Not I: Regicide / Demon's Glare
"Girls! Calm down." Twilight shouted above the deafening clamor. "I'm sure this is just some sort of joke. You know how out of hand she can get sometimes."
"B-but. We all saw it with our own eyes." A quiet response from Fluttershy, who seemed ready to pass out at any moment.
"The prisoners will keep volume to a minimum!" A gruff voice spoke from the other side of a magically reinforced cell.
"This simply can't be right. She can't be dead, she's an Alicorn." Rarity spoke quietly in disbelief.
"I don't think long life prevents murder Rarity." Applejack spoke in her normal drawl.
"M-mmurder?" Fluttershy questioned, meekly.
"Yes, Fluttershy. Murder." Rainbow dropped the quieted tones they had been using. "And they say one of us did it! Whoever did better come clean right now or Celestia help me..." Rainbow stopped, her wings drooping low as she realized the name she had just spoken.
"Well it certainly wasn't me!" Rarity interjected followed by a chorus of "I couldn't have" and "I didn't do it" from the rest.
"Wait! If none of you did it..." Pinkie concentrated for a moment. "That must mean I did!" She gasped in shock, along with everyone else. "No wait, I can't have done it. I would remember. What a puzzle, if nobody did it than how did it happen?"
"Pinkie!! Don't scare us like that! It's obvious that someone here isn't telling the truth." Twilight spoke, eying everyone warily.
"Ooooohhhhh.” Pinkie spoke in realization.
"The prisoners will be quiet!" The group was shouted at once again.
The door to the room opened and an additional two guards escorted Shining Armor in, joining the other three standing watch over the prisoners.
"Twilight, come out of the cell right now." He spoke calmly to cover his feelings about what had occurred.
The magical glow surrounding the cell bars sputtered out and the door was opened, Twilight stepped out and away from her friends as the security measures were put quickly back in place.
"It's good to see those wings Twi." Shining said warmly, his commanding demeanor dropping slightly.
"How could you think of my wings at a time like this? Celestia is dead!"
"Woah, calm down sis. Luna told me that if an Alicorn commits murder they would instantly loose their wings and power. This clears your name Twi, I thought you would be a bit happier."
"How can I be happy when my friends have been accused of murder?!" Twilight asked, still un-comforted by the fact that she was no longer behind bars. "How are you so sure one of them did it?"
"Discord and Luna were off on business in the gryphon kingdom, we have sensors that specifically pick up changelings or teleportation magic, and your 'friends' were the only ones inside this otherwise impenetrable castle."
"With all the guards what if it was one of them?"
"Impossible, all the guards have sworn a magically binding oath. They couldn't harm either of the princesses even if they wanted to."
"Then... Then it really was one of them." Twilight looked over to her friends, her faith in them shattered.
~~~
A short while later:
"How did you get here so fast?" Twilight asked Shining as they sat in a private room. He technically should be in the Crystal Kingdom with Cadence.
"Cadence and I received a message on the gravity of the situation and immediately began pooling our magic. With our combined powers she managed to get me within a mile of the palace with a teleportation spell."
"Do you know how dangerous teleportation without sight of your destination is? You could have gotten yourself killed!"
"I supplied a near perfect memory of where to drop me, it's the view I got from my chamber window back when I was captain of the Canterlot guard. But no more of this, I need you to concentrate Twi. Do you remember anything suspicious about yesterday?" Shining questioned.
"No, I..." She paused, the whole day speeding by in her mind. " Applejack and Rarity were getting along..."
"Didn't you tell me they got over their differences?"
"Well, yes, but it was something different today."
"Maybe they both found something they didn't mind talking about? Anything else?"
"When Rainbow Dash gets agitated she tends to flare her wings. Today she was doing it quite a bit."
"The Wonderbolts have a show today. The pegasi we sent to search her house found the ticket. Apparently she gave up her chance to see them in action when she was called here instead. That seems to be a good enough reason for being a little agitated.
"Hmm... Well pinkie.. Never mind its nothing."
"If you thought of it it might be something."
"Pinkie's sixth sense..."
"What about it?"
"She didn't predict anything, an event like, like this..." Twilight broke down and started crying.
"Shh. It's ok Twi. I need you stay calm here." Shining wrapped himself around Twilight to to comfort her. "So Pinkie either didn't sense what was going to happen... Or she didn't tell anyone. Do you have anything on Fluttershy?"
"No, she's almost always quiet. She never does much of notice."
"Thanks Twi, don't worry I'll get to the bottom of this and separate the good friends from the betrayer..."
~~
The next morning:
"Princess Twilight, come quickly." Flash Sentry spoke as he burst into her chambers.
Stunned and slightly disheveled Twilight rose up, following him at near gallop.
Arriving at the makeshift interrogation room she was stopped by another guard.
"It's the one thing we didn't take precautions against... Celestia help us."
Twilight was allowed past, forcing open the door to view the shocking scene inside. Three ponies lay upon the floor, clutching their heads. Seeing that her brother was one of them she rushed over to his side.
"Shining! What happened?"
"T...that demon." He pointed a hoof to the corner of the room before bringing it back to his head, rocking gently on the floor.
Twilight looked over to a figure that was quietly sitting in the corner, a bag over their head. Two more guards sat there to keep her contained.
"I... I'm so sorry Twilight. I d.. didn't mean to." The yellow pegasi spoke.
It couldn't be! "Fluttershy?"
"Y... Yes?"
Twilight grabbed for the hood covering her face.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." One of the guards spoke.
Twilight pulled her hoof back, heeding his advice.
"What did you do Fluttershy?" Twilight questioned, receiving nothing in response.
"What did you do to my brother?!" Twilight yelled, dark magic swirling up in her rage.
Fluttershy gave a startled gasp, feeling the change of power in the room.
"Princess Twilight! Please calm yourself." Flash Sentry entered the room and stood by her side. "Please someone explain what happened here if she will not."
"The demon's glare..." One of the incapacitated guards groaned out.
"Fluttershy?" Twilight spoke quietly, but with a knife’s edge hidden in her tone. "Did you use the stare on them?"
"They had so many questions, and they scared me. I just wanted to hide but I couldn't."
"Did you?"
"Maybe just a little..."
"A little? Fluttershy! You have grown colts half out of their wits calling you a demon!"
"Ok, maybe a lot..."
Twilight looked back to the three colts who were still writhing on the floor from the pure anguish Flutershy's gaze could cause. Twilight looked back, making up her mind. "Stand aside." She spoke to the two Guards holding Fluttershy still.
Twilight reached forward and pulled the hood from Fluttershy's head, everyone in the room averted their eyes. Twilight didn't, she could see the sorrow in Fluttershy's eyes.
"I'm sorry, but this is for your own good." Twilight's horn flared up with dark magic yet again, flinging a spell directly into Fluttershy's face. A milky white glaze crossed over her eyes as Twilight's spell took Fluttershy's vision.
Fluttershy let out a scream and cowered in the corner.
"The blindness will only last a few days, but it's the only good way to prevent you from harming anypony else... Somepony, escort Fluttershy back to her cell."
As the guards cleared out and took their injured along Twilight slumped to the floor, sitting beside Shining. They were the only two left, as Twilight had chosen to look after him for now.
She let a soothing wave of energy out from her horn, letting Shining know he was safe.
"Twi, I want you to... No, I need you to take care of this for me. That stare..." He shuddered.
"I can't, they’re my friends."
"That's why you’re the one that has to do it..."
Author's Note
Thanks for reading!
Part 1 of 2
Not I: Murderous Mares / Betrayed
The world was out of balance, Luna and Discord were forced to combine their powers to bring about the sun. It was supposed to be midday, but the two had just now come up with a way.
"Princess Twilight," a guard brought forth a scroll. "The investigation team sends their report. We are still waiting on a full autopsy though."
"Just leave it there..." Twilight spoke, looking out of her window to the sun. It shone an abnormally pale hue.
When the guard had left she picked up the scroll, looking at its contents.
`
The princess was found high noon by Princess Twilight and the five suspects, the approximate time of death five minutes prior.
Eye witness recounts the princess lying in a pool of blood, a stab wound in her chest. The murder weapon has not yet been found and does not match the stab wound of a unicorn's horn. At the scene a spilled cup of an unknown liquid was found, presumably dropped by the victim.
The suspects have given their alibis:
Rainbow claims she was in the gardens with Fluttershy. Fluttershy corroborates. A guardspony also saw them there as he made his patrol. His can effectively place them there three minutes after the approximate time of death, but had no visual on them earlier.
Rarity claims she was styling Applejacks mane.
Applejack claims otherwise, but agrees that they were together. No other witnesses saw them in their chambers.
Pinky claims she was spending 'alone time' with a cake. Remains of a mostly demolished quadruple layered Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness (or MMMM) were found smeared on the walls and ceiling of her room. A guard also claims that upon hearing the noises he posted himself outside, watching through the keyhole.
He will receive the proper slap on the hoof for peeping, but he can assure you Pinkie did not leave the room until after the approximate time of death.
`
Twilight closed the scroll. Only one pony could give an alibi that excluded them from blame?
"Fine. I guess I have to do this myself. At least I can give the order to let Pinkie go free."
~
"Rainbow Dash, what were you doing in the gardens with Fluttershy?" Twilight questioned Rainbow, who had her wings tied down and her hooves bound.
"I was... Well you know, coaching."
"Coaching?"
"Yeah... Um... Fluttershy wanted to increase her wing power for next time Ponyville gets chosen to lift water to Cloudsdale."
"Rainbow, you know pausing to say um doesn't help your case. It actually makes me feel like you are making this up. Do I need to ask Fluttershy?"
"No!" Rainbow pulled against her chains, surging towards Twilight. "You leave Fluttershy alone!" A guard yanked Rainbow backwards but she continued to fight it. "What kind of monster does that to a friend?" Rainbow referred to Twilight removing Fluttershy's eyesight.
"It was for everypony's safety. She incapacitated three guards with her stare."
"Only because she was afraid! You let three of them interrogate and yell at her! I would gladly take the blame if it meant having her safe from you, because after this I don't think I could be your friend anyways!"
"Aaahh!" Twilight growled out in anger. "Get her out of here! And send someone to the garden to see if they can find anything!"
Rainbows eyes drooped sadly. "I’m sorry, I just wish this hadn't happened Twilight."
"Just go." Twilight spoke, looking away.
"Twilight..." Rainbow shed a tear as the pony who had once been an amazing friend turned away.
~~
Princess Twilight, we found a patch of disturbed soil in the gardens. This was under it...
Twilight looked at the dirt caked blade he held.
"Whoever stabbed the princess did so from the front... But how could anypony get that close without Celestia stopping them?" Twilight spoke to herself.
"May I suggest a possibility?" Flash Sentry approached.
"Go ahead."
"The one named Fluttershy can incapacitate anyone with her gaze alone... Perhaps she used it on Celestia then stabbed her?"
"No, something I noticed about Fluttershy is that she always stands still when she uses the stare." Twilight started trying to piece hints together in her head.
"So maybe she stabbed the princess after using it? The guards she used it on earlier were on the floor for several minutes."
"Celestia has lived well over one thousand years, Flutershy's stare wouldn't do that much. It would only be able to stun her for a few seconds, and only until Fluttershy stopped or blinked."
"So she wouldn't have been the one then?" Flash Sentry asked.
"No, but you brought up a good point. Fluttershy may not have dealt the killing blow but she likely assisted the killer. Her alibi places her in the gardens with Rainbow Dash right before we all met up to go see Celestia, so that means Rainbow was likely the one who committed the murder... Bring them both back here, I need to question—“
"Princess! New evidence from toxicology." A guard panted out as he ran the scroll over.
Twilight looked at the contents.
`
The apple cinnamon drink imbibed and spilled by the Princess contained a special blend of slow acting cyanide.
`
Apple-Cinnamon-Cyanide-Cider?
The princess had been given poison?
A deadly mix hidden behind the flavor of apples...
"Get Applejack and Rarity. Now!" Twilight commanded to the nearest guard. "Search their rooms again! This time for poison.”
~
"Rarity, are you sure you were with Applejack all day?" Twilight, now deathly calm asked.
"Why yes dear, she doesn't want to admit it but I was styling her mane in the most wonderful patterns."
"Do you know what this means if we find any evidence in either of your rooms then?"
"Yes, but they already searched once. The princess was stabbed, and they found the weapon burried in the gardens! How uncivilized of Rainbow to do such a thing!"
A guard popped his head in, interrupting them.
"Princess, we found a partial tea set in Rarities room."
"And?" Twilight questioned.
"The cup matches the one Celestia was drinking from."
"I've heard enough, send in Applejack."
"But Twilight? A very expensive porcelain cup is barely grounds for accusing some pony! I didn't even drink any tea the other day!"
"Save it Rarity! We both know that you helped to poison Celestia!"
"Poison? I thought she was stabbed?"
"I said send in Applejack! I'm tired of the lies."
Rarity kicked and screamed as the guards pulled her from the room. "I didn't do it! You have to trust me Twilight!"
~
"Before you even speak I'm going to tell you what we found in your room. It got overlooked before but you brought some powdered cider with you. You were the element of honesty Applejack. Tell me did you poison Celestia?"
"Poison?"
"You don't have to lie to me, I already know the cider sample we took from your room is tainted."
"It's what now?"
"Cyanide, Applejack! Why would you poison the princess?!"
"But I didn't!"
"EVERYPONY NEEDS TO STOP LYING!" Twilight's eyes glowed a purple and green as she let off a bolt of angry dark energy, striking the floor and lighting a small fire.
Two guards pulled Applejack from the room so Twilight wouldn't accidentally harm her.
"Twilight!" Flash sentry gabbed her attention as he stomped out the flame. "I know this is hard but you need to calm down, without Celestia around dark magic has become easier to use and more powerful than ever."
Twilight released her hold on the magic. The world truly was out of balance with part of the royal pairing gone.
"So the princess was stabbed... But she was also poisoned? Tell me Twilight, what do you think happened?"
~
A dramatization by Twilight’s mind:
Rarity sits with Celestia, calmly asking her, "Do you like the cider, Applejack and I mixed the blend just for you."
"Yes, it is indeed the best I have tasted. What is the secret?"
Flutershy and Rainbow entered the room, seeing Rarity there they paused and whispered to one another.
"I really should go," Rarity gave a nervous laugh as she grabbed her belongings and made a break for the door.
"Wait. I still have your cup." Celestia spoke.
"Its fine, I'll retrieve it later. Right now I need to go... Um, tell Applejack how much you like it. Hello Rainbow, Fluttershy." Rarity addressed each in turn as she hastily made her retreat, knowing the poison would likely take effect in a few minutes. But instead of fleeing entirely she peered back through a crack in the doors, praying that Rainbow and Fluttershy would finish with their business before it happened.
Instead as the two approached Celestia went rigid, being assaulted by Flutershy's virulent gaze. Rainbow dash pulled a knife from a bag and calmly walked over to Celestia, whispering something in her ear before plunging the blade into her chest.
Rarity bolted, not wanting Rainbow to know she had seen. But now with Rainbow's stab wound Rarity's flank was covered. She didn't need to hide anything as it now looked like the princess had been assaulted.
Rainbow dash and Fluttershy fled the scene, poorly hiding the weapon in their haste.
Minutes later the four guilty members met up with Twilight and Pinkie, entering the throne room together...
~
"That's what I gather from this..." Twilight finished her hypothesized retelling.
"So there were two mixed murder plots?" Flash Sentry asked.
"It seems like it... But why would they want to kill Celestia?"
"None of them have been forthcoming thus far, I doubt they will tell anything more. But Twilight, are you absolutely sure that all of them are guilty?"
"The evidence points perfectly.
Fluttershy used her stare as a weapon against the guards, proof that it could be used similarly against Celestia.
The knife was found in the garden where Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were seen shortly before our meeting.
Applejack's cider mix contained cyanide.
Rarity's prized and expensive tea set is missing a cup, the cup found on scene...
I wish it wasn't so... But yes, they are all guilty.”
“What are we going to do? There hasn’t been a murder in Equestria for several hundred years.”
“I’ve read the history books… I know the punishment for murder.”
~~
Two Days Later:
“Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity… You have been found guilty of regicide. The punishment for murder in Equestria is death.” Luna spoke from the freshly constructed stage in the center of Canterlot. Thousands of ponies from all over the land were gathered to view the event.
“My dear beloved sister, taken from this world by these four… These monsters.”
Shining Armor reluctantly placed a noose over each of the mare’s covered heads. He could hear them crying and trying to yell out through their gags.
“The punishment for such a crime is to be hanged…” Luna Continued. “Let this serve as a lesson for future generations. Anyone who defies the law or those who make it shall be punished.”
On cue Shining Armor pulled the lever, the trap doors beneath each of the mares falling from below their hooves. Twilight looked away while the four gave their last desperate gasps for air, their hooves flailing wildly.
~~
That Night:
“Luna, how could this have happened? I thought I knew them so well.” Twilight walked with Luna into the throne room, the very location where the murder had happened. Being in this room felt wrong, and the stormy night outside didn’t help the situation.
Luna walked over to Celestia’s throne, plopping herself down.
"Oh, Twilight. So naive... Congratulations on managing to put the blame four of your friends. Their execution was quite marvelous.”
A flash of lightning lit the throne room through the stained glass windows; she could have sworn she saw Nightmare moon in Luna's place. Twilight stood there, stunned at the realization. It was all a lie? Twilight turned as two more figures came into view.
Pinky stood alongside Discord, a dementedly large grin on her face as he absentmindedly pet her mane.
"Pinky! Why are you here?"
"Discord made me Pinkie swear, I couldn't just let you know his plans silly."
Discord chuckled. "It was surprising how easily you fell for the evidence I planted."
"But your friends Pinkie!" Twilight tried to get Pinkie to see what she had helped them do.
"They weren't my real friends." Pinkie grinned. "And the world needs a little chaos." Pinkie hugged closely against Discord's side. "Mmm, now I can have chocolate rain forever."
"You... All of you made me do this!?" Twilight's horn glowed and she tensed up, ready to unleash her full might.
"Ah ah ah." Discord scolded, snapping his fingers. Chains sprung from the ground and latched onto Twilight's legs. A large chain fastened itself around her neck, pulling her head downwards and preventing her from aiming her magic. "The elements have been returned to the tree of harmony, but they still had a chance of being retrieved... Now that four of the bearers are dead I'm free to do as I please."
"The light is gone out, darkness shall reign once again." Luna taunted. "Will you join me, princess Twilight? My sister's throne seems to be vacant... Or would you prefer to join your deceased friends?"
Pinkie manically giggled in the background as Twilight was forced to choose her fate.
~Fin
"Not I."
Author's Note
Thanks for reading!
part 2/2
This was just a short little idea that popped into my head. A what if scenario if it must be named.
