Dear Princess Celestia.
From the very beginning I assumed this mission was to be an utterly and total failure, and that this report would be a hard one to write. As it turned out, this was hard to write, but not the way I imagined. I will, in short portions by the way, change between a narrative of my own experience and things I just heard of by others. Hopefully, it will turn out to be a good story.
Now, the events I'm referring to started one morning in late fall.
It was in the home of Fluttershy and Big Macintosh. Their bedroom was rather small, but it still felt quite proportional. The bed, which occupied most of the room had its head end against the window, so when the door slam open, and instantly waking up Fluttershy and scare the living out of her, she should be able to see directly who it was. In fact, she didn't. Not at first at least. But then, Angel jumped onto the bed. He had bloodstains all over, and he looked like he'd snapped.
Since Angel always had been a rabbit of a certain character, Fluttershys first thought was "this is it… he's crazy. He will kill me at last" and so she dived under the cushions. However, Angel did nothing to hurt her, instead he started to get her attention. After a while, Fluttershy did calm down, and thought it would be most polite to talk to him at least.
"Oh…morning angel… it is a bit early for breakfast, don't you think?...what? Something… something… in the library? Oh no… is it a bird, flying into the French window again? I told Mac it would be a bad idea but… no? Bunny? Body? A body in the library? Oh… A BODY IN THE LIBRARY?"
At that moment, she started to scream. Big Macintosh was in fact awake a bit before, but this definitely made him alert and awake.
"Wuss the matta' dear?"
"ANGEL SAYS THERE'S A BODY IN THE LIBRARY!" and then she added with her normal voice "Deary… could you please go and check? If you don't mind, I stay in bed with my shivers…"
Big Macintosh went out of bed and walked down to the library with Angel jumping rather animated beside him. Big Macintosh didn't share his wife’s ability to converse animals, but he had no problem understanding that Angel was upset. And, the blood did its fair share. So he entered the library. And, on the big open space in front of the shelf with books concerning harvesting, there it lay. It was a body alright, and a big one. A huge pile of blood was under it, so apparently it had been there for a while. But it looked rather grotesque, and at first Big Macintosh couldn’t see what it was. It was bigger than the average pony, and it was pink. It also had some sort of frock, in green as he could see. And it was smothered with blood. As he went around it, he could see the face of the body. Its throat had been sliced, hence the huge amount of blood, but now he did see what it was.
It was a pig.
And here I return to my personal narrative again. I had done my duties for the day, at least that was my hopes, and I had taken a stroll down to Sugarcube Corner. My dear friend Pinkie Pie needed some support… well, to be honest, I thought so, at least.
"Good Morning, Pinkie Pie" I said, opening the door.
"OOOOOhhh! Good morning, Twilight… I mean Princess Sparkle… I mean… oh whatever. Coffee?"
"Oh, yes thank you. But I need to ask you something…."
"Sure, rally ahead! Don't mind me, got a party to work on! It's gonna be great!"
"Eh… yeah… so… How is you’re anti-depressing taking?"
"They're taking GREAT! Well, I mean… I do fall asleep easier… and my cocoa doesn't taste as good as it used to… And I don't feel so glad…But otherwise they're GREAT! I mean, that evil stupid voice in my head is silent at last! And I don't have the urge to kill everypony anymore! Cupcake?"
"Oh… yeah…okay…"
She brought the coffee, and a pile of cupcakes on a plate. I was a bit surprised she talked about it so openly, but on the other hand, It WAS Pinkie Pie, and how that brain works is an enigma.
"Actually, all I gained from this are good things! You know Daddy came down from the farm? Even though I lay there in the hospital, he urged me to see another doctor. And another doctor. And a Psychiatrist. And a chiropractor. The last this I think he did just cause it was a fancy word, but he was really a dear."
She paused, giving away one of her big smiles. I was not sure what to think, because one of the reasons for her breakdowns was the fact that she smiled even when she didn't want to… and so on, but that’s really another story…
"You see, Twilight, There were two problems with me. My brain didn’t work enough! And the thing I loved the most doing, Party planning, I could do with my left hoof! I needed more stimulation. So, I started to think of throwing more parties! But that didn't help. Then I found sex. That was fun, but didn't really help my brain. And then I started planning my SPECIAL PARTYS! And that really freaked me out. That's when I went to the doctor the first time. I calmed down, but then it all came back... six months ago."
I remembered the event well, known amongst Pinkies friends as the "Cupcake incident".
"And...I tell you, hadn't you guys dragged me to the hospital I think I actually would've killed somepony. But my new Doc says I should try to find something new. And I did. I solve problems"
"Problems? What kind of problems?"
"Oh, all sorts of problems. How come Rarity went away from home with two pair of green shoes, and when she returned, she had one green and one red shoe on for example."
"Eh… she changed?"
"Nope! It was waaaay more complicated. You see…"
At this moment, Rainbow dash flew in through the door.
"Ah, great! Twilight AND Pinkie! I need you two to come to Fluttershy’s cottage at once. It's an emergency!"
"What kind of?" I said, with a gasp.
"There’s a dead pig in Fluttershy’s library."
"WHAT!" Pinkie exploded with energy and jumped up from her chair. "We must go there at once! No evidence to be destroyed. Twilight, come. I probably going to need your expertise on this. "
And so, she ran out of the door. I actually didn't know she could be so quick. After all, she was hopping as usual, but… very fast. Rainbow and I flew to the cottage.
"It was totally disgusting Twilight. There was this blood ALL over the floor, and it smelled like… I never smelled anything like it... "
I actually know what a dead pig smelled like, so I could very well figure. Don't ask me why I know that. We flew in silence for a while.
"How come you bring us here, by the way?”
"Well, it was the least I could do. I mean, Big Mac was busy comforting Fluttershy. She's up in her nerves as usual. And Angel can't talk, and Applejack was busy grieving. I came there with her."
"Applejack? How come she is there?"
"Well, she'd better be. It was her pig."
Arriving at Fluttershy’s cottage, the scene was taking right out of a dime novel. In one corner, Fluttershy was sitting, crying hysterically, with Big Macintosh trying to calm her down. In a chair, all apathetic sat Applejack, staring in front of her. And in the middle of it was the pig. It was an ordinary pig, I guess. Except for the fact that it was dead. And wore a frock. And around it bounced pinkie pie, examining everything with the most manic intensity and some high pitched exclamations, all of them sending Fluttershy back to hysterics every time. I wasn't really sure what to do, but since Rainbow went to comfort Applejack, I decided that helping Pinkie was my chore.
"Ah, Twilight! Great! Now, I need you to… analyse… this…blood sample…"
She had some problem collecting, so I used my magic to gather it.
"How many samples do you need?"
"Oh… take five. There are some different possibilities, but I think the path is quite clear. "
"Clear how?"
"Weeelll… Oh! Oh! Since there are no traces of dragging the body in the blood, the pig must have been killed here on the spot. And, since, it was done all quietly, it was made by someone who was used to opening French windows…"
"Yes… it squeaks quite a bit if you’re not careful" Fluttershy commented, hulking.
"Exactly! And the weapon must have been a rather sharp object, like this knife I found in your kitchen. Test it for traces of blood by the way."
"Now whaddare you implyin'? " Big Macintosh rose, with great anger. "Are you suggestin' WE are behin' dis? That WE killed the pig?"
Pinkie stared at him with astonishment. Then she smiled the little pinkie smile.
"What of course not silly. You did not kill the pig. In your own library? No, that would just be stupid. No, somepony went to Sweet Apple Acres twice yesterday. First was around feeding time, and the somepony returned in the middle of the night, carried the pig here, dressed it up and sliced its throat. And ate a banana."
"Ooookay… why do you think that?" Rainbow dash looked up from her place next to Applejack.
"Well, since it didn’t make any noise or any damage to the room, it must have been drugged. And to drug a pig, you must be there at feeding time. Now, yesterday was family day at Sweet apple acres so there were lots of ponies there. It was an easy task to slip some sample of a drug into a food tray without anypony noticing. And the killing was probably done by midnight, since the full moon would shine right in here at that time. That's important if you want to avoid any lights. And the dress is also important. I was thinking there was some symbolising in it, but it wasn't Fluttershy’s dress, nor was it from Sweet apple acres. But it did have the mark from… the Carousel Boutique. Hence, it's expensive. So wherever we should look, it would be around ponies with money. And somepony crazy as a broken bucket as well."
"And the banana?"
"Oh… that was easy. You see a hoofmark on the dress here. Looks exactly like when I spilled banana mosh on my tail last month. But unfortunately, it’s not big enough to get at print. Well, I think we’re done here."
"Wait! What… what are we gonna do with the pig?"
"Well, I dunno! Ask Applejack, she knows what to do with dead animals. Have a great day, guys!"
And so she hopped away.
I shrugged my shoulders as a sort of "Excuse her, she's… pinkie", but I stayed behind helping to clean the mess. Then I went home to test the blood. It took a while, and in the meantime, Pinkie came over
.
"I did some snooping around Ponyville. As it turns out, there has been quite a bunch of similar incidents. Pets disappear, vegetables molested. Those sort of things. And there has been clothing around. All from Rarity’s shop. Now, we can't test for any type of drugging, but it is noticeable, that except for an incident in May, no one has heard a sound. It was dead silent. You found anything?"
"Well… some sort of substance at least. I don't know what the product was, but the blood contains Ocarina, Phylomatiom and arydmium crystals. But to find out what kind of drug that was….will take a while".
"Well, better not take too long. We have a client waiting!"
"WE have a client?"
"Yep! I want to solve this with my bestest best friend. And except from Rainbow, Fluttershy, Rarity,and Applejack, it's you. "
"Ok… I guess I'm flattered."
"You better be. But here comes the client."
I was rather surpriced when I saw who it was. I hadn't seen Applebloom for some time, her being away on the high school of agriculture in Appleloosa, but she had grown quite a bit. It wasn't a cute little filly standing in the doorway, in fact, it was a young mare, not yet mature, but on a good way. By the look of her face, I would say she was upset but at the same time dead determined to get it her way. I've seen the same look on Applejack sometimes.
"Twilight, am so relieved you and Pinkie will help. Nopony listens to me, and ah can't just stand there. And her dad doesn’t lift a finger for her, he just say it's the way youngsters are, but it won't ah know, and…"
"Dear, dear… please calm down. What is the matter?"
"Well… it it’s my marefriend. Diamond Tiara. She broke up our engagement."
"YOU and DIAMOND TIARA?" I couldn't help myself, I was so surpriced I had to raise my voice..
As far as I had known, Diamond Tiara was the worst bully of the school, with Applebloom as main target. Applebloom, must have read my face perfectly, because she blushed.
"Yeah well… we went to the same school… And there she was different. She had no friends, and ah was the only one she knew. She was really sweet and so on and so on… And so we got engaged. But two months ago, she went home. Apparently her dad called her back. And ah haven't heard of her since. So ah went there yesterday, and the first thing, the only thing she said was "Ah'm breaking up with yer. Everything else would be unfair."
"Do you know why she went home?"
"Weell… not really, but there were rumours…"
"Rumours? About what?"
She had thrown some quick glances over the room, and now she fixed her eyes on something behind me. I turned my head, just to see Pinkie putting up pictures of the dead pig.
"NOTHING! Nothing… there was nothing…"
"Oh, but I bet it was!" Pinkie interfered "Was it someone violently killing animals and traces led to her, and her father wanted nothing of a scandal so he took her home and locked her up?"
Applebloom stared at her. "How did you…"
"Oh, just a hunch. But it seemed probable. Are you also staying at the estate? By the way?"
"Yes… for tonight Ah am. Ah can't go home yet, ahm not giving up… yet."
"No, you called on the right pony to help you! Let’s get to the estate."
Moments later, we were on the move to the estate of Filthy Rich, Ponyville biggest magnate. Applebloom explained on the way. They had been a couple for the last year, much to her father’s dismay, since he wanted someone with papers to go with his daughter. But still. Filthy rich was bringing up his daughter alone, since his wife passed away some years ago. Some accident involving a boat. She had always been a bit quirky, Applebloom said, but the last month before her dad called her home she had been totally out of it. Wasn't sleeping, had paranoid attacks. And then the rumours came around. At that moment we arrived at the estate. We were greeted by an old acquaintance of mine, colonel Humperdinkey, who was my brother’s right hand up in the crystal world.
"Came down here as soon as I heard. Shocking really. Shocking. Couldn't dream of it. No. Decided it was best for me to come here and support. Filthy is an old friend of mine. Known him since we were just schoolmates. Knew his wife to. Practically grow up together. Back then, it was just the three of us… Ehm. I gather Applebloom brought you here?"
"Yes, she asks us to help."
"Not much to help with, I'm afraid." The colonel swung his head backwards which made his grey mane flap. "You know, young folks and their feelings…"
"I thought there were more than feeling?"
"What in the name of Celestia are you implying?"
"Oh… just a word about dead animals… and bloody clothing…"
The colonel was silent for a while.
"Damn you girl… why did you have to spill everything? Yeah, well… you’re right. There were rumours. Talked to Filthy about it. Thought it be necessary for the girl to come home."
"You've been staying here a while?"
"Well, I spend most of my time outside the country, and I'm not married. This has always been my second home. Know the girl like she was my own."
"What do you say about the rumours then?"
"Just rumours! Nothing else!"
"So… if I tell you there's a dead pig in a cottage here in Ponyville, dressed in one of Diamond tiaras frocks, there’s still only rumours?"
That Pinkie pie could be so blunt was a surprise to me, but it did put the colonel of his high hooves.
”Oh… you’ve heard. Well, I do not know what to believe. One morning we found her in the shower with the water red of blood! She said she'd accidently cut herself, and then she said her nose bled… I didn't want to believe anything was wrong so I didn't say anything but today…I found her in her bed… bloody and muddy all over… it was…it was… impossible to explain. And yet I didn't hear a thing the whole night…. She can't be crazy! She mustn't!"
He was silent for some minutes. So were we.
"When I came it was just suspicion. But last night… You cannot explain that with any other conclusion than it was… "
"Oh, I definitely determined disagrees with you! There’s always another explanation."
"Not very likely, is it? Who the heck are you by the way?"
I decided to give an introduction.
"This is Pinkie Pie, she… she is the one who will help Diamond Tiara."
"You? But…I thought… you, princess would…"
"Oh no. Twilight here is just my assistant! And by the way, I need your assistance. Please bring me Filthy Rich."
"Don't you want to speak to Diamond Tiara?"
"Oh, in time, in time. But it's not crucial. Oh, Twilight! You interview her! You get her in the right mood and then I come. Applebloom, Colonel, no worries. We have this sorted out by tomorrow."
I left the nervous mare and the doubtful colonel in the hall, and went up the stairs, after telling the servants to call for Mr Rich.
"I don't want to see anyone! Go away!"
Diamond Tiaras voice through the front door sounded suffered, annoyed and also a bit out of hope.
"Diamond, please open! It's really important."
"Sod off. I'm dead."
I don't really enjoy using my regal authority, but it is rather handy at times.
"Miss Diamond Tiara Rich. Your princess in reign is here to see you."
That did the trick. I heard a sprung from the bed and hasty hoofs from the floor. Then the door open.
"Please excuse me, you highness. I was... I am... Do come in."
As she sat on the bed I took a good look at her. Tomcolt was a pretty good description of her. She was muscular, and was taller than most ponies. She was a prime example of the Earth Pony race, a real prize-winner. I knew she stopped curling her mane years ago, and this time, she had a Mohawk. But her makeup was impressive, and the skirt she wore probably paid ten of Rarity’s spa visits. Money, attitude and vanity, all in one. How Applebloom found that attractive was beyond me, but love takes strange ways...
"I suppose you're here because Bloom told you. I forbid her to, and yet, away she goes... Silly lovely thing. I wish...but... No one can help me. No one!"
"Have you seen... A doctor?"
"No doctor will be laying their hooves on me! I will not be taken away! This is my home, I want to stay here."
She hurled her head backwards, and her mane sparkled. I was silent for a while, she kept staring at me.
"I'm not the first, you know. I heard about my great-grandfather! He lived 60 years in a hospital! 60 years! No way will that happen with me!"
"Can you please tell me your side of it?"
"Oh, I tell you... I tell you. I have dreams... Terrible dreams. I turn into a wild beast! I crave for blood and flesh, I roam the streets and woods and kill what I see. And then I wake up with a dreadful thirst, the world around me is dizzy but I stumble for the bathroom eager to drink, and I can't! I can't. And I lose my memory... I forget hours sometimes. The time slips so quick...and I see things!"
"Things. Things like what?"
"Things like...aaahhh! It's a skeleton wrangling in the corner! There! Don't you see it?"
I couldn't make out whether she was pretending or making things up, but she sure was agonized. Then she started staring more frantically at the corner so I couldn't help looking. My eyes felt like popping out! Something was there, and it talked!
"I have a question!"
Pinkie had appeared from nowhere, startling us both.
"Do you shave yourself?"
"What kind of a question is that?"
"A most necessary. I was just in your bathroom. This is a very expensive aftershave balm. Yours I assume."
"Yeah, uncle humpy bought it to me in Manehattan. He sent it to me while I was back in school."
"That does imply that you shave yourself... Someplace...intimate?"
"What? No! I shave my legs. I'm an athlete! I have to!"
"Yes yes... I see that you cut yourself?"
"While shaving... While shaving! I don't try to..."
"I'm not saying you are, sweetie." Pinkie pie smiled. "Buut it is at most important, you use the balm when you cut yourself?"
"Of course".
"Good. Then we are done! Have a great day, diamond!"
"Just so you know! I won’t let you take me away! I won’t! I don't want to leave daddy and uncle humpy or... Or bloomy... I'd rather die than do that!"
"Now that doesn't sound like fun at all! When this is over, we shall have a PARTY! It's soon over. Come Twilight." She hopped out, I went after. Diamond shut the door.
"I think you have to help me talking to her dad. Mr Rich just don't want to talk to me. I can't see why... Will you help me?"
It was a bit surprising that Pinkie for once took a no for an answer but she had surprised me the whole day. I agreed, and down we went. Mr Rich was in the living room.
"Well your highness... I don't quite see why you would care for a family matter... But I will be at your service."
"Good! Now...eh..."
Pinkie hadn't told me what questions she wanted answers to, so there I stood, dumb.
"The princess would like to know what your opinion is on the matter of your daughter."
"Well… since Humperdinkey spilled out, I guess I have to as well. You see… this madness… it runs in the family. "
"Yeah, your daughter said something like that"
"It usually starts at her age… It's sometimes harmless but pretty often… our relatives turn violent. Murderous. I hoped… I hoped my father would be the last one… but."
"Have you called the police?"
"Officially I deny everything! I will not have my girl sent away!"
"Have you seen a doctor then? I know Diamond won’t hear about it, but how about you?"
"I'm not arguing with her. She needs no doctor. "
"Are you sure? Doctors can do great work for a broken…"
"SHE NEEDS NO DOCTOR I SAID!"
"Oh… Okay!"
"Now, was there anything left? I got work to do."
"Could you please show us you place?"
"I think Humperdinkey can help you with that. Humpy! Show the princess and the "detective" the estate."
We went around for a while, nothing was really of interest. Everything was posh and expensive. But then we came to a long corridor jammed with portraits. The colonel pointed at everyone, said a name. Then he stopped in front of a picture of a Pony with a mane of Auburn colour, green eyes, and a blue dress.
"Her mother. Auburn Estelle."
He looked at it for some time. Then he cleared his throat and turned to us.
"You know, I knew her mother rather well. She is a copy of her. Well... At least she got her eyes... "He fell in silence "Tragedy. Tragedy about her mother. They were out on a boat trip, she and her husband. She fell overboard... Very sad. Try to be here from time to time. Give my old friend some comfort and try to help him with the kid. You know, she calls me uncle humpy?"
I nodded. He said the last with a smile.
"Well, it has been very interesting, but now we have to go! Thanks for the sightseeing! By!"
We left the colonel in the corridor, rounded a corner. The she stopped, and Pinkie turned to me, dead serious.
"Twilight, it is of the most importance that we stay the night. We must! And we must be quick to avoid a tragedy. I need you to do two things. Analyse this.”
She handed me a jar with something yellow in it.
"and you arrange for us to stay here. I need to make some arrangements and talk to a few ponies… and a zebra, but I'll be back for supper."
It took a bit of talking, but eventually Mr Rich gave in. Pinkie took her time, though, and I waited for her. The analysis I could do with my travel equipment, but the results was an enigma for me.
The evening went dead slow. Applebloom wasn't in the mood of talking, and Filthy rich only said one or two words. But the colonel was a bit talkative. We discussed politics in Equestria.
"Your highness" Filthy rich’s voice was rather cold "could I please have a word with you in private?"
We went out in the grand hall.
"I know I agreed of you two to stay the night but I must say it is...rather inappropriate at the time. Can't you inspect my business another time?"
"Mr Rich. As your princess, I expect loyalty from my subjects. If assure you that I must increase the speed of my inspections and this is most helpful. You do not want to stay in my way, will you?"
Again, the "princess voice"... but Pinkie said it was necessary, so I did.
"Of course not your highness but you see... I think something terrible will happen."
At that moment, pinkie came in.
"Oh, this has been a real ass of a day. But now it's finally over. Suppers ready?"
"Yes Miss Pinkie, I presume it is." Mr Rich was cold in his manners.
"Great! I'm starving! Oh, Twilight, bring Applebloom to my room."
A moment later we were at the place.
"Great! Now, we must get in order. Twilight, after supper, say you're going to bed early. But in fact you sneak in here. Wait for Applebloom, and the lock the door. You must sleep on the floor I'm afraid, but I think you can handle it. Oh, and did you analyse the jar?"
"Yes."
"What was in it?"
"Aftershave balm with aloe Vera."
"That’s all?"
"...no, it also contained Atropine, but I guess that was just for..."
"Don't guess! Know! That's much better! Just wait and see. I've had some interesting conversations with my doctor and Zecora… I think I have it now, but the chain need to be complete. I hope there is dessert!"
The night was frightfully long, and sleeping wasn't an option. I couldn't stop thinking. What was behind all this? And what was Pinkie doing? I could not see that there was any other explanation than Diamond being the guilty one. But Pinkie was confident. And stubborn. Ah well... I probably dozed off for a while, but at dawn I was awaked by a commotion. Screaming, and roars, and scratches on the door. Applebloom woke up in terror and for at least twenty minutes we sat in silence. Then we opened the door. Out in the hall lied Diamond Tiara. She had blood and gore all over her body, and in her mouth she held a big knife with splashes of blood on it. She also wore a saddlebag. Something was dropping from it... And when we looked inside... We found the decapitated head of two lambs. Now Filthy Rich and the colonel had arrived. They just stood there and looked with despair. For some time we stood silent.
Then she woke up.
"Where am I, what have I...aaaahhhh." she looked at her hooves.
Then she saw the heads, and finally she saw the scratches on the door. Her marefriends door. I wasn't sure whether she needed an explanation or not, but her father gave her one, rather blunt, but still an explanation.
"Honey...please... Forgive me... Dad... I..."
She rose to her feet, and said, with sort of a normal tone "I think I go out in the garden a while. The roses are spectacular. Let me cut one for you, princess."
And knife in mouth, she started walking. The colonel wanted to stop her, but the father held him back.
"This is for the best"
And then, a well-known, high-pitched voice, that could belong to but one pony in the world broke the silence.
"Put down that knife, it would not be nice of you to spill blood in the garden"
Pinkie came in, and Applejack was next to her.
"It's the only solution! I'm a… crazy horse, can't you see that?"
"Oh, you’re not crazy! You’re as sane as me!"
Pinkie smiled, but that sentence didn't exactly calm diamond tiara down.
"What are you saying? I'm not crazy?"
"Nope. BUUT…somepony's trying to make you think that you are. Somepony has been giving you sedatives at night, and in the morning put a bloody knife in your hooves to make it look like you were maniacally killing things. And that pony also took your dresses as well.to make it more grotesque and make it look like you did it."
"But… how?"
"Poison. I know you have been poisoned for a while. I think it's something you know of, colonel. Isn't there something they use in Marelaysia?"
"Oh…yes… now I se. Daturapoisoning. It makes people go insane."
"Exactly. I talked to Zecora about it, and she said I was correct. The symptoms matched. If you insert it in… let’s say an after shave balm perfumed with Aloe Vera, it would dry out the skin, making wounds through where the poison could slip in. However, Zecora told me Datura was not to be found here in Equestria. But then I also spoke to my doctor. He said, that the synthetic alkaloid Atropine had the same effects. It had been used as some sort of treatment for headache at first, but since the results, it’s now used in eye drops. We checked the balm… and we found a large amount of atropine. The same as in a common sort of eye drops. You use them, Mr Rich… and so do you, COLONEL."
"WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING? Don’t believe her, Richey! I didn't not do anything"
The colonel was furious. But Mr Rich was murmuring to himself.
"Yes… no one would expect that… slow poisoning…and with madness in the family before, who would suspect...but why? Why, Dinky?"
"I had no reason! Don't believe her, Richey!"
"Ah the motive! What was the motive? As it usually is, I guessed there was the eternal triangle. You both loved the same mare. One married her, and the other… Yes, this was not only a matter of madness, but also of revenge! As I said, behind the scenes we can see the shadow of the real madpony. Hiding the madness for years, waiting for the right time, never forgetting anything"
"Is it even possible that someone can move a hatred from parent to the child?"
That was Applebloom. She had taken a step forward, supporting her marefriend.
"Oh, definitely. Especially under these circumstances"
There Pinkie paused, and swung round to face the Colonel.
”Colonel, please tell me that you KNEW that Diamond Tiara was YOUR daughter! At least you must have guessed! How come you never told her?"
The Colonel gulped for a while and broke out in sweat.
"I…I wasn't sure… you see…Auburn came to me… once…after her marriage. She was afraid of something… didn't tell me what… and we…we…we lost our heads. It was all so impossible, we had a game we had to play. I left, and we never spoke about it again."
"Yes… colonel, you perhaps doesn't know that you have a way of swinging your head backwards when you’re upset. And you probably never noticed that Diamond does the same. BUT MR RICH NOTICED! And he got the truth from his wife. She was probably afraid of HIM! Cause HE is the mad one here! The signs had started to show, and the fear of him drew her into the arms of the stallion she had always loved. You, colonel. But, nothing was done then. And Mr Rich planned his revenge, all along as he's bloodlust grew. The wife dead in a "Boat accident"… Accident, I doubt very much! And so, his plan was clear! The child he had brought up as his should take the blame for HIS actions, and pay the price."
"You mean…I'm…sane?" Diamond tiara looked with chock around her.
"Of course you are sweetie… there’s no madness in OUR family”. The colonel talked in a strange mix of dryness and warmth.
"But of course you need evidence. Now, the eye drops can't be traced, but the sedative can! The one you used to drug the pig and your daughter. It's the same brand I use, and it's sold in YOUR shops! And you have bought quite an amount of it lately… And the mark of the banana…"
"But… that was impossible to get a print from you said"
"Oh yes, but! It was placed where someone of your height Mr Rich, would have grabbed if you were trying to force a dress on somepony bigger than your daughter. Quite clever of you, with the dress. The official humiliation that your daughter probably feared as much as being taken away was a big reason for her to take the step to kill herself… OH OH OH! And then of course I had Applejack following you when you went after the lambs tonight. I got a good witness. Do you know when I started to suspect you?"
Mr Rich was silent, but he actually looked like he wanted to know.
"It was when you refused to take Diamond to a doctor. Now, from Diamonds point of view, the fear of being locked away, was perfectly clear. But for you, as a father? I've seen it before, even with my own pa. The desperate search for help, talking to every doctor around, the desperate hope that there MIGHT be a cure… but no. No Doctor could look at Diamond, because of the risk that they found her SANE!"
The room was silent again. Then Mr Rich spoke
"This is nonsense! Princess, excuse me… I need to take care of the roses now."
He then took the knife, and went off. The colonel wanted to stop him, but Pinkie grabbed his arm.
"This is probably for the best."
"Eye for an eye, pig for a pig" Applejack said, with an anger I seldom heard her have.
When we came out in the garden later, we found him.
And there it is, princess. I don't really know what to say about it or if there are any lessons to learn here. But Pinkie did surprise me and… I guess you could say that you never know what dwells in a pony.
Yours sincerely, Princess Twilight Sparkle.