Dear Mrs. Cloudy Quartz and Mr. Igneous Rock,

It is with deep regret that I inform you of the passing of your daughter, Pinkamena Diane Pie.

Your daughter was not only a pony of the absolute highest calibre and esteem, but a true friend and champion to our country and its Princesses. She dedicated her entire life to making others happy and defending those in need. I wish to personally inform you that, even in the end, Pinkie’s thoughts were only of helping her fellow ponies.

I hereby decree that Pinkamena Diane Pie shall forever be recorded as a Hero of Equestria. Her family shall be known as friends of this country and its people. I personally assure you that you and your ancestors shall want for nothing as long as the Princesses sit on the throne of this land.

Forever in your debt,
Princess Twilight Sparkle

Harsh light streamed in through the windows, bringing cruel highlight to the world as the purple mare wept uncontrollably on the floor of the Golden Oaks Library. Her chest heaved painfully as dry sobs continued to wrack her body, tears long since dried up. Twilight made no effort to arrest her weeping, hoping her wailing would drown out the memories of her friend’s gruesome murder.

After the initial shock of her discovery in the bakery, the logical side of Twilight's brain had brutally repressed her grief and begun taking stock of the situation. She immediately sent a message summoning the Royal Guard. Sweeping the area for clues, she could find no definite trace left by the murderer. Any potential evidence she had discovered could have just as easily belonged to any of the dozens of customers who frequent the establishment daily. There was no sign of forced entry into the bakery despite the doors having been locked. There was no sign of a murder weapon.

After she had finished her sweep of the area, Twilight steeled herself and approached the unmoving form of her friend. Strangling her emotions into submission, she peered closer at the body. Twilight decided that her friend had indeed been intentionally posed in a standing position facing the front door. The angle of her stare was too perfect, and the bags of flour stacked underneath her had been taken from a larger pile all the way across the room. What struck Twilight as interesting was the nature of Pinkie’s wounds. Every other body that had been found was mutilated almost beyond their ability to identify. That had made it impossible to make anything other than an educated guess as to the type of murder weapon had been used, if any. This was different. The killer had obviously been in no hurry, having taken the time to arrange the grotesque tableau before her. She must conclude that this victim had been unique to the killer in some way. It was possible that Pinkie had known her killer. Pinkie had been posed in her place of work, almost as if she was awaiting the arrival of the day’s customers; that could indicate a familiarity with the murderer and perhaps even a sense of regret to his actions. Twilight pondered this possible motivation. Given that Pinkie had lived in Ponyville for most of her life, this could be an indication that the killer was also native to their town. Twilight felt her stomach turn at the notion.

Breath suddenly caught in her throat as Twilight thought of another possibility. What if this murder had nothing to do with Pinkie? It was no secret that none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle herself was leading this investigation. She and the other Elements were household names, especially here in Ponyville. Was it possible that the killer had targeted her friend as a message to her? Had the killer murdered and displayed the pink mare the way they did because he somehow knew that Twilight would be the one to find her? Panic rose in her chest as she considered the possibility. This could mean that her other friends were in danger.

No, she would not let this happen to anyone else. Twilight turned determined eyes back toward her mutilated friend. There was something about the nature of Pinkie’s injuries that was still eluding her. Looking closely at the trench ripped down her friends back, Twilight realized that she could not see any sign of a weapon being used at all. The cutting marks of an edged weapon that she had expected to see were non-existent, and there was no evidence of blunt force trauma around the wound itself. It literally looked as though the spine itself had torn free from the rest of the body.

Magic. Twilight slapped a hoof up to her face in disbelief. How had she not noticed it sooner? There was no murder weapon. The killer had used telekinesis to rip out her friend’s backbone. The killer was a unicorn; a powerful unicorn. Rage and triumph warred within Twilights mind. She had finally uncovered a real lead in her investigation, though for a terrible price.

Finally reaching over and tenderly closing her friend’s eyes, Twilight whispered, “Don’t worry Pinkie. We’ll get him now.”

Noticing that their Princess had finished investigating the scene, the newly arrived unicorn guards stepped forward and made ready to carry away the pink mare. Seeing their horns light up as they summoned a levitation spell caused the grieving and outraged part of Twilight's mind to burst through the wall of pragmatism she had erected.

“NO! GET AWAY FROM HER!” Twilight screamed in hysteria as she smashed the two guards against the wall of the bakery with a violent pulse of magic.

She instantly regretted her actions and rushed to help the fallen guards. Shocked at the Princess's outburst, the unicorns debased themselves at her feet, begging forgiveness. Twilight stood them up, apologizing and assuring them of no further retribution.

Twilight was disturbed by her emotional outburst, but she simply could not suffer magic to touch her lost friend ever again. Not after how she had died. Twilight ordered the guards to prepare a hearse and wait outside.

It was difficult without using any spells to assist her, but Twilight Sparkle somehow managed to carry her stiffening friend out of the bakery and up to the closed wagon serving as the hearse. The effort was taxing and it caused her mane and coat to become soaked in her friend’s blood. The guard captain arrived as she was attempting to lift her friend up into the dark cab and made a move to assist her. A cold look from Twilight stilled him before he could reach out. No one deserved to touch her friend; not like this. After succeeding in her grim task, Twilight whispered her love one last time to the pink pony and drew a sheet over her body, looking away as the sanguine red seeped upward, tainting the pristine white cloth. She made no move to wipe the blood away from her face as she silently bade her friend farewell. Closing the doors she nodded to the ashen earth pony attached to the wagon, bidding him off to his poignant duty.

Twilight did not remember the trip back to the library. Walking in the door, Spike ran up and opened his mouth to speak. Upon seeing the look painted across Twilight's features and the crusted blood covering her body, his mouth closed again, a look of dread contorting his young face. After learning the terrible news, Spike retreated back upstairs to the living quarters, tears rolling freely down his pallid face. Twilight, ruled by duty and reason once again, sat quietly at her desk and drew out a stack of parchment and her quill. Settling in, she composed no less than seven letters.

Four of the letters were brief messages sent to her friends, requesting them to join her as soon as possible in the library. She addressed them by their Elements rather than their names; Honesty, Generosity, Kindness, and Loyalty. Formality helped her remain detached from the morbid events which threatened her already strained psyche. One letter sent to the Captain, tasking him with assigning a detail of guards charged with the protection of the remaining Elements. One letter sent to Princess Celestia informing her of the tragedy. The last and most difficult letter was sent to Pinkie’s parents, informing them of their daughter’s loss. Twilight sent the letters using her own magic, not wanting to disturb the bereaving Spike.

After finally resting her quill on the desk top, Twilight looked down at herself and remembered the bloody mess she had only half-unconsciously neglected to remove from her body. Still moving through a numbing haze, she crossed to the bathroom and began to wash herself clean. After some time in a bath, Twilight stood and dried herself off. While moving to exit the room, she caught her reflection in the wall-mounted mirror. Seeing her friend’s blood washed free of her purple coat, she finally felt her careful reserve snap under the weight of her grief. She collapsed under the harsh light streaming in through the windows and began sobbing.

Author's Note

Chapter Two! Please let me know what you think in the comments.