Twilight Sparkle trotted through the halls of Canterlot Castle aimlessly for hours on end after watching Princess Celestia and her cohort depart for Saddle Arabia, her mind swirling with questions upon questions as the weight of the task given to her bore heavily upon her shoulders.

The investigation of Raven’s betrayal had left many mysterious that Twilight Sparkle could not quite see the logic behind.

While Raven’s attempt on Celestia’s life was evidently orchestrated by who knows what power, a mind boggling puzzle lingered as to the reasoning behind the assassin’s attempt.

Raven had chosen to strike in a room with no clear methods of escape with a foolishly direct attack against the Princess.

Why would she do that, unless she knew she was going to die?

Was it a suicide mission?

If so, wouldn't the assassin make with absolutely certainty that the termination of their very existence was meant for something? To achieve some hidden agenda or at the very least, to succeed and overcome the impossible and actually ensure the death of the Princess?

Twilight Sparkle had found herself wandering back to Celestia’s chambers, staring at the closed doors as her lips curled into a frown.

The mere concept that the very place they had shared their love for the first time was sullied by this sickening attempt on her one true love’s life, generated an apprehensive state that was not the usual excited perturbation she used to feel.

As of this moment, Twilight Sparkle felt sick to her very stomach being anywhere near it.

She needed answers.

There needed to be a devil to which Twilight could direct her simmering rage.

But there was none.

With that in mind, Twilight Sparkle headed deeper into the halls of Canterlot Castle, descending a stone spiral staircase that headed into the bowels of the castle itself, where no pony ever wished to tread.

As a young filly, Celestia had warned her that the long abandoned dungeons were to always be out of bounds for the lavender mare, stating that its construction was used in a time when strife and darkness threatened the peaceful lands of Equestria.

Where criminals, prisoners of war and creatures of darkness were held before their fate was sealed in a court of law.

As Twilight Sparkle came to the bottom step, she paused for a moment to shiver before she started off down the long stone, dimly lit corridor, bearing iron barred cell doors on each side of the wall, noting in passing how cramped and poor the conditions were for the inmates long since passed into the annals of a best forgotten history.

Eventually, as Twilight turned left as the corridor branched off into three different directions, she spotted the immobile Royal Guard standing beside one particular cell not too far away.

With a shaken breath as to steady her beating heart, Twilight Sparkle approached the guard, who immediately took notice of the mare’s approach with a stern expression and just as steely frown.

“I’m sorry, but I am under express orders by the Captain that there are to be no visitors.”

Twilight Sparkle nodded, straightening her posture the best she could as she cleared her throat, attempting an air of authority that almost looked like it worked. “As Princess Celestia’s personal student, I have been given the task of heading this investigation.”

The guard raised his brows. “I received no such information.”

“Well then, you best report to Captain Flash Sentry and correct that, won't you?” Twilight Sparkle walked past the bemused guard, who only moved out to hook a hoof around Twilight’s leg, to cease her advance.

“Until I can confirm that, would you please come with me?”

Losing her confidence somewhat, Twilight Sparkle turned to regard the colt with a nod, though found herself frowning instead as a part of her screamed out that she had no reason to agree with his demand. She was well within the right to be here.

She was the one with the authority.

“No,” Twilight Sparkle announced with a stomp of her hoof, “if you do not believe me then perhaps when Princess Celestia returns from her duties in Saddle Arabia, I will tell her of your complete incompetence by hindering my investigation into the assassination attempt, then perhaps, you will be more inclined to take me more seriously.”

The guard felt himself grow ten times smaller under the smaller pony’s intense gaze. “I—uh—”

“Or,” Twilight lifted a hoof back down the corridor, “you can report to Captain Flash Sentry where this whole misunderstanding can be played out without having to inform the Princess that you doubted her most favored student.”

“I-I apologize Miss, I-I believe there is no need for something that harsh. I’ll head straight to the Captain to confirm. Please, excuse me, Miss!”

As the guard scrambled off with his tail between his legs, Twilight Sparkle released a heavy sigh.

“That… that felt kind of strange,” she muttered to herself, “but in a good way. I should be more confident more often.”

A confidence that was well placed, mind you. After all, is she not the student of Princess Celestia? Is she not more than just a mere pony?

Breaking herself from such self indulgent thoughts, Twilight Sparkle turned to peer into the cell, noting the grey coated, silver maned pony seated in the corner of the cramped confines with his face in his hoofs, completely silent.

Clearing her throat, Twilight Sparkle attempted to once again attain that air of authority she had just shown the guard.

“Excuse me,” Twilight spoke with a clarity and tone of professionalism, “my name is Twilight Sparkle, I would like to ask you a few questions in regards to your wife, Mr… uh, Silver Hammer, was it?”

Silver Hammer lifted his wet muzzle from his hoofs, his bloodshot, red rimmed grey eyes gazing up at Twilight Sparkle with a despair that caused the mare to nearly instantaneously lose whatever confidence she had mustered.

It almost broke her heart.

“Leave me alone… haven’t you done enough?” His raspy voice belonged to a stallion that was dead in spirit. There was little life behind his eyes let alone his words. “I’ve answered your questions already... can't you just leave me alone to grieve?”

Twilight Sparkle shifted on the spot uncomfortably, directing her gaze away. “I am, truly sorry what has happened to your wife, Mr Silver Hammer, but I—”

“She didn’t do it.” He shook his head as he stared up at Twilight. “She would never do anything like this… she loved the Princess like a sister! There is just no way it was her. She’d never harm a parasprite let alone the Princess; it has to be some kind of mistake.”

Although his sorrow was understandable, Twilight Sparkle could not help but frown towards the stallion, her simmering rage bubbling at the mere concept that Raven was anything but guilty.

“I am sorry, but, the Princess was only defending herself from Raven’s attack. Princess Celestia did not mean to hurt Raven, but I can assure you with absolute certainty that the Princess did everything in her power she could to try and stop her without resorting to violence.”

“Liar.” The stallion muttered.

“Pardon?” Twilight felt her lips pull back into a tight frown.

“She’s a liar!” The stallion snapped, rushing to his hooves to advance on the bars, pounding his hooves against it. “You, are a liar! Why would the Princess kill her?! Why go that far?! Isn’t she supposed to be powerful enough to raise the sun and moon; so why in Tartarus could she not contain my wife if she was indeed as guilty as you all seem to say!?”

Twilight Sparkle took several steps back from the bars, her eyes wide. “S-she had no choice… Raven was—”

“Innocent!” He shook the bars violently, the metal of his cell clanging together in a cacophony of noise. “The Princess murdered my wife!” Tears came to his eyes as he broke down, his attack on the cell weakening. “Raven was innocent! I’ve known her since we were young; I loved that mare so much and yet Princess Celestia selfishly took her away from me, with little to no proof! She murdered her! If she were alive right now, I am sure Raven would only mirror exactly what it is I am saying! You have to believe me when I say she would never harm a living thing because it is true! The only one that has harmed anypony here is the Princess!”

Twilight Sparkle’s eyes clenched tightly, unable to look the stallion in the face.

“Please, please, let me see my children. They are all I have left… p-please.”

“H-How dare you,” Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes, glaring up at Silver Hammer with a ferocity that forced the stallion back from the bars, “how dare you say those things about the Princess!”

“Please—”

Twilight Sparkle summoned her magic to grip the earth pony by the neck and to throw him back against the wall, pinning him there as she pushed her face against the bars, snarling towards the stallion as every single word barked from her lips.

“Raven attempted to murder the Princess in cold blood and all you have got to say in her defense is that Celestia is a liar and a murderer?! Who knows; perhaps you had a part to play in it as well? Perhaps that is why you are preaching your wife’s innocence just to save your own stinking hide from the justice that will befall upon you if I discover you are even slightly involved with the assassination attempt!”

“I-I didn’t do anything wrong!” Silver Hammer clawed at his neck with his hooves, desperate to release the ring of magic slowly constricting his throat.

“I am not so sure… as far as I am concerned you are guilty until proven innocent!” Twilight Sparkle released the sputtering stallion, stepping back from the bars as she breathed heavily through her nostrils, her face burning with anger and her cheeks aching from the scowl present upon her features.

“What I have just witnessed is a stallion so devoted to her treacherous wife that I am beginning to suspect that you may have had a part in knowingly harboring an enemy of the court. You may not have had a hoof in the assassin attempted, but as far as I am concerned, you are an accessory to attempted murder.”

“L-let me see my children! I beg of you, let me see them! Th-they’re all I have left!”

“You are going to remain here until I get to the bottom of this,” Twilight Sparkle leaned forward, her voice hollow, “and if I find out you are truly guilty? I am going to make sure Princess Celestia delivers a punishment that fits the crime… and I know just who to ask to find out if you are telling the truth.”

Turning, Twilight Sparkle trotted back the way she came, ignoring the desperate pleas of the prisoner as she disappeared into the cold darkness of the corridor.

_______________________________

Nurse Redheart stared down at the the prone body laid out upon the cold metal slab, unable to bring herself to start the autopsy.

She had known Raven for a very long time. In fact, she might had considered the mare one of her closest of friends.

They were close to the a point that either mare would do anything for the other. Many times throughout her life, Nurse Redheart had relied heavily upon Raven’s support and yet...

And yet now? She was not entirely sure she recognized the mare at all, in light of the shocking revelation that the kind and loving family mare she once knew was in fact somepony sent to kill their beloved Princess.

Nurse Redheart did not wish to believe it, even as she stared down at the peacefully sleeping corpse of her best friend, her body mostly intact except for the fractured right leg that angled awkwardly to the right.

A leg she needed to reset ready for a funeral she suspected would be operated in secret.

The cause of death was to be expected. Heavy trauma to the skull, resulting in extensive hemorrhaging of the brain. Her death was quick, at least, but Nurse Redheart was not entirely confident she was pleased about that outcome.

She had so many questions to ask her.

With a sigh, she turned to the small trolley to her right, picking up a scalpel from the array of tools neatly arranged upon its surface.

Then, just as she was about to begin, the doors to the morgue erupted open, startling the mare and causing her to drop the scalpel with a yelp.

“E-Excuse me!” Nurse Redheart exclaimed, narrowing her eyes upon the advancing lavender mare magically carrying in the air above her head a large dusty tome. “This is a controlled environment! You can’t just barge in here without—”

Twilight Sparkle swiped a hoof and brushed aside all of the tools from the trolley, uncaring of the mare’s shock as the operating instruments clamored upon the floor, Twilight's glare lifting from the tome as it was dropped with a resounding slap upon the trolley’s surface.

“Get out.”

Nurse Redheart simply did not know what to say. But she certainly did not heed Twilight's order.

"I'll have you know this is a morgue. What do you hope to achieve here?"

“Guards!” Twilight Sparkle glared back through the swinging doors as two Royal Guards slipped into the room, saluting, “escort the nurse out.”

Redheart gawked at Twilight Sparkle as the two guards flanked either side of her and forcefully ushered her towards the door.

“This is outrageous! You have no jurisdiction! I am the highest ranking medical official in Canterlot!” Although Nurse Redheart did not resist, she did look back towards Twilight Sparkle, watching as she opened the tome, completely astonished to the sudden intrusion. “If you plan on a medical examination then please at least allow me to assist you!”

Twilight Sparkle flipped open to a specific page as the protesting nurse was forcefully ejected from the morgue, paying the mare little attention.

“I am sorry, Princess, but I have to do this. I know you told me to keep away from these types of magics, but I have to know the truth... I need to protect you and this is the only way I know how.” Twilight narrowed her eyes upon the magical incantation etched in an odd shade of reddish brown upon the old, fragile pages, her nostrils wrinkling at its musky, dusty scent.

"And you? You are going to tell me everything you know, Raven," her eyes slipped over to the corpse, her horn aglow with an aura of bubbling darkness, "whether you like it or not."

Author's Note

*Wiggles fingers* A thanks for everypony for getting this thing to 90 likes! I was going to hold off releasing this chapter, but here it is! A present to you all for following this mad rush of dark Twilestia.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please do comment your concerns and or questions below. I will answer em the best I can without spoiling the plot.

Love, like hate and flame! Comment too if ya'll inclined that way,