal itself up again.”

Twilight glowered. “Or you could just give me my horn back and be done with it.”

L shrugged. “Perhaps, when this is over. We haven’t made it this far without taking every available precaution.”

Rolling her eyes, Twilight shook her head experimentally, then called the faintest glimmer of magic into her ‘horn’. Although she could still feel the walls of the bubble inside her head threatening to close around her, it glowed and pulsed just as her real horn would have. “This is... impressive,” she admitted, gently levitating a piece of paper on the desk beside her with only slightly more concentration than it would normally have taken. “You used... Mirror Darkly’s Spectral Memory?”

“Whitewash and Stone’s Celestial Copycat, actually,” Jazz answered, sounding mildly impressed. “A little less durable, but it should hold up better under magic.”

“Huh.” Gingerly, Twilight reached up and rubbed the length of her fake horn, then lowered her hoof and sniffed it. It smelled like coconut.

“And that should be everything,” L concluded. She glanced over to the far side of the room. "Assuming that Miss Dash is ready?"

"For the last time, yes!" Rainbow Dash yelled back, shrugging off the two earth ponies who were still running brushes through the exposed parts of her coat. Most of her was covered by a pale and somewhat bulky dress, which fell oddly across her but successfully hid the belt that she still adamantly refused to take off. “I wouldn't brush myself this much even if this was a real date,” she griped. “You wanted this to be natural, right?”

Locket made a pouty face. "You could at least put on some makeup," she whined, seeing her dreams of a novel-worthy romantic evening being slowly stripped away.

"No. If I turned up too dressed up, Applejack would know I was wearing it for her, not because I wanted to, and that would make her uncomfortable." Dash frowned at Locket's puzzled stare. "What? Just because I'm not in love with her doesn't mean I don't care about her feelings."

Bon Bon shrugged and started to put her brushes away, while Locket hung on a little longer. "Applejack's letting her sister make her up," she muttered, kicking at the ground. "It would be nice if you matched."

"Yeah, but I'm not supposed to know that." Dash started to walk away, but then paused. "Wait, really?"

"One more thing!" Twilight broke in loudly, striding into the middle of the room. "There's one last thing we need to take care of before we part ways." She raised herself up on her hind legs and spread her forelegs wide, gesturing everyone towards her.

Fluttershy caught the cue first, rushing forward and resuming her embrace. Rainbow Dash jumped in as well, followed by Spike, Bon Bon and, somewhat reluctantly, Locket. Colgate and L glanced at one another before making their way over as well, deliberately taking spots on opposite sides of the group hug. "Everypony," Twilight said, "no matter how tonight ends, I..." She glanced up. "You too, Jazz."

The older pony bristled, standing a short distance away. He frowned stiffly as Twilight stared at him, but when her look changed from insistent to pleading he sighed and stepped forward. "This is most unorthodox," he muttered, but Twilight thought she caught a hint of a grin as he threw a leg around L and rested his chin on Rainbow Dash's shoulder.

Twilight nodded. "No matter how this night ends," she continued, "I just want you to know that I wouldn't trade this time for anything. We've all had some pitfalls. We've all suffered losses. But it's thanks to you guys that I've been able to pull through it all." She squeezed her eyes shut. "And tonight, if at all possible, we're going to find a way to end it all for good."

"One way or another," L added quietly.

Twilight ignored her. "We all know what's at stake. We all know the risks. But we have justice on our side, and if we do this right, then nopony has to die. Not now, and not ever again. Are you ready?"

"Ready," her friends rumbled back.

"Then let's go."

Although the restaurant had been chosen more for its location than its aesthetics, Rainbow Dash felt that it suited the evening perfectly. Unlike its neighbors towards the middle of Ponyville, it was small and dimly-lit, little more than a cluster of tables across an area only slightly larger than her own front room. Dash had come here twice before, both times for a quiet, private celebration of Fluttershy’s birthday, and had found the calming atmosphere more memorable than the food. She felt her heart sink as she looked around the room for the third time. Although not dressed or billed as an overtly romantic location, three of the other five tables were filled with couples making cautious but optimistic conversation.

It’s... cozy, Dash admitted to herself. If I ever did want to try this whole dating scene for real... this is probably the place I’d end up going.

Worry started to gnaw on her as the minutes ticked by. From her seat by the window she glanced out at the street time and time again, twice almost jumping as she caught sight of a nearly-invisible shadow watching from the alley opposite. A pony passed by to light the candle next to the window, providing some illumination as the last reds of the sunset vanished. Ten minutes passed in silence, and Dash caught the waitress shooting sympathetic glances her way before Applejack finally bustled in through the door. “Sorry Ah’m late,” she said a little too loudly, quickly making her way to the seat opposite Dash.

Applejack was wearing, perhaps appropriately, the same grey dress she'd put on for the funeral, as well as a set of old white earrings. Her mane had been braided with all the grace and dexterity that Apple Bloom had been able to muster; the result was simple and functional, but difficult to find fault with. The same, partly to Dash’s surprise, could be said of her face. Without an abundance of beauty products available to go overboard with, the filly had made do with what she had on hoof, inexpertly washing and powdering Applejack’s face to give her a faint but noticeable blush.

“It’s okay,” Rainbow Dash responded, smiling. “To be honest, I was a little late too.” She shuffled and flicked her tail nervously as Applejack sat down. “You look... nice,” she added.

“Thanks.” Applejack glanced out the window, her rouged cheeks reddening further. “Apple Bloom helped. Ah wasn’t planning on getting too dressed up, but she insisted. Took her a few tries, but we got there in the end.”

“Apple Bloom did that?” Dash asked, still slightly incredulous.

“Yep. Ah was surprised, but it turns out she picked some things up second-hoof from Sweetie–”

She paused and coughed awkwardly, her smile fading, and Dash gulped. In the ensuing silence a visibly relieved waitress sauntered up to them. “Evening, folks,” she said, dropping off a pair of menus and adjusting some of the silverware. She spoke quickly, apparently used to trying to interrupt as little as possible. “Can I get y’all some drinks to start?”

“Two ciders,” Dash said quickly, barely looking up. “Something with a kick.”

With a quick nod, the mare moved away. Silence fell across the table, broken by crackling jazz playing from a stratoscreen at the far end of the room and hushed conversations around them. Applejack sighed. She picked up a spoon and checked her reflection across the back of it, starting to make a face before remembering where she was.

Dash rustled her wings. “So... what now?”

Applejack looked up. “Beg your pardon?”

“Well... this is a date, right? I mean, this is how these things are supposed to go? We got dressed up, we went out, I told you you look nice... not that I didn’t mean that,” she added quickly. “So... what happens next? I keep trying to think of what Rarity would say, but I’m drawing a blank here. Are we supposed to just talk, or...”

Dash trailed off as she realized Applejack was chuckling. “Dash,” the other mare laughed, “is that really why you asked me out here tonight?’

Rainbow gulped. “Kinda.”

“Well, shoot. Ah knew this wasn’t like you.” Applejack sighed, shaking her head. “Sugarcube, loving somepony ain’t like runnin’ down a checklist. Forget about what Rarity would say for a while. Just ‘cause something works for her, it don’t mean it’ll work for us. A date’s about making somepony feel special, and how that’s done depends on the pony.” She looked down at herself and laughed. “And Ah don’t mind brushing up from time to time, but right now Ah feel frillier than a princess in a house of ribbons. And you can’t tell me you’re all the way comfortable in that getup.”

Dash shuffled again, glancing down her side. It was certainly true that she didn’t cut the most aerodynamic figure at present. “Not really,” she admitted. “Then... why did you get dressed up?”

Applejack’s stare momentarily hardened. “You know why.”

It took a second for Dash to comprehend. Mer hates sappy stuff. “Well then... what should we do?”

“Well... let’s try this, and see how it goes. But if you like something that’s more our speed, next time you can ask me to the Flyers’ game next weekend.”

Dash blinked. “That counts as a date?”

“Sugar, anything’s a date so long as you say it is.”

They both laughed, Dash silently swearing vengeance on Locket, but Applejack’s lips kept moving for just a second after she was finished speaking. The gesture was so quick and so faint that Rainbow almost didn't catch it, but in a flash she pieced together a question from her friend's lips.

"Are they watching?"

Dash gulped, trying not to let her expression shift. "From a distance," she whispered, just loud enough to be heard over the noise around them. Additional camera bugs had been dismissed as both too risky and too much of a drain on Minty, whose processing powers were needed elsewhere; they were stretching themselves thin with the ones in the Apples’ house already. In the event of an emergency, her only safety net was Bon Bon.

"Right," Applejack returned, matching her volume. "This is a trap, right?" She shook her head as Dash's smile flickered. "No, don't tell me. Ah need to be surprised when it happens."

Inwardly, Dash winced. "When did you become such a good liar?" she asked, unable to keep sadness from creeping into her tone.

"When Ah found something that matters to me more than the truth, Dash. Namely, you." Applejack leaned forward, keeping the same faraway, carefree smile. "Now, let's get our story straight. What are we supposed to be talking about?"

"You know... lovey stuff. What we like about each other, what we're going to tell our friends, more of what we just did. I’m supposed to look at the ceiling if you start talking weird."

“Are you gonna do that?”

“No.”

"Right. How long do we have?"

"Until our drinks arrive. But the service here is pretty slow."

"Shoot. Ah thought we’d have more time. Okay, sugarcube, here's the deal. Don't–"

"Hang on." On cue, Dash turned around and shouted over her shoulder at a pair of mares who’d started hammering at the stratoscreen at the end of the room. "Hey, could you keep it down over there?"

One of the pair turned to Dash and smiled apologetically. It wasn't clear whether she was in on the scheme or whether L had just assumed somepony would be there to fill the role; knowing her, it was probably the latter. "I'm sorry, miss," the mare drawled, gesturing helplessly as the image of a musical note flickered and slanted across the stone surface. The sounds playing had started drifting into static every few seconds, instead of only once in a while. "It's been on the fritz all afternoon. We'll stop as soon as it's fixed, alright?"

"Fine," Dash grunted, then turned back to Applejack. "Anyway, go on."

Applejack paused, then shrugged and continued. "Don't worry about me for now. Whatever's coming, we've got it covered. What's important is what happened late last night." She leaned in, her mask fading slightly as her tone darkened. "Long after Ah'd gone to bed, Mer woke me up to give me the latest clue. The last clue. She said it'd be the last thing we needed to put this to rest once and for all." She paused for effect. "'A unicorn who's lost her horn.' Does that mean anything to you?"

Her eyes widened as Dash choked. She quickly reached across the table and grasped her friend’s hoof in her own, wincing as they both struggled to maintain their composure. “Keep smiling, Dash,” she muttered. Panic started to rise on her end as Rainbow twitched. “Please, Dash. Don’t make me do this again.”

Rainbow Dash swallowed hard. Visions of purple and snatches of conversation danced in the air around her, blocking out everything else. “It’s not possible,” she said, unaware of her voice rising. “It’s not–”

She was cut off as a pair of hooves dragged her almost across the table and a set of orange lips mashed against hers. The kiss was utterly lifeless, devoid of gentleness or even warmth, but the urgency behind it put a hole through Dash’s panic. She breathed in and forced herself to remain in that position, slowly closing her eyes, focusing only on the feeling of Applejack close to her until the jackknifing of her heart subsided.

"Ahem." A waitress coughed, causing the pair to jump apart, both blushing deeply. "Save it for tonight, alright gals?" the mare laughed, swishing her tail at their embarrassment. She put down a pair of full mugs and a couple of menus, giving Rainbow Dash a sly wink as she slipped away. "Anything you need, just give us a yell, 'kay?"

Applejack smiled sympathetically as the waitress left. "You feeling better, sugar?" she asked quietly.

"No." Dash picked up her mug and took a long gulp of the thick liquid, trying as hard as she could to control her breathing. "What... what are we supposed to..."

She paused as something caught her eye. Applejack's cider was moving. Circular ripples were spreading across the surface of the mug, settling and then jumping up again as though struck. The third time this happened, she felt her chair tremble beneath her. The fifth time, a low sound rumbled across the restraunt, growing louder as it happened again, then again. It was the sound of steps. Something big was getting close.

Other ponies in the room were starting to notice. All around Dash ears were pricking up, and ponies were looking around to locate the source of the sound. Applejack was starting to look nervous, glancing towards the nearest window and then at the door. She looked like she was about to say something when one of the mares near the stratoscreen shrieked. She jumped back as the device sparked, her partner diving away to cower against the wall. The stone surface flashed quickly through every colour of the rainbow before settling on a stormy black. A green-lidded eye faded into view, slowly opening to reveal a brown and slitted iris. It swiveled disconcertingly back and forth, as though looking for something, before fixing its gaze directly on Rainbow Dash.

A low voice rumbled across the restaurant, apparently coming from the screen but having no clear source. "I see you."

The heavy steps grew louder. Dash gulped. She twisted her gaze away from the dark screen and back towards Applejack, who was looking just as confused and frightened as she was.

For the sake of authenticity, Rainbow Dash had been excluded from much of the planning process for that night. Although she'd been given a rudimentary script to follow, all that had been covered about this part was that her evening with Applejack was going to be interrupted.

No one had specified by what.

Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom sat together on their sofa at home. Their stratoscreen was turned on, but neither was looking at it. While the uneventful nightly news played, Apple Bloom held a photo album open in her lap.

The photos were ancient, and so faded as to be almost invisible. This was the oldest book from the highest shelf of their home, the one that even Granny Smith would have been hesitant to open on even the most special of occasions. The binding creaked where it wasn't close to coming loose completely, and more than one exposed corner of a photograph had already disintegrated as Apple Bloom ran her hoof gently over them. She watched her grandparents and great-grandparents raise barns, plant apples, and play games, some no older in these printed time capsules than she was now. All the while, her face was completely blank. Big Macintosh kept his eyes fixed on the pages, never moving so much as a muscle.

Around halfway through the book, Apple Bloom stopped. She pressed her hoof against a picture of Granny Smith shortly after she’d gotten her cutie mark. The then filly had barely been able to sit still, proudly showing off a fresh apple pie while prancing around excitedly. She was frozen in the middle of the frame, her features blurred against a clear if sepia-toned background. Apple Bloom stroked the corners of the image for the better part of a minute, her brow furrowed in thought, and then spoke for the first time that evening.

"They're not really dead, are they?"

Big Macintosh shifted slightly. "Depends what you mean by dead," he answered, calm as ever.

"Like..." Apple Bloom frowned further, searching for the words. "They're still here, somehow. They died, and they got buried in the ground, but they didn't go away. They stayed with us, tellin’ us stories. And if the things a pony did can make us think things and feel things even after they’re gone, so long as there’s somepony to keep tellin’ those stories, then... how’s that any different from bein’ alive for real?”

Her brother said nothing. He tensed up slightly as Apple Bloom shuffled a little closer, brushing her drooping bow against his leg. She lifted her gaze away from the book, but couldn’t bring herself to look directly at him. “Big Mac?” she asked quietly. "When Ah die... am Ah gonna stay with you?"

"Sis..." Big Macintosh reached out. As though it were painful to him, he wrapped one foreleg around her and gently pulled her close to his side, leaning down to nuzzle the crest of her mane. "Ah promise, even if you were to die right now, you would live on in the hearts of all of Ponyville forever. You wouldn’t just make the papers. Ponies would name schools after you. You’d get a whole garden to yourself, and a statue right in the middle of Ponyville. And no matter what happens now or even in a hundred weeks, in a thousand years ponies will still be telling the stories of Apple Bloom and her two friends, and how everypony in Ponyville loved them so much more than they ever knew.

“But you don’t need to worry about any of that. Apple Bloom, look at me.” The filly started to lift her head hesitantly, but as his grip tightened she looked up and directly into his eyes. “Because you're not going to die.” He glared down at her, as though daring her to disagree. “Not tonight, and not for a long, long time. Ah promise.”

There was a knock at the door. A single tap grew in instants to a loud, frantic pounding, causing the large pony to lurch up and nearly knock his sister to the floor. The photo album slipped from Apple Bloom's grasp and landed with a sound like a thousand moths coming to rest, finally splitting down the spine and spilling feathery pages across the floor. Sparing only a quick glance backwards, Big Macintosh stormed from the room, leaving Apple Bloom staring blankly downwards as the frenzied knocking grew louder.

The elder Apple paused momentarily as he reached the front door, taking a deep breath to steel himself for whatever lay beyond. When he opened it, a light blue pony almost fell inside, trembling and panting for breath. "Miss Locket?" Mac said, hesitantly helping her to her hooves. "What's going on?"

"There's... something..." Locket faltered as Big Macintosh stared down at her. She started to stammer, her lines escaping her. “I was... walking... s-shaking... and, and your sister...”

In a flash, Big Macintosh’s stance changed from comforting to warlike. “Where?”

“F-follow me.”

Locket turned and bolted towards the treeline, not waiting for the larger pony to follow her. Big Macintosh paused, glancing over his shoulder to the room where Apple Bloom was still sitting, motionless. "Stay here," he shouted, then galloped out the door, letting it slam shut behind him.

Apple Bloom stayed. She was bent half off the sofa, as though preparing to stand up, but didn’t move in one direction or the other. As soon as her brother’s hoofsteps had faded out of earshot, the stratoscreen in front of her crackled and then went dark.

Straw Bolt didn’t hear the shaking at first. He was sprawled on the sofa that served as his bed on the top floor of a cheap apartment complex, staring listlessly at the night sky. His armour lay scattered across the floor, well-polished after his ordeal in the Everfree but still waiting to be organized. The room was filled with the creaking of pipes and rush of water though the paper-thin walls as Quicksilver used up the last of their hot water for a shower.

Bolt barely shifted as the flow came to a shaky halt and Quicksilver slipped into the main room in nothing but a towel, shaking out her damp and clinging tail. “Zecora and I are going out dancing again,” she said quickly, drying herself off. “I think I’m getting the hang of it now. You should come with us.”

Straw Bolt gave a noncommittal shrug.

“Oh, come on.” The lieutenant tossed her towel aside and flitted playfully around the sofa, though she still kept a respectful distance. “We both know your leg’s better, and you’ve been sitting around all day. Messages from Canterlot won’t get here any faster if you spend your time moping up here.”

The guard captain’s eyes briefly flicked towards her. “You’re going out like that?” he grunted.

“Well, yeah.” Quicksilver glanced down at herself. “Ponyville isn’t like the slums of Canterlot. Muggings are practically at zero, and ponies here have a tradition of being nice to guests. Nothing’s going to happen if I don’t wear my armour for a few hours.” She grinned slyly. “Besides, you can’t move while wearing that stuff.”

“You can’t,” Straw Bolt retorted. “If you’d kept up with your strength training like I’ve reminded you to–”

“Then maybe you need to come out with us and show me how it’s done?” She leaned a little closer, still grinning. “Come on, Captain. Ponyville’s not so bad. I think you could grow to like it here, if you’d just give it a chance.” Even though he wasn’t looking, she fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Please?”

Straw Bolt sighed. Some of what she’d said was true; thanks to a burst of magic and a couple of herbs at the hospital, his injured leg felt practically good as new. All the guards from the mission had been found and sent back to Canterlot, along with his lengthy report and even lengthier letter of complaint. No new orders had arrived yet, and although he made it his business to trust the capital in all its dealings, he was beginning to suspect that none would be arriving at all in the near future.

So it was that, despite his resolution to stay put until news arrived, Straw Bolt felt something inside of him begin to give way. And there was a chance, albeit a very small one, that he might have taken Quicksilver up on her offer if not for what happened next.

Beneath their hooves, the floor began to shake. What was no more than a tremor from the ground floor echoed up the flimsy building, causing the room to shudder back and forth in waves. By the second pulse, Straw Bolt was on his hooves. By the third, he was starting to slip his breastplate on and lurching in the direction of the window. “Secure Zecora,” he barked, expertly sliding buckles into place. “And get your armour. Don’t follow me.”

“Captain, wait!” Quicksilver said, then froze when she realized she had no words to follow up with. Without looking back, Straw Bolt opened the window and squeezed his massive frame out, instantly plummeting toward the streets below.

Two stories down, the captain snapped out his wings and swooped in what he judged to be the direction of the noise, scanning movement on the surrounding roads. The shaking was continuing, and the source seemed to be moving – ponies close to the disturbance were cowering under whatever shelter they could find, while those further away were fleeing in all directions. Lining the path up with his mental map of the town, he took a quick guess as to the shaking’s destination and soared down the nearest street in the direction of the town hall.

The ground’s rumbling got worse as Straw Bolt came to a halt at the edge of the main square. He was largely ignored as he landed; while some ponies were continuing to flee, most were simply standing around, wearing looks of frightened resignation. He snorted at the sight. More peaceful than Canterlot my hoof, he thought. This place has monsters crawling out of the woodwork.

The captain started to push his way forwards, but stopped as he caught sight of two familiar mares running into the square nearby. All high-ranking guards were required to know the names and faces of the Elements of Harmony, and even dressed up as they were, there was no mistaking the sight of Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Although he’d been specifically instructed to treat the group as civilians with no special privileges, in times of danger the Guard was expected to stand down to Celestia’s favorite weapons of peace. While he allowed himself a small grumble, Straw Bolt eyed the pair and remained where he was. May as well see what these so-called ‘Elements’ are capable of.

Neither mare was giving him a great deal of confidence. They both seemed genuinely frightened, and not entirely focused on the task at hoof. “What do you think it is?” Rainbow Dash asked, though her mind appeared to be elsewhere.

Applejack bit her lip, looking at the ground. “Ah have a few ideas.”

“Girls!” A familiar voice broke through the rumbling and frightened chatter around them. They both turned to see Twilight Sparkle running towards them, puffing and panting as she skidded to a halt. She appeared much more collected than the other two, though by no means confident. “Thank Celestia you’re here,” she said, nodding quickly to them both. “I don’t know if I can do this on my own.”

“Do what, Twi?” Applejack asked. For an instant, her eyes flicked up to her friend’s horn. Rainbow Dash seemed to be trying to catch the earth pony’s eye, without success.

“There’s no time to explain.” The rumbling stopped. “He’s here.”

A hush fell. For a few seconds, there was silence. Then a new sound began. Ponies scattered as the road in front of the town hall darkened and began to sink, creating an earthy grinding noise and a familiar static crackle. Now the screaming started; close to half of the gathered crowd immediately turned tail and fled, only to be replaced by braver souls searching for the source of the commotion.

As the three Elements of Harmony stood their ground, a dark and rounded shape seemed to melt out of the damp earth in front of them. A thick mass of greyish clay was barely visible beneath wave after wave of shadowy magic, which sparked and cracked at the joints as two three-fingered hands grasped the edge of the expanding pit and further lifted the hulking form out. As it continued to rise, a head that was little more than a bulbous stump lifted up from the main body, revealing a colossal night-black gemstone that pulsed constantly as it took in its new surroundings.

Twilight took half a step forward as the golem continued to lift itself, but her confidence faltered when it didn’t level off at the height of the ones from the forest. It kept rising, taking fully ten seconds to lift the first of its treelike legs from the pit. Though little wider than the others, when finally upright it stood as tall as the surrounding houses, but quickly buckled forwards to rest on its knuckles.

Applejack gulped, which was audible even from where Straw Bolt stood. “T-Twilight?” she muttered. “Tell me you have some kind of plan.”

“Um...”

“PONYVILLE!” A deep voice echoed around the square, shocking the remaining spectators into polite silence. A scraggly shape had peeled away from the golem’s shoulder, though one could be forgiven for not having seen him at first; his mane and coat were so deeply encrusted with mud that his original colour was impossible to make out. The golem’s dark magic changed colour to match as it washed over his hooves, apparently anchoring him to the surface in a dull brown haze.

A few long seconds passed before the stallion spoke again. “Well?” he boomed, looking around at the expectant faces raised up at him. “Is this all the welcome I get? No gasps? No tears? No cries of remorse, now that your end has finally come?” He stomped, and his eyes flashed darkly. “Do you foals even know who I am?”

“I know who you are!” Twilight Sparkle shouted. She stepped forward again, some of her confidence returned. “You’re–”

“Judas Loam,” Applejack interrupted. She stepped forward as well, turning her face up fearlessly. “The lonely dollmaker of the mountains.”

A few gasps of recognition went up though the assembled crowd. Judas Loam looked around again, his face unreadable. He turned and whispered into the side of the dark golem’s head, where an ear might have been on a living creature. In response, the great shape shuffled and leaned down further, bringing him closer to the trio in front of him. “So,” he said darkly once the movement had ceased, “it seems not all legends have been forgotten.”

“Maybe not,” Applejack continued with a glare, “but they sure must’ve changed. Ah don’t recall any mention in mah granny’s stories of you riding golems and terrorizin’ towns. And for that matter, ain’t you supposed to be dead?”

“For a time, I was,” the Dollmaker answered. His expression darkened as he stroked at the clay flesh beneath him. “My only crime was the creation of life, true life, carved from the heart of the earth itself. My only desire was to share this life with the world above. But when this life was abused and corrupted by ponies with smaller minds and empty hearts, when my own dolls were turned from their righteous path, who was it who was made to pay the price?” His back arched, and his voice grew steadily louder. “Not they! T’was I who was bound in stone beneath the very mountain I had carved! T’was I who was made to sleep for a thousand years, helpless as my name was made the punchline of an old pony’s tale! But now, the shields decayed and my children released... my time has come again.”

Applejack pursed her lips. “Twilight,” she whispered, “is this what that business in Canterlot was about?”

“The smaller dolls heralded his return,” Twilight whispered back with a gulp. “By the time I figured it out, it was too late. There was nothing I could do.”

Straw Bolt tensed up his legs, gauging the distance between himself and the golem’s master. It was only Twilight’s continuing voice that kept him from springing into an attack right away. “We have no wish to fight you,” she said, loudly and clearly. “None of us want the old conflicts to return. I can’t make up for the mistakes of the past, but I can offer you the chance to live peacefully alongside us in the present. Tell us what it is that you want, and we will do our best to accommodate you.”

Judas bowed, his calm demeanor instantly returned. “I too have no wish for violence,” he said. “Which is why I will be expecting no resistance...” His eyes flashed again. “When I reclaim this land.”

“W-what?” Twilight’s gasp joined that of others from the crowd. “You can’t be serious. Ponies live here now, and–”

“And they have lived here long enough.” The mud-covered pony flung a hoof wide. “All that you see once belonged to me and my kin. In millenia gone by it has been stolen, sold, and defaced by ponies less worthy of carving the truth from its landscape. This town and its red-spotted hills are a blemish, one which the earth itself will rejoice in erasing.”

Straw Bolt expected the farmer in front of him to pipe up after those words, but Applejack seemed unfazed by the Dollmaker’s speech. Rainbow Dash, however, seemed ready to throw up, and Twilight was starting to stammer. “Y-you can’t,” the mage said, looking around for support. “We w-won’t let you. When the Princesses–”

“Your Princesses have been sent on a wild goose chase to the far north,” Judas Loam snarled back, cutting her off a second time. “By the time they return, your imposter Ponyville will be rubble, and I–”

Straw Bolt had heard enough. Dust billowed up around him as he took off, and the shocked faces of the Elements of Harmony became blurs as he passed overhead; he had no patience for half a team of fillies barely able to keep their cool in the face of unstoppable evil. The Dollmaker, too, seemed unprepared, and Straw Bolt permitted himself a grin as he angled a hoof towards the mud-covered pony’s open jaw. In the past, striking mid-monologue had given him a swift victory against Royal Sword, Canterlot’s Grand Traitor; had vanquished Lovecraft, the Conduit of Terrors; and now–

This train of thought was interrupted as, mere feet away from his target, Straw Bolt collided with... something. A near-invisible force field gently deflected him away, slowing his flight to a crawl. Half a second later, the golem moved. With lightning speed the titanic shape lurched back and a massive hand swung up, almost enveloping the pegasus. Before the guard captain could recover, a bolt of black fire leaped from the beast’s palm and struck him in the chest.

For the few seconds before all went dark, he was gripped by the searing glow of what was, unmistakably, unicorn magic.

By the time Straw Bolt’s senses had returned to him, he was upside-down. The golem had risen up and was dangling him tauntingly over the crowd, though he couldn’t feel its hand on his body; he’d gone completely numb and his body had seized up, to the extent that even blinking was an effort. “So, this is what has become of modern hospitality?” the Dollmaker was saying, though his voice seemed to be coming from much further away. “Pitiful. But if this is the path you have chosen, so be it. Instead of three hours to gather your possessions and leave this place, I will now give you one. This volent little specimen will be my hostage until then. If there is any resistance before your time is up, then he will be crushed.”

Amidst the surrounding fuzziness, Straw Bolt’s keen eyes picked out the Elements of Harmony in the crowd again, this time from above. Twilight Sparkle’s face was frozen in much the same way the Dollmaker’s had been, slack-jawed as though she’d forgotten her lines, and Rainbow Dash was turning a shade paler as she stared up at him. Applejack, however, wasn’t looking in his direction at all. Instead she was staring past the golem, up at the sky behind him, as though searching for something.

That was the last thing the captain saw before a mad cackle echoed across the square and the golem plunged back into the earth. Then everything went black once again.

Mere minutes had passed since the golem had vanished from the main square when Twilight and Bon Bon arrived back at the entrance to the base simultaneously. “Twilight?” Bon Bon asked, seemingly materializing out of the shadows as she threw back her hood and nearly startled the unicorn off of her hooves. “Why didn’t you stay with Applejack?”

“I tried,” Twilight panted in between deep breaths. She was both panicking and out of breath, and seemed about to cry on top of that. “As soon as it was over, Applejack just bolted. Rainbow Dash went after her, and I tried to follow, but I lost them, and then I couldn’t find Fluttershy, and now I don’t know where any of them are...”

“It’s fine, sweetheart,” Bon Bon reassured her, though she didn’t sound entirely certain of herself. In front of them, the trapdoor swung open. With breaths held, the pair descended.

Twilight’s hooves became heavy as she reached the iron doors. Seeming to sense this, Bon Bon steadied her with a hoof and quickly ushered her inside. As soon as they were past the doors, Twilight started to speak. “I–”

“Yes, I was listening.” L waved a hoof in vague greeting, but her eyes never left the wall of screens in front of her. Her hoof hovered back and forth over the switches of three different microphones, ready to relay new orders at a moment’s notice. Behind Twilight, Bon Bon shrugged off her cloak and started towards the kitchen. “Colgate has managed to contact Rainbow Dash,” L continued, “and Spike is tracking Applejack from the air. Our guard friend’s early arrival has offset the delay of disposing of him, so the next few phases should proceed as scheduled.” She pressed one of the buttons in front of her and leaned forward. “Spike, any change?”

“Not yet,” the dragon’s voice crackled back, muffled by the wind and the burner of a hot air balloon. “I don’t know where she’s going, but it’s not the farm. It’s kinda like she’s... running in circles?”

“The moment she halts, let us know. Colgate will contact you shortly for directions.” L shut the microphone off and swiveled towards Twilight for just long enough to make eye contact before turning back. “You should rest here, but be prepared to run if you’re needed. Jazz, is the report ready?”

Near Minty, Jazz was watching the readout from a spare stratoscreen propped up on the floor. The abacus was strangely still, though its internal crystals were glowing much more brightly than usual. Jazz tapped a hoof impatiently, counting down to himself. “Any... second... yes.”

“Hit it.”

In a glow of magic, a lever snapped downwards.

In the Apple homestead, the previously blank stratoscreen crackled back to life. Apple Bloom, who had roused herself enough to begin tentatively shuffling the pages of her grandmother’s photo album back together, immediately shrieked and bolted behind the sofa as a fierce grinding noise began to play. She peeked out when the image resolved itself into a news feed, set in front of what was now a deep indentation in front of the town hall.

“–ust minutes ago, a terrifying threat was made against Ponyville by a pony riding on an artificial beast of mass destruction,” a newsmare was saying, demonstrating commendable professionalism in light of the situation. “The pony was identified as Judas Loam, legendary creator of the golems now turned vengeful maniac. All of Ponyville has been granted a scant one hour to evacuate before its complete destruction, with an unidentified pony in Canterlot barding taken as collateral in the meantime. Local heroes and Elements of Harmony Twilight Sparkle, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were the first to speak to the transgressor. Their current whereabouts are currently unknown...”

Watching Apple Bloom’s reaction, Twilight found herself continually wincing as she pulled up a chair and sat down. The filly’s dull-eyed stare was unchanging, but every few seconds some part of her would twitch – her eye, her hoof, her tail, never the same part twice. The longer Twilight watched, the more details started to sink in – the frayed edges of her mane, the frailness of her normally active body, the still-visible bite mark on her leg – and the more the lump in Twilight’s throat began to grow. This is cruel, she realized. This part of the plan looked good on paper, but...

Just as Twilight was bracing herself to turn to L and suggest that they call this part off, the news report changed. A picture of a pony’s face filled the screen, muddied and leering, taken at some point during the initial speech. Right away, Apple Bloom moved. She scrambled forward and picked up the pencil that still lay in front of the stratoscreen, then immediately froze again. She hovered uncertainly above the name-filled page in front of her for several long seconds, indecision flickering across every part of her, before dropping the tool back to the ground and dashed towards the stairs. She didn’t stop until she’d reached her bedroom and flung the window open, sticking her head out into the damp night air. Though now outside the house, her voice could still be heard as she screamed out into the distance. “Big Mac! Big Maaaaaac!”

Big Macintosh was still running. The mare in front of him was starting to tire; every so often she would slow down to almost a walking pace, only to scramble forwards again whenever he got close enough that they might be able to speak. He wouldn’t have guessed it from her stature, but she could certainly move fast when she wanted to. Despite her claims about his sister, she seemed to be leading him on a wide, looping path through the orchard, heading around Ponyville instead of towards it.

Their destination began to come into view as the edge of the orchard approached. A dark shape loomed over the slowly thinning treeline, black even against the night sky. Digging into his reserves, Big Macintosh galloped ahead and overtook Locket, cutting her off and sliding them both to a halt before she could charge around him. “No lies,” he said as she paused for breath, his voice cold. “Why are we here?”

Locket gasped. “I...” She strained against herself, her legs clearly fighting a desire to flee. “I... you... I had to...”

“Yes,” another voice broke in, echoing between the trees. “What are you little ponies doing here?”

A shape slowly walked into view, seeming to rise up out of the ground as it did so. As it passed into the moonlight it resolved into an earth pony, taller than Big Macintosh but not nearly as broad, covered from head to hoof in mud. What could be seen of his face was set into a hard stare, challenging if not outright threatening.

Locket squeaked and ducked behind Big Macintosh. The farmer, to his credit, barely moved. “This is my family’s land,” he said calmly, finding himself standing taller as the apparition approached. “Ah’ll walk on it as Ah please. Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

“Your land?” the stallion shot back, ignoring Macintosh’s questions. He spat out a laugh, shaking his head. “My little, little pony, I’m afraid you’re sorely mistaken. I sculpted these fields with teeth of clay before your grandmother’s grandmother was but a twinkle in her grandmother’s eye. Time has forced me to tolerate your squatting until this night, but now that you have allowed yourself to be led straight into my waiting arms...”

Mac flicked his tail, though the front of his body remained stationary. “You’re working for him?” he asked, addressing Locket with the slightest turn of his head.

Locked paled. “I... no, I...”

“That pitiful creature?” the muddied pony snorted. “Do you think a king like myself has any need for such trickery?” He stomped, and a wave of mud pulsed over his body and down through his hooves. A second later, the ground erupted beneath Locket. She shrieked as a fist of clay wrapped around her torso, suspending her a foot above the ground.

Big Macintosh only allowed himself a glance in her direction before focusing his glare back on the other pony. “Let her go.”

“The Earthen King does not take orders. He gives them.” Another magical stomp shifted the ground again as Macintosh began to advance. “Ah, ah. Let’s not be hasty. One wrong move out of you, and your sister’s life is forfeit.”

Mac snorted suspiciously, but still halted. “Which one?”

“Whichever one you love the most.” The leering stallion stepped forward and began to circle around him, staying just out of striking range. “Do you not recognize my face? Does the name Judas Loam mean nothing to you? Did your mother not read you stories when you were a little root? This is the second town that has sprung from these hills, little pony. What do you think became of the first?”

Without realizing it, Macintosh had begun to scrape at the ground with his hoof. “Ah am trying to be patient with you,” he growled. “If you really are so great and powerful, then you shouldn’t need to show off. If you’ve got something to say, then say it, but leave my friend and my family out of it. If you can’t do that, then king or not, Ah will make you leave this place by any means necessary.”

The Earthen King paused. “A practical stallion,” he said quietly. “I like that.” He faced Macintosh directly. “After I have destroyed your hideous Ponyville, in less than one hour from now, I will turn my children to these hills. Every last one of these life-sapping trees will be torn down and fed to the hungry earth that you have spent your life abusing. But as I am a fair king, I will not bring my wrath down upon you as well. Since you have done this out of ignorance, not malice, I will leave you with what time you have left to flee this place, and build your life anew in further grounds.”

Big Macintosh took a moment to consider this. When he spoke, his voice was entirely without anger. “Ah’m sorry that you feel that way. But no matter how much you think you care for these hills, Ah can guarantee that Ah love them more. Mah family gave their bodies and their lives for this land and the ponies who live here. They’ve made it theirs more than it could ever have belonged to you.” He abandoned his defensive pose, lowering his head into a charging stance. “Ah’m prepared to follow their example.”

“...A pity. You would have made a good soldier.” The Earthen King tutted. “Sit tight. I’ll be watching.”

Suddenly, the clay hand holding Locket began to spark. The mare shrieked as black magic flowed into her body, sending flashes of dark lightning over her skin. Big Macintosh gasped and spun into a kick, striking the appendage at the wrist. It blew apart at his touch, scattering hoof-sized lumps of clay around and dumping Locket roughly onto the ground. By the time he looked up at the surrounding trees again, the Earthen King had vanished.

Locket whimpered, drawing Mac’s attention back to her. She was curled up into a tight ball with her face hidden beneath her tail, badly covering up the fact that she’d started crying. “Locket?” he whispered, urgency returning to his voice now that the immediate threat was gone. “We have to go.”

“Mac?” Locket peeked out from behind her tail, then raised her head and looked around wildly. Her watery eyes were blank and unfocused. “Mac, I can’t see.”

Big Macintosh grunted a word that would have earned him a smack across the cheek if he’d used it at home. “Stay here,” he ordered, starting to back away. “Ah’ll come back for you.”

“No... wait!” Locket reached out in nearly his direction, feeling around blindly. Her eyes remained wide and unfocused. She started to get up, only to immediately trip on a piece of clay and tumble over again.

“There’s something Ah have to do,” Mac said, turning away. He focused his gaze on the distant lights of the farmhouse. “You’re going to be safe, Ah promise.”

“No!” Locket raised herself up as high as she could, screaming in the wrong direction. “Don’t leave me!”

Against his will, Big Macintosh’s legs began to slow. He’d only trotted a short distance through the trees when he came to a halt, glancing back. Locket was still reaching around, searching for a hoofhold that wasn’t there. She eventually found the broken stump of the clay hand and used it to pull herself up, but seconds later she stumbled cheek-first into a tree and fell back onto her rump. She made no further attempts to move after that. Mac watched her in silence for close to a minute as she slowly curled up again, muffled, fearful whimpers sounding between the trees.

When Mac started to move again, his hoofstep caused Locket to leap back up in fright. “Who’s there?” she called, reaching around and steadying herself against the nearest tree trunk nervously.

“All right.”

“What?”

“All right. Ah won’t leave you.”

Locket squirmed as he walked up to her, helping to steady her against the bark. “Y-you shouldn’t,” she mumbled, pointlessly turning her face towards the ground.

“Can’t have you walkin’ around if you can’t see. You might get hurt. Come on, sit down.”

Initially, Locket backed away as he moved closer. “Y-you could carry me,” she stammered. “If you had to leave. I wouldn’t mind.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Reaching down, he grabbed her hoof and lowered them both until they were sitting at the base of the tree. He pulled her close as she started to tilt to the side, letting her rest her head against his shoulder. “Ah thought there was something Ah had to do... but there ain’t. If Ponyville’s in danger, my sister and her friends will be puttin’ a stop to it long before the trouble ever reaches here. The best thing we can do for them right now is stay out of their way.”

Locket closed her eyes. Her breathing was starting to become more regular. “What about Apple Bloom?” she asked.

“She can look after herself.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “That, and if that King pony is watching like he said, Ah don’t want to lead him anywhere near her.” He returned to his normal volume, brushing a curl of hair away from Locket’s blank eyes. “Ah’m no magic expert, but Ah wouldn’t expect a blinding spell would last too long. We’ll just stay here until your head’s better.”

Locket shifted. “She might miss you.”

“She’s a tough filly. She doesn’t need me watching over her to stay safe.”

“But I do?”

“For now.”

Mac looked up. A sliver of moonlight was starting to become visible above the trees, lighting up the space where they sat. High in the sky, pale even against the brightness of the moon, he could see a chillingly white shape staring down at them. He clenched his hoof more tightly around Locket’s; she pressed herself closer against his side in turn. A cloud passed in front of the moon, and by the time it was gone, so was the shape.

It was difficult to judge how much time had passed when something began to break into Straw Bolt’s vision. Unfamiliar shapes and colours floated across what had until recently been a haze of shadows. He'd long since lost track of the confused, distorted sensations crossing over him; all had been dark since the golem had dragged him into the earth. He wasn’t afraid. He didn’t have the energy. A powerful sleep seemed to be consuming him, like an iron blanket weighing him down from the inside.

But something was changing, slowly but surely. A face materialized over his, and he struggled for a name. Quicksilver? No, it wasn’t her; this one was too small. A blue glow covered him, and pinpricks of pain flashed across his limbs as sensation was abruptly returned to them. As his senses winked back to life, he caught the tail end of a sentence being spoken to somepony he couldn’t see. “...so much magic flying around, I can’t even count how many laws we’re breaking.”

Straw Bolt felt something. It was anger.

With a sensation like being flung backwards through a window, the world rippled and shattered back into focus. The guard captain was on his side in an absurdly oversized bed, laid out in the middle of a large, dome-shaped room he didn’t recognize. Only one of the candles on the walls was lit, and the curtains across the large windows were drawn. Standing over him with a concerned look was Romana, from the Ponyville police. He tried to swat her away and roar out a demand for an explanation, but his leg barely shifted across the sheets.

To his immense frustration, this tiny motion instead caused his captor to move even closer. "Captain, don't panic," she hissed to him in a tone of strained calmness. "You're in the Celestial Chambers. These are the rooms we prepare for Celestia on her royal visits. It's the safest place in Ponyville." She gestured demonstratively around her, but Bolt refused to break eye contact. At this, Romana’s expression instantly shifted to one of remorse. “I’m sorry,” she said, drawing back. “We never meant for anypony else to get dragged into this. Rainbow Dash was supposed to be our bait, not you. When you charged in, we had to rewrite the script.”

At a fraction of its normal speed, Straw Bolt’s face began to curl into a look of outrage. You staged a madpony’s attack in the middle of the town square, and you didn’t expect anypony to get involved!? Is this town completely full of cowards?

“Why are you apologizing to that jerk?” somepony behind him yelled. Bolt’s head refused to turn, but he vaguely recognized the voice of Rainbow Dash. “He completely messed us up! Fluttershy didn’t even get to say her line!”

“It wasn’t his fault!” Romana retorted. “But... at the same time...” She leaned closer, to the captain’s disgust. “You weren’t supposed to be here. You’re supposed to be in the Everfree. So why are you here?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Did you find Sunny Days or not?”

What?

Bolt tried to lift his leg again. He managed to drag it a little further this time, but could still barely move. An utterly numb tongue prevented a question from even passing through his lips.

“Please,” Romana continued, apparently oblivious to his struggle. “I need to know. I visit her parents every day for reassurance, and they’re starting to give up hope. If they find out that you’re here, empty-hooved...” She bit her lip. “Just tell me if you know where she is. Blink once for yes, twice for no?”

What is this? Bolt’s brow furrowed further at a crawl, but he didn’t blink yet. I delivered her to Ponyville myself. How has she not reached her family yet? A new source of anger welled up in him, threatening to overwhelm the first. What have those idiotic Royals done!?

As the captain considered whether he could accurately say if he knew where Sunny Days was at this point, Rainbow Dash spoke up again. “Colgate, come on! We don’t have time for this! You can talk later!”

Romana winced and stepped back, looking nervously over him. “We’ll talk later, okay?” she whispered. “Please.” She straightened up. “Okay, let’s go. Shy, you’re with me. Sorry Dash, no rescue for you. Stay here and watch him.” She shook her head firmly in response to a face Bolt couldn’t see. “Somepony needs to make sure he doesn’t leave. If Applejack spots him, it’ll ruin everything. The last thing we want is for L to call the whole thing off over one mistake.”

L!?

No, the first source of anger was definitely the larger.

“But... but look at him!” Rainbow protested as the captain began to twitch all four of his legs, trying to work some furious life back into them. “How am I supposed to keep somepony that big here on my own?”

“Judging by the strength of the spell, it should be about two hours before he gets enough strength back to even fly. Between that and the wards on the windows, you should be fine.” She leaned down again. “Sorry, Captain. You can report me for this later, but right now, I just don’t feel I can trust you to stay put on your own.” Putting his Guard’s Oath aside for a second, Straw Bolt indulged himself and tried to set her on fire with his mind.

“Then why can’t you stay here?” Dash continued to argue. “Or Fluttershy? Applejack’s my friend. She’ll listen to me. I need to be there–”

“Dash, she’s not herself any more!” Romana snapped back, her patience clearly beginning to run out. “Look, I know it’s hard, but whatever connection you two might have had before, it’s gone now. It’s going to hurt, but we can’t let that get in our way. Whoever she used to be, whatever she’s said to you, you can’t trust her now. Everypony else has accepted that. If you can’t, then maybe it’s for the best if you stay here.” A suspicious look crossed her face. “Has she said anything to you?”

There was a very long pause. “No.”

“Then it’s settled.” The policemare straightened herself up, and with a deep breath, passed out of view. There was a clopping of hooves as she and another pony walked to the edge of the room behind him, then the creak of a heavy door.

“Um... goodbye, Mister Guard,” a third voice meekly called, which Bolt could only assume belonged to Fluttershy. Then the door shut.

Time passed in silence, save for the occasional shuffling as Straw Bolt continued to furiously work at his unresponsive limbs. After what felt like minutes but could have been longer, Rainbow Dash slowly snuck into his field of view. She was still wearing the same too-large dress and frightened, distracted expression she’d had on when he’d seen her earlier, but seemed to be growing braver as she watched him. He glared back as hard as he could.

As he watched, still twitching periodically, the young mare reached back and started to tug at her dress. With much stretching and fumbling, twice getting lost within the mass of fabric, she managed to pull it over her head and dropped it carelessly onto the floor. Underneath she was wearing nothing but a belt, along which dangled three shapes that Bolt vaguely recognized from an experimental weapons file. She leaned over him in much the same way Romana had, though conspiratorially rather than controllingly. She examined the movement of his legs for a few seconds, then spoke.

“Hey, uh...” She flinched and looked around, as though expecting somepony to leap out of the shadows. When nothing happened, she continued. “Look, if... if anypony asks, just... just tell them you took me by surprise, all right?”

To Straw Bolt’s mounting horror and confusion, the smaller pegasus put her front hooves on the bed, leaned down, and gently undid the top clasp of his armour.

That done, Rainbow Dash hopped down from the bed and trotted towards the nearest window. She looked around again as she pulled the curtains open, letting moonlight shine down on her. “No one has to die,” she whispered, audible across the silent room, and a blue shield of magic flickered into view before fading from existence. Without so much as a glance at the guard behind her, she pushed the window open and flew out into the night.

Now alone, Straw Bolt continued his determined twitching. The loosening of his barding allowed for more freedom of movement (Quicksilver had been right, he admitted; it was hard to move in those things) which allowed him to stretch out his wings, then his back. With relentless effort, it was only fifteen minutes before Bolt was able to roll himself off the bed and land heavily on the floor. Eyes on the moon outside, he began to crawl in the direction of the window.

Twilight’s guilt hadn’t subsided as she continued to observe Apple Bloom, but she was becoming more adept at finding ways to distract herself from it. Currently, she was fixated on trying to puzzle out the filly’s actions. After several fruitless minutes of calling for her brother, she’d returned downstairs and finally written Judas Loam’s name down, immediately launching into her own killing ritual. “Kira, please kill Judas Loam the evil pony right now,” she mumbled, front hooves pressed tightly together. “Please kill Judas Loam the evil pony right now. Kira, please kill Judas Loam the evil pony right now...”

“Look at her eyes,” Twilight found herself saying, unable to tear her gaze away. “This isn’t an act. She really believes she’s a killer...”

“But is she?” L asked, apparently unmoved. She twirled a quill in midair and tapped it on the desk a few times, examining her hoof in thought. “Why did she write the name down?” she mulled. “If the killing ritual is aural, then the writing of the name should be superfluous. So why did she do it now?”

“You mean...” Twilight gasped. “You think that’s the real ritual?”

“Possibly.” L dropped her quill and began to chew on the edge of her hoof. “It would confirm my theory about the three rituals. None of the Tri-Kira’s methods are genuine; the killing ritual is completed at the kitchen table, when names and times of death are written down. Because all three of them make a copy, it’s impossible to tell whether one or any are aware of what they’re doing.”

“But if the writing is the real ritual, then wouldn’t that make the chanting superfluous?” Twilight added. “If she doesn’t know she’s being watched, then why would she do both? Do you think she doesn’t know which part is the real spell, so she’s just trying to follow the method as closely as possible?”

“That seems likely. That said, this theory does raise two significant questions. Firstly...” L picked up a piece of loose leaf from the table in front of her. “How could a simple piece of paper cause heart attacks in ponies hundreds of miles away? And secondly...”

This thought was cut off as one of the microphones in front of them buzzed. L leaned forward and tapped it. “Speak,” she said, starting to gnaw more insistently on her hoof.

“Colgate here,” the policemare’s voice crackled back. From her rushed breath, it sounded like she was speaking while running. “Fluttershy and I have caught up with Applejack, and we’ve touched base with Spike. Letting you know that Applejack’s changed course and is making a beeline for Sweet Apple Acres. Want us to intercept?”

“That won’t be necessary,” L answered. “Apple Bloom has played her part. I see no harm now in letting them reunite.” In quick motions, Bon Bon appeared by her side, gently pulled her wet hoof from her mouth, replaced it with a fruity sucker, and then darted away.

“All right. How’s Locket faring?”

L leaned over to check a far, shadowy screen. “She never reached the checkpoint, but the golem’s eye confirms that she and her target haven’t moved in some time. It would appear that Big Macintosh is currently out of the game.” She paused. “That is strange,” she muttered. “I had thought that he would be the most difficult to keep separate from the others, yet he’s willingly given up the chase...”

“That... makes things easier, I guess,” Colgate offered. “Talk to you soon?”

“Colgate, wait,” Twilight broke in. “We think we’ve figured out Kira’s real method of killing. It has something to do with writing names on paper.”

There was a pause, then Colgate spoke in surprise. “Oh! You think they’re using a copying spell?”

Twilight blinked. “A what?”

“You know, write something on one page, it gets copied onto another, no matter how far away it is. It’s how public records self-update. I use a simple version to keep track of my work between here and Canterlot.” Colgate paused thoughtfully. “The more I think about it, the more sense it makes. The paper doesn’t release much magic after the initial spell, so we wouldn’t be able to detect that magic was being used.”

“That... does make sense,” Twilight agreed, silently cursing herself for not putting it together earlier. “I studied those years ago, but I’ve always had Spike with me, so I’ve never had a reason to learn one. If I’d just been paying more attention last night...”

“Never focus on what might have been, Twilight,” L advised. “It never helps. I too, perhaps, have become too accustomed to crystal communication...”

“We’re coming up to the house now,” Colgate noted. “I should stay quiet. Call me if anything happens.”

Without bothering to answer, L reached over and switched the microphone off. “If the Apples are being used to transmit names to the real Kira, it would explain the Tri-Kira’s function as well as how they are being kept in the dark about their own actions. It may even give us some ground towards explaining how you, Twilight, were dragged into Kira’s schemes. However, this does leave us with a disturbing implication.” She rolled her sucker around in her mouth, seeming to sink further into her chair. “Up until this point, all data had indicated that Kira requires both a name and a face to kill. However, if data is being transmitted through paper alone, it may prove that in reality, she only requires a name...”

As L finished speaking, Applejack flashed across the monitors as she charged into the house. Her dress was ruffled and her braid was starting to come undone, but the mare herself seemed scarcely out of breath as she screeched to a halt in the living room. Apple Bloom immediately ceased her chanting and threw herself forward, curling up on top of her killing page as she looked up at her sister with frightened eyes. Applejack ignored her, looking around wildly. “Where’s yer brother?” she barked.

Half a syllable into Apple Bloom’s response, two of the camera bugs overlooking the room winked out.

“What?” L bolted upright, leaning forward until her face was inches from one of the now-blank screens. “Jazz, tell me that wasn’t a malfunction.”

“One camera down is a malfunction,” Jazz barked back, rapidly pulling levers. “Two is sabotage. No signal from either one. The earwig is detecting no magic.”

As he finished speaking, the third and final screen overlooking the living room winked to black. Twilight blinked; for a second, she thought she’d seen a flash of white. L’s hoof slammed down on the nearest microphone. “Colgate! What do you see?”

“Um... nothing. No activity from the house.”

With equal force, the second microphone was thrown on. “Spike! What do you see?”

“I can’t see anything. The wind blew me way out over the Everfree. I’m trying to get back.”

Twilight sat numbly, trying to keep up with the rapid exchanges. She was still cycling through her abandoned script in her head. “There isn’t supposed to be any wind after the storm stopped,” she muttered.

L looked over her shoulder. “Jazz, activate–”

“Quartz procedure, yes. Already on it.”

All at once, all of the remaining screens of the Apple house began to twist. Tiny bugs spread across the walls and ceilings rocked their little heads back and forth, scanning the rooms around them in a nausea-inducing display in hopes of catching anything that might be sneaking up on them. It didn’t help. As Applejack left the living room and entered the kitchen, all four of the screens watching the room flickered and died in quick succession. This continued as Applejack made her unhurried way to the stairs, cameras flashing out from room to room. Twice Twilight thought she saw snatches of paleness and movement before the screens turned to black, but L never reacted.

The pattern stopped as Applejack climbed upstairs, stomped to her bedroom and slammed her door behind her. The camera on her ceiling went out. As if in response, she looked straight up, flinching as a camera bug rained down on her in two pieces. “So there you are,” she said with a scowl, speaking to something that had vanished by the time the remaining cameras had swiveled upwards. “Where’ve you been all day? Ah’ve been looking for you!”

“I too have been searching...”

The voice rattled around the room, seeming to come from all directions at once. The still-shifting cameras didn’t help; whichever way Applejack looked, a bug would blink out. Although she couldn’t place the voice, something about the sound made Twilight gasp, feeling a shudder run through her. L gave her a strange look, but didn’t say anything.

Applejack held up a hoof, shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter. We don’t have time.” She looked towards her window. In the distance, the titanic golem glowed darkly over Sweet Apple Acres. “Ah’m ready. Give me the eye–”

The last of the cameras went out.

L crunched her sucker into shards. “We need eyes in there,” she said sharply. “Colgate, send... no, wait.” She frowned. “Keep Fluttershy with you.” In a third quick movement, she reached out and pounded the final microphone on. “Rainbow Dash, what is your status?”

Silence.

Twilight snapped to attention. “Rainbow?” she said, leaning forward and grasping the device. “Rainbow Dash, answer us.”

More silence. An abandoned headset crackled on the floor of the Celestial Chambers.

L’s frown deepened. “Colgate, did you remember to give miss Dash the third communicator before you parted ways?”

“Yes! I handed it right to her when we left her with Straw Bolt!” The policemare gasped. “You don’t think...”

“Why isn’t she answering?” Twilight cried, vainly shaking the microphone. Panic was rising in her, faster than she could squash it down. “Is she... oh my gosh.” She turned to L, eyes widening. “Do you think Kira’s controlling her?”

“Uh, guys?” Colgate broke in again. “Applejack’s leaving. It looks like she’s heading for the golem.”

“I think I’m lost,” Spike added.

“Quiet!” L ordered. The others fell silent. Closing her eyes tightly, the detective ground up the last of her sucker with her teeth, swallowed hard, and then spat the stick onto the ground. She sprang to her hooves, kicking her chair away. “Colgate. Meet Applejack at the golem and apprehend her. Once she is secure, protect Apple Bloom as best you can. If you come across Rainbow Dash, do not attempt to speak with her. Take her down immediately. Bon Bon, get your cloak. Be prepared to fight. Jazz, hold the fort. Help Spike get home. If we don’t return, you know what to do. Twilight...” A band of bright green light coiled out from her horn, binding the unicorns’ forehooves together. “Until this night is over, you do not leave my side for a second. Understood?”

“I... I think so,” Twilight stammered as she was pulled out of her chair. “But what are we doing? What’s the plan?”

L sighed. “What we’re dealing with is a creature that can pass through walls and crush our instruments, can kill with a name, and can make herself unseen and unheard at will. Thanks to our meddling, the true God of Death seems to have awoken, and we may have merely a matter of minutes to figure out how to stop her.”

The orchard was strangely quiet, considering the time of night. Normally after sundown the buzz of insects would last for a few hours, followed by the pitter-patter of night-time critters as they burrowed out to forage on the apple-spotted hills. Tonight, however, all was silent. Big Macintosh watched the sky as he sat in wait, his ears raised, listening. Clouds were beginning to roll in more thickly, covering the moon. He found himself trying not to breathe too loudly. It was as if the whole farm was waiting as he was, holding its breath for the first bolt of lightning to strike.

After a length of time that was difficult to measure, Locket lifted her head from his side. She’d barely moved since they’d last spoken, and he’d been starting to wonder if she’d fallen asleep. “I can see shapes,” she said, shattering the veil of silence that lay around them. “I think my eyesight’s starting to come back.”

Mac nodded, although Locket didn’t respond to this. “How much can you see?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

The blue mare began to look around. “Some starlight... a tree trunk...” None too subtly, she tried to get her eyes to focus on Mac’s face. “A little red.”

“That’s good.” Big Macintosh nodded again, exaggerating the motion so she could see. “How many hooves am Ah holding up?”

Locket squinted, then frowned. “You aren’t.”

“Good.” He nodded again. “Your head’s all right. You should be...”

He trailed off as a cool breeze blew between the trees, carrying a new sound with it. His sharp ears caught rapid hoofsteps coming their way. “We should move,” he said, standing up. “Can you walk?”

“I... think so,” Locket said hesitantly, letting him pull her up after him. “Where are we going?”

“Not far.” He kept his ankle locked tightly with hers. “Don’t let go.”

A stumbling, six-legged walk brought the pair to the far side of a nearby hill, where a pair of exposed roots from a slightly tilted tree formed the hint of an indentation. As he helped Locket sit back down again, Mac heard the runner pass by the spot where they had been just moments ago. He peered around the hill, catching a glimpse of Applejack’s grey dress before she vanished in the direction of the golem.

“Who was that?” Locket asked as he joined her on the ground again.

“Couldn’t see. Thought they might be trouble.”

“You’re lying.”

Mac gave her a searching look. She was staring at the ground, avoiding his gaze. “It was the way you said it,” she continued, slowly sinking under his stare. “Something in your voice. You’re a t-terrible liar...”

Mac leaned closer as, abruptly, Locket began to weep again. He offered her his shoulder to lean on but she pulled away, letting go of his hoof. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“That’s the first time you’ve lied to me.”

“Why does that matter?”

“Because it means that everything before now was the truth.” Locket wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. That shouldn’t get to me. I’m just so... so tired of hearing ponies lie to each other. Ever since this all started, it’s like... nopony just says what they mean any more. We’re all too... afraid of being hurt.”

She looked up at the sky. Her eyes didn’t reflect the moonbeams falling onto them. “I shouldn’t even be here,” she whimpered. “I should have gone to Appleloosa a long time ago. Things aren’t better there, but they’re simpler. Even if somepony hates you, at least they’ll say it to your face. I would have left with Green Grapes, if he’d only asked me to. Instead I did the stupid thing. I stayed. Then I fell in with... a bad crowd. And whatever I did to try to fix things, I only got sucked in deeper and deeper. And now...” She sniffed, blinking back tears. “I’m running from monsters in an orchard, half blind, with...” Some colour came to her cheeks, and she quickly looked at the ground. “With a stallion I barely know,” she finished.

Mac considered this. He shifted away, thinking hard before speaking again. “This stallion of yours, the one in Appleloosa. Do you love him?”

“Yes.”

“What does his voice sound like?”

A few seconds passed. Locket breathed in sharply, but didn’t answer. Mac leaned to the side, watching her face. “You picked out a tickle in my voice after knowing me for a few days,” he said. “And from what Ah recall, Green Grapes used to be quite the chatterbox. So what did his voice sound like?”

Locket still refused to answer. Her head drooped lower and lower, almost touching the ground, and her tail started to wrap tightly around her side. Mac matched her, leaning down sympathetically. “He’s just a name on a page to you now, isn’t he?”

“Stop it.”

“A name and maybe an old photograph.”

“Stop it!” She whirled on him, coming within an inch of hissing. “He’s all I’ve got!”

Mac was unmoved. “Miss Locket, you’re a worse liar than Ah am. Why do you say things you know aren’t true?”

“I...” What little anger there had been deflated. Locket looked down again. “Don’t make me look at myself,” she muttered. “I don’t like what I see.” She snorted. “You must think–”

“Ah think,” Mac interrupted, “that you’re a mare who’s gotten caught up in something more complicated than her own part in it. Maybe something you don’t really want to be a part of, but something you’re afraid to leave. And...” He smiled. “Maybe Ah can understand how that feels.”

Locket looked at him. There was no judgement in his grin. “Ah thought about running away too,” he continued, “when things changed, and Ah felt like Ah didn’t belong any more. Leaving would have been painful, sure, but it seemed like the lesser of two hurts next to staying. But no matter how much Ah tried to get myself to go, Ah always found some reason to stay. Some... more convincing than others.”

A cold wind blew. Neither pony shivered. “Ah think we’re both carryin’ some things we don’t want looking at too closely. We can’t take those things away from each other, no more than we can stop a raging golem with our own four hooves. But if something’s been keeping you in Ponyville, even though it hurts, then Ah think that sooner or later you’ll find that you’ve been right where you needed to be all along.”

Close to a minute passed in silence. More clouds began to flow in overhead, darkening the moonlight. Finally, Locket tore her gaze away from his. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I never even thanked you.”

“For what?”

“For staying with me.” She gulped. “And... for taking me out. For noticing me. For...” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “For wanting to be my friend.”

His voice softened. “Do you want to be mine?”

“I’d like that,” she breathed. “But... there’s just one thing I need to know. One really important thing.”

She took a deep breath. “Are you K–”

He pressed a hoof against her lips, silencing her question as well as her gasp. His other foreleg wrapped around her, pressing her close until their chests touched and her nose was nearly resting under his. “Don’t say anything,” he whispered, pulling her deeper into the shadows under the tree.

Her ears pricked up. In the distance she could hear not one, but several sets of hoofsteps running their way. “And whatever happens,” Macintosh continued, “don’t move.”

Rainbow Dash held her breath as she peered over the edge of the cloud she was hiding on. She wasn’t certain why so much of the thunderstorm’s reserves had been gathered up on this side of town, but she didn’t feel the need to question it; the weather team got up to some strange things when she wasn’t around to lead them. As it was, a few wisps had drifted almost as far as the golem on Sweet Apple Acres’ edge, providing some ideal cover as she watched the clay structure from above.

The area around the golem’s legs had been flattened out, shifting trees and uneven ground aside to form a wide circle. A small hut had seemingly risen out of the ground behind one ankle, its interior blackened.

There were hoofsteps in the distance. Dash poised herself to jump. I just need to get her away, she thought, still trying to pull the pieces of her plan together. The moment Twilight has what she’s looking for... She couldn’t finish the thought. Swallowing the lump building in her throat, she tried again. The moment Kira has what she’s looking for, she’ll kill us all. If I can just get Applejack somewhere safe for an hour, just long enough to get Kira to show herself, then I can take her away as well. As long as those two are kept away from each other, then I can explain things to L, and we can figure this out. But until then...

The hoofsteps got louder. She lined herself up for takeoff, ready to leap at the first sign of movement.

She was so focused on her plan that she didn’t notice the shape streaking across the sky towards her until it collided with her side, sending her flying from the cloud.

The golem didn’t move as Applejack approached it. She paused for only a second as she ran up, looking in dismay at the damage caused before walking onto the flattened turf. Although she’d been half-expecting a magic barrier to spring up, nothing happened as she crossed the border.

Applejack stopped just before the golem’s legs, staring at the darkened hut. “Ah’m here,” she said loudly. “You know who Ah am, and you know why Ah’m here. So how about we get this over with?” She shifted her dress, pressing one hoof against her side, revealing a large, rectangular outline.

After a few seconds, the hut shifted. The walls and ceiling lifted away and sank into the ground, as if they’d never been there, and a dark shape unfolded from the center. The Earthen King rose from a sitting position and turned to face Applejack, frowning darkly. “My little pony,” he said in a voice that was not quite his own. “It is... good to see you again.”

Applejack’s jaw dropped. She wasn’t staring at the pony in front of her, but slightly above him, mouthing an extremely lengthy name to herself. “How...”

“It’s over, Applejack.” Colgate entered the circle to the mare’s right and began to circle behind her. “I’ve been given orders to take you in. If you resist, I will not be gentle.”

Fluttershy appeared to her left, completing the circle around her. “I’m sorry, Applejack,” she said, slowly spreading her wings. “I really am. But I’m also very, very angry.”

Applejack spun around slowly, following the two smaller ponies before turning back to the large one. She went pale. Before her eyes, the dark stallion was transforming. Mud sloughed off of him like water, barely brightening the hairs beneath. His mane and tail lengthened, becoming ethereal as they began to flow in the night air. A horn erupted from his forehead, shooting a blinding wave of light over his body that twisted and softened his features. In seconds, where before the Earthen King had stood, there was now the Princess of the Night.

“Applejack,” Princess Luna said, flicking the last crumbs of dirt from her legs. “We are very disappointed in you.”

Applejack glanced upward, at the colossal golem still towering over them. “How?” she repeated, at a loss for words.

“A simple puppet, built from a millenia-old illusion. We had thought... we had hoped that we would never have cause to call upon it again.” Her eyes narrowed in anger, carefully restrained. “But now, as thousands of years before, it has aided us in the capture of a murderer.”

“Allow us, Princess,” Colgate said. A dome of magic the colour of the night sky appeared overhead, trapping the four within the circle. “It’s okay, Applejack,” the policemare continued, starting to creep forward. “We know this isn’t your fault.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Applejack countered. “If you knew what was really goin’ on, you wouldn’t be tryin’ to set me up.” She spun slowly, her eyes darting from one pony to the next, trying to keep all three of them in her sights.

“We didn’t want it to end this way,” Colgate continued. She motioned for Fluttershy to begin advancing as well, forcing Applejack to slowly back towards Luna. “No one here wants to fight. Don’t make this harder than it has to be. Tell us what’s happened to Rainbow Dash, and we may even let you stay conscious.”

Applejack’s head whipped towards her. “Dash is hurt?” she gasped. “What happened?”

“You tell me,” Colgate replied coolly.

Overhead, thunder rumbled. Fluttershy looked up in confusion, while the others ignored it. The smaller ponies continued to creep forward, tightening the circle and making Applejack step closer and closer to Luna. The Princess of the Night began to spread her wings. From behind herself, she began to slowly unfurl a head-sized black bag.

Applejack looked up. Just beyond the shield, a white shape hovered without moving its wings. Clearly and deliberately, it shook its head.

“Well,” Applejack said, sounding faintly relieved. “I guess y’all win. You’ve got me trapped here like a critter stuck in a kennel.” She faced between Colgate and Fluttershy and began to back up, switching her gaze between them both. “One thing, though,” she continued. “Y’all play too nice. You should have sent a farmer to catch a farmer. That way...” Her tail brushed against Luna’s forelegs. She tensed up. “You’d have known what to expect when a little animal gets trapped.”

Luna moved, too late. As the black bag descended, Applejack leaned forward, pulled up her hind legs, and bucked the Princess of the Night with all her might in the chest.

A sickening crack marked the blow. Luna reared up and screamed soundlessly, all composure gone as she kicked madly at the air. Applejack took off the moment her hooves hit the ground, clearing the circle in seconds; the Princess’ focus gone, she punched through the shield like an arrow through paper. “Princess!” Fluttershy yelled in fear, rushing over to her ruler just as the diarch toppled over, knocking them both to the ground.

Colgate broke out of her shock a second too late. She started to bolt after Applejack, only to halt as another crack sounded overhead. Dread rising, she looked up. Without Luna’s magic to support it, the fake golem was beginning to crumble. The lengthy arms snapped off at the shoulders and came crashing down to either side, sending up showers of earth and chunks of clay. The legs buckled and caved, the torso leaning first one way, then the other, before starting a slow collapse directly to the spot where Fluttershy and Luna lay.

Instinct took over. Colgate swore in every language she knew as her legs rocketed her to the middle of the circle. Luna was lying stiff as a board, wide-eyed and hyperventilating, while Fluttershy scrambled for purchase underneath her. A chain of light from the policemare’s horn wrapped around the Princess while Colgate tugged hard on her mane, but it was no use; Luna was much heavier than she appeared. Her strongest tug moved the Princess barely an inch, while the clay leg nearest to them began to split across the knee.

“Colgate, go!” Fluttershy yelled, uselessly trying to push Luna up from below.

“Buck that,” Colgate breathed to herself. A shield started to form around her, instantly abandoned as she realized it would never be enough. Her horn started to glow brighter, magic completely filling her vision. The clay leg beside her finally gave way. As the golem fell and several tons of clay plummeted towards her, Colgate threw back her head and screamed.

The three ponies vanished in a flash of light, reappearing a second later just outside the circle and landing heavily on the damp grass. Colgate screamed again, though for a different reason than before. “Ow, ow, ow!” she cried, stomping and shaking her head wildly, though most of this was drowned out by the deafening crash as the body of the golem hit the ground. Her horn glowed as though overheated, and burning lines of magic streaked down it and across her skull. “I will never, never understand how Twilight can do that like it’s nothing,” she griped to no one in particular.

A splash of dirt showered the three ponies, and with a few more rumbles and falling slabs, the destroyed golem came to rest. A gigantic gem lay on top of the pile, the last of the magic drained out of it, leaving a bright pink amethyst behind.

Fluttershy finally managed to right herself, focusing her panic on the pony at her hooves. “Princess, are you okay?”

Luna whimpered. The Princess’ powerful alicorn body was largely unharmed, already healing itself of what for anypony else would have been a severe injury, but her eyes were unfocused and numb with shock. “We have... never been struck before...” she mumbled.

Colgate shook her head once more, pressing a hoof against her forehead to stay off the dizziness that was creeping up on her. “Stay with her,” she ordered. “If the others arrive, tell them what happened. I’ll catch up with Applejack somehow. Don’t leave.” She turned in the direction Applejack had gone and began to run.

She made it ten steps before falling face-first in the dirt.

L and company had only made it halfway across the orchard when the golem collapsed. Twilight began to stop, only for L to yank her forward again. The pair had adapted in seconds to running while chained together, pounding out a symmetrical path down the dirt road. “That wasn’t supposed to happen,” the detective muttered, starting to charge energy in her horn.

Twilight bit her lip. “Do you think the Princess–”

“Let me worry about that,” L interrupted. “Save your strength for Applejack.”

As if on cue, a familiar set of hoofsteps could be heard barreling down the path towards them. Twilight carefully lit up her fake horn, generating a purplish spotlight that illuminated an orange pony running in the near distance. Applejack skidded to a stop, held up a hoof in front of her eyes, then took a sharp left and cut a new path across the orchard. “Applejack, wait!” Twilight yelled, to no avail.

Just as Applejack seemed about to disappear again between the trees, a living shadow appeared from behind a tree and seemed to launch itself at her. Having somehow outpaced Twilight and L despite the weight of her enchanted cloak, Bon Bon threw herself on top of Applejack, wrapping her forelegs around her neck. The powerful earth pony barely slowed, twisting and bucking as she ran but not stopping. However, this, combined with the slowly-building exhaustion of having been running virtually non-stop since the night began, weighed her down just enough that the two unicorns behind her began to gain ground. Twilight kept her beam of light focused on her fleeing friend, while L began to charge a swirling magical bolt.

Just as L prepared to fire, Applejack took another turn and darted into a rocky clearing. L and Twilight followed suit. “Applejack, stop!” Twilight tried again, but her words were echoed back at her as her world abruptly went dark. Strange green and brown lights shone overhead and the trunks of strange trees loomed up out of the shadows, forcing Twilight to twist and dodge among the rapidly thickening grove. She could no longer see L beside her, but the green light still continuously tugged at her ankle, nearly tripping her up. “What’s going on?” she cried.

“Willow wisps!” L yelled back. The mint unicorn reappeared, the light from her horn changing to match the leafy greens above. From ahead they heard screaming. “Bon Bon!” L cried out, charging forward with enough force to finally make Twilight trip over an exposed stone. She bounced twice before being dragged along, somehow no longer able to feel the ghostly trees around her. When she looked up again, L had stopped with her face inside of Bon Bon’s hood, her forelegs wrapped around the downed mare. “It’s okay, Bonnie,” Twilight heard, greatly muffled by the dark fabric. “It’s going to be okay.”

Twilight climbed back to her hooves, wincing as she rubbed a sore spot on her thigh. Bon Bon was cowering on the ground, making whimpering noises every time a spectral leaf passed near her. “Is she going to be okay?” Twilight asked.

“That’s what I just said.” L withdrew, giving Bon Bon a final pat before straightening up. “She doesn’t like ghosts. They... affect her.”

“Odd.” Twilight looked up, distractedly turning to a look of wonder. “I’ve read about supernatural flora, but I never expected that such a relatively small area would leave enough of a psychic footprint to–”

“Less talking, more catching Kira.” With Twilight’s help, L was able to get Bon Bon back to her hooves, and the pair managed to walk her the short distance to the edge of the clearing. The willow wisps vanished as they crossed the border, fading into the darkness as if they’d never been there at all.

Bon Bon managed to stand on their own once they were back in the orchard, shrugging the others off and starting to trot ahead. Twilight strained her ears, but could only catch the faint noise of Applejack’s hoofsteps fading into the distance. “Now what?” she groaned. “We’re never going to catch her–”

A deafening crack of thunder cut her off. She looked up, eyes widening. The cloud cover that had been slowly spreading over Sweet Apple Acres had turned into a storm. Rain was spreading outwards from a mountain of dark cloud centered over the distant farmhouse, crackling and churning angrily. All the rain that had been reserved for tomorrow and then some seemed to be coming down in one place, soaking the ground in seconds. “Yes, that should slow her down nicely,” L said with a strange smile. She cast her umbrella-shaped shield above them seconds before the storm hit their position, starting to drag Twilight into another run into the rain. “Could this be what Rainbow Dash has been up to since her disappearance?”

“No,” Twilight answered, gasping as she tried not to slip on the suddenly wet grass. “I’ve learned to recognize her work. This isn’t one of her storms, not by a long shot.”

“Well, it certainly wasn’t Fluttershy,” L snapped back. “Even if she had somehow escaped from Colgate, I doubt she even has the strength to pull this together so quickly.”

“But then who?” Twilight asked. “Who else knew we were going after Applejack?”

Applejack found herself coughing and spluttering as she fought through the storm. Rain was coming down in solid sheets, pounding against her skull and turning the dirt beneath her hooves to mud. Her half-braided mane lay like a seeping log against her neck and her dress was completely soaked through, almost tripping her up as she continued to run. From time to time she would lift up a leg and press it against her side, steadying and protecting the papery rectangle that still clung to her.

Slowly but surely, the lights of the farmhouse were getting closer. Any semblance of the original plan had been lost within a panicked haze. When Applejack had entered the circle, she’d been prepared to give up her freedom, if not her life. Now that she’d been granted a few more minutes of liberty, her only thoughts were of her family. Celestia, Mer, whoever’s listening, she prayed as she struggled on, just let me see Apple Bloom one more time.

A hole opened up in the clouds in front of her. Half-blinded by water, she staggered towards the beam of moonlight, turning her face up to the exposed sky. It was only when she saw the grey body hurtling towards her that she realized her mistake.

A force of pure fury hurled Applejack fully off her hooves, sliding her on her back through a river of mud. A frenzied scream mingled with thunder overhead, and she caught only a glimpse of a yellow mane before her attacker struck again. A grey hoof struck her in the cheek with enough force to knock her head to the side, followed by another that landed on her nose with an explosive crunch. Blows rained down with lightning speed across Applejack’s face and neck, often blindly missing their mark but never lessening in intensity.

After several painful seconds of this, Applejack managed to take a breath and throw her attacker off of her. She rolled to her hooves and tried to follow up with a kick, only to be met by a low sweep that knocked her back down again. There was no hesitation in the other mare’s movements, only an inequine intensity that Applejack’s tired defenses couldn’t hope to match.

“Killed Big Muffin!” the pegasus screeched as she threw herself into a charge, knocking Applejack into a tree as she tried to lift herself. The wooden structure groaned under the impact, its roots shifting beneath the soaking soil.

“Killed my friends!” As Applejack struggled vainly to find purchase on the ground, a two-hooved flying kick landed squarely on her side. She yelled and gasped for air, the wind completely knocked out of her.

The grey pony stood over her as she lay helplessly. She spread her wings and reared up. Lightning flashed behind her as she screamed once more, golden eyes focused, preparing to deliver the death blow. “Never kill again!”

The sky above her erupted in flame. Green and orange fire vaporized the falling rain back into vapour and blasted the thick clouds high and wide, sending a bright plume of steam skywards. In the middle of the new hole in the roaring storm, a hot air balloon slowly descended. Spike leaned from the basket and pointed an accusing finger, smoke still rolling from his nostrils. “Stop right there, Derpy!” he shouted.

Some of the impact of the arrival was lost as the descent continued, very slowly. Spike adjusted his pointing finger as the balloon drifted to the side, bumping into trees as it drifted leisurely downwards. Derpy remained where she was, obediently frozen in place as Applejack coughed and gasped for breath. It was only when Spike reached the new edge of the storm that the water dragged the balloon forcefully down, sending the basket crashing into the mud and nearly toppling it over. “I’m okay!” Spike yelled as he steadied himself, a second before a now-soaking balloon collapsed on top of him.

Slowly, Derpy’s right eye began to roll upwards.

More shapes entered the new clearing. “What’s happening?” Twilight yelled, coming to a stop. “We heard– oh my gosh!” She clasped a hoof over her mouth as she saw Derpy standing over Applejack. “Derpy, what have you done?”

Derpy blinked. “Huh?”

The pegasus put up no resistance as Twilight shoved her aside, kneeling down and reaching out toward her friend. “Applejack? What happened?”

Applejack was in bad shape. One of her eyes was rapidly swelling up, and the tip of her snout rested at an unpleasant angle. Even so, she still managed to crack a cold smile as she raised her head, looking sideways towards the unicorn. “That all you got?” she wheezed.

Spike rejoined the group, shaking rainwater off his arms. “Derpy happened,” he said, answering Twilight’s question. “I saw her flying around on my way back, and Jazz helped me track her. I guess I got here just in time.”

“Derpy!” Twilight snarled, casting a venomous look towards the stunned pegasus. “Why would you do this?”

Derpy sat with her head low, like a foal being scolded, but she perked up a little at Twilight’s voice. “You called me Derpy,” she stated.

Twilight felt like she was about to explode. “Well, yes? Obviously?”

Derpy blushed, and a small smile came to her face. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“Enough with the pleasantries,” L snapped. “There is no time.” She leaned down beside Twilight, directing Applejack’s attention towards her. “Applejack, tell us the truth,” she said sternly. “Where is the real Kira?”

Applejack’s gaze hovered around her face. “Ah’ll show you,” she said, her smile unwavering. With a faint wince, she reached up to her side. “All Ah gotta do is...” She scraped along the side of her dress, searching. “Is...”

Something white caught Spike’s eye. An exposed page fluttered in the wind, the book it was attached to flung open against a tree. The top pages looked wet and the lower corners were crusted with mud, but on the whole it seemed intact. His librarian instincts kicked in and he quickly picked it up, smoothing and closing it to prevent further damage. What he held was a black notebook, blank save for six white, blocky letters printed on the front.

“Hey, did you drop this?” he called, turning towards Applejack and freezing when he instead found himself face-to-face with a bone-white monstrosity.

“Yes, that’s mine,” Mer hissed.

“Yaaaaaaah!” Spike dropped the notebook and hurled himself backwards, scrambling away across the muddied ground. As the others looked towards him he clawed himself up and ran behind the nearest tree, pointing fearfully. “M-m-monster!”

“A monster?” L asked, standing up. She followed Spike’s finger, looking right through the god floating calmly in the middle of the clearing. “Where?”

Derpy tilted her head to the side. Still with a strangely calm face, she walked stiffly to the book that Spike had dropped and picked it up in her mouth, turning back towards the others. Bizarrely, the sight of the nightmarish creature in front of her caused her to finally appear aware of her surroundings. “Eeeeeeeyaaa!” she screamed, dropping the notebook as well. She spun and bumped her face on the tree behind her before orienting herself and joining Spike behind it.

“I mean you no harm,” Mer said, keeping her voice level. “I only wish to talk.”

“Curious,” L said, her words overlapping with some of the shinigami’s. “A creature that can only be seen once an object is touched...” She looked back to Applejack, ignoring the suddenly motionless Twilight. “Applejack! What is that notebook?”

Applejack began a laugh that turned into a cough, spitting out a trickle of muddied water. “Why don’t you write something down and find out?”

“I-it says it doesn’t mean any harm!” Spike yelled, though he refused to emerge from behind the tree. “It just wants to talk!”

L clicked her tongue. “Sideline?” Bon Bon, whom the others had not realized was in the clearing, pulled back her hood and delicately picked up the book with her teeth. She gave Mer a hard stare, which the shinigami returned in kind, before turning and slowly walking towards L.

Spike peeked out from behind the trunk. “Hey, Harpy?” he called. “You’re not gonna freak out again, are you?”

“Am I?” L accepted the notebook as Bon Bon dropped it into her hoof. She examined the cover and flipped the book open, rapidly going through the blank pages before closing it and looking up at the god. She blinked a few times at the skeletal figure. “No. That looks nothing like the creatures from my dreams.”

“A... pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Mer said dryly.

“Likewise.” L passed the notebook to the pony beside her. “Twilight, you will want to see this.”

A few seconds passed in silence. L looked to the side. “Twilight?”

Twilight hadn’t taken the note. She left it resting in L’s hoof as she stared, pale-faced and trembling, at the god in front of her. “I can already see her,” she breathed.

L’s eyes narrowed. “You can what?”

“She’s the creature from my dream.”

Mer leered. “And now, at last, our game is at an end,” she said, floating forward. “I’ve kept my end of the bargain. Time for you to keep yours.” She snatched the notebook from L’s hoof and dangled it before Twilight’s eyes. “I believe you’ve been looking for this.” She dropped it. Without thinking, Twilight caught it.

Her eyes widened.

Everything suddenly seemed very loud. The rain, which had already been a dull roar around them, now seemed to hammer against her eardrums. She could hear the individual breaths of all of her friends as they stared at her in silence. She could hear the creak of bone as Mer smiled.

Twilight looked around. Everything was still. Lighting up her fake horn, she cautiously reached down with her magic and tugged three times on the nub of her wristwatch.

She barely managed to get the secret compartment open before Bon Bon tackled her to the ground.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I’m writing you this letter for a number of reasons. But first and foremost, I want to tell you that you were right, and that I’m sorry.

I entered into this investigation knowing the chances that I would be hurt... or worse. I went ahead and joined anyway. I understood the risks, or told myself that I did, but until tonight they had never really mattered to me. I thought that as long as I was protecting my friends, no danger could ever be too great, and no risk too high. I thought that I would give everything I had for them, without a second thought. Maybe that’s how everypony else feels. Maybe that’s how wars begin.

That thought ended today. Because now, less than an hour before we put our plan into motion and face the God of Death head-on, the danger of what we’re about to do has finally sunk in. I believe in this team and what we’re doing, but I have to accept that if even one thing goes wrong tonight, I might not get to see any of my friends ever again. That’s when I realized how wrong-headed I’d been about this from the beginning. When I told myself I was protecting my friends, all I was thinking about was how much it would hurt if I lost one of them. I never stopped to consider how much it would hurt all of them if they were to lose me.

And that’s why I’m sorry, Princess. You realized this before I’d even gotten wrapped up in all this, but I didn’t listen. When you tried to take me away from Ponyville, it wasn’t because you were trying to keep me from protecting my friends. It was because you were trying to protect my friends from losing me. More than that, you were trying to protect me from myself. Every time I wrote you a letter, you must have known it might have been the last one you would ever get from me. I’m sorry for not realizing that. I’m sorry for not appreciating how much I meant to you.

I haven’t changed my mind about staying. I’ve come too far to back down now; my friends, old and new, really do need my help right now. But if I’m going to carry on in this quest, then I need to accept the reality of what this danger means. I hope and pray that this will not be my final letter to you. But if it is, and I have to accept that it might be, then I just want to finish this by saying... thank you. Thank you for the years of love, and magic, and teaching. Thank you for showing me the magic of friendship, and all the adventures that followed. Thank you for inspiring me for my whole life, for being my guiding star, and for turning me into the pony that I am today. No amount of thanking you could ever be enough. And I promise, if by some miracle I make it out of this alive, that I will never let my selfish feelings get in the way of your teachings ever again.

With all my heart,

your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.

Next episode: Season finale!

Victory (part 2)

31
*Victory*
(part 2)

All ponies, without exception, will eventually die.

The taste of the hospital reached Dash before anything else. The warm and sterile air teased the inside of her dry mouth, and before even the second of her senses had returned to her, she already knew exactly where she was.

The thing she hated most about hospitals was how long she was made to sleep inside of them. This was far from the first time she’d wound up in this room (and she privately doubted that it would be the last) but no matter how badly she’d damaged whatever part of herself she’d crash landed on top of this time, by the time she woke up it had already been set into place with a cast just finishing to dry. She understood why it was done, of course; keeping patients asleep was the best way to keep them relaxed and out of pain, and there was an unspoken trust that they would wake her up before doing anything they needed her permission to do. Hospitals were carefully monitored; any doctor who attempted anything intrusive without a patient’s consent would find being fired the least of their problems.

But even with full confidence in the ponies who’d dedicated their lives to helping others, Dash never felt fully comfortable waking up and knowing that she’d been handled by strangers. For hours afterwards she would feel the tingle of ghostly hooves poking and prodding her parts back into place, and sleep would never come easily in the nights to follow. So when she felt the glow of waking magic on this occasion and her senses started to return to her one by one, the first words that echoed around her head were the exact opposite of the ones she wanted to hear.

“No, what are you doing? Put her back to sleep again, now!”

With a faint snap, the world shot back into focus. Dash blinked, blearily looking from side to side. Above her were two doctors, one so dark as to be almost black, the other a sandy brown, both unicorns. She didn’t recognize either of them, but that was nothing new. “Can’t stop now,” said the brown one, a bright yellow line linking his horn to Dash’s forehead. “She’s got an appointment that she needs to be awake for. Morning, Dash.” He waved. Dash waved back, her strength returning.

The dark pony bared her teeth. “Her only appointment is with me, to clean her wings. It’s on her chart. We don’t know if it’s safe for her to move around yet.”

“I don’t care what’s on the chart. This guard guy got the okay from Doctor Cross himself to speak to her personally, and if we say no to him, we’ll be hearing no end of it from the board. Besides, it’s just down the hall.” With a final jolt of light, he finished his spell and smiled down at Dash again. “Ready to move around, sport?”

“Uh... yeah.” Dash coughed and swallowed hard. Now that the spell was gone, she felt like she’d been awake for a few hours already. Most of her body was covered by a blanket, but as she tried to lift herself up she felt the state of her body as the different parts of her protested. Though most of her was simply sore, she felt a few bandages run up her back, including one which she was sure must have covered stitches. Worse, her hind right leg was fully encased in a cast, refusing to bend as she tried to move.

The brown doctor nodded sympathetically at Dash’s pained expression. “Don’t worry, sport. It’s a big break, but not a bad one. We should have you up and running around in a week. Juice?”

Dash nodded gratefully. As she reached up to accept the proffered cup, she felt something pinch against her side. The doctors had left her belt on, perhaps afraid of setting off one of the orbs that hung from it if they moved it. She counted this as a blessing as she took a sip of the drink — Grape flavor, yuck. — and the doctors continued to argue above her. Snatching what little time she could, she pondered her options.

First things first. She needed to get back to the base. Jazz’s reassurances last night had hardly been satisfactory, and there was no way of telling how much time had passed since then. Every minute she spent here was another that Applejack might be trapped in captivity, waiting for somepony to arrive and clear her name. The doctors would probably only keep her until the end of the day, but if Straw Bolt managed to get his hooves on her, he probably wouldn’t let her go until she’d spilled every last secret that she’d spent the past month protecting. And if Twilight of all ponies was the mastermind they’d been chasing this whole time, there was no telling what tricks she’d have time to pull in the meantime.

Until she got back, there was no way of knowing if the others were still alive.

Her resolve tightened as the doctors finished their argument. “Look, I know it’s inconvenient,” the brown one was saying, “but it’s out of my hooves as well as yours.” He pulled a wheelchair closer to the bed. “Now are you going to help me or not?”

The dark one glared, but obediently lit up her horn. In a magic glow that was half yellow and half pink, the covers were pulled back and Dash found herself being gently lifted from the bed. She moved her wings as weight was lifted off of them, but instantly regretted it; although most of the debris had been removed, her feathers were still painfully unsettled and interspersed with leaves and bark. The doctors carefully laid her out in the chair, keeping her leg stretched straight out, and began to wheel her from the room. She held onto her cup, only pretending to drink more than she needed to soothe her dry throat, and waited for an opportunity.

One of these almost immediately presented itself in the form of a window. They were on the third floor of the hospital, where a series of corridors ran straight from one side of the building to the other, a glass portal to the world outside at each end. She was being wheeled directly towards one of these, the north square almost visible just outside, cramped offices passing her on each side. She eyed her opportunity and braced herself, hoping for a stop as close to her destination as possible.

Only two doors down from the window, the chair came to an abrupt halt. One doctor stayed behind her, while the other stepped up to an unmarked door. As she raised her hoof to knock, Dash made her move. She threw the last of her juice over her shoulder, splashing most of it in the brown doctor’s face, and as he yelped and covered his eye she threw herself from her chair. Right away she cried out in pain as she stumbled over her own leg, feeling the now familiar sensation of a knife sliding across her insides, but landed hard on her three functioning limbs and took off running. Pain continued as her rear leg dragged along the floor behind her, but the element of surprise gave her enough time to reach the window before the second doctor came to her senses.

The windows on these floors weren’t locked; this one came open with a simple push. Dash felt a magical grip tighten around her tail as she squeezed herself outside, but the dark doctor wasn’t able to keep hold as gravity took over and she tumbled her way to freedom.

A second later than she would have liked, her wings extended with the feel of glue coming unstuck. She nearly cried out at the sensation, but stayed her tongue. One wing refused to extend all the way, pulling her sharply in one direction, while her heavy leg dragged her back in the other, and an attempt at a flap only caused her to lose height. But by sheer effort she was able to maintain a glide, and what would otherwise have been a painful tumble to the ground turned into a speedy swoop that carried her all the way to the edge of Ponyville.

Dash landed heavily on a cobbled street, her functional legs shaking. The few other ponies who were meandering about gave her strange looks, but she ignored them. She plotted a course from here back to the base and groaned at the result; she had more than half of Ponyville to cover. Those doctors would soon be after her, and if they caught her, they’d... well, they’d still let her go, sooner or later, but not soon enough, and that was the point. She couldn’t leave a friend hanging, not if her life was on the line. She just couldn’t.

But I can’t run and I can’t fly, she complained, and then stopped. She laughed. As if that would ever stop me. With a deep breath, she mustered her reserves and began a clumsy, three-legged charge in the direction of her friends.

“Ouch,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“There, there,” Derpy soothed her. “Nearly done.” She finished wrapping a last layer of gauze around Fluttershy’s leg and started to tie it up.

The yellow mare whimpered again, this time more for effect. She looked around. Even though it had been several minutes since Derpy had carried her in and laid her down on the sofa, none of her animal friends had come to see if she was okay. She could only imagine that they’d been frightened away by the sight of blood. “I’m sorry for scaring you,” she said for the sixth time. “I shouldn’t have been so careless. Next time I’ll look where I’m going.”

“It’s okay,” Derpy answered, not losing her cheery demeanor. “Sometimes little roots can sneak up on you.” She planted a tiny kiss on the finished bandage and straightened up. “All done.”

Fluttershy lifted up her leg and examined it. Somewhat uncharitably, she’d been half-expecting that she would have to unbind it and start again on her own once Derpy had finished; for such a small tool, the pencil that she’d jammed into herself had made an awfully big hole. Derpy had seemed perfectly in her element, however, and had cleaned and dressed the wound without so much as a moment of hesitation. “This is... really good,” Fluttershy admitted. “Have you done this before?”

Derpy blushed. “I taught myself,” she said. “I fell down a lot when I was little, so I learned to fix things that got broke. Except sometimes I did it wrong and made it worse, and sometimes I made myself sick. After I had my little Muffin, I got some books and learned to do it right.”

Fluttershy examined the knot around her foreleg. It looked well-practiced. She mulled over everything she’d learned about Derpy in the past few days, and something in the pit of her stomach turned over. “Do you... have to do this a lot?” she asked carefully.

“I used to.” Derpy’s smile didn’t falter, but she did look away. “Little... Dinky used to be like her mommy. She’d trip and drop things and fall down the stairs. Every time she went on an adventure, she’d come back with holes in her. But she’s better now,” she quickly added as Fluttershy’s face fell. “She learned to be careful. She got better. She’s happy.”

Fluttershy spoke softly. “Just like her mommy?”

“...No.” Derpy turned fully away. “Not like her mommy.”

They stayed that way a little while in silence. A few critters poked their heads into the room, but quickly ducked out again. “I bet she misses you,” Fluttershy said after a while.

Derpy shuddered. “She has a new mommy now,” she mumbled. “A better mommy. She doesn’t need me any more.”

Fluttershy guessed at her meaning. “That doesn’t change anything,” she said. “Whoever’s looking after her now isn’t her mommy. You are. And I bet she misses you.”

Derpy looked back, lower lip trembling. “But—”

“No buts. Maybe you’re not the kind of mother you wanted to be, but right now, you’re the only family she’s got left. She’s your little girl, and you’re her mommy. There’s nothing you could do that would ever make her stop loving you.” She paused, waiting for Derpy’s reaction. They grey mare was silent. “You should go to her.”

Hesitantly, Derpy started to rise. She looked towards the door, then Fluttershy, then back again. “How do I make things right?” she asked.

“You don’t,” Fluttershy answered. “No one can. But you make things better, and that’s enough.” She reached out and gave her friend a farewell hug. “Now go. Your filly’s waiting for you.”

Still slowly, Derpy pulled away and stood up. She approached the door as she would a sleeping tiger, and her hoof was shaking when she pulled it open. When she looked back at Fluttershy one last time, however, there was a smile on her face. “Thank you,” she whispered. Then she ran outside, first trotting, then breaking into a gallop, and finally spreading her wings and soaring into the sky.

Fluttershy waited until Derpy had passed completely out of sight before letting out a sigh. “Finally,” she muttered.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like Derpy. Her advice had been genuine, after all. She just wished it hadn’t taken so long.

Without pause, Fluttershy left her cottage and hastily retraced her steps back into the forest. The path seemed shorter than the previous times she’d walked it, and before she arrived she could already see a dark shape hovering above the clearing. Her eyes widened with recognition. “Byuk!” she yelled, charging forward.

The god turned his head at her voice. He grinned broadly. “Hey, there you are!” he said, settling down on the ground. “I was wondering where you’d gone.”

Fluttershy stopped short in front of him. “Just some business,” she said breathlessly. “It’s so good to see you again! Oh, excuse me. I’m sorry.” She quickly bowed.

Byuk laughed. It was difficult to tell, but he blushed. “Hey, you don’t have to do that,” he said. “I got your present, though. Thanks for that. It was really thoughtful.”

Confused, Fluttershy straightened up and glanced around the clearing. She almost immediately caught sight of the bag that had held Mathilda, now torn open and empty. Bile filled her mouth. “I’m... glad you liked her. I mean it,” she mumbled, internally screaming.

“Sure was tasty. I think I like apples better, though. They’re juicier.” Seemingly oblivious to Fluttershy’s sudden paleness, his grin widened. “Hey, that reminds me! Want to try a Shinigami Realm apple?”

Fluttershy grinned weakly. “You have apples too?” she asked. “I thought nothing grew in your world.”

“Normally, nothing does. But sometimes, one of us will bring up some seeds from another realm and try to grow things there. It normally doesn’t end well, but since I’m not supposed to stay in another world without a reason, I had some free time on my hands, so I brought up some Pony Realm apple seeds to see if they’d do any better.” He reached into a space behind him and produced a perfectly spherical, dark green apple. “The first thing I learned is that pony apples grow really fast. The second...” He held it out to Fluttershy.

Cautiously, the pegasus accepted the fruit from him. It was surprisingly light, but appeared shiny and healthy. Although a little worried about whether it was safe for pony consumption, Byuk’s proud, foal-like smile made her hesitant to disappoint him. With a gulp, she raised it to her lips. The instant her teeth brushed the skin, however, it burst like a balloon, showering her face and the inside of her mouth with an impossibly fine grey dust.

“That usually happens,” Byuk continued as Fluttershy broke down into heaving coughs. “Do you think I should have watered them more?”

It was close to a minute before Fluttershy was able to speak or breathe without choking. “Maybe,” she wheezed. Swallowing hard, she moved past Byuk and reached into the hole she’d dug earlier. The bag and Death Note were right where she’d thrown them, only a quick scattering of dirt and stones keeping them from view. Her bloodied pencil was on the ground nearby; she picked this up as well. “These belonged to Twilight,” she said. “I know she wanted me to find them. But what am I supposed to do? How can I save her now?” She looked up at the shinigami behind her hopefully. “Is that why you’re here? Did she tell you what she wants me to do?”

“Nope.” Byuk scratched his head. “To be honest, I never understood the plan in the first place. They way she talked about it, it seemed like she thought you and her would be able to walk out of there together. But I was only watching about half the time while I was gone, so maybe I missed something.” He leaned over her, blinking at the two books. “Did she leave a note?”

Fluttershy picked up the Death Note again and flipped through it. Inside were pages and pages of Twilight’s familiar writing, but no messages for her. Next she reached into the bag and pulled out the remaining, far heavier book. Before she’d even managed to get it free, an envelope fell out from between the pages.

Byuk said something, but Fluttershy barely heard him. She grabbed the envelope and ripped it open with her teeth, frantically pawing out the letter within. All sound seemed to fade away as she unfolded it and started to read.

Dear Fluttershy,

(and I really hope it’s you reading this, and not anypony else, because otherwise this plan is... not looking its best,)

I’m sorry to do this to you again, but... if you’re reading this, it most likely means that I’m dead, or will be very soon. I haven’t told Mer or Byuk, but this was always the price for setting you free. In order to clear your name, I had to take your place. If L hasn’t executed me by now, the Third Kira soon will. But even though it may hurt, don’t be sad for me. This was my decision, and even though my memories may never return, I think some part of me, deep down, will know that everything’s going to be okay. Just as I have taken your place, I have full confidence that you will be able to take mine.

Fluttershy... after I’m gone, I want you to become Kira.

This isn’t a small thing that I’m asking of you. It’s a big job, and a dangerous one, too. Your name may be clear for now, but you will always be hunted, by good forces as well as evil. But despite this, I know that you have the strength and confidence to carry it out just as well as I ever could. I’ve written some guidelines and parameters below; memorize them well, because I want you to destroy this letter once you’re finished with it. With Byuk’s help and my teachings, you’ll be able to move past your old mistakes and become, truly and completely, the hero that Equestria needs.

You’re going to have to be brave. You’re going to have to believe in yourself. And you’re going to have to be so, so clever; you’ll need to know what rules to follow and what rules to break, when to strike and when to hide, who to trust and who to dispose of. But if you can do this, if you can rise to the challenge and save Equestria from destruction, then I promise that even if I don’t remember you, I will love you forever.

Fluttershy started to tear up. “Forever?” she whispered.

“Forever?” Byuk repeated, reading over her shoulder. He sounded genuinely confused. “Is that really how love works?”

The pegasus ignored him. She turned the page and continued reading.

But that isn’t to say that I’ve left you without any plan at all. If I’m right, and things have progressed in the way that will allow you to read this, then it won’t be long before you find L back on your tail. You see, Fluttershy, this mare isn’t like the police. She has no capacity for mercy or kindness. I’ve seen the way she gets when she’s on the hunt, and I already know that she’s not going to stop. My sacrifice will throw her off the scent for a while, but if you begin to kill as Kira while she’s still in the picture, then she won’t hesitate to betray you and everyone you hold dear if it means getting what she wants. Which is why, before your new life can begin, there’s one more thing that I need you to do.

Do you remember the mare who came to my door unexpectedly the last time we parted ways, just before you were captured? If you can, kill her now, and do it quickly.

“Oh!” Fluttershy raised a hoof to her mouth, thinking hard. She could remember that moment, though after losing her memories she’d thought that it had only been significant in retrospect. Even now, she could picture L’s face staring back at her in faint surprise, her name burning in the air above her head. And that name was...

It was...

Fluttershy’s face fell. It had been weeks since that day, and she’d had more important things on her mind than some pony whose only crime had been visiting a library in the morning. “I know this,” she told herself, concentrating her hard. “It was... something to do with her cutie mark... some kind of... harp...” She perked up, gasping joyously. “Yes! Harpy Chords!”

A pause. Her ears flattened again. “No, wait...” She sighed, sinking down. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I just can’t remember. Byuk, do you know?”

“Sorry,” the god said with a shrug and a grin. “Can’t tell you. It’s the rules. And even if it wasn’t, I’m not the type to just give names away. It’s my rules.” His smile widened. “And I got those rules from an old friend of mine. See, a long time ago, there was this—”

Ignoring him, Fluttershy went back to reading.

If you can’t, don’t worry about it. I don’t know how long it will be before you read this. Killing her alone wouldn’t solve your problems, anyway.

I wish I could say that I’ve had every part of this planned out since the beginning, so that I could give you a step-by-step set of instructions for winning. Sadly, that’s impossible. It was a lack of foresight from both of us that got us into this mess in the first place, and I’m not going to make that mistake twice. The truth is, I don’t know what L’s plan is going to be. I don’t know where I’ll be, how much you’ll know, or who’ll still be alive by the time you read this. I can offer advice, but nothing more. It’s going to be up to you to finish this.

This will be your first and only test. I’ve written down some of the most likely scenarios and best courses of action, but you’re the one who has to put the pieces together. If you can pull together all you’ve learned and put an end to this deadly game once and for all, I’ll know that you are ready to become Kira.

I believe in you, Fluttershy. I love you.

There was more to the letter, much more, but for several minutes Fluttershy simply stared at that one line, oblivious to Byuk’s continuing chatter, the gears in her head slowly beginning to turn.

Moans of agony echoed around Applejack’s chamber. They crackled along the walls, filling up every corner with a low, non-stop cry. Applejack sat in the middle of this, completely motionless, her head bowed.

It was a long time before the noise started to die down, or at least it felt that way; there was no way of measuring time in here. Eventually, however, the pained howls died down to a dull whimper, and another voice spoke. “Feeling better, Spikey-Wikey?”

A loud grunt. “Never call me that again.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. For some reason, the microphone in whatever room her captors were in had been reactivated a while after it had been shut off, awakening her near-constantly to the pressing news of Spike’s bellyache. Maybe they were trying to catch Mer off-guard again, or maybe somepony out there just wanted to keep her in the loop. If this was a show of goodwill, it certainly wasn’t a pleasant one.

Although every noise that passed through the speakers was distorted, there were a few subtle differences between each voice that she’d slowly learned to pick up. She could tell that Spike was in the room with them, along with somepony called Bon Bon, who seemed to be looking after him. Closer by was the one they called Harpy, who seemed to be in charge; of course, if this was the same Harpy whom Applejack had caught glimpses of in the storm last night, she was clearly far too young to be the real L. Maybe she was the detective’s assistant. Those were all the voices that she’d heard since the microphone had come back on; she could only assume that Mer was still alongside them, but if she was, the god was being very quiet.

Applejack bore all this in mind, but it wasn’t her focus at the moment. With all the pieces of the puzzle that she’d collected that day drifting back and forth around her, she focused all of her attention on the one thing that she’d come to realize shortly after finishing her breakfast.

Her right foreleg was loose.

When her jailer had tied her up again before leaving, he’d been hurried and unfocused. The black band around her hoof had been, at first, a little too tight, but as she’d flexed her ankle to try and work some blood back into that part of her leg, there’d been a faint pop and her binding had gently released itself from her.

With her right hoof free, and the main binding around her top half already removed to allow her to eat, this left only one band pinning her leg to the rest of her body, just below her knee. She’d spent her time since straining at this last trapping, feeling its fibres stretching and struggling to keep her in place, all the while trying to look like she wasn’t moving at all.

Over the speakers, a quill scratched on paper. A distant chair scraped. Somepony took a bite of something crunchy. There was no way of telling when a good time would be to make her move, or whether a good time would ever come. All she could do was stretch. And so she stretched, clenching her muscles as tightly as she could, until at last, her efforts were rewarded by the snapping of a single fibre. There was a soft, metallic ping.

All at once, silence. A tense pause, and then a soft, whispered voice. “What is she doing?”

Oh, horseapples.

In an instant, Applejack forgot all about stealth. She twisted her hoof out of its bindings and raised her foreleg high, punching out with all her might. On its own, the lone band was no match for her strength and snapped loudly, freeing her. Right away she began to paw at the back of her head, searching for the key to removing her mask. It was tied on with a simple but large knot, which she chose to simply slide off instead of untying, plucking out a few hairs from her mane that had gotten tangled up in it as the mask came free.

Already there were noises; scrapes and stomping hooves, and little clawed feet getting closer and closer. Part of her found itself disappointed that there weren’t any alarms. She heard Harpy’s voice. “Bon Bon, sort her out.”

More hoofsteps, then the noise from the microphone cut out. Applejack shook her mane from her eyes and traced her hoof across the bands around her left foreleg. The buckles were near-invisible and lay flat across the slightly rubbery surface; it took several seconds of frantic scratching before she figured out how to pry it up and twist it loose. “Come on, come on,” she muttered, painfully pulling at her leg as she pulled it free.

Before she even had time to examine her lower half, she heard hoofsteps running in the corridor outside. For a moment she flailed uselessly at her trapped limbs, then froze and curled her lip as a new idea came to her. She reached forward and kicked over the table in front of her, scattering the remaining bowls and utensils, then threw herself forward as hard as she could. The extra reach was enough to let her overbalance, falling onto her front hooves and carrying the chair with her.

The speakers switched on just long enough for Harpy to deliver a short message. “Stop struggling, Applejack. You can’t get away from us.”

“Watch me,” she grunted back. She closed her eyes and leaned forward. She could hear the heavy clunks of the door being unlocked, but she ignored it. Clenching her teeth, Applejack pushed backwards. Even bound, her hind legs began to twist themselves into a position they’d assumed thousands of times before, straining to snap out with the force of a cannon shot. Her flesh burned as dark bands tightened and scraped along her sides, fighting just as hard to keep her in place.

With a dull, ominous creak, the metal surface beneath her began to buckle.

Seconds before the door opened, the chair burst apart. The seat bent against the backrest until it snapped off completely, and two of the legs flew out horizontally and impaled themselves in the padding on the back wall. The bands around her hind legs slid right off, and it only took another yank to detach the metal remains from her back and let the last of her bindings fall to the floor. The moment she was free, she charged towards the door. A face which had just started to peer inside quickly withdrew, but Applejack rammed her way through before the portal could be closed again. She shoved aside the tan earth pony who barred her way and charged in the direction she guessed the hoofsteps from before had come from.

A stray observation nearly made her turn around for a second look, but she managed to resist the urge to slow down. Even so, a stray thought buzzed around her head as she ran. The hay kind of name was that?

Unmarked doors passed on each side; Applejack's hooves thudded dully against the stone floor. She’d guessed by now that she was underground, but more than that she couldn’t say. A junction reared up towards her and she paused just long enough to listen, turning in the direction of a magical hum. Less than a minute later, she emerged into a large, square room.

Spike stared at her in horror, a sandwich falling apart in his hands. Above an otherworldly, cube-shaped apparatus in the middle of the room, Mer slowly opened her eyes into a glare. However, neither of these two caught Applejack’s attention. It was the room’s third occupant that she found her gaze being pulled towards: a mint green unicorn, the same one she’d seen outside, sitting at a desk and staring back at her unblinkingly. She didn’t look angry, or afraid, or even surprised. She was only staring, as though waiting to see what the earth pony would do next.

In the air above her head, her name burned.

Mer broke the silence first. “Where do you think you’re going?” she hissed.

Applejack gulped. She tore her gaze away from the pony at the desk and glared back up at the god. “Home,” she answered. With that, she took off again, easily dodging around Spike as he desperately tried to stand in her way, and aimed herself towards the large iron doors on the room’s far side. They swung open easily, not even locked, and she wasn’t followed as she stumbled out to a dark staircase, leading up to freedom. She started to slow as she ascended, uncertain if this was really happening, and stopped when she reached the top. A ceiling of wood barred her way. One kick was all it took to clear her way. The earth moved, and the sky opened up before her.

Behind her in the base, the iron doors finally clicked shut. None of the room’s occupants had moved. Mer gave L a long, suspicious stare, then slowly spread her wings and lifted herself up through the ceiling.

Spike blinked a few times. “What... just happened?” he asked. When this failed to provoke a response, he tried again. “Should we go after her?”

“No.” L lifted herself out of her chair and walked towards Spike, still calm. “I want you to find Fluttershy and Derpy. Tell them I need them to come back here as soon as possible. Tell them it’s very important. Then, once you’ve done that, lead them back here as soon as possible.” She stopped and leaned down towards him. “Can you do that?”

“Uh... yeah.” Spike blinked again, thoroughly confused. “But what about Applejack? Shouldn’t we do something about her?”

“Ponyville is full of guards, who I suspect are on the lookout for her, as well as her friends,” L said casually. “She won’t get far. Even if she does, let me worry about her. You have a job to do.” Spike stayed still a moment longer. “Go!” L insisted, jabbing towards the door. Spike took off, pausing halfway to lean over and clutch at his stomach, but then darting as fast as his legs would carry him towards the exit.

As soon as Spike was gone, L returned to her desk. She picked up a small stratoscreen and the Death Note, which she had covered up with other papers, and turned back in the direction of the prison cells. As she trotted out of the room with a strange spring in her step, she passed Bon Bon, who was trudging the other way while rubbing her side with a scowl. “Everything all right, dear?” the earth mare asked.

L grinned slyly at her. “Just as planned.”

Applejack stared out from beneath the tree she’d taken shelter under. Mer was soaring overhead, probably looking for her, but didn’t seem to have noticed her yet. After a minute of waiting, the god spread her wings further and rose higher in the sky, drifting off to parts unknown. Applejack let out a sigh. She was safe, for now.

Getting back home would be tricky. She set her sights across town, frowning. She’d already made it most of the way across the park before paranoia had made her stop to hide from Mer; thankfully, it was too early for anypony else to be out yet. She didn’t have far to go, not if she took the shortcut across the river near the Carrot homestead... but she had no idea what she was going to say when she arrived. She didn’t know what to do, period. She’d been a farm girl her whole life, and she’d learned at a young age that you didn’t solve problems by sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. The only way to make things better was to act, and down in that prison, her every instinct had been screaming at her to get up and do something. She just didn’t know what.

The weight of the day seemed to weigh heavy on her. Groaning, Applejack collapsed against the tree, rubbing her eyes. “What do Ah do?” she asked.

As if in answer, a familiar voice called to her from across the park. “Applejack?”

Applejack looked up. A streak of colours was hobbling towards her from the park’s entrance, a relieved smile on her face visible even from this distance. “Rainbow!” she called back as loudly as she dared, beckoning but not yet willing to leave the shelter of the tree. She froze and her jaw dropped as her friend came fully into view. “What the...”

Rainbow Dash stumbled to a stop, panting and out of breath. “AJ, what...” She froze as well as she got a good look at the earth pony, trembling in shock. “What happened to you?”

Applejack stared in incomprehension, then followed Dash’s gaze and raised a hoof to her own face. Her cheeks and eye were still swollen up, and she could feel flakes of dirt still crusted to her skin. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the tip of her nose jutting slightly to one side. She considered her reputation and decided not to reveal who exactly had done this to her. “It’s nothing,” she said, shrugging it off. “Can’t even feel it any more. But...” She gestured to Dash’s leg and mangled wings. “What happened to you? You look like a cracker box that’s gone through a grain thresher!”

Dash looked down at herself. She considered her reputation and decided not to reveal who exactly had done this to her. “It’s not important,” she said. “Just had to hitch a ride in a straw cart to get here. But what are you doing here? Are they still looking for you?”

“They got me. But Ah got out.” She winced as Dash’s expression turned to one of panic. “Don’t worry. Nopony’s dead, as far as Ah know. But listen, we don’t have time to catch up. They’ve got the Death Note, and the real Kira’s still out there.”

“Death Note?”

Applejack sighed. “It’s the magical notebook that Mer gave me,” she explained quickly. “If Ah write somepony’s name on a page from the book, that pony dies. But if somepony other than me tries to use it, they die instead.”

Dash took a moment to absorb this, shaking her head. “Normally I’d call that impossible, but...”

“Don’t. We don’t have time.” Applejack nearly grabbed her friend for emphasis, but under the circumstances decided against touching her. “Whoever’s in that base has mah Death Note, and Ah’m no closer to finding theirs. Even if Ah took it back, they’d just hunt me down again. They’ve got me right where they want me. Ah can’t win.”

“No, it’s okay,” Dash reassured her. “Twilight’s Kira. Jazz told me they know.”

“Twilight ain’t Kira.”

A look of intense relief crossed over Dash’s face, followed by realization and fear. “Really?” she squeaked.

“Really.” Applejack nodded. “Don’t ask how Ah know... it would take too long to explain. But Mer was wrong, or maybe she was lying, Ah don’t know. Somehow, the real Kira got Twilight to take the fall for her. Either way...” She looked at the ground. “Ah’ve lost.”

Dash thought. After a while, she spoke. “If your Death Note gets destroyed, and you lose the game... will you know?”

Applejack nodded solemnly. “If mah Note is burned, Ah’ll die, along with everypony else who’s touched it.” Her eyes started to water. “Including mah family.”

“Right.” Rainbow swallowed this and kept going. “Just... there was one other pony who I thought fit the bill for Kira. But...” She glanced back towards the base. “I guess not. If it was her, she would have burned your Death Note already by now.”

“What?” Applejack’s head snapped back up. “Dash, how many of you are normally in the base?

“Um...” In a panic, she counted to herself. “There’s ten of us total.”

“When Ah got out, Ah only saw three.” Applejack gulped. “Sugarcube, she’s got me pinned tighter than a flightless owl in a landslide. She doesn’t need to hurry. If she burns mah Note, she’ll die too, but if she uses her own to kill me, she can keep them both and stay Kira for as long as she wants.” She leaned forward for emphasis. “Right now, she’s sending everyone away so she can kill me without being seen.”

Dash froze in fear. Applejack paused before speaking again. “What does she look like?”

“She’s... she’s a green unicorn...”

Applejack stopped her by putting a hoof over her mouth. “That’s enough,” she said. “Now Ah’ve gotta get home. You stay here and stop Kira from killing me until Ah get back, okay?”

Dash nodded in incomprehension, but smiled at her friend’s change in tone. “Are we gonna stop Kira?”

“We are.” Grinning like madmares, the pair bumped hooves. “Don’t let me down.”

“Awesome. Hey... hey, wait,” Dash called as Applejack started to turn away. Clumsily, she reached down and unbuckled her belt. “Take this,” she said, pulling off one of the hanging orbs for herself and holding out the rest. “If nopony’s at the base, some of them are probably guarding your house. These might help. I don’t know what they do, but they’re supposed to be good for getting out of trouble. Just pull out the pin and throw.”

“Thanks.” Applejack smiled gratefully, throwing the belt over her shoulder. “Ah’ll be back soon, alright?” She started running before Dash could respond, yelling over her shoulder. “Just stop her from using the Note!”

“All right!” Rainbow Dash shouted back. She turned the other way and started the fastest trot she could manage towards the base’s entrance, getting halfway there before realizing the flaw in Applejack’s plan. But... you don’t even know her name...

“Good morning, Twilight.”

Twilight awoke to the feel of her mask being gently removed. She winced at the harshness of the light around her, only slowly coming to recognize the green face uncomfortably close to her own. “Oh,” L said, peering closer still. “You really were asleep?”

“Yes!” Twilight shook herself as much as she could, trying to wake her stiff body up. “You left me in here all night! I thought it was just going to be a few hours!”

The detective shrugged unapologetically. “Time passes. You’re not the only one who has a role to play. Deal or no deal, you’re still my prisoner.” She held up a honey-glazed cracker shaped like a duck. “Breakfast?”

Twilight tried to call some energy into her fake horn, but it was no use; the Devouring Seal inside her head had closed up again during the night. Reluctantly, she opened her mouth and allowed L to feed her by hoof. As this was going on, she thought back and tried to recollect what had gone on the previous night.

Touching the Death Note had been terrifying. Somehow, without needing to be told, she’d known exactly who Mer was and exactly what was going to happen to her. A sense of absolute evil and terror had filled her, as well as a foal-like guilt, the feeling of being accused. This feeling had abated once the book had been knocked out of her grip, but the angry and fearful stares of her friends bored into her even now. The only respite had been L’s last words to her, moments before a black bag tightened around her head:

“When you wake, scream for an hour, then tell me everything you know. Scream some more, then pretend to sleep until I come for you.”

For the first half hour, she hadn’t been acting. She’d awoken into bondage and pain, and at first couldn’t remember that L had said anything at all. But once her time was up, she told her... everything. She told her about her deteriorating health in the early part of the investigation. She told her about the long, sleepless nights, and her dream of being haunted by a nightmarish incarnation of Rarity. She told her about the flashes of white she’d seen at the Apple house, and the hisses and words that L hadn’t seemed to be able to hear. And all throughout, she’d found herself repeating the same words, over and over again:

“Maybe I am Kira.”

“You’re not Kira,” L said, seeming to read her mind. “Which is not to say you’re not involved. It does, however, paint a more comfortable picture of past events.”

Twilight shivered. “Are... are you certain?”

L smirked. “Twilight, do you want to know a secret?” she asked. “I have never been certain of anything in my entire life.” She turned away. “There were, however, clues. Kira has played a very careful game, and the easiest place to conceal a lie is hidden between two truths.” From behind her, she held up the Death Note. Twilight recoiled at the sight. “I have no reason to doubt that the Death Note is real. Even if we can’t confirm its killing power, there can be no denying that is has otherworldly properties. Applejack, too, has left nothing out. By one means or another, her side of the story seems to be genuine.” She looked at Twilight curiously. “How much of that were you able to catch?”

“I think... most of it,” Twilight answered. “I was still screaming at that point. But I caught Mer’s story, and the rules of the Death Note. It got quiet after that.”

“That was when Luna came in. You were up to date, so I let you rest. Which means that the lie in this bitter sandwich, then,” she continued, “was Mer herself.”

“What do you mean?”

“I checked your suspicions and rewatched our footage from the Apple household. Now that I have touched the Note, she’s clearly visible in the recording... but only for the first two days. After that, after your dream, she began to hide herself.” L began to flip through the Death Note casually. “Furthermore, I’ve been searching the contents of your room every twelve hours ever since you arrived. The pages that implicated you only appeared within the past twenty-four hours. However, the most damning piece of evidence was one that she presented herself, almost as soon as she arrived.”

“Wait, you’ve been going through my stuff?” Twilight asked.

L ignored this. “I believe that Applejack can be forgiven for not catching this, but it’s not something that she could slip past me. Twilight, do you speak any Neighponese?”

“Um... only a few words.”

“The name that Mer gave us for her species... shinigami.” L almost spat the word. “There are a few definitions that apply, but the most accurate translation is... god of death.”

L grinned as Twilight’s eyes widened in comprehension. “It’s for this reason that I’ve been sending everypony from the base, one by one,” she explained. “It’s for this reason that I allowed Applejack to escape. It’s—”

“You what?”

“Oh, that was quite simple.” L shrugged. “I allowed Applejack to overhear half of a confession from Mer, incensing her to boiling point, and gave Jazz coded instructions to leave her partly untied after speaking with her and not engage any magical safeguards. These black bands are Blight-standard, but they’re mostly psychological, and actually quite easy to get out of. If she had not attempted to break out on her own, I would have staged it myself, but she ran like a mare possessed.” The emphasis was not lost on Twilight. “By then, nearly everyone else had been sent to safety, allowing Applejack to run out unimpeded and distracting Mer long enough for us to have this conversation. It is vitally important that she does not find us here.”

Twilight looked around. “You let a murderer go just to create a distraction? What if she comes back for us? And if you haven’t noticed, Mer can walk through walls; do you really think this inescapable cell is the best place to hide?”

“Oh? You still haven’t figured it out?” L flitted about Twilight, a teasing smile playing about her lips. “And don’t worry about Applejack. She won’t be a threat for long. All she has to do is keep Mer distracted until my plan comes to fruition.”

“So... I don’t understand. You think Mer is the real Kira?”

“No, Twilight,” L answered. Her smile fell away. “Whatever power she once had, she’s a playing piece, just like the rest of us. She’s the weather pony, while you are the butterfly, and I the coveted lightning bolt. No, the real Kira has been playing a very long game — taking on multiple roles, pulling her victims into place, and even throwing wool over the eyes of a god of death. The entire past month has been one long, complicated setup, but not of Applejack. Of you.”

“Me?” Twilight tried to sit up straight, only struggling uselessly against her bonds. “Why me?”

“Why not you? It can’t have escaped your attention that you make a perfect Kira. Almost... too perfect.” L held up a hoof. “Step one: steal the book of Equestrian Justice Records from you, enhancing her killing potential and drawing you into the investigation right away. Step two,” she continued, shaking her hoof but not raising another, “use the powers of the Death Note to fake the murder-suicide of Rarity and Pinkie Pie right in front of you, giving you both the leverage and motivation to join the team.”

Twilight turned white. “You mean... you think Rarity and Pinkie Pie really were killed by Kira?”

“Of course they were,” the detective spat. “I figured that out almost immediately. You and I both know Rarity would never kill a friend of her own accord. Step three.” She shook her hoof again. Her eyes hardened, staring directly into Twilight’s. “Infiltrate the investigative team and further implicate you by seducing one of its members, then amateurishly exposing herself as the second Kira.”

If it were possible, Twilight would have paled further, and her breath all but stopped. “What?”

“Step four. Pass the Death Note — or, given the running theme of duality, more likely a Death Note — on to a new Kira, preemptively scheduling the deaths of more farmers to lead us to them. Step five: Feign ignorance until released. After all, nopony would permanently detain so innocent a victim who was so obviously being set up. Step six.” At this point she finally lowered her hoof and raised another. “Allow the fake Kira to be captured. Her partner, or at this point sidekick, Mer, spins us a false story about two duelling gods, distracting from her true motivation and pinning you, Twilight, as the true villain. She then exits the investigation for good, as the rules make it impossible for her to be Kira if both you and Applejack are. Step seven: return to power, having never given up the Note in the first place, and continue the game. She doesn’t need to kill me; doing so would only allow others to take my place. As long as she has me believing this false narrative about Byuk and Mer, she can control the clues as she pleases and keep me hunting shadows forever.”

Twilight shook her head. “That’s... that’s impossible!” she yelled, struggling mightily against her bonds. “She... I... I don’t care if it makes sense! Fluttershy would never do that!” She glared. “And for all your talking, you still have no proof!”

“We’ll... see about that.” L picked up the stratoscreen she’d brought and turned it on with a tap. “You see, when I allowed Fluttershy to leave the base, there are two reasons why I sent Derpy Hooves with her,” she continued. “The first was an act of mercy. Of the lot of us, Fluttershy excluded, Derpy is by far the least intimidating and the least likely to be a potential threat. Had I sent anyone else, they would by now be dead. The second reason...” The screen finally connected, and L scrolled back and forth through the recording. Her hoof was strangely hesitant, as though she was trying not to see something more than she was looking for it. “While I can’t say that I have the same level of expertise with the analytical engine as my associate Jazz, I do have enough of an understanding of it to move a single crystal camera bug around at a time. Say, for instance... to instruct it to move from one source of heat to another.” She paused the screen and held it up so both she and Twilight could see, deliberately not looking at her. “Take a look.”

The view was a dizzying one. The louse that had spent so long in Derpy’s mane was now only shakily attached to a new surface, wavering wildly at the slightest movement. The screen was blurry and unfocused, trying and failing to adjust to the inconsistent light. A few details, however, could be made out. A thin yellow fuzz highlighted the right edge of the screen, while an uneven waterfall of pink obscured the left. Fluttershy was in some kind of forest, close to the ground, with the wind moving the grass and shrubs around her. And laying open in front of her, clutched tightly in her hooves, was what was unmistakably a thin, black notebook.

L sighed, staring blankly at the screen. “And so it ends. There was no fourth Kira; there was not, truly, even a second. It was Fluttershy, all along.” She picked up a cracker shaped like a rabbit and decisively bit off its head. “As they say... gotcha.”

“No.” The last of Twilight’s will to live drained out of her as she stared at the screen. “It... it can’t be true.” She tried to hang her head, but couldn’t tear herself away from it. A lifetime of adventures flashed before her eyes — meeting her in the park, discovering their Elements together, fashion shows, hiding Philomena, fighting Discord, picnics in the park, watching her jumpstart a cyclone, bathing together, sharing stories, their first kiss, being set alight by Spike in the rain — and then crumbled and vanished beneath this new image of an unrepentant murderer. She whimpered and closed her eyes. “Was it all a lie?”

“Perhaps.” L finally turned back towards her captive. “Do not cry, Twilight,” she said, laying the screen down and gently touching her face. “I have already sent Spike to retrieve her. It will all be over soon.” Her voice lowered in volume. “For her and you.”

“Huh?” Confusion blurred the edges of her sorrow. “What are you talking about?”

“Step eight, Twilight.” Slowly, as though holding a wounded animal, she reached forward and wrapped her forelegs around the bound pony, pulling her into an embrace. “In order for the game to continue,” she whispered, “a new set of Kiras have to rise. According to the current rules, the only way that that can happen is if the original Kiras are dead. Twilight... The only reason I’m telling you this is because I believe you’re about to die.”

There was a long silence. “What? What. What!?” Abruptly, Twilight thrashed within her black bands. She would have thrown L off of her if she’d been able to do so. “You let her go knowing that she was going to kill me!?”

“This was my one chance at catching her.” L didn’t move. “What would you have had me do?”

“So you’re leaving me to die?” Twilight snarled back. She twisted her head enough to smack her cheek against L’s, but the detective didn’t even flinch. “I thought we were friends, you... you heartless monster!”

The grip around her tightened. “What would you have had me do?” L growled. “If I had kept her here without proof, I would have been forced to set her free eventually. In that time, Mer could easily have raised up a new Kira to face me, and hundreds more ponies might have died. I had to make a choice. All my life, I’ve had to make these choices.” Just like that, she was shouting. “Do you think I wanted this?”

Twilight was speechless. L lifted her head up, not enough that Twilight could see her face, and her horn lit up green. Unlike the first time, there was no pain. The bubble in Twilight’s head popped, and her fake horn dissolved into smoke. In its place, her real horn smoothly slid back out, passing through her skin like water. “There,” L muttered once her spell was done. “Your powers are returned. If you want to hurt me, hurt me. If you want to kill me... do it. Blame it on the Death Note. Bon Bon can finish the case without me. I just...” Her voice cracked. Something wet rolled down Twilight’s neck. “I just don’t want to lose you.”

Experimentally, Twilight called up her magic. It felt exactly the same as when it had been sealed away, right down to a lingering ache from her headache the day before that. She encircled one of the bands around her leg and effortlessly snapped it open, throwing it across the room. Then she did another. She moved up her body like this, freeing herself piece by piece, gently nudging L when she needed to. The detective didn’t otherwise move. When she was completely free, she lifted up her forelegs, hearing them creak after being still for so long. She pressed her hooves against L’s middle and tensed up, as though she were about to push her away. After some seconds, she moved forward further and encircled her, completing the hug. “You stupid pony,” she muttered.

They stayed that way for quite some time. Then, overhead, the lights flickered.

L broke the embrace, all but leaping away. Whatever expression she had been making while Twilight had held her, her face was now blank and dry. “That was a distress signal,” she explained before Twilight could ask. “Twilight, are you still with me?”

Unsteadily, Twilight stood up. She almost fell as she jumped down from her chair, but managed to catch and steady herself at the last second. “Yes,” she answered firmly.

“Thank you.” L pointed her horn at the door and fired a complex series of energy bursts at it, unlocking it from the inside. White mist began to form at the corners of the room. “When that door opens,” she said, “prepare to run.”

The Apple family’s kitchen was all but silent. Big Macintosh and Jazz sat at the table across from each other, staring at one another in silence. On the table’s third side, Colgate dozed. She’d insisted on sitting with them at first, making an effort to look alert, but had soon put her head down and started to snore. Her breakfast, a bowl of raw carrots and gummy worms, lay untouched in front of her.

On the floor beside them, Locket played a game of checkers with Apple Bloom. She’d at first tried to go easy on the filly, only to find that she didn’t have to; the little pony had already beaten her six times out of eight. In her defense, she argued to herself, she had other things on her mind. Big Macintosh hadn’t so much as acknowledged her presence since she’d walked in. She’d been making an effort to do the same to him, but hadn’t been able to keep herself from staring pleadingly in his direction every so often.

Time passed. Apple Bloom sniffed. In the background, a clock ticked.

“You know,” Big Macintosh rumbled, “jazz is a kind of apple.”

“Is it?” said Jazz.

“It is.”

“Hm.”

Silence fell again. Colgate shifted, just slightly. Apple Bloom won another game. The two stallions at the table continued to stare.

Just then, there was a crash. The front door was brutally kicked open and slammed into the wall, knocking down a set of portraits. Applejack staggered in, panting for breath. In an instant, Jazz was on his hooves, his horn already charging for an attack. Colgate woke up, looking around frantically and nearly falling over, and Locket shrieked. At the same time, Mer dropped down through the ceiling, hovered over the table, and pointed at the escaped pony triumphantly. “Hah!”

A small orb bounced off the tip of Jazz’s horn, rose up towards the surprised god’s face, and split open.

There was a loud bang and a blinding flash of green light, and a sudden wave of smoke filled the room. “Jazz!” Colgate yelled, starting to stand, but was cut off as Big Macintosh leaped up and flipped the table. The edge of it caught her under the chin and lifted her into the air, carrying her with it until she crashed into the cupboards on the far side of the room. A second later, Apple Bloom followed suit and flipped the checkerboard, bopping Locket smartly on the nose, then leaped at her with the ferocity of a feral cat.

Applejack strode forward, coughing. Already the air was starting to clear. Both Mer and Jazz had simply disappeared, and Colgate appeared to be out cold. Locket ran past her in circles, shrieking as Apple Bloom clung to her head, biting and yanking at her mane. “Apple Bloom, knock it off,” Applejack commanded. The filly reluctantly let go and dropped down, growling and backing Locket into the far corner before retreating to stand by her brother’s side.

Big Macintosh regarded his sister’s approach calmly. “Nice toy,” he said. “Weren’t expecting you ‘til later. Maybe months later.”

“Lyra Heartstrings,” Applejack said in place of an answer. “Mer’s plan didn’t work. The real Kira got Twilight to take the fall for her. She’s free while Twilight’s locked up. So we’re goin’ with plan B.”

Mac nodded. “Good to hear you didn’t take those eyes for nothing. Nopony else knows you’ve got them?”

“That’s right. She won’t know what hit her.” She looked around the battered kitchen. “Where are the killing pages?”

Her brother sighed and looked towards Colgate. “She searched the house, even the hidden spots. She even got the ones pinned under your desk. What she didn’t take, she burned. There’s nothing left.”

Applejack trembled. Without warning she let out a roar and bucked the doorframe next to her, knocking a chunk of wood out of the wall. “That’s it, then,” she groaned, shaking her head. “Ah’ve got nothing left. Kira wins.”

“Now, hold on.” Big Mac approached her. “What does she look like?”

“It doesn’t matter—” Applejack started to snap, but then restrained herself. “Ah’m sorry. It doesn’t matter if Ah tell you what she looks like.” She gulped. “Look, Ah’m sorry that we never talked about this, but... Ah’m the only one who can use the killing pages.”

For the first time that day, Apple Bloom spoke, so quietly that the others almost didn’t hear her. “What?”

Applejack sighed deeply. “Mer lied to you,” she said. “And... Ah lied, too. Half the pages in that pile were fake. Mer and Ah worked it out after she arrived. We needed y’all to believe you were part of the process, but the truth is, you had nothing to do with it. Ah was Kira, all along.”

Big Mac stepped closer, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “That ain’t true,” he said.

“It is,” Applejack told him. She smiled sympathetically. “You ain’t even seen the real notebook. It’s black like death itself, with six—”

“—silver letters on the front, and eight rules on the inside,” Macintosh finished.

Slowly, Applejack’s jaw dropped. “How did you...”

“Because Mer came to me first.” He smiled gently, eyes cold. “Before she ever showed up at our table, she came to me, and together we made a deal. She needed a team, and Ah knew that you would try to take the fall for all of us, whether you believed it or not. So we let you believe that you were the real Kira, just for a little while, and before the first session she took a page from the bottom of the pile and moved it to the top. That means it was you who wrote on the fake ones, while mine were real. And that means that you,” he said, leaning down and pressing his forehead against Applejack’s, “and you,” he added, looking towards Apple Bloom, “have never killed anypony.” He stared deep into the filly’s wide eyes. “Not once. Not ever. You’re innocent.”

“...Mac.” Applejack took a step back, wiping her eyes. “Ah don’t know what to say.”

“You can tell me what Lyra Heartstrings looks like.” He looked back towards her. “And we can be rid of this curse once and for all.”

“All right.” Applejack gulped. “She’s a green unicorn with a white and green mane. Yellow eyes. Cutie mark’s a golden stringed thing; some kind of harp. But Ah don’t know what good this does you,” she argued. “It still won’t work if you haven’t seen her face.”

Big Macintosh paused. He slowly turned and looked towards Colgate, slumped against the counters. His memory began to stir. He recalled the other time he’d seen her unconscious; the night at Brass Tap’s, when she’d drunk her own weight in cider and begun to ramble about her life. The night she’d finished by falling to the floor, and having to be carried home. Most vividly, he remembered the fast-talking mare who’d come to collect her.

“No,” he said, “Ah know who you mean.” He looked back towards Applejack. “But the one time Ah saw her, she was an earth pony.”

Applejack started to frown, then stopped. Her lips trembled and began to move of their own accord. “Like...” She hardly dared to finish the thought. “Like a unicorn who’d lost her horn.”

All of a sudden, she felt light-headed. Maybe it was the smoke, or exhaustion, or the feel of being in her home again, but all of the cares of the past nightmarish weeks seemed to drop away. For the first time since this had all begun, she genuinely smiled. “Big Mac,” she said. “Apple Bloom.” She looked back and forth between them, her eyes shining. “Ah love you.”

Applejack
Heart attack
Goes to her brother and reveals to him the true name and face of the pony known as L, and removes all obstacles preventing him from leaving. She then dies.
Also, she doesn’t feel any pain and she dies happy and at peace after telling her family that she loves them.

Applejack’s legs buckled. Slowly, as if she were falling asleep, her eyes closed. She hit the floor with barely any sound at all and lay still.

Neither of the remaining Apple siblings moved. Apple Bloom stared in silent horror, beginning to tremble, while Big Macintosh didn’t react at all. Instead his eyes flicked up to the far corner of the room, where Locket had stood paralyzed throughout this exchange, too terrified to move. She squeaked and fell onto her rump as he took a step towards her. “Stay away from me!” she cried as he stomped his way up to her. “Don’t come any closer! Stop—”

With a light, gentle touch, he reached out and lifted her up until she was standing on all fours again. Then he kissed her, powerfully and slowly.

A second before the kiss ended, he felt something tighten around his ankle. Pulling away only slightly, he looked back. A chain of light wrapped around his rear leg, snaking across the kitchen floor and up to the tip of Colgate’s horn. She’d raised her head enough to look at him, a mad grin on her face, her eyes alight with pure hatred. “You’re... not... going... anywhere...” she wheezed.

Big Mac ignored her. He turned back to Locket and planted a final peck on the end of her nose, looking into her stunned eyes. “Look after Apple Bloom,” he whispered.

Then he turned away, reared up, and galloped across the house and out the front door, dragging Colgate bouncing and cursing behind him.

In a flash of light and smoke, Mer and Jazz reappeared. The unicorn immediately started choking and collapsed to the floor, while Mer took in her surroundings. They’d arrived in a white and padded room, clearly one of the cells within that L pony’s base. She kicked at the pony below her, causing him to convulse. “Meat!” she yelled, forgetting naming conventions in her panic. “What was that?”

The pony didn’t answer. He seemed not to have heard her; in fact, aside from the kick, he seemed not to be aware of her presence at all, being much more preoccupied with coughing and twitching on the ground. She growled in frustration. Absurd pony magic, she reckoned. If I’d been ready, that wouldn’t have affected me at all. Grumbling to herself, she floated out through the door, finding herself in a hallway of identical doors. Picking a direction at random, she started to drift.

Many minutes later, she was still drifting. The doors around her had changed from empty cells to empty storerooms and back again, the hallways turning and branching at odd angles and irregular intervals with no indication of which, if any, was the main passage. She was starting to get the impression that she was going in circles, but of course she trusted that she was far too clever for that. The layout of this preposterous structure simply didn’t make any sense. She cursed whatever idiotic pony had designed it, and was about to rise to the surface and try to find her way back from there when she heard the echoing sound of running hooves nearby. Curiosity rising, she followed.

A few wrong turns and not much time later, she finally found a corridor that she recognized and followed it to the main chamber. There, she found an unexpected sight. Twilight Sparkle was standing free and unbound near one side of the room, eyes wide with shock, with L beside her, her horn glowing brightly. The Death Note hung in the detective’s mouth, but she spat it into her hoof before glaring across the room and then, even more surprising, shouting. “Get away from her!”

On the far side of the room was Rainbow Dash, her wings full of twigs and her hind leg encased in a strange white substance. One foreleg was wrapped around Bon Bon’s throat, while the other held another orb up to her mouth, her teeth closed around the pin. Neither side seemed to have noticed Mer. Hovering up to the ceiling, she folded up her forelegs and prepared to watch the show.

“Is that the Death Note?” Rainbow Dash called back, having to grunt around the metal in her mouth.

Bon Bon tutted, apparently unconcerned. “Sorry, dear,” she yelled across the room. “She was a little faster than I thought she’d be.”

L didn’t react to this. She lifted up the notebook with magic, unceasing in her glare. “What of it?” she asked.

“Drop it!” Rainbow demanded. She jangled the orb threateningly. “Or I’ll pull this pin and blow us both away!”

Twilight gasped, but L only rolled her eyes. “Miss Dash, you don’t even know what that does. Do you really think I would trust you with an even remotely deadly weapon?”

Dash considered this. “Well, no,” she admitted. “But I still bet it would hurt a lot if it went off right in somepony’s eye. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll...” She almost immediately ran out of ideas, settling for tightening her grip around Bon Bon’s neck. “I’ll do something bad! So drop it, now!”

L shrugged. “As you wish.” The Death Note hit the ground.

Twilight found her voice. “Rainbow, why are you doing this? We’re not your enemies.”

“You’re not. But she is!” the pegasus spat back, gesturing with her knee. “We figured it out. She’s been pulling the wool over our eyes the whole time. Kick it over to Twilight!” she demanded, gesturing again.

L raised an eyebrow. “Really, Rainbow?”

“Harpy, wait,” Twilight said. She looked at the detective, and then back at Dash, a dark fear taking shape in the pit of her stomach. “Dash, what are you talking about?”

“Don’t you get it?” Rainbow hissed. “There was no fourth Kira. She’s been using us to cover for herself from the beginning. You’re not Kira, Fluttershy’s not Kira, and Applejack’s not Kira. L is Kira!” She stretched out her leg and pointed wildly. “Now kick the bucking book!”

With a resigned sigh, the detective reached out and slid the Death Note in front of Twilight. “So much as look at a pencil and I’ll knock you out,” she hissed.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Twilight whispered back, hesitantly reaching down.

“Good,” Rainbow Dash said, nodding. “Now—” She froze, staring at the grenade in her outstretched hoof, then down at the pin still between her teeth. “Oh, p—”

With startling speed, Bon Bon bit down on Dash’s leg hard enough to draw blood, then nimbly dropped down when her grip loosened and shoved her away. In shock, Rainbow Dash lost her balance and dropped the orb, helplessly watching it fall parallel to her. It struck the ground at the same time she did, splitting open down the middle.

With a loud bang and a burst of dragonfire, Rainbow Dash disappeared. In the large room the ensuing smoke quickly rose up and dissipated, leaving only Bon Bon coughing. L rolled her eyes again. “What an absolutely pointless distraction,” she muttered.

Bon Bon clambered to her hooves. “Shall I see where she’s ended up?”

“Don’t bother,” L called back. “Save time and just unlock everything. She’s no real threat, and we’ll never be able to talk sense into her while she’s caged.” As Bon Bon scurried to another desk and began flipping switches, the detective glanced back towards Twilight. “Don’t worry about her,” she said. “Whatever lies Mer and Applejack have poisoned her with, we’ll soon get the truth out. I promise you that.”

There was no answer. Frowning, L turned around completely, looking Twilight in the face. “Twilight?” she asked.

Twilight had picked up the Note. She stared back at L, completely silent, mouth curling up into a smile.

Big Macintosh ran. He ran across dirt roads and muddied fields; he ran through ruined orchards and the cream of the crop. He ran as if his life depended on it. He ran faster than he’d ever run before, which was, it did not need to be said, very fast.

Colgate’s chain had faded from his hoof some time ago. He scarcely noticed its absence.

Around three quarters of the way to his destination, a pair of harsh voices put a stop to this flight into terror. A dual “Halt!” echoed overhead at the crest of a sunny hill, and Big Macintosh obediently slowed to a crawl. Two pegasus guards in iron plate, one white, the other an unfortunate off-white that hinted at a bad dye job, fluttered from the sky and landed in front of him. One of them cleared his throat. “Are you—”

“Guards!” Mac said loudly. “Just who Ah was hoping to see.” He reached out and clapped them both on the shoulder, panting for emphasis. “There’s a policemare a ways back there,” he said, pointing the way he’d come, “who’s fallen and can’t get up. She’s looking pretty beat up, so Ah was worried Ah’d hurt her more if Ah tried to carry her myself. Is there anything you folks can do for her?”

The pair glanced around him, one eyeing him suspiciously. “We’ll... see what we can do,” said the off-white one.

Mac nodded gratefully. “Thank you kindly. Best hurry, now.” Without another word, he darted between the two guards and galloped down the hill. Sparing a glance backwards, he saw the pair leaning one way, then the other, before rising into the air and flying in the direction where Colgate lay.

It wasn’t long before his destination came into view. A familiar clearing came up ahead, which he entered almost before he’d realized he’d arrived. Even in the day, spectral and nearly-invisible trees clustered around him curiously, but he ignored them, charging straight through them if they got in his way. At the centre of the clearing he skidded to a halt, throwing up a shower of mud, and then crashed to his knees.

The makeshift tombstone of his grandmother lay before him. He reached out and stroked the untreated wood, tracing the apple pie that Apple Bloom had so carefully drawn. “Granny...” he whispered. “Forgive us.” Then with a yell, he grabbed the plank and ripped it out of the ground.

Pinned to the underside of the wood was a piece of paper. A flick was all it took to rip it free. The page floated lazily to the ground, coming open as it fell. Written across the inside were names; dozens and dozens of names. The names of farmers. This was part of the deal he’d made with Mer. The random killing of criminals had not been enough, not if they wanted any chance of catching up with Byuk’s Kira, not if they wanted any chance of staying alive. In order to get the others to cooperate, he’d had to buy Mer’s story. In order to save his family, he’d paid a terrible, terrible price.

He hoped to Celestia that it was worth it.

One layer of dirt deeper, a pencil was buried under the page. He dug this out as well, brushing dirt from the tip, and pressed the page against the back of the plank, reminders of his past sins facing down. His calm exterior left him completely and he shook with fury. “Time to end this,” he whispered.

Grasping the pencil carefully between his teeth, he thought of a face, and a name.

“...Twilight?” L repeated.

A month and a half of memories screamed their way through Twilight’s brain. She stared back at L, numbly aware of a serpentine grin fixed to her face. And while her emotional side shuddered and cracked and hot iron flooded through the softness that had been her heart, the analytical part of her chirped unstoppably on. Assuming that Fluttershy knows about as much as I do, and that Mer followed the plan more or less as I asked her to, and given that we’re all still here and Applejack managed to escape alive, it means that Fluttershy probably went with a close variant of plan B. And if L came to me shortly after Applejack left the base, taking into account her injuries, the distance to Sweet Apple Acres, and the time for Big Macintosh to get to wherever he’s going, that means...

She’d planned out this moment dozens of times before. During breaks in her rage-fueled executions she’d pictured that smug green face blossoming into a work of agony, seen her most hated enemy collapsing to the ground time and time again. She’d rehearsed little speeches to herself, trying to capture the perfect last words for that murderer to hear, and once or twice had even practiced her triumphant laugh. She’d imagined running to catch her at the last second, clinging to her tight and feeling the life drain out of her. She’d known, right from the start, the exact, perfect face that she would make.

Instead, she simply smiled back at the detective, not triumphantly, but fondly. “Harpy?” she said, almost whispering. “We had some good times, didn’t we?”

L only looked puzzled. She opened her mouth to speak.

LYRA HEARTSTRINGS
HEART ATTACK
PAINFUL

All that emerged was a thin, strangled croak. Her lips twitched. She stopped and raised a hoof to her chest, more in disbelief than in pain, and then stiffly, awkwardly, toppled over.

Twilight didn’t catch her. She stayed where she was, Death Note resting in one hoof, secretly afraid that if she tried to raise her legs then she, too, would fall over. She heard Bon Bon start to scream, but her brain tuned it out, focused only on what was right in front of her. Before L hit the floor, everything that had come before had flashed before her eyes.

It was... all so simple. And you were so, so close. One more step from you, or one wrong step from me, and you could have caught me. But there was one thing you got wrong. This was a setup, right from the beginning, but it wasn’t of me. It was of Fluttershy.

First, I hid my Death Note and turned myself in as the First Kira, knowing full well that you would find this suspicious, but leaving you with no choice but to comply. Then I gave up my memories of the Note, returning me to who I was before I found it; a naive innocent, waiting for a justice that would never come. At the same time, I had Mer deliver the Death Note to both Big Macintosh and Applejack in turn, forcing them to resume the killing in my place. With the death toll rising and no way to prove our guilt, you would have no choice but to let us go, and no way of keeping an eye on us unless you let us join the investigation.

After that, it was a matter of waiting. I knew that the old part of me would want to seek out the pony who had, albeit indirectly, caused the deaths of two of her closest friends, and would help you seek out the new Kira with a vengeance. I also knew that, just as you wouldn’t let your suspicions go and would try to get close to me to learn my plan, I would get close to you to seek out the good in you and try my hardest to be your friend. It’s just the way I am.

I knew, of course, that a pony as clever as you would quickly work out the most obvious outcome of my plan: that I would pretend to be your ally until we captured the fake Kira, at which point I would take back the Note and reclaim my powers right under your nose. And so, to fool you a second time, I took a gamble in which every outcome worked in my favor. In addition to her story about two duelling gods of death, I told Mer to use hidden killings and verbal clues to frame a member of our team as an elusive “fourth Kira” in order to double the speed that our two sides would come together. In reality, such a pony never existed. Given her hatred for me, I knew that she wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to put the blame on me, forcing me to suffer an ironic fate while Fluttershy went free. But the moment that her trap was sprung, so was mine.

If you fell for Mer’s deception and arrested me, then Fluttershy would be free to leave, as according to the fake rules it is impossible for both of us to be Kira — even if you suspected she was working for me, she would be unable to use the Death Note for herself. Her enduring love for both Kira and me, along with a final love letter that I doubted even you would be so heartless as to deny her, would lead her to the hidden grove where my own Death Note lay buried. There, she would regain her memories and take my place as the new Kira. Sure, maybe she doesn’t have the same level of foresight as I do, but she’d already proved that she could handle the job. With my rules as well as not one but two gods of death watching over her, she really could have taken my place. I believe in her.

If, however, you saw through Mer’s deception and arrested Fluttershy instead, by the exact same rules you would have no choice but to release me in her place. By one means or another I would then regain access to the Death Note you recovered, and you would still need to allow Fluttershy to dig up mine to prove her guilt. No matter what path you chose, one of us would regain our memories and become Kira, and we would get one solid shot at killing you.

Because there’s one advantage we had that you never knew about. You never learned the secret of the trade for the Eyes of the Shinigami. You thought you were invincible because nopony knew your name, but you were dead the moment you let Fluttershy look at your face. Regardless of whether it was her or I that you suspected, Fluttershy would still have time to unleash my vengeance, either killing you directly or setting Applejack and Big Macintosh into motion. No matter what you tried, one of us would live, and you would die.

If there was anypony who I could have wanted as an opponent, it would have been you. You were smart. You were passionate. You had the best team and all the best tools at your disposal, and a shinigami who was on your side, if you had only told each other the truth. You even, towards the end, had the help of the magic of friendship. But I had the Death Note. I guess that in the end, that’s what really matters.

L’s head struck the stone floor. Twilight only watched, calmly, as the mint pony curled and writhed against the floor. Her death was not coming quickly; she clawed at her breast, spittle flying as she choked on air, her lower half spasming uncontrollably. Twilight felt no guilt at her pain. They’d known from the beginning that these would be their terms; right from the very first broadcast, when together they’d killed Caramel just to prove a point to each other, it had been the start of an unspoken agreement that only one of them would leave this game alive. But reassuring as this was, she wasn’t finding any joy in her enemy’s suffering, either. The conclusion to this grand, complex plan, which had made her cackle with delight when she’d first committed it to memory, now stared back at her as hollowly as an empty husk.

Slowly, she took a step forward, and found that her legs shook as she did so. Keeping the Death Note aloft, she shuffled up in front of L, stopping short as the wounded pony’s crazed and frantic eyes looked up towards her. She gulped and her smile started to crack, but she wouldn’t allow herself to show her opponent any signs of weakness, not in her moment of triumph. “Hey,” she said, just loud enough for her to hear. “Good game.”

L hissed in response. Something in her gaze shifted, and one corner of her mouth twitched upwards into a shaky grin. She let go of her chest and reached out to paw at Twilight’s leg, trying to breathe in and failing. At last, she got a grip on Twilight’s ankle and looked into her eyes, releasing her breath in a few wheezed, final words.

“Let’s play again... soon.”

And then there was nothing.

It felt like a very, very long time passed. All on its own, the hoof clutching Twilight’s leg released its hold and slid down to the floor. Twilight stepped back, her face still frozen. She felt as though half of her insides had turned to stone, blood crashing in waves against her hardened organs, the parts still flesh being ripped to shreds as the two sides ground together, and for a moment she wondered if Big Macintosh had carried out his vengeful curse on her, as well. The prospect did not bring with it any fear.

So.

This is what victory feels like.

But this sensation didn’t last. Reality came flooding back in waves, faster with every pulse of information, until it could no longer escape Twilight’s attention that not only was Bon Bon still screaming, but the noise was rapidly changing in pitch.

Twilight looked up, her senses rapidly returning to her. Bon Bon had made it about halfway across the room before stopping in place and keeling over. Twilight’s first thought that Kira had struck again dried up as she realized the mare was clutching not at her heart, but at her skull, her eyes shut painfully tight. Her screams, which had been shrill to begin with, were only growing higher and louder; the beads on the abacus nearby were beginning to rattle. Then, before the startled unicorn’s eyes, something else changed as well. There was a crack as the air around Bon Bon glowed green, sparking with magics that no pony could produce, and with the sound of tearing flesh, a dark, curved horn erupted from her forehead.

Bon Bon’s hooves hit the floor. She began to run, bits of skin flaking off around her ankles, still screaming. From her forehead, a green glow crawled across her skull, transforming as it went. Her ears became ragged. Flat teeth became fangs. Flesh became dark and hairless. For the second time in as many minutes, a barrage of memories shot through Twilight’s mind all at once.

Quite the motherly type “experience in helping ponies through bad news”

draped over her like a second blanket

“I share my bed with an earth pony, after all.”

some of the fear fell away from her face

“ghosts... affect her”

“She can do so many voices...” “It’s her job to keep me happy.”

“Don’t take her away from me.”

The creature opened its eyes. As it completed its charge, it wasn’t a pony that leaped towards Twilight, fangs bared, but a black-shelled, insect-winged monstrosity, its bright blue eyes burning with animalistic hatred.

Bon Bon was a changeling.

Diabolical scheming made a hasty retreat and pushed gut instinct out in its place. Twilight yelped and teleported away, landing several yards behind her attacker. She instantly cast a bubble around herself and charged a simple magic bolt, spinning around and preparing to counterattack. “Hah!”

She stopped. The creature hadn’t been aiming at her at all. She had instead thrown herself on top of L’s body, nuzzling her mane, eyes now closed. Her frail wings buzzed sporadically and she made tiny, inequine mewling noises. Some parts of her were still pony, centered around her back legs and tail, being eaten away as green magic crawled along them. The three wrapped candies on her flank were the last thing to disappear.

Twilight gulped. She lowered her shield and approached cautiously, still expecting a trap. The Bonling didn’t move. This supposedly heartless creature was curled and trembling like a kitten, head and shoulders shaking with what, from a pony, would have been sobbing. Twilight wondered if it was physically possible for a changeling to cry.

Eventually, the childlike noises stopped. Shakily, the creature raised her head. Twilight lit her horn up threateningly, but the Bonling didn’t seem to notice. Dark fire swirled around her mouth, and when it cleared her teeth were flat once more, lips pale. Out of this alien, parasitic creature, Bon Bon’s familiar voice floated forth. “Was she right?”

There was no point in lying. Twilight looked down, swallowed hard, and honored her fallen foe in the only way she could. “Yes.”

Bon Bon nodded in understanding. She reached out with her pointed snout and carefully closed each of L’s eyes, then, for the final time, kissed her with her pony lips. She then let go and stood up, wiping away a greenish fluid that leaked from the corner of her mouth. “Don’t worry,” she said to Twilight, looking at her with an utterly unreadable expression. “I’ll take care of it.”

The room erupted in light. Twilight had to take a step backwards as a pillar of fire engulfed Bon Bon, all but obscuring her from view. The high-pitched screaming began again, interspersed with mad changeling laughter. Patches of pelt appeared in flashes and assembled themselves like a jigsaw. When the light cleared, she no longer looked like herself, or anyone at all. The body and mane were that of Fluttershy, or a close approximation thereof... but the claws, the fangs, and the wide, ravenous eyes all belonged, unmistakably, to Mer.

The new form grinned, and a deep, gravelly voice rumbled out. “I’ll destroy her.” Then, before Twilight could move or even think, the creature turned and, half running, half flying, charged out the door.

After a few seconds, Twilight blinked. “Huh.”

This momentary reprieve was interrupted as she was startled yet again, this time by Mer crashing into the floor right next to her. The pale god ignored her shriek and advanced further, backing her into the corner, all the while gnashing her teeth in fury. “What have you done?” she demanded. “What did you tell her?”

Twilight halted. She steadied herself as Mer tried to keep walking forward, only succeeding in pacing around the unicorn like an animal. She grinned. “Nothing she didn’t know already,” she answered, disconcertingly calm. “And it looks like it’s too late for me to stop her.”

“You... traitor!” Mer rose up into the air, wings and claws extending. “Double-crossing meat murderer! You dare to turn against me now?”

“Hey, it wasn’t me who tried to mess with the plan,” Twilight answered, turning away nonchalantly. “If you’d just done what I said and not tried to frame me, L wouldn’t have picked up on your stupid plan and gone after Fluttershy instead. Don’t try taking this out on me, because it’s your fault, not mine.” She felt the air behind her grow colder, and the shinigami’s rage-filled growling grow louder. While Mer couldn’t see her face, she stifled a gulp and took some deep breaths to still her fluttering heart. “Oh, and before you make any rash moves,” she added, “there’s one more thing you should know.” She turned to face her, smiling confidently. “I knew all along.”

Their gazes met. Twilight held her breath, keeping her smile steady, waiting for a reaction.

And so, the final stage of my plan comes into play.

I always knew this was a risk. You’ve never liked me, but before now your threats were nothing more than bluffs; the laws of your world forbade you from touching me as long as I was bound to Byuk. Now, I’m at your mercy. This Death Note I’m holding won’t protect me; I don’t own it, not while Big Mac is still alive, and even if I did, I would only be bound to you. With your Death Note, you can kill me however you want.

But here’s the thing, Mer. You don’t know that.

Right now, the only pony who can save Fluttershy is you. If you do this, you will die. That’s a big sacrifice to make, especially for someone who has the choice of living forever. But I’ve been watching you closely, Mer, and I’ve seen the way you look at her. I saw how you reacted when I talked about losing a friend. Geldus was important to you, more than you’ll ever admit, and this little pony is the only thing of his you have left. Whether you’ll accept it or not, I think you do know about the magic of friendship, and I don’t believe you’ll do nothing to protect it.

But that still leaves me. There’s nothing stopping you from killing me and then shooting off to the rescue... nothing except this bluff. For all your watching and guessing and speculating, you can’t prove that I never gave up Byuk’s Death Note to begin with. You don’t know I’m not just that good an actor. And if I’ve had my memories all along, then there’s nothing you can do to me. Will you take that risk? Clock is ticking, Mer; will you waste precious seconds writing down a name that won’t do anything? Will you face torture and death by killing me with your own claws? For all your posturing, you’re no better than a pony; you were born with the power to take any life you choose, but right now, you can only give your life for one.

So what will it be, Mer? Vengeance? Or friendship?

Her smile was frozen onto her face; the cold air kept her from sweating. Everything hanging on this moment, she fixed the scowling, seething god with a knowing gaze and waited.

Mer growled once more, but it was forced. Even with fury written on her face, she too seemed to understand the urgency of the situation. With a last, spiteful glance, she withdrew her claws and floated away down the corridor.

Finally, there was silence. Twilight sighed to herself, now genuinely smiling. “Well, can’t stop now,” she said to herself. “Time to wrap this up.”

Stepping gingerly around L’s corpse, she approached the central abacus and peered into it. Minty’s memory crystals twinkled from somewhere within her depths. If Mer was here the whole time up until Applejack’s release, Twilight reasoned, then L wouldn’t have been able to discuss her suspicions with anyone for fear of being found out. I doubt she said anything to Spike, either; she couldn’t risk him looking nervous when he went to collect Fluttershy. Which means that the only evidence that Fluttershy has a Death Note is right here. Gingerly, she reached out with her magic. Which means that all I have to do is...

Surprisingly little, as it turned out. As soon as Twilight started to lift the first of the crystals from its casement, it started to glow brighter until it was almost painful to look at, then blew up. A second later, every other crystal within the machine followed suit, filling the abacus’ insides with crystal fragments and sending a spray of shards in all directions. Only a quick shield prevented Twilight from being showered in razored crystal pieces. A wave of violet light shot out around the room, crackling from screen to screen, and then vanished. “Huh,” she said once her senses were clear. “That was easy.”

Job done, she turned and trotted towards one of the nearby desks. Finally looking down at the Death Note she held, she flipped it open to the first page. “And now,” she said, picking up one of L’s quills, “all that’s left is to tie up some loose ends.”

Locket hadn’t moved since Big Macintosh had left. She’d stayed where she was, her breaths lengthening and shortening but never regulating, unable to look away from the body in the middle of the room. Apple Bloom, however, seemed to be handling the situation better than she was. The filly hadn’t cried, or even made a noise, but had stirred herself enough to walk out of the room and up the stairs, returning a minute later with a familiar brown hat that she’d put onto Applejack’s smiling head. She’d then lain down next to her, pressing herself against her sister’s belly, and wriggled under one of her legs in a lukewarm, morbid embrace.

After a while, Apple Bloom spoke, the first time she had put out more than a word at once since Locket had arrived. “Locket?” she asked. “Will you sing something for me?”

“Um...” Shakily, but then firmly, Locket nodded. “Of... of course. What do you want me to sing?”

The filly shrugged. “Somethin’.”

Quiet fell, and Locket clamped her mouth shut. She tried to tell herself that her brain had gone blank, but that wasn’t the case at all; one song had sprung instantly to mind. She tried to ignore it or think of something else, but the melody persisted, echoing louder and louder until she could ignore it no longer. “There is... one song I know,” she said, much as her inner self protested. “It was the last song my Mama Lillywhite sang to me. It reminds me of her.” She pursed her lips and looked up. “Is that okay?”

Again, Apple Bloom only shrugged.

“...Okay.” Locket stepped forward. She took a few deep, shaky breaths, trying and failing to steady herself, but when the first words came out, they came out smooth and slow.

“My little pony, the hour’s grown lonely

and bedtime is coming so soon

come up and creep to the place where we sleep

as we hide from the eyes of the Moon.”

Mer retraced her path through the bowels of the underground complex, utterly and deliberately lost. Every door she passed was now open; every room was empty. It still seemed absurd to her that ponies, those fleshy, squishy, emotionally clouded pieces of filth, could have built such a place where she felt at once trapped and perfectly at home.

This is not about Fluttershy, she told herself, reaching back along her side. This is not about friendship. She traced the black rectangle on her left flank. Under her touch, what had at first appeared to be a symbol transformed. The darkness rippled under her hoof, peeling away from the bones that were her flesh, until she held her own Death Note in front of her. Its cover was blank, inside and out, without so much as a speck of dust obstructing the blackness.

“The ocean of night-time is filling the sky

to soothe all the pains of the day

just lay down your head at the end of the bed

and let the dark float you away.”

This is not about Geldus, she continued. It isn’t. It can’t be. Already, she felt lighter than she’d been before. It wasn’t about the numbers — every death would change someone’s lifespan, somewhere, for better or for worse — but intent. She knew what she was about to do, she could feel herself already doing it, and so her insides were already turning to dust in protest, falling away like a thin stream.

No, she decided. This is about revenge. But I won’t kill you yet, Twilight Sparkle. That would only break Fluttershy’s heart. She flipped her Death Note open; at her unspoken command, all its pages became blank. A quill materialized between her claws. But my revenge will still be complete. Even death won’t stop me from taking what you love away from you.

“But if you’re afraid while the silence flows down

I’ll stand by your side in the stream

it’s daytime somewhere

at the world that we share

in the place where we go when we dream.”

Far above and away, Bon Bon careened wildly through the air. Her long tongue lolled out, her legs dangling uselessly, wings flapping without rhythm or direction; she clearly hadn’t flown in a very long time, if at all. Even so, a grim determination drove her on, towards a cottage coming into view on the horizon. She’d already overtaken Spike, whom she’d glimpsed still puffing along steadily along the path.

“When you close your eyes you’ll go flying away

to a landscape that only we know

where there’s sweetness abound and adventures are found

just wherever that you want to go.”

Revenge consumed her. Violence was her only thought. For her, one way or another, this would be the end.

BON BON L-43-01
heart attack
now

Spread throughout her body, the five ridged, grape-sized muscles that served as her hearts simultaneously seized up and stopped. Her wings halted mid-flap, then crumbled. Without even the green fire that normally accompanied it, her disguise vanished as she began to fall, a snarl frozen on her face. Long before she landed, the lights in her eyes had grown dark.

“There aren’t any bullies or monsters or fears

or the darkness that walks in the day

the whole world’s asleep with the stillness that keeps

all the wandering shadows at bay.”

Mer felt herself vanish. Dust poured out of her like water, dissolving her from the inside out, leaving a trail as she drifted down the hallway. Still she kept writing, furiously inking out a second name below that of the bug-pony’s, followed by a considerably longer description. She felt nothing as her hind legs drifted away from her completely, only speeding up in her writing. Almost the very second that she finished the final word, the hoof that was holding up the notebook collapsed, dropping the Death Note onto the floor.

With a sigh, Mer stopped and dropped down. With her last remaining hoof, she tore the page with two names free and set it alight, burning it into the same impossibly fine ash that now surrounded her. She then lay there, numbly feeling the remains of her body break away from her, and pushed the deadly notebook closed.

“So I promise you that the nightmares won’t come

not while you and I are a team

you won’t be alone

you’ll always be home

in the place where we go when we dream.”

Dust started to cloud her vision. Dimly, she was aware of rapid hoofsteps coming towards her. She smiled a thin, venomous smile, and then this too vanished.

“In dreams you’re whoever that you want to be

but the best one to be is still you

I’ll stay by your side as you soar far and wide

and make all of your wishes come true.”

Big Macintosh’s lungs ached. After all this time, he was still running; he’d taken the long way back in hopes of avoiding the guards. He stopped for breath, resting in the shade of a tree, and watched for movement ahead. Nothing stood between him and his home but space. He straightened up, smiling in relief and exhaustion.

“Hey!” a voice barked behind him. He started to turn, then abandoned the gesture and simply ran. He heard more shouting, then the pounding of hooves and the clank of armor, but this only spurred him faster. Love drove him on, a love that would not stop for anything.

“Everyone plays all the games that you want

nopony will turn you away

and you’re never lonely, you’re my one and only

from night-time and all through the day.”

He was so close. The open door was in view. Heart leaping into his throat, he opened his mouth to yell.

Twilight smiled.

Big Macintosh

“Your family’s waiting to welcome you home

with candies and cookies and creams

your friends will be there

you’ll play without care

in the place where we go when we dream.”

The noises from outside were getting louder, but Apple Bloom didn’t seem to have noticed them yet. She barely moved at all. Locket found herself edging closer and closer as she sang, watching her little chest rise and fall, seeking for movement behind her closed eyes. A tiny smile was on her face, perfectly mirroring her sister’s.

“The curtains are closing, it’s time for goodnight

and soon I’ll be gone far away

but sweetheart don’t weep, I’ll be here when you sleep

and I’ll always have more time to play.”

Apple

Locket felt her voice crack. She shuddered, struggling to keep herself composed, but she couldn’t stop the words spilling out of her.

“Our world full of sunshine will last through the night

and nothing is lost if it’s shared
Apple Bloo

if you’re always kind then some day you will find

when you wake up you’re already there.”

She was crying. She told herself she didn’t know why.

“So hush little Shoeshine, remember this song

there’s no need to hide or to scream

this isn’t the end

I’ll see you again
Appl

in the place where we go when we dream.”

With a last groan of frustration, Twilight tore the page out of her notebook and threw it away, blasting it with a bolt of fire. Its incinerated remains floated to the ground, invisible among the ash from the grenade.

Locket stopped. Her voice, as well as the song, halted. Her throat felt clogged; she doubted she could speak, let alone sing another note. She slid to her rump and sniffed loudly, wiping her nose on her foreleg. After a while, Apple Bloom spoke. “Thank you.”

With a gulp, Locket answered. “You’re welcome.”

All was quiet until the guards burst through the open door.

Twilight stretched. Carelessly, she tore her wristwatch from L’s leg and wrapped it back around her own, patting the glass surface with a smile. With a mighty, heaving sigh, she sat down in L’s chair. She reached out, leg trembling, and dropped the Death Note onto the desk. Nothing changed when it left her grip. The notebook was hers now. She was, once again, Kira.

But just when it seemed like everything had finally come to a halt, one more noise drifted up to her from the corridors. “Twilight?”

Her ears pricked up. She recognized the voice and the direction and connected them to two more stray threads that she’d neglected to tie up. Fast as she could, she was back on her hooves and galloping towards the noise. “Rainbow, wait!” she yelled back.

“Twilight?” Rainbow Dash called excitedly. “I think I found something!” Twilight tried to respond, but instead had to stop and yelp in pain. The rush to the central chamber had been bad enough after a night tied stiffly to a chair, but this abrupt gallop had pushed her to her limits and past them; she’d just pulled muscles in both her back legs simultaneously. Grimacing, she staggered onwards, her fears confirmed as she saw a trail of dust form along the floor in front of her.

Rounding the nearest corner, she caught sight of Rainbow Dash and stopped dead. The pegasus was crouched in front of a large grey pile at the trail’s end, poking at the mass with her hoof. “What is this stuff?” she asked. “Some kind of spell residue?” With a swipe and a flap of her wings, she moved more of the dust away, revealing a thin black notebook buried underneath.

Twilight darted forward, raising a hoof in warning. “Dash, don’t touch it!” she yelled.

It was too late. Rainbow Dash reached down and scooped up the book, breathing in sharply as she recognized the design. “Is this what I think it is?” she asked.

Twilight didn’t bother to answer. She came to a halt beside her friend, pretending to pant for breath, all the while glaring at the Death Note in her hooves. Congratulations, Rainbow Dash, she thought glumly. You’re the fourth Kira.

“Twilight...” Dash said slowly. “This is proof. Applejack was right. I was right!” She turned towards Twilight and raised the notebook high, starting to shout. “This is L’s Death Note!”

It was only then that Twilight realized the full extent of what she had done.

One by one, they returned to the base. One by one, they heard the news. One by one, they came across the same sight.

Twilight lay on the floor with L, clinging to her body the same way she’d clung to Pinkie Pie. She wept into her mane, eyes tightly closed, looking for all the world as though she wished to die herself.

She did not have to pretend. The tears were real.

Dear Applejack,

I love you. You and the girls are my best friends and you all mean so much more to me than a silly piece of paper could ever tell you. If I could I would write down I love you a hundred million times and it still wouldn’t be enough, but I have a lot of letters to write and not a lot of time, so I’ll have to settle for writing it just a few times and asking you to read it really, really hard. I love you. Whatever happens, wherever we go from here, I want you to remember that.

If you’re reading this, it means I’m not around any more. This is when things start to get fuzzy. I don’t know when she’ll come for me, of if she’ll come for me at all, but I can promise you one thing: whatever you think has happened to me, it wasn’t what it looked like. I need you to know this because if she can’t get what she wants from me, she’ll come after you next. Please don’t ask me how I know this. It would break your heart if you knew.

So far, I’ve been trying to make things easier for everypony by giving gifts and spreading cheer, but that’s something I can’t do right now. I’m really sorry, but instead, there’s something I need you to do for me. It might not make sense right away, but I need you to Pinkie Promise you’ll do it, okay? No loopholes! If the worst happens, go to Twilight. She has the answers, but she doesn’t know it right now. That’s a last resort, though, and I mean that. The most important thing is this.

I need you to find my body. I need you to keep me safe.

Your bestest friend forever,

Pinkie Pie.

PS: Just kidding about the no-present part. I made a photo album of all my favorite moments with you. It’s hidden in my closet.

Author's Note

I know that for some of you, this is where the story ends.

I can understand the reason. I know what many of you are thinking right now because I've thought it myself many times, before and during the writing of this: "Death Note the series just wasn't as good after L died." (Warning: The previous sentence contains spoilers. If you wish to avoid spoilers, do not read the previous sentence.) And if you feel this way, I'm afraid you're in the right. I'm far in the minority in that I actually liked Near, but there's no arguing that he was a poor replacement for L. Light got sloppier and unluckier with his plans, and Mello and Near spent as much time fighting each other as they did Kira. Although both sides managed to pull themselves together in time for the finale and scored a memorable victory using the magic of friendship - no seriously, that's pretty much how it happens - the road leading up to it just wasn't as much fun as the previous arcs had been.

So we're going to do something a bit different.

Just so no one accuses me of being misleading: yes, there are going to be a Mello-pony and a Near-pony. However, they're no longer Twilight's primary antagonists, but instead act as what they always should have been: stepping-stones to something greater. There's an all-new villain stirring in Equestria, one who's ready to take all you think you know about the Death Note saga and crush it into a fine paste.

Maybe L's the only anti-Kira for you, and I won't begrudge you that. If you wish to leave now, I won't blame you, nor will I try to stop you. But if you'll let me tempt you just a little while longer, there's a whole new adventure waiting just around the corner. The choice is yours.

See you on the other side.
-9

Embers - Interlude #2

32
(Interlude #2)
*Embers*

In the end, she just wasn’t strong enough.

Derpy spent the day curled up on the roof of her best friend’s house, listening to the empty home creak and settle under her hooves.

It rained again that afternoon, but only for a short time. Most of the storm had been used up the previous night; the water that was left had a piercing coldness to it, the kind that clung to the body and left a bitter taste in all it touched. A fog descended onto Ponyville and brought a ghostly chill with it, the final autumnal dampness that would not truly leave until the end of winter washed it all away. There would not be another warm day this year.

Night came early, though perhaps it only seemed that way. The evening brought with it another breath of coldness, as though the sky itself had sighed, and pyres to the end of summer’s warmth flickered in hearths across town. In a small cottage on the border of both Ponyville and the Everfree Forest, one of these fires was just beginning to die.

At Fluttershy’s splintered writing desk, Twilight Sparkle hunched over a pair of open notebooks, her tongue partially stuck out in concentration. With utmost precision, she ran a tiny surgical knife down the spine of the open book on her left, seamlessly extracting one blank page. A waiting stick then floated over and smeared the cut edge with a special book glue from the library before the whole leaf drifted over and nestled between the open pages of the book on her right. With a couple last, careful tugs to make sure that it was in exactly the right place, Twilight carefully aimed her horn and shot a needle-thin line of gently searing energy along the edge to fuse the page in place, then turned three pages over and began the process again.

Fluttershy sat on the edge of her bed, watching Twilight work with a faint smile. She ran a fine-toothed comb through the entire length of her mane; she’d missed an appointment with her hairdresser while she’d been imprisoned, so it was starting to get long even for her. She kept up the grooming in the way that Twilight had instructed, going through each patch several times. Over the bed itself, Byuk hovered soundlessly. He held an apple in his talons, but for once wasn’t biting into it right away, instead watching it and the mares in front of him with an unusually thoughtful expression. It was just the three of them; no animals had followed them up the stairs.

After several lengthy minutes, Twilight finally lowered her tools and leaned back to catch her breath. “How’s your magic?” Fluttershy asked, snatching the opportunity to speak without interrupting.

“It’s fine,” Twilight answered. She looked back gratefully, but didn’t smile. “The Seal ate my excess magic as fast as I could make it, so I’m not overloading from underuse. By the morning I should be back at full strength again.”

“I’m happy.” Her smile widening, Fluttershy laid her comb aside and darted forward, nuzzling Twilight’s neck as she started to turn back towards her work. “Do you have to finish this now?” she asked, rubbing her hooves across her marefriend’s shoulders. “It’s over. There’s no danger any more.” Her voice became quieter, but her mouth drifted closer and closer to Twilight’s ears. “I thought we could... maybe... if you want... celebrate?”

Twilight twitched once and then shoved her away. “Some of my friends died today,” she said flatly. “This is no time for celebrations, of any kind.”

Fluttershy shrank away. “Oh,” she mumbled, retreating to the safety of the far side of the bed. “I just thought... since you wanted to stay with me...”

“With you?” Twilight wrinkled her nose. “I’m only here because this is the one place I can work without somepony else constantly checking on me. There’s nothing suspicious about somepony wanting to spend time with their marefriend after a tragedy. If I could get away with it, I would work alone.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy repeated, vanishing even further behind her own mane. “I’m sorry.” She turned and stared morosely into the fireplace. The flames held no reflection in her eyes. Somewhere in the ashes was the letter that Twilight had written to her, those eternal weeks ago. “When I killed Applejack,” she said after a pause, “I made it painless. I told her to die happy.”

Knife halfway to another page, Twilight paused again. She breathed in sharply, her teeth clenched and her eyes tightly shut, and a spark of purple crackled down her horn. Even so, her words came out calm and measured. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

The pegasus allowed herself a small smile. “You’re welcome.”

“She’s right, though, isn’t she?” Byuk said at last. He stretched, his dark wings brushing and passing through the ceiling. “It really is over. I almost can’t believe it.” He turned to face Twilight fully, watching her with an almost foal-like expression of awe. “You took on both L and Mer, and you still beat them both, fair and square. I feel like I should be giving you a prize.”

“No.” Twilight shook her head. She twisted away and stood up, her concentration now well and truly broken. “No, this isn’t over. Not by a long shot. If I were the melodramatic type, I might say that it’s only just beginning.”

“What?” Fluttershy gasped. “But... I don’t understand. We beat L, right?”

“We did, yes. But L was never my real opponent.” Her gaze drifted between Fluttershy and Byuk. Both were staring at her in incomprehension. “You still don’t get it?” she snapped. “Misguided as she was, Harpy was still one of the greatest minds in Equestria, maybe the world. Do you think she didn’t know her aide was a changeling? More importantly, do you think she was with her willingly?”

The others watched in silent confusion as Twilight hopped onto and over the bed, scowling into the spitting fireplace. “Bon Bon wasn’t there to protect her,” she continued. “She was there to keep her in line. That’s what changelings do; they seduce, and they control. Most solo infections are fatal after a few months. The two of them were together for eight years.” She trembled furiously, her tail twitching from side to side. “First, she sucked out her love. Then, she drank away her fear. And after that... she took everything else. All her memories, all her dreams, everything that made Harpy Chords Harpy Chords, stripped away piece by piece until there was nothing left but logic and pain. She was a puppet. No... she was a golem. A doll made from flesh, hollowed out and made to fight crime, without distractions, without fear, and without ever stopping. The perfect little detective.”

Fluttershy gulped. She slowly edged closer, and this time Twilight didn’t push her away. “She wasn’t perfect,” the pegasus said quietly. “She couldn’t beat you.”

“I know.” Twilight sniffed, revealing something other than anger in her voice. “And that might be the worst part. They couldn’t drain her completely; they had to leave just enough of her soul to keep her alive. Deep down, I think Harpy... no.” She shook her head again, drawing up the name that Rainbow Dash had told her, the one that eight years of servitude had tried to bury. “Lyra Heartstrings. Lyra was still in there somewhere, trying to get out. I think I met her once, right near the end. Her music was so beautiful. And now, she’s...”

Her voice broke, and her shoulders shook. Her head drooped ever lower, uncomfortably close to the glowing logs. Fluttershy wrapped a wing around her. “It wasn’t your fault,” she whispered. “You didn’t know.”

“I should have known,” Twilight snapped. “The signs were there. I should have been trying to save her. But now that she’s gone, all I’ve done is condemned another pony to take her place.” The sadness left her and her voice hardened again. “And that’s why this isn’t over. Because if L is the greatest weapon against Kira that Equestria has... then the pony with the power to create L is the most dangerous enemy of all.”

She turned away from the flames. “So that’s why I won’t be accepting any prizes just yet,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at Byuk. “And that’s why you and I,” she continued, planting a surprise kiss on the tip of Fluttershy’s nose, “have a lot of work to do. Round two is starting, for real this time. But this time, things are going to be different.”

Moving swiftly, Twilight grabbed Fluttershy’s forehooves in her own and pulled the startled mare upright. Leaning heavily against one another, they began a slow waltz to the beat of the crackling of the fire. “This time, we’re going to be the hunters,” Twilight whispered. “We now have three Death Notes under our control: Byuk’s is owned by you, Geldus’ is owned by me, and Mer’s is owned by...” She sighed. “Rainbow Dash. Once my new Life Note is finished, that’ll give us a total of four killer notebooks at our disposal, when nopony believes that more than two even exist. And now that everypony thinks that L was Kira all along, it’ll be easy for me to take over the team for good and point them in a new direction.”

Byuk’s ear twitched. Although he couldn’t be certain, he would have sworn that from somewhere he heard soft string music, perfectly in time with the two mares’ dancing. “What direction’s that?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Twilight purred. She spun Fluttershy around herself, finally matching the other mare’s contented smile. “I’m in exactly the same position that L was in when she started chasing me. I don’t know who I’m after, where they might be, or if they even have a name, but I know that the threat’s out there somewhere. And I know that if more innocent lives are at stake, then I won’t stop at anything to find them.”

The god’s smile blossomed outwards. “I don’t know who it is either,” he exclaimed. “We really have gone back to the beginning.”

“But what next?” Fluttershy asked, a twinge of worry in her voice. She paused to allow Twilight to momentarily lift her into the air, spreading her wings to help. While her own diet had been steadily improving over the past week, Twilight was growing increasingly frail. “Even if we win, how are you going to keep up with your work while looking for L’s maker? Will you... will you still be Kira?”

Twilight slowed. Instead of answering directly, she leaned back and smiled up at the god floating over them. “Byuk?” she said. “Do you remember what I told you, when we first met?”

“Um...”

“I told you I was going to become the ruler of the new world.” She snorted in amusement. “I was being facetious, of course. I never thought that Kira would end up as anything more than a footnote in Equestria’s history, even back then. But now?” She smiled bitterly, turning back to look fully into Fluttershy’s open eyes. “It’s only now that I’m starting to realize just how wrong I was.”

The dance intensified. A log tumbled over in a shower of sparks, sending Twilight and Fluttershy whirling across the room before rejoining in front of the mantlepiece. “We’re not justice, Fluttershy,” she continued. “We’re not heroes. We’re killers, you and me both. Kiras to the ends of the earth. We’re everything Lyra always said we were; we’re scum, we’re murderers, we’re deluded little foals trying to fix the world with powers we don’t even understand.” Her eyes sparkled. “And I say let’s prove her right.

“There’s no going back for ponies like us. If we’re going to be monsters, let’s be monsters like Equestria’s never seen. Monsters so great and terrible, the world will never need another monster again.” She spun Fluttershy around in the middle of the room, faster and faster, leaving the other mare panting and struggling to keep up. “We’ll be the creature that every pony who walks in the darkness fears. We’ll be the apex predators, the monsters that eat other monsters, the evil that lurks in the hearts of all ponies. We’ll fill their campfire stories and their legends; we’ll haunt the nightmares that make grown mares scream themselves awake; we’ll be the bogeycorns that parents use to threaten their foals.” She drew Fluttershy close, giggling and whispering into her ear. “If you don’t eat your alfalfa, I’m going to tell Kira on you!”

After a second to catch her breath, Fluttershy giggled as well. “No more bullies,” she answered, feeling herself fill up with excitement. “No more murderers. No more things that go bump in the night. We’ll be scarier than all of them!”

“Now you’re getting it.” Twilight grinned and spun Fluttershy away, releasing her from the embrace only to tangle her up in another. “If this world can’t be taught to love us, then we’ll teach it to fear us instead. All other evils will be stomped out, one by one, and we’ll slip into their places. No one will ever be tempted to walk down the path to darkness if all that lies that way is us. But there’ll always be a resistance; something to give the naive ponies who still believe in old justice hope. A group of faceless noponies, the one defence against the last true evil in the world.” She smirked. “A group led by me.”

“That’s perfect!”

“I know it is.” The unheard music began to wind down. Twilight drew Fluttershy close and then leaned her over backwards, lowering her almost to the floor. “But we won’t be rulers,” she murmured, leaning over her marefriend like a blanket. Her muzzle passed over her warm, quivering throat; she could feel her rapid heartbeat. “We’re not here to lead, not monsters like us. A better word would be...” Their lips were almost touching.

“Goddesses.”

They stayed that way for several long seconds. Twilight’s eyes shifted, no longer locked on her partner’s, but on something slightly to her left. As Fluttershy ever so slightly strained forward, Twilight drew her head back. “Shy? Don’t move,” she said in a more natural voice. Then she let go.

Fluttershy pinwheeled in the air for a second before her limbs gave out and she fell onto her back with a squeak. Twilight moved away, zipping to the side of the bed. “Aw,” Byuk muttered, rolling onto his own back and finally taking a bite of his apple. “That was starting to get good, for a second there.”

Quick as she’d left, Twilight returned with the discarded comb and tucked it carefully behind Fluttershy’s ear. “And... gotcha!” she announced triumphantly, pulling it away with a tiny metallic shape caught in the tines. She took this over to the desk, while Fluttershy rolled disappointedly onto her hooves. A quick blast of purple light caused the camera louse to disentangle itself from the comb and stand to attention on the wooden surface. “Fully charged and restored to default settings,” Twilight announced proudly. “Once I’ve locked it to a screen, I’ll be able to use this to keep track of you while I’m gone.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I should also ask Colgate about copying spells, in case we need to communicate without the risk of being traced...”

While she pondered, Fluttershy crept up behind her. “Twilight?” she asked at even less than her usual volume. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, what?”

“Who’s Moondancer?”

Twilight froze. Catching the cue, Byuk froze as well, the apple’s core halfway to his mouth. “Who told you that name?” Twilight asked coldly.

“N-nopony.” Hesitantly, she reached past Twilight and touched the notebook that was now hers, flipping back to the first page. “I, um, I was looking through some of your old names this morning, and I noticed... that.” She pointed to the top corner of the book. “Who was she?”

Twilight stared. The dedication stared back, less than two months old but written by what felt like a decades younger version of herself. She remembered when she’d made a point of looking at it every night; now, she wasn’t sure when it had even last crossed her mind.

For Moondancer.

“Fluttershy?” Twilight turned again. Her smile had returned, a far softer smile than before. Something subtle in her face had changed; she seemed a little as she had been without her memories. “Thank you for reminding me.”

With a sharp tug of her head, a line of magic tore the page from the book. She crumpled it into a ball and hurled it across the room, scoring a direct hit in the fireplace and looking back before it burst into flames. “I can’t have you keeping anything with my writing on it,” she continued, leafing through the pages. “We’ll have to destroy all of these so they can’t be identified if you’re captured. I should have done this a long time ago, actually.” She smiled up at Fluttershy briefly, only to notice her quivering eyes and trembling lips. “What’s wrong?” When she didn’t answer, Twilight put the book down and faced her fully. “Come on, what’s the matter?”

“T-Twilight?” Fluttershy whispered, barely audible. “Do you still hate me?”

She’d been prepared for this. “Only as much as I hate myself.”

“Oh... I’m glad.” Fluttershy forced a smile. “I was... worried that you were maybe still mad at me. I know we’re partners now, but... sometimes it feels like I’m just a burden to you.”

“A burden?” Twilight put on her most innocent face. “Shy, Mer is gone now. There’s no one watching out for you. If I wanted you gone, believe me, you would be gone.” When this failed to immediately calm Fluttershy’s nerves, she sighed and shifted over to the edge of the bed, waving Byuk off and gesturing for Fluttershy to sit beside her. Hesitantly, the pegasus acquiesced, snuggling up to her side. “You were the one who bailed me out during the Applejack fiasco,” Twilight continued. “If this new opponent is anything like L, then I’m almost certainly going to need your help again before the end. Whether either of us likes it or not, you’re the only pony I can really trust right now. Heck, if you look at it that way...” Her smile softened, and she gently stretched a foreleg around Fluttershy’s side. “You’re the only pony I can really call my friend any more.” She muttered under her breath. “Sad as that might be.”

“Thank you.” Fluttershy nestled closer, but also shivered. “I’m just scared, Twilight. I wasn’t always on your side. In fact, for a little while, I... hated you.” She gulped. “Back when I was the old me, and I thought that you’d killed Rarity and Pinkie Pie. That was... it was too much. I lost my faith. If Locket hadn’t told me that it was just a misunderstanding, then even if I’d found your letter, I might... I might have...”

She stopped when she realized that Twilight had stiffened. They sat there a moment longer before Twilight spoke again, a familiar coldness coming to her voice. “How much of my old Death Note did you read?”

“J-just the first few pages,” Fluttershy stammered quickly. “I didn’t have a lot of time.”

Another lengthy pause. “Fluttershy,” Twilight intoned, “if I told you that Locket was wrong... that Pinkie Pie’s and Rarity’s deaths really were my fault... would that change anything?”

All heat from the fire seemed to vanish. Fluttershy trembled as she felt Twilight’s grip become firmer around her side. “No,” she breathed.

The silence stretched out longer. The embrace only became tighter, twisting the pair towards each other. “Twilight?” Fluttershy eventually asked. “Did... did you...”

“Byuk, leave us,” Twilight ordered.

The god knew better than to disobey. “Gotcha,” he said, drifting upwards. “I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” When there was no answer, he shrugged and vanished through the ceiling.

For the first time since Fluttershy’s unexpected night-time appearance, they were alone. “You were right,” Twilight said, running her free hoof through her marefriend’s lengthy mane. “I don’t have to finish my book tonight. We might not have another night like this. We should savour it.”

Fluttershy looked up at her in fear and wonder as their faces came closer together. “Twi—”

The fire burned for another hour before the last of the cinders went out, each speck of ash releasing the last of its heat with a spark and a final, whispered sigh.

Colgate was no stranger to the insides of hospitals. She could hardly count the number of hours she’d spent in waiting rooms or standing over hospital beds, even if her only purpose there was to take a statement for an accident report for the Mayor. This, however, was the first time since she was a filly that she’d been on the waking up side of the situation.

Consciousness arrived like a brick to the back of the skull, bringing with it an almost equivalent amount of pain. “Uhhhhhgn,” she moaned, instinctively curling up and clutching at her head as a wave of soothing pink light washed over her. A sharp twinge in her middle immediately straightened her out again, and she blinked unevenly around the still-foggy room. To one side, a blur of darkness refused to disappear from the pale background. “Nightly Dose?” she croaked.

“Good evening, Colgate,” the black doctor replied, finishing her spell. “Good to see you with us again.” Before the policemare could formulate another question, Nightly Dose picked up a clipboard and began reading from it. “Moderate concussion, two bruised ribs, severe magical sprain, lacerations across the head and right side, fourteen assorted nicks and scratches, six bruises, rope burn around the right front hoof, and one paper cut... Colgate, I know police business is your business, but on behalf of all of us at Ponyville General, what the hay have you been doing?”

Colgate just blinked at her. The world was almost, but not quite, coming into focus. She wondered if all doctors were normally this loud. “Where’s Big Macintosh?”

“He’s dead. I don’t suppose you’d know anything about that?” When the only response was a surprised gurgle, she shrugged and laid her clipboard aside. “Oh, that reminds me. Your friend here had a message for you.”

In another pink wave, the curtain in the middle of the room drew itself back, revealing the room’s second bed beyond it. Its occupant was laid out on her belly with her face turned away and the covers pulled up to her neck, but four or five different colours were easily visible in her mane. Colgate gasped. “Rain—”

“Whoa, shh,” Nightly Dose shushed her, pressing a hoof against her lips. “She’s asleep. Real sleep. We had to re-set her leg this afternoon, and her wings are still due for a final cleaning. She needs her rest. It’s been a... trying day.” She shot the sleeping mare a filthy look that Colgate couldn’t read, then looked back with her earlier, calmer expression. “Don’t suppose you know anything about that, either?”

Colgate felt faint. “No,” she answered honestly.

“Huh. Anyway, the message...” Nightly Dose closed her eyes, reciting exact words from memory. “‘I know things look bad right now. Well, I mean, they kind of are bad right now. We... we lost Applejack. But don’t worry. It’s finally over. We got her.’ Whatever that means.”

The policemare shivered as she took this in. It hurt to move. “We got her?” she repeated.

“I guess so.” The doctor shrugged. “Anyways, informative as this is, I didn’t wake you up just to chat. You’ve got a visitor.” In a series of short, rapid movements, Nightly Dose closed the dividing curtains, shoved a cup of juice into Colgate’s hooves, picked up her clipboard again, and opened the door. “Oh, and from the sound of it,” she added with a satisfied tone, “this meeting has been a long time coming.”

Colgate sat up as Nightly Dose left the room, but immediately shrunk down into her sheets again when she heard the heavy hoofsteps outside. Oh no. Not him. Somepony, anypony but him. She took a quick sip of her drink – Why was it always grape flavour? – but could barely keep it down, resorting to simply hiding behind the flimsy cup. Her entire career flashed before her eyes as the door’s frame was filled by a bruised, armoured, seethingly furious Captain Straw Bolt.

Fear of death was one thing. Facing down Kira, the God of Death herself, was not far removed from it. Those were things that she could quantify, things that she could control; she knew exactly what the price of failure would be, and she knew how to prevent it. This fear struck her in a far deeper, more primal part of herself. This was the fear of her father after she’d been found making hoof-paintings with the papers in his office; this was the fear of Professor Crackdown after she’d failed her first major spelling test. All she knew was that she was completely under somepony else’s control, that she had wronged them in some way, and that she had absolutely no idea what they were going to do to her.

The full realization of this fillyhood fear had time to flash back and forth across Colgate’s brain several times before the enormous captain barked out not a name, but a number. “Sixteen.”

Colgate peered out from behind her cup. “Wha?” she asked weakly.

“That is how many laws you broke last night.” Straw Bolt stomped forward, slowly spreading his wings, only the presence of the nearby sleeping mare keeping his voice at a reasonable level. “Shall I list them?” he continued, spitting the words. “Mass property damage. Acts of terror. Threats against Equestria. Unauthorized uses of illegal magic. Assault on a member of the Canterlot City Guard. Unlawful imprisonment. Possession of unauthorized experimental weapons. Espionage. Multiple traffic violations. Conspiracy to commit all of the above. And those are just the crimes we know about already.” He leaned over the bed, towering over Colgate as she shrank further. “If Princess Luna’s whereabouts aren’t discovered soon, we may have to add treason to that list as well.”

Colgate’s eyes widened. “Princess Luna—”

“Do not interrupt me!” Straw Bolt roared. His breath blew her mane back, leaving her pale and painfully trembling. “You have absolutely no idea how much trouble you’re in, have you?” he growled. “Half of Canterlot staff has been emptied while we clean up your mess. Even the Royal Guard are making inquiries, and they haven’t given a pig’s behind for anything outside of Canterlot since Nightmare Moon. It’s been a full day and we’re still finding lost old ponies trying to crawl their way back into town. It’s only a miracle that nopony’s been killed.”

He audibly ground his teeth. Colgate didn’t dare speak again. “Now,” he continued, “I’m going to be extremely charitable and choose to believe that it was that infernal detective L who put you up to this, but don’t believe that any court of law in the world will care about the distinction. Keeping Ponyville safe was your responsibility; not his, yours. For all his alleged successes, I wouldn’t trust that conceited fool to protect a kitten with its own personal fortress, yet you willingly allowed him to blunder about in this town that you were assigned to look after. Have you lost all respect for the sanctity of the law, Romana? Are you under the delusion that the ability to show off absolves you of any and all responsibility towards others? You’ve brought disgrace upon your entire department, Romana. You’ve brought disgrace upon us all. And for what?” His words struck like stones. “For what?”

Colgate gulped. The first few sentences had been knives in her sides; every word after that was another twist. Even so, a glance in the direction where Rainbow Dash lay was enough to give her the courage to state her answer. “We got Kira.”

“Oh, did you.” Straw Bolt snorted. “Do you honestly believe that?”

“...Yes.”

“...Hm.” The captain folded up his wings. “It hardly matters what you believe. There’ll be an official inquest soon; you’re outside our jurisdiction now, but a single word from Celestia is all it will take to let us arrest every last miserable one of you. We’ll get what we need then. But right here, right now, between you and me, let me ask you just one thing. After all your brash displays of carelessness, after you had me insulted, assaulted, humiliated in front of a crowd of your precious citizens, after I have watched you willfully disrespect everything that all ranks of the Guard and the police stand for, I have just one question.”

He leaned close, baring his teeth, and then spoke in a surprisingly calm and normal tone. “Where is Sunny Days?”

Colgate’s trilling heart grew still. “What?” she asked.

“We found her,” the captain answered, backing off. “We found her being guarded by golems and thugs in the forest, half-starved and barely conscious. Lieutenant Quicksilver and I brought her back to Ponyville personally. So where is she?”

It took a moment for Colgate to answer, thoughts clashing as her mind rapidly switched gears. “I’ve heard nothing,” she choked out.

“Then you and I share a problem.” Bolt began to pace around her, shifting from fury to intense thought. “I’ve already been through all my contacts in Canterlot, while I was there raising the alarm over your fiasco. They had nothing. According to mine and the Royals’ reports, confirmed by high-ranking members of the Royal Guard, Sunny Days was recovered and returned safely to her family four days ago. Clearly, that is not the case, so now I’m asking you.” He looked sharply at Colgate. “Tell me the full story. Not just a report; I want to hear Sunny’s complete history. Where she comes from, why she’s important, what other forces might be after her. Leave nothing out. Tell me everything.”

Even once the shock had worn off, it still took her some time to collect herself enough to take another sip of her juice. “You first,” she said.

There was only one permanent structure in the Shinigami Realm. It was made of four walls and a roof, a mile wide in every direction, with a single door set into one side. The whole building was carved from stone slabs two feet thick, a material older than time and harder than steel, yet barely a shade darker than the sand around it. There were none who lived who could say where it had come from, save perhaps its sole occupant. This was the home of the Shinigami King.

The shinigami Sidoe approached the structure nervously. Like most gods of death, he had not come here since receiving his Death Note, an uncountable age ago. Everyone who met the Shinigami King moved far, far away immediately afterwards, both out of respect and uncontrollable terror. As such, the journey here had been a long one. He had passed three distinct tribes of gods on his trek, each more fearsome-looking than the last; it was speculated by some that groups formed in wide rings based on how far individuals had fled after their creation, with the bravest clustering around holes to larger worlds nearer to the center. Sidoe did not know, nor did he particularly care.

The final steps up to the building were the most difficult, and comprised a full third of the time of Sidoe’s journey. Now that he was here his terror had only increased, but he didn’t dare turn around. If he left now, the Old Man would know.

The structure’s door opened inwards as Sidoe approached, leading into deep shadows beyond. Next to the building’s size it was improbably, almost absurdly tiny – Sidoe had to stoop down slightly to fit through. Immediately the sand beneath his feet gave way to cold, hard stone, a sensation so unfamiliar and jarring that the god nearly turned and fled at the touch. Deep, unnatural shadows cut off the light from outside mere inches beyond the doorway, leaving Sidoe in absolute darkness.

Sidoe.

There was no noise, nor even the impression of noise. The words crawled over Sidoe’s skin, ripping through him like tiny needles. It wasn’t a painful experience, but neither was it pleasant, a voice seemingly written into the very fabric of reality.

Why are you here.

It was not a question. The Shinigami King did not ask questions. It was said that he knew all things, and expected any answer given to match up to what he already knew. Sidoe steadied himself and took a deep breath. I have nothing to fear. “I have been unable to find my Death Note,” he said in a loud, clear voice. “I laid it down while I rested, and when I was awoken by Mer it was no longer by my side.”

There was movement from within the blackness. Shadows slid across shadows, conflicting glimmers and reflections appearing as tricks of the eye in the nonexistent light. The pressure of the air (if it could even be called that) rose smoothly but rapidly, and Sidoe felt, though could not detect by any other means, the presence of a hulking, impossibly vast shape crawling towards him. The movement halted in unison with the first true noise that the Shinigami King had made, a sound like the simultaneous opening of hundreds upon hundreds of eyes.

Not very long ago, Byuk came to me with your Death Note. He said to me that you had died because of your sloth, and requested my permission to claim the Note as his own.

Sidoe trembled. He could not tell whether the Old Man was miles away or mere inches in front of his face; he didn’t dare move for fear of brushing against the elder God’s skin. “And what did you say to him?” he asked.

I told him yes.

The smaller god folded his fingers in irritation. That was just like Byuk to pull something like this; that monochromatic troublemaker had been pulling childish pranks on him for as long as either of them could remember. It was the reaction of the Shinigami King that worried him. The King of Death was supposed to be notoriously difficult to fool.

There was more movement in the blackness. Sidoe found himself glancing in all directions, his widened eyes searching out familiar shapes in the depths. Was that a bulging, globelike mass being suspended by chains? Were those fingers, thin as cobwebs, enclosing him in their web? Was that a great horned head, slowly turning towards him? He forced away any treasonous thoughts that Byuk’s deception had been allowed intentionally, just in case the Old Man could somehow hear the contents of his head. Either way, he was not expecting an apology. “And where is Byuk now?” he asked between gritted teeth.

He has fallen into the Pony Realm.

The Pony Realm? Sidoe almost asked, but bit his tongue at the last second. For all his transgressions already, there was nothing ruder than asking the King something that he could easily figure out for himself. Justine will know, he reassured himself, beginning a slow turn away towards the door. There was no need for goodbyes; Gods of Death had no use for them. As he turned, however, a last thought that had been nagging at him throughout his journey rose back to the top of his mind, and even with the light of the door in front of him, he found himself pausing to ask one more question. “I am uncertain how long I laid asleep. How long do I have left to live?”

Sidoe regretted the question as soon as he’d asked it. Shinigami time was, by necessity, relative; being connected to so many different worlds, each with their own system of measuring time, meant that a standardized system was virtually impossible. From the perspective of the Shinigami King a day might translate to a thousand years in another realm, or vice versa. Still, what the ancient God said next chilled what passed for Sidoe’s blood.

Very soon, you will die.

Even in the aftermath, the underground base was still not completely silent. A low, rumbling snore echoed down the empty corridors, reverberating strangely through the structure’s looping architecture. The sound seemed to come from everywhere at once, rumbling across every surface, leading in no direction in particular.

If one were able to follow the sound to its source, however, they would find, tucked away in a secluded storeroom in the deepest, darkest depths of the base, only a dragon not much bigger than a school-age foal. Spike was curled up on a chair in the middle of the room, a makeshift club made from a stick clutched in one claw, restlessly mumbling to himself in his sleep. Every third or fourth breath, a small puff of smoke would escape from his nostrils, quickly rising up to join a growing patch of soot on the ceiling. Underneath the chair was a heavy steel box, locked with a padlock to which he did not know the combination, just large enough to contain a pair of notebooks.

The rest of the base was more or less as it had been left. Mer’s ashes still had not been swept up. Lyra’s and Bon Bon’s bodies had been collected and delivered anonymously to the hospital. Jazz had spent the entire day cleaning up shards of broken crystal from around and inside Minty, partly disassembling the abacus to do so, but had eventually collected his findings in a box and retired to bed himself. It was just the two of them in the base. All was still.

Something flickered.

In one corner of the base’s main chamber, an abandoned stratoscreen crackled to life. Three words flashed across it for a fraction of a second before dissolving into static and winking out completely. Tiny lines of purple energy crackled around the edges of the screen, growing stronger and closer together before all at once leaping in a violet spark to the next screen in line. The image flashed again, the static lasting for an immeasurable moment longer, and then the light gathered again and jumped onto the next screen, and then the next. Around the room each screen lit up in turn, faster and faster, until the full circle had been completed. The spark lingered, rolling across the stone surface as though looking for something, then burst apart in a ghostly wave that vanished into the walls and ceiling.

On the surface, more screens flickered to life. The emergency screen in the Ponyville weather office flashed the message once, then went out. A young couple watching a late-night horror film were treated to the same three words, there and gone before even one could be read. Three days-old foals were simultaneously awakened by a crackle of static from the next room over. The spark continued.

The sole stratoscreen in Appleloosa, dedicated night and day to displaying nothing but sketches of Butch Castle and Sundancer the Kid, flashed the words onto an empty street.

Faster and faster it went, further and further. A retirement home in Manehattan, a rhubarb den in Vanhoover, a sky-high billboard in Los Pegasus. It crackled its way across Cloudsdale, snaked through the winding streets of Canterlot, and then halted.

The screen lay propped up on a desk in an office room, lavishly decorated. The walls were pink, the lower border trimmed with hoof-drawn hearts and flowers. To the left of the desk was a row of filing cabinets; to the right, a bookshelf filled with fairy tales and coloring books. Behind the desk, a broad window looked over an icy, mountainous landscape. In the corner nearest the door, a heavy-set pegasus pony slumped in a threadbare chair, fast asleep. The only object on the desk besides the screen was a small, unadorned plaque which read:

Warm Quilt – Administrator

The message displayed itself for over an hour before it was finally seen. It was only after the moon had risen into the sky that a unicorn mare entered the office, rounded the desk, and read the three words that were waiting patiently for her.

Twenty minutes later, there was a faint knock at the still-ajar door. A pair of colts looked in nervously, one peering over the head of the other. “You called, Mammy?” the smaller one said.

“Yes, dears,” Warm Quilt said. “Please, come in.” She’d moved to her own chair behind the desk, folding her forelegs carefully on the wood in front of her. She was pink and pleasantly plump, with the kind of fullness that one could feel themselves sinking into just by being close to her. She was not particularly old, but she had the weathered, prematurely aged look of a pony destined from birth to be a grandmother; thin streaks of grey could already be seen running through her purple mane. Although a faint quivering around her eyes revealed that not all was well, even now she wore a smile as habitually as others might wear a tiara. Her cutie mark was a small, plain, unadorned white heart.

Without prompting, the colts sat in the two chairs directly in front of the desk. “What’s going on?” the smaller of the pair asked, fidgeting in his seat. “Are we in trouble?”

“No, sweetheart. Nothing like that.” She looked back and forth between the pair in front of her, then down at her own hooves. “My little ponies,” she began. “It saddens me to have to tell you this, but...” She sighed and looked once more at the screen, then spoke the message aloud.

“L is dead.”

Author's Note

Coming in season 3:

Dramatic reveals!
Princess Celestia!
Outrageous schemes!
Obscure unicorn history!
...Pinkie Pie?
And so much more!

Season 2 credits:

Many thanks to all of my wonderful editors throughout this season: New Age Retro Hippie, EvilDocterMcBob, Mindblower, Some Person, Victisaadi, KitsuneRisu, Everhopeful, AgonistAgent, bkster, DivineGlory, Braininthejar, Fenrir, and probably one or two others whom I've missed. Blimey I go through a lot of you people. If you would like to be a proofreader/editor for season 3, send me a message.

Also, another big thank you to blu-red for the cover art, and to The Fiery Joker for hating the hell out of this story in its first ever full-length review. (I have it on good authority that this review was only a draft that was accidentally released early, but the appreciation still stands.)

I do not own Death Note or My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Please support the official releases.

My name is Nine, and this is Death Note: Equestria.

Generations

33
*Generations*

A maximum of six Death Notes may be owned by ponies in the Pony Realm at one time.

Life. This world is full of life.

For a short time, a new star appeared in the sky that night. It twinkled just below the moon, unnoticed by all but the most dedicated astronomers, growing steadily brighter over the next half-hour until all at once it plummeted from the sky. A small object wreathed in flames descended from the heavens, traveling at speeds fueled by terror alone. It came to a halt at the northern edge of the Everfree Forest, disappearing into the trees with a crash that sent up dark clouds of cawing, awoken birds.

Silence shortly fell again, save for the faint hissing of a cart-sized crater in a clearing that had not been there previously as the ground around it steamed and sputtered. A nearby tree split and tumbled over, as though it had been struck by lightning. Falling ash began to collect seemingly in the air above the crater, forming a pattern that almost, if one were to look at it from the right angle, resembled fine hairs and broad shoulders. Then all at once they dropped, drifting apart passing through space that again appeared empty. Yet even if the source of this commotion could not be detected by mortal means, its effects on the air could. Steam rippled and there was a faint wind, as though a large animal were sniffing for something.

Two hooked, taloned footprints gouged themselves into the forest floor, and then two pairs of invisible wings were spread and Sidoe lurched up into the air.

Equestria was silent once again.

“Dead?” the smaller colt spoke first. “That’s impossible. L can’t die.”

“I’m afraid he can,” Warm Quilt answered solemnly. “I heard the news from Wysteria just minutes ago. Although L fought well, in the end Kira was able to slip past his defenses and strike him down. It’s a tragedy that saddens us all.”

“It can’t be.” The colt sat back. He was small, blue and pudgy, with a short-cropped orange mane and prominent front teeth. His voice was naturally loud, although he kept it down so as not to disturb the pegasus sleeping in the corner. His cutie mark was a large pair of scissors. “He said that he’d come back for us,” he said, still in shock.

“That will never happen. I’m so sorry.” Warm Quilt wiped an eye. “But I’m afraid we haven’t time to mourn. I think you’ve already realised what needs to happen now.”

The larger colt, who had been staring only at the desk this whole time, finally looked up at her. He was considerably taller than his partner, as well as far skinnier, with a yellow coat and a long teal mane that fell across his face. Beneath his mane, his right eye drooped blindly in its socket, surrounded by a patchy burn that traced its way across his cheek and neck and spread in branches down his back. His cutie mark was a googly-eyed snail. When he spoke, it was slowly, as though he needed to concentrate on every word individually. “You want us to take his place.”

“One of you, yes.” She sighed and looked back at her hooves. “I know that this isn’t how any of us wanted it to be. I’d hoped that I would never have to push you out into the dreadful world so young. But the chain must not be broken.”

From the far corner came a whisper. “They’re not ready.”

It was as if a cannon had gone off. Both the colts flinched and hunched down in their seats, trying to shrink themselves as much as possible. From his threadbare chair in the corner, the stallion who had spoken opened one eye. He was built like he was made from bricks, down to the colour of his dusty coat and mane. Like Warm Quilt, he had lines of premature grey running through his mane, and deep wrinkles formed perpetual dark bags under his eyes. His mouth was locked in what seemed to be an unbreakable scowl. His voice croaked, and when he spoke flakes of ash fell from his lips like spittle, adding to the sooty grunge around him. He slouched heavily forward in the chair, his head still resting against the side, but he kept his one yellowed eye focused on the two colts in front of him.

Warm Quilt kept most of her composure, although she did allow herself a small sigh. “Thank you for your input, Inferno,” she said. “I will try to bear that in mind.”

The smaller colt shook off a shiver. “B-but he’s right,” he said, putting on a brave face. “We can’t be L. We’re not ready. We’re not ever gonna be ready. We’re just not that smart.”

“The others make fun of us,” his friend added. “They say we shouldn’t even be here. They beat us in all their tests, every time. How can we be L?”

Warm Quilt paused. She opened her mouth, clearly about to launch into a well-practiced speech, then hesitated again and began anew. “Boys, you know that I have never lied to you,” she said. “I am not about to start now. You may have heard that you were chosen to come to this facility simply to see what would happen to you. The truth is that you were not chosen at all. You fell into our hooves more or less by accident, and we cared for you in the best way we knew how. That does not mean, however, that there was no place for you here. You have found your places, and you have filled them both wonderfully.”

She gave a smile to each of the colts in turn, ignoring the glare that Inferno was shooting her way. “It’s true, your test scores have been a little on the low side,” she said. “But in the single year that you’ve been here, you’ve shown more growth than some colts and fillies who were born and raised within these walls. It may seem like I’m asking a lot of you very soon, but the truth is that when the L before you began his journey, he was no older than either of you are now.” She grinned again as their eyes widened. “Whether you believe in yourselves or not, you are L’s chosen successors. He believed in you, and his spirit will be watching over you, even now that he’s gone. It’s not simply necessity that one of you will be appointed the next L. It is destiny.”

The smaller colt cleared his throat. “Could... could both of us be L together?” he asked. “We’ve always been together, ever since we got here. It would be weird to set out on my own.”

“I’m afraid not.” Warm Quilt shook her head. “There are rules that need to be followed. I cannot break them, not even for you. L was supposed to choose his own successor, but as he cannot be here, that responsibility now falls to me.” She looked between them. “The next L will be...

“Shells.”

The taller colt perked up. “Me?” he said.

“Him?” the smaller one echoed.

“Yes.” She turned her attention fully to the burned colt. “But you will not be alone. In the morning, report to the second floor. A team of our best ponies will be waiting to assist you, and you’ll finally be able to meet Wysteria face to face. Your current caretaker will be given Sideline status and will meet you there.”

“Wow,” Shells said. Then he said it again, as though trying the word out.

“But... but Mammy!” the smaller colt whined. “Why him? I’ve done better in all our tests, right from the beginning. And I took those extra credits you asked for, and he’s half blind, and-”

“That’s enough, Shears,” she said. The words were gentle, but they were enough to snap his mouth closed. “Shells will solve this puzzle slowly and carefully, taking his time. This is not the hour for ambition or hasty judgements; patience is what will allow your friend to defeat Kira. What we need is dependability, and,” she added as Shears opened his mouth again, “don’t think your absences from this facility haven’t gone unnoticed.”

His face fell and he looked down, defeated. “Wow,” Shells said once more, sounding increasingly pleased with the sound of it.

“Now, back to bed, you two. You both have big days tomorrow.” Warm Quilt stood up, and the two colts did the same. She ushered them towards the door, planting quick kisses on their unprotesting foreheads. “Goodnight, my little ponies,” she whispered.

“Goodnight Mammy,” they echoed back mechanically. Then both were gone.

Warm Quilt stayed at the door a moment longer, while behind her Inferno rolled his front half towards her. He stared at her as she returned to her desk, then spoke in a cracked, gravelly voice. “That was a crock of manure.”

The mare ignored him, moving on to her filing cabinet and rifling through it. She removed several files and shuffled the contents around, laying a few of the contents on her desk just long enough to magically stamp them. “All of the older candidates are in fragile stages of integration,” she eventually said. “There was no one else.”

“Sounded like there were.”

“From other programs. None of them have nearly the same training as these two.”

“So sending out morons is better?”

“Lyra blossomed under pressure. They will too.”

“You’re gonna get them killed.”

Warm Quilt paused, just for long enough for Inferno to see it, and the stallion rolled over and went back to sleep.

It was after midnight when Princess Luna returned to Canterlot. She swept down from the sky without even a glimmer of warning and landed soundlessly on the balcony of the Solar Tower, cloaked in shadows as well as cloaked literally. By the time the guards near the doors had raised and lowered their lances in surprise, she was already pushing past them and descending through the marble corridor to her sister’s room.

“Your majesty, Celestia has given orders not to be disturbed,” one of the guards said, running along behind her and struggling to speak over her rapid pace.

“She has no authority over me,” Luna retorted without slowing. She didn’t care for the unnaturally deep voices the royal guards put on; she thought it made them sound boorish. Her own night guards had no need for such formalities.

“Your majesty, are you well?” the other guard asked, catching up. “There were many concerns following your disappearance.”

“I raised the moon, did I not?” She stormed ahead, her billowing cloak preventing either guard from passing her. The end of a staircase and a path of red velvet led her to the doors of Celestia’s bedroom. She threw these open, breaking the lock in the process, and stared within.

The bedsheets were unruly, but empty. The fireplace had been lit, but Celestia was gone. Luna took a step inside, then turned back to the guards as they stood to attention behind her. “Did you know of this?” she demanded.

The guards watched her face for a moment before answering. “Yes, your highness,” they admitted in unison, looking guiltily away.

Luna silently seethed, but decided that these two were not worth getting angry over. “That is fine,” she said in a measured tone. “It is good that you are keeping up appearances.” She whirled away and stalked towards the bed. “It does not matter, anyway,” she said. “When my sister does return, this will tell her all she needs to know.”

She threw back her cloak. From a deep pocket within it floated out a stalactite covered in ice, about the length of her own horn. A chilling wind filled the room as the heat was sucked from it, extinguishing the fireplace and sending the guards reeling back. Luna dropped the spike onto Celestia’s bed, covering the sheets in a thin layer of frost, then turned and swept back into the hallway. “Close this door,” she ordered, then took care to smile when the guards didn’t immediately obey. “Do not fear. It is harmless.”

Hiding shivers, the pair slammed the golden doors shut. “Your majesty, what is that?” one of them asked.

“Part of a prison. A memento from an old friend.” She turned away. “I must return to my quarters. I have fallen behind on my work.”

“Princess,” the second guard said cautiously, “we must know. Is there a threat against Equestria?” Then he spoke a question that no ordinary guard would know to ask. “Has one of the Titans been released?”

Luna paused, her hoof halfway to the first step. “No,” she answered calmly. “They are asleep. All was as my sister and I left it, twelve hundred years ago.” Then she walked forward again, her voice echoing back down the tower as she left. “But I want Celestia to know that I looked.”

“What now?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Nopony else answered, but all six who were present pondered the question. One by one, they’d awoken and brought themselves back to the base from all corners of Ponyville. Jazz remained in the middle of the room, only his back half visible as he stuck himself inside of Minty, sliding intact crystals into the abacus and reassembling the wooden struts. The rest of them sat around a table, unfinished pancake breakfasts growing cold in front of them. Colgate and Rainbow Dash were side by side, having made the trip from the hospital together; Colgate had a bandage around her head, while Rainbow sat awkwardly with her casted leg stuck straight out. Across from them were Spike and Locket, both looking sleepless for their own reasons.

At the head of the table, Twilight Sparkle stared contemplatively around at the rest of them. They looked worn-down. They looked exhausted. She couldn’t blame them; in fact, she was sure she looked much the same. Sleeping in the cottage had been a very different experience than being in her own room or the oppressively dark dorms of the base. Even after freshening up as best she could, she was sure that she still smelled like mice, and a strange taste was clinging to the back of her throat. But even after the ordeals of the past few days, they were all here. They were still her team. They were still willing to fight. And that thought gave her a little warmth inside.

In the middle of the table was a locked black box.

“I mean, it’s over, right?” Dash continued. “Both Kiras are dead. We have both the books. That means the killings have to stop, right?”

“Maybe.” Colgate rubbed her eyes. “So L was Kira... I can’t believe I never saw it. I’m such a fool.”

“Do we know it was her?” Locket asked quietly. “I can imagine her playing us like that, but... I almost don’t want to believe it.”

“It was her,” Colgate answered. “As far as we can tell, the dust around her note was from some kind of illegal soulforce spell. We’ll have to test it to be certain, but it’s the only way to explain why it fell apart as soon as she died. And if that’s the case, she had to be the one who put it there.” She rested her head on the table, narrowly missing a patch of syrup. “I’m such an... idiot!”

“She fooled all of us,” Spike said, a growl in his voice. “You weren’t dealing with a normal criminal. This was all just a game to her. None of us could have seen it coming.”

“I did,” Dash said with a degree of smugness.

Twilight squirmed, feeling a knife twist in her stomach as her friends slung mud at the memory of her adversary. “Was she really evil?” she asked hollowly. “After all... she saved my life. After all she’d done, it would have been easy for her to let me take the blame for being Kira, while she got away looking like a hero. All she had to do was say nothing. But instead, she stuck up for me. Why would she do that?”

This gave the others pause. “Maybe... maybe her conscience got the better of her after all,” Colgate said. She smiled faintly and looked to Twilight. “After all... you were different. Even after all the awful things she did to you, you didn’t let yourself stay just another piece. You stuck with her and became her friend. And once she had a taste of what that felt like, I don’t think anypony, not even the greatest of monsters, would be so heartless as to kill their own friends.”

“If you think about it,” Spike continued, missing Twilight’s suddenly strained expression, “if L hadn’t done that, then Applejack would have killed Twilight instead after she escaped, and we would never have learned the truth. I guess it was friendship that saved the day after all.”

“That’s right.” Colgate smiled a little wider, but it faded when she noticed that Twilight wasn’t joining in. “Either way, I guess she thought killing Applejack would be enough. She didn’t try to tie up loose ends until it was too late. Her arrogance was her real mistake.”

“And then she and Big Mac killed each other at the same time,” Twilight concluded. It did make sense, she supposed, if you were looking for answers. She doubted she would have come to a different conclusion in Colgate’s place.

“Yeah.” Colgate frowned. “The only question is... how did Applejack manage to learn L’s real name?”

Silence fell again for a minute as they fruitlessly pondered this. “But it’s not over, is it?” Spike said, returning to the main question. “Byuk and Mer are still out there.”

Colgate nodded. She’d been the last to learn of the gods’ existence, but was taking the news remarkably well. “Yeah,” she said. “I’ve been thinking about that. And... what this means for us.” She sighed and straightened up. “Look... I don’t want to turn this into a big speech or anything. I know how those tend to turn out. But the main thing is that there are new problems that we need to address, and the first among them is that just by owning these notebooks, each of us is in more danger than we’ve ever been in before. And that’s because, in the eyes of the Gods of Death, we’re first in line to become the next round of Kiras.”

She looked around the table. This had woken the others up more efficiently than a round of espresso. “Everything I’ve heard about Mer makes her sound like a monster,” she continued, “and she’s supposed to be the good sibling. One way or another, these two are not going to stop until their game is finished. They’ll stop at nothing to get these notebooks back, and we’re the only ones who know where they are.”

This produced a somber moment. “But then where are they?” Locket asked. Her voice was soft this morning, even for her. “If this is so important to them, why isn’t Mer trying to bargain with us right now?”

“That’s exactly what worries me,” Colgate answered. “I think she knows that wouldn’t work, not while we’re all together. Thanks to Applejack, we know that she’s not completely invincible; dragonfire at least works on her, and other magic might, as well. Now that Twilight’s restored, if she confronts us directly we might find a way to hurt her, or even capture her.” This bit of praise almost sounded like optimism until Colgate’s face fell again. “And that means that they’re still out there, planning something smarter. Knowing them, that means that sooner or later, they’re going to come for us.

“They might threaten our families. They might threaten our friends. They’ll definitely threaten our lives. They’ll catch us when we’re alone, when we’re afraid, when we won’t know any better. If even Applejack, the most dependable of all ponies, could be convinced to work for them, then I dread to think what they could do to us. There’s no one at this table who hasn’t lost someone to Kira, so I feel awful for saying this, but...” She sighed. “Maybe we’ve done enough. We’re not working for L any more; we’re just a bunch of ponies. Maybe it would be for the best if we surrendered this box to Celestia and went our separate ways.”

Twilight thought quickly. Luckily for her, Rainbow Dash unwittingly came to her defense. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” the pegasus said, scooting back as far as her leg allowed. “You’re talking about giving up?” She flexed her wings angrily. “We’ve got them on the run! This could be our chance to end this once and for all, and you want to give this over to somepony else and let them finish the job?”

Colgate winced. Twilight grimaced sympathetically; she knew that bringing the topic up at all must have been hard for her. “I think Rainbow’s right,” she stated. “Even if we lock these Death Notes in the most secure vault in Equestria, if word ever gets out that Celestia has Kira’s weapon, that’ll just bring in dozens of new candidates who’ll do anything to get them back. Remember, after touching the books, we’re the only ones who’ll be able to see Byuk or Mer coming. No matter what defenses Celestia employs, if anyone without the Eyes tries to guard the books, an invisible, intangible shinigami could easily slip past them. There’s no way to spread that power around without exposing more ponies to the death-curse if either book is destroyed.” She was particularly proud of that lie.

“That includes Apple Bloom,” Locket added, still not looking at anyone. “And Derpy, and all of us, and... I don’t even want to think about who else might have touched these.” She shook her head. “Even if she was on the wrong side... L was right. We can’t risk giving these to somepony who might destroy them. We have to keep them safe, until all of us are gone.”

“Right.” Twilight grinned briefly at her. She saw one small flaw in this plan, given who was sitting at the table; she pictured Spike in hundreds of years, a grown dragon in a mountain somewhere, still guarding two tiny books in the middle of his hoard. This suited her just fine. “Besides,” she continued, “we already know that several pages have been removed from one of the books. Knowing Mer, she could have hidden a few more away somewhere in case of an emergency like this. Until we get proof that their feud is over for good, we need to assume that there could be another Kira already in the works.”

“...You’re right.” Colgate nodded. “But what I said is still true. The rules have changed. We know what we’re really up against, and Mer knows at least some of our names for sure. Against something like that, no one should feel like they have to stay any more. If it comes to it, I can carry on this investigation on my own.”

Twilight reached out and touched her hoof. “You won’t have to,” she said. “I’m staying with you. I’ve talked this over with Fluttershy, and... she understands. We’re both behind you all the way.”

“Me too.” Spike reached out as well, but couldn’t reach. “All the ponies I care about have been put in danger already. My staying won’t change anything, and we’ve come too far to stop now. We can’t let those two get away with playing games with lives.”

Colgate smiled gratefully at them both. Rainbow Dash started to extend a leg as well, but the policemare stopped her. “Rainbow, I have to draw the line with you,” she said. “You got thrashed two nights ago. Your leg’s broken and you’re still covered in stitches. You should be at home resting.”

“I can rest here,” Dash snapped, forcefully resting her hoof on top of the others’. “You know what else happened yesterday? Applejack died. She was murdered because of this stupid game, and nothing you say will make me stop until the ones responsible are brought to justice.”

Twilight considered making her own plea for her friend’s health, but decided against it. I might need her later on. She’d just come back here on her own, anyway. “We’ll bring out a bed for you,” she interjected before Colgate could continue the argument. “But you’ll have to promise to listen to us and not move too much. How are your wings?”

She gulped, instantly realizing that that might have been insensitive, but Rainbow Dash shrugged it off. “They’re fine,” she answered, stretching her wings out demonstratively. “I just lost some feathers. I can still fly. I just won’t be going fast anytime soon. Not that I would anyway, with... that.” She glared down at the four-wheeled contraption that she was supposed to clip her cast into when she walked, then looked up at Colgate again. “Besides, if you can stay here with a head injury, I don’t see why I can’t join in.”

“Oh... don’t worry about that.” Colgate brushed her bandage. “It’s a minor concussion, that’s all. They gave me some pills for it. And...” She sighed. “They said to lay off the magic for a while.”

Twilight winced. “Sprain?”

The policemare nodded. “Sprain.” They shared sympathetic smiles before slowly feeling their gazes pulled towards the one pony at the table who had yet to speak.

Locket stared down at her plate. It started to dawn on Twilight that even though she’d heard the mare speak, she’d barely registered her presence; she seemed distracted, ghostlike, not entirely there in more than once sense. Gradually, though, the team’s lone earth pony seemed to become aware of the growing number of eyes on her. She glanced furtively around, as though looking for a place to hide, then slumped forward in defeat. “So Big Mac was Kira?” she said hollowly.

Twilight felt a lump in her throat. Even though the mare wasn’t looking at anyone in particular, she still felt as if the words were being spoken directly to her. “Yeah,” she answered quietly.

Locket nodded. “And Bon Bon... None of that was real?”

“She was a changeling. She lived to feed on others.”

“Fine.” She stared down with a faraway look. “I guess I’m out of a job now,” she eventually said. “I might need a new place to stay.”

“There’ll always be a place for you here,” Colgate said.

Another pause. Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. “Yeah, um... no offense, but why are you here?” she asked. “Weren’t you with the guards? And what happened to Apple Bloom?”

“I was wondering about that too,” Spike added. “But no one else said anything.”

“Oh! Um...” A little colour came back to Locket’s cheeks. “I’m sorry. I should explain.” She took a deep breath.

“A little while after Big Mac and Colgate left, some guards came in and took Apple Bloom and I away. They brought us to the police station and put us in a cell together. After awhile, they brought Rainbow Dash in and put her in the other cell, and we talked through the bars to figure out what had happened.” She gestured towards the pegasus, who reddened slightly. Twilight had heard her side of the story after visiting her in the hospital last night, and she’d apparently decided not to mention the part about getting captured and locked up. “I remember she was bleeding in a few places. Eventually, some doctors came and they took Rainbow Dash away in an ambulance. Then around sunset this really big guard came in and let us out, then he practically dragged Apple Bloom and me to the mayor’s office to talk about her future. Actually, he did most of the talking. And it was mostly shouting. Then he let us go.” She exhaled deeply as she finished her story. “I never found out why.”

“That would be Straw Bolt keeping his end of the deal,” Colgate said with relief. “When I heard the two older Apples were dead, I asked him to make sure she had somewhere to stay when he met me in the hospital. By the time he saw you, he’d probably gotten a letter from Celestia denying his request to lock us up. I’m not surprised he was angry.”

Twilight felt an inner rumble of unease. She was still uncertain about her decision to leave Apple Bloom alive; it seemed cruel to put her through any more after all she’d been through. Besides that, she was a liability. Outside of this group, only she and Luna knew about the existence of the Death Notes. She shuddered inwardly as she found herself wondering whether it might be better if the filly were too traumatized to ever speak of it. In this game, loose threads seemed to have a habit of not staying loose for very long. “What’s going to happen to her?” she asked.

“They sent out a bunch of letters to her relatives to see who can look after her. They want to get somepony to move to the farm if it’s possible. It’s all quiet, since they want to keep the media away from her. In the meantime she’s living with a friend. Some little pegasus. Scooteroll or something.”

“That’s... good.” Twilight forced a smile. “I don’t think I’ve met Scootaloo’s parents before. What are they like?”

Locket shrugged. “Nondescript.” She sighed. “And... I’m staying. Big Macintosh asked me to look after her. I should at least stick around until I know she’ll be all right.”

Rainbow Dash let out a whoop, then immediately winced and clutched her front. “All right!” she cheered more quietly once she’d recovered. “We’re back in business! Now who’s ready to catch some gods of death?”

“Ahem.”

All looked to the middle of the room. Jazz wriggled his way out from inside the abacus, brushing off his crumpled jacket, then levitated a procession of wooden bars into place. The last wall of the construct reassembled itself in a blue glow. Jazz looked it over once more, satisfied, then directed his attention to the table. “I’ve replaced Minty’s core memory crystals,” he said. “Public data will be recovered once she’s started up. Everything we’ve input on our own, however, has been lost. In the meantime, all functions have been restored. And with that, I will be taking my leave.”

Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped. “You’re leaving?”

“Naturally.” He marched across the room, brushing the last crumbs of dust off of himself, and lifted up a small suitcase near the wall of desks. “My loyalty was to L, not to this investigation. Now that she has been proven... not what she claimed to be, my responsibilities lie elsewhere. There are others in Canterlot who have need of my abilities.”

“But... we need you.” Dash struggled her way out of her chair, ignoring her harness and simply hovering with her leg dangling. She shot over to Jazz, prompting a look of irritation from him as she blocked his way. “Come on, you’re our tech guy! You can’t just walk out when we’re this close to winning. You’re part of this team! We’ve all gone through this together! Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“It does.” He pushed her aside. “But staying alive means more.”

“Dash, he’s right,” Twilight called. “We can’t force him to stay. He has his own life to live. For all we know he has a family to think of.”

“Now, wait a minute.” Colgate followed him with her eyes. “This isn’t that simple. Jazz, both you and Bon Bon were working with L before any of us arrived. For all we know you were in on this as well. I’m going to have to ask you a few questions.”

“That won’t be necessary. If you search L’s written logs, you’ll find evidence of my arrival three days after the investigation began. I have colleagues who can account for my whereabouts before that. I was only ever an extension of Minty to her, and I can assure you, her betrayal was as much a shock to me as it was to any of you. And even if that were not the case, if I had any interest in those infernal notebooks, I could have easily stolen them during the night. No offense, Spike.” He bowed his head towards the little dragon. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a train to catch.”

“But...” Rainbow floated unevenly after him, her casted hoof inches from the ground. She came to a halt as he pulled the lever for the trapdoor. “But what are we going to do?”

In front of the iron doors, he stopped. “Miss Dash?” he said, looking back. “I was wrong about you. Until recently, I had been thinking of your lessons as pastimes, as a form of desperation on your part. I did not believe that you had the potential to master the skill. But while it is true that you lack telekinesis, training, patience, discipline, micromanagement skills, precision, a fast memory, aptitude with numbers, basic social graces, cleanliness-”

“Get on with it,” Dash deadpanned.

“-or, really, any qualifications at all,” he concluded, “what you have is loyalty.” He reached out and touched the middle of her chest. “I understand that now. To you, loyalty was not simply about staying where your friends are. It means doing whatever it takes, be it following them to places you would never go, performing tasks you were never meant to do, or even betraying them to keep them safe.” He took a step back, smiling. “Your dedication to your friends gives you the single-mindedness to overcome any obstacle, if it means helping them. In that state, you are as much a machine as Minty is; no fears, no distractions, only the goal. You are by no means the mare I would have chosen, but you have proven yourself the mare for the job. You are Minty’s operator now. I’ve left her instruction manual on your bed. Look after her.”

Rainbow Dash broke into a sad smile, while behind her Twilight mouthed the words of that speech to herself, trying to commit it to memory. “I’ll miss you, old-timer,” she said, then frowned. “Wait, you mean there was an instruction manual this whole time that you never-”

“I’ll miss you too, my favorite student,” Jazz interrupted. Then he leaned forward, whispered a few words into her ear, and then turned away, walking through the iron doors and out of her life.

Dash did her best to stay composed as she fluttered back to the table, although Twilight caught a glimpse of something glinting in the corner of her eye. The pegasus unsteadily rounded the others and dropped heavily back into her chair. “So... I guess I’m the egghead now, huh?” she said, grinning at Twilight.

“But if you’re the egghead,” said Locket, completely missing the in-joke, “then who’s going to be L?”

The others stared at her. “What?” Spike said.

“And who says we need an L?” Dash seconded, leaning across the table.

Locket shrank in her seat. “Oh... I... I just thought...”

“No, she’s right,” Colgate sighed. “We need an L. It’s common knowledge now that L is the one pursuing Kira. Among the anti-Kira crowd, he’s literally a comic book hero brought to life. If word ever gets out that he died, or, Celestia forbid, that he was Kira, public faith in the police would evaporate. Even if Kira never comes back, we’d end up with an even worse mess than we have now.”

There were a few murmurs of assent, some grudging. “Is there any way we could find out where she came from?” Locket asked, to Twilight’s delight. “Bon Bon said that she and L grew up in a school together. There must be somepony else. She couldn’t have been the first L, right?”

“Maybe,” Colgate answered. “Given how secretive she was about her identity, I don’t know if we’ll be able to find anything. Besides, we might not have time. If things go south again, the police will only listen to us if they think L’s still in charge. Sooner or later he’s going to have to make another public appearance.” She sighed. “It looks like, for the time being... one of us is going to have to take her place.”

“Hey, now we’re talking.” Dash wrinkled her nose. “I mean, the last L that school gave us was just changeling food. She didn’t have any friends to threaten and she turned into Kira anyway. Do we really want another detective that easily turned to the dark side?”

Twilight felt a knot building in her throat. This is my moment. “Lyra told me once that the new L is supposed to be chosen by the old,” she said, the knot tightening as she thought back to that night. “Maybe I’m sympathizing with her too much, but... it’s sad that she had to break the chain that way. Maybe the next L would have been somepony better. We’ll never find out who she would have chosen.”

“Aw, come on, Twilight.” Spike smiled at her. “If she was here right now, I think we all know who she would have picked.”

“Yeah,” Dash joined in. “I mean, let’s face it, there’s only one of us here right now who could possibly do the job.”

Twilight perked up. “You think so?” Too easy.

“Well, yeah,” Colgate teased. “Who was it who kept this team together? Who was it who always had time for everypony, no matter how bad things got? Who’s one of the best students Canterlot’s ever had to offer? Who was it who was able to match wits with Kira from the beginning of this game all the way to the end? Seriously, if there was ever anypony who was practically born to be Equestria’s next hero, she’s sitting right here at this table.”

“...You’re right. And I agree.” Twilight smiled back at her. “Colgate... I think you’ll be a fantastic L.”

There was a moment of silence. “What!?” Spike, Rainbow and Locket exclaimed almost in unison.

“What?” Colgate gasped a second later. “Twilight, we were talking about you!”

“I know. And it means a lot to me that you trust me that much,” Twilight explained. “But I can’t be L. Like it or not, Lyra was my friend, and I couldn’t dishonour her memory by pretending to be her. If I tried to imitate her, I’d just feel like I was wearing a dead mare’s mask. Even this place is starting to give me the creeps.” She looked around, releasing an unexpected shudder. She had to admit, she was getting good at telling these half-truths. “But you? In the first place, you’re a policemare, which makes you the only one here who’s even remotely qualified to do this. Without your skills, this whole operations falls apart. But more importantly, no one would ever figure it out. A lot of important ponies know who I am; if I tried to impersonate her, sooner or later I’d drop some mannerism that would identify me. I wouldn’t be able to help it. But so long as you used her microphone and never showed your face, nopony would ever be able to tell.”

The policemare chewed her lip uncomfortably. “But... but I’m nothing like her!” she protested. “We never agreed on anything. And you were the one who outsmarted her in the end.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Twilight said. “All I did was try to be her friend. All I can offer is to be the same to you.” She leaned forward emphatically. “You can do it, Colgate. Be the L that Lyra never could be. Trust in others. Keep us safe. Beat the real Kiras without hurting anyone else in the process. You’re the only one who can. I believe in you.”

Colgate hesitated a moment longer, but relented when she felt the eyes of the others on her. She gulped. “...All right, I’ll do it,” she said. “But on one condition. Twilight, I want you to be in charge of finding a way to keep the Death Notes safe. If we can’t risk anypony else finding out about them, a regular vault won’t do. We need something that means none of us can get to them behind the others’ backs, but no one outside of us finds out we’re even guarding anything.”

“That I can do,” Twilight said, saluting. Inward and outward, she smiled. Just as planned. Having a friend in charge will be way easier than running both sides myself. While she’s chasing after ghosts, it’ll leave me free to track down my real enemy. Besides, L’s most wanted suspect taking her place immediately after she dies? Why don’t I just write “Murderer” on my forehead? This way will throw any investigators off the scent.

Locket’s ears pricked up. “Listen,” she said.

Twilight continued, only half-hearing her. “I’ve had some ideas already,” she said. “I’m thinking some kind of box, probably enchanted, with six different keys-”

“Hey, shut up!” Locket snapped. She pointed upwards. “Listen.”

They waited for a moment, each straining to hear. “I don’t hear anything,” Rainbow Dash said loudly. Spike shushed her; he was starting to hear it too. Every few seconds from the world above there was a pop, like an impossibly large balloon bursting, and then a crackle of distant, magical fire.

Colgate was on her hooves first, rushing for the door. Twilight was fast after her, followed by the others, Rainbow Dash again abandoning her brace and flying carefully behind. In single-file they charged up the stairs, emerged blinking through the still-open trapdoor, and then burst from between the trees to gape upwards at the sight before them.

Rockets were shooting from distant Canterlot. At regular intervals a flash of red would burst from one of the towers, growing and burning as it flew, leaving a trail of red sparks in the sky behind it. At its peak, each firework exploded in a blinding flash and a bang that, now that they were on the surface, caused each member of the group to flinch and clutch their ears. In Canterlot the noise must have been deafening. After each explosion, lines of multi-coloured fire were left in the sky, gradually forming words.

The display lasted more than a minute; soon, they were forced to retreat back into the shelter of the trees, covering their ears and eyes against the painful blasts. When the explosions stopped, it was a few seconds more before Rainbow Dash poked her head out, gesturing for the others to follow. They emerged again, squinting towards the distant lights. High above Canterlot, a message was written in the sky in fire, pointed towards Ponyville but possibly visible from all over Equestria. Although the first letters were beginning to fade and the tiny dots of pegasi could be seen already dispersing the magically-charged dust, it was still possible to clearly read:

Dear K,
Citrus Green.
-a friend

“K?” Rainbow Dash echoed, shading her eyes against the light. “Does that mean... Kira?”

“And who’s Citrus Green?” Locket asked. “I know I’ve heard that name before...”

“It’s the friend part that worries me,” Colgate added with a glare. “Who would go to all this trouble just to condemn somepony to death?”

A message? Twilight wondered silently. Even as it hurt, her eyes widened to take the words in. Every colour of the rainbow blazed back at her, filling her with light. Could it be... they don’t hate me? Could I really still have friends?

“So... Colgate?” Spike tapped the policemare’s leg. “What do we do?”

“...Um.” Colgate looked down at him. She bit her lip and looked up at the sky again, looking increasingly panicked. “Uh...” She glanced desperately to Twilight for help, only to find that she, too, was looking at her expectantly. “Well... we should... um...”

With exaggerated motions, Twilight took a deep breath and held a hoof to her chest, then exhaled, swinging her leg away. Colgate copied her, taking another deep breath just for good measure, then smiled gratefully. “Okay,” she said, her thoughts gathered. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”

She turned to Rainbow Dash first. “Dash, fire up Minty. I need you to get me all the information you can about fireworks, Citrus Green, and any pro-Kira movements in Canterlot recently. If there’s a new organization starting up then we need to stamp down on it quickly, and their first target might be the one who leads us to them.” As Dash saluted, she quickly turned to the next pony in line. “Locket, you’re our eyes and ears. Get to the north square and see if you can learn what ponies are saying about this. The sale of that many fireworks must have started some rumours in the Canterlot crowd. Spike,” she continued, barely pausing for breath, “go with her and get to the hub station as quickly as possible. You’re the only one of us Crew Cut will listen to. Tell him that L forbids him, under any circumstances, from running news segments about this. The last thing we want is more fuel for this fire.”

They collectively stared for a moment longer while Colgate tapped her hoof. “Well, what are you waiting for?” she said. “Go!”

“All right!” Rainbow Dash cheered as loud as her stitches allowed and punched the air. “We’re back in business!” She turned and dove down the stairs, coming to an uncomfortable halt as she slowly pushed open the heavy doors while staying airborne. Spike nodded quickly and leaped astride Locket, who blushed before starting a gallop back into Ponyville.

Colgate proudly watched them go. “Twilight, you’re with me,” she concluded, turning back to her. “While they’re working, we need to figure out a long-term plan. If a god of death does come our way, we need to figure out how to contain it. We also need to start going over L’s remaining notes in detail, as far back as possible.”

“You want to find out where she came from,” Twilight confirmed, struggling to hide her grin. “If we figure out what allowed Byuk to get to her, it might prepare us for future encounters.”

“Exactly. I hope your studying skills are as good as they were in school.” Colgate lowered her voice. “And once we’ve made a start on that... there’s something else. We need to talk about Sunny Days.”

Twilight gasped. “You’re heard something?”

“I’ll explain later. One thing at a time.” Colgate started down the stairs. “Coming?”

“Just a minute.” Twilight waved her down and looked up at the fading fireworks one more time, watching the word friend slowly being dismantled.

Perfect.

She giggled. The absurdity of the day bubbled up in her and before she knew it she was laughing, clutching her side and leaning against a tree for support, covering up her mouth with one hoof in case Colgate heard her. She waited until she heard the iron doors slam shut and then let loose, belting out suppressed howls of laughter until she slowly rocked herself to the ground.

It was almost too easy without Lyra around. All this talk about Mer was keeping her entertained; it was funny to see her friends get so hung up on this invisible danger while they unknowingly ran tests on her ashes. As long as she kept Byuk and Fluttershy’s notebook away from the group, they were never going to see a shinigami again, much less capture one. No, she had much better plans for the team’s efforts, and this new ally of hers seemed a good place to start.

Thank you, friend. She grinned up at the glow one last time. In a few days, I’ll have Fluttershy start the execution of criminals again, giving us a new Kira to chase after. And thanks to you, I think I know whose name is going to be on the top of the list. She raised herself up. And while we’re chasing her, I’ll be slowly guiding us in the direction of the one who really does play games with ponies’ lives. The one who’s really responsible for this conflict, and the one thing keeping me from returning this world to order. L’s maker. She looked back thoughtfully. I wonder if you have a name?

With this last thought, Twilight retreated into the depths of the base, already remaking her plans anew.

Dear Princess Luna,

Our quest to capture Kira has been met with both success and failure. Largely thanks to Twilight Sparkle, a traitor within our midst was uncovered and both of the Death Notes have been obtained. Unfortunately, this victory came at the cost of several lives: those of Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Harpy Chords, a young mare who had worked close to L from the beginning. Additionally, those truly responsible, the gods called Byuk and Mer, have made their escape.

While it may be frustrating, L has requested that all information about the existence of the Death Notes be kept private. As only those who have touched the notebooks can see gods of death, we are the only ones who will have forewarning if they decide to return. Twilight will keep them safe, both from the gods and those who would take them for their own ends. We do not yet know whether another Kira will be able to rise, but we will continue to work for L as we seek out a way to end this nightmare once and for all.

I wish you all the best in your own endeavors, whatever they may be.

Your loyal servant,

Colgate.

Next episode: The secret of the chips revealed!

Laughter

34
*Laughter*

The instrument to write with can be anything (cosmetics, blood, etc.) as long as it can write directly onto the Note and remain as legible letters.

Unusually, Fluttershy ended up sleeping in that morning. She had at first risen when Twilight had, of course, and had rushed through her dawn feeding and cleaning, but the night of little sleep had proved too much for her. As soon as the last feed bowl was full, she drifted back upstairs and buried herself under her covers. She spent the rest of the morning dozing contentedly and dreaming honeyed dreams, even the distant crackle of fireworks failing to wake her.

Around noon, however, it was a much softer noise that jolted her from her slumber.

Having spent much of her life around animals, Fluttershy was no stranger to unexpected noises. Although it had taken a few years of restless nights, she had learned to feel the movement of the cottage as an extension of herself, and now found it harder to sleep without the occasional scurrying of small critters inside it. She’d internalized every step they made, from the scratching of the birds to the heavy trodding of a bear, and tracked them in her mind even as she slept. That was how she knew that something was wrong.

Things were quiet when she startled awake. The sun was no longer shining; thin grey clouds were starting to roll back over the town. She lay frozen, her breath stopped, listening. All movement from below had ceased. Scuttling gave way to silence, the whole building echoing her, still, watching. And then, a faint noise, a thud somewhere below, a sound that she knew no animal of hers made.

A night from so long ago screamed before her eyes. Before the thought was even finished she had thrown herself from the bed, wings spread wide, a vengeful snarl growing on her face. Burglar.

She half-threw herself down the stairs, sweeping for intruders. All the animals were keeping to their corners, watching her warily. A flash of black licked at the corner of her eye and she twisted around, catching a shadow slipping away through the kitchen. She hissed and charged, horror-fuelled bile rising in the back of her throat as she pictured the drawer where she’d hidden the Death Note, so easily in reach...

All that fear dissipated as she entered the kitchen, discovering not a pony but a towering black monster dropping apples onto the counter. “Oh, Byuk, it’s only you,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness.”

“Oh, hey.” The god dropped the rest of his apples and turned to Fluttershy, taking in her still-raised wings and frazzled appearance. “Did I wake you up?”

“No, um... well, yes, but it’s okay. I should have been awake anyway.” For her own benefit, she squeezed around Byuk and peered into the drawer where she’d left the Note. It was still there, squeezed between her salt and pepper pots. The next time she saw Twilight, she would ask about a more clever hiding place. “I just wasn’t expecting you,” she continued, fears assuaged. “I thought you’d go with Twilight again.”

“Nah.” Byuk shrugged. “She has her own game to run now. Since you own the Death Note I dropped, I’m supposed to stay with you instead.” He grinned toothily. “I guess that means we’ll be seeing a lot of each other, huh?”

“I... guess.” Fluttershy edged around Byuk again, examining him. Up close, he was definitely more beast than pony. His hair was unevenly stiff and matted, more like fur than her own coat, and there was a stench to him like something that had been left in the dark for too long. Worse, there was no escaping the predatory curve of his mouth or overly-large teeth. Although it had been some time since the Mathilda Mouse incident, images of it still lurked in the back of her mind. I’m sure if think of him like a bear, or a big, cuddly lion, Fluttershy thought, we’ll get along just fine.

Byuk ignored her gaze, rearranging his fruits on the counter by order of size, and then picking up the largest, juiciest one. “Want an apple?” he said, crunching the first between his teeth. “It’s lunchtime for you, right?”

This was true. Fluttershy reached towards the smallest apple, grateful for the gesture, and then stopped and eyed the row suspiciously. “Where did these come from?” she asked, trying not to sound accusing.

“Found ‘em.” Byuk licked drops of juice from his apple, turning it over between bites. “Things got a lot easier for me after I realised I didn’t have to wait for Twilight to bring me apples all the time. I can just go out and pick them whenever I want.”

Fluttershy withdrew her hoof slowly. “Did you take these from Applejack’s orchard?” she asked. Byuk’s hesitation and look of dawning comprehension told her all she needed to know. “Did you steal these?”

Like a foal caught in an elaborate lie, the shinigami began shuffling back and forth in midair. “I thought no one would mind,” he wheedled. “It’s such a big orchard, and these are only a few apples...”

“No!” To Byuk’s shock and confusion, he found himself being batted lightly on the head with a rolled-up newspaper that was kept next to the fridge for this very purpose. Fluttershy scowled in between bats, scolding him. “No! Bad shinigami! We don’t take things that aren’t ours!”

Mortified and more than a little perplexed, Byuk withdrew from the physical plane, causing the next swing of the newspaper to pass through him. This also caused the last bite of apple to tumble straight through his claws and splat wetly on the floor. “Aw,” he mumbled, looking down.

Although the newspaper was no longer a threat, Fluttershy still hovered in front of him, folding her forelegs sternly in front of her. “As long as you’re living in our world, you have to follow our rules,” she said. “No more stealing. Promise?”

“Promise?” He tilted his head to the side. “What’s that?”

“Um...” Thrown slightly off her game, Fluttershy’s expression softened, and she took a moment to answer. “It’s where if you say you will do something, you will. And if you say you won’t do something, you won’t.”

“Huh.” This didn’t seem to satisfy him. “How’s that different than just saying things?”

“Because...” She settled to the floor, putting the newspaper aside. “Because it’s bigger. Anypony can say that they’re going to do something and then forget about it, or have something else come up, or just not do it because they’re mean. But if you promise something, you have to do it. Because if you don’t, nopony will ever trust you to do anything, ever again.”

“Oh, so it’s like a bet?”

“If that helps you understand it, then yes.” She decided not to confuse the matter further by delving into Pinkie Promises. “Now, do you promise you won’t steal any more?”

“Yeah.” Byuk knotted his claws together, looking vaguely excited by the concept. “I promise I won’t steal any more.”

“Good.” Fluttershy looked towards the remaining apples. Her stomach gurgled traitorously; she was hungry, and there wasn’t much else left in the cottage. “You can’t return these now that they’ve been picked,” she said. “So since you’ve already had one, you can help me pass the rest of these out for lunch. And as soon as we know what’s going to happen to the orchard, you and I are going to volunteer to clean up the mess from the storm to make up for this.”

“Okay.” Still grinning, Byuk swept up a legful of fruits and floated away to the main room. Fluttershy followed with the rest, going over her last few sentences in her head. I guess Sweet Apple Acres belongs to Apple Bloom now, she realised. Poor filly. I hope she’ll be okay.

She spent the next few minutes sorting apples into bowls along with regular feed, taking inventory as she went. The creatures who lived in the cottage crept out more cautiously than usual, sensing an unfamiliar presence in their midst. All the while, Byuk continued to pepper Fluttershy with questions. “Can a promise be anything?” he asked, crushing apples and flinging them into bowls haphazardly. “Could you promise that you would turn into an apple?”

“I could,” Fluttershy answered, pouring out grain, “but it wouldn’t be a good idea. You should only make promises that you know you can keep.” She reconsidered, remembering some of Twilight’s more experimental spells. “And even if I could, I still wouldn’t, because turning into an apple wouldn’t be a good idea. You should only promise things that are important, either to you or somepony else.”

“Okay.” Byuk nodded firmly, as though making a mental list. “Sort of like the Death Note. You can write anything, but only things that can and would happen work.” He held out an intact apple to a wary squirrel. “What happens if I keep a promise all the way to the end? Do I win something?”

“Well... kind of. The more promises you keep, the more ponies know that they can trust you. And the more trusted you are, the happier ponies will be around you. But if you ever break a promise, even once, you’ll have to earn that trust all over again.” She hesitated. In his strange, foal-like logic, promises really were starting to sound like some kind of betting game. “But remember, some promises are just for a little while, and some promises are forever.”

“Forever. Gotcha.” He held out the apple a little further, only for the squirrel to wrinkle its nose and dart away across the floor. “Aw, don’t be like that! Little fella?” The god charged after it, sending more critters scurrying across the floor and walls. Puzzled, he straightened up. More animals were glaring in his direction, not only at the apples he held, which to them would have appeared to be floating unsupported, but at his entire body. “What’s gotten into them?” he asked, drifting experimentally across the cottage. “They can’t see me, right?”

“Um... I have an idea.” The answer, which had been lingering on the edge of Fluttershy’s senses for a while now, was slowly starting to fill the room. “Um... Byuk...” She turned towards him, blushing and looking down. “When you... that is... after you eat an apple... where does it... go?”

He looked at her blankly. “Go?”

“I mean, um... do you... poop?”

“Do I... Oh! No, I don’t do that.” He shook his head. “Shinigami organs are super evolved... or is it devolved? I forget how it works. Even though we can eat things, we don’t need to. The Death Note does everything to keep me alive. Most of my internal organs don’t really do anything.”

“I see.” Fluttershy gulped. “So whenever you eat an apple, it just...”

“I guess it just stays... inside... me...” He paused. Byuk looked down at his belly. He tapped one talon against it and felt something slosh. Just like that, everything clicked. “You mean...”

“I’m afraid so,” Fluttershy confirmed, covering her nose. A few animals did the same. There was no denying it; Byuk stank of rotting and fermented apples.

“So that smell is me?” Experimentally, Byuk phased out of the material plane. The apples he held tumbled to the floor, but those inside of him did not. The decayed remains were now a part of his body. “I was wondering why everything smelled so delicious lately,” he commented.

“That’s... nice.” Now that she’d identified it, the smell seemed to cling to everything. Fluttershy coughed, her appetite gone. “Is there any way to get them out?” she asked.

“I... don’t know.” Byuk shrugged. “I guess they’ll rot into nothing eventually. Everything does.”

“Will that take a while?”

“Probably.”

Fluttershy gulped. Patient as she was, she wasn’t sure she would be able to put up with this on a permanent basis. “Maybe if you tried eating nice-smelling things?” she offered.

“Would that help?”

“We could try.” She quickly tossed out the rest of her apples and hastened to the door, sniffing for some fresh air. “I was planning to go to the market today for some supplies anyway,” she added, grabbing her saddlebags. “Would you like to come with me and see what we can find?”

“Sure.” Byuk drifted after her and the pair went outside.

There was a faint breeze, and the smell wasn’t as noticeable in the outdoors. Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief, releasing tension she hadn’t been aware she’d been holding. It felt strange, given how much had happened in the past month, but as she trotted into town, her foul but well-meaning companion by her side, it almost felt like nothing had changed at all.

“See you tomorrow!” Colgate called, exiting the base. She got a few tired waves in return. It had been a long, productive day; Twilight and the others were currently moving a bed directly into the kitchen so that Rainbow Dash wouldn’t have as far to walk in the morning. It seemed a shame to leave them, but Colgate pushed herself on and up the stairs. She had other duties to take care of.

“Night already?” she remarked as she emerged into the park. The hours had gone by even faster than she’d thought. Still, the last echoes of sunlight could be seen in the western sky; enough time to get some work done, the policemare reckoned. She set off for her office at a light trot, still mulling over the events of the day in her mind.

After taking an hour to locate L’s lab, which turned out to be in a large box stuffed under her desk, her forensics work on the mysterious ashes the Death Note had been found in had turned up nothing. Literally, nothing; no matter what instrument she used, magical or physical, the grey dust refused to react or register on any scale. She’d eventually turned the whole thing over to Twilight, who reported exactly the same results. By any scientific measure, the dust did not exist. She’d expected that this would drive Twilight nuts, but the studious mare seemed more concerned with poring through L’s seemingly limitless supply of old notes.

And as for Citrus Green... Colgate ground her teeth at the thought. Now there was a real piece of work. It wasn’t surprising that a “friend” of Kira wanted her dead. But when it came to the identity of the friend they were still grasping at straws, and of Citrus Green herself they’d found no sign of her whereabouts. Like the rest of Equestria, they would have to sit tight and wait for more news to come. Luckily for her they hadn’t been able to discover any pictures of her, just her name, but if a new Kira did manage to reach her before they did...

There was a cough, and Colgate jolted to the side, looking around in a panic. Instead of an attacker, though, she only saw Locket, standing silently by her side. “Oh, it’s you,” Colgate breathed, relaxing. “I’m sorry. You startled me.”

Locket gave her a tired stare, not meeting her eyes. “I’ve been walking next to you since we left the base,” she mumbled. “I thought you knew.”

“...Oh.” She tried not to show a wince. “Sorry. Guess I was more lost in thought than I realised.” Even so, she couldn’t help but be a little impressed. She’d been trained specifically to stay aware of her surroundings at all times, yet without even trying Locket had effortlessly vanished into the background. It started to give her an idea.

“Um... this... this is my street,” Locket said, scraping at the ground. “I just... didn’t want to spend another night at the base. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She turned away and started walking, her tail if not her head hanging low.

Colgate swore at herself for hesitating. “Linky?”

The mare stopped, looking only partway back. “You don’t have to call me that,” she said quietly. “Locket’s fine. It’s safer.”

Colgate ignored this. “Look, are you sure you’re all right?” she asked, approaching her. “You’ve been looking down ever since L died.”

Locket was quiet for a moment. “Are you asking me to leave?” she whispered.

“No!” Colgate drew closer. “I just want to make sure you’re okay. Is there anything you want to talk about?”

“...No.” That seemed to be it, at first. Colgate turned away, but didn’t start walking. She counted down to herself, and was only off by one when Locket blurted out, “Except L was Kira.”

Bingo. Colgate subtly looked around. Out in the open wasn’t the best place to be having this conversation; still, even though she detected some faint, distant movement as the town settled in for the night, they were currently safely alone on the street. Locket was still only half-looking at her, but a slight quiver had come to her lower lip. “I trusted her,” she continued haltingly, having the sense to keep her voice low. “And I thought she trusted me. I worked for her for years without a problem. I mean, she was rude sometimes, but... she gave me everything, when no one else would even give me a second glance. Thanks to her I found a home, a job, a coltfriend... a purpose. And now I’m supposed to believe she was a psychotic killer?” She shook her head. “It doesn’t make sense.”

Colgate nodded sympathetically, biting her lip. The last thing she wanted to do now was talk over her. Once she thought she’d waited long enough, she spoke. “But-”

“But it’s not just her,” Locket continued, turning towards her. “It’s Bon Bon. It’s Big Mac. It’s... it’s all of you.” She took half a stumbling step back. “No one’s ever asked to be my friend and meant it. Bon Bon just wanted me for my emotions. Mac just needed a cover story. And now you’re trying to c-cozy up to me too...” She gritted her teeth and looked down. “Is everyone I trust going to turn into monsters?”

A shrill wind blew. Colgate gulped and abandoned her initial plan of a hug, although she began to suspect that she would soon need one herself. “I was there when he said goodbye to you,” she said, deliberately using neither of her names. “I saw the way he looked at you. Do you really think you meant nothing to him?”

Locket didn’t answer, instead swishing her tail in time with the wind. “I can’t take this any more,” she eventually said. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want anything to do with friendship. Not with you, not with Twilight, not with anyone. I can’t be lied to like that again. I just can’t. And if that means I can’t be on the team any more...” She made as if to walk away. “Then that’s okay.”

“Oh no you don’t.” Risking some physical contact, Colgate reached out and pulled Locket’s chin up towards her, looking her dead in the eyes. “I’m not giving up on you that easily. Like it or not, you’re one of us now. We need you.”

Locket squirmed away. “I said I can’t,” she argued, some familiar testiness returning to her voice. “I can’t buy into Twilight’s game any more. If you want to try to beat Kira with friendship, that’s fine, but you can count me out. I won’t be suckered into that kind of stuff again.”

“Exactly!” Colgate blurted. She didn’t at first know why, but then carried on as it clicked. “Can’t you see you’re exactly who we need right now?”

Locket didn’t answer. Taking a moment to collect her thoughts, Colgate looked around again, this time conspiratorially. “Look,” she said. “I believe in Twilight’s philosophy, I really do, but the fact remains that we have two very angry gods of death hunting us down. If they ever regain even a fraction of their power, that means that we’re at a higher risk than ever of being controlled or killed, especially those of us whose names they know. That means that we need somepony on the team who’s good at watching, somepony who doesn’t trust anyone, not even me. Especially not me. Do you understand?”

There was still no response, so she continued. “Technically, I’m your boss now, and I think you’re due for a promotion. If I’m going to be the anti-Lyra, then I want you to be the anti-Bon Bon. Watch over us. Distrust us. Keep us safe from each other. Be the mare who’ll go down in the background of the history books.” She smiled. “Sideline.”

Locket finally moved, twitching once, the corner of her mouth quivering up into what Colgate dared to think was a hopeful expression. “Does... does that mean...” Finally, there was a smile. “A pay rise?”

Colgate had to laugh. “Of course,” she said. “And your own uniform too, as soon as we can find it, and free run of the base. I won’t ask you to cook and clean, though. We’ll share those jobs.” She looked back in her original direction thoughtfully. “In fact, if you like, I can formally sign you on as a deputy of the Ponyville police. Under a false name, of course. That would get you an official salary, and I might get some pressure taken off me if I’m seen to start hiring. Really, it would be helping everyone.”

“I... I’d like that.” Locket grinned shyly, but quickly hid it. “But you’re just my boss, okay? Nothing else.”

“Nothing else,” Colgate echoed. “And that’s just fine.”

They continued towards the police station, Colgate leading the way. She’s right to distrust me, though, she thought to herself, trotting slightly ahead. I am being deceitful, after all. But this time... this time, it’ll be different. She glanced back at Locket, only to look away when she saw the mare obediently staring at her. If Twilight can save Equestria by befriending a monster, then what kind of peacekeeper would I be if I can’t even befriend you?

This thought didn’t last long. As the station drew into view, Colgate stopped in her tracks. “Oh no,” she gasped, seeing a glint of white get sharper against the moonlight. “No, no, no!” She ran forwards, ignoring Locket’s questions, her eyes focused only on the rustling page on her door.

By the time Locket caught up, Colgate’s horn had lit up. The letter was ripped away in a blue flash and flung towards Locket, who clumsily caught it. She rapidly scanned the page, blinking at some of the names, then looked to Colgate. “What does this-”

Colgate wasn’t listening. Paying no heed to the note, she focused her magic, wincing against her inner sprain, and ever so carefully removed the metal spike that had held the page in place. She glared hard at the hole this left, then at the tool itself, and then hurled it down and threw her head back. “Ace!” she shouted, her voice echoing down the streets. “Stop nailing things to my door!”

Wysteria blinked her lights happily. She’d gone through a lot of information today, much more than she ever got to look at during her routine maintenance. On top of that, she’d gotten to run a full system restore on her sister Minty, who’d temporarily dropped off the grid. Being an abacus, even an advanced one, she could not feel or comprehend emotions in the same way that ponies did, but the way the excess information flooded across her wooden surfaces made her inner crystals shimmer with the closest she could approximate to a feeling of giddiness. Whoever her new operator was, she hoped that they would be together for a long time.

Lacking eyes, Wysteria could not fully appreciate how central she was to her surroundings. She was suspended by thick wires and metal struts in the middle of a dark, narrow stone room, her pulsing rubies lighting her up like a beating heart. A wooden staircase ascended up to her front. Tracks on the floor allowed it to be rotated to any of her sides, but it spent most of its time lined up with her main input face, where her new operator currently sat. A pair of stratoscreens built into her surface rapidly scrolled through the information he’d requested, with a third on the staircase itself writing an incredibly lengthy log of accessed files.

While she had no sense of what ponies looked like, she had learned to recognize her users by the vibrations of their magic and the way they moved her beads. Her regular operator was quick and not at all gentle, as bored as she was in her update routines. Another one sometimes stepped in and used her hooves, which tickled, but did little to relieve the monotony. This new pony was slow, and clumsy, and made a lot of mistakes, but he was absolutely relentless in his movements, not even slowing down between requests. Thanks to him, a non-stop stream of data had been flowing through her for close to eight hours. Had she understood the word, Wysteria might have thought she was falling in love.

She could not detect her chamber’s door opening, and did not know that her most favorite pony of all was about to enter the room. She did, however, note that at that point in time, her new operator’s speed markedly increased.

Warm Quilt surveyed the room as she entered. The other three adults gave her quick glances, but only one snapped to attention. Aside from Wysteria and her viewing platform, the room’s only other features were a pair of stratoscreen-fitted writing desks in the rather cramped area near the door, as well as a massive pile of blank paper that had partly fallen over. Information trickled across every screen in unbroken lines, following Shells’ unceasing commands. “How is he?” Warm Quilt asked, looking over his stiffened frame with concern.

The other unicorn of the group answered. “He’s read... everything,” he said, eyes similarly fixed. “He’s been like this all day, even while eating. First the internal files, then the recovered logs, news reports, death statistics, and now I think he’s trying to memorize the almanac or something. He’s gone through parts of the investigation that even we haven’t had time to cover yet. I don’t know how much of the information he’s actually retained, but I have to admire his perseverance if nothing else.”

“Hm.” Warm Quilt took another look around the room, squinting carefully into the dark corners. “Where is Sideline?” she asked once she was certain that the cloaked mare was not actually in the room.

“She went out to get snacks. It’s pretty late.” The grey unicorn checked his watch; it was close to midnight. Nearby, a yellow earth pony was slumped in the room’s only chair, his head on the desk and his eyes half-open.

“Ma’am! Ma’am!” the team’s remaining pony, a pegasus, said loudly. She performed a three-legged hop up to Warm Quilt’s side, her front leg seemingly stuck to her forehead in a salute. She was short for a grown pony, almost the same height as Shells, and occasionally fluttered to be at eye level with everyone else. “We finished our analysis of the Ponyville abacus’ logs,” she continued, trying and failing to prevent her lips from twitching up into an eager smile. “The records stop after the early-morning update, but thanks to this cool trick Kaidan did with resonance, we were able to pinpoint the exact moment when the crystals were destroyed!”

Warm Quilt had already started to walk towards Shells’ platform, taking care not to step on any strewn papers, but paused and looked back with interest. “That’s nice, Burning Bridge,” she said, then continued forward again.

“But wait! There’s more!” Burning Bridge hopped along beside her, still chattering. “Because around noon today, that same abacus came back online! And that means that it wasn’t the emergency protocol like we thought, which is why we couldn’t decrypt any more information! It was sabotage!” She slowed a little. “I mean, L still hasn’t sent us anything, so I guess we were right about that part at least. But still! It means that somepony out there was destroying evidence!”

Warm Quilt looked back again. “That’s nice, Burning Bridge,” she repeated, a little more pointedly.

“And that means that the last L must have come within a hair of catching Kira!” Burning Bridge finished, hopping excitedly.

This time Warm Quilt didn’t respond at all, simply marching up to the first step of the viewing platform. “Shells!” she called.

The colt froze, much to Wysteria’s disappointment. “Yes, Mammy?” he croaked.

Smiling, Warm Quilt ascended the stairs and came up behind him, nuzzling his unburned side. “I expected you downstairs an hour ago,” she said gently. “I’ve been waiting to tuck you in. Did you lose track of time?”

“A little,” he said. “This is really fun.”

“Someday, when your training’s done, you’ll be able to do this all the time.” She pulled him away from the machine. “But growing heroes need their sleep, too. You’ll have just as much time to study tomorrow. Won’t you get some rest?”

“...All right.” While the unicorn at the far end of the room gagged, Shells allowed himself to be led down the stairs by his hoof. At the bottom he halted and looked around the room as though he’d never seen it before, blinking at each of the other members of his team in turn. “Who are they?” he asked, drawing close to Warm Quilt’s side.

“There, there,” she comforted him, while the grey unicorn mouthed Are you kidding me? to the others. “They’re your new assistants,” she said. “You’ll be working with them from now on. Didn’t you meet them when you came in?”

Burning Bridge finally lowered her leg, but only after it had started to shake. “Sideline didn’t let us near him until he’d already been set up,” she said. “We’ve never actually been introduced.” She put on a friendly smile and started to reach out to shake his hoof, but quickly thought better of the idea.

With a series of precise prods, Warm Quilt pushed Shells forwards. “Shells, these are Kaidan, Asphodel and Burning Bridge,” she told him, gesturing to the unicorn, earth pony and pegasus in turn. “Aliases, of course. They work in this part of the facility and they’ll do their best to help you. We’re also expecting a fourth pony, one who may be able to fill in some of the blanks in our knowledge. If he’s still alive, he’ll be arriving by train in the morning.”

“Okay.” Shells’ good eye moved with surprising rapidity over his new companions, taking in only specific, unexpected details: not Burning Bridge’s height, but her quivering smile; not Asphodel’s sleepiness, but his visible ribs; not Kaidan’s leer, but the unusually sharp cut of his mane. He did give this last subject a more complete once-over, though, and stepped towards him on stiffened legs. “You’re from Neighpon, right?” he said slowly.

Kaidan smirked. “Real sharp eyes you’ve got there, kid,” he snarked. The sarcasm wasn’t entirely unwarranted; he was practically a model cut of a pony from the far east. It wasn’t just his shape that gave him away - his legs slender, his face angular, even his eyes seemingly made from nothing but hard lines - but his colour, or rather, his lack of it. Instead of any familiar pastel shade, his coat seemed to grow in a dotted greyscale, surrounded by a faint blackness that shifted from position to position, as though the light was falling across him at a different angle to everyone else. Despite the foreignness of the rest of him, however, his voice carried no trace of an accent.

“He is,” Warm Quilt confirmed, as Shells was still looking up at the stallion expectantly. “He’s a refugee. And that’s the last we’ll speak of it.”

“Mm-hm.” Kaidan sauntered over, looking with disdain across the colt’s ruined face. “So, kid,” he said, leaning against a desk, “word from below is that you’re some kind of super-genuis. How about you give us a taste of what you’ve been doing all day, huh?” He leaned forward. “Who’s our current suspect in the Kira investigation?”

Instead of answering, Shells froze up like a foal who’d been called on in class. He stammered, his brows furrowed in desperate thought. After several long, painful seconds of this, Kaidan shook his head to cut him off. “All right, maybe you’re still putting that together,” he laughed. “Have an easier one. What’s the most common demographic that Kira killed during the random period over the last two weeks?”

Again, nothing but stammering, this time punctuated by a drawn-out “Ummmmm...”

Kaidan raised an eyebrow. “Name any victim from the past week.”

There was an even longer, tremble-filled pause. By this point Burning Bridge was trying not to stare, and even Asphodel had found the strength to pull his head off the desk and watch in confusion.

All traces of humor left Kaidan’s face. “What do Kira’s victims die of?”

Warm Quilt didn’t have to speak to interrupt him. The shifting of a few faint wrinkles was all it took for her to put on a face that could set hay on fire from fifty yards. It read: Say another word to my baby and there is no level of torment in Tartarus that will compare to what I will do to you. “Don’t let him bother you, sweetie,” she said to Shells, who was still wearing an expression of fear and awe that belonged on a pony a fraction of his age. “You’re doing fine. It’s his job to ask difficult questions, that’s all.”

Shells nodded shakily. “Mammy?” he said, looking up at her. “I was wondering... When I’m done reading, will I get to go to Ponyville soon?”

“No.” The word came out with a forced quality to it; the others suspected it was one she did not say very often. “Ponyville isn’t safe, little one. For everypony’s safety it’s best if you stay here, where we can look after you. You’d be best to put that horrid little place out of your mind.”

“...Okay.”

The door opened and Sideline floated in in the form of a cloaked shadow, bearing a tray of sandwiches cut into triangles. Shells perked up a little upon seeing her. He strode quickly forward and stuck his head inside her hood; no light or sound gave away what passed between them inside of it. When he withdrew his head, however, much of the fear and uncertainty had vanished from his face. “Mammy?” he said. “Can’t I stay up just a little longer?”

“Well...” She made a show of biting her lip and looking around thoughtfully, although her eventual answer was apparent from her first word. “All right,” she said. “Just twenty more minutes, okay?”

“Okay.”

With a quick kiss on the colt’s cheek, Warm Quilt left, casting another stern glance at Kaidan on her way out. Once the door was shut, Shells took one of the proffered sandwich slices, swallowed it without chewing, and looked up at Sideline with all seriousness. “I have to use the bathroom,” he announced. Sideline nodded, put her tray down beside Asphodel, and took Shells by the hoof and led him out of the room.

“S-sir?” Burning Bridge called. In the time it took for him to stop and look back, she had already hopped across the room to him and straightened into another salute. “We’re all really excited to work for you,” she said, smiling brightly.

Shells received the compliment expressionlessly. “...Thanks,” he said, then allowed Sideline to lead him out into the hallway.

The moment the colt’s hoofsteps had faded out of earshot, Kaidan burst into a sharp trot and sharper cry of frustration. “This is ridiculous,” he griped, pacing rapidly back and forth in the confined space. “This is a joke, right? Do we all understand that? Are we all on the same page? This can not be happening.”

“Aw, don’t be mean,” Burning Bridge retorted, stomping lightly in time with his turns. “You were being a teensy bit hard on him. Maybe he’s just a slow starter. Besides, isn’t his mom just the sweetest thing?”

“The kid needs help to go to the bathroom!” Kaidan exploded, jutting his hoof furiously at the door. “That is not normal! I’m sorry, but if we’re going to catch the monster who killed the smartest detective in the world then we need the best, not some half-formed fetus of a detective whose mommy thinks he’s special! We could have got some actual work done today if that colt hadn’t spent all day hogging the abacus! And here was me thinking he was some kind of idiot savant,” he added, shaking his head, “but no! He reads through everything we’ve got and can’t remember any of it! What in the ひづめ is the point of foalsitting this brat?”

Asphodel, whom the others had suspected had actually fallen asleep by this point, finally spoke. “I’ve heard it said that the mind of a child is as a blank canvas,” he said in a sonorous voice, lifting himself up. “Once they have learned the patterns printed upon it, they begin to repeat it themselves, until they have crafted their entire worlds into nothing but what they have been taught.”

Kaidan snorted. “And just what is that supposed to mean?”

“It means a younger mind is better,” Burning Bridge interjected. “The earlier a foal learns a task, like solving crimes, the better they’ll be at it in the long run. And the blanker that canvas is, the fewer distractions they’ll have.” She hesitated. “Right?”

Asphodel blinked at her. “Well, no, but that’s a lot better than what I’d come up with.” He rolled over in his chair and grabbed a sandwich, chewing absentmindedly on it. “Look, I didn’t used to work here on Second, right?” he continued. “When I first got here, I did deliveries. Mostly food, sometimes weird stuff for First, nothing you wouldn’t expect. But then one day, I got a great big package marked to go all the way down to Eighth. I didn’t even know we had eight floors until then.

“They wouldn’t let me go all the way down, of course. I got stopped by a guard at the bottom of Fourth; big scary-looking guy, muscles like boulders. So I pass the package off to him, and you know what, he drops it. Not as strong as he looked. Then the top spilled open, and do you know what was inside?”

The others waited for the answer, but Asphodel just kept chewing. “What?” Burning Bridge gasped, eyes wide.

Asphodel gulped. “Sorry, my tongue got stuck,” he said. “There’s a lot of peanut butter on these things.” He admired the remaining half of his sandwich. “She sure does layer the stuff on thick, huh? Wonder if she’s really a pony under that hood of her-”

“What was in the box?” Kaidan growled impatiently.

Asphodel looked him in the eye. “Foal bottles,” he said. “Dozens of them. All great big ones, all empty. I asked the guard what for - bad idea, I know, but I was shocked - and you know what he said? ‘It makes it easier.’ Nothing else. Just that.”

Burning Bridge’s eyes fought to get wider. “You mean-”

“I don’t mean anything,” Asphodel said calmly. “That’s just what I saw.” He leaned back. “As is, it stands that for whatever reason, the behavior of our new boss isn’t an anomaly,” he said. “We also have no reason to doubt that the L before this one started in much the same way, and he, as you helpfully pointed out, Kaidan, turned out to be the smartest detective in the world. Perhaps it will simply take time.”

“See? Told you.” Burning Bridge playfully stuck her tongue out at Kaidan. “You just gotta have faith.”

“...Ugh, fine! Creeps me the 羽 out either way.” Kaidan resumed his pacing. “But that doesn’t change anything. I don’t care if he’s going to be a great leader someday, he’s a mewling infant now, and Equestria is in danger now. One of us should have been the new L, not him. What possible qualifications could he have that we don’t?”

“That is the hole in this theory of ours,” Asphodel admitted, reaching for another sandwich. “No matter the circumstances, a mind scoured clean should never learn from battle alone; it wouldn’t survive.”

“You can say that again,” Kaidan muttered. “But if Eighth isn’t incompetent and there is some purpose behind this, then what are we missing?”

At that moment, the doors to the narrow room crashed open, narrowly missing Burning Bridge. A dark-coated guard in pearly white armour stumbled in, panting for breath, then looked around in growing confusion. “Sirs, ma’am,” he breathed, “has the situation been taken care of?”

“What situation?” Burning Bridge asked, recovering first.

“The... the colt, from downstairs,” the guard said, looking uncertain. “He said that a fight had broken out, and Wysteria was in danger of burning down. He was in an awful panic, too. Was that not the case?”

Kaidan winced, already pulling the pieces together with mounting horror. “What room were you guarding until just now?” he asked.

“Why, the teleportation lounge, sir.”

The three investigators looked at each other, then all moved at once. Kaidan disappeared in a flash of light, stumbling as he rematerialized outside the door, while Asphodel staggered out of his chair and shoved the guard out of the way. Burning Bridge leaped onto Asphodel’s back and bounced off of him into the lead, colliding with Kaidan as he righted himself and sending all three of them tumbling against the far wall. In seconds they were up again and pushing past each other down the white hallway, knocking another confused guard aside as they entered a wide stairwell.

One floor up led them into a large, circular room, filled with all manner of bizarre sights. A dozen ponies were at work at stations set up in concentric rings around the central staircase, some taking notes, some swirling test tubes, some poking a small, round object with a stick. They only filled a small fraction of the space; during the day, a hundred ponies might fill all the stations quite comfortably. There were some desks covered in chemical vials, some with faintly glowing masks, some with machines that seemed to do nothing but beep, all strewn together with no clear pattern. A caged manticore slept near one wall, while a large, opaque pod bubbled faintly opposite it. The three investigators ignored all of this, however, zeroing in on one of the four hallways that extended from the central room. A bright light was beginning to shine through the cracks in the door at its end.

“No, no, no!” Kaidan yelled, charging into the lead. He jostled a desk as he ran, causing a large vial to tip over and begin to fall from the edge in exaggeratedly slow motion (hours later, when the morning shift began, a young scientist would notice it missing and catch it seconds before it hit the ground) but made it to the far end of the room unscathed. He reached the door just as a loud bang of teleportation magic hurled it open, blowing his mane back and smothering him in an expanding cloud of white smoke.

“Hoo-ee!” Burning Bridge said as she caught up, flapping her wings to clear the air. “That’s gonna be one rough landing.”

“Oh, that stupid...” Kaidan stomped into the room, blinking through the smoke that filled it. Already fans near the ceiling were starting to clear away the magical residue, revealing a circle of stunned unicorns on a slightly raised platform in the middle of another circular room. Each of them was strapped into a comfortable-looking chair, filling five of the eight available seats. Although they were immobile, they weren’t prisoners; the black bands easily slid off, and in fact two of them had already removed some of their bonds to look at the new arrivals. Kaidan stormed up to one of these and thrust an accusing hoof under her chin. “You,” he growled. “Did a burned colt and a cloaked mare just teleport out of here?”

“Y-yeah,” the mare answered. He thought she looked young, maybe the same age as his daughter, and had the expression of somepony upon whom it was slowly dawning that they’d just made a terrible mistake. “It, um, it was s-sudden, but they had ei-eighth-level clearance. Eighth! I didn’t even know we had eight floors!”

“Really? I did,” the stallion next to her quipped calmly.

“That was not cleared, you idiot! You just helped them escape!” Kaidan threw back his hoof and then held it there, hesitating as panicked tears came to the mare’s eyes. He heard a concerned cough from behind him and relented. “And where did they end up? No, no, let me take a wild freaking guess,” he grumbled, throwing his raised hoof over his face. “Ponyville?”

“Well, y-yeah,” the mare said, her breathing shallow. “That’s what he asked for. But the c-colt, um, the colt cast a spell while we were casting. He wasn’t supposed to do that. He wasn’t supposed to do that!”

Ignoring her growing panic, Kaidan stomped back to his waiting partners. Asphodel raised an eyebrow as he neared. “If the colt interrupted the casting, they could have landed as much as half a mile away from the lodestone,” he said. “Between that and that cloak, they’ll be nigh-impossible to track.”

Kaidan kept his raised hoof where it was, gingerly pinching the bridge of his nose. “I cannot believe we fell for that,” he groaned. “Really. Us. Seriously. Unbelievable.”

“You think that whole thing was an act? He really was a genius?” Burning Bridge asked, following Kaidan as the unicorn stomped out of the lounge. “So much for a mind scoured clean, huh?” she added, nudging Asphodel with a smirk.

“Clever enough to slip from under our noses, at least,” Asphodel admitted. “What does that say about us, I wonder?”

“You know what?” Kaidan snapped. “I don’t want to think about that right now. Or ever.” He shook his head to clear the last of the smoke from it, leading the way back into the main chamber. “You know what? It’s fine. We all got what we wanted. You two got your super-genius, slugs-for-brains back there got to go to Ponyville, and I get to work in peace. Everypony wins.”

“Perhaps,” Asphodel said. “And yet, there’s one small detail that I can’t help but wonder about...” He stopped and tapped a few times at the floor. “Just a minor piece of trivia, nothing to obsess over, but I happen to know that the punishment for disobedience on the fourth floor alone is banishment. Do either of you happen to know, off the tops of your heads, what will happen to us if a mare from Eighth finds out that we’ve managed to lose her star pupil?”

Kaidan froze, and Burning Bridge bumped into his flank. The three of them looked back and forth at each other blankly. Then they all turned around and ran, pushing and shoving past each other back into the teleportation lounge.

Twilight Sparkle ignored the distant bang as she pushed her way back into the library. She carefully lifted off her saddlebags, which were packed tight with some of her books and supplies from the base, and then lay down on the floor right in the front room. “What a day,” she mumbled exhaustedly.

Her time after the fireworks that morning had been a whirlwind of activity. Between setting up Rainbow Dash’s living conditions, exploring the base, and collaborating with Colgate on her own work, she felt like she’d been running back and forth all day. Most of her time, however, had been spent poring over L’s literally rooms full of notes from her old cases - presumably before receiving Minty she had done everything this way - looking for any clue to her origins. It was slow going, even for a world-class study master; it had taken her until dinnertime to figure out that large sections of it weren’t written in code, but merely extremely sloppy writing and inconsistent shorthand.

It wasn’t until after sundown that she’d finally made a breakthrough. While the notes were well organized, they suffered from being extremely specific, with no overview of what context they’d been written in; it would have taken an encyclopedic knowledge of every criminal case from the past decade to figure out what any particular folder was referring to. Eventually, however, in the midst of the mountains of useless and unconnected information, Twilight finally found a pattern: L was reporting to someone. It seemed that before receiving her own abacus, she had gotten most of her information from an outside source which she referred to as Second. Most logs from the past year began with a list of statistics from them, formatted identically to the ones found from Minty.

There was infuriatingly little information on Second, despite L’s apparent relationship with them, but one other connection did start to emerge. While nearly all of her contacts were written as acronyms, one in particular, referenced in only the most unusual of cases, was referred to simply as “He.” “He denies any involvement,” was a recurring phrase, as was “He claims no knowledge of these events.” At the end of one report, Twilight found a frantically scribbled “He reports a connection to...” Uniquely, the remainder of that file was missing, and the rest of that particular page appeared to have been chewed off.

Some sort of liaison officer, maybe? Twilight speculated, collecting her thoughts. If Second was the group secretly pulling L’s strings, then “He” might have been her contact with them... but L also didn’t seem to trust him, either, which is worrying. Why wasn’t she allowed her own abacus right away? What secrets was she afraid he was hiding? And if L had a means of contacting him... can we locate it?

For the moment, there was little point in wondering. The notes she’d found would give her several days’ worth of work to do, and she suspected that it would take them weeks to search every nook and cranny of the base. Spike was starting to make a map, which was coming along well despite a number of false starts. Not knowing was tearing her apart, but she’d already worn herself down to the point of exhaustion several times while facing L, and she wasn’t about to make that mistake again. The best way to speed the process along right now was to sleep.

Grumbling internally, Twilight dragged herself back to her hooves and started for the stairs, dragging her saddlebags along behind her. Her old bed in the base had been tempting, but it was important to establish a pattern; she’d had enough of paranoia for a while, and she’d need her personal space if she was eventually going to slip back into the role of Kira. Besides, if she was honest with herself, the place was starting to give her the creeps; luckily, Locket and Colgate seemed to feel the same way. She’d made the excuse that she was afraid that spending even one more night in those bugged, claustrophobic chambers would give her nightmares. The fact that it happened to be true was just a convenience.

Stopping only for a glass of water, Twilight finally made her way into her bedroom. She locked her door behind her, then unlocked it, relaxing. “Midnight already?” she laughed, looking at her watch as she slipped it off. “So much for getting a good night’s...” She stopped and looked around. Something seemed off, and it wasn’t until she’d taken a few more steps that it struck her that she was talking to no one but herself.

Byuk was with Fluttershy. Spike was back at the base, obsessively guarding the killer notebooks. L was gone. For the first time since her quest had begun, she knew for certain that there was no one watching her. No shadowy gods, no clingy supporters, no prying detectives (she’d checked for wood chips on her way in) were studying her every move, waiting for her to slip up. After more than a month of pulling faces and dodging questions, she was finally, completely alone.

She’d never noticed how quiet the library got at night.

This is what I wanted, right? she thought once the echoing hollowness had fully set in around her. I’ve won. I’ve finally been left alone. No watchers, no enemies, no friends. This is good. This is ideal. She sighed. This is what I deserve.

Moving more slowly than before, she began to unpack her supplies. Opening one side of her saddlebags, she pulled out a stack of books, one thin white notebook tucked safely into their midst. From the other side, which she’d been especially careful with, she retrieved a bag of potato chips.

Twilight paused, studying the bag. She’d almost resented it back in the base, before she’d recovered her memories; now, the truth of Pinkie’s death returned to her, the gift seemed strangely fitting. She gripped it as resolve gripped her. Fluttershy was right, she realized. We should celebrate. These won’t last forever, and I might not get a chance to have them again. Regardless of everything else, Pinkie Pie would have wanted me to enjoy these. She ripped the bag open. After all I’ve done to her, I can at least give her that.

The smell was intoxicating. Twilight wavered to her desk chair and placed a red-dusted chip in her mouth, curling into an involuntary smile as it crunched between her teeth. Another followed, then more in untidy clumps. She felt ravenous, not for food, but for the familiarity. Most of her meals before now had been taken while working or imprisoned, and given the grab-bag that had been her diet in the base, it was strange how much of a luxury sitting down with her own bag of snack food felt like now.

Her pace became rhythmic, comforting, soothing down the frantic pace of the rest of the day. Her thoughts stopped racing and began to drift, what was once an act of her rare isolated moments becoming an act of remembering. This is for missing your funeral, Pinkie, she thought, lifting up one of the chips in a toast. And for everything else. But it wasn’t for nothing. When I’ve won, when all this is over, I promise, I’ll set everything right. I’ll make the world laugh again. You’ll see.

Even through the haze of horseradish flavoring, though, her mind didn’t entirely settle. Now that her mental gymnastics were coming to a close, another memory began forging its way to the front of her mind, one that she’d spent all day trying to force back. This time, she didn’t resist its advances. Where is Sunny Days?

Still chewing, she mulled over what Colgate had told her that morning. Assuming that Straw Bolt had told them everything - and, based on Colgate’s description of him, he didn’t seem the type to overlook anything - then in theory Sunny Days had already been rescued from someone called the Dollmaker, but had vanished before making it to her home. That alone was difficult to account for, but there was one detail in particular that had caused both Twilight and Colgate to pale in realization: the presence of a dead changeling near the hideout’s ruins. While the corpse hadn’t meant anything to Straw Bolt, their recent discovery about Bon Bon cast a disquieting new light over the whole affair.

Two changelings. Two figures from ancient history, resurrected. And both of them with some connection to the Kira investigation. She screwed up her face in thought and frustration. But what’s the connection? There’s no evidence that L and the Dollmaker were working together; if anything, kidnapping Sunny was just holding the investigation back. So what’s his interest in her secret? And where is Sunny now? Her face fell. If whoever’s behind this has changelings working for them... there’s a good chance those guards who picked her up weren’t really guards at all. After all that, did she end up right back in the Dollmaker’s hooves again?

Twi

But it’s all moot, isn’t it? another part of her argued. She worked her way through another set of calculations, much as it sickened her to do so. Sunny’s countdown started at twenty-three days, beginning a while after sundown on the night with the first golem. Since then I joined L’s team, met Fluttershy, was locked up for seven days, and then went through all that business with Applejack... Her stomach turned as she reached her answer. Five more days. Less than five days. And once that time’s up, Sunny will die by her own hoof, and whoever has her will have wasted their time and end up none the wiser. The fact that the Death Note didn’t kill her instantly means that it has to happen. It’s impossible for it to turn out any other way.

And yet...

She took a sip of water, washing some of the saltiness from her throat, and then stared up at the beaming moon. “What do I care?” she argued aloud, feeling the words burn her. She rested another chip on her tongue, but continued the thought internally. I’m Kira, aren’t I? Equestria’s greatest monster. I kill my own friends just for convenience. Next to the crimes of the God of Justice, what does the death of one filly matter?

But the words fell flat. Even as she tried to numb herself, guilt crawled its way over her body, still worming through the cracks in her armour. The whole point of becoming Kira was to bring justice to ponies whom society had overlooked. Nopony was supposed to be overlooked or turned away because of a system that was content to sit back and let terrible things happen. Condemning Sunny Days was a mistake, and causing her to suffer was even worse. I was foolish when I started this. I set things in motion thinking only of their tactical advantage, and then had to watch helplessly as it destroyed everything around me.

Light

No. She crunched a chip with finality. I won’t let this happen. Not again. I may be a monster; I understand that now. But I’ve dragged too many lives down with me. This isn’t about my survival, or any kind of game. This is about justice. I can’t bring back those I’ve let down. I can only suffer. Even if I were caught, nothing Celestia can do to me could compare to that. But this time, it’s not too late. I can stop this from happening. If I can set just one thing I’ve done right, just one, let it be her.

I don’t care if it’s impossible. I will find a way to save her. I promise.

Twilight

The thought brought some comfort, even without a plan to back it up. Yet even then, she felt like there was something that she was overlooking. There was something else, something at the back of her mind, or maybe the front, flickering, forgotten, trying to get her attention...

Twilight I’m talking to you.

Twilight froze. Her thoughts slowed as they hit a stumbling block, being awkwardly curved around in an entirely new direction. She blinked a few times, uncertain if she’d felt anything at all, and then crunched again on the chip currently in her mouth.

Can you hear me?

There it was again. The words were hers, unmistakably her voice, but she could think of no reason why she would have thought of that phrase at this moment. Hesitant in her paranoia, somehow afraid of looking silly even though she knew she was alone, she glanced back and forth around the room and whispered to the shadows. “Hello?”

Hello Twilight. I missed you.

Twilight nearly fell out of her chair. She curled up into a tense ball and looked around frantically. A number of possibilities flashed through her mind, none of them pleasant; she couldn’t decide whether she would prefer to be hearing voices or so paranoid that she was literally jumping at nothing. “H-hello?” she whispered again, more weakly.

Wait hang on. Let me try something.

Is this better.

The answer was yes and no. The foreign voice could now be distinguished from her own thoughts, but at the cost of all the life being drained from it. There was no intonation to the voice, nor, bizarrely, any lack of intonation; the words arrived in Twilight’s mind as flat and expressionless as those written on a page. “Th-that’s better,” Twilight mumbled, refusing to uncurl. Don’t panic! she ordered herself. Keep with it. You stared down a god just days ago. This is nothing. Figure it out. “Are you... inside my head?” she asked.

There was no answer. Twilight waited for nearly a minute, her ears slowly unflattening from against her skull. She glanced around the room again, searching for any potential source of the toneless voice, still not entirely sure that she wasn’t just imagining things from stress. Inevitably, her eyes found themselves drawn to the now slightly crumpled bag of chips in front of her. Her jaw did its best to drop. An idea was considered, immediately rejected, and then more reluctantly considered again. Could it be?

Reaching out more hesitantly, Twilight pushed open the lip of the bag and levitated out another chip, a small one this time. Paying attention to every detail, she put it in her mouth, chewed three times, and swallowed.

Yes. Sort of.

She held her breath. Are you... are you inside the potato chips? She waited a while longer for a response, and was about to reach for another chip when the voice spoke again.

Twilight are you thinking at me.

Even without the inflection, Twilight could still recognize a question. “Yes?” she hazarded.

Don’t do that. I can’t hear what you’re thinking. You have to talk.
Also keep eating. If you stop for too long I’ll fade away.
It’s okay. You can talk with your mouth full. I won’t mind.

At this, Twilight felt a surge of relief. For everything else that had happened to her, the contents of her head had always been hers and hers alone; she was glad that she didn’t now have to worry about censoring her thoughts as well. Now that her initial panic was dying down, she felt a forgotten excitement bubbling up in her. Although recent events didn’t allow her to entirely trust it, this new entity didn’t seem harmful. For once, she had a chance to study something that wasn’t openly trying to kill her. “What... are you?” she asked, grabbing a messy mouthful of chips.

Your best friend.
Silly filly.

A mouthful of chip crumbs landed on the floor. A bolt of dread shot through Twilight’s heart. “Pinkie Pie?”

No silly.
I’m her daughter.

A long silence followed, a naturally awkward one this time. Twilight took another chip and chewed on it, resuming her old thinking pattern. “...What?” she asked once she’d had time to collect herself.

No wait a minute.
That’s not the right word at all is it.
I’m her.
Sister.
Clone.
I’m what’s left of Pinkie Pie when Pinkie Pie is taken away.
Echo.
Call me Echo.
Echo Pie.

Twilight kept eating, although she was becoming increasingly uncertain that she ought to be. “So you’re not Pinkie Pie?” she asked cautiously.

I dunno.
I’m like a letter you can talk to.
It made my head hurt too back when I really was Pinkie Pie.
But I still love parties. And I still love my friends.
And that’s what really matters.
Right Twilight.

“I... guess.” She sat back. Question after question piled up, then fell silent in the face of this impenetrable wall that was Echo. It was so easy to imagine Pinkie Pie saying those words, but the complete monotone of her delivery sucked all the life out of them, leaving an uneasy, almost nauseous feeling in their wake. All this was compounded by the tumor of a realization that she was she was truly talking to her dead friend - a friend who had a very good reason to hold a grudge. “How... how much do you remember?”

Enough.
I don’t know anything past when Pinkie made me.
But if you found me I guess you know what happened.

“Right.” Twilight resisted a sigh of relief. She doesn’t know. I think. Her own end covered, she turned immediately to the most obvious question. “Echo... how the heck did you do this?”

Nuh-uh.
Not telling.

“What?”

I knew you’d ask that.
This was Pinkie Pie’s secret. She Pinkie Promised not to tell.
Sorry Twi. It’s better if you don’t know.

“Oh... oh come on!” Twilight threw her hooves up in frustration. “You found a way to preserve your voice after death and now you’re using it just to tell me I can’t know how? Don’t you have any idea what this could mean?”

I said I was sorry.

“Can you at least give me a hint?” She looked over the bag. “Did somepony teach you this, or did you discover it? Is it based on magic? Brainwaves? Spiritual energy? And why potato chips?”

Um.
Small doses.
But. Wait.
Did you say.
Death.

“Yeah?”

I’m dead.

Although these words were just as flat as the others, Twilight felt safe inferring that there was some degree of surprise behind them. “Yes,” she answered, the lurking reality of the situation finally rearing up over her in a series of memories. “You were murdered... by Kira.”

Who’s Kira.

“What do you mean who’s-” Holding herself back from snapping, she took a deep breath before lifting up another chip. It came to her attention that she was beginning to tremble. “Back up. When do you think this is?”

About six months ago.
Are you sure I’m dead.

“How do you...” Twilight gulped back the obvious question, and then tried very hard not to think about what she was eating. “Yes, I’m sure,” she growled, her trembling growing. “I was there. I was holding you. You were bleeding out, and...” She choked. Thin tears burned her eyes as she was dragged back to those moments, still seared into her eyes. “And then, and every day since, I wanted so badly to go back and rewrite things. If I’d just been smarter, if I’d just done things a little differently, then it never would have had to happen. But it did, and I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t stop it.” She reached out and tenderly caressed the bag, as she’d touched Pinkie Pie so long ago. “But what are you doing?” she asked, self-hatred warping into anger. “What’s the point of this?”

Huh.

“How can you not know you’re dead?” Twilight demanded, tearily shouting. “Isn’t that the whole point? Isn’t that why you wrote all those letters, to say goodbye? Aren’t you supposed to be giving me some kind of closure? Or did you just think this would be funny?”

A pause.

Did you keep my body.

Twilight lowered herself down. “Yes,” she answered, resentfully taking another bite. “We had a funeral. Everypony was there. It was beautiful.” Everypony but me.

You can’t stop death Twilight.
No one can. Not you. Not me.
You can just hold it back for a while.
Even I won’t last very long.

Suddenly chilled, Twilight grabbed the bag and looked inside. She’d been eating mechanically for a while now, scarcely noticing it. Even comically overstuffed as the bag had been, she was now well over a quarter of the way through it. “I’m sorry,” she gasped, only hesitantly reaching into the bag again. “I’m... I’m literally eating your lifespan, aren’t I?”

It’s okay.
It’s why I’m here.
If you don’t eat me I don’t exist.
But you shouldn’t eat too much in one sitting.

“I guess.” Twilight rolled up the top of the bag and magically sealed it. “I’m sorry, Echo,” she said, curling up in her chair. “I shouldn’t be mad at you. You’ve done something amazing, and I’m really thankful. But you’ve been gone for a while, and I was just starting to put it all behind me, and now... I don’t know what to feel any more. I don’t know what you want from me.”

I’m here to help you.
That’s all I want.
That’s all I’ve ever wanted.
And if all that means is giving you another chance to say goodbye that’s okay.

“Goodbye?” Twilight shook her head. “I don’t know if I can do that. I just found you again. I don’t know if I can go through losing you a second time.”

Echo’s voice was becoming fainter.

Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.
You’re the pony I trust the most to use the little time we have wisely.
Wake me up when you’re ready.

“I will.”

And Twilight.
One more thing.
Something really important.
Run quick.
And get a bucket.

“Huh?” At that moment, Echo Pie’s voice stopped, leaving an odd emptiness in its wake, like a faint buzzing noise that you don’t notice until it’s disappeared. At the same time, Twilight’s stomach tightened. Her insides churned and bubbled and her throat felt like it had switched into reverse, turning her panicked cry into an involuntary gurgle. She covered her mouth and bolted from her chair, angling towards the bathroom, but only made it a few steps before she keeled over and vomited red all over her floor.

Her head ached as she straightened up, spitting a few last flecks of potato from her lips. Her mouth tasted like a mix of horseradish flavoring and stomach acid. She numbly watched the slime she’d expelled spread across the floor, already starting to seep into the wood. “Huh,” she said, then coughed.

Now that her head was clear again, her mind was already buzzing with ideas. The how of the whole situation would, she felt, haunt her just as much as the function of the Death Note had when it had first arrived; sadly, if Echo Pie was resolute in not giving the secret up, there would be no sense wasting her remaining lifespan trying to drag it out of her. Tactically, the conversation had gone about as well as she could have hoped, establishing trust without giving anything away. If she played her cards right, she might have found not just a friend, but an ally.

It was all a lie, of course. She couldn’t let herself get attached to Echo. She didn’t deserve to. Not when she was responsible for the real Pie not being able to deliver the message herself.

Typical, her inner self snidely remarked. Trying to manipulate a pony who couldn’t rat me out even if she wanted to. The one pony in all of Equestria who might have forgiven me, and I can’t even bring myself to tell her the truth.

She glared back at the desk, and the bag of chips curled up on top of it. “Couldn’t even let me enjoy that, huh?” she rasped. Then she opened her door and went downstairs to find a mop.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I realized today that I hadn’t written to you since before the Applejack incident. Given the contents of my last letter, I thought it was important to reassure you that I’m okay. While I’m sure that you’ll already know at least some of what happened that night through other sources, I also thought you might want to hear about our results from me personally. The problem is that I’m not sure what to tell you, or how much I can stand to.

I’m safe and alive. My friends aren’t. Yesterday I had to watch another of my friends die, and for the sake of everyone else I had to hold in how I really felt. I’m fully aware of the concept of survivor’s guilt, but knowing about it doesn’t help me. I don’t think I’ll ever stop feeling like if I had just been a better friend, then all of this could have been avoided. Now I’m stuck between two extremes of loss, and I’m terrified of making a decision. Am I supposed to keep living with these empty holes where my friends used to be, with this guilt and pain eating into me for the rest of my life? And if not, how can I cut these feelings out of me without cutting out a huge part of what makes me who I am?

When I started this mission to catch Kira, I told myself that I was doing it in the name of friendship. Even when my own friends started to get hurt, I still made myself believe that I was doing it for the good of all, so that Equestria could still experience friendship even if I couldn’t. Now it’s too late for me to go back. How do you do it, Princess? Once you’ve known the taste of harmony, how can you let that go? How do you go on with all these anchors weighing you down? How do you say goodbye?

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.

Next episode: Showtunes!

So, What WOULD Have Happened?

Author's Note

So, if it wasn't already clear, Death Note: Equestria is dead.

What can I say here that I haven't already? It's been too long. I've moved on to other things. DN:E was far too ambitious a project, weighted down by some poor decisions early in the process and not worth the year of dedicated work it would take to finish it. The series had its moments, and I'm proud of what a younger version of me accomplished with it. But it's dead now, a death that I should have acknowledged much, much sooner.

In the here and now, I can barely remember what was supposed to happen next in the story, let alone how it was going to end. Fortunately, recent searches through my old computer let me dig up my original planning document. If you've been following me all this time and just have to know how the story ends, well, I can't help you there; the actual ending is a distant blur and probably would have changed hugely once put to the page. But by publishing what I can dig up and piece together of what might have been, hopefully I can answer some lingering questions and finally lay this piece of literature to rest, once and for all.

Note that my notes are extremely outdated, my memories are flawed, and pieces are missing from all around. Expect some inconsistencies. Let's go!

So, What WOULD Have Happened?

Chapter 35
*Growth*

Colgate arrives at the headquarters of the Kira Neutrality Movement the following morning. She is met by Ace, Spades, and their new ally Red Cross, who together sing a song about not letting politics get in the way of friendship. Colgate is unamused. Together they discuss the fate of Citrus Green, the name that appeared in the sky two chapters earlier. Citrus Green is revealed to be a corrupt businesspony who has "Castled" herself - no images of her exist that are available to the public, and she never shows her face.

Colgate returns to the base to find Twilight sleep-deprived. Twilight, still mulling over the implications of the existence of Echo Pie, finds it hard to concentrate on current matters. Suddenly, the base receives a message from an unknown source: Carrot Top and Dinky Doo have been kidnapped. The kidnapper will trade them back... in exchange for the Death Note.

The group argues. Twilight notes that the threat comes from someone who A) knows of the existence of the Death Note, but B) doesn't know that there is more than one, and C) knows that Derpy was working with the group, hence the choice of victims, but D) doesn't know that Derpy has since left. Ultimately, they agree to trade one of the Death Notes, settling for the one with the rules marked inside of it, in hopes that whoever picks it up will be too afraid to actually use it.

Chapter 36
*Blight*

Linky, acting as Sideline, makes the trade on a train, receiving Carrot Top and the promise that Dinky Doo will follow once the book is proven to be genuine. Speaking of her captors, Carrot Top says that she was blindfolded but heard a young colt and an old stallion arguing about whether they should change location, since Sunny Days has been rescued. This is the first that Twilight and Colgate have heard about Sunny Days being rescued, which piques their interest. Twilight vows to pay a visit to Celestia to find out what's going on.

Elsewhere, Scootaloo tries to cheer up Apple Bloom with a party. Apple Bloom is sad. They are suddenly interrupted by Shells, whom the pair identify (whilst screaming) as their classmate Snails, who died in a schoolhouse fire several years ago. Unperturbed, Shells asks them to join his campaign to save Equestria. With nothing better to do, they agree.

Chapter 36
*Blight*

Twilight arrives at Canterlot. With some careful talk and veiled threats, she convinces Celestia to tell her the truth. She's introduced to Celestia's Blight, better known as the Blight, a hidden facility beneath Canterlot where terrible things are kept in captivity and strange experiments are carried out. It's revealed that Sunny Days has been kept here, searching for the secret to her immortality. Twilight gives Celestia a vicious tongue-lashing for being no better than her original captors, which Celestia accepts without comment.

Twilight is then introduced to Warm Quilt, the Blight's chief administrator.

Chapter 37
*Symphony*

That evening, Twilight and Co. attend a concert held by Pinkie Pie's sister, who defies expectations by being a punk rocker. Twilight draws her attention by calling her by her real name, which almost gets the group thrown out. Behind closed doors, Marble Pie reveals that she and her sisters grew up in a mysterious underground facility, neglected and experimented upon. It was only when their third sister died that they were finally set free. Something had changed in Pinkie Pie; something snapped and never went back the way it was, by some miracle for the better. She was the lucky one.

Later that night, Twilight leads a rescue and rescues Sunny Days from the Blight. Celestia catches her, but lets her go. Sunny Days, disoriented and with nothing else going on, agrees to join their cause and help them find the base of Dinky Doo's kidnappers.

Elsewhere, Shells recruits Straw Bolt and Derpy to his cause.

Chapter 38
*Assault*

The two teams attack the Night Castle on the same night. One group is led there by Sunny Days, the other by Straw Bolt. They are each attacked by golems but find their way inside. On the interior they discover Shears and a mysterious pony wearing a cloak identical to Sideline's. Shears is captured, but his partner escapes. On interrogation, Shears claims no knowledge of the Death Note or Dinky Doo's kidnapping.

The ground begins to rumble. Both teams are thrown around as the entire castle is lifted into the air - riding on the back of a titanic pony-shaped golem. With steps that shake the ground, the engine of destruction begins to march toward Canterlot.

Chapter 39
*Collapse*

The teams head for the castle golem's head. There, they discover that it's being powered by multiple giant crystals as well as the Nightmare Writings, ancient dark texts of destruction. While the golem can be directed, all it can do is lash out and cause harm to ponies. Apple Bloom suggests that they crash it over Sweet Apple Acres, technically causing great harm but killing nobody. Twilight and Locket both try to do so, in the process gaining glimpses into each other's minds through the crystal. Ultimately, Apple Bloom steps up and collapses the golem over her family's land.

The two groups split up again. Shears and the hooded pony are left for the approaching Royal Guard to deal with - all attempts to remove the hood fail. Just as they leave, however, Shells unbinds the knots around Shears, leaving him to free himself. When asked about their decision not to team up, both Twilight and Shells claim that they believe someone on the other team might be the next Kira. Straw Bolt chastises Shells for putting the fillies in danger, inadvertently talking himself into staying with the team under his protection.

Confused at returning from the castle empty-hooved, Twilight leads her team back to Carrot Top's house, where she discovers Carrot Top and Dinky Doo just returning from out of town. Carrot Top claims they were never kidnapped, but received some money and a mysterious note warning them to leave town for a few days. Meanwhile, a cunning changeling uncloaks from her Carrot Top disguise and rejoins Shells. Shells reveals that he has had the stolen Death Note all along.

The Royal Guards bring their cloaked prisoner before Celestia. Celestia warns him that she has ways to remove the enchanted cloaks, and it would be for the best if he, Judas, would just do it himself. "Judas" removes his hood... and to Celestia's surprise, it's none other than Jazz, whom she recognizes. Jazz reveals that he's been working with Shells, and first traded places with his Sideline, then swapped places again with the hooded pony in the Night Castle during the chaos of the assault. Celestia is outraged, but allows him to take the cloak and return to Ponyville.

Back at the base, Locket takes Twilight aside and tells her that the crystal allowed her to see inside the other mare’s mind. She hints that she knows Twilight is Kira, but doesn’t say it outright. Just as Twilight decides to kill her, she reveals that her real name is Linky and walks away. Unsure of what to make of this, Twilight decides to keep the earth pony around awhile longer.

Time is rapidly running out until Sunny Days' death. Twilight allows her only a brief visit with her parents and then snatches her away again to begin a new set of experiments. She interrogates Echo Pie about the method to create Echoes after death, the only way she can think of to save Sunny's life. Echo reluctantly agrees, and the pair spend a whole day working - only for Echo to reveal at the final step that she had lied, and had been making the whole thing up. Anyone can cause death, she claims - but the ability to defy it entirely is too great and terrible a power for anyone to have. Twilight screams and cries, but there is nothing she can do.

That night, the clock runs out. Twilight wakes to find the filly stumbling around the library, looking for something sharp. She stops her and, seeing all the harm she has done to this little girl, tells her that she’s Kira. She comforts the filly as best she can, apologizes sincerely, and in the end helps her slit her wrists and holds her lovingly as she dies.

Then she looks up and sees Spike watching her in horror.

Cold madness takes over. As Spike tries to talk to her, Twilight advances - and beats him to death with magic and her own hooves. As the reality of what she's done to preserve her identity as Kira sinks in, Twilight howls. It's revealed that this was Mer's final curse: that Spike the dragon was to die in this way, murdered by the one he loved most.

The last light of her life gone, Twilight switches to full offence. She writes a letter to Celestia from Kira, demanding that the justice system be altered, all attempts to find Kira are to cease, and the workings of Celestia's blight be revealed. She threatens to kill first her faithful student, her sister, and then the princess herself if she does not comply. Then she ignites the letter and stomps on Spike's stomach, causing a last plume of flame to engulf the letter, hopefully sending it on its way.

The following morning, Twilight walks into the base only to be decked in the face by Colgate. Colgate read the report on Sunny Days - she knows Twilight was performing experiments on her to learn her immortality. It was because of this endless torture and experimentation that Sunny killed herself, she's sure of it. Twilight doesn't correct her. She's almost kicked off the team when Celestia makes her tearful announcement regarding Kira's letter on crystalvision.

Twilight informs her team that she is suspicious of Shells and his team, claiming that she believes one of them is Kira. She also makes a point of visiting Fluttershy, giving her several pieces of enchanted paper that will let her discreetly communicate with her. She instructs her to increase her rate of killing and slightly change some of her parameters, intending to explain this increase as the arrival of a new Kira.

Luna attacks Celestia, believing that her big sister has willingly given in to Kira. Celestia tries to explain that she is protecting the ponies she loves, but Luna will not listen to her. They battle very carefully, aware that the slightest misstep could result in the deaths of hundreds of ponies below them. When Celestia is on the verge of breaking through Luna’s defenses the lunar princess flees. Celestia allows her to leave.

Luna arrives at the underground base. She is shocked to hear of L’s death, but is undeterred in her plan: she wants the group’s help to overthrow Celestia. She presents them with the stolen Elements of Harmony. Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash retain their elements, but Twilight talks Luna out of including Fluttershy on the grounds that she would never agree with the plan. The remaining elements are distributed throughout the group: Spike as the Element of Laughter, Colgate as the Element of Honesty, Locket as the Element of Kindness, and Luna herself as the Element of Generosity.

Preparing to leave for Canterlot again, Twilight returns to the library to pack the Death Note. As she takes it from its hiding place it is seized by Sidoe, who becomes the haunting shinigami and is finally made visible. To his frustration he finds that this is not his Death Note either, and since it is possessed by a pony he cannot use it for himself. He tries to threaten Twilight into relinquishing ownership, but she refuses, fearing that Sidoe would try to kill her as soon as the notebook was his. As a desperate compromise, Twilight directs Sidoe towards Fluttershy, gambling that the loss of her and her Death Note would be worth it to be rid of the bothersome shinigami.

Sidoe arrives at Fluttershy’s cottage and threatens Byuk, explaining that he has very little time left to live. Having not intended to endanger the life of his fellow god, Byuk instructs Fluttershy to bring him the Note. Before she can relinquish ownership, however, Sidoe throws the book in her face and storms off. Still unable to see Sidoe, Fluttershy asks Byuk what happened. Puzzled, Byuk answers that he’d said that wasn’t his book either.

The makeshift EoH make their way into Celestia’s throne room, where she is holding open court, and attempt to use the Elements of Harmony on her. To no one’s surprise but the Princesses’, nothing happens. In a panic, Luna attempts to flee, but her botched teleportation only scatters the group around the castle. One by one, they are either captured or turn themselves in. Luna finds Colgate and pulls her into a broom cupboard, creating the impression of a frightened child. Colgate betrays Luna and kicks her out into the hall, right in front of Celestia. The solar princess puts her sister into a magically induced coma, where she will stay until the end of the story.

Twilight harshly tells Celestia that she did not defend her out of loyalty to her, and takes the Elements of Harmony for herself. She rounds up the team and starts back towards Ponyville. On the way there, she ponders what to do about Snails’ team. She can’t kill only the ones she knows, as that would point to her. However, she realizes that she’s been going about it the wrong way: it’s not a battle of teams, it’s a battle between her and the new L.

When Twilight receives Fluttershy's messages, she realizes in horror what's been going on. Before leaving Ponyville, Jazz snuck into Fluttershy's house and used his copying spell to create a duplicate of it, then enchanted the duplicate's paper so that the names written on it would appear elsewhere. Whenever Fluttershy wrote down a name, they would fake the death and report it over the news - they've been playing her for a fool the whole time. Furiously, she comes up with a new plan to take out the other team in one fell swoop.

Twilight instructs Fluttershy to write down that Snails will show up somewhere to do something compromising. She knows that Snails will receive the message thanks to Fluttershy’s fake notebook. Snails will show up anyway, hoping to trap Kira. Little does he know that Twilight had also written the same thing in her own, very real Death Note. Snails arrives at the given place, but neither reveals the names of his team nor dies. Having analyzed the plight of Sunny Days and compared the events to the known rules of the Death Note, he determined that Kira had cursed her with 23 days of life. Knowing that his life was forfeit the moment Twilight Sparkle had seen his face, he’d used the one sheet of the Death Note Jazz had left him to give himself 23 days of immortality. Knowing this, he is immune to Twilight’s influence and is able to capture both Fluttershy and the fake Death Note. Twilight is left baffled, believing that she had somehow been wrong about Snails’ name.

However, when Snails’ team returns to Carrot Top’s house, they find Carrot Top unconscious and Geldus’ Death Note stolen. Snails reveals sadly that Jazz has turned against them and become a monster: Kira 4.

oh shit, it's
*Season 4*

To be concluded...

So, What WOULD Have Happened? pt. 2

“Let me tell you a story, Twilight.

"Once upon a time, there were two pony princesses who ruled over a kingdom of their very own. Being wise as well as powerful, they decided to raise and guide their subjects through both love and fear, and divided up their duties to reflect this. The first princess loved her subjects unconditionally, praising the righteous and bringing mercy and generosity to all she saw. But the second sister took on the much more difficult task of punishing the wicked, striking fear into the hearts of anything that might threaten their rule and maintaining order and safety across the land.

“But as the many, many years went by, the first of the two princesses began to notice differences in the ways that she and her sister were treated. Whenever she asked somepony to do something for her, it was done slowly and sloppily, when it was done at all. But when her sister gave an order to somepony, it was done immediately and without question. Her subjects accepted her gifts without thanks and spoke to her with the easy familiarity of a commoner, but they bowed and trembled before her sister as if she alone were the ruler of the land. And the longer this went on, the more the first princess felt shame and jealousy build up in her heart, until she could stand it no longer.

“So it was that one day, the first princess went to the chamber of the second and told her sister all that she had been feeling. She asked that from then on, their positions be reversed: that she would be the princess who ruled through fear, and the other would be the princess who ruled through love. Her sister agreed, and the very next day they slipped into each other’s shoes and took on their new roles with pride.

“But instead of accepting the change, the ponies they ruled over rebelled. After hundreds of years of harshness, when the former Princess of Fear gave them praise they were overjoyed, as they felt that they had finally earned her love. But when the former Princess of Love began to punish their misdeeds, they felt betrayed.

“And so all the ponies of the kingdom rallied behind the new Princess of Love, and the Princess of Fear was banished to a place very, very far away. And from that day forth, the kingdom was ruled by only one princess who raised her subjects with both punishment and praise alike.”

"Wait." Twilight shook her head. "Wait a minute. Are you talking about-"

“It’s only a story.” Warm Quilt smiled, as though comforting a frightened foal. “Don’t let it worry you.”

Once upon a time, there was a pony princess. She was blessed and cursed with immortality, and because she was so very old and very powerful, the ponies she met assumed that she must be very wise. Because of this they named her a Princess, and carted her around as a goddess of the new world. But in reality she was just as petty and foolish as any other pony, with all the same dreams, and all the same weaknesses.

While this pony had a sister with whom she could share her eternal life, the duties that the ponies below had placed upon them prevented them from spending their time with one another. So instead, she tried to make friends with mortals. Time and time again they died, and she thought that her heart could not bear the grief. So one day, she gathered together her closest companions, and she gave them eternal life.

This turned out to be the worst thing she ever did. As it turns out, there is a very good reason why ponies are not meant to live forever. As the centuries went by, the ponies she had blessed lost sight of their former selves. Overwhelmed by the same power and grief that had possessed her, one by one they transformed themselves into monsters. Some mutilated their bodies and turned to devouring their own kin, while others lost themselves in the darkest and most powerful of magics. And so the Princess’ best friends became her greatest enemies, and though she loved them so very, very much, she was forced to take their lives away or seal them within the darkest reaches of the earth, where they could do no harm.

And so for a time, life returned to the way it had been. The Princess learned to accept that all friendships must end, and that others will rise up to take their places. She loved briefly and powerfully, caring for all ponies as if they would be together until the end of time. And there the story might have ended, if something else had not occurred.

In the furthest wastes beyond the dark ocean, there lived a great and terrible dragon named Coronus. He came to Equestria in a storm of fire, appearing as a creature of death and destruction, but instead came before the Princess with a plea. He had been cast out of his clan for his use of a dark magic called Metempsychosis, a process that granted him not only eternal life, but eternal youth. Whenever injury or age began to creep upon him, he would snatch away a newborn dragon and slowly imprint his essence into their mind, transforming their soul into his own. And so he copied himself generation after generation, passing his thoughts and memories down from dragon to dragon in a cruel mockery of immortality, until the elders of his clan discovered his dealings and mortally wounded him, driving him from their lands forever.

In desperation, Coronus came to the land of Equestria, and in secret he struck a deal with the Princess who lived there. Knowing that his time was short, he offered to share with her the secrets of Metempsychosis if she would permit him to place himself into one of the young dragons who lived in her kingdom. After some thought, the Princess agreed, but only if she were the one to perform the ceremonies, so that she would know she had not been deceived.

Shortly after, Coronus died of his injuries. As promised, the Princess preserved the dragon’s essence and prepared to place it in a new body. But instead of a dragon, she put the spirit of the monster into a pony. She went out into Equestria and found an orphan foal with a hole in his mind that no doctor was able to cure, and she stole him away and filled him up with the mind of the mighty Coronus.

When the dragon awoke, he raged and raged, but he was trapped in a weak and helpless body and could do nothing about his situation. Years passed and the dragon sulked. But eventually, boredom made him curious about the kingdom he now inhabited and he went out into the world. Being in the body of something so small gave him a new perspective on life, and he eventually ceased his fury and allowed friendship into his heart. He forgave the Princess for her deception and the pair became fast friends. And then the Princess began to plot.

One by one, the wicked immortals were dug up from where they had been buried. Their minds were scoured clean and transplanted into the bodies of the lost and the weak. There they began their lives anew, learning to appreciate their weak and mortal lives while also being forever preserved. And one by one, their sanity began to return to them as they were so recaptured.

And so the Princess’s greatest enemies became her best friends once again, and much that was lost was regained.

"Shining, one last thing." Twilight hesitated. "Did Cadance ever have a sister?"

Shining Armour gave her a puzzled look. "Twilight, you know this," he said. "She was found in the snow and adopted by a family of-"

"I know the story," Twilight interrupted. "And that's why I'm asking you. Did Cadance ever have a sister?"

"Twilight, please," Celestia sobbed.

"But if there's one thing I've learned about friendship these past two months, it's that friendship ends," Twilight continued. "You know that. I think you know that better than anyone. Those weren't just your friends that you gave immortality to, were they? They were your children."

Nothing but sobs and a furious glare were the response to this. "And who best to lead your children? Who could you trust to reincarnate all those years, watching over the ones you treasured most? Cradling them like a warm quilt?"

"Twilight, if you think you know-"

"She's you, isn't she?"

A measured silence met her. "No," she mused. "Less than that. She's what's left of Celestia when Celestia is taken away."

Scraps and endings:

Colgate takes on the Eyes of the Shinigami, giving Sidoe more time to live while he searches. The time she gives up is described as "not very much" but future Death Note shenanigans later inadvertently extend her lifespan.

Straw Bolt is demoted to being Colgate's underling.

Shells dies.

It is revealed that Inferno caused the schoolhouse fire and kidnapped Snips and Snails, as he's been doing for years to kidnap foals to use as hosts in the Blight's reincarnation facility. His mind is that of the mighty Coronus, still alive after all this time. His host's name was Cinnamon Swirl.

The mysterious creator of the golems is revealed to be the reincarnated Judas Loam in the body of Limestone Pie.

Jazz may or may not be a past incarnation of L. Or the real L, Luna's only child, given immortality. Or Lyra's father. Even by the end, it's ambiguous as to who he really was.

Warm Quilt's real name is revealed to be Fae Belle. Her relationship to Cadance is ambiguous. Eaten by Sidoe.

And that, the King of Death supposed, was that.

All was quiet in the Shinigami Realm. Deathly quiet. Anything of interest came through the cracks in time, the holes to the worlds below. Now another of these worlds was slowly falling quiet again, back to peaceful order as the gods departed and young Byuk's machinations came to their logical end.

And it had been an adventure, hadn't it? Full of twists and turns, plots and intrigue, suspenseful encounters and surprises that had even startled him some of the time. It was a shame about Sidoe, it truly was. But then, as the saying went; lose a son, gain a daughter.

But it was over now, as all things ended, as inevitable as death itself. Time for something new. Time for something fresh. He really should allow these kinds of games more often.

Deep in the deepest recesses of the darkness in which he dwelled, some part of the Shinigami King smiled... then frowned. It wasn't totally quiet in the realm after all.

Something was getting closer.

He turned his ears toward the door and listened. Not just one - several. Many, even. Moving quickly. A funereal procession? A revolt? Either way, nothing he couldn't deal with. He listened closer as they grew nearer, and one of his eyes narrowed. Were they... singing?

Just like that, they were upon him. The door was flung open and shinigami poured into the massive chamber. The young and the old, the large and the small, all alike entered or were pushed inside. One by one, their cries of revelry went silent, crushed beneath the darkness and the immense space. Only one kept singing, one small shape that bounced and wove among the gods around her, one who was definitely not one of his children.

The King of Death spoke, his one word bypassing sound entirely and searing itself into the minds of all who beheld him.

You.

"Hi!" the tiny pink shape responded, bouncing forward. "Are you the King? My name's Pinkie Pie and I threw this party just for you!"

How did you get here.

"Somebody told me this place was a total snoozealot, full of sad faces and lots of boredom. And I thought, wow, that sounds like a job for Pinkie Pie! And Pinkie Pie is me! So I came here to liven up this gloomy-doomy place with a party!"

What.

"And everyone said that the loneliest mclonerson anywhere lives here! So I brought all your friends to celebrate with you! Look! I brought balloons, and music, and streamers, and pin the tail on the pony!"

That's not. What.

"And best of all..." The bouncing pony whirled around, producing from somewhere a dark cake shaped like a notebook. "I baked this cake for you! Want a piece? Huh? Huh? Huh?"

There was a horrible deadly silence.

A titanic dark claw, vast as worlds, loomed out of the shadows. It descended, and, with deathly precision, picked up a slice of cake on a little paper plate and vanished back into the darkness.

There was a horrible deadly silence.

It is delicious.

There was a hopeful deadly silence.

Continue.

The chamber erupted in cheers and song. Shinigami danced as the party rose and swelled, spreading outside to those still waiting to enter. A pink pony bounced through it all, leading the cheer in fantastical displays. Somewhere in the darkness, the King of Death suppressed a smile.

All was well.

Exposition

(Intro by Anon3mous)
1
*Exposition*

Life. This world is full of life.

The god perched in a tree, overlooking the large town. He sniffed at the air, taking in a faint, otherworldly bitterness that only he could detect. Yes... It is here. From the branch the pitch-black, roughly pony-shaped form rose. He spread his tattered wings, wings that should never have been able to support his weight, and launched himself towards the lights below. As he fell his mouth opened involuntarily, displaying his unnaturally large teeth, and he let out a wicked cackle of delight.

Equestria was fantastic.

"Pinkie!" Twilight almost yelled from across the table. "It's just lunch. We do this all the time." Twilight Sparkle shifted uncomfortably at the number of eyes on them and slid her saddlebags to the floor. The restaurant was new, as were many of the ponies sitting in it. Ponyville was growing, much faster than anypony had anticipated. It seemed like there was a new house going up every day.

"Of course, silly filly!" Pinkie Pie continued, interrupting Twilight's thoughts. "But I haven't seen you even once in, like, a week! And that adds an extra layer of amazing for every day you've been gone, plus a level of chocolatey goodness for all that extra stuff we have to catch up on! So a whole seven days without Twilight Sparkle means that when I finally see you again it all adds up to..." She fumbled around momentarily beneath the table. "A whole chocolatey seven-layer cake of amazing!" From somewhere beneath her she pulled out an improbably large cake box, which she opened to reveal an actual seven-layer chocolate cake. On the top was a crude drawing of Twilight in purple frosting and the words "You are awesome!" written in pink around her.

Twilight smiled weakly. "Um... thanks, Pinkie?"

"You're welcome!"

"Your orders, madams?" asked an irritated waiter, who had been standing next to them throughout this exchange.

"Just a dandelion salad, please," said Twilight.

"Nothing for me, thanks," chirped Pinkie Pie. "I've got cake!" The waiter turned away, rolling his eyes. "And now, to celebrate friendship!" The pink pony took a huge, messy bite out of the cake, covering herself in chocolate and nearly toppling it over. "So Tphilight, wha's happn’ning?” she asked with her mouth full. She swallowed noisily. “What's kept you so busy all week?"

Twilight laughed nervously. "Oh, lots of things. Spike's still settling into his new room, and I had two different repair-ponies in to look at the stratoscreen. I think something's wrong with the antenna, but they say there's no problem. Plus there's all the studying I have to do, and I've been looking into Kira, so... I guess I just lost track of the time."

Pinkie Pie chewed a mouthful of cake thoughtfully. In the space of Twilight's story she'd somehow managed to consume nearly half of it, spilling chocolate crumbs all over the table. "You're interested in Kira?"

"Well, um, yes? I mean, who wouldn't be? Whatever kind of magic Kira uses is completely unheard of in all of recorded history. Ever! The potential for discovery is unbelievable!"

"What!?"

Twilight jumped, but Pinkie Pie was looking past her, towards the stratoscreen set into the restaurant's wall. "Peachy's Pies has been cancelled?" The pink pony stood up and shot over to the screen. Inwardly, Twilight sighed.

Since their invention, stratoscreens had spread across Equestria like wildfire. Shortly after the reemergence of the Crystal Empire, gemstones had been uncovered within its depths with the ability to capture and record images at an incredible rate, which, when combined with the rest of Equestria's comparatively futuristic camera technology, resulted in moving pictures. These images could then be played out on magically treated sheets of slate or marble, called stratoscreens. A second kind of crystal could store information for long periods of time and copy it onto others, and large "hub" crystals were used to broadcast it over long distances. The resulting “crystalvision” had completely revolutionized how ponies viewed art, entertainment and information, as well as providing new jobs for Equestria's rapidly growing population.

However, as with any leap forward, there were some difficulties as ponies tried to adjust to the new technology. For Twilight, one of these difficulties was Pinkie Pie. The poor mare was infatuated with crystalvision to the point of obsession. "Peachy Pie won't be doing a show today," Pinkie mourned, returning to the table. As soon as the Ponyville Hub Station had been constructed, Peachy Pie and her sister Sunny Days had applied for jobs there. Despite their youth and inexperience the station manager had seen great potential in them, so the studio had taken them on. Within a month Peachy Pie had launched one of Equestria’s first cooking shows, while Sunny Days covered weather and local news. "Pineapple was killed by Kira."

“He was her coltfriend, right?” Twilight asked. Pinkie Pie nodded sadly. Twilight pulled a notebook from her saddlebags and scribbled something down in it, but stopped when she saw Pinkie Pie’s stare. She put the book down and shuffled uncomfortably. "Wasn't Pineapple abusive? I mean... that's what I heard."

"Those were just rumors. Oh, Twilight, how can you want to know more about Kira? He's just a murderer."

The word rang in Twilight's ears. "Kira is not just a murderer. He's justice."

Pinkie Pie frowned. "I thought Princess Celestia was justice."

"That's what I used to think, too. But these days..." Twilight looked around carefully. Nopony seemed to be paying them any attention any more. “Look,” she said quietly, “Princess Celestia’s my teacher, and almost all of the time I agree with her about how Equestria should be run. Her ideas on taxation, foreign trade, diplomacy... nopony will say she’s not a brilliant ruler. But when it comes to criminal justice, she’s...” Twilight gulped. “Soft.”

“Soft and cuddly?”

“Not like that. I mean she’s too nice for her own good. Equestria is growing, and that means more crime. That’s not something we can avoid. But instead of building more prisons and courthouses, she’s been giving lighter sentences for bigger offenses. I thought things would improve after Luna returned, but... if anything, she’s just gotten worse. It’s like after her sister stopped being Nightmare Moon she became convinced everypony’s good on the inside, and it just takes a slap on the hoof to draw it out.”

Pinkie Pie looked confused. Her cake was nearly gone, and her expression was unusually serious. “Doesn’t it? I’ve never met anypony who’s bad all the way through. Even my Papa Pie, and he was the grumpiest grumpalump who ever grumped a lump, and all it took was one itty bitty ittle little twinkie Pinkie party for him to—”

Twilight slammed a hoof on the table. “It doesn’t always work like that!” She saw her friend’s shocked expression and backed down. “I’m sorry, Pinkie. I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just... if somepony does something bad, and you don’t punish them, you’re just teaching them it’s okay to do bad things.” She closed her eyes. “Do you remember the day the princesses abolished the death penalty?”

“Of course! We had a big celebration, and there was singing and dancing and I made a cake shaped like an electric... Twilight, what’s wrong?”

Twilight shook her head, but Celestia’s words were burned into her memory. From now on, our prison systems must focus primarily on re-education and rehabilitation. Nopony should have to pay the ultimate price because of a mistake. No matter what your crime, everypony deserves a second chance – a chance I intend to give to you. “Back in Canterlot, I had a... well... there was a pony I knew called Moondancer.”

“Your salad, madam.”

“Oh, thank you.” Twilight accepted the dish and waited for the waiter to walk away before continuing. “I was too busy with books to get to know Moondancer well, but she was always kind and I wouldn’t have wished anything against her. But on the night when the princess made that announcement, just a few hours after that, that foalish speech... Moondancer was murdered.”

Pinkie Pie gasped, inhaling a mouthful of cake. Twilight waited until her friend was done coughing before continuing. “And do you know what happened to the pony who killed her? He didn’t even try to hide that he’d done it. He was found guilty and locked up. It was supposed to be for a year, just one year. But the prisons were close to overflowing, and new ponies were coming in every day, and...” She was starting to tear up. “And to make room they started letting ponies out early. Sharp Star was released after just three weeks. He... he killed somepony and got away with it.” Twilight lowered her head and forced herself to take a bite of her salad.

Pinkie Pie covered her mouth with her hoof. She’d stopped eating her cake, and her normally poofy hair had started to deflate. “That’s... that’s so sad.”

Twilight didn’t look up from her food. There was no need to continue her story to the end. Pinkie Pie had already gotten the message; there was no point upsetting her further.

In the end, it hadn’t been friends, relatives, or even a newspaper that had alerted Twilight to Moondancer’s death. It was teeth.

As usual, the unicorn’s study of magic bounced her from topic to topic at a rate that none of her friends were able to keep up with. By chance An Introduction to Magical Dentistry had caught her eye during one of her lengthy re-shelving sessions, and within a matter of days she could name nearly every spell in an amateur dentist’s repertoire. An exhaustive list of tips on healthy eating habits pointed her towards a study of tooth decay under differing conditions, including what seemed to her an unnecessarily detailed section on food served in prisons. This discrepancy led her to an outdated essay on prison statistics, followed by a trip to the library’s archives. Everything fell naturally into place from there.

Twilight felt a slight chill as she made her way down the stairs into the basement. She disliked coming down here; something about the cold, dusty air among the roots of the still-living tree was off-putting to her in a way that most libraries weren’t. Thankfully, any project that drew her down here was usually big enough to keep her distracted from this fact. She checked the reference number she’d written down and trotted over to the appropriate shelf, counting volumes to herself.

What surprised Twilight most about the book of Equestrian Justice Records was how large it was. Instead of the thin tome she’d been expecting she came away with a massive book more than half her height and almost as thick, warm to the touch with the faint buzz of magic. Like all public records, it was enchanted to be self-updating; every time a file was added or updated in the police records anywhere in Equestria, the book would rewrite itself to match. At first, she assumed the text’s thickness came from its age. After all, aside from the occasional scam artist or supervillain, Ponyville was subject to maybe one or two crimes a year. How much could there be in the rest of Equestria?

As the young pony was quick to discover, Ponyville was the exception rather than the rule.

Theft. Assault. Murder. Twilight felt herself turn numb as she flipped through page after page. The numbers varied by type and region, but they were all high – to her troubled mind, impossibly high. Even in Canterlot, it was rare that a day went by when somepony wasn’t killed or assaulted. Only Ponyville, under the watchful eye of Celestia, seemed safe from the slow turning of Equestria. Did something change? Twilight wondered, leafing through what seemed to be the thousandth death report. Or was it always this way, and I was just too high up to notice?

Twilight’s eyes began to glaze over as she read, the reports starting to blend into each other, forming one long, concentrated chain of wrongness stretching from one end of Equestria to the other. She only stopped when a page brushed against her nose, having inched closer and closer to the book with each turn of the page. “Easy, Twilight,” she sighed, forcing herself through the calming breathing techniques several of her friends had insisted she learn. “Nothing’s changed. It’s just statistical bias, that’s all. Too much information at once. It’s not as bad as it looks.” It was then that a name on the page caught her eye.

Moondancer.

Later on, a letter to relatives in Canterlot would confirm it; her fellow student Moondancer had been stabbed to death at a unicorn bar one dark and stormy night. But for the longest time Twilight could only sit, reading over the same report again and again, feeling some part of her deep inside begin to erode away.

That had been just two months ago.

Thanks to Twilight’s glacial pace and Pinkie Pie’s incessant chattering, it was mid-afternoon when the pair finally left the restaurant. They left the exasperated waiter a large tip and walked out to the sound of arguing. “Darling, you can’t mean to say you actually support that monster!”

“Sure Ah do!” The second voice was revealed to be Applejack, pulling a mostly-empty cart in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. Rarity walked beside her, glaring angrily at her friend. “Ah mean sure, it sounded awful at first, ponies dyin’ left and right. But ever since then, business is better than it’s ever been. Ponies don’t go pickin’ apples in our fields no more, and Ah haven’t been short-changed all week. Them thieves are too scared to pick on us hard-workin’ ponies any more.”

“That is not an excuse for murder! Kira’s nothing but a cold-blooded coward.” Rarity finally noticed the two ponies walking towards them. “Hello, Pinkie Pie. And Twilight Sparkle! My goodness, dear, where have you been?”

“Hi, girls,” said Twilight. “I’ve been, you know, busy. Studying.”

“Were you two talking about Kira?” asked Pinkie Pie, bounding up and down. “Twilight and I were just talking about the same thing! Twilight’s a supporter, and she told this really sad story,” she caught Twilight’s expression, “which I don’t think she wants to tell again, and as for me, well, I just don’t know what to think!”

Applejack frowned. “Whaddaya mean, ya don’t know? It’s only the biggest thing to happen since Nightmare Moon. Everypony in Equestria is talkin’ about it, and you of all ponies don’t have an opinion?”

Pinkie Pie shrugged. “Nope! How about you two?” Applejack and Rarity glowered at each other and opened their mouths, only to be interrupted. “Oh, wait! I can figure it out!” The pink pony jumped on top of the cart and produced, seemingly from nowhere, two hoof-puppets in the likeness of her friends. Applejack unhitched herself from the cart and turned around to watch. “‘Killing is wrong under any circumstances!’” Pinkie Pie said in an approximation of Rarity’s voice, jiggling the white unicorn puppet up and down.

“‘But Kira only kills bad ponies!’” the orange puppet said in a deeper voice. “‘If yer innocent, you’ve got nothing to worry about!’

“‘But what about cases of mistaken identity and wrongful arrest?’

“‘Duh, Kira’s too smart to fall for something like that!’

“‘He’s not omniscient. He can’t know everything. He can make mistakes.’

“‘Omnee-what? Besides, somepony needs to keep order. Might as well be Kira. He’s like a real-life Batmane! Hi-yah!’” Pinkie Pie mimed a karate chop.

“‘That’s absurd! Might does not make right!’

“‘Then why’s Celestia in charge?’

“‘Applejack! I can not believe you just said that!’

“‘We were all thinkin’ it.’

“‘You’re disgusting and I can’t believe I ever loved you!’

“‘You don’t mean that, Rarity!’

“‘I do. I don’t think I ever want to see you again!’

“‘Rarity, listen.’

“‘Unhand me, you ruffian!’

“‘Please? For me?’

“‘Oh Applejack, I can’t resist you!’ Kissy kissy! Hee hee!” Pinkie Pie pushed the two puppets together and giggled, then noticed her friends’ shocked expressions. “Oh... did that part not happen yet?”

Twilight looked desperately around for a clock. Her eyes finally settled on her new wristwatch, which she wasn’t quite used to wearing yet. “Oh, look at the time,” she said hurriedly. “Spike’s expecting me. Lovely to see you, gotta dash, bye!” She turned and galloped away towards the library.

Behind her, Applejack’s tongue finally loosened itself from the roof of her mouth. “Ah did not compare Kira to Batmane,” she said angrily.

Twilight Sparkle normally didn’t like keeping secrets. She felt it was much better to get everything out in the open than to keep parts of herself covered up; her studies had shown that not telling others how you feel was detrimental to friendships all around. Still, in this particular case, she couldn’t seem to feel bad about lying to her friends. It was too close to her heart, too personal. It seemed that there were some things better left unsaid after all.

One week ago, in secret, Twilight had visited Canterlot. She’d left in the late afternoon, leaving a note for Spike, and had taken her treasured hot air balloon. Thanks to a good wind the journey had taken under two hours, but it was dark by the time she had found a free landing pad. She crept into the city quietly, covering herself with a cloak. It was unlikely that she’d be noticed, but it paid to be cautious. She didn’t want news of this visit to reach her teacher.

It was one thing to read the police records – she must have gone over the death report hundreds of times, taking in detail after detail. Sharp Star, arrested for murder and released within a month. Case closed. The numbers were there, the names and dates laid out in black and white, and for her analytical mind that should have been enough.

But she hadn’t gone to Moondancer’s funeral. At the time she’d said she was too busy, but she hadn’t been, not really. She should have made time, she should have been there, but between her friends and her studying it hadn’t seemed important. Somehow, reading about Sharp Star’s release had brought the reality of the situation on her harder than the actual murder. To make this personal, to make amends, she had to know. She had to see for herself.

It was raining when Twilight reached the city’s slums, if they could even be called that; the houses were made of polished stone, and rose higher and grander than any in Ponyville. The few ponies who were outside at this hour paid no attention to her, each making their own way quickly and quietly down the overcast streets. After a few minutes of searching she found the Ley Line, the unicorn bar mentioned in the report. A gruff-looking pony eyed her carefully as she walked in, but didn’t ask for an I.D.

It was much warmer inside the bar than out. Twilight carefully hung her cloak on a hook by the door and looked around. The place was smaller than it had looked from outside, cozy but not cramped. The walls were lined with cheap wood paneling and brightly-burning torches, and tiny candles floated over the tables that lined the walls. Every stool at the bar itself was occupied by an older unicorn, most of them asleep. The air was full of quiet conversation and the smell of stale beer.

Twilight found a seat in an empty corner and tried to recall the pictures taken at the scene. Her stomach lurched as she realized the corner of the bar nearest her was where Moondancer had died, fatally stabbed through the neck. The table across from her was where Sharp Star had been arrested an hour later, still drinking as though nothing had happened. There was Sharp Star himself, looking exactly the same as in his mugshot— Sharp Star was right there.

Right there, at that exact same table, sat a smug-looking blue unicorn with a horrific smile on his face. A pair of ugly brown stallions sat on either side of him, levitating large mugs in front of their faces. All three were wearing long, black jackets that covered their cutie marks. Twilight’s stomach lurched as she realized the material was leather. Is that even legal? The pony on Sharp Star’s right was speaking. “How ‘bout, how about this,” he slurred, his drunken voice audible over the low murmur of the rest of the bar. He levitated his wobbling mug a little higher. “Here’s to, uh, Princess Celestia, the kindest, most gullible mare in aaaaaaall Equestria!” He grinned moronically.

Sharp Star’s smile twitched momentarily, then he raised his own glass as well. “I like it,” he said in a surprisingly quiet voice that was almost a hiss. “A toast, to the one who forgives all.” He snickered, an eerie, singularly unpleasant sound.

The colt on his left nudged him. “Hey, Sharp. Purple filly’s eyeballin’ you.”

With horror, Twilight realized she’d been staring as Sharp Star’s eyes flicked up to meet hers. In one fluid motion the blue unicorn rose and walked directly over the table towards her, closely followed by the other two. She looked around in a panic, but the other patrons were keeping their eyes fixed on their own drinks. With feigned nonchalance Twilight stood and began to make her way to the door, but the three unicorns intercepted her. “You like what you see, doll?” said one of the brown ones, cutting off her exit.

Sharp Star sniffed the air in front of Twilight’s face and grinned a little wider. “You remind me of the other one,” he whispered softly. “You wear your mane just the same as hers. Think you’d feel the same, too?” His eyes rolled back into his head and he smiled in pleasure. “You wanna ride my horn too, babe?”

He killed Moondancer.

Sharp Star laughed and the other two joined in, the combined waves of their foul breath assaulting Twilight’s nostrils.

He killed Moondancer. He got away with it.

She felt sick. She strongly resisted the urge to buck one of them.

He doesn’t care. He wasn’t punished.

And it’s all Princess Celestia’s fault.

“Hey bro, check it, she’s crying! You scared, little filly? Are we too-”

Twilight used a bolt of magic to shove the surprised thug aside and ran for the door, having enough presence of mind to grab her cloak on the way out. Shouts rang out behind her, but she wasn’t followed into the rain. Quickly she ducked into a side alley and collapsed against a wall, sobbing.

Then, in the darkness, something fell.

“Spike!” Twilight called as she entered the library. “Are you home?” She put down her saddlebags and looked around. The library was empty and unusually tidy, a sign that the baby dragon had been busy. Upstairs was just as quiet. “Spike?” Twilight made it to the third floor and knocked on the door to Spike’s room. “Are you home?”

After a few long seconds the door creaked open and a cloud of ash escaped. Twilight coughed loudly. A bleary-eyed Spike peered out. “Sorry, Twilight,” he mumbled. “I finished my chores and then I just sat down for a second, and I guess I forgot to leave the window open...”

Twilight stepped inside, opening as many windows as she could reach and levitating a nearby fan to clear the air. She stared at the soot-covered ceiling and sighed. Spike had grown less than an inch in the past year, but his flames were getting a lot stronger from constant use. As a result, he’d started blowing out occasional puffs of smoke while he slept. Twilight had at first insisted it wasn’t a problem, but when she’d started coughing during the night he’d moved into an old supply room near the top of the tree. The old boxes and shelves had been moved into the basement and the walls had been covered with posters of famous dragons, some of which were starting to curl at the edges. “We need to talk to Mr. Breezy about getting some proper ventilation in here,” said Twilight. “This can’t be good for the tree’s health.”

“I’m sorry, Twilight.”

“Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault,” Twilight said gently. “Just try not to nap during library hours, okay?” Spike nodded. “Anyway, I just wanted to see if you had any plans for dinner. Did you want to go out somewhere?”

Spike shook his head, trying to jolt himself fully awake. He put one hand on his stomach and backed away slightly. “No thanks. Leftover quartzloaf is fine. I’ve got a lot of, uh, reading to do.”

Twilight beamed. “That’s great, Spike! It’s nice to hear you’re keeping up with your academic studies.” She retreated towards the door, fanning the last of the smoke towards the window. “Well, if you need me, you know where to find me.” The door closed.

Spike took a deep breath and belched out the scroll he’d been desperately trying to keep down throughout the conversation. He quickly scanned its contents before climbing out the open window, scaling down the outside of the tree to the ground below.

Twilight listened to his escape with her ear to the door. Spike had never been a very good liar. Part of her wanted to barge in and demand to know what he was doing, but he was just a young boy and she did owe him some privacy. She just hoped he wasn’t up to anything she needed to worry about.

Quietly, Twilight returned to her own room. Before entering, she touched her horn to the door, and a tiny spark of light jumped from her to the wooden surface. She went inside, closed the door behind her, and sighed. She'd forgotten how draining spending time with friends could be. Not that that was a bad thing, but after a week of near-solitude the experience was jarring. Still, no time to rest. She had work to do.

Crossing over to her desk, which she had moved far away from the window, she unlocked the top drawer and reached inside. All it contained was an old and well-worn diary with Twilight’s name scrawled on the front in ancient and flaking purple crayon. But she reached down behind this, knocked twice on the wooden surface, then reached through the wood to the hidden compartment behind it. From within she pulled out a thin black book, its cover completely blank. She put this down on her desk and then pulled out another, much larger book: the folder containing the self-updating criminal record files. A glow from her horn expanded it to its full size, covering more than half the desk. She flipped it open to a random page and sat down. So much to do, so little time.

Sharp Star was a murderer. Princess Celestia had set him free, and now he was dead. Pineapple had been an abusive coltfriend. There were no less than four separate arrests listed due to domestic violence, but the timid Peachy Pie had never pressed charges. He would never bother the innocent filly again. Right now, a known burglar's case was being dropped due to "lack of evidence". Twilight opened the black book and picked up her favorite quill. Sometimes, the simplest solutions were the best ones.

That night in Canterlot, cowering and crying in a poorly-lit alleyway, everything had changed.

Twilight felt like throwing up. She had just seen Moondancer's murderer, not just out of prison, but enjoying himself; he wasn't sorry, he hadn't learned anything, he would do it again given half the chance. In fact, she was certain that within a month another mare would be lying dead in that bar. How can this be justice? How could anypony think that this is right?

It was in that moment, that horrible, soul-destroying moment, that something fell.

It hit the ground with a gentle thud, skidding across the cobbles before coming to a halt near Twilight's hooves. She looked up, surprised, but there was nopony nearby who could have dropped it. The overhang from the buildings on either side gave no room for it to have fallen from high up. She stopped crying and picked it up, finding no words on its cover. She flipped through, but every page was blank. Too tired to consider the matter further, her inner librarian not willing to abandon the book to the rain, she slipped it under her cloak and walked away.

The storm would keep her from leaving Canterlot until morning. She supposed she could have stayed with her family, but she didn't feel particularly up to facing anypony after the night's events, least of all her parents. After wandering for a few streets, she found a cheap motel and took a room for the night. The space they gave her was small, little more than a bed and a desk, but just for the night it would suffice.

As she hung up her cloak, something inside fell to the floor. She'd completely forgotten about the notebook. Curiosity flaring, she picked it up and examined it more thoroughly. There were words on it, small print filling the inside cover. A title blazed at the top, somehow legible even in the near-darkness:

Death Note

Underneath were the words How To Use It, and then the first and most important rule:

The pony whose name is written in the Death Note will die.

Twilight stared at the notebook, taking a few seconds to comprehend, then chuckled. For all that mystery, all she'd stumbled upon was some morbid foal's hate book. She flipped through the rest of the book again, unsure if she'd missed something, but every page was blank. There was no way of telling who it belonged to. Of course, she thought, you couldn't write your own name in a “Death Note”... Twilight shook her head. For a second she considered asking around the area to see if anypony had lost it, but then remembered Sharp Star and shuddered. She wanted to get out of the city in the morning as fast as possible, and put herself far, far away from... him. She put the Death Note on the desk, turned towards the bed, and then had an idea. A silly, foalish idea.

Slowly, she looked back towards the notebook. "Well..." she said aloud, "finders keepers, right?" She sat down at the desk and flipped the notebook open. In the darkness the blank pages seemed comforting, inviting. From across the room she levitated a quill and ink bottle out of a pocket in her cloak and brought them towards her. Smiling wickedly, picturing the blue unicorn's stupid, murderous face, on the first line she wrote down a name.

Sharp Star

Twilight threw down her quill and jumped onto the bed. She'd put all of her hate into writing that name, and, foalish as it was, she did feel a little better. She closed her eyes and was asleep within seconds.

Less than twenty minutes later, she was awoken by the sound of sirens.

Twilight jolted awake, nearly tumbling out of bed before catching herself. There were loud noises outside, and shouting. She rushed to the window to look. An ambulance was passing by, two ponies pulling a white covered cart while a third stood on top waving recognizable red and blue lights. A pegasus pony flew somewhere high overhead, pushing rainclouds aside to clear their path. Twilight stared, aghast, as they rushed in the direction of the Ley Line. A few minutes later they passed again in the opposite direction, this time at a slower pace. The cart they carried was now occupied, a sheet pulled all the way over the body. Wind pressed against the white fabric, revealing the outline of a unicorn. A unicorn wearing a long jacket.

Twilight backed away from the window, knocking the chair over in her panic. "No," she whispered. She turned and leaped into the corner of the room, throwing the linen from the bed over herself as if it could block out the image from outside. "No!" she screamed, pounding her hooves against her head. "No! No!"

At the time, she'd told herself she was just tired. The strain of the night had caused her to make a connection she shouldn't have during an unlikely coincidence. By the time she drifted off to sleep again she’d half-convinced herself she’d dreamed the whole thing. And yet, the next day there it was. Sharp Star's picture was in the obituaries section of the Equestria Daily she picked up over breakfast. Twilight choked on her complimentary muffin as she read it, but forcibly steadied herself. Okay Twilight, calm down, she said to herself, seeing a couple ponies in the greasy cafeteria glance at her. She hid behind her newspaper and hoped none of them had heard of her. I couldn't have killed that colt. I just couldn't have. All I did was write his name in a book. That couldn't have done anything... it’s impossible.

I can’t be a murderer.

Before checking out, Twilight returned to her room to gather her things. The Death Note was right where she'd left it, still open to the first page. She bent over it and started reading the directions on the inside cover more thoroughly.

The pony whose name is written in the Death Note will die.

This note will not take effect unless the writer has the pony’s face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, ponies sharing the same name will not be affected.

If the cause of death is written within the next 40 seconds of writing the pony’s name, it will happen.

If the cause of death is not specified, the pony will die of a heart attack.

After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written within the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

More rules followed in smaller text. Some were extremely specific, others infuriatingly vague, and Twilight’s head hurt trying to take them all in. None of them said anything about how or why the Death Note worked, or why it existed. And what in Equestria was a Shinigami?

Twilight slammed the notebook shut. This whole thing was absurd. The book was at best a sick joke written by some madpony, at worst the weapon of a murderer. The smart thing to do would be to throw it away, never look at it or think of it again.

But Sharp Star was dead.

That thought gave her pause. Last night she’d been certain that another mare would be killed by that monster. Now that monster was gone, maybe because of the book. Maybe because of her. One way or another, a murderer had received the punishment he deserved. And if this book had the power to do that... if there was even the slightest chance that it could be used not as an instrument of death, but of justice...

Maybe, just for now, it was worth holding onto.

The journey back to Ponyville took less time than the first trip. It was only midmorning when Twilight touched down in front of the library, so few ponies were there to see her arrive. Inside it was quiet; as she’d predicted, without her there to wake him up Spike had overslept. She made his breakfast and crept upstairs, only to rush back down after opening his door. “Open some windows!” she wheezed, coughing violently.

Once the air was clear and Spike was done apologizing, Twilight sent him on his way and retired to her room. She pulled the Death Note from her cloak and settled down in front of her stratoscreen. She wasn’t fond of the device, but Pinkie Pie had insisted she get one, and some days there was just no saying no to Pinkie Pie. After a moment’s thought she rose and put a magical lock on the door. It wouldn’t do for Spike to walk in on her... doing this. She returned to her seat, made herself comfortable, and turned on the screen. The cheery face of Sunny Days appeared, announcing the morning’s weather schedule. Twilight groaned and started flipping through channels. This was going to be a long day.

Twilight spent the rest of the morning in front of the screen, changing news stations every few minutes. She stopped around noon just long enough to get some lunch, reassuring Spike that she was fine but didn’t want to be disturbed. Then, two hours later, a stroke of luck: that is, disaster struck. As Twilight changed the channel for what seemed like the thousandth time, she came across the image of a worried-looking Sensation Shine, a Canterlot news reporter, standing in front of a group of guard-ponies. Unlike Celestia’s royal guard, the city guards were not uniform in colour, and they bore simple iron plate as opposed to the golden armor of their counterparts at the palace. Twilight leaned forward. “The suspect has barricaded himself inside the schoolhouse,” the amber newsmare was saying, doing a good job of disguising the panic in her voice. “Ten foals of varying ages are currently trapped inside with him. The teacher on duty, Whiteboard, has been confirmed dead.”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed. She opened the Death Note, levitating a quill towards her. Onscreen Sensation Shine tilted her head to the side, listening to a voice off-camera. “This just in,” she continued. “Eyewitnesses have just identified the suspect as Bramble Thorn, former teacher at this school.” A picture of the offending pony appeared in the corner of the screen. Twilight’s response was automatic; quill scratched on paper. “Reportedly, Bramble was forcibly retired earlier this month due to several complaints of misconduct towards students. The foalnapper has issued no demands so far, and has warned the guards not to attempt to enter the building.” Twilight stared at the clock on the wall. Twenty seconds. "We now turn to the current chief of city police, Straw Bolt. Bolt?"

An especially large guard with a shield cutie mark stepped into the frame. The white pegasus stood proudly, but his eyes were tired and his mane dripped with sweat. "Thank you, Shine," he said in a booming voice. "This is a situation that has become all too common throughout Equestria these past few months. Whether due to financial pressures, or..." He trailed off as shouts rang out from the front of the building.

Sensation Shine bolted towards the action, motioning for the camera to follow her. "It looks like... yes! It looks like the foals are leaving the building!" she shouted excitedly. A line of miniature ponies ran between the rows of guards, many of them in tears. "They are unharmed. The guards are now entering the building." Several confusing shots followed, the camera-pony trying to capture everything at once. After some long seconds Sensation Shine was finally able to recapture his attention. "Breaking news," she gushed breathlessly. "Bramble Thorn has collapsed, and is showing no signs of life. The cause of this turn of events is currently unknown. A medical team has been sent for."

Twilight breathed heavily. This shouldn't be happening. No book, no ordinary paper could have that kind of power. But somehow, impossibly, it did. I... I killed somepony. The thought made Twilight sick. She’d been fine with just thinking about it, fantasizing about it, but actually seeing it happen before her eyes was very different. She hung her head in shame. A pony was dead now, two ponies, because of her.

Were heart attacks painful? She’d read about them in a few medical manuals, but she’d never heard of anypony actually having one. In larger mammals like ponies they were supposed to be rare, except in the very old and the very weak. What would the guards think when they discovered the cause of death? Would they somehow be able to trace it back to her?

The screen cut away from the confused guards and landed on the escaped foals. Most were being held by their parents, who were crying tears of joy. A light went on in Twilight's head. She'd done that. Those foals were safe now, because of her. It gave her a warm, happy feeling inside. She hadn't just killed anypony; she'd killed a bad pony, something that a score of guards and Princess Celestia herself couldn't do. And because of it, the world was now a better place.

As she stared at the Death Note, a sense of purpose began to fill her. Justice had been served. She switched off the screen and walked downstairs, hardly noticing Spike as he called hello. In the basement she found what she was looking for. A massive tome practically thicker than it was tall, one that was warm to the touch and flickered whenever its words changed. It was the self-updating police record book, the same one she'd used to read about Moondancer's death in detail. She opened it to the middle. Here were all the dropped cases, the allegedly lost files, the early releases, the threats the Guard was too understaffed to deal with. So many criminals. So much injustice.

Twilight smiled dreamily. "Now," she whispered, "I will be justice."

Back in the present, Twilight gently closed the police record book. "That's enough for today," she said to nopony in particular, stretching her stiff limbs. It was a shame that Pinkie Pie and Rarity didn't support her, but that was okay for now. She didn't expect everypony to understand right away. She wasn't sure where the name Kira had come from. Somepony had screamed it from the background of one of the early news reports, presumably stumbling over 'killer', and the name stuck. The mysterious, invisible entity that brings justice to a corrupt society: Kira, the god of death. Somehow, she liked it.

As she did every night, Twilight flipped back to the very first page of the Death Note. Despite her confidence in her convictions Rarity's words had stung, and seeing Pinkie Pie so upset over Pineapple's death made her uncomfortable. But whenever she started to waver in her belief, if she felt at any point that she might not be doing the right thing, she always turned back to where she began. In the very top corner of the first page, she'd written one extra name. This one wasn't meant to kill; it was for someone already gone. A little dedication, to remind her of what she was fighting for.

For Moondancer.

Twilight yawned and put the Death Note back in its secret compartment. The police records followed, along with a shrinking spell to keep it at a more manageable size. She locked up and went downstairs.

Hidden in the shadows, a dark shape folded up its wings and smiled. Finally. He’d been starting to think he wouldn’t be able to find her.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned the power that controversy can have over friendship. Even if two ponies are the best of friends, a disagreement over an important issue can cause a conflict neither of them can ever really get out of. When somepony’s opinion is different from yours, it’s important to listen to their side of the story instead of trying to force your point of view on them. And for the sake of your friends, sometimes the best opinion to have is no opinion at all.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.

Obsession

11
*Obsession*

“Suicide” is always a valid cause of death. All ponies are thought to have the potential to commit suicide. It is, therefore, not something “unbelievable to think of.”

Deep underground, there was no way of telling day from night. As the sun rose over Equestria, the base was kept in darkness. Without an alarm or the rays of Celestia's sun to prise her from her bed, for the first time in her adult life Colgate overslept.

The base was unusually quiet as the blue unicorn stumbled bleary-eyed into the main chamber. L sat in the same position she'd occupied last night, apparently having not moved in over twelve hours. Bon Bon stood nearby, attempting with little success to spoon-feed her a bowl of sugary cereal. Behind her, Derpy Hooves was trying to imitate the mare's implausible sitting position and had gotten herself thoroughly stuck inside one of the regular desk chairs. Colgate shook her head and trotted over to help her out. Locket stopped her halfway. "Um..." The earth pony looked at the ground. "Good morning."

"Good morning." The two blue ponies shifted awkwardly, neither quite able to meet the other's gaze.

"I'm sorry about Berry Punch," Locket blurted out. "I mean, um, I... I'm so sorry. L asked me to keep an eye on you, so I followed you two home from that party, and... it wasn't hard to figure out." She pawed uncertainly at the ground. "Um. So... I don’t know if I can really understand what you must be going through, but if you need somepony to talk to..."

"It's fine." Colgate shook her head and closed her eyes. It was too early in the morning to be grief-stricken. "I'm fine. There will be a time for mourning later. For now, I... I don't want to hear her name again. Not until all this is over."

"Okay." Locket tried to smile but couldn't quite manage it. Her head lowered and she turned away. “You’re a good pony, Colgate.” She grasped desperately for words before turning and rushing off towards the kitchen, her head held lower than ever. Colgate sighed and kept walking.

After a minute of pushing, Colgate was finally able to squeeze Derpy out of her chair with a loud pop. "Oof!" Derpy rose and stretched, luckily seeming none the worse for wear. She turned around and gave the unicorn a painfully tight hug. "Thanks, Colgy!" she said warmly. "All my base are belong to you!"

"Um, thanks?" Colgate brushed the pegasus off and sat down in the now-vacant chair. "You really shouldn't sit that way, you know. You might get hurt."

"Harpy sits funny," Derpy argued, pointing. "And she's smart!"

"She shouldn't sit like that either." Colgate looked up at the unmoving unicorn. "Hey, Harpy. Why do you sit like that, anyway?"

"Hm?" L looked to the side, causing Bon Bon's proffered spoon to collide wetly with her cheek. "I just can't sit the way other ponies do. If I do, my reasoning ability drops by 40%."

"See?" Derpy looked around for another chair.

"Miss Hooves, don't you start work soon?"

The pegasus jumped up and gasped. "My muffins!" With surprising speed she zipped over to the base's main door and vanished.

L sighed. "Bon Bon, could you open the trapdoor for-" There was a loud thump. "Quickly, please."

As the cream pony rushed over to the door, Colgate scooted a little closer. “So, what’s our plan now, oh glorious leader?” she said coldly. L didn’t immediately respond. “I’ve trusted you so far. Please, don’t let that trust be unfounded. Don’t tell me you’ve given up just because you’ve lost your favorite lead.”

“Lead?” The detective finally looked her way. “My dear Colgate, there are always leads.” L's face lit up. "There are always loose threads, unfinished ends, different angles to lead us to the villain. All we have to do is find them. And on that note..." L flexed her muscles and, to the police pony's shock, rose out of her chair. She stumbled slightly as all four hooves hit the floor, then stretched out her back with a series of dull popping sounds. "Ah, that's better." The change was radical and instantaneous; instead of its usual cold flatness her voice sounded positively cheery. She smiled, a real, natural smile that actually reached her eyes. She brushed aside Bon Bon's proffered hoof and stood proudly on her own. "I'm going out."

Bon Bon gasped. "I'll get my cloak," she said, fussily gathering up the bowl and spoon.

“Thanks, but I’ll be fine on my own.” The detective bounced lightly from hoof to hoof, stretching her legs well after prolonged time in her chair. “I think I can handle myself for a couple of hours.”

Colgate stared, agape. If she hadn’t seen the change she wouldn’t have guessed this was the same pony. “B-but what about your identity?” she stammered. “I thought you never showed your face to anypony. You can’t just go outside without a disguise!”

“No, it’s cool. Watch this!” L focused and a sickly green light enveloped her forehead. Slowly, with much grunting and straining, her horn started to shrink. It shortened inch by inch as if it was being sucked into her skull before vanishing completely under her skin, not even leaving a mark. “See? Perfect disguise.” The detective shook her now hornless head, letting her mane fall more naturally across her forehead. “L is a unicorn. Everypony knows Harpy Chords is an earth pony. Flawless.” While the blue unicorn was taking this in, L bounded Pinkie Pie-style over to the base’s exit and opened the door. "Oh, and if I die in the next few days, Twilight is Kira." Without another word she started up the stairs and the great iron doors clanged shut behind her.

First stop, of course, was Sugar Cube Corner.

"Here you are, dearie." Mrs. Cake lowered a large box onto the counter. "Two dozen doughnuts and one strawberry shake. That's fourteen bits, please."

L shook a hoof-full of coins out of a bag onto the counter, not bothering to count them. "Keep the change," she said cheerfully. "Also, could I speak to Pinkie Pie, please? I understand she works here."

Mrs. Cake shook her head, dropping the coins into the register. To her mild puzzlement she found she had exactly fourteen. "I'm sorry, dear, but I haven't seen her all day. She should have been here an hour ago."

L seemed unfazed by this information. "That's okay. I'll stop by later and check again." She put the box of doughnuts onto her back and wrapped her shake up in her hoof, sucking greedily on the straw as she started towards the door on three legs.

"If you see her, tell her we're expecting her!" Mrs. Cake called after the mint green visitor. As the unicorn walked outside, she allowed her face to collapse into a more worried expression. "Such a nice girl," she said to herself. "I do hope she's all right..."

At the same time, Rainbow Dash finally emerged from the kitchen area with crumbs around her lips. She glanced casually around and made her way over to the abacus, trying a little too hard to look nonchalant. Jazz gave her a hard, suspicious stare as she approached. "Hey," she said.

"Good morning, miss Dash," Jazz said gruffly. He became increasingly tense as she sauntered closer to the wooden structure. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Sure! I mean, um, not really, you know." The filly momentarily floundered for words. While Jazz had been perfectly civil in the kitchen, nice even, now that he was back in his element he looked much more intimidating. “Uh... you know, when I first met you I thought you were kind of lame. But since I’ve been talking to you, you turned out to be a pretty cool guy.”

“My opinion of you remains unchanged,” the stallion intoned.

Rainbow Dash chose to take this as a compliment. “Thanks. So, you know, I was just wondering...” She gulped. "This abacus... thing. How does it work?"

"How does it work?" Jazz twitched, then the corners of his mouth flicked up into a cold smile. "How does it work? Little lady, Minty works through some of the most complex spatial and mathematical formulas ever devised. The blending of wooden and crystal structures requires such unbelievable fine-tuning and attention to detail as to require decades of study even to grasp the basic principles of, an education which you, my dear, are sorely lacking in."

Rainbow Dash glared momentarily, then shook off the insult and took another step forward. "I get that," she said flatly. "And I don't really care about all the inside stuff. What I want to know is, how do you get it to work? Like, you just push beads around and you make stuff happen. How do you know how to do that?"

Jazz was silent for a few seconds before breaking into a harsh laugh that made Dash's skin crawl. "Hah! You want to know how to operate an Analytical Engine, do you?" He guffawed at the thought. "It requires great skill, discipline, multitasking, the ability to memorize large amounts of data and recreate them flawlessly. I sincerely doubt that you have the capabilities."

"Are you saying I can't do it?" Dash growled.

“You haven’t the schooling.”

“So? All you do is push beads around. It’s just like flying.” She flapped her wings once. “When I do tricks, I don’t care about care about angles and altitude and all that dumb stuff they teach at flight schools. I just find what works and I do it. If you can show me the controls, why would I need any of that other stuff?”

Jazz raised a hoof and gingerly pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look, my little pony,” he said. “This isn’t the kind of skill one can pick up in a fortnight. It requires time and dedication to learn, and you are already at a natural disadvantage. Why on earth would you want to put that much work into a skill you will never have the opportunity to use?”

“Because...” Dash bit her lip and looked around. Spike was presumably still in bed and Locket was nowhere to be seen. The only other ponies in the room were Colgate and Bon Bon, and they seemed more occupied with throwing worried glances at each other than listening to her. The pegasus lowered her voice. “Because everypony else has something,” she admitted. “Everyone else here has some secret talent that L can use. I don’t. She never asks for my help with anything. I want to help my friends, but being the best flier is useless if I’m stuck down here. I want to do something... anything to help.” She looked at Jazz pleadingly. “Won’t you teach me?”

Jazz also spoke more softly. “There's a reason only unicorns are trained in the practice,” he said gently. “You are a pegasus. Without magic you would have to do everything by hoof, one bead at a time, without being able to look at the whole picture or even directly at what you were doing. Even if you were able to learn the needed formulas, the required speed to perform even the simplest of calculations would-"

"Speed?" Rainbow Dash took to the air and hovered in front of the unicorn, glaring hard. "Don't talk to me about speed! They don't call me Rainbow Dash for nothing!" She whirled around and flew a circuit of the room in little over a second. "I can keep up with anything!"

Jazz stood still for a few seconds, appearing to think. A hint of a smile appeared momentarily before he forced it down and turned to the side of the abacus nearest him. "This face is the primary input panel. Most simple operations are performed through here. Number input is at eye level, while letters and symbols cover the next three rows..."

By the time L arrived at the Books and Branches Library, her shake was completely empty. She gave a final slurp on the straw before dropping the cup on the ground and walking inside.

Despite Twilight's efforts to clean up, the inside of the library looked even more chaotic than usual. Books of all shapes and sizes were stacked in disorganized piles all around the circular main room, while some of the shelves had been completely emptied. In the middle of it all the purple unicorn lay sprawled on a bed of encyclopedias, poring over A Spotter's Guide to Gemstones. L carefully placed her box of doughnuts on the counter by the door and approached the unicorn. So engrossed was she in the guide that she didn't notice the arrival of the new pony until she walked right up to her and coughed. "Augh!" Twilight Sparkle dropped the book in surprise and flung up her hooves to defend herself. She then smiled meekly when she saw the intruder was a friendly-looking earth pony. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn’t see you there.”

L chuckled. “Are you always this way around patrons?” She helped the unicorn up.

“No, it’s my fault. I live upstairs, so sometimes I forget this is still a public building.” She raised a hoof politely. “I’m Twilight Sparkle. And... do I know you? I feel like I’ve seen you around.”

“It’s possible. I have a lot of family here.” The pair shook hooves. “My name is Harpy Chords. I’m here for... well, I’m here for a book.”

Twilight smiled sheepishly as she looked at the towers of texts around them. “I’m sorry about the mess. If your book’s in here it may take a little while to find.”

“No, I wouldn’t think so.” L leaned over and inspected the nearest stack. “You’re studying... gemstones?”

“Golems, actually.” Twilight's eyes lit up with the faint glow of obsession. "There's just so much information here that I never found anywhere in Canterlot! It looks like the story of the golem became popular during the civil war, but there are references to earthen creatures from as early as..." She trailed off, sensing that she was rambling. "I'm sorry, I do that sometimes. What kind of book were you looking for?"

“Don’t worry about it.” L beamed brilliantly. "I was actually looking for something from the archives. Could you tell me where that is, please?"

A bubble of suspicion welled up in Twilight's mind, but she pushed it aside. "Sure, it's right this way." She led the earth pony to the staircase leading down into the library's basement. "There's some old scientific equipment down there, so try not to touch anything that looks too expensive."

L giggled. "You can count on me," she said, starting down the steps. Twilight watched her go for a few seconds before returning to her studies.

A few minutes later the green pony reappeared. "Excuse me," she said quietly, breaking Twilight more gently out of her reading, "but I can't seem to find the book I'm looking for."

A sharp coldness shot through Twilight. She raised her head and forced a concerned frown, hoping desperately that this wasn’t going where she thought it was going. “That’s strange. All the books should be clearly labeled. Are you sure you’re looking in the right section?”

“Yes, I checked twice. It seems to be missing.” The green pony gave Twilight a searching stare. “It’s the latest edition of the Equestrian Justice Records.”

Several thoughts went through Twilight’s mind simultaneously. The first, and by far the loudest, was Uh-oh.

Several more coherent thoughts followed. Who is this pony? Who does she work for? How much does she know? She stared into the earth pony’s eyes. She’s watching for my reaction! she realized. Quick, what would I normally do in this situation? “That’s odd,” Twilight found herself saying, keeping her voice at an appropriate level of concern. “Nopony’s supposed to remove books from the archives. Could you show me where it should be?”

The green mare nodded. “Of course.” The pair started towards the basement steps.

As the two ponies descended, Twilight’s thoughts raced furiously. First came a slight sense of relief. A while ago Byuk had gotten bored watching Twilight study, and was now napping upstairs. Though by rights the god should have no need for sleep, he seemed to spend more time dozing off than Rainbow Dash. She counted this as a stroke of luck; she couldn’t afford to have his disruptive presence throwing off her act. If this pony caught her casting glances at an unheard invisible entity, her whole career might end up being compromised.

On that note, who was this pony? There was no way this could be the result of idle curiosity. Since no one ever went down into the archives outside of librarians, very few ponies even knew that enchanted records existed. The mare’s age made it unlikely that she was still in school, so she probably wasn’t doing research for a project. Maybe if she came from one of the universities in Canterlot... but then, why would she need to come all the way to Ponyville just for the records? This left only one stomach-turning conclusion: she was somepony who had made the connection that an enchanted records book would be a valuable asset for Kira. That left very little doubt about who she could be working for.

For a moment a glimmer of fear caused Twilight to pause, but it was quickly replaced by a chilling coldness hidden behind a friendly smile. I’m on to you, Harpy Chords, she thought, letting her eyes drift to the light turquoise form in front of her. You’re here because you’re desperate. You’re looking for a reaction. You wouldn’t have revealed yourself in such an obvious way if you had any evidence against me. Well, you won’t get anything from me today. I can see right through you.

All this passed through Twilight’s head in the time it took for both ponies to reach the bottom of the stairs. From there it was a short walk to the space where the Equestrian justice records should have been. The shelf was almost completely full; while enchanted records had existed for well over a century, the magic would wear out of the books after a few years, leaving the older editions to be used as permanent records. It was the latest, self-updating version that the pair were after, though, and its space at the end of the shelf was conspicuously empty. “Right there,” L pointed. “Do you have any idea where it might have gone?”

Twilight thought carefully, though not about the question posed. “I’m not sure,” she answered. “I’m not technically a librarian, but I try to keep track of what books ponies check out. But we work mostly on an honour system, and this is still a public building. If somepony came down here without my knowing, then it could have been taken by... just about anypony.” Her face fell. She knew that if she wasn’t aware the text was hidden away in her secret compartment upstairs, she would be absolutely devastated by the theft. “This is my fault. I should have kept a closer eye on them. I don’t even know when this might have happened.”

The mint pony patted Twilight on the shoulder reassuringly. “It’s not your fault. Nopony can be expected to watch over their stock all the time.”

“Nopony should have to,” Twilight muttered, then winced. She hadn’t meant for that to slip out. Thankfully, the green mare didn’t seem to have noticed.

“Oh well.” L sighed and turned away. “Looks like this was a dead end. Still, no matter. It was only a hunch anyway.”

“Um... Harpy?” Twilight decided to take a risk. L looked back towards her, something unreadable in her eyes. “This may sound like a strange question, but...” This is it. “Do you work for L?”

At first there was silence. For a few seconds an invisible tension wrapped around the two ponies, binding them together. Then the mint pony shifted and the spell was broken. “That is a strange question,” she said in a quieter voice. “What makes you ask that?”

“Well...” I need to be careful how I phrase this. “There have been a lot of strange things going on lately. Spike, my assistant, told me that he’d been working directly with L, so I know that there’s somepony in Ponyville who’s at least calling himself that. You’re somepony I’ve never seen in the library before, but you know about a book that most ponies have no reason to look for. I don’t think you’re a student or a researcher, so the only thing you could want with this particular book...” She gulped. “Is because it has something to do... with Kira. And the only group of ponies who want anything to do with Kira are the ones who work for L.”

The green pony was silent for a few seconds. “Interesting,” she said at length, appearing to mull Twilight’s words over. “Tell me, do you have a kitchen in this building?”

Twilight blinked. “Um, yes. It’s upstairs. Why, do you need something?”

“I could just really go for a drink right now.”

A few minutes later, both ponies sat at opposite ends of the library's kitchen table. L squatted awkwardly in her chair, clutching a large glass of milk in her front hooves. Twilight watched, bemused, as the mare drank greedily. "Tell me, Twilight," L said between gulps, "why do you think I came to the library?"

"Um. To look for the record books, and to see if you could track it down." L gave her a strange look. Twilight frowned. "No, wait. If you do work for L, then you would have sent Spike, since he knows the library as well as I do. That means that you had another purpose in coming here, which means you probably came... to see me."

L nodded slowly. "I like the way you think, Twilight," she said, lowering her now-empty glass. "Most ponies would cling to the most obvious solution, not wanting to think any more than they had to. Not you. You challenge your original assumptions and pursue a problem all the way to its solution. I appreciate that."

"Thanks." Twilight smiled at the praise. "I consider myself an intellectual."

"As do I." The green mare smiled thinly and closed her eyes, as though thinking hard. "Twilight Sparkle... what do you think about Kira?"

"Huh?" Twilight considered her response. The other pony cracked one eye open slightly, watching her carefully through the slit. I'm not the best liar. I can't tell a complete untruth, she'd see right through it. But if I just twist the truth a little... "Well, I'm interested in the magic he uses. And statistics have shown that after he started... you know... crime rates have been declining across Equestria. But I still don't think that killing is the right thing to do. Social reform is what we need, not murder."

L nodded slowly. "You know, there are many ponies who believe that Kira is good for Equestria. Thanks to him, many evil and unrighteous ponies who, without his intervention, would have caused great harm to others are now dead. Knowing this, given the choice, would you arrest Kira and prevent him from carrying out these acts?"

"Yes." Twilight nodded emphatically. "No matter what he's done, murder is still murder. Even if it was done for the right reasons, everypony should still have to face the consequences of their actions." Her eyes widened slightly. "Is that what this is about? Is this a test? Do you want me to join your team?"

"Everything is a test." L fully opened her eyes. "One more question, Twilight Sparkle. Perhaps the most important one.” She leaned forward. “Given the opportunity... would you kill me?”

“Huh?” Twilight’s lips moved soundlessly for a few seconds. “W-why would I want to kill you?”

The green mare stared in silence for a full minute, as though searching for something. She then stood, looking away. “Well, miss Sparkle, this has certainly been eye-opening.” She trotted away, her original demeanor returning. “It’s been fun talking to you. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around in the future.”

“Wait, you’re leaving? Already?” Twilight stood as well and followed L to the door. “Did you need anything else before you go?”

“Oh, I’d like to stay longer, but my wife will worry about me.” She picked up the box she’d left on the counter and smiled back at Twilight. “Don’t worry. Your heart is in the right place. I’d like to talk to you again soon. Until then, my friend.”

Twilight smiled back and watched the green pony skip out the door. “Until then,” she repeated, only half to the retreating form. After L had gone she returned to the kitchen and sat down again, sighing contentedly.

As the minutes went by, however, the smile slowly drained from the unicorn’s face. “Oh.” She furrowed her brow, realization dawning. “Oh. So that was your game.” She began to tremble. “Darn it.” She stomped angrily and threw her face into her hooves, screaming. “DARN IT!”

“Huh? Wuzzat?” Byuk’s face drifted down through the ceiling, blinking sleep out of his oversized eyes. “What’s going on?”

“That pony who was just here,” Twilight hissed through gritted teeth. “She was L.”

“What!?” The god fell down into the kitchen and quickly righted himself, looking around excitedly. “The real L? How could you tell?”

“Because she admitted to being Kira.”

After taking a minute to explain the events that had just occurred, Twilight took to angrily pacing around the kitchen. Byuk followed her with his eyes, trying not to smile. “She was feeding me hints the whole time,” the unicorn muttered. “She never confirmed that she was with the police, and she told me to challenge my initial assumptions. All those questions about morality, it was all a big test. It all pointed to the final question, which was where I was supposed to realize she was confessing to being Kira. Only a clever pony could have worked it out... but I’m supposed to be a clever pony.” She groaned dramatically. “So now she either thinks I’m not smart enough to be on the team, or that I never realized what she was doing because I already know who Kira is.”

Byuk opened his mouth, then paused. He scratched his head. “Run that by me again?”

Instead of answering, Twilight spun around and continued pacing, her heavy hoofsteps echoing loudly in the tiny room. “And you know the worst part?” she carried on. “I can’t even kill her now. She thought of that, too.”

“Really?” Byuk brightened up. “Because I can still give you the Shinigami Eyes if you want. That offer is still there. That way, if you see her in person again-”

“No, no, no! I don’t mean I can’t do it physically, I mean I can’t kill her at all. Don’t you get it?” She whirled on the puzzled god. “She showed her face to me! Just me, nopony else! That means that if she dies now, I’ll be the only one who could have done it!”

The shinigami frowned. Watching Twilight get huffy was less fun when she took it out on him. The young mare finally ceased her pacing and sat down, putting her face in her hooves again and taking deep breaths to calm herself. Gradually, after a few minutes of this, she started to relax a little. “It’s fine,” she said in a much calmer tone. “Everything’s fine. This is still a step forward. L’s still got nothing on me, but now I’m much closer to her than I was before. I’ll figure something out, you’ll see. I’ve still got some tricks up my sleeves. This game isn’t over yet.”

“You’re not even wearing-”

“It’s an expression.”

“Oh.”

“Vacations!” The brown earth pony Crew Cut pounded his hoof angrily on his desk, gripping the stem of his pipe tightly between his teeth. The pipe itself was empty - Nurse Redheart had strongly recommended he give up blowing bubbles for the sake of his health - but it still felt good to have something to grind on when he was in a bad mood. “Endless paid vacations! First Peachy Pie demands week after week off work when her idiotic coltfriend bit the bucket, and now her sister wants some alone time too? Unacceptable!” The station manager stomped on the wooden surface with each statement, eliciting a wince every time from the other pony in the room. “We must have content! This station will not operate itself on reruns! Don’t you agree, Highlight?”

The pink pegasus, the latest in a long line of easily-intimidated assistants, nodded meekly. Around them the Ponyville hub station bustled and hummed. The circular building rivaled the town hall in size, spanning four busy floors of sound stages, writing desks and the latest in crystal technology. The whole building buzzed constantly as lines of energy traveled in glowing streams towards the hub crystal that gave the station its name, a mighty amethyst that collected light and sound and broadcast it at different frequencies around Ponyville.

Despite the relative newness of the technology involved, the station was surprisingly well organized; under Crew Cut’s iron hoof everything worked with near-total efficiency. It was for this reason that Highlight was reluctant to bring up anything that might threaten to disrupt his boss’ schedule; a manager’s wrath was a hard thing to endure under any circumstances. Unfortunately, he’d quickly discovered that trying to hide such things or deal with them himself only led to far worse results in the long run. “There’s one other thing, Mr. Cut,” Highlight said meekly. “A slight change in the schedule for tomorrow.”

“Oh, really?” Crew Cut leaned forwards, leering angrily. “By whose authority?”

“The...” Highlight held up a tiny package that had arrived in the post that morning. “The highest authority, sir.”

The earth pony accepted the parcel with a puzzled look and began tearing away at the packaging. It had already been opened once, then hastily taped shut. “You mean Celestia herself?” he grunted around his pipe.

“No, sir.” Highlight was now sweating profusely. “The highest authority.”

Crew Cut finally got the package open. It contained two tiny recording crystals, the cheapest variety, only able to capture sound. Both were marked with stickers that looked like they came from a child’s play set: the first with a number 1 surrounded by a smiling sun, the other with a number 2 covered in cartoon birds. “Is this some kind of joke, Highlight?” Crew Cut said coldly.

“No, sir.” Highlight was sweating more, surreptitiously trying to back away from the desk. “I’ve listened to the first one myself, and...” His voice caught in his throat. “It’s already started,” he mumbled.

Ordinarily, Crew Cut would have passed the crystals on to one of his aides and told them to deal with it. However, his assistant’s bizarre reaction was giving him pause; Highlight was prone to melodrama, but not this much. “All right,” he said, “let’s have a listen.” He lifted the sunny number 1 crystal out of the package and placed it on top of the little stratoscreen on his desk. The audio recording began to play.

When it was finished, Crew Cut’s pipe fell out of his mouth. “H-Highlight,” he stammered. “It looks like we have some changes to make to tomorrow’s schedule.”

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I was reminded about the importance and dangers of first impressions. When you spend all your time around the same group of ponies, meeting someone new can be strange if they don’t act or think in the way that your other friends do. But even if they seem unusual at first, you should never brand somepony as weird or different because of it. Deep down, they might be just the same as you - you just have to give them the chance to show it. At the same time, it’s important to remember how you come across to others when you meet them. After all, first impressions go both ways.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.

PS: Are my letters reaching you okay? I’m still anxiously awaiting a response regarding our golem problem.

Sacrifice

22
*Sacrifice*

A pony can shorten his or her own life using the Death Note.

Even during the day, the bottom of the ravine in the Everfree Forest was dark. At night, it was nearly pitch black. What little light the moon provided was cut off by a pale and unnatural fog; Zecora described it as ‘the final breaths of an ancient spell, though its purpose of old I cannot tell.’ The zebra led the way through the mist, carrying a greenish lantern that cut through the unnatural cloud. Two pegasi followed close behind; another fork early on had cut the party in half once again, reducing the once-mighty force to three.

The path was long and harsh. The river had dwindled to little more than a stream and the ground on both sides was cracked and uneven, leading up to sharp, narrow cliffs. Evidence of golem passage was obvious; the difficult terrain was littered with freshly-fallen rocks the size of carts, and many of the path’s narrow edges were smeared with clay. Straw Bolt and Quicksilver took note of each of these in turn, constantly on the lookout for any signs of activity or an entrance.

It was almost midnight when Quicksilver discovered something that made her stop dead in her tracks. She kept exclusively to the left side of the dwindling river, weaving back and forth across the rock-strewn ground and occasionally flying up as high as the lantern’s light allowed to search from overhead. Part of her desperately longed for speed, to zip off down the passageway and scout ahead, but Straw Bolt had insisted that they stick together and search carefully, leaving no stone unturned. Quicksilver was reminded of the aptness of this expression as she rounded a boulder nearly twice her size and froze in place. She tensed up for a second before approaching her find, whispering into the darkness around her. “Sir, you’re not going to believe this.”

Straw Bolt approached cautiously. “What is it, lieutenant?”

“It’s a dead changeling!”

A closer look revealed this to be true. A black shape lay sprawled and partially buried beneath the rubble beside the stream. Its eye sockets were empty, face frozen in a snarl of fear. Quicksilver tentatively brushed some of the loose dirt aside and knocked on its head; it echoed hollowly beneath her hoof. “It’s nothing but a husk now,” she said quietly, kneeling down. “It’s been dead for a long time. The river must have carried it here.”

“Strange.” The guard captain eyed the corpse warily. Though nothing but an empty shell, the shape evoked memories of darker times. Now there’s a face I was hoping never to see again. “Zecora. Are these creatures native to the Everfree?”

The zebra emphatically shook her head. “Never a creature as this have I seen, for a changeling will never stray far from his Queen. Unless,” she added after a moment’s thought, “it was linked to a host when it died. Where changelings are found, there are ponies nearby.”

“Then our foe might not be far.” Straw Bolt stared into the ravine ahead, trying to make out details through the thick fog. “Do not tarry, Quicksilver,” he said as the smaller pegasus continued to brush rubble off of the creature’s body. “We’re getting close.” Reluctantly, Quicksilver rose, and the trio carried on down the darkening path.

The captain’s claim was more accurate than he’d realized. As the trio rounded the very next bend in the river, something flashed in the fog ahead. Straw Bolt halted at the sight, spreading his wings cautiously. A second later, a heavy rumbling echoed through the ground. Zecora quickly stopped and snuffed out her lantern, while Quicksilver continued curiously towards the source of the sound. “Get down!” Straw Bolt hissed as the rumbling happened a second time, then a third, but Quicksilver carried on regardless. Cursing inwardly, Bolt made a blind leap into the darkness and slammed into his lieutenant, tackling her to the ground. At her captain’s touch Quicksilver went completely limp, putting up no resistance as he dragged her behind a nearby boulder. Zecora quickly joined them, nestling into the space between the two.

Everything went red. A deep and pulsing light emerged from the fog, illuminating the ravine in a dark crimson. Heavy footsteps brought the source of the light closer and closer. Quicksilver peeked out from the shadow of their hiding place, then ducked back as a massive shape came into view. “It’s so big,” she said, trembling. The group huddled close together, Straw Bolt having to hunch over sharply to keep his massive frame hidden.

Just short of the boulder where the trio lay, the footsteps stopped. The light shifted as the golem looked from side to side, the ruby on its face pulsing at irregular intervals. Straw Bolt nodded. His eyes showed rare traces of fear, but his smile was triumphant. “It’s a guard,” he said quietly, trusting the slow trickle of the river to mask his voice. “And that means that there’s something close by that’s worth guarding. My friends, I think we’ve found our missing filly.”

Quicksilver gulped. “Can it hear us?” she whispered as the crimson lights continued to turn.

Zecora shrugged. “I’ve known many creatures that live without ears,” she said. “With their all-seeing eyes, they have no need to hear.”

“Keep your voices down, just to be safe,” Straw Bolt said. The slow turning stopped. “As soon as it’s gone, we’ll head back and send up a flare. Once we’ve regrouped, we can tackle this place head-on.”

A minute passed. The light didn’t move. Zecora coughed. More time passed, only the light trickling of the river providing any noise. Quicksilver squirmed, trying and failing to find a comfortable position without leaving the shadow of the rock. Straw Bolt slowly folded and unfolded his wings, already feeling an ache building up in his neck. Still the golem did nothing. After an uncomfortable age, Quicksilver spoke. “I don’t think it’s going away.”

Straw Bolt cursed. “We can’t risk a run for it, either,” he muttered. “Even if we can somehow take this one out, if the alarm is raised we’ll lose everything.”

“But you said it’s guarding something, right?” Quicksilver said. “That means it’s probably guarding it for somepony. So if we wait long enough, maybe somepony else will come this way?” Straw Bolt didn’t answer. Discouraged, Quicksilver wriggled against the boulder and looked down at Zecora, who was squashed somewhat awkwardly between the two guards. “Hey, Zecora. Are there any stories about golems in the place that you’re from?”

The zebra cleared her throat. She pulled back her hood and lay down, freeing up some space. “We have many a story of the great living earth, but they refer to the land, not this dark, walking girth. But I know a few tales that might pass the time, as I was taught in my youth, by the elders of the rhyme.”

Straw Bolt chuckled. “Out of curiosity, do you ever not rhyme?”

“No.” Zecora thought for a second before continuing. “Though I know of one tale that stands out from the rest, of Zebrakind at its worst, and adventure at its best. There are monsters and spirits and a great golden tower, and a foal in a peril that is very much like ours.”

Straw Bolt looked unimpressed. Quicksilver, however, nodded enthusiastically. “It sounds like a great story. It’s not as if we’ll be doing anything else for a while.”

Zecora smiled. “Then relax while you can, and forget all your ills,” she began, slipping into an even more melodic tone than usual, “and I’ll tell you of the day when the sun stood still...”

Fluttershy’s imprisonment, day 8
Twilight Sparkle’s imprisonment, day 6

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Locket winced every time her hoof hit a step. She stumbled forwards under the weight of the heavy trunk on her back, full of her books and other personal effects. Even though her legs felt like jelly after carrying it so far, the weight made her hoofbeats echo loudly down the narrow passageway to L's underground base. Despite that, she was already regretting not extending her trip to leave it at her apartment; she'd only brought it to Fluttershy's cottage on the assumption that she would be left in privacy. Colgate showing up unexpectedly had rattled her, and the whole day she spent showing her what to do she'd been nervously shying away from it, afraid that the police pony would see it and be tempted to peek inside. In retrospect, the base wasn't much safer, but she'd panicked on her way over and started down the stairs without thinking. Now, she supposed, it was too late to turn back.

After what seemed a much longer descent than usual, Locket reached the iron doors and knocked nervously. A second later they creaked open. Jazz stood before her on the other side. He looked her up and down once, then nodded. Locket started to whisper a "hello" to him, but the stallion had already turned away and was trotting back to his abacus. She bit her lip and started to walk around the edge of the chamber, heading towards the safety of her room.

"Hey, Locket. What's up?"

Locket winced. She kept up her slow pace as a cyan pegasus fluttered to the ground beside her. "Not much," she muttered.

Rainbow Dash leaned closer, keeping pace with her. "What was that?"

"I said not much," Locket snapped. She tried to move a little faster, but after the long walk from the cottage she felt close to collapsing. Just a little further, she told herself. "I just got back from Fluttershy's place. It was nice there, I guess. I haven't done much."

"Cool." Rainbow Dash put her head to one side. "Hey, that thing looks heavy. Need a hoof?" Before Locket could protest, the pegasus grabbed the sides of the trunk with her front hooves and lifted it into the air. "Whoa!" Dash gasped, dropping a few inches as her wings struggled to keep the container aloft. "It is heavy! What do you keep in here, rocks?"

Trembling, Locket dove underneath the box, bracing herself to catch it if it fell. “Just... stuff,” she muttered, keeping her eyes on the ground. "I can carry it, really. It belonged to my grandfather. I don't want it getting scratched."

"Don't worry, I got it." Rainbow Dash adjusted her grip and hiked the trunk up a little. "Do you want this in your room?"

Locket started to protest again, but sighed as weariness finally got the better of her. "Yes," she said. "And... thank you." Not really listening, Rainbow Dash sped away towards the rightmost hallway. Locket felt a distant unease as she watched a pony she barely knew fly away with her most precious possession, but she pushed it down and walked towards the far side of the room where L sat.

The detective’s corner had expanded greatly since Locket had left. She took a moment to admire the vast array of stratoscreens before sitting down at a nearby table, sighing as the weight was taken off her hooves. From across the table, Bon Bon smiled at her. She offered up a tuft of pink cotton candy, which Locket declined. Nearby, Spike leafed through an old comic book, though his mind was clearly elsewhere.

"So, you've returned." Abruptly, L spun around in her chair to face Locket. She balanced a half-eaten, head-sized stick of cotton candy in one hoof, as well as two more in her lap. "Anything to report?"

"No, nothing." Locket looked to the side, habitually avoiding L's gaze. "Colgate's settling in well. She's a unicorn, so I think she'll have more luck reaching the birds than I did."

"That's good. Did she seem distressed at all when she arrived?"

"Hm? Um, no. She seemed fine." Locket glanced up at the wall of screens behind L. She frowned slightly. “Um...” Her question dissipated as L turned away. She sighed and leaned across the table to Bon Bon, whispering. “Um, why is Twilight still in there? I thought, since Kira’s come back...”

Bon Bon made a noncommittal shrug, while Spike shook his head. “That wasn’t the deal,” he explained. His voice seemed deeper than Locket remembered it being, and, though perhaps it was her imagination, he seemed to take up more space in his seat than he had when she’d left. “All more ponies dying proves is that Kira was prepared. Twilight doesn’t leave her room until we’re one hundred percent certain whether or not she’s Kira.”

“Actually, her release may have to come sooner than that,” L interrupted. She spun around again and wheeled herself over to the table. In just a few bites, she’d reduced her current cloud of spun sugar to a fraction of its original size. “I have been considering the possibility of releasing Twilight Sparkle as early as tomorrow, if no change occurs.”

Spike clenched his teeth together. “I just said that that wasn’t the deal,” he growled. “You can’t let Twilight out.”

L sighed. “It is only one of our options at this point. In truth, this is a situation that I too would like to avoid. Unfortunately, our options have become limited." With a smack of her lips, she finished off the last of her cotton candy and held out the stick expectantly. Bon Bon rushed from the chair and took the stick in her mouth, raising another to L's waiting hoof before dashing off towards the kitchen. "Clearly, Kira has played her hand. Every day now, more ponies are dying, and Twilight is providing us with no answers. Would you have me keep her for a month? For a year? We cannot afford to waste more time on her. Releasing our prime suspect would be a folly, I agree. But she cannot simply stay... here."

Spike made a face. "Then what are we going to do?" he asked sourly.

L took a bite of cotton candy. She put a hoof to her chin, swirling the spun sugar around in her mouth thoughtfully. "Under the current circumstances, it would be wisest to proceed in a manner that would not unnecessarily risk lives," she said. "To that end, if Twilight Sparkle is to remain in our custody, we must use methods other than passive confinement to extract a confession from her. I do not doubt that Colgate, amongst others, would not approve of such a treatment. But it will be done if it must."

The table fell silent. Spike slowly clenched and unclenched his claws, his breathing becoming more audible, while L simply stared at him impassively. Between them, Locket hunched down in her seat and tried to make herself as small as possible. After a long and uncomfortable silence, hoofsteps could be heard from the furthest hallway. "Hey, Locket?" Rainbow Dash called as she entered the main chamber. "I left your stuff by your bed. Sorry it took so long to find your room." She stopped talking as she rounded the abacus, passing Jazz and sitting down in what had been Bon Bon's chair, looking around at the disturbed faces around her. "What's going on?" she asked.

L didn't answer. Spike glanced at Dash and then at the ground, still scowling deeply. Locket gulped as Dash's gaze landed on her. She took a few breaths to make sure her voice would be clear, then spelled out the situation as clearly as she could. "Harpy wants to torture Twilight."

"What!?" Rainbow Dash leaped from her chair, spreading her wings and hovering angrily over the table. "Are you crazy? Nopony tortures anypony, ever. That's... that's just sick!"

"Miss Dash, what we are doing is already torture," L said calmly. "But it is a torture that Twilight has prepared herself for. If she is Kira, mere confinement will not be enough for her to reveal her secrets to us. We must strike her in a way that she does not expect."

"No. No!" Dash shook her head. Her furious wingbeats were slowly carrying her higher and higher above the table, but she paid it no heed. "When I brought Twilight here, I trusted you to keep her safe. Kira or not, she's still my friend. And I will not let you hurt my friend!" She glared around the table, displeased at the otherwise passive response. "Come on, guys! You know this is wrong, right?"

"Dash, she's... she's right." Spike stared at the ground, slowly tearing holes in the upholstery of his chair with his claws. "Something's gotta change. We’ll never get anywhere if we just wait for something to happen.”

“But torture?” Dash gaped at the dragon, disbelief written over her face. “Isn’t Twilight like family to you? Dude, you can not be okay with this!”

“We have to... we have to do the right thing.” Spike glared at nothing. A tear slipped past his guard and crawled down his face to drip from his chin, making a faint hissing noise as it hit the chair below him. “Every day, I get a letter telling me how many more ponies Kira’s killed. They had families, too. And if Twilight was somehow behind this... wouldn’t you do everything you could to make her stop? Wouldn’t you do anything?”

Rainbow Dash hesitated before turning to the last pony at the table. "What about you? Are you really going to go along with this?"

Locket squirmed. She looked left and right, avoiding Rainbow's gaze, but the pegasus only seemed to creep closer. "I... I don't know," she muttered. "I can't decide. L... L always knows best."

"Well, that's typical," Dash spat. She folded her wings, landing solidly in the middle of the table. "Do you ever do anything that that pony doesn't tell you to do?"

Locket winced. She avoided Rainbow's glare for a few seconds more until the pegasus turned away in disgust, stomping back down to her seat. But... she's right, Locket realized, guilt settling in the pit of her stomach. I don't do anything L doesn't tell me to. I don't even think anything L doesn't tell me to. At least, nothing... pleasant.

Sighing inwardly, Locket tried to sink back into the pit of silence that she was most familiar with. This time, however, something remained. A spark flared, a tiny, indignant spark. And as she looked up at Spike's face, seeing the resent and anger emblazoned on it, the spark flared into an inferno.

Maybe I should. Maybe there’s another way.

Just before sunset, something buzzed in Fluttershy's cottage. Colgate looked up from her comfortable position on the couch as every bird in the room began to squawk, chirping angrily at the unwanted noise. She sighed and picked up her mug of hot chocolate, carrying it over to the dresser where L's stratoscreen was hidden. She pulled out the miniature slab of rock as well as the crystal that allowed her to speak back, activating it with a touch of her horn. She laid these both on the table and took a sip of her drink before speaking. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Colgate?" To the policemare's surprise, it wasn't L's face but Spike's that flickered onto the screen. "Good, you're there. Listen, we..." He glanced over his shoulder. "We're gonna try something. You're probably not gonna like it, but we need your help, so just hear me out. Okay?"

Colgate listened. Before Spike was finished talking, her hot chocolate hit the floor.

Halfway between letterboxes, something buzzed in Derpy’s mailbag. She immediately sat down, much to the surprise of the cart-puller who had to swerve around her, and rummaged through her gradually lightening bag for the source of the noise. Withdrawing her buzzing stratoscreen triumphantly, she held the tiny slab to her ear and spoke into the crystal that came with it. “Hello?”

“Derpy? Good.” Colgate’s voice came in clearly through the makeshift earpiece. “Listen, I need you to drop everything... I mean, stop what you’re doing and meet me at the post office. It’s really important.”

“Now?” Derpy looked with disappointment at the mailbox across the street, tauntingly close. “But I got work.”

“This is work too. We need Ponyville’s best mailmare on the job, because we’ve got a really big package to deliver.” Colgate paused, then spoke in a lower voice. “Do you know from this angle I can see right up your nose?”

Twilight Sparkle focused on her breathing. In... and out. In... and out. She kept her eyes closed, utterly focused on her task. With the lights perpetually on and sleep and meals coming at seemingly random intervals — she'd already lost track of which one was meant to be breakfast — she'd been forced to develop a different method of determining the time. Her own body was the only thing in this room that changed on an observable level. Once she regulated her breaths to intervals of exactly six seconds, she would be able to keep on top of Equestrian time and save herself some readjusting later on. In... and out. In... and out. Still a little too slow. Just relax. In... and out. In... and out...

Something changed in the faint hum of the room around her. Twilight's ears pricked up. She lost track of her breathing, cursed internally, and raised her head to look around. A white mist swept across the room, followed by the clangs of both magical and physical seals unlocking. The cell door slid open. "Twilight?" a familiar voice called.

Twilight frowned. She rose to her feet, a little shakily, and took a step towards the door. "Colgate?" she whispered back, squinting outside. The lights in the hallway were off. "What's going on?"

"You're being relocated. Come on, don't just stand there."

Twilight took a few steps forward. Something about this struck her as off, but her mind felt a little fuzzier than it should have been, and she couldn't quite put her hoof on what. "Where's L?" she asked.

"Where she always is. Come on!" Colgate stepped slightly into view, gesturing impatiently.

"All right." Twilight lurched forwards. "Does this mean you've come to an agreement about me?"

Colgate shuffled nervously. "Not really." She backed up to allow Twilight room into the darkened hallway, then drew close again as soon as the door was behind her. "Twilight, I'm so sorry about this."

"What?"

Before she could fully take in her surroundings, a black bag was pulled over Twilight's head by another, unseen pony. A sleeping enchantment woven into the bag overwhelmed her, and she only had time to scream before everything turned to blackness.

The next thing Twilight was aware of was a flapping noise. She tried to open her eyes, but her vision was obscured by a thick blindfold. Overhead, rain beat heavily on a metal roof. Somepony nearby muttered something. Twilight recognized the voice as Colgate’s, but her words were lost beneath the echoing pounding of the storm. She raised her head and tried to stand, but something seemed to be weighing her down. “Twilight!” Colgate exclaimed, closer and more audibly. “It's good to see you again.”

"What..." Shaking her head, Twilight felt around her. She was pressed against a corner of thin metal walls and a hard floor that seemed to sway beneath her, as though the room was floating. As she again tried and failed to stand, a thick blanket fell away from her body. A rope wrapped around her right hind leg, the other end tied to a hook in the corner behind her. "Where am I?" she asked, shivering.

Gently, the blanket was pulled back over her. "Hush, now," Colgate whispered. "We're inside a mail cart. It's the biggest one available, used for special deliveries to Canterlot. Derpy and Rainbow Dash are flying us there right now. Spike sent a letter ahead, so the Princesses know we're coming."

"What?" Twilight looked around, panicking. "You told the Princesses?"

"Only as much as they needed to know," Colgate said. "Nothing's going to change. You'll still be kept under twenty-four hour surveillance until a decision can be made. In the meantime, the rest of us are going to keep looking for Kira without you."

Something was wrong. Colgate’s voice was too fast, and too cheerful. "Why now?" Twilight asked, trying not to give anything away in her own voice. "Did something happen at the base?"

Colgate paused. "No, everything's fine," she said dismissively. "This is just more of a... practical consideration." A bowl of something was pressed against Twilight’s lips. Hesitantly, she drank. The liquid was thick and flavorless, but it was warm and it soothed Twilight’s trembling a little as it entered her body. “Try to get some rest,” Colgate said when Twilight was finished. “I’ll put you under again when we reach the castle. I just didn’t want you to spend the whole trip with a bag on your head.”

“Colgate,” Twilight murmured. “You know I would have followed you. Why did you need to bag me at all? Why... did you need to move me at all?” There was no answer. “L... knows about this, right?”

“Twilight... there’ll be a time for talking later. But for now, I just need you to trust me.” Colgate turned away. "Spike, they need me to pass security. If she so much as breathes funny, just say the password and the spell will break. Okay?"

"Yeah," Spike grunted back, revealing his presence at the opposite corner. Twilight almost called out to him but cut herself off, biting her lip. Colgate walked to the far side of the room, her hooves echoing on the hard floor, before exiting through a small door in the cart to the passenger's section in front. The door slammed shut.

A minute passed quietly. Twilight tried to relax, worrying and listening to the sounds of rain on the roof. The storm grew more violent as they flew, buffeting them from side to side. Then, there was a faint noise like the rustle of fabric, followed by whispering. Another long pause. From his position in the opposite corner of the cart, Spike stood up. Twilight listened to his claws clack across the floor to the place where Colgate had left. There was a loud, metallic scrape. Then Spike spoke. "Twilight, we need to talk."

“I know.” Twilight raised herself up a little, gathering her blanket around her and getting into a sitting position. “What’s really going on here?”

"Not about that." Spike walked slowly into the middle of the room and then stood, presumably staring at her. “I have a lot of questions. I’m not expecting a lot of answers. But before anything else happens, there’s just one thing I want to get clear.” He sighed. “You were the one who broke Fluttershy’s jaw, weren’t you?”

Twilight froze. All breath left her and she shrank against the wall, a little filly once more. “How did you know?” she said, her voice suddenly very quiet.

Spike grunted. He shuffled a little closer and knelt down. “L asked Fluttershy how it happened. She asked her every day, over and over again, and she never got an answer. But she never asked you. Maybe she already knew. Maybe she only cared about why Fluttershy was hiding it, instead of how it actually happened. Well, I care about how it happened.”

Memories of that night flooded back. The whole sequence felt hazy and nightmarish, like looking through a lens into another pony’s dreams. It was hard to remember what had been said; so much of that night was lost in a haze of tiredness and emotions. Trembling, Twilight leaned forward and awkwardly reached out to her assistant. “Spike...”

Spike flinched away as Twilight’s hoof touched his claw. “Why did you do it?” he hissed, every word affecting Twilight like a punch to the gut. “What am I supposed to think, huh? How am I supposed to keep believing you’re innocent when you’re the kind of pony who hurts her own friends?”

The accusation struck Twilight to her core. She had to choke back tears for several seconds before she was in a condition to respond. “Spike, listen. I didn’t mean... I never...” She took a deep breath. “It was just after Rarity and Pinkie Pie died, okay? She came over in the middle of the night, after you’d gone to bed. We talked for a while, and... she told me that she loved me. And... and I got scared.”

Twilight squeezed her eyes shut. Even though the thoughts had been lurking in her mind for over a week, for some reason the guilt squirming through her felt fresh, as if she were living the events of that night for the first time. With a sniff, she continued. “I never wanted to hurt her. Every time I... I touched her, it was like I was hurting part of myself. But she was saying things that I’d never heard from her, and... and she wanted things to change...” She grasped for words. “It was like I was losing another friend, all over again. And I just... couldn’t... handle it!”

Twilight bit her lip and looked towards Spike. The dragon gave no response to her outburst. “And I did a bad thing,” she finished, more quietly. “She forgave me right after, and I thought that we could just put it behind us. But you’re right. That doesn’t make it okay. I hurt somepony I love because of a stupid, selfish reason. Maybe I do deserve to be locked away for that. But even if I can’t take back what happened, I just want you to know that... that I’m so, so s-sorry...”

All restraint gone, tears flooded the inside of her blindfold, flowing freely down the unicorn’s face. She hunched over, sobbing. Spike’s voice softened, though only a little. “Hey, it’s okay,” he said. He extended his arms and stepped forward, and Twilight gladly accepted his embrace. “I’ll tell her you’re sorry. Even the best ponies can make mistakes.” As Twilight held him tightly, her first physical contact in days, his voice slipped back down into a low growl. “Even the best.”

Twilight felt a thin sliver of worry flit across her mind as Spike grasped more firmly at her sides. The pressure beneath his claws grew into mirrored pinpricks of pain, digging deeply into her skin. "What... hey!" She pulled back and shook him off, shrieking as the sharpened appendages raked across her flesh. She rubbed at her sides, flinching; she was used to occasional nicks and scratches, but that had hurt. "Spike, what was that?"

Something scraped. “Twilight, I have a confession to make,” Spike growled. His voice was growing deeper by the second. “I lied to Colgate. I never sent any letters to Celestia. She doesn’t know we’re coming. Because you’re never going anywhere.”

With a painful tug, the blindfold was ripped from Twilight’s face. She winced as her eyes adjusted to the dim light inside the cart, then froze as she focused on Spike. He looked up into her eyes and growled, causing her to retreat against the wall again in fear. Gone was the friendly and complacent face she was used to; now, Spike’s eyes were slitted, and his mouth curled into a dragonic snarl. She had seen him look at her with disappointment or anger before, but this was different. This was hatred.

Gradually, the rest of the cart’s interior came into view behind Spike. The chamber was large, big enough to hold an entire regular-sized cart and still leave room for a grand piano. A small lantern illuminated the interior, steadily swinging back and forth as the storm pounded on the cart from the outside. A large rear door covered the wall on Twilight’s left, and a smaller one lay opposite where Colgate had exited. And, in the opposite corner to Twilight, there lay a bound, covered pony. “Fluttershy?” Twilight gasped.

Fluttershy raised her head. She was bound in the same way as Twilight, her wings wrapped in a tight band and her leg tied to the wall, a plain blanket thrown roughly aside beside her. Her blindfold had been removed as well, along with a pair of earmuffs that now hung torn and ragged around her neck. Her left ear slowly dripped blood from a gash that tore along the length of it. “Twilight,” she mumbled, barely audible above the pounding rain. “Thank... you...”

“Colgate wanted to hide you somewhere safe,” Spike interrupted. “L wanted to torture you, if you can believe that. But they’re both wrong. There’s only one way to put a stop to this for good.”

Twilight's eyes widened as Spike breathed in. She ducked just in time to avoid a jet of green and yellow fire that roared over her head, singing the tip of her mane. Embers set her blanket alight, and she scrambled to throw it off of her and smother the flames before they could spread. In the background Fluttershy screamed, but her voice was weak and hoarse. "Spike, what are you doing?!" Twilight cried, cowering. "It's me! It's Twilight!"

"I know it's you!" Spike yelled. Perhaps it was an illusion of the swinging light, but his flesh seemed to ripple as he towered over her. "It's always been you! From day one, everything has been about you!" He snorted, sending a plume of smoke from his nostrils. "Don’t you get it? Doesn’t anypony get it? As long as you're around, the deaths will never stop."

“What deaths?” Twilight’s breath quickened. “L said that the deaths stopped when I was imprisoned.”

“No, Twilight. They started again. Ponies are still dying. And they’re not going to stop dying. Not until you stop.”

“Spike, no!” Fluttershy had retreated as far as she could into her own corner, paralyzed by fear and confusion, but the conversation was finally turning into words that she could understand. “This is not how we do things! Wouldn’t killing Twilight just make you as bad as her?”

“Then so be it.” Spike didn’t look back, glaring down resolutely. “I’m not like Kira. I won’t hide. But this has to happen, before it’s too late. At least this way you won’t suffer so much before.”

"What are you saying?" Twilight whimpered, holding back a scream as something from her nightmares loomed over her. "Spike, for the last time, I'm not Kira! Killing me won't solve anything!"

Spike shrugged. "I don't know if you're Kira. I don't even care any more. Rarity had the right idea. You're woven so deep into this that it doesn't even matter. You're the common element to every bad thing that's happened since Kira showed up. But no more." His eyes narrowed. "The web revolves around you. Without you, it collapses. This is the way it has to be, Twilight. You know it. You've always known it."

"No. No!" Twilight yanked uselessly at the rope anchoring her to the wall. If I had my horn, I could cut through this like... no! Useless! Colgate, where are you? "Spike, listen to me!" she said desperately. "Can't you see this is what Kira wants? If you do this now, you'll only-"

"Shut up!" Spike roared. A puff of smoke hit Twilight in the face. "Without you, Rarity would still be alive! Pinkie Pie would still be alive!" He breathed in, inner fire illuminating his face. "It's all your fault!"

Everything slowed to a halt as Spike inhaled for the second time. The adult part of Twilight cowered on the floor in front of him, bracing herself for the inevitable and listening as Fluttershy tried and failed to scream again. But some part of her, a quiet, pervasive little voice that had dwelt in her subconscious for as long as she could remember, kept going. Rope burns at a temperature of 150 degrees, or at a magical frequency between 031R and 049C. Compensate for reduced reaction time, allow for heat dispersion, and... now!

With nimbleness fueled by pure terror, Twilight leaped onto her hooves and flung herself to the side as a blast of fire passed beneath her. The flames licked at the rope behind her, and searing heat enveloped her hoof for a second before the bond snapped and she was able to yank it away. She made another leap and darted around Spike, almost stumbling as the room swayed beneath her.

Her progress was cut off as a claw wrapped around her tail. She struggled against the impossibly strong grip, hooves scrabbling uselessly against the floor. Spike started to say something, but he was cut off as Twilight bucked back with both rear legs, striking him square on the chin. While normally this would have been enough to send the little dragon flying, Spike seemed barely dazed as he staggered back, mercifully releasing Twilight’s tail. She leaped forward towards the door at the front of the cart, now screaming. “Colgate! Col—”

Just before she reached the door, a flashing blue barrier appeared in the air in front of her and pulsed as she collided with it, knocking her gently onto her haunches. Of course, the analytical part of her chirped as the rest of her head spun with a not unpleasant dizziness. Timekeeper magic. Favored among the more talented police-unicorns, very difficult to unlock without a password. What password? No, something she’d know I would never guess...

“She can’t hear you,” Spike said, slowly advancing once more. “The room’s soundproof. Maximum protection against you.”

Twilight gulped. Okay. New plan. Not daring to look back, she turned and leaped over Fluttershy’s discarded blanket, diving behind the shellshocked pegasus. Upon closer inspection, the rope attached to her was bound by nothing more than one of Spike’s knots; it came loose with a single tug of her teeth.

“Don’t you drag her into this!” Spike snarled, hesitating despite the easy target. “Fluttershy doesn’t have to be a part of this. Don’t you think you’ve done enough to her—”

With another rapid twist, Twilight kicked Fluttershy’s blanket into the air, then grabbed it with her teeth and threw it onto Spike. The fabric felt like it was lined with lead, probably weighted for the occasion, and it knocked the dragon onto his back as it covered him. Twilight shook her head, panting from the exertion, then grabbed Fluttershy by her mane and started to drag her to the back of the cart. “Come on!” she hissed, at which the unresponsive pony was able to get to her hooves and stagger after her.

The rear door was spring-loaded, snapping open at the touch of a hoof. Both ponies stepped back as the whole wall retreated into the roof, letting a blast of frigid wind and rain into the room. Outside was blackness, a sheer wall of falling water and rapidly-moving clouds. “Fluttershy!” Twilight yelled over the increased volume of the storm. “You have to fly us down! If you can just get us a short distance, then...”

Twilight stopped. The hollow look in Fluttershy’s eyes told her all she needed to know. For one, the bands that wrapped around the pegasus’ wings weren’t mere bandages, but thick black bands that wouldn’t be shifted as easily as the rope. On top of that, Fluttershy could barely stand. Her limbs trembled from the effort of holding herself up, thin and pale from many days of forced immobility. Even if conditions had been ideal, it was clear that Fluttershy wouldn’t be flying anytime soon. “Twilight,” she said, leaning onto the unicorn for support. “I’m sorry...”

A frenzied roar snapped both ponies’ attentions back to the middle of the room. Spike burned his way through the thick blanket in a plume of fire, pushing his head through the hole as he stood. He carried the remnants with him as he kept up his increasingly unsteady advance, now a hulking creature wreathed in flames. “Fluttershy,” he hissed. “Get away from her. I don’t want to kill you, but you can’t make me stop.”

Fluttershy didn’t answer. She sat down and leaned closer to Twilight, reaching down to hold her hoof in her own. Twilight momentarily considered throwing her out into the relative safety of the storm, but decided against it; there was no guarantee that there were any clouds below to land on, and in the raging storm she might not be discovered in time. There are... worse ways to die than this. “Fluttershy...”

“I love you, Twilight,” Fluttershy whispered into Twilight’s ear. “No matter what happens, I’ll never let you go.”

Spike nodded. He breathed in one final time, deeply and powerfully, and Twilight knew that this time he would not miss. She squeezed her eyes shut, rain masking her tears, and held her friend as tightly as she could. “Fluttershy, I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

To her surprise, Fluttershy whispered back. “I forgive you.”

Then, with a roar that shook the entire cart, Spike released his flames.

Twilight screamed as fire danced over her skin. There was heat, more heat than she’d ever felt in her life, and it seemed as though she was burning from the inside instead of out. Just as quickly the heat turned to biting coldness, a chill that struck her to her core. Then something small and hard rammed into her chest, almost knocking her over, and... hugged her?

Twilight opened her eyes, though it was a few seconds more before she stopped screaming. She breathed heavily, looking around in confusion. Her body was whole and intact; in fact, she felt a little better after being warmed against the rain. In addition to Fluttershy still trembling against her side, Spike now had both arms wrapped firmly around her neck. Not big, monstrous Spike, but small, gentle, number-one-assistant Spike. “I knew it!” he said as he held her, burying his face in her mane. “I just knew you’d do it, Twilight.”

“Huh?” was all Twilight could think to say. A few seconds later, she said it again. Fluttershy stirred, whimpering but still refusing to open her eyes.

Spike leaned back a little. He looked up at Twilight, his eyes still alien and slitted, but his face full of love. “It’s okay!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. “Twilight’s not Kira!”

With a slow whirring sound, the spell around the far door wound down to nothing. At the same time, the mail cart began to slow. There was the loud click of a latch and Colgate bounded into the room, her eyes full of wonder. “Oh my gosh, Twilight! Oh my gosh!” She charged giddily across the cart, kicking aside Spike’s still-smoldering blanket, and then wrapped the trio in a bone-crushing embrace of her own. “Oh, thank Celestia,” she breathed, sighing happily.

Before Twilight had quite absorbed this, there was a bump as the cart came to rest on a cloud just outside of the storm. A second later Rainbow Dash appeared at the back of the cart, pulling off her weather goggles. She tossed these aside and tackled Fluttershy from behind with a whoop, sending the whole group toppling over onto the floor. Derpy followed close behind, jumping happily on top of the damp and squirming pony-pile. “What... what the hay is going on?” Twilight gasped.

Still smiling, Spike wormed his way out of the pile and stood proudly, staring up at a corner of the room. "How was that, L?" he panted. "How did I do?"

A familiar voice echoed in the tiny chamber. "Quite admirably. It was a very convincing performance."

The group hug broke apart, allowing Twilight and Fluttershy to get back to their hooves. Twilight frowned while Fluttershy looked around fearfully, the only pony in the room more confused than she was. “L?”

Something moved in the darkness. A tiny black shape scuttled down the wall, spun in a circle once as it reached the floor, then ran out into view in the middle of the cart. A black cockroach sat up and preened its antennae before the stunned ponies, only a flash of crystal at the front of its shell giving away its true nature. L’s voice continued, echoing loudly in the chamber despite having no obvious source. “I offered your friends a plan that did not involve risking their lives unnecessarily. But after much discussion and weighing of alternatives, they insisted on proceeding with one that did.”

“What...?” Realization struck. “You mean this was some kind of test?”

“Precisely. Twilight, if you were Kira, you would have killed Spike instead of sacrificing yourself. The Kira I know would not hesitate to kill even a close friend if her own life were in danger. You were given plenty of opportunities to retaliate; even if you chose not to use your killing power, a pony with your level of ingenuity would have found some other way of fighting back, and the open door provided a convenient means of disposing of the evidence. With the scratches on your body and Spike's demeanor, nopony would have questioned your need to defend yourself. The same applies to you, Fluttershy. The second Kira would have killed to protect the first, and would not have been so quick to throw her life away needlessly.”

Twilight mulled this over. “Then that means that... Spike...” She turned to the little dragon, her eyes widening. “You... you really...”

“Correct,” L interrupted. “In essence, he agreed to bet his life on your innocence.”

The dragon himself stared sheepishly at the ground. “I’m sorry I had to hurt you guys,” he said. “L said I had to be as rough with you as possible. You might not have believed me otherwise.”

“But... but your eyes!” Twilight gasped. “And you grew, and...”

Spike laughed. "You like it? It took hours to get my eyes to stay like this." Focusing hard, the dragon clenched his eyes shut and grunted loudly for several seconds. When he opened them again, his irises were their familiar round shape. "And I haven't gotten any stronger. You've just been drugged, on top of sitting around motionless for a week. You'll feel better after you start walking again. Why do you think an ordinary blanket felt so heavy?"

“But... Spike...” Twilight stepped forwards. Fluttershy nervously kept pace with her, unwilling to leave her side even with her friends around her. “How did you know I wasn’t Kira? How did you know you wouldn’t die?”

Spike paused. “A few days ago,” he said, “L asked me to believe that you were Kira. Just for a few minutes, just to see what it felt like, and afterwards I could go back to believing whatever I wanted. So I did. I told myself that you were Kira, and that you’d always been Kira. I really, really believed it. And when those five minutes were over, she asked me how I felt.”

The dragon stopped again, not quite looking at Twilight. Twilight gulped. “And what did you feel?”

Spike looked up. “I told her I could imagine a pony like you being Kira,” he said. “A pony as brilliant, and as temperamental, and as obsessed with making things right as you.” He stepped forward, putting a hand on Twilight’s leg. “But not you. Because more than anything else, I felt like a world where you were Kira wasn’t a world worth living in.”

Twilight teared up. She reached down and traced her assistant’s face, her heart overflowing with words. Just then, however, Rainbow Dash coughed. “Is this going to take long?” she said. “‘Cause I don’t know about you guys, but we’ve just spent like half an hour flying in circles in the rain. Do you think we could maybe head back and towel off before we start getting all sappy?”

“One moment, miss Dash,” L said. “Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy. Whether you realize it or not, Kira has used both of you. You were dangled in front of me like bait, Twilight through association, Fluttershy by an apparently amateurish mistake, and then abandoned once you could no longer be of use. As this experiment has shown, either you are now beyond Kira’s control, or she no longer cares whether you live or die. Which presents us with a very interesting opportunity.” The fake cockroach scuttled closer, causing Fluttershy to squeak and duck behind Twilight. “We may now be able to turn two of Kira’s pawns against her. Twilight—”

“Of course I’ll join you,” Twilight interrupted. “I’ve wanted nothing more since this whole thing started.”

“Then we can discuss the rest once you have returned,” L concluded. “Of course, until the real Kira is caught you will both remain under our surveillance, this time for your safety rather than ours.”

“But no more confinement,” Colgate added.

“Quite. See you soon, my little ponies. We have much to discuss.” With that, the cockroach turned away and crawled back into the shadows.

There was a long pause before Rainbow Dash sighed. “We still have to fly back, don’t we?” she said wearily. “Oh, well.” She nudged Derpy, starting back towards the dark exterior. “Come on, derp-face. Let’s get this thing back before anypony notices it’s gone.”

Nodding happily, Derpy spread her wings and followed Rainbow Dash out into the night. Colgate magically closed the door after them, and within a minute the mail cart was in flight again. She tried to snip the restraints around Fluttershy’s wings, but the pegasus shrank away when she came near. “Fluttershy?” Twilight said gently, following her. “What’s wrong?”

Fluttershy stared at her. In place of an answer, fresh tears began to run down her face. “Hey, it’s okay,” Twilight said, stepping forward. Gently, she pulled her friend into a hug—marefriend, she reminded herself, though the word still felt strange and somehow wrong to her—as Fluttershy began to sob into her shoulder. “I know. We’ve both been through a lot. But things are going to get better, you’ll see. We’re going to be safe from now on. I promise.”

"You've taken to this quite well, haven't you?"

Mer floated calmly in an upper corner of the darkened room. She glanced down at her claws before drifting over to the other wall, watching the pony working below her. "I'm so glad you've stopped being difficult," she continued. "It's actually quite pleasurable once you get over the shock, isn't it?"

The pony at the desk ignored her. A knife descended to a black notebook laying open on the wooden surface and slid along the spine, seamlessly extracting a single page from the book. The knife itself was large and obviously unsuited to this task, but the pony who guided it was steady and unhurried. Mer continued to talk as the free page joined a growing pile of others just like it. "Of course, I knew you'd take to this eventually. There’s no shame in giving in to power, after all. And besides..." The god grinned. "You seem like the kind of pony who’s used to making sacrifices."

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned some of the ways that trust can help and hurt a friendship. Part of being somepony’s friend is learning when it’s okay not to trust them, when they’re hiding something or can’t look after themselves like they should. At times like this we might have to go behind their back to help them, or confront them about something that makes them uncomfortable. It can be very difficult to put one of your friends through this, and it can be just as difficult to be on the receiving end of it. But so long as it’s for their own well-being, nothing is too small to give up for the sake of your friends... even your friendship.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.

Next episode: Potato chips!

Victory (part 1)

30
*Victory*
(part 1)

For Gods of Death, killing a pony without the use of the Death Note is a crime deserving of the highest level of punishment, followed by death.

It was long after midnight when Locket felt something hard and sharp poke her in the ribs. She curled up more tightly and tried to twist away, squirming beneath the weight above her, letting out a petulant sigh as sleep was torn away from her and cold reality came rushing back. An endless, dusty landscape behind her eyes vanished, and was replaced by the image of a small, confused dragon looking down at her in the near-darkness.

Memories of earlier that night struck like an anvil. Locket looked back and held in a gasp, turning a shade of red to match the heavy warmth next to her. She and Big Macintosh had stayed beneath the tree as the ground had trembled and the sky had erupted above them, eventually curling up together and allowing exhaustion to overtake them. The large stallion now lay behind her, still sleeping, with one foreleg wrapped around her barrel, his head bent over her to shield her from the rain. He started to come to as Locket scrambled out from beneath him, slipping on the muddy ground before rising and turning to face Spike. “This... this isn’t what it looks like!” she said quickly.

“It isn’t?” Spike scratched his head. “So you were just pretending to be asleep?”

“Uh...” Locket gaped for a moment before realization dawned. “Y-yeah. That.” She kicked at the ground. “And nothing else.”

Big Mac’s eyes opened slowly. “Good morning,” he croaked, then coughed to clear his throat. “Is it morning?”

“Barely,” Spike answered, looking at the moon.

Locket fretted as the stallion pulled himself up to his full height, but Spike seemed strangely calm. “Is Ponyville safe?” Mac asked.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Everything’s fine.” Spike turned away. “The others sent me out to look for you. Your sister’s waiting for you.”

“All right.” Mac shook some of the dirt off himself and turned to follow, then paused and looked back at Locket. “It’s a long walk home for you,” he said. “If you’re tired, we’d be happy to let you stay the night.”

Locket looked desperately to Spike for a yes or no, or at least some indication of how the night’s events had gone, but his face was revealing nothing. He was almost unnervingly calm, like it was just another night. “I’d like that,” she said eventually, her voice small.

They made the trek across the orchard in silence. The path was far less clear than it had been when they’d set out earlier. Although the local weather team had been swiftly alerted to the crisis and dispelled the rogue storm barely an hour after it had begun, the sheer force of a town’s worth of water coming down over such a small area had left deep gouges across the landscape. Brown puddles collected between hills, and what grass hadn’t been torn up was soaked through. Many of the trees had been completely stripped of their reddening leaves, adding a slippery and decaying layer to the uneven ground, and in areas where the harvest hadn’t yet been finished the fields were spotted with bruised and broken apples. Big Macintosh bore this well as he walked across the damaged orchard, though twice Locket caught him swallowing a tear as he snuck glances around his waterlogged home.

The farmhouse itself was relatively free of damage, although one of the drainpipes along the side had collapsed. Spike’s knock on the door was answered by Colgate, who immediately put a hoof to her lips as Mac started to speak. “Apple Bloom’s asleep,” she whispered. “Try not to wake her. She’s had a tough day.” She held the door open, and Mac walked calmly inside. Locket started to follow him, but stopped when Spike grabbed her leg and shook his head.

“Where’s Applejack?” Big Macintosh asked.

“She told us everything.”

Macintosh turned to look at Colgate. She’d lowered her horn towards him, a blue glow surrounding it. She stayed that way, frozen in place, watching for his reaction. There was no surprise in his voice when he spoke again. “Everything?”

“Everything.” She nodded slowly. “So please... don’t make this any more difficult than it has to be.”

Big Macintosh sighed. He slowly extended one leg and allowed Colgate to wrap a band of magic around it, linking his ankle to hers, then extending further and anchoring him to the far wall as well. As this happened he looked over his shoulder, back out the door, and stared into Locket’s eyes.

Catching this, Spike began to tug on Locket’s leg again, starting to pull her down the path. “Let’s go,” he said.

Locket couldn’t move. There was no accusation in Mac’s gaze, no questions, only calmness and understanding. Compared to the size of the lie that had been their friendship, she felt numb under the absence of weight from his stare. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Once Macintosh was secured, Colgate turned her attention back to the others. “Spike, wait,” she said. From behind herself she levitated up a thick pad of note paper, tightly bound together with string. “Take this with you. Don’t lose it.”

Mac’s eyes followed the papers as they traveled through the air. When they were halfway between the policemare and Spike, he suddenly lunged forward. The chain around him held, but he moved with enough force to tear a chunk out of the wall behind him, giving him just enough room to raise up and punch the papers out of the air. The string snapped and pages went flying, falling through the doorway in a disorganized heap.

Spike and Locket stared, their mouths open. Mac calmly backed up and stood next to Colgate again, looking at her with an unhurried, expectant expression. Her left eye twitched, and her face slowly curled into an acidic scowl, several weeks of suppressed fury coming to light at once. “I said,” she growled, sparks rising up her horn.

The rest of her sentence, if she ever finished it, was covered by a dull roar as a pulse of blue light lifted Big Macintosh off his hooves and threw him against the wall. As he tried to rise, a thick blue chain materialized around his neck, dragging him forcefully back down. More chains covered his legs, then his sides, rapidly encasing him in a glowing, slithering cocoon.

“Mac!” Locket cried, trying to rush forward only to be halted as Spike grabbed her again. Even though she knew she could easily overpower him, she couldn’t seem to find it in herself to fight against the claw on her leg. Helplessly, she looked through the doorway. Mac was staring back at her again; though his face was pained and he was gasping for breath, his eyes hadn’t lost their calmness. “I’m sorry,” she said again, though she couldn’t hear her own voice.

“It’s all right,” he answered back, though she didn’t see his lips move.

With a more insistent yank, Spike finally got the dumbstruck mare to turn around, then reached down and grabbed an armful of the scattered pages. The last Locket saw was Colgate advancing on the downed stallion, her eye steadily twitching, chain after chain surrounding her like a web.

“Miss Dash?”

Two words were all it took to bring Dash back into a world of pain. The slightest nudge against her side shot fire down her back and legs, jolting her back to consciousness more efficiently than a pail of cold water. Although, judging by the state of her mane, in the past few hours she’d seen a few of those already.

A quick hoof silenced Dash’s yelp and held her down as she tried to bolt upright. She looked around, tearing up as pain returned in abundance. She was tangled up in the branches of an apple tree, stuck in the place where she’d been thrown at the end of her fight earlier that night. Although she’d defended herself as best she could, the twin elements of surprise and unrivalled fury had made her attacker’s blows land like falling boulders. She’d had no time to get her bearings or a solid grip on one of the weapons hanging from her belt. Their tussle had only ended when Dash had crashed into one of the trees below, leaving a hole like a crater in the branches around her and pinning her in place as the grey pegasus had flown off towards the gathering storm.

With bloodshot eyes, Dash wearily looked around her. A familiar set of eyes looked back. Jazz had somehow gotten himself up into the tree with her, perching awkwardly on a thick branch. He held her down again as she forgot her position and tried to sit up, resulting in another spike of pain through her lower body. Wincing, she looked down. Her rear right leg was trapped in the fold of one of the larger broken branches. She’d tried to free herself countless times during the storm, but every movement felt like a dagger was slicing through her from the inside. Her wings were pinned down beneath her back; she was afraid to try to move them. The rain had drowned out her cries for help, and in the end she’d been forced to give in to her pain and exhaustion and had fallen asleep in a leafy, scratching embrace.

Jazz stroked her mane as memories of the night returned, softening her whimpers as pain flooded back. “Your leg’s broken,” he said bluntly, as though speaking to a foal. “You need to stay still. There might be more injuries we can’t see.” He leaned in closer. “What happened?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Forget about that,” she croaked, her throat dry. “You have to warn the others. Twilight—”

Jazz covered her mouth again. His eyes narrowed. “What. Happened?” he repeated, starting to raise his voice.

Dash’s resolve failed. “It was Derpy,” she mumbled. “She just came out of nowhere. She was trying to keep me away from Applejack.”

“I see.” Jazz retreated a little; Dash thought he looked relieved. “Was it her who took you from the town hall, as well?”

“No. I left myself. I had to warn...” She trailed off as Jazz’s scowl returned. “Look, you don’t understand! Applejack isn’t who you think she is! Twilight’s the one—”

“We know, Rainbow.”

She stopped. “You know?”

“We know.”

A translucent blue light surrounded her. There was a flash of light, and she and Jazz vanished from the tree and reappeared at ground level. She yelped as her leg was shifted out of place, only for another wave of magic to tighten around and support it. “I’ll take you to the hospital,” Jazz said, gritting his teeth through the strain of keeping her aloft. “You’ve done your part. For now, sleep.”

“No, wait,” Dash said as a horn was pressed against her forehead, but her words became slurred as magic rushed through her. Numbness crawled down her back and through her legs, and true drowsiness replaced her exhaustion from earlier. “Wait,” she continued, although she wasn’t sure that she was forming words any more. “I...”

“I need to...”

“I need to see her.”

“Wait.”

The road back to the base was longer than the one to the farm, but took less time to travel than their previous journey. Spike kept up a quick march through Ponyville’s empty streets, leaving Locket occasionally scrambling to keep up as she followed in a daze. They didn’t speak a word to one another, despite the obvious questions hanging over them, and their arrival at the park came as a relief to them both. The base’s trapdoor swung upon the moment they entered the hidden grove, and they both unhesitatingly descended.

No sooner had Locket stepped into the main chamber that Bon Bon had sprung up in front of her and covered her head with a towel, rubbing away some of the dirt and dew that was still clinging to her mane. “Goodness, dear, you look like you’ve been outside in a hurricane,” she fussed, quickly leaning forward to give her a brief hug. “Play along,” she hissed into Locket’s ear, then withdrew and made a beeline for Spike. The little dragon dropped his armful of pages on a desk, then pushed her away and marched off as the mare tried to dry his scales, leaving Locket standing and shivering on her own.

After the group of nine that had parted ways earlier that night, the main chamber looked and felt startlingly empty. Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Jazz were nowhere to be seen. Fluttershy and Derpy were dozing fitfully, snuggled together in a single chair; both appeared to have been trying to comfort the other before falling into their private, restless worlds. Locket decided not to question the latter mare’s presence. Bon Bon and Spike retreated into the kitchen, the mare still with her towel raised hopefully. At the far end of the room were a pair of ponies who made Locket’s searching gaze stop dead. The unexpected view of Luna, Princess of the Night and ruler of Equestria, would have sent Locket into an instant bow and hasty retreat for the nearest exit if not for the even stranger and more alarming sight just across from her.

L was sitting normally.

Once again disguised as an earth pony, the green unicorn had folded up her legs on one of the base’s ordinary chairs and was chatting amiably with Princess Luna. A notebook was spread open on the table between them, but no quill was in sight. L had a rare smile on her face, apparently completely absorbed in her Harpy Chords persona. Seeming to sense Locket’s stare, she turned and caught the blue mare’s eyes before she was able to turn away. “Hey, Locket!” she called, unnervingly chirpy. “Come settle something for us.”

“Quietly, please,” Luna chided at the detective’s raised voice. “Do not wake the pegasi.”

Locket started to creep forward, carefully averting her gaze. When Princess Luna finally turned to look her way, she dropped into a bow so quickly that her nose almost brushed against the floor. “M-my Princess,” she stammered out reverently, but found herself completely at a loss as to what was meant to come next.

“Rise, young one,” Luna said, waving a hoof with an air of restrained impatience. “Now is not the time for such formalities.”

L chuckled. “So yeah,” she continued as Locket finished her crawl in their direction, “since you’re the only one around who’s seen a real golem up close, we just wanted to ask — what did you think of Luna’s? How well did it match up with the real thing?”

“Um...” Locket shuffled, head still bowed. “It was...”

“Do not be afraid to answer,” Luna reassured her. “We simply... I only want to know whether the golems of today have changed.”

The dropping of the Royal We was sudden, but it did help to put Locket slightly at ease. “It was... all right,” she answered, though she still couldn’t find the courage to look Luna in the eye. “I only saw yours from a distance. It looked about the right shape. Except... maybe it was a little too big?

“Big?” Luna leaned forward, then straightened up as Locket reflexively flinched away. She hid a sigh by resettling her wings. “You mean that the golems of the Everfree now are smaller than those who once roamed these hills?”

This caused Locket to finally look up, but it was L who spoke her mind for her. “You mean that golems used to all be the size of the one you made?”

“As large and larger, if the gems were available. The enchantment for my puppet was made to mimic the appearance of one of the Earthen King’s common foot soldiers, a hundred of which guarded his walking fortress at the end of the Age of Titans. In fact, the speeches I gave this very night were styled after words the King himself spoke to my sister and I, thirty-two hundred years ago.” A faraway look came to Luna’s eyes. “And then a second time, two thousand years after that...”

A few long seconds passed in silence, broken when L softly tapped her hoof on the table. “So... you think that whoever’s behind the recent golem attacks isn’t the same pony who lived thousands of years ago?”

“It would appear not. The Earthen King sleeps still; the beasts who now walk your woods are pale shadows of the real master’s work. If we are lucky, this is merely the work of one who has uncovered his writings and is attempting to replicate them.”

“And... if we’re unlucky?” Locket asked.

There was another long pause. Luna’s eyes had begun to glaze over again. “...Princess?” Locket pressed.

Luna blinked. “Oh! I am sorry. ‘Tis one of the drawbacks to having lived a life as long as mine; once one begins to remember, it becomes difficult to stop...” Her attention started to drift again, but she quickly sighed and shook her head. “No matter. I am afraid my time here must now come to a close.”

“You’re leaving?” L asked, standing up as Luna did.

“Yes.” The princess spread her wings and stared upwards, a frown coming to her face. “There are pieces to this riddle that are slowly becoming clear to me. While we have earned one victory, if what we have learned is true, then this deadly game is only half over... and I fear that we may no longer be the only players. Before I can carry on, there is a place that I must go. I can say no more than that.”

L nodded, and Locket quickly dropped into another bow. “We’ll hold the fort until you get back,” the detective said.

“I trust that you will. Relay my blessings to L when she returns, and relay that,” Luna concluded with a grim look at the notebook on the table, “to my sister, if she can be found. Until then... adieu.”

Instead of heading for the door, the princess spread her wings and lit up her horn, wrapping herself up in a haze of shadow. A puff of smog momentarily seemed to fill the room, and by the time it vanished, so too had Luna.

L immediately fell back into her usual sitting position, her smile dropping from her face and her horn sprouting from her forehead. “A little flashy,” she muttered, levitating a bundle of papers out from beneath a nearby desk. “Something really is bothering her.”

Locket slowly raised her head. “What... was that all about?” she asked.

“A number of things, some of which are relevant to our current situation, and some of which are not.” The papers spread themselves across the table, and L began writing at a lightning-fast pace. “Portentous as Lady Luna’s words may have been, there are some things that even she remains in the dark about.”

“W-what?” Locket debated sitting down, but her legs refused to cooperate. “What are you talking about?”

“The game is over. All that remains is to decide how to break the news to her.” L reached out with her magic, and a pair of screens blinked on behind her. Locket gasped.

In identical padded rooms, both Twilight Sparkle and Applejack had been tied up. They were imprisoned in the same way that Fluttershy had been, covered in thick black bands that locked them into a sitting position. Both had been fitted with a black mask that covered their eyes. Applejack was sitting calmly, possibly asleep, while Twilight strained against her bonds, soundlessly screaming.

“I... I don’t understand,” Locket choked out once her breath had come back to her. “I thought... what happened out there?” She looked back at L, and realized with rising horror that the mint pony was wearing Twilight’s wristwatch.

“A great many things,” L answered with a sigh. “The past few hours have been... eventful. To explain it all, or even to summarize, would take almost as long, but—”

“Twilight’s the real Kira,” Spike cut in. He strode back into the room with a large tub of ice cream clutched in his arms, Bon Bon still following him with her towel. “There’s these two evil gods, Byuk and Mer, who’ve been playing a game by controlling Twilight and Applejack with magic killing notebooks called Death Notes. They’ve been killing ponies to trade deaths for clues, and whoever finds the other and burns their Death Note first wins. Applejack got captured on purpose to trick us into picking up her Death Note, letting Mer point out Twilight to us directly, leading to us capturing both Kiras at once. Derpy beat Applejack up, the other Apples have been put under house arrest until we can figure out what to do with them, Rainbow Dash is missing, and for some reason Luna isn’t allowed to know which one of us is L.” He sat down and glared at L, ripping the lid off his tub of ice cream. “Did I miss anything?”

L stared back, unable to mask a look of faint irritation. “No,” she said slowly, “that will do nicely.”

“Twilight?” Locket echoed. She took Luna’s seat, feeling numb. “But I thought...”

“Yeah,” Spike growled at her. “We all thought.”

He reached into his tub and pulled out a fistful of ice cream, only to drop it as Bon Bon caught up and wrapped her towel around his head. She rubbed furiously, getting a surprising amount of water and dirt from his scales. “Be gentle with him,” she said quietly once his ears were covered. “This is his fifth tub this evening. I think he’s taking this all rather hard.”

“I am not taking this hard!” Spike protested, wriggling out of the mare’s grasp. “I’m just...” He scowled, twisting away, and none too subtly covered one of his eyes. “Just... leave me alone, okay?”

Locket waited a few awkward seconds before speaking again. “But... how?” she asked. “Twilight was with one of us the whole time she was here, and she was locked up for half of that. How could she have been Kira as well?”

“To that,” L answered, “there is a short answer and a long answer, neither of which I think you would find fully satisfying. However, the most direct way to fill in the gaps...” She slid the black notebook across the table. “...is to read this.”

Locket stared at the six silvery letters on the notebook’s front, but could make no sense of them. She hesitated just before her hoof reached the edge; the others at the table seemed to be watching for her reaction a little too closely. Putting this aside, she carefully reached out and flipped the front page open. There was a clear divide at the start where a number of pages had been cut out, but she couldn’t tell how many. Nothing was written on the new front page, but more words, these ones written in Equestrian, had been inscribed on the inside of the cover.

12 days earlier

“All right, you two,” Twilight said, planting her spade in the ground. “One more thing before we get started.”

Byuk and Mer glanced at each other. They’d been gathered together in a small clearing a short ways into the Everfree Forest, and neither was entirely happy to be in the other’s company. “Enough stalling,” Mer spat, shifting away from her dark counterpart. “Tell us your plan.”

“In a moment,” Twilight reassured her. She opened the bag she’d brought with her and levitated out two black notebooks, pulling them back as Mer started to move forward. “I have two Death Notes here,” she continued. “One of these was given to me by Byuk. It has a title and a complete list of rules on the inside, both written in Equestrian.” She flipped it open to demonstrate. “The other was originally owned by Geldus. It has his name on the cover, written in a language I don’t know, and no rules or title on the inside.” She looked up at the gods questioningly. “So why the difference? Who wrote these rules down?”

“I did,” Byuk answered. “In the Shinigami Realm, we have... I guess you could call them user guides for Death Notes. Since I was visiting a pony world, I found a guidebook and copied down all the rules that apply to pony realms. That’s why it’s in a language you can recognize.”

“I see,” Twilight said, a smile playing about her lips. “So you’re allowed to write on these however you want? Even if you wrote something that, say... wasn’t true? There’s no rule against it?”

This seemed like a novel idea to Byuk, as though he’d never considered the possibility before. “I guess so,” he replied, sharing Twilight’s grin.

“Though some have more dignity,” Mer muttered.

Twilight ignored this. “Mer,” she said, “with your permission, I’d like to copy some rules into Geldus’ Death Note. It would make my plan to rescue Fluttershy go much more smoothly.”

Mer turned away. “What is written may be unwritten. Do as you wish.”

“I’ll do it,” Byuk said, taking the Note from Twilight’s grip. “My handwriting’s better anyway.” He flipped the cover open and, with a twisting gesture that was slightly painful to look at, caused a bizarre, lumpy quill to appear in his claws. “Do you want the entire list? It’s getting kind of dark.”

“No, just the basic rules will do,” Twilight answered. She put the other notebook back in her bag before turning back to him with a smile. “Plus a couple new rules of my own...”

1. The pony whose name is written in the Death Note will die.

Locket looked up at L. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Surprisingly, no.” L flipped back through her pages of notes. “Although the book contains no traces of unicorn magic, it seems to match pages found hidden throughout the Apple household, and its effects appear to be consistent with Kira’s mode of killing. Of course, further tests will need to be done.”

“Seriously?” Locket held the notebook up, flipping through it. All of the other pages were blank. “You’re telling me that this little book has been the cause of all our problems?”

“Just keep reading,” Spike snapped through a mouthful of pink mush. Behind him, Bon Bon had managed to shift the dozing Fluttershy and Derpy into L’s wheeled chair and was pushing them quietly in the direction of the sleeping chambers.

Still skeptical, Locket turned back to the list of rules.

2. This note will not take effect unless the writer has the pony’s face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, ponies sharing the same name will not be affected.
3. If the cause of death is written within the next 40 seconds of writing the pony’s name, it will happen.
4. If the cause of death is not specified, the pony will die of a heart attack.
5. After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written within the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
6. If this note is burned, torn, or otherwise made unusable, the owner and every pony who has touched the note will die.

“WHAT!?” The sixth rule caused Locket to immediately drop the book and flinch back, almost falling out of her chair. She flailed her front hooves, as though trying to get the touch of the paper off of her, before glaring angrily at Spike and L. “You could have warned me!”

“It will not be an issue,” L said nonchalantly, not even looking up. “I, for one, have no intention of committing suicide over a weapon. There is some danger in keeping it around, yes, but there are equally powerful weapons sealed all over Equestria. Once a suitable hiding place has been found, it will be locked away for a few hundred years or so, until all those of us who have touched it have passed on.”

This eased Locket’s worry somewhat, but she was still hesitant about approaching the book again. Breath held, she leaned forward and read the final two rules.

7. If a pony who has not been blessed by the God of Death attempts to use the Death Note, that pony will die.
8. Only one pony may receive the blessing of the God of Death at one time. Only when the current owner dies can a new pony be chosen to receive the blessing.

“Huh?” Locket blinked slowly as she tried to take this in. “That... that means...”

“It means there was no fourth Kira,” Spike said. “It was Twilight, all along.”

L nodded. “It is as I suspected,” she added. “One cannot simply stop being Kira. That’s impossible. She was Byuk’s champion from the beginning — scheming, infiltrating, murdering, and ultimately drawing herself closer and closer to Applejack. Fortunately, Applejack had not been idle herself, and used the Death Note’s rewards to deduce her opponent’s identity just in time. She allowed herself to fall into our trap, giving up her Death Note in the process, but at the same time exposed Twilight’s deception, allowing us to capture her as well. With both Kiras incapacitated and their Death Notes intact, no more ponies can be killed, effectively drawing the game to a stalemate.”

“That’s...” Locket sat back, feeling light-headed. She looked again at the screens behind L. Twilight hadn’t stopped struggling and sobbing during this entire conversation, mouthing a single letter over and over again. Tears welled up behind her mask and escaped in large, individual drops. “That’s...” Locket shook her head, planting her hooves firmly in front of her. “That’s ridiculous!”

Spike and L looked up sharply. “What?”

“I mean... you’re being ridiculous!” Locket pushed the Death Note away angrily. “Kira’s been piling on lie after lie for this entire game, but now she waves a magic book at you and suddenly you believe everything she says? You even locked up the only pony who’s ever liked you just because she told you to!”

“You think I did this without evidence?” L retorted. “As soon as we got back, we did a thorough search of Twilight’s belongings. Tucked inside of her books were several blank pages. Pages matching the ones found within the Death Note.”

“That’s even worse! You locked her up over some scrap paper?” Locket leaned forward and slammed the notebook shut. “What makes you think this so-called ‘Death Note’ isn’t a fake, if there’s no way to even test it? What makes you think even one part of this is the truth?”

From behind her, there was a creak.

She froze. A sudden chill seemed to crawl up her back, and she impulsively shivered. Her angry expression slowly faded as she realized that Spike and L were no longer looking at her, but past her, at something just behind her head. “For the answer to that,” L answered slowly, “there’s somepony who I think you should meet.”

With a face like glass, Locket looked over her shoulder.

Mer smiled. “Boo.”

It was several hours later when Jazz returned to the base. He brushed himself off as the iron doors swung shut behind him, then unblinkingly walked directly through Mer, making a beeline for the abacus. L was already waiting, leaning back against Minty’s base. “You’re late,” she said, not opening her eyes. She shifted a headset away from one of her ears; through it, Jazz could hear high-pitched wailing as Twilight Sparkle’s voice was played back at double speed. “Any trouble?”

“Nothing serious.” Jazz gently nudged L aside and started Minty up, briefly smiling at the machine’s crystalline purr. “Shouldn’t Bon Bon have put you to bed by now?”

“Too much to do. Besides, she’s busy with somepony else.”

Jazz glanced around the room. In the far corner, underneath a desk, Locket was huddled and shivering with a blanket wrapped around her. Judging by her wide-eyed stare, she wasn’t planning on getting any sleep tonight, or any night in the near future. Bon Bon sat beside her, gently brushing her mane. “So I see,” Jazz said dryly. “You had her touch the Note, then?”

“Yes. Are you still certain that you won’t do the same?”

“I am. I’d rather not risk a heart attack, one way or the other.”

“Fine by me.” L looked up. “Mer, you don’t mind, do you?”

The god snorted. “Do as you wish.” She drifted upwards and hovered over the abacus, closing her eyes as though asleep, though her bony ears continued to swivel.

The two ponies continued their work, L sketching some notes on a page beside her, Jazz running through some calibrations. Neither looked at the other as they continued their conversation. “Was Rainbow Dash where Derpy said she was?” L asked.

“Almost. She wasn’t far from the site of the golem. Given her general incoherency of late, it’s lucky she was even that accurate.”

“Was she alive?”

“Damaged, but not broken. I relayed her to the hospital. She confirmed that she knew about Applejack’s story before I put her under. One of the doctors medicated her further and told me she likely wouldn’t wake until the afternoon, after they’ve finished examining her. I left a bug with her, so we should be able to track her progress. One of us should retrieve her then for further questioning.”

“So they were in cahoots after all. A pity she didn’t speak up earlier.”

“Quite. How are the others faring?”

“Applejack’s been patched up. She hasn’t struggled, and fell asleep shortly after arriving. Twilight has continued to deny her involvement, and only dropped off within the hour. I’ll assess their states when they wake up, and we’ll further interrogate them then.”

“I see.” Jazz paused. He stopped his shuffling of beads and stepped back, looking down. “And... how are you faring?”

L didn’t hesitate. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? I know the two of you were... close.”

“I told you, I’m fine.” L shut off her recording and looked up. The pair locked eyes. “What was the first order that I gave you when you arrived?” she asked.

Jazz tried to hold her gaze, but had to look away first. “Don’t worry about me. That’s Bon Bon’s job,” he quoted with a sigh.

“I can shed a few tears, if it will ease your mind,” L continued. “But I prefer to save those up for time with Bon Bon. And don’t pretend you’re a stoic masterpiece yourself,” she added, turning back to her papers. “Not after you frittered half the night away fussing over your student.”

“It wasn’t like that,” Jazz grunted back, bristling a little. He began to move beads on the abacus again. “There was a long line at the hospital. Reportedly, nearly a third of Ponyville tried to evacuate after our fake threat, and a third of those have yet to make it back. There haven’t been any deaths, but there were a large number of injuries from carts and lost ponies stumbling around in the dark.”

“Is that a criticism?”

“Only an observation.”

“Such things are inevitable,” L tutted. “And it does not change my point. I instructed you to halt your search after three hours, and you’ve been gone for more than six. Even with a line, I’m sure between your wit and her status you could have found somepony reliable to leave her with. Either you were determined to search the entire night if you had to, or you stayed by her side for as long as they would let you.” She looked up again, smirking faintly. “Which was it?”

Jazz didn’t answer, though his pace with the beads increased slightly. Still grinning, L stirred and shut off her headphones. “Endearing though this may be,” she said, lifting herself up and picking up her notes, “it’s something we’ll need to put aside for now. I have a job for you.”

“I’m listening,” Jazz said flatly.

L trotted over to her desk near the active stratoscreens and began pulling more pages towards her, carefully leaving the Death Note in the middle untouched. “In a few hours, Applejack will wake,” she said. “When that happens, she will have more of her story to tell. However, she has already specified that she will only speak to L.” She looked back pointedly. “Alone.”

A few seconds passed before Jazz narrowed his eyes. “Harpy, we agreed.”

“Times have changed. I’ve already written a script for you.”

“For Sun’s sake, L, I’m an engineer, not an actor. I’m not going to impersonate you.”

“You managed to fool Ponyville’s best dragon and policemare when they first arrived, and that was without even trying. I’d say that’s qualification enough, wouldn’t you?” L returned, magically clipping some pages together. “Normally I would not ask you to do this, but I’m afraid our resources are limited. Just because our enemies are in chains does not mean that time is on our side. Before we can make any further moves we need to ensure that Applejack is on our side, and who of the two of us is she more likely to believe is the real detective?”

Grudgingly, Jazz accepted the papers and began to flip through them. “You don’t believe the game is over, then?”

“The game is never over, Jazz.” L glanced up. Mer’s eyes were still closed. “Not while even a single one of the players are still alive.”

“Good morning, Applejack.”

Applejack wasn’t fully aware that she’d woken up when she heard the voice. Her body was covered in floating and contradictory sensations, few of them pleasant. The dark mask that covered her head allowed no light to reach her eyes, not even a haze at the edges of her vision, but she could sense, rather than feel, bright lights being shined onto her body from every angle. Her nose ached and some of her teeth felt loose, and she could feel another dozen scrapes and bruises besides, but she still felt well-rested and not about to fall apart. But then, even if she was, the thick bands tying her uncomfortably in place would easily keep all the pieces together. She licked her dry lips and let out a small croak, indicating that, if nothing else, she’d at least heard that somepony had spoken.

Gently, with what Applejack recognized as the tug of magic, some of the bands around her hooves were loosened. She quickly stretched, letting out a sigh of relief at the dull burn of her muscles finally being able to move, if only by a little. Next came a light fumbling at the back of her neck, and with a tug that pulled her mane down over her face, her mask was lifted away. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of a few more strands of hair still clinging to her cheeks, before looking up at the pony in front of her.

On the far side of a small table, which she was almost certain hadn’t been there when she’d gone to sleep, a grey unicorn stallion smiled back at her. She almost didn’t recognize him at first — his normally sharp mane was somewhat disheveled, and he’d stripped down to only a shirt instead of a full suit — but there was a self-assured intelligence to his gaze that she hadn’t been quick to forget. Her eyes burned, and his true name blazed above his head, but she looked him in the eye and spoke the one that he’d given to her before. “Professor Jazz?”

“Ah, so you do remember me.” Jazz began to levitate bowls onto the table, still smiling warmly. “I was afraid you wouldn’t. The funeral was a difficult time for you, after all. I’m afraid I wouldn’t put too much stock in that particular memory, however. Twilight’s position in Canterlot was not the only, shall we say, alteration of the truth that I gave to you that day.” He gestured in front of himself. “Breakfast?”

Applejack looked down. A small bowl of soup had been placed in front of her, gently steaming. She was having difficulty breathing through her nose, but what little scent got through to her made her dry mouth water. “In a minute,” she croaked as her stomach protested. “Ah need to talk to L. There’s some things we’ve gotta get straight.”

“Ah, still putting the pieces together?” Jazz arranged a small salad in front of him and tucked a napkin into his shirt, chuckling softly. “I can’t say that I blame you. Everypony expects something different, after all. But as you can see, the cameras are off, and the door is closed. We shan’t be disturbed.” He leaned in closer. “We can speak, just you and me.”

Applejack looked around. True to his word, the cell’s door was still shut tight, and the cameras that she could see were all turned away, their lights out. There was only one thing missing. She turned back to the stallion in front of her and put on a grin of her own, slowly shaking her head. “You ain’t L.”

“Oh?” Jazz paused, a fork halfway to his salad. “Well, that leaves us in something of an uncomfortable position, I’m afraid. Is there anything I can do that might convince you that I am?”

“Not while sittin’ down,” she shot back. “See, Ah’m not a fancy detective like yer friend out there. Ah don’t stick mah nose where it’s not wanted, and Ah don’t worry mah head about tricks and traps if Ah don’t have to. Most days, Ah’ll just accept what’s in front of me and that’ll be that. But right now, it just so happens that Ah know a thing or two about this detective.” She coughed once, then narrowed her eyes. “Ah know enough to know that you ain’t her.”

Jazz’s smile faded slowly. He carefully put his fork down and untucked his napkin, refolding it and placing it next to his dish. He seemed about to speak when another noise filled the room, seeming to come from all directions simultaneously. “Jazz, get back here. Now,” a heavily distorted voice snapped before fizzling out.

Applejack looked around in irritation. “So we weren’t alone neither,” she said.

“Of course not,” Jazz said coldly as he stood up. “Who do you think we are?” Less gently than before, his magic wrapped around her bonds and snapped them back into place, locking her once again into a stiff sitting position. The mask wrapped back around the top half of her head, bumping once against the tip of her swollen nose, and the world went dark.

Applejack didn’t hear any hoofsteps leave the room; perhaps that was because of the padded floor, or maybe the mask was responsible for that as well. She could still smell, though, enough to know that her breakfast had been left in front of her. Her dry throat and empty stomach made their presence known and teamed up against her brain, and stubbornness was overwhelmed by thirst and hunger. She leaned forward as far as she could, but her uncovered mouth stopped just short of the meal. Straining against her bonds, her uncovered lips just barely grazed the edge of the bowl.

There was a soft ping, and then a snap as one of the bands across her withers released itself. She jolted forward as the pressure was released and all but smacked her head on the table, knocking against the bowl and splashing soup across the surface. She steadied herself and caught the bowl, managing to take a sip of the mostly-intact contents. Then there was a creak, and she heard the sound of hoofsteps walking away on stone before the door slammed shut.

Mer hovered contentedly over the abacus, her eyes closed. She liked the feel of the mechanical life form beneath her, all hard lines and sharply grinding innards, such a nice change from the pulsing and squirming meat-shapes that surrounded it. She felt much more familiarity with it than she had with any other being she’d met since coming to Equestria, even her own kin. It was precise. It was efficient. It didn’t get bogged down by attachments or emotions; not love, not fear, not this absurd “friendship” these pathetic creatures kept prattling on about. And, most importantly, it never made mistakes.

Yes, everything was going exactly to plan.

Opening her eyes a fraction of an inch, she smiled across the room towards the screen where Twilight Sparkle was displayed. She was still asleep, the pathetic thing, or so still as to make no difference. Mer bared her teeth and licked her thin lips, enjoying the little murderer’s suffering. In her head, she replayed a conversation she’d been having with herself ever since the funeral; the details had changed several times as her plans had grown and evolved, but it always started the same way.

“Why are you doing this to me?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

“Why?” In her mind’s eye, Mer touched down in front of Twilight, coming tauntingly close to her face. “That’s the most beautiful part, little pony. Because the punishment doesn’t need to fit the crime.”

The little pony trembled. Though she couldn’t see her eyes through that wonderful mask, she knew that they were wide and quivering with terror. “I don’t understand,” she said.

“And you never will.” She started to circle around the trapped creature, playfully dragging the flat of a claw along her side. “I thought about letting you remember,” she continued, toying with the straps on Twilight’s legs. “At first, I was going to force you to remember. I wanted you to know how much you have wronged me, to see the towers and echoes of your crimes, to hate yourself even more, if that is possible, than I hate you. But in the end, all I needed was a glimpse. That one moment of understanding, the look on your face when you realized just how badly you had failed, was worth a lifetime of retribution.” She stopped and laughed into Twilight’s face. “Because I knew that you and I both knew what was going to happen next.”

After a few seconds of shaking, the little pony managed to find her voice again. “What happens next?” she asked.

“Betrayal, Kira. A lifetime of betrayal.” She started her pacing again, this time in the opposite direction. “If friendship is what you love most, then friendship is what I will take from you. For the rest of your life, you will be caged and reviled. Every pony you’ve ever cared for will turn their back on you. Those you love will take great pleasure in hurting you, from now until the day you die. You will be hunted, hated, and destroyed in every way that a pony can be.

“And the best part? You will never know why. Without a Death Note to claim as your own, your memories will never permanently return to you. You will forever believe yourself innocent, thinking that you have been wronged. In your mind, the true Kira will still be free, while you suffer in his stead. You will never feel the pain of knowing that it was you who murdered Rarity, but every blow will fall harder, and every word cut deeper, when they fall upon you without cause.”

Without warning, she leaped forward and embraced Twilight from behind, mockingly nuzzling her mane. “And it was so easy!” she whispered, tracing her fangs against the little pony’s ear. “It took only the slightest touch to line up your friends exactly how I desired. Even your greatest detective couldn’t see through my ruse, not that there was anything to see; all I did was show her what was already there. Planting those pages in your room was hardly even necessary. You meat-ponies are so like children...” She paused, considering this, and slowly released Twilight. “Yes,” she said, more softly. “I can see why Byuk likes you so much.

“It is a shame, then, that we will never have this conversation.” She spread her wings and drifted in front of Twilight, knocking a farewell against her mask. “It saddens me to give this up after so much planning, but it will be a small price to pay to ensure that your punishment is complete.” With a flap of her wings, she lifted herself out of the room, watching Twilight Sparkle get smaller and smaller as she faded away. “For as long as it is possible for a pony to suffer, you will suffer... and you will never know why.”

With a faint yawn, Mer broke out of her daydream and glanced around the room again. Twilight was still on her screen, scared and alone, where she would stay for the rest of her days.

And yet, for the murderer of Rarity... even this is not enough.

Jazz walked back into the central chamber, dragging Mer’s attention to the other beings in the room. He was simultaneously pulling on his checkered jacket and running a comb through his mane, trotting towards the sound of muttering. “How did she know?” L repeated to herself, as she had been doing since the interview with Applejack had ended. In front of her was a bowl of cereal, which a second glance confirmed was made up entirely of marshmallow pieces. Behind her, Locket, Fluttershy and Derpy stirred spoons in identical bowls, wearing varying expressions of nausea. L looked up as Jazz approached, grinding her teeth. “How did she—” She sighed. “Jazz, go to bed. No, you’re not ‘perfectly capable’ of going on,” she interrupted as the older pony opened his mouth. “You’ve been up longer than I have and it’s not even sunrise yet. Get some sleep.”

Wordlessly, Jazz scowled. With a single, longing glance towards Minty, he shrugged his jacket back off and stomped towards the sleeping chambers.

“Um... didn’t Applejack see you when you arrested her?” Fluttershy meekly offered. “Maybe that’s how she knew who you were.”

“She saw me, yes, but nopony identified me by that name,” L muttered back. “She may have guessed at the time, but she had no reason to be so certain, not with Jazz playing the part in front of her. Mer, you’re certain you said nothing of this to her?” she asked, turning her gaze upwards.

Without moving from her spot above the abacus, Mer shrugged. It was true, how her little pony had managed to divine that detail was a mystery to her, but she didn’t consider it important. “Our game was to find Kira,” she said. “Why would I waste my time describing you?”

L held her gaze for a few seconds more, then gave up and turned back to her cereal. "Fine," she muttered. She started to take another spoonful, but only ended up tapping her spoon against the bowl. "Then this is simply one betrayal after another," she muttered. "The question now is... how much did Rainbow Dash really tell her about me? Or about any of us? Is she being controlled after all?"

At this, Fluttershy whimpered, sliding down further in her seat. L sighed and turned around. "Fluttershy," she said. "I'm afraid I've been putting this off too long. There's something we need to discuss."

Slowly, the detective started to wheel herself toward the table, then gave up and simply stood from her seat. Fluttershy shrank further into her chair at her approach, expecting magic to spring from her any second. Instead, to her surprise, L stopped and knelt down in front of her. "The rules are clearly spelled out," L said. "Only Kira has the power to wield the Death Note, and that power cannot be passed on. Twilight has always been the first Kira, and Applejack became the second after the former owner died. This means that it is impossible for you to have been Kira, either with Byuk or Mer. As such, every pain that has been inflicted upon you was done so in error. It is not within my power to take back what has been done; there is no pony alive who can do that. Until a suitable penance can be arranged, all I can offer you is my apology." L sighed, though she sounded more disappointed than repentant. "I'm sorry. I was wrong."

"I... um..." Fluttershy gulped. She looked at the others at the table; they seemed just as shocked as she was. "I... I accept your apology," she said. "You were only doing what you thought was right. I won't punish you for that."

"You are... too kind," L said flatly. Her face unreadable, she straightened up. "There is no longer any need for you to stay here. You may return to your home, and we will never bother you again. However, as the hour is still early, you are welcome to stay as long as you wish until you are rested."

"No... I'll go," Fluttershy said. She looked sympathetically at Derpy, who was staring morosely into her half-finished cereal. "Neither of us could sleep. And..."

Much as she tried to stop it, her gaze was drawn once again to the screens on the desk. Twilight Sparkle hung limply in her bonds, her breathing steady. A fresh well opened in Fluttershy's eyes, and she found herself painfully blinking back tears. "And I can't stay here," she finished. "I just can't."

L nodded. "There is... one more thing," she added, raising up her foreleg. Twilight's watch was still wrapped around her ankle; Fluttershy recoiled at the sight. "When we captured Twilight," L continued, "a piece of this watch came open. Inside was this." She tugged three times on the watch and opened the hidden compartment, then levitated out a folded piece of paper.

Locket narrowed her eyes at the scrap of leaf. "Is that a piece of the Death Note?" she asked.

"No." L unfolded the page, lifting it up and over to Fluttershy. "I first read this nearly two weeks ago, shortly after Twilight was confined. However, I believe that she would have wanted you to see it now."

Fluttershy took the page, her eyes widening. The print on it was very small — she had to wipe the remaining tears from her eyes before she was able to focus on it — but it was, unmistakably, Twilight's writing.

To whoever finds this letter,

If you're reading this, it probably means that I am dead. There are so many things I want to write, so many messages I want to give, but for now, all I can offer is the most important message of all. Whatever you think has happened to me, whatever the circumstances of my death may have been, I promise you that all was not as it seemed. There is no doubt in my mind that I was killed by Kira. That means that, if I am dead, this is not the end. I beg of you, do not let your guard down, and never give up the chase. The safety of Equestria is in your hooves now. I’m sorry.

Actually, there is one more thing that I need to write.

To Fluttershy, the love of my life,

I'm sorry that I can't be here with you right now. I really mean that. Even though we've only been dating for a short while, your love has been what's kept me going through this darkest of times. I've made some mistakes, and I've done some things that I don't expect you to forgive me for, but I want you to remember this: I love you. My only regret is that I never had the courage to say it while I was alive. No matter what lies Kira tries to weave around us, it will never stop being true. Hold on to that.

If you're reading this, it means that I can't be with you when you finish this battle. But no matter what, I know that you'll never give up, and that nothing's ever going to take away your inner strength. But I need you to be clever now, maybe cleverer than you’ve ever been, because I need you to live for both of us now. My final gift to you is that I'll always be watching over you from the heavens, guiding you, protecting you, and always believing in you.

Your marefriend,

Twilight Sparkle.

"She wrote this shortly after we captured you," L said once Fluttershy allowed the page to fall away from her. "I believe that it was a plan B in case Applejack managed to get to her first, allowing Byuk to pass on the Death Note to a new Kira without arousing our suspicions. However, it appears that even if her motives may have lain in evil, her love for you was entirely real."

Fluttershy’s lip trembled, but no more tears would come. She looked one last time at the far screen, where her marefriend was sleeping peacefully. “Oh, Twilight,” she breathed, almost silent.

“It is... for the best,” L said. She put a comforting hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder, which the pegasus was too shellshocked to resist. “You would not have been happy with her, not in the long run. This would have come between you sooner or later.” She looked around the rest of the table. “Derpy, would you care to walk Fluttershy home?

The mailmare took a few seconds to respond, almost not realizing that she’d been called upon, but then quickly nodded. “Okay.” She took a last spoonful of the sugary mush in front of her and stood up, wordlessly helping Fluttershy out of her seat. Sharing understanding looks, they turned in unison and started towards the door.

Through slitted eyes, Mer watched them go. Fluttershy’s pain was the one downside to this plan; it would break her heart to see her former friend be hurt so. Still, heartbreak seemed to be a necessary part of the life of meat, and it was folly to think, as Geldus had done, that she could protect her completely. But ponies had long lives and short memories, for meat. She’d shown no desire to touch the Note, meaning that, like Twilight, she would remain forever ignorant of who she had once been. She would recover. She would live. She would be happy. And in the end, Mer reflected, that was all that Geldus had wanted. All the pony had to do was leave.

And she did not like the way that the detective was watching her go.

All of a sudden, Fluttershy stopped. "I just... I don't believe it!" she yelled, turning back to L. "Twilight just couldn't have been Kira. She couldn't!"

A fraction of a smile appeared on the detective’s face, quickly covered up by a concerned frown. “The evidence does line up against her,” she said. “Do you have an argument against that?”

"...No," Fluttershy admitted. Derpy put a wing around her, which she shrugged off. "But it doesn’t matter! Maybe she would become a murderer, if somepony made her. Maybe she would kill evil ponies. But she would never kill Pinkie Pie and Rarity! She wouldn’t! She couldn’t!"

Locket had had enough. "She didn't."

Fluttershy froze. "What?" she gasped.

At the same time, Mer's eyes fully opened. "What?" she echoed, much more loudly.

“She didn’t. We made that up.” Locket shrank a little as the god glared down at her, but she stubbornly kept going. “Rarity killed Pinkie Pie, then killed herself. It was part of an attempt to prove that Twilight was Kira that went wrong. Maybe she was right, but Twilight didn’t have anything to do with her death. In fact, she did everything she could to save Rarity, not kill her.” She frowned. “But since you’ve been watching this whole time, shouldn’t you know that already?”

“You... you little fool!” Mer leaped from her floating position and landed heavily on the table, nearly snapping it in half and sending abandoned bowls flying. Fluttershy and Derpy yelped and tried to hide behind one another, while Locket almost fell out of her chair before Mer grabbed it. “Have you learned nothing?” she hissed, breathing glacial air into the terrified pony’s face. “Kira has the power to control fate! She controlled Rarity, forcing her to kill herself!”

L spoke up. “How, exactly?”

Mer slowly swiveled towards her, but L stayed where she was, apparently unafraid. “I’m only curious,” she continued. “What were the exact circumstances of Rarity’s death? What weapon did she use? What did she say? If you have inside knowledge of these events, then you should be able to tell us at least that.”

The god stared. She released Locket’s chair, which promptly fell over backwards, but said nothing. After a long stretch of silence, L spoke again. “I’ll forgive that. Perhaps you simply weren’t present. But tell me this, at least. You can’t have been unaware that Rarity was a false name, taken on simply for convenience. I can count on my hooves the ponies who knew who she really was, myself among them, and I can assure you, none of her friends were in that number. So if Rarity was killed by the Death Note, as you claim, then how could Twilight have written her true name when she only learned it a minute before she died?”

Mer hesitated. “Byuk,” she said, though there was a catch in her voice. “Byuk must have told her.”

“Did he?” L tilted her head to the side, keeping an impeccably straight face. “I’m not doubting you, but I was simply under the impression that that wasn’t allowed by the rules of your game. After all, if you could have simply told Applejack the name of her opponent at any time, then why would you have gone through this lengthy workaround?” The tilt increased. “And on the subject of Byuk, where is he? It’s my understanding that you’re supposed to stay close to your chosen Kiras, to watch over and guide them. Several of us have handled pages allegedly from his Death Note, so we should be able to see him. So assuming we have the right pony, why hasn’t he shown up?”

A low growl sounded. Mer ground her teeth together, starting to shift into a low, predatory stance. L smiled pleasantly. “I’d just like to get everything straight in my head,” she said. “You see, although you’ve made a point of not telling us, I’d almost started to believe that it was Rarity who’d been your Kira before Applejack. You can’t tell us the circumstances of her death, so that would appear not to be the case, but judging by your reaction, she still seems to have been somepony of importance to you. After you’ve gone through all this trouble, and after such good ponies have died for this cause, I would hate for this all this persecution of Twilight to have been because of some sort of... what’s the word...” Her eyes flashed. “Grudge.”

Mer jumped down from the table and stomped towards L, who remained motionless. “Twilight Sparkle is Kira,” she hissed. “She killed Rarity. She must have. I can prove it.”

“Can you? That would be ideal.” L beamed again. “Could you, say, lead us to her Death Note, or a page with her writing on it? I believe that that would wrap everything up nicely.”

Mer could. She knew exactly where Twilight’s Death Note had been buried, assuming that it hadn’t been moved. It would be all too easy to lead this little detective right to it, with all the answers and consequences that would follow. All she had to do was take her to the little clearing... right next to Fluttershy’s cottage.

Damn you, Kira. So this is the choice you would have me make? One pony’s freedom, or your imprisonment? She didn’t dare look in Fluttershy’s direction. Friendship or vengeance? You think that this is what will hold me back? You should have known me better, Twilight Sparkle. You should have known me better. But despite this, she didn’t answer.

L leaned forward. “Can you?” she pressed.

Mer twitched. Her eyes narrowed. She opened her mouth... then stopped. With a frown, she looked past L, at the screens behind her. “What is she doing?” she asked.

Applejack was not looking well. She lurched and heaved within her bonds, looking about to be violently ill, but what could be seen of her face was deathly pale. L leaned forward and whispered into her microphone. “Applejack?”

“L?” Applejack shivered. “Did... did y’all mean for me to hear all that?”

Mer’s eyes widened. She looked towards L, who calmly flipped a switch on her microphone. “Oh, dear,” the detective said. “It seems instead of turning my microphone off, I only turned the volume up.” She smiled. “What a silly mistake to make.”

Mer roared. Flaps of skin and bone flared up around her head, and her claws fully extended as she reared up over the green pony. The lights flickered, and cold air filled the room. L only stared, unmoving.

After a pause, Mer dropped down. She reached past L and snapped the head off the microphone, then spread her wings and floated into the air. “Fine,” she grunted, her skin flaps folding back up. “Let yourselves get killed. See if I care.” She hovered back overtop of the abacus and curled up tightly, staying very still.

L looked back at Fluttershy. “I’m sorry you had to see that,” she said. “You’re still free to go.”

Fluttershy nodded. Though she’d only been able to follow half the conversation, she seemed to have gotten the gist of it. “It’s okay,” she said, suddenly much calmer. “I’m... feeling better now. Thank you for letting me stay. Goodbye.” She turned back towards the door. Derpy followed her closely, still looking shaken, and darted forward to open the trapdoor when they got close. Side by side, the two pegasi exited the base.

Bon Bon stuck her head into the room, tutted at the puddles of spilled cereal, and immediately left again to get a mop. L sat down at her desk and picked up her spoon. After a minute of silence, Locket crawled out from under the dented table. “So... wait, I’m confused,” she said, slowly approaching L. “Twilight isn’t Kira?”

“Did I say that?” L didn’t look back as she answered. “We have had this conversation a dozen times. You’ve already heard all the evidence that points to her. You saw what we found in her room. Even a god has chosen to testify against her. What more do you need?”

“Well...” Locket shifted her weight from one hoof to the next. “I guess I’m just not clear on what the plan is. If we’ve won, then why are you still working? How long are you planning on keeping these two here?”

“Until the legalities are sorted out, which could take some time. One of the difficulties with the Death Note is that it is impossible to test its veracity; forcing somepony to use it, successfully or unsuccessfully, would be murder. Until we can circumvent this and confirm or deny Mer’s story once and for all, there is little point even looking for its twin.”

“So the only thing we know for certain is that we still don’t know anything?”

“Exactly.”

“That’s... fantastic,” Locket grumbled sarcastically. She took another look at Applejack, who was dejectedly hanging her head. “What about the other Apples?” she asked. “You can’t keep them at the farm forever.”

“That will be... tricky,” L sighed. “Part of my plan involved the pages that they used to kill; as only one of them was able to write on Death Note pages without dying, they must have used a mix of killing and ordinary pages during their killing sessions. If the packet had been kept intact, then we could have studied our recorded footage to determine which of the three was using the real page. But thanks to your coltfriend’s stunt, we have no way of knowing whether the top page was a killing page, or a regular one.”

“He’s not...” Locket shuffled harder, then bristled. “You haven’t answered my question,” she said. “You can’t force them to stay at the farm forever. I don’t think you can keep Twilight and Applejack here either, not when you know they’re harmless without a Death Note. What’s really going on here?”

As before, L deflected the question. “All that’s left is to do a full interrogation of Twilight,” she said. “She may be able to provide the last answers we need.”

“Then why don’t you just...” Locket made a jabbing motion with her hoof. “Wake her up?”

“No. I need to see what she does when she wakes.”

“What? What are you expecting?” Locket stomped in frustration. “You should have everything you need to solve this case. What are you waiting for?”

L didn’t answer. Locket waited a minute before storming off, whinneying in exasperation at Bon Bon as the other mare entered with a mop and bucket. Once L was sure that Locket was gone, she reached out and traced Twilight’s face on the screen. “I need to see if she wakes up at all,” she whispered.

The sun was just starting to rise when Fluttershy and Derpy reached her cottage. Despite the early hour, little animals were already pressing their noses against the front windows, waving excitedly as their caretaker walked up the path. Fluttershy gasped and charged forward, leaving Derpy trudging along behind her. By the time the mailmare reached the front door, Fluttershy was already inside and attempting to cuddle with every one of her critters at once. “I missed all of you so much,” she sighed. “I’m never going to leave you ever again.”

The welcome wasn’t entirely warm; some of the more impatient creatures were quick to voice their displeasure at not having been fed the previous night, pointing at growling bellies and stomping tiny feet. Fluttershy immediately set to work, rushing back and forth from her pantry and filling tiny bowls and troughs. It was only after a minute of this that she noticed Derpy still standing just outside the door, staring at her front hooves. “Oh! Derpy, did you want to help out?” she called, gliding to a halt. “Little animals just love meeting new friends.”

“Uh...” Derpy kicked at the ground, hovering at the entrance uncertainly. “Can I... can I stay with you?”

“Huh?” Despite an impatient bunny jumping up and down to tap on her hoof, Fluttershy continued to stare. “Of course you can. But don’t you want to go home?”

Derpy whimpered. “I... can’t go home yet,” she said. “If I did, I couldn’t stay. And I don’t have anywhere else. Mister Brown...”

The grey mare started to tear up. Fluttershy quickly flew over to her and helped her inside. “There, there,” she said, nuzzling her comfortingly. “Colgate and I already talked to Boxy. He says he’s very sorry for what he did.”

“I know,” Derpy whispered back. “But that doesn’t make it okay.”

In fits and starts, the pair made it inside the cottage and Derpy was convinced to sit on the sofa. She was quickly surrounded by a dozen fluffy and fuzzy critters, one of whom immediately began to make a nest in her tail. “Would you like to help me make breakfast?” Fluttershy asked. “When all the critters are fed, we can get some real breakfast of our own.”

Derpy ignored her. “Fluttershy?” she said. “I did a bad thing.”

Fluttershy gulped. There was a long, pregnant pause. “I know,” she said eventually.

Another sniffle. “I didn’t mean it!” she moaned. “I didn’t want to hurt her. I just wanted to... make her feel bad... to understand...” She turned to Fluttershy and wailed. “She killed Big Muffin!”

Wordlessly, Fluttershy passed Derpy a bunny. She accepted it and snuggled with all her might, the unresisting creature taking his cue to comfortingly nuzzle her cheek. “It’s going to be okay,” Fluttershy told her.

Derpy managed to keep herself from crying in front of her new friend, but she couldn’t keep from shaking a little. “Why did they let me go?” she asked. “Why didn’t they lock me up?”

“Because you helped,” Fluttershy said. “Applejack wasn’t a bad pony, but she was being made to do bad things. Thanks to you, we were able to stop her from doing bad things. So even though you did a bad thing, it stopped somepony else from doing an even worse thing, which makes what you did a good thing.”

The mailmare’s eyes crossed as she tried to figure this out. “But I didn’t mean it,” she insisted. “I didn’t want to help. I just wanted to hurt her. Isn’t that bad?”

Fluttershy shrugged. “I don’t think what you meant to do matters,” she answered. “Only whether it made things better or worse. L does bad things all the time, and she’s a hero.”

“I guess.” Derpy frowned at the bunny in her hooves. It only wrinkled its nose back. “Couldn’t we have stopped Applejack without doing bad things?”

This gave Fluttershy pause. She sat back and thought about this, the reassuring look falling from her face a little. “I don’t know,” she eventually said. “All I know is that we did catch her by doing bad things. And isn’t doing a little bad and helping better than not being able to help at all?”

Derpy’s scowl deepened. “But if I did something good,” she argued, “then why do I feel so bad?”

Fluttershy frowned, but quickly hid it with a smile. She took the bunny back from Derpy and looked her in the eyes. “You’re a hero to me,” she told her. “And if you need to, you can stay here as long as you want until you feel better enough to go home. But no matter what happens, you’re a brave pony, and a good pony, and I don’t want you to forget that. Okay?”

Slowly, and with plenty of encouragement, Derpy smiled. “Okay.”

Morning in Ponyville. Despite the chaos that had gone on the night before, by sunrise the town had returned practically to normal. Virtually everyone had made it home in time to sleep that night, and many had risen early to catch the first news of how the Elements of Harmony had saved the day. A yawning construction crew was taking measurements of the new hole in front of the town hall, while the Mayor supervised and privately wondered whether she could spare the expense and simply leave it as a tourist attraction. Crystalvision had come back to life a few hours after midnight, so families everywhere huddled around their screens over hastily-cooked breakfasts, waiting for an explanation to come.

The relative calm and absence of chaos had been greatly aided by one thing, which had served to put most of Ponyville at ease, but was giving one pony in particular a headache.

“L?” Colgate whispered, speaking into a concealed crystal as she glanced out the window. “We have a problem.”

“What is it, Colgate?” the detective crackled back.

“Ponyville is swarming with guards.”

She hid herself behind the curtains again, cursing under her breath. She was copying what she’d once seen Derpy do, holding her crystal and small screen up to her mouth and ear; it was far from the most professional pose, but it kept what she was doing discreet. Calming her nerves, she forced herself to look out the window again.

A pair of ponies were walking away from the farm, mercifully not looking back. Even from this distance, she could see grey-plated ponies dotting Ponyville’s streets, and she’d counted at least three pairs that had taken to patrolling Sweet Apple Acres. “They’re from Lower Canterlot,” she clarified, withdrawing. “Straw Bolt’s guards. He probably raised the alarm as soon as he escaped. I’m not sure what they’re looking for, but they’ve already stopped here twice. So far I’ve been pretending nopony’s home, but if Straw Bolt himself shows up I don’t think he’ll bother with a warrant.”

“Your concern is noted,” L answered calmly. “How are your captives faring?”

“Still sleeping.” She looked back at the pair curled up on the sofa behind her. They hadn’t left her sight since Big Macintosh had arrived. “But... I’m not doing so good,” she added. “Between the incident at the golem and intimidating these two into staying put, my magic’s almost burnt out. All but one of the chains on Mac is just light now. If either of them makes a serious attempt to escape, I’m not going to be able to stop them.”

“Have they indicated any desire to escape?”

“...Well, no.” The pair were sleeping soundly. At several points in the night Apple Bloom had whimpered in her sleep, but without even waking Macintosh had pulled her close to comfort her. “But that’s not the point. I’ve practically run a magic marathon, and I haven’t slept since yesterday. I’ve only got a couple hours left in me before I collapse.”

“If you’re concerned about them escaping, you were given a set of sleeping bags for your safety.”

Colgate flared up at this. “I’m not going to black bag a little girl!” she hissed. “And right now, I think having her brother close is the only thing keeping her calm. Can you just... can you just send someone over here? Please?”

“I can do that. Stay strong, Colgate.”

“Thanks,” Colgate grumbled. “And... can you send some food, as well? For some reason there’s nothing in the kitchen.”

“That will be provided. Anything else?”

“Some answers would be nice.”

L disconnected. With an almost inaudible sigh, she returned to her work.

In Jazz’s absence, L had taken up his spot in front of the abacus in the middle of the room. Although she couldn’t move beads around with nearly the same speed that her assistant could, with a frown of concentration she was able to turn the head of the single cockroach inside the Apple household, making it follow Colgate’s return to the side of the sofa. This done, she returned to her original task of adding her notes on Twilight to Minty’s database. “Locket, could you come here, please?” she said once she’d resumed a regular rhythm.

On the far side of the room, Bon Bon was teaching Locket how to wash a floor. The blue mare winced as her name was called, only cautiously approaching. “Yeah, what is it?” she asked.

“Prepare some breakfast for our captives and guard. Lunch as well, if you can manage it. Don’t ask Bon Bon for help; I want to see what you can do on your own. I’d like you at Sweet Apple Acres within the hour.”

Locket dropped her mop. “Y-you want me to go back there?” she asked. “On my own? Are you sure... do you mean...”

L exaggeratedly rolled her eyes. “Fine. Wake up Jazz and take him with you. Colgate would be more comforted by two faces rather than one, anyway. Oh, and make sure Spike gets out of bed on your way out.”

“Um... okay.” Looking a little less afraid, Locket started to turn towards the kitchens. “Is he coming with us, too?”

“No, he won’t be in any condition to travel.” L checked Twilight’s watch. “By my calculations, by now he should have one...” She did some quick calculations on Minty, then nodded to herself. “Wicked bad tummyache.”

Derpy had fallen asleep almost as soon as she’d been put to bed. Even with a belly full of sugar, nothing could hold back her exhaustion from the night before, and she hadn’t put up any resistance as Fluttershy had tucked her up for a nap. She stayed there, curled up and blissfully unaware, as the other mare slowly crept her way downstairs and over to her refrigerator.

Shortly before Fluttershy had been released for the first time, when Colgate had been living in this house on her own, a little friend of hers named Mathilda Mouse had died. Colgate had blamed herself, thinking that she hadn’t cared for her properly without Fluttershy to guide her, but she hadn’t done anything wrong; little mice simply didn’t live very long, and Mathilda had lived for four happy years already. Not knowing how Fluttershy cared for those who passed on, Colgate had put the body into a paper bag and stored her near the top of the refrigerator. Fluttershy had said that was fine, and the subject hadn’t been brought up again.

With reverent care, Fluttershy lifted the unmarked bag from the fridge. She could feel the weight of the tiny body inside; she imagined she was lying as though asleep, a little smile still fixed on her pointed face. Carrying her friend’s remains as delicately as possible, she crept out of the house and turned away from the path, taking a direct route straight towards the Everfree Forest.

Fluttershy glanced up several times at her bedroom window as she slipped away from the house. Partly it was to make sure her tennant wasn’t watching her go, but mostly she just felt bad about leaving Derpy on her own. It was a shame; she liked Derpy — Ditzy Doo really — and they had a lot in common after the events of the last few days. Had the circumstances been different, nothing would have prised her away from the side of her new friend. But sad as it was, she didn’t have time to comfort her right now. One thing was more important.

She gulped as she came up to the border of the Everfree Forest. It wasn’t only the frightening nature of the place that gave her pause; she never liked walking this route, no matter the circumstances. She hadn’t felt comfortable bringing Colgate this way, and if caught, she hoped that Derpy would understand why she didn’t want her with her for this. This path was personal. It brought with it too many memories. Too many little friends, too many white bags that she’d carried back and forth time and time again.

But Twilight had told her to be brave. And so she pressed on, squeezing through what only appeared to be an impassably thick wall of shrubs, and emerged into the grove on the other side.

A long time ago, when she’d first moved to Ponyville, Fluttershy had buried her dead. This had been a mistake. While the animals who willingly clustered around her were kind enough to tolerate her customs, the scent of death called to the beasts of the Everfree like a beacon in a desert. No matter how far from the border nor how deep she hid their bodies, come the following sunrise the remains of her little friends would have been dug up and skeletonized, their inedible remains chewed up and scattered across her front yard. After countless nights of trauma and silent horror, she’d finally decided to cut out the middle ground. After all, ill-mannered as they were, the beasts of the Everfree were only animals too, and it wasn’t their fault that they needed meat to live. The animals she looked after never minded, and there were no more rustles and howls during the night. Everybody won.

But that wasn’t why she was here.

Eyes half closed, she retraced the steps she’d taken a hundred times before, but now with new purpose. Twilight had trusted her to be clever, and she was. It had taken a lot of thinking, but by the time she’d returned home, she’d figured out what she had to do. It had been staring at her the whole time. It was so simple.

At last, she emerged into the tiny clearing. This place hadn’t had any significance before she’d made it hers; it had only been out of the way and as good as anywhere else. The tooth-shaped stones that littered the ground had come later, appearing in greater numbers with every visit, as though the forest itself was changing to suit her needs. She used these to make little circles around her departed friends, for herself if nothing else, for they were invariably scattered when the ravenous creatures descended at sundown. But one of these had been planted firmly in the ground, a little ways from the others, at the base of a tree. At the sight of this, Fluttershy dropped Mathilda’s bag and stepped towards it, smiling.

My final gift to you

Because in her entire life, there had only ever been five ponies who knew about the existence of this place.

is that I'll always be watching over you from the heavens

Fluttershy finished the thought aloud as she knelt down, reading the inscription that had been painstakingly, magically carved into the stone. “Like an...”

Angel.

For a few seconds she only stared, scarcely able to breathe. All that mattered, everything she’d been waiting for, was right here. It started to cross her mind that she hadn’t thought to bring a shovel. She didn’t care. The next thing she knew, she was scrambling forwards, knocking the stone aside and tearing at the dirt with her hooves.

Of course Twilight hadn’t killed Rarity. She’d been foolish to believe that even for a second. It was unthinkable for a friend like her to do anything so horrid... and even more so for a defender of justice.

Slowly, resisting like living flesh, the ground began to give way. She began to pant as the earth opened up beneath her.

And if there was one thing their stunt had proved last night, it was that Equestria didn’t have any other choice. The Elements of Harmony were no good to anypony, not now that there were only four of them. And that guard who had attacked, the one who was supposedly one of the strongest Canterlot had ever seen? Luna had crushed him in a second. In a second.

Peering into the old wound, the soil beneath was fresher, more obviously disturbed. She frantically threw hooffuls of dirt aside, her swishing tail scattering stones behind her.

And L? That rude, unfriendly pony who hadn’t even cared that she’d been unfairly locked away? That was who Equestria was supposed to turn to in their time of need? She didn’t think so.

Without warning, her hoof struck something hard. Fluttershy froze, daring to imagine that she’d only hit a root or a stone, before reaching down and feeling for the edges of her prize. With shaking legs, she brushed the last of the dirt off her find and lifted up a clear plastic bag. Inside of the bag were two books. The first was massive and heavy, taking up almost all of the space inside. The other was thin and black, almost identical to one she’d seen before, save for the absence of an illegible name on the front.

She moved without thinking. In a single, clumsy motion, she reached inside and pulled the notebook from the bag.

And the world changed.

All sound faded. All light dimmed. An unearthly coldness gripped her. Before Fluttershy could begin to process a single one, a hundred memories leaped at her from all sides.

She couldn’t breathe. Impossible thoughts were strangling her. All traces of her smile collapsed. “No,” she begged, as loudly as she dared.

Monsters leered at her. A hoof swung towards her face. Sweetie Belle fell to the ground, over and over again.

Not like this. Not like—

Time released its hold. As consciousness rushed towards her with the speed of a train, she clenched her eyes shut as hard as she could and screamed.

When she opened her eyes again, she was on her back. The ambient light had returned to normal, only growing brighter. Stones were digging into her, but she didn’t mind. For some reason tears had come to her eyes, but a smile was on her face. She snuggled the Death Note close to her chest and sighed, contented. “I’m so happy.”

Peaceful as her loving recollection was, however, it was almost immediately broken by a yell. “Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy leaped to her hooves and flattened herself against the ground. She heard the panicked cry again, unmistakably Derpy, and hoofsteps coming towards her. Through the thick foliage, she could see a flash of grey running towards the forest. “Fluttershy!” Derpy called a third time, desperately searching for her friend. “Are you okay?”

Fluttershy trembled. Why did she have to wake up now? she wondered, terrified. Was I too loud? I can’t let her find me. Not now. What do I do? What do I do?

Her eyes fell to the black notebook in front of her, then to the bag, left fallen beside the hole she’d dug.

Tucked neatly into the bottom was a pencil.