Troubled Water

by Twisparkfiles

Rating: everyone
Tags: Trixie, Fluttershy, Adventure, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 20680

Ponyville is in the middle of a serious water shortage. By "shortage," it means several months' supply of water gone in just one night.

As if Equestrian summer isn't harsh enough, Ponyville enters a state of emergency. All the water collected from the rainfall yesterday suddenly vanished, denying the town of its only sources of water. With water important to a pony's daily life, the Mayor calls in Twilight to investigate the matter before the locals grow restless. If the complexity of the case won't hinder her, the unrelenting heat probably will.

Published 2014-03-14 18:00:05 UTC
Last updated 2014-09-14 12:04:33 UTC

Day 1

My Little Investigations: The Twilight Sparkle Files

Proudly presents…

“Troubled Water”

Story by Warwolf One

Day 1, 1:38 p.m.

Preheat an oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Put your hoof inside for as long as you can. Now, add the fact that your fan's blades refuse to spin. Your source of not-so-cool air comes from the up-and-down action of a hand fan. Place the weight of several ponies on your back, all of them also sweating. Picture a kitchen humid enough to fill a glass in just minutes. Above all else, one spark can turn the biggest source of fuel in Ponyville into a bonfire.

This was the reality behind one summer day where the worst heat wave in pony history gripped most of Equestria, Ponyville among the hardest hit. Thermometers broke under unrelenting heat that would’ve been the envy of Ahuizotl. Rose’s flowers, once her pride and joy, have all but wilted, ruining a good few weeks of business. Fillies refused to play outside; if they did, they would run for the safety of cool shade, few and far in between. Refreshments provided relief but only for a short time; scoops of ice cream quickly melted and milkshakes dried up fast. Worst of all, water, if any, had to be rationed for the duration of the heat wave. The term “making do” has never sounded so offensive to anypony.

Tell ponies like Twilight Sparkle to “make do” with the situation and they may throw a hissy fit. She already did with Spike a moment ago. Not even the biggest tree in town could keep the library at the right temperature and humidity. With Spike fanning her as hard as he could, this bookworm slumped near an open window, refusing to move a muscle.

“By Celestia’s sun, why is it so hot?” Twilight said in a tetchy tone. “I can probably fry an egg in this ridiculous heat.”

“Look at the bright side, Twilight,” Spike replied, optimistic despite a puddle of sweat under his feet. “Rainbow Dash said rain would come soon. Besides, you have a fan.”

More importantly, Twilight showed a lot of concern for her vast repository of wisdom and entertainment. The humid heat had already claimed a number of books, including one Daring Do novel. “Look at this,” she yelled, showing Spike a page where mushy green stuff devoured half of the text. “I spent a fortune on this copy. Now it’s home to…ugh, mold.”

“Yuck,” Spike was just as disgusted. “Remind me never to look at mold up close.”

Half a page of mold, apparently, convinced Twilight that the worst was yet to come, at least for her books. “Rainbow Dash better get here soon,” she said. “At this rate, this place may as well be a museum of mold.”

Twilight struggled to get up and go. Staying static under this weather is ill-advised; one spot gets hot too quickly, especially near an open window. The full brunt of summer’s peak bore down on her with the weight of every sweating sentient being in Equestria. She trotted to a cooler spot away from the windows and settled there but didn't stay long; her throat beckoned for water.

“Where are you going?” Spike asked, watching Twilight walk inside the kitchen.

“I need a drink,” Twilight replied.

One glass in the kitchen caught her eye; droplets dotted the inner walls and a shallow pool of water settled at the bottom. But it wasn't the kind of water she wanted to drink. The air in the kitchen had become humid enough to fill a glass in minutes.

Then again, after not a drop came out of the open tap, the glass of eau-de-cuisine may as well quench her thirst. “Oh, come on!” Twilight yelled at the defiant tap. “Can’t a pony get some water around here?”

“What’s wrong, Twilight?” Spike asked, entering the kitchen.

“This is what’s wrong,” Twilight answered, flipping the tap’s lever on and off in quick succession.

“I’m guessing the water tower’s bone dry, too. Too bad.”

Twilight’s frustration intensified at par with the dry spell. “This is ridiculous,” she said. “There was water flowing out of this tap last night. What happened?”

“Obviously, nopony expected a water crisis,” Spike chuckled.

“Frankly, I don’t know how you can be so calm at a time like this.”

A Eureka moment nailed Spike on the head. “I’ve been wondering, Twilight,” he said. “Why can’t you just make water with your magic? Shouldn’t be too difficult, right?”

Unfortunately, Spike was asking for the impossible, at least at the time. “That would be nice, Spike,” replied Twilight. “But conjuring water requires a nearby water source. Judging by this tap, I’d say even the local reservoirs are bone dry.”

“But Trixie made a whole lot of snow during your duel with her. Doesn’t that count?”

“She was wearing the Alicorn Amulet. That’s different.”

Spike rested his case, Twilight won the brief debate, but both actions did little to solve their water problem. Ponies take their daily water intake seriously; most of their bodies are made out of it. Twilight surely couldn’t think straight, let alone walk straight, without quenching an eternity of thirst. But with no water around Ponyville and no active magic to solve the town’s water crisis, she could only do so much. But again, “so much” was at least better than “nothing.”

“Let’s go, Spike,” said Twilight, walking toward the front door this time.

“Huh?” Spike replied, following Twilight but confused. “Where?”

“We’re gonna get to the bottom of this,” she said, confidence written in big, bold letters. “I may not be able to make water with magic, but at least I can do some sleuthing.”

Apparently, Spike found the time for sarcasm in all this. “Outside? At this weather?” he said. “Do you want a tan that badly?”

Twilight didn’t take the message very well. “Very funny, Spike,” she said, jaded. “Now come on, Ponyville needs its water.”

Where there’s a will, there’s a way, as Ponyville’s resident detective always believed.

The blinding glare of the sun hit her in the eyes the moment Twilight and Spike stepped out of her tree home, depriving them of their vision but only for a short while. A clear-cut horizon spanned as far as their eyes could see, not just of the train station in front of her home. Once bustling with activity, the streets and open grounds of Ponyville were virtually empty. Only sheer insanity would frolic under 110 degrees and cloudless skies. Twilight was even impressed at the fact that her tree home didn't catch fire yet (of course, she intends to keep it that way). Perhaps the builders constructed the library with fire resistance in mind.

Ponyville gets its water from several sources; the local water tower is first on Twilight’s agenda. If anything has a lead on the water crisis, it has to be the five-story tower that can quench Ponyville's thirst for months on a full tank. Even with the water tower not far, it was going to be a long walk through the wavy horizon.

“Check out the waves,” Spike said, referring to physics’ little trick.

“Come on, Spike,” Twilight said. “I don’t want to stay under this heat for too long.”

“Who does?”

After what seemed like an eternity of walking, they reached the base of the water tower and saw the Mayor talking to two of her subordinates. From a distance, Twilight saw the Mayor’s tense face while giving instructions; a clear sign of a problem. Twilight didn’t waste any time; she approached the Mayor just in time to see the latter send her subordinates off to other tasks.

“Mayor, do you have a moment?” Twilight asked.

The spark on the Mayor’s eyes told Twilight that she had one. “Of course, Twilight,” said the Mayor. “I was just thinking about calling you over. As you can see, we have a water problem.”

“So I’ve seen,” Twilight replied, referring to her dealings with her tap back home. “Our tap has been…uncooperative.”

A long explanation followed. “We were surprised to see the water tower and reservoirs empty,” the Mayor began. “Last week's downpour should have supplied Ponyville with enough water to last past summer. Now, we've been receiving complaints from some of the residents. Citizens have never been so desperate for water before, even during the driest summer in Equestrian history several years ago.”

“That quickly?” Twilight answered in shock and disbelief.

“I’m afraid so,” replied the Mayor. “I’ve asked for a new downpour. But as long as this happens, Ponyville can never rest easy about our water supply.”

“How can I help, Mayor?” Twilight asked.

“That’s why I wanted to call you here,” the Mayor continued her explanation. “If we can't stop the spike in water usage, the least we can do is to make sure everypony complies with the scheduled water ban. I need you to track down ponies violating the ban and put them in custody.”

Although far from a complete picture, the pieces fit enough to form a clear idea. As expected, Twilight already had a plan; but not one without water. Without a tap or garden hose pouring water during the water ban, everypony including the culprit would be innocent. If she would have any hope of catching the culprit red-hoofed, water would have to be a key accomplice.

“Mayor,” Twilight broke her silence abruptly. “When’s the next delivery due?”

“Rainbow Dash left with a group of Pegasi for the Crystal Empire just this morning to collect some snow,” the Mayor replied. “They should be making the rainclouds in Cloudsdale right about now.”

“If we’re going to catch this culprit red-hoofed, we’ll need all the water we can get. What's the time for the water ban?”

“Between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. This applies to all Ponyville buildings.”

Twilight’s experience in the investigation business spoke for itself well. “We’ll wait for the weather team to deliver their load,” she explained. “Then start looking for an open tap.”

“Just do what you can to solve this mystery.”

“I won’t let you down, Mayor.”

Just as the Mayor and Twilight wrapped up their conversation, the sky slowly darkened with the blanket of rainclouds and the team of Pegasi carrying them. Twilight looked on as the light of day retreated behind the dense cloud cover, each nimbus carrying enough rain to sustain a house’s water needs for days. From above the cloud cover, Rainbow Dash coordinated the operation, directing the team where each cloud should go. Not before long, daylight finally gave way to overcast and, with the thunder rumbling across town, the first drops fell on the heat sink known as Ponyville. Twilight has her rain; now all she needs is a full tank.

“Way to request for rain, Twilight,” Spike chuckled but quickly conducted a reality check. “But there’s no way you can check every nook and cranny of Ponyville alone.”

“I know, Spike,” Twilight replied. “That’s why we need some help.”

“What kind of help?”

“The ‘friendship’ kind.”

Day 1, 1:57 p.m.

“Is everyone clear on the plan?” Twilight told her friends, who all nodded in agreement. “The Mayor’s counting on us to make sure there’s enough water for everypony.”

Applejack couldn’t help but notice Pinkie Pie sniffing a puddle of rainwater ever since the gang got together. She felt compelled to remind her friend about one of the most basic properties of water. “Uh, Pinkie,” she said. “Water…doesn’t exactly have a scent.”

Pinkie blew a raspberry and said: “Nonsense, water definitely has a scent. It just takes a little bit of practice. Sometimes, it can smell like frosting.”

Despite her doubts, Applejack decided to play along. Doubting her may as well be the last thing anypony in Ponyville wants to do. “And what does that smell like?”

Pinkie’s peculiar sense of smell got to work. It picked up a distinct smell faster than Applejack could say “I told you so,” a smell that made Pinkie gasp in excitement. “Ooh, ooh!” she said while jumping in glee. “It smells like Rarity’s hoof!”

“That’s because you are smelling my hoof, Pinkie,” replied Rarity, showing her hoof next to the puddle in question.

“Girls, focus!” cried Twilight. “Let’s meet back at the library by 8:00 p.m. Let’s roll!”

The six ponies spread out, each covering their respective zones. The rain and mud all over town hardly hindered them from the task at hand (save for Rarity who spent more time evading mud splashes than checking homes). Twilight and Spike had the marketplace covered; most of the stores were closed because the dry spell also paralyzed the supply of fresh produce. Those that remained open, like the unassuming ice shop at the far end of the marketplace, saw a visit from a certain investigator. Lifting one of the barrels’ lids, she saw a ton of ice cubes cold from the freezer. The intense heat earlier should’ve been more than enough to melt an iceberg. Nothing can stop thermodynamics, not even a barrel.

“Funny how your ice still looks fresh after the intense heat,” Twilight told the anxious colt behind the ice stand.

“New batch arrived just this morning, ma’am,” replied the colt as calm as he possibly could. “Working non-stop this summer to provide ice for everypony.”

Twilight continued her scrutiny, this time with the barrels. “And the barrels?” she asked.

“State-of-the-art cool storage,” said the colt. “Special padding keeps the cold in and the heat out. Ice for everypony all day.”

Twilight could’ve stayed at the ice shop longer, disputing state-of-the-art insulation. But with nothing out of the ordinary, she eventually trotted somewhere else.

The nervous colt let out a sigh of relief and quietly said: “My dad should know better I get nervous in front of other ponies.”

Day 1, 7:54 p.m.

It won't be long before ponies can open their taps again. The rain had subsided before nightfall but done its job of filling the water tower and natural reservoirs. Ponyville finally had enough water to last for a significant length of time. Even better, the patrol turned out to be a success. While Twilight failed to nab any violators, the patrol succeeded in catching a dozen ponies red-hoofed. The Mayor faced and gave them the choice between a hefty fine of 100 bits and several days of community service, which all of them chose.

After a brief talk, particularly to thank Twilight and her friends for their help, the Mayor finally retired for the night. Twilight faced her friends and gave her own ounce of gratitude. “Thank you so much for helping me out today,” she said. “I wasn’t sure if I could handle patrolling the entire town for six straight hours.”

Rainbow Dash scored the highest, capturing half of the violators. She felt real good about it, almost too good. “Ha! I caught six ponies,” she said boisterously. “That one’s for the books.”

“That’s because I herded them toward you, Rainbow Dash,” Applejack protested, obviously unimpressed by her friend taking most of the credit. “Stop huggin’ the spotlight.”

“I could’ve caught those ponies without your help, AJ,” Rainbow Dash replied with a smug.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity, who “played” with the mud the most, got between the two. “It was a team effort. We all did our part.”

“Rainbow, Rarity’s right,” Twilight said. “Ponyville has enough water thanks to our efforts. Now, it’s getting late. We should all get some shuteye. Tomorrow’s another hot day.”

“Well, I, on the other hoof, will sleep well tonight,” Rarity said. “Right after a relaxing bath. All that mud has made me horrendous.”

The good friends bid good night to each other and went their separate ways. Twilight watched them leave, feeling a bit fuzzy inside. “It’s nice to have friends, isn’t it, Spike?” she said.

Spike couldn’t agree more. “You got that right,” he said.

“I’m also glad that we've put this case to rest. I don’t know what Ponyville will do if the crisis persisted any longer.”

“Simple. Ponies will run amok, fight for the remaining resources, and destroy society.”

“Spike!" answered a shocked Twilght. "That was rhetorical.”

“I don’t know what that even means," Spike replied. "Or how it’s pronounced.”

“Ugh. Whatever, let’s get inside.”

“Sounds good. I sweated like crazy today. I need a shower.”

One of the hottest days of summer ended with Twilight and Spike retiring for the night. Silence settled across Ponyville as it prepared to tuck in, perhaps right after a bath or drink. Tomorrow's episode of unrelenting heat leaves a lot to be desired.

Author's Note

None of the case stories in this channel are guaranteed to appear in the actual game. MLI-TTSF is a separate project to turn case ideas discussed in the forum to fan fiction.

Day 2, Afternoon

Interrogation I: Fluttershy

Last time I checked, the role of victim suited Fluttershy better than the culprit. In all my years living in Ponyville, she’s the last pony I’d consider as a suspect. But what kind of investigator pardons her best friend even when the evidence seems to suggest otherwise? The line clearly led to her pond, a convenient oasis. Wasn’t she informed about the water shortage? I guess she wouldn’t bother, given that she gets her water from the nearby river.

I’m faced with a decision that could break my ties with one of my best friends. If I blame her for the wrong reasons, I might as well say goodbye to our friendship. If the evidence points to her, I’ll have no choice but to implicate her of water theft, which can also ruin our friendship. There must be something in this mystery that can clear her name. I didn’t want to lose a friend, but I also had a duty to the public.

Oh, Fluttershy, please forgive me if this interrogation turns south for you.

Day 2, 12:02 p.m.

Noon reached its peak, but the heat had yet to reach its hottest point of the day. Somewhere along the road to Fluttershy’s place, a confrontation has already come to a boil. A pond thriving with marine life in a sea of dryness made a mockery of everypony’s struggle to look for water. It’s a good thing only Twilight and Spike were present in the scene. Depending on the type of answer Fluttershy gave, they may even help her clear her of any wrongdoing.

But reluctance had a tight grip on Twilight’s decision-making. Stuck between a hard and harder place, she silently struggled in choosing between friendship and duty. In front of her stood Fluttershy, the last pony in Equestria Twilight wanted to accuse of water theft, let alone any heinous crime. The fear on the timid pony’s face grew more apparent, much to the point that even the fish began to worry. The two friends needed to talk, but the topic was far from friendly.

“Fluttershy,” Twilight started hesitantly. “Did you know there’s a water shortage in Ponyville right now?”

“Um…yes?” Fluttershy answered without missing a beat.

“Well, then,” Twilight continued. “Can you explain why this pond doesn’t seem to be affected?”

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy said, but she may as well be pretending not to know.

Twilight continued to press her friend for information by getting straight to the point. “Fluttershy, you have an entire river close to your place,” she said. “Why do you need to draw water from Ponyville?”

“But I get my water from the river, like I always do,” Fluttershy replied, feeling the tense atmosphere.

“Then explain this,” Twilight said, pointing to her accurate steel mold. “This connection wasn’t part of Ponyville's original water network. It was installed recently and goes along the road to your place. What’s it doing here?”

“I…I don’t know,” Fluttershy answered, shying away from her interrogator. “I didn’t even notice there was a pipe there.”

Twilight didn’t buy her explanations. Thanks to her strict attention to detail, she could see right through Fluttershy’s anxiety habits. Twilight pressed on with the investigation despite her fears for the worst. In her mind, the welfare of an entire town weighed more heavily than that of one friend, as much as she hated that reality. As the lantern on her head lit up as bright as the sun, her confidence shot up in a whim.

“Very well,” Twilight said calmly. “Lead the way.”

“Lead where?” replied Fluttershy.

“To the river. Where else?”

Fluttershy fell silent, but she refused to move. Just as Twilight’s confidence shot up, Fluttershy’s heart sank. “Um…I don’t think you want to go there right now,” she spoke up shortly.

The response was just as Twilight expected, but it was too soon to say “Aha!” She kept pressing Fluttershy for info while looking unassuming. “Why not?” she asked.

“Well…um, it’s not safe there right now,” Fluttershy answered, shying away again.

“Not safe?” Twilight asked in reply. “How come?”

“I…I don’t want to talk about it.”

At that point, Twilight became convinced that her friend was hiding something. For the record, a question as an answer isn’t really an answer to a question. “Fluttershy, you’re making me ask ‘why’ over and over,” Twilight said. “It’s not helping.”

But the stern scolding did nothing to break Fluttershy’s silence. She shied away again, only to make Twilight more determined to make her spill the beans.

“Well then,” Twilight said sternly. “If you won’t take me to the river, I’ll go there myself. Come on, Spike.”

Soon enough, she and Spike went their way, clearly paying no heed to Fluttershy’s warning. After all, she and her PFFs have dealt with dangers that nearly spelled doom for Equestria dozens of times. There’s no reason for her not to deal with whatever was putting the river in deep trouble (no pun intended).

“Twilight, wait,” Fluttershy said, catching up to Twilight by flying. “You really can’t go there right now. It’s too dangerous.”

“Come on,” Twilight replied with skepticism. “How bad could it be?”

“Really, really bad, Twilight,” Fluttershy said frantically. “Please don’t go.”

“If it will solve Ponyville’s water problem, then I’ll take my chances,” Twilight replied, bristling with confidence.

Fluttershy kept pleading while growing more desperate, not to mention vulnerable to suspicion. “But you don’t understand,” she said. “I know what’s making Ponyville dry.”

“Oh, you do?” Twilight scowled. “Well, you should’ve told me that when I asked you the first time. But since we’re not at the river yet, I will ask you one more time. What in Celestia’s name is going on?”

Fluttershy hesitated once more with another “how” type of answer. “Well, you see, it’s…it’s hard to explain.”

“Too bad, I’m not buying it,” Twilight scowled even more.

“Please believe me, Twilight,” Fluttershy replied, nearly falling down on her knees. “I get my water from the river. It lost some water but still had plenty.”

“Then why do you have a pipeline running to your place from Ponyville?”

“I really have no idea about that pipe. I even volunteered to give up my line to help Ponyville stock up on water.”

“You mean the line I accidentally ruined?”

Not a single word from Fluttershy came out to challenge Twilight’s spot-on deduction.

“I’m sorry, Fluttershy,” Twilight added. “But I have to disagree. When I traveled along the line before meeting you here, I noticed that the line had a little bit more water. It’s funny considering that the rest of the network is all but bone dry.”

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy said.

“If you really have given up your rights to Ponyville’s water, then that pipe shouldn’t have been used. Unless there’s another building around here, the only sensible destination for this pipe is right your cottage.” Twilight concluded, pointing her hoof toward Fluttershy.

The noose tightened around Fluttershy as she saw her options dwindle. Her mind had run out of excuses, her mouth had exhausted all possible words. It was time to come clean, starting with a deep sigh of defeat. “Okay, Twilight, you win,” she said. “I’m sorry for keeping the truth away from you. I guess I was just…scared.”

“Fluttershy,” Twilight replied, this time with a friendly tone. “I know there’s more to this than meets the eye. But this water crisis has already driven some ponies into a riot. If I can’t find the culprit soon, Ponyville will be in utter disarray. I need you to tell me everything you know. Spare no detail.”

Fluttershy took a deep breath and nodded in agreement.

Day 2, 12:31 p.m.

Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike made haste to the river, a five-minute trek through the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. Twilight expected to see bad news upon arriving at the riverbank, but what she saw was worse. One of Equestria’s major rivers, the only river cutting through the dangerous woodland, trickled under the mercy of the unrelenting heat. Rocks that were used as things for a drowning pony to hold on now were towering pillars spread across the chasm. Any fish flapping on a dry riverbed was lucky enough to be rescued and placed in one of Fluttershy’s temporary ponds, like the one Twilight saw. Fluttershy didn’t need to utter a word; Twilight made sense of the whole situation.

“I couldn’t leave the poor creatures,” Fluttershy said. “So I picked them up and put them in a pond like the one you saw.”

Astonishment best described Twilight’s response. It was expected of Ponyville’s animal shepherd. “You really thought this through, Fluttershy,” she replied. “I’m impressed.”

“Oh, well…um, it’s nothing, really,” said Fluttershy. “But I couldn’t make enough ponds on time. This is the first time the river has dried up so much.”

"You mean," Twilight replied in utter disbelief. "The river hasn't been this dry before?"

"Not at all."

“An entire river sucked dry…the problem is far worse than I imagined.”

Nopony ever thought that the crisis in Ponyville would spill outside. A major tributary sucked dry should’ve set off alarms in Canterlot by now. It doesn't take much for Princess Celestia to recognize an emergency when she sees one. It should’ve been breaking news in the morning paper or the talk of the town. The more Twilight put the pieces on hoof, the more elusive the case grew. To top it off, the heat sapped her of most of her cognitive powers.

Spike noticed Twilight looking sickly. “Twilight,” he said. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Twilight replied. “Just…a bit dizzy, that’s all.”

“Maybe we should continue the investigation during the cooler part of the day.” Spike suggested.

But Twilight shrugged her fatigue off. “No, I’m fine," she said. "We can’t afford any more delays.”

"Are you sure?"

The heat may have done a number to Twilight, but it did little to affect her attention to detail. While scanning the length of the riverbed, her eyes locked on to a faint glint of silver not far from her position. “Huh?” she said. “What’s that over there?”

“What’s what?” Spike replied, looking to where Twilight was looking. “I don’t see anything?”

“I saw something!” Twilight cried, jumping onto the dry riverbed without hesitation and running toward the glint.

“Spike,” said Fluttershy, grossly worried. “Is Twilight okay? I don’t see anything, either.”

“If you ask me, Twilight’s never okay,” replied Spike. “Well, almost never okay.”

Despite their skepticism, Spike and Fluttershy went after Twilight who was struggling to pull something out of the ground with her magic. The ground cracked under the pull of magic, the veil of mystery slowly coming off the item itself. A huge steel helm took off like Tom hurled from a Party Cannon, nailing Twilight in the face with enough force to crack Canterlot’s walls. Much to the relief of her friends, her face remained whole; yet, her eyes reflected a certain, wall-eyed mare’s look.

“You okay, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight rapidly shook her head and said: “Now I know how an apple tree at Sweet Apple Acres feels.”

“More importantly,” Fluttershy said, pointing to the huge helm. “What’s that you have there?”

Twilight looked at the loot she just scored. “Looks like an awfully big helm,” she said. “Too big for a pony’s head.”

“Then who does it belong to?”

For some reason, the helm looked all too familiar. It lacked protection for the wearer's face. Judging by the thinness of the steel, a well-placed hit by a rock may as well be a recipe for a concussion. If she could just remember what creature in Equestria had a head as big as this helm, it would be a step closer to wrapping this case up. Fortunately, it didn’t take long.

“Come to think of it,” Twilight said, looking at the helm some more. “I seem to recall the Diamond Dogs wearing steel helms as big as this.”

“The Diamond Dogs?” Fluttershy replied in shock.

“All but three dogs do,” Twilight said. “But what’s this helm doing here?”

“Makes sense,” Spike said jokingly. “Big helms to protect their small brains. Ha, ha…”

“Oookay,” Twilight returned a jaded response. “Jokes aside, I think I know where to go next.”

Spike’s face lit up. “You do?” he said.

“Yes,” Twilight said. “But I need to ask Fluttershy a few more questions to confirm some details.”

Fluttershy and Spike looked at each other while Twilight went into deep thinking mode. The dirty helm intrigued her in several ways. Did the wearer drop it by accident? Did someone intentionally left it here? She couldn’t tell. After a few seconds of silence, she turned her attention to Fluttershy.

“Tell me, Fluttershy,” Twilight said. “Assuming you’ve forfeited your water supply from Ponyville, how do you keep up with the drought?”

“Well,” Fluttershy replied. “I primarily get my water from the river here."

“But the river’s dry as a desert, as you can see,” Twilight said, pointing to the trickling tributary. “How did you manage to reopen the line?”

The investigation quickly hit another lock. Fluttershy responded with utter silence, much to Twilight’s dismay. For a moment, the latter thought her friend had already agreed to “spare no detail.” What could be holding Fluttershy back this time?

“Come on, Fluttershy,” said Twilight with a hint of frustration. “The more you refuse to talk, the more agitated Ponyville will grow. Aren't you at least a bit concerned?”

However, the sound of silence stayed, as if civil unrest was a small price to pay for a secret to be kept out of the light. Instead of Ponyville growing more agitated, it was Twilight. “Why won’t you talk about it?” she said.

“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy said in utter defiance. “I really can’t talk about that.”

“You have to talk,” Twilight said. “This is Ponyville we’re talking about. Do you want to be banished or thrown into the dungeon for endangering innocent ponies?”

“I want to help you, Twilight,” Fluttershy responded. “I really do. But I just…can’t.”

“Then, for Celestia’s sake, why not?”

“I made a Pinkie promise to never tell anypony.”

“You WHAT?!” Twilight yelled in shock and disbelief. "You made a Pinkie promise to a bunch of thieves? What in Celestia's name were you thinking?"

The outburst of emotion caused Fluttershy to retract in terror and keep her mouth from shooting out a single word. Twilight didn't take notice of her reaction as she continued to press her friend for info.

"If you want to do this the hard way, then that's fine with me," said Twilight, frustrated. "I'm tired of being patient. It's time you tell me something I don't know or all of Ponyville will suffer."

Spike witnessed the situation rear its ugly head. Over the course of the interrogation, he quickly saw Twilight spiraling out of her calm, collective self. No longer on the business of interrogation, her angry eyes shot straight into Fluttershy’s feeble soul while words of rage pushed her friend one step closer to eternal trauma. In a move only rivaled by a cavalry charge, Spike quickly got in between the two without hesitation. “Twilight, stop it!” Spike yelled. “Look at what you’re doing to Fluttershy!”

Upon snapping out of her frenzied rage, Twilight took a good look at her friend already crying a river. Every drop shed drew her reflection, capturing the ugly essence of her guilt. She had pushed the interrogation too far for little gain. On that moment, Twilight realized why everypony is given the choice to talk or not to talk at all.

“I’m sorry, Fluttershy,” she said, horrified at what she had become. “I…I guess I got carried away.”

“Twilight, this isn’t like you,” Spike said. “You would never pressure your friends into doing something they don’t want. Even if it’s for Equestria’s sake.”

“I know, Spike. I just forgot about it…for a while.”

Spike reiterated his previous take. “I think the heat’s getting to you,” he said. “We should probably go home for now.”

“But Ponyville…the water…” Twilight objected.

“Home," Spike replied sternly, his finger pointing to the direction of Ponyville. "Now."

This argument may as well end in Spike’s favor. Twilight pondered on her assistant’s words. Maybe it’s better to take a breather. Maybe it’s better to pat Spike on the head for reminding her of how close she came to severing her bond of friendship with Fluttershy. “Do you feel this way, Spike?” she asked with some reservations. “Is this really a good idea?”

“I don’t know,” Spike answered. “What do you think?”

Twilight’s sigh signaled the end of the interrogation. For now.

Day 2, Evening

Day 2, 6:03 p.m.

As the blistering season persisted, nighttime became the only major respite for the affected ponies. The siege of Equestria wasn’t over, but the besieged could catch their breaths and prepare for the next wave. The sun gave way to the moon and stars, a cool rolling breeze pushed the warm air out of much of the land, and ponies in the hard-hit areas took small sips of water in their stock. Ponyville came prepared with kegs of water for every household, as it always does every summer. Sadly, their containers were on the verge of running empty; with summer still blazing, it was only a matter of time before every house runs dry.

Spike struggled to reach for the water inside the barrel; but the waterline had gone beyond the reach of his arms. Weeks of use had reduced it to very dangerous levels; now, just like every household in Ponyville, the library’s all but out. After several failed attempts, he let his ladle do the scooping. With two full mugs of water on hand (not cold, unfortunately), he walked to the common room where Twilight spent her rest time reading a stack of books. She had been fixated with finishing The Art of the To-Do List: Fifth Edition so much that she didn’t realize nighttime had fallen.

“The Art of the To-Do List again?” Spike said, handing Twilight a mug. “How many times have you read that book? I lost count.”

“Twelve times,” Twilight replied with a grin. “Add today and that makes thirteen.”

“Are you reading it again to make a to-do list of how to tackle the case?” Spike asked.

Twilight answered with a deep sigh and said: “I’m afraid not. It’s just boredom.”

Spike witnessed her friend wear the face of defeat, a rare occurrence for somepony who—a while ago—was determined to put an end to Ponyville’s ordeal. Tonight, she shares her time with one of her must-reads. The thin slab of pages on the left half told Spike that Twilight hasn’t gotten far. The sight itself was rather unusual; he had seen Twilight finish any book in record time all the time. Soon enough, a “what’s wrong” type of discussion between the two ensued.

“Twilight,” Spike started. “Are you still upset about Fluttershy?”

“How did you know?” Twilight replied, her eyes glued to the book.

“I guess I’m that observant,” said a smug Spike.

Closing the book signaled the start of a more serious discussion. “I don’t know what’s wrong, Spike,” said Twilight. “Fluttershy knows something, I’m sure of it. I just want her help. Ponyville depends on it.”

“You’ll have to find another way to get answers, Twilight,” Spike said. “You were scaring the living daylights out of her.”

Twilight fell silent and slumped in shame. She hasn’t even taken a sip of her water. Only Celestia knows what’s going on inside her head.

“You should get some rest,” Spike said. “Maybe you’ll have better luck tomorrow.”

“A bit too early for bedtime, don’t you think?” Twilight replied.

“Does it matter?” said Spike. “As long as sleep clears your head, it’s okay.”

“I don’t even feel sleepy yet,” Twilight protested.

Six in the evening is just too early, even for Spike. “Fine,” he relented. “But don’t stay up late.”

Twilight turned her head to the wall clock; a few minutes past six in the evening. But she was thinking of another clock, one showing how much time she had left before Ponyville is thrown into civil disorder. This night may as well be the calm before the storm. It’s only a matter of time before ponies take to the streets and, worse, fight for control of the remaining water. She feared for the worst…and blamed Fluttershy for it.

“If only Fluttershy would tell everything,” she muttered quietly.

She finally had enough of thinking. Taking Spike’s advice, she trotted upstairs to retire for the night, way too early in anypony’s standards. She left her favorite book half open and mug of lukewarm water untouched.

Day 3, Early Morning

Day 3, 7:25 a.m.

The heat returned to bear down on Equestria once more. Fortunately, cool breezes blew for the first few hours of morning. The breeze was every reason for everypony to wake up early and hurry outside, a good way to cope with the thirst but not good enough to last forever. Despite the slight noise outside and the sun flashing through her bedside window, sleep kept Twilight’s eyes shut and ears plugged. She knew about ponies getting up in the wee hours of the morning, but she wasn’t about to partake in the blessing. Then again, as the room grew warmer as sunlight poured inside, it was clear that some sleepyhead has to wake up soon.

Nevertheless, nothing could prepare her for the collective grumbling that filled the air that morning. As the light of day pried her eyes open, she gave up sleeping the entire morning out and checked out what was going on. Before she could open the door, however, a frantic Applejack opened it for her, pinning Twilight behind the door like a cliché gag. “Twilight?” she called. “Are you here? Twilight?”

“Hey Applejack,” greeted Spike, oblivious to Applejack’s tense look. “What brings you here?”

“I need to see Twilight,” said Applejack hurriedly. “Is she here?”

“Yeah,” Spike chuckled as he pointed at the door. “But she can’t see you.”

Applejack quickly caught a glimpse of Twilight’s horn sandwiched between the door and wall. The latter’s groan told Applejack to let go of the door and tend to her friend who, luckily, only escaped with bed mane. “Oh, sorry Twi,” she said humbly. “You okay?”

“What has you on edge so early, Applejack?” Twilight asked after a quick recovery.

“We have a problem,” cried the farm pony in a paresthetic voice. “A big one!”

Twilight shook her head, struggling to get the incessant ringing out of her head. “AJ, you are not Princess Luna. Now tell me what’s going on calmly.”

“It’s Fluttershy,” Applejack replied without missing a beat.

“Fluttershy?”

“I saw an angry mob take her away from her cottage. They’re headin’ to the water tower.”

Twilight couldn’t process the keywords “Fluttershy,” “angry mob,” and “water tower” right away, especially after recovering from a solid hit on the noggin. She could only return a blank stare into the unknown, leaving Applejack and Spike to snap her out of the trance. Mornings aren’t kind to ponies with a Starswirl-level IQ.

“Uh, Twi?” said Applejack. “You okay?”

Twilight shook her head, a sure sign of her return to reality, and said: “Did you just say ‘Fluttershy,’ ‘angry mob,’ and “water tower’ all in one sentence?”

“Uh…maybe?” answered Applejack.

“I gotta get out of here!” Twilight yelled, dashing through the open door faster than ten seconds flat. Applejack and Spike, after a brief pause, followed.

Outside, a mass exodus of unicorn, Pegasus, and Earth ponies with varying degrees of scowls unfolded before Twilight’s eyes. The stream of grumbling ponies flooded the road to the water tower at the edge of town. It seemed only like yesterday when she traveled the very same route to restore order. But on this day, a stark realization had set in; she would have to do the same to an even bigger crowd.

“Is it some sort of holiday today?” Spike said.

“This is no holiday, Spike,” Twilight replied, terrified. “It’s the day I fear.”

“Fear?” asked a confused dragon. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m guessin’ the water woes have finally got the best of everypony,” said Applejack. “But why Fluttershy?”

“I’m guessing our little talk yesterday leaked out,” Twilight said.

“But it was just you, me, and Fluttershy yesterday,” replied Spike. “How could’ve word of it spread around town so fast?”

“Y’all don’t think somepony dropped an ear, do you?” asked Applejack.

Twilight shrugged and said: “Not that I know of.”

Unfortunately, Ponyville won’t wait for a savior to deliver its verdict. Twilight’s decisive action held her friend’s fate. It was about to slip. “No time to think about that now,” she said. “We need to hurry before who knows what they might do to her.”

“I’m comin’ with you, Twi,” said Applejack. “Ah can’t stand here and watch mah friend get pelted with apples and stuff.”

“Then let’s roll!”

As precious seconds trickled, Twilight and Spike made haste to the site of the first and biggest civil tribunal in Ponyville history. Applejack followed suit but not before a punch line at the most inappropriate time. “In fact, I don’t want ponies pelting apples at all.”

Day 3, 7:34 a.m.

The crowd in front of the water tower swelled as a wagon towing Fluttershy in a cage drew near the makeshift stage of boxes. Glares from the angry mob froze every joint, clearly seeing the intent to crush her spirit. Not that fear had completely prevented any attempt to escape; she chose to face the disharmonious music. As soon as the carriage stopped in front of an even bigger and angrier mob, foodstuffs and other items took to the air, nearly blocking the sun en masse. The cage shrugged off most of the shots, but small tomatoes—among other items—painted the accused red. The color hardly suited her well, not because she was yellow and pink.

For a place where all three pony races live in unity and harmony, the exasperation on the locals’ faces tells another side of the town. As much as Fluttershy tried staying calm, the sea of furious faces and rain of tomatoes tore her apart inside. Just as a new wave of tomatoes were primed for firing, Twilight’s voice echoed across the crowd. “Everypony, STOP!”

Fluttershy snapped her head to the source of the voice as the crowd’s noise collapsed. Like a sudden gust, Twilight magically appeared close to the caged suspect while Applejack and Spike climbed up the stage from the side. The crowd instantly recognized them as Fluttershy’s close friends and responded with a mixture of scowls, glares, and tantrums.

“Hey!” cried one colt. “Why is Ponyville’s investigator defending a culprit?”

“She’s not guilty,” cried Twilight in reply. “Well, at least not until proven guilty.”

As the crowd exchanged looks of confusion, Twilight cleared her throat in preparation for Fluttershy’s defense. “Anyway,” she began. “I know everypony is upset by recent events. But all the more reason to remain calm.”

Unfortunately, the crowd responded with a fresh wave of produce. Twilight quickly erected a magic barrier around her and Fluttershy, fending off the attack and saving their skins from hard-to-remove stains. The crowd stopped for now, but it was clear that everypony had thrown calm out the window.

“Twilight, what are you doing?” Fluttershy asked.

“You’re coming out of this mess with clean hooves, Fluttershy,” Twilight replied, looking at the crowd intently. “Or Celestia help me.”

“But…why?”

“Isn’t that what friends do?” asked Twilight. “Stand up for their friends until the end?”

Fluttershy hesitated for a moment and said: “I’m no friend. I caused everypony so much trouble. I deserve this.”

“Listen,” Twilight said sternly. “If you want to bathe in produce, be my guest. But I made a vow to get to the bottom of this. And you’re not the bottom.”

“I’m…not sure I’m getting you.”

“Just leave it to me.”

Despite her friend’s pep talk, Fluttershy’s confidence levels hardly budged. However, the cage limited her options to one, which was to trust Twilight with all her heart. It made her wonder, though. Where did she get her sudden boost of confidence?

After a quick glimpse of the angry mob, Twilight began betting everything at stake including her reputation.

Confrontation I: Twilight Sparkle (5 CP) v. Ponyville citizens (2 CP)

I found myself protecting a suspect instead of pressing her for info. Maybe friendship moves in mysterious ways, but that can’t help me now. Thanks to my heart as big as my brain, I inadvertently challenged Ponyville to back up their claims and assured Fluttershy of clearing her name. Everypony knows that once I made my word, I can’t turn back. I can tell they’re waiting for me to make a wrong move.

I’ve barely made headway with the investigation, but there must be something in my notes I can use. I know that somepony…or someone has been sucking our wells dry from outside Ponyville. I know that the pipe that was recently installed belonged to Fluttershy who refused to spill the beans despite my warning. I know that a major river in Equestria is all but a bare riverbed. Come on, Twilight, think! Make sense of things that don’t!

“Listen, everypony,” said Twilight while maintaining her magic barrier. “We can keep this up all day, but it’s not going to bring our water back. Let’s all calm down.”

The crowd instantly withheld their next shots, but their throwing hooves remained primed. A colt unicorn in front stepped forward to challenge the investigator; his hawk gaze trained to a nervous Twilight. “On behalf of the citizens of Ponyville,” he spoke with a commanding aura. “We demand an explanation.”

“I only ask for your patience, everypony,” said Twilight. “It’s not healthy for us to be pointing hooves aimlessly.”

“This is a different case,” said the unicorn, showing a great deal of confidence. “We have reason to believe that Fluttershy is the one responsible for our dry reservoirs.”

The unicorn’s confidence put Twilight on edge. If she hasn’t made any headway with the case, what are the chances that somepony else has? She raced through her notes in her head as she responded with utter silence. Meanwhile, the look on the crowd’s faces stretched the tense atmosphere closer to its breaking point. At this point, a few seconds of silence will surely mean admitting defeat.

“Where’s your proof?” Twilight said, breaking an eternity’s worth of stillness.

“The pond!” cried the confident unicorn. “Somepony saw Fluttershy taking care of her fishy pets in a pond.”

A spark of wisdom hit her at the most opportune time. Did the unicorn say something that sounded familiar? Did Lady Luck bless Twilight with an advantage she couldn’t refuse? Whatever the reason, she stopped short of shouting for joy, maintaining her collective composure. “So?” she said.

“Don’t you think it’s weird that—”

Twilight suddenly cut him off. “It’s the only intact source of water around Ponyville?”

The crowd let out a subtle gasp of astonishment, the confident unicorn left speechless. Perhaps it never occurred to them that he gave Twilight information she already knew. In As some in the crowd exchanged looks of disbelief, the tense atmosphere drastically turned awkward.

“I’m completely aware of that,” said Twilight to the crowd. “And I wouldn’t call out Fluttershy on that evidence alone.”

“What makes you say that?” asked the unicorn.

“Well, during our little talk yesterday,” Twilight explained. “Fluttershy told me how she gave up her water line to help Ponyville save up water for summer. Assuming that was the case, the line should’ve been shut off. But it wasn’t.”

“That doesn’t prove anything,” said the unicorn, pointing his hoof at Twilight. “She could have reopened it somehow.”

“That’s an interesting thought. Care to show us the evidence?”

The only thing her challenger could show was his embarrassment. Admitting defeat, he disappeared slowly in the thicket of ponies.

Ponyville citizens lose 1 CP (1 CP left)

Still, the crowd lent their ears but with the intention of looking for an exploitable mistake. Their tense faces were filled with mixed emotions from indignation to desperation. After a quick scan of the restless crowd, Twilight followed up her success with notes from yesterday. The crowd’s griffon-like gaze put her at edge, but a deep breath loosened her up.

“Fluttershy,” Twilight said. “Can I trust you to answer a few questions?”

Locked in a cage and facing an angry crowd, it seemed foolhardy to resist any attempt at being questioned. “Okay, Twilight,” Fluttershy replied without second thoughts.

“Good answer,” Twilight said with a smile. “Now, you told me yesterday that you gave up your line, right?”

“Umm…yes.”

“How did you exactly do it?”

The question sounded off-topic to the majority, even for Fluttershy. But the latter gave her what Twilight wanted. “I asked the Mayor to shut it off for me,” she said.

“The Mayor, huh? Doesn’t your connection come with some sort of valve?”

“Well, it does. But, as far as I know, only the town’s utility service can shut down an entire water line for good.”

“Interesting.”

The crowd exchanged looks of doubt and confusion. With the water shortage spiraling to an entirely different field, they couldn’t help but ask where the investigator was going. A select few like Berry Punch, however, threw anger into the fray; even though that anger was mostly fueled by a few drinks this morning.

“Hey!” cried Berry Punch in a drunken rage, complete with hiccups in between words. “What duz *hic* that have to *hic* do wiz *hic* anythin’?” The angry responses of her backers helped her point make more sense.

“Why the service?” yelled a fellow Earth pony behind Berry Punch. “Without water, they can’t do anything!”

“I have to agree with them, Twilight,” Fluttershy said. “Where are you exactly going?”

Ponyville’s blind rage became more apparent. They may as well get somepony to blame to vent their frustrations. Nowhere in the last few minutes did Twilight mention that the town’s plumbers were to blame. “Subject of interest” is a totally different thing, but sadly everypony and their grandma were still grinding their teeth.

Twilight simply gave their anger a sigh of dismay, alluding to the irrational replies she has received from the get-go. “Berry,” she said to the drunken pony. “At least get sober before contradicting me.”

“And waz *hic* dat supozd to mean?” said Berry Punch.

Once again, the crowd fell into a deafening silence. With all ears on her amazing eye for detail, Twilight elaborated her findings. “Okay, let’s get some things straight,” she said. “Based on what I know, Ponyville’s water comes from the reservoirs, but it’s up to the local utility to distribute them.”

The crowd agreed, albeit with a bit of animosity.

“Fluttershy,” Twilight continued. “When did you give up your water privileges?”

“Umm…two weeks ago,” replied Fluttershy. “Or maybe three? I don’t remember.”

“If Fluttershy asked for reactivation,” said Twilight. “The utility would’ve given it to her. But there’s no way they could simply direct all the water to just one route.”

“Why’s that?”

Most of the ponies may not be as bright as Twilight, but even a filly could’ve guessed the following: “Come on, Ponyville. The pipes are no bigger than my telescope at home. Do you honestly believe an entire reservoir system could simply empty itself in one night? I’ve seen the pipes. I went down there yesterday.”

Finally, common sense finally returned to most ponies, if not all. For the record, the thief had to be as big as an Ursa Minor to steal all the water, but his huge footsteps would wake everypony up. The more everypony thought about that possibility, the more elusive the case grew. But it also helped widen the gap between Fluttershy and the gallows. Backs against the wall, the foundations of false accusation trembled.

This part of a tense moment deserves a facehoof, more or less. However, for now, this confrontation is over.

Ponyville citizens lose 1 CP (0 CP left)

Twilight Sparkle wins decisively (5-0)

A burst of magic shattered the lock and freed Fluttershy, now cleared of any wrongdoing, from detention. Several tomato stains ruined her beautiful yellow coat, but they were washable. The harrowing experience pushed her to hug Twilight out of the blue, a telltale sign of their friendship restored. Applejack and Spike smiled at the sight of hugs, but couldn’t show the same face upon looking at the crowd.

As quickly as they grew restless, the citizens were wrought with sadness. Parents hugged their young who probably needed the water more than anypony else. Some already broke into tears beneath the shadows of their sad fellowmares. Applejack, apparently oblivious to the faces of a distraught Ponyville, scolded them. “No more nitpickin’ on Fluttershy now!” she yelled.

Fortunately, Twilight wasn’t. “Applejack, stop!”

“Err…was it somethin’ I said?” replied the dumbfounded farm pony.

“They already hate the situation as it is,” said Twilight. “Let’s not add fuel to the fire.”

A quick glance at the mood of the crowd finally made sense for Applejack. She couldn’t help but apologize for her choice of words. “Um…sorry, everypony,” she said.

The crowd responded with utter silence. Not even a Pinkie miracle can bring their smiles and optimism back. Not even the intense heat fazed them. Twilight couldn’t help but sympathize with them. This confrontation isn’t worth winning, her mind said.

Suddenly, a Eureka moment hit her. “Everypony!” she cried to the audience. “You’ll get your water back by evening.”

The hundreds of faces of Ponyville turned their gazes toward her. Twilight’s investigation failed. Accusing Fluttershy based on visible evidence failed. Conserving water failed. Why would she be making promises she couldn’t possibly keep out of the blue?

“If I don’t get your water back by six in the evening,” Twilight added. “I will turn in my investigator title.”

“Twilight,” Applejack responded in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”

“It’s a small price to pay,” Twilight answered. “This town doesn’t need a failure.”

Day 3, Late Morning/Noon

Day 3, 10:05 a.m.

The angry mob had dissolved. Most ponies returned to their homes; a few sought refuge under nearby trees or in shrouded alleys. With no water and no end to their harrowing ordeal, hope could only get them far. Even with Twilight’s gamble, it didn’t feel like a viable solution. Even if she were to fail and turn in her credentials, it would only leave the citizens with one less smart pony to solve the mystery. On a grimmer note, even if she managed to track the culprit, there was no guarantee of the water coming back.

The three friends remained at the water tower, the blistering heat rearing its ugly head once more. Despite the tower casting its shadow over them, sweat trickled down their faces like a sprung leak. Twilight realized she was back to square one but saved her friendship with Fluttershy. As she looked at the tower, covered in a thin black veil due to its position behind the sun, she couldn’t believe she followed the wrong trail. There are a thousand ways to perpetrate a crime.

“Twilight,” Applejack said. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we can’t waste time on dead ends. Ponyville needs that water yesterday.”

“I know that,” Twilight replied, slightly annoyed. “But I can’t waste time framing the wrong pony. There must be something else.”

Deep down, however, Twilight understood the urgency of picking up the pace. Less than eight hours remain before the deadline. If two days of hard-line investigation yielded no results, what were the chances that eight hours would?
Her gaze turned to the hose; one end was dangling from the edge of the platform. The first time she saw the hose, she quickly dismissed it.

“Applejack,” she said. “I’ve always wondered about the purpose of that hose.”

“Nothin’ much,” Applejack answered. “There’s a pipe connected to the tank. Maybe it’s for fillin’ her up.”

“Makes sense,” Twilight said amidst skepticism. “I’ve seen Mrs. Cake fill it before.”

“What are you thinking, Twi?”

“Nothing, really. It’s just that this tower reminds me of the Ursa Minor.”

“Oh, that?” Applejack chuckled. “Mighty impressive how you dealt with that big bear.”

“Come on, AJ,” Twilight said, blushing. “It wasn’t that impressive.”

“But it is,” Applejack insisted, her words accompanied with proper hoof actions. “You lifted that tank, filled it with milk, and fed the Ursa with it. I don’t know anypony else with as much magic skill as you.”

“You’re giving me way too much credit,” replied Twilight sheepishly. “I’m pretty sure there are other unicorns—”

An abrupt silence followed Twilight’s trimmed words as she sported the look of disbelief. But it didn’t last long.

“Uh, Twi? Are you okay?” said Applejack, eventually turning to her friends when no response came. “Was it somethin’ I muttered”

Spike shrugged. Fluttershy shifted her gaze to the ground. They weren’t quite sure either, but they didn’t need to wait for long to find out.

“Of course!” said Twilight out of the blue. “Why didn’t I think of this earlier?”

“Um, Twilight?” said Spike, grossly worried.

Twilight continued shouting for joy. “It all makes sense now!”

“Hey!” said Spike with a louder tone. “What ‘makes sense’ now?”

Twilight cleared her throat and explained the reason for her elation. “We already know that there’s no way the tank can be emptied in one night, right?” she said.

“Yeah,” Applejack said, still confused. “I think you already said that a dozen times.”

Twilight chuckled confidently before saying: “But what if the culprit moved the tank?”

“Twilight,” Applejack replied. “The tank’s heavier than our barn. How can anypony possibly move that?”

“With magic.”

Twilight’s friends exchanged looks of confusion, but it didn’t take long for logic to set in. After all, with magic, the only limitation is the user him or herself. Anypony could put their backs into a simple levitation spell if they tried hard enough.

“But Twilight,” said Fluttershy. “I agree with Applejack. I don’t know anypony as skilled in magic as you.”

“Levitation spells are basic for any unicorn,” Twilight replied. “All you have to do is to focus on what you want to move. The heavier the object, the more magic required.”

“Do you know who could do such a thing?” asked Fluttershy.

“None yet,” said Twilight. “But at least we’re getting somewhere. And I have a feeling this will change everything for the better.”

To prove her theory, Twilight magically went up to the platform a second time. Standing on almost the same spot as yesterday, she looked high and low for clues she might have missed. In a stroke of luck, she did: a faint but visible line covered in a layer of dirt inches from the tank’s base. The line of dirt only went halfway around the platform. On the other side, the edge of the tank sat dangerously close to the edge. Having gathered the evidence she needed, she returned to her friends on the ground in a flash.

“What did you find, Twilight?” Spike asked.

“As I thought,” Twilight answered confidently. “The tank has been moved. Somepony must have used magic to either drain its contents or replace it with an empty one.”

“But who has magic strong enough to do that?”

Only unicorns whose talent is general magic have a better chance at pulling off such a feat. Thanks to that, however, Twilight’s list of suspects was narrowed down to one unicorn she knew too well.

“Trixie,” Twilight muttered.

“Umm…Trixie?” asked Fluttershy.

“If there’s another unicorn who has the potential, it’s gotta be ol’ Great and Powerful,” Twilight chuckled.

“Makes sense,” Spike agreed. “Now we just have to find her.”

“That’s the problem, Spike,” Twilight said. “I don’t know if she’s in Ponyville right now. Applejack, Fluttershy, do you know?”

The two only returned silence, with a dash of helplessness. Since the Ursa Minor fiasco, Trixie had all but been a pony non grata in Ponyville. In fact, it took mentioning her name for Applejack and Fluttershy to recall her. Silently, Twilight sifted through her mental list of unicorns but nopony seemed to fit the bill. Rarity had been one of the staunchest complainants, Snips and Snails would’ve been too stupid to pull this off, and the rest didn’t have enough screen time to be profiled as suspects.

Just as it seemed that this better route would be another dead end, a random flyer kicked against Twilight’s face despite no breeze blowing. Was it carried here by the jet stream? Nevertheless, she soon found out that the flyer provided the answer she needed.

“Hmm,” Twilight said, reading the flyer intently. “Come one, come all. The Great and Powerful Trixie returns to Ponyville for her summer tour. See new tricks up her hooves in front of Town Hall at high noon.”

“Well, that’s mighty convenient,” Applejack said, suspecting a bad feeling.

“Too convenient,” Spike added.

“I think so, too,” said Twilight. “But this is our only shot at confronting Trixie. Get the others to meet up at Town Hall before noon. Time to pay an old friend a visit.”

Day 3, 11:55 a.m.

Twilight’s earlier victory seemed to have done a number on Trixie’s audience size. Roughly a fifth of the ponies present during the confrontation only showed up to watch the magician’s summer tour. The mobile stage blanketed the entrance to Town Hall, complete with all the stage décor as the crowd remembered it and more. Various gems dotted every nook and cranny of the stage but the kitchen sink. Combined with the sun’s intense glare, some ponies would be glad just to finish the show with their vision intact.

Joined by the rest of her friends, Twilight chose the nearby bridge to watch the performance without riling up the crowd with her presence. Not a moment later, the unicorn with one account of fooling Ponyville appeared on stage. Much to Twilight’s surprise, not one boo came from the crowd. At this point, they would rather think of something else other than the water crisis. Trixie’s entertainment, in hindsight, seemed like the perfect distraction; although it consisted mostly of elementary tricks.

The show didn’t last long. After 15 minutes, the crowd dispersed as Trixie’s stage packed up with the pull of a lever. This was Twilight’s cue.

Day 3, 12:10 p.m.

“Trixie,” Twilight said, trotting over to the magician’s wagon. “Can I borrow you for a minute?”

Just like in previous encounters, the sight of her arch-nemesis left a bad taste on Trixie’s mouth. “Ugh,” she replied. “The Great and Powerful Trixie must travel to her next performance posthaste. I cannot be bothered by such…disturbances.”

It was a rude answer, but nothing less of Twilight’s rival. “Don’t worry,” Twilight said. “I’m sure your next performance can wait. Can’t be ‘Great and Powerful’ if you work yourself to the bone, right?”

The suggestion tempted Trixie. She had been traveling for days, mostly on hoof, towing her wagon and spreading fliers. “Fine,” she replied but still wary of Twilight’s intentions. “But make it fast. The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t wish to stay in this backwater town for as long as necessary.”

Twilight saw the need to keep the debacle with Fluttershy hidden from Trixie’s perspective. At this point, she may have just chanced upon Ponyville’s sorry state. Quickly accusing her of the town’s plight without clear evidence will simply put her as the victim rather than the suspect. Nevertheless, Twilight’s eye for detail quickly noticed a few subtle hints. First, while everypony sweated under the blistering heat, Trixie didn’t seem unfazed. Second, her smooth mane and tail was a far cry from the messy coiffeurs the locals had to endure for the past few days without water for bathing.

Third, and arguably the most “subtle,” was the array of gems cladding the stage. Twilight was taken aback by the glare it produced, but proceeded to ask anyway. “What’s up with the new and improved stage, Trixie?” she asked while shielding her eyes with her hoof.

“Like it?” boasted Trixie as she flipped her mane. “The Great and Powerful Trixie needs a new look for her greater and powerful-er performances. Gems are in this season.”

“Yes, but from this perspective you overdid it,” Rarity remarked, also while shielding her eyes from the blinding glare.

“Nonsense!” Trixie cried boastfully. “You can never overdo something that can become greater and powerful-er.”

“Is ‘powerful-er’ even a word?” Rainbow Dash whispered to Pinkie Pie.

Anypony can find “greater” in any dictionary, but “powerful-er” will surely make any lexicologist cringe. This newfound source of confidence, however, has everypony wondering. With no answers so far, Twilight continued pressing for info “So, Trixie,” she said. “Where did you get all these gems? Rock farming?”

“Come on, Twilight,” replied Pinkie Pie skeptically. “The pay may be good, but it’s not that good.” Despite this remark, Trixie remained tight-lipped.

“Judging by your silence,” said Twilight. “I assume it’s from some illicit activity.”

Trixie’s rebuttal was swift but not cunning. “Why should the Great and Powerful Trixie tell you where she received her sparkling rewards?”

Twilight showed her a proper rebuttal. “Why shouldn’t you? No reason to hide anything if you bought those gems legally, right?”

As the interrogation went on, her friends began showing serious doubt. How did the quest to take back Ponyville’s water ended up in a discussion about Trixie’s blinding platform? They felt that now wasn’t the time to talk about it.

“Applejack,” said Rainbow Dash. “This is getting us nowhere. Why is Twilight talking about gems when we should be getting our water back?”

“We just have to trust Twilight, y’all,” said Applejack, doubtful but hopeful. “Right now, she’s the only one that can open this pickle jar.”

“I’m afraid have to agree with Rainbow Dash,” Rarity replied regrettably. “I know gems are in this season, but gems won’t quench our thirst.”

“If you have any other ideas, I’m all ears, Rarity,” replied Applejack.

“I’m just saying, darling,” Rarity said. “Twilight should get straight to the point now.”

Suddenly, Fluttershy gave her take on the matter. “I believe in Twilight,” she said with great resolve. “Let her work at her own pace.”

Applejack let out a sigh of relief. Fluttershy, who had seen Twilight’s methods firsthand since yesterday, was in the best position to tell everypony that everything’s going to be fine. The investigator’s eye for detail may mean deviating from the point at hand, but prior to her failure yesterday, this method pulled her through every single time.

“F-Fine!” cried Trixie, flustered. “I got them from a gem dealer. Happy now?”

“Strange,” Twilight said. “You can simply mine the gems instead of buying them variants. But I digress. Where was your last show, Trixie?”

“Baltimare,” Trixie answered casually. “Much better reception than what the Great and Powerful Trixie received here.”

“Maybe because you’re not so well-received here at all,” mumbled Rainbow Dash.

“When was your last show?” Twilight asked.

Before Trixie could answer, Twilight’s fears suddenly materialized. “Hold on,” she said. “Trixie senses something amiss. Why are you asking me all these questions all of a sudden?”

This didn’t bode well for Twilight. She hasn’t gotten anything relevant out of Trixie yet. Maybe she picked the wrong pony again; maybe this was another dud. Despair was slow to sink in, but she stayed calm. “Well, you know,” she replied. “We haven’t seen each other for a while.”

“You seriously believe that the Great and Powerful Trixie is already friends with you?” said Trixie in indignation.

“Now wait a minute,” said Twilight in a panic. “I never said anything about—”

“Well, heed this, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie warned, growing more furious. “As long as memories of my humiliation are still fresh, I will never, ever be your friend!”

“Geez, grumpy much?” said Pinkie Pie.

After wearing the harness to her mobile stage, Trixie began walking back to where she entered. Having failed to achieve a breakthrough, Twilight slumped in shame and braced for a worse fate than not having friends. However, Rarity was quick to react to a faint glint in Trixie’s saddlebag.

“Wait!” cried Rarity, pointing her hoof at the glint. “I recognize that glint!”

Trixie suddenly lost her nerve. She quickly unstrapped herself and attempted to make a run for it. But a few steps later, Twilight caught her hooves with a quick spell that restricted her hooves. As Trixie kissed the parched ground, the force hurled a few gems and a big hunk of sapphire out of her saddle. Bewilderment hit Rarity almost instantly.

“I knew it!” cried Rarity in indignation. “That glint came from True Blue.”

“True Blue?” replied a shocked Twilight. “The gem we returned to the Diamond Dogs?”

“What else could it be, Twilight?” said Rarity, having calmed down a bit. “But what is Trixie doing with True Blue?”

Twilight turned to Trixie with her game face on. “Okay, Trixie,” she said. “You’re gonna tell me what you’re doing with True Blue. Spare no detail.”

Author's Note

If you haven't played Case 1 of My Little Investigations yet, True Blue is the huge sapphire gem Rarity discovered near the Diamond Dogs' lair. It was stolen in an evening heist, resulting in the scene of the crime the next day.

Day 3, Noon

Confrontation II: Twilight Sparkle (5 CP) v. Trixie Lulamoon (4 CP)

This is it: the cherry on top. Trixie stared at me, I stared back at her; not a thousand-yard stare but a one-yard faceoff. The unbalanced tank was proof that it had been moved by none other than magic. Nopony came to mind more quickly than my old rival Trixie. All I have to do now is to relate that with what Trixie’s doing with True Blue.

Ponyville isn’t watching. Only my friends stayed to watch the next several minutes unfold under the unrelenting heat. Regardless, I can bring the entire town’s plight to an end right here, right now. No more red herrings. No more misleading evidence. I’m putting everything at stake this very moment, myself included.

Day 3, 12:11 p.m.

“Okay, Trixie,” Twilight started. “Let’s start with that hunk of sapphire first. Where did you get it? Why is it with you?”

Trixie responded with utter defiance. “The Great and Powerful Trixie isn’t obliged to answer your question. She invokes her right to self-incrimination.”

Twilight’s friends, not exactly lawyers, replied with confused looks as they tried making sense of the term. Only Twilight herself saw that the term “self-incrimination,” being forced to answer under pressure or threat, was totally out of place. In fact, she had the perfect counter; it’s called “probable cause.”

“First of all,” she started. “We’re not in a courtroom. Second, I clearly saw you trying to flee when Rarity saw that glint. What do you have to hide by running, huh?”

Despite lack of understanding for legalese, Rainbow Dash bluntly agreed with her friend. “Yeah!” she yelled. “As if you know your right to self-incri…incra…whatever you said!”

“Zip it, Rainbow,” Twilight replied, annoyed. “You’re not helping.”

As Rainbow Dash quietly left the job of off-court prosecution to Twilight, Trixie gave her answer. “I told you,” she said. “I bought it from a gem dealer days ago.”

“That’s what you said about the gems on stage,” replied Twilight. “Who’s this gem dealer?”

“He runs a shop in Baltimare,” answered Trixie calmly. “I bought it with my earnings.”

A fuming Rarity intervened, perhaps far worse than the client rejection issue she faced early in the investigation. “Now just a minute,” she said. “I’ll have you know that the owners of True Blue wouldn’t be willing to let go of something that precious.”

“True Blue, you say?” replied Trixie, irritated. “Trixie thinks you have the wrong gem.”

“I beg your pardon!” replied Rarity in indignation. “I’ll have you know that my eye for gems is as accurate as Equestria’s renowned gemologists. I know True Blue when it’s True Blue.”

It seemed like this hunk of sapphire just couldn’t catch a break, even with its new owner. Just as it has brought trouble to several ponies in Twilight’s debut case, it continues to do so under the sweltering heat. Even worse, the conversation is still nowhere near the issue of the water shortage. Ponies can’t drink a glass of Sapphire Shake to quench their thirst. Ponies won’t wait for a definitive answer.

Trixie’s attempted escape may be grounds for probable cause, but there’s a reason for calling it “probable.” It still didn’t prove anything illicit. As much as it looked off-tangent, she saw the gem as the key in unlocking one door after another. Rarity’s expertise on gems may be reliable, but it was going to take more than expert opinion to prove that the sapphire really is True Blue. “Rarity,” Twilight said. “Is there a more convincing way to prove that gem’s really True Blue? Some sort of gemological test, maybe?”

“Twilight!” cried Rarity in disbelief. “Are you accusing me of lying?”

“No!” Twilight retorted. “But you aren’t exactly a gemologist. We need somepony or something with enough authority to identify this gem.”

No gemologist was available in Ponyville. All of Equestria’s greatest minds resided in the big cities, Canterlot to name one. Even if there was one, he wouldn’t understand the situation even if he tried. Rarity shook her head, disappointed at the lack of a viable solution. For Twilight, this corridor was effectively closed—and Trixie won this engagement.

Twilight Sparkle loses 1 CP (4 CP left)

“This is a waste of time,” Trixie said. “Trixie shall not be delayed any longer.”

This confrontation made the one earlier look like filly’s play. Nevertheless, Twilight pressed on. With her uneasiness justified, she began taking more careful steps. First, she had to find a way around the roadblock known as the “pseudo-True Blue.” Perhaps her probable cause theory would bear a more ripe fruit.

“If you’re so innocent, then why did you try to run away earlier?” said Twilight, feeling more confident about this undeniable proof.

Trixie futilely defended otherwise. “I did not!” she cried. “I was simply taking off my harness when you decided to tie my hooves.”

“No, we all saw you trying to run,” Twilight said, then turned to her friends. “You all saw it too, everypony. Right?” They all nodded their heads in reply.

While Trixie couldn’t deny the fact that she tried to flee, she wasn’t about to go down that easily. “Well, that’s…” she said, a bit shaken. “That’s because you were about to attack me.”

“What?” replied a dumbstruck Twilight.

Trixie pointed to her slightly-swollen muzzle, which had been hit after an earlier face-plant. “I hurt my nose because of your ‘harmless’ spell.” Again, from a legalese perspective, she was now speaking personal injury. Twilight had been left speechless by how Trixie suddenly got good in law. Trixie may as well have a second cutie mark in the form of a gavel striking a sound block. It almost seems like when she faced the Diamond Dogs over True Blue.

Oddly enough, that comparison struck a nerve. Could Trixie have been spending time with the Diamond Dogs all this time? True Blue, the gems on her stage, her travel route from Baltimare to Ponyville; everything seemed to fall in place. But before she could raise this matter, she had to give up some ground.

“Fine,” Twilight said calmly and apologetically. “I’m sorry for hurting you.”

Twilight Sparkle loses 1 CP (3 CP left)

“What are you doing, Twilight?!” Rainbow Dash yelled in shock and disbelief. “That wasn’t your fault.”

“No, Rainbow,” replied Twilight. “Trixie is right. My spell caused her to trip and fall. I’m liable for her injury.” Then, she turned to Trixie, teeming with confidence despite losing ground twice. “But this doesn’t mean you’re off the hook, Trixie.”

“Fine then,” Trixie said with a smug. The ruse has done its part. “What other baseless accusations do you have for the Great and Powerful Trixie? She will debunk them all.”

Ticked off by Trixie’s arrogance, the ponies’ urge to strangle her intensified, especially with Rainbow Dash. But they had two good reasons to resist it: first, it would only paint an opposite picture where Trixie was the victim; and second, TV-Y doesn’t take kindly to violence. Nevertheless, her arrogance had to stop at some point—and it started with an odd question from Twilight.

“Did you travel all the way here on hoof, Trixie?” she asked.

An odd question indeed, but one Trixie was more than honored to answer. “Yes, I did,” she replied. “It was a six-day journey through the forest, but even exhaustion failed to faze the Great and Powerful Trixie.”

“I reckon you followed the river upstream,” Twilight said.

“No, I followed the train tracks,” Trixie replied. “They’re a better lead than rivers that branch out to different directions.”

“Why did you walk when you could’ve ridden the train?” Twilight said.

“Trixie must make sure she puts on a show at every town she passes,” Trixie replied proudly. “Everypony must be graced with her presence.”

Skepticism immediately kicked in. “Are you sure there are even towns along the way to Baltimare?” asked Twilight. “I don’t think there’s anything there but trees and mountains.”

“There are!” Trixie answered with gusto. “I was warmly welcomed by a group of dogs near Ponyville. They loved my tricks, although they looked parched and smelled bad. Trixie will never forget such a great audience, especially when I performed my finale.”

“Which is?”

“At their request, Trixie lifted an entire basin of water from the nearby river.”

For the first several seconds, nopony uttered a word in response to what they’ve just heard. With the situation in Ponyville direr than anypony could imagine, even the offhand mention of the word “water” would be enough to stir a hornet’s nest. Trixie quickly put her pride away the moment she saw the ponies’ faces. Now, the front door was open—and it was inviting justice in.

“You know what I think, Trixie?” she said, breaking the deafening silence. “I think you’re a Great and Powerful fraud.”

“What?!” yelled Trixie in indignation. “You accuse Trixie of lying when you have been unable to prove anything about my prized gem? Explain yourself!”

“Oh, I will,” Twilight replied, grinning. “Hold onto that gem while you still can.”

Day 3, 12:19 p.m.

“I happen to know a group of dogs that match your description to a T,” Twilight began. “Assuming they’re the same group of dogs, I can point out that, at that time, you were less than a day away from Ponyville. The only river closest to that location was the one separating Ponyville and the Everfree Forest.”

“What’s your point?” Trixie replied, still infuriated by the accusation.

“Fluttershy showed me the same river, only bone dry, two days ago. She told me that the river has never been that dry before. It was her primary supply of water when she gave up her line to support Ponyville’s conservation efforts. She thought it was the drought, but your story made it clear. It wasn’t from the drought. It was from your magic.”

A distressed Trixie mounted one counterargument after another, but even she knew she was about to break. “You can’t prove that,” she said. “There are other rivers around the dogs’ lair.”

“But you said it yourself, Trixie,” Twilight replied calmly. “You performed a show near Ponyville, which only had the river close to Fluttershy’s place.”

Trixie failed to respond.

Trixie Lulamoon loses 1 CP (3 CP left)

Having regained the initiative, Twilight pressed on with her investigative prowess. As everypony would later find out, Trixie’s arrogance had become her undoing. “By the way,” she said. “The dogs near Ponyville? We’re really close friends with them. I couldn’t think of any other lair than Rambling Rock Ridge, which I recall having a large deposit of gems.”

“You can’t possibly say I got the gems from them?” Trixie said. “Maybe my gem dealer got those gems from that ridge.”

“No, because that’s not my concern right now,” Twilight said. “Fluttershy also mentioned that the dry riverbed was too dangerous. Thanks to that, I was unable to get anything useful from her. But now I know why. At one point, she may have seen your little act and tried to hurry to Ponyville but got captured.”

“The dogs weren’t at the riverbed when I performed the trick,” Trixie replied desperately.

“Really now, Trixie?” Twilight answered. “You’re trying to put on a show. Why would you do so without the audience watching?”

“I brought the water back to their lair—”

“Lies!” Twilight cut her line short. “I saw a huge steel helm buried on the riverbed. It didn’t look too old, meaning it may have been there recently. Maybe the dogs enjoyed your show so much that one of them accidentally knocked off the other’s headgear in excitement?”

Again, Trixie failed to respond.

Trixie Lulamoon loses 1 CP (2 CP left)

Despite the upper hand, Twilight remained vigilant; the possibility of a turnaround still loomed somewhere. So far, she managed to form half of the story. Fluttershy had been pressured into keeping her mouth shut about Trixie’s performance by the Diamond Dogs, but it only explained her association with them. The other half, Ponyville’s water reserves mysteriously disappearing after one night, still remained unsolved. Twilight mentally browsed through her notes as she watched Trixie reel from two lost engagements.

“Fine, you got me,” admitted Trixie. “I was with those dogs. I performed the trick. I got them the water. That’s all I did for them.”

“And I reckon that’s where you got your prized gem,” Twilight replied.

“No!” Trixie answered in defiance. “I told you, I got them from the dealer in Baltimare.”

“If you were really in Baltimare.”

Trixie braced for the worst again. What was her rival going to say this time? “What do you mean?” she said. “I was in Baltimare.”

“Likely story.”

“Prove it.”

“Gladly,” Twilight said, after which she called Fluttershy to the witness stand once more. This time, Fluttershy had to cooperate. “Fluttershy, when did you see Trixie and the Diamond Dogs?”

Fluttershy wasted no time sharing what she knew. “I think it was four days ago,” she replied. “I was eating lunch when I heard some howling and cheering outside. That’s when I saw Trixie moving the water as if some sort of container. When I tried running to Ponyville, I stepped on a loose branch and gave myself away. The Diamond Dogs caught up to me and told me to be quiet or else.”

“Or else what?” asked Twilight.

“That’s just it,” Fluttershy answered. “They didn’t say anything. I was too scared to ask.”

This newfound puzzle piece intrigued Twilight, not because of the coincidence but rather the math behind it. “Interesting,” she said as she turned back to Trixie. “Trixie, you told us it was a six-day journey to Baltimare. But you were already in Rambling Rock Ridge four days earlier.”

Trixie answered back, but even she knew the cat was already out of the bag. “Well, I…” she replied anxiously. “What I mean is…I, uh, left Baltimare eight days ago. Yeah. It was a really long trip. Ha, ha…”

“You couldn’t have spent six days traveling from Baltimare,” Twilight deduced. “For all I know, you were probably near Ponyville this whole time.”

Trixie froze in fear of another breakthrough. It’s as if Twilight, who smirked in reply, could read her like an open book.

“Okay,” Twilight said. “Listen up because it’s gonna get complicated.”

Day 3, 12:25 p.m.

The longest explanation of the case began after clearing her throat. “Okay,” she started. “First, you said that it took you six days to get to Baltimare. I won’t contest the actual distance between Ponyville and Baltimare because it’s irrelevant. But Fluttershy claimed she saw you four days ago. Do the math and guess what? You’ve been in the area way before this whole water fiasco. Forget your summer tour; what were you doing these past few days?"

Trixie was quiet for the rest of the explanation. Still, the rounds were finding their mark.

“I’m also making the assumption that your ability to lift water off the ground is just what the Diamond Dogs need,” Twilight added. “They may have paid you in gems, including their prized True Blue, possibly to supply them with much-needed water. When that wasn’t enough, you would sneak into Ponyville at night to suck every reservoir dry, including the water tank. It would be impossible to pull it off with brute strength, as it would sound loud enough to alert some residents. So you used magic to lift the tank, empty its contents, and put it back quietly. Your biggest mistake, however, is that you failed to put the tank to its precise position, as displayed by the dirt marks.”

The blow to the defendant was undeniably fearsome.

Trixie Lulamoon loses 1 CP (1 CP left)

Just when fate seemed to have decided the victor, Trixie came back with one more trick. “You still haven’t proven that this gem is True Blue,” she said. “You can’t blame me for everything, Twilight Sparkle.”

Just like that, a quick dash to victory had been ruled out. Twilight had yet to prove that Trixie’s hunk of sapphire was really True Blue. She had been denied entry earlier in the confrontation, so the chances of being denied a second time—unless new evidence surfaced—was just as high. What would it take to prove the identity of the gem and, eventually, bring this troublesome case to a close? There must be something amidst the evidence she could use, perhaps dating back to the True Blue incident itself.

Tense moments passed. Trixie, although badly mauled, felt deserving of at least one victory. She heckled at Twilight’s silence, a far cry from the successive stings she landed just a while ago. “What’s the matter?” she said, mocking her by brushing her hoof against the hunk of sapphire. “Can’t prove me wrong about this sparkling rock?”

“I’ll give you something to prove,” Rarity replied angrily, lunging toward her only to be stopped by Applejack biting the former’s tail.

“Hold on, there, Rarity,” Applejack said without moving her teeth. “She’s just rilin’ you up. Don’t fall for it.”

Suddenly, in stark amazement, the investigator lowered her head in defeat and said. “Fine, Trixie. That’s not the True Blue.”

“See?” Trixie replied arrogantly. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is right at some point.”

“But you know what?” Twilight retorted.

“Hmm…?”

“I don’t care.”

Without warning, Rarity rushed to Twilight’s side, asking for clarification literally in her face. “Twilight!” she cried. “Whatever do you mean by what you just said?”

Twilight simply hushed Rarity with her hoof and continued: “You know why? I couldn’t care less where True Blue ends up. The Diamond Dogs can do anything with it as they please. All that matters to me is why you would steal our water.”

Trixie answered with silence.

“Did you realize what you’ve done with your mad stunt?” Twilight added, growing angrier by the minute. “You left Ponyville with no water to drink or use. We all worked so hard to save enough water to last throughout summer, not to mention Fluttershy who had to forfeit her water for everypony’s benefit. Or were you so engrossed in your tour that you didn’t even notice?”

A dumbstruck Rarity stepped away from the two parties, being forced to watch the drama unfold. The rest of the gang was just as surprised. Amidst the sermon, Trixie tried making sense of the sudden turn of events. “Now wait just a minute,” she said but was cut off.

Meanwhile, Twilight’s frustration slowly crept up to its peak. This was a pony who had bore the brunt of Ponyville’s frustration and despair for days. It didn’t take long for rationality to show itself out. “You can keep the gem, Trixie,” she said. “But you’ll also carry the guilt of stealing. I hope you’re happy because we aren’t.”

“I…I…” replied a staggered Trixie as she looked into her rival’s indignant eyes. She felt every ounce of her pride drained from her body, just like how she had sucked the reservoirs dry. Everything her rival had said up to this point had been direct hits. She couldn’t take any more. She lowered her head in shame and said: “Trixie…admits defeat.”

Trixie Lulamoon loses 1 CP (0 CP left)

Twilight Sparkle wins 3-0

Day 3, Afternoon/Night

Day 3, 1:04 p.m.

Jagged rock formations flanked a valley of dirt stretching for miles. Barren terra firma spanned from end to end with only a few trees and bushes growing. Rocks of different shapes and sizes dotted the landscape, some split open by natural forces. As the summer heat bore down on Rambling Rock Ridge, the local population of insects sought refuge underground. Even they believed the heat was overkill.

Accompanying Trixie, Twilight and company treaded lightly across this part of Equestria for the nth time. Several hundred yards in front of them, a cave loomed wide open like the jaws of a monster. Not in a million years did they think about returning to this place, where trouble stuck to them like glue.

“Ah hope this is the last time we go back to this place,” said Applejack, tension building up. “This has ‘trouble’ written all over it.”

“We all do, Applejack,” Twilight answered.

“Well, I don’t mind coming back,” Rarity said. “After all, this is where I get my gems.”

“Well, most of us,” Twilight replied, clearly not amused.

As they neared the cave, the red-vested Rover and two lumbering guards formed the welcome committee . “What’re you doing here?” yelled Rover. “Go away! No ponies allowed!”

Immediately, the stench of trouble and months of oral hygiene on a hiatus filled the air. Despite the revolting smell, Twilight stepped forward to deliver her brief message. “I ain’t gonna mince words with you, mister,” she started. “Return Ponyville’s water right now.”

“What water?” Rover denied. “We have nothing. Go away!”

Twilight stood firm and returned the dogs’ glare, challenging the latter. “There’s no use denying,” she said. “We know what happened. You deliberately used Trixie to do your dirty work.”

Rover looked at Trixie intently but looked away in denial shortly after. “What are you talking about?” he said. “I don’t know that pony. Go away! Or we will make you!”

The ponies’ tense looks made it clear that they weren’t going anywhere without their water. A tense standoff ensued, each side firing gazes at each other. They had come too far to walk away empty-hoofed. But a staring contest wouldn’t solve things.

In the midst of the standoff, a shaken Trixie felt the weight of the world’s sadness pile up on her. Rover’s last reply sent a chilling sensation down her back. All the accolades she received from the Diamond Dogs turned out to be ruses. They didn’t love her magic tricks; they loved her ability to lift liters of water in one pass. “Why didn’t Trixie see this coming?” she asked herself quietly.

Rainbow Dash, tasked with keeping Trixie from bailing out, noticed the latter shivering. Unless it was fever, Trixie had little reason to feel cold. “Hey,” Rainbow asked. “What’s gotten into you?”

Trixie didn’t reply but the shivering grew more erratic.

“Hey!” Rainbow yelled, reaching for Trixie’s nape. “I’m talking to you!”

Before Rainbow’s hoof could make contact, Trixie snapped and abruptly lunged toward Rover, complete with an earsplitting shriek. The force sent both of them inside the cave. Ponies and dogs alike were left stunned at the sudden turn of events. Twilight and company eventually rushed to break up the fight, but the two guard dogs barred their way. This was the last straw.

“Fine!” Twilight cried angrily. “Let’s do this the hard way!” After which, she responded with a powerful blast that sent the two dogs flying inside the cave, as well.

What started out as tense negotiations eventually gave way to an all-out brawl. Words have failed to settle the matter; the hooves and paws have taken over. Alerted by the fighting at the cave entrance, more guard dogs—including Fido and Spot—joined the fight. Despite three-to-one odds, the ponies were holding their own in a thick mass of cartoonish smoke. Even Fluttershy, who wasn’t much of a fighter, kept her share of the dogs frustrated by leading them in a wild goose chase.

In the midst of the fighting, Applejack scored a direct hit against a guard dog with Bucky and Kicks. The dog hit the wall hard; not hard enough to keep him out of the fight but enough to crack the wall. The fierce fighting left the crack unattended until they began raining a mist of water below as it reached the ceiling. The sudden rain stopped the fighting.

Applejack stretched out his tongue, catching several drops. Only one substance in the world was tasteless yet thirst-quenching. “Water,” she said. “It’s water, y’all.”

“Ha!” Twilight cried while face-to-face with Fido. “I knew it! You guys really stole our water! Now give it back!”

“The pony does not know what she is talking about,” replied the gray-vested Fido. “The water is from our underground storage.”

“Underground?” Twilight replied. “Then why is it coming from the ceiling?”

The uhms and errs coming out of Fido were all the confirmation Twilight needed.

“I thought so,” she said.

Suddenly, multiple cracking sounds filled the cave entrance quickly. Rock fragments began falling onto the cave floor and misty sprays gave way to gushing jets. Several tense moments later, falling chunks had everyone and their grandma running for their lives. A huge tsunami surged out of the cave, washing them out of the cave and across the ridge. In a matter of minutes, the entire ridge turned into a raging channel, funneling the wave straight to Ponyville.

“You were keeping this much water all this time?!” yelled Twilight as she tried staying afloat. “You really are downright dirty!”

“Don’t forget smelly,” Applejack added, hanging onto a guard dog amidst the confusion. “Were y’all plannin’ on scrubbin’ yer furs with all that water?”

“We were thirsty!” Rover admitted.

“Sick!” Spot added.

“Stinky!” Fido added.

“And wet! Wheeeee!” added Pinkie’s usual randomness amidst the chaos.

“Pinkie Pie!” cried a distressed Rarity. “A mane-ruining ride is not an enjoyable activity!”

“Rainbow!” Twilight yelled. “Can you fly to Ponyville and warn everypony?”

The young flier’s apparent struggle to stay afloat and panic attacks told a resounding “No” to that plan. Either way, it would’ve been too late; Ponyville had come into view too fast.

“Brace for impact!” Twilight yelled.

Back in Ponyville, the few ponies outside had no idea of the blessing-slash-calamity coming their way. Before the ponies could seek high ground, the water washed everypony away in the town plaza and the surrounding suburbs. In less than a minute, Ponyville was submerged under three feet of water. But instead of freaking out, the ponies treated the blessing with a celebration, drinking and bathing as if they haven’t seen water since the dawn of time.

The Mayor came out of the town hall, hearing the massive roar of the raging water and the celebration that followed. Water covered much of the open ground, even flooding the office floor. As much as joy filled her heart like the water filling the plaza, she had to deal with confusion first. “What in Celestia’s name is going on here?” she said.

A drenched Twilight responded from the bottom of the stairwell. “Mayor,” she said confidently. “Tell Ponyville to get busy.”

Day 3, 6:37 p.m.

For the next five hours, general mobilization collected as much water as their containers allowed and refilled the various reservoirs. Buckets, cans, watertight wagons, any containers that could be mustered were pressed into service. Everypony, even Trixie and the Diamond Dogs helped out, clearly part of their punishment for causing the town so much grief. Fluttershy led a group to save the fish and other animals washed away by the tsunami. Twilight and the Mayor oversaw the cleanup from the town hall’s porch. After Twilight delivered her full report, the Mayor quickly decided on the culprit’s punishment.

“Pony non grata?” asked Twilight.

“That’s right, Twilight,” the Mayor explained. “The citizens have suffered too much from this crisis. Effective 12:00 a.m. tomorrow, Trixie is no longer welcome in Ponyville for the rest of her life.”

“What about the Diamond Dogs?”

“I shall consult Princess Celestia regarding the matter because it falls outside Ponyville jurisdiction. For now, I shall have somepony keep an eye on them.”

Twilight kept quiet and nodded. After everything Ponyville has gone through, Trixie and the Diamond Dogs should consider themselves lucky that Princess Celestia didn’t give the verdict.

As the night grew darker, the last drops of water were on their way to the reservoirs, now back to pre-crisis levels. Homes and shops across town finally enjoyed a proper bath and glass of water. Equestria’s hottest summer just got a lot less hot.

Applejack’s arrival concluded the meeting. “Pardon for the interruption,” she said. “But have y’all seen Trixie?”

“Wasn’t Rainbow Dash keeping an eye on her?” Twilight asked in reply.

“That’s the problem,” said Applejack. “I can’t find them anywhere.”

“Let’s go look for them,” Twilight said. “If you’ll excuse us, Mayor.”

“Of course, Twilight,” said the Mayor. Vision was limited to a couple of yards, even with the full moon lighting the town. Twilight and Applejack came across Trixie’s mobile stage, at least what’s left of it. Shoddy construction reduced it to a heap of wood splinters and gems, which Rarity took the liberty of collecting the latter. The two ponies looked at her in disapproval.

“Whaaat?” said Rarity. “I can’t let good gems go to waste.”

Twilight, however, wasn’t in the mood for another case. “Have you seen Trixie?”

“Trixie?” said Rarity. “I saw her with Rainbow Dash walking to the direction of your library, dear. Not sure why.”

“You do realize Trixie’s doin’ community service, right?” Applejack said.

Taken aback by what sounded like an accusation, Rarity replied in indignation: “Of course I do! What do you take me for, a dunce?”

“Whoa there, take it easy,” said Applejack. “‘Dunce’ is too strong of a word.”

“You can settle your differences later,” Twilight said. “Right now, we have to find Trixie.” Immediately, she and Applejack left Rarity to salvage the sparklers.

Minutes later, Twilight’s home came into view, but they caught Trixie at the train station on the opposite side. Their hooves touched dry ground as they approached the platform. The tsunami spared this part of Ponyville. The sound of the locomotive engine echoed in the air, preparing for its last trip of the day. Trixie and Rainbow Dash filled their field of vision as they climbed up the platform. But for the first few seconds, not a single pony uttered a word. Not even the thought of asking Rainbow why she and Trixie went to this part of town crossed Twilight’s mind. Not that it mattered because the cleanup was all but over. Instead, Twilight decided to be the bringer of bad news to Trixie.

“The Mayor has spoken,” she broke the silence. “She’s never to return to Ponyville ever.”

“If you ask me, she should be caged,” said Rainbow. “She made many lives miserable.”

Despite justice being served swiftly, Twilight looked beyond the face value of her astounding victory. “Trixie,” she said. “Something’s bothering you. I can tell.”

“If you’re talking about my punishment, then congratulations,” said Trixie. “You just stated the obvious.”

“No, it’s not that,” Twilight replied. “During your Ponyville show, I noticed that you performed only simple tricks. The Trixie I know would give her all no matter what, which you did when you performed for the Diamond Dogs.”

“What are you implying?” asked Trixie.

After a brief silence, Twilight finally got to the point. “Are you scared of being rejected?”

Instead of challenging Twilight to another war of words, Trixie kept mum but shed a tear. At that moment, the loud whistle of the train echoed through the night. “All aboard!” the conductor announced. “Last train for Canterlot!”

Unexpectedly, Trixie’s tears turned into angry words. “You wouldn’t understand!” she yelled but still shedding tears. “None of you would understand!” Shortly after, she stormed into the rear wagon.

Rainbow Dash prepared to give chase, but Twilight grounded her tail with magic. “Let her go, Rainbow,” Twilight said. “She needs time to be alone.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Twilight,” Rainbow replied.

“Only time can tell, Rainbow,” Twilight said, watching the train slowly leave the station. “Only time can tell.”

Day 3, 8:22 p.m.

Twilight happily retired for the night, knowing that water would soon be chugging down her throat anytime. She took pride in keeping her promise five hours ahead of schedule thanks to a hard-learned lesson on red herrings; how they could make or break the most complicated cases. It would make a great letter to Princess Celestia, in addition to the lesson about having faith in your friends. At home, she caught Spike shelving some new arrivals with Owlowiscious.

“Spike,” Twilight said. “Take a letter.”

“Just a minute,” Spike answered, squeezing a thick paperback between a gap hardly big enough for one. “One more new book to fit…and done.” Shortly after, he grabbed a scroll and inked quill.

[“Dear Princess Celestia” letter to be uploaded as a separate chapter]

The letter eventually went its way to Princess Celestia’s quarters as a stream of magical smoke in the night. “So I heard water’s finally back in Ponyville,” he said later. “Nice job, Twilight.”

“Thanks, Spike,” Twilight replied, followed by a sigh of relief. “I’m just glad this whole thing is finally over. I’m so thirsty I can drink a whole tank.”

She walked to the kitchen to get her victory drink, coming face-to-face with the tap she begged to work for the past few days. Confidently, she put an empty glass under the tap and turned the knob. But after seconds of waiting, the sound of gushing water didn’t come.

“What?!” Twilight exclaimed, toggling the knob to no avail. She finally decided take the matter into her own hooves literally, smacking the tap in anger. “Stupid piece of—”

The nozzle broke in two. WHARRGARBL ensued.

THE END

Day 2, Morning

Day 2, 9:14 a.m.

The unrelenting heat returned to Ponyville the next day, the streets void of playful fillies and beautiful flowers. If there were ponies outside, they were cooking eggs in pans without an open flame; some with aluminum foils. A cool valley breeze blew on some occasions, but it only provided a brief respite. Yet, smiles filled more ponies’ faces than yesterday—and for good reason. With the water supply finally stable, summer seemed less of Princess Celestia's favorite sentence. Leaflets all over town announced the Mayor’s decision to lift the daily water ban. Everypony was happy. The end.

Just kidding. Not one pony was smiling, not even Twilight.

“You gotta be kidding me!” she cried upon realizing that the tap still refused to give water. “What happened to the water?”

Spike didn’t seem to care, given that he always had something in his throat hotter than thirst. “Whoa,” he said. “Everypony must be really thirsty today.”

“Ponyville received an ocean’s worth yesterday,” said a flustered Twilight. “I mean, this tap ran just fine last night.”

Spike calmly put forth his suggestion to their water woes. “We really need to have our own tank.”

“Something’s definitely up,” Twilight said, wearing her signature face of suspicion. “Even if you leave all the taps in Ponyville open, it’ll take more than a night to use up all the water. I smell a water thief.”

For reasons even Celestia’s wisdom can’t comprehend, Spike smelled his armpits. “I don’t know,” he said. “The only smell I pick up is this dragon not getting his bubble bath.”

Twilight headed for the front door to get some answers but not before issuing her number one assistant instructions. “I’m going to the water tower,” she said. “You stay here and see if there’s a broken pipe somewhere.”

“Are you serious? You’re putting me on plumbing duty?”

“This problem ain’t gonna fix itself, you know.”

Just like that, Twilight ran off into no-mare’s land; the heat bearing down with the weight of the entire world. Glare pierced her eyes faster than a magic ray, preventing her from looking far and wide. Just a few minutes into the frying pan, she could feel sweat racing for the ground, probably wanting to escape the heat, too. The “weight of the world” had also begun to take its toll on her strength. The road to the water tower, shrouded in the same wavy horizon trick as yesterday, appeared to have a few more yards of road on it. Whether or not she wasn’t notified of a recent road project, the seemingly-long road took Twilight for a tiring walk. She felt like turning back and going to bed way too early, but the desire for water fueled her waning determination.

The scenario at the base at the water tower almost reflected that of yesterday, except the Mayor found herself under serious flak from enraged citizens. From a distance, Twilight felt the bad vibes coming from the group of citizens who felt they were fed with lies. With the Mayor clearly in trouble, Twilight hurried to end the melee of words. No amount of lost energy kept her down.

“Everypony, stand down,” she said, quickly cutting in between the Mayor and the angry mini-mob. “Arguing won’t solve our water problem. We promise to get to the bottom of this. For now, go back to your homes.”

This came from a pony who had more than proved her weight in gems. Twilight got them through worse odds; why lose faith in her now? A cool bucket of trust doused the fiery anger inside everypony in the group. It didn’t take long before everypony chilled out and dispersed. Save for one.

“I refuse to go anywhere without an amicable solution,” Rarity said, exasperated.

“Rarity?” replied Twilight in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

The fashionista’s story sounded like a sorry excuse for fiction. “I had just been turned down by a very important client because I couldn’t wash the ensemble I made for him,” she cried in desperation. "That's what!"

“What?” replied Twilight in even more disbelief. “Are you sure it’s not just you being silly.”

At this time, “silly” didn't sound good to Rarity, even when it rhymed. “I beg your pardon,” she replied with indignation. “He was from Manehattan. Manehattan! Do you realize ponies in the big city demand nothing less than perfection?”

“Rarity, calm down; we’ll get to the bottom of this. You have my word.”

For the record, Twilight has never seen Rarity fuming like an open steam valve before. That very important client must be worth life and limb to impress. Despite her reservations, Rarity simply looked away and left the scene. After seeing her leave, Twilight turned to the Mayor for answers.

“What’s going on, Mayor?" Twilight asked. "What happened to all the water?”

“I’m just as baffled, Twilight,” the Mayor replied calmly. “Clearly, this is an act of theft, but we don’t have a lead at the moment. Do you have an idea who could’ve done this?”

“I’m sorry, Mayor,” Twilight said. “I don’t. But I know we have to solve this mystery as soon as possible.”

“Indeed,” the Mayor agreed. “If we don’t act soon, I fear we’ll be facing a much larger crowd of angry ponies later. Can I leave the investigation to you?”

“Of course, Mayor.”

“I must take my leave and declare a state of emergency across Ponyville.”

As the Mayor left, the term “state of emergency” slowly sank deep inside Twilight’s head. The definition is complicated on paper, but even a filly knows the term means no good. The only time Ponyville entered in such a state was…well, never. Ponyville had a reputation for managing resources well, but this crisis practically stained it. As much as Twilight disliked the Mayor’s plan, it was a small price to pay.

Twilight’s investigation began with a look at the five-story water tower, a lofty structure of four wooden pillars and a steel tank on a platform. Yet, for a tank that has kept every tap in Ponyville running since the town's foundation, it lacks a way down. “Now that I’ve taken a closer look,” she said. “How does the water come down?”

With no ladders leading up to the tank, Twilight transported herself in a blink of an eye with magic to the edge of the platform . Despite the vertigo-inducing view from roughly 50 feet, she managed to hold her own and stay focused on keeping her balance along a space that could barely hold all four hooves. Halfway around the tank, she saw a garden hose and spigot bolted onto the tank. Maybe this is how ponies get their water, albeit crude and time-consuming.

While appearing inconspicuous, no item could escape Twilight’s keen eye for detail. “This tap looks like it was recently installed,” she said, attesting to the spigot’s cleanliness. “On top of that, this garden hose looks also new.”

It’s likely this was also how the thieves stole the water under the cover of darkness. But her keen eye for detail revealed pieces of the puzzle that didn’t fit. “This doesn’t make any sense,” she said. “There’s no way you can drain all of the tank’s contents with just a hose and tap, let alone pull it off before dawn. Maybe I’m looking at the wrong clues.”

Twilight needed to go deeper; she went inside the tank the same way she came to the top. Inside was a claustrophobe’s worst nightmare. The darkness stretched across a wide expanse despite the tank being no bigger than a house. Fortunately, unicorns come with nifty advantages like a horn light. A purple glow filled the empty tank, shedding light on the rivets and steel planks lining the walls. A few puddles of water littered the tank floor. She walked around the tank, lighting every nook and cranny, only to find nothing out of the ordinary. Did Twilight hit a dead end early in the mystery?

"Just an ordinary tank, I suppose," Twilight remarked, trotting around the tank so carelessly that she got her hoof caught in an unseen depression all of a sudden. "Whoa!"

As she removed her hoof, an inch-wide hole appeared in its place. This must be the downspout she was looking for. “This must connect the tank to every building in Ponyville,” she deduced. “But why couldn't I see this outside? If I can follow this pipe, I may find my answers, perhaps a pipe that shouldn’t be there.”

Twilight has the right spell for this job; she has the right spell for almost everything. “I can shrink myself and explore the pipes, provided that I don’t get lost,” she said. “But I should ask the Mayor for a layout of Ponyville’s plumbing first.”

Shrinking to the size of a pea and exploring the unknown depths of Ponyville’s water network? Clearly, this has “danger” written all over it. If Twilight was to have any hope of at least getting a lead, she was going to need outside help.

Day 2, 11:38 a.m.

“Um, can we go over the plan one more time?” Spike said, utterly confused about his reason for being taken off plumbing duty.

Twilight responded with a hopeless sigh and said: “Okay, listen up. I’ll cast a spell to shrink myself and get inside Ponyville’s water network. Whoever or whatever’s stealing all the water must have a pipe installed to divert water to their lair.”

“And where exactly do I come in?”

“Take this,” Twilight said, handing a small handheld screen over to Spike.

“You want me to play video games while you work?” Spike jested.

“No!” cried Twilight. “This device reads my magic signature within a short range. Take it with you and follow me as I explore the underground network. I need you to tell me where I am in Ponyville as I go and, in case of an emergency, bail me out.”

Spike protested the whole plan out of concern for Twilight’s safety. “You can’t be serious, Twilight,” he said. “You don’t even know what’s down there. You can get hurt by a falling chunk of dirt or something.”

“Right now, this is the only shot we have in solving this mystery,” Twilight said calmly. “Digging up the pipes would simply take too long, not to mention putting them back. Time isn’t exactly on our side.”

The dragon suggested a safer, superficial alternative. "Don't you have some sort of see-through spell?"

"See-through spells are illegal, Spike," Twilight explained. "Did you even read that book I gave you about banned magic?"

"Uhh...maybe?"

"Don't worry, Spike. I'll be fine. It's not like there are rats inside our water."

Still concerned about Twilight’s safety, Spike reluctantly yielded: “Okay, Twilight,” he said. “Just be careful.”

Halfway to high noon, Operation: Tiny Twilight kicked off. Twilight transported herself back to the claustrophobic tank, while Spike glued his eyes on the blinking purple dot on the panel. Inside the tank, Twilight wasted no time casting the shrinking spell on herself, enveloping her in a bright purple aura. The spell made quick work of her size, shrinking her enough to fit into the hole easily.

She looked at the abyss from the edge of the pipe while weighing her options. As much as she wanted to believe that other, less perilous options exist, she couldn’t think of any. “I wish there was another way of doing this,” said Twilight, swallowing her anxiety. “Here goes.”

Before second thoughts could stop her from doing what must be done, Twilight jumped into the outgoing pipe. The glow of her horn, the only speck of light in the darkness, vanished as the fear of free fall five stories high gripped her mind. First mistake of the day: she failed to take into account the long drop. In the dark, falling from the height of two-and-a-half houses stacked on each other, and screaming for her life, can this get any worse? With the bottom of the pipe pitch black, it just did.

Spike’s quick thinking may have just saved her from cuts and bruises. “Twilight!” he yelled. “You’re gonna hit the ground hard in seconds! Do something!”

Not a second too soon, Twilight’s horn glowed with the lifesaver known as a levitation spell. The glow wrapped her whole body and drastically slowed her descent. As she let out a sigh of relief and touched down gently, the glow shed light on the base of the pipe. She realized how close she came to spending weeks in the hospital. On the not-so-bright side, danger wasn’t done rearing its ugly heads yet.

“Spike, can you hear me?” Twilight called out to the outside world.

Spike was doing the same thing. “Twilight?” he cried. “Are you okay? The tracker says you’re not moving.”

“Spike! Spiiiike!” Twilight raised her tone to the extreme; but to Spike, she may as well be a microbe playing the bongos. Not long after her first flop, she realized her second mistake: failure to keep a two-way line. She could hear Spike but not the other way around, a serious handicap in the expedition to come.

“Twilight?” Spike called out. “I’m gonna assume you’re still okay. If you are, can you give me a sign? Moving, perhaps?”

Twilight saw no reason to turn back now; she was already inside. She began her journey into the unknown and unseen, a journey into one of Ponyville’s sources of life. For the next several minutes, she would place her hopes on two things: Spike and the schematics she received from the Mayor earlier. The mystic glow of her horn lit the way. Spike followed her from the surface, his eyes shifting between the ground and the device.

For now, no clear, present danger posed a threat to Twilight; but the sight of old pipes gave enough reason to feel uneasy. Her sight shifted between the map and terrain, staying alert for any pipe not in the schematics. A thin layer of water lined the pipes; every step she took made splashing sounds only audible inside the network. On a different note, Twilight, at some instances, couldn’t help but marvel at the scars and blemishes of time littered along the pipes’ walls. While there was no telling their exact age, Twilight could safely say: “These pipes have been keeping Ponyville alive for decades. It’s amazing to see them up close.”

Their first stop took the duo to the town proper. Spike noticed the purple dot in the panel had stopped in an all too-familiar place. “Twilight,” he reported. “You’re at Sugarcube Corner.”

The dot instantly moved away from the establishment, prompting Spike to follow. A few minutes later, they stopped at another familiar location. “This is the spa,” said Spike.

The search took them to several places such as Carousel Boutique, Quills and Sofas, the marketplace, Rose’s house, and even the library. Fifteen minutes later, they felt like they had covered all of Ponyville. Fifteen minutes later, no leads.

“Ugh, this is getting frustrating,” Twilight complained. “Celestia, please give me a sign.”

Interesting enough, she did see a sign but not from the princess; a gleaming wall of brand new piping. The relatively new connection stretched as far as the rest of the pipes. Twilight referred to her layout; no connections should exist in this area. But her location revealed a far more intriguing point of view. “This is going outside Ponyville,” Spike said. “To Fluttershy’s place.”

“Fluttershy’s place?” Twilight replied. “She has an entire river close to her place. Why would she need water from Ponyville?”

“You seriously don’t think Fluttershy has something to do with all this, do you?”

“I’d like to think so, too, Spike. I really do.”

Twilight couldn’t help but feel uneasy listing one of her best friends as a suspect, but she pressed on with the investigation. Nopony is above the law, after all; not even her friends. She entered the newly-installed pipe, a straightforward route to the end. Spike followed faithfully.

There’s little reason to believe this line is part of the original network. Its walls and rivets were clean, as if it was installed recently. More importantly, the pipe contained slightly more water than the pipes Twilight explored earlier, more than enough to implicate the subject at the end of this pipe. Hope sparked anew for the young investigator.

Halfway into the new pipe, Twilight suddenly stopped walking. Despite not eating breakfast, she felt heavier for some reason. Perhaps it’s just the eerie air inside the pipe. Plumbing, after all, isn’t exactly known for pleasantries. She shrugged it off and moved on, only for the bloated sensation to return shortly with a more profound effect. Every step she took felt like getting her hooves caught in an unseen patch of quicksand. This time, Twilight had every reason to start running like the wind.

On the surface, Spike noticed the purple dot gaining speed, although he managed to keep up. “Twilight, what’s wrong?” Spike said. “Why are you moving faster?”

“Bloated sensation? That’s not good,” Twilight said, sprinting toward the light at the edge of the tunnel at full speed. “Not good! Not good at all!”

Despite her best efforts, Twilight was still nowhere near the end. It seemed like an endless trail of obscurity ahead and behind her. There was no clear and present danger; it was already inside her. The bloating feeling marked the last few minutes of the shrinking spell, a good 20 minutes of being small as a pea was about to end. In a matter of minutes, one unlucky segment of the mysterious pipeline will shape itself into the image and likeness of Ponyville’s resident investigator. “Nonononononononono!” she cried frantically. “Not now! Not now!”

Day 2, 11:58 a.m.

Not even the hottest summer in pony history could stop Fluttershy from tending to her fishy friends in a small pond not far from her cottage. Humming her favorite tune, she sprinkled some fish food for her friends to feast on. The pond may also as well be one of the last remaining bodies of water within a hundred miles of Ponyville. Unlike the reservoirs, the pond bristled with fish, frogs, and vegetation; a far cry from the dry waterbeds.

Then, from out of nowhere, the sound of mangled metal behind her drew her attention. She turned around to see the steel figure of a unicorn, every detail copied to the last contour. Curiosity kicked in. Where did this accurate steel statue of Twilight Sparkle come from? For that matter, why didn’t she notice it before? Whoever made it must admire her so much for keeping the peace. But Fluttershy knows too well that statues, rock or steel, don’t groan in pain. When it did, she did the most practical thing to do: scream like a scared filly and hide in the pond.

Twilight transported herself out of the steel mold, dazed and messy, while Fluttershy partially emerged from the pond. Spike arrived just in time to see the first interrogation of the entire series unfold.

“Fluttershy,” Twilight said. “We need to talk.”

Dear Princess Celestia...

Dear Princess Celestia,

Three days ago, Ponyville experienced a mysterious water shortage, leaving citizens with nothing to drink or use. At the Mayor’s request, I conducted an investigation before ponies start to panic. After a tough search for the culprit, I found out that Trixie, an old acquaintance of mine, stole all the water with an advanced levitation spell under the cover of darkness and distributed it to the Diamond Dogs living southeast of Ponyville. She did it in exchange for the riches of Rambling Rock Ridge and, as my gut feeling told me, attention. I am happy to report that Ponyville’s water supply has returned to pre-crisis levels and will last throughout summer.

As an investigator, this experience has taught me about red herrings. I regret having implicated Fluttershy as the culprit and failed to consider other possible avenues. I learned that there is always more than one way of doing something, whether or not it’s a crime. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions and be led astray by something too obvious. At that time, I forgot that one of my responsibilities as an investigator was to get to the bottom of things.

As a good friend, I learned to never pressure somepony into admitting something if he or she doesn’t want to talk about it. I almost lost a friend because I had forgotten this important rule of friendship. I also learned not to be angry about it and still remain a dependable friend if he or she needs me.

Always your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle