Decapitating Harmony

Chapter 9 – Requited Chagrin and Back Again

After returning and relaying what had happened at Carneighie Hall, Scroot and Envoy walked into the club together leaving Twilight's friends at the coffee shop and placing a Royal Guard at each entrance to the building. Two Royal Guards obliged Scroot's request to remove their uniforms and escort the investigators into the club in disguise. Their swollen muscles and black t-shirts helped them blend in with the bouncers of the club.

A unicorn with a cold blue slicked back mane bobbed his head with the punching beat of the electronic music. He moved sliders on the soundboard and changed records as he seamlessly blended one bass heavy driving technical beat into a softer, but faster electronic song. The digital vocals underscored the song's underlining reason: Illicit Sex.

Although it wasn't abnormal for ponies to walk around without clothes on, the nude mares strutted explicitly showing off their private parts. Scroot remembered this club in particular. It had gone through dozens of name changes, but it hadn't changed at all, and he was certain that the prostitution that was rampant during his days as a detective was persevering.

Scroot strangely appeared like the rest of the strip-club goers in pressed button-ups and ties. The narrow room had three stages, and one in the center. The bar across from the stages had servers dressed in lingerie, the tables had poles rising to the high ceiling from them, and a few of them had dancers that welcomed horny stallion's faces into their flanks.

The thick smog from smoking ponies was almost too much for Scroot to handle. He looked over the club trying to discern the colors of the dancers in the low light. The strobes and flashing colors of the stage lights didn't help him.

“Coming on stage,” The DJ announced with a hard inflection explicating his innuendo, “While being anything but, feast your eyes on the Benign and Negligible Frisky!”

Scroot laughed over the music and nudged Envoy. “That's just too fucking convenient.”

A cornflower unicorn mare with jet black mane strutted from the stage smoke with a levitated rag wiping down the highly reflective silver pole. The stallions in the front row whistled and cheered as she grabbed the pole near the floor with her fore-hooves and straightened her rear legs towards them. She moved her tail with her magic and wiggled her hips.

“This is disgusting.” Envoy said.

Stallions with bits in their teeth leaned as close as they could to the dancing Trixie. She leaned back into their faces picking the bits from their mouths. Scroot found himself a bit impressed.

“You want us to nail her now, sir?” One of the Royal Guards asked Scroot.

“Interesting choice of words.” Scroot nodded. “Yeah, let's get her.”

The Royal Pegasi walked onto the stage led by Scroot. He flashed his badge at the bouncers and approached the unicorn suspect. She stopped dancing and stared wide eyed at Scroot whom was placing his badge back in his breast pocket.

“Trixie?” Scroot said over the music. “We finally meet.”

She glanced behind her at the perverts approaching the stage blocking her escape. “Who are you?”

“I'm Investigator Scroot Whinny. We have the building surrounded, and you're coming with us.” He answered.

Trixie was suddenly flush with panic as they approached her. She mirrored their movements backing away, “You won't take the Great and Powerful Trixie.” Her eyes narrowed, and her horn flashed a powerful pink.

Scroot swiveled his head quickly looking for anything lit up with the same color. His heart stopped observing the stage light rig glowing and being pulled from the ceiling. He shouted at the Royal Pegasi and leaped forward onto his belly barely escaping the collapsing steel. One of the Royal Guards dove backwards, but the other didn't react fast enough as his head exploded against the stage under the rig.

The music stopped abruptly while the DJ shielded his face from the splash of blood and brains. A bloom of red grew on the stage where the Guard's head used to be.

Trixie jumped over the ponies on the front row and dashed for the exit. Scroot gave chase seeing Envoy trying to trip the fleeing Trixie with her magic. The remaining Royal Guard took flight to the top of the high ceiling and fired downward to catch Trixie.

Envoy's plan worked. Trixie's hoof failed to obey her forward motion and she landed square on her face. The Royal Guard flew over Scroot's head and landed hard on Trixie's rump with a hoof smashing her leg. Bits and blood spewed onto the floor.

A loud crack echoed among the screams of the confused occupants of the club as bone was crushed through Trixie's skin. Blood poured from the wound as Trixie cried in pain and defeat. She laid on her side under the Royal Guard watching her leg soak the carpet below her.

“Celestia's mercy!” Trixie screamed. “Please, stop the bleeding! Trixie doesn't want to die!”

“You're under arrest for the murder of Twilight Sparkle, Trixie. It's over.” Scroot shouted gesturing for Envoy to send for an ambulance.

Through Trixie's crying and screaming Scroot put a hoof on the Royal Guard's shoulder, “Thank you. That was smart to incapacitate her like that.”

He shook his head, “I missed.”

Scroot cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

The Guard looked back at the dead pegasus, “He was my friend. I was aiming for her skull.”

* * *

Trixie was refused by the jail due to the compound fracture of her left rear leg. She was taken into the hospital under Canterlot Detention's supervision. She'd lost a lot of blood, but they were certain she would live to answer for the murders.

Rarity followed Scroot to the hospital room with Envoy. “What if she doesn't tell you anything?” Rarity asked.

“It won't matter. If we can get a confession, it's good for us, but it won't matter if she doesn't.” Scroot said.

“Interviewing her at this point is a formality.” Envoy explained.

“I have a morbid curiosity as well.” Rarity admitted.

Scroot smiled. “Hopefully, she'll oblige that for you.”

“Let's get in there and do this.” Envoy said.

Scroot nodded in agreement and kissed Rarity softly. “This shouldn't take long. I'm not going to give her a bunch of chances to talk.”

The investigators entered bare white room where Trixie lie in a bed perpendicular to the north wall. A small stack of books sat on an end table next to a Canterlot Deputy who was watching the heart monitor intently.

The earth-pony deputy looked up and recognized Scroot, “Detective! Long time; no see.”

“Deputy Coal. I figured you'd at least be a captain by now.” Scroot smiled.

“If I wasn't late everywhere I went, I'd probably be a chief. What's going on?” He said.

“We're here to relieve you for a moment to do an interview.” Scroot said.

Coal smiled big, “By Celestia's mercy! Isn't that great? I was bored out of my mind in here.” He started out of the room, “I'm going to the cafe to grab me a bite. Send for me whenever you need me back.”

Scroot approached the hospital bed with Envoy at his side. She prepared to record a transcript on a levitated notepad and gave Scroot a nod notifying him that she was ready. Trixie looked them over knowing who Scroot was and trying to place where she had seen Envoy before.

“Trixie.” Scroot started, “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford a council, you will be appointed one. Do you understand these rights?”

Trixie exercised the first right and simply looked away from the investigators.

“You have dozens of witnesses that saw you kill a Royal Guard, Trixie. You're through. You might as well tell us why you murdered Twilight.” Scroot explained and was met with further silence.

“I'm sure they'll cut you a deal if you just cop to it. You might be able to stay out of Tartarus.” Scroot continued.

“Tartarus?” Trixie asked fearfully.

“Yeah, Tartarus. A literal hell on Earth. It's a place where the demons of the world are imprisoned. There aren't many ponies that can even survive there. I don't know why Equestria has no death penalty. Sending ponies to Tartarus, even unicorns, just means that they'll be tortured for weeks until they die. They don't stand a chance against all of the demons kept there.” Scroot cruelly explained.

He continued, “Although you did a good job on the Twilight murder, you won't beat it, and you definitely won't beat the Guard murder.”

Wetness swelled in Trixie's eyes, but refused to let go of the tears as they just clung to her eye lashes. She closed her eyes squeezing the moisture down her cheeks, and she dropped her head into her hooves crying.

Scroot patted her shoulder, “Tell us what happened. Why did you do it?”

Trixie began through her hooves, “The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't know why she did it. She was mad at Twilight for making her look stupid in front of all those ponies. She hated her after Twilight made her look stupid again when the Greater and More Powerfuller Trixie returned to Ponyville with the Alicorn Amulet with vengeance.”

Trixie looked up at the window dropping her hooves into her lap. She shook her head and tried to stay quiet. She opened her mouth without voicing words and silenced herself thinking that she should request that a lawyer be present.

“How did you do it?” Scroot asked with a soft and genuine tone trying to butter her up. Envoy wanted to shake the unicorn inot submission. She wanted to shout at her, 'You're going down for it anyway, just talk, you dumb bitch.'

Trixie sniffled and the words flowed from her nearly involuntarily, “She went into the house when Twilight was asleep and strangled the owl with her magic. He didn't last very long, and it felt great to watch his life fade from his large eyes. He was taken to the Everfree Forest where nopony found him for a few days. Trixie went back to the house, but didn't know how to kill a dragon quickly because she feared that choking him to death wouldn't work. They're too strong.”

She looked at Scroot. “She made a poison and used her magic to inject him with it. She watched him die. It looked painful which made Trixie feel very good.”

Envoy wrote at as fast as she could writing down everything Trixie was saying verbatim. Trixie's third-pony speech made for an interesting narrative because usually she had to convert confessions from first-pony perspective on the fly.

Trixie continued, “She thought about using her magic to stab Twilight, but Trixie wanted to feel her die in her jaws. She wanted to feel the blood on her face. Trixie hated her so much. She stabbed her in the neck, and Twilight woke up with a fight faster than she thought she would. She bit Trixie on her leg, very hard. It hurt. Trixie panicked and just kept stabbing her until she stopped moving. Twilight made very strange sounds. Gurgling, and it sounded like she was trying to scream.

“Trixie pulled her off the bed with her magic trying not to drop blood onto the floor. She put Twilight and Spike onto the sled, and she pulled them to the Everfree Forest. They were so heavy and ponies kept trying to see what Trixie was hauling. The dragon was heavier than Twilight which surprised Trixie.” She stopped and wiped her nose as she wept almost not being able to believe that she was telling them everything. She had kept it a secret for a week, and she was just relieved to be telling anypony.

“Trixie dumped Spike, and she pulled the sled easier with just Twilight on it. She went to Ghastly Gorge and put Twilight on the edge and realized what she had done. She became scared of what would happen if she got caught, but was also sad that she was capable of murder. She felt scared of herself.

“She thought of her humiliation, and it made her angry again. She thought about the fake amulet that Twilight fooled her with, and she was unable to control herself again. She took it in her hoof and shoved it into Twilight's mouth. She spent a long time trying to get it as deep in her throat as she could. She was so angry she beat the dead Twilight for a long time until she was too tired to continue. That was when The Great and Powerful Trixie covered Twilight again with the rug and pushed her off the cliff. Trixie watch Twilight fall. She watched her crash into the ground with the rug getting caught on the tree. Trixie thought about going down to the creek and putting her in the water, but she was scared that somepony would find the blood in the house so she went back to Twilight's.”

Scroot nodded after a long pause and added, “And you cleaned the crime scene.”

Trixie cleared her cheeks of tears, “Trixie cleaned a lot, but she couldn't get all of it. The blood wouldn't come out completely. Trixie had to leave because Rainbow Dash knocked on the door. She had to make a quick escape so Trixie went out of the window by Twilight's bed.”

“You almost got caught by Rainbow Dash?” Scroot asked in surprise.

“Yes. Trixie felt relieved that Rainbow Dash was ironically arrested for the murder. Trixie hated all of them. Trixie went to Manehattan to start a new life under a new name, but nopony would hire me until the pervert manager of the Carneighie Hall suggested the strip-club. He said that mares like Trixie make lots of money dancing there. She assumes you found out Trixie was working there from him.”

“I can neither confirm nor deny.” Scroot said.

“Trixie is sorry she killed those ponies. Honestly, she is more sorry that she was caught, but nonetheless she is sorry that she killed anypony.” She cried harder.

Envoy became disgusted at Trixie's apology and almost felt ill from it. She put her notepad away and nodded to Scroot telling him that she got it all down.

“She humiliated you, so you stabbed her to death?” Scroot asked.

Trixie lowered her gaze and fiddled with her own hooves in shame. “Yes. The Great and Powerful Trixie tried to let it go. She apologized to Twilight to try to make herself feel better about it, and it was well received, but Trixie still was met with scrutiny over the events. She stewed in hatred for everypony that enjoyed Twilight's company. Trixie wanted to take her away from them just like Twilight took her performances away. She had to die. I...”

Trixie paused reflecting the words she was about to speak, “I had to kill her.”

* * *

In the following months, Trixie recovered from her broken leg, but was unable to walk on her own ever again. She was sent to trial where she was tried by a jury that was difficultly selected to receive the most unbiased verdict although she was still convicted of two counts of murder, and one count of cruelty to animals and sentenced to life in Tartarus.

She was transported back to the maximum security Special Housing Unit of the Canterlot Detention Center where she had nothing in the cell. Each wall was bare and cold, there was a water fountain built into the floor, and a hole for bathroom purposes, but the cell was specifically constructed to prevent suicides.

Trixie contemplated how she would die in Tartarus. She had heard stories of mares like her being raped to death by gigantic magical demons. Ponies starving, beaten, or skewered all reaching their demise within a few weeks of being brought there. She may live longer if a demon manages to protect her in order to prolong the perpetual raping she would be forced to endure. She wished she could figure out a way to kill herself; thus, sparing her of the horribly grotesque fate she was doomed to suffer.

A metallic whirring caught her attention as the steel door opened revealing Princess Celestia entering the cell. Trixie bowed out of habit.

“Get up.” Celestia commanded.

Trixie stood. Her tears dripped from her chin as she gazed upon the angered face of the 2,000 year old actually great and powerful Celestia. They stared at each other in a moment of silence at the first time Celestia had seen Trixie since the murder. Celestia had a primordial urge to smash her into an unrecognizable pulp.

“Princess-” Trixie began.

“Don't speak.” Celestia silenced her.

Trixie noticed she was not accompanied by an entourage of intimidating Royal Guards. The detention officers appeared to have been dismissed from their posts. Trixie and Celestia were alone to speak in confidence.

“Why-” Trixie started again.

Celestia's horn glowed squeezing Trixie's mouth shut. “Don't say a word.”

Trixie didn't struggle against the powerful magic grip holding her jaws closed. She simply awaited for Celestia to explain her presence.

“You have committed a crime which is unspeakable. As if decapitating harmony, you have broken apart the Elements and left Equestria without it's most important means of defense.” Celestia said through gritted teeth. “You will be transported to Tartarus for these crimes where you will live a short life. The burning fires, stabbing rocks, and choking smoke will end you soon if the demons imprisoned there don't eat you alive or use you as hunting game. Or worse.”

Her horn continued to glow as a thin rope slid over the threshold of the cell. Celestia's magic dissipated from the rope just in front of Trixie's hooves. It was braided nylon. Very strong.

Celestia turned to exit the cell. “I can assure you that nopony will bother you until you go to Tartarus in the morning.” Her magic gripped the cell door as she began to close it behind her, “For I am a forgiving princess.”