We Stopped Checking for Monsters in the Everfree...

How am I going to get Pinkie help? She shook her head, trying to clear out the sadness inside her. She struck a loss. Maybe Twilight could help? I wonder how she's doing? She left to check on Twilight, trying and failing to forget Pinkie's insan---illness.

She came to Twilight's door. She was about to enter, when she heard the Joker's voice. "Now I realize..." Dash didn't waste time bursting through the door. She looked around for the subject of her hatred. He found him on the television. Standing there, he was waving his hoof in front of the insane ponies, talking about the IRS.

"Dash?" Twilight seemed slightly startled. She was sitting up, staring at Dash.

"Twilight...?" Dash looked at Twilight, and then to the TV where Joker was about to throw his dance party. "You're... You're watching it again?"

Twilight looked down, a tear in her eye. "... I have to find clues..."

"Twilight... Are you OK?"

"... I... I think so... Are you?"

"Yes."

"A-Are you sure?"

"Twilight, I'm sure... Why wouldn't I be OK?" Twilight didn't respond; she just put her head down. "Twilight, I'm not insane..." Twilight still did not answer. "Twilight..."

"..." After a moment, Twilight responded "Have you... Have you practiced anymore?"

Rainbow Dash answered in nearly a growl. "I'm not crazy!"

"I-I'm not saying you are! I'm just... I'm just worried, is all."

"..."

"..."

"Pinkie's... She's gone..." Rainbow Dash felt a tear down her face.

"I know..." Twilight had yet to start crying yet, but her voice held kept the her sadness evident.

"I think Fluttershy is, too." Dash said, miserably, as she sat down beside her friend..

"... I think so... Gosh, it sounds like we've given up on them."

"We can't give up. We haven't."

Twilight nodded. She looked to the video. The Joker was remarking upon Rising Dough's rolling head. "... I've saw this tape three times..."

"Twilight... You shouldn't do that..."

"No, it's... I know I shouldn't... But... I have to find clues..."

"Yes, but you shouldn't traumatize yours---Where'd you get this TV?"

"... The Princess gave it to me. I think she... she wants do distract us."

"Distract us?"

"From the case..."

"Why would she do that. It's our job to try..."

Twilight looked down. "... Promise you won't stop me from doing this..."

"... You can't... You should stop while you still can..." While you still can.

"Well, then..."

"What's wrong?"

"... I can't tell you unless you promise not to tell anyone."

"... I can't..."

Twilight blinked back a tear. "Please..."

"I can't let you hurt yourself."

Twilight nodded. "I have to do this. Like you had to practice... Do... Do you still feel compelled to stop him like you did?"

"We have to stop him. But... I don't want another of my friends to destroy themselves."

"... I won't Dash. I can---I will stay strong... W-will you?"

"..."

"..."

"... How are Applejack and Rarity?"

"I haven't checked. I think they're asleep. They had a lot of liquor."

"..."

"Every time I watched the tape, I can't pay attention to detail. I... I'm too emotional... I get too scared..."

"I'm not scared. I'm angry."

"... It's OK to be scared, Rainbow." Twilight tried to rub Dash's foreleg, but the pegasus pulled her hoof out of her grasp.

"I told you." Dash said, almost in a growl. "I'm not afraid."

Twilight nodded, not really believing Dash but unwilling to argue. "What will we do about Pinkie? Fluttershy... a hug or two might help, but Pinkie..."

Dash started crying. "She thinks she made me up inside her head..."

"... She thinks she made me up, too." Twilight started crying. They started hugging, and cried for what felt like a lifetime of warmth and friendship.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"... I think I hurt Fluttershy..." Rainbow cried.

"How?" Twilight asked, sadly.

"... She... When I found out the Joker made another tape... I... sh-she begged me not to watch it... Begged! And I watched it anyways... I... Why did I do that?"

"Shh... It's---" Twilight started, but Dash interrupted the comforting words and broke out of the hug.

"She got on her knees, Twilight... 'Don't do this, Rainbow Dash. I'm begging you!' She got on her knees and begged! And I did it anyways..."

"... Dash... it's OK. We would---we would've all done the same thing."

"What good ponies we are..." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

"We are all good ponies, Dash. We just..." Twilight paused, then became far more animated. Her voice rising, her tears of sadness became tears of resolve. "Our friendship is being tested, Rainbow Dash. We have to stay strong. This attack against Equestria is an attack against Harmony itself. To invite doubt into our friendship is to invite doubt into our lives, our souls, into everything we stand for! Harmony will prevail!"

"It will prevail..." Dash echoed quietly.

"It will! Harmony always prevails!"

"You're right!" Dash said, confidence restored. She wiped her face and sniffed. "So, have you found any clues?"

"Not yet!" Twilight said, and her confidence was contagious. She took a dangerous tone. "But I will!"

"I'll help..."

"OK." Twilight was pumped. "Let's count what we know! The Joker has knowledge in explosive, chemicals, and technology. He has a custom suit that seems to parody 2004 formal fashion. No fur on his face. Has at least three minions. Got it?"

Dash nodded, and Twilight restarted the video. "Hello, Joker here!" the TV beamed. They watched the show, until Dash spotted something. "You're not supposed to talk!" the Joker yelled in mock-anger and threw Cookie's arm at the rafters. The puppeteer pony fell, and exploded.

"Rewind that bit!" exploded Rainbow Dash. Twilight complied. The show went backwards.

"Sorry! said the clearly terrified puppeteer. Twilight's ear perked up. His voice sounded familiar.

"You're not supposed to talk!" the Joker ripped off Cookie's arm, the pony fell, you know how it went. But Twilight felt a twinge of recognition at the fallen stallion. So did Dash. But the two couldn't tell exactly who it was because he exploded almost the instant he fell in frame.

Twilight rewound it again, starting the tape right before the explosion. "Am I the only one who knows that pony from somewhere?"

"No, Dash. You aren't." Twilight's horn went aglow as she started fiddling with the TV.

"Maybe it's somepony we saw on the street?"

"No, Dash. It isn't." The screen stopped. It jumped a bit, and then progressed forward and jumped back and progressed forward, all faster than the pony eye could see. It was effectively slow motion.

And there, onscreen, to the very right of the frame was a pony. "Is... Is that one of the Flimflam brothers?"

Twilight's smile lit up. A dangerous smile. "Yes. Yes it is." Flim (or Flam) looked odd without their signature apparel, but it was still clearly them. Twilight didn't flinch as the pony exploded outward in slow motion. She only smiled wider. "Wouldn't be interesting if the Joker was a business partner of the Flimflam brothers? One who knew how to manipulate the TV signals to broadcast his message of disharmony?"

Rainbow didn't know whether to be overjoyed that they had a lead or if she should be terrified by her friend's tone. It somehow felt uncannily like the Joker's tone. The sick joy...