Cold coffee, crime scenes, and an interrogation.

"Somepony's been killed!" the shouts rang out early the next morning. Jean-Luc laughed when he heard this in his sleep, and roused to find him self slumped into the corner of his studio, covered in blood still and reeking of booze. His head pounded as he fought a hang over, but upon trying to brush his teeth, he found old Hoity Toity had knocked two of them loose. Sly colt, Jean-Luc mused in the shower, washing off the evidence, even in death Hoity was a pain. Jean-Luc just laughed it off though, for it had been a truley magical night, one of his best works. Unlike the statue in his studio... Damn he had gone at it drunk hadn't he? Oh well, somepony would buy it. There was a knock at the door of his studio, but Jean-Luc didn't really care. They knocked again, with a lot more force.

"Yes, What the buck do you want?" Jean-Luc said opening the door to find two unicorns he would rather not see first thing in the morning, Twilight and Rarity.

"Jean, somepony murdered Hoity Toity! What is that horrible smell?" Rarity asked trying to enter the studio.

"Jean-Luc."

"I beg your pardon?" Rarity asked the angry sounding artist who was positively rancid with the drink.

"My name. Jean-Luc, not Jean. Not Luc. Jean-Luc. Now what were you saying?" Jean-Luc said with a huff, his head and missing teeth were killing him.

"Jean-Luc, somepony killed Hoity Toity last night. You were the last one to see him alive, do you know what might have happened?" Twilight asked the artist as he walked into the studio and grabbed a cup of coffee and poured in a half cup of whiskey. "Do you really think you should be drinking?" She asked watching the display of alcoholism.

"Why not, the art world just lost a sharp eye, and forked tongue. Hoity should be remembered, but when I think of him, it makes me want to drink," Jean-Luc said drinking his cup in one fail shot. "I should heat the coffee up first though, shouldn't I?"

"Probably. But now this case is a Royal matter, so the Guard will likely come talk to you again. By the way, what did the guard want with you yesterday?" Twilight asked, remembering the visitors.

"There was a murder on my street the night before I moved. The were questioning me as a potential witness. How did you know they were here?"

"They stopped by to ask me where you lived. I knew them from when I lived in Canterlot," Twilight lied. Something was bugging her. "So Jean-Luc, you were the last to see Hoity?"

"Unfortunately, I showed him some of Miss Rarity's works at the stage. But his manner insulted art, so I departed, and, in my rage, drank," Jean-Luc said. "Where was the plothole found?"

"The stage, just where you saw him last," Twilight said in a tune rather accusing.

"Humph, no lie I hated Hoity, but I didn't kill him Miss Sparkle. I will help how ever I can though," Jean-Luc said with some rather slurred speech.

"Drunk much?" Rarity asked.

"Not enough," Jean-Luc said looking through his unkempt mane and bloodshot eyes. Jean-Luc left his company to escort themselves out as he forgot the coffee and just hit the bottle direct.

"Mmm, Cadence... Oh yeah..." Shining Armor said while his new wife showcased a few of the Royal bedroom traditions. Shining was more than happy to enjoy this royal perk, but was rather against his new title.

"Does this please the Prince?" Cadence asked as she came up for air.

"Yeah, but please, talk dirty. Call me Captain," Shining said to a laugh from his wife.

"Very well Captain, I've been a bad little pony, I need punishment," Cadence said rather seductively.

"Yeah? Well little filly, I'm going to have to lock you up then," Shining said as he placed a magic pair of hoof cuffs on his wife, securing her to the bedpost. The gods of bad timing had a gift for Shining though, a knock at his bedchamber doors.

"Armor, we got a problem in Ponyville. Windrunner and Cloudchaser never showed back up, and now Hoity Toity has been killed in town. Same style as Fix," Doc Goodspeed said from outside. The down side of living in the castle, others who lived there could come to your chamber doors. "We gotta go, next train leaves in 20. Your sister has already been informed of us coming down."

"Um... Could it wait...." Shining said as he came up from attending to his wife.

"No kid, now put it up and come on. Grab your crap," Doc said walking away.

"Bucking hell. I'm Sorry Cadence, I'll be back as soon as I can," Shining said to his wife, magically putting on his red uniform coat and kissing her goodbye.

"Shining... Hey love... COME BACK HERE AND UNLOCK ME!" Cadence yelled as Shining tried to leave the room, making him double back with a guiltily look on his face.

"Shining, Doctor Goodspeed, it's so good to see you both again," Twilight said, wrapping her neck into her brothers in a kind embrace.

"Thanks Twily," Shining said with a smile as he and Doc Goodspeed stepped off the platform.

"So whats the news on your case in Canterlot?" Twilight asked as they headed towards the Stage that sat right across the town square from the platform.

"Nothing new Hun," Doc said, spitting his foul clove out, "but there might be a connection here. Your letter said the vic had been in a fight before, then slashed up repeatedly?"

"Yes. But this was a planned attack, there was no improvised weapons here," Twilight said as she lifted the crime tape with magic to let Shining and Doc into the scene. They flashed their Royal Guard Crests to the local colts and took over the case. Ponyville PD was more than happy to give away this paper work.

"So, we have a vic with 56 cuts and stabs to 'im... Bucking hay," Doc said checking out the scene.

"Excuse me, Officer, what was the stage being set up for?" Shining asked.

"Rarity's annual fashion show Sir. All of her newest designs were in here when it happened. Most are blood covered, but nothing's missing," The colt ran down the list. "Sir, is Miss Sparkle allowed in here?" The colt asked as Twilight tried to peer around the Colts and shrunk back when she was called out like that.

"Of course. She is my liaison to your Department as of now. Give her the full run down. Twily, could you preen the case for any relevant patterns?" Shining said.

"Sure, I thought you would ask me anyways. The last person to see Hotiy alive was a Mr Jean-Luc Pastel. Didn't you send a couple guards to talk to him yesterday?" Twilight asked remembering the mornings events.

"Yes I had. They never came back, and that scares the hell out of me. I want to meet this Pastel now, Twily," Shining said, his voice set like ice.

"Sure thing, But you might want to let him sober up first."

Another knocking sound? So soon? What is it now? Jean-Luc thought hauling himself up on all fours to go answer the door. With a lot of stagger and more fumbling than he was proud to admit, Jean-Luc opened the door to find Miss Sparkle again, with two higher ups from the royal guard. Had he been sober, he would have recognized the signs to run.

"Yes, Miss Sparkle, I thought I was clear earlier," Jean-Luc said, earning Twilight a quick glance from the younger of the two. By the looks of him though, he was in charge.

"Mr Pastel, I'm Captain Shining Armor, Canterlot Royal Guard. This with me is Doctor Goodspeed. You apparently already know my Liaison Twilight Sparkle," Shining said with a cold voice.

"No no no no no no no no. You fool, it's Jean-Luc Pastel," Jean-Luc told the cop in front of him in a bit of a drunken rage.

"Mr Pastel, Don't ever call me a fool. Got it paint colt?" Shining said leaning in on the artist, eyebrows knit with anger.

"Let me guess, good colt, bad colt?" Jean-Luc said eyeing Armor and Goodspeed.

"Yeah," Shining Armor said, "I'm the good colt, so talk fast."

"Pathetic," Jean-Luc said looking Shining in the face, with a dead serious expression.

"Excuse me? I don't think I heard you," Shining said as Doc put up a hoof to stop the Captain from committing police brutality.

"I said Pathetic. Your whole tough guy act. Its worthless. You have not lost anything in life, so what do you know about taking what matters most?" Jean-Luc said with a coolness usually reserved for life or death quotes in showdowns. Shining was letting off some sparks from his horn now as his magic boiled over in his rage. "If you're here about Hoity, I told Miss Sparkle and Miss Rarity everything earlier Sir (with enough disrespect on the word that even Twilight was offended) that I could remember from last night. I tried to change Hoity's mind about Rarity's designs, but he was an ass, so I left and in my rage, started down the bottle."

"So did Miss Rarity know where you where?" Doc goodspeed said at last.

"Yes. I told her I was taking Hoity to the stage. Why?" Jean-Luc asked.

"And she was here earlier during the questioning?" Doc asked, cool, calm, and collected.

"Again, yes. Why?" Jean-Luc asked of the police.

"Miss Sparkle, you failed to mention that earlier," Doc said turning to the small lavender unicorn.

"Oh, well it was irrelevant to the case..." Twilight stammered out. She didn't like her brother or Doctor Goodspeed mad at her.

"That would be for us to decide Twilight. Your job is to give us all pertinent information to the case. Rarity had motive, and now she knows about the case so far. She could be building an alibi, or fleeing town. Damn it Twilight!" Shining said as he stormed away from the studio to Rarity's boutique. Doc Goodspeed just hung his head and thanked Jean-Luc for his help, telling him to not leave town as a person of interest, then walked over to join Shining Armor. Twilight just looked dejected and slowly, with her tail tucked in tight followed along, almost in tears from what her brother had said to her.

"That," said Jean-Luc closing the door, "Was a little too close."

As the trio headed to the boutique, a little purple dragon came running up to them yelling for Twilight.

"What is it Spike?" Twilight asked the exasperated Dragon as he caught up to them, wheezing for breath.

"Letter from Princess Celestia. They found Hoity's Journal. It's addressed Captain Armor's Eyes only," The dragon said and handed them a small, tweed bound book closed by a bit of twine with a dark red-ish black spot on the cover. Shining took the book and Magically flipped through, his sour looking face getting worse and worse with each page he read. Finally he stopped on one page, his face awash with anger, as he slammed the book shut and stowed it in his uniform pocket.

"Son of a Diamond Dog! Giddy up!" He yelled to the group as he reared high and tore off to his now most urgent destination. He reached the door and slammed hard on it, shaking the windows as he did.

"Rarity, open up! Royal Guard!" Shining said loud enough to be heard across town. The door was quickly opened to a rather messy looking Fashion designer, which was not how Twilight had seen her earlier.

"Rarity, what happened to you?" Twilight asked the Unicorn as the others entered, not even waiting for permission, just barging in as Rarity side stepped a little.

"I was... um... erm...," Rarity started, looking to the floor or a point on the ceiling.

"The answer ain't up there Missy," Doc Goodspeed said watching this, "How bout you get your head on straight real fast like, and talk." There was no threat, no order, nothing, but Rarity treated this like a word from Celestia herself, Doc had a way with ponies.

"IwaslayingwithApplejack," Rarity said in one short breath.

"I don't care who you fool around with Miss Rarity, you are hence forth being put into custody as a suspect in the murder of Hotiy Toity, as well as the possible interference in a royal guard investigation. You have the right to an attorney..." Shining went on as he magically placed a bridal and lead on Rarity and magical shackles that would bind together if she tried to run. A blanket was placed over her face so the ponies in town would not be able to see what exactly was going on, but after seeing a white mare come out in shackles, it would not be hard to guess. The four left the Boutique now, Shining magically calling for a guard unit to perform a search after talking to Mayor Mare for a warrant.

Rarity now sat in the interrogation room in the Ponyville PD headquarters, while Shining and Doc recieved the latest word from Canterlot about the search of Hoity's personal estate. Things were to say the least, interesting. Goodspeed and Armor walked into the room swiftly now, Doc holding a rather thick folder and letting it drop right in front of Rarity, neither one saying a word yet. Rarity's eyes quickly shifted form Doc to Shining, both keeping the silence. Finally, Rarity's worst nightmare entered the room, head hung low, taking up the seat across form her.

"Rarity, In Hoity's journal, He mentions you two going to an art show in Canterlot two weeks ago. Is this true?" Twilight asked her friend in a calm, smooth voice. One that promised nice things in the future with out the words ever being said.

"Oh Twilight, it's not what I thought!" Rarity Burst out crying now, slumping into her forelegs on the table as she let out sob after sob. For all the crying the drama queen did, this was the worst she ever seemed.

"Please, tell me what happened. We have Hoity's journal, so please, just be open now, it will all be better if we understand you," Twilight said with that voice that could make a rock turn over just to please her.

"A while back," Rarity started through the subsiding sobs, "I got into Anatomical Artworks. Things like Statues, and violent paintings to start, but it grew. Hoity told me about his obsession with it one night. He asked if I would like to go to a show," Rarity said to Twilight.

"What kind of show?" Shining asked, Stepping up from his leaning spot against the wall, moving in close to Rarity and taking a seat looking at her.

"A, a body exhibit," Rarity said looking down now, her voice so full of shame.

"Like a museum exhibit?" Twilight asked.

"No, it was underground art. Real ponies, made into statues after death. I thought they were cadavers or maybe scientific models at first, but then..." Rarity started but soon chocked up.

"You found them to be real ponies, that had been killed just to make these artworks," Shining said, his voice softer than it had been all day it seemed.

"Yes... It was horrible. I left right away, Hoity stopped my in the street, told me that if I ever told anypony what I saw, they would make a new exhibit from me. They threatened to make me into a statue doing unspeakable things to Sweetie Bell! I couldn't tell anypony after that, and I just tried to forget it," Rarity said breaking into tears again. Twilight moved to comfort her friend, but Shining motioned to her to stop, they still had things to ask.

"So Rarity, why was Hoity over at your place last night then?" Shining asked as Rarity started to ease up.

"He was making sure I understood the situation. Checking to see if I would crack," Rarity said, crying and looking a mess. Her nose and mascara running, her eyes red and puffy. Rarity would never allow herself to look like this.

"So when he left, you made sure to neutralize him, right?" Shining asked of Rarity as she looked down, but hearing this accusation, she snapped up and looked at Shining with shock and anguish.

"Never! I could never bring myself to hurt Hoity! Even for his threats, all he wanted was silence!" Rarity said, so emotional she didn't even care she spilled her coffee on herself, ruining her coat.

"Twilight, please step out for a minute," Doc said to clear the room for what came next. Twilight tried to stay, but one glance from Doc was all it took to shoo her out the door. "Now Rarity, Talk."

"I didn't kill him, I had no idea he was even dead til I went to the stage this morning!" Rarity plead.

"Where you were the first on the scene?" Shining asked.

"Yes, I am always first in last out at one of my shows," Rarity said turning to the Guardscolt.

"Where were you last night around 8 o'clock?" Doc asked making Rarity spin to face him.

"My Boutique! Where I live!" Rarity cried.

"What were you doing there?" Shining asked. A odd question, true, but a necessary one.

"I was reading to my kid sister as she slept," Rarity said, backing up from shining and drawing her hooves close to her chest. It was obvious to the two law ponies, she was lying. Her body said it all.

"Truth. Now," Doc said. Rarity burst into tears again.

"I... I was... smoking..." Rarity started.

"You smoke Rarity?" Shining asked, leaning in more ot the Mare as she broke down again.

"I was smoking poison joke weed," Rarity said with her head hung low.

"The weed? Well that's bad Rare, but not our main worry right now. Where did you get it?" Shining asked, placing a kind hoof on Rarity's shoulder as she cried again.

"Quick Fix, he used to be my dealer in Canterlot, til he ruffied me and tried to have his way," Rarity said to two now stunned Guards. "What is it? Did I say something?" Rarity asked seeing them looking at her.

"Well, We kind of found Fix yesterday. He was killed, same style as Hoity Toity," Shining said.

"And we don't believe in coincidence much round the Guard. Two dead ponies, both a brutal slaying, both with ties to a Miss Rarity that has plenty of bits, and connections to an underground Death art rink... Do you see where this evidence is pointing? It ain't looking good Missy, you have motive for two contracted kills now. You need to give us something to work with, a show of good faith. We'll see what we can do bout them Drug charges if'in you can help us," Doc said putting a foreleg on the table and leaning in. Rarity was feeling the pressure now more than ever.

"I told you everything I know. I swear!" Rarity said, tears starting to roll again. She was being honest, her body language was completely open. She just wanted safety.

"Rarity, I'm afraid we have to hold you here on charges of..." Shining started to be cut off rather fast like.

"My account! You said I have a lot of bits, I'll give you my financial records to sort through, you will see I had no money taken out to pay anypony for a.. a hit," Rarity said, eyes bright as she saw the light of hope.

"Thank you Missy, that's a might helpful," Doc said, getting up to leave with Shining, letting Twilight back in to see to her friend.

"Oh darling! Oh sweetie! I'm so sorry!" Rarity balled into the shoulder of her friend.

"Hey, it's alright. I believe you," Twilight said hugging her sobbing friend tight as she started to cry with force renewed.

Twilight came into the impromptu office for the guard, seeing Shining and Goodspeed spilling over Rarity's records and purchases for the past 5 months. She had been away all of thirty minutes, enough for two guards to completely rout through every aspect of her life.

"So Shining, Do you feel like questioning anymore of my friends? I think Fluttershy would love that kind of treatment, send her right into a nervous breakdown," Twilight said a bit miffed.

"I'm sorry, are you really mad at me, Twilight?" Shining asked not looking up from his work.

"You are a piece of work. You knew she wasn't guilty, why put her through that?" Twilight said.

"WE don't know anything Twilight. She has no alibi, and now drug possession charges. Or are you hiding something else sister?" Shining said finally looking at the lavender mare.

"Well she wasn't alone last night at 8 o'clock. She had company over," Twilight said, taking a seat opposite her brother.

"Shining, we got something..." Doc started, looking at one note he just found.

"Just a sec Doc. I know Twily, she had AJ over apparently. But not last night, we spoke to AJ about that already," Shining said.

"No, not AJ, it was me," Twilight said hanging her head low.

"Twilight? Are...are you saying?" Shining said staring at his sister, not even glancing at the note under his hoof yet from Doc.

"Yes, she got that weed from me last night. I was smoking it with her. She refused to go back to Fix, but I get mine from Zecora. Brother, Rarity didn't want to ruin our friendship by telling you this. But now it's my call, and I want to come clean," Twilight said, holding back tears of her own. Her brother shifted from anger to pity, to laughter at the sight of her.

"Leave home for three years, and you start smoking weed and solving murders. What am I going to do with you Twilight. I am going to have to bring this up to the Princess you know," Shining said at last.

"Yeah... about that..." Twilight said looking around now refusing to make eye contact.

"Oh hay, what now?" Doc said feeling where this was going.

"Well, let's just say Celestia is a big fan of puff puff pass," Twilight said with her sheepish grin. Doc and Shining facehoofed at this news.

"Well I see a pardon in both of your futures now..." Shining said.

"Well, that fits. Shining, the note. Its from Canterlot HQ, they found a money link from Hoity to Fix," Doc said bringing things back on track.

"The buck you say!" Shining said happy, a new break in the case.

"Yep, Hoity had paid some ponies to rough up Fix after he tried to rape Rarity there. Fix learned from it though, bought his own security. But he started to feel safe, dropped the ponyguard just two nights ago. I'm guessing Hoity didn't like that..." Doc started the ball rolling in the Captains head.

"So Hoity gets a friend from the underground art to take out Fix. But they come here, try to get more outta Hoity, and when he's alone at the stage, they jump him. The two ponies roll, and in the heat of things, a knife came out, Hoity was cut. Then they cut up Hoity like they had Fix to try and cover their tracks! Of course!" Shining said.

"But then why cut up Fix with glass?" Twilight asked.

"Makes sense, darlin. The killer was sloppy, an amateur, probably his first kill, only a foal would take a paid job in that kind of ring. That's why the kid made the mistake of trying blackmail," Doctor Goodspeed said.

"So we are looking for an artist that's taking money for hits. We need to get an artist on the scene to look for clues then, don't we?" Shining asked Doc.

"Yup, but you won't like the pool of candidates you have to pick from here Shining," Doc said sticking in another roll of cloves.

"Buck me, time's a wasting, we need that paint pony now more than ever," Shining said in defeat to have to ask the painter Jean-Luc for help.

A lone Artist danced around his sculpture now, the alcohol strong with in him as he chipped and cut the stone into shape. All the while a little song escaped his lips. "Line up everypony, come on now, there's no time to squander. What I have planned will leave you all in my amazing wonder. Heads up every pony, you fall just like sheep, so easy to slaughter. Give me your fears, I will let you sleep, the world feeling my laughter. So don't blink little ponies, please do just hurry, my knife hoof is slipping. I will make you in to my splatter, just as your life is slipping away... So, run in Fear, no cover here, Stay for the after show. Watch them bleed, then take heed, for you it will be slow. I will slice, I will dice, you will be low. I will cut, I will stab, but you will be mmmmmmmiiiinnnnneeeeee! The hole world is going to me Mine, all mine and Woooha! *bam!* Ouch!" The artist said as his rather gruesome song ended with him falling of the scaffold and hitting the floor. Little did he know of things to come.