Psycho Pony Killer

Ponyville was in a state of utter chaos, and Discord wasn't even behind it! Bodies have been turning up, which wouldn't be so bad except that they turn up...dead. That's right; the peaceful realm of Equestria had a serial killer on the loose. Nopony knew what to do. Nopony has had any actual experience with somepony who took another's life. Sure, villains have come and gone who have wreaked havoc in their wake but not a one actually killed somepony and all of them weren't particularly hard to find. This psycho pony killer has avoided all of Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle's plans to make him or her slip up. Everypony was scared and totally freaking out, and with good reason.

Twilight puts the newspaper down, sighing. More news = more deaths. All that ever finds its way into the paper nowadays is morbid details of the latest brutal slaughter from whoever this sick pony is. Her teeth clenched, she vows, yet again, to catch this scumbag. With her new title of princess she has also earned the duty of protecting Equestria's populace, but it wasn't just about failing, failing is something she's become okay with...more or less. This was just too personal, too painful. These are her friends out there; those were her friends she just read about in such gruesome detail.

"Um, Twilight?" Spike appears at her side, looking up at her worriedly. Without realizing it she had started charging up her horn, ready to attack...with nothing to attack. Quickly, she throws her head to one side and the magic shoots out blasting a hole into one of her walls.

With a bit of small nervous laughter she apologizes to her friend for being so wound up. Twilight has hardly ever experienced anger; she was not used to it and not sure what was happening to her. A princess isn't supposed to host feelings like anger and hatred, yet they both burned fiercely in her heart for the mysterious killer. She had more than once paid a visit to Discord and Princess Luna, asking them what it was like to be evil and trying to reassure herself that she wasn't slipping into some dark side or something. They both had told her that it was natural to feel angry about somepony killing her friends, that the hatred was a sign she would never forgive them and said that she really shouldn't anyways. Essentially it came down to them saying her light is bright and she won't be swayed to the side of evil. That what had happened to them could never possibly happen to her, but still...Twilight herself had her doubts, as she slowly became less social and grew more and more angry.

She didn't like being around her remaining friends because anypony could wind up being this psychopath and it just hurt too much to see them and think...is this the last time? Tears well up in the corners of her eyes and Spike rushes away to fetch something to wipe them away with, the thoughtful little dragon buddy she'd always had with her. She smiles despite her depression and rage. Spike has always been by her side since he hatched from his egg; he was probably the purest one in all of Ponyville. If she is going to make a difference at all, she will at least protect him.

Spike reappears with a piece of cloth held out to her. She takes it, wiping her eyes then casts it aside and picks Spike up, hugging him tightly to her, new tears forming. The hug lasts a minute or two, neither of them speaking, just holding on tightly to the other. She sets him back down on the floor a little awkwardly, dabbing at her eyes with the cloth a second time.

"What was that for?" He asks; his concern showing. He has always been there for her, the deaths didn't stop him from being with her, and he watched as she went from a happy and innocent princess with tons of friends to the desperate pony with a burning hatred and need to catch this murderer. If anypony knew what she was going through, it was him.

Thank Celestia her six best friends' lives haven't been claimed yet, or that of her brother and his wife, but just because it wasn't her best friends dying didn't make it any less painful. These ponies were still her friends and they were being savagely mutilated and tortured; it simply broke her heart to know something like that was even possible, let alone to have to hear about it everyday. She turns slowly towards the window, gazing out. It was as if she could just see all of her friends there, dead, in a big pile on her lawn. "I just don't want to lose you..."

Spike climbs up next to her and puts a claw on her shoulder reassuringly. She turns and looks at him with a sad look on her face, looking into the sunny smile he displays. "Trust me Twilight, I'm not going anywhere."

She thinks about it. How can he be so sure? How can he possibly know? But she knows the truth of the matter is he doesn't know, but just like her he's gonna fight like hell to make it happen. Theirs is a bond that won't be severed quite so easily.