Harmony Divided

Twilight sits up, rubbing her eyes and smelling the morning air. "Hello?" She calls out, not expecting an answer. Spike went on a trip to Canterlot on royal duty so the castle should be empty, herself not included. She gets up and steps on the floor. It's softer than normal, almost like fur. She continues walking to the kitchen, but the more she walks the more the floor starts feeling like it's moving. She gets halfway but stops, seeing the shadow of a pony in the doorway. "Excuse me, is there something I can help you with?" The shadow doesn't move. Twilight slowly walks forward.

"No! Stay away, please!" She turns and starts running in place, still a shadow. Twilight walks up to it and puts a hoof on her. The pony is light up and she stares at Twilight. Twilight starts yelling as the moment she touches the pony her hoof caught on fire. The pony walks towards her.

"S-sky?!"

"Why didn't she save me? She killed me! Killed me! Killed me! Killed-"

"Twilight!" Twilight jumps, falling out of bed. She stands up, her eyes out of focus and her mouth dry.

"W-what happened? Where is she? Where did she go?"

"Twilight, who are you talking about?" Twilight slows down, looking at the door way. "Look, it was a bad dream. Now can we please go to Fluttershy's?" Twilight stares at the room.

"Alright, yeah ok, let's go." Twilight pushes past Rainbow and out the door.

"Well you're excited." Rainbow says, keeping up with the trotting Twilight.

"I need to figure this out. If we don't get the killer by the end of the week, I don't think Ponyville will survive."

"Well, in that case we only have three days, and that includes today."

"I know." They trot past Pinkie who is arguing over fruit with the pony who is selling it. Rainbow looks back but puts it out of her mind. They reach the cottage, Twilight going to open the door but Rainbow stoping her.

"Wait, are we sure we want to interrogate Fluttershy? I mean, she wouldn't last very long under accusations of murder." Twilight just looks at her and opens the door. "Alright, but I warned you."

"Fluttershy?" Twilight asks, walking into the nearly abandoned cottage. The floors are all dusty, there are no animals walking in the house, it is extremely quiet and on top of it all the door to Fluttershy's room is open. Twilight enters, Rainbow close behind her while trying to find any sign of life. The bed is ridden with messy sheets and droppings from wild life. "Where could she be?"

"I don't know, but right about now i don't exactly want to find out, let's come back later." Twilight hesitates but agrees, there's no point in chasing a ghost in a forest. They go to leave but hear a noise in the living room.

"I'll go check it out." Twilight slowly heads down stairs and into the room, peaking around the corner.

Inside of the room is a red, hysterical Fluttershy rushing around the room clearly looking for something. "Mice!" Twilight jumps, thinking she referred to her. "Mice! Wake up! Come on, we need to hide this, now!" Fluttershy shoves something brown and red through the small Mouse hole. "Keep it there and don't let anyone, and I mean ANYONE see it. Got it?! Good." Fluttershy turns and sees Twilight. "NO!" She goes to fly out the window but Twilight manages to hold her with magic.

"And what exactly should we not see?"

"N-nothing, ha, haha, nothing! Nothing and you have no proof! None! Haha!" She begins laughing uncontrollably.

"Fluttershy! Snap out of it! Fluttershy!" A blue hoof comes from the left and smacks the yellow Pegasus.

Rainbow picks her up. "What do you mean no proof? Tell me!"

"I did it, oh yes, I did it. But I had reasons, reasons that you, and you, neither of you would ever understand. And once I got the feeling of power, of being able to have a direct impact on another life, I wanted more. I needed more, more power, more fun, more struggles, just more. And in doing so, I have learned that some of my animals are Carnivores, preferring meat to regular plants. So go ahead, throw me in jail. Throw me in the deepest, darkest, most demanding parts of Hell that there is, but just know that i didn't work alone. Bonnie had Clyde, Jefferson had Hamilton, Celestia had-" A second slap interrupts her.

"You will pay for what you have done!" Rainbow brings her face to face. "I will personally find out why you did it, and I will personally see that the punishment fits the crime. You and old Dashie are going to fun times ahead." Rainbow throws her to the ground. "Twilight, we've found the killer. Thank you, from all of Ponyville." Rainbow nods and leaves, dragging a laughing Fluttershy behind her.

"This will only last temporarily! I will be found innocent, and others will be convicted! I am innocent!" Twilight shuts the door, blocking out Fluttershy's laughing and screaming.

"That, that doesn't seem right. No, no there is no way that Fluttershy of all pomies would have voluntarily murdered Sky. Something is going on here, something more that I intend to find out." Twilight stands lost in thought. "I've interviewed all of them. Rarity ran away, Applejack fought to get away, Pinkie never even gave me a chance, Fluttershy admitted to it, Rainbow... wait a minute. Rainbow was never asked any questions, she just helped me. And her mane was completely gray, just like... charcoal. No, no! Rainbow Dash! Get back here!"